Heavenly Castle

Chapter 10 – Friends

Translator: “Drey”

「Ayla, is it? It’s a nice name. You can just call me Taiki, okay?」

「Ah, Ta, Taiki-san, right?」

「Yup yup」

She’s still awkward, but I feel that our distance has shrunk somewhat.

I’m sure that my heart races when I’m talking with Ayla, but this must be a side effect as I was alone for a month. It’s definitely not because I am harbouring some feelings to a girl about half my age.

When I’m silently making excuse to myself, Ayla anxiously frowned a little.

「U, umm…… in this, mysterious place, I wonder just how many Magician-samas are there?」

Suddenly asking me such a question, I tilted my head.

Ha?

What Magician is she saying?

Is it Wizard?

I groaned while thinking such thing and finally understood it.

I see. It’s because she’s thinking that there is a wizard after seeing the flying island in the sky. Certainly, it’s unbelievable to see something so massive floating in the sky.

I draw this conclusion and nodded several times.

Then, I look at Ayla.

「There’s no one but me alone in this castle」

「Eh?」

Ayla blink her eyes to my answer and after a few seconds, she understood the meaning of my words and raised her face.

「A, a, alone(hitori)!? Are you alone(O’hitori), Taiki-sa…… Taiki-sama!?」

For some reason, my status has raised by attaching ‘sama’. What is happening? Is she abusing me by calling O’hitori-sama?

「I’m alone.」

It’s fine if you want to laugh at me being a lonely guy. I’m really lonely so I don’t have any excuse to say.

While I’m lost in thoughts, Ayla turned her gaze toward A1. I noticed she is sweating like a waterfall.

「Then, this golem is …… And that golems in large quantities are……」

「Hmm? Yeah, maybe he’s like a subordinate? It would be best if he could become someone I could have conversation with, though.」

When I laugh as I said that, A1 turns his face towards my direction. What is it, A1. Do you want to say that we are best friends? What a loving fellow.

As we are staring at each other, Ayla looks at us with a shocked expression.

「He, he’s definitely an amazing person, isn’t he……」

She said that in a hoarse voice and I tilt my head.

「I don’t really understand, but it’s getting late. I hope you can tell me more of your story again tomorrow.」

And, I suddenly remembered when I said that.

Where should Ayla sleep? My room? No way, it’s impossible to share a room with a young maiden.

Also, isn’t this the floor where rooms similar to a high class hotel are lined up? Unfortunately there is no bathroom, but it has a shower in each room. The toilet is also fully equipped.

「Shall I guide you to your room?」

「Ah, ye, yes」

Ayla replied and follow me. A1 came following as if to protect our back.

Leaving the dining hall, I look at the corridor extending to the left and right.

「Do you want it closer to the entrance? Or far?」

「What, what do you think……?」

「My suggestion is to stay near the elevator. Ah, elevator is the thing that you rode earlier inside that round pillar. You will need to go inside the elevator to travel between floors.」

「That, that round pillar…… then, please make it that way.」

Making such exchanges, we arrived at the front of the elevator and head towards the nearest room to open the door.

Inside the room, there is a passage enough for two person to walk side by side. Midway the room, there is a door which leads to a shower room and toilet. There is a comfortable double bed, a table, two chairs and a sofa.

Also, there is a window around 2 square meters on the wall and the sunset is currently shining from outside. I guess the size of the room is about 20 tatami mats. It’s actually feels wider because the closets and shelves are built-in the walls.

Ayla glanced around the room then turned to my direction delightfully.

「Is it okay for me to stay here!?」

「Yeah, it’s okay」

It doesn’t have many things, but it’s a nice room. She seems pleased.

Ayla looked around excitedly and headed towards the bed.

「A bed after a long time……! Waa, amazing!? It bounces even though it’s super soft!?」

I expressed a smile and nod to Ayla who’s acting like a child and currently pushing the bed with both hands. By the way, A1 couldn’t enter the room because of his size.

「That’s a nice bed. Aah, that’s right. Should I teach you how to use the toilet and shower?」

「Shower?」

Beckoning Ayla who tilts her head, I guide her towards the shower room. The beautiful white shower room is spacious and looks easy to use.

I hold the nozzle as I told Ayla to watch me carefully. A hot water with suitable temperature started to pour out. The water heater keeps the temperature perfectly.

「Look. This one is hot water and this one is just water, okay?」

「eh? A hot water by only twisting this …?」

Ayla touches the hot water coming out from the nozzle. She looks surprised and her eyes widen even more.

If she’s like this only by the shower, there’s no doubt that she will be even more surprised by the toilet. Because, Japanese people hold an unusual attachment to the existence namely toilet and are always seeking for the best kind out there.

I laugh boldly and opened the door that leads to the toilet.

The beautiful white toilet showed its figure and the lid opens automatically as if to say ‘Welcome’.

「Um, is this a toilet?」

Ayla blinks her eyes.

「You’re right. You will sit down here and press this button when you’re done. Then, a water will come out and will wash your bottom. Then, wipe yourself using this paper and press that button…… Look」

Seeing the water goes flowing with ‘jaaa’, Ayla raises a cheer.

「Amazing! So in this case the toilet will always be kept clean, isn’t it!? There is no such awesome toilet even in the royal palace, you know!?」

Oya? She become delighted in an unexpected direction.

It’s not as if the village girl Ayla knows the condition of the toilet in the royal palace, but she probably wants to say that it is the best toilet she sees in her lifetime.

Fumu fumu. It went well in the end.

「I wonder how did the toilet clean itself just now?」

Ayla said that when we return to the bedroom as she was walking excitedly.

「It’s a wonderful room, it has a bed, a toilet and a shower」

Ayla starts humming and you can tell that she is in a really good mood. She turns her eyes to the window.

「I saw it a little bit earlier, but it is a beautiful scenery, isn’t it. Ara? So many white house……」

「There’s no one else living there though, you know?」

I spoke with a bitter smile. Ayla lowers her gaze and looks a little confused. She then turns to face me.

「No one? It is a beautiful seaside town and yet……」

「Because there is no one else but me on this flying island. Although its beautiful, but all of them are just empty houses」

「……. Flying island?」

Hearing Ayla asked a question in return, I lightly nodded and answer.

「Areh? Don’t you remember? A1 brought you here to the island earlier. Look, don’t you think that scenery is drifting a little by little? Just look at it carefully.」

「Eh, eh, eh?!」

Observing and comparing the scenery outside restlessly, Ayla stared intensely and stuck her head outside the window.

「Th, the, the island is, flying…….?」

Ayla who finally grasped the reality, muttered and stood still.

- TL Note: Refers to people living and doing things alone.