CH 80

「Who are you!? Where are you talking to me from!?」

There was no one in the room except for me and Alice, and no spirits or demons seemed to have appeared. I pay attention to Alice’s movements and keep an eye on my surroundings.

『I’m going to ask you to register as the master. What is your name?』

The owner of the voice emotionlessly said without answering my question.

「What is wrong with you!? Show yourself!」

I took out my Balmunk from my inventory and pulled it out.

『Please register as the mater. Your name, please.』

But the owner of the voice just repeats the same words and completely ignores my call.

「…Alice, what do you think?」

I couldn’t decide what to do about their reaction, so I asked Alice for her opinion.

「I think that this room itself is a giant magical device. I think the voice is just saying a predetermined line.」

「Why would it do that?」

I furrowed my brow at Alice’s speculation. Alice continued her explanation.

「The magic devices in huge facilities such as adventurer’s guilds and castles are also the legacy of ancient civilizations, but while they have great performance, they are inconvenient in that they only work if the user is registered.」

「I thought that the adventurer card was a great feature, but…」

It’s very useful to be able to accumulate rewards and keep track of monsters you’ve killed. I thought it was current magicology technology, but I didn’t know it was a magical device from an ancient civilization.

『…Please register as the master. Your name, please.』

「Anyway, it’s clear that this is a magical device, and we shouldn’t leave it like that. We’d better register first.」

Alice thought about it as if she was troubled and finally came to a conclusion. If Alice, who knows more about handling magical devices than I do, says so, then I should accept her suggestion.

「It’s Elt. Is that okay?」

『I’ve registered my master’s name as ‘Elt.’』

After a while, a reply came back. It seems that the registration was successfully completed.

『I’m going to explain about this facility, Sky Castle.』

「W, wait a minute!」

I was relieved, but not for long. The next words that came out of the owner of the voice made me impatient and I waited.

「Alice, does this sound similar to you?」

I can’t contain my excitement, so I ask Alice a question. If she has the same perception as me…….

「This sounds familiar! It’s a legendary castle from mythical times! They say the gods live here!」

I knew it. There is a fairy tale that we have heard since we were children called the castle in the sky. It is said to be a castle where the gods reside, a magical place filled with magic, unseen delicacies, and unheard-of tools.

The characters in the story use all their wisdom, courage, and luck to reach the castle in the sky. Those who succeed in reaching the castle will be granted an audience with the gods and will be rewarded with glory.

There is a story that a hero once visited this castle in the sky and was given a legendary weapon to defeat the world-conquering Demon King. It’s a story that my parents used to tell me when I was a kid.

「Hey! Is this really the Sky Castle?」

『……..』

Alice asked the question, but there was no response.

「Um, can I ask you something?」

『Yes, please Master.』

「E, Elt will ask my question.」

It seems that Alice’s question was not answered and she had a complicated look on her face.

「Are you sure this is the castle in the sky?」

『I don’t understand your question. We do not share the same understanding.』

Is that so? I don’t know how much time this voice has spent in this place, but it’s enough to make a fairy tale. A lot of years must have passed.

「Um, from what I’ve heard, it’s a castle that floats in the sky and flies around the world… Yes, the story goes that the gods live there.」

I tried to explain it somehow, remembering the fairy tale.

『It’s true that it flies in the sky. But “Gods”? There is no such master registered.』

「I’ve heard that it’s like a magical land like Magenkyo, full of magical power, and there are foods and tools I’ve never seen before.」

『Magenkyo? The celestial castle possesses a “Magic Power Furnance”, so magic power can be created infinitely, though. Food? It’s not something I need, so if Master wants, he’ll have to make it himself.』

It seems that there is a facility called a “magic furnace” that is generating magic power. It’s the first time I’ve heard of such a facility. If it could generate magic power at will, that alone would destroy the balance of the world.

「Elt-kun.」

「What is it?」

I put my hand to my chin and pondered over the tremendous amount of information, and Alice spoke to me.

「The fairy tale land of magic is a magical furnace. If that’s the case, wouldn’t the food be a status-enhancing fruit?」

「That certainly makes sense…」

If you’re cooking with status-enhancing fruits, it’s safe to say you’re in for a treat you’ve never had before.

「So, Elt-kun. I’ve just realized something….」

Alice said, looking around fearfully and dismissively.

「I wonder if this thing is flying right now?」

「What nonsense, it’s just an image of the sky. If it’s really flying….」

『Yes. The castle is currently floating at an altitude of 3,000 meters above the ground.』

「Eh?」

The voice replied as I was trying to deny Alice’s remark.