The Beletette Grosse—the finest of all the magic airships I built in my previous life. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d encounter it again… here, of all places.
When I died, it should have been stored within the Great Sage’s Tower. Most likely, my three disciples had taken it with them after my passing.
“Hey, Dana-oneechan. What kind of people were those Three Sages, anyway?”
Maybe there are legends about me too.
With that faint hope in mind, I listened closely as she began to answer.
“I don’t know. It’s said they never spoke much about their origins. But one thing’s certain—they were extraordinary magicians.”
That was the only answer I got.
Are you kidding meeeee!?
(They could’ve at least talked about me! I am their master—the one who raised them, taught them, made them who they were! And this airship! They should’ve told everyone it was built by the Great Sage Aristoteleus! Pass that down properly, you useless brats!!)
Truly… what hopeless disciples I had.
『Maybe your disciples just didn’t like you, Master. I imagine you only paid real attention to the young, pretty ones with big chests, and brushed off everyone else.』
(Well, of course I did.)
『…I see. Then yes, they definitely hated you.』
Since the vessel was now revered as a Divine Ship, it was off-limits to the public. No one was allowed inside.
“In fact, no one even knows how to enter it. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of doorway. The old records only mention fragments about the ship, and scholars have been trying for generations to solve the mystery—but to this day, no one has succeeded.”
The method for entering the ship was the same as with the Seno Grande. There was no visible platform or hatch—access worked like an invisible elevator. By standing directly beneath the vessel and uttering the preset password, one would be drawn upward automatically, transported straight into the ship’s interior.
“…Huh!? If I board the ship right now and reveal that I’m actually the reincarnation of one of the Three Sages, the islanders might praise me, I might be able to flirt with the girls as much as I want, and I might even be able to drink their milk as much as I want…?!”
『You’re seriously considering pretending to be your own disciple? Do you have no pride at all, Master?』
Pride? Can you eat that?
However, in the end, Lindwurm used all his strength to stop me, and after bidding farewell to my beloved airship, we left the temple.
“Since we’re here anyway, why don’t we stay at one of the inns in town for the night?”
“An inn? In that case, there’s a free lodging hall attached to the temple for visiting worshipers.”
“Free, huh… does it have private rooms?”
“No, there’s no private room. There are just separate rooms for men and women, with several beds lined up inside.”
A mixed groan echoed in my head.
Separate rooms for men and women are crap. That’s the worst.
“Forget free. I don’t mind paying—just tell me where I can find a proper inn.”
“A paid inn…? There aren’t any.”
“Eh?”
『Makes sense. No outsiders ever visit this island, and each town is self-sufficient. With no travel or trade between them, a paid inn wouldn’t exactly be profitable.』
No inns… seriously?
(Well, when I think about it, I’m just a baby right now. I can just stay in the women’s dorm. In fact, a room full of women sounds amazing! The beds are probably close together too, so if I just happen to roll into a girl’s bed by accident, there would be no problem I guess.)
『…..』
And so, we ended up staying at the free lodging attached to the temple.
“Uhm…. This isn’t quite what I imagined.”
In the women’s dormitory, the female worshipers were quietly and solemnly preparing for bed. There were quite a few young girls there, but hardly any of them were chatting, and the atmosphere was as depressing as a funeral.
(Seriously? They’re already going to sleep at this hour? I thought there’d be late-night girl talk, giggling, something a bit more lively!)
『This isn’t a slumber party, Master. These are devout women who’ve come to pray at a holy temple. A solemn mood is perfectly natural.』
(…Fine, fine.)
With a sigh, I gave up on my hopes for excitement and decided—maybe I’d head out into the town for a bit instead.
Leaving the free lodging behind, I wandered the streets in search of some kind of entertainment district.
“…Wait—there’s nothing open!? Not a single place!?”
After nearly an hour of searching, I finally shouted in despair.
“No way. Don’t tell me this town doesn’t have any nightlife! Say it’s not true, please tell me it’s not true!”
No clubs. No gambling dens. No brothels. Not even a decent tavern in sight.
In fact, there were barely any people on the streets at all. The only person I eventually came across looked like some shady old man who’d just wandered out of the shadows.
『He just looks like a man out for a walk, Master. Frankly, you’re the one acting suspicious here.』
Unable to contain myself, I called out to the man.
“Hey, mister! Are there really no shops open at night around here!?”
“Wha—!? Who said that!? A baby!? A talking baby!?”
Despite his shock, the man eventually managed to answer.
“No, nothing like that here. We follow the teachings of the Three Sages, you see. We live modest, disciplined lives. Lewd relationships between men and women are taboo, and we only drink a little alcohol on special occasions.”
Those brats…!
This is their fault too, isn’t it!?
(Now that I think of it, those three were always studying magic, and despite being young, they were serious guys with no romantic interests… Damn, if that’s how it is, I should have taught them to hang out with girls more!)
『Weren’t you also a shut-in who spent all his time researching magic, Master?』
(Yeah, sure. When I was young I was obsessed with research! I was even a bit of a loser who couldn’t even talk to giiiiirls!”
『Well, it seems your disciples took that lesson to heart. They clearly respected you enough to follow your example.』
(I’m not happy about it, damn iiiiiit!!)
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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