The Neighborhood High School Girl, Miss Isezaki, Is the Great Saintess Returned from Another World~ And I, Suddenly Awakened as Her Exclusive Mana Supply Uncle, Travel Between Earth and Another World with Time-Space Magic~ - 204. A Home Visit

204. 204. 204. 204. A Home Visit

After returning to the ground using [Levitation]—

“Hmm hmm~ hmmm~ hmm~ ah-ha♪”

Following Maristel as she skipped along in high spirits, Isezaki and I exchanged glances and whispered to each other.

“I guess we can’t really blame her for this.”

“Y-Yeah, I suppose so…”

Maristel likely wanted to show off her fortress, but seeing her so innocently eager to welcome us made me feel guilty about the idea of making up an excuse to leave. It seemed Isezaki, who doesn’t get along well with Maristel, felt the same way. So we ended up staying overnight at Maristel’s magic fortress.

As evening approached, we navigated through the busy workers preparing to reopen the mine. Soon, we arrived in front of a towering stone wall. It was the outer wall of Maristel’s fortress. In the center of this seemingly endless wall was a sturdy-looking gate, and Maristel called out to the two soldiers standing guard.

“I’m back~. Open up, will you?”

“Ma-Maristel, ma’am, did you go outside today?”

The gatekeepers, their faces tense, responded as they shifted their gaze to us behind her.

“Um… who might these two be? Even if they’re acquaintances of yours, we can’t just let anyone into the fortress without permission…”

The soldier asked cautiously, and Maristel flashed a broad grin as she clung to my right arm.

“Come on, I’ve mentioned it before, haven’t I? This is my beloved, Ma-tsu-na-ga♡”

As usual, my right arm was enveloped in her soft embrace. Then, something equally soft wrapped around my left arm—Isezaki.

“And I’m Isezaki, his wife!”

Isezaki emphasized the word “wife,” clearly unwilling to yield that position. As for me, playing the role of the husband, I knew I should probably push Maristel away. But considering her status, ejecting her with [Eject] here felt a bit harsh.

Left with no choice, I bowed politely with both women clinging to my arms.

“I-I’m Matsunaga. If you check with Captain Higuner, he can confirm my identity.”

“A-Are you the Matsunaga!? I can’t believe Maristel would be so submissive… You really do exist…”

The soldiers looked at me as if I were some kind of mythical creature, while Isezaki glared at Maristel as if she were her worst enemy. It was clear that Maristel was feared by the soldiers, so I decided to speak up.

“Um… has Maristel been causing any trouble in the fortress? If she has, I’ll make sure to talk to her.”

Though it was Isezaki who suggested that Maristel work at the fortress, I was the one who had pleaded for her life. I had a responsibility, and I couldn’t allow her to cause trouble for the people working there.

“Huh!? Trouble? Not at all, right? Right, guys!?”

“Y-Yes! Of course! While I don’t know the details, I’ve heard Maristel was instrumental in defending us against the Digram! We wouldn’t dare criticize someone like her—”

“Even if Maristel has done her duty, that doesn’t mean it’s okay for her to cause problems for everyone. Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

The soldiers exchanged glances before straightening up and responding loudly.

“Well, if I may be so bold to report—”

“Hey, stop that!”

Maristel tried to interrupt, but the soldier continued.

“She wanders the fortress at night with ghostly lights, scaring the soldiers! No matter how tight security is, the food storeroom gets ransacked! Every night she calls her colleagues to entertain her because she’s bored, and anyone who complains ends up found the next day looking like a shell of a person, unable to move for days! Of course, we value Maristel as a powerful asset, but during peacetime, she’s a real headache for us…!”

“Stop it already!”

“Eek! S-Sorry!”

“M-Matsunaga? No, you’ve got it wrong! This is… well, you know! I thought the soldiers needed a bit of tension, so I was just, um, intentionally trying to keep them on their toes… yeah?”

“Sigh.Alright, I understand. I’ll make sure to have a serious talk with her about these issues. I’ll do my best to ensure the soldiers have a comfortable environment, so please keep up the good work.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

The soldiers bowed repeatedly, tears glistening in their eyes. It was hard to watch.

“W-Well then, we’ll be heading inside now…”

“Of course! Please, go right ahead!”

With that, we walked through the gate, escorted by the beaming soldiers—though I couldn’t help but give Maristel a long, hard stare.

“Maristel… I understand you’ve been doing your job, but you can’t be making things difficult for them. I thought you’d understand that without needing to be told… didn’t you?”

Maintaining a good work environment is crucial. It directly affects motivation, and if things don’t work out, there’s a risk of people quitting—like I did. For soldiers risking their lives, the impact would be even more severe.

“Eek! Matsunaga, are you storing up magic in your arm right now!? I can tell, I can totally tell! I’m sorry, I’ll reflect on my actions, so please don’t use that explosive spell on me!”

Maristel quickly released my arm and put some distance between us, her face tense. I dissipated the [Eject] magic I had charged in my right arm.

“Sigh.Please make sure to reflect on this. I’ll be dropping by regularly, and if I hear about anything like this happening again—”

“Yes, yes, I got it! So please, stop with that scary face—Wait, Isezaki! What are you swooning about?”

“Even when you’re angry, you’re still so wonderful, my dear husband…”

I turned to find Isezaki still clinging to my arm, gazing at me with dreamy eyes.

“Um, Isezaki? Could you, maybe, let go now…?”

“—Ah! Y-Yes, of course!”

Isezaki hurriedly released my arm and, perhaps to hide her embarrassment, pointed sharply at Maristel.

“Anyway! I absolutely won’t tolerate you causing trouble for my husband! You’d better keep that in mind! Understand?”

“Y-Yes, I understand! I’ll be more careful from now on. So, uh, how about we get back to talking about my home? Come on, come on, look at my house, isn’t it amazing!?”

Maristel tried to change the subject, her eyes darting nervously. Since I didn’t intend to lecture her endlessly, I took the opportunity to admire the fortress scenery once more.

Along the walls were numerous towers equipped with bows, catapults, and platforms for launching spells. The fortress was built into the mountainous terrain, creating a mix of high and low ground. Watchtowers on the high ground offered a view all the way to the Digram territory, and soldiers remained vigilant at their posts, connecting various points with tight security.

It had been further developed since I last set it up. Even as an amateur, I could tell this place would be tough to breach.

“Hehe, welcome to Magic Fortress Maristel!”

Maristel had already forgotten the previous conversation, smiling brightly. Isezaki and I sighed in unison before following Maristel to the residence she had prepared for us.