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~ - 205. A House Visit… But, Before That

205. 205. 205. 205. A House Visit… But, Before That

“Look, over there is the armory. Lots of spears and bows are kept there. And that’s the food storage. The dried meat is way too salty, but the hardness of the black bread is just to my liking. Oh, and that over there is the training ground. They’re always training from early in the morning, and it’s super noisy, you know?”

Maristel’s house was apparently located in a particularly elevated area within the fortress, which was built into the mountains.

As we climbed the slope, Maristel explained the various buildings within the fortress. It felt like Maristel was a tour guide, and Isezaki and I were just tourists.

“And over there is the soldiers’ quarters~. I heard the rooms are strictly divided between men and women. I think they should just mix them, don’t you think, Matsunaga?”

She pointed to a large two-story building at the end of the slope we were climbing… which meant the small shack next to it must be the restroom.

Just perfect. I decided to take care of things here.

“Maristel-san, um, can I make a quick stop at the restroom?”

“Sure, but be quick about it, okay~?”

“Huft, huft… G-go ahead, Husband…”

Maristel pouted in dissatisfaction. Isezaki, drenched in sweat from the climb, saw me off with a resigned expression. With their gazes on me, I headed to the restroom.

I opened the wooden door, quickly slipped inside, and shut the door behind me.

In the dim, cramped space, I stood alone. I stared at the hole in the middle of the wooden board that was likely intended for use as a toilet. Instead of lowering my pants, however, I murmured,

“—[Dimensional Teleport].”

And teleported out of there.

◇◇◇

The place I teleported to using [Dimensional Teleport] was my personal room in the castle assigned to me by Lady Levia.

Of course, it’s not that I have any particular aversion to using the fortress’ restroom.

Since it was decided that we’d be spending the night at the fortress on short notice, I needed to inform someone. More importantly, I’d left Aihara in limbo, and I needed to send her back to Japan before staying the night here.

After ringing the bell in my room, Holly arrived immediately. I already knew she was an efficient maid, but she’s so competent that it’s almost scary.

“Welcome back, Master Matsunaga. …Although, it seems you’re not truly returning home, are you? Did something happen?”

Without missing a beat, the capable maid immediately grasped the situation as soon as she entered the room. She narrowed her eyes while asking why I had come back.

“Yeah, well, various things happened, and we’re staying at the fortress for the night. I came back to send Aihara to Japan first. Sorry, but could you—”

Before I could finish asking her to fetch Aihara, I heard hurried footsteps. Both Aihara and Colin burst into the room.

“Welcome back, Senpai! …Wait, where’s Seina-chan?”

“I just stopped by briefly, so it’s just me. Anyway, we’re staying overnight at the fortress, but… perfect timing. I’m about to send you back to Japan—”

“Ehh!? No way! If Senpai and the others are staying overnight, I want to stay too!”

“Huh? No, no, I can’t bring you to the fortress.”

“What are you talking about, Senpai? I know that much! I meant staying overnight at the castle! So, um… uh… Wata… Toma…”

Aihara paused for a moment, gazing at the ceiling and muttering to herself. She then turned to Holly and said, for some reason in broken language,

“Holly-san, me, castle, stay, can I?”

Holly’s eyes widened as she responded.

“Y-Yes, of course, it’s no problem.”

“Can? Yes! Yay! Thank you, Holly-san!”

Aihara started bouncing with joy, and that’s when I finally realized what was off.

“Wait a sec… you can speak the language here?”

“Yep! I’m still just learning, but Colin-chan’s been showing me around the town and teaching me the language. …Right, Colin-chan?”

“Right!”

Aihara and Colin exchanged a smile and a glance. It seemed they had grown pretty close while I wasn’t paying attention. This must be what they call a “social powerhouse.”

…But still, is it really possible to learn to speak, even if it’s broken, in just half a day just because you’re good at communication? Wait, could it be that Aihara is actually quite talented?

As I was amazed by Aihara’s potential, she clasped her hands in front of me, striking a pleading pose.

“Hey, hey, Senpai. Holly-san said it’s okay, so can we stay at the castle? Please?”

“Uh, yeah, if that’s the case, I guess we can take her up on her offer. Umm, Holly-san, could you look after Aihara for the night?”

“Of course, leave it to me.”

Holly nodded reassuringly. I felt a bit pushed by Aihara’s overwhelming social skills, but I could relax knowing Holly would handle things.

“Thank you. Well, I have to go now because someone’s waiting for me. …Aihara, try not to cause too much trouble, okay?”

“‘Try not to’!? Doesn’t that already assume I’m going to be a bother!? Don’t worry, Senpai! See you tomorrow!”

With Aihara waving energetically, I headed back to the fortress once again.