I will give you the Floating Castle.
Those words were as absurd and unrealistic as saying I would pick a star from the sky for her. Perhaps because of that, neither Shea nor Elsia took my words at face value.
Elsia, in particular, dismissed this as a sick joke.
"Even if we proceed orally, this is a contract, Hughes. I will take any ambiguous and easily misunderstood language as an intention to deceive me."
"Well? It is rather full of consideration for you, haven't you felt it?"
"What consideration is there in lies and deception? Consideration only comes from conveying knowledge in clear language. If you don't want to divide our allies, speak clearly."
There are bound to be white lies in the world, but that only works on little children with innocent hearts. Elsia stubbornly rejected my consideration.
It can't be helped. Since you want it, I have no choice but to raise you harshly.
"Alright. I will explain one by one. Once you hear everything, you won't be able to back out, so use your full imagination and understand it at the right timing. Then I will stop explaining."
"I don't know what you mean, but let's hear it for now."
"Your goal is to obtain one of Rene's pockets, right? Isn't that so?"
"Yes."
'The key to the family heirloom vault was taken away, but I was promised it would be returned if I helped with this matter. Just obtaining another set of keys from the Demon King would be a profit for the Celsius family. If we can connect space with two keys, handling the Ice Palace will become much easier.'
Up to here is a story we both know.
"The Demon God Shrine wants Rene. Not Rene's pocket, but the Demon God himself."
"...I expected as much."
Even if it's extreme, it's not that surprising. It is public knowledge that the Demon God Shrine is after the Demon God. It was well within Elsia's range of expectations.
"However, the Demon King still only hands over Rene's pockets. Regardless of how many there are or how much there is. Instead of the way to catch fish, he only takes out one fish from the net and hands it over."
"Even if the Demon King is everyone's teacher, he has no obligation to make the dangerous and high-dimensional magic of handling space public to everyone."
'In other words, there is no reason to hide and monopolize it, either. That is, unless the Demon King wants to firmly protect his own power.'
A hint of doubt crossed Elsia's mind.
In the Magic Federation, knowledge is power and authority. It is natural for the Demon King to monopolize the knowledge of space magic. He might put his life and power in jeopardy if he carelessly made it public. Didn't the Celsius family do the same?
However, it feels different when you're the one doing it versus when you're the one on the receiving end. Even though I didn't say anything special, a slight rebellious feeling grew in Elsia's heart.
'...If we combine that knowledge with Celsius's outstanding Rules, we could obtain infinite possibilities. If it's for everyone's development, he could just make it public like gravity magic, but I don't know why the Demon King is hiding it.'
I'll plant it up to here.
Smiling inwardly, I spoke subtly.
"That's right. We have no choice but to watch and learn among ourselves. But I'm worried about how we should watch and how we should learn..."
The Demon God is a unique demonic path of a human who has awakened to the truth of this world. In this long history, it is the great knowledge found miraculously by that one genius.
Since they hide it tightly and don't teach it, how are we supposed to figure it out? The way to catch fish? In terms of difficulty, it's comparable to catching a sea monster. In fact, the word 'impossible' fits best.
Still.
What if someone has already found the Demon God, so we just follow in their footsteps?
"Perhaps, taking a fish out of the net could also be considered a way to catch fish, don't you think?"
"...The net?"
"To do that, we have to find the moment when the Demon King rummages through the net."
'Meaning we aim for the moment the Demon King takes out Rene's pocket? Do you know what you're saying? Climbing the Tower of Babel is in itself a tremendous trial. That place is another dimension. Unless you are one of the chosen few, you cannot even set foot there.'
Babel.
The largest and greatest tower that vertically pierces the Floating Castle.
The core of the Floating Castle. The Tower of Babel, which takes the center that generates anti-gravity and supports the Floating Castle as its peak. It is the tower said to reach the gods, but ordinary humans cannot approach it.
Anti-gravity grows stronger the closer one gets to the core of the Floating Castle, and the warped space protects the core like a barrier.
Only the Demon King can reach that place.
Therefore, Rene's pocket must also be there.
"Are you saying you will climb Babel? Your resolve is impressive. Well, the Demon God Shrine has many talents like you. I will root for you. I pray that you don't just die arbitrarily in the Tower of Babel."
"Praying alone isn't enough. We must prepare. For the off chance. What will happen if we succeed in our conquest."
Just as there are Rules in the Celsius territory, there are also Rules in the Floating Castle. Rules so mystical that one doesn't even feel awe.
"The Rule of the Floating Castle is anti-gravity. With that power, the Floating Castle floats high in the sky, and allows people to live stepping on the walls."
"I also know the Rules of the Floating Castle. I have received teachings from the Floating Castle for a short time. I know it well without you needing to explain."
"The Rules aren't what's important. What if what happened in the Celsius territory also happens in the Floating Castle?"
Elsia, having thought up to that point, closed her mouth. Because she finally realized what outrageous thought I was having.
'The Rules of the Floating Castle are two. One is to form anti-gravity inside the Floating Castle, and the other is to float the Floating Castle in the air...'
"Coincidentally, the Floating Castle has descended upon the Celsius territory. What if you mess with the Rules and the Floating Castle fails to float?"
'To gift the Floating Castle... don't tell me...!'
Then the Floating Castle will crash-land in the Celsius territory.
Like all other castles, the Floating Castle will become fixed to one city. The Demon King, the Five Towers, and countless magicians will fall into the territory. Falling from the sky would be a disaster, but falling in its current descended state is a windfall.
'The Celsius territory becomes the capital of the Magic Federation in effect!'
If the balance of power was such that the Floating Castle and the Celsius territory could confront each other, she might have been reluctant. Two powers cannot exist in one land.
However, the military strength of the Floating Castle and the Celsius territory is like heaven and earth. Even if the Floating Castle is not in the sky. There is no room for a power struggle to occur. Just having that immense knowledge and magic by their side is a profit.
Having given Elsia enough time to think, I hastily took back my words as if I had made a slip of the tongue.
"Oh my, what a dangerous thing to say. Surely that won't happen."
"Right. Even if there's a one in a thousand chance, such a thing must not happen."
The Demon God Shrine will commit some act in the Floating Castle. Originally, the Demon God Shrine's target was not the Celsius territory, but the Demon King's Babel.
The more incidents occur in the Floating Castle, the more profitable it is for Celsius. Elsia understood that.
This should be somewhat fine. I held out the key to Elsia.
"I will return the key to the Celsius family heirloom vault that I temporarily kept."
"...Hmph. It has merely returned to where it originally belonged."
Elsia lightly received the key. However, it seemed she was now a bit more interested in something else than the key she got back.
"Although the Celsius family was defeated and is following your demands, we will not do anything to betray the Demon King and the Floating Castle. Whatever the Demon God Shrine does, it has nothing to do with us."
Meaning she is drawing a line.
In other words, she won't care what we do. And it means she will help within the limits where she can pull her feet out.
"However, it's not desirable to leave great guests like you standing like folding screens. If you have nothing to do while staying in the Celsius family, could you help refine the magic you will demonstrate at the exchange meeting? I would like to ask for your teachings."
She's handing over work while providing an excuse to let us participate in the exchange meeting, right? She's helping quite proactively.
"I look forward to your help, everyone from the Demon God Shrine. We will step aside, so please rest comfortably. While lighting that fireplace, I mean."
Elsia was about to get up from her seat when she suddenly thought of something to say and looked back at me.
"Elisha is no longer with you, is she?"
The Blue Tower Master? Right. According to Lankart's words, the Blue Tower Master withdrew not long after.
No matter what, she's still concerned about her younger sister, huh? I nodded naturally.
"Yes. It's a shame. The departure of a talent like her was a great loss even for the Demon God Shrine."
"...That child has always been like that. She ruins things at the most important moments every time. It must have been a good thing for you too."
"Is there some story behind it?"
"What story? Do I need a story to point out the flaws of my unsightly younger sister?"
'Unable to control the power of the Ice Palace, that child ruined it even under the Demon King's shadow... and ran away from the Demon God Shrine too.'
Looks like something happened. Well, shall I read a bit more into it?
Since the Blue Tower Master seems to be quite deeply involved in this matter too.
'Despite running away from the family, saying she didn't want to turn anyone into a relic, she hasn't accomplished anything. Hmph. Whatever. At the very least, she won't leave herself as a relic.'