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“Hehe, welcome aboard our Aldebaran.”
“Thank you for having us… By the way, Miss Roche, what are you doing?”
“I’m currently receiving a sermon.”
“A saint getting scolded…”

As Momo and I stepped through the hatch, we entered what appeared to be the main hall. In the center, Roche was sitting on her knees.

The crew members passed by uncomfortably, while a young girl, who appeared to be no older than a child, looked down at Roche with an aura of fury.

“Princess, didn’t I tell you!? Do not act on your own without your escort!!”
“No, Astera, I was merely looking for everyone because they got lost.”
“It was you who got lost, you nincompoop!! Ah, you must be Lady Momose and Lady Laika. I’ve heard about you from the Princess!”
“Hello. Is it always this casual in the church?”
“Momo, I think this is an unusual case. You shouldn’t use it as a reference.”
“Exactly. The Princess tends to wander off unless firmly told otherwise! I am Astera Lott, the Princess’ tutor. Pleased to make your acquaintance!”

With a vigor that matched Momo’s, Astera introduced herself, removing her hat and bowing deeply. Her hair was a distinctive green, reminiscent of fresh grass, and cut short.

Given her role as the saint’s tutor despite her youthful appearance, it was clear she wasn’t human.

“You’re a halfling, aren’t you? Your kind are known for their wanderlust, but I didn’t expect to see one here.”
“Indeed, I am. Are you a halfling as well, Lady Laika?”
“No, unfortunately, I’m just a regular human with a complicated background.”

Halflings, also known as hobbits, are small people who love travel and singing. Even when fully grown, they look like human children. Their curiosity often leads them to short lifespans, and their exact longevity is uncertain even to themselves.

I had feared they might have vanished over the past millennium, but here was an unexpected encounter.

“I’ve heard the situation. By the way, has the Princess caused you any trouble…?”
“Not at all, actually. She helped heal my arm!”
“Since you ask that, looks like she gives you quite a hard time.”
“Oh, yes… This person just wanders around without any understanding of her political position, going here and there…!!”
“You really have had a hard time…”

To hear such words of reproach from a halfling about a wanderer was unexpected. Just like the elven guild master married to a human, you never know what life will bring when you live long enough.

“Koutei was with me, so I wasn’t alone.”
“Shut up!! Excuse me, but I need to give this person a serious scolding!”
“Ah, we’ll just take a walk around the ship. Come on, Momo.”
“Is it really okay…?”
“Staaare…..”

Ignoring the saint’s skillful SOS signals with her eyes closed, we walked past her.

It seemed it would take a bit more time before takeoff, so I decided to take this opportunity to explore and investigate the mysterious magical airship.

“You seem to be enjoying this, Master.”

“I apologize, but from here on, we cannot allow unauthorized personnel to pass.”
“What!?”

With great enthusiasm, we headed toward the heart of the ship, only to be stopped by sturdy Ascles followers right before our destination. The objective was within sight, yet my boundless curiosity was thwarted at the last moment. What an infuriating turn of events.

“It can’t be helped, Master. Tight security is a good thing, right?”
“Tsk… Fine, I’ll postpone my excitement for now.”
“No matter how many times you try, what’s forbidden remains forbidden, Master.”

I understood the necessity for rigorous security, especially for the power source capable of operating such a massive iron airship. However, my insatiable curiosity was far from satisfied. This felt like a cruel joke, being so close yet denied access.

What kind of techniques are used to operate this ship? What’s the scale of its power source? How efficient is its magic power utilization? These questions are driving me crazy.

“Damn it, I’ll file a complaint with that saint!”
“Why do you target Miss Roche so much? She’s a good person!”

Momo waved her bandaged arm in the air, expressing her frustration. Despite the arm still needing proper healing, she swung it easily, raising concerns about worsening her condition.

“You haven’t forgotten the previous incident, have you? You were nearly brainwashed!”
“Maybe that was just a misunderstanding due to a series of coincidences?”
“You’re too naive…”
“I’m sorry… but both you and Miss Roche seem like good people to me.”
“Hah! Calling a ruthless and evil sorcerer like me a good person? Your naivety is almost pathological!”
“What do you think, Mr. Guard?”
“She’s a funny kid. Want a candy?”
“You two have not an ounce of respect or courtesy towards your Master and guest!”

This was futile. No matter how much I tried to intimidate, my current appearance and stature reduced my perceived threat level by about 90%.

That damned prison, leaving me with such an inconvenient body in the end.

“Sigh… Fine, getting angry takes too much energy. I’ll let it go this time for a candy.”
“You’re still taking the candy, huh?”
“Be quiet. And as for you…”
“—Ouch! Handle me more gently, will you? I’m not going to run!”

A loud, familiar voice echoed down the long corridor.

Glancing at Momo, I saw she recognized it too. If we both remembered the voice, then…

“Mr. Guard, who was that just now?”
“Oh, that’s a criminal Lady Saint captured, being transported to Aldebaran. Apparently, it’s a bandit gang that almost wiped out a small village.”
““…Ah!!””

We both remembered at the same time. It was the incident in the village near where Momo and I first met.

“Let go of me! I’m the Nova of Nuclear Heat, who makes even crying children fall silent!”