"So this thing—I don't even know what to call it—but you're saying it really was sent to you?"

  "Seems that way... but by who?

  In Tusita, there shouldn't be anyone who knows me besides the people of Feridelia.

  And what's with 'your daily service'?"

  This wasn't something to casually dismiss with 'oh well, these things happen.'

  Just having something appear that defied physical laws was enough to make his thoughts scatter—but if it was 'something someone prepared specifically for him,' feeling like he might lose consciousness wasn't unreasonable.

  "Wouldn't it be written in that manual thing?

  Let's gradually investigate who sent it—for now we should deal with this somehow.

  Calm down and try reading it."

  Perhaps because it wasn't his own problem, Daharat could make more rational judgments than Celeste.

  "Y-yeah, you're right.

  But a manual..."

  Turning the page from the letter revealed what seemed to be the manual's cover, with this title:

  『Operating Manual Semi-Autonomous All-Terrain Floating Landmass』

  "It's a home appliance?!"

  "...and registering the user..."

  Celeste, though irritated, was confirming the manual's contents and attempting to register a user on the console—a touchpad-like device attached to the metal round table—to activate the control functions.

  "This is the console... says to input palm print for 5 seconds to start up... wait, huh?"

  『Amashiro Ohteru-sama

  Confirmed login of registered supreme administrator.

  Turn navigation control functions ON?

  YES / NO』

  "S-supreme administrator? Me?"

  "What is it?"

  Unable to read the Japanese message, Daharat asked.

  "W-well...

  It says I'm the supreme administrator of this 'floating landmass.'"

  "Didn't we just say it was sent to you?

  Seems natural enough."

  "Well, when you put it that way, but...

  I don't remember ever 'registering as supreme administrator.'

  If even my palm print is registered, for it to be registered without my knowledge..."

  "If even you don't know, there's probably no one who could answer that."

  "True enough... anyway, let's try enabling navigation control."

  Saying that and touching ON, a spherical hologram floated up above the table, surprising Daharat who was seeing such a sight for the first time.

  "Wh-what is this?"

  "Um, I'm seeing the real thing for the first time too...

  Probably a 3D map of this region.

  Ah, displayed in the center here is this floating landmass, and..."

  "Below is... the royal castle?"

  "Yeah... probably.

  But how do you control with this... wait, no way?"

  Thinking 'no way,' Celeste reached out to touch the floating landmass's hologram and tried moving his hand as if to change its orientation.

  "Whoa?!"

  The next moment—though they felt no vibration or movement—seeing the sky outside the window rapidly streaming sideways startled them both.

  "Did you do that?"

  "P-probably?"

  As even Celeste who'd tried it was surprised, a warning-like light flashed on the console at hand.

  『CAUTION: Sudden directional changes risk crew members falling.

  Activate control assistance system?

  YES/NO』

  "Assistance system...

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  If you had that, say so from the start!"

  Touching YES made the 3D map displayed on the table disappear, and in its place a human figure appeared.

  "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lord.

  I am Arimecalises, the control system of this floating landmass."

  "Huh..."

  What appeared there was a figure with a somewhat feminine silhouette wearing an oddly metallic-sheen, well-fitted men's suit, but...

  It had no head.

  Or rather, not 'no head'—where the head should be, something of bizarre form was 'floating': one pair of horns and three pairs of pterosaur wings.

  "Oh-teru!"

  "No... maybe no need to worry.

  She? Or he? called me 'lord.'

  Probably an avatar of the control system AI."

  "I have no idea what you're saying...

  What is that thing saying?"

  At the bizarre appearance of the suddenly-appeared figure, Daharat grew wary—but Celeste wasn't particularly surprised. Not a real living being—for a hologram character, that degree of unusual design...

  "Looking down on my lord from above would be quite discourteous.

  Allow me to express my gratitude anew.

  And for your companion's benefit, I shall switch language settings to the local tongue."

  Arimecalises suddenly appeared before them and bowed—even Celeste startled.

  "Whoa, that surprised me.

  So it can display throughout the entire room.

  Amazing system..."

  "No, I am not a hologram."

  "Huh?"

  "I am currently materialized."

  "...Materialized?"

  "Yes. Until just now I was in a state of projection from another dimension, but presently I am manifested as three-dimensional matter, and..."

  "...Wait wait, if you say more my head's going to explode so stop."

  Suddenly thrust into overly fantastical settings and confused, Celeste regained composure seeing Daharat looking at him with concern.

  "Come to think of it, in a world with beings like this, interdimensional creatures are hardly..."

  "Hey, what do you mean 'like this'?"

  Setting aside Daharat's protest, Celeste decided to ask what concerned him.

  "You called me 'lord'?"

  "Yes, my lord."

  "Meaning I can consider you my servant?"

  "Of course."

  "Then let me ask as your master.

  Who sent me this 'floating landmass'?"

  The question seemed to give pause, though with no face it was impossible to tell the expression.

  "Regarding that information, there is currently an embargo, so I cannot disclose it."

  "...Even to me, your master?"

  "Yes."

  Expecting him to believe that seemed a stretch, Celeste thought—but noticed something Arimecalises had said.

  "You said you were projecting from 'another dimension.'

  Does that mean dimensions of the fifth order or higher?"

  "As expected of my lord. Precisely so."

  "I see.

  Then I have no choice but to wait until 'the day I can understand'?"

  "Your insight is keen."

  Celeste seemed satisfied with this Zen-dialogue-like conversation—but Daharat beside him felt completely left behind.

  "Hey, Oh-teru, what is all this?

  What's this 'embargo' thing?"

  "Ah... sorry.

  This is just my speculation, but...

  Whoever sent me this floating landmass and Arime... is probably not an existence of this world.

  Either long dead, or someone who hasn't yet appeared in this world, I think."

  "...That's not an explanation, that makes it even more confusing."

  "In short, she...

  Sorry, Arimecalien, do you have a gender?"

  "Arimecalises, my lord.

  Beings such as myself have no gender concept, but when mimicking three-dimensional biological forms, I take a shape closer to '♀,' so you may consider me female."

  "There you have it.

  She's an existence with different concepts of time, gender... or rather, existence itself from us three-dimensional beings, so I think we just have to 'leave it at that.'

  Sounds like my usual policy now, though."

  "I feel like I'm understanding even less.

  How can you be so calm about this?"

  'Because it's the kind of talk SF otaku setting-nerds love,' he thought—but explaining to Daharat, a Tusita resident who might not even have dimensional concepts, wouldn't help.

  "Well... it's a story you hear fairly often on Earth?"

  "What kind of hellscape is Earth..."

  He might be creating some terrible misunderstanding about Earth, but to Celeste it didn't matter.

  "Well, Earth's not really relevant anyway.

  Arimecashimes? You said you're a control assistance system?

  Then I can leave controlling this floating landmass to you?

  I tried earlier but don't know how to regulate the force."

  "Of course. Leave all control to me.

  If my name is difficult to remember, just Arime is fine."

  "Understood. Then raise altitude to two thousand and move to somewhere with no residential areas below.

  The capital below is in quite an uproar.

  Now, Daharat, let's go."

  Having given Arimecalises movement instructions and opened a Gate connecting to the ground, Celeste was asked hastily by Daharat:

  "We're going back just like this?"

  "Well, everyone must be waiting anxiously, right?"

  Saying that and following Celeste through the Gate, Daharat had already descended to the ground.

  "We're back~ Sorry to keep you waiting!"

  "Honestly!

  Wait, it's started moving!

  Explain what's happening!"

  The moment they returned and everyone waiting on the ground—starting with the king—saw it rising in altitude while moving, they frantically demanded explanation, but Celeste answered with composure.

  "Please do not worry, Your Majesty.

  I commanded it to move to a safe location."

  "Commanded?"

  "Yes."

  "...The island?

  Military Affairs Minister, you explain."

  Perhaps thinking he wouldn't get a proper explanation from Celeste, the king demanded explanation from Daharat, but...

  "Apparently it was sent to Regis Celeste by someone.

  On top there's a grassland spreading out, and proceeding through it revealed a strange tower.

  Inside was a facility to pilot that island, and when Regis Celeste tried to pilot it but couldn't do well, something called an assistance system appeared, but...

  I was listening beside them to... her conversation with Regis Celeste, but what they were actually discussing..."

  This too made no sense.

  "...So summarizing you two, that was sent to Lord Royal Father, and it's not just floating in the sky but can move freely?

  And inside is someone piloting it?"

  Fortunately, Comis Nairan seemed able to summarize their accounts.

  "...Thank you for summarizing, well done.

  An incredible story, but seeing it actually moving suggests it's no lie.

  However, can we simply accept that story?"

  "Quite reasonable concern, but...

  Even for me, thinking with Earth knowledge, that's beyond imagination.

  If something like that, for whatever reason, obeys my instructions..."

  "We have no choice but to leave it until we can confirm its authenticity."

  "Yes. In fact, when I ordered it to withdraw to a safe zone, it complied.

  For the time being, I believe I can suppress—or rather control it."

  Whether to accept this... but Father—Celeste's very existence was impossible in this world. Who could control the bizarre thing that appeared following him?

  "...Somewhat hard to believe, but...

  Understood. Then I'll leave responding to that in Lord Royal Father's hands."

  "Your will."

  Seeing Celeste answer immediately, the king continued.

  "I intend to inform the ministers of this. What will Lord Royal Father do?"

  "If Your Majesty permits, I'd like to board it again.

  There remain matters I wish to investigate—or rather, confirm."

  "Mm, understood. And..."

  Seeing Nairan fidgeting beside Celeste, the king said with a wry smile:

  "Court Mage, though I should tell you to attend the meeting...

  I permit you to accompany Regis Celeste. Assist with the investigation."

  "Y-yes!

  I am most humbly grateful!"

  Watching Nairan respond joyfully to the king's welcome words, the king turned to Daharat.

  "Guard seems... unnecessary?

  Military Affairs Minister, you attend me."

  "Yes."

  "Then Lord Royal Father, go safely."

  "Yes."

  Leaving those words and turning on his heel, the king returned to the palace with Daharat—watching them, Celeste opened a Gate connecting to that bridge and said to Nairan:

  "Well then, Lady Nairan, are you ready?"