Arc 9: Inheritance of Babylon.

Chapter 65: Compatible Person and Babylon

「Why?… Do I have to? 」

The girl called Francesca cutely tilts her head. What, is there a rule here that says you can’t wear skirts or trousers!? Call out the one responsible for it! Because I will praise him!

However, this situation is not good for my mental health. I have to do something about it.

「Let me see… Francesca, right? 」

「Yes. Please call me Shisuka. 」

I was thinking the nickname for Francesca should have been Fran, but that’s not important right now.

「First of all, can you do me a favor and go put on something? Umm, because I’m having trouble where to look… 」

「But, am I not wearing pantsu? 」

You are wearing pantsu! But that’s not what I meant!

Kuu… Calm down, calm down. I should think of it as a swimsuit. It is a swimsuit, it is a swimsuit… Peek.

It’s not a swimsuit! It’s pantsu! Definitely pantsu!

「You just looked, didn’t you? 」

「Sorry! 」

I was seen.

「Oh well, if you go that far I will put on something. 」

Out of nowhere, Shisuka takes out a black skirt with white frills and puts it on. If you had one from the beginning, wear it!

「… You won’t do anything? 」

「I won’t. And because I won’t, please put on something quickly. 」

「It’s okay to touch if it’s just a little bit, you know? 」

「I’m good! Put it on quickly! 」

I felt like crying. At least I can finally calm down and we can talk since Shisuka is now wearing a skirt. Still, I’m already terribly worn out.

「Well, I have a lot of questions I want to ask, will that be okay? 」

「Yes, by all means. 」

「What on earth is this place? 」

「This is the Babylon [Sky Garden]. Some people call it the [Ocean Paradise]. 」

(TL: the actual term for paradise is [Niraikanai])

(ED: Nirai Kanai is a mythical place in Ryukyuan religion)

Sky Garden? Looking around it certainly is a garden, but it looks more like a botanical garden. When I look up, I can see a glass dome in the sky. Following Shisuka to the end of the garden, I see a glass wall.

Beyond that is a sea of clouds spreading out. There is no mistake. This place is floating in the sky… This is indeed a sky garden.

「What on earth is this place? What is the purpose of this facility? 」

「This [Garden] was built by the professor as a hobby. 」

「Professor? 」

「Professor Regina Babylon. Our creator」

Creator? That’s a strange way of putting it. It’s as if she said she was built… could it be!?

『Goshujin-sama. This person is not human. I cannot sense its stream of life. 』

「How… ! 」

Sango confirms it, but the feeling of [As I thought] and the feeling of [It can’t be] are still conflicting inside of me.

「I am the control terminal built for the [Garden] by the professor. It has been 5092 years since then. 」

「Five-…!! 」

Notwithstanding that Rin is 612 years old (personal opinion), she would still be 4480 years older!

Or rather, should I say, she is a robot that was built that long ago. Android… Or in this case, would it be gynoid? (TL: fembot)

「Then, is Shisuka a machine? 」

「I’m not entirely a machine. A living body built with magic using magic furnace and the like, a combination of magic life-form and machine… is what I am. 」

Golem, Cyborg, Homunculus – those would be closer, I think. I certainly can’t see her as anything but a human being. No matter how I look at her, she is a girl.

「… I can’t have children, but I’m capable of the act itself, you know? 」

「I did not hear that! Hey, don’t pull up your skirt! 」

Shisuka

This child was not programmed with shame! Professor, you fool!

「It’s still brand new. 」

「As I said, I did not hear that! 」

(TL: I have no idea, what 「新品デスのに」 means)

(ED: My best guesses include: Untouched. Virgin. Clean. Lol)

Seemingly dissatisfied, Shisuka lowers her skirt. I felt like I somehow have come to understand the character of the professor who created her. A weirdo.

『She is still a child, one who doesn’t understand much, isn`t she. 』

Kuroyou, while shaking its head, mutters so and looks at Shisuka. I also think so.

「Still, to keep operating for more than 5000 years… Not just Shisuka but this [Sky Garden] as well still hasn’t deteriorated, did it not break, ever? 」

「This [Garden] is strengthened with magic. I was in sleep mode for the sake of maintenance for over 5000 years, and was to remain on standby unless there was an emergency. The management of the [Garden] was automatic. 」

… Wait a minute. If Shisuka is operating now, does that mean there’s an emergency? Asking Shisuka that, she slightly nods.

「Speaking of emergencies, this is the emergency. There is a guest after 4907 years. Which reminds me, your name? 」

「Oh, Touya. Mochizuki Touya」

「Touya-sama. You are appropriately recognized as a compatible person. From now on, the airframe number 23, an individual named [Francesca], is transferred to you. Please treat me well for a long time. 」

「Ha? 」

What is a compatible person? No, other than that, what is this about a transfer? Shisuka points towards the magic formation I came out from and starts to explain.

「That transfer formation cannot be activated by normal people. Because that cannot be activated by multiple people. In other words, that transfer formation can only be activated by someone who possesses all the attributes… Similar to the professor’s special characteristic. 」

The professor who manufactured Shisuka also possessed all the attributes, didn`t she. That was also more than 5000 years ago. In the first place, you cannot come here unless you have that characteristic, it seems.

「And the professor decided before dying to entrust us left behind to the compatible person, who comes out from transfer formation. It has already been 4907 years since then. 」

「So a compatible person, is someone who possesses all the attributes… 」

「? You are wrong, you know? 」

「Eh? I am? 」

It is readily denied. So having all the attributes is not the condition to be a compatible person, is it? Then what on earth is the condition to be called a compatible person, I wonder?

「Since I was told to cover myself when Touya-sama saw my pantsu, you are compatible person. 」

「Really?! What kind of compatibility is that?! I don’t understand! 」

「That is important, you know? Should Touya-sama lose to his desire and have assaulted me, then you would have been thrown on the ground. Also aside from that, if my pantsu appearance was left as it was, that would also qualify you as incompatible person and you would be politely requested to go back to the ground. 」

(TL: the ground as in below the sky garden, not the one on which they currently stand)

Eh, seriously? That pantsu exposure had such significance? That is extremely suspicious.

「We and Babylon were to be entrusted to someone who was kind and considerate towards others, and so the professor thought of this kind of test. 」

「Uh huh, the professor is weird. 」

「I can’t deny that. 」

You don’t deny it. As I thought, weird.

「We were told that the final judgement would be left to our individual discretion. Instead of a ladies’ man who is excessively tender and experienced towards women, the ideal person would have self-control while still be interested in peeking, a taciturn person who pretends not to have an interest was preferable. 」

It appears that the compatible person is selected based on those criteria… Or rather, what is with being a taciturn person! How rude! Do not be tricked with things like safety!

「With that, I have become your possession. Please treat me well from now on, Master. 」

「Ha… 」

I have a feeling I was just dragged into some frightful troubles. Even having not met the professor, a deceitful face comes to mind.

For the time being, I will bring everyone here. It would be better to discuss this once. After talking to Shisuka, I open the [Gate] towards the ground.

「Sky Garden… right. It’s possible that this is a legacy of the Ancient Civilization Paruteno. 」

While looking around the vicinity, Rin indulged in deep emotions.

Ancient civilization Paruteno. A super-civilization that brought forth various magics, and tools, that implemented them, the artifacts.

The Babylon is also one of the legacies that that civilization created, so it can be called an artifact by itself. If that is so, Shisuka may also be an artifact.

Everyone is looking around the garden. When I asked Shisuka, she said the Garden consists of 4 Paruteno dome segments… First of all, I don’t know the extent of a Paruteno dome. At any rate, it is certainly big.

Since there is also a botanical garden-like area, a water fountain, stepping stones, flower beds, ponds and the like, it is a garden which any person into gardening would jump at.

Because it is a garden which you can appreciate while walking in, I somehow understand why everyone is getting carried away. Julio would be delighted if he saw this.

In a corner of the garden was a pavilion, which was a resting place near the pond, Me, Rin, and Shisuka were relaxing.

「And so, is the thing Rin was trying to obtain here? 」

「Who knows. I thought that I would be able to discover some ancient magic, but I managed to find something more. 」

Indeed, it’s even possible to say that this Babylon itself is a crystallization of an ancient magic. A Garden which was extremely unlikely to last for more than 5000 years, flowers that do not wilt, a barrier to turn invisible to the enemy, I probably won’t know what kind of ancient magic was used, because those things are truly wondrous.

The person called Regina Babylon, the creator of all this was no doubt a genius, I think. However, she is a pervert, who forced this child to expose her pantsu to reveal my character.

「Shisuka, is there anything else aside from this garden? 」

「No, there is nothing. It is just a private garden, which merely drifts in the sky-gozaimasu, different from the others. There are no treasures, no weapons. It is just a lovely garden, floating in the sky-gozaimasu 」

「I disagree, you could say that this in itself is similar to a treasure. 」

「Arigato-gozaimasu. However, you are already the master of Babylon [Sky Garden]-gozaimasu. 」

What? What do you mean?

「I am the one who manages and controls this Babylon-gozaimasu. And I am Master’s possession. My Babylon is also Master’s. 」

「…… Is that so?」

「It is so-gozaimasu. It is dowry-gozaimasu. 」

A huge dowry that is. Aside from that, I do not have any intentions of taking a bride. That sort of thing alone will cause some troubles.

「Hey, Shisuka. There is something I was somewhat anxious about. You said earlier “it is just a private garden, which merely drifts in the sky, [different from the others]”. What did you mean by that? 」

Rin gives Shisuka a sharp look. Now that you mention it… In [different from the others], what does [others] mean?

「What I meant was Babylon is drifting in the sky dispersed in several areas. In addition to the [Garden] I manage, there are also the [Laboratory], [Hangar], and the [Library] which are controlled and managed by my sisters. It is collectively known as [Babylon]. 」