Mob MC 315.1

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Chapter 315.1. The Falling Floating Castle

For the Japan Magic Empire, that day became unforgettable.

Fishing enthusiasts enjoying a night of fishing on the sea had been boasting about their catches with happy faces.

"Look at mine, it's an Isidai. You've never seen one this big, have you?"

"No, check out my Kuroganedai. You've never seen such a well-shaped one, right?"

"Everyone, you're catching small fish. Look at my Mithrildai. The beauty of these greenish scales..."

Each of them showed off the fish they were most confident about catching. 

It was 3 AM, and the sky was clear with no clouds, so the starry night provided ample light.

"We're catching an unusual amount today. It's like they're swarming."

"Indeed, it's the first time we've had such a catch. Look, they won't all fit in the cooler box."

"With such a big catch, we might even hear ghost stories about being abandoned here."

They laughed and talked about taking a break before resuming their fishing.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared, blocking the starlight and plunging everything into darkness. Only the light from their flashlight-style lanterns shone, and the fishermen tilted their heads and looked up.

"Is it clouds rolling in?"

"The forecast was clear for today."

"N-no, that's not it. L-look at that!"

One of the fishermen gazed up at the sky, his voice trembling. The others followed his gaze and stared in astonishment at the sky.

"Is that... a Floating Castle?"

"Look! It's neatly split into two!"

"Th-that can't be. It's coming down. It's crashing!"

A colossal, indistinct mass passed above the fishermen, casting only its shadow. 

It was clear that it was a castle.

The Floating Castle was something every Japanese person had seen before – the Emperor's Floating Castle. 

For some reason, it had been severed midway, and its upper and lower halves slowly descended.

The floating castle continued its descent and eventually landed far offshore. 

Fortunately, there were no tsunamis or major damage, apart from a few cooler boxes being swept away by the slightly rough waves.

"This is unbelievable! The Floating Castle!"

"The military helicopters are coming!"

"My cooler box..."

As the fishermen buzzed excitedly, helicopters from the military rushed to follow the fallen Floating Castle. 

Despite it being the middle of the night, the commotion was broadcast as breaking news, and almost everyone became aware of it in just one day.

People would later remember it as the historic day of the Floating Castle's fall. And so, the night turned into day.

Amid the uproar, Mii-chan, the quiet and introverted princess of the Abyss, lay happily in her futon.

After turning over a few times, I opened my eyes with a soft yawn.

"Good morning~"

I yawned and looked around, remembering that I was in a ryokan.

"I must have fallen asleep due to exhaustion. I don't remember anything after casting recovery magic on the captured people."

Mii-chan fabricated her memories while avoiding the consecration ropes and sealing charms placed around her.

It felt as if I had been possessed by an evil spirit. The signs were inscribed with phrases like "Don't go outside on your own.", "Don't wander about.", and "Mama will be angry.". I had never seen such effective charms before.

I thought about how I was lucky I didn't have to read these signs when going to the Floating Castle. The last one, which said, "If you go out, no homemade hamburgers for you." felt like it had the power to seal even a God.

"Miu-sama, you've woken up. That's good." 

Ranko-san who had been doing embroidery by the wall, said to me. She had apparently been on night duty. I planned to thank her later.

"Master, please sleep a little longer. I can't take my hands off the game right now." 

Nimue, who had been playing a smartphone app game by the wall, asked me to stay in bed. She seemed to be in a boss battle with a time limit. I planned to ask her later if she had pulled any good gacha items.

"I'm hungry. Where are mama and papa?"

"Houretsu-sama is currently quite busy and unable to leave his work. Birei-sama will be here soon." 

Ranko said, quickly sending a message on her smartphone. Nimue also tapped her phone quickly, likely trying to defeat the boss.

Soon, I hear the sound of hurried footsteps and the shoji doors sliding open.

"Mii-chan, you're awake!"

"Good morning, mama!"

"We were worried. I'm so relieved you're safe!"

Mama embraced Mii-chan tightly, showing signs of having been very worried. She apologized for causing concern.

"Is your body still hurting? Are you okay?"

"No, I'm okay! It doesn't hurt that much anymore!"

Mama looked skeptical.

"How much is 'not that much' for you?"

So, Mii-chan decided to answer honestly and tilted her head with a pout.

"It's like a head-on collision with a truck?"

That answer made mama's face turn really scary.

"Go back to sleep!"

"I won't get reincarnated in another world, so I'll be fine!"

"Mama will be angry, you know?"

Mii-chan was forcefully pushed back into the futon. A stern and angry mama was scarier than any monster.