Chapter 44: Security Installation

“Was the security false alarm okay?”

“Yes. I had installed a barrier around the mansion that sounds an alarm when an intruder enters, but I hadn’t yet set an exception for this child, so the alarm went off…”

“The alarm startled her and she went on a rampage.”

“I see. I’m glad it was just the alarm.”

Indeed, since she would be traveling back and forth between the royal capital and this mansion from now on, we needed to register the Star Pigeon as an exception to the mansion’s security.

According to Aoi, they had apparently planned to install not only alarm-sounding magical tools but also ones that capture intruders, so it was a blessing in disguise that it ended with just the alarm.

“According to the letter from Prince Rain, if we replace the contents of the magic bag and release her outside, she’ll head to the royal capital. It seems she wants us to give her the water and food inside, and let her rest at night.”

“I see.”

So it seemed we just needed to replace the contents of the Magic Bag, give her water and food, and release her outside the mansion the next day.

It was just about dinnertime for us too, so we ate together. Apparently, this child’s food was something like dried beans. She looked quite cute pecking away at more beans than I had expected.

Since she flew such a long distance all at once, she must have consumed quite a lot of energy. We decided to let her rest well that night.

“Be careful, Hayate.”

“Coo-coo~”

“Wow, she really disappeared in an instant.”

The next morning, I put the manga I had purchased in Akihabara, a memo of items that sold well at the flea market, and cakes into the magic bag, and saw off the Star Pigeon from the mansion window.

Her pure white form disappeared in an instant. This was on a completely different level from the speed of pigeons and crows in Japan.

“With Hayate’s speed, it doesn’t seem like we need to worry about other monsters attacking her.”

“Her feathers were soft and felt nice.”

As Yuuka said, I didn’t think there were many monsters faster than Hayate. Her body wasn’t that large either, so she probably had good maneuverability.

By the way, the previous day we had named her Hayate, using the kanji for “gale,” and the three of us had doted on her. As Aoi said, Hayate’s body was covered in fluffy feathers that felt very pleasant to the touch.

I didn’t know whether she would eat them, but perhaps I should buy various kinds of beans in Japan. I was looking forward to her returning in a week.

“It’s complete.”

“Ooh, it really doesn’t stand out at all. I see, so this is what it feels like when recognition is obstructed.”

At the mansion entrance. Even I, who knew the surveillance camera should be installed above the door, couldn’t tell it was there.

The surveillance camera itself would be too conspicuous, so I covered everything except the solar panel and camera part with metal the same color as the roof, and when Aoi fitted the recognition-obstructing magical tool she made into it, it became completely impossible to tell there was a surveillance camera there.

“After this, it’s a matter of charging. It seems we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to check with the monitor.”

We couldn’t activate the surveillance camera until it had charged to some degree, so it seemed we would have to wait until the next day to confirm whether it connected properly to the monitor and whether the warning sounded.

“Having surveillance cameras and monitors with cables makes it look like civilization advanced all at once.”

“Indeed. Thanks to Blessed People, civilization has advanced to some degree, but it definitely looks different when there are machines.”

As Yuuka and Aoi said, the surveillance cameras and monitor looked somewhat out of place with the mansion’s style.

“The magic tools are also installed. Now we’ll know immediately if an intruder enters.”

“Good work. Alarm magic tools and restraining magical tools, huh. This is perfect.”

It seemed Aoi had finished installing the security magic tools she had prepared. I had never thought she would be able to go from production to installation in just one day, with everything customized for this mansion.

First was a trap that sounded a warning alarm. This was the one Hayate had accidentally triggered the previous day. Apparently, the magic tool emitted a very loud warning sound when someone entered the mansion grounds from anywhere other than the entrance. Of course, the three of us and the Star Pigeon were registered as exceptions.

“I wanted to not just capture intruders who attack, but intercept them directly.”

“…Something like what happened with Hayate yesterday might occur, so I think this is fine for now.”

The other was a restraining magic tool. If an intruder approached the mansion even after the alarm sounded, a restraining trap would activate.

At first, I had wanted to install more aggressive interception magical tools. In this world, there are many dangerous criminals, and excessive defense against criminals isn’t criticized that strictly, so even fairly aggressive magic tools wouldn’t be a problem.

However, if I accidentally triggered such a trap myself, it could be life-threatening, so I had her change it to a restraining magic tool. Dying because of a trap we had set ourselves was definitely out of the question.

Little by little, life in this world was becoming more comfortable.

Chime, chime.

“Huh, did Hayate come already?”

“Wasn’t Hayate scheduled to come in 3 days?”

It had been five days since we returned from the royal capital. Over the past few days, I had been able to relax for the first time in a while.

A bell installed on the second floor of the mansion rang during lunchtime. It had been installed so we would know when Hayate arrived at the mansion. She was smart, and when I told her to ring the bell whenever she arrived, she understood immediately.

Originally, she was scheduled to come every Sunday evening and head to the royal capital on Monday morning, but there were still three days until then.

Could there have been some kind of urgent message?