A World in the Palm of My Hand: Heaven's Floating Island

I'd spent the entire day burning myself out on the purge. And I'd finally figured out why Those Who Recite Sins were so terrifying.

These bastards were experts at guerrilla warfare. Somehow, they also knew a hell of a lot about us. The moment you thought they'd shown up somewhere, they were already hitting the opposite side with a terrorist attack. Half the time we'd poured into the purge had gone to nothing but running back and forth.

Thud, thud!

Night fell, and Lord Weaverpool came out in his armor, looking pleased. The man had clearly gotten his fill of fighting too — his armor was soaked in blood.

"You were right, just as you said. Forgive me for doubting you, even for a moment."

"Not at all, my lord."

I observed the courtesies. Of course I did.

Son of a bitch. Smiling like that to my face while behind my back he… pisses me off.

People like him were common enough in the real world. But that was a reality without justice or hope to begin with. Having to look at the same kind of human even here made my blood boil.

Oblivious to the way I was grinding my teeth, Lord Weaverpool made an offer.

"Rest at my manor tonight."

"I appreciate the invitation, but I have somewhere I need to be in a hurry."

The offer would come again whether I took it now or not. Why? Because I was going to make sure it did.

"Heroes really are busy people."

"I'll help you again next time, just like I did today."

"Haha! Then you must accept today's invitation when that time comes."

"Of course."

"Right, then — what shall I give you as a reward? Just name it."

I shook my head. Reward, my ass.

"I didn't do this expecting anything in return."

Lord Weaverpool's face grew solemn. A shadow fell over it all at once, like a plaster cast.

"When a man accomplishes something, something ought to follow. The force that moves people is, in the end, hope."

I was honestly a little surprised. So even a bastard like him understood that.

This guy's still a cut above the big shots back in my country. They'd never figure that out in a million years, and he already has.

Only then did I understand how a man like this had managed to stay lord — and how he'd kept his image polished all this time.

Lord Weaverpool laughed and grumbled.

"If I had a daughter, I'd have her propose to you, hahaha!"

"Would it be all right if I asked for water, bread, that sort of food?"

"Daily necessities? Are things tight at home?"

Lord Weaverpool tilted his head. The people around us stared at me too, equally surprised.

I shook my head and answered.

"I want to share them with people who genuinely need them."

Lord Weaverpool was impressed. For once, it didn't feel like an act — it felt genuine.

Of course, I'd requested this with a purpose in mind as well.

"Not only capable at such a young age, but a heart that looks after the weak. We may well be standing before a hero straight out of a story!"

He piled on the praise. I stood there in silence, and the people around us rushed to agree. Having already seen what I could do, they lauded me until their mouths ran dry.

I didn't mind this part.

"Very well. I'll have a large sack prepared! Head maid!"

The head maid I'd seen last time slipped into view, as if she'd been waiting just out of sight. Her appearance was as immaculate as before — not a hair out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of place.

"I'll see to it at once."

She disappeared into the manor. Something was being prepared.

In the gap, Lord Weaverpool asked,

"So, has anything changed since you became a Hero?"

"The way people look at me."

"Of course! For a man, honor and power are everything. Without those, he has no reason to exist."

How macho. I gave a vague nod, and the lord laughed for no particular reason.

"Still, doesn't it feel good to have taken your first step as a Hero?"

"I'm overwhelmed, truly."

"Your parents will be delighted as well. Ah — are they well?"

"Yes, they're doing fine."

"And a girlfriend?"

"…I don't have one. Work keeps me too busy."

"What do you usually do at night?"

"I rest, mostly. And you, my lord?"

"I don't rest even at night. The cultists certainly don't!"

Why ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is he even asking this? To brag? Every question out of this guy's mouth rubs me the wrong way.

Shff!

The head maid returned, carrying an enormous sack as if it weighed nothing. Stronger than she looked, apparently. She set the impossibly heavy-looking bag down in front of me, then turned and walked off, cool and indifferent.

"Can you carry it?"

I could have solved it with the ring, but this was the moment to show them what I could do. Why a Hero was different from an ordinary person. I picked it up with one hand, easy as anything.

"It's no trouble. I'll be going, then."

I mounted Rin and rode for Gale Wars. It had been a productive day, all things considered.

I've earned Lord Weaverpool's trust. More importantly, I've burned my image into the people of Weaverpool. At the very least, they'll look at me favorably from now on.

I only now checked the quest reward.

It wasn't for me, but it was a solid item for a magician. The problem was that I didn't have anyone to gift it to right now.

It's not like there's a magician hanging around me.

Still, the item itself was a win. It was one of the things I'd need to break through from Runner Late into early Expert.

One dungeon, locked in.

Today was a success. Next time I'll earn even more trust, then start working on the people around the lord.

I arrived in Gale Wars. Instead of going home, I headed for Dinora.

I knocked, and after a moment she came to the door.

"What's the matter at this hour?"

"Lady Dinora, aren't you uneasy living here?"

"And what am I supposed to do about it? Rent around here is expensive."

"What if there were a world where you could live comfortably?"

It had been a coincidence, but it was also the reason I'd been able to leave Dinora here without worrying. I'd originally planned to make a pile of money and get her a house, but a chance opportunity had handed me another way.

Dinora's eyes went wide. She asked, her voice trembling,

"Lashu… can you use magic?"

"Haha, you know I can't. I'm mana-deficient. No chance."

"Then how?"

"Like this!"

I held out the ring. The gem blazed with a fierce light. As it shone, energy unfurled in every direction and wrapped around the two of us, spreading out like a river of stars.

"Come with me!"

"Where to?"

"Your new home, my lady!"

Dinora hesitated for a beat. The situation itself was wondrous and frightening all at once. But she made up her mind soon enough.

"I trust you."

She took my hand. In that instant, the world around us flared blinding white, and everything flickered out.

When I opened my eyes, the place had changed. This was the pocket dimension housed inside Canape — a space that belonged to me alone.

A two-story pension sat on a plot of land maybe ten thousand square feet across, and beside it stood a smaller building that looked like a shed.

Dinora looked around, her mouth falling open.

"Oh my, what is this?!"

"I only found out about it myself this time. It's the power my ring holds."

The moment I finished speaking, a peculiar chime sounded and a notification appeared.

A sanctuary of my very own. That was exactly what this was.

Right. This is the ability I unlocked by freeing the gem. No — more like I woke up a power that was already there.

Mom's advice had been the deciding factor. Dinora was delighted.

"This place is gorgeous! Look at those clouds — they're so pretty!"

"You think so? Haha."

"But what's down below? We're floating, aren't we?"

"…I don't know either. I tried to fly down and check, but the second I started I just dropped like a stone."

Dinora sucked in a startled breath. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Honestly, I'd nearly died.

I understood that this was Heaven's Floating Island, but I was curious what lay underneath. I'd tried to find out the first time I came here and nearly had a heart attack. For some reason, flight and my other abilities didn't work here. Or rather — I lost a fair amount of my power?

Dinora gave an awkward laugh. Everything was still unfamiliar to her, no doubt.

"R-right. As long as we live well up here, that's all that matters. I should go grab my things."

"I'll leave this here. Daily necessities — water, bread, that sort of thing."

"Okay, thank you!"

We returned to reality. Dinora went straight inside to pack.

I watched her and smiled without a sound.

People say they want to put their lover in their pocket and carry them around. I can actually do that.

I drew a deep breath and looked around. A sky-island dressed in translucent clouds, a cool breeze stirring the air. This was my utopia, and I wanted to make it magnificent.

How should I decorate it? The house and the scenery around it seem to follow my will, but I'm still not used to it. I'd love to turn it into a hot spring, at least.

Hot-spring sex. A reverse gangbang, even. The women feasting on me — heh. Just imagining it and my dick was already standing at attention.

Dinora came out with her things packed.

"I didn't have much to begin with, so…"

"But if you leave here, you won't be able to run your massage business. Are you all right with that?"

"It's fine! If anything… Lashu can take responsibility for me, can't he?"

Still holding her bags, she pressed her breasts together and gave her hips a slow, teasing sway. Goddammit — when she did that, how was I supposed to not take responsibility?

"Don't worry. Just send me a thought whenever you need something, and I'll keep you stocked with daily necessities."

I gave her something solid to lean on. She was mine now, after all.

Dinora blushed like a girl.

"Thank you. Doing all this for a woman past her prime like me."

"Past her prime? You're still beautiful. And you look like you'd breed just fine."

"Ugh, you idiot…!"

"I like you, Lady Dinora."

"Ah— I, I like you too…♥"

We flirted for a bit, then returned to Heaven's Floating Island. I showed Dinora into the pension.

It really did look like something you'd find at a foreign resort. The interior was sleek and immaculate, and it was even more spacious than it had appeared from outside.

More than anything — whether it had followed my imagination or not — the first floor even had a natural hot spring that connected to the space behind the pension.

Dinora stepped back outside and couldn't stop marveling.

"A building like this, in a high-altitude climate. How did you even build it?"

"Uhhm, actually, with my imagination."

"Your imagination? Are you a god?"

"I told ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you I'm not, heh. It just came out as a pension somehow. Looks a little unusual, right?"

"It does. But it looks like plenty of people could live here, which is nice."

That much was true. Ideally I wanted to tuck all my women away in this place. But I respected their opinions too. I'd brought Dinora here under the pretext of protecting her, but it did feel strangely like putting a bird in a cage.

"What's over there?"

Dinora pointed at the shed-like building beside the pension. I knew that one well.

"My horse is in there."

"A horse…?"

I led her over.

Heeeeigh!

I opened the door, and there was Rin standing upright, doing squats. Looking at that creature, it had the same gym-girl energy as Lumina.

"…The horse is doing squats?!"

"Ahem. I was surprised too. Anyway, it's gentler and kinder than it looks. You won't be lonely."

"Okay! Thank you so much. Lashu, you've saved me."

"Ah, it was nothing."

"Mwah♥"

She tipped her head slightly and kissed me on the cheek. It felt like getting a peck from a girl in kindergarten you were reasonably close with.

Huh. So she had this kind of sweetness in her too. I asked, just to be mischievous,

"I didn't even buy you a luxury brand this time. Is this allowed?"

"This kid… you think I'm some crazy bitch who's only obsessed with luxury goods? You yourself are the finest luxury I could ever own♥"

I had no comeback for that. Bathed in her honey-sweet gaze, I returned to reality.

I got home, washed up, and went upstairs to my room. I'd just sat down on the bed when a message popped up in the corner of my vision, like a chat notification.

Dinora had contacted me.

I'd have to remember that. And damn, it really was just like a messenger app.

Wow. So I could stay in contact like this with someone living on the sky-island. In practice we were sharing thoughts, but it was still incredible.

I liked this system. A lot.

I lay down on the bed and went to sleep. Tonight, I had a feeling I'd sleep well.