Extra Chapter 2 – Rant and A1
Around one week had passed since Rant moved to the flying island together with Torraine and the others.
While Rant is harvesting the corn in the field, he noticed that a large figure is moving in the distance. He lowered the basket which contained with corn and turned his attention to it.
Then, he discovered that it was A1.
「Taiki-sama's golem... it's unusual that it is moving only by itself.」
After Rant said that and checked the surroundings, then he walked towards A1. Torraine and Schnee who are also roaming around and working in the columns of stair-shaped garden which is also in the field didn't notice that Rant left the garden.
Rant secretly follows the back of A1 who's walking on the tree-lined road at the top of the hill.
As he approach to the back of A1, he noticed that A1 is actually walking right behind Ayla.
「Aah, so A1 is together with Ayla-sama. It's Taiki-sama's golem, but it look just like Ayla-sama's servant.」
Rant muttered that, and suddenly, he raised his face as if he realized something.
「... Ayla-sama's servant? No, it's not necessarily...」
When he said that while rubbing his chin with his finger, he look at the back of A1 and Ayla for a moment.
「Perhaps, Ayla-sama is a magician who became an apprentice to Taiki-sama...?」
While saying such guess, Rant followed behind them.
Then, A1 stopped midway and Ayla goes down the hill.
The location is near the back of the castle and is on the northern part of the island.
Ayla walks down the hill by herself in light steps and goes into the row of facilities. There was a figure of Mea in that place.
「... Why is Mea, who should be cleaning in Taiki-sama's castle, in this place?」
Rant said that and stood next to A1.
He tried to look up at A1, but A1 is looking at both Ayla and Mea who are talking under the hill and it didn't show any signs that it noticed Rant.
Rant looks from bottom to the top of A1 that stands imposingly without making a slight movement.
When he look at the slim figure that is too slender compared to other golems, without any armor or weapons and has a rounded head and limbs, it looks just like a person who has grown bigger.
However, its body is emitting a metallic light and its size is obviously not a human size.
「... I wonder how much strength does this golem have? It's said that several ordinary magicians are needed in order to defeat a golem, but...」
He said that and looked at A1. Maybe because he thought something when he saw the profile of A1 who is standing still calmly, Rant's shoulders trembled.
「... I've never seen a golem, but perhaps, it's probably not an ordinary golem.」
When he said that, A1 turned its face to Rant as if to respond.
Rant straighten up his back reflexively, but A1 looks away from the tensed Rant and returns his attention back to Ayla and Mea.
Rant exhales in relief and looks at Ayla and Mae.
「So you're watching them attentively.」
While looking at both Ayla and Mea who are laughing and talking, he smiled wryly.
「... Maybe you're watching over at Ayla-sama, but if you can, watch over Mea too.」
When Rant said that and turned to A1, A1 didn't look at him anymore. He laugh to A1 who's quietly looking down at Ayla and Mea, and shake his head from side to side.
「Even though it's a golem of Great Magician-sama, why did I say that?」
He laughed at himself and turned his back to A1. Rant walks back towards the garden in the southern part.
When he returned to the garden, Torraine and Schnee are standing around the basket that was left by Rant.
「Oh, Rant!」
When Schnee raised her voice, Rant waves his hand and walks over there.
「Where did you go?」
When Schnee asked that in a somewhat angry tone, Rant shrugged his shoulder while smiling wryly.
「I took a walk for a bit.」
When Rant told a lie, Schnee's expression becomes amazed and Torraine's eyes become dull.
「... Even if you're not very busy, you should properly do the work you are assigned to, okay? Look, we were able to harvest, so you should clean the houses today, okay?」
「Got, got it.」
Although her voice is not really strong, Rant replied like that while slightly drawing back to the voice of Torraine who has an unusual intimidating air.
「Oh, so today is on the west side?」
Schnee asked that while smiling wryly and Torraine, who returned to her usual atmosphere, nods with a smile.
「Yes, you're right. It would be nice if he can clean about one third of the houses in the west side.」
「One, one third? That's a bit many...」
「Really?」
Rant started to complain, but he shut up the moment when he looked at Torraine's eyes. While laughing to Rant who's like a frog that was glared by a snake, Schnee speaks.
「Hahaha. Accept it, Rant. Shouldn't you take a walk at a proper time after you work?」
When Rant dropped his shoulder at the words of Schnee, Torraine laughed.
While laughing, the three carry their harvested crops to the castle.
As Rant took the lead and went up the hill road, he saw a large figure is standing ahead.
「Taiki-sama's golem …?」
When he muttered that and looked up, he realized that A1, who is standing at the top of the hill, is carrying someone on its shoulders and his eyes became round.
Ayla is sitting on the right shoulder of A1 and Mea is sitting on the left shoulder.
The two are laughing while clinging to A1's round head.
「It, it's a little scary.」
「But it's fun.」
Rant looked at Ayla who's smiling wryly and Mea who become delighted with her ears moving with 'piko piko', and he smiled widely.
「Are you telling me that you are watching over the two?」
After he muttered that, Rant raised his hand towards A1 and waved it.
「Is Taiki-sama's golem playing?」
「A golem can also do that kind of thing, huh.」
Hearing such words of Torraine and Schnee over his back, Rant bursts into laughter.
「It's a golem of Great Magician Taiki-sama, so it can understand what we are saying, you know.」
When Rant said that, Torraine and Schnee exchange glances with round eyes.
「.... As one would expect of it」
「Right?」
Rant's shoulders shakes from laughing at the two who gives a doubtful atmosphere.
「It's true.」
Rant said that and laughed again.