Under Evangeline's guidance, Negi and the others saw a large number of dolls in the basement. Finally, at the end of the path, they discovered something similar to a ship in a bottle. However, this bottle was a bit large, and what was inside the bottle wasn't a model ship, but an exquisitely crafted tower-shaped building. It was simply too delicate.
"What is this?" Kagurazaka Asuna asked, a little confused, looking at the object in front of her. Why did they bring them here to see this?
Suddenly, a small magic circle appeared beneath their feet, and they were surprised to find that everything around them had changed. It should have been night, but here it was bathed in sunlight. It was like some tropical country; the climate made Kagurazaka Asuna feel a bit hot. They were now standing on a large pillar, and a bridge connected to another giant pillar with buildings. The scene in front of them was exactly the same as what they had seen in the ship in a bottle.
"I never thought such a thing could be built. Magicians are really amazing," Kagurazaka Asuna said with a hint of wonder, looking around curiously. She had just thought it was a rather exquisite model, but it turned out to be a magic tool built using magic. Although she already knew that magic, a non-scientific element, existed in this world, she had never imagined that magic could achieve such a degree.
"This is my 'Magic Villa' that I built before. Although it hasn't been used for a while. Due to necessity, I dug it out from a corner of the house some time ago. Once you come to this villa, you must stay here for a whole day, so you can only leave here after one day."
"Eh! Does that mean we can only leave tomorrow? How can this be? How will we go to school tomorrow? What about my work?!" Kagurazaka Asuna cried out in a panic. Although bringing Konoe Konoka back was very important, spending a day in a place like this was a bit different from their original plan! She still had many things she was preparing to do.
"Shut up! You monkey girl! Be quiet! Doesn't Japan have a folk tale called 'Urashima Taro'? This Magic Villa has the exact opposite effect of the box in that story. One day spent here is only one hour outside. So don't worry about time; even if you stay here for several days, only a few hours will have passed outside."
"Really! That's amazing! Can magic do something like that?" Kagurazaka Asuna exclaimed.
"Alright. Now is not the time for you to be amazed. Wasn't your purpose in coming here to get Konoe Konoka back? If so, then follow me. I'll take you to see her first." Seeing their surprised gazes, Evangeline pulled Yoshino's hand and walked towards another villa. Negi also immediately followed them towards the villa, and at the same time, the group observed their surroundings.
Then they arrived at another pillar. Here was a very spacious platform, where Chachamaru, whom they had just seen, and Konoe Konoka, whom they had been searching for, were present. Konoe Konoka's eyes lit up when she saw Negi and the others, especially when she saw a certain person among the three, the light in her eyes became even more dazzling. She stood up and rushed towards them.
"Konoka! Are you alright!" Seeing Konoe Konoka safe and sound, Kagurazaka Asuna, who had been worried, breathed a sigh of relief. Then, seeing her running over with open arms, Kagurazaka Asuna smiled broadly and opened her own arms, waiting for the embrace. But to her disappointment, Konoe Konoka bypassed her and directly hugged Sakurazaki Setsuna, who was behind her.
"Ah~ Just as Yoshino and the others said, Setsuna, you really came to save me! I'm so touched~" Hugging Sakurazaki Setsuna tightly, with her unique Kansai accent and soft voice, she rubbed Sakurazaki Setsuna's face happily. Feeling the touch on her body and Konoe Konoka's scent, the swordsman, who usually wore a mask, immediately blushed.
Kagurazaka Asuna silently wrapped her arms around herself. It should have been the joy of reunion. Why did her figure seem so tragic? Negi and Kamo, who were watching from the side, felt sorry for her.
"Do you know, Setsuna? This place is so much fun~ There are game consoles, all sorts of interesting books, and many magic books hidden in the rooms downstairs." Konoe Konoka, hugging Sakurazaki Setsuna, happily recounted her experiences here. It seemed she had a great time playing here alone while everyone else was worried about her. Listening to her narration, Kagurazaka Asuna, who was consoling herself, was first startled, then filled with displeasure, and directly interrupted Konoe Konoka's conversation.
"I say, Konoka, were you playing in this wonderful place all this time while we were preparing to rescue you and worrying about your safety? Weren't you captured by Evangeline as a hostage?!" Kagurazaka Asuna narrowed her eyes, with an expression of envy, jealousy, and hatred. However, from her tone, it could be heard that she was happy about her friend's safety.
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Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
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