落とし穴６８堀：夏の風物詩とは？ (Part2)
To me, this place was nothing more than a disappointing alternate world—a mere business trip destination. Though, I suppose it was far better than being tossed out here with nothing but the clothes on my back.
"Late at night... huh?"
"Indeed. That’s an option."
"Did you think of something?"
"It’s late night, Taiki. Late night."
"Right. In summer, you sprinkle water during the day and tell ghost stories at night."
"Ah, the classics."
Ghost stories and tests of courage—staples of a Japanese summer. For some reason, they had slipped my mind, but as soon as they were mentioned, I remembered why.
Among my wives, there were those who were excessively prone to fright.
Labyris, for instance, had once had an unfortunate lapse in bladder control. Ever since that incident, I had steered clear of that particular genre.
"Though, there aren't really any ghost stories like that in this world," I noted.
"Now that you mention it, you're right," Taizo said. "I wonder why?"
"Ah, it’s because ghosts, zombies, and yokai are all classified as monsters here."
"I see. The fear is tangible and specific."
"Exactly. You can kill them. Instead of being afraid, the logical response is to exterminate them."
"In that case, ghost stories and tests of courage might be impossible on this side."
"Going into a forest or a ruin at night is just common sense to avoid—it’s dangerous because monsters will attack you," Taiki added.
"So people stay away because there’s a clear threat to their lives. That’s straightforward."
Unlike Earth, there was no sense of building up a latent, psychological dread. Here, there was a clear cause and a clear solution.
"Then a test of courage is out. Even if we built something, they’d probably just physically destroy it."
"True."
If I told my wives I’d set something like that up, the 'scaredy-cat' faction would likely reduce the whole thing to rubble. I felt worse for the monsters playing the ghosts; they’d be the ones in mortal peril. I couldn't bring myself to ask anyone to risk their lives for a game. Besides, having them killed by my own family would be too tragic for words.
"But wouldn't it be fun if we just made something for ourselves to enjoy?" Taiki suggested. "Like an abandoned inn style? We have this inn right here, so it would be easy to rearrange."
"That sounds fascinating," Taizo chimed in. "It could even serve as a form of research. Do ghosts appear in an environment prepared from scratch? It’s an excellent subject for study."
"Taizo, that happens quite a bit back home. You often hear rumors about real ghosts appearing in haunted houses at amusement parks in Japan."
"Ah, yes, those stories."
"Ho. Is that so? However, those usually depend on the history of the land. That is precisely why I think creating one in a dungeon in another world—where the land’s history is irrelevant—would be worthwhile. Don't you agree?"
"I see your point."
He had a point. Usually, these stories involved the site being an old graveyard or an execution ground. But here, those stories didn't exist. We were deep underground, after all.
"The title of the research shall be: 'Defining the Manifestation Sites of Apparitions and Phantoms.' Since we can literally control the environment here, observing what happens in a place where magic is excluded and monsters have no room to enter would be quite intriguing."
"Huh. I'm actually interested in that."
"It sounds great. But while we can enjoy that ourselves, we should think of something to entertain the wives and the rest of the household..."
"Ah, I forgot. Do you have any ideas, Taizo?"
"Let’s see... how about just sticking to ghost stories? It’s a good opportunity to explain the nature of ghosts and yokai from Japan—or rather, Earth. Researching ghosts is a field of study that has existed on Earth for a long time, after all."
"Isn't that a good idea, Yuki?"
"..."
Ghost stories, huh?
Could my wives—who squealed and whimpered just watching TV—actually handle it? Or should the ones who hate it just sit it out? But then, wouldn't they feel lonely and left out?
"Yuki? Is there a problem?"
"Ah, well... I once showed them a summer psychic special, and about half of them were absolutely terrified. I'm just worried about a repeat of that."
"Ah, I see. Your wives have a fair amount of knowledge about Earth, so they understood the implications of the psychic special."
"Exactly."
"Ho. Such things exist? I would very much like to see it myself."
"Oh, that’s a great idea! Let’s watch it and then hammer out what kind of ghost stories to tell."
"Wait, is this decided then?"
"Indeed. It is a summer tradition. I feel for your wives who aren't fond of such things, Yuki, but this is part of the experience. They don't have to participate if they don't want to. To avoid making them feel excluded, let’s make it seem like a spontaneous idea that comes up after we talk about playing at the beach. Taiki or I will be the ones to suggest it. That way, they won't think you're being inconsiderate of their feelings."
"Good plan. I'll be the one to say it."
"I appreciate it."
And so, the next event was decided. That night, we sat through a psychic program, engaging in the typical summer banter of "that’s fake" or "that one’s real."
Well then, summer events are just beginning.
Look forward to what happens next.
Is everyone enjoying their summer?
I just got back from a fireworks festival myself.