落とし穴６９堀：夏の夜の納涼 お話し編 (Part2)
Airi was the only one who truly had my back, which made me realize just how lucky I was to have a wife. If I were still a bachelor, being surrounded by everyone else’s spouses like this would have felt like sitting on a bed of needles.
"Taizo-san, what exactly was so frightening about that story? Was it not simply the work of a zombie?"
"Hmm. Hifi-san, I believe I mentioned before that in our world, monsters do not exist."
"Ah, so you mean such a thing should have been impossible?"
"Precisely. And then there is the mystery of the handprints on the car vanishing at the end. Is there a monster you know of capable of such a feat?"
"...When you put it that way, it does inspire a certain inexplicable dread."
"Indeed. That is the very heart of the ghost story. Humanity fears the unknown."
Taizo-san and Hifi-san had drifted into a technical discussion; the actual 'scare' factor seemed to have become secondary to them. Then again, Hifi-san had never been exposed to our culture before, so it was only natural she would approach her first ghost story with that kind of curiosity.
"I suppose this level of storytelling isn't an issue, then."
"Indeed. Even I am not frightened by something of this caliber," Deryu-san declared, puffing out her chest.
"She's right. We wouldn't be scared by something like this," Labyris added, mirroring her posture.
These two were supposedly the biggest cowards among Yuki-san’s wives, yet even they seemed unfazed.
"Well, if this isn't enough to provide a proper chill for a summer night, perhaps we should go somewhere and get cooled off for real."
""Eh?""
Indeed, Yuki-san, Taizo-san, and I had been discussing this for a while. We had actually constructed a haunted house and were planning to hold a test of courage. As we’d discussed before, if we actually placed actors to jump out and scare people, they’d likely be physically eliminated by reflex, so this was to be a purely atmospheric test of courage.
"That said, after consulting with Taizo-san and Taiki-kun, we asked ourselves: 'If ghosts were to appear, where would they be?' We built a simulated location based on that. Magic and skills are nullified there, and no monsters have been placed inside. It is a place of absolute nothingness. Therefore, nothing can possibly appear during the test of courage. It was built for the aesthetic; there have been no accidents or history there."
Yuki-san spoke with conviction, emphasizing that there was nothing to fear.
"So, if that story wasn't a problem for you, I’d like you to go into that haunted house and take a photo in the Doll Room at the very back."
With those words, he used a Call to project an image into the air.
A dilapidated building appeared on screen. The camera shifted, moving deeper and deeper into the structure...
""Eek!?""
The moment the two of them saw the Doll Room, they let out a shriek.
I couldn't blame them.
The room was packed wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, with Japanese dolls. It was genuinely unsettling.
"And there you have it. Just take a photo with the dolls and you're done."
Yuki-san continued his explanation, unbothered. Personally, I would hate having to take a photo with those things at my back.
"I’ll say it again: this place was just built, so there’s nothing there. As long as you don't do anything reckless, you won't get hurt. So please, rest easy. There are no hidden staff members waiting to jump out at you. Since ghost stories weren't enough for you, this should be perfect, right? Of course, you don't have to go alone. Groups of two or three are fine. And if you're truly scared, you don't have to go at all. You're welcome to stay here and relax."
With those silver-tongued words, the curtain rose on our summer night test of courage.
"Um, Taiki-sama..." Airi looked at me with a worried expression.
"Right. If you're okay with it, Airi, shall we go together?"
"Yes, please."
For me, this was a golden opportunity to experience that classic trope—the "Eek, I'm scared!" followed by my "It's okay, I'm here." I was actually quite looking forward to it. To think I’d be fulfilling a dream I never managed back in Japan in a world like this. Life truly is unpredictable.
Of course, Yuki-san and Taizo-san were planning to record the whole thing to use as "research material" or something of the sort. I also wanted to check later to see if any actual ghosts decided to move in. Since the older guys were running the show, I could just relax and enjoy it. Back in Japan, tests of courage usually involved trespassing, and if something went wrong, it was a nightmare physically, mentally, and spiritually. I had to make the most of an opportunity like this.
This was it. Everyone gathering to tell scary stories. Kaidan. A summer staple.
And now, the test of courage!
I couldn't stop the excitement from bubbling up.
***
Also, thank you for all the congratulatory messages regarding the story surpassing 100 million PVs.
I intend to keep working hard at my own pace.
Finally, *Etrian Odyssey V* is out, isn't it?
Of course I'm playing it. Thanks to *Dungeon Busters*, I never have to worry about coming up with character names anymore. (Laughs)