第６０２堀：改めてご挨拶と今後の話し合い (Part2)
"Yes, that is fine. Please, share the existence of this room with those you trust. I imagine you will encounter other Japanese people again someday."
"Er, well, I’ll have to consult with Duke Kamishiro or the Academy Principal about that..."
As Sota-san and I turned our gazes toward the Duke and the Principal, both men nodded vigorously in unison.
"Of course! We shall treat it as a family heirloom!"
"And regarding this secret room, we will discuss its proper management with the Royal Family, so please, have no worries!"
"I-I see. I leave it in your hands."
To the person himself, these were likely nothing more than prank tools, but to the people of this era, they were items of immense historical value. That was precisely why the discrepancy felt so strange.
With that, despite a brief exchange of humble bowing, the conversation proceeded harmoniously...
"I see. So Kagura and the Princess brought Yuki-dono and his group here. My apologies."
"No, we were already planning to come to this world regardless."
In the process, we had to explain the circumstances behind why we, the Weed forces, were summoned, which meant we couldn't avoid mentioning Haiden and Findal.
"To think there is a war with Findal... I am sorry for the trouble this has caused Princess Stasia."
"Not at all. Fortunately, there was no significant damage, and thanks to the intervention of Yuki-sama and his group, we were able to arrange this meeting. Looking at the results, I believe the actions of Kagura-dono and Princess Carrie were correct."
"I am glad to hear you say that. However, it seems things have taken a strange turn over these past five hundred years. The odd movements of the Haire Church, the disappearance of monsters, the monster incident in Findal, and now this matter in Haiden..."
Upon hearing the current state of Haiden, Sota-san appeared lost in thought.
Now, I wanted information, but should I be the one to ask, or...
"...If I may, First-Generation-sama. Do you happen to know anything regarding this current incident?"
As expected, Duke Kamishiro asked before I could. It would have been presumptuous for me to ask, after all.
"I’m afraid I don't. I have been confined to this place for nearly five hundred years, you see. Well, perhaps something might come to light from the knowledge and memories I possess, but that is for you to hear and judge for yourselves. I am, after all, a man of the past. Building the current era is your job."
"Understood. My apologies for the intrusion."
"Ah, no, no, don't apologize. I didn't mean to scold you. I just want you to have that mindset. Of course, I will cooperate, but wouldn't it be better to discuss this with the Kings of Haiden present as well?"
"Indeed. I shall leave the arrangements to you."
Judging by what was said, he didn't seem to have any immediate leads regarding the current turmoil. However, the history of how he defeated the Demon King five hundred years ago, brought peace, and established the worship of the god Haire was essential information for achieving my original goal.
I could foresee that if this problem wasn't resolved, it would continue to hinder our activities on this continent, so we were more than willing to cooperate.
As I was thinking this, Sota-san spoke up.
"Well then, assuming we leave the discussion involving the various nations for another day, we still have to investigate the remaining mysteries, don't we?"
"Hm? What do you mean? Aren't the other stories just baseless rumors?"
Duke Kamishiro tilted his head, looking at Sota-san with a puzzled expression.
Well, since we had identified the genuine ghost story, did that mean the rest were fake? ...No, that didn't necessarily follow.
That’s right. Sota-san had only spoken about the ghost stories he himself had created.
"Are you saying there is a possibility that someone else intentionally created these ghost stories as well?"
"Yes. If I could create one, it wouldn't be strange for someone else to do the same. It’s fine for the Haiden royalty to handle their local affairs, but if you intend to welcome the leaders of other countries in the future, I would advise against inviting them to this academy until you have verified these rumors. It is standard for these types of ghost stories to be quite troublesome. If, by some chance, a foreign dignitary were to get caught up in one, it would be the spark for a war."
With that statement, we shifted our focus to investigating the remaining three mysteries and confirming whether there was anything else we had overlooked.
The remaining mysteries were:
* A strange classroom appears at dusk.
* Do not use the second-floor east girls' restroom.
* A ghost appears in the basement of the dormitory at night.
I really hope they are just rumors...
Each one sounds like a death trap, doesn't it?
Now then, which one is the real ghost story?