第１１３４堀：現場確認へと (Part2)
Perhaps unsettled by this, Eupia turned her gaze toward me.
"Tell me, Yuki-dono. Is the true form of this god, Senal, also that of a monster?"
Ah, so that’s where her imagination had wandered.
I struggled with how to answer, knowing full well I couldn't exactly claim she was different from the useless goddesses we have here. Just as I was deliberating, a voice chimed in.
"Haha. You needn't worry about that. Water is simply a rare case. I have met Lady Senal myself, and she is quite ordinary—nay, she is a beauty."
"H-hmm. So, the forms of gods are varied, are they?"
"I couldn't say, as I haven't met many gods myself. However, the Serafina Church worships a 'Goddess,' so it stands to reason that she is female."
"Well, that is true, I suppose."
Hearing that she was unlike Water, the two of them tilted their heads, though they seemed to accept the explanation for now. Well, these two are so grounded in reality that they’d likely never even considered what a "god" might look like in the first place.
...Still, I’ll need to arrange a meeting with Senal soon.
Considering that, perhaps it was a stroke of luck that I met Water first?
Though Water appears as a serpent, she is a person of immense character.
I’ll have to handle the introductions personally to ensure there’s no shock. As for Hairen, even though she’s been restraining herself lately, there’s no telling when she might go off the rails.
As I was lost in these thoughts, Kirika spoke up.
"Master. Souta-sama and Water-sama have arrived at the scene."
At her words, everyone moved in unison to their respective monitor stations. It was surprising to see Eupia and Schau among them. They had claimed to be unaccustomed to machinery, yet they were absorbing the operation of these devices with frightening speed. I had been consulting with Popuri regarding the export of cameras, but at this rate, a few demonstrations might be all the instruction they need.
With that thought, I shifted my gaze to the monitors. Souta-san and Water were standing at the far end of the corridor in question.
"I have received a transmission from Souta-san; I will connect it to the speaker line," Kirika announced.
Following the sharp hiss of static as the connection opened, Souta-san’s voice filled the room.
"Ah—monitoring room, can you hear me?"
"Yes, we hear you. The signal is clear. How is it on your end?"
"Yes, we can hear you perfectly."
"I can hear you as well. There are no issues."
...I still wonder how Water manages to hear the audio through the earpiece, but that’s a question for another time.
"Both of you, how does it feel at the scene?"
"No, I don't feel anything at all."
"Indeed. I sense no excessive gloom. It seems as though the students are simply going about their lessons in high spirits. There is the usual amount of envy one might expect from peers, but that is well within the acceptable range. If this level of gloom were enough to manifest spirits and specters, this academy would have been a haunted house long ago."
That made sense. It’s an elite magic academy; feelings of jealousy are inevitable. If that were enough to spawn monsters, there would be no end to them.
"Then, was what I saw merely a mistake?"
Popuri asked, sounding apologetic at Water’s assessment, but...
"No, that is impossible. I saw it, Water saw it, and it was confirmed by the thermal imaging. Everyone recognized it. In other words, something was indeed there at that time and place."
There is evidence of its existence. That is an unshakable fact.
"We need to confirm if that presence is still there. Souta-san, could you please walk down the corridor and see if you can sense anything?"
"Certainly. That was my intention from the start."
With that reply, Souta-san began to walk slowly, ever so slowly, down the corridor, as if mimicking the ghost that had appeared in the footage. Suddenly, Kagura, who had spotted them from inside a classroom, cried out:
"The First Founder is walking down the hall with Water-sama!?"
"It’s for the investigation."
"Wh-what will you do if something happens to the First Founder and Water-sama!?"
"Don't worry. I’ve provided proper escorts, and I don't know anyone more resistant to spirits than Souta-san. Well, there is Akiten, but she’s far too powerful."
That’s right—she would root out the apparitions entirely. And above all, Akiten is my beloved daughter. Not only that, but my wives would adamantly oppose it.
"Of course! Bringing Akiten along is out of the question!"
"Mikos-chan agrees. You absolutely must not bring her."
"Naturally. The First Founder and Enoru-sama would also oppose it."
"Yes. That cannot happen. You must never bring our daughter into a danger zone."
All four of them were in total, fierce agreement. They had truly accepted Akiten as their own daughter.
So, without the aid of the strongest spirit, will this investigation drag on?
No, with a reliable god and a shrine maiden on the scene, it should be a short-term resolution.
Akiten has already been properly charmed by Kagura and the others, so rest assured, she won't be appearing on the scene this time.
I’m sure the experts, Souta and Water, will find something.
What is the mystery hidden within the academy?