第１１３６堀：思い出せないこと (Part2)
As Comet suggested, if the ghost is indeed linked to Principal Popuri and is fixated on her, then she is the one most likely to suffer any harm.
"Hmm. It’s impossible to make a definitive judgment right now. Though, it is true that she has been safe up until this point..."
"Ghosts of this nature sometimes begin their activity only once they are perceived. It was safe before because no one had noticed it, but now..."
"So you're saying there’s a possibility she could be attacked from here on out?"
"In that case, Yuki told me to stay with Lara, but would it be safer if she stayed with us?"
"Yes. Being with someone allows you to intervene if the ghost starts acting strangely, and if you call us, we can arrive immediately. If she’s alone, she won't even be able to send word."
"When a ghost targets someone, it relentlessly tears at their spirit."
I nodded. I understood that well enough from my experiences at the Weed haunted house, and I’d already done my fair share of prep and review via horror movies.
"So, Sota and the others don't have any new information either. We’ll have to look into the dead points another day, so maybe we should just get some sleep and conserve our strength for today?"
"That sounds right. I plan on resting once I’ve had lunch."
"The old man sleeps a lot, doesn't he."
"Snakes are nocturnal, after all."
"“Huh?”"
"You two, the old man and the snake. Behave yourselves."
*Thump, thump.*
I could hear the sound through the comms. Enoru-san is certainly full of energy.
"Honestly, these two. Agil, Comet, you two get some rest as well."
"Oh. Yeah. Got it."
"You're right. We’ll head to sleep once we finish lunch, too."
I cut the call, but...
"In the end, we didn't learn a thing. Well, I told Popuri there's no use dwelling on it, so let's head into town for a change of pace. We can grab lunch while we're at it."
"Agreed. That sounds good."
With that, we left Popuri in Kirika’s care and headed out into town.
"Ah, the weather outside is lovely."
"If this weather keeps up, the moonlight will be beautiful tonight... wait, hold on. Is it possible that moonlight is one of the conditions?"
"Ah... that does seem plausible. They say there’s a surprising link between the moon and ghosts. Though, I still think the biggest factor in why it appeared on camera was Popuri’s magic power."
"That’s the most likely culprit. Besides, the moonlight was visible on all the cameras, so if that were the cause, it would be strange if it didn't appear to anyone other than Principal Popuri."
Even though I’m the one saying it, I wonder if the moonlight is actually irrelevant.
"Come to think of it, speaking of moonlight, we’re heading to the Great Tree Sea once this commotion settles, right? We’ll need to keep records of the weather then, too, won't we?"
"That would be necessary. But you were already planning on keeping weather records, weren't you?"
"Yeah. But shouldn't we add moonlight to that list?"
"Ah, you're right. The state of the moon might affect the activity levels of monsters, after all."
The thought that moonlight might affect monsters made my motivation wane. If they just went to sleep, that would be fine, but if it makes them more active, it means we’ll either have to fight or run. I can handle either outcome, but if they get unnecessarily aggressive, it’ll interfere with our investigation, so I’d really rather avoid that.
As we discussed our future plans, we arrived at the inn with the delicious karaage and sat down to eat. The innkeeper struck up a conversation.
"Well now, if it isn't Agil and Comet. You both look troubled—stuck on some research again?"
"Something like that. We’re here to investigate the Great Tree Sea, and we’re trying to figure out how to handle it."
"Yeah. It’s a real pain if monsters keep attacking us."
"Haha! Well, it is the Great Tree Sea. You only get to move forward if you can deal with the monsters. Well, try not to die. People like Wazu are rare. It seems it’s quite difficult to go deep into the Great Tree Sea and return alive. You two be careful."
"Yeah, thanks for the advice."
"But, judging by what you said, have you been to the Great Tree Sea for research before?"
"Aye. As far as I know, the last times were five and ten years ago. Seems like they go on an investigation about every five years."
"Every five years? That’s pretty laid back."
We were just chatting with the man as if it were idle talk, when...
"Well, investigating the Great Tree Sea costs a fortune, so that’s the best they can manage. Though, I think the last large-scale investigation was about 200 years ago? But back then, the investigation team ended up being wiped out, and there was quite a lot of fallout."
"Hmm, 200 years ago, huh? Were there students from the academy involved in that too?"
"Aye. Students from the academy have always cooperated in the Great Tree Sea investigations."
"I see. So, does that mean the students from back then were among the ones who never returned?"
"They were all wiped out, after all. Well, some might have managed to run away, but there were definitely those who died."
I see. Considering the students' uniforms, I wonder if the era matches up? Or am I overthinking this? Does what Popuri has forgotten have something to do with the Great Tree Sea? Or is it just a coincidence? What could the students possibly be doing out at such an hour?