第１１４２堀：幽霊の情報集め (Part2)
Usually, when people talk about novels or shifting perspectives, it implies a change in mindset; however, when dealing with ghosts, one must question whether everyone is even seeing the same thing.
"Alright, I’ll describe the appearance of the figure we saw in the monitoring room..."
I recount Hivia’s appearance as I saw it. Fortunately, there are no discrepancies, which makes the possibility that the "thing" we monitored was something else—not Hivia—considerably lower.
Well, I keep that thought to myself for now; nothing is confirmed yet. There is no point in unnecessarily unsettling Popuri and the others. If I were to start spouting conspiracy theories, there would be no end to it.
"Great, now that we’ve confirmed there are no inconsistencies, I have a question, if you don't mind?"
The moment I finish verifying that my perception of the entity matches the others, Comet raises her hand, eager to jump into her next inquiry.
"Go ahead, Comet-san."
"Thanks! I think everyone was wondering about this: the ghost—Hivia, was it?—she came up right next to Popuri and leaned in to look at her face, right? Did Popuri perceive that as well?"
"Yes. I was aware of it. It was quite a struggle to ignore her, or rather, to avoid making eye contact."
"When something gets that close, your body just naturally reacts, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does."
"Actually, looking at the footage we have here, your bodies were overlapping."
"Eh?"
Ah, it seems Popuri was so preoccupied with just trying to endure the situation that she hadn't even realized she had been overlapping with the ghost.
"Here, take a look."
Comet manipulates the controls, and on the screen appears the image of Hivia, half of her body sunk into Popuri’s. Under normal circumstances, one would be tempted to call such blatant footage a CG fabrication, but this world lacks that kind of video-editing technology.
Which means it is the truth.
There is something unsettling about having this kind of proof. No, scientifically, it is sound; the absence of any element to refute it becomes the fact that proves its existence.
Setting aside my own opinion, Popuri, upon learning that her own body had been half-merged with that "something," turns pale, scrambles to her feet, and begins frantically checking herself over.
"M-my body! Is there something wrong with me!? Lara, take a look!"
"No, you look perfectly healthy to me."
"Don't lie to me! I’ve been feeling sleep-deprived lately!"
"Given that you are shouting with such vigor, I don't believe there is anything wrong with you."
"Ugh..."
Popuri is calmly rebuffed by Lara.
Well, I can certainly understand her panic. I mean, finding out you were fused with a ghost? Naturally, you’d be desperate to check your physical condition. Still, such things don't usually manifest on the surface. You’d need an expert to check that properly.
"So, Sota-san, since the water isn't moving, can we assume there’s no problem?"
"Yes. There is absolutely no issue. She hasn't been possessed or anything of the sort."
"Indeed. Their bodies simply overlapped, that is all."
"Eh?"
Popuri freezes, stunned by their words.
"Now, now, Popuri. These two are experts. They can tell these things."
"Oh, you are capable of such things as well?"
"Well, it’s not quite the same as diagnosis or treatment, but it’s close to the act of exorcism."
"True. Besides, if there were any ill effects on you or Lara, Popuri, we would have already taken action. You have nothing to worry about."
"I-I see?"
Haha, I’d be tilting my head in confusion too if someone told me it was fine just because they could perform an exorcism. It feels a bit like relying on a quack doctor. Not that I don't trust Sota-san and the others—I do. It’s just... one likes to hear a general opinion, you know?
"Right, right. Now that we know you're safe, I’ll continue with the questions. It seemed like she was trying to talk to you—did you hear anything?"
"Ah, yes. She seems to recognize me as the Principal, as she addressed me as 'Principal'."
"So she remembers the Principal, too. And so far, no harm done. What did you think of it, Popuri? I heard from Sota-san and the others that there was no malice. What did you think, Lara, having seen it from the side? Oh, and I’ll collect the voice recorder later."
"Well... when I first heard the voice, I was chilled to the bone, but thinking back on it, I don't believe there was any hostility."
"I, too, felt no particular hostility or malice. It seemed as though she was simply speaking to the Principal as one normally would."
And so, the information gathering begins.
Now then, I wonder what we shall do about Hivia the ghost from here on out. Based on the video records, there is nothing malicious about her for the time being. She is fixated on Popuri and tries to speak to her. The other monitors also caught sight of her form.
Now, if you were in my shoes, what would you do next?