第１１４４堀：第二次接触作戦会議 (Part1)
Chapter 1144: The Second Contact Operation Meeting
Side: Yuki
The plan for today was to continue from yesterday, with Popuri at the center, supported by Sota-san, Sui, and Lara, to attempt a "conversation" with the entity. However...
"Ta-da! Leave that to us!"
"Yes, leave it to us, Yuki."
For some reason, not only Kagura, who was brimming with motivation, but Hairen had also barged in.
This is bad. I didn't expect such a massive troublemaker to show up and disregard the schedule.
"...First of all. Care to explain why?"
I asked for her true intentions, even as a headache began to throb behind my eyes.
If she tells me she just showed up for a sightseeing trip, I’m going to roll her up in a mat and kick her out immediately, full force.
Having steeled myself, I exchanged glances with Sota-san and Enol-san, who both nodded instantly.
Good. I have the guardians' permission; perhaps I should just proceed without further discussion.
This apprentice goddess uses her status as a believer to push Kagura and the others around, so treating her roughly shouldn't be a problem at all.
"What are you talking about? I heard there’s a poor lost child here. And yet, Sota and Enol are just watching without helping? Isn't that cruel?"
"It’s not a matter of being cruel. The opponent is a ghost. We can't move carelessly because we don't know what it might do."
"What do you mean, 'don't know what it might do'? If it were going to attack, it would have done something wicked long ago. And since there was no damage at all yesterday, doesn't that mean it’s not the type of child to just do things randomly?"
"With ghosts, you never know what might act as a trigger. That’s why we need to be cautious."
"Yuki. Your eyes are truly clouded this time. No, it’s not just you. Sota, Enol, everyone here."
Hairen was pushing back with strange intensity.
There was even a hint of anger in her tone. It didn't seem like her usual brand of selfishness...
"Do you understand? The opponent isn't some unknown 'thing.' It's a student of Popuri and Lara, right? If someone is in trouble, you help them. That’s all there is to it. Even if they’ve become a monster or a ghost, if they attack, you just bonk them on the head to calm them down. Isn't that right? What? If Shuten went on a rampage, do you intend to kill her without a word to solve it?"
"We would never do that to Shuten. We will definitely save her."
"Yeah. Shuten is our precious child. We’ll save her."
"...I see. That’s how it is."
"Yes. Whether there is a risk to life or not, such things are trivial matters."
Ah, so that’s it.
Well, while she isn't a child to us, she is a student of Popuri.
And if the confirmation of danger has already been settled...
"See? You know the answer, so why are you dragging your feet? Besides, if you want to listen to what the child has to say, leave it to me, Kagura! I don't know what a ghost is, but I'll be there to back Kagura up, so it'll be fine. Actually, my intuition is telling me that child is perfectly fine."
"..."
Hairen’s baseless confidence.
Usually, believing her would be out of the question, but the origin of this matter was Kagura seeking advice in the first place.
No, it started when we asked Kagura if she could do something about it.
And Kagura, concerned, had consulted Hairen.
Ah, I was too careless just because she’s a "shrine maiden" too.
"Sota-san, Enol-san, Sui. What do you think?"
Even so, the naive idea that "nothing will happen" is absolutely unacceptable.
So, I wanted to confirm with these three one last time.
Sota-san and Sui, being the experts, were obvious, but the opinion of Enol-san, Hairen’s guardian, was crucial.
"I think it will be fine. Besides, I will be going along as well. It won't be a problem even if Hairen makes a mistake, as usual."
"That's true. And above all, that ghost was visible to everyone yesterday. Thanks to having firmly recognized its existence through the image, our focus has likely aligned. The same goes for its voice. Therefore, we are now in a situation where everyone can perceive it. Even if things get a bit rough, we can handle it."
Hmm, I see.
Sota-san and Sui haven't changed their opinions since yesterday.
Actually, as Sui said, the fact that everyone can now perceive it means, conversely, that a surprise attack can be avoided.
Well, the ghost's signature teleportation is still a factor, but if we can clearly see it even if it possesses someone, then we can deal with it.
That leaves Enol-san...
"I don't know much about ghosts, but since these two are saying so, it shouldn't cause too much trouble. Now then. Hairen, are you truly sure there’s no problem? You aren't just saying this on a 'whim,' are you? Depending on the result, our precious Kagura could get hurt. Do you understand that?"
Enol-san looked at Hairen with an even sharper gaze than usual as she confirmed this.
She basically trusts her, but this is still something outside of her own perception.
She probably can't say it's fine based solely on her own intuition.
That’s why she’s threatening Hairen to get confirmation.
She is a sincere person.
As for Hairen, who was being glared at by Enol-san...
"It's fine! I will definitely protect Kagura!"
She puffed out her chest and declared it clearly and without hesitation.
Hearing that, Enol-san let out a sigh, looking somewhat exhausted.
"Well, she’s overflowing with baseless confidence. Whether we leave her be or keep her away, she’s going to do it anyway. In that case, it’s easier to 'manage' her if we let her cooperate. That’s how I see it, Yuki-dono."
"I see. Is it at that level?"
I had thought about rolling her up in a mat and tossing her into the Weed, but this apprentice goddess does indeed exert a strange kind of power.
I’ve been pondering the cause, and recently, I’ve begun to form a faint theory.
It’s likely because Hairen spent time hiding inside a Dungeon Core until recently, allowing her to manipulate magical power so freely it could be called omnipotent.
A Dungeon Core is, by nature, a tool that converts and provides magical power according to the user's instructions.
As the name implies, it is a tool for creating dungeons and placing monsters and traps, but it is also a versatile tool capable of manufacturing things not found in this world, including goods from Earth.
In sci-fi terms, a replicator.
Well, usually, people lack the imagination to do anything more than create monsters, weapons, or barriers. But if one decides to do something reckless and pushes the Dungeon Core to the brink of destruction to fulfill a wish, it can produce outrageous results.
After all, she managed to generate a barrier that covered the entire country within the mountain range where she lived.
Normally, that would be impossible.
But she did it. She made it happen.
With that "prior conviction," or rather, history, and having undergone training as a goddess, there’s no telling what kind of trouble this nuisance of a girl might cause if she runs wild.
Therefore, Enol is right: she should be kept within sight so she can be managed.
Yes. No matter how I look at it, that’s the way to go.
Man, if I’m not careful, the other useless goddesses might barge in too.
This is the best strategy to minimize the damage.