落とし穴番外：元廃村への対応 (Part1)
Side: Taizo
"Why are you being so angry about it?"
Luna-dono pouted, complaining as she spoke.
To an unrelated third party, seeing a beauty like Luna-dono acting in such a way might be considered charming or even picturesque, but we were in no position to be so leisurely.
"Are you an idiot?! If you had created it from scratch, that would be one thing, but bringing in an abandoned village and patching it up—are you insane? Did you even bother to check what was inside before you brought it here?"
"Huh? It’s been an abandoned village for ages, so it’s obviously empty, isn't it? I brought it over just as it was and repaired it properly, so there shouldn't be any problems at all."
Ah, what a disaster. Just hearing those words confirmed that we were in a dire situation.
This abandoned village—or rather, a settlement at best—including its shrine, appeared to have been left to rot for many years.
Setting aside the houses, the fact that the shrine had been neglected was particularly ominous.
Yes, even I knew that was a bad sign.
No matter how you looked at it...
"That sounds like it’s going to turn into a ghost festival once night falls. Can I go home now?"
Indeed.
As Taiki-kun said, one could only imagine what kind of supernatural phenomena might occur once the sun went down.
I, too, shared his desire to go home, but...
"If you try to leave, I’ll make sure to pack up every strange box, doll, and mirror we find in those houses and have them shipped directly to you."
"Ehh?! Please, absolutely do not do that!"
Hmm, Yuki-kun is certainly capable of such a thing.
Actually, I would do the same.
After all, if a place like this appeared within my jurisdiction, I would have to resolve it as quickly as possible.
Besides, I wouldn't let useful personnel escape when there is work to be done.
"Wait? Are we allowed to take the boxes and dolls from this mysterious village home as souvenirs?"
The one asking such an outrageous question was Hairen-dono, who had somehow managed to insert herself into this conversation.
"No, you absolutely must not take anything home. Things like that are often 'cursed objects'."
"Indeed. Anything found in such old houses is likely problematic. Well, if you absolutely must take something, you should consult with me or Souta first."
"Cursed objects? What are those?"
Even when told they were "cursed objects," it seemed Hairen-dono didn't quite grasp the concept.
Well, while I know the basic definition of the term, I have never seen the real thing myself.
Regardless, I have no desire to bring such items home.
"A cursed object is an item imbued with a curse. Look, Hairen, you’ve read about them in the manga Noriko-san gave you, haven't you?"
"Oh, like the doll whose hair keeps growing? Wait, those things actually exist?!"
"No, the stories Noriko draws are actually on the milder side. Truly troublesome cursed objects—vessels of malice—can casually curse people to death. And in small settlements like this, such curses tend to concentrate."
"Ehh? Isn't that incredibly dangerous?"
"Yes, it is extremely dangerous, which is why Yuki-kun gathered us all here. My, my, my summer vacation has certainly gone up in smoke."
"Haa... so why did Luna-sama do something like that in the first place?"
At Hairen-dono’s innocent question, all eyes turned to Luna-dono, the culprit behind this mess.
"It’s not like it was decided that there *were* any curses. I did confirm that there were no spirits or ghosts present. It was truly just a deserted place, so I brought it over."
"Then it’s fine, right?"
"That’s only if that’s true. We need to conduct a proper safety inspection. After all, there are children here."
Exactly.
Whether or not we trust Luna-dono is a separate issue.
Since we are the ones who will be spending time here, we cannot afford to be ignorant of the safety of the environment.
The same goes for investigating the houses.
After all, things that might not be a problem for us could be dangerous for the children.
"There could be knives or other blades left lying around. And in the countryside, it’s not uncommon for wells to be left uncovered."
"Eh? Isn't that normal?"
"Hairen. Children who grow up in the countryside are taught from a young age about the dangers present in their daily lives. But Yuki-kun’s children are not like that. That is why we must check for dangerous items and either remove them or restrict access. Children are surprisingly active and resourceful, you know? You understand, don't you?"
"Ah, that’s true. If you don't tell them properly, kids can do some pretty miraculous things. Yeah, that is dangerous."
Only after Souta-dono explained it in such detail did Hairen-dono finally seem to understand.
Well, in a sense, children doing the unexpected is part of being a child.
However, as adults, we cannot simply leave such things to chance.
Especially when lives are at stake.
"Come to think of it, Yuki-kun, have you told your wives and children about this settlement?"
"Ah, I’ve already told Seraria and the others, but if you tell the children not to go, they’ll only want to go more, right? So for now, I’ve told them the area is 'under construction,' and I’ve asked Kirika to monitor the entire perimeter."
"Yes. Since it is 'under construction,' I have assigned my subordinates to guard the area, so I believe it is secure. Furthermore, I am checking the Call Map, so there is no chance of us losing track of the children’s movements."
Indeed, within this dungeon, human movement can be monitored.
If we go that far, there shouldn't be any immediate problems.
But what concerns me is...
"And, are Kirika-kun’s subordinates going to be alright?"
"Yes? What do you mean by that? Investigating a mountain of this size shouldn't be a problem at all."
Kirika-kun tilted her head, clearly not understanding the intent behind my words.
However, Yuki-kun seemed to realize...
"Ah, being in the mountains increases the probability of encountering supernatural phenomena. Especially at night."
"Exactly. So, can your subordinates handle such encounters without issue?"
"Er, in truth, we have no experience with 'supernatural phenomena,' so I cannot say for certain. However, we are Dullahan Assassins, so perhaps such entities will view us as colleagues?"
"Well, that is a possibility. But regardless, the encounter rate for supernatural phenomena in the mountains is high, so it might be better to increase the frequency of your status reports."
"Understood. In that case, instead of the usual 30-minute intervals, I will set them to every 20 minutes."
"That would be for the best."