落とし穴番外：夏の夜 (Part2)
"I understand your concern, but since Souta and the others say it doesn't feel malevolent, perhaps it isn't a problem?"
"Maybe so. Still, we’ll be clearing out the remaining belongings from the houses in that settlement soon. Even if we leave the altars and such to Souta’s group, I’m hesitant to touch that doll without knowing exactly what it is."
Indeed, there are cases where objects of worship can bring harm if not handled through the proper, prescribed rituals.
"Does that mean even Souta and his team don't know?"
"Haha, well, even they aren't privy to the specific religious customs unique to a settlement like that."
"Exactly. Besides, I don't sense any significant prayer lingering on it, so I suspect the practice has become an empty shell. Regardless, there’s a shrine there; I plan to investigate it tomorrow and proceed according to whatever texts we might find."
And so, it was settled that Souta and his companions would look into the doll starting tomorrow. In the meantime, our task was to continue clearing out the other houses.
"Come to think of it, speaking of the shrine, Hairen went along with you, didn't she?"
"Yeah. She has a sharp intuition for those sorts of things. Besides, Hifie isn't exactly comfortable with that kind of business."
"Haha. I’m sorry; it seems she developed a phobia after a test of courage we did back in the day."
"No, Taizo, you don't need to apologize. We were the ones who dragged you into it in the first place. More importantly, I want to confirm that Hairen went with you, and then I want to know why she isn't here right now."
"..."
At that, we all scanned the living room, and sure enough, Hairen was nowhere to be found.
"Wait, is Hairen in the restroom?"
I turned to Souta, Hairen’s guardian, for confirmation, but...
"No, now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing her in the house... Enol?"
"Hm? I wouldn't know. I’ve been busy enjoying the summer leisure. Though, I do know she returned at one point; she was playing with Kagura and the others."
With that, we shifted our gaze to Kagura’s group.
"Wait—Mikos, Enola. Where’s Kagura?"
"Eh? Oh? Is Kagura missing?"
"Ah, she was invited by Lady Hairen—it must have been about twenty minutes ago? They went out. Come to think of it, that’s a long time for a bathroom break. Did she leave something behind at the beach?"
Hearing Enola’s words, we didn't waste time pondering; we immediately opened our communication interface.
"Kirika."
"Present. I have just locked onto her position. It appears she is heading toward the settlement."
"Seriously? And why couldn't you track her until now?"
We stood up, ready to move, demanding to know why Kirika and her subordinates hadn't noticed sooner.
"My apologies. Before I knew it..."
"Is it possible she’s being beckoned by something? Regardless, send your subordinates to escort her."
"Understood."
"I’m going with Souta and Mizu. Taiki, Taizo, what will you do?"
"Well, that depends on Taizo, doesn't it? One of us should go, and the other should stay behind to keep watch, right?"
"That’s true. Alright, I’ll stay. Taiki, you go with Yuki."
"Understood."
"Right, let’s move. Seraria and the others, stay on standby. Double-check that all the children are accounted for."
"Yes, understood. I just hope nothing happens."
"Tell me about it."
With that, we bolted out of the cottage into the night, sprinting in the opposite direction of the beach—straight toward the settlement.
We brought along high-intensity lanterns, the kind that rival the brightness of car headlights—12,000 lumens apiece. We were also well-prepared with magical light sources, so we weren't about to let any supernatural phenomena obscure our vision.
"Still, why is it that summer nights always seem to invite trouble?"
"Well, it is summer vacation. The night is when the real show begins."
"Haha. Indeed. It’s the true thrill of summer."
"Um, everyone? What exactly is so amusing about this?"
Ignoring Kirika’s tilted head, we ran through the summer night, grumbling and smiling all the same. After all, summer is a season that truly comes alive only after the sun goes down.