第１２４５堀：様子はどうですか？ (Part2)
"Are there any particular complaints?"
"No, quite the opposite. She’s been gleefully devouring every scrap of Earth-related material she can get her hands on."
"Honestly, I think it’s about time we started talking to her properly, just like we do with Narjia and Wazfi."
"That would be pushing it, wouldn't it? For starters, Hivia’s own existence hasn't exactly stabilized yet."
Indeed, Hivia was a ghost born of this world, and there was no telling when she might simply flicker out of existence. Unless we could secure her foundation, we couldn't afford to be reckless. If we weren't careful, she might just pass on to the afterlife simply from exerting herself too much. Ghosts had a habit of vanishing the moment they found a shred of peace or purpose.
"Shouldn't you consult Luna-san about that?"
"True. It’s impossible to fully unravel the nature of a ghost like Hivia on our own. Relying on Luna is a valid option."
"I understand what you’re saying. It’s a last resort, but we need to conduct as much investigation as we can before we go down that road."
"I get that, but if we can solve the mystery of Hivia’s existence, it’ll help us deal with other ghosts we might encounter later."
"But still. Wouldn't that require Hivia’s cooperation in the first place? Forcing her into that might just make her even more unstable."
"Right. That’s why I want to hear everyone’s opinions and think this through. Noriko came to me today asking what we were going to do. I suspect she has some thoughts on the matter."
"Noriko, huh? It might sound dismissive to say they’re just drawing manga together, but that really is the extent of it."
"No, drawing manga is grueling labor. I imagine she caught a glimpse of Hivia’s true feelings during those sessions."
"Fair point. In that case, I was thinking of meeting with Taizo-san and Sota-san first."
I scanned the area, but the two were nowhere to be found.
"Do you know where they went?"
"Hm? Come to think of it, didn't they say they were going for a smoke?"
"Ah, that’s right. Smoking isn't allowed here, is it?"
"Got it. I’ll check the smoking area."
With that, I headed toward the courtyard where the designated smoking area was located. Tobacco existed in this world, and the Academy had its own smoking area from the start. Taizo-san and Sota-san, both smokers, made the trek there to indulge, though they mostly stuck to supplies imported from Japan. Occasionally, however, they would sample the local cigars.
Incidentally, while it’s often said that smoking leads to lung cancer, the mechanisms behind the disease had been thoroughly demystified by Rurua, Lilishe, Hifie, and Hairen. Through their human experiments—or rather, clinical trials—they had successfully mastered a cure. In this world, cancer treatment was actually more advanced than on Earth. Metastasis could also be completely suppressed; the only lingering issue was the recovery of diminished lung function. That, unfortunately, was something the individuals had to train for themselves. Since it stemmed from a decline in gas exchange efficiency, it was a different beast entirely from simple healing.
Still, I felt I could see the path toward a recovery theory. If we could restore the lungs to a peak, conditioned state, we could apply that to others, eliminating the need for traditional rehabilitation.
Lost in these thoughts, I reached the courtyard. Students and teachers alike were scattered about, enjoying a moment of respite. As I scanned the crowd, a voice called out.
"Hey, Yuki-kun."
"Over here."
I turned to see Taizo-san and Sota-san lounging on a bench, enjoying their break.
"Sorry, I’ve been looking for you."
"Hm? Did something go wrong?"
"There haven't been any emergency notifications, have there?"
They checked their call screens at my words. They were such earnest men.
"No, nothing urgent. It’s about Hivia."
"Ah, I see."
"There’s no sense in rushing things when it comes to her."
"Agreed. But Noriko contacted me, asking how much longer we intend to leave her like this."
"From her, of all people?"
"We can't ignore advice coming from a fellow ghost."
"Exactly. That’s why, before doing anything, I wanted the opinions of the two of you, since you’re the ones observing her daily."
"I understand. This isn't the place for such a conversation, and we were just about to finish our break anyway. Sota-san, are you ready?"
"Yes, that’s fine."
They extinguished their cigarettes and rose from the bench. I couldn't help but wonder—was it just my imagination, or was the trust I felt in these two far greater than what I felt for the goddesses themselves?