落とし穴外伝：夏の夜の夢 (Part1)
Dungeon Pit Side Story: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Side: Aslin
Today is a delightful summer festival.
Better yet, it’s a small, intimate affair limited to family and acquaintances, meaning we don’t have to fret over security or any of that tedious business.
We’re enjoying ourselves to the fullest.
We buy delicious treats and toys, then dash back to the mansion to drop them off.
We could just shove everything into our Item Boxes, but there’s a certain charm in the routine: fill both hands, sprint home, and run right back for more.
After all…
“It’s fun! You can just zoom right down the path!”
“I’m not sure about the running part, but I can see why you’d call this fun.”
“Haha, though I’m afraid our yukatas are going to get all disheveled.”
Yeah, when you’re sprinting down an empty country road, the whole area starts to feel like one giant playground. Even Shera-chan, despite her wry smile, is running right alongside us.
“Well, why not? Just for today.”
“Dressa-chan is surprisingly having a good time, too.”
“That’s because Dre-onee is…”
Dressa-chan, Viria-chan, and Hiiro are all running with us. Everyone feels so carefree today, determined to soak up every second of this joyous time.
After what must have been our umpteenth trip home to drop off our spoils at the banquet hall, I noticed Yuki-oniichan and the Emperor of Eupia gathered together, deep in conversation.
Curious, I wandered over to see what they were up to, and noticed they were holding some kind of doll.
“…and that is how it came to be.”
“I see. So, this doll…”
In Yuki-oniichan’s hands sat a tattered, yet clearly cherished, little doll.
“What’s wrong?”
“What happened?”
Firia-chan and I chimed in, joining the circle. Something about the doll had captured our attention completely.
“Hm? Oh, Aslin and the others. Well, someone handed me this doll at the festival. I thought it might be a surprise from Yuki-dono and his group, but it seems that isn’t the case.”
“We hadn’t planned anything like that. Do you two have any idea what this is?”
Yuki-oniichan held the doll out toward us.
“Emperor of Eupia, may I take a look?”
“Indeed. Handle it with care.”
“I will.”
I took the doll and examined it. It was obvious how much it had been loved; it was covered in signs of countless repairs. That alone spoke volumes.
“Still, Show-onee and I both have a vague recollection of this doll.”
“Yes. I wonder why?”
As the two of them pondered, it suddenly clicked for me. In that case…
“Let’s ask Senal-oneechan.”
“That’s a great idea!”
“““Pardon?”””
Only Firia-chan caught on immediately; the others looked completely lost. I explained that since Senal-oneechan was the goddess from the Emperor of Eupia’s lands, she might be familiar with such things. They were convinced, and since Senal-oneechan was attending the festival, she arrived quickly. When we showed her the doll, she said:
“Oh, how nostalgic. This is a doll for children from the Western regions. It’s quite old, though.”
“The West? Is that the land we used to govern?”
“That’s right. To put it bluntly, the East had plenty of supplies coming from the dungeons, so the quality of goods in circulation was surprisingly good. But the West—the areas closer to Haiden…”
“They didn’t have the blessings of the dungeon, so the craftsmanship was crude?”
“Exactly. Plus, this is a style of doll unique to the West. It’s stuffed with straw, isn’t it? It’s wrapped in cloth with a human face drawn on it, but the style is very distinctive. Wait a moment…”
With that, Senal-oneechan pulled out a map of the Zurabl region and circled a spot.
“The dye used on this doll is a rare type. You can only find it in this specific area. Look, see how it glitters when you change the angle? It looks like glitter, but it’s actually the ore used in the dye reflecting the light—wait, what’s wrong!?”
Before Senal-oneechan could finish, the Emperor of Eupia snatched the doll and bolted outside. Show-onee and the others were stunned, but Firia-chan and I gave chase immediately.
Mid-sprint, Yuki-oniichan’s voice came through a communication spell.
『Most likely, whoever handed that over is an acquaintance of Eupia.』
“Yeah, I think so too. You wouldn’t just give away a doll you cherished that much.”
“That’s right. It’s a precious thing.”
『If she follows it, or if it looks like she’s being led away, hold her back.』
“Of course. She’s our friend, right?”
“That’s right! The Emperor of Eupia is our friend!”
We kept running, tracking Eupia-chan.
“Um, I’m lost. What is actually going on?”
“Yes. Please explain.”
Labyris-chan and Shera-chan, who were chasing from behind, didn’t seem to know who had given her the doll, so I told them:
“It’s definitely a relative or a friend of the Emperor of Eupia.”
“That’s right. Today is Obon. They’ve returned from the other side.”
““Hah!?””
It’s that kind of day, after all. Just as I thought there was no more to explain, a message came through.
『Aslin-sama, Firia-sama, Labyris-sama, Shera-sama, I have intercepted the Emperor of Eupia here. She is heading toward the back of the shrine, following a certain spirit. I am the one who orchestrated this.』
It was Suzuhiko-hime.
“What? Suzuhiko-hime caused this situation? You know what her status is, don’t you?”
“Yes, exactly. This could turn into an international incident. What will you do if she comes to harm from that spirit!”
『No. This turmoil was caused by the Emperor herself. She heard about the nature of the summer festival from Tang-er, and this is what welled up from within her. This is something we must not interfere with. If she is swallowed by it, then that is simply her fate.』
“What kind of nonsense is that! The Emperor is in danger, and you tell us not to interfere!”
Show-onee had caught up at some point and was shouting in anger.
『It is what the Great Emperor desired. She herself realizes the true identity of the other party, does she not?』
“…”
『Silence is your answer. If you interfere recklessly, your future relationship will not go well. Above all, you must have faith. You are the one who decided to place her at the top. Or rather, you are the one who installed her there.』
“……Guh.”
Hearing Suzuhiko-hime’s words, Show-onee seemed unable to retort. So, we stepped in.
“It’s okay. Eupia-chan wouldn’t do anything reckless.”
“Show-onee-sama should know that too.”
When we said it so clearly, Show-onee’s eyes went wide with surprise, before she broke into a smile.
“You’re right. I must have faith. Above all, the Emperor is not weak.”
Show-onee’s face was now free of anxiety and doubt.
“……Um, is it normal to have a conversation like this while running?”
“I suppose we have Yuki-san to thank for training us…… Oh, I see her. There are still people around, so please slow down so we don’t bump into anyone. Even if we don’t hit them, kicking up dust is a nuisance, so let’s stop.”
At Shera-chan’s suggestion, we slowed to a walk and entered the shrine grounds, which were bustling with the festival.
“Nom, nom…… Hm? Aslin, what are you guys doing?”
“So good, so good. Apple candy is the best. Wait, really?”
“N-no, I, I think they just came back to buy more, right? Right?”
Cleena-oneechan, Hivia-oneechan, and Narjia-oneechan, who were still shopping, called out to us. I wondered if I should explain, but when I looked at Labyris-chan and Shera-chan, they caught on immediately.
“Just as Narjia said. Also, have you seen the Emperor of Eupia?”
“Hm? She ran toward the back. There was a curry stall there.”
“Curry is mysterious, isn’t it? Just the smell draws you in.”
“……I see. Thank you.”
Hmm, is Eupia-chan known for liking curry that much?…… I wonder if that’s a good thing?
Shera-chan wore a complicated expression as she thanked them, and we continued walking toward the back.