Chapter 145.1. Tir na nOg
At the reception counter on the reception floor, there's a cute little globe placed, and the counter has embedded monitors. They're dark and not in use though.
Several corridors branch out, with signage posted at the ends. There are placards-like things on the ceiling.
[Welcome to Tir na nOg?!]
Is written in cute round letters, but amidst the broken turret clusters and the deserted floor, a sense of desolation creeps in.
So, this is where Shizuku and the others lived, huh? If they've advanced into space, this must not be my world. Not the future either. No, if dungeons hadn't appeared, would the future have changed?
While we walked silently ahead, checking the situation, I found myself lost in thought. This is a B-rank dungeon, or perhaps even more dangerous. We have to move forward while also sensing traps.
Even as I think, just as I'm about to proceed along the cleared path—
[Wasn't it ultimately Nadja who wrote this sign?]
Then I heard the voice of an old man. As Yukihana and Mike prepare for combat, under the placard hung from the ceiling, an old man and a large group of girls appear semi-transparent.
[Yeah. They said my writing lacked charm and was too rigid. So, Silky wrote it.]
An albino girl, looking somewhat familiar, says grumpily, while a small, unfamiliar girl beside her puffs out her chest.
[...Huh. I'm a bundle of charm, you know.]
[I, too, could write charming letters!]
Another black-haired beauty, also familiar, pouts as she speaks her mind.
[...The content Pixie wrote was 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter this land.']
[Well, that's no good.]
[You really need to tone down the chuunibyou.]
[They're incorrigible.]
[Hehe.]
The translucent old man and girls laugh and then disappear.
[That was... when I wrote the Tir na nOg sign... was that a memory? I couldn't write it.]
"Ah... Was it a memory of the good times?"
The two are surprised at the sight just now. Yeah, it did seem like that, huh? And Shizuku's name is Pixie? Well, whatever.
"It's irrelevant information. Let's move forward."
A prank event, seriously? Totally unnecessary.
"Isn't that a bit cold, sir?"
Yuki gives off a tense atmosphere, directing accusatory glances, but I don't think so.
"If you want to know about past happy memories, ask the person themselves. This is voyeuristic, and I'm only interested in Selica and Shizuku in the present. It's a waste of time."
Those who live in a ruined city are only interested in the present and the future, not the past. For me now, it's Selica and Shizuku. I have no interest in old names.
"Hmm... I see. I suppose so."
[That's hardcore, Sakimori-san. I'm falling for you all over again. My husband is so cool.]
Yuki smiles wryly, easing the tension, while Shizuku looks delighted, her cheeks flushed, her hands against her cheeks.
"Let's go then."
[Shadow Figure]
Enveloped in shadow, I become a masked, hooded figure in black.
"Tell me. Where do you think Serika might be?"
[I think it's on the lower floors of the station, in the research sector. Probably where those Hon'yarara machines were... Huh?]
"Can't you say Hon'yarara? Hm, it's a taboo, isn't it?"
Puzzled, Shizuku follows up for clarification. It's a taboo, huh?
"Lead the way."
With a serious gaze, I ask, and Shizuku nods.
[This is like my backyard. It'll take about two hours at the shortest. If we enter Serika-chan's room or the production floor, the flashback scene from earlier might start again.]
"Not needed."
[Understood. Let's skip-skip-run-run!]
Smiling playfully, Shizuku points to a corridor, and we follow her guidance.
The corridors are defended only by turrets and more turrets. Well, yeah, they wouldn't have strong defenses in the residential area. Usually, defenses are reinforced before entering the residential area.
My circus troupe destroys turrets like bonus stages. I'd like to turn this into a hunting ground if they respawn. But it's probably not possible.
[I don't know why Serika made the dungeon.]
[Well, it's probably a byproduct. She must have failed at something.]
As Shizuku gathers cores from the scraps of turrets scattered in the corridors, she squints at Shizuku's words.
[Well, most of the things she makes break quickly. She had a lot of failures, indeed.]
Nodding along, Shizuku says they break quickly, but I can't help but find her statement extremely suspicious.
[That's just how crafting goes. Those who succeed 100% probably lack the spirit of challenge.]
As I collect cores, I join in the conversation. The corridors are dull silver, with dark panels on the sides of the doors, which seem to be automatic doors but don't respond.
For nearly an hour, apart from turrets, there were no traps or anything else, making it as boring as taking a stroll.
"It's easy because there are only turrets, but it's too easy. It's not a dungeon, it's more like a model of the past using dungeon systems. Don't you think? Ultimately, it's just a residential area."
"I was cautious, thinking it was a dungeon, but if I consider it a residential area, then there's no problem."
"... Just this far?"
As we try to open the doors along the corridor but fail, thinking that Selica doesn't know what's inside the rooms, I slump my shoulders in disappointment, and then Shizuku says something strange.
"Just up ahead is the research sector. We deployed prototype types here unnecessarily."
With a cheerful expression, Shizuku informs us of the information far too late. It's too much of a surprise. She must be assuming we'll win.
No comments:
Post a Comment