Chapter 129
(´・ω・｀) Sorry to keep you waiting… Part Two begins.
TLN: Hey guys, Reigokai here!
I am back! For those not in the know, I took a somewhat long break because I married. Finally fulfilled my dream to go to Japan! Best month ever.
Anyways, I am back and kicking. Happy belated Christmas to you all!
—————–
The light fully subsided.
Standing there was, unmistakably, one of my own characters… Shire.
Her rose-pink eyes glimmered beautifully in the sunlight.
Her hair, catching the slightly reddish rays of dusk, shone as if silver had melted into crimson.
There was no doubt. Shire stood there, saying nothing, her expression motionless. “Shire! Huh!? But Seimu is here too! What’s going on!?” (Melt)
“Shire, can you hear us?” (Shizuma)
She didn’t move at all. Like a doll… No, more like an NPC.
…Could it be that this feature really only lets me summon them as NPCs…to perform actions like [Gathering], [Gatekeeping], or other [Production] tasks?
“Shire? Hey, Shire…! Seimu, what do we do? Something’s wrong with Shire.” (Melt)
“Y-Yeah…” (Shizuma)
From the menu screen, I selected the [Gathering] option.
At that moment, Shire briskly began walking and disappeared into the nearby forest.
“Ah! Shire, where are you going!?” (Melt)
“Let’s follow her, Melt.” (Shizuma)
She probably went out to gather materials for real.
Normally, in the game, you’d specify a gathering location and she’d return with random crafting materials depending on the area…but here, does she just gather from nearby places?
—————–
“…Shire’s picking mushrooms… and she’s even choosing edible ones.” (Melt)
“Hmm… So Shire investigated this world’s plants to some degree, huh…” (Shizuma)
“Hey hey, what does this mean?” (Melt)
“Right now, Shire’s probably…soulless. She can only carry out simple commands. Her soul is still dwelling inside me. What I summoned was just her form, a body that can follow basic instructions… That’s the new ability that awakened when I tinkered with the core earlier.” (Shizuma)
“I see… I guess that’s a little sad. I wanted to chat with Shire.” (Melt)
“Haha… yeah, me too.” (Shizuma)
Even if I take Shire’s form now, her personality won’t appear anymore.
But Hash, could manifest somewhat even if not completely. And Still could fully bring his own personality out.
So maybe…Shire could too, if she wanted to?
No… that’s not it. She’s fundamentally a different person.
Now that our souls have merged, she probably can’t push aside my own personality anymore.
Still could appear at the front because his personality existed as part of mine, merged yet distinct…and he had an extremely strong will from the start.
Shire, on the other hand, had her own separate soul, which allowed her to take control of the body to some degree.
But now that she’s fused with me, she can’t move freely like before. And since her core self is different from mine, she probably doesn’t have enough strength to push my personality out of the way.
…Besides, she was the one who wished to fuse her soul with mine and live together with the others.
It would feel wrong to force her out just because of my selfishness.
But if her consciousness could inhabit this body that’s been summoned outside…maybe we could be together without her feeling lonely.
Me, Melt, and Shire. If the three of us could always stay together… That’d be nice.
“It’s getting dark. Let’s sleep inside the bus tonight.” (Shizuma)
“Yeah, you’re right. Oh… it’ll be more comfortable than a tent, huh?” (Melt)
“Can’t use it in places where people might see us, though.” (Shizuma)
“I see… wait, no! If I use my magic to surround us with dirt, it’ll just look like a small hill! I’m a genius!” (Melt)
“I see… Then burying it in the ground would make it less noticeable. Like when we took a bath.” (Shizuma)
“…You’re actually smarter than me, Seimu…” (Melt)
Sorry about that.
“Hey hey, can I sleep together with Shire?” (Melt)
Melt held Shire’s unresponsive hand, leading her toward me as she asked that.
Hmm…as long as it’s safe, that’s fine, but right now Shire is a living being, even if unresponsive.
We don’t know how much she can act on her own… In other words, we don’t know what she might do.
“Well… I don’t know how much she can move. If she can’t move when she’s uncomfortable, can’t fall asleep on her own, or can’t go to the bathroom by herself…it’d be a problem. Until we understand that, let’s send her back for tonight, okay?” (Shizuma)
“Okay… I wonder if there’s any way to make Shire become Shire again…” (Melt)
“Yeah…” (Shizuma)
I sent Shire back, feeling a little sorry for Melt’s disappointment.
Sure enough, the display returned to [Orderable Characters: 0/1].
I really need to figure out why the limit is just one…
For now, I summoned the bus and decided to sleep inside it tonight.
“Hey, hey…it’s not gonna suddenly go Vroooom! and start moving in the middle of the night, right…?” (Melt)
“Haha, don’t worry. It won’t move on its own.” (Shizuma)
Hmm… Can I use the air conditioning without turning the engine on?
I do have blankets, but having heating would make things much comfier.
Wait…do I need gas for that? Or was that just for the A/C? I don’t really know…
“Huh? But the lights work fine even without the engine.” (Shizuma)
“Whoa! It’s glowing! Such bright illumination magic tools for something so small!” (Melt)
“They’re not magic tools… They run on a different kind of energy.” (Shizuma)
“Wow! The world Shizuma lived in is amazing!” (Melt)
From my point of view, magic is the amazing one here though.
Hmm…the battery will probably die eventually.
“Oh? Hey, Shizuma, there’s something under the seat.” (Melt)
At that moment, Melt, who was lying down in the back seat under a blanket, pulled out a white plastic bag.
Guess someone forgot it. Probably a leftover from a convenience store stop during a trip.
It even had that nostalgic convenience store logo printed on it.
“Melt, the stuff inside’s probably gone bad, so throw it out, okay?” (Shizuma)
If there were rice balls or fried snacks in there… I don’t even want to imagine what’s inside now…!
“Huh? Throw it out? But…it smells kinda good. What a waste!” (Melt)
“Huh? That can’t be…” (Shizuma)
Melt handed me the plastic bag.
When I took it, I could actually smell fried chicken… Freshly made, aromatic karaage.
Not only that, but when I touched it…it was still faintly warm.
“How…!? That’s impossible…!” (Shizuma)
Suddenly, I grabbed my backpack and pulled out the unopened sports drink I stored inside.
“It’s cold…but that’s probably because we’ve been in a winter forest…” (Shizuma)
But what if that wasn’t it?
Right before we got summoned into this world with the bus, we stopped by a convenience store.
If the drink was still at the same temperature as when we bought it…then this still warm karaage might be for the same reason.
“…Aahm.” (Shizuma)
I took a bite, bracing myself.
It was still crispy, warm, and juicy…as if freshly made.
In other words…it hadn’t been long since it was cooked.
“Ah! You ate it! I was the one who found it!” (Melt)
“S-Sorry… I just had to check something…” (Shizuma)
“Then I’ll help you check too!” (Melt)
Melt snatched a piece of karaage and popped it into her mouth.
“Delicious! It’s like the Dajipai, but bite-sized!” (Melt)
“Y-Yeah… Right.” (Shizuma)
What’s going on…?
I know items in the item box are frozen in time.
But this bus had been left sitting in the forest all this time… it shouldn’t be related.
“The list of mysteries keeps getting longer… Alright, enough for today. Time to sleep!” (Shizuma)
“Wahaha!” (Melt)
“Melt, just in case, don’t eat any more, okay? Let’s sleep.” (Shizuma)
“Hngh… Okay. Thanks for the meal.” (Melt)
She handed me the now-empty karaage container.
…Too late!
“Good night, Seimu.” (Melt)
“Yeah, good night, Melt.” (Shizuma)
I turned off the light and closed my eyes.
It was a little chilly, but I wrapped myself tightly in the blanket and let my consciousness fade…
—————–
I’ve learned by now. This sensation means I’m dreaming…and not. My mental world.
I opened my eyes. I wasn’t inside the bus… I was in that same dark world with the round table I’d seen before.
When I met Still, it was just a void of darkness. What’s the difference this time?
Was I summoned by Shire again? I looked around.
But there was no one…just the empty round table.
Who brought me here, then?
“…The number of chairs matches the number of characters.” (Shizuma)
I sat down in the one chair that was slightly different from the others.
I instinctively knew it was the head seat… My seat.
“Yo, finally we can talk directly, Shizuma.”
“…!?”
A sudden voice came from beside me.
Startled, I turned to see a familiar figure…Shilent.
“Shilent!? You’re the one who called me this time?” (Shizuma)
“No, not me. Us.” (Shilent)
The moment I questioned his words, the seats around the table filled one by one…as if everyone had been sitting there all along.
Shilent, Lent, Shire, Seimu, Seira, Hash, and…Still.
The seats filled gradually…and I immediately understood why.
It was in the order they were created. And also… the ones I used in this world.
…Wait, then why is Lent here?
Lent was only briefly summoned on the first day… I saw her just once before sending her back.
“Ah! I know what you’re thinking! You’re wondering why I’m here, right!? That’s what I’d like to know too!” (Lent)
“Uh…why are you mad, Lent?” (Shizuma)
“…Put your hand on your chest and think really hard.” (Lent)
“…I’m sorry for making you, dressing you up, and then abandoning you…” (Shizuma)
“Good. You’ve learned.” (Lent)
I…I’m so sorry, neglected second character-san…
“Back to the point, Shizuma.” (Shilent)
Shilent’s voice turned serious, shifting the atmosphere.
“This is about the new power you’ve acquired. We can sense big changes happening in your mind. The impact of this Housing Function Restriction Lift reached even us. We thought it best to discuss it together.” (Shilent)
“I see… It’s kind of refreshing, talking to all of you like this. Doesn’t feel like a first meeting though.” (Shizuma)
It felt oddly familiar… like a family reunion.
“We’ve always been together. We’re one and the same, always by your side.” (Seira)
“Indeed. We are like a symphony, with you as the main melody. Ever beside you, we perform life together.” (Hash)
Seira and Hash smiled warmly as they spoke.
Also, wow, Hash’s personality really stands out when you see him like this.
“Anyway, Shire summarized our thoughts. Go ahead, tell him.” (Shilent)
“Understood. Shizuma, you were summoning me earlier, correct?” (Shire)
“Ah, yes.” (Shizuma)
Shire spoke with a serious expression.
“During that time, it seems my consciousness had completely vanished from this place. However, the others could still observe your emotions here as usual. That means I must have been residing within the summoned body. Yet I have no memory of it…and you felt no presence or awareness from me either, correct?” (Shire)
“That’s right. She only followed basic commands like nearby gathering. She’d follow if I called her, but that’s all.” (Shizuma)
“I see. And one more thing…the fact that only one person can receive orders at a time. I suspect it may be linked to the number of Dungeon Cores you possess. Since this ability was unlocked by using a core properly, the two might be related.” (Shire)
“Hmm… I do have those oddly-grown cores from the artificial dungeon, and the one Still took from Isaka’s chest… but maybe those don’t count.” (Shizuma)
“Most likely not. They’re not rooted in a proper dungeon.” (Shire)
Hmm… That gives me another reason to clear more dungeons.
“By the way, the one who first pointed out that the number of cores might determine the summon limit…was him.” (Shire)
Shire sighed for some reason while directing her gaze behind me.
Huh? I turned to see who she meant…
“Uwah!”
“Fufufu, good evening, My Lord.”
Right behind me stood Still, smiling radiantly.
Scary! Too close! He’s so pretty it’s actually terrifying!
“We meet again so soon! Look, even I was able to come here…meaning I’ve been acknowledged by you! Fear, distrust of the unknown… Those who can’t come here are bound by such emotions! But I’m here, unrestrained! Ahh… My Lord Shizuma, I thank you.” (Still)
…He’s gone past scary into a little unnerving.
“So, why do you think the number of cores affects the summon limit? It does sound plausible, though.” (Shizuma)
“It’s simple. Summoning heroes from another world isn’t easy, even for a Dungeon Master. That’s why sacrifices are needed… Proof that summoning beings not of this world is extremely difficult. Even when summoning characters, they’re no different from humans, so a vessel…a substitute… is required. And that vessel, I believe, is the Dungeon Core itself; the source of immense power that makes summoning possible. That’s my deduction.” (Still)
…As crazy as he acts, he’s sharp. Seriously sharp.
“I see. You really do notice things, Still. Thanks.” (Shizuma)
“Fufu, you’re welcome. Well, I am one of your Top Three, after all. This much is nothing for me.” (Still)
Still proudly puffed himself up, and the others gave him the sourest looks imaginable.
…Do they not get along, or is this just how he is?
“Anyway, there’s someone else who wants to speak with you. Please, hear her out.” (Still)
“Huh?” (Shizuma)
He gestured toward one of the seats.
There sat Lent, fidgeting as if struggling to find the right words.
Now what could this be about…?
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