Vol 1 Chapter 19 (2/2)
After hearing everything, Fujimori faced the steering wheel and let out a large sigh.
“…My comrades and I also got caught up in a lot of trouble and scandals during our investigations back in our time, but what you guys went through is even worse than any of that.”
“Eh?”
“That’s right. To sum it up, this is a huge incident that could shake the entire Earth.”
Kamikoma also nodded in agreement.
“Things are going to turn into a big, chaotic mess after this.”
“H-Haa…” Homura vaguely responded with a shrug.
“Is that so?”
Ameno, who didn’t seem to quite get it like Homura, was currently making an enquiry to the police about the details of the missing child incident after learning the girl’s name from Homura.
Kamikoma crossed her arms and spoke.
“Since there’ll be a need to bring back Touya and that missing child with us when we return to Earth… we’re only going to be able to send three people to Nutella.”
“O-Only three? But doesn’t Hiyos.h.i.+zaka’s Exploration Club have a lot of members—?”
“Sorry, that’s the limit with the amount of magic energy we currently have charged in our Transport Rings. We could bring one more person if we wait another three days, but we don’t have that kind of time.”
After being told that, Homura could only nod meekly in response.
If they waited three days here on Earth, eighteen days would pa.s.s on Nutella in the meantime.
“Only three, huh? That’ll make things quite hard… I’ll leave the selection of members to you, Koma,” Fujimori declared.
“Yep. I’ll discuss it with our club’s advisor.”
Fujimori nodded in agreement.
They entered the metropolitan area of Honmachi.
When they arrived at Hiyos.h.i.+zaka High while gazing sidelong at the relatively small school grounds made of urethane rubber pavement, an eight-seater single-box car had already arrived at the school parking lot.
“Koma-senpai, that car belongs to Professor Tanakura, your club advisor—?”
“Yep.”
Suddenly, a giant man big enough to fill three seats by himself got out from the back seat of the temporarily parked single-box car. He was so huge that, the instant he got off, the car trembled from the release of his great weight.
“Huge… so huge!”
When Homura and the others left their car and went to face him, Homura couldn’t help speaking out rudely in awe.
The man had a stern gaze that looked at them from half-lidded eyes. His s.h.a.ggy sideburns gave him a wild image.
If Homura had met him alone on the sidewalk in the middle of the night, she might have burst into tears.
“This is our club’s vice-president, Taga Taichi. He’s a second-year student.”
The man called Taichi bowed his head slightly.
Facing this giant who stood looming amidst the parking lot at night, Homura managed to greet him despite being taken aback.
“N-Nice to meet you. Umm, I’m Hinooka Homura.”
“Ussu,” Taichi replied in acknowledgement.
Compared to his powerful appearance, his quiet and docile expression made quite an impression.
“Chiayu—”
“Kyah!”
Fujimori-sensei jumped with a start when she heard her name called.
Someone in a white doctor’s coat appeared from the driver’s seat of the other car.
It was Professor Tanakura, a man with a slightly small and plump build.
He walked over to the rest of them, looking worried.
“So Touya-kun’s the one who was stranded?”
“Y-Yeah—but the situation is quite complicated.”
“All right. I’ll listen to the details in the clubroom. I should call over the other club members as well.”
“Thanks.”
Still wearing her driving gla.s.ses, Fujimori hesitantly nodded and pointlessly readjusted her gla.s.ses.
Though this should have been Homura’s first time meeting him, she felt like she remembered him from somewhere, and sure enough, he was one of the people within the photo on Fujimori-sensei’s desk.
“Misasagi-kun. And Hinooka-kun. Good job returning safe and sound.”
“N-No, I wasn’t able to do anything on my own.”
She was no match for these people, who had responded to this sudden call to meet late at night without any indication of displeasure. Their virtuousness pierced her heart.
The group of seven people composed of Exploration club members from two different schools walked through the school entrance and headed towards the Exploration Club building within the school grounds.
This was Homura’s first time visiting Hiyos.h.i.+zaka High. She really wished that she could have come here to play at a more peaceful time.
“I have to contact Touya’s parents.”
“Yeah. And I have to report to head of the local branch.”
As they walked through the school corridor, Fujimori murmured with a bitter expression and Tanakura nodded in agreement.
“Back in our days, such rules and procedures were often ignored, though. And now we’re the ones who see off the young ones,” Tanakura remarked ruefully.
Ignoring the conversation between the teachers, Kamikoma looked back at Homura and Misasagi.
“Go use the showers here, you two.”
“Eh? But we don’t have that kind of leisure—”
“You’re both covered in mud and a complete mess, you know? I say this as someone who was stuck between you two in the car.”
When it was put so frankly, Homura finally grew conscious of her terrible state and became embarra.s.sed.
Hearing that, Tanakura turned to look at them, particularly the bandages around Misasagi’s abdomen, and asked a question.
“Misasagi-kun, did you receive that external wound on Nutella?”
“That’s right, she’s been acting so composed that I forgot about it,” Kamikoma said in realization.
“She can really be a handful that way, geez.”
Fujimori came to a stop at a fork in the corridor which faced the courtyard, and pointed one way while she walked over to escort senpai down the other corridor.
“You all go ahead to the club building. There should be a shower room there.”
Suddenly, Ameno stepped forward and clung to senpai.
“Ah, I’ll escort her, Chiayu-san,” Ameno suggested.
“I see… Then I’ll leave it to you. Misasagi, come over once you’ve finished being treated.”
“…Yes.”
Nodding, senpai headed to the infirmary in the company of Ameno and Tanakura-sensei.
Homura watched senpai leave, feeling lonely as she did so.
Of course, Misasagi-senpai wasn’t really composed at all. She just hadn’t said anything on the way here.
The other group resumed heading towards the club building.
“Sensei, Mayo is—”
Kamikoma peeked over at Fujimori, who still wore a bitter expression.
“…Is senpai going to be okay?”
Homura asked that question to no one in particular as they arrived at the club building of Hiyos.h.i.+zaka’s Exploration Club, which had been boldly remodelled from ordinary cla.s.srooms. She forgot to even observe Hiyos.h.i.+zaka’s club building, which she was seeing for the first time.
Fujimori, who would normally crack a friendly joke at a time like this, remained silent.
“……”
Kamikoma sat down on an office chair in the standby room and spun the seat around. The giant Taga stood silently behind her like a bodyguard. They were truly a mismatched club president and vice-president.
“…This isn’t the first time that Misasagi has experienced an accident involving an emergency withdrawal.”
Kamikoma began speaking bit by bit.
“It happened during the autumn of last year. Inari was still around back then. They were investigating a certain set of ruins, but Mayo was too absorbed in it. She was impatient to make an achievement and misjudged when to pull out. Back then, the ones who were left behind on Nutella were Mayo and Inari.”
“……”
Fujimori remained silent as she listened.
“Inari had a precious familiar1. And she lost that familiar due to Mayo’s mistake.”
“The two of them… were best friends?” Homura asked.
“Yeah,” Kamikoma said with a deep nod. “I still can’t believe that their friends.h.i.+p was broken off. What happened back then left a deep wound in the hearts of both Mayo and Inari that still exists even now.”
“Misasagi is…”
Fujimori spoke up with a gloomy tone.
“Misasagi is the kind of person who can endure any pain if she bears it alone. But—”
Fujimori suddenly looked at Homura.
“If something happens to Touya… No, considering the situation, there’s no way he’ll be unharmed. If something happens on Nutella that makes it impossible for Touya to continue as part the Exploration Club…”
If something happens that threatens his life—
“Misasagi can’t endure losing any more comrades. Her fear will take control and make her incapable of making sound decisions anymore. She’ll be finished as an investigator.”
Chapter 19 END
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES
(1) Familiar: a term referring to enchanted animals/spirits (usually small in size) that serve as helpers to mages.
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