Chapter 414: Flying into the Fire
Seven of my classmates stepped into the grand entrance hall. Awaiting them was Shellfarina, the quiet Dark Elf, who seemed to be speaking to them in a welcoming manner, though her voice was deliberately muted. I could only imagine how irritating it would be to hear their words; it was a future I wanted to avoid.
“Do you think she’ll be okay on her own?”
Rio murmured as she watched the footage from the Reception Hall, though her expression didn’t betray much concern. It would indeed be tough for Shellfarina if they all decided to act individually, but it seemed they were huddled together, engaged in conversation, so there didn’t appear to be any immediate issues.
“They seem fine,” I replied, nodding along with Rio. As we observed, Shellfarina began to show signs of irritation, and the voices of my classmates grew increasingly agitated. Perhaps she deemed it the right moment; she pulled out something resembling a smartphone from her pocket and began to operate it. The displayed footage zoomed in on my classmates, capturing their astonishment as they gaped at the device, only to suddenly fall through a hole that had opened up beneath them.
“Ahahaha!”
“They fell in perfectly!”
Rio, though not as amused as I was, wore a smile. Watching my classmates tumble down with such foolish expressions was incredibly satisfying.
From the comfort of our living room, we leisurely watched as my classmates attempted to conquer the Reception Hall. After much deliberation on how to stage a grand counterattack, we decided to transform the entire hall into a Dungeon filled with traps. Seven displays were set up in the living room to monitor the Dungeon’s happenings, ensuring we could see them even if they split up. It cost a fair amount of DP, but it was a necessary expense.
However, since activating the traps was sometimes better left to others, Shellfarina and Levantiska were on-site, using the Smartphone-type Dungeon Device to manage things. Of course, Hinomaru staff were also monitoring them from another room, activating traps as needed.
It felt like watching one of those variety shows from Japan, and the nostalgia made it all the more entertaining. There were pitfalls, spikes shooting out from walls, and stairs suddenly morphing into slippery slopes. While we had kept the lethality of the traps to a minimum, it seemed my classmates were starting to adapt, overcoming more and more of the obstacles.
Since the traps were triggered by people, there was no time for them to stand still and think things through; they were constantly under attack. It looked like we wouldn’t tire of watching anytime soon.
“I wish we could show this to Ivan, but I guess it can’t be helped.”
“Ahaha, he’d probably be laughing while making comments, wouldn’t he?”
Ivan and Phonia were currently fortifying the orphanage. We were recording everything, so I planned to show it to them later. With more people capable of editing and uploading besides El, it had become much easier.
“Lord Shu, a summary of the intruders’ demands has arrived. Would you like to hear it?”
Just as I took a breath, Mesaria-san, who had been working on her laptop beside me, brought in the information about my classmates.
“Hmm… I guess I should listen.”
I wasn’t sure if I’d understand it, but it was worth a shot.
“Understood. To put it simply, they want to be ‘sent back to Japan.'”
“‘Huh?’”
Yeah, I definitely didn’t get that. Maybe it was better I hadn’t asked. I could understand them asking for food or items from Japan, especially since they had seen the PET bottles. But how did that lead to wanting to go back to Japan? It sounded as if we had brought them to this Otherworld ourselves.
“Anything else—”
“Oh, never mind, that’s enough.”
“Understood.”
Mesaria-san wrapped up the conversation as if she had anticipated my response. While it was indeed possible to take them to a place resembling Japan, I didn’t want to cause trouble in that world. Although I didn’t know of any specific towns, I could navigate to the locations on the map where I had lived before being summoned.
“Also, regarding the Town of Isolage, it seems the rumors have finally reached the residents.”
“Is that so?”
I had heard they weren’t close enough to the harbor to see it yet, so I wondered how the news had leaked.
“No, it seems the lord has issued a notice to the townsfolk.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
“Yes. Fishing in the offshore areas has been prohibited, and the effects are already being felt.”
“That’s to be expected…”
If they were aware of an unfamiliar large ship approaching, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to react. We might need to consider evacuating the residents as a precaution.
“More importantly, what will happen to the intruders?”
That question was clearly about what I intended to do with my classmates, not what they wanted for themselves.
“That’s the thing…”
I had thought they would be inconsequential if they never bothered us again, but now that they were so close, they had become quite the nuisance. Watching them fall into the traps I had set was somewhat satisfying, but that was just one aspect. I could hear some of them screaming in frustration, likely cursing me.
“Why not just send them to the Majin Tribe’s world?”
Rio, with a cheerful smile, suggested this to me, as I hesitated to take action against my classmates. Hmm, that might actually be a viable option.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
I am pleased to announce that I have received the Encouragement Award at the 5th Shueisha Web Novel Grand Prize. The growth rate is skyrocketing (abbreviated), and it will be published in book form!