Chapter 905 – The World Beyond the Hole

000

“I, Nagi, are in fairy scent~~!?”

Tokoyo raises her voice while showing the expected reaction with a perfect score of 100.

When Cleon and Lila screamed with both hands on their faces, the masks that fell to the ground and the formation of mushrooms surrounding them… Showed the ‘Fairy Circle’, the trace of the entrance to Fairy Incense.

“I’m not sure… But I think so.”

When Lila held her hand small and held it to her chin while speaking, Cleon agreed with Lila and pointed out her mask.

“Nagi isn’t the type of person to drop his mask in places like this, is he?”

“But… The mask is also a special item for young shamans.”

Young shamans must not reveal their names and faces to others until they become shamans for one person.

Because of that rule, they always wear masks and hide their faces when they are in a place where they greet people.

Moreover, since the mask has a special magical meaning, it is absolutely impossible to change or discard the mask at will.

Especially, if you are a girl who is as excellent and sincere as me.

“But, why is Nagi here? Nagi must have gone to call Tokoyo.”

She is not a child with low attention spans who get lost while moving, nor is she reckless enough to go looking for the entrance on her own.

A situation where I can only assume that there was something unavoidable.

However, without the person in charge, there was no way to know the reason.

＂She was tempted by a fairy…? Since the entrance was open, it wouldn’t be strange if something came out from inside…”

“According to Tokoyo, the entrance was discovered quite a while ago, right? It’s unnatural that problems have arisen now. Right, Toko?”

Cleon said that and tried to ask Tokoyo for her opinion, but the next moment-

＂Hey, Cleon! If I don’t have Nagi, I…!”

Tokoyo went beyond her embarrassment and looked as if she was in a panic, so she grabbed Cleon’s arms, and Cleon couldn’t help but be a little embarrassed by her reaction.

Certainly, Nagi had a strong feeling that she was hovering around Tokoyo and assisting her more than other shrine maidens.
Is she also a special person to Tokoyo?

“Calm down, Tokoyo. I understand your feelings, but…”

“If I don’t have Nagi, I might not be able to wake up on my own in the morning!”

“Is that why you’re worried!?”

Cleon had no choice but to raise his voice in response to the unexpected answer.

I thought she was seriously worried, but she said she was worried because she couldn’t wake up in the morning!

“No, no, this is quite important! If I can’t wake up in the morning, I can’t pray in the morning. If you don’t pray in the morning, the temple’s barrier will become weak…”

“If it’s that important, think of a way to get up on your own…!”

Her head hurt.

Cleon sighed and put her hand to her forehead, and Kuon, who was looking at Tokoyo from behind, couldn’t help but smile with a troubled expression.

＂Anyway. If we say we went to Fairy Village, that’s where we’re going from now on. “I have no choice but to go and find it myself.”

＂Really?＂

Tokoyo grabs Cleon’s arm more tightly after hearing his words.

The force of his hand was so strong that he made a sound like “Save the country” And it seemed like it would leave a mark on his arm.

“Now, wait a minute. Let’s put this aside… If we’re going to chase after it, we’ll have to hurry! Right, Lila?”

“Huh? Ah, that’s right… Considering the time we broke up earlier, we probably wouldn’t have gotten that far.”

When the baton of the story is suddenly passed to her, Lila nods her head.

“Okay, then let’s go quickly!”

And when Tokoyo showed enthusiasm, Kuon looked surprised.

＂Sat, Tokoyo, are you going too?!＂

“Originally, I was only planning to give you guidance, but if Nagi is there, I should go too!”

When she started talking about Tokoyo as if asking for something that was obvious to her, Kuon tried to stop her while she was sweating.

＂Hey, over there. Anyway, it’s a bit awkward for the Great Shaman to be away…”

＂But…＂

When Tokoyo refused to give up despite Kuon’s dissuasion, Cleon cleared his throat and turned her gaze towards him.

“… Tokoyo. It’s just like Kuon said. We will definitely find Nagi and bring him back, so please wait here.”

＂Ugh…＂

Tokoyo makes a groaning sound at Cleon’s words.

It’s not that she doesn’t understand how she feels, but if you think about it calmly, Tokoyo herself probably knows the reason well.

“That won’t happen, but… What are you going to do if something happens that prevents you from coming back?”

“That’s… But… Nagi is a child entrusted to her temple by her family… If anything happens to her, I’ll be responsible…!”

Young shamans take children who have developed magical powers shortly after birth and educate them at the temple.

Until she becomes a shrine maiden, she must cut off her connection with the world, which means she will also be separated from her parents who gave birth to her.

As for Nagi, she probably has parents living in Asteris or somewhere in the Touhou country.

If something happens to Nagi, Tokoyo, the person in charge of the temple, will not be able to raise his head against those two people.

It will be as sad as those two people.

“We know it well. So, please trust and leave it to us, Tokoyo.”

Kuon speaks kindly.

If you cherish Nagi, Tokoyo should not leave this place now.

Because there are children like Nagi in this temple other than her.

It was certainly Tokoyo’s virtue to cherish each and every shrine maiden.

Because she can’t leave behind the children she is responsible for.

Being in a position where you have to take responsibility for many people can sometimes become shackles that weigh heavily on your body.

However, even if it is a heavy responsibility that cannot be lifted alone, it can be endured if there is someone who can do it with you.

And in that respect, she was not alone.

Phew… Then, a small but clear sigh was heard.

It wasn’t a sigh to give up, saying, ‘There’s nothing I can do,’ but a sigh to vent out a heart filled with his own boiling anxiety.

“… Okay! Sorry, Cleon, Cuon! Please…!”

In response to Kuon’s words asking them to trust him, Tokoyo, who was able to calm herself down, said so to Cleon and Kuon.

It was an apology to the two people who carried her burden, and a request to bring Nagi back.

“Ah. This isn’t the first time we’ve had to track down a missing child. Trust me and leave it to me.”

“Well, you don’t mean she wandered around the dungeon alone looking for Albaine, who disappeared differently, right? If you think about it, she should have been left to die then-“

When Lila, who was analyzing the Fairy Circle from behind, hears Cleon’s words and speaks, Cleon glances behind her and then smiles firmly at Tokoyo.

“Of course, there was something Lila said. She also made requests to find a lost child who disappeared into the forest.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll trust you, Cleon.”

Even Tokoyo had to tense his body a little without realizing that hard smile.

In any case, it is confirmed that the party will go to rescue Nagi.

Tokoyo had to go do her own thing, waiting for her group to return to take her.

When he returned to the temple from the fairy village, he promised to contact him through the engraving, and then Tokoyo walked away through the flower tree passage, looking back several times.

“… Whew. I’m glad you somehow understood.”

Cleon wiped the sweat from his forehead as if it was a little difficult for Tokoyo to leave.

“Great job. Ah, because the entrance is open.”

When Lila spoke while patting Cleon on the back, Cleon nodded his head and then-.

＂Okay, I opened the entrance…!?＂

I had no choice but to stop midway.

I thought they were keeping quiet while they persuaded Tokoyo.

Surprised by Lila’s words, the group looked back together and saw that the inside of the Fairy Circle, which had been an ordinary grass field until now, had been transformed into a hole with a spinning border like a portal.

＂Uh, before you know it…?＂

When Sasha asks in surprise, Laila responds by humming and humming.

“I told you to hurry because I have to find that girl, Nagira, right? So we opened it as quickly as possible. It’s my first time doing this, so I’m glad it went normally well. How do you feel, did you do well?”

＂As expected, it’s amazing, Lila…”

Amelia exudes pure admiration for Lila, who seems to be showing off.

The scenery beyond the rotating entrance seemed to be a ‘forest’ seen from the sky in the distance.

“Well… Whatever. Since the entrance is open, I can just go through like this, right?”

Cleon said so and tried to take the lead and pass through the entrance.

Naturally, it was natural for those in the front line to be the first to pass through the entrance, since they did not know what danger might lie beyond.

However, when you get close to the entrance, the scenery inside looks a little unpleasant, and it may not have been your fault.

A forest where trees with dark leaves are connected in a row, different from forests on the ground.

However, the ground is full of strangely shiny plants.

What should I say about this feeling… There was no comparison, but I felt an atmosphere that was somewhat different from the colorful space in the ‘gap of another dimension’.

It was inevitable that I would be a little hesitant.

“What’s wrong, Cleon? Are you scared to go in?”

“Rice, it’s not really like that…”

Cleon responds a little embarrassed to Lila’s teasing voice.

“Well, I understand how you feel. What can I say… There are too many colors for humans to live comfortably?”

＂Where where…?＂

After hearing Cleon and Laila’s words, Cuon also comes closer and tries to look into the hole.

At that time.

It was the moment when Kuon leaned in to look inside the hole.

Vivre, which had been quiet until now and whose existence had been forgotten, sniffed something with its nose.

It started running wild on Kuon’s back as it was being carried on its back.

＂Gyaung!? Gyaaa!”

＂Kya!? Sleep, wow!”

Naturally, Kuon’s body was not prepared for such a sudden shock, and when the center of gravity was shaken by the rampaging guy, Kuon’s body tilted-

Thump!

And what Kuon’s shaking hand grabbed was Sasha, who was standing right next to him.

＂Mr. Kuon!? Gyaak!”

As Kuon falls, Sasha falls, and Amelia reaches out her hand to catch Sasha’s hand –

＂Wow, it’s heavy…＂

Amelia’s strength, which had not been transformed, was no different from that of an ordinary girl, so she was dragged along and fell.

“Now, wait a minute…!”

It happened so quickly that when Cleon looked at the scene blankly, the three people were already on their way through the hole.

“Lila! Let’s chase after it!”

＂Haa… Why can’t I just go calmly when I always pass by places like this… ＂

“It’s not the time to say things like that!”

As Cleon jumped into the hole and used his flight magic to chase the fallen, Lila shrugged her shoulders, closed her eyes, and jumped into the entrance to her fairy scent.

After Lila passed through, her remaining entrance closed, leaving only the Fairy Circle again.

As if the uproar up until now was a lie, only silence remained.

001

Swooooo!

＂Haa… Haa… Everything, thank goodness…＂

When Cleon’s tired voice rings out, he looks at the three people held in his hands.

Somehow, Cleon was able to catch Sasha, Amelia, and Kuon before they all hit the ground.

When they were carefully placed on the ground, Kuon sat down, her legs giving out as she fell, and Sasha landed lightly and checked to see if any of her equipment had gone missing.

Amelia also sighed heavily, fixed her disheveled clothes-

＂Gyaaaaah!＂

He was looking at Buvre, who was clinging to Kuon’s back and crying.

Even though he suddenly went wild, he was clinging to Kuon’s back and couldn’t escape.

Even though I came to my senses, I am not feeling strong enough.

“This guy… He’s not reflecting at all.”

＂Gyaas!＂

＂Somehow the crying became more vicious…＂

Looking at Buvre, whose hair was standing upright as if he was on edge, Cleon wanted to separate him from Cuon, but he couldn’t touch him.

＂Ugh… Sorry…＂

And when Kuon, who had calmed down a little, started to cry and raised her voice, Sasha shook her head.

“No! It’s because Vuvre on my back suddenly jumped out!”

＂No… I’m sorry it’s heavy… ＂

＂Oh…＂

At Kuon’s words, Amelia broke into a cold sweat as she remembered what she had said a moment ago.

＂Ku, Kuon? I didn’t specifically say that Kuon was heavy…! Should I say that it was all heavy together, or that there was a pulling force from below…!”

＂Well, that kind of consideration pierces my heart even more deeply…＂

It was Kuon who decided to go on a diet after hearing Amelia’s words.

“Why are you talking so carefree, you guys?”

And then, Laila flies down so slowly that it is hard to tell who is carefree.

The speed was such that you could see the inside of the skirt when viewed from below.

You probably won’t watch it just because it’s Cleon.

＂We came to Fairy Village? It’s the back side of the world. You can’t let your guard down, because you never know when and where a fairy might pop out and do some mischief.”

“… It’s just like Lila said. First, it’s not a small number, but considering the fairies’ tendencies, I think it’s better to be on guard. And…”

Cleon grabbed Lila’s hand as she landed on the ground, grabbed the tentacle of Vuvre behind Cuon’s back, and connected the two.

＂… I’m sorry, but please ask why this guy is causing such a fuss with her.＂

＂I can’t help it…＂

At Cleon’s words, Layla sighed and shook her head, and then he held her tentacle tightly and connected her spirit.

[I hate this place, I hate this place, I hate this place!]

＂Ugh…＂

As soon as she connected her mind, a voice filled with overwhelming rejection echoed in Lila’s head.

The sensation of this place, which Vivre feels with all his nerves, pricks like a thorn.

Reluctantly, Lila tore her hands away from her tentacles and shook her head from side to side to steady her dazed mind.

＂… What’s wrong?＂

“I’m not in a mental situation where I can talk to you and ask. Just… I’d better leave it until I get a little tired.”

Even if it is a magical beast, its physical strength is not infinite, Lila added, and took the rampaging beast off Kuon’s back and left it to Cleon.

“Until then, Cleon will take care of it.”

“It can’t be helped. Okay.”

Even if the rampaging beast is small, it is a vicious beast. Kuon and Lila’s sleeping magic is working now, so it may not be able to give off that much energy, but the moment it is released, there is a high possibility that it will attack the surrounding humans.

Therefore, it was natural that Cleon, who could respond the fastest, accepted Buvre.

When I picked up that guy, who was grumpy, like a cat, he started shaking, but he wasn’t strong enough to shake off Cleon’s restraints.

“… Ruler. Then, if you don’t decide the priority of work.”

“Yes! “Rescuing Mr. Nagi is the top priority, right?”

When Sasha nods her head loudly in response to Cleon’s words, the others agree.

Of course, they returned Vuvre to Fairy Village and came to find a fairy who could handle the magic of water to the point where they could process adamantite.

However, we did not forget that human life is more important than anything else.

＂If we get this far, I think it would be okay to be the last to let Vuvre go. … First, let’s find a village or city of fairies in Fairy Village.”

“Well, there is a direction where the magical power can be felt, so it must be that way. I think I can gather information about Nagi there…”

As Lila says this, she raises her wand and points to one side.

There were thick bushes and forests, but at the end of them, both Kuon and Cleon could clearly feel the reverberation of a large magical power.

“Good. Then-“

After Cleon succeeded in wrapping Vibr’s tentacles around his body and securing them, freeing his hands as if he were carrying a baby.

The moment Lila took a step toward the direction she was pointed at, putting her foot down on the rustling ground.

“Bam bam bam!!!”

A loud and exciting voice rang out in my ears.

Keying – the eardrums of the entire group almost exploded, and while squinting, looking ahead, we were right at the very same bush that the group was heading towards.

A woman – no, a fairy came out.

He was wearing a black outfit that seemed to have the motif of the exposed rabbit that was seen at the place where Eustace was kidnapped and working.

Another thing that stood out was a female fairy wearing a clown mask that covered half of her face.

Is her height similar to Kuon?

Her hair was long, reaching past her waist and down to her ankles. What was important was that her hair had a unique color that consisted of white and black diamonds alternating like a check pattern. Just looking at it made my eyes hurt. Br〉

In her hands she held a white top hat and a black stick, a brilliant light emanated from her back, and a broad smile appeared on her face.

Her flashy appearance and outfit made everyone in her group unable to keep their mouths shut for a moment.

She talks.

＂! Deulguchin ganin jinmeot cameeo ehyangjeongyo＂

＂… Hah?＂

Smiling in this direction while speaking an incomprehensible language-

＂! Look at it! It’s a crab line, rumg＂

She swung the staff she was holding in her hand.

Pop! Her voice was heard, and just as when she appeared, an intense light appeared, and acrid smoke rose from somewhere as if it were her fire.

＂Clog, crunch…!＂

Everyone in the group behind him, including Cleon, who was at the front, was engulfed in the smoke.

＂What kind of attack is this…!＂

＂Everyone, are you okay…?＂

The group checks each other’s safety and waits for the smoke to disappear.

After a while, woak! And then a big wind blows and all the smoke is blown away by the wind.

The fairy who appeared in front of the group just now has disappeared.

＂Haa… What was that…? Just like Lila said, I think I met a strange fairy.”

When Cleon mumbled like that, Laila continued.

“Well, I’m glad, Mr. Cleon, because no one seems to have been hurt.”

＂Is that so…? I think I’ve become a little lower…”

Amelia said that to herself while feeling doubtful.

＂Wait… How did this happen…!＂

Kuon said in an angry voice.

＂… You, you guys…＂

Finally, Sasha opened her mouth, looking back at her entire group.

With an expression of disbelief, she witnessed her companions acting before her eyes as if they had become different people.