"A monster, you say?"
I'm currently at a facility in a relatively shallow part of the Special Area.
The pumpkin-headed ghost in front of me is the client for this request, Mr. Jack-o'-Lantern.
He's a character from Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't They?
He looks like a simple jack-o'-lantern with limbs attached, but his true identity is a great archdemon from the boundary between life and death.
He's a kind-hearted demon who loves children, is loved by them in return, and is known by everyone for his love of kids.
He's a major figure, serving as a strategist for Will-o'-Wisp, a very large organization within the Special Area.
It's been one week since I came to this world, and on this day, Jack-san called us for a request.
The request is to investigate and resolve the mysterious monster sightings that have been happening recently around the children at the Will-o'-Wisp-run nursery.
Since the doll-finding mission, we haven't had any decent requests, so we jumped at this chance.
Apparently, other large groups didn't take the request seriously because the only witnesses were children and the reward was a bit low.
The request came to us because the girl who owned the doll from the previous mission happened to be from here, and our group's name came up in conversation.
In any case, it was a welcome opportunity.
This past week had been completely uneventful.
This is because ever since Asuna-san was summoned, the rules and discipline in the house have been greatly reinforced.
First, Kuro stopped sneaking into my room. She now knocks every time.
When I asked her about it, she said Asuna-san told her to. To make Kuro, of all people, obey with just a verbal warning... as expected of Asuna-san.
The magic replenishment now happens with just Kuro and me, but Asuna-san still monitors us. She waits just outside the door and will forcibly open it if more than a minute passes.
Thus, I've been living an extremely wholesome life recently. I suppose this is what's normal, but once you've had a taste of that, it's hard not to want it again.
Anyway, a monster, huh? I bet there are some Kamen Rider elements to it. The most likely possibility is a Kaijin (monster).
The problem is, why does it only appear in front of the children?
"By the way, have you been able to meet the children who saw the monster?"
"We don't know their state yet, so no. But they didn't seem too scared..."
"Hmm... is that so?"
They're just kids, after all. Costumes made with advanced science are said to have a very realistic texture, so maybe they thought it was just that?
But that wouldn't explain why it appears over and over again.
All this will become clear once we catch the monster.
"Speaking of which, Jack-san, didn't you consider solving this yourself?"
"No, in my case, if I find the culprit, I might not be able to control myself."
I gasped at the tone of his voice.
Will-o'-Wisp has a shared belief:
They will not tolerate anyone who harms a child.
If Jack-san were to witness the monster harming the children, this gentleman with a pumpkin head would use his power as a great archdemon to brutally slaughter that monster.
Not only would that cause problems for Will-o'-Wisp, but it would also likely cause trouble for the children who admire him.
"...I see. We'll do our best to solve this."
"Yes. I'm counting on you."
We stood up and headed out of the room.
Since I'm the leader, I handle the negotiations with the client. I had everyone else wait outside.
I explained the details of the request to everyone.
Once we were all together, we decided to head to the children's dormitory.
Although this is a nursery, Will-o'-Wisp actively accepts abandoned children called Child Errors.
They apparently have a special dormitory for them, and that's where we're heading now.
I was told that at least one of the children from the rooms we're about to visit was present at every monster sighting. All of those kids were Child Errors.
This might be a clue.
Jack-san leaves us and enters the room.
After waiting a while, he comes out and says it's okay for us to talk to them.
With his permission, we enter the room. There are five boys, all around 10 years old.
According to their testimonies:
"It looked like a lion."
"It was flying in the sky."
"It looked like a snake."
"It had a huge mouth."
"It breathed fire."
...The accounts vary quite a bit.
Figuring we wouldn't get any more useful information, we thanked them and left the room to hold a strategy meeting.
Jack-san had already returned to his work. He's a blacksmith, after all. The things he makes are incredibly expensive, luxury goods that we, on a salary of 200,000 a month, can't afford.
"So, what do we do?"
I ask everyone.
"Everyone said something completely different."
"Right... What could that mean?"
"Maybe there isn't just one monster."
Asuna-san, Himeragi-chan, and Kuro gave their opinions in that order. The testimony of the five boys, our only lead, doesn't seem very reliable, so the investigation will be difficult.
"For now, let's just patrol the area. The kids were told to stay in their rooms today, so the monster might not appear."
"Why don't we just do a stakeout?"
"Kuro-chan, you can't say things like that."
Kuro and Asuna-san bickered. It seems they've become quite close over the past week.
Thinking that, we headed out on patrol.
--------
Come to think of it, the only real weapon I have is my Beretta. I wonder if it will even work against a monster.
Thanks to the reinforced discipline, I haven't been able to gain any new weapons or abilities.
This can't go on. But Asuna-san's stare is scary.
What should I do?
"Ah, Senpai?"
"Huh? Oh, Himeragi-chan."
"What's wrong? This is outside of your patrol area, isn't it?"
It seems I was so deep in thought that I strayed from the patrol area we had decided on beforehand.
I'm really useless. What am I doing?
"You're right. I'll head back right away."
"Ah, wait... Um, would you like to talk for a bit?"
As I was about to go back, Himeragi-chan hesitantly grabbed my shoulder.
"Sure. That's unusual, especially during work."
Although we haven't been together long enough to call it "unusual."
"Yeah... I just thought it might be nice to do this sometimes."
"I see. Let's take a short break then. Wait a moment."
I bought a drink from a nearby vending machine and handed it to Himeragi-chan.
We walked a bit further and sat down on a bench in a park we found.
I open my bottle and pour the contents down my throat.
"Ugh..."
As expected, it was bad. It was red bean soda. On this island, just like in Academy City, many experimental products are sold.
I'm a challenger, so I always buy a different flavor, but today was a miss.
"This might be the first time we've talked slowly, just the two of us."
"Maybe."
I search my memories. Himeragi-chan was the first girl I summoned. But on that same day, I summoned Kuro, and the next day, Asuna-san.
Kuro is so attached to me, so this might really be the first time we've had a proper conversation alone.
"Senpai, are you worried about something?"
That's a sudden question.
"There's no one without worries."
"You're right. I'll rephrase. Are you worried about something related to us?"
"..."
Silence is an affirmation.
She's absolutely right. In this past week, I've gotten used to this world and have the time to look around. Because of that, various worries have emerged.
The biggest one was how to treat the girls I summoned.
At first, I was ecstatic. I was living with heroines from various series, and they even showed affection for me.
But as I calmed down and thought about it, that affection was originally meant for the protagonists of their respective series, not me.
The moment I came to that realization, I started to question whether it was right to accept their feelings.
Kuro and Asuna-san would probably accept me if I wanted them to.
Because that's how they felt about their protagonists.
"I see. Kuro-san and Asuna-san were really worried about you, too. At yesterday's meeting, we even decided that it would be okay to take turns sleeping beside you."
"Whoa, that's a great idea. Would you mind if I took you up on that?"
I replied with a laugh.
So they thought I was acting distant because I had fewer opportunities to interact with the girls. Of course, they would never dream that it's the exact opposite.
Curious, I had subtly asked them about their original protagonists. From their reactions, it seemed they had no memory of them at all.
So, how do I put this? It seems the girls who get summoned are in a state similar to the girls in that game where battleships are personified.
In that game, some girls show affection for the player from the start, while others have a more indifferent reaction.
It's the same here.
To put it simply, their initial emotional state is the same as the one they felt for their original protagonist.
Even knowing that, I still feel a step removed.
I can't help it.
So,
"Well, don't worry about it so much. I'll be fine."
I'm making them worried, but there's nothing I can do.
--------
In the end, our patrol yielded zero results. Three days of this passed when we received terrible news from Jack-san.
A classmate of the Child Errors was attacked by the monster and seriously injured.
We rushed to Jack-san's place.
Since there's a casualty, Butei are everywhere.
"Jack-san!"
"Oh, Shou-san. You came."
Jack-san was floating in the air above the Child Error dormitory. He was probably on watch. He descends when he sees me.
"What's the situation?"
"This time, those five weren't at the scene. The injured child is in a pretty bad state..."
"I see. I'm sorry. We couldn't prevent it."
"No, no. Preventing this would be impossible without the power of future sight. You don't need to worry. With this, the major Butei groups will be moving, so the case should be solved soon."
Jack-san laughed, "Yah-ho-ho."
I haven't had a single good result recently. Everything I do feels like it's backfiring.
"...We'll join the investigation as well."
"Yes, please be careful."
We split up and started patrolling, making sure not to get in the way of the major Butei groups.
There was always a Butei on the main streets. So I patrolled the narrow alleys.
I found them purely by coincidence.
"Why are those kids...?"
In my line of sight were the backs of the five boys from the Child Error dorm.
I don't know how they slipped past Jack-san's watch, but it's too dangerous for them to be out right now.
They probably sensed the unusual atmosphere and are just out exploring for fun.
I was about to call out to them, but their determined footsteps made me suspicious. It was as if they had a destination in mind.
And my suspicion was correct.
After walking through the maze of alleys for a few minutes, we arrived at an abandoned house that would be impossible to find from a normal path.
The boys went inside.
I cautiously closed the distance and peered through a broken window.
There are only kids inside... My eyes widened in shock.
What one of the boys took out was...
A Gaia Memory.
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