Chapter 53 (2/2): Second Encounter

“The next bus will arrive in twenty minutes. Normally, it will match the arrival time of the s.h.i.+p but this happened because the arrival of the s.h.i.+p was delayed…. Carol, let’s go inside until the bus arrives.”

“I want to play a little more!”

Uhhh… If you consider the snow and safety, you should wait in the waiting room of the building but since we were inside all the time on the s.h.i.+p, she must want to play outside.

…To be honest, I also want to stay outside.

And I want Carol to make many happy memories in this world.

I looked around and jog to Carol, hoping it would be a little warmer. I can’t make a kamakura alone so I wonder if I should make a snowman. [1]

I was a little worried about Destiny, so when I looked into the rucksack, I met a lizard who was wrapped in a bath towel and holding two Cairos. [2]

“Are you okay?”

Destiny rolled up once and gave a big nod.

I will tell you that its impossible for it to be a just a normal lizard.

Once I showed him how to use a Cairo in front of me and it learned in one shot.

However, I have taken precautionary measures. There are still a lot of them unopened in the rucksack so it should be okay.

“I’ll tell you in advance. When it gets cold, you can use as many body warmers as you want.”

It was a ha.s.sle for it to reply so it raised its hand lightly.

It looks like an oba-san…

Let’s play with Carol till the bus arrives. I am working hard on a mysterious cylinder, but is that a snow doll?

Its a little embarra.s.sing to play in the snow near the s.h.i.+p dock but I have now returned to my childhood. Lets play.

After I and Carol had enjoyed playing in the snow, we returned to the building.

“It was fun, Yos.h.i.+o!”

“Yeah”

We removed snow from eachother and I bought a hot drink from the vending machine.

Although it was extremely cold outside, I was feeling hot when running around. When I stopped it suddenly feel cold again though.

I thought that Evil G.o.d players would move if I showed a defenseless play like this, but I was disappointed.

It took five minutes for the bus to arrive. When I peeked outside the building, the bus had already stopped.

Only the driver could be seen but the door was wide open.

“Let’s go, the bus seems to have arrived”

“Yup. I remember a bus is a wagon that runs without a horse!”

She shakes her arms in a circle to express the size of the bus.

Her pretty face makes my cheeks loosen.

I wonder if this is the feeling of the father who has a child.

“Yes, that’s it. If you miss the train, it will be one hour later, so will you ride early?”

The weather forecast was fine, but in the unlikely event of the snowstorm, it will stop the traffic.

To get to the bus stop, we need to go out of the dock. After knowing the comfort of heat, I don’t have the courage to go outside.

I was about to head to the bus to escape from this cold….but I stopped.

There are no other customers around except us.

There are no pa.s.sengers on the bus which comes only once an hour.

There were quite a few pa.s.sengers who got of the s.h.i.+p. Some would have been picked up by car and some would have called for taxi.

But that doesn’t mean that all the pa.s.sengers have left. In fact, there are dozens of pa.s.sengers sitting on benches inside the building.

But no one is getting on the bus. No one seemed to be in a hurry, they were just relaxing.

…… No aren’t their eyes closed? Maybe they are asleep?

Some are sleeping on the bench while using their luggage as pillows. It looks that there is no movement….It not a suspicious event on the surface.

I carefully observe the area around the bus but I don’t think that there is anything strange about it. Its possible for them not to get on the bus for some reason which I don’t know about.

“What’s wrong, Yos.h.i.+o? You will catch cold if you don’t hurry up. ‘

Carol looks anxiously at me. I put my hand on her head and ponder.

I take out the smartphone and check the weather for today. I also checked the timetable but the time was correct.

After operating the smartphone further, I looked around the bus once again.

It began to snow from the sky and the temperature around us dropped. If I don’t decided it quickly then we will freeze.

It maybe safer to return to the building, but the people there also seemed strange.

I stared at the snow and made a decision.

“Let’s go back inside”

It may be dangerous inside but there is the rule that players cannot cause harm directly.

It better than taking a suspicious bus because of a strange atmosphere.

“Don’t you want to ride it?”

“We won’t take that bus.”

When I looked back with Carol’s hand in my hand to return to the building, the entrance to the building had disappeared.

Its not a metaphor, its just that the automatic door we used to go in and out wasnt there, there was just a concrete wall.

“There is no such thing!” Yos.h.i.+o, there’s no door!”

I hold Carol in panic.

I am more convinced than surprised. It seems that my idea was not wrong.

“Mr. Hatabata, why don’t you come out?”

Yesterday, I saw the name written on the business card which the office worker gave me.

“Did you notice?”

The driver who got off the bus had a different outfit now, but it was definitely the dull salaryman from yesterday-Habahata.

“The bus is also an hallucination. Is it actually just the size of a car?”

“Surprisingly, you’re sharp. It’s the correct answer.”

When I raised my right hand and pointed by finger, the bus disappeared and instead a car appeared.

I don’t know whats going on inside since the windows’ blind make it dificult to see inside.

It seems that he had wrapped it in hallucination just like the Green Demon from yesterday.

“You’ve done something to the guests in the building. Do you have another fellow?”

“Oh, why did you think so?”

“Don’t directly harm the player with a miracle. So while I and Carol were playing outside, you cast some miracle on the guests in the building. Isn’t it?”

Its forbidden to show weakness to these people. I have to consciously speak strong and words with dignity.

I don’t know what the miracle exactly is. It maybe forgetting their purpose, tampering with memories or maybe the ability to put one straight to sleep.

Either way, the pa.s.senger’s current state should not be normal.

“It’s an excellent answer. I heard that you became NEET after withdrawing from society but it seems you are quite sharp.”

I am accustomed to the tone and eyes which are looking down on me while complimenting me.

I am confident what the other person is saying is true, the reason for admitting is that he will be able to manage it.

This flow is similar. Just like with the stalker, there are companions.

The appearance and tone are different but the behavior seemed the dubbing of Yos.h.i.+naga.

I opened the zipper of my rucksack and looked at Destiny.

I will count on you in case of emergency.

Translator and Editor Notes:

[1] Snow Domes

[2]