Chapter 88 On the Road ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
We moved in a large group, and I stayed safe in the middle, far from death. People with lower rank on the outside, the town folk, faced traps all the time. In only a few hours, some lost their lives because they failed to follow the officials’ orders. About one in ten was gone. We had three hundred at first, so around thirty had already dropped out.
It felt like a big animal migration across Africa in the dry season. Town folk were seen as summer trash that would grow back again. For poor people, death was a normal part of life. Even so, Isumi town was kinder than most. During the trip, the royal guards and officials tried to care for the old or weak and gave some encouragement.
Unless you had mind power or were a skilled search worker, you would never return to the surface. There was no way back. Behind us, fire rained down from Kujukuri Town, and ahead of us lay deadly traps. Still, these people chose to walk toward hope, rather than stay and die in war or be taken by Kujukuri Town. They wanted to move forward, even if it meant dying on the way.
Next, we would face the biggest trap on the second layer. It was not about danger or trouble, but size.
”There are no public records for any lower layer under the second. We have almost no information. We cannot deal with traps we don’t know,” Trash-san said.
”Trash-san, this labyrinth is scary. Weird things keep happening,” I said. I felt so weak, yet I kept holding her sleeve. Even the two royal guards were lost in this strange place. Still, no one was more reliable here than this elder sister. When I stayed close to her like a baby bird after its mother, her scent made me calm.
Trash-san watched the area with care while she looked after me. “Please relax. Give me a moment… I will try to learn a little,” she said. Then she left like the wind and faded into the crowd.
People from Isumi town did not explain this layer step by step. Instead, a few watchers stayed close enough to hear our talk. One older sister, who seemed like a widow, and some officials were there. They only gave needed warnings. Even if we asked, they would not teach more.
But after a short time, Trash-san came back with information.
”Oh, they told you,” I said. I thought they would keep quiet so we would not learn too much and run away.
”Well…” she began, but Flatty-chan cut in. “She made some farm workers talk, you know. She grabbed their clothes and forced them to speak,” she said. “Please stop,” I said. Farm workers lived by taking mystical objects in areas already searched. They knew the local labyrinth very well.
Trash-san would scare even an innocent person to learn something for me. I remembered her fake double. The karakasa umbrella woman who stole town clothes had blood from the real owner on her shirt. I knew this was not the same, but I still asked with fear, “You… you didn’t kill them, right?”
Trash-san looked shocked and very upset. “O-of course I would not do such a thing! Young Master, do you really think I am like that!?” “Wow, lame. You got him scared,” Flatty-chan said. While I stood between them and tried to keep them from fighting, we reached the river where the biggest trap waited.
A huge river of red water moved below us. It cut through this red and dark meat-like town like a wide artery. It was the only natural thing in a city full of artificial objects. Above it stood a giant bridge. It was like a long Gothic suspension bridge between Manhattan and Brooklyn, linking cities for several kilometers like a chain.
There was an upper and lower part. The road on top was a little narrow, and from there you could look down at a six-lane road for cars. It looked like a bridge a sea monster might break in a movie.
A large warning plate hung at the bridge’s entrance. It was where you would expect a “no trucks” or “weight limit” sign, but there were only two words:
’count heads’
The iron sign had rough letters cut into it. Even with mist and rust, the meaning was clear. “count heads.” Count the heads. Well, Japanese also had the word “head count,” so maybe it was normal. I was not even sure if it spoke to us. Still, it felt like it had a will. It was the only warning and rule on this bridge.
To the left, someone had added “DONT” in faded red paint. Together it read: “DONT count heads.” So it meant “Do not count heads.” The “DONT” looked like someone added it later with spray paint.
”Western letters. Can you read them?” Trash-san asked.
”I know a little. I studied in the Imperial Capital, desuwa. The style is a bit strange,” Flatty-chan said as she taught us the meaning. I felt glad. I did not need to show my strange English knowledge. Neither the male school nor the town’s small library taught English.
”But what does it mean? It must be part of this bridge. I don’t get it at all,” she said. As Flatty-chan said, we did not even know what number to count. Our heads? Or would something appear if we counted?
Count, or do not count. Which rule was right? The added word changed the meaning to the opposite. If we thought simple, the original sign was correct. But what if someone was tricked by “count heads” and added “DONT” to warn others? Then the safe way was not to count. Yet we had no proof the added word was not the real trap.
Without any more words, the first group of town folk began to cross. We all moved together through the arch, pushed from behind. “Trash, can we go too?” Flatty-chan asked. “Yes. This bridge is safe. I heard from local search workers. There is some mystery, but nothing dangerous,” Trash-san said. She seemed sure after squeezing the farm workers for answers.
We walked across the grand stone bridge. It was very old, like a castle. Just walking felt fun. It was built with a mix of modern steel and old style, like something from the late nineteenth century. On the far side of the river, I could see houses. The door to the next layer was there.
After some time, the bridge’s stone work looked beautiful everywhere. Strong granite rose like towers. As my eyes got used to it and my breath slowed, I began to forget the warning sign. The high view turned blue with mist. The river ran calm below us, and the tall buildings behind us grew small.
I felt lighter as we got away from the heavy office city that seemed like it could crush me from above. “…Hm?”
As we walked, I suddenly noticed something strange. I pulled on Trash-san’s sleeve, and she stopped to match my pace.
”Hey… don’t you think there are more people now? I don’t think it’s just me.”
There were clearly more of us than when we started crossing. The crowd felt thicker.
”No one joined us on the way,” I said. If I hadn’t paid attention, I might have missed it. A few others also seemed to sense a mystery.
”It is the power of this bridge’s mystical object,” Trash-san said.
”The bridge creates people we know. After a short time, numbers rise by about ten percent. This always happens, and we cannot tell the added human beings apart.”
So it wasn’t my imagination. “You mean a monster turns into a human and mixes with us?” If so, our situation was very dangerous.
She explained with calm care, as she was used to labyrinth travel. “It does more than copy looks. The created person is between a monster and a mystical object. But they look fully human, and you can speak with them naturally.”
I looked around again. Not a single person, not even an official or town folk, looked strange.
”We can never feel anything wrong about them. If we try to remember, we will recall their past and how we began to cross with them. The memories feel real,” she said. So a friend who never existed until now could appear as if they had always been here.
I felt nothing odd. If the effect blocked any sense of wrong, of course I could not notice it.
I hated this. Another thing that touched the mind directly.
”When we cross, the number grows. But each person seems right. In this moment, all are real human beings. After we finish crossing, all memory of that person will fade. That is this bridge’s mystery,” she said with a soft voice to keep me calm. But the content was not soft at all.
”Young Master, for you, I may never have existed. I could be one of the monsters the bridge made, and you would not notice.”
I could not believe it. “So you might be someone who isn’t real?”
”That is correct.”
”No, wait. That can’t be…”
I could not just accept this. I remembered running from a labyrinth with her, and many private moments—her getting angry, even slapping my cheek. These were clear memories. I could not believe they were made only now. Still, she herself said it. If I trusted her words, that was the meaning.
”Real or not, once we finish the crossing, the memory will vanish. Even your talks with that person will be gone. Do not worry too much,” she said. For some reason, she seemed to enjoy this a little.
But I did not. “Isn’t this dangerous? Even if you’re real, a monster pretending to be someone could be near us now. I can’t see you as a monster at all.”
Fear crept over me. “The lost sense of wrong and the fading memory are what make this mystery a mystery. The bridge’s monsters do not try to harm others. The danger is when people fall into doubt and try to judge each other,” she said. No extra person was “wrong,” yet we could still notice the number had grown. People began to doubt and fight. That was how the trap worked.
Trash-san even explained it as if she might not be real. I chose to trust her for now. If it was truly dangerous, the people from Isumi town would have warned us before we crossed.
Still, I was glad everyone was Japanese. If they could read the sign, they would think about counting, and trouble would start. I noticed the extra people only because the sign stayed in my mind.
”Maybe it was better not to know. Maybe Isumi town did not explain it on purpose,” I said. It felt unfair. Anyone who read the sign would think about counting, no matter the added word.
”If it was only us, that would be fine. But Young Master is here. In danger, we must know what is happening. Your safety comes first,” Trash-san said firmly. Her face was serious, but her steps seemed a bit light. She loved mystery. I had no room to enjoy it.
The bridge was longer than it looked. We had walked for almost an hour. The world was quiet, and only our footsteps echoed. Soon, people ran out of small talk. Silence gave too much time to think. That free time slowly grew into doubt. Sharp eyes began to notice. The group of nearly three hundred looked uneasy and restless.
I was scared of this mystery. The numbers were clearly off, yet I felt no one was wrong. Others felt the same.
Unable to bear the mood, I spoke to Flatty-chan, hoping her bright tone would help.
”Flatty-chan, you seem a bit suspicious,” I said. Could there really be an adult woman with such a small chest? And the balance with her thighs seemed strange.
She flinched when I came close. “Wow, you look very nervous. Why?” I asked.
”Flatty-chan is not a monster! I am real! You know this face, right, right!?” she said at once. She tried to play it light. The older girl, shy with men, still went along with my joke. She was probably worried I truly doubted her.
”You’re a researcher, right? Why are you even here in a labyrinth?” I asked.
”Eh, I… well…” she said.
”Suspicious,” I said.
”B-but you know! You told me to go, so I joined! To be honest, I didn’t want to come… um, I just wanted to play in the private room with you… no, not that…” she said, almost saying too much to her own master. That reaction passed the test. Only a real person would slip like that. It would be amazing if the bridge could make someone this funny.
But the threat of the mystery was bigger than I thought. Were my memories shaped? In this layer, I could not even trust myself.
”You look different from my memory,” I said. Were her thighs this thin? I thought the soft gap between them was smaller.
I slipped a hand like a blade between her legs. “Eek—ah! Young Master, p-please show mercy…” Flatty-chan froze, red as a beet. She was always so easy to fluster.
”Were you this slim?” I asked, hands lightly pressing her soft thighs.
”I lost weight because I was locked up… ah, your tiny hands are on my legs,” she said. She was too unforgettable to be fake. If she was, then I could trust nothing. Trash-san watched us with a doubtful look. Maybe she also wondered if Flatty-chan was fake… no, she was just tired of our nonsense, though she tried not to show it.
Resting my mind with Flatty-chan’s soft thighs, I asked Trash-san, “What if I use my mind power? Illusions don’t work on my spirit form.”
I spoke softly so no one nearby could hear. The idea came when my fear eased a bit. My mind power could break mysteries like this. I saw through the red fog on the first layer, and my spirit sight never fell for illusions. Even a strong illusion would be useless.
”Let’s not,” she said. “The best plan with this monster is to ignore it.”
”Really? If I use it, I can see who is fake for sure.”
I hated things that touched the mind. Trash-san touched her chin and stayed quiet, choosing her words. Men once supported search teams in labyrinths, or so they said. Women fought, while men gave buffs and removed debuffs. There must have been men like me who saw through illusions and traps. So helping fight monsters would not be strange.
At last, she spoke. “If we find the monster, then what?”
”We defeat it. It’s a monster,” I said.
”Exactly. To be clear, we kill it. By your order, Young Master.” She chose sharp words. “But from our view, we cannot even know if you are real.”
”Oh. I’m not an exception,” I said. I almost agreed… then stopped. Something still felt off. I felt like I had to be here. To her, my presence was needed.
”But it’s strange to think I was born on this bridge. Too many things would not make sense.”
If I were not real, the kidnapping never happened. Without Himawari taking me, Trash-san would not be here on the second layer. They would not even know Isumi town. But Trash-san did not change her view.
”We know why you are here. But even that reason could be false, and we would not notice.”
No, that felt wrong. If I was a monster, then the royal guards had no master. They would not have mind power either. The three of us had no reason to be here.
”We can check each other with mind power, right? Then we will know,” I said. I wanted to crush my fear. I spoke quietly so the watchers would not hear. If I sent my spirit to her, I would appear to the real one. Even if I believed a fake was real, the power itself never changed. Mind power never bent, even if the owner lost control. You could not reset it. Nothing could change its base. A monster could not copy mind power. If she saw my spirit, we would know we were both real. Then we could agree, find the fake, and deal with them.
Trash-san thought carefully, then asked Flatty-chan a question that also answered me. “Flatty. If Young Master and I tried to kill you, what would you do?”
”I would fight with all I have. Flatty-chan is not a monster,” she said. Her logic was clear. “Because maybe both of you are monsters. Sorry, Young Master, but I would lock you in a cage until we finish. And I’d throw you into the river,” she said to Trash-san.
”…This is the point,” Trash-san said, frowning a little at Flatty-chan’s last words. Then she looked at me with warm, gentle eyes, like always. “Even if more people check, it does not help. Others may think Young Master and I are both monsters,” she said. People might suspect us if we attacked Flatty-chan first. We would look worse.
”All effects of this bridge are already known,” Trash-san said. She did not scold me. She simply shared her calm searcher logic. “If the locals tested it and found this is the safe way, we do not need to stir trouble. They may be bad people for kidnapping you, but we can trust them on this.”
She ended the talk there. She was right. People who crossed many times said doing nothing was best. We should listen. We could not beat this monster even if we found it. If I used mind power out of fear and found someone fake, I would need to pretend I did not know and walk with nearly thirty monsters. And if I tried to use mind power on Trash-san and it failed… I would lose my mind. What if she became a red, human-shaped lump of meat? No thanks.
”This bridge is clever. Some traps hurt you more when you learn the truth,” she said.
”Sorry. I guess you can’t just break every illusion,” I said.
”When people gain power, they want to use it. A mind power user needs the courage to not use their weapon. Even if you are not a searcher,” she said. A scene from a movie flashed in my mind—a tough guy in a jungle firing at rats, shouting “Come out, monster! I’ll kill you!” Then, when the real one appears, the gun is empty. Using mind power too much from fear was like wasting bullets.
”That’s right. You must choose the right time,” Flatty-chan said. “You should not be the one to say that. How many photon guns did you waste? I did not forget,” Trash-san said. “Hey, don’t say bad things about me in front of Young Master!”
Maybe she felt lonely, because Flatty-chan had slipped away from my hands and rejoined us. Hearing this from someone who wasted her own power made it sound true. This labyrinth was very special. Sometimes doing nothing was the only way through a complex problem. For a while, I should be careful with mind power. Not use it from curiosity, but only to confirm something at the end.
Walking with strange monsters around us felt creepy, but I tried to ignore it.
At last, we passed the bridge’s midpoint. The river below was dark red. The heavy water flowed with no whirl or wave.
The still surface of the river reflected the sky. The white clouds looked stained, drifting like they had soaked up blood from the red water.
A shout rang out. A fight had broken out. Word spread that a loose-tongued farmer—someone who had been on the second layer before—had revealed the bridge’s secret. The stress and fear of this dangerous layer had pushed people too far. Unlike us, the townsfolk at the outer edge had already lost people along the way. If left alone, someone would be thrown into the river. An Isumi town official rushed over, hit the two arguing townsfolk on the head to break it up, and dragged them apart. They reluctantly ignored each other and kept walking. If they both remained after crossing… that resentment would stay.
”I really want to check the truth with mind power… but no, no. Endure,” I muttered. It was painful to do nothing when I could find the monster. Maybe people unsuited for waiting like this never belonged in an exploration team. If Trash-san hadn’t stopped me, I would have used my power without thinking, ruined everything, and crossed the bridge crying.
Trash-san and Flatty-chan spoke beside me. Even after watching that fight, they weren’t shaken. They were… intrigued.
”Dungeons outside our home feel so different. Interesting,” Flatty-chan said. She looked comfortable—seeing this as a chance to learn about other labyrinths.
”I know it’s pointless to say, but are we even sure someone increased? Oh, I’m not planning to hunt for the culprit. Just curious,” she added.
Trash-san answered in the same light tone. “No one can know except the person. Maybe the monster itself is scared because it sees more people.”
”Even if it’s made, it thinks like a real person?” Flatty-chan said. Did the disguised monsters have minds? Did they think they were human, or did they think nothing at all? No one could ever prove the truth.
”Funny. But won’t that steal your spotlight, Trash? Your mind power isn’t the star here,” Flatty-chan teased.
Trash-san laughed. “True enough. I doubt I could store a whole person in my pocket.” They were used to strange events—true professionals. Flatty-chan cared about practical benefit; Trash-san simply loved mystery.
”No one seems odd. No one has done anything. But the numbers… it’s a puzzle,” Flatty-chan said. There had been no sign of illusions. Trash-san, walking beside us, looked back with a serious face.
”Maybe the extra one isn’t among us. It’s one in ten. We might not have one here…” she said. In three hundred people, about thirty had appeared. The chance one was among our small group was about forty percent—uncertain.
Flatty-chan smirked. “Well, if Trash is the monster, that tracks. Feels wrong that someone like her is my partner.”
”I agree,” Trash-san replied.
”I agree,” Trash-san replied.
”Oh, so you admit you’re unpleasant? Learn from the nicer partner, then.”
”I meant I agree with your thought,” Trash-san corrected.
”Hey!”
They walked ahead still bickering. It was a moment where they could relax—safe enough to take their eyes off me for a bit. The road ahead was long.
They joked, but nothing felt off. Their bond was the same as ever. Though, because Trash-san had once seen a fake version of herself, a phenomenon like this was far from comfortable. Mind powers were affected by childhood trauma—perhaps those who gained the ability to transform into others had once lived through something unforgettable on this bridge. This was the home of the umbrella spirit, after all.
”It’s strange. Someone who doesn’t exist is here… how?” I said quietly to the Imperial Guard walking behind me.
”You’re here too, right, Stages-san?”
”Yes. Right here,” she said with her gentle smile. “You worry too much, Master. Even if someone extra is here, it’s fine. I’ll protect you.”
Her smile was as warm as always. Nothing odd at all.
”You’re right. I’ll stop thinking about it. It’s not harming anyone.”
”In that case, let’s race and get off this bridge quickly,” she said.
”Yeah. Let’s.”
I took Stages-san’s hand. Because she watched over me, the two ahead felt safe enough to joke and argue. She really was a reliable guard.
”Stages… that’s unfairly cute of you—n-nothing. Just don’t let him trip,” Flatty-chan said, jealous but unable to ask for a turn holding my hand—that would sound improper.
Stages-san simply smiled and told her to watch her step. Flatty-chan thanked her with a huff.
”Stages… that’s unfairly cute of you—n-nothing. Just don’t let him trip,” Flatty-chan said, jealous but unable to ask for a turn holding my hand—that would sound improper.
Stages-san simply smiled and told her to watch her step. Flatty-chan thanked her with a huff. Still the same as always.
Stages-san tugged my hand, and we ran toward the front. When we stepped off the bridge, the number of people had returned to normal. But none of us knew who had appeared or who had vanished.
Just to be safe, I counted my Imperial Guards. With me here: Trash-san and Flatty-chan. In town: Maggot-san, Sow-san, Cult Slut-san, Vocal Slut-san, Crybaby-san, and Bucket-san. Eight total. All present. No one missing.
It had been a mysterious experience. Something frightening must have happened, but it felt ordinary. We had simply crossed a bridge. Those who died before the method was known… I felt sorry for them. Yet we even had time to admire the beauty of the ruined townscape around us.
This wasn’t a mystery where you later piece together clues. The truth would stay forever unknown. Perhaps the real horror had always been human suspicion.
”Oh, it really went back down. Honestly feels anticlimactic,” Flatty-chan said.
”I found it fascinating. A shame we won’t remember it,” Trash-san replied.
They were relaxed enough to joke. Flatty-chan looked back at the bridge and said something outrageous.
”Shame. I was hoping Trash would disappear and someone nicer would stay. Reality is harsh.”
”You’re still saying that? I know you’re joking, but don’t say such things,” Trash-san warned.
”S-sorry!”
I gave Flatty-chan’s side a light pinch. She shivered like a startled fawn. A moment ago we held hands, but she must have lowered her guard. Or… did we? I couldn’t recall clearly. But the feeling lingered.
Notes:
• Himawari – Young oni/aberration-type psionic; town leader/face; asks for promotion help; apologizes for killings; sets 2‑day deadline.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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