Voices of various ages and genders whispered to me from different directions. Some sounded angry, mocking, stirring anxiety, persuasive, or gentle... but all of them were equally worthless noise.
I opened the sliding door as it was, ignoring them. Beyond it was once again a pitch-black space...
(Now, where does this one lead to?)
Regardless, I couldn't stay here forever. I couldn't exit this mirror room, and when the time came, this space, this world inside the monster's belly, would likely be blown away quite literally. Holding hostages didn't work on exorcists all that well.
'Hey, wait. Don't ignore us!'
'Tch, you insolent monkey. Don't underestimate me!'
'You'll regret it. You'll soon be crying, wishing you stayed here.'
'Searching for an exit is useless, you know.'
'You guys can't escape from this prison.'
"What do I care, you fools."
Uttering those words quietly, I leaned into the darkness. Once again, I felt the sensation of floating, a strange feeling of descending... It wasn't as intense as when I defeated the Ōsanshōuo with Hina, but I still wasn't accustomed to this sensation. I dislike scream-inducing attractions.
"Hm? Come to think of it..."
Suddenly, as I continued to fall in the darkness, I noticed something. Did those mirror youkai mean "you guys" just now...?
(Do they mean the other people trapped here? Or perhaps the shikigami that might be monitoring me? No, the nuance feels different...)
Perplexed by the mirror youkai's words, I harbored doubts, and then...
'(>ω<.) Nnnｰ?, (* ´ ▽ ` *) Puha, Papa! I just finished taking a nap!'
"Are they talking about this spider!?"
I retorted, as if a punchline, to my companion, who suddenly opened their mouth with a seemingly joyful expression, even though I was still falling...
* * *
"...Well then. Let's take a break and check the belongings."
'(´･ω･｀) That's right'
"No, I'm not talking to you anyway."
In response to the direct conversation in my mind, I muttered before spreading out all of my belongings. It had a sense of belatedness, but it couldn't be helped. Both the 'Hyakkiya Yukari no Ma (Gap Realm)' and the 'Makyōkai no Ma (Mirror room)' were not places where I could calmly do something like this.
The place I arrived at after passing through the entrance of the 'Makyōkai no Ma (Mirror room)' was a small cave.
To be more precise, it was a dome-shaped cavern with an exposed rocky ceiling. The cave was bathed in sunlight, with a spread of grass and flower fields, accompanied by the chirping of birds, small animals, and the sound of insects. In one corner, a beautiful spring was visible, appearing pure even from a distance. Proceeding past it, conspicuously positioned, was a door leading to the next room... the 'Ōgon Sen no Ma (Chamber of the Golden Spring).'
Like the 'Mirror room' earlier, it was a stage specialized in catching newcomers off guard. Paradoxically, with prior knowledge, there wasn't much danger. Specifically, as long as I didn't peer into the depths of the spring, I wouldn't be mesmerized. ...Probably.
"According to the setting, there shouldn't be any youkai here... but I hope it's safe."
Just to be sure, I confirmed it right after falling into this room, and now I surveyed my surroundings again, remaining cautious. The animals inhabiting this room were supposed to be real wild animals, without any aggressiveness, but it was important not to let my guard down.
...Though, it seems like there are no signs of them. So, I returned my gaze to the ground.
"Well, this might be a bit tough."
'(. ･`з･)ﾉ I'm sorry for being rude, Papa! I'm smart, you know!
"No, I'm not measuring dimensions or anything."
Glancing at the items I took out from my waist pouch and other places, arranged on the grass, I unintentionally sighed. I also sighed at the foolish spider's comment.
Now... My main weapon is a spare short spear. As I mentioned before, this is a substitute for the long spear that got destroyed during the battle against the great youkai, presumed to have been instigated by that demon. The quality is a bit lower. It is true that the short spear is more maneuverable in indoor combat than the long spear... but how long will it last?
"In that case, having these two at hand is fortunate."
Gorilla-sama's custom-made Dagger (tantō) and the Teguruma (spider silk gloves) using Tsuchigumo's threads are my lifelines, unfitting for a servant. It is almost certain that the short spear will meet its end at some point. These two pieces of equipment can inflict injuries on great youkai and even calamity youkai, so they were literally my hope—'(´▽｀；) Oh no~ Even something like that exists!!!!'—Could you please be quiet?
Other equipment includes two smoke bombs and two flash bombs. There are four kunai and a surprisingly inconspicuous slingshot... These are the supplies I had due to my position as a servant and my previous experiences. However, it still feels a bit uncertain to survive within this 'Mayoiga.' I had anticipated dealing mostly with the snowslide of dependents spewed out from the mansion. But the current situation was indeed unexpected.
...Well, even if there were an endless supply of provisions, it would still feel insufficient when wandering through 'Mayoiga.'
"As for the water... it's about half full. According to the setting, I should be able to resupply, at least..."
I sighed as I checked the contents of the bamboo water container. There were a few candies and dried meat as portable food. It was fortunate that I had eaten lunch just before...
From the setting materials and fan videos, I know that in 'Mayoiga,' there are occasionally water, food, and other items scattered throughout the labyrinth. It's one of the constraints of 'Mayoiga's' capabilities and a characteristic that demonstrates the malicious nature of these youkai.
Inside this overwhelmingly vast mansion, even if people manage to fend off illusions and traps, they could still die of hunger without any provisions. These scattered supplies, acting as the price or relief for the heinous powers, also seem to show a faint glimmer of hope to the trapped prey, prolonging their suffering. Furthermore, some of these provisions themselves may be rigged with traps. Youkai truly are scum. And the production team that comes up with such settings is also scum.
"As for the curse tools and miscellaneous items..."
Leading the way was the 'Yamiyo Megakakushi no Magatama,' which allowed limited stealth, followed by the 'Youkai Shōrin (Enchanted Summoning Bell),' which I had used as bait during the great youkai extermination. There was also a rosary of prayer beads (repaired) that was returned to me by Kayo, along with a pouch of 'Uchikiyo Salt (Purified Salt)' and 'Migawari Shari' (an item used for diversion). I had about ten talismans, and then there was...
"Little Chick sculpture (Hiyoko-sama), huh?"
'(* ´ ▽ ` *) It's cute'
I held the wooden carving of a little chick, striking a heroic pose like in a superhero show, and I sighed in exasperation. In two ways. And I remembered the original knowledge about the sculpture I held in my hand.
This wooden carving itself was an extremely low-level item in the game, easily and readily available at any time, anywhere, and in any quantity, like some trash item that would be sold as soon as it was obtained, starting from the beginning of the game. It was a worthless item until that legendary anecdote was born... Since then, for some players, this Little Chick had been considered an essential item for good luck.
Of course, I didn't think there was any significance to such a joke-like act in this world that was not a game but felt like a game. Well, it wasn't... but...
"It must have accidentally mixed in with my belongings... Well, there's no point in discarding it here, I guess."
Although it was essentially unnecessary, I placed the palm-sized wooden carving back into my pocket. In such a shitty situation, even if it had no logical basis, I felt like wanting to rely on a good luck charm. It was a gift, after all, even if it was cheap—'(｀･∀･´) It's a cute little sister's present, after all!'—No, it's not.
"As for the rest... it's as expected."
The remaining miscellaneous items included rope, flint, a cloth, a compass, a handheld mirror, a bowl, chopsticks, emergency medical supplies such as bandages and disinfectant alcohol, ink and a brush for memos and writing, a foldable spoon (second generation) that Sarujirou had prepared for me, and various other items...
Basically, I had packed them all together in my waist pouch. This is the inventory of my belongings—'(o≧▽゜)o Papa, you must not forget about me!!'—And there's also the inside cage with its annoying contents.
These tools were not just for my personal use but were decided to be carried by the entire group. It was part of the job. In case we were suddenly attacked by youkai and our camp was burned down, or if the command structure collapsed and the group scattered, we carried these tools along with food in our waist pouches to survive. We were trained to keep them wrapped around our waist at all times or have them within immediate reach.
"Well, there's nothing particularly remarkable here. I knew that, but... well, it's better than not having what I expected."
I sighed as I packed away various equipment and tools. It was a sigh that mixed relief and disappointment. I wasn't disappointed, but... in this situation, how far can I go?
"...Well then, I guess it's time to finish the break."
Having finished packing everything and securing my waist pouch, I picked up my spear, put on my mask, and stood up. I focused my gaze on the door at the back of the spring. I started walking.
"I vaguely remember, but... the rooms ahead are unlikely to be pleasant."
Within the vast 'Mayoiga,' hundreds of rooms were created by the official sources and fans, each with its own set of connections to other rooms. Unfortunately, the rooms connected beyond this 'Chamber of the Golden Spring' were constantly changing, and most of them were dangerous. However, I couldn't afford to hesitate. I had to face reality.
"...I must brace myself."
'(*´∀)ﾉ Yay!'
Having likely left behind the spring where countless victims had transformed into gold and sunk to the bottom, I stood in front of the door. I took a deep breath... preparing myself.
"I'll take my chances!"
I energetically opened the door and rushed through it, but before I knew it, I found myself sitting on the ground in the middle of a nighttime road.
"...Oh, isn't this bad?"
'(*´･ω･) bad? No food?'
