Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Six: Let’s Go For a Night Drive!
By the time we raced through that secret underground passage-like alley and opened the door to the hideaway shop, night had fallen completely over the town. Lights glowed in the windows of houses, and both a full moon and crescent moon hung in the sky.
The sound of our hurried footsteps echoes through the stone-built streets, now empty of passersby. Mr. Ville leads the way, weaving through narrow back alleys and gaps between buildings as if he knows every inch of this place.
“So we’re heading straight to the site now, right?”
“Yes. According to the report, the problematic shadow becomes extremely active around midnight.”
“If we leave now, we should be able to reach the village in your Camping Car.”
As I sought confirmation from Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon walking ahead, slipping through narrow gaps between buildings, they answered without glancing back.
Even here in town with streetlights, it feels pretty dark. Smaller villages must be even darker. No wonder people are scared when something unknown is prowling around in that darkness…! I can understand why Mr. Ville is in such a hurry.
Carrying Gomamiso at this pace is getting a bit tough, so I decided to release the kitten at a suitable spot. Despite being unceremoniously dropped, it lands gracefully on the ground and starts running, using its whole body like a spring.
That fluid use of its body is truly feline. Wow… I had no idea Gomamiso had such athletic ability.
“I… never thought… you… could be… so agile… Gomamiso…!”
‘I’m awesome, you know! Totally wild, aren’t I?’
Gomamiso, who had been running alongside me with its tail and wings swaying, puffed out its chest and then bounded ahead to catch up with Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon at the front.
Impressive… So much energy…
In stark contrast to Gomamiso’s abundant vitality, I’m desperately moving my feet, trying not to stumble, my breathing ragged… How long have I been doing this cardio exercise somewhere between power walking and jogging? Before I knew it, my body had carried me to the outskirts of town… in front of the guard post set in the city walls.
I have no idea where or how I ran, but if you just keep moving your body, you’ll reach your destination. The power of unconscious action is amazing!
Fortunately, or perhaps inevitably… despite it being quite late by this world’s standards, the documents Mr. Ville’s brother had given us seemed to carry significant weight. The guard let us through the gate without any fuss.
The stone-built town had been beautiful, and I never felt cramped there, but standing here in the open field under an unobstructed starry sky made me realize that the town had its own kind of pressure.
As I take deep breaths to supply oxygen to my still-gasping brain, a sweet floral scent wafted from somewhere. Moonlight and the scent of flowers… How elegant and refined… Now, I just hope the smell of blood doesn’t mix with this air.
We moved quickly along the road, getting away from the lit guardhouse.
Even with the moonlight, as we put some distance, our figures should become quite hard to see… When the light from the gate we’d just exited became as small as a grain of rice, I materialized the Camping Car.
The artificial light sears my retina, but I’m sure it’s invisible to others.
The party members, including Gomamiso, go into the cabin. With Mr. Ville in the passenger seat as navigator, our night drive begins!
I climb into the driver’s seat and start the engine. A low rumble accompanied by slight vibrations comes through the seat. Just as I am about to check the rearview and side mirrors to start moving… something flitted across the edge of my vision.
Visible through the driver’s side window is a large shadow, blocking out the light of the full moon and crescent moon brilliantly illuminating the night sky.
“Mr. Ville! That! Could that be the thing we’re looking for…!?”
“Indeed… a giant shadow crossing the night sky…”
I hurriedly tapped Mr. Ville’s arm in the passenger seat to get his attention. The shadow smoothly changed course towards the village we were heading to and flew away.
There’s little doubt that the shadow is the target of our current request.
“For now, I’ll follow that shadow! It’s probably heading to that village…”
“Yes, please do! At this hour, we likely won’t have to worry about other travelers on the road.”
I shift gears and press down on the accelerator. With a light engine sound, the Camping Car starts down the road.
I don’t know if we’ll encounter demons or snakes ahead, but that Unidentified Flying Object (mysterious shadow) will surely show itself.
Well, not knowing what it really is makes it scary, but there's no choice but to go!”
Following Mr. Ville’s directions from the passenger seat, I turn the steering wheel left and right.
The moons still hung high in the sky.
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