Memoirs of the Returnee
chapter-156

Test (3)

“It’s quiet now.”

Inside the hideout, silence had fallen.

At Gerkhen’s words, I yawned and nodded.

“Indeed.”

“How much time is left?”

I looked at the ticket.

[10:53]

A timer is displayed on the ticket like this. I’m guessing it’s roughly the maximum time we can stay in this hideout.

“About 10 minutes. Yawn… I’m tired.”

Is it the backlash from the ‘Dice Roll’? I’m quite sleepy.

By the way, the dice in reality are ordinary, unlike the [Bethune Dungeon]. It’s a cube that only shows numbers from 1 to 6.

“……”

I took out a fruit from my pocket.

A fruit that grew from my head. I wonder if eating this will recover my fatigue.

“What about the Death Knight?”

“He’s gone far.”

The pounding, screaming fists that were pounding away had disappeared about 5 minutes ago.

“It seems the Death Knight has given up.”

“……Should we open it?”

Gerkhen grabbed the doorknob.

Creak-creak-

Creak-creak-

“What are you doing?”

I approached him. Gerkhen slightly furrowed his brow.

“It won’t open.”

“What?”

He gripped the doorknob.

Creak-creak-! Creak-creak-!

Just a moment ago, it wouldn’t close, but now it won’t open.

“What’s this? Did Soliette block it?”

“……The Death Knight.”

Gerkhen corrected my mistake.

“Ah. The Death Knight blocked it.” (to protect Soliette’s Dignity)

“It’s probably just not opening.”

He pointed to the passage in the corner of the hideout.

“Let’s go there first.”

“……Well, okay.”

It’s almost like a mouse hole, but there doesn’t seem to be any other way.

The two of us went in.

The passage itself was too narrow for two people to walk side by side, and it was very dark.

“Wait a moment.”

I drew a ‘Card’.

Shriek-

The first one was a dud, but the second one was drawn correctly.

It’s a ‘Flashlight’.

The card emitting a flash illuminated the entire passage.

“Let’s go.”

We walked for about 5 minutes.

A door appeared at the end of the passage.

“What’s this?”

[2]

The same number 2. But there was a different sign underneath.

[Rest Area]

“Rest area?”

Gerkhen grabbed the doorknob.

“This door seems to open.”

“Is there a separate entrance and exit? But, wait a moment.”

I looked at the ticket.

[03:15]

“There’s only 3 minutes left, you know? Let’s wait until the time is up.”

“Let’s do that.”

We waited in front of the door.

Click-!

When the 3 minutes were up, the door automatically opened. Outside was still the [Planarium].

“Ah, as expected. It seems that you can only use the same hideout once per ticket.”

“I’ve confirmed it.”

I held up the ticket.

The red dot that had moved a reasonable distance, as soon as we came out, changed its course towards us.

“Let’s head to another X mark for now.”

Gerkhen nodded.

It’s a bit empty without Soliette next to us, but well. We can’t do anything until she finds a ticket.

Because of the damn Death Knight, it might be more convenient not to have a ticket.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

Gerkhen and I looked at all the X-marked on the tickets.

[5]

[Empty Lot]

An empty lot where up to five people can stay for an hour. It was truly an empty lot, and the Death Knight couldn’t step foot in it.

[7]

[Store]

A store where seven people can stay for two hours. It looked like an ordinary convenience store, but it was already full with seven people, so we couldn’t enter.

[25]

[Bank]

A bank where 25 people can stay for three hours.

It was a decent-sized bank, but the remaining time was too long, so we left halfway through.

“We’re just being chased around. Is enduring the test?”

“Could be.”

Thanks to that, we were chased around in [Planarium] for almost half a day.

“How many hours can you endure with a ticket? It’s a sufficient test.”

At Gerkhen’s words, I nodded.

Then, something caught my eye in the distance.

“Phew.”

With a sigh of relief, I smiled.

“Hey. That looks like we’ve found the right place?”

[300]

[Cave]

Maximum entry of 300 people.

A cave.

“Shall we go in?”

“Let’s.”

We both went in. As soon as we stepped in, we both looked at our tickets.

[3 : 00 : 00]

“What? We only have 3 hours here?”

“Let’s go in first.”

If it’s 300 people, there should be a lot.

We walked in. The cave, which was only two lanes at first, widened as we went in, almost becoming a park.

“…What is this place.”

I pulled out a 「Card」 again and lit up the surroundings with a flashlight.

It was an empty space with nothing, just vast.

─Who’s there!

Just then, a voice echoed. It seemed to have caught the light.

It was a familiar tone. The echo was elevated due to the cave, but it was Layla.

I stopped the card operation for now and walked towards where the voice came from.

“…There are a lot of people over there.”

There were almost 200~300 people there.

“Oh. What? Is that Shion? Gerkhen is here too?”

Among them, Layla blinked her eyes at us.

“Are you two in a party?”

I asked first.

“What is this place?”

“It’s a cave. 300 of us are resting here. Hey Shion! But when are you opening your farm?!”

“I’ll open it after this test.”

“Oh yeah~ Hey, you saw the reservation, right?! I’m the first one!! If there’s someone going before me, don’t let them go!!”

“I got it, I got it.”

I looked around. Most of the seniors had extremely tired faces.

“Have you guys just been chased around?”

“Yeah. There were a lot of monsters. Dullahan, Death Knight, Amarok… Phew! I almost died!” (Amarok is a giant wolf-like creature)

Just then.

At the entrance of the cave, another person appeared.

Thud-!

A footstep that seemed deliberately loud.

Layla turned to look, and I felt a strange heat in my chest.

“Oh! It’s Soliette!”

Soliette.

She was tightly clutching a ticket in one hand, but her body was covered in mud, indicating that quite a lot had happened.

──It’s full with 300 people!

At that moment, a strange sound echoed from the ceiling of the cave.

Thank goodness.

──Good!

I looked up. The cave ceiling writhed like a human face.

──First, take that ticket and find [A Place of Starvation]!

It was the same voice as the stone statue in the dormitory this morning.

Layla furrowed her brow.

“A Place of Starvation?”

──Yes! You can use the ticket at [A Place of Starvation]!

I cleared my throat and got up. I approached Soliette. As soon as I sat down, she lifted her buttocks and fled to the side.

I followed her.

“I couldn’t help it.”

“…….”

“Excuse me?”

“…….”

Soliette kept her mouth shut. She lifted her buttocks again and fled to the side.

I followed her once more.

Then, our hands slightly touched.

“!”

Soliette reacted unusually.

“Why, why are you touching me.”

“I’m sorry.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

Only then did Soliette let out a sigh with a slightly softened face.

“……I understand. I understand, but I’m just a little angry.”

“The Death Knight didn’t even care about you.”

“That’s true.”

“Where did you get the ticket?”

“……I happened to meet a senior who was giving up. I took it instead.”

“No───”

Layla, scratching her hair, abruptly stood up.

“A place of starvation. A place of starvation…….”

She kept mumbling, “A place of starvation, a place of starvation,” furrowing her brow.

“Ah~ Where could a place of starvation be. It can’t be the market…….”

“……?”

At that moment, my ears perked up.

Market.

Market smell.

It seems like it’s the market?

“…….”

I cautiously looked around.

Still, nobody seemed to suspect much.

I tapped Soliette’s shoulder and got up from my seat.

“?”

She looked puzzled, but followed me quietly when I gestured.

“What’s up. Where is Shion going?”

“To the restroom.”

“Really? Soliette too?”

“Yes.”

Layla giggled with a curious face.

“……What about you, Gerkhen?

Before I knew it, Gerkhen was also behind me.

“Restroom.”

“You too?”

It wasn’t just Gerkhen.

Nearly 300 seniors were subtly getting up from their seats, showing signs of leaving the cave.

Layla chuckled.

“Why are you guys going all together? Ah~ Are you guys thinking about the market? It’s not the market~ Definitely not~ Well, there is a saying about the market smell…….”

Layla’s words stopped.

Her lips closed tight.

“Wait…… market smell…… market…… A place of starvation…….”

She was the first to guess the answer, and she was late to assemble the puzzle while only looking at her own finger.

“Uh…….”

Layla’s pupils shook violently.

In an instant, nearly all of the 300 people moved hurriedly.

“……Ah! No!”

Layla let out a scream of defeat.

“No! You can’t! Don’t go! I was the one who figured it out!”

Clutching at the hems of the running seniors’ clothes, she cried out.

“No! If you’re going, take me with you! Take me with you! I don’t know where the market is, where is the market───!!”

* * *

A Place of Starvation.

The market.

[50]

[Market]

We arrived there, but there was a problem.

─It’s full here!

─There’s no place for you, go back.

Already filled with 50 people.

I looked at the ticket again. There was another red dot nearby.

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Somewhere else?”

Soliette asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

“There must be another market. Surely it’s not the only one.”

“Ri, right. Surely it’s not the only one~?”

Layla had joined our party in surprise.

She was just running and ended up sticking to our tails.

“Let’s split into teams of two.”

I drew a 「card」. I gave one to Gerkhen, and I kept the other.

“Gerkhen and Layla are a team. Soliette and I are a team.”

“With me…… Shion?”

Soliette glanced at me suddenly.

“Yeah. Why. Don’t you like it?”

“No. It’s not that I don’t like it-”

“I won’t betray you now. And what’s the betrayal. I gave you comfort.”

“What? Gave me comfort?”

Soliette’s eyes narrowed again.

“Anyway. If you find the market first, write on that card. It’s connected. If possible, keep a place for us.”

I told Gerkhen.

By the way, this card is like a shared notebook. If you write on one side, the same text appears on the other side.

“Understood.”

Gerkhen took the card. Layla looked at it with curiosity.

“Really? Shion has interesting things…… I want to analyze it.”

“It’s night now, so it’s really dangerous. As much as possible, hide until the end of the night.”

This is sincere advice. The night of [Planarium] is, frankly, as dangerous as the underworld.

“Let’s split up. The red dot is right nearby.”

We separated. Gerkhen and Layla went to the right, Soliette and I to the left.

“There’s more than one enemy.”

It’s not that. Now, the red dots on the ticket are countless.

The dot that was only one Death Knight, is now rushing towards us from almost all directions.

“Don’t abandon me this time.”

“Do you think I’d abandon you twice in one day?”

I ran towards the X on the ticket.

First, I tried to find a place to stay up all night……

[4]

[Boat]

[6: 00 : 00]

A harbor reached by chance.

A pier placed in the middle of a mountain.

There was a single boat left there.

“……There’s a boat.”

And it’s for 6 hours.

“Yes. But, is this a river?”

Planarium is clearly a mountain, but that’s just ‘on the surface’. This is a space not bound by geography.

“It’s the sea. The sea of souls.”

So sometimes places like this come out. A sea with a mysterious and enchanting view.

“Let’s get on here first.”

I got on the boat first. It was a boat that could comfortably accommodate 4 people, perfect for spending a day.

“Is it okay?”

“Yeah. The sea of [Planarium] is safe.”

The usual sea on the continent is filled with unknowns, fear, horror, and deep sea, but [Planarium] is rather the opposite.

The sea here is the safest place, melted with only the positive parts of the soul.

“Get on quickly.”

Red dots are rushing in from behind in an enormous amount. Like a horde of zombies.

“Yes.”

Only then did Soliette get on the boat.

“Do you know how to drive?”

“Of course.”

As soon as I sat in the driver’s seat, I stepped on the accelerator.

Vroooom───!

The boat swept through the water and moved forward. Soliette was shaken for a moment, but soon regained her balance.

Vroooom────

The vast sea of souls, rushing through on a boat. The vast expanse of it.

There, I stopped.

I stopped inadvertently.

“……The view is nice.”

The view was too good.

So good that it’s hard to express with any word meaning ‘good’.

The color reflecting vast and holding blue, purple, white, and green. A mesmerizing scene like a decalcomania that also holds the appearance of the sky on the water surface.

This place, where even the wind is dyed in rainbow colors in the multicolored splendor… truly fits the description of ‘fantastic’.

“……Yes. That’s right.”

I looked back at Soliette. She had a similar face to mine, but suddenly she slightly turned her eyes towards me.

Our eyes met that way.

She was the first to be surprised and withdrew her gaze, and I awkwardly looked back at the sea.

“…….”

“…….”

A short silence flowed a bit awkwardly.

“Um…… Shion.”

Afterwards, Soliette quietly called my name. Still keeping her eyes down.

“What.”

“There’s something, I want to ask.”

“What is it.”

“…….”

There was no answer.

No matter how long I waited, the next part didn’t continue.

Is she contemplating?

What does she want to say?

I looked back at her and said.

“What. Say it. Before I throw you into the sea.”

“Shion.”

She seemed to have made up her mind and looked up at me. I smiled quite leisurely.

“Why-”

“Do you like me, Shion?”

A voice that formed a sentence in a moment.

Words that flowed without hindrance.

Her words made me speechless, and the leisure at the corner of my mouth disappeared.

Whooooosh…….

A quiet current occurred. The colored wind shook her hair. Small waves splashed on us.

I looked into her eyes.

For a moment──

No.

For quite a long time.

I just looked into those clear eyes.