Ariadne - Labyrinth of Questions 2

Location: Inside the Labyrinth

Kohaku: The Vice Prez said his part an’ buggered right off… No idea what goes on in that head of his.

HiMERU: Thinking about it will likely prove useless, anyhow. The more pressing issue at hand is that we are trapped in this labyrinth, equipped with nothing but the clothes on our backs.

Take a look around. In the time the Vice President was exercising his eloquence, the studio bus that brought us here quietly vanished somewhere.

In all likelihood, it boarded some sort of elevator that connects with the surface and was recovered there. There is no doubt that we Crazy:B are truly locked inside this labyrinth now.

Rinne: No oversights on that part, as expected of a strategist like him.

Since we can’t come back the way we came, our only chance at escape is playin’ along with that game of his. At least we’ve got those sweet rewards from the treasure chests to look forward to.

Niki: Oh, right. Those “prizes” the Vice President spoke of.

My stomach’s growling already, so I hope they’re food. But since he called them prizes, it sounds like they’ll be some kind of merchandise...

Rinne: Who knows. We’ll know when we open one up and have a look-see.

I’m always down to rebel against Lil’ Snakeyboy every chance we get, but we’re at the mercy of our hunger and thirst like this, so we should get a move on and aim for that blue sky in the distance.

Aside from how we ain’t got a choice but to look for the exit anyhow, I’m also pretty sure they’ll force us to obey the rules of this “Labyrinth of Minotaurus” no matter what.

HiMERU: Crazy:B following rules for once will be quite the rare spectacle.

If his goal is to have us compensate for the humiliation he endured during Bogie Time, then HiMERU would call his plan a success.

— That said, HiMERU has already laid eyes on the first treasure chest right away.

Judging from how easy it was to find this one, HiMERU wagers that this one was left out in the open in order to facilitate an explanation of the rules.

Kohaku: A “Red Treasure Chest”... Those still have prizes in ‘em, don’t they? Might be a good idea to try our hand at the mission fer it.

HiMERU: — Vice President, you’re still watching, aren’t you? We would like to attempt this mission.

Ibara: “Yes, yes! Naturally, I am observing every single move you make!”

“But it wouldn’t do for me to steal your spotlight as participants, so I will only be appearing on monitors at suitable moments ♪“

“Well then, since you’ve opted to attempt the mission for the Red Treasure Chest — please touch the lock to the treasure chest.”

HiMERU: Touch it… Like this?

- QUIZ MISSION! -
First Question: “Which fruit is dangerous when handled improperly?”

HiMERU: Interesting. The treasure chest has a touch sensor that displays the mission when activated.

A fruit that is dangerous when used improperly…

Niki: Oh, I’ve got it! It’s probably the duria— 

Mmph…?!

Rinne: Hold it, punk. Don’t use up our guesses all willy-nilly.

Niki: Mmngh, mmph~!

… Phew! Please don’t cover my mouth and nose out of nowhere like that! Were you trying to suffocate me?!

Rinne: I was trying to make ya shut up and listen. What we’re dealin’ with here ain’t a “quiz mission”, but a “trick question”.

Remember, it was our foul-tempered Snakeyboy who set this question up. You’ll regret it if you just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

Niki: Uu~. But there aren’t many fruits that can cause harm when you handle them carelessly, right? The only one is really the duri—

Rinne: What was that?

Niki: N-Nothing. Nevermind. I don’t wanna burn calories on something stupid like this, so I’ll keep my mouth shut!

HiMERU: — Please leave this matter to HiMERU. Quizzes happen to be HiMERU’s area of expertise.

Rinne: That may be our best bet here. Leavin’ aside the question of whether quizzes and trick questions are the same thing, Merumeru’s prolly the brightest among us either way.

HiMERU: If HiMERU is the brightest among us, then Amagi must be the sharpest.

Judging from the automatic voice playing from the treasure chest, there will also be other missions that aren’t quizzes, so we should always use the most suitable person for the job.

“Which fruit is dangerous when used improperly?” — The answer is the pineapple.

… Please confirm this, Vice President.

Ibara: “What a definite answer! And the correct answer is: The pineapple! — since that’s also a nickname for hand grenades ♪“

“Since you solved the riddle so magnificently, allow me to open the treasure chest! Open sesame!”

Niki: This smell must be… a sandwich!

Kohaku: There’s also a plastic bottle with water in here. And something that’s lookin’ a mighty lot like a key of sorts.

Ibara: “That would be a key to open a door in the labyrinth!”

“While it is possible to reach the exit without using any keys, getting your hands on them will open the path to a number of convenient shortcuts.”

Kohaku: Hmm. So long story short, by openin’ up treasure chests we’ll be supplied with provisions an’ equipment, and we’ll progress through the labyrinth.

Ibara: “Exactly. However, if you are to fail a mission, there are variety show-like punishments prepared for you, so I implore you to proceed with utmost care.”

“Well then, now that the explanation of the treasure chests has concluded, allow me to return to my quiet observation! Best of luck to you all...♪”

Niki: Fufufufu...♪ Time to dig into this sandwich! Gotta say, I was starving over here...♪

Rinne: Now, now, Niki-kyuuun! It’s bad manners to hog all the food, now hand over that sandwich you’re holdin’!

Niki: Wh-, I was totally going to share it with the rest of you~! There’s only enough food for one person in here, so obviously we’ve gotta divide it between us four!

Rinne: Right, like I’m buyin’ that comin’ from the guy who made sure he’d be the first to grab the sandwich. As if!

There, confiscated~♪ Leave it to lil’ old me to divide it fairly and evenly!

Niki: Guh, sloppy as you always are, Rinne-kun, it stings to hear you say the words “fairly and evenly” to me...!

Kohaku: I’m not that hungry anyway, so I don’t mind givin’ you my part of the sandwich, Niki-han.

A fourth of it won’t make a difference, but if ya can at least eat half of it, that should be satisfying enough for now, right?

Niki: I owe you big time! Next time we come across anything edible, I’ll make sure to pay you back with my share, Kohaku-chan!

HiMERU: In order for you to fulfill that promise, we’ll have to attempt more treasure chest missions while we’re looking for the exit.

We’re playing right into the Vice President’s hands, but it’s our only choice. From the sounds of it, the Golden Treasure Chests will contain more lavish prizes, so not attempting them isn’t an option.

In all likelihood, the Golden Treasure Chests contain the grand prizes of this game — They must be things we covet desperately.

Kohaku: Oho. We’ve only just opened the first Red Treasure Chest an’ you’ve already figured it all out?

HiMERU: — Yes. We were recently interviewed for a magazine, remember? HiMERU recalls that among those questions, there was one that inquired as to what it is that we covet.

If that was part of the Vice President’s set-up, HiMERU believes that it’s possible for the Golden Treasure Chests to contain our answers to that question.

Niki: So it really is beef tongues!

Kohaku: No way, Niki-han… Did ya seriously answer “beef tongues” during that interview too…?

Niki: How could I not have~. Ever since I heard that we’d spend the weekend in the countryside, my head’s been filled with nothing but beef tongues!

Alrighty. Now that this is settled, let’s go look for the next treasure chest! Come on now, don’t dally around~!

HiMERU: Oh my, how troublesome. As soon as Shiina sets his mind on food, he’s immediately as eager as can be.

Rinne: Yep. Still, this is a hundred times better than when he’s throwin’ a tantrum like, “I can’t move, I’m sooo hungryyy”.

But I can’t shake the feeling that something’s fishy here. Ain’t this all a bit too benevolent comin’ from the guy who’s known to be a venomous snake?

HiMERU: Fufu. The thought crossed HiMERU’s mind as well.

It’s another mystery we’ll need to solve as we progress through this labyrinth — otherwise our actions won’t amount to much more than dancing in his palm.

At the very least, we must remain vigilant.