bakemonoremy | Entries tagged with ariadne

Location: Inside the Labyrinth

- A short while after the beginning of the treasure hunt -

Niki: Oh boy, how much longer ‘til I get my beef tongues~? I can’t wait!

They’re inside a Golden Treasure Chest, right? That means it should be sparkling golden and super easy to see!

Kohaku: Niki-han, can ya drop the beef tongue thing already? Yer ruinin’ the tense atmosphere.

Keep in mind that we’re locked inside a labyrinth here, will ya.

HiMERU: Considering that it was the Vice President who prepared this, the beef tongues may be positioned close to the exit of the labyrinth, based on how the program is named after a cow-adjacent monster.

Kohaku: Not you too, HiMERU-han. Feels like yer lettin’ Niki-han coax ya into sayin’ moronic stuff.

HiMERU: Oh my. HiMERU was merely attempting a deduction based on the information we currently have.

— Well, Crazy:B has survived as a unit by circumventing the rules.

Since we’re unable to make use of this strong point of ours in this isolated environment we’re placed in, not a lot of the footage they get will be of much use.

Given that they intend to broadcast this as a variety show, Shiina’s thoughtless manner should work out well for that purpose.

Niki: Mean of you to call me thoughtless when I’m as serious as can be! There’s food on the line!

Speaking of which, I’m not the only one they prepared a Golden Treasure Chest for, right? What did you guys say you want?

Feels weird when I’m the only one who’s desperate, so spit it out already, guys ♪

Kohaku: Uhh… Bein’ put on the spot like this feels kinda embarrassing…

Well, since they’re recordin’ a variety show here, it’ll be a good chance fer the viewers to get ta know us.

The shame an’ nerves I’m feelin’ really fade away a bit from how unreserved you’re actin’, Niki-han.

As fer me, I answered that I want a travel coupon.

Ever since I left my family home, I’ve spent basically all o’ my time in the vicinity of ES. So I kinda started feelin’ like goin’ on a trip somewhere.

Niki: I see… Traveling’s a lot of fun, I agree!

What did you ask for, Rinne-kun? Though you seem the type to ask for cold, hard cash ...♪

Rinne: ………

Niki: Rinne-kun?

Actually, you’ve been weirdly quiet for a while now. Got a tummy ache?

Rinne: As if. More importantly, check this out… The mark on this wall, I mean.

Niki: Let’s see here… Oh, you’re right. On closer examination, there’s a cross mark scratched into it. ...Think it’s marking the location of a treasure chest?

Wow, that’s a great find, Rinne-kun! We’re one step closer to the treasure!

HiMERU: No. This mark — it doesn’t signify anything good. Judging from the traces of dirt, it must have been made fairly recently.

Niki: Huh?

Kohaku: Fairly recently… Are you sayin’ that someone who’s not part of our group made this cross mark?

Rinne: Nope. I was trailin’ behind the rest of you guys and left these marks as I went. Figured they’d come in handy if we wanted to retrace our steps later, but who would’ve guessed it’d come to this?

Kohaku: It felt like we’ve been walkin’ straight ahead all this time, so does this mean that the inside of this labyrinth is somehow slightly warped?

Rinne: You’ve got it. Just as you said, Kohaku-chan, it means that we’ve been walkin’ in circles all this time. Our Lil’ Snakeyboy is puttin’ his serpentine wisdom to good use ♪

Kohaku: I told ya to quit it with the “Kohaku-chan”. Don’t go crackin’ jokes just ‘cause yer in a good mood, Rinne-han, it’s a real pisser.

‘Sides, why’re ya in such high spirits at a time like this anyway, Rinne-han? They made us walk the same path over an’ over!

Rinne: Gyahahahaha ♪ What’s interesting to me is the very fact that we’ve been in the same situation the whole time ♪

Kohaku: Hah?

Rinne: Think it over. Lil’ Snakeyboy’s in a position where he could have directly set his hands on us, and yet he went through all the trouble of preparin’ this whole-ass labyrinth instead.

He could be causin’ us real harm, but instead he’s just doin’ this show… Get it?

Puttin’ in the other way around, this shows just how much he wants us to give it our all on this program.

Plannin’ this program, “Labyrinth of Minotaurus”, and even givin’ us these rewards…

At first I thought this was some kinda trap, but now I can tell that he doesn’t mean harm.

In fact, it’s like he conducted that whole interview in advance just to scrape together some freebies we’d like.

Even his twisted personality starts to seem adorable when I think of him as my junior. Haven’t you guys started to find our Lil’ Snakeyboy kinda cute, too? ♪

HiMERU: “Cute” is a strong word.

Although judging from the Vice President’s words and actions, as well as the contents of this labyrinth, HiMERU also believes that he isn’t trying to make us yield to him.

If anything, the natural conclusion would be that by bestowing Crazy:B rewards, he is trying to attain success in a much larger, separate plan.

Otherwise, the Vice President’s underhanded and treacherous — Ahem, HiMERU misspoke. His bold and innovative way of thinking should’ve culminated in a labyrinth that is filled to the brim with traps.

Kohaku: Now that ya say it, fer our Vice Prez-han, this sure is a mighty gentle setup he’s prepared here.

Sure it’s a prank, but it’s a setup the viewers are gonna be okay with. Meaning, it’s a layout that’s not impossible to beat or anything.

Rinne: Exactamundo. Now that we cleared that up, let’s walk another lap and choose the path that doesn’t have any cross marks on it yet.

Niki: Alright. I don’t really get what’s going on, but gotcha!

So, I’ll be following behind you guys! Guiding the way seems like a pain, so I’m leaving that up to you!

I’m used to traveling for the purpose of gathering ingredients, but even I’ve never explored a labyrinth before~.

Rinne: Well, damned if any of us have any experience bein’ in labyrinths.

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.

Location: Inside the Labyrinth

Rinne: But man, now this is what I call a labyrinth! Think they’re gonna make us do hard labor down here?*

Kohaku: Even ES ain’t shameless an’ cruel enough fer that.

This labyrinth — well, it’s more spacious than my place back home, but it still don’t seem like a pleasant place ta be brought to against my will. The air here’s all stuffy an’ humid, an’ it’s way gloomy in this place.

HiMERU: It’s hard to say whether it’s due to the geological features of the area, but it indeed feels quite musty here.

Niki: Hey, what gives? Why are your reactions all so lukewarm, like “Welp, this sure is a labyrinth”?!

What the hell do you mean we’re in a labyrinth!? Where are my beef tongues~?

Kohaku: Give up on those beef tongues already. Look, we’re clearly imprisoned in a place where we might struggle to find anything ta eat at all.

Lettin’ this ruffle our feathers ain’t gonna help one bit. All we can do is keep a calm head an’ unravel these circumstances we’ve been thrust into.

Niki: I-I mean, you’re right, but… It’s scary how you’re all way too used to being in trouble! What if we starve to death locked up in this labyrinth?!

HiMERU: — Please be at ease. Since they passed this off as a simple job, they won’t go as far as to make us die of starvation. Also, for what it’s worth, this country has laws in place.

They wouldn’t want to run the risk of breaking those for a group of troublemakers like us.

Judging from how there are surveillance cameras and monitors installed everywhere, it would be reasonable to infer that this is the contrivance of someone who wants to turn us into a spectacle.

Niki: Now that you say it… What are those things for?

HiMERU: They’re likely related to the job. In all probability, they’re equipment for broadcasting and video recording.

As for what kind of person would go this far to play an intricate prank on us, even choosing to monitor us at this remote location — There’s pretty much only one man who fits that criteria.

Rinne: Right on. If ya narrow it down to people who’ve got incentive to lock us up, you can count the suspects on one hand.

Hey, you can see us right now, can’tcha, ya ol’ viper?

Ibara (Off-screen): “Ah ha ha ☆ Indeed, clear as day!”

“Did you enjoy your first impression of the labyrinth, esteemed members of Crazy:B?”

Niki: S-So it was the Vice President who brought us here?!

Rinne: Who the hell else would’ve done it?

There’s no one else who’d willingly mess with killer bees — unless they’ve got a reliable antidote to our poison, that is.

Like fightin’ poison with poison. Ain’t that right, Snakeyboy? Finally felt up for teachin’ us some manners, huh?

Ibara: “Far from it! I have no intentions of keeping unruly pets ♪“

“I merely arranged for a variety show recording for all of you in my function as a manager at our agency, seeing as how Crazy:B is always in want of work!”

“You would not believe it, but I was made to suffer — I mean, enjoy, this very same underground labyrinth myself during Bogie Time.”

“Although I’m aware that I may be overstepping my boundaries, I took the liberty of recycling it for my own purposes in order to help Crazy:B become a more friendly and approachable unit.”

“By delivering the viewers a cheerful comedy during primetime, Crazy:B can break into a new fanbase bracket, and I’ll be able to subject others to the hardship I was made to experience during Bogie Time...☆”

“What do you think? Aren’t you glad to have such a considerate superior?”

HiMERU: That is just about the worst reason to abduct someone that HiMERU can think of.

Kohaku: Bogie Time — Ain’t that this show Rinne-han exploded with laughter watchin’? The one where they called Vice Prez-han “Ibanyan” the whole time? So that’s the kinda experience we’ve gotta steel ourselves fer, huh.

Niki: So that whole story about getting to eat local specialties in the countryside was nothing but a lie!? That’s so heartless! You do realize I only made it through the past week of my life because I had those beef tongues to look forward to, right?!

Ibara (Offscreen): “Fufu, please be unconcerned regarding that matter!”

“These kinds of challenge-based variety shows have prizes and penalties prepared for the participants.”

“Humans are capable of dealing with less-than-reasonable circumstances when there is a reward waiting for them at the end — Needless to say, I’ve kept that in mind when coming up with this plan.”

“There are a number of treasure chests placed in this labyrinth.”

“Inside them are your prizes — The catch being that you need to accomplish missions in order to obtain them.”

“The name of this show is “Labyrinth of Minotaurus”! I hope you thoroughly enjoy it, dearest members of Crazy:B!”

HiMERU & Kohaku: ……… (Staring coldly)

Ibara: “My oh my, your motivation strikes me as quite lacking! And here I went through all this trouble of preparing a project for you all, in spite of how busy I am~...”

“Very well. Figuring out how to put your subordinates to work — that is also the duty of a manager.”

“The prizes we’ve prepared for you contain items that you have been coveting! Particularly the “Golden Treasure Chests” hold prizes that you won’t want to miss out on, so please try your best to obtain them unabashedly!”

“It only makes sense that due to this, the difficulty level of the corresponding missions are that much higher than the ones for the regular ones — the “Red Treasure Chests”, so feel free to try your luck at those as well!”

“Allow us to witness from a safe distance whether or not you troublemakers will be able to escape this labyrinth unharmed…☆”

———————————

* TL Note: Rinne is making a reference to the “Underground Labor Camp” in “Tobaku Hakairoku Kaiji”, the second part of the “Kaiji” series. As the name implies, in this story Kaiji is incapacitated and brought to an underground labor camp in which debtors are put through backbreaking work in order to repay their debts. From the wiki page for this arc: “The meals provided to the workers are intentionally to be made scarce so the workers would spend most of their earnings to buy foods and drinks, effectively making them unable to pay off their debts.” The workers at this labor camp also gamble (as Kaiji is a gambling manga first and foremost), and interestingly, the gamble they do there is “Underground Chinchiro”, a dice game. Something to keep in mind for this event.

Location: Seisou Hall Dorm Room (Crazy:B)

HiMERU: ………

Kohaku: Hm~? The design on these socks doesn’t look familiar. Hey, whose socks are these?

Niki: Oh, those are mine! I bought them recently ♪ Don’t they look sooo delicious? The yellow-green color of them reminds me of kiwis!

Kohaku: Oh, so they were yours, Niki-han. Kiwi-colored, I’ll remember that.

…Still, I can’t believe everything ya own is based on food. Though I reckon there’s a more apt comparison than kiwis fer these.

Whatever. I’m more interested in why we’re suddenly bein’ forced to pack overnight bags. Rinne-han just sprang this on us outta nowhere, so I reckoned I’d ask while we’re doin’ it.

Niki: Hey, I wanna know that, too! The way he suddenly told us to pack up… Don’t tell me he’s planning to flee the country with us in the dead of night?

Tell us the truth, Rinne-kun. Did you stoop so low as to dip into our unit funds this time?

Rinne: Pff, as if. This is for a gig, alright?

Niki: A gig…?

Rinne: Yep, and the location for it is in the countryside!

CosPro usually tends to be stingy with the job offers for us, but we’ve been given a rare work opportunity this time. So, regardless of what you guys’ve got goin’ on, I’m havin’ ya drop everything and draggin’ yer asses on location straight away!

Niki: Huh?! So we’re packing our bags for work right now?!

I don’t wanna~, going away for work sounds so tiring!

Rinne: Ya sure about that, Niki? There’s lots of local specialties to be found in the countryside, y’know? Don’t tell me you wanna stay behind and watch the house when ya could be out there eatin’ your fill of ‘em?

Niki: What?! In that case I’m coming along! A hundred percent!

Kohaku: What a calculating fella. Well, whatever. I’m just glad to hear that we’ve got work.

HiMERU: — ……

Rinne: Oi, what’s with the melancholic vibe?

Broodin’ over something again, ◼◼?

HiMERU: ……! Amagi, why do you know “my” name…?

Kohaku: Aww, ◼◼-han, didja really think ya could keep that a secret from us?

We know everything, ◼◼-han. Even that ya became an idol to take HiMERU’s place.

Niki: I already noticed it back when we formed Crazy:B! But Rinne-kun told us to keep our mouths shut for a while, ‘cause it’d be funny ♪

HiMERU: No… There’s no way “my” real identity has been leaked—

Niki: Nahaha. You really hadn’t noticed?

Even our fans and the idols at ES aaa~ll know about it!

HiMERU?: Impossible…! You’re lying, right!?

Kohaku: It’s very possible, actually. You were the only one in the dark about alla this, ◼◼-han…

Niki: Man, we were all looking forward to when you’d finally realize it~♪

Rinne: You’re such a fuckin’ laughingstock, ◼◼. You really had yourself thinkin’ ya fooled everyone ♪

But now there’s no need to pretend anymore, ◼◼.

HiMERU’s a thing of the past now. From today on, you’re one of Crazy:B, like us!

Oh right, we’ve also been preparin’ a big live show to reveal your real name, ◼◼! You’ve gotta make your grand debut ♪

HiMERU?: Stop it! I didn’t become HiMERU for this!

To say nothing of the fact that I don’t have the slightest intention to become a spectacle for all of society to see—!

https://imgur.com/4ToZrrR

Location: Pitch Darkness

HiMERU: ...Ah!?

A-a dream…? And what is this place…?

Kohaku: Ya seemed ta be havin’ a mighty bad dream there, HiMERU-han. Yer drenched in cold sweat.

We’re in the middle of a long tunnel right now. The blackout curtains of the studio bus are closed so our sleep wouldn’t be disturbed by the lights outside.

HiMERU: What a poetic atmosphere. In truth, one might even say that it’s so pitch-black in here that it’d be believable if you were to claim that everyone inside this bus has died in an accident.

So once we are out of this tunnel, the view outside will show the Snow Country* — No, the countryside where we’ll be filming, yes?

Kohaku: You’ve got it. Still, talkin’ about everyone in here dyin’ sure is a bad omen. Just what kinda nightmare were ya havin’, HiMERU-han?

HiMERU: — Oh, it was trivial. A nightmare of no importance.

Niki: Beef tongues~!

HiMERU: ………?

Niki: Beef tongues… beef tongues… *smack smack*... ♪

HiMERU: So he’s talking in his sleep. How misleading.

Kohaku: Beef tongues are all Niki-han’s been talkin’ about lately, huh. I get that he’s really looking forward to those*2, but we’re actually here fer work, right?

HiMERU: — Indeed. Seeing as Amagi’s explanation wasn’t very helpful, HiMERU ended up having to ask the vice president about it.

Surely you remember the job we had with that honey maker*3 before? HiMERU heard that a regional TV station endorsed us after seeing that.

Since then, they’ve been most ardently pushing for Crazy:B to come and promote their regional delicacies for them.

Kohaku: Oho… So that’s what went on behind the scenes. An’ here I was sure they were sendin’ us to a farm so we could get some hands-on work experience.

We’d take even the most trivial jobs, after all. But in this case, I reckon the Sun’s been witnessin’ how hard we’ve been workin’.

HiMERU: — Hmm. HiMERU wonders about that.

Kohaku: ? Sounds like there’s some hidden meaning in yer words. Something on yer mind?

HiMERU: The view outside the window has been on HiMERU’s mind for a little while, yes.

Kohaku: Outside the window…?

Rinne: …Don’t tell me you were so excited about the rare chance to go on a trip that’cha didn’t notice, Kohaku-chan?

Kohaku: Not you too, Rinne-han. Since when have you been up?

Rinne: Oh, just now. Figured I’d better rest while I can so I don’t run out of steam during work.

The bus seems to be slowin’ down, so we should be arrivin’ soon.

Kohaku: Arrivin’ soon…? Weren’t we supposed to get there in the morning? But it’s still so early that the sun ain’t even up yet…

Rinne: Come on, guys, doesn’t any of this strike ya as weird? With the way these blackout curtains completely block out the view, with not even the smallest crack to see through—

HiMERU: If you noticed it too, you should’ve said something sooner, Amagi. Studio buses aren’t our usual mode of transport — due to that, it took HiMERU a while to figure it out.

Rinne: Gyahahaha ♪ But don’t they say the road to misfortune’s paved with good intentions?*4 In that case, the road to fortune must be paved with bad intentions ♪

In other words, this is the kinda job that shows hints of bad intent behind it — my gambler’s intuition told me to take it!

HiMERU: What kind of unscientific reasoning is that…— Well, HiMERU believes he ultimately would’ve made the same choice, but he wishes he’d at least gotten a chance to mentally prepare first.

In any case, we lack the necessary information to deduce our client’s true intentions.

Kohaku: Ya two are talkin’ like ya know it all, but what’s even goin’ on? I ain’t got the slightest clue!

HiMERU: You’ll see when we get off the bus. And indeed, it seems like that very bus has just stopped.

Please go and wake up Shiina, if you would. We’re going to find out what situation we’ve gotten ourselves into.

Niki: Ngh… Huh, where are the beef tongues?

Rinne: Come on, Niki, we’re on the move! Gotta stay in groups during excursions, didn’t they teach you that in school?

Niki: Ngyah!? Don’t kick my butt right when I only just woke up!

What is it with you! And those are some big words from someone who never even went to a school!

Location: Inside the Labyrinth

Kohaku: W-What the dickens is this place…?!

HiMERU: A man-made maze — No, perhaps one should describe it as a labyrinth. HiMERU has never set foot into a place like this before either.

But it seems that we have been tricked and brought here under false pretenses.

——————

* Snow Country (雪国) is the name of a novel that happens to begin with a scene of the protagonist riding a train to a remote onsen town.

*2 Beef tongues are a regional specialty of Sendai.

*3 Honey Bee Scout Story

*4 They don’t say that, actually. The correct idiom is, in both English and Japanese, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.