We all got in the cars and set off. Of course, we couldn't all fit in one car, so we split into three, including luggage. Our drivers were Takamachi-san, Testa Rossa-san, and Riko.
We were scheduled to meet up with Takamachi-san's colleagues, Subaru Nakajima and Teana Lanster, at the airport.
These two are also characters from Lyrical Nanoha. They're currently working with Takamachi-san and the others in Special Section 6. I wonder if Special Section 6 isn't already experiencing a functional breakdown with so many people leaving at once. They're all people who could be at the top of their fields. Perhaps some other amazing people will be joining Section 6.
I hadn't mentioned it, but the location of our off-training is not this island. So we're driving to the airport, then taking a plane from there. Once we arrive, we'll take a bus for about a dozen minutes and arrive at our destination. The total travel time will be about three hours.
In the original story, the setting was an uninhabited world in a different dimension, but in this world, it's a resort archipelago near this island.
It turns out these islands don't exist in my original world.
After doing a little research and feeling something was off, I looked at a world map and found some differences from my original world. Of course, that's expected since there are buildings in this world that don't exist in the real world (like the Butei buildings), but I didn't expect entire islands to be added.
Well, setting aside the geographical details, I'm going to enjoy this trip. Since I arrived on this island, it's been one incident after another, but finally, it's my turn to relax and have a good time.
This time, surely no incidents will happen. Even if they do, look at the members we have. You could call this an all-star, all-hands-on-deck, peak-strength team. No one would dare try anything with a group like this.
... Okay, that's enough of the reverse flags. I've said it so deliberately.
I'm getting carried away. I'm so used to the idea that "no incident will happen" that I'm starting to think normally again. Is this an occupational hazard?
We left in the early afternoon, so we'll probably arrive around 4 PM. The plan is to immediately start a barbecue and call it a day. We have various plans for the next day, too. And on the third day, we've got a big event, so I'll need to work a little hard for that.
"Shou-kun, what's wrong? You're acting strange."
"Am I?"
Riko, who was driving next to me, glanced at me from the corner of her eye.
"I just had a bad feeling and was trying to shake it off."
"Ahaha, don't! Incidents happen wherever you go, Shou-kun. What if that becomes a flag?"
"Am I Detective Co-nan-kun?"
I'm not a grim reaper like that. The truth is always one. I'm not the problem. In fact, I'm working super hard.
"I think it's over once you say it yourself."
"Is that so?"
Oh, right.
"Riko, you've manifested a Stand, right? How have you been feeling since?"
"Hmm? I'm completely normal. I can use it freely, and there's been no change in my physical condition."
"I see. Let me know if anything happens."
I couldn't say it because of how long I was in the past, but now that I've defeated Vlad and am free, I can't stumble here.
"Hehe, you don't have to worry so much. If anything happens, I'll definitely rely on you. You don't have to worry... I won't let you get away, you know."
"Don't say that out loud."
As we had that casual conversation, the car steadily approached its destination.
----------
After getting off the plane and into the bus, the facility was surprisingly close.
The view from the plane showed the airport on the outer side of the island, with luxury hotels, restaurants, and local homes surrounding it. There were also rivers and small lakes, and I got the impression that the center of the island was less developed, which turned out to be correct.
Perhaps because we've rented the entire place for the next few days, the bus drove along a road that was a tunnel of trees, and after a while, the noise of the town completely disappeared.
The bus stopped at the entrance to a peculiar space surrounded by mountains like a small basin but without tall trees.
It seemed we had to walk from here. The pavement ended, and the path became something between a beast trail and a man-made road, clearly maintained but with a deliberate natural feel.
I could hear the sound of water, suggesting a river was nearby.
Takamachi-san and the others had been here before and walked straight ahead. I followed them, and we quickly arrived at a single pension on a hill.
"Hello, is Meguane-san here?"
"I'm coming!"
Takamachi-san called out as she entered, and a voice immediately answered from the back. It was a girl's voice, sounding more like a child than a woman. We heard the sound of footsteps, and the owner of the voice appeared.
"Welcome, everyone! Mom's in the back getting ready for the barbecue and can't get away right now, so I'll do the check-in first."
The girl, whose long purple hair swayed slightly, deftly operated a terminal.
"Hello, my name is Yozuki Shou. Thank you for having us today."
This accommodation is a pension rather than a hotel. I had a feeling, but isn't this place super luxurious?! It's so big on such a large plot of land... I guess it might be big for a pension, but it can't hold 50 people, right?
"Nice to meet you too. I'm Lutecia Alpine. I live here and am a friend of Vivio's. I'm 14."
The owner's daughter, a girl I only knew by face, welcomed us. It was Lutecia Alpine, a character from the original story.
She is also a character from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, appearing in the third season, StrikerS. In the third season, she was a hostile character because she was brainwashed and had a hostage taken by the final boss, but after the incident was resolved, she underwent rehabilitation and was put on probation.
This world has different circumstances than the original, but it seems that incident still occurred. And it was a major incident that could easily be found online. I won't know for sure until I ask, but this world's Lutecia's situation probably isn't much different.
"Huh? Haven't Erio and Caro arrived yet?"
"Ah, those two are... getting firewood for the night..."
"--- Fate-san!"
A young man's voice interrupted Lutecia's words. A pair of a man and a woman stood there. Beside them was a small, floating dragon-like creature. They were a couple with a significant height difference. I wondered if the man was just tall or the woman was short.
"Erio! Caro!"
"How have you two been?"
"Woah! You've gotten taller again, Erio!"
"I've grown too! ...1.5cm."
It seems both were correct.
These two also seemed to know Takamachi-san and the others. As with the others, I only knew them by face.
The boy is Erio Mondial, and the girl is Caro Ru Lusie. Like Lutecia, they are characters from the third season of Lyrical Nanoha, StrikerS. Both are Testa Rossa-san's wards, though not her biological children. They ended up in that situation due to unavoidable circumstances.
In the original, they were main characters on the protagonist's side. But what's their story in this world?
"The Bureau of Time and Space Administration is a public service... Can they hire someone that young...?"
I haven't looked into it at all. I'll have to ask them later.
"Everyone, let me introduce you. These two are part of my family..."
"I'm Erio Mondial!"
"I'm Caro Ru Lusie, and this is Fried, the wyvern."
"There's one little kid, but we're all the same age."
"Hey! I grew, too!"
Lutecia's teasing made the atmosphere lively all at once. At the same time, I started to understand the group's dynamics.
Just then, I heard something land with a thud behind me.
"!!"
Einhart and Kirin reacted and turned around. There stood a two-legged insect-like creature with a black and purple exoskeleton and a cloth wrapped around its neck, giving it a ninja-like appearance. It had a cool design if you looked closely, but seeing it appear out of nowhere...
Einhart got ready, and Kirin was about to draw her sword---
"Ah! Wait, wait! Stop!"
Lutecia's voice of restraint prevented Einhart and Kirin from jumping into action.
"I-it's okay, Einhart-san, Kirin-san!"
"That child is..."
"This is my summon, and a precious family member. His name is Garyu."
The summoned beast, Garyu, bowed politely.
"M-my apologies...!"
"I reacted on instinct...!"
"Haha, everyone gets surprised. I did, too."
That's right, Lutecia uses summoning magic. And she often summons insect-like creatures. For some people, just seeing them would be enough to cause damage.
"Why didn't you react at all, Senpai?"
"Ah, well."
Because I knew.
"...There was no hostility."
"Oh, now that you mention it..."
"Indeed, I judged too quickly based on appearances alone... As expected of Shou-san."
Stop! Don't make it sound like an isekai transfer! Oh wait, I did transfer to another world. So I guess it's fine.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come out sooner. Oh my, it's gotten to be quite a crowd, hasn't it?"
"Thank you for having us."
The woman who looked like a grown-up Lutecia was the owner of this place and Lutecia's mother, Meguane Alpine.
"Is everyone hungry yet? If so, I'll start the fire right away."
"I want to barbecue!"
"Me too, me too!"
Vivio-chan and her friend Rio-chan got excited at the mention of a barbecue. Of course, their spirits would rise. It's a barbecue, after all!
"Shou-kun, your hand."
"Oh, whoops."
I realized what I was doing when Asuna said that. I had unconsciously made a fist pump.
"Hehe, all right, everyone. Put your luggage in your rooms and then gather in the back. I'm preparing in our usual spot. You can use any room you like."
"Yes, we understand. All right, everyone! Let's decide on room assignments!"
"Yes!!"
----------
"So?"
"What should we do?"
We had to decide on room assignments.
The people who came were me, Yukina, Kuro, Asuna, Kurumi, Aria, Riko, Tina, Yami, Hikari, Sakura, Saber, Saber Alter, Einhart, Kirin, Takamachi-san, Testa Rossa-san, Vivio-chan, her friends Rio-chan and Corona-chan, Subaru-san, Teana-san, Erio, Caro, and Vivio-chan's mentor, Nove-san. Wait, what, let me count... a total of 25 people?! I didn't miscount, did I?!
For now, all the kids (I'm a minor too, but still) were going to share a room.
Nanoha-san and Fate-san were also in the same room, and Subaru-san, Teana-san, and Subaru's sister, Nove-san, were in another. Those were easy to decide, but...
"No, no, that's definitely not happening."
"That's right. As chaperones, we absolutely cannot allow boys and girls to sleep in the same room."
"Hmph, why must I follow your orders?"
Alter, stay. Don't go against Takamachi-san. The conversation can't move forward because of your stubbornness. Even Riko is quietly following orders, you know? ...Although that only applies to this situation.
If I ended up in a single room, what on earth would happen...
"Erio, is it okay if we share a room?"
"Yes! Of course!"
"I'm fine with it, too."
That's never going to happen. In this large group, there are only two guys: me and Erio. There's no reason not to put us together.
Everyone else seemed to understand that and smiled happily. I wonder what they're thinking behind those smiles.
"...I see."
Then Alter seemed to realize something and suddenly became quiet. What could she have realized?
(((((One must create their own opportunities... even if it's by force.)))))
What on earth are they thinking? It's genuinely starting to scare me. At least I hope they don't cause trouble for the people here or those who don't know the situation.
"Alright, let's head downstairs."
Takamachi-san didn't seem to notice anything and naturally led us toward the barbecue area below.
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