Blankon Announcement

491 Maze Escape, and the Roller Coaster.

“Ah! It’s Father!”

“Elna Onee-chan is here too!”

As I turned my face towards the voice, I saw two figures with cat ears and wolf ears dashing towards me. And with that momentum, both of them leaped towards me. What!?

“Gufu!?”

I received a shock to my upper body but managed to brace myself to avoid falling. My lower back is hurting now!

“Frey-nee-sama and Linne… Please stop jumping on Father. Mother and the others will scold you, you know?”

“Eh? It’s no fun.”

“Muu. That’s troublesome. Mother’s lectures are long…”

When Kuhn chided them, they reluctantly let go. My lower back… it hurts…【Cure Heal】…

Healing the pain in my lower back with a recovery spell. That’s way too powerful…

Linne, with her wolf ears, looked around.

“Where’s Mother and the others?”

“No, I haven’t joined up with Linze and the others.”

“Really?”

Oh, is it disappointing to only see Father? How lonely…

“It seems all the daughters have gathered by chance. Are you happy, Father?”

“Well, I’m happy, but… Is it really just a coincidence…”

Kuhn grinned and snuggled closer, but should I consider this just a coincidence?

After all, that foolish maid produced this. It’s better to suspect that even this was part of her plan.

“Is this a scheme to gather all the daughters and show off my embarrassing moments…”

“Why would you think that…”

Kuhn and Elna both gave me exasperated looks. Wait, am I already caught in her scheme!?

“Your imagination is running wild, but let’s move on. We might be able to meet Mother and the others.”

With Kuhn leading the way, everyone followed. It’s true that thinking about it won’t help. Let’s move forward.

We went in a different direction from where Frey and Linne came from. Going this way and that, dodging several traps, and wandering around, we somehow progressed. It’s quite tough… I think the goal should be near…

“Ah, it’s Mother Yumina and the others!”

Linne, who turned the corner, shouted.

Looking ahead, I saw the exit of the maze. A sigh of relief escaped me at the sight.

Yumina, Luu, Yae, Mel, and Rise, who hadn’t participated, were sitting at a table and drinking tea elegantly. Damn, I should have been absent too…

Anyway, finally, the goal is in sight. With that, the annoying traps should be… the goal? Just before the goal?

“First place!”

Linne ran off. Wait a minute!

I sprinted at full speed to get ahead of Linne. It’s not like I wanted to finish first, leaving my daughter behind. I’m not that childish.

So why? Because setting traps just before the goal is their usual tactic!

As I stepped onto the area just before the goal, my foot sank into the ground. …See?

“Father!?”

With a crack, something broke, and I fell into the ground, getting covered in powder. Ugh… Damn, they went to such lengths…

There were cushions spread out below, so there were no injuries. It wasn’t very deep either.

“Father, are you okay!?”

“Ah… I’m fine, fine. I’m used to this…”

I answered Elna, who looked worried, by raising my hand. Pffft. It’s even in my mouth. Flour?

Somehow, I climbed back up to the surface and shook off the powder. Linne and the others were also brushing off my clothes, but it would be nice if they could be a bit gentler. It hurts.

“Father, let’s finish the goal together!”

With Frey’s voice, the four daughters pulled me, and we all crossed the finish line together, greeted with applause from Yumina and the others. I’m happy and embarrassed…

“Congratulations to you all. You’re the first to finish!”

“Oh, is that so? Everyone else isn’t here yet?”

“Yes. It seems they’re having some trouble.”

Sheska pointed to a large monitor next to the goal.

On it, Elze and Linze were shown carefully stacking blocks. Oh, the stack fell. Elze is holding her head.

Meanwhile, Sue and Sakura were shown jumping rhythmically through circular hoops on the ground. I see, you can see everyone’s appearance inside the maze here.

…Wait a minute, does that mean…

“Um, did you happen to watch us the whole time…?”

Yumina and the others clearly averted their eyes. So they watched us… I slumped my shoulders. Not only did I embarrass myself in front of my daughters, but also in front of my wife. What kind of punishment game is this?

“Oh, um, well, I thought the song was wonderful!”

Luu shouted in a fluster. Well, no need for such strange support… Don’t take any more of my HP…

I should have stayed out of this. Knowing it was Sheska’s production, I should have realized. How many times have I been deceived?

“Ah, the exit! Father, Mother and the others are there! Everyone too!”

I saw Alice, Ende, and Nei beyond the goal. This combination… I’m convinced there was some manipulation involved.

Alice ran towards us. Wait, the pitfall trap has disappeared. No, did it disappear? Or was it restored to its original state?

“Alice, jump there!”

“Eh!? …Well, here I go!”

At Mother Mel’s sudden command, the rabbit-eared Alice obediently jumped just before the goal and successfully crossed it.

Alice, who tilted her head in confusion, was embraced by Mel, and Rise patted her head.

“Finally, we made it… ahhhhhh!?”

“Endemion!?”

Oh, Ende fell. Nei barely managed to stay on the edge, looking at the surprised Ende. Stop it, Sheska, don’t make a small fist pump.

“……”

Eventually, a powder-covered Ende crawled out of the pit silently. Noticing me, also covered in powder, he smiled wryly. Misery loves company, huh? It’s frustrating, but I can relate a little. I understand how he feels, but let’s just be happy that the daughters are safe.

Afterward, Sue and Sakura, Elze and Linze, and Hilda and Leen all successfully crossed the finish line. I made sure the pitfalls were avoided.

“It was more difficult than I thought…”

“The maze itself was fine, but the traps were unnecessary. When we build one at home, let’s leave them out.”

I responded to a somewhat worn-out Hilda while making a resolution. A place where parents and children can both enjoy! That will be the concept for the Brunhild amusement park.

“What do you want next?”

“Next, I want a roller coaster! Is there one here?”

“A roller coaster…? What kind of facility is that?”

Frey answered energetically, while Sheska tilted her head. The Frey team—Ende, Mel, Rise, and Nei—looked puzzled, but we knew what it was.

The children seemed calm, perhaps having experienced it in the future.

Sue, Sakura, Yae, and Luu looked a bit excited. They had mentioned wanting to ride it when they saw it in a movie.

Hilda, Elze, and Yumina looked anxious. The children, as well as Leen and, surprisingly, Linze, looked calm.

Considering that Linze’s personal machine, Helmwiege, excels in aerial combat, it must be accustomed to such movements. So she’s probably used to it.

“A roller coaster is a ride that goes on rails, spinning around, dropping, and flying—an exciting and thrilling ride!”

Wait a minute, Frey. What do you mean by “flying”…!? What did future me create!?

“A ride… I see, it’s a facility for enjoying tension, fear, and anxiety. Well then, let’s head to the [Wind] area.”

There’s a roller coaster. Even people from five thousand years ago enjoyed thrills.

…Actually, considering this facility is like an experimental ground for the scientists, it makes sense that it would have one…

Sheska touched the monolith again, and just like before, the “Monolith Gate” activated.

The children jumped into the transfer gate cheerfully, and we followed after them. Passing through a dazzling vortex of light, an indescribable scene unfolded before us.

The first word that came to mind was Western. The landscape looked like a western movie, with a vast area of reddish-brown rocks. It was a place that could be called a western movie setting. There was a wooden station-like building in front of us. Well, there were no other buildings…

Cacti could be seen in the distance. Cacti… right? They looked more vicious than normal cacti, but that might be just my imagination.

“This is a facility where you ride a magic train and see various scenes. By changing the settings, you can experience something similar to what Frey-sama described as a ‘roller coaster.”

“A transfer-type auto-rail system. I’ve heard about it, but I didn’t expect to see it here!”

Sheska’s explanation had Kuhn, who loves magic engineering, eagerly listening. It seems the future roller coaster I built is different from this one.

“So, who’s going to ride with whom?”

“Hmm… For now, I’d like Hilda, Leen, Elze, and Linze to ride with the children. The remaining seats and order can be decided by rock-paper-scissors or something.”

It’s better if a parent is next to the child to help ease their fear, though the parents might be more scared themselves…

Hearing this, Ende spoke to Alice next to him.

“Well then, Alice, how about riding with me?”

“Eh? I’m riding with Mom.”

Ende was left in the dust, collapsing to his knees. Immediately, a rock-paper-scissors game began among Mel, Nei, and Rise to decide who would sit next to Alice. It seems the Frey team knew about rock-paper-scissors… It’s not surprising, considering the children in Brunhild play it normally.

“Alright, let’s decide our order too. Let’s ride according to the winning order.”

…I’d prefer to observe first, so I’d rather be in the latter group. If it looks too dangerous, I can always opt out.

Alright, I’ll lose on purpose. I’m known for being bad at rock-paper-scissors. With this group, it should be fine.

　　　　　　　　　　◇　◇　◇

So, with that, the riding order was decided. I ended up being the tenth rider and barely made it into the first group. Damn… If only I had lost one more time…

I was in the last row. Well, that’s fine. It is what it is.

“Why are you sitting next to me…”

“We’re in the ninth and tenth positions, so it can’t be helped!”

Ende roared as he sat next to me. Well, that’s true…

The first group included [Hilda & Frey], [Yae & Sakura], [Luu & Rise], [Leen & Kuhn], and [Ende & Me].

By the way, Yumina lost spectacularly, but she definitely lost on purpose knowing the future… She’s usually too strong.

“Hey, Touya. This seat doesn’t have any belts or anything. Is it really safe?”

“I was wondering about that too…”

Usually, roller coasters have safety restraints to fix your body in place, right? Well, this isn’t exactly a roller coaster, so maybe it doesn’t apply.

There is something like a handrail in front of the seat to hold onto, but it doesn’t feel very reassuring.

“It’s okay. Once it starts running, gravity magic will work on the floor and seat to fix your body. Even if you get thrown off the rails, you won’t actually fall off. So don’t worry.”

“Oh, now I’m really anxious.”

What do you mean, “thrown off”? It’s just an example, right?

“By the way, where does this thing go?”

“Hmm? It varies each time. I’ve set it up to maximize tension, fear, and anxiety as you requested.”

Saying that, Sheska began tapping on a touch panel on the station platform: tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!

You’re tapping too much! Is it supposed to be like this? Is it on MAX!?

“Then please be careful.”

“Wait, is there something we should be careful about!?”

Without being able to ask Sheska about her ominous words, the train began to move silently and without warning.

Looking back, the panels where the train had passed were disappearing. It seems the train is transferring to the front. Where is this train heading?

“Hey, Touya! We’re starting to climb!”

At Ende’s voice, I turned to the front and saw the train gradually climbing upwards into the sky.

“How is it floating…? Space-fixing engraving magic?”

Kuhn, sitting in front of me, was muttering while peering at the track below. Isn’t that a bit too calm? I thought, but Leen, sitting next to Kuhn, was also calmly observing the scenery. Both mother and daughter are composed…

We climbed quite high. The “miniature world” was visible far below. Oh, that’s the slime ranch we first visited.

“Hey, how high is this thing going!?”

Ende next to me was showing a worried face. Ah, I thought this was standard for roller coasters, but if you don’t know what to expect and just keep climbing, it’s understandable to react this way.

However, this magical train isn’t technically a roller coaster. Comparing it to a roller coaster on Earth might be dangerous, right!?

The magical train, which had been climbing slowly, suddenly dropped from the front. Whoa, a vertical drop!?

“Guh…!”

I felt an intense wind pressure. Although I’m used to heights with [Fly], I’m protected from wind pressure by a magical barrier while flying, so this was quite shocking.

The magical train floated just above the ground and then shot upwards again, flipping upside down. It did a large loop.

“Whoa aaaaah!?”

Ende next to me was screaming with a pale face. You’re probably glad you didn’t ride with Alice. She would definitely be disappointed. Well, it’s questionable if you have any dignity left… And me too.

The magical train continued looping twice, three times, and then started ascending again. Climbing to quite a height, it then descended rapidly in a spiral.

This is tough. The centrifugal force is putting a lot of strain on my body…! I don’t experience this with [Fly]… Whoa!?

The train, just above the ground, began to run horizontally, and suddenly it was skimming over a water surface, creating splashes. Where are we running!?

After passing through that, the trains in front began to separate left and right. Huh!?

The trains in front, Leen and Kuhn’s, disappeared, and soon only the train with Ende and I was racing through a forest.

“Hey, Touya! What’s happening!?”

“I don’t know!”

Why do we have to keep riding this roller coaster alone? I want to ask. I hope everyone else is okay.

“Whoa!? Up ahead!”

At Ende’s sudden shout, I turned to see our train barreling straight towards a massive tree. Whoa, we’re going to crash!?

Just before crashing into the giant tree, the train narrowly avoided it, and we let out a sigh of relief… but that was short-lived. The train kept making near-miss evasions from trees repeatedly. What the heck! Is this intentional!?

The train weaved through the trees at incredible speed, rushing through the forest. It was quite frightening!

“Touya, look over there!”

“Huh?”

Looking in the direction Ende pointed, I saw a cave opening among the rocks.

“A cave, huh…? I have a bad feeling about this.”

“What a coincidence. So do I.”

True to our expectations, the train plunged into the cave. Just as I feared!?

In the dim light, we could hear something flying around. Yikes, something hit my face!? Damn it, this isn’t a roller coaster anymore!?

““Ughhhhhh!!””

The train, carrying our screams, sped ferociously through the cave.

　　　　　　　　　　◇　◇　◇

Meanwhile…

“At last, I found you. Your Highness, King of Panashes… no, you’re still a prince, aren’t you? Anyway, I have a request for you.”

“Hm? Have I seen you somewhere before? You seem familiar somehow. Blau, do you remember her?”

Prince Robert of the Panashes Kingdom, known for his pumpkin pants, asked the blue-crowned distortion golem, Blau, who shook its head.

They were in Panashes Kingdom’s capital, Panasheria. As Robert was casually surveying the city, a small girl suddenly spoke to him.

She appeared to be around seven or eight years old. Her silver-green hair was cut short, but the nape was long down to her waist. Her slightly slanted emerald eyes showed a strong will. The clothes she wore were of an elegant design Robert had never seen, but the two knives she had strapped at her waist somehow undermined that elegance.

Robert felt a sense of familiarity but couldn’t quite place her. It was as if he knew someone who looked like her, causing confusion.

“I’d like you to take me to Brunhild through space transfer. You’ll be rewarded by His Majesty the King…”

“To Brunhild? Are you an acquaintance of Touya-kun… or rather, Her Majesty the Queen?”

Robert felt the fog in his mind clear. Yes, she strongly resembled one of Brunhild’s queens. He recalled that the person he was thinking of was from the Empire…

“That’s right. …I’m relieved that I appeared in Panashes’ capital. I wonder why no one is answering the phone…”

The girl muttered something to herself. Though Robert didn’t quite understand, he judged that the girl didn’t seem to have any malicious intent.

“So, young lady. What’s your name?”

“Forgive my rudeness. I am Asia. Asia Brunhild, Prince of Panashes.”

The girl gave a graceful curtsy and a refined greeting to Robert.