The purpose of this experiment is to verify Train-chan’s train ability, commonly known as “Train Mode.”
The location chosen is the northern plains near the town, where the enemies are weakest.
First, we had two people clear out the surrounding monsters to prevent any accidents. Then, I lent her my entire set of Mithril equipment.
After obtaining her consent, I tied her hands and feet securely. Everything was ready.
“If anything happens, call me loudly.”
“…Yes.”
Leaving Train-chan, who still looked bewildered, I put a significant distance between us, far enough that she would have to call out loudly for me to hear.
There were no monsters nearby, and I could clearly see Train-chan, bound as she was.
The experimental environment was perfect.
For about an hour after the experiment began, there were no problems and no progress.
The bound Train-chan seemed bored, rolling around and occasionally asking me the current time.
I answered using the watch I had borrowed from her, and spent the rest of the time tearing up torches.
The Torch Sisyo, with its usual healing capabilities, healed any damage as soon as it occurred. Furthermore, monsters do not Relife near a Player.
Peaceful, uneventful time passed.
The change occurred about one hour and fifty minutes after the start of the experiment.
Train-chan, tired of rolling around, was lying still on the grass, but her behavior began to be peculiar.
She started kicking her legs as if she couldn’t stay still, rolling around, and clearly becoming restless.
Then, exactly two hours after the experiment began, a decisive anomaly occurred.
A cluster of light particles gathered about ten meters away from Train-chan, and a Goblin suddenly appeared there.
“A Monster Pop!”
Although this was one of the anticipated scenarios, I couldn’t help but exclaim at the utterly unreal sight.
Was it a Monster Pop, or should it be called a Relife since it was a defeated enemy?
This is what is called monster spawning.
Most of the common monsters in Fields and Dungeons usually respawn after a certain period, but Players typically do not witness the moment of their appearance.
In the game’s setting, monsters are aggregates of Elements, so it wouldn’t be strange for a monster to be born from an apparently empty space. However, it was likely deemed that showing monsters popping into existence would break the fantasy atmosphere.
Unless it’s a special event, the specifications of Nekoneko dictate that monsters generally do not Pop near a Player, especially within their line of sight.
Yet, here I was, witnessing an event that defied that rule.
There had been online discussions pointing out that Train-chan’s monster-gathering numbers were too high.
It was suggested that Train-chan, in her “Train Mode,” might have the ability to force monster spawns, as she would appear with a large number of enemies even in areas where monsters had been wiped out or where Relife was slow.
This was now proven here.
However, I realized this was no time for leisurely contemplation.
The Goblin was approaching Train-chan with a look of greedy delight.
Despite the level difference and the Mithril armor, I thought she would be fine, but the scene was starting to resemble the “that scene” just before in some lewd fantasy manga!
I needed to rescue her quickly!
As I thought this and tried to rush to Train-chan’s side, I witnessed an unexpected and astounding sight.
“Kya, kyaaaaaaah!!”
Train-chan, noticing the Goblin approaching her, screamed,
“No, no, you’re kidding me!”
She started rolling away on the ground, still bound.
And she was quite fast!
She rolled away into the distance, leaving the Goblins behind.
However, it was perhaps understandable.
Goblins are considered a “beginner’s wall” monster, and in this world where monsters are so realistic, they can be traumatizingly scary.
They are about as scary as Lizardmen.
…Ah, sorry Reinhardt.
In any case, for one of those to suddenly appear out of nowhere, Train-chan must have been terrified.
“Wait! Just wait!”
But she was running in the wrong direction.
For some reason, Train-chan was rolling away from me and the town at full speed.
“How is she so fast while rolling?”
She wasn’t so far ahead that I couldn’t catch up, but her speed was extraordinary.
Perhaps her “Train Mode” had given her a Speed boost.
(I thought that if I bound her, she wouldn’t move even if she entered “Train Mode,” but it had the opposite effect?
I shouldn’t have tied her hands and feet!)
I regretted it, but it was too late.
Then again, she might have panicked even if she wasn’t tied, and she would have fled even faster.
I didn’t know what the right answer was yet.
I had to chase her.
Trouble was, as Train-chan moved, common monsters began spawning one after another in her vicinity.
It seemed the “Train Mode’s” forced monster pop ability was effective even while she was rolling.
The number of monsters she was dragging along kept increasing.
I was getting anxious, but,
“If this keeps up… Huh?”
Suddenly, Train-chan’s movement slowed.
Her body, which had been moving at such incredible speed, suddenly became sluggish.
I understood immediately.
“Well, after rolling like that, she’d get dizzy.”
It was a miracle she lasted this long.
Perhaps she had a strong inner ear.
But this simplified the situation.
The Goblins, though hideous and intimidating, were slow.
Not to mention common fodder like Nyoraimbus and Nor.
I easily overtook them and scooped up Train-chan.
I could fight them, but holding a groggy Train-chan wouldn’t be ideal.
I ran away from the Goblins, carrying Train-chan.
Even with a person in my arms, I wouldn’t be caught by Goblins, unlike faster monsters like Madhounds.
I quickly outran the pursuing monsters.
After I picked her up, no new monsters started popping around Train-chan.
It seemed her “Train Mode” only activated when she was alone.
“It should be safe soon.”
Once the pursuing monsters were reduced to mere specks, I spoke to Train-chan.
“Hey, Train-chan.
Are you awake? Are you okay?”
At my voice, Train-chan’s eyes snapped open.
“Ah, wait?
Um, this… Ehh?!”
As soon as she came to her senses, she reacted with a surprised expression.
With a wry smile, I set her down on the ground and cut her ropes.
“Sorry for putting you through something strange.
I should have told you beforehand what might happen.”
“N-no, it was…”
Her voice suddenly turned serious, and I looked back, wondering what was wrong.
“Geh!”
The monsters I thought I had escaped from were tenaciously pursuing us.
It seemed that monsters that had once encountered Train-chan in “Train Mode” didn’t lose their target.
What a spiteful system.
I hesitated for a moment, then,
“Sorry, I’m going to pick you up again.”
“Eh, ah!”
I scooped up Train-chan again, as she still didn’t seem to have regained her strength.
“Ah, um, I can… myself…”
“No! This is also part of the experiment!”
I forcefully stopped Train-chan, who tried to resist, with a flimsy excuse.
(Hmm. I have to admit, this is a bit… unsettling.)
In times like these, I envied the denseness of harem manga protagonists.
They would casually give a girl a piggyback ride, and not even notice when the girl fell for them, but doing it in reality is quite embarrassing.
It’s one thing if the other person isn’t fully conscious, but in a situation that isn’t immediately life-threatening, I become aware of the fact that I’m touching a girl.
However, this really isn’t the time for a leisurely rom-com.
“I’m going to cut through the enemies, so hold on tight!”
With that, I started heading back the way we came.
Fortunately, Train-chan lost consciousness quickly, so the number of monsters she was leading wasn’t too large.
I ran diagonally across their path, dodging the Goblins ahead of us.
The remaining Nors were easy.
Their speed was so different that I didn’t even need to consider them.
I passed them by with no effort.
I retraced our steps and headed towards the town entrance.
Even so, they were still chasing us, but,
(As expected.)
The moment we stepped through the town entrance, the monsters, as if they had lost interest in us, dispersed and returned to their respective areas.
“That’s a relief.
…Are you okay?”
When I asked, Train-chan nodded diligently.
“Y-yes. It’s no problem at all.
Um, I was surprised too, and I panicked…”
“No, it’s fine, but…”
Perhaps it was the incident of me carrying her away that was lingering.
Our conversation was awkward.
“Um, may I ask something?”
“Ah, of course.”
Train-chan looked at me with an unusually serious expression.
I wondered if her question was about the monster pop.
It was indeed an abnormal event.
Or maybe it was about her escaping from the Goblin… I braced myself, but her question was neither.
“W-was I able to be of use?”
“Eh?”
I was taken aback by her completely unexpected question.
Perhaps sensing my reaction, Train-chan desperately continued.
“I-I caused all sorts of strange things to happen, and I panicked and ran off, so maybe Sōma’s experiment didn’t go well…”
Seeing Train-chan’s anxious expression, I understood.
For Train-chan, the fact that the collaborative work with her first friend succeeded, and whether she was able to be of help, was far more important than the abnormal phenomenon, the unreasonable treatment she received, or the aftermath of escaping from monsters.
I felt she might be worrying a bit too much, but if she had always been alone until now, this kind of reaction was only natural.
Because she hadn’t been able to interact with others, she lacked confidence in being useful to others.
Hoping to give her a little confidence while I was around, I reassured her.
“Of course, you were helpful.
If it weren’t for you, that experiment couldn’t have been done.”
“R-really?!”
At my words, Train-chan’s face lit up like a blooming flower.
Her previous gloomy expression vanished, replaced by a radiant look of determination as she clenched her fists.
“U-um, whatever the experiment, just tell me!
If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it!!”
I gave a wry smile at her enthusiasm and replied energetically, matching her spirit.
“Then next, how about we try a bungee jump without a cord!”
“Huh?”
— This is what is called a “Tendon” (a comedic callback).
