Chapter 3 – First Contact
"We're back! So, Na-chan, what about your gear? You gonna carry all of it?"
Kanon stepped back through the doorway, calling out to Natsume, who was waiting outside with a cigarette between her fingers.
"Nah. Better bring it all, just in case. Might need the entrenching tool to bury a body if I gotta cover my tracks."
Kanon gave her a crooked smile.
"You really do think like the Mafia sometimes, Na-chan. Though... I guess leaving corpses around could start a plague. And who knows? Maybe this world's got zombies."
"Zombies, huh..."
Natsume shrugged.
"Funny thing is, Americans sure as hell love zombies. Bob used to tell me there was a time TV couldn't really show people gettin' shot. So they went, 'They're not people—they're zombies,' and started blastin' away. Guess that's where all the popularity came from."
"Seriously?"
"So he said. Happened before I was born, so hell if I know."
"Bob, huh? I met him when we visited Texas, but honestly... he didn't exactly look like some legendary soldier."
"Course he didn't. He'd already retired by the time I was ten. Big ol' beard, overweight, looked like every other redneck grillin' burgers on a Sunday."
She grinned.
"But don't let that fool ya. He was MARSOC. Real deal. Everything I know came from him."
"Aww..."
Kanon puffed out her cheeks.
"I'm kinda jealous. You respect Bob way too much."
Natsume laughed.
"Girl, I'm gay. Bob's an old man. I love him, sure—but not that kinda love."
She reached into her pocket.
"Anyway... bought the guns, forgot somethin' important. Here."
She tossed a small package.
"Earplugs?"
"Yep. Proper electronic ear pro ain't exactly cheap. Those'll have to do for now."
Gunfire was far louder than most people imagined. In a forest, the blast echoed through the trees. Even a 9mm could leave your ears ringing without protection. A 12-gauge was on an entirely different level.
"N-Na-chan... o-over there!"
Mako pointed with a trembling finger.
Three ugly, short creatures stood in the distance, cautiously watching them.
"...What the hell're those? Locals?"
"I-I think... they're goblins. They're... kinda the classic fantasy monster."
Unlike Natsume or Kanon, Mako actually knew fantasy games.
A wicked grin spread across Natsume's face.
"Heh. Looks like we're about to make ourselves some money."
She looked at Mako.
"You can stream this, right?"
"'I Shot Goblins in Another World.' Tell me that ain't clickbait gold."
"B-But..."
Mako hesitated.
"O-Our viewers mostly watch us 'cause they like guns..."
"I dunno if it'll really blow up..."
"Only one way to find out."
Natsume shrugged.
"Start the stream."
"O-Okay... I can only livestream, though. I can't edit anything."
"Figures. No computer."
She waved a hand dismissively.
"Don't matter. We'll just run it live. You don't even need a real camera, right?"
Mako nodded.
"I-I think... this works instead."
A floating sphere appeared above her palm.
It was slightly smaller than a basketball.
And disturbingly—
It looked exactly like a giant human eyeball.
"...Well."
Natsume frowned.
"That's one ugly-lookin' camera."
"Already live?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"But nobody's watching yet."
"It's a holiday... and we didn't announce the stream..."
"Heh."
Natsume cracked her neck.
"Pop-up stream. Let's do it."
あとがきのようなもの
第三話を英文にしたらクッソ長くなったのでROYAL ROADでは分割掲載しました。
配信開始前を3話に配信開始後を4話としてます
会話での一人称の差や日本語版での棗の特徴的な口調が無い為誰のセリフかわかりにくい部分がありますね。
とはいえ、棗のセリフは南部系だったり軍人系のスラングや言い回しを多数採用してますし、華音のセリフはややかしこまった いわゆるオールドエンパイア風の口調、そしてマコはジャパニッシュにしています。
