Outer World Story: Basilisk of Ice Sculpture

“I’m sorry… My sister has to leave for some urgent business.
Well, you two may relax knowing that your chat was worthwhile.”

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“[…I don’t hear anything, I don’t see anything, I don’t know anything…]”

“Come back here, you guys.”

“[Huh!?]”

There is no telling how much time has passed, but an oddly invigorated Susanoo-sama has somehow come back in front of me and Ys.

Oh no, I have to maintain my composure in the presence of Susanoo-sama.

“So what are Ys and Akira planning to do now?”

“I have a contract with Ys, so I must tackle the ‘Maze’.
Even as a personal responsibility, I have to go there as well.”

[Likewise, I have a contract with Akira, so I will be accompanying him.
As for myself, I am naturally inclined to do something about the ‘Maze’.]

“I see.”

To Susanoo-sama’s question, both Ys and I express our resolve to challenge the “Maze” and engage in battle against the monsters, despite our differing views on the details.

When Susanoo-sama hears what we have to say, he blows on his pipe once and puts on a face as though he has already made up his mind.

“If that is the way you are going about it, you two are to come with the Security Organization’s eradication squad.”

And then, seemingly out of nowhere, he announces the unexpected words.

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[Mmm?]

“Eh!? Is that fine?”

“I don’t particularly mind… I mean, I am the head of the organization.
At this degree, a single voice from me is all it takes.
Otherwise, a single God and a single human being who can harness the full power of that God are more than enough for a force to be reckoned with.
If the person in question is willing to do it, there is no reason not to include them.”

“Well, I have a feeling that there could be a problem involving the power balance…”

“Competence is everything in a battle against monsters.
There is no need to be concerned about rank, power, or origin.
Or rather, a fool who drags a trivial personal dispute into the battlefield should die alone before causing any trouble for their allies.”

[Um, but I am not a God of this place…]

“The Graecian is dead, isn’t it? If so, you ought to switch your affiliation and seek a reliable ally.
Besides, what kind of woman cares what God she was originally from if she can see the pinnacle of our organization? On top of that, whether or not you have backups, the two of you are prepared to take on the “Maze”.
Given that, it would be more efficient if you were both under my command and operating under ideal circumstances.
Any opposition?”

“[No…]”

Both Ys and I are completely out of the loop by Susanoo-sama’s words, so we give up and wave the white flag.

Well, I suppose it would be ideal if we could join the Security Organization’s eradication squad with Susanoo-sama’s recommendation without any delay.

As Susanoo-sama points out, there are many advantages to joining the squad, and since I was formerly a member of the security patrol squad, I yearn to join the eradication squad.

“All right.
I’ll make the arrangements for you then… and we’ll have the candidates for the eradication squad meet up with you in a week.”

[Candidates?]

“Once you’re assigned to the eradication squad, you’ll spend the first three months of your training as a candidate in an intensive practical training program.
Although I don’t know much about the details of their training, I believe they will be deployed in the field in about a month.”

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“Incidentally, some of the people who brought us to Takamagahara today are part of that group of candidates, and they were given training in collective maneuvers as well.”

[Hmm…]

Ys shows her understanding of what I and Susanoo-sama are saying.

Even so, I thought there were unusually many young members of the squad.
They must be exceptionally young.

It is at this point that I realize a certain problem.

“Um… Susanoo-sama?”

“What’s up?”

“Well… I would be honored to be assigned to the eradication squad, but as I recall, the members of the squad who had been there for under five years were split into male and female quarters, and they all resided in dorms to cultivate things like teamwork…”

“That’s right.”

[Ah…!?]

Ys then unconsciously raises her voice, as if she too has perceived the problem.

But Susanoo-sama still doesn’t grasp it and urges me to continue the conversation with only his eyes.

“The point is… I was a man before I signed a contract with Ys, and now my body is a woman… In that case, what happens to the dormitory?”

“…Oops!?”

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After informing him of the issue, the smoking pipe unexpectedly falls out of Susanoo-sama’s mouth, and he hurriedly retrieves it before it lands on the floor.

“Ah, that’s indeed a problem…”

Susanoo-sama scratches his head after putting the pipe back in his mouth with a look of profound distress on his face.

However, in reality, this is a matter of life and death for me.

First of all, in the case of me entering the men’s dormitory:

I would be able to relax mentally for a while.
But I can guarantee this as a man my age: their lust is not to be taken lightly.
Not to mention the fact that I’ve signed a contract with Ys and my appearance is now at a stage where even a woman might be attracted to me if things go badly enough.

In conclusion, the men’s dorm is a catastrophe on both a physical and psychological level.

Next, if I enter the women’s dormitory:

There is no problem physically.
But the strain on my psyche will be even worse, mainly because of my conscience.
To be candid, if a guy who still can’t even look at his own body properly goes to a women’s dormitory, it will be poor for him in that aspect.
To add to that, if there is someone like the nurse who was in the sanatorium, I have a feeling that even my chastity would be in danger.

To sum up, women’s dormitories are dangerous as well, but only in varying proportions.

Finally, suppose that a dormitory is built for my personal use:

This would be the most appropriate considering my physical and mental condition.

Nevertheless, it is highly probable that members under the age of 20 will be ostracized for violating the absolute rule of living in a dormitory, and various adverse effects may occur as a result.
Even if this were not the case, there would be many individuals who would not be pleased with the prospect of having a new member suddenly join the group under the authority of a high-ranking official named Susanoo-sama.

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Consequently, even if a private dormitory is established, difficulties are bound to ensue.

“…Ah, it’s impossible to treat you as being over 20 years old… They would definitely find out.”

“In all honesty, I don’t have any confidence in my ability to disguise it.”

[Furthermore, the ones who can see my figure will be a problem too…]

Even if I were to misrepresent my age, my own experience is lacking in some way, so it would most certainly fall apart at the seams somewhere.

As for what Ys said… she is not visible to ordinary humans when she is in a non-embodied state, but since I can see her without any problem as a contracted human, it would not be unreasonable to assume that there are other people who can visually view her in some other way.

Indeed, it might be troublesome if they can see Ys and discover her true identity… In Japoterasu, the Gods are usually residing in Takamagahara.

“Regarding the matter with Ys, please take care of it yourselves.
As for the dormitory… I will set up a dormitory for your group since it is unavoidable.
This will be preferable than having you live in the dorms for either men or women.
If anyone still has something to criticize about it… you should demonstrate to them that even if you are given special treatment, your abilities are such that they will have no choice but to accept it.”

“[I understand.]”

Both of us return our approval to Susanoo-sama’s conclusion.

In fact, if Susanoo-sama is in charge, this could be the optimal course of action because no one else can speak on the subject without jeopardizing one’s position and status.

“Thank you both for your efforts today.
For now, that’s enough talk for the day.”

“[Well, excuse us then.]”

Ys and I then bow once to Susanoo-sama followed by the two of us departing from Takamagahara.