Monogatari Series - Volume 24 - Chapter 2.07

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With Ononoki-chan saying that, I’m reminded of her serving as a ‘transportational tool’ for her master, Kagenui-san – then perhaps the skill of making their body (their dead body) explosively rocket towards the skies with the ‘Unlimited Rulebook’ is in fact a necessary technique for experts.

Anyway, in the end, I can’t rely on her to do what I want every time; a situation like this is only an irregularity…this I have to keep in mind.

It may be an act of kindness and not of justice, but in a sense, it’d still be dangerous to be complacent in relying on others for help – Ononoki-chan may have said what she said using behavioural economics, but it’s still better to think about the before-and-afters, otherwise I’ll end up on a self-destructive path.

Not that it’s the first time that happened.

Having said that, it’s already too late now to think of consequences – now is the time for some solid action; no use in wasting time.

Even if I didn’t think about the consequences, I shouldn’t regret it.

That’s the mentality I’m moving forward with tonight.

‘I cannot lose to Ononoki-san too. As a pro in lost children, allow me to act as a consultant for Araragi-san.’

Hachikuji took the helm after Ononoki-chan left (launched?).

‘Well, in any case, we’ll need to wait for Ononoki-san’s results to determine how large a range we’re going to be combing through, but allow me to return to square one: don’t forget that, ultimately, you’re looking for a year five girl.’

‘How can I forget it. With a year five human girl at stake, one little mistake and I’ll become a societal outcast.’

‘Thou speakest as if thou would be unscathed if thou wert a vampire, a spirit, or a corpse…’

‘The point I’m about to get to is that, as a small girl, Benikujaku-chan really could be “hiding anywhere” – since she’s small in size.’

I see.

That could be a surprising blind spot – if people were to assume that no person can hide in a grass field, then she could take advantage of that.

Now that she’s left home, this is essentially a giant game of tag – oh dear, I might no longer be a vampire, but I guess I’m still ‘it’.

‘It’s not only about size; a primary schoolkid could easily manage to wander to a place no adult could ever imagine. Back before I became a god, when I was a lost cow, I’ve made countless primary schoolkids get lost.’

‘I’ve always thought you were a harmless oddity, but now that you put it like that, I’m starting to have second thoughts…’

‘A primary schoolkid could just hop on top of walls, or go into drains, walk onto mountains or skip over fences. Barriers can mean nothing to them.’

Ahh…

That reminds me, Kanbaru used that exact method to avoid bumping into the lost cow…I thought it was some special technique only Kanbaru could pull off, but as it turns out, primary schoolchildren could do that too.

An agility only primary schoolkids have to ability to pull off.

‘And they wouldn’t care if they dirtied their clothes too. Compared to oddities, it might actually be trickier to look for a lost child.’

‘I see…that makes sense. At the very least, it’s not the same as looking for an adult.’

‘Well, maybe Benikujaku-chan’s grown past Transistor Slender, or even beyond school kids her age, and also dresses like an adult, too.’

Sensing my frustration, Hachikuji attempted to console me.

Words of consolation they may be, but a 170 centimetre-tall primary school kid is not unheard of, so I have to keep that possibility in mind too, lest I make a fool of myself.

‘May I suggest putting thy previous experience in searching for a cat to good use, my master?’

Shinobu said.

Searching for a cat?

This is something detectives often do…or at least, this is what they say as an act of self-deprecation. ‘I used to dream of becoming the next great detective, but it took me too long to find out that most private detective work revolve around love affairs or lost pets’, that sort of thing.

But to lump a child who left home with a cat doesn’t seem right…even if that suggestion came from an oddity –

‘Nay, nay. When I say searching for a cat, I meant that cat. ’Twas one time that cat of limitless knowledge went missing, and it took thy lover an entire night to locate her whereabouts – that was true, no?’