118.Candle In The Wind
森に残ったエルフたちが、それぞれ武装をして魔人族との接触地点に戻ってきたとき、そこにあるはずの魔人族の死体が消えていた。
「おい、魔人族なんてどこにもいないじゃないか」
魔人族が現れ、しかもたった二人で倒したという話を聞いて、勢い込んでやってきたエルフたちは、先に接触した二人を睨みつけた。
「いやいや、本当なんだよ! なあ?」
「ああ、間違い無く魔人だったし、俺たちの魔法で殺した。場所も間違いない。見ろ、血の跡もあるだろう?」
指差された場所、適当に均されただけの路地の上には、確かに血痕と思われる黒い跡が残っている。
よく見ると、血の跡がかすかに引きずられたように、脇の森へと向かってうっすらと伸びていた。
「......あっちに、続いているな」
「確かめよう。魔人族がまだ生きているなら、逃げられたら厄介だ。重傷なのは間違い無いのだから、見つけたら全員で魔法を撃ち込んで止めをさそう」
その提案に、その場に来ていた八人のエルフは全員が同意した。
まとまって互いに周囲を警戒しつつ歩を進める。
残った者たちはどちらかといえば魔法は得意な方で、魔人族が来ても戦える自信を持っていた。だが、実際に戦ったという経験があるものは居ない。エルフたちが魔人族を追い詰め、彼の地に追いやったのは、彼らの生まれるずっと前の話なのだ。
「あれは......!」
五分ほど進んだところ、森の木々の間隔が大分狭くなり、薄暗くなってくるあたりで、誰かが指差した。
そこには、誰かがしゃがみこんでもぞもぞと何かの作業をしている後ろ姿が見えた。
「いや、ちが......」
先導したエルフは、自分が見た魔人族とは違う、と言おうとしたが、接敵と勘違いした三人のエルフが一気に魔法を発動した。
「くらえ!」
「魔人族め! 外に出てくるな!」
口々に悪態を吐きながら、放たれたのは風の刃と電撃、そして石礫の魔法だった。
全ての攻撃が、何かに当たり、弾け、激しい音を放つ。
「よし!」
誰かが、拳を握って叫んだ。
次の瞬間、仲間とは違う声が全員の耳に聞こえる。
「何が“良し”だ。馬鹿野郎」
声が終わるやいなや、魔法を発したエルフの首がぽとりと落ちた。
切られた本人は、突然くるくると回ったことに不思議そうな表情をしたまま、絶命した。
「う、うわあああ!」
突然の仲間の死に驚き、叫び声を上げたのは、首を切り落とされたエルフと同様に、魔法を放ったエルフの青年だ。
転がる首を見ている青年の胸に、刀が吸い込まれるように突き刺さる。
ズルリ、と刀が抜かれ、ポッカリと空いた胸を青年が手で押さえてるが、ドロドロと流れ出す大量の血は指の隙間から溢れる。
青年が血の気を失って倒れると、残った六人は慌てて距離を取った。
「に、人間......?!」
エルフたちが攻撃したのは、魔人族ではなく一二三だった。
刀を懐紙で拭った一二三は、不機嫌を露わに立っている。
「人の実験を邪魔したうえ、実験体まで壊しやがって」
一二三が刀で差したのは、魔法攻撃の盾にされて、ボロ雑巾のようになった魔人族の死体だった。
「実験だと?」
道端で魔人族の新しい死体を見つけた一二三は、周辺の木々が魔人族の居住地とは違う、エルフの森独特の物になっている事に気づいて、エルフと祖先を同じにしていると思われる魔人族の血液にもこの樹の影響はあるのかと試してみる気になったらしい。
死体を引きずり、樹が密集している場所に転がした。
しゃがみ込んで作業をしていたのは、血がもうあまり出なかったので、身体の前面を切り開いて変化がわかりやすくなるようにしようとしていたのだ。
ところが、数人連れでやってきたエルフがいきなり魔法を撃ってきたので、反射的に盾にするために放り投げてしまった。
「せっかく切開までできたところで、これだ。風やら石やらならまだしも、雷撃で焦がしやがって。これじゃ使えないだろうが」
エルフたちが魔人族の死体をよく見ると、胸は皮膚が裂かれて胸骨が折り取られ、腹部も十文字に切り裂かれて、内臓が雷撃に焼かれてブスブスと煙を上げていた。
「おげぇえええええ!」
誰かが耐え切れずに吐き、二人ほどそれにつられて胃の中身をぶちまけた。
「なんて事を......」
「魔法は三つだった。もう一人は、誰だ?」
殺気の方向からして、お前かお前だろう、と順番に指差す。
残ったエルフたちの視線が、雷撃を放った一人の男に集まった。
「お前か」
「待ってくれ! ち、違う、俺じゃない!」
男の言葉は、一二三の動きを止めることはできなかった。
怒りに任せ、大上段から稲妻のように打ち下ろされた刀は、眉間から鼻、唇と順番に切り裂いて、胸骨を滑り、腹を縦一文字に斬り裂いた。
「あああ......」
血まみれの顔で溢れ落ちる腸を懸命に拾い上げるものの、ヌルヌルと腕の間を滑り抜ける内臓を絶望に満ちた顔で見ている男の目の前で、一二三は冷たい瞳で見下ろす。
「お前らエルフでの実験は終わっているんだった。無駄な時間だな」
男の喉に刀の切っ先だけを突き入れ、気管と頚動脈を断ち割ると、一二三は刀を拭った懐紙を放り捨てた。
残ったエルフたちも、この瞬間に森を捨てる事を決めた。
英雄の妻、ということで、王都に滞在しているオリガに会いたいという人物は意外と多く、滞在している宿には毎日のように商家や貴族たちから夜会などの招待状が届いていた。
一応は全てに返事を出してはいるものの、オリガはその全てを断っていた。唯一、王城にて行われた夜会に顔を出し、ダンスにも参加せず挨拶のみで済ませ、中途で退場した程度だ。
生粋の貴族たちからすれば、平民出の成り上がり貴族と元奴隷の妻という事で侮蔑の対象でもあったが、女王と近しくしていることとこれまでの戦果、断りの理由も「夫が無事帰国するまでは、極力参加を控えたい」で通していたので、貴族の中でも妻としての姿勢を評価する者も一定数存在した。
「正直に言えば、面倒なだけというのもありますが」
「......随分と、あけすけにお話されますね」
イメラリアと向かい合って座り、紅茶の入ったカップを傾けているオリガは、薄いブルーのドレスを纏い、見た目で言えば王国の貴族として充分な気品を身につけていた。彼女が何者かを知らない貴族の後継が、どこの貴族家の令嬢かと声をかけようとして周りに止められるという事も二度、三度とあった。
「私の時間は夫の為に使うものと決めております。そこらの貴族との深いつながりなど、夫は望んでおりません。それに、いやらしい目をして私を見てくる不快な輩も多いようですし」
「その割には、王城での夜会には来ていただけたようですね」
「あら、夫がお世話になった相手ですもの。夫が動けない今、代わりに義理を果たすのは妻の務めです」
カップを置いたオリガは、にっこりと笑った。
「女王陛下には、とても感謝しております。陛下のおかげで、私は一二三様と出会う事ができましたし、どうしようもない状況から抜け出し、復讐を果たすための力を得ました」
「あら? オリガさんを騙した相手はもう......」
「ええ、殺しました」
殺したという言葉に、お茶のおかわりを用意していた侍女がビクッと震えたが、何も聞こえなかったというふうに作業を続けるのが視界の端に映り、後で労っておこうとイメラリアは決めた。
「ですが、それを指示した者は生きています」
「......その言葉が指すのがハーゲンティ子爵でしたら、刑場の露と消えました」
イメラリアの言葉に、オリガの方が目を見開いた。
「陛下が指示なされたのですか?」
「ええ、もちろんですわ」
意外だ、とオリガは内心驚いていた。
王都で冒険者をしていた頃から、イメラリアに対する評価はよく言えば優しい、悪く言えば為政者として甘い、というイメージだった。
平民と気安く接し、貧しい者に施しをする。
持つ者としては立派なのかもしれないが、王族としてはいささか“夢見がち”と評されても仕方がないと考えていたのだが。
「何ら責任の無い、どこかへ嫁ぐのを待つばかりの王女ではなく、この国を背負う女王となった時点で、取捨選択を国の利益優先で行うのは当然です。......まだ、どこかで違和感はありますが、そうせねばならぬ立場にいることは自覚しているつもりです」
「素晴らしい事です」
驚きの表情を笑顔に隠したオリガは、胸の前で細い指を合わせるように手を合わせて褒め称えた。
「ですが、私の言う復讐相手はたかが子爵程度の男一人ではありませんよ」
フフ、と口を抑えて笑うオリガの姿は、女性であるイメラリアから見ても可愛らしいと思える。
その正体を知らなければ、貴族の若い男たちが声をかけたくなるのも解るというものだ。
「ヴィシーそのものです。一二三様に対して戦端を開いた事も許しがたいことですが、オーソングランデの腐敗貴族に裏から働きかけたのがヴィシーであることは明白です。私の最終的な目標は、ヴィシーの中央委員会の連中が、皆死体となることなのです」
まるで少女が夢を語るように、オリガはドス黒い復讐心を言の葉に変える。
「では、今アリッサさんたちが軍を率いてヴィシー国境にいるのは、オリガさんが指示を?」
対して、笑顔でいられないイメラリア。
怪訝な視線を向けられ、オリガはまた笑った。
「あれは、夫が指示した事です。魔物が強くなってきたので、準備ができれば退治の為に大規模な駆逐作戦を行うように、と言われていたようですね」
「では、ヴィシーへの復讐というのは......」
「夫に聞いたことがあります。国というのは意外としぶといもので、単純に外部からの攻撃で滅亡させるのは難しい、と」
歴史を学んだことがあるイメラリアも、その言葉にはなるほど、と頷いた。
「国が無くなる原因は、多くが内部での問題です。対立や疫病など、国が疲弊してまとまりが無くなったところを、吸収されたり攻め滅ぼされたりするのです」
実際、オーソングランデも過去の歴史でいくつかの小国を併呑した歴史がある。そのいくつかは、残っていればヴィシーを形成する都市国家の一つになったかもしれないが、王国の記録によれば飢饉や為政者の乱脈経営による金銭的な崩壊をきっかけとしたものだとイメラリアも思い出していた。
「ですが、今のヴィシーはフォカロルと友好的に交流を進め、概ね都市国家群としての安定は保たれていると思うのですが......」
「あら、一箇所だけ、国家というのもどうかと思う程度の規模で対立を続けていらっしゃる、奇特なところもありますよ」
「......何をなさるおつもりですか?」
オリガが言う対立国家に心当たりを思い出したイメラリアは、苦い顔をして質問をする。
「お手紙を一通だけお送りしました。もちろん、これも夫の許可を取って、アドバイスを頂いてのことです。あとは、封印魔法の研究を続けながら、高見の見物をさせていただこうかと」
では研究に戻ります、と立ち上がったオリガに、イメラリアは結局手紙の中身を聞くことはできなかった。
Chapter 118: Candle In The Wind
When the elves who remained in the forest returned with arms to the site where the demon was, the corpse of the demon, which should have been there, had vanished.
"Oy, there's nothing like a demon around here, is there?"
Hearing the story that a demon appeared and moreover that it was defeated by merely two elves, the elves, who braced themselves and came along, glared at the two who previously met it.
"No, no! It's the truth! Right?"
"Yeah, it was without a doubt a demon. We killed it with our magic. There's no mistake in the location either. Look, there are still bloodstains remaining, right?"
At the place, he pointed at, black remains, which can certainly be considered bloodstains, were scattered on the path which was evened roughly.
If one looked closely, the bloodstains indistinctly extended towards the forest as if the corpse had been dragged along.
"... It's continuing over there."
"Let's check it out. It will spell troubles if the demon is still alive and has escaped. Since there's no doubt that it's wounded seriously, we will finish it off with everyone launching their magic at it once we find it."
The eight elves who were at this place agreed to that suggestion.
They advance while being cautious of the surroundings and covering for each other.
With the remaining elves being specialised in magic, they had confidence in being able to resist even if the demon came. However, there's actually none among them who has real experience in fighting. Cornering the demons, the elves locked them up in that place is a story from long before they had been born.
"That is...!"
When they advanced for around 5 minutes, one of them pointed at the dim vicinity where the space between the forest's trees became fairly narrow.
There they saw the back of someone doing something while squatting and squirming.
"No, the blood has..."
The leading elf tried to tell them that it was different from the demon he had seen for himself, but three elves immediately invoked magic misunderstanding it as enemy approach.
"Take this!"
"Demon! Come out!"magic
While throwing abusive language at it, they released wind blades, a lightning attack and a stone pellet spell.
All of the spells hit something and burst with a fierce sound.
"Alright!"
One of them yells while clenching their fists.
In the next moment they hear a voice different from their comrades.
"What's "alright"? Idiot."
No sooner than the voice finished, the head of one of the elves, who released the spells, fell down with a "plop."
The cut elf himself had his life ended while wearing a surprised expression wondering about his sight suddenly spinning around.
"U-Uwaaah!"
Surprised by the abrupt death of his comrade, the one who raised his voice into a scream is a young elf who released a spell just like the beheaded and fallen elf.
A katana pierces the chest of the young man, who looks at the tumbling head, as if being sucked into it.
As the katana is pulled out with a short sliding sound, the young elf presses his hands on his gaping wide chest, however large amounts of blood ooze out between his fingers.
Once the young man collapsed due to blood loss, the remaining six took distance in panic.
"A-A human...?"
The one who attacked wasn't a demon but Hifumi.
Wiping his katana with a paper, Hifumi stands up openly while being displeased.
"On top of interrupting someone's experiment, you even destroy the experiment's body." (Hifumi)
What was held up by the katana was the corpse of the demon which had turned into a ragged dust cloth due to serving as shield against the magic attacks.
"Experiment, you say?"
Hifumi, who discovered a fresh demon corpse at the wayside, noticed that the trees in the surroundings were different from the demon's area as they had the peculiarity of the elven forest and apparently decided to test whether there's an influence by those trees on the blood of the demon whose ancestors are similar to the elves.
Pulling the corpse along, he threw it down at a place dense with trees.
Since the one he was working on while squatting hadn't much blood remaining anymore, he tried to cut open the body's front in order to make the change easier to understand.
However, since the elves, who turned up in a group, suddenly fired spells at him, he ended up throwing the corpse as shield out of reflex.
"Even though I went as far as operating on it at great troubles, this happened. The wind blades and stone pellet were still alright but the lightning attack burned it. Like this it ain't usable anymore." (Hifumi)
Once the elves looked properly at the corpse, they saw that the skin had been cut open, the breastbones had been snapped off and the abdomen had also been cut open crosswise as the internal organs were smoldering and raising smoke due to being burnt by the lightning attack.
"Uegeeeeeehh!"
Someone vomited unable to endure it any longer and triggered two more to spurt out the contents of their stomachs.
"Something like that..."
"There had been three spells. Who's the last one?" (Hifumi)
"Judging by the direction of bloodthirst, it's either you or you", he points at them one after the other.
The gazes of the remaining elves gathered on the man who released the lightning attack.
"You, eh?" (Hifumi)
"Please wait! I-It wasn't me but someone else!"
The man's words weren't able to stop Hifumi's motion.
Entrusting himself to his anger, the katana, which swooped down like lightning from a stance of being held above his head, cleaved open the lips and nose starting from the middle forehead, slid through the breastbones and tore open the abdomen in a single vertical stroke.
"Aaah..."
Although he has a bloody face and eagerly picks up the spilling intestines, Hifumi looks down on the man in front of him, who is looking with a face full of desperation as his guts are slipping out between his arm, with cold eyes.
"The experiment has ended due to you elves. You wasted my time pointlessly." (Hifumi)
Once he cut apart the trachea and carotid artery by thrusting only the point of his katana into the throat of the man, Hifumi wiped the katana with a paper and threw that paper away.
Even the remaining elves decided to abandon the forest at this moment.
There are unexpectedly many people who want to meet with Origa, who is staying in the capital, as she is called the wife of the hero. Every day written invitations to evening parties and such arrived at the inn she is staying at from nobles and merchants.
Although she has sent a reply to pretty much all of them, each and every one was refused by Origa. Just showing up at the evening parties carried out by the royal palace, she finished the greetings without dancing and left in the middle of those.
From the standpoints of genuine nobles they were targets of contempt as noble, who had risen from commoner status, and his wife, who was formerly a slave, but with them being close to the queen and having this many military achievements, there existed a definite number of people who highly evaluated her stance as wife even amongst the nobles, since she stuck to her reason for refusing which was [I want to refrain from participating until my husband returns safely] .
"Honestly said, it's just because it will be annoying." (Origa)
"... You have described it quite frankly." (Imeraria)
Sitting opposite of Imeraria, Origa, who was tilting her cup with tea in it, wore a light blue dress which carried plenty of elegance for a noble of the kingdom if going by appearance. It even happened twice, thrice that she had been stopped by the surroundings as they greeted her wondering whether she was the daughter of some noble household or the heir of some unknown noble.
"I have decided to use my time for the sake of my husband. Something like forming deep connections with nobles all around isn't what my husband wishes for. Besides, it looks like there are also many unpleasant fellows who look at me with filthy eyes." (Origa)
"Considering all that, you were apparently able to attend the evening parties at the royal castle." (Imeraria)
"Ah, there are people to whom my husband was indebted. As my husband can't do it himself currently, it is the task of his wife to carry out his social obligations instead." (Origa)
Putting down the cup, Origa smiled sweetly.
"I'm very thankful to you, Your Majesty, the Queen. I was able to meet Hifumi-sama thanks to Your Majesty. I gained the power to exact my revenge after breaking out from a helpless situation." (Origa)
"Oh? The other party, who deceived you, Origa-san, has already..." (Imeraria)
"Yes, I killed him." (Origa)
The maid, who prepared a second serving of tea shivered with a start due to the word "killed", but as she continued her task in a manner as if she hadn't heard anything, Imeraria decided to console her afterwards as she caught on the maid's startling at the edge of her view.
"However, the people who ordered that are still alive." (Origa)
"... If the one your words are pointing at is Viscount Hagenti, he disappeared to the public execution ground." (Imeraria)
Origa opened her eyes widely due to Imeraria's remark.
"Did you give the order for that, Your Majesty?" (Origa)
"Yes, of course." (Imeraria)
, Origa was surprised within her mind.
Since the time Origa acted as adventurer in the capital, the evaluation towards Imeraria had the image of her being naive as statesman, if one traduced her, and gentle, if one said it elegantly.
She familiarly gets in touch with commoners and carries out charity for the poor.
She might be splendid for a person who possesses wealth, but it's inevitable for her to be evaluated as somewhat "dreamy" as royalty
"It's only natural to put priority on the country's interests in my decisions once I turned into a queen being responsible for this country while losing my status as princess who simply waited to be married off somewhere without holding any responsibilities whatsoever... I still feel somewhat out of place, however I believe that I'm aware of being in a position I ought to accomplish." (Imeraria)
"That's something wonderful." (Origa)
Origa, who hid her surprised expression with a smile, praised her while putting together her hands in front of her chest and placing her thin fingers onto each other.
"However, it's not only a single man at the rank of Viscount who is the other party for the revenge mentioned by me." (Origa)
The figure of Origa, who restrained her mouth with a "Fufu", seems to be lovely even seen from they eyes of Imeraria who is a woman, too.
She understands the young noble men who want to call out to her as they don't know her true nature.
"It's Vichy itself. Even the matter of them taking up arms against Hifumi-sama is inexcusable, but it's obvious that it's Vichy who influenced the corrupt nobles of Orsongrande from behind the scenes. My final objective is for everyone from Vichy's Central Committee to be turned into corpses." (Origa)
From completely talking like a dreaming maiden, Origa changes her words into a murky, dark desire for revenge.
"Then it's your order for the army led by Alyssa-san to be currently at the border to Vichy, Origa-san?" (Imeraria)
In contrast to Origa, Imeraria doesn't feel like smiling.
Having a dubious look turned at her, Origa smiled once again.
"That was ordered by my husband. Given that the monsters became powerful, he apparently told them to carry out a large-scale extermination operation to eradicate them once the preparations have finished." (Origa)
"Then revenge towards Vichy means..." (Imeraria)
"You have heard from my husband. As the country  is unexpectedly tenacious it's difficult to cause its downfall with a simple attack from outside." (Origa)
Even Imeraria, who has studied history, nodded while saying "Indeed" towards that statement.
"The reasons for a country to perish is the great number of internal problems. The country will be attacked and overthrown or absorbed at the point it lost its unity due to exhaustion from things like antagonism and epidemics." (Origa)
In fact Orsongrande has a history of having annexed several small countries in its past as well. Several of those left behind became city-states forming Vichy, however Imeraria recalled that there were some people who used the occasion of financial collapse due to famines and statesmen mismanaging according to the kingdom's records.
"But, the current Vichy is heading towards a friendly exchange with Fokalore. I believe they are on the whole doing that to maintain their stability as group of city-states, however..." (Imeraria)
"Ah, only one place is continuing to be against it as they consider the entire structure as faulty since it's a nation. That's a commendable aspect as well." (Origa)
"... What are you planning to do?" (Imeraria)
Imeraria, who recalled having some knowledge about the nation which is opposing according to Origa, asks while having a bitter smile.
"I simply sent a letter. Of course I also got the permission to do so from my husband while receiving advice from him. Let's have the privilege of watching as spectators while continuing our research on sealing magic?" (Origa)
"I will return to the research then", in the end Imeraria wasn't able to ask about the contents of the letter due to Origa standing up.
Summoned Slaughterer
呼び出された殺戮者
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/summoned-slaughterer/
Action Adventure Fantasy Martial Arts Mature Psychological Romance Shounen
Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Arrogant Characters Average-looking Protagonist Beastkin Beautiful Female Lead Betrayal Calm Protagonist Clever Protagonist Cunning Protagonist Dark Demi-Humans Demons Determined Protagonist Different Social Status Dwarfs Elemental Magic Elves Enemies Become Allies Enemies Become Lovers Evil Protagonist Fantasy Creatures Fantasy World Fearless Protagonist God-human Relationship Gods Kingdom Building Kingdoms Knights Love Interest Falls in Love First Magic Beasts Magical Space Male Protagonist Marriage Monsters Nobles Obsessive Love Overpowered Protagonist Politics Power Struggle Protagonist Strong from the Start R-15 Royalty Ruthless Protagonist Samurai Schemes And Conspiracies S*aves Strong Love Interests Strong to Stronger Summoning Magic Sword And Magic Sword Wielder Transported to Another World Underestimated Protagonist Unique Weapon User Unique Weapons Wars Yandere
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4399ci/
井戸正善／ido