152 何があろうとスケジュールは進む
ダンジョンの全面閉鎖が行われて早二週間。
その間、主業務であるダンジョン探索を封じられたテスターたちができる仕事は限られてくる。
ステータスを上昇させる自主練か、アイディアを捻出し給料アップを狙う報告書の作成か、或いは自身の商売道具である武器の手入れといった内容におおよそ収束する。
例外的例を挙げるのなら、この空いた時間を利用して新スキルの獲得に乗り出したり、自力で武器を作ろうと考える輩もいなくはないが、新スキルなどそう簡単に取得できるはずもなく、武器作成も大体が初心者であるが故、学ぶために鍛冶師に弟子入りしようとするが、職人であるジャイアントたちに門前払いを食らう。
めげずに自力で挑戦しようと試みるも施設、道具、技術の三拍子を揃える段階で挫折している。
誰が何をする、何をなそうとしても、共通して皆暇を持て余している感がある。
もっとも、報告書などの仕事は置いておくとして、体を鍛えるだろう訓練をするだけで給料がもらえるという現状は、現代の日本社会においてなかなか破格な待遇である。
だが、会社側からすれば歓迎できる状況ではないのも事実。
だからといって、魔剣事件が解決していない状況で人手が足りていない現状でやれることは限られてくる。
その中で会社側が提示した苦肉の策と言えるのが臨時の合同訓練だ。
要は暇を持て余しているこの期間を利用して、参加できるテスターを一箇所に集め、テスター同士の交流による横のつながりの強化と魔王軍側が用意した実力者による指導によって、停滞気味のテスターの質の向上をさせようっていう腹積もりだ。
参加自体は強制ではないが、それでも余裕のあるテスターたちはこぞってこれに参加をした。
当然、大会を控えている俺も腕を磨くためにそこに参加したわけだが......
「すみません次郎さん。例の件のダンジョン内捜索のために人手が取られまして、思ったよりもこちらに回せる人員が少なかったので」
「俺に白羽の矢が立ったわけか?」
「ええ、あとエヴィア様から、遊ばせているヒミクさんに指示を出せるのは次郎さんだけだからと」
「そんなことだろうと思ったよ......監督官の本命はそっちか」
申し訳なさそうな、少しお腹が目立ち始めたスーツ姿のスエラに苦笑一つで納得することにした。
言ってはなんだが、テスターの中で一番前衛としてステータスが高いのは俺だ。
それに強制的な出来事ではあったが、ここに居る全員を一人でぶちのめしたこともある。
そんな俺が同列の環境で同じ訓練をして、俺のステータスに変化が出るわけがない。
良く言えば体をほぐすような訓練、悪く言えばぬるい訓練。
そんな環境で俺を遊ばせるくらいならば教師役で参加しろという監督官の意図が見えた。
ついでといえば。
「当然だが、ヒミクの方が人気だな」
「彼女は様々な距離で対応できますからね」
ほかのテスターたちと俺の仲が微妙というのも最早慣れたものであり、こうなることは予想できた。
だがそれ以上に堕天使という珍しい種族に加えて、美人で割烹着という格好で少し天然な性格も相まって、男のテスターどころか女のテスターたちの心も掴んだヒミクは今や引っ張りだこの教師だ。
加えて、彼女は手加減こそ苦手とするも、近接、中距離、遠距離とそつなくこなすことができる。
なので、どの職業に対しても一定以上のアドバイスができる。
おそらくだがこの展開も監督官の予想の範疇に入るだろう。
まぁ、男どもは完全に下心丸出しで一回鉱樹で切り倒してやろうかと思ったがな。
「俺がいる意味は、ヒミクを繋ぎ止めるだけってか?」
「いや、せめて否定してくれよ」
「仕方ありません。事実ですから」
ヒミクを取られたという子供っぽい僅かな嫉妬心がバレたのか、クスクスと笑いながらからかってくるスエラに勘弁してくれと言いながら、訓練の光景を眺めている。
ダンジョンの中での張り詰めたピリピリとした空気はなくとも、各人真面目に訓練に取り掛かっている。
職種別に分かれ、その職に合った教師に従って訓練しているものもいれば。
仲間内で相談し、他所のテスターの技を見て参考にしている輩もいる。
魔法が飛び交い効率や威力の向上に努め、空中に浮かぶ的めがけ弓矢を放ったりし命中率と速射性をあげたり、回復魔法の純度を上げるためにはどうすればいいのかと講義形式の場も見受けられる。
個人的な部分を挙げるのなら、女性テスターに人気のある火澄に嫉妬した海堂が、
魔法禁止の純粋な戦いで海堂と火澄が切り結んだり。
その隣のエリアでは、ダンジョン内で使うべき魔法の模索をしていた北宮と南がいる。
最初は互いに意見を出し合い順調に滑り出したかのように見えたが、ふとしたきっかけで意見が割れ、睨み合ったと思ったら実戦形式の検証となり、今ではドンパチやっている。
火力自体は北宮が上だが、意外性の塊である南に苦戦している様子だ。
「......用事などで来られないというテスターは何人かいます」
そんな光景を見て、俺もじっくりと訓練に身を置きたいところだが。
全力で戦える相手がこの場にいないこととこの訓練の別の意図が気になるという理由が重なり、いまいち身が入らない。
「はい、全員いるはずです。念のため書類の方でも確認しました。ただ」
「魔剣の影響がどこまで出ているかだよな......正直に言えばここに居る全員の顔を覚えているわけでもないしな」
この訓練の裏でダンジョン内と社内で魔剣の捜索は続いている。
件の顔のわからない魔剣使い。
手がかりは魔剣の効果と形状だけという、何も手がかりのない状況で物的証拠を探すというかなり無茶な捜索だ。
それに加えて今回の合同訓練も魔剣事件の一番疑わしい容疑者であるテスターたちを一箇所に集めた雰囲気がある。
さっきからチラチラとテスターたち以外の視線を感じる。
やっていないという自覚があるからだろうか、必要以上にその視線にうんざりしながら俺の訓練はどうするかと考えていると。
「あ、気づかれちゃったかな?」
ふわりと妙に柔らかい気配を感じる。
一見普通の男に見える。
魔王軍というのは種族の特徴がかなり出やすい。
鬼なら角、アンデッドなら骨の姿といった雰囲気、ダークエルフなら尖った耳や肌の色、竜に関する種族なら鱗といった感じだ。
だが、パッと見て目の前の男にはそれがない。
となると。
「吸血鬼か?」
「せいかい~、よくわかったね。牙は見せなかったし僕の肌って白いけど結構人に近い色合いだと思うんだけどな」
「目に魔力が集まりすぎだ。魔眼が隠しきれてないぞ」
「あちゃぁ、そっちか。君結構鋭いって言われない? これでもだいぶ魔力を減らしているんだけど」
「これくらいできないと訓練で死んじまうからな、お前以上に魔力を隠して魔法を撃ってくるからなあの教官は」
用件も告げず、名前も告げず。
目の前の優男はうんうんと勝手に納得して話を進める。
俺のことを知っているようだが、何者だ?
見た目だけで言えば欧州系、イタリア系と言い換えればいいだろうか?
ハニーブラウンのウェーブがかかった髪を揺らしながら俺の声で気づいた女性テスターたちをその笑顔で魅了していく。
ところどころ仕草に軽薄さが目立つ。
いかにも女ウケのいい立ち居振る舞いだろうが、そのくせ瞳の奥には何を考えているかわからない薄気味悪さを灯している。
警戒が取れない怪しい男。
それが、この僅かなやりとりのあいだに俺が出した目の前の男の印象だ。
そんな男に対しての黄色い声が背中から聞こえ始めたことにため息を吐きたくなるのを我慢しながら、そっと背後を見る。
「知り合いか?」
「いえ、おそらくメモリアの知り合いでもないかと」
「ああ、グレイさんたちとも顔立ちが似ていない。親族ではないと思うが」
俺の中で吸血鬼と言えばメモリアだが、その親族かとも思ったが雰囲気も顔立ちも全く似ていない。
なので確認の意味合いを持ってしてスエラに話題を振ったが、彼女も知らないと言う。
となると、有名でない吸血鬼で、なおかつ会社に来る予定のリストに入っていないことになるが......
「おっと、自己紹介がまだだったね」
「してくれるのか?」
「当たり前さ! と言いたいところだけど、うん。確かに君の疑念のとおり、ここで素直に自己紹介するのは面白くないね」
「いや、しろよ。自己紹介におもしろさを求めるな」
追加でわかった快楽主義者という情報のおかげでますます目の前の優男が怪しくなってきた。
一対一の状況を作られた感は否めないが、現状これがベストだろう。
「そうかな? 生きていくうえで楽しむというのは欠かせない要素だと僕は思うね。それに君も随分乗り気のようだし、ここは一つどうだい? 剣で互いを紹介するってのは」
「とんだバトルジャンキーがいたもんだ。そんな自己紹介聞いたこともないし、あいにくと事勿れ主義の日本人でな。そういった面倒な話はお断りだ」
「つれないなぁ、本当にあの鬼王たちの秘蔵っ子なのかい? こんなに僕が誘っているのに闘気の一つも見せてくれない」
すっと目の前の優男は何気ない仕草で鞘から剣を抜き放った。
普段目にする剣と違った細身の刀身、レイピアと呼ばれる刺突をメインにする武器だ。
それをゆらゆらと揺らしながら段々と闘気を醸し出す男はどんな手を使ってでも戦おうとする意思を俺にぶつけてきた。
「変な言い方をするな、誤解されるだろう」
目の前の優男の剣に段々と魔力が乗り移ってきた。
もはや言っても引かないだろうとわかっている。
「誤解しないでほしいな」
ゆっくりと、まるで女性を口説き掛かるような優しい声音で語りかける優男は。
悠然と立つ姿、自然と抜けている力、闘う意志が無いように見せている仕草。
「本気だよ!」
その全てが既に万全の戦闘態勢を整えているのだと俺に伝えてきた。
「っち!」
「あは! 抜いてくれたね!!」
「抜かせたの間違いだろうが!!」
ギリギリだった。
踏み込みの入りが自然すぎて一瞬反応が遅れた。
もう数瞬反応が遅れていたら俺の喉に風穴が空いていただろう。
明らかに直撃コース。
手加減など微塵も感じられない一撃だった。
それをそらすために背中から鉱樹を俺のできる最速で抜刀した。
頭で考えるよりも脊髄で反応し、重量を載せるために直上からの振り下ろしにもかかわらず、できたのは相手の刃を脇にそらしつばぜり合いに持ち込むことまでだった。
反応が遅れて万全の一撃ではなかったにしろ、重量差や一撃の威力の差はあるはずなのに、吹き飛ばすことができずその場に停滞した。
ぶつかった瞬間に分かった。
攻撃の勢いを完全に殺されたと。
「それにしてもすごい一撃だったね。もう少しタイミングがずれてたら僕の剣が折れていたよ」
「よく言う、俺の攻撃を完全に殺しておいて」
「それができないといけない環境だったからね!」
力はこちらが上、技量はおそらく向こうが上。
その技量の差も致命的ではないだろうが、この時点で全力を出さないといけないと判断している俺の思考に待ったをかけ、とりあえずこの間合いはマズいと距離を取る。
相手に踏み込まれるのはマズいと思い、一瞬力を抜きこっちに寄せてから一気に力を込め振り払う。
「おっととと、すごい力だね。僕の体じゃそんな力を出せないよ」
「白々しい、そうやって俺を油断させるつもりか? さっきのももう少し勢いが弱かったら俺の首を切り裂くつもりだっただろう」
「それがわかるのかい?」
「のうのうと殺気をピンポイントで送り込んでおいてよく言う」
「さすがにわざとらしすぎたかな?」
予想よりも軽く押せたことに警戒したのが功をなした。
寒気が出そうな殺気が首元を襲い
とっさの判断で魔力を回したおかげで俺の首はつながっている。
「......」
強い。
いや、教官たちのような圧倒的な強さではないが、それでも素直に強いと思える。
互いに全力ではないにしても相手が強いというのだけはわかる。
じっと、無駄口を減らし観察するように優男を見れば、男は男で楽しそうに笑みを深めるだけだ。
その仕草が今度はそっちから攻めてこいと誘っているようであった。
癪だが、このまま様子見しても埒があかない。
鉱樹を肩に担ぎ、足幅と重心の位置を整える。
そう構えただけにも関わらず、正面で何かがぶつかり合っているような感覚がある。
いや、事実あるだろう。
俺の魔力と、目の前の優男の魔力が小競り合いを引き起こし、陣取り合戦のように押したり引いたりを繰り返している。
一筋縄ではいかないのはこの攻防だけでよくわかる。
そうして俺は、ゆっくりと重心を前に傾け
猿叫とともに暴風と化し、目の前の優男にめがけ鉱樹を振るうのであった。
今日の一言
予想外があろうとなかろうと、スケジュールは進み。予定はこなさなければならない。
156 152 He gaaroutosukeziyu-ruhaJin mu
It's been two weeks since the dungeons were completely closed.
During this time, our testers, who have been shut down from their main job of exploring dungeons, have only a limited amount of work to do.
It will mostly converge on self-training to increase your status, generating reports to generate ideas and increase your salary, or caring for your weapons, the tools of your trade.
To cite an exceptional example, there are those who take advantage of this free time to acquire new skills or try to make weapons on their own, but new skills are not so easy to acquire, and since most of them are beginners at making weapons, they try to apprentice themselves to a blacksmith to learn, but they are craftsmen You are rejected by the giants.
Despite their perseverance, they try to challenge on their own, but they fail to have the facilities, tools, and technology.
No matter who is doing what or what they are trying to do, there is a sense that they all have too much spare time in common.
However, leaving aside work such as reports, the current situation where one can get paid just for training, which is supposed to be physical training, is quite an unbeatable treatment in today's Japanese society.
However, it is also true that the company does not welcome the situation.
However, there is only a limited amount of things that can be done in the current situation where the sword case is not solved and there are not enough people to do it.
Under such circumstances, the company has proposed a last-ditch measure, a temporary joint training.
The point is that we intend to use this unused period of time to gather all the testers who can participate in the drill in one place, and to improve the quality of our sluggish testers by strengthening the horizontal connections through exchange among the testers and by instructing the competent people prepared by the Demon King's Army.
Although participation is not compulsory, all the testers who can afford to do so participate in it.
Naturally, I joined to hone my skills as well, since the competition is coming up: ......
Excuse me, Jiro-san. That dungeon search took a lot of manpower, and we didn't have as many people available to us as I thought.
"You've got me in a bind, huh?
Yes, and Evia-sama also told me that Jiro-san is the only one who can give instructions to Himikku-san, who is playing with her.
I knew it would be something like that. ...... So you're the real deal for the supervisor.
I decided to convince Suela, who was wearing a suit that looked apologetic and whose belly was beginning to show a little bit of belly, with a wry smile.
It's hard to say, but I'm the one with the highest vanguard status among the testers.
And although it was a forced event, I've beaten everyone here to death by myself.
There's no way my status would change with the same training in the same environment.
At best, it's like a relaxation exercise; at worst, it's lukewarm training.
I could see the supervisor's intent to have me participate in the teacher's role rather than having me play in such an environment.
Speaking of which.
Of course, Himik is more popular.
"She can handle it from a variety of distances,
The delicate relationship between me and the other testers is something I'm used to, and I could see this coming.
But more than that, in addition to the unusual tribe of fallen angels, her beauty and kappogi outfit, coupled with her slightly natural personality, has won the hearts of not only the male testers, but also the female testers, and now she is a sought-after teacher.
In addition, although she is not very good at being a handful, she is able to handle proximity, mid-range, and long range without a hitch.
So she can give a certain amount of advice to all professions.
Perhaps this development is also within the scope of the supervisor's expectations.
Well, the men have a completely ulterior motive, and I was going to cut them down with a mineral tree.
What's the point of my being here, just to keep Himiku together?
No, at least deny it to me.
It's a fact. It's true.
The slight childish jealousy of Himikku's being taken may have been discovered, but I'm looking at the training scene, laughing and telling Suela to give me a break as she teases me with a giggle.
You will be able to see that there is no tense atmosphere in the dungeon, but each person is seriously engaged in the training.
Some are divided into different occupational groups and train according to the appropriate teacher.
Some train according to the teacher appropriate for the job, while others consult among themselves and follow the techniques of other testers.
You will find that magic is flying around, improving efficiency and power, shooting arrows at targets floating in the air to increase accuracy and speed, and lecturing on how to improve the purity of your recovery magic.
To take a personal note, Kaido, who was jealous of the female tester's favorite, Haidou, called a duel with the vanguard for the sake of his recovery (rehabilitation) from his injury.
Kaido and Hatcho cut loose in a pure battle of magic prohibition.
In the next area, there are Kitamiya and Minami, who were searching for magic to use in the dungeon.
At first it looked like they were getting off to a good start by exchanging opinions with each other, but they suddenly disagreed, and when they thought they were staring at each other, it turned into a verification of the actual battle format, and now they're all banging each other up.
Although Kitamiya has more firepower, she is having a hard time with the South, which is a mass of unexpectedness.
"We have several testers who say they can't come to ...... for things like that.
Seeing such a scene, I would like to take my time in training, but.
I'm not sure I'll be able to get into it because there is no one here who can fight at full strength and I'm concerned about the other intentions of this training.
Yes, they should all be there. I checked the paperwork to be sure. Just to be sure.
"It's just a matter of how far the demon sword has affected you. ...... I can't even remember everyone's face here to be honest.
Behind the scenes of this training, the search for the magic sword continues in the dungeon and in the company.
The unknown wizard.
The only clues are the effect and the shape of the sword, so the search for physical evidence with no clues.
In addition, this joint drill also seemed to have gathered the most suspicious suspects of the sword case, the testers, in one place.
I've been glancing at you for a while now, except for the testers.
Perhaps it's because they are aware that they didn't do it, but as I was thinking about what I should do about my training, I got fed up with the stares more than necessary.
Oh, did they notice me?
You can feel a strange, soft presence.
At first glance, he appears to be an ordinary man.
A demon king's army tends to show the characteristics of its race.
If you're an undead man, you have horns, if you're a demon, you have bones, if you're a dark elf you have pointed ears and skin color, if you're a dragon, you have scales.
But at a glance, the man in front of me doesn't have them.
So.
A vampire?
I'm glad you found that out. You didn't show your fangs, and I think my skin is pretty close to a human color, even though it's white.
"Your eyes are gathering too much magic. You can't hide your evil eye.
Oh, I see. I've been told you're pretty sharp, right? It's still a lot less magical.
I'm sure he'd die in training if he couldn't do this, because he's even more likely to hide his magic and shoot it at you than you are.
He didn't tell you what he wanted, and he didn't tell you his name.
The man in front of you is very self-convinced and goes on with his story.
You seem to know me, but who are you?
If you just look at it, it's European, or should I say Italian?
The female testers noticed by my voice as I swung my honey brown wavy hair and charmed them with my smile.
The frivolity of his gestures is noticeable here and there.
Although his behavior is sure to be popular with the ladies, he still has a creepy look behind his eyes that makes it hard to tell what he is thinking.
A suspicious man who can't keep his guard up.
That's the impression I've made of the man in front of me during this brief exchange.
Resisting the urge to let out a sigh as the yellow voice for such a man begins to come from behind you, you quietly look behind you.
"Do you know him?
No, I thought you might not even know Memoria.
Yeah, you don't look like Mr. Gray and his friends. I don't think we're related.
The vampire in my mind is Memoria, and I thought she might be a relative, but she doesn't look anything like me in terms of atmosphere or face.
So I brought up the subject to Suela for confirmation, but she said she didn't know either.
So, he's not a famous vampire, and yet he's not on the list to come to the company: ......
"Oops, you didn't introduce yourself yet.
Will you?
"Of course! I'd say, "Yeah. Surely, as you suspected, it's no fun to introduce yourself honestly here.
No, come on. Don't ask me to be funny in my introduction.
Thanks to the additional information about the hedonist, the man in front of me was becoming more and more suspicious.
You can't deny that this is a one-on-one situation, but it's probably the best thing to do now.
Is that so? I think having fun is an essential part of life. And since you seem to be on board, how about this one? Introducing each other with a sword.
There was a battle junkie. I've never heard of such a thing and I'm a Japanese who is a bit of a procrastinator. I don't want to get into that kind of trouble.
Are you really the secret son of those demon kings? You haven't shown one bit of fighting spirit with all these invitations from me.
In a casual gesture, the man in front of me pulled his sword from its scabbard and let go.
It's a slender blade unlike most swords, a rapier, which is a weapon mainly used for stabbing.
The man, who gradually exudes a fighting spirit as he wobbles it, uses any means necessary to fight me.
"Don't talk like that, it'll give people the wrong idea.
In front of me, magic power is gradually transferring to Yuko's sword.
I know that he won't back off if I tell him anymore.
"Don't get me wrong.
Slowly, the man who speaks to you in a gentle tone of voice, as if he were trying to seduce a woman, said, "I am.
The way he stands at ease, the force that is naturally missing, the gestures that make him look like he has no will to fight.
I'm serious!
All of which tells me that he is already well prepared for battle.
"Tut!
"Haha! You pulled it off!
"You made me pull it out!
I was on the edge.
My reaction was delayed for a moment because the entry was so natural.
If I had been a few moments later, I would have had a wind tunnel at my throat.
A clear and direct course.
It was a blow without a trace of restraint.
To deflect it, I drew the mineral tree from my back as fast as I could.
I reacted more with my spinal cord than with my mind, and despite swinging down from directly above to put weight on it, all I could do was deflect the opponent's blade aside and bring it into a spirited exchange.
Even though my reaction was delayed and the blow was not perfect, the difference in weight and the power of the blow should have been there, I was unable to blow it away and it languished in place.
I knew the moment it hit me.
The moment we collided, I knew the momentum of the attack had been completely killed.
"It was a hell of a blow, though. If I had timed it a little bit differently, it would have broken my sword.
"Well said, keep my attackers dead on arrival.
I had to be in an environment where I could do that!
I'm not sure if the difference in strength is fatal, but they probably have better technique.
The difference in skill is not fatal, but the difference in skill is not fatal, but at this point in time, I'm judging that I have to give my all, and I'm waiting for my thoughts to come to an end, and I'm taking the distance between the two of us.
I thought it would be a bad idea for the opponent to step in, so I relax for a moment and shake him off with all my strength.
"Oops, that's a lot of power. My body can't produce that kind of power.
"You want to catch me off-guard like that? If I had been a little less vigorous earlier, they would have tried to cut my head off.
"How do you know that?
"How dare you say that after you've pinpointed the killing spree
"Is it too deliberate?
My vigilance paid off, as I pushed lighter than expected.
A chilling killing blow hit my neck, and
Thanks to a spur of the moment decision to turn the magic around, my neck is in the balance.
......
Strong .
No, not as overwhelmingly strong as your instructors, but it still seems honestly strong.
Even if they aren't at their best, you can just tell that they are strong.
If you look at Yuujin as if to observe him, he's a man and his smile only deepens as he enjoys being a man.
The gesture seems to be an invitation to come at you this time.
It's annoying, but this is not going to get you anywhere if you continue to wait and see.
I put mine on my shoulder and adjust my feet width and center of gravity.
Even though I just took that position, I still feel as if something is clashing in front of me.
No, there will be a fact.
My magic and that of the man in front of me are causing a skirmish, pushing and pulling together like a battle for position.
It's clear that things are not going to be straightforward just from this battle alone.
Then I slowly tilt my center of gravity forward and
With a shout, it turned into a storm and swung the mineral tree at the man in front of him.
Word of the Day
Unexpected or not, the schedule goes on. The schedule must be kept.
Entering a Company From Another World!?
異世界からの企業進出！？転職からの成り上がり録『祝1億PV突破！！』　
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/entering-a-company-from-another-world/
Action Adventure Comedy Ecchi Fantasy Harem Romance Shounen
Adapted to Manga Angels Average-looking Protagonist Beautiful Female Lead Childcare Demon Lord Demons Dungeons Elves Fallen Angels Fantasy World Game Elements Human-Nonhuman Relationship Level System Male Protagonist Modern Day Monsters Older Love Interests Polygamy Pregnancy R-15 Summoned Hero Transported to Another World Vampires Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n1881dn/
七士七海