シェリルが自室で仕事をしていると、情報端末に通話要求が届いた。
その通知音を耳にした瞬間、シェリルは素晴らしい速度で情報端末へ手を伸ばし、情報端末を素早く操作して、相手を可能な限り待たせないようにして返事をする。
「シェリルです」
「アキラだ。今大丈夫か?」
「はい。遠慮なくお願いします。それで、どのような御用件でしょうか?」
何となく声を聞きたかったから。そのような理由だったならば飛び上がるほど
「えっとだな、俺がシェリル達を護衛してヒガラカ住宅街遺跡まで行くって言ったら、行きたいか?」
シェリルは少々唐突なアキラの話を頭の中で整理をする。話の内容を裏読みし、アキラの意図を深読みし、どう答えるべきかを思案する。これが命令や要求ならばシェリルに、はい、以外の返事はない。しかしそうではなさそうだ。
「即答する必要がないのでしたら、詳しい話を伺っても良いでしょうか?」
「詳しい話って言っても、さっき話した通りなんだが......。ああ、別に断っても良いぞ。そっちが気乗りしないのなら無理に押しつける気は全くない。俺が護衛するって言っても、行き先は荒野だからな。確かに危険な場所だ。別に嫌がらせで言っているわけではなくて......」
「いえ、そういうことではなく......」
シェリルはアキラにいろいろと質問して内容の把握に努めた。アキラの話を
疑問は残るものの、シェリル達に大きな利益のある話だ。シェリルはアキラの提案を受けることにする。
「分かりました。そういうことでしたら、御迷惑でなければ是非お願いします」
「良いのか? 俺が護衛するって言っても荒野だぞ? 危ないぞ?」
「その危険を冒すだけの利益がある話だと判断しました。
「......そうか。そうだな。分かった」
シェリルはアキラの声色の微妙な変化に気付いた。シェリル達にも金が要る。だから危険を承知で荒野に行く。その手の理由ではない何かがそこにあったが、それについて尋ねるのは止めた。
シェリルはアキラと具体的な出発日時や人数などを決め終えると、機嫌良く礼を言う。
「......では、そういうことでお願いします。こんな良い話を持ちかけていただいて、本当にありがとう御座いました」
「話を持ちかけたのはこっちだ。別に気にしないでくれ。じゃあな」
「はい。ではまた」
アキラとの通話が切れる。すると機嫌良く愛想良く話していたシェリルの表情が少し真剣なものに変わる。棚上げしていた疑問を再度自身に問うが、納得できる回答は得られなかった。
(アキラはどうしてこんな話を持ちかけてきたの? 私達がこの話を受けてアキラにどんな利益があるの? 分からないわ......)
シェリルが頭の中でどう試算してもアキラは大赤字になる。護衛料も取らずにシェリル達を護衛する時点で赤字だ。1000万オーラムを平然と支払うハンターを一日拘束するだけでも、シェリル達の身の丈に合わない額の金が必要なはずだ。荒野での活動になれていないスラム街の子供を何人も連れて遺跡へ出かけて、その彼らを護衛する依頼料となれば更なる大金が必要なはずだ。
(......何らかの訓練?
く自分なりに考えてみたが、納得できる理由を思いつくことはできなかった。その理由をアキラに尋ねることはしなかった。アキラとの会話の中で、アキラがその理由を何となくぼやかそうとしたことに気付いたからだ。
聞くな、とはっきり言われたわけではないが、シェリルが
分からないものは分からない。だがシェリル達に有益な話であることは確かだ。ならばその中で最大限の利益を得る努力をしなければならない。
シェリルは全ての疑問を棚上げして、遺物収集の人員の調整に思考を切り替えた。
シェリル達がヒガラカ住宅街遺跡へ遺物収集に向かう日となった。シェリル達はスラム街と荒野の境目の辺り待ち合わせの場所でアキラを待っていた。
待ち合わせの時間まではあと少しだ。今回の遺物収集要員となった者達は様々な思いを巡らせていた。
(俺が遺物収集に派遣されるのは、俺がこの前シェリルの裸を見たからじゃないよな? 違うよな? 俺に死んでほしいわけじゃないよな? 違っていてくれよ!?)
エリオはシェリル側が出す戦力として一応武装している。しかしその装備品はカツラギから買った安価な突撃銃ぐらいだ。残弾数も少ない。モンスターとの交戦を前提とした武装とは少々呼びにくい内容だ。
エリオは以前クズスハラ街遺跡で死にかけた。そのため荒野に出ることに対して抵抗があった。しかし徒党のボスであるシェリルの指示には逆らえない。恋人のアリシアとの生活の
(新入りだからいろいろ押しつけられるのは仕方ないとはいえ、旧世界の遺跡へ遺物収集に駆り出されるとはね。でもボスや幹部まで駆り出されるってどういうことなの? 分からないわ。もっと徒党の内情を把握しないと。アルナと連絡を取るのはその後ね......)
シェリルの徒党はいろいろと異質なところがある。それでもアルナにとっては
式の荷台は、アキラがエレナ達と一緒に遺跡探索をした時の経験から購入したものだ。アキラは今後大きめの遺物を持ち運ぶ期待を込めて、大きめの荷台を購入していた。そのため荷台はエリオ達全員が乗っても余裕があった。しかし乗り心地が良いとは言えない。
ナーシャの隣に座っているセブラという少年が愚痴を
「ボス以外は車に乗せてくれないのかよ。俺らは荷台で十分だってか? くそっ。調子に乗りやがって。ちょっと前までは、俺らと大して変わらなかったくせによ」
アキラは後部座席に誰も座らせない理由まで一々説明して指示を出したわけではない。そのためセブラはアキラの指示を、座らせる位置で身の程を分からせる傲慢なものだと勝手に解釈していた。
「ねえ、あのアキラってハンターと知り合いなの?」
ナーシャがそう尋ねると、セブラは不機嫌そうな表情を僅かに緩めた。ナーシャが新入りで、アキラについてよく知らない人物だと気付いたからだ。つまり、アキラへの愚痴に近い悪口を言いやすい相手だと判断したのだ。
け口を見つけたような態度で答える。
「知り合いっていうか、同じようにスラム街の路地裏にいた時に、そこそこ見かけた顔ってだけだ。近くで生活していれば、都市が配給している食料を取りに行った時とかに顔を合わせて、それで顔を覚えることぐらいあるだろう?」
「ハンターなのに都市が配ってる食料を取りに行ってたの?」
「あいつがハンターに成ったのは最近だ。それまでは俺らと大して変わらなかったんだ。それが旧世界の遺跡で高値の遺物を見つけてきて、それで良い装備買って、ちょっと
ナーシャはアキラの方を見て、アキラの印象を再確認してみる。確かにナーシャの目にもアキラの装備は強そうに見える。だがそれらの装備のないアキラを想像すると、大して強そうとは思えなかった。
「......そう言われると、そうかもしれないわね」
セブラは少しだけ笑った。しかしすぐに不機嫌な表情に戻った。
セブラの視線がアキラとその装備品に向けられている。身体能力を向上させる強化服。荒野仕様の頑丈そうな車。非常に威力がありそうなCWH対物突撃銃とDVTSミニガン。後部座席に無造作に置かれているリュックサックには、1箱200万オーラムの回復薬も入っている。アキラの強さを支えている所持品、装備品の数々だ。
アキラは車の運転をしながらゴーグルに表示されている索敵反応を確認していた。そのアキラが車の運転を制御ユニットの自動操縦に切り替えて銃を車外に向けて構えた。
「モンスターだ」
助手席のシェリルの問いに、アキラが簡潔に答えた。
シェリルは慌ててアキラが銃口を向けている方向を見る。しかし荒野は広すぎてアキラが言うモンスターの姿は見つけられなかった。
「えっと、どこですか?」
「そこの双眼鏡を使え。情報収集機器と連動済みだからすぐに見つかる」
シェリルは近くに置いてある双眼鏡を使って改めてモンスターを探す。拡大表示される風景に
一目で肉食獣だと理解できる風貌の四足歩行のモンスターが、その巨体に似つかわしくない速度でアキラ達の車を目指している。巨体を支える太い脚が大地を蹴って駆けていく光景を見ると、その距離から聞こえるはずのない地響きが聞こえそうだ。
アキラがAAH突撃銃でモンスターを狙撃する。しかし弾丸は空を裂くのみで、モンスターに当たることはなかった。
アキラが狙撃を続ける。しかしそのどれもが外れてしまう。その間にもモンスターはアキラ達との距離をどんどん狭めていく。
荷台の者達も発砲音を聞いてモンスターの存在に気付いた。荷台から身を乗り出してモンスターの姿を探す。土煙を上げて近付いてくるモンスターの姿が見える。モンスターは既に肉眼でも分かるほどまで迫っていた。
荷台の子供達が騒ぎ始める。
「おい! どんどん近づいてくるぞ! 当たってないのか!?」
いんじゃないか!?」
モンスターの移動速度は車の速度を上回っている。アキラが狙撃を続けているが、モンスターの移動速度は全く落ちていない。
め息を吐いてAAH突撃銃を置く。そして車の後部に移動すると、DVTSミニガンを、既にかなりの距離まで近付いてきているモンスターに向ける。アキラは落ち着いて引き金を引いた。
多少外れても全く問題にならない大量の銃弾がモンスターの全身に着弾する。無数の弾丸がモンスターの皮膚を貫き肉を抉り骨を砕く。モンスターは
ハンターは違うな!」
モンスターの脅威から解放された子供達が笑顔で感想を言い合っている。その中に一人だけ不機嫌な者がいた。セブラだ。
「普通に撃ってた時は全然駄目だったじゃねえか。あの武器が
「......まあ、護衛はしっかりやるつもりだ」
アキラはなぜか礼を言われることを望んでいない。シェリルはアキラの態度からそのことを察した。
「......は、はい。お願いします」
に思いながらも、アキラの機嫌を損ねないように深くは聞かなかった。
アキラは無言で運転を続けている。助手席に座っているシェリルとの間に流れる空気は少し硬く、雑談でもして場を和らげる雰囲気ではない。
『アキラ。ちょっと気負いすぎよ? もっとリラックスして索敵をできるように成らないと、無駄に疲れて後々大変よ?』
いつも通りの余裕を保つアルファに、アキラは少しむすっとしながら答えた。
アルファは助手席に座るシェリルの反対側、アキラの横のドアの縁に腰掛けていた。
『大変そうね。弱音は早めに吐いてね?』
アキラはアルファのサポートがない状態でシェリル達の護衛をしていた。アルファの姿を見ることも、アルファの助言を聞くこともできる。それ以外のサポートはない。視界拡張による敵影の表示や射撃の補助もない。強化服の操作による照準の補正もない。アルファの助言も逐一明確適切に指摘するわけでもない。
何より索敵をアキラ自身でやらなければならない。油断するとあっという間にモンスターに奇襲されそうで、アキラは気を抜くことができずにいた。それはアキラの気力と体力を徐々に奪っていった。
今回の遺物収集はアキラの訓練を兼ねている。正確には、アキラ側の主目的はそれだけだ。
前回エレナ達と一緒に遺跡探索を済ませた時、アキラはアルファのサポートを完全に切って行動していた。遺跡探索自体はモンスターとの遭遇もなく順調に終えることができた。しかしその時のアキラの様子は、きつい言い方をすれば無様だった。
い。そう判断したアルファは、追加の訓練を実施することにした。それが今回の遺物収集だ。アキラにシェリル達の護衛をさせて無事に帰還させること。そういう訓練である。
アキラにはアルファのサポートなしの状態で行動することにもっと慣れてもらう必要がある。少なくとも、不必要な緊張から自滅する事態を避けられる程度には。
護衛対象にシェリル達が選ばれたのは、シェリル達がほぼ素人でエレナ達のようにアキラを
アルファがそういう目的でエレナ達を誘おうと提案すれば、アキラは非常に不機嫌になる。場合によってはアキラとの信頼関係に致命的な亀裂が走る。アルファはそれを理解している。
そのためアルファはシェリル達を対象にした。シェリル達にも十分な利益がある話だとアキラに説明して納得させた。シェリル達が断ったら中止するとも伝えておいた。そしてシェリルは断らなかった。アルファの説明の通りにシェリルたちにも十分な利益があるからだ。
普段命賭けなのはアキラも同じで、シェリル達はそのアキラを後ろ盾にすることで利益を得ているのだ。
だからそのアキラを強くするための訓練に、シェリル達を付き合わせても良いはずだ。アルファはアキラに無意識にそう判断させるように話した。アキラは無意識にその誘導通りに判断した。
もしこの誘導にアキラが難色を示した場合、アルファはシェリル達を危険視していただろう。シェリル達の存在をそこまで重視しているのならば、アキラは自分の命を過度に危険に
シェリル達の利益。アキラの利益。そしてアルファの利益。今回の遺物収集に様々な利益が入り交じっていることを本当に理解している存在は、恐らくアルファだけだろう。
アキラがアルファの格好を横目で見ながら不満を話す。
『じゃあ、早速弱音を吐かせてもらう。その気が散る格好を何とかしてくれ』
アルファは極端に布地の少ない水着を重ね着していた。
『嫌よ。気にする必要の無いことは気にしない。注意するべき情報を強く気にかける。それも訓練の内よ? 私の姿が気になって集中が鈍るのなら、まだまだ集中が甘いわ』
『それはそうかもしれないけどさ......』
アキラがぼやいていると、アルファが新体操のような動きで体勢を反転させ、体の正面をアキラの方に向けた。
アルファがアキラに顔を近づけて話す。
再びモンスターが襲撃してきた。アキラもゴーグルに表示されている索敵反応でそれを確認した。
アキラは強化服の身体能力で銃をしっかり支えているが、足場にしている車の振動が銃口を揺らす。モンスターもアキラ達へ向けて全速力で駆けている。この状態でモンスターの弱点部位を正確に狙撃するのは至難の業だ。モンスターのどこかに当てることさえ難しい。
『モンスターの動きを予測する。着弾までの時間差を考慮して狙いを定める。車体の動きを感じ取って銃口のぶれを補正する。慌てずに落ち着いて撃つ。運悪く外れることはあっても、運良く当たるとは思わない。偶然ではなく、きっちり狙って当てなさい』
アキラがアルファの助言を聞きながら引き金を引く。発射された弾丸はモンスターの脇を駆け抜けていった。
『外した。何が悪かった?』
『そうは言っても、狙っている間に相手が照準器越しの視界の外まで移動するからな』
アキラは体感時間操作の訓練を続けているが、まだ自在に扱うことはできない。それが可能になればアキラの射撃の腕前もかなり上昇するだろう。
モンスターがある程度近付いてくると、アキラもモンスターの巨体のどこかに当てることはできるようになった。しかし弱点部位でもない箇所に多少銃弾を受けた程度でモンスターが
荷台の子供達が再び騒ぎ始めた。時間切れだ。アキラは後部座席に移動する。CWH対物突撃銃をモンスターに向けて、構えて、引き金を引く。CWH対物突撃銃から放たれた強力な銃弾は、モンスターの胴体を貫通して致命傷を与えた。モンスターが崩れ落ちて車から引き離されると、荷台から再び歓声が上がった。
その後も数回モンスターの襲撃があったものの、一行は無事にヒガラカ住宅街遺跡へたどり着いた。
Sheryl was doing her job inside her private room when suddenly a call came in from her information terminal.
When she heard that particular ringtone, she quickly grabbed her information terminal and answered that call as fast as she could as if she was trying not to make the caller wait for her at all.
"It's Sheryl."
"Akira here, do you have some time now?"
"Yes. There's no need to hold back. So, how can I help you?"
If only Akira said that he just wanted to hear her voice, Sheryl would immediately ascend to heaven, but she knew well that was not possible. It was nothing more than a pipe dream, and as expected, Akira did not call her just because he wanted to hear her voice.
"Well, let's say that if I'm offering to escort some of your gang members to Higaraka Residence Ruin. What would you do?"
Sheryl tried to process that sudden invitation from Akira. She tried to think if there was any other meaning or any hidden signals behind Akira's words, and if there were any, then how she should react in that situation. If that was a demand or a command, then Sheryl would have to reply back with a yes. But that was an offer.
"If there's no need to give a quick answer, is it okay if I ask you the details?"
"Well, even if you say so, it's exactly like what you just heard... Ahhh, it's really fine if you don't want to go. If you have no wish to go at all, I have no wish to force you either. After all, even though I'll be escorting you, we're still going to the dangerous wasteland. So it's not like I'm going to force you or anything..."
"Ah, that's not what I meant..."
Sheryl then asked Akira a lot of questions and finally understood the situation. To summarize, it was just an offer from Akira to explore Higaraka Residence Ruin.
Although it was somehow still suspicious, that was a very tempting offer for Sheryl. So she decided to take up that offer in the end.
"I understand. If that's the case, then I'll be taking that offer if it's really okay with you, Akira."
"Are you sure? Although I'll be your escort, it's still the wasteland. It's dangerous, you know?"
"I think that the possible benefit of going outweighs the danger. Not to mention this kind of offer is a rare chance and we do need money too. So I can't afford to pass such a rare chance to earn money."
"...I see, you're right. Alright then."
Sheryl noticed that there was a slightly weird change in Akira's voice. Her gang needed money, thus she decided to go to the wasteland even though she knew of the dangers. Although Akira felt like there was another reason why Sheryl decided to accept his offer, he chose not to ask any further.
After Sheryl confirmed when and where to meet, and the number of the people that she would bring, she thanked Akira.
"...Well then, we'll be in your care. Thank you very much for giving us this precious chance."
"I'm the one who came up with the offer, so there's no need to be that grateful. Later then."
"Later then."
Akira then ended the call. The moment he did that, Sheryl's happy face immediately turned serious. She then asked herself the question that she put aside back then, but even so, she still could not answer that question even now.
[So in the end, why exactly did Akira give me this offer? Is there any kind of profit that he could get from us accepting this offer? I don't understand at all...]
No matter how much Sheryl tried to think about it, she always ended up with the same conclusion, this offer would only bring Akira a huge loss. Escorting Sheryl and her gang to that ruin without accepting any payment would incur him a huge loss in the first place. For Hunters like Akira who could pay 10,000,000 Aurum like it was nothing, even just staying at home for a whole day doing nothing would need them to spend more money than what Sheryl and her gang could afford. Thus, those Hunters would only accept a request to take a lot of slum children, who knew nothing about living in the wasteland, only if that request offered a huge amount of reward money.
[...Is it some kind of training? Or maybe a practice run? Is he planning to see how useful we are in the case when he needs our help in the wasteland? But if that's the case, he could just tell it to me straight, right...? I really have no idea what Akira is thinking.]
Even after that, Sheryl still spent some time trying to figure out the reason behind Akira's offer. But in the end, she could not come up with any good guesses. It was because she actually noticed, albeit vaguely, the real reason behind that offer in the middle of her conversation with Akira.
Although Akira didn't explicitly tell her not to ask him that question, it was enough to stop Sheryl from digging any deeper.
It was not like she could do anything about things that she did not understand. But it was true that it was a tempting offer for Sheryl. As such, she thought that she had to try her best to get the most out of this opportunity.
Sheryl then decided to push aside all her questions for now and moved on to decide who she would take with her to Higaraka ruin.
Eventually, the day when Akira escorted Sheryl and her gang to the Higaraka Residence Ruin to gather relics came. Sheryl brought her subordinates to their meeting place that was located on the border between the slum city and the wasteland; they were waiting for Akira there.
As the meeting time came closer, all the children that Sheryl brought with her to go to the wasteland started having mixed feelings.
[It's not like Sheryl is sending me to gather relics because I saw her n.a.k.e.d back then, right? My assumption is not wrong, right? It's not like she is just sending me to die, right? Please someone tell me that I'm right!!!]
As one of the armed children from Sheryl's gang, Erio had a gun with him. But it was just a cheap handgun bought from Katsuragi-san and he did not have much ammo in his reserve either. It was not a weapon that people would normally use to fight against monsters.
Erio was almost killed in the wasteland before. Thus, he actually did not want to go out to the wasteland again if it could be helped, while on the other hand, he could not go against the command of the boss of the gang. As well as for the sake of his girlfriend, Alicia, he could not afford to go against Sheryl's order and get kicked out of the gang.
[Although I know that they would push the jobs that they don't want to do to me since I'm a new member, to think that they'll send me to the old-world ruin to gather relics right off the bat. But again, what's going on here? Even the boss and the other gang's high officers are here too. I just don't understand what's going on with this gang, I at least need to gather more information before I contact Alna...]
There were a lot of peculiar things about Sheryl's gang, but even so, it was a good enough gang for Nasha to put her hopes on. She thought that she had to get on Sheryl's good side so it would be easier for her to help Alna join this gang. That was why she resolved herself to come.
Akira had bought that cart after seeing how useful it was during the ruin exploration with Elena and Sara. Since he was planning to carry a lot of relics in the future, he decided to buy a big cart. Because of that, there was still a lot of space even after all the children from Sheryl's gang got on that cart. But still, sitting in that cart was nowhere near comfortable.
A boy by the name of Sebla, who was sitting next to Nasha, voiced out his complaints.
"Seriously though, he doesn't let anyone else sit there other than Boss Sheryl, huh. Is he saying that the cart is enough for us? Dammit, that damn boy getting ahead of himself although he was just another slum kid like us not too long ago."
It was not like Akira explained anything when he sent the other kids to the cart, that was why Sebla interpreted his order as a disparaging treatment to show them their difference in position.
"Say, do you know that Akira guy?"
When Nasha asked him that, Sebla's annoyed expression loosened. It was because he realized that she was a new member who did not know much about Akira. So in short, she was someone who might join him in bad-mouthing Akira.
Sebla answered back as if he had found a good place to vent his displeasure.
"Well, it's not like I know him on a personal level, but I have seen him during the days when he was still living in the slum city back alley. Since he was living near where I was, I sometimes saw him when he went to the food distribution place. So I somehow remember his face."
"He went to the food distribution place although he was a Hunter?"
"He just started working as a Hunter recently. Up until that point, he was more or less the same as us. I bet he just found some expensive relics out of luck that allowed him to get good equipment and that he's just doing well lately thanks to his luck."
Nasha took another look at Akira and tried to reconfirm it. It was indeed true that Akira looked strong when he was with his weapons, but when she imagined him without those guns, he did not look that strong at all.
"...Now that you mention it, that's kind of true."
Sebla smiled, but his face quickly returned back to being annoyed.
Sebla looked at Akira and all of his equipment. An augmented suit to enhance his physical power, a strong looking vehicle to explore the wasteland, the powerful-looking CWH anti-material rifle and DVTS minigun, and finally the 2,000,000 Aurum per box medicine inside the rucksack on the back seat of his vehicle. They were all the equipment that supported Akira.
While driving his vehicle, Akira was constantly checking the data on his goggles. Suddenly he turned on the auto-drive function of the vehicle's control unit and pointed his rifle outside the vehicle.
"It's a monster."
Akira swiftly replied to Sheryl who was sitting on the driver's assistant seat.
Sheryl quickly turned to the direction where Akira was aiming, but she could not see any monsters there.
"Uhhmm, where exactly is this monster?"
"Just use that binocular. It's integrated with my information-gathering device, so you should be able to easily spot the monster."
Sheryl picked the binocular that was lying near her and tried to look for the monster. She followed the indicator shown in her enhanced vision to look at where the signal was coming. Thanks to the automatic readjustment function of that binocular, which worked in tandem with Akira's information-gathering device, she was able to quickly find the monster that Akira mentioned.
She could see a big carnivorous beast running toward Akira's vehicle with a speed that did not fit its size. As she saw the large legs that supported that monster's huge body kicking the ground, she could somehow hear its stamping sound that she should not be able to hear from such distance.
Akira started shooting at that monster with his AAH assault rifle. But none of his shots hit its mark.
He kept on shooting at that monster although he could not hit any of his shots. That monster eventually got close to Akira's vehicle.
The children in the cart noticed the monster when they heard the gunshots. They quickly peeked out their heads from the cart to look for the monster. Since that monster was raising a cloud of dust while running toward the vehicle, they could easily find it. Also, it was already close enough to be spotted with n.a.k.e.d eyes.
The children in the cart started to make a ruckus.
"Oii!! It's getting closer and closer!! Can he hit his shot?!!"
"I-Isn't this getting bad!?"
That monster was running faster than the vehicle and it did not slow down even though Akira was shooting at it.
Akira let out a sigh and put down his AAH assault rifle. He then moved to the back seat of the vehicle and aimed the DVTS minigun at the monster. He calmed himself down and pulled the trigger.
The minigun showered that monster with bullets, so many that it didn't matter even though Akira missed some of his shots. Those bullets pierced through the monster's skin, tore its flesh, and crushed its bones. It splattered its meats and blood around before falling over and stopped moving.
"As expected of a Hunter."
All the children then started raising their voices at the same time after they were released from the fear of that monster. All of them were smiling except for one person, it was Sebla.
"He couldn't hit that monster when he was using a normal rifle. The amazing one is that weapon. I can do that too if I had that gun..."
"...Well, I'll at least do my escort work properly."
For some reason, it seemed that Akira did not want to be thanked. Sheryl understood that from how he reacted.
"...A-alright, I'll be relying on you."
Although Sheryl was surprised by that, she decided not to ask any further to avoid making Akira's mood worse.
Akira did not say anything as he kept driving the vehicle. There was an awkward silence between him and Sheryl who was sitting in the assistant driver seat, it was not a mood that could be fixed by simply throwing some random subject to talk about.
"Akira, you're too tense. If you don't calm down, it'll only unnecessarily shave your stamina, you know?"
Just like usual, Alpha was relaxed. But in contrast to her, Akira replied swiftly while pouting.
Since Sheryl took the assistant driver's seat, Alpha was sitting on the door on the other side of Akira. She let her legs flap freely on the outside of the vehicle as she lightly turned her body around to Akira's direction.
"It seems that you're having a hard time there. Just tell me anytime you think that you can't take it anymore, okay?"
Akira was escorting Sheryl and the other kids without Alpha's support. Although he might still be able to see and hear Alpha, she did not give any type of support to Akira at the moment. She did not enhance his views as she usually did nor did she help with his aiming. There was also no aiming correction support from his augmented suit. And Alpha did not give Akira any instructions at all.
But more than that, Akira had to search for enemies himself. If he let his guard down, he felt like he would be ambushed by monsters in no time. Thus, he could not relax much which slowly shaved his focus and stamina.
This time, Akira was going to gather relics in the ruin as well as to train. To be more precise, the training was his main aim.
The last time he went to explore ruins without Alpha's support, it was with Elena and Sara. At that time, he was able to finish the exploration without encountering any monsters. But if his performance was to be strictly evaluated, then the only word that Alpha could come up with was 'embarrassing'.
Alpha thought that it would be bad to let it stay like that, thus she sent Akira for another training. And that was today's relic hunting. His duty was to simply escort Sheryl and the other children to the ruin and return back alive.
Alpha thought that Akira needed to get used to the situation where he had no support from her. It should at least be to the point where he would not endanger himself from being way too nervous when he was in such a situation.
The reason why Alpha chose Sheryl's gang as the target for the escort was because Sheryl and the other children were complete beginners when it came to exploring the wasteland. Thus, unlike Sara or Elena, they would not be able to protect Akira. And also even if Akira failed and they ended up killed, it would not affect his conscience much.
If Alpha told Akira to invite Sara and Elena for such a purpose, he would be super angry. In the worst-case scenario, it might cause considerable damage to his trust in Alpha. She herself understood that very well.
Because of all those reasons, Alpha decided to use Sheryl's gang. And in order to convince Akira, she put an excuse that it would give Sheryl and her gang some profit too. She also told Akira to cancel the plan if Sheryl refused his offer. But Sheryl accepted it, after all, just like Alpha explained to Akira, it was a delicious offer for her.
Akira was always putting his life on the line as a Hunter and Sheryl's gang was reaping benefits from it. So it should be alright to put Sheryl's gang in danger from time to time as a compensation to that. After all, if Akira died, then Sheryl would lose her position anyway.
That was why Alpha thought that it was okay to put Sheryl and her gang in danger in order to train Akira. Alpha adjusted her explanation to Akira to make him agree with her thoughts, and as she planned, he unconsciously began to think like that too.
If Akira had shown even the slightest refusal when Alpha manipulated him, she would have categorized Sheryl's gang as a threat. Had Akira put that much care for Sheryl's gang, he might even place himself in danger in order to help them. So in the worst-case scenario, there might be even a need to exterminate Sheryl's gang.
Sheryl's gang's profit, Akira's profit, and Alpha's profit. Alpha might be the only existence there who fully understood that these 3 interests were mixed in today's ruin exploration.
Akira glanced at Alpha and complained.
"In that case then, I'll do that right away. Can you change into something else that won't disrupt my focus?"
Alpha was wearing a bold swimsuit with a small amount of fabric. It was a swimsuit with a lot of laces wrapping around her body to secure the few pieces of fabric in their respective places. That extremely risque swimsuit only served to boost Alpha's charming body.
"Nope. Don't let yourself get bothered by something unnecessary. Just focus on the important information. This is also a part of your training, you know? If your focus is disturbed by my appearance, then it means that you're not focused enough."
"That might be true, but still..."
When Akira made that pause, Alpha quickly turned her body around like a gymnast. Thus her body wrapped in that risque swimsuit was facing Akira right now. Her chest was right beside him.
Alpha got her face close to Akira and said.
Another monster was running towards him. Akira quickly confirmed its position from the data shown in his goggle.
Akira stabilized his grip with the help of his augmented suit, but since the ground was not smooth, the vehicle was swaying up and down and disrupting his aim. While on the other hand, that monster was running as fast as it could towards Akira. It would be nigh impossible to hit that monster's weak points in such a situation. It was even hard enough to accurately shoot at that monster in the first place.
"Predict the moves of your target. Consider the lag between when you pull the trigger and when the bullet reaches your target. Feel the swaying of the vehicle and adjust your aim accordingly. There's no need to rush yourself, just calm down and take your aim. Even if you might miss your shot because of your bad luck, don't think that you can hit your shot because of your good luck. Don't rely on luck and aim properly."
Akira listened to Alpha's instruction and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew past right beside that monster.
"That's a miss, what did I do wrong?"
"Even if you tell me so, if I take too long to aim, that monster would move outside the view of the aiming scope, you know?"
Akira was still doing his time perception compression training until now. But he still could not use it freely. If he could do that, it would boost his shooting accuracy.
As that monster came closer and closer, Akira was able to hit its oversized body. But as long as he could not hit any of its weak points, the bullets which hit that monster were barely affecting it.
The children in the cart started making a ruckus again. That was it, Akira put his rifle down and moved to the backseat to aim his CWH anti-material rifle at that monster. He then readied his stance and pulled the trigger. The powerful piercing bullet that flew out from his CWH anti-material rifle pierced the torso of that monster and immediately killed it. As that monster fell to the ground and the vehicle moved further away leaving that monster's corpse behind, the children in the cart started to raise their voices once again.
Although Akira encountered some monsters again after that, he eventually was able to arrive at the Higaraka Residence Ruin safely.
Rebuild World (WN)
リビルドワールド
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/rebuild-world/
Action Adventure Drama Harem Mecha Mystery Sci-fi Seinen
Abandoned Children Adapted to Manga Adventurers Alternate World Anti-social Protagonist Apocalypse Artificial Intelligence Beautiful Female Lead Cautious Protagonist Child Protagonist Dense Protagonist Determined Protagonist Distrustful Protagonist Futuristic Setting Gangs Gunfighters Harsh Training Lack of Common Sense Male Protagonist Manipulative Characters Monsters Near-Death Experience Older Love Interests Poor Protagonist Poor to Rich Ruthless Protagonist Shota Sudden Strength Gain Survival Twisted Personality Unlucky Protagonist Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9736dt/
非公開