「シヴァ、ねえ......」
残念ながら、心当たりは無いかなとフィオレはかぶりを振っていた。
あれから走って地下通路を抜けた先。
そして、伝令役に指名されていたアバルドは俺とフィオレとはまた別の魔物の背に。
......どうやら、彼女はかなりの数の魔物を使役しているらしい。
「アバルドはシヴァって名前に心当たりあるー!?」
フィオレが使役する別の魔物に乗って追従するアバルドに聞こえるよう、大声で彼女が叫ぶ。しかし、彼も首を横に振るだけで期待した答えは得られず終いであった。
「それはどういう」
「簡単な話。〝ジャバウォック〟の外殻は物理的な攻撃じゃあまず貫けない。だから、ビエラちゃんなんだよ。〝ジャバウォック〟相手に剣士じゃ滅多なことがない限り、傷を与える事は出来ないから」
そう、彼女は言い切る。
魔物に乗っている都合上、フィオレの表情を確認する事は叶わないけれど、それでも決して冗談を言っているようには思えなかった。
「......ただ、」
希望があると言った。
なのに、どうしてか彼女は今度は諦めるように言葉を並べ立てようとする。
「わたしの部下三人がかりでも止められなかったって事はその赤髪さん、それなりに強いと思うんだよね。......だから最悪の場合をやっぱり想定しとかなくちゃいけない」
困ったもんだよ。本当に。
そう言ってフィオレは深いため息を吐いた。
そして程なく何処からともなく聞こえてくる破壊音。何かが暴れでもしているのか。
心なし、空気がびりびりと震えていた。
「いけない、んだけども......多分、これはもう手遅れっぽいねえ......」
遠目からでも確認出来る漆黒のナニカ。
それは、得物だった。
剣に限らず、槍や戦斧、鎌と、形状に一貫性は皆無。けれど、それら全てが何処からか浮かび上がっては一定の場所目掛けて殺到する。
そしてそれを尾のようなもので事もなげに薙ぎ払う巨大な生命体。
「アバルド!!」
「こうなったらもうどうしようもない。だから、予定通り、プランBでいく。わたしが此処で時間稼いどくからビエラちゃんが帰って来るまで〝あの場所〟に戦線敷いておいて」
「......承知いたしました」
プランBは、フィオレ・アイルバークが単独で可能な限り時間を稼ぐ事。
そして、その上で先程まで俺達がいた地下通路の付近にて、残りのメンツで戦線を敷くという作戦。
彼女らの目的とはつまり〝ミナウラ〟の外に〝
直後、「分かっています」とだけ告げて、アバルドが騎乗する魔物が行き先を反転。踵を返して来た道を戻らんと、行動に移していた。
「......ほんっと、政治ってのは面倒臭いよね。アレさえなければもうとうの昔に〝ジャバウォック〟は討伐出来てた筈なのに」
「国の方針でね。上は取れるところからはとことん金を絞り取りたいんだよ。だから、〝ミナウラ〟で魔物が大量発生するこの時期に村を回ってわたし達が人手を募りに向わなきゃいけない。それを断れば税をあげる。って正当な理由を作り上げるために。仮にわたし達がそれをせずに討伐を行えば、村は応じなかったとして無条件で税は上げられる。〝ミナウラ〟に来る前に門番に会ったでしょ? あれ、わたしの部下じゃなくて上から寄越された騎士なの。だから、虚偽の報告もできやしない」
「............」
すぐには、うまく言葉が出てこなかった。
けれど、疲労感の滲んだ声音。そしてこれまで会話を交わしてきた事で分かったフィオレの為人。それら全部加味して判断するならば、とてもじゃないが彼女の発言が嘘とは思えなかった。
「昔ねえ、わたしの部下が人手を募りに向かった際に、ちょっと揉めちゃって怪我したんだよね。それがちょっと下手すれば死んでたかもしれない怪我で。それ以降ビエラちゃんがその役目を自分がやると言って聞いてくれなくてね。だけど、今回ばかりはやっぱり止めるべきだったなあ」
もう何を言っても今更すぎるんだけどね。
と、投げやりにがしがしと髪を掻きあげる。
「......どうして、その事を今俺に?」
「あれ? ビエラちゃんがここにいない理由
「それ、は」
それでキミが生き残る事が出来る可能性が数パーセントでも上がるのならば安いもんだと彼女は当然と言わんばかりに口にする。
意外と近いもんだねと、冗談を言うように。
そして漸く目視できる距離に届く。
遠間から確認出来た漆黒の得物が見えた時点で確信を抱いていたのだが、それでも術者を直で目視しなければ絶対とは言えなかった。
そして今、
「——————シヴァ!!!!」
手前勝手に〝ジャバウォック〟と相対する赤髪の男————シヴァの名を聞こえるように力強く叫び散らす。
「......あ、ん?」
まさか、上空を飛行する魔物の背中に人が乗っているとは思いもしなかったのだろう。
実際、彼の能力がフィオレが使役する魔物に牙剥きかけていたから叫んだという事もあるのだが。
俺は忙しなく、「行ってくる」とだけ告げて宙へと身を投げ出した。
「え、っ、ちょ、まっ、ええええええ......」
少しは様子を見るって事しようよ!!
と、声が聞こえて来たがもう遅い。
今、それを実行に移すのは些か時期尚早過ぎた。宙に身を投げ出した事で集まる注目。
そして、やって来る————攻撃。
どうやら、シヴァに続き、俺までも巨大な生命体————〝ジャバウォック〟に排除対象として認定されてしまったらしい。
「あぁ、もう、世話が焼けるなあっ!!」
投げやりに発せられたであろう声音が俺の鼓膜を揺らす。〝
刀剣創造
やがて、シヴァが倒した魔物を始めとして、ボコリ、と彼方此方で地面が隆起。
地面から芽を出すように、次から次へと屍骸が生まれ、視界を埋め尽くし————程なく、何処からともなく放たれた赤い奔流が俺を襲うはずだった攻撃の軌道を綺麗に逸らしてくれていた。
「......はぁん、成る程。誰かはでしゃばって来るとは思ってたが、よりにもよって〝屍姫〟か」
勝手にシヴァは一人で納得をしていた。
途中聞こえた〝屍姫〟というワード。
そして、魔法を使って足場を作り、利用する事で勢いを殺し————何事もなく着地。
「何処かでまた会うとは思ってはいたが、案外早かったなぁ? ユリウス」
「......独り占めはズルくないかなあ?」
「はん、知らねえのかよ。こういうのはな、早い者勝ちなんだよ」
"Siva, huh..."
Fiole then shook her head in dismay, failing to recognize such a name, as well as the information that I had just given.
After running a fair distance from the underground passageway we were just in, I was led by Fiole and rode a flying monster hiding in the thick trees, one that was significantly smaller than Pii-chan.
Abald, who had been appointed as her messenger, was on the back of a different flying monster from Fiole and me.
...And apparently, she had brought quite a lot of monsters.
"Does the name Siva ring a bell to you, Abald--?!"
She shouted loudly so that Abald, who was following behind us on another monster that Fiole had cast her magic upon, could hear her.
"What do you mean?"
"Jabberwock's outer shell can't be penetrated by weapons, let alone physical attacks, and that's why we need Viera-chan here. Unless a rare occurrence happens, a swordsman can't really inflict damage on it."
Or so she asserted.
We were riding on the back of a monster, so I couldn't see her reflection, but I was certain that she wasn't kidding.
"...It's just..."
There was hope, as she had just implied.
And yet, she was now trying to string together words as if she was about to give up hope.
"The fact that even three of my men couldn't stop him means that this red-haired magician is strong in his own right. So we couldn't really eliminate the worst-case scenario, but prepare for it if anything."
We were really in deep trouble.
Saying so, Fiole let out a deep sigh.
Soon after, sounds of destruction came from nowhere. Was something going berserk?
The atmosphere started to tremble.
"No way... Looks like we were late..."
Jet-black objects were starting to get visible from afar.
And those were... weapons.
Not only swords, but also spears, battle-axes, and even sickles, all of them with no consistency in shape.
And then, there laid a humongous life form and swatted everything off with its tail-like thing.
"Abald!!!"
"There's nothing we can do anymore. So just as we planned, we're going with Plan B. I'll start buying time, and you all can stay on the underground passage until Viera -chan comes back."
"...Understood."
Plan B was to have Fiole Islebark stall for time as much as possible on her own.
Then, the remaining members of the team would set up a perimeter around the underground passageway where we had just been.
Their objective was to somehow keep the Jabberwork from getting outside of Minaura after all.
Immediately after, the monster that Abald was riding reversed its course and went back the way they came.
"...Politics really is a pain in the ass. If it weren't for that, we would have defeated the Jabberwock long ago."
"It's because of their national policy. The upper management wants to squeeze every last penny out of wherever they can get it. That's why we have to go around villages and recruit people during this time of the year just as monsters are being spawned the most in Minaura. If they agree, we won't raise their villages' taxes, but suppose that they refuse and the village does not comply, then we will raise their tax unconditionally. You saw the gatekeepers upon arriving here in Minaura, right? They're not my subordinates, but knights sent from above, so I can't even make false reports."
"..."
The words did not come out well right away, just as well as me not knowing the truth behind them.
And I'd also known Fiole quite well based on our conversations so far.
"When one of my subordinates was on his way to recruit people a long time ago, he got into a bit of a scuffle and was heavily injured. If it had not been for a little trouble, he might even have died. So after that, Viera-chan insisted that she would be the one to do the job, but just this one time, I wish I stopped her."
It was too late to say anything now, she said so as she scratched her head.
And so, I chimed in.
"...Why are you telling me this now?"
"Huh? Weren't you wondering why Viera-chan wasn't here or something...? It's completely drawn in your face, though."
"That's..."
If it increases your chances of survival by even a few percent, it's a small price to pay, she said, as if it were a matter of course.
We were surprisingly close, she joked.
And finally, we'd reached a distance where we could see everything.
I was convinced after seeing the jet-black weapons from a distance, but even so, I couldn't be absolutely sure without seeing the magician in person.
And when I did...
"--SIVA!!!"
I shouted the name of the red-haired man, who was selfishly facing the Jabberwock, as loudly as I could.
"...Huh?!"
He probably didn't expect to see a person riding on the back of a monster flying in the sky above him.
And in fact, I shouted because his ability was about to target the monster that Fiole was riding.
I immediately threw myself into the air after saying so.
"EH- Wait a-- EHHHH...?!"
CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING DOWN THERE?!
Or so I heard a shout, but it was too late.
I acted too early and attracted its attention upon doing so.
It was coming for me-- and so was its attack.
It appeared that second to Siva, even I had been identified as a target for elimination by the giant lifeform known as the Jabberwock.
"Ah, jeez!!! You're such a troublesome boy!!!"
A voice uttering the words in a desperate manner shook my eardrums.
But my incantation was already done before I could even think about creating a foothold using my ability,{ Sword: Creation. } 
And soon the earth rose in all directions with all the monsters that Siva had defeated.
Like sprouts from the ground, one corpse after another was born, filling my field of vision. Soon after, a red torrent was suddenly unleashed from nowhere, neatly deflecting the trajectory of the attack that was supposed to hit me.
"...Heh, I see. I knew someone was going to butt in, but I didn't expect it to be the 'Corpse Princess' of all people."
Siva, quite pleased with himself, said so with astonishment, while I was trying to make a sense of what he just said.
The word 'Corpse Princess' was probably a reference to Fiole.
Then using my magic to create a sword and utilize it as a foothold to kill my momentum-- I landed on my feet smoothly.
"I knew we would meet again somewhere, but we met sooner than expected, Julius."
"...Isn't it unfair to keep this all to yourself?"
"Huh? Don't you know? In this kind of thing, it's always first come, first served."
Star-Slaying Swordsman
星斬りの剣士
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/star-slaying-swordsman/
Action Fantasy Martial Arts Mature Psychological Shounen
Adapted to Manga Dark Fantasy World Male Protagonist Mature Protagonist Medieval Philosophical Romantic Subplot Sudden Strength Gain Sword And Magic Sword Wielder Transplanted Memories
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7336gg/
アルト／遥月