旧世界風と呼ばれる特有のデザインの衣服も人目を引くには十分だ。素人目にも非常に高価な服だと分かる質の違いも明らかだ。旧世界の技術に携わる者がその細部を見れば、間違いなく旧世界の高度な技術で製造された代物だと識別できる。旧世界の遺物としても高額なのは間違いなく、注目に値する品だ。
それだけ注目を浴びる要素を集めれば、普通なら軽い騒ぎが起こっても不思議はない。だがそれにも
「他のやつには本当に見えないんだな」
『そう言ったでしょう? 信じていなかったの?』
不服そうなアルファの様子に、アキラが少し慌てながら小声で弁解する。
「いや、そういう訳じゃなくて、基本的に見えないってだけで、他にも見えるやつがいるんだと思ってたんだ。俺には見えているんだから、他にも見えるやつがいても不思議はないだろう?」
『ああ、そういうこと。その辺の話はいろいろ説明が大変で長くなるのよ。後でゆっくり話しましょう』
アルファはアキラとは対照的にはっきりとした声で答えている。その澄んだ声に反応しているのもアキラだけだ。アキラもはっきりと答えていれば、幻聴と会話する不審者が出来上がっていた。
『アキラはこれからどうするの? 何か予定でもあるの? 私は邪魔をしないから、安心して好きにして良いわよ』
アルファが少し意外そうな様子を見せる。
『もう寝るの? こんな時間に?』
「ああ。もうすぐ夜だからな。早めに寝床の準備をしないと」
アキラが路地裏に入っていく。路地裏は既に薄暗く、完全な暗がりに落ちるまであと僅かな状態だ。その隅の普段寝床にしている場所に潜り込み、廃材などで作成した偽の壁を立て掛けた。
ここに隠れたアキラを目視で見付け出すのは、事前にそこに誰かがいると分かった上で、意図的に探さないと難しい。この迷彩も子供がスラム街を生き抜く知恵の一つだ。
アキラの活動時間は基本的に
『可能なら、何か食べた方が良いわよ? 空腹が続いて体力が落ちると、遺跡探索の効率も落ちるわ』
アキラが軽く首を横に振る。
「......無理だ。都市からの配給なんてとっくに終わってる。食べ物を買う金もない。銃と弾薬の代金で消えたからな。今日は我慢するよ。明日の朝の配給まで辛抱だ。......そういえば、アルファは食事とか要る......のか?」
『不要よ。食事も睡眠も私には必要ないわ。だからその辺の心配は不要よ』
「そうか。じゃあ悪いけど、俺は休ませてもらう。お休み」
それだけ言って横になったアキラに、アルファが優しく声を掛ける。
『お休みなさい。ゆっくり休んでね』
でいつもより力を増している睡魔に身を委ねながら記憶を探ってみた。その経験があるかどうかは別にして、少なくとも眠りに就く前にそれらしい記憶を思い出すことはなかった。
翌朝、アキラは
『おはよう。よく眠れた?』
その瞬間、アキラの意識が一気に覚醒した。その場から飛び
アルファは少し驚いた様子を見せたが、機嫌を損ねずに優しく話し掛ける。
『ごめんなさい。驚かしてしまったかしら?』
「............アルファ?」
アルファはアキラとは対照的な笑顔を浮かべている。
『そうよ。忘れてしまったの?』
やかな騒動はあったものの、アキラにとって昨日までとは違う一日が、アルファと一緒に過ごす新しい日々が始まった。
その後アキラはスラム街にある食糧の配給所に向かった。配給所では都市が食事を無料で提供している。朝夕の1日2回で、朝の配布が開始されるのは早朝だ。開始時刻までには結構時間があるが、既に数人の列ができており、その最後尾に加わった。
列には大人しく整然と行儀良く並ばなければならない。騒ぎを起こしたり横入りをしたりすると、その人物には食料が配給されない。場合によっては配給そのものが中止となる。当然、その原因となった者は後で袋
く様子を見る。それで死亡者や突然変異者が続出しなければ、その原材料は比較的安全だと判断されて一般に値を付けて販売される。そして別の安全性未確認の何かが、新たな食料の原材料となる。
それがこのサンドイッチだ。パンも具材も、その手の何かだ。
「同じ道を何度も通っている気がするんだけど......」
『その必要があったからよ。危険なルートを
く遺跡の中を進んでいく。そしてある路地の出口の手前で、アルファが振り返って再び似たような指示を出す。
アルファがアキラの横を通っていく。アキラも
アキラはそう言い訳して、路地から少しだけ顔を出して警戒しながら大通りを見た。しかしそこには今までの光景と大して変わりのない荒れ果てた遺跡の姿が広がっているだけだった。
アキラが更に不満を募らせた瞬間、アルファが非常に強い口調で叫ぶ。
『すぐに戻りなさい!』
その直後、アキラの視界の先、その中の何も無いように見える空間から、何の前触れもなく
我に返ったアキラは死ぬ気で走り出した。路地は周辺のビルに砲弾が着弾した
だに続いている。天井から
アルファが厳しい表情と声をアキラに向ける。
アキラは部屋の隅で
「......。そうだな。俺もちゃんと積み重ねるよ。次は、俺はどうすれば良いんだ?」
アルファがアキラの様子を確認する。そしてその精神状態がある程度回復するまでは、下手に動かさない方が良いと判断する。
『外の状況が落ち着くまではここで待機よ。一応モンスターがこの辺りから離れていくように誘導しているけれど、それなりに時間が掛かると思うわ』
「誘導って、アルファはそんなことも出来るのか?」
軽い驚きを見せているアキラに、アルファが少し得意げな笑顔を向ける。
『一部の機械相手に限って、特定の状況下ならば、出来る場合もあるの。あの機械系モンスターは、自動操縦で外敵を襲い続けるタイプの自律兵器よ。その類いの機械は、周囲の状況を把握する
『なかなか魅力的な体でしょう? 人目を引くと思うでしょう? 注目を集めるとは思わない? あの時のアキラもよく見ていたしね』
『つまり、それが理由よ。さっきの質問の答えね』
『私の姿を認識できる人を効率的に探す方法ってことよ。クズスハラ街遺跡に来る人はハンターぐらいで、その数も別にそんなに多い訳ではないわ。そこから私を認識できる人を探すのは大変なの。だから、私を認識した人が確実に何らかの反応を起こすように、あんな格好をしていたのよ。それ以外にも、私を見た人が逃げたり警戒して隠れたりしないようにとか、その辺を交えていろいろ試した結果、あの格好が一番良いと判断したのよ』
『それでも、見た瞬間に走って逃げたりはしなかったでしょう? もし遠目で私を認識していた時に、その姿が銃火器で武装した屈強な兵士だったりしたら、アキラはどうしていたと思う?』
『そうでしょう? 私が武装していないと一目で判断できて、その上で誰かの興味を確実に引いて、私を認識していると判断できる分かり
「......でも、やっぱり全裸はどうかと思うぞ?」
「作り物?」
『ええ。私の姿はコンピュータグラフィックスで作成されたものなの。老若男女、
その証拠だとでも言わんばかりに、アルファがその姿をアキラよりも幼い少女のものに変えた。驚くアキラの前で、更に妙齢の女性へ変化し、老婆になり、少女になり、その姿を様々な年齢の姿に次々と変えていく。
アキラは次々に変わるアルファの姿に、初めのうちはただ驚いていた。だが
『服装とかのリクエストがあるなら何でも受け付けるわよ。あ、それとも全裸の方が良い? 全裸。やっぱり全裸の方が、この魅惑の裸体を堪能できるから、そっちの方が良いかしら?』
その誘うような言葉に、アキラがまた少し慌て出す。
「何でも良いから服は着てくれ! 何でそんなに全裸押しなんだ!?」
『アキラも今のうちからそういうのに慣れておいた方が、後でハニートラップとかに引っかからずに済むと思ったのよ。そういう訓練も必要だと思わない?』
思う、と答えたら大変なことになりそうだ。アキラはそう考えて苦笑いを浮かべた。そして率直な感想の代わりに、照れ隠しを兼ねて少し
「......こんな子供を引っかけるやつはいないよ」
アルファが逃げ道を塞ぐように反論する。
『今のアキラを引っかける人はいないかもしれないけれど、大金を稼ぐ有能なハンターを引っかける人は山ほどいると思うわ。アキラがそんなハンターになった時に、そういう人達にいろいろ邪魔をされたくないのよ。昔から女性で身を崩す男性は多いのよ?』
「......俺、そんなハンターに成れるのかな?」
『成れるわ。何しろアキラには私のサポートがあるのだからね。少なくともアキラの意思以外は、私が誓って絶対に何とかするわ。意思とかやる気とか覚悟とか、そういうもの以外はね。
Moreover, this so-called old world design should've been more than enough to attract people's attention, it's so great in quality that even an amateur could easily understand that it was an expensive dress. If someone that was knowledgeable in the technology of the old world saw it, he or she would immediately be able to recognize that it was made with the advanced technology of the old world. Although it is an ancient relic from the old world, anyone would be able to tell that such a dress was a treasure amongst the other relics. So in short, it is an object that would garner a lot of attention.
Normally, it would have caused an uproar with all of those conspicuous things gathered in one place, but no one reacted to Alpha at all. Thus, the fact that he's the only one who could see Alpha finally hit him.
"So other people really can't see you, huh."
"Didn't I tell you so before? You didn't believe me, huh?"
Seeing Alpha's mood had turned a bit sour, Akira tried to make excuses in panic.
"Ah, I didn't mean it like that, it's just that it's not like I can normally notice it. After all, it's only normal to think that others can see what I can see, right? So I thought that there must be someone else other than me who can see you too."
"Oh, I see, that's what you meant, huh. Well, explaining it will take a long time, so let's put that aside for another time."
Unlike Akira who was whispering, Alpha answered his question with a clear voice, but it was only Akira who could hear that voice. If Akira responded back with the same clear voice, he would look like a suspicious boy talking to his imaginary friend.
"Akira, what are you going to do now? Do you have something you need to do after this? There's no need to worry about me, you can just go and do what you want."
Alpha looked a bit surprised.
"You're going to sleep already? This early?"
"Yeah. The night is coming soon, I have to prepare a place for me to sleep."
Akira went into one of the dark back alleys. He still had some time before the sun completely set but he had already crawled into a corner where he usually slept and leaned himself onto a makeshift wall made of scrap materials.
It would be really hard to find him there unless you already know that someone was there and intentionally looked around that place. Hiding himself like that was one of the things that he learned to stay alive in the slum as a kid.
Basically, Akira would start his day when the sun rises and end it when the sun sets. After all, he would need lighting to be able to work at night. But of course it was not free, so for a little boy without money like Akira, it was simply something that was out of his reach. Moreover, the already dangerous slum will get more dangerous once the night falls and Akira didn't have the strength to be able to stay active during the night.
"If it's possible, it's better if you eat some food, you know? If you keep yourself starved like that, your physical ability will diminish, which in turn will lower the success rate when you explore the ruins"
Akira shook his head lightly.
"...I have nothing to eat. We completely missed the food distribution from the city and I don't have any money to buy food since I used them for my gun and bullets. I'll just endure it for today and wait until tomorrow's food distribution... by the way, don't you need any food, Alpha?"
"No, I don't need food. Neither do I drink nor sleep. So there's no need to worry about me."
"I see, well, I'm sorry but can you let me sleep then? Goodnight."
After he said that, Akira laid down on his side. And then Alpha said to him gently.
"Goodnight and sleep tight."
As Akira let himself be taken by the drowsiness that was more powerful than usual because of his tiredness, he tried to search into his past for such a memory. Putting aside whether that kind of thing had actually happened to him or not, he at least had no recollection when someone said goodnight to him. He slowly fell deeper into sleep thinking about this.
On the next day, Akira opened his eyes just before sunrise. He stretched his body to completely wake himself up. Everything was just like his normal everyday morning up until that point.
"Good morning, did you sleep well?"
Akira jolted and immediately fully awoken as he pointed his gun toward the source of that voice. He showed a level of caution as if someone that he didn't know suddenly appeared beside him.
Alpha looked a bit surprised seeing his reaction, but then she gently said to him.
"I'm sorry, did I surprise you?"
"...Alpha?"
In contrast to Akira, Alpha showed a graceful smile.
"Yes, it's me. Did you forget about me?"
Although he had quite a hardship yesterday, for Akira, this day was different from yesterday. Today is the day when his life together with Alpha starts.
After that, Akira went to the food distribution area. It's a place where food from the city is distributed for free. They do this twice per day as the morning distribution is done early in the morning. Although there was still some time left before it started, there were people already lining up for food. Akira added himself at the end of that long line of people.
Everyone should behave and line up nicely during the distribution. If someone were to cause trouble or cut in line, that person would not get any food. There were even times where the food distribution was stopped because of that, and of course, the person responsible for that was beaten to death.
After giving out the food, they would wait for a while to check if someone died or mutated because of it. If nothing like that happened, they would sell it to the commoners. And then another food made from ingredients that no one knows for sure whether it's safe or not, would be distributed next time.
That was the real identity of contents in his sandwich; its bread, and everything inside it.
"I feel like I went through the same exact road a few times though..."
"That's because it was necessary. We had to take that road in order to avoid dangerous routes. But if you want to hear more reason for that, then it would be because of your bad luck."
After they continued walking deeper for a bit. Alpha suddenly turned back near the end of an alley and gave a similar instruction that she's been giving for a while.
Alpha passed through Akira's side, he was about to follow her, but suddenly he stopped, his legs just wouldn't leave the ground. He could see a big road by the end of the alley. He was curious about what's going on in the other side. He thought that if only he could take a peek, then he might be able to clear up all of his dissatisfaction from all the meaningless actions that he's been doing.
As he said that excuse to himself, he carefully peeked out his head a bit out from the alley. But what he could see there was just the same old scenery of the wasteland stretched out endlessly.
Just when he felt super annoyed because of what he had just found out, Alpha suddenly shouted at him with a strong tone.
"Come back here at once!"
Right after that, from the middle of the empty wasteland in front of his eyes, a light flickered together with a thundering sound. Then he could see a monster there as its optical camouflage temporarily lowered at the same time as its cannon fired. The moment Akira saw it, his face froze. In the middle of the place that he had thought was empty, a huge mechanical monster had stood with its camouflage function on.
Akira immediately turned and ran as fast as he could. He blazed through the alley as debris crumbled down. Surrounding buildings were shaking because of the impact from the warhead. He followed Alpha's instruction to hide in a room inside a building not too far away from there. Outside, the sound and shaking from the cannons were still present as dust and shards from the ceiling showered down on Akira.
"Don't mention it. I myself never thought that you would totally trust me right from the start. After all, trust is something that should be built up with time. For both of us."
Alpha looked at him with a cold expression and said to him in a harsh tone.
Akira who was hiding in one corner of the room just hung his head in response. There was a silence between them for a while before he answered in a small voice.
"... You're right, I should also build up your trust for me. So then, what should I do next?"
Alpha confirmed how Akira was feeling. So she decided to be more careful about giving him instructions until he recovered his mood to a certain level.
"You should wait here until the condition outside has calmed down. I'll somehow lead the monster away from here but it will take some time."
"Lead, you say? You can even do that?"
Looking at how Akira was a bit surprised, Alpha gave off a meaningful smile to him.
"It's limited only to some of the mechanical monsters and under a certain condition though. Those mechanical monsters are basically the autonomous weapon that runs on autopilot and programmed to eradicate any invaders. That type of machine gathers image from the outside through the image capturing devices spread around the area in order to get a good grasp of the situation of the area. At this very moment, the monster that we encountered earlier should still be attacking your fake image. Its first attack missed because of the same reason. This method won't work on monsters with a built-in camera or if they only make a decision based on local information."
"It is a pretty nice body, is it not? It is attractive, right? Don't you think it would gather people's attention? After all, you had a good long look back then."
"In short, that was the answer to your question."
"It's a very effective method to look for someone who can see me. Only hunters would come to the Kuzusuhara City ruin and there are not that many of them, so it's really not easy looking for someone who can recognize me, you know. That's why I was n.a.k.e.d to attract people's attention. Moreover, after a lot of testing, it was the best choice so that people won't run away or hide in caution when they see me for the first time."
"But even so, you didn't run away on the first sight, right? What would you do if what you saw back then from afar was an armed soldier?"
"Right? That's why, if I thought of an appearance that would let people to immediately know that I was unarmed and attracted their attention, followed by some kind of reaction that would not be fear, then being n.a.k.e.d was the best choice. But well, I never thought that you would react like that and would be so cautious of me back then, I'm sorry."
"...But still, I think being n.a.k.e.d was going too far, you know?"
"Fake body?"
"Yep, my body is not real and is made with the help of computer graphics. I can freely modify my body's gender, age, body form, attires at will."
As if she wanted to prove her point, she suddenly transformed into a small girl younger than Akira. Then she kept changing her appearance from one to another across all ages in front of surprised Akira.
Akira was surprised by her change at first. But as she kept changing her appearance from one to another, he instead started enjoying the show. As a kid who was living in the slum, he couldn't find any form of entertainment. As such, Alpha who kept changing her appearance and pose in front of him was enough to charm him.
"Just tell me if you have any request for my dress. Ah, or is it that you prefer me to be n.a.k.e.d? N.a.k.e.d, huh. As I thought, since you can enjoy this beautiful body like that, maybe n.a.k.e.d is the best one?"
In response to such a seductive question, Akira retorted in panic.
"Anything is fine, just put on something! Geez, Why the heck are you so interested in going n.a.k.e.d?!"
"I think it's better if you get used into something like this so that you won't get caught in a honey trap later, you know. Don't you think it's important to have a special training for this?"
As he let out a bitter laugh, he thought that he would sound like a pervert if he answered "Yep, I do". So in place of an honest answer, he instead pouted in order to hide his embarrassment and said.
"...No one would try to seduce a little kid like me, you know."
But Alpha retorted back as if she wanted to close his escape route.
"There might be no one that would seduce you right now, but there are many people who would seduce a successful Hunter. I just don't want you to get into some trouble with that kind of people when you become a successful Hunter. Ever since ancient times, there have been many men who fell to ruin because of women, you know?"
"...Do you really think I can be that successful?"
"Of course you can. After all, you have me as your support. I promise that I would help you with everything except for a few things. That is, I won't help you in working on your own inner will, motivation and resolve. Or more like, since I can't do anything about those things, you should do something about them yourself."
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