五十三話
「......話は何となく理解した。でも、さ。じゃあどうして、そいつは魔法使いを殺し回ってるの?」
殺す理由はどこにも無いじゃないかと、俺はリレアの話の中に潜んでいた矛盾を指摘する。
そして数秒ほどの沈黙を経て、
「......きっとその理由は、彼が口にしていたように〝復讐〟の為であり————」
リレアは答えを口にする。
「——————今の騎士団長を、殺す為じゃないかしら」
〟は王都の魔法使いに恨みがあると言っていたけど、きっとそれは嘘。恐らくは、彼が恨みを持っているのは五年前の騎士団に何らかの関わりを持っていた魔法使い、である気がするのよね。
それは、リレアの言葉。
これまで〝魔法使い狩り〟に殺された魔法使い達全員が、騎士団になんらかの関わりを持っていた事実を踏まえた上で口にされた発言であった。
「......邪魔をするなら殺すぞ、か」
反芻する。
俺に向けられて告げられた言葉を今一度、繰り返す。
〟の悲願であるのならば、その言葉は至極当然だね」
しかし、俺は嬉々としてその邪魔をする。
何故ならば、俺にとって〝真っ当な〟理由があるから。それに、
も、副団長であるゼノアのお陰で解消された。
ただ、ああしてリレアと話すうち、新たな疑問が生まれた。故に、
俺はここにいる
。その疑問を解消する為に、夜半にもかかわらず、ひとり宿を抜け出してもう一度、騎士団の詰所の前へとやって来てしまっていた。
そして、視界に映り込むひとつの人影。
夕方の時とは別人の見張り役がそこにはいた。
「————もう一つだけ、聞きたいことがあるんです」
夜の帳が下り、シン、と静まり返る王都の夜。
声を張り上げるまでもなく、俺のその声は辺りによく響き渡った。
やがてやって来るクスリと笑う声。
そして、数秒経て紡がれた言葉は、何故か俺の発言に対する是非ではなく、全く関係のない〝語り〟であった。
「その昔、バミューダという正義感の強い人間がいました。あの人は、心の底から誰もの幸せな日常を求めて、そして、理不尽な不幸を何より嫌っていた」
......理解する。
〟と呼ばれる魔法を持つ、ゼノア・アルメリダは、俺が問いたかった疑問を知った上で、語ってくれているのだと。
「猪突猛進、とも言いますがね。ただ、その正義感は綺麗なものでした。何よりも綺麗で輝いていて、どこまでも純粋でした」
変な言い方をすれば、彼は愛されていたのだと彼女は言う。己が掲げる綺麗な理想に向かってひた走るその行為が、誰もの幸せを願うものであったから彼は愛されていたと。
「ですが、いくらその行為と願望が正しいものであろうと、全てを正しいようにと正せるほど、この世界は綺麗なものばかりではありませんし、優しくもありません」
どれだけ切望しようと、どれだけ血を吐く程渇望しようと、残酷で無比な現実はその理想を当然のように打ち砕いてくる。
何故ならば、それが理不尽であるから。
「誰もが誰も、誰かの幸せを願っているわけではない。誰かの不幸を望む人間なんて、この世にはごまんといます。故に、彼のような人間は特に、人の悪意につけ込まれやすかった」
感情の込められた言葉の数々に、気づけば俺はすっかり聞き入ってしまっていた。
「......今の騎士団に、何故魔法使いがいないのか、お教えいたしましょうか。決して責任をとって辞めていったから、などではありませんよ。理由は、単純明快です。所属していた多くの魔法使い達は、国のトップに立つ貴族らに失望し、辞めていったからです」
詰所から照らされる微かな光によって薄らと見えたゼノアの表情からは、少しだけ怒りの色が見えた。
「五年前は、王位継承権の騒動が活発に行われていました。そのせいで当時の国王陛下直属の組織であるこの騎士団も悪意に晒されたんです。国王陛下が組織したこの騎士団が不祥事を起こせば、国王陛下が推していた第二王子の勢いも減るだろう。どうにも、そんな考えから始まった策略だったらしいんですけどね」
政争についてはよく分からないが......彼女の話から察するに、騎士団の人間が嵌められたのだという事は、すぐに分かった。
「私達の騎士団が、政争に利用されたのです。誰もが失望し、辞めていくのは当然の帰結でしょう? 治安を、市民を守る為の組織すらも、己らの利益の為に利用して無関係の人間を多く殺した。......そんな者らを守る価値が何処にありますか?」
言葉は止まらない。
堰を切ったように、ゼノアの感情が溢れ出す。
「......そのせいで、瀕死の重体に見舞われながらも、助けられなかった事を悔やみ続けた果てに、バミューダは独りで自刃しました。......それを、都合が良いからと責任を取って処刑した事にしよう。なんて上から言われて......もう何が何だか分からなくなりましたよ」
......確かに、この話が本当であるならば、リレアの言う通り、悲劇だろう。
紛れもなくこれは残酷な悲劇だ。
「バミューダの弟が私達を恨む理由も分かります。なにせ、公式的な発表では、色々と脚色されて私達がバミューダに死を迫った事になっていますから」
あくまで、上の貴族の腐った部分は一切、曝け出す事なく、下の者に責任やら、汚い部分は全部押し付けているのだと。
「ですからもう一度、改めて言いましょうか。これは、私達の問題なんです。どうか、手を引いては頂けませんか」
そして、俺はこれまでの語りを踏まえた上であえて言い淀んだ。
やがて、口を開いて
ぶわりと一気に汗腺が開いてしまうほどの殺意が俺に向けられる。
まさか、彼女は俺がお涙頂戴な話をしたからと、頷くとでも思ったのだろうか。
だとすれば、本心を読む能力たるあんたのその魔法は、とんだパチモノだと嘲笑わなければならなくなる。
「貴女のその瞳、何処かで見た事があると思ってたんだけど、やっと思い出した」
『星斬り』の夢にて出てきていた人間達が、よく浮かべていた瞳であった。
そして、そんな馬鹿げた思考回路を持つ人間に、敬語はいらないかと判断して俺は普段の調子で言葉を並べ立てる事にしていた。
「それは、何らかの目的の為に死を許容した奴らとソックリな瞳だ」
ゼノアはその発言に対して少しだけ驚いていた。
「俺には政争だとか、そんな事を言われたところで何にもわかんない。でも、それは正道ではない気がする。どうしてか、それは分かるんだ。それに、貴女は良い人だ。それも、分かる」
なにせ、フィオレの友人だ。
悪い人でない事はよく分かる。
「貴女達が、罪滅ぼしの為か、はたまた、ある貴族への復讐の為、件の〝魔法使い狩り〟の能力である〝
たった一つしかない人生。
誰に託すことも、出来ないその命をどう使うかなんてそれは勿論、当人の自由だとも。
ただ、ひとつ。言わせて貰いたい。
「貴女が知ってるように、理不尽ってやつはそこら中に転がってるもんだ」
「......何が言いたいんですか」
「たとえあの〝魔法使い狩り〟が多くの魔法使いの能力を取り込んだところで、所詮はただ能力を取り込んだだけの器用貧乏でしかないって言いたいんだよ。そんなんじゃ、
特に、俺の目指す先である『星斬り』の男のような存在ならばきっと、それがどうしたと言って蟻を踏み潰すが如く当たり前のように斬り伏せた事だろう。
「そうだよ。王国内で言えば、田舎育ちの俺でも知る勇名————〝王剣〟ゼノーヴァ・クズネツォワとかじゃないかな。......まぁ、それはいいや。ただ、魔法を多く扱えるだけで頂に辿り着けるほどその場所は易しくないと思うけどね、俺はさ」
だから、たとえ仇であるとして元騎士団のメンツや恨みのある貴族を殺したところでいつかは誰かに殺される運命にあると思うなと俺は指摘する。
「それに、勝手な我儘で騎士団という存在を壊されでもしたら、力を持たない弱者は特に困るんだよ。それは分かってる? 無法者が溢れれば、それこそ更に無関係の人間は死ぬ。正義感溢れていた死者へ負い目があるのなら、何が何でもそこは貫くべきだと思うけど。それが何よりの罪滅ぼしだと思うけど」
俺の語る言葉のなんと重みのない事か。
本来、俺がそんな言葉を吐く輩ではないと、俺自身が誰よりも知っているから。その正論が、剣を振るための建前でしかないと知っているから、どうしようもなく安っぽく感じてしまう。
「......貴方には、この気持ちが分からないでしょうね」
騎士団が動かなかった理由。
ゼノアの表情からは、その葛藤の欠片が見えた。
......だがしかし、
何故ならば、真っ当な理由を既に得てしまっているから。
騎士団がなくなれば無法者が溢れる。
すると、俺達だけに留まらず、故郷である村にすら影響が出るだろう。それは、ダメだから。
さぁ、クソッタレた想いを吐こう。
どこまでも。理不尽に。不条理に。俺らしく、紡いでしまえ————その一言を。
Chapter 53
"...I kind of understand the deal. But, then... Why is he going around killing magicians?"
With her looking slightly sorrowful and her lips tight, I pointed out the contradiction in Lilea's discovery, saying that there really was no reason for him to kill magicians.
And after a few seconds of silence:
"...Surely the reason for why he's doing this is... just as he said, for 'revenge'--"
Lilea uttered the answer.
"--Perhaps it's to kill the current Knight Commander."
--The 'Magician Hunter' said that he resents the magicians of the capital, but I'm sure that nuance is a lie. I have a feeling that it's probably a magician who had some kind of involvement with the Knights five years ago that he has a grudge against.
Lilea said.
This statement was based on the fact that all of the magicians who had been killed by the 'Magician Hunter' had been involved with the Knights in some way or another.
"...He'll kill me if I get in his way, huh?"
I ruminated.
I repeated once again the words that were spoken to me.
"Well, if that's what you've been longing for, then that's a perfectly reasonable thing to say."
Still, I would be more than happy to get in his way.
Why, you ask? It's because I have a good reason for doing so.
Besides, my concerns were already addressed thanks to Zenoah, the Knight Commander of the Order.
But as my conversation with Lilea ended, a new question sprouted in my mind.
And that's why I'm where I am right now.
In order to get an answer to that question, I left the inn alone and came to the front of the Knight's station once again, though it was already half past midnight.
Not long after, a single figure filled my vision.
There laid a different lookout from the one in the evening, but nonetheless, I was well aware about who that person was.
"--There is one more thing I want to ask you."
The curtain of the night fell, leaving the city tranquil.
I didn't need to raise my voice, as it already resonated throughout the place.
A giggle came soon after.
But for some reason, it wasn't a reply to what I had said, but a tangent to a rather completely unrelated story.
"There was once a man with a strong sense of justice named Bermuda. That man, from the bottom of his heart, wanted a happy everyday life for everyone. He hated unreasonable misery more than anything else."
...I understood.
The person standing in front of me, Zenoah Almerida, using her magic{Mind Reading: Doctus} , was telling me that she knew the question I wanted to ask.
"I would also say that he's foolhardy, but that's beyond the point. His sense of justice was beautiful more than anything else. They were above all beautiful, shining and pure in every way."
He was loved because his actions in pursuit of the beautiful ideals he set out to achieve were for the happiness of everyone.
"However, no matter how correct one's actions and desires are, the world is not always so clean or kind that everything can be made right."
No matter how much we long and desire for something, the cold, cruel reality shatters our ideals as if it were a matter of course.
The reason why is because reality is unreasonable.
"Not everyone wishes for someone else's happiness, because plenty of other people wish otherwise. Therefore, people like him were especially easy to be taken advantage of by people's evil intentions."
I found myself absorbed in listening to the words that were filled with emotion.
"...Shall I tell you why there are no magicians in the current Order? It is not because they took responsibility for that incident and quit. The reason is rather plain and simple. Many of the magicians who belonged to the Order quit because they were disappointed with the nobles running the country."
In the darkness of the night, Zenoah's expression, dimly revealed by the faint light shining from the station, showed a slight tinge of anger.
"Five years ago, there was an active uproar over the succession to the throne. Due to that circumstance, this Order of Knights, an organization under the direct control of His Majesty the King at that time, was also exposed to ill will. Had we caused any scandal, the influence of the second prince, whom His Majesty the King had been promoting, would decrease. I heard that very idea was only a scheme, anyway."
I don't know much about political strife, but from what she told me, I knew right away that someone from the Order was being set up.
"Our Order was used for political warfare. It is only natural that everyone would be disappointed and quit, isn't it? Even the organizations that are supposed to protect the public safety and the citizens have killed many innocent people for their own gain. Where is the value in protecting such people?"
The words didn't stop.
As if dammed up, Zenoah's emotions overflowed.
"...Because of this, Bermuda, after suffering a near-death experience and continuing to regret not being able to save the kidnapped noblewoman... killed himself. We were told by the higher-ups to own his death and tell the public that we executed him because it was convenient for us. I didn't know what was going on anymore."
If this story is true, it truly was a tragedy.
Undeniably, a cruel tragedy.
"I can understand why Bermuda's brother would resent us. After all, the official publication of events made it seem that we executed Bermuda to death in a variety of exaggerated ways."
She said that they had to push all the responsibility and dirt to those below without exposing any of the rotten parts of the aristocracy above them.
"So let me reiterate once again. This is our problem. So please, will you back off?"
I refused to say anything based on the narrative so far.
And after staying silent, I opened my mouth.
My sweat glands opened up all at once at the overwhelming murderous intent that was directed at me.
Did she think I would simply nod my head just because she told me a sob story?
If so, her magical ability to read people's true thoughts was nothing but a sham, something to be laughed at.
"I knew I've seen those eyes of yours somewhere before, but now I finally remember.'
Namely, they were eyes that the people who appeared in my "Star Slaying" dream often had.
Deciding that I didn't need to use honorifics for someone with such a ridiculous thought process, I decided to put my words together in my usual tone.
"It's the eyes of those who tolerate death for a purpose."
I was right on mark, seeing how Zenoah was caught off guard at my statement.
"I don't know anything about political strife or anything like that even if you told me. But what I know is that the way you're dealing with it isn't the right way. Though I know for a fact that you're a good person, too."
You're Fiole's dear friend, after all.
I know you're not a bad person.
"Whether the "Magician Hunter" is using his ability to make you all atone or to exact revenge on a certain aristocrat is none of my business."
I only have one life.
It's not something one can entrust to anyone else, so it's only natural for the individual to decide what to do with it.
Just let me say this one thing.
"As you already know, absurdity is all around us."
"...What are you trying to say?"
"Even if the 'Magician Hunter' has seized the abilities of many magicians, he's still just a magician who has a lot of magical abilities. That's far from the real absurdity... And in order for me to become a real one, I have to be able to knock down the walls that's standing before me."
I was certain that such a being, like the '' I was aiming for, wouldn't budge to question anything and would just slay anything that stood in his way as if it were natural, like stepping on an ant.
"Yeah. From within this very kingdom, it would be someone like-- 'The King's Sword,' Zenova Kuznetsova. A brave, renowned individual that even I, who grew up in the countryside, knows... Anyway, reaching the top isn't so easy that one only needs to be able to wield a lot of magic, you know?"
So I pointed out that even if the Magician Hunter was after either avenging the former Order's honor or killing a certain aristocrat he resents, he wasn't an exception to his own condemning-- to get killed by someone else someday.
"Besides, if the existence of the Order is destroyed by self-serving actions, the weak who have no power will be in serious trouble. Do you understand that? If outlaws like him continue to plague this city, then even more innocent people will die. If you feel a sense of guilt for the righteous dead, I think you should do whatever it takes to make up for it. I think that's the best way to atone for your sins."
How weightless were the words I spoke.
Because I myself knew better than anyone else that I was not the kind of person who would originally utter such gibberish.
"...You don't understand what I'm feeling, do you?"
The reason why the Order didn't make a move.
Maybe it was because she couldn't make a decision that Zenoah's expression showed a fragment of that struggle.
...However, it doesn't matter.
And the reason being I already had a straight reason for it.
If the Knights disappeared, outlaws would abound.
It wouldn't only affect the capital, but also my village, my hometown.
Now, get your shitty thoughts out.
To the point of unreasonableness and absurdity, say the words like how you would normally say it yourself--
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