第三十九話 父親
冒険者達が掃けていく中、俺はアイザスと睨み合っていた。
「貴族様が俺に何の用だ」
アイザスが眉間に皺を寄せる。
「エ、エルマさん、どうしたんですかぁ!? さっきから虫の居所が少し悪そうなのは感じていましたけれど......伯爵様相手に、その態度はよくありませんよぅ! ア、アタシも一緒に謝りますから! ほら!」
ルーチェが慌てふためきながらアイザスへと頭を下げる。
「キミ......馴れ馴れしくウロチョロしてるけど、エルマの何?」
マリスがずいと首を伸ばし、ルーチェへと顔を近づける。
「エ、エルマさんとお知り合いなんですか?」
マリスは何も答えず、ただじぃっとルーチェの顔を見つめていた。
俺は不穏なものを感じ、ルーチェの前に立った。
「ルーチェ、外に出ておいてくれ。巻き込むわけにはいかん」
ルーチェは俺の言葉を受けた後、アイザスとマリスを横目で確認し、俺へと向き直った。
「お邪魔者だっていうのなら出ていきますけど......巻き込みたくないって言われたら、アタシ、ここに残りたくなっちゃいます。だってエルマさんは、アタシが初めて本当に信頼できるって思えた仲間ですもん。アタシがいてどうこうなることじゃないのかもしれませんけれど......こういうときこそ、一緒にいてあげるのが仲間ってものだと思うんです!」
「だが、この件ばかりは......」
気持ちは嬉しいが、これはエドヴァン伯爵家の問題だ。
今更アイザスが何のつもりで俺を追って来たのか見当もつかないが、いい話ではないことだけは確かである。
「だってエルマさん......あの御二方が来てから、ずっと辛そうな顔をしていましたもん。ここに一人残しておくことなんて、できません!」
「ルーチェ......」
俺は自分の顔を触る。
頬が強張っていることに気が付いた。
確かに俺は、二人を目にしてから冷静ではなかったかもしれない。
「平民如きが我々の話に口出しするつもりか? 他の冒険者同様、即行立ち去るがいい小娘」
「父様、彼女は残しておきましょう。何やらエルマと親密な様子......例の話に、関係があるのかもしれません。ボロを出させるには、口が多い方がいいかと」
アイザスがルーチェを追い出そうとしたが、マリスがそれを止めた。
しかし、父様......と来たか。
冒険者達を追い出していたギルド長が、俺達の許へと向かってきた。
「アイザス伯爵様......その冒険者に用があったのですか? もしや、有望な冒険者だと聞いて、私兵としての勧誘に来たのですか? いや、耳がお早い。この冒険者は礼儀正しく勇敢でして......おまけに何より、この都市のギルド史に名を刻むような破竹の活躍を既に重ねており......」
でD級冒険者の補佐を行い、【Lv:40】の魔物の討伐に貢献し......例外的な速度でE級冒険者へ昇級した。そうであったか? くだらぬ、この間〈加護の儀〉を終えたばかりのガキが、そのようなことをできるはずがない」
「いえ、それだけではないのですよ、アイザス伯爵様。エルマは......そこの道化師の冒険者と共に、【Lv:50】の〈夢の主〉を討伐して、D級冒険者へと昇級したばかりでして! 伯爵家の私兵としても、充分活躍できる実力と素養を彼は有しているでしょう」
「なんだと......?」
アイザスが鷲鼻を膨らませ、俺を睨み付けた。
「フン、もしかすればただ運に恵まれただけかもしれんとも考えていたが、これで確定したな。ギルド長よ、白々しい演技は止めるがいい。既に知っておるのだろう? その男が、エドヴァン伯爵家の人間であることをな」
「ど、どういうことですか......?」
「もっとも、あくまでそれは『元』の話であり......既に次期当主でもなんでもないところまで知っておるかどうかは怪しいところだがな。どう言い包められた?」
「ま、待ってください、私は何も......。すみません、何がなんだか......わかりません」
ギルド長が真っ青になって弁解する。
「貴様でないというのか? だとしても職員の中に、そこのガキと結託しているものがおるはずだ。肩書を使って騙して抱き込み、功績作りに加担させた者がな。関与していた職員をひっ捕まえ、この場に連れて来い! 今すぐにだ!」
「そ、そのようなはずは......。い、いえ、直ちに......!」
ギルド長は慌ただしくギルドの奥へと駆けて行った。
「エルマさん......も、もしかして......アイザス伯爵様って......エルマさんの、その......」
「父親だ。認めたくはないがな」
アイザスはギルド長の背を睨んでいたが、すぐに俺へと視線を戻した。
「このエドヴァン伯爵家の恥晒しめが! この俺が貴様を放逐処分で済ませてやったのは、貴様であればそう愚かな真似はしまいと、最低限そう信じておったからだ! 俺の言葉を忘れたか? 今後エドヴァン伯爵家を名乗れば、この俺がその首を刎ねるとな!」
アイザスが怒鳴り声を上げる。
「何かと思えば、そういうことか」
要するに、都市ロンダルムに来てから上手くやり過ぎていたのだ。
俺の異例の昇級を耳にしたアイザスが、エドヴァン伯爵家の名に泥を塗られることを恐れて視察へ向かってきた、ということらしい。
それにしても本当に情報と行動が早い。
よくもまぁ、その程度のことで当主が直々に乗り込んで来たものだ。
嫌味が口から出そうになったが、ぐっと堪えることにした。
少し俺も熱くなりすぎているかもしれない。
それに元より、アイザスを不要に怒らせても何一つ得はない。
穏便に話を進めれば、ただの誤解であることを証明するのは決して難しくないはずだ。
Ch 39
While the other adventurers were clearing out, Izas and I kept glaring at each other.
"What does such a noble personage want with me?"
Izas furrowed his brows.
"E-Elma-san, what are you doing!? You seem to be somewhat irritated for some reason, but... you shouldn't talk to the Lord like that! Let's apologize together! Please!"
Luce hurried to bow her head towards Izas.
"You... you seem to be loitering around him, but who are you to Elma?"
Mariss leaned in close to Luce, inspecting her from up close.
"A-are you acquaintances of Elma-san?"
Without saying anything Mariss kept staring intently at Luce's face.
I've found that stare disturbing, so I stood in front of Luce.
"Luce, please step outside. I don't want you to get caught up in things."
Hearing my words, Luce shot a sidelong glance at both Izas and Mariss, then focused on me again.
"If you are saying that because I'm an outsider to this, then I will leave, but.... if you are only saying it to stop me from getting caught up in something, then I think I want to stay. Elma-san is my first teammate who I could place my trust in. I might not be able to do anything about it, but... a good teammate is someone who stands beside you at times like this!"
"But, this is...."
I'm thankful for the sentiment, but this is the business of the Edvan Household.
Furthermore, I have no idea for what reason would Izas come after me like this, but I'm confident it's nothing good.
"But, Elma-san... ever since they showed up, you had a severe expression on your face. I can't leave you all alone here by yourself like that!"
"Luce..."
I touched my face with a hand.
I noticed that my face was stiff.
Indeed, it seems that I wasn't that composed since they showed up.
"A simple commoner would try to intrude on our conversation? You will do the same as the other adventurers and leave at once, little girl."
"Father, let's allow her to stay. She looks like she is close to Elma somehow....it might have some bearing on our business. It would be easier to find inconsistencies with more people to question."
Izas tried to chase Luce out, but Mariss stopped him.
However, calling him 'father', huh.
The Guild Master who finished chasing out the other adventurers came back to us.
"Lord Izas.....did you have business with that adventurer? Did you perhaps hear about him being a promising newcomer and came to recruit him? You heard about it quite quickly. This adventurer is polite and competent....and what's more, he already carved his name into the history of this city's Guild by accomplishing something extraordinary...."
"He contributed to the defeat of a [(Lv:40)]  monster on his very first Raid Quest by assisting a D rank adventurer.... earning a promotion to an E rank adventurer exceptionally fast. That's what you wanted to say, right? What nonsense, there is no way a brat who only recently took part in the Divine Blessing Ceremony would be able to do that."
"No, it's not just that, Lord Izas. Together with this Clown adventurer, Elma managed to defeat a [(Lv:50)]  Dream Lord, earning another promotion to a D rank adventurer! I'm certain that he is more than skilled and accomplished enough to become part of the Lord's militia!"
"What did you say....?"
Izas flared the nostrils of his hook nose.
"Hn, I thought that he perhaps got lucky, but now I'm certain what happened. You should stop with that transparent acting. You must already be aware, right? That this man is someone from the Edvan Family."
"W-what are you saying....?"
"That being said, it's 'formerly' now....Although I don't know if he told you that he used to be my Heir or not. How did he talk you into this farce?"
"P-please, wait a moment. I didn't know.... I'm sorry, but I simply don't know what's going on."
The Guild Master, who went ghost-pale, tried to defend himself.
"Are you saying that it wasn't you then? Then there must be someone in your staff who colluded with that brat. Someone who was fooled into supporting him in creating false accomplishments by bringing up his name. Find that guild employee who took part in that and bring them here! At once!"
"Th-that's simply not.... N-no, right away.....!"
The Guild Master left towards the back of the Guild in panic.
"Elma-san....p-perhaps....is Lord Izas.....is he your....? Umm...."
"My father. Although I don't want to acknowledge it."
Izas was glaring at the back of the Guild Master, but he immediately turned his gaze back to me.
"You disgrace to the Edvan name! The only reason I let you off with a simple banishment is because I thought that you wouldn't do something foolish like this at least! Did you forget what I said? That if you claimed to be from the Edvan Family again, then I would personally kill you myself!"
Izas shouted angrily.
"I was wondering what was all this about. So that's how it is."
In other words, I did too well since coming to Rondalm.
Hearing of my unusual promotion, Izas came to perform an inspection, fearing that I would bring shame to the family name, it seems.
Even so, he really heard about it quite quickly.
I didn't think the Lord would be handling something like this personally.
I wanted to say something sarcastic, but I decided to hold it back.
My tempers might be running high too.
Neither is there a good reason to try and make Izas even more angry.
If we can calmly discuss this, then it should be simple to prove that this is nothing but a misunderstanding.
The Reincarnated Heavy Knight Who Was Exiled After A Supposed Big Miss Is Unparalleled With His Game Knowledge
大ハズレだと追放された転生重騎士はゲーム知識で無双する
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-reincarnated-heavy-knight-who-was-exiled-after-a-supposed-big-miss-is-unparalleled-with-his-game-knowledge/
Action Adventure Fantasy Romance Shounen
Abandoned Children Adapted to Manga Adventurers Alchemy Arrogant Characters Artifacts Blacksmith Calm Protagonist Clever Protagonist Determined Protagonist Dungeons Fallen Nobility Fantasy World Game Elements Guilds Hot-blooded Protagonist Level System Love Interest Falls in Love First Lucky Protagonist Male Protagonist Mystery Solving Naive Protagonist Nobles Poor to Rich Previous Life Talent Reincarnated in a Game World Romantic Subplot Skill Books Strategic Battles Strong Love Interests Strong to Stronger Sword Wielder Underestimated Protagonist Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n8465gx/
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