王立貴族学園のテストは一週間行われる。前半はやる気がみなぎっていても、疲れが溜まり中だるみ、段々どうでも良くなってきて、最後は疲労困憊だ。
全てが終わった後、中庭の四人がけのテーブルに突っ伏したエミリアが頭から湯気を出していた。手でぱたぱた扇いでやる。
「エミリア、お疲れ様」
「うぅ、レベッカ様......ご褒美を......」
「あ、レベッカ、私もご褒美欲しいわ」
「レベッカ、俺も頼む」
声をかけたのはエミリアだけのはずなのに諸々ついてきた。
エミリアがぺちゃりと机に突っ伏したまま、最後の声の主をじとりと睨みつける。彼女のはす向かい、私の隣に座る殿下である。
「残念ですが、これはレベッカ様にお勉強を教えていただいた私と、親友であるメリンダさんだけの特権です。部外者はお帰りください」
殿下はその様子を一瞥して口を開いた。
「勉強を教わったなら褒美が出るべきなのはお前じゃなくレベッカだ」
「あらエミリア、どうするの。正論よ」
「正論もお帰りください......」
メリンダが煽るが、エミリアは覇気がない。相当疲れてしまったらしい。
私は本気で心配になってきてエミリアに尋ねた。
「エミリア、ご褒美はなにがいいの?」
その途端エミリアは「待ってました」とばかりにガタンと音を立てて立ち上がった。隣で同じ長椅子に座っていたメリンダが悲鳴を上げる。
「『肝』を『試』させてください!」
訳がわからないが、本気で心配して損したことだけは分かった。
その四日後、夏季休暇に入って三日。
ほとんどの生徒が既に荷物を纏めて帰省したが、まだ寮に残っていた面々の一部が、エミリアによって女子寮の食堂に集められた。
それも真夜中、丑三つ時に。
私の隣で殿下が「くあ」と小さくあくびをする。かなりレアだが私にそれを楽しむ余裕は与えられない。エミリアが今日この集まりに本気すぎるせいだ。
「皆さん、『肝試し』にお集まりいただきありがとうございます」
エミリアが何故か明かりを許さないので、テーブルの真ん中に置かれたいくつかのろうそくが彼女の顔を下から照らしていた。
その顔や暗い室内や、外の激しい雨と風でガタガタ揺れる窓よりも、エミリアの本気度が純粋に一番怖い気がする。
視界が悪くあまり見えないが、周りを見回した。
私の右隣は殿下、その隣はメリンダ。
その隣は黒すぎて見えないがおそらくフリード。その隣、私の向かい辺りは、今度暗すぎて見えない。
だが声からして、寮に残っていたら巻き込まれたガッド・メイセン、ブライアン・マーク、キャラン・ゴウデスの三人だ。不運の一言に尽きる。
そして私の左隣のエミリアになる。
一体今から何が始まるというのか。
そもそも、『肝』を『試す』とは。
「今から皆さんには一つずつ恐ろしい話をしていただきます。その度にろうそくを一本ずつ消していきます。ろうそくは人数分プラス一本用意してありますから、ろうそくが最後の一本になったところでお開きです」
要約すれば、怖い話大会をしようということらしい。
攻略本にはなかったのでイベントではないだろう。エミリアの思いつきである。
「では始めましょう。順番はなんでも良いんですが、まあまずは私から。皆さんは『河童』をご存知でしょうか。亀のような甲羅を背負い、頭には皿を被った人型の生き物です。この『河童』には色々な伝説がありまして――」
思わずごくりと唾を飲み込んだ。どうしよう。雰囲気が相まってなんかちょっと怖そうだ。
しかしエミリアが爛々とした目で話を続けたとき、その気持ちは霧散した。
「『河童』は『壇ノ浦の戦い』で破れた『平家』の『武士』たちの成れの果てなんて説もあるそうですが、『河童』たちに『相撲』を挑まれて破れたとき、どうなるかわかりますか?」
エミリアはそこで妙にためた。
「抜かれるんです、『尻子玉』を」
――そしてまた、よくわからないことを言った。
「ねえ、エミリア」
話を遮ったのは声からしてメリンダだ。ろうそくの火がほんの少しずつ小さくなっていっているせいで、みんなの顔が見えにくくなっていく。
「ごめんなさいあの、専門用語? が、多すぎるわ。全然話が入ってこない」
「えっ」
エミリアがそんな馬鹿な! とばかりに声を上げた。彼女は誰一人怖がっていない雰囲気にようやく気づいたらしい。
「うう、失敗した」と呟いてろうそくを一本吹き消した。
次に誰が行くのか。そう思う間も無く、右隣から声がした。
「小さい頃、勝手に王宮の地下深くまで行ってみたことがある」
私はがばっと顔を向けた。そう、殿下である。意外とノリノリだったりするのだろうか。
「地図にない部屋を見つけて入ったら、人の死体が山のように積み上がっていた。もう一度行こうとしたときにはもう見つからなかった。後から聞いたら、王宮の地下には、侵入しようとして迷った賊が最後に行き着く部屋があるとか」
しん、と何も聞こえなくなった。誰も何も言わない。
唯一、外の風の音が妙に大きく聞こえた。
「待って!? こわいこわいこわい!」
「どうしよう! 夏の夜会行きたくない!」
みんなが一斉に騒ぎ出す。
殿下が小さく笑いながらろうそくを一本吹き消した。
続けて、「じゃあ次は俺が」と誰かの声がする。
「騎士団にはこんな話があるらしい。名誉ある死を迎えられなかった騎士が、夜になると戦う相手を求めて彷徨い歩く。流れる血をそのままにしていくから、朝になると赤黒い線がずっと続いていることがある。決してそれを辿っちゃいけないんだ。
ろうそくが一つ、消える。
「遠縁から聞いた話です。彼は時折夜中に目が覚めてしまうそうですが、そういう時は決まって近くに人が立っているのだと。真っ白な足だけが見えるけど、少しずつ屈んで顔を見せようとして来るのだと。いつかそれが見えたら『終わり』だと言っていました。――先日、亡くなりましたが」
また一つ、消える。
「前こんな話を聞いた。この学園のどこかに、ずっと前生徒の誰かに作られた人工の生物がまだ住んでいるらしい。夜になるとその生徒を探してねぐらから出てくる。探して、殺すつもりなんだとか」
「あ、その話。私が聞いたのでは、その生物は人といくつかの生き物を掛け合わせてできたもので、水の中でも生きられる。だから夜になると、体から滴り落ちた水と、涙で校舎を濡らすって」
もう二つ、消えた。最後に。
「そういえば、こういう形式の怪談について聞いたことがあります。
残る二つの片方が消えた。
呟いた声は誰のものなのか。
「レベッカ様、まだ話されてませんよね」
全員がろうそくを見つめる。
「あれ、なんで――」
――――残りが一本しかないんだ?
その瞬間。派手な音をさせて、突如食堂の扉が開いた。
「き、きゃあああああ!」
「待って、今まで誰が話した!?」
「ちょ、いた、俺のこと叩いてんの誰!?」
大声が飛び交う。飛び交うだけ飛び交って、いきなり明かりがついた。
久しぶりの光に目を細めつつ周りを見回す。
フリードのローブの中で悲鳴を上げ続けるメリンダ、それを抱きしめるフリード、剣を構えるガッド、いち早く逃げ出すブライアン、平静を装いながらも震えが隠せていないキャラン、恐怖のあまり失神したらしいエミリア。
なかなかのカオスがそこにはあった。
最後に、大変楽しそうな隣の彼を見た。
「......殿下」
「何だ?」
「誰も見ていない隙に、ろうそくを一つ消しましたね......?」
「レベッカが怖がって抱きついてくるかと思ったんだ」
殿下は悪びれる様子もない。
「扉も魔法で開けたんですね。みんなこんなに怖がっちゃったじゃないですか」
「可哀想です――――って、え?」
再び殿下を見ると、彼はさっき突然開いた扉を見つめていた。
「あれは俺じゃない」
「......え?」
「『何かが入り込む』か......案外本当なのかもな。じゃ、おやすみレベッカ」
「で、でで殿下!? 冗談ですよね!?」
殿下は「さあ」としか答えずに席を立とうとする。
その腕にしがみついて寮の部屋まで送ってもらってから、「あれ、なんか殿下の思った通りになってないか」と気づいた。
その夜はもちろん、私、エミリア、メリンダ、そしてキャランの四人でギュッと固まって寝た。
The Royal Academy's test is held for one week. Even though the motivation is high in the first half, the fatigue accumulates and then it doesn't matter anymore, and in the end, it's fatigue and exhaustion.
After everything was over, Emilia, who had collapsed on a four-person table in the courtyard, was steaming from her head. She fanned herself with her hand.
"Emilia, good work."
"Ugh, Rebecca-sama... a reward please..."
"Ah, Rebecca, I also want a reward."
"Rebecca, I beg of you too."
Emilia was supposed to be the only one who approached me, but she was followed by others.
Emilia collapsed on the desk, still steaming, and glared at the speaker of the last voice. Sitting opposite her was His Highness who sat next to me.
"Unfortunately, but this is a privilege only for me and my good friend Melinda, who has been taught by Rebecca-sama. Outsiders, please leave."
His Highness opened his mouth after taking a quick glance at the situation.
"If she taught you how to study, the one who should be rewarded is not you but Rebecca."
"Ara Emilia, what shall we do? That sounds fair."
"Fairness also please leave..."
Melinda was stirring things up, but Emilia had no fighting spirit. She seemed to have become quite tired.
I became genuinely worried and asked Emilia.
"Emilia, what would you like as a reward?"
As soon as Emilia heard that, she stood up with a loud sound as if she had been waiting for it. Melinda, who was sitting next to her on the same long chair, let out a scream.
"[test of courage], please!"
I don't understand the meaning, but I know that I worried for nothing.
Four days later, three days into the summer vacation.
Most of the students had already packed up and gone home, but some of the people who were still in the dormitory were gathered in the girls' dormitory cafeteria by Emilia.
And that was in the middle of the night.
His Highness sitting next to me makes a small yawn. It's quite rare, but I don't have the leisure to enjoy it. It's all because Emilia is too serious about this gathering today.
"Everyone, thank you for gathering for the [test of courage]."
For some reason, Emilia doesn't allow any lights on, so the candles placed in the center of the table were illuminating her face from below.
More than her face, the dark room, the fierce rain and wind outside, and the windows shaking violently, Emilia's seriousness genuinely scares me the most.
I looked around, although I could not see much due to poor visibility.
His Highness is sitting next to me on my right, next to Melinda. I can't see the person sitting next to her because it's too dark, but it's probably Fried.
Next to it, across from me, it's too dark to see.
However, from the voice, it seems to be Gadd Maysen, Brian Marc, Kyaran Goudes, the three people who stayed in the dormitory and got caught up in it. It's just a word of bad luck.
And next to me will be Emilia.
What exactly is going to start now?
In the first place, what is the meaning of [test of courage]?
"We're going to tell each other a terrifying story now. When you extinguished your candle, your story was over. I've prepared one candle for each person, and the meeting will end when the last candle is extinguished."
In short, it seems that we are going to have a scary story conference.
It is not an event because it is not in the strategy guide. It is Emilia's idea.
Let's begin. The order is whatever you want, but let's start with me first. Have you ever heard of a [kappa]? It is a creature with a shell like a turtle and a head covered with a dish. There are various legends about [Kappa]----."
I unconsciously swallowed my saliva. What should I do? The atmosphere is a bit scary.
However, these feelings faded away when Emilia continued her story with glowing eyes.
"It is said that [Kappa] were the downfall(result) of the [Heike warriors] in the [Battle of Dan-no-ura], but what would happen if they were challenged to a [sumo] match and defeated by [Kappa]?"
Emilia collected herself strangely there.
"They will be robbed," [she said], "of their [cherry blossom ball]."
----And then she said something else that nobody understood.
"Hey, Emilia."
The one who interrupted the conversation was Melinda, judging by her voice. Because of the way the candlelight was gradually getting dimmer, everyone's faces were becoming harder to see.
"Sorry, that specialist language is too much. I can't seem to follow the conversation at all."
"Eh?"
Emilia raised her voice! It seems like she finally realized that she isn't scaring anyone.
"Ugh, I failed," she muttered and blew out the candle.
Before anyone could think about who would go next, a voice came from next to me.
"When I was a kid, I went on my own to the depths of the palace basement."
I turned around abruptly. Yes, it was His Highness. Was he unexpectedly excited about this?
"When I found a room that wasn't on the map and went in, there were mountains of dead bodies. When I tried to go back, I couldn't find it again. I heard later that there's a room in the palace basement that thieves who got lost trying to break in end up in."
It was as if everyone suddenly stopped breathing and no one said anything.
The only thing that could be heard was the strange, loud sound of the wind outside.
"Wait?! Scary, scary, scary!"
"What should I do! I don't want to go to the summer evening party!"
Everyone starts to make noise all at once.
His Highness laughed softly and blew out a candle.
Then, someone's voice says, "Then it's my turn next."
"There's a story in the knights' group. It's said that a knight who couldn't meet an honorable death, wanders around looking for opponents to fight at night. Because he leaves the flowing blood as it is, there's often a red-black line that continues in the morning. You must never follow that. Because it's connected."
One candle goes out.
"I heard this story from a distant relative. He sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night, and when that happens, there's always someone standing nearby. All he could see was a pair of white feet, but he slowly started to bend to try to see the face. He said that once he sees that, it's over. ----He passed away the other day."
Another one goes out.
"I heard this kind of story before. Somewhere in this Academy, there's an artificial creature that was made by a student long ago, and it still lives there. When it gets dark, it comes out of the caves looking for that student. It's said that it wants to find and kill them."
"Oh, that story. From what I heard, that creature is made by combining a human and several living things and can live in water. So at night, it drips water from its body and wets the school building with its tears."
Two more went away. In the end.
"By the way, have you heard about this kind of horror story? It's perfect for something to sneak in, so be careful."
One of the remaining two has disappeared.
Whose voice was that muttering?
"Rebecca-sama, you haven't spoken yet."
Everyone stared at the candles.
"Hey, why----"
----Only one is left?
At that moment, with a loud noise, the door to the cafeteria suddenly opened.
"KI-Kyaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Wait, who's been talking until now?!"
"Hey, who the hell is hitting me?!"
Loud voices are heard. After a few minutes of shouting, the lights suddenly came on.
Squinting in the unfamiliar light, everyone looked around.
Melinda, who was still screaming in Fried's robe, Fried who was hugging her, Gadd with his sword at the ready, Brian who quickly ran away, Kyaran who was pretending to be calm but couldn't hide her shaking, and Emilia who seemed to have fainted from fear.
There was quite a lot of chaos there.
Finally, I saw that person sitting next to me having a great time.
"...Your Highness."
"What is it?"
"During a moment when no one was looking, you put out one of the candles, right...?"
"I thought Rebecca would be scared and cling to me."
His Highness showed no signs of embarrassment.
"You even opened the door with magic. Everyone was so scared."
"Right----Wait, what?"
When I looked at His Highness again, he was staring at the door that had suddenly opened a moment ago.
"That wasn't me."
"...Eh?"
"Maybe something really did come in... Well, goodnight, Rebecca."
"W-Wait, Your Highness! You're kidding, right?!"
His Highness only replied with "Come on." and tried to stand up from his seat.
After I got sent back to my dorm room while clinging to his arm, I realized "Oh, it doesn't seem to have gone as His Highness thought."
That night, of course, the four of us, me, Emilia, Melinda, and Kyaran, huddled together and went to sleep.
The Villainess Carries a Strategy Guide
その悪役令嬢は攻略本を携えている
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-villainess-carries-a-strategy-guide/
Fantasy Josei Romance Shoujo
Academy Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Doting Older Siblings European Ambience Female Protagonist Love Interest Falls in Love First Magic Nobles Otome Game Reincarnated in a Game World Villainess Noble Girls
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n6554fr/
岩田加奈