僕とリーシェちゃんは無事に階段を見つけて、上に登っていた。どうやらこの都庁モドキは三階建ての様で、二階に上がっても大して人の気配を感じない。一階層位なら僕も瘴気で空間把握出来る様だから、現在二階だけ瘴気を撒き散らして空間把握をしているけれど、兵士が数名いる程度。
まぁこの中にレイスとかいたら面倒だけど、どの気配も動きまわっていることからオルバ公爵はいないと予想。
あ、ちなみに階段を探して一階を歩いている時に気付いたんだよね、瘴気で一階層位なら空間把握出来るなって。まぁレイラちゃんの瘴気が既に一階から地下へ散乱していたから、あまり効果はなかったけど。
どうやら瘴気同士が同じ場所を空間把握しようとすると、その索敵効果が格段に落ちるみたいだ。
自身が操作している瘴気と、していない瘴気がぶつかった結果なのか、それとも空間を瘴気が埋め尽くしているから、後から発動した僕の瘴気がその空間を『空間』として認識出来なかったのか、はたまたレイラちゃんの方が瘴気の支配力が高いからなのか、その辺は不明だけど。
どちらにせよ、二階は正常に空間把握が出来ることから、レイラちゃんの瘴気は一階から地下に向かって展開されているらしい。
「なぁきつね、お前の左眼は右眼と違ってレイラの様に赤いんだが......何か変化があるのか?」
「んー......まぁレイラちゃんの瞳と同じものだと思うから、この赤い眼に何かしら特殊な力はないし、視界も普通だよ」
「......そうなのか、視界が赤かったりしないんだな」
「リーシェちゃん的には赤い瞳って珍しい?」
「いや、確かに珍しいがいないこともない......だが、あの謎の襲撃の一件の後でなくとも......無かった物が再生するのは珍しいだろう」
確かにそうかもしれない。フィニアちゃんの治癒魔法でも欠損は治らなかったし、リーシェちゃんの言葉からして、この世界でも欠損を治す事の出来る魔法やアイテムはそうないのかな? 治癒系の固有スキルならあり得るかもしれないけど、固有スキル自体持ってる人は少ないもんね。
いいなぁ固有スキル。便利だよなぁ固有スキル。僕も欲しいなぁ固有スキル。
あ、僕もう持ってた。三つもあるじゃん、滅茶苦茶希少じゃん僕。
「リーシェちゃんはどう? 戦闘の調子は」
を三体倒した。支障無く戦えた......私も少しづつ強くなってると思う」
「へぇ......良かったね、リーシェちゃん」
凄くすっきりした様な表情を浮かべるリーシェちゃんに、僕もなんだか嬉しくなる。仲間が強くなれば僕の生存確率も高くなるし、フィニアちゃん達を取り戻すのも幾らか楽になるもんね。
とりあえず、ステータスを確認。
名前:トリシェ・ルミエイラ
性別:女 Lv32
筋力:1670
体力:1890
耐性:100:STOP!
敏捷:1780
魔力:500
『剣術Lv4(↑1UP)』
『先見の魔眼Lv0』
これは、確かにステータスが上がってる。前回はレベル27だったのに、たった5レベル上がっただけでこのステータスの上昇......やっぱりステータスやスキルには精神が大きく関わってくるみたいだ。リーシェちゃんの場合、今まで獲得出来た経験値を不安定な精神状態が上手くステータスに変換出来なかったんだと思う。
でも、今のリーシェちゃんはかなり安定した精神状態だし、強くなろうという強い向上心がある。本来獲得出来る筈の経験値とステータスが、本来の形で反映されてる。
ちなみには僕はどうだろう?
名前:薙刀桔音
性別:男 Lv1
筋力:400
体力:2500
耐性:3450
敏捷:2620
魔力:1220
「あれ?」
おかしい、また僕のレベルが1に戻ってる。それに、筋力の『STOP!』が消えてる、これは一体どういうことだ? いや限界値に到達したからこれ以上上がるとは思ってなかったし、消えたなら消えたで良いことなんだろうけど、なにが起こったんだ?
ステータスがそのままなのは良いし、瘴気ボールや瘴気の空間把握、それにレイスとやり合った時もナイフを何十本か作ったし、此処に来るまでもお手玉やってたから『瘴気操作』のレベルが上がったことは凄く嬉しいんだけど......ちょっと不気味だなぁ、『不気味体質』だけに。
「どうしたんだ?」
「......そうか」
まぁステータスはそのままだし、なんの支障もないから良いか。放っておいても。
それにしても、いつの間にかリーシェちゃんの攻撃なら生身で防げるようになったんだなぁ僕。まぁ攻撃力で言えば、やっぱり凄い弱いんだけどね。筋力がこれじゃ幾ら速くて堅くても、魔獣なんてこれっぽっちも倒せない。とはいえ、死なないようになっただけ良いかな。
と、そんなことを考えている内に三階へ上がる階段を見つけた。瘴気の空間把握で階段の位置は把握していたし、兵士にも会わずに済んだから、やっぱり便利だなぁこのスキル。
「行こっか、多分この上にオルバ公爵いるよ。いや根拠はないけど」
「まぁ『瘴気操作』が使える以上きつねに付いて行くのが最善だから、行くさ」
階段を上る僕の後ろを、なにやらブツブツ言いながら付いてくるリーシェちゃん。この子結構脳筋っぽいかなぁと思ってたけど、意外に合理的な考え方するんだねぇ。
さり気なく『瘴気操作』のスキルを受け入れてるし、結構図太い精神してるのかな? でも人見知りっていうか、視線に弱かったんだよね。繊細なのか図太いのか、どっちなんだ。
「―――お待ちしておりました」
すると、階段を上る途中、上から透き通るような女性の声が聞こえた。
視線を上げると、そこには階段の下からでも背が高いと分かる女性がいた。手足が長く、ギルドの受付嬢にも似た制服を綺麗に着こなした美人だ。ミニエラにも居た青髪の受付嬢と同じで、長い青髪を持ち、冷たい瞳をしている。
一見するとオルバ公爵の関係者―――もっと言えば秘書みたいな女性にも見えるけれど、それなら今の言葉はおかしい。お待ちしておりました、じゃなくてお帰り下さい、じゃないのかな?
「......待った?」
「リーシェちゃん、今のちょっとデートみたいじゃない? 待ち合わせ的な」
「思考停止して現実逃避に走るなよ」
分からなくなったからちょっと茶化しただけなのに。
「それで? 君は?」
「オルバ公爵の秘書......と考えて貰って構いません」
「ふーん......それで、待ってたっていうのは?」
「......貴方に、オルバ公爵をこの街から排除していただきたいのです」
排除、この街からということは、文字通り街の外へと追いやるか......それとも殺すか、ということになるのかな。追い出すのは面倒だし、殺す方が手っ取り早いな、最初に言った殺害プラン実行フラグかな?
「......どういうことか、説明して貰えるんだよね?」
さて、どういうことなのか、オルバ公爵は何をどうしたら排除して貰いたくなるようなことになるんだろう。小説であるような乱暴な暴力貴族だったり、悪徳商法に手を出した闇貴族だったり、それともただ単に生理的に無理とかそういうこと?
僕としては三番目の理由だったら重くなくていいなぁ。
そう思っていると、彼女は此処で待っていた理由を語り始めた。
◇ ◇ ◇
――――街の外、戦闘を繰り広げていたその場所は、風の音が吹き荒ぶ静けさがあった。
Dランク上位の、魔族の領域に半分足を踏み入れている強者。その手に持っている巨大な棍棒にはべっとりと赤い色がこびり付いており、その足下には、大量の狼や猿、ゴブリン達の亡骸に加え、勇敢に立ち向かい、剣を振るっていた冒険者の無残な遺体があった。
あの時、前に出てきたゴブリンキングの棍棒は、一人の冒険者を圧死させてから、次々とその場にあった命を奪い去っていった。冒険者も、獣系の魔獣も、時には仲間である筈のゴブリンですらも、邪魔だと判断した者は全て潰して行った。
それは、残虐の光景で、勇気と信念だけでは覆せない地獄。おそらく、九分九厘こうなる筈だった光景が、その可能性の通り実現されていた。
「―――っはぁ......! はぁっ......! クソ......よくも、よくも......!!」
残っているのは、あの最初に剣を抜いた勇気ある新人冒険者。己の心の内にあった背中を、ひたすらに、我武者羅に、夢中で追い掛けてきた青年と、ゴブリンキング、そして数体のゴブリンやゴブリンナイトだけ。
彼以外の冒険者は、皆死んでいった。彼を護って、死んでいった。
―――......お前が、俺にとっての......『冒険者』だったからだ。
―――私も焼きが回ったかねぇ......アンタに賭けてみたくなったんだよ。
―――未来の芽は......摘ませる訳にはいかない......君は可能性だ。
―――生きろ......そんで、俺の命を持ってけ......! それが、お前の力になる......!
―――さっきの啖呵......足を震わせて、生まれたての小鹿みたいでした......格好良かったですよ。
彼を護った冒険者達は、そんなことを言って、死んだ。
きっと、戦えば自分よりもずっと強い冒険者達が、自分なんかを護る為にその命を使ってくれた。自分の可能性を信じて、自分の未来に賭けて、その命を自分が生きる道を繋げるために使ってくれた。
なのに、彼は今......たった一人だ。
「......なんでこんな俺の為に......!」
ゴブリンキングも、ゴブリンナイトもゴブリンも、満身創痍の彼の命を奪って、今度は街へと乗り込むだろう。
彼には、ここから生き延びる手段が見つからない。新品の剣も、少し前に折れた。体力も気力も尽きた。残ったのは、戦うことを決めたあの時の自分への後悔と、そしてまだ先があった筈の、冒険者達の命を散らせてしまったことへの無念。
故に、彼は気力は尽きても、最後まで戦うつもりであった。
折れた剣を構え、歯を食いしばって逃げそうになる足を抑える。心の中で、逃げろ、逃げても責める者はいない、と甘い考えが浮かぶ。
誰かに言っている訳ではない。自分の中で逃げろと囁く自分自身に反論していた。
ゴブリンキングは、そんな彼を見下して、一歩、また一歩を近づいてくる。棍棒を振りかぶり、彼がその棍棒の届く範囲に入るまで、そのゾウの何倍も太い足を進めてくる。
「―――俺は............冒険者に......なりたかったんだ......!!」
涙がこぼれた。そして、ゴブリンキングの棍棒の影が、彼の身体に掛かる。
彼の意識があったのは、それまで。涙でぼやけた視界と、すぅっと白く染まっていく意識の中、彼が最後に見たのは、肌色の、
―――手の様な影だった。
I and Rishe-chan safely find the stairs and then head up to the second floor. It appears that this building has three floors, and when we arrive at the second floor, I don't feel any presence nearby. If it's only one floor, I can pretty much detect it using my miasma, and now that I'm spreading my miasma through the second floor, I can tell that the soldiers there only amount to several people.
Well, if by chance Reis is somewhere inside this building, he'll surely be a huge pain, and given the fact that these presences are busily moving around, most likely Duke Orba isn't among them.
Ah, by the way, I first thought that I might be able to detect if it was just a single floor was when we were looking for the stairs leading to the second floor before. Well, since Leila-chan already spread her miasma on the first floor through the basement, mine wasn't that effective, though.
It seems that if there are two different miasma similarly spread in a same location, their detection ability will fall considerably.
Either it because the miasma clash against each other, or because the air become too packed with miasma, or because I spread mine later that my miasma can't properly grasp its surroundings, or simply because Leila-chan's miasma control is way better than mine, I don't know which one is the real reason, though.
In any case, given the fact that I can properly detect my surrounding in the second floor, most likely Leila-chan only spread her miasma in the first floor and the basement.
"Say, Kitsune, unlike your right eye, your left eye is red just like Leila's, so... does that bring any difference?"
"Hmm... I think it's merely like Leila-chan's eyes, this red eye doesn't have any special ability or anything either, and the sight is also normal."
"... I see, so your sight doesn't turn red, huh."
"Rishe-chan, are red eyes that unusual?"
"No, they're certainly not unusual, but... leaving that mysterious attacker aside, isn't restoring something that's already lost not usual?"
That may be true. Even Finia-chan's recovery magic couldn't restore lost parts, and from Riche-chan's words, could there be no magic or item that can restore lost parts even in this world? Perhaps it may be possible with recovery-type innate skill, but innate skill possessor is already rare in itself.
How nice, innate skills. Innate skills sure are convenient, aren't they? I want innate skills too.
Ah, actually I've already got them. Three of them, no less, aren't I like SSR here?
"How about you, Rishe-chan? Have you gotten accustomed to battle?"
"Well, today I defeated three Crazy Monkeys. I was able to fight without any problems... so I think little by little I'm getting stronger."
"Hee... good for you, Rishe-chan."
Seeing Rishe-chan looking so refreshed, I'm also somewhat happy for her. The stronger my comrades, the higher my chance of survival, and taking back Finia-chan and Lulu-chan will also become considerably easier.
For now, let's check her status first.
Name                        : Trisha Rumiela
Gender                     : Female Lv. 32
Strength                   : 1670
Stamina                    : 1890
Resistance                : 100:STOP!
Agility                       : 1780
Magic Power             : 500
Skill                           : {Sword Art Lv.4(| 1 UP)}  {Demon Eye of Foresight Lv.0}  {Body Reinforcement Lv.4(| 2 UP)}  {Swift} {Intuition Lv.2(NEW)} {Mikiri LV.3 (NEW)} 
Innate skill                : {Demon Eye of Foresight} 
Her status has certainly went up. She was level 27 before, and for her status to rise this much simply from leveling by 5... as expected, it seems that mental state greatly affects status and skills, huh. And in Rishe-chan's case, because of her unstable mind, I think the experience she had accumulated previously wasn't converted to her status properly.
But now that Rishe-chan is in a fairly stable mental state and also has a strong will to become stronger, all of the unconverted experience is converted to the amount it's supposed to be.
By the way, how about me?
Name                        : Naginata Kitsune
Gender                     : Male Lv.1
Strength                   : 400
Stamina                    : 2500
Resistance                : 3450
Agility                       : 2620
Magic Power            : 1220
"Huh?"
How strange, my level is regressed to one. Moreover, the "STOP" next to strength has also disappeared, just what's the meaning of it? Well, I don't think that the status that has reached its limit will ever rise any further, so now that my strength limit has somehow disappeared, that's good in itself, but... just what happened?
My status also stays as it was, and thanks to the miasma-ball juggling, detecting my surroundings using miasma, not to mention deploying tens of knives when facing Reis, I sure am happy that my{Miasma Manipulation} has risen by one level, but... all in all the situation is kinda eerie, like{Eerie Constitution} .
"What's up?"
"...is that so?"
Well, my status stays as it was and there also seems to be no setback either, so whatever. Let's just think about it again later.
Nevertheless, it seems that before I noticed it I've already become capable of withstanding Rishe-chan's normal attack barehanded, huh. Well, speaking of attack power, I'm simply and utterly weak, though. With such strength, no matter how fast and how hard I attack, I can't imagine myself defeating even a single demonic beast. However, it's still good that with this now I'm slightly further away from death.
And while thinking about such a think, we find the stairs leading to the third floor. Using the miasma, I can easily find where the stairs is, not to mention that I can also easily move while avoiding the soldiers, this skill sure is convenient, huh.
"Let's head up, Duke Orba is most likely somewhere above, not that I have any basis, though."
"Well, since you're the one possessing {Miasma Manipulation} , it's only natural for me to follow your lead, let's go."
When I start walking up the stairs, even while mumbling something, Rishe-chan is still properly following me. I thought this girl leaned more toward muscle-brain type, but her thought is unexpectedly rational, huh.
She also easily accepted the fact that I'm capable of using {Miasma Manipulation} , could it be she actually has a firm mind? But she's that shy, or rather weak to gazes. Delicate or firm, which one is she actually?
"--I've been waiting for you."
Then, on the way up the stairs, I can hear a faint voice of a woman from above.
When I look up, there's a woman whom I can tell even from below that she's pretty tall. She's a beautiful woman with long legs and is also beautifully dressed in a similar uniform like that of guild receptionist. She possess long blue hair, similar like the blue haired receptionist in Miniera, and cold eyes.
From a glance, she looks like someone connected to Duke Orba, precisely speaking someone like his secretary, so I find what she said just now to be strange. Rather than "I've been waiting for you", shouldn't it be "Please go back"?
"...been waiting?"
"Rishe-chan, didn't that sound like a couple going on a date? Like, when they meet up?"
"Geez, please don't run away from reality."
I'm only intending to tease her a bit if she doesn't know about it, though.
"Then? Who are you?"
"Duke Orba's secretary... I don't mind if you think of me as such."
"Hmm... So, what do you mean by waiting for us?"
"...I wish to ask you to get rid of the Duke Orba from this town."
Get rid of him from this town, does that means to literally drive him out of the town... or to kill him? Driving him out seems to be a pain, while killing him seems to be way easier, is this the so called flag of assassination plan?
"...of course you'll explain what that means, right?"
Well then, what does that mean? Why does she have to ask me to get rid of Duke Orba? Is it something like those things in those novels? Like because he's a tyrannical noble, or because he's an evil noble who partakes in corrupt business, or perhaps because she's simply unable to stand him any longer?
As far as I'm concerned, I prefer the third reason as it's the lightest of all.
When I think as such, she begins to explain the reason she's waiting here.
* * *
------Outside of the town, at the location where the battle was taking place, it was so quiet that you could even hear the sound of blowing wind.
A powerful top D rank existence that was half-step away from Demon level. The huge club in its hand was dyed in sticky red, and under its legs, along with a huge number of wolves, monkeys and goblins' corpses, the remains of adventurers, who bravely confronted and wielded their swords against it, were lying around.
At that time, not long after the first adventurer who rushed toward the Goblin King and was crushed under its club, life ceased one after another there. Either it adventurers, beasts type demonic beasts, and sometimes even its fellow goblins, the Goblin King crushed everything it deemed hindering its path.
That was a very atrocious spectacle, a hell that couldn't be overturned simply with courage and conviction alone. Probably, as this was the most probable outcome from the beginning, in the end this spectacle unfolded as expected.
"--- haa...! Haa ...! Damn it... how dare you, how dare you... !!"
The ones remained there were the brave adventurer who first wielded his sword, the youth who had been earnestly and frantically chasing after that back from his childhood, the Goblin King, and several goblins and goblin knights.
Except him, all of the adventurers had died. They died protecting him.
--because for me, you are the real "adventurer".
--looks like I've been affected by you too, huh... I've come to want to bet everything on you.
-- I mustn't let future sapling be plucked so early... you still have bright future waiting for you.
-- Survive ... then, carry my life along with you...! That will surely make you stronger!
-- Those words from before... when I'd got my legs trembling as though a newborn fawn... they were so cool.
While protecting him, the adventurers died leaving those words.
Should they fight, those adventurers would surely be way stronger than him, and yet they used their lives to protect him and died there. They believed in his potential, bet on his future, and used their lives to connect his path to his future.
However, right there, right now, he was... all alone.
"....Why, for someone like me...!"
The Goblin king, goblin knights, and goblins, after taking his life they'd surely breach into the town next.
He couldn't find a way to survive this situation. Even his brand new sword had snapped quite a while ago. His stamina had also reached its limit. The ones remained were regret of oneself who decided to participate in this battle and regret of having wasted the lives of the adventurers who could've survived this battle.
Therefore, even if he had to burn his own life, he'd fight to the bitter end.
Holding his broken sword, he clenched his teeth and steadied his trembling feet. Within his heart, he could hear sweet words such as "Run, none will blame you even if you run away here".
He wasn't talking to anyone. He was simply rebutting the whisper within his heart to run away.
Looking down on him, the Goblin King approached him step by step. Brandishing its club, until the youth was within its club reach, its huge legs kept on moving forward.
"--I... want to be... an adventurer!!"
He couldn't hold his tears any longer. And then, the shadow of the Goblin King's club finally reached upon his body.
That was the last moment he could maintain his consciousness. Within his sight that was blurred by tears, with his consciousness turning white, the last thing he saw was a flesh-colored,
--hand-like shadow.
I Kinda Came to Another World, but Where’s the Way Home?
【書籍化】異世界来ちゃったけど帰り道何処？
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/i-kinda-came-to-another-world-but-wheres-the-way-home/
Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Harem Shounen Slice of Life
Apathetic Protagonist Bullying Calm Protagonist Demi-Humans Demon Lord Demons Dense Protagonist Fairies Game Elements Ghosts Heterochromia Knights Level System Male Protagonist Murders Naive Protagonist R-15 Royalty R*pe S*aves Sword And Magic Transported to Another World Weak Protagonist Yandere
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2650bx/
こいし