180話 レガシークエストの恐怖
「ほう......うちの太郎と共に、クエストをクリアしたというのか少年」
コクコクと顔面蒼白になりながらも、
尋問でもしているかの如く険しい目付きで、姉がきりきりと質問を浴びせていった結果。純くんと俺が雪国ポーンセントまでの道中、イグニトール令嬢の護衛クエストを一緒に乗り越えていたという事実がみんなに伝わる。
そして俺は羞恥心に身もだえしている。
おそらく、ゲーム内でのジュンヤ君......
「だがな、それだけの説明では太郎のこの様子は説明できていない。一体、うちの太郎に何をしたのか、少年」
「ひっ」
まずい。まずいぞ、非常にまずい。
姉の研ぎ澄まされた殺気を浴びてしまえば、俺がしでかしてしまった事を簡単に暴露してしまう。あんな迫力に耐えられるわけがない。
「きっと......少しばかり、恥ずかしい会話をしたの、かもしれません......」
それ以上はダメだよ、
ただ純くんと話がしたいだけとか、避けないで欲しいとか、友達のままでいて欲しいとかの爆弾発言を含め、その他諸々の恥ずかしい行動は秘密にしてください! 二人だけの秘密に!
「それはッッ、二人だけの秘密にしてくれ!」
あ......っ。
咄嗟に口から思ってる事が飛び出てしまった......。
「うん?」
純くん、夕輝、晃夜がポカンとする様を見て、自分でも『やらかした』と自覚する。
「た、た、太郎? どういうことだ? あ、あ、あ、姉にも言えないような事をしたのか? こ、この少年と?」
姉に至っては激怒しているのか、絶望しているのか、複雑怪奇な表情をして俺を見つめてくる。
二人だけの秘密なんて言ってしまったら、余計に変な勘ぐりをされてしまう。
それに、ゲーム内で言った言葉がジュンヤ君にとっては、確信的なモノになりうる可能性だってある。
つまりは、俺がジュンヤ君を好きって事は『二人だけの秘密』にして、と。
「えっと、そんな秘密にするような事ではないと思います、タロちゃ......
どうしてこのタイミングでそんな事が言えるんだ、純くん!
まさか君は俺の数々の羞恥な言動をここで暴露するつもりか!? 姉の恐怖に屈服して!? なんて薄情な後輩なんだ!
俺が、俺が、君のお兄さんや夕輝にいじり倒されてもいいというのか!?
内心で怨嗟の絶叫をほどばしらせながらも、俺はもう気が気でなかった。
しかし、純くんはそんな俺の内心に気付く事無く、つらつらと語り始める。
「ボクが......採集スキルに、自分に自信を持てなくて......でも仏くんが......タロ先輩がッ!」
おん?
まっすぐに姉の目を見つめる純くんの胆力に驚かされるけど、一体キミは何を言おうとしてるんだ......?
「鉱石を採取するのが好きな、でも自信のないボクを
確かに、そんなような事は言ったけど、あれ?
「こんなボクでも信じてるって、言ってくれたんです!」
チラリと純君は俺の方を見て、照れてしまったのかすぐに顔を逸らす。俺もなんだかソレに釣られて視線を彼から外してしまう。
「笑えるね~訊太郎らしいって言えば訊太郎らしいけど」
晃夜がクスクス笑い出し、夕輝もにやけている。
そして何故か変な裏声と変な口調で喋り出す晃夜。
「錬金術と鉱物わぁ! 切っても切れない縁があるんだ! だから素晴らしい! 俺と共に世の摂理に変革を施そう、キミならできると確信しているぅ! とか、ガチトーンで中二ちっくな発言してそうだよな」
おい、今のは俺の真似なのか? おい?
ちょっとイラッときたものの、真相を知られていたらこれだけじゃ済まなかっただろうな。そう考えると、俺はフォローを入れてくれたジュンヤに感謝の念しか浮かばなかった。
「なんだ、そんな事か......わたしはてっきり太郎に色目を使ったのかと」
姉は姉で妙に納得した後、何を思ってそんな色目なんて単語を口に出したのかは見当もつかなかったけど、今回に限り俺はちょっとだけビクついてしまう。どちらかと言えば、俺がジュンヤ君に色々な発言をしてしまったのだから。
「太郎、そろそろ家に帰ろう」
宴もたけなわ、と言った様子で俺の後ろでずっと無言待機していた姉が帰りを促す。晃夜たちの部屋にある壁掛け時計を見れば、既に夕方の6時半を回っていた。
「うん、姉。わかったよ」
俺はみんなに別れの挨拶を交わし、部屋から出ようとする。
すると不意に姉が
どうしたのかと、姉に視線を移せば、手もとのスマホ画面を何やらいじって神妙な顔つきになっている。
「姉? どうした?」
しばし無言のまま姉はスマホを凝視していたが、俺の問い掛けにゆっくりと答え出す。
「......トムとシェリーから......連絡があった」
トムとシェリーさん。確かクラン・クランでは姉と同じ
そんな仲良しの二人と、ゲームが現実に浸食しているという認識を共有できない事に姉は悩んでいたはずだ。
「もしかしてクラン・クランで何かあったの?」
「えぇ......二人から報告があったわ。昨夜に新しい街、国が発見されたそうよ。それにその国からレガシークエストというモノも発足されたらしいわ」
「レガシークエスト?」
「まず、その国の情報なのだけど......名はグラントール王国というらしいわ。そしてレガシークエスト名は『グラントール継承戦争』」
グラントール......何か、ひっかかりを覚える。
達はグラントール王国へ我先にと、続々と集結しているそうね。その王国なのだけど、王家の家名がイグニトールだそうよ」
俺達が護衛したNPC、イグニトール令嬢は......グラントール王国の王家だったらしい。
「何か繋がってそうだね......」
俺達は一足先に、話題の王家の一員と会っていたのだから。
「それで、そのグラントール王国は臣下に反乱を起こされているそうよ」
「それってまさか......」
「そうね。タロ達を襲ってきたハーディ伯爵、ハーディ家が
仮にも君主である王族に、臣下であるハーディ家が手を出してしまったのだから、国内といえど粛清対象として武力行使に出るほかないだろうに。
「そもそも、この反乱の発端はな......」
した事から始まり、その後継者を誰にするかでもめてたようだ。王位継承権第一位であるイグニトール令嬢......イグニトール姫が王位を継ぐのに反発する勢力がいるというわけだ。君主が女性になる事も問題視されているが、それに加えて王位継承権第二位にあたる王子は、現在1歳になるかどうかという赤子である点も原因の一端となっている。
王位は王子に継がせるべきだと主張するのがハーディ伯爵一派で、政治を行えない王子に代わって摂政に自ら就く事を強く望んでいるのは周知の事実らしい。というのも、王子の母がハーディ家に名を連ねる夫人だからだ。ちなみに姫の母は違う家柄出身である。王には二人の妻がいたというわけで、そのため現在は王家が二分されているような緊迫した状態であり、ハーディ伯爵側につく臣下も少なくないようだ。今回の姫暗殺未遂というハーディ伯爵の反逆が明らかになった以上、武力制裁は免れないとのこと。ちなみにハーディ陣営と対立しているのが、イグニトール姫を中心とした近衛騎士団と王家直轄領の者たち、それに付き従う貴族達だそうだ。
「ハーディ伯爵の討伐を拝命されたのが、イグニトール王家に次いで国内屈指の勢力を誇るグランゼ家、グランゼ公爵だそうよ。領地もハーディ伯爵とは隣接している事もあって、王家に関わり深いグランゼ家に重大な軍務を任せたようね」
元々、グラントール王国とは王国樹立の際にグランゼ家とイグニトール家の超大な両家の協力あって建国されたそうだ。その時にイグニトール家は、王家はイグニトールとなったものの、グランゼ家の協力に感謝の意を込めて、国名に自らの家名より前にグランゼの名を刻んだそうだ。
「っていうか、これって戦争だよね」
「このレガシークエストは個人で受けるもよし、
ただ、と前置きをおいた姉の目が鋭く細められる。
「このレガシークエスト......王家であるイグニトール家からも受注できるの。そしてグランゼ家とイグニトール家から受けるのでは、報酬内容が違うのよね」
「おう? 所属する部隊が変わるから報酬も変わるとか、ですかね」
「その線が濃厚かな? 部隊が変われば戦場も変わるだろうし、危険度や難易度も変わる。王家側が激しい戦地に出向くなんて可能性は低いだろうし、イグニトール家から受注した
姉の報告に晃夜と夕輝がそれぞれ納得のいく考察を述べていくが、姉は首を縦に振りはしなかった。
「そもそも、この国は......太郎が護衛クエストをクリアしていなければ、どうなっていたの?」
姉の疑問が胸にストンと落ちる。確かにそうだ。
イグニトール令嬢がハーディ伯爵の軍によって命を奪われていたら、どうなっていた? 旗頭を失った王家直轄領と近衛騎士団勢力は、各臣下を束ねるのに難航したのでないか? なにせ王族という忠誠を誓う相手がいなくなっては、集まるモノも集まれない。対してハーディ伯爵はイグニトール王家の血を引く、正当なる王位継承者である王子の擁立者なのだから、
たちの行動次第で、あのゲーム世界は変貌すると。
そして変化するのは、ゲーム内だけにとどまらない事を俺達は知っている。
「そうね、それが1番の問題よ」
そう言って、姉は自らのスマホ画面を俺達に見せてくれる。
そこにはトムとシェリーさんのテンション高めなやり取りが、ぽんぽんと飛び交っていた。
『今回の報酬、断然グランゼ家から受注すべきっすね
『目先の金なんかより、この先ずっと自己強化に響くスキルポイントの取得は重要ですぜい!』
『こりゃあグランゼ家一択にちげえねえ。他の奴らも、ほぼほぼグランゼ家から受注してるしよぉ』
そんな事になったら......今はまだ現実でスキルを持っている人間は少ないというのが、常識らしいのだけど。ゲーム内で行使できる強力無比なスキルを発動できる人間が急に増えでもしたら、きっと何か良くない事が多発しそうだ。
「もし訊太郎たちがイグニトール令嬢を護衛できていなかったら、グランゼ家だけからクエスト受注って可能性もあったわけだよな」
「それって、選択肢なしの全員がスキルポイント報酬って事で......現実でのスキル行使付与ってわけで、日本の治安とか大丈夫なわけ?」
レガシークエストに参加した全員が、現実でスキルを使えるようになるかもしれないと同義。
「バカみたいなまでに高難易度な護衛クエストの裏には、こんな理由があったわけね......」
それはつまり、クリアさせたくなかった。
ゲームの運営陣か?
............どうすれば、いいんだ?
「みなさん、どうしたんですか? こんな大規模なクエスト、わくわくしないんですか!?」
君だけはこのレガシークエストを楽しみにしているようだった。
この変化を認識できるのは、俺達リアルモジュールでキャラクリをした
182 180 Stories Legacy Quest Fear
"Well... with our Taro, you mean you've completed the quest, boy"
Even though his face is pale, Jun (Jun) is desperately nodding.
As harsh as it may be in the interrogation, my sister asked me some questions. The fact that Jun-kun and I were on the road to Pawn St., the snowland, together we were overcoming Miss Ignitore's escort quest tells everyone.
And I am ashamed.
Perhaps, Junya in the game...... it is certain that if your words and actions against Jun (Jun) were exposed to Shaky Night (Koya) or Yuki (Yuki), you would be jerked off... I didn't know that the person who acted all too shy was my best friend's brother......
"But that explains Taro's condition. What the hell did you do to our Taro, boy?"
"Hih."
Not good. Not good, very bad.
If I'm exposed to my sister's sharpened killings, I'll easily expose what I've done. There's no way I can stand such a force.
"I'm sure... we had a little, maybe embarrassing conversation..."
No more, Jun!
Keep all other embarrassing behaviors a secret, including bomb statements about just wanting to talk to Jun-kun or not avoiding him or wanting him to remain a friend! To the secret of just the two of us!
"Oh, just keep it a secret for the two of us!
Ah... eh.
Something popped out of my mouth...
"Yeah?"
Seeing as Jun-kun, Evening Fai, and Shaking Night are pokans, I realise that I 'softened' myself.
"Taro, Taro? What's this all about? Oh, oh, oh, you did something you couldn't even tell your sister? With this boy?
He looks at me with a complicated, strange look, whether he's furious or desperate to reach his sister.
If I told you a secret just for the two of us, you'd get an extra weird look at me.
Besides, it's possible that what you said in the game can be a definitive thing for you, Junya.
I mean, I like you, Junya, so it's just the two of us.
"Uh, I don't think it's such a secret, Talo...... Buddha (two) kun"
How can you say that at this time, Jun-kun!
No way are you going to expose my numerous shameful words and deeds here!? Give in to my sister's fear!? What a thin junior!
You think I can let your brother or Evening Fai tease me down?
The more grudging screams I made in my heart, the less I cared.
But Jun-kun never noticed my insides like that, and began to talk hard.
"I... don't feel confident in my collection skills... but Buddha... Senior Taro!
Mm-hmm?
I'm amazed at your pure guts staring straight into my sister's eyes, but what the hell are you trying to say...?
"I like to harvest ore, but it inspired me not to be confident... because there's a relationship between alchemy and minerals that I can't cut, so that's... wonderful! That's what Senior Taro told me!
Sure, I said that, but is that it?
"He told me he believed in me like this!
Chirali and Jun look at me, and quickly turn away from my face if it's lit up. I also kind of get caught by a sole and take my gaze off him.
"That's funny - if you say it sounds like Shintaro, it sounds like Shintaro."
Shaking night is couscous laughing, and Evening Fai is also grinning.
And for some reason, a shaky night talking out with a weird backvoice and a weird tone.
"Alchemy and minerals. Wow! I have an edge that I can't cut! So great! Let's make a difference in the world's management with me, I'm sure you can do it! You know, you can't say anything in a guttisone."
Hey, is that my imitation now? Dude?
Though I've been a little frustrated, I wouldn't have done this if they'd known the truth. Thinking about it, all I could think about was thanking Junya for following me.
"Oh my God, I don't know... I thought I used my eyes on Taro."
After my sister and I were strangely convinced, I had no idea what I thought and what a word such a color I had, but only this time I'm just a little freaked out. Either that or I made a lot of remarks to you, Junya.
"Taro, it's time to go home"
My sister, who had been waiting silently behind me the whole time, prompts me to return. If you look at the wall clock in the shaking nights room, it was already around 6: 30 in the evening.
"Yeah, sister. Okay, I get it."
I say goodbye to everyone and try to get out of the room.
Then my sister accidentally roared.
I don't know what's going on, and if I move my gaze to my sister, I'm making a strange face by messing with the smartphone screen on hand.
"Sister? What's up?
Often silently, my sister stared at the phone, but slowly answered my query.
"... Tom and Shelley contacted me..."
Tom and Mr. Shelley. It's true that Clan Clan is a member of the same mercenary regiment (clan) as my sister, and they play with a nice middle-aged Oji-sama character. But in reality, he should be a college mate attending the same college as his sister. I wonder if there were some verses that made fun of my sister, admiring her like a sister.
My sister should have been worried about not being able to share the perception that the game was eroding reality with two of those friendlies.
"Could something have happened in Clan Clan?
"Yep... we got a report from both of us. They found a new city, a country, last night. And they've launched a legacy quest from that country."
"Legacy Quest?"
"First of all, it's information about that country... it's called the Kingdom of Grant Thor. And the legacy quest is called" The War of Grantor's Inheritance. "
Grantol...... Something, I remember a scratch.
"Already, high level mercenaries (players) have gathered in the Kingdom of Grant Thor. It's the kingdom, but the royal family name is Ignitol."
The NPC we escorted, Miss Ignitore... was the royal family of the Kingdom of Grant Thor.
"There's something connected..."
We were meeting with a member of the royal family.
"So the kingdom of Grant Thor is being rebelled against."
"That's not true..."
"Right. Count Hardy, the Hardy family, who attacked the Talos, said they were planning a rebellion, and the frontal collision was inevitable."
Even if the monarch, the royal family, had his hands on his subordinate, the Hardy family, he would not have gone out to use force as a solemn subject, even in the country.
"In the first place, the beginning of this revolt..."
It started with the king's defeat, and it seemed to depend on who would succeed him. Miss Ignitore, who is number one in the right to inherit the throne... so there are forces rebelling against Princess Ignitore taking over the throne. It is also seen as a problem that the monarch will become a woman, but in addition, the fact that the prince who holds second place in the right to inherit the throne is a baby whether or not he will now be one year old is also one end of the cause.
It seems a well-known fact that it is a family of Earls of Hardy who insist that the throne should be allowed to inherit by the Prince, who strongly desires to take his place in the Regent on behalf of a prince who cannot conduct politics. Because the Prince's mother is the Lady who takes her name to the Hardy family. By the way, the princess's mother comes from a different family. The king had two wives, which is why he is now in such a state of urgency that the royal family is bisected, and seems to have few subordinates on the side of Count Hardy. Count Hardy's treason of attempted assassination of the princess is no more exempt from the use of force than has been revealed. By the way, it is the Kingsguard Knights and those under the Royal Direct Jurisdiction, mainly Princess Ignitore, who are at odds with the Hardy faction, they say, and the nobles who follow them.
"He said it was the Duke of Granze, one of the country's foremost forces, after the Royal Ignitore, who was ordained to crusade Count Hardy. There are times when the territory is adjacent to Count Hardy, and it seems that you have entrusted the Grande family, which is deeply involved in the royal family, with serious military duties."
Originally, the kingdom of Granthol was founded with the cooperation of the two supermassive families of the Granthe and Ignitore when the kingdom was founded. At that time, the Ignithol family said that although the royal family became Ignithol, it had inscribed the name of Granze before its own in the name of the country, in gratitude for the cooperation of the Granze family. The late (hence) Kingdom of Grant Thor.
"I mean, this is war, right?"
"You can take this legacy quest personally, you can come under the command of the Granze family as a mercenary regiment (clan), and either way, there's no difference in rewards or terms. Just..."
However, my sister's eyes are sharply narrowed.
"This legacy quest... can also be ordered from the Ignitol family, which is royal. And what you receive from the Granze and Ignitol families is a different reward."
"Oops? Because my unit changes, so does my reward."
"Is that line thick? If the troops change, the battlefield will change, as will the degree of danger and difficulty. Is it unlikely that the royal side will head out to a fierce battlefield, and the mercenaries (players) ordered from the Ignitol family are primarily responsible for backward support and pay less?
Shaking Night and Evening Fai each make a convincing reflection on her sister's report, but her sister did not shake her neck vertically.
"In the first place, what would have happened to this country if Taro hadn't completed his escort quest?
My sister's question falls ston her chest. Sure it is.
If Miss Ignitore had been killed by Count Hardy's army, what would have happened? Weren't the Royal Direct Command and Kingsguard Knights forces, who lost their flag heads, difficult to navigate to bind each minister? Anyway, without someone to pledge loyalty to the royal family, we can't even gather the things we gather. Count Hardy, by contrast, draws the blood of the Ignitore royal family, the rightful heir to the throne, the champion of the prince, so if you stand on the table and rebel, that can be treason against the royal family.
Depending on what the mercenaries do, the game world will change.
And we know that what changes is not just in the game.
"Well, that's the number one problem."
That said, my sister shows us her own smartphone screen.
There was a tense exchange between Tom and Shelley, flying with Pompom.
"This reward should definitely be ordered from the Granze family, sister. (Ah)!
"Acquisition of skill points that resonate with self-enhancement is much more important than immediate gold!
"This is a choice for the Granze family. The rest of them almost ordered from the Granze family."
If that happens... it seems common sense that few people still have skills in real life. If there are suddenly more people in the game who can activate powerful and unparalleled skills that can be exercised, something is likely to happen more often than not.
"If Shintaro and the others hadn't been able to escort Miss Ignitol, it would have been possible to order quests from the Granze family alone."
"So everyone who doesn't have a choice is rewarded with skill points... so you can exercise your skills in real life, so you're okay with Japanese security or something?
Synonymous that everyone who participates in legacy quests may be able to use their skills in real life.
"Behind the highly challenging escort quest to the point of acting like an idiot, this is why..."
I mean, I didn't want it to clear.
Is that the game's management team?
............... what can I do?
"Guys, what's going on? Aren't you excited about such a massive quest!?
Jun seemed to be looking forward to this legacy quest.
It was at various moments that we were shown that the only people who could recognize this change were the mercenaries (players) who played charades in the Real Mod...
I Became a Beautiful Girl, but I’m still an MMO Junkie
美少女になったけど、ネトゲ廃人やってます。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/i-became-a-beautiful-girl-but-im-still-an-mmo-junkie/
Adventure Comedy Fantasy Gender Bender Mystery Psychological Shoujo Ai
Accelerated Growth Adapted to Manga Age Regression Alchemy Appearance Changes Appearance Different from Actual Age Beautiful Female Lead Chuunibyou Curious Protagonist Cute Protagonist Demi-Humans Disabilities Doting Older Siblings Fairies Famous Protagonist Fast Learner Friendship Loli Male to Female Misunderstandings MMORPG Multiple POV Mysterious Illness Older Love Interests Overprotective Siblings Past Plays a Big Role Past Trauma Pill Concocting Popular Love Interests Race Change Sword And Magic Virtual Reality Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0170db/
星屑ぽんぽん