直接会ってまで話したい内容とは、オリビアがアキラに残したカードの譲渡取引に関する不当性の調整だった。
「今更そんなことを言われてもな。俺は納得したって言っただろう?」
「そうなんだけどね。問題は誰がどこまで納得してるかって話なのよ。私も後から詳細を聞いて、それはちょっとなーって思っちゃったしね。まあそこは私がどうこう思っているだけだから最終的にはどうでも良いって言えばどうでも良いんだけど」
「どうでも良いなら良いじゃないか。一々蒸し返すなよ」
不満を示すアキラに向けて、レイナが自分も面倒だと思っていると示すように表情を装いながら答える。
「私もそう思うんだけどね。問題はオリビアさんがその辺をどう思っているかなの。不問にするとは言っていたけれど、あれがカードの所有に対して力尽くで介入する意思は無いってだけだってのは、あの場にいたアキラにも何となく分かるでしょう?」
「私達としてはオリビアさんとのコンタクトは済ませたし、もう後はカードをアキラに返せばそれで済むのかもしれないけど......」
レイナがそう言いながら何気ない様子でアキラの反応を真剣に注視する。そして相手の僅かな反応から言葉を選んで続ける。
「......こっちのいろんな事情で悪いんだけど、出来ればカードは返したくないの。取引の不当性の調整の話は後でやるとして、まずは、カードは返さない、という前提条件を飲み込んでもらえない? お願い。駄目?」
少し頼み込むような雰囲気を出しているレイナに向けて、アキラは自分にとっても都合の良い頼みだとあっさり
装っているレイナとは異なり、アキラは普通に軽く答える。
「うーん。俺としてはもう終わった話だから、更に追加分を
っておけば良いと思うけど。こういう言い方も何だけど、あの時からカードの価値も変わっているから、基本的には社外には流さない強力な装備でも渡せると思うわ。よくは知らないけど、より良い装備が手に入るんだから遠慮する必要は無いと思うわよ?」
「いや、そういう意味じゃなくてな」
「ああ、そういうこと。確かにハンターとしてその辺の感覚は大切よね。分かるわ。うーん。でもねえ」
あくまでも食い下がるレイナの様子に、今度はアキラが疑念を覚え始める。
「ぶっちゃけるとね、こういう言い方も何だけど、この話はアキラへの補填というよりオリビアさんへのゴマすりなのよ」
オリビアはシオリとアキラのカード譲渡取引に不快感を示していた。その理由はいろいろだろうが、最も大きな理由は何かと考えたレイナ達は、自分との伝でもあるカードが
そこで非常に貴重なカードの対価としてその譲渡元であるアキラに何か相応に価値があるものを追加で渡すことで、自分達もカードの価値を十分に認めているとオリビアに示そうとした。
レイナはそうアキラに説明した後で、面倒そうにも見える難しい顔で更に続ける。
「でもさ、カードの価値なんて具体的に何億オーラムとか算出するのは物
「何? 何でもするとは言えないけど、まあ言ってみて」
「俺と敵対しないでくれ」
「......えっと、そんなことで良いの?」
困惑の余りどこか軽い言葉のようにも聞こえたその問いに、アキラは明確な反応を示した。鋭い目付きでレイナを見ながら少し強い口調で答える。
「そのそんなことを、ちゃんと守ってくれるならな。そんなこと、なんて言われると俺にはその程度のことなら軽く破っても良いと思っているように聞こえる」
レイナはアキラの態度にたじろいでしまった。その様子にアキラが僅かに不信を強める。
「さっきも言ったけど、無理にとは言わない。そういう頼みだ。でも真面目に守る気が無いのなら安請け合いしないで断ってくれ」
レイナはアキラの気迫に押されていた。だが表情を真面目なものに変えると姿勢を正してアキラと向き合う。
「絶対に守るとは安請け合い出来ないわ。でも少なくともカード譲渡取引の公平性を補完するに値する労力に見合う分だけ、アキラと敵対しない努力をする約束なら出来るわ。レイナ・リラルト・ローレンスの名に懸けて誓うわ」
「どう致しまして」
笑って答えたアキラに、レイナも笑って返した。敵対しないと約束した者にアキラが無意識に気を緩めると、レイナもそれを感じ取って雰囲気を和らげた。緊張気味だったシオリとカナエも普段の落ち着きを取り戻す。それはシオリ達の態度の理由の大半が、迷彩状態の敵の奇襲を警戒したものではなくアキラへの警戒だったと認めたのも同然のことだったが、アキラもそこまでは注意を払わなかった。
レイナが軽く息を吐いて思考を交渉から会話に切り替える。
「大切な話っていうか交渉事は終わったから、アキラが忙しいならもう帰るわ。時間があるのならさっきの交渉事とは別にちょっと話したいんだけど、時間はある?」
「その辺は雇い主の意向次第なんだが......」
アキラがそう言ってキャロルを見ると、キャロルが軽く笑って答える。
「大丈夫よ。地図作製用の調査に時間制限がある訳じゃないし、何よりもアキラの用事を優先するって言ったしね」
アキラが視線をレイナに戻す。
「まあ、手短にって程じゃないが、あんまり長くならないように頼む」
シオリは思わず吹き出しそうになったのを辛うじて堪えた。レイナが非常に取り扱いの難しそうな話題をさらっと出したからだ。カナエもかなり意外そうな顔を浮かべている。
アキラも予想外の話題に結構驚いていた。しかしアキラの態度から警戒等の様子は見られない。それは目の前にいる者が自分とは敵対しないと誓ったからであり、その誓いを相応に信用したからだ。
レイナがアキラにカツヤとの思い出を懐かしそうに話していく。初めて会った時の印象。初めは反感を覚えていたこと。必死になって仲間を助ける姿を見て少しずつ認めていったこと。助ける相手が女性に偏っていた
口に出すのかと結構驚いている。だが警戒や敵意は抱かなかった。レイナが続ける。
「でもね? だからってアキラを襲うつもりは全く無いわ。カツヤとの交戦は事故みたいなものだったって聞いたし、カツヤも
レイナが更に続ける。
「だから私が変な迷いを産まないように、アキラは今後も割に合わない存在でいてちょうだい、余計な
とか言って襲ってくるとか思ってた?」
「まあ、それなりにはな。ハンターオフィスを介した和解書にサインしたからって、やるやつはやるだろうからな」
に来ると思って結構警戒していた。アキラがそうあっさりと認めたことに、シオリは再び軽く吹き出し、カナエは硬い苦笑いを浮かべた。だがレイナは笑って軽く流していた。
「誤解が解けて何よりよ。じゃあアキラ。私達はそろそろ帰るわね。話を聞いてくれて助かったわ。だからお礼代わりに1つ忠告しておくわね」
「忠告? 何だ?」
レイナが少し真面目な顔になる。
「割に合わないと思っているのは私達だけじゃないの。カツヤの部隊の生き残りにも結構いるのよ。和解書の署名を拒否してドランカムから追い出された人もいるし、署名はしたけど内心では納得していない人もいると思うわ。行動に移さないってことは、刺し違えてもアキラを殺すのは無理だと理解しているからだと思う。割に合わない。その基準はそこまで緩くなってるはずよ。つまり、相打ち前提であれば殺せると思ったら動くかもしれないわ。だから一応注意しておいて」
に都市間輸送車両の護衛を請け負う程の高ランクハンターでも、それも東行きの車両の護衛依頼を受けられる程の実力者であっても、相打ち前提なら殺せるなんて甘い考えはしていないと思うわ。だから大丈夫だとは思うけどね。それじゃあ、そろそろ帰るわ」
「アキラ様。今更細かく釈明しても意味は薄いでしょう。ですので、一言だけ。誠に申し訳御座いませんでした」
アキラは少し驚いたような様子を見せていたが、すぐに表情を緩めた。
「良いって。初めから俺としては真っ当な取引だと思ってたんだ。価値を詳しく知っている人から見れば不誠実な内容だったとしても、それは俺の知識不足の
「ありがとう御座います。この件の償いは、お嬢様共々アキラ様と敵対しないことで返させて頂きます」
「そうしてくれるとこっちも助かる」
「じゃあね。縁があればまたいつか一緒に仕事でもしましょう」
「アキラ少年。またっす」
レイナ達が自分達の車両に戻って帰っていく。それを見送ったアキラは面倒事にはならなくて良かったと軽く
「それは結果論です。考え無しに、ついでにちょっと、などという考えで話すことではありません」
疲労の色を濃くしているシオリの様子を見て、レイナは少し悪いことをしたと思いながらも続ける。
「アキラにはああ言ったけど、私も本気でついでにちょっとなんて軽い考えで話した訳じゃないわ」
カナエが少し意外そうに、そしてどこか楽しげに口を挟む。
レイナはかつての自分の至らなさを指摘されたことに苦笑しながら、アキラとの話の意図の説明を始めた。
カードを渡しても良いと臭わせることを告げた時のアキラの反応から、レイナはアキラが旧領域接続者だとほぼ断定した。それをアキラに悟らせないように話を続けていく。
できた。そしてその後のアキラの態度から、自分達がアキラとの敵対を望んでいないし出来ないということをアキラがどこまで信じているか探った。
そしてそれを探った結果から、カツヤの話題を出すのは今しかないと判断した。今ならば、たとえ何を話したとしてもアキラと敵対しない前提での話となる。時間を置いて、疑念の再燃などでその前提が崩れてしまった後に話すのは危険だと判断した。逆に今ならカツヤの話を持ち出して疑念を再燃させても、オリビアへのゴマすりを持ち出せば取り返しが付くと判断した。
カツヤの話もいつかはしないといけないと思っていた。自身の心情の整理もあったが、それ以上にアキラほどの相手から自分を殺しにくる恐れが高いと誤解されるのは非常に危険だからだ。
加えてアキラは更に強くなっていく。割に合わないと思っているのはアキラも同じだとレイナは思っている。力関係が完全に逆転した上でその差が広がっていき、念の
に必要だった。自分が旧領域接続者だと気付かれたとアキラが後で気付いた時に、それでも自分と敵対しないと誓った者だからという理由で余計な疑念を封じる必要があった。その効果は十分にあったと判断した。
最後に忠告したのも、自分達がアキラを襲えない理由を補強するのに加えて、より警戒するべき対象を示唆することでアキラの注意を
「うーん。何て言えば良いのか分からないけど、何というか、これを言ったら殺し合いかなって一線が何となく分かるようになってきた気がするのよ。これもハンター稼業で鍛えた成果なのかしらね」
相手が人であれ組織であれモンスターであれ、それをやったら死ぬという悪手は存在する。その一線を論理的な思考の先に読む者もいれば直感で見切る者もいる。カナエもその手の感覚は分かる方だった。だがレイナもそれが分かる者だとは思っていなかった上に、分かる者だったとしても、その一線に自分からギリギリまで踏み込む者とは思っていなかった。
「......お嬢様。アキラ様との交渉、まずはお見事と称賛致します。ですが、その一線が分かるのであれば、安全の
えずアキラ様との件は片付いたと致しましょう。次はオリビア様の件になります。都市に戻りましたらその件の対処方法を考えましょう。派閥の者達との調整も必要になりますし......」
そこでシオリがクロエからの通知に気付く。そして内容を確認して顔を
「まあ、仕方無いわ。断れる相手でもないし、会いましょう。アリス様からの指示の件も含めてその内にいろいろ探りに来るとは思っていたしね。こっちに来るって?」
「いえ、来てほしいとのことです。場所は......」
レイナはその場所を聞くと少し顔を険しくした。そして少し考えてから答える。
Akira frowned after he heard the summary of why Reina was here. The thing that she wanted to talk about, going so far as to meet him out in the wasteland, was the unfair deal where he gave Shiori the white card that Olivia had left for him.
"Even if you say so, I did already state that I'm completely fine with that deal, haven't I?"
"That's true, but the issue is that others don't find it okay. Even for me, after I heard the details of the whole thing, the true worth of this card, I also believe that the deal made was an unfair one. Well, in the end, it's nothing more than just my opinion and my opinion might be completely unrelated to this matter."
"If that's really the case, then it's fine, isn't it? No need to insist to give that back to me."
Seeing Akira obviously unhappy with how the conversation was going, Reina made a troubled expression as she continued.
"I am in agreement with you. But the real problem is what Olivia-san thinks about the deal. I'm sure you understand it too, back then when she said that she would overlook it. It only means that she has no plans to take back that card by force, right?"
"Since we already have the means to contact Olivia-san, we don't really need this card anymore, so, it might be better to return it, but..."
As Reina said so, she non-nonchalantly kept her eyes on Akira's reaction. After she saw his reaction, she carefully chose her words as she continued.
"...I'm sorry but due to our situation, if possible, we want to return the card. Putting aside the negotiation about how to fix the unfair deal that we had before to later, as a guarantee, we won't return the card until then. Can you please accept this arrangement?"
Seeing how Reina was basically begging, Akira pondered over it and realized that it was not a bad arrangement. Thus, he gave a nod and responded favourably.
Unlike Reina who was trying to be careful, Akira was completely nonchalant as he replied.
"Hmmm, from my point of view, it was something that had already been concluded, so I have no wish to ask for anything more."
"I'm just sharing my own thoughts here, but I think there's nothing wrong with taking what you can take. Though it might be weird for me to say this, the worth of that card has changed since then. It's enough to exchange it with a powerful weapon that the other corporations don't sell, you know? Though you might have your own reason, since you can get better equipment, I don't see any reason to hold back, you know?"
"Well, that's not the problem here."
"Ohh, I see, so that's the issue, huh? Well, a sense of identity is important for a Hunter, after all. Hmm, but still..."
Seeing Reina kept withdrawing and agreeing with him, this time, it was Akira who found it suspicious.
"To be perfectly honest, rather than insisting on you to take the offer, it's more because we want to get on Olivia-san's good side."
Olivia was not pleased with the deal. Although there might be many reasons as to why, when they thought about the biggest reason, they realized that they had treated the card, which provided a means to contact Olivia, cheaply.
That was why they thought by treating it as a highly valuable item and giving a suitable compensation to its original owner, Akira, then Olivia would admit the ownership change.
After Reina said so, she made an even more troubled expression as she continued.
"But then, it's difficult to correctly identify how much Aurum that the card is worth, right? And if we use money instead, there's a worry that Olivia might instead feel insulted that we only price that card that much. That's why, instead of giving you money, we're thinking of giving you equipment instead. Equipment that is not to be sold outside the company normally would never be given to an outsider, but by doing so in exchange for the card, we can use it to show Olivia just how highly we evaluate the card, you see."
"Sure, what is it? Though I can't say that we'll do anything for you, you can at least ask us."
"Don't be hostile towards me."
"...Uhh, will that really be enough for you?"
Although she was surprised, Reina asked a question in a rather casual tone. Akira made a clear response. His gaze to Reina turned sharp and his tone turned strong.
"That is, if you properly keep your words. Though, from the way you say it, I feel like you see it as something trivial. That you have no issues with breaking your promises."
Reina winced back from Akira's response. Unfortunately, that only served to deepen Akira's distrust.
"As I said before, I won't force you. That's basically what I ask of you. But if you have no plans to properly keep your words, then don't give me cheap promises and just tell me no."
Reina was overwhelmed by Akira's pressure. But she then straightened her posture and seriously looked him in the eye.
"I can't give you any promises to not be hostile, but I can promise you that we won't get in your way. Enough to make the deal regarding this card a fair one. I promise you in my name, Reina Rilart Lorents."
"You're welcome!"
Akira threw a smile at Reina. She did the same in return. Now that Reina's group had promised not to be hostile, Akira unconsciously lowered his guard. Reina, who felt the atmosphere relax, also lowered her shoulders. Shiori and Kanae, who were extremely tense up until now, also returned to their usual calm demeanour. Though that showed that they were not being extra tense due to hidden stalkers as Reina had claimed. However, Akira did not really care much at this point, so everything worked out.
Reina lightly sighed, her state of mind had changed from one focused on negotiation to a more relaxed one for casual conversation.
"Now that our important negotiation has concluded, we can leave in case you're busy. Though, if you still have some time, there's actually something else that I want to ask you. It has nothing to do with what we just discussed, so, are you okay with that?"
"That would depend on my employer..."
Akira said so and turned to Carol, she lightly smiled and said.
"It's okay. It's not like we have a deadline for gathering the data for the map. I did say it's okay to prioritize your things too, right?"
Akira's gaze turned back to Reina.
"Well, I know that this will not be short, but I'll try not to make it too long."
Shiori almost choked on her drink, but she somehow managed to hold it in. The reason was none other than Reina, who just brought up a subject that was extremely sensitive. Kanae was more or less also as surprised as Shiori.
Even Akira did not expect her to ask something like this. Though, he did not seem to be on guard by the subject either. It was simply because the people in front of him promised not to be hostile toward him and that promise seemed to be trustworthy enough.
Reina started talking nostalgically about Katsuya to Akira. About her first impression the first time they met. At first, she was rather hostile toward him. But after knowing Katsuya was always trying his hardest to save and protect his friends, she accepted him to some extent. How he became rather popular among members of the opposite gender since the ones that he saved were mostly female. She also mentioned how her feelings toward him grew the more often they worked together. She talked about all kinds of things to help herself come to terms with Katsuya's death.
Akira was also taken by surprise when Reina said that out loud. But he did not show any animosity or hostility. She then continued.
"But again, that does not mean that I want to pick a fight with you. I heard that your fight with Katsuya was out of a misunderstanding. I'm sure that he wouldn't want anyone to avenge his death. Moreover, I don't want to die and I don't want to get Kanae or Shiori killed too. You're really strong, after all. It might not be the right thing to say, but it just isn't worth it to fight against you."
Reina then continued.
"That's why, to make sure that I won't waver, please stay strong. Make sure that the risk of picking a fight with you is never worth it. Don't show me any unnecessary openings. I was planning to ask this of you one day, but with our deal just now, it is unnecessary, huh? Well, it is too good a timing."
"Is that so? Ah, were you thinking that I'll be coming for your life one day to avenge Katsuya?"
"Pretty much, yeah. Just because we both signed a peace treaty mediated by the Hunter Office, there will still be some who would go ahead and do it, you know?"
In reality, Akira was vigilant since he expected that someone would come to try and take revenge on him. Shiori once again choked since he casually admitted it. Meanwhile, Kanae gave a wry stiff smile. However, Reina did not seem to be bothered at all as she lightly smiled and replied.
"It's great that we are able to avoid a misunderstanding. Well then, Akira, we should take our leave now. Thank you for listening to my story. So, as thanks, let me give you one warning."
"Warning? What is it?"
Reina's face turned slightly serious.
"It's not just us who think that it's not worth the risk. There were quite a lot of survivors from Katsuya's old team. There are those who refuse to sign the peace treaty and got kicked out of Drankam, and I'm sure there are those who are not fully happy with the peace treaty although they signed it. I believe the reason why they still haven't made their moves is simply because they know that it's impossible for them to kill you even by pure accident. So, if they wish to attack you, there must be a chance for them to succeed. Basically, if they think that they have the chance to kill you, even if it means that it'll kill them as well, they might just attempt it. That's why I'm telling you to be careful."
"Well, with that being said, as expected, I'm sure they are not that stupid. At least not foolish enough to think they might have a chance to go against a high-ranking Hunter who is strong enough to get an inter-city transport-escort request and have returned back from escorting an inter-city transport from further east. So I'm sure that it should be fine. Alright then. That's all. We should take our leave."
"Akira-sama, I believe that any explanation is unnecessary at this point. So at least let me say this, my deepest apologies."
Akira seemed a bit surprised, but his expression quickly relaxed.
"Don't worry about it. I thought that it was a fair deal right from the start. Although those who know the real worth of the card might perceive it to be unfair, it's all because of my lack of knowledge. So, it's basically my fault, not yours."
"Thank you very much. Regarding this matter, I also wish for you to not be hostile with us."
"I would be grateful if you do so too."
"Well then, if fate has it, let's work together again next time."
"Akira-boy, until we meet again."
Reina's group returned to their vehicle and left, Akira saw them off thinking that it was great it did not turn into anything troublesome and was relieved by it.
"Result-wise, indeed that was the case. But that is not something wise to do without much thought."
Seeing Shiori's face that turned slightly pale from fatigue, Reina felt a bit sorry for what she did.
"Although Akira did say that, it's not like I brought that up without much thought, you know?"
Kanae found that surprising, but she then smiled amusedly and asked.
Reina smiled bitterly after Kanae pointed out her past bad habit. She started explaining why she said that to Akira.
After seeing how Akira reacted once she mentioned the chance of that card returning to him, Reina was almost certain that Akira was an old-world connector. So, she decided to continue their conversation while trying to hide that from Akira.
The fact that Akira asked them not to be hostile towards him was a good thing for Reina as well. Although she was caught off guard by that demand, she was somehow able to get over it. After that, she tried to measure how much he believed that they had no wish to be hostile to him. Likewise, how hostile he was towards them.
Judging from the results, she thought that it was her only chance to bring up matters related to Katsuya. At that time, the situation was set so that no matter what she said, Akira would not be hostile. If she delayed any further, that insurance would slowly fade away. If her doubt grew, and she ended up bringing up Katsuya at another time, it would be even more dangerous. But back then, even if her feelings toward Katsuya had resurfaced, she could remind herself that her main objective was to make Olivia happy. Thus, she would be able to hold herself back.
Meanwhile, she also knew that she would have to bring that subject up sooner or later. Not only was it to help her get over Katsuya's death, but it would also help prevent misunderstanding in case Akira thought that she came at him to avenge Katsuya.
Akira also grew even stronger than before. Reina believed that Akira was currently thinking that it was not worth the trouble to weed out all trouble. However, one day, he might start believing otherwise: that it was only a matter of time before their power level was reversed and it was safer to kill Reina's group before that happened. So, there was a need to talk it out.
On the other hand, there was also a need to make sure that Akira trusted her promise. In the case Akira later noticed that she knew he was an old-world connector, she could use her promise as insurance as well to prevent any unnecessary worries. With that, she thought that it worked out pretty well.
As for the last warning, not only did it give an extra reason as to why they would not attack Akira, but it also gave Akira a reason to focus his attention elsewhere. It was a fact there were others who were still aiming for him, so it should be fine since it was not like she was lying.
"Hmmm, I can't really explain it, but for some reason, I can feel things that I shouldn't say, which would cause a fight back there. I wonder if it's also the result of me being a Hunter for quite a long time."
Whether it was against a person, or an organization, or even a monster, there were always fatal choices. Some could identify such dangerous lines through careful analysis, while some could do so by pure intuition. Kanae was the latter. But she believed that Reina was not the latter type. Even if Reina was, Kanae could not have imagined Reina as someone who would try to step dangerously close to that line.
"...Milady, first of all, you did well during the negotiation with Akira-sama. But, if Milady could really feel such a line, I really recommend keeping a safe distance from it."
"A-anyway, with this, our matter with Akira-sama at least came to a close. The next matter would be in regards to Olivia-sama. Let's think about what to do with that matter once we return back to the city. We need to discuss with the factions as well..."
That was when Shiori noticed a message from Chloe. When she checked the content, she could not help but frown.
"Well, it's not like we can do anything about it. We don't have the choice of saying no to her. She will try to gather information regarding that matter with Alice-sama sooner or later. So, is she coming over here?"
"No, she wants us to come to meet her, as for the location..."
Reina frowned when she heard the location. She then thought for a bit before she made her decision.
Rebuild World (WN)
リビルドワールド
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/rebuild-world/
Action Adventure Drama Harem Mecha Mystery Sci-fi Seinen
Abandoned Children Adapted to Manga Adventurers Alternate World Anti-social Protagonist Apocalypse Artificial Intelligence Beautiful Female Lead Cautious Protagonist Child Protagonist Dense Protagonist Determined Protagonist Distrustful Protagonist Futuristic Setting Gangs Gunfighters Harsh Training Lack of Common Sense Male Protagonist Manipulative Characters Monsters Near-Death Experience Older Love Interests Poor Protagonist Poor to Rich Ruthless Protagonist Shota Sudden Strength Gain Survival Twisted Personality Unlucky Protagonist Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9736dt/
非公開