窓から空を見上げた。バケツをひっくり返したような雨だ。昼間なのに明かりが必要なほど暗く、湿気た臭いとひんやりした空気が辺りを覆っている。
今日は講堂に全校生徒二千二百十五人が集められる日だ。
一ヶ月後には夏季休暇に入り、二ヶ月の休みが終わればすぐ『行事』・『夏』が来るので、学園長のありがたいお話を聞くのである。
『夏』はまたの名を『幻獣祭』。一年生はやっと幻獣の卵をもらえ、第二・第三学年は一年間で自身の幻獣をいかに育てたかを審査される。
学園長が流れるように説明するが、講堂の天井に雨が叩きつけられる音で聞きとりづらい。
いまいち集中できず前方に視線を彷徨わせた。
すると壇上へ登るための短い階段が目に止まった。一ヶ月前階段から突き落とされたときのことを思い出し、ぶるりと震える。
結論から言えば、犯人は見つかっていない。
あの日、私が送った手紙を見て、殿下はすぐに飛んできてくれた。そして私を強く抱き寄せた。
『大丈夫か? 怖かっただろう、いなくて悪かった。もう他国に出張なんて二度と行かない』
『殿下、『二度と』はやめてください......』
公務で滞在していた隣の国で手紙を受け取り、着の身着のまま転送魔法で飛んできてくれたらしい。正式な礼服姿だった。
犯人はおそらく殿下が留守にしていることは織り込み済みだ。
殿下が『実は』と話を切り出した。
『俺がいない間、フリードにレベッカの護衛を任せていた。レベッカが階段から落ちたときも見ていたらしい』
思わぬ言葉に顔を上げた。
フリード・ネヘルは殿下の腹心で、寡黙に足が生えて歩いているような男だ。
特徴は190cmの身体を覆う真っ黒のローブ。黒魔道士かと突っ込みたくなる彼だが、メリンダの恋人でもある。婚約はまだだ。
私は次いで首を傾げた。五高の一角でもある彼が見ていたなら助けに入ってくれてもおかしくないし、少なくとも私の安否を確認するはずでは。
『間に合わず助けられなくて悪かった、無事でよかったと、伝言を預かっている』
『そうですか、彼がそんな長文を......。それで、犯人は?』
納得して話を進める。犯人を見たかどうか、それが問題だ。
殿下は首を横に振った。
『『誰もいなかった。誰もレベッカ嬢のことを押したりはしていない。本当に、突然落ちたとしかいいようがない』だそうだ』
『そんな......』
『ごく僅かだが透明化の能力を持つ幻獣はいる。まずは学園の生徒たちから調べよう』
殿下はそう言って、その一週間後、彼ら全員の潔白を示す書類をもって再び私を訪ねた。
『サジャッド・マハジャンジガだ。これだけ調べて証拠が出ないなら、あの男で確定だ』
深く息を吸って、吐く。
サジャッドは他人を洗脳できる。たとえば「私が殺されるべき悪人だ」という考えを植え付けられた人がいたなら。その人物が透明化の幻獣を従えているなら。
しかしたとえ実行犯を見つけてもトカゲの尻尾切りだ。サジャッドという元は絶てない。
証拠が何一つないこの状況では彼に手出しできず、彼の能力がただ夢を見せるだけのものでないと証明することもまた不可能だ。
『サジャッドは大した脅威ではない』などと考えていた自分の頬を叩きたい。他人を使って攻撃されるのがこうも厄介だなんて。
そもそも何故私に危害を加えるんだ?
拳を強く握りしめていたら、殿下が私のその手を取った。
『しばらくは必ず幻獣か俺のどちらかと一緒に行動してくれ。エミリアも必要だ。治癒魔法が役に立つ』
この一ヶ月、殿下のこの指示に従った。階段事件以降攻撃はない。
たまに目が合うサジャッドは、エミリアを一瞥すると踵を返す。サジャッドの平民嫌いがこんな形で私の防波堤になるとは思わなかった。
ふと気づけば、ちょうど学園長の話が終わるところだった。生徒がバラバラと席を立つ。私が考え込んでいる間に雨足は弱くなったようだ。
外に出れば、依然として雨は降っているものの、雲の隙間から太陽の日差しが漏れていた。
サジャッド・マハジャンジガが何をしようとしているのかはわからない。
だが、決して思い通りにはさせない。
私は明るくなった空を見上げながらそう心に決めた。
I looked up at the sky from the window. The rain was like turning over a bucket. It was so dark that lights were needed even during the day, and the smell of dampness and the cold air covered the area.
Today is the day when all 2,215 students in the school will be gathered in the auditorium.
In one month, it will be the summer vacation, and after two months of vacation, [event] [Summer] will come, so I will listen to the Principal's kind words.
[Summer] is also known as [Phantom Beast Festival]. Freshmen will finally get Phantom Beast eggs, and second and third-year students will be judged on how they raised their Phantom Beast in one year.
The Principal explains in a flowing manner, but it's hard to hear with the sound of rain hitting the ceiling of the auditorium.
I couldn't concentrate and looked around forward.
Then I saw the short stairs to the podium. I remembered when I was pushed off the stairs a month ago and trembled.
To conclude, the perpetrator has not been found.
That day, when His Highness saw the letter I sent, he immediately came and hugged me tightly.
[Are you okay? You must have been scared, I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'll never go on business trips abroad again]
[Your Highness, please don't say [never go]...]
It seems that while on official business in the neighboring country, he received a letter and came back using transfer magic while still in his clothes. He was in formal attire.
The culprits probably knew that His Highness was out of town.
His Highness started to talk [about the fact that]
[Fried was in charge of guarding Rebecca while I was gone, and he was watching when Rebecca fell down the stairs.]
I was surprised by his unexpected words.
Fried Neher is His Highness confidant, a man who walks around silently.
His characteristic is a black robe that covers his 190cm body. He is the kind of person who makes you want to ask if he's a black magic sorcerer, but he is also Melinda's lover. The engagement has not yet happened.
I then tilted my head. If he had seen me, as one of the five high schools, he could have come in to help me, or at least to make sure I was safe.
[I'm sorry that I couldn't make it in time to help, it's fortunate that you're safe.]
[Is that so? He wrote such a long letter...so then, who did it?]
I nod and continue the conversation. The question is whether or not he saw the criminal.
His Highness shook his head.
[[No one was there. No one had pushed Miss Rebecca. It really seems that she just suddenly fell.] It seems]
[Such...]
[There are Phantom Beasts who possess the ability to turn invisible, even if it's just a little. Let's first investigate the students of the academy.]
His Highness said that, and a week later, he visited me again with documents that cleared all of them.
[Sajad Mahajanjiga. If we investigate this much and there's no evidence, then it's definitely him.]
I take a deep breath and exhale.
Sajad can brainwash others. For example, if there was someone who was made to think "I am a criminal who deserves to die." and that person is accompanied by an invisible Phantom Beast.
But even if we find the perpetrator, it's like cutting off the tail of a dragon. The root of Sajad will not die.
In this situation with no evidence, it's impossible to take action against him and also impossible to prove that his ability is not just a figment of imagination.
I want to slap myself for thinking that "Sajad is not much of a threat." It's so troublesome to be attacked using others.
Why is he trying to harm me in the first place?
As I was tightly gripping my fist, His Highness took my hand.
[For a while, we must always act together with either a Phantom Beast or me. Emilia is also necessary. Her healing magic will be useful.]
I followed His Highness instructions for this month. There have been no attacks since the incident on the stairs.
Sometimes when Sajad and I make eye contact, he glances at Emilia and looks away. I never thought his disdain for the commoners would become a barrier for me.
Before I realized it, the principal's speech was over and the students were getting up from their seats. It seemed the rain had weakened while I was lost in thought.
Outside, the rain was still falling, but the sun was peeking through the gaps in the clouds.
I don't know what Sajad Mahajanjiga is trying to do.
But I won't let him have his way.
As I looked up at the brightening sky, I made that decision in my heart.
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