クロードが振り向いた瞬間にテラスの扉が開き、蝶ネクタイをつけたカラスが飛びこんできた。
が、アイリーンの姿を見た途端に脅える。
「ゲ! オ前、マダイル......!」
「あら。ずいぶんな仰りようですわね、アーモンド」
「何ダソレ! 俺様、アーモンド、違ウ!」
「あなたの名前です。正確にはアーモンドクッキーを食べてしびれたカラスさん」
カラスなので表情はないが、怒りに似た眼差しを向けられた。
だがアイリーンの横をすり抜けて、クロードが手を伸ばす。
「かまうな、何があった」
「帰ッテコナイ! 森ノ外、出タ! フェンリル、子供!」
「結界の外に出たのか」
クロードのつぶやきを聞いたアイリーンは、キースに尋ねた。
「森というのは、この城を囲んでいる森のことですか?」
「そうです。ほら、森に入る前に柵があるでしょう。それにそって、クロード様が結界を張って人間の出入りを監視してるんですよ。魔物達を人間の手から守るためにね」
「不戦条約を徹底して守るため......ですか」
「さすがドートリシュ宰相の娘さん。ご存知でしたか」
クロードが廃城に押し込められる際、皇帝と交わした公約だ。
魔物達を攻めさせない。その代わり、人間達も魔物達を攻めない。その条約を交わし、皇位継承権を差し出してクロードは廃城とその周囲を囲む森という、安寧の地を手に入れた。
わずか十歳の子供が皇帝と交渉し、くだした決断だ。元々聡明な人なのだろう。
(......でも、可哀想な人)
犠牲がなければ得られないものを、素晴らしいとアイリーンは思えない。
何もかも手に入れてこそ、人生は素晴らしいのだ。
「フェンリルの子供は......出て行った方向は東の二層か」
「東の二層というと――聖騎士団の訓練場か、学園があるのではなくて?」
皇都アルカートは、王城を中心に扇形に広がる形で一層、二層、三層、四層、五層と分類されている。一層は主に貴族達が住む居住区で、二層は役所や銀行といった公共施設が並ぶ。三層はいわゆる商業区で、四層は一般市民達が暮らす居住区だ。五層はそれ以外で、いわゆる貧困街。歓楽街などもあり治安の悪い場所――という分類がされている。
そしてこの廃城と森は王城の背後、扇を円に補う形で存在している。
層を分ける壁や門に遮られていないため、層の一番端からであればどこからでも出入りできる。場所によっては柵や塀があるし、森に入るなという注意書きの看板もあるが、小川があったり地形的な問題で出入り口が完全に封鎖されているわけではないのだ。
アイリーンも、屋敷のある一層の東端から回り込む形でここに来ている。
「あーよりにもよってですね......五層の方々なら、魔物の子供くらい害がないならまあいいかで見逃してくれるんですが、いっちばんうるさい場所で迷子......」
「こう、クロード様の魔法でぱっと戻したりできませんの?」
「強制転移は、僕の視界に入っている対象でないと発動させられない」
納得するアイリーンの横で、ベルゼビュートが翼を出した。布を貼り付けたような黒の翼だ。
「俺がさがす」
「ちょっと待ってください、ベルゼビュートさんを他の人間に見られたらますます騒ぎになりますって。私が行きますよ。クロード様も駄目ですからね! 黒髪赤目、何より無駄に美形な顔がめっちゃ目立ちますから! 意外と有名ですから、魔王!」
「だが手が足りないだろう。どこへ行ったか分からないんだぞ」
会話を横で聞きながら、アイリーンはふと思い出す。
(......そういえば、学園に魔物が現れるイベントがなかったかしら......そうよ、マークスのルートであったわ! 確かリリアが庇って、聖剣の乙女の力を発揮させて、マークスと力を合わせて魔物を倒す――ということは急がないと!)
魔物の『子供』ではなかった気がするのでイベントではないかもしれないが、倒されるというのは殺されるということだ。迷子になっただけでそれはあんまりだろう。
じっと目を閉じていたクロードが、ふと瞼を持ち上げる。魔力を使っていたらしい。
「――学園も、騎士団の方も、まだなんの騒ぎも起こってないようだが......」
「でしたら今の内に見つけて差し上げないと。わたくし、学園をさがすのをお手伝いします」
挙手したアイリーンに全員の目が向けられた。
「わたくしでしたら学園内をうろうろしても、そう不自然ではありません。学園の地理も把握しておりますわ。キースさんは騎士団の方をお願いしますね」
「え? はあ、まあ......そうしていただければ助かりますが」
「馬鹿か、娘。お前など噛み殺される。子供とはいえ、フェンリルだぞ」
嘲笑したベルゼビュートに、ことんと首を傾げた。
「それはキースさんも同じでしょう?」
「キースは顔なじみだ。信頼がある」
「なら、クロード様の身につけているものを貸してくださいませ。魔獣なら、匂いでわたくしがクロード様に頼まれてさがしにきたのだと説得できるのでは?」
反論がないあたり、いい案なのだろう。にこりと笑ったアイリーンは、クロードの襟元を結んでいるタイに指を伸ばす。絹がしゅるりと音を立ててほどけた。
「お借りしますわね」
そう言って自分の手首にリボンを巻き付けて結ぶ。
「クロード様は、わたくしの動向を追えますか? 見つけたら人目のないところへ連れて行きますので、そうしたらすぐ迎えにきて頂けると有り難いのですけれど」
「できるが......いや、待て。そもそも君の助けは必要ない」
「安心してくださいませ。見つけたら夜会に出席しろと脅したりはしませんわよ」
「――なら、どうしてだ。君が手伝う理由がないだろう」
馬鹿馬鹿しい質問に、アイリーンは呆れた。
「何を仰ってますの。可哀想でしょう、迷子だなんて」
「もちろん、クロード様に恩を売って夜会に出席させることは狙ってはいますが」
「狙ってるんだな」
「狙ってますわよ? でもわたくしは当然の責務をまず果たしたいだけです」
「当然の責務?」
アイリーンはクロードをまっすぐ見上げた。
「魔王の妻が、魔物を助けにいくのは当然ではなくて?」
「――。いやちょっと待て、さらっと今『妻』とか言わなかったか」
「さあ、細かいことは気にせずにクロード様。わたくしを学園まで転送してくださいませ」
「まったく細かくないんだが」
「人間は難癖をつける生き物です。見つかったら殺されるかもしれませんわよ。早く」
薄く脅しかけるとベルゼビュートが顔色を変え、クロードも真顔になった。
アイリーンの差し出した手を、クロードは一度目を閉じて、意を決したように取る。
その掠れた願いに、あらと目を上げた時、そこはもう見慣れた学園の裏庭だった。
緑が萌える人気のない風景をぐるりと見回して、アイリーンは笑う。
(頼んだ、ですって)
やはり頼られるのは悪くない。それで失敗してしまったからもう何も期待はしないけれど、迷子の子供は助けてやりたかった。
ただ道を少し間違えただけで人間に囲まれ罵倒を浴びて殺される、その光景が、自分と重なりそうだから。
The moment Claude turned around, the door of the terrace was opened and a crow wearing a red bow tie flew in.
But, (1) he became frightened as soon as he saw Irene.
[Ugh! You, still here......!] 
[My. That's quite rude, Almond] 
[What on earth is that! (2) Ore-sama, Almond, not!] 
[It's your name. To be precise, it's the Crow-san that fainted after eating an almond cookie] 
Because he was a crow, he did not have facial expressions, but he turned his gaze away; it was an expression resembling a fit of anger.
But, Claude quickly made his way besides Irene and reached out his hand.
[Don't worry about her; so, what happened?] 
[It doesn't come back! Outside of the forest, it went! Fenrir, pup!] 
[Did it goes outside of the barrier?] 
Irene asked Keith the moment she heard Claude's murmured.
[When he spoke about the forest, was he talking about the forest that surrounds this castle?] 
[That's right. See, there's a gate before you enter the forest, isn't there? Along with that, Claude-sama had put up a barrier to help him monitor the ins and outs of the human in this forest. It's to protect the monsters from the humans] 
[To thoroughly protect the peace treaty......is it?] 
[As expected from the daughter of the D'Austriche Prime Minister. You heard of it?] 
It was a pact Claude made with the Emperor when he was imprisoned in the abandoned castle.
The monsters shall not be attacked. In exchange, he would keep the monsters from attacking humans. In exchange for the pact, Claude was to abandon his right for the throne, and he managed to acquire a peaceful land with an abandoned castle surrounded by a forest.
He was only a 10 years old child when he decided to negotiate with the Emperor. He was originally a wise person.
(......But, what a pitiful person)
To Irene, something that can be gained only through sacrifice was not wonderful at all.
Life was wonderful because we could get just about everything.
[The Fenrir's pup......it's direction, did it goes to second layers to the east] 
[Second layers to the east was----isn't that where the training ground of the Holy Knights and the academy is located?] 
The imperial capital of Alucart was divided into five layers that spread out in the shape of a fan from the royal's castle. The first layer was a residential area mainly for the n.o.bles and the wealthy; the second layer was for public facilities such as the government offices and banks. The third layer was for the so-called commercial district, and the fourth layer was the residential area for the general populace. At the fifth layer, other than those that had been mentioned, was the so-called city for the poor. There's an entertainment district and so forth; it was a place with a bad public order----as such was the cla.s.sification order of the capital.
And this abandoned castle and the forest was behind the royal castle and existed as the pivot of the fan.
Because it was not obstructed by walls and gates that separated the existing layers, it was possible for people to come and go from the farthest end of each layer. There were barriers such as fence and wall depending on the places, and there were warning signboards placed to warn off people not to enter the forest; but, because there were some topographical problems such as the existence of small streams and such, the entrance could not completely be sealed.
Irene as well, took a roundabout way from the end of the east to come here from the mansion at the first layer of the imperial capital.
[Ah-It depends on something more than that......If it was the people from the fifth layer, they will overlook as it is just a child of a monster because it's harmless, but it just has to get lost at the most annoying place......] 
[That's right, can't Claude-sama use your magic to immediately bring him back?] 
[Forced teleportation can't work unless it is within my sight] 
Beelzebub who was beside the convinced Irene let out his wings. (3) It was a pair of black wings that resembled a bat's wings.
[I'll find it] 
[Please wait a moment; it will cause more and more disturbance if other humans see Beelzebub-san. I'll go. You can't go as well, Claude-sama! Because you'll definitely stand out with your black hair and red eyes, and above all else, with that uselessly beautiful appearance! And because you're unexpectedly the infamous Demon King!] 
[But you will not get enough hands. You don't even know where it went] 
While listening to their conversation from the side, Irene suddenly remembered.
(......Now that I think about it, I wonder if there was an event in which the monsters appeared at the academy......That's right, it was in Max's route!If I remember correctly, to protect herself, Lilia will manifest the power of the Maiden of Holy Sword, then with the combined power with Max, together they would defeat the monsters----which means if we don't hurry!)
I have a feeling that it might not be an event that involved a Monster's{pup} , but if it was defeated then it would be killed. Wasn't that just too much just because it lost its way?
Claude who had motionlessly closed his eyes casually lifted his eyebrows. It seems like he just used his magic.
[----It seems like both the academy and the Holy Knights haven't raised any disturbance yet, but......] 
[Then we must immediately find it now. I will help to look for it inside of the academy] 
Everyone else's eyes fell on Irene whose hand was raised.
[It would not seem unusual if it was me who wander around inside the academy ground. And I also have the grasp of the academy layout. Keith-san can go to the Holy Knights ground] 
[Eh? Huh, well......it would be helpful if you can do that, but] 
[Are you stupid, girl. For the likes of you, it will bite you to death. Even if it's just a pup, it's a Fenrir, you know?] 
Irene tilted her head at the sneering Beelzebub.
[Isn't something similar will happen to Keith-san as well?] 
[Keith is a familiar face. There's a trust between them] 
[Then, I will borrow something that Claude-sama is wearing. I can convince the monster by using Claude-sama's scent that Claude-sama had asked me to come and find it, can't I?] 
Of course there was no objection as it was certainly a good idea. While sweetly smiling, Irene stretched out her fingers to the tie tied around Claude's collar. The silk made a sound when it came untied.
[I will borrow this, okay?] 
As she said that, she wrapped and tied the ribbon around her own wrist.
[Claude-sama, can you keep track of my movement? Because if I find it, I will bring it to a secluded place, and then it will be helpful if you can quickly come and fetch us] 
[I can, but......no, hold on a second. In the first place, it is not necessary for you to help me] 
[Please rest a.s.sured. Even if I find it, I will not be threatening you to attend the evening party with me] 
[----Then, why? There's no reason for you to help me, isn't there?] 
Irene was astounded with his ridiculous question.
[What are you talking about? I just feel sorry for the lost child] 
[Of course, I'm aiming for Claude-sama to owe me a debt of grat.i.tude enough for him to attend the evening party with me] 
[So that's your aim] 
[Of course it is. But first, I simply want to fulfill my natural obligation] 
[Natural obligation?] 
Irene looked straight at Claude in the eyes.
[Isn't it natural for the Demon King's wife to go and save the monsters?] 
[----. No, wait a minute, did you just smoothly called yourself my{wife} ?] 
[Now, don't worry about the details, Claude-sama. Please transfer me to the academy] 
[It is completely not a trivial matter, but] 
[Humans are being that like to find faults. If they find it, they will probably kill it, you know? Hurry up] 
Upon hearing that small thinly veiled threat, Beelzebub's complexion changed. Claude also had a serious look on his face.
Claude closed his eyes as if to determine his feelings and took Irene's outstretched hand.
The moment Irene raised her eyes in surprised after hearing the husky plead, she was already in the backyard of the academy that she was familiar with.
Looking around her surrounding that was filled with the unpopular landscape with green scenery, Irene let out a laugh.
("I'm counting on you", he said)
As expected, it was not bad to be relied on. Because I had failed, I no longer have any expectation, but I really did want to save the lost pup.
Just because it lost its way a little, it was surrounded by humans, suffered disparagement and ended up being killed; (4) that scene seemed to overlap with mine.
Villainous Daughter Aims for the Last Boss
悪役令嬢なのでラスボスを飼ってみました
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/villainous-daughter-aims-for-the-last-boss/
Drama Fantasy Romance School Life Shoujo
Adapted to Anime Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Beautiful Female Lead Bloodlines Broken Engagement Business Management Businessmen Calm Protagonist Demon Lord Demons Female Protagonist Handsome Male Lead Hated Protagonist Kuudere Multiple Reincarnated Individuals Nobles Otome Game Politics Reincarnated in a Game World Royalty Saints Sword And Magic Villainess Noble Girls
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2766dz/
永瀬さらさ