32
走り出したレオルドの先には三匹のゴブリンがバルバロトを痛めつけている。レオルドはその光景に怖気付いてしまうが、既に走り出した身体は止まらない。
それに覚悟を決めたのだ。今更止まるつもりなどない。
「バルバロトオオオオオオオオ!!!」
全速力で走るレオルドはバルバロトの名前を叫ぶ。叫び声に反応したのはバルバロトだけでなく、三匹のゴブリンも反応した。
三匹のうち一匹がバルバロトを助けに来たレオルドの方へと向かう。
「ギギッ!」
走ってくるレオルドに向かってゴブリンは爪を突き出す。
レオルドは突き出された爪を避けるとゴブリンを払い除けて見せた。
しかし、まだ二匹残っている。そして、もう一匹がレオルドに向かって飛び掛る。だが、レオルドに当たる事はない。レオルドは飛び掛ってきたゴブリンを潜り抜けて、バルバロトの元へと走る。
最後に残ったゴブリンは手に持っている錆びた剣を大きく振りかぶる。そして、眼前にまで迫ったレオルドへと振り下ろした。
(この程度なら!)
ゴブリンの振り下ろす剣をしっかりと見て、普段から見ているバルバロトの剣に比べれば避ける事など造作もないと分かったレオルドは見事に避けてバルバロトの元へと辿り着いた。
「馬鹿者が! 無茶をしおって......」
「はは。信じてましたからな......ぐっ!」
いくら鍛え抜かれたバルバロトと言えども非武装で無防備な所を袋叩きにされては無事では済まない。
おかげで、複数の裂傷に青痣が沢山出来ていた。見ているこちらが痛そうなバルバロトにレオルドは泣きそうになっている。
(こんなになるまで俺を信じてたのかよ......)
レオルドは自分が思っている以上に慕われていることを理解した。
そして、ここまで傷だらけになるまで信じてくれた男の期待に応える為にレオルドは渡されていた剣を抜いた。
「見ていてくれ、バルバロト。俺が戦う様を」
「ええ。特等席で見てますとも......」
剣の師であるバルバロトを背後にレオルドは三匹のゴブリンへと構える。
目の前にいる三匹のゴブリンと対峙するレオルドは大きく息を吸い込んだ。
怖い。
痛いのは嫌だ。
でも、死ぬのはもっと嫌だ。
だから、殺す。生きる為に殺す。殺されたくないから殺す。
ならば、既に心は決まった。あとは実行に移すのみ。
レオルドの尋常ならざる雰囲気に三匹のゴブリンは動けないでいた。
三匹のゴブリンは目の前の人間が後ろにいる人間よりも弱く見えていた。醜く肥え太り豚のような人間だ。さぞかし食べ応えのあるであろう人間にしか見えていなかった。
だが、今はそうじゃない。目の前にいる人間からは死を彷彿とさせる気配がしている。故に弱者だと思っていた戸惑いによりゴブリンは動けないでいたのだ。
レオルドは深呼吸をして、前を見据える。動かないゴブリンに疑問を抱くが、こちらの出方を窺っているのだろうと判断して一歩踏み込んだ。
「ギギィ!?」
その巨体から信じられない速度でゴブリンへと迫ったレオルドは一刀のもとに一匹のゴブリンを殺した。
ゴブリンの身体から鮮血が舞い上がり、レオルドの頬を濡らす。
レオルドは極めて冷静に返す刀で二匹目のゴブリンを斬り裂く。
残った一匹は殺された二匹を見て、本能が逃げる事を告げた。錆びた剣を持つゴブリンはレオルドに背中を向けて逃走する。
しかし、そんな事が許されるはずがない。ゴブリンが逃げた先には武装した騎士が待ち構えていた。
逃げる事は許されないと分かったゴブリンはレオルドと騎士を見比べる。
見比べた結果、ゴブリンが選んだのはレオルドだった。単純に勝ち目がありそうだと判断した結果だった。
「ギギィッ!!!!」
形振り構わずレオルドへと無謀な攻撃を仕掛けるゴブリン。対するレオルドは丁寧に見事な身体捌きでゴブリンの攻撃を避ける。
我武者羅に錆びた剣をゴブリンは振るうが一向に当たらない。段々、ゴブリンは苛立ちが目立つ様になり動きが益々大胆になる。
中々攻撃が当たらない事に痺れを切らしたゴブリンは大きく跳ねてレオルドへと襲い掛かる。
レオルドはこの瞬間を待ち望んでいたかのように、跳び上がったゴブリンが剣を振り下ろした瞬間に首へと一閃。
ズルリとゴブリンの頭が転がり落ちる。レオルドの初めての実戦での勝敗が決した瞬間であった。
時間にすればほんの数分。だが、レオルドからすれば何時間にも及ぶ戦闘に感じていた。極度の集中状態にあったレオルドは呼吸を思い出したかのように息を整えている。
初めての実戦に命の奪い合い。戦い終わったレオルドは己の手を見詰める。
確かな感触が残っていた。
確かにこの手で命を奪ったのだ。
生の実感、死の感触。
二つの事実がレオルドに圧し掛かる。無事に生き残る事が出来た喜びと三つもの命を奪ったという罪悪感。レオルドはこの先も生きる為に殺す事は増えるだろうと己の手を見詰めながら拳を握った。
「ありがとうございます。レオルド様、おかげで俺はこうして無事に生き残りました」
「バルバロト......」
「どうでしたか、初めての殺し合いは?」
「......思っていたよりも呆気なかった」
「そうでしょう。レオルド様が毎日相手にしてるのはギルバート殿に俺ですから。ただ一つ、殺す事に慣れないでください」
「どうしてだ? これから先も俺は今回のような場面に出くわすだろう」
「だからこそです。殺す事に慣れてしまえば境界線が失われます。殺すのは最終手段なんです。出来ることなら殺す事は控えてください。相手が魔物なら話は別なんですがね」
バルバロトはレオルドに優しさを失って欲しくなかった。殺す事に慣れてしまえば、殺すことを躊躇わなくなる。
戦時中ならば、それでも良いのだろうが今は平穏な時代なのだ。キリングマシーンは必要じゃない。
「さあ、初めての実戦で心身共にお疲れでしょうから本日はここで切り上げましょうか」
Ch 32
Three goblins were  beating Barbaroth ahead of Leoldo as he started running. The sight frightened Leoldo, but he could not stop his body from running.
He made up his mind. There was no way he was going to stop now."
"Barbarotoooooo!"
Leoldo, running at full speed, shouted Barbaroto's name. It was not only Barbaroto who responded to the shouting, but also three goblins.
One of the three goblins headed towards Leoldo, who had come to help Barbaroth.
"Giggles!""
The goblin thrusts its claws at Leordo, who is running towards  him .
Leolde avoided the claws and dispatched the goblins.
However, there were still two goblins left. One of the goblins jumped at Leoldo, but  he didn't hit him. Leordo ducks through the goblins and runs to Barbaroto.
The last remaining goblin swung the rusty sword in his hand and swung it down at Leoldo, who was right in front of him.
(it's  too  much!)
The goblins' swords were not easy to avoid compared to Barbaroth's sword, and Leoldo was able to avoid them and  came to Barbaroth.
]"You idiot! You're being reckless. ......"
". I believed in you. ...... Guh!
No matter how well-trained Barbaroto is, he will not be safe if he is beaten up when he is unarmed and defenseless.
Thanks to this, he had multiple lacerations and many bruises. Leoldo is on the verge of crying as Barbaroto looks like he is in pain /
(Did you believe in me until the vry end ? ......)
Leoldo understood that he was  trusted more than he thought.
And in order to meet the expectations of the man who believed in him until he was covered in scars, Leorde drew the sword that had been given to him.
"Watch me, Barbaroto. Watch  how i am  fighting."
"Yes. I'll be watching from behind ".
With his master's   sword , Barbaroto, behind him, Leolde set his sights on the three goblins.
Facing the three goblins in front of him, Leoldo took a deep breath.
(I'm scared.)
(I don't want to be hurt.)
(But I hate dying even more.)
(So, I'm going to kill them. I kill to survive . I don't want to be killed, so I kill.)
Then,  his mind is already made up. All that remained was to put it into actionl
The three goblins were unable to move in the face of Leorde's  unusual spirit .
The three goblins saw the  him  in front of them as weaker than the men behind  him . He  was ugly, fat, and pig-like. He looked like  men who would have been very satisfying to eat.
But not anymore. The person in front of  them  has a hint of  killing in his eyes. Therefore, the goblin was unable to move due to the confusion of thinking he was weak.
Leolde took a deep breath and looked ahead. The goblins were not moving, and he wondered about them, but he decided that they were probably waiting to see how he would react, so he took a step forward.
"GIGII!
The goblin's body was so huge that it was unbelievable that Leolde was able to close in on the goblin with incredible speed, killing it with a single sword.
The goblin's body sprayed fresh blood, wetting Leolde's cheek.
Leoldo calmly slashes the second goblin with his sword in return.
The remaining one looks at the two  dead goblins, and instinct tells him to flee. The goblin with the rusty sword turns its back on Leoldo and flees.
But such a thing would not be allowed. Where the goblin had fled, an armed knight was waiting for him.
Realizing that escape was not an option, the goblin compared Leorde to the knight.
As a result of this comparison, the goblin chose Leorde. It was simply a result of judging that there was a chance of winning.
"Geez, !!!!."
The goblin recklessly attacked Leoldo without any formality. In the end, it was a matter of time before he was able to  kill him
The goblin swings his rusty sword with all his might, but it doesn't  reached it's target . The goblin's frustration became more and more obvious, and his movements became more and more daring.
Numbed by the lack of success, the goblin leaps and attacks Leolde.
As if he had been waiting for this moment, Leolde jumped up and   pointed his sword at the goblin's neck just as it swung down.
The goblin's head rolls off. This was the moment when the victory or defeat in Leorde's first real battle was decided.
It was only a few minutes in time. But to Leoldo, it felt like hours of battle. Leoldo, who was in a state of extreme concentration, was breathing as if he just  remembered how to breathe.
It was his first real battle and he was fighting for his life. After the battle, Leolde stared at his hands.
There was a definite feeling left.
He had indeed taken a life with his own hands.
The feeling of life, the feeling of death.
The two facts overwhelmed Leolde. The joy of having successfully survived, and the guilt of having taken three lives. Leolde clenched  his fists as he stared at  his hands, knowing that he would probably have to kill more to  survive .
Thanks to you, master  Leoldo-, I have survived in one piece
"Barbaroto: ......"
"How was your first killing spree?"
"...... was not as dumbfounding as I thought it would be."
"I'm sure you're right. It's mister Gilbert-and me that  master Leoldo used to deals with every day. Just don't get used to killing ."
" I'm sure I'll encounter situations like this one in the future."
"That's why. If you get used to killing, you will lose your  humanity . Killing is a last resort. If you can, refrain from killing. If you are dealing with a demon, that is a different  matter ."
Barbaroto  did not want Leolde to lose his kindness. If  he  is accustomed to killing,  he will not hesitate to kill.
In wartime, that would be fine, but these are peaceful times.  They don't need the Killing Machine.
"Well, you must be tired both physically and mentally after your first real battle, so let's call it a day."
Eroge Reincarnation, Struggle of a Golden Pig Aristocrat Against Fate
エロゲ転生　運命に抗う金豚貴族の奮闘記
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/eroge-reincarnation-struggle-of-a-golden-pig-aristocrat-against-fate/
Action Adventure Comedy Fantasy Harem Romance Shounen Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Age Progression Aristocracy Beautiful Female Lead Broken Engagement Butlers Character Growth Complex Family Relationships Cowardly Protagonist Crafting Dense Protagonist Domestic Affairs Doting Parents Elemental Magic Emotionally Weak Protagonist Empires Fallen Nobility Fantasy Creatures Fantasy World Fat Protagonist Fat to Fit Galge Handsome Male Lead Hard-Working Protagonist Harsh Training Kingdom Building Kingdoms Knights Late Romance Lost Civilizations Loyal Subordinates Magic Magic Formations Maids Male Protagonist Management Manipulative Characters Marriage Misunderstandings Modern Knowledge Monsters Naive Protagonist Nobles Reincarnated in a Game World Royalty Sadistic Characters Sword And Magic Sword Wielder Time Skip Transmigration Underestimated Protagonist Weak to Strong Wizards
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4214gk/
名無しの権兵衛