アキラが芸術的に加工されたデザートに手を付ける。シオリも同じデザートを口にしながらアキラに尋ねる。
「ではアキラ様はずっとお一人でハンター稼業をしていらっしゃるのですか?」
アキラがデザートの味覚に意識を半分程奪われながらシオリの質問に答える。
「ああ。一人でやってる。ずっとって言われても、そんなに長くハンターを続けているわけじゃないけど」
シオリはアキラのことをよりよく知るために、いろいろアキラから聞き出そうとしていた。ただし
「仲間の募集やどこかの徒党に所属する予定などはないのですか? 討伐にしろ遺物捜索にしろ、お一人では大変なことも多いと思いますが」
「まあそうだけど、今のところは個人で活動している方が性に合ってるんだ。一人なら報酬の分配とかで
アキラも何となく思ったことをいろいろシオリに尋ねていた。それは主にシオリ達が所属しているハンター徒党であるドランカムの内情だった。
「へー、若手のハンターを集めてるんだ」
「ええ。ドランカムは党の方針として若手のハンターの加入を推進しています。ハンターオフィスに登録しただけの初心者でも構わずに勧誘しているようですね」
「俺が言うのも何だけど、銃を持っただけの素人を集めても、すぐに死ぬだけなんじゃないか?」
シオリが言う初心者とアキラが言う素人には大きな隔たりがある。ドランカムもかつてのアキラのような、ハンターランク1の人間を加えたりはしない。ハンター登録時にハンターランク10で初期登録されるような初心者を加えているのだ。
そのため二人の認識は微妙に食い違っているのだが、話の大筋を狂わせるほどのことではなかった。
「......装備か。装備は大切だよな」
アキラはしみじみと答えた。かつてアキラは拳銃片手にクズスハラ街遺跡へ向かった。その蛮勇は今のアキラにとっては狂気の沙汰だ。
「何かこう、ハンターの徒党なんか下っ端を食い物にしている所ばっかりだと思っていたけど、そういう所もあるんだな。ちょっと意外だ」
「長期的にはドランカム側にも十分利益のあることですから。ただ優遇が過ぎて古参のハンターから不満の声も上がっているようです。若手を優遇するための資金は、所属するハンターの報酬から引かれている訳ですので。古参の方は今までそのような恩恵を受けていないのにも
アキラの脳裏にシカラベとカツヤの姿が浮かぶ。非常に仲の悪い様子の2人だったが、あれは単に個人の対立だけではないようだ。
「シカラベとカツヤだっけ? あの二人もそんな理由で仲が悪いのか?」
「シカラベ様とカツヤ様ですか。シカラベ様は以前カツヤ様の引率役として一緒に行動していまして、どうも相性が非常に悪かったと聞いております。カツヤ様も悪い方ではないのですが......」
む。話題はそのままカツヤに関する内容に移り、アキラはシオリから愚痴に近い内容を聞かされることになった。
シオリから聞く限り、カツヤはドランカムの若手ハンターの中では飛び抜けて有能な実力者として活躍しているらしい。地下街での戦闘でも実力有るハンター達に混じって意欲的に任務を熟し、カツヤが率いる若手達の実力を大いに知らしめたそうだ。ドランカムの若手達の間では、カツヤを中心とする派閥まで出来上がっているようだ。
カツヤは同世代の異性から非常に慕われていた。顔も良く、実力もあり、自身の実力を誇示して威張り散らすこともなく、将来的な稼ぎも十分に期待できる少年である。ある程度は必然的なことでもあった。
打算で近づき本気になった者。窮地を助けられ恋に落ちた者。実力を認め合い好感から好意へ変化した者。多くの少女がカツヤの
アキラは曖昧に答えながら食後のコーヒーを飲む。3杯目のコーヒーだ。既にデザートは完食済みだ。シオリは追加でデザートを2皿頼んでいた。
「カツヤ様の実力は私も確かに認めます。カツヤ様はきっと大成なさるでしょう。英雄色を好むとも言うでしょう。しかし限度というものが有ります! たとえ自身の稼ぎでそれが可能であっても、十数人以上の側室を作ってハーレムでも構築する気なら、西部へでも亡命して貴族にでも王族にでも成れば良いのです! 西部の貴族王族などという方々の風習では、そういうことは当たり前らしいですからね! アキラ様はどう思います!?」
正直どうでも良い。それに命の掛かった状況で一緒に行動していれば、多少仲良くなるのも仕方ないのではないか。アキラはそう思ったが、率直にそう答えるとシオリの機嫌が悪化するのは明白だ。
アキラは依頼として受けた以上誠実に対応するという自身の律に反しない程度に意見をオブラートに包んで、少したじろぎながら答える。
「しかしカツヤ様は私まで口説いたのですよ!? しかもお嬢様が隣にいる場面で! これは余りにも......ん?、失礼」
「申し訳御座いません。同僚からの連絡でして、諸事情で私はこれで失礼させていただきたく思います。アキラ様は
料理の量はアキラには十分すぎる量だった。アキラの胃に残っていた僅かな隙間はデザートとコーヒーが埋めきった。料理の入り口が出入口と化すのは避けるべきだろう。名残惜しいがアキラは帰ることにした。
シオリが会計を済ませている間に、アキラは預けた銃を返してもらった。会計の時に聞いた今回の食事の支払額を、アキラは聞き間違えや幻聴だと思って忘れることにした。
アキラが自分の稼ぎで再びこの店に来る日は遠い。アキラは店から出た後でもう一度シオリに礼を言って家に帰った。
アキラと別れた後、シオリが情報端末を取り出して同僚に連絡を入れる。
「私です。今から戻りますのでお嬢様に伝えてください」
「分かったっす。で、無事なんすか? 腕とか脚とかもげてないっすか? お嬢が心配してましたけど」
シオリの通話相手の同僚があっけらかんと物騒なことを口にした。シオリが僅かに表情を
お嬢様に余計なことを言ってないでしょうね?」
「現状把握を兼ねて雑談してただけっすよ」
カナエはレイナの護衛としてこの場に赴任していた。レイナの護衛という意味ではシオリと同じだが、メイドとしてレイナの世話もするシオリとは明確な差がある。カナエのメイドとしての技量は低く、本来ならばカナエが派遣されることはない。カナエは純粋な戦力要員だ。カナエの服装は都市の中位区画に住む人間を威圧しないための配慮と、雇主の趣味である。
カナエは情報端末をしまうと、レイナがいる部屋に向かう。アキラとの戦闘の疲労でシオリが病院に運ばれた
「良かった。全く、カナエが変なことを言うから心配したじゃない。脅かさないでよ」
レイナは安心してそう言った後、少しカナエを責めるような表情を浮かべた。
カナエがしれっと答える。
「人間死ぬ時は死ぬもんすよ。特にハンター稼業なんてやってるなら
もしかしたらシオリは生きて帰ってこないかもしれない。そうレイナに話して不安にさせたのはカナエだ。カナエが赴任した後に、シオリはレイナに行き先も告げずに出かけていた。シオリの安否をカナエに確認させたのもレイナだ。
確認した結果、何事もなかったようなので、レイナはカナエの話を冗談や苦言の類いだと思っていた。
実際にはシオリは自身が死亡した場合の引継ぎ事項や各種の指示を済ませた後で、その必要性を十分理解した上で、覚悟を決めてアキラと会っていた。
レイナの表情からその内心を読み取ったカナエは、自身の内心を表情に出さないように注意しながら思う。
くするとシオリが帰ってきた。シオリはカナエと同じメイド服に着替えてから、レイナに外出した理由などを含めていろいろと説明した。
アキラに関する懸念事項は片付いたのだが、事情を理解していないレイナが蒸し返せば元の
シオリからの説明を聞き終えたレイナが、確認するようにシオリに尋ねる。
「......えっと、アキラは怒っていないってことで良いのよね?」
「何もなかったことに対して思うことはない。そういうことです。それがアキラ様のスタンスになります。念のため申し上げますが、存在していない事実に対してレイナ様はアキラ様に礼も謝罪もしてはいけません。それは事態を蒸し返す一因に成りかねず、都市と守秘義務を締結しているアキラ様への嫌がらせと判断される可能性すらあり得ます。くれぐれも御注意をお願いいたします」
レイナとしては自分の失敗で大いに足を引っ張った上に、レイナとシオリの命を助けてもらったことに対して礼も謝罪も言えないのは残念だった。しかしそれがアキラに迷惑をかけることに
「......そう。分かったわ」
シオリがレイナの内心を察して
カナエが笑って口を挟む。
「見殺しにされかけたのが気に入らないなら、私がこっそり殴っておいても良いっすよ?」
レイナとシオリが非難の視線をカナエに向けた。カナエが冗談交じりにたじろいだ振りをする。
もないって訳じゃないんすよね? あ、違ってたら謝るっす」
レイナとシオリが非難の視線をカナエに向けたまま答える。
「やめて」
レイナもシオリもアキラに対して思うところが全くない訳ではない。アキラにはレイナを助ける義理も義務もないとはいえ、レイナを見殺しにしかけたのは事実だ。しかしその原因はレイナにあり、しかも結果的にはアキラに命を助けられたのだ。その
カナエが軽い感じで謝る。
「冗談っすよ。ふざけすぎました。御免なさいっす」
カナエは切り札を使用したシオリと五分五分に渡り合ったというアキラの実力に強い興味を持っていた。詳しい事情など何も知らない振りをして、ごく一部の事情のみを知って誤解している振りをして、カナエは少しアキラにちょっかいを出してみたかったのだ。だが2人の態度を見て諦めた。
さんがこの態度。アキラってやつはそんなにやばいんすかね? うーん。気になる)
カナエは雇用主や護衛対象に対して、シオリのような忠誠心を抱いてはいない。カナエも恩を感じてはいるが、それは割に合う報酬と心地
かった。また行きたい。金を稼ぐ理由が増えたな」
『生きる楽しみが増えたのは良いことだけれど、今のアキラの稼ぎでまたあそこに行くのは無理よ?』
「......そうだな。今思うとメニューに値段が載ってなかったしな。あの食事代なんか全く気にならないぐらい稼げるようにならないと無理だな」
装備代に弾薬費、
「そういえばあの店にサイボーグがいたけど、あの料理を結局食えたのかな? 食べられたとして、食べた料理はどうなるんだ?」
『有機変換炉が内蔵されている義体とかなら分解されてエネルギーになったり、生体部品の材料になったりするのよ。そういう機能がないなら後で取り出すのよ』
『捨てるのでしょうね』
「純粋に娯楽目的の食事ってわけか。金を持っているやつは違うな」
「......高そうだな。旧世界の遺物を山ほど売っても難しそうだ。そういえば、あの遺物襲撃犯は義体か。都市を敵に回してまで手に入れたかった大金だ。そんな高級義体の購入代金にでもする気だったのかもな」
アキラは遺物襲撃犯のヤジマやネリアのことを思い浮かべた。アキラは今まで大金を得るためとはいえ都市と敵対するのは割に合わないと考えていた。しかし彼らが事故やモンスターの襲撃で義体者にならざるを得なくなり、普通に食事もできない体で生活を送っていたとしたら。食事ができる高級な義体を手に入れ、高級なレストランで最高の料理を味わうことを夢見ていたとしたら。あの美食の至福を知った後のアキラには、十分納得できる動機だった。
その日の夜、アキラは夢を見た。夢の中でアキラはネリアと戦っていた。
アキラは両手にブレードを握るネリアの斬撃を死に物狂いで避け続けている。
ネリアの猛攻の前に反撃の糸口などは見当たらない。明確な実力差がある相手に対し、アキラは辛うじて延命を続けている。アキラは両手に何も持っていない。ネリアはアキラが素手で勝てるような相手ではない。アキラの蹴りも拳も、その一撃がネリアの義体に損傷を与えることはなく、逆に伸ばした手足をネリアに切り落とされるだろう。
アキラが慌てながらアルファに尋ねる。
「銃は!? CWH対物突撃銃は!? あれがないと勝てないだろう!?」
『CWH対物突撃銃ならなくしたでしょ? シズカの店で新しいのを買わないとね』
の合わない状況なのだが、夢の中のアキラがそれに気付くことはない。
「シズカさんの店ならこの前行ったよな!? 何で買わなかったんだ!?」
な顔で自分の服を確認する。それは強化服ではなく、防護服ですらない。キバヤシに用意してもらった頑丈なだけの服だった。
それを認識した瞬間、アキラの動きが急激に鈍った。ただの服では身体能力の向上もアルファの強化服の操作によるサポートも受けられないからだ。
身体能力を急激に落としたアキラに、ネリアが繰り出すブレードの刃が迫る。アキラの視界には、ゆっくりとアキラの首に近付いてくるネリアのブレードが映っている。
床に転がる首のない自分の死体を見下ろしながら、アキラは消えかける意識の中でそんなことを思った。
そこでアキラは目を覚ました。部屋の中は暗く、まだ日の昇る時刻ではない。体を起こして自分の首に手を伸ばし感触を確かめる。自分の首がしっかり
「ああ。変な夢を見ただけだ。何ともないよ」
ネリアと交戦したアキラは現実では生き延びた。しかしアルファのサポートを失った夢の中のアキラはあっさり死んでしまった。
夢の中のアキラと今のアキラに大した差はない。現実で似たような状況に陥れば、夢と同じように死んでしまうだろう。
(さっきの夢が、俺の本来の実力なんだよな)
アルファと出会った幸運とその加護でアキラは何とか生き延びている。その幸運がいつまで続くのか。アキラには分からない。
アキラが少し真面目な表情で尋ねる。
「......アルファはいつまで俺の面倒を見てくれるつもりなんだ?」
アルファが不思議そうに聞き返す。
『アキラとの依頼が終わるまではサポートするつもりよ。急にどうしたの?』
いハンターと手を組めばアルファの目的もすぐに終わるんじゃないかと思ってさ。アルファが俺と組んでいるのは、俺が旧領域接続者だからだよな? 旧領域接続者のハンターって俺の他にいないのか? 探せばいるんじゃないか? いや、旧領域接続者でなくても、俺がアルファの代わりに依頼すれば良いだけなんじゃないか?」
アルファがアキラをじっと見つめる。アキラがじっとアルファを見詰め返している。
『アキラが何を思って私のサポートを失いかねないことを口にしているかは、深く聞くつもりも口を割らせる気もないわ。でもはっきり言っておくわ。私のサポートは私がアキラにした依頼の報酬の前渡しなの。アキラが私からの依頼を完遂するまで、私はアキラに付き合うつもりだし、付き合わせるつもりよ』
アキラにはアルファのサポートを受けて依頼を完遂する義理と義務がある。アルファがアキラから別のハンターに乗り換えた方がアルファの
アルファから身の程を超える恩恵を受けて、ある種の後ろめたさすら感じていたアキラは、アルファの返答を聞いて少し気が楽になった。アルファの発言はああ言えばアキラの気が楽になることを理解してのものだと、アキラは何となく気が付いていた。
アキラが笑って話す。
「分かった。お休み」
アルファも笑って答える。
アキラが再びベッドに横になる。程なくしてアキラは再び眠りに就いた。
また同じ夢を見ても、同じ結果にはならない。アキラは何となくだが、そう確信していた。
Akira took a spoonful of the beautiful mouthwatering dessert in front of him. Shiori also did the same while asking Akira a question.
"So like, Akira-sama, do you always work alone?"
He indulged in the taste of the dessert, but Akira somehow managed to answer Shiori's question.
"Yes, I'm always alone. Although I did say 'always', it hasn't been that long since I became a Hunter."
Shiori was trying to learn more about Akira during the meal, but this was the first question which Akira was able to answer seriously. When she asked her questions during the meal, he was only able to give vague answers as if he had his mind somewhere else, and of course, it was because his mind was indeed filled by the flavour of the meal that he was eating. Because of that, Shiori could not gather much information about Akira till now.
"Don't you have any plans to get more companions or join a gang? Neither hunting monsters nor exploring ruins, I believe, is an easy job to do alone."
"Well, that's true. But at the moment, it's much more comfortable for me to work alone for a lot of reasons. I don't need to fight for rewards when I'm alone, not to mention that I'm not really a team-player kind of person. So rather than causing a fight by being in a group, I would better do my job alone."
Akira was also asking Shiori any questions that came up in his mind. Most of his questions were about the gang that she and Reina were part of, Drankam.
"Ohhh, so they're gathering young Hunters, huh?"
"Yes. The current Drankam is aiming to recruit more young Hunters. At the moment, it seems that they're even willing to accept complete beginners who had just registered their name in the Hunter Office."
"I know it sounds weird for someone like me to say this, but is there any meaning in giving guns to complete beginners? They'll just die in no time, right?"
There was a big difference between Akira's and Shiori's understanding of the word "beginner". It was not like Drankam would accept any Rank 1 Hunter like the past Akira. One needed to be at least a Rank 10 Hunter with their name registered in the Hunter Office, to be accepted by them.
Although there was a slight misunderstanding between them, it was not big enough to disrupt their conversation.
"Equipment, huh... Well, equipments are indeed important."
Akira mumbled as he remembered that he had once headed to the wasteland with just a handgun. To the current him, it looked like nothing but foolish and suicidal.
"Well, what can I say, I always thought that all of those gangs were only using young Hunters as sacrificial pawns. But I guess some of them are not that bad, huh."
"Drankam provides the young Hunters with such support since it'll benefit the gang in the long run. But lately, some of the veteran Hunters are complaining, saying that the gang is giving too many preferential treatments for the young Hunters. After all, they get some of their rewards deducted to help to pay for those support programs for the young Hunters. Although the veteran Hunters never received such a preferential treatment up until now, they have to lend some of their equipment and get their rewards deducted. But even so, the young Hunters are enjoying those benefits without showing any gratitude. So it's to be expected that the veteran Hunters would get annoyed. While on the other hand, it's true that the gang has gotten a lot of skilled young Hunters because of that too. Not to mention that those veteran Hunters, who work as the officers, are the very people who decided on those support programs in the first place. So I can't really blame neither the young Hunters nor the veteran Hunters as a whole."
Akira was reminded about Shikarabe and Katsuya. Those two people looked like water and oil, but it did not seem like it was only a matter of individual affinity between them.
"It reminds me of those two, Shikarabe and Katsuya, was it again? Those two don't get along with each other because of that?"
"Shikarabe-sama and Katsuya-sama, huh? I've only heard that Shikarabe-sama was once assigned to look over Katsuya-sama's group and that they just can't get along with each other. Although to be honest, I don't think it's because Katsuya-sama's group fault..."
Shiori's expression looked a little bit conflicted. After that, they started talking about Katsuya, it sounded like Shiori was complaining and Akira was forced to listen to her.
According to Shiori's story, it seemed that Katsuya was a rather skilled Hunter among all the young Hunters in Drankam. During the underground city request, Katsuya was proactively trying to accomplish his duty as he worked together with the other skilled Hunters. As a result, the young Hunters in his group had gotten quite famous among the other Hunters for their skills. It also seemed that the young Hunters in Drankam had even formed a faction with Katsuya as its head.
Katsuya was greatly admired by the other young Hunters, especially by the members of the opposite gender. He was pretty handsome and not arrogant even though he was skilled. To put it simply, he had a good prospect to be a good Hunter with stable earnings in the future. Thus it was only to be expected that the young female Hunters would be admiring him.
Some of them ended up falling for him although they only approached him for money at first. Some of them fell for him after Katsuya saved them. Some of them grew closer and closer to each other after they recognized each other's skills. Basically, a lot of girls were taking his side. Some of them were even fighting each other in the background to be able to be in the same team as Katsuya.
Akira could only reply awkwardly as he slurped the after-meal coffee. It was already his 3rd cup of coffee. They had long finished their desserts even after Shiori ordered 2 more plates of desserts after their first one.
"It's true that Katsuya-sama is a skilled Hunter and I'm sure he'll be a great Hunter in the future. You can even say that he has this heroic aura. But there's a limit on everything!! Even if he can do that by his own ability, if he wants to create a harem, he can just go to the western district and become a noble or a king or something!! After all, I heard that having a harem is a normal thing for kings and nobles according to the culture in the western district!! Don't you think so too, Akira-sama?!!"
To be honest, Akira did not care at all. Moreover, it was only to be expected for them to grow closer to each other if they were to go through dangerous situations together numerous times. Although Akira thought so, it would only worsen Shiori's mood if he answered back honestly.
Akira carefully chose his words to find a compromise so that he would not go against his own principle since he had taken this meeting as a request. He then awkwardly replied.
"But Katsuya-sama even tried to hit on me too, you know?!! Not to mention that Milady was right beside me when he did that!! That's just... Hm? My apologies."
really sorry, it's a call from my workplace. It seems that I'll have to excuse myself here. How about you, Akira-sama? If you want to order more meals, this will be your last chance..."
Akira had eaten quite a lot of dishes, and the final empty space in his stomach was already filled with coffee and desserts. Since he did not want to turn the entrance of the meals into the exit, Akira reluctantly decided to stop there.
As Shiori was making the payment, Akira received his guns back. When he heard the total bill for the meals they had, he decided to just forget it by convincing himself that he must have misheard it.
With his current earning ability, it was very unlikely that he would ever come to this restaurant ever again for the time being. After they left the restaurant, Akira said his thanks to Shiori one more time before going back home.
After Akira left, Shiori picked her information terminal and called her colleague.
"It's me, please tell Milady that I'm on my way back now."
"Alright. So, are you okay? He didn't rip your limbs, right? Milady is really worried, you know."
The person, who Shiori was talking to, said something so awful like it was none of her business. Shiori then replied back with a serious expression.
"I'm alright. Kanae, you didn't say anything unnecessary to Milady, did you?"
"We just had some small talks about the current situation."
Kanae was there as Reina's bodyguard. Although her job as a bodyguard was more or less the same as Shiori, unlike Shiori, her duty didn't extend to taking care of Reina. Kanae was actually a soldier who had no maid skill, so she would never get assigned to such a job normally. The maid outfit was only to disguise herself so that she would not cause a ruckus in the middle district as well as simply out of her employer's preference.
After she closed her information terminal, she returned back to Reina's room. Since Shiori was sent to the hospital after her fight against Akira, Reina was told to take a break from her Hunter job until Shiori recovered. Reina was studying inside her room when Kanae spoke to her.
"Thank goodness. It's all your fault for saying all of those worrying things to me, you know. Don't scare me like that again."
Reina looked relieved, but her expression turned stern as she scolded Kanae.
Kanae swiftly replied back.
"People die when they die. And it's doubly true for people who do a dangerous job like the Hunters. You need quite a determination when you step out of the city wall on your own volition, you know?"
After passing her post to Kanae, Shiori quickly went out without even telling Reina where she was going. It was also Reina, who told Kanae, to check on Shiori's safety.
All this while, Kanae was whispering worrying things to Reina like 'Shiori might not be able to come back alive'. Only after confirming Shiori's safety, did Reina realise that everything Kanae said was nothing but jokes. If not, just her honest opinion.
In truth, before she even went to meet Akira, Shiori had finished leaving her will and instructions to tie up any leftover business in case she died.
Kanae was somehow able to read what was in Shiori's mind when she saw her off. She then thought while carefully making sure that it would not show on her face.
It did not take long for Shiori to arrive. After she changed to her maid uniform, she then went to explain the reason why she went out to Reina.
Although the incident with Akira was resolved, Reina might make a similar mistake if she was not made aware of the gravity of the situation. Thus, Shiori carefully explained everything to Reina.
After she finished listening to Shiori's explanation, Reina then asked Shiori.
"...So, basically, Akira is not angry or anything, right?"
"Since nothing happened, then there's nothing to be angry about. At least that's Akira-sama's current stance. Thus, just to be safe, I want to tell Milady that Milady should not try thanking him or apologizing to him because of that incident since nothing had happened between us. Not only doing such a thing might bring the whole problem back to square one, but it might also be taken as a form of harassment since Akira-sama has signed a confidentiality contract with the City Management. So, please be extra careful about this subject."
For Reina, it was a big disappointment since not only could she not say sorry after she caused so much trouble because of her blunder, she also could not convey her thanks after she got herself and Shiori saved by Akira. But if it would cause Akira more problems, then it was a whole different story.
"...I see, I understand now."
Shiori somehow understood what went through Reina's mind, she then smiled and said.
Kanae smiled and interjected.
"Milady, if you're still angry for getting abandoned there, I can just go and give him a good beating in secret, you know?"
Reina and Shiori immediately turned at Kanae and sent their intense glare to her. Kanae winced back as she pretended that it was a joke.
"Oof, I guess I went too far. You know, like, I just thought that saying something like that might cheer everyone up, no ill-feeling intended at all, alright? It's not like Milady is a saint either, so I just thought that there's no way Milady is not at all angry about that part, okay? Ah, I'm sorry if I'm mistaken here."
Reina and Shiori were still sending death glares to Kanae.
"Just stop."
It was not like Reina and Shiori had no ill feelings toward Akira at all. Although it was true that he had no duty or reason to save Reina, Akira did abandon her to die in that incident. But it was all because of Reina's fault in the first place and he did save both of them in the end. Thus both Reina and Shiori were not as shameless as to vent their displeasure toward Akira.
Kanae then lightly apologized.
"I was just joking. I'm sorry that I went too far."
Kanae actually was interested in knowing Akira's real strength since he was able to fight evenly against Shiori even after Shiori used her trump card. Kanae was even thinking of pretending not to know anything or misunderstand the information given to her to mess a bit with Akira. But after seeing how Shiori and Reina reacted, she decided to give up that plan.
[Leaving Milady aside, to see that even Ane-san, who thinks about nothing but Milady, would react like this. This Akira guy must be a really dangerous guy. Yep, this is interesting.]
Unlike Shiori, Kanae was not very loyal to her employer nor to the person that she was assigned to as a bodyguard. Although she could feel their gratitude; good reward and a pleasant working environment were much more enticing. Kanae might cover for Reina and go as far as sacrificing herself, but it was because it was her job and not because of her loyalty toward Reina.
"That was really amazing. I want to go there again. I guess I have one more reason to earn more money now, huh."
"It's good that you discover more things that you can enjoy in life... But you can't go there with your current earning, you know?"
"...You're right. Now that I think about it, I didn't really consider the price back then, huh. I can't really go to that restaurant again until I can at least pay those meals like it was nothing."
Being a Hunter was an expensive job, there were equipment expenses, ammo cost, and treatment cost when injured. For the current Akira, it would be very difficult to eat in that restaurant using his own money. It was not like he could not afford to pay the bill, but that would mean that he would have to cut other expenses which would increase his chances of getting killed. At least, until the day when he earned a stable income to pay for his own expense, he would have to stay with frozen food.
"Now that I remember it, there were many cyborgs inside that restaurant. I wonder if they ate their meals in the end? And if they did, what would happen to the food that they ate?"
"For those cyborgs who have an organic furnace installed inside their body, the food that they eat will be broken down and then converted into energy or become one with their biological organs. But for those cyborgs who don't have such a thing, I'm sure they'll take the food out from their body later."
"Throw them away, I guess."
"So it's basically purely for their eye's pleasure, huh. I bet those cyborgs have a whole lot of money with them so that they can even enjoy such a luxury."
"...That does sound super expensive. It doesn't seem like I would be able to get one just from selling mountains of relics. Now that I remember it, those relic Hunters were cyborgs too, right? They even took their chance stealing those relics even if it meant having to fight the City Management, I wonder if they wanted that much money in order to buy such kind of cyborg body."
Akira remembered about Nelia and Yajima. Up until now, no matter how much money was at stake, Akira never thought that any amount of money was worth fighting against the City Management. But that might not be true for the people who got turned into a cyborg because of some kind of accident or after getting attacked by monsters and had to live their life in a body that could not even process food. For them, getting a high-quality cyborg body that could process food as if it was a normal biological body, and then using it to enjoy expensive meals in a high-class restaurant would be like a dream come true. Since Akira had already tasted the pleasure of such a delicious meal, he somehow understood why people with cyborg bodies would even do something like that.
During the night of the same day, Akira saw a dream. He was fighting against Nelia in his dream.
Akira was desperately trying to evade Nelia's attacks as she was swinging the blades in both of her hands at him. Although it was a difficult place to move around freely with all the rubbles around them, both Akira and Nelia were not bothered by those rubbles at all.
There was no opening where Akira could slip any counter-attack. Because there was a big gap between their skills, he was only able to barely survive Nelia's onslaught. Akira was unarmed in his dream. Nelia was not someone that Akira could defeat without any weapons, his kicks and punches could not damage her cyborg body at all. Not to mention that Nelia might even cut his limbs if he tried to attack her.
Akira turned to Alpha and asked in a panic.
"My rifles?! Where's my CWH anti-material rifle?! There's no way I can win this fight without it!!"
"You lost your CWH anti-material rifle, remember? You need to buy a new one from Shizuka later."
Although there were a lot of strange things happening, Akira did not realize that he was in a dream.
"Now that I remember it, I did go to Shizuka's shop not too long ago, right?! So why didn't I buy one back then?!"
Akira checked his equipment while making a puzzled face. He was not wearing his augmented suit, not even an armour, but the same durable clothes that he received from Kibayashi.
His movements immediately dulled the moment he realized that. After all, without his augmented suit, Alpha could not give her support and his physical capability would return back to normal.
When his movement dulled, Nelia did not let that chance slip as she quickly lunged at Akira. He could see Nelia's blades chasing for his neck in slow motion.
That was his last thought as he looked down on his headless body that fell down to the floor in front of him, then his consciousness was swallowed by the darkness.
Akira suddenly woke up from his dream. He looked around and realized that he was on his bed inside his room. It was dark since it was still very early in the morning. Trembling, he moved his hands to his neck. Once he confirmed that his neck was still attached to his body, he realized that it was only a dream.
"Yeah, I just had a weird dream. But I'm okay now."
In reality, Akira did survive his fight against Nelia. But in his dream, he was killed by Nelia when he lost Alpha's support.
The current Akira and the Akira in his dream were not that different. If for some reason, he lost Alpha's support, he might simply drop dead just like inside his dream.
[The me from that dream is the current me, with my real strength.]
Because of his luck, he was able to meet Alpha and was receiving her support since then. That was the only thing that allowed Akira to survive until now. But not even he knew just how long his luck would remain.
Akira retained his serious face.
"...Alpha, for how long are you planning to keep giving me your support?"
Alpha sounded puzzled as she answered back.
"Of course I'm planning to keep giving you my support until you are finished with my request. Why did you ask that question so suddenly?"
"I just thought that rather than asking me, wouldn't it be better if you ask one of those veteran Hunters out there? The reason why you got in that contract with me is because I can connect to the old-world domain, right? So like, I'm sure I'm not the only Hunter in this world who can connect to the old-world domain. I bet you can find another better Hunter if you look for one, right? Ah, but rather than looking for another person who can connect to the old-world domain, I can just post a request in your name to accomplish your request, right?"
Hearing Akira's answer, Alpha stared into his eyes. Akira too stared back at hers, awaiting her reply. There was a moment of silence before she answered his question with a serious expression.
"I have no plans to neither interrogate you nor to make you confess what made you think that I might stop giving you my support. But I'll at least make this one thing clear to you. My support is just the front payment for doing my request. So I'll keep following you until you finish my request even if you don't want me to."
Since Akira received Alpha's support, he had the debt and duty to accomplish her request. Even if he thought that it would be better for her to replace him, even if that was the truth, Alpha would not let him get away from her, that was what she meant between the lines.
Akira was relieved after hearing Alpha's answer. To be honest, he even felt a bit guilty for receiving such superb support from Alpha since he sometimes felt that he did not deserve it. But on the other hand, somewhere inside him, Akira knew that Alpha intentionally said that to him since she knew that it would give him a sense of reassurance.
Akira smiled and said.
"I see, I'll go back to sleep then."
Alpha smiled and replied back.
Akira laid down on his bed again. Since his worry was already cleared, he quickly drifted back to sleep.
For some reason, Akira was sure that even if he got the same dream again, it would not end the same way as his previous one.
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/
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