〉から生存できる冒険者は稀である。ましてやその土壇場で討伐するなど......どれほど珍しいことか。普通に〈夢の主〉を討伐するのとはワケが違う。対策も準備も心構えも、ロクにできておらん状態で奴らの脅威に晒されるのだからな」
「......お褒めに預かり、光栄です」
この人に褒められても気が気ではない。
先に俺を疑っていた言葉も、本当に冗談だったのか怪しいところだ。
「それに......あの人見知りのスノウが、恩人とはいえ自ら望んで客人を招くとはな、クク。変わったクラスだが、強さは申し分ない......。話したところ、随分聡明に見える。ウチに婿入りしないかね、エルマ君?」
ハーデン侯爵はニヤリと笑って、とんでもないことを口にする。
この人、さっきから俺が困るのを単に楽しんでいるのではなかろうか。
「......侯爵様、御戯れを。先程は一冒険者の身で出過ぎた事を口にしましたが、お許しいただきたい。例の件にはレイドで関わっていたため、気掛かりだったのです。からかうのはこのくらいでご容赦願います」
「んぐぅっ! げほっげほっげほっ! かはっ! こほっ!」
俺が頭を下げる横で、ルーチェが激しく咽ていた。
「とっ、とと、父様!」
スノウが顔を真っ赤にして、目に涙を潤ませてハーデン侯爵を睨んでいる。
恥ずかしさからか声が震えていた。
......なぜ直接爆弾を叩き込まれた俺よりも、ルーチェとスノウの二人が動揺しているのか。
「は、ははは......侯爵様、ご冗談が過ぎます。こんな平民と、次期当主候補筆頭のお嬢様を、そんな......」
「なに、廃嫡された身であるとはいえ、エドヴァン家の出なのであろう? 吾輩がちょいと力を添えてやれば、復縁も乗っ取りも思いのままであるぞ、エルマ君」
「なっ......!」
ハーデン侯爵の発言に、つい言葉に詰まった。
誤魔化すべきかと頭を過ぎったが、今更否定しても仕方がない。
ハーデン侯爵も確証があってこう言っているのだろう。
ギルド長のハレインとも親族であるため、彼女から俺のことをもっと前から聞いて、調べていたのかもしれない。
「......佇まいや剣術より違和感があったが、お前、貴族の出だったのか」
イザベラが目を丸くして俺を見る。
「別に俺は、自身の扱いについては納得できています。ハーデン侯爵様、あまり触れないでいただきたい」
「おお、そうか。それはすまないことを口にした。ふむ......キミはあの男に、もう少し文句を言ってやってもいい立場だと思うがな」
俺は自分の眉間を軽く指で押さえた。
割り切ったつもりだったが、あまり外から不躾に触れられて愉快な話ではない。
「では、話を変えて......わざわざ吾輩が、なぜ一冒険者のキミと話をしにきたかの、本題に入らせてもらうか」
「本題......?」
「どうせ吾輩の噂は散々聞いておったのだろう? わざわざ娘の恩人に直接礼を言いたがるタイプではないと、知っておったであろうに」
〈嘆きの墓所〉での件で活躍した俺とルーチェを見に来たのではないか程度に考えていたのだが、しかしこの口振りから察するに、そういうわけでもないらしい。
「吾輩らとて遊んでいるわけではない。あの不気味な宝石をばら撒いて、〈
「〈哀哭するトラペゾヘドロン〉の件で、何か進展が......?」
だとすれば、ぜひ聞きたいところではある。
しかし、そのことをわざわざ俺に打ち明ける理由が不明であった。
「ハ、ハーデン侯爵様! 部外の者に、あまりその話をしては不味いのでは......?」
イザベラが口を挟むが、ハーデン侯爵は彼女の方へは目も向けない。
「連中の目的は例の気味の悪い宝石を用いて、
ルーチェが不安げに眉を寄せ、俺の方へと目をやった。
以前の騒動の後、俺の口から耳にしたことを思い出したらしい。
どうやら、ハーデン侯爵は、俺と同じ答えに行きついたらしい。
俺も確信こそ持てていないが、暗躍している奴らの狙いが
「そ、そんな大規模な!?」
ルーチェが大きく仰け反った。
「〈夢の主〉が二度目の存在進化を引き起こすための条件の一つとして、大量の高レベル冒険者を殺す必要があるとされておる。〈嘆きの墓所〉の事件では、奴らは調査のための
を逆に利用して、大量の冒険者を罠に掛けて〈夢の主〉に捧げ、
俺はハーデン侯爵の顔を見る。
彼に先程までの飄々とした様子はなく、真剣な表情をしていた。
「そんな......危険すぎる。一歩間違えたらラコリナが滅びかねません」
「それは、そうですが......」
「連中は必ず、前回同様
「......他の信用のおける冒険者にも話してはいるのでしょうが、何故、俺達にもその話を?」
「なに、前回、連中の企てを破ったのはキミなのだろう? 実力があり、同時に信頼のおける冒険者ではないか。念のため揺さぶりは掛けたが、不審なようには見えんかったからな」
さっきから嫌なことばかり突いてくると思っていたが、俺に話すべきかどうか、俺の様子を見ながら考えていたのかもしれない。
「それに、何より、娘の恩人なのだからな。信じたくなるではないか、人の親として」
ハーデン侯爵は、先程までの硬い表情を崩して、ニヤリと笑ってそう口にする。
......本心なのか、ただのポーズなのか。
或いは、軽口のつもりなのかもしれない。
大きなアドバンテージであるこの世界の知識を有している身として、そして王国を守護する貴族に生まれた身として、この事件の解決に協力したいという気持ちはある。
しかし、この事件は、あまりに危険過ぎる。
「うむ、今すぐ決めろとは言わん。その気になれば後日公表する、
"I have a high opinion of you, Elma-kun. It's rare when adventurers can survive an encounter with a Wandering Lord, not to mention being able to take one down right then and there. An achievement like that is on a whole nother level compared to defeating it normally. You can't even make a proper plan, prepare yourself, or brace yourself for what's to come in a situation like that."
".....thank you for speaking so highly of me."
I don't really feel happy about this person complimenting me.
I can't even tell if his previous words of suspicion towards me were intended as a joke or not.
"Also....for a shy person like Snow to want to invite someone of her own initiative, even if they are the people who saved her, well....kukukuh. You have an unusual Class, but your strength is not in question..... From speaking to you I can tell you are also quite intelligent. Would you consider marrying into our family, Elma-kun?"
Marquee Harden spoke something outrageous with a smile.
Isn't he just trying to get a rise out of me here?
".....please stop joking, my Lord. I apologize for overstepping my bounds as a simple adventurer. I was just interested since we were part of that aforementioned Raid Quest. Please stop poking fun at me."
"Nguh! Gawkhgawkhhhhhhhhhh! Khm, ghm!"
Luce started choking next to me as I bowed my head.
"F-f-father!"
Snow glared at her father with a bright, full faced blush and unshed tears in her eyes.
Her voice even cracked from embarrassment.
....I have no idea why it was Luce and Snow who was more shaken by that bomb instead of me, who it was directly aimed at.
"Ha-hahah.....that's a joke taken a bit too far, my Lord. How could a simple commoner be suitable for ojou-sama, who is the leading candidate for the heirship...."
"Pish posh, even if he was disinherited, he's still someone from the Edvan Family. With my support behind you, it would be a simple affair to reconcile or even take over the family, Elma-kun."
"Wha-.....!"
Hearing what Marquee Harden said, my words deserted me.
I entertained the possibility of trying to play dumb for a short moment, but there is no use trying to deny it now.
Marquee Harden must have definitive proof to say something like that.
He may have already investigated me a while back after hearing about me from Guild Master Hallein, who's a relative of his.
"....I had my doubts after seeing your sword skills and the way you hold yourself, but.... so you were really a noble."
Izabella looked at me with wide eyes.
"I've made my peace with my treatment already. Please try to refrain from that subject if at all possible, my Lord."
"Ooh, I see. I apologize for bringing up bad memories. Hmm....though, you deserve to complain a bit more about that man in my opinion."
I lightly pinched my brow.
I thought I've dealt with this subject already, but I still don't like when someone unrelated brings it up so bluntly like this.
"Well then, a change of subject.....Let's move on to the main reason why I went out of my way to meet a simple adventurer like you."
"The main reason.....?"
"You must've heard the rumors about me, right? You know that I'm not the type to go out of my way to thank someone for saving my daughter."
I thought he just wanted to take a look at Luce and I after hearing about our accomplishments at the Graveyard of Sorrows, but judging from his words, that's not quite true.
"We are not playing around either. Although nothing concrete, we managed to find out some things about that organization that tried to create a Dungeon Calamity with those creepy gemstones."
"There was some progress in the Mourning Trapezohedron investigation.....?"
If that's the case, then by all means I would like to hear it.
However, I don't know any reason why he would just share it with me, just like that.
"M-my Lord! Wouldn't it be a mistake to tell an outsider about that.....?"
Izabella interjected, but Marquee Harden did not even look at her.
"I'm thinking that the aim of those people is to artificially bring about a Zork with the help of those creepy gemstones."
Luce anxiously furrowed her brows and turned to look at me.
It seems she remembered what I said after the incident.
Apparently, Marquee Harden reached the same conclusion as me.
I couldn't be absolutely sure, but I also thought that the aim of the people operating behind the scenes is to create a Zork as well.
"Something that large-scale!?"
Luce was taken aback.
"It's said that for a Dream Lord to reach a second Evolution, it needs to kill a large number of high level adventurers. My guess is that during the Graveyard of Sorrows incident, they tried to make use of the Raid Quest investigation to entrap a large number of adventurers and offer them up to the Dream Lord, creating a Zork in the process."
Last time, with how the maps were modified, I can't imagine that their aim was anything but getting adventurers killed by the Dream Lord.
I looked into the eyes of Marquee Harden.
There were no signs of his joking attitude anymore, he was completely serious.
"That's.....too dangerous. One mistake and La Colina might be destroyed."
"That's... indeed true, but...."
"They will most likely try to obstruct the Raid Quest, just like last time. I would like you two to participate as ordinary adventurers, then uncover the identity of the traitors and beat them down before they could create a commotion. This will most likely be our last chance to catch them by the tail."
".....you must've consulted other adventurers you could trust as well, but... why talk to us about this?"
"You were the ones that stopped their schemes from coming to fruition, isn't that right? You are both capable and trustworthy adventurers. I even tried to throw you off balance to see if something came up, but I've found nothing worthy of suspicion."
No wonder he kept pushing against sore subjects for a while now, he must've measured my reactions and decided whether to speak to us about this with that in mind.
"And the most important factor was that you saved my daughter's life. As a parent, I want to believe in you two."
Marquee Harden's previous firm expression softened and spoke to me with a wide smile.
....I have no idea if that's his true feeling or if it's just an act.
Or perhaps he's just joking around.
As someone who has a large advantage in the form of knowledge about this world, and someone that was born as a noble with the duty to protect this kingdom, I want to lend a hand to resolve the situation.
However, this case is extremely dangerous.
"Very well, I won't tell you to decide it right now. If you decide you agree, then simply take part in the Raid Quest that will be announced in the coming days. However, make sure to keep all this to yourselves."
The Reincarnated Heavy Knight Who Was Exiled After A Supposed Big Miss Is Unparalleled With His Game Knowledge
大ハズレだと追放された転生重騎士はゲーム知識で無双する
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-reincarnated-heavy-knight-who-was-exiled-after-a-supposed-big-miss-is-unparalleled-with-his-game-knowledge/
Action Adventure Fantasy Romance Shounen
Abandoned Children Adapted to Manga Adventurers Alchemy Arrogant Characters Artifacts Blacksmith Calm Protagonist Clever Protagonist Determined Protagonist Dungeons Fallen Nobility Fantasy World Game Elements Guilds Hot-blooded Protagonist Level System Love Interest Falls in Love First Lucky Protagonist Male Protagonist Mystery Solving Naive Protagonist Nobles Poor to Rich Previous Life Talent Reincarnated in a Game World Romantic Subplot Skill Books Strategic Battles Strong Love Interests Strong to Stronger Sword Wielder Underestimated Protagonist Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n8465gx/
猫子