白い姉御と白い使徒
それから、2日ほど馬車で走った。街まではかなり遠い事はちゃんと分かっていたから、それなりに時間が掛かるであろうことは理解していたんだけど、どうやらその道のりは随分暇になるらしい。ちなみに、街まではあと半日も走っていれば辿り着ける筈だ。
一応、ここまでで魔獣も出て来たけれど、それもリーシェちゃんが出ればどうにかなる程度の相手だ。彼女のレベルアップの為にも、雑魚魔獣は彼女にやって貰った。今の所、リーシェちゃんが一番ステータスが遅れてるからね。精神的な原因があったんだろうけど、やっぱりレベル1からやり直せないのは痛いんだろう。
というか、僕はレベル1に何度も戻ってる訳だけど、他人には出来ないのかな? もし出来るようなら、リーシェちゃんも本来のステータスを取り戻せると思うんだけどなぁ。
まぁ、僕の固有スキル『初心渡り』の詳細が分かれば、それも分かって来るだろう。多分このスキルが原因だからね、僕がレベル1に戻るの。
それで、姐さんだけど、彼女は旅の道中で色んな話をしてくれた。例えば、追い掛けてくるゴブリンから妹と二人で全力逃走を繰り広げたり、川で水浴びしていたらスライムに纏わり付かれたり、色々と大変な目に遭っているらしい。
ちなみに、この世界のスライムはエロい行動はしないらしい。普通にその身体から出ている酸で肉を溶かして養分にするとのこと。うーん、残念。
それで、あの後。レイラちゃん達が起きたから、姐さんを紹介した。
とっつきやすい姐さんの性格上、僕やリーシェちゃんとは結構距離が近い。だからだと思うけれど、それを見たレイラちゃんが、直ぐに僕と姐さんの間に割りこんで腰を下ろした。頬を膨らませながら僕の腕に自分の腕を組んで、責める様な視線で僕を見て来た。
いやそんな目で見られても困るよね。だって僕とレイラちゃんって恋人って訳じゃないし、嫉妬するのは勝手だけどね。
で、現在。それ以来レイラちゃんは、僕達と距離の近い姐さんに対する警戒心が強い。僕が取られると思っているのか、それとも単に距離が近いから嫉妬しているのか、まぁどっちもだろうけど。一応姐さんには、僕とレイラちゃんが恋人ではない事を言ってある。勘違いされたら困るからね。
「レイラちゃん、姐さんが来てからなんでそんな不機嫌なの?」
「分かんない、でもなんかもやもやするの!」
「へぇ、だからずっと引っ付いてるの?」
「駄目?」
「暇だから別に良いけどね」
レイラちゃんは姐さんが来てからずっと、僕の隣に引っ付いている。食事や休憩の時は流石に離れるけど、その間も僕と姐さんを見ている。なんとなく気持ちは分かるけど、随分と人間らしくなったなこの子。
まぁ、姐さんの方はそんなレイラちゃんを見て、なんとなく察したんだろう。苦笑しながら僕と少しだけ距離を置いてくれる。今は一緒に旅する仲間なんだし、無駄に事を荒立てるつもりはないってことなんだろう。一つしか違わないのに、随分と大人だ。流石姉御肌。
とはいえ、まだ僕への感情を上手く理解出来ていないレイラちゃんには、嫉妬という感情も良く分からないんだろう。説明するのはまぁ簡単なんだろうけど、なんか嫌な奴っぽいからしない。
だって、君は僕の事が好きだから、他の女の子と話してると嫉妬するんだろう? なんて言いだす男、どうなんだ? 凄い嫌な奴っぽいじゃないか。
レイラちゃんと恋話出来る友達が出来れば良いんだけどね。
「......はぁ」
まぁそれはただの願望でしかない訳だ。隣で頬を膨らませたままのレイラちゃんの機嫌が収まる訳でもない。フラストレーションを溜めると、この子の場合暴走する気がするから厄介だよなぁ全く。
「レイラちゃん、あと半日は暇なんだし......ほら、膝枕してあげるから機嫌直して?」
「......本当? ......うふふっ♪」
とりあえず、膝枕で機嫌取り。オルバ公爵の一件の時とか、ニコちゃんのお守とか任せたけど、結局あの後膝枕してあげてなかったし、これ位は良いだろう。元々、レイラちゃんは御褒美目的でお願いを聞いてくれたんだし。
レイラちゃんのふわふわの頭を撫でながら、片手で瘴気のお手玉をする。暇な時間は幾らでもあるんだ、ちょっとでも自分を磨かないとね。
「仲良いなぁお前ら」
「ん? ああ姐さん、まぁレイラちゃんは構ってあげないと後が怖いからね」
「ッハハ、親離れ出来ない子供みたいだな」
「まぁ、以前はもっとヤバかったけどね」
なんせ人を食べる為に地の果てまで追い掛ける勢いだったからね。危うく殺されるところだったし。
ていうか、僕がレイラちゃんから離れて他の女の子と付き合ったとして、その時レイラちゃんはどうするだろう? ちょっと考えてみたけど......うん、まず相手の女の子死ぬよね。その後僕も殺されるか殺されかけるかしそう......怖いなもう。
「もっとヤバかったって......ッハハハ! 随分な甘えん坊だったんだな」
「むぅ......私はそんなに子供じゃないよ? ね、きつね君?」
「あっ、ちょっ、分かった、分かったから! 叩くな! 君の攻撃力半端ないんだから!」
レイラちゃんの同意を求める声に、僕は眼を逸らしながら棒読みで白々しく答えた。すると、それが不満だったのか無言で叩いてくるレイラちゃん。軽く叩いているつもりだろうけど、君の攻撃力は僕の耐性値を大きく超えるんだから、結構痛いんだぞ。僕じゃなかったら死んでるぞ!
とりあえず、僕の腿に頭を乗せながらも、むくれてそっぽを向いてしまったレイラちゃん。機嫌取りが逆に機嫌を損ねてしまった様だ。まぁ、頭を撫でていればレイラちゃんのことだ、ころっと機嫌が良くなるだろう。
「そういや、この子供は御者のおじさんの子供か? 母親は?」
すると姐さんが、自分の胡坐の上に座るニコちゃんを見て、そう聞いてくる。この2日で、どうやらニコちゃんはレイラちゃんだけではなく、姐さんにも懐いたらしい。まぁ、姐さんはかなり人柄の良い人だから、子供にも好かれやすいんだろう。
僕の方が付き合い長いのに、解せないな。僕もニコちゃんに膝の上に乗って欲しいなぁ。手を繋ぐことくらいしかしてないよ、僕。いやロリコンとかじゃないよ? 守備範囲広いだけで。
「ニコちゃんって言うんだ、確かにヒグルドさんの娘だよ。母親は亡くなってる」
「......そっか、まだちっさいのに災難だったなぁ。ニコ、か、笑顔みたいで良い名前だ」
「......ふぉりあ?」
「フロリアな、お前みたいな奴にも似合いそうだな、この名前」
ニコちゃんをぬいぐるみみたいに抱き締めながら、姐さんは快活に笑う。子供にも優しいのか、余計良い人だなぁ、まぁどうでも良いけれど。でもこうなると、妹さんは凄い我儘な子だったりするのかな? 姉が優しいと妹は我儘になるとかどっかで読んだことがある気がする。
妹さんと会いたい度がちょっと下がった。
「あ、ちなみにその子滅茶苦茶嘘吐きだから気を付けてね」
「お? ッハハ! お前嘘吐くのか? ちっさいのに賢いんだな!」
「......嘘なんて吐かない」
「それ嘘じゃん、絶対嘘じゃん。何、僕にだけなの? 嘘吐くの僕だけなの? 虐め?」
とまぁ、こんな会話をしながら、僕達は馬車に揺られていた。姐さんも、早々にこの空気に馴染んで、特にこれといった脅威もない平和な旅路だったね。レイラちゃんの性教育授業が一苦労と言えば一苦労だったけどさ。
それからしばらくして、僕達は次なる街―――『ラグーン』へと辿り着く。
◇ ◇ ◇
一方その頃―――勇者一行は、桔音達がラグーンへ辿り着く前日に次なる街へと辿り着いていた。街の名前は『フォランス』、工業都市である目的地の国が近いからか、やはりグランディール王国よりも多少武器の質が良い。
その日の内に、凪は一般的な普通の剣から多少質の良い剣へと乗り換えた。元々、酷使してきた故に使っていた剣はボロボロだったのだ。打ち合いの中で刃毀れしていたし、丁度乗り換え時期だった。
まぁ、聖剣や魔剣と呼ばれるクラスの代物よりは数段質が落ちるのだろうが、それでも下級の冒険者には手が出せないレベルの剣だ。金があるというのは、やはり得だ。
そして、その日は宿を取って移動時の疲れを癒した。特に行動するわけもなく、次の日以降の活動に支障が出ない程度には休むつもりだったらしい。
そして、現在。勇者達はその街の冒険者ギルドへ向かっていた。今の目的は、魔王を倒す前に勇者の力を付けること、ギルドでのランクを上げて、Aランクの魔族とまではいかなくとも、Aランクの魔獣程度は倒しておきたい。
ルルとフィニアも勇者のパーティとして依頼達成には協力するようだが、やはりどこか距離があるのは否めない。
「えーと、ルルちゃん、とフィニアさん?」
「何? 勇者さん」
「あ、と......まぁ今日はよろしく」
「うん。一応戦闘には協力するし、方針も無茶なものじゃないなら口出ししないよ」
そしてギルドへ向かう途中の道中で、凪はフィニア達に歩み寄ろうとしていた。というより、このままだとチームワーク的にも支障がでるだろうと思っての行動だ。
その言葉に対して、フィニアはそう答えた。拒絶している口調ではないが、一定以上の距離からは近づこうとはしない様子だ。
「よろしくおねがいします、勇者様」
「あ、ああ! よろしくな!」
ルルも、フィニアの言葉に異論は無いのか、素直に軽く頭を下げてそう言う。凪としては、それでも大きな進歩だったのか、拒絶的ではないことにほっと胸を撫で下ろし、今度は探り探りではなく普通によろしく、と口に出来た。
それを見ていた巫女、セシルは、最低でも背後から刺される様なことはなさそうだと考えつつ、ほっと息を吐いた。
「分かっちゃいたが、やっぱグランディールよか大分ちっせぇなぁ」
「まぁ比べる様なものでもないだろ、ジーク」
「まぁ手ごたえのある奴がいれば良いけどな」
そして、ギルドへ辿り着いた凪達。その外装に若干不満を隠せない様子のジーク。凪も、そんなジークに対して苦笑しつつ、ギルドの扉に手を掛ける。
そして、扉を開いた瞬間―――
「ッッ!?」
凪は扉から手を放し、それと同時にその場に居た全員が全身に走る悪寒を察知した。
瞬間、凪達は扉から大きく距離を取った。そしてそれと同時、扉が青白い光と共に爆散する。
ガラガラと音を立てて壊れたギルドの扉、その扉分の狭い隙間から見えるギルドの中には、丁度その隙間に収まる様にテーブルに付いた人影が一つ。
そして、その人影がゆっくりと立ち上がり、視線を凪達の方へと向けてきた。露草色のその瞳が、何もかもを見通すような視線で射抜いてくる。
「―――初めまして、異世界からの来訪者」
その人影は、ギルドの壊れた扉から外へ出て、その姿を陽の下へと現す。
凪達は誰に言われるまでもなく理解した。この人影―――否、少女は、自分達が束になっても敵わない相手だと。絶対的に、格上の相手だ。
そして、その少女は鈴の様な声音で更に告げる。
「貴方を――――浄化します」
白い髪と、白いドレスを揺らしながら、青白い稲妻の槍を顕現させた少女。神をも殺すその槍は、一度は同じ異世界人である桔音に刃を向けた、稲妻の猛威。
純白の使徒ステラが―――遂に勇者の前へと現れた。
White Big Sister and White Apostle
Thereafter, we rode the carriage for two days. We knew that it was quite a long way to the town, thus we understood that it would take some time to get there, but apparently we hadn't properly calculated how free we would be along the way. Incidentally, it should take another half a day for us to reach the town.
By the way, we encountered several demonic beasts along the way, but they were merely on the level that even Rishe-chan could handle. In order to level her up, I have had her take care of the small fry demonic beasts. At present, Rishe-chan is the most lagging behind status-wise, after all. I guess there is some psychological cause for it, but as expected being unable to start over from level 1 is a huge setback.
Or rather, I've reverted back to level 1 over and over again, but I wonder if it's possible for the others as well? If it is possible, then, I think Rishe-chan would be able to regain her original status.
Well, once I find out more about the details regarding my unique skill {Re: Origin} , I bet I'd find out about it as well. Most likely, this skill is the cause why I revert back to level 1, after all.
And then, speaking of Big Sis, she told us many stories about her journey along the way. For example, about how she and her sister did their best to escape from the goblins that were chasing after them, or about how they had slimes coil around them when they were bathing in the river, it seems that they've gone through perilous experiences in a lot of ways.
By the way, it seems that slimes in this world don't do erotic acts. They simply use the acid excreted from their bodies to dissolve flesh and turn it into nutrients. Yup, what a shame.
And then, after that. Leila-chan and Nico-chan woke up, so I introduced them to Big Sis.
As Big Sis has an easygoing personality, the distance between her and me and Rishe-chan was quite close. I think that was exactly why Leila-chan, who saw that, promptly squeezed herself between me and Big Sis and sat down. With her cheeks puffed out, she linked her arm with mine and stared at me with a reproachful gaze.
Dear me, her looking at me with such eyes would be troubling, don't you think? I mean, it's not like Leila-chan and I are lovers or anything... Well, I can't stop her from being jealous, though.
Which brings us to the present. Since then, Leila-chan has been very cautious of Big Sis who is close in distance with us. Perhaps thinking that I'm going to be taken away, or perhaps she's simply jealous because we're being close with each other, well, it may be both, though. Just in case, I've told Big Sis that I and Leila-chan aren't lovers. It'd be troubling if she misunderstands, after all.
"Leila-chan, why have you been pouting like that ever since Big Sis came?"
"I don't know, but somehow I've been having this hazy feeling!"
"Oh, that's why you've been sticking to me all the time?"
"I can't?"
"Well, I have nothing to do, so I don't particularly mind, though."
Leila-chan has been sticking close to me ever since Big Sis came. As expected, she separates herself from me when we have meals or take a break, but she'd be keeping an eye on me and Bis Sis all the while. I more or less understand her feeling, but this girl sure has become pretty human-like, hasn't she?
Well, seeing such a Leila-chan, Big Sis must have more or less perceived it. With a wry smile on her face, she distances herself from me a little. Right now, we're comrades who are traveling together, so she must be trying not to rock the boat pointlessly. She is quite mature for someone who is only one year older than me. As expected of someone with a big-sisterly disposition.
Nonetheless, Leila-chan, who doesn't yet understand the feelings she has for me, mustn't understand the emotion called jealousy either. I think it's easy to explain, but I won't because that would make me sound like a jerk.
I mean, what do you think of a guy who goes and says things like: you get jealous when I talk to other girls because you like me, don't you?He sounds like a huge jerk, doesn't he?
I wish Leila-chan could make friends with whom she could talk about love.
"... Haa"
Well, that's no more than wishful thinking. It doesn't help Leila-chan's mood, whose cheeks are still puffed out next to me. It sure is troubling because in this girl's case, I get the feeling that she'd go berserk if her frustration builds up, good graciousness.
"Leila-chan, I've got nothing to do for another half day, so... Come on, I'll give you a lap pillow, so cheer up, okay?"
"... Really? ... Ufufu"
For the time being, I'm putting her in a good mood by giving her a lap pillow. Be it in the case with Duke Orba, or when I asked her with the protection of Nico-chan, in the end I didn't get to give her a lap pillow afterwards, so I guess indulging her this much should be fine. From the beginning, Leila-chan had accepted my requests because she was eyeing the rewards, after all.
While petting Leila-chan's fluffy head, I do miasma juggling with one hand. I have plenty of free time, so I need to improve myself even a bit.
"You guys sure are close, aren't you?"
"Hmm? Oh, Big Sis, well, I'm afraid of the consequences if I don't pay attention to Leila-chan, after all."
"Hahaha, she's like a child who can't leave her parents."
"Well, it was even worse before, though, you see."
After all, it was at the level where she would chase you to the ends of the world to eat you, after all. I was close to getting killed by her.
I mean, if I were to leave Leila-chan and go out with another girl, I wonder what would she do then? I try to give it some thoughts, but... Yes, first of all, the girl would die, wouldn't she? Afterwards, I think I would either be killed or close to being killed... Which is scary.
"Worse than that... Hahaha! She must have been quite the spoiled child."
"Muu... I'm not that much of a kid, you know? Right, Kitsune-kun?
"Ah, wai, I get it, I get it, okay! Don't hit me! Your attack power is no joke, after all!"
As Leila-chan asks for my consent, I turn my gaze away and barefacedly answer her in a monotonous manner. And then, perhaps displeased with that, Leila-chan hits me in silence. I think she means to hit me lightly, but her attack power far exceeds my resistance value, so it hurts quite a bit, you know? If it were anyone but me, they'd be dead, you know?!
At any rate, even as she rests her head on my thighs, Leila-chan pouts and turns her face away. It seems that the coaxing has conversely ended up putting her in a bad mood. Well, it's Leila-chan we're talking about here, I bet her mood will soon bright up as l pat her head.
"Come to think of it, is this child the child of the coachman uncle? What about her mother?"
Then, Big Sis, sitting cross-legged, looks at Niko-chan sitting on her lap and asks me as such. In these two days, it seems that Nico-chan has grown attached to Big Sis as well, not just to Leila-chan. Well, Big Sis is quite a good-natured person, so I guess it's easy for kids to like her, too.
Even though I've known her longer, I just don't get it. I want to have Nico-chan sit on my lap, too. The only thing I do is hold hands with her, you know? No, I'm not a lolicon or anything, you know? It's simply that I have an extensive field of expertise.
"Her name is Nico-chan, and she's indeed Higurd-san's daughter. Her mother has passed away."
"... I see, how unfortunate, even though she's still so small. Nico, was it? It's a good name, like a smile."
"... Foria?"
"Floria, huh, I think it would suit a guy like you too, this name, I mean."
Big Sis laughs cheerfully as she hugs Nico-chan like a stuffed animal. So Big Sis is kind to children too, huh, she sure is an overly good person, isn't she? Well, it doesn't matter, though. But given things, could the little sister be a very willful child? I feel like I've read somewhere that when the elder sister is kind, the younger sister becomes willful.
My inclination to meet the little sister has dropped a bit.
"Ah, by the way, that child is a big liar, so be careful."
"Oh? Hahaha! You tell lies, huh? Even though you're so small, that's smart of you!"
"... I don't tell lies."
"That's a lie, definitely a lie. What, is it only to me? Am I the only one to whom you tell lies? Bullying?"
Well, as we engage in such conversations, we rock in the carriage. With Big Sis quickly fitting into the vibes, it's a peaceful journey with no particular threats worth mentioning. Leila-chan's sex education lesson is quite challenging though, I'd say.
A short time later, we arrived at the next town... {Lagoon} .
* * *
Meanwhile, the Hero party had arrived at the next town the day before Kitsune and his group arrived at the Lagoon. The name of the town was {Forance} , and perhaps because of its proximity to the destination country, which was an industrial city, as expected, the quality of the weapons was slightly better than that of the Grandile Kingdom.
In the course of the day, Nagi switched from the common, ordinary sword to a somewhat better quality sword. To begin with, the sword he had been using was tattered due to heavy use. The blade had chipped in the exchange of blows, so it was a perfect time to switch.
Well, the quality was probably several levels lower than the items on the class called holy swords or demonic swords, but it was still a sword on the level that low-ranked adventurers couldn't get their hands on. Having money was, as expected, a privilege.
And then, that day, they made a reservation at an inn and relieved the fatigue from their journey. Without taking any action in particular, it seemed that they had planned to take enough rest to not interfere with their activities from the next day onwards.
And then, at present. The Hero party was heading toward the adventurer's guild in that town. Their current objective was to build up the strength of the Hero, raise his rank in the guild and make him capable of at least defeating an A-ranked demonic beast, even if he couldn't an A-ranked demon, before going to subjugate the Demon Lord.
Lulu and Finia would also cooperate in the completion of requests as members of the Hero party, but as expected there was no denying that there was some distance between them.
"Err, Lulu-chan, and Finia-san?"
"What is it? Hero-san."
"Ah, err... Well, I'll be in your care today."
"Yes. More or less, we'll cooperate with you in the battle and we won't meddle with your policy, as long as it's not a reckless one."
And then, on the way to the guild, Nagi tried to approach Finia and Lulu. Rather, it was an action he took as he thought that it would cause an issue if things remained as they were, in terms of teamwork as well.
Finia responded as such to those words of his. Her tone wasn't that of refusal, but it seemed that she had no interest in getting any closer to them than a certain distance.
"I look forward to working with you, Hero-sama."
"Y, yeah! Best regards!"
Lulu, too, honestly bowed her head lightly and said so, perhaps having no objection to Finia's words. Even so, perhaps seeing it as a huge progress, Nagi felt relieved that they didn't show rejection toward him and normally put "best regards" into words this time, as opposed to just probing around.
Miko Cecil, who was watching, let out a sigh of relief, thinking that at the very least they would not be stabbed from behind.
"I expected as much, but sure enough it's a lot smaller than the one in Grandile, huh."
"Well, the two are simply incomparable, no, Sieg?"
"Well, it doesn't matter as long as there's some guy with backbone, though."
And then, Nagi and co. arrived at the guild. Sieg couldn't seem to hide his slight dissatisfaction with the exterior of the guild. Nagi, too, smiled wryly at such a Sieg and put his hand on the door of the guild.
And then, the moment he opened the door...
"!?"
Nagi let go of the door, and at the same time, everyone present sensed a chill running through their bodies.
Instantly, Nagi and the others took a great distance from the door. And at the same time, the door exploded along with a bluish-white light.
The broken guild's door made a rattling sound, and inside the guild seen through the doors worth narrow opening, there was a single figure attached to the table that just happened to fit into that opening.
And then the figure slowly rose and turned their gaze toward Nagi and the others. The dayflower-colored eyes pierced them with a gaze that seemed to see through everything.
"--Nice to meet you, visitor from another world."
The figure stepped out of the guild's broken door and revealed themselves to the sun.
Nagi and the others understood without needing anyone to tell them. That figure--no, the girl, was an opponent that they could not stand against even if they were to work together. She was an absolutely, higher-ranked opponent.
And then the girl further added in a bell-like tone.
"I will -- purify you."
With her white hair and white dress fluttering in the air, the girl manifested a spear of pale lightning. That spear, which was capable of killing even gods, was a lightning fury that once pointed its blade at Kitsune, who was similarly an otherworldly person.
The pure white apostle Stella-- finally appeared in front of the Hero.
I Kinda Came to Another World, but Where’s the Way Home?
【書籍化】異世界来ちゃったけど帰り道何処？
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/i-kinda-came-to-another-world-but-wheres-the-way-home/
Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Harem Shounen Slice of Life
Apathetic Protagonist Bullying Calm Protagonist Demi-Humans Demon Lord Demons Dense Protagonist Fairies Game Elements Ghosts Heterochromia Knights Level System Male Protagonist Murders Naive Protagonist R-15 Royalty R*pe S*aves Sword And Magic Transported to Another World Weak Protagonist Yandere
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2650bx/
こいし