271 キャロルの過去
自分に賞金を懸けたリオンズテイル社の者から交渉を持ち掛けられたことにかなり驚いたアキラだったが、そのリオンズテイル社の者であるフリップからクロエの殺害を依頼された驚きには
「待ってくれ。真面目に言ってるのか? 俺にそんな依頼を本気で出すつもりなのか?」
「可能性の話だ。まずは君がそのような依頼を受ける人物なのか確認している。俺はハンターで殺し屋ではないと断る者も多い。だがそう言っておきながら賞金首なら人でも殺す者もいる。私としては金の受け取り方が違うだけで、やっていることは同じだと思うのだがね。まあ、その辺りの判断基準は人それぞれだ。私の考えを押し付ける気は無い。で、どうだろうか」
「いや、そう言われても」
「繰り返すが、まだ依頼は出していない。君がその手の依頼を受け付ける者であれば、その情報を社に持ち帰り、他の者達と相談して実際に依頼を出すかどうか決める。その後、君と報酬等を交渉し、合意に至らず流れることもあるだろう。今はその前段階だ。割に合わないとか、そういう理由で渋っているのであれば、割に合うように交渉すれば良いだけの話だ。この時点で断る理由にはならないと思うぞ?」
言っていることは正しい。アキラはそう思いながらも僅かに悩んだ。そして悩む理由に気付くと、首を横に振った。
アキラはそれでも首を横に振った。フリップが軽く息を吐く。
「......まあ、変則的ではあるが、殺しの依頼なのだ。無理強いはできない。しかし理由ぐらいは教えてもらえないか? 今更殺しに
「まあな。その辺は今更だ。ただ......」
「ただ?」
「俺は俺の意志であいつを殺す。そこに他人の意志を混ぜたくない。それだけだ」
アキラはそうはっきりと言い切った。アキラにとっては非常に重要で、それだけで十分な理由だった。
だが納得していない様子のフリップを見て、もう少し理由を付け足す。
「後は、依頼を受けると俺だけで決められなくなるからな。これから何かあって、あいつを殺さない、
わらず、気が変わる可能性があると? そんなことが有り得ると?」
「俺もいろいろあってな。想像もしなかった事態に遭遇するのは慣れてるんだ。だから、有り得ないなんて有り得ないって考えておくことにしてるんだよ」
フリップがどこか意味有り気に笑う。
「そうか。まあ、そういうことにしておこう」
「私も支店長ともなると、いろいろあってね。気にしないでくれ」
フリップは軽く笑って話を流した。
交渉を終えたアキラはキャロルと一緒にバイクに
「交渉自体は不調に終わってしまったが、それでも君との縁が出来たのだ。上出来としよう。もう一度言っておくが、我々は君と敵対するつもりはない。つまり、君が当社のサービスを希望するのであれば受け付ける。賞金首の上に三区支店と敵対関係にある以上、料金は要相談となるがね」
商売熱心だと、アキラが苦笑を返す。
アキラはそれだけ言い残してバイクを走らせると、そのまま荒野に消えていった。
アキラが去った後、フリップの表情から客向けの愛想が消えた。代わりに支店を預かる者の顔が現れる。
「お前達、彼の実力をどう見る?」
フリップの側近でもある執事の男の顔は少々険しいものだった。
「警戒に値する実力は十分にあるかと。しかし報告書にあった機械化兵隊蜂を倒せる程かと問われると、私の見立てでは難しいかと」
「同意見です。しかし先程の隠形は見事でした。彼のハンターとしての実力がどうであれ、フリップ様の護衛を任されている身としては近付けたくありませんね」
「そうか。ではやはり、敵対しないと宣言できただけでも交渉の価値はあったな」
その後、車両に戻ったフリップは部下達からアキラとの交渉について改めて説明を求められた。後部座席に座ってそれを話す。
執事服の男がそれを聞いて懸念を示す。
「しかし支店長。代表が来訪されるという今この時に、三区支店に手を出すのは危険では?」
「問題無い。それが問題となる場合はアリス代表から三区支店には手出し不要との通達が必ず来る。しかし来ていない。つまりアリス代表は我々が三区支店を妨害することを許可している。......まあ、推奨か黙認かは分からないがな」
フリップはそう言った後で大きな
「......しかしアリス代表はなぜ来訪の目的を周知されないのか。他支店にも戸惑いが見える。これでは騒ぎが広がるばかりではないか......」
「した。具体的な返事は来ていない。知る必要は無いとすら言われていない。不明なままだ。彼が依頼を引き受けてくれれば、報酬の名目でこちらの人員を送り込んで多少は情報収集も出来たのだが......、
「キャロルはさっきの話をどう思う?」
「うーん。そうね、アキラの敵の範囲が思ったより狭いと分かったのは良かったと思うわ」
ローレンス一族の者を殺そうとしたのにも
むアルファと目が合ったので、更に逆方向に視線をずらした。
「あと、これは私の個人的な感想になるけど、アキラの考え方が分かって良かったわ」
「ん? 何かあったか?」
「ほら、殺しの依頼をちゃんと断ったでしょう? 殺しに
アキラも笑って返した。そしてふと思う。
キャロルがどこか堅い口調で聞き返す。
「......それ、答えないと駄目?」
な部分があるから教えておくけど、俺には強力な装備が手に入る予定があるんだ。だからキャロルが警戒している何かが襲ってくるなら、それはその装備を手に入れた後の方が都合が良いんだ。それで、相手が分かればその辺の予想も出来るかなって思っただけだ」
「その装備っていつ頃手に入るの?」
「早ければ1週間後ぐらいで、遅ければ3ヶ月後ぐらいだ」
「随分期間に間があるのね」
「まあ、その辺はいろいろあってな」
無理に聞き出すつもりは本当に無いこと。そして装備の調達時期という場合によっては致命的にもなりかねない情報を伝える程度には気を許されていると感じて、キャロルが口調を大いに緩める。
める。本来ならそのまま後部扉を開けてバイクごと中に入るのだが、それをアキラが止めた。
「アキラ。どうしたの?」
アキラはバイクから降りた後、片手に銃を握り、キャロルを背にしながらゆっくりと車両に近付いていく。キャロルもアキラの様子から警戒を高めて銃を構える。
車両の後部扉を開けてバイクを
「久しぶり。お邪魔してるぞ」
シロウはアキラ達を笑って迎えた。
相手は銃を握っておらず、戦意も見せておらず、加えて坂下重工の人間だ。その判断から、アキラ達はシロウに向けていた銃口を下ろした。それでも警戒は緩めなかった。
キャロルが厳しい視線をシロウに向ける。
「......どうやって中に入ったの?」
この車のセキュリティー程度、自分にとっては無いも同然。シロウは暗にそう告げて余裕の笑みを浮かべた。そこにアキラが口を挟む。
「それでも事前に連絡ぐらい入れたらどうだ? 俺に交渉してきたやつもそれぐらいはしたぞ?」
をすると俺の居場所が割れる恐れがあるんだ。今日だって、会えなかったら置き手紙でも残して帰ろうかと思ったぐらいなんだ」
ミハゾノ街遺跡でヤナギサワに見付かってしまったこともあり、シロウはその辺に関して極めて慎重になっていた。
「まあ急に来たのも勝手に入ったのも悪かったよ。お互い事情のある身なんだ。そこは見逃してくれ。今日は話があって来たんだ」
キャロルが焦りを
「話って、何?」
そう問われたシロウが、アキラ達を見ながら自身の優位を示すように余裕を見せて笑う。
「ああ。旧領域接続者同士、取引をしたいんだ」
アキラが思わず僅かに反応してしまう。自分でもそれに気付き、
えた様子を見せている時点で、たとえ相手が坂下重工の者であろうとも、アキラには銃口を向ける理由になった。後はキャロルが敵だと答えれば、引き金を引く理由になる。
シロウもそれに気付いて顔を険しくする。キャロルの様子から何を言い出しても不思議は無いと考えて、失敗したと思いながらゆっくりと後退していく。
シロウはそのままアキラに背を向けずに下がっていき、リビングルームから出た。そして車両の他のドアを開けて出ていった。アキラはそれを止めるべきか少し迷っていたが、キャロルの様子からまずは護衛を優先し、シロウをそのまま逃がした。
『大丈夫よ。彼はもう消えたわ』
アキラが大きく息を吐き、警戒を解いて銃を下ろす。そしてキャロルを見る。
アキラはキャロルの向かいに座り、それ以上のことはしなかった。時折キャロルの様子を見るように視線を動かすだけだ。声も掛けずに黙って座っていた。
時間が流れていく。重苦しい沈黙も、何も起こらずに流れ続ければ、声の無い静かな時間となる。
「......聞かないの?」
「詳しい事情は話せないって言ったのはキャロルだろ? 俺はその上で護衛を引き受けたんだ。だから聞かない。そういう条件での依頼だからな」
それで一度会話が途切れた。再び黙るキャロルの様子を見て、アキラはまた返答を間違ったかと思い、少し付け足す。
「まあ、興味はあるから、聞いて良いなら聞きたいけどな」
キャロルはまたそれだけ答えた。アキラはまた間違えたかと思ったが、少し間を開けてから、キャロルが
誰かに話せば、誰かに知られれば破滅すると思い、ずっと黙っていたことを、心のどこかで誰かに打ち明けて楽になりたいと思っていたことを、キャロルはゆっくりと話し始めた。
キャロルがまだキャロルとは名乗っていなかった頃、ただのありふれたハンターだったキャロルはミハゾノ街遺跡を探索中にある建物の中で激しい頭痛に襲われて気絶した。その直前、視界は様々な拡張現実の表示で
目を覚ましたのは数日後、気絶した場所だった。遺跡の中で数日間も意識を失っていたのに死んでいない。そのことを
に思いながらも、まずは痛む頭を抱えながら帰ろうとする。そして建物から出たキャロルは、余りの光景に声を失った。真夜中なのにも
で望んだ者は現れない。勝手に期待して相手に尽くし、自分で口を割らせて失望し、見切って破滅させてしまうということが続き、キャロルの悪女としての悪名を高めていった。
そのような日々を過ごしていたキャロルは、ある日、自分の体に興味をまるで示さない珍しい者と出会った。アキラだ。どんなに誘惑しても全く反応を示さず、変に頑固なところがあり、時に頭のおかしい判断をして、受けた依頼には妙に忠実という変わった少年だった。
いは。キャロルは無自覚にそう思い、アキラに興味を持っていた。
だがそれを確かめる前に、巨大な組織がクガマヤマ都市の周辺で旧領域接続者を探しているという情報がキャロルに入ってくる。自分を探している訳ではないと分かっていたが、自分もその調査網の巻き添えとなり露見する恐れはあった。
そこでキャロルはアキラに護衛を依頼した。アキラならば、一度引き受けた依頼であれば、旧領域接続者の捕獲部隊を相手にしても退かずに戦ってくれるのではないかと考えたのだ。そしてその予想は正しく、アキラはミハゾノ街遺跡でシロウを捕まえにきた者達の戦闘を見ても、護衛を降りるような
Ch 271
Akira was surprised when someone from Lion Steel, which had placed the bounty on him, asked to have a meeting with him. Even so, the surprise he felt now was incomparable to that. Kill Chloe - that was the task Fulip, a man from the Lion Steel Fourth Branch, requested of him.
"Wait a second. Are you being serious? Are you seriously offering me this job?"
"Indeed, we are. That is also if you are fine with accepting it. I want to know if you are someone who would accept such a request. After all, there are many Hunters who refuse to commit assassinations. Though, with that being said, it is not rare to find them show no hesitation when it comes to hunting a bounty target. Personally speaking, I believe the only difference here is how the reward is handed out. The core of what they do is exactly the same. But what can I say? Different people have different principles? So, I have no plans to force my opinion on anyone. Anyway, what is your answer?"
"Well, even if you say so..."
"Let me be clear. It's not like we are formally offering you this job now. We are still assessing whether you are someone who would take such a job. If the answer is a yes, we will take your answer back to our company, and deliberate on it with the others. Only after that, might we send you a formal offer for this job. If things develop in that direction, we will still need to sit down and talk about the reward some other time. There is still a good chance we might not reach an agreement. This is where we are right now. If you plan to refuse because of the risk, we can discuss the conditions and the reward later to make it worthwhile for you. So, I believe the lack of reward is not a good enough reason to reject this offer at this point."
Akira thought that Fulip was not wrong, but he was still hesitating. The moment he realized why he was hesitating; Akira immediately firmly shook his head.
But even so, Akira once again shook his head. Fulip lightly sighed.
"...Well, although it is not a normal request, it is still assassination. I won't force you. But, if I may ask, can you at least tell me why you can't accept it? I'm sure it's not like you're hesitating to take her life after all that has happened, right?"
"Well, yeah. It would be way too late to be hesitating at this point. It's just that..."
"Yes?"
"I want to kill her purely because of my own will. I don't want to get someone else's intention mixed into it. That is all."
Akira said firmly, without any hesitation. For him, it was vital. Thus, it alone was enough of a reason.
However, Fulip did not seem to be satisfied with his answer. So, Akira added another reason.
"And also, if I accept your request, it means that I will no longer be able to make decisions on my own. In case the situation changes where I no longer want her dead, it would turn into a huge problem. That's why I won't accept your request."
"Oh. So you are saying even after all the battles that you have gone through, there's still a possibility of you changing your mind, huh? Is that even possible?"
"Well, it's not that simple for me too, you know? I'm already used to having to encounter unexpected turns of events. That's why I can't say with certainty that it is impossible."
Fulip smiled. He seemed to be hiding something behind that smile.
"I see. Well, I will leave it as that for now."
"As the branch manager of the fourth ward, there are a lot of things going on that I have to deal with too, you see. So don't mind the remark I left."
Fulip smiled lightly and evaded giving a straight answer.
Now that the negotiation had concluded, Akira and Carol hopped back onto Akira's bike. Just before they left, Fulip, who saw them off with a smile, said to them.
"Although we were not able to reach an agreement, we were able to get acquainted with each other. I believe it is not completely in vain. Let me say this again before you leave. We have no wish to be hostile with you. So, if you ever wish, we can offer some of our services to you. Although, considering your relationship with the third ward branch, we can't charge you the usual price."
Akira smiled bitterly. He was once again reminded of how Fulip was a business-oriented person.
Akira only said as much before he left the area and vanished into the dark wasteland.
After Akira left, the business smile on Fulip's face vanished. It was replaced by a firm resolute look of a branch manager.
"What do you think of his fighting capability?"
The butler next to Fulip had a stern look on his face as he stated.
"It is enough of a reason for us to be careful with him. However, I don't believe he is strong enough to defeat that wasp monster on his own as the report had stated."
"I concur. But that stealthiness of his was impressive. Leaving aside his ability as a Hunter, as Fulip-sama's bodyguard, I am rather reluctant to let someone like him near Fulip-sama."
"I see. Then it was as I thought. It is worth all the trouble to at least let him know that we don't wish to get into a fight with him."
When they returned back to the vehicle, another of Fulip's men was curious about how the negotiation went. Thus, Fulip sat on the back seat and gave him a quick rundown of what just happened.
The man in a butler suit showed his concern after he heard everything.
"But, branch manager. Would it not be dangerous for us to be messing with the third ward right now? Considering that the representative is coming to visit the third ward."
"It's not a problem. If that was the case, representative Alice would have sent a warning. Telling us not to mess with the third ward. But since we never received such a warning, this means that representative Alice is fine with us sabotaging the third ward... Well, though, I must state that I don't know if representative Alice is approving or merely tolerating our actions."
After that, Fulip let out a huge sigh.
"...But still, it seems that the reason why representative Alice is coming to the third ward is being kept secret. The other branches seem to be confused as well. I bet this incident will only grow larger with time..."
"I did. But they did not deliver a clear answer. They did not even tell me that we have no need to know the reason why. The whole thing is still a mystery. If only Akira agreed to accept our offer, we could have used support and reward as an excuse to send some of our people to gather some information. But... It didn't go well..."
"Carol, what do you think of what just happened there?"
"Hmmm, let's see. Well, I'm glad that your opponent is not as big as I had thought."
They were able to confirm that the whole Lion Steel company was not hostile to him. Even when Akira was trying to kill a member of the Lorentz family. Therefore, if he escaped from the territory under the third ward branch, the 50 billion Aurum bounty would effectively lose its value. After all, killing a bounty target set by the third ward branch might be interpreted as picking a fight with the faction that opposes the third ward branch.
Although Akira was behind her, unable to lock eyes, he still looked away. It was as if he was avoiding giving a straight answer. But by pure coincidence, his eyes met Alpha's instead, who was smiling teasingly. Therefore, Akira quickly turned to the opposite direction.
"Also, this is only my personal impression, but I'm glad that I get to understand how you think."
"Hm? Did I do something?"
"You refused their assassination request, remember? Even with no desire to kill, there are those who can indifferently become a robber or an assassin. But you're not like that. Rather, you're the kind that feels nothing when murdering them. No matter what the reason, once someone accepts an assassination request, they would turn into a cold-blood murderer. Since you can choose to be one anytime you want, the reason you have not is extremely important."
Akira replied with a smile. But then, something else came to mind.
Carol replied rather awkwardly.
"...Do I absolutely have to answer that question?"
"I won't force you. But, well, since our fate is basically intertwined to some extent at the moment, I will let you know something. I'm actually scheduled to receive a rather powerful set of equipment. So, it would be great if those coming after you attack after I get my new equipment. I just thought I might be able to predict when they might attack if I know who they are."
"When will you get your equipment?"
"In a week if I get lucky, or in 3 months in the worst-case scenario."
"That's a rather wide schedule."
"Yeah, it's complicated."
Carol could not help but smile since it seemed like Akira really had no wish to force her to answer. It seems that he trusted her enough to inform her of his new equipment. Also, it would be bad if her enemies were to attack before he received his new equipment.
As they eventually reached the camping vehicle, they stopped the bike near it. Normally, they would simply open the back door and put the bike in, but Akira stopped Carol from doing so.
"Akira, what's wrong?"
After Akira stepped off the bike, he grabbed his rifle and slowly approached the camping vehicle. He moved forward while positioning himself to shield Carol. Naturally, Carol noticed this and became wary. She held a gun in hand as she trailed behind him.
Akira then opened the back door and moved the bike in. Afterwards, he used the bike as a shield to peek into the camping vehicle. After a while, nothing happened. He confirmed that the back of the vehicle was safe and he carefully proceeded forward. The moment they stepped inside the living room, they saw a familiar face waiting for them.
"Long time no see. Sorry for barging in like this."
Shirou smiled and welcomed Akira and Carol.
Shirou had no weapon in hand and he showed no animosity. Moreover, he was someone from Sakashita Heavy Industry. Thus, Akira and Carol lowered their weapons. However, they were still cautious of him.
Carol was glaring at Shirou.
"...How did you get in?"
Shirou acted extremely unceremoniously as if the security of the camping vehicle was nonexistent to him. That was when Akira suddenly interjected.
"You can at least contact us beforehand if you're going to visit, you know? Those guys wanting to talk to me at least did that much."
"Sorry about that, I was worried that others will be able to trace my location if I contact you. I was even planning to leave a letter if I did not get to meet you today."
Yanagisawa was able to find him once back in Mihazono ruin, that was why Shirou was being extremely careful.
"Well, I apologize for coming without telling you first and breaking into your vehicle. As someone who is also in a precarious situation, I hope you can understand my actions. I'm here because there's something I want to discuss with you."
Carol started to look anxious.
"Discuss? What is it?"
Shirou glanced at Akira and Carol while smiling confidently. It was as if gloating he had the upper hand.
"Well, there's something I want to discuss as a fellow old-world connector."
Akira inadvertently furrowed his eyebrows. The moment he noticed that he had reacted, he thought that his cover had been blown. This caused him to show an even more obvious reaction. However, someone else in the room reacted even more vigorously.
Although he did not know what exactly was going on, it did not change the fact that his escort target was frightened. Therefore, even if faced with someone from Sakashita Heavy Industry, it was enough of a reason for Akira to point his rifle at Shirou. If Carol made any signal to show affirmation, Akira would not hesitate to pull the trigger.
The moment Shirou realized this, his expression immediately turned solemn. Judging from her mental state, it seemed to be useless to try to say anything to Carol right now. So, he slowly withdrew from the place, thinking that it was an unfortunate failure.
Shirou then slowly exited the living room without turning his back to Akira. He then proceeded to the door and finally left the camping vehicle. Akira was not sure if he should stop Shirou or not. However, seeing the state Carol was in, he prioritized her safety first and allowed Shirou to leave.
"It's alright. He really left."
Akira heaved a big sigh and lowered his rifle. He then glanced at Carol, who was cowering in fear.
Akira was sitting on the opposite side of the table from her. He only sat there in silence without doing anything else. He only occasionally threw a glance to check on her, nothing more. He was simply sitting there without saying anything.
Time passed, no one broke the suffocating silence and it only continued indefinitely. Carol, distraught from the shock, slowly calmed down. It was as if the shock she felt was dissipating into the silence.
"...You won't ask, huh?"
"You were the one who said that you don't want to talk about it, right? I already knew that when I agreed to be your bodyguard. So, I won't ask. That was one of the conditions when I accepted this job, after all."
Silence once again pervaded the room. Seeing Carol once again fall silent, Akira thought that he gave the wrong answer. Thus, he tried to make up for his mistake.
"Well, it's not like I'm not interested. So, I do want to know if you are willing to tell me."
Carol only said as much and once again fell silent. Akira could not help but think that he made another mistake again. After a short pause, she straightened up her hunching back and declared.
Up until now, she had been keeping it a closing guarded secret. Believing her life would be endangered if it ever got out. However, a portion of her heart wished she could share it with someone. The desire to be free from her shackles pushed her to continue her story.
A long time ago, when her name was not Carol yet. She was just one among the thousands of the common eastern district Hunters. One day, she got assaulted by a crippling headache while exploring Mihazono ruin. Right after, her vision was littered with images. Images which seemed to be from augmented reality. It was to the point where she could not even look at what was in front of her. She eventually fainted and lost consciousness.
She woke a few days later and found herself right where she lost consciousness. She wondered how she had survived, unconscious for a few days in the middle of a dangerous ruin. Her first thought was to return while enduring the incessant headache. The moment she stepped outside the building, she was flabbergasted. Although it was in the middle of the night, her vision was filled with light.
The moment Carol could see all this, her head was once again assaulted by crippling pain. Although it was excruciating, she managed to stay awake. But, she still thought that it was dangerous to stay there. Thus, she decided to head back home. However, the pain quickly became unbearable the moment she hurriedly returned back inside the building. It was only after she got inside a room, with few augmented reality images, that her headache slowly subsided, allowing her an opportunity to take a short break.
However, due to her superb skill in seducing men, she was not able to find the right one. She only ended up repeating the cycle. Getting her hopes up, seducing the guy, making him spill out his secret, and getting herself disappointed in the end. Naturally, it also led to the ruin of the man, which also led to her infamy for ruining others' lives.
Then one day, as she was going about her usual life, Carol met someone unique. A boy who showed completely no interest in her. It was Akira. No matter how hard she tried to seduce him, Akira always showed no reaction. Furthermore, Akira was extremely particular. He always stuck close to his principles no matter what. He also occasionally made insane decisions, which went against any semblance of common sense. He was a young boy who was strangely extremely dutiful to requests that he accepted.
Carol started unconsciously getting interested in him. Hoping that if it was such a strange boy, then he might be the person she was hoping for.
But before she was able to do anything to confirm her feelings, she received some info. It stated that a huge organization was looking for an old-world connector near Kugamayama city. Although she knew that they were not looking for her, she was worried that she would get investigated.
It was then that Carol asked Akira to be her bodyguard. If it was him, she believed he would not abandon the job that he had taken; even if he faced those people. Indeed, her guess was on the nose. Even after Akira encountered those chasing Shirou back in Mihazono ruin, he did not show any signs of withdrawing from his duties as her bodyguard.
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/
非公開