研ぎ澄まされた戦闘勘。
袈裟に剣を振り下ろせば、身体は呆気なく泣き別れ、思い切り得物を投擲すれば標的は四散。本能の赴くまま、剣を振るうが最適解。タネも仕掛けもないただの一撃を振るい————気付けば、それにて全ては仕舞い。
辺りに広がるは思わず顔を顰めてしまう程の異臭。鉄錆と、肉塊の死臭である。
大地を彩る真紅は、まるで茜空を掬いあげたような透き通った色で、「う、っ」と、引き攣ったソフィアの声が俺のすぐ側から聞こえて来た。
「......着実に力を付けてきてるわね」
勝手に一人で先走り、依頼内容に書き記されていた魔物を難なく一掃してみせた俺の姿を見て、リレアは面白くないと言わんばかりに言葉をもらす。
「ま、ぁ、ここらの魔物は投げれば当たるし、振ればちゃんと斬れる。あ、後、ちゃんと距離も詰められるし」
だから、手間取る筈がないよと俺は言う。
割と練習していた投擲はフィオレが〝ピィちゃん〟と名付けていた魔物にすら通じなかった。
〝ジャバウォック〟に至ってはまともに接近出来ないどころか、腕の消耗を犠牲にして撃ち放った渾身の〝流れ星〟ですら、尾の先端を斬り裂くだけにとどまった。しかも、その傷はすぐに癒着されてしまったというオマケ付き。
「......〝ミナウラ〟にいたとは聞いたけど、キミ、どんな化け物と戦ってきたのよ」
本来、当たり前である事実を、恵まれていると認識する。それ即ち、その当たり前が当たり前に享受出来ない状況に立たされていたという事実に他ならない。
そう解釈したのか、リレアはリレアでソフィアとは違う意味で顔を引き攣らせていた。
「とんでもない化け物だよ。でも、俺ひとりだったら間違いなく呆気なく死んでた。俺がこうして生きていられてるのは、人の縁に恵まれてたからだし」
「......でしょうね。〝ミナウラ〟の魔物はとんでもなく強い事で有名だもの」
流石は別名、呪われた街と言ったところか。
その悪評は多くの人間の周知であったらしい。
「ただ、これだけ戦えるようになってるのなら尚更、キミの考えが理解出来ないんだけれど」
「と、いうとあの時の返事?」
「それ以外に何かあったかしら?」
「いいや? ただ聞いてみただけ」
あの時の返事とは、リレアが口にした怪獣討伐の件について。
アムセスと名乗る一人の冒険者が声を上げた魔物討伐の話を、彼女から聞いた後、俺はその話を受けるのではなく、断るという選択肢を選び取っていた。
それが、剣馬鹿仲間であるリレアには心底理解出来なかったらしい。
「......もしかして、あたしに遠慮してる?」
おずおずと言った様子で、血が見えないように気を付けているのか。若干顔を背けながら今度はソフィアが問い掛けてくる。
刹那の逡巡すら要す事なく返す言葉。
直後、ぎゅう、と思い切り足の甲を踏まれた。
......俺にどうしろと。
「でも、またとない強くなる機会だとは思わないの?」
「思うよ。俺だってそれが強くなる機会だと思ってる。でも、俺が求めてるのは
まず第一に、俺が剣を振る場合は大小に限らず理由がいる。
そして第二に、己の限界を超えられる機会が存在する闘争を求めている。『星斬り』へ至る為の近道は、まさしく、目の前に立ちはだかる壁を超え続ける事であると思うから。
理由もちゃんとある。
俺と同じ魔法使いであるソフィアの安全を守る為。そして、
それで第一、第二の条件はクリア。
多くの魔法使いが集まって、怪獣をみんなで討伐より俺からすれば余程そっちの方が魅力的に映る。何より、みんなで協力して強力な敵を倒す。などという当たり前の段階を踏んでいては己の壁を超える事なぞ、夢のまた夢である。
「それに、〝魔法使い狩り〟を捕らえるなりすれば、少なくない褒賞金が出るんでしょ? 多分、そっちの方が美味しいと思うけどな」
「......でも、姿形、声、性別、まだ何もわかってないのよ?」
いくら懸賞金がかけられているとはいえ、そんな相手にどう立ち回るのだと呆れるリレア。
「そこ、なんだよね」
一番の問題はやはりそこなのだ。
「だけど、〝魔法使い狩り〟の姿形を確認する方法は一つだけある」
「......自分が餌になる。そういう事かしら」
即座にやってくる答え。
「でも、この方法が一番手っ取り早いと思うんだけどな」
「......そりゃそうでしょうけれど」
リレアが渋面を崩さない理由は、そもそも、高名な武人達は不意をつかれたからといって簡単に殺されるようなヤワな者達ではないと、そう言いたいからなのだろう。
いかに警戒をした上で迎え撃とうと試みても、それが失敗に終わる可能性は極めて高い、と。
「————あたしは、それでもいいと思う」
「......ソフィアちゃん?」
そんな折、話を黙って聞いていたソフィアから声が上がる。そしてそれは、意外にも俺の主張を支持するものであった。
「だってユリウス、何言っても言うこと聞いてくれないし。どうせ、ここでいくら反対しても自分勝手にあたし達に何も知らせずに行動を起こすんでしょ?」
「............ぐ」
思わず言葉に詰まる。
確かに、その言葉通りの未来になってしまうような予感が心の何処かに存在していた為、上手く反論は出来なかった。
「だったら、行動を把握しておいた方がまだいい。それならあたし達も手助けしやすいだろうから」
俺の事をよく分かっている。
〝ミナウラ〟に寄り道した俺に対してグーパンチ一発で済ませてくれるだけの事はある。
「......確かに、言われてもみればそれが最善手かもしれないわね」
呪われた街とまで言われた〝ミナウラ〟に自分の意思で進んで向かうような阿呆である。
しかも、向かった理由は星を斬る上で可能な限り早く今より強くならなければいけなかったから、というものを根幹に据えている。
故に、正論を説いて俺の意見を変えようなんて事は土台無理な話でしかないのだ。
「......というより、たった一ヶ月とちょっと会ってなかっただけですっかり頭の中から抜け落ちてたわ。キミは、
基本的に、人という生き物はリスクを冒そうとする時は決まって、何らかの〝真っ当〟な理由を胸に突き進もうと試みる。
曰く何かを守る為に。助ける為に。
曰く科された使命を全うする為に、等。
そして、それが常識であり、世間で言うところの当たり前。
だからこそ、強くなりたいからという頭の可笑しな理由でその身をベットし、死地へと赴くのだと宣うヤツなんてものはまず間違いなく
故に、その思考というものは本来であればこれっぽっちも理解はされない。何故ならば、そいつらの存在というものは埒外に位置しているから。
「棒切れひとつで変異種のオーガを相手取った挙句、それを純粋に楽しんでたお馬鹿さんって事を忘れてたわ」
「それに、〝ミナウラ〟で剣を振ってきたなら、そのくらいじゃないとキミは満足出来ない、か————死んでも私は知らないわよ」
「そういえば、〝ミナウラ〟でも似たような事を言われた気がする」
「......二年前からずっと、相変わらずの命知らずね、キミは」
「褒めても何も出ないよ」
俺の顔を見詰めていたリレアは、そう言って深いため息を吐いていた。
Battle instincts gradually sharpen more and more with each passing time.
Swinging your sword in an exaggerated manner will result in potentially wrecking your limbs, while throwing out your weapon absentmindedly would only make your opponent scatter further away from you than it already was.
The smell being none other than the smell of rusted iron and dead flesh.
A crimson color soon stained the earth, its color reminiscent of the red sky that shone above us, while Sofia could only groan from shock as she stood beside me.
"...You just keep getting stronger and stronger, don't you?"
Lilea said nonchalantly, seeing me, who had taken the initiative on my own and had wiped out all the monsters mentioned in the subjugation request without difficulty.
"Well, I can't just throw my weapon at them and swing my sword however I like, so I had to properly close the distance for me to actually slay them."
So it shouldn't really take that much time, I said.
The projectiles that I had long practiced weren't even able to scratch the monster that Fiole had named "Pii-chan."
All the while, I wasn't even able to engage the Jabberwock in close distance properly, and even my best attempt to deliver a 'Shooting Star' only sliced the tip of its tail... What's more, that wound from the blow I sacrificed both my arms to deliver healed just as quickly as I unleashed it.
"...I knew that you went to Minaura, but what kind of monsters have you actually fought there?"
By nature, people recognize that we are blessed with things that we always take for granted, and it was something that I wasn't able to do in Minaura.
Perhaps interpreting it that way, Lilea's face scrunched up in a different way than Sofia's.
"The monsters that I fought there were outright insane. Had it been just me alone in that place, I would've already died the moment I stepped foot in there. I'm only alive this way just because I was lucky enough to meet the people that I met there."
"...I'd bet so. The monsters of Minaura are infamous for being incredibly strong."
The cursed town, as people liked to call it.
It's notorious for its infamy, which is well known by many, it seemed.
"It's just I don't understand what you're thinking, especially when you're this good at fighting."
"Are you referring to my reply to your offer?"
"Is there anything else?"
"Well, no... I just wanted to make sure."
It was the reply I gave to the offer about defeating a certain monster that Lilea had mentioned.
After she told me about the story of defeating a certain monster that one adventurer, who called himself Amseth, had voiced to her, I had chosen the option of refusing the offer rather than accepting it.
And it seems that Lilea, a fellow sword maniac, couldn't comprehend my reason for doing so.
"...Are you perhaps holding back because of me?"
Wondering if it was the threat of bloodshed before her eyes, Sofia asked shyly, turning her face slightly away from me.
I replied without even a moment's hesitation.
And immediately afterward, she stepped on the top of my foot as hard as she possibly could.
...What do you want me to do, then?
"But don't you think it's a unique opportunity to get stronger?"
"Yeah, I believe so. But it's just not the kind of situation I'm looking for..."
Because first of all, when I wield my sword, no matter how big or small, I need a proper reason.
And secondly, I seek the struggle where there's an opportunity for me to exceed my own limits.
I had my reasons.
Knowing that the 'Magician Hunter' was killing high-profile magicians one-sidedly, I couldn't help but to want to keep my magician childhood friend, Sofia, safe from harm's way.
Thus, the first and second conditions had been met.
And to me, the idea of doing so was much more appealing than a bunch of magicians gathering to defeat a monster together, despite the idea of working together to overcome such an enemy.
"Besides, catching the 'Magician Hunter' grants a big reward, right? Won't that be more worthwhile?"
"...But, no one even knows what that person looks like, sounds like, or even their sex."
No matter how much of a bounty the 'Magician Hunter' had, I had no clues to go on.
"Well, yeah..."
It remained the biggest problem.
"But there's only one way to find out what the 'Magician Hunter' looks like."
"...Are you saying that you're going to use yourself as bait?"
My answer came immediately, and I nodded in agreement.
"But it's the quickest way."
"...I suppose so."
The reason why Lilea maintained her reluctance about this topic was probably because she was certain that those renowned military people weren't easily defeated and could be killed by mere surprise alone.
And the most important thing to keep in mind was that no matter how careful I was in my attempts to intercept the Magician Hunter, there was a high probability that I'll fail.
"--I think that's fine."
"...Sofia-chan?"
Then, Sofia, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, finally raised her voice, and it was, surprisingly, in support of my point of view.
"It's because no matter what we tell Julius, he won't listen. And no matter how much we disagree about your plan here, you're still going to act selfishly and do as you please  without even letting us know anything, aren't you?"
"...Kgh--"
I was at a loss for words.
I couldn't agree more with her, because somewhere in my mind, I had a feeling that what was going to happen would be just as she said.
"If so, it would be better if we knew what you were doing, since it would be easier for us to help."
We'd known each other for all our lives, and just so happened that she knew me all too well.
A single whack from her would've already stopped me from going to Minaura.
"...It's true, that's probably the best way to go about it."
I was a fool who willingly went to Minaura despite the reputation it has.
Moreover, the reason why I went there was based on the fact that I thought I needed to become stronger as soon as possible in order to slay the stars.
Therefore, it was just impossible to change my opinion by making a good argument.
"...I mean, after just a month and a bit of not seeing you, it had completely slipped my mind. The only thing that was clear to me was that you weren't normal, so I shouldn't be really surprised."
Fundamentally, when human beings take risks, they always try to go ahead with a "rational" reason in mind.
To protect something. To help other people.
To fulfill a mission that has been imposed on them, and so on.
It's what common sense and what the world calls a natural thing to do.
So it's all the more reason to call someone who declares that he's willing to venture out and risk losing his own life an insane person.
And for this very reason, I can't fully expect that my way of thinking would be understood, given that it greatly differs from other people.
"I forgot that you're an idiot who fought a mutant ogre with a mere piece of stick and genuinely enjoyed every single part of it."
"Besides, you've already messed around enough when you went to Minaura. If you repeat the same thing and end up dying, I won't care, so remember that."
"I feel like someone has told me something similar back in Minaura."
"...You're still the same old reckless idiot I met two years ago."
"Compliments won't get you anywhere, Lilea."
Lilea, who had been staring at my face, then let out a deep sigh upon hearing my remark.
Star-Slaying Swordsman
星斬りの剣士
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/star-slaying-swordsman/
Action Fantasy Martial Arts Mature Psychological Shounen
Adapted to Manga Dark Fantasy World Male Protagonist Mature Protagonist Medieval Philosophical Romantic Subplot Sudden Strength Gain Sword And Magic Sword Wielder Transplanted Memories
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7336gg/
アルト／遥月