調べて見ると、まぁ叩けば出る埃の様に出るわ出るわ、この街の近況や人々の抱える問題について様々な問題が出てきた。
曰く、街の領主が街の住人の意見を取り入れようとしないだとか、曰く税金が例年高くなっているとか、曰く政治を取り仕切る貴族達の動きが最近怪しいだとか、そんな政治的な悪評が数多く出てくる。随分とこの街は腐った部分が多いみたいだ。それこそ、街の住人に隠し切れていない程には。
でもその中でも気になる噂を聞いた。
―――とある貴族が領主の指示で没落させられ、逃亡している。
『とある貴族』、とあるけれど、政治関連を取り締まっているのもまた『貴族』だ。なのに、その貴族の中でも格差問題が出ているらしい。没落させられた、というからには領主よりも二つ三つ格下の貴族......言えば下級貴族の家だろう。
僕は貴族に詳しい訳ではないから、どんな貴族の家があって、どれほどの地位を得ているのかなんて知りもしない。
でももしも、もしもだ。今僕の隣に居るニコちゃんの家名―――『アークス家』という貴族が存在しているとしたら、その噂の没落貴族というのは、ニコちゃんの家のことなんじゃないだろうか?
そして、当然のことながら貴族であっても税金を納めるのは当然の義務。没落すれば税金を納められないことは自明の理だ。
それなら騎士に追い回されるのも筋が通るし、家も差し押さえられているとすれば、帰る場所がないという事もなるだろうし、髭が伸びっぱなしだったのも容姿に気を回す余裕がなかったとなれば納得がいく。
問題は、何故ニコちゃんの家を没落させる必要があったのか、だ。
彼らの狙いが、あのニコちゃんのお父さんにあるんだとすれば、ニコちゃんをわざわざ探す必要はない。当然、あのザマじゃあのお父さんはとっくに捕まっているだろうし、それなら彼らの目的は『ニコ・アークス』にあるってことなんだろうけれど......ステータスを見る限りじゃ特別なスキルを持っているわけでもなければ、特殊な称号や、秀でたステータスもない。
というか没落させた時点でニコちゃんはもう『貴族』じゃないから、それにも意味が無くなって来るかも知れない。
「......ふーむ、推測でしかないけれど......向こうの目的が見えてこないなぁ」
さてさて、相手の全容も目的も分からないこの状況で、僕は相手に目を付けられちゃったわけだけど、どうしたものかなぁ。
とまぁそれはさておき、現在、僕とニコちゃんはとりあえず情報収集をしていてお腹が空いたから、昼食ということで宿へ戻って来ている。
食料や馬車の購入の時に僕は有り金を使い果たしちゃったからね、宿に戻って購入した食料を料理して食べることにしたんだ。
旅路用の食料を使うのは少し勿体ない気もするけれど、この際仕方ない。心苦しいけど、レイラちゃんの懐に頼ることにして、次の街で纏まったお金を稼ごう。
「おいしいかい?」
「んむッ......んく......うん」
「それは良かった」
年齢は聞いていないけれど、恐らくは四歳位だと予想しているので、パンを使ってフレンチトースト紛いの物を作ってあげた。噛みやすいし、飲み込みやすいから喉に詰まらせる危険性も少ない筈だ。
とはいえ初めて食べたのか、恐る恐る手を伸ばし、一口食べてからというもの、夢中で喰らい付くようになった。どうやら気に入ってくれたらしい。
まぁ家の家事は全て僕がやっていたから、嫌でも料理の腕は上がったよ。中々大変だったけどね、あの頃は。
「......」
「......ああ、おかわりね」
「♪」
ニコちゃんはどうやら良く良く図太い神経をしているらしい。僕達なんて良く知らない相手だろうし、自分がどういう状況に置かれているのかも分からないのに、ご飯には妥協しないんだね。はっきり言って逆に感心するよ。ある意味将来有望だ、大物になるよ、こういう子は。
それにしても、レイラちゃんとリーシェちゃんはどうしてるかな。騎士達の様子を上手く探れていれば良いんだけど、もしかしたら僕の事を見つけたあの男からの情報で、何か面倒事に巻き込まれている可能性もある。
レイラちゃんもいるからあまり心配はしていないけれど、リーシェちゃんと仲良くしている姿が想像出来ない。不安だなぁ......。
◇ ◇ ◇
桔音達が住民達から領主の情報を収集している最中で、レイラとリーシェの行動は難航していた。
というのも、真面目に情報収集をしようとするリーシェに対して、レイラのやる気が全力で急降下していたからだ。
桔音と離れているというのが大きな要因だが、元々一人で活動していた頃は、自由気侭に活動していた彼女だ、桔音という―――『目的』であり、一番にして唯一の『興味対象』が傍にいない今、彼女は何をしたいという訳でもないのだ。
無論、情報収集など面倒臭いのでやりたくはない。
「おいレイラ! 何処へ行くんだ!」
「えー、別に何処でも良いじゃない......私の勝手でしょ?」
「きつねに情報収集を頼まれただろう」
「めんどくさいんだもん......貴女がやってよ」
レイラは桔音と話している時とは打って変わって、とてもぶっきらぼうな態度だった。まるで母親に叱られてむくれる子供の様に、リーシェの言葉に頬を膨らませてぶーたれている。
赤い瞳を半眼にして、何処へ行く訳でもなくスタスタと歩いて行ってしまう。リーシェはそれを慌てて追いかけた。
「ま、待てレイラ!」
リーシェはそんな自分勝手で我儘に行動するレイラに内心焦る。実は桔音にも仲良くする様に言われている、だから最低でも日常会話を交わすことくらいは出来るようになりたいと思っているのだ。
だが、幾らリーシェが歩み寄ろうとレイラの方があちらこちらへと離れて行ってしまう故に、その距離は一向に縮まらない。どうしたものかと頭を抱えるばかりだ。
すると、リーシェはレイラの行動を思い返して、一つのアイデアを捻りだす。
騎士としての訓練で色っぽい話も無く、また恋愛的な話も苦手だった故に、レイラが桔音の事を好きだということは分かるのだが、それどうこうするなんてことは思い付かない。
だが、この時ばかりは、彼女の頭の中でこれこそ正解だろうという案が出たのだ。
「―――あ、あーあ、情報収集を真剣にやって役に立てばきつねにもいっぱい褒められるのになぁー!」
ぴたり、レイラの動きが止まった。
そして、くるっとリーシェの方に顔を向ける。その表情は何処か嬉しそうで、先程までの不機嫌そうな表情はどこへやら、転じて上機嫌な表情になっていた。
「ほんと? きつね君褒めてくれるかな?」
「あ、ああきっと褒めてくれると、思う」
「ほんとに? きつね君頭撫でてくれるかな? ぎゅーってしてくれるかな?」
「う......それは分からないが、きっときつねも喜ぶと思うぞ?」
「そっかぁ......うふふっ♪ じゃあ情報収集頑張ろうかなぁ♪」
レイラは何を想像したのか楽しげに笑うと、身体を揺らしながら上機嫌に歩いて行く。リーシェもそれを追うように歩きだす。
リーシェはレイラが情報収集をするという言葉を出したことで、一先ずほっと安堵の息を吐く。
だが、次の瞬間その表情は引き攣ることになる。何故なら、
―――レイラがその身体から黒い瘴気を溢れさせ、辺り一面に拡散させたからだ。
その瞬間に思い出したのは、桔音から教えられたこと。レイラは瘴気を操る魔族であり、『赤い夜』である。そしてその瘴気には、人間を『赤い夜』へと変えることが出来る性質があると。
「レイラ! 何をっ!?」
「んー? じょーほーしゅーしゅーだよ♪」
だが、レイラは焦るリーシェとは対照的に、飄々とそう言った。
彼女がやっているのは、何も感染させて『赤い夜』を量産しようということではない。彼女の使う瘴気には、あらゆる使い方と言うモノがある。
例えば、瘴気を固めて物質化すること。
例えば、瘴気を拡散させて空間把握をすること。
例えば、瘴気で生物に干渉し、『赤い夜』へと変貌させること。
今回は二つ目の空間把握の応用の様な使い方だ。拡散させた瘴気は目に見えない程に細かく空気に溶け、広範囲に散り散りとなる。
レイラは今回それを空間把握ではなく、音の振動を感知して広範囲の音を集めることに使ったのだ。これにより、彼女は広範囲の会話や物音を集め、情報を集めたのだ。
「......周囲の人間に影響は無いのか?」
リーシェは、恋する乙女の様にとても可愛らしく笑ってそう言うレイラに対し、恐怖を抱いた。もしも、自分が桔音に恋をしたとしたら、おそらくレイラはどれほど自分と仲が良かったとしても自分を殺しただろう、そう確信出来た。
「......そうか、そう、だな」
「うふふうふふふ♪ それじゃあ頑張ろっか、情報収集♡ ね? リーシェ♪」
そう言ったレイラの言葉には、桔音に対する気持ちが籠っていた。なにもかも、桔音の為。
うふふと笑うレイラの赤い瞳の奥に、うっすらとハートマークを幻視したリーシェだった。
「......きつねの前とそうでない時では、別人の様だな......」
リーシェは、レイラに聞こえない様にそう呟き、せめてレイラの邪魔にならない様に大人しくしていることにした。
◇
それからしばらくして、彼女達も昼食の為に宿へと戻る。
だが、桔音の考えていたように、レイラとリーシェの仲は良くならなかった。寧ろ、リーシェとレイラの間には、人間と魔族という種族の壁が立ち塞がってしまったのかもしれない。
After investigating for a bit, well perhaps it's just as we expected in one of the possible scenarios, I found out that there are various problems in this town, either it regarding the current states or about the citizens.
Like, the feudal lord of this town who doesn't put the citizen's opinions into his eyes, the tax that is very high, and recently the nobles who govern this town have made some suspicious movements, such typical corrupt nobles' deeds.
But there's a certain rumor that piques my interest.
--a certain noble was ruined by the feudal lord's order, and then ran away.
"A certain noble", it's 'a certain' but, people who govern this town are also "nobles". And yet, it seems like there are disparity problems even among those nobles themselves. Because they were "ruined", perhaps they were two or three ranks lower than the feudal lord... or you could say, lower level noble house.
I'm not too well-informed about nobles, so I don't know either which noble house it was, or how great the influences they possessed.
But if, strictly speaking of possibility, if by any chance the one who's walking next to me, Niko-chan, her family name of "Arcs" was actually a name of a noble house, then that rumor about the ruined noble, wasn't that about Niko-chan's house?
Also, even if they're nobles, of course they're still obliged to pay tax. And now that they've been ruined, they can't affor to pay it.
If that's really the case, it wouldn't be strange for them to be chased after by the knights, and if their house was seized as well, that means they had no home to return to, that also explains his unkempt and agitated state back then.
The problem is, why did Niko-chan's house have to be ruined?
If their aim was something Niko-chan's father possessed, then they wouldn't have any need to search for Niko-chan as well. Also, in that state it's obvious that most likely he'd been chaught already, so that means their aim has something to do with "Niko Arcs" or something, huh... when I peeked at her status, I didn't see either special looking skill, special title, or exceptional status on her, in other word she's just a normal child, and that also means that their aim should have something to do with her being "the child of a noble", huh... but I just can't think of what use of such a thing is.
Or rather, given the fact that her house is already ruined, she isn't a "noble" any longer, so perhaps those things are also meaningless already.
"...hmm, I've been doing some guesswork, but... I just can't think of what their aim is."
Well then, at the state where I don't know what their aim is, they already put a mark on me so, what should I do, I wonder?
But well, let's put that matter aside, currently, because we'd been going here and there to investigate, we'd grown hungry, so we decided to return to the inn to have some lunch.
I'd spent most of my money to buy our supply and renting carriage, thus we decide to return to the inn and cook some of our purchased supply for lunch.
I do think that it's kind of waste to use some of our journey supply here, but I also have no other choice here. I really don't want to do it but, for the time being let's rely on Leila-chan's pocket, and then earn our money when we've arrived at the next town.
"Is it tasty?"
"Nm... *gulp*... yes."
"Glad to hear that."
I hasn't asked how old she is, but she seems to be around four-year old, so I made her an imitation of French toast using a bread. It's easy to chew and swallow, so there should be slight chance for it choke her throat.
Be that as it may, perhaps it's her first time eating something like this, at first she timidly reached out her hands to it, but after trying a mouthful of it, she's now engrossed nibbling on it. Seems like she takes quite a liking to it.
Well, I did chores on my own, so I have no choice but to get used to cook. At that time, it was quite an ordeal, though.
"...."
"...ah, another one, right?"
""
Seems like Niko-chan has a considerably bold nerve. She knows nothing about us, perhaps she also doesn't know the precidament she is currently in, and yet she doesn't yield in the slightless about food.
Nevertheless, what's the situation on Leila-chan and Rishe-chan's side, I wonder? It'd be great if they could manage to investigate the circumstance around the knights, but there's also a possibility that they might be in some kind of trouble because of the information about me from that man.
Leila-chan is also there so I'm not that worried about their well being, but I just can't imagine the scene where she acts friendly with Rishe-chan. That makes me worried instead....
* * *
Around the same time when Kitune was gathering informations about the feudal lord from the citizens, on Leila and Rishe's side, things weren't going that smoothly.
That was because, in contrast to Rishe who was seriously gathering informations, Leila's motivation was wholefully rock bottom.
The main case was because she was separated from Kitsune, but ever since the time when she was living alone, she always acted on her own way, so right now, in the situation where her "target" and her sole "interest holder", Kitsune, wasn't there, she had no motivation to do anything at all.
Of course, she also thought that information gathering was bothersome, so she didn't want to do it etiher.
"Oi, Leila! Where are you going?"
"Eh, it doesn't matter where I'm going to, does it?"
"We were asked by Kitsune to look for information, weren't we?"
"That's bothersome, after all... just do it on your own."
Completely different from the time she was conversing with Kitsune, Leila was very blunt with her. As if a child who got angry because of being scolded by her mother, she bluntly rejected Rishe's words regardless.
With her red eyes half-closed, she suddenly began briskly walking without any clear objective. Seeing that, Rishe flusteredly chased after her.
"W, wait, Leila!"
Rishe was flustered at such selfish and willful Leila. Actually, Kitsune once asked her to befriend Leila, so that was why she wanted to make it so that at the very least they could hold conversation normally.
However, no matter however much Rishe reached out to her, if Leila herself had no thought about extending her hand to her as well, they wouldn't be able to close up that gap. 'What should I do, I wonder?', Rishe kept pondering as such.
And then, recalling Leila's usual behavior, a certain idea flashed into her mind.
There was no romantic story during the period she was practicing as a knight, and she was also bad at such topic, but she was well aware that Leila was in love with Kitsune, and yet she was unable to reason that fact.
However, this very moment, "this is the right choice", such thought flashed into her mind.
"...a, aah~, if we gather information properly, I think Kitsune will surely praise us~."
Suddenly, Leila stopped her legs.
And then, she turned around and face Rishe. There was a hint of joy in her face, her sullen expression up until now was nowhere to be seen, and happy expression took its place instead.
"Really? Will I be praised by Kitsune-kun?"
"Umm, yeah, I'm sure you will, I think."
"Really really? Will I be patted on the head by Kitsune-kun, I wonder? Will I be hugged tightly, I wonder?"
"Umm... I don't know about that, but I do think Kitsune will surely be happy, you know?"
"I see... ufufufu, then I think I'll do my best to gather information."
While smiling and imagining something in good mood, Leila walked forward happily even while swinging her body. Rishe walked as well as if to chase after her.
Hearing that Leila would also do the information gathering, Rishe heaved out a sigh of relieve for once.
However, the next instance, her expression stiffened. That was because...
...from Leila's body, dark miasma was overflowing and spreading all around.
At that very moment, she recalled about what Kitsune once said to her, that Leila was demon who manipulated miasma, "Red Night". And also about those miasma, he said that it had property that could turn human into "Red Night" as well.
"Leila! What are you doing?"
"Hmm? It's In~for~ma~tion~ga~the~ring~, you know~?"
However, in contrast to Rishe's flustered state, Leila herself was very flippant.
What she was doing wasn't mass producing "Red Night" by infecting everyone there. There were several ways to manipulate miasma.
Like, solidifying and materializing them.
Like, scattering them to probe the surrounding area.
Like, infecting living being and turn them into "Red Night".
This time she was using the second way where she probed the surrounding using the miasma. The spreaing miasma was very small to the point almost invisible, and the sensor range was also vast.
However, this time, she didn't use them to probe the surrounding itself, she used them to gather every sounds by probing its vibration. Herewith, by gathering every sounds of conversation around, she was gathering information.
"...will that affect the people here?"
If, if by any chance she fell in love with Kitune as well, no matter how close they were, Leila would surely come and kill her, or so she believed.
"...I see, you are, right."
"Ufufufu, then let's stop being so obstinate, and gather information, right, Rishe~?"
Those words from Leila, they were filled with her feeling for Kitsune. Everything, was for Kitsune.
While Leila was happily laughing, there were faint heart mark images on both of her eyes.
"...when she isn't in front of Kitsune, she looks like a completely different person...."
Rishe muttered so in a voice that couldn't be heard, and decided to stay put there so that she wouldn't disrupt Leila.
*
After a short while, both of them returned to the inn to have lunch as well.
However, just as Kitsune thought, Leila and Rishe hadn't become closer at all. Or rather, it felt as though a race barrier, human and demon, had appeared between them.
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