ゲームの舞台になっている学園は広い。
むやみやたらにさがすのは体力の無駄だと分かっていたので、アイリーンはまず魔物を倒すイベントが起こる、寄宿舎裏へと向かった。
(マークスを見張ってもいいけれど、イベントが起こる前に魔物を見つけるのなら後手になるわ。そもそもイベントに関係ないのなら、マークスを見張っても意味がないし)
寄宿舎の裏門を抜けると、聖騎士団の訓練場へと抜ける石畳の道がある。聖騎士団の入団を目指すマークスは、授業が終わるとひそかにそこへと通い、訓練をつけてもらっている――という設定があった。その道すがら、魔物と遭遇するのがイベント内容だったはずだ。
その周辺で魔物の姿がないのならば、そもそも迷子の魔物がイベントと無関係という線も考えなければならない。
「あっさり見つかってくれると助かるのだけれど――」
「くっそ! 角が固い、木の棒じゃ無理だ」
「早くしろ、獣用の罠に引っかかってる内に殺すんだよ!」
「まず殴って弱らせろ! フェンリルを倒したなら、聖騎士団入りも夢じゃないぞ」
その短いやり取りだけで状況は察せられた。
拳を握ったアイリーンは、急ぎ足で寄宿舎裏に向かう。そして、何かを取り囲んでいる男子生徒の背中を見つけた。
同時に、がうがうと必死で唸っている、あどけない獣の影も見つける。
「角と牙は傷つけるなよ。フェンリルの角と牙は高く売れる――」
「何をなさっているの」
男子生徒達の背中が震えた。振り向いた顔を、素早くアイリーンは確認する。
(騎士爵の子息ばかりじゃないの。マークスをお坊ちゃんと影で馬鹿にしていた――そのわりには、情けないこと)
男子生徒の隙間から、いわゆるトラバサミに前足を挟まれた白の獣が見える。
小さくもふもふしているが、可愛らしい見目に反する鋭い角が額から二本生えていた。爪も大きく、どう見ても犬ではない。だが足に食い込んだ刃をどうにかしようと必死でもがいている姿を見て、なお痛めつけようと思える精神は、とても騎士道精神に見合わない。
嘲りを隠さず、アイリーンは優雅に微笑む。
「魔物を殺すおつもり? 不戦条約をご存じないのかしら」
「――ア、アイリーン様......退学なさったって、聞きましたけど」
「び、びびるなよ。こんな女......」
相手にする時間も惜しいと、アイリーンは男子生徒達の間をすり抜けた。
(確か、解除の仕方はお兄様に教えてもらったはず......!)
罠に手を伸ばそうとすると、横から唸り声と一緒にかみつかれた。
腕の衣服が裂ける音に、男子生徒達の方が悲鳴を上げる。
「かっ噛まれた!」
「お黙りなさい! ――賢い子だわ、この子」
血は滲んでいたが、肉をえぐり取られたわけではない。
まだ手加減しているのだろう。クロードの命令を覚えているのだ。
一息吐いて、アイリーンは唸る魔物の子供に微笑みかける。
「初めまして、わたくしはアイリーン。あなたを迎えに来ました」
手首をそっと魔物の子供の鼻先に差し出す。
ふわっと風に揺らいだリボンに、魔物の子供が目をまたたかせた。
「わかるわね? 痛いだろうけど、少し我慢して頂戴。動かれるとこの罠をはずしてあげられないの」
じっとリボンを見つめる目が迷っている。
だが次の瞬間、アイリーンの体が後ろ向きに引っ張られた。足首が嫌な音を立てたあとで、尻餅をつく。
「何をなさるの!」
「うるさい! 人間を傷つけたんだから、こいつはもう殺していいんだろう!」
再び全身の毛を逆立てて唸り声を上げている魔物の子供を、鍬を持った男子生徒が取り囲む。
「やめなさいと言って――」
途中で言葉が影に飲まれた。はっと顔を上げたアイリーンと同時に、男子生徒が情けない悲鳴を上げて脱兎のごとく逃げ出す。
ぬっと壁を飛び越えて地面に足を着け、現れたのは魔物。
罠にはまって鳴いていた子供が甘えた声を上げる。
(――これ、イベントの魔物......そうか、親!)
クロードの言いつけを破り、結界を越えてさがしにきたのだ。その瞳は怒りが燃えている。
この状況を見れば、当然だ。罠にはまって前脚から血を滲ませた子供。不自然に曲がった後ろ脚。人間に傷つけられた、そう考えない親はいない。
アイリーンを睨め付けた魔物が、恐ろしい牙が並んだ口を開ける。吠えようとする仕草に、アイリーンは咄嗟に声を上げた。
「待ちなさい! 吠えては駄目、人がくる!」
制止したアイリーンは、立ち上がろうとして膝を沈ませた。さっき男子生徒に押しのけられた時、足を挫いたらしい。だが歯を食いしばって、這いずりながら罠に手を伸ばす。
「怒るのは分かるわ。でも後になさい、今はこの子が先でしょう!」
吠えるのをやめた魔物がぎょろりと視線を動かす。その間に急いで罠の解除を始めた。兄に教えてもらった手順通りに操作すると、すぐに噛み合っていた罠が開く。
か細い声を上げて魔物の子供が、親の元へ向かおうとする。アイリーンは恐らく言葉が通じているだろう、親の方に声をかけた。
「子供を連れてすぐ人気のないところへいきなさい。クロード様が迎えにきてくれるわ。怪我も治してもらえるでしょう。森へ帰るのよ」
「早く行きなさい。あとはわたくしがなんとかしておくから、早く!」
既に背後が騒がしくなってきた。帯剣したマークスがやってくればイベントが始まる。さすがにマークスの剣の腕をしのげるほどの力はない。
魔物はじっとアイリーンを見ていたが、子供の首筋をくわえ、ひょいと壁を飛び越した。ほっとしたが、気が抜けたのは一息分だけだった。
「――アイリーン。どうして君がここにいる。自主退学したんだろう」
そこには、厳しい顔をしたマークスとそれに追従する生徒達、そしてリリアがいた。
The academy that became the stage of the game was large.
Irene understood that recklessly trying to look for the pup was a waste of strength, so first, she headed out to the dormitory: the place where a monster was defeated event took place.
(It's okay even if Max were to stand guard, but if I could find the pup before the event takes place, it'll be my success. After all, there's no reason for Max to stand guard in the first place if it's not connected to the event)
After pa.s.sing through the back gate of the dormitory, there was a cobbled path leading to the training ground of the Holy Knights. Max, whose aim was to join the Holy Knight would secretly go there to join their training after the cla.s.ses were over----that was the kind of setting there is. And that was supposed to be details of the event in which he would encounter a monster along his way.
I have to consider that the lost monster was irrelevant to the event if there was no figure of a monster around there in the first place.
[It will be helpful if I can find it as soon as possible----] 
[s.h.i.+t! Its horn is tough; it's impossible with just a wooden stick] 
[Hurry up, we need to kill it while it is still caught in the beast's trap!] 
[First, let's strike it to weaken it! If we manage to defeat a Fenrir, entering the Holy Knights will not be just a dream] 
Irene understood the whole situation just by listening to their short exchange.
Irene headed back to the dormitory with a quick pace while holding on to the sword. And then, she finally found the back of the male students who were crowding around something.
At the same time, she also found the shadow of an innocent beast that was growling desperately.
[Don't hurt its horns and fangs. Fenrir's horns can be sold with a high price----] 
[What are you guys doing?] 
The backs of the male students were trembling. Irene quickly checked their faces as soon as they turned around to face her.
(Aren't they the children of the Holy Knights? They made fun of Max status as a young master from the shadow----in spite of that, they do something as pathetic as this)
She could see the forefoot of a white beast was caught in the so-called (1) bear-trap through the gap formed by the standing male students.
I know it was a small and fluffy pup, but contrary to its seemingly cute appearance, there were two sharp horns growing from its forehead. Its claws were also large; no matter how you looked at it, it was not a dog. But, after watching its figure desperately trying to find a way to free itself from the blade that was biting its feet and still had the spirit to inflict pain upon it, these students certainly did not fit the Spirit of the Holy Knights at all.
Without hiding her scorned, Irene gracefully smiled.
[Are you guys trying to kill the monster? I wonder if you all are not aware of the peace treaty?] 
[----I, Irene-sama......I, I heard that you've been expelled from the academy] 
[D, d-d-don't be scared. This woman......] 
Her time was too valuable to deal with them, so Irene slipped through between the male students.
(If I'm not mistaken, Onii-sama supposedly had taught me how to disengage this......!)
Together when she reached out her hands to the trap, a growl flared up next to her.
The sound of her arm's clothes being teared up caused the male students to let out a shriek.
[S, she was bitten!] 
[Shut up!----It's a smart child, this child] 
Her blood was continually oozing out, but it was not like her flesh was being scooped out.
It was still going easy on her. It remembered Claude's order.
With a breath, Irene gave a smile to the growling pup.
[Nice to meet you, I'm Irene. I am here to pick you up] 
She gently presented her wrist to the tip of the pup's nose.
The fluffy wind gently swayed the ribbon and the pup's eyes started to twinkle.
[You understand, right? It will certainly hurt, but endure it a little. If you move, I can't take off this trap] 
The eyes that had been looking at the ribbon was perplexed.
But at the next moment, Irene's body was being pulled backward. The pup's ankle made an unpleasant sound and when it tried to stand up next, it fell on its bottom.
[What are you doing?!] 
[Shut up! Because it had hurt a human being, isn't okay to kill this thing?!] 
Once again, the pup whole fur stood up and growl loudly when it was being surrounded by the male students who were holding a hoe.
[I told you to stop it----] 
Her words stuck half-way. At the same time, she raised a surprised face, the male students let out a loud pathetic shriek and flee as fast as they could.
Something had jumped over the wall with its feet finally touching the ground. A monster had appeared.
The pup that got caught in the trap, cried out in a sweet voice.
(----Isn't that, the event's monster......I see, its parent!)
It had break Claude's order and went beyond the barrier to find its pup. Its pair of eyes were burning with anger.
It was a natural response in this kind of situation. Its pup was caught in a trap and the pup forefeet were oozing with blood with an unnaturally twisted hind leg. It was impossible for the parent to think that the humans did not lay a finger on the pup
The monster was glowering at Irene, and its pair of fearsome fangs could be seen when its mouth was opened. Judging from its gesture, the monster was about to let a howl. So, Irene immediately raised up her voice to stop the monster.
[Wait! Don't howl, people will come!] 
Irene who had managed to restrain it tried to stand up, but she immediately fell on her knees. It seems like she sprained her feet when she was being pushed away by the male students just now. But, clenching her teeth, she crawled while reaching out to the trap.
[I understand why you're angry. But, get angry later; right now, your priority is this child, isn't it?!] 
The monster had decided not to howl, but its glare was s.h.i.+fted to Irene's hand that was currently trying to disengage the pup from the trap. Meanwhile, Irene hurriedly started to release the pup from the trap. If she operated it according to the procedures that her brother had taught her, soon enough the mouth of the trap that was biting its leg would be opened.
The pup who let out a feeble voice was trying to head towards its parent. Irene thought that the parent of the pup might probably understand people's words, so she decided to speak to the pup's parent.
[Immediately bring your child to a secluded place. Claude-sama is going to come and fetch both of you. The child also needs to get treated for its injury. Both of you need to go back to the forest] 
[Hurry up and go. Leave the rest of this mess to me, hurry!] 
But it's already too late because noises could be heard from her back. If Max were to turn up while armed with a sword, the event would start. As one would expect, she didn't have enough strength to resist Max sword's arm.
The monster was fixedly staring at Irene, but it bit the back of its pup's neck and swiftly jumped over the wall. Irene let out a sigh of relief, but her relieved was only just for a moment.
[----Irene. Why are you here? Didn't you voluntarily quit from the academy?] 
Over there, there was Max with a stern look on his face followed by his followers and Lilia.
Villainous Daughter Aims for the Last Boss
悪役令嬢なのでラスボスを飼ってみました
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/villainous-daughter-aims-for-the-last-boss/
Drama Fantasy Romance School Life Shoujo
Adapted to Anime Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Beautiful Female Lead Bloodlines Broken Engagement Business Management Businessmen Calm Protagonist Demon Lord Demons Female Protagonist Handsome Male Lead Hated Protagonist Kuudere Multiple Reincarnated Individuals Nobles Otome Game Politics Reincarnated in a Game World Royalty Saints Sword And Magic Villainess Noble Girls
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2766dz/
永瀬さらさ