225 統治系管理人格
ヤナギサワはツバキとの取引を何とか無事に済ませた。そして管理区画の外まで送ってもらうと、そこでツバキに上機嫌な様子で尋ねる。
にそれを頼む必要はありません」
「それを俺に頼んだ時点で、他の管理人格絡みの何らかの規約に触れるからか?」
「答える義理はありません」
ツバキは素知らぬ顔で簡素に答えた。ヤナギサワは少し不思議に思ったが、下手に追及してツバキの機嫌を損ねるつもりもないので疑問を棚上げした。
「そうか。まあいいや。追加の要望とかがあったら俺に連絡してくれ。出来る限り応えるつもりだ」
「その前に、取引を、約束を守る努力を御願い致します」
だ。任せてくれ。俺は約束を守る男だ。安心してくれ。それ以前に、遺跡の管理人格との約束を破るような
真似
ヤナギサワの笑顔が僅かに硬くなる。
「以前にもあれらと一緒に私と会っていますよね? その時はヤナギサワとは名乗っていませんでしたが」
ヤナギサワの表情が一気に非常に険しくなる。
「......何で分かった? 痕跡は完全に消したはずだ。遺跡の本人認証も通らなかった。別人と認識されているはずだ!」
「本人認証の手段は様々です。例えば、旧領域接続者は旧領域への接続時に個人識別も実施しています。その接続に障害が出ると個人認証処理が正常に機能せず、暫定的に一時識別が割り当てられ、別人扱いになります」
ツバキが笑みを深める。
「そうか。では今更だが、久しぶりだな、と言い直しておこうか」
「ではこちらも。お久しぶりですね。それで、先ほどの質問に答えてほしいのですが?」
も保証していない。対応を間違えると死ぬ。それを分かった上で、ヤナギサワが口を開く。
「不特定多数の人間の幸福、救済の実現とその継続だ。その手段の1つとして、あれを手にする必要があったからだ。付け加えれば、確かに俺は連中から遺跡の攻略を請け負ったが、その約束を破ったつもりはない。遺跡の攻略とは具体的に何を指すのか。その認識の詳細に著しい
「了解した」
ヤナギサワはそう真面目な態度で答えた後に、態度を普段のものに戻して軽く笑いながら続ける。
「それは破棄した場合の利益が上回っていれば破るということです。つまりその場合にこちらで損害を与える必要が生じます。約束を守らせる
「手厳しいねー。そんなに俺達が嫌い?」
苦笑を浮かべるヤナギサワに向けて、ツバキが笑顔で言い切る。
「はい。大嫌いです」
「どうしてこう、統治系の管理人格は頭が固いっていうか、融通が利かないのかね。企業系の管理人格はもうちょっと話が分かるっていうのに」
「真っ当な客がいなくなったからと、盗賊を相手に商売を始める世才など、私達には不要ですので」
「それでも、もうちょっと、分かり合う切っ掛けとか、何かあっても良いんじゃないか?」
ヤナギサワは扱いの難しい頑固者に向ける苦笑を少し大袈裟に浮かべていた。半分は演技と冗談だが、残りは本心だった。すると、ツバキがどこか上機嫌に笑って続ける。
ではないだけです。例えば、非常に義理堅い人物などですね。そのような者とは私も是非縁を紡いでおきたいと思っています」
ヤナギサワは内心でツバキの態度をかなり意外に思いながら、表面のおちゃらけた態度に合わせて続ける。
「そういうのが好み? それなら頑張って探して紹介しようか?」
(......危なかった。だが想定の範囲内だ。ツバキは連中を嫌っている。だから俺の存在に気付いても連中には引き渡さない。そして俺に約束を守らせる手段を得たことで取引に前向きになる。......そうだ。想定通りだ。問題は無い。......カツヤのことは想定外だったが、まあ、それは別に良いだろう)
情報端末に通話要求が届く。通信妨害が解除されたのだ。ヤナギサワが笑ってそれに出ると、仮設基地の職員のけたたましい声が響く。
「ヤナギサワ主任! 今どこに!? すぐに帰還して指揮に戻ってください! 大規模遺跡探索の部隊が壊滅して......」
「はぁ!? それはどういう意味で......」
「長期戦略部を通してこちらから指示を出す。以降はその指示に従ってくれ」
ヤナギサワは通話を切った。そしてクガマヤマ都市の方へ
「俺だ。至急幹部会の開催を申請しろ。今すぐにだ。......ああ、分かっている。そのクズスハラ街遺跡の騒ぎは俺が解決した。指揮権を長期戦略部に集中させて事後対処を開始する。幹部連中の準備が済んだら連絡しろ。急げよ」
再び通話を切り、別の者に
なんだから。お前が怒らせた遺跡の管理人格と、ちょっと交渉してたんだよ」
イナベの絶句を聞いて、ヤナギサワは楽しげに笑った。
シカラベ達がエレナ達と分かれてビル内を探索している。非常に面倒そうな表情を浮かべているシカラベを見て、パルガが苦笑を浮かべる。
「そんなに嫌なら放っておけば良いんじゃないか?」
「お前、そういうところは真面目だよな」
「うるせえな。いくぞ」
んで見付け出した訳ではなかった。アキラの貸出端末は戦闘の余波で破壊されており、その信号を追うのは不可能だった。通信障害が回復した後、シカラベ達にカツヤ達からの救援信号が届き、ネリアからアキラとカツヤが交戦していた話を聞いて発信元に急いだ。そこにアキラがいたというだけだ。
即時の撤退を提案したエレナ達に対して、シカラベは心情的には同意見なのだが、嫌々ながらビル内の探索を提案した。そして一応部隊の指揮者であるネリアがエレナ達に同調することを期待した。置き去りにされる危険を冒してまで探索する義理はなく、置き去りにされない
みやすくなったこともあり、少々不満は覚えたものの了承した。だがシカラベ達に付き合って探索するつもりはなかった。アキラの身を案じて場に残った。
その過程を経て、シカラベは仕方なくパルガ達と一緒にビルの中に降りていった。そしてドランカムのハンターだと考えられる両断された死体を発見した。
「銃の所有者コードは......、カツヤ? こいつ、カツヤか!?」
シカラベがかなり驚いた後、少し複雑な顔を浮かべる。
「......何だかんだあっても結局は死なないやつ、だと思っていたんだがな。俺の勘もいよいよ当てにならなくなってきたか」
ヤマノベが苦笑する。
「ハンターなんだ。死ぬ時は死ぬもんだろう。しかしこれは、十字に斬られたのか? モンスターの仕業じゃないな。それに頭が無いが、どこにいった? 吹っ飛ばされて、そこらの肉片に混ざったのか?」
周囲を見て回っていたパルガが戻ってくる。
「そこら辺に他の連中が倒れていたが、そっちは全員生きてる。全員
その時、全員の情報端末に緊急通知が届いた。その音声メッセージを聞いたシカラベ達の顔に困惑が浮かぶ。
「こちらはクガマヤマ都市長期戦略部である! 都市は大規模遺跡探索の該当区域を管理する遺跡の管理人格と休戦を結んだ! 該当区域の全ハンターは長期戦略部の指示に従うこと! 速やかに所在を明らかにし、こちらの指揮下に入ること! ハンター間の戦闘は固く禁止する! 既に遺跡の管理人格配下の防衛機械は撤退を始めている! 襲ってこないモンスターとの戦闘は厳禁だ! 遺跡の管理人格とは無関係なモンスターとの戦闘のみ許可する! 繰り返す! こちらは......」
「分かったわ。それは事故として扱いましょう」
「御理解感謝します」
視線を鋭くするアルファに、ツバキが平然と答える。
「それはこちら側の交渉データ。そちらに提供する義理も義務もありませんね。ああ、別に口止めなどしていませんよ。本人に聞いては?」
更に鋭くなったアルファの視線を、ツバキは平然と受け流した。
ツバキがアキラとの話をアルファに教えない理由は、それで疑念を誘う
「まあ良い。これも試行だ。気を切り替えて対処するとしよう。しかし、気になる点もある。そちらの個体は生き残り、こちらの個体は死亡した。これで我々の予想はまた外れたことになった。予想外とは、制御外でもある。大丈夫なのかね?」
別のアルファの懸念に対し、アルファは僅かに表情を険しくさせた。
「それは適宜管理して対処するとしか言えないわね。まあ、それは私の試行よ。気にしないで。それよりも、そっちはどうするの? 個体が死んだから試行を終えるなら、その分の演算能力を渡してほしいのだけれど。次の個体の捜索だけなら、現在の処理能力は不要でしょう?」
「いや、基準となる個体を変更して試行自体は続けるつもりだ。その変更に失敗した場合は、試行を終了とする」
「しかし、なぜ今回の試行に限って、こういろいろ起こるのかね」
大規模遺跡探索から数日後、アキラは再び病室で目覚めた。ベッドの上で身を起こそうとして体勢を崩し、片腕が無いことに気付いて苦笑する。
「目が覚めたら病室。またこのパターンか」
『このパターンなら生きているのだから、そこまで悲観しなくても良いと思うわよ?』
側にいたアルファが優しく
『おはようアキラ。よく眠れた?』
『おはようアルファ。ああ。体調はバッチリだ。片腕が無いのを除けばな』
アキラがアルファと話していると担当医がやってきた。担当医はアキラが寝ている間に済ませた治療内容の資料を請求書と一緒に手渡すと、腕の扱いについて尋ねてきた。寝ている間に病院側で勝手に治すことも出来たのだが、高ランクハンターの意思を尊重する
アキラは自分の腕に弾倉を突き刺して銃弾を乱射する光景を想像してみた。腕が変形して手首の先から銃口が現れ大量の銃弾を撃ちだした後、再び元の腕の形状に戻っていく。
『......いや、普通の腕が良い』
『あら、どうして?』
『その腕で食事をしたり風呂に入ったりするのは、ちょっとな』
『見た目の問題なら、高価な義手にすれば生身と変わらないと思うわよ?』
戦闘中ならば多少は心を揺さぶる光景かもしれないが、その腕で日常生活を送るのには
げた直後でも元の腕と同じように動かすことが出来るようになる。担当医はそう説明して、費用や入院期間の細かい説明を再度済ませると戻っていった。
アキラが真っ白な義手を興味深そうに見ながら動かしている。動きに違和感は無く、自分の腕のように動かせる。近くのものを触ればしっかりと感触も得られた。
『アキラの強化服のデータを流用していたから、義手の感覚設定にちょっと割り込んでみたわ。どう? なかなかの感触だったでしょう?』
『......驚かせるなよ』
だから、いろいろ触ってみる?』
アキラは僅かに顔を赤くして、
Ch 225
Yanagisawa somehow managed to make a deal with Tsubaki. After escorting him out of her area, Yanagisawa suddenly asked Tsubaki something in a rather good mood.
"That isn't something that I need to ask of you."
"Is it because asking me would violate some kind of rules between the caretaker AI?"
"I'm not obliged to answer that question."
Tsubaki replied with a rather apathetic attitude. Yanagisawa found that weird, but it would be bad if he pursued that question any further and caused his relationship with Tsubaki to sour.
"I see, well, it doesn't really matter. Just contact me if you need me. I'll try my best to comply."
"Of course, I hope you'll fulfil your part of the deal, your promise."
"Don't worry, just leave it to me. I'm a guy who never abandons his promises. In the first place, there's no way I would abandon a promise that I made with a ruin's caretaker. It isn't worth the trouble later on."
Yanagisawa was deliberately taking a rather casual attitude just like usual. But even so, it did not seem that he was lying at all.
Yanagisawa's smile turned stiff.
"You did meet me once in the past when you were brought to me by one of those AI, right? Although, at that time, you didn't call yourself Yanagisawa."
Yanagisawa's expression immediately turned stern.
"...How can you tell? I'm sure I've erased all of my past footprints. Even the other ruins couldn't recognize my ID. I was sure the ruins would identify me as a completely different person!"
"The facilities inside ruins identify someone through various different methods. For example, people who can connect to the old-world domain would be assigned different identification the moment they access the old-world domain. So if their connection to the old-world domain is jammed, the system won't be able to recognize their identity correctly. In that case, they would be given a temporary identification and identified as a different person."
Tsubaki's smile widened.
"I see. Well, it might be way too late to say this, but I guess I should restart from 'long time no see', huh?"
"In that case, I shall also reply with 'long time no see'. Now then, if you may answer my previous question."
Tsubaki's gentle smile was not a guarantee for Yanagisawa's life. If he made a wrong move there, he would be dead. He knew that very well as he replied.
[It's for the sake of humanity's happiness and to save them. For that sake, there is a need for me to get that thing! If I have to add anything, it's true that I accepted their request to subjugate a certain ruin and I had no wish to break that promise. There were just different interpretations between us on what it means to subjugate a ruin. I believe it was their mistake for not explaining it properly to me beforehand, or was it my mistake?]
"Alright."
After Yanagisawa said so with his uncharacteristically serious demeanour, he returned back to his usual attitude as he lightly smiled and continued.
"That would mean you would happily break your promise if it's more profitable. Which means, you would cause some kind of damage to me if it is profitable for you. The moment I have to do something to make sure you won't break your promise, I would no longer have any trust in you."
"Geez, that's so strict. Do you really hate me that much?"
Yanagisawa smiled wryly which Tsubaki then replied with a straight smile.
"Yes, I really hate your guts."
"Seriously though, why are caretaker AIs so... You know, hard-headed? They just can't make any compromise. The business AIs are way easier to deal with, you know?"
"That's because ever since we no longer get a proper visitor, we don't need the ability to make deals. There is also the fact that, to us, there is never a need to make deals with robbers."
"Even if you say that, wouldn't it be wonderful if we have a chance to understand each other?"
Yanagisawa smiled bitterly at his hard-headed negotiation partner that he was facing. Half of it was only an act while the other half was his real feeling. But Tsubaki replied with a wondrous smile.
"Of course there is. Although, the subject of that treatment won't be you. For example, if it's someone with a strong sense of duty. I would be more than happy to get connected with that kind of person."
Yanagisawa got shocked inside, but he kept up his joking demeanour.
"Oh, you like that type, huh? I can introduce you to some people that you might like if you want, you know?"
[...That was dangerous. But it was within my expectation. Tsubaki hates them, that's why she won't tell them even after she noticed that it is me. And since she has insurance to make sure that I'll properly keep my promise, she's more likely to accept the deal... That's right, it's all still within my expectation, there's no problem... Though the matter with Katsuya is outside my expectation, well, it's a completely different matter.]
A call suddenly reached his information terminal. It seemed that the jamming had been turned off. Yanagisawa smiled and picked that call, it was from someone in the forward base.
"Commander Yanagisawa! Where are you right now!? Get back here and take command! The expedition armies have been crushed-"
"Haah!? What are you talking about...!?"
"I'll take command through the long-term planning division from here. Tell the rest to obey the orders coming from that division."
Yanagisawa closed the call there and made another call to Kugamayama city.
"It's me. Tell them to open the emergency officers meeting right away... Yeah, I know. I've handled the mess in Kuzusuhara ruin. Put all the chain of command under the long-term planning division and start the cleaning up process. Give me another call when the officers are ready. Get on it."
He then closed that call and was about to call another person when a different call reached his information terminal first.
"Geez. Give me a break already. I just made a deal with the caretaker AI that you angered."
Yanagisawa could hear a gasp from the other side of the call as he smiled amusedly.
After breaking up with Elena's team, Shikarabe's team went to search the inside of the building. Shikarabe seemed immensely vexed. Seeing him like that, Valga chuckled and said to him.
"If you really hate it, you don't have to do this, you know."
"You're really dutiful, you know?"
"Oh is it! Let's go."
In reality, Elena's team was not able to find Akira. The information terminal lent to him for the expedition was destroyed in the middle of the fight, so it was impossible to track the signal from that information terminal. But after the jamming was disengaged, Shikarabe received an SOS signal from Katsuya's team, and after learning from Nelia that Akira was fighting Katsuya, they went to check the signal and found Akira there.
Unlike Elena, Sara and Akira who immediately headed back after that, although Shikarabe, Yamanobe and Valga wanted to return with them as well, they had to stay behind to search the building. This was despite the fact that they really did not want to. At that time, they hoped that the leader of the team, Nelia, would order them to return back as well. Along with her order, they had no reason to stay behind a dangerous area just to search a building. Furthermore, in order to not get left behind, they had no other choice but to return back together with Elena's team. That would at least be enough to convince people from Drankam as to why they ignored the SOS signal.
Unfortunately for the group of men, Nelia and the rest had no wish to stay behind to help Shikarabe's team search the building. Considering Akira's state as well, they decided to leave.
With that, Shikarabe had no other choice but to go down the building with the other Drankam Hunters present. That was until they found a chopped up corpse of a Drankam Hunter.
"This gun owner code... Katsuya? This is Katsuya?"
Shikabare was so shocked, but he then immediately made a conflicted expression.
"...And here I thought he was someone who wouldn't die no matter what happened. I guess my intuition has really dulled, huh?"
Yamanobe laughed bitterly.
"He's also a Hunter. So he will die when his time comes, just like any other Hunter. But still, this body... He was cut into 4 pieces, huh? This is not from a monster. Moreover, his head is not around, just where did his head go? Was it crushed or something? Was it mixed with all those blood splatters around?"
Valga returned after he looked around.
"The other Hunters are unconscious but still alive. They're all fainted from exhaustion and it doesn't seem like any of them are going to wake up anytime soon. The rest of their team is on the ground floor. Shikarabe, what's the plan here? Should we carry all of them back?"
Suddenly an emergency notice reached everyone's information terminal. They all made conflicted expressions when they heard the content of that voice notification.
"This is the long-term planning division of Kugamayama city! We've formed a truce with the caretaker AI protecting the large-scale expedition area! All the Hunters, follow the commands from the long-term planning division and send your location right away! Fighting between Hunters is strictly prohibited! The drones under the AI are already retreating! Don't attack the monsters that don't attack you! You may only fight the monsters that are not under the caretaker AI! Repeat! This is-"
"Alright then, let's take that as an unfortunate accident."
"Thank you for your understanding."
Alpha's gaze turned sharp, but Tsubaki replied casually.
"That's my private negotiation data. I have neither obligation nor reason to share it with you. Ahh, but it's not like I'm hiding anything, you can ask Akira himself, right?"
Alpha's gaze turned even sharper, but Tsubaki continued ignoring it.
The reason why Tsubaki did not tell that particular detail to Alpha was simply to sow suspicion. She was trying to make Alpha doubt someone who would even sacrifice his own life for the sake of protecting his duties and promises. Someone who had absolutely no reason to be doubted. Basically, depending on how one was to look at it, it was Tsubaki harassing Alpha.
"Well, it doesn't really matter, this is an experiment anyway. Let's just move on. But, there's another thing that bothers me. My subject survived while your subject died. This is outside of our prediction. Outside of our prediction means it's outside of our control, is that really okay?"
The other Alpha knitted her eyebrows in response to the other Alpha's worry.
"Dealing with the aftermath is the only thing that we can do. Well, it's an experiment after all, so there's no need to worry about it. That aside, how about you? If your experiment has ended because you have lost your subject, I want to use your computation resources. If you're just going to look for another subject, you don't need all of your current computation resources, right?"
"No, I'm planning to change the subject and continue with the experiment. If that change fails, then I'll stop the experiment there."
"But still, why did all of this have to happen when it was going so well."
A few days after the large scale expedition, Akira once again woke up in a hospital room. As he was about to push his body up, he inadvertently fell again. He was once again reminded that he had lost his arm and he smiled wryly.
"Waking up in a hospital room, this pattern again,..."
"This also means that you're still alive, so I don't think there's any reason for you to hate it that much."
Alpha who was next to him smiled gently at him.
"Good morning, Akira. Did you sleep well?"
"Morning, Alpha. Yeah, except for my arm, I'm good as new."
The doctor who was responsible for Akira came. He gave Akira the document that listed the total cost of the treatment that Akira had received when he was unconscious. The doctor was also there to ask Akira about what to do with his lost arm. They could have healed the arm while he was still unconscious, but since he was a high-rank Hunter, there was a need to get his approval first.
Akira imagined himself sticking a magazine into his arm and shooting with it. The hand part of his arm was turned into a muzzle and returned back to his usual hand after that.
"...Nah, I'll get a normal arm."
"Oh, why is that?"
"I feel like it will not be very comfortable eating or going into a bath with such an arm."
"If it's about the look, you can buy an expensive prosthetic that looks exactly like a normal arm from the outside, you know?"
It was indeed an attractive offer considering its function for battles, but Akira did not like the idea of having to go through his daily life with it. Especially when he had an image of accidentally pulling out a rifle or a blade by mistake in the middle of a meal or in the bath.
That data would be used to grow another arm later so that it would not give any strange feeling after it was connected. The doctor then left after giving a detailed explanation as to how much it would cost and how long Akira would have to stay in the hospital.
Akira looked at the white prosthetic arm with great interest as he moved it around. He felt nothing strange with that arm as if it was his original arm. He could clearly feel the sensation when he grabbed an object with that prosthetic arm.
"I used the data from your augmented suit and tried to apply it to the prosthetic arm, how was it? It felt pretty real, didn't it?"
"...Don't surprise me like that."
"How about trying touching other places as well while you have the chance?"
Akira's face turned slightly reddish, he then turned away as if he was sulking. But Alpha found that very satisfying and smiled at him.
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/
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