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ParallelFiction-Ja_En-100k-alpaca

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While I idly laze about in my bed, my fever returns, just like Lutz predicted. This fever, brought on by exhaustion, is mild, so all that happens is that my whole body feels heavy. Since this isn’t the all-consuming fever of the devouring, I should be able to cure it with plenty of quiet bed rest. That, at least, has been what I’ve been thinking over the past three days. Although I’m getting increasingly irritated about my unbroken fever, I get scolded whenever I try to leave my bed on my own, so even though I’m sluggish from oversleeping I can’t do anything but stay in bed. ...Aaaaaargh, so bored. Today is pig-slaughtering day. Unlike last year, I’ve managed to gain enough of my family’s confidence that they’re letting me stay here and watch the house by myself, so the headed out for that early in the morning. They made a sandwich for my lunch and filled everyone’s cups with water and left them in the bedroom for me so that I would neither get too hungry nor get too thirsty without any way to deal with it. In this dead-silent bedroom, I technically could move around if I wanted to, but I know that all that would do for me is make my fever linger even longer, so I don’t have any choice but to stay quietly in bed. However, with n.o.body to even talk to, there’s no helping it: I am so, so bored. If only I had a book... I have a tremendous quant.i.ty of failed prototype paper with me, but I still haven’t used it. All it’s been doing since I’ve brought it home has been sitting in the box at the foot of my bed, neatly stacked to one side, gathering dust. Ever since we successfully finished our prototype, I’ve simultaneously been really busy and really fired up about wanting to make my first book. Above all, though, since these are failed prototypes, both the material quality and sizes are all over the place. While I do have some paper that’s almost successful, I also have pieces that are such total failures that are badly ripped or crumbling to pieces. There’s paper that’s so thin that it’s nearly see-through, to the point where I’m almost scared to touch it, and paper that we reinforced so much that it looks brittle enough to break. Out of the pieces that were almost perfect, the ones that got twisted when we tried to paste them up to dry out are still probably the easiest to use. If I were more skilled with my knife, I might be able to use the sheets that dried successfully but we couldn’t remove without ripping big holes in them, but cutting out only the pieces of the page that are actually usable proved to be surprisingly difficult. I really want a tiny, slender blade with a very sharp cutting edge, like a hobby knife. That would be much easier to cut with. I think that if I wanted to make a book with this paper it would take a considerable amount of time. This winter I’ll have a lot of extremely productive free time, it seems. ...Ah! Now that I think about it, even if I don’t have a book, I have the board that Mister Benno gave me. I remember that, before my fever flared up, Benno told me that I should look this over when I returned home. I think that I’ll probably be fine if I read it while lying in bed. I get up unsteadily, open the box that I keep my clothes in, and retrieve the approximately A-sized board from my tote bag. Flopping back down on the bed, I start to read. “This is... the outline of a training course for new employees.” It contains a listing of the minimum amount of knowledge that it’s been decided that newly-entering apprentices should be taught. To break the contents down into broad categories, apprentices will need to know: How to look after their appearance and give proper greetings.How to write all of the fundamental letters and numbers.How to use a calculator.How to perform monetary exchanges to a certain degree.The list of commodities in which the shop trades.The names of the merchants that a.s.sociate with the shop. “Hmmm, the things the two of us can study ourselves are... writing, math, and monetary exchanges, I think. Everything below that is probably going to be taught to all of the new employees during training, so I think we can put it off for now...” As I monologue, mumbling, I start making study plans for the winter. First off, I wonder how many of the fundamental letters and numbers Lutz remembers? I taught them to him a while ago, but they’re the kind of things that you tend to forget if you don’t use. I’ll need to verify what he’s forgotten, then teach those to him again. Instead of practice sentences, I wonder how well it would work if I had him write out order forms, formal introductions, and so on? They’re full of vocabulary words that he’ll need for work, so I don’t think there’s much harm there. To be perfectly honest, I actually don’t know how to write many words that aren’t strictly work-related. Here, there’s no dictionary, and the words that have been taught to me were either drilled into me by Otto so that I could help him with the budget or are merchant-related ones taught to me by Benno or Mark. I think I’ve got a solid grasp on my work-related vocabulary. However, I don’t know how to write any common nouns or verbs. “As for using calculators, I know how to add and subtract, but I’ve never asked Mark about how to do multiplication or division on them so I don’t know that yet, hmmm...” I can work out all sorts of calculations by hand on my slate, but it’s essential for me to learn how to be able to use a calculator, too. In order to avoid standing out too much from the other apprentices, I should be able to do things the same way that everyone else does. “I really want to teach Lutz first- through third-grade arithmetic, but I don’t have either textbooks or workbooks, so teaching him is going to be really tough. Since I have to prioritize, I think the counting system and doing large monetary conversions is probably the biggest priority, and then getting him to do addition and subtraction, at least in the ones digit. Then, we can move on to the general concepts of multiplication and division... wait, can we actually do this over the winter?” Drilling in how to work with numbers takes three years, so of course doing all of it over the course of a single winter is impossible. As I let out a heavy sigh, I notice that my fever is wriggling around inside me, a pressure building up like it’s about to burst open. I press my fingertips into my temples, gritting my teeth. I don’t actually scream “don’t come out,” though. Imagining tightly s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g on a lid, I shut it back away, then breathe a sigh of relief. It hadn’t been for very long, but fighting against the devouring has actually made me hungry. I reach over and pick up the sandwich my family had left for me. I take a big bite then, while I chew noisily, start thinking about personal appearance and greetings. “Now this is the biggest problem: looking after our appearance and giving proper greetings. Neither of us really know to what extent a merchant needs to prepare their appearance, or what kind of greetings and phrases are unique to merchants, if any...” I have some idea of what the work clothes, which we will have to buy, are like, having seen the various employees at both Benno’s shop and the Merchant’s Guild. I have no idea how much any of that would actually cost, so I’ll need to verify that with Benno later. As for the greetings, those are on the list of things I want someone to teach me. I already know that people here don’t ever greet each other by bowing, but I don’t know what the correct way to greet someone in the merchant world actually is. All I’ve seen is people smiling at others who they’ve just met while lying through their teeth. Although, I have a hunch that neither Benno nor the guild leader had been doing any sort of typical greeting. At some point, while I was staring at the board I got from Benno and thinking hard, I gradually drifted off to sleep again. When I wake up, I see my family’s already returned home, and are busy bringing their various pork products into the storage room. “Oh, h.e.l.lo, Maine! Did we wake you? How are you feeling?” “...Better, I think.” Now that I’m awake, I actually feel very refreshed, so I think my fever’s gone down. Tomorrow, I’ll still be staying at home so we can wait and see, but the day after tomorrow I think I’ll be able to move around again. The next day, Lutz, with a basket strapped to his back, stops by to pay me a visit on his way to the forest. Although my fever’s gone down, today’s another day in which I shouldn’t be leaving my bed, so I’m extremely happy to have someone to talk to, even if it’s only for a little bit. “Hey, Maine! I heard you’re feeling better? Tory told me a little while ago, when she met me downstairs.” “Yeah, since last night. I’m staying home all day today to make sure, but tomorrow I think I’ll be able to go out.” “Oh, okay! It’s been a long time since you’ve been sick for so long, I was worried.” It seems that both Lutz and my family have been very worried, since I haven’t had a fever that’s lasted this long in quite some time. “You missed helping prepare the pork this year, too.” “Ahhh, it just can’t be helped, this time of year.” I’ve slowly become more-or-less used to going to the butcher’s and seeing chickens get sliced up, but there’s no way I can go along with the rest of the family thinking that I’m going to enjoy this once-per-year experience. I still can’t even make myself want to partic.i.p.ate. I actually caught myself thinking that I was so lucky that it came and went while I was still stuck in bed with a fever. “Yesterday,” I say, “I looked over the board that Mister Benno left us and put together an education plan for us. Tomorrow, I’d like to go to Mister Benno’s shop, return this board, and ask him if I could buy a calculator, maybe...” “...Oh, that’s right, what’s on that board, anyway?” Lutz claps his hands together, apparently having only just remembered that the board even existed, and leans forward curiously. He looks like he’s ready to listen to every word. “It’s related to the education apprentices get. Lutz, how much of your letters and numbers do you think you remember?” “All the ones you taught me...?” he says, tilting his head doubtfully at me like the answer was obvious. Startled, I open my eyes wide. I didn’t expect in the slightest that he’d completely remember everything. “What? Really?! You don’t usually use them, but you haven’t forgotten any?!” “...Well, you know, it’s so rare for someone to be able to teach me things, so once I finally learned how to write, I didn’t want to forget, so I kept writing on the ground or the wall with my finger, and then after I bought my slate I’ve been practicing on that ever since.” “Lutz, that’s amazing!” Lutz is an even harder worker than I thought. Wait, no; I’ve still been thinking that it’s only natural that people get educated, and that it’s easy to get any information you want whenever you want it. I wonder if this is too naive? I’ve never actually thought about not wanting to learn knowledge that I’d finally received. After all, if I ever forgot it, I could just get a book and read about it again. If I just remembered what kind of books I can find things in, then I could easily obtain, on demand, any information that I wanted. I’ve never had a need to memorize the entire contents of it before. “Nah, I’m not amazing at all. You’re the amazing one, being able to read really large numbers like you can.” “Then, I can teach you how to read big numbers too! Pick up that slate.” I teach him about the ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, and ever-larger digits. The town marketplace uses three-digit numbers, so he can read those easily, but it seems he doesn’t understand numbers larger than that. Holding the slate in place, I run through the digits until Lutz starts counting along with me. After reading them aloud many times, I write up a series of suitably large numbers on the slate. “Alright, question one. How do you read ,,5?” “Ummm, one, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million, so...” Lutz tackles each problem earnestly and, in no time at all, starts to be able to read numbers up to the ten millions. I wonder what’s higher, his memory or his concentration skills? Lutz’s specs are way higher than I thought they’d be. We’ll be able to put a ton of effort into studying this winter. If he’s this smart... there’s not actually a single thing I can actually beat him in, is there? As I start feeling a little sorry for myself, Tory comes back up from downstairs, bringing a bucket of water from the well with her. When she sees Lutz, she shouts in surprise. “What the... Lutz?! Weren’t you supposed to go to the forest? Everyone else left already, you know?!” “Yikes! Sorry, Maine. I gotta go! Thanks for teaching me!” Panicking, Lutz shoots to his feet, then dashes out the door. At that speed, he should be able to catch up to everyone else well before they even reach the gate. The next day, my family grants me permission to leave the house, so Lutz and I head out to Benno’s shop in the afternoon, when he has the free time to meet with us. However, when we arrive, the entrance is closed, and a single guard stands quietly outside. “Huh?” I say. “I guess it’s still lunchtime...” “Want to go back to the central square and sit down for a bit? Standing around the whole time would be really hard, right?” “Yeah, you’re right. Finding someplace to sit down sounds like a really good idea right now.” As the two of us discuss how we’re going to kill the time, the guard beckons to us, as if he’s completely recognized our faces. “I’ll go ask the master if it’s okay to let you two in. Would please you wait here for a moment?” The guard disappears into the shop, then immediately returns, opening the door wide to let us in. Inside, the shop is gloomy with the windows and doors shut. He leads us briskly back to the office in the back and opens the door. Inside, the sunlight streams brightly in through the window, and a brilliant fire burns within the hearth. “Maine, are you feeling better now?” Benno, who seems to have been in the middle of some work, sets aside his pen and ink and stands to greet us. “Yes, sir. I’ve come to return this board to you. I also have some questions I’d like to ask, is that okay?” “Sure, go ahead. I’ve got some things I’d like to talk with you about too, but you two go first.” Benno gestures to the table we usually sit at, and prompts me to begin. “Thank you very much for lending me this,” I say. “Thanks to it, I was able to form some ideas about a plan for studying during the winter.” “Oh?” “Ummm, as I was reading it, a few questions occurred to me. I understand that taking care of our appearance and giving proper greetings is necessary, but to what degree do we need to take care of our appearance? Also, if merchants have any specific greetings or phrases, unfortunately neither of us actually know them.” “To start with, although you two are commoners living near the south gate, you aren’t grungy at all, so all you need to worry about is your work clothes. You can get the minimum for about ten small silver coins, so if you start saving now, then by the summer you could probably afford it.” “Ten small silver coins...,” mumbles Lutz, dumbfounded. “I’m so glad I copied Maine and saved some away...” To Lutz, whose mother spins thread and makes all of the clothes for her family, the concept of spending ten small silver coins on clothing and shoes comes as an enormous shock. I’m shocked as well, but clothing here is not something you get off the shelf. It’s all made to order, so I thought that the price was going to be something around those lines. It’s definitely very expensive, but it’s still something that we could buy if we work very hard come springtime to earn money making paper. “Next is your manner of speech. Maine, you’re okay, but Lutz, you need work. You need to learn how to speak politely, otherwise I can’t put you out in front of customers the way you talk now.” Lutz, having been singled out, is at a loss for words. Picking up how to speak politely is really difficult if n.o.body around him does it either. I try to think about who the best person for him to imitate would be, out of all the people we know. “You could use Mister Mark as a reference for speaking politely.” “...Urrrgh, it makes me really kinda... itchy, though.” I can sympathize with the unstable sort of feeling of being suddenly told to change one’s manner of speech to something that’s entirely unlike yourself. However, if he’s unable to do so, he won’t be able to stand out in the front of the shop. This is doubly true in Benno’s shop, which is rapidly growing its base of n.o.ble clientele. If we want to climb to the top, we absolutely need to learn how to manage our appearance, our speech, and our manners. “That’s okay,” I rea.s.sure him. “You can do it if you try! You know how Benno usually talks one way, then in front of customers he’s suddenly speaking very politely? It would be great if you could do the same thing when you’re dealing with customers, too.” Even though I’ve never actually seen Benno switch to a more polite manner of speech, even when talking to the guild leader, I’m certain that if he thought he had to, he could do it in a heartbeat. Otherwise, he’d be a terrible fit for a merchant. “There’s no real need for you to talk super politely to me or your family, you know? Also, when I’m talking with the guild leader or Mister Benno, I use different words than I do when I’m talking to you, right? Does that make you itchy. too?” “Now that you say that... nah, I guess not. You talk normally to me, so I guess I never really noticed.” If you can smoothly switch between modes, it’s not something you ever notice. Even if you start out being uncomfortable with it, as you keep using polite speech, you rapidly become used to it. “So, for the words you’re going to be using just at work, why don’t you try practicing how Mister Mark speaks? Start with things like addressing people as ‘sir’ and 'ma'am’ and using 'please’ and 'thank you’ more often... I believe that would best, wouldn’t you agree?” As I switch to more polite phrasing for the last sentence, Lutz nods in comprehension. “Argh, no! I’m a girl, say 'ma'am’!” “Snrk! Gaahahahaha!” Benno, having watched our exchange, erupts in a belly-bursting laugh, slapping the table uproariously, wiping tears from his eyes and clutching his sides. “Ahaha... well, I have no idea how far you two can get over the winter, but keep at it, kids.” He shows no sign of calming down, so I peer at him in mild disapproval, though it doesn’t seem to do much. I clench my fist tightly, resolving that we’re going to make so much progress this winter that he’ll be shocked. This jogs my memory, and I remember the favor I wanted to ask of him. “Ah, that’s right! Mister Benno?” “I’d like a calculator so that I can work on learning how to use it. If I can’t practice, I won’t be able to really master it.” Mark is capable of using his calculator very quickly, flicking beads around with his fingers while simultaneously thinking of the next steps. I probably won’t be able to get quite as good as him, but for things like abacuses, practice is very important. “A calculator, hmm... If a secondhand one from my shop is alright with you, I can sell it for six large copper coins. How does that sound? Can the two of you share one?” “Yes sir, thank you very much.” Lutz and I tap our guild cards together with Benno’s, agreeing to pay him three coins each. He then gives us our new calculator. “We’ll be able to study math with this, Lutz.” “Yeah,” he replies. “Did you have anything else you wanted to ask?” says Benno. Something immediately flashes to mind. “Ah, I’ll need to order a new contract sheet-sized paper frame before springtime, if that’s not too much trouble...” “Just fill out an order form. Mark already knows what you’re looking for, he can go handle it.” “Huh? But...” When we’d been going around to various places to place our orders, Mark had told us that if we weren’t there ourselves to describe what we wanted, there’s no telling what kind of trouble we might get ourselves into. I don’t think leaving it all to him is the best idea. “I’ve got something else I need you to do for me. Hey, just write it down, okay?” Urged onwards, I draw my ordering set out of my tote bag. By now, I’m down to a single board that I can use for ordering. “Mister Benno, it seems that I’m running out of boards for order forms...” “Yeah, you’ve done a lot of ordering, haven’t you. I’ll get you some more.” “Whoa! I’ve almost run out of ink, too!” Not only have I written a lot of orders, but when we were working on our prototypes, it was necessary for me to use even more ink in order to test how easy it was to write on the paper. I’ve used quite a lot of it by now. When I say that, Benno’s face tightens sharply. “...I want to charge you for this, but... well, whatever. I’ll call this part of my initial investment.” I’m a little shocked by this. Otto had said that ink was very expensive and thus not a child’s plaything. However, I’d never heard how much it actually cost. Timidly, I ask, “If you’ll pardon the digression, might I ask how much a bottle of ink would cost?” “About four small silver coins each.” “Eek?!” Lutz and I couldn’t afford it even if we sc.r.a.ped together everything we’ve saved so far! “Use it carefully,” he warns me. “Y... yes, sir. Of course!” I’d been thinking that I wanted some ink of my own to use for my book-making project, but I think I’ll have to give up on trying to buy it. Using my leftover soot pencils is probably my best bet. My pen scratches at the surface of the board as I write out my order. I’m very used to this by now. The tip of the pen quickly dulls, but Lutz immediately sharpens it again for me. I ask Benno to get an average-sized contract for me, use my tape measure to determine its size, and finish writing out the rest of the order. Benno looks over my completed form, then nods slightly. “No mistakes or spelling errors at all. I’ll get this over to Mark. ...Maine, if you don’t get that paper frame and can’t make any paper, I’ll be in just as much trouble as you. Don’t worry about it, I’ll make sure it’s done right.” “Thank you very much, sir.” I’m relieved to hear Benno say that he’ll take responsibility for making sure it’ll be made correctly. Breathing out slowly, I tidy up my ordering set. “...Is that all you wanted to talk about, you two?” Benno sits up straight, his expression going serious. Guessing that this is going to be a discussion about some sort of transaction, Lutz and I straighten up as well. “Well then, I’ve got something I’d like to ask as well. Maine, it’s about the hair-was.h.i.+ng liquid you taught me how to make.” “What is it?” I’d explained how to make it quite a ways back, when we were still in the middle of prototyping our paper, on one of the days where we were borrowing the key for the warehouse. I should have already told him everything. Since I’ve already relinquished all of my rights to it thanks to the contract magic, I have no idea whatsoever about what he could possibly have to ask after all this time. As I study him curiously, my head tilted to the side, his expression grows increasingly troubled as he opens his mouth to speak. “You told me that melil oil is best oil to use, so I’ve been gathering it until now, but...” “Huh? Shouldn’t melil be almost out of season? Have you not made anything yet?” Lutz and I exchange glances. Melil should be about out of season. The two of us had gathered a lot of it already and made it all into simple shampoo. I would have thought that Benno, who is constantly seeking profit, would have started production a long time ago and would have sold a large quant.i.ty of it since then. “Well, I’d acquired a large crop of them, and had a workshop start making it, but the other day they came to me and said that it wasn’t coming out right, even if they made it exactly the way you said. Can you think of any reason that might be?” I frown as I think about what he said. Fundamentally, the entire procedure boils down to just smas.h.i.+ng, then pressing, then mixing in scents. I can’t think of any place in the process that could actually go wrong. I tilt my head to the side in confusion, as does Lutz, who has helped me make shampoo countless times. “...Even if they’re saying it’s not turning out right, if you’re making simple shampoo, then... it’s not a very difficult process, is it?” I have a ton of ideas on how to make it better, if I only had the ingredients, but in its current simple form, I can’t think of a reason why it would ever fail. It always turned out the same no matter if it was me, Tory, or Lutz who was making it. “I really didn’t want to bring you out, but if we don’t manage to complete this, then this will turn into something the contract magic would have to deal with. Sorry, but could you come with me to the workshop?” If I recall correctly, the penalties for violating a magical contract are very severe. In the worst case, they could even mean death. As soon as I cutely chirp out my immediate response, though, Lutz grabs hold of my arm. “Maine, I think you should probably stop for today. Your fever’s only barely just gone back down, and you’re not all the way back to normal, right?” Lutz is correct, but in this season there’s not going to be a whole lot of time where I’m actually at peak health. This is definitely a season where my fever could flare up at any point, if I’m even just a little bit unprepared. If just not having a fever doesn’t count as being healthy, then I’d never be able to leave my house for anything. “But I don’t know how long it’ll take me to get totally healthy again, and if we let this go for too long then the snow is going to start falling, so we should go now, while my fever’s down, right?” “Well, you’re not wrong, but...” Benno pats Lutz’s worried head rea.s.suringly. “Don’t worry too much, Lutz. I’ll carry her, so we won’t be making her walk. Not like I can stand walking that slowly, anyway.” “...Well, in that case, I guess it’s okay, huh?” With that, Benno picks me up once again, and we head out. He asked me about what could have caused the failure, but I’ve never actually seen this fail before. I wonder if he really understood me?

ベッドの中でゴロゴロしているうちに、ルッツの予測通り熱が上がってきた。疲れから来る熱で、微熱くらいなので身体全体がだるいだけだ。食われそうになる身食いの熱とは違うので、おとなしくしていたらそのうち治るだろう。 そう思って3日がたった。 ......あああぁぁぁ、暇。 今日は豚の解体日だ。去年と違って、今年で留守番させる程度の信用は得られているようで、朝早くに家族は出かけていった。 シーンとしている部屋の中、動こうと思えば動けるけれど、熱が長引くだけだとわかっているので、ベッドでおとなしくしているしかない。でも、話をする相手もいないので、暇で、暇で、仕方ない。 本があればなぁ......。 失敗作の紙を結構大量に持って帰ってきたが、まだ手つかずで、わたしの服が入っている木箱の底に丁寧に重ねて詰めこんであるだけだ。試作品が出来上がった後、忙しかったというのもあるし、第一作目となる本は気合を入れて作りたいというのもある。 何より、失敗作の紙なので、品質はバラバラ、大きさもバラバラだ。ほぼ成功に近い紙もあれば、完全に失敗でビリビリボロボロの破片のような紙もある。向こうが見えそうなくらい薄くて、触るのが怖い紙もあれば、力を入れ過ぎると割れそうな堅い紙もある。 張り付ける時によれてしまっただけというほぼ成功の紙はまだ使いやすいけれど、乾かした後で剥がすのに失敗して大きな穴が開いた紙は、わたしがもうちょっとナイフを上手に使えるようにならないと、使える部分だけを切りだすのが意外と難しい。刃が細くて小さいカッターみたいに扱いやすくて鋭い切れ味の刃物が欲しい。 そんな紙で本を作るためには、じっくりと向かい合う時間が必要だと思う。今年の冬はとても充実した時間が持てそうだ。 ......あ! そういえば、本はないけど、ベンノさんの板があったね。 熱を出す前に「帰ったら目を通しておけ」とベンノに言われた板があることを思い出した。ベッドで寝転がったまま、これを読むくらいなら大丈夫だろう。 わたしはもそりと起き上がって、自分の服が入っている木箱の蓋を開けると、A4サイズくらいの大きめの板をトートバッグの中から取り出した。 「......これ、新人教育の課程表だ」 新しく入った見習いに最低限これだけのことを教えると決められた内容がそこに載っていた。書かれている内容を大まかに分けるとだいたいこんなところだ。 基本文字と数字が全部書けること。 「うーん、冬の間で勉強できるのは、文字と計算と金勘定かなぁ。下の項目は新人教育の間に、みんなが覚えていくことだから、後回しでもいいと思うんだけど......」 独り言を零しながら、わたしは冬の勉強計画を立てていく。 さて、ルッツは基本文字と数字をどれだけ覚えているだろうか。教えてもらっても、使わなければ忘れるものだ。それを確認して、忘れたところをもう一度教える。 ぶっちゃけ、わたしも仕事関係の単語しかあまり知らないんだよね。ここって、辞書ないし、文字を教えてくれたのは、予算のためにわたしを鍛えたかったオットーと商人のベンノとマルクだから、仕事に関する単語は結構覚えたと思う。でも、一般名詞や動詞がわからない。 「計算機の使い方は、足し算と引き算ならわかるけど、掛け算と割り算のやり方はマルクさんにでも聞いてみないとわからないなぁ......」 石板で筆算すれば計算はできるけれど、わたしも計算機が使えるようにならないとダメだ。見習いの間で悪目立ちしないように、なるべくみんなと同じようにできた方がいい。 「ルッツには小学校の1~3年くらいの算数を教えたいんだけど、教科書も問題集もなしじゃあ、教えるのは大変かもねぇ。優先順位としては、数の数え方と大きい数をお金に換算できるようにするのが一番で、一桁の足し算と引き算を徹底させる。それから、掛け算と割り算の概念だけでも......って、冬の間だけじゃ無理か」 さすがに、数字だけに内容を絞るにしても、3年かけてやることを、冬の間に全部やるなんて無理だ。 ハァ、と溜息を吐くと、身体の奥で熱がうごめいた気がした。出てこようと圧力をかけてくるような感触に、わたしはこめかみ辺りに力を入れて、歯を食いしばる。 出てくるな、お呼びじゃないの。 それほど長い時間ではないけれど、身食いの熱と押し合いをしたせいで、お腹が空いてきた。家族が置いて行ってくれたサンドイッチを手にとってバクッと噛みつき、むぐむぐと咀嚼しながら、わたしは身なりと挨拶について考える。 「一番の問題はこれだよ。身なりを整え、挨拶ができること。身なりを整えるってどの程度なのか、商人独特の挨拶や言い回しがあるかどうかは、わたし達じゃわからないもん」 働くための服を買わなければならないのは、ベンノの店や商業ギルドの3階で働く人達を見ていればわかる。 あと、挨拶に関しては、わたしも教えてほしい項目だ。ここで頭を下げる挨拶をしないのは知っているが、正しい挨拶の仕方を知らない。初対面の相手には笑顔で誤魔化しているだけだ。 ベンノから借りた板を見て、考えているうちにうとうとしていたようで、次に目を覚ました時には家族が帰って来ていて、冬支度部屋に今日作った豚肉の加工品を運びこんでいた。 「ただいま。起きたのね? 熱はどう?」 「......多分、下がった」 起きた時にずいぶんとすっきりしていたので、熱は下がったはずだ。明日は多分様子見のために、一日家の中で過ごすことになるだろうけれど、明後日には動けるようになるだろう。 次の日、森に行く予定だったらしいルッツが、籠を背負った出かける格好のままでお見舞いに来てくれた。熱が下がっているのに、ベッドの中でいなければならない日なので、わたしとしてはほんの少しの時間でも話相手ができたことがすごく嬉しい。 「よぉ、マイン。熱が下がったんだって? さっきトゥーリと下で会った時にそう言っていたんだ」 「うん、昨日の夜に下がったの。今日一日は様子見で、明日は動けそうだよ」 「そっか。久し振りに熱が長引いたから、心配したぞ」 しばらく何日も続く熱を出していなかったので、家族にもルッツにもかなり心配をかけたようだ。 「マインは今年も豚肉加工に参加できなかったな」 「あ~、この季節は仕方ないね」 肉屋や鳥肉の解体には多少慣れてきたけれど、まだ家族のように「よし、やるぜ。一年に一度の楽しみだ」なんて思えるほど、参加したいとは思えない。熱で寝込んでいる間に終わってラッキーと思ってしまったくらいだ。 「わたし、昨日はベンノさんが貸してくれた板を見て、勉強計画を立ててたの。明日はベンノさんのところに行って、この板を返すのと、計算機を買えないか相談したいんだけど」 「......そういえば、何の板だったんだ?」 ルッツはベンノに借りた板の存在を思い出したように手を打って、身を乗り出す。完全に話を聞く体勢だ。 「見習い教育に関するものだった。ルッツは文字や数字ってどのくらい覚えてる?」 「教えてもらった分は全部覚えてるけど?」 当たり前のように小首を傾げながら、ルッツが答えたけれど、まさか全部覚えているとは思っていなかったわたしはぎょぎょっと目を見開いた。 「え? ホントに!? 普段使わないのに、忘れてないの!?」 「......オレ、そういうの、教えてもらえることって滅多にないから、せっかく覚えたことは忘れたくなくて、地面や壁に指で書いたり、石板を買ってからは石板に練習したりしてる」 「ルッツ、すごい!」 せっかく覚えたことを忘れたくないなんて思ったことがない。忘れたら、また本を読めばいい。どんな本に書かれていたかを覚えていれば、いつだって欲しい情報は手に入った。全ての内容を暗記する必要なんてなかった。 「すごくねぇ。大きい数字も全部読めるマインの方がすげぇよ」 「じゃあ、大きい数字の読み方を教えるよ。石板取って」 一、十、百、千、万......と大きくなっていく単位を教える。百の位までは、市場でも使うので、簡単に読めるけれど、そのあとがわからなかったらしい。 「さて、問題です。78,946,215なら、どう読むでしょう?」 「えーと、一、十、百、千、万、十万、百万、千万だから......」 かなり真剣な顔で取り組むルッツは、あっという間に千万の位まで読めるようになった。集中力の差か、記憶力の差か、どちらだろうか。予想以上にルッツのスペックが高い。冬の勉強でかなり力を付けそうだ。 これで頭も良かったら、わたし、ルッツに勝てる要素が全くなくなっちゃうよ? 内心ちょっぴり落ち込んでいると、水を汲んで上がってきたトゥーリがルッツの姿を見つけて、大きな声を上げた。 「あれ、ルッツ!? 森に行くんじゃなかったの? みんな、出発しちゃったよ!?」 「うわっ! 悪い、マイン。オレ、行くから。教えてくれてありがとうな」 ルッツが慌てて立ち上がって、走り出す。ルッツの走るスピードなら、門に着くまでにみんなに追いつけるはずだ。 次の日、家族からも外出の許可が出たので、ベンノに余裕ができる午後からルッツと一緒にベンノの店に向かった。 「あれ? まだお昼休みみたい」 「中央広場まで戻って、座って待つか? ずっと立ってるの、辛いだろ?」 「そうだね。今日は座れるところがあった方がいいかな」 二人で時間潰しの相談をしていると、番人には完全に顔を覚えられていたようで、手招きされた。 「旦那様に通していいか、伺ってくる。ここで少し待っていてくれないか?」 「ありがとうございます」 窓の板戸が閉められて薄暗い店の中を門番がスタスタと歩いていき、奥の部屋のドアを開けてくれる。奥の部屋は日がさんさんと差し込んでいるので明るいし、暖炉には赤々と火が燃えているのが見えた。 「マイン、熱は下がったのか?」 仕事をしていたらしいベンノがインクを置いて立ち上がった。 「はい。この板、返しに来ました。それで、質問があるんですけど、いいですか?」 「あぁ、いいぞ。俺からも話があるが、先にお前達の話を聞こう」 ベンノがいつものテーブルに着くように手で示しながら、質問を促した。 「この板、ありがとうございました。おかげで冬の勉強計画がある程度形になりました」 「ほぉ?」 「えーと、読んでいて、疑問に思ったことがあるんです。身なりを整え、挨拶ができることが必要なのはわかるんですけど、身なりを整えるってどの程度なんですか? あと、商人独特の挨拶や言い回しがあるかどうかが、わたし達じゃわからないんです」 「とりあえず、お前達は南門に近い平民なのに、薄汚れた印象が全くないから、必要なのは働くための服や靴だけだ。小銀貨10枚ほどあれば、最低限は揃うから、今から金を貯めておけば、夏までには何とかなるだろう」 「小銀貨10枚......。マインの真似して、貯めててよかった」 ルッツが呆然とした顔で呟く。母が糸を紡いで、服を作るものだったルッツにとっては、小銀貨10枚の服や靴が最低限と言われれば、衝撃だろう。 「それから、マインはともかく、ルッツは言葉遣いだな。丁寧な言葉が使えるようにならないと、今のままじゃ客の前には出せん」 周囲に使う人がいなければ、丁寧な言葉を習得することは難しい。わたしは今、自分達の周りにいる人の中で、一番ルッツの参考になりそうな人を考えてみる。 「丁寧語はマルクさんの言葉遣いを参考にするといいよ」 「......う~、何かむず痒い感じがするんだよな」 でも、それができるようにならなければ、客の前には立てない。特にベンノの店はこれからどんどん貴族相手に商売を広げていこうとしている店だ。上に上がっていこうとすれば、身なり、言葉、作法を覚えていかなければならない。 「大丈夫。やってみればできるよ。ベンノさんだって、普段はこういう喋り方だけど、お客様相手にはきちんとしているんだから、ルッツも相手を見て切り替えられるようになればいいの」 ギルド長を相手にしても、ベンノが丁寧な言葉を喋っているところなんて見たことはないが、やろうと思えば簡単に切り替えられるはずだ。そうでなければ、商人なんて務まらない。 「別に家族やわたしに丁寧な言葉で喋る必要なんてないんだよ? それに、わたしだって、ルッツに使う言葉とベンノさんやギルド長に使う言葉は別でしょ? 何かむず痒い感じがする?」 「......そういえば、そうだな。マインは普通に喋ってるからあまり気にしてなかった」 さらっと切り替えていると、あまり気にならないものだ。最初は違和感があっても、使っているうちに、すぐに馴染むようになる。 「だから、ルッツも仕事中だけ使う言葉として、マルクさんの言葉遣いを覚えてみたらどう? 最初は、です、とか、ます、を使うところから始めると......いいと思います」 最後だけ丁寧な言葉に直してみると、ルッツは納得したように頷いた。 「違うよ! そうします、って言うの」 「ぶはっ! ははははは!」 わたしとルッツのやり取りを目の前で見ていたベンノが豪快に噴きだして、テーブルを叩きながら笑いだした。目尻に涙を浮かべて、お腹を抱えて、馬鹿笑いしている。 「ぶふっ、冬の間にどれだけ底上げができるかは知らんが、まぁ、頑張ってみろ」 笑いを堪え切れていないベンノを軽く睨んでみても全く効果はない。絶対にビックリするくらい底上げしてやるんだ、と強い決意と共に拳を握る。 それと同時に頼みごとを思い出した。 「あ、そうだ。ベンノさん」 「なんだ?」 「底上げのために計算機が欲しいんです。こればかりは練習しないと身に付きませんから」 マルクなど、頭と指が同時に動いているように計算機が使える。そこまでのレベルには到達できないだろうが、そろばんだって練習が大事だ。 「計算機か......。ウチの店の中古でよければ、大銅貨6枚で売ってもいいぞ? 二人で一つの計算機を使うのでいいのか?」 「はい、お願いします」 ベンノとギルドカードを合わせて、わたしとルッツそれぞれから大銅貨3枚分ずつ引いてもらい、計算機を譲ってもらった。 「これで計算の勉強ができるね、ルッツ」 「他に聞くことや言うことはないか?」 「あ、春までに契約書サイズの 「発注書だけ書いておけ。もうマルクがわかっているから、マルクに行かせる」 「え? でも......」 発注は責任を持って自分でやらなければ、どんなトラブルが起こるかわからない、と色々なところに発注に行った時にマルクが言っていた。任せてしまうのはダメだろう。 「お前には別件で動いてもらわなきゃいけないからな。ほら、発注書だけ先に書け」 促されたので、わたしはトートバッグから発注書セットを取り出す。発注書にする木札がもうあと1つしかない。 「ベンノさん、この発注用の木札がなくなりそうなんですけど......」 「あぁ、ずいぶん注文したからな。追加を渡しておこう」 「わぁ! ついでにインクもそろそろ切れそうなんです」 発注書を大量に書いたし、試作品を作るにはインクでの試し書きが必須だったので、かなり使った。 「......金を取りたいところだが、まぁ、いい。初期投資の方に入れておいてやる」 その言葉でハッとする。オットーは、インクは高いから、子供が使うような物ではないと言っていた。でも、具体的な値段を聞いたことはない。 「つかぬ事をお伺いしますが、お金を取られたら、インクって、おいくらですか?」 「だいたい小銀貨4枚だ」 「ぅひっ!?」 今のわたしとルッツの貯金をかき集めても買えない! 「大事に使えよ」 「は、はい。もちろんです!」 自分の本作りのためにインクが欲しいなと思ったけれど、買うのは諦めよう。残っている煤鉛筆を使うのが一番だ。 ガリガリと発注書を書いていく。もう手慣れたものだ。木のペン先はすぐに丸くなってしまうので、ルッツに削って尖らせてもらい、ベンノに平均的な契約書を出してもらって、メジャーでサイズを測り、簀桁の発注書を書きあげた。 ベンノはわたしが書いた発注書を見て、軽く眉を上げる。 「不備も誤字脱字も全くないな。これはマルクに回しておく。......マイン、簀桁ができなくて、紙が作れなくて困るのは俺も同じだ。責任持って作るから、心配そうな顔をするな」 ベンノが責任を持つと言ってくれたのだから、安心して待っていよう。わたしはゆっくりと息を吐いて、発注書セットを片付ける。 「......これでお前達の話は終わりか?」 「はい」 わたしが大きく頷くと、ベンノがスッと背筋を伸ばして、表情を引き締めた。商売に関係する話になることを察して、わたしとルッツも姿勢を正す。 「では、こちらの話をしたい。マイン、お前が教えてくれた髪を洗う液のことだ」 簡易ちゃんリンシャンの作り方は、紙の試作品を作っている途中で、鍵の貸し借りの時に教えたはずだ。わたしは契約魔術で完全に権利を放棄しているのに、今更何の話があるのか全くわからない。首を傾げると、ベンノが困ったような顔で口を開いた。 「お前が使う油はメリルが一番良いと言ったから、この季節まで待っていたんだが......」 「あれ? もうそろそろメリルの季節って終わりですよね? まだ作ってなかったんですか?」 メリルの季節はもうそろそろ終わりだ。ウチでもメリルはたくさん採って、すでに簡易ちゃんリンシャンになっている。利益を追求するベンノのことだから、もうとっくに作って、大量に売りさばいているものだと思っていた。 「いや、収穫されたものを集めて、ある工房で作らせているんだが、お前の言った通りに作っても、同じ物にならないという話が先日上がってきていてな。何か思い当たる原因がないか?」 ベンノの言葉に思わず眉を寄せた。基本的に潰して、搾って、香りを付けるだけだ。失敗するような箇所が見当たらない。 「......同じにならないって言われても、あれを作るのって、そんなに難しい過程なんてなかったよな?」 材料さえあれば、改善案はいくつかあるけれど、あんなに簡単なものを失敗する理由なんてわからない。トゥーリが作っても、ルッツが作っても、ちゃんと同じような物ができた。 「本当はお前の姿を出したくなかったのだが、あの液が完成しなければ、契約魔術に反することになる。悪いが一緒に工房まで来てもらっていいか?」 契約魔術は確か破った罰則がひどく厳しくて、最悪の場合、死ぬこともあったはずだ。我が身可愛さにすぐさま返事をすると、ルッツがわたしの腕をつかんだ。 「マイン、今日は止めておいた方が良いと思うぞ。熱が下がったばかりで、まだ本調子じゃないだろ?」 ルッツの言葉は正しいが、この季節は本調子になれることが少ない。少し油断したら、いつ熱が出てもおかしくない季節だ。熱がないのは元気だと判断しなければ、いつまでたっても行動できない。 「でも、本調子なんていつまで待てばいいかわからないし、ぼんやりしてると雪が降り始めちゃうから、熱がないうちに行った方がいいよ?」 「それはそうだけど、でもさ......」 「ルッツ、あんまり心配するな。マインは俺が抱えていくから、歩かせることはない。俺があの速度に耐えられんからな」 「......それなら、まぁ、大丈夫かな?」 ルッツがそう言ったことで、わたしはまたベンノに抱えられて、移動することになった。 失敗原因って、言われても、今まで失敗なんてしたことないもんね。 ちゃんとわかるかなぁ?

“Now then, last on the list is meat. We’re going to get a lot of it, and then we’re going to need to salt it, or maybe smoke it...” My mother, finished with buying our fruits and vegetables, heads towards the center of the market. There, it seems like the meat sellers are lined up against the outer wall. “Why are we buying so much?” I ask. “We have to prepare for winter, you know?” replies my mother. “Around this time of year, the farmers all have to bring their livestock in for the year. Anything that won’t make it through the winter gets butchered, so this time of the year is when the most meat is sold. The animals have also been eating a lot to prepare for winter, so their meat is very fatty and delicious.” “...Umm, in the winter, does the market go away too?” “Of course it does, you know? There aren’t very many vegetables gathered during the winter, so the market isn’t open very often.” Now that I think about it, it’s obvious, but the thought hadn’t occurred to me at all. In j.a.pan, before greenhouse cultivation became commonplace, vegetables were sold seasonally, and before distribution methods were developed, they were all grown locally. You can keep food fresh for long periods of time with freezers or refrigerators, but before those things existed, you needed to actually preserve the food in your house. “...I’ve never actually prepared for winter,” I mumble. “Did you say something?” asks my mother. “Nuh-uh.” Preserving food at home, huh... Where in that tiny apartment are we going to preserve anything? That storage room isn’t nearly big enough, right? Man, I’m glad that I’m a such a little girl; I’m so small that I’d only get in the way if I tried to help, so I’m not going to be scolded when I don’t. “...Erk, it stinks!” “That’s the smell of meat!” The stench grows unbearable as we approach the butchers. I pinch my nose to stop the smell, but my mother keeps walking forward, looking like this was nothing out of the ordinary. Meat’s supposed to smell like this? Ughhh, I’ve got a bad feeling about this... Even though my nose is plugged, the air is so foul that the very taste of it makes my eyes water as I finally arrive at the row of butchers’ shops. On the counters, aside from the bacon and ham I expected, legs of meat are lined up, still attached to the feet and recognizable as animal parts. Inside the shop, dead animals, drained of blood, swing from the rafters. Bunnies and birds line the shelves, their eyes wide open and their tongues lolling out of their mouths. “Gyaaaaaaah!!” I scream. “What’s wrong, Maine?!” To be honest, for someone like me, who’s only ever seen raw meat after it’s already been completely disa.s.sembled, cut up into little pieces, and put in packs, the butchers’ shops of this world are a little too over-stimulating. All the hairs on my body stand on end, tears stream down my face, and I screw my eyes shut to block out the awful sight. The single glimpse I caught, though, remains fixated with my mind, and won’t go away no matter how much I want to forget it. “Maine? Maine?!” My mother shakes me side to side. At that instant, a pig screams as its dissection begins, and my eyes snap open. Smiling people have gathered around me, watching and waiting eagerly as an animal is murdered right in front of them. Why do you look like this is fun, people? Why are you smiling so much?! Stop it! Stop it stop it! This is terrifying!! The pig squeals out one final time as the knife rams home. My own small cry joins it, and I faint on the spot. Something’s being poured into my mouth. It’s a harsh, astringent,extremely stimulating liquid that smells like strong alcohol. Since I’m not quite awake enough to drink it properly, it flows straight down my windpipe. I leap to my feet, my eyes wide open, and start an enormous coughing fit. “Cough! Cough! Cough!” Is this actual alcohol?! What unbelievable idiot would dare force such a powerful spirit down the throat of such a helpless and innocent young child?! What would you do if I’d gotten alcohol poisoning?! My mother is next to me, holding a bottle of alcohol. “Maine, are you awake? Ahh, that’s a relief, I’m so glad that I could wake you up.” “Cough! ...Mommy?!” With a huge sigh of relief, my mother hugs me tightly. I might not be very good at putting things into words at the moment, but I can speak my mind now, right? Don’t shove such a strong alcohol down the throat of a small child!! And especially do not do so to a child who not only has a weak const.i.tution, but has also just finally recovered from a fever so high that you thought she would die!! Are you trying to kill me?! Are you an idiot?! Do you want me to die?! “Alright then, Maine. Now that you’re awake, let’s go back and get that meat.” “What?!” A shudder ripples through me. That horrifying spectacle has already been seared into my memory. It flashes before my eyes like a daydream, and just the memory of it gives me gooseb.u.mps. I do not want to go back there. This woman, she used strong alcohol to revive a young girl, and now she’s taking the girl who literally just fainted at the sight of the butcher and dragging her back to the butcher... could it be that she’s a brute? “...Ummmm, I still don’t feel good,” I say. “I’m gonna stay here. Mommy, go ahead!” “Eh? But...” I give my hesitant mother a sidelong glance, then spin in place to face the lady running the shop. I need to secure my position before she drags me away. “Excuse me, but could you let me wait here?” I say to the shopkeep. “I’m not going to be any trouble, I’ll just sit right here.” “Oh, you’re very level-headed for such a little girl,” she replies, with a dry, crackling laugh. “Your mother did just buy some liquor, so I’ll let you stay for a bit. It would be awful if I kicked out a little girl who wasn’t feeling well and she had another accident, right? Take care of your shopping, ma'am, I’ll watch her for you.” It seems that this woman is the proprietor of this liquor stall, from where my mother just bought the alcohol she used to revive me. The old man from the general store next door seems to have taken pity on me as well, and he waves me over. He motions me to a spot behind and between the two stalls and helps me sit down. It feels like the liquor that was poured down my throat is churning around inside me. Right now, moving around too much would be dangerous. If, for instance, I were to collapse from acute alcohol poisoning, n.o.body else would be able to figure out why. While sitting down, I idly look over the contents of the two shops. The liquor stand seems to have received a new s.h.i.+pment of cider, just in time for its most popular season, and customers come one right after the other to buy little casks of it. The general store, on the other hand, doesn’t have nearly as many customers. Just what does a general store sell in this world? I look over the various goods that are lined up for sale, but for the most part I have no idea what I’m looking at. “Oh, have you not used one of these before, little missy? This is what you use when you’re weavin’ cloth. Oh, and this one’s used for huntin’.” Since he doesn’t have any customers at the moment, the old man gladly explains what each thing does as I point at it in succession. There’s so much stuff here that’s used in daily life around here that I just don’t know anything about. I dig through Maine’s memories, but she either wasn’t very interested in these things or she never really learned about them. As I look around the items jumbled on the shelves in admiration, I notice something in the far corner. It may be just a single volume, but I definitely see the spine of some ma.s.sive, bulky tome. It’s the kind of binding that I’d usually only see behind a gla.s.s case in a library, with a leather cover and fine gold caps on each of the corners. It’s so huge that I don’t think I’d be able to even hold it. ...That’s a book! That, don’t tell me, that’s a book, right?! The instant I laid eyes on the spine of that book, color blasted back into my world. The heavy clouds that had weighed down on my mind were instantly driven away, and my very spirit was brightened in a moment. “M... mister!! What’s this?! What do you call this?!” “Ahh, that’s a book!” Yessss! I finally found one! Books, they exist! It might just only be one, but they exist! This book has scoured away my lingering depression from having been reborn into a world without any books. I tremble with emotion as I gaze longingly at its spine. It is absolutely too heavy for me to move, so it would merely be an ornament. From the looks of it, there’s no way that it isn’t prohibitively expensive, and there’s no way that I’ll be able to get my mother to buy it for me, no matter how much I pester her about it. However, if books like this exist, then there must be smaller, easier-to-carry books out there as well. I spin around to face the old man, eyes wide with raw hunger. “Hey, mister, where can I find a store that sells books?” “A store for books? There’s no store like that.” He gives me a what-the-h.e.l.l-is-this-kid-talking-about look, and my excitement drops down a couple of notches. There’s books, so why are there no bookstores? “...Huh? Why? You’re selling one here.” “Books are only made when people transcribe them from the author’s original work, so they’re far too rare and valuable to just sell on the market. Even this one here ain’t actually for sale, it’s bein’ held as collateral for someone in the aristocracy. Well, if he don’t come back soon, I guess I’ll have to sell it, but the buyer’ll probably be another aristocrat.” Aristocrats!! If I were actually following the reborn-into-a-parallel-universe trope, I would have been born into the n.o.bility! I would be able to read! Why am I just a commoner?! Thoughts of slaughtering the aristocracy flash through my mind. They’re surrounded by books from the minute they’re born. What have they done to deserve such a blessing? “Little missy, is this the first book you’ve ever seen?” I tear my eyes away from the book, nodding vigorously in reply to the old man’s question. Yes, this is the first book I’ve ever seen in this world. On top of that, they’re not usually for sale, and there’s no bookstores, and there’s a very good chance that such a chance encounter may never ever happen again. ...and, so!! “M... mister!! Please, hear me out!” With my fists clasped tightly together, I stand straight up, then fall to my knees in front of the shopkeeper. “What’s all this now?” he says, wide-eyed in surprise as I kneel before him. This isn’t just an idle wish. What I need to demonstrate to this man is that this is the foundation at the heart of my foundation, and the most sincere demonstration in the world is begging on your hands and knees. I bow my head sharply, and do my best to explain my feelings as clearly and frankly as I can. “It may be obvious that I cannot buy that book, but, at least, let me touch it! Let me rub my face against it! At the very least, let me sniff it, let me breathe in the scent of its ink! Just that would be enough!!” ...The silence that filled the air after my heartfelt request was almost to painful to bear, yet the shopkeeper gave no reply. Timidly, I raise my head to look up at him. For some reason, he looks like he’s swallowed a bug, or maybe like he’s spotted some unbelievably disgusting pervert. Shock and disgust play across his face as he looks down at me. Huh? Did my sincerity fail to s.h.i.+ne through? “I... don’t know if I’m really understandin’ what you mean, but... I think it might be dangerous for me to let you touch that.” I start to reiterate my pa.s.sionate request, but my time is apparently up. “Maine, I’m done!” says my mother. “Let’s head home.” “Mommy...” Tears start falling from my eyes as soon as I hear her voice. The book’s right there, but I’ll never touch it. I’ll never smell it. I jump between them and shake my head vigorously. “N... nothing! Nothing!” If I don’t clear this misunderstanding up immediately, then I’d be just heaping more problems on the kind old man who let me take shelter in his shop and taught me about books. That’s no way to return a favor. “I don’t feel too good. Mommy, what did you make me drink? I’ve been feeling really funny since I woke up.” “......Ahhh, maybe the liquor I used to wake you up was a little too effective. Let’s get you home, get you some water, and get you a nice quiet place to rest. You’ll be all right.” My mother nods her head in understanding, but it doesn’t look like she’s thinking at all about whether or not it was a bad idea to have given alcohol to a child in the first place. She takes my hand, and with a tug starts pulling me back towards home. I look behind me as I walk away, and smile my biggest smile at the two shopkeepers. “Thanks for letting me sit down!” I didn’t bow, like I’m accustomed to, but not because I’m emotionally compromised. Rather, I don’t remember actually seeing anyone bowing their heads, so I don’t think that’s the custom here. For now, I’ll just keep smiling. A great smile is indispensable when dealing with other people, and from the way they’re smiling and waving back, it looks like my guess was correct. “Maine, are you still feeling bad?” asks my mother. “...Yeah.” We don’t say very much as we trudge home, hand in hand. I look at the shops along our route home, and, of course, there aren’t any bookstores. My goal for today of coercing my mother into getting me a children’s book and maybe learning a few letters has ended in complete failure. Even though this city is home to the lord of the land, even though we are surrounded by such spectacular walls, there’s no bookstore here. If books truly aren’t for sale, even here, then there might not be a bookstore anywhere in the world. I’m in despair. I had never thought that G.o.d could be so cruel as to force me, Urano Motosu, the book enthusiast who could go a day or two without eating as long as she had a book to read, to live a life bereft of books. At least, why wasn’t I born a n.o.blewoman... Sniff! To reincarnate me as a peasant... G.o.d... what did I do to earn this hatred? Even if I say that I want my parents to become n.o.bility so that they can buy me books, those are just childish fantasies. I’d never say that I don’t want to have been born into this family. Really, though, I want to be an aristocrat. If I can’t be an aristocrat, I at least want enough money to be able to buy all the books out of a disgraced aristocrat’s estate. I may be stuck in this awful environment, but I know for a fact that no matter how hard I cry, it’s not going to get me a book. If there aren’t any bookstores, I can’t buy a book. So, how am I going to get one? I’m just going to have to make them myself, aren’t I? Really, what I truly want are books from this world, but that’s an unreasonable luxury. In order to fulfill my most urgent desires, I’m going to have to put off learning how to read the language here. Instead, I’ll make books in j.a.panese, which I already know. I haven’t yet figured out how I’m going to do all that, but that doesn’t matter right now. I will definitely acquire a book!

「じゃあ、後はお肉ね。そろそろたくさん買って、塩漬けや燻製にしておかなくちゃ」 野菜や果物を買い終えた母が市場の奥の方へと入っていく。肉を売っているのは外壁に近い辺りに並んでいるらしい。 「なんでたくさん買うの?」 「冬支度しなくちゃいけないでしょ? この時期は、どの農家でも冬が越せるだけの家畜を残して、他を潰すからで一番肉がたくさん売られる時期なのよ。動物達も冬籠りに向けて栄養を付けるから、脂の乗った美味しい肉が手に入るわ」 「......えーと、冬って、市場もなくなるものなの?」 「当たり前でしょ? 冬に採れる野菜なんてほとんどないじゃない。市場が開かれる回数はぐっと減るわよ」 日本だって、ハウス栽培が盛んになるまでは、野菜は季節のものだったし、流通が発達するまでは地産地消が当たり前だった。冷蔵庫や冷凍庫ができて、新鮮な状態での保存ができなかった時代には、保存食は自分の家で準備する物だったはずだ。 「......冬支度なんて、したことないよ」 「何か言った?」 「ううん」 自宅で保存食作りかぁ。あの狭い家のどこに保存するんだろう? 物置だってそれほど広くないよね? 「......く、臭い」 「肉の匂いよ」 肉屋が近付くにつれて、異臭が強くなってくる。鼻を押さえながら歩くわたしの一歩前では当たり前のような顔で母が歩いていた。 肉ってこんなに臭かったっけ? うぅ、なんか嫌な予感がする。 肉屋にはベーコンやハムの他に、爪先の部分がまだ動物さんの形を残しているもも肉が並べられていた。店の奥には血抜きしている動物がぶら下がっていて、白目を剥いて舌がだらーんと出ているうさぎや鳥が並んでいる。 「ひぎゃあああぁぁぁ!」 「どうしたの、マイン!?」 正直、完全に解体されて、下手したら一口サイズに切れているパック入りの肉しか見たことがなかったわたしには、この世界の肉屋は刺激が強すぎた。 「マイン!? マイン!?」 その時、豚が悲鳴を上げながら解体されるところが目に飛び込んできた。周囲には、楽しそうな笑顔の人々が集まっていて、豚が殺されるのを今か今かと待っている。 なんでみんなそんなに楽しそうなの? 小さく悲鳴を上げて、わたしは豚に最後の一撃が加わるより先に、その場で気絶した。 結構刺激的でえぐいほどアルコール臭のする液体だ。自分で意識して飲みこんだものと違って、予期しなかったアルコールが気管に入った。 「ぅえほっ! げほっ! ごほっ!」 酒ですか!? いたいけな幼児に、どぎつい酒飲ませた馬鹿はどこのどいつでございましょうか!? 急性アルコール中毒になったらどうしてくれる!? くわっと目を開けると酒瓶を抱えた母親の姿があった。 「マイン、気が付いた? よかった。気付けが利いたのね」 「こほっ!......母さん?」 ホッとしたような顔で抱きしめてくれるから、ちょっと口に出しにくいけれど、心の中では言っていい? 幼児にこんな強い酒飲ませるな! それも、ただでさえ病弱なのに、高熱で死にかけてやっと熱が下がったばっかりの病み上がり幼児だよ!? 殺す気!? 馬鹿なの!? 死ぬの!? 「さぁ、マイン。気が付いたなら、お肉を買いに行くわよ」 「ぅえっ!?」 病み上がり幼児の気付けにえぐい酒を使ったり、肉屋の前で昏倒した娘をまた肉屋に連れて行こうしたり......。この母、もしかして結構鬼畜ではなかろうか。 「......えぇっと、まだ気持ち悪くて......ここで座ってる。母さん、行ってきて」 「え? でも......」 渋る母を横目に、わたしはくるりと振り向いて、店のおばさんに頼みこむ。母に力づくで連行される前に、居場所の確保だ。 「あの、おばさん、ここで待たせてください。迷惑かけないように、じっと座ってます」 「小さいのにしっかりしたお嬢ちゃんだねぇ。酒も買ってもらってるし、いいよ。早く買い物を終わらせておいで。気持ち悪いと言ってる子供を連れ回して、また倒れたら大変だろ?」 おそらく母が気付け用の酒を買ったのだろう、お酒の屋台のおばさんが、カラカラと笑いながら軽く請け負ってくれる。 さっき口に入れられた強いアルコールが身体の中でぐるぐるしているような気がする。今、動き回るのは危険だ。たとえ急性アルコール中毒で倒れても、誰も原因に気付いてくれない、という意味で。 座り込んだままの店の商品をぼんやりと眺めていると、酒屋の方は丁度新しい果実酒が入荷される季節のようで、小さい樽に買っていく客が次々と現れる。それに対して、雑貨屋の方は客足も鈍い。 この世界の雑貨屋って一体何を売ってるんだろう? 雑貨屋に並ぶ商品を見てみると、大半がどうやって使うのか、わからないものだ。目の前にごちゃごちゃと並んでいる品物を指差して、おじさんに聞いてみる。 「嬢ちゃんはまだ使ったことがないか? 布を織る時に使うものじゃな。これは狩りに使う仕掛けじゃ」 客がいなくて暇らしいおじさんは、わたしが指差す一つ一つに答えをくれる。この街では日用品に数えられる品物はわたしが知らないものばかりだ。マインの記憶を探ってみても、あまり興味がなかったのか覚えは薄い。 へぇ、と感心しながら商品を眺めていると、ごちゃごちゃと並んだ雑貨の隅の方に、たった一冊だが、きっちりと装丁された分厚くて大きな背表紙が見えた。 本じゃない!? あれ、もしかして、本じゃない!? 本らしきを装丁を見つけた瞬間、ぱぁっと視界が薔薇色に染まっていく。どんよりと暗い雨雲が一気に払われたように、心が一気に明るく晴れ渡った。 「お、おじさんっ! これは!? これは何!?」 「あぁ、本じゃよ」 やったー! とうとう見つけた! あったよ、本! たった一冊だけど、あった! かなり大きくて重そうで、ごてごてと装飾された本だ。どこからどう見ても高そうで、どんなにおねだりしても買ってもらえる気がしない。 「おじさん、本を売ってるお店ってどこにあるか知ってる?」 えーと、本があるのに、本屋がないとはどういうこと? 「......え? なんで? ここに売ってるのに?」 「本は著者から借りて書き写すもので、高価すぎてそうそう売り物になどならないからなぁ。これも、借金が返せなくなったお貴族様の質草で、まだ売り物じゃない。まぁ、もうじき売り物になるだろうが、こんなものを買いたいと思うのはお貴族様くらいじゃな」 お貴族様めっ! 異世界転生のテンプレ通り、貴族に生まれていれば、本が読めたのにっ! なんでわたし平民なのっ!? 軽くお貴族様に殺意が湧いた。生まれた時から本に囲まれているなんて恵まれ過ぎだ。どうしてくれよう。 「嬢ちゃんは本を見たのは初めてかい?」 この世界で本を見たのは初めてだ。そして、売り物ではなく、本屋もない以上、これが最後の邂逅になるかもしれない。 「お、おじさん! お願いがあります!」 いきなり地面に膝と両手をついたわたしに、おじさんがぎょっとして目を見開く。 こちらからお願いする以上、誠意を見せるのは、基本中の基本。 「買えないのはわかりきっているから、せめて、あの本、触らせてください。頬ずりしたい。せめて、くんかくんかして、インクの匂いだけでも満喫したいんですっ!」 恐る恐る顔を上げてみると、何故かおじさんは苦虫を噛み潰したような、信じられない変態を間近で見たような、驚愕と嫌悪の混じった目でわたしを見ていた。 あれ? なんか誠意が伝わってない感じ? 「な、何を言っているのか、理解できんが......。嬢ちゃんに触らせるのは危険じゃな」 もう一度頼みこもうとしたところに、時間切れの声がかかった。 「マイン、お待たせ。行くわよ」 「母さん」 本がすぐそこにあるのに、まだ触ってない。匂いも嗅いでいない。 急いで誤解を解かなければ、せっかく肉屋へ行くことから匿ってくれて、本について教えてくれたのに、恩を仇で返すことになる。 「この辺が気持ち悪いの。母さん、さっき何飲ませたの? 起きてからずっと変なの」 「......あぁ、気付けの酒が利きすぎたのかもしれないねぇ。家に帰ったら水を飲んでおとなしくしてれば大丈夫よ」 母は納得したように頷くが、子供に酒を飲ませたことには何も思っていないらしい。グイッと手を引いて、わたしに帰るように促すだけだ。 「座らせてくれてありがとう」 お礼は忘れずにしないと精神的に落ち着かない。わたしの記憶から頭を下げる習慣はなかったようなので、ひとまず笑顔を振りまいておいた。 「マイン、まだ気持ち悪い?」 「......うん」 言葉少なに母と手を繋いでポテポテと家に向かって歩いて行く。帰宅途中の通りの店にも、やはり本屋は存在しない。 一日二日ご飯を抜いたところで、本さえあれば満足していた本狂いの麗乃に本なしの生活をしろというのは酷だと神様は思わなかったのだろうか。 せめて、貴族に転生できていれば......。くぅっ! 平民に転生なんて......神様、わたし、何か悪いことしましたか? 親に本が買える貴族になりたいなんて言っても、夢見る子供の可愛い呟きとして軽く流されるだろう。この家族に生まれたくなかったなんて言えない。 あまりにひどい環境に打ちひしがれるが、泣いていても本が手に入ることはないとさすがに学習した。本屋が存在しないのに、手に入るわけがない。 手に入らないなら、どうする? 自分で作るしかないでしょ? 本当は、この世界の本が欲しけれど贅沢は言えない。手っ取り早く自分の要求を叶えるため、こちらの文字を覚えるのはちょっと後回しにして、まだ覚えている日本語で本を作ろう。 絶対に本を手に入れる!

I hoped I could finish the stinky work before the Blue-robed priests came back. The next day, Lutz said he wanted to make cheese as well as gelatin and candles. Our family bought milk from herdsmen, but we only made cottage cheese with vinegar, and Lutz's family kept eggs and milk and turned them into cheese. “Cheese is easy to keep, so it's a good idea to have some for the orphanage.” “... I don't quite understand, but if only there would be more food in the winter.” Lutz and Gil discussed these things as they worked. I had to practice the Fespeil until the third bell, so by the time I got to the workshop it was almost the fourth. As I walked around the workshop with Fran, I saw the gray-robed priests and the apprentices working together on different a.s.signments. I seldom visited the workshop at this time, so now I felt very fresh. “Lutz, Gil, how are things?” “It's all going well. The pig skins are being processed here, the candles are being made there, and now the priests are melting the tallow and filtering out the mince. The so-called salting out hasn't been done yet.” The pot in front of Lutz and Gil was full of lime water, and the pig skins were soaking in it. It looked like they were just been soaking in, so there was no sign of expansion at the moment. In the direction Lutz was pointing, three gray-robed priests were filtering melted tallow. “Let's soak the pig skins for a while. Salting out is a little troublesome, but it will reduce the smell and improve the quality of the oil. Come on, everybody.” Lutz's family never salted out, and mine tried it at my suggestion, but only officially adopted it when they found out that the smell had really faded. Salting out was not common here. Part of the reason, I thought, was that I lived in a slum, and while salt was not as expensive as other spices, it was still hard to afford. “Two herbs, Dyenb and Rumoza, can be added to melted wax to get rid of the stench. But you mustn't add Gajeli and Sarukoleyle, they'll only get stinker.” Lutz snickered when I told him about ways to reduce the stench of making candles. “Ah, are these examples of your failures?” “Alas... failure is the mother of success. After several failures, success is sure to follow.” “Oh... I see. Master Maine is marvelous.” Gil's eyes sparkled as I spoke, and he nodded his head cunningly in agreement with what I said. He was so honest and lovely. I hoped he could just grow up like this. “By the way, Master Maine, what is salting out? Is it difficult?” “It's just a few more steps. It's troublesome, but not difficult. All we need to do is pour the brine into the tallow, simmer for a while, and then remove the residue. As it cools, the tallow separates into the oil that floats on top and the brine that sinks below. When the oil has set to white, pour away the brine, leaving the oil on top.” I explained the steps briefly, and Gil nodded his head as he listened. Lutz listened too, but all of a sudden he blinked. “Maine, don't you save some of it for the soap?” “The Grace of G.o.d includes soap, so it can all be used for candles.” My family made soap every spring, so we always saved some of the oil. But the temple would provide soap as part of the Grace of G.o.d. The priests and priestesses had to keep their clothes and bodies clean, so soap was provided in abundance. Although from the orphanage's point of view, we wanted ingredients more than soap, the priests and priestesses' priorities were different from ours. “Ah, Gil, there must be a lot of mince in the cloth we used to filter the tallow. It will be good to add to tonight's soup. Please tell the gray-robed priests about it.” Gil nodded vigorously and ran to the priests who were filtering the tallow. The priests unrolled the filter cloth and looked at it carefully. Then they shouted happily, “There is meat on it!” “Well, meat is important, after all.” Lutz and I looked at each other and smiled. Then I looked around the workshop and saw that in addition to making gelatins and candles, there were also gray-robed priests and apprentices using presses to extract oil from the fruit. This oil could be used not only as lamp oil, but also for cooking. I hoped to extract as much as possible, but unfortunately, the orphanage usually only made soup. The usual protagonist, the paper, was now stacked in the corner. By the wall I saw half-finished paper, still wet, and white and black bark hanging out to dry. Finally, my eyes rested on the paper that had been made and piled up. “Lutz, how much paper does the workshop have now?” Lutz followed my gaze and narrowed his eyes. “We just printed the picture books a while ago, so it should be under now. I won't know the exact number until those half-finished ones are finished. Do you need paper?” “Well, I'm going to reprint the Children's Edition of the Scripture. But I don't want to waste paper templates, so I'd like to print a lot in one go, so there's a huge demand for paper... How much paper can we make if we start now?” As for pigments, I had ordered linseed oil from Benno, and there was still plenty of soot left. So right now, the most urgent need was paper. “Although tuckahoe is not suitable for firewood, the bark is beginning to harden in this season. I will ask the wood shop. If all the bark in the workshop were made into paper, there would be about pieces.” “Really? Please make as much paper as you can.” “Leave it to me.” When Lutz took the job, I stopped worrying about paper. “If you have time, Maine, would you like to see how the cheese is made?” I nodded to Lutz's suggestion and moved with Fran to the ground floor of the girls' dormitory. “Is the cheese made in the girls' dormitory?” In my opinion, it was not acceptable for a pot cooked with ashes and bark to be used for making food, but here, many people a.s.sumed that it was ok to wash the pot after cooking something other than food. It would not affect the taste of the food, but I didn't want to. “It's done!” “Let's put this in the sun next.” When we arrived at the girls' dormitory, we found children airing fruits and mushrooms picked from the forest and gray-robed priestesses working hard to make cheese and soup. The fruit and honey were bubbling in the pot, and a delicious jam was about to be born. The air was thick with sweet smells, and compared with the stinking boys' dormitory, it was a paradise of sweets and cakes. “But even after all this soup, it was all gone by noon.” “I hope the Harvest Festival will be over soon. It's tiring to have to cook so many times a day.” During the Harvest Festival, when the Grace of G.o.d was much less, the priestesses who in charge of the soup were kept busy and needed to make nearly twice as much soup as usual. They were either pouting as they cut or grinning as they stirred the soup. Seeing how they looked, I couldn't help laughing. “Ah, Master Maine!” Seeing me coming, the children stopped their work in a hurry, crossed their hands and bowed to me. Heard me say, “Get back to work, everyone.” They resumed their work in a very stiff motion, completely different from the way they had been when they had not noticed me. ... Ah, they were all scared of me. Because I had to go to the workshop a lot to discuss things with Lutz and to check on new projects, the priests who worked there would not be nervous about seeing me now. But I had never made an appearance at the girls' dormitory at this hour, and I could tell they were all shaking with nervousness. “Lutz told me you were making cheese, so I just came by to look around. Is everything all right?” The priestess gave a stiff smile as she slowly stirred the milk in the pot with a large wooden spatula. Lutz looked into the pot and nodded slightly. “Keep heating until the milk starts to bubble.” Probably able to calculate the time after looking at the situation, Lutz muttered, “That should be fine,” then called out to the children airing the fruit. “Hey, children, I'm going back to the Company. I'll have things delivered in batches. Please go to the workshop and wait.” The children answered in unison, stopping to air the fruit and starting to prepare the baskets. “Maine, I think you should go back to your room. Everyone is nervous with you around.” Seeing that all the work was going well, I returned to the Dean's Office with great satisfaction. In this case, we should be able to get everything done before the blue-robed priests and priestesses came back. With the exception of stinky work, everything else was less urgent. As well as preparing three meals as usual, the kitchen was busy today with the marinating and oil sealing of large quant.i.ties of pork that had been sliced and not yet smoked the day before. I watched the frantic kitchen as I made my way up to the first floor. Delia was practicing her writing against the Children's Edition of the Scripture, and Rosina was handling the tasks a.s.signed to her by Fran. “Shall we go on making paper templates then?” I tried to get to work too, but Fran smiled and handed me a board. “No, Master Maine, you may as well revise your prayers as your paper templates. You must expect a request from the Order at any moment.” The Order must be a.s.sembled from a group of aristocrats, so no mistake, not even the slightest one, should be made in receiving a request from it. Fran was clearly more worried about the request from the Order than winter preparations for the orphanage. “... when will the Order make its request?” “There is no specific time, but normally before winter they would make one or two requests, so it might not be long.” “Well...” By convention, the trainee priests and priestesses would never be present at ceremonies, as no one would wish to have an important ceremony performed by an immature trainee. Therefore, I never attended the baptisms, the coming-of-age ceremonies, and star-union ceremonies at the temple as a blue-robed priestess. The Order's members were mostly men, and too much contact with them by the priestesses could lead to gossip, so requests from the Order were always addressed by the grown-up blue-robed priests. Now, however, the number of competent priests was obviously not enough, and it was me who was the least fit to take on the task. “But, Fran, I don't quite understand. The Head Priest has a lot of magic, doesn't he?” Besides me, surely there was another who was fit for it — the Head Priest. “On such occasions, he must prioritize the duties of an aristocrat over those of a priest.” Not only was the temple undernumbered, so was the Order. Knights who performed well were promoted to the centre, just like the priests and priestesses of the temple. As a result, the Order was forced to recruit aristocrats whose magic was not strong enough to pa.s.s. In such a case, it was possible that the Head Priest, as an old school aristocrat who had graduated from the Aristocrats Academy, would come to the aid of the Order, and would therefore require me to perform the ritual of the Order as a priestess. This was what Fran told me in private. ... I was finally able to do something like a priestess, but my first task was a request from the Order. Wasn't that a bit too much of a burden? As I recited the prayer through a cold sweat, Fran looked up as if he thought of something. “Is your ceremonial dress ready, Master Maine?” “The fitting is over, and the formal work is under way, so it should be done before long.” Corinna had said that if she was in good health it would take about four days, and even if she was not, it should take less than ten days. When I told Fran that, he was relieved. “Please bring it to the temple as soon as possible, so that when requested, you may set out immediately.” Then Fran joined me in reciting the prayers, and presently Gil returned with a wooden box, which seemed to have been delivered by the Gilberta Company. “Fran, can you give me a hand? There are some big packages out there.” “I see. Delia and Rosina, please open this box first. Master Maine, please stay here and continue reciting.” At Gil's call, Fran stood up and went downstairs, and Rosina and Delia followed him. “Wow! The blankets are here!” From downstairs came a loud cry of excitement from Delia. She liked to decorate rooms best. “That way, the Dean's Office will be ready for the winter, too. I'll change the decorations immediately...” “Delia, lunch is coming soon. You can start after lunch.” Rosina checked the impetuous Delia. So we decided to change the decorations this afternoon. “Now, Master Maine, go to the workshop with Gil.” Just after lunch, Delia ushered me out of the room, all smiles. The Head Priest was away at the Harvest Festival, so I could not enter the library, even with Fran. I could neither go to the library nor stay in the Dean's Office, so I had no choice but to go to the workshop. Delia said I couldn't take Fran, a scarce labour force, and in the end, I was piteously escorted to the workshop by Gil. “Lutz said this morning that the pig skins were quite swollen, and would like you to see them. Master Maine, come with me to the workshop.” Probably the others had not finished their meal, so there was not a single person in the workshop. Since no one would stop me, I ventured to take a closer look at the pot. “... huh? Maine, what are you doing here?” While I was looking at the pig skins in the pot, Lutz suddenly came back. I guessed he have had lunch at the Company and reported to Benno about his work for the day. As soon as he walked in the door, he saw me who wasn't supposed to be here, so his eyes widened in surprise. My position prevented me from doing anything myself, and it was a rarity for me to come to the workshop several times a day. “The Company has brought in all that carpet stuff, so Delia is having a good time changing the decorations... She threw me out because I was in the way.” “Oh, that's just right. My master wants me to tell you that the ceremonial dress is ready and that you can go to Mrs. Corinna when you have time. Since you can't stay in your room, do you want to go to Mrs. Corinna now? I'll pick you up when you leave.” I nodded at Lutz's suggestion. It was autumn now, and the weather was getting colder every day. I would catch a fever sooner or later if I stayed out like this. If there was a place to hide, I'd better get there quickly. “Good. Then I will take Rosina to Mrs. Corinna. When you come to fetch me, remember to bring Fran with you. I can't let Rosina come back alone.” “I see.” “Lutz, please wash the pig skins. I will bring Master Maine back to the temple.” When Gil and I returned to the Dean's Office, Delia was moving the large furniture. Seeing us come in, she bellowed, “This is a mess that is not to be seen by the master, so you are not to come in until I have finished cleaning!” “I have heard that the ceremonial dress is ready, so I'm going to see it and then go straight home. At least let me change my clothes. And Rosina, will you come with me to Mrs. Corinna?” Rosina went to change her clothes for the outing. “I'll have the room ready by tomorrow.” Said Delia, beaming as she dressed me quickly. “Fran, Lutz will call you before he returns to the Company. Please go with him. We can't let Rosina go back to the temple alone after dark.” “At your command, Master Maine. Be careful. I look forward to your early return.” With Fran's eyes on us, Rosina and I walked down the main road, where the sun was still warm but the wind was already cold. She looked exceptionally beautiful in her new rouge dress. Fran had been shuttling me between the Gilberta Company and my house, and Gil went to the forest from time to time, but Rosina, unlike them, had little opportunity to go outside. She frowned at the smell of the street, but at the same time looked around curiously, making me think she was lovely. “If only Wilma could come out and walk around, she would be able to draw more things...” “Maybe in the near future, Wilma will want to go out, too. In the old days, when she was making soup on the ground floor, she would hide away in fear when the gray-robed priests came to help carry the water. But now she even has the courage to give them instructions.” Now that Wilma was in charge of the orphanage, she must be stronger than ever. After listening to Rosina's report, I could feel that little by little, Wilma was changing. “Good afternoon, Mr. Mark. I heard that Mr. Benno wanted me, and I came here as soon as I could.” “My master is on business. I will speak directly to Mrs. Corinna. Please wait here.” As I sat down under Mark's invitation, Rosina stood quietly behind me. An apprentice followed Mark's instructions and brought me tea. I took a sip of it and let out a long breath. “This way, Master Maine.” Rosina was here today, and I was Corinna's guest, so Mark rarely addressed me as “Master”. We went up the back stairs to the second floor. “Mrs. Corinna, Master Maine is here.” “Maine, welcome.” When Mark knocked at the door, Corinna came out to meet us with a soft smile. She seemed surprised when her eyes fell on Rosina. “Is your attendant with you today? Shall I call you Master Maine then?” “I don't really care, but please call me ‘Master' for Rosina's feeling.” “Ah, then, Master Maine, please come in.” We followed Corinna into the anteroom, where my ceremonial dress hung directly in front of the entrance. “Wow!” The ceremonial dress was placed where the sun s.h.i.+ned, so water ripples and embroidered flowers stood out. Against the light, the cloth glowed with a gorgeous sheen, as if it had real water flowing over it. I was dumbfounded at the stunning beauty. “... it's so beautiful.” Rosina's admiration brought me to my senses. “Mrs. Corinna, this is a marvelous dress. Thank you very much.” “I'm the one who should say thank you.” With a smile, and holding her enlarged belly, Corinna removed the ceremonial dress with a very careful movement. “Please try it on. I am sorry, but I am a little clumsy now, so may I ask you to help Master Maine to change?” “Yes, of course.” Rosina took the dress from Corinna and put it on for me. As a high attendant who had served a n.o.ble daughter, Rosina dressed me in a fluid and graceful manner. The main color of the dress was blue, and most of the embroidery was of the same color, but silver thread was used on the cuffs and hem, and gold one on the chest. The pattern embroidered in gold thread was the emblem of Maine Workshop, which perfectly decorated the empty s.p.a.ce. I stood at attention nervously, feeling as if I had put on a coming-of-age kimono with long sleeves. I must be dignified and elegant. On no account should I get my clothes dirty. I couldn't get these thoughts out of my head. “The belt is here.” “Underage trainee blue-robed priests and priestesses must wear a white belt with silver embroidery. When they become adults, silver embroidery will be replaced by gold embroidery. These embroideries are prayers in the Scripture.” Corinna explained. “Excuse me, why is the cloth of this ceremonial dress so thick?” Rosina adjusted my belt and looked up at Corinna. Corinna, still smiling attractively, explained to her the special technique used in the dress. “By folding and st.i.tching the cloth like this, you can adjust the length of the dress according to the height... I actually did it according to Master Maine's request. It's very rare, but the ceremonial dress is not widely worn, so it makes sense.” “...Master Maine always surprises me.” After hearing that this was not Corinna's original craft, but my proposal, Rosina sighed with understanding. After getting dressed for me, Rosina stood up and checked from all angles, then nodded vigorously. “The dress is excellent, Master Maine. The flowers look so lifelike in your movements. I am sure the eyes will follow you in spite of themselves.” Because of the new technique used in the ceremonial dress, Corinna seemed unsure of how it would work. She was relieved to hear that Rosina, who had served Lady Christine, had given such a high evaluation. My ceremonial dress was ready and my room was rearranged. The food and candles had been processed, and the wood had been moved into the bas.e.m.e.nt. The gelatin had been placed in an airy s.p.a.ce, and the workshop had made lots of paper and ink for subsequent picture books. All kinds of tools had been bought. In this way, the orphanage's winter preparations were finally completed.

さて、青色神官が戻ってくるまでにに臭いのする仕事を終わらせてしまおう。 わたしの家では牛を飼っている家から買ってきた牛乳にお酢を入れて作るカッテージチーズしか作ったことがないけれど、ルッツの家は卵と交換することで牛乳が良く手に入ることもあり、発酵熟成させるナチュラルチーズも作っているらしい。 「保存に向くから、孤児院はそっちの方が良いだろ?」 「......なんかよくわかんねぇけど、冬の食べ物が増えるのは良いと思う」 ルッツとギルがそんな話をしながら、今日の作業をしているのが見える。わたしは3の鐘が鳴るまではフェシュピールの練習があったので、工房への到着は遅くなってしまったけれど、順調に作業は進んでいるようだ。 「ルッツ、ギル、進み具合はどう?」 「一応順調だぞ。豚の皮はここ、蝋燭作りはあっちで、一回溶かして ルッツとギルの目の前にある鍋の中にはすでに表皮を剥がれた内皮が石灰水の中に漂っているのが見えた。まだ石灰水につけ始めたところなのか、ぶよぶよには程遠い。ルッツが指差した方では灰色神官がかりで溶かした牛脂を濾過していた。 「皮はもう少し放置だね。『塩析』はちょっと面倒かもしれないけど、臭さがかなりマシになるし、質が良い油になるから頑張ってほしいな」 ルッツの家ではわざわざ塩析などしないらしい。ウチでもわたしが口を出して、本当に臭いが減ったことから採用されるようになったので、この辺りではあまり一般的ではないようだ。 「あとね、ディエンブとルモザーの薬草は細かく刻んで溶かした蝋に混ぜておくと臭い消しになるよ。でも、ギエリーとサルコレロは使っちゃダメ。臭さが倍増しちゃうからね。気を付けて」 わたしが蝋燭の獣臭さを少しでも軽減する方法を教えると、ルッツは少し目を丸くした後、クックッと肩を揺らして笑いを漏らした。 「あぁ、マインの失敗談か」 「うぐぅ......。失敗は成功の母だから。たくさんの失敗の中から成功が生まれるんだよ」 「へぇ、なるほど。すげぇな、マイン様」 わたしの言葉にギルは目を輝かせて素直に頷いている。ウチの側仕えは可愛い。このまま素直に育ってほしいものだ。 「ところで、マイン様。エンセキって何だ? 難しいのか?」 「手間が増えて面倒だけれど、難しいことではないわ。簡単に言うと、塩水入れて、しばらくの間弱火で煮込んで、ゴミを何度か漉して取るの。そうして放っておいたら、そのうち冷えてくるから、上に油だけ、下に塩水って感じで分かれて固まるでしょ? 真っ白に固まったら、下の水は抜いて、上澄みの油だけ使うのよ」 わたしが手順を簡単に説明すると、ギルはフンフンと頷いている。ルッツも頷きながら、聞いていたが、ふと目を瞬かせた。 「なぁ、マイン。ここは石鹸の分は考えなくていいのか?」 「神の恵みで来るから、全部蝋燭に回しちゃって大丈夫だよ」 わたし達の家では春に石鹸作りをするので、油の一部を取っておくのだが、ここでは石鹸は神の恵みとして支給される。灰色神官が服や身を清めることは大事な事なので、石鹸はかなり余裕を持って与えられていた。石鹸より食料が欲しいが、青色神官にとっての優先順位は違うようだ。 「あぁ、そうだ。ギル、今漉している布の中には多分油についていたお肉の小さい固まりがたくさんあるから、今夜のスープに入れるとおいしくなるわ。灰色神官に教えてあげてちょうだい」 ギルが大きく頷いて、濾過していた神官のところへと走っていく。漉した布を一度開いて中を覗きこんだ神官が「肉か!」と嬉しそうに声を上げているのがわかった。わたしとルッツは顔を見合わせて小さく笑いを零す。 「まぁ、肉は大事だよな」 うん、と頷いた後、わたしはぐるりと工房の中を見回した。膠と蝋燭以外の作業では、紙の水分を絞るための圧搾機で木の実の油を絞っている灰色神官や見習いがいるのも見える。ランプの油はもちろん料理にも使えるので、たくさん欲しい。孤児院では基本的にスープしか作らないから、料理に使うことはないけれど。 そして、普段の主役が今日は工房の隅に寄せられていた。作り途中で水分を絞っている途中の紙や乾かしている途中の白皮や黒皮が端の方に見える。わたしは、完成して積み上げられている紙に視線を止めた。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。今、工房の紙ってどれくらいできてる?」 ルッツはわたしと同じところを見て、目を細めた。 「この間、絵本を刷ったところだし、今は300枚もなかったと思う。水を切っている分を乾かしてみないと正確な数字はわかんねぇよ。いるのか?」 「うん、子供用聖典のを印刷したいんだけど、版紙がダメにならないように一気に量を刷りたいの。だから、紙が大量に欲しい。......今から作るとして、どのくらいできる?」 版紙を無駄にしないためには、紙とインクが大量に必要だ。インクは冬の手仕事でも使うので、ベンノに亜麻仁油の追加は注文している。煤もまだ大量に残っているので問題ない。 「フォリンはあんまり薪に向く木じゃねぇけど、そろそろ皮が硬くなってくる季節だからな。材木屋には確認してみるよ。今ここにある白皮と黒皮を全部使っても750ってところじゃないか?」 「そう、じゃあ、できるだけたくさんお願いね」 「任せとけ」 ルッツが請け負ってくれたので、紙の件はルッツに任せることにしよう。 「マイン、まだ皮がふやけるまでに時間があるなら、チーズ作りの方を見に行くか?」 ルッツの言葉にわたしは頷いて、フランを引きつれたまま一緒に女子棟の地階へと移動する。 「チーズは女子棟で作ってるの?」 灰と木の皮を煮込む鍋で保存食を作るのは止めてほしいとわたしは考えてしまうけれど、この辺りでは洗っていれば問題ないと言う人が多い。ちょっとくらい灰が交じっていたところで食べられるらしい。食べられるけれど嫌だ、とわたしは思う。 「できたよ!」 「次はこれを干してちょうだい」 女子棟へ行くと、子供達が森で採ってきた果物や茸を干していて、巫女や巫女見習い達がチーズ作りとスープ作り、森で拾ってきた果物と蜂蜜を煮詰めて作るジャム作りに精を出していた。甘い匂いが漂っていて、男子棟の獣臭さとは全く違う。 「これだけ作ってもお昼にはなくなっちゃうわね」 「収穫祭が早く終わればいいのに。一日に何度もこれだけたくさんのスープを作るのも大変だもの」 青色神官から下げ渡される神の恵みが少ない収穫祭の間は、料理係が大忙しのようで、普段の倍近くの量のスープを作らなければならないようだ。唇を尖らせながら野菜を切ったり、苦笑しながら鍋をかきまぜたりしている少女達の姿に頬が緩む。 「まぁ、マイン様!?」 わたしの姿を見つけた子達が慌てて手を止めて、胸の前で両手を交差させて腰をかがめた。 ......めっちゃ怖がられる。 工房で働いている神官達はルッツとの打ち合わせや新しい作業を見るために時々出入りしているので、まだ緊張が解れてきている。けれど、女子棟のスープ作りには顔を出すことがないので、ガチガチに緊張しているのがわかる。 「ルッツからチーズ作りをしていると聞いて、見に来ただけですわ。順調ですの?」 「牛乳はまだやっと温まってきたばかりですわ」 くるくると少し大きめの木べらでゆっくりと鍋をかき混ぜながら、ぎこちなく少女が笑う。ルッツは鍋の中を覗き込んで、軽く頷いた。 鍋と火の様子を見れば、大体の時間は計算できるのか、ルッツは「これなら大丈夫そうだな」と呟いた後、果物を干している子供達に声をかける。 「おーい、チビ達。店に荷物を取りに行くから工房の方へ来てくれ」 子供達は果物を干す手を止めて、籠を女子棟の地階へと片付け始めた。 「次々と荷物が来てるから、余裕があるうちに取ってこないと。マインは部屋に戻ってろ。お前がいると周りが緊張するから」 わたしは作業が順調に進んでいることに安堵の息を吐きながら、部屋に戻る。この分なら青色神官が戻ってくるまでに大事な作業は終わりそうだ。臭いが出る作業さえ終わってしまえば、後はゆっくりやればいい。 ウチの部屋の厨房では、普段の食事作りと並行して、昨日薄切りにして燻されなかった分の大量の豚肉が塩漬けやコンフィにする作業も行われているようで、料理人は大忙しだ。 「版紙の続きでも作ろうかしら?」 二人と一緒にわたしも作業をしようかと考えていると、フランがニコリと笑って、木札を持ってきた。わたしに向かって、木札を差し出しながら首を振る。 「いいえ、マイン様。版紙より先に、いつ騎士団の要請があっても対処できるよう、お祈りの文句を復習しましょう」 騎士団は当然貴族の集まりなので、要請があって出動した時には些細な失敗もするわけにはいかないらしい。フランが一番心配しているのは孤児院の冬支度よりも騎士団からの召集だ。 「......騎士団の要請はいつ来るのですか?」 「はっきりとは決まっておりません。ですが、冬に入る前に毎年一度か二度はございますので、もう少しすれば来るでしょう」 「そう......」 本来ならば、儀式に見習いが姿を現すことはない。誰だって未熟な見習いに大事な儀式を執り行われたくはないはずだ。だからこそ、神殿で行われる洗礼式や成人式、星結びの儀などにわたしが青色巫女として参加することはなかった。 「でも、フラン、おかしいわ。神官長は魔力が多いのではないですか?」 わたしでなくとも、適任者はいる。神官長は今神殿に残っている青色神官の中では飛び抜けて魔力も多かったはずだ。 「......はい。ですが、神官長は時と場合により、神官としての業務より貴族としての業務を優先させなければなりませんので」 貴族の人数が不足しているのは神殿ばかりではなく、騎士団も同じ状態らしい。優秀な騎士ならば、神殿同様に中央に引き抜かれた者も多く、本来の魔力の量から考えると入団できないくらいの貴族が騎士団に入っているような現状だとフランはこっそりと教えてくれた。 ......巫女らしい初任務が騎士団の要請って、もしかして責任重大ではないですか? 迫りくる要請に冷や汗をかく思いで、お祈りの文句を唱えていると、フランがハッとしたように顔を上げた。 「......マイン様、儀式用の衣装はどうなりましたか?」 「仮縫いが終わって、本縫いに入っているから、もうじきできると思うけれど?」 仮縫いの後、コリンナからは体調が良けれ、悪くても十日もかからずできると言われている。わたしがフランにそう伝えると、フランは安堵したように胸を撫で下ろした。 「そうですか。では、要請があればすぐに出られるように、なるべく早目に神殿にお持ちください」 そうして、わたしとフランが祈りの文句を復習しているとギルが箱を抱えて部屋に戻ってきた。ギルベルタ商会からの荷物が届いたらしい。 「フラン、手伝ってくれないか? 大きな荷物もあるんだ」 「わかりました。今行きます。デリア、ロジーナ、開封を頼みます。マイン様は動かずここで復習していてください」 ギルの頼みに答えるように立ち上がったフランに続いて、ロジーナとデリアも階下へと下りていく。小ホールに置かれる荷物をデリアとロジーナが解いていき、フランとギルは工房の方へと荷物を取りに行く。 「まぁ! 敷物が届きましたわ!」 部屋の模様替えや飾り立てるが好きなデリアの弾んだ声が階下から響いてきた。 「これでこの部屋も冬のお支度ができるのね。 早速......」 「デリア、もうじき昼食ですわよ。模様替えはお昼からのお仕事にいたしましょう」 デリアの暴走を止めたロジーナの言葉により、昼食後は部屋の大掃除と模様替えが決定してしまったようだ。 「さぁ、マイン様はギルと一緒に工房にでもお出かけくださいませ」 神官長が収穫祭で不在のため、わたしはフランが一緒でも図書室には入れない。図書室に行けないわたしは、部屋にいられなくなったら工房へ行くしかないのだ。 「皮がかなり膨れてきたから、見てほしいってルッツも言っていたんだ。マイン様、一緒に工房に行こうぜ」 工房に行くと、孤児院での食事がまだ終わっていないのか、人がいなくてガランとしている。止める人がいないので、わたしは遠慮なく鍋に近付いて中を覗きこんだ。 「わかった」 「......あれ? マイン、来ていたのか?」 ベンノのところで昼食と報告を終えたルッツが工房にいるわたしを見て、目を丸くする。基本的に働いてはいけないわたしが一日に何度も工房に足を運ぶことは珍しいのだ。 「敷物が届いたでしょ? デリアがお部屋の模様替えをするって、張り切っちゃって......。邪魔だから追い出されたの」 「儀式用の衣装ができたから、時間があったらコリンナ様のところへ行ってほしいって、旦那様からマインへの伝言を頼まれたんだ。部屋にいられないなら、コリンナ様のところへ行ってくればどうだ? 帰りはそっちへ迎えに行くから」 ルッツの提案にわたしはコクリと頷いた。寒くなってきている秋の日に、わたしが外で突っ立っているのは危険だ。避難できるところがあるなら、行った方が良い。 「そうする。コリンナさんのところにはロジーナを連れていくから、ルッツが迎えに来る時にはフランを一緒に連れて来てね。ロジーナ一人では帰せないから」 「ルッツ、先に皮を洗っててくれ。オレ、マイン様を送ってくる」 わたしがギルと一緒に部屋へ戻ると、大きな家具を退け始めたデリアに「もー!」と怒られた。荒れた部屋を見せるわけにはいかないので、掃除が終わるまで、主は戻ってきてはならないらしい。 「儀式用の衣装ができたのですって。ギルベルタ商会へ行って、本日はそのまま帰宅します。着替えだけさせてちょうだい。それから、コリンナ様のところへ向かうお伴はロジーナに任せて良いかしら?」 ロジーナは外出用の服に着替えに行き、デリアは「明日までには部屋を整えておきます」と楽しそうに言いながら、手早くわたしを着替えさせた。 「フラン、悪いけれど、ルッツが店に戻る時には呼びに来ると思うから、一緒に店まで来てくれるかしら? さすがに日が暮れてからロジーナを一人で帰せないもの」 「かしこまりました。いってらっしゃいませ、マイン様。お早いお帰りをお待ちしております」 フランに見送られて、日差しは温かいけれど風が冷たくなってきた街の大通りをロジーナと二人で歩く。わたしと一緒に店まで歩いたり、家までの送り迎えをするフランや森まで出かけるギルと違って、ロジーナが外を出歩く機会はあまりない。珍しそうに周りを見ているロジーナの様子が可愛らしい。 「ヴィルマともこうして外を歩けたら、絵に描けるものも増えると思うのだけれど......」 「そのうち、出かける気になるかもしれませんわ。最初は地階でスープを作る時に灰色神官が水運びを手伝うだけでも、遠目に見てビクビクしていたヴィルマが、今では指示を出せるようになっているのですもの」 孤児院と子供達を任せられるようになったヴィルマは、ちょっとずつ強くなっているらしい。ロジーナからの報告にヴィルマの変化が少しずつ見えてきて、わたしは嬉しくなった。 「こんにちは、マルクさん。ベンノさんに呼ばれたので、早速やって来ました」 「今、旦那様は商談中ですので、直接コリンナ様に伺ってまいります。こちらでお待ちくださいませ」 マルクに勧められて椅子に座ると、ロジーナはわたしの後ろにそっと立つ。マルクに指示された見習いがお茶を運んでくれた。わたしはそのお茶を飲んで、ふぅと一息吐いた。 「マイン様、こちらからどうぞ」 ロジーナがいることと、今日のわたしがコリンナの客であることから、マルクが様付けでわたしを呼んだ。店を出て、表の階段から三階へと上がる。 「コリンナ様、マイン様でございます」 「いらっしゃい、マインちゃん」 マルクがノックするとコリンナがおっとりとした笑顔で迎えてくれる。そして、ロジーナに視線を止めて、軽く目を見張った。 「今日は側仕えがいらっしゃるのね? マイン様と呼んだ方が良いかしら?」 「わたし個人としてはどっちでもいいんですけど、ロジーナの心証を考えると、その方が良いかもしれません」 「ふふっ。では、マイン様。こちらへどうぞ」 案内されたいつもの応接室に入ると、普段はハンガーラックとして使っている家具を着物をかける 「わぁ!」 窓から入ってくる光が当たる位置に設置されているようで、同色の糸で刺繍された流水紋と季節を代表する花が浮かび上がって見える。光でわずかに糸が白く光って見える様子が本当に水のようで、一瞬言葉を失った。 「......見事ですわね」 ロジーナの感嘆が籠った声に、わたしもハッとする。 「コリンナさん、本当に素敵です。ありがとうございます」 「こちらこそありがとう存じます」 ふわりと笑ったコリンナが少しずつ大きくなっているお腹を押さえるようにして、そっと丁寧な仕草で衣装を外す。 「試着してみてくださる? 申し訳ないのですけれど、このようなお腹ですので、手伝っていただいてもよろしいですか?」 「えぇ、もちろんですわ」 ロジーナはコリンナから受け取った青の衣をわたしに着せていく。青色巫女見習いに仕えていたロジーナの手には一切の迷いがない。 まるで成人式の振り袖を着せられているような気分だ。お淑やかにしなければならない。汚してはならない。そんな強迫観念に駆られてしまう。 「帯はこちらですわ」 儀式用の衣装に合わせる帯は、見習いは白に銀の刺繍、成人すると白に金の刺繍と決まっているらしい。この刺繍も聖典の祈り文句を縫い込んだものだとコリンナが説明してくれた。 「あの、布がずいぶん厚く感じられるのですが......?」 着付けをしていたロジーナが帯を整えながら、コリンナを見上げた。コリンナはニコリとした笑顔を崩さずに、儀式用に衣装に取り入れた揚げの説明をする。 「こうして予め生地を折って縫い込むことで成長に合わせて、大きくできるのですわ。......元々マイン様にお願いされて、こういう形にしたのです。珍しいですが、滅多に使わない儀式用の衣装ならば合理的でございましょう?」 「......マイン様にはいつも驚かされますわね」 コリンナの独創ではなく、わたしの提案だと説明されたところで、ロジーナは納得の息を吐いた。そして、着付けを終えたロジーナが立ち上がり、衣装を着たわたしを様々な角度から見て、コクリと一つ頷いた。 「とても良い衣装ですわ、マイン様。動きに合わせて水と花の刺繍が浮かび上がり、周囲の方の視線を引き付けるでしょう」 クリスティーネ様に仕えていたロジーナからの太鼓判をもらったことで、儀式用衣装に新しいことを取り入れたコリンナが安心したように胸を撫で下ろしていた。 儀式用の衣装が調い、部屋が冬仕様に模様替えされ、保存食が次々と作られていく。蝋燭が作られて、薪と共にそれぞれの地下室へ運び込まれていく。膠は木箱に流し込まれて、涼しい風が通る場所に置かれて乾燥されはじめた。

While doing our gathering in the forest, Lutz and I start work on building the paper frame. The basic part of it is just a wooden frame, which we can build relatively easily out of wood and nails. The hardest part will be cutting lumber to size and making sure it’s straight; apart from that, the rest of the construction isn’t particularly difficult. In particular, since we’re not making a particularly large sheet of was.h.i.+, just something about the size of a postcard, we don’t need to have any extra beams to support the paper mat. I’ll try constructing this following the pattern of the little frame I used when I made paper in home economics cla.s.s. “Umm, if you could make it kinda like this...” On my slate, I show Lutz a sketch of the general shape of the frame, then write out the list of necessary components. As he looks it over, we head off to start cutting timber. “We have to make sure they’re perfectly straight, or it’s not going to work. It’s okay if we have to shave things down to make them fit together at the end, though.” “That’s harder than I thought. Straight, huh...” He cuts the wood into pieces for two rectangular frames, so that the inner dimensions are about the same size as a postcard. Once we finish building the structure for the upper and the lower frames, we attach boards to prevent the upper frame from sliding around as we spread out the pulp and a handle so that we can easily hold the upper frame by hand. “That’s it! Lutz, this is looking great!” “Yeah! We’re going to put the paper mat between these frames like this, then grab the handle and rock it back and forth to spread out the fibers evenly. This is about the right shape for that.” “Shape?” Seeing Lutz’s dubious expression, I set the two frames on top of each other, then rattle them a bit to point out the uneven gaps between the two of them. “We need to make sure that there’s as few gaps between the two frames as we can get. Once we shave and polish these down so that they’re precisely flat, it’ll be perfect.” “Precisely?! I can’t ask my dad or brothers for help, and I don’t have the tools for that, you know...” “...Can you borrow the tools?” “I dunno...” Although Lutz may have given up on becoming a trader, he is still refusing his parents’ wishes for him to find a job relating to the woodworking or construction industries and has instead decided all by himself that he’s going to become a merchant’s apprentice. He must be getting an incredible amount of pressure from his parents. He’s not really in a circ.u.mstance where he can just walk in and ask to borrow some tools or get some help building something. Lutz’s father thinks that merchants are cold-blooded people who think about nothing but money, and is absolutely opposed to his son becoming someone like that. His mother, Carla, is very glad that he’s given up on being a trader and is instead looking for a job in the city, but she still wishes Lutz would give up on being a merchant, too. No matter what kind of opposition he might face, Lutz isn’t going to give up his dreams and will just keep forging ahead, despite his family’s disapproval. As for me, there’s not much I can actually do. My interactions with his family are usually restricted to indirectly talking about his tenacity and grabbing hold of their appet.i.tes with my recipes. Since we were able to get the frames in more-or-less the right shape, in the worst-case scenario we can whittle them down if it turns out we can’t actually use them. The biggest problem now is probably the mat we’ll be spreading the paper on. It’s a series of thin, rolled cylinders, almost like calligraphy pens, and we’re going to need to make it entirely from scratch. We need both bamboo rods of equal diameter and thread. Strong thread, at that, stronger than the kind of thread that Lutz and I ordinarily have access to. Getting bamboo rods down to the right size is going to be difficult as well. Even though we’re only making something postcard-sized, it’s easy to see that this is going to be an extremely difficult process. “Since we were able to make the frame today, tomorrow let’s start whittling down bamboo in order to make our rods. Although, can we actually make them round so easily, I wonder? Since we need them to be about the same size and thickness, I wonder if we should make them rectangular, instead? What do you think?” “I can’t really say I know anything about either making or using them...” Since I’m still not very good with my knife, I’m not particularly useful, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re going to need a lot of these, and that they need to be very thin. However, I’m still very happy, since we managed to meet our goal for the day and make our frame. As we pa.s.s through the gates on our way home, Otto calls out to us. “Maine, ah, Lutz, too! Could you come here for a minute?” “That’s right. I have a written invitation for the two of you.” He delivers us another invitation, just like the one Corinna sent to me the other day. My studying has born fruit, and I quickly skim it, picking out who the sender and addressee are. It’s an invitation from Benno, addressed to me and Lutz. “From Mister Benno, to me and Lutz?” I thought we wouldn’t see him again until we’d successfully made paper. I have no idea what this invitation could be about, since the two of us aren’t his apprentices yet. “This says tomorrow,” I say, “so this must be really urgent. What could it be? ...Maybe, is he rejecting us without even seeing our product?” Perhaps someone with a stronger connection to him asked for a favor and he decided to take someone else as an apprentice, or perhaps he was able to piece something together from bits of information I’ve let slip and intends to make it himself so he doesn’t need us anymore... all of the worst-case scenarios start tumbling around in my head. “No, no!” says Otto, quickly. “It’s not that!” I frown up at him. “Mister Otto, do you know what this is about?” “...Aaah~, well, so after Benno saw Corinna’s hair, he started hammering me for information, so I just kind of let my part in all of it slip out, so it’s about all that.” “So this invitation is your fault, then! Why would you just let that slip out?!” “Isn’t it only natural for a husband to brag about how his wife has become so beautiful?” Did he specifically go to Benno’s place to brag about Corinna to get back at me for taking every last nail from him? Although I have plenty of complaints for Otto, that doesn’t change the fact that this invitation has been delivered into our hands, and since we’re hoping that he’ll accept us as his apprentices, this isn’t something that we’re going to be able to decline. “This says we’re supposedly going to meet him for lunch,” I say. “I wonder if we’ll be able to eat something amazing?” “Ohh! I’m going! I’m absolutely going!!” Lutz is suddenly one hundred percent all-in on going to this thing. A poor child who is always hungry would be dazzled in a single instant by the thought of a sumptuous meal. I’m also actually fairly interested in what rich people eat. The written invitation also lists the time and place at which we should meet. Benno would like us to meet him at his shop, when the fourth bell chimes. “...Where is Benno’s shop?” I ask Otto. “We don’t know where that is, you know?” “It’s on the first floor of my building.” Otto’s home is above Corinna’s family’s home, and was prepared for Corinna by her much older brother who was worried about his adorable little sister. So, Corinna must be Otto’s younger sister, so Otto and Benno must be... “...Is he your brother-in-law?” “That’s right.” I guess it isn’t strange at all for the things I talk about with Otto to go straight through to Benno, then. I don’t really feel like saying anything more. The next day, Lutz and I put on the nicest clothes that we can, then start heading towards Benno’s shop. After we pa.s.s through the central plaza, the buildings around us start steadily becoming nicer. Lutz has never gone past the plaza to the castle walls before, so he is constantly looking around, taking in everything he can see. “Wow, this is amazing...” “Yeah, it’s totally different, even though it’s still the same town. I was super surprised as well, back when I went to Otto’s house.” “If the town can change this much, I wonder if lunch is going to be this much better than what I get at home! I’m really looking forward to this.” Lutz’s smile is both broad and innocent. I sigh lightly, and give him some advice. “You should be careful about how you eat.” “Hm?” “I think he’s absolutely going to be checking our table manners, like how we eat.” “What?! I don’t know anything about that, though!” I don’t know anything about it either. More accurately, I don’t know whether or not I’ll be able to pa.s.s my own table manners off as what they have here. We have only a single countermeasure. “Be careful about your posture. Then, instead of just immediately shoving food into our faces, let’s watch how Mister Benno does it first. I don’t think it’ll be a big mistake to copy what he does.” “...Aw maaan, now I’m nervous!” Uneasy with uncertainties over what might lie in store for us, the two of us continue forward, holding hands for some reason. We arrive in front of Benno’s shop well before the fourth bell has rung. Since our meeting is at the fourth bell, we need to kill some time waiting by the shop. “What do we do now?” “Hm? Well, since we’re already in the area, I want to take a look at the shop. I don’t know anything at all about how it’s managed, how many people work there, what apprentices do there, or anything at all, really.” “...You’re right.” I’m used to using the internet or magazines when it comes to researching a potential place of employment. Here, though, I have neither of those things. Instead, you have to either pick things up by word of mouth or go to see things with your own eyes. If you don’t do either of those things, you can’t get any useful information. Normally, you’d learn about how a particular industry worked by hearing about your parents’ jobs, and then you’d learn about the place you’d be working by listening to what the person to whom you were referred had to say. However, since Otto kept the fact that he and Benno were brothers-in-law, I don’t know if he’ll let any useful information flow. When I brought Lutz to hear Otto talk about being a trader, even Benno introduced himself as “an acquaintance from when Otto was a trader”. He didn’t say a single thing about the actual job, perhaps because he had every intention of rejecting us outright. So, since I’ve got an opportunity right now to observe how this shop works right now, I want to make the most of it. “They don’t have very many things lined up for sale,” I say. “There’s also way fewer people going in and out than at the town market. I wonder if this shop really is profitable?” “I think it has to be. It’s very tidy, and the employees’ appearance and manner are much nicer than shops closer to the wall, I think. Since they’re so well trained and well groomed, maybe they do business with rich people or the n.o.bility.” Even the man standing in front of the store like a guard is dressed in better clothing than we are. That alone is proof that this shop is frequented by those who care a lot about appearance. It seems like there are many barriers that Lutz and I will have to overcome if we want to work here, since we come from such different worlds. Da-dong, da-donnng... The fourth bell rings through the town, telling everyone that it is now noon. At the same time, the shop’s employees start closing everything down. “Huh? Huh?! They’re closing down?!” I grab Lutz by the hand, then frantically run towards Benno’s shop, pulling him along behind me. If everything is closed down and everyone goes home, I’ll have no idea what to actually do. I call out to the guard as he turns to head into the shop, holding up my invitation. “Excuse meee! The two of us were invited here by Mister Benno; would you be able to tell us what we should do next, please?” “Ah, there’s no need to panic. I hear you, but would you mind waiting a bit until we’ve finished closing up?” After they finish closing the shop for lunch, all of the employees head off to get some food, leaving just the one guard behind. It seems like I didn’t need to call out while they were in the middle of closing the shop, I could have just greeted the guard afterward. Immediately after the shop is closed and the employees have all scattered, the guard leads us inside. “Sir, you have guests,” he says. The guard opens a door, lets us in, then closes it behind us with a respectful bow. At a single glance, it’s obvious that this room is used for business discussions. The shelves around the room are lined with a variety of things that I’m not used to seeing. Behind the wooden desk at which Benno is seated are more shelves, where piles of wooden boards and scrolls have acc.u.mulated. Are those bookshelves?! There aren’t any books, so it might be more accurate to call them doc.u.ment shelves, but those are shelves that are packed with writing. I start to unsteadily wander over towards them, but when Benno stands up I manage to stop myself, planting my feet firmly to the ground. “Sorry for calling you out here on such short notice,” he says. “I thought I absolutely needed to have a talk with you.” “How about we have lunch first? We can talk afterwards.” I take the seat Benno offers me, though my line of sight to the bookshelf-like shelves is cut off. Lutz sits next to me, looking just a little bit nervous. “I’ll have it brought right in.” Benno picks up a small bell from the desk and rings it three times. A door at the back of the room opens, and a young woman comes out, bearing food on a tray. It seems like there must be a stairway to connect this floor to the second floor above. “Maine, Lutz, welcome,” she says. “I hope you’ll enjoy your meal.” I thought she might have been Benno’s wife, but since he didn’t introduce her at all, it could be that she’s one of his employees or perhaps a servant. “Thank you very much,” is all I say as I study the tableware set out in front of me. We each have an empty plate, a fork, and a spoon. There isn’t a great difference between the amount of cutlery we’re using here and that I use at home; the only difference is that Benno is the only one with a knife in front of him. It seems like it’s the responsibility of Benno, the master of the house, to serve our plates. He serves salad and meat onto our plates, and gives us bowls of soup. “Please, enjoy.” Lutz had been trying his best in his own special way, but as soon as we start eating it seems like all of my advice immediately spills out of his head, and he starts shoving food into his face with great gusto. Perhaps Lutz should also learn some table manners before we start working. I pick up my fork, then start to eat. I keep an eye on Benno as I do, but it seems that his table manners aren’t much different from mine. Although I think this to be the case, for some reason Benno keeps studying me closely. I wonder if I’m making some sort of mistake? I eat timidly, nervous that I’m making some small errors that I just can’t notice. I don’t think I’m doing anything exceptionally rude, though, so I have no idea what he could be quite so focused on. For today, at least, the manners I know tell me that leaving just a little bit of food left on the plate would show that I’m full to my satisfaction. I had been thinking that leaving any leftovers would be rude, so I kept eating, but at some point my mouth just clamped shut when I tried to eat any more. I’d had some degree of expectation for a rich man’s lunch, but the only real difference is in the quant.i.ty, not the flavor. It seems like their cooking methods are still the same. Yet another letdown. Lutz, however, thinks quant.i.ty is king, and looks absolutely satisfied. “Now that our bellies are full, shall we talk?” “Yes,” I reply. Benno sips on some dark, coffee-like beverage with an unusual scent, and we’re given herbal tea as we start our conversation. “First, I’d like to ask you something.” “What is it?” “Why did you rely on Otto for that?” Benno’s expression and tone show both irritation and a little bit of anger. Lutz draws back, and I tilt my head to the side a little. “I’m sorry, but I don’t quite understand what you’re asking. I’ve always relied on Otto for many things, so to what and to when are you referring?” “Otto told me that he’d lent you nails, and that you’d exchanged that liquid you put in your hair for it, didn’t you?” “Yes. ...Was there a problem with that? I don’t think there was anyone else I know that I could have asked to get me nails.” I have no idea why Benno would be upset that Otto gave me nails. Perhaps he’s upset that I gave him some shampoo? I sit there, head tilted to the side and not understanding at all. Benno lets out an enormous sigh. “This is common sense to a merchant, but it would have been best for you to consult with me first.” “With you, sir?” It seems like it this would indeed be common sense for a merchant of this world, but I still don’t understand it. “But, the two of us aren’t your apprentices yet, right? I thought that making paper was going to be our test, so asking you for help seemed to me like it would be illogical.” “Not true. If you can make that paper, then you’ll work here as an apprentice, and it’ll be a good sold through this shop. The first person you should be consulting is thus me, and not Otto.” Although we’re still not officially apprentices, it seems that we should perhaps still be thinking of him as our superior, since we have a conditional employment agreement. I had thought that making paper was our test, but I should consider it to be an extension of our jobs. If I think of it like that, then this matter is simple: Benno’s sub-apprentices asked someone who was not him for a.s.sistance in a matter related to their work, which reflects poorly on him as a supervisor. “I’m sorry,” I say, “I understand what you mean. We damaged your reputation, or, rather, hurt your honor as our supervisor. We’ll be more careful of this in the future.” Seeing that I’ve understood and reflected on my actions, Benno nods several times, then straightens up in his chair. “Now then, let’s negotiate. I’m prepared to offer you all of the materials you think necessary to make paper in exchange for the manufacturing method for the liquid you use in your hair.” “Huh? Making paper is our test to become your apprentices, isn’t it? Are you okay with supplying us like this?” I thought that the test was to see if we could put everything together on our own. If Benno were to provide us with the materials we need, then our task suddenly becomes much easier. “There’s no way that you could start a new industry like that when you have no tools, no manpower, and no prior investment. Still, you can’t be asking someone who, at least on the surface, has nothing to do with the project for a.s.sistance. If you had some form of collateral, you could get a loan, but you don’t have anything to offer, do you?” It goes without saying, but Lutz and I, the children of poor people, have absolutely nothing we could use as collateral on a loan. “Information isn’t something you could return to us when we’re finished, so we can’t use it as collateral, right?” “That’s why, in this case we’re not discussing a loan, but a trade. I’m buying your recipe. In exchange, I’ll provide you with everything you need to make paper. ...Surely you don’t think this is a bad deal?” “It certainly doesn’t seem to be a bad one.” If we commission the custom tools we need and purchase the materials through Benno’s suppliers, there’s a chance the paper manufacturing method might leak out, but for someone like me, who can’t even procure a single pot, getting this a.s.sistance would be like removing the noose from my neck. “Lutz, what do you think?” He’s been sitting next to me this entire time, wordlessly listening. Making paper is both of our jobs. It wouldn’t be right for me to make a decision like this without getting his input as well. However, he looks away a little bit, shaking his head. “...Thinking about these things is your job, right? Whatever you think is fine by me.” “Really?” If that’s what Lutz thinks, then I should try to get us the best terms for this arrangement that I can. If Benno will agree to provide us with both tools and, of course, raw materials, then we can focus entirely on making the paper itself. “I’d like to clarify something, sir. When you say you’ll provide us with what we need, do you mean just the tools, or does that include the raw materials as well?” “I don’t mind if we include the materials. You want to experiment with a variety of things, correct? I heard that Lutz was asking a lumber dealer about different kinds of wood.” That’s right, a merchant’s broad network of connections can be terrifying. If unfamiliar children are wandering around and gathering information, that news is of course going to immediately start to spread. “How long will this support continue?” “Until your baptismal ceremony. Before then, you can’t become apprentices, after all. To keep appearances, I’ll sell whatever you manage to bring me. From the gross, I’ll withhold the cost of the materials and the sale, plus a commission; the rest will be yours. After your baptisms, you’ll come to this shop to operate the paper trade, and ten percent of the net profits will be added to your wages as a bonus.” There’s no problem with what he’s proposing for before the ceremony. We come to him with any completed paper we make, and he sells it. Even if the commission he charges is relatively high, our profits will still be a.s.sured. However, I’m somewhat uneasy about what would happen after the ceremony. Having our share of the profits added to our wages sounds good, but, what happens if we’re dismissed? If he’s no longer paying us any wage, then it’s possible that he won’t pay us our share of the profits, either. It feels like there’s an enormous gap between the common knowledge we should have in this circ.u.mstance and the knowledge we actually have from our daily lives. If paper production goes according to plan, once its profitability is realized we don’t actually have any guarantees after that. “In addition to the bonus to our wages, please let me retain the exclusive rights to manufacture the paper, and let Lutz retain the exclusive rights to sell it.” “...What do you mean?” “Once we’re able to make paper, it’s possible that you’d fire us as soon as you got your hands on the actual goods, and that would be very bad for us. I would much rather have a long-term guarantee over the chance for immediate profits.” Benno’s eyes briefly glimmer as he strokes his chin. “Well, looking out for yourself wasn’t bad at all. Your childish reasoning is, however, full of holes.” “Urgh... I’ll have to study.” Since I still lack the necessary bits of local common sense, no matter how hard I wrack my brain, my reasoning will always still be childish. “So, then, if we leave the rights to the paper at that, are you going to stake any claim with regards to the rights to your hair-glossing liquid?” “No, sir, I won’t contest you for the rights to my ‘simple shampoo’. I’d be selling those to you.” I have no intention of demanding rights to something I am trying to sell. To me, the circulation of paper is the best possible outcome, and I’d like to be able to offer Lutz’s family some kind of guarantee of his long-term success as a merchant’s apprentice, since they’re still opposed to this path. “Well, that’s fine. The various rights relating to the manufacturing and sale of the paper will be yours. However, as long as the two of you are working here, you’ll do all of your sales through this shop. You’ll have no right to determine either the price of sale or your profits, and there will be no bonus to your wages. That should cover everything, right?” “That sounds alright to me. This is simply just insurance, after all.” Right now, guaranteeing a place where we can work and earn a steady wage is the most important thing. I’m fine with earning our profits slowly, over the long term. Beyond just the hairpin that first caught Benno’s eye, my recipes, and even my beauty products, I can think of quite a few things off the top of my head that I can turn into serious profits if I can first get the necessary raw materials, after all. “Alright then. That’s all for now, then. I’ll be heading out to the n.o.blemen’s residences for the afternoon. I’ll be back in the evening, so until then, the two of you should stay here and fill out the orders for your supplies. Write out everything you’ll need in order to make your paper.” I’m happy with how quickly our work is progressing now, but I still haven’t learned how to write up supply orders while working at the gates. “...If I don’t know how to write a supply order?” “I’ll have someone teach you. If you’re able to finish by this evening, I’ll show you something nice, as a prize.” “Something nice?” “When you are absolutely serious about ensuring your own profits, or making deals with the n.o.bility, there is a way of forming a contract that is almost never used outside of extremely profitable, high-stakes transactions. This isn’t something either of you would have seen if you’ve just been doing your business in the town markets. This isn’t just a verbal agreement, I’ll guarantee you your rights.” Certainly, I was hoping for a written contract, not just a verbal agreement, but I hadn’t thought Benno would be the one to bring it up. “...Why would you go that far for us, sir? Wouldn’t it leave you in a better position if this were to remain a verbal agreement only?” Benno shakes his head, smiling broadly. “What I want is to promptly and contractually protect my rights to this 'simple sham-poo’. If we simply had a verbal agreement, then it would be quite problematic for me if you were to a.s.sert your own claim on it once it started to become profitable. This contract will guarantee your own rights to the paper, in exchange for completely giving up your rights to the 'sham-poo’.” “Thank you very much.” I wonder if he wanted to say that we shouldn’t be fully trusting each other, since the two of us have only ever met twice. If we have a written contract, then both of us can rest easy. As the employees start returning from their lunch break one by one, Benno appoints one person to serve as our teacher for the afternoon. The prim aura of a butler practically rolls off of him, so heavily that I instinctively want to call him Sebastian.“Mark, this is Maine and Lutz. Please teach them how to write up a materials order. I’ll leave them in your care until I’m back.” Benno gives further directions to the other employees as he gets ready to leave. As he heads out the door, he stops briefly and turns his head to call out to Mark. “Ah, I almost forgot. Mark, while I’m out, get everything set up for the contract magic.” Contract magic? I think I heard him correctly. Huh? Was this... a fantasy... setting?

は木の枠だから、木と釘で比較的簡単に作れる。木を同じ長さに真っ直ぐ切るのが一番難しいくらいで、作り方自体はそれほど難しくない。 家庭科の授業で使った小さい桁を参考に作ってみよう。 「えーと、こんな感じで作ってもらうから......」 わたしはルッツに石板に完成形を一度描いて見せた後、必要な部品を書きだしていった。 「ピッタリになるように真っ直ぐに切らなきゃダメなの。最終的には削って合わせるでもいいんだけど」 「思ったより面倒だぞ。真っ直ぐって......」 上桁と下桁の2つの木枠ができたら、紙をすいている時に上桁が動かないように固定するための固定板を取りつける。そして、上桁には手で持てるように取っ手部分を付けた。 「できたね! ルッツ、良い感じだよ!」 「うん! この上下の桁の間に簀を挟んで、この取っ手をこう持って、こうやって揺らしながら繊維を均一にするから、形は大丈夫」 「形は?」 怪訝そうなルッツに、わたしは桁を重ねた状態を横にして、少しガタガタで隙間が見えている状態を指差した。 「できれば上下の桁を重ねた時に隙間ができないように、ちょっとずつ磨くとか削るとかして、ピッタリになれば、完成」 「ピッタリ!? 親父か兄貴達に頼まねぇと道具がねぇよ......」 「......道具、借りれそう?」 「わかんねぇ......」 旅商人は諦めたものの、両親が希望する建築関係や木工関係の仕事を蹴って、自分で商人の見習い先を決めてしまったルッツには今、親からの風当たりが厳しいらしい。とても道具を貸してほしいとか、力を貸してほしいなんて言える状況ではないのだ。 商人なんて金のことしか考えていない、冷血な人でなしで、自分の息子がそんなものになりたがるのは許せないというのが、ルッツの父の言葉。 ルッツの家族に会った時にルッツの頑張りをそれとなく伝えたり、料理レシピで胃袋をつかんだりするくらいだ。 大きさを揃えた竹ひごと糸がいる。それも、丈夫な糸が。わたし達の自由になるような糸はないし、竹から竹ひごを作るのも難しそうだ。 「今日は桁が作れたから、明日からは竹を削って、竹ひご作りから始めよう。でも、丸みを帯びた竹ひごって、簡単に作れるのかな? ある程度太さや大きさが揃っていたらでもいいかな? どうだろう?」 「作って、使ってみないとわからない、としか言えないよなぁ......」 まだナイフがあまり上手に使えないわたしは大した戦力にならないが、数が必要なのでちまちま作っていくしかない。 帰りに門でオットーに呼ばれて、ルッツが手招きされた。わたしだけなら、門でお手伝いしている関係で珍しくないが、ルッツが呼ばれることは今まで全くなかったはずだ。 「そう。二人に、これ。招待状」 前にコリンナから届いた物と同じような板を手渡された。勉強の成果を出して、わたしは即座に宛名と差出人を確認した。ベンノからわたしとルッツへ宛てた招待状だった。 「ベンノさんがわたしとルッツを?」 紙ができるまで会うことはないと思っていたのに、まだ見習いでもないわたし達にいきなり招待状が届く意味がわからない。 「明日って、ずいぶん急な呼び出しですね。何だろう?......もしかして、現物を作るまでもなく不合格、とか?」 別の、もっと義理を優先させなければならない人に頼まれて、見習いが決まったからもういい、とか、わたしが漏らした情報の端々から想像して、商品を作る目途がついたからわたし達はお払い箱、とか、最悪の事態ばかりが頭の中をぐるぐると回る。 「違う、違う! それはない!」 「オットーさん、何を知っているんですか?」 「......あ~、コリンナの髪を見たベンノに、根掘り葉掘り聞かれて、俺が知っている分はペロッと喋ったから、それに関する用件だ」 「この招待状、オットーさんのせいじゃないですか! なんでペロッと喋っちゃうんですか?」 「コリンナが綺麗になったことを自慢するのは、夫として当然だろ?」 わざわざ綺麗になったことを自慢しに行ったのは、釘を全部持っていった仕返しですか? オットーに文句を言ったところで、招待状が届いたのは事実だし、ベンノのところに見習いとして入りたいなら、これは断ってはいけない召喚命令だ。 「名目はお昼ご飯に招待ってことになってる。豪華なお昼が食べられるのかな?」 「おぉ! 行く! 絶対に行くぜ!」 ルッツがいきなり行く気全開になった。常にお腹を減らしている貧民に豪華なご飯をちらつかせれば、一発だ。わたしもお金持ちのご飯にはちょっと興味がある。 招待状には当然時間と場所が指定されている。明日4の鐘が鳴ってから、ベンノの店と簡潔に書かれている。 「......ベンノさんのお店ってどこにあるんですか? わたし達、知らないですよ?」 「俺の家の1階」 オットーの家は嫁であるコリンナの実家の上で、年の離れた兄が可愛い妹を心配して準備した部屋だったはずだ。 「......義理の兄弟だったんですか?」 オットーに話したことがベンノに筒抜けだったとしても、おかしくない。もう何も言う気になれなかった。 次の日、わたしとルッツはできるだけ、綺麗な服を着て、ベンノの店へと向かった。中央広場を過ぎると、どんどん高級な雰囲気になっていく。 「すげぇな、なんか......」 「うん、同じ街なのに全然違うよね。オットーさんの家に行く時、わたしもビックリしたもん」 「これだけ街が違うってことは、昼飯もウチとは全然違って豪華なんだろうな。楽しみだ」 無邪気な笑顔で楽しみにしているルッツに、わたしは軽く溜息を吐いて、忠告しておく。 「食べ方、気を付けた方がいいよ」 「ぅん?」 「食事の仕方というか、マナーのチェック、絶対されると思うんだよね」 「ハァ!? そんなの知らねぇぞ!?」 わたしも知らない。正確にはわたしのマナーがここで通用するのかどうかがわからない。 「姿勢に気を付けながら、がっつかずに、ベンノさんを見ながら食べるようにすれば、それほど間違ったことにはならないと思う」 「......くっそぉ、緊張してきた」 ベンノの店の前に着いたのは、まだ4の鐘が鳴る前のことだった。4の鐘が鳴ってから、とあったので、店の近くで、時間を潰さなければならない。 「どうするんだよ?」 「ん? この辺りからでいいから、お店を見たいな。ベンノさんの店が何を取り扱っているのか、お仕事している人がどれくらいいるか、見習いがどんな仕事をしているか、全然知らないんだよね」 「......それもそうだな」 就職先の情報を集めるのは、わたしにとって常識だが、ここにはインターネットも情報誌もない。口コミの噂を探るか、自分の目で確かめるか、どちらかの方法でなければ、情報を得ることができない。 しかし、ベンノとオットーが義兄弟であることを隠しているようでは、オットーからの情報が本当に流れてくるかどうかわからない。旅商人の話を聞くために行った時の、ベンノの紹介も「旅商人の時の知り合い」だった。不合格にする気満々だったせいか、仕事内容一つ説明してくれなかった。 「並んでいる商品は少ないね」 「市場に比べると入っていく客も少ないぜ。本当に儲かっているのかな?」 「儲かっているとは思うよ。店がすごく清潔だし、従業員の恰好や動きが周辺より綺麗だもん。教育がしっかりしていて、見栄えがいいから、お金持ちとかお貴族様とか、そういう人を相手に商売しているんじゃないかな」 店の前に立っている番人のような人でさえ、わたし達より立派な服を着ている。見栄えを気にする客を相手に商売をしている証拠だ。 カラーンカラーン......。 お昼を知らせる4の鐘が鳴り響く。 「え? え? 閉められちゃう!?」 わたしはルッツの手を引いて、慌ててベンノの店に走った。完全に閉められて人がいなくなってしまえば、どうすればいいのかわからなくなってしまう。 「すみませんっ! わたし達、ベンノさんからこのような招待を頂いているのですが、どうすればいいか教えていただいてよろしいですか?」 「あぁ、そんなに慌てなくてもいい。話は聞いているが、店を閉めるまで少し待ってくれないか」 昼の休みに店を閉めてしまうと、昼番を一人残して、従業員が全てお昼ご飯を食べるために出て行ってしまう。 「旦那様、お客様です」 商談に使われていると一目でわかる部屋があり、奥の方の棚には見慣れないものが色々と並んでいる。 もしかして、本棚!? 本がないので、資料棚という方が正しいだろうけれど、文字が詰まっている棚がある。 「突然呼び出してすまなかったな。どうしても話をしておかねばならないと思ってな」 「何でしょう?」 「まずは食事にしようか? 話はその後だ」 初めて見た本棚らしき物に視線を奪われながら、わたしはベンノに勧められた席に着く。ルッツも少し緊張した顔でわたしの隣に座った。 「すぐに運ばせるよ」 ベンノが机の上にあったベルを3回鳴らすと、部屋の奥のドアが開いて、食事を乗せたお盆を持った女性が入ってきた。どうやら階段があり、2階と繋がっているようだ。 「ようこそ。マインさんとルッツさん。どうぞ召し上がってくださいな」 ベンノの奥さんかと思ったが、何も紹介されなかったので、従業員とか下働きの女性かもしれない。 食事は全て主であるベンノが取り分ける決まりになっているようで、サラダや肉が皿に置かれ、スープが置かれた。 「さぁ、どうぞ」 ルッツは、彼なりに頑張っていたが、食べ始めたら、わたしの忠告なんて頭から吹っ飛んでしまったようで、結構がっつりかきこむように食べていた。 働き始める前にルッツもマナーを覚えた方がいいかもしれない。 わたしはフォークを手に取り、ベンノを見ながら食事をしたが、それほど変わったマナーもないようだ。そう思っていたが、何故かわたしの方がベンノに注視されている。 今回の食事でわたしが身を以て覚えたマナーは、少し残すことでお腹がいっぱいになったと言うことを示すことだ。 お金持ちの料理に少し期待していたけれど、量が多いだけで、味はそんなに変わらなかった。料理方法が同じなのだろう。いまいち期待外れだった。量こそ命! のルッツはとても満足したようだけれど。 「お腹も満足したようだし、話をしようか」 「はい」 ベンノさんは匂いが違うけれどコーヒーのような濃い色の飲み物を、わたし達はハーブティを飲みながら、話が始まった。 「まず、聞かせてもらいたい」 「何故、オットーを頼った?」 ベンノの表情と口調に苛立ちとわずかな怒りが見えて、ルッツが身を竦め、わたしは首を傾げた。 「すみません。よく意味がわかりません。オットーさんにはいつも頼りっぱなしですが、いつの、何のお話でしょうか?」 「釘を融通したとオットーから報告があった。それも、髪の艶を出す液と引き換えにしたそうだな?」 「はい。......何か問題があったんでしょうか? わたしの周囲で釘を融通してくれそうな人がオットーさんしかいなかったんですけど」 オットーに融通してもらって、ベンノが怒る意味がわからない。簡易ちゃんリンシャンを渡したのがまずかったのだろうか。 「商人としての常識で言うならば、君は、俺にまず相談するべきだった」 「ベンノさんに、ですか?」 「そうだ」 重々しく頷くベンノを見て、ここの商人の常識ではそれが正しいことなのだろうとは解ったけれど、いまいち納得できない。 「でも、わたし達、まだ見習いでも何でもないんですよね? 紙を作ることが試験のようなものだから、ベンノさんに相談するのは筋違いかと思っていました」 「違う。紙ができれば、ここの見習いとなり、この店で取り扱う商品となるのだから、君が一番に相談する相手は俺だ。オットーではない」 まだ見習いにはなっていないとはいえ、条件付き採用を約束されたのだから、上司のようなものだと考えればいいだろう。わたしは紙作りを試験のようなものだと思っていたけれど、仕事の延長にあるものだと考えよう。 「すみません。理解しました。雇い主であるベンノさんの体面というか、面子に傷を付ける行為だったんですね。これから気を付けます」 わたしが理解と反省をしたことで、ベンノは何度か頷いた後、姿勢を正した。 「では、これからは商談だ。髪に艶を出す液の作り方と交換で、紙作りに必要な材料を調達してやろう」 「え? 紙作りって、見習いになるための試験ですよね? 調達してもらっちゃっていいんですか?」 全部自分で揃えてこその試験だと思っていた。ベンノが材料を調達してくれるなら、紙を作るのはずいぶんと楽になる。 「道具がなくて作れないのでは、実力を測れないし、先行投資もなしに新しい事業が始められるわけがない。だが、建前上はまだ無関係のヤツにただで援助することもできない。借金には担保がいるが、担保になるものがないだろう?」 当たり前だが、貧乏人の子供であるわたしとルッツに担保になるようなものがあるわけがない。 「情報は後から返せる物じゃないので、担保にはなりませんよね?」 「だから、この場合は借金ではなく、売買とする。俺が作り方を買う。代わりに、紙を作るために必要な物は全て準備してやる。......悪い取引ではないだろう?」 「確かに悪い取引ではないです」 道具作りを依頼したり、原料を仕入れるために条件を付けたりすることで、紙の作り方の情報漏えいにも繋がるけれど、鍋一つ準備できないわたしはこの援助は喉から手が出るほど欲しい。 「ルッツはどう思う?」 隣に座ったまま無言で話を聞いていたルッツに声をかけた。紙作りは二人の共同作業だ。わたしだけの一存で決めるのはよくないと思ったのだ。 「......考えるのはマインの仕事だろ? マインが思った通りでいい」 「そう?」 道具はもちろん、原料の仕入れまでベンノが請け負ってくれると言うのならば、紙を作ることだけに専念できる。 「確認させてください。必要な物というのは、道具だけですか? それとも、原料も含んでいいんですか?」 「原料も含んで構わん。色々と試すつもりなんだろう? ルッツが材木屋に聞いて回ったという情報は入っている」 なるほど、商売人の横の繋がりは怖い。見慣れない子供がうろうろして、情報を集めていたら、すぐに情報が飛び交うようだ。 「その援助はいつまで続きますか?」 「洗礼式までだ。それまでは建前上、見習いにすることができないからな。お前たちが持ってきた物をこちらが買うという形になる。原料費と販売にかかる手数料を引いた残りがお前達の取り分になる。洗礼式が終わった後は、紙の売買はこの店で行い、純利益の1割をお前たちの給料に上乗せすることにする」 洗礼式までは問題ない。出来上がった紙を持って行って、買ってもらう。多少手数料が割り増しされたところで、自分の利益は確保できるので問題ない。 利益が給料に上乗せしてくれるのはいいが、もし、解雇された時は? 給料が払われなくなったら、利益も払われることもなくなる可能性がある。 「給料の上乗せより、紙を作る権利はわたしの物。紙を売る権利はルッツの物にしてください」 「......どういう意味だ?」 「紙ができるようになって、現物が手に入ったらお払い箱、なんてことになったら困るんです。目先の利益より放り出されないための保険が欲しいです」 ふぅん、と顎を撫でるベンノの目がきらりと光る。 「まぁ、保身を考えるのは悪くない。子供の浅知恵で穴だらけだけどな」 「うぅ......勉強します」 こちらの常識がわからない状態なので、いくら知恵を絞ったところで、子供の浅知恵なのはどうしようもない。 「それで、紙に関する権利ばかりだが、髪につやを出す液に関する権利は主張しないのか?」 「はい。『簡易ちゃんリンシャン』に関してはしません。それはベンノさんに売るものですから」 わたしとしては、紙が流通すればそれに越したことはないし、家族に反対されても頑張っているルッツが商人見習いとして働ける保障を確保してあげたいだけだ。 「まぁ、いいだろう。紙に関する権利はお前達の物だ。ただし、お前達がこの店にいる限り、売買はウチが行う。値段や利益の取り決めに関する権利はない。給料の上乗せもなし。それでいいんだな?」 「いいです。ただの保険ですから」 給料をもらって働ける場所を確保するのが、今は一番大事だ。利益なんて後でゆっくり稼げばいい。 「そうか。なら、話は終わりだ。俺は昼からお貴族様のお屋敷回りに出る。夕方には戻ってくるから、それまでにお前たちはここで、発注書を書け。紙を作るのに必要なものを全て書きだすんだ」 仕事の速さは嬉しいけれど、発注書は門でもまだ書いたことがない。 「......書き方がわかりませんけど?」 「教師役は置いておく。夕方までにできたら、ご褒美に良いこと、教えてやる」 「良いこと?」 「本気で自分の権利を確保したい時やお貴族様相手の取引、利益が莫大になる大口取引にしか使わない契約方法がある。市場で売買するだけのお前たちは見たことがないはずだ。口約束ではなく、お前たちの権利を確保してやろう」 確かに、口約束じゃなく契約書にしてほしいとは思っていたけれど、ベンノから言い出すとは思っていなかった。 「......なんでそこまでしてくださるんですか? ベンノさんには口約束の方が都合はいいんじゃないですか?」 ベンノは首を振った後、ニヤリと笑った。 「きっちりと契約をするのはカンイチャンリンシャンに関する俺の利益を守るためだ。口約束のままで利益を生み始めてから、お前に権利を主張されても困る。契約によって完全に権利を放棄させる代わりに、お前の権利を認めてやろう」 「ありがとうございます」 まだ2回しか会ったことがない相手を信用しきれていないのはお互い様だ、と言いたいのだろう。 昼休みを終えた従業員がぞろぞろと戻ってくる中、ベンノは一人の従業員を教師役に任命した。思わずセバスチャンと呼びたくなるような、執事オーラを出しているやり手そうな男性だった。 他の従業員達にも色々と指示を出しながら、ベンノは出かける準備をする。 「あぁ、そうだ。マルク、俺が戻ってくるまでに契約魔術の準備もしておいてくれ」 契約魔術? そう聞こえた気がするんですけど。 あれ? ここってファンタジーな世界でしたっけ?

Ascendance of a Bookworm Lutz’s Tutor As we work on our hairpin handicrafts, someone knocks on our front door. Tuuli and I exchange glances, then she gets up to see what’s going on. “Yes, who is it?” “It’s me, Lutz. I’ve brought some pins with me.” “Alright, let me open up for you.” Tuuli unlocks the door, and it creaks open, letting in a gust of fresh, freezing air. Lutz walks in, snow still clinging to him. “Whoaaa, it looks cold out there,” I say. “Is it snowing hard?” asks Tuuli. “The road to the well was completely covered, but it isn’t that bad out right now,” says Lutz. As we talk, all the snow falls off of him, landing where he stands, just inside the entranceway. “Here, some pins. Each of my brothers made three of them, so there’s nine here.” He sets the pin parts of our hairpins out on the table. As he lines them up in a row, Tuuli stands up and goes to fetch the decorations that we’ve finished so far. “Ah, so, how about we finish putting together the hairpins we can?” says my mother. “If we do that, though, we’re missing a few pins, you know?” It looks like while I was out sick, she and my mother managed to finish quite a few decorations. I glance at the decorations she lines up on the table, and pose a question to Lutz. “We’ve finished twelve decorations. You’ve brought nine pins with you. How many pins are we short by?” “Oh? Umm... three.” “That’s right! Good job. You’ve been studying hard!” Glancing down, I notice that he has a bag in one hand, carrying his slate and his calculator. “Mommy, Tuuli, can I leave you to work on the hairpins? I’m going to go help Lutz study.” Tuuli blinks incredulously, tilting her head to one side. “I heard that you go do calculations at the gates, but do you really know how to teach it?” “Um, yeah, I think I can teach basic reading and math.” I pout, sullenly, at how little faith my sister seems to have in me. Lutz, though, beams broadly. “Maïne’s really amazing at reading and math! Well, she’s also really amazingly weak, too.” You could have stopped after the first sentence, Lutz. Even though I shoot him a nasty glare, my mother and Tuuli got a good laugh out of it, so it doesn’t make a difference. Lutz starts pulling out his slate and some slate pencils from his bag, so I run to the bedroom to go get my own things. From the wooden box by my bed, I pull out my soot pencils and the little memo book that I managed to a.s.semble from the usable parts of our slightly-failed paper prototypes. I’ve been thinking that I could work on my book-making project under the pretense of helping Lutz study. Ordinarily, when my mother and Tuuli are working diligently on their handicrafts, it feels really awkward to sit next to them and play around with this by myself. If I’m doing it while teaching Lutz, though, then the both of us are writing on things, so I don’t think it would look too out of place. Now then, let’s get back to working on this book! Since I’ve worked on this whenever I’ve been able to find bits of free time, I’ve gotten just a little bit of work done on writing down my mother’s bedtime stories, but it’s still not fleshed-out enough for me to really be able to call this little memo pad a proper book. With my memo book, soot pencils, slate, and slate pencils held in my arms, I cheerfully start heading back to the kitchen. Before I get there, though, I hear my mother speak. “Lutz, don’t Karla and the rest of your family not like the idea of you becoming a merchant? Are you sure you’re okay with that?” The sudden, serious question makes me stop dead in my tracks, my breath caught in my throat. Taking care to silence my footsteps, I slowly continue back into the kitchen. Tuuli, seated next to my mother, is rigid and unmoving. Across from her sits Lutz, looking back at her with a stiff expression. As I sit down next to Lutz, my mother looks between the two of us, sighing, then opens her mouth to speak. “I was wondering, you know, if Maïne was the reason you’ve been saying that you want to be a merchant. You’re such a kind boy, so I thought that perhaps Maïne said that she wanted to be one, and you’re following along to look after her.” “No way!” he immediately objects. “I said I wanted to be a merchant, and Maïne got me an introduction. She’s the one getting dragged along, not me.” Lutz was thinking that he wanted to become a trader, then he listened to what Otto had to say, learned about what citizens.h.i.+p meant, and decided he wanted to be a merchant instead. I honestly didn’t have much to do with that decision-making process at all. My mother nods slightly, quietly staring at him. “I see. You’re the one who wants to be a merchant. But, if Maïne goes to the same apprentices.h.i.+p as you do, then you’ll continue to look after her like you’re doing now, won’t you? If you’re spending time on her, then you’re not going to do a very good job at your actual job as an apprentice. You’re going to do sloppy work if you’re preoccupied with her all the time.” I think my mother’s warning hit Lutz right in the heart. Sitting next to him, I can tell that this unexpected revelation has caused his breath to catch in his throat. Her warning struck close to home for me, too. She’s not at all wrong. While I worriedly grind my teeth, Lutz lifts his head determinedly to look at my mother. “...I want to become a merchant, no matter what. Since I have Maïne here with me, I think that’s actually possible. So, while I do want to be as much help to her as I can, it’s not like I’m trying to become a merchant for her sake.” That’s right, Lutz has his own dreams, and being a merchant would put him in a much better place to let him do what he wants to do than being a craftsman would. Talking with Benno and Mark has only made him more sure of this. He may be doing everything with me, but there’s no way he’s becoming a merchant solely for my sake. This is the fastest way for him to get where he wants to go. “Then, if Maïne can’t be there with you―say, if she’s too weak and has to quit her job―would you still continue trying to be a merchant?” Lutz clenches his fists together tightly on top of the table, looking steadily into my mother’s eyes. “Yes,” he says, nodding slowly. “Of course I would. My mom and dad are telling me to stop and just be a craftsman, but I’m not going to give up now that I’ve made so much progress. Even if Maïne tells me to stop now, I’m still going to do it.” “I see,” she replies. “...Well, that’s good then! All I’ve heard is what Karla’s been telling me, so I’ve been a bit concerned. Thanks for talking with me about this, Lutz.” To Karla, it probably looks like I’m making Lutz follow along behind me. That isn’t entirely false, given how visible my condition is, but it seems like she barely even half-listens to what Lutz says and is punis.h.i.+ng him for the warped view of his goals that she thinks he has. And then, even though she told him to stop, he refused... I actually kind of want to know just what it was that Karla said to my mother, but I have a feeling she wouldn’t tell me if I asked. I’m pretty sure she’d just say that if I wanted to know so badly, I should go ask her myself. “Mrs. Eva,” asks Lutz, “I have something I’d like to ask you too.” “What is it?” she replies, tilting her head to one side. I can tell from the way she is looking quietly back at Lutz that she intends to answer seriously. Lutz breaths a little sigh of relief before opening his mouth. “Why aren’t you fighting against Maïne becoming a merchant? My mom and dad keep saying that merchants are people that everybody hates, so why let Maïne be one?” Well, merchants are people who always take their commission fees and pinch their profit margins, so I guess it’s understandable for a craftsman to think badly of the profession, but... isn’t saying that literally everybody hates merchants a little too harsh? As if she heard my thoughts, my mother smiles wryly at me, then frowns slightly, looking troubled. “I think everyone has different ideas about what merchants are like, so I can’t say anything about an entire profession like that. But, to answer your question... I think the reason I’m not objecting is that Maïne’s always been very weak, you know?” “Huh? It’s because she’s weak?” he replies, tilting his head uncomprehendingly to the side. My mother smiles a little. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure if there was a job Maïne could do. I couldn’t imagine that anyone would be able to find a use for her. So, if she’s found herself a useful job where she can do the things that she’s good at, and she’s working as hard as she can to do it, how could I possibly object to that?” My throat tightens a little when I hear those words. The motherly love she feels for me makes my eyes grow hot. “Oh, okay. ...I’m trying my hardest too, but they still won’t accept me, though...” Hearing the bitter words he spits out, I reach out to put my hand on top of his. “It would be good if they would, wouldn’t it?” “Yeah.” “So, let’s make that happen. Which starts with studying!” Lutz smiles, and the mood immediately lightens. As the serious-talk atmosphere dissipates, Tuuli, who had been stock still the entire time, lets out a huge sigh of relief as she relaxes. She gets her sewing kit out and starts working on attaching decorations to pins. As I watch all this through the corner of my eye, I tap my finger on Lutz’s slate. “Now, let’s start by reviewing your basic letters. Try writing them out, let’s see if you remember them all.” “Got it.” After giving Lutz his challenge, I resume my book-making project, writing down the stories my mother told me in my memo book. The soot pencils I’m using are much darker than a regular pencil would be, but they don’t cost me any money to use, unlike ink. As I work, I occasionally glance over at Lutz’s slate to see how he’s doing. When I do, I see him writing out each letter without hesitation. Lutz’s studying is almost going too well. When we start our apprentices.h.i.+ps together at Benno’s shop, his time to simply study is going to be dramatically reduced. Since he knows that this is going to be the most disadvantageous situation he could be in, he’s devouring information like he was starving. Since his family’s displeasure at the idea that he might become a merchant is straining the atmosphere at his home so much, Lutz has been considering, in the worst case, leaving home entirely. For that reason, it’s really obvious that he’s in a hurry to cram every bit of information into his head as he can. “Nice, you’ve got all the basic letters memorized, and you’ve written them out so neatly! That’s amazing, Lutz!” Writing clean, legible letters is no easy feat without having practiced countless, countless times. Lutz isn’t like me, with my experience from my past life. Now that I think about that, I really do have to admire his raw perseverance. “Since you’ve got your letters down, next let’s work on memorizing some words. Let’s practice by writing out ordering forms, which I think is going to be the most useful.” On my own slate, I try writing out a form for ordering lumber. Since this is something I wrote up countless times while making paper, I can get it down with ease. When I finish that, I also write down the names of Benno’s workshop and craftsman a.s.sociates that I learned in the process. “This is the name of the lumber merchant. This is where you put the name of the person making the order. When we were doing this, Mister Benno was doing the purchasing and then delivering it to us, so we’d put his name here. These are the kinds of lumber...” Lutz watches me closely, trying his hardest to keep his transcriptions in pace with my writing. “When spring comes around, do you want to try filling out the order forms for our paper-making supplies, Lutz?” “Uh?!” “Let’s practice a lot so that you can.” Having a concrete goal like that seems to have fired up his determination even more, as he starts earnestly practicing writing these forms, making sure not to misspell any words. I watch him work for a little while, then open my memo book back up and resume writing down my mother’s fairy tales. It’ll still take quite some time for me to finish copying down all of these bedtime stories. “How about we practice math next?” Having finally finished one story, I lean back and stretch my arms wide, calling out to Lutz. He looks up from his slate, where he’s practiced his vocabulary countless times by now, then nods at me, setting aside his slate and pulling his calculator from his bag. “So, how about this for today?” I start writing out math problems on my slate. Today, it’s addition and subtraction in three digits. After I get eight questions down, I look over and watch him as he uses his calculator. Unlike before, he’s barely hesitating at all as he flicks beads around on the device. “I memorized how to do the ones-digit calculations like you said, and that’s made this way easier to do.” “Yeah. You’re getting faster at that than I am...” The calculations that I’m teaching Lutz are simple enough that I can just do them in my head, so I haven’t really gotten any faster at using a calculator at all. As always, it’s much faster for me to just do the math on paper than it is for me to use a calculator. It’s because I keep lending him my calculator so he can practice. That’s the excuse I try telling myself. I don’t have a lot of time to work with it, so of course I’m not going to get any faster. If I were to actually have a calculator on hand all the time, though, it would... still be up for debate whether or not I’d actually practice as seriously with it as Lutz does. “Your addition and subtraction is looking pretty good for now. When the number of digits starts growing, you’ll use the calculator the same way.” “Things start getting messy when there numbers get big, though,” he says, scratching at his cheek. He’s been using a calculator for just about a month, though, so this is fantastic progress. “I don’t know how to do multiplication or division on this either,” I say, “so I guess we’re stuck there.” Since I don’t know how to do it on the calculator, for now, the only way I can teach multiplication and division is through the times table. The numbers here doesn’t flow off the tongue like they do in j.a.panese, so I’ll need to adapt how we’ll be reading the times table out loud. It won’t be as easy to say, but as long as he can give a quick answer when given a pair of numbers, that won’t be a problem. He’s also gotten good at reading large numbers and can accurately convert between currency denominations. With his absorption powers, if he tries hard during his initial training, I think he’ll be able to do just fine. ...Now, what the heck do I do? What my mother said earlier is stuck very firmly in my mind. “If you’re spending time on her, then you’re not going to do a very good job at your actual job as an apprentice. You’re going to do sloppy work if you’re preoccupied with her all the time.” I am going to be nothing but a hindrance to Lutz when he’s trying to do his job. I have no strength, have no stamina, and am fundamentally useless. I guess I’ve got some use when it comes to product development, but since I don’t have any of this world’s common knowledge, without Lutz beside me to help me understand the situation, I’d wind up in a lot of trouble. Now that I think about it, I made Benno worry, too. I recall how he had asked me if I, with my condition, could actually work. I hum to myself thoughtfully as I ponder the answer. Here in the dead of winter, I have nothing but time to worry about this, so I absolutely have to think about this properly. Can I actually work without being a hindrance to Lutz... or to the other employees at the shop? I wonder, what should I do? The next day, I still didn’t have a good answer, so I continue thinking about it as I idly work with my crocheting needles. As I work, my father calls out to me. “Maïne, if you’re feeling up to it, do you want to go to the gates? The snowstorm’s let up for today.” “Sure, I’ll go!” I stand up with a clatter, immediately rus.h.i.+ng to get ready to head out. I put my slate and slate pencils in my bag, then put on as many layers of clothing as I can so that I can brave the cold outdoors. Otto is at the gates. He’ll have a merchant’s perspective and he’s a relatively uninvolved third party, so I’m certain he’ll be able to give me his unvarnished opinion if I ask him. I’ll try asking him for advice about whether or not it’s actually alright for me to become an apprentice at Benno’s shop.

手仕事の髪飾りを作っていると、トントンと玄関のドアをノックする音が聞こえた。 「はい、どなた?」 「オレ、ルッツだけど。簪部分、持ってきた」 「わかった。今開けるね」 トゥーリが鍵を開けてギギッとドアを開けると、ひやりとした外気に雪を落としきれていないルッツが入ってきた。 「うわぁ、寒そう」 「吹雪はひどいの?」 「井戸への道が結構塞がってたけど、今はまだマシ」 そう言いながら、ルッツは入ったばかりのところで、完全に雪を落としてしまう。 「これ、簪部分。兄貴達が3個ずつ作ってたから、9個ある」 ルッツが髪飾りの簪部分をテーブルの上に並べた。ずらりと簪部分が並べられると、トゥーリが立ち上がって、できあがっている髪飾りの部分を持ってくる。 「あ、じゃあ、できてる分を完成させちゃおうか? そうしたら、簪部分がいくつ足りないかわかるでしょ?」 わたしが熱で寝ている間に、たくさんできていたようだ。テーブルの上に並んだ飾りを見て、わたしはルッツに問題を出す。 「飾り部分が12個。ルッツが持ってきた簪部分は9個。足りない簪部分は何個でしょう?」 「あ? えーと、3個」 「正解。よくできました。よく勉強してるね。髪飾りを作るのはトゥーリと母さんでお願い。わたし、ルッツの勉強見るから」 「門で計算してるって聞いたけど、本当にマインに教えられるの?」 「文字や計算を教えるくらいできるもん」 あまりの信頼の無さにわたしがむぅっとむくれて見せると、ルッツが横で苦笑した。 「マインは文字や計算はすげぇよ。まぁ、力の無さもすげぇけど」 どうせなら、前半だけで止めておいてよ。 ルッツを睨んでみても、母もトゥーリも笑っているので、全く意味がない。 バッグからルッツが石板と石筆を取り出したので、わたしも失敗作の紙から使える部分だけを切りだして束ねたメモ帳と煤鉛筆を自分の木箱から取り出すために寝室へと駆けだした。 普段、母とトゥーリがせっせと手仕事をしている横で本作りをするのは、自分だけさぼっているようで居心地が悪いけれど、ルッツに教えながらだったらとも書いているという動作に違いはないので、それほど目立たないはずだ。 さぁ、本作りの続きだ。 暇を見つけては時々書いているので、少しずつ束ねられたメモ帳に母の寝物語は溜まってきたが、まだ本と言えるほどは書けていない。 うきうきでメモ帳と煤鉛筆と石板と石筆を抱えて、わたしが台所へと戻ろうとした時、母の声が聞こえてきた。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。カルラも家族も商人になるの、反対しているんでしょ? このままでいいの?」 いきなり始まった真面目な話に息を呑んで、わたしは足音を立てないように気を付けながら、そぉっと台所に戻る。 わたしがルッツの隣に座ると、母はゆっくりと息を吐いて、ルッツとわたしを交互に見ながら、口を開いた。 「わたしはね、もしかしたら、ルッツが商人になると言いだしたのはマインのせいじゃないかと思ってるの。マインがなりたいと言って、面倒見が良くて優しいルッツがそれに付き合っているんじゃないかって」 「そんなことない! オレが商人になりたくて、マインに紹介してもらったんだ。オレがマインを巻き込んだんだよ、おばさん」 ルッツが即座に否定した。ルッツが旅商人になりたいと思っていて、話を聞いて、市民権という存在を知って、商人になることを決めた。その決心した過程にわたしは正直関係ない。 「そう。商人になりたいのはルッツなのね。でも、マインと同じところに見習いに行けば、今までと同じようにルッツはマインの面倒を見ようとするでしょう? マインの面倒を見ながら、仕事ができるほど見習いという立場は甘くない。マインの面倒を見ることに気を取られて仕事が中途半端になるわよ」 母の忠告はルッツの胸に刺さったのだと思う。思いもよらぬことを言われたとばかりに、ルッツが息を呑んだのが隣に座っていたわたしにはわかった。 わたしが奥歯を噛みしめていると、ルッツがグッと頭を上げた。 「......オレ、どうしても商人になりたいって思ってる。マインがいたから、商人になれるようになったんだ。だから、できる限りマインの役に立ちたいと思ってるけど、オレが商人になりたいのはマインのためってわけじゃない」 そう、ルッツは自分の夢がある。自分がやりたい事のためには職人ではなく、商人の方が都合良くて、ベンノやマルクと接することでどんどん心を固めていった。 「では、ルッツはマインがいなくても、例えば、体が弱って仕事を辞めることになっても、商人を続けられるのね?」 「続けるよ。当然だ。母さんも父さんも職人になれとしか言わないけど、やっと自分で切り開いた道だから諦めたくない。今、マインに止めろって言われても、オレは商人になる」 「そう。......だったら、いいの。カルラから話を聞くだけで、ルッツときちんと話をしたことがなかったから、気になっていたの。きちんと話してくれてありがとう」 わたしの体調の都合で振り回しているのは確かだから、完全に間違えているとは言えないけれど、だからこそ、ルッツの話は半分くらいしか聞いていないのかもしれないし、厳しく言えばルッツは意思を曲げると思いこんでいるのかもしれない。 この間、「止めてくれ」って言われたけど、断っちゃったし......。 カルラおばさんから母がどんな言い分を聞いたのか知りたいけれど、何となく話してくれない気がする。気になるなら自分で聞きなさい、と言われそうだ。 「エーファおばさん、オレも聞きたいことがあるんだ」 ルッツの声に母は少し首を傾げた。静かにルッツを見つめる目は、真面目に答えることを約束しているのがわかる目だ。 「エーファおばさんは、どうしてマインが商人になることを反対しないんだ? 父さんや母さんが言うように、本当に商人が周りの人に嫌われる嫌な職業なんだとしたら、何故?」 まぁ、手数料を取って、利益をピンはねしていくのが商人だから、職人からはあまり良く思われていないのはわかるけど......。周りの人に嫌われる職業って言い方は、ちょっとひどくない? わたしの心の声が聞こえたように母はわたしを見て苦笑した後、困ったように眉を下げた。 「商人に対するイメージは人によって違うから、職業については何とも言えないわ。でも、そうね......。反対しないのは、マインはずっと身体が弱かったから、かしら?」 「え? 身体が弱かったから?」 「正直、マインに仕事ができるなんて思っていなかったの。他の人がマインを必要とすることがあるなんて、考えられなかった。だから、マインが得意なことで誰かの役に立てるなら、その仕事をマインが一生懸命できるなら、わたしは反対なんてしないわ」 母の言葉に胸がぎゅっと締めつけられる。自分に向けられた母の愛情を感じて、じんと目の奥が熱くなってくる。 「そっか。......オレも一生懸命頑張るから、許してもらえねぇかな」 隣で零れた苦い響きの言葉にわたしはルッツの手を握る。 「許してもらえると良いね」 「そのためには、まず、お勉強だよ」 「そうだな」 ルッツが笑ったことで、ふっと雰囲気が緩んだ。 「最初は基本文字の復習からね。全部覚えているか、書いてみて」 「わかった」 ルッツに課題を出した後は、メモ帳に母から聞いた物語を書きとめて、本作りの続きをする。煤鉛筆は擦ると鉛筆より真っ黒になるけれど、インクと違ってお金がかからないところがいい。 物語の続きを書きながら、時折ルッツの石板に視線を向ける。ためらうことなく、文字を書いている姿が見えた。 ルッツの勉強は順調すぎるくらい順調だ。 勉強できる機会が限られていて、これからベンノの店で一緒に仕事をすることになる見習いの中で、ルッツが一番不利な状況であることを理解しているので、食らいつくように知識を呑みこんでいる。 ギスギスしていて、商人になることを許してくれない家庭での雰囲気から、ルッツは最悪の場合、家を出ることさえ考えている。だからこそ、一層焦って少しでも知識を詰め込もうとしているのがわかる。 「基本文字はもう完璧に全部覚えたね。字も丁寧に書けてる。すごいよ、ルッツ」 何度も線を引いて、書き慣れなければ、文字を綺麗に書くことは難しい。前世の記憶があるわたしとは違う。そう考えると、ルッツの努力には本当に頭が下がる。 「基本文字が書けるようになったから、次は単語を覚えていこうね。一番よく使いそうな発注書の書き方で練習しよう」 わたしは自分の石板に、材木の発注書を書いてみた。紙を作る時にわたしは何度も発注書を書いたので、すらすらと書ける。書きながら、その過程で知ったベンノがお付き合いしている工房の名前や親方の名前も一緒に教えていく。 「これが材木屋さんの名前ね。ここが発注する人。わたし達の時はベンノさんが買って、わたし達に届けてくれていたから、ベンノさんの名前が入ってたの。これが材木の名前......」 ルッツはわたしの石板を見ながら、一生懸命自分の石板に書き写していく。 「春になって、紙を作るために注文する時はルッツが発注書を書いてみる?」 「えっ!?」 「書けるように練習してね」 その様子をしばらく見た後、わたしはメモ帳を広げて、母の物語を書きとめていく作業を始めた。母の寝物語集が完成するまでにはまだまだ時間がかかる。 「次は計算の練習をしようか?」 石板に何度も単語の練習をしていたルッツが顔を上げて頷き、石板を片付けてバッグから計算機を取り出した。 「じゃあ、今日はこれ」 わたしの石板に問題を書いていく。今日は3桁の足し算と引き算だ。8問書いた後はルッツが計算機を使う様子を見ていた。 「マインが覚えろって言った、一桁の足し算を覚えたら、かなり楽に使えるようになった」 「うん、覚えてるわたしより速いよね......」 ルッツに教えているような簡単な計算では、わたしの場合、どうしても暗算ですぐに答えが出てしまうので、計算機を使う指のスピードがなかなか上がらない。計算機を使うより、筆算の方が速いのは相変わらずだ。 ルッツの練習のために計算機を貸しっぱなしだからね。 そう自分に言い訳をしてみる。触る時間が短いので、上達しないのは仕方ない。自分の手元に計算機があったからといって、ルッツほど真剣に練習するのかと聞かれれば、ちょっと答えられないけれど。 「足し算も引き算も大丈夫そうだね。桁が大きくなっても、やり方は一緒だから」 「数字が大きくなるとちょっと混乱するけどな」 ルッツはそう言って頬を掻いたけれど、計算機を使い始めて一月くらいなのだから、十分な成果だ。 「掛け算や割り算のやり方はわたしも知らないから、どうしようもないんだよね」 計算機の使い方がわからないので、ひとまず、掛け算や割り算の考え方を教えてみることにした。九九の読み方は「いんいちがいち」ではなく「いちいち いち」のようにこちらの数字の読み方を適当に当てはめる。多少言いにくくても、数字が並んだ時に答えがさっと出てくれば問題ない。 大きい数字も読めるようになったし、お金に換算することも間違わずにできるようになってきた。 ......わたしは、どうしようかな? さっき母が言っていた『マインの面倒を見ながら、仕事ができるほど見習いという立場は甘くない。マインの面倒を見ることに気を取られて仕事が中途半端になるわよ』という言葉がわたしの胸にも深く刺さっていた。 ルッツが仕事をするうえで、わたしは間違いなく足手まといになる。体力がなくて、腕力がなくて、基本的には役立たずだ。 そういえば、ベンノさんにも心配されたな。 この体調で本当に働けるのか、と聞かれたことを思い出し、わたしはうーんと考え込む。思い悩む時間だけはたっぷりある冬の間に、きちんと考えておかなければならない。 ルッツの、そして、店のみんなの足手まといにならずに仕事ができるのだろうか。 次の日になっても良い答えが出なくて、考えながらかぎ針を動かしているわたしに父が声をかけてきた。 「マイン、体調が良いなら、門に行くか? 今日は吹雪が止んでいるんだが」 「うん、行く!」 わたしはガタッと立ち上がって、すぐに出かける準備を始めた。トートバッグに石板と石筆を入れて、寒い外に出るために何枚も服を着込む。 門にはオットーがいる。オットーなら、商人の視点で、そして、身内ではないの視点で、厳しい意見をくれるに違いない。 わたしがこのままベンノさんのお店の見習いになっても大丈夫かどうか。

The shrill voices of the children who entered before us echo throughout the temple, ringing so loudly within the walls that I feel a headache coming on. I stop walking, unintentionally, and Lutz tugs gently on my hand, pulling me forward. “Watch your step, there’s some stairs,” he says. As I take a few steps forward, watching my step, I hear a heavy groaning sound from behind me as the doors start to close. Startled by the shadow suddenly pa.s.sing beneath me, I turn around to see gray-robed priests pus.h.i.+ng the doors shut. “Ah, that’s right, we were the last ones through, so...” When the doors are shut tight, a blue-robed priest slowly walks in front of it. He waves some sort of wind chime-like bell, attached to which is a strangely-colored stone. It jingles. In the next instant, the voices of the other children disappear, as do their echoes, leaving only the faintest ringing that quickly fades to silence. “What was that...?” Lutz’s voice doesn’t come out. Or, more accurately, nothing more than a whisper comes out. Judging by his facial expression and posture, I think he’d tried to speak in a normal tone of voice, louder than what actually came out. He looks shocked at how little sound he made, touching his throat. “Maybe it’s a magical tool?” I say. “It happened as soon as that blue priest rang that bell.” As I expected, my voice doesn’t come out any louder than a whisper either. However, since I’d seen the moment the priest rang the bell, I was able to figure out what had happened and stay calm. When I say this, Lutz relaxes, breathing a sigh of relief. Now that he knows it’s not just him, and that there was a reason for it, he calms himself down. I sigh in admiration, then face forward again, looking along the long line of the procession ahead of us. The interior of the temple is like an atrium, long and with a high ceiling. The walls on both sides of the room are covered in intricate carvings, and thick, round pillars are lined up regularly along them. Tall windows, stretching nearly four stories high, line the walls in even intervals, letting long, straight shafts of light into the room. Both the walls and the pillars are white, with the exception of gold ornamentation here and there, and even in the dim light they still seem bright. The only place rich with color is the far end of the room. Unlike the Christian churches I’d seen in collections of photographs and art museums, there are no frescoes or stained gla.s.s windows. The white stone construction makes the room feel very unlike a s.h.i.+nto shrine or Buddhist temple, and the colors don’t match any of the vibrant shades from southeast Asia. On the innermost wall, a multicolored mosaic stretches from the floor all the way to the ceiling, bearing an intricate pattern. It glimmers where it’s. .h.i.t by sunlight from the side, reminding me just a little bit of a mosque for a moment, but there are stairs, too, over forty of them, going from the floor to nearly the height of the window. The stone statues that are arranged on the way up only reinforce how alien this all is. Perhaps these stairs are meant to evoke the idea of climbing towards heaven and the G.o.ds? Something about the statues lined up at the top of the stairs remind me of the dolls we put out for Girls’ Day, though...On the upper-most stair, there are two statues next to each other, one man and one woman. Based on how they’re arranged, they give me the impression that they’re a married pair. Between that and the fact that they’re on the highest stair, I think they’re probably the highest-ranked G.o.ds in this religion. Even though they’re made of white stone, the male G.o.d is draped in a glittering black mantle set with countless golden stars, and the female G.o.ddess wears a golden crown, with long, tapered spines coming off of it like rays of light. Perhaps this is the G.o.ddess of light and G.o.d of darkness? Or perhaps the G.o.ddess of the sun and the G.o.d of the night? Either way, the mantle and the crown stand out. A few steps below that, there’s a stone statue of a slightly plump, gentle-looking woman, holding a golden chalice that glitters with gemstones. Below her, there’s a woman holding a staff, a man holding a spear, a woman holding a s.h.i.+eld, and a man holding a sword. They’re all made of the same white stone, but the fact that they’re each holding just one brightly-colored item makes this even more mysterious to me. These statues were made to hold real things; is there some meaning to that? Something like a Holy Grail or a Holy Sword, perhaps? On the steps below that, there are flowers, fruits, bundles of cloth, and other offerings laid out. The more I look, the more it really does remind me of Girls’ Day. “Maïne, don’t just stand and stare, keep walking!” “Hm? Oh! Sorry, sorry.” Lutz tugs me forward, and I hurry a little bit to keep up with the end of the procession. The path down the center of the room is clear so that we can walk though, but on either side thick red carpets are spread out, s.p.a.ced about one meter apart from each other. At the front of the room, there are a number of desks, where a number of priests garbed in blue seem to be performing some sort of procedure. The children who finish going through that procedure are guided by gray-clothed priests to either side of the room. They’re led to spots on the carpet, from the outside of the walls in, and told to take their shoes off before sitting down. As the procession slowly makes its way forward, either something happens or Lutz notices something new. “Geh,” he says, grimacing, as he looks ahead at whatever he’s seeing. “What’s wrong, Lutz? Is something happening at the front?” “...Ahh...” After waffling for a moment, as if he’s trying to figure out how to say something difficult, he lets out a defeated sigh, then looks over at me. “It’s a blood seal, like you hate.” “Wh... what?” “Some kind of magical tool, I think. Everyone’s thumbs are getting p.r.i.c.ked and they’re pus.h.i.+ng their blood onto it.” I’d much rather I hadn’t heard that, but now there’s nothing left for me to do but do a sharp about-face and immediately get right out of there. Lutz, however, grabs my hand tightly and refuses to let me go. “Give up,” he says. “This looks like some sort of registration thing. I’d bet this is related to that citizens.h.i.+p thing, right?” “Urgh... yeah, you’re right. I think that’s probably it.” Otto and Benno had both told me that after my baptismal ceremony was over, I’d be acknowledged as a resident of this town and granted citizens.h.i.+p rights. In other words, if I can’t get through this ritual, no matter how bad it may be, then I can’t get my citizens.h.i.+p. “...Why do magical tools like blood so much?” I ask. Every single time I have to use a magic tool, it involves cutting open my finger and making blood on it. No matter how many times I do it, I’ll never be able to get used to the pain of it. When I look ahead to see what the other children are going through, I see brusque blue-robed priests jabbing their fingers with needles, then pus.h.i.+ng those fingers firmly into what look like medallions of flat white stone. Those kids have their mouths open in what look like screams of pain, but I can’t hear anything coming from them at all. Seeing them clutching their sore fingers while being lead away towards the carpets has me trembling in fear. “Next please, this way,” says a priest. The line of people in front of me has thinned out, and a voice calls out from one of the empty desks. Lutz pushes me forward, and I start heading towards where I’m being called. The blue-robed priest smiles at me a little, looking me up and down, and then holds out his hand. “Please hold out your hand, palm up. I’m going to p.r.i.c.k your finger, but it’ll only hurt a little bit.” Of course, the thing he said wouldn’t hurt does, in fact, hurt. The instant the needle p.r.i.c.ks my finger, I feel a sharp pain, like being poked by something very hot, and a fat, red drop of blood wells up on my fingertip. Between the pain and seeing my blood, I can feel myself going deathly pale. “Smear that blood on here, if you would.” Unlike the priest I’d seen earlier, who’d been roughly forcing kids’ fingers into place, this priest just guides my hand over to a small medallion-like object. It seems like just gently smearing my blood onto its surface was good enough, leaving me relieved that the process wasn’t nearly as painful as I thought it would be. I’m glad that this priest wasn’t anywhere near as violent, but my finger still really stings! I wonder, had that magical tool that had been used to quiet us down not actually been used to stop our chattering from resounding through the temple, but to stop our screams of agony? “You two are the last ones through. This way, please.” We’re called over by a gray-robed priest who, despite being an adult, seems to still have a little immaturity left in him. Lutz and I start walking towards the carpet. After being instructed to take of our shoes, we do so, and then sit down on the carpet. Amongst all of the kids who are either sitting cross-legged or with their feet splayed out in front of them, I’m the only one sitting with my legs propped up, like I’m back in PE cla.s.s in elementary school. Being in such a wide-open, gymnasium-like s.p.a.ce, surrounded by other children my age, makes me feel like this is the only correct way to be sitting. “Maïne, why’re you curled into a ball like that?” “It’s not a ball, it’s a triangle,” I explain. “It’s called triangular sitting.” “Huh? A triangle? Where?” As the two of us chat, the blue-robed priests, having finished registering everyone, collectively step back behind the desks. After they carry all of the boxes that they had been putting our registration medallions in out of the room, the gray-robed priests burst into action, bustling about as they start getting ready for the next phase. They carry out the desks, and in its place they bring out a much more extravagant altar and place it in front of the steps. The blue-robed priests come back into the room, lining themselves up on either side of the altar, and at roughly the same time the gray-robed priests line up along the walls where we’re sitting, seemingly finished with their preparation work. The way they’re standing behind us reminds me of teachers keeping watch over students at a school a.s.sembly, and I take extra care to make sure I’m sitting up properly in my triangle. “The head priest enters,” intone the blue-robed priests, waving the rods they’re holding. The sound of countless bells rings out, and an old man, dressed in white robes with a golden sash crossing his shoulder, slowly enters the room, carrying something. With careful, deliberate footsteps, he makes his way to the altar, upon which he gently sets the thing he was carrying. Is... that... a book?! I rub frantically at my eyes in disbelief, looking again and again to make sure that my eyes aren’t deceiving me. When I see the head priest start to slowly turn the pages, I’m convinced. That is, beyond the shadow of any doubt, a book. It feels like a bible, or some other form of holy scriptures. “Lutz, a book! That’s a book!” I poke him excitedly on the shoulder. He had been fidgeting constantly, unused to sitting on the ground. He cranes his neck to see. “Where? Where do you see it?” “Look, there, the thing the head priest is holding. That!” It looks like it is bound in leather, and the easily-damaged corners are reinforced with finely-worked gold. I can see from here that it’s studded with small gemstones, as well. “That’s a book? Whoa, that looks expensive. That’s nothing like the one that you’ve been making.” “There’s not a whole lot in common between a book like that, which has a lot of artistic value, and what I’m making, which is mostly practical. It’s like comparing the sword that that statue is carrying to your knife.” “Ahh, I see. Even so, aren’t you surprised to see something like that here?” “...I’m not surprised at all, actually. If you think about it, it’s actually pretty obvious.” As an ordinary j.a.panese woman with no particularly strong interest in religion, I’d never even considered going near the temple, but in a religious inst.i.tution like this, there would of course be some way to collect all of the scripture, holy texts, bibles, and various teachings in one place. There would be books. Even if my body doesn’t let me move the way I want, even if I didn’t have any money, even if I didn’t desperately try to make them myself, books definitely exist. If the merchant’s guild is on the cutting edge of gathering information, then the temple must be on the cutting edge of theology, mathematics, music, arts, and all of the other fields of study that could bring them closer to the G.o.ds. The Christian church had fostered scholars.h.i.+p like that, and in j.a.pan Buddhist temples and s.h.i.+nto shrines had been places where people gathered to learn from leading intellectuals. “Aaaaaargh, I should have come here earlier! Why didn’t I think of this?! I’m such an idiot! I could have been reading books without going through all this trouble!!” It’s probably for the best that my voice isn’t getting any louder no matter how much I scream. As I cry out from deep in my heart, Lutz looks at me in amazement, then just shrugs his shoulders. “So, it looks like you’ve completely forgotten, but they don’t let kids who haven’t gone through their baptismal ceremonies into the temple, you know? Even if you’d thought of it right away and come here, the gatekeepers wouldn’t have let you in.” Now that he mentions it, he’s right. The only children who can enter the temple are those who’ve already been baptized. “But, to just happen to go to the temple and come across a book on the day of my own baptismal ceremony, couldn’t that be fate?” “Everybody goes to the temple when they turn seven, Maïne. Fate has nothing to do with it.” “Ugh, Lutz! Stop picking everything apart like that!” “I know you’re excited about there being a book here, but calm down. It’ll be a big problem if you pa.s.s out here.” Lutz seems to think I’m a little too excited and is trying to calm me down. “Huh? But, there’s a book so close. Not getting even a little bit excited is completely impossible, you know?” “Even if it’s impossible, you have to. I mean, that’s not a book that they’d ever let you read, right?” “Ah... that’s right.” Even though there’s a book, it’s not a book that I can ever touch. There’s no way that I’d ever be allowed to read a book wrapped in leather and studded with gemstones. As soon as I realize this, my excitement quickly dissipates, and my head drops dejectedly. “Today, you are all now seven years old, and you have been recognized as citizens of this town. Congratulations.” Although the head priest seems quite old, he still has a powerful voice that reverberates through the temple. After opening with his congratulations, he then proceeds to start reading aloud from the book in his clear voice. It sounds like some sort of scriptures. I, with my entire heart seized firmly by the book, lean forward in antic.i.p.ation. The contents of the scriptures are similar to what Benno had told me a while ago, about the creation of the world and the changing of the seasons. The priest is reciting it in simpler words that are easy for children to understand. “For a long, long time, so long that we can’t even imagine it, the G.o.d of darkness lived in total solitude.” After that, he met the G.o.ddess of the sun, a bunch of things happened, they got married, had many children—among them, the G.o.ddess of water, the G.o.d of fire, the G.o.ddess of wind, and the G.o.d of earth—, and created the world we live in, or so the story goes. The “bunch of things happened” part seems like it was abbreviated for our sakes, but it sounds very soap-opera-like to me. Myths are like that, though. All of the myths I know are all chaotic like that. Now’s not the time for snark. Just hearing a new story is already fun, but comparing it to the other myths I already know while I only makes it even more interesting. Lutz, however, doesn’t seem to be interested, nor does he seem to know how this could possibly be fun. He rocks back and forth restlessly, looking enviously over at me. “You look like you’re having fun,” he says. “Yeah, tons,” I reply. “What’s fun about it?” “The beginning, the end, and all the bits in between!” I answer him with an enormous smile. He looks at me, amazed, then sighs, shaking his head. “...Alright. That’s good.” “Yeah!” After the creation myth came the story about the changing of the seasons. I’d already heard the basics of this from Benno: “Spring is the season of water, where the melting snow causes sprouts to grow. Summer is the season of fire, where the heat of the sun causes the leaves to unfurl. Fall is the season of wind, where the cooling air causes the fruits to ripen. Winter is the season of earth, when all life sleeps.” The actual myth itself, however, is different. “The G.o.ddess of earth was the firstborn child of the G.o.ddess of the sun and the G.o.d of darkness. At that time, the G.o.d of life took one look at her and instantly fell in love and asked her father, the G.o.d of darkness, for her hand in marriage. The G.o.d of darkness thought that their marriage would bear many children and was pleased by this proposal, so he granted the G.o.d of life’s request at the two were married.” So the myth of the season begins. Lutz, however, yawns, seeming to find this entire thing immensely tedious, so I think I’d rather explain it in digest form. To put it simply, the G.o.d of life turned out to be more than a little bit crazy. He locked her in a prison of snow and ice and raped her until she got pregnant, and then even got jealous of the unborn children. Winter is the season of plunder and of nothing being born. The G.o.ddess of the sun got worried that she hadn’t seen the G.o.ddess of earth ever since she got married, so she melted the ice. The crazy G.o.d was worn out after having been able to copulate as much as he wanted, so the water G.o.ddess washed all of the snow and ice away, freeing her friend and sister. Spring is the season where the two of them worked together to help seeds, the earth G.o.ddess’s children, sprout. The G.o.d of fire then lent his power, making summer the season where the budding life grew to ripeness. However, after that, the crazy G.o.d regained his strength and started looking for the earth G.o.ddess. Fall is the season where the G.o.ddess of winds put all her power into making sure the crazy G.o.d couldn’t get anywhere near her sister, while helping to ensure that the harvest is finished. Then, when the brothers and sisters were finally exhausted, it was the crazy G.o.d’s turn. Once again, he locks up and rapes the earth G.o.ddess. Her siblings want to kill the crazy G.o.d even more, but if they do that, then no new life can ever be born, so they cannot. So, caught in this irreconcilable dilemma, the siblings are forced to wait through the winter, gathering their strength. This back-and-forth forms the endless loop of the seasons, it seems. This is a myth that’s as full of opportunities for snark as every other. Incidentally, since the children here were born in the summer, our guardian deity is the zealous, hot-blooded G.o.d of the sun, and we have divine favor relating to guidance and rearing children. With that, the head priest concludes his talk of the G.o.ds and closes the book. “Now then, I shall teach you how to wors.h.i.+p the G.o.ds. If you offer your prayers and grat.i.tude to the G.o.ds, then they will surely grant you greater divine favor.” He wears a very serious expression as he says this, slowly walking out from behind the altar. While he does this, gray-robed priests quickly unroll carpets in front of the blue-robed priests. The head priest stands in the center of the room, with a line of ten blue-robed priests behind them. “Now then, before you try it yourself, watch closely. ...We pray to the G.o.ds!” As he says this, the head priest opens his arms out wide, raises his left knee high, and looks up towards the heavens. “Snrk!” I quickly clap a hand over my mouth, clamping down on my sudden outburst. It is absolutely not okay to spontaneously burst out laughing in the middle of a sacred temple. I am fully aware of this. However, no matter how much I may try to remind myself of this, I am filled with the undeniable urge to start laughing out loud. My stomach is seizing up. I mean, that’s the Gl█co pose! They’re doing the █ico pose! With a straight face! Why Gli█?! You don’t need to lift your leg like that, right?! You’re an old man, you shouldn’t be standing on one leg like that! It’s dangerous! I can keep myself from laughing too rudely here. This man is keeping himself perfectly balanced in such a crisp pose. I must just be fixating on the joke. I’m confident that no matter what else this man does, I’ll be able to bear it. The head priest slowly places his foot on the ground and lowers his arms, looking like he’s doing Tai Chi. If that had been all, I would have been able to keep myself under control, but does this old man have some sort of grudge against my aching sides? “We give thanks to the G.o.ds!” With elegant movements, like flowing water, the head priest transitions from the Gl█co pose to the dogeza, getting on his hands and knees and pressing his forehead into the floor. Seeing this is too much to bear. A strange noise bursts out of my mouth. “Beheh!” “Maïne, what’s wrong? Are you feeling okay?” “I’m f... fine! ...I’m still fine. I can do this. This is just how people wors.h.i.+p the G.o.ds around here, after all.” I clamp my mouth shut, burying my face in my knees. Lutz looks at me with concern. Even if I try to tell him that I’m finding these wors.h.i.+p poses hilarious, even if I try to explain the joke, there’s no way he’d understand. n.o.body who didn’t already know about the Gl█co pose would understand these waves of laughter. This is their religion. This is their religion. They are doing this in earnest, laughing is rude. I remember the image of opening the cla.s.sroom door and walking in on a Muslim cla.s.smate praying to Allah, and I gradually manage to soothe my cramping stomach. To an outsider, a religions prayer practices can look strange. I’m only laughing because I wasn’t expecting a Gl█co pose out of nowhere, that’s all. Laughing is bad. I take several long, slow breaths, then, when I’m confident that I can keep my face under control, raise my head. As I do that, the head priest encourages us all to stand. “Now, then, please rise. Let us do this together.” Together! Together, he says! Please, have mercy! Everyone around me stands up. I do so as well, but I feel the corners of my mouth squirming and my stomach twitching, the harbingers of an enormous laughing fit. No matter how much I’m telling myself over and over that laughing is bad and that laughing is bad, the urge to laugh is only growing stronger. “We pray to the G.o.ds!” The head priest intones this, raising himself into the Gl█co pose. This is fine. This is the second time I’m seeing this, so this isn’t shocking. I have successfully weathered this cras.h.i.+ng wave of laughter. This is a victory for my abdominal muscles. In the next instant, the blue-robed priests, in perfect unison, lift their arms and legs. Seeing ten priests, standing in a row, with perfectly straight faces, doing the Gl█co pose is too much. My sides give out. The angle of their hands, the height of their legs, the seriousness of their faces are all perfectly identical. I can’t keep myself upright anymore. My legs give out and I crumple to the floor. “Ngh! ...Mmph... nggeh...” My stomach! Someone, save me! Even though I’m still somehow able to keep my mouth shut, tears are welling up in my eyes, and snorts of laughter are still leaking out. If I could just roll around on the carpet, smacking the floor as I laugh my guts out, I know I’d get over this immediately, but being denied like this is only making my laughter stronger. “Maïne, you really weren’t okay after all!” When I look up at Lutz, I see him looking down at me with concern as he holds the Gl█co pose, balancing unsteadily on one foot. He has delivered my finis.h.i.+ng blow. I start smacking the carpet, unable to contain myself. “I’m sor... geheh... I can’t... breathe...” “Maïne! Why didn’t you say something earlier?!” “Th... that’s not it... I’m... heh... I’m fine...” Lutz crouches down next to me, frantically waving his hand. A gray-robed priest rushes over, looking like he’s seeing a disaster unfold. “Umm, it looks like Maïne isn’t feeling well, so she suddenly collapsed. She’s already pretty weak and has a fragile const.i.tution, so since she got too excited by the ceremony...” Well, I certainly did get excited, but I’m not particularly feeling unwell. This is an ordinary laughing fit. There was no need to call over a priest. “I’m... I’m fine! I’ll be okay in a moment! Look!” I frantically try to stand up, but unfortunately, whether it’s because my body wasn’t expecting such a sudden movement or because I’m oxygen-deprived after laughing so much, I completely fail to put any strength in my arms and fall flat on my face in front of Lutz and the priest. “As if you’re fine! What about this looks like you’re fine!” “Urgh, that was just a mistake... I’m really okay, you know?” Saying that while I’m still collapsed on the floor can’t possibly be convincing at all. Even if I’m fully aware that I’m fine, if I were to step back and look at me from the outside, it is only natural that people would have a lot more faith in what Lutz is saying than what I am. “I’ll bring you to the aid room,” says the priest, not believing me in the slightest. “You can rest there until the ceremony is over.” He picks me up, and I don’t have the strength within me to resist. Due to my aching sides, I retire from the baptismal ceremony. It seems like this will become the kind of bitter memory I can tell absolutely n.o.body else about.

先に入った子供達の甲高い声が反響して、神殿の中はくわんくわんと頭の痛くなるような音がしている。思わず足を止めてしまったわたしの手をルッツが軽く引っ張った。 「足元、段があるから気を付けろ」 わたしが足元に気を付けながら、数歩歩いたところで、ギギッと重そうな音を立てて、背後の扉が閉まっていく。 「あ、そっか。わたし達が最後だから......」 きっちりと閉められた扉の前にゆったりとした足取りで青い衣装の神官が歩いてくる。神官が不思議な色の石が付いた風鈴のようなベルを振って、チリンチリンと鳴らした。 「何だ、これ?」 ルッツの声が出ていない。正確には、小声以上の声が出ていない。表情や仕草から察するに、普段ならもっと大声だったはずだ。ルッツは声が出ない自分に驚いたように喉に手を当てる。 「魔術具じゃないかな? 青い神官がベルを鳴らした瞬間だったから」 わたしもやはり声を出そうとしても、小声以上の声が出せない。しかし、神官がベルを振る瞬間を見ていたので、理由が察せられた分、落ち着いていられた。 神殿の中は吹き抜けのように天井が高く、奥行きがあり、両側とも壁際には複雑な彫刻がなされた太い円柱の柱が整然と並んでいる。4階くらいの高さに窓が等間隔で並び、光が真っ直ぐに差し込んでいた。 写真集や美術館で見たことがあるキリスト教の教会とは違って、壁画やステンドグラスはない。また、真っ白の石造りなので、そもそも日本の神社やお寺とは雰囲気が違う。東南アジアの極彩色とも違う。 奥の壁は天井から床まで色とりどりのモザイクで複雑な文様が描かれ、横から入ってくる光で神々しく照らされている部分だけが、ちょっとだけモスクと似ていると感じたけれど、一番下から窓の高さほどまで40段ほど階段が続いていて、その途中途中に石像が飾られているので、やはりかけ離れている。 階段の一番上には男女2体の石像が並べられていた。並べられた雰囲気から夫婦の神様のようで、一番上にいるから、多分最高神ではないかと思う。 光の女神と闇の神って感じ? それとも太陽の女神と夜の神かな? どっちにしても石像の冠とマントが浮いているんですけど。 そして、その下には杖を持った女、槍を持った男、盾を持った女、剣を持った男と石像が並んでいる。どの石像も白いのにそれぞれ一つだけ色彩のついているものを持っているのが不思議な感じだ。わざわざ本物を持たせているのだから、何か意味があるのだろう。 聖杯とか聖剣とか、そういうのかな? それより下の段には花や果物、布など供物っぽいものが並べられている。見れば見るほど、お雛様のようだ。 「マイン、ぼーっとしてないで前向いて歩けよ」 「んぁ? あ、ごめんごめん」 真ん中は行列が歩けるように空けられていて、両脇に厚みのある赤いカーペットがだいたい1メートルくらいの間を開けて敷かれている。 正面に机がいくつか並べられ、青い衣装を着た神官が何人か並んで、何か手続きをしているようだ。手続きを終えた子供達は、灰色の神官に誘導されて左右に別れて歩きだす。 行列は少しずつ前に進んでいき、何をしているのかが、ルッツには見えるようになってきたようだ。前の方を覗きこんでいたルッツが小さく「ぅげっ」と声を出したのがわかった。 「どうしたの、ルッツ? 前の方、何してるか見えたの?」 「......あ~」 言いにくそうに視線を彷徨わせた後、諦めたように溜息を吐いて、こちらを向いた。 「マインの苦手な血判」 「え?......え?」 「魔術具かな。みんな血判を押してる」 聞こえなかったことにしたかったけれど、回れ右をして逃げ出したかったけれど、ルッツがきつく手を握っていて離してくれない。 「諦めろ。何かに登録してるみたいだ。これが市民権ってヤツに繋がるんじゃないのか?」 「うっ......。だよね? さすがにわたしもそう思う」 洗礼式を終えることで、街の住人として認められ、市民権を得られるとオットーやベンノが言っていた。それはつまり、どんなに嫌でもこの儀式を終えなければ、市民権が得られないということだ。 「......なんで魔術具って血が好きなんだろうね?」 毎度毎度魔術具と係わる時は、自分の指を切って血を出すことになる。何度か経験したところで、痛い思いをすることは慣れるようなものではない。 「はい、次。こちらへ」 人数が少なくなってきたので、空いている机から声がかかった。ルッツに押し出されて、わたしは呼ばれたところへ向かう。 「手の平を上にして、手を出して。プツッとするが、それほど痛くはないはずだ」 痛くないと言われたことが本当に痛くなかった試しはない。針で刺された瞬間熱い物を押しあてられたような鋭い痛みがして、赤い血がぷっくりと盛り上がってくる。痛みと赤い血を見て、すぅっと自分の血の気は引いていく。 「これに血を付けて」 先程見た人のように力ずくで指を押し付けるような乱暴な神官ではなかったようで、小さなメダルのようなものを手渡してくれた。ちょんと血を付ければそれでよかったようで、予想していたほどの痛みではなかったことに安堵する。 乱暴な人じゃなくてよかったけど、まだ指先がジンジンするよ。 もしかしたら、声を上げさせない魔術具はただお喋りが反響してうるさくなるのを防ぐためだけではなく、悲鳴を響かせないためなのかもしれない。 「君達が最後だよ。こっちに来て」 靴を脱いで上がるように説明されたので、脱いでカーペットに座る。胡坐をかいたり、足を投げだしたりして座る子が多い中、わたしは一人体育座りをしていた。体育館のように広い場所で、同じ年の子供達が集まっているので、何となく体育座りをするのが一番正しい気がしたのだ。 「マイン、なに丸まってんだよ?」 「丸じゃなくてだよ。三角座りとも言うんだから」 「は? 三角? どこが?」 わたし達がそんな話をしているうちに、全員分の登録を終えた青い神官達がぞろぞろと机の前から退いて行く。青い神官が先程登録したメダルのようなものを入れた箱を持って退室していくと、次は灰色の神官達がわらわらと動いて次の準備を始めた。机が運び出され、代わりにもっと豪華な祭壇が階段の前に設置される。 一度退室していた青い神官が祭壇の両脇に並び、準備を終えたらしい灰色の神官はわたし達が座っている辺りの壁際にほぼ等間隔で並んだ。学校集会で生徒が騒がないように監視する教師のような配置に、わたしは体育座りをしている背筋を心もち伸ばした。 そう言って、青い神官が手に持っている棒を振った。たくさんの鈴が鳴ったような音が響き、ずるずるした白い衣装に金色のタスキを斜めにかけたおじいちゃんが、手に何かを持って入ってくる。 あれ、もしかして、本!? 何度か目をゴシゴシ擦った後、何度も何度も目を凝らして見直す。神殿長がおもむろにページをめくり始めたのを見て、確信した。あれは本で間違いない。聖書とか聖典とかそんな感じの本だ。 「ルッツ、本! 本があった!」 床に座り慣れていなくて、もぞもぞと落ち着かない動きをしているルッツの肩をペシペシと叩きながら、わたしが興奮して祭壇を指差すと、ルッツもやや身を乗り出して前を見た。 「どこ? どれが本?」 「ほら、今、神殿長が持ったの。あれ!」 おそらく皮の表紙で、傷みやすを金細工で補強して装飾してある。小さな宝石も埋め込まれているように見える。 「あれが本? すげぇ高そうだな。マインが作ってたのと全然違うじゃん」 「あんな芸術的価値までありそうな本と実用性重視のわたしの本を一緒にしないで。あそこの石像が持っている剣とルッツのナイフを比べるようなものだよ」 「あぁ、なるほど。それにしても、こんなところにあるなんてビックリだな?」 「......ビックリじゃない。よく考えたらわかって当然のことだった」 宗教に大して興味がない典型的な日本人だったせいで、敢えて神殿に近付こうなんてしていなかったけれど、宗教施設にはだいたい聖典とか、経典とか、聖書とか、それぞれの教えをまとめた資料がある。本がある。 商業ギルドが情報の最先端なら、神殿は神学、数学、音楽、美術など神に近付くための学問や芸術の最先端だ。 「うわあぁぁぁん、もっと早く神殿に来ればよかった。なんで思いつかなかったの。わたしのバカバカ! そしたら、苦労しなくても本が読めたのに!」 いくら叫んでも声が上がらないようになっていてよかったかもしれない。心のままに叫んでいると、隣のルッツが呆れたように肩を竦める。 「あのさ、マインはすっかり忘れてるみたいだけど、洗礼式まで子供は神殿に入れてくれないぜ? 早くに思いついて神殿まで来ても、どうせ門番に止められて入れなかったから」 神殿に入れるのは洗礼式を終えた子供だけだ。 「でも、初めて神殿に来た洗礼式で巡り合えるなんて、運命の出会いだと思うの」 「7歳になったら全員神殿に行くんだから、運命でも何でもないだろ?」 「もう、ルッツ。いちいち落とさないでよ」 「本があって興奮してるのはわかったから、落ちつけって。ここで倒れられたら困る」 興奮するわたしを落ち着かせようとするルッツ。 「え? でも、こんな近くに本があるのに、興奮せずにいられる? 無理でしょ?」 「無理でも落ち着け。どうせマインが読ませてもらえるような本じゃないんだから」 「あ......そうだね」 本はあっても、わたしに触れる本ではない。皮張りで宝石までついているような本を読ませてもらえるわけがない。 「君達は今日7歳となり、正式に街の住人として認められた。おめでとう」 年寄りのおじいちゃんなのに、神殿長の声には張りがあり、神殿の中によく響く。お祝いの言葉から始まり、神殿長は聖典らしい本を朗々とした声で読み始める。本に心の全てを持っていかれているわたしは、身を乗り出し気味にして耳をすませた。 お話の内容はベンノがいつだったか言っていたように、創世神話と季節の移り変わりに関するものだった。子供にわかりやすいように簡単な言葉で語ってくれる。 「闇の神はずっとずっと、気の遠くなるような長い時間をたった一人で孤独に暮らしていた」 そんな始まりで、太陽の女神と出会い、色々あって結婚することになり、子に恵まれて、水の女神と火の神と風の女神と土の女神が生まれ、わたし達がいるこの世界を作り上げていきました、という話だ。 でも、神話ってそんなもんだよね。わたしが知る限りの神話はどれもこれもカオスだ。突っ込んだら負け。 新しい話というだけで十分に楽しいけれど、わたしは自分が知っている神話と比べながら聞いていたので、さらに楽しく聞けた。 「マインは楽しそうだな」 「うん、かなり」 「どこが楽しいんだ?」 「最初から最後まで全部」 わたしが満面の笑顔で答えると、呆れたようにルッツが溜息を吐いて首を振る。 「......そっか。よかったな」 「うん!」 ベンノから「春は雪解けの水の季節で芽が息吹く。夏は太陽が一番近い火の季節で葉が茂る。秋はひやりとしてくる風の季節で実が実る。冬は命が眠る土の季節だ」と聞いていたが、実際の神話を聞くとかなり違って聞こえた。 「土の女神は太陽の女神と闇の神の末娘です。ある時、命の神が土の女神を一目見て好きになってしまいました。そして、父である闇の神に結婚を願い出ました。たくさんの子が生まれるだろう、命の神の求婚に喜んだ闇の神の結婚を認めました」 そんな始まりだった季節の神話だが、ルッツは退屈そうに欠伸するような話だったので、わたしの解釈でダイジェストでお送りしたいと思う。 簡単にまとめると、実はヤンデレだった命の神が、土の女神を氷と雪の中に監禁&凌辱して孕ませ、まだ生まれていない子供達にまで勝手に嫉妬。力を奪い取って生まれなくしたのが冬。 結婚してから全く姿を見せない土の女神を心配した太陽の女神が氷を溶かして、水の女神が、やりたい放題に盛って力が弱くなったヤンデレ神もろとも、氷と雪を押し流し、友人の女神達と一緒に子供達という名の種に力を加えて芽吹かせるのが春。 その頃には力が戻って、土の女神を求めてやってくるヤンデレ神。風の女神がヤンデレを妹に近付けないよう頑張るうちに、力を合わせて収穫を終わらせる秋。 そして、兄姉神の力が弱ったところで、ヤンデレのターン。また監禁凌辱。いっそヤンデレを殺してしまいたいけれど、これから先、命が生まれなくなったら困るので、それもできない。苛々とジレンマを抱えた兄姉神が力を溜まるのをじっと待つ冬。 そんなやりとりが永遠ループして季節が巡っているらしい。どこの神話もツッコミどころ満載だ。 ちなみに、わたし達、夏生まれの守護神である火の神は熱血で情熱的。そして、導き、育てることに関して加護があるらしい。 「では、礼拝の仕方を教えよう。神々に祈りと感謝を示すことで、よりよい加護が与えられるだろう」 真面目な顔をしてそう言いながら、神殿長がゆったりとした動作で祭壇の前へと出てくる。その間に灰色の神官がくるくると巻いてあるカーペットを青の神官の前に広げていく。 神殿長が10名ほど並んでいる青の神官の中央に立った。 「では、やってみるので、よく見ているように。......神に祈りを!」 そう言いながら、神殿長はバッと両手を大きく広げ、左ひざを上げ、天を仰ぎ見た。 「ぐふっ!」 わたしは吹き出しそうになったのを、自分の口を押さえて必死に堪えた。こんな神聖な儀式で、吹き出して笑うなんてダメだ。わかっている。 だって、グ○コ! 真面目な顔で○リコのポーズなんだよ!? 何でグリ○!? 足上げる必要ないじゃん! おじいちゃんなんだから、片足立ちなんて危ないよ。 ほんの少しもぶれずにビシッと完璧なバランスを取っているところが余計に笑える。多分、変なツボにはまってしまった。この先は神殿長が何をしても笑える自信がある。 太極拳のようにゆったりとした動きで手足を下ろすだけで、笑いを堪えていたのに、神殿長はわたしの腹筋に何か恨みがあるのだろうか。 「神に感謝を!」 流れるような優雅な動きで、グ○コから土下座に変化した神殿長を見て、今度は口から堪え切れなかった変な息が漏れた。 「ぶふっ!」 「マイン、どうした? 気分でも悪いのか?」 「だ、大丈夫。......まだ大丈夫。耐えられる。これは神がわたしに与えた試練だから」 さすがに礼拝のポーズが面白すぎて、ツボにはまったなんて、説明してもわかってもらえるはずがない。この笑いの波はグ○コを知っている者にしかわからないに違いない。 これは宗教。これは宗教。真面目にしてるんだから、笑っちゃ失礼。 教室のドアを開けたら、アラーに祈っていたクラスメイトを思い出しながら、波打つ腹筋を何とか宥めていく。宗教の祈りなんて、他から見たら不思議なものだ。たまたまグ○コっぽいポーズだっただけ。笑っちゃダメだ。 ふーっ、ふーっと荒ぶる呼吸を整えて、普通の顔ができるようになったわたしが顔を上げるとの、神殿長が起立を促すのが同時だった。 「では、立って。一緒にやるように」 一緒って、一緒って、勘弁して! 周りがみんな立ち上がるので一緒に立ち上がったものの、口元はニヨニヨと動いているし、お腹はひくひくしていて、大笑いの前兆が見えている。 「神に祈りを!」 笑いの波をやり過ごすことに成功し、わたしは自分の腹筋の勝利を確信した。 次の瞬間、青い神官達が揃った動きでバッと手足を上げた。 手の角度、足の高さ、無表情まで完璧に揃ったポーズに腹筋崩壊して、わたしはその場に立っていられず崩れ落ちた。 「っ!......ふっ......ぐっ......」 お腹痛い! 誰か助けて! 口元を押さえて必死に堪えていても、目には涙がにじんでくるし、笑いの息が漏れていく。もういっそこのまま転げ回って床を叩いて大笑いできたらスッキリするのに、できないもどかしさが更に笑いを誘う。 「マイン、やっぱり大丈夫じゃなかったじゃないか!」 必死で堪えるわたしの姿を心配したルッツがグ○コポーズのまま、片足でケンケンしながら寄ってくる。ルッツに止めを刺された気分で、わたしはもがきながら床を叩いた。 「ごめ......ふぐっ......息、できな......」 「マイン! なんでそんなになるまで黙ってたんだ!?」 「ち、違......へ、平気......」 うずくまったまま、パタパタと手を振ってルッツにそう言っていると、異変を感じたらしい灰色の神官が駆け寄ってきた。 「あの、マインが具合悪くなったみたいで、突然倒れたんです。元々虚弱で病弱なのに、洗礼式に興奮していたから......」 確かに興奮はしたけれど、わたしは別に具合が悪くなったのではなく、ただの笑いすぎだ。神官を呼ぶようなことではない。 「だ、大丈夫。すぐに治ります! ほら!」 わたしは慌てて起き上がろうとしたが、突然の動きに身体が付いてこなかったのか、笑いすぎで酸欠状態だったのか、腕に力が入らず、ルッツと神官の目の前でベチャッと崩れ落ちた。 「ほら、じゃねぇよ! これのどこが大丈夫なんだよ!?」 「うぅ、ちょっと失敗しただけ......ホントに大丈夫なんだよ?」 崩れたまま言っても、これほど信用できない「大丈夫」はないだろう。自分でもそう思うのだから、客観的に見て、ルッツの言葉の方が信用されるのは当然の成り行きだった。 「救護室へ運ぶ。洗礼式が終わるまで少し休んだ方が良いだろう」 決して他人には言えない苦い思い出になりそうです。

Ascendance of a Bookworm “You want to talk here?” I say. “Not in the warehouse?” “Here’s fine.” Since this conversation might get complicated quickly, I thought it might be better to have it indoors, away from the public eye, but Lutz shakes his head. “So, what did you want to talk about?” Anger may burn in Lutz’s green eyes, but his behavior is comparatively calm. Without suddenly flying into a rage, he begins to speak in a low voice that hints at the anger he keeps contained, boiling in his gut. “...Who are you, really?” A difficult question right off the bat. I actually don’t quite know what to call myself. Even now, I still think of myself as Urano Motosu, but no matter how anyone looks at me, all they could possibly see is Maine. Also, I’ve been living in this body for nearly a year now, growing accustomed to life in this world, so I’m no longer really Urano Motosu, either. Urano only read books, and didn’t really do anything else of her own volition. When I went to college, I was commuting to and from home, so I never even moved out of my parents’ place. Thanks to the fact that my mother was fundamentally a housewife, I didn’t have to do much housework, although I was technically capable of doing it if I ever felt so inclined. Going to the forest every day like this to gather things for my family, devoting myself to finding new flavors so that I can broaden my diet even just a little, making paper from scratch so that I can read books in the future... none of these things are actually necessary. If you compare the me of right now to the Urano of the past, whose desires were limited to reading whatever book happened to be nearby, we’re absolutely different. As I worry over how exactly I should answer, Lutz takes my silence as a sign that I’m not going to answer at all. He glances at me again, strength flaring in his eyes, and asks me again. “You know how to make paper like this, and you said you’ve done this before, right?” “...It was very different the last time I made it.” “And that’s not Maine.” “...Yeah.” Although I still want to hide the truth, Lutz is already convinced of it. Even if I were to lie, nothing would come from it. I answer honestly. “Maine couldn’t know anything like that,” says Lutz. “She barely ever left her house.” From Maine’s memories, I know very well that Maine only rarely left her house. Thanks to that, I had almost no information about the world, and who knows how many problems that has caused me? Since Maine’s memories were of almost nothing but the inside of her house, I couldn’t even catch a glimpse of what this world would consider to be common sense, and my own modern common sense constantly clashes with that of this world. Even still, I think that I’m making a lot of mistakes. “That’s right,” I say. “Maine really didn’t know much of anything.” “So, who the h.e.l.l are you?!” he shouts. “Where’s the real Maine?! Bring Maine back!” Lutz raises his voice, his anger unleashed. However, whether it’s because the things I had imagined him saying were far more cruel than the words he hurls at me now, or whether it’s because I’d already prepared myself for what was going to come when we’d finished making paper, I feel entirely calm right now. My reaction is vastly different from the panic I showed right after I wrecked myself earlier. “Sure, I can bring her back, but... I think it would be better if I did that at home, you know?” Lutz’s eyes go wide with astonishment, and he furrows his eyebrows. It seems he didn’t expect me to agree. “Why?” “Well, it would look really bad if you came home carrying a corpse over your shoulder, right? If I go away, all that’ll be left is a dead body, after all. It wouldn’t be good if people thought you were a murderer, right?” Lutz and I are the only two people who use this warehouse, and both our families and the people from Benno’s shop know that the two of us came here today. If I were to lose consciousness and die here, it’s extremely likely that all of the blame would be put on Lutz. Even if it wasn’t, Lutz himself would know of his own sin, I think. I, personally, was thinking of Lutz when I proposed that it would be better to do it at home, but Lutz acts as if this came entirely out of nowhere. “Y-y-you, w-w-w-what are you saying?!” Startled by my words, Lutz’s face goes completely stiff as he grows incredibly fl.u.s.tered. It seems that it was far beyond his expectations that Maine wouldn’t come back if I were to disappear. “S-so, Maine isn’t here anymore?! She’s not coming back?!” “Yeah, probably...” I can’t describe it as anything else but “probably”. All I’m able to do is search through Maine’s memories. I’ve never been able to talk to her, and she’s never spoken up to demand her body back. “Answer this!” Lutz fixes a powerful glare on me, the picture of an ally of justice facing down a hated evil. I can’t help but smile a little when I realize that. This is so perfectly like him. His frail childhood friend, who he treated like his own sister, has been hijacked by me, a foul villain, and he is leaping to her defense, like the hero he is. “What about that fever that Maine was talking about with Mister Otto and Master Benno? Did you make her fever eat her up?!” I’m a little impressed that Lutz put together that Maine had been swallowed whole by the fever that still lurks deep within me. I’m pretty sure he’s not wrong, at least not about that part. “You’re about half right and half wrong. I also think that Maine was eaten away by the fever. Her last memories are all "it’s hot”, “help me”, “it hurts”, “make it stop”, that’s why. But I’m not the fever. It’s eating me alive too.“ "What are you saying?! Isn’t this your fault?! Didn’t Maine disappear because of you?! Say it!!” Lutz grabs tightly onto my shoulders and starts shaking me. My thoughts thrown into disarray by agitation, the words “it’s my fault,” and “Maine disappeared because of me” bounce around endlessly in my head. Then something snaps. “Like h.e.l.l I actually wanted to come here and be Maine! I died, or at least I’m pretty sure I did, and then before I knew it I was this child. If I could have actually chosen where I was going to go, I’d pick a world with tons of books I could read, or maybe be an aristocrat in this world who could actually read, or even just a body that’s healthier than this feeble, pathetically weak one! There is no way that I would ever have voluntarily picked a body that is plagued by an incurable disease that constantly threatens to strike me down with fever at any moment!” The instant I so plainly say that I never wanted to become Maine, Lutz’s face goes slack and hollow, and his hands loosen from my shoulders. “You... didn’t want to become Maine?” “Would you, Lutz? In the beginning, just leaving the house left me out of breath, and I’d have to stay in bed the whole next day, you know? Even though I can finally make it out to the forest, I’m still growing so slowly, and even now if I make the slightest mistake my fever comes back...” Lutz thinks about it for a little while, slowly shaking his head. The energy he had when he’d grabbed me has all vanished, and his troubled eyes drift off to the side. “...You could be swallowed by the fever too?” “Yeah, I think so. If I loosen the grip I have on it, it immediately rushes back out, and I start feeling like I’m being devoured. It’s something like being swallowed, or maybe like being dissolved... it’s difficult to explain.” Lutz frowns as he mulls over my words. It seems like it’s also difficult to imagine, just from my explanation. “That’s why,” I say, “if you’re not happy with the fact that I’m using Maine’s body, and if you think you want me to disappear, just say it. I can disappear whenever you want.” Lutz, who just moments ago had been yelling at me to bring the real Maine back, stares at me with astonishment. His terrified expression is asking me what the h.e.l.l I’m saying, which leaves me a little bewildered. “...It’s better if I disappear, right?” When I ask for confirmation, Lutz suddenly raises his eyebrows and starts shouting, as if he’s the one who should be angry at me, the victim. “Don’t ask me! Why are you asking me?! It’s really weird to say that you’ll disappear if I tell you to!” “It’s probably weird, yeah, but... if you weren’t here, I probably would have already disappeared a long time ago.” Lutz looks like he has no idea what I’m talking about. I start to explain what happened the last time I nearly disappeared, thinking back to how it all began. “Don’t you remember? When Mommy burned my mokkan, how I collapsed?” “Yeah...” With an “oh, that’s right, that happened, didn’t it” expression, Lutz nods. To him, that hadn’t been a big deal, but to me it was an enormous turning point in my life. “Back then, I was thinking I should just let my self be swallowed up. I really was planning to disappear. I didn’t have any lingering attachments to this world without books, and no matter how hard I tried I wasn’t ever able to finish anything, so I was thinking I might as well give up.” Lutz gulps nervously, so loudly I can hear it. He looks at me, silently urging me to continue, so I gently close my eyes and remember. As I was drowning in the heat, amidst the faces of my family dimly projected across my consciousness, Lutz’s face unexpectedly had risen to the surface. “When I was being swallowed by the fever, I could see my family’s faces, but then suddenly I saw your face, and I wondered why you were there too. I focused on that, and gathered up my strength to drag my consciousness back from the fever. When I saw you really were there, I was a little surprised, you know?” “That’s... you can’t seriously have come back because you were surprised that you saw me, and not a family member?” He frowns, sighing, and I gently shake my head at him. “What brought me back was that I was surprised to see you, but then you said that you were going to go get me some bamboo, so that my mother wouldn’t burn it? That made me think that I should hold on for a little bit longer, that I should fight back against the fever.” “Your mom burned the bamboo too, didn’t she?” I nod. I can still clearly recall the anger and chagrin that pierced through me, leaving me with that deep despondency. Even just remembering it makes me feel like the fever within me is growing more powerful. “If everything really is awful, and I don’t actually care about anything anymore, I was thinking, then the fever will just rush in and carry me away. I didn’t care enough to fight back anymore, so dying like that might have been a relief, but... then I remembered our promise.” “Our promise?” “I don’t remember a promise,” he mumbles to himself. He looks up and to the side, as if he really doesn’t remember and is having to dig through his memories. Of course. I smile a little to myself. To Lutz, all he had been trying to say was that I’d better get well soon. Even so, those words were the all-important lifeline to which I clung. “I promised I’d introduce you to Mister Otto. Didn’t you say that the bamboo was advance payment for the favor, so I had to get better?” “Th... that was! I wasn’t trying to make you feel like you owed me... aaargh, no!” “Then, what were you trying to say?” “Don’t ask! Nothing! Forget about it!” I want to play the straight man in to Lutz’s completely unforeseen reaction, but right now I’m supposed to be being blamed. As Lutz requests, I pretend that nothing’s happening. “Ummm, well, I remembered the promise like that, and then I also thought that I really shouldn’t disappear without returning at least one favor, after everything you did for me, so I worked hard to push the fever back, and, um...” “...” “So we met Mister Otto and Mister Benno, and I kept my promise, and then we made paper, so even though I want to make a book if I can, I think it’s okay if I disappear now, if you want me to?” Lutz looks at me with a face like he’s swallowed a bug. He looks me up and down, with eyes that wouldn’t miss even the slightest lie, then hangs his head limply. “Since when...” “Um, what?” I can’t hear anything he’s saying as he mumbles with his head hung low, so I tilt my head curiously to one side and ask him to repeat himself. Lutz raises his head and stares at me dead on. “Since when have you been Maine?” “...When do you think? When do you think that I wasn’t the Maine you knew anymore?” I may have answered his question with another question, but Lutz doesn’t get angry. Instead, he looks vacantly off into the sky, thinking deeply. He looks back down at me, mutters something too quietly for me to hear, then looks down at his feet, kicking at the dirt with his shoe. I didn’t expect him to guess quite so accurately, but it’s true, I’m the only one who wears my hair with a hairpin like this. If my hair weren’t so silky and straight, liable to come loose no matter how many times and how tightly I’d tie it, I’d probably be wearing it normally, tied back with a string. “...Correct.” “That’s basically a year ago!” he yells, with such force that spittle flies from his mouth. His eyes flare wide open with rage. Come to think of it, I became Maine at about the end of autumn. Right now it’s about halfway through the autumn, so soon the seasons will have come all the way around once. “Yeah, I guess that’s right. Most of what I remember is being stuck in bed with a fever, but it’s been about a year.” My memories of over half of the time I’ve been living in this world have been of being feverish and bedridden, but if you compare that to the Maine of before who spent the vast majority of her time stuck in bed, I’m remarkably energetic. “...Has your family noticed?” “I have no clue. I know they notice I’ve been doing some strange things, but I wonder if they really haven’t even considered that I’m not actually Maine?” I especially can’t think that Tory and my mother, who had to spend so much time looking after Maine while she was secluded in the house, haven’t noticed anything at all. However, they haven’t said anything about it, and I haven’t either. Living like that is very practical, so I think it’s more-or-less okay. “Also, Daddy said that he’s overjoyed just that his daughter is starting to get healthier.” Lutz lets out a long sigh, then turns his back on me as if to say the conversation is over. He runs a fingertip along one of the pages of paper clinging to the board, checking it to see how well it’s drying. I had been fully prepared to disappear, but when this conversation ended without a satisfying conclusion, I can’t help but be troubled about how my future is going to play out. “Hey, Lutz...” “...I think your family should decide, not me.” He interrupts me before I have a chance to finish. He’s saying that my family should be the ones to decide whether or not I should disappear. However, if that’s the case, then nothing will actually change for me right now. “So, should we keep going like this for now?” I don’t know what Lutz is really thinking, since he’s not looking over here. Does he not particularly mind that I, who am not Maine, am going to continue living like this for the time being? “And that’s okay?” “Like I said, that’s not something I should be deciding...” Lutz stubbornly refuses to look at me, so I reach out and grab his arm. I want to ask him how he feels about me, since I’m not Maine. But, if I avoid such a troubling topic of conversation and just maintain the status quo, I wonder if he’d be alright with that? “Lutz, is it really okay if I don’t disappear? I’m not the real Maine, you know?” Lutz’s arm twitches a little bit. I thought for a moment that his arm was trembling a little bit in my grip, but it was really my hand that was trembling. “...It’s fine.” “Why?” “If you disappear, Maine’s not coming back, right? Also, if you’ve been here for an entire year already, then you’re basically the Maine I know.” He roughly scratches at his head as he speaks, messing up his golden hair. Then, he looks me firmly in the eyes. What I see reflected in the pale green of his eyes is calmness, the anger and threatening att.i.tude from the beginning evaporating away. These are the eyes of the Lutz I’ve always known. Because before, I hadn’t thought about exercising my body, so I was even weaker. Because if I counted the number of times I’ve actually come face-to-face with Lutz or Ralph, I wouldn’t need more than my two hands. “...That’s why, it’s okay if you’re my Maine.” When Lutz says that, something deep in my heart clicks into place. Something that had been fluttering about within me settles down with a thump. It really wasn’t a big change, so small that you couldn’t see it if you looked, but for me, it was the biggest, most important change in the world.

「ここで話をする? 倉庫に入る?」 「ここでいい」 込み入った話をすることになるのだから、人目を気にした方がいいかと思ったが、ルッツは首を振った。 「それで、話って何?」 ルッツの緑の瞳が怒りに燃えている割には、態度が落ち着いているように見えた。いきなり激昂するわけでもなく、ルッツは腹の底に煮えたぎるものを隠しているような低い声で、を放った。 「......お前、誰だよ?」 わたし自身は本須 麗乃だと今でも思っているけれど、どこからどう見てもマインでしかない。そして、この身体と約一年間付き合って、この世界で生活してきたわたしは、もう本須 麗乃でもなかった。 麗乃は本を読む以外、自分から何かをすることはほとんどなかった。大学も自宅からの通学だったため、親元を離れたことはなかったし、基本的に家事は全て専業主婦の母親任せで、やろうと思ったら出来たけれど、積極的にやったことはない。 こんな風に毎日のように森に出かけて採集したり、少しでも食生活を豊かにしようと味付けに凝ってみたり、本を読むために紙を作ったりする必要なんて全くなかった。自分の気が向くままに、辺りにある本を読んでいれば、それだけでよかった麗乃と今のわたしは全く違うのだ。 何と答えたらいいのか悩んでいるのを、答える気がないと判断したらしいルッツは、じろりと睨む目に更に力を加えながら、口を開く。 「こんな紙の作り方を知っていて、作ったこともあるって言ったよな?」 「......前に作ったのは、かなり違うやり方だったけどね」 「そんなの、マインじゃない」 「......うん」 誤魔化し損ねて、すでに確信を持たれている以上、嘘を重ねても何にもならない。わたしは正直に答えた。 「マインが知っているはずがない。あいつは家から出ることも滅多になかったんだ」 家の中しか知らないマインの記憶では、この世界の常識を垣間見ることもできず、自分の常識とこちらの常識を擦り合わせるのは本当に大変だ。今でもよく失敗したな、と自分で思う時が多々ある。 「そうだね。マインは本当に何も知らない子だった」 「じゃあ、お前は誰だよ!? 本物のマインはどこに行った? 本物のマインを返せよ!」 でも、ルッツに投げつけられた言葉より、自分の想像の方がずっとひどかったせいか、紙ができあがった時にくると覚悟していたせいか、自分がずっと落ち着いているのを感じる。自爆した直後のうろたえぶりとは大違いだ。 「本物のマインを返すのはいいけど......ここじゃなくて、家に帰ってからの方がいいよ?」 わたしが応じると思っていなかったのか、ルッツの目が驚きに見張られた後、訝しげに眉が寄せられた。 「なんでだよ?」 「だって、死体を担いで帰るのって大変じゃない? わたしが消えたら、多分、死体しか残らないから。ルッツが殺したと思われたら困るでしょ?」 この倉庫を使っているのは、わたしとルッツで、今日だってルッツと出かけることは家族もベンノの店の人も知っていることだ。 わたしとしては、ルッツを思いやって「家に帰ってからの方がいいよ」と提案したつもりだったのだが、ルッツにとっては寝耳に水の言葉だったらしい。 「お、おま、な、ななな、何言ってるんだよ!?」 わたしの言葉にぎょっとしたルッツが、強張った顔でうろたえ始めた。わたしが消えてもマインが戻ってこないというのは、ルッツにとって想定外だったようだ。 「それって、マインはもういないってことか!? 戻ってこないってことか!?」 「うん、多分......」 わたし自身はマインの記憶を探るしかできない。マインと話をしたこともなければ、身体を返せと訴えられたこともない。 「これだけは答えろ!」 そう考えて、小さく笑ってしまった。ルッツにとってはまさにその通りなのだろう。幼馴染の病弱な妹分を乗っ取った悪者がわたしで、ルッツ自身は何とか助けだそうとしている正義の味方に違いない。 「あの時、オットーさんやベンノの旦那に熱の話、してたよな? お前が熱で、マインを食べたのか!?」 わたしが体内に巣くう熱で、マインを食べてしまったというルッツの仮定に、少しばかり感心した。マインが熱に食べられたという部分は、多分間違っていない。 「半分正解で半分は違うよ。わたしも本当のマインは熱に食べられたんだと思ってる。最後の記憶は熱い、助けて、苦しい、もう嫌。そんなのばっかりだったから。でも、わたしがその熱じゃないし、熱にはわたしも食べられそうなんだよね」 「どういうことだよ!? お前が悪いんだろ!? お前のせいでマインが消えたんだよな!? そう言えよ!」 自分の考えが覆されて、興奮しているのだろうが、「わたしが悪い」「わたしのせいでマインが消えた」という言葉を何度も繰り返されて、カチンときた。 「わたしだって好き好んでここにマインとしているわけじゃないよ! 死んだはずなのに、気が付いたらこんな子供になってたんだから。もし、わたしが選べる立場だったら、本がいっぱい読める世界を選んだし、この世界でも本が読める貴族階級を選んだし、こんな虚弱で病弱な身体じゃなくて、もっと健康な身体を選んだ。いきなり熱が広がって呑みこまれそうな難病を患った身体なんて選ばなかったよ」 マインになりたくてなったわけじゃないとぶちまけた瞬間、ルッツが虚をつかれたような表情になり、肩をつかんでいた手が緩んだ。 「お前、マインになりたくなかったのか?」 「ルッツなら、なりたいと思う? 最初なんて、家から出るだけで息が切れて、次の日は寝込むような身体だよ? やっと森に行けるようになったけど、成長は遅いし、今だって、ちょっと油断したら熱出るし......」 しばらく考え込んでいたルッツがゆるく首を振った。わたしにつかみかかってきた勢いが消えて、困ったように視線がさまよい始める。 「......お前も、マインと同じように熱に呑みこまれるのか?」 「うん、そうなると思う。抑え込む力を緩めたら、一気に熱が広がって、食べられそうな感じがするの。熱に呑みこまれていくというか、溶けて消えていく感じがするというか......説明するのは難しいんだけど」 わたしの説明で想像するのも難しいのだろう、ルッツは眉を寄せて考え込んでいる。 「だから、マインの身体を使ってるわたしが気に入らなくて、ルッツが消えて欲しいと思うなら、言ってね。すぐに消えることはできるから」 本物のマインを返せと言っていたはずのルッツが何故か愕然とした表情でわたしを見つめる。何を言っているんだ、とでも言いそうなルッツの顔に、わたしの方が困惑した。 「......消えた方がいいんだよね?」 確認してしまったわたしにルッツはグッと柳眉を上げて、逆切れしたように叫んだ。 「オレに聞くな! なんでオレにそんなこと聞くんだよ!? オレが消えろって言ったら消えるなんて変だろ!」 「変かもしれないけど、ルッツがいなかったら......わたし、もっと前に消えてたから」 わけがわからないという顔になったルッツにわたしは、事の発端を思い出しながら、以前に消えかけた時の話をする。 「ルッツは覚えてない? 母さんに木簡を燃やされた時に、倒れたでしょ?」 「あぁ......」 そういえば、そんなこともあったな、とルッツが呟く。ルッツにとってのそんなことがわたしにとっては結構大きな分岐点だった。 「あの時、わたしは熱に呑みこまれてもいいかなって思ってた。あれで、本当は消えちゃうつもりだった。本のない世界に未練なんてなかったし、どんなに頑張っても完成しなかったし、もういいやって思ってた」 視線だけで続きを促されたわたしは軽く目を閉じて、思い出す。熱いものに呑みこまれながら、ぼんやりと映っていた家族の顔の中に、突然ルッツの顔が浮かんだ時のことを。 「熱に呑みこまれてる途中で、家族の顔の中にいきなりルッツの顔が見えて、なんでいるんだろうって思った。ルッツをよく見ようとして、身体中に力を入れたら、熱が引いて意識が戻ったの。本当にルッツがいたから、ちょっとビックリしたんだよ?」 「そんなの......家族じゃない顔だったからビックリしただけで、オレがいたから意識が戻ったわけじゃないだろ?」 眉をひそめて溜息を吐いたルッツにわたしは軽く首を振った。 「意識が戻った初めのきっかけは、ルッツにビックリしたことだけど、その時にルッツが燃やされないように竹を取ってきてくれるって言ったでしょ? あれで、もうちょっと頑張って熱に抵抗しようかなって思ったの」 「竹も、おばさんに燃やされたよな?」 ルッツの言葉にわたしは頷く。怒りや悔しさを突き抜けた、あの虚脱感は今でもはっきりと思い出せた。思い出すだけで、自分の中の熱が力を得ていくような感覚が未だにするほどだ。 「ホントに何もかも嫌で、もうどうでもいいや、って思ったら、ぐわっと熱が襲いかかってきてね。もう抵抗する気もなかったから、あのまま死んでも良かったんだけど......ルッツとの約束、思い出しちゃったんだよ」 「約束?」 ルッツは「約束なんてした覚えがない」と呟いた。本当に覚えていないようで、少し上を向くようにして記憶を探っている。 「オットーさんに紹介するって約束だよ。竹は前払いだから元気にならなきゃダメだって言ったでしょ?」 「あ、あれはっ! 別にお前に恩をきせようとして言ったことじゃなくて......あぁぁ、くそぉ」 「じゃあ、どういうつもりで言ったの?」 「聞くな! 流せ! 忘れろ!」 ルッツの思わぬ反応に、つっこんでいじりたかったけれど、今のわたしは糾弾される立場だ。ルッツの要望通り我慢して、見て見ぬ振りをした。 「えーと、そんな感じで約束も思い出したし、ルッツには色々してもらったのに、一つも恩返ししないまま消えちゃうのはダメだって思って、頑張って熱を抑え込んだんだけど......」 「......」 「オットーさんとベンノさんに会って、約束も果たしたし、紙も作れたし、できれば、本を作りたいけど、ルッツが消えて欲しいなら消えてもいいんだよ?」 ルッツは苦虫を噛み潰したような顔で、わたしを見つめる。ほんの小さな嘘も見逃すまいとするような目がわたしを上から下まで見た後、項垂れた。 「いつから......」 「うん、何?」 俯いたままこぼされた言葉が聞き取れなくて、わたしは首を傾げて聞き返した。 「いつから、お前がマインだったんだよ?」 「......いつからだと思う? いつからルッツの知っているマインじゃなかったと思う?」 質問に質問で返したけれど、ルッツは怒るでもなく、真剣な顔で虚空を睨んで考え込んだ。わたしを見て、小さく何かを呟き、下を向いて足元の土を蹴る。 まさかピッタリ当てられるとは思っていなかったけれど、確かに、簪挿している人ってわたしの他にいない。わたしだって、いくらきつく縛っても解けてくるような、さらさらの真っ直ぐストレートでなかったら、普通に紐で縛っていたはずだ。 「......正解」 「ほとんど一年じゃねぇか!」 そういえば、マインになったのは秋の終わりだった。今が秋の真ん中なので、そろそろ季節が一巡しようとしている。 「そうだね。熱出してぶっ倒れてた記憶ばっかりだけど、そろそろ一年だよね」 ここでの生活の記憶の半分以上が、倒れて熱を出している状態だが、これでも大半を寝込んで過ごしていたマインに比べればずいぶん活動的だ。 「......家族は気付いてないのか?」 「よくわからない。変なことには気付いてるけど、マインじゃないとは考えたくもないんじゃないかな?」 特に、家に籠っていたマインの面倒をずっと見てきたトゥーリと母が全く気付いていないとは思えない。けれど、何も言われないので、こちらからも言わない。それで生活が成り立っているのだから、別にいいと思っている。 「それに、父さんは元気になっているだけで嬉しいって言ってた」 ハァ、と溜息を吐いたルッツが話は終わりだとでも言うように、わたしに背を向けた。板に張り付いている紙を指先で触って、乾き具合を確認し始める。 「ねぇ、ルッツ......」 「......オレじゃなくて、マインの家族が決めることだと思う」 わたしが消えた方がいいかどうかを決めるのは、家族だと言う。でも、それだとわたしには何の変化もないことになる。 「じゃあ、しばらくこのまま?」 マインじゃないわたしがこのまま生活をしていてもルッツは構わないのだろうか。 「それでいいの?」 「だから、オレが決めることじゃねぇって......」 わたしが聞きたいのは、マインではないわたしをルッツがどう思っているか、だ。あれだけ怒って話を持ちかけてきた結果が、現状維持でルッツに不満はないのだろうか。 「ルッツは、わたしが消えちゃわなくていいの? 本当のマインじゃないんだよ?」 ピクリとルッツの腕が動いた。わたしがつかんでいるルッツの腕が小さく震えているのだと思っていたが、本当に震えているのはわたしの手の方だった。 「......いい」 「なんで?」 「お前が消えてもマインは戻ってこないんだろ? それに、一年前からずっとお前だったんなら、オレが知ってるマインって、ほとんどお前なんだよ」 わたしを見る薄い緑の瞳は凪いでいて、最初の怒りも剣幕も霧散してしまっている。わたしが知っているいつものルッツの目だった。 ルッツやラルフと顔を合わせたのも、実は両手で事足りるくらいの回数だけだったから。 「......だから、オレのマインはお前でいいよ」 ルッツの言葉にわたしの心の奥底で何かがカチャリとはまった。

After three days, my fever finally went away, and I’ve slowly recovered enough to be able to keep some food down. What I’ve been eating has been finely chopped vegetables floating in bland soup. It’s okay for now since I’ve been sick, but I don’t think I’ll be able to stand it once I’m healthy again. Also, I’m pretty used to being called Maine by now. I’m going to have to live as Maine for the rest of my life, so I need get used to it quickly. “Maine, you done?” asks Tory as she comes in to check on me. “Yeah.” I hand my empty dishes over to her, and quietly lie back down on my bed. “Get some rest, Maine.” In these last three days, I haven’t even left this room! I’ve only ever gotten up to use the restroom, and after that I’m always brought right back to bed. Isn’t that too harsh? On top of that, I said “restroom”, but it’s really just a chamber pot kept in the bedroom. It’s extremely embarra.s.sing! Also, not only does the rest of the family use this same chamber pot, but when they’re done, they just fling the contents out the window! And, of course, there’s no bath, either! I couldn’t stand it after a while and tried to wipe myself clean, and everyone looked at me as if I’d gone instane. This lifestyle... I can’t take it anymore!! It’s not like I can do anything about it, though. As a very young, sick child, even if I were to run away, there’s no way I’d be able to live the kind of life I’d want. I still have the mind of an adult, so this much is obvious. I’m not going to heedlessly run away, no matter how much I hate this situation. Judging from what I’ve seen in here so far, I don’t think the outside is going to be much better. I have no idea if there’s any child protection services or shelters or anything like that around here, and even if there were I don’t know if they’d be any improvement over this place. If I run away from the filth here, all that’ll happen is that I’ll spend my last few days running around the streets, getting covered in falling waste, and finally dying on the side of the road. What I need to do is focus on getting better so that I can then work on improving the conditions around here. My first goal is to get well enough that I can get out of bed without people being mad at me. ......Well, it’s a start. Then, before anything else: books. The first step towards improving my environment is definitely finding books. If I have a book, then I’ll be able put up with all of these grievances. I’ll persevere! And, so, I have decided that today I’m going to go explore this house. I’ve gone too long without reading a book; I’m starting to feel the edges of withdrawal. Give me a book! Raaagh! I’ll cry! A grown woman will burst into tears in public! Since I’ve got an older sister, I should be able to find around ten picture books somewhere in here. Unless I’m mistaken, I don’t think I actually know how to read this language, but at least I can look at the pictures and try to puzzle out the meanings of each word. The door opens quietly, and Tory sticks her head in. “Maine, you sleeping?” she whispers. I lie quietly in my bed, and she nods in satisfaction. Every time I’ve woken up, I’ve slipped out of bed in search of a book, only to collapse as I wandering around, so Tory has taken it upon herself to keep a close watch on me. When our mother leaves in the morning to go to work, she leaves Tory in charge of my care. Tory has been desperately trying to keep me in bed, and with my tiny body, no matter how much I try to run I can never break free from her grip. “I am absolutely going to ‘dominate’ you,” I mutter. “What was that?” asks Maine. “...Hm? Oh, I just want to get big.” Not really understanding the real meaning behind my answer, Tory gives me a troubled smile. “If you get healthy again, you’ll get bigger! You’re always so sick that you’re not eating, so even though you’re five, people still think that you’re three.” Oh, am I five, then? With an atypically frail build. This is the first I’ve heard of it. I can’t remember any birthday parties, so I couldn’t figure it out for myself. Or, maybe, could there have been parties that I just don’t recognize, since I don’t know the language very well? “Tory,” I ask, “Are you big?” “I’m six, but everyone thinks I’m seven or eight, so maybe I’m a little big?” “Ahh.” We’re only a year apart, but what a difference in physique. Surpa.s.sing her might be extremely difficult, but I can’t give up just yet. I’m going to eat right, take care of my hygiene, and get healthy. “Mom’s gone to work,” says Tory, “so I need to wash the dishes. Really, don’t get out of bed! If you don’t sleep, you won’t get better, and if you don’t get better, you won’t grow any bigger!” “Okay!” In preparation for sneaking out, I’ve been playing the good kid ever since last night so that Tory will let down her guard a little bit. I’ve been waiting patiently ever since for her to finally leave me alone and go somewhere else. “Right, I’m going now. Be good and stay here, okay?” Tory closes the door with a clack. I wait quietly as she grabs the box full of dirty dishes and heads out the door. I don’t know where she goes to wash the dishes, but she’s always gone for about twenty to thirty minutes. It looks like each home doesn’t have its own water supply, so there’s probably a well or fountain for public use. Heh heh heh... Now, get out!! From what I think is the entranceway, I hear the clunk of a turning lock, followed by the fading sound of Tory’s footsteps on the stairway. I wait until I can’t hear her at all anymore, then quietly get out of my head. I grimace as I feel the grit of the floor bite into my bare feet. Walking around barefoot in a house where everyone wears shoes is profoundly disgusting, but Tory, in an attempt to stop me from walking around, hid my shoes, so I have no choice. Searching for a book is my top priority, I have no time to worry about the defilement of my feet. “If they’re in here after all, I might have spoke too soon...” In this bedroom where my feverish self has been locked away, there are two beds, three wooden boxes full of clothing and other miscellaneous things, and a few baskets with other sundry items. In the basket next to my bed, there’s a few toys made from wood and straw, but no books. If there’s a bookshelf, it would probably be in the living room. “Yyyuck...” With every step I take, the gritty floor grinds into the soles of my feet. It’s customary here to walk around the house with shoes on, so I know that even if I want to complain, it’s not going to do very much good. Even still, the customs of j.a.pan have been so thoroughly ingrained in me that it’s going to be next to impossible to adapt. If I’m going to keep living as Maine, though, there are a lot of things I’m going to have to get used to. “Grr, too high...” I’ve hit the first major obstacle in my home exploration: the bedroom door. It’s not as if I can’t reach the k.n.o.b at all; if I stand on my tiptoes and reach as high as I can go, my fingertips just barely brush the bottom of it. Turning it, however, is a much bigger problem. I glance around the room, looking for something to use as a stool. My gaze settles on the wooden box my clothes are stored in. If I were an adult, moving this box would be a piece of cake, but no matter how hard I push and pull, my little hands can’t budge it. I could maybe flip over the basket that holds my toys, but it doesn’t look like it would be able to support my weight. “Man, I’ve got to get bigger soon; there’s too much I can’t do right now.” After looking around the bedroom some more and thinking over my options, I decided to try folding up my parents’ bedding and standing on that. There’s absolutely no way that I’d let my own bedding touch this grimy floor that people walk on with boots, but my parents are used to living in conditions like this so it’s absolutely fine to use theirs. If it’s for the sake of finding a book, making my parents a little upset is no big deal at all. “Hup!” I stand on my tiptoes on top of the folded bedding and grab the doork.n.o.b. I twist with the entire weight of my body, and the k.n.o.b turns. The door swings open with a creak... right towards me. “Wha?!” The door swings right towards my head with great force. I frantically let go of the k.n.o.b, and stumble backwards. With a clatter, I tumble off of the piled-up bedding and hit my head. “Ow...” I clutch my head as I rise to my feet. I notice that the door is still slightly ajar! My headache is only just another sacrifice to the cause. “I did it! It’s open!” I leap forward, stick my fingers into the crack, and pull the door the rest of the way open. I see that my parents’ mattress has slid across the floor, and it’s left a clean track behind it... but I’ll pretend not to notice for now. “Aha, the kitchen!” I leave the bedroom and find myself in a kitchen. “Kitchen” in the modern sense of the word might be a little, generous; this really looks more like an old-style cookhouse. In the corner I see a stove, with a cast iron pot sitting on top, and something that looks like a frying pan hung up on the wall next to it. A clothesline runs across the room, from which a grimy-looking cleaning rag hangs. Anyone trying to wipe something off with that rag is surely only going to make it worse. “It’s no wonder I’ve got a weak const.i.tution with sanitation like this...” In the center of the room is a somewhat small table, two three-legged stools, and a box that seems to be being used as another stool. On the right side of the room is a wooden cabinet, probably being used as a cupboard. In the corner opposite the stove sits a large basket, filled with raw vegetables that look almost like potatoes and onions. There’s a sink here as well, with a large jug of water next to it. The sink is probably filled by pouring water from the jug; it looks like there really isn’t running water here. As I finish looking around the room, I notice two more doors besides the one leading back to the bedroom. “Ohoho, which one is the right one?” This kitchen really doesn’t look like the kind of place where I’d find a bookshelf, so I open one of the other doors that head out of the kitchen. “Hm, a storage room?” Beyond the door is a room that’s crammed full of a mess of tools and things that I’ve never seen before. Everything’s on shelves, but things are piled on them so haphazardly that it doesn’t look like anything in here is used very much at all. I give up on this room and head over to the second door. I reach up and pull on the k.n.o.b, but the lock only clunks dully against the frame. I rattle the door again and again, but there’s no sign of it giving way at all. “Don’t tell me, this is the door Tory went through...? Eh? Both were wrong?! Neither were right?!” Suddenly perplexed, I mumble aloud to myself. This is a two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen... but no bath, no toilet, no running water, and no bookshelves. No matter how hard I look, I can’t find another room. Hey, G.o.d, do you have a grudge?! In all of the light novels out there about reincarnation, the vast majority of them dropped the protagonist amongst the rich and n.o.ble, and very few of the remainder place her in abject poverty. I have the memories and sensibilities of a modern-day citizen of j.a.pan; there is no way I’m going to be able to live in a house with no bath, no toilet, no running water. On top of that, the thing that I was most worried about: I can’t find any books. I looked all through the storage room and couldn’t find anything even remotely resembling a book. “...No way, are books expensive?” On Earth, before the invention of machines that could print books easily, books were ridiculously expensive. If you weren’t a member of the highest echelons of society, your opportunities to read books were few and far between. “I’ve got no choice. If it’s come to this, right now, I need to find words.” Even if I don’t have any books, it’s still possible for me to start learning to read. There could be newspapers, pamphlets, magazines, calendars, even advertis.e.m.e.nts! There absolutely has to be something around here that has at least one word written on it somewhere. “...Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Not a single thing! What kind of house is this?!” I have gone through every item on every shelf of the storage room and the cupboard, and not only have I, of course, still not found any books, but there hasn’t been so much as a single letter printed on anything at all. Printing aside, I can’t even find a single piece of paper! Blinding pain blasts through my head, as if my fever had come roaring back. My heart pounds in my chest, and I am deafened by the sudden ringing in my ears. I crumple to the floor, as if the strings holding me up were suddenly cut. My eyes are so hot. Dying, crushed by books, had been my dream; being reincarnated, well, that’s okay too. But how am I supposed to live like this? What am I to live for? I hadn’t even thought that I could be reborn into a world without books. Why was I even born?! Tears run down my face as I struggle to find a reason to keep living. “Maine!! What are you doing up?! You shouldn’t have gotten out of bed without your shoes!” shouts Tory, as she walks into the kitchen to find me crumpled on the ground. “...Tory... there’s no 'books’...” Even though I want to read so badly, there’s no books. I have no idea why, or even how, I’m going to keep living on. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” asks Tory, concerned, as I lay there with tears constantly streaming from my eyes. There’s no way for me to explain. She can’t even see that not having books is a problem, how could she understand my feelings? I want a book. I want to read. Hey, is there even anyone out there who would understand? Where can I find a book? Please, someone tell me.

たって、ようやく熱も下がってきたし、やっと食事も少しずつ喉を通るようになってきた。 「マイン、終わった?」 「うん」 食器を下げに来たトゥーリへ空になった食器を渡して、わたしはおとなしくベッドに横になった。 「ちゃんと寝ててね、マイン」 しかも、トイレって、寝室でおまる使うんだよ? すごい羞恥プレイだから。 我慢できなくて、身体拭いてもらったけど、めっちゃ変な顔された。 この家の状況を見れば、外が安全とも思えないからだ。児童相談所や保護施設なんてあるかどうかもわからないし、ここより生活が向上するかどうかもわからない。 きっと、汚物が嫌で逃げ出したのに、上から降ってくる汚物に悲鳴を上げながら、逃げ惑って野垂れ死にするのが関の山だ。 第一目標はベッドから出ても怒られなくなること。――目標、低っ! 生活環境を整える第一歩に本がいる。本さえあれば、色んな不愉快も多少我慢できると思う。というか、我慢する。 本寄こせ、がおー! 泣くよ! 大の大人が人目もはばからず泣いちゃうよ!? トゥーリという姉がいるので、家中探せばどこかに絵本の10冊くらいあるはずだ。間違いなく、字は読めないだろうけれど、絵を見ながら想像して、文字を推測するくらいはできるかもしれない。 ひょこっとトゥーリがドアを開けて、顔を出した。わたしがおとなしくベッドにいるのを見て、満足そうに一つ頷く。 「いつか絶対に『下剋上』してやる」 「マイン、何て?」 「......ん? 大きくなりたいなって」 やんわりとオブラートに包んだわたしの言葉の真意に気付くはずもなく、トゥーリは困ったように笑った。 記憶の中では特に誕生日なんて祝ってなかったもんね。 それとも、祝ってくれたけど、言葉が理解できなかったのかな? 「トゥーリは大きい?」 「あたしは6歳だけど、7~8歳に間違われることが多いから、ちょっと大きい方じゃない?」 「母さん、お仕事に行ったから、お皿洗ってくるね。絶対にベッドから出ちゃダメよ。寝てないと病気治らないし、治らなかったら大きくなれないよ?」 ベッドを抜け出す前科持ちは、昨夜からトゥーリの警戒心を解くためにおとなしい良い子を演じている。トゥーリがマインを寝室に残して、出かける時間を待っているのだ。 「じゃあ、行ってくるね。いいこで待ってて」 「はぁい」 そのまま、トゥーリが食器の入った籠を抱えて外に行くのをマインは静かに待った。どこで洗っているのか知らないが、いつも20~30分くらい外に出かけるのだ。どうやら各家庭に水道はないようで、多分共用の水場があるのだと思う。 ふっふっふ......。さぁ、早く行け。 おそらく玄関だろう、ガチャンと鍵を閉める音がして、階段を下りていくトゥーリの足音が小さくなっていく。 「ここにあれば、話は早かったんだけど......」 熱が下がりきっていないわたしが閉じ込められている寝室には、ベッドが2つ、服やちょっとした物を入れておく木の箱が3つほどと、細々したものを入れておく籠がいくつかある。 「ぃやぁ......」 一歩足を動かすたびに、足の裏が小さな砂でじゃりじゃりする。ここは家の中まで土足で上がる生活習慣のようだから、文句を言ってもどうしようもないとわかっている。 「くっ、高すぎ......」 お家探検の第一関門は寝室のドアだ。 「ふんぬぅ......」 大人ならば木箱を動かすこともできたかもしれないが、幼い子供の手では押しても引いてもびくともしない。 「マジで早く大きくならなきゃできないことが多すぎるよ、これ」 自分の布団を土足で歩く床に下ろすのは絶対に嫌だが、この生活環境で普通に生活できる親の布団なら問題ない、きっと。 丸めて布団に乗って背伸びして、全体重をかけて何とかドアノブを回す。ギッと音を立ててドアが開いた。内側に。 「へわっ!?」 結構な勢いで自分に向かってくるドアで頭を打ちそうになったわたしは、慌てて手を離したが、そのままコロンと後ろ向きに倒れる。 「うわわわっ!」 丸めた布団からも転がり落ちて、頭を打った。 頭を押さえながら身体を起こすと、一応ドアはちょっとだけ開いている。頭の痛みは名誉の負傷だ。 「やった。開いた!」 両親の布団が床の上をズザザザとスライディングして、床の一部が綺麗になった気がしたが、見なかったことにする。 「あ、台所だ」 寝室を出ると、そこは台所だった。キッチンなんておしゃれなところではない。お勝手とか炊事場と言う方がしっくりくる場所だ。 「この衛生状態なら、病弱なのも仕方ない気がしてきた」 右側には食器棚なのだろう、取っ手のついた木の戸棚がある。かまどと反対の隅には大きな籠があり、芋や玉ねぎっぽい食材が積まれている。大きな水瓶と水が流せそうな流し台っぽいものはあるけれど、やはり水道はないようだ。 ぐるりと部屋を見回せば、麗乃が出てきた寝室に入るドア以外に二つドアがあった。 「うふふ~ん、どっちのドアが正解かな?」 この台所はどう見ても本棚がありそうな雰囲気ではない。わたしは台所からもう一つ別の部屋に繋がるドアを開けてみた。 「うーん、物置?」 何に使うものなのか麗乃には理解できない物がごちゃごちゃと詰め込まれた部屋だった。一応棚に置かれているが、雑然とした印象で、普段使っている部屋ではなさそうだ。 諦めて、わたしはもう一つのドアを開けようとした。ガチッと音がして鍵が閉まっているのがわかる。何度かガチャガチャ回してみたが、一向に開く気配はない。 「......もしかして、トゥーリが出ていったドア? え? どっちもはずれ!? あたりなし!?」 これが外に繋がるドアならば、この家は風呂なし、トイレなし、水道なし、本棚なしでないない尽くしの2DKだ。どう見ても他に部屋はない。 ちょっと、神様、わたしに何の恨みがっ!? 小説に出てくる転生物なら、転生先は貴族や金持ちが多数で、少なくとも生活に困窮していることは少なかった。日本人としての記憶と感覚、常識を持ちながら、風呂もトイレも水道も自分の家にないなんて、あり得ない。 そして、何より困るのが、本が見当たらないことだ。倉庫になっている部屋にも本らしきものは見当たらなかった。 「......もしかして、本って高い?」 地球でも機械で生産できるようになるまで、本は非常に高価なものだった。上流階級でなければ本を読む機会などほとんどなかったはずだ。 「仕方ない。こうなったら、まずは、活字を探すところから始めよう」 折り込み広告、新聞紙、回覧板、説明書、カレンダーなど、字が書かれているものはいくらでもある――はずだった。少なくとも、日本では。 「......ない。全然ないっ! 一つもない! 何なの、この家!?」 台所の食器棚や物置の棚の中を次々と探して歩くが、この家の中には本はもちろん、活字のついているものが全く見当たらない。 一気に熱が上がったように、頭がずきずきと痛みだした。心臓の鼓動がバクバクと音を立て、鼓膜がキーンと張りつめる。 本が存在しない世界に転生なんて予想外すぎる。一体何のために生まれてきたんだろうか。 生きるための意味が見出せず、あまりの絶望に涙が止まらない。 「マイン! なんで寝てないの!? 靴もないのにベッドから降りちゃダメでしょ!」 「......トゥーリ、『本』がない」 こんなに本が読みたいのに、本がない。 本がないことに何の疑問も抱いていないトゥーリに訴えても、気持ちをわかってもらえるはずがない。 本が欲しい。 本が読みたい。 ねぇ、誰に言えば、わかってくれるの? どこに行けば本があるの? 誰か教えて。

"I don't think it's a problem for them to work in Maine's Workshop. As you said, they are making money and improving the environment of the orphanage. Merchants like Benno often get out of the temple, and go to the forest; I heard they have the chance to contact with the outside world, and are very happy. But in the temple, they just make a little contact with the outside world and do things according to the rules of the temple. It will be quite different if they really work outside the temple and act according to the rules there. "That's right." I nod, and the Head Priest looks a little relieved for I can understand his a.n.a.lysis. "Even if Benno can be a guardian, I still don't know him well. I don't know how to judge whether he is more reliable than those lower-cla.s.s n.o.bles who buy gray-robed priests for rough work. And I do not know whether a restaurant is an appropriate workplace for the priests, either." "Well, if you come to the tasting, you will see the environment and draw a conclusion." When I suggest it to the Head Priest with a smile, he shrugs his shoulders dully and shakes his head. "I don't know what your plan is, but I can read through your face that it's not a good one. I hope you can learn how to hide your emotions. ... Anyway, I will allow the merchants to enter Maine's Workshop, and allow them to increase their work. But I must forbid the priests from working outside the temple. I have expected that my plan may be rejected, so I don't feel so disappointed. I begin to think I just need to improve gradually, and maybe someday my advice will be accepted by the Head Priest. "... I see. We still have some time to improve ourselves before we complete the restaurant. Mr. Benno can prove his personality to you by his hard work, Sir." "Isn't it your hard work?" "Yes, it is. I will help with the restaurant's matter to some extent, but meanwhile I have to work hard at a lot of other aspects." The Head Priest smiles, "The most important thing for you is to acquire n.o.ble behavior." ... For me, the most important thing is to make a picture book for the baby. "That's how the Head Priests rejected my proposal about letting gray-robed priests work outside." The day after I have the lunch with the Head Priest, I report the result to Mr. Benno at his store as usual. After talking about what I saw in the n.o.bles' diet, I tell him that the Head Priest did not allow gray-robed priests to work outside. "As expected," Mr. Benno also supposed so. "Well, Maine. Because we are allowed to go to Maine's Workshop, why not open a waiter training center there?" "Hmm, maybe it's the right time for earning money during the winter when we can't make paper. But I plan to let them do handwork." Winter is a season when we need lots of firewood and food. We can't find them in the forest, so we have to buy them. We cannot go out because of the heavy snow, so we can do some handwork to kill time, and more importantly, to earn some money. "What do you want children at the orphanage to do?" "We plan to make many toys. I would like to order a lot of planks from the woodwork workshop, but the workshop you know is busy with restaurant's interior decoration, right? Could you please introduce some other workshops?" Besides, I wish Mr. Benno would think about the delay of the restaurant project. Although it is said to be normal here, I' cannot bear the fact that my plan is upset for it. "Other workshop..." "Because this is related to preparation of the orphanage for the winter, the delivery date is important." Benno is reluctant to introduce other workshops. But to be honest, it's also a problem to have my work delayed. Indeed, I need a workshop that can deliver the goods in time. "If it's so difficult for you to introduce me in terms of relations.h.i.+ps, is it ok to ask someone else for help?" Of course, Frieda knows other workshops, just like Mr. Benno. But Mr. Benno rejects my proposal even before I speak out this name. "... Well. Let me talk to the craftsman and ask him to introduce other workshops to you." "Well, then, I'd like an ink workshop first. I also need ink. It would be meaningless if I have boards only, without any ink." Ink, ink... As I demand with greater vehemence, Mr. Benno stands up after scratching his head several times. He suddenly holds me up, and strides out of the room. "Mark, I will take Maine to the Ink Workshop and Woodwork Workshop. Lutz, come with us." "Yes, master." I go to an ink store, being held by Benno. I check the price of the ink displayed on the shelf, and feel there is a long way to go before I can run a printing business for the over-high price of link. "Are there any other inks?" "They are not for sale here. If you really concern with, go to the workshop directly." I droop my head. Mr. Benno asks the clerk about the location of ink workshop. This time we are heading towards the artisan street. When we get to the ink workshop of artisan street, a gust of miscellaneous smells rush towards us. Mr. Benno puts me down and I walk into the workshop myself. "... A customer seldom comes here directly. Is there anything I can do for you?" Only the wealthy people who can read and write need ink. So, they just order inks at shops, but not at the workshop. It seems that no customer comes to the workshop where the pungent smell like medicine's is filling the air. The boss of the workshop in his union suit stained with black paint and oil looks me up and down, with a suspicious face. Extracting the pigment and blending the ink is a delicate task. He looks like a sensitive man. "Excuse me. I want to know the types of ink made here." "Types?" Hearing my question, the boss stares at me with a deeper frown. "Yes. How do you make it?" "I cannot tell our method to others, girl." The boss gives a snort. As he is about to finish the talk, I hurry to explain, "I don't mean to know the method... I want to know the type of ink. Is it Gallnut ink? or Lamp Black? Do you make the one with high viscosity...? I want to know that." "... Ha? What?" Since I don't know the name of the ink type in this world, the boss doesn't seem to understand me at all. I try desperately thinking all the words I know about the type of ink, in an effort to get the ink-related information from my memory. "Hmm, how many types do you handle here?" "Ink is ink. There is only one type." The boss shrugs his shoulders, gesturing for me not to ask so childish a question. "Well then, I have known the brief methods. So please tell us what kind of ink you make." "Ahh." He closes eyes, looks annoyed and then nods slightly.

「マイン工房で働く分には問題ないと思っている。君が言った通り、収益も出ているし、孤児院の環境も整った。ベンノ達商人が出入りし、森との往復だけだが外と触れあうことで子供達が元気になっていると聞いた。だが、神殿内で、神殿の規則に則った上で、少しの外と触れながら仕事をするのと、外に出て、外の規則に則って働くのは大きな違いがあるはずだ」 「そうですね」 わたしが頷くと、神官長は私が納得したことに少し安堵の表情を見せた。 「何より、ベンノが後見人になると言っても、私はまだベンノをよく知らない。下働きとして灰色神官達を買っていく下級貴族より、信用が置ける対象なのかどうかの判断基準さえない。レストランという場所が、神官達にとって働ける環境かどうかもわからない」 「じゃあ、神官長が試食会に来てくだされば、環境なんかをご自分の目で見て判断していただけるんじゃないですか?」 わたしが神官長に笑顔で提案すると、神官長は呆れたように肩を竦めて、首を振った。 「何を企んでいるのか知らないが、よからぬことを考えていることが顔に全部出ているぞ。感情は隠せるようになりなさい。......とにかく、マイン工房までの商人の立ち入りは認めるし、仕事内容を増やすことは許可できるが、神官が外に働きに出るのは却下する」 却下されることは予想していたので、それほどのガッカリ感はなかった。むしろ、少しずつ変えていって、そのうち神官長に認められれば良いと思う。 「......わかりました。レストランができるまでの間に、ゆっくりでもいいので、神官長にベンノさんのことをわかってもらえるように努力します。ベンノさんが」 「君が努力するのではないのか?」 「多少はしますけど、わたしは他に努力することが山積みなのです」 クッと小さく神官長が笑った。「貴族らしい振る舞いを身につける方を優先しなさい」と。 ......わたしが優先するのは、これから生まれる赤ちゃんのための絵本作りですけどね。 「そういうわけで、神官が外に働きに出るのは却下されました」 神官長との会食があった次の日、わたしはベンノの店でいつも通り報告をした。貴族の会食で目についたことを列挙した上で、神官が外に出ることは却下されたことを報告する。 ベンノも却下されることを想定してのか、「やはりな」と呟いていた。 「なぁ、マイン。工房までの立ち入りが許されたわけだから、マイン工房の仕事に給仕教育を入れないか?」 「うーん、紙作りができない冬の間の外貨稼ぎにはちょうどいいかもしれませんね。でも、手仕事をさせるつもりなんですけれど」 冬は薪や食料が大量にいる季節だ。森で探すこともなかなかできないので、どうしても購入が必要になる。雪の中に閉じ込められるので、暇潰しを兼ねて金稼ぎができる手仕事は大事なのだ。 「孤児院では何をさせるんだ?」 「色々とおもちゃ作りを予定しています。木工工房から板をたくさん仕入れたいんですけど、ベンノさんのお知り合いの工房の方はレストラン準備で忙しいんですよね? 他の工房を紹介してくれませんか?」 これ以上、レストランへの納期が延びるのは勘弁してもらいたい。ここでは普通だと言われても、わたしには計画倒れになる気がして堪らない。 「他、か......」 「これは孤児院の冬支度になるので、納期が大事なんです」 他を紹介することをベンノは渋るけれど、正直言って、頼んだ仕事を後回しにされても困る。確実に納品してくれるところに頼みたい。 「付き合い上、ベンノさんが紹介するのがそれほど難しいなら、他の人に紹介してもらってもいいんですけど?」 ベンノがくわっと目を見開いた。フリーダなら、ベンノとは間違いなく別の工房を知っていると思ったのだが、わたしが名前を出す前に却下されてしまった。 「......仕方ない。工房の親方に話を通した上で、別の工房を紹介してもらおう」 「じゃあ、先にインク工房をお願いします。インクも欲しいんです。むしろ、板だけあってもインクがなかったら意味がないんですよ」 わたしが、インク、インク、と何度か言い募ると、ベンノは面倒くさそうに頭を何度か掻いた後、立ち上がった。ガッとわたしを抱き上げて、大股に歩いて部屋を出る。 「マルク、マインを連れて、インク工房と木工工房を回ってくる。ルッツ、来い」 「はい、旦那様」 わたしはベンノに抱きかかえられたまま、インクを売っている店に行った。 そこで棚に並べられているインクの値段を確認して、あまりの値段の高さに印刷事業への道のりの遠さを感じる。 「他のインクはないですか?」 「ここでは売ってないよ。どうしても気になるなら、直接工房に行ってごらん」 項垂れるわたしの横でベンノがインクを作っている工房の場所を聞いて、今度は職人通りへと向かった。 職人通りのインク工房に行くと、雑多な臭いで鼻がツンとするのを感じる。ベンノに下ろしてもらって、自分で歩いて工房に入った。 「......客が直接こっちに来るなんて珍しいな。こんなところに何の用だ?」 インクを必要とするのは、字の読み書きができる富豪層に限られるので、工房ではなく、取り扱っている店で注文するものらしい。薬品のようなきつい臭いがする工房にやってくる者はいないようだ。 顔や服のあちらこちらに黒い染みがついている工房の親方が、怪訝そうな顔でわたし達をじろじろと眺める。色素を抽出したり、インクの配合をしたりするのは細かい仕事なのだろう。神経質そうな男の人だ。 「あの、作られているインクの種類が知りたいんです」 「種類?」 わたしの質問に、親方は普通にしていても刻まれている眉間の皺を更に深くして、わたしを見下ろした。 「はい。どんな風に作っているのですか?」 「嬢ちゃん、製法は余所に教えるものじゃないんだ」 話にならないと言いたげに鼻を鳴らした親方が、今にも話を切り上げそうで、わたしは慌てて言葉を足す。 』インクなのか、『ランプブラック』なのか、粘度の高いインクを扱っているのか......。そういうことが知りたいんです」 「......はぁ? 何だって?」 わたしがこの世界でインクの種類の名前を知らないので、親方には全く通用しないようだ。何とか情報を引き出そうと、わたしは自分が知っている単語の中で、インクの種類を特定できないか、必死に考える。 「えーと、ここではインクは何種類扱っていますか?」 「インクはインクだ。一つしかない」 当たり前のことを聞くな、と親方が肩を竦める。 「それじゃあ、大まかな作り方をこちらが言うので、どんなインクを作っているか、教えてください」 「あぁ」 面倒そうに軽く目を閉じた後、親方がゆっくりと頷いた。

The morning of my baptismal ceremony is busy, particularly for my mother. She has to put together breakfast, tidy up after it, and get both her and my father into their only set of nice clothes, so if I were to sleep in or chew sluggishly on my food, she’d get mad at me. Thus, I cram my breakfast down my throat so fast I feel I might choke, and while she’s tidying up I retreat to the bedroom with Tuuli so that I can get changed. Thanks to both Tuuli and my mother gradually making little additions to it here and there, my dress isn’t just fluttery because of the extra fabric that’s been pinned back. The two of them had used their skills at making lacework flowers, honed by a winter’s worth of handiwork, to decorate the dress with little flowers here and there, and now it’s almost excessively decorated. If Benno hadn’t let me keep the leftover thread from our winter handiwork, they probably wouldn’t have had the materials to do this with, I think. My fluttery one piece dress rustles as I pull it on over my head like a t-s.h.i.+rt. I wrap the blue sash around my waist, and tie it tightly into a bow. The ends of it hang limply down past my s.h.i.+ns. “Maïne, didn’t you have to double that up?” says Tuuli, frowning. I untie the sash, and try wrapping it around myself twice. However, even thought I’d been able to tie it off last winter, it’s just a little bit too short now, so I can’t make it into a good-looking bow. “Huh? Have I been eating too much? Did I get a little chubby?” “Oh, no! You just grew a little bigger.” “Huh? I grew bigger?” “Probably, yeah. Look, we’d made the dress so that it would hang below your knees, but now it’s only halfway down your knees instead. You got a little bigger!” It seems that I’ve gotten a little taller in the s.p.a.ce between winter and summer. If I were a normal child, this would be an obvious thing to have happen, but since my devouring is causing me to grow excessively slowly, I’ve never really felt as if I’m growing much at all. I stand there, deeply moved, trembling with joy, but Tuuli is a little more pragmatic. She stares at ends of the sash, contemplating how everything fits together. “...No matter how I look at it, the length just isn’t going to work. It’ll look untidy either way. Maybe we should cut it?” “Oh no,” I say, “that would be a waste. It’ll look fine as it is, so there’s no need to cut it. I’ll just double it up.” “That didn’t work, though?” “I won’t wrap it around myself twice, I’ll just double up the bow.” I wrap the sash around myself, then at my stomach tie a tight, two-fold, b.u.t.terfly bow. Then, to complete the look, I rotate the sash until the bow is at my back, like when I put on a kimono. “How does it look?” I ask. “Is the length okay?” “So cute! That’s amazing! How did you do that?!” “Umm, well...” As I try to figure out how best to explain it, my mother barges into the room. “If you’re done changing, then get your hair done up. I’m getting changed now.” “Okaay! I’ll tell you later, Tuuli.” I quickly go out to the kitchen and start working on my hair. Last night, my entire family used some rinsham, so today everyone’s hair is smooth and glossy. Unusually, my father had looked like he wanted to be included in this, so I helped wash his hair too. When I tried asking why he was suddenly so interested, he said it was because Otto was bragging about how Corinna had washed his hair. Looks like he was a bit envious of that kind of life satisfaction. “Let me do that for you, Maïne.” As I start combing out my hair, Tuuli comes over, her eyes sparkling. It looks like since I’d done her hair for her on the day of her baptismal ceremony, she wanted to return the favor today. “Since you do the twirly thing with your hair ornaments, I can’t help you there, so at least let me comb your hair for you.” I hand over the comb and Tuuli gets to work, humming to herself. She seems to be in a really good mood. “Your hair is so straight. It’s really beautiful! It smells good, too.” “Your hair smells the same, you know?” When Tuuli finishes, I thank her, then reach for my hairpin, my hair swaying behind me. I pick up the hairpin, careful not to crush the delicate-looking flowers, and then put my hair up as I usually do. Even if I’d thought about trying a more elaborate hairstyle, my hair can’t really be tied up with a string, so it would all quickly come undone. “Alright then...” Even though I’m using a different hairpin, I’m doing my hair the same way I always do, so I’m done with it almost immediately. This hairpin is somewhat heavier than the simple rod I usually use, and I can tell that whenever I shake my head the little flowers hanging off of it sway back and forth. When I start having a little fun shaking my head a bit, Tuuli claps excitedly. “Whoa, cute!” says Tuuli. “That matches your hair color perfectly! And it’s so wonderful watching it sway whenever you move.” “That suits you very well, Maïne,” says my mother. My parents, both finished changing, come out of the bedroom and start complimenting me on how nice I look in my new dress. I’m happy for all of this open, unreserved praise, but it’s also a little embarra.s.sing, too. “Hey, Daddy, isn’t that what you told Tuuli, too?” “Of course it is!” he says, grabbing me and Tuuli in each of his arms. “I’ve got the cutest two daughters in the whole wide world.” Tuuli and I shriek, trying to free ourselves. He cackles, refusing to let us go. “Aaah! You’ll mess up my hair!” “Enough of that!” says my mother. “If you’ve got enough time to fool around, then go and get outside already.” My father immediately lets us go as soon as she says that, but it’s too late. As I catch my breath, my mother looks me over, sighing. I smile at him, then pull out my hairpin, shake out my hair, stick it back in, and fix it. Sure, my hair can’t ever be done in any sort of extremely elaborate hairdo, but thanks to its peculiar smoothness, even if it gets a little ruffled all it takes is a little bit of hand combing to sort it back out. “Looks like everyone’s starting to gather outside,” says Tuuli, opening the front door wide and waving us over. We go downstairs and head out into the plaza around the well, where many of our neighbors have already started to gather. “Oh, there’s Ralph and the others. Looks like Lutz is wearing Ralph’s hand-me-downs, too.” I look over at where she’s pointing, and see Lutz, indeed wearing Ralph’s nicest hand-me-downs, surrounded by a large number of people. Since I didn’t actually see Ralph on his baptismal day, I wouldn’t have been able to tell that they were hand-me-downs if I hadn’t been told, though. Lutz is wearing a white s.h.i.+rt and pants, with a light blue sash tied around his waist. If I had to guess, this was probably made for Zasha, the oldest child in the family. Both the sash and the embroidery look like they’d match Zasha a lot better. “Lutz—” “Oh my, Maïne?! What is with that dress?! You look like a very rich little girl, don’t you!” Before I can get to him, Auntie Karla catches me. Her loud, resounding voice quickly draws the attention of everyone around us. “They’re Tuuli’s hand-me-downs,” I say. “Those are hand-me-downs?!” “Yeah. It was way too loose around the shoulders, so we gathered it up here and here and added straps, then there was extra cloth on the sides so we added some pleats here, and then it was too long so we rolled it up and sewed it in place. That’s all, just some really simple alterations.” As I give a quick explanation, the nearby women all gather round, jostling each other as they try to get a better look. Since I’m far shorter than the average child of my age, they all have to stoop down to see. Being surrounded by all these people staring down at me from above is actually a little scary. I unconsciously reach behind me and grab tightly to my mother’s skirt. “Hmm! This doesn’t look like it was an alteration at all. It looks quite splendid!” “Oh, let me see! Aha, I see, you could do this because Tuuli and Maïne are so different in build. That won’t work in our family...” “Ahahah, I’d thought the sash was a bit extravagant, but it was too long so you had to double it up, didn’t you?” As all these people are chattering amongst themselves however they like, they occasionally throw a “congratulations” or a “happy baptism day” at me, but they all feel very perfunctory. “And this hairpin! It’s so elaborate, isn’t it? This must have been so expensive.” When they point out how pricey my hairpin must have been, my mother just laughs, shaking her head. “We made it ourselves, so it wasn’t very expensive at all. Since I was able to alter this dress to fit her, I had all sorts of thread leftover that I thought I’d need in order to make her own dress, so we used that.” “Really? My daughter said that she’d wanted me to buy her one of these for her baptism. Do you think you could teach me how to make them?” “You’ll need some very, very fine needles to make it work. If you can get a pair of those, the rest is easy.” I hadn’t expected her to interrupt at all! She’s managed to redirect everyone’s attention towards herself. Now that she’s the one getting flooded with questions, I quietly manage to slip away through the crowd of older women. Looks like having just a slightly different dress and a slightly different hairpin really did make me the target of a lot of interest after all. Alright, escape complete. The instant I let myself breathe a sigh of a relief, however, I immediately find myself surrounded by a ton of girls interested in both my clothes and my hairpin. These are all slightly older girls, who’d already had their baptisms by the time I was finally able to go to the forest. Aside from Tuuli, I didn’t really have any contact with these people. “Aaah, so cute!!” “Let me see, let me see! Whoa, Tuuli made this, right? Amazing!” A girl who seems like she’s spent some time with Tuuli rudely grabs at my hairpin. It smoothly slides out and my hair falls down around me. “Ah!” “Oh, I’m, I’m sorry! What do I do...” She turns green, clutching my hairpin, mortified that she’d just destroyed a hairstyle that must have taken ages to put together. I hold out my hand, though, smiling sweetly. “It’s okay! I can fix it.” She gives me my hairpin back, and I get to work fixing my hair. I quickly comb it out, wrap it tightly around the pin, and with a twist, secure it in place. “Huh? What? What did you just do?! That’s no ordinary decoration, is it?” “Eh heh heh,” says Tuuli, “It’s just a decoration, yet it can hold hair in place. My little sister is really amazing, after all!” Tuuli, for some reason, puffs up her chest proudly. After that, everyone takes turns admiring my two-fold bow and pinching my dress here and there, all the while Tuuli triumphantly explains everything. Everyone seems to be having a lot of fun, but ultimately everything they’re saying and doing is exactly what the older women had been saying and doing too. I somehow slip away from that crowd as well, and breathe another sigh. Now that I’m finally not surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces, I suddenly realize just how tired I am. I start heading towards Lutz, hoping to find some place to take a breather. “Lu~utz...” “Oh, Maïne! Looks like you finally got away from Mom—” He turns around to look at me and suddenly freezes. “Hm? What’s wrong?” “Uh, nothing. Umm—” “Whoa, what’s with that dress? That looks totally different from Tuuli’s.” Ralph appears, pus.h.i.+ng Lutz aside. “We just altered Tuuli’s dress from bef— gaah! Zasha, put me down!” “Congratulations, Maïne! You’re so tiny and cute. Way cuter than cheeky Lutz here!” “Maïne, happy baptism. That dress really suits you! But, man, you’re really tiny. You barely even look like you should be getting baptized today, huh?” “I’ve gotten a little bigger! Not that you’d be able to tell, though!” I’d sought out Lutz so I could finally relax, but now I’m surrounded by all of his older brothers. Lutz flushes red with embarra.s.sment, and chases his brothers off. “Whoa, Maïne. Hang in there. The ceremony hasn’t even started, right?!” Still held in Zasha’s arms, I let myself go limp. Zasha, who’ll come of age next year, already has the kind of stability a full-grown adult would have. “I wanna go home...” I whine. The temple bells start to ring in the distance, their rhythmic chiming resounding through the town. It’s the signal that it’s time to head towards the temple. Out of all of our neighbors who use the same well we do, the only children getting baptized this season are Lutz and myself. The two of us are quickly surrounded by cheering adults. “Maïne, let’s go! Onwards to the main street!” With a jerk, my father lifts me out of Zasha’s arms and takes off towards the main street, at the head of the pack. After a moment, Lutz frantically chases after us. Over my father’s shoulder, I can see our families, as well as the other adults, following behind. In the street ahead, just like when Tuuli had her ceremony, I see children emerging from alleyways here and there, followed by their families. Then, crowds of spectators start pouring out, until the edges of the street are covered in people. “Are you okay, Maïne?” asks my father. In the distance, I can hear the sound of cheering grow louder. It seems like the procession is drawing near. “Rest until we get you to the temple,” he says. “Okay, I will. Thanks, Daddy.” It seems like my father will be carrying me all the way to the temple. After all, I can’t walk at the speed everyone else will be going at, and if I collapse in the middle of the procession, the whole thing will be ruined. Behind the slowly-growing column of children dressed in white, their families follow behind. It looks like my father is going to try to put himself right at the end of the line of children, in the front row of parents. However, if Lutz stands here with us, he probably won’t be able to see anything but the people immediately around him. “Lutz, do you want to go on ahead?” “Nah, if we’re split up, then when we get to the temple I’d have to search for you, so I’ll stay here.” “Then, maybe you could walk near the edge? So that you can see Mister Benno’s shop on our way past.” As I watch, the procession starts to pa.s.s us by. My father steps forward, me held in his arms, and Lutz follows us, joining the procession. From my tall vantage point, I can see everything around me, unlike during Tuuli’s ceremony, when I’d been completely buried. On both sides of the main street, people are waving hugely at us, whistling shrilly, and showering us with blessings. The windows of the buildings that overlook the streets have been thrown open wide, and groups of people lean out of each, shouting congratulations down at us. The children ahead of us smile widely, filled to bursting with pride, and wave back at the people along the streets and in the windows. “Maïne,” says my father, “make sure you wave back at everyone. You’re saying thanks.” With my father’s prompting, I let go of him with one of my arms, and, with a smile, start to wave. I try to pattern my waving after the way members of the Imperial Family back in j.a.pan would respond to cheers with their gentle smiles. Yes, just like that! With elegance and grace! Even if I had the determination, this isn’t the kind of smiling or waving that I could suddenly figure out how to do on my own, but if I have something to model it after, then copying that isn’t a problem at all. Plus, in this town, there’s n.o.body to laugh at me for mimicking the Imperial Family. So, I smile as elegantly as I possibly can, and wave my hand in the most gentle, elegant manner that I can muster. Whoa, people are pointing, am I standing out too much?! I don’t know if it’s because being carried by my father makes me too conspicuous or not, but I feel like I might be attracting too much attention. But, since everyone’s looking at the procession, I don’t think there’s any way that I’m the only one drawing attention here, though. “Maïne,” says my father, “my arm’s getting a little tired. I’m going to switch.” While we wait in the central plaza for the processions from the other streets to arrive, my father s.h.i.+fts his posture. I’ve already seen everything up until this point during Tuuli’s ceremony. After everyone has gathered in the central plaza, we’ll start proceeding towards the temple that sits in front of the castle ramparts. From the central plaza, I can see that the temple is a building made of white stone that stands taller than the city’s outer walls. In fact, it’s as tall as the castle ramparts themselves. It’s a large, splendid building, but between the long, narrow windows that line its surface and the fact that it’s built so that it’s almost jutting out from the castle walls themselves, I can’t help but wonder if it was originally used as a fortress or if it was even part of the castle walls themselves. Hmm, although, did they really take a building designed for soldiers to use and use it for religious purposes instead? In wartime, the temple probably sends out people to provide aid, but in ordinary times, they could probably build something like that with all the offerings, donations, and whatever other ways they could squeeze money out of their believers... Since the only knowledge that I can base any of this speculation off of is what I know from j.a.pan, no matter how much I think about it I can’t actually be sure of anything. However, up until now, I haven’t really thought at all about this inst.i.tution they call “the temple”, and haven’t seen anything that even remotely resembles its architectural style or appearance, so it’s kind of fun to try to puzzle my way around it. Now that everyone’s gathered, we start proceeding towards the temple. From this point on, both the people along the sides of the road as well as the children who join the procession are wearing noticeably different things. It’s clear that the cloth itself is worth a lot of money, and even though the outfits are still basically all white, the cuffs and hems are all lavishly embroidered. After we walk a little ways, Benno’s shop comes into sight. Lined up in front, I can see Benno, Mark, Otto, and Corinna, all surrounded by other familiar faces from the shop. “Lutz, I can see Mister Benno and Mister Mark! Mister Otto and Miss Corinna are there too to congratulate us.” “Seriously?” Unlike me, who can see at the same level of my father, Lutz is in the middle of the procession, so it seems like he still can’t see Benno’s shop. When he finally spots it, he grins hugely and waves. Mark waves back, and all of the other employees follow suit, all shouting out as one. “Lutz, Maïne, congratulations!” I’m a little startled to suddenly stand out so much, but I’m thrilled to be congratulated by everyone, and I give them a huge wave back. With my spirits as high as they are, there isn’t a trace of Imperial dignity left. Otto embraces Corinna with his left hand and waves at us with his right. Corinna waves at us as well, smiling gently. “Make sure you stop by to say thanks on your way back from the temple,” says my father to Lutz, reaching down to ruffle his hair as he walks beside us. “You noticed it too, huh?” Amidst all of his broadly smiling and waving employees, Benno stands alone, staring at us, rubbing his temples and scowling. Hmmm, knowing Benno, isn’t that the same look he gives me whenever I do something really unnecessary? Did I somehow do something wrong again? We draw closer and closer to the temple, and the details of the white building I’d been observing from far away slowly start to come into view. Reliefs have been carved along the walls, and on both sides of the entrance there are four statues carved of stone lined up. Whether these are statues of this city’s G.o.ds or just ordinary decorations, I can’t really say. While my vision was occupied by the sight of the front of the procession starting to enter the temple, we’d started pa.s.s Freida’s house. The guild master and his family have all taken positions along the side of the street. I even see Ilse and Jutte there too. “Congratulations, Maïne!” “Thank you!” The people I know call out to me, waving. I wave back at them, and yell back. “Freida!” The guild master has Freida in his arms, like my father is carrying me. She looks a little shocked as she smiles and waves back at me. Before the several stairs that lead into the temple, guardsmen stand, looking imposing. They wear blue clothing underneath what appear to be simple pieces of armor. I can see fine ornamentation on it, and it is polished to the point where it gleams in the light. Coupled with the fact that their clothing is glossy as well, it seems clear that even this is ceremonial. The enormous double doors loom over us, towering taller than two grown men. Both the doors and the thick wooden gate they’re set into, are crafted expertly and carved intricately. The gates have been opened wide, and beyond them I can see a long white stone plaza stretching ahead. At the end of it is a large, five-story building, and to either side are smaller three-story buildings, all tied together by walkways. All three buildings are built from the same white stone, but only the one in the center has been decorated with carvings and reliefs. “Well, this is as far as parents go. Lutz, take care of Maïne for me.” “Yeah, leave it to me.” My father sets me down. I take Lutz’s hand, and we walk, at the tail end of the procession, towards the enormous doors. As even the most loudly excited kids start to quiet down as soon as we pa.s.s through the doors, the noise gradually starts to abate. “Hey, Maïne.” Lutz’s voice reverberates much more than I expected. I turn to look at him. “What?” I say, keeping my voice down, leaning in close as if I’m trying to hear a secret. Lutz keeps looking forward, but leans closer to my ear, and speaks in little more than a whisper. “That dress and that hairpin really suit you. You’re shockingly cute.” When everyone else praised me like that, I always just smiled back and thanked them as normal, but somehow, having this whispered into my right before entering a temple destroys my usual reaction. “Um? Uh? Why, now...” I instinctively look up at him, and see him smiling a genuine smile, as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “My brothers said it before I could back there, so I figured I should wait until they weren’t around.” “Ah... oh... is that it? Then, thank you!” I put one hand on my chest to try and still my leaping heart, and, holding hands, Lutz and I walk together into the temple. Since we’re the last people through, even if n.o.body could hear what we were saying our entire exchange was visible to the people behind us. The fact that the crowd behind us had yelled “wow, cute! It’s like they’re getting married,” and my father had been gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth as he saw us off is something I only learn after the ceremony is over.

朝食を終えて、片付けて、両親羅に着替えるのだから、寝坊したり、もそもそと朝食を食べたりしていると怒られて急かされる。 母とトゥーリによって、少しずつ手を加えられていた衣装は、余った部分を摘まんでひらひらしているだけではなくなった。冬の手仕事で培った小花作りを利用して、あちらこちらに小花が飾られて、装飾過多になっている。 わたしはひらひらのワンピースをTシャツと同じようにバサッと被って着た後、青いサッシュを腰にくるりと巻いて、ぎゅっとリボン結びにした。だらーんとサッシュの先が脛の辺りで揺れている。 「マイン、二重にするんだったでしょ?」 わたしは一度サッシュを解いて、お腹の周りに二重に巻いてみた。しかし、冬には何とか結べていたのに、少し長さが足りなくて、綺麗に結べなくなっている。 「あれ? 朝食べすぎた? お腹ぽっこりしちゃった?」 「違うよ。マインが大きくなったの」 「え? わたし、大きくなった?」 「多分ね。衣装の裾も、膝下に合わせて作ったのに、膝の真ん中くらいになってるもん。ちょっと大きくなったんだよ」 冬から夏の間に成長していたらしい。普通の子供なら当たり前なんだけど、やたらと成長の遅い身食いのわたしは成長を実感できることが少ない。 「......どっちにしても長さが中途半端だね。ちょっとだらしないくらいになっちゃう。いっそ切る?」 「ダメだよ、もったいない。それなりに見られればいいんだから切る必要ないって。二重にすればいいんだよ」 「できなかったじゃない」 「お腹じゃなくて、リボンを二重にするの」 青いサッシュを自分のお腹のところで、ギュッときつく二重蝶々結びにする。着物の帯と同じように、きちんと結べたら、リボンの部分をシュシュッと背中に回せば完成だ。 「どう? 長さ大丈夫?」 「可愛い! すごい! どうやるの!?」 「えーとね......」 説明しようとしたら、母が寝室に入ってきた。 「着替え終わったなら、マインは早く髪を整えなさい。わたしも着替えるから」 「はぁい。トゥーリ、後でね」 さっさと台所へと移動して、髪を整える。昨夜のうちにリンシャンをしたので、家族全員の髪がつるつるだ。昨日は珍しく父さんも仲間に入れてほしそうに見ていたので、洗ってあげた。 「マイン、わたしにやらせて」 櫛で髪を梳いていると、トゥーリが目を輝かせてやってきた。トゥーリの洗礼式の時はわたしが髪を結ったので、今度は自分がやりたいらしい。 「マインは髪飾りでぐるぐるってするから、わたしにはできないし、櫛で梳くくらいはやらせて」 わたしが櫛を渡すとトゥーリが鼻歌交じりに梳いてくれる。とても機嫌が良いようだ。 「マインの髪は真っ直ぐでとっても綺麗だよね。それに良い匂い」 「トゥーリも同じ匂いだよ?」 梳いてくれたトゥーリに礼を言って、わたしはゆらゆらと揺れる髪飾りを握りつぶさないように持つところに気を付けながら、いつものようにハーフアップにする。凝った髪型をしようと思っても、紐でまとめることができず、するりと解けてしまうので、できない。 いつもより簪が重くて、少し首を振ると連なった小花が揺れているのが自分でもわかった。ちょっと楽しくて頭を揺らしていると、トゥーリが手を叩いて喜ぶ。 「わぁ、可愛い! マインの髪の色にすごく似合ってるよ! 動くたびにゆらゆらするのが素敵」 「とても似合ってるわよ、マイン」 着替え終わった両親も寝室から出てきて、わたしの晴れ姿を褒めちぎる。こんな風に手放しで褒められると嬉しいけれど、ちょっと照れくさい。 「父さん、それ、トゥーリの時も言ってたよ」 「当たり前だ。ウチの娘が一番可愛い」 そう言って父が片腕ずつでトゥーリとわたしを捕まえる。きゃあきゃあ騒いで父の腕から逃れようとするわたしとトゥーリを、父はケラケラ笑いながら逃さないように捕まえ直した。 「きゃー! 髪が崩れる!」 「もう! ふざけるのはそれくらいにして外に行くわよ」 母の言葉に父はパッと手を離したが、もう遅かったようだ。少し息の切れているわたしの髪を見て、母が溜息を吐いた。 肩を竦めて謝る父の姿を笑いながら、わたしは一度簪を抜いて、挿し直す。凝った髪型にできない髪だけれど、癖が付かないので、少し乱れても手櫛ですぐに戻るのだ。 玄関のドアへと駆けていったトゥーリが大きくドアを開け放って手招きした。階段を下りて井戸の広場に出ると、ご近所の人達がすでにたくさん出てきているのが見える。 「あそこにラルフ達がいるよ。やっぱりルッツもラルフのお下がりだね」 ルッツの晴れ着は、白いシャツに白いズボン、そして、水色のサッシュだ。多分、一番上のザシャの洗礼式から使われているのだろう。サッシュも刺繍もザシャに合わせたものだった。 「ルッツ」 「まぁ、マイン!? どうしたの、その衣装!? まるでお金持ちのお嬢様みたいじゃない!」 ルッツのところに行く前にカルラおばさんに捕まった。カルラおばさんの良く響く大きな声に周囲の注目が集まる。 「トゥーリのお下がりなの」 「これがお下がりだって!?」 「そう。肩のところがずるずるだったから、ここでまとめた後、肩紐付けて、脇が余るから生地を寄せて縫って、裾を程よい長さにたくし上げて縫いとめただけの簡単お直しなんだよ」 直し方を簡単に説明していると、わらわらと奥さん方が集まってくる。わたしは同じ年頃の平均よりかなり背が低いから、上の方から腰をかがめるようにして何人もの大人に取り囲まれて見下ろされるとちょっと怖い。思わず背後にいた母のスカートをはしっと握る。 「へぇ、お直しには見えないねぇ。すごく豪華な衣装に見えるよ」 「どれどれ? ふぅん、トゥーリとマインで体格が全然違うからできることだね。ウチじゃあ、無理だ」 「あははは、サッシュがずいぶん豪華だと思ったら、長すぎて二重になってるじゃない」 口々に好きな事を言い出す会話の合い間、合い間で「おめでとう」という祝福が入るが、何かおざなりにされている気がする。 「髪飾りもずいぶん凝ったものを持ってるじゃないか。これ、高いだろう?」 髪飾りとその値段に注目が集まると、母が笑って首を振った。 「自分達で作ったから、お金は別にかかってないのよ。晴れ着をお直ししたから、この子の晴れ着を作ろうと思っていた糸が必要なくなっちゃったんだもの」 「そうなの? ウチの娘も洗礼式の時に買って欲しいって言ってるの。作れるなら作り方教えてくれない?」 「糸を編むための細い細いかぎ針がいるのよ。それがあれば、後は簡単」 まさか、わたしが口を出してできあがったとは思わないのだろう。質問の矛先は全て母に向けられている。母に質問が殺到し始めたので、わたしはそぉっとおばさま方の輪から離れていく。やはりちょっと変わった衣装も髪飾りも注目の的になったようだ。 よし、脱出成功。 ホッと安堵の息を吐いた瞬間、衣装と髪飾りに興味津々の女の子に取り囲まれた。わたしが森に行けるようになるまでに洗礼式を終えたおねえちゃん達で、トゥーリはともかく、わたしはあまり接点がない少し年上の少女達だ。 「きゃあ、ホントに可愛い!」 「見せて、見せて! これ、トゥーリが作ったんでしょ? すごぉい!」 トゥーリと交流があるらしいおねえちゃんが無遠慮に簪をつかんだ瞬間、するりと簪が抜けて、髪が落ちた。 「あ!」 「あ、ご、ごめんね。どうしよう......」 せっかくセットした髪を崩してしまったとおねえちゃんが簪を握りしめたまま青くなる。 「大丈夫。すぐに直せるから」 簪を返してもらって、わたしは髪を整え直す。スッと髪をすくって、簪にくるくると巻き付けて、捻って挿しこむ。 「え? え? 今のどうやったの!? これってただの飾りじゃないの?」 「うふふ、飾りなのに、結えるの。ウチのマインはすごいんだから」 何故かトゥーリが胸を張って答えている。その後は、二重蝶々結びに感心され、衣装のあちこちを摘まんで観察され、それをトゥーリが得意そうに解説し始めた。きゃらきゃらと楽しそうにしているけれど、言ってることややってることはおばちゃん達と変わらない。 その輪も抜け出して、わたしはやっと息を吐いた。普段、これだけ知らない顔に取り囲まれることがないので、どっと疲れた気がする。 「ルッツ~」 「お、マイン。やっと母さんから逃れて......」 こっちへ振り向いたルッツがいきなり息を呑んで固まった。 「ん? どうしたの?」 「いや、何でもない。その......」 「どうしたんだ、その衣装? トゥーリの時とずいぶん違うな」 ルッツを押し退けるようにして、ラルフが出てきた。 「トゥーリの晴れ着をお直しした......ひゃあっ! ザシャおにいちゃん、下ろして!」 「マイン、おめでとう。お前はちっこくて可愛いな。ルッツなんてもう生意気で可愛くないのに」 「おめでとう、マイン。その晴れ着、すげぇ似合ってるぞ! でも、お前ホントちっこいな。洗礼式に参加するようには見えないじゃないか」 「わたしだってちょっとは大きくなったんだよ。ジークおにいちゃんにはわからないかもしれないけど!」 癒しを求めてルッツのところに行ったはずが、ルッツの兄達に振り回される。ルッツが血相を変えて、おにいちゃん達を止めてくれた。 「おーい、マイン。しっかりしろ。洗礼式はこれからだぞ!?」 ザシャに抱き上げられたまま、へろんと力を抜く。来年には成人するザシャはほとんど大人と同じような安定感がある。 「もう帰りたいよぉ」 同じ井戸を使うご近所さんの中で、今回洗礼式に出るのはわたしとルッツだけだ。わぁっと騒ぐ大人達に取り囲まれた。 「マイン、出発だ! 大通りへ行くぞ!」 父がザシャの腕からグイッとわたしを抱き上げると、先頭に立って大通りへと向かい始めた。ルッツがその後を慌てて追いかけてきて、家族や大人達が後に続いてくるのが父の肩越しに見える。 「マイン、大丈夫か?」 遠くの方から、わぁっという歓声が段々近づいてくる。どうやら、行列が近付いてきたようだ。 「神殿に着くまでは休んでいろ」 「そうする。ありがと、父さん」 わたしは神殿まで父に抱き上げられて進むことになっている。行列と同じスピードで歩けないし、行列中にぶっ倒れたら、洗礼式が台無しになってしまうからだ。 白い衣装を着た子供達がぞろっと並んだ後ろに、家族が付き従う形になるので、父は子供の最後尾で親の最前列という位置を狙っているらしい。ただ、その位置にルッツが一緒に来ると、埋もれて人以外見えなくなる可能性が高い。 「ルッツは前に行っても良いぞ?」 「いや、離れたら神殿のところで探すことになるんだから、一緒にいるよ」 「じゃあ、せめてルッツは端の方を歩く? ベンノさんのお店辺りが見えるように」 「......そうする」 行列が目の前を通っていく。わたしは父に抱き上げられたまま、ルッツと行列に加わった。視点が高いので、行列に埋もれていたトゥーリの洗礼式の時と違って、周囲がよく見える。 「マインもちゃんと手を振り返すんだ。ありがとう、というお返しだからな」 父に指摘されたので、しがみついていた手を片方放して、笑顔で手を振る。お手本として思い浮かんだのは、穏やかな笑顔で歓声に応える皇室の人々だった。 そう、あんな感じで! 上品に! 決心したところで、いきなりできるような笑顔とお手振りではないが、お手本が決まればできるだけ真似してみればいい。どうせ、この街で「皇室の真似っこかよ!?」なんて言われて笑われることはない。 うわぁ、指差されてるし、なんか注目されてる!? 父に抱き上げられているせいで目立っているのか、やたらと注目されているような気がする。みんな行列を見ているので、わたしだけが注目されているということはないのだろうけれど。 「マイン、腕がだるいから反対にするぞ」 ここで合流するまではトゥーリの洗礼式の時にも見た。中央広場で集まった後、城壁の手前にある神殿に向かって歩いて行くのだ。 中央広場から見える神殿は白っぽい石造りの建物で、外壁より高い城壁と同じだけの高さがある建物だ。大きくて立派な建物だけれど、高い位置に細く長い窓が並んでいたり、城壁から張り出すように建っていたりする位置関係から、もしかしたら、元々は砦や城壁の一部として使われていたのではないかと思う。 うーん、でも、兵士が使っていたような建物を宗教に使うかな? 戦時の救護に宗教関係者も出ていたはずだけれど、日常的に使う宗教施設なら、お布施というか、寄付というか、信者から巻き上げたお金で建てるはずだし......。 わたしの考える基準はどうしても日本での知識に限られるので、いくら考えても正解であるとは限らない。ただ、今まで注目しなかった神殿という施設について、建築様式や見た目で似たようなものがなかったか、考えを巡らせることが楽しいだけだ。 合流したので、神殿に向かって歩いて行く。この辺りから、街道に出ている人や加わってくる子供達の衣装が目に見えて変わってきた。お金がかかっていることがわかる生地、基本は白だが裾にはふんだんに刺繍がされている。 少し歩くとベンノの店が見えてきた。ベンノ、マルク、オットー、コリンナを取り巻くように見覚えのある顔が店の前に並んでいる。 「ルッツ、ベンノさんとマルクさんが見える。オットーさんやコリンナさんまでお祝いに店の前まで出てくれてるよ」 「マジか?」 父と同じ目線から周囲が見えるわたしと違って、ルッツは行列の中なので、まだベンノの店は見えないようだ。 「ルッツ、マイン、おめでとう!」 あまりにも目立ってビックリしたが、みんなでお祝いしてくれる気持ちが嬉しくて、わたしとルッツは大きく手を振った。気分が高揚しすぎて、皇室らしさなんてもう欠片も残っていない。 わたしと同じくらい嬉しそうな父が、傍らを歩くルッツの頭をガシガシ撫でながらそう言う。もちろんわたしとルッツは大きく頷いた。 「やっぱりルッツにもそう見える?」 満面の笑みで手を振ってくれる従業員の中で、ただ一人、ベンノだけはこちらを見ながら、こめかみを押さえて眉を寄せている。 うーん、ベンノさんったら、なんで余計な事をしちゃった時と同じような顔をしてるんでしょうね? わたし、今日はまだ何もしてないよ? いよいよ神殿が近付いてきた。遠目には白い大きな建物だった神殿の細部がだんだんはっきりと見えてくる。壁にはレリーフがずらりと並び、入口の両脇には4体ずつ石像が並んでいる。ここの神様の像なのか、ただの飾りなのか、わたしには判別できない。 行列が神殿に入っていくのを視界の端に捉えながら、フリーダの家の前を通る。ギルド長とその家族が総出で大通りを陣取っているのが見える。イルゼやユッテの姿まであった。 「おめでとう、マイン!」 「ありがとう」 知っている人がこうして祝ってくれるのが嬉しくて、わたしは手を振りながら大きな声で呼びかけた。 「フリーダ!」 ギルド長が父に対抗するようにフリーダを抱き上げた。驚いたような顔をしていたフリーダが笑って手を振り返してくれる。 神殿に入る数段の階段の手前に仁王立ちしている門番らしき存在が見える。青を基調とした服に簡略化した鎧を付けている。細かい装飾が見え、よく磨きこまれて光っている鎧や艶のある綺麗な青の衣装から、彼らもまた儀式用の恰好をしているのがわかった。 大人の身長の倍以上ある大きな両開きのドアのようなぶ厚い木製の門にも細かい彫刻や細工がされている。完全に開け放たれていている門をくぐりぬけると、白い石畳の広場が横に長く広がっていた。 「さぁ、親はここまでだ。ルッツ、悪いがマインを頼む」 「あぁ、任せとけ」 父に下ろされて、わたしはルッツと手を繋いで、大きく開かれたドアに向かって行列の最後尾を歩く。 「なぁ、マイン」 わたしはルッツを見て、声をひそめて「何?」と聞き返せば、ルッツが内緒話をするように、耳元に顔を寄せてくる。前に向いて、耳を澄ませば、ルッツが声をひそめて囁いた。 「その服も髪飾りもすっげぇ似合う。可愛くてビックリした」 みんなが褒めちぎる中で言われたら、普通の笑顔で「ありがとう」と返せたのに、こんな神殿に入る直前で、ぼそっと囁かれたら反応に困る。 「え? え? 何、急に......」 思わずルッツを見上げると、ルッツはわだかまりが解けたような、実にすっきりした笑顔をしていた。 「兄貴達にとられて言い損なったから、いないところで言おうと思ったんだ」 「あ、そ、そうだっけ? うん、ありがと」 跳ねた心臓を片手で押さえながら、わたしはルッツと手を繋いだまま神殿に入っていく。 最後尾だったので、声は聞こえなくてもやりとりは広場に丸見えだったようだ。広場にいた大人達が手を繋いだまま神殿に入っていくわたし達を見て、「まぁ、可愛い。小さな結婚式みたいね」と騒ぎ、父が歯ぎしりしながら見送っていたことをわたしが知るのは、洗礼式の後だった。

Tuuli opens the door for us with a big smile. When she sees the two of us on the other side, she blinks a few times, and starts to look a little worried. “...What’s wrong, Dad? You’re looking kind of grim, you know? Is it too cold outside? Is Maïne too heavy?” “That’s mean, Tuuli!” I pout at her. My father gives me a thin smile. “You’re too light, Maïne. You need to grow bigger.” He sets me down and gently ruffles my hair. Now that his mood’s lightened a bit, Tuuli smiles slightly in relief. “Sorry, sorry,” she says, coming over and brus.h.i.+ng off the leftover snow that was clinging to my head. In my heart, I applaud her for changing the mood so quickly. “It started snowing a bit on the way home, and it got really cold!” I say, with a sour expression. Copying me, she gives me a sour look back. “You got Dad to carry you, and you got him to wrap you up in his coat, so you weren’t cold at all, were you? I can’t do that!” Giggling, I head to the bedroom to put my tote bag and coat away. By the stove, my mother is working on putting dinner together. “Welcome home. ...Shall we eat dinner first, then?” It seems that, despite what we were talking about, my mother had taken in my father’s strained mood and tense facial expression and guessed that something’s up. She frowns for just a moment, then smilingly gets to work setting the table. “Now, eat up!” At my mother’s urging, we start eating dinner. We’re much less talkative than we usually are. I haven’t even said anything yet, but my father’s brow is furrowed, my mother is looking away, and Tuuli looks on anxiously. The atmosphere is already heavy. As I look around at the three of them, I lift a spoonful of hot soup to my mouth. Will it really be okay if I tell them? If I say something like “I’ve got one year left,” won’t my dad just go absolutely insane? How should I bring this up? I want to hide how expensive that magic tool was, too... I keep eating, but all I can think about is the conversation that’s going to come after this, and my heart starts pounding loudly in my ears. “Thanks for the food.” After my mother hangs up the tableware, she picks out some herbs that have a calming effect and boils them into an herbal tea. The cups clunk onto the table as she sets them in front of us. He shakes his head slowly. His pale brown eyes snap to me. It’s scary to see him look so serious, without a single trace of the lovestruck smile he always looks at me with. I gulp, noisily, my breath caught in my throat. “Maïne’s the one who has something she wants to talk about.” When he says that, everyone’s eyes turn to me. Even though all I’m trying to do is talk to my family, my throat has gone dry from the tension. “Umm, well, this is about my sickness, so...” What do I say now? How should I best explain this so that it’s easy to understand? Those are the only thoughts tumbling around in my head, yet the words I need to give a basic explanation won’t come forth. I break out in a strange sweat, and my head goes blank as I try to hurry my thoughts along. As I open and close my mouth soundlessly, failing to find my words, my father narrows his eyes at me. “You’ve been cured, haven’t you? You went to the guild master’s house for a few days, and when you were cured, you came back home. Isn’t that what happened?” “Umm, the short of it is that I’m not cured.” My explanation vanishes entirely from my blank head, and I just say the conclusion. It’s like I set off an enormous bomb in the middle of them. After a moment of stunned silence, they all simultaneously gasp loudly, their eyes going wide. Then, my father suddenly stands up, so forcefully it knocks his chair over, and slams his hand onto the table. “...What do you mean?!” he says. “Was the guild master lying to us when he told us you were?!” They crowd in close to me, my father from in front of me and Tuuli from the seat next to me. I frantically wave my hands, trying to get the two of them to calm down and sit back down. “Whoa, calm down, sit. I don’t know much about this myself, and I don’t really know how to explain this, so I just said the first thing that came to my mind, so that’s...” Grinding his teeth so hard that I can hear it, my father sits back down with a clunk. My mother seems to have somehow kept her cool. She picks up her cup with shaking hands, swallows a mouthful of tea, then urges me on. “Yes, please explain it to us properly.” Next to me, I see Tuuli reach out for her cup as well. I pick mine up too, take a gulp, and start talking. “My sickness is, um, called the devouring. It’s a really rare disease.” “I haven’t heard of it...” says my father, nodding. “Money?!” This time, it’s my mother who stands up with a clatter, her eyes wide. She looks deathly pale. There’s no doubt that she had noticed that the guild leader had never asked us for any money. I’d hoped that, if at all possible, I could hide just how much money it was, but I think I’d better not try to do that now. “Mommy, I’m trying to explain, please listen,” I say. “......” She slowly sits back down, looking at me like she still has something to say. Feeling everyone’s eyes still on me, I begin to explain, starting with the devouring itself. “So, the devouring, it’s like a fever that’s always in my body, and sometimes it just starts moving around on its own, and it’s always just slowly building up. If I get really mad, or if I get sad enough that I feel like I want to die, or anything like that, then it starts running wild through my body. It feels like I’m being eaten alive when that happens.” “Eaten alive...” Tuuli is white as a sheet as she stares at me. She glances down at my fingers and then up to the fringe of my hair, as if checking to make sure I’m really not being eaten away at right now. “The fever is something that I can keep from moving around with my willpower. If I focus on the image of locking it up deep inside me, that works for a while, but it keeps slowly, steadily multiplying.” Tuuli, visibly trembling, squeezes my hand tightly. “When I can’t lock it up, then it just explodes out, like it’s going to overflow out of me. If it overflows, then I’ll get swallowed up, but... last time, when that happened, the fever flowed out, and I was drowning. The guild leader used a magic tool and sucked the fever away. He sucked up a lot of it, but now it’s starting to build up again, so I definitely haven’t been cured for good.” Tuuli, whimpering quietly, stares at me with moist, quavering eyes, looking like she’s almost about to start crying. Or, maybe, instead of “staring”, should I say that she’s making a face like she’s trying desperately not to start crying? I feel like I’m going to start crying too if I keep looking at her, so I turn my eyes away and instead drink another gulp of tea. “Then, um, Freida told me that I’m not really going to get much bigger, since there’s a weird fever always nibbling away at me. You need magic tools to cure the devouring, and only the n.o.bles have those, so they’re really expensive. Also, if your family doesn’t have connections to people in the n.o.bility, you can’t get them either, she said.” “So, then, it... really was the guildmaster that saved you, wasn’t it?” my father says weakly, his voice cracking. There’s no sign of his explosive emotion from earlier. I nod. “Yeah, the guildmaster sold me one of the magic tools that he bought for Freida. But, she also said that if I didn’t have any magic tools, then I should decide really soon what I’m going to do about it.” “Do about it? Does that mean there’s another way you can be cured?!” My father leans forward, hope blazing in his eyes. Even Tuuli, who looked like she was moments away from crying, has a glimmer in her eyes. Seeing their sudden hope hurts me deeply, and I tell them what I could do if merely living was my only goal. “She said my only alternatives were to either make a contract with a n.o.bleman and be their pet forever, or to rot away with my family...” “Be their pet forever?” asks my father. “What does that mean?” From his facial expression, it seems he’s having trouble grasping the concept. Tuuli’s face is blank as she tilts her head to the side, perhaps because she didn’t understand the words I was using. My mother’s face is pale as she grips her cup. “Freida has a contract with a n.o.bleman, so she has the magic tools she needs to be healthy. She said that since her family is a wealthy and powerful merchant family, the contract is really favorable for her. Since I don’t have any connections to any n.o.blemen, any contract I get would keep me alive, but she couldn’t say how well I would be treated.” “...You can’t even call that living, can you,” he murmurs, weakly. I nod at him. From what I learned as Urano, I can’t imagine that I’d be anything but someone that does exactly what she is told, living without any freedom at all. “So, Maïne. How much did it cost?” asks my mother, unable to bear it any longer. “I can’t imagine that the magic tool that the guildmaster gave to you was free, you know?” “I had enough, don’t worry.” “But how much was it?” “It was a lot, but it was to save my life, so, well...” “I’m asking you, how much was it? You can tell me, right? Don’t keep secrets.” I try to dance around the topic, but my mother’s eyes flash dangerously as she gets angrier. I moan quietly to myself, turning my eyes away, then mumble out the answer. “...two small gold and eight large silver.” At the mention of a total that’s roughly what my father would make in two and a half years, everyone’s eyes go wide and their mouths drop open in shock. “Two small gold and eight large silver?! How did you get that kind of―” “I sold Mister Benno the rights to my ‘simple shampoo’,” I say, frantically. “The manufacturing rights, the distribution rights, the rights to set the price... I sold all of that to him, so that when the devouring―” Since the manufacturing process is just gathering nuts and herbs from the forest and pressing them down for oil, it’s very labor-intensive but costs nothing to make. It seems like Tuuli can’t comprehend that something like that could be sold for such an enormous amount of money. “Yeah, it seems that if you sell it to the n.o.bility, you can make a lot of money. He’s got a workshop for it and everything, and―” Just as I’m about to start telling Tuuli about the workshop for making rinsham, my father interrupts, shaking his head as he stares at me angrily. “That’s enough about that. Here’s what I want to know about: you’re sure it will relapse?” “Yeah.” “...When? Based on how you’ve been talking, you know, don’t you? You changed the subject so quickly, it’s something you don’t want to be asked, isn’t it?” My father, just after hearing that the devouring wasn’t cured, had kicked over his chair and slammed his fists into the table. Of course I don’t want to tell someone that enraged just how much longer I have left. Even though I’d been planning to avoid it, now that he’s said that I don’t think there’s anyway I can weasel out of it. “I’m your father, of course I caught on. ...Come on, stay focused.” He looks at me with glinting, pale brown eyes. I get the sense that if I try to deceive him, it won’t just be the truth that I’ll be running away from, so I open my mouth to answer. “...About a year.” “Wh―?!” “She said that she thinks the next time the devouring fever overflows will be in about a year, so I need to think about things now.” A heavy, oppressive silence blankets the room. My father, who I’d thought would be enraged, hangs his head, eyebrows tightly knotted together. Tuuli is the one to break the silence when she starts sobbing. “Guh... Maïne, you’re going to die? In a year? ...Don’t say that!!” “Tuuli, calm down. I’m not dead yet, you know. Freida and the guildmaster sold me a magic tool, so now I’ve got another year.” The words that I had hoped would calm Tuuli down instead act like oil poured on a fire. She shakes her head furiously, crying herself ragged. “Ngh... don’t talk about how you were dying! It’s only a year! I hate this! Hic... and you were finally getting better too! Like we could start going to the forest together again! You can’t just die!!” When I died as Urano, it was in a big earthquake, so I didn’t have to see any of my family’s grief. Did I make them cry so sorrowfully for me, I wonder? And now, I’ve made my new family cry, too. I’m such an awful daughter. “Don’t cry, Tuuli. Hey, c'mon now. Even if I don’t have any magic tools, there’s got to be something I can do about the devouring, and I’m going to find out what that is.” “And what if you can’t find it?! Then you’re gonna die, aren’t you?! No! I hate that! Waaaaaah!” Being held so tight by someone crying all over me makes my own chest tighten up. My eyes grow hot, and even though I was trying to hold them back, my tears begin to flow, too. “Tuuli... don’t cry. I’m the one who wants to cry...” “Hic... sorry, Maïne. I’ll help you look. There might be something that can cure you somewhere, and we’ll look for it, so... Nnn, but, even though I’m trying not to cry I just can’t stop.” My own tears still spilling, I pat Tuuli on the back as she tries her hardest to stop crying. My father speaks up, in a quiet voice. “What do you plan to do, Maïne? There’s the way Freida suggested too, isn’t there?” I sniff. “...Since I don’t know how a n.o.bleman would treat me, I can’t even imagine wanting to be separated from my family. Hic... Freida said that the n.o.bleman she made a contract with is allowing her to stay with her family until she grows up. So, what would have happened if he didn’t?” The answer is obvious. “She’d have been taken away immediately, wouldn’t she? There probably aren’t that many n.o.blemen who’d wait, I think...” “...Mm, you’re right.” I have not even the slightest clue as to what in the world a n.o.bleman would find useful about the devouring fever. However, I think that one who would grant some extra time after signing the contract would be someone benevolent indeed. If I consider that I’d be taken away as soon as the contract is complete, I know that I won’t have much time with my family at all if I go down that path. “So, you know, I’m thinking that it might be okay if I live with my family until I die. Uu... I don’t want to leave you all...” “Maïne...” Tears glisten in my mother’s eyes as well. She turns away slightly, as if she doesn’t want her children to see it, and wipes them away. My father keeps a neutral expression, his eyes fixed on me. “I’ve still got a year,” I say. “So, I’m going to try my hardest to do the things that I want to do, and live so that I have no regrets. ...Can I stay here? Or... is it better for me to go away with a n.o.ble?” “Maïne, stay here with me!” says Tuuli. “Don’t you dare go away!” Both of my parents nod, as if Tuuli had spoken for all of them. I wipe away my tears, happy to be told that I can stay here, and give them a strained smile. “So, here’s what I actually wanted to ask you...” “There’s more?” asks my mother, startled. All of this exposition to make them aware of the state of my illness wasn’t actually askingthem anything, though. Now that they know what’s going on, I’d like some advice from them. “It’s about... my work.” “You’re going to be a merchant, right?” asks my father, frowning doubtfully. “That was the plan, but maybe I was being naïve, or maybe not thinking through it all the way, but... it’s not the kind of job that I can do, given my strength, you know? Mister Otto said something like that too, like I’d just be a bother at the shop.” All I wanted to do was get Otto’s objective, outside viewpoint. It would be disastrous if my father were to explode on him later. Frantically, I start outlying the plan he had suggested. “So, what he proposed was that I take a job I can do at home, like copying letters or official doc.u.ments, then I can keep going just like I am now, selling things to Mister Benno and then helping at the gate when I’m feeling healthy enough.” “Oh, Otto said that, huh...? Hmm, he’s right. It’s best for you to stay home. You shouldn’t overdo things.” He sounds a little happy, his mouth quirking up into a smile as he confidently declares this. Both Tuuli, who is still clinging to me and sobbing, and my mother nod vigorously in agreement. “Um, I’d made a promise with Mister Benno to work at his shop already, though... is it okay to break it?” This is what I wanted to ask my parents the most, since I still don’t really know much about anything work-related in this town. Would there be issues if I were to break this arrangement? “It’s not like you’ve officially started work yet,” says my father. “Since it’ll be hard on him too if you suddenly collapse on the job, I’m sure it’ll be alright if you make sure you explain things thoroughly to him.” “Okay! So, even though I hate to waste a job offer that I’d worked so hard to get, I’ll try hunting for a job that fits my condition.” Perhaps I should consult with Benno to see if there really is a job that I can do at home. I’ll need to make sure to ask him in detail when springtime comes around. Because the conversation had dragged on for so long, the instant there’s a gap in the conversation an enormous yawn forces its way out of my throat. Seeing this, my mother claps her hands together. “If that’s all you have to talk about, go to bed already. It’s late!” “Yeah. Good night.” “Snf... hic... goog night...” Tuuli, still blubbering, accompanies me to the bedroom and crawls into bed with me. “Tuuli, don’t cry. You’re way cuter when you smile! Tomorrow let’s do lots of things together.” “Okay, yeah, let’s play together a lot! Because you’re here.” As I console her, I slip beneath the covers of my bed. She immediately follows, grabbing onto me tightly as if she’s not going to let me go anywhere. I decide to leave her be, if it’ll calm her down, and close my eyes. I thought my father was going go berserk or start screaming, but unlike what I was expecting he simply sat and listened to me, saying very little. I let out a sigh of relief, glad that I was able to properly say everything I needed to, and slowly drift off to sleep. I had decided to let Tuuli do whatever she needed to do in order to let her calm down as we slept, but now my eyes snap open as I realize I’m being strangled. I frantically unwind her arm from around my neck and escape from there. I nearly died! Not even from the devouring, but from being choked to death. As I rub my neck, I blink a few times. Ordinarily, when I wake up at night, the bedroom is usually pitch black, but now there’s a dim light filtering in. I rub my tired eyes, but this doesn’t seem to be a dream. The door is half-open, and I can tell that there’s still a fire lit in the stove. I can’t hear any voices, so I don’t think that both of my parents are still awake. Looking through the gloom, I see a dark lump on my mother’s bed; perhaps because she’s already gone to sleep. Did she forget to put out the stove? I quietly slip out of bed, stepping as lightly as I can to avoid waking Tuuli, and head towards the kitchen. In the gloom of the kitchen, lit only by the flickering of the stove, my father sits alone, drinking. Unlike the happy drunkard he is in my memories, he sits there, wordlessly drinking, and crying silently. I avert my eyes, as if I could hear his voiceless wailing, and quietly go back to bed.

笑顔でドアを開けてくれたトゥーリがドアを開けたままの状態で、パチパチと何度か目を瞬いて、少し不安そうに眉を寄せた。 「......どうしたの、父さん? 怖い顔になってるよ? 外が寒かった? それとも、マインが重かった?」 「トゥーリ、ひどい」 わたしがぷくぅっと膨れて見せると、父が苦笑しながら「マインは軽すぎる。もっと大きくなれ」と言ってわたしを下ろした後、頭をぐりぐりと撫でた。 父の緊迫した雰囲気が少し和らいで、トゥーリが安心したように小さく笑う。「ごめん、ごめん」と謝りながら、わたしの頭に残っていた雪をパタパタと払い始めた。 「帰りはちょっと吹雪になり始めてて寒かったんだよ」 「マインは父さんに抱っこしてもらって、コートにまで入っていたんだから、寒くなかったでしょ? わたしじゃできないよ」 クスクス笑いながら、わたしはトートバッグとコートを片付けに寝室へと向かう。 台所では、母が夕飯の準備をしていた。 何を口にするより、父の緊迫した雰囲気と表情から何かあったことは察したようだ。一瞬だけ眉を寄せた後、母は微笑みながら配膳を始める。 「さぁ、召し上がれ」 まだ話をしたわけではないのに、眉間に皺を刻んでいる父。目を伏せている母。困ったように様子を伺うトゥーリ。すでに雰囲気が重い。 本当に話しちゃって大丈夫かな? あと一年なんて言ったら、父さん、発狂して大暴走しない? どうやって話を進めたらいい? 魔術具にかかったお金はなるべく伏せておきたいんだけど......。 食事が進むにつれて、この後の話にばかり気がいって、心臓がバクンバクンと音を立て始める。 「ごちそうさまでした」 食器が一度下げられて、母の手によって鎮静効果のあるハーブを煮出したハーブティがコトンコトンとテーブルの上に置かれた。 父の隣に座りながらそう言った母に、父は緩く首を振った。薄い茶色の瞳がぴたりとわたしに向けられる。いつものでれっとした笑みが欠片も見つけられない父の真剣な目は怖いほどで、わたしはゴクリと息を呑んだ。 「話があると言ったのは、マインだ」 父の言葉と共に家族全員の視線がわたしに向かってくる。家族と話すだけなのに、緊張して喉がカラカラに乾いてきた。 「えーと、わたしの病気のことなんだけど、その......」 何から言えばいいのだろうか。何と説明すれば、わかりやすいだろうか。そんなことばかりが頭を回っているのに、肝心の説明するための言葉は全く出てこない。妙な汗が出てきて、焦れば焦るほど頭が真っ白になってくる。 わたしが言葉を探して口をはくはくさせていると、父がすぅっと目を細めた。 「病気は治ったんだろう? ギルド長のお宅に数日間いて、治ったから帰ってきた。そうじゃないのか?」 「あの、結論から言うと、治らないの」 家族にとってはかなり大きな爆弾になったようで、一瞬の沈黙の後、家族全員が目を剥いて、大きく息を呑んだ音が響いた。 「......どういうことだ!? 治すと言ったギルド長が俺達を騙したのか!?」 正面の父と隣のトゥーリに詰め寄られて、わたしは二人を何とか落ち着かせようと、手をパタパタ振って、座らせる。 「ちょっと、落ち着いて座って。わたしも知ってることが少ないし、どう説明したらいいかわからないから、思いつくままに喋る感じになっちゃうんだけど......」 母は何とか落ち着こうとしているのか、震える手でコップを手にした。コクリと一口飲んで、先を促す。 「えぇ、ちゃんと話してちょうだい」 隣のトゥーリもコップに手を伸ばしたのが見えて、わたしもコップを手にとって、コクリと一口飲んでから、口を開いた。 「わたしの病気ね、身食いって言うんだって。すごく珍しい病気らしいの」 「聞いたことがないな」 「お金!?」 今度は目を剥いた母がガタッと立ち上がった。顔色が悪い。間違いなく、ギルド長に対して、自分達がお金を払っていないことに気付いたのだろう。できれば、金額については伏せておきたかったが、そういうわけにもいかないようだ。 「母さん、説明していくから聞いて」 「......」 物言いたげにわたしを見ながら、母がゆっくりと座り直す。 「身食いってね、身体の中に勝手に動く熱があって、それがどんどん増えていくの。ものすごく怒ったり、死にたいくらいがっかりしたり、そういう時に熱が勝手に身体の中で暴れ回って、自分が食べられていくような感じがする病気なの」 「食べられるって......」 トゥーリが真っ青になりながら、わたしを見つめる。指先や髪の先まで見て、本当に食べられているところがないか、確認している。 「身食いの熱も普段は自分の意思で動かせるんだよ。真ん中の奥の方に閉じ込めておく感じにしていると、大丈夫なんだけど、どんどん増えていくんだよね」 震えながらトゥーリがぎゅっとわたしの手を握った。 「閉じ込めておけなくなって、バーンと飛び出して、身体から溢れそうになるの。溢れる前にわたしが呑みこまれちゃうんだけど......今回もそんな感じで、熱が溢れて、溺れて食べられそうになったの。ギルド長は魔術具を使って、熱を吸い取ってくれたんだよ。いっぱい吸い取ってくれたんだけど、これはまた増えていくから、完全に治るってことは絶対にないんだって」 う~っと唸って、今にも泣きそうな潤んだ目でトゥーリがわたしを睨んだ。睨んでいるというよりは泣きそうなのを必死に我慢している顔と言った方が良いだろうか。 「あとね、その変な熱がわたしを少しずつ食べているから、あんまり大きくならないんだって、フリーダは言ってた。身食いを治すには、魔術具が必要で、お貴族様しか持ってないから、すごく高いの。それに、貴族階級とお付き合いがあるギルド長のようなお家じゃないと手に入らないんだって」 「だったら、マインが助かったのは......やはりギルド長のお陰で間違いはないんだな?」 「うん、ギルド長がフリーダのために集めていた魔術具を一つ、譲ってくれたの。だけど、もうないから、この先をどうするか自分で決めなさいって言われた」 「この先? 何か治る方法があるのか!?」 身を乗り出す父の目に希望の光が見て取れる。今にも泣きそうだったトゥーリの目も輝いた。 「貴族と契約して飼い殺されるか、家族と暮らしてこのまま朽ちるか、2つに1つだって......」 「飼い殺される? どういう意味だ?」 父の表情が理解不能と言わんばかりに歪んだ。言葉の意味がよく理解できなかったのか、トゥーリがきょとんとした顔で首を傾げる。母は蒼白になったまま、きつくコップを握りしめている。 「フリーダは貴族と契約しているから、魔術具を譲られて元気なの。家が裕福で力のある商人だから、条件の良い貴族と契約できたって言ってた。わたしは貴族と付き合いもないから、契約して命を繋いでもどういう扱いになるかわからないって」 「......それは、生きてるとは言えんだろう」 力ない父の呟きにわたしも深く頷いた。麗乃としての人生を歩んだからこそ、わたしは貴族の言いなりで、自分の自由にならない生き方を許容できない。 「ねぇ、マイン。お金はどうしたの? その、譲っていただいた魔術具だって、無料ではなかったのでしょう?」 「わたしが払ったから、大丈夫」 「いくらだったの?」 「高かったけど、命の値段だと思えば、まぁ......」 「だから、いくらだったの? 話をするんでしょう? 隠し事はなしよ」 わたしが言葉を濁すと、母がキッと目を吊り上げて怒りだした。うっと小さく呻きながら、わたしは少しばかり視線を逸らして、値段を呟く。 「......小金貨2枚と大銀貨8枚」 父の年収の2年半分に相当する金額に、みんなが目を剥いて口をポカーンと開けた。 「小金貨2枚と大銀貨8枚!? そんな大金、どうやって......」 「......ベンノさんが『簡易ちゃんリンシャン』の権利を買ってくれたの。作るのも、売るのも、値段を付けるのも全部ベンノさんの権利にする代わりに、身食いを......」 いつも油を絞って作っていたトゥーリが驚きの声を上げた。森で採ってきた収穫物を絞るだけだから、労力はかかっているが、元手は0だ。それを大金で買うという感覚がトゥーリには全く理解できないらしい。 「うん、お貴族様に売れば、かなり稼げるみたいだよ。もう工房があってね......」 わたしがトゥーリにリンシャンの工房ができた話をし始めると、父が厳しい顔で首を振って、じろりとわたしを睨んだ。 「もう終わった話はいい。聞きたいのはこれからの話だ。再発は確実なんだな?」 「うん」 「......どのくらいもつんだ? マインの話しぶりではもうわかっているんだろう? 話を必死で逸らしていたのも、それを聞かれたくなかったからだな?」 意外と鋭い父にわたしは思わず溜息を吐いた。身食いが治らないと聞いただけで、椅子を蹴倒して、テーブルを叩くくらい激昂した父に残された時間なんて言えない。そう思っていたが、こう言われては逃れるのも難しいだろう。 「わかるのは俺が父親だからだ。......こら、話を逸らそうとするな」 薄い茶色の目が睨みを利かせて、わたしを見ている。絶対に誤魔化されもしなければ、答えるまで逃がすこともないと決意している目に観念して、わたしは口を開いた。 「......だいたい一年」 「っ!?」 「次に身食いの熱があふれるまであと一年くらいだからよく考えろ、って言われてる」 しんと静まりかえった重い沈黙が満ちた。激昂するかと思った父がぐっと眉間にきつい皺を刻んで、俯く。 沈黙を破ったのは、トゥーリの嗚咽だった。 「っく......マイン、死んじゃうの? あと一年で?......そんなのってないよ!」 「トゥーリ、落ち着いて。本当だったら、もう死んじゃってたんだよ。フリーダとギルド長が魔術具を譲ってくれたから、あと一年生きられることになったの」 落ち着かせるつもりで言ったわたしの言葉は、火に油を注ぐ結果になったようで、トゥーリはボロボロと涙を流しながら頭を振った。 「えぅっ......もう死んじゃってたなんて言わないで! たった一年なんて! そんなの嫌! ひくっ......せっかくちょっと元気になってきたのに! 一緒に森に行けるようになってきたのに! マインが死んじゃうなんて嫌!」 麗乃の時は大地震で死んだから、家族の嘆きを見ることがなかった。こんな風に悲しませて泣かせてしまったのだろうか。 「泣かないで、トゥーリ。ねぇ、お願い。魔術具じゃなくても、身食いの熱を何とかできる方法がないか、探してみるから」 「見つからなかったら、どうなるの!? マイン、死んじゃうんでしょ!? そんなの嫌だよ! ぅわああぁぁぁん」 きつく抱き締められて、泣いてすがられて、胸がきつく締め付けられる。目の奥が熱くなってきて、我慢するつもりだったのに、わたしまで涙があふれてきた。 「トゥーリ......泣かないでよ。泣きたいのはわたしの方なのに......」 「ひくっ......ごめんね、マイン。わたしも探す。マインの病気を治す方法がないか、探すから......。ぅえっ......でもっ......泣き止まなきゃって思っても止まらない」 わたしも涙をこぼしながら、泣き止もうと努力しているトゥーリの背中を何度もポンポンしていると、父が静かな声で問いかけてきた。 「マインはどう考えている? フリーダさんのように生きていく方法もあるんだろう?」 「ぐすっ......わたし、貴族にどう扱われるかわからない状態で、家族と離れて生きたいなんて思えない。ひっく......フリーダは契約した貴族が許してくれたから、成人まで家族と暮らせるって言ってたの。じゃあ、契約した貴族が許してくれなかったら?」 答えなんて解りきっている。 「すぐに連れていかれちゃうってことだよね? 多分、待っていてくれる貴族の方が少ないんじゃないかな?」 「......そうだな」 身食いの熱を貴族が一体どんな風に利用するつもりなのか、全くわからない。けれど、契約し終わった者に時間をくれる方が奇特だと思う。契約が終わると同時に連れ去られると思えば、契約した方が家族といられる時間が短くなるのだ。 「だからね、このまま家族で暮らして死ぬならそれでもいいかなと思ってる。ぅえっ......家族と離れるの、嫌だもん」 「マイン......」 母の目にも涙が浮かんでいた。子供達に見せまいとするように少し顔を背けて、目元を拭う。 「まだ一年あるから。だから、自分がやりたいことを精一杯やって、悔いが残らないように生きるつもり。......わたし、家族と一緒にいていい? やっぱり、貴族と行っちゃった方がいい?」 「マインはわたしと一緒にいるの! いなくなっちゃダメ!」 トゥーリがみんなの声を代弁したようで、両親はその言葉に頷いただけだった。 ここにいても良いと許されたことが嬉しくて、わたしは涙を拭って、へにゃっと笑う。 「それで、相談したいのはここからなんだけど......」 「まだあるの?」 母がぎょっとしたように言ったけれど、わたしの病状については現状を知ってもらうための話で、相談ではない。病状を認識した上で、相談に乗って欲しいのだ。 「わたしの、お仕事のこと」 「商人になるんだろう?」 「そのつもりだったんだけど、わたしも先の見通しが甘かったというか、考えていられなかったというか。......わたしの体力で仕事なんてできないでしょ? オットーさんもそう言ってたの。店に迷惑じゃないかって」 父が苛立ちと怒りを含んだ声で小さく呟いた。オットーは正直に客観的な意見をくれただけなのに当たりなんてされたら悲惨すぎる。わたしは慌ててオットーが出してくれた案も付け加えた。 「だから、手紙や書類の代筆みたいな仕事を家でしながら、今まで通り、ベンノさんに商品を売ったり、門でお手伝いをしたりする方が身体には良いんじゃないかって提案してくれたの」 「そうか。オットーのヤツ......。そうだな。オットーの言うとおり、マインは家にいるのが一番だ。無理はしない方が良い」 父の意見に賛成するように、わたしにしがみついたまま嗚咽を漏らすトゥーリも母も何度も大きく頷く。 「わたし、一応ベンノさんの店に入る約束をしているんだけど、それを反故にするのってできるかな?」 この街の仕事に関して大した知識がないわたしが両親に聞きたかったのはこれだ。約束を破ることになるけれど、問題はないのだろうか。 「まだ正式に入ったわけではないし、仕事中にいきなり倒れると先方も困るわけだから、きちんと話をすれば、大丈夫だろう」 「そっか。じゃあ、せっかく見つけた仕事先はもったいないけど、身体優先でお仕事探してみるよ」 在宅でできる仕事があるか、まずベンノに相談してみるのもいいかもしれない。詳しい話は春になってからだ。 長々と話しこんでいたため、話が途切れた瞬間、わたしの口から大きな欠伸が出た。それを見た母がパンパンと軽く手を叩く。 「話がそれで終わりなら、もう寝なさい。遅いわ」 「うん、おやすみなさい」 「ぇっく......ぅくっ......おやすみ、なさ......」 まだえぐえぐと泣いているトゥーリと寝室に向かって、一緒にベッドに入る。 「トゥーリ、泣かないで。笑ってる方が可愛いよ。明日から一緒に色んなことしようね」 「うん、うん。いっぱいマインと遊ぶ。一緒にいるからね」 すぐにトゥーリがわたしの布団に潜り込んできて、どこにも行っちゃダメだとガシッと抱きついて眠り始めた。安心するならいいかな、とわたしもそのまま目を閉じる。 父がもっと発狂したり大騒ぎしたりするかと思っていたが、予想と違って、真剣で言葉少なに話を聞いてくれた。きちんと話ができてよかった、と安堵の息を吐いているうちに意識はゆっくりと落ちていく。 トゥーリが安心できるように好きなようにさせておいて寝ていたが、トゥーリに首を絞められて、目が覚めた。慌ててトゥーリの腕を解いて、その場から脱出する。 死んじゃうから。息できないと身食いじゃなくても死んじゃうから。 首を擦りながらわたしは目を瞬いた。普段、夜中に目が覚めたら真っ暗のはずの寝室に光の筋が入ってきている。まだ眠たい目を何度か擦ってみたけれど、間違いでも夢でもないようだ。 母さんが消し忘れたのかな? わたしはするりとベッドを下りて、トゥーリを起こさないように足音を忍ばせて、台所へと近付いた。 竈の炎しかない薄暗い台所で父が一人で酒をあおっていた。 声にならない慟哭が聞こえるようで、わたしはそっと目を逸らし、静かにベッドに戻った。

I tried to raise my left hand as high as I could to keep the blood from dripping, and shouted for help. Almost at the same moment the ring gave off a blue light, which shot straight into the sky. Then I heard the sound of wings and something was falling from the sky. Boom! I felt a slight impact from the soles of my feet. I tried to look down and saw that there were many black arrows at my feet, and Tronbay stopped as if it had lost its strength. “Head Priest!” Seeing the familiar arrows, I looked up again. The winged lion was coming down straight for me. With the arrows of the Head Priest, I had no more to worry about. But that was just my wishful thinking. Tronbay stayed quiet for only a few seconds, and after absorbing my dripping blood, it grew fast again. From my waist to my belly, from my belly to my chest, I felt the branches slowly climbing over me. Fear seized me again. “Head Priest, hurry...” The lion glided to the ground and the Head Priest sprang down. He rushed towards me with a long black bow in his hand. “Maine, how did this happen?!” “Priestess, sorry to keep you waiting!” Perhaps the G.o.d of darkness had finally answered his prayer, Damuel wielded his black knife and began to try to save me. The effect of his knife, however, could not be more different from that of the black arrows of the Head Priest. No matter how he attacked, Tronbay didn't stop. “How did blessings not work?!” “It's not that the blessing didn't work, it's that Tronbay recovered in an instant! Why?!” After being struck by the arrows, Tronbay only stopped for a moment and immediately resumed his activities. Though its growth slowed, it showed no sign of withering. The Head Priest continued to shoot black arrows at it in disbelief. “Head Priest, it is blood. It is my blood that makes it...” “Your blood?!” “After I told him why Tronbay was growing so fast, he suddenly raised his voice. I couldn't see his face, but I could tell by this alone that his eyes must have widened. “What do you think I was doing to keep you out of the battle? I even sent guards to protect you! Thoes guards are useless fools!” These words were uttered angrily by the Head Priest, and they severely rebuked the two knights who had been left to guard me. Now Damuel was fighting Tronbay with a knife, and Skicossa was trying to get the blessing of the G.o.d of darkness. After all, it was Skicossa who ignored the order of the Head Priest and threatened me, who was supposed to be protected, that led to this situation, so the Head priest was absolutely right. Moreover, after listening to the complaints of the Head Priest as he attacked Tronbay, I knew that my blood contained considerable magic. Not only Damuel, he muttered, but even half the knights with blessed weapons would not be able to save me. “There is no point in our attacking Tronbay now. We must stop the bleeding first. Where is your wound, Maine?!” “Here.” I tried to stretch my left hand. At the sight of the wound, the Head Priest groaned and whispered a spell: “Interverrugu.” His black bow turned back into a wand. Then he muttered another spell and waved his wand, and a jet of red light shot skyward. The red light was probably a signal, because I noticed that other knights coming when they saw it. “What comes next will hurt, but you mustn't cry. Tears, like blood, have a magical power.” As he reminded me, he ran his wand slowly over my wound. As soon as the wand, which emitted a dim glow, touched the wound, my body shuddered. “Ah!” A sense of conflict and pain as someone else's magic forced its way into my body made me tremble. My eyes involuntarily welled up physical tears. I looked up and kept breathing deeply, trying not to let the tears fall. I felt the wound begin to burn. The magic in me began to flow into the wound, fighting with the magic the Head Priest had injected into me, making it glint a yellowish light. As the light faded, the blood stopped. “My wound...” “This first aid is only going to stop the bleeding for a while. Your wound is not healing. Releasing magic around Tronbay would be like committing suicide, but there's nothing else I can do.” Thus said the Head Priest, in his exhaustion. My wound was no longer bleeding, but Tronbay was more alive than ever. “Head Priest...” “In order to stop the bleeding, I have lost the blessing of the G.o.d of darkness, so I have no weapon against Tronbay. Rescue should have come...” Said the Head Priest, looking up into the air, and shouting at the knights who were coming this way: “Too slow!”. He had always been so aristocratic that he never showed any real emotion outside the Secret Room, so it made me s.h.i.+ver to hear him roar now. “Lord Ferdinand, that signal for help... What happened?!” “Castid, it's the incompetence of the guards you chose that caused this! Save Maine now! I had lost my blessing to stop her bleeding, and now had no weapon against Tronbay. The branches are about to wrap around her neck. Hurry up!” “Yes!” With no weapon to confront Tronbay, the Head Priest turned aside to make way for the knights. Knights in metal armour charged with black weapons and stormed it. Explosions rang out all around me, sending up clouds of dust and debris. I began to cough uncontrollably. “Don't hurt Maine, Castid! Her blood will make good food for Tronbay!” The Head Priest gave his order and walked slowly to Skicossa and the attendants. I could only see his back, but there was no need for expressions or eyes to convey his burning anger. Although it was Skicossa who was at fault, he was an aristocrat of high standing. Under the rigid cla.s.s system of this world, will I in the end bear all the responsibility? At any rate, will they punish or question me, as my blood has caused this unexpected battle? ... It's possible. My mood darkened as I thought of what might happen next. The knights gathered around me, attacking the roots of Tronbay without a moment's rest. “... the blessing begins to take effect.” Damuel sighed with relief. Because the wound on the back of my hand no longer bled, Tronbay lost its nourishment and stopped growing. As a result of being attacked by weapons with the blessing of the G.o.d of darkness, the Tronbay around me began to wither, just like the giant Tronbay. Freed from the fear of strangulation, I settled for a moment. “Oh, it's really hard to use!” “Damuel, you're the only one here with a knife. Be careful!” It seemed that the blessed weapon could not change its form, and so it fell to Damuel with the knife to cut the branches around my neck, while the other knights had to slowly and deliberately cut the surrounding branches with the large weapons they had used in their crusade against the giant Tronbay. “Damuel, trainee priestess... is your name Maine? How did this happen? It's the first time I've seen Lord Ferdinand so angry.” Castid asked me in a low voice as he cut a branch at my feet. “Well......” Damuel turned his head to look at Skicossa. But he seemed unwilling to tell on Skicossa, and for a long time he faltered and said nothing. I felt an inexpressible restlessness at his ambivalence. The branches around my neck had been cleared away, so it would not be difficult to tell the truth in my present state, but whether Castid believed me or not was another matter. In a world where status was everything, I didn't know how much he would hear or believe what I say as a commoner. After all, he was also an aristocrat. ... What should I do? “I must know the truth. Come on!” Castid, driven by our silence, urged us through gritted teeth. Then I remembered that the Head Priest had said to him angrily: “Castid, it's the incompetence of the guards you chose that caused this!” He was now anxious to know, in order to save himself, why the Head Priest was so angry; perhaps he would listen to me. “If I tell you what happened, Lord Castid, will you keep me safe?” I asked gingerly, also wanting to make sure that Skicossa was behaving in a way that was acceptable to the aristocrats. At least they wouldn't suddenly kill me before the ceremony had done, I figured. At last I made up my mind to speak to Castid. “Even if I confess everything,” I said, “would an aristocrat be allowed to seize me by the hair, throw me to the ground, and threaten to gouge out my eyes with a knife, if I displeased him?” “What do you mean?... did you do these things to her?!” Castid took off his helmet with a loud clang, and showed his angry face. He glanced sharply at Damuel, who seemed frightened and began to defend himself with all his might. “It wasn't me! It was Skicossa who threatened her with a knife. I wanted to help her, but Skicossa wanted me to remember who I was...” “Idiot! No wonder Lord Ferdinand was furious!” Castid tore off the branches that had become extremely fragile. The branches cracked with a clatter. It seemed that not only the Head Priest, but Also Castid was angry at the guards' behavior. In this case, even if I had told the truth, I should not have been suddenly hacked to death. I made my own judgment and turned to face Castid's pale blue eyes, which were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with anger. “Speak quickly, Maine. But you must swear to the G.o.ds that you will speak the truth without any falsehood.” “I see, Lord Castid. I swear to the G.o.ds that there will not be a lie in what I say next.” “Wait a minute...” Damuel interrupted me, but Castid pushed him aside. Convinced that Castid was serious about hearing my story, I gave a full account of what the two guards had done, and stated that the attendants, who were present at the time, could testify for me. It took the Order quite a long time to get me out of the tangle of branches without hurting me, so long that I could not get out of it until I had told all the details. “Hey, are you okay?” “I don't think I'm okay. Call my attendant, please.” It was a long time before I was free again. I looked as miserable as a lamb. My new ceremonial dress had been torn, and the blood-stained cloth was riddled as if it had been corroded. I felt pain all over my body, and probably because I had fought so hard, I couldn't muster any strength. “Where is the attendant of the trainee priestess?!”

わたしが少しでも血が落ちるのを防ごうと手を上げた状態で、声の限り助けを求めて叫ぶのと、指輪が光るのはほぼ同時だった。青い光空に向かって伸びていく。 バサリという羽音と共に黒い何かが頭上から降ってきた。ボン、ボボン! と小さな衝撃が足元に響く。顔を動かすと足元に黒い矢が数本刺さっていた。わたしの周囲のトロンベが力を失ったようにおとなしくなる。 「神官長!」 見覚えのある矢にわたしは上を見上げた。羽を大きく広げたライオンもどきがこちらに向かって一直線に滑降してくるのが見える。 しかし、わたしが神官長の姿に安堵していられたのは、ほんの数秒のことだった。トロンベがおとなしかったのは、束の間のことで、わたしの手から零れる血によってすぐにトロンベは活性化し始める。 「神官長、急いで......」 「マイン、これは一体どういう事態だ!?」 「巫女見習い、待たせた!」 やっと闇の神の加護を得られたらしいダームエルが黒いナイフを振り回しながら、わたしを救出しようと奮闘を始めた。だが、ダームエルの魔力が低いのか、神官長の黒い矢とは全く効果が違い、いくら切りつけてもトロンベは全くおとなしくならない。 「全く加護が効かない!?」 「効いていないわけではない! すぐにトロンベが復活するのだ! 何故だ!?」 神官長が矢を刺した後、数秒間はおとなしくなるが、またすぐに力を得てトロンベは活動を始める。成長速度は落ちたものの、全く朽ちていかないトロンベに神官長は舌打ちしながら矢を刺し続ける。 「神官長、血が、わたしの血が......トロンベを」 トロンベが活性化する原因を伝えると、神官長は声を荒げた。それだけで、兜の中では、カッと眦を開いて、眉を吊り上げている顔が思い浮かぶ。 「一体何のために君を現場から引き離し、わざわざ護衛を付けたと思っている!? 何のための護衛だ!? 無能が!」 神官長はそう吐き捨てるように言いながら、護衛として残っていた騎を罵った。ダームエルは黒いナイフを持って奮闘しているが、シキコーザは今、闇の神の祝福を得ようと奮闘しているところだ。 そして、神官長が矢でトロンベを制しながら、言っている文句でわかったことだが、わたしの魔力はかなり多いらしい。ダームエルはもちろん、騎士団の半数くらいは祝福を受けた武器で攻撃しても効果がないかもしれないと神官長が呟いた。 「いくら牽制しても傷口を塞がねば意味がないな。マイン、傷口はどこだ!?」 「ここです」 わたしは目一杯に左手を伸ばす。傷口を見た神官長は軽く舌打ちして、「エントヴァフヌング」と呟いた。黒い弓が淡く光るタクトへと変化する。 すぐさま神官長が「ロート」と呟きながら、タクトを振ると、赤い光が空に向かって伸びていく。赤い光が何かの合図だったのか、他の騎士達が次々と飛んでくるのが見えた。 「苦痛だろうが、絶対に泣かぬように。涙も血も魔力を含んでいるという意味では変わらぬからな」 そう忠告した神官長が光るタクトでわたしの傷口をゆっくりとなぞっていく。タクトから出てくる、もやもやとした光が傷口に触れた途端、ぞわりと全身が震えた。 自分ではないものが無理やり自分の中に入って来ようとしているような違和感と苦痛で全身に鳥肌が立った。生理的な涙が込み上げてくる。涙を零さないように上を向いて、ふーっとゆっくり息を吐いた。 傷口が熱くなり、まるで異物の侵入を防ごうとするように、自分の中の魔力が一斉に傷口へと向かって移動するのがわかる。わたしの魔力と神官長が流し込もうとする魔力がぶつかり合って、傷口が薄い黄色に光った。光が消えた時には傷口が完全に塞がっていた。 「傷が......」 「傷口を塞ぐだけの応急処置だ。魔力で塞いでいるだけで、完治したわけではない。何より、トロンベの上で魔力を出すなど自殺行為だが、仕方あるまい」 疲れきったように息を吐きながら、神官長が呟く。傷口は塞がったけれど、トロンベは今まで以上に活性化している。 「神官長......」 「私は祝福を打ち切って、君の傷を塞いだ。トロンベに対抗できる武器がない。すぐに救援が来るはずだが......」 そう言いながら、神官長は空を睨み上げて、こちらに向かって滑降してくる騎士団に向かって「遅い!」と怒鳴った。基本的に貴族然としていて、隠し部屋以外で感情らしい感情を見せることがない神官長の怒声に、わたしは動けないままビクッとする。 「フェルディナンド様、救助信号とは一体何が......何だ、これは!?」 「カルステッド、お前が選んだ護衛が無能でこの不始末だ。即刻マインを救い出せ。私は加護を打ち切ったので、使えぬ。枝が首まで伸びつつある。急げ」 「かしこまりました!」 トロンベに対抗できる武器を持っていない神官長がわたしから離れて行き、代わりに黒いハルバートを構えた金属鎧が駆け寄ってきて、武器を一息に振りおろした。ドゴン! という爆発音と共に、土煙やトロンベの小さな破片が巻き上がる。 「カルステッド、マインには傷一つ付けるな! 格好の餌になる」 もしかしたら、貴族と平民という身分差の建前上、貴族であるシキコーザの罪状を全部被せられて、わたし一人が頭ごなしに怒られる展開になるのだろうか。トロンベが活性化したのはわたしの血が原因だから、と何か罰則があったり、罪に問われたりするんだろうか。 ......あり得る。 これから先の展開を考えて憂鬱になってきたわたしの周りには、大量の騎士が集まっていた。黒いハルバートを持った騎士達が地中に突き刺すようにして、手を休めることなくトロンベの根を断ち切っている。それと同時に黒いナイフを構えた騎士がわたしの首に絡みつき始めた茎を少しずつ切り取っていた。 「......加護が効き始めた」 ダームエルが心底ホッとしたような声を出した。手の甲の傷が塞がり、これ以上血が零れることがなくなったため、トロンベは活性化しようがないようで、伸びる気配はなくなったのだ。 闇の神の祝福を帯びた武器を使えば、先程の巨大トロンベと同じように、黒く変色した部分が出てきて、武器を当てたところから朽ちていく。 「くっ、やりにくい!」 「ナイフを持っているのはお前だけだ。丁寧にやれよ、ダームエル」 どうやら祝福を受けた後は武器の形を変えることができないようで、騎士達は巨大トロンベを切り倒すために作りだされた大きな武器で少しずつ慎重にわたしの周囲のトロンベの枝を切っていく。 「ダームエル、それから、巫女見習い......マインと言ったな? 何故こんなことになっているんだ? あれほど怒っているフェルディナンド様は初めてだぞ」 大きなハルバートでわたしの足元の枝を切りながら、カルステッドが声を潜めて素早く問いかけた。 ダームエルがガチガチッと金属の擦れる音を立てて、シキコーザの方を見た。しかし、積極的に告発する気がないようで、言葉は曖昧に濁される。 ......どうしよう? しかし、信用されるかどうかは別問題で、おそらく身分が物を言う状況になる。わたしの言葉がどれくらい通じるのか、信用されるのかはわからない。カルステッドも貴族だ。またこの状況の二の舞になることも考えられる。 「少しでも情報が欲しい。はっきり喋れ」 歯噛みするような苛立った声音でカルステッドが低く唸って、わたしとダームエルを促す。 そういえば、神官長は「無能を護衛に選んだ」とカルステッドにも怒りを向けていた。今ならば、神官長の怒りの原因を探ろうとしているカルステッドが、保身のためにもわたしの話をきちんと聞いてくれるかもしれない。 「カルステッド様、わたくしがお話をしたとして、身の安全は保障されるのでしょうか?」 シキコーザの行動が貴族として普通なのかどうか確認する意味を込めて、わたしはカルステッドに問いかける。儀式が終わっていない今ならば、少なくともいきなり殺されるようなことはないはずだ。 「何だ、それは?......まさか、巫女見習いを相手に、したのか!?」 カルステッドがガシャッと音を立てて、兜の顔を覆っていた部分を跳ね上げた。怒りに満ちた険しい目がダームエルを貫く。ダームエルはカルステッドの剣幕に驚いたようで、必死に自己弁護する。 「私ではありません! シキコーザがナイフを取り出して、巫女見習いを脅したのです。助けようにも、身分を弁えよと言われ......」 「阿呆が! フェルディナンド様のお怒りは当然だ!」 神官長だけではなく、カルステッドも護衛達の行動には怒っているようだ。これならば、多分正直に話してもいきなり切りかかられるようなことにならないだろう。そんな風に状況を判断していたわたしに、カルステッドが鋭い目を向けてきた。 「マイン、話せ。全て、正確に、嘘偽りなく、神に誓って述べろ」 「かしこまりました。カルステッド様。神に誓って嘘は申しません」 ちょっと待てと言わんばかりに上げられたダームエルの手をカルステッドが払いのける。真面目に聞いてくれる雰囲気を察したわたしは二人の護衛がしたことを詳細に告げた。側仕えから裏が取れると証人の存在も強調しながら。 複雑にがっちりと絡んだトロンベから、決して傷を付けることなくわたしを救出するのには、かなり時間がかかった。全部話し終わっても、まだ終わっていなかったくらいだ。 「おい、大丈夫か?」 「......ダメです。わたくしの側仕えを呼んでください」 トロンベに巻きつかれていたわたしはボロボロだ。新調したばかりの儀式用の服はあちこちが擦り切れていて、血を含んでいた部分はまるでトロンベに食われたように穴が開いている。身体中が痛いし、必死に抵抗していたせいか、ぐったりと全身が疲れていて力が入らない。 「巫女見習いの側仕え、どこだ!?」 シキコーザから事情聴取していた神官長はこちらを一瞥しただけで、視線を元に戻す。兜を脱いで、表情が良く見えるようになっている神官長は、先程より怒りが増しているように見えた。 口を押さえたまま、ひくひくと震えるわたしを見たフランがざっと青ざめながら、神官長のもとへと走る。 「では......」 「はっ!」

The Head Priest has begun my training of Fespiel . What he hands to me is a small Fespiel for children beginners, though it’s still large for me . The strings of a child-specific Fespiel are less than that of adult-specific one . The range, which has about 5 octaves, is about half of adult-specific Fespiel’s . It is about twice Pianica's range . "If you lean it against your shoulder, this angle will make you feel heavier and heavier . Please try your best to support it as straight as possible . " As the Head Priest does, I lay it between my thighs, supporting it with my upper arm and my left shoulder . The Fespiel is made of wood . No heavy material is used, so I can hold it like this . "Fespiel can play all the pitches . If you master it, it will be very helpful for you to learn other instruments . " Perhaps because the small one is for practice, one of the strings is colored . What the Head Priest is touching is just that one . "This is the basic sound . " . . . Oh, it’s the sound Do . When I was Urano Motosu, my mother taught me piano for about three years . I learnt that the basic sound of music is Do, the next is Re, then the next is Mi... There is a difference of a semitone between two thin and soft strings in terms of pitch . Differing from piano, the Fespiel has no black key . So it is very difficult to find the right sound . "This is the scale . It makes the sound continue, high or low . " It’s just like remembering the numbers . The basic scales that the Head Priest explains are decoded into Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si in my mind . It will be difficult to play fluently before I get used to it, but since I've known that the colored string is Do, I can play some melodies that I learned before . "Blossom . . . Blossom . . . " Accompanied by the melody, I chant these words and sing the song "Tulip" . The Head Priest widens his eyes lightly . "What is this song?" "It's a song for flowers, as you heard . " There is no tulip in this world, so I'm sure that the Head Priest don't know this flower and will get confused if I tell him about the song "Tulip" . Thinking of this, I lower my eyes . " . . . You must have a music talent . " "No, I don't! Not even a little!" Oops . I've raised the hurdle for myself . In his view, it looks like I can play a piece of melody created by myself, with a musical instrument that I have never touched before . The Head Priest may regard me as a genius like Mozart . Thus it will be a great trouble for me . I can only play some pieces recalled from a few songs which were performed in the school chorus, and several melodies which were heard at piano concerts during my school days . Not because I have the so-called talent for music . "No, you should not jump to the conclusion by yourself . To be honest, I have been worrying how far a commoner can do . But now I believe that you will play well soon . " In spite of my desperate negation, the Head Priest begins to make a training plan with a grin, mainly intending to cut down my important reading time . "Excuse me, Sir . May I have more time to read?" "But daily practice is essential for you to master the instrument . " "Eh, I know that . But I just cannot sacrifice my reading time . " I have to take care of the children of the orphanage, and manage Maine's Workshop, and a.s.sist the Head Priest in the official business . Fran is also busy with many things . So I won't have so much time even when I stay at the temple . Dinner time is strictly controlled . And the books are locked so I can't borrow or take them out . The time for reading is much less than I thought before I entered the temple . "When I came to the temple, the Head Priest asked me to provide mana, and to organize the library . As to a.s.sisting the Head Priest with official business, I do it out of my own kindness . I would like spend the a.s.sistant time, rather than reading time in practicing the Fespiel . " Considering my words in silence, the Head Priest weighs official business and music training, then he seems to conclude that the latter is more important . He tells me that after I arrive at the temple I need to accept the Fespiel training till the third bell rings . "Well, let's notify Wilma and Rosina . And then I will come to check occasionally . Please do your best in your practice . If you slack off in practice, I'll know right away . " "Ha . . . . " I'm supervised, just like being stuck by an oversized nail . It's difficult for me to concentrate on practicing an instrument that I'm not interested in without supervision . In that sense, the Head Priest is right indeed . "Well, then, Miss Maine . Please go to the orphanage . Because you need to notify your attendants Wilma and Rosina . " After seeing off the Head Priest, I go to the orphanage with Fran . And while we are talking at the orphanage, Delia and Gil clean the room for Rosina . "Please . Make it clean by the time we are back . " "Lutz is always surprised by the Gil's speed of cleaning . Thank you . " "Ok!" I go to the dining hall of the orphanage with Fran, and have somebody call Wilma and Rosina . Children in the orphanage who finished the work of Maine's Workshop are looking at us with curiosity . Maybe they have known why I call the two . "Does Miss Maine take Wilma away as your attendant?" "Will Wilma go?" Little children stare at me anxiously . I can see that they love Wilma deeply and feel relieved to make her stay at the orphanage . "Wilma will become my attendant . And, as director of the orphanage, I will have Wilma continue to work in the orphanage . Her job is to take care of you guys . " "Wow! "Really?" The cheerful children rush towards Wilma who just showed up in the dining room . They cling to Wilma, pulling her clothes and arms . "Wilma, you can still stay at the orphanage when you are my attendant!" "As Wilma said, Miss Maine managed to do it!" Fran explains . Crowded by the children, Wilma comes quickly with a happy smile . "Good afternoon, Miss Mine . " "As I said that day, I will take Wilma as my attendant . " I invite Wilma to have a seat, and tell the children stay away and keep quiet until we finish the talk . The children leave as rolling waves, and line up against the wall, still looking at us with a happy face . Wilma sits in front of me . I can see her calm brown eyes get wet for delight . "As my attendant, you need to take care of the children who have not received baptism and to draw the picture that I ask . Since the young children may have a fever at night, you will stay here and live in the orphanage . I have talked about it with the Head Priest . " Now, Wilma can live in the girl's wing of the orphanage . And other blue-robed priests cannot call her for flower offering anymore . "Thank you . I will work with all my heart for you . " "Thank you . " After talking with Wilma, Rosina appears in the dining room . Her hair is half-up today . I remember it was grouped together behind when I saw her earlier . Her blue eyes are s.h.i.+ning brightly and she has fluffy and maroon hair, like Tuuli . Rosina has a beautiful, mature appearance . Since she has not put her hair together, she is not an adult yet . Rosina is a neat lady, with beautiful hair and dignified behavior . When I see Wilma and Rosina, I can imagine their former masters' mode of behavior . They must be adept at arts . . . . Perhaps, the Head Priest wants me to behave like Rosina . I can understand . But human beings choose their own way of life . How can I compare with the beautiful attendants who refine every behavior, and boast courtesy? I sigh heavily . "Please be my attendant, Rosina . " "Oh!" Rosina covers her mouth with hands . Her face flushes, as if it is unbelievable . Even though I do the same thing, different people's response is quite different . I drop my eyes slightly . . . . I think that beautiful Rosina is a little shy . "The Head Priest asks me to improve artistic cultivation and recommends you as my attendant . We will practice the Fespiel every time when I arrive at the temple, till the third bell rings . The rest of time, you will do the same job as other attendants . What do you think?" "Ok . Ok, sure . It's very good . Fespiel is my favorite musical instrument . " Having finished our talk, I leave the orphanage with Rosina . Wilma and the children see us off . Rosina has no personal luggage at the orphanage . She moves to my house without bringing anything . Her necessities should be prepared by me . When we return, all a.s.sistants are waiting on the first floor . Fran takes me to the upstairs . After telling me not to eavesdrop their talk, Fran took Gil and Delia back to the first floor . Then all the attendants gather on the first floor . Fran introduces everyone to Rosina . Apparently, as a master, I shouldn’t eavesdrop on communication between the attendants . Now I'm idle, so I scan the score left by the Head Priest . It is the music for the first lesson . It's not that long, but it's hard to remember the melody which I'm not familiar with . Suddenly, I hear Gil say, "I'm going to clean up the workshop and check the lock," and a sound of leaving the room . After the introduction and guidance on the first floor is over, Fran goes to the second floor with Rosina to show her the room of female attendants . Delia follows them to help Rosina prepare the room . "Oh! Fespiel . . . . Miss Maine, may I play it now?" Seeing the large and small Fespiels in the room, Rosina cries with emotion . I know the excitement that one will show when seeing the thing he really wants, so I want to nod immediately . But I am disturbed by Delia's voice . “Well, Rosina! The instrument will not escape . It is better to have the room prepared first . " " . . . Yes, Delia is right . " It is not good to have Delia help her prepare the room, while she herself strums an instrument . Rosina enters the room while looking at Fespiel with a strong attachment . There is little luggage, so the room will be prepared soon . "Miss Maine, may I play Fespiel now?" I nod at Rosina who quickly has the room prepared . Her blue eyes brighten delightedly . She takes the Fespiel, touches it with her thin fingertip, and strums one string gently . As a high sound resounds, Rosina slightly drops her eyes and sighs, listening with an enchanted expression . "I want to hear Rosina play the Fespiel . Could you please play a song?" Holding the Fespiel, Rosina bows gently and moves her hand down from the top of the Fespiel softly . After an act resembling Ballerina's greeting, Rosina sits in a chair and holds the Fespiel . As Rosina moves her fingers softly to stroke a string, a delicate and melodious sound comes out . I've never heard this thin and high-pitched song, but her teary-eyes and slightly opened mouth are all reflecting the joy of being able to play the instrument . " . . . It's a very nice performance . " "My honor, Miss Maine . I am really happy to perform once again . . . . I will serve you with all my heart . " Therefore, I have two more attendants, and start my Fespiel training as a daily routine .

神官長先生によるフェシュピールの練習が始まった。わたしに手渡されたのは、初めて練習する子供向けの小さなフェシュピールとはいえ、自分の身長から考えると、結構大きいものだ。 子供用の弦の数は大人用のフェシュピールに比べてかなり少ない。大人用が5オクターブくらいの音域があるのに比べると、およそ半分ほどで、弾ける音域はピアニ分くらいだ。 「肩に立てかけるようにして支えるのだが、斜めになるとだんだん重みが増してくる。なるべく真っ直ぐに支えられるようになりなさい」 神官長がしていたように、太股の間に挟むようにして左の肩から二の腕で支えるようにして持つ。基本的に木でできていて、重い素材があまり使われていないので、支えるだけなら、わたしでも何とか構えることができた。 「フェシュピールは全ての音が詰まった楽器と言われている。これで音を覚えれば、他の楽器を触る時にも役に立つ」 練習用の楽器だからだろうかだけ弦に色が付いている。その弦を神官長がピィンと弾いた。 「これが一番基礎になる音だ」 ......あ、ドの音だ。 母に無理やり習わされたとはいえ、麗乃時代にピアノほど習っていたわたしは、ここでも音楽の基本となる音がドであることを知った。一本飛ばしてレ、更に一本飛ばしてミ。 ずらっと並んでいる細い弦だが、半音ずつ音が変わるようで、ピアノの弦を直接弾いているような感じだ。ピアノと違って黒鍵がないので、音を探すのが非常に難しいのだけれど。 「これが音階で、高く、あるいは、低く、音はずっと続いていく」 数字を覚えた時のように、神官長が説明していく基本の音階が脳内でドレミファソラシと置き換わっていくのがわかる。 慣れるまでスラスラ弾くのは難しいだろうけれど、色のついた弦がドだとわかれば、自分が知っている曲を弾くことはできそうだ。 「さいた......さいた......」 こちらの言葉に合わせながら、わたしがたどたどしく「チューリップ」を弾いて満足していると、神官長が軽く目を見張った。 「何だ、その曲は?」 「聞いたまま、お花の歌です」 ここにはチューリップが存在しないが、神官長が全ての花を知っているわけでもないので問題ない。わたしが言いきると、神官長が顎に指を当ててしばらく考え込んだ後、わたしを見下ろした。 「......君には音楽の才能があるのではないか?」 「いえ、ないです! これっぽっちも!」 しまった。自分からハードルを上げてしまった。 初めて触った楽器でいきなり自作した曲を弾くなんて、エピソードだけ見れば、まるでモーツアルトのようではないか。あんな天才を見るような目で見られると困る。 わたしが暗譜しているのなんて、学生時代に覚えさせられた学校唱歌とピアノの発表会で弾かされた数曲くらいだ。音楽の才能なんてないのだ。 「いや、自分から決めつけるものではない。正直平民に一体どれだけできるか、と不安に思っていたが、これなら物になるのも早そうだ」 わたしの必死の否定に構わず、神官長はニヤリとした眼差しで練習計画を立て始める。主に、わたしの大事な読書の時間を削る方向で。 「あの、神官長。わたくし、これ以上読書の時間を削る気はございませんよ?」 「だが、楽器を覚えるには毎日の練習が必要不可欠だ」 「えぇ、それは存じております。それでも、読書の時間だけは譲りません」 孤児院の様子を見に行ったり、マイン工房の様子を見たり、神官長のお手伝いをしたり、フランが忙しかったり、神殿にいても図書室に籠れる時間はそれほど長くない。ご飯の時間はきっちりと管理されているし、鎖に繋がれていて貸出もしてもらえないのだから、本を読める時間は神殿に入る前にわたしが考えていたよりもずっと少ないのだ。 「わたくしが神殿に入るにあたって、神官長から提示された仕事内容は魔力の提供と図書室の整理でございました。神官長の執務のお手伝いは、あくまでわたくしの善意によるお手伝いということになっておりますよね? 神官長のお手伝いする時間をフェシュピールの練習に当てたとしても、読書の時間は絶対に譲りませんわ」 グッと言葉に詰まった神官長だったが、執務と音楽を秤に乗せた結果、音楽の方が重要だと判断したらしい。神殿に来てから3の鐘が鳴るまでの時間をフェシュピールの練習に当てるように言われた。 「では、ヴィルマとロジーナに通達しておくように。それから、時々確認に来るので、そのつもりでフェシュピールの練習に励みなさい。怠けていたらすぐにわかるぞ」 「はひ......」 特大の釘を刺されてしまったけれど、監視されなければ、あまり興味のない楽器の練習なんて真面目にするわけがない。そういう意味では神官長は実に正しい。 「では、マイン様。孤児院に参りましょう。ヴィルマとロジーナを側仕えに召し上げなければなりませんから」 神官長を見送った後、わたしはフランと一緒に孤児院に向かうことにする。そして、孤児院で話をしている間に、ロジーナが使うための部屋をデリアとギルに掃除してもらう。 「任せとけ。戻ってくるまでには綺麗にしてやるからな」 「ギルの掃除はルッツが驚くくらい速いもの。よろしくね」 「おぅ!」 フランと孤児院の食堂に赴き、ヴィルマとロジーナの二人を呼び出してもらった。 わたしが呼び出す意味を知っているのだろう、マイン工房の仕事を終えた孤児院の子供達は興味津々の目でこちらを見ている。 「マイン様がヴィルマを側仕えにするのですか?」 「ヴィルマ、いなくなっちゃうのですか?」 小さな子供達が不安そうにわたしを見つめてくる。ヴィルマは相当子供達に慕われているようで、孤児院に残すことができてよかったと安堵の息を吐く。 「ヴィルマを側仕えにします。そして、孤児院の院長としてわたくしはヴィルマには孤児院でお仕事していただこうと考えています。貴方達のお世話というお仕事ですわ」 「わぁ! ホントに?」 歓声を上げた子供達が食堂へと姿を見せたヴィルマの元へと我先に駆け寄っていった。服を引っ張り、腕を引っ張りながら、ヴィルマにまとわりつく。 「ヴィルマ、側仕えのお仕事は孤児院でするって!」 「ヴィルマが言ってた通り、マイン様が何とかしてくれたよ!」 子供達を引き連れながら、ヴィルマは嬉しそうな笑顔で足早にやってきた。 「マイン様、お話があると伺いました」 「えぇ、先日お話した通り、ヴィルマをわたくしの側仕えとします」 わたしはヴィルマに席に着くように示し、子供達はお話が終わるまでは離れて静かにしておくように言い渡した。波が引くように子供達は壁際へと並び、それでも、嬉しそうな顔でこちらをじっと見ている。 わたしは正面に座るヴィルマを見た。穏やかな茶色の瞳が嬉しそうに潤んでいる。 「側仕えとなったヴィルマの仕事は、洗礼前の子供達の世話とわたくしが依頼する絵を描いてもらうことです。幼い子供達は夜中に熱を出すこともあるので、基本的に孤児院で生活していただくことになります。神官長にもお話しておきました」 これで、ヴィルマは孤児院の女子棟に籠ったまま、生活することができる。他の青色神官に召し上げられて花捧げに利用されることもない。 「ありがとうございます。精一杯、マイン様にお仕えしたいと存じます」 「お願いしますね」 ヴィルマに通達した後、ロジーナが食堂に現れた。以前に見た時には後ろで一つにまとめていた髪を今日はハーフアップにしている。トゥーリと同じようにふわふわとうねる栗色の髪に鮮やかな青の瞳が輝いていた。 ロジーナは大人びた綺麗な顔立ちをしている。髪をまとめていないので、まだ成人はしていないようだ。癖のある髪が豪奢で、立ち居振る舞いが楚々としているので、清楚なお嬢様に見える。ヴィルマとロジーナの振る舞いを見ていると、芸術が好きだったという前の主の立ち居振る舞いが目に浮かぶようだ。 ......多分、ロジーナのような立ち居振る舞いを神官長からは望まれているんだろうな。 わかるけれど、人間、向き不向きというものがあるのだ。美人で動きの一つ一つが洗練されていて、教養まである側仕えとこれから比べられるのか、と思うと、何となく重い溜息が出てしまう。 「ロジーナをわたくしの側仕えにします」 「まぁ!」 信じられないとばかりに、ロジーナは口元を押さえて、頬をバラ色に染め上げる。わたしが同じことをしても、周囲の感想に雲泥の差が出るとわかる仕草に、軽く目を伏せた。 ......美人さんの可愛い仕草は、卑怯だと思います。 「神官長に教養を身につけよ、と言われ、ロジーナを側仕えにするよう勧められました。ロジーナの仕事は、わたくしが神殿に着いてから3の鐘が鳴るまで、わたくしにフェシュピールを教えることと、それ以外の時間は他の側仕え達と同じように仕事をしていただくことになります。よろしいかしら?」 「えぇ。えぇ、もちろんですわ。何の否がございましょうか。フェシュピールは私が一番得意な楽器なのです」 話を終えたわたしはロジーナを伴って、ヴィルマと子供達に見送られながら孤児院を後にした。孤児院に個人の荷物はない。身一つで部屋を移動し、側仕えの生活に必要なものは主が準備することになるのだ。 部屋に戻ると一階にロジーナを待たせた状態で、フランはわたしを二階へと連れて行く。決して一階には下りずに寛いでおくように、と言い含めた後、ギルとデリアを連れて一階へと戻っていった。 一階に側仕えが集合し、フランによってそれぞれの紹介が行われる。どうやら、こういう側仕え間の連絡などは主の目に触れさせてはならないらしい。 放置されて暇だったわたしは、神官長が書き残していったこの世界の楽譜を眺めていた。第一の課題曲である。それほど長くはないけれど、耳慣れない曲を覚えるのが難しい。 ふいに「オレ、工房の片付けや施錠の確認をしてくるからな」と言うギルの声が聞こえ、部屋を出て行く音がした。紹介や一階の案内が終わったようで、フランが女性用の側仕え部屋へと案内するためにロジーナと一緒に二階へ上がってきた。デリアはロジーナの部屋を整える手伝いするため、一緒だ。 「まぁ! フェシュピールが......。マイン様、早速弾いてもよろしいでしょうか?」 部屋に大小二つ並んで置かれているフェシュピールを見て、ロジーナが感極まったような声を出した。 自分が求めるものに久し振りに巡りあえた時の感激を知っているわたしは、すぐに頷いてあげたかったが、デリアの声に思いとどまった。 「もー! ロジーナさんったら! 楽器は逃げませんわ。先に部屋を整えたほうがよろしいですわよ」 「......デリアの言うとおりね」 デリアに部屋を整えるのを手伝ってもらっているのに、当人が楽器を掻き鳴らしているのは良くない。 名残惜しそうにフェシュピールを見ながら、ロジーナが部屋へと入っていった。まだ荷物は少ないので、部屋を整えることにそれほどの時間はかからないはずだ。 「マイン様、フェシュピールを弾いてもよろしいでしょうか?」 部屋を手早く整えたロジーナにわたしが頷くと、ロジーナは青い瞳を嬉しそうに輝かせて、フェシュピールを手に取った。細い指先でフェシュピールをそっと撫でて、一つ弦を弾く。高い音が響き、それを軽く目を伏せて、うっとりとした表情で聴きながら、溜息を吐いた。 「ロジーナの弾くフェシュピールを聴きたいわ。弾いてみてくださる?」 ロジーナはフェシュピールを抱えると、軽く腰を落として、ふわりと踊るように手を上から下へと動かした。バレリーナの挨拶に似た動作の後、ロジーナは椅子に座ってフェシュピールを構える。 ロジーナの指が柔らかく弦を撫でるように軽やかに動くと同時に、繊細で儚い音が紡ぎだされた。同じ楽器を奏でているはずなのに、演者の個性か、選曲の違いか、神官長の音と少し違って聞こえる。 細く高い声で歌われる歌はやはり知らないものだったが、潤んだ瞳も綻んだ口元も、何もかもが楽器を演奏できる喜びに満ち溢れていた。 「......とても素敵な演奏でしたわ」 「光栄です。また、演奏できるなんて、私、本当に嬉しくて......。心をこめてお仕えさせていただきますわ」 こうして、わたしの側仕えは二人増え、日課としてフェシュピールの練習が入ることになった。

Fran looks back and forth between me and Gil, then slowly opens his mouth to speak. “It is the duty of the blue-robed clergy to distribute the blessings of the G.o.ds—rather, the necessities of life―amongst their subordinates. When a blue-robed priest or priestess joins the temple, they are given attendants, to whom they grant rooms and clothing so that their attendants may live alongside them.” “As I do not have a room at the temple,” I say, “is it the case that my attendants must still live at the orphanage?” Fran nods slowly. “Essentially, yes. Furthermore, with regards to meals: a priest eats first, then their attendants and apprentices dine on the remainder, then what remains of that is brought to the orphanage as the blessings of the G.o.ds. You may note that it is natural, as such, for the blessings bestowed upon an attendant to be much more plentiful than those bestowed upon the orphans.” I didn’t want to be separated from my family, so my number one concern was making sure that I didn’t have to go to the orphanage. I’d been happy to be given the right to still live at home, but I hadn’t thought of how breaking with the temple’s customs like that would affect my attendants. “Then, Fran, as you have been rea.s.signed from Father Ferdinand’s service to my own, were you thus forced to leave his chambers and return to the orphanage?” If that’s the case, then it would be natural for him to be depressed about his demotion and lash out because of it. Fran has been nothing but extremely helpful, but I really haven’t done anything to repay him yet. I’d been planning on splurging to give him weekend pay, but I might need to talk to the head priest as soon as possible about improving his working conditions. “No, I have not had to move from his chambers. Delia, I believe, has most likely not had to move either. When you are not at the temple, I a.s.sist Father Ferdinand in the performance of his duties and, as such, take my meals there.” Come to think of it, the head priest did say he was swamped with work and didn’t have enough capable people to help with it, didn’t he. I don’t think he’d leave someone like Fran to his own devices when I’m not around. I let out a small sigh of relief, happy to hear that I hadn’t subjected Fran to anything terrible. “So, in other words, are you perhaps saying that the only one impacted by this is Gil?” “I believe that he may be angry at not having had his expectations of improved treatment met. At the orphanage, regardless of whether one does their work or not, the blessings of the G.o.ds are distributed equally. However, it is not uncommon for attendants who do not perform their duties to be replaced. I personally find the thought that someone could expect to receive blessings as though they were an attendant while not actually performing their duties distasteful.” Fran, who takes a lot of pride in his work, glances briefly at Gil. “...So, in your view, there are no problems with things as they currently are?” “Then, perhaps I shall maintain the status quo for now, and be sure to be careful of how this may inconvenience you, Fran. Does this sound reasonable?” He pauses for a moment, possibly comparing how things are now to how they would be if I had a room of my own. “...Of course, Sister Maïne,” he says, quietly nodding. As soon as I start thinking that this conversation is finished, though, Gil starts yapping again. “Yeah, Fran, Fran, well, what about me?! I’m an attendant, too, just like him!” “...Don’t you think that’s a little off? You made it quite clear that you don’t consider me to be your master, did you not? Why, perhaps, would you think that I, who am not your master, should provide you with the necessities of life?” No matter how I look at it, nothing he’s done seems like the actions of an attendant looking to improve his working conditions. “That’s your duty as a blue-robed priest! Wh... what would be different if I did my work even though you’re not giving me food or a room?!” I’ve been thinking that, just like how Benno pays Mark and Lutz a wage, I need to make sure to pay my attendants. Of course, based on the amount of work they do and the quality of the result, their pay would change. There’s no way I’d pay Fran and Gil the same wage. “...What’s ‘pay’?” Gil blinks a few times, tilting his head in confusion. Lutz snorts with laughter, throwing Gil’s words from earlier back at him. “What, you seriously don’t know? You work, then you get paid. Everyone knows that, right?” “N, no they don’t!” “Pay is your reward for doing your work. It’s money that attendants who work for me will be paid.” “Money? ...Ah, ahh, money, huh.” It looks like Gil doesn’t know anything about money, either, from the way that he’s still tilting his head, but when his eyes briefly meet Lutz’s, he puts on a knowing expression. “I, for one,” I say, “would of course feel obligated to ask the head priest about acquiring a room for someone hardworking like Fran, but I see no real need to go to the trouble of such negotiations for someone like you, Gil, who does no work at all. No need in the slightest. That would cut into my reading time, now wouldn’t it?” My mornings are taken up by a.s.sisting the head priest and my lunchtime must absolutely be used for eating. All of that already chews up my limited time to read, so there’s no way I’d actually want to waste even more. “Now then, Fran. Would you please guide me towards the head priest’s chambers? I will be a.s.sisting him with his paperwork this morning.” “Of course, Sister Maïne.” Fran takes the lead, followed by me and Lutz, with Gil trailing behind. “Hey,” says Gil, “if I do my work, things’ll change, right?” “Of course,” I reply. “I fully plan to compensate you for whatever work is done.” The head priest looks up from his desk. “Ah, you made it? How are you feeling?” “Thank you for your concern, Father,” I reply, “but I am feeling quite well today. This is pure conjecture, but I believe that my earlier collapse may have been an aftereffect of the dedications. Do you know if one’s physical condition worsens when their body is not suffused with mana?” He puts down his pen, looking off into s.p.a.ce as if searching through his memories. “I know that people have died after their mana reserves are completely exhausted, but I’ve never heard of someone becoming physically weak if they don’t maintain mana throughout their body. It might be a peculiarity of the devouring.” “A peculiarity of the devouring?” “It’s possible. It is already rare to find individuals with the devouring, and since they often die young due to having too much mana, it hasn’t been studied in great detail. There are hardly any people with as much mana as you do who have been able to stay alive. It’s something I would very much like to study more closely.” He fixes his eyes on me, looking like a mad scientist who has just found his perfect research subject, and s.h.i.+vers run down my spine. I fight back the urge to immediately run away from his overpowering curiosity, instead forcefully changing the subject. “I have another question. If I recall correctly, the blue-robed clergy are sometimes asked to go to the n.o.bles’ quarter to perform rituals, are they not? Is there any particular sort of clothing that I should acquire, or...?” “There’s rituals that need to be performed yearly, but there aren’t many that would require an apprentice like you to come along. There isn’t any particular clothing you’d need, but it would be best if you were to have ceremonial blue robes made. ...Speaking of which, where are your robes?” When he points it out, I suddenly remember that I haven’t actually put on my robes yet. “I have been told that it would be dangerous for me to wear my robes out of the temple, so I was intending to put them on when I arrived here.” “What’s dangerous about that?” “I may be mistaken for the child of n.o.bles, kidnapped, and held for ransom. One moment, please, if I may...” I stick my hand into Lutz’s basket, which he’s set down at his feet, pulling out my bundled up robe and sash. “I’m putting on my robes,” I reply. I stick my head into the robes, carefully arranging the cloth so that it won’t tangle on my hairpin, then pull them down over me like I usually do. When my head pops out, I notice that Fran, at some point during this process, has knelt beside me. He has his hand stretched out, an awkward expression on his face. “Is there something wrong, Fran?” “...I was intending to a.s.sist you in getting dressed,” he replies. “Ah, um... could you a.s.sist me with my sash, please?” I probably shouldn’t mention that this is something I could easily do myself. I need to figure out what an attendant’s job actually is, somehow. As I hold still, my arms raised as Fran ties my sash around me, the head priest stares at me in exasperation. “Maïne, please get changed in your own room. This is unsightly.” Unexpectedly, the topic of having a room of my own has come up on its own. Since I know I’m going to have to get changed every day, I wonder if I could borrow some sort of locker room or storage room? “...Will you be giving me a room?” “No, I misspoke. When discussing your situation with the Reverend, I was able to secure you the right to live at home by asking if he would rather you instead be given a room in the part of the temple reserved for the n.o.bility. Since he seemed happy to refuse that to you, I can’t give you a room.” I didn’t actually know that the head priest was the only priest who’d thought that letting me do something convenient like commute to work was a good idea. It seems like he’s been bending over backwards for my sake when I haven’t been around. “Um, Father Ferdinand, are there no rooms outside the n.o.ble areas that I could use?” This idea seems to take him completely by surprise. He scowls at me so intensely that I think he might have completely misunderstood me. As he stares at me in total incredulity, I frantically try to explain my thinking. “As you well know, although I wear blue robes, I am not a n.o.ble. As such, I have no expectation that I would be given a room that would otherwise be used by the n.o.bility. If I could have a place to store my belongings and get dressed, as well as to have Lutz or Benno wait for me in if they come to visit, that would be more than plenty. Is there perhaps a storeroom that I could use for this purpose?” The head priest’s eyes fly open. “You want to receive guests in a storeroom?!” he yells. “How rude can you get?!” Sure, it would be rude to my visitors, but no more so than things are right now. “I understand what you are saying,” I continue, “but at this moment I don’t even have a storeroom. When Lutz has come to meet me, has he not been asked to wait for me outside the temple gates? I believe it is just as rude to ask a visitor to stand outside the gates as they wait for me, is it not?” “Even if it’s just for a short while, having a blue-robed priestess’s guests do that is unthinkable...” He rubs tiredly at his temples. “At the very least, I’m going to instruct the gatekeepers to bring them to a waiting room.” It seems that commoners who are visiting for some unknown reason are treated differently from people visiting a blue-robed priestess. I can tell that right now, he’s reminding himself of how I am not just a poor, ordinary girl, but an apprentice blue-robed priestess. “...Father Ferdinand,” says Arnaud, “might I suggest that Sister Maïne be allowed to use the orphanage director’s office? They are far from the parts of the temple used by the n.o.bility, but they are rooms previously used by a blue-robed priestess, so it is my belief that there would be no problems in having guests visit those rooms.” When he says that, a quiet disturbance ripples through the other priests in the room. The head priest makes a difficult expression, thinking for a moment, then nods. “Very well, then. Maïne, you may use the orphanage director’s office. Please use those from now on when you change your clothes or receive visitors. When your work here is done, Fran will show you to them.” “I’m very sorry if I am speaking out of turn,” I say, “but could we perhaps do that first? Lutz has come with me today to speak with Fran about the matter of managing my physical condition. They will need someplace where they can have such a conversation.” I’d thought that this was a perfect opportunity, but the head priest shakes his head. “The director’s office has been locked up for quite some time, so it is in need of enough work that it can’t be used immediately. Since you’re going to be working here in this room, it should be fine to them to have their discussion here. Fran, use that table there, please.” “Thank you, Father Ferdinand,” says Fran. Fran and Lutz move over to the table that the head priest points out. As I watch them go, I notice that Gil, looking tremendously bored, follows along. “Father Ferdinand,” I say, “if those rooms are so in need of maintenance, then is that not still more reason why it would be best for me to gain access to them now? If I could do so, then perhaps this morning, while I work here, I could have Gil sweep them out.” “What? Me?” Gil points at himself, shocked at how he’d been suddenly a.s.signed work, looking around to see if I’d actually meant anyone else. The other priests in the room glance at each other, shocked. “She’s trusting him to do that?” mutters one. “I heard he got sent to the reflection room for refusing to sweep out the hall of wors.h.i.+p,” whispers another. It seems that Gil’s lack of work ethic is famous. “Of course I do!” “Ah,” I respond. “I look forward to seeing what you can do, then. Do your best!” As I encourage Gil, the head priest hands a key to a young, gray-robed apprentice priest, who then leads Gil out of the room. The head priest watches them go, then, when the door clicks shut, turns to look at me. “If I don’t give him any work, then I can’t give him a proper a.s.sessment,” I respond. By the time the apprentice priest returns with the key, Lutz and Fran are already deep in their discussion about managing my condition, and I have already started helping the head priest with his paperwork. Today, the work I’ve been a.s.signed involves balancing the ledgers. “Since you’re a merchant, this should be simple,” the head priest said. The calculations themselves are simple enough, but no matter how much faith he’s putting in my ability to handle this all by myself, I’m actually a little stumped. In particular, there are a few things in here that don’t match up with anything I’m familiar with. “The calculations are the same as what I am used to,” I tell him, “but it seems that the temple’s accounting differs in several ways than what I usually encounter. What might this item here, 'the will of the G.o.ds’, be? At a glance, it seems to be the most common entry in the expenses.” Some of the other expenses are things like “offerings to the G.o.ds”, “flowers to the G.o.ds”, “water to the G.o.ds”, and even “the G.o.ds’ affection”. The thought of managing this account book, filled with cryptic G.o.d-related line items, is pretty scary. The head priest, in response to my question, looks at me with a perfectly blank expression for a short while. “Maybe it’s too much,” he mutters to himself, then points out a small section of the ledger. “...I’d like you to go over these numbers for me today,” he says. “Of course,” I reply. “...Lutz, might I borrow your slate? I seem to have forgotten mine.” “Huh? Oh, yeah, here.” Lutz rummages around in his basket, then pulls out the slate from his apprentice’s set. I borrow it from him, then start working through the numbers in the indicated section of the ledger. As I work, the head priest looks on as if something’s unusual, but since he doesn’t ask me any questions, I ignore him and focus on my work. “...You’re quick at that,” he remarks. I’m just used to it after having done so much of it at the gates. Doing all of this math like this only makes me yearn for an actual electronic calculator. As I continue wholeheartedly grinding through these numbers, I hear the fourth bell chime, signaling that it’s time for lunch. “That’s enough for today,” says the head priest. When he says that, the various priests in the room start bustling around, tidying everything up. “Maïne,” he says, “this is the key for the orphanage director’s room. Please leave it with Fran so that you don’t lose it. Also, here’s your portion of the donation you brought.” He hands me one large and six small silver coins. He mentions that it might seem strange that I’d be getting a portion of the money that I donated, but since it’s divided amongst all of the blue-robed clergy, it’s mine to keep. “Since you have a room now, this is as good an opportunity as any. Bring those with you, too.” He glances over at one of the shelves in the corner, where the gifts that Benno had brought are neatly stacked. Since I’d collapsed before anything could be done with them, it seems like they’ve been just sitting there ever since. Finely-woven cloth, a pot full of rinsham, and a stack of vegetable-based paper are all neatly wrapped in bundles of cloth. Fran picks up the packages, Lutz shoulders his basket, I take the key in hand, and the three of us head towards the orphanage director’s office. As we walk, Fran starts explaining a few things about the room we’re approaching. “The two three-story buildings to each side of the hall of wors.h.i.+p belong to the orphanage. The boys and girls are separated into the two buildings, with the hall of wors.h.i.+p between them. The director’s office, which you will be using, is in the boys’ dormitory.” “Huh? Wasn’t the person previously using those rooms a priestess? Why would it be in the boys’ dormitory?” Fran looks troubled for a moment, his eyes wandering around the halls, then he lets out a small chuckle. “...I see.” I’m curious about what he’s hiding, but given how tightly and obstinately he’s pressed his lips together, it doesn’t seem likely that I’ll be able to get it out of him. “The orphanage is real close to the gates,” says Lutz. “You’ll be able to get changed right after you get here, so this is actually pretty great for you, isn’t it?” “Sister Maïne,” says Fran, “the entrance to the director’s office is on the far side of the building from the gates, so that there is a straight path from it to the n.o.bles’ section of the temple. It is separated from the other entrances so that the orphans do not mistakenly come barging in, so please take care not to mistake the entrances yourself.” I try to hide my mounting agitation. Based on how Arnaud referred to the room, the fact that the head priest was reluctant to let me use it, and the fact that it’s in the boys’ dormitory—even if it uses a separate entrance—all combine to give me the unshakeable feeling that this is some seriously unwanted property. “This is it, Sister Maïne.” Gil must have been sweeping, I guess, because the front door is slightly cracked open. When Fran pushes the door open, Gil is standing right there, his chest puffed up proudly. “Heh heh, how do you like it?” On the other side of the door is a small hallway that seems to serve double duty as a reception area, and a little ways past that I can see a staircase leading upward. Half of the room has been swept spotlessly clean, but the other half leaves something to be desired. “This part is really clean,” I remark. When I move to open a door on the right side of the hallway, Gil stops me. “I haven’t gotten to that one yet,” he says. I look around the room and spot another door, this one on the left side. When I turn to face it, Gil stops me again. “Didn’t get that one either,” he says. I look around again, but don’t see any other doors on the first floor. “Gil, where exactly did you clean?” “Your room, obviously! Why shouldn’t I put off the rooms the rest of us are going to be using for later?” Gil heads up the staircase, grumbling about how he’d put so much effort into cleaning the half of the hallway that leads from the door to the stairway, and how the only thing I’m paying attention to is how dirty everything else is. It seems like he gave preferential treatment to the rooms that I, his master, would be using. He might have an unexpectedly cute side after all. When I look at the staircase, which has been polished so thoroughly it gleams, I can’t help but chuckle a little. At the top of the staircase is a n.o.ble’s room. It is quite clearly large, with a variety of furnis.h.i.+ngs placed throughout it. In the center of the room, positioned for receiving visitors, is a round, luxuriously decorated table with four chairs set around it. Along the walls is a wardrobe, a set of shelves, and a wooden box carved with a large, magnificent tree. In the corner sits a large bed. There isn’t a huge difference between the way this room and the head priest’s room is laid out. Judging by the fact that there is so much extravagantly finely-crafted furniture in here, it’s very easy to see that this room’s previous owner was a young n.o.blewoman. “n.o.body else is using this furniture?” I ask. “These are all very, very nice.” “They belong to the room’s previous owner,” says Fran. “The previous... well, whatever. I won’t ask. I shall be happy to use it myself.” I don’t feel particularly inclined to waste a bunch of money replacing it with furniture of my own, so I should probably not ask any questions I don’t want answered. I ask Fran to leave Benno’s gifts placed on one of the spotless shelves. I’ll use the wardrobe for storing my blue robes and nice clothes. “Thank you, Gil. This place looks great.” “Um?! Ah? Y, yeah. I mean, I cleaned it, after all, so of course it looks great.” He strikes a proud pose, throwing his chest out, but he’s very obviously blus.h.i.+ng fiercely. He has his face turned a bit away from me, but I can still see his face burning, as if this is basically the first time he’s ever been praised before. He keeps quickly glancing at me, a look in his eyes as if he’s trying to tell me to praise him more. It’s immediately obvious that he is not used to hearing praise. Since he was a.s.signed to me as a way to hara.s.s me, it’s not hard to imagine that he was a problem child who was constantly scolded, and never praised. One of the foundations of home discipline is heaping praise on a kid when they do things correctly. “Gil, I’d like to praise you some more, so crouch down for me, please?” “Huh? Like this?” Gil takes a knee. It briefly occurs to me that the fact that he went so quickly to the stance used for prayer is probably due to how he was raised here. Now that his head is lower than mine, I reach my hand out towards his light blond hair. Gil, having no idea what I’m about to do to him, watches my hand as it approaches, a dubious expression on his face. If I were to try this on Lutz, he’d probably tell me not to treat him like a kid and get all sullen. Gil, though, looks momentarily startled, his eyes going wide, before starting to look like he’s on the verge of tears. He looks down, hiding his face, which causes me to pull my hand back, but when I do, in a quiet voice, he says, “more, please.” “It looks so nice in here,” I say. “You must have worked really hard to do it all by yourself.” Gil’s ears are bright red as he kneels there quietly, having his head stroked. I really, really want to take a peek to see what kind of face he’s making right now, but I smash down that urge, ordering myself not to try. I have learned a valuable lesson. The things I should be giving to Gil aren’t just food and shelter beyond what the orphanage is providing him. What he needs are my thanks and praise.

フランはギルとわたしを見比べた後、ゆっくりと口を開いた。 「青色神官や巫女には神からの恵みである衣食住を下の者に分け与える義務がございます。神殿に入った青色神官や巫女に引き立てられ、側仕えは部屋と衣を賜り、主と共に生活するようになるのでございます」 「わたくしは神殿に部屋を持っていないので、わたくしの側仕えとなっても孤児院にいるままということですか?」 フランは「さようでございます」とゆっくりと頷いた。 「そして、食事に関しては、主が食べ、その残りを側仕えと側仕え見習いが食べ、その残りが神からの恵みとして、孤児院にもたらされます。孤児院で与えられる神の恵みより、側仕えに与えられる恵みの方がより多くなるのは当然でしょう」 わたしは家族と離れたくなくて、自分が孤児院に入らずに済む事を考え、通いになった事をただ喜んでいたが、神殿の慣習を破ったことによる皺寄せが側仕えに向かっていたとは思わなかった。 「では、フランは神官長からわたくし付きになって、神官長の部屋から孤児院へ逆戻りということですか?」 それなら、左遷だと嘆かれ当たりされるのは当然だ。フランに散々助けてもらっておきながら、全く報いていないことになる。週末のお給料は弾むつもりだったが、待遇改善もすぐさま神官長にお願いしなければならない。 「いえ、私は神官長の部屋から移動しておりませんし、デリアもおそらく部屋を移動していないでしょう。私はマイン様がいらっしゃらない間、神官長の執務の手伝いをしておりますので、食事もそちらで頂いております」 そういえば、神官長が大量の仕事を抱えていて、人材不足を嘆いていたはずだ。わたしがいない間、優秀なフランを野放しにしておくはずがない。フランがひどい状況に陥っているわけではないとわかって、胸を撫で下ろす。 「つまり、困ってるのはギルだけということかしら?」 「待遇が良くなると期待していたのに、変わらなかったことに腹を立てているのではないか、と存じます。孤児院における神の恵みは仕事をしなくても、平等に与えられます。しかし、側仕えは仕事をしなければ、入れ替えられることがございます。仕事もせずに側仕えとしての恵みを享受できると安易に考えられるのは、少しばかり腹立たしく感じます」 自分の仕事に誇りを持っているフランは、ちらりとギルを見てそう言った。 「......フランにとって当面は何の問題もないということですわね?」 「では、しばらくは現状維持で、フランに不都合が出た時に考えようと思うのだけれど、どうかしら?」 「......かしこまりました」 わたしが部屋をもらった時と今の状況を比べたのだろうか、一瞬逡巡したけれど、フランは静かに頷いた。 これで話は終わった、と思っていたら、またギルが吠えはじめた。 「フラン、フランって、オレはどうなんだよ!? オレだって、そいつと同じ側仕えだぞ!」 「......おかしなことを言うのね? ギルはわたくしのことを主と思っていないと、最初に言ったじゃありませんか。どうして主でもないわたくしに衣食住の準備をしてもらえると思ったのかしら?」 どう考えても、待遇改善してほしい側仕えの言動とは思えない。 「それが青色巫女の役目だろ! だ、だいたい食事も部屋も与える気がないお前のためにオレが仕事したからって、何が変わるって言うんだよ!?」 ベンノがマルクやルッツに払っているように、わたしの側仕えにはちゃんと給料を払わなければならないと思っていた。当然、仕事量や仕事の質によって給料額は変わる。フランとギルに同じ金額を払うわけがない。 「......お給料って何だよ?」 ギルがしぱしぱと瞬いて首を傾げた。ルッツがフンと鼻で笑いながら、先程のフランと同じ言葉を返す。 「そんなことも知らねぇのかよ? 働いて給料をもらうなんて、常識だろ?」 「じょ、常識じゃねぇよ!」 「給料は働いた分に対する報酬。仕事をする側仕えにわたくしが支払うお金よ」 「お金?......あ、あぁ、お金な」 どうやら、ギルはお金も知らないようだ。首を傾げていたが、ルッツと目があった瞬間、わかっているような顔をした。 「わたくしね、頑張ってくれているフランのためならともかく、仕事もしないギルのために神官長と部屋の交渉なんて面倒なことをするつもりは、全くないの。本を読む時間が減るじゃない」 ただでさえ、午前中は神官長の手伝い、昼食は絶対、という風に、読書の時間が限られているのに、これ以上貴重な時間を削るわけにはいかない。 「では、フラン。神官長のところへ案内してくださる? わたくし、午前中は神官長のところで書類仕事をすることになっているの」 フランを先頭にわたしとルッツ、ギルが最後に付いてくる。 「なぁ、オレが仕事すれば、何か変わるのかよ?」 「当然でしょう。仕事には正当な報酬を払うつもりよ」 執務机に向かっていた神官長が顔を上げた。 「ご心配おかけいたしました。今は大丈夫です。これは推測なのですが、奉納をして倒れたようなんですが、身体の中に魔力が満ちていなければ、体調が悪くなることもあるのでしょうか?」 「完全に魔力が枯渇すると死ぬこともあるが、身体の中に魔力が満ちていなければ体調が悪くなるというのは聞いたことがない。身食い特有の症状か?」 「身食い特有、ですか?」 「可能性はある。身食いというのは発見されること自体、ただでさえ少なく、魔力が多い場合はすぐに死ぬので、あまり研究されていない。君のようにそれだけの魔力がありながら生きている事はまずない。一度よく見てみたいものだ」 わたしをじっと見つめる神官長の目が、絶好の研究対象を発見したマッドサイエンティストっぽく見えて、背筋をぞわぞわとしたものが走る。神官長の好奇心に満ちた視線から逃げたくて、わたしはすぐに話題を変えた。 「他にも質問がございます。青色神官のみが貴族街に呼ばれるような神事はございませんか? 特別な服の仕立てが必要か、伺いたくて......」 「一年を通して神事はあるが、見習いである君が出る神事はそう多くない。特別な服は必要ないが、儀式用の青い衣を仕立てておいた方が良いだろう。......そういえば、青の衣はどうした?」 神官長に指摘されて初めて、わたしはまだ青の衣を着ていなかった事を思い出した。 「神殿以外で着るのは危険だと言われたので、神殿に到着してから着るつもりだったんです」 「危険とは?」 「貴族の子供だと思われて誘拐されるそうです。ちょっと失礼しますね」 ルッツが足元に下ろしていた籠に、わたしは手を突っ込むと、包んでいた布を解いて青の衣と帯を取り出した。 「マイン? 何を......」 「青の衣を着るのです」 わたしは簪を衣にひっかけないように気を付けながら、いつも通り頭から被って、青の衣を着る。ぷはっと顔を出したら、いつの間にか跪いていたフランと目が合った。上げた手が行き場をなくして、フランが困った顔になっている。 「どうかしたの、フラン?」 「......着替えのお手伝いを」 「あ......えーと、帯を取って頂ける?」 この場合、一人でできるけど、とは言わない方が良いんだろう。わたしは何とか側仕えの仕事を捻りだす。大人しく腕を上げてフランに帯を締めてもらっていると、頭を抱えた神官長の姿があった。 「マイン、着替えは自室で行いなさい。はしたない」 思わぬところで、自室に関する話が出てきた。毎日着替えることになるので、更衣室か物置くらいは借りられないだろうか。 「......自室って頂けるんですか?」 「いや、失言だったな。君に貴族区域へ部屋を与えるよりは通いの方が良いという意見が出て、神殿長より通いが許可されたのだから、君に部屋を与えることはできない」 通いの方が良いなんて、わたしに都合の良い意見を出してくれそうな神官なんて、神官長しか心当たりがない。どうやら神官長はわたしがいないところで色々と骨を折ってくれたようだ。 「あの、神官長。貴族区域以外に部屋はないですか?」 神官長にとっては予想外の言葉だったようだ。理解できないと言わんばかりに眉を寄せて目を細めた。懐疑的な表情になった神官長にわたしは慌てて説明を加える。 「ご存知のように、青の衣を賜っても、わたくしは貴族ではございません。ですから、貴族区域に部屋が欲しいとは考えておりませんの。自分の荷物を置く場所と着替えができる場所があって、ルッツ様やベンノ様のように来客があった時に応対できる場所があれば、それで十分なのです。物置のような場所でもお借りすることはできませんか?」 「君は物置に客を招くつもりか!? 失礼にも程があるぞ!」 カッと目を見開いて神官長が声を上げた。確かに来客には失礼だが、今の状況だって、それほど変わらないと思う。 「お言葉ですが、今は物置さえないのです。ルッツ様に迎えに来て頂いても、門前で待たされているのですよ? 門前で客人を待たせるのは、失礼に当たらないのでしょうか?」 「仮にも青色巫女への客人に何ということだ。......門番に、せめて、待合室まで案内するように通達しておこう」 こめかみを押さえた神官長によると、来訪理由がわからない平民と青色神官や巫女への来客は全く別の扱いになるらしい。神官長の中で、わたしはただの貧民ではなく、青色巫女見習いとして区分されていることがわかった。 「......神官長、マイン様の部屋として孤児院の院長室はいかがでしょう? 貴族区域から遠いですが、青色巫女が過ごしていた場所なので、来客に対して見栄えが悪いということもないと思われます」 アルノーの言葉に、部屋にいた神官達が一瞬ざわりと動揺を見せた。神官長は難しい顔でしばらく考えた後、頷いた。 「よかろう。マインに孤児院の院長室を与える。以後、着替えや来客への対応はそちらで行うように。ここでの仕事を終えたら、フランに案内させる」 「大変不躾なお願いではございますが、先に頂けませんか? 今日はわたくしの体調管理についてルッツ様からフランにお話があるので、お話ができる場所が必要なのです」 ちょうどいいとわたしは思ったけれど、神官長は首を振った。 「院長室は長らく締めきってあるので、すぐに使えるほど手入れはされていない。君がここで仕事をするのだから、ここで話せばいいだろう。フラン、そこのテーブルを使いなさい」 フランとルッツが神官長に示されたテーブルへと移動する。その様子を見ていたわたしの目に、一緒に移動しつつも手持無沙汰なギルの様子が映った。 「神官長、手入れができていないなら、尚更、先に頂けませんか? わたくしの午前のお仕事中、ギルに掃除してもらいますから」 周りの神官も驚いたようにギルとわたしを交互に見た。「あれに仕事を任せるのか?」「礼拝室の掃除をせずに反省室に入れられたと聞いたぞ」とギルの仕事態度の評判が小さな声で囁かれる。 「それくらいできるさ!」 「そう。ギルがどれだけできるか、楽しみにしているわ。頑張ってね」 わたしが激励すると、神官長に鍵を預けられた灰色神官見習いの少年がギルを連れて退室する。パタリと閉じた扉に視線を向けて、神官長が少し目を細めた。 「仕事を与えてみないと、正当な評価は下せませんから」 その後、見習いの少年が鍵を持って戻ってきた時には、ルッツはフランと体調管理について話をし、わたしは書類仕事の手伝いを始めていた。 わたしが本日の仕事として神官長から預けられたのは帳簿だ。「商人なら得意だろう」と。計算だけなら得意だが、帳簿全てを預かることができると考えられても困る。特に、神殿はわたしの常識が全く通用しないところなのだから。 「計算の仕方は同じでも、色々なところが神殿は違ってそうですね。この神の御心という項目は何でしょうか? 支出で一番多いように見えますけれど」 その他の支出項目には、神への供物、神への花、神への水に加えて、神の慈愛がある。神に関する意味不明な項目ばかりで、こんな帳簿を預かるのは怖い。 わたしの質問に、神官長は無表情でしばらくわたしを見つめた後、「無理だな」と小さく呟いて、帳簿の一部を指差した。 「......今日のところはここの計算をしてもらいたい」 「かしこまりました。......ルッツ、石板貸してくれない? 持ってくるの、忘れちゃった」 「ん? あぁ、ほら」 ルッツの見習いセットに入っている石板を借りて、わたしは指示された部分を筆算で計算していく。神官長が珍しそうに覗きこんでくるが、何も質問されないので無視して仕事だけ続けた。 「......速いな」 門でも計算はしていたので、慣れているだけだ。こうしてひたすら計算していると、電卓が恋しくて仕方ない。 一心不乱に計算をしているうちに、お昼を示す4の鐘が鳴った。 神官長の言葉と同時に、部屋の中にいた灰色神官がわらわらと動いて片付け始める。 「マイン、これが院長室の鍵だ。失くさぬよう、フランに預けておきなさい。それから、これは君が持ってきた寄付金だ」 神官長に手渡された寄付金は大銀貨1枚と小銀貨6枚だ。自分で出した寄付金を自分で貰うのは変な感じだが、青色神官全員に分けられるので、取っておけと言われた。 「部屋ができたのなら丁度良い。あれも持っていきなさい」 視線で示された棚の上に積まれているのは、ベンノが持ってきた贈り物だ。わたしが倒れたので、そのまま放置されていたらしい。上等の布とリンシャンの入った壺と植物紙の束を包んだ布が置かれたままになっている。 ルッツとフランに荷物を持ってもらって、わたしは部屋の鍵だけ持って、孤児院の院長室へと向かう。その道すがら、フランがこれから向かう院長室について説明してくれた。 「あちらの礼拝室の両脇にある3階くらいの建物が孤児院でございます。礼拝室を挟んで男子棟と女子棟に分かれていまして、マイン様が賜った院長室があるのは男子棟です」 「え? 前に院長室を使っていたのって、青色巫女だったんでしょ? なんで、院長室が男子棟にあるの?」 わたしの疑問にフランは困ったように視線を彷徨わせた後、フッと笑みを浮かべた。 「マイン様は詳しく知らなくて良いことです」 隠されると気になるけれど、キュッと口元を一文字にしたフランの頑なな態度から察するに教えてくれる事はなさそうだ。 「門からすぐに孤児院があったんだな。入ってすぐに着替えられるから、マインにとっては良かったじゃないか」 「マイン様、院長室の入り口は門から見て裏側、貴族区域から真っ直ぐに歩いた方にございます。孤児達が間違って入りこむことがないように入口が分けられておりますので、お間違えないようお願いいたします」 アルノーが院長室の存在を口にしたこと、部屋を与えることを渋っていた神官長が許可を出したこと、男子棟にあり、孤児院とは入口が分けられていることから考えても、かなり訳あり物件に違いない。 「こちらです、マイン様」 ギルが掃除しているためだろう。入口が少し開いている。フランが扉を開けると正面でギルが胸を張って待ち構えていた。 「へへん、どうだ?」 ドアを開けたところは、待合室を兼ねた小さなホールのようで、少し奥に階段が見える。半分くらいは完璧に掃除されていて、もう半分はまだまだこれから、という感じだった。 「この辺りはすごく綺麗になってるね」 ぐるりと一階を見回して、左にあったドアへ向かおうとしたら、「そっちもダメだ」と止められた。一階でパッと見えるドアは他にない。 「ギル、一体どこを掃除したの?」 「お前の部屋に決まってるだろ! オレ達の部屋なんて後回しに決まってるじゃないか!」 どうやら、ギルは主であるわたしが使うところを優先して掃除してくれたようだ。意外と可愛いところがあるかもしれない。ピカピカに磨き上げられた階段を見て、わたしは小さく笑いを漏らした。 階段を上がったところは貴族の部屋だった。明らかに広くて、いくつかの調度品が置かれたままになっている。中央には応対用の豪奢な飾りが付いた丸テーブルと椅子が4脚あり、壁際にはクローゼットや棚、彫刻の見事な木箱があり、部屋の端に大きめのベッドがあった。 神官長の部屋と大差ない家具の配置と、手が込んだ豪奢な造りの華やかな家具の数々から、確かに前の主が貴族の娘だったことがわかる。 「この家具、他の人は使わなかったの? ずいぶん物は良さそうだけれど」 「前の持ち主が持ち主ですから」 「持ち主って......いえ、いいわ。聞きません。ありがたく使わせてもらいましょう」 自分で家具を入れ替えるなんて、無駄遣いをする気はない。余計な情報は入れない方が良いだろう。 綺麗に掃除された棚にベンノからの贈り物を置いて、クローゼットに青の衣や綺麗な服を置くことにする。 「ありがとう、ギル。とても綺麗になってる」 「え!? あ? あぁ。オレが掃除したんだから当たり前だ」 ギルは偉そうに胸を張っている割に、ものすごく照れた顔になった。ちょっとそっぽ向いているのに、まるで初めて褒められたように顔がにやけている。チラチラとこちらを見ている目が「もっと褒めろ」と言っているようだ。 良いことをした時はいっぱい褒めてやるのが、躾の基本だ。 「ギル、もっと褒めてあげるから、しゃがんで」 「え? こうか?」 ギルが片膝を立てて、その場に跪く。祈りや誓いの言葉を述べる時の体勢を即座に取れるところに、育ちが出ていると思いながら、わたしは自分の視線より低い位置に来たギルの薄い金髪に手を伸ばす。 わしわしと頭を撫でるのは、ルッツなら子供扱いするな、と言って脹れっ面になりそうな褒め方だったけれど、ギルは一瞬目を丸くした後、泣きそうな顔になった。 「とっても綺麗になってるね。ギルは一人で良く頑張ったよ」 おとなしく撫でられるままになっているギルの耳は真っ赤だ。顔を覗きこんでみたい衝動に駆られたけれど、見るな! と怒鳴られそうなのでグッと堪える。 わたしがギルに与えるべきものは、孤児院で保障されている衣食住より先に、感謝と褒め言葉だと心に刻んだ。

Fran reminded me in a low voice that only I could hear. I nodded, smiling the elegant smile Rosina herself had imparted to me. Only the knight standing at the front had his helmet under his arm. He was a big, middle-aged man with reddish brown hair. I looked at him carefully, and found that he was agile in movement, upright in figure, and possessed the commanding air of a martial artist. When he had knelt before the Head Priest, the other knights knelt in unison with a clatter of armour. “Lord Ferdinand, I'm glad you haven't changed a bit.” “Well, so are you, Castid.” The man named Castid, who was talking to the Head Priest, must be the head of the Order. “Why are there so few people?” As if the Head Priest didn't want to ask any more questions, he answered ‘Yes' and raised his hand to Fran. Fran put me down and gave me a gentle push on the back as a sign that I should move forward. “Castid, this is Maine, the trainee priestess in charge of the ceremony. Please take good care of her.” “This is Maine, Lord Castid, and I would appreciate your advice.” Castid was an aristocrat, so I knelt down respectfully and greeted him. When I caught his eye, his pale blue eyes narrowed as if to spy my thoughts. “It's a pleasure to meet you.” “Let's go.” With a voice from the Head Priest, all the knights rose at the same moment and touched the gem on the glove of their right hand. The next second, the gems were s.h.i.+ning, and the square was instantly flooded with many animal statues. The gems on everyone's gloves had disappeared, leaving only round holes, which showed that these animals of various shapes had all been transformed from the gems on the gloves. “Castid, get two men to carry my two attendants. Maine, you come here.” The Head Priest put on his helmet as he instructed me. When I reached him, he picked me up and sat me down on a lion with wings. To keep steady, I straddled the lion. Then the Head Priest leaped upon the lion's back and grasped the reins, as lightly as if he were not wearing any heavy armour at all. The next moment the lion, which I thought was a statue, began to move like a living animal. “Ah!” This was really unexpected. I gave a sharp jolt, and the back of my head hit the Head Priest's chest hard. “It hurts...” “Keep your mouth shut or you'll bite your tongue.” I gritted my teeth and leaned forward a little, grasping the reins that swayed before my eyes. The winged lion ran lightly forward, then fluttered its wings and sprang into the air. On the way, I had the feeling that I had broken a thin spider web, but it was gone in a flash. The lion's wings beat powerfully and flew toward the commoners' quarter. “Don't you think it's scary?” “I was just surprised by something I had never seen before. And I can hardly feel any b.u.mps now, so it's no more scary than riding in a carriage.” I sat on the magical lion's back and felt like I was on a slow roller coaster. The lion was not so b.u.mpy as the carriage, but very stable. The lack of a safety rope was very dangerous, but the Head Priest was sitting behind me holding the reins, and his arms were just holding me from either side, so I didn't find it scary at all. After a while, other animals began to appear around us, flying in neat formation like geese. Pegasus seemed to be very popular, because I found that they were the most numerous. As far as I could see, pegasus of different colors were flying gracefully, transforming the sky into a prairie. I also saw a few wolves and tigers, but I would say that the rabbits with wings were the loveliest. “They are animal mounts from magic gems. They are free to be controlled as long as the owner gives them magic power. As for their form, it's up to the owner to decide.” The lion flew over the commoners' quarter and then over the gate of the city. Looking down from the sky, I saw that the city was surrounded by fertile farmland and vast green forests. Between the farmland and forests, some streets winded their way into the distance, at the end of which the outer walls of other cities loomed. “Where are we going, Head Priest?” The Head Priest pointed to the forest where the orphans and I used to go, but where we were going now was deeper. It was the only place in the dense forest where there was a crater – like hole. As I gazed at the large hole, I saw that there was not even an ordinary plant there, except for a giant tree, whose long branches were waving and writhing restlessly. And as the tree's movements became more frantic, the hole grew larger. “What's that?!” ... It was too horrible. When I first started making paper, I suggested planting Tronbay. Now I could see why Lutz was fuming at that suggestion. “You won't come out until the Order has defeated it. It's a dangerous journey. Hide in the forest first.” After the Order had destroyed the giant Tronbay, it was the job of the priests or priestesses to restore magic to the land that has been drained of it. This time because the Order was too small, the Head Priest had to help the Order before he could help me. ... The Head Priest was truly omnipotent. The Head Priest let the lion land in an open field some distance from the hole, and the knights followed him. “Maine, Fran and Arnaud, you three stand by here. Castid, send two men to protect them.” The Head Priest leapt nimbly from the lion's back and turned to give Castid an order. Castid nodded and immediately selected two men. “Damour, Skicossa, you two serve as their guards.” “Yes, your Excellency!” Having accepted the task of guarding us, Damour and Skicossa jumped off the pegasus, and the pegasus disappeared. Two beams of light flew toward them, turning into gems and resetting themselves in the holes in the armour gloves. “Thanks for giving me a ride.” After thanking the knights who had given them a ride, Fran and Arnaud jumped off their animal mounts. Just as I was about to follow their example and leap from the lion's back in a handsome way, the Head Priest, as though reading my thoughts, stopped me with angry eyes. I was reminded of where I was now, and I turned on the back of the lion, which had completely turned back into a statue, and waited with my legs folded. “You are really...” The Head Priest murmured as he took me from the lion's back. The Head Priest gave the word, and the two knights who were to be our guards answered at once, “Yes!” Tronbay was so scary... I broke out in cold sweat. As I looked from the crazy Tronbay to the Order about to fight it, I grew more uneasy and knelt in prayer. “The Head Priest and all members of the Order, wish you all the best in this battle. May Angleff, the G.o.d of valour, protect you.” As soon as I had finished my prayer, the ring the Head Priest had lent me shone blue on the Order. Sensing that the sapphire on the ring had taken away my magic power, I hastily suppressed it, so that its light vanished. When I heard that, I realized what I had done. I glanced up at the Head Priest, who was looking at me with a complex expression. “Maine, do not, do not act before your turn.” After the Head Priest left this instruction to me, he mounted the lion and flew up into the sky again.

「し、神官長......」 「はひ......」 せっかく神官長が席を離して設置してくれているのに、ジルヴェスターは自分とカルステッドの間を軽く叩いて、ここへ座れと主張する。 「マイン、ダームエルと同じようにあちらから回って、ジルヴェスターの隣に座りなさい」 この席替えも多分拒んではいけないのだろう、神官長が気の毒そうにわたしを見ながらそっと背中を押した。 「マイン、料理人を交換しようではないか。取り上げるわけではないから、良いだろう?」 「彼らは余所からお預かりしている料理人なのです。わたくしの独断で交換などできませんわ」 面白そうに目を光らせてジルヴェスターがそう呟く。「性根が腐っているわけではない」と言った神官長の言葉は正しかったようで、わたしの指摘に逆切れして怒りだすようなことはせず、更に続けるように、と軽く顎を動かした。 「ほぉ、紹介は誰がするのだ?」 「大変有り難く存じます。......カルステッド様と神官長も、ジルヴェスター様とご一緒されませんか?」 わたしは視線でフランを呼んで、ロジーナにフェシュピールを弾いてほしい、伝言を頼む。その様子を見ていたカルステッドが驚いたように目を見張った。 「平民がフェシュピールを持っているのか?」 神官長から「教養を身に付けろ」と言われた話をすると、カルステッドは「さすがフェルディナンド様だな」と小さく呟いた。たしかに、あの時点では貴族の養女になる話などなかったのだから、さすが、なのかもしれない。 「マインはなかなか筋が良いぞ。練習は怠っていないのだろう?」 「お呼びと伺いまして、参りました」 ロジーナのフェシュピールに聴き入っていた直後に、「お前も弾け」はひどいと思う。比べられるではないか。わたしは慌てて断る理由を探す。 「あら? こんなこともあろうかと、マイン様のフェシュピールも持参しております。お部屋から取ってまいりますわ」 軽く流した神官長の答えに、ジルヴェスターが眉を寄せた。 一瞬わたしをちらりと見て、フッと得意そうに笑った神官長にわたしは、ひいぃっと息を呑んだ。隣でジルヴェスターが軽く眉を上げて、深緑の目を輝かせる。 「ありがとう、ロジーナ」 「フッ、私のフェシュピールを聴きたいのか。よかろう、聴かせてやろう」 ......おおぅ、貴族のレベルが高すぎる。 「カルステッド様も弾いてくださいます?」 「私はフェシュピールが得意ではない。横笛の方が得意だが、今回は持参していないのだ」 片手剣を持って、向かい合った二人が軽く剣先を合わせた後、ビシッと真っ直ぐに剣を立てる。それが開始の合図だったようで、二人の目付きが変わり、剣がヒュンと空を切って動き始めた。 真剣の煌めきと緩急がついた二人の剣舞は、動きに無駄がなくて洗練された美しさがあった。ダームエルの額に汗が浮き、息が上がり始める。それを見たカルステッドが涼しい顔で剣を引く。 「素敵です! カルステッド様もダームエル様もすごいです! 怪我しそうでハラハラしましたけれど、二人ともとてもカッコ良かったです」 得意そうに胸を張って言われて、もう一度心の底から思う。ホントに鬱陶しい。剣舞が終わるといつも通りすぎる。一瞬でカッコよさと感動が吹き飛んだ。 「......ジルヴェスター様もとても素敵でした」 次の日の朝、ブロン男爵に奉納式で力を込めた小さな聖杯を渡すために、神官長が目通りしていた。貴族が治めている農村はここ数年、それだけで良いらしい。神官や巫女の人数に余裕がある時は、それぞれの貴族の農村にも赴いていたようだが、今年は特に余裕がないと神官長は言っていた。 わかったような顔で話を聞いたけれど、よくわからない。面倒でもわざわざ行う理由があるのだろう、と心の声は外に出さず、ほぅほぅと頷いておいた。 神官長がブロン男爵との会合を終えた後は、領地内で一番大きな農村が集まる穀倉地帯を一日中飛び回った。5カ所の冬の館を巡って祈念式を行った後は、また貴族が治める農村へ向かって、宿泊だ。そして、出立時に神官長が目通りして、小さな聖杯を渡す。 騎士達やジルヴェスターは馬車で居残りだ。目立ちたがり屋のジルヴェスターが騒がないか心配していたけれど、大人しく馬車の中で待つことに異論を唱えなかった。 朝早い時間に、ある貴族へ小さな聖杯を渡した後、騎獣で飛び立った神官長はそう言って、先にゲルラッハ子爵のところへ向かっている馬車の方向へと騎獣を駆けさせる。馬車に魔術具を設置してあるらしく、神官長には馬車のいる場所がわかるらしい。 「おぉ、遠いところ、ようこそいらっしゃいました、フェルディナンド様。それから、そちらが噂の巫女見習いかな?」 先入観のせいか、じっとりとした嫌らしい声に聞こえた。ヴェールを被せられて、跪いているわたしには、ゲルラッハ子爵の顔は全く見えない。足元が辛うじて見えるが、ちょっと太そうとしかわからなかった。 さすがに疲れが出てきて、体調が不安になってきたので、神官長が調合した味を犠牲にしていない薬をもらって、飲んでいた。だから、朝までぐっすりと熟睡していて、爽快な気分で目が覚めた。 春の爽やかな朝一番から神官長の部屋に呼び出され、盗聴防止の魔術具を渡されて、そんな言葉を聞かされた。だが、わけがわからずに首を傾げているのはわたしだけだった。集まっている面々は皆すでにわかっているようで、厳しい顔をしている。 「もしかして、逃げられたのですか?」 「違う。片方を捕らえて、フェルディナンド様に任せ、もう片方は少し泳がせようと思って追いかけたのだ。館の東の森に馬が繋がれていて、男は馬に乗って走りだした。私が騎獣を出して追いかけようとした途端、馬ごと弾け飛んだ」 「ない。ここは私の母の実家だ。私が同行している者に仇なすようなことはあり得ない」 予定を問題なくこなし、最も領地の境界のところへ近付いた時のことだった。そろそろ馬車と合流しようと、神官長が声をかけ、騎獣を馬車への方へと向ける。 上空を駆けだしてすぐに、空に一筋の赤い光が真っ直ぐに立ち上った。騎士団の間では救援を乞う時に使われる赤い光の屹立に、全員の顔色が変わる。 「先に行くぞ!」 そう叫びながら、神官長がわたし達を追い抜いていく。置いていかれることに焦って、わたしは手綱を掴んだまま、ダームエルを振り返った。 「助かる!」 森と耕地の境目に沿って続いている道の真ん中に、馬車の群れが立ち往生しているのが見え始めた。あの中にフランやロジーナ、フーゴ、エラがいるというのに、馬車はわけがわからない黒い靄に包まれている。 「何ですか、あの黒いの!?」 「闇の神の結界だ。あれは魔力を吸い取る。魔力による攻撃が効かなくなるのだ。あのような事ができるということは、襲撃者の中に貴族がいるということだ」 わたしは今祈りを捧げるのに相応しい神を思い浮かべながら、身体の奥の魔力を開放し始める。身体中に魔力が満ちて、腕輪と指輪が光りだした。

Making Lutz wash up, despite his protests, and having him make a last-minute effort to think up answers to the questions he might be asked in the interview, was absolutely the correct decision. Otto and his friend both have meticulous personal appearances, a significant cut above the rest of the people coming and going through the central plaza. As I thought, it would have been much better if Lutz and I could have gotten our hands on our older sibling’s nice clothes. Their clothing design is strange... no, their clothing design isn’t what I’m used to seeing. The many layers of fabric draped over them show no signs of either stains or patches at all. This is not something I see very often at all in my daily life, where it’s only natural to use the barest minimum of cloth and thread at all times. Based solely on his clothes, I imagine that Otto’s friend is someone who makes quite a bit of money. His garments, his demeanor, that calculating look in his eyes, everything about him is vastly different than the shopkeepers I see in the town market. When I say he looks like a merchant who makes a lot of money, I do not mean that it seems like he’s the owner of an old, well-established shop. Rather, he moves with the force of the president of a venture firm in the middle of a tremendous rise. At first glance, he has curly, pale, milk-tea colored hair and gentle-looking features, but his red eyes overflow with self-confidence, and they glitter with the raw ferocity of a carnivorous beast. “Hey there, Maine!” says Otto. “And you must be Lutz?” “Good morning, Mister Otto. Yes, this is my friend Lutz. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today.” I’m not entirely sure what the most suitable way to greet him is, so I tap my chest with my fist twice in a salute, like I always do. Otto returns the salute, so I think that I didn’t at least make a big mistake. “Good morning, sirs, my name is Lutz. It is nice to meet you.” Lutz seems very nervous, but he refuses to give in to the intimidation of their discerning stares, and he recites the unfamiliar greeting without stammering and without a quiver in his voice. The first hurdle has been cleared. “Benno,” says Otto, “this is Maine, the girl who works as my a.s.sistant. She’s my squad leader’s daughter. Maine, this is Benno, an acquaintance from when I worked as a trader.” “Mister Benno, sir,” I say, “My name is Maine. It is nice to meet you.” Despite the fact that I compulsively want to bow as I introduce myself, I don’t forget that it’s not customary in this culture to do so, and instead give him my best smile. “You’re quite polite!” says Benno. “I am Benno, nice to meet you.” He looks over to Otto. “...She’s quite well-mannered for such a small child.” “She’s not as young as she looks,” he clarifies. “She’s six years old.” I probably look somewhere between three and four years old. Benno frowns slightly, then the corners of his mouth turn up in amus.e.m.e.nt as he glances over at Otto. “...Your a.s.sistant’s a girl who hasn’t even been baptized?” “Ahh, well, how should I put this. I’m teaching her to read and write so that she can become my a.s.sistant in the future.” “I thought you said before that she was already working as your a.s.sistant, did you not?” “...Don’t worry about it too much.” As they banter harmlessly back and forth, I notice that there’s a lot of information being conveyed purely through subtext. Chills run down my spine. Are Lutz and I even capable of handling an interview with these people? What the h.e.l.l. When he brought up that I haven’t been baptized yet, I got the keen feeling that he was intimating that I wasn’t actually capable of doing the work, and that Otto was simply going easy on me. With a dubious expression on his face, he stares at a spot just above my eyes for a little bit, then opens his mouth to speak. “I’m very curious about something that I’d like to ask about first, is that alright?” “What’s that rod you have in your hair?” I see. Asking such a silly question after rejecting me would be hard, wouldn’t it? Is this man perhaps already intending to dismiss me? Forcing a smile onto my face, I quickly undo my hairpin and hand it over to him as he carefully studies me, seeming to get a lot of information out of every little move I make. “This is a ‘hairpin’. I use it to keep my hair in place.” Otto seems to be curious as well, so they study my hairpin closely, looking it up and down, turning it around, and giving it careful scrutiny. It’s just a stick, you know? There’s no gimmick or trick to it, you know? “...It’s just a stick, huh.” “Yes, it’s a stick that I had my father whittle for me.” “And you’re able to keep your hair in place with just this?” “Yes, sir.” I take the hairpin back from him, then put my hair back up into its usual style. I gather up the half-up part of my hair, twist it around the hairpin, spin it until it’s tight, then with a quick jerk fix everything in place. It’s something I do every day, so I’m very practiced at doing it. “Ohhhh... impressive!” Lutz and Otto stare at me with wide eyes. This is the first time they’ve seen me as I put up my hair like this. Benno touches my hair, frowning slightly. “Say, Maine. Your hair’s pretty impressive too. What do you put in it?” His touch may be careful as he studies my hair, but the discerning gleam in his eyes is breathtakingly sharp. Between the glitter of profit in his eyes and the ferocity of the women’s questions back on baptism day, I can clearly see that my simple shampoo could be quite the valued commodity. “It’s a combination of relatively common things, but the details are my secret.” “Boy, you use the same thing?” “Maine insisted on making my hair look nice yesterday...” Ah, Mister Benno, did I hear your tongue click just now? Did you think that it would be easy to get us to teach you how it’s made, since we’re merely children? How unfortunate. I’m not going to play my high-value cards in a little skirmish like that; Lutz’s interview hasn’t even started yet. Benno and I exchange smiles, mine sweet, his stiff. Otto lets out a little sigh, running his fingers back through his hair. “Well then, Lutz. You said that you wanted to become a trader?” The main question has arrived. Next to me, I hear Lutz’s breath catch as he gulps nervously. I sneakily reach over and squeeze his hand rea.s.suringly, quietly cheering him on. You’ve thought about this long and hard since last night, right? Now is the time to stand tall, Lutz! Tell us of your ambitions, and seize your victory! “Ah, yes. I w―” “Give it up.” “Eh?” Lutz was stopped before he could even start telling us what he wanted. In my heart, I scream. He worked so hard to come up with that answer, at least hear him out! Otto, however, looks like he’s swallowed a bug as he looks down at Lutz. “Only an idiot would throw away his citizens.h.i.+p like that.” “...Mister Otto, what do you mean by citizens.h.i.+p?” The question slips out of my mouth before I even have time to think about it. This is the first time I’ve heard that word used here. I know that citizens.h.i.+p, in this context, would be the set of basic rights afforded to those who live in this city. Just like how you can still enjoy the rights granted to you by the j.a.panese const.i.tution even if you haven’t studied them, there seem to be certain obvious rights granted to the citizens of this town. However, I have absolutely no idea what they could be. “It means the right to live in the city. It’s also something that records your ident.i.ty. When you turn seven and go to the temple to be baptized, your name will be registered, letting you work in the city, get married here, rent a house, and so on. The ways you can interact with the city are vastly different when you do or do not have citizens.h.i.+p. Outsiders can register at the temple, be granted citizens.h.i.+p, and settle down here, but doing so is ludicrously expensive.” “Mister Otto, did you have to pay?” “I wanted to open up a shop here and continue selling things here if I could, but buying citizens.h.i.+p was an enormous effort that left me nearly broke.” I don’t know how much money the average trader has saved up, but it looks like it’s not enough to cover buying citizens.h.i.+p, paying for a wedding, and opening a shop. “On top of that, a life on the road is vastly different compared to living in a town. Tell me, Lutz, do you have any idea what it means to live your life while riding on the back of a cart?” It takes only two hours to walk across this town from end to end, so children in this town move around almost exclusively by walking. Lutz might have ridden in a hand-drawn wagon before, but he’s probably never ridden in a horse-drawn cart before, and most likely has no idea at all what it’s like to actually travel by cart. “Let’s take water, for example. When you need it right now, where do you get it?” “From the well.” “Of course, right? But when you’re on the road, there aren’t any nice wells that are built for you. You’d have to start searching for places you can find water.” “There’s rivers...” When we go to the forest, we use the river as a source of water, so that’s the first thing that pops into Lutz’s head. However, when you’re on the road, you aren’t at all guaranteed to be traveling near a river. Plus, since paper is so expensive and hard to get, how many traders actually have maps to go by? “Lutz,” I say, “when you’re just starting out as a trader, you’re not going to know where those rivers are. There’s no way you’ll be able to follow the rivers all the time...” “It’s just like she says. That’s why traders generally travel the same routes all the time. When you do, you make friends and contacts in the towns you visit, you can deal in information, and you start to learn where you can find water and the safe roads to travel on. Then, you teach that to your kids, and those kids take those same routes on when you retire. When you spend your days riding in a cramped cart like that, there’s no room for another person in there. ...Also, and this is the most important part, is where traders eventually end up. Lutz, do you know what a trader longs for, more than anything?” “...” “Citizens.h.i.+p.” “Huh?!” “They want to give up their difficult lifestyle, and someday settle down in a town somewhere. They want to open a shop in a town and conduct their trade in safety. That’s what a trader dreams of. You’re not going to find a single trader who’ll take you on when you already have citizens.h.i.+p. If you absolutely want to do it, then you’ll have to do it all on your own. There’s no apprentices.h.i.+p program for traders.” If citizens.h.i.+p is every trader’s dream, then Otto’s already fulfilled his. It seems like he really wanted to open a store here in the city, but I don’t know why a merchant like him would give up on that and become a soldier instead. “Mister Otto, why did you decide to become a soldier?” “Wait,” interjects Benno “no, don’t... ngh!” Otto puts his hand over Benno’s mouth to silence him, then grandly, majestically states his answer. “It was all so that I can marry Corinna!” “Ooh,” I say, “I want to hear everything about this!” Benno, in a panic, tries to shush me. “I don’t want to hear anything about this, young lady.” Otto, however, starts his story, his eyes glittering. “That’s right,” he says, “this happened was just after I became an adult. I was pa.s.sing through this town when I caught a glimpse of Corinna, and it was love at first sight! It was like an arrow through my heart, or a flash of divine inspiration, but all I could see in that moment was her. I couldn’t marry anyone else but her, I thought, so at that very moment I started to woo her.” “...Mister Otto, that’s unexpectedly pa.s.sionate of you.” This former merchant, who hides his darkly calculating nature underneath a gentle smile, seems to be a pa.s.sionate romantic. The color of his black tea-colored hair and his light brown eyes gives him such a composed, honest image that I never could have imagined he could pour out such pa.s.sion. “She was just so charming that I couldn’t help it. So, I resolutely made my advances, but at first she rejected me. You see, she’s a seamstress famous for her excellent skills, and on top of that she treasures the bonds she has with everyone here. She told me that she couldn’t live her life on the road.” Ahh, of course. If you have a stable life, with enough skill and enough regular customers to earn a steady income, you won’t be able to abandon it all for an unstable life of travel. Plus, looking at it from Corinna’s perspective, wouldn’t a trader suddenly walking up to her and trying to woo her seem very suspicious? Surely she’d be wondering if that was some kind of con, wouldn’t she? I nod along intently as I listen while Otto’s love story starts to heat up. He starts putting more and more pa.s.sion in his voice, and his gestures start getting bigger and bigger. “Corinna said she planning on marrying a man from this city, and a shock like thunder came cras.h.i.+ng through my brain. The thought of Corinna marrying another man was completely unimaginable! After frantically trying to figure out what I needed to do, I immediately marched over to the temple and obtained my citizens.h.i.+p.” “Huh? Wait a minute. Weren’t you letting your pa.s.sions run a little too wild?” I look over at Benno, wondering if Otto’s actions were at all normal by this world’s standards. Benno has his hand to his head, squeezing on his temples, an exhausted expression on his face. “...See, even a child can see it! On top of that, the money he spent on his citizens.h.i.+p was all of the money he had been saving to go back to the city where his parents lived and open up a shop, right?” “I wanted to open a shop in this town, but I didn’t have enough money left over to afford one, and I didn’t yet have any connections in this town that would lend me enough money. I had to quit my job as a merchant, then became a soldier in order to show Corinna my dedication to live in this town. I asked a favor of the squad leader who I’d made friends with after seeing him every time I came to this town, and he got me hired for a position that primarily involved a lot of paperwork. ...By the way, when I bought my citizens.h.i.+p, became a soldier, and proposed, Corinna was shocked!” Well, uh, it is rather shocking. I don’t think a single young woman of marriageable age exists who wouldn’t be shocked if someone were to sell everything they have, buy a citizens.h.i.+p, and become a soldier just because she told him that she couldn’t live a life on the road. I want to hear things from Corinna’s viewpoint, whether she thought Otto should have reined himself in or whether her chest tightened as she wondered what about her could be so captivating. I’m absolutely sure her story is going to be very different from Otto’s. “I kept chasing after her for many days, until I finally married her, which felt a little like being adopted into her family. She was so cute when she laughingly told me she couldn’t help falling for me after all that time! And, now...” After that, he starts going on and on about how adorable his wife is. There was no stopping him. I really want him to not use the first-cla.s.s sales pitch skills he honed during his career as a merchant when describing his wife. Lutz is left completely flabbergasted by the deluge of praise. I’ve heard of husbands so devoted that they’d never lay eyes on another woman, but I thought it was fathers who were so p.r.o.ne to exaggeration like this. These exaggerations, though, are pretty harmless. What should I do about this? I had no idea Otto was this kind of person. I look over at Benno, silently pleading for help. Our eyes met for a brief instant, then he clapped a hand on Otto’s shoulder and sighed lightly. He looks like he’s had practice at this. “Otto, you stopped talking about being a trader a while ago, you know! That’s enough about your wife, get back to the main topic.” “Ahem! Sorry. So, as I was saying, give up on being a trader.” I want to make a sarcastic quip about his use of “as I was saying”, but I force myself to keep my mouth shut. He may have gotten significantly derailed, but now I know that there’s no apprentices.h.i.+p system for traders, the life of a trader is fraught with difficulty, the citizens.h.i.+p Lutz and I possess is extremely important, and that drowning in love is absolutely terrifying. After being so plainly told to give up, Lutz gloomily hangs his head, looking so sad as to be almost pitiable. He’d spent so long thinking about his reasons for becoming a trader, but before he could get a single word out, he was told that his dream was impossible. After being beaten over the head about how difficult a trader’s life is (and how awesome Otto’s wife is), it’s only natural to be so sad. “...Lutz,” says Otto, “this was Maine’s suggestion, but instead of becoming a trader, how about doing your apprentices.h.i.+p under a merchant? You’ll eventually be able to leave the town on your own to go purchase supplies.” “Maine?!” Lutz raises his head abruptly, turning to look at me. Rage flares up in his green eyes, accusing me of having known all along that they were going to tell him he couldn’t be a trader. “I thought that you should really hear it from the mouth of an actual trader,” I say. “I’ve lived in this town all my life, so would you even believe me if I told you to stop?” “...Ah.” From the look on his face, I’ve hit the bullseye. He looks away, seemingly lamenting about how unfair life is. “When I asked Mister Otto about it, I thought that being a trader sounded way too difficult, so I started wondering is there was a job that would let you travel out of town that your parents wouldn’t object to. Also, I might have just heard about this now, but I think you should stop thinking about letting go of your citizens.h.i.+p so that you could be a trader.” Now that he’s heard Otto say it, it looks like he’s really letting it sink in. The fanciful tales he heard from people traveling from out of town truly are entirely different from the harsh reality of being a trader. “Daddy told me that Mister Otto has connections to some of the merchants in this city, so I asked him if he’d be willing to introduce you to someone, if you wanted it. It’s your choice, though, you know?” “...Oh, wow. You’ve really thought this through.” Benno looks up, letting out a deep breath. I look up as well, watching him closely. If Lutz wants to be introduced to a merchant, then the opponent he needs to beat isn’t Otto. It’s Benno. “So,” he says, “it seems we’ve been introduced, but... kid, do you want to become a merchant?” Lutz nods, and Benno smiles widely, his reddish-brown eyes narrowing. The light-hearted atmosphere from when Otto was bragging about his wife has completely blown away. Not a wisp of it remains. Benno looks down at Lutz like a carnivorous beast, his cruel eyes fixed on the opponent he will beat into submission. “Hmm! Well now, what will you sell? If you become a merchant, what kind of things do you want to sell?” It’s only natural to be asked questions about your aspirations during a job interview, but the ambitions that Lutz spent yesterday contemplating were all about being a trader. To be suddenly forced to spin those around into reasons for wanting to be a merchant’s apprentice instead is no trivial matter at all. “I’m asking you what you want to do when you become a trader, and if you can even do it.” Eeek! This is a very high-stakes interview to be giving to a child who isn’t even old enough to be baptized! I want to say that he’s not being as cruel as he seems, but for a merchant, taking on another apprentice means incurring a lot of additional expense. Also, Lutz is only the friend of Otto’s a.s.sistant. Benno doesn’t have any obligation to take on such a large burden. If Lutz doesn’t show his willpower, his determination, his knowledge about what goods he might be able to sell, and his ability to be of some use to Benno, then n.o.body could possibly complain if Benno cuts off the conversation right now. From Benno’s standpoint, the fact that he agreed to this meeting is something that Lutz should be grateful for. “If you don’t have anything, this conversation is over.” Lutz drops his head slightly, chewing nervously on his lips. I don’t know if I should say anything. I don’t know if it’ll be a lifeboat for him, or a step down a painful path he shouldn’t tread, but it’s ultimately up to him. In a low voice only he can hear, I quietly ask him a question. “...Could you make my paper?” Lutz suddenly looks up, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tight. I can feel him trembling, but the firm glare he fixes on Benno burns with raw ferocity. “Of course I’ve got something I want to do! I’m going to make everything that Maine comes up with!” “Yeah,” I say, “he’s always been helping me.” “Maine can barely do anything by herself, so I’m going to do it for her.” Lutz, that was a great job. You said it perfectly. Benno’s eyes have gone wide. I haven’t the slightest idea if any of this happened because I was the one dragging Lutz along or if he was the one dragging me along, but if Lutz is going to take on all of the things that I can’t do, then I’ll take on all of the things that he can’t do either. Unlike Lutz, I already have plenty of experience with taking entrance examinations and applying for job interviews. I calmly look up at Benno, a smile on my face. I take a slow breath and let it out gently, getting my breathing in order, then open my mouth to speak. “I have an idea for a kind of paper that I’d like to sell, one that doesn’t use any animal skin. I believe that I can get its production cost down below that of parchment, so I think that it will be a very profitable good to sell.” As I talk, Benno’s face turns sour, like he’s swallowed a particularly bitter bug. When he turns to look at me, his eyes glow with an even more ferocious light then he did when he was staring down Lutz. “...You want to become a merchant as well?” he asks, in a low voice that almost sounds like a growl. “Yes, sir!” I nod, smiling brightly. “It’s my number two aspiration, though.” Next to Benno, Otto doubtfully tilts his head to the side. “Is your number one aspiration doing paperwork at the gate?” As soon as I say it, all three of them look at me in unison, identically dubious expressions on each of their faces. It looks like they really didn’t understand that word. “...I’ve never heard of that.” “I mean that I want to manage the books in a place that has a lot of them.” After I finish my simple explanation of a librarian’s job, Benno suddenly bursts out in riotous laughter. “A... ahahaha! There’s no way you can do a job like that if you’re not a member of the n.o.bility!” “...Really? I thought that was the case.” If it’s a fundamental truth that it’s only the n.o.bility that has books, then I think it’s only natural for the librarian who manages those books to be a member of the n.o.bility as well. I never had any real expectations about it, but this reminder of my difference in social status is still really irritating. “Even so, a paper that isn’t parchment, huh... Do you have any of it?” When he glances back down at me, his eyes are bright and alert. Most likely, thoughts of how much profit could be made if I really could make paper without using parchment are tumbling around in his head. “I haven’t made any yet, sir.” “Then don’t be ridiculous.” He may be telling me not to say ridiculous things, but there’s no mistaking that his interest has been piqued. I think we’re just one word away from finding some common ground. I smile even wider. “If actual paper is what you want to see, then we’ll make it. Our baptismal ceremony is summer of next year, so by spring we’ll have a prototype of my paper design, and then I hope that you’ll be the judge of whether or not we can actually make it.” “...Alright then.” I have somehow managed to wrangle an extension out of Benno, despite the fact that he came here with the full intention of dismissing us outright. This truly is an amazing victory. “Thank you very much, Mister Benno.” “We still haven’t settled on anything yet.” “Even so, I’m grateful that you’ve given us the chance to prove ourselves.” All that’s left is up to Lutz’s persistence. I think that he’s going to work extra-hard, knowing that my job is at stake as well. It may have been sudden, but I can’t help but smile at the fact that it suddenly looks like I’ll be able to obtain real paper. “Lutz, let’s do our best!” “Yeah!” Lutz and I also convey our grat.i.tude to Otto, with big smiles. Thanks to him, Lutz has given up on his dream of becoming a trader, and has taken his first step towards becoming a merchant’s apprentice. Out of all of the outcomes I’d considered, this is by far the best one. “Mister Otto, thank you very much for introducing us to Mister Benno.” “You made my day off very fun! Looking forward to seeing you at the gates next time!” We somehow managed to get pa.s.sing marks from Otto as well. I let a big sigh of relief. I pick up on the hint in Otto’s last remark, realizing that it’s time to break up the meeting, and start to leave the town square with Lutz. ...Ah, I almost forgot. I stop walking after just one step, then turn back around to call after Otto and Benno as they walk away. “Um! Mister Otto, Mister Benno, I have something to ask!” “Sure, what is it?” “Do either of you know of a sickness that can cause a fever that can suddenly spread throughout your body, then shrink back down again?” Between Otto, who has been to many places in his life, and Benno, who has many connections around the area, it’s possible that one of them might have heard of something like the fevers I have. “It felt like it got big enough to swallow me whole, but then I frantically fought against it and forced it back into a tiny shape. I’m sorry that this is such a subjective description...” “Who knows? I haven’t heard of it,” says Otto, loosely shaking his head. Benno looks off to the side, glances down at the ground, then slowly starts shaking his head too. “...I don’t know.” If this is something that even those two don’t know about, then I don’t think I can find someone who knows anything more. My illness must really be rare, then. ...Could this disease actually be extremely dangerous? As I entertain this touch of anxiety, the meeting comes to a close.

オットーもその友人も、中央広場を行き交う人達の中で上等な部類に入るようなきちんとした身なりをしている。やはり、わたし達は晴れ着でも着てきた方がよかったようだ。 デザインは変......いや、わたしにはちょっと見慣れないデザインの服だけれど、使う布が多くなるドレープが多くて、汚れや継ぎ接ぎが全く見当たらない服は、布も糸もできるだけ節約するのが当然だというわたしの生活圏内では滅多に見られないものだった。 儲けている商人とは言っても、どっしり構えた老舗の社長ではなく、どんどん伸し上がっているベンチャー企業の社長に通じる迫力があった、ミルクティーのような淡い色の癖毛に優しげな容貌をしているのに、赤褐色の瞳が自信に溢れていて、ギラギラしていて、肉食獣のような獰猛さを感じさせるのだ。 「やぁ、マイン。そっちがルッツで間違いないか?」 「おはようございます、オットーさん。わたしの友人のルッツです。今日はお時間頂いてありがとうございます」 どう挨拶をするのが適当かわからなかったので、いつもどおり胸叩いて敬礼しておく。オットーも同じように返してくれたので、大きく間違ってはいなかったと思う。 「はじめまして、ルッツです。よろしくお願いします」 ルッツも緊張しているようだが、二人の眼光や見下ろしてくる威圧感に負けず、どもることもなく、声が震えることもなく、慣れない挨拶ができた。 「ベンノ、俺の助手をしてくれているマイン、班長の娘さんだ。マイン、こちらはベンノ。俺が旅商人だった頃の知り合いだ」 「はじめまして、マインです。どうぞよろしくお願いします」 頭を下げる習慣のないここで、頭を下げないように気をつけて、とりあえず笑顔だけは忘れずに挨拶する。 「これは、ご丁寧に。ベンノといいます。どうぞよしなに。......小さいのにずいぶんしっかりと躾をされたお嬢さんだな」 「見た目ほど子供じゃない。6歳だ」 おそらく3~4歳に見えているだろうわたしについて、オットーがベンノに言い添えた。 「......まだ洗礼前の子供が助手か?」 「あぁ、いや、そうだな。助手になれるように、俺が読み書きを教えているところだ」 「お前の言い方なら、既に助手として活躍していそうだけどな?」 「......余計なことは言うなよ」 言葉の端々から情報を読みとる二人のやりとりに背筋が冷たくなる。わたしとルッツでこの人達を納得させるような面接ができるだろうか。 ベンノが怪訝そうに、わたしの視線の高さよりやや上をじっと見つめながら、口を開いた。 「ものすごく気になるから、先に聞きたいんだが、いいか?」 「はい、何でしょう?」 「その頭に刺さってる棒は何だ?」 なるほど。不合格出したり、出されたりした後で、他愛ない質問ってしにくいですよね? 愛想笑いを張り付けたまま、ベンノの一挙手一投足に注意して少しでも多くの情報を得ようと凝視しながら、わたしはするりと簪を外して、ベンノに差し出した。 「これは『簪』です。髪をまとめるためのものなんです」 オットーも気になっていたのか、ベンノと一緒にしげしげと簪を調べる。上下にしたり、裏返してみたり、じろじろを見ている。 ただの棒だよ? 種も仕掛けもないよ? 「......ただの棒だな」 「えぇ、父が作ってくれた、木を削っただけの棒です」 「これだけで、髪をまとめられるのか」 「はい」 ハーフアップにする分の髪をすくって、簪にねじって巻き付けて、ぐるりと回転させて、グイッと差し込んで固定する。毎日しているので、手慣れたものだ。 「ほほぉ......。すごいな」 髪を結うところは初めて見せたので、ルッツもオットーも目を丸くして、わたしの髪を見ている。 「なぁ、嬢ちゃん。この髪もすごいな。一体何をつけているんだ?」 価値を見出してギラつくベンノの目と、洗礼式のおばさま方の食いつき具合からも、簡易ちゃんリンシャンには結構商品価値があると見た。 「わりとありふれた物の組み合わせですが、詳しくは秘密です」 「坊主も同じ物つけているのか?」 「昨日マインが綺麗にしろって、付けてくれたから......」 子供だから簡単に教えてもらえるかもしれない、と甘く見てましたね? ニッコリと引きつった笑顔の応酬をわたしがベンノと繰り広げていると、オットーが軽く溜息を吐いて、髪をぐしゃっと掻き上げた。 「それで、ルッツが旅商人になりたいということだったか?」 ルッツが隣でゴクリと息を呑んだのが聞こえた。 さぁ、今こそ踏ん張りどころだ。志望動機を並べて、合格を勝ち取れ! 「あ、はい。オレ......」 「止めとけ」 「え?」 せっかく考えてきたんだから聞いてあげて、と心の中で叫んでいると、オットーは苦虫を噛み潰したような顔で、ルッツを見下ろした。 「市民権を手放すのは馬鹿のすることだ」 「......オットーさん、市民権って、何ですか?」 そんな言葉、初めて聞いた。市民権というくらいだから、この街に住む人の権利だということはわかる。 「この街に住むことができる権利だ。同時に身元を証明するものでもある。7歳の洗礼式で神殿に街の人間として登録され、仕事につくにも、結婚するにも、家を借りるにも市民権のある者とない者では対応が変わってくる。余所者が神殿に登録してもらって、市民権を得て、街に定住しようと思ったら、とんでもない金がかかるんだ」 「オットーさんも、お金、払ったんですか?」 ベンノが隣で苦笑しながら、オットーを指差した。 「できれば、店を持ってここで商売したかったが、俺の金じゃあ市民権を得るだけで精一杯だったんだよ」 旅商人が貯めたお金が一体どれだけあったのか知らないが、市民権に、結婚資金に、開店資金では、いくらあっても足りない気がする。 「それに、街の暮らしと旅の暮らしは全く違う。なぁ、ルッツ。生活のほとんどを馬車の上で過ごすっていうのが、いったいどんなものかわかるか?」 街を端から端まで歩いても二時間ほどなのだから、街の子供の移動方法は基本的に全て徒歩だ。荷車ならともかく、馬車に乗ったことさえないだろうルッツに馬車での旅なんてわかるはずがない。 「例えば、水。お前は必要になったらどうする?」 「井戸から汲む」 「そうだよな? でも、旅の間は決まった井戸なんかない。まず水場を探すところから始まるんだ」 「川なら......」 しかし、旅をするうえで常に川の側を移動するわけがない。そして、紙が高価で手に入らないのに、地図を持っている旅商人が一体どれくらいいるだろうか。 「旅商人として初めて外に出た時は、多分、その川もどこにあるかわからないんだよ、ルッツ。ずっと川に沿って移動するわけじゃないだろうし......」 「マインちゃんの言う通りだ。だから、大体同じルートをたどって商売をする。年を重ねるごとに知人が増え、情報をやり取りして、使える水場や安全な道がわかってくる。それを子供に教えて、子供はそのルートを継いでいく。狭い馬車の中での生活に他人が入れる余地はないんだ。......そして、一番重要なのが、旅商人の行く末だ。旅商人が望む物が何か、お前はわかるか?」 「......」 「市民権だよ」 「え!?」 「厳しい旅の生活を止めて、いつかは街で暮らしたい。街で店を持って安全に商売がしたい。そのために金を貯めたい。それが旅商人の夢だ。すでに市民権を持っているお前が旅商人に受け入れられることはない。どうしてもやりたいなら自分で始めるしかない。旅商人には見習いなんて制度はないんだ」 本当はこの街で店を持ちたかったらしいけれど、商人が兵士になった理由がわからない。 「どうして、オットーさんは兵士になろうと思ったんですか?」 「待て、聞......んぐっ!」 何か言いかけたベンノの口を押さえて、オットーさんが堂々ときっぱりと言い切った。 「コリンナと結婚するためだ」 「く、詳しく聞きたいですっ!」 「俺は聞きたくないぞ、嬢ちゃん」 「そう、あれは、俺が成人して間もない頃だった。この街に来た時に、コリンナに一目惚れしたんだ。心臓を貫かれたというか、天啓がひらめいたというか、とにかく、コリンナしか見えなかった。結婚するなら彼女しかいない、そう思って、即座に口説いた」 「......オットーさんって、意外と情熱的だったんですね」 焦げ茶の髪に茶色の瞳というとても落ち着いた色彩で、誠実そうに見える外見からは、恋に情熱を注ぐ姿が想像できなかった。 「それだけコリンナが魅力的だっただけだ。まぁ、果敢にアタックしたが、最初は断られたな。彼女は腕の良い有名な針子で、仕事をするうえで地縁は大事にしたい。旅を続ける生活なんてできない、と言ったんだ」 あぁ、確かにお得意さんって大事だし、腕が良いってことはある程度満足するくらいは稼げていたのだろうし、安定した生活捨てて、不安定な旅生活はできないよね。 ほぅほぅと頷きながら聞いているうちに、オットーの恋物語はどんどん加速し、加熱していく。声に力が入り始めて、手振り身振りが大きくなり始めた。 「コリンナに結婚はこの街の男とするつもりだ、と言われた時は雷が落ちたと思ったほどに衝撃を受けた。俺はコリンナが他の男と結婚するなんて考えられなくて、どうすればいいか必死で考えた結果、その足で神殿に行って、市民権を得た」 「え? ちょっと待ってください。恋心が暴走しすぎてませんか?」 この世界ではオットーの行動が普通なのか、わからなくてベンノを見上げると、疲れきったような表情でこめかみを押さえていた。 「......子供の嬢ちゃんでもそう思うよな? しかも、オットーがこの街の市民権につぎ込んだ金ってさ、親が市民権を得た街まで行って、開店資金にする予定だった金なんだぜ?」 「この街に店を持ちたいが、店を持つには金がかかるし、融通してくれるだけの縁もその頃はまだなかった。商人を辞めて、この街に居続ける覚悟をコリンナに見せられる仕事が兵士だったから、この街に来るたびに仲良くしていた班長に頼みこんで、書類仕事を主にする兵士として雇ってもらったんだ。......そういえば、市民権を買って、兵士になって、プロポーズしたら、コリンナは驚いていたな」 いや、そりゃ、驚くでしょ。旅の生活はできないって断ったら、全財産はたいて市民権買って、兵士になったなんて聞いて、驚かない年頃のお嬢さんはいないと思う。 「何日も口説き続けて、コリンナのところに婿入りって感じで結婚したんだ。もうしょうがない人って笑ったコリンナの可愛さと言ったら! それで、今は......」 そこからは自分の嫁がどれだけ可愛いか、延々と語り始めた。オットーの口は止まらない。商人として培った一流の営業力とプレゼン力を嫁自慢に使わないでほしい。 どうしよう、オットーさんがこんな人だったなんて知らなかった。 助けを求めてベンノを見ると、目が合った瞬間、慣れているのか、軽く肩を竦めて、溜息を吐いた。 「オットー、もう旅商人の話じゃねぇよ。嫁の話はそれくらいにして、本題に戻れ」 「コホン! 悪い。そういうわけで、旅商人は諦めろ」 かなり脱線したが、旅商人には見習い制度がないことと、旅商人になった時の苦労と、わたし達が持っている市民権の大事さと、恋に溺れる怖さはよくわかった。 せっかく志望動機も考えてきたのに、発言する前に無理だと言われて、旅商人の厳しさと嫁自慢を叩きこまれては、落ち込むのも仕方ない。 「......ルッツ、これはマインからの提案だが、旅商人ではなく、商人見習いになればどうだ? 買い付けで街を出るくらいなら、できるようになる」 「マイン!?」 バッと顔を上げて、ルッツがわたしを見た。 「ちゃんと旅商人の話を聞いた方がルッツのためだと思ったの。同じ街で過ごしてきたわたしの言葉より、素直に聞けるでしょ?」 「......あ」 ルッツは図星だというような表情で、バツが悪そうに視線を逸らす。 「オットーさんに話を聞いた時、旅商人は難しそうだと思ったから、できれば、親に反対されず、お仕事で街の外に出られる機会がないかな、って考えたんだよ。それに、わたしも今まで知らなかったけど、市民権を手放してまで旅商人になるのは止めた方がいいと思う」 オットーの話を聞いて、やはり、考えることはあったのだろう。外からやって来た人たちの土産話を聞くのと、現実の生活を聞くのでは全く違ったはずだ。 「オットーさんはこの街の商人さんとも繋がりがあるって、父さんから聞いたから、ルッツにやる気があるなら紹介してもらえないかなって、相談しただけ。断るのはルッツの自由だよ?」 「......そっか。色々考えてくれたんだな」 わたしも顔を上げて、ベンノを見つめる。商人見習いになりたいなら、乗り越えなければならない相手はオットーではなく、ベンノだ。 「で、俺が紹介されたわけだけど......お前、商人になりたいのか?」 オットーの嫁自慢を聞いていた時のような緩い雰囲気はもう微塵もない。屈服させる相手を見つけた肉食獣のような酷薄な目でルッツを見下ろす。 「ふぅん。それで、何が売れる? 商人になって何を売りたいんだ?」 就職の面接に志望動機を聞くのは当たり前だが、ルッツが昨日考えてきたのは旅商人の志望理由だ。いきなり商人見習いの志望動機をひねり出せと言われても、そう簡単にできるものではない。 「商人になって何がしたいか、やれるかを聞いてるんだよ」 ひぃぃ! 洗礼前の子供相手に圧迫面接ですよ! そんな意地悪しないで、と言いたいが、商人にとっては見習いが一人増えるということは、出費が大きく増えるということだ。オットーの助手の友人という繋がりならば、損を覚悟で抱え込まなければならないような義理もない。 「ないなら、話は終わりだ」 今から言う言葉が助け船になるのか、しなくていい苦労への一歩になるのか、わたしにはわからない。選ぶのはルッツだ。 「......わたしの紙、ルッツが作る?」 ルッツがグッと顔を上げた。ぎゅっとわたしの手を握る手に力がこもる。その手が震えているけれど、ルッツは片眉を上げて獰猛な顔をしているベンノをキッと睨んだ。 「オレにだってやりたいことはちゃんとある! マインが考えたものは全部オレが作るんだ!」 「うん。ずっとそうしてきたもんね」 「マインはすぐに無茶するから、オレがやる」 ルッツ、よく頑張ったね。ちゃんと言えたね。ベンノさんが目を丸くしてるよ。 わたしがルッツを巻き込んだのか、ルッツがわたしを巻き込んだのか、よくわからない結果になったけれど、ルッツがわたしにできないことを引きうけてくれるなら、ルッツにできないことはわたしが引き受ければいい。 ルッツと違って、わたしは入試の面接も就職の面接も経験してるんだよ。 わたしは、ベンノさんを見上げたまま、ニコリと笑顔を浮かべる。すぅっと息を吸って、ゆっくり吐いて、呼吸を整えてから、口を開いた。 「動物の皮じゃない紙を作って売りたいと考えています。製作費が羊皮紙より安く抑えられるので、利益のでる売り物になると思います」 わたしの言葉にベンノが苦虫を噛み潰したような顔になる。ルッツに向けていたよりもずっと獰猛な光を宿す目で、唸るような低い声を出した。 「......嬢ちゃんも商人志望か?」 「はい。第二希望ですけど」 「第一希望は門で書類仕事?」 「いえ、『司書』です」 わたしの言葉が揃って怪訝そうな表情になる。やはり、言葉が通じなかったようだ。 「......聞いたことないな」 「本がたくさんあるところで本を管理する仕事をしたいんです」 司書の仕事を噛み砕いて説明すると、ベンノが吹き出して笑い始めた。 「ぶっ......ははは、それはお貴族様じゃないとできない仕事だ」 「......やっぱりそうなんですか」 本を持っているのが基本的に貴族なら、それを管理する司書も貴族だろうとは思っていた。何となく予想していたことだが、やっぱり身分差が腹立たしい。 「それにしても、羊皮紙じゃない紙、ねぇ......。現物はあるのか?」 ちらりとわたしを見る目に警戒が浮かんでいる。多分、ベンノの頭の中では、羊皮紙以外の紙が出てきた時の影響や利益がぐるぐるしているに違いない。 「今はないです」 「話にならんな」 話にならないと言っているが、興味を持っているのは間違いない。もう一言で落とし所に持っていけるだろう。 「現物があればいいなら、作ります。わたしたちの洗礼式は来年の夏だから、春までに紙の試作を作るので、それが使えるかどうかで、判断してください」 「......いいだろう」 不合格にするつもりだったベンノから猶予をもぎ取れたのだ。 「ありがとうございます、ベンノさん」 「まだ決まったわけじゃない」 「それでも、挑戦できる機会をくれたわけですから」 あとはルッツが頑張るだけだ。自分の就職がかかっているのだから、必死でやってくれるだろう。 「ルッツ、頑張ろうね」 オットーのお陰で、ルッツは旅商人を諦めて、商人見習いへの第一歩を踏み出した。これはわたしが考えていた中で最善の結果だった。 「オットーさん、ベンノさんを紹介してくださってありがとうございました」 「なかなか楽しい休日になったよ。次に門に来る日を楽しみにしてる」 ホッと胸を撫で下ろし、オットーのセリフから解散を促されていることに気付いたわたしはルッツと一緒に歩き出そうと足を一歩踏み出す。 ......あ、忘れてた。 わたしは足を止めて振り返り、同じように歩きだそうとしていたオットーとベンノを呼びとめる。 「あの! オットーさんとベンノさんにお伺いしたいことがあったんです」 「自分の中にある熱が急に広がったり、小さくなったりする病気に心当たりありませんか?」 あちらこちらに行っていたオットーか、色々なところに繋がりがありそうなベンノなら、わたしの中の熱のことを知っているかもしれない。 「熱に食べられそうになるような感じがしたり、必死で退けようと思ったら小さくなったりするんです。主観的で申し訳ないんですけど......」 オットーがゆるく首を振った。 ベンノに視線を移すと、一度目を伏せた後、ゆっくりと首を振る。 「......知らんな」 この二人が知らないということは、わたしの生活圏内で知っている人はいないと思っていい。 ......もしかして、結構ヤバい病気なのかな? 一抹の不安を抱いて、会合はお開きとなった。

When I get home, my entire family is waiting for me, extremely worried looks on their faces. The instant I open the front door, Tuuli and my mother let out sighs of relief. My father looks relieved as well, for a moment, but then raises his voice angrily. “Do you have any idea what time it is?! How worried did you want us to get?” “Sorry for making you worry, Daddy.” Since I had stayed out so late after listening to Benno telling me all those things about the temple, I fully recognize just how deeply worried my father must have been, so I immediately apologize. I take a sidelong glance at the dinner already sitting out on the table as I head towards the bedroom to put down my things. Now that I’ve gotten home, both my hunger and fatigue have suddenly caught up to me. “I went to the temple, then I went to Mister Benno’s shop, and then I went to the merchants’ guild. That took so much time. I’m tired, and I’m really hungry, too.” I wash my hands and slowly make my way to the table. My father narrows his eyes at me, eyebrows knitted tightly together. “So just what happened, then?” My father’s question seems to be the one on the entire family’s mind. Both my mother and Tuuli look at me uneasily. “I’ll tell you everything, but can I eat first? I’m hungry, and it’s a long story.” “...Alright.” Everyone eats their dinner in gloomy silence, whether it’s because they’re caught up in brooding over things or just because they’re dissatisfied with having to wait until after dinner. I wrack my brains, looking for a cheerful topic of conversation, and suddenly find one. If I talk about Corinna, we’ll surely have at least a slightly more lively conversation. “Hey, um, Mommy. Today, when I went to Mister Benno’s shop, he asked me to tell you something. He said that Miss Corinna wanted to see the dress I wore to the baptismal ceremony and my hairpin, too. Can I show them to her?” My mother drops her soup spoon, and it clatters noisily as it hits her bowl. Her eyes go wide and she starts looking around the room frantically, her face turning bright red as she starts frantically shaking her head. “W... what?! Th... that’s not something that I’d be fine showing Miss Corinna at all!” “...Oh, okay. I’ll tell Mister Benno you said no, then.” I thought that she might be a little bit hesitant, but I had no clue that she’d give such an adamant rejection. I feel bad for making my mother this fl.u.s.tered, so it’s probably best that we turn down the request. Even though I thought I was being kind by saying that, it only served to make my mother even more fl.u.s.tered. She frantically waves her hands, her eyes darting around everywhere. “N... no, wait, Maïne! We can’t just refuse. Hold on a bit. Aaargh, I can’t decide how to answer!” My mother is in complete shambles. It seems like she’s happy that Corinna is praising her, but because she’s dealing with someone so spectacularly above her in society, she has no idea how to react. I smile a little, having figured out what she’s thinking. Seeing her like this, so far from her usual demeanor, is pretty funny, and also a little cute. I amuse myself watching her panic, muttering to herself as she flips back and forth between all her options while her dinner goes untouched before her. Tuuli, sitting next to me, pokes me in the arm. “Hey, Maïne. Does that mean you’re going to bring it to her house?” “Probably, yeah?” Since my mother herself said that we can’t refuse, then it’s probably safe to a.s.sume that she’s decided that we’ll be showing Corinna my dress and hairpin. I don’t know if my mother would come along, or if it would just be me, but someone is going to have to bring them to her. There’s probably no way that she’d come here to see them. Tuuli looks at me with wide eyes that glitter with radiant hope, hands clasped in front of her chest. I tilt my head curiously, wondering why she’s deploying her strongest, most maximally cute begging style. “What’s up?” “Can I come too, this time?” Last time, when I delivered the rinsham to Corinna, the written invitation was addressed only to me. Tuuli, who had wanted to go, had to stay behind and keep an eye on the house. This time, though, we weren’t sent an actual written invitation. So, when I go to Benno to deliver our reply, then maybe it would be okay if I ask if Tuuli could come along as well. “Miss Corinna is really nice, so I don’t think she’d say no if you came too, but... if I tell her in advance that you were the one who made the really big flower on my hairpin, then I think she’d say yes.” “You’re the best, Maïne! I love you!” The pure, innocent delight that s.h.i.+nes from her face is astoundingly cute. As expected of our angel. To her, an apprentice seamstress, an established and charismatic seamstress like Corinna would obviously be someone to admire. As I look at Tuuli, my heart warming, my mother suddenly holds out her hand. “Hold on, you two. Please hold on. I haven’t even decided if we’re going yet...” “Huh? But you said we weren’t going to refuse, though?” “Well, yes, but, see...” The words falling out of my frantic mother’s mouth seem to have lost all meaning. “I think that Miss Corinna would have questions for the person who actually sewed the dress,” I say, “but... if you really don’t want to go, then you don’t have to, you know?” When I imply that only Tuuli and I would be going, my mother immediately shakes her head. “When did I say that I didn’t want to go?” “Okay!” I say, smiling widely. “Then I’ll tell Mister Benno that all three of us will come.” My mother is at a loss for words. Tuuli looks at her and giggles. I can’t help but start giggling too. My mother sighs resignedly, then laughs as well. My father, watching the three of us, smiles, but it’s a complicated smile, like he’s not laughing along. In an instant, the cheerful mood vanishes and the room grows heavy. Everyone looks at me, urging me to start talking. “Ummm, let’s start from what happened at the temple. I told them that I wasn’t going to be a priestess, but then when they found out that I had the devouring, they said they wanted to speak to my parents and gave me this invitation. It’s for the day after tomorrow, on the third bell.” When my father looks at the wooden slip I pull from my bag, his face goes completely white. Since he works as a gatekeeper, he probably has seen countless written invitations like this before, and probably knows all too well what kind of meaning a written invitation from the temple master, a n.o.ble, carries. He stares at the official order of summons, his lips tight. “Maïne, what did you do?!” “I didn’t really do anything. All I did was talk, and they read the scriptures to me–” “You had a n.o.bleman read to you? You–” “–I mean,” I say, pouting, “I didn’t know that the head priest was a n.o.ble!” When I go on to explain how I made the chalice s.h.i.+ne, I can see in both of my parents’ faces that all life has left their bodies. It seems like this is far more than they can bear. I wave my hands in front of their empty eyes, tilting my head curiously. “Can I keep going?” My father comes back to his senses with a start. He shakes his head vigorously, as if to clear it. “After I went to the temple, I went to Mister Benno’s shop. Mister Benno knows a lot more about the devouring than me, and also knows a lot about the temple and the n.o.bles, so he taught me a lot of things.” “What kind of things?” I glance around the table and see everyone looking at me suspiciously. I nod, and take a long, slow breath, in and out. “So, um, he said that the fever is caused by mana. And that means that I’m not going to be able to get away from the temple or from the n.o.bles.” “That’s...” My mother and Tuuli clap their hands over their mouths, quivering in terror. I don’t know if they’re scared because it turns out I have magic, or if it’s because of the authority of the temple, but either way, I avert my eyes and continue. “But, if there’s magical tools at the temple, then if I go there I can live longer.” My father, my mother, and Tuuli all look at me with a mix of hope and fear. When I see them looking at me with worried eyes, not with fear over my having mana, all of the built-up tension leaves my body. “Hey, Maïne,” says Tuuli. “If you go to the temple, then even if you live a lot longer, we won’t be able to see you, right?” “At this rate, yeah...” Tuuli’s eyes start filling with tears as she shakes her head desperately. “What’s different from you being locked up by a n.o.bleman, then?” says my father, sounding like he’s choking the words out. “I don’t want to send you to the temple.” “Hey, Daddy. Do you know what’s happening in the other parts of the country? Did you hear about the coup, and how all the n.o.bles are being shuffled around differently?” “There was a merchant saying something like that a few days ago. I’m a gatekeeper, so I hear about sorts of things, but... that doesn’t have anything to do with this, right?” As I wonder if Benno might have heard about this through Otto, I shake my head. “That’s why I’m being told to go to the temple. There’s not as many n.o.bles around right now, and the temple needs mana in order to do their jobs. I don’t really know if what Mister Benno said is true or not, but you would, wouldn’t you?” My father’s breath catches in his throat, like he’d just remembered something. He strokes his chin, eyes cast down, thinking about something. “The n.o.bles are definitely scattering to other places, hm. I’ve been seeing n.o.bles leave, but lately, I haven’t been seeing any come back.” “So Mister Benno was right about that?” I mutter to myself. “Okay, then in that case, I think we can make this work.” “Mister Benno said that I was lucky. The temple is in trouble because it doesn’t have many n.o.bles left, so he said that I might be able to negotiate things so that I can get treated more like a n.o.ble.” “Tell me everything,” says my father. He has the serious, fierce look in his eyes that I’ve seen when he’s at work. I spell out everything that Benno told me in the finest detail that I can, in a way to make it easy to understand. I also tell them about the magical contract and the fact that my workshop has now been registered. “...So, although I don’t know if it’ll work until we try it, Mister Benno thinks that we might be able to play up how weak I am and get them to both treat me well and let me come and go as I want. He says that with the way things are for them right now, we should be able to get those kinds of concessions out of them. He told me that I need to struggle for my life.” My father’s eyes gleam. “Struggle for your life, huh? Now’s a great time to think like that, isn’t it?” “Yeah.” Emphasizing both my ability to provide them with magical power and my weakness, get them to treat me more like a n.o.ble. Emphasizing both my weakness and my love for my parents, get them to allow me to come and go. Emphasizing my ability to bring in money, get them to allow me to continue operating my workshop. “I’ve got other, more selfish goals, like being able to browse the library and avoid having to do any heavy labor, but even if we can only get those three down then I’d call that a win, I think.” “Got it. Let’s give that a shot. I became a soldier to protect all of the families in this town. If I can’t protect my own family, then what am I protecting? I’m going to do my absolute best to make sure you get to live.” His eyes burning with pa.s.sion, my father gives me a confident grin, wearing the expression of a man with a hard battle before him. The next day, both of my parents go to their workplaces to ask for the day off. After how much I did the day before, it’s only natural that I could barely move, so I took the day to rest. The day after that is the day that we are to be summoned by the temple. My parents put on their only nice set of clothes, I put on the apprentice’s clothing that I have been using to go to Benno’s shop, and the three of us head towards the temple. “Keep me safe,” I tell my father. Like I’d seen the soldiers do at the gate, I make a fist, then bend my elbow as if flexing my bicep. My father looks down at me in amazement, watching me do what the soldiers do when they wish each other a victorious battle, then smirks. He makes a fist and bends his elbow as well, then strikes my fist with his own. “Leave it to me,” he says. It seems that people at the temple gates have already been told to expect us, because gray-robed priests are already there to guide us through the temple, leading us to the temple master’s room. We cut through the wors.h.i.+p hall and through the part of the temples where commoners would be lodged, straight towards the area used by the n.o.bility. The corridors around us gradually grow more grand as we pa.s.s through them. My father is full of determination, his temples quivering and his fists tightly clenched. My mother, looking nervously at my father’s expression, is pale with tension. I glance at the hand she’s holding mine with, and see that all the muscles on it are standing out, quivering. “Father Bösewanz,” says the gray-robed priest, “the girl Maïne and her parents have come to see you.” The priest opens the door for us. Inside, the temple master and head priest are seated at the table, waiting for us. In addition, behind the table are four gray-robed priests, standing in a line. I hadn’t known that they were orphans the other day, but even when I look at them knowing that now, they’re still so well-groomed that I wouldn’t be able to tell. I wonder if the treatment they get here isn’t actually all that bad? Either that or people serving as the attendants of n.o.bles are required to have a neat personal appearance. “Good morning, Father,” I say to the temple master. “Ah, Maïne,” he greets me. Just as I remembered, he looks like a kindly old man when he greets me. However, when he looks at my parents, his eyes widen. He looks at them in disbelief, fists trembling. “And these are... your parents, if I’m not mistaken?” he says. “Yes, that’s correct.” “And what might their occupations be?” “My father is a soldier, and my mother is a dyer.” When I give him my answer, he looks them over, scrutinizing them so closely that it’s rather impolite. Then, he snorts dismissively, looking down his nose at them. Even though he hasn’t said anything, I can immediately tell that he’s looking down on them, thinking of them as mere commoners. I blink, shocked by how quickly his demeanor changed. There is not a trace of the kindly old man I saw a moment ago in this man’s expression as he suddenly starts sneering at us. I am suddenly faced with the reality of how wide the gulf is between our social status, and understand entirely that the entire reason he had been so kindly towards me was because of my money. “Alright, well, let’s get this over with quickly.” Without offering a greeting, without beckoning us to the table, while we are still standing just inside the room, he moves straight into the order of business. I wonder if this might be an ordinary sort of thing, but when I compare this sort of behavior to the kind temple master I’d known so far, I can’t help but frown. The head priest, sitting next to the temple master, is keeping his face neutral, so I can’t see any of the same sort of disdain in his eyes. However, he doesn’t seem inclined to stop the temple master, merely content to watch, expressionless. The temple master clears his throat, raising his eyebrows in a very self-important manner as he opens his mouth to speak. “I know Maïne had some interest in becoming a sister-in-training, but it seems like you have some sort of objections.” “That’s correct, sir,” says my father. “I don’t have any intention to put my beloved daughter in the same conditions as orphans.” My father is quietly returning the temple master’s dismissive stare with an intensity like sparks flying, but the temple master doesn’t seem to take any notice, ignoring my father’s att.i.tude as he idly strokes his beard. “Hmph. That might be the case, but Maïne has the devouring. That means that if she doesn’t get magical tools, she won’t live much longer. There’s magical tools here at the temple. If you have any compa.s.sion, you’ll let her join the temple.” This is clearly an order, with no room for negotiation. His snide tone and his rude demeanor are very oppressive and I, unused to this sort of social stratification, can’t help but get irritated. I can tell that I’m not the only one getting irritated at how clearly we’re being looked down on, because my father twitches a little before he replies. “I must refuse. I will not let Maïne live in the same conditions as orphans.” “That’s correct,” adds my mother. “Even if she didn’t have the devouring, she’s still very frail. She collapsed twice during the baptismal ceremony, and after that was laid out with a fever for several days. She can’t survive here in the temple.” My mother’s hands are tense as she replies, ready to protect me. Refusing something a command like this despite the tremendous difference in social stature is basically putting their very lives on the line. Naturally, the temple master hadn’t expected to be so openly refused, let alone by both parents. He grows bright red with rage, all the way to the top of his balding head. “How impertinent! Be obedient and hand over your daughter!” This man is acting so indecently that I can’t even imagine that he could be a clergyman in any sort of church at all. My breath catches in my throat. I know that what we commoners are supposed to do when facing a n.o.bleman like this is obediently bow our heads, but I really don’t want to acknowledge it. My father seems to be trembling in anger, but not a trace of it shows in his voice as he calmly refuses a second time. “I must refuse. There are many orphans here at the temple. They are worked hard, used as playthings, and ultimately discarded. I absolutely will not allow my daughter to be thrown into the midst of that.” When my father says that, my mother grips my hand painfully hard, nodding firmly. I’m so happy and proud of them that I can’t help but smile, but it looks like these words have only thrown oil onto the temple master’s fire. “You dare!” he yells. He looks over his shoulder at the gray-robed priests standing behind him. “Seize these impertinent parents, and lock up the girl!” I don’t know if he’s being too hasty or if he isn’t even thinking about this conversation anymore, but after having suddenly escalated the situation he stands up, quickly enough that his chair falls behind him. “Stand back,” says my father. He steps in front of me and my mother as the gray-robed priests come toward us. Thanks to the table between them and us, they can’t charge us all at once, so they come at us seconds apart from each other. “If it’s what I have to do to protect Maïne, then I’m ready to face the consequences.” He launches his fist directly into the stomach of the first priest to reach him, then when the priest starts to double over in pain, brings his knee up hard, directly into the man’s jaw, knocking him immediately unconscious. The second priest tries to get behind him, but he swings around, catching the man in the temple with the back of his fist before launching another kick. With strike after strike, he unhesitatingly went for their vitals, the clearly incompetent priests no match for his fluid, trained motions. There is no way that these priests, who spend most of their time taking care of n.o.bles, could possibly be any match for my father, who has practiced fighting for countless hours as a soldier. The remaining two priests, perhaps unused to this kind of violence, look terrified of my father, inching backwards away from him. “Hmph, you can fight one or two people, but how many can you really hold out against?” The temple master sneers at my fathers resolve, throwing open the door to the room. I don’t know how he managed to summon them, but on the other side of the door are at least ten more priests, and all of them immediately rush into the room. When I see how victorious the temple master looks, something inside of me snaps. That is enough! My entire body flushes with heat, like my blood is suddenly boiling. Despite that, my mind remains clear, a strange serenity wrapping my thoughts. My anger has flooded every cell of my body. “‘You dare’, hm? That’s my line. Do not touch my parents.” When I take a step forward, the smugly-smiling temple master, the head priest who had been quietly observing this entire time, the priests pouring into the room... all of them, for some reason, turn to me in sudden fright.

家に帰ると家族全員がひどく心配した顔で、わたしの帰りを待ちわびていた。玄関のドアが開いた瞬間、トゥーリと母がホッとしたような表情になって、同じ表情をしていた父が直後に、怒声を飛ばしてきた。 「遅かったじゃないか! どれだけ心配させれば気が済むんだ!」 「心配かけてごめんね、父さん」 神殿についてベンノから色々と聞かされたわたしは、父が心底心配していたことがよく理解できていたので、すぐに謝った。 「神殿に行って、ベンノさんのお店に行って、商業ギルドに行ったから、すごく時間がかかったの。疲れたし、すごくお腹空いたよ」 わたしが手を洗って、のそのそとテーブルに着くと、父が眉間に皺を刻んで目を細めた。 何があった?」 父の言葉は家族全員の心情を表すものだったようで、母もトゥーリも不安そうな目でわたしを見つめる。 「全部報告するから、先にご飯食べていい? お腹空いたし、長いお話になるの」 「......わかった」 明るい話題がないかな、と記憶を探っていたわたしは、ハッと思い出した。コリンナの話題なら、少しは会話が弾むに違いない。 「あのね、母さん。今日、ベンノさんのお店に行った時に伝言されたんだけどね、コリンナさんがわたしの晴れ着や髪飾りを見たいんだって。見せても良い?」 スープを食べていた母がカツンとスプーンを落とした。目を見開いて、おろおろと辺りを見回しながら、顔を赤くして首を振る。 「え、えぇ!? そんな、コリンナ様に見せるような物じゃないでしょ!」 「......そっか。じゃあ、お断りしておくよ」 もしかしたら、躊躇うくらいはするかなと思っていたが、ここまで拒絶するとは思っていなかった。母をあまり混乱させるのも悪いし、断っておいた方がいいだろう。 親切心でそう思ってのお断り発言だったが、わたしのお断り発言に母は更に取り乱し、バタバタと手を振って、目をきょどきょどさせた。 「ちょ、ちょっと待ちなさい、マイン! 断るのはダメよ。待ってちょうだい。あぁ、もう、すぐに答えなんて出せないわ」 完全に母が混乱状態に陥ってしまった。コリンナに認められたのは嬉しいけれど、雲の上のような人が相手だからどうしていいかわからないようだ。 「ねぇ、マイン。それってコリンナ様の家に持っていくの?」 「多分そうなると思うよ?」 断るのはダメだと母本人が言ったのだから、晴れ着と髪飾りを持っていくのは決定だと考えていいだろう。母が行くか、わたしだけで行くか、わからないけれど、コリンナのところに持っていくことになる。まさか来てもらうわけにはいかないだろう。 トゥーリがキラキラと期待に満ちた目で、わたしをじっと見つめて、胸の前で手を組んだ。トゥーリの一番可愛いおねだりスタイルに、わたしは目を瞬いて首を傾げる。 「今度はわたしも行っていい?」 前回、リンシャンを持っていく時はコリンナからの招待状がわたし宛だったので、トゥーリは行きたいのを我慢して、お留守番をしていた。今回は別に招待状をもらっているわけではないので、ベンノさんに返事する時にトゥーリも一緒だと言い添えれば大丈夫だろう。 「コリンナさんは優しいし、ダメとは言わないと思うけど......。前もって、トゥーリは髪飾りの大きいほうの花を作ってくれたから、って言って、お願いしておくね」 「マイン、大好き! ありがとう!」 パァッと顔を輝かせて、わーい、と無邪気に喜ぶトゥーリ、マジ可愛い。さすがウチの天使。針子見習いのトゥーリにとって、コリンナさんってカリスマ針子っていうか、憧れの人なんだよね。 ほのぼのとした気分でトゥーリを見ていると、母がバッと手を出して、待ったをかけた。 「待ってとも。待ってちょうだい。まだ行くって決めたわけじゃ......」 「え? でも、断りはしないんでしょ?」 「それはそうだけど、でも......」 あたふたしている母の口から出てくる言葉はもう大した意味をなしていない。 「コリンナさんは実際に縫った人の話が聞きたいんじゃないかとは思うけど......母さんがどうしても行きたくなかったら、行かなくても良いよ?」 トゥーリと一緒に服と髪飾りだけ持っていくから、と言おうとしたら、母がきっぱりと首を振った。 「行きたくないなんて言ってないでしょう」 「うん。じゃあ、3人で行くって言っておくね」 ニッコリ笑ってわたしがそう言うと、母は絶句した。トゥーリが母を見て、クスクス笑う。わたしもつられて笑えば、母も諦めたように息を吐いて、笑いだす。 食後のお茶を準備しながらそう言った母の言葉に、楽しく浮かれていた空気が一瞬で重くなった。家族全員の視線がわたしに集まり、話を促す。 「えーと、神殿の話からね。巫女見習いの話は断ったんだけど、わたしが身食いだってことがわかったら、両親と話がしたいって言われて、この招待状、預かってきたの。明後日の3の鐘だって」 わたしがバッグから取り出してきた木札を見て、父が顔色を変えた。門番をしている父は招待状の存在も知っているし、何度となく目にしているはずで、貴族である神殿長からの招待状がどういう意味を持つのか、よくわかっている。 強制召喚の命令状を見て、ひくっと口元を引きつらせた。 「別に、わたしは何もしてないよ。お喋りして、聖典を読んでもらっただけだし......」 「お貴族様相手に読んでもらったって、お前......」 「......だって、その時は神官長がお貴族様だなんて知らなかったんだもん」 仕方ないでしょ、と唇を尖らせながら、わたしが神殿で聖杯を光らせた話をすると、両親が魂の抜けていくような顔をしてわたしを見た。どうやら許容量をオーバーしたようだ。 「続き、話していい?」 放心していた父がハッと我に返ったようにブルブルと頭を振って、ガシガシと頭を掻いた。 「神殿の後でベンノさんのお店に行ったの。ベンノさん、身食いのこともわたしよりよく知っていて、神殿や貴族のことも詳しいから、色々教えてもらったの」 「色々?」 訝しげにわたしを見る家族をぐるりと見回して、わたしは一度大きく頷いた。ゆっくりと息を吸って、吐く。 「あのね、身食いの熱って、魔力なんだって。神殿や貴族から逃げることはできないだろうって」 「そんな......」 母とトゥーリが口元に手を当てて、恐ろしそうに身体を震わせた。それが魔力を持つわたしに対する恐れなのか、神殿という権力に対する恐れなのかわからない。軽く目を伏せるようにして、わたしは続ける。 「でも、神殿には魔術具があるから、行けば命は助かるの」 父も母もトゥーリも期待と不安がない交ぜになった顔でわたしを見た。魔力を恐れるのではなく、わたしを心配している目に、スッと身体から力が抜けていく。 「ねぇ、マイン。神殿に入ってしまえば、命は助かっても会えなくなるんだよね?」 「このままなら、多分......」 わたしの言葉にトゥーリは涙目でやだやだと首を振った。 「......それは貴族に飼い殺しにされるのと、どこが違う? 俺は神殿になどマインをやりたくない」 「ねぇ、父さん。父さんは中央の動きって知ってる? 政変があって貴族の動きに変化があるって、聞いたことない?」 「数日前にそんな話をした商人がいたな。門番だから一応入ってきているが、ここではあまり関係のない話だろう?」 もしかしたら、ベンノにはオットー経由で話が回ったのかもしれない。そんなことを考えながら、わたしは首を振った。 「だから、わたしが神殿に呼ばれてるの。今は貴族の数が減っているから、魔力が神殿で必要とされてるんだって。わたしにはベンノさんの話が本当かどうかわからないんだけど、父さんにはわかる?」 思い当たることがあったのか、父は息を呑んだ。顎を撫でながら、何かを思い出すように軽く目を伏せる。 「貴族が余所に散っているのは間違いないな。出ていく貴族はいるが、入ってくる貴族は最近いない」 「ベンノさんの言葉、本当なんだ? だったら、何とかなるかも」 「どういうことなの?」 「運が良いって、ベンノさんは言ってたよ。貴族が減って神殿は困ってるから、うまく交渉して、貴族に近い扱いにしてもらうことはできるかもしれないって」 父の目が仕事をしている時のような真剣で猛々しい目で、わたしを見た。 わたしはベンノに教えられたことをできるだけ細かく、わかりやすいように説明する。契約魔術や工房登録についても話をした。 「......それで、やってみないとわからないけど、虚弱だってことを強調して、通いにしてもらうとか、待遇を良くしてもらうとか、交渉しろってベンノさんは言ってた。今の状況なら、ある程度向こうも譲歩してくれるだろうって。生きるためにあがけって、言われたの」 わたしの言葉に父が目を光らせた。 「生きるためにあがけ、か。考えようによっては好機ということだな?」 「うん」 魔力提供と虚弱を主張して、貴族に近い扱いにしてもらうこと。 虚弱と親心を強調して、通いを認めてもらうこと。 お金の融通でそそのかして、工房の存続を認めてもらうこと。 「他にも図書室の閲覧とか、労働力の確保とか、通したい我儘はあるけど、これが通れば、勝利と言っていいと思う」 「わかった。やってやろう。俺はこの街ごと家族を守るために兵士になったんだ。家族を守れなくて、何を守ると言うんだ。マインが生きるための最善を勝ち取ってやる」 目を爛々と輝かせ、ニィッと唇を上げた父は戦いを前にした男の顔をしていた。 次の日、両親は仕事場で休みをとってきてくれた。わたしは前日に動きすぎたせいで、碌に動けず、休養日となった。 そして、次の日は神殿に呼び出しを受けた約束の日だ。両親は一張羅を、わたしはベンノの店に通うための見習い服を着て、神殿に向かう。 「父さん、わたしを守ってね」 兵士がお互いの健闘を祈る時にする仕草に、父が軽く目を見張った後、クッと笑った。同じように拳を握って肘を曲げ、わたしの拳に自分の拳を軽く当てる。 「任せておけ」 神殿の門には通達がされていたようで、灰色の神官の案内によって、すぐに神殿長の部屋へと通された。 進む度に少しずつ豪華になっていく廊下に、父は何かを決心するようにこめかみを震わせて拳をきつく握って歩く。父の様子をおろおろしながら見守っている母の顔は緊張で青ざめているのがわかる。 「神殿長、マインと名乗る少女とその両親がお着きです」 部屋の中央にあるテーブルでは神殿長と神官長が待っているのが見える。そして、テーブルの奥のスペースには灰色の神官が4人、並んで立っていた。 昨日は孤児だと知らなかったけれど、それを知って改めて見ても、孤児にしては実に身綺麗にしている気がする。もしかしたら、それほど待遇は悪くないのだろうか。それとも、貴族の側仕えをする人は身綺麗にされているのだろうか。 「おはようございます、神殿長」 「あぁ、マイン」 神殿長は見覚えのある好々爺の顔でわたしを迎え出てくれる。しかし、その後、わたしの両親の姿を見て、目を見張った。信じられないというように目を見開き、ふるふると拳が震えている。 「こちらが......マインのご両親で間違いないのかな?」 「はい、間違いないです」 「一体どんな職業を?」 「兵士の父と染色の工房で働く母です」 わたしが質問に答えると、じろじろと不躾な視線で両親を見た後、神殿長は馬鹿にしたように鼻でフンと笑った。何も言わなくても、それだけで「貧乏人が」と見下しているのがすぐにわかる。 手の平を返したような豹変ぶりに唖然として、わたしは目を瞬いた。 いきなり他人を蔑むような目つきになった神殿長の姿に、先程までの好々爺の面影は欠片もない。身分の差というものを目の当たりにし、それと同時に、今まで好待遇を受けていた原因であるお金の威力というものを思い知った。 「では、早いところ、話をすませてしまおう」 挨拶も何もなく、テーブルに着くことも許されず、わたし達は立ったまま、神殿長の話を聞くことになった。これがもしかしたら、普通なのかもしれないが、今まで親切だった神殿長を知っているだけに、思わず眉を寄せてしまう。 神殿長の隣に座る神官長は静かな無表情でわたし達を見ているだけで、神殿長のように軽蔑したような目で見ることはない。しかし、神殿長を止める気もないようで、澄ました顔をしている。 「マインが巫女見習いを希望しているのはすでに知っていると思うが、反対しているそうだな」 「えぇ、そうです。大事な娘を孤児と同じ環境にやりたいとは思えません」 父が静かに火花を散らしながら、神殿長を見るが、神殿長は父の態度など歯牙にもかけないというような興味のなさそうな顔で、髭を撫でた。 「ふむ。そうかもしれんが、マインは身食いだ。身食いは魔術具がなければ生きていけない。神殿には魔術具がある。慈悲を以て、神殿が受け入れてやろう」 それは交渉の余地もない命令だった。神殿長の口調とぞんざいな態度が、非常に高圧的で、身分差に慣れていないわたしはどうしてもイラッとする。 「お断りします。孤児と同じ環境ではマインはどうせ生きられない」 「そうです。マインは身食いでなくても、非常に虚弱です。洗礼式で2度も倒れ、その後何日も熱が引かないような子供なんです。神殿で生活などできません」 当然、断られるなんて露ほども考えていなかったらしい神殿長は、両親揃って拒否したことに、やや禿げかけた額の上の方まで真っ赤にして、激昂した。 「両親揃って無礼な! おとなしく娘を差し出せ!」 これのどこが聖職者だ、と呆れてしまうくらい感情的でみっともない姿に、ひくっとわたしの頬が引きつった。こんなんでも貴族で、平民であるわたし達は頭を下げなければならない相手だというのが、わたしは理解したくない。 「お断りします。神殿には孤児がたくさんいる。こき使うのも、慰み者にするのも、そちらで済ませていただきたい。大事な娘を孤児の中に放り込むような真似は断じてしません」 父の言葉に母も痛いほどにわたしの手を握って、しっかりと頷いた。わたしにとっては嬉しくて誇らしくて、思わず笑ってしまいそうな両親の言葉だったが、神殿長にとっては火に油を注ぐだけのものだった。 「ふざけるな! この無礼な両親を捕らえて、マインを奥に閉じ込めろ!」 神殿長がくるっと振り向いて背後に立っていた灰色の神官に向かって叫んだ。短絡的なのか、話し合いなど考えたこともないのか、いきなり強硬手段を取る神殿長がガタッと椅子を蹴倒して立ち上がる。 父がわたしと母を守るように前に出るのと同時に、灰色の神官がザッと向かってきた。テーブルの向こうだったお陰で、一斉に飛びかかられるということはなく、少しずつの時間差があった。 「マインを守ると決めた時から、それくらいの覚悟はできている」 父は向かってくる神官の腹に思い切り拳を叩きこみ、身体を折ったところで、膝蹴りを顎に食らわせて昏倒させた。そのまま背後に駆け寄ってきた神官の眉間に裏拳を打ち込んで蹴り飛ばす。 次々と急所を攻撃して、神官を戦闘不能にしていく父の流れるような動きに、全く迷いなどなかった。 何より、兵士として訓練を重ねた父と貴族神官の世話を主にする灰色神官では勝負になるはずがない。普段それほどの暴力にさらされていないのか、残った二人の神官は怯えたような目で父を見ながらじりじりと後ろに下がっていく。 「フン、一人二人は相手にできても、大勢ならいつまでもつかな?」 父の覚悟を嘲笑うように、神殿長はドアを開けた。どのような方法で呼び集めていたのか、ドアの向こうには10人以上の神官がいて、部屋の中に一気になだれ込んできた。 いい加減にして! 身体中の血が沸騰するように全身が熱くなって、そのくせ、頭は妙に冷静に冷え切っているような感覚に包まれた。全身が怒りに染まっているのがわかる。 「ふざけるなはこっちのセリフ。父さんと母さんに触らないで」 わたしが一歩前に出ると、偉そうに笑っていた神殿長も、一人静かに座ったまま状況を見ていた神官長も、なだれ込んできた神官達までもが、何故か揃って驚愕した目でわたしを見た。

Ascendance of a Bookworm After we leave Benno’s room, Lutz and I are led out of the shop by Mark and towards a warehouse near the south gates. It seems like the south gates are where a lot of craftsmen work, so there are a lot of warehouses in this part of the town. Also, there are a lot more water wells around here than in the residential districts, since craftsmen likely use a lot of water in their work. The warehouse that Mark leads us to has a well right next to it. It’s not a particularly large s.p.a.ce; at a glance, it looks to be about three by three and a half meters wide. It looks like it was originally used for workers to store raw materials in, with rough wooden shelves nailed onto the walls. The inside has been roughly swept out, so while it’s still a little dusty it doesn’t seem like we’ll need to do any thorough cleaning. As I look around, I notice that both a pot and a bag full of something have already been left in a corner. “When the items you order arrive at the shop, we’ll send an employee to bring them here. Yesterday, they brought the pot and the ash you ordered; they are in the corner there. Today, the large tub and the stone weight will be arriving. Please be here when they arrive.” As I look at the black pot that Mark is pointing at, my heart fills with grat.i.tude for Benno’s a.s.sistance. A pot, something that Lutz and I could absolutely never have gotten on our own, is here. “Whoa, a pot!!” I exclaim. “Lutz! Can you carry this?” “Yeah, if it’s this size. I could also strap it to my back, instead.” “Well, let’s measure it! We need to figure out how big the steamer’s going to be.” I have a set of ordering materials, that I borrowed from Benno’s shop, in my tote bag. As I rush to take out the measuring tape, Lutz casually takes it from my hands. “...Sure, let’s measure it, but let’s calm down a little first. If you get too excited, you’ll get sick again.” “Urgh...” Mark smiles wryly as he watches our exchange. “If there’s no problems with this warehouse, then I’ll be returning to the shop today. Tomorrow morning, I plan to go to the lumberyard, so please make absolutely sure you’ve finished measuring and ordering everything you’ll need by then. ...Hmm, I’ll leave the shop at the third bell, so I think I should arrive at the central plaza shortly after that.” “Yes, understood!” I say. “Thank you very much for everything so far.” Next, he takes out a set of chains and a key, a serious expression on his face. “I’ll leave this key with you for now. This is the key to this warehouse. When you close up here, please make very sure you don’t forget this. Then, after you’ve locked up, you need to bring this key back to the shop. Lutz, it’s alright for you to do this by yourself. All right?” After handing the heavy key to Lutz, Mark turns smoothly on his heel, then exits the warehouse. “Lutz, shall we get started?” This warehouse doesn’t seem to have been used very recently, so it has neither chairs nor any boxes we might sit on. This isn’t the kind of place we can really take a break. “How about we bring in the stuff we have already? The frame we made, the bamboo, the nails...” “Yeah, that sounds good. The things we definitely have to do today are figuring out the size of the steamer, and then the size of the wood we’re going to use, right? I want to go over what I’ve got down on these orders so far to make sure I’m not forgetting any more lumber we need... after that, we could start on making bamboo strips?” “If we’re cutting and shaving bamboo like that, we’ll need some tools for that too.” I write down a list of the things we need to do today on my slate, then prop it up against the wall of the warehouse. This way, I think we won’t forget anything. Lutz and I start heading home to get our things and bring them back to the warehouse. I’m completely unfamiliar with the part of town we’re in, so I’m very lost, but Lutz seems to know exactly where we are as he casually leads us through twisting, narrow alleyways. This warehouse is supposed to be close to the south gate and to my home, but where are we? As the question bounces around in my head, we turn a corner and arrive home. It’s very close, much to my relief, since it’ll be easy on my stamina. “Okay,” I say, “I’ll go up and get everything in a basket and bring it back down here.” “Got it.” All I’ve got at my house is the nails. Since Lutz’s family works in the construction and woodworking industries, it’s very likely that if we’d left the bag of nails there, it’s likely that someone in his family would have thought it was their own bag and taken them off. Similarly, if we left the frame or the bamboo we’ve collected at my place, they’d probably be mistaken for firewood again and burned up, so we left those at Lutz’s. I put the bag of nails and my knife into the basket. As an afterthought, I grab a dust rag and a broom, too. Since we don’t have anything to use as a chair, at the very least, I want to sweep out part of the floor and lay down a cloth so that we have someplace to sit. When I head back downstairs, Lutz is already waiting for me, with all sorts of wooden things sticking out of his basket. “Lutz, what’s that?” “Oh, this is something Ralph messed up making the other day. I thought we could maybe use it as a chair for now.” “Heh heh, I also brought some things so we can sit down.” We head back to the warehouse, put the bag of nails on a shelf, and set the bamboo in a corner. I take out the tape measure, and the two of us measure the pot’s dimensions and decide on the size of the steamer that we’ll use, then write down on my slate the size of the wood that we’ll be steaming. “This look okay?” “Yeah.” There’s a lot of wood that we need to request from the lumberyard. We need the components for the steamer, the heavy stick we’ll use to beat the extracted fibers, the large, flat board we’ll need for the paper bed, another flat, but relatively thin board we can stick the paper to as it dries, the bamboo that we’ll need to make bamboo strips, and, of course, the wood we’ll be making the actual paper out of. While I double-check to make sure I have everything written down on the order form, I start wondering about what sort of characteristics we want in our wood. Do we want a hard or a soft wood, an old or a young wood? “Hmm, last time they were still pretty big. I wonder how we can make thinner ones?” Under Lutz’s direction, we start work on making the bamboo strips. It’s relatively straightforward to make the rough cuts with single, powerful strokes, but paring them down to something more slender looks like it’s a much slower, painstaking process. “Let me try, too. If it’s fine work, I think I can do it.” I take out my own knife, select a slender piece of bamboo, and try to cut it down. Halfway through, though, it suddenly snaps in two. There’s not enough length left on either side for us to be able to use it without it rattling around. “This is really hard,” I say. I really want to leave this work to people who can actually do it. The two of us have neither enough time nor skill. As we continue to work, a call come from outside. “I’ve brought your goods!” An employee from Benno’s shop has arrived, carrying a large tub and a stone weight that’s light enough for Lutz to lift. I have him put them in the corner, next to the pot. “Maine,” says Lutz, “our delivery came, so let’s call it quits for today.” As Benno’s employee leaves to head back to the shop, Lutz starts tidying up his tools. Since it’s only just about noontime, though, I still think I have plenty of stamina to keep working. “...Tomorrow looks pretty difficult, so you should get some rest today. Hey, didn’t you say you needed to do the cooking today?” “Oh, that’s right.” My turn to cook came around while I was stuck in bed, so Tory covered for me. So, today, it’s my turn. “Also,” he continues, “since I’m going to the lumberyard tomorrow, I have to make sure I get all of my stuff done first.” “Your stuff?” “I need to make sure I get my share of tomorrow’s ch.o.r.es done today. So, Maine, go home. I’ll go run the key back to the shop after that.” I nod in agreement, painfully aware of how much of a burden I am, then start putting everything back in order. The next day, shortly after the third bell rings, we meet Mark in the central plaza, then head towards the lumberyard. It seems like Benno’s shop is the busiest between when it opens just before the second bell and when the merchants start calming down at around the third bell. Since Lutz is here with us today, I don’t collapse on the way there, and we make it to the lumberyard safely. Logs are gathered in piles here or leaned against the walls, a scene not entirely unlike something I’ve seen in j.a.pan. However, since everything that would usually be done via machine is instead done by hand, there’s a huge number of very well-muscled buff dudes wandering around, yelling at each other as they haul wood around and cut it down to size. It’s a very lively scene. Almost excessively lively, to the point where I’m a little bit scared. “Ahh,” says Mark, “Foreman, it’s been a while.” “Oh! Mark, huh? That Benno kid’s doing pretty well, isn’t he?” “Ah, yes. He’s doing quite well. For today’s business, though, these two are looking for some wood...” The foreman sports a bristly mustache, peppered with gray, and a s.h.i.+ny bald head. He comes out to greet Mark, who tells him about our search. “The little girl and the kid, huh? What the heck kinda wood do you need?” His burly muscles don’t match his age at all. As he stares down at me, my breath catches in my throat with a squeak. “Umm, I’m looking for wood so that I can make a steamer...” “Huuuh? What kind of wood’s that?” He repeats his question, a dubious expression on his face, leaving me at a total loss for words. I’m pretty sure that Lutz and Mark understand what I’ve been referring to when I talk about steamers, but I wonder if the foreman doesn’t actually know about them? Or, maybe, do I have to actually tell him the specific kinds of wood that I need? “Ummm, I need something that keeps its shape even when there’s a lot of water vapor... ah, no, when there’s a lot of steam; a hard, dried wood. Could you please tell me what kinds of wood like that you have?” “Hoh? A hard, dried wood, hm. I think I have an idea of what you might need.” The foreman nods to himself, then lists off the names of three different kinds of wood. “We’ve got zwan, turaka, and pedithry. What’ll it be?” “What will it be, you ask... Lutz, do you know?” Even though he’s listed off some potential candidates, I have no idea at all what any of those are. I look over my shoulder at Lutz for help. “Hmm? Zwan’s the easiest to work with, right?” “Well then,” says Mark, “let’s go with zwan, then. You’ve decided on the sizes you’ll need, correct?” “Yes!” I say, pulling the order forms from my tote bag. Mark looks them over, double checking to make sure there’s no errors. “Hmm,” he says, “there are no problems here. So, foreman, please cut zwan to the dimensions listed here, then deliver it to the shop.” “Alright!” He glances over the order form, then hands it to a nearby young buff dude. “Um,” I say, “next I need a thick board and a stand to put it on, also out of a wood that won’t warp when it’s wet.” “I can sell you the wood, but if you want it put together into a stand you’re gonna need to do it yourself or find a furniture maker. You want these in zwan, too?” “Yes, please,” I say with a big nod, handing him the order form for the thick board. He huffs as he looks it over, then I pull out another form to hand to him. “This sure is a lot,” he says. “I’ve still got more,” I reply. “This is for two boards, which need to be able to get wet, and also need to be thin.” “How thin?” he says, with a frown. “If you cut wood too thin, it’ll start bending when you put any weight on it, y'know?” I hum tonelessly, digging through my memories. When the image of the board that we’ll be sticking the paper onto pops into my mind, I clap my hands together in inspiration, then take out my slate from its bag. The slate pencil clacks against the surface as I draw a diagram. “Ummm, it’s going to be set in a frame and reinforced from the back like this, so something thick enough that it won’t bend when that happens. I’m worried about the weight; I know I’m not going to be able to lift, it, but if Lutz can’t...” “I’d be a failure of a man if I couldn’t lift something that big,” interjects Lutz. There’s no way that Lutz could even begin to compare himself to that brawny foreman. A little anxious, I turn to face him, but before I can open my mouth he’s already wearing an unpleasant frown. “I’m a man,” he says, “so it’s all right.” If Lutz talks too big now, he’s going to wind up paying for it later, but if I say anything now, I’ll only be wounding his masculine pride, so I let it slide. “Next,” I say, “we’ll need a squared timber out of a hard wood, like a club, or like the rod you use when you’re beating your laundry. This also needs to be a size and weight that Lutz can carry and swing around.” “This sounds completely different than a laundry rod, though? What are you hitting?” Those were the two things that came to mind when I was thinking of things that you use to hit other things, but it seems that since a club is a weapon and a laundry rod is something mothers. .h.i.t their was.h.i.+ng with, the materials must be very different. “Wood fibers,” I reply. “We’ll be boiling them until they’re limp, then beating them until they’re soft like cotton.” “What’re you making, again?” I cross my fingers in front of my mouth, making an X. “Sorry, but I can’t tell you.” The foreman huffs again. “Getting the hardness and the weight balanced’ll be important, huh. If we’re gonna get this right, what kind of surface are you going to be doing this on? Stone? Wood? There’s more variables on top of that, too, yeah?” All of my blood rushes to my head. I had completely forgotten that we’d need some sort of chopping block built that we could beat the fibers on top of. “...I, I didn’t think about that. R, r, right, we need a block for that too! Can we order those as a set, please? I can write out the order right now!” “Yeah, if you wanted to do it as a set you could add that to the order here, but... little girl, you’re going to write it?” “Yes, I will...?” My head pounds with the realization of my thoughtless mistake. Trying desperately to recover somehow, I immediately take out the measuring tape, the ink, and the pen from the order-writing set, then I add to the form the dimensions of the chopping block, underneath the description of the stick itself. “Yeah, that’ll do. Is that your entire order?” “No, next is... um, is there a kind of wood that has really long, tough fibers? If possible, we’re looking for wood with sticky fibers, but if you can’t then it’s okay as long as they can stick together well enough and we can get a lot of them from the wood. I heard that year-old wood is the best for this; after the second year the fibers get too hard and brittle so they get really hard to work with. So, we’re looking for a young, soft wood.” As I list out the characteristics of the wood that would be easiest to use in paper, the foreman’s reaction isn’t very good. He tugs on his mustache in thought, frowning. “Hmmm. Wood that young isn’t very useful, so we don’t actually carry anything like that.” It seems that this lumberyard doesn’t deal in year-old woods unless they get a special order for it. “Um, then, if you have any idea what kinds of wood might have those traits, could you please at least give us a list of them? We don’t know exactly what kind of wood we’ll be using, so we can gather the small quant.i.ties we need ourselves to test. When we find out what we do need, though, can we order it through you?” “I can’t say until I know how much you’re ordering. If it’s too little, it’s hard for me to make any money.” “I understand. ...Lutz, could you please find out about the names of these trees and where we can find them? I don’t think I could tell them apart, myself.” It looks like we’re going to have to gather our raw materials ourselves after all, at least to start. Once we get our prototype finished we’ll have figured out what kind of wood we’re going to want to use, so then when we start ma.s.s production we’ll be able to place an order for it. Lutz goes off with one of the young buff dudes to learn about the different kinds of wood and how to distinguish them. Meanwhile, I take out a bamboo strip to show the foreman and ask some questions. “Ah, that’s right,” I say, “We need bamboo strips like this; do you have bamboo here?” “Not that much, but yeah, we do,” he says, pointing towards one of the many piles of lumber. There, I see the familiar shapes of bamboo poles stacked up. “Could you make these bamboo strips here?” “Fine work like that is a craftsman’s job. Ask a craftsman.” “A craftsman, okay. Thank you very much. Um, that’s everything in my order for today.” “Alright,” he says, looking over the stack of order forms. “When it’s all done, you want it sent to Benno’s shop, right?” All of the order forms I handed him are being placed in Benno’s name. Since we have a contract saying that he’ll provide the initial material investment in exchange for my simple shampoo, it seems that Benno’s the one doing all of the actual ordering. It seems that the formality of having Benno purchase and receive the goods, then have them delivered to us is important to the way the contract magic works. “Yes, please. Thank you very much for your a.s.sistance.” The foreman heads back off to his duties. As I wait for Lutz to come back, I stick my hand into my tote bag and feel around, making sure I didn’t accidentally forget to turn a form in. All I have left are the order for the stand, which I need to find a furniture maker for, and the order for the bamboo strips, which I need to find a craftsman for. Hmmm, what should we do about the stand for the paper bed? To be honest, a stand like that doesn’t seem like the kind of thing I need to expressly go to a furniture maker in order to get. “...Mister Mark,” I say, “Do you have any wooden boxes at the shop that we could use for a table? I think it would be wasteful to ask a furniture maker to make a custom one.” “Ah, I understand. I’ll make to find some for you. How many do you need?” “We’re going to need two that are the same size so that we can put a board on top of them. I’d be really happy if we could get two or three more, but the size of those doesn’t really matter.” Mark readily agrees, since this will be far cheaper than ordering something custom from a furniture maker. When Lutz comes back, Mark says that it’s time to split up for the day. “Perhaps we should go to the craftsman’s workshop another day. I’d be unable to get in contact with one today, so shall we part ways here?” “Alright,” I say. “Thank you very much.” The next day, we head to the forest to gather firewood. While we’re at it, I try to figure out if there was any trees out here that might work for making paper, but since Lutz is ultimately far more knowledgable about this than I am, I basically just foist the entire task off onto him. I mean, every single tree I see looks just like every other tree to me! Sure, there’s differences in the color and texture of their bark, but there’s so many different variations, I can’t actually remember any at all. Then, when we stop by the shop to borrow the warehouse key so that we can store what we’ve found, Mark informs us that he was able to get in contact with a craftsman who could help us. Mister Mark, you’re amazing at your job. Such a quick worker. Thanks to Mark, five days after our visit to the lumberyard, we’re able to meet with a craftsman. As usual, we meet in the central plaza around the third bell, then head towards our destination. It seems that since this craftsman’s workshop gets a lot of traffic from other workers, it’s located near the south gates. Unlike the foreman at the lumberyard, this craftsman is, if I had to describe him, a rather slender man. He has the muscles he needs to do his job, but the rest of his physique is the embodiment of minimizing unnecessary things. His ashen hair reaches down to his back, loosely tied into a ponytail so that it doesn’t get in the way of his work. “What’s the job?” He scans me up and down with his sharp eyes, the picture of the neurotic artisan. I reflexively cling to Mark’s pant leg. “I’d like thin bamboo strips like this,” I say, pulling one of the ones we’ve already made out of my tote bag and handing it to him. “I asked at the lumberyard if they could make it, but the foreman said I should go see a craftsman...” “Do you need it to be wavy like this?” “I tried to make it as straight as possible...” “Hm, if I account for your lack of skill, it’s clear what you’re looking for. Got it. Those are the ingredients?” The craftsman points at the bamboo that Lutz has in a basket on his back, which we retrieved from the warehouse on our way here. We take it out of the basket and stack it up for him. “That all you need?” “Um! I’m hoping that you could make a ‘bamboo mat’, do you think you can?” I draw a diagram on my slate, then use the one bamboo strip I have as a prop as I try to explain what I’m looking for. Despite my crude explanation, it seems that the craftsman somehow manages to capture the image of what I’m looking for. “That’s going to be a real pain to make, but I can’t say I can’t make it.” “Really? Amazing!” “But, I can’t make that work if I don’t have a strong enough thread. Go get me some of that before you place the order.” He flicks his hands at us as he talks, shooing us away. However, there’s no way I can let myself be driven out like this. After all, I have literally zero idea as to what kind of thread is going to be tough enough to work. “Umm, I’m sorry, but I don’t really know what thread is strong enough for you. Would you be able to help me look, please?” “I’m free to head to the thread wholesaler right now, so I can, sure.” “Let’s go!” I lift my fist enthusiastically to the sky. I’m quite happy that this disagreeable-looking craftsman suddenly said something so cooperative. “Oi, Maine,” scolds Lutz from behind me, grabbing me by the top of the head. Pouting, I spin around to face him. He glares at me, his green eyes narrowed in irritation. “Don’t be so rash. You’re the first one who’s gonna pay for that, you know.” “It seems that today she would like to be carried in my arms today as well, doesn’t it?” says Mark. “Eek?!” I say. I don’t know if he clearly remembers how much I hated having been carried all the way home last time; his pleasant smile shows no indication either way as he approaches me. As I cautiously back up, the craftsman, sounding irritated, speaks up. “Are we going or not? Pick one!” “We’re going, of course,” says Mark. “Maine said so after all. Right?” Mark captures me, lifts me up in his arms, and hauls me off to the thread wholesaler. Since we don’t have to worry about watching my walking pace, there’s a big difference in our speed. I’m quietly surprised that, even though I’m being held in his arms, it’s a remarkably smooth ride. I let out a dissatisfied sigh, my face near his shoulder. I’d planned to keep forging on, but I just wound up being a bother again... Since the thread wholesaler is along the workers’ streets, it’s not actually very far away. Even still, as someone who’s mentally an adult, being carried in someone’s arms like this makes me want to flee far, far away. When we arrive at the wholesaler, he finally lets me down, letting me walk on my own two feet while in the store. “Whoa, there’s so much thread here!” “Yep,” mutters the craftsman, “because it’s a wholesaler. For thread.” Despite his quip, I’m still amazed by the spectacle of the huge quant.i.ty of thread that’s gathered here. In this city, the stalls in the town market don’t carry anything more than what they can reasonably sell to individual customers, and the shops on the first floor of buildings along the main streets have limited amounts of merchandise on display, just enough for samples, to minimize the damage that a robber or a burglar might cause. It’s very rare to see so much of a commodity crammed into a s.p.a.ce like this. “Which of these are the tough ones?” I ask. In j.a.pan, the thread we use to when making bamboo keta mats is spun from raw silk. Here, I don’t know if silkworms, let alone silk, actually exist, so I don’t know how to pick a strong enough string. “Silk from a spinne would be the strongest, especially any harvested during their breeding season in the fall. However, it’s expensive, yeah?” I glance at Mark questioningly, and he returns my glance. I’m not the one actually in charge of the money. Mark is, as he’s been entrusted with the final say over the contents of Benno’s purse. “Spinne silk would be fine, but it shouldn’t be necessary to be particular about it being from the fall, is it?” “...Yeah, you’re right, but is spinne silk really okay?” It seems like spinne silk is a very highly-priced item. The craftsman slowly, gingerly takes down a spool from a shelf full of the most expensive, highest quality goods. Startled, I exchange another glance with Mark. “However,” he says, “if there are complaints about the final product, I will not forgive your mistakes. I trust that you’ll finish this task to perfection.” Mark briefly looks over the order form that I’ve retrieved from my tote bag, then hands it and my sample bamboo stick to the craftsman with a broad smile. “...Yeah.” Two postcard-sized mats to fit the paper frames. With that, all of the orders for our tools have been successfully placed, without any trouble at all. I breathe a sigh of relief. After that, I wind up playing house-sitter at the warehouse for a while, watching as the goods we ordered start to arrive. As that happens, Lutz and I work to build our tools using the parts that have reached us already. All the while, we routinely head into the forest to do our gathering, and although we make sure to help around the house enough that we won’t get scolded by our families, we steadily gather our raw materials. We don’t yet know if we’re going to use edil fruit or the bodily fluids from a slamo bug as a subst.i.tute for sunset hibiscus sap, so we start by trying edil fruits. It seems that in the autumn, when winter preparations begin, the sticky juice from an edil fruit is commonly spread along window frames, which are then stuffed with cloth to seal the windows off from drafts. As such, in just a little while, the number of fruits available at the town market is going to start decreasing, and the price is probably going to start going up, too. So, since it seems like we won’t be able to use edil fruit, we’re going to need to use slamo bug juice. Also, when it came time to go shopping for edil fruit, I was once again laid out with a fever, so Lutz went to meet Mark by himself. I heard from Lutz that he was finally able to get some valuable experience from working with Mark, so I briefly wondered if I’ve been b.u.t.ting in a little too much. By the time all of our raw ingredients have been collected, my health has recovered, and we are finally able to start working on making the paper itself, a month and a half has pa.s.sed since our very first meeting with Benno.

ベンノの部屋を出た後、私とルッツはマルクに案内され、南門に近い倉庫へと向かった。南門の辺りは職人通りになっていて、倉庫が比較的多いらしい。職人は水を使うことも多いので、井戸も住宅地よりは数が多い。 マルクが案内してくれたのも、井戸がすぐそばにある倉庫だった。それほど大きくはなく、パッと見た感じは6畳の部屋くらいだ。もともと職人が材料を置くために使っていた倉庫らしく、壁際に板を打ち付けた棚がいくつか残っていた。 「発注したものが店届いて、店の従業員がここに届けるようになっています。昨日は鍋と灰をここに運びました。あれがそうです。今日は大きめのたらいと重石を運ぶことになっています。荷物が届くまでは、ここにいてください」 マルクの指差す方向にある黒い鍋を見て、ベンノの協力に心から感謝した。わたしとルッツだけでは絶対に手に入らなかった鍋がここにある。 「うわぁ、鍋だ! ルッツ、この鍋なら運べそう?」 「あぁ、これくらいなら大丈夫だ。背負子にくくりつけることもできるからな」 「じゃあ、早速測ろう。蒸し器の大きさを決めなくちゃ」 トートバッグにはベンノのお店から借りている発注書セットが入っている。さっとメジャーを取り出すと、ルッツにひょいっと取り上げられた。 「......測るのはいいけど、一旦落ち着いてからな。興奮しすぎたら、また熱出すぞ」 「うっ......」 わたし達の一連のやり取りを見ていたマルクが苦笑する。 「こちらの倉庫で問題がないようでしたら、私は店に戻ります。明日の朝、材木屋に向かう予定なので、測る物や頼む物などの準備は必ずしておいてください。......そうですね、3の鐘で店を出るので、中央広場には少し後に着くと思います」 「はい、わかりました。何から何までお世話になります」 そして、マルクは首にかけられるように鎖の付いた鍵を取り出した。 「にこちらの鍵を預けます。この倉庫の鍵です。戸締りは忘れずにすること。それから、ルッツ一人でもいいので、鍵を閉めた後は必ず鍵を店まで戻しに来てください。いいですね?」 ルッツがジャラリと重たい鍵を受け取ると、マルクはくるりと踵を返して帰ってしまった。 「ルッツ、何から始めようか?」 今まで使われていなかった倉庫の中には、椅子も腰掛けられるような箱もない。休憩できるような場所ではない。 「荷物を運びこむか。作った桁とか、竹とか、釘とか......」 「そうだね。今日中にやらなきゃいけないのは、蒸し器の大きさを決めて、木の大きさを書きだすことでしょ? 必要な材木を忘れていないか、今までの発注書を見て確認して......あとは、竹ひごの現物を作ることかな?」 「竹を切ったり削ったりするなら、道具もいるな」 今日中にやることを石板に書いて、倉庫の壁際に置いた。これで、忘れないはずだ。 ルッツと二人で家まで帰って、荷物を倉庫へと運び出す。土地勘のないわたしは、現在地が全くわからなかったが、ルッツはちゃんとわかっているようで、ひょいひょいと細い路地を曲がっていく。 「じゃあ、荷物を籠に入れて、下りて来いよ」 「わかった」 ウチに置いてある荷物は、釘だけだ。ルッツの家族は建築関係や木工関係の仕事をしているので、釘を持ちこむと間違われたり、取られたりする可能性が高いらしい。 釘の入った袋とナイフを籠に入れて、ふと目についた雑巾とほうきも入れる。椅子になりそうな物がないので、せめて、掃除して、雑巾を広げて座れる場所を確保したい。 下に降りるとルッツはすでに待っていて、籠からは色々な木の作品のようなものが飛び出していた。 「ルッツは何持ってきたの?」 「この間、ラルフ兄が作ってた何かの失敗作。椅子代わりに使えるんじゃないかと思って」 「ふふっ、わたしも座れるように掃除用具持ってきた」 倉庫に戻って、棚の上に釘を置いたり、隅に竹を並べたりした後、わたしはメジャーを取り出した。二人で鍋の大きさを測って、蒸し器の大きさを決めると、必要な木の長さを石板に書きだしていく。 「これで大丈夫だな?」 「うん」 蒸し器の材料、繊維を叩くための角材、紙床にするための平たい大きめの板と台、紙を張り付けて干すための比較的薄めの平たい板、竹ひごを作るための竹、それから、紙の原料となる木。 全ての発注書を確認しながら、堅い木がいいのか、柔らかい木がいいのか、よく乾燥された木がいいのか、若い木がいいのか、それぞれ欲しい木の特徴も考えておく。 「そう。削れる?」 「前は大きめに切ったからな。小さいのはどうだろう?」 スパーンと勢いよく豪快に割るのは真っ直ぐに出来ても、細く削るのがなかなか難しいようで苦戦しているのが見える。 「わたしもやってみる。細かい作業ならできるかも」 自分のナイフを取り出して、少し細めになった竹を削ろうと試みたが、挑戦した内の大半がポキッと途中で折れて、何とか長さを残した物はガタガタでとても使い物にならなかった。 「これ、すごく難しいね」 「そうだな」 この作業は出来る人に任せたい。わたし達では時間と技術がなさすぎる。 「荷物を運んできました!」 作業しているうちに、ベンノの店の従業員が大きなたらいやルッツが持てる重さの重石を運んできてくれた。鍋と一緒に並べて置いてもらう。 「マイン、荷物も来たし、今日は終わりにしようぜ」 従業員が帰ると同時にルッツが道具を片付け始める。そろそろお昼になる時間なので、まだわたしの体力的には問題はないはずだ。 「......明日が大変そうだから、今日は休んだ方がいい。お前、今日料理番だって言ってなかったか?」 寝込んでいる間に料理番が回ってきたが、トゥーリが代わりにやってくれたので、今日はわたしの番だった。 「それに、オレも明日材木屋に行けるように準備しないといけないんだ」 「準備?」 「明日の分の手伝いを終わらせておかないと。だから、マインは帰れ。マインを送って行ったら、オレが鍵を返しておく」 足手まといの自覚があるわたしは頷いて、すぐに荷物をまとめた。 次の日、3の鐘の少し後に中央広場でマルクと待ち合わせて、材木屋へ向かう。ベンノの店は開門する2の鐘の少し前から業者が落ち着く3の鐘の間が一番忙しいらしい。 ただ、機械でする作業を全て手作業で行うので、筋骨たくましいマッチョが大量にうろうろしていて、大声を出しながら、数人で木を移動させたり、切ったりしている。 「あぁ、親方。お久しぶりです」 「おぅ、アンタか。ベンノの坊主は元気そうだな?」 「そうですね。元気ですよ。本日の用件ですが、この二人が木を探していまして......」 ふさふさとした髭には少し白い物が混じってきているのに、頭はつるつるの親方にマルクが挨拶して、わたし達が木を探していることを伝える。 「嬢ちゃんと坊主が? 一体何の木がいるんだ?」 年を感じさせない筋骨たくましい親方にぎょろりとした目で見下ろされて、うひっと小さく息を呑む。 「あの、蒸し器を作るための木が欲しいんですけど......」 「あぁん? 何の木が欲しいって?」 怪訝そうに聞き返されて、わたしは言葉に詰まった。今までルッツやマルクには通じていたはずなのに、親方には蒸し器が通じないのだろうか? それとも、木の種類を言わなければならないのだろうか? 「えーと、蒸気......違う、湯気に当たっても形が変わらないような、堅くて乾燥された木が欲しいです。教えてください」 「ほぉ? 堅くて乾燥された木、か。どういう木がいるのか一応わかっているようだな」 ふんふん、と頷きながら親方が3種類の木の名前を上げた。 「ズワンか、トゥラカか、ペディスリー辺りか。どれにする?」 「どれって言われても......ルッツ、わかる?」 候補を上げられても、わたしには全くわからない。くるりと振り返って、ルッツを見上げた。 「ん~? 扱いやすいのはズワンじゃないか?」 「では、ズワンにしましょう。サイズは決まっていますね?」 マルクの言葉に頷いて、わたしはトートバッグから発注書を取り出した。一度マルクに見てもらって、不備がないか確認してもらう。 「ふむ、問題はないようですね。では、親方。ズワンをこの発注書の通りに切って、店に運んでください」 「おう!」 発注書を流し見た親方が、近くにいた若いマッチョに発注書を渡す。 「あの、それから、同じように水に濡れても形の変わらない、厚めの板が一枚と板を置くための台も欲しいんですけど」 「材料は売ってやれるが、台は家具屋で頼むか、自分で作りな。これもズワンでいいのか?」 大きく頷いて、厚めの板の発注書を渡せば、親方はフンと鼻を鳴らしながら、発注書を見る。そんな親方にもう一枚発注書を渡す。 「ずいぶん多いな」 「まだまだあります。これは水に濡れてもいい少し薄い板が二枚で......」 「どれくらいの厚みだ? あんまり薄いと堅くてもすぐに曲がるぞ?」 紙を張り付けていた板を思い浮かべて、ポンと手を打った。トートバッグから石板を取り出して、カツカツと絵を描いていく。 「えーと、こんな感じで後ろに補強用の枠を付けて曲がらないくらいの厚みでお願いします。わたしはともかく、ルッツが持てないと困るんだけど......」 「これくらいの大きさが持てないのは、男失格だ」 少し不安になってルッツを振り返ると、わたしが口を開くより早く、ルッツが嫌そうに顔をしかめた。 「オレ、男だから平気」 強がって後で苦労するのはルッツだけれど、ここで口出しするのも男のプライドに係わりそうなので、黙っておく。 「それから、棍棒とか、洗濯物を叩くみたいな堅い角材。これもルッツが持って、振れる大きさや重さで」 「こん棒と洗濯棒じゃあ全然違うだろ? 何を叩くんだ?」 叩くということで、わたしの頭に思い浮かんだのが、その二つだったけれど、確かに武器としての棍棒と母が持っている洗濯物を叩く棒では、素材が全く違うだろう。 「木の繊維です。茹でて柔らかくなったのを綿みたいになるくらいに叩くの」 「何をするんだ?」 口の前で指を交差させて、バツマークを作ると、親方はまたフンと鼻を鳴らした。 「堅さと重さのバランスが大事だな。どっちかっつーと、どんな台の上で打つんだ? 石か? 木か? それによっても変わってくるぞ?」 叩くための台が必要なことはすっかり失念していた。 「......か、考えてませんでした。そ、そっか、叩くための台もいるんだ! 叩き台と棒とセットでお願いできますか? 今から発注書、書きます!」 「セットにするなら、ここに書き足せばいいが......嬢ちゃんが書くのか?」 思わぬミスで頭がいっぱいになっていたわたしは、何とかミスをカバーしようと、すぐさまトートバッグから発注書セットのメジャーとインクとペンを取り出して、棒の裏に叩き台のサイズも書き足した。 「あぁ。これで注文は終わりか?」 「いえ、あとは......繊維が長くて、強い木ってありますか? できれば、繊維にねばりけがあって、繊維同士がからみやすくて繊維がたくさん取れるといいんですけど。一年目の木が向いているって聞いたことがあるんです。二年目以降になると、繊維が固くなって、節ができてくるので使いにくくなるって。柔らかくて若い木が欲しいんです」 紙として使いやすい木の特徴を並べてみたが、親方の反応はいまいち良くなかった。髭をいじりながら、うーんと眉を寄せる。 「そういう若いのはあまり使い道がないから取り扱ってないな」 材木屋では、特別注文でもない限り、一年目のような若い木は扱っていないらしい。 「あの、じゃあ、今言った特徴に心当たりがあれば、種類だけでも教えてください。どの木が向いているのか、わからないので、少しずつ採集して調べてみます。決定したら、取り扱ってくれますか?」 「量によるとしか言えん。少しだったら、こっちに利がなさすぎる」 「わかりました。......ルッツ、木の名前とどの辺りで採れるか、覚えてきて。わたし、見分ける自信ない」 最初は自分たちで採集するしかないようだ。試作品ができて、どの木が良いか決まって、紙を量産することになれば、注文を出すことにしよう。 ルッツが若いマッチョに木の種類や見分け方を教えてもらっている間に、わたしは親方に竹ひごを見せながら、問いかける。 「あ、そうだ。こんな竹ひごが欲しいんですけど、ここって、竹はありますか?」 親方はそう言いながら、積み上げられた木材の奥を指差した。見慣れた竹が少し覗いている。 「ここで竹ひごは作れますか?」 「そこまで細い加工は細工師の仕事だ。細工師に頼め」 「細工師ですね。ありがとうございます。あの、これで注文する物は全部です」 「そうか。準備できたら、ベンノの店に運べばいいんだな?」 簡易ちゃんリンシャンの作り方の代わりに初期投資をする契約になっているので、発注主はベンノになるらしい。一度ベンノの店に届けられ、そこから、わたし達に渡すという形式が契約魔術には大事だと言われたのだ。 「はい。よろしくお願いします」 仕事に戻っていく親方を見送って、ルッツが戻ってくるまでの間にわたしはトートバッグに手を入れて、残っている発注書がないか確認した。 ぶっちゃけ、叩き台ならともかく、紙床を置くための台はわざわざ家具屋で頼むほどの物じゃないと思うんだよね。 「......マルクさん、台になりそうな木箱って、お店に余ってませんか? 家具屋に頼むの、何だかもったいなくて」 「わかりました。木箱をこちらで用意しましょう。いくつ必要ですか?」 「板を置いて台にしたいので同じ大きさの物が2つです。それとは別に大きさが違ってもいいので、他に2つか3つあると嬉しいです」 家具屋に注文するより安く上がるので問題ないとマルクが請け負ってくれた。 「細工師のところにも後日行きましょう。今日は連絡できていないので、ここで解散してもよろしいですか?」 「はい。ありがとうございました」 ついでに、紙作りに使えそうな木がないか、探索したけれど、木についてはルッツの方が詳しいので、丸投げである。 そして、採集できた物を倉庫に置いておくために倉庫の鍵を借りに行った時、マルクから細工師と連絡が取れたと言われた。 マルクさん、マジ有能。仕事速い。 いつも通り中央広場で3の鐘に待ち合わせて、細工師のところへと向かう。細工師の工房は職人通りにあるので、南門に近いところらしい。 材木屋の親方とは違って、細工師はどちらかというと細身な男性だった。自分の仕事をするために必要な筋肉はついているけれど、それ以外は全く必要ないと体現しているような肉付きだ。背中まである灰色の髪は邪魔にならなければそれでいいとばかりに、無造作に縛られている。 「どんな仕事だ?」 神経質そうな職人らしい鋭い目に、じろりと上から下まで見られて、わたしは思わずマルクさんの服をつかんだ。 「こんな感じの竹ひごが欲しいんです。材木屋さんに頼もうとしたら、細工師に頼めって言われて......」 「この波型が必要なのか?」 「できれば真っ直ぐにしたかったんですけど......」 「この不器用さ加減だったら、頼む方が確実だな。わかった。材料はそれか?」 細工師がルッツの籠から見えている竹を指差した。昨日倉庫に運び込まれた竹をルッツが籠から取り出して、並べていく。 「用件はこれだけか?」 「あの! できれば、『簀』も作ってほしいんですけど、出来ますか?」 わたしは石板に図を描き、一本だけある竹ぐしを使ったジェスチャーで簀の作り方を説明する。細工師はわたしの拙い説明でも、何となくイメージがつかめたようだ。 「ずいぶんと面倒な依頼だが、出来ないことはない」 「本当ですか? すごい!」 「だが、丈夫な糸がないと無理だ。注文する前に丈夫な糸を持ってこい」 しかし、ここで追い返されるわけにはいかない。細工師が要求する丈夫な糸がどんなものか、わたしには全くわからないのだ。 「あの、すみません。わたしにはどれが丈夫な糸なのか、よくわからないんです。一緒に見てもらっていいですか?」 「今から糸問屋行けるなら、行ってもいい」 「行きます!」 不機嫌そうに見える細工師から意外と協力的な言葉が出てきたことが嬉しくて、即座に手を上げて答える。 ムッとして頭を押さえて振り返ると、ルッツの緑の瞳が苛立たしそうに細められ、わたしを睨んだ。 「安請け合いするな。一番に倒れるの、お前だぞ」 「どうやらマインは今日も抱き上げられて運ばれたいようですね?」 「ぅひっ!?」 前に家まで運ばれた時に嫌がったわたしのことをしっかりと覚えているのだろう、マルクが有無を言わせない笑顔で近寄ってくる。 「行くのか? 行かないのか? どっちだ?」 「行きますよ、もちろん。マインがそう言いましたから。ね?」 わたしが歩く速度を考慮する必要がないので、スピードが段違いだ。抱き上げられて運ばれているのに揺れが少ないことに内心驚きつつ、マルクの肩のところで、そっと溜息を吐いた。 頑張ってるつもりだけど、迷惑かけてるなぁ。 糸問屋は職人通りにあるので、それほどの距離はない。それでも、マルクに抱き上げられて運ばれるのは精神的な大人として、ものすごく居た堪れないのだ。 「わぁ、糸がいっぱい!」 「糸問屋だからな」 ここでは、市場のお店は個人が扱える分の商品しか置いていない露店のようなものだし、通りの一階に並んでいる店は、強盗や泥棒の被害を少しでも減らすため、見本以外は棚の中や倉庫に片付けられていることが多い。 「どういうのが丈夫な糸なんですか?」 日本なら、簀を作る時に使われるのは強靭な生糸だ。こちらに、絹があるのか、蚕がいるのかさえ分からないわたしには、強い糸を選ぶこともできない。 「シュピンネの糸が一番強い。特に秋の繁殖期に取れた物が一番だ。だが、高いぞ?」 どうする? と視線で問われて、わたしはマルクに視線を移した。お金の出所はわたしではない。最終的に決定するのはベンノの財布を預かっているマルクなのだ。 「シュピンネの糸で結構ですが、秋の物にこだわる必要はないでしょう?」 「......まぁ、そうだが、本当にシュピンネでいいのか?」 どうやらシュピンネの糸というのは、とても高価なものらしい。一番品質が良くて高価なところから、徐々に下げていくつもりだったのだろう細工師は、ぎょっとしたようにマルクとわたしを見比べた。 「ただし、失敗と泣き言は許しません。必ず完成させてくださいね」 マルクは、わたしがトートバッグから取り出した竹ひごと簀の発注書を確認した後、細工師にニコリと微笑んで手渡した。 「......あぁ」 道具に関する注文はこれですべて終了だ。無事に終わってホッと息を吐いた。 その次の日から、わたしは倉庫でお留守番して、荷物が運び込まれるのを見ていた。そして、届いた資材でルッツと一緒に道具を作る。 合い間に森で採集をしたり、お手伝いをして家族からの批判を受けないように立ち回ったりしながら、材料を揃えていく。 エディルの実のねばねばは、もっと秋が深まって冬支度の季節になると窓枠につけられて、布を詰めて隙間風を防ぐために使われることが多いらしい。そのため、もう少しすると、市場に出回る数が減り、値段も上がるのだそうだ。 マルクから、せっかくなのでルッツにも経験を積ませたいと言われて、ちょっとでしゃばりすぎたかな、と軽く反省をする。 材料が全て揃って、わたしの体調が整って、やっと紙が作れそうになった時には、ベンノと初めて会って紙を作ると宣言してから一月半が過ぎていた。

Ahh... if only I could have successfully baked my clay tablets. That would have been great. I never even imagined that they might explode. If I had a knife like Tory’s, then at least I might be able to make mokkan.After that tiny little explosion in the stove, I was forever banned from trying to make clay tablets again. I’d completely run out of book-making plans, so I was only left to ponder what my next method could possibly be. In the meantime, Tory turned seven years old. Here, it’s customary for your seventh birthday to be an enormous celebration. More accurately, it’s not the precise birthday that’s being celebrated, but instead the season in which you were born. Every season, there is a large baptismal ceremony at the temple, where every child who has turned seven gather to be baptized. Afterwards, the children are able to start working as apprentices, and it seems like that’s when they start getting counted as part of the town’s population. For whatever reason, it makes me feel kind of weird to think about religious ceremonies, but if I think of it like _s.h.i.+chi-Go-San_, then it doesn’t bother me at all. Strange. Children under the age of seven aren’t allowed to enter the temple, so my father and I aren’t partic.i.p.ating. Incidentally, while I already knew for a while that I wasn’t going to be able to attend, my father’s absence was forced on him abruptly. Due to some twist of unfortunate luck, he has been summoned for a meeting that he absolutely cannot get out of, on the very day of his oldest child’s baptism. On top of that, this is a meeting convened by some very high-ranking members of the aristocracy, so if he didn’t attend, his superiors might have his head. Literally. Scary! Despite that, my father has been sitting here since early morning, issuing complaint after complaint, seemingly in no hurry to actually head out for work. “No... I don’t want to go to this stupid meeting! It’s Tory’s baptism, you know? Why’d someone have to schedule this pointless meeting on this really important day?” It’s very true that today is an important day. I’m sure that aristocrats have children too, so if they also go to get baptized then they should have been well aware of exactly when the ceremony is supposed to take place. “Huh?” I say, puzzled. “Do the n.o.bles not baptize their kids like we do?” “...They don’t go to the temple to do it, they call the priests out to their houses. So, they don’t understand how we feel in the lower cla.s.ses.” Last night, I was able to ignore him, since I figured it was better for him to get his complaints off his chest while he was still at home, but this man is obstinate. Perhaps it’s a trait common to fathers in every world who love their daughters that they feel this anguished and depressed whenever they miss their daughter’s track meet or recital? I sigh as I carefully comb Tory’s long hair out to the sides. “Daddy, we can all go out together, so you need to get ready to go to work! You can walk Tory to the temple, you know. Anyway, only the kids can enter the temple today, so you’d just be waiting in the courtyard, right?” I think he’ll cheer up a little bit if he can lead Tory to the temple and see her standing in line, all dressed up in her beautiful new clothes. Even though I’ve offered him a good suggestion, he still continues to ramble meaninglessly. “But it’s a father’s duty to wait in the courtyard...” “I thought it was a father’s duty to go to work for their family, though?” “Ngh!” “Is going to work with me really so awful? You’re going to go alone, then!” I push him away, acting like I’ve lost all ability to care. He turns to me with pleading eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears, seemingly about to start crying at any moment. “...No, I’ll go with you. As soon as the meeting’s over, we’ll come back, because everyone’s going to be celebrating tonight...” Tory looks over at our father and smiles brilliantly, keeping her head as still as she can so that I can continue weaving her hair. “Hey, Dad. I get it, already! You’re going to come back and celebrate with us, right? I’m really looking forward to it, so come back soon, okay?” With a single sweet smile, my father’s mood suddenly skyrockets. I mentally applaud Tory’s results. You truly are our angel, Tory. “Maine,” she says, “keep an eye on Dad to make sure he gets his work done today.” “Leave it to me! I’ll do my best, so you don’t need to worry about that all on your baptism day!” “Hey, Maine!” objects my father. Tory starts laughing out loud. Yeah, that’s a great smile. It seems like Tory won’t be lonely, even if our father can’t come to her baptism ceremony, since she’s so appreciative of our father’s oppressive love. “All done,” I say. “...Yeah, Tory, you’re super cute.” “Thanks, Maine.” I’ve combed her hair out, separating it to either side, then braided some of the hair on each side back into a half-up style, which I then finished off with her hairpin. The hairpin is something that I made this past winter, using the same colors of thread that were used in the embroidery on Tory’s dress to make a bouquet of tiny lace flowers. The multicolored flowers on the pins match Tory perfectly, giving her a cheerful yet sweet sort of air. “Huh... Mom?” My mother has dressed up for today, since she’ll be going to the temple with Tory. She’s wearing her only nice dress, a simple, pale-blue affair whose hem falls all the way down to her ankles, just barely letting you see her shoes. I never thought that she could become so beautiful just by changing her clothes and scrubbing away the red stains from crus.h.i.+ng seeds at the dyery. My mother’s got some raw potential underneath all that. She’s seriously beautiful. “Mommy, come sit over here,” I say. “I’m fine as I am,” she replies. “The way you do up hair is very beautiful, Maine, but also very extravagant. I don’t want to draw any attention to myself today; it’s the children who should be playing the leading roles.” “Ahh, okay.” It’s not like I can really use any ornaments, so I personally wouldn’t think that my hairstyling is particularly extravagant, but if my mother says so I guess it must be true. I don’t really know what counts as dressing up around here, but it’s definitely possible that I could overdo it. I hop down from the chair I’d been standing on as I worked on Tory’s hair. “So, let’s go!” I grab my tote bag with the things I’ll need to take with me to the gate, then head out the door with my dressed-up sister. My mother, Tory’s chaperone for the day, follows close behind, accompanied by my father, dressed in his work clothes. Typically, my mother walks at a very brisk pace, even when carrying a lot of things, but today she steadily, carefully climbs down the stairway, holding the hem of her dress up so that it doesn’t drag as she walks. Tory hitches up her skirt a little bit as well, mimicking our mother, taking the stairway one steady step at a time. Since I’m in my usual clothing, I don’t care at all, and I actually manage to make it to the bottom of the stairs a step ahead of everyone else. “Whoa...” A great many people are milling about outside in the plaza around the water well. It seems like everyone’s showing up to congratulate the children who are heading off to their baptisms. I can see Ralph and Lutz in the crowd, despite the fact that I’m pretty sure they have nothing to do with today’s ceremony. Everyone seems to be here to give their well wishes to today’s stars. I’m sure there were still ceremonies in the winter and the spring, but back then I really didn’t have much strength to leave the house very often, so this is the first time I’m seeing all of this first-hand. “Fey, congratulations,” “You’re looking pretty manly!” It seems like pink-haired Fey is having his baptism today as well. Similar to Tory, he’s wearing a white outfit with an embroidered sash. His sash is green, though, and looped around his shoulder. ...Ah, I see. Being able to sew really is important. Since everything around here is hand-made, relative differences in your skills can have a very noticeable effect. In j.a.pan, being good at sewing was really never particularly useful, and everyone here always wears beat-up rags, so even though my mother had told me that being good at sewing was an important skill for a beautiful woman to have, it never really clicked with me until now. I didn’t have anything to compare my mother’s sewing skill to, but now that I’m seeing the other kids’ clothes, she really is amazing at it. Enough to brag about it, even. As for me, it’s becoming clear that it won’t be at all possible for me to find a lover, let alone get married. “Ahh, Tory! You’re amazingly cute!” cries Carla, her voice booming through the plaza and her hands clapped to the sides of her face as she praises Tory. Everyone’s attention is immediately drawn to Tory, and they start heaping congratulations on her. “Congratulations, Tory!” “Your hair is so beautiful, just like a n.o.bleman’s daughter!” Carla continues to lavish praise on Tory, who gives her an embarra.s.sed smile in return. Unlike all of the other children, Tory’s hair cuticles are very healthy, so her blue-green hair is glossy. Between the white dress my mother is so proud of and the halo of light reflecting off of her hair, she looks positively angelic. My Tory really is an angel. I think I can understand why my dad dotes on her so much. “Maine worked really hard to braid my hair,” she says. “Huh, she did?” asks Carla. “I guess she has another redeeming feature beyond her unusual recipe ideas.” Carla, you’re so mean. I breathe a sigh of relief, though: there’s at least one thing that this worlds think that I’m good for. “This is really complicated. How did you do it up like that?” Regardless of age, an army of women has formed around us, trying to get a good look at Tory’s head. Eeeek! This is a really standard hairdo, you don’t need to stare so closely! You people don’t comb your hair our properly, so of course it gets messy when you try to braid it... “That looks great, Tory!” says one of the younger girls in the crowd, sighing enviously. “I want to do my hair like yours for my baptism this winter.” The crowd around her agrees emphatically, murmuring “me too, me too” in unending waves of sycophancy. “So everyone wants to Maine to do their hair too?” asks Tory with a delighted smile. She turns to me. “Will you?” I immediately shake my head in refusal. “There’s no way!” “Why not?” she says, taken aback a little. “I don’t know when my fever’s going to come up again. You know that this is the first time I could actually go to a baptism, right?” I feel a little bad for Tory, since all she wanted to do was brag about her little sister, but there’s no way I could braid the hair of a bunch of unknown girls every single time a baptismal ceremony came around. On top of that, I can guarantee that it won’t turn out even close to how Tory’s looks right now. These girls’ hair is like Tory’s was at the start of all this; rough, unwashed, and in dire need of repair. While I had to touch damaged hair like that when I was just starting out, by now I absolutely do not want to have to feel anything like that again. “Ah, okay. You’ve been doing a little better lately, but your fever really does still come back unexpectedly. I was just trying to boast a little about my little sister, that’s all.” I’m trying to give off the impression that I really want to agree to Tory’s offer despite the fact that I’m such a fundamentally useless burden. Honestly, though, doing that would be psychologically impossible for me. “...I can still show everyone else how to do their hair like I did yours. I just don’t want to promise everyone that I’ll do it for them, that’s all.” “Yeah, yeah, like Dad was just telling you the other day, don’t make promises you can’t keep. Hey everyone, Maine said that she can show everyone how to do their hair like mine!” Tory seems satisfied with the compromise I came up with for her suggestion, so it seems that the plaza in front of the water well is going to become a hairdressing cla.s.sroom at some point in the future. I never would have thought, even for a second, that braided hair could draw this much attention. No wonder my mother didn’t want me to do hers as well. “Hey,” says one of the girls, “what about that hairpin? Who made that?” “Maine!” replies Tory. “Nuh-uh,” I say, “the whole family did! Me and Mommy made the flowers, and Daddy made the pin part of it.” “Ahh, that’s right,” she says. My mother, who is very skilled at sewing, didn’t know about lacework. It seems that it really is very rare to see it here. All of the older woman immediately pounce on me. “Hey, Maine. Do you think you could teach me how to do that?” “Showing you how is easy, but if you don’t have really tiny needles you can’t do it, you know? Also, I think it might be better for Mommy to show you how to make it, she’s way better at it.” I’m already bad at talking to strangers. On top of that, there’s a good chance that I might say something really weird, since I lack a lot of the common knowledge people around here should know. As a result, I really don’t know what I should be saying to these women. I think the best way to interact with my neighbors is probably to keep them at arm’s reach. Da-dong, da-donnng ring the bells of the temple. Whenever the bells in the center of the temple ring, the sound echoes throughout the entire town. In an instant, every flapping mouth in the plaza snaps shut. In the next instant, someone in the crowd yells out, “Time to go, people! To the main street!!” With the children to be baptized leading the way, we head out towards the main street in groups. At the same time, other groups of children appear from the other alleyways here and there, followed by more groups of spectators. From the edges of the town to the gates of the temple, the procession gathers in the main streets, with the children in their white clothes at the head and their chaperones close behind. The rest of the people line the sides of the streets, seeing their children off as they join the crowd. This scene really reminds me of, well, you know. People, cheering and waving, are lined up by the sides of the road while a procession makes its way through the streets. Even if you can’t see where the procession is, you can hear the roar of the crowd swell as it grows closer to you. It really reminds me of the New Year Ekiden.Starting from far away, I hear the cheering gradually grow closer and closer. When the procession is almost right on top of us, I glance over at Tory. She seems nervous, standing there with a stiff expression on her face. I reach up with my index finger, standing on my tiptoes as high as I can go, and poke her in the cheek. “Smile, Tory! You’re the cutest girl in the whole world when you’re smiling. It’s true, you know!” After a moment, her wide eyes slowly crinkle up as her usual radiant smile spreads across her face. “Hey now,” says my father, “even when she’s not smiling she’s the cutest girl around.” What do I do about this man? As we banter back and forth, the procession comes into view. Loud cheers, applause, and whistles fill the street around me as countless children, dressed in white, parade down the street towards the temple. Some of them are beaming, some have stiff expressions, some walk proudly, and some look very nervous. Tory and Fey each take a step forward, leaving the crowds of spectators lined up on the side of the streets. They lightly walk towards the stream of children as they pa.s.s by, joining the line of children at the very end. Once we see that they’ve made it into the line, Fey’s family and my family both step forward to join the procession as well. At every bend in the main street, another few children join the crowd. At this rate, I don’t even have the slightest idea how many we’ll have by the time we finally get to the temple at the center of town. Even though we’re still just walking towards the temple, there’s already some parents that are so deeply moved that they’ve burst into tears. Such as my father. I follow the procession through the thunderous cheers, halfway jogging to try and keep up. Voices ring out from everywhere around me, so I curiously look around the area as best as I can. People watch us from the windows of the houses that line both sides of the street, some of them throwing tiny white flowers from some unknown plant down on us as some kind of blessing. The flowers thrown from the highest windows drift down gently, almost seeming like they’re falling straight from the clear blue skies. The children at the front of the procession start laughing excitedly. I can’t see much through the crowd, since I’m far shorter than everyone else around me, but I can see the hands of the children reaching up towards the sky, perhaps to try to catch the flowers as they fall. At the large fountain that sits in the middle of the intersections between two main streets, the procession comes to a brief stop. Another group of children, who followed a different path to get here, meets up with ours, and the crowd starts to swell. This is as far as my father and I can go. “Daddy, come on, this way,” I say, pulling on his hand. It seems like he’s intent on following the procession all the way to the temple, but I grab tightly onto his hand and try to lead him away. I drag him out of the way of the procession to the side of the streets where the sight-seers are standing, and we join them in seeing off the procession as they resume their path towards the temple. “Ugh! Daddy, come on!” Now that the procession has pa.s.sed, the crowd of people is starting to thin out as people head back to their homes. I turn us around to follow the crowd, heading back in the direction of the south gate. My father, however, keeps stopping to look back to where the procession has gone, lingering regret in his eyes, leaving me wondering if we’re going to actually make it to his meeting on time. “Squad Leader! You’re late!” says Otto, glaring angrily at my father as we finally reach the gate. Otto quickly ushers him into the meeting room, leaving me, as usual, to sit down and practice writing on my slate. It looks like, starting today, I’m going to be learning the names of the goods on the wagons that come in and out of the town, so that I can eventually read the merchants’ cargo manifests. These words are actually the first words I’ve learned from Otto that are actually usable in daily life. Today, all of the words that I’m learning are the names of vegetables that are in season. There’s a lot of vegetables that I know about already, like “pomay” (the tomato that looks like a yellow pepper), “vel” (a kind of red lettuce), “foosha” (a green eggplant), and so on. Since I know about these, they’re easy for me to remember, but there’s also a lot of them that I haven’t actually seen on our dinner table. Those will take some more time to memorize. I really want to head over to the market so that I can match these names to what they look like... but I don’t think I can stomach another encounter with the butchers’ shops. As I sit there, alone, slate pencil clacking on slate, one of the younger-looking soldiers bursts into the room, holding some sort of doc.u.ment. “Do you know where Otto is?” he asks. “I think he’s in a meeting today.” I reply. “Ah, that’s right! Now what do I do...” It looks like today’s gatekeeper isn’t particularly good at reading official doc.u.ments. “Want me to read it for you?” I ask, holding out my hand. “I can try; I am Otto’s a.s.sistant.” I can understand his skepticism; after all, I look like a little girl, not the kind of person you’d expect to be able to read important paperwork. I’m used to seeing that expression by now. I really only offered out of the goodness of my heart, so if he doesn’t want to take me up on my offer I don’t particularly care either way. He doesn’t react at all to my offer, so after a few seconds I turn my attention back to my slate and continue practicing writing out characters. “...You can read it?” he asks after a brief pause. My confidence in my reading ability actually depends a lot on what kind of doc.u.ment it is. I can’t yet say that I’ve memorized everything. “Umm, if it’s a letter of character reference or a aristocratic introduction letter then I can read it. If it’s a merchant’s cargo manifest then I can read the numbers but not all of the words.” “Ah, well, this is an introduction letter. Could you please?” These aristocratic introduction letters are written in an unnecessarily overcomplicated style, making them a huge bother to read, but once you clear past all of the flowery language the meat of the doc.u.ment is actually very simple. All you really need to know is who is referring whom to whom, and whose seal is needed on the doc.u.ment. I unroll the doc.u.ment, taking a deep breath of the smell of parchment and ink, then scan my skillful eye over the text within. ...Ahh, the leading private is in a meeting right now. This is a lower-ranking n.o.bleman’s introduction, so it’ll be fine to make him wait until the meeting’s over, right? “Umm, this is a letter of introduction from Baron Bron, and the bearer is going to see Baron Glatz. This needs the leading private’s seal.”I hand the doc.u.ment back to the soldier, trying to remember how Otto did his job. If I’ve got the interaction manual in my head right, I can at least do things like this. “Please ask the merchant who brought this letter to wait in the waiting room for lower-ranked n.o.bility. Today’s meeting was called by a high-ranking n.o.bleman, so they’ll have to wait until the meeting is over before the leading private can apply his seal. If you explain this properly, I don’t think the Baron’s guest will be unreasonable.” “Thanks. You’re a lifesaver!” He salutes me, tapping his chest twice with an upturned fist. I hop down off of my chair, face him, and return his salute. As Otto’s a.s.sistant, it’s only natural for me to be able to do these kinds of things. Hmmm, at this rate, I’m going to wind up finding work as whatever equivalent this place has to a clerk, it seems... I’d been thinking that I’d have figured out how to make paper before I started my apprentices.h.i.+p next year so that I could start a bookstore, but things aren’t really turning out like how I envisioned. Reality is pretty crus.h.i.+ng, sometimes. I continue practicing writing out words on my slate for a long time before my father, finished with his meeting, suddenly bursts into the room. “We’re leaving, Maine!” he says. “Let’s talk while we’re walking,” he interjects, cutting me off. “Tory is waiting!” My father stuffs my slate and pencil into my tote bag, picks me up piggyback, and starts walking briskly home. “Daddy?! Um! I have to repo―” “Let’s get out of here before Otto catches us.” “Wait!! I have to give Mister Otto a report!” As we quarrel, Otto catches up with us. “Oh! Mister Otto! A merchant is here, with a letter of introduction from Baron Bron to Baron Glatz. The leading private was in the meeting, so I had him wait in the lower-ranked n.o.bility waiting room. Please take care of him quickly!” “As expected of my a.s.sistant! Great job, Maine.” “She’s my daughter.” Otto sighs and rubs his temples in response. “I’d only entrust such an important task to such an excellent a.s.sistant,” he says to me. “This squad leader here should go home immediately. Thanks to his constant fidgeting during the meeting, the high-ranking n.o.blemen there were glaring at me! I think I lost years off of my life.” “Daddy, life is important,” I say. “Look, you heard it from Otto too: we’re heading home.” His heart is absolutely set on returning home immediately, so he carries me all the way home as quickly as he can. In the evening, we throw Tory a birthday party. My image of a proper party involves cake as a very crucial element, but we don’t have anything like that in this house. So, after taking a look at our ingredients, I decided that I’d make some pseudo-french toast. I took a loaf of hard multi-grain bread and had my mother cut it into thick slices, then took advantage of the fact that Lutz’s family really appreciated my recipes to get some eggs and milk from them. My mother finished everything off by frying each slice in b.u.t.ter. We don’t have sugar, honey, or anything like that, so I garnished it with a bit of jam made from some sort of raspberry-like berry. I was able to do one more thing for Tory: I cut up the vegetables in the soup into cute shapes, like hearts and stars. She seemed very pleased by this. “Here, Tory,” says my father, “we have a present for you.” “Whoa... Dad, Mom, thanks!” They’ve given her new work clothes, as well as the tools she’ll need for her job. Now that she’s seven years old and has had her baptism, she’ll be starting her apprentices.h.i.+p. While there are some live-in jobs available, Tory’s work as a seamstress will not be one of them, so she’ll be commuting back and forth. Aha, she has her sights set on getting good at sewing and becoming a beautiful woman. She wants Ralph to call her a good girl. I understand completely. “You’re not working every day, right?” I ask. “Well, when I’m just starting out, I’m not going to be able to do all that much, so I’ll only be there about half the week.” “If they spend every day teaching apprentices, then they’ll never get anything done, after all,” explains my mother. Certainly. I’ve experienced that first hand: on days when the apprentice soldiers have to be taught writing and math, I don’t get any of my own studying done, and Otto’s work only piles up further. “And now this is for you, Maine.” With a heavy clunk, my parents place a long, thin object, wrapped in cloth on the table in front of me. I blink my eyes, doubtfully tilting my head to one side. It wasn’t my baptism today, so I’m not sure why I would be getting a present as well. “But it wasn’t my baptism today?” “Since Tory’s going to be going to work, you’ll be in charge of going out and collecting firewood. You’ll be needing this.” I unwrap the cloth, revealing a knife, dully gleaming in the candlelight. Its blade is thick, and when I heft it in my hands I can feel its considerable weight. In j.a.pan, it would be unconscionable to give something so dangerously sharp to a young child, but common sense here dictates that a child that doesn’t have something like this can’t even defend herself, a baby that can’t help out or do anything useful. They really gave me a knife. Up until now, they’ve really been totally treating me like a baby. Tory was a.s.sisting the family, but I was only Tory’s a.s.sistant. Or, would it be more accurate to say that I was a burden that only did unnecessary things? However, now that Tory is starting her apprentices.h.i.+p, it seems like I too must start to carry the proverbial knife. But, now I’ve got a knife! I can make mokkan! I’m going to make mokkan!!

粘土板が焼いて保存さえできたら、よかったんだけどな。ハァ。 竈で小爆発を起こして、粘土板作りが禁止され、本作りが行き詰ってしまい、次の方法を考え込んでいるうちに、トゥーリが7歳になった。 正確には誕生日じゃなくて、誕生季だ。季節ごとに神殿で洗礼式が行われ、7歳になった子供は全員神殿に行って洗礼式を受ける。 宗教儀式って考えると何となく苦手な感じがするのにうなものだと思えば、平気な気がする。不思議。 ちなみに、わたしは年齢的に不参加決定だが、父は強制的不参加だ。なんと運が悪いことに、父はトゥーリの洗礼式当日にどうしても抜けられない会議があるそうだ。 怖ッ! それなのに、この父は朝早くからうだうだと文句を言って、なかなか仕事に行こうとしない。 「嫌だ。会議なんか行きたくない。トゥーリの洗礼式だぞ? なんでそんな重要な日にどうでもいい会議があるんだ?」 確かに洗礼式は重要な日だ。貴族にも子供はいるはずだし、洗礼式に出るなら多少日取りに配慮があると思う。 「あれ? もしかして、お貴族様の子供達は洗礼式がないの?」 「......神殿に行くんじゃなくて、神官を家に呼ぶと聞いたことがある。だから、お貴族様には下々の気持ちがわからんのだ」 まぁ、家の中で愚痴を言うだけで気が済むならいいか、と昨日の夜から聞き流してきたけど、しつこい。子供の運動会やと仕事が重なった、娘ラブな父親の悲哀と鬱陶しさは、全世界共通なのだろうか。 「父さん、一緒に行ってあげるから、お仕事行こうよ。途中まではトゥーリと一緒に行けばいいじゃない。どうせ、神殿の中に入れるのはトゥーリ達子供だけで、大人は神殿の広場で待つんでしょ?」 途中まで行列に交じって、トゥーリの晴れ姿を見れば少しは気も晴れるだろう。そう思って、提案してあげたのに、父はまだうだうだと言う。 「広場で待つのが、父親としての役目で......」 「仕事に行って稼いでくるのが父親の役目と思うけど?」 「ぅぐっ!」 「わたしとお仕事に行くのがそんなに嫌なら、父さん一人で行けば?」 もう構ってられないよ、と突き離せば、哀願を込めた今にも泣きそうな目でこっちを見てくる。 「......マインと仕事に行く。会議が終わったら、すぐに帰るからな。今夜のお祝いは絶対にみんなでするんだからな」 わたしが髪の編み込みをしているので、トゥーリは頭を動かさないように視線だけ父に向けてニコリと笑った。 「もう、父さんったら。わかってるよ。みんなでお祝いしてくれるんだよね? 楽しみにしてるから早く帰ってきてね」 「あぁ」 でれっと笑って、応じる父の機嫌が急上昇したのを見て、わたしは心の中で「さすがトゥーリ。ウチの天使」と拍手する。 「マイン、父さんがちゃんとお仕事するように見張っててね」 「任せて! トゥーリが心配しないで洗礼式に出られるように、わたし、頑張るよ」 情けない父の姿にトゥーリがとうとう声を立てて笑った。 これだけ暑苦しく愛されていることがわかれば、父親が洗礼式に来られなくてもトゥーリは寂しくないだろう。 「はい、完成。......うん、トゥーリ、可愛い」 「ありがと、マイン」 冬にレースの小花で作ったもので、晴れ着に使われている刺繍と同じ色の花が小さなブーケのようだ。色とりどりの小さな花が集まった髪飾りはトゥーリの朗らかで柔らかい雰囲気によく似合っている。 「え......母さん?」 トゥーリと一緒に神殿へ向かう母も、今日は一張羅を着て、おめかししていた。靴がギリギリ見えるくらいの足首丈までのシンプルなドレスは薄い青で涼しげに見える。 ウチの母さん、素材良すぎ。マジ美人。 「母さんもここに座って」 「わたしはいいわ。マインが結うと、とても豪華に見えるもの。主役の子供達より飾るわけにはいかないから」 別に飾りをつけるわけでもないので、大して豪華になるとも思えなかったが、母がそう言うなら仕方ない。この辺りの晴れ姿がどんなものか知らないので、確かにやりすぎる可能性はある。 わたしは髪を結うために上がっていた椅子から降りた。 着飾ったトゥーリと一緒に、わたしも門に行くためのトートバッグを持って家を出る。トゥーリに付き添う母と仕事着を身につけた父も一緒だ。 いつもならどんなに荷物を抱えていてもスタスタと歩く母が、スカートを引きずらないよう、手で裾を上げて、しずしずと下りていく。トゥーリもそれを真似して、スカートを軽く持ち上げて、一段一段下り始めた。 「うわ......」 井戸のある広場には、たくさんの人達がいた。どうやらこの洗礼式は街全体で祝うものらしい。今日の洗礼式には関係ないはずなのに、ラルフやルッツの姿も見えた。辺りの人達みんなが出てきて、今日の主役に祝福の言葉をかけている。 冬も春も洗礼式があったはずだが、外に出られる体調ではなかったので、わたしにとって今日が初めて見る洗礼式だ。 「フェイ、おめでとう」 「男っぷりが上がったな」 ピンク頭のフェイも今日が洗礼式らしい。トゥーリと同じように白が基調で縁に刺繍のある上下に緑のサッシュを締めているのが見える。 ......あぁ、なるほど。大事だね。裁縫の腕って。 全部手作りだから、腕の差が顕著に出る。日本では裁縫の腕なんて特に必要なかったし、ここでもボロばかり着ているから、裁縫上手が美人の条件と言われても、いまいちピンとこなかった。 今まで比較対象がなかったからわからなかったけど、母さんの裁縫の腕、すごいよ。自慢するわけだよ。わたし、ここでも恋人や結婚できないの、決定だね。 トゥーリが出てきたのを見つけたカルラおばさんが感激したように頬を押さえながら、広場中に響くくらい大きな声で、トゥーリを褒めた。 「トゥーリ、おめでとう」 「髪まで綺麗に結って、お姫様みたいよ」 カルラおばさんに褒められたトゥーリが恥ずかしそうに頬を染めて笑った。母自慢の白い晴れ着に、他の子にはないキューティクルな天使の輪がある青緑の髪がふわりと揺れる。 ウチのトゥーリ、マジ天使。父さんが親馬鹿になるの、わかるわ。 「マインが一生懸命に結ってくれたの」 「まぁ、マインが? 変わった料理以外にも取り柄があったのねぇ」 でも、ちょっとホッとした。わたし、一応この世界でも認められる取り柄があったんだ。 「すごく複雑よ、これ。どんな風に結うの?」 年齢を問わず女性陣がトゥーリの頭を覗きこむ。 ひぃぃ、ただの編み込みだから、あんまりじっくり見ないで! ちゃんとしたコームがなかったから、分け目がちょっとガタガタなところがあるのよぉ。 「いいなぁ、トゥーリ。わたしも冬に洗礼式があるから、あんな風にしてほしいわ」 トゥーリが嬉しそうに笑って提案したが、わたしは即座に首を振って拒否する。 「なんで?」 「いつ熱が出るかわからないから。わたし、洗礼式を見るのも、今日が初めてなんだよ?」 彼女達の髪は、昔のトゥーリと一緒で、手入れなんて全くされていない。手入れから始めなければならない髪なんて、今更触りたくない。 「そっか。ちょっと元気になってきたけど、いつ熱が出るかわからないもんね? マインはすごいんだよって、自慢したかったんだけどな」 基本的に役立たずで足手まといなので、トゥーリのお願いを聞いてあげたい気はするけど、生理的に無理。 「......トゥーリの髪を編んでいるところを見せてあげるくらいなら、できる。けど、その子の髪を結う約束は、したくない」 「うんうん、守れない約束はするなって、父さんもこの間言ってたもんね? みんな、マインがわたしの髪の結い方を見せて教えることならできるって!」 わたしが出した妥協点に満足したトゥーリの発案で、後日、井戸の広場で髪結い教室が開催されることになった。 まさか、編み込みがこんなに注目されるとは思わなかった。母が髪を結うのを辞退するわけだ。 「じゃあ、この髪飾りは? これは誰が作ったの?」 「違う、トゥーリ。家族みんなだよ! 花はわたしと母さん。簪の部分は父さんだもん」 「あ、そうだったね」 裁縫上手な母が知らなかったくらいだ。レース編みはやはりここでは珍しいものらしい。こちらはおばさん達の食い付きがすごい。 「ねぇ、マイン。作り方、教えてあげたら?」 「教えるのは簡単だけど、細いかぎ針を作らなきゃできないよ? それに、髪飾りの作り方は、母さんが教えればいいと思う。わたしより上手だし」 わたしは知らない人が苦手だし、ここの常識わからなくて変な事言うかもしれないし、この辺りのおばちゃんと何を話していいかわからない。距離を取るのが一番良好な近所付き合いになると思う。 カランカラン......と神殿の鐘が鳴り響いた。中央の神殿が鐘を鳴らすと、こだましながら、街中に鳴り響く。 街の端から中央の神殿に向かって、白い服を着た子供達を先頭に行列が大通りを歩いて行く。行列は洗礼を受ける子供とその付き添いで構成されていて、それ以外の人達は大通りから見送ることになる。 この光景って、アレに似てる。 沿道で手を振ったり、祝福の言葉をかけたりする人がいて、その間を行列が進んでいく感じや、歓声が段々近づいてくる様子で、行列の進度がわかるところが、お正月の駅伝っぽい。 「笑顔だよ。笑ってれば、トゥーリが一番可愛い。ホントだよ?」 一度目を丸くした後、ゆっくりと目を細めたトゥーリの顔にいつもの笑顔が浮かんだ。 「そうだ。笑ってなくてもトゥーリが一番可愛いだろう」 どうしよう、この父親。 そんなやり取りをしているうちに、行列が見えてきた。大きな歓声や拍手、口笛が鳴り響く中、同じような白い晴れ着に身を包んだ子供達が、晴れやかな笑顔、ちょっと強張った顔、得意そうな表情、不安そうな顔、それぞれの顔で歩いてくる。 トゥーリとフェイが大通りに並んだ見物客から一歩前に進み出た。行列の流れを見ながら軽い足取りで進み出て、子供達の一番後ろに加わる。行列に入った二人を確認して、フェイの家族とわたし達も後ろの親の列に加わった。 大通りで曲がり角がある度に、少しずつ子供の数が増えていく。街の中央にあるらしい神殿に着くころには、一体どれだけ人数が増えているのか見当もつかない。 行列に並んで歩いているだけで、すでに感動で涙ぐんでいる保護者もいる。たとえば、父とか。 色んなところから声が飛んでくるので、きょろきょろと辺りを見回せば、大通りの両脇に並ぶ家々の窓から見ている人達や、どこかで摘んできたのか小さな白い花を投げて祝福する人が見えた。 大通りと大通りが交差する噴水のある交差点で、一度行列が止まる。別の通りから進んできた子供達と合流して行列が一気に増えた。 すっかり行列と一緒に神殿に向かう気分になっている父の手を引いて、一度行列から出た。行列の邪魔をしないように、大通りの端へと寄って、見物客と一緒に行列を見送る。 「もう! 父さんはこっちだって」 行列が過ぎると見物客もぞろぞろと帰宅を始める。そんな人波と一緒に南門の方へと曲がった。 門に着いた時には目を吊り上げているオットーがいた。父を会議室に送りだして、わたしはいつもどおり石板で字の練習をする。 オットーに習う、初めての日常単語である。今日の単語は全部この季節の旬の野菜だ。 ポメ(黄色のパプリカに見えるトマト)、ヴェル(赤いレタス)、フーシャ(緑の茄子)などの普段の料理で使われる野菜は覚えやすいけれど、食卓に出ない野菜は品物を想像することができないので、覚えるのに時間がかかる。 一度市場へ行って、現物と単語を結び付けたいなぁ。でも、肉屋はまだ苦手なんだよね。 一人でコツコツと文字を練習していると、比較的若い兵士が書類を持って、飛び込んできた。 「オットーさん、知りませんか?」 「今日は会議に出てますけど?」 「あぁ、そうだった! どうしよう......」 今日の門番は書類の文字がよく読めないらしい。 「読みましょうか?」 「一応オットーさんの助手なんです」 ものすごく胡散臭そうに見られた。まぁ、こんな見た目で字が読めるようには見えないだろうから、仕方ない。こういう視線には慣れた。 反応がないので、わたしは視線を石板に向けて字の練習を続けることにした。 「......読めるのか?」 絶対に読めるかというと、書類の種類によって自信はまちまちだ。まだ完全に覚えたとは言えない。 「えーと、人物照会票と貴族の紹介状なら問題なく読めます。商人の荷物表は数字が読めても項目があまり自信ないです」 「じゃあ、貴族の紹介状だから、頼む」 貴族の紹介状は面倒くさい言い回しが多いけれど、装飾的な文章を取り払うとそれほど難しいことは書いていない。 羊皮紙とインクの匂いを胸一杯に吸い込んで、堪能しながら目を通した。 ......あ~、士長も会議中だよね。下級貴族の紹介だから、会議が終わるまで待った方がいいかな? 「えーと、ブロン男爵からの紹介で、グラーツ男爵のところに行くそうです。士長の印章が必要ですね」 「これを持ってきた商人さんを下級貴族用の待合室に案内してください。今日の会議は上級貴族の招集だから士長の印章は会議終了までお待ちくださいって、ちゃんと理由説明すれば、グラーツ男爵のお客様は無理を言う人ではないと思います」 「ありがとう。助かった」 胸を二回叩いて敬礼されたので、わたしも椅子から飛び降りて、敬礼を返す。オットーの助手をしているうちに当たり前のようにできるようになってきた。 うーん、このままだったら、わたし、ここの事務員として就職させられそうだなぁ。 来年の見習い仕事が始まるまでに、紙を作って、本屋さんになろうと思っていたが、先が見えなくて、挫けそうだ。 石板で引き続き文字の練習をしていると、会議を終えた父が飛び込んできた。 「帰るぞ、マイン」 「話は帰りながら聞くからな。トゥーリが待ってる」 父は石板や石筆をトートバッグに入れると、ひょいっとわたしを抱き上げて、荷物を持って歩き始めた。 「父さん!? あのね! 報告が......」 「オットーに捕まる前に出るぞ」 「待って! オットーさんに報告があるんだって!」 言い合っているうちに、オットーが追いついてきた。 「あ、オットーさん。ブロン男爵からグラーツ男爵への紹介状を持った商人さんが来ています。士長も会議中のため、下級貴族用の待合室で待機中なので、至急対応お願いします」 「さすが俺の助手。よくできたな」 「俺の娘だ」 「優秀な助手に重要な任務を命じる。この班長とすぐに帰れ。会議中そわそわして落ち着かない班長のせいで、上級貴族に睨まれて俺の寿命が縮んだ」 「......父さん、命は大事にしなきゃ」 「オットーもこう言ってることだし、帰るぞ」 完全に心は家に帰ってしまっている父に抱きかかえられたまま帰宅すれば、その夜は家族でトゥーリの誕生祝いだ。 わたしの中ではお祝いと言ったらケーキが付きものだったけれど、そんなものはウチにない。使える食材を見て、わたしに準備できた代用品は、フレンチトーストもどきだった。 かなり固い雑穀パンを母にスライスしてもらって、ルッツのところからレシピと交換でもらってきた卵と牛乳に付け込む。母にバターで焼いてもらって出来上がり。蜂蜜や砂糖がないので、木苺っぽい果実のジャムをちょっと添えてみた。 わたしがトゥーリのためにできたのは、もう一つ。スープの野菜の飾り切りだ。ハートや星に切った野菜をトゥーリは可愛いと喜んでくれた。 「ほら、トゥーリ。プレゼントだ」 「わぁ、父さん、母さん、ありがとう」 トゥーリが仕事着と仕事道具をもらった。7歳になって洗礼を受けると、見習いの仕事につく。住み込みの仕事場もあるが、トゥーリが行く針子の見習いは通いだ。 裁縫上手になって、美人を目指すんですね。 「毎日お仕事するんじゃないよね?」 「まぁ、最初は大した仕事ができるわけでもないし、週に半分ほどだな」 「見習いの面倒をずっと見ていると仕事がはかどらないからね」 確かに。兵士見習いに文字や計算を教える日は、わたしの勉強ははかどらないし、オットーの仕事が増えていたような記憶がある。 「それから、これがマインのだ」 目を瞬いて、わたしは首を傾げる。洗礼式でもないわたしが何故贈り物をされるのかわからない。 「わたし、洗礼式じゃないよ?」 「仕事を始めるトゥーリの代わりに、今度から薪拾いはマインがするからな。必要になる」 こんな鋭い危険そうなの、子供に渡すなんて危険だ、と日本では言われるかもしれないが、こちらの常識では、このくらい持っていないと自分の身を守ることさえできない。手伝いも何もできない赤ちゃん扱いだ。 ナイフ、もらっちゃったよ。 今までわたしは完全に赤ちゃん扱いだった。お手伝いをするトゥーリのお手伝い。むしろ、余計なことばかりする足手まとい? でも、これで木簡が作れるよ! 木簡作るよ!

It seems that, in this town, whenever the weather clears up during the winter everyone always goes out to pick paru. Last time this happened, my father had a day off from work, so he went to go pick paru with Tory, but today he’s busy with his job. As I started wondering if that meant that we were going to give up on paru after all, I noticed my mother gathering up her coat. “I’m going to be going with Tory today,” she says. Paru are valuable winter fruit, To my eye, they’re a fruit that contains a syrupy coconut milk, olive oil, and a sweet-ish sort of bean curd. Since I figured out that the remains of the fruit after all of the oil has been squeezed out can be used as a good subst.i.tute for bean curd, I’ve been able to expand the house’s menu a little bit. Thanks to that, it looks like my mother’s been increasingly motivated lately. The bean curd hotcakes I made the other day at Lutz’s house were the first sweets I’ve had in ages. Lutz’s family raises chickens in their house, so they have a lot of eggs for trade, which means they have access to a ready supply of milk. I’m envious. Between the abundance of ingredients and the extra manpower that all the boys provide, it’s way easier to cook at Lutz’s house. The bean curd hotcakes... ah, I called them parucakes, didn’t I? The parucakes left everyone deeply moved, and I was able to use paru oil, egg yolk, and a pinch of salt to make mayonnaise. With that and some more salt for seasoning, I was able to make something kind of like a potato salad, which also quickly became very popular. ...It looks like my reincarnation has made Lutz’s and his brother’s lives better, at least. There’s so many ways to use a paru that I want to get as many of them here in my house as I can. Unfortunately, I’m absolutely useless on any sort of trip, but I still want to cheer everyone on if I can. Tory, fight! Fight! Mother, win! Win!! However, when Tory and my mother head for the forest, there’s still the problem of what to do with me. In any case, I have no strength, I’m sickly, and I’m worse than useless. There’s literally zero way that I can make a trip into the forest in the dead of winter. To make things worse, they seem to think that I might get up to some sort of trouble if they leave my at home by myself, so it seems they absolutely can’t leave me to watch the house. Isn’t that kind of mean? My father eats his breakfast, pondering deeply, as he gets ready for work. Suddenly, he claps his hands together. “I’ve got it! Maine, how about you come with me to the gates today?” I’d go with my father to the gate. Tory and my mother would go to the forest to gather paru. Then, on their way back, they’d pick me up from the gate. If they do that, the two of them can go pick fruit without worrying about me, and I won’t be left home alone. “Ah, that’s a good idea,” says my mother. “Let’s do that! Tory, let’s head out. We’ll leave Maine with your father today.” “Okay!” says Tory. ”Maine, we’ll come by and pick you up later.” As my mother praises my father for his good idea, she gathers up everything she needs in the blink of an eye and leads Tory out of the house. Paru gathering seems to be something that only happens before noon, so it’s critical that everyone gets there as soon as possible. This is probably because everyone snaps all the fruit up in a heartbeat. It is such a delicious and useful fruit, after all. “Well then, shall we head to the gates?” Being baby-sat at the gates, huh... Well, it’s a change of pace from being here in the house all the time. If Otto’s there, then I can probably get him to teach me some new letters, too... Frankly, I am starting to get really tired of being inside this house. Ever since I failed at making pseudo-papyrus, I have been reduced to only being able to do one of two things: play with the slate and make baskets. I never could have thought that, without books, I would have so much free time and so little idea of what to do with it. By the way, lately, I’ve had “Come, Spring!” and “Radio Calisthenics” playing in my head. Until spring finally comes around, I can’t go outside and I can’t work on making my clay tablets. Also, I’ve started doing radio calisthenics every morning so that I can build up enough strength to start going outside. My family has been looking at me strangely, but I think that it’s very important for me to do everything I can to get in better shape. To be painfully honest, my physical condition wasn’t something I really paid much attention to back in j.a.pan, so I don’t know exactly where I should be starting from in my exercises. “Oh, Daddy. Is Otto going to be there today?” “Ahh, I think so?” Now I’m actually looking forward to being baby-sat at the gates. I cheerfully go about my own preparations. Since I’m going out, I’ll need to bring my slate. I layer on my clothes and pull on my coat, then I slide the slate into the tote bag I wove earlier this winter. With that, I’m ready to go. “Let’s go, Daddy!” “...Maine, you really like Otto a lot, don’t you?” “Yeah! I love him,” I reply. After all, he gave me this slate to help me learn the alphabet, and he’s my teacher (or so I’ve unilaterally decided). Wouldn’t it be impossible for me not to like him? Honestly, I probably like him more then I like my father. In the interest of maintaining harmonious human relations, though, I clamp my mouth closed so that I don’t actually say that last bit. “Cold!” I exclaim, as we step outside. The air itself is frigid. The faintest of winds is blowing, and that alone is enough to cause a painful chill to cut straight through to my bones. My face is tingling so intensely that, even despite my laziness, I’m thinking that I’m going to have to figure out how to make some kind of moisturizing cream out of some of the paru oil we get today. On top of that, the snow is so deep that I can barely walk. There’s probably some knack to walking on top of snow, but I didn’t grow up in a snowy part of the country so I don’t know it. After only two steps, my tiny child legs were stuck deep in the snow, and I couldn’t move them no matter what I tried. I have no idea what to do next. “Daaaaddy! How do I walk in this?” My father turns around, a startled expression on his face, and walks back towards me, his arms out to the sides for balance as his legs sink into the snow. “...It’s okay, I got you,” he says. He hangs my tote bag from his wrist, then picks me up by my sides, lifts me up high, and deposits me on his shoulders. “Be careful not to fall!” “Whoa... so high!” I’m way higher up than I was before, even when Ralph carried me on his shoulders. I don’t, however, feel like I’m in any danger of falling. My father, the soldier, has broad, firm shoulders, providing both a sense of stability and a sense of security. He’s very different from my other father, who I think was a salaryman in a sales department. “Hold on as tight as you can, okay?” “Okaaay!” It’s been a long time since I rode piggyback, so I’m a little bit excited. I cling tightly to my father’s head as he starts trudging through the snow. There’s a narrow pathway cut through the snow, but it doesn’t seem to have been made with a shovel. Instead, it looks like it was made by people carefully following in each other’s footsteps, one by one, as they left for the main street. “Maine, you should know, Otto’s already married.” We had been walking in silence for a while when those words suddenly tumbled out of his mouth. He seems to have been considering what to say for a while. Huh? Did I... say something about wanting to marry him at some point? I know I didn’t say anything about wanting to marry my father, though. “Ummmm... so, what?” “Well, Otto’s the kind of man who doesn’t think of anyone but his wife.” What kind of parent uses this kind of diversion on his five-year-old daughter, you idiot? Would it be okay if I played the straight man and smacked him on the head now? “......” Argh, really?! Now you go quiet? You’re such a pain! I’m not going to play along, father. Do you really think that I’m going to say something like “but Daddy you’re so much more amazing” or “but Daddy I love you so much more” right now? “...No.” Sulking fiercely, my father continues trudging forward in silence. After some time, we finally arrive at the gate, me still riding atop the shoulders of my troublesome father. “Good morning, sir,” says the soldier stationed at the gate, bowing his head for some strange reason. After a moment, I remember that bowing your head in greeting is one of the social customs here. Then, he bows his head again, maybe for me, perched on top of my father’s shoulders. “Lihit,” says my father, “this is my daughter Maine. I’ll be leaving her in the night duty room until the afternoon, when her mother comes to get her on her way back from picking paru.” “Understood, sir.” “Maine, go to the night duty room. Otto’s in there, so that’ll be fine, right?” Whoaaa, that sounded almost petulant. Huh? Maybe... is my father so jealous of Otto that he’s getting childish? Are human relations breaking down here? “I’m only really looking forward to learning some new letters from him, you know,” I say. “...You don’t need Otto for that.” Sorry, Otto. I tried to smooth things over, but I think I might have only made it wose. At the beginning of this whole mess, I really was only excited about learning new letters, but I have no idea where my father’s thoughts have been wandering to. “I’m coming in,” says my father, knocking on the door to the night duty room as he opens it and walks in. The night room is lit by both a brilliantly glowing fire in the fireplace and a lamp s.h.i.+ning on a desk. It’s way brighter than it is back home. Otto is sitting at a desk close to the fire, filling out paperwork. “Otto!” I say. “Corporal... and Maine? Why’s she here?” “She’ll be staying here while her mother’s gathering paru. Take care of her.” He tersely... no, sharply explains the situation while he lowers me down from his shoulders. Otto’s eyes go wide and he glances back and forth between his pile of paperwork and my father. Clearly, he’s been shaken by having being abruptly ordered to be a babysitter. “Huh? Umm, but, I... need to finish the budget and the financial report...” “Maine,” says my father, completely ignoring Otto’s protests, “it’s warm in here. Stay here and take care not to catch a cold.” I turn towards Otto. “I’m sorry, Otto.” “Huh?” “You know, I was super happy when you gave me the slate, and I’m even more happy that I get to see you again.” “Oh, that’s good. I’m also happy to see you again, but...” He gives me a bit of an awkward smile, then looks a little confused, as if he’s wondering why I needed to apologize for that. “I was kinda praising you earlier, and my daddy started to sulk.” “...Oh, boy...” “I’ll be really quiet until my mommy comes and picks me up, so could you teach me some new letters?” From the parchment and ink that’s spread out on top of the desk, it’s obvious that he was in the middle of working through some paperwork. I don’t want to be too much of a hindrance, but I’m not going to let this chance to learn more letters slip away. “Sure, why not? Since it’s you, Maine, I know you’ll practice quietly...” I quickly take out my slate. The slate pencil clacks against the surface as Otto writes out new letters, mumbling to himself. At this point, I’ve lost count of the many hours I spent playing with it by myself, so by now I feel a strange sense of confidence. “Maine, if you get another fever, your father’s going to be even more upset than he is now, so sit over here.” With a wry smile, he shuffles his things over, giving me his seat in front of the fireplace. I completely agree with his reasoning, so I don’t restrain myself too much as I sit myself down. “Thank you! I can definitely practice here.” These letters seem to be part of an alphabet. It’s not a syllabic script like hiragana, or an logographic system like kanji. This feels like an alphabet where both p.r.o.nunciation and meaning change depending on how you spell things.For a while, the room was quiet, with only the clacking sound of pencil on slate and the scratching sound of pen on parchment breaking through the stillness. When I feel like I’ve memorized the letters in front of me, I look up from my slate. Otto is looking at his parchment, deep in concentration as he works through his calculations. Next to him is some sort of abacus-like calculation device, but I have no idea how to use it. When I was in elementary school, we practiced using an abacus to add and subtract, but I don’t know if the same methods apply to this thing. When it seems that he’s come to a break in his calculations, I ask him a question. “Otto, what’s this?” “I’m working on the financial report and drawing up the budget. We have to come up with a budget for the year during the winter and submit it before spring comes around, but there aren’t very many soldiers who are good at math. I’m the one with the most confidence in my ability to keep track of money, so the task of doing the budget and the financial report falls on me.” “They’ve given you a really difficult job, huh.” When I look over the parchment, I can’t really read the words, but there’s three columns of numbers lined up next to them. The first two look like price and quant.i.ty, and the last one seems to be the multiplied total, I think. Is this an equipment requisition form? As I ponder, I notice a mistake in the calculations. “Otto, isn’t this wrong?” “Eh?” “Here, this is and this is 30, right? So, isn’t that 2,250? Ah! This one’s wrong too.” I can read the numbers, but I don’t actually know how to describe multiplication in this language, so I have to describe things in a roundabout fas.h.i.+on. “Eh? I thought you couldn’t read! How can you do these calculations?” “Heh heh heh, my mom taught me numbers when we went to the town market! So, I can look at the numbers, and I can do the math, but I can’t read any of this part over here.” When I say that I can’t read the words next to each entry, Otto starts to ponder something. “Nah... but maybe...” he mumbles to himself, as he broods. “...Maine, I have to fix this. Could you help me out?” Is it really okay for me to take over something like this? Not only is this departmental information, and probably a breach of security, but isn’t letting a child help you out with something like this really bad? Rather, aren’t you really desperate, since you’re asking for help for a child, albeit one with surprising math skill? Not only did he say he had to fix it, he’s asking for help from a child. This really is abnormal. Since he’s putting himself on the line like this, I feel like I want to help him as best as I can. On top of that, he’s got something I really want, and I finally have the bargaining point I was searching for. “Okay. I’ll help you out, if you give me slate pencils and keep helping me learn the alphabet.” His eyes go wide again. He clearly didn’t expect a little girl like me to suddenly thrust conditions like that on him. This was exactly the response I was expecting, so, with a little chuckle, I explain the present situation. “Like I said, my mom taught me all my numbers. I still don’t know letters, though, so I want you to teach them to me.” “Teaching you is fine, but... slate pencils? Those aren’t very expensive, you know?” Just like Otto says, slate pencils are available for sale in the town market. In reality, they’re something that I actually got my mother to buy for me. So, I know they’re pretty easy to go out and buy. However, it’s a lot harder for me, personally, to obtain them. “My mommy bought some for me a while ago, but she doesn’t really want to buy me any more.” “Why’s that?” “It’s probably because I spend so much time playing with the slate. I use them all up as soon as she buys them for me...” Since I spend countless hours every day playing with the slate, the pencils wear down to nubs very quickly. Since I don’t get any pocket money for myself, you could say that finding a way to get more slate pencils is a matter of life and death for me. “A... anyhow!” I say. “My time isn’t so cheap that I’d work for free, you know!” Otto has now officially become my writing tutor. It looks like I wasn’t wrong about these being equipment requisition forms, but it looks like he’s in the middle of validating the math on someone else’s paperwork. “What should I do?” I ask. “Could you check to see if anything here is wrong? In any event, I don’t know where the errors might be hiding. It’s going to take a while to get through all of this.” It should be obvious, but there aren’t any computers here, so drawing up these doc.u.ments takes time, but going through and checking every single calculation in this doc.u.ment is more work than one person alone can handle. “There’s other soldiers that can do math, huh?” “...That’s true, but I can do it, and I’ve got a pretty good reason to do it too...” Somehow, it looks like Otto has some sort of circ.u.mstances behind why he became a soldier. I really want some juicy information, so I’m itching to ask him to go into more detail, but there’s a lot of validation work ahead of us to be done. I sit tight, knowing that there will be plenty of time for gossip when I see him next time. “Maine, do you want to use the calculator?” “No thanks, I don’t know how to use it, so I’m fine for now. I’ll work things out on my slate.” It’s way easier for me to do calculations on my erasable slate than it would be to do so on a blank form. I start to work through the numbers by hand, using my slate. Numbers were drilled into my head from such an early age, though, that the first symbol that pops into my head is “9”. With some effort, I make sure that I’m properly using the numerals of this world. “Whoa, this is much easier. I’m moved! You’ve seriously saved me. I never thought that validating those calculations could go so quickly! If you can do this much math, Maine, you could definitely be a merchant some day. If you do, I can introduce you to the merchant’s guild, okay?” It seems that for several years, Otto has had to compile all of the budgets and make all of the financial reports all by himself. Even though all we did today was checking everything, Otto is still so deeply grateful. If I were to be in a position to make a lot of books, then the best way to turn that into a bookstore would be to join the merchant’s guild. I’ve made an important connection in a really unexpected place. On top of that, I’ve earned some recognition as Otto’s invaluable a.s.sistant. “Maine, if you want to learn how to write, then I’ll help you beat them into your skull, okay? If you do that, then you can help me write up all the papers, too.” “Really?! Woohoo!!” “Huh? That got you excited?” Otto’s eyes may be going wide with shock, but if he’s going to seriously teach me the alphabet, then it’s only natural that I’d be happy, right? And if I’m helping out with official paperwork, that means I’ll get to touch parchment, right? And write letters onto a page with real ink, right? Isn’t that such a joyous thing? “Maine, sorry to keep you waiting.” “Let’s go home!” Today I did more math than I’ve done in a long while, so it was a great workout for my brain. I’m so mentally fatigued that the inside of my head feels numb. It’s a pleasant feeling. This was an incredibly productive day. “Thanks, Otto! I’m really grateful for your help.” “See you in a bit, Daddy! Good luck with your work!” “Yep.” It’s been a few hours, but my father is still in a bad mood. Or maybe, did it get even worse? Why?

どうやら、この街では冬の晴れの日はパルゥ拾いに行く日と決まっているらしい。前回は仕事の休みと重なっていたので、父とトゥーリがパルゥ拾いに行ったが、今日は父が仕事の日だ。 「今日はわたしがトゥーリと行くわ」 パルゥは冬の貴重な食料で、わたしにとっては、とろっとしたココナッツミルクとオリーブオイルとちょっと甘みのあるオカラが取れる実だ。 そうそう、この間ルッツの家で作ったオカラホットケーキは、わたしにとって久し振りのお菓子だった。ルッツの家は鶏を飼っていて、卵が絶対にあるし、卵と交換しているので牛乳も常備されているらしい。羨ましい。 ......どうせ転生するなら、ルッツの家の子が良かったかも。 使い道が結構あるので、パルゥはウチでもできるだけ欲しい。なので、外出に関してはかなり役立たずのわたしとしては応援だけでもしたい。 頑張れ、頑張れ、トゥーリ! 負けるな、負けるな、母さん! しかし、母とトゥーリが森へ行くとなると、家族が困るのがわたしの扱いだ。なにしろ、体力がなくて、病弱で、役立たず。冬の森になんて連れてはいけない。おまけに、一人にしておくと何をしでかすかわからないそうで、留守番を任せることもできやしないらしい。 ちょっとひどくない? 朝食を食べながら、うーんと考え込んでいた父が、仕事に出かける準備をしながらポンと手を打った。 「......そうだ! マイン、父さんと門で待つか?」 父がわたしを連れて門に行く。母とトゥーリはパルゥを採りに森に行く。そして、帰りにわたしを門で引きとって帰る。そうすればは心配なく森へ行けるし、わたしが一人で留守番することもない。 「それ、いいわね。そうしましょう! じゃあ、マインは父さんに任せて行くわよ、トゥーリ」 「うん! じゃあ、後で迎えに行くからね、マイン」 母が名案だと父をべた褒めしながら、あっという間に必要な物を準備し、トゥーリを連れて出かけてしまった。 「じゃあ、門まで行くか?」 まぁ、家でいるよりは気分転換になるかもね。オットーさんがいたら新しい文字も教えてもらえそうだし......。 はっきり言って、わたしだって、家にいるのに飽きてきた。パピルスもどきを作るのに失敗したわたしが家でできるのは、石板で遊ぶか、籠を作るかどちらかだけだ。まさか、本がないだけでこれだけ時間をもてあますとは思わなかった。 ちなみに、最近、わたしの頭の中でよく流れる歌は「春よ来い」と「ラジオ体操」だ。早く春になってくれないと粘土板を作りに外へ出かけることもできない。 そして、外に出られるように体力づくりのために毎日ラジオ体操を始めた。家族にはちょっと変な目で見られるけれど、体力増加のためにできることからコツコツとするのが大事だと思う。 「そうだ、父さん。今日って、オットーさんいる?」 「あぁ、いたはずだが?」 「やったぁ!」 門で留守番をする楽しみができた。わたしもいそいそと準備する。お出かけの必需品は石板だ。服を着こんでコートを羽織って、冬の間に自分で編んだトートバッグに石板を入れたら、わたしのお出かけ準備は終了だ。 「父さん、行くよー!」 「......マイン、お前、そんなにオットーが好きなのか?」 「うん、大好き」 だいたい、石板をくれて、文字を教えてくれる先生(勝手に決定)をわたしが好きにならないはずがないでしょ? 「寒っ!」 外に出ると、空気自体がものすごく冷たくて、ほんのちょっとの風が当たっただけで、肌が切れそうなほど痛い。 しかも、雪が深くて歩けない。歩き方にコツがあるのかもしれないが、もともと雪国育ちではないわたしは、雪の上での歩き方を知らない。 「父さーん! どうやったら歩けるの?」 父がわたしのトートバッグを自分の手首に引っかけて、わたしの脇に手を入れる。そのままグーンと高い位置まで持ちあげられ、父の肩に座らされた。 「高い。すごーい」 ラルフに背負われた時よりずっと視界が高い。それでも、あまり恐怖を感じないのは、兵士なんて仕事をしている父の肩が広くてごつくて、安心感と安定感があるからだろうか。記憶にある営業系サラリーマンだった麗乃の父とは全く違う。 「自分の力でちゃんとつかまっていろよ?」 肩車なんて久し振りすぎて、ちょっとドキドキする。父の頭にしがみつくと父が雪の上を歩き始めた。雪かきがあまりされていない細い路地は、人の足跡をなぞるように一歩一歩慎重に歩き、大通りに出ると普通に歩き始めた。 「マイン、オットーはもう結婚しているからな?」 無言で歩いていた父がいきなり口を開いたかと思えば、言った言葉がこれだった。 え? わたし、オットーさんの嫁になりたいなんて言ったっけ? 別に父さんの嫁になりたいなんてことも言ったことはないけどさ。 「えーと......だから、何?」 5歳の娘に対して一体何の牽制だ、このバカ親!......って、父の頭をチョップしながらツッコミいれていいですか? 「......」 ここは、あえて空気読まない。こんな面倒な父に「父さんの方が素敵」とか「父さんの方が好き」なんて、絶対に言ってやるもんか。 「つまり、オットーさんは自分の嫁を大事にする一途な男で、素敵だよね、ってこと?」 「......違う」 父は完全に拗ねてしまったようで、その後、ずっと無言で歩いていく。実に面倒な父に肩車してもらったまま、わたしは門へと着いた。 門のところで立っていた兵士に何となく癖で頭を下げた。一瞬、妙なものを見る目で見られて、そういえば、ここでは挨拶の時に頭を下げる習慣はなかったなぁと思い出す。 「リヒト、娘のマインだ。パルゥを採り終わったら、妻が連れて帰るから、昼過ぎまで宿直室に置いておく」 「了解しました」 「マインは宿直室だ。オットーもいるし、そこでいいな?」 うわぁ、何か声が尖ってる気がする。あれ? もしかして、オットーさんにおとなげないレベルでヤキモチ焼いてる? 人間関係こじれた? 「わたしね、オットーさんに新しい文字を教えてもらうの、楽しみなだけだよ」 「......オットーじゃなくてもいいだろうに」 ごめん、オットーさん。フォローしたつもりなのに、さらに面倒なことになったみたい。 もともと新しい文字を教えてもらえることに浮かれていただけなのに、父の思考がどこをさまよっているかわからない。 宿直室は赤々と暖炉で火が燃えていて、机の上にはランプがあって、ウチよりずっと明るい。暖炉に比較的近いところに机があって、そこでオットーさんが書類仕事をしていた。 「オットー」 「班長......とマインちゃん? どうしたんですか?」 「パルゥ採りの間、ここで待っていることになった。お前、面倒見ておけよ」 突然の子守り仕事追加に、当然だが、オットーは目を見開いて困り果てたように書類と父の顔を交互に見た。 「へ? いや、でも、俺......会計報告と予算の......」 「マイン、ここは温かいからな。風邪を引かないように気を付けるんだ」 「ごめんね、オットーさん」 「へ?」 「わたしね、石板もらって嬉しくて、今日もオットーさんに会えると思ったら、もっと嬉しくなって」 「それはよかった。俺もマインちゃんに会えて嬉しいけど......」 少しだけ照れくさそうに笑った後、「謝ることじゃないよな?」と不可解そうな表情になった。 「実は、オットーさんを褒めたら、父さんが拗ねちゃって......」 「......あちゃぁ~......」 「母さんが迎えに来るまでおとなしくしてるから、新しい字を教えて?」 机の上に羊皮紙とインクが出ているのを見れば、書類仕事中だったことがわかる。仕事の邪魔をする気はないけれど、新しい文字を教えてもらえそうな機会を逃すつもりもない。 「まぁ、いいか。マインちゃんなら、おとなしく練習するだろうし......」 さっと石板を取り出すと、オットーさんはそう呟きながら、カツカツと文字を書いてくれた。石板をもらった時に、何時間も石板で一人遊びができた子なので、変な意味で信用があるようだ。 「マインちゃん。熱出したら、班長が今以上に不機嫌になりそうだから、ここに座りな」 その意見には全面的に賛成なので、わたしは余計な遠慮をせずに暖炉前の席へ座った。 「ありがとう。これで練習できるね」 ここで使われている文字はアルファベットのようなものだろう。平仮名のように表音文字ではなく、漢字のように表意文字でもない。綴りで発音も意味も変わる感じの文字だ。 オットーの傍らには一応そろばんのような計算用の道具があるけれど、それをどう使うのかはよくわからない。 計算が一度区切りのついたところを見計らって声をかける。 「オットーさん、これ何?」 「会計報告と予算の作成だよ。冬の間に一年間の予算を組んで、春までに提出しなければならないんだけど、兵士って計算苦手な人が多くてね。一番金勘定が得意な俺が会計報告と予算表を作成することになってるんだ」 「面倒なこと押しつけられてるんだね」 羊皮紙を見てみると、読めないけれど、文字が並んだ項目の横に数字が3つ並んでいる。単価と個数と合計だろう。前の2つが掛け算で計算されているから、多分。 備品の申請かな? と思いながら見ていると、計算間違いを発見した。 「オットーさん、これ、間違えてない?」 「え?」 「ここね、75と30でしょ? だったら、2250と思うんだけど?......あ、こっちも違うね」 数字は読めるが、掛け算の式をここで何と言うか知らないので、非常に遠まわしな言い方になってしまった。 「え? 字が読めないんじゃないのか? なんで計算が?」 「うふふ、数字は市場で母さんが教えてくれたの。だから、こっちの数字を見て、計算はできるけど、この辺りは全然読めない」 項目が書かれた文字が読めないと言うと、オットーが何やら考え込んでしまった。「いや、でも」なんて小さな呟きが零れている。 「......マインちゃん、恥を忍んで頼む。手伝ってくれないか?」 むしろ、こんな子供でも計算能力があるなら手伝ってもらわなきゃいけないほど切羽詰まってる? オットーが「恥を忍んで」と言っている以上、子供に手伝いを頼むのはやっぱり普通ではないのだろう。オットーが敢えて頼んでくるのだから、できれば、引き受けてあげたいとは思う。 それに、わたしにはどうしても欲しい物がある。せっかくなので、交換条件を付けて引き受けることにした。 「わかった。石筆の補充と文字の先生で手を打つよ」 いきなり幼女に条件を突きつけられるとは思わなかったのだろう。オットーが目を丸くしている。予想通りの反応に、小さく笑いながら、わたしの現状を説明した。 「さっきも言ったけど、母さんが教えてくれたから、数字はわかるの。でも、文字はわからないから、オットーさんに先生になってもらいたい」 「それは別にいいけど......石筆って? 石筆は別に高いものじゃないだろう?」 オットーの言うとおり、石筆は市場の雑貨屋でも売っている。実際、母に買ってもらったことはある。だから、買おうと思えば簡単に買えるものだ。 「前は買ってくれたんだけど、母さんに言ってもなかなか石筆を買ってくれなくなってきちゃって......」 「なんで?」 「多分、わたしが石板でずっと遊んでいるせいだと思う。買ってもらってもすぐになくなっちゃうから......」 一日に何時間も遊んでいれば、石筆なんてすぐに小さくなってしまう。お小遣いなんてもらえないわたしにとって、石筆の補充先は死活問題と言ってもいい。 「と、とにかく! 何のご褒美も無しに働くほど、わたし、安い女じゃないんです」 書類は備品の申請で間違っていなかったようで、別の人が作った書類の確認作業中だったらしい。 「わたし、何したらいい?」 「ここの計算があってるかどうか確認してもらっていい? とにかく、計算間違いがどこに潜んでいるかわからなくて、確認に時間がかかって仕方ないんだ」 当たり前だが、ここにはパソコンなんてないんだから、ちょっとした書類作成にも時間がかかるのに、全ての計算確認まで一人でしなければならないというのは、人材不足にも程がある。 「もうちょっと計算できる兵士がいるね」 「......それはそうだけど、俺はこれができるから拾ってもらえたって理由もあるからなぁ......」 どうやらオットーさんが兵士になったのは、何やら事情があるらしい。情報や知識に飢えているわたしとしては、詳しいことを聞いてみたくてうずうずする。 「マインちゃん、計算機使う?」 「ううん、使い方わからないからいい。わたしには石板があるし」 数字に関しては完全に頭に入っているようで、わたしが9という数字を思い浮かべると、ちゃんとここの数字が書けるようになっている。 「すげぇ、楽。感動した。マジで助かった。まさかこんなに早く確認作業が終わるとは思わなかった。これだけ計算できるんだから、マインちゃんは商人に向いてるかもしれないなぁ。商人になるなら、商業ギルドに紹介できるよ?」 ここ数年、会計報告も予算編成も一人でしなければならなかった仕事だったらしく、計算確認しただけなのに、オットーに途轍もなく感謝された。 「マインちゃん、文字を覚えたいなら、本気で叩きこんであげようか? そうしたら、来年は書類作成も手伝えるようになるな」 「ホントに!? やったぁ!」 「え? 喜ぶところ?」 オットーがビックリしたように目を丸くしたが、本気で文字を教えてくれるなら、喜ぶところでしょ? 書類作成のお手伝いって、羊皮紙に触れるってことでしょ? インクで字が書けるってことでしょ? 「マイン、お待たせ」 「帰るわよ」 今日は久し振りに大量の計算をして、脳味噌の運動ができた。大量の本を読んだ後のように、ジーンと頭の奥の方が痺れるような疲労感が心地良い。 「オットーさん、ありがとう。お世話になりました」 「じゃあね、父さん。お仕事頑張って」 時間はたったのに、父の機嫌が悪い。むしろ、朝より悪化してない? なんで?

“Still, this is a huge room, though.” Lutz, looking extremely excited, starts exploring the rooms of the director’s office. The second floor contains the master’s room, a room for the director’s handmaid, and a storage room. Gil doesn’t want us to look at the rooms on the first floor, since they haven’t yet been cleaned, but to his dislike we do so anyway. The door immediately to the right of the entrance leads to four rooms for attendants, as well as another storage area. The door on the left side of the hall connects to a kitchen, large enough that several cooks could work in it simultaneously, as well as a door to an underground cellar. “Once this is cleaned, we could certainly use this to serve tea for any visitors who come calling,” says Fran, sounding quite satisfied. “We should procure a tea set.” My eyes, though, have fixed on something completely different. The kitchen contains an oven, as well as many things like what the guild master has in his kitchen. “Ah, that’s an oven, isn’t it?” I remark. “It’s ordinary for a kitchen to have an oven, is it not?” replies Fran, tilting his head. All of the kitchens in the temple are for blue-robed, n.o.ble priests, so ovens are an obvious piece of equipment for them to have, but for me and Lutz, they’re rare to find, and something that we’ve been looking for. “Lutz! I found an oven! We need to tell Mister Benno about this!” “Yeah!” Lutz has been working alongside Benno and Mark to help open the Italian restaurant, so his eyes sparkle brilliantly as he spins around, taking in the n.o.ble kitchen. “Then, Fran. Once this has been cleaned, would I be permitted to bring in cooks, perhaps?” “Of course, Sister Maïne. It is a perfectly natural for a blue-robed apprentice priestess to bring in cooks and other such subordinates.” A plan starts forming in my head. I could train cooks here, and the food could then be given to my attendants and to the orphans. Fran tilts his head, again. “Sister Maïne, as you did not bring any cooks with you today, how might you be planning to have lunch?” Since the system here at the temple is one where the blue-robed clergy’s cooks prepare their meals for them, with the remainder being granted to the lower ranks, it’s impossible for me, without any cooks, to have lunch. “Let us have lunch outside. You two, please get changed.” “Changed?” I head back up to the second floor, then pull the cloth-wrapped packages out of Lutz’s basket. I set them on the table, pus.h.i.+ng them towards Gil and Fran. “These are not the blessings of the G.o.ds. These are rewards that I’ve prepared for the two of you as thanks for your hard work. You don’t have to share these with anyone.” “I am deeply grateful, Sister Maïne,” says Fran. The two of them, their expressions flickering between confusion, joy, and hope, carefully unwrap their bundles. They remind me of children that have received their first ever present... and, in the next moment, I realize that this might actually be true. In the orphanage, where all is shared equally amongst everyone, the concept of giving presents probably doesn’t exist. Even though my family is poor, I’ve still gotten presents from my parents before at major life landmarks, like the first time they let me go to the forest and my baptismal ceremony. Fran, Gil, and the other orphans wouldn’t have gotten any of those. “...So, these are... clothes, right?” says Gil. “Correct,” I reply. “Go get changed, and we’ll go outside the temple.” “Really?! I’ve always wanted to go outside. I’m going to go get changed right now!” The smile on his face as he hugs his new clothes to his chest is the most brilliant I’ve seen on him so far. He bounds out of the room with long strides, flying down the steps. It makes me happy to see how overjoyed he is that I got him those clothes. I look over at Fran, who has yet to say a word. Fran stands there quietly, looking down at the clothing spread out on the table as if transfixed by something dazzlingly brilliant, idly tracing a finger along the embroidery on the hems. When I see how he’s trying to bite down on his happiness, I have to hold back an awkward smile. “Fran, would you please try those on?” He hurries down the stairs. Seeing the usually cool and composed Fran so fl.u.s.tered makes me and Lutz giggle a bit. He takes a quick look down the stairs, then lowers his voice. “...But, did Gil just say he’d always wanted to go outside? ...This place is strange, isn’t it?” “It really is. But I’m sure that to the people living here, we’re the strange ones.” In preparation to go outside, I pull off my blue robes, fold them up, and set them in the closet. I think about how I should get a hangar so that they don’t get any weird wrinkles, and decide to ask Benno to have one made for me. Then, I take out enough money from my donation funds to cover today’s activities. I leave the temple, my attendants following behind. Both of them hesitate for a moment as they pa.s.s through the gates. “Fran, stop worrying so much about that, it’ll be fine, alright?” Fran hasn’t ever worn anything but what gray-robed priests wear, so he’s constantly very conscious about the cuffs and hems of his clothes, but the calm color of his clothes, like black tea, suits his general ambiance. Gil, meanwhile, looks perfect in his green clothes, the color of spring leaves, as he energetically runs around. “Whoaaa, I’m outside! Just this is enough to make me happy to have become your attendant!” “Then,” says Fran, “you should work earnestly for her, and also be more polite in your speech. You wouldn’t want to cause her embarra.s.sment.” Gil races around the area excitedly, looking restlessly around at everything that catches his interest. There’s no way that I, who can’t walk any faster than a leisurely stroll, could match his speed. So, Lutz tries his best to keep Gil from running off on his own, and Fran carries me in his arms. “It’s a very strange feeling,” says Fran, “walking around on our own outside the temple.” “...This is the world I live in,” I reply. “Fran, you too, when you’re outside, could you also change your speech a bit, too? If you’re too polite, you’ll stand out too much.” “Changing one’s... changing my speech pattern is surprisingly difficult.” Lutz guides us to a restaurant near the central plaza. It’s a comparatively high-cla.s.s place, he tells us, frequently used by merchants. It’s an unusual sort of restaurant, where there aren’t any large tables, but small tables where a few people can sit. I can see a few groups of customers in the midst of business negotiations. Lutz, who has been here before, gives us a few recommendations, and we quickly get an order placed. A platter of boiled sausage and cheese is delivered to our table, and a basket of thinly sliced bread follows shortly after. Then, individual bowls of vegetable soup are placed in front of each of us. Lutz and I freeze, looking at each other, our hands halfway to the bread basket. “Were we supposed to do something else?” “You didn’t say the blessing, right? To the supreme G.o.ds who rule over all in the high, lofty skies, to the great G.o.ds who rule over all in the wide, vast earth, to all the G.o.ds who grant sustenance to the thousands upon tens of thousands of lives of creation, we offer this heartfelt prayer of thanks for this meal.” From how he is so smoothly reciting every phrase of this prayer, his hands crossed before his chest, I can see that this is something that everyone at the temple is expected to say before each meal. “...Didn’t know that at all,” says Lutz. “First time I’ve heard it.” “That’s something I definitely need to learn,” I say. I ask Gil and Fran to teach me as I try to work my way through reciting the blessing. I can tell I’m not going to memorize this immediately. It’s just not possible if I can’t jot it down in a notebook. Lutz and I pull ourselves back together and start eating, but Fran and Gil aren’t moving a muscle. They’re just sitting in front of their food, watching silently. Thinking this strange, I speak up. “Huh? Aren’t you going to eat? Are you... not hungry?” Fran shakes his head. “...As we are your attendants, we shall not eat until you are finished with your meal.” “If you don’t eat with us, it’ll get cold, though...?” Gil looks like he wants to dig in, but he looks over at Fran, sitting next to him, and holds himself back. His restless fidgeting somehow reminds me of one of those toys that move in response to sound. “Alright, then, this is an order. Eat while it’s still hot and fresh.” Fran, unable to refuse now that this is an order, reluctantly takes a slice of bread. In the next instant, Gil gleefully reaches out to grab some food. Fran eats with a level of politeness I’ve never seen around here before. Even Gil, who was raised by the orphanage, eats in a manner that I could be convinced to call polite. Compared to them, Lutz, who constantly fights with his brothers at the dinner table, is just greedily chowing down. Is this what happens when everything is divided equally amongst everyone, with no need to fight for anything? “You two eat so politely,” I say. “Were you taught that?” “Nothing that a blue-robed priest would consider unsightly is allowed to leave the orphanage,” says Fran, “so our elders teach us both table manners as well as how to walk properly.” “Yeah, that’s right,” says Gil. “I really hate purifying myself before I can leave the orphanage. It’s fine for now, but I’m totally going to die in winter.” What a terrifyingly strict environment, if they insist that unsightly things cannot leave the orphanage. But, thanks to that, even Gil is actually pretty polite. As we eat, they keep talking about the differences between living at the orphanage and being an attendant, but at some point I notice some subtle movement in Fran’s eyebrows. Even though Fran is given leftovers, he’s still used to eating n.o.ble food, so it seems like he might be dissatisfied with the taste of the food here. His eyebrows are just a little bit furrowed as he eats. “Fran, is this that different from what you normally eat?” I tap my own eyebrow with a fingertip, smiling a little at him. Fran immediately smooths out his expression, then smiles embarra.s.sedly. “It is. It’s very different. ...The warm soup, though, I think is delicious.” The food he got from his masters was probably delicious, but since it’s all leftovers, this might be the first time he’s eating something hot. “As long as I can fill myself up, I don’t care what it tastes like,” says Gil. “Since there aren’t as many blue-robed priests as before, there’s waaay less of the G.o.ds’ blessings, and there’s been a lot of gray-robed priests that have come back to the orphanage, too.” It looks like Gil’s satisfied with how much he’s eaten, but compared to Lutz, who’s the same age as him, he’s eaten a whole lot less. It’s possible that his stomach just hasn’t grown, since he usually doesn’t get to eat that much. “Then, how about we go buy dinner for you two on the way back, and also bring back some presents for the orphanage? Since I’m going home this afternoon, dinner’s going to be a problem for you, right?” “Really?! Woohoo! We pray to the G.o.ds!” Gil, overflowing with grat.i.tude at being able to fill his belly after so long, leaps up from his chair with a clatter, and then, right in the middle of the restaurant, a.s.sumes the Gl█co pose. The restaurant, which had been buzzing with the sound of eating and negotiation, falls dead silent, and every single person there turns to look at our table. “H... hang on!” says Lutz. “Stop praying here!” Lutz frantically escorts Gil out of the shop. I settle the bill, leaving an extra tip on top to apologize to the shopkeeper for the disturbance, and flee the scene. “Keep your prayers in the temple,” I say, sighing heavily. “Got it? Just like how Lutz and I don’t know a lot of things that are common knowledge in the temple, there’s a lot of things out here that you two won’t know about, either.” Gil, easy to read, droops his shoulders and hangs his head in shame. “It’s all right,” I rea.s.sure him, “just be careful in the future.” “Not about that! ...I mean, sorry that I was making fun of you for not knowing things, earlier.” It seems he’s rethinking a lot of things from back at the temple. Seeing him apologize so seriously, Lutz laughingly pats him on the shoulder. “Man, none of us know anything,” he says. “If you think Maïne’s doing something weird, tell her about it right away. Like that blessing earlier. I’ll keep an eye out for you, too, in case you start doing something weird.” “Gil,” I say, “there’s some street stands over there selling things for travelers, so let’s go there buy your dinner and the presents.” Since the eastern gates open onto the highway, there’s lots of travelers, and lots of activity. However, since there’s lots of outsiders around, public order isn’t all that great. I look around, trying to find a stall as close to the central plaza as possible where we can buy what we need. I buy a few sandwich-like things, with ham and cheese stacked between two thin slices of bread, wrapping them in a cloth that I’d brought with me and putting them in my tote bag. “Fran, how many people live in the orphanage right now? What should I bring back for them?” “...I believe there are somewhere between eighty or ninety people, at the moment. They generally aren’t given anything sweet to eat, so perhaps I might suggest a fruit that is easy to cut up, or perhaps small fruits like those over there?” As Fran holds me up, I use my high viewpoint to look over the surrounding stalls. I can see three stalls selling fruits. We wander between them, comparing them to see what’s reasonably priced. “These... are the G.o.ds blessings,” says Gil. “Huh?” As soon as we hear him speak, Fran and I look over our shoulders. Behind us, we see that Gil has arbitrarily picked up one of the fruits piled up at one of the stalls and is messily biting into it. Lutz, who had been holding Gil’s hand so that he didn’t go running off on his own, stands there frozen, eyes wide open in disbelief. “Gil?!” “Hey, kid! You didn’t pay for that. Are you trying to rob me in broad daylight, right in front of my store!?” The woman working at the cart punches Gil without even waiting for a reply. Gil looks at me, dumbfounded, holding the half-eaten, peach-like, bralle. I immediately ask Fran to let me down, taking out some money. “I’m very sorry, ma'am. He’s lived a very sheltered life and doesn’t know much about the world. He’s only just learning about money. I’ll pay for it, please don’t call the guards.” “Sorry, ma'am,” says Lutz. “I was supposed to be keeping an eye on him.” I pay her as the two of us apologize profusely. She looks down at Gil in shock, then shrugs her shoulders. “My word. I don’t know how rich of a family he’s come from, but if you’re walking around with him, you should really pay more attention.” “We’re really very sorry, ma'am,” I say. “Hey, Gil, you should apologize, too.” “Ah? Um, s... sorry.” With prompting, he shakily apologizes, looking completely lost as to what to do. “Gil, did you like that bralle?” “Y... yeah...” He stares down at the half-eaten bralle, looking worried. “It’s okay to eat it now, I paid for it,” I tell him as I fish two more wrapping cloths out of my tote bag, tying the corners together to make two cloth bags. “Ma'am, could I get five bralles in each of these bags, please?” “Sure thing.” We apologetically buy the presents for the orphanage from her place, then head back towards the central plaza. I have Gil, as punishment, carry the bags. I figure that as long as both of his hands are full, he’s going to be a lot less likely to do something unexpected. “When I give you your wages I’ll make sure to teach you how money works, but until then, don’t touch any of the goods at any stores,” I tell him. “...Okay.” As we start heading north along the main road back towards the temple, with me in Fran’s arms, Lutz looks up at me. “Hey, Maïne. Before we head back to the temple, can we go talk to Master Benno?” “Yeah. I was planning on asking him to get a tea set and cooking utensils for me, so that’s a pretty good idea.” Lutz races off to the store, which is bustling with activity as it gets opened back up after lunch break. I ask Fran to set me down, and head over to the store at my normal, leisurely pace. Gil, both hands still full of bags, follows along behind me. “Maïne, Master Benno is waiting for you,” says Mark, stepping outside to greet me as I approach. “Good afternoon, Mister Mark,” I reply. I head into the back office, with Fran and Gil in tow. Inside, Lutz is standing in front of Benno’s writing desk, finis.h.i.+ng up his report. As soon as Benno sees me, he stands straight up, strides over, grabs me under his arm, and lifts me up high. “Maïne, you’ve really done it this time! Just being able to look at a kitchen that a n.o.bleman used will be a great reference for that Italian restaurant.” He ruffles my hair so hard that my head rattles. He’s so overexcited that Fran, who’d only known Benno from how he’d been acting at the temple, takes a shocked step back. I push his hand away, ask him to put me down, and sit down at the same table as always. “I’ve been told that I can bring cooks in to use the kitchen in the director’s office, so I wanted to come here to talk about maybe using that to start training cooks right away. The food they make would be used as meals for my attendants, and anything after that would go to the orphanage, so none of the ingredients would have to go to waste.” “Hmm, I see...” he says, nodding, taking notes on a wooden board. “Since it’s going to be food for my attendants, I’d pay for the ingredients, so it’s not going to cost you anything at all. That sounds great, doesn’t it?” Providing food for the orphanage is the duty of a blue-robed priestess, so I need to do what I can to fulfill it. Plus, if I think of the orphanage as being full of starving children like Gil, then on a purely personal level I want to do something about that, too. Benno, however, thinks about it for a while, then slowly shakes his head. “No, hold up. The cost of the ingredients is an expense of training the cooks, so I’ll pay that. If I let you pay for everything, then I’m not going to be able to complain if you decide to keep those cooks working there.” I shrug at his very merchant-like answer. If he’s offering to take on the cost of the ingredients, then it’s actually better for me to let him. Right now, although Maïne’s Workshop is technically, on paper, open for business, I’m not actually making any money. “...Then, how about I provide the funds for the equipment and cookware for the kitchen, and you pay for the ingredients used for training purposes?” “Sounds good, since I’m just going to be borrowing that kitchen as a training facility. Alright! Let’s go check it out.” Benno, perhaps wanting very much to see an oven, stands up as if to end the conversation. He’s got the exact same expression on that Gil did when he found out he got to go see the town. All this somehow leaves me perplexed. “Mister Benno, we can’t go now, the kitchen hasn’t been cleaned yet.” “It is as Sister Maïne says,” says Fran, politely. “It is not yet a place where we can invite a guest such as yourself, nor can we serve you a satisfactory cup of tea.” He and Gil both nod emphatically. However, Benno is plainly full of curiosity, interest, and practical desire to see reference material for the Italian restaurant, and pays no heed whatsoever to our opinions. Over his street clothes, he throws on a jacket that won’t pose any problems at the temple, smiling broadly at us. “I’m not a guest. I’m a merchant. You’re just an apprentice blue-robed priestess who only just got her own rooms, and I’m just the man who’s there to take down the order for all the things you need to furnish them. It’s only natural that the cleaning’s not done yet, isn’t it? Plus, I want to see how it looks before you do anything strange in there.” “So, then, are you going to help me clean, or what?” “Hmm? Of course I can help you clean. I got my start as an apprentice sweeping out this shop, you know.” It’s no use. I can’t say anything to stop him. Benno wants to know everything he can about the n.o.bility, and he is not going to let this perfect chance escape from him. “...Fran, let’s give it up. It’s not like we’re going to have a tea set ready by the time we’re done with cleaning, anyway, so now that’s he’s gotten like this, we might as well let him help clean.” “Sister Maïne?!” Figuring how to stop Benno has gotten just bothersome enough that I’ve stopped caring. Every moment we spend on this pointless chatter is a moment out of my afternoon that I don’t get to spend reading. “Fran, you might not know this saying, but sometimes you just have to take whatever help you can get. He himself says he wants to go, and he says he can help us clean, so let’s just let him work. I just want to go read a book.” Fran’s eyes momentarily go wide, then the corners of his mouth start twitching as if he’s holding back laughter. “...I am terribly sorry, Sister Maïne, but you are not allowed to enter the library without me present. If Benno accompanies us as we return to the temple, I’m afraid that you will not be able to read.” “Noooo!!” In the end, no matter what I said, Benno completely ignored it, instead s.n.a.t.c.hing me up and hauling me off. So, now, we’ve returned to the temple, and I can’t read any books. Just as Benno said, after he surveys the rooms of the director’s office, he takes off his jacket, gives some directions to Gil and Lutz, and starts cleaning. Everyone else, caught up in his wake, quickly get to work as well. Benno and Fran take on the tasks that involve reaching high places and the work that involves a lot of physical strength, while Gil and Lutz take the low places and the detail work. I have no strength, no stamina, and would only get in everyone’s way if I tried to help, so I am left at the upstairs table, sobbing, yearning desperately for a book as I fill out the order form for all the things I can think of that I’m going to need Lutz to deliver.

「それにしても広いよな」 ルッツがうきうきとした表情で院長室の探索を始めたにあったのは主の部屋と身の回りの世話をする女性の側仕え用の部屋と物置だ。 まだ掃除が終わっていない事を理由に、ギルは入るのを嫌がったけれども探索してみた。院長室に入ってすぐ右のドアは側仕え用の部屋が4つと物置。ホールの左側の扉からは台所に繋がっていて、数人の料理人が使うくらいのかなり広い厨房と地下倉庫があった。 「ここを掃除すれば、来客時にお茶を入れることができますね。茶器を揃えましょう、マイン様」 フランは厨房を見て満足そうにそう言ったが、わたしの目は別のところに釘づけだった。厨房の中にはギルド長の家にあったオーブンとよく似たものが一番端にある。 「あれ、オーブンだよね?」 「厨房にオーブンがあるのは当然でございましょう?」 フランはそう言って、首を傾げた。青色貴族の厨房しかない神殿では当然の設備でも、わたし達には珍しいもので、今欲しいと思っていた設備だ。 「ルッツ! オーブン発見! ベンノさんに報告しなきゃ!」 「おぅ!」 イタリアンレストラン開店のために、ベンノやマルクと行動しているルッツも目を輝かせて、貴族の厨房を見回す。 「ねぇ、フラン。ここを掃除して、料理人を入れても良いかしら?」 「もちろんでございます。青の巫女見習いが料理人と下働きを入れるのは当たり前のことですから」 ここで料理人を育てつつ、側仕えや孤児院に食事を与える計画を脳内で立てていると、フランが首を傾げた。 「本日、マイン様は料理人を連れていらっしゃいませんが、昼食はいかがなさいますか?」 青色神官がそれぞれ連れている料理人が食事を作り、その残りを下げ渡していくというシステムの神殿で、料理人を連れていないわたしが昼食を食べるのは無理だ。 「外に食べに行きましょう。二人とも、着替えてちょうだい」 「着替え?」 わたしは二階に戻って、ルッツが運んでくれた籠から、布の包みを取り出した。テーブルの上に置いて、二人の前にそっと押しやる。 「これは、神様からのお恵みじゃなくて、頑張ってくれている二人に報いるためにわたくしが準備したご褒美よ。誰かと分け合うような物ではないから」 フランとギルは戸惑いと喜びと期待に満ちた顔で、丁寧に包みを開ける。まるで、初めてプレゼントをもらった子供みたいだと思った次の瞬間、本当に初めてなのだと悟った。何事も平等の孤児院でプレゼントが配られることは多分ないだろう。 わたしは、初めて森に出ることを許される時、洗礼式、貧しいとは言っても、それぞれの節目で親からプレゼントをもらってきた。フランやギルにはそれが全くないのだ。 「......なぁ。これって、服だよな?」 「そう。これに着替えて外に行くの」 「マジで!? 一度行ってみたかったんだ。すぐに着替えてくるからな」 服を抱きしめるように持ったギルの笑顔が今までの中で一番輝いた。大股で飛び跳ねるようにして一階へと駆け下りていく。ギルのわかりやすい喜び方に、服を贈ったわたしまで嬉しくなりながら、一言も発しないフランへと視線を向けた。 フランはまるで眩しい物を見るようにテーブルの上に広げた服を静かに見つめながら、縁取りの刺繍にそろりそろりと指を這わせていた。じっくりと幸せを噛みしめるような様子に、くすぐったい笑いが込み上げてくる。 「フラン、着替えて見せてくれない?」 見られていたことに気付いたフランが恥ずかしそうに頬を染めて、一階へと足早に下りていく。普段冷静なフランには珍しい動揺っぷりに、ルッツと二人で小さく笑う。 「喜んでもらえてよかったな、マイン」 ルッツがちらりと階下へと視線を投げた後、声を潜めた。 「......でも、一度外に出てみたいって何だよ?......ここ、変な場所だよな?」 「そうだね。でも、ここの人から見たら、きっと変なのはわたし達なんだよ」 外に出られるように、わたしも青の衣を脱いでクローゼットに畳んで入れた。変な畳み皺が付かないように、ハンガーが欲しい。ベンノに頼んで作ってもらおうか、と考えながら、本日の行動費として寄付金の一部を握る。 門をくぐるのに一瞬の躊躇を見せる二人を連れて、わたしは神殿を出た。 「フラン、そんなに気にしなくても、大丈夫だよ?」 灰色神官の服以外を初めて着たらしく、フランは袖口や裾をしきりに気にしているが、焦げ茶に近い落ち着いた色合いの服はフランの雰囲気によく似合っている。そして、若葉のような緑色は元気に走り回るギルにピッタリだった。 「うおぉ、外だ! これだけで、オレ、お前の側仕えになって良かったと思えるぜ!」 「では、誠心誠意お仕えし、その言葉遣いを改めるように。マイン様に恥を掻かせることになる」 キョロキョロと忙しく首を動かし、興味を引く物を見つけたら駆けだしていくギルが、ゆっくりしか歩けないわたしの速度に合わせられるわけがない。勝手に走って行こうとするギルをルッツが押さえ、フランがわたしを抱き上げて動くことになった。 「神殿の外を自分が歩くとは、不思議な感じがいたします」 「......こっちがわたしの世界だからね。フランも外に出た時はもうちょっと言葉を崩した方が良いよ。丁寧すぎて目立つから」 「言葉を切り替えるというのは、存外難しいものですね」 ルッツが案内してくれたのは中央広場に近い食堂だった。比較的高級なところで、商人が良く利用している場所だと言う。店内に大きなテーブルはなく、少人数ずつが座れるようになっている珍しい店で、商談をしているように見える客が何組か見えた。 来店したことがあるルッツが手早くお勧め料理を注文してくれる。 わたしとルッツがパンに手を伸ばそうとしたら、ギルが咎めるような声を出した。手を伸ばしたまま止まって、わたしはルッツと顔を見合わせる。 「他になんか言うことあった?」 「二人とも食前のお祈りしてねぇだろ? 幾千幾万の命を我々の糧としてお恵み下さる高く亭亭たる大空を司る最高神、広く浩浩たる大地を司の大神、神々の御心に感謝と祈りを捧げ、この食事を頂きます」 両手を胸の前で交差して、つらつらと祈りの文句が出てくるギルの様子から、神殿での食事では当たり前に全員が唱えるものだとわかる。 「......知らねぇな。聞いたことないぜ」 「わたし、それを覚えなきゃダメだってことだね」 ギルとフランに教えてもらい、一通り食前の祈りを復唱してみた。すぐに覚えられる気がしない。今度メモ帳に書かなきゃダメだ。 気を取り直してわたしとルッツは食べ始めたけれど、フランとギルは食事に手を付けようとしない。食事を前にじっと座っている。 「あれ? 食べないの? お腹、空いてない?」 「......我々は側仕えですので、マイン様が終わるまでは頂けません」 「一緒に食べなきゃ冷めちゃうのに?」 ギルは手を出したそうだが、隣に座るフランを見て自制しているらしい。そわそわと身体が動いているのが音に反応して動くおもちゃみたいだ。 「じゃあ、命令。温かいおいしいうちに食べなさい」 命令と言われれば、従わざるを得ないようで、渋々といった表情でフランがパンに手を付けた。次の瞬間、ギルが嬉々として手を伸ばし始める。 フランはこの辺りでは見かけないほど綺麗な姿勢で食事していた。孤児院育ちのギルもどちらかというと食べ方が綺麗だ。兄弟喧嘩をしながら食べるルッツの方が、ガツガツ食べている。これは平等に分けられて、他と奪い合うことのない環境が作り上げるものだろうか。 「フランもギルも食べ方が綺麗だね。教えられるの?」 「青色神官にとって見苦しいものは孤児院を出ることができませんから、食べ方、歩き方も年長者に教えられます」 「そうそう。オレは孤児院から出る前の清めが一番苦手。今はいいけど、冬なんて死ぬって」 見苦しいものは出さないって、ひどい環境だと思う。だが、そのおかげでギルも見た目がそこそこ綺麗だったようだ。 孤児院と側仕えの違いを聞きながら食べていると、フランの眉が少し動いたことに気が付いた。残り物とはいえ、貴族料理に慣れているフランにとって、ここの味は不満足だったようだ。食べながら少し眉が寄っている。 「フラン、普段の食事とは違うでしょ?」 わたしが小さく笑ってトントンと自分の眉間を指先で叩いて指摘すると、フランは自分の眉間を押さえながら、困ったように笑った。 「そうですね。ずいぶん違います。......ただ、スープは温かいとおいしいものだと思いました」 主から下げ渡される食事はおいしいけれど、常に残り物なので、温かい料理は初めてだったらしい。 「オレは腹いっぱいになったら、味はどうでもいいや。青色神官が少なくなったから、神の恵みはすっげぇ減ったのに、孤児院に戻ってきた灰色神官の数は増えたからな」 ギルも満足するまで食べたようだが、同じ年頃のルッツに比べると食べた量がかなり少なかった。普段の食事量が少なくて、胃が発達していないのかもしれない。 「じゃあ、ギルやフランの夕飯と孤児院へのお土産を買って帰る? わたしは家に帰るから、夕飯困るでしょ?」 「いいのか!? よっしゃぁ! 神に祈りを!」 ギルは腹いっぱいに食べられるのは久し振りだと感激しながら、ガタッと立ち上がり、店の中で突然グ○コポーズをビシッと決めた。 「ちょ、ちょっと待って! ここでお祈りは止めて!」 ルッツが急いでギルを店の外へ連れ出し、わたしは店を騒がせたことを店長に謝罪して精算に少し色を付けると、逃げるように外へと飛び出した。 「お祈りは神殿でやるの。ここでやる人はいないから。いい? 神殿に行ったわたし達が常識知らずなのと同じで、ここに来たギルやフランは常識がわからないんだから」 わたしが溜息混じりに注意すると、わかりやすくギルがしょぼんと肩を落とした。 「これから気を付けてくれればいいよ」 「今の事じゃなくて!......お前に常識知らずって言ったことだよ」 神殿での色々を思い返したらしい。律儀に謝るギルの肩をルッツが笑いながらパンパンと叩く。 「常識知らずはお互い様だ。おかしいと思ったら、マインにすぐに教えてやってくれ。今日の食前の祈りみたいにさ。オレはお前が変な事しないように気を付けるから」 「ギル、あっちに旅人向けに露店が出ているから、夕飯とお土産を買おうね」 東門は街道に面しているので、旅人が多く、活気がある。けれど、余所者が多い分治安はあまり良くない。なるべく中央広場に近い方で用を済ませようと露店を見て回る。 「フラン、孤児院って何人くらいいるの? お土産って何を買ったらいい?」 「......今は80~90名ほどでしょうか。甘味が配られることはないので、切り分けやすい果物やあのように小粒の果物でよいのではありませんか?」 フランに抱き上げられたまま、わたしは高い位置から露店を眺めた。果物を扱っている露店は3つ見える。どこが安いか、と見比べながら移動する。 「お、神の恵みだ」 「え?」 ギルの声に思わずフランと一緒に振り返った。視界には露店に積まれていた果物を勝手に取って、もしゃもしゃと食べているギルの姿が映る。ギルに勝手な行動をさせないように手を繋いでいるルッツも目を見開いて信じられないと固まっていた。 「ギル!?」 「こら、アンタ! 金も払わず、堂々と店の前で泥棒かい!?」 店のおばさんに問答無用の拳骨を食らって、桃のようなブラーレという果物を食べていたギルが呆然をした顔でわたしを見た。 「ごめんなさい、おばさん。その子、箱入りの世間知らずでお金の存在さえ知らないの。わたしが払うから、兵士を呼ぶのは待って」 「ごめん、おばさん。オレもこいつのこと、見てるつもりだったんだ」 わたしがお金を払ってルッツと二人で謝る。おばさんは呆れたようにギルを見て、肩を竦めた。 「まったく、どこのおぼっちゃんだか知らないけど、外を歩く時は気を付けた方が良いよ」 「本当にごめんなさい。ほら、ギルも謝って」 「あ? あ、ご、ごめんなさい」 促されたギルはどうしていいかわからないという表情のまま、カクカクとした動きで謝った。 「ギル、そのブラーレ、おいしい?」 「あ、あぁ......」 食べかけのブラーレを見て、ギルが困ったように視線を彷徨わせる。「その分はお金払ったから食べていいよ」と言った後、わたしはトートバッグから布を二つ取り出して、風呂敷で袋を作る要領で端を結んで布バッグを二つ作った。 「おばさん、ブラーレをこの入れ物に5個ずつ入れて」 お詫び代わりにおばさんの店で、孤児院用のお土産を買いこんで、中央広場まで戻る。荷物は罰としてギルに運んでもらった。両手が塞がっていたら、思わぬ行動に出ることもないだろう。 「今度、お給料渡した時にお金の使い方も教えるから、それまでは店の商品に触っちゃダメだからね」 「......わかった」 神殿に向かって大通りを北上していると、ルッツがフランに抱き上げられたままのわたしを見上げた。 「なぁ、マイン。神殿に戻る前に、旦那様に報告してきていいか?」 「うん。ベンノさんには茶器や調理用品を揃えてもらうつもりだし、報告した方が良いと思う」 昼休みが終わったばかりらしく、慌ただしく準備している店へルッツが駆けていく。わたしはフランに下ろしてもらい、わたしのスピードでゆっくりと店に向かった。両手に荷物を持ったギルはわたしの後ろをついてきた。 「マイン、旦那様がお待ちです」 「マルクさん、こんにちは」 店の外へと出てきて迎えてくれたマルクに挨拶して、わたしは二人を連れて奥の部屋へと向かった。ベンノの執務机の前にルッツが立ち、報告しているのが見える。 「マイン、でかした! お貴族様が実際に使っていた厨房なら、見るだけでもイタリアンレストランの参考になる」 ガクガク揺れるほどの力強さでわたしの頭を撫でるベンノのテンションの高さに、神殿でのベンノを知っているフランが一歩後ろに引いた。 ベンノの手をペイッと払いのけて、わたしはベンノに下ろしてもらい、いつものテーブルに着く。 「院長室の厨房はわたしが料理人を入れても良いようなので、早速料理人に練習させられないかな、と思って相談に来ました。練習した料理はわたしの側仕えの食事になって、余った分は孤児院に回されるので、材料が無駄になることはないと思います」 「なるほどな」 ベンノが頷きながら、木札に次々とメモしていく。 「わたしの側仕えの食事だから、わたしが材料費払えば、ベンノさんの懐も痛まないし、良い話だと思いませんか?」 食事を孤児院に回すのが青色神官の義務なら、わたしもできるだけ提供しなければならないし、孤児院がギルのような欠食児童の集まりだと思うと、個人的にもできるだけのことはしてあげたい。 しかし、ベンノはしばらく考え込んだ後、ゆっくりと首を横に振った。 「いや、待て。材料費は料理人を育てるための費用だから俺が払う。全部をお前任せにすれば、そのまま料理人を取り込まれても文句が言えん」 商人らしい言葉にわたしは軽く肩を竦めた。材料費を持ってくれるというなら、こちらはお任せしてしまった方がいい。今はマイン工房が開店休業中で、入ってくる収入がないのだから。 「......じゃあ、厨房の設備や調理器具を揃えるお金はわたしが出すので、練習用の材料費はベンノさんが持つということでいいですか?」 「あぁ、こっちが練習場所を借りるだけという状態にしておきたいからな。よし、これから、見に行くぞ」 オーブンがみたくて仕方がないのか、ベンノがさっさと話を切り上げて立ち上がる。街に出られると知ったギルと同じような表情に、何となく頭を抱えたい心境になった。 「ベンノさん、厨房はまだ掃除もできてないからダメですよ」 「マイン様のおっしゃる通りでございます。満足にお茶も出せないような場所にお客様をお招きするわけにはまいりません」 しかし、イタリアンレストランの参考になるという実益と好奇心と興味が剥き出しになっているベンノは、ちっともわたし達の意見を聞こうとはしない。普段着の上に神殿に向かうのに問題ないような上着を羽織りながら、ニヤリと笑った。 「俺は客じゃない。商人だ。部屋を得たばかりの青色巫女見習いから、部屋を整えるのに足りない物の発注を受けるだけだ。整っていなくて当たり前だろ? むしろ、お前が妙にいじる前の部屋が見たい」 「それって、掃除を手伝ってくれるって事ですか?」 「んあ? 俺だって掃除はできるぞ。見習いの最初の仕事は店の掃除だからな」 貴族について知りたくて仕方がないベンノが絶好の機会を逃すはずがないだろう。 「......フラン、諦めよう。掃除が終わったところで茶器は準備できてないんだし、いっそ開き直って、ベンノさんにも掃除を手伝ってもらえばいいよ」 「マイン様!?」 ベンノを止める方法を考えるのが面倒になってきた。こんなくだらない言い合いをしている間にもわたしの貴重な午後の読書タイムが刻一刻と減っているのだ。 「フランは知らないかもしれないけど、立っている人は親でも使えって意味の言葉があるんだよ。本人が行きたい、掃除できるって言ってるんだから、こき使えばいいと思う。わたし、本が読みたい」 わたしの訴えにフランは目を丸くした後、笑いを堪えるように口元に手を当てた。 「......大変恐れ入りますが、マイン様は私がいない状態で図書室には入れません。ベンノ様がこの状態では神殿に戻っても本は読めないと思われます」 「のぉっ!?」 結局、何を言っても聞き入れてくれないベンノに掻っ攫われるように抱き上げられて、わたしは本も読めない神殿へと戻ることになった。 ベンノは自分で言っていた通り、院長室をざっと見て回るとすぐに上着を脱いで、ギルやルッツに指示を出しながら、掃除を始めた。ベンノにつられて、みんながどんどん動いて行く。 腕力なし、体力なしのわたしは、みんなに邪魔者扱いされ、二階のテーブルで本恋しさにしくしく泣きながら、ルッツが届けてくれる必要な物の一覧に合わせて発注書を書き続けることになった。

“What a pointless blessing. How did she do such a stupid thing?” As I looked up at the soaring knights, I overheard a scornful snort behind me. “Skicossa, what are you talking about?!” “Am I wrong? It was foolish of her to bless the Order with her magic when there is a shortage of it everywhere.” Skicossa pushed away Damour and pointed at me. I listened to their conversation with great anxiety. I only wished good luck to the knights who were about to fight the giant Tronbay, and when I said something that I thought would not sound strange to aristocrats, it somehow turned out to be a blessing. I was startled to see the ring suddenly glow. It probably wouldn't have turned out to be a blessing if the Head Priest hadn't lent me the ring, so it was just an accident. ... Perhaps the Head Priest was startled too. “I'm awfully sorry if I've upset you. I'll be more careful about my behaviour in the future.” “You don't have to worry about what Skicossa just said. There are not many of us right now, and we're grateful for your blessing... Look, the battle has begun.” Damour said to me thoughtfully, pointing to the sky. Following his finger tip, knights circling in the air now and then flashed through the gaps between the trees. What exactly are they going to do to defeat Tronbay as a monster? I stood on tiptoe and watched them. “——————!” In midair came the voice of the Head Priest. All I knew was that he shouted a command, but I didn't catch it at all. After the command, a black mist rose from each knight's hand, and out of the mist came s.h.i.+ning weapons. “Fran, do you know what that is?” “I don't know. It's the first time I've ever seen a knights battle up close.” The Order was usually accompanied to the battle by two priests, one carrying the wand and performing the ceremony, and the other providing magical support, so the attendants never followed, Fran said. But this time the Head Priest had to fight with the Order, and I could not carry the wand, which was twice my height, and Fran had to take care of me. With these three points in mind, the two attendants were able to come. “It's a weapon blessed by the G.o.d of darkness, trainee priestess. The enemy loses a lot of magic when attacked by such a weapon, so it is indispensable in the crusade against Tronbay.” I had not expected an aristocrat to act as a narrator for me, so I looked up at Damour in his metal armour with some surprise. I could only see his mouth in the shadow of his helmet, but I had no sense that he discriminated against me as a commoner. “Thank you very much.” “It starts with shooting to weaken Tronbay. You see, that blue cape is Lord Ferdinand.” In the direction Damour was pointing, a knight was sitting astride a lion, drawing his bow. His posture was very similar to that of horseback archery. All the capes fluttered in the wind, and in a patch of bright yellow, only one was blue. ... That is the Head Priest! He is so cool! Come on! In order to maintain my dignity, I could not shout at will, but in my heart I tried desperately to cheer on the Head Priest. Though I was too far away to see the bowstring, I could tell from the movements of his arms and the black arrow that flew out that he had fired. With a wheeze, the arrow burst through the air, splintering into myriads of tiny arrows, raining down on the giant Tronbay. The spots where the arrows had struck gleamed, and then a series of small explosions were heard, but Tronbay seemed completely oblivious to the scale of the attack and continued to brandished branches. “It takes quite a bit of magic to make an arrow rain like that. It's impressive that Lord Ferdinand can even do it several times, isn't it?” In a tone of adoration, Damour explained to me what was so wonderful about the Head Priest. He evidently held him in great esteem. “If only Lord Ferdinand would rejoin the Order soon...” I blinked in bewilderment as Damour blurted out this remark in a long speech in praise of the Head Priest. Seeing me looking up at him, he whispered after an awkward silence: “... it's a secret.” “Got it. I won't tell.” I wish I could spare some of his abilities. So I thought, and looked up at the Head Priest. His blue cape fluttered in the wind like a flag, and arrows, driven by his magic, rained down on Tronbay. It was true, as Damour had said, that tiny black spots had begun to appear where the arrows of the Head Priest had struck. And as the arrows rained down, their numbers grew. “I can see it. Ah, the branches...” As if corroded from the black spots, the surprisingly powerful branches suddenly broke and fell. The broken branches turned into firefly lights and disappeared. Tronbay stretched its movable branches, trying to knock the knights out of the air, but failed to hit them who could fly at will. Instead, the knights seized the opportunity to counterattack and impaled the brandis.h.i.+ng branches with black weapons that seemed to be a combination of axe and lance. The branches that were under attack all turned black and thumped down. I didn't know how many branches had fallen, but by the time I noticed, the Tronbay hole had stopped expanding, and the number of branches flailing had decreased. The knights cut through the dying remains of the branches and began to attack its trunk directly. The trunk was huge and strong, but it was already dotted with black spots. Tronbay gradually lost its life under the continuous attacks. “It's almost over.” Whispered Damour, who seemed relieved. I had been worried about how to defeat the giant Tronbay when I saw how dangerous it was, but now that it was coming to an end in such a short time, I could not help but sigh with relief with Damour. “I was worried about what would happen to the knights fighting such a demon tree, but I was relieved they didn't seem to be hurt.” Damour said the arrow rain of the Head Priest greatly increased the effectiveness of the crusade against Tronbay. If too few men were able to attack Tronbay from a distance while avoiding its attack, it would be slow to weaken it, so each time a few knights would be hit by brandis.h.i.+ng branches. I couldn't see Damour's face, but his voice was gentle. So I looked up at him with a smile on my face, but suddenly there was a grunt of displeasure behind me. “Why are you so close to a commoner, Damour? Don't you know? She's a commoner. It's arrogant of her, a commoner, to wear a blue robe that only an aristocrat can wear. What was Lord Ferdinand thinking? It's true that the number of aristocrats is now greatly reduced, but that is not a reason enough for a commoner to wear a blue robe.”

「フラン?」 「デリアが? 何の用だったのかしら?」 領主が移動するならば、護衛をする騎士も同行するので、騎士団は人数が不足しているに違いない、とフランはそっと息を吐いた。 「......おかしいな」 「小さくて品質も良くないが、これには魔石がついている。何かあった時のために持っておいた方が良い。フェルディナンド様と違って、私には巫女見習いに貸せる魔石がないのだ」 貧乏貴族だというダームエルには、他人に貸せるほど魔石の余裕がないらしい。犯人の物でも、何もないよりはマシだろうと言われ、わたしは預かった指輪をはめてみた。けれど、魔術具ではないのか、サイズが調節されない。 「ギル、お留守番をよろしくね」 神官長の部屋へと向かう途中で、神殿長御一行が先の方の角を曲がってきたのが見えた。少し腹が出て狸のような神殿長の隣には、ガマガエル系の醜くて、でっぷりとした男の姿がある。衣装は違えど、雰囲気はまさに悪代官と越後屋だ。その周囲には灰色巫女や見かけない従者達がぞろぞろとついていて、10名ほどの団体になっている。 ダームエルが声を落として低く囁くと、わたしを抱き上げる父の腕に力が入った。騎士団か、せめて、神官長がいてくれれば、捕えることができるかもしれないが、今のダームエルでは身分的にも魔力の実力でも相手にならないらしい。 貴族門につながる扉が見える。曲がって神官長の部屋へ向かおうとした瞬間、神殿長御一行が廊下を塞いでいるのが目に入った。避けたつもりだったが、先回りされていたらしい。 「ほぉ、これが......」 無能め、としゃがれた声で越後屋が呟いたかと思うと、わたしに向かって、手を差し伸べてきた。 デリアはざっと青ざめて、わたしとディルクを見比べる。 「マイン様がディルクの代わりに神殿を出る......?」 「これがお前のための契約書だ。さぁ、契約しろ。春先といい、今日といい、お前のおかげで、ずいぶんと多くの手駒を失ったぞ。損失はお前自身に埋めてもらおうか」 神殿長の言葉にその場に緊張が走った。 正規の訓練を受けている騎士のダームエルに比べると、伯爵の私兵は戦闘力も魔力も弱く、魔力を溜めるまでに時間がかかるようだ。上手く戦うことができていない。けれど、二人を相手にするのは大変なようで、ダームエルは何とか戦っているけれど、非常に苦しそうに見える。 「あのみすぼらしいのが騎士だと!?」 神官長が情報を伏せていたのだろうか。神殿長は護衛がわたしについていることを知っていても、ダームエルが貴族であり、騎士であるとは知らなかったらしい。下町に行けるように簡素な服を着ているダームエルは一見貴族には見えないのだ。 「騎士団に知られたからには、一刻を争うな。彼にも失踪してもらわなければならん」 それまでニヤニヤしながら成り行きを見ていた伯爵がずんぐりとした指にはまった指輪に魔力を注ぎ込み、ブンと手を振った。薄い青に輝く魔力の塊が指輪から飛び出し、ダームエルに向って飛んでいく。 わたしも見様見真似で手を振って、魔力を打ち出した。青に光る伯爵の魔力とわたしの白っぽい魔力がぶつかって、伯爵の魔力が逸れる。 バンと音を立てて壁に当たったけれど、まるで魔力を吸収したように壁には傷一つ付いていない。 わたしは伯爵の指輪をじっと見つめながら、指輪が壊れないように気を付けて、魔力を注いだ。この指輪から出せる魔力では、方向を変えるくらいしかできない。それでも、二人の相手をしているダームエルに伯爵の相手まではできない。 「その程度の魔力で一体どれだけ持ちこたえられるかな?」 伯爵はわたしの指についた指輪を見て、突然笑い出した。わたしがはめている指輪は従属の契約をした身食いに渡す指輪で、その指輪をはめていると、主に対して攻撃できなくなるらしい。契約の破棄なく、外すこともできない指輪らしい。命令に違反すれば、無理やり主の魔力を流し込んで、苦痛を与えることができるのだそうだ。 「痛い思いをしたくなければ、私に従え」 「何!?」 目を見開くガマガエルの向こうで、少し禿げた頭まで真っ赤にしながら、神殿長が「生意気な!」と叫んで、デリアの手からディルクを奪い取った。 「フン、お前に赤子が攻撃できるのか? やってデリアを絶望の淵に落とし込むか?」 神殿長がそう言いながら、ぐったりとしたディルクをデリアに向って投げるように渡す。デリアが泣きながらディルクを抱きしめるのが見えた。 「これで契約できそうだな」 「乱暴なことをして悪かった。間に合ったか?」 そう言いながらも、父の目はわたしを見ていなかった。伯爵の横でゲホゲホとむせる灰色巫女を見据えて、今度は腹を蹴り上げる。ぐふっと巫女の口から 神殿では見ることがない暴力に、神殿長とその側仕えが震え上がるのを、父は冷たく見遣った。 「うぐっ!」 「許さない!」 全身から溢れる魔力に指輪の魔石がパンと風船がはじけるような音を立てて粉々に割れた。それと同時に、不意打ちで威圧の直撃を受けた伯爵が信じられないというように目を見開いて、その場にガクリと膝をつく。 伯爵はブルブルと震えながら手を動かそうとするが、重りでもつけられているようになかなか手が動かないように見えた。これ以上、何もさせるつもりはない。 神殿長の手に握られた黒い魔石がわたしの魔力をどんどんと吸収していく。得意そうに笑う神殿長にわたしはそれでも、魔力を叩きつけていく。だが、魔力は吸い込まれていくばかりだ。

Ascendance of a Bookworm On the very day of the Star Festival. In the early morning where the sun still doesn't let one experience the heat of summer, albeit having already risen. The town was already enveloped in the commotion characteristic for a festival and the bustling of people moving about. In spite of it still being a while before the gates' opening, a stream of people heading towards the south and east gate had formed. “I'm off, Mom.” “Maïne, pay attention to not play around too much. Lutz, I'm sorry, but as usual I leave Maïne to you.” I leave home together with Lutz who had come to pick me up. Tuuli starts off together with us, but since it seems Tuuli is going to enjoy the festival with her friends, we will part ways. She runs off towards the gate, together with Ralph and Fey. “Have fun today, Maïne.” “You too, Tuuli.” Running off while holding hands, Ralph and Tuuli part ways with us, while Lutz and I head to the temple, going against the flow of people. Today I'm wearing casual clothes so that I can enjoy this watery festival. People appear in small groups from the alleys here and there as they walk towards the gates with their cheerfully sparkling eyes. As everyone a.s.sumes that they will get wet, not a single person is wearing fine clothes, despite it being a festival. We press through the central plaza opposing waves of people, and then head even further north. Thereupon the pedestrian traffic slowly diminishes. Those who plan to go into the forest right when the gates open have already gathered together near the gates themselves. “Maïne, please stay back in the orphanage, okay?” “Eh? Why!?” I had planned to go to the forest to pick up Tau fruit together with everyone, which is why I looked up at Lutz in confusion. Lutz opens his mouth and I can tell by his expression that he is having difficulty finding a good way to say it. “Maïne, if it had only been us going to the festival, we could have returned after picking up two or three Tau fruit from the forest. However, instead everyone will be throwing them at each other later at the orphanage, and we're not throwing Tau fruit only at the newly-wed couples, right? Because of that we need more Tau fruit – a lot more. If I took you along Maïne, we wouldn't be able to return to the temple until after the fourth bell chimes.” Having intended to go into the forest on an excursion together with everyone, I hang my head due to Lutz' reasonable argument. As usual, I hate myself for becoming nothing more than a burden. While gently patting my head to comfort me, Lutz lowers his voice slightly. “Besides, you know, there might be people coming to see how things are going at the orphanage. Isn't it best if you, the director, remain there?” “Uh... that's true.” The probability that the Head Priest or the Temple Master's attendants might come to warn me or to check on things is high. If the Temple Master learned that the orphanage was completely vacant, he might not blame only me, but also blame the Head Priest who had given his permission. “... Got it, I will stay back.” We arrived at the temple almost the same time as the second bell chimed. It's now time for the gates to open. Together with Fran, I watch everyone being led off by Lutz. They snuck out through the orphanage's backdoor, the children holding their hands over their mouths so that they won't chatter. It can't be helped – the gatekeeper struggles to keep a straight face when he sees the children, and when the kids see him they can't help but start giggling. Hopefully this will keep the kids quiet, at least until they are clear of the orphanage. Having seen everybody who left the temple starting to run towards the gate while raising their voices, I go back to my own room while harboring feelings of jealousy. There I change into my blue robe, in order to officially be on duty in the orphanage. “Delia, are you fine with not going to the forest?” “Foraging in the forest is not something I need to learn to become a mistress. Rather than that, I'd like to memorize these characters quickly.” Gil and Delia are practising their penmans.h.i.+p while competing to be the first to fill the slates I gave them with a perfect alphabet. Gil seems to be memorizing them slightly faster. I think that's probably because he has taken karuta to the orphanage to play it with everyone. “Gil is beating you, isn't he?” “Ugh~! Isn't it by just a tiny bit!? I'll pa.s.s him soon!” Leaving the monitoring of the cooks to Delia, who is staying behind voluntarily, I decide to go to the orphanage together with Fran. Once we descend to the first floor, I fleetingly glance through the opened door at Hugo and Ella, who race to prepare the meals before the fourth bell when the Tau fruit will be thrown, are cooking with a terrifying vigor. “I have been ordered by the Head Priest to explain to you the rituals in the temple this morning." With a more serious tone, Fran continues, “Sister Maïne, he also said that until you memorize them properly, you will be banned from holding the Tau fruit throwing event in the orphanage.” “Uwaah...” The Head Priest, who apparently doesn't tolerate even the slightest compromise in regards to education, seems to have immediately set up an education program for me. Although I have to memorize it before day's end, there is quite a bit of material to cover. “The Head Priest has a.s.signed this to you after judging how much you will be able to handle based on your calculation and literacy abilities”, Fran says. I feel dejected after seeing the content details written on a wooden tag, but the Head Priest misunderstands. My calculation ability is a gift from my previous life, and my literacy ability is something I strived to achieve because it's an essential ability for reading. I will be in trouble if he uses that as a basis for the amount of material about the temple's rituals I can quickly memorize! I'm not not actually all that smart. As I was heading towards the orphanage and pa.s.sing a hallway, I suddenly faced a blue-robed priest, one whose face I have never before seen. Apparently this priest is going to prepare the ritual. “Oh? Aren't you that shameless commoner clad in blue? There's no place for children in today's ritual, is there?” “My apologies Brother, but my duties today have nothing to do with the ritual. My sole responsibility, given to me by the Head Priest himself, is to ensure that no children disturb the ceremony, and I am to keep them in the orphanage.” “Hoo, I see. I suppose it suits a commoner to look after orphans. Be sure to do your job.” “I thank you kindly for your encouraging words, Brother.” The blue-robed priest leaves while snorting and not looking at all amused. I began to walk towards the orphanage, as well. Fran anxiously frowns and calls out to me while looking worried. “Umm, Sister Maïne. Just now...” “You don't have to worry about it, Fran. I will be alright as long as they only use their mouths. Absolutely no real harm has been done.” Once I entered the orphanage, several gray-robed priestesses had remained in the orphanage. As might be expected of those having been left behind as candidates for flower offering , every child is of a different type, but they are all very beautiful children with well-proportioned bodies. “Oh my, Sister Maïne. Whatever could be the matter?” Turning around in my direction with a twirl, she bends her head slightly to one side. Her mannerisms are very refined. She looks much more like a proper lady than do I. “I planned to stay here as it's around the time people often come and check on things. You are on duty, I gather?” “We are not, but since going to the forest hasn't any appeal for us, we are considering whether we should stay behind and prepare the soup.” “Well, I would greatly appreciate that.” I discovered a face I recognised among the grey-robed priestesses. She's a girl in her mid-teens. She neatly wore her blonde, almost bright orange, hair up. Well, seeing that she's wearing her hair up, it might be odd to call her a girl since she's considered a grown woman in this world. However, with her childish looks, it perfectly fits calling her a girl. “Wilma, thank you for doing me the favor of drawing karuta the other day. It was very beautiful work.” Wilma's bright, light brown eyes which are always smiling, narrowed delightfully, making her gentle quality stand out even more. “No, it is I who has to thank you for allowing me to draw. It's been a while since I last held a pen. I was very happy. The children here watched it, and were quite interested. But it wasn't something for the sake of the orphanage, was it?” “Well, that's because it was a reward for my attendants. Though it's possible for me to order boards for the children here, if you will do me the favor of drawing the pictures, Wilma?” If it's just preparing the boards and writing the characters, I can manage that well enough, but it seems my ill.u.s.trations are too different from this place's culture. So much so that all those around me actually stopped me from drawing. Wilma's cooperation is indispensable for creating karuta. Wilma's face brightened up. While being enthusiastic about wanting to draw, she's also overflowing with love towards the children. Back when we did the major cleanup of the orphanage, certainly Wilma was the very first to run to the children to completely wash them. Shortly after I promised to prepare karuta for the children of the orphanage, the girl next to Wilma cast her eyes down sadly. “If I was able to draw like Wilma, I would also be of use to Sister Maïne, but...” “Oh, but isn't the lyre your strong point, Rosina?” It seems that Rosina, who had let out a disappointed sigh, was not only mature and beautiful, but also good at playing the lyre. What's with that? How gracious. I had wanted to hear Rosina play the lyre by all means, but since the instrument was owned by her previous master, you might say that she's currently in a situation where she has no special skill. If possible, I would like to buy one for her, but even in j.a.pan, instruments were basically pretty expensive. There's absolutely no doubt that the price for a good instrument would be astronomical. “Say, Fran. A lyre is expensive, isn't it?” “It might be better to ask Master Benno about that, but is music necessary for the etiquette of a blue-robed priestess?” “I believe we will be able to help you, if you are going to learn about culture, Sister Maïne. If you don't mind, please do us the favor and let us become your attendants.” Rosina seems to have previously served with Wilma under the same blue-robed priestess apprentice. It also looks like that priestess apprentice was very interested in the arts, as her attendants were clearly divided into those grey-robed priestesses and apprentices who showed promise in learning the arts, and those grey-robed priests who only did ch.o.r.es. I hear that Rosina and the others polished their skills in singing, musical instruments, dancing, poetry and drawing every day. ... Ughh. I was forced to take piano lessons for around three years, but I never touched a lyre. Things like melodicas or recorders don't exist here, do they? “Good day then, Sister Maïne, we are off to prepare the soup.” Once Wilma's group left to prepare the soup, Fran and I ended up being left behind in the orphanage's mess hall. “Hey Fran, if I told you that I want to take Wilma as attendant, what would you think about that? Do you think that I would get permission from the Head Priest?” Fran frowned a bit. “Wilma? Is it alright for me to inquire about the reason?” “Wilma is skilled at drawing, right? That's true for karuta, but since drawing will become necessary for making the things I want to create from now on, I'd like to secure her before another blue-robed priest gets his hands on her. Besides, I wondered whether a grey-robed priestess with such a grown-up refinement won't be needed as well.” “I believe that he is very likely to give you permission. However, because Wilma looks after the very young children in this orphanage the most, what will happen to the orphans after you took Wilma away...?” “Right. Let's try thinking about it for a bit after asking Wilma's opinion next time.” While I listen to a lecture describing the temple's ceremonies from Fran, the third bell rings. Soon after, the air becomes filled with the sound of people talking. It appears the brides and grooms have arrived at the temple for the Ritual of the Star Union. I want to go have a look, but there's no way I can leave. As I am finis.h.i.+ng my quota while fidgeting around, the fourth bell chimes. With the Ritual of the Star Union apparently having ended, the noisy commotion gradually fades. Once a little bit of time has pa.s.sed after silence had returned, the children secretly return through the backdoor. They climb the stairs making sure to keep the sound of their footsteps low as they hold down their mouths. “Welcome back, everyone. Were you able to pick plenty of Tau fruit?” “Sister Maïne, shhh!” Being told to not talk, I immediately hold my tongue. We hear the sound of the bas.e.m.e.nt's backdoor closing. Then Lutz comes in and the instant after he lowers his finger from his lips, everyone starts to chatter all at once. “We picked up a lot!” “All the baskets have been put in the bas.e.m.e.nt, but lunch comes first, alright?” “Now wash your hands and wait for G.o.d's blessing to arrive. I need to go back to my room for a moment.” Since Lutz is with me, we pa.s.s through the bas.e.m.e.nt instead of the hallway. There are a great number of baskets filled with Tau fruit that everyone had gathered. “Lutz, can I have four of the gathered fruits? I'd like to give them to Hugo and Ella since they couldn't go to the forest.” I have Fran carry the Tau fruit, and we return to my room, going through the backdoor. Having already finished preparing lunch, Hugo waited while worrying about what's happening outside the temple. I have Fran pa.s.s two Tau fruit each to both Hugo and Ella. “Thank you very much for coming, even though today's the day of the festival. This is only a bit, but take it with you.” “Eh? Wh!? Thank you!” As I turned my back on the kitchen, I sense Hugo running off. Just how much is he looking forward to the Star Festival? And, who does he plan to hit with those Tau fruit? Since Ella raised her voice to stop him with “Wait a minute, Hugo” as if worried about my opinion, I read the mood and head upstairs without turning around. I eat lunch together with Lutz in my own room, while having Delia serve us. Today's lunch is an imitation of capellini. I had them make it with fresh pasta that was cut as thinly as possible. They experimented by preparing two types; one was garnished with herbs, and used a lightly scented cheese and tomato sauce, similar to a sauce with tomatoes and mozzarella; and the other was vegetable-based oil seasoned with the garlic-like Norilga, herbs, and salt, aiming for a basil sauce. They also prepared a salad garnished with seasonal vegetables and steamed chicken. In reality, I feel an urge to eat chilled soumen , but it can't be helped since I still haven't seen anything that seems usable in j.a.panese cuisine. “Lutz, you worked very hard, didn't you? Eat plenty, you deserve it. Because of you, everyone looked very happy. Thank you.” “They searched for Tau fruit in high spirits. Some of these guys went very deep into the forest. I was worried about what I would do if they didn't make it back in time.” “... How nice. I wanted to watch the festival, too. I studied throughout the whole morning with Fran." It was inevitable for me to feel jealous after hearing the stories of the orphans happily picking up Tau fruit in the forest and about the people who were arming themselves with their Tau fruit while the orphans were returning to the temple. “Say, Maïne. It's only for a bit, but how about we go watch the festival together?” “Eh?” “There are probably no grooms or brides left there anymore. It's not like we're going to throw Tau fruit. You know, it's just to experience the atmosphere of the city. After we finish our lunch, there will be a bit of time once the others start their meal, right?” After the blue-robed priests finish their lunch and once their attendants have finished eating as well, then G.o.d's blessing will be distributed. Since there are also some gray-robed priests working to prepare the carriages, it will take a bit of time until everyone gathers for the throwing of the Tau fruit. “Let me, let me!! I want to go!” After changing from my blue priestess garb to casual clothes, I rushed out through the temple's gate together with Lutz. The flooded streets glittered in the summer sun. Close to the temple it's mostly dry, but as we leave the temple's vicinity, it becomes wet under our feet. I wonder just how many Tau fruit had to be thrown for the summer sun to not have dried the streets by now? I see children running and shouting out with joy, their whole bodies sopping wet with water dripping from their hair. Tumultuous voices are reverberating from up ahead, the target towards which the giggling children are running. “Let's go, Lutz.” Following Lutz' advice, I try to secretly peek from within the shadows of a building. It was a large free-for-all battle in an alley that wasn't very big. There are no allies or enemies here, it's a battle royale as people are fervently throwing Tau fruit while loudly shouting nonsensical gibberish. As loud yells burst out in the tight s.p.a.ce between the buildings, they echo and merge to a near deafening volume. All of them are drenched. Older girls in light summer dresses have clothes clinging tightly to their bodies, so it's only natural that their figures stand out clearly. In some extreme cases, clothes are completely transparent. There are also many men running around bare chested, as if annoyed by their clingy clothes. ... Whoaa, it looks just like the uproar when fans learn their team has won the World Series or the World Cup! “Ugh!?” All of a sudden Lutz exclaims as water dripped from his head. I turn around in surprise as a few drops of the cold water have hit me as well, and I see several children preparing to fire Tau fruit behind Lutz. “Lookit here, we gots folks who ain't wet at all!” The instant the child shouts, the large mob of revelers all turn this way at once. Pierced by the sparkling eyes of hunters who found their prey, I experience a fear that makes me cringe. My entire body shudders after a small scream escaped my lips. “We have to run for it, Maïne! Avoid as many as you can!” “Impossible.” I'd be shocked if you expected such smart maneuvering from me. The best I can do, at most, is defending against a direct hit to my face by raising both arms. Despite being stunned, I was running, Lutz leading me by the hand, as he repeatedly smacked down the Tau fruit that came flying our way with his free hand. Just like a real water balloon, the Tau fruit burst once they hit the stone paving. Having evaded any direct hits, I felt relieved, but the mob's bloodl.u.s.t was apparently fanned by Lutz' avoidance. “He blocked it! How cheeky!” “Everyone, get him!” “Uooooooh!” The Tau fruit that are coming flying one after another hit me and burst open with splas.h.i.+ng sounds. The sensation of being hit itself feels bouncy and it doesn't hurt much even if I'm directly hit. But I'm getting gooseb.u.mps from the water that burst from the fruit which hit my back, and from the water dripping down from my head and down my spine. “Eek! Cold! It's cooold!!” “Maïne, move your feet!” What Lutz was able to ward off was only the first wave. Since adult have joined in as well, there's no way we will be able to escape. In the blink of an eye we have been completely surrounded and overrun. Unable to avoid or escape, we suffer a concentrated barrage from the crowd, a crowd that has become drunk in its enthusiasm for the festival. We are completely soaked in an instant. “Ahaha! Didn't ya do good in protectin' tha' midget?” “Here's a guy with a promising future, am I right?” While laughing heartily and praising Lutz for trying to protect me to the bitter end, they fled as quickly as they'd come, looking for more victims. “... Lutz, with this... I will definitely catch a cold, won't I?” With my fingertips I gently pick up my skirt which is dripping wet as Lutz agrees, sending water drops flying with a shake of his head. “I guess you aren't wrong about that. At this rate we will be thoroughly scolded by Aunt Elfa, and we might not be allowed to go to the festival a second time.” “... I understand the festival's atmosphere. I grasped it reaaally well. Once it's over I will definitely have a fever, so it's a festival that doesn't suit me.” Once I firmly wring out my hair, water trickles down making dripping sounds. While wringing out our clothes and hair, Lutz and I return to the temple. Seeming to put more emphasis on the dinner party afterwards, than on throwing Tau fruit at each other in the northern area, some people had started preparations at the plaza's water wells located here and there. Others were setting up impromptu tables by laying boards across wooden boxes, as dishes are brought in from houses all around. “If they get hungry, that will have to wait until evening.” “As expected, they aren't open yet, huh?” I'm sure even the partiers causing an uproar throwing Tau fruit, will remember how hungry they are once the food starts being given out. “Geeze! Good lord! Look at you! Can you stay outside until I draw you a bath, otherwise you will get the room filthy!?” Before getting scolded by mother, we were yelled at by Delia. While I was agreeing with a slight nod to Lutz' murmuring of “Hey, isn't she more scary than Aunt Elfa?," Fran, who had changed into his casual forest clothing (in case he got wet) showed up. Looking at the two of us who are sopping wet, he rubs his temples as if distressed. “Sister Maïne, let's please head to the orphanage now, since it seems that the orphans are ready to celebrate the festival. Delia, I task you with drawing a bath so that Sister Maïne can immediately use it once we get back.” “Yes!” Because Delia said that she can't do something so common as throwing Tau fruit, she decides to stay back. It seems that Gil had already gone to the orphanage a long time ago. “I was contacted by a gray-robed priest who readied the carriages used to transport the blue-robed priests to the n.o.ble district. It looks like the main gate has been closed since all the blue-robed priests and their attendants have left for the n.o.ble district.” By the time we returned to the orphanage through the backdoor way, everyone had already changed from their priestly clothes into old clothes, and had taken the Tau fruit, which had been stored in the bas.e.m.e.nt outside. Upon Lutz' instruction to split them into two teams, Fran appropriately divides everyone, taking into consideration the ages and number of men and women so as to turn it into an even throwing match. We designate an area where it's fine for them to run around, and made them promise not to go outside the area's boundary. “You will have to definitely clean up afterwards. And, take care to not rouse the curiosity of the townspeople by making too much noise. Lastly, enjoy yourselves without fighting or hurting each other. Do you understand?” “Yes!” “Then I guess we will hand out the Tau fruit.” Lutz doesn't move, he merely looks towards the several baskets. At such times I, who have the highest social standing, have to move first. Even though the Tau fruit I had seen in the forest in the spring was just about the size of the first knuckle joint of the thumb, the fruits inside the baskets now were larger than my fist. As they seem to be engorged with water, they felt like jelly. Because I had closed my eyes for the most part when I was. .h.i.t by so many of them, that might be the first time that I'm carefully examining a Tau fruit. “Waaah, they have gotten really big.” The instant I pick up the first fruit, I feel mana being absorbed just like at the time of offering. At the same time the Tau fruit started to change its appearance, while bubbling unevenly. “What's wrong, Maïne!?” “My mana is being sucked up!” Inside the Tau fruit that previously had a translucent red color just like a water balloon, hard-looking seeds similar to a pomegranate, start to increasingly appear one after the other. “How gross! What's this!?” “As if I'd know!?” As I'm moving about in confusion holding this in my hand, the fruit's pale red color is slowly deepening. The inside of the fruit is now filled more with seeds than with water. Its skin, which used to be flabby, becomes hard and so dark that the inside can't be seen anymore. Now that it has changed so much, I finally realize there's no doubt that this red fruit is a seed of Tronbay which I have seen before! “Lutz, this is Tronbay! Get a knife ready! Its fast-growth is coming!” “Are you kidding!?” Once I say that while still holding the Tau fruit, Lutz, who had watched the Tau fruit changing its shape, immediately rushes off to the bas.e.m.e.nt that's used for storage. He hurls orders to the orphans while dragging out a basket with edged tools that seem to be knives and hatchets. “Those who know how to harvest, grab a knife. An expensive ingredient for making paper has appeared. Harvest it without leaving a single piece behind!” At the same time as the orphans rush to the knives, the skin of Tau fruit becomes more firm and starts getting hotter. Previously, when I threw one hot like this, the Tronbay's fast-growth took place. “Sister Maïne, I am ready!” Gil, who smartly wields a hatchet-like tool, stands beside me like some anime hero ready to protect me with his life. Lutz holds a knife in one hand and points at a spot with no stone paving where gra.s.s grows thickly. “Maïne, throw it there, at the unpaved ground!” While listening to Gil's and Lutz' voices, I turn to where I can see the soil, and throw the Tau fruit with all my strength. “Gooo, you fast-growing tree!”

星祭り当日。 太陽は顔を出しているものの、まだ太陽が夏の暑さを感じさせない早朝。すでに街は祭り特有のざわめきと、人の動きによる熱気が立ち込め、開門前の早い時間にもかかわらず、南門や東門に向かう人の流れができていた。 「母さん、いってきます!」 「マイン、はしゃぎすぎないように気を付けて。ルッツ、いつも悪いけれど、マインを頼むわね」 わたしは迎えに来たルッツに家を出た。家を出るのはトゥーリも一緒だったが、トゥーリは自分の友人達と一緒にお祭りを楽しむらしいので、別行動だ。ラルフやフェイと一緒に門に向かって駆けて行く。 「じゃあ、マイン。今日は楽しもうね」 「トゥーリもね」 トゥーリやラルフに手を振って分かれた後、わたしとルッツは人の流れに逆らうように神殿に向かった。今日は水遊びができるように普段着だ。 あちらこちらの路地から連れ立った人達が出てきては、楽しそうに目を輝かせて門に向かって歩いていく。みんな濡れることを想定しているようで、お祭りだというのに晴れ着を着ている者はいない。 人の波に逆らいながら中央広場を過ぎて、さらに北へと向かう。その頃には少しずつ人通りが少なくなってきた。開門と同時に森へと向かう人達は、もうみんな門のところへと行ってしまったようだ。 「マインは孤児院で留守番な」 「え? なんで!?」 みんなと一緒に森へ行ってタウの実を拾うつもりだったわたしは、目を丸くしてルッツを見上げた。ルッツは言いにくそうに顔を歪めながら口を開く。 「マインだけを祭りに連れて行くなら、森で2~3個タウを拾って帰ってくるつもりだったんだけどさ。新郎新婦に投げるんじゃなくて、孤児院に戻ってから、みんなで投げ合うことになっただろ? そうしたら、タウの量が必要になる。マインを連れていたら4の鐘が鳴るまでに神殿に戻れねぇよ」 みんなと一緒に遠足気分で森に行くつもりだったわたしは、ルッツの正論に項垂れる。相変わらず足手まといにしかならない我が身が憎い。 慰めるようにポンポンと頭を撫でながら、ルッツは少し声を潜めた。 「それにさ、様子を見に来るヤツがいるかもしれないんだし、院長のマインは孤児院に残っていた方がいいんじゃないか?」 「うっ......。確かに」 神官長や神殿長の側仕えが注意をしに来たり、様子を見に来たりする可能性は高い。もし、神殿長に孤児院がもぬけの殻だと知られてしまったら、わたしだけではなく、許可を出した神官長にも咎めが行くかもしれない。 「......わかった。留守番してる」 わたし達が神殿に着くとほぼ同時に2の鐘が街中に鳴り響いた。開門の時間だ。 ルッツに先導されたみんなが孤児院の裏口から喋らないように口を押さえて、こそこそと出かけるのをフランと一緒に見送った。門番が笑いだすのを堪えている姿に、つられて笑ってしまいそうになる。 神殿から離れたみんなが声を上げて、門に向かって走り出したのを見たわたしは、羨ましい気持ちを抱えながら自室へと向かい、孤児院に詰めていられるように青の衣へと着替えた。 「デリアは森へ行かなくて良かったの?」 「森に行くのは、あたしが愛人になるために必要ないことですもの。それより、早く字を覚えたいですし」 わたしがあげた石板で先を争うようにして字の練習をしているギルとデリアだが、ギルの方が少しだけ覚えるのが早い。多分カルタを持って行って、孤児院でみんなと遊んでいるせいだと思う。 「今のところギルに負けていますものね?」 「もー! ほんの少しではないですか! すぐに勝ちますわ!」 自主的に居残りをするデリアに料理人の監視を任せて、わたしはフランと一緒に孤児院に向かうことにする。 一階に下りると、タウの実を投げ合う4の鐘までに料理を完成させたいフーゴとエラが鬼気迫る勢いで調理しているのが、開け放たれたドアからちらりと見えた。 「本日の午前中は神殿における儀式についてお話するよう、神官長から言付かっております。マイン様がきっちり覚えるまで、孤児院でタウの実を投げ合うのは禁止、とのことでございます」 「ぅわぁ......」 教育に関しては一切の妥協を許さないらしい神官長はさっそくわたしの教育プログラムを組んだようだ。今日中に覚えることが、結構な量ある。 木札に書かれた内容を見て、げんなりとしてしまうわたしに、「神官長は計算能力や識字能力からこれくらいはできると判断した量を課していらっしゃいます」とフランは言うが、神官長は誤解している。わたしの計算能力は前世の賜物で、識字能力は読書に必須の能力だからこそ頑張れたものだ。神殿の儀式に対する記憶量の基準にされると困る。そんな優秀な頭をしていない。 わたしが回廊をぐるりと回って孤児院に向かっていると、儀式の準備に向かっているのか、初めて顔を見る青色神官とバッタリ顔を合わせた。 「おや、恥知らずにも青をまとった平民ではないか。今日の儀式に子供の出番はないぞ?」 「儀式ではなく、孤児院に詰めて子供達が儀式の邪魔をしないように、とのお役目を神官長より頂いております」 「ほぅ、なるほど。平民には孤児の面倒を見るのがお似合いだな。しっかり励め」 「激励のお言葉、ありがたく存じます」 面白くなさそうに鼻を鳴らして、青色神官が去っていく。わたしも孤児院に向かって歩き始めた。フランが気遣わしげに眉を寄せて、心配そうに呼びかけてくる。 「あの、マイン様。先程の......」 「気にしなくても大丈夫ですわよ、フラン。口で言われるだけなら、平気ですわ。実害は全くないもの」 孤児院に入ると灰色巫女が数人、孤児院に残っていた。花捧げの候補として残されているだけあって、どの子もタイプは違うけれど、顔立ちの整った綺麗な子ばかりだ。 「あら、マイン様。どうかなさったのですか?」 くるりとわたしの方を振り返り、小首を傾げる。その仕草はとても洗練されていて、わたしよりよほどお嬢様らしく見える。 「様子を見に来る人がいた時のために、ここで詰めている予定ですの。貴女達はお役目かしら?」 「いえ、私達は森に行くことにそれほど魅力を感じませんから、残ってスープでも作ろうかと話し合っていたのです」 「まぁ、助かるわ」 灰色巫女の中の一人に見知った顔を見つけた。 明るいオレンジに近い金髪をきっちりと結い上げた10代半ばの少女だ。いや、髪を結い上げている以上、成人しているのだから少女というのはおかしいかもしれない。けれど、少女というのがピッタリくる幼い顔立ちをしている。 「ヴィルマ、先日はカルタの絵を描いてくださってありがとう。とても素敵に仕上がっていたわ」 ヴィルマのいつもにこにこしている明るい茶色の瞳が嬉しそうに細められて、やんわりとした雰囲気をさらに際立たせた。 「私こそ、絵を描かせてくださってありがとうございました。ペンを握ったのも久し振りで、本当に嬉しかったのです。ここの子供達がとても興味深そうに見ておりましたが、孤児院のためのものではなかったのですね」 「あれはわたくしの側仕えに対するご褒美でしたから。ヴィルマが描いてくださるなら、孤児院の子供達のために板を注文することはできますけれど?」 板を準備して、文字を書くくらいなら何とかなるが、周囲の人が揃って止めるくらいわたしのイラストはここの文化の絵と違うらしい。カルタを作るにはヴィルマの協力は必須だ。 ヴィルマが顔を輝かせた。絵を描きたいという熱意と同時に子供達への愛情が溢れている。孤児院の大掃除をした時、一番に子供達の元へと走って綺麗に洗ってくれたのもヴィルマだったはずだ。 わたしが近いうちに孤児院の子供達用のカルタを準備することを約束すると、ヴィルマの隣にいた少女が悲しそうに目を伏せた。 「ヴィルマのように絵を描くことができれば、私もマイン様のお役にたてるのですけれど、......」 「あら、ロジーナは竪琴が得意じゃない」 残念そうに溜息を吐いた大人びた綺麗な顔立ちのロジーナの特技は竪琴らしい。何それ、優雅。 ぜひロジーナの竪琴を聞きたいと思ったけれど、楽器は前の主が持っていたので、今は特技なし状態だと言う。できれば買ってあげたいが、日本でも楽器は基本的に高かった。良い楽器の値段なんて天井知らずに決まっている。 「ねぇ、フラン。竪琴って高いですわよね?」 「ベンノ様に伺った方がよろしいでしょうが、青色巫女の嗜みに音楽は必須でございますよ?」 「マイン様が教養を身に付けられるなら、私達、お役に立てると思いますわ。よろしければ、側仕えにお引き立てくださいませ」 ロジーナは以前ヴィルマと同じ青色巫女見習いに仕えていたらしい。芸術にとても関心を寄せていた巫女見習いで、彼女の側仕えは雑用をこなす灰色神官と芸術を分かち合うための灰色巫女や見習いにくっきり分かれていたらしい。ロジーナ達は歌、楽器、舞踊、詩、絵などの腕を磨く毎日だったそうだ。 ......うぬぅ。ピアノは3年くらい習わされたけど、竪琴は全く触ったことないよ。ピアニカやリコーダーなんて、ここにはないよねぇ。 「では、マイン様。私達はスープ作りに行ってまいりますね」 ヴィルマ達がスープを作りに行ってしまうと、孤児院の食堂にフランで残されてしまった。 「ねぇ、フラン。ヴィルマを側仕えに入れたいと言ったら、どう思いますか? 神官長は許可してくださるかしら?」 「ヴィルマを? 理由をお伺いしてもよろしいですか?」 フランが少し眉を寄せた。 「ヴィルマは絵が上手でしょう? カルタもそうだけれど、これから先、わたしが作りたいものには絵が必要になるから、他の青色神官に取られる前に確保しておきたいの。それに、成人していて教養がある灰色巫女も必要ではないかと思ったの」 「おそらく許可は出ると思われます。ただ、この孤児院で幼い子供達の世話を一番しているのがヴィルマのようなので、ヴィルマを引き抜いた後の孤児達がどうなるか......」 「そう。今度ヴィルマの意見も聞いて、少し考えてみましょう」 フランから神殿の儀式について講義を受けるうちに、3の鐘が鳴り響いた。その後、外がざわざわと騒がしくなってくる。星結びの儀式のために、新郎新婦が神殿へとやってきたようだ。見に行きたいけれど、行けるわけがない。 そわそわしながらノルマをこなしているうちに4の鐘が鳴り響いた。星結びの儀式が終わったようで、ざわざわとしたざわめきが少しずつ遠くなっていく。 静けさが戻ってから少したつと、裏口からこっそりと子供達が戻ってきた。口を押さえながら、足音をさせないように、階段を上がってくる。 「おかえりなさい、みなさん。タウの実はたくさん採れたかしら?」 「マイン様、しぃーっ!」 喋るな、と言われて、慌てて口を噤む。地階の裏口が閉まった音がして、ルッツが入ってきて、ざっと手を上げた瞬間、みんなが口々に喋り始める。 「いっぱい採って来たよ!」 「籠は全部地階に置いてあるの。先にお昼でしょ?」 「では、手を清めて神の恵みが届くのを待ちましょうね。わたくしも一度部屋に戻りますわ」 ルッツがいるので、回廊を通らず地階を通る。地階にはみんなが拾ってきたタウの実が籠にたくさんあった。 「ルッツ、拾った実を4つもらっていい? 料理人のフーゴとエラは森に行けなかったから、あげたいの」 タウの実をフランに持ってもらって裏口の方から部屋に戻った。 すでに昼食の準備はできていて、フーゴが外を気にしながら待っていた。フランを通して二人にタウの実を2つずつ渡す。 「本日はお祭りの日というのに、来て頂いてありがとう存じます。これ、少ないですけれど、持っていらして」 「え? わ!? ありがとうございます!」 わたしが厨房に背を向けると同時にフーゴが駆け出すのがわかった。一体どれだけ星祭りを楽しみにしていたのだろうか。そして、誰にあのタウの実をぶつけるつもりなのだろうか。わたしの様子を気にしたように「ちょっと、フーゴさん」とエラが止めている声がしたので、空気を読んでわたしは振り返らず、階段を上がって行った。 自室でデリアに給仕してもらって、ルッツと一緒に昼食だ。 今日の昼食はカッペリーニもどき。できるだけ細く切った生パスタを作ってもらった。トマトとモッツァレラのようにポメソースとなるべく癖のないチーズを選んで、ハーブを添えたものと、バジルソースを目指して植物性の油に塩とハーブとにんにくもどきのリーガで作ったものの二種類を用意してみた。 「ルッツはいっぱい働いたからね。たっぷり食べていいよ。ルッツのお陰で、みんな、とても楽しそうだった。ありがとう」 「張り切って探していたぞ。結構奥の方に入り込んだヤツもいて、時間までに戻れなかったらどうしようかと思ったぜ」 「......いいなぁ。わたしもお祭り、見たかった。午前中はフランと一緒にずっと勉強だったし」 森で楽しそうにタウの実を拾っていた様子や神殿に戻ってくる時にタウの実を構えた人達を見た孤児達の感想を聞いていると羨ましく仕方ない。 「なぁ、マイン。ちょっとだけ、祭りを見に行ってみるか?」 「え?」 「もう新郎新婦はいないだろうし、オレ達はタウを投げるわけじゃなくて、街がどんな感じになってるか、見るだけになるけどさ。オレ達の昼飯が終わってから、あいつらがご飯なら、ちょっとは時間があるだろ?」 青色神官の昼食が終わって、側仕えが食べ終わった後で神の恵みが配られるし、灰色神官の中には馬車の準備をする人もいるので、全員が揃ってからのタウ投げには少し時間がある。 「行く! 行きたい!」 青の巫女服から普段着に着替えて、わたしはルッツと一緒に神殿の門から飛び出した。 水浸しの街並みが夏の太陽でキラキラに輝いていた。神殿近くはほとんど濡れていないが、神殿から離れるにつれて、足元がびしょびしょになってくる。夏の太陽でもすぐには乾かないなんて、一体どれだけのタウの実が投げられたのだろうか。 全身ぐしょ濡れで、髪から水滴を滴らせながら子供達が歓声を上げながら走っていくのが見えた。子供達が向かう先からは大騒ぎをしている声が響いてくる。 「行こう、ルッツ!」 ルッツの忠告に従って、こそっと建物の陰から覗いてみると、それほど大きくはない路地が大混戦になっていた。敵も味方もなく、とにかく、大声で意味ない言葉を叫びながら、タウの実を投げまくっている。建物と建物の間で大声を発するのだから反響し合って、ものすごい声量だ。 誰も彼もびしょびしょで、夏の薄着をしているお姉さんなんて、身体にぴたりと張り付いて身体の線がくっきりなのは当たり前で、ひどい人なんて完全に透けている。男の人は張り付いた服が煩わしいとばかりに上半裸で走り回っている人も多い。 ......うはぁ、サッカーや野球で応援チームの優勝が決まった時の大騒ぎみたい。 いきなりルッツの声がして、ルッツの頭から水が滴ってきた。パタパタと自分にも冷たい水滴が降りかかってきて、驚いて振り返ると、ルッツの背後に数人の子供達がタウの実を構えているのが見えた。 「ここに全然濡れてねぇヤツらがいるぞ!」 子供達が大声を上げた瞬間、大騒ぎしていた大人数が一斉にこちらを向いた。獲物を見つけた狩人の目の輝きが自分に向けられると、ぞっとするような迫力がある。小さな悲鳴が口から漏れて、全身が縮みあがった。 「逃げるぞ、マイン! できるだけ避けろ!」 「無理!」 そんな機敏な行動を期待されても困る。わたしにできるのは腕を上げて、顔への直撃を防ぐくらいだ。 ルッツがそんなわたしの手を引いて走りながら、こちらに向かって飛んできたタウの実をバシッと手で叩き返した。本当に水風船のようにタウの実が石畳に当たってパンと弾ける。 直撃を免れたわたしはホッとしたが、ルッツが避けたことで、相手の戦闘意欲を煽ってしまったようだ。 「避けたぞ! 生意気な!」 「みんな、やってしまえ!」 「ぅおおおおおおおっ!」 次々と飛んでくるタウの実がパチン! パチン! と自分に当たって弾けていく。当たる感触自体はボヨンとした感じで、当たっても大して痛くないけれど、頭皮を伝い、背筋に流れ込んでくる水滴や背中に命中した実が弾けた水に鳥肌が立つ。 「ぎゃー! 冷たい! 冷たいっ!」 「マイン、とにかく足を動かせ!」 ルッツが払いのけることができたのは最初の一発だけだった。成人も交じっているので、逃げられるわけがない。あっという間に回りこまれて囲まれて、多勢に無勢。 避けることも逃げることもできないまま、お祭りの熱気でナチュラルハイになっている人達からの集中砲火を受けたルッツとわたしは、あっという間にぐっしょぐっしょだ。 「あはは! チビの割には頑張って守ってたんじゃねぇの?」 「将来有望ってヤツだな」 ゲラゲラと笑いながら、最後までわたしを守ろうとしていたルッツに労いの言葉をかけながら、彼らは次の獲物を求めて嵐のように去っていった。 「......ルッツ、これ、絶対に風邪引くよね?」 わたしがポタポタと水の落ちるスカートを摘まみ上げると、プルプルと頭を振って、水滴を飛ばしながら、ルッツも頷いた。 「間違いねぇな。この分じゃ、エーファおばさんにしこたま叱られて、二度と祭りに行かせてもらえなくなるかも」 「......雰囲気はわかった。嫌というほどよくわかった。終わったら確実に熱を出すんじゃ、わたしには向かないお祭りだね」 ぎゅっと髪を絞れば、バタバタバタと音を立てて水が滴り落ちる。あちらこちらを絞りながら、わたしとルッツは神殿に戻る。 北の方はタウの実を投げ合うよりも、その先の食事会に重点が置かれているのか、あちらこちらにある井戸の広場で準備が始まっていた。木箱と木箱の間に板を渡して、即席のテーブルを設置して、あちらこちらの家から料理が運ばれてきている。 「腹が減っていたら、寄るんだけどな」 「さすがにまだ空いてないもんね?」 料理が運ばれ始めたら、タウの実を持って大騒ぎしていた人達も自分達の空腹を思い出すに違いない。 「もー! 何てこと! なんて恰好!? お部屋が汚れるからお風呂の準備ができるまで、外にいてくださる!?」 母に叱られる前にデリアに怒鳴られた。「エーファおばさんより怖いな」とルッツが呟くのに、小さく頷いて同意していると、濡れても良いように森へ行くための古着に着替えたフランが出てきた。 びしょ濡れのわたし達を見て、困ったようにこめかみを押さえる。 「マイン様、孤児達の準備ができたようですから、もうそのまま孤児院へ向かいましょう。デリア、戻ったらすぐにお風呂を使えるように、準備だけは頼みます」 タウの実を投げ合うなんて、美しくない事はできないとデリアが言ったので、デリアはお留守番だ。ギルはとっくに孤児院へ行ってしまったらしい。 「青色神官達が貴族街に向かうための馬車を準備していた灰色神官から連絡がありました。青色神官およびその側仕えは全員貴族街へと向かったため、正門を閉ざしたそうです」 わたし達が裏口の方から孤児院へと向かうと、全員が神官服から古着に着替えて、地階に置いてあったタウの実を外に出していた。 ルッツの指示で2つのチームに分かれて、投げ合うことになり、年齢や男女数を考えながら、フランが適当に分けていく。走り回っても良い範囲を指定して、そこからは外に出ないように約束させる。 「後片付けを必ずすること。それから、大騒ぎしすぎて街の人に不思議がられるようなことにならないように気を付けること。最後に、怪我や喧嘩をしないで楽しむこと。いいですか?」 「はい!」 「じゃあ、タウの実を配るか」 ルッツがいくつかの籠に視線を向けた。こういう時は一番身分が高いことになっているわたしが最初に動かなければならない。 森で春に見たタウの実は親指の第一関節くらいまでの大きさしかなかったのに、籠の中の実は自分の拳よりも大きくなっていた。たっぷりと水分を含んでいるようで、ぷよぷよとしている。 大量にぶつけられていた時はほとんど目を閉じていたので、じっくりとタウの実を見るのは初めてになるのかもしれない。 「わぁ、ホントに大きくなってる」 わたしが上にある実を一つ手に取った瞬間、奉納の時と同じように魔力が吸い取られていく感じがして、それと同時にタウの実がボコボコと泡を立てながら、姿を変え始めた。 「わわっ!?」 「どうした、マイン!?」 「魔力が吸い取られてる!」 水風船のように半透明の赤だったタウの実の中に、ザクロのように硬そうな種が次々と出現して増え始める。 「気持ち悪い! 何これ!?」 「オレが知るかよ!?」 手に持ったまま右往左往しているうちに、薄い赤だった実の色が少しずつ濃くなっていって、実の中は水分より種の方が多くなってきた。ボヨボヨだった皮が硬くなり、中が見えなくなる。 ここまできてやっとわかった。赤い実は以前に見たことがあるトロンベの種に違いない。 「ルッツ、これ、トロンベだ! ナイフを準備して! にょきにょき来るよ!」 「マジか!?」 タウの実を握ったまま、わたしがそう言うと、姿を変えるタウを覗きこんでいたルッツはすぐさま物置としている地階へと駆けこんだ。ナイフや鉈のような刃物が入った籠を引っ張り出しながら、孤児達に指示を飛ばす。 「採集に慣れているヤツ、ナイフを構えろ。高価な紙の材料が出てくる。ひとつ残らず刈れ!」 「はいっ!」 孤児達がナイフに殺到すると同時に、タウの実の硬さが増してきて、だんだん熱を帯びてきた。以前はこの状態で投げたら、トロンベがにょきにょき出てきたはずだ。 「マイン様、準備できたぜ!」 鉈のような刃物を戦隊ヒーローのようにビシッと構えたギルがわたしの隣に立つ。片手にナイフを掴んだルッツが石畳のない草の茂る方を指差した。 「マイン、土のところに投げろ!」 ギルとルッツの声を聞きながら、土のある部分に向かって、わたしは力いっぱいタウの実を投げつけた。 「いっけぇ、にょきにょっ木!」

The next day, we need to bring in the bark from the river and strip the dark outer bark down to the light inner bark, so we bring the board, pot, and bucket with us. Sitting by the fire (and, occasionally, dipping our hands in the hot water to warm up), we use our knives to strip down the bark. “I have to say it: I don’t want to be doing this when it’s not summer. My fingers are completely numb right now,” I say. “You can say that again,” replies Lutz. “Going into the river is awful.” As we grumble, we force ourselves to keep our hands steady, and work our way towards finis.h.i.+ng up the tronbay inner bark. Even now that we’re stripping it down, I’m still not seeing any spots on it that look like it might be mold, so I let myself breathe a sigh of relief. “...Doesn’t look like any mold grew on it after all. I’m glad!” “I mean, the folin’s one thing, but didn’t I tell you that the tronbay was going to be okay?” “It’s a pretty dangerous plant, huh?” After we finish stripping the bark, we go foraging in the forest. Since it seems that there are a lot of medicinal plants that only grow during this season, Lutz and I go together, him teaching me as we go. “Hey, Lutz. Why aren’t we picking up this red fruit here? Is it poisonous?” I notice that Lutz avoids a fruit that hangs along our path as we walk past. It’s red, and about the size of the first knuckle of an adult’s thumb. I’d have to guess that this fruit is somehow dangerous. I point at it, careful not to touch it, and ask Lutz about it. “Ahh, it’s better to just leave tau fruit alone. Basically, all that’s in there is water. You can’t eat it, so if you bring it home all it does is dry out, so there’s not really any use for them right now.” “What do you mean, right now?” “Oh, in the summer, they grow about as big as your fist, and when they hit something, they explode and send water everywhere, so then we all chuck them at each other.” It seems like I should look at these as some sort of naturally-occurring water balloon. Since all it would do is wither if we brought it home, it seems like it would be best to leave it alone, otherwise it won’t grow any bigger. That’s a weird fruit. “All the kids and adults in the town come together and have a big fruit fight using these. Man, isn’t the Star Festival great?” I’ve been here at least a year, but I can’t recall anything about this particular festival at all. “...Hey, Lutz, I haven’t heard anything about this Star Festival, though? It sounds like some sort of summer festival... thing?” “Oh, around that time, you were basically dying, weren’t you? I wanted to invite you, but your mom said your fever wasn’t going down at all. I brought your bamboo strips around after that.” Ahh, around then, huh? Based on what he’s saying, I can figure out which time in particular I was in the process of dying. My mokkan got burned up, which prompted the first episode in which I can clearly remember feeling like I was being swallowed alive by the devouring. Since it seems like I was totally unconscious for quite a few days, and stuck in bed for a while after that, even if there was a festival, going to it would have been completely out of the question. I’d guess that my family didn’t go, either. “Tuuli probably wanted to go, but I guess she didn’t because of me, huh?” I might be robbing Tuuli of her opportunities to make happy childhood memories! I hang my head as I think about that, but Lutz just shrugs, shaking his head. “Nah, your mom stayed to keep an eye on you, so Tuuli got to partic.i.p.ate. Ralph and I picked a lot of tau so that we could team up against her.” “It would be great if you could make it out this year, Maïne!” “Yeah!” I promise him that I’ll keep an eye on my health so I can partic.i.p.ate in the Star Festival, and we finish up our foraging. Even though I made that promise, however, I have no idea whether or not my parents would allow me to partic.i.p.ate in a festival that involved chucking water balloons at each other. From the next day on, we work out of the warehouse. At this point it’s turned into work that we have to have warm water nearby to constantly warm up our hands in, but we get to work on making paper out of folin, using the new contract-sized bamboo paper mats. As we let that paper dry over the course of a few days, we start working on making paper out of the tronbay inner bark. “The folin paper’s pretty dry, now. I think it’s because today was super clear.” “The tronbay paper should be dry after tomorrow, maybe?” As I check on the manufacturing process, I take the twenty-six sheets of folin paper and split them evenly with Lutz. As he takes his thirteen sheets from me, he frowns, troubled. “Hey, Maïne. Why are you splitting it up here? Isn’t it just fine to split up the money after we’ve brought all of the paper to Master Benno?” “I mean, what I really want is the actual finished product. It would be wrong for me to keep paper that Benno bought us the materials for, it’s okay for me to keep the stuff that we made from materials we gathered ourselves, right?” If I were to sell paper to Benno and then buy it back, he’d take his % commission off the top. In that case, it’s better for me to just not sell it to him in the first place. “So you’re not going to sell any?” “I’ll sell just half of it. I’m gathering paper so that I can make a book!” Now that we’ve not just established the proper formula but have also started growing increasingly familiar with the actual manufacturing process, our success rate is starting to increase, meaning that we’re producing fewer and fewer failures. That makes my end goal of making a book more complicated. My mother has told me so many stories by now that recording all of them is going to be a huge task. After completing our work, we immediately head to Benno’s shop to bring him our finished paper, bringing the key to the warehouse along with us. “Oh, it’s done?” Benno takes the two stacks of folin paper from Lutz and I, then counts them. Lutz’s stack has thirteen sheets, and mine has six. He frowns, noticing the blatant difference in number. “Maïne, you’ve got way less in here. Why’s that?” “Because what I ultimately want is the paper, I’ve kept some for myself. Of course, this wouldn’t be paper made from materials for which you paid, but from materials we gathered ourselves; that should be alright, is it not?” “...Hm, sure. I don’t particularly care about what you do with your own materials, but what exactly are you going to be using all that paper for?” He wears a slightly guarded expression as he asks me that question. “I’m going to be making a book. That’s why I want paper.” “A book? ...Why’re you making one of those? To sell?” “Huh? I just want one to read myself, though...?” Benno and I exchange strange looks, collectively tilting our heads to the side. There’s no way that Benno, who can’t comprehend using such a high-value good as paper to make something not for sale, and I, who just wants a book and doesn’t actually care about the material value, could understand each other. “Well, whatever. Paper this size will sell for one large silver coin. My commission is thirty percent, so, how much is your share?” Lutz doesn’t really understand percentages yet. As he stammers, frantically trying to work out the math, I quickly respond with the correct answer. “Seven small silver coins, sir.” “What?!” yells Lutz. “Seven small silver coins?! Wh... th... that’s too much, isn’t it?!” Lutz, upon hearing a number so completely beyond his expectations, gapes at me in sheer shock. “...Lutz, calm down. I know it sounds like a lot of money for us to be earning, but we’re only going to be seeing profits for this until our baptismal ceremonies, you know? If you think about how much money Mister Benno is going to be making off of this paper from now on, this is really a pretty tiny amount, so don’t worry about it.” “Don’t worry about it? You...” I’d tried to calm him down, but his eyes start rolling around in his head in pure uncomprehending shock. “Since you’re selling thirteen sheets,” I say to him, “you’ll be getting nine large and one small silver coins. I’m selling six, so I’ll get four large and two small silver coins.” “Uh, when you say ‘nine large silver coins’ there’s no way I can hear that and think that’s a 'pretty tiny amount’, right?” “Hm? Then, should we reduce the selling price?” I incline my head slightly to the side in doubt, looking at Lutz as he seems to be paralyzed with fear, as I make my suggestion. However, Benno, still sitting in front of us, smiles at us wryly, shaking is head while he rejects our suggestion. “We can’t sell it for any lower. We’d just be creating needless strife with some people who have vested interests in the field. Let’s keep it at the same price for now. When this starts actually circulating around the market, I’ll start thinking about changing the selling price. Hey, if you’re scared of that much money, how about I increase my commission?” That last bit he aimed directly at Lutz, grinning broadly. “We don’t have any say in how much it gets sold for,” I say, “so we’ll leave determining the actual sale price to you, Mister Benno, but I won’t agree to any change to your commission. Hey, Lutz. If you don’t need that money, how about you give it to me?” “As if I’d give it to either of you!” he yells. “I was just a little shocked at how much money it was, that’s all!” Lutz clutches his guild card tightly to his chest. Since guild cards are bound to their owner by blood, it’s impossible for anyone but the actual owner to use them. It’s a perfectly safe place to keep your money. “If you store it with the guild, then you don’t have to look at the cash itself, so it’s not so scary, is it?” “c.r.a.p, I’m kinda jealous how weirdly shameless you are about all this, Maïne.” “Whoa, shameless?! That’s meaaan!” In my Urano days, I saved my money in the bank. Then, in this world, I’d earned entire small gold coins, and then spent basically all of them paying for that magic tool, so I guess I’m just pretty used to the movement of large sums of money by now. There’s no way I’m being shameless about it. As I sulk, I reach out to tap guild cards with a broadly grinning Benno, settling our accounts. I get five large copper coins in cash from him to bring back to my family. Lutz does the same, getting some coins for his family, and we finish up our transactions. A few days later, when Lutz goes to retrieve the key for the warehouse, he comes back carrying a letter and a fairly large package. More accurately, it’s not a letter, but a wooden board upon which an invitation has been written. In the package are a couple hooded coats, designed to be pulled on over the head like some kind of poncho. I look over our written invitation. It succinctly lists the time, place, and reason for the meeting. “It says that we’re to meet in the central plaza at the fourth bell for the purpose of purchasing clothing,” I say. “Huh? Clothes?” “...It says that there are people who have come to voice objections to the paper we’ve made. While the sender of the invitation wants to meet with them to discuss a possible resolution, it seems that it would be best for us to not stand out so that our existence doesn’t become known. Since our appearances don’t blend in at the shop, we’re to wear these when we go to meet with the sender.” “Uh? What the heck is this?! This sounds really dangerous, right?” The two of us slip the ponchos on over our heads to try them on. They’re very warm, and cover our clothing entirely. For now, it seems that it’s best to cover up our raggedy clothing. When we raise the hoods, both our hair and our faces are hidden, so when we’re walking around we should keep them up. My hairpin, it seems, is very conspicuous. “I don’t know whether or not it’s actually dangerous, but since we’re going to be meeting Mister Mark, how about we make sure we bring in the tronbay paper beforehand so that we can sell it while we’re at it? Oh, although, maybe it would be better if we weren’t weren’t walking around with it when we were just told we shouldn’t stand out?” I start checking on the state of the tronbay paper, but Lutz suddenly gets really mad. “Maïne, why’re you so relaxed about this?!” “Huh? I mean, I basically already expected that a new product like this would run against someone else’s vested interests. I guess it’s a little sooner than I would have thought, though...” “'Vested interests’?” Lutz frowns, repeating the unfamiliar term. “Some person (or people) who already have rights to earn profits from something. Mister Benno mentioned it yesterday, you know? That if we lowered the prices we’d be creating strife. If I had to guess, this time it’s the people who make parchment.” “What do the parchment makers have to do with it? Our paper is made from wood, so they’re not related at all, right?” If you just look at the manufacturing process, they’re completely unrelated, but both the end use and the level of the clientele are exactly the same. Until now, there was nothing at all that could threaten the parchment makers’ profits, so the sudden appearance of a previously unknown kind of paper has probably sent them into a panic, I think. “Ummm, so, if n.o.body but them could make any sort of paper, then no matter how expensive they made it, everyone would still have no choice but to buy parchment if they wanted to write contracts, you know? But, if a new kind of paper showed up, then that new paper could steal some of their existing customers, see?” “Ahh, I guess you’re right.” Lutz nods, seeming to understand. If a new product that’s good for the same thing appears, then of course some customers would be drawn away towards the new thing. “If that’s the case, then they couldn’t take in the same proceeds, you know? And they wouldn’t like that. Plus, if we got to the point where we could sell a lot of paper, then the sale price would start going down, too.” “Huh, really?” I draw a graph on my slate. I mark two lines for the X and Y axes, then draw two intersecting curves as simple representations of supply and demand, and then start to explain their connection. “So, this graph shows how 'supply’ and 'demand’ are connected. This line’s the 'supply curve’, and this one’s the 'demand curve’. 'Supply’ is the amount of a good exists, and 'demand’ is the number of people wanting to buy it.” “If there’s lots of people who want to buy a good, and there’s not enough of it on the market to sell, then the price of that good goes up.” As I explain the importance of the left side of the two curves, he seems to understand. “Ah, if there’s a shortage you can charge as much as you want,” he murmurs. “Then, as more of the good is able to be sold, then the people who want it can start buying it, and then you’re left with fewer people who want it, you know? So then, the price starts to go down.” As I explain, I slide my finger along the curves, until I reach the intersection point in the middle. “If there’s more goods available than people who want to buy it, then no matter how much of it you put out for sale you won’t actually be able to sell it, you know? In that case, then the price will just get lower and lower, right?” As I keep dragging my finger right, the supply and demand curve completely switch places on the Y-axis. “Do you get it? Just because of the fact that we’re able to make paper, prices are going to start dropping. Since the parchment makers aren’t going to want to reduce the price of parchment, and they want to maintain the same amount of profit that they had before, they had to voice objections over a new kind of paper entering the market.” “Hey, isn’t that really bad, though?” he asks, anxiously. I shake my head, smiling. “Since Mister Benno’s telling us to keep ourselves hidden, what he’s really saying is that it’s okay to leave taking these people on to him. It’ll be fine, don’t worry about it. ...Although I don’t know exactly what’s going on since I haven’t been told about it in any detail.” By the time our meeting time comes around, we’re able to finish twenty-four sheets of tronbay paper, but since we’re waiting to see what the actual plan is, we leave it behind in the storehouse. “Lutz, put your hood up too, for now, so that way they won’t be able to recognize your face or your hair color.” The fact that Benno went as far as to send us clothes to wear means that there’s no way that there’s zero chance we might get caught up in something dangerous. As we nervously wait in the central plaza, the fourth bell rings, and Mark comes to meet us. “Thank you for waiting,” he says. “As promised, shall we go acquire the clothing you’ll need as apprentices?” “Yes please, Mister Mark.” Since I’m not going to become an apprentice, I don’t actually need the clothes, but if I’m going to be coming and going from Benno’s shop, then it might be a good idea for me to have clothing that won’t stand out. I contemplate whether or not this is actually a waste of money as we walk, leading Mark to mistakenly believe that I might not be in peak form and scoop me up into his arms. “I can walk on my own?!” I protest. “Ah; I had heard you moaning, so I had merely grown somewhat anxious. Please, for the sake of my own peace of mind, let me carry you.” “I was just thinking while I walked. There’s nothing wrong with my health!” His smile not faltering in the least, Mark speeds up his pace just a little bit. It seems like he’s of a mind to completely ignore any of my arguments. “Then, please feel free to think to your heart’s content.” “Luuutz!” I whine. “This’ll be way faster, so stay like that,” he says. With my plea for Lutz’s help struck down so firmly, I cease my struggling. The three of us enter a clothing store, and the shopkeeper comes out to greet us with a smile. Both the employees and the clients here are all dressed sharply in elegant clothing. If Lutz and I had come to a store like this on our own, we’d have been shooed away immediately. “Oh my, if it isn’t Mister Mark? Welcome! Are these new apprentices?” “Yes, that’s right. I’d like to place an order for two sets of clothing, if you would.” This may be the shop that Mark buys all of the apprentices’ clothing from, as with just that brief request the shopkeeper smiles and nods. “Huh?” I say. “Two sets... is that one for me, too?” Lutz, of course, needs a set, but I’m certainly not becoming an apprentice. However, Mark simply nods, his smile as polite and constant as ever. “When you come and go from the shop looking like you do now, no matter what you do you wind up standing out. I’m terribly sorry, but I’ll still be having clothing prepared for you as well. Even if you won’t be working as an apprentice, you will still be visiting our shop, so I think it will be handy for you to have at least one set of clothes for yourself.” “...You’re right, I guess.” I’m not going to be an apprentice, but since I’m going to be working on developing new goods and am going to need to consult with Benno about both my earnings as well as whatever work he gives me to do at home, it’s likely that the frequency with which I visit the shop won’t actually change much from where we are now. Even worse, next to Lutz’s pristine apprentices’ garb, my worn-out clothes will just look all the more pitiful. Since I have some cash to spare right now, it might indeed be best for me to have some clothes made. Lutz is pulled deeper into the shop ahead of me, stripped down to his underwear, and measured all over. I’m pulled into a different room, and stripped down as well. Even just after having all sorts of measurements taken here and there, I’m left extremely worn out. “The advance fee will be one small silver coin.” We order everything apprentices need to wear, from top to bottom, including shoes, then use our guild cards to pay them one small silver coin. Just like Benno had said, the final total will be a little less than ten small silver coins. With that, it seems we’ll have a complete set of apprentices’ clothes. After we finish our clothing order, Mark leads us to Benno’s shop. There, we find Benno staring at our paper with a bit of a glare, but when he sees the two of us, his expression softens. “Ah, you’re here? It looks like things have gotten somewhat bothersome, so I’m being vigilant, even if I wonder if I might be going a little overboard. You two, be as vigilant as you can, too. Don’t let your guard down. These people could be anywhere, and I have no idea what they’ll do now that their interests are at stake.” It seems like Benno’s being a little overcautious, but he just tells us not to be unprepared for people whose interests we’re affecting. Since the two of us are still unbaptized children, he adds, if we’re wearing apprentices’ clothes, then he things we shouldn’t draw anyone’s attention, even if we’re loitering around the shop. “You’d written 'vested interests’ on that board; so is this the parchment makers, then?” “That’s right. The parchment makers’ a.s.sociation has filed a complaint with the merchant’s guild, it seems.” “With the merchant’s guild?” I tilt my head to one side, not exactly certain what the relation between the parchment makers’ a.s.sociation and the merchant’s guild could be. Benno gives a simple explanation of how the guild’s jobs includes protecting vested interests, resolving strife caused by new enterprises, and mediating disputes. “It seems that the complaint they lodged last evening was that there’s someone making paper who wasn’t a member of the parchment makers’ a.s.sociation and wasn’t paying them their dues. They contacted me, demanding to manage our activities, saying we’re outlaws arbitrarily doing things of our own accord.” There’s no way that Benno would just quietly lie down and give up. He’d probably try to find some point of compromise. When I, completely unconcerned, prompt him to continue, a triumphant, predatory smile spreads across his face. “I immediately refused. I told them that since this isn’t paper made from animal skin, the parchment makers’ a.s.sociation has nothing to do with it, and that they should get out of my face.” The blood drains from my face when I see how excessively belligerent Benno’s being. If he could find some sort of compromise, then he wouldn’t have to fight with them over sales at all, would he? “Huh? Ummm, so you didn’t try to compromise or negotiate, then?” “Idiot. If I start acting all modest from the beginning, they’re not going to take me seriously, you know? The reality of it is that we’re not stealing any of their manufacturing methods, so they can’t charge us any sort of technical fee. There’s no way you can make plant-based paper using a process designed for making paper out of animal skin, so there’s no real hierarchy here. What these guys really want to do is have a monopoly on everything paper-related at all and, if they can, steal our profits for themselves.” It looks like I’ve got my way of doing things and Benno’s got his, so even if I try to object it looks like nothing will come of it, but I wonder if there’s a way we could handle things a bit more peaceably? “Ummm, I think that since parchment’s made of paper, they won’t be able to suddenly increase their production. If the guild’s going to be intermediating, then perhaps they could restrict the kind of paper they could use for official contracts to parchment only? If you’d agree to that, then they’d still mostly keep their existing market and their existing products; how about that?” “You’re as soft as ever, kid.” Benno snorts derisively. I wonder if he thinks that guaranteeing them their existing clientele and profits by letting all official contracts be written on parchment would just be quietly rolling over? I wonder if this might just not work. “I just don’t like doing pointless things,” I say. “Besides, what I really want is to increase the circulation of paper so that lots of people can do new things with it. I want to see books, notepads, paintings, paper art... I want it to be something that people will even let kids use.” “That’s... a much grander dream than I expected,” he murmurs, his eyes open with amazement. “Huh? You think it’s grand? I’ve been thinking that if we could just make a lot of paper, then we could make it happen. That’s why I think that if we want to be bold and sell folin paper at a way lower price than parchment, then as long as people are using it for things besides writing contracts, then it should be fine, shouldn’t it? For instance, look at that report. If that was written on paper, then it would be easier to carry, and easier to store, too. And it’s way easier to write on than boards...” “I see, you want to differentiate the use of different kinds of paper, huh... I’ll try proposing that.” This time he doesn’t tell me that I’m being soft, but instead gives me a scheming sort of smile. It seems like I might have actually tickled the profit-seeking center of his brain. “If we’re differentiating between kinds of paper,” I continue, “then how about we treat tronbay paper as a high-grade good? To be honest, I think it’s a much higher-quality product than parchment.” “You’re right. I’ve already been planning on selling it at a much higher price than parchment.” “Huh? Much higher?” I look at him with wide eyes, wondering if he might have misspoken. Benno, on the other hand, narrows his eyes, looking back and forth between me and Lutz, scrutinizing us. “...Did the two of you just not notice?” “Lutz, what are the special properties of tronbay?” Lutz jumps, startled by the sudden question, then starts listing off the various characteristics of tronbay as they come to mind. “Huh? Properties? Well, it sucks up all of the nutrients from the surrounding soil, it grows really quickly, it’s hard to burn—” “Ah!” I interject, “is that it! ...Is paper made from tronbay hard to burn?” Come to think of it, my father said that furniture made from tronbay is fire resistant, to the point where it’s often left standing after a big fire. The young, soft wood isn’t useful for making furniture, he said, so we made paper out of it. “Yeah, that’s right. Compared to ordinary paper, it’s extremely hard to burn. Of course, it isn’t completely impossible to burn it, but it’s still an excellent paper for writing national secrets or national public records. Something like a hard-to-burn paper will sell for a very high price indeed.” That’s certainly a special kind of paper, so of course it would sell for a high price. Even in j.a.pan, it’s not like all kinds of paper cost the same. If it took a lot of labor to make, if it’s made out of something rare, or if it’s otherwise somehow special, then a single sheet could sell for an astonis.h.i.+ngly high price indeed. “I understand,” I say. “...Then, how much would a sheet of tronbay paper sell for?” “For a contract-sized sheet, I’ll be selling them for five large silver coins each.” “Whoa...” The enormously huge price he’s a.s.signed to it gives me a sudden headache, while Lutz is so shocked that he can’t even say anything, but Benno merely says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, that “it’s a fire-resistant paper made from a hard-to-find material, that’s why.” “So, then,” he says, “until negotiations with the parchment makers’ a.s.sociation have finished, don’t show your face around the shop for a while. I’ve got a good reason for why I don’t want you two to be seen. Specifically, if your paper-making method were to leak and start spreading around, we’re going to start seeing corpses.” “Uh.” I stand there, blinking, shocked by how quickly the conversation turned grim. Benno then starts reminding me of some things about the contract magic that I’d completely forgotten about. “According to our magical contract, the individual who decides who can manufacture paper is you, Maïne, and the individual who determines who can sell it is you, Lutz. If someone who doesn’t know anything about this contract tries making or selling paper on their own, I have no idea what might wind up happening.” “Whaaat?! Contract magic is that dangerous?! It even affects people who don’t know anything about it?” This completely unforeseen development has me reeling. I hadn’t even considered that the magical contract that guaranteed us safe employment would have such an incredibly dangerous function to it. “It’s meant to guarantee the rights of people who deal with the n.o.bility, right? Even if the person who violates it has no knowledge about the contract at all, some kind of punishment will still be handed down. That’s why I want to keep your existences a secret, declare to the merchant’s guild that I have a magical contract saying that my shop makes and sells the paper, and thus keep the parchment makers’ a.s.sociation in check.” Perhaps I shouldn’t be calling this magical contract something that secures our employment, but something that puts us in incredible danger. It declares that I hold the sole right to determine who is able to make plant-based paper and Lutz holds the sole right to sell it, and that, in reality, puts us in a really dangerous situation, doesn’t it? “I’d like to keep it a secret that you two are the ones who control who can sell it. I’ll leave the key to the storehouse with you, so don’t come around here for a while. When I’m done with my negotiations, I’ll contact you through Otto.” Benno, appearing as trustworthy as ever, says this to us, and Lutz and I nod in agreement.

次の日は、皮の取り入れと黒皮を剥いで白皮にしなければならないので、板と鍋と桶を持っていった。 「ハッキリ言って、夏以外はやりたくないね。指先がジンジンする」 「そうだな。川に入るのはきついよな」 愚痴を零しつつ、手はしっかりと動かして、トロンベの白皮を完成させていく。白皮になっても、特にカビらしい斑点は見当たらず、わたしは安堵の息を吐いた。 「......特にカビも生えてなかったみたいだね。よかった」 「フォリンはともかく、トロンベは大丈夫だって言っただろ?」 「危険植物だもんね?」 皮を剥き終わったら、森で採集をする。この時期でなければ取れない薬草もあるそうなので、ルッツに教えてもらいながに拾って歩いた。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。この赤い実は拾わないの? 毒?」 森に落ちている、大人の親指の第一関節くらいの大きさの赤い実をルッツが避けて通ることに気付いた。もしかしたら、危険な毒の実かもしれない。わたしは触らないように指差した状態で、ルッツに尋ねる。 「あぁ、タウの実は触らなくて良い。これは、中がほとんど水なんだよ。食べられないし、持って帰ったら、水がなくなってカラカラになるだけで、今は使い道がないんだ」 「今は、って?」 「夏になったら、拳くらいに大きくなっているんだ。タウは何かにぶつかったら水が弾けるから、ぶつけ合いをして遊ぶんだよ」 自然にできる水風船みたいなものだろうと見当を付けてみた。家に持って帰っても枯れるだけで、このまま放置しておかないと、大きくならないらしい。 変な実。 「街中で大人も子供もごっちゃになってぶつけ合うんだよ。ほら、星祭りの時がすごいだろ?」 もう一年以上いるはずなのに、そんな祭りは全く記憶にない。 「......ねぇ、ルッツ。星祭りなんて聞いたことないんだけど? 夏にお祭りなんてあったっけ?」 「前の星祭りの時は、死にかけてたじゃないか。誘いに行ったら、熱が全然下がらないって、おばさんが言ってて、祭りの後、オレは竹を取りに行ったんだぜ」 あぁ、あの時か。 何日も意識が戻らなかったらしいし、その後もしばらく寝込んでいたので、祭りがあっても、それどころではなかった。多分、家族にとっても同じことだろう。 「トゥーリも遊びたいはずなのに、わたしのせいで行けなかったよね?」 もしかしたら、わたしはトゥーリの子供時代の楽しい思い出を奪っているのかもしれない。そう考えて項垂れると、ルッツは肩を竦めて首を振った。 「いや、マインのことはおばさんが見てたから、トゥーリは参加してたぜ。ラルフで先を争うようにして、森でタウを拾ってたし」 「あ、そうなんだ。よかった」 「今年はマインも一緒に参加できると良いな」 約束してみたものの、水をぶつけ合うような祭りに両親が参加を許してくれるかどうかはわからない。 水が冷たくて、お湯に何度も手を付けながらの作業になったが、契約書サイズの簀桁で、フォリン紙を漉いていく。 「フォリン紙は乾いたね。今日はよく晴れてたから」 「トロンベは明日丸一日自然乾燥だよな?」 作業過程を確認し合いながら、できあがったフォリン紙26枚をルッツと半分に分けた。13枚手渡された紙を持って、ルッツが困ったように眉を寄せる。 「なぁ、マイン。どうしてここで分けるんだよ? 旦那に渡した後、お金を半分に分ければ良いだろ?」 「だって、わたし、現物が欲しいんだもん。ベンノさんに原料を買ってもらって、自分の分にするのはダメだけど、原料を自分達で準備した分なら、わたしがもらっても良いでしょ?」 ベンノに売った後で紙を買おうとすれば、手数料の3割分を取られることになる。それならば、最初から売らなければいい。 「マインは売らないってことか?」 「わたしが売るのは半分だけにする。紙を集めていって、本を作るの」 配合もきちんと決まった上に、少しずつ手慣れてきて、失敗作が少なくなってきた。それでは本を作りたいのに困る。最近は母がいろんな話をしてくれるから、書き留めるのが大変なのだ。 作業が終わったので、倉庫の鍵を返すついでに、できあがった紙を早速ベンノところに持っていくことにした。 「お、できたか」 ベンノはフォリン紙をわたしとルッツからそれぞれ受け取って、枚数を数えた。ルッツが13枚で、わたしが6枚。あからさまに違う枚数に眉をひそめる。 「マインの分が少ないな。どうした?」 「紙が欲しいので、現物をもらいました。原料を買ってもらったものならともかく、今は原料も自分で採っているからいいでしょう?」 「......そうだな。原料を自分達で取った分に関しては構わんが、一体何に使うつもりだ?」 少しばかり警戒した表情でベンノに問いかけられた。 「本を作るんです。だから、紙が欲しかったの」 「本?......そんなものを作ってどうするんだ? 売れんぞ?」 「え? 自分で読むんですけど?」 ベンノと二人で顔を見合せながら、お互いに首を傾げた。商品にならない物のために高価な紙を使うことが理解できないベンノと、利益なんてそっちのけでただ本が欲しいわたしが理解しあえるはずがない。 「まぁ、いい。この大きさの紙一枚で大銀貨1枚が販売価格。手数料が3割。お前達の取り分はいくらだ?」 ルッツはまだ割合がよくわかっていない。えーと、とルッツが慌てる横でわたしは即座に答えを出した。 「小銀貨7枚です」 「ハァ!? 小銀貨7枚!? ちょ、おま......え!? もらいすぎじゃないのか?」 ルッツはどうやら全く予想していなかったようで、金額を聞いて口をパクパクさせる。 「......ルッツ、落ち着いて。今はもらいすぎって気がするかもしれないけど、わたし達が利益をもらえるのは洗礼式までだよ? ベンノさんがこれから先ずっと紙を売って手に入れる利益に比べたら、微々たるものだから気にしなくて良いから」 「気にしなくて良いって、お前......」 落ち着かせるつもりだったのに、ルッツは信じられないとばかりに余計に目をぐるぐるさせ始めた。 「今日はルッツが13枚売ったから、大銀貨9枚と小銀貨1枚。わたしは6枚売ったから、大銀貨4枚と小銀貨2枚」 「いや、大銀貨9枚って、どう聞いても微々たるものだなんて思えねぇからな?」 「え? じゃあ、販売価格を下げる?」 怖気づいたようなルッツを見て、わたしが少しばかり首を傾げて提案すると、正面でベンノが苦い顔をして首を振って却下した。 「販売価格を下げるのはダメだ。既得権益と無用な軋轢が生じる。今は同じ値段でいい。ある程度流通するようになってから、販売価格については俺が考える。大金が怖いなら、俺が手数料を上乗せしてやろうか?」 最後はルッツに向かってベンノがニヤリと笑った。 「値段についてはわたし達に決定権なんてないですから、値段の変更についてはベンノさんにお任せしますけど、手数料の変更は認めません。ねぇ、ルッツ。お金いらないなら、わたしがもらってあげようか?」 「どっちにも渡すか! 大金すぎてちょっとビビっただけだ!」 自分のギルドカードを抱きしめるようにして、ルッツが吠えた。ギルドカードは血で本人認識をさせているので、本人以外が使うことはできない。かなり安全なお金の預け場所だ。 「ギルドに預けておけば、自分で現金を見ることなんてないんだから、怖くないよ?」 「くそぉ、変なところで図太いマインが羨ましい」 「図太いって、ひどーい!」 麗乃時代に貯金していたし、こちらの世界ですでに小金貨をもらったり、それがほとんどなくなるような魔術具に払ったりしていたので、大きな数字の金額が移動することに慣れていただけだ。決して図太いわけではない。 わたしは、むぅっとむくれたまま、大笑いするベンノとカードを合わせて精算する。大銅貨5枚分を家族に渡すことにして、現金でもらった。ルッツも同じように家族に渡す分と、貯金分を分けて精算を終えた。 それから、数日後、倉庫の鍵を借りに行っていたルッツが手紙と大きな包みを持って帰ってきた。正確には手紙ではなく、板に書かれた招待状だ。そして、包みの中身は上から被って着るポンチョにフードが付いているような上着だった。 色違いのポンチョを持って、ルッツが眉を寄せた。わたしは招待状に目を通す。待ち合わせ場所とその理由が簡潔に箇条書きされていた。 「服を買いに行くから4の鐘に中央広場で待ち合わせたいって」 「はぁ? 服?」 「......わたし達が作った紙のことで、文句を言いに来ている人達がいるんだって。対処方法について話し合いたいけど、相手がわたし達の存在に気付かないよう立ち回りたいみたい。わたし達の恰好はあの店じゃ浮くから、これを着て来いって」 「え? 何だよ、それ!? 何か危ないことでもあるのか?」 二人とも上から被って着るポンチョのような物を着てみる。とても温かいし、服がほとんど隠れる。ひとまず、ボロ服が隠れれば良いようだ。 「危ないかどうかはわからないけど、マルクさんに会うんだったら、ついでにトロンベ紙も売れるように、早目に取り入れちゃおうか? あ、でも、気付かれたくないって事は持ち歩かない方がいいのかな?」 トロンベ紙の出来具合を確認するわたしに、ルッツがくわっと怒った。 「マイン、なんでそんなに呑気なんだよ!?」 「え? でも、新しいことを始めたら既得権益とぶつかるのは予想の範囲内だったもん。思ったより反応が速いとは思うけど......」 「既得権益?」 ルッツが眉を寄せて、あまり馴染みがない言葉を舌の上で繰り返す。 「すでに利益を得る権利を持っている団体のこと。ベンノさんが言ってたでしょ? 値段を下げると既得権益とぶつかるって。今回は多分、羊皮紙を作ってる人達だと思う」 「羊皮紙を作ってる人が何だよ? オレ達の紙は木から作るから関係ないだろ?」 作り方から考えれば、全く関係がなさそうだが、用途や客層は完全に同じものだ。今までは自分達の利益を脅かす存在が全くなかったはずなので、相手は見知らぬ紙の存在にパニックに陥っていると思う。 「えーとね、自分達しか紙を作れなかったから、どんなに高くても、みんな契約書の時は羊皮紙を買うしかなかったでしょ? でも、別の紙が出てきたら、そっちに今までのお客さんを取られるよね?」 納得したようにルッツが頷く。用途が同じ品物が出れば、当然そちらに目を向ける客がいるのは当たり前だ。 「そうしたら、今までと同じ売り上げにはならないでしょ? それが嫌なんだよ。それにね、たくさん売られるようになったら、物の値段って下がっていくものなの」 「そうなのか?」 わたしは石板に一つの図を書く。X軸とY軸の二本の直線と、二本の曲線で表した簡潔な需要と供給のラインを引いて、関係性を説明する。 「これね、『需要』と『供給』の関係を示してるの。こっちが『需要曲線』で、こっちが『供給曲線』ね。『需要』はある商品を欲しいって思っている人で、『供給』はある商品だと思ってね」 「あぁ」 「欲しい人が多くて、売ってる商品が少ない場合は、商品の値段は上がるの」 二本の曲線の先頭を示して言うと、ルッツは「品薄の時は何でも高くなるもんな」と理解を示した。 「それで、売ってる商品が増えたら、欲しいと思っている人はどんどん手に入れていくから、欲しいと思っている人が減ってくるでしょ? だから、値段が下がっていく」 説明しながら、わたしは二つの曲線が交差する場所まで指を滑らす。 「欲しいと思う人より商品が多くなると、今度はいくら商品を準備しても売れなくなるでしょ? そうすると値段はどんどん下がるよね?」 どんどん指を動かしていくと、需要曲線と供給曲線の上下関係は完全に逆転している。 「わかる? わたし達が紙を作れば作っただけ、こんな風に紙の値段は下がっていくの。羊皮紙を作っている人は羊皮紙の値段は下げられたくないし、今までの利益はきっちり確保しておきたいから、新しい紙に文句をつけに来るんだよ」 「なぁ、それってまずくないか?」 「ベンノさんがわたし達の存在を隠そうとするってことは、その人達の相手はベンノさんに任せておけばいいってことだよ。ルッツが心配しなくても大丈夫。詳しい話は聞いてみないとわからないけどね」 招待状で指定された待ち合わせの時間までにトロンベ紙が24枚できたけれど、相手の出方を見るためにも倉庫に置いておくことにした。 「一応ルッツもフードを被って、髪の色や顔立ちがわからないようにしていてね」 ベンノが服を送ってくるほど警戒しているということは、危険な事に巻き込まれる可能性もないわけではない。 「お待たせしました。お約束通り、見習いに必要な服を買いに行きましょう」 「はい、よろしくお願いします」 わたしは見習いにならないから服は必要ないけれど、ベンノさんの店に出入りするのに、目立たないような服を買った方がいいかもしれない。 「自分で歩けますけど!?」 「いえ、何やら唸っていたので、不安になってしまっただけです。わたしの安心のためにこうさせてください」 「ちょっと考え事をしていただけです。健康上は何の問題もありませんから!」 笑顔を崩さずに、マルクは少しだけ歩くスピードを上げる。わたしの意見を聞き入れる気は全くないようだ。 「どうぞ、存分に考え事をなさってください」 「ルッツ~!」 「その方が速いから、そのままいろよ」 ルッツに助けを求めても却下されたので、わたしは抵抗を諦めた。 で洋服を扱う店に入ると、店主がにこやかに出迎えてくれた。店員も客も上品できちんとした服を着ている。わたしとルッツだけで来たら、門前払いされそうな店だ。 「あら、マルクさん。いらっしゃい。見習いさん?」 「えぇ、そうです。服の注文を二人分、お願いします」 見習いの服はここであつらえているのか、マルクの簡潔な注文に店主は微笑んで頷いた。 「え? 二人分って、わたしも?」 ルッツはともかく、わたしは見習いになるわけではない。しかし、マルクは笑みを崩さずに頷いた。 「その恰好で店に出入りすると、どうしても目立ちますから。申し訳ないですが、作っていただきます。マインは見習いにならなくても、店に出入りするのですから、一つ持っておくと便利ですよ」 「......それもそうですね」 見習いにはならないけれど、新しい商品を開発したり、利益のことや在宅仕事のことでベンノに相談に行く機会は今と変わらないはずだ。それなのに、ルッツは見習いの綺麗な服で、わたしはボロというのも悲しい。今のわたしには出せるお金があるのだから、服を作っておいた方が良いかもしれない。 わたしも別の部屋へと引っ張られ、服を剥かれていく。あっちもこっちも測られただけで、すごく疲れる。 「前金は小銀貨一枚になります」 「はい」 見習いが着ているような服を上から下、靴まで注文して、ギルドカードで小銀貨一枚の前金を払った。ベンノの言っていた通り、最終的に払う値段は小銀貨10枚弱。それで見習い服が揃うらしい。 服の注文を終えた後、マルクによってわたし達はベンノのところへ連れていかれた。ちょっとだけ難しい顔をしたベンノが紙を睨んでいたが、わたし達を見て表情を和らげる。 「おぅ、来たか。面倒なことになったみたいだから、やり過ぎかとも思っているが、警戒している。お前達もなるべく警戒だけは怠らないでくれ。利権が絡むと何をするかわからんヤツはどこにでもいるんだ」 ベンノにとっても過剰警戒らしいが、利権が係わるだけに油断はするな、と言った。わたし達は洗礼前の子供だから、見習いの服を着ていれば、店の周りをうろついていても目を付けられることはないと思う、と付け加える。 「板に書かれてた既得権益って、やっぱり羊皮紙関係の人ですか?」 「そうだ。羊皮紙協会から商業ギルドに文句が入ったらしい」 「商業ギルドに?」 羊皮紙協会と商業ギルドの関係性がよくわからなくて首を傾げると、ベンノは既得権益を守ったり、新しい事業との軋轢を解消したり、仲立ちするのも商業ギルドの仕事だ、と簡単に説明してくれた。 「昨日の夕方に羊皮紙協会に加入せず、金も払わずに自分達以外で紙を作っているヤツがいる、って商業ギルドに文句が入ったらしい。勝手な事をする無法者を取り締まれって要請が入ったと連絡があったんだ」 ベンノがおとなしくやられているはずがない。適当な落とし所を見つけているはずだ。大した心配もせずにわたしが続きを促すと、ベンノは勝ち誇る肉食獣のように唇の端を上げた。 「きっちり反論はしておいた。これは動物の皮で作った紙じゃねぇから、羊皮紙協会には一切関係ない。引っ込んでろってな」 あまりにも好戦的なベンノの態度にさぁっと血の気が引いていく。 「え? えーと、落とし所を探り合うとか、しなかったんですか?」 「馬鹿。最初から下手に出たら、舐められるだろ? 実際、向こうの作り方を盗んだわけでもなければ、技術料を払ういわれもない。動物の皮から作る紙と植物で作る紙が同じようにできているわけがないし、上下関係があるわけでもない。ヤツらは、ただ、紙に関する全ての権利を独占して、できれば、こっちの利益も吸い取りたいだけだ」 ここにはここの、ベンノにはベンノのやり方があるので、文句を言っても仕方がないとは思っているが、もう少し穏便にはできないのだろうか。 「うーん、羊皮紙は動物の皮が原料だから、どうしてもいきなりの増産はできないと思うんです。商業ギルドが間に入ってくれるなら、正式な契約書の紙は羊皮紙に限る、という取り決めをして、今までの販路と利益をある程度確保させてあげればどうですか?」 「お前は、相変わらず甘いな」 販路と利益を確保してあげて、羊皮紙が正式な紙だと認定されれば、大人しくしてくれると思うのだけれど、ダメだろうか。 「無駄な争いは嫌いなんです。それに、わたし、できれば、紙の流通量を増やして、色んなことに紙を使えるようになってほしいんですよ。契約書じゃなくて、本とかメモ帳とかお絵かき帳とか折り紙とか......子供でも気楽に使えるようなものにしたいんです」 「それは、予想以上に壮大な夢だな」 「え? 壮大ですか? 大量に作れるようになれば、実現すると思いますけど。だから、フォリン紙は思い切って羊皮紙よりも安い値段にして、契約書以外のことに使うようにすればいいんじゃないかと思うんです。例えば、そこの報告書。紙にすればかなり運びやすいし、保存もしやすいですよ。板よりも書きやすいし......」 「なるほど、紙によって用途を分けるか......。一応提案してみよう」 今度は甘いとは言われず、ベンノは何かを企むように目を細めた。何かが心の琴線と脳内の利益計算に触れたらしい。 「紙によって用途を分けるなら、トロンベ紙は高級路線でしょうか? 正直、羊皮紙より質が良いと思うんです」 「そうだな。トロンベは羊皮紙よりも値段設定はかなり高くするつもりだ」 「え? かなり?」 ベンノの言葉を聞き咎めてわたしが目を見開くと、ベンノは逆に軽く目をすがめて、わたしとルッツを交互に見る。 「......お前ら、もしかして気付いてないのか?」 「ルッツ、トロンベの特徴は?」 いきなりの質問にルッツはビクッと身体を跳ねさせた後、トロンベの特徴を思いつく限り並べ始めた。 「へ? 特徴? 辺り一面の土の栄養を一気に吸いあげて、ものすごい勢いで成長していく木で、燃えにくい」 「あ、もしかして!......トロンベで作った紙って燃えにくいんですか?」 そういえば、父もトロンベで作った家具は燃えにくくて火事でも残っていることがあると言っていた。若くて柔らかい木は家具にはならないと言っていたが、紙にはなっている。 「あぁ、そうだ。普通の紙に比べて、圧倒的に燃えにくい。さすがに全く燃えないわけではないが、国家機密や国レベルの公的文書に使うのが望ましい紙だ。燃えにくい紙なんて高価に決まってる」 日本でも全ての紙が同じ値段なわけではなかった。手がかかっていたり、希少だったり、特殊だったりすると、一枚が驚くように高価な紙もあった。 「納得しました。......で、トロンベの紙はいくらですか?」 「契約書サイズで大銀貨5枚にする」 「うわぁ......」 あまりに強気な値段設定にわたしは頭痛さえしたし、ルッツは声も出せないくらい驚いていたけれど、ベンノは「燃えにくい上に滅多に採れない希少価値のある紙なら、こんなものだ」と当たり前の顔で言いきった。 「それから、羊皮紙協会との話し合いが終わるまで、しばらくは店に顔を出すな。お前達を隠したいのには理由があるんだ。紙の作り方が漏れて妙な流通をすると、下手したら死人が出る」 いきなり物騒な話になって目を瞬いていると、ベンノはわたしがすっかり忘れていた契約魔術の話を出してきた。 「契約魔術で紙を作る相手はマインが決めて、ルッツを通して売ることになっているはずだ。契約の存在を知らないヤツが勝手に作って勝手に売ったら、何が起こるかわからない」 「えぇぇ!? 契約魔術ってそんなに危険なものなんですか!? 何も知らない人も範囲に入っちゃうんですか?」 想像もしていなかった事態にわたしは頭を抱える。自分達の職の安定を求めた契約魔術が、まさかこんな危険な方向に作用するとは思わなかった。 「貴族相手に権利を確約するものだぞ? 契約を知らないヤツでも違反した時点で何かの罰が下る。だから、ルッツやマインの存在は隠しておいて、ウチが作って売るという契約魔術があるというふうに商業ギルドには宣言しておいて、羊皮紙協会を牽制しておくんだ」 もしかしたら、職の安定ではなく、自分達への危険を呼びこむ契約魔術だったのかもしれない。植物の紙を作る相手を決められる権利を持っているわたしも、売る権利を持っているルッツも、実はかなり危険な立場にあるのではないだろうか。 「権利を持っているのがお前達だということは隠しておきたい。倉庫の鍵は預けておくから、しばらく店に出入りするな。話し合いが解決したら、オットーを通じて連絡する」 頼もしいベンノの言葉に、わたしとルッツは一も二もなく頷いた。

“Alright.” Mark has finished the necessary arrangements for the contract magic. A piece of parchment, sized for a magical contract, has been spread out on the table, and set next to it is a special inkwell, the design of which I recognize from before. Benno dips his pen into the inkwell, then smoothly begins to write the contract. Just like I remember, the ink isn’t black, but a vivid blue. When it’s ready, I take a look over the finished contract. The right of sale for all goods produced by Maïne’s Workshop is exclusively granted to Lutz. Establis.h.i.+ng a proxy requires the acknowledgement of Maïne, Lutz, and Benno, and must be registered with the merchants’ guild. Benno raises his eyebrows. “Insurance. If the contract’s just between kids, then we’ll see people who think that they can intimidate you two with violence or kidnapping in order to tear it up. Dragging me and the guild into it will give you a little bit more protection against that kind of fraud. When you make contracts like this, try to find a trustworthy ally that you can use as a third party on the contract. You should remember that.” “...Thank you very much,” I reply. He’s already going to the trouble of setting up a magical contract. I didn’t think he’d put himself in a position to get dragged into it too. I take the pen that Mark offers me, and sign my name at the bottom. Lutz signs his name next, followed by Benno, who seals his signature with his blood. “Lutz, could you...?” I ask. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut, and Lutz p.r.i.c.ks my finger with his knife. As my bright red blood starts spreading across my fingertip, I press it firmly on top of my signature. Just like before, the instant my blood touches the parchment, it’s absorbed, and the blue ink of my signature turns black. Then, just like before, once everyone has signed and sealed the contract, the ink s.h.i.+nes dazzlingly. The parchment seems to burn away, as if the ink had ignited it, and as the holes spread across the contract it disappears into nothingness. As the glittering embers wink out, Benno lets out a long, slow sigh. “For now, this gives us a good justification to make sure you two can meet, supposedly to sell goods, even if you get taken to the n.o.bles’ quarter. Maïne, now it’s up to you to think of ways to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Despite my show of confidence, Benno, Lutz, and Mark all give me extremely concerned looks. “Unfortunately, this’ll only work on people who actually think your goods have value.” “Huh?” “If you’re up against someone who literally only cares about your mana, then they could just declare that you don’t need to do any sort of buying or selling of goods at all. ...Luckily, I don’t think any of the n.o.bility around here are rich enough to be able to just ignore a large source of potential income that they don’t even have to put any effort into. Also, this bears repeating: the magic of this contract only works within the walls of this town. Be careful.” After that, we write out copies of the contract on ordinary parchment. These will be used to notify the merchants’ guild, and although they won’t have any binding power over the n.o.bility, if something were to happen in another town, these can be used to show that a contract already exists. “Let’s take care of the formalities today. We’ll head to the merchants’ guild now, to register Maïne’s Workshop as a workshop and get you instated as its head. Once we do that, you won’t have any troubles buying and selling goods. Also, if you demonstrate that you have alternatives besides going to the temple, as well as the ability to earn money on your own, you’ll be able to be a little more stubborn when negotiating.” The merchants’ guild is on my way home, so if I can drop by there and take care of all of these formalities, then that’ll give me a little peace of mind. Benno tells Lutz to go get ready to leave immediately, and Lutz rushes upstairs to his storeroom to get changed. I look up at Benno. “How do you make sure negotiations turn out well?” I ask. “Good question. ...First, always keep in mind what the absolute best outcome you could imagine would be. Then, use that to figure out what you need your opponent to give you. In return, you need to understand what you have to offer, and then figure out what they need.” Listening to Benno, I try to imagine what I really want out of this. My goal is to be able to enter and browser the library. To make that happen, I’d like to join the temple, albeit not as a gray-robed priestess who would be expected to perform physical labor. What I can offer to them is mana and money and, if Benno’s information is correct, mana and money is what they need. We should be able to work something out, right? “...Ah, that reminds me,” I say, “the temple master said that it’s not okay for someone to join the temple if they’re already members of another guild. He said that he would talk with the guild master about that, but I wonder how that turned out? I wonder if I’ll be able to register?” When I suddenly recall what the temple master had told me, Benno sternly chops me on the head. “Oi, Maïne. Stop pa.s.sing off your work onto others. Actually put in the time to make sure you’re securing your advantage. You have no idea what kind of ridiculous conditions might get put on you, do you?” “You’re right. To be honest, I hadn’t thought that the chalice was a magical tool and that I might wind up being able to live a long life, so I was really just thinking that I had about a half of a year left. I see now that I was being careless.” Now that I’ve found a way to prolong my life, though, and since I’ve found a library, I’m significantly more determined than I was before. “Don’t let that determination go to waste. Use your head.” “I’ll be careful.” Lutz runs back down the stairs. Based on how hard he’s panting, he must really have been rus.h.i.+ng. I look up at the seven story building and can’t help but be impressed at his speed. If I were to run all the way up and down those stairs, I know I’d immediately collapse. “Alright, let’s go.” Benno grabs me by my sides and, as if this was his expectation all along, picks me up. Since Otto had told me that my walking speed was almost unbearably slow for a grown man to keep pace with, lately I’ve just been letting myself be carried without complaining at all. Resisting would be pointless; it would only just tire me out. “If n.o.body at the temple is allowed to be in any guilds, then that means that you’ll be the only person at the temple able to deal with the merchants’ guild. If you can’t push past their objections by saying you’re already registered, then just dazzle them with money until they approve of your workshop.” Benno seems to want to waste no time whatsoever, so as we walk towards the merchants’ guild he lays out countermeasures and negotiation strategies, one after another. I really want to be taking notes but, regrettably, I can’t. I keep my eyes fixed on him, hoping to force as many brain cells as possible into operation to try to retain just a little more of this flood of information. “I said this before, but there’s a high probability that since there’s fewer blue priests, there won’t be as much work for the orphans to do, and there won’t be as many donations coming in. Lay out all sorts of nice-sounding reasons, like, ‘I want to help the orphans find a better path’, or 'I want to give them work to do’, or 'I want to make their lives better’. That’ll help you get approval for your workshop. The temple should be well aware of the fact that no matter what they do, they’ll need money to do it.” “Incidentally, make them guarantee that you’ll have labor. Say things like 'I’ll put them to work’, or 'I won’t have anyone to look after my health so I won’t be able to do much on my own’, or whatever. Come up with ten or twenty different ways to say that single fact. Keep in mind that Lutz is already working at my shop, you won’t have him for half the week.” “Ahh, I see...” He lays out individual, concrete, easy-to-understand plans. I nod along, sorting them out in my head. Say pretty things to secure my ability to run a workshop, and exaggerate my weakness to secure a labor force. Certainly, even if I do have a workshop, I won’t be able to do everything by myself. “If people start understanding that these kids are able to put in honest work at a workshop despite being orphans, then there’s a possibility that other workshops are going to be willing to take in orphans as well. If new products show up on the market, and people hear that those were made by orphans, then people might start to change their minds. That’s entirely dependent on your own skill.” “Understood. I’ll do my best.” I’m a little moved by how Benno seems to not just be thinking about me, but about the orphans as well. He sighs, though, shaking his head. “Hah... there’s got to be limits to how easily you get swept up in things, right? Don’t just take on every problem you come across. Decide what your priorities are.” “Huh?” I blink, surprised at how quickly Benno’s opinion seemed to have changed, and he raises an eyebrow at me. It seems that this was some sort of test. “Until you’ve determined what your own position in the temple is going to be, you need to put your own interests above those of the orphans. Rather, think of how you can use those orphans and make them into your supporters. This isn’t particularly nice to say out loud, but there’s a lot more people worried about what might happen to you than people caring about those orphans, after all.” “...I see.” As I nod in comprehension, we arrive at the merchants’ guild. The door creaks as Lutz opens it for us, and Benno frowns a bit. “If you’re making something new, or if something’s giving you trouble, or if you need something, come talk to me. It’ll cost you, of course, but I’ll do whatever I can to help.” “Thank you very much, Mister Benno. That means a lot to me.” Since it’s almost evening, the second floor of the guildhall is nearly empty, and we’re able to pa.s.s through it quickly to head up to the counter on the third floor. I return my temporary guild card, and hand over all of the forms that Benno had prepared before my baptism to complete processing. The paperwork is thoroughly filled out, designating Benno’s shop as the establishment I’ll be trading with, and Lutz’s name specified as the point of contact with whom I will be negotiating. “Oh my, if it isn’t Maïne! What might you be here for?” Freida’s light-pink pigtails sway as she descends the staircase, perhaps coming from the guild master’s office. She notices me as I towards the bookshelf in the meeting area, then rushes over to see me. “Since your baptismal ceremony is complete, I thought you might come here to handle your registration, but I haven’t heard any news of you! I was worried that you might have collapsed in the middle of the ceremony.” “Heh heh, good guess. I really did collapse during the ceremony. I’m finally better now.” I chuckle, ashamedly, finding Freida’s accurate prediction just a little bit funny. She shoots a glare at Lutz, who is looking at a map spread out on the table. “Lutz was there with you, but you still collapsed?” “Oh, it wasn’t Lutz’s fault at all. Really, it was my fault this time.” I first collapsed because I couldn’t contain my laughter, and then collapsed again after getting far too excited over having found a library, so this was absolutely all my fault. I feel so bad about making her worry that I want to prostrate myself in apology. “Hey, Maïne. They’re calling for you,” says Lutz. It seems that while I was talking with Freida they finished getting my new guild card ready. Freida goes behind the counter to get back to work, and I approach the counter to get an explanation. They tell me that the information from my previous card has been transferred over to the new one, but I’ll need a new blood seal on this one. Hearing this causes my breath to catch in my throat. I surrender my hand to be p.r.i.c.ked by the needle, and when the blood runs over my thumb I press it against the card. With a flash of light, registration is complete. It’s a simple process, but a painful one. After I pay the registration fee of five small silver coins, the differences between my temporary card and my new workshop head’s card are explained to me. Freida lurks close by, looking like she has some objection to make. “Oh my, 'Maïne’s Workshop’? You decided against joining Mister Benno’s shop as an apprentice merchant, is it?” “I gave up on that, since it looked like a physically demanding job.” “Ah, perhaps Maïne’s Workshop could sell its goods wholesale to my shop, then?” Freida immediately gets a sharp gleam in her eyes. Confronted by her suddenly merchant-like expression, I glance away a little. “Ahhh, I’m sorry. Maïne’s Worshop is going to be selling its goods through Lutz, to Mister Benno’s shop.” “...Lutz again, I see.” She frowns in dissatisfaction, lips tapering to a point, but what’s done is already done. I’ve already given her monopoly rights on pound cake, so I’d really like for her to give up on this. “I already gave you pound cake, didn’t I? How’s that coming along? Does it look like you’ll be able to sell it?” “Yes, Ilse is in quite high spirits as she’s been experimenting with flavors. It seems like she might want to hear your opinion on it before we put it up for sale. You absolutely must come taste it. How about tomorrow?” I want to eat it, but. Sweet things are the perfect thing to eat when you’re tired, but. Until my negotiations with the temple have concluded, I don’t have the luxury of being able to head over to her place to sample her cake. “I appreciate the invitation, but I already have plans for tomorrow.” “Then, the next day, perhaps? If she can, perhaps your sister would like to join us. If she comes along, then Lutz wouldn’t need to come too, right?” She tries to dazzle me with a mention of Tuuli so that she can get Lutz excluded. Lutz glares at her, making a face that looks like he’s going to snap at her any minute. Come to think of it, she let Tuuli ride in the carriage last time, forcing us to leave Lutz behind, didn’t she. “Freida, don’t say mean things like that. Wouldn’t it wind up tasting better if everyone tried it? If Ilse is doing flavor research, then there’s going to be several different things to try, you know?” “That’s true, but...” she says, pouting in dissatisfaction. I start to describe the details of how a taste-testing might work, hoping to switch Freida’s thoughts from her emotions to a more mercantile mindset. “If you want to judge how close your product is to being ready to sell, as well as its potential sales, you should have as many people as you can taste it and get their feedback, I think. Kids and adults are going to want different kinds of flavors, and men and women are going to want different ones too.” “...Many people? How should I be serving it? Even if I were to throw a tea party, inviting a lot of people would be quite difficult.” Freida’s eyes are very merchant-like now. Unfortunately, even though all I had wanted to do was make sure Lutz could come as well, this seems to have turned into a tea party to which a lot of people might be invited. I want her to acknowledge Lutz’s invitation, so I keep piling on more suggestions. “It doesn’t have to be a tea party, does it? You could have various flavors of pound cake cut into bite-sized pieces, and then have everyone try them and ask them which they thought was the best. It’s more like a food-sampling party, so Lutz could—” “What a wonderful idea!” Before I can finish my sentence, Freida claps her hands, her eyes s.h.i.+ning. She looks excited, even positively merry. Her expression is full of joy and happiness, but I can pretty distinctly see that she’s barely even paying attention to me anymore. “Huh? Freida?” “When I’ve settled on a date and time for the sampling party, I’ll be sure to send you an invitation. Of course, Lutz, to you as well. Ah! I’m going to be so busy! Well, Maïne, Lutz, farewell for now.” Freida, looking like she wants to immediately turn the ideas in her head into reality, turns around and runs back up the stairs. If I had to guess, she’s probably going to consult with the guild master. I honestly have no idea what she’s thinking or how wildly she’s going to be rampaging, but since her good mood made her feel like inviting Lutz along, I guess this was a success. I watch Freida as she leaves, thinking to myself how nice it will be to sample different kinds of cake after my negotiations are finished. Benno chuckles in agreement. By the time we successfully get through all of the formalities of registration and leave the merchants’ guild, it’s almost dark, despite the long summer days. Even the central plaza, which had been bustling when we arrived, has emptied out considerably, with few people coming and going. As we walk home, I watch the long shadows that we cast before us. I feel Lutz squeeze my hand a little tighter than normal. “What’s wrong?” I say. I stop walking and look up at him. When he looks back down at me, his face is twisted into a complicated expression, somewhere between being angry and being on the verge of tears. He grumbles quietly, almost to himself, the words falling into the shadows. “...Maïne, are you really going to the temple?” “Yeah, probably. If what Mister Benno says is true, then I don’t think they’d let me get away. That’s what he was predicting, right?” His lips tighten for a moment, then he looks at me with unease. “Can you really do those negotiations?” The shadows grow darker as the sun continues to set. In the deepening gloom, I can see that he’s even more uneasy, looking like he’s about to cry. I can feel that he’s been gradually squeezing my hand a little bit tighter, bit by bit. Hoping to ease his anxiety, even just a little bit, I smile brilliantly back at him. “Well, I’ve never negotiated with a n.o.bleman before, so I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. But, if that chalice really is a magical tool, then that’ll help keep my devouring in check, so going to the temple will be good for me, I think, and I want to go there to read books, too! But, no matter how I think about it I can’t see myself being a gray-robed priestess, so it’ll really depend on how the negotiations go. I’m going to try my hardest to make sure I can make my living conditions better, if even a little bit.” “Yeah...” For an instant, Lutz almost looks like he’s in pain. He casts his eyes downward, and starts walking again. We continue on together, in silence, for a little while. Lutz lifts his head, pretending like he’s paying attention to where the sound of wagon wheels is coming from, but he’s making an expression like he’s swallowing down something that he really wants to say. As we keep quietly walking forward, I grow more and more curious. “Hey, Lutz. If you’ve got something to say, you can say it, you know? I’ll listen.” Lutz stops walking. He opens his mouth a bit, changes his mind, and thinks about it a little while, then looks away, frowning. “...I don’t want to. It’s pretty uncool.” “Alright, got it.” No matter how curious I am, it’s probably best if I respect his boyish instincts to be cool. I nod, and we keep walking. Again, we walk in silence. The sound of footsteps on cobblestone echo through the streets as people rush home, and from the various windows we pa.s.s I can hear the tumult of evening activities, but around just the two of us, everything seems so quiet. Perhaps the sun has finally set, or perhaps we’ve been swallowed up in the long shadows of the buildings, but our footsteps fall in darkness. “...You said we were going to make paper together, and books too, and then sell them, though. You lied.” Lutz mutters this as a wagon rides past us, perhaps hoping that his voice would be lost in the clattering of the wheels, but I hear him perfectly. His words, which he had wanted to say as our circ.u.mstances were constantly changing but couldn’t, strike home. “I’m sorry, Lutz.” “It’s not something you need to apologize for. I know I wasn’t strong enough to do anything. What Master Benno said is right, so I want to work with you however I can to make sure you don’t have to go through anything too dangerous.” “...But, it still hurts. You said we were going to start a bookstore together...” “Yeah, you’re right. But, I’ve been thinking that since I want to read books, I have to make them. So even if I go to the temple, it’s not like I’m going to stop making books, you know? Rather, if I’m going to be living longer, that means I’m going to have to try harder, right? If I don’t get more books, I’m not actually fulfilling my dream, you know?” Lutz raises his head. His face is still screwed up like he’s trying not to cry, but he tries to smile at me, shrugging his shoulders. “Your dream of surrounding yourself with books and just spending all your time reading them?” “Yeah, that one. You want to become a merchant, right? Become a merchant and get to go see all sorts of places, wasn’t it? I’ve got dreams, too.” When I say that we should keep working hard towards our dreams, Lutz looks even more like he’s about to start crying. Even in the twilight, I can clearly see that the tears in his eyes are on the verge of overflowing. “I want to help you with your dream. ...But, I’ve been trying so hard because you were there with me. I wanted us to work hard together at Master Benno’s shop. I wanted to do so many more things together with you.” He hugs me tightly, burying his face in my shoulder. I can hear him desperately try to hold back his sobs. “It’s okay,” I say. “We can still do that, even if I join the temple. I’m absolutely going to make books, after all.” “No! That’s not it. I don’t want you to make them with someone else and just sell them with me, I want to make them together with you!” Lutz had been keeping his unhappiness dammed up, but now that dam is bursting. He shakes his head like a child throwing a tantrum, and my own chest starts feeling tight as tears well up in my own eyes. I hug him too, patting him gently on the back. “Nothing’s changed from before, you know? We decided already. Whatever I think up, you’ll make, right? When I’m going to make something, before I talk to Mister Benno, before I talk to anyone, I’m going to come talk to you first and ask if you want to help.” “Even though I can’t do anything?” He raises his head, looking surprised. I wipe some of the tears from his cheeks, giving him a small smile. “If you can’t do anything, then where does that leave me? Is there actually anything I can do? Besides, I don’t know what to do, or what even can be done; there’s really n.o.body I can work with to figure out if I can actually make something except for you, right? If you weren’t here, I’d be in big trouble.” “...That’s not right, though. I mean, people know that the things you make are valuable, so everyone’s going to want to help you.” Lutz looks away, frowning disinterestedly, rubbing his face to hide his tears as if he was ashamed that he’d just been crying. Perhaps because getting all of those things off of his chest left him feeling refreshed, or perhaps because he’s trying to shake off his embarra.s.sment, he rolls his shoulders and shakes out his arms. “Nuh-uh,” I say, “even if someone else tried to make them, then things wouldn’t go so well, and I’d just wind up having to call for you anyway. So, I’m not just thinking that you’re going to be my middleman. Really, honestly, will you help me with my projects?” When I shrug my shoulders, Lutz finally smiles. He grabs me tightly by the hand, and walks forward through the quickly darkening streets, a brilliant smile on his face. “Everything’ll be just fine. I’ll make your stuff for you.”

マルクによって契約魔術の準備がされた。テーブルの上に並べられた契約魔術に使われる契約用紙と特殊なインクが入った変わったデザインのインク壺には見覚えがあった。 《マイン工房で作られたものを売る権利はルッツが有すること。 代理人を置く場合はマインとルッツとベンノの了承を得た上、商業ギルドに届け出ること》 「保険だ。子供だけの契約なんて暴力や誘拐なんかで脅して破棄させようと考えるヤツも出てくる。少しでも不正を防ぐために俺とギルドを巻き込んでおけ。こういう契約をする時は自分の味方になりそうなをなるべく巻き込んでおくんだ。覚えておくといい」 「......ありがとうございます」 マルクが差し出してくれたペンを受け取って、わたしが署名する。次にルッツが、最後にベンノが名前を書いて、血判を押していく。 「ルッツ、お願い」 血を吸いこんだ瞬間、青いインクが黒に変わっていくのは以前と同じだ。そして、前回の契約魔術と同じように、全ての署名を終えた後は、インクの部分が光って、燃えるようにインクの部分から穴が開いて広がっていき、契約用紙そのものが消えていく。 燃えかすまでが光に解けるようにキラキラと消えていくのを見ながら、ベンノがゆっくりと息を吐いた。 「これでひとまず、マインが貴族街に連れ込まれても商品を売るために必要だという大義名分を得て、ルッツとマインが顔を合わせることができるようになる。そんなことにならないよう、マインは自衛することを覚えろ」 グッと拳を握って見せたが、ベンノにも、ルッツにも、マルクにも、ものすごく不安そうな顔で首を振られた。 「ただし、このやり方が通用するのは、マインの作りだす商品に価値を見出している者だけだ」 「え?」 「魔力のみを必要とする相手ならば、商品の売買など知ったことではないと言い放つだろう。......幸い、この街にいる貴族で、放っておいても大金が入る機会を無視できるほど裕福な貴族はほとんどいないと思う。それから、以前も言ったが、この契約魔術が効力を発揮するのは、この街だけだ。気を付けておけ」 「はい」 その後、普通の羊皮紙で同じ内容の契約書を交わした。これはギルドに報告するためと、貴族相手には大した牽制にはならないが、別の街で何かあった時にすでに契約していることを示すためらしい。 「今日のうちに手続きしてしまおう。このまま商業ギルドに向かうぞ。マイン工房を工房として登録して、マインを工房長にする。こうしておけば、商品の売買は問題ない。そして、神殿以外にも選択肢とお金稼ぐ術があると見せることで少しは強気に交渉に臨めるだろう」 商業ギルドは帰り道なので、寄って手続きを終えることができれば、ひとまず安心できる。 「どうしたら交渉を有利に進めることができますか?」 「そうだな。......まずは、自分にとって最善の結果を頭に思い浮かべる。そのために相手から引き出さなければならない譲歩が何か、こちらから出せるものは何か、相手が何を欲しがっているか、見極めるんだ」 欲しい物は図書室への入室&閲覧許可だ。そのためには労働必須の灰色の巫女見習いではない立場で神殿に入りたい。こちらから出せるのは魔力とお金。相手が欲しい物も、ベンノの情報が正しければ、魔力とお金だ。 何とか交渉できそう、かな? 「......あ、そういえば、神殿長に原則として神殿へ入るには他のギルドへ所属しちゃダメだって言われたんですよ。ギルド長と交渉するって神殿長が言っていたけど、どうなったんだろう? 登録できるんでしょうか?」 ふと神殿長の言葉を思い出したわたしに、ベンノがビシッとチョップする。 「おい、マイン。自分のことを他人に丸投げするな。きっちり間に入って自分の利益を確保しろ。どんな無茶な条件をつけられるかわからないだろう」 「そうですね。ぶっちゃけ、聖杯が魔術具で、延命できるなんて思ってなかったので、あと半年くらいならどうにでもなぁれって気分だったんですよ。投げやりだったのは認めます」 寿命を延ばすことはできそうだし、図書室が見つかったし、わたしのやる気はぐぐんと上がっている。 「そのやる気が空回りしないように、頭を使え」 「善処します」 ルッツが階段を駆け下りてきた。ぜいぜい言っているので、相当急いだようだ。7階という高い位置を見上げて、わたしは感心してしまう。わたしがこんなところを駆けあがって、駆け下りたら、きっとぶっ倒れるに違いない。 「じゃあ、行くぞ」 わたしの歩くスピードは成人男性にはとても耐えられない速さだとオットーに言われたので、最近はおとなしく抱きあげられるままになっている。抵抗したら疲れるだけで無駄だと諦めた。 「神殿に入る者は他のギルドに所属してはならないなら、神殿で商業ギルドとやり取りできるのは、マインだけということになる。もうすでに登録している、で押し通せなかったら、金をちらつかせてもいいから、工房活動を認めさせろ」 商業ギルドへの道すがら、ベンノはほんの少しの時間も惜しむように、次々と対応策や交渉の仕方を述べていく。全部メモを取りたいけれど、取れないのが惜しい。じっとベンノを見ながら、少しでも多くの情報を得ようと耳と脳味噌を総動員する。 「さっきも言った通り、青の神官が減って、孤児達には仕事がなくて、寄付が減っている可能性がある。彼らに新しい道を与えたいとか、仕事を与えたいとか、生活環境を整えたいとか、適当な綺麗事をこれでもかと並べ立てて、工房の権利を認めさせろ。何をするにも金が必要な事くらいは神殿側もわかっているはずだ」 「ついでに、当人達にも働かせるとか、体調管理をするヤツがいないと行動できないとか、1の真実を10でも20でも膨らませるような言い方をして、労働力も確保しておけ。ルッツはもう店に入っているから、週の半分は使えなくなる」 「なるほど」 いちいち具体的でわかりやすい対策にわたしは何度も頷きながら、頭の中を整理していく。綺麗事を並べて工房の権利を勝ち取り、虚弱さを誇大して労働力を確保する。確かに、工房があってもわたしだけでは動かない。 「孤児達でも工房で真面目に働けると分かれば、他の工房でも受け入れてくれるところが出てくるかもしれない。新商品を作りだし、それを孤児達が作っているとなれば、周囲の目も少しは変わるかもしれない。その辺りはお前の腕次第だ」 「わかりました。頑張ってみます」 わたしのことだけではなく、孤児のことまで考えてくれるなんて、とベンノに感動していると、ベンノは溜息を吐いて、頭を振った。 「ハァ......。お前、乗せられやすいのにも程があるぞ? 何でも抱え込もうとするな。優先順位はあらかじめ決めておけ」 「え?」 くるっと手の平を返したような意見にわたしが目を瞬いていると、ベンノは困ったように眉を寄せた。どうやら、何か試されていたらしい。 「神殿内で自分の立場を確定させるまでは、孤児達より自分の身を最優先にしろ。むしろ、孤児達を味方にして利用することを考えろ。こんなこと言いたくはないが、孤児に何かあるより、お前に何かある方が心配して悲しむヤツは多いんだからな」 「......わかりました」 わたしが頷いた時には商業ギルドに到着していた。ギッとルッツが開けてくれたドアを通り抜けながら、ベンノは少し眉を寄せて不機嫌そうな顔になる。 「新しい商品を作ったり、困ったことができたり、何か必要な物があれば、相談に来い。もちろん、相応の金は取るが、できるだけ便宜を図ってやる」 「感謝します。ありがとう、ベンノさん」 仮のギルドカードを返し、洗礼式前からベンノが準備していた書類を提出して正式登録する。書類には売買の店にベンノ店、交渉役にルッツを指名する旨もしっかりと書かれていた。 「あら、マイン。来ていたの?」 ギルド長室にいたのだろうか、淡い桜色のツインテールを揺らしながら階段を下りてきたフリーダが、待合スペースの書棚を漁っているわたしを見つけて、駆け寄ってきた。 「洗礼式が終わったら、登録に来ると思っていたのに、全く音沙汰ないんですもの。もしかしたら、洗礼式で倒れたのではないかと心配していたのよ」 「ふふっ、お見通しだね。本当に倒れたんだよ。やっと回復したの」 フリーダの予想通りだったことが少し面白くて、わたしが小さく吹き出すと、フリーダは地図を広げていたルッツを軽く睨んだ。 「ルッツが付いていたのに、マインが倒れるなんて」 「今回はルッツに非は全くないから。むしろ、わたしが悪いから」 倒れた原因が腹筋崩壊と図書室見つけて大興奮なのだから、全面的にわたしが悪い。心配かけたことを土下座レベルで謝らなければならないくらいだ。 「おい、マイン。呼ばれてるぞ」 フリーダと話をしているうちに、新しいギルドカードができたらしい。フリーダはカウンター奥の仕事に戻り、わたしは説明を受けるためにカウンターへと向かった。 手渡された針で指を突いて、じわりとにじむ血を押しつけると、カードが光って登録は完了する。登録は簡単だけれど痛い。 「まぁ、マイン工房ですって? ベンノさんのお店で商人見習いになるのではなかったの?」 「体力的に仕事できないから諦めたの」 「では、マイン工房が作った物を我が家にも卸していただこうかしら?」 即座にきらりと目を光らせて商人の顔になるフリーダを見て、わたしは少し視線を逸らす。 「あ~、ごめん。マイン工房で作った物はルッツがベンノさんのお店で売ることになってるの」 「......またルッツなのね」 むぅっと不満そうにフリーダが唇を尖らせるが、決まってしまった物は仕方ない。フリーダにはカトルカールの専売権を売ったのだから、それで諦めて欲しい。 「フリーダにはカトルカールを譲ったでしょ? どう? 売り物になりそう?」 「えぇ、イルゼが張り切って味の研究をしているわ。売りに出す前にマインの意見が聞きたいそうよ。ぜひ味見にいらして。明日はどう?」 食べたいけど。疲れた時に甘い物って素敵だよね、って思うけど。神殿との交渉が終わるまでは、お菓子の味見に行く余裕はない。 「お誘いはありがたいけど、明後日までは予定が詰まってるの」 「では、その次の日はどうかしら? よかったら、マインのお姉様も連れていらして。お姉様がいらっしゃれば、ルッツは来なくていいでしょう?」 トゥーリの存在をちらつかせて、フリーダがルッツを牽制し、ルッツは今にも噛みつきそうな顔でフリーダを睨んでいる。そういえば、前回はトゥーリを馬車に乗せて、ルッツを置いていったのだ。 「フリーダ、そんな意地悪言わないで、みんなで食べた方がおいしいよ? イルゼさんが味の研究をしているということは、いくつかあるんでしょ?」 「それはそうですけど......」 唇を尖らせて不満顔になったフリーダに、わたしは商品の試食という点を追及していく方向でフリーダの思考を感情的なものから、商人思考に切り替えできないか考える。 「商品の完成度と売れ行きを予測するためには、できるだけたくさんの人に食べてもらって、意見をもらうのが良いと思うよ。子供と大人では求める味が違うし、男性と女性でも違うからね」 「......たくさんの人? どのように食べていただきますの? お茶会をするにしても、なかなかたくさんの人をお招きするのは難しいですわ」 フリーダの目が商人のものになってきた。ただ、思考がルッツを参加させることから、たくさんの人を招くお茶会に変わってきてしまったようだ。ルッツの参加を了承してもらいたくて、わたしは何とか言質を取ろうと言葉を重ねる。 「別にお茶会じゃなくても良いんじゃない? 一口サイズに切った色んな味のカトルカールを準備して、どれが一番おいしかったか、どうしておいしいと思ったのか聞いてみるような試食会をするつもりで、ルッツも......」 「その案、いただきますわ!」 わたしが最後まで言うより先に、フリーダがポンと手を叩いて、目を輝かせた。興奮して完全に浮かれたような表情になっている。すごく楽しそうで幸せそうな顔をしているけれど、こちらはもう完全に視界に入っていないように見えた。 「え? フリーダ?」 「試食会の日時が決まったらお知らせするわね。もちろん、お姉様もルッツも。あぁ、忙しくなるわね。では、マイン、ルッツ。ごきげんよう」 思いついたことをすぐに形にしたいとばかりに、フリーダはくるりと踵を返して、階段を駆け上がっていく。多分、ギルド長に相談に行ったのだろう。何を思いついて、どう暴走していくのかよくわからないが、フリーダが機嫌よくルッツを招いてくれる気になったのだから、結果としてはよかったのだろう。 ルッツの言葉にベンノはククッと笑って肯定した。 無事に手続きを終えて、商業ギルドを出ると、夏の長い日でさえも暮れようとしている時間になっていた。商業ギルドに入る時には賑わっていた中央広場も、行き交う人がまばらになってきたように感じる。 「どうしたの?」 わたしが足を止めてルッツを見上げると、ルッツは怒っているような、泣きだしそうな複雑な表情に顔を歪めて、わたしを見下ろした。ぽつりと零すルッツの言葉が影に落ちていく。 「......マインは本当に神殿に入るのか?」 「うん、多分ね。ベンノさんの話が全部本当なら、神殿の方がわたしを離さないと思う。ベンノさんはそう予測してるでしょ?」 ルッツは一度キュッと唇を引き結んだ後、不安そうにわたしを見つめた。 「交渉、できるのか?」 落ちていく夕日で陰影が濃くなって、一層不安そうに、泣きそうに見える。握っている手には少しずつ力が込められていくのがわかった。 「貴族と交渉したことがないから、どうなるかわからない。でも、聖杯が本当に魔術具で、身食いを抑えられるなら、神殿に行った方が良いし、本を読むためには入りたいと思ってるよ。けど、灰色の巫女にはどう考えてもなれないから、交渉次第だよね。自分の環境をちょっとでも良くするために頑張ってみるよ」 「あぁ......」 しばらく沈黙したままで歩く。荷馬車が通り過ぎる音を気にするふりしてルッツの顔を見上げれば、何か言いたそうなのに呑みこんでいるような表情をしていた。無言で足を進めるうちに、どんどん気になってくる。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。言いたいことがあるなら言っちゃえば? 聞くよ?」 足を止めたルッツは少し口を開いて、引き結び、少し考えこんだ後、プイッと視線を逸らした。 「......カッコ悪いから言いたくない」 「そう、わかった」 いくら気になっても、カッコつけたい男心は尊重してあげた方が良いだろう。わたしは頷いて、再び歩きだした。 またもや沈黙が続く。石畳に同じように帰宅を急ぐ人達の足音が響き、夕方の喧騒があちらこちらの窓から聞こえてくるのに、わたし達の周りだけは、シンと静かで空気が重い。 「......一緒に紙を作って、本を作って売るって言ったくせに。マインの嘘つき」 ガタガタと脇を通り過ぎる荷馬車の音に紛れるようなルッツの呟きだったけれど、ハッキリと聞きとれた。くるくると状況が変わっていく中で、言いたかったのに言えなかったルッツの文句が胸に刺さった。 「ごめんね、ルッツ」 「マインが謝ることじゃない。オレの力じゃ何もできないってわかってるんだ。旦那様の言ったことは正しいから、マインが少しでも危険な目に遭わないように、できるだけの協力をしたいと思ってる」 「......でも、悔しい。マインはオレと本屋さんをするって言ったのに......」 「そうだね。でも、わたしは本が読みたいから、作ろうと思ったの。だから、神殿に行っても本を作るのは止めないよ? むしろ、寿命が延びたんだから頑張っちゃうよ? 本を増やさなきゃ、わたしの野望は達成しないでしょ?」 わたしの言葉にルッツが顔を上げた。泣きそうな歪んだ笑顔でルッツは肩を竦める。 「本に囲まれて、本を読んで暮らすっていう野望?」 「そう。ルッツは商人になりたいんでしょ? 商人になって色んなところへ行ってみたいんだよね? わたしにも夢があるんだよ」 それぞれの夢に向かって頑張ろうね、と言うと、ルッツは今度こそ泣きそうな顔になった。溢れそうな涙が薄暗がりの中でもハッキリと見えた。 「マインの夢、応援したいと思ってる。......でも、オレ、マインが一緒だから頑張れたんだ。一緒に旦那様の店で頑張りたかった。マインと一緒にもっと色んなことをしたいよ」 そう言いながら、ルッツがわたしを抱きしめて、わたしの肩口に俯いた顔を埋めた。必死に抑えようとしている小さな嗚咽が肩に落ちてくる。 「大丈夫。神殿に入ってもできるよ。絶対に本を作るから」 「違う。そうじゃない。他の誰かと作った本をオレが売るんじゃなくて、オレがマインと一緒に作りたかったんだ」 溜めに溜めていたのだろう、ルッツの不満が堰を切ったように零れてきた。駄々をこねるように首を振るルッツに、わたしまで胸が痛くなってきて涙が零れる。不満ごとルッツを抱きしめ返して、ポンポンと背中を軽く叩いた。 「前に決めたことは変わらないよ? わたしが考えた物は、ルッツが作ってくれるんでしょう? 何か作る時にはベンノさんより先に、誰より先に、ルッツに相談するし、協力もお願いするよ」 「オレ、何もできないのに?」 ルッツが驚いたように顔を上げた。ルッツの頬の涙を手で拭いながら、わたしは小さく笑った。 「ルッツが何もできないなら、わたしなんてどうなるの? わたしにできることなんてある? それにね、何をどうするのか、何が出来上がるのかわからない状態で、わたしの作りたい物に付き合ってくれる人ってルッツしかいないから。ルッツがいなくて困るのはわたしなんだよ」 「......いや。もう、マインが作る物には価値があるってわかってるから、みんな手伝ってくれるさ」 ルッツはつまらなそうに唇を尖らせて、泣いてしまったことを恥じるように急いで涙を拭う。言いたいだけ不満を吐きだして少しはスッキリしたのか、気恥しさを振り払いたいのか、ルッツはしきりに肩や腕を動かす。 「うーん、誰かと作ることになっても、なかなかうまくいかなくて、結局ルッツを呼びだして、仲立ちしてもらう未来しか思い浮かばないんだけど、ホントに手伝ってくれる?」 わたしが肩を竦めると、ルッツはやっと笑ってくれた。ギュッと手を握り、どんどん暗くなっていく道を明るい笑顔で歩きだす。 「大丈夫だって。オレが作ってやるよ」

Respect for Ancient Egypt Now then, even though I have my heart absolutely set on making books, I have yet to actually secure a source of paper. My j.a.panese sensibilities are telling me that I should just go to an office supply store, where they sell five hundred sheets of copy paper for two hundred yen, but in the world I live in now, just one page of parchment would make an entire month’s worth of my father’s salary disappear. To make that just one page, a hide has to be stripped, all of the fur shaved off, and then from the largest usable part of a single animal’s hide, sheets must be cut that are of a size that’s easy to work with. The page that I saw at my father’s workplace was about the size of an A sheet of paper. If I were to cut up a single page of parchment, I wouldn’t get more than about five to eight usable pages. To put it plainly, it’s so expensive that there’s no way a commoner like me could possibly buy enough to write a book. So, if I’m going to make a book, I need to make some paper. However, I know nothing about how to actually make paper other than what I’ve read in books. After all, paper has always been something that I could just go to a store and buy. I could go into any drugstore and find loose-leaf paper and notebooks with the rest of the school supplies. I lived in a world where people would just hand out little notepads on the street as promotional items. Banks gave out free calendars, and my mailbox was stuffed full of unwanted flyers that went straight into the trash. If I had one of those unwanted flyers now, I’d read every last word on it, and treasure every centimeter of the margin. A world where paper can be obtained so easily is such a luxurious one. Viva, j.a.pan! If I were to be reborn someday, j.a.pan would be nice. To make things worse, there aren’t any machines here for making paper! If I don’t have a machine to help me, the entire process is going to have to be done entirely through my own manual labor. You must be thinking that the solution to my problems is so obvious, now that I’ve been reborn in an alternate world without machines. I read a lot of books, you’re thinking, so I have a lot of knowledge that I can use, right? ...Please, think about it for a little bit. All I ever wanted to do was read, and I thought that even using electrical appliances to do the daily ch.o.r.es was too much work. You think that such a worthless j.a.panese woman could suddenly start doing all the manual labor required to make paper by hand? On top of that, my current body is a child, with a weak const.i.tution, who simply can’t do some things, isn’t allowed to do others, and is otherwise extremely restricted in action. In conclusion: there’s no way in h.e.l.l. However, it’s too early to give up. Throughout the world’s history, businesses and governments have needed to keep records. This goes back to ancient times, but machine-made paper certainly isn’t that old. In other words, I might be able to take the ancient methods used in ancient times and reproduce them here and now. Hmmm, what did they do before they had machines? I scrunch up my eyebrows and open my tiny five-year-old’s hands (more like three-year-old’s because of my tiny physique) as far as they can go, concentrating hard. Ancient civilizations, ancient civilizations... If you’re talking about ancient civilizations, Ancient Egypt is first on the list! And, if you’re talking about Ancient Egypt, you have to talk about papyrus! Three cheers for Ancient Egypt! Thanks to that word-a.s.sociation game, I’ve hit upon the idea of making Papyrus like the Ancient Egyptians did. If it’s something they invented in ancient history, I should be able to do it myself, somehow, even with my tiny hands. I think that they made it out of some kind of plant, like a straight tree or tall gra.s.s... probably. Here, there are plenty of plants. I’m positive that I could find plants suitable for making paper scattered around the forest. Yeah, the forest. Let’s go to the forest. Whenever it came to books, I’d always happily do whatever impossible legwork I needed to do. My family, and even little Shu always looked on with wonder, then sighed in lament. So, now that I’ve got this idea, I want to implement it immediately. I try begging Tory to take me with her to the forest. “Tory, I wanna go to the forest too! Can I go w―” “Eh?! You?! No way!” She shot me down before I even had a chance to finish talking. She reacted so fast that it was obvious she hadn’t even had to think twice. On top of that, she said “no way”, not “you shouldn’t”, which implied that there wasn’t any room for me to change her mind, which really hurt. “Why not?” “You couldn’t make it there, you know?” she says, then starts counting the reasons off on her fingers. “If you can’t make it to the gates, you absolutely can’t make it all the way to the forest. And when we go to the forest, we’re going to gather firewood, fruits, and nuts, right? You really can’t take it easy out there. Also, can you even climb a tree? And when we’re coming back, would you be able to carry a big, heavy box on your back while you walk? If we wanted to make it back before the gates closed for the day, we wouldn’t be able to take any breaks on the way back. There’s no way you can do it, see?” The list is a little long, but it essentially all boils down to “you’re not strong enough”. “Also,” she says, “it’s almost winter, so there aren’t really many things we can find in the forest right now...” This is really tough. Do I go to the forest even though there might not be anything to harvest, or do I give up on making paper? This decision is way too tough. Tory notices the deep look of worry on my face. “What do you want to get?” she asks, tilting her head to one side. “There’s not going to be many melia fruits left, you know.” Melia fruits are what I’ve been making our simple shampoo out of. We haven’t been eating the fruits Tory brings back; instead, we’ve been extracting all of the oil from them and storing it. Then, occasionally, we use it as a moisturizer for our hair. I’d be happy to get more melia, but the important thing here is not beauty, it’s books. I need plant fibers to use as raw materials for my pseudo-papyrus. “Ummm... are there any ‘plants whose fibers can be easily extracted’?” “Eh? What?” Tory has a dubious look on her face, so I repeat myself. That’s definitely the face of someone who did not understand my j.a.panese. I think for a moment, then try to explain it again using very easy-to-understand words. “...I need gra.s.s with a straight, fat stalk. I just want the stalk.” “Hmmm...” Tory ponders my question. Does she have some kind of idea? I watch her intently as I wait for a reply. After a little while, she shrugs her shoulders with a resigned look on her face. “Sure, I’ll try asking Ralph and Lutz for help.” “Huh?” She didn’t say she was going to do it for me, but she said she’d try? I don’t quite understand what she’s getting at, and I tilt my head to one side. Tory seems a little surprised by my reaction. I blink a few times, my head tilted confusedly, as if to ask her what she said just now. “Ralph’s family raises chickens, you know? They need a lot of feed to make it through the winter.” Uh, even if you say “you know,” I didn’t actually know that. Tory’s saying these things as if they’re blatantly obvious, though, so I keep my actual reaction hidden. “Oh yeah!” I say. “So, I’ll offer to help them gather gra.s.s, then I’ll try asking them for some stalks. The seasons where we get a lot of gra.s.s are over now, so there might not be that much, okay?” “That’s okay! Thanks, Tory!” Really, Tory, you’re an amazing older sister. The next day, I accompany Tory downstairs as she leaves to go to the forest, and ask Ralph and Lutz if they’ll help me. They agree to do it, and I breathe a small sigh of relief. However, there’s no way I’m going to rely solely on them. I’m going to go and gather some gra.s.s myself. Fortunately, gra.s.s grows around the well in the places the paving stones don’t cover. I don’t know if the stalks can be used, though. “Mommy, I want to go down to the well with you.” “Oh! Do you want to help out?” “Ah, do your best.” I may have refused to help out, but she’s still letting me accompany her down, whether it’s because she doesn’t want to get in the way of my enthusiasm or because she’s happy that I have enough strength to move around like this. Once again, I go down the stairs, following my mother as she carries the laundry down. This is my second trip today, so just going down the stairs made me so winded that there’s no way I can gather any gra.s.s. I rest next to my mother as she draws water from the well, then uses a foul-smelling, not-foamy, animal-based detergent to start scrubbing away at the laundry. “Ohh! If it isn’t little Maine!” calls out a woman, who I don’t recognize, in a friendly voice. “Good morning,” I say politely. “Ah, Carla!” says my mother, with a smile. “Morning. You’re up early today.” From my mother’s reaction, it would seem that I’m misremembering. This must be an acquaintance of Maine’s. I try to keep my lack of recognition off of my face while I dig through my memories a little. I really do know this person. According to my memory, this is Ralph and Lutz’s mother. She’s got a fairly strong build and, hmmmm, actually seems like a very reliable person. So, should I something like, “thanks for all your help”? Wait, no, no, that is absolutely not what a five-year-old would say. What does a little kid say to an older woman that she’s on really good terms with? Someone, help! Carla looks over at me as I’m caught up in spinning thoughts around my head, then goes to draw water from the well. She hauls the bucket up effortlessly, then starts was.h.i.+ng her own laundry as well. Of course, she’s using the foul animal-based soap. “How are you doing today, Maine?” she asks. “It’s rare to see you outside.” “I’m picking some gra.s.s! Ralph and Lutz said that they’re gathering it for the chickens.” She, along with my mother, is having a lively conversation about this and that with the other mothers that have gathered around the well. Incidentally, it’s amazing how all of these mothers are talking so much while continuing to work so diligently. Nevertheless, this soap really stinks. If you tried using some herbs to help erase the smell, wouldn’t it be nicer? Or maybe would the two smells multiply and turn into an unbearable stench? Reminded of my plans for improvement, I stand up and start tearing gra.s.s from the ground. I try to look for plants with thick, straight stalks that I can use, but I can’t actually tear those out with my own strength. Doing this with my bare hands is impossible. Someone, get me a sickle, please... Of course, no sickle arrives, and there’s no way I can get any of this with just my bare hands. Well, whatever. I’m going to just rely on Tory, Ralph, and Lutz, who went to the forest to help feed the chickens. I’ve given up on finding gra.s.s that I can use, so I start pulling up the little sprouts or weaker leaves that the chickens might be able to eat. Even I can pull these out with no problem. “Maine, it’s time to go!” calls my mother, holding her tub full of tightly wrung-out clothes. It seems like she’s done with the laundry already. I’ve barely filled my little basked halfway, but my mother has to go to work today, and there’s no way I’m going to get scolded for being selfish. I pick up my basket, and start walking back home. “Are you all set?” she asks. “Right, let’s go.” “Okay!” When I first became Maine, I had a fever and my mother was taking time off from work to take care of me, so I didn’t know anything but how life inside my own home was like. Now that I’m healthy again, it seems that I’m going to be left in the care of my elderly neighbor, who’s agreed to babysit me. If she hadn’t, Tory wouldn’t be able to go to the forest. Got it. “Mommy’s got to go to work now, Maine. Be a good girl and keep quiet, okay?” “I’ll leave her to you, Gerda.” “Right, right,” she says. “Come, Maine.” Gerda’s place is full of other children, being watched over just like me. All of these kids are basically infants, who could only really escape by toddling away. In this town, when you’re about three years old, you’re strong enough to start going with your older brothers and sisters to the forest and helping out with the ch.o.r.es. In short, it seems like my family thinks that I’m as weak as a toddler, and can’t stay at home by myself. What the heck?! As I fume about my family’s shocking evaluation of my own worth, I see a boy pick up a toy that had fallen on the ground and move to stick it in his mouth. Next to him, a tiny little girl suddenly started crying and hitting him. “Whoa, gross!” I exclaim. “Don’t put that in your mouth!” “Now, now,” says the old lady. I’m supposed to be just another kid getting baby-sat, but as the biggest kid around I’ve started watching out for the other kids. “Oh my,” “now, now,” what the heck! Gerda, old lady, do your job! While I help Gerda put the littlest kids to sleep, I start thinking about how I’m going to turn the gra.s.s stalks I’m going to get into papyrus. Honestly, I don’t really remember how papyrus was made. I never actually had to know. Certainly, I remember seeing papyrus. It was remarkably thick, with fibers running horizontally and vertically. The fibers on the back were different from the ones on the front and only one side was writable, and there was a note to the side instructing us not to bend it... but there wasn’t anything written there about how it was made. Even more troubling, I can’t remember what the photo I saw of it getting made even looked like. I have a hunch about how I might make the fibers all run in the right direction, but how do I bond them together? Is it like rice paper? Do I need some kind of glue or binding agent? As I think back on how those historical doc.u.ments neglected to mention these important details, my head tilts to one side. For now, I think I’ll try taking a part of the fibers from the hardest stems, then weaving them horizontally and vertically as tightly as I can. With this, I think I won’t need any sort of binding agent. That parchment seemed kind of cloth-like, and this is still my first time making pseudo-papyrus, so if I’ll be satisfied if I can just get a page i can write on. “Toooryyyy~!” It’s evening time, so Tory and the others have come back from the forest to pick me up. I’m so relieved. I was so glad to hear that someone came for me. That emotion sweeps over me, and I cling tightly to Tory. Old lady Gerda’s babysitting did not involve looking after anyone. If something wasn’t very dangerous, she’d just leave it be. If someone peed somewhere, she’d wipe it up with a wet cloth and do nothing else. The room reeked of filth. Since I’ve got the common knowledge of j.a.pan stuck in my head, it’s obvious that this day-care is truly terrible. Leaving your kids with a baby-sitter like that is truly terrible. Really, I want to do something about it, but the problem’s too big for my tiny hands. I can’t do any of the things I’m thinking of with my own hands, and I also don’t know if Gerda’s methods are common or not around here. If I start complaining, they might think that I’m the crazy one. I really wanted to run away from that deplorable environment as fast as I could. I waited in agony, wis.h.i.+ng that someone would hurry up and come get me. “What’s wrong, Maine?” asks Tory, patting me on the head. “Did you get lonely after staying there for so long?” “When you get a little bit stronger, you can totally start coming with us to the forest,” says Ralph. “It would be great if you could come with us in the spring!” says Lutz. I suddenly realize that I absolutely must get stronger. Every single one of my problems has been because I’m too weak. “Oh, right!” says Ralph. “Here’s the gra.s.s stalks we promised you.” He reaches into his basket and grabs a fistful of gra.s.s to show me. In an instant, my worries about the old lady Gerda are blasted out of my head. The important thing here is not old ladies, it’s books. It’s paper. “Oh, so much! I’m so happy! Hey, while I was down at the well, I helped get you some gra.s.s too!” I stand tall and proud as I deliver this information, but for some reason the three of them just pat my head. To make things worse, Lutz looks down at me with a warm smile, like he’s praising me for having tried my hardest. Hey, how much does everyone think that I’m a child that can’t do anything useful? ...I mean, I guess I can’t actually do real work, though. I exchange the gra.s.s I’d collected in the little basket that Tory made for the gra.s.s that the three of them had collected for me. Now then, with this, it’s time to make some pseudo-papyrus.

日本人としての感覚ではホームセンターにでも行けば、500枚のコピー用紙が200円程度で売られていたけれど、わたしとして生活する場では、父親の給料が羊皮紙たった1片に消えてしまう。 羊皮紙の1枚っていうのは、皮を剥いで、毛も削いで、羊皮紙として売りに出された一番大きい一匹分の形のことで、使いやすい大きさに切ると1片になる。父の職場で見つけた1片はだいたいA4用紙くらいの大きさだった。 つまり、わたしは本を作る前に紙を作る必要がある。 スーパーやコンビニはもちろん、学校の購買でさえルーズリーフやノートが並べられていた。「よかったらどうぞ」なんて言って、粗品でメモ帳や手帳がもらえる世界で生きてきた。カレンダーなんて銀行の粗品だったし、折り込み広告や必要のないダイレクトメールなんてすぐにゴミとなっていた。 紙が簡単に手に入る世界は何て贅沢だったのだろう。 おまけに、紙を作ろうにも、ここには機械が見当たらない。機械がない以上、紙を作るのも全部自分の手作業で作るしかないのだ。 機械がない異世界に生まれ変わったんだから当たり前だ、と思うでしょう? 読書が好きなだけで、電化製品を使った日常の家事さえ面倒がっていたダメダメ日本人が、いきなり手作業で紙なんて作れるだろうか。しかも、今は身体が幼児で、病弱で、できる範囲や許されている範囲が極端に狭いのだ。 結論。 政治的に、経済的に必要で、記録してきた長い歴史が地球にはある。ずっと記録はしてきたが、機械で作られた紙ができたのなんて、それほど昔のことではない。 つまり、歴史が古ければ古いほど、今のわたしにも再現が可能かもしれない。 うーん、機械がない時代はどうしてたっけ? わたしの幼女――体格だけな児並み――の手をできるだけ大きく開いて、むむっと眉を寄せた。 古い文明、古い文明......。古代文明と言えば、エジプト文明! エジプト文明、万歳! そんな連想ゲームで、わたしはエジプト文明を手本にパピルスもどきを作ることを思いついた。古代文明の頃の発明品なら、小さいわたしの手でも何とかできるかもしれない。 何か植物、とにかく、真っ直ぐな木や草の繊維を使って、作っていたはずだ......多分。ここにだって植物はある。紙の原料になりそうな植物が、森にならきっとゴロゴロしているに違いない。 よし、森だ。森に行こう。 思いついたら即実行。早速トゥーリに連れて行ってもらおうとおねだりしてみた。 「トゥーリ、わたしも森に行きたい。一緒に......」 「え!? マインが!? 無理だよ」 全部言う前に却下された。考える余地なんてないって感じの反射速度だった。 「どうして?」 「だって、マインは歩けないでしょ? 門まで歩けないのに、森までなんて絶対に無理だよ。森に着いたら、薪拾ったり、木の実探したりするんだよ? ゆっくり休憩なんてできないんだから。それに、木登りもできないでしょ? 帰りは疲れているのに、重い荷物も背負って歩くんだよ? 門が閉まる時間に間に合うように帰るんだから、いくら疲れても休憩できないよ? ほら、マインには無理でしょ?」 当たり前のようにトゥーリはマインが森に行けない理由を指折り数え始めた。ちょっと多すぎるけど、全ての理由が「体力がない」に集約されている。 「それに、もう冬が近いから、森で採れる物も減ってきてるし......」 収穫がないかもしれない前提で森に行ってみるか、紙作りを諦めるか......。 「何が欲しいの? メリヤの実はもうほとんどないと思うよ?」 メリヤの実はわたしが簡易ちゃんリンシャンを作った実で、トゥーリが採ってきた実は、食べられることなく全てオイルとなって保存されている。そして、時折髪につけて、保湿に使っている。 メリヤもありがたかったけれど、大事なのは美容より本だ。パピルスもどきの原料にするために必要な植物の繊維だ。 「えーとね、『繊維がばらしやすい植物』ってあるかな?」 「え? 何?」 怪訝そうな顔で、聞き返されてしまった。これは絶対に日本語で通じなかった顔だ。 「......ちょっと茎が太めで真っ直ぐな草。茎だけ欲しいの」 わたしの言葉を聞いたトゥーリも、うーん、と考え込んだ。何か心当たりがあるのだろうか。じっとトゥーリの答えを待つ。 「そうね、ラルフやルッツに協力してみるわ」 わたしが言葉の意味がよくわからなくて首を傾げると、トゥーリはわたしの反応にちょっと驚いたようだ。目を何度か瞬いて、「今頃何を言っているの?」と首を傾げた。 「ラルフのところは鶏を飼っているから、冬を越すための飼料がいっぱいいるでしょ?」 いや、「でしょ?」って言われても知らないし。 トゥーリが当然のこととして口にしているので、わたしも心の声は隠したままで、「そうだねぇ」と相槌を打っておく。 「だから、草を取るのを手伝う代わりに茎が少しもらえないかどうか聞いてみるってこと。でも、草が多い季節は終わったから、それほど多くないよ?」 「それでもいい。ありがとう、トゥーリ」 さすが、トゥーリ。イイお姉ちゃん。 次の日、森に行くトゥーリと一緒に下まで降りて、ラルフとルッツにも頼んでみた。引きうけてくれたことにホッとしたが、さすがにトゥーリ達だけに任せるわけにはいかない。 わたしも自分で草を取りに行くんだ。幸い、井戸の辺りでも、石畳のところ以外は草が生えていた。あの茎は使えないだろうか。 「母さん、わたしも井戸まで一緒に行く」 「あら、お手伝いしたいの?」 「そう、頑張りなさい」 バッサリとお手伝いを断ったのだが、ちょっとやる気になっているのを邪魔しない方がいいと思ったのか、動く体力が出てきたことを喜んでいるのか、母はわたしの同行を拒否しなかった。 洗濯物を抱えた母と一緒に、またしても階段を下りていく。今日は既復目なので、それだけでやっぱり息切れしてしまって、草を取るなんてできやしない。 井戸から水を汲み上げて、全く泡立たなくて匂いのきつい動物性石鹸でゴシゴシと洗濯する母の隣でちょっと休憩だ。トゥーリの言うとおり、体力を何とかしないと森まで行けるはずがない。 「あらぁ、マインちゃんじゃない」 「おはようございます」 「あら、カルラ。おはよう。今朝は早いのね」 わたしに覚えはないけれど、カルラというおばさんが親しそうな様子で声をかけてきた。母もにこやかに話をしているから、間違いなく、マインの知り合いだと思われる。誰だ? というのが顔に出ないように気を付けながら、少し記憶を探ってみた。 やっぱり知っている人だった。記憶によると、なんとラルフとルッツの母親だ。ちょっと恰幅のいい、えーと、実に頼りがいがありそうな人だ。 いやいや、いくらなんでも5歳の子供らしくない。 ぐるぐると思考が回るわたしに視線を向けず、カルラおばさんは井戸から重そうな様子もなく水を汲んで洗濯を始める。やっぱり臭い動物性石鹸を使って。 「今日は元気なのね? 外にいるなんて珍しい」 「草を取るの。ラルフとルッツ、鳥のために集めてるって言ってたから」 別に悪いとも思っていないような軽い口ぶりで答えながら、カルラおばさんはザカザカと洗濯をしていく。ウチの母を含めた数人の母さん集団とずっと何かしらお喋りしながら。 匂い消しのハーブとか使ってみればちょっとはマシになるのかな? 改善案を頭に思い浮かべつつ、わたしは立ち上がって辺りの草をブチブチと引きちぎり始めた。なるべく茎が太くて、繊維が硬そうな草を選ぶけれど、そうするとわたしの力ではちぎれない。 素手は無理。誰か、草刈り鎌持ってきてー。 もういいや。森に行ったトゥーリや、鶏のために頑張るラルフやルッツに期待しよう。 自分用の茎を取るのは早々に諦めて、わたしは鶏が食べそうな柔らかい葉や芽を選んで摘んでいく。これくらいなら、わたしでも問題なくできそうだ。 もう洗濯が終わってしまったらしい。盥にきつく絞った洗濯物を抱えた母がわたしを呼んだ。まだ小さな籠に半分ほども摘めていないが、母は今日仕事があるので、我儘を言うわけにもいかない。 「準備できた? じゃあ、行くわよ」 マインになってからは、熱があったり、母が休みをとってくれたりで、ずっと家の中にいる生活だったから知らなかったが、熱もなくて元気な時は、わたしは近所の子守りのおばあさんのところに預けられていたらしい。 そうでなければ、トゥーリが森に行くなんてできないもんね。納得。 「母さんは仕事に行ってくるけど、マインはここでおとなしくしていてちょうだい」 「ゲルダ、よろしくね」 「はいはい。おいで、マイン」 この街では、3歳を越えて、体力がついてくると、兄ちゃんや姉ちゃんに連れられて森に行ったり、家のお手伝いをして留守番できるようになる。 どういうことなの!? 家族から自分への評価に愕然としているわたしの前で、床に落ちているおもちゃを口に入れようとしている男の子がいた。その隣では、ちっちゃい女の子が男の子にぶたれて泣き始めた。 「こら、汚いっ! ばっちぃから口に入れちゃダメ!」 「まぁまぁ」 わたしも預けられている子供のはずなのに、一番大きいせいで周りの面倒を見ることになっている。 ゲルダばあちゃん、ちょっとは仕事しろ! ゲルダばあちゃんと一緒に小さい子供を寝かしつけながら、届けられる茎でどうやってパピルスもどきを作るか考えてみた。 正直、パピルスの作り方なんて、覚えてない。 確か、パピルスは見た感じ結構硬そうで、繊維が縦と横になっていて、繊維の方向が表と裏で違うから、片面にしか書けなくて、折り曲げるのには向かないって注意書きがページの隅にはあった記憶が......って、どうすりゃ作れるのか、なんて当然だけど、書いていなかった。 何か真っ直ぐに繊維が走っていた気がするんだけど、繊維同士はどうやってくっつくの? 和紙みたいに糊っぽい何かが必要なの? とりあえず、一番硬そうな茎の部分の繊維を使って、ひとまず布みたいに縦横にちまちまと織ってみるのはどうだろうか。これなら、糊っぽいものがなくても何とかなるかもしれない。 「トゥーリィ~!」 夕方、森の帰りにトゥーリ達が迎えに来てくれた。 ゲルダばあちゃんの子守りは面倒を見るのではなくて、危なくないところで放置しておくというような子守り方法だった。おもらししても、濡れた布で拭いて、後は放置。部屋の中が汚物臭い。 ただ、何とかしたくても、わたしの小さい手には余る問題だ。わたしの小さい手で子守りなんて思ったようにはできないし、ゲルダばあちゃんのやり方がここの普通かどうかもわからない。告発したところでわたしの方が変かもしれないのだ。 「どうしたの、マイン? 久し振りに預けられたから、寂しかった?」 「マインももうちょっと体力があれば一緒に森へ行けるのにな」 トゥーリに頭をポンポンってされて、ラルフやルッツにも慰められて、本気で体力を付けなくてはならないと思い知った。全部体力がないのが悪いんだ。 籠の中にある茎をガシッと掴んで、ラルフが見せてくれた。その瞬間、ゲルダばあちゃんのことは頭から吹き飛んだ。 「いっぱいだね。嬉しい! あのね、わたしも今日は井戸のところで草をちょっと集めたんだよ」 わたしが胸を張って報告すると、何故か三人に頭を撫でられた。 ねぇ、わたし、どれだけ働かない子だと思われてるの? トゥーリに取ってきてもらった小さい籠の中の草と、三人が採ってきてくれた茎の束を交換する。 さぁ、これでパピルスもどき、作っちゃうぞ。

The kitchen was cleaned thoroughly over the course of several days so that it was usable for handling food. While that happened, I had cooking utensils and tableware delivered and had firewood and raw ingredients brought, bit by bit, into the cellar. Also, through Benno, I managed to arrange for cooks to come to my kitchen to work. Starting from the day I saw the kitchen, I started work at home to cultivate natural yeast. If I’m going to have professional cooks baking for me, then I want to eat fluffy bread. With Benno’s guidance, I went to a store that deals in gla.s.sware and bought a container that I could put a lid on, thinking that I could make natural yeast from lutebelles, which are currently in season. I first sterilized the bottle by boiling it. Then, I washed and roughly cut up several lutebelles, put them in the bottle along with some water and sugar, and sealed them in. Over the next few days, I shook the bottle thoroughly once a day, opening the lid briefly to let outside air in, waiting for the day when I could use it as liquid yeast. It took about five days to finally finish fermenting, but now that I’ve filtered it out, I’m left with a liquid that’s full of usable yeast. If I mix this together with whole-wheat flour and water and let it rest, I should be able to make a bread starter. It seems like fluffy bread is rare even in n.o.ble houses. At the guild master’s house, I had some bread made solely of white flour, but even that wasn’t as soft and fluffy as the bread I’ve been craving. If I properly ferment natural yeasts and can use them to make a truly fluffy bread, I think it’ll have a strong appeal. On top of that, if I can keep control of the knowledge of how to ferment natural yeasts and make bread starters, then bread will be the one thing that will be my restaurant’s forte, that few people will be able to quickly copy. Whether or not this will actually go according to plan is another matter, though. As soon as I let Benno know that the bread starter is finished, he immediately mobilizes the cooks and brings them to my rooms at the temple. He brings two people: a young man, not even twenty years old, and a ten year old girl who is clearly his apprentice. If these two can learn the recipes to a reasonable degree, then we’ll be able to bring more people in. “Hugo,” says Benno, very politely, “here you will be able to learn recipes used by the n.o.bility. Please do your best to learn them well. ...Madam Maïne, allow me to introduce to you Hugo, a cook from my establishment, and his a.s.sistant and apprentice, Ella.” As Benno just introduced his cooks to me, I really would like to introduce myself to them in return, but instead I stay silent, nodding once, and let Fran reply for me. After all, I am a blue-robed priestess, so I need to behave like a n.o.ble. “Hugo and Ella, is it?” he replies. “Now then, I shall lead you to the kitchen immediately.” I’ve been told that even instructing the cooks should be left to Fran, so he will be reading cooking directions off of wooden boards that I’ve written recipes on. Gil can’t read yet, so I have to entirely entrust Fran with dealing with the cooks. “The first thing that you must learn is hygienic discipline. Your cookware and utensils must be kept clean and sanitary. This kitchen must be kept in the polished condition that it is now. Before coming here, you must ensure your bodies are clean and your clothes are washed; if you arrive dirty in figure or dress, you will not be allowed into the kitchen. Do you understand thus far?” “Y... yes!” If we can beat proper hygienic practices into their heads here, then when they’re told to do the same things in the Italian restaurant, they won’t put up much resistance there. In the Italian restaurant I’m making, we won’t be serving food on hard slices of bread. We won’t be dropping unwanted food on the ground, and we won’t have a dog running around to eat it up. I’ve heard that that’s unfortunately just the culture around here, but in a high-cla.s.s restaurant where food fit for the n.o.bility is served, I have no use for such a culture. What I really want to get these two started on is consommé, but Benno said that he wanted them to be able to finish making something for him to eat in time for lunch, so I’m going to leave making consommé, which takes a considerably long time, for tomorrow. Today, in order to use the oven for the first time, I want to start by making pizza. Or, more accurately, I want to eat pizza. “Now then,” says Fran, “today we will be making pizza. To begin, please light the oven.” “Yes, sir.” At Fran’s direction, the two cooks retrieve firewood from the cellar and fire up the oven. Since a wood-fired oven takes a fairly long time to heat up, starting the fire has to be the first step. Lighting the oven here isn’t much different than anywhere else, so the two of them are able to get it going quickly. “Before handling the ingredients, please wash your hands.” As Benno and I, seated at the table in the room used for servants, look on, they start working on making the dough for the pizza. Since Fran and I had already gotten all of the ingredients ready and set them out on the counter, it feels like I’m watching a cooking show. Into a bowl of flour, they mix in some of the natural yeast that I’d brought, then some salt, then some sugar, and finally some lukewarm water, before kneading it thoroughly and setting it aside to rise. Hugo looks up, letting out a heavy sigh. “This takes just as much work as making bread,” he says. “It would not be unwise to consider this to be essentially the same sort of thing. Now, after kneading, you must leave it alone for some time to let the dough ferment. In the meantime, we shall make pommé sauce, then chop the ingredients for the pizza and the soup.” They blanch and peel the yellow pommé fruits that we are using in place of tomatoes, cut them down to size, set them to simmer over a low flame, and then start to chop up the vegetables. “Mister Hugo,” says Ella, “I’ll handle prepping the liga.” “Please do,” he replies. She skillfully wields the large kitchen knife, one that I still can’t even hold, and quickly prepares the small white radishes with the garlicky smell. Hugo, as instructed, chops up some bacon, some onion-like lanierres, some carrot-like mellens, and a variety of different kinds of mushrooms. His knife technique is just as fast and precise as you’d expect out of a professional chef. I let out a sigh of admiration. “Master Benno,” I say, “these cooks are even more excellent than I had expected.” The instant I speak, Hugo and Ella turn to look at me, startled. I’d been trying to praise them, but when I see how stiff and frozen they’ve become, I realize that saying anything had been a mistake. “Your praise is most gracious, Madam Maïne,” says Benno. “...You two, she thinks well of you.” Benno’s follow-through thaws the frozen atmosphere. Hugo and Ella both look visibly relieved, and after telling me how gracious my praise is, they return to their chopping, a serious look in their eyes. Benno glares slightly at me, making a gesture to indicate that I should shut my mouth. I nod emphatically. I’m really sorry. I had no idea that words of praise would cause that kind of reaction. After they finish chopping the vegetables, Hugo starts preparing the chicken meat next, slicing breast meat into thin strips and soaking them in oil. Ella works on readying some herbs that would taste good with the meat. “Next, we will be making soup,” says Fran. The recipe I’ve written down is for a salty vegetable soup that’s boiled together with slices of sausage to bring out a rich savoriness. I want to know if thoroughly boiling the vegetables will actually bring out all of their umami. “Please boil the soup like so. We will not be discarding the broth.” “You want us to leave it like that?” The two cooks look at Fran with dubious expressions on their faces. Despite that, even though they look bothered by it, they still can’t go against the instructions of a n.o.ble, so they continue cooking with sour expressions on their faces. My mother made the same face as I watched her try my kind of soup-making. “Ella, please skim the lye from the soup. Hugo, the pommé sauce has boiled down, so please thoroughly mix that liga and some of that oil into it. That will finish up the sauce. Ah, and it seems that this is excellent timing for the dough.” Hugo, given direction after direction, punches down the dough to let out the gas, divides it in half, and starts to stretch it out. “After spreading the dough into a circle, coat it with pommé sauce, then top it with these ingredients.” As Fran requests, Hugo spreads pommé sauce over the surface of the dough, then tops it with bacon, onions, and mushrooms. On the other piece of the dough, he spreads the sauce, then adds chicken breast, onions, and herbs. Then, he sprinkles a generous amount of cheese over both pizzas, and puts them in the oven. I notice that Ella has been staring at Hugo as he works, watching with great interest. She’s wearing the same expression as Tuuli when she’s talking with Corinna about sewing and as Ilse when she’s looking at a new recipe. When I see how closely she’s watching, full of an aspiration to better her skills, I can’t help but cheer her on in my mind. Since we have some time, I want them to make mayonnaise and use that, since we can’t make potato salad, to make kalfe salad, but since this is the first time they’ve been in this kitchen and are making food they’ve never made before while a n.o.ble is watching them, they’re obviously very stressed, so I don’t have any choice but to cut that short. I stealthily signal to Fran to cut back on the number of dishes, and he nods slightly at me. “As the soup has now been thoroughly boiled, please test its flavor in order to adjust its saltiness.” Hugo spoons a small amount of soup into a small dish, then timidly raises it to his mouth. As soon as he takes a sip, he freezes, his eyes flying open wide. It takes him a while to swallow, as if he spent extra time letting the flavors roll around his tongue. “...What is this?” he murmurs, sampling it again. And again. As soon as I realize that there’s not going to be much soup left if he keeps sampling so enthusiastically, Ella slaps Hugo smartly on the back. “Mister Hugo, you’re eating too much! How’s the seasoning?” “Huh?! ...Ah, right.” Hugo frowns sharply, looking between his tasting dish and the pot. I’m guessing that this is the first time tasting anything like this. Figuring out what to add to that flavor must be very difficult. “Just a little bit. Just the tiniest bit of salt will do.” Trembling with stress, he hesitantly adds a single pinch of salt, stirs it in, then takes another sip. “Let me try too, please,” says Ella. When I see her pick up another small dish, looking like a dog that’s waiting for her dinner, I have to fight back a giggle. If I start cracking up now, I’m going to ruin the mood again. Hugo spoons a little soup into her dish, and she drinks a mouthful of it. Her face immediately lights up brilliantly. “Whoa?! What’s this?! This is really good! That’s the vegetables I’m tasting, right? It’s got some sweetness to it, and the taste of the sausage has disappeared into the rest of the soup... I can’t believe you can make a soup this good with so little salt!” “Calm down, Ella!” Hugo tries to restrain Ella as she, speaking very quickly, excitedly describes how delicious the soup is. He glances briefly at me, then back to her, trying to convey a warning with his eyes, but it does not reach Ella at all through her excitement at discovering a new flavor. “I can’t calm down! This is a huge discovery, isn’t it?!” “Please, I’m begging you, calm down. You’re before n.o.bility.” “...Ah...” All the blood drains from Ella’s face as she looks at me. I didn’t even say anything this time, but everything’s frozen up again. I really just want to say that it’s okay to be so excited, and that she should keep trying hard, but what exactly would a n.o.ble say at a time like this? Fran comes near, and I whisper to him. “Could you please tell them that I’m thankful to have cooks with such enthusiasm for their job, and that I’m looking forward to what they’ll be cooking for me?” He nods. “Understood. Sister Maïne, Master Benno, your meal is nearly ready. If I may, I would like to ask you to please be seated at the table in the other room.” Fran motions towards the door. As he does so, Gil, who has been standing there, quickly opens it for us. I get down from my chair, trying not to mope over how I’m being kicked out of the kitchen before everything’s done, and Benno reaches out as if to provide me an escort. Since Fran is giving directions, he can’t leave the kitchen, so Gil is the one to show us to my room. He closes the kitchen door behind us, following closely behind me. I try not to smile when I see the triumphant expression he’s wearing, as if he’s trying to say “look at me, I’m doing my job.” Just like I had asked, the table in my room has been set with a vase full of flowers, place mats, and cutlery, as well as a pitcher of juice to quench our thirst. All of this was put together by Gil while the rest of us were busy in the kitchen, observing the cooks as they worked. “Thank you, Gil,” I say. Grinning, he gets down on one knee. Over the past few days, we’ve developed something of an unspoken agreement that, when it’s time for praise, he takes this stance. “You did a great job,” I say, patting his head. “Thanks for your hard work.” He smiles widely back at me. Yesterday, he used rinsham on his hair so he could look presentable for the cooks that were coming in from outside the temple today, so his hair is silky smooth. It really does feel good to the touch. I reach the table, take a drink, and let out a tired sigh. As a powerful awareness of my own heritage sets in, I slump my shoulders exhaustedly. “Being a rich girl is exhausting. I want to talk with them! I just really want to help them cook...” “Give it up,” says Benno. “To those two, they’re in a n.o.ble kitchen, cooking n.o.ble food, in an environment full of n.o.bles. Everything they’re doing is to study. And while they’re here to practice cooking, you’re here to practice how to carry yourself like a n.o.ble. Don’t let your guard down when you’re in the temple, idiot.” “Urgh... I’ll do my best.” I take a deep breath, straightening up in my chair. At about the time I put some energy back into my rich girl act, I hear the kitchen door open from downstairs. As Fran brings our food upstairs, Gil quickly moves to stand by the wall. “Fran,” I say, “for dessert, I believe I would like a lutebelle.” The sugar in the kitchen here is sugar that I had to bring from my own stash at home. Benno hasn’t managed to acquire any yet. Until he manages to secure a route through which he can get a supply, our pastry is being held back. Unlike during the winter, right now fruits are sufficiently delicious to serve as dessert, but I very much hope that we can procure sugar by the time the restaurant is ready. Fran sets the two types of pizza and bowls of soup down on the table. The pizza looks like it may have been baked for just a little too long. There are a few burn marks on the crust, and the steam gently rising off of each pizza carries with it the faint smell of burnt cheese. The faint sound of the bacon still crackling reaches my ears, and I can see the oil glistening on the surface of the chicken. Both of the pizzas look like they’d be delicious. The smell of the cheese is enrapturing. Benno, sitting across from me, looks with great antic.i.p.ation at the pizzas, his eyes glimmering. “To the supreme G.o.ds who rule over all in the high, lofty skies, to the great G.o.ds who rule over all in the wide, vast earth, to all the G.o.ds who grant sustenance to the thousands upon tens of thousands of lives of creation, we offer this heartfelt prayer of thanks for this meal.” I recite the blessing that I’ve spent the past few days memorizing, then just Benno and I begin to eat. The other two people in the room can’t eat until they are granted food as the G.o.ds’ blessings. Even though I want to eat with them, and even if the concept of granting someone food isn’t really something I’m comfortable with, this is what it means to be a blue-robed priestess, and I can’t work against that. With Fran by my side, serving as my waiter, I eat my soup. The savoriness of the mean and the sweetness of the vegetables are tied together by a faint saltiness to form a gentle flavor that matches the soup I make at home. I’d personally prefer if it were a little bit saltier, but that’s something I can hope for next time. “The flavor of the vegetables has truly been highlighted, has it not?” I say. “Even Ilse expressed much curiosity about this.” “Hmm? Is it truly so rare a thing?” When I obliquely hint that this soup isn’t something found in n.o.ble recipes, he responds like he understands, staring fixedly at the soup. “This is pizza. Please think of it as something like a bread.” I pick up a slice of pizza, using a fork to cut off the thick, goopy strands of cheese that come along with it, and then try a bite. Benno matches me, taking a slice of the bacon pizza, and has a bite as well. “Does it suit your tastes?” I ask. “...This tastes even better than what I was expecting.” I take another slice for myself, and Benno slides two onto his plate. Then, I look up at Fran. “Fran, I give you the G.o.ds’ blessings. Please, take your leave until it is time for dessert.” “I am truly thankful,” he says. If I say things like that, then the cooks and my attendants will be able to eat while it’s still warm. Fran and Gil pick up the leftover food, heading downstairs, and after a moment I hear the sound of a door closing. A moment later, Ella squeals in delight, her voice echoing up the stairs. It seems like they started sampling everything right away. I can hear the faint sound of a fun, lively conversation happening downstairs. While the others are busy being enthusiastic about their cooking, now is the perfect time for a private conversation. “Mister Benno,” I say around a mouthful of pizza, “do you think this pizza and this soup will sell?” Benno nods, swallowing. “It will. This is the first time I’m having it, but it’s delicious. ...I feel like this pizza is more tender than the bread I ate when I dined with n.o.bles, though.” “It’s thanks to my wonderful little yeasts,” I reply. “What do you mean by that?” “It’s something that means that other shops can’t get ahead of us on this. ...Like, even if the cooks that we’ve trained get hired away by someone else, this is a secret that will make sure we’re still on top of the market.” This Italian restaurant is going to be something I’m going to be able to get some money out of. If it isn’t profitable, then I’m going to be in some trouble. “Since the soup only really brings out the flavor of the vegetables, if someone really wanted to copy it, I think it wouldn’t be hard for them to do so. Once they start copying us, then we’re going to fight by having a variety of different flavors of soup.” “Huh... We don’t have many cooks, though. How’s that going to work?” “If we offer courses whose flavors match the season, then even if we don’t have very many cooks, I think we should still be okay.” When I answer, Benno groans, scratching roughly at his head. “...Man, I feel like an idiot for worrying about things all by myself. Using you to solve some of my mountain of problems would really clear things up.” “Let’s not talk about it here. Stop by my shop.” The two of us finish eating, and I ring the bell that’s been left on the table for us. Shortly thereafter, Fran and Gil come up the stairs bearing our desserts. They tidy up our used tableware, then set our dessert plates in front of us. “Fran,” I say, “did you find the taste to be satisfactory?” Out of all of us, the person who understands n.o.ble cuisine the most is Fran. All I’m doing is making the food that I want to eat, so it’s still going to be different from actual n.o.ble cooking. “...It was very delicious,” he replies. “It was not traditional cuisine, but I believe that the flavor is such that any n.o.ble who has an interest in novel foods would find it appealing.” “The cooks have taken a profound interest in this as well, and have expressed a burning desire to try again after reviewing what they have made so far, so I believe that they will continue to work hard from tomorrow on.” I’m very happy to hear that everything is coming along nicely. On the other hand, though, I suddenly feel like I’ve forgotten something important. “...I think that there may be something that I am forgetting about. Fran, might you have any ideas?” “Something... you’re forgetting about?” “Yes, something about the temple. I can’t quite put my finger on it...” As Benno eats his dessert, and Fran and I contemplate, a huge crash sounds from downstairs as the front door is flung violently open. “Everything is all your fault!!” Ah! I remember. I forgot about Delia.

食材を扱う厨房は数日間かけて徹底的に掃除してもらった。それと並行して、調理道具や食器が厨房に運び込まれ、薪や食材が次々と地下倉庫に入って行く。そして、ベンノを通して、料理人にウチの厨房で仕事をしてもらう算段がついた。 厨房を見つけた日から、わたしはおうちで天然酵母作りを始めた。プロの料理人に焼いてもらえるなら、ふわふわパンが食べたい。 ベンノに教えてもらって、ガラスを扱っているお店で、蓋ができる保存用のガラス容器を買ってきた。今回は今が旬のルトレーベで天然酵母を作ってみたいと思う。 ガラス瓶を煮沸消毒して、洗ってヘタを切ったルトレーベと水と砂糖を入れて蓋をする。後に何度かビンを振ったり、蓋を開けて空気と触れあわせたりしながら、酵母液ができるのを待つ。 だいたくらいかかるが、完全に発酵させて、最終的に濾したら、酵母液ができあがりだ。できあがった酵母液に全粒粉と水を加えて混ぜて、寝かせて、かけ継ぎしながら、パン種を作った。 天然酵母でしっかりと発酵させて、ふわふわパンを作ることができれば、強いアピールになる。そして、天然酵母とパン種をわたしが作って管理すれば、パンだけはすぐに真似できない強みになるはずだ。 そんな計算通りに行くかどうかはわからないけれど。 パン種ができあがった事をベンノに知らせると、早速ベンノは料理人を連れて、神殿の部屋へとやってきた。まだ若い20歳前後の男の人と明らかに見習いと思われる10代前半の女の子だ。こがある程度覚えたら、次の人を入れることになっている。 「フーゴ、こちらで貴族のレシピについて教えて頂くことになる。よく学ぶように。......マイン様、こちらは当店の料理人でフーゴ。それから、フーゴの助手をする見習いのエラでございます」 ベンノに料理人を紹介されたので、挨拶くらいはしたかったけれど、わたしは黙って頷くだけで、受け答えは全てフランが行う。わたしは青色巫女なので、貴族らしく振る舞うため、というのがその理由だ。 「フーゴとエラでございますね。では、早速厨房を案内しましょう」 料理人に指示を出す時も必ずフランを通すように言われていて、調理方法はわたしが木札に書きとめたレシピをフランが読み上げるという形になる。ギルはまだ字が読めないので、料理人とのやり取りはフランに任せるしかない。 「最初に覚えてほしいのは、衛生管理でございます。調理器具や食器を綺麗に清潔に保つこと。厨房も今の状態を保ち、磨き上げること。こちらに来る前に必ず身体を清め、服は必ず洗濯し、汚れた服や身体で厨房に出入りしないこと。よろしいですか?」 「は、はい!」 ここで衛生観念を叩きこんでおけば、イタリアンレストランで同じことをするように言われてもすんなり受け入れられるだろう。 わたしはこれから作るイタリアンレストランを、カチカチの固いパンを皿代わりにして、いらなくなった食べ物は床に落として、犬に食べさせるような店にするつもりはない。ここの文化だと言ってしまえばそれまでだが、貴族の食事を出す高級食事処にそんな文化は必要ないと思う。 本当はコンソメ作りから始めたかったが、ベンノができあがったお昼を食べたいと言うので、時間がかかりすぎるコンソメ作りは明日だ。今日は初めてオーブンを使うということもあり、ピザ作りから始めたい。とういうか、わたしが食べたい。 「では、本日はピザを作って頂きましょう。まず、オーブンに火を入れます」 「はい」 フランの指示の元、二人は地下から薪を運びこみ、オーブンに火を入れる。薪のオーブンは温まるまでに時間がかかるので、火を入れるのが最初の仕事になる。竈に火を入れるのと要領は変わらないので、手早くできた。 「食材に触る前に手を洗ってください」 使用人用のテーブルにベンノとわたしが座って見守る中、ピザの生地作りが始まった。使う材料はわたしとフランが準備して、前もって台の上に並べてあるので、料理番組のようになっている。 「これはパンを作る時のように力がいりますね」 「同じようなものだと考えていただいて結構です。よくこねたら、しばらくこのまま置いて発酵させておきます。その間にポメでソースを作って、ピザやスープの具材にする野菜を刻んでいただきます」 湯剥きした黄色いトマトもどきのポメを適当に刻んで、弱めの火でぐつぐつと煮込んでもらい、具材にする野菜をどんどん刻んでもらう。 「フーゴさん、アタシがリーガの処理をしますね」 「頼む」 わたしにはまだ持てない大きな包丁をエラは難なく使いこなし、ニンニクっぽい風味の白いラディッシュであるリーガの下処理を手早くこなす。フーゴはベーコンや玉ねぎっぽいラニーエ、人参っぽいメーレン、茸類を次々と指示通りに刻んでいく。野菜を切る手つきはさすが本職と称賛できるスピードで、わたしは感嘆の息を吐いた。 「ベンノ様、予想以上に素晴らしい料理人ですわね」 わたしが発言した瞬間、フーゴとエラがビクッとしてこちらを振り返った。褒めたはずなのに、空気が凍って、二人の顔が強張っているのを見て、わたしは自分の発言が失敗だった事を悟る。 「もったいないお言葉でございます、マイン様。......二人とも、お褒めの言葉をいただいたぞ」 ピキリと凍った空気をベンノのフォローが溶かしていく。フーゴとエラがホッとしたように表情を緩めて、「もったいないお言葉です」と言った後、また真剣な目で野菜を刻み始めた。 ごめんなさい。だって、褒め言葉であんな風に固まるとは思わなかったんだもん。 野菜を切った後は、フーゴに鳥肉の下処理をしてもらい、薄く削ぎ切りにした胸肉に塩と酒を振ってもらう。エラにはお肉と合わせるとおいしいハーブの準備をしてもらった。 「これから、スープを作って頂きます」 わたしが書いたレシピは腸詰をスライスして煮込んで旨みを出した塩味の野菜スープだ。ちゃんと煮込めば野菜から旨みが出ることを知ってほしい。 「スープはそのまま煮込んでくださいね。茹で汁を捨てないように」 「このまま煮込むんですか?」 フランの指示に、料理人二人は怪訝な顔になった。それでも、貴族に逆らうことはできないのか、困ったような、気持ち悪そうな顔のまま、料理を続ける。わたしのスープ作りを横で見ていた昔の母と同じような顔だ。 「エラ、スープの灰汁取りをお願いします。フーゴ、ポメソースが煮詰まってきたので、リーガとそこの油を加えてよく混ぜてください。それでソースは完成です。あぁ、そろそろ生地が良い頃合いですね」 次々と飛んでくる指示に対応し、フーゴは発酵して膨らんだピザ生地のガス抜きをして、生地を半分に分けて、伸ばす作業に移る。 「丸く広げた生地の上に、出来上がったポメソースを塗り、ここの具材を乗せてください」 フランに言われるまま、フーゴはポメソースを塗って、ベーコン、玉ねぎ、茸を乗せた。もう一つの生地にはポメソースを塗って、胸肉と玉ねぎ、ハーブを乗せる。そして、両方にチーズをたっぷりとかけたら、オーブンに入れる。 その様子を盗み見るようにエラがじっと見ている事に気が付いた。コリンナと裁縫の話をしていたトゥーリや新しいレシピを前にしたイルゼと同じような向上心に溢れた強い目に、わたしは心の中でこっそりとエールを送る。 時間があれば、マヨネーズを作って、ポテトサラダならぬカルフェサラダまで作りたかったが、初めての厨房で、作ったことがない料理を貴族に見られながら作るという緊張する状態では、予定通りにいかなくても仕方ない。フランにこっそりと料理の品数を減らすサインを出すと、フランは小さく頷いた。 「スープがよく煮込めたようなので、少し味を見て、塩の味を調節してください」 フランの言葉にフーゴが小皿にスープを少し取って、恐る恐る口を付けた。口に入った瞬間、目を見開いて固まる。ゆっくりと味わうように舌の上で転がしていたのか、ゴクリと嚥下するまでに少し時間がかかった。 「......何だ、これ?」 その勢いで味見をされたら、スープがかなり減りそうだ、と思った瞬間、バシッとフーゴの背中をエラが叩いた。 「フーゴさん、食べすぎです! 塩加減はどうなんですか?」 「んぉっ!?......あ、あぁ」 小皿とスープの鍋を見比べながら、フーゴがギュッと眉を寄せる。多分初めて食べる味だったはずだ。それに味を足すのは難しいと思う。 「あと少し。ほんの少しでいい」 緊張して震える指先で塩を一つまみ入れて、ぐるりと掻き回し、フーゴはもう一度味を見た。 「アタシも味見させてください」 餌を待つ犬のような顔で小皿を持って味見をねだるエラの姿に、わたしは口元を押さえて笑いを堪えた。ここで笑ったら、また空気が凍るに違いない。 小皿に少しスープを入れてもらったエラは一口飲んで、顔を輝かせた。 「うわぁ! 何これ!? すごいおいしい! 野菜の味、ですよね? 甘みがあって、腸詰の肉の味もスープに溶けだして......少しの塩味でここまでおいしいなんて、信じられない!」 「落ち着け、エラ」 興奮して早口でフーゴにおいしさを訴えるエラの肩をフーゴが押さえる。一瞬ちらりとわたしの方を見て、視線でエラに注意を促そうとしたようだが、新しい味の発見に歓喜しているエラには通じなかった。 「落ち着いていられませんよ! 大発見じゃないですか!」 「頼むから、落ち着いてくれ。貴族様の御前だ」 「......あ......」 ざっと青ざめたエラがわたしを見た。わたしは何も言ってないのに、また空気が凍った。 フランが近寄ってきたので、「仕事熱心な料理人で感心いたしました。これからの食事を楽しみにしております、と伝えてくださる?」と囁く。 「かしこまりました。マイン様、ベンノ様、そろそろ食事の支度ができます。お部屋の方でお待ちくださいませ」 半ば強制的に退場させられることになり、わたしは内心しょんぼりしながら椅子から降りると、ベンノがエスコートするように手を差し出した。 料理の指示を出すフランは厨房から離れられないので、部屋についてくるのはギルの役目だ。厨房のドアを閉め、わたしの後ろをついて歩く。オレ、仕事してるぜ、と言わんばかりの得意そうな顔に思わず笑いそうになった。 部屋のテーブルには、わたしが指定したように花が活けられた花瓶とランチョンマット、カトラリーが並べられ、喉を潤すためのジュースが準備されている。これらは全て、わたし達が厨房で調理の見学をしている間にギルが準備してくれたものだ。 「ありがとう、ギル」 へへっと笑いながら、ギルがその場に片膝を付く。ここ数日で暗黙の了解となってしまったのが、この褒めてほしい時の体勢だ。「よくできました。頑張ったね」と頭を撫でれば、満足そうにギルが笑う。 外から料理人が来るということで、昨日リンシャンを使ったギルの髪はさらさらのつるつるになっている。手触りが実に良い。 わたしはテーブルに着いて、飲み物を飲んで、ホッと息を吐いた。自分の素性を知っている、いわば身内に囲まれたことで、かくんと肩を落として愚痴を零す。 「お嬢様は疲れる。お喋りしたい。わたしも一緒にお料理したいよ」 「諦めろ。あいつらにとって、貴族の厨房、貴族の料理、貴族がいる環境、全てが勉強であり、訓練であるのと同様、お前が貴族らしい振る舞いを身に付けるための訓練の場でもあるんだ。神殿内で隙を見せるな、阿呆」 「うぅ......。頑張ります」 ゆっくりと深呼吸して背筋を伸ばす。お嬢様として気合を入れ直した頃、下の厨房のドアが開いた音がした。フランが食事を運んできたようで、ギルがさっと部屋の端に寄って立った。 「フラン、わたくし、デザートにはルトレーベを頂きたいわ」 ここの厨房にある砂糖はわたしが自宅から持ってきたもので、ベンノはまだ砂糖を手に入れてない。ベンノが砂糖のルートを確保するまで、お菓子はお預けだ。 少し焼きすぎたかな? というくらいで、ピザができあがっていた。生地のところどころに焦げ目が付き、ふわりと揺れる湯気と共に焼けたチーズの匂いが広がった。ベーコンはまだピチピチと小さな音を立てていて、鳥肉は表面に油が出ていているのが見えた。 「幾千幾万の命を我々の糧としてお恵み下さる高く亭亭たる大空を司る最高神、広く浩浩たる大地を司る五柱の大神、神々の御心に感謝と祈りを捧げ、この食事を頂きます」 他の人は神の恵みとして下げ渡さなくてはならないのだ。どうせなら一緒に食べたいし、下げ渡すというのが、わたしにとってあまり気分の良いものではないけれど、それが青色巫女の立場だから仕方ない。 フランが側に付き、給仕されて、わたしはスープを飲んだ。肉のうまみと野菜の甘みが塩味でまとめられた優しい味で、家で食べるスープと同じ感じに仕上がっていた。もうちょっと塩味が効いている方が好みだけれど、それは次回に期待しよう。 「野菜の味がよく出ているでしょう? イルゼも興味を示していらっしゃったわ」 「ほぉ? それは珍しいことではございませんか?」 遠回しに貴族のレシピにもないスープだと伝えてみれば、ベンノには正確に伝わったようで、じっとスープを見つめる。 「これがピザで、パンのようなものだとお考えくださいな」 わたしは切り分けられたピザを手にとって、とろりととろけるチーズをフォークで軽く切って、食べて見せる。ベンノも同じようにベーコンのピザを口に入れた。 「お口に合いまして?」 「......想像以上の味に驚きました」 わたしは一切れずつ、ベンノの皿には二切れずつ入れてもらうと、フランを見上げた。 「フラン、神の恵みを与えます。それから、デザートまで人払いをお願いね」 「ありがとう存じます」 フランとギルが料理の残りを持って、一階へと下りていって、ドアが閉まった音がした。次の瞬間、きゃあ! とエラの弾んだ声が響いてきた。どうやら、早速試食会が始まったようだ。ガヤガヤとした楽しそうな声がうっすらと聞こえてくる。 向こうが料理に熱中している間は、内緒話に丁度良い。 「ベンノさん、このピザやスープは商品になりそうですか?」 「なる。初めて食べる味だったが、うまいな。......ピザは貴族の会食で食べたパンより柔らかいような気がするぞ」 「天然酵母ちゃんのお陰ですね」 「何だ、それは?」 「他の店に出し抜かれないための......たとえ、レシピを教え込んだ料理人が引き抜かれたとしても、こちらが優位に立つための秘密です」 イタリアンレストランにはわたしもお金を出している。利益を出してもらわなければ困るのだ。 「スープは野菜の旨みを利かせただけですから、真似しようと思えば、他の人もすぐに真似できるようになると思います。真似され始めたら、色々な味のスープを用意して多様性で勝負です」 「ほぉ......。だが、料理人が少ないが、大丈夫か?」 「旬に合わせたコース料理の形にすれば、料理人の人数が少なくても大丈夫だと思いますよ」 わたしが答えると、ベンノが呻き声をあげてガシガシと頭を掻いた。 「......俺一人で悩んでいるのがバカバカしくなってきた。山積みの問題解決にはお前を使うのが簡単そうだ」 「ここで話すことじゃない。また店に来い」 二人とも食事が終わったので、テーブルに準備されていたベルを鳴らす。すると、フランとギルがデザートを持って上がってきた。食器を片づけ、代わりにデザートが盛られた皿を置いてくれる。 「フラン、味には満足いただけたかしら?」 わたし達の中で一番貴族料理に詳しいのはフランだ。わたしは自分が食べたい物を作ってもらっているだけで、実際の貴族料理とはまた違う。 「......とてもおいしく頂きました。伝統的な貴族料理ではありませんが、新しい物を好む貴族の方にも興味を持って頂ける味だと思われます」 「料理人も興味深く食べていらっしゃった上、これから復習を兼ねてもう一度作りたいと意欲を燃やされておりましたので、明日からも十分に働いてくれると思われます」 何もかも順調だな、と嬉しく思う反面、何かを忘れている気がしてならない。 「......何か、忘れているような気がするのだけれど、フランには思い当たることがないかしら?」 「忘れていること、でございますか?」 「えぇ、神殿に関することで、何か忘れているような......」 ベンノがデザートを食べている横で、フランと二人で考え込んでいると、バーンと大きな音を立てて、入口の扉が開いた。 「何もかもあんたのせいよっ!」 あ、思いだした。デリアの事、忘れてたんだ。

The Head Priest shakes me by my shoulder, startling me back to attention . He rubs his temples and taps on my slate while looking down . “It looks like we aren’t making any progress at all, doesn’t it?” “Ah, I’m very sorry . ” I apologize and resume calculating . Once I reach a point in the calculations where I can pause, I cease the sc.r.a.ping of my slate pencil and heave a sigh . ... What to do about Lutz? Lutz is managing somehow since running away from home, but it would be best if, after an earnest discussion with his family, they could reconcile . If they don’t have an open discussion, they’ll end up hiding the things they want to say and only speaking at cross purposes when they do talk . As I’ve been blessed with a good family, it is difficult for me to accept this situation, but if staying with his family is too painful for Lutz, it may be better for them to separate . It’s a difficult situation . “Maïne, your hands have stopped . ” “Eh? Ah, this is done . ” “Yes . ” If it’s only about resolving the current situation, the simplest solution would be for Benno to adopt him . Lutz would be able to devote himself to his work, and he would also gain a strong backer in matters concerning his career . Even the practical side of his life would have no worries . However, without permission from his parents, adoption is impossible, and Benno says he won’t interfere this time . I thought about preparing a place for discussion, calling Lutz, his family, and Benno together and have them talk it out properly, but I don’t believe that I will be able to gather everyone even if I said: “Let’s have an honest talk . ” I also think it would be difficult to reign in Benno and Lutz’ father if the discussion became heated and they began to quarrel . No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t see a future where it would change for the better . “... I’m really totally useless...” “It’s as you say . You’re completely correct there . ” “Eh?” Surprised at the Head Priests sudden comment, I look up to see him jerking his chin towards the bed . “Maïne, come over here . ” “Umm, Head Priest, will the work be alright?” “Your work as calculator can wait . Come . ” “... Okay . ” While grumbling “Isn’t it too mean to call me a calculator?”, I follow the Head Priest and enter the room . I take a seat at the edge of a couch and take a quick glance at the various objects that are usually inside the room . The Head Priest brings his own chair, sits down on it with an irritated whomp and glares at me . Given that the Head Priest more opening shows his emotions here, the glint in his eyes is about two times sharper than before . “Just what are you brooding about? It seems like you have only breathed out depressed sighs for most of the session . ” Worrying about Lutz, I don’t focus on the work . What should I say, it looks like the sermon will be a long one . Once I try to keep the preaching short by showing that I’m reflecting, the Head Priest places his elbow on the armrest of the chair, rests his chin in his hand and gives me an annoyed stare . “Seeing that it delays the performance of your official duties, it’s not totally unrelated . ” I have to fully agree with you . I slowly avert my look from his golden eyes which were slightly narrowed . Having been been accused of talking without thinking, it’s better for me to talk as little as possible . When I hold my tongue, the Head Priest gets up and stands before me with a sigh, and then pinches my cheek with a twist . “Tell me properly . If you act ambiguous and long-winded like a child, the official duties I care about will likely make no progress . ” I had imagined he only saw me as a convenient calculator, but it seems he’s concerned about me . I intently look up at the roundabout, incomprehensible Head Priest . Which reminds me, the Head Priest is someone who received education as n.o.ble . I heard that many of the temple’s n.o.bles moved away due to adoption and marriage after the number of n.o.bles fell because of the political purge, but I wonder whether the Head Priest is well informed about adoption . “Head Priest, do you know of a method to adopt someone without getting the permission of the parents?” The Head Priest raised one of his eyebrows lightly, as if surprised, due to my question . “What? Do you even have the determination to be apart from that family?” “It’s not about me!” Because of the Head Priest’s startling remark, I unintentionally forgot to speak with proper respect, but the Head Priest just quietly mutters “As expected . ” Fixing his posture on his chair, he places his elbows on the armrests and links his fingers in front of his stomach . “... Who are you talking about then? Depending on the situation, it may be possible . ” “There is a way?” “As I hold a bit of authority, there are some methods . Though you will have to let me investigate the other party before I will exercise my authority . ” “It’s the adoption of Lutz by Benno . ” I could see a faint hope to improve Lutz’ current situation . I stare at the Head Priest with eyes full of expectation while reseating myself . “I suppose both are important people to you? ... Tell me the details . ” I told the Head Priest a simple outline and as I answered his questions, one by one, it resulted in a detailed recount of the circ.u.mstances . The Head Priest, who apparently questioned me until satisfied, closed his eyes and quietly sorted the information before slowly opening his eyes . “No . ” “His father has said to leave Lutz, who ran away from home, alone if he’s doing his work, didn’t he? He hasn’t said anything along the lines of ‘Go away’ or ‘Don’t come back’, has he?” “... Probably, since I’ve only heard it from Tuuli, I don’t know for sure either . ” “Eeh!? The orphanage director; that’s me, no!? Then I have to immediately take in Lutz at the orphanage...” Amazing me! It’s great that I took up the job of the orphanage director! Once I get up with a clamoring while being exhilarated, the Head Priest once again waves his hand telling me to sit back down . Having that pointed out very calmly I reseat myself without even uttering a single complaint . Umm... I feel like the Head Priest is steadily getting a better grasp on my personality . “Even though you have a.s.sumed the official position of orphanage director, you are still a minor . Just your signing is insufficient for carrying out an adoption . ” “... So what should I do if someone, who really wants to adopt an orphan, turned up?” For my autograph to be useless even though I’m the director of the orphanage... I slump my shoulders dejectedly, but I calmly concluded in a corner of my mind that there’s no way for me as a child, who’s at an age where I can’t do anything without my guardians being present, to bear such a responsibility . “Seeing as it can’t be done by you, it becomes necessary for me, who is your superior, to do the signing . ” “Head Priest, I beg you . Please sign Lutz’ adoption . ” When I requested that of the Head Priest, he breathed out slowly . “It doesn’t mean that I won’t sign it . But, the points you’ve raised just now are all things you were told by Lutz, who is a child himself . I can’t decide that he was abandoned by his parents just because I was told so by a child . Before taking him into the care of the orphanage as a child who was abandoned by his parents, I’d like to listen to his parents’ side . ” “Huh? Umm, how?” Even if I’m simply told that he wants to speak with them, I don’t know what would be the best method to arrange that . The head Priest stares at the confused me with a look as if seeing something strange . “How, you ask? If I want to speak to someone, I just have to summon them, don’t I? Just what are you talking about?” “... What a splendid display of authoritarian power in front of my eyes . ” “Thank you very much . ” I lift my face in a bright mood . For a change, the Head Priest was smiling . But, that smile had nothing refres.h.i.+ng to it and felt like the grins when he came up with something slightly evil . “For that sake, you have to make an effort to perform your official duties in the afternoon as well . The library room will have to wait . ” “... Hah?” When I’m feeling overcome with surprise, the Head Priest squinted his eyes while looking even happier . “I heard from Fran . That it is more effective against you than the reflection room . ” “Gaahh!?” ... Fran you stupid idiot! I tearfully strived in my duties throughout the afternoon and got the Head Priest to write up the written invitations as promised, one for Lutz, Benno and Lutz’ parents each . “Give these to me . ” I received the wooden tags, necessary for improving Lutz’ situation even if it’s only a bit, with a smile plastered all over my face . “Let’s go and give them to Lutz and Mister Benno then . ” Being urged on by Fran, I made a short visit to the Gilberta Company . I have Mark lead us to the inner room and also have him call Lutz . “Mister Benno~, praise me, praise me . Look at this!” Running up to Benno with a bouncy stride, I hold out the wooden card with a triumphal look . Just after Benno briefly scans the wooden card with a puzzled look, his expression transforms and he has a fit of anger . “... A written invitation by the Head Priest!? You, just what did you do this time!?” “Umm, that is, it turned out like this after I consulted with the Head Priest regarding Lutz’ running away from home and a bypa.s.s for the adoption?” Since I had a feeling that I accomplished something beneficial this time, I tilt my head to the side and blink my eyes in confusion due to being suddenly confronted with his anger . “Just what have you done!?” “Eh? Huh? What’s wrong about it?” “Don’t get a n.o.ble involved in such issues! You don’t know to what conclusion it might lead!” Benno is enraged, but I don’t get the reason at all . The Head Priest is undoubtedly a n.o.ble, but he will understand if you talk with him . And, although it’s difficult to understand as he’s roundabout about it, he was only worried about me . “Maïne, you know, I appreciate your feelings . But, usually, I’m afraid if I receive such written invitation . ” Lutz looks at the written invitation he was given and hangs his head crestfallen . Benno also hangs his head in the same way while being at his wits’ end . “I mean, Mister Benno, you told me that you can’t make a move yourself this time . So I just consulted with an adult close to me . ” Pursing his lips with a groan, Benno glares at me with his reddish-brown eyes that have a ferocious light dwelling within . “I see . Meaning, it wouldn’t have turned out like this, if I had advanced the adoption, even if it had to be forcefully, by threatening Lutz’ parents and using my full power...?” “W-What scary stuff are you talking about!?” “... Maïne, if master really wants to do so, he’s capable of at least this much . My family caused trouble for the store . You understand even without pondering who is stronger between my parents and master, right?” I was taken aback by Lutz’ words . I have been carefreely coming and going to the Gilberta Company, but Tuuli did say that she feels nervous by just going to the northern side of the city . She ought to have clearly felt the difference to our usual sphere of daily life at first . Even when Aunt Karla came to directly demand Lutz to be returned, it was probably an act that took quite the courage . Lutz’ family, who bothered the store, not receiving any punishment is owed to them being forgiven leniently by Benno . “What?” “Seriously!?” Benno and Lutz looked my way . I nod and explain the method I was told by the Head Priest to both of them . “With the fact of having been discarded by his parents, Lutz will go to the orphanage and ask for shelter . If it’s a situation where you, Mister Benno, decided to take care of Lutz, who is an orphan at that time, the adoption will be valid with the orphanage’s and your autograph, Mister Benno...” “The orphanage director is you, huh?” Benno looked at me while grinning broadly . Although I feel bad about having given him expectations, my signing has no value . “As I’m a child, it’s the Head Priest who has to sign it . That’s why he wants to speak with Lutz’ parents and decide based on the circ.u.mstances he’s told . The written invitation is for that . ” Benno looks at the wooden card he still held in his hand and slowly strokes his chin while frowning . “Aren’t you favored quite a bit by the Head Priest? Normally a n.o.ble won’t concern themselves with our matters . ” “Now that you mention it, Otto said something along those lines as well, didn’t he? This time I should probably thank you Maïne, but I don’t really want to . I wonder, what is this feeling of a wasted effort...” Benno sighs as if worn-out and roughly scratches his head . “You will pa.s.s the invitation to Lutz’ parents . ” “I’m sorry, Maïne . ” “No, it’s okay . I was supposed to go to report to Aunt Karla anyway . But, you know, since the setting is that you went to the orphanage with the claim that you were abandoned by your parents, go to the orphanage tomorrow, okay?” “Make sure to do so,” I wave my hand to Lutz and leave the store, going back home together with Fran . When I planned to head to Lutz’ home, I caught sight of Aunt Karla loitering around at the water well’s plaza . “Aunt Karla!” “Maïne, you are late . Did you meet Lutz? In what kind of situation is he?” “He’s seriously doing his job . He looks happy . ” “Aunty, look, this here is a written invitation from the temple’s Head Priest . ” I take out the wooden card and hold it out to Aunt Karla . Karla opens her eyes widely in disbelief and looks at the wooden card with a ghastly pale face . “Lutz requested shelter at the orphanage, saying that he was discarded by his parents . ” “Isn’t the one who left on his own accord that child!?” Obviously startled, Aunt Karla yelled, but even if she shouts here, the written invitation won’t disappear . The invitation from the Head Priest, a n.o.ble, is absolute . “Accordingly the Head Priest says that he wants to talk with his parents to decide whether he should really be sheltered at the orphanage... Uncle and Aunty, both of you have to come . Because you probably have to arrange your absence from work, it’s been set to three days later . He said that he’d like you to come to the temple on the third bell in three days . ” I explain the details of the invitation to Aunt Karla who can’t read . Aunt Karla looked back at me while tightly grasping the wooden card I’m still holding out to her . “... The third bell in three days, correct?” “Yes . If you show this wooden card the gatekeeper will guide you in . ” Three days later I greeted the day of the meeting while fidgeting . I head to the temple earlier than usual, change into my blue robe and go to the Head Priest’s room . Lutz, who stayed with my attendants, is with me while wearing his apprentice clothes . For Lutz to have stayed in my attendant’s quarters is because I was told by the Head Priest that it might result in the other orphans harboring futile expectations, if they can see Lutz leaving into adoption . “I’m incredibly nervous, you know? “... It’s far too grandiose for a family council, isn’t it?” Me and Lutz entering the Head Priest’s room was apparently after he received the information that Benno and Mark had arrived . Both of them immediately turned up after being guided by a grey-robed priest to the Head Priest’s room . After Benno finished the endless-feeling, long-winded greetings for a n.o.ble, Lutz’ parents arrived . Having heard that he has a work related to construction, the body of Lutz’ father isn’t that large, but it looks muscular . He had the appearance of a worker who toils outside while often getting sunburnt . What’s really well showing his stubborn character are the wrinkles, which were carved into his forehead, and his jade eyes that felt glaring . Thanks to his blonde hair that seems to be close to white, he slightly looks like someone who has lived through many years . Lutz’ father looks at Lutz for an instant, and after snorting with a “Humph,” he gave a simple greeting to the Head Priest . At the time when Lutz’ parents sit down on the offered chairs, Aunt Karla become startled after seeing Benno and Mark, who are sitting in the seats in front of her . Mister Mark, seriously, what did you do? What did you tell her? Those are the marks of him already having threatened her, aren’t they? At the moment everyone a.s.sembled in the Head Priest’s room, the third bell resounded loudly . “... Mmh . ... Maïne . Hey, are you listening?”. “Then, this...”. “Yes . ”. “... It’s something completely unrelated to you, Head Priest . I’m sorry . I will try to do a bit better . ”. I spontaneously get up, but the Head Priest waves his hand as if telling me to reseat myself and nods to my question “Hmm . So Lutz ran away from home harboring unhappiness with how his family treats him after running into their resistance to becoming a merchant’s apprentice and also to go outside the city for his work from now on . Benno wants to adopt Lutz who shows a promising future, but that’s also being opposed by his parents . Wanting to do something about Lutz’ living environment is your biggest wish, and the best case would be for Lutz to reconcile with his family . You believe that the fastest method would be for Benno to adopt him . Anything wrong with what I’ve said up to here?”. For him to accurately summarize the information he memorized without even having taken any notes; I wonder, doesn’t that mean that the Head Priest possesses an excellent memory in fact? As I’m admiring him for something weird, the Head Priest continues even further,. Indeed, what I realized based on the Head Priest’s explanation just now is that I don’t know anything besides hearsay about Lutz’ parents’ opinion . I talked with Lutz and also listened to Benno’s opinion . But, I never heard anything about Lutz’ parents except for the things that Lutz, Ralph, and Tuuli told me “... Situationally it’s a slightly weak argumentation, but it’s possible for Lutz to be adopted if he’s treated as child, who was put into the care of the orphanage after being abandoned by his parents, allowing the orphanage director to sign as foster parent if Benno were to request that he wants to take custody of the orphan . ”. “Wait . Maïne, make sure to listen to things until the end . Isn’t jumping to conclusions or not listening properly the reason for many of your blunders?”. “...”. If they want to have a talk, they only have to summon the other party . That’s the common sense of the temple . Remembering the time when my parents received a written invitation and were summoned, I drop my shoulders . Just what the heck have I been doing to worry whether I won’t be able to set up a place for a discussion “Everything will be cleared in front of me as witness, and if I can agree with it, I will support Lutz’ adoption by Benno . ”. Given that Lutz stopped picking me up, I go back home together with Fran . That’s because it won’t be seen as anything but a child’s errand if I went with Gil, despite having been given the written invitation by the Head Priest . If it’s the adult Fran, even Lutz’ parents will likely accept the invitation seriously “I mean, the Head Priest said that it can’t be helped since it’s for the sake of taking care of his calculator... besides, I wanted to do something for Lutz . ”. “A written invitation from the Head Priest once you made a move for the sake of Lutz, huh...?” Benno sighs “Just when I was planning to let it end peacefully for the sake of Lutz, you are...”. “Even the Head Priest is peaceful! He also gave proper thought about a method to adopt Lutz . ”. “It looks like I’m an important calculator for him . It seems that the work efficiency changes depending on whether I function or not . ”. Being called by me, Aunt Karla raises her head as if being snapped up, and came running over . Her round face has become haggard and thin, and the area around her eyes seems to have sunken in slightly The feeling of her being worried about Lutz was painfully clear from Aunt Karla breathing out in relief . It might be obvious that she won’t accept the adoption readily “... Come again? From the temple?”.

「......ン。......マイン。こら、聞いているのか?」 肩を揺さぶられてハッとしたわたしは、神官長を見上げた。こめかみをぐりぐりと押さえながら、わたしを見下ろす神官長がトントンと石板を指差す。 「全く進んでいないようだが?」 「あ、申し訳ありません」 謝った後、わたしは計算を再開した。カツカツと石筆を動かして計算落すると、溜息が出る。 ......ルッツ、どうしよう? 家出してしまったルッツの現状を何とかするには、ルッツとルッツの家族がしっかりと向き合って話をして、それぞれの思いを伝え合って和解できるのが一番良いと思う。お互いが言いたいことを胸に秘めているような状況で伝わっていないから、ルッツとルッツの家族は完全にすれ違っているのだ。 このままで良いわけがないと思うのは、わたしが家族に恵まれているからだろうか。家族と一緒にいるのが辛いなら離れてしまった方がルッツにとっては良いのだろうか。そこが難しい。 「マイン、手が止まっている」 「え? あ、これは終わりました」 「では、これを......」 「はい」 現状打破するだけなら、ベンノと養子縁組をするのが一番の近道だと思う。仕事に打ち込むこともできるし、仕事上の強固な後ろ盾も得られる。生活面でも心配はなくなる。ただ、両親の許可がなければ、養子縁組はできない。そして、今回はベンノが手出ししないと明言していた。 話し合いの場を設けて、ルッツの両親とルッツとベンノを呼びだして、きっちりと話をしてもらうことも考えたが、わたしが「みんなで腹を割ってお話しましょう」と言ったところでみんなが集まってくれるとは思えない。 そして、話し合いがヒートアップしすぎて、ベンノやルッツの父親が暴走し始めたとしても収拾をつけることができない。どう考えても好転する未来が全く見えなかった。 「......ホントにわたし、全然役に立たない......」 「その通りだ。君の意見は正しい」 「え?」 独り言に反応が返ってきたことに驚いて顔を上げると、神官長が怖い目でわたしを見下ろし、くいっと顎でベッドの方を示した。 「マイン、こちらに来なさい」 「あの、神官長。お仕事はよろしいのですか?」 「計算機の整備が先だ。来なさい」 「......はい」 計算機というのはあまりにひどい言い草ではないか、と心の中で文句を垂れながら、わたしは神官長の後をついて行き、部屋に入った。 相変わらずごちゃごちゃと物がある部屋の中、わたしは長椅子の物を端に寄せて、座る場所を確保する。 神官長は自分の椅子を持ってきて、苛立たしげにドスンと座ると、わたしをじろりと睨んだ。ここに来ると神官長が少々感情的になるので、さっきより2倍くらい眼光が鋭い。 「一体何を考え込んでいる? 先程から辛気臭い溜息ばかり吐いているようだが」 「......神官長には全く関係のないことです。すみません。もうちょっと頑張ります」 ルッツのことが心配で仕事が手に付きません、なんて言ったら、お説教が長引きそうだ。反省しているところを見せて、お説教を手短に終わらせようとしたら、神官長は椅子の肘かけに頬杖をついて、忌々しげにわたしを見据えた。 「執務が滞る以上、全くの無関係ではない」 薄く細められた金色の瞳からわたしはそっと視線を逸らす。考え無しと言われているわたしはなるべく喋らない方が良い。 わたしが口を噤んでいると、軽く溜息を吐いた神官長が立ち上がり、わたしの前に立ったかと思うと、わたしの頬をぐにっとつまんだ。 「ハッキリと言いなさい。子供がうじうじうだうだとしていたら、気になって執務が捗らないであろう」 計算機扱いする態度からはよくわからなかったが、どうやら心配されていたらしい。回りくどくてわかりにくい神官長をじっと見上げる。 そういえば、神官長は貴族として教育も受けた人だった。政変の粛清で貴族が減って、神殿の貴族が婚姻や養子縁組でたくさん移動したと聞いたけれど、神官長は養子縁組に詳しいのだろうか。 「神官長は、親の許可を得ずに養子縁組をする方法をご存知ですか?」 わたしの質問に神官長は驚いたように軽く片方の眉を上げた。 「何だ? あの家族から離れる決心でもついたのか?」 「わたしのことじゃないし!」 神官長のビックリ発言に思わず敬語も何もかも忘れてしまったが、神官長は「だろうな」と軽く呟いただけで、済ませてしまった。椅子に座り直し、ひじ掛けにそれぞれ肘を乗せて、お腹の前で指を組む。 「......では、誰のことだ? 状況によるが、全く方法がないわけではない」 「あるんですか!?」 わたしが思わず立ち上がると、軽く手を振って座り直すように示しながら、神官長は頷いた。 「私に権力がある以上、多少の抜け道はある。権力を使う相手は見極めさせてもらうが」 「ルッツとベンノさんの養子縁組です」 ルッツの現状改善にわずかな光明が見えた。わたしは座り直しながら、期待に満ちた目で神官長を見つめる。 「どちらも君にとって重要人物だな?......詳しく話しなさい」 神官長に軽くあらましを話したところ、次々と質問をされ、質問に答えている間にかなり詳しく事情を説明することになった。 満足するまで質問をしたらしい神官長は、情報を一度整理するように軽く目を閉じた後、ゆっくりと目を開けた。 「ふむ。ルッツが商人見習いとなることに反対され、今また街の外に仕事で出ることに反対され、家での待遇に不満を持ち、家出した。ベンノは将来有望なルッツを養子としたいが、これにも親が反対している。マインはルッツの生活環境を何とかしたいというのが、一番の希望で、最良は家族との和解。最速はベンノとの養子縁組だと考えている。ここまでで問題はないか?」 「ないです」 メモも取らず、しっかりと情報を覚えてまとめられるなんて、実は神官長はものすごく記憶力が良いのではないだろうか。わたしが変なところで感心していると、神官長は更に続ける。 「家出したルッツについて、仕事に行っているなら放っておけ、と父親は言っているんだな? 出て行けとか、帰ってくるなとは、一言も言っていないのか?」 「......多分。わたしもトゥーリの話を聞いただけなので、はっきりとはわかりませんけれど」 そう、今回神官長に説明する上で一番痛感したのが、ルッツの両親の意見が又聞きばかりで全くわからないということだ。ルッツとは話をするし、ベンノの意見も聞いた。けれど、ルッツの両親についてはルッツやラルフやトゥーリから聞いた話ばかりで、わたし自身は聞いたことがない。 「......状況的には少し弱いが、親から捨てられ、孤児院に保護された子という扱いにすれば、孤児院の院長が親代わりにサインすることで孤児を引き取りたいと申し出たベンノと養子縁組は可能になる」 「えぇ!? 孤児院の院長ってわたしじゃないですか! じゃあ、早速ルッツを孤児院に......」 すごい、わたし! 孤児院の院長をやっててよかった! 心が浮き立ってガタッと立ち上がると、神官長はまた座り直すように手を振る。 「待ちなさい。マイン、君は話を最後まで聞くように。早合点したり、聞いていなかったりと君に失敗が多いのはそのせいではないのか?」 「......」 至極冷静に指摘されて、わたしはぐぅの音も出ずに座り直す。何だろう。神官長が着々とわたしの性格をつかんでいるような気がする。 「孤児院の院長という役職に就いているとはいえ、君は未成年だ。君のサインだけでは養子縁組をするには不十分だ」 「......じゃあ、本当に孤児を引き取りたいという人が来たらどうするんですか?」 孤児院の院長なのに、サインでさえ役立たずだなんて......。 しょぼんと肩を落とすが、保護者がいなければ何もできない年齢の子供にそんな責任を負わせられるわけがないことも頭の片隅では冷静に判断していた。 「君にできない以上、上司である私のサインが必要になる」 「神官長、お願いします。ルッツの養子縁組にサインしてください」 わたしが神官長に頼むと、神官長はゆっくりと息を吐いた。 「サインをしないわけではない。だが、今の君の言い分は、全て子供であるルッツの視点で語られたものだ。子供の言い分だけで、親から捨てられたと判断することはできない。親に捨てられた子供として孤児院で保護するために、私は彼の両親の話を聞きたい」 「え? あの、どうやって?」 簡単に聞きたいと言われても、どうすればいいのかわからない。首を傾げるわたしを、神官長は不思議な物を見るような目で見た。 「どうとは? 話聞きたければ、相手を召喚すれば良いだろう? 君は何言っているんだ?」 「......権力というものの力を目の当たりにしました」 話を聞きたくなったら相手を呼びつければいい。それが神殿の常識だった。自分の両親が招待状を受け取って呼び出されたことを思い出して、わたしは肩を落とす。話し合いの場を設置したくてもできないと悩んでいたわたしは一体何だったのか。 「私が立ち会う前で全てを詳らかにし、納得できれば、ベンノとの養子縁組に協力しよう」 「ありがとう存じます」 わたしは晴れやかな気分で顔を上げた。 珍しく神官長が笑った。しかし、その笑顔は爽やかでも何でもなく、何かちょっと悪いことを思いついた時のようなニヤリとした笑顔だ。 「そのために君は午後からも執務に励まなければならない。図書室はお預けだ」 「......はひ?」 わたしが呆然としていると、神官長はさらに愉しげに目を細めた。 「フランに聞いた。君には反省室より効果があると」 「のぉっ!?」 ......フランのバカバカ! わたしが泣く泣く午後からの執務に励むと、神官長は約束通り招待状をしたためてくれた。ルッツの両親とベンノとルッツの分だ。 「これを渡しなさい」 ルッツの現状が少しでも改善するための大事な木札を、わたしは満面の笑みで受け取った。 ルッツは送り迎えしてくれなくなったので、わたしはフランと一緒に帰る。神官長から預かった招待状を渡すのに、ギルと一緒に行けば子供のお使いにしか見えないからだ。成人しているフランがいれば、ルッツの両親もちゃんと受け取ってくれるだろう。 「では、ベンノ様とルッツに渡してしまいましょう」 フランに促されて、わたしはギルベルタ商会へと寄った。マルクに奥の部屋へ通してもらい、ルッツも呼んでもらう。 「ベンノさ~ん。褒めて、褒めて。ほら、これ!」 わたしは弾む足取りでベンノところへと駆けて行き、ビシッと木札を差し出した。訝しげな顔で木札を受け取ったベンノはざっと目を通した途端、顔色を変えて雷を落とす。 「......神官長からの招待状だと!? お前、今度は何をやらかした!?」 「えーと、その、ルッツの家出と養子縁組の抜け道について神官長に相談したら、こうなったんですけど?」 今回はとても役に立つことをやり遂げた気分だったので、いきなり雷を落とされたことに目を瞬いて首を傾げる。 「何て事をするんだ!?」 「え? え? 何がいけなかったの?」 「お貴族様をこんな問題に係わらせるな! どんな結末になるかわからんだろうが!」 ベンノが激昂するが、わたしにはいまいちその理由がわからない。神官長は確かにお貴族様だが、話せばわかってくれるし、回りくどくてわかりにくいが、わたしを心配してくれただけだ。 「だって、神官長が、計算機整備のためだから仕方ないって......それに、ルッツのために何かしたかったんだもん」 「マイン、気持ちは嬉しいけどさ。こんな招待状もらったら、普通怖いから」 ルッツが手渡された招待状を見て、ガックリと項垂れる。ベンノも同じように項垂れて頭を抱えた。 「お前がルッツのために動いたら、神官長からの招待状か......ハァ」 「だって、今回はベンノさんが手を出せないって言ったから、わたしにとって身近な大人に相談しただけなのに」 むぅっと唇を尖らせると、ベンノが赤褐色の目に凶暴な光を宿してわたしを睨んだ。 「そうか。俺が全力で権力を行使して、ルッツの家族を脅して、無理やりにでも養子縁組を進めれば、こんなことにはならなかったのか......」 「な、何て怖いことを言っているんですか!?」 「......マイン、旦那様は本当にやろうと思えば、それくらいはできるんだよ。ウチの家族は店に迷惑をかけたわけだし、ウチの両親と旦那様のどっちが強いかなんて考えなくてもわかるだろ?」 ルッツの言葉にわたしはハッとした。自分は気軽に出入りしているギルベルタ商会だが、トゥーリは北の方へ出向くだけでも緊張すると言っていたし、当初は自分達の生活圏との違いを明確に感じていたはずだ。 カルラおばさんがルッツを返してほしいと直談判したのも、相当な勇気がいる行為だっただろうし、店に迷惑をかけたルッツの家族が何の罰も受けていないなら、ベンノが寛大に許したということになる。 「こっちがルッツのためにも穏便に済ませようと思っている時にお前は......」 「神官長だって穏便ですよ! 養子縁組する手段だってちゃんと考えてくれたんですから」 「何?」 「マジで!?」 ベンノとルッツが揃ってこちらを向いた。わたしは頷いて、神官長が言っていた方法に説明する。 「親に捨てられたということでルッツが孤児院へ来て保護を求めて、ベンノさんが孤児であるルッツを引き取ることにしたという状況なら、孤児院とベンノさんのサインで養子縁組が成立するって......」 「孤児院長はお前か」 ベンノがニヤリとしながらわたしを見た。期待されているところ悪いけれど、わたしのサインには意味がないのだ。 「わたしは子供だから、神官長がサインすることになるんです。だから、ルッツの両親も交えて、事情を聞いた上で判断するって。その招待状なんです」 ベンノは手に持ったままだった木札を見て、眉を寄せたままゆっくりと顎を撫でる。 「お前、ずいぶん神官長に気に入られていないか? 普通、お貴族様は俺達のことに関与などしないぞ?」 「大事な計算機らしいです。わたしが機能するかどうかで、仕事効率が違うそうですよ」 「そういえば、オットーもそんなことを言っていたな。今回はマインに感謝するべきなのかも知れんが、感謝したくない。何だろうな、この徒労感は......」 ハァ、と疲れたようにベンノが溜息を吐いてガシガシと頭を掻いた。 「ルッツの両親にはお前が渡しておけよ」 「はい」 「悪いな、マイン」 「ううん、いいよ。カルラおばさんにはどうせ報告に行くはずだったし。ただね、ルッツが両親に捨てられたと主張して孤児院に来たという設定だから、明日から孤児院に来てね」 ちゃんと来てね、とルッツに手を振って店を出て、わたしはフランと一緒に帰途に着く。 ルッツの家に向かおうと思っていたら、井戸の広場でうろうろしているカルラおばさんの姿が目に入った。 「カルラおばさん!」 わたしが声をかけると、おばさんは弾かれたように顔を上げて、こちらに駆け寄ってきた。丸かった顔がやつれて細くなり、目元が少しくぼんで見える。 「マイン、遅かったね。ルッツには会ったかい? どんな様子だった?」 「真面目にお仕事してたよ。元気そうだった」 ホッと安堵の息を吐くカルラおばさんからはルッツを案じる気持ちが痛いほどに伝わってきた。簡単に養子縁組に応じないのは当たり前かもしれない。 「おばさん、これね、神殿の神官長からの招待状なの」 わたしは木札を取り出して、カルラおばさんに差し出す。おばさんは信じられないと目を大きく見開いて、顔色を真っ青にして、木札を見た。 「......何だって神殿から?」 「ルッツ、孤児院に保護を求めたの。親に捨てられたって」 「勝手に出て行ったのはあの子だよ!?」 ぎょっとしたようにおばさんは叫んだが、それをここで叫んでも招待状はなくならない。貴族である神官長からの招待状は絶対のものだ。 「それで、神官長がルッツを本当に孤児院で保護するかどうか、決めるために両親の話が聞きたいって......。おじさんとおばさん、二人で来て。お仕事を休む都合もあるだろうから後になってる。三日後の3の鐘までに神殿へ来てほしいって」 字が読めないおばさんにわたしは招待状の内容を伝える。差し出されたままの木札を握りしめて、おばさんはわたしを見返した。 「......三日後の3の鐘だね?」 「そう。この木札を門番に見せれば、案内してくれるから」 わたしはそわそわしながら、三日後の召集日を迎えた。 早目に神殿へと行って、青の衣に着替えて、神官長の部屋に向かう。わたしの側仕え部屋に泊っていたルッツも見習い服で一緒だ。一階の側仕え部屋に泊めたのは、養子縁組で出て行くルッツの姿を見せると、他の孤児達に無用な希望を抱かせることになるかもしれないと神官長が言ったからだ。 「すっげぇ緊張するな」 「......家族会議にしては壮大すぎるよね」 わたしとルッツが神官長の部屋に着いた時には、ベンノとマルクが到着したという連絡が入った後だったようで、すぐに神官長の部屋へと二人が灰色神官に案内されてやってきた。 ベンノが貴族に向けるためのだらだらとした長ったらしい挨拶を終える頃、ルッツの両親がやってきた。 建築関係の仕事をしていると聞いていた通り、ルッツの父親の身体はそれほど大柄ではないが、がっちりとしている。よく日に焼けていて、外で汗水を流して働く労働者の風貌だった。頑固そうな性格をよく表しているのは眉間に刻まれた皺とギョロリとした翡翠の目で、白に近い感じの金髪のせいで少し年を食っているように見える。 ルッツの父親は一瞬ルッツを見て、フンと鼻を鳴らした後、神官長に簡単な挨拶をした。勧められた席に着く時に、カルラおばさんはすでに正面の席に着いているベンノとマルクを見て、ビクリとする。 マルクさん、マジで何したの? 何言ったの? すでに脅したあとでしょう? 全員が神官長の部屋に揃ったところで、高らかに3の鐘が鳴り響いた。

“Aaaaaargh, it’s ripping apart...” “This one, too.” The prototype paper we made out of tronbay worked out well, but batches we’ve been making to test other kinds of materials have not. I don’t know if it’s because the fibers aren’t adhesive enough, or if they’re too short, but they aren’t tangling together very well, nor are they sticking together, so as the sheets dry out they start falling to pieces. “I wonder if it would work better if we add more binding agent...? What do you think?” “I think we’ve got no choice but to try whatever we can think of, one after the other.” In order to make the fibers stick together more easily, we try adding more binding agent, and in order to make the paper less likely to tear, we try making it a little bit thicker. “How about this?” I ask. “I have no clue about how it’ll turn out when it’s dry, but it’s coming together pretty well, I guess.” The thicker, gluier paper dries rock hard, and when we try to peel it from the board it snaps in half. We stare, dumbfounded, at the fragments as they drop, one by one, to the ground. “...That’s a failure, huh.” “Yeah, this one didn’t tear, it... broke? It wasn’t actually paper, at least.” I don’t know if the problem is with the ratio of fiber to binder to water, or if the raw materials themselves aren’t right for the job. At one point, I’d read something about what kinds of vegetation could be made into paper, but in this world that sort of knowledge doesn’t really apply. The failures have been acc.u.mulating, to the point where I want to scream, “how did this happen?!” “This is just making me wish we could ma.s.s produce tronbay paper.” “There’s no way!” “Couldn’t we make something work as long as we had tronbay seeds?” I think that, as long as we had some of those red fruit, harvesting enough tronbay would be easy enough, but Lutz shakes his head vigorously when I suggest it. “Don’t search for them! Do you want to destroy the forest?!” “If we found a seed, couldn’t we get everyone to quickly cut it all down as soon as it grew?” I’m a not quite sure about this because I don’t know when tronbay actually grows, but when someone finds a seed they could gather a bunch of people to wait for it to sprout, then as soon as it does they could jump in and deal with it. However, Lutz rubs his forehead, insisting that it’s not a good idea. “You have no idea when tronbay will grow! It’s too dangerous!” “Ah, I see.” It seems like I had stumbled across a tronbay seed that was coincidentally right on the verge of sprouting, but it turns out that tronbay don’t usually sprout immediately after you pick them up. Lutz is starting to get a little angry, so I decide to give up on using these mysterious pop-up trees. “...Please learn how things work around here.” “I’m trying, though!” Since Urano’s memories from my previous life are crammed into my head far more firmly than those of Maine, who rarely left her house, no matter what the situation the raw evaluation criteria I wind up using is still always Urano’s. However, because Lutz and I have been discussing some of Maine’s memories, I’ve gradually started thinking of them a little more, and Lutz has been helping to correct my actions, too. “Anyhow, using tronbay is dangerous. When tronbay starts sprouting, it drains all the strength from the soil, so for a while after it sprouts nothing else can grow there. We can’t ma.s.s-produce it.” “Whaaat?! It’s that dangerous?! But nothing like that happened last time, right?” “Didn’t I say that was weird? Did you not hear me or something?” “I don’t know anything about normal tronbay, so I had no idea if anything about that was weird or not.” Tronbay has been the best material so far, but since it’s such a dangerous plant, and since it only grows in the autumn, ma.s.s producing it would be impossible. Rather than wis.h.i.+ng for something that doesn’t exist, it’s much more useful to be thinking about if there’s something we can find that actually exists. So, we had no choice but to keep searching through trial and error. While we were doing that, we had to consider whether any of the wood that we can easily find in the forest is actually something that’s ma.s.s-producible. Also, we needed to think about the ratios of materials, try crus.h.i.+ng the fibers more or less, using sulamo bugs instead of edil fruit for the binding agent, and so on, in order to try to make gradual improvements in the final product. “Out of these, forin seems to be the best for this.” “Yeah. If we add just a little bit more sulamo glue to the forin, it looks like we get something good enough to sell.” When we tested the three soft woods that the lumberyard recommended to us, we found that forin was able to make the thinnest paper. Forin fibers, compared to those of the other two varieties, are a little stronger. This makes them harder to beat into shape, but the more we beat it, the more stickiness is released from the fibers. Once we discovered that, we were able to make a comparatively good paper by beating the fibers thoroughly. Then, when formulating the pulp, we tested gradual changes to the ratios of the various ingredients that we used until we found the best proportions we could. I write down the proper ratios on my slate, then clap my hands together to shake the dust from them. “Yeah, if we make it like this, it looks like we can ma.s.s-produce it.” Lutz’s face is bright now that we’ve found the proper ratios. I happily run a fingertip along the surface of our completed paper. “Ma.s.s production is going to have to start in the spring, though. Getting more wood right now is going to be a huge pain, and bark in the winter is going to start getting tougher and tougher.” We’d make much better paper if we waited until spring arrived and the plants came to life again, then went to collect young trees and new branches. Besides, the weather is already such that bleaching the bark in the river is already a very painful process. I want to wait for it to get warm for Lutz’s sake, too. “So, let’s get our finished paper over to Mister Benno as soon as possible. I’m going to have to start helping Mister Otto at the gate for the winter, after all.” “Yeah. In a little bit we’re going to have to start preparing for the winter, so we should get this finished as fast as we can.” “Right. Tomorrow I’ll go to the gate and ask Mister Otto about how to write a thank-you note. We were finally able to make paper! I want to show him my thanks.” Lutz nods his agreement to my suggestion, as he starts gathering up the remains of today’s failed experiment. “I’ll leave the thank you note to you, then. So, you’re going to be bringing today’s failed paper home with you?” “Yeah. We’ll take the successful paper to Mister Benno, but I can use the botched paper, even if it has some holes or is peeling a little bit, to make a book.” I’ve already confirmed with Mark that it’s okay for me to bring home the large quant.i.ty of failed experiments. With this, I can finally start working on making a book The next day, I return to the gate; my first time in a while. As winter accounting season comes around, all the necessary doc.u.ments for processing the calculations have been gradually piling up, so Otto’s face is positively radiant when he greets me. “Hey there, Maine! I’ve been waiting.” He pats the acc.u.mulated pile of wooden cards sitting next to him, smiling brilliantly as he beckons to me. The cards are covered with totals of goods and quant.i.ties, and it looks like Otto is in the middle of writing everything out into the official doc.u.ments. As I help him out with that, I eventually try asking him about how to write a thank-you note. “Mister Otto, if you could, I’d appreciate it if you could show me how to write a thank-you note.” “A thank-you note? Like what the n.o.blemen exchange?” Well, no, it doesn’t have to be like what a n.o.ble does, I almost start to stay, but I stop myself. Perhaps it really is a custom that only n.o.blemen practice. “Umm, I figured that since there are letters of introduction, then maybe there was a letter of thanks from the people who got introduced... was I wrong?” “Well, I know that n.o.blemen exchange those among each other, but it’s not something that merchants explicitly write. It’s a waste of paper to use it on something that’s not a contract.” Of course, paper is such an expensive commodity that they wouldn’t use it so lightly. “Then, how should they send thanks?” “For a trader, you usually give the other party something from what you trade in that they might find useful. It doesn’t really matter if you have an attendant deliver it or if you deliver it yourself, but you don’t send a thank-you note, you send a gift.” I thought that there was going to be a general format for a thank you note, like there’s one for a letter of introduction, and that I could write one on a sheet of our finished paper, but he’s telling me that it’s normal not to send a note, but instead to give a gift. “...Whoa, I didn’t expect that. Hey, Mister Otto. What do you think I should give to Mister Benno? I can’t think of anything that Lutz or I could possibly send to him that he would want.” I really can’t think of anything that I personally have that Benno might possibly be interested. Benno seems to be a man who has everything. Otto shrugs his shoulders, then gives me some advice. “Wouldn’t the paper the two of you’ve be a good gift? That’s all you two trade in right? If it has value as a commodity, then showing Benno that his initial investment is paying off would be the best. Besides that... maybe information on some kind of new product... or something like that, I think.” “I understand. Thank you very much, Mister Otto.” Something to increase the value of the paper, or information about a new kind of good, huh... I might be able to come up with something like that. The next day, I immediately rush to Lutz to propose to him my idea for the paper we should make to show Benno our thanks. “It turns out that merchants don’t say thanks by sending thank you notes. They give each other something that they think they’d like. So, I think we should make some special paper out of tronbay for him. We still have some tronbay inner bark, right?” “Yeah. We should give Master Benno the best paper we can, shouldn’t we? ...Hey, Maine, what’ve you got there? Leglas?” He looks down at the red leaves I brought with me. “Oh, is that what it’s called? I found it growing next to the well, so I picked some yesterday. I want to try doing something like pressing flowers, I think.” “I’m going to use them to make paper, of course!” Leglas is a plant that looks like a red clover. I thought that we might be able to put it in the pulp after we spread it out, subst.i.tuting it for the maple leaves that would be used for that in was.h.i.+. I make a message card with leaves arranged along the edges of the page, like a bookmark or a piece of nice stationery. I also cut up some of the leaves into smaller pieces, then scatter them on another page in a heart shape, making something kind of like chiyogami.On the message card, I write “Because of you, Mister Benno, we were able to make this paper. Thank you very much.” Lutz and I sign our names at the bottom. “This paper is really pretty,” says Lutz, looking at the other sheet. “Since it’s got leglas in it, it’s kinda showy, like it’s got a picture drawn on it, you know?” “What are you going to do with it?” “I’m going to make origami,” I reply. “Oh-ree-gah-mee?” I take the chiyogami-like paper I made and use my knife to cut it into a square, then fold it into a celebration crane. In my old memories, shuriken patterns were the most popular with people from overseas, but I don’t know if anyone here has ever seen a throwing star before. I don’t have enough paper to make something large like an origami balloon, either. A celebration crane is a simple, yet flashy design that I can make with a single sheet of paper. Since its tail spreads out wide, like a peac.o.c.k, it’s far more extravagant than an ordinary crane. “What do you think? Is this showy enough?” “...Wh, whoa,” he says, timidly, lightly poking at the crane. “You can make paper do something like this? Man, I have no idea what you’re capable of, Maine.” I’m a little taken aback by his reaction. How much would a crane like this be worth? “...Now that I think about it, making decorations out of paper would be super extravagant, wouldn’t it?” “A~ah, w..., well, since it’s for Master Benno, it’s alright.” I’d been thinking that origami was lighthearted, cheap, and comparatively unusual, so it would make a nice gift, but now that I’m actually thinking about how expensive paper is here, I’m wondering if I’ve just done something monumentally wasteful. ...I wonder if I should make sure to tell Benno that he can unfold it and still use the paper, despite the creases? “I was also told that information about some kind of new product would be good...” It’s not that I have no ideas whatsoever, but I don’t know if any of them are actually at all salable, so I want to ask Lutz for his opinions. “...When we first met Benno, he looked pretty interested in my hairpin, so I was wondering if we should teach him about those, but this,” I say, pointing at my head, “is basically just a wooden stick, isn’t it?” Lutz gives a big nod. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s just a stick.” “You think he could sell them?” “...People can make them themselves, so it’s not the kind of thing you’d really just go out and buy, I think?” I’d thought that, even though it was unusual, it wouldn’t really be salable, and Lutz seems to agree. “If you want hairpins you can sell, how about that other kind? ...You know, like the one Tory wore during her baptism, or like that.” “Lutz, you’re a genius! That got an amazing reaction back then, too! And I think making those would be great to do for our winter work, too.” With this, we’ve completed our preparations for what we’re bringing to Benno. Next, we need to figure out the circ.u.mstances, then make some time with him to meet. “Hey, Lutz. When you go return the lock today, could you ask Mister Mark what Mister Benno’s schedule looks like?” “Yeah, sure thing.” On the day that we arranged with Mark, Lutz and I head to Benno’s shop, bringing with us the completed paper. Our finished product has both tronbay- and forin-based papers, each in three different thicknesses, for a total of six different varieties. With that, we also are bringing the message card and origami celebratory crane, into which leglas has been pressed for color. I also have Tory’s hairpin in my tote bag as well, so that we can consult with him about it. “Good morning, Mister Benno. We’ve finished a prototype of our paper, and have brought it with us. We were able to finish it so quickly thanks to your generous initial investment.” “I heard about it from Otto, but you’re done already?” “Yes, sir. Here it is.” I draw the sheets of paper from my tote bag, then arrange them on Benno’s desk in front of him. When he sees them, he looks at them with slight amazement, then reaches out for the first sheet. He holds it up to the light and tests it for feel, then takes out a bottle of ink. He tears off the top part of one of the sheets, then draws a line across it with his pen. “...This is good for writing on. The nib doesn’t get caught in this as easily as in parchment, so it’s easy to write... though the ink is spreading just a little bit. Not enough to make a difference though... hmm!” “Did we do it?!” I ask. “Can Lutz be your apprentice?” Benno strokes his chin, grinning broadly as he reaches for the next sheet. “Yeah, I did promise that, after all. How many of these can you make?” “Ummm, since this is just a prototype, if we start making it for real, I want to use larger tools. I think that these sheets are a little too small. What would be the best size of sheet for us to be making?” The letters of introduction I saw at the gate were all different sizes, so I don’t know what the standard would actually be for making paper. If we were to be making paper the same size as actual was.h.i.+, the paper frame we’d need would be far too large, and it would take a tremendous amount of strength to spread out the pulp evenly over it. If Lutz and I aren’t able to make consistent, quality paper at that scale, there’s no point in trying, so I want to focus on ma.s.s-producing paper of the most widely-used size. “...Hm, let me see. For letters of introduction and contracts, we usually use sheets about this size. It’s not a precise standard, though.” The sheet of parchment that Benno pulled out from the shelves behind him is sized somewhere between an A or a B sheet of paper. It’s a size big enough that we can still swing the paper frame by hand. “Okay, I’d like to make another paper frame, of about that size. Although, it’s only going to be practical to make paper again in the springtime. For now, we really can’t keep getting raw materials.” “Just get all your tools in order by springtime, then. Work with Mark on that. This’ll be a great product once you’ve done that.” “Yes, sir!” Benno’s given his approval of our paper. Thrilled that our hard work has finally paid off, I exchange a look with Lutz, smiling broadly. “This is a much higher-quality paper, huh.” The sheet he currently holds in his hands is one of the ones made from tronbay. At a single glance, the difference in quality is obvious. It is both much whiter and much smoother. “This was made using tronbay.” “Did you say tronbay?!” Benno’s head snaps up, startled, and he looks back and forth between me and Lutz. It looks like tronbay really is famous for being such a dangerous plant. I take a step back, letting Lutz give the explanation as to what happened so that I don’t inadvertently say something foolish. Lutz, reading my intentions perfectly, takes a step forward, opening his mouth to speak. “While we were gathering things in the forest, Maine stumbled across tronbay that had just started growing, which is how we got this. It’s very dangerous to get, though, and finding it is unreliable, so I think it will be very rare for us to make.” “Well, I guess that makes sense... Still, tronbay, huh...” Benno seems to be frantically thinking if there’s anything he might be able to do to make ma.s.s-production of this happen. Despite the fact that he’s making that calculating merchant’s expression, it seems that this is the rare case where he can’t actually come up with a way to get what he wants. “After several tests, we determined that tronbay was the material that made the best quality material, but we can’t make it into a commodity if we can’t actually acquire the raw ingredients. Also, this paper here is made from forin. Since forin is much easier to find, it’s much better suited towards ma.s.s-production, and thus commoditization.” “Ah, I see,” says Benno, nodding vigorously. “Forin is definitely much better for production.” Since it seems that the paper has met his satisfaction, next I take out the thank-you gifts. “Now, this is... a thank-you note, to you, Mister Benno. I heard from Mister Otto that the best way to thank you would be to show you how we could add value to the paper we’ve made, so we tried making a special paper for you.” “A thank-you note? I’ve given these to some high-ranking n.o.blemen, but this is the first time I’ve gotten one myself. How do I say this... I feel like I’m moving up in the world.” Benno smiles broadly as he takes the message card from me. When he opens it to look inside, his eyes go just a little bit wider. “Um,” I say, “while we were making this page, we added leglas to the mixture. ...What do you think?” “Ah? When you say ‘leglas’, you’re talking about that weed that sprouts here and there around this time of year? ...When you see it like this, it’s rather beautiful. This would be quite popular with the n.o.blewomen and their daughters, I think.” Benno, as a merchant, is very reliable: as soon as he saw that, his thoughts immediately went to trade. He looked at it with his merchants eyes and judged it as something that he could sell to the n.o.bility. I’m sure that we’ve successfully shown to him that we’ve managed to add some additional value to this paper. “Ummm, and I don’t know whether to say that this is a thank-you, or a gift, but... this is a decoration that I made from paper. It’s called a 'celebration crane’.” “Hoh! This is paper, too?” I take the folded crane from my bag, spread its tail back out, and set it on the desk in front of him. He reaches over to pick it up, his eyes gleaming. He turns it over in his hands, looking at it from all angles, but no matter how hard he looks, he won’t find any use for it besides as a decoration. “After I made it, I realized that I’d just done something very extravagant. It doesn’t have any use other than as a decoration. Um, though, since the paper is only folded, you can use it as regular paper again if you unfold it, although there will still be creases.” “No, it’s just fine being a decoration, isn’t it? This seems like a good advertis.e.m.e.nt for the paper I’ll be selling in my shop.” Benno places the crane on one of the shelves behind him, murmuring that once he starts selling paper he’ll need to move it to those shelves instead. It seems like the little crane will be living on a shelf for a while. Honestly, I had no idea that origami was going to be this well-received. In retrospect, I’m actually a little glad I made it. “To be honest,” says Benno, “I didn’t think you could make paper out of wood. The quality is also far beyond what I was expecting it to be, if you even could. This, however, is more than good enough to sell as a commodity. Well done! I’m looking forward to seeing you start ma.s.s-producing this in the spring.” When Benno delivers his high valuation of our efforts, Lutz and I grab each other’s hands joyfully. Thinking back on all the time we spent gradually improving the quality of the product, I’m suddenly moved to tears. “We did it, Maine!” “It’s 'cause you worked so hard, Lutz.” Benno smiles wryly at the two of us, stacking the paper back up on top of his desk. “I’ll buy this paper from you today. I’ll pay you on the way out, so call Mark for me?” “Really?!” Now that I think about it, we had talked about how, before our baptism, we would get to keep the money from selling the paper, minus material and handling fees. Finally, my first real cas.h.!.+ If we turn the rest of our processed white bark into paper now, then we can probably sell that too. As soon as I think that, I suddenly remember something else, and I take Tory’s hairpin, which I wanted to talk about selling, from my bag. “...Also, I had something I wanted to consult with you about; do you think that this is something that we could sell?” I place the hairpin that Tory had used as a hair ornament on top of Benno’s desk. It’s a short wooden pin, decorated with a bouquet of small blue and yellow flowers. For some reason, Benno’s face twitches and goes very stiff as soon as he sees the hairpin. “Young lady, what is this?” “It’s a hair ornament. After someone ties her hair back normally with a string, she can then use this to decorate it. ...Like this.” To demonstrate, I swap out Tory’s hairpin for my own and show it to him. “This particular one is something that I made for my older sister’s baptismal ceremony, so I can’t sell it, but if I make more decorations like this while I’m doing my winter handiwork, do you think I could be able to sell them?” As I ask my question, Benno keeps his glittering eyes fixed on the hairpin. In a low voice, he growls out an answer. “...You could.” “Then, I think I will. Then, um. Mister Benno, I’ll let you sell them for me, so would it maybe be possible for you to provide the initial investment for these too, please?” He lets a loud, long sigh, then looks me in the eyes. He suddenly seems very, very tired, but I wonder if I’m just imagining it? “What on earth do you need?” “Just thread. The quality doesn’t need to be particularly high, but I’d like as many different colors as possible, please.” Making every single one of them using the same colors would be very boring. Besides, I’m sure that everyone is going to want to pick ones with colors that match them the best, so it’s a good idea to have as many colors and designs as possible. “Just thread? Nothing else?” “I’d be happy if we could get a little wood, but since we’re already going to be gathering a lot of firewood for the winter, we don’t particularly need it.” “And you’re doing all this yourself, young lady?” Benno glances at me, scowling. Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure we’re in a “Maine thinks, Lutz makes” kind of situation. Perhaps it would be best for Lutz to help out as well. “...Lutz will handle the woodworking portion, and I plan on handling the rest. Of course, we’ll be making them together. Right, Lutz?” Benno scrutinizes us carefully, looking like he has something he wants to say, but then sits back, covering it up with a forced, happy smile. “Well, sounds good to me. So, you two, do you have some time and energy to move around a bit?” “Yes, we do.” “Alright. So, let’s head to the Merchant’s Guild, shall we?” “The Merchant’s Guild?!” Whoa, once again, some new vocabulary just showed up. I wonder, is this going to be like a medieval European guild, or a fantasy world guild...? What the heck kind of place is this going to be?

「ああぁぁぁ、ボロボロ......」 「こっちもだ」 トロンベで作った試作品は良い出来だったが、違う素材で作った物は出来が良くなかった。 「トロロを多めに入れたら、大丈夫かな? どうだろう?」 「思いつくことをどんどん試してみるしかないよな」 繊維が固まりやすいようにトロロを多めに入れて、破れにくいように、次は少し厚めの紙を漉いてみた。 「これでどうよ?」 「乾いてみないとわからねぇけど、うまくいけばいいな」 トロロ多めで、厚めに漉いた紙はカチカチに固まっていて、板から剥がす途中でパキンと割れた。ポロポロと散りながら落ちていく欠片を見て、呆然としてしまう。 「失敗だよな?」 「うん、破れたというより割れたよね? 少なくとも紙じゃなかったよ」 繊維とトロロと水の割合がうまくいかないのか、素材自体がうまく噛み合っていないのか、よくわからない。 「いっそトロンベの量産ができたらいいのにね」 「できねぇよ!」 「トロンベの種があれば何とかならないかな?」 あの時に拾ったような赤い実があれば、トロンベを刈ることはそう難しいことではないと思ったが、ルッツはぶるぶると首を振った。 「そんなもん探すな! 森を潰す気か!?」 「種があったら、この間みたいに生え始めをみんなで刈れるんじゃない?」 いつ生えてくるかわからないなら困るけれど、種を見つけて何人もが待ち構えた後で、トロンベを生やせば、対処できると思う。 「トロンベはいつ生えてくるかわからないんだ! 危険すぎる!」 「そうなんだ」 どうやらあの時はたまたま生えてくる寸前のトロンベの種をわたしが拾っただけで、どの種も拾ってすぐに生えてくるとは限らないようだ。 「......早くこっちの常識、覚えてくれよ」 「これでも頑張ってるんだけどね」 生まれてからほとんど家を出たことがないマインの記憶より、前世と思われる本須 麗乃の記憶の方が長くて濃密なせいで、どうしても判断基準の全てを麗乃の記憶に頼ってしまう。 「とにかく、トロンベは危険なんだ。生える時に辺りの土の力を根こそぎ持って行って、トロンベが生えたところは、しばらく何も生えない土地になる。量産なんて無理だ」 「えぇ!? そんなに危険な物だったの!? この間はそんなことにならなかったよね?」 「だから、変だって言ってただろ? 聞いてなかったのか?」 「普通のトロンベがどんな物で、どう変なのか、全然わからなかったんだよ」 トロンベが一番品質良かったけれど、秋にしか出ない上に危険すぎる木なので、量産は無理だ。 そして、その辺りで普通に採れる木で量産できるように、色々な割合を考えたり、繊維をもっと潰してみたり、エディルの実ではなく、スーラモ虫のトロロを使ってみたり、少しずつ改良していった。 「この中ではフォリンが一番向いてるな」 「うん。フォリンにスーラモ虫のトロロを少し多目に混ぜた物なら、商品化もできそうだね」 材木屋で教えてもらった柔らかめの3種類の木で挑戦してみた結果、フォリンという木が一番薄い紙を作ることができた。 を作る時の割合を少しずつ変えた結果、一番良さそうな割合を発見した。発見した割合を石板に書いて、パンパンと指先の埃を払う。 「おう、この通り作ったら、量産もできそうだな」 やっと見つかった比率にルッツの表情も明るい。出来上がった紙を嬉しそうに何度も指で撫でている。 「でも、量産は春になってからだね。今は木を採るのも大変だし、冬に向けて皮がどんどん固くなってるから」 「そうだな」 春の息吹の季節になってから、柔らかい木や柔らかい枝を採りに行った方が、良い紙ができそうだ。 「じゃあ、早目にできあがった紙をベンノさんのところに持っていこう。冬はわたし、オットーさんのお手伝いに門に行くから」 「あぁ。もう少ししたら冬支度も本格的に始まるし、さっさと終わらせようぜ」 「うん。わたし、明日は門に行って、オットーさんにお礼の文章の書き方を教えてもらうよ。せっかく紙を作ったんだもん。お礼状、渡したい」 わたしの提案にルッツは頷きながら、本日の失敗作をまとめて積み上げる。 「お礼の文章は任せるな。それで、こっちの失敗作はマインが持って帰るんだろ?」 「うん、成功した紙はベンノさんのところに持っていくけど、穴が開いていたり、ちょっと剥がすのを失敗したりした紙で、本を作るの」 大量にある失敗作なら持ち帰ってもいいとマルクにも確認をとってある。これで、初めての本作りができそうだ。 次の日、わたしは久し振りに門へ行った。冬の決算期に向けて、計算処理が必要な書類がだんだん増えてきているようで、オットーは顔を輝かせてわたしを歓迎してくれた。 「やぁ、マインちゃん、待っていたよ」 ポンポンと傍らに積み上がった木札を叩きながら、イイ笑顔で手招きされた。木札に書かれた品名と数を集計して、書類に書いていく作業の真っ最中だったようだ。 それを手伝いながら、わたしはオットーにお礼状の書き方について尋ねてみることにした。 「オットーさん、わたし、お礼状の書き方を教えてほしいんです」 「お礼状? 貴族達がやり取りしているような?」 いや、別に貴族達のものじゃなくていいんですけど、と言いかけて、止まった。もしかしたら、貴族の間だけで行われている習慣かもしれない。 「あの、紹介状があるなら、紹介してもらった礼状もあるんじゃないかと思ったんですけど......もしかして、無いんですか?」 「貴族同士のやり取りなら、存在していることは知っているけど、商人がわざわざ書くことはないな。契約でもないのに紙を使うのがもったいない」 確かに、紙は高価なものなので、そう気軽に使えるものではない。 「じゃあ、お礼ってどうすればいいんですか?」 「商人なら、お礼は自分が扱っている物の中から、相手が望む物を贈るのが普通だ。従者に持たせるか、本人が持っていくかは別にして、礼状ではなく、物を贈るんだよ」 紹介状のようにお礼状の書式があって、その通りに出来上がった紙でお礼状を作ろうと思っていたのに、お礼状は使われておらず、物を贈るのが普通だったとは。 「......うわぁ、予想外でした。ねぇ、オットーさん。ベンノさんに贈るって何を贈ればいいと思いますか? わたしやルッツからベンノさんに贈れるような物なんて全然思い当たらないんですけど」 わたしが持っている物で、ベンノが欲しがりそうな物など、全く思い当たらない。ベンノなら何でも持っていそうだ。 オットーは軽く肩を竦めて、助言をくれた。 で作った紙でいいんじゃないか? 二人が扱う商品ってそれだけだろ? それに商品価値があれば、初期投資が報われるんだからベンノにとっては一番だ。あとは......何か新しい商品の情報とか、ね」 「わかりました。ありがとうございます、オットーさん」 紙の商品価値を高めるのと、新しい商品の情報か......。それなら何とかなるかも。 わたしは次の日、早速ルッツにお礼のための紙を作ることを提案した。 「お礼状じゃなくて、商品から気に入りそうな物を贈るのが、商人のお礼なんだって。だから、トロンベでちょっと特別な紙を作ろうと思うの。トロンベの白皮ってまだ残ってたよね?」 「あぁ。旦那への贈り物なら、最高の紙がいいもんな?......マイン、それ、何持っているんだ? レグラース?」 わたしは自分が持っている赤い葉っぱを見下ろした。 「そういう名前なの? 井戸の周りに生えてたから、昨日摘んで、押し花っぽくしてみたんだけど」 「もちろん、紙を作る時に使うんだよ」 栞や便せんの模様になるようなデザインで端の方にレグラースを並べたメッセージカードと、レグラースの葉っぱを小さく千切って、ハート模様のように全体に散らして千代紙のような紙を作った。 「この紙、すごく綺麗だな」 「レグラースを挟んであるから、絵が描かれたみたいに華やかになるでしょ?」 「こっちはどうするんだ?」 「『折り紙』にするの」 「オリガミ?」 昔の記憶では、海外に行った時なら手裏剣が一番喜ばれたけれど、ここでは手裏剣なんて見てもわからないだろうし、くす玉のような大物を作るには紙が足りない。 一枚の紙で手軽にできて、見栄えがするのが祝い鶴だった。クジャクみたいに後ろに広がるので、普通の折り鶴より豪華に見える。 「どう? これなら、見栄えもするでしょ?」 「......す、すげぇ。紙がなんでこんなことになるんだ? マインが何をやったか、全然わからなかったぞ」 その扱い方に、ハッとした。 この折り鶴の原価っていくらよ? 「......よく考えたら、紙の飾りってすごく贅沢じゃない?」 「あ~、ま、まぁ、旦那に渡す分だから、いいだろ」 折り紙なら気軽で手軽にできる割に珍しくていいんじゃない? と思っていたけれど、ここでの紙の値段を考えたらもったいなすぎることをしてしまったかもしれない。 ......開いて伸ばしたら、折り目はいっぱいあるけど使えるよ、ってベンノさんに教えておいた方が良いかな? 「他には新しい商品になりそうな物の情報って言われたんだけど......」 全く思いつかなかったわけではないけれど、本当に売れるのかわからないので、ルッツの意見を聞いてみたいのだ。 「......初めて会った時、ベンノさんが簪に興味持ってたから、簪でもいいかなと思ったけど、これって木の棒じゃない?」 「商品になると思う?」 「......自分で作れるから、わざわざ買うやつなんていないだろ?」 珍しくても、商品にはならないと思ったが、ルッツの予想も同じだった。 「商品になる簪なら、あれがいいんじゃないか?......ほら、トゥーリが洗礼式の時につけてた簪とか、さ」 「ルッツ、天才! あれは確かに周りの反応もよかった! 今年の冬仕事にちょうどいいかも」 これでベンノに贈るものも準備できた。後は都合を聞いて、会える時間を作ってもらわなければならない。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。今日、鍵を返す時、マルクさんにベンノさんの予定を聞いておいてほしいんだけどいい?」 「あぁ、いいぜ」 それから、ベンノに贈るための、レグラースで彩りを付けたメッセージカードと祝い鶴。最後に、相談するためのトゥーリの簪をトートバッグに入れた。 「ベンノさん、おはようございます。紙の試作品ができたので、持って来ました。ベンノさんの初期投資のお陰で、とてもいい感じに仕上がりました」 「オットーから聞いてはいたが、もうできたのか?」 「はい。これです」 トートバッグの中から紙を取り出して、ベンノの机の上に並べた。 透かしたり、手触りを確認したりした後、ベンノはインクを取り出した。上の方の一部分を切り取って、ペンを走らせる。 「......書けるな。羊皮紙よりも引っ掛かりが少なくて、書きやすいが、少しにじむところがある。それほど気になるわけでもないが......ふむ」 「合格ですか? ルッツ、見習いになれますか?」 ベンノが顎の辺りを撫でながら、ニヤリと笑って、次の紙に手を伸ばす。 「あぁ、そういう約束だったからな。これは、どれくらい作れる?」 「えーと、試作のためだったので、本格的に作るなら、道具を大きくしたいです。これじゃあ、ちょっと小さすぎると思うんです。一番よく使う紙の大きさってどれくらいですか?」 は大きすぎて、漉く時にものすごく力がいる。ルッツやわたしの力で綺麗な紙が作れなければ意味がないので、一番よく使う大きさの紙を量産したい。 「......そうだな。紹介状や契約書に使うのが、だいたいこれくらいだ。はっきりとは決まってない」 ベンノが棚から取り出して見せてくれた羊皮紙の大きさはA4~B4くらいの大きさだった。簀桁を振るにも程良い大きさだ。 「じゃあ、それくらいの大きさで簀桁を新しく作りたいです。でも、紙を実際作るのは春になります。今からじゃあ、素材が採れないんですよ」 「春までに道具の準備をすればいい。マルクに頼んでおけ。これなら、十分商品になる」 「はい!」 ベンノに紙が認められた。努力が実ったことが嬉しくて、ルッツと二人で顔を見合わせて、笑う。 「品質はこっちの方がいいな」 ベンノが手で触れてそう言ったのは、トロンベで作った紙だ。一目で品質の違いがわかる。色の白さや滑らかさが段違いなのだ。 「これはトロンベが材料なんです」 「トロンベだと!?」 やはりトロンベというのは、かなり危険な植物として有名らしい。変な事を口走らないように、説明はルッツに任せて、わたしは一歩下がった。 「森で採集している時に、生え始めたところをマインが見つけて、たまたま手に入ったんだ。入手が大変だし、不安定だから、滅多に作れないと思う」 「まぁ、そうだろうな......。しかし、トロンベか」 何とか量産できないか、とベンノが脳内で必死に考えているのが、手に取るようにわかる。商人らしい計算顔になっているが、希少なので、そう手に入るものではないだろう。 「いくつか試した結果、トロンベが一番品質はよかったんですけど、材料が手に入らないんじゃ商品にはなりません。そして、これがフォリンを使った紙です。商品として作るなら、素材としてはこちらの方が量産には向いています」 「なるほど。フォリンなら、確かに量産に向いているな」 ベンノが何度も頷いて、紙については納得したようなので、今度はお礼の品を取り出した。 「それから、これ......ベンノさんへのお礼状です。オットーさんに聞いたら、作った紙に商品価値を付けるのが一番喜ばれるって聞いたので、特別な紙を作ってみました」 「お礼状? 上級貴族に出したことはあるが、俺がもらったことはないぞ。何と言うか、偉くなった気がするな」 フッと嬉しそうに口元を綻ばせてメッセージカードを開いたベンノが、カードを見つめたまま、軽く目を見張って固まった。 「あの、作る途中でレグラースを入れたんです。......どうですか?」 「あ? レグラースって、この時期にはあちこちに生えている雑草だよな?......こうして見ると、美しいな。こういうのは貴族の奥方や御令嬢に受けが良さそうだ」 すぐに購買層を思い浮かべるベンノは、商人として考えるなら、とても頼もしい。その商人の目で見て、貴族に向けて売れそうだ、と判断してくれたということは、商品価値を付けることに成功したということで、間違いないだろう。 「えーと、こっちは先行投資へのお礼の品というか、贈り物というか......紙で作った飾りです。『祝い鶴』って言います」 「ほぉ! これが紙か?」 畳んであった祝い鶴を机の上で広げて見せると、ベンノが目を輝かせて手に取った。色々な角度から見ているが、飾り以外の使い道はない。 「作った後で、すごく贅沢な使い方をしたことに気付いたんです。飾るしか使い道がないんですよ。あ、でも、折っただけですから、広げたら折り目は残るけど、普通に紙としても使えます」 「いや、飾りでいいだろう? ウチで売る紙の良い宣伝になりそうだ」 紙を売ることになれば、その棚にでも飾ろうとベンノは呟いて、自分の棚へと祝い鶴を移動させた。しばらくは棚の上が祝い鶴の場所になるらしい。 「正直、木から紙ができるとは思わなかった。品質もオレが予想していたよりずっと良い。これから、商品として十分に通用する。よくやった。量産できる春を楽しみにしているぞ」 ベンノからの高評価にわたしとルッツは手を取り合って喜んだ。品質改善の苦労を思い返して、思わず涙ぐんでしまう。 「やったな、マイン」 「ルッツが頑張ったからだよ」 喜ぶわたし達に苦笑しながら、ベンノが机の上の紙を全て重ねて揃えた。 「この紙は俺が買い取る。帰りに金を渡すから、マルクに声をかけてくれ」 「本当ですか!?」 そういえば、洗礼式までは原料費と販売にかかる手数料を引いた残りがわたし達の取り分になると話をしていたはずだ。 初めての現金、GETですよ! 残っている白皮を全部紙にして、売るのもいいかもしれないと考えたところで、ハッと思い出した。売り物にした物の相談をしようとトゥーリの簪を持ってきたことを。 「......あと、ベンノさんに相談があるんですけど、これって、売り物になりますか?」 わたしはトゥーリの髪飾りとして使った簪をベンノの机に取り出して置いた。短めの簪には青や黄色の小花のブーケが付いている。 何故か簪を見たベンノがひくっと頬を引きつらせた。 「嬢ちゃん、これは何だ?」 「髪飾りです。普通に髪を紐でまとめた後に飾りとして使います。......こんな風に」 わたしはトゥーリの髪飾りを、自分の簪の脇に挿して見せた。 「これは姉の洗礼式のために作った物なので、売れませんけど、冬の間に手仕事でこんな感じの飾りを作ろうと思うんですけど、売り物になりますか?」 わたしが問いかけると、ギラギラした目で髪飾りを睨んでいたベンノが、唸るような低い声を出した。 「......なる」 「じゃあ、作ります。それで、ですね。ベンノさんに売ってもらうので、これも先行投資、お願いできませんか?」 ハァ、と溜息を吐いて、ベンノがこちらを見た。ベンノがすごく疲れているように見えるのは気のせいだろうか。 「一体何が必要なんだ?」 「糸です。品質はそれほど高くなくてもいいですけど、出来るだけたくさんの色の糸が欲しいんです」 全てを同じ色で作るなんて面白味もないし、誰だって自分に似合う色が欲しいはずだ。色やデザインはたくさんある方がいい。 「糸だけか? 他には?」 「木が少しあれば嬉しいですけど、薪にするための木も採ってきているので、特にありません」 「これは嬢ちゃん一人で作るのか?」 そういえば、「マインが考えて、ルッツが作る」ことになっていたはずだ。ルッツにも手を貸してもらった方が良いかもしれない。 「......木の部分がルッツで、この飾りの部分がわたしの予定です。もちろん、一緒に作りますよ。ね、ルッツ?」 グッと手を握ってそう言うと、ルッツも慌てて頷いた。 何か言いたそうにベンノがわたし達をじろじろと見てきたが、ニッコリと愛想笑いで誤魔化しておく。 「まぁ、いいだろう。それで、お前達、これから動けるだけの時間と体力はあるのか?」 「そうか。では、商業ギルドに連れて行こう」 「商業ギルド!?」 これは、中世ヨーロッパ的なギルドなのか、ファンタジー的ギルドなのか。一体どんな所なんだろう?

Ascendance of a Bookworm It’s raining today. There’s no doubt about it, it’s raining today. The patter of heavy raindrops. .h.i.tting the wooden shutters of the kitchen window causes my shoulders to slump as I sit there, eating my breakfast. Just like Freida had been laughing about, and just like Benno had been growling about, it is definitely raining. There’s no helping it, then! Since it’s already been determined that I’m going to have to go to Freida’s house, at the very least I’m going to try my best to get at least a little bit of good information out of her. Lutz will be there too, so everything will be fine. I take a hard hunk of millet bread, soak it in some of last night’s leftover soup, and chew soggily on it. I use the last of my bread to wipe off my plate, then, having finished breakfast, start looking around the room. I let out a long sigh. “I want to bring some sort of present, but we really don’t have anything here that I could bring to that house, do we...” Freida’s house is already full of the kinds of things the n.o.bility keep in their houses. There’s nothing here that I could possibly give to a girl who already has everything. Tuuli gulps down some water, then looks at me, head tilted to the side. “What about some ‘simple shampoo’? She was really happy when you brought her some last time, right?” “Hmm... it’s gone on the market already, so Benno told me that if I was going to keep making some for myself, then I can’t be giving it away as much as I want.” “Oh, I see. And it’s raining, too, so you can’t pick any flowers or anything like that... yeah, that’s kind of a problem.” Tuuli uses a little bit of water from the water jug to wash off her plate as she talks to me. When she finishes rinsing it, she starts hurrying to get ready to head off for work. Our mother has already left, and our father is currently fast asleep after coming home late from the night s.h.i.+ft. I start was.h.i.+ng my own plate as well, trying to keep my voice down. “If only we could have decided this a few days in advance. Then I could have gone to the forest on a sunny day and picked some fruit to take with me...” Benno’s been so accommodating towards Lutz. He’s been so accommodating towards me as well, helping me set up Maïne’s Workshop so that I can keep thinking up new product ideas. Lately, I’ve been really trying to avoid doing anything that will make him angry. Sure, I’ve carelessly let slip a few secrets while chatting, and sure I’ve fallen prey to my own desires and just kind of arbitrarily made a few things, but none of that was intentional. There’s no way that I actually wanted him to be angry at me. So, if I want to avoid his wrath, rinsham is out. Anything at all to do with paper is out. If I bring a new dessert recipe, then both Freida and Ilse would be happy, I think, but Benno would absolutely get angry, so that’s out, too. Well, now that I’m not going to be his apprentice, it really is entirely my own business who I give my sweets recipes to, I think, but it would still be more trouble than it’s worth. As I hum thoughtfully to myself, a loud knock comes from the kitchen door. Tuuli, looking just about ready for work and having just finished putting on a thick cape that has been treated with oil and wax to ward off the rain, heads towards the door. “h.e.l.lo, who’s there?” she says. Ah, I guess Lutz is a little early today, I think to myself, as I put away my clean plate. Suddenly, Tuuli’s startled voice rips through the kitchen. “Freida?! Why are you...?!” ords, I snap my head around to see Frieda standing outside our front door, accompanied by an attendant. Despite the rain, she is dressed as magnificently as ever, and her attendant wears a tidy uniform. They clash horribly with the impoverished backdrop of my home, emphasizing just how poor my family really is. “I have been so excited ever since I woke up that I just couldn’t stand it, so I’ve come to pick Maïne up,” she says, smiling sweetly. I hear an undercurrent of “did you think I’d let you escape?” buried in those words, and a s.h.i.+ver runs down my spine. I want to look away and pretend not to have seen any of this, but I can’t just flee and leave Tuuli behind. “Whoa,” says Tuuli, smiling as she waves me over, “you must have been really excited to come all this way in this kind of rain!” Tuuli, you’re an angel. Don’t lose any of that purity. “Ah, but it is exactly because of the rain that I have come! I couldn’t possibly ask frail Maïne to walk outside in weather like this. I have a carriage waiting for us on the main road.” It seems she thought I might have refused to come because I didn’t want to catch a cold in the rain. I can’t help but be a little impressed with her level of preparation. Freida looks over at Tuuli, noticing that she’s carrying her things for work. Frieda glances away momentarily as if thinking about something, then suddenly claps her hands together, a meaningful smile floating across her face. “Well, if that’s the case, perhaps we can drop you off along the way.” “What?! Really?! I can ride the carriage too?!” Tuuli’s face lights up immediately. A carriage is the kind of thing that poor people like us would ordinarily never get to ride on. I understand her excitement perfectly. It looks like I don’t have any choice but to get ready to go immediately. “Tuuli, I’ve got to go get Lutz,” I say. “Ah, that’s right! I’ll go run and get him.” “Oh,” says Freida, “but, if Lutz comes along, then you won’t have anywhere to sit...” Tuuli sets down her bags and starts to dart out the door when Freida apologetically stops her. At this point, whenever I go out, Lutz comes along with me as my minder. But, if Lutz comes with us, then Tuuli won’t be able to ride in the carriage, and will have to back out. “Huh? Um? ...Then, I... can’t go?” Her brief glimmer of home turns to despair. She hangs her head, looking like she’s on the verge of tears. As I frantically try to figure out what to say to comfort her, Freida smoothly steps in. She takes Tuuli’s hand and then, and then, gives her a gentle smile. “Tuuli, today, Maïne is my responsibility. I’ll take care of picking her up and dropping her off. I can promise you that I will take extra care to make sure she does not fall ill. So, why don’t you ride along with us?” “...Maïne,” says Tuuli, “if you’re riding in the carriage, then you won’t get tired, and you won’t get soaked in the rain, you know? So it’ll be fine if Lutz doesn’t go with you today, won’t it?” Like h.e.l.l it’ll be fine!! That’s what I want to say, but I can’t win against Tuuli’s pleading stare. There’s no way I can tell her to go walk to work because I’d be in trouble without Lutz there with me. Even just seeing how happy she looked to be able to ride in a carriage gets in the way of that idea. I don’t want to go to Freida’s house by myself, but I just can’t turn her down. “...Yeah, it’ll be fine, Tuuli. You should come with us!” “Thanks, Maïne. I’ll go and tell Lutz, so you get ready.” Tuuli, in high spirits, runs off toward’s Lutz’s house, a spring in her step. The sound of her footsteps quickly recedes into the distance, leaving only the tapping of the rain against the shutters. I glare fixedly at Freida, who just used my sister against me to get Lutz excluded. “Freida...” “Your sister seems quite happy, does she not?” “You’re right. ...Haahhh, I guess I don’t have a choice. I’m the one that didn’t tell her no, after all.” I was the one who wasn’t able to toss Tuuli aside, so I can’t really blame Freida any more than this. I get my tote bag ready, thinking to myself how angry Lutz and Benno are going to be with me for acting without thinking again. “Sorry,” I say, “but I wasn’t able to get a gift ready for you.” “Oh my, but today you’re giving me a day of your time, are you not? Having the opportunity to speak with you is more than enough.” She laughs airily, looking the very picture of a girl who’s delighted to be able to play with her friend, but I know very well that Freida is no ordinary, innocent little girl. “Maïne,” says Tuuli, “I told Auntie Karla about us. C'mon, let’s go! I’m gonna be late.” Tuuli’s smiling face and bouncing gait immediately disperses the gloomy atmosphere hanging between me and Frieda. “Well then, shall we?” We shut the door and head outside. Here, rain gear tends to consist of a thick mantle and a wide-brimmed hat. Of course, this isn’t able to protect perfectly against it, so it gradually gets soaked through if the rain is heavy or you need to be outdoors for too long. Today, though, we’re only going as far as the main street, through narrow alleyways, so I don’t have to worry about getting drenched. “Quickly now, get on.” I hurriedly board the carriage waiting for us at the main road, taking off my hat and mantle and setting them next to me. Freida’s attendant sits outside, next to the driver, leaving just the three of us inside the carriage. “Whoa,” says Tuuli, “is this what a carriage looks like on the inside?” “Come, Tuuli, sit!” says Freida. “Would bringing you to the central plaza work for you?” “Yeah, the place I’m going is on the craftsmen’s road but it’s really close to the plaza.” Freida urges Tuuli to sit as she looks gleefully around the carriage. I sit between the two of them. This carriage looks like it was built to seat two adults, but it fits three children just fine, with a little room to spare. When the carriage starts to move, it shakes and sways just as much as I remember, but unlike the time I’d ridden with Benno and the guild master, I’m sitting in a proper seat, so I don’t think I’m about to be flung into the air. “It’s almost time for the baptismal ceremonies, is it not? Maïne, what will you be wearing, perhaps?” “Oh, she’s going to be wearing my hand-me-downs,” says Tuuli, “but we’ve altered it so much that it doesn’t look like a hand-me-down anymore. It looks really extravagant!” Tuuli’s chest swells with pride as she answers Freida’s question for me. During the winter, Tuuli helped our mother with the alterations from time to time, so there’s a few more decorations on the dress then there were before. “...Extravagant?” “I can’t really describe it, but I think it’s got kind of a different feel to it. Mom worked really hard on it, so it’s very cute!” It’s likely that Freida, having just seen the condition of our house, is having trouble imagining what “extravagant” would look like for us. She has an expression of wonder on her face, but we’re really not lying. Plus, there’s a big difference between what people around here usually think “alterations” means and what I did, so it’s difficult to explain. “Your clothing is really fluffy and amazing, too, Freida!” says Tuuli. “I want to try wearing something like that someday...” “Why, thank you very much. So, did you perhaps make yourself a new hairpin?” Freida, happy to hear Tuuli’s compliment, turns the subject towards hairpins. Apart from the one I’d made for Freida, every hairpin so far has been differently-colored variations on the same design. However, it seems like she can’t imagine that me making a hairpin for myself that looks exactly like all of the other ones out there, and is curious about what that might be. “Oh, it’s a gift for her,” says Tuuli, “so I worked really hard on making it. It’s got three big flowers, like the ones we made for you.” “Then, Maïne’s hairpin will match mine, perhaps?” Freida looks at me, a little doubtfully, her head tilted to one side. Tuuli seems like she can’t really figure out how to properly explain it, so she tugs on my sleeve, looking troubled. “Well, they’re white, and they sway, so even though the big flower are the same, they don’t really match. Right, Maïne?” “We used unbleached thread, so they’re more of a cream color, although from a distance they look white. We’ve added some smaller flowers as well, but there’s still a few more differences between yours and mine. You should look forward to seeing it! Right, Tuuli?” “Yeah, if we tell you all about it now, then you’ll have nothing to look forward to.” Tuuli covers her mouth, hiding an impish grin. Freida looks like she’s been caught up in it, grinning too. “Well, then I really am looking forward to it! I’ll be watching for you outside.” As we talk about the baptismal ceremonies, a row of workshops, where Tuuli works, comes into view around a corner. The carriage comes to a halt, and Tuuli puts on her mantle and hat. She grabs her bag full of tools, then shoots me a brief worried glance. “Tuuli,” I say, “good luck at work today!” “Thanks for letting me ride in your carriage, Freida. Maïne, I’m off, but don’t cause any trouble!” She gives us a big wave, then takes off running towards the workshop. We wave goodbye, and the carriage starts clattering forward once again. “Welcome, Maïne. Glad you could make it. I baked some pound cake today, and I’d love to hear what you think of it.” When we arrive at Freida’s house, Ilse the cook is waiting for us. We’re led to the parlor, where tea and pound cake has been set out for us. I take a bite and immediately start to melt. The moist batter has been baked to a perfect shade of golden brown, and, perhaps because Ilse has adjusted for the oven’s peculiarities, the cake itself is much more delicious than it was last time. “Delicious~... This is way tastier than it was before! You did an excellent job tweaking the recipe.” “I’m happy to hear you say that! I’m curious, can you think of anything to make it even better?” “Improvement? ...Ummm, I think it’s delicious enough already, though?” I take another bite of cake, savor its sweet flavor, and ponder for a moment. I know that she could plate it extravagantly when she serves it, or she could change the flavor by adding dried fruits or grated citrus peel, but I also know that just telling her this might be the kind of information provision that would get Benno mad at me. Hmmm, if I do something, Benno will probably get mad, and this really is delicious even if it’s so simple, so there wouldn’t be any problems at all if I were to just stay quiet, but I really do want to help this extremely eager chef to improve her work. “Well, it’s not an improvement, exactly, but... how about I tell you about it in exchange for a bag of sugar?” I recall seeing a bag in the kitchen that looked like it contained about one kilogram of sugar. When I ask for that, Ilse looks over at Freida, who actually has the right to decide. “A bag of sugar... would it be okay to give it to her, Miss Freida?” “Yes, of course.” “Alright, I have the young lady’s permission, so! Tell me!” The sheer ravenous force behind Ilse’s curiosity makes me squeak in momentary fright, but then I open my mouth to speak. “If you grate ferigine peel and add it to the batter, that’ll change both the smell and the taste, and it’ll still be delicious. You could add other things, too, and those will change the flavor as well. As for what exactly to put in and exactly how much, please do some experimentation on your own. I’ll tell you this as a bonus, too: if you’re going to bring this out to serve to n.o.bles, then you could thoroughly whip heavy cream and make a fringe around the edge of the cake, then decorate it with fruit to make it look really extravagant.” “Hm?! I’m going to try that!” Ilse gasps, then immediately stands up and leaves the room. Suddenly left behind, Freida and I blink a few times, then smile wryly. “My apologies, Maïne, for showing you, my guest, such a sight. Ilse is usually so calm and composed, but as soon as she sees a new recipe...” “It’s good to be eager to learn. If she tries her hardest, then just that will increase the number of tasty things out there, won’t it?” A zeal for studying is something to be admired. I think that spreading tasty things throughout the world would be a very happy thing, so I definitely want to try experimenting with a lot of different things to try to create new kinds of sweetness. “Come to think of it,” I say, around a big mouthful of pound cake, “why are you apprenticing at the merchants’ guild? Aren’t you going to be opening a shop in the n.o.bles’ quarter? Can you really be an apprentice if you’re not going to actually be an employee?” It’s already been arranged for Freida to go live with the n.o.bility when she grows up, so I hadn’t even considered that she’d be apprenticing at the merchants’ guild. Freida takes a sip of her tea. “It’s something I asked my grandfather for. It’s so that I can both study and make connections for when I’ll be living in the n.o.bles’ quarter. When I open my shop, I’ll be doing so all by myself. I can’t go about thinking that it actually is a job that one person can do on her own, so I need to make as many personal connections as I can.” “All by yourself? You won’t, uh, have any attendants, like Jutte?” “n.o.body but myself will be allowed to stay in the n.o.bles’ quarter. Although, when I go there, my partner will have prepared some attendants for me, so it is not like I’ll be living entirely on my own.” Even still, I can’t imagine that any attendants she’ll have in the n.o.bles’ quarter will be at all familiar with economics or business management. Having a young woman who has just barely entered adulthood suddenly stripped of her allies and made to open a shop by her self... isn’t that a little too harsh? Can’t they let her have even one person to consult with? “One person definitely cannot run an entire shop by herself,” she continues. “My family will be allowed in and out of the n.o.bles’ quarter to deliver supplies and the like. They won’t be by my side the entire time, but it’ll be rea.s.suring, will it not?” “...I guess so.” I can’t imagine that it’ll actually be that rea.s.suring, but I can see that Freida is fighting hard for her own destiny, looking straight ahead down her path. I can’t really say anything besides to agree with her. The very grown-up way of thinking and speaking that she’s learned are her weapons and armor. She must keep determinedly polis.h.i.+ng them so that she can survive in the unknown world that waits for her. “So, in order to make sure that I am able to handle whatever might occur after I establish my shop, I’m apprenticing with the guild and helping out at my family’s shop.” “You’re amazing, Freida. I can tell that you’re putting a ton of thought into all these things that’ll be happening so far in the future.” When I say that, she immediately gets a very stern expression on her face. She looks at me very seriously, then after a moment of silence, opens her mouth to speak. “There’s something I’d like to ask you as well. May I?” “Sure, go ahead.” Ahh, here it comes, the main question, I think. It’s pretty obvious what she’s about to ask me. I smile, urging her on. “What in the world are you thinking? Maïne, by all rights, should you not have extracted yourself from Benno’s employ and come to work with us? I’ve been waiting for you to do this. If you’re seeking connections, then coming here would...” If I were seeking any connections with the n.o.bility, then it would be much better for me to rely on Freida and the guild master than on Benno. This is something Otto pointed out to me as well. I think anyone would realize this. Working at a shop that already has a deep connection with the n.o.bility would of course better my chances of finding a favorable solution, even if only a little. Freida made her offer with a self-confidence that’s grounded in her family’s history and influence. Now, her tone of voice is just a little fiery, and a hint of an unspoken impatience is showing through in her eyes. “Summer is just around the corner, yet you haven’t made any move at all. Have you truly given any thought to what we discussed? If you’re not given to a n.o.ble as soon as possible, then the way things are going, you’ll...” Freida’s complaint is based on her concern for me, since I have the same devouring disease that she does. Even if I am brought to a n.o.ble, it’s not a guarantee that I’ll be able to immediately form a contract. I actually feel a little self-conscious over how much she’s worrying about me, if her feeling that this needs to be quickly rushed through is being amplified by her overbearing nature. I chuckle, returning Freida’s even stare. “You know, Freida. After thinking about it a lot, I decided that I want to be with my family, even if it means wasting away.” “...Huh?” Freida freezes up, her eyes wide and mouth open. Her lips tremble, just a little, and she weakly mutters, “I can’t believe it...” “I’ve halfway given up already. Since Tuuli started crying, I told her that I’d keep looking for some way to survive somehow, but there’s no other way to live with the devouring except to make a contract with a n.o.ble, is there?” I’m sure that the guild leader, in order to save his granddaughter, would have used every sc.r.a.p of his influence, his money, his connections, and every other useful thing he had to frantically search for every solution he could. He would have bought some time by gathering up magical tools in order to keep searching for any better method than making a contract. Not finding anything, he must have given up on his search and turned towards finding a n.o.ble who would grant a contract with the most favorable conditions, thinking that that was the only way forward. The answer is obvious. “...I don’t know of any.” “Honestly, I’ve been wondering if I might be able to find another magical tool somewhere that I could use, but I don’t think I want to make a contract with a n.o.ble. There’s no subst.i.tute for magical tools if I want to do something about the devouring, is there?” “If I knew of anything, I’d already be using it.” She gives me an irritated glare, and I shrug my shoulders. “I know, right? So, the question I wanted to ask you today is if it’s possible at all to buy magical tools from someone who isn’t a n.o.ble? Or maybe, could I make magical tools on my own, or something... that’s not possible, is it?” I was thinking that if I couldn’t find any magical tools then I should try making some myself, but, unfortunately, none of the books I’d read as Urano contained any methods for creating magical tools. These concepts did exist in fantasy novels and games, but I don’t think that I can use any of those as reference material. Also, there’s no workshop here in the city that produces magical tools. “You need mana in order to make magical tools, and since only the n.o.bility have mana, they’re the only ones who can make them. So, the only people who know the methods for making magical tools are behind those castle walls.” “Alright. ...I’d been thinking that if I knew how to make them then I could just do it myself, but I guess it really is impossible.” If only mana-possessing n.o.bles could make them, then any workshop for making them would be on the other side of those tall ramparts. I’d been hoping that if I could just learn the manufacturing methods, then I could use all of my funds to make something happen, but I guess I really was just being naïve, after all. “...I hadn’t even considered making my own,” says Freida. “That’s because you’re from a rich family,” I say, giggling. “In my world, if I decide that I want something, then if I don’t make it myself I won’t ever get it, so the very first thing I thought of was whether or not I could figure out how to make it myself... you know.” Rinsham, paper, soot pencils, and chopsticks were all things that I needed, so I was driven to make them myself, as much as I was able. “Is your family that important to you?” she asks, quietly. “You’re not scared of being swallowed up by the fever?” “Umm, how do I put this. I don’t want to die, but I’m not really scared of it, I don’t think.” I’ve already died once. Being able to live out Maïne’s life is just a bonus granted to me by G.o.d. I finally managed to make my life actually fun to live, but that opinion hasn’t fundamentally changed. “...I don’t have any books right now, so my family is the only important thing I have. I’m not choosing to die, I’m choosing to be with my family. That’s all.” “Books?” “Yeah. I’ve actually saved up quite a bit of money, so I wonder if I could buy one, maybe?” I tilt my head, pondering, while Freida gives me a worried smile. “If books are what you’re after, then shouldn’t you go to the n.o.bles’ quarter after all? There should be many there, should there not?” “Aaah, if a contract said that I could read books as much as I wanted, then I’d probably sign it on the spot, but do you really think a n.o.bleman that would keep me around as a pet would let a poor commoner like me read something so valuable?” “The more I think about your living conditions, the more difficult they seem.” From a n.o.ble’s perspective, I’m just a commoner from a city with a low literacy rate. Even though I know how to read, it still wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for them not to want me to touch any of the expensive, precious books that they themselves own. If I were to read them on my own, then they’d surely get mad. Plus, to a certain extent, I know myself. If there’s a book in front of me, there’s a good chance that I’ll lose all sense of reason. I can easily imagine myself leaping at a book and provoking someone’s wrath. “...So, I’ve been thinking that, until I die, I want to try to set up some way to ma.s.s-produce books, but this seems really hard. When I think about how short my lifespan is thanks to the devouring, I get halfway to just giving up. I’m causing so much trouble for my family, so right now I want to earn as much money as I can so that I can leave it behind for them when I’m gone.” As I light-heartedly joke about this, Freida’s light brown eyes suddenly flash with light. “Then, perhaps you’d like to sell me the rights to your pound cake recipe?” I look at Freida, whose eyes definitely have that merchant’s gleam now, and hum thoughtfully to myself. A pound cake is a very basic kind of sweet, but perhaps a time-limited monopoly might not be a big problem. Permanently giving her all the rights, like I did with Benno and the rinsham, would be problematic. It would undoubtedly get in the way of developing and spreading new sweets. “...If I were to ask for five small gold coins for the right to monopolize sales on pound cake for one year, how would that sound?” “I’d take that offer, of course.” She didn’t even hesitate for a moment. “...What do you mean, 'of course’? Did I make it too cheap?” “Yes, that’s right. The rights to monopolize sales on a completely unprecedented new good, like pound cake or plant-based paper, could easily be worth more than a large gold coin.” “A large gold coin...” Once again, it seems like Benno might have conned me into selling him all of my information for dirt cheap. “Would you like to raise the price?” “Nah, that’s fine. It’s only for a year, after all. I’ll sell you monopoly rights for five small gold coins.” I’m not comfortable with raising a price after I already made my offer, so I shake my head. “Well then, let’s write up a contract.” “Huh? You mean, a magical contract?!” Did this just get real scary? Am I going to have to see blood again and put innocent bystanders at risk? I start trembling uncontrollably, but Freida just lets out an amazed sigh. “...Maïne. Contract magic is not something that you can use so easily. It’s something that you use when your opponent has both overwhelming magical and political power, putting you at an enormous disadvantage, and you need to use an extremely expensive magical tool in order to secure your profits. In our case, a regular contract written on formal contract parchment would be sufficient, would it not?” Since my first ever contract was a magical one, I guess my intuition might have been a little skewed. However, if what Freida is saying is correct, then why would Benno use a magical contract with Lutz and I, who possess neither magical nor political power? This is a mystery. “Nevertheless, how do you know about magical contracts, since they’re so rarely used?” “...Mister Benno will get mad if I tell you, so it’s a secret.” “Oh my, you’re learning, aren’t you!” She giggles to herself as she reaches for a bell on a nearby table. When she rings it, Jutte slips into the room, making barely a sound. “Please get a written contract ready for us,” says Freida. On the parchment that Jutte prepares for us, Freida uses a feather pen to outline the terms of our contract. Compared to the wooden pen that I bought, her quill certainly does look impressive, but I wonder if it’s just my imagination that it looks hard to use? To Freida, who is an apprentice at the merchant’s guild, this is ordinary, everyday work. For me, having been here for a while, this is something I’m at least familiar with. After we go over the contract to make sure there’s no discrepancies, we touch our guild cards together to finalize the deal. “Why did you decide on a year?” asks Freida. “After a year, everyone will know that your shop is where pound cake was invented, won’t they? Also, by then, I think sugar will have spread around to more people, so I’m trying to leave some room for new entries into the market.” “New entries?” “If the recipe is announced, then the number of compet.i.tors will multiply, and we’ll quickly start seeing new kinds of sweets, won’t we? Delicious sweets make people happy, so if there’s a lot of different people making them, and they start spreading everywhere, then I think that’ll be a good thing.” “Hah, you really don’t care at all about your own profits, Maïne. Being a merchant doesn’t suit you.” Freida and I sign our names at the bottom of the contract parchment. With that, the contract between me and Freida to guarantee her monopoly rights for a year is complete. “But, well, me announcing the recipe in a year does require that I’m actually around then, doesn’t it? If I’m not, then I’ll leave that job to you.” “Hmph! I put my own profits above all else. If you want that recipe announced, then you’d better still be here next year to announce it yourself!”

雨です。見間違えようもない雨です。 窓の板戸にパタパタと当たる雨粒の音に肩を落としながら、わたしは朝食を食べる。フリーダがニッコリと笑った通り、ベンノが低く唸った通り、雨が降ってしまった。 ルッツだから、大丈夫だよね。 咀嚼しにくい雑穀パンを、夕飯の残りのスープでふやかしながら、もしゃもしゃと噛みしめる。パンで皿を拭うようにして、朝食を終えたわたしはぐるりとウチの中を見回して、溜息を吐いた。 「手土産、持っていきたいけど、あの家に持っていける物なんてないんだよね......」 貴族の屋敷にある物をいくつも取り入れているような、何でもあるフリーダの家に手土産として持っていける物がウチにはない。 トゥーリがクピッと水を飲んだ後、わたしの方を見て、首を傾げた。 「カンイチャンリンシャンは? 前に持っていって喜んでもらえたんでしょ?」 「ん~、売り出し始めたから、自分で使う分を作るくらいならともかく、安易に配るなってベンノさんに言われたの」 「そっか。雨だから花も摘みにも行けないし、困ったね」 もう母は仕事に出かけてしまったし、父は夜勤だったので寝てしまった。わたしもあまり大きな音を立てないように水瓶の水を使って皿を洗う。 「せめて、何日か前に約束が決まっていて、晴れてる日があったら、森で果物を摘むくらいはできたのになぁ......」 ただ、ベンノの怒りを回避しようとすると、リンシャンはダメ。紙に関するものもダメになる。新しいお菓子のレシピでも持っていけば、フリーダもイルゼも喜んでくれると思うけれど、ベンノには絶対に怒られると思う。 まぁ、見習いになるのは止めたから、お菓子のレシピをどこに流そうがわたしの自由だとは思うんだけど、面倒な事にはなるだろうなぁ。 うんぬぅ、と考え込んでいると、コンコンと誰かがドアを叩く音がした。油や蝋を塗りこんで、できるだけ防水加工した厚手の帆布のようなマントを羽織って、仕事に出ようとしていたトゥーリが顔を上げて、ドアのところへと向かう。 「はーい、どなた?」 ちょっと早いけれど、ルッツが来てくれたかなと思いながら、わたしが洗った皿を片づけていると、トゥーリのビックリした声が家中に響いた。 「フリーダちゃん!? どうしたの!?」 思わぬ言葉に驚いて振り返ると、ドアの向こうにはフリーダが、従者を従えて立っていた。雨だというのに余所行きの服を身にまとって着飾ったフリーダときっちりとしたお仕着せを着ている従者と貧しい我が家の背景があまりにもちぐはぐで、正直ウチの貧しさが際立って見える。 「わたくし、起きた時から楽しみで、待ちきれなくて、マインを迎えに参りましたの」 ニコリと笑って言われた言葉が「逃がしませんよ?」と聞こえて、ぞくっとする。回れ右をしたいけれど、トゥーリを置いて逃げるわけにもいかない。 トゥーリは「雨の中、わざわざ迎えに来てくれるくらい楽しみにしてくれてるよ」なんて、にこにこと笑いながらわたしを振りかえった。 トゥーリ、マジ天使。その純粋さを失わないで。 「雨なので、身体の弱いマインに外を歩かせるわけにはいきませんもの。大通りに馬車を待たせてありますわ」 熱を出すから雨の中を出歩きたくない、と拒まれると考えたのだろう。フリーダの手回しの良さに感心するばかりだ。 仕事に行くための荷物を持って、無邪気に羨ましがるトゥーリを見たフリーダが、少しばかり首を傾げた。 「そうなの。そろそろ行かなくちゃ」 残念だけど、とトゥーリが言うと、フリーダは何かを考えるようにほんの一瞬視線を上に向けた後、パンと手の平を合わせて意味ありそうな笑みを浮かべた。 「でしたら、途中までお送りしますわ」 「え!? わたしもいいの!? 馬車に乗れるの!?」 パァッとトゥーリの顔が輝いた。馬車なんてわたし達みたいな貧民は一生乗れないような乗り物である。トゥーリのテンションが上がるのは理解できる。急いで外出の準備をするしかなさそうだ。 「トゥーリ、ルッツを呼んで来なくちゃ」 「あ、そうだね。わたし、行ってくるよ」 「あの、でも、ルッツさんが来られると、お姉様の乗る場所が......」 トゥーリが荷物を置いて駆けだそうとしたところを、申し訳なさそうにフリーダが止める。わたしが外出する時は、ルッツのお目付が付くことになっている。ルッツが来てしまうと、トゥーリが乗れなくなるなら、トゥーリは身を引くしかなくなる。 「え? え?......じゃあ、わたし、ダメなの?」 何と言って慰めればいいのかとあわあわしているわたしの前にフリーダの手が入ってくる。そのままトゥーリの手を取って、それは、それは、優しそうな笑みを浮かべた。 「マインのお姉様、今日はわたくしが責任を持って、ルッツさんの代わりにマインを送り迎えいたしますわ。マインが倒れないように気を付けると約束します。ですから、馬車で一緒に参りましょう?」 「......馬車で移動すれば、マイン、疲れないし、雨にも濡れないよね? ルッツいなくても大丈夫だよね?」 大丈夫じゃないよ! ルッツがいないと困るから、トゥーリは歩いて行けなんて言えない。馬車に乗れるとはしゃいでいたトゥーリの顔を見ているだけに、無碍になんてできない。一人でフリーダの家に行きたくないけど、断れなかった。 「......大丈夫。トゥーリ、一緒に行こう」 「ありがとう、マイン。わたしがルッツに伝えてくるから、マインは準備してね」 トゥーリがうきうきで足取り軽くルッツの家へ出ていった。トゥーリの足音が小さくなってくると、聞こえるのは雨の音だけだ。 「フリーダ......」 「お姉様、嬉しそうでしたわね?」 「そうだね。......ハァ、仕方ないなぁ。選んだのはわたしだし」 トゥーリを切り捨てられなかったのはわたしだから、フリーダをこれ以上責めても仕方ない。ルッツとベンノにまた考え無しだと怒られそうだと思いながら、わたしはトートバッグを準備する。 「実はね、手土産が準備できてないんだよ」 「あら、今日一日、マインの時間をいただくのですもの。マインがわたくしとお話してくださるだけで十分よ?」 嬉しそうにふんわりと笑った顔はお友達が遊びに来るのが嬉しくて仕方ない幼女のものだが、フリーダは無邪気なだけの幼女でないことはよく知っている。 「マイン、カルラおばさんに伝言してきたよ。さぁ、行こう。遅れちゃう」 わたしとフリーダの間にあった重苦しい雰囲気が、足取り軽く飛び込んできたトゥーリの笑顔で霧散する。 「では、行きましょう」 戸締りをして、外に出る。厚手のマントとつばの広い帽子がここの雨具だ。もちろん、完全に防げるわけではなく、大雨や長時間当たっていると染み込んでくる。今のように細い路地を抜けて大通りの馬車に入るまでなら、染み込むような心配はないけれど。 「さぁ、早く乗って」 大通りで待機している馬車に急いで乗りこむと、マントと帽子を取って端の方に置いた。従者は御者の隣に座るので、中に入ったのはわたし達だけだ。 「へぇ、馬車の中ってこんな風になってるんだ?」 「さぁ、座って。中央広場の近くでよろしいの?」 「うん、職人通りの中でも一番中央広場に近いんだよ」 馬車の中を見回してはしゃぐトゥーリにフリーダが座るように促し、わたしを真ん中に並んで座る。大人乗れるように作られた馬車も子供な座っても少し余裕があった。 「もうじき洗礼式でしょう? マインはどんな衣装かしら?」 「マインの衣装はわたしのお直しだけど、お直しとは思えないくらい豪華なんだよ」 フリーダの言葉にトゥーリが自分のことのように胸を張って答える。冬にお直しをしてからも時々トゥーリと母が手を入れているようで、ちょっとずつ装飾が増えていた。 「......豪華?」 「説明するのが難しいんだけど、ちょっと変わった感じになってると思う。母さんが頑張ってくれたから、可愛いよ」 ウチを見た後では、豪華な衣装を思い浮かべるのは難しいだろう。フリーダが不思議そうな顔をしているけれど、嘘は言っていない。そして、ここでのお直しと、わたしがしたお直しが違うので、説明するのも難しいのだ。 「フリーダちゃんの衣装もすごくふわふわしていて素敵だったよね。わたしもあんな服着てみたい」 「まぁ、ありがとうざいます。では、新しい髪飾りも作ったのかしら?」 トゥーリの言葉に嬉しそうに笑ったフリーダが髪飾りに話題を向けた。フリーダに作った髪飾り以外は、どれも色が違うだけでデザインは同じだ。けれど、わたしが自分のために作るのが他と同じだとは思えなくて、気になるのだろう。 「マインへのお祝いだからね。わたし、頑張って作ったんだよ。フリーダちゃんに作ったのと同じ大きい花を3つね」 「では、マインの髪飾りはわたくしとお揃いということかしら?」 フリーダが少し疑わしそうにわたしを見ながら首を傾げる。トゥーリは何と説明すればいいのかわからないようで、困ったようにわたしの袖をつかんだ。 「色も白だし、揺れるし、大きな花は同じだけど、お揃いとはちょっと違うよね、マイン?」 「生成りの糸だから、クリーム色っぽいけど遠目に見ると白だね。小さな小花を付けたけど、フリーダの髪飾りとはまた違う感じだよ。どんな髪飾りかは当日のお楽しみ。ね、トゥーリ」 「全部話しちゃうと当日の楽しみがなくなっちゃうもんね」 トゥーリがそう言って口元を覆うと、秘密だよと悪戯っぽく笑った。フリーダもつられたように笑顔を零す。 「まぁ、本当に楽しみね。わたくし、外まで見に行くわ」 洗礼式の話をしているうちに、工房が立ち並ぶ一角にあるトゥーリの仕事場が見えてきた。馬車を止めてもらったトゥーリはマントを羽織って、帽子を被る。道具の入ったバッグを持って、ちらりと心配そうにわたしを振り返った。 「トゥーリ、お仕事頑張ってね」 「馬車に乗せてくれてありがとう、フリーダちゃん。わたしは行くけど、迷惑かけないようにね、マイン」 大きく手を振って、工房へと駆けていくトゥーリを見送った後、馬車はまたゴトゴトと動き始めた。 「いらっしゃい、マイン。よく来たね。カトルカールを焼いて待っていたよ。是非、感想を聞かせておくれ」 フリーダの家に着くと、料理人のイルゼが待ち構えていた。 「おいし~。前よりずっとおいしくなってる。焼き加減が絶妙ですね」 「そう言ってもらえてよかったよ。何か改善できるところがないか、気になっていたんだ」 「改善点?......うーん、十分おいしいと思うけど?」 皿に盛った時の見た目を豪華にするとか、ドライフルーツを入れたり、柑橘系の皮をすりおろして混ぜて、違う味を楽しむとか、思い当たることはあるのだが、これがベンノに怒られる情報提供になるのかどうかわからない。 うーん、何してもベンノさんには怒られそうだし、シンプルに食べてもおいしいから黙っていても問題はないんだけど、やる気になっている職人さんは応援したくなるんだよね。 「改善点って程でもないんだけど......お砂糖一袋と引き換えなら、教えるよ?」 前に厨房で見た1キロくらいの砂糖が入っている袋を思い出して、わたしがそう交渉すると、イルゼは決定権を持つフリーダに視線を向けた。 「砂糖一袋......。マインに渡してしまってもいいですか、お嬢様?」 「お嬢様からの許可は頂いたよ。さぁ!」 食らいついてくるようなイルゼの迫力に、ぅひっと息を呑みながら、わたしは口を開いた。 「フェリジーネの皮をすりおろして生地に加えると香りと味が変わっておいしくなります。他にも何か入れることで味は変わります。何をどんな比率で入れたらおいしくなるかは、自分で研究してみてください。これはおまけ情報ですけど、もし、お貴族様相手に出すようなことがあるなら、よく泡立てた生クリームや飾り切りした果物を添えると、見た目が豪華になりますよ」 「っ!? やってみよう」 イルゼは息を呑んだ後、すぐさま立ち上がって部屋から出ていった。残されたわたしとフリーダは何度か瞬きした後、苦笑する。 「ごめんなさいね、マイン。お客様にあんな姿を見せてしまって。イルゼも普段は冷静なのだけれど、新しいレシピには目がなくて......」 「研究熱心なのはいいことだよ。イルゼさんが頑張ってくれたら、それだけおいしいものが増えるもんね?」 勉強熱心で感心な事だ。世界においしいものが広がるのは、わたしにとっても嬉しいことなので、ぜひ色々と研究して新しい甘味を作っていってほしい。 「そういえば、フリーダはどうして商業ギルドで見習いなんてしているの? 将来は貴族街でお店を持つんでしょ? 職員にはならないのに、見習いなんてなれるの?」 成人したら、貴族のところに行くことが決まっているのに、商業ギルドでフリーダが見習いをしているとは思わなかった。 「わたくしがおじい様にお願いしたの。貴族街で店を持つための勉強と人脈作りよ。貴族街で店を開く時にはわたくし一人ですもの。全て一人でできるようにならなければならないし、人脈をできるだけ広げておかなくてはね」 「全部一人? 誰か、その、ユッテさんみたいな側仕えの人は?」 「わたくし以外に貴族街での滞在は許されてないのよ。あちらに行ってから、先方が用意してくださる側仕えはいるから、生活する上で一人というわけではないのですけれど」 いくら何でも成人したばかりの少女にいきなり味方のいないところで一人で店をしろ、というのは、あまりにも酷ではなかろうか。相談相手の一人くらいは付けられないのだろうか。 「お店でも完全に一人というわけでもありませんわ。商品の納入等でわたくしの家族は貴族街に出入りすることを許可されているもの。ずっとそばにいてくださるわけではないけれど、心強いでしょう?」 「......そうだね」 とても心強いなんて思えなかったけれど、真っ直ぐに前を見て自分の運命と戦っているように見えるフリーダに肯定以外の言葉をかけることはできなかった。 「わたくしが貴族街で店を始めた後、何が起こっても一通りの対処できるように、今はギルドの見習いと我が家のお店のお手伝いを交互にしているの」 「フリーダは偉いね。先々のことまですごく考えてるのが、よくわかるよ」 わたしの言葉にふっとフリーダの顔が厳しくなった。真面目な眼差しで静かにわたしを見据えて、口を開く。 「わたくしもマインに聞きたいことがあるのだけれど、よろしい?」 「うん、いいよ」 あぁ、本題がきた。 「一体何を考えているの? マインは、本来ならベンノさんのところを早々に見限って、こちらに付くべきでしょう? わたくし、今までずっと待っていたのよ。マインが伝手を求めて、わたくしのところへ来るのを......」 生きるために貴族への伝手を求めるなら、ベンノよりもギルド長とフリーダを頼った方が良い。それは、オットーにも指摘されたことだった。誰だってそう思うだろう。貴族との繋がりが長く深い店の方が、少しでも有利に交渉できるに決まっている。 「もう夏が来るというのに、マインは何も行動していない。先のことを本当に考えているの? なるべく早く貴族に渡りをつけなくては、このままでは......」 フリーダの訴えは同じ身食いであるわたしを心配しての言葉だとわかっている。貴族に渡りを付けてもすぐに契約できるとは限らない。早く、早くと急く気持ちがフリーダの強引さに繋がっているのだとすれば、心配されているのが少し面映ゆいくらいだ。 フッと笑って、わたしもフリーダを真っ直ぐに見詰めた。 「あのね、フリーダ。わたし、自分なりに考えた結果、家族と一緒にいて、朽ちる方を選んだの」 「......え?」 目を見張って、口を軽く開いたまま、フリーダは固まった。小さく震えた唇から、信じられない、と微かな呟きが漏れる。 「半分はもう諦めてるの。トゥーリが泣くから、生きられる方法を探すよって言ったけど、身食いは貴族と契約する以外に生きていく方法はないんでしょ?」 何か方法がないか、フリーダを助けるためにギルド長は、権力もお金も伝手も使える物は全て使って死に物狂いで探したはずだ。いくつも魔術具をかき集め、時間を稼ぎながら、契約以外に少しでも有効な手段がないか、調べただろう。 「......わたくしは知りません」 「本音としては、どこかでもう1個くらい魔術具が手に入らないかな? とは思ってるけど、貴族と契約したいとは思ってない。魔術具以外に身食いを何とかできる代用品ってないんでしょ?」 「わたくしが知っていれば、とっくに使っているわ」 苛立ったようにじろりと睨まれて、わたしは軽く肩を竦めた。 「だよね? 今日ね、わたしがフリーダに質問しようと思ってたのは、貴族以外の人から魔術具を買うことってできないのかなってことなんだ。もしくは、魔術具を自分で作るとか......できないんだよね?」 無いなら作ってしまえばいいじゃないと思ったけれど、残念ながら、麗乃が読んだ本の中に魔術具の作り方はなかった。ファンタジー小説やゲームの中で、そんな言葉が出てきたけれど、実際の参考になるはずがない。 「魔術具を作るためには魔力が必要なので、魔力を持つ貴族以外には作れないそうよ。ですから、魔術具の作り方を知っている人が城壁よりこちらにいないの」 「そう。......作り方がわかったら自分で作ろうと思ったんだけど、やっぱり無理みたいだね」 魔力を持つ貴族にしか作れないなら、魔術具の工房は高い城壁の向こうにしかない。作り方がわかれば、資金は潤沢にあるので何とかなるかと期待したけれど、やはり甘かったようだ。 「......自分で作るというのは考えつきませんでしたわ」 「フリーダはお嬢様だから。わたしは欲しいと思った物は自分で作らないと手に入らない環境で生きているから、一番に思ったのは自分で何とか作れないかな......だったよ」 クスクスと小さく笑い合う。リンシャンも、髪飾りも、紙も、煤鉛筆も、菜箸も、わたしが作ったものは必要にかられたから、できたものばかりだ。 「マインはそれほど家族が大事? このまま熱に呑まれて死ぬことが怖くはないの?」 「うーん、なんでだろう。死にたくないとは思うけど、あまり怖いとは思わないんだよね」 一度死んだ記憶を持つわたしにとって、マインの生は神様がくれたおまけのようなものだった。やっと生きることが楽しくなってきたけれど、根本的なところは多分変わっていない。 「......今は周りに本がないから、家族の他に大事なものがないの。死ぬことを選んだんじゃなくて、家族といることを選んだだけなんだよ」 「本?」 「そう。お金が結構貯まったから、一冊くらい買えないかな?」 わたしが首を傾げると、フリーダは困ったように笑った。 「本が欲しいなら、貴族街に行けばいいではありませんか。あちらにはあるでしょう?」 「あ~、契約条項に本読み放題ってあれば、ホイホイついて行ったかもしれないけど、飼い殺しするようなお貴族様が、貧民のわたしにそんな貴重なものを読ませてくれると思う?」 「マインの生活環境から考えると難しいでしょうね」 貴族から見れば、識字率が低いこの街の貧民がわたしだ。たとえわたしが文字を知っていても、自分が持つ高価で貴重な本に触らせたくないと思うのが普通だ。勝手に読んだら、殺されても仕方がない。 「......だから、死ぬまでに何とか本の量産体制を作ろうと思っているけど、難しいだろうね。身食いについては寿命だと思って、半分は諦めてる。家族に迷惑いっぱいかけてるから、今のうちにたっぷり稼いで、残してあげたいとは思うけどね」 わたしが冗談めかしてクスッと笑うと、フリーダはきらりと茶色の目を光らせた。 「では、わたくしがカトルカールのレシピを買いましょうか?」 カトルカールは基本的なお菓子なので、期間限定の独占販売くらいなら別に構わないが、ベンノのリンシャンのように全ての権利を独占されるのは困る。お菓子の発展を阻害するに違いない。 「......小金貨5枚で一年間はフリーダが独占販売する権利なら売るよって言ったらどうする?」 「もちろん、買いますわ」 迷いなど一瞬も見せない即答だった。 「......もちろん、なんだ? もしかして格安ってこと?」 「まぁ、そうですわね。カトルカールや植物紙のように前例のない物の独占販売権は大金貨を越えることは珍しくないもの」 「大金貨......」 どうやら、わたし、ベンノさんに激安で知識と情報をバラまいていたようです。 「値段を吊り上げます?」 「ううん、いいや。一年間だからね。独占販売権を小金貨5枚で売るよ」 一度出した値段を吊り上げていく気にはなれず、わたしは首を振った。 「では、契約書を作りましょう」 「え? もしかして、契約魔術!?」 また血を見たり、知らない人の安否を気にしたり、怖い展開になるのだろうか。わたしが思わず身体を震わせると、フリーダが呆れたように溜息を吐いた。 「......あのね、マイン。契約魔術というのはそう簡単に使うものではないの。魔力や権力を持つ相手で、自分が圧倒的に不利な状況にある場合に、高額の魔術具を使ってでも利益を確保するために使うものなのよ。わたくし達の間では、正式な契約書である羊皮紙で普通の契約をすれば十分でしょう?」 しかし、フリーダの言うことが正しいなら、魔力や権力を持つ相手でもないわたし達を相手に、何故ベンノは契約魔術を使ったのだろうか。不思議だ。 「それにしても、滅多に使うものではないのに、マインはいつどこで契約魔術なんて知ったの?」 「......ベンノさんに怒られそうだから、秘密」 「あら、少しは学習してるのね」 ふふっと笑いながら、フリーダが棚の上にあるベルに手を伸ばした。チリリンと鳴らすとユッテがほとんど音を立てずに入ってくる。 「契約書の準備をお願い」 ユッテが準備してくれた羊皮紙にフリーダが羽ペンを使って契約内容を書きこんでいく。わたしが買った木製のペンより、豪華で見栄えはするけれど、使いにくそうに見えるのは気のせいだろうか。 「一年というのはどうしてですの?」 「一年あれば、カトルカールの元祖はフリーダの店ってみんながわかるでしょ? それに、他の人にも砂糖が行き渡っているかもしれないから、新規参入の余地は残しておきたいの」 「新規参入?」 「レシピを公表すれば、色々挑戦する人も増えて、どんどん新しいお菓子ができるかもしれないでしょ? おいしいお菓子って、幸せな気持ちになれるから、色んな人が作って、いっぱい広がるといいと思ってる」 「ハァ、自分の利益を度外視するマインは商人に向いていませんわよ」 公式の契約書となる羊皮紙に、わたしとフリーダがサインする。これで、わたしがフリーダにカトルカールの一年間の独占販売権を与えるという契約が成立した。 「でも、まぁ、レシピ公表は一年後にわたしがいたら、の話かな? いなかった時はレシピの公表はフリーダに任せるよ」 「わたくしは自分の利益を最優先しますから、一年後、必ず自分で公表してくださいな」

My name is Ferdinand. I serve as the head priest of the temple of the city of Ehrenfest. People frequently mistake me as being between twenty-five or, if I’m unlucky, thirty years old, but in reality I am twenty. My half brother often comments that I was not blessed with enough youthfulness and it has already run dry, but this is, in truth, a product of my living environment. All the way through my coming-of-age, I was part of n.o.ble society. I was the son of a concubine, but because I had just enough mana to contribute to the foundational magical tools and because (although this may be a little self-aggrandizing to say) the pursuit of knowledge posed no difficult to me, my half brother, who is older than me, had me raised to serve as his a.s.sistant. Regardless of my father’s true wife, my relations.h.i.+p with my half brother was not at all bad. However, my father’s wife seemed to be displeased with the fact that I was serving as my half brother’s a.s.sistant, so, after my father’s death, she began treating me with open hostility. Several politically powerful adults supported her viewpoint, and I could not rely on my biological mother, and I began to fear for my own safety. At that time, my half brother recommended to me that I should join the temple. To those in n.o.ble society, joining the temple is effectively a declaration that you are withdrawing from the world of politics. However, even at the temple mana must still be used to perform divine miracles, so there are still close ties to the world of n.o.ble politics. Also, because the higher-ranked priests and priestesses all originate from the n.o.bility, there still exists a strict hierarchy based on social standing. My half brother grinned as he told me to aim for the absolute top and take control of the temple from the inside. I, however, knew that was far easier said than done, as the current temple master is a man related to my father’s true wife’s family and his behavior could be extremely dangerous to me, so I just shrugged as I made my way into the temple. My days at the temple were peaceful. There were people in charge of the temple’s finances, of managing the orphanage, of making contact with the n.o.bility, and so on, but that work never came around to me. As such, I had no real work beyond the work of maintaining the ritual tools, and found myself with an overwhelming abundance of free time. Because I had so much time, I reached out to my half brother and asked him to send over books and wooden tablets from our home. I used them in order to build a library, one that even n.o.bles with unfortunate economic circ.u.mstances would be able to use. However, the blue-garbed priests and priestesses at the temple were all people who were incapable of returning to n.o.ble society, so none of them had any interest in the pursuit of knowledge. The deplorable fact of the matter is that the only person who showed any interest in it whatsoever was a single commoner girl, who wanted to read so badly that she fell to the ground weeping. Then, a coup happened in Central, and the ranks of the n.o.bility were thinned out. What first happened to us is that our apprentices who were still young enough to be sent to the House of Lords were, one by one, called back home. Then, the priests and priestesses who were still of marriageable age were called back into n.o.ble society. Finally, a demand came from the temple in Central for all priests and priestesses possessing a particular degree of magical power to make their way there. Now, there are no priestesses left in the temple, and the only priests left are those who are too old to return home and who possess not enough mana to be considered useful by the temple in Central. All of the people who were primarily in charge of managing the temple’s affairs had been called away, leaving me to take on every single aspect of running the temple. My easy, peaceful days have vanished without a trace. Because of the scope and importance of my work, the stature of my family, and the supplication of my half brother, I became the head priest, despite the fact that it had not been terribly long since I joined the temple and that I was still very young. “Father, the temple master is calling for you.” “...It seems he’s alright, then.” When Fran, my attendant, informs me of this, I stand, sighing. As I leave my room hand head towards the temple master’s chambers, I lament to myself that, if only the temple master could have been laid out a little longer, I could have gotten a little more work done. Father Bösewanz is a man who never a.s.sists me in my work, but is forceful in giving his opinions, so I am thankful for every moment that he sleeps while I am performing my duties. As I make my way through the halls, the library room pa.s.ses through my field of view. The face of Maïne, the child who ignited such chaos in order to read the books here, floats through my memory, and I reach up to ma.s.sage my temples. She is the source of all of my most recent headaches, and it is likely that she is the reason the temple master is calling me to him this time. During the baptismal ceremonies, Maïne discovered the library and declared that she wished to become a sister-in-training. At the time, she wore clothing that made her appear to be the daughter of a wealthy family. In order to secure her apprentices.h.i.+p, she offered an enormous sum of money as a donation. The temple master, dazzled by the sheer amount of coin, met with her to discuss the matter of having the daughter of a wealthy family join the temple. When this happened, it was revealed to us that she possessed mana. Based on her reactions when she was reading the scriptures, it was clear to me that she was quite intelligent, and from her demeanor and polite manner of speech, I could easily guess that she had had an excellent education. As such, when the temple master suggested that she be granted a blue robe when she joined the temple, I could not disagree. However, when her parents were called out to the temple in order to discuss the matter further, it became apparent that Maïne was not the daughter of a wealthy family, but instead the daughter of commoners. To my sensibilities, it did not matter whose daughter she was. Provided she brought her donation and possessed mana, there was no problem at all. Reverend Bösewanz, however, thought differently. He adopted an openly aggressive demeanor towards the three of them, angering Maïne in the process. If she were a n.o.ble, she would have had magical tools to help her manage her mana. Or, in other words, she would have offered her mana to magical tools at regular intervals, so even in the event that her emotions were to stir her mana into motion, it would not have run rampant. However, Maïne was a commoner, and as such had no access to magical tools. Of course, when her mana did run rampant and escaped from her body, it was directed entirely at Reverend Bösewanz. Her mana was far stronger than could possibly have been expected from a girl who managed to survive the devouring all the way through her baptismal ceremonies. The reverend, taking the full force of Maïne’s magical coercion, fainted on the spot and did not regain consciousness for some time. As he slept, I made use of the excellent opportunity to have a conversation with Maïne’s parents directly and was able to come to an arrangement with them. Although the temple master has only just regained consciousness and is still resting, he made the express effort to summon me. Most likely, he wishes to confirm how the discussion with Maïne had turned out and, of course, voice his complaints. It’s easy for me to imagine all of the many complaints that might fly from his mouth. The figure of the attendant standing next to the door comes into view as I approach. It’s not my place to say it, but it might be good for the temple master, the most important man in the temple, to stand up himself every once in a while. I take in a long, slow breath, and as I let it out I let my irritation out with it. “Reverend, Father Ferdinand has arrived.” The attendant opens the door for me, matched perfectly with my walking speed so that it opens exactly as I arrive. From the slight tension I see on his face, I wonder if he might be a newcomer. When I enter, I see that the temple master is sitting at his work desk, slumping heavily into the back of his chair. It is a pose that highlights his protruding belly. If one were to think solely of our families’ relative positions in n.o.ble society, I would be more highly ranked than he is, but I am an illegitimate son, while he is legitimate. And, as he is a member of the extended family of the mother of my half brother, the standing of his house is not at all insignificant. As such, since he cannot help but to show his superiority over me, whenever he calls me to see him, without fail he will always be sitting at his work desk, leaving me to stand as he smirks at me. However, today he does not have the emotional leeway to even smirk at me. His expression is fiendish, his brows so tightly knit that deep b.u.mps cross the bridge of his nose, and he drums his fingers hard against the surface of his desk in clear irritation. The instant he sees me, he vigorously starts to speak. “Father Ferdinand,” he says, “what happened to that thing?” I leisurely make my way over to him then, with careful emphasis on the grace a n.o.bleman should comport himself with, tilt my head slightly to one side. “To what thing are you referring?” Like a child throwing a tantrum, he sits up straight, slamming his fist into the surface of his desk. This falls entirely within my expectations, so I have long since raised the wooden tablet on which I had brought my report, pretending to read it while actually using it as a s.h.i.+eld to protect my face from his flying spittle. “Ahh, of course... I believe her name was Maïne.” “That’s right. You sent her away, right?” He glares at me with wide eyes, but I just slowly shake my head. “I fully understand your displeasure, Reverend, but the temple is facing a serious shortage of mana. You must be very aware of this yourself, seeing as you had been trying to get her to join the temple. This will only be a problem until the number of n.o.bles in this city has increased again.” “Ferdinand, are you telling me to be patient? Me, the master of this temple...” Before he can launch into his usual long, long tirade about his parentage and position, I launch into an outline of the current status of the temple. “If we do not have her, then our dedication ceremonies will almost certainly be fraught with difficulty. And then, when autumn comes... And what if a request for us comes from the knights’ order? Would you be willing to say that we don’t have enough mana and cannot help them? Or, would you be willing to have to constantly ask for help from other temples until the number of n.o.bles here rises again?” The temple master’s social stature is high and, proportionally, his own sense of self-conceitedness is high as well. I know full well that a man like that would never be able to bow his head to another human being. It seems that my words found their mark, as the temple master starts to turn bright red, perhaps imagining himself having to beg other temples for a.s.sistance. “Tch, if we didn’t have a mana shortage, I’d have that impertinent girl executed immediately...” “Provoking her to her face is quite dangerous, Reverend. If you are on the receiving end of that much mana again, your heart might not be able to withstand it.” I wonder if he has forgotten that it was his heavy-handed behavior towards Maïne that caused her to use her magical coercion on him until he fainted? This is the problem with old people. Reverend Bösewanz audibly grinds his teeth together. As a mild diversion, I decide to bring up the topic of the discussion I had had with Maïne’s parents and the agreements that we had come to. “As the two of us had discussed prior to the meeting, it was ultimately agreed that we would provide Maïne with a special set of blue robes. Her parents also agreed to our other proposal that she be a.s.signed to not only maintain the magical tools, but also to be given work in the library room as she herself had asked for. This is all as we had planned beforehand.” I make very sure to hammer in multiple times that these were points that the temple master and I had agreed on beforehand. This may be due to his age, but he has lately been p.r.o.ne to forgetting the contents of conversations he was part of, whenever it seems to suit him. And, perhaps because he forgot everything just as I expected, he sits there glaring at me, with an extremely unwilling expression, like he wanted so badly to object but was unable to. “Grrrr...” “Ahh, and then, we agreed that Maïne would not live in the orphanage, but instead be able to commute between her home and the temple. Since there are already many n.o.bles here who have homes that they return to, I did not judge this to be particularly problematic, and gave it my approval.” “What did you say?!” The temple master’s eyes fly open wide as he snaps at me. This, too, is well within my expectations. “...I believe that allowing her to live at home would be preferable to having her demand that since she has been given blue robes she should be given a room in the parts of the temple reserved for the n.o.bility. Do you not agree?” “Hmph! Well, you’re right in that.” The choice between giving her a n.o.ble’s room and letting her live at home seems easy for the temple master to understand, so he gives me a very unpleasant smile as he nods in approval. It seems that he’s already forgotten his own declaration that he wouldn’t think twice about throwing her into the orphanage, but since he has just agreed, Maïne’s ability to commute has been established. “In addition, because Maïne is very frail, it seems that she may be unable to perform her duties every day, but since there is ultimately not a tremendous amount of work for a blue-robed sister-in-training to do, I believe that it should not be a problem for her to rest when she is not feeling well.” “Hah, what an unmotivated little girl.” It seems like he will not be satisfied if he doesn’t find some way to complain about every single thing. He appears to understand, though, so I merely shrug my shoulders and continue. “I merely judged that doing so would be preferable to her falling ill while at the temple. ...On that note, we also agreed that Maïne, in order to manage her condition, would be a.s.signed attendants.” “That’s unnecessary!” Father Bösewanz’s objection was very much within my expectations, so I simply breathe a small sigh, then deliver yet another rehea.r.s.ed answer. “If someone from outside the temple were to see a blue-robed priestess without any attendants, it would only reflect poorly on the temple and, in turn, I believe it would reflect poorly on you. ...Besides, as of now we have an excess of gray-robed priests and priestesses. Do you not think that it would be a good idea to simply a.s.sign some of those to Maïne?” “...I see.” Although the blue-robed clergy has left, the gray-robed priests and priestesses have largely been left behind, save for those few who were the favorites of any individuals who were being called away. Given that the donations to the temple from the families of blue-robed priests have diminished, the ever-acc.u.mulating expenses of the largely masterless gray-robed clergy are nothing but a problem for the temple. “Next, according to my investigations into Maïne, it seems that she has been registered with the merchant’s guild as the manager of a workshop. It would have been quite simple to be able to tell her that those working in the service of the G.o.ds have no need to make money, but I believe that if we can regularly acquire some of the profit from the workshop for ourselves, it would be quite beneficial to the temple. What do you think?” “Wring her dry.” “As you wish.” As the size of the clergy has decreased so much, the amount of money that the temple can earn on its own has diminished. To Father Bösewanz, this money is far more useful than the public doctrine of the temple. With this, I have finally gotten his approval on all of the points I had come to an agreement on with Maïne’s family. I breathe a sigh of relief. “For the time being, in order to avoid causing you any trouble, I plan to personally see to handling all of the burden Maïne will bring. If the merchant’s guild is going to be involved, I believe I should be able to handle the additional paperwork. Also, I shall ensure that she never shows her face in this room. Then... ah, yes. When selecting the gray-robed priests to be her attendants, I will a.s.sign one of my own attendants to her as well, so that we can receive detailed reports on her activities.” A light glimmers in the temple master’s eyes, as if he’s found something interesting in the idea of being vigilant about Maïne. He thoughtfully strokes his white beard, smiling that unpleasant smile that he gets whenever he cooks up another worthless scheme. “Hmm? ...In that case, perhaps I should a.s.sign someone to her as well? Even that girl should confide in another girl around her age. Delia, I think, would work hard for my sake. And for the others, let’s give her the most troublesome kids we can dig out of the orphanage. Inconvenience her as much as humanly possible. Squeeze every last drop of donation that we can get out of her. After all, there’s nothing else that that... thing is good for.” This became something problematic. Maïne is unfamiliar with the details of n.o.ble society and the workings of the temple, so I had planned to a.s.sign to her an a.s.sistant who could help her navigate both of those things, but if the temple master’s protege is a.s.signed to be her attendant as well, then my own actions will wind up being brought to the temple master’s attention as well. I weave my fingers together in front of me, thanking him, then leave his room. Bitter regrets plague me as I return to my own room. What a profoundly troublesome temple master. The blue-robed priests and priestesses given to the custody of the temple are largely illegitimate children. Amongst such company, he, a legitimate son from an influential family, finds much to boast about. In truth, he has comparatively very little mana, so he has a terrifyingly powerful inferiority complex towards those given to the temple who have more than he does. If we are not careful with our behavior towards Maïne, there is a good possibility that he may cause her to run rampant again. Besides the fact that her social standing is even lower than mine, she brings with her not just mana and coin, but an apt.i.tude for writing reports and handling paperwork, so to me, she is a far more capable person than Reverend Bösewanz. I look over the report on Maïne, and my eyes find their way to the section on her commercial dealings. With the backing of the Gilberta Company, she was registered with the guild under a provisional apprentice’s license. The products that she has transferred rights to up to this point are “rinsham”, a vegetable-based paper, hair ornaments made by knitting thread, “pound cake” and many variations thereof. It would seem that she, as an individual, commands sizable financial a.s.sets, to the point where her declaration that she could afford to donate a large gold coin was no exaggeration. Due to concerns with her physical condition, she abandoned her path towards becoming an apprentice, and instead plans to use Maïne’s Workshop, set up for her by the Gilberta Company, to continue to profit from the goods she invents. “To make this many contracts for new products within just one year... she seems to just think of one invention after the other.” It seems that the goods Maïne’s Workshop will produce will generate spectacularly large amounts of profit. I must ensure that I a.s.sign an attendant to her who will be capable of making very detailed reports to me, if we are to avoid being deceived by any greedy merchants. As I consider that thought, I look around at the attendants currently stationed in my room. Now then, who must I a.s.sign to be Maïne’s attendant? I will need someone deeply loyal to me, capable of making accurate reports, and very patient, I think. They will, after all, need to be able to flawlessly handle the trouble that the temple master’s chosen attendant will cause. “...Fran.” Upon hearing his name, he smoothly steps closer to me. “I will have you become Maïne’s attendant. I would like you to provide me with reports on her actions, as detailed as you possibly can. Additionally, please ensure, to the best of your ability, that she does not cross paths with Reverend Bösewanz.” “Um?! ......Very well, Father.” For an instant, a discontented frown flashes across his features, but then he nods slowly in agreement. Fran had been present when Maïne’s mana went out of control, so it’s possible that the image of the temple master fainting flashed across his mind. “Her other attendant should be... Ah, yes. Do we have anyone who is particularly difficult to handle, to the point where they would be a poor fit to be a.s.signed to a n.o.ble? We must, after all, at the very least appear to take the reverend’s opinion into consideration.” A look of bewilderment enters Fran’s eyes as he glances nervously around the room. After a moment, he lowers his gaze. Arnaud, who had waited on me as I went to Reverend Bösewanz’s room, speaks up, coming to his rescue. “Ah, I see. How about Gil? He is frequently sent to the meditation room, but never seems to learn. He very much troubles the managing priest.” “...Hm. Then, let’s have Gil, Delia, and Fran be Maïne’s attendants.” It has been decided who Maïne’s attendants shall be. It will take her blue robes another three days to arrive, and Maïne’s apprentices.h.i.+p is set to start in five days. All of the preparations for Maïne’s arrival are very much in order, but I wonder just what might happen next? Although at this point I was able to imagine that Maïne might stir up strife with her arrival, I had not even the slightest idea of just how much chaos she would incite.

私はフェルディナンド。エーレンフェストの街の神殿で神官長を務めている。よく25歳くらい、下手したら30歳くらいと間違われるが、20歳である。 私は成人するまで貴族社会で育った。愛妾の子であったが、礎の魔術具を扱えるだけの魔力があったため、そして、自分で言うのも何だが、勉学が苦ではなく得意であったため、異母兄を補佐する立場として育てられた。父の本妻とはともかく、異母兄との仲は悪くなかった。 しかし、本妻は異母兄の補佐をする私が気に入らなかったようで、父の死後、私はあからさまに排斥され始めた。権力に群がる大人達は本妻の意見に賛同し、実の母親は当てにならず、身の危険を感じ始めた頃、異母兄が神殿に入ることを勧めてくれたのだ。 神殿に入ることは貴族社会から見ると、政治の世界から抜けると宣言することに他ならない。けれど、神殿もまた魔力を使い、神事を行うため、政治の世界とは密接な関係を持っている。そして、神殿の上位は貴族出身の神官や巫女が占めており、その位は実家の地位による階級社会である。 異母兄は私に神殿を掌握するように、と笑いながら命じた。今の神殿長は本妻の実家に連なる者で、態度も大きく厄介な相手なのに、簡単に言ってくれるものだ、と肩を竦めながら、私は神殿に入った。 神殿での日々は安穏としていた。財政を握っていたり、孤児院の管理をしていたり、貴族との連絡を取り扱ったり、と仕事をしている者もいたが、私には回されなかった。そのため、神具に魔力を込める以外、特に仕事がなく暇を持て余していた。 あまりに時間が余るので、異母兄に頼んで、実家に置いてあった本や木札を送ってもらった。せっかくなら、経済状況が思わしくない貴族にも利用してもらえたら良いと考えて図書室に並べてみた。けれど、神殿にいる青色神官や巫女は貴族社会に戻れない者ばかりで、勉学に興味がある者はいなかった。本が読みたいと号泣するほど興味を示したのが、貧民の幼女だけとは嘆かわしいことだ。 そして、中央での政変が起こり、貴族の数が激減した。まず、これから貴族院に通える年齢である幼い見習いが次々と実家から呼び戻され、次に結婚が可能な年若い神官や巫女が貴族社会へと戻っていった。さらに、適齢期より上でも、ある程度魔力がある神官や巫女は、中央神殿へと移動するよう要請があった。 主要な仕事をしていた者がごっそりと居なくなった神殿で、私はあらゆる仕事を引き継ぐことになり、安穏とした時間は私の前から姿を消した。執務の量と質、実家の地位、異母兄の懇願により、神殿に入って日が浅い上に、まだ年若い私が神官長を務めることになったのだ。 「神官長、神殿長がお呼びだそうです」 「......無事だったようだな」 側仕えであるフランの言葉を聞いて、私は溜息混じりに立ち上がった。もうしばらく寝込んでいてくれれば、執務がはかどったのだが、と考えながら、自室を出て、神殿長の部屋へと向かう。神殿長は手を出さないけれど、口だけはしっかりと出す人物なので、執務中は寝ていてくれるとありがたいと私は常々思っている。 移動途中で図書室が視界に入った。ここの本を読むために騒動を起こした子供、マインの顔が浮かんできて、指先でこめかみをグッと押した。ここ最近の頭痛の種であり、おそらく今回の呼び出し原因だと思われる。 洗礼式で図書室を見つけて、巫女見習いになりたいと言い出したマインは、富豪らしい衣装に身を包んでいたらしい。見習いになるために、と提示された巨額の寄付金に目が眩んだ神殿長が、富豪の娘を何とか神殿に入れようと話をするうちに魔力があることまで判明した。 聖典を読んでやった時の反応から、かなり頭が良いこともわかっていたし、立ち居振る舞いや言葉遣いからもよく教育されていることが察せられた。だから、青の衣を与えてでもマインを神殿に入れると言う神殿長に、私も否を唱えなかった。 けれど、話し合いをするために両親を呼びだしてみれば、マインは富豪の娘ではなく、貧民の娘だった。 私としては、誰の娘であろうが、寄付金と魔力さえ持っていれば問題ないと思っていたけれど、神殿長にとっては違うようだった。あからさまに高圧的な態度を取り、マインを怒らせた。 貴族ならば魔力を制御するための魔術具を持っている。もしくは、定期的に神具に魔力を捧げているので、感情によって魔力が高まっても、暴走することはない。けれど、マインは貧民の娘で魔術具など持ってはいなかった。 当然、魔力は暴走して身体から漏れだし、神殿長へと真っ直ぐに向かう。洗礼式まで生き延びた身食いとは思えないほど、マインの魔力は強かった。 意識が戻ってからも寝込んでいた神殿長が、今になってわざわざ私を呼びだしたということは、おそらく、マインとの話がどうなったかの確認と文句に違いない。神殿長の口から出てくるだろう嫌味の数々が容易に思い浮かんでくる。 面倒な事だがこの神殿内で一番上位である神殿長は立てておいた方が良い。ゆっくりと息を吸って、億劫になる気分を溜息と一緒に吐き出した。 「神殿長、神官長がお見えになりました」 扉の前に控えていた神殿長の側仕えが私の歩く速度に合わせて扉を開ける。顔に少し緊張している色が見えるのは新入りだからだろう。 実家の地位だけを考えると私の方が高いが、私は庶子であり、神殿長は嫡子である。異母兄の母親の実家に連なる者だから、実家の地位が低いわけでもない。そのため、神殿長は自分の優位を示したくて仕方がないようで、私を呼びだす時は必ず執務机を挟んで自分が座り、私が立っているのを見ながらニヤニヤしている。 だが、今日はニヤニヤするほどの心の余裕がないのか、鼻筋に深い皺を刻んだ凶悪な表情で苛立たしげに指先で机を叩いていた。私の姿を見つけるやいなや勢い込んで口を開いた。 「神官長、アレは一体どうなった?」 ゆっくりと神殿長の前まで歩いた後、私は貴族らしい優雅さを殊更に強調しつつ、首を傾げて見せた。 「あの無礼極まりない子供に決まっているだろうっ!」 癇癪を起した子供のように、身体を起こしてドンと机を叩きながら神殿長が怒鳴った。予想済みの言動だったので、私は報告するための木札をスッと持ち上げて、読むふりをしながら飛んでくる唾を防ぐ。 「あぁ、確か......マインという名前でしたね」 「それだ。追い返したのだろうな?」 ギョロリと睨む神殿長に、私は緩く首を振った。 「神殿長が不快であることは理解していますが、この神殿の魔力不足は深刻です。それはマインを神殿に入れようとした神殿長が一番よくご存じのはず。この街にまた貴族が増えるまでの辛抱です」 「神官長、この儂に我慢せよと言うのか? 儂は......」 いつもの長い長い家柄自慢が入る前に、私は神殿の現状を並べて立てる。 「あの子供がいなかったら、奉納の儀式は確実に困ります。それに、秋も......。また、騎士団から要請が出たらどうしますか? 魔力がないので、できませんと言うのですか? それとも、貴族が増えるまでの間、ずっと余所の神殿に助力を請いますか?」 実家の位が高く、それと比例するように自尊心が高い神殿長が他人に頭を下げるなど、絶対にできるはずがないことはわかっている。 「くっ、魔力不足でなければ、あんな無礼な子供、すぐにでも処刑してやるのに......」 「正面から挑発するのは危険ですよ。あの魔力をまた正面から受けたら、神殿長の心臓が持たないかもしれないのですから」 高圧的な態度をとったことが原因で、マインに卒倒するまで魔力で威圧されたことを忘れたのだろうか。これだから、年寄りは困る。 ギリギリと奥歯を噛みしめている神殿長を軽く牽制だけして、私はマインとその両親との話し合いで決まったことを報告する。 「事前に話していた通り、マインには特別に青の衣を準備することになりました。魔術具の手入れと、本人が熱望する図書室の仕事を勤めとするというのも、事前に話し合っていた通りです」 事前に話し合っていたところを何度も強調しておく。年のせいか、神殿長は最近自分で発言した内容を都合よく忘れることが多い。案の定、忘れていたのか、反論したくてもできないような不本意極まりない顔で唸りながら私を睨んでくる。 「うぐぐぐ......」 「あぁ、それから、マインは孤児ではないので、家から通うことになりました。実際、家がある貴族も通いが多いので、これは特に問題ないと判断して、許可しています」 「何だと!?」 私の言葉に神殿長が目を剥いて、噛みついてくる。これもまた予想通りだ。 「......青の衣を与えられているのだから、と言われて貴族区域に部屋を持たせることになるよりは、通いの方が良いかと思ったのですが?」 「フン! まぁ、そうだな」 貴族区域に部屋を与えることになるよりは、通いの方が神殿長にとっては納得しやすいようで、嫌な笑みを浮かべながら頷いた。孤児院に放り込めば良いと言っていた自分の発言はすっかり忘れているようだが、もう言質はとったので、マインは通いで決定である。 「それから、マインは虚弱なので、毎日のお勤めはできないそうですが、神殿の仕事と言っても青の巫女見習いがこなす仕事は多くないので、体調が悪い時に休んだところで問題はないでしょう」 何に関しても文句を付けなければ気が済まないらしい。わかっていたことなので、軽く肩を竦めて流しておく。 「神殿内に病気を持ちこまれるよりは良いと判断しました。......それから、体調管理のための側仕えを付けることになりました」 「必要ない!」 神殿長の言葉があまりにも推測した通りであることに、軽く溜息を吐きながら、私はまた準備していた答えを返す。 「青の衣をまとう者に側仕えが全くいないのは、対外的に見目が良くありません。これは神殿長の面子に係わると思われます。......それに、今は灰色神官や巫女が余っているので、マインに引き取ってもらった方が良いと思われませんか?」 「......なるほど」 青色神官は去っていったけれど、灰色神官はよほどのお気に入りを除いて、ほとんどが残されている。青色神官の実家からの寄付も減った状態で、主のいない灰色神官や巫女ばかりがいるのは、出費がかさむだけという処置に困る状態なのだ。 「それから、マインについて調べたところ、商業ギルドに工房長として登録されていました。神に仕える者に金儲けの手段など必要ないと切り捨てるのは簡単ですが、工房を続けさせることで神殿が定期的に利益を得るのも、有益な手段ではないかと思います。どうしましょう?」 「できるだけ、搾りとってやれ」 「仰せのままに」 神官や巫女が少なくなったことで、自分が手に入れられるお金も減っている神殿長は、神殿の建前より実利を取った。マイン側から出された条件に全て許可が出たことに、そっと安堵の息を吐く。 「とりあえず、神殿長の手を煩わせないように、マインの面倒は基本的に私が見ることにします。商業ギルドに出入りしているなら、書類仕事も多少できるでしょう。それから、神殿長の部屋へは基本的に立ち入らせないようにします。あとは、そうですね。灰色神官の側仕えに自分の側仕えを一人付けて、細かく報告させることにします」 一応マインを警戒しているところを見せると、興味深そうに神殿長が目を光らせた。白いひげを何度か撫でながら、碌でもないことを企んでいる時の嫌らしい笑みを浮かべる。 「ほぅ?......ならば、こちらからも一人付けるとするか。同じ年頃の少女ならば、アレも信用するだろう。デリアならば、こちらのためによく働くだろう。他の側仕えには孤児の中でも面倒な者を付ければいい。精々困らせろ。寄付金は上限ぎりぎりまで搾りとれ。どうせ、そのくらいしかアレに価値はないんだからな」 厄介なことになった。 貴族社会や神殿内に詳しくないマインに補佐を付けるつもりだったが、神殿長の子飼いの側仕えがいたら、こちらの言動も筒抜けということになる。 臍を噛む思いで軽く指先を組んで上げて礼をしながら、私は神殿長の部屋を出て、自室へと戻った。 神殿に預けられる青色神官や巫女の大半が貴族の庶子である中、神殿長は嫡子であり、高位の家柄であることを非常に誇っている。その実、出自の割に魔力が少なすぎたことで、神殿に預けられたため、魔力が多い者に対する劣等感は凄まじい。 マインに対する言動はよく見張っておかないと、またマインが暴走することになるかもしれない。こちらよりも身分が低いうえに、魔力と金だけでなく、報告書によると事務処理能力も持っているのだから、私にとっては神殿長よりマインの方がよほど有益な人材だ。 ギルベルタ商会を後ろ盾に見習いの仮登録をした後、マインが今までに権利の譲度を交わした商品はリンシャン、植物紙、糸を編んで作る髪飾り、カトルカールと多岐多数に渡る。大金貨1枚を寄付できるくらいの財力がマイン個人にあるのは、大袈裟でも嘘でもないらしい。 体力的に問題があるため、商人見習いは諦め、ギルベルタ商会が準備したマイン工房でこれから先も商品を発明しては売る予定とある。 「これだけの商品の契約をしたのが、一年ほどの間か......。次から次へとよく商品を思いつくものだ」 マイン工房で作る物の利益はかなり大きなものになりそうだ。金にがめつい商人に誤魔化されないよう、細かく報告してくれる側仕えをマインには付けておかなければならない。 私に対する忠誠心が厚く、報告が正確で、我慢強い者が良いだろう。神殿長が付けた厄介な側仕えにそつなく対応できなければならないのだから。 「......フラン」 「はい、何でしょうか?」 名前を呼ばれたフランがスッと近付いてきた。 「君にはマインの側仕えとなってもらう。なるべく細かく報告してほしい。それから、神殿長とマインをなるべく近付けないように頼む」 「っ!?......かしこまりました」 ほんの一瞬、不満そうに眉を寄せたフランだったが、ゆっくりと頷いた。マインの魔力が暴走した場にフランはいたので、神殿長の卒倒する姿でも思い浮かべたのかもしれない。 「他の側仕えは......。そうだな。貴族には付けにくいような、扱いにくい者はいなかったか? 建前上、神殿長の意見も入れておかなければならないからな」 フランは当惑したように視線を彷徨わせた後、そっと目を伏せた。神殿長の部屋に行く時も私に侍っていたアルノーが助け船を出すように口を開く。 「そうですね。ギルはどうでしょう? よく反省室に入れられていますが、全く懲りない子で、監督神官が困っています」 「......ふむ。では、ギルとデリアとフランをマインの側仕えとしよう」 青の衣が届くのが3日後、マインが巫女見習いとしてやってくるのが5日後だ。 マインを迎え入れる準備は整ったものの、さて、一体どうなることやら。 これから騒動が巻き起こることだけは推測できるのだが、どれだけの規模の騒動になるかまでは私にも見当が付かなかった。

Having been rejected before I could say even a single word, I’m left completely unable to comprehend what the head priest just said . I hadn’t even considered the possibility that someone who knows about the situation in the orphanage could tell me that there’s no reason to improve it . “What do you mean by there being no reason to improve the situation?” I ask . “There are very young kids in there on the verge of starving to death . That’s no place to raise children...” “With all of the working gray-robed priests and priestesses, as well as their attendants, we simply do not have the funds to spare for unbaptized orphans . Since you were raised by your parents from birth, you may not be aware of this, but the temple does not recognize unbaptized children as people . When they receive their baptisms and are registered as citizens, then they are acknowledged as people . ” I already knew that it’s not possible to hire someone who hasn’t been baptized yet, so I’d figured that there was some sort of similar situation going on here . However, I can’t imagine being okay with how those kids are being treated just because they aren’t technically considered people . “...So, then, you don’t care if those children die?” “Yes, if that were to be the G.o.ds’ will . To be perfectly honest, it would be a great help if their numbers were to thin out . ” I was hoping he’d say he actually cared, but he instead just clearly says that he doesn’t . As I sit there, dumbfounded, he begins to explain to me the situation with the gray-robed priests and priestesses that currently remain in the orphanage . “There used to be over twice as many blue robes as there are now . As for their attendants and apprentices, the math is easy to do . One blue robe has, on average, five to six attendants working for them . So, now that so many of them have been called back to n.o.ble society, do you understand how many attendants they left behind?” If there are ten fewer blue-robed clergy here than there were before, then that means that there’s between sixty and seventy attendants that were left here . Here in the temple, where attendants are supported as part of the blue robed priests’ donations and living expenses, that would definitely cause an administrative breakdown . “We were able to sell off thirty of the unnecessary priests and priestesses to the n.o.bility to work as servants, but there are still too many here . ” “Perhaps some of those priests could be tasked with taking care of the young children?” “If they’re being taken care of, then it’ll be problematic if their number increases again . Do you know why the temple master disposes of his gray-robed priestesses? Hm, I think you might not be able to understand what I’m trying to say . ” What I’m trying to get across is that, even though the number of blue-robed priests and priestesses at the temple is the lowest it’s ever been right now, that number will rise again in the next few years, so it would be a problem if there simply wasn’t anyone left in the orphanages . The head priest, however, says that the G.o.ds’ blessings are already insufficient, so it’ll be an even bigger problem if the number of people in the orphanage increases any more than it already has . “...At the very least, even if it’s just cleaning, can’t something be done? I can easily imagine a plague ripping its way through such a filthy environment . ” “Hmm . It’s unsightly, so it’s better to bury it all, you say? The thought isn’t without its merits, but that would not be good for our reputation . ” “No!! That’s not at all what I meant...” How the h.e.l.l did you come up with that idea?! I bite down on an angry yell . Our standpoints and sets of common knowledge are just too different . Even though we’re hearing each others’ words, we’re not actually gaining a shared understanding . “Father,” I say, “why does the orphanage exist? Is it not a place to raise children who don’t have any parents?” “That’s not entirely correct . It is a place that, at the charity of n.o.bles, takes in children who have no one else to look after them and raises them so that they may serve the n.o.bility . ” Even what we think the orphanage is for is way too different . I can’t even communicate any of my emotions about how they’re pitiful or how I want to help them . The head priest, sighs, seeming to be similarly irritated about not being understood . “If you want something to be done about the dying children, then why don’t you do it? n.o.body thus far has wanted to become the orphanage director . If you were to take that position, then you’d have full responsibility over the entire orphanage . Will you do it?” I gulp . I hadn’t expected him to ask me that . While I do want to help the orphans, I am nowhere close to ready to take on the burden of taking care of the entire orphanage . I can’t do something so terrifying . I clench my fists tightly in my lap . “I can’t,” I say, shaking my head . He nods, humming thoughtfully . Looking down at me, he continues his argument . “Then, considering the current ratio of blue to gray robes, the G.o.ds’ blessings are sufficient to feed about forty people in the orphanage . You, out of all the blue-robed clergy, are the most able to be free with your money . Are you capable of providing food for the remaining forty-plus people living in the orphanage?” “...I am not . My workshop holds most of my funds . I don’t actually have that much money I can freely use . ” Between furnis.h.i.+ng my rooms and paying my attendants, I’m already overspending right now . Right now, I’m at the level where I’m more-or-less okay, thanks to the money I made from selling recipes . But since the Italian restaurant isn’t even open yet, I don’t have any prospects for earning any more money . Right now, there’s no way I can take on feeding all of the orphans . “You can’t take responsibility and you can’t provide any funding . If you can’t do anything, then be silent . A child like you, with your half-baked sense of justice, should not run your mouth . Don’t think about silly things, just go be a good girl and read those books you love so much . ” What he’s saying is undeniably correct . I have no reb.u.t.tal . I can’t do anything about it, so I have no right to complain . Rather than doing something half-heartedly, it would be better if I just did nothing at all . “...I am terribly sorry for wasting your time,” I say . Head hanging, I leave the head priest’s chamber . I asked him for help and was told no . There is nothing more I can do . I have no choice but to just bear with it . No matter how much I try to tell myself that, though, it still feels like there’s a ball of lead churning around in my stomach . “Sister Maïne,” says Fran, kneeling beside me, “shall I lead you to the library room? I believe that may help ease your mind . ” There’s genuine concern in his voice, unlike the sour tone he’d used when I told him I wanted to speak with the head priest . “...Fran, did you know this was going to happen?” “It was my job to understand what the Father is thinking . As such, I judged that this conversation would only dishearten you . Please, forget about the orphanage . ” Fran takes me by the hand, and we go to the library . As I read, I immerse myself in the book, not thinking about anything unnecessary . However, before I even realize it, the sixth bell rings, telling me that it’s time for Lutz to come pick me up . I need to leave the library and go back to my own room to change . On my way back to my room, I catch a glimpse of the orphanage from the hallway . In that instant, all of the images come flooding back through my mind, and my gut starts to churn . “Urgh...” The instant I start to heave, I clap my hand over my mouth, trying desperately to keep everything in . Fran hurriedly picks me up, bringing me to a cleaning bucket . I try not to cry as I throw up into the bucket . There’s no way I can forget what I saw . If I could spend every waking moment reading, then I might be able to forget about it, but I know that when I’m not reading, it’s all going to come back . In my Urano days, there was a huge physical distance between j.a.pan and Africa . There wasn’t a whole lot of impact on my daily life, so donating a couple hundred yen was enough to a.s.suage my conscience . All I ever saw was the image on the TV screen, so my reaction was only ever “oh, those poor kids” . Even if the topic came up when I was in the middle of eating dinner, I could forget about it immediately . Now, though, my rooms are literally connected to the orphanage . Now that I know that there’s only a single wall separating me from that awful situation, I won’t be able to rest easy at all . “Sister Maïne, how’d it go?” Gil innocently runs up to me, asking me how my conversation went . His purple eyes, so dark they’re almost black, are so full of hope that they’re painful to look at . I avert my eyes . “I’m sorry, Gil . The head priest refused me . ” “Wh... why?!” Gil stares at me in panicked disbelief . Not only can I not save the orphans from their situation, I can’t even meet Gil’s expectations . I stare down at the floor, bracing myself for whatever he’s going to say next . “Gil, restrain yourself,” says Fran . “Ugh, you idiot,” says Delia . “Didn’t I tell you that getting your hopes up was pointless?” Their words hold him back . He chews his lip, looking like he has something he really wants to say, but then hangs his head in silence . As Delia gets things ready to help me get changed, she shrugs, with a know-it-all expression on her face . “The one really responsible for that situation is the temple master,” she says, matter-of-factly, “who says that priestesses who are bearing child can’t do their work and are useless, so they’re always the first people he gets rid of . There’s nothing that the head priest can do about that . ” “Delia?” I say . “It’s true! Priestesses whose bellies are too big or who have just given birth live over there, but whenever it’s decided that there’s too many people in there, then they’re the first to go, right? But, when guests come, you need to be able to offer them flowers, so there need to be replacements available for any priestesses whose bellies get too big, so you can’t get rid of too many of them . ” Delia tells me that right now, the gray-robed priestesses and apprentices that are left in the orphanage who do the cleaning and laundry are all fairly young and fairly attractive . Priestesses who give birth are disposed of . The ones who aren’t pretty are sold off as servants to the n.o.bility . All that’s left are those who are candidates to be flowers . It sounds like this is all the result of keeping around only what’s necessary for the blue-robed priests . Men can’t bear children, so they work for much longer . As a result, they become highly educated and thus fetch a high price when sold to the n.o.bility as attendants . However, since the number of n.o.bles in the city has decreased, there hasn’t been as much demand . So, right now, there are actually more priests left over than priestesses . “So what you’re telling me is that the children in the orphanage are the blue-robed priests’ children, then?” I ask . “Doesn’t that mean they’ll have n.o.ble blood?” “...About half of them, do, I think? I mean, I do,” she says, without hesitation . “Huh? Then, you have mana, too?” “The more mana you have, the harder it is to conceive a child . So, the only blue-robed priests here that are able to father children are the ones who have very little mana . I heard that fathering a child means that a priest will never be called back to n.o.ble society,” she says . So, now, all that’s left in the temple are blue-robed priests who don’t have any mana . This excessively self-centered style of management makes both my head and my stomach hurt . “The temple master”, Delia continues, “is the one who decides what goes on in the temple, so rather than try to go against him, I think it’d be better to do things he’d be happy with . Now, then! Gentlemen, please leave . Sister Maïne must get changed . ” She claps her hands, driving Fran and Gil from the room, then starts quickly changing my clothes for me . “Ugh! Don’t make that face . You look like you’re going to die . Just forget about it, alright? Even if you worry, there’s nothing you can do about it,” she says, skillfully helping me get dressed . There’s no way that there’s nothing that I can do . If I invest all of Maïne’s Workshop’s funds, I should be able to do something . However, neither the temple master nor the head priest are seeking to improve the orphanage . Also, if I do invest, then once my funds dry up, then everything goes back the way it was . On top of that, I don’t have it in me to be able to take on the burden of caring for all of those peoples’ lives . I’m too gripped with fear to even be able to just invest money in the problem . “Lutz! Lutz!” “Maïne?!” I run through the temple gates, latching on tightly to Lutz . The instant I grab hold of him, all the tears I’ve been holding back burst forth, like a dam breaking . It’s probably because of the sense of relief I feel from having returned to a place where my own knowledge of how things work is actually correct . Lutz, by reflex, starts patting my head as he looks up at Fran, who came to see me off today . “Did something happen?” he says . “I shall explain while we walk,” replies Fran, glancing briefly at the gatekeepers . As we walk through streets full of people hurrying to get home, Fran explains to Lutz what had happened today . “All she did was ask the head priest to help the orphans . She was unable to persuade him and was forced to abandon her attempt, but it seems that her heart remains unconvinced . ” “...Whoa, those kids are going to die? That’s real rough . But, Maïne, there isn’t anything you can actually do about it, right? You should ignore it . Forget about it . ” I live a poor, but still relatively comfortable life, so that scene struck me exceptionally deeply . There’s no way I can just be convinced otherwise . “I think it would be great if I could just forget about it,” I say, tears streaming down my face . “I’d love to not know about it . But now that I know that something like that is happening literally on the other side of my wall, there’s no way I can just forget about it!” Lutz stops walking, turning to look at me directly . “You really hate that disaster that you saw, right? What do you want it to be instead?” The images flash through my mind again, and I think to myself about what I’d like to see in the orphanage instead . “...I want those kids to be able to eat until they’re all full, and I want them to all grow up big and strong . I want them to not have to sleep on that filthy, stinky, uncovered straw that looks like it’s getting them all sick . I want them sleeping on blankets, at least!” “Huh? You want them to eat until they’re full? Man, you gotta be rich to do that, right? It’s normal to just eat enough that you’ve got energy to keep moving . I don’t even get to eat until I’m full at my house, you know . ” It sounds like I’m aiming too high . Thinking back to my own life at home, I suddenly realize that I was thinking about managing the orphanage from the standards of n.o.ble society at the temple . Lately, at the temple, I’ve been able to eat as much delicious food as I could possible want . Since even at home we’ve managed to increase our household earnings, I’d forgotten that it’s rare for kids in the poorer parts of the city to be able to eat their fill . Lutz, for one, is constantlyhungry, and is always constantly fighting for food with his brothers at the dinner table . “Ah, right, they don’t actually need to be all full...” “And it’s weird to expect that you’d be the one bringing in all the food, right? What about what they can get for themselves? If they’re hungry, rather than just waiting around, what could they do?” Since the temple is a particularly peculiar inst.i.tution, I hadn’t been using my own common knowledge to think of solutions, but if I set the target standard of living as an average kid from the poor parts of town, then the financial burden drops ma.s.sively . Any food that can’t be bought can be foraged for in the forest and brought back . “Unfortunately, the orphans are not allowed to leave the temple,” says Fran, looking pained . The orphans are, for all practical purposes, kept locked in the orphanage . Before their baptism, it’s so that the n.o.bility doesn’t have to see anything unsightly . After, it’s so that they don’t learn anything undesirable . I don’t think to comment on Fran’s view . Lutz, however, has no knowledge of how the temple works, and objects . “So, tell me,” he says, tilting his head, “who decided that orphans can’t leave the temple? If they’re not needed for anything, then there’s no problem for them to be going to the forest, now, is there? Like, what about you and Gil? You can leave . ” “Fran and Gil are my attendants,” I say, “so they’re a special case . ” Since I commute to and from the temple, escorting me to and from home is part of their job . It’s effectively the same as when other blue-robed priests bring their attendants with them to the n.o.bles’ district . It’s not like they can just come and go freely . “So, how about you take all the kids that are left there and make them your attendants? If you do that, then they can all leave, right?” “...Huh?” I look up at Lutz, blinking several times at his unexpected proposal . “Please hold on,” says Fran . “Think of how many... Sister Maïne, would it not be unreasonable for you to provide the necessities of life to all of them?” “Well,” says Lutz, “if we’re thinking of getting them outside, then yeah we need to get all of them clothes, but since we’re just talking about clothes for going to the forest, then we can get them real cheap from some of the second-hand clothing stores we use, can’t we?” I start running the math in my head for buying used clothing for all of the orphans, as well as getting knives and baskets for going to the forest . Since it would be impossible, after all, for everyone to simultaneously abandon their duties in the temple to go to the forest, I could have a squad rotation instead, meaning that they’d be able to share equipment, cutting down on how much I need to buy . “...If it’s just cheap second-hand clothing for fifty to sixty people, plus knives and baskets for going to the forest, then it’ll be cheap,” I say . “It’ll be about thirty percent of the cost I spent on clothes for you and the other two,” I tell Fran . Fran’s eyes fly open in shock, and he looks down at what he’s wearing . The clothes I bought for my attendants are high cla.s.s . They are nothing even remotely comparable to what I wear when I’m at home . “They should be able to go to the forest, forage for food, and take care of themselves . After all, the orphanage doesn’t have any money, so in other words, they’re all poor people . ” He’s being very blunt, but he’s also very right . They shouldn’t just have to wait to be given things they need . They should be able to take care of themselves . I turn to Fran . “Since I’ve asked you and Gil to go to Benno’s shop a few times already, it sounds like it’s possible to send attendants out on errands?” “So, if I were to ask my attendants to go to the forest to harvest, say, folin for me, then would that be possible?” Lutz’s eyes immediately light up . “A branch of Maïne’s Workshop in the orphanage?” “Yeah! If I open up a branch of Maïne’s Workshop in the orphanage, and they can make things in order to pay for their own food expenses, then even if I’m not there anymore, then they won’t start starving . ” Rather, getting them in a position where they can go to the forest, gather food, and cook for themselves comes first . As Lutz and I talk about what the most efficient way to do things might be and where to start the project from, Fran suddenly interjects, looking like he has something hard to say . “These are all very excellent ideas,” he says . “...However . These are all extremely different from how the temple has done things historically . The head priest will also ask you if you are prepared to shoulder the responsibility for all of those people . Are you able to do so?” All of the blood instantly drains from my face . It’s exactly as he says . I’m an outsider, and a child at that . If I were to suddenly burst in, ignoring all custom, and ransack the orphanage, I can’t imagine any good would come from that . I’d be in conflict with the blue-robed priests, including the temple master and the head priest, and if I’m paying people based on their work at the workshop, then no matter how you look at it that’s not distributing everything equally among everyone . “Sorry, Lutz . I can’t take on that much responsibility . It’s too scary...” “So . Which is scarier, then? All those orphans dying without you doing anything, or taking responsibility?” “...” They’re both terrifying . If I abandon the orphanage the way that it currently is, then every single day I’m going to feel like there’s a leaden pit in my stomach . However, there’s no way that I can actually take responsibility for other peoples’ lives . I hold my hand to my stomach . Lutz just shrugs at me . “Hey, Maïne . Don’t think about it too hard . If you try, and it doesn’t work, it’s okay to just stop, isn’t it?” “Lutz, just stopping... the lives of the orphans are at stake, you know?” I scowl at him, but he just snorts back at me in a very Benno-like fas.h.i.+on . “Isn’t it normal for a workshop that doesn’t do any work or a shop that doesn’t have any sales to go bankrupt? But if you’re doing this in the orphanage, then even if the workshop goes under, then it’s not like the workers are suddenly out in the cold, you know?” “...Because they’re still living in the orphanage, and at least they’re still getting the G.o.ds’ blessings, huh . ” “Even if the workshop doesn’t work out, n.o.body’s going to be out on the streets, so what exactly does it mean that you need to take responsibility for their lives? Also, since we’re talking about something Maïne’s Workshop is doing, you know you’ve got me here with you too, right?” I think there are probably a lot of different things that I’ll need to take responsibility for . If Benno were telling me to take responsibility, then he’d be telling me to take responsibility as the workshop’s head . And there’s bound to be even more cases I’m not thinking about . But, still . If I’m working together with Lutz, then I think we might just be alright . It’s too scary for me to do by myself, but if I have Lutz with me, who’s been by my side all this time, then I’m positive that we’ll be able to make something work . “Let’s do this together, Maïne,” he says . “You want to help them, right?” Fran smiles, looking like he’s facing down the inevitable . “I shall a.s.sist you as well, Sister Maïne,” he says .

も口にできないまま却下され、わたしは神官長が何を言っているのか、全く理解できなかった。あの孤児院の惨状を知った上で「改善する理由がない」と言われるとは、全く考えていなかったのだ。 「改善する理由がない、というのはどういうことですか? 幼い子供が飢えて今にも死にそうな状態なのです。とても人を育てる環境ではない場所で......」 「働いている灰色神官や巫女、見習いならばともかく、洗礼前の孤児に使う余計な金はないということだ。君はあのような両親のもとで生まれ育ったから知らないのかもしれないが、神殿は洗礼前の子供を人とは認めていない。洗礼式を受け、市民登録をされて初めて、人として扱われる」 洗礼式が終わるまで仕事に就く事もできないことから、そういう事情があるかもしれないと何となく考えた事はあった。けれど、人とは認めないからといって、あの扱いで良いわけはないと思う。 「......では、あの子達は死んでも構わない、ということですか?」 「あぁ、それもまた神の導きだろう。忌憚ない話をすれば、人数は減る方が助かる」 否定して欲しかったのに、あっさりと肯定されてしまった。わたしが唖然としているうちに、神官長は今の孤児院に残っている灰色神官や巫女について説明を始めた。 「青の衣は今の倍以上の人数がいた。側仕えや側仕え見習いも単純に計算して倍だ。青の衣一人に平均5~6人の側仕えがいるとして、彼らが貴族社会へと戻って行った時、どれだけの側仕えが残されたかわかるか?」 十数人の青色がいなくなれば、一気に60~70人の側仕えが神殿に残されることになる。青色神官の寄付や生活費で側仕えを養ってきた神殿の構造では、経営的に破たんしてもおかしくはない。 「貴族の下働きとして、30人ほどの不要な灰色巫女や神官を売ったが、灰色神官はまだ多いくらいだ」 「その余っている神官が小さい子達の面倒を見るというわけにはいかないのでしょうか?」 「面倒を見させて、人数が増えたら困る。何のために神殿長が灰色巫女を処分したと思っている? 君は私の言っていることが理解できていないようだな」 今が一番青色神官や巫女が少ない時で、数年後にはまた増えてくるだろうから、完全に余りがいない状態は困る事になるのが目に見えている。しかし、すでに神の恵みが足りていない状態で、人数がこれ以上増えるのは避けたいと神官長は言う。 「......せめて、掃除だけでも、何とかなりませんか? あれほど不潔な状態では疫病が流行ってもおかしくありません」 「ふむ。見苦しいので、いっそ、全てを葬ってしまえと言うことか? 一考の余地はあるが、外聞はあまり良くないな」 「違いますっ! そんな意味じゃなくて......」 どうしてそうなる!? と怒鳴りたいのを呑みこんだ。 わたしと神官長では立場も考え方の基本になる常識も全く違う。言葉は通じるのに、お互いの考え方が理解し合えない。 「神官長、孤児院って何のためにあるのですか? 親がいない子供を育てるための場所ではないのですか?」 「少し違うな。誰も面倒見ない子供を貴族の施しにより、貴族に仕える者に育てるところだ」 孤児院に対する認識が違いすぎる。可哀想とか、助けてあげたいとか、そんな気持ちすら神官長には通じない。 自分の言い分を理解してもらえないことに神官長も苛立ちを感じてきたようで、軽く溜息を吐いた。 「死に行く者に対して何かしたいなら、君がすれば良い。誰もなりたがらない孤児院の院長になり、君が孤児院に関して全責任を負うか?」 予想外の言葉にわたしはぐっと息を呑んだ。孤児達を助けてあげたい気持ちはあるが、孤児院を預かって全てに関して責任を負う覚悟なんてない。そんな怖いことできない。 ギュッと拳をきつく握って、わたしはゆっくりと頭を振った。 神官長は「ふむ」と一つ頷いた後、わたしを見据えて、さらに言い募る。 「では、今までの青と灰色の比率から考えて、神の恵みで満足させられる孤児院の人数はおよそ40人だ。この神殿にいる青の衣の中で自由になるお金を一番持っているのは君だが、残り40人以上いる孤児院の食事を君が準備できると言うのか?」 「......できません。工房のお金がほとんどで、わたくし個人が自由にできるお金は、ほとんどないんです」 部屋の改修や側仕えへの給料などを考えても、正直、すでにお金を使いすぎている。レシピを売ったお金で、何とかセーフというレベルだ。まだイタリアンレストランも始まっていないし、これから先、収入が入ってくる目途が立っていない。今の状況で孤児達を抱え込むなんてできるわけがない。 「責任が持てない、お金も出せない、何もできないなら黙っていなさい。中途半端な正義感で子供が口出しすることではない。君は余計な事を考えず、おとなしく自分の好む本を読んでいればいい」 神官長の言い分が正当すぎて、何も言い返せなかった。何もできないわたしに文句を言う権利などない。中途半端な事をするくらいなら、何もしない方がマシな事も多い。 「......お時間を取らせてしまい、申し訳ありませんでした」 わたしは項垂れたまま、神官長の部屋を退室した。 神官長に頼んでみて、ダメだと言われたのだから、わたしにこれ以上できる事はない。おとなしくしているしかないのだ。そう自分に言い聞かせてみても、鉛を呑みこんだように胃が重くて、ぐるぐるしている。 「マイン様、図書室に寄られませんか? 少しは気が晴れるかもしれません」 フランがスッと跪いてわたしの顔を覗きこんだ。神官長に会うことを渋っていた時と違って、気遣う言葉はとても優しく耳に届く。 「......フランは、こうなる事を知っていたのね?」 「神官長のお心を推し量るのが仕事でございました。故に、マイン様が気落ちする結果になるだろうとは思っておりました。孤児院の事はもうお忘れください」 フランに手を引かれ、図書室へ向かった。本を読んでいる間は、余計な事を考えず、本に没頭できる。 部屋に戻る途中では、嫌でも回廊から孤児院が見える。その瞬間、脳裏にあの光景が広がって、吐き気が込み上げてきた。 「うぐっ......」 えずいた瞬間、わたしは口元を手で押さえて、吐き出すまいと必死に耐える。慌てたフランがわたしを抱えて走り、清掃用のバケツを差し出した。 バケツに向かって嘔吐しながら、わたしはそのまま泣きだしたくなった。 ずっと本を読んでいられれば考えずにいられるかもしれない。けれど、読んでいない時間にはきっと思い浮かんでしまう。 麗乃時代は日本とアフリカくらい距離が離れていて、自分の日常生活に全く関係がなかったから、100円や200円の募金で平然としていられた。テレビ画面で見ただけなら、可哀想だねって、ご飯でも食べながら話題にして、すぐに忘れられた。 でも、自分の部屋が孤児院と繋がっていて、壁を隔てたところにあんな状態の孤児がいるとわかっていて、平然と生活なんてできない。 「マイン様、どうだった?」 無邪気にギルが結果を聞きに駆けよってくる。期待に満ちた黒に近い紫の瞳が痛くて、そっと目を伏せた。 「ごめんなさい、ギル。神官長には却下されました」 「な、なんでだよ!?」 信じられないと言うように、ギルが狼狽してわたしを見つめる。あの状態の孤児を助けるどころか、ギルの期待に応えられなかったことも辛くて、わたしは床をじっと睨んだまま、これから先のギルの言葉に対して身構えた。 「ギル、控えなさい」 「もー、バッカねぇ。期待するだけ無駄って言ったでしょ?」 フランとデリアがギルに対して制止の言葉をかけた。ギルは何か言いたかっただろうが、ぐっと唇を噛みしめて、わたしと同じように俯いた。 デリアはわたしの着替えを準備しながら、訳知り顔で肩を竦める。 「あの状況を引き起こしたのはね、子供を産んだ巫女を仕事ができない、役立たず、と言って一番に処分した神殿長ですもの。神官長に何かできるわけがないのよ」 「デリア」 「本当の事だもん。お腹の大きくなった巫女や子供を産んだばかりの巫女があそこの世話をしていたのに、これ以上増えたら困るってことで、一番に処分されたのよ? でも、客人が来た時に花を捧げる灰色巫女は必要だし、お腹が大きくなったら交換しなきゃいけないから、余分に残しておかなきゃいけないんですって」 今、洗濯や掃除の下働きとして孤児院に残されている灰色巫女や見習い巫女が全員年若くて、そこそこ見目も良い者ばかりだとデリアは言う。妊娠出産した巫女は処分され、可愛くないのは貴族の下働きに売られ、花候補だけが余裕を持って残されているらしい。 男は妊娠出産をしなくて長く働けるため、よく教育された灰色神官は貴族の側仕えとして今まで高く売れていたらしい。しかし、貴族自体の数が減っているため、需要が少なくなり、売れなくなったため、今は巫女より余っていると言う。 「それって、孤児院の子供が青色神官の子ってことじゃないの? 貴族の血を引いているんじゃ?」 「......半分くらいはそうだと思いますよ? あたしもそうですから」 「え? では、デリアも魔力があるの?」 「魔力に差がありすぎると、子供ができにくいんですって。だから、ここで子供ができるのは青色神官でも魔力がものすごく低い人ばかりで、神殿で子供ができると貴族社会には戻れないと聞いたことがありますわ」 そして、今、神殿に残っているのは魔力が低い青色神官ばかり、と。 「神殿の事を決めるのは神殿長なんだから、神殿長に逆らうよりは神殿長に気に入られた方がいいのよ。さぁ、殿方は出て行って。マイン様を着替えさせるんだから」 パッパッと手を振って、フランとギルを追い出すと、デリアは手早くわたしの着替えを始める。 「もー! マイン様も自分の方が死にそうな顔をしてないで、忘れたらいいでしょ? 悩んだところで、どうせ、何もできないんですから」 何もできないわけではない。マイン工房の資金を全部つぎ込めば、改善はできるはずだ。 しかし、神殿長や神官長が孤児院の改善を求めていないことと、資金が切れた時に元の木阿弥になること、そして、自分が孤児院の命に対して全責任を負わなければならないことに、わたしが怖気づいて資金をつぎ込むだけの決心ができないだけだ。 「ルッツ! ルッツ!」 「マイン!?」 門に迎えに来たルッツにぎゅーっとしがみつく。その途端、堰を切ったように涙が溢れてきた。わたしの常識が通じるところに戻ってきたことに安堵したせいだろう。 ルッツは条件反射のようにわたしの頭を撫でながら、本日の送迎係であるフランに視線を向ける。 「フラン、何があったんだ?」 「足を進めながら説明いたします」 帰路を急ぐ街並みを歩きながら、フランが今日起こった事を説明する。 「神官長にお願いするだけだ。通らなかったら諦めるとおっしゃっていましたが、マイン様のお心は割り切れないようですね」 「......チビが死にかけているのは、きついよなぁ。でもさ、マインにできることなんてないんだろ? 気にするな。もう忘れろ」 貧しくても比較的穏やかに生きてきたわたしにとって、あの光景は強烈すぎて、割り切れるわけがない。 「忘れられたらいいって、わたしも思ってる。知らないままなら、それでよかった。でも、自分の部屋と壁を隔てただけの向こうで、あんなことになっているとわかっていて、忘れることなんて、できるわけがないよ」 べそべそと泣きながらそう言うと、ルッツは足を止めて、わたしの顔を覗きこんだ。 「マインは孤児院の惨状が嫌なんだよな? どうなって欲しいんだ?」 わたしは今日の光景を思い浮かべる。自分の中で孤児院とはどうあるべきか考えて、口を開いた。 「......あの子達にもお腹いっぱいご飯を食べて、成長して欲しい。あんな病気になりそうな汚い、臭い、剥き出しの藁の中で寝るんじゃなくて、せめて、綺麗な布団で寝て欲しいよ」 「はぁ? お腹いっぱい食べるなんて、金持ちじゃなきゃ無理だろ? 普通に、元気に動けるくらいのご飯で十分じゃないか。オレだって家じゃ腹いっぱいのご飯なんて食べられねぇよ」 ルッツはわたしの言葉を聞いて、高望みしすぎだ、と言った。わたしも自分の家での生活を思い出して、神殿の貴族生活を中心に孤児院の運営を考えていたことにハッとする。 最近、自分が神殿でおいしい料理をお腹いっぱい食べていて、家でも家計に余裕が出てきたから忘れていたが、下町の子供だってお腹いっぱいに食べられる子供はそれほど多くない。ルッツだって、ずっとひもじい思いをしてきたし、今も兄達との食事戦争には負けている。 「そっか。お腹いっぱいじゃなくていいんだ......」 「その食事だって、全部マインが出そうとするのがおかしいだろ? まずは、自分で採ってくればいいじゃないか。腹が減っているのに、じーっと待ってて、どうするんだよ?」 神殿が特殊な施設だから、すっかり自分の常識と切り離して考えていたが、下町の子供達と同じ水準を目指せば、金銭的な負担はぐっと低くなる。買えない分の食料は森に行って、自分で採ってくればいい。 「残念ですが、孤児は神殿から出られません」 フランが困ったように、そう意見を出した。孤児は基本的に孤児院に閉じ込められている。洗礼式までは見苦しいのを貴族の目に触れさせないように。洗礼式後は多分、余計な知識や常識が入りこまないように。 フランの意見に思わず押し黙ったわたしと違い、神殿の常識にほとんど触れていないルッツは首を傾げた。 「そのさ、孤児が外に出ちゃいけないって誰が決めたんだ? いらない子扱いされてるなら、森に行ったところで大して問題にされないんじゃないのか? フランやギルだって、神殿の外に出てるわけだし」 「フランやギルは、わたしの側仕えだから、特別なんだよ」 わたしが通いで神殿に入っているから、その送り迎えが仕事になっているだけだ。青色神官のお伴で貴族街に行く灰色神官と同じ仕事という扱いで、自由に出ているわけではない。 「じゃあ、残ってるヤツら、全員をマインの側仕えにすれば? そうしたら、全員が外に出られるんだろ?」 「......え?」 予想外の提案にわたしは何度も目を瞬いて、ルッツを見上げた。 「ちょっとお待ちください。それはいくら何でも......。マイン様が全員分の衣食住を賄うことは無理でしょう?」 「外に出そうと思ったら、全員の服買わなきゃいけないけどさ、森に行く服なんて、ウチらが使ってる古着屋で安く買える分で十分じゃん」 全員分の安い古着と、何人かが森に行くためのナイフや籠の購入費を頭の中で計算してみた。さすがに、神殿の雑務を全部放り出して全員で森に行けるわけがないので、班分けしてローテーションを組ませれば、必要な道具は少なくて済むはずだ。 「......安い古着50~60着と何人かが森に行くためのナイフや籠なら、フラン達に買った服3着より安いね」 わたしの言葉にフランはぎょっと目を見開いて、自分が着ている服を見下ろした。わたしが側仕えに買った服は、上質な物だ。家で使っているわたしの普段着とは比べ物にならない。 「森に連れて行って、食べられるものを採らせて、自分の事は自分でさせればいい。金がない孤児院ってことは、つまり、貧乏なんだからさ」 ルッツの言い方は身も蓋もないが、その通りだ。与えられるのを待つだけではなく、自分の事は自分で何とかできるようにすればいい。 「今まで何度かギルやフランにはベンノのところに行ってもらったことがあるから、側仕えをお使いに出す事はできるわよね?」 「だったら、わたしの側仕えに森までフォリンを採りに行ってもらうことができるんじゃない?」 わたしの言葉に、ルッツがキラリと目を輝かせた。 「マイン工房孤児院支店か」 「そう。孤児院をマイン工房の支店にして、何か作らせて自分達の食い扶持を稼がせることができれば、最悪、わたしがいなくなっても飢える子供は出なくなるかもしれない」 わたしとルッツが、どうすれば効率的か、どこから改革を始めればいいか話し合っていると、フランが言いにくそうに口を挟んできた。 「とてもいい考えだと存じます。......ですが、マイン様。それは、今までの神殿のやり方と全く違うものでございます。それだけの人数に対する責任を担うことができるのか、神官長には問われます。大丈夫なのでしょうか?」 ざっと血の気が引いて行く。 フランの言う通りだ。わたしという異分子がいきなり慣習を無視して、孤児院を引っかき回して、良い結果だけが得られるとは思えない。神殿長や神官長を初めとした青色神官と軋轢があるだろうし、工房の仕事をさせて稼ぐとなれば、どう考えてもみんな平等にはならないのだから。 「ごめん、ルッツ。わたし、責任を持つのが、怖い......」 「じゃあ、マイン。何もせずに孤児が死んでいくのを待っているのとどっちが怖い?」 「......」 どっちも怖い。あの孤児を見捨ててしまったら、ずっとこの鉛を詰め込んだような胃の重さを抱えていくことになると思う。しかし、命に対する責任を持つなんて、わたしにできるわけがない。 そっと胃の辺りを押さえたわたしにルッツは、軽く肩を竦めた。 「あのさ、マイン。難しく考えずに、やってみてダメなら、止めればいいじゃん」 「ルッツ、止めればいいって......孤児達の命がかかっているんだよ?」 わたしは思わず、むぅっとルッツを睨んだけれど、ルッツはまるでベンノのように、フンと鼻を鳴らした。 「仕事がなくなった工房や売れ行きが悪い店が潰れることは普通にあるんだぜ? でも、孤児院でやれば、工房が潰れても、工員が路頭に迷うことがないだろ?」 「......住むところは孤児院だし、少なくても神の恵みはあるもんね?」 「工房がダメだったからって、路頭に迷うヤツがいないのに、マインが責任を持たなきゃいけないようなことなんて、何があるんだよ? だいたい、マイン工房を動かす時はオレもいるんだぜ?」 多分、色々と責任を持たなければならない時があると思う。ベンノに言わせれば、工房長としての責任について、もっと違う意見が出てくるかもしれない。 一人でやるのは怖いけど、ずっと一緒にやってきたルッツがいてくれるなら、何とかなると無条件に思えた。 「一緒にやろうぜ、マイン。助けてやりたいんだろ?」 ルッツが差し出してくれた手に飛び付くわたしを見て、フランが仕方なさそうに笑った。 「私もご協力いたします、マイン様」

While gripped by feverish nightmare, I dreamed up ways to bury Fey and his lackeys in the icy grip of terror. I was so close! I was so close to finally having a book! But, if I can’t go to the forest, and if I can’t have any clay brought back to me, then I’ll never get my book. It would seem that this calls for the most traumatic of ideas: cla.s.sic j.a.panese horror. I have no solid idea about what the denizens of this world are truly afraid of, but if I let my hair hang down in front of my face like Sadako, wear a stained, tattered dress, and stumble towards them while whispering dark curses... or maybe I could count my missing clay tablets like Okiku from _Bancho Sarayas.h.i.+ki_... How about that? That’s scary, right? Even though I had come up with so many good ideas, by the time my fever went down, my father had changed his mind. When I’m finally healthy enough to get out of bed, he tells me that he’s lifted the ban on my going to the forest. “...Tomorrow,” he says, with a complicated expression on his face. “You can go back to the forest tomorrow.” “Huh? I can? Why?” “...You don’t seem happy.” I actually really am happy that I can go back to the forest, but this means all of my j.a.panese horror plans are for naught. I’d been practicing mumbling curses, thinking about how to make my clothes look properly ghastly, and coming up with the perfect times and places to really set the stage for the whole spectacle. I could have stood on the edge of the well, or I could have shuffled out of a dark alleyway... “I mean, I’m happy, but...” “But, what?” “...And I’d come up with all of these really good plaaans... and it would be a waste to just let them go, right?” “Not at all!! Throw whatever schemes you’re plotting out of your head right this very instant!” “Tsk...“ Well, if I can go to the forest and finish working on my tablets, then my plans aren’t really necessary. In fact, it would ultimately be more wasteful to actually go through with them. I no longer have the free time to play around with Fey and the others, so it’s obvious that those plans are just going to be automatically discarded. Nevertheless, what on earth happened to make him change his mind so suddenly? "I’ve been keeping an eye on how you’re doing, and I think you can go tomorrow. But no sooner!” It seems that he didn’t want me to go because suddenly taking off for the forest while I was still convalescing would have been a terrible idea. I already knew that, though. n.o.body in the world knows better than me what a pile of junk this body is. Today, my fever went down and I was given permission to go back to the forest. My heart dances with joy as I work on preparing everything I’ll need for tomorrow. In the storage room, I find some sort of board that I might be able to use as a writing desk, and put it in my basket. (What that board is supposed to be used for, I don’t know.) Then, I grab the entire pile of old rags that my mother uses as cleaning cloths and stuff them in there too. I’ll use those to wrap my tablets in for transport on the way home. Clay tablets! Clay tablets clay tablets clay tablets I’m coming for yooou!! The next day, I wake up energized and excited, only to be greeted by heavy rain. Not just any heavy rain, even, but a torrential, record-breaking downpour, a storm so fierce that it’s practically a typhoon. Even though the shutters on our window are closed, I can still hear the howling of the wind and the pounding of the rain. “Noooooooo!! Rain?!” In a world without weather forecasts, thinking about the weather had never even occurred to me. There’s been many times where I haven’t been able to go outside because my fever was too high or because my family didn’t say it was okay, but until now I was never kept indoors by bad weather. Visions flash through my head of my tablets, pounded by the rain until they’re nothing but mud. Even though I had hidden them from the elements under some bushes, that’s nowhere close to being adequate protection against a typhoon like this. Ngyaaaaah! My tablets...! They’re turning to droopy mus.h.!.+ “Hey, Maine, wait!” yells my mother as I immediately, unthinkingly, dash for the door. She grabs both of my arms and holds them behind me, stopping me in place. “Where do you think you’re going?!” “Even on the best of days you get fevers far too quickly, so why would you think that going outside in the middle of a storm like this is a good idea?!” The sound of the wind and the rain pounding ceaselessly at the wooden door reverberates through the house. Just from the noise, it’s obvious that this is an extremely violent storm. An ordinary person would hesitate before trying to go out in this, even if it’s just to the well, so there’s no chance in h.e.l.l that I’ll be able to make it outside at all. Heartbroken, I sit down abruptly, like a puppet with its strings cut. “My ‘clay tablets’... waaah!” “It’s okay, Maine,” says Tory, coming over to comfort me. “Everyone said that they’re going to help you this time, so it’ll be even quicker and easier than before to make them.” She gently strokes my head as she rea.s.sures me that everything’s going to be okay. She really is an amazing older sister. The storm is so unusually bad that it lasts for two full days before clearing up, so it isn’t until after that that the children got permission to go back out to the forest. The morning sun s.h.i.+nes brightly down from an astoundingly clear sky, and the faces of all of these children that can finally go to the forest s.h.i.+ne brightly as well. Today, the apprentices aren’t working, so a lot of the bigger kids have joined us as well. We have far more people coming with us today than usual. Ralph, one of Lutz’s older brothers, is joining us today. He has an enormous basket strapped on his back, and a bow and a quiver full of arrows hanging at his side. “Hey, Maine!” he says, cheerfully. “Is your fever doing any better?” “Good morning, Ralph,” I reply. “I’m got better a little while ago, but as soon as my dad said I was okay to go that awful storm hit.” “That really is awful,” he says. He ruffles my hair, then turns to Tory. “Hey, Tory,” he says. “Ralph! It’s been a while,” she replies. Tory, whom I have been carefully polis.h.i.+ng in preparation for her baptism, and her radiant smile. Hey, hey. Don’t these two look really good together? They’re both really good at taking care of people too, they’re a great match. As I leer at the two of them, Lutz grabs my arm and starts yanking me forward. “Whoa?!” “Maine, stop staring off into s.p.a.ce. You’re the slowest person here, so you’ve got to be in front when we leave, okay?” “Oh! Sorry.” I join the ma.s.s of children, and we all start walking towards the forest. As we pa.s.s through the gate, the green, open fields stretch out before us. The scars left by the storm can be seen here and there, where a few of the fields of crops have been torn to shreds. Come to think of it, does this world have anything like disaster relief? I stare blankly off into the distance, my feet moving mechanically beneath me. Lutz sticks his hand in front of my face and waves it back and forth. “Oh, I just was wondering if you were actually watching where you were going. Hey, Maine, you’re going to try making those things again, today? Those 'cley tab-luts’? What are those, anyway?” Lutz can’t read, so he couldn’t have any idea what I’ve been trying to write down, even if I wasn’t writing in j.a.panese. More importantly, though, he’s been living a life without written words or even paper at all in his house. He absolutely has no idea about the amazing wonders of permanent media like clay tablets. “Well, so,” I begin, “it’s a thing that I can use to write down things that I don’t want to forget. If you carefully write everything down, you’ll never forget it, you know, because since you’ve written it down you can always go back and look at it again, right? 'Media’ exist for that reason, and my 'clay tablets’ are one kind of 'medium’. Since it’s made out of clay, and since you can knead and mold clay, if you make a mistake when writing, you can use your finger to smooth it out again and start over. You can bake it when you’re done, if you want it to last forever. It’s amazing, right?” I don’t know if it’s because of the eloquence of my explanation, but Lutz has his mouth hanging open, head tilted to one side. “...I don’t get it. ...Anyway, what are you trying to write?” “A story, I’m writing a story. It’s one that Mommy told me, so I want to write it down so that I don’t forget it, you know? What I really want are books, but I can’t get any of those here, so I’m making my own.” “Ahhh, so is that what you’ve been trying to do?” Lutz’s question suddenly makes me think. Right now, I don’t have even a single book available to me, so I decided that I needed to somehow make my own. What I really, truly want, though, is not making books. “Nuh-uh, it’s a little different. What I really want is to live a life where I’m surrounded by books. No matter many books are written every month, I want to have all of them, and I want to be able to grow old spending all of my time reading.” “Ummm, so... you want books...?” “Yes!! I want them very badly, and I want them right now. But they’re so expensive that I can’t buy them, so they’re way out of my reach. I’ve got no choice but to make them myself, right? Paper is too expensive to buy, so my plan is to make clay tablets, write a story, and then bake it so that I can have it forever.” At this point, Lutz claps his hands together, and a moment of understanding flashes across his face. “So, what you’re doing is making a subst.i.tute for a book?” “Yeah! I’ve failed a lot of times so far, so this time I’m absolutely going to make this a big success.” “Ah! Okay, I’ll help out too.” For whatever reason, Lutz has become so cooperative because I had some ideas about cooking. I kind of want to help him out a little, too. “So, Lutz, what do you want to do? You’ve heard what I want to do, but do you have anything that you really want to do?” “I... hmm! I want to try going to other towns. If I become a peddler or a minstrel, then I could go a lot of places, and hear a lot of stories, right? There’s a lot out there I want to see.” Come to think of it, back in j.a.pan, I also used to dream of spending my life traveling to the great libraries of foreign countries and reading all of their books. As visions of my unfulfilled dreams unfold in my head, my gaze drifts off into the distance. “...You really think so?” he asks. “About wanting to leave this town?” “A~ah, traveling is good too! Traveling around, going here and there, that sounds fun. I always used to dream about traveling, visiting all sorts of 'libraries’ all over 'the world’...” “Ah, I was worried you’d think I was being ridiculous. ...If it’s something you want to do, Maine, I’m sure you’re going to make it happen.” My mind is so crammed full of the countless dreams I had back when I was Urano that I’m far too preoccupied to notice whatever expression Lutz is wearing on his face right now. By the time we arrive at the forest, the packed dirt of the road has almost finally dried. We quickly pick a large clearing on the edge of the forest as a good meeting spot. “Okay, let’s get started gathering,” says one of the older children. “Little kids, don’t go too far from here. Make sure you can always see this clearing, okay?” The older kids take out their bows and arrows, and take off deeper in the forest. The younger kids hesitate, glancing nervously at me. I may be exhausted just from walking all the way here, but I immediately start looking around the area, worried about the state of my clay tablets. “Hey, does anyone remember where we put my 'clay tablets’?” I can’t find the tree we put a mark on the last time we were here. It’s already been quite a few days since I was here last, so I’ve already forgotten, but everyone’s looking around restlessly, troubled looks on their faces. “We marked a tree somewhere over there, right?” says Fey, pointing off into a distance. Immediately, all of his lackeys start nodding. I had a hunch that that direction was where we needed to be looking, but the storm had knocked down so many trees that it was hard to be sure. “That’s about where it was, so I guess we just need to start looking around there,” says Lutz, bending town to start looking through some of the bushes. Everyone else starts bustling about together, searching here and there. It’s not just Fey and his lackeys, everyone is helping search... wow, these are all some really good kids, aren’t they? Our landmark had been broken apart, so it had been difficult to find, but Fey waves his hand at me, beckoning me over. I rush over with every sc.r.a.p of speed I can muster to take a look. All I see is a misshapen lump of earth, with vague hints of ruined, illegible characters. Just as I expected, it’s all soggy and muddy, and you can’t really even make out that there were words carved into them at all. My tablets have returned to being just lumps of clay. Ah... back to square one again... “It... it wasn’t my fault this time! I found them like this!” exclaims Fey, hurriedly. I know that it’s not his fault. I know that everyone around me is asking what’s going on or wondering what they should do. I know that this is something that I had known was going to happen. Still, I can’t stop the tears streaming down my face. As tiny sobs leak out of me despite my better efforts, I hear footsteps come up behind me. They come up right beside me, and a hand is placed lightly on my head. “Maine,” says Lutz, “if you’ve got enough time to cry about it, you should use that to make some new ones instead.” As if I’d give up here! My first defeat was under the boots of Fey and his disastrous lackeys. My second defeat was at the hands of time, cutting me off with the closing of the gates. My third defeat was by the howling storm. I have fought through man-made calamity and natural disaster! There can’t possibly be anything left that can stop me now. I am going to complete these tablets at any cost. It may be the case that my clay has turned into a shapeless blob, but I can knead and mold it back into flat tablets again. If I don’t have enough, then I remember where I can go to get more. This isn’t square one. Square one was when I was scratching at the dirt with my blunted wooden shovel, fruitlessly searching for clay in the wrong spot. This is way different. What I’ve learned from my mistakes so far is that I either need to finish these in a single day while the weather is still clear, or relocate to someplace with a roof, otherwise this whole thing is futile. We’ve been blessed by beautiful skies today, and I have three strong, healthy helpers on top of Lutz and Fey to a.s.sist me. Whether it’s because my tears and rage were effective at guilting them into helping, or whether they’re just really eager, I don’t know. Either way, with even more people helping me out then there were before, it’s definitely going to take far less time to finish. “It’s okay, Tory,” I say, “you can go work on gathering. I’ve got Lutz, Fey, and the others helping me.” “Got it. ...Good luck, everyone!” “Yeah!” Tory’s encouragement helps me pull myself back together, and I get started on once again remaking my clay tablets. Fey and one of his lackeys work on digging out more clay from the ground, then the other two lackeys work with Lutz to knead the clay and form it into the right shape for me. As for me, I’ve found a slender twig and am carefully carving my story into the surface of the first tablet. Yeah, yeah! I’m feeling great about this! “I’m going to need about ten 'clay tablets’ to finish writing my story,” I say, “so once you’ve made ten of them, go do your gathering work. Thanks!” One after another, clay tablets are quickly dug up, molded, and lined up next to me. After swiftly finis.h.i.+ng ten of them, Fey and the others don’t hesitate to race off into the forest. Lutz, however, stays behind, and starts digging up more clay. “Lutz, you’re not going with them?” “Ralph’s here today, so I’m going to stay here and help you!” “Hmm! Well, I’ve already got enough clay, so do you want to practice writing?” On a patch of dirt still soft from the rain, I use my stick to write out “Lutz” in the local alphabet. “What’s that?” he asks. “That’s your name! If you can’t even write your own name, you won’t be able to go visit other towns, you know?” Our town basically allows us to walk freely in and out of the gates because they know who we are, but if we try to go to other towns, they’ll ask us for our names and want them written down. That’s what Otto, a former peddler, told me. At our gates, the entry lines for people from other towns are actually separate from those for people from our town, and the checks are much more strict for outsiders. If Lutz wants to travel to other towns someday, he should at least know how to write his own name. “So, this is how you write my name?” “Yeah! You know, if you want to travel around, it’s a really good idea to learn how to write.” His eyes gleaming, Lutz practices writing his name on the ground over and over. Meanwhile, I continue diligently working on finis.h.i.+ng my clay tablets. Carefully, I carve the first story I ever heard in this world into the tablets, in j.a.panese. With every stroke of my stick, I tell myself that I’m absolutely going to finish my book. “It’s done!!” I’ve finished writing out one of the fairy tales my mother told me. Right now, I want to write an anthology, t.i.tled something like “Tales My Mother Told Me”, filled with all of the bedtime stories that my mother packed into my head ever since I was reborn into this world. I carefully wrap each of my tablets in the old rags I brought with me. I stack them in my basket, taking great care to move them as slowly as possible so that I didn’t risk smudging the words written on them into illegibility. When I finally have all of them stacked neatly in my basket, I heave an enormous sigh. My eyes grow hot, and tears s.h.i.+mmer on their surface. This is my first real triumph! To be honest, clay tablets aren’t the kind of medium that most people would think of when they’re talking about books, but, no matter what anyone says, this is the first book I’ve finally acquired in this new world. It was at the end of autumn that I was reborn into this world, and now we’re approaching the end of spring. It has taken a tremendous amount of time, but I have finally acquired my first book. “Even in a world like this, I can still read a book,” I whisper to myself. “...So, everything’s going to be okay.” I was reborn into a world where books are far too expensive for poor people to buy, into the body of a child that can hardly do anything without being stricken with fever. I was fine with doing something reckless, and maybe even dying for it. I’d never once imagined that I’d have the body of such a frail little girl. I’d never even considered that I’d be forced to live out my life in a world without books. I didn’t even have a fragment of attachment to this new life. However, I finally have a book in my grasp. I’ve finally accomplished the one thing that I truly wanted to do. Now, I have something to live for. Now, I can truly see myself living in this world. “Maine, you finished it?” asks Tory, returning to the clearing with her pack full. “Yeah! I’m finished. Thanks to you, and Lutz.” The emotions I’m feeling for Tory and Lutz may be those that Maine felt for them, and not mine, but making this book has truly saved me. I carefully lift the topmost cloth and show the two of them the finished tablet. “Hey, Maine,” asks Tory, “What did you write on this one?” “Oh, this is the story of the children from the stars. It’s the story that Mommy told me on my first night.” “Yeah, this is the first story I can remember.” This is the story that my mother quietly recited to me on that first night, when my fever was so painfully high that I couldn’t sleep. Her voice may have been full of love and affection, but it was an affection for someone who was not me. Her words and emotions were things I couldn’t accept, so they pa.s.sed right through me, and the feelings of isolation within my disconnected mind only grew deeper. Despite this, as soon as I decided that I was going to make a book in this world, I immediately knew what it was going to be about. If I capture her bedtime stories in my precious, first book, then I feel like I might truly be able to accept her love. “I don’t want to forget her story at all, so I made sure to write all of it out here so that it’ll never go away.” Tory smiles, seeming a little bit anxious. “But, it can still be erased, right?” “If I leave them like this, yeah, but when I bake them, they’ll get hard, and then you can’t erase them anymore. Then, once I do that, I can always read Mommy’s stories.” It’s been almost half a year since I started living here, but this is the first time I’ve ever had an honest, genuine smile. ...This would be an excellent happy note to end my story on, but it does not, of course, end here. As soon as I returned home, I baked my tablets in our oven. They exploded. No, really. They exploded. I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me, but I’m not lying. While they were baking in the oven, there was a boom, and the first book I had ever written flew out of the oven in a cloud of dust and chunks of dirt. I didn’t even have the time to investigate why. First, I was too dumbfounded to ask, then my mother scolded me for quite some time, then she made me promise that I wasn’t going to do anything like that again. Huh? Doesn’t this mean that I’m actually, completely back to square one now? Ah, wait, no, it still feels like I actually finished something, so... three steps forward, two steps back, maybe? ...What the h.e.l.l do I try next?

わたしは熱にうなされながら、フェイ達をいかに恐怖に落としいれるか考えていた。 もうちょっとだったのに! 森に行けず、粘土も持ち込みを禁止されれば、もう本が手に入ることはないだろう。 この世界の人達が何を怖がるのか全くわからないけど、わたしが髪を下ろして貞子っぽい装いで恨み辛みを言い続けるとか、番町皿屋敷のように粘土板を数えていくとか......どうよ? 怖くない? せっかく考えたのに、熱が下がって起き上った朝、父は何とも複雑な顔で、何故か森禁止令を取り消してきた。 「......明日」 「明日は森に行ってもいい」 「へ? 森に行ってもいいの? なんで?」 「......不満そうだな」 ぽそぽそと恨み事を並べる練習もしたし、幽霊っぽく見える服も考えた。後は舞台とかシチュエーションに凝ろうと思っていたところだった。井戸の辺りにするか、路地から出てくるか......。 「不満はないけど......」 「けど、何だ?」 「......せっかく色々計画考えたのにぃ......もったいなくない?」 「もったいなくないっ! そんな計画はすぐに捨てるんだ!」 「ちぇ......」 まぁ、森に行って、粘土板を完成させることができるなら、計画なんて必要ない。フェイ達相手に遊んでいる時間がもったいないので、森に行ったら自動的に計画をポイすることになるのは目に見えている。 それにしても、いきなり意見を変えるなんて、一体何があったんだろう? 「体調を見てからだから、明日にするんだ。これは譲らん!」 さすがに病み上がりでいきなり森に行くような無茶はしない。この身体のポンコツ具合はわたしが一番よく知っている。 物置の中にあった何に使うかわからない板を籠の中に下敷きとして入れる。そして、母が掃除の雑巾にするために取り置いているボロ布をごっそりと持ちだして籠へ入れた。これで粘土板を包んで持ち帰るのだ。 さぁ、粘土板、作って作って作りまくるよぉ! 気合を入れて起きると、大雨だった。 「のおおぉぅっ! 雨っ!?」 天気予報のない世界で天気にまで気が回らなかった。正確には、熱出して倒れている方が多いし、家族が「今日は出ても大丈夫」と判断しなければ、外に出してもらえなかったので、天気なんて今まで気にしたことがなかった。 大雨にでろんと崩れる粘土板の映像が脳内を駆け巡る。いくら低木のかげに隠しておいたと言っても、この嵐では無事にはすまないだろう。 わたしの粘土板がぁっ! でんでろりんになっちゃうっ! 「ちょっと、マイン! どこに行く気!?」 「ただでさえ、熱を出しやすいのに、こんな嵐の中を外に出るなんて、何考えてるの!? 井戸に行くことさえできない状態なのよ!?」 締めきっていても板戸に当たる雨と風の音が家の中によく響き、どれだけ激しい嵐かを物語っている。 「わたしの『粘土板』が......あうぅ」 「マイン、大丈夫だよ。今度はみんなが手伝ってくれるって言ったんだから、前よりずっと楽に速くできるよ」 トゥーリが落ち込むわたしの頭を撫で撫でしながら、慰めてくれる。ホントにトゥーリはいいお姉ちゃんだ。 珍しい大雨続き、子供達が森へ出かけることを許可されるのはさらに二日後だった。 今日は、見習いの仕事がない日なので、大きい子供達が多くて、いつもよりずっと人数が多い。ルッツの兄のラルフも一緒に森に行くようで、大きな籠を背負って、弓矢を持っていた。 「よぉ、マイン。熱下がったのか?」 「おはよう、ラルフ。もう大丈夫って、父さんが言った日から嵐になったの」 「それは災難だったな」 ぐしゃぐしゃとわたしの頭を撫で回して、ラルフはトゥーリのところへと向かった。 「よぅ、トゥーリ」 「ラルフ、なんか久し振りだね」 仕事見習いを始めたせいか、顔つきがしっかりしてきたように見えるラルフ。そして、洗礼式に向けてわたしが磨きをかけているトゥーリの輝く笑顔。 ちょっと奥さん、やっぱりこの二人、結構イイ感じだと思いません? わたしが二人をニヨニヨしながら眺めていたら、ルッツに腕をぐっと引き寄せられた。 「わっ!?」 「マイン、ぼんやりするなよ。お前、遅いんだから一番先頭で出発だぞ?」 「あ、ごめん」 森に向かう子供達は集団で歩き、門を通り抜ける。緑が広がっているはずの景色には、嵐の爪痕が残り、農地がところどころひどい有様になっていた。 そういえば、この世界、災害に対する補償はあるのかな? ぼーっと風景を見ながら足を動かしていると、ルッツがパタパタとわたしの目の前で手を振った。 「いや、ちゃんと見えてるのかなと思って。なぁ、マイン。今日も作るんだろ、あのネンドバン? あれ、何だ?」 日本語で書いていなくても、ルッツは字が読めないから、何が書いてあるかわからない。それ以前に、家の中に文字や紙がない生活なのだ。粘土板という記録媒体の素晴らしさを知らないに違いない。 「あれはね、忘れたくないことを書いておくものなの。きちんと書いておけば、忘れないでしょ? それをちゃんと保存しておけば、いつでも見られるでしょ?『記録媒体』はそのためにあって、あの『粘土板』は『記録媒体』の一つなの。粘土こねればできるし、書き間違っても、指で均せば文字が消せるし、焼けば保存もできるんだよ。すごいと思わない?」 立て板に水の説明だったせいか、ルッツはぽかんと口を開けて、わずかに首を傾げた。 「......よくわかんねぇ。で、マインは何を書いたんだ?」 「お話をね、書いたの。母さんが話してくれたお話。書いておけば忘れないでしょ? ホントは本が欲しいんだけど、ここにはないから。わたしが作るの」 「ふぅん。それがマインのやりたいことなのか?」 今は周囲に一冊の本もないので、何とか本を作ろうと考えているが、本当にわたしがやりたいことは本を作ることではない。 「うーん、ちょっと違うね。わたしが本当にやりたいのは、本に囲まれて暮らすことだから。一月に何冊も新しい本ができて、それを全部手に入れて、読みふけって暮らしたいんだよね」 「えーと、つまり、本が欲しいのか......?」 「そう! 切実に、今すぐ欲しい。でも、高くて、全然買えないし、手が届かないから、自分で作るしかないでしょ? 紙も高くて買えないから、粘土板を作って、お話を書いて、焼いてみるつもりなの」 そこで、あぁ、とルッツは納得したように手を打った。 「マインは今、本の代わりを作ってるんだな?」 「うん! この間は失敗しちゃったから、今度こそ絶対に成功させるんだ」 「あぁ、オレも協力する」 何となく思いついて作ってあげた料理で、ここまで協力してくれるルッツには、わたしも協力してあげたくなる。 「じゃあ、ルッツのやりたいことは? わたしに聞くくらいだから、ルッツもやりたいことがあるんでしょ?」 「オレは......そうだな。別の街にも行ってみたい。旅商人や吟遊詩人は色んなところに行ってて、いろんな話を知ってるだろ? オレも色々見てみたい」 そういえば、わたしも色んな国の色んな図書館に行って、本を読みふけりたいと思っていた。 「......本当にそう思うか? この街を出たいってことだぞ?」 「あ~、旅もいいよね。あっちこっち行くの、楽しそう。わたしね、『世界各国』の『図書館』巡るの、夢だったんだよ、ずっと......」 「ハァ、悩んだ自分がバカバカしくなる。......マインなら、絶対やりたいことやるんだろうな」 麗乃だった頃の夢や、やりたかったことで、頭が埋め尽くされてされていたわたしは、この時ルッツがどんな表情をしていたか、全く見てはいなかった。 森に入ってすぐの少し開けた場所が集合場所だ。 「じゃあ、それぞれ採集してくるんだ。小さい子はあまり遠くに行くな。必ずこの集合場所が見えるところでいるように。いいな?」 大きい子供達はそう言うと、弓矢を持って、森の奥へと駆けていった。 「ねぇ、誰か。『粘土板』がどこにあったかわかる?」 目印を付けてくれていた木が見つからない。もう何日も前のことなので、わたしが忘れてしまっただけかと思ったが、誰もが困ったようにきょろきょろと辺りを見回した。 フェイの言葉に子分達が揃って頷く。フェイが指差した辺りはわたしも見当を付けていたところで、嵐で木が何本かなぎ倒されているところだった。 ルッツが低木の陰を探し始めると、みんながわらわらと動き始めて、一緒に探してくれることになった。 フェイ達だけじゃなくて、みんなが手伝ってくれるなんて......ちょっと、みんなイイ子すぎる。 わたしが精一杯の速さで駆けつけて覗きこむと、崩れて字が読めなくなっている土くれがあった。予想していた通り、ぐちゃぐちゃになっていて、刻んだ文字はもう見えない。粘土板が土くれに戻ってしまった。 あぁ、また振り出しに戻っちゃったな。 「こ、今回はオレが壊したわけじゃないからな!」 フェイが慌てたように弁解するが、それくらいわざわざ言われなくてもわかる。周囲が気遣うように声をかけようか、どうしようか、とざわめいているのもわかる。気を使わせていることがわかるけれど、出てくる涙は止められない。 わたしがうぅ~っと嗚咽を漏らしていると、足音が近付いてきた。すぐそばで足音が止まったかと思うと、ペチッと軽く頭を叩かれた。 「マイン、泣いてる暇があるなら、もう一回作ろうぜ」 第一の失敗原因がフェイ達の人災。 もう人災も天災も経験した。これ以上の失敗原因なんてないだろう。何が何でも完成させるんだ。 粘土自体は固まりになってその場にあったので、こねて、粘土板にすれば、書き始められるし、足りなくなってもどの辺りに粘土があったか覚えている。土を探すところから始めた前回と比べると、スタート地点で雲泥の差だ。 今日は天候にも恵まれているし、涙と怒りをフル活用したことで、罪悪感に訴えることに成功したのか、勢いにのまれたのか、力と元気があり余る助手が3人も増えている。 「手伝いはルッツとフェイ達だけいればいいよ。トゥーリは採集してきて」 「わかった。......頑張ってね、みんな」 「うん!」 トゥーリの応援にわたしは気を取り直して、粘土板作りにもう一回挑戦する。 うんうん、イイ調子。 「お話を書くのに必要だった『粘土板』は10枚だったから、それだけ作ったら、採集に行って。ありがとね」 次々と成形された粘土板が並べられていき、手早く10枚の粘土版を完成させたフェイ達は先を争うように採集へ向かった。 それなのに、ルッツはまた粘土を掘り始める。 「ルッツは行かないの?」 「今日はラルフがいるから、俺はマインの手伝いをしてやるよ」 「ふぅん。じゃあ、粘土はもういいから、これ、地面に書いて練習する?」 わたしは雨に濡れたことで柔らかくなっている地面に、粘土板に字を刻んでいた木の棒を突き刺して、ここの文字で「ルッツ」と書いた。 「何だ、これ?」 「ルッツの名前。自分の名前くらい書けるようにならないと他の街には行けないでしょ?」 この街の人間がこの街の門を出入りするのは、基本的に顔パスだが、他の街に入る時には名前を聞かれたり、書かされたりするらしい。元旅商人のオットーがそう言っていた。 「なぁ、マイン。これが、オレの名前?」 「そう、色んなところに行きたいなら、ちゃんと字を練習しておいた方がいいよ」 ルッツが目を輝かせながら地面に名前の練習をしている間、わたしはせっせと粘土板を作り続けた。 「できた!」 この調子で「母の民話集」を作りたい。わたしにとっては、この世界に来て初めて知ったお話の数々が詰まった本になる。 出来上がった粘土板を持ってきたボロ布に包んで、崩れたり、文字が消えたりしないように、そっと籠の中に積み重ねていく。 全てを籠に入れ終わると、はふぅ、と大きく息を吐き出した。目が熱くなって、じわりと涙が浮かんでくる。 粘土板なんて、とても本と呼べるような物ではない記録媒体だけれど、わたしにとって誰が何と言おうと初めて手に入れた本だ。 この世界で生活するようになったのが、秋の終わりで、今が春の終わり。最初の本を手にするまで、ずいぶんと長い時間がかかった。 「この世界でも、本は読めるんだ。......だったら、大丈夫」 高価すぎて貧民には本が読めない世界で、何かしたらすぐに熱を出す病弱な身体への転生だったから、多少無茶しても、死んでしまっても、別によかった。 けれど、本が一つ手に入ったことで、ここでも大事にしたいものができた。ちゃんとこの世界で生きていこうと思える、自分の生きる道を見つけた気がした。 「マイン、出来たの?」 「うん、出来た。トゥーリとルッツのおかげだよ」 トゥーリとルッツが向ける感情が、わたしじゃないマインに向けられたものだとしても、この本を作る上で助かったのは事実だ。 一番上の布を取り払って、トゥーリとルッツに出来上がった粘土板を見せる。 「ねぇ、マイン。これ、何が書いてあるの?」 「これはね、星の子供達のお話だよ。最初の夜、母さんが話してくれたやつ」 「そう。わたしが覚えてる最初のお話」 熱が高くて寝られなかったわたしに母さんが低い声で語ってくれた話だ。愛情のこもった声は自分だけれど、自分ではない存在に向けられたもの。言葉も感情もわたしを素通りしていくようで、受け入れられなくて、わたしの精神だけ切り離されて孤独感を深める愛情がこの上なく不愉快だった。 それなのに、ここで本を作ると決めた時に、本の内容がこれしか浮かばなかった。母の寝物語がわたしにとって大事な本になれば、寝物語にこもった愛情を受け入れられる気がした。 「わたしね、母さんが話してくれたお話を忘れないように全部記録しておきたいの」 不安そうなトゥーリに笑って答える。 「このままだったら消えちゃうから、焼いて固めるの。そうしたら、いつでも母さんのお話が読めるでしょ?」 ここで生活を始めて、約半年。 ......ここで綺麗に終われたら感動的だったが、終わらなかった。 帰って早速粘土板を焼いてみたら、爆発した。 わたしの作った初めての本は、土煙と土の破片になって飛び散った。 原因を究明する暇もなく、呆然としたまま、とりあえず、母にしこたま叱られて、二度と粘土板を作らないと約束させられた。 あ、いや、でも、一回完成して気分的に余裕ができたから、三歩進んで二歩下がった感じ? ......次、どうするよ?

“If I ever pa.s.s out from the devouring, Lutz, it’s not your fault at all. It really, really does come without any warning. ...And there’s no way I’m gonna lose anytime soon. I haven’t made a single book yet.” Maine’s voice is quiet, right next to my ear, as she tries to rea.s.sure me. I don’t want her to see my miserable, crying face, so I’m carrying her on my back. However, since I’m doing so, I don’t have a free hand to wipe the tears running down my face. One by one, the teardrops fall onto Maine’s sleeve, leaving little wet spots. I want to help her, but I can’t. I can only grit my teeth at how powerless I am. Maine always keeps saying that she’s completely useless, but I don’t know what I’d do without her. When I said I wanted to become a trader, my family disregarded it completely, telling me not to be ridiculous, but Maine just smiled and told me to follow my dream. When I was first introduced to Benno, I was so terrified that I wanted to flee on the spot, but Maine held my hand and helped me through it. When there wasn’t anything I could do on my own, Maine stuck with me, helping me think and helping me act so that I could become an apprentice. Even now, when I’m wondering if it’s even a good idea for me to become a merchant, Maine’s teaching me how to write, how to read numbers, how to do math, how to think about money... everything. And despite all that, there’s nothing I can do to help her when she’s suffering from the devouring. I don’t have the kind of money to help her. I’ve started to earn a little bit of money, but all that was things that she thought of. If I hadn’t helped her, if she was stronger, if she’d gotten more help from the adults, I wonder if she’d have been able to make paper a lot faster and earn a lot more money? If that’s the case, would she have made enough money to save herself? I can’t think about anything else. I’m so weak that I’m miserable, regretful... shameful. If I wasn’t a kid, if I was an adult, I wonder if I’d be able to help her? If I was a merchant like Master Benno, if I had that kind of money, maybe I... I swallow everything down, grit my teeth, and keep walking forward, Maine on my back. If there’s anyone who can help Maine, anyone who has enough influence and money to help Maine, I’ll find them at Benno’s. Master Benno will surely save Maine. He knows just how much the things Maine can make are worth, so I’m positive he’ll help. When we arrive at the store, Mark and Benno are lying in wait for us. Mark has a worried look on his face while Benno is scowling unpleasantly. Since I still haven’t been able to wipe away my tears, I hang my head low, not wanting them to see my soggy, miserable face. As I stare down at the ground, the tips of Benno’s shoes come into view. I thought he’d just walked up to sigh at us, but suddenly all the weight disappeared from my back. I snap my head up to see Benno hold Maine up roughly and then toss her over to Mark. My heart nearly jumps out of my chest when I see Maine hurtling through empty air. “Wh...?!” As soon as I’m sure that Mark’s caught her securely, I allow myself a moment of relief before turning to face Benno angrily. The instant before I start to yell “what are you doing to a sick little girl?!”, he jerks his chin towards the shop. “Lutz, let’s go. You and me.” I open and close my mouth wordlessly, my fervor suddenly evaporating, then follow Benno into the shop. As I try to convince myself that there’s no problem entrusting her to Mark, or at least that it’s far better than letting Benno take care of her, I hear the door close behind me and frantically wipe my face clean with my sleeve. Benno motions to the table we always use. As soon as I sit down, he fixes his glimmering, reddish-brown eyes on me. He studies me from head to toe, then opens his mouth. “...Was it the devouring?” “How did you...” “Despite the fact that you were carrying her, Maine seemed to be doing pretty well. I thought that her fever must have suddenly spiked and then gone down again just as suddenly. You’re together all the time, but is this your first time seeing that?” I nod, gulping. Even though I’ve been by Maine’s side whenever we went to the forest, went to the store, and worked on making paper, this is my first time actually seeing the symptoms of the devouring manifest. There wasn’t a single sign that her condition was worsening, but suddenly she got a fever so hot that I wondered if her body was going to melt. Something wispy and yellow drifted off from her, like steam rising from her whole body. It was astoundingly terrifying. “Master Benno, please, help Maine. I can’t do anything. I’m just a kid, I don’t have any money, I can’t do anything...” “I can’t.” In a quiet voice, Benno immediately shoots down my request. “Why?! You’re a grown-up, you have money, you do a lot of business with the n.o.blemen...” As I desperately make my argument, Benno’s face twists as if in pain, or regret. Grinding his teeth, he shakes his head. “I told you my business was rapidly growing. When it comes to trading with the n.o.bility, I’m a newcomer on the scene, relatively speaking. I don’t have many connections. I’m still at a point where they see me as someone at their feet, ready to be ripped off. ...I can’t do anything, either.” “Master Benno... even you can’t...?” I’m left speechless by Benno’s completely unexpected words. Benno, who owns this huge shop, who does business with the n.o.bility, is saying that he’s powerless to help Maine; is curing the devouring completely impossible? As everything in front of me starts to grow dim, I remember the one person I know of who has been cured. “But, I thought Frieda was cured... then maybe the guild leader...!” “I already talked with him.” “Huh?” Benno takes a shallow breath, then reaches up to scratch at his head. A wry, sarcastic smile floats over his troubled face, and he shrugs. “He said that, if you have money, you can temporarily stave it off. Since he’s willing to spend any amount of money so that his granddaughter could keep living, he’s been working with a disgraced n.o.ble family this entire time, constantly paying them to use a broken magical tool. Using it just once costs him two small gold coins.” “G... gold?!” When I got the one small silver coin for selling that paper, I’d been so thrilled at how much money I’d just earned, but it seems like Maine needs gold, not just silver. The thought of such an unattainable amount of money makes my head spin. “However, even that’s only enough to buy about a half year’s worth of time. Even if I spent that much money once to keep her alive, I’d have to spend it again before you know it. Maine, especially, is very young. As she grows up, the symptoms of the devouring are only going to get worse, and more and more frequent. You think I have that much money to spend on a single apprentice? It’s impossible, for me.” If what Benno’s saying is right, then it really is impossible. There’s no way he’d be able to spend that kind of money. However, just saying it’s impossible and giving up is giving up on Maine’s life. “There’s not much I can do,” he says. “I can buy the unusual knowledge that she has from her, giving her some gold to make up for it. When it starts to get too bad to deal with, I’ll probably hand her over to that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d. ...So, what can you do?” Benno stares at me with sharp, predatory eyes. Without thinking about it, I glare back at him. He’s an adult, with power, brains, money, and everything, and he still can’t do anything to help Maine. What could I possibly do? “...I can’t do anything at all. I’m just a kid. I’m not strong, I’m not smart, I don’t have any money... if there’s something I can do, tell me, please.” “Don’t make her have to look after you. Don’t make her worry.” His immediate response makes my breath catch in my through. He’s. .h.i.t the target so cleanly that I have no way to respond at all. My eyes grow hot with chagrin. Benno’s facial expression softens a just a little bit, but his eyes are still sharp as he opens his mouth to speak. “Listen up, Lutz. That kid out there is not the little girl she seems to be. At the very least, even when she’s suffering, she doesn’t want to make you worry, so she puts on a brave smile for you. Make sure you don’t let her trick you with that.” I remember that after the devouring fever went back down down, when her breathing was still heavy and ragged, she had a bright, happy smile on her face. Seeing her smiling like that really did make me feel relieved, but it looks like maybe that was a mistake. “You’re a man, so don’t give her anything else to worry about. You can’t pretend like you don’t know anything, so cooperate with her so that she can buy herself a little more time to live. If you’re going to say grandiose things like ‘I’m going to make whatever Maine comes up with’, then take every single one of her ideas, make them, and sell them! If you’ve got time to cry, then you’ve got time to think. You’ve got time to work. Make some money!” “...Alright.” “Now that’s the right kind of face, hm?” “Oh, Lutz!” says Maine. “You done with your conversation? Look, look! I finished up getting us paid for the hairpins we brought today.” She’s smiling, as usual, as I come out of Benno’s office to meet her. She has a very carefree expression on, but when I remember Benno’s advice and look more closely I can see that despite her smile there’s a hint of worry in her eyes. Feeling like I should be scolding myself for making her worry, I put on a smile, refusing to be defeated. “That’s a lot,” I enthuse. “I think we’ll be good for about two or three more days with this.” “Two or three?!” “Honestly, I have no idea just how far my mother’s going to rampage through this project, and Tory’s just as fired up as my mother is...” As we banter back and forth, I can see Maine start to loosen up, bit by bit. I think I probably managed to give her a little bit of peace of mind. Behind me, Benno comes out of his office with his usual stern expression, shrugging his shoulders. “Don’t just chit-chat in my shop. If you’re done with your business here, then go straight home and, Maine, get right to bed. Lutz says you’re not a hundred percent right now.” As Benno waves his hands to shoo us out of his shop, he seems to suddenly think of something and amends his previous statement. “Mark, go with these two. It’s dangerous for kids like these to be walking around with that kind of money.” In order to make it easy to pay Tory and the others, Maine got all of the money in medium copper coins. Since there’s thirty-three of them, they’ll probably jangle loudly when we walk around. If unbaptized children such as ourselves carry around that kind of money, then, of course, we’d be incredibly conspicuous. Now that the danger of being robbed or attacked has been pointed out to her, Maine forgoes her usual “no thank you, it’s all right” routine and obediently offers the bag of money to Mark. Mark exchanges a brief look with Benno, then reaches down to pick up both the bag and Maine herself. “I–I can walk on my own!!” “Were you not just carried here by Lutz, Maine? You’re such a good girl, so please come along quietly so that the rest of us can rest easily.” “Nnngh...” Maine, having lost any means of resistance, stops struggling and just hangs her head. It seems like she doesn’t have any way to fight against Mark’s gentle words. This is a good discovery. I should work quickly to learn how to talk like Mark. On the way home, Maine and Mark discuss things like how to handle the winter handiwork and how to manage the finished products. I pay close attention, since I’m going to be doing the exact same thing too. I thought that we were going to go our separate ways when we reached the plaza with our water well, but Mark doesn’t put Maine down, saying that he’ll bring the money all the way to her home and explain things to her family. I part ways with the two of them, deeply appreciative of how considerate Mark is. “Lutz, I’ll stop by later,” says Maine. I wave goodbye at them as they head into the building, then I turn towards my own home. My feet suddenly feel like lead weights as I drag myself forwards. “What, empty handed today?” Zasha, my oldest brother, looks me up and down, raising an eyebrow. For unbaptized kids like me, going to gather things from the forest is effectively a full-time job, but since I’ve lately been going to Benno’s shop a lot, I haven’t been able to do enough gathering. My family, I know, doesn’t actually care about the circ.u.mstances why. “Seriously. You didn’t even go earn any money, huh?” If I’d come back with some money, things might have been a little better, but only a little. Ralph really doesn’t like how much money I’ve made in such a short period of time, and lately he’s been really strict with me. I put my things in my room, lie down on my bed, and let out a long sigh. Ever since I started saying that I wanted to be a merchant, everyone in my family has been uncomfortably icy towards me. I know that if I just said I was going to give up on that and be a craftsman instead, things would instantly improve, but I also know that I’d regret that forever. Knock, knock! “Good afternoon, Miss Carla. Is Lutz here?” “Oh, Maine! It’s good to see you. I just heard him come home a little while ago... Lutz, Maine’s here!” At the sound of my mother’s voice, all of my older brothers immediately rush forward, dragged by Maine’s invisible grip on their stomachs. By the time I manage to make it out of my room, she’s already been completely surrounded to the point that I can’t even see her anymore. “What’s up? Do you have a new recipe?” “I’ll help! What do you need?” “Nuh-uh,” she says, “not today. I’m just here to pay Lutz what I owe him.” “You owe him?” “Yep! He helped me with my winter handiwork, so I owe him for that.” Maine squeezes her way out of the crowd and walks up to me, with the kind of self-satisfied smirk she gets when she’s scheming something. “Lutz, your hand, please,” she says, and I stick it out. Then, she exaggeratedly places coins into the palm of my hand, one by one. “You helped with five pins, so I owe you five medium copper coins. One, two, three, four, five. That’s right, right?” “Yeah.” The coins clink against each other as she places them into my hand, and I’m suddenly aware that the gazes of all of my older brothers are firmly fixed to the spot. My palm seems to tingle under the pressure of their stares, and I hear someone gulp nervously. “Hey, Maine. You said Lutz helped you, was that those sticks he was making yesterday?” Maine, waiting for Ralph to say those exact words, puts on a sweet, but very, very forced, smile. “That’s right! I’m making hairpins, so I asked him to help with the pin part. One pin is one medium copper coin.” “That’s worth that much?!” Zasha’s eyes fly wide open, staring again at the coins in my palm. Zeke, his doubts seemingly erased now that he actually sees me holding money, takes a sharp breath and looks over at Maine. “...Does it have to be Lutz that does it? Can I help too?” Zeke is the one to ask the question, but it’s on all of my brothers’ minds. All of them turn to look at her. She looks back at them easily, smiling and nodding. “No, it doesn’t really have to be Lutz. But, they need to be a specific size, and they need to be polished really smooth so that they don’t catch in anyone’s hair, so it’s not really casual work, you know?” As soon as my brothers hear those words, they all scramble to be the first to talk themselves up. “Maine, Maine. I’m way better at woodworking and carpentry than Lutz is. I do it every day at my job, you know.” “Me, I’m definitely better than Lutz.” Whoa, whoa, wait a minute, guys. Who was it yesterday that told me I should go off and make those boring little sticks all by myself? “Oh man, I can’t believe we were so stupid yesterday!” “Lutz, why didn’t you tell us you were getting paid for these?” “Were you going to hog all the money for yourself?” I’m pretty sure I told them about it, but they probably ignored me, thinking I was making things up. My brothers’ memories have been repainted by the power of cold, hard cash, making me into the bad guy here. All of my brothers are staring at me with a dangerous look in their eyes, and I’m suddenly extremely aware of how terrifying money can be. As my brothers start closing in around me, Maine claps her hands together. “So, would you three make them for me, then? I’d need five from each of you. If you make more than that, I won’t be able to use them. I’ll be back in three days to get them, okay?” “Yeah, leave it to me!” “I don’t even need three days.” “I can do them right away.” Maine holds up a single finger, grinning impishly. “Precision is more important than speed! If you don’t make them exactly, I won’t be able to use them and you’ll have to redo them. ...Oh, right! You should ask Lutz about how big they need to be and what kind of wood you should be using. Okay then, I’ll see you guys in three days to pick these up!” My brothers, with big smiles on their faces, wave to Maine as she heads out the door. The instant the door shuts behind her, though, their att.i.tudes immediately change. They grab onto me tightly and drag me to our room. “So, what kind of wood do we need?” “How big are they?” “You’re not getting anything this time, heh.” Their tools are already in their hands as they close in around me, demanding an explanation. I’m left dumbfounded by their complete and utter turnaround from yesterday, where they didn’t even bother paying attention to what I was doing. “Don’t just stand there!” “Tell us, quickly!” I answer all the questions they have about the kinds of wood and how to make them, and they immediately set to work. In the blink of an eye, I’ve been completely tossed aside. Then, most frustratingly, my brothers start immediately churning out beautiful hairpins, far faster than I could have made them, thanks to their job experience. Ah. Is this how Maine feels when she’s always saying she isn’t good for anything? I, having been forgotten in a corner, get out my slate and calculator. This is something that I should be doing. I can leave the crafting to the craftsmen. On our way home, Maine had told me to do three things. First, on a board, I should make a note of the number of pins that we make. Then, I should make sure that I keep that board hidden securely, so that n.o.body can arbitrarily add more to it. Lastly, I should use my calculator to work out what my total commission on these is, remembering that my commission for each pin is four medium copper coins. “Aha, done!” “Ralph, that looks kinda sloppy. If you don’t do it right, Maine can’t use it, right?” From the sounds of it, my brothers have started competing to see who can make them the best. “Lutz, how’s this look?” “...Yeah, that looks great! Good job, Zasha.” Zasha has finished one, so I’ve made four coins. “Look, I’m done too!” “That’s perfect, Zeke!” Zeke finished another, so now I’m up to eight. While I’m sitting here practicing my writing, I’m not actually making anything myself, but when see my commission fees steadily ticking up on my calculator I suddenly understand. Now this is being a merchant, huh? Now that I’ve seen the power of money firsthand, my desire to know how to handle it well has only been strengthened.

「もし、身食いでわたしが倒れたとしても、ルッツが責任を感じることないんだからね。これ、本当に、突然来るから。それに、まだ負けないよ。わたし、本を作ってないから」 オレを慰めるようなマインの小さい声が耳元で響く。 助けてやりたいのに、助けてやれない。 マインはいつも「わたし、役に立たない」って言うけど、オレにとってはいなきゃ困る存在なんだ。 今だって、商人になるにはどうすればいいか、文字の書き方、数字の読み方、計算の仕方、お金に対する考え方......全部マインが教えてくれている。 それなのに、オレは身食いで苦しむマインを助けてやることもできない。 オレが作るんじゃなくて、もっと力がある、もっと大人がマインに協力していたら、ずっと早く紙ができていて、ずっと稼げていたんじゃないか。そうすれば、マインはもしかしたら助かるだけのお金が稼げていたんじゃないか。 そんなことを考えることしかできない、力のない自分がみじめで、悔しくて、情けない。 オレがこんな子供じゃなくて、大人だったら、マインを助けてやれただろうか。ベンノの旦那みたいにでかい商売をして、金を持っていたら、オレだって......。 ギリッと歯を食いしばりながら、オレはマインを背負って歩く。マインを助けることができるだけの大きな権力と金があるだろう、ベンノの店へ。 きっとベンノの旦那なら、マインを助けてくれる。マインが作る物に価値を認めているから、きっと。 オレが店の前に着いた時には、マルクとベンノが店の外に立って待ち構えていた。心配そうなマルクと苦々しい顔のベンノが立っている。 涙を拭うこともできないぐしょぐしょの情けない顔を見せたくなくて、オレは俯いて石畳を睨みつけた。 ベンノが溜息混じりに歩み寄ってきたかと思った瞬間、突然オレの背中が軽くなった。 マインの声に驚いて顔を上げたら、マインがひょいっと抱き上げられて、マルクに向かって放り投げられていた。 「っ!?」 「病人になんてことをするんだ!」と怒鳴ってやろうと息を吸い込んだ瞬間、ベンノが顎で店を示した。 「ルッツだけ奥だ。来い」 マインのことはマルクに任せておけば問題ない。少なくとも、ベンノに預けるより安心だ。そう自分に言い聞かせながら、バタンと閉まるドアの音にオレは慌てて袖で顔を拭った。 いつものテーブルを勧められ、オレが座ると同時にベンノは赤褐色の目を光らせる。オレを上から下まで全部見て、口を開いた。 「......身食いの症状が現れたか?」 「なんで......」 「お前が背負っている割に、マインは元気そうだったからな。一気に熱が上がって、一気に下がる身食いだと思った。あれだけ一緒にいるのに、見たのは初めてか?」 オレはコクリと頷く。森に行ったり、店に行ったり、紙を作ったり、マインとはずっと一緒に行動していたけれど、オレが身食いの症状を見たのは初めてだった。 体調が悪化するような前兆は一切なく、突然身体が溶けるんじゃないかと思うくらいマインの熱が上がって、まるで身体中から湯気が立ち上るように、黄色っぽい何かがマインから出ていたのが、ひどく怖かった。 「ベンノの旦那、マインを助けてやってくれ。オレじゃダメなんだ。こんな子供で、金もなくて、何もできなくて......」 「無理だ」 オレの頼みをベンノは静かな声で、にべもなく一蹴した。 「なんでだよ!? 旦那は大人で、金もあって、貴族相手に商売してて......」 オレが必死に言い募るとベンノは痛そうに顔を歪める。悔しそうに歯を食いしばって、頭を振った。 「商売を広げていると言ったところで、お貴族様相手には最近出てきたばかりの新顔で大した繋がりなんかない。まだまだ足元見られてぼったくられる対象だ。......俺も、お前と一緒で力不足なんだよ」 「旦那でも......ダメなのか?」 思いもよらなかった言葉に呆然とする。こんなに大きな店を持っていて、貴族と繋がりもあるベンノでさえ、マインを助けるには力不足だなんて、身食いを治すことは事実上不可能ではないのか。 「でも、フリーダは治ったって......ギルド長なら!」 「交渉済みだ」 「え?」 ベンノが軽く息を吐いて、髪を掻きあげる。困ったような顔で、皮肉げな笑みを浮かべて、肩を竦めた。 「金があれば、一時的な延命はできる、と言われた。孫娘を生かすために金に任せて没落貴族から買い漁った今にも壊れそうな魔術具がまだ残っているらしい。たった一度使えば壊れてしまうような魔術具が小金貨2枚以上するんだ」 「き、金貨!?」 オレは紙を売って得られた小銀貨1枚に、大金だと浮かれていたというのに、マインを助けるために必要なのは小金貨らしい。 「だが、それで延ばせるのは半年から一年ほど。一度金を使って延命しても、すぐに次がいる。特にマインは小さい。成長するたびに身食いの症状が進んでいくんだから、そのうちもっと頻繁に必要になる。見習い一人のためにそんな金が出せるか? 俺には無理だ」 ベンノの言葉は間違っていない。そんな金を出すことなんてできるわけがない。 「俺にできることは少ない。マインが持っている変わった知識を買ってやって、少しでも金の足しにしてやること。いよいよヤバそうな時に、じじいに渡りを付けてやることくらいだ。......それで、お前は何ができる?」 大人で力も、頭も、金も全部持っているベンノにできることがほとんどないのに、オレにできることなんてあるわけがない。 「......オレができることなんてない。こんな子供で、力も、頭も、金も、何もなくて......できることがあるなら、教えてくれよ」 「マインに心配させるな。気を遣わせるな」 悔しさに目頭が熱くなってきたオレに、ベンノが少しばかり表情を緩めて、しかし、目だけは鋭いまま口を開く。 「あのなぁ、ルッツ。あれは見た目通りの子供じゃない。少なくとも、自分がきつい時にお前を気遣って、笑って見せるくらいのことはできるんだ。それに甘えたり、騙されたりしないように気を付けろ」 身食いの熱が引いた後、荒い息を繰り返しながら、へらっと笑ったマインを思い出した。 「男ならマインの心配の種をこれ以上増やすな。知らなかったふりなんて出来るわけがないんだから、アイツが少しでも自分の命を買えるように協力しろ。マインが考えた物は俺が作るなんて、大層な事を言うなら、次から次へと作って売れ! 泣いている暇があるなら頭を動かせ。身体を動かせ。金を稼げ!」 「......わかった」 「イイ面構えになったじゃねぇか」 「あ、ルッツ。お話、終わった? 見て見て! 今日持ってきた髪飾りの精算、終わったよ」 ベンノの部屋から出たオレを迎えてくれたのは、マインのいつも通りの笑顔だった。呑気そうな顔に見えるけれど、ベンノの言葉を思い出して注意深く見てみれば、笑っているのに、心配そうな目をしているのがわかる。 「大金だな」 「これで、2~3日は大丈夫だと思うんだよね」 「2~3日かよ」 「正直、母さんがどこまで暴走するかわからないんだもん。トゥーリも母さんにつられてやる気満々だし......」 軽いやり取りを繰り返すことで、少しずつマインの雰囲気が緩んでいくのがわかる。多分、ちょっとは安心させることができたと思う。 「店の中で喋ってないで、用が終わったならマインはさっさと帰って寝てろ。本調子じゃないってルッツが言ってたぞ」 オレ達を追い払うように手をパタパタと振ったベンノが、ふと思いついたように言葉を付け足した。 「マルク、こいつらについて行ってやれ。こんな子供に大金を持たせるのは危険だからな」 トゥーリ達に支払いがしやすいように、全部が中銅貨で準備されている。33枚もあれば、歩けばジャラジャラと大きい音がするだろう。数枚を手に握りしめているくらいなら、ともかく、洗礼前の子供が持つには目立ちすぎるのだ。 盗まれたり、絡まれたりする危険性を示されたせいで、いつもは「平気です。大丈夫」と辞退するマインが、マルクに素直にお金の袋を差し出した。 「じ、自分で歩けますっ!」 「ルッツに背負われてきた子が何を言っているんですか? いい子ですから、みんなの心の平穏のためにおとなしくしていてくださいね」 「うぅっ......」 マインは反論する術を失ったのか、しょぼんと項垂れて、ジタバタするのを止める。どうやらマインは優しく諭すマルクには反抗できないらしい。 これは良い発見をした。オレもなるべく早くマルクの言い方を覚えよう。 帰り道、マインは冬の手仕事のやらせ方や仕上がった手仕事の管理の方法をマルクと語り合い、オレにも同じようにやるように注意点を並べた。 井戸の広場に着いたところで解散するのかと思ったが、マルクは「マインの家までお金を持って行って、家族にも説明させていただきます」と言って、マインを下ろそうとしなかった。 「ルッツ、後で行くからね」 建物に入っていく二人を見送った後、オレは急に重たくなったように感じる足を引きずるように自分の家へ帰った。 「なんだ、今日は手ぶらか?」 森で採集してくるのが、洗礼前であるオレの本来の仕事だが、最近、ベンノの店に行くことが多くなって、採集が満足できていない。そんな状態を、家族がよく思っていないことはわかっている。 「何だよ。金、稼いできたんじゃないのか?」 お金を持って帰れば、少し態度はマシになるけれど、マシになるだけだ。ラルフはオレが短期間に稼いだことをちょっと苦々しく思っているようで、当たりが厳しくなった。 部屋に荷物を置きに行って、ベッドでゆっくり息を吐く。オレが商人になりたいと言ってから、家の中は雰囲気がギチギチしていて居心地が悪い。 トントン! 「こんにちは、カルラおばさん。ルッツ、いる?」 「あら、マインじゃないか。さっき帰って来たような声はしていたけど......ルッツ、マインが来てるよ!」 母の声にオレより速く、すでに胃袋を鷲掴みにされている兄達が期待に満ちた目でマインを迎えに行った。オレが部屋から出た時にはマインは兄達に囲まれてほとんど見えない。 「どうした? 新作料理か?」 「手伝うぞ。何からする?」 「ううん。今日は違うの。ルッツに報酬を持ってきただけ」 「報酬?」 「そう。わたしの手仕事を手伝ってもらったから、その報酬」 「ルッツ、手を出して」と言われるままに手を出すと、マインがわざわざ一枚ずつ中銅貨を手の平に置いていく。 「簪5個だから、中銅貨も5枚ね。1,2,3,4,5。間違いない?」 「あぁ」 オレの手の上にチャリチャリと音を立てながら置かれていく中銅貨に、兄達の視線が釘付けになっているのがわかった。視線が刺さっているようで、手の平がチクチクする。誰かがゴクリと唾を飲み込んだ音が聞こえた。 「なぁ、マイン。手仕事の手伝いって、もしかして、昨日ルッツが作ってた木の棒か?」 ラルフの言葉を待っていたのだろう、わざとらしいほどマインがニッコリと笑って答えた。 「そう。髪飾りを作るから、その簪部分をお願いしてるの。簪一つで中銅貨1枚なんだよ」 「あんなんで中銅貨1枚!?」 ザシャが目を剥いて叫んだ後、オレの手の上を凝視した。 「......その手伝いって、ルッツじゃなくてもいいのか? オレがやってもいい?」 ジークの質問は兄全員の心を代弁したものだった。全員の視線がマインに向かう。マインはその視線を難なく受け止め、笑顔で頷く。 「そりゃ、作るのはルッツじゃなくてもいいよ。でも、大きさも決まってるし、髪に引っ掛からないように丁寧に磨かなきゃいけないし、適当な仕事じゃダメなんだよ?」 マインの言葉を聞いた兄達が顔を輝かせて我先に口を開いて、主張し始めた。 「マイン、マイン。木工細工はルッツよりオレの方が得意なんだぜ。仕事で毎日やってるんだからな」 「オレだって、ルッツよりはマシさ」 そんなくだらない棒作りなんか手伝ってやるか。一人でやれよ、と言っていたのは誰だよ? 「昨日ともバカバカしいって......もがもがっ!」 「ルッツ、昨日は報酬の話なんかしてなかったよな?」 「一人占めするつもりだったんだろ?」 現金の力は兄達の記憶も塗り替えるようで、オレがすっかり悪者扱いだ。目の色を変えた兄達に凄まれたオレは、現金の恐ろしさを知った。 「じゃあ、次はおにいちゃん達が作ってくれる? 一人5個ずつね。それ以上作られても、わたしの方が間に合わないから。三日後に取りに来るよ」 「おう、任しておけ」 「三日もいらねぇよ」 「すぐにできるって」 マインはピッと人差指を立てて、悪戯っぽく笑った。 「速さより丁寧さが大事なんだよ。丁寧に作ってなかったら、使えないからやり直しだからね。......そうそう、大きさとか、使う木はルッツに聞いて。じゃあ、また三日後に取りに来るね」 そう言ってマインが帰っていくのを、笑顔で手を振って見送っていた兄達だったが、マインの姿が見えなくなると同時に、態度を豹変させた。 「で、何の木を使うって?」 「大きさは?」 「今回はお前の分、ねぇから」 すぐさま道具が準備され、作り方を説明しろと詰め寄られた。オレがやっている時には全く見向きもしなかった兄達の変わり様に唖然とするばかりだ。 「ぼんやりするな」 「さっさと説明しろよ」 兄達に聞かれるまま、オレが木の種類や作り方を教えていけば、兄達はすぐに呑み込んで作りだす。あっという間にオレはお払い箱だ。 あぁ、マインが「わたし、いまいち役に立たない」って言う時の気分はこんな感じか。 お払い箱になったオレは、石板と計算機を取り出した。オレにはオレのやることがある。簪作りは職人に任せればいい。 帰り道でマインがオレに言ったのは3つだ。 板にそれぞれが作った簪の数を控えること。 「ほら、できた」 「ラルフはちょっと雑だな。もっと丁寧にやらないと作り直しじゃないのか?」 そんなことを言いながら、兄達が先を争うように簪を作っていく。 「ルッツ、こんな感じでいいのか?」 「......うん。さすがザシャ兄」 ザシャが1つできたので、中銅貨4枚。 「ほら、オレもできたぜ」 「ジーク兄もバッチリだ」 ジークが1つ作ったから、足して中銅貨8枚。 石板に文字の練習をしているうちに、自分が作ったわけでもないのに、手数料がどんどん溜まっていくのが計算機を見ればすぐにわかる。 金の力を目の当たりにし、うまく金を扱えるようになりたい、と改めて思った。

Benno strides quickly through the hallway, carrying me in his arms. The princess carry he’s holding me in leaves my head to dangle loosely, and every step he takes makes my head jerk violently. I feel like at this rate my brain’s going to wind up scrambled. I really wish he’d walk with a little less bounce. As I think that, I hear from behind me the footsteps of someone frantically chasing us down. “Master Benno, please wait!” That’s Fran’s voice. The next time my head flops back, most of his torso and the bottom of his chin enters my field of view. Walking half a step behind Benno, he calls out again. “Master Benno―” “What do you want? In case you can’t tell, I’m in a hurry.” Not only does Benno seem to have no intention of stopping, there isn’t the faintest shred of politeness in his voice as he snaps back in his usual tone. That bluntness makes Fran flinch for a moment, then he takes a deep breath, steeling his resolve. “Please, let me carry Sister Maïne.” “Nope. In a hurry.” “I am her attendant. I cannot let a visitor to our temple such as yourself bear my burden.” Hearing Fran refuse to back down against Benno leaves my heart fluttering in suspense, but Benno abruptly stops walking. “She can’t move, she’s tiny, and she’s heavy. Absolutely do not drop her.” “I am fully aware.” Benno kneels down, gently handing me over to Fran. Fran takes care to make sure my head rests securely against his shoulder, then stands back up. Now that he’s properly supporting my head, it’s no longer being jerked around. “Fran,” I say, “you’re really good at carrying people.” “I can’t move my body, but my head is clear, so it’s not a strain at all.” “...You are, however, not paying any attention to your manner of speech.” His words are tinged with worry. I manage a small smile. I’m a little embarra.s.sed about how much he’s worrying for me, but at the same time, I’m a little happy, too. “Umm, so, when Delia and Gil are around, I won’t have the chance to talk to you alone. Can I ask you something since it’s just the two of us?” Because there might be other priests in the hallways, I keep my voice low so only he can hear it. Fran nods slightly, keeping his eyes fixed on the path forward. “Um, I still don’t know anything about how to be a n.o.ble at all, and I think that I’ve really been embarra.s.sing you, but I’m going to try my hardest to learn as fast as I can, and I really want your help. I want to learn how to be useful to Father Ferdinand, and I think you want to be useful to him too, so could we work together on this?” From the way his arm tightens and his Adam’s apple moves up and down, I can tell that he just gulped in surprise. “That is my duty, after all. ...I must beg your forgiveness for earlier. My guess as to Father Ferdinand’s intentions was incorrect, and I let my personal dissatisfaction influence my behavior to you.” “Huh? What do you mean, your ‘guess’? Did he not explain anything to you?” I’m dumbfounded. If he was a.s.signed to me with no explanation at all, of course he’d be dissatisfied. He was an attendant in direct service of the head priest, and to be suddenly a.s.signed to a mere apprentice priestess―and not even a n.o.ble, but a commoner, at that―would of course look like a demotion. “Father Ferdinand can never be sure of whose ears his words might reach, so he tends to speak very little as to avoid having his own words used against him. Even though he had cleared the room during our meeting, I was very surprised to hear him talk so much.” “Wait, no, no, it’s a big problem if your subordinates don’t know what you actually want. You didn’t know why you were a.s.signed to me, and that hurt, right?” I honestly have no idea what the head priest’s situation might be that he has to act like that, but if he keeps making the people most loyal to him sad like this, then he’s not going to wind up with many allies at all. “That is certainly correct. My a.s.signment to you felt to me as if I was as poor an attendant as Delia or Gil and that Father Ferdinand had no need for me.” “That’s not true! I don’t believe for a second that he was trying to get rid of you by a.s.signing you to me.” As I whisper to him, I’m hoping to reinforce his loyalty to the head priest, but at the same time, I’m secretly hoping that this’ll get him to treat me a little nicer too. “Is that so, I wonder?” He phrased it as a question, but from the tone of his voice he’s fairly solidly rejecting “I think he thinks that he’s just lending you to me. After all, even though I’m supposed to be your new master, and even though Mister Benno, a guest, was right in front of him, he gave you a direct order, didn’t he? He told you to become able to manage my condition by fall. If I were a regular n.o.ble, wouldn’t that be extremely rude?” “...Hm, it would indeed be as rude you say.” A hint of a wry smile tugs at his lips. Just about then, the doors of the temple’s entrance are opened for us. It looks like our carriage had literally just arrived moments before us. The coachman seems astonished at how quickly we’d arrived, his eyes darting back and forth in surprise. Fran hesitates for a moment, then pa.s.s me up into Benno’s outstretched arms. “Might I accompany her as well?” he says, hesitantly. “No,” snaps Benno as he loads me into the carriage. “If you leave the temple looking like that, we’re going to get a whole lot of boring questions.” Fran blinks in confusion, looking down at his robes. He looks like he’d never imagined that he’d be rejected based on what he was wearing. “But, we priests don’t have any other―” “If you don’t care if they’re second-hand, I’ll get something ready for you for next time. Give up for today.” After thanking Benno, Fran, standing by the carriage, crosses his hands before his chest, bowing slightly. “Sister Maïne, I shall earnestly await your safe return.” That sounded like how a servant might bid his master on her way out the door, but his unexpected words leave me panicking. I have no idea how I’m supposed to answer him. I’m still thinking that the head priest is Fran’s master, and I’m really a pretty terrible master for him. I didn’t think I’d be someone for whom he’d await. As I flounder, Benno leans down to whisper in my ear. “'I leave things to you in my absence.’ You should respond like that.” Even if I tell him that I’ll 'leave things to him in my absence’, what am I actually leaving to him? The temple’s not my home. I don’t have a room there. I still don’t even have any place there where I can say I belong. It would be so easy to reject that answer like that, but if Fran is telling me that he’ll be waiting for me, then I’ve got a vaguely uncomfortable feeling that that means that he is expecting that I, as his master, will return here. I take a deep breath, summoning my most masterly voice. “Fran, I leave things to you in my absence.” In the carriage, I’ve been laid out limply on the seat, my head in Benno’s lap. Benno wrapped me in his cape after removing the golden broach, and I can feel a little bit of warmth returning to my cold body. As I breathe a sigh of relief, I suddenly realize exactly what kind of situation I’m in. I force down a shriek. What the h.e.l.l?! I’m totally sleeping in his lap! I can’t believe this. Not only was Benno the first man to pa.s.s me a secret note, he’s the first man, family excluded, whose lap I’ve ever rested my head on. This doesn’t count, right? There’s no romance here, so it doesn’t count, right? Since there’s no way I can actually change the fact that all my weight is currently pressing down on Benno’s leg, I have no choice but to just grit my teeth and bear with this extremely, embarra.s.singly awkward situation until we make it to the shop. In order to try to push away my frantic desire to run as far away from this situation I can, I ask Benno a question, my words coming out maybe a little bit too quickly. “M... Mister Benno, do priests not have any street clothes?” “They don’t need them. It’s not weird at all that they wouldn’t have any.” He explains that generally the only time a priest leaves the temple to enter the rest of the city is to perform ceremonies. A gray-robed priest wouldn’t stand out quite as much as a blue-robed one, but even so, if one wanders aimlessly around the streets, then they’ll draw a lot of unwanted attention. On top of that, if a gray-robed priest were to be specifically following mearound, then that’s only going to make me even more conspicuous. “So, then, ummm...” He holds my cold hands in his, as if trying to give me some of his warmth. This is exactly what someone would do if their beloved sweetheart were to collapse. I earned basically zero experience points in this particular skill in my past life, so at this point I’ve left the realm of embarra.s.sment and launched straight into sheer bewilderment. I have no idea how I should be reacting right now. doing this kind of thing unconsciously then people around us are going to get some really weird ideas! As if he’s reading my mind, Mark speaks up from his seat across from us, his eyes cast down sadly. “Master Benno, Maïne is not Liese. It’s all right.” “...I know that,” he replies, looking out the window. “I know that, so don’t just say it’s all right.” He doesn’t let go of my hands, though. Since he’s looking away from me, I can’t see his expression at all. But, no matter how he hides, it’s plain to see that this has. .h.i.t him in a place that should never be hit. I think that when his lover died, she did so smiling, telling him it’ll all be alright. There’s nothing I can say, and I can’t muster the strength to hold his big, warm hands rea.s.suringly, so we ride like that for a while until we reach the Gilberta Company. The instant that the coachman unlatches and opens the door, Mark leaps straight outside, pus.h.i.+ng open the door to the shop and issuing instructions to the employees inside. Even though he’s clearly in a rush, he’s still showing every bit of his skill as a splendid butler. Benno lifts me up, still wrapped in his cape, and carries me inside. By the time we reach the back room, Mark has already had the employees carry in a couch for me. “Lutz, please come to the back office,” calls Mark. It seems like Lutz has been waiting for me here, doing work in the meantime. When Mark calls out for him in a much louder voice than normal, I can hear the clatter of his footsteps as he hurries over. Benno unwraps his cape from around me and lays me down on the couch. My arm falls limply to the side, but he lifts it up and rests it on my stomach. I’m surprised at how heavy my own arm is. Then, he gently spreads his cape over me, like a blanket. “Lutz, Maïne collapsed at the temple.” Lutz carefully studies my face, feeling my brow, the nape of my neck, and my hands, tilting his head in puzzlement. “Her color’s off like it usually is when she collapses, but she doesn’t have a fever. Her hands are actually kinda cold instead, huh? She just can’t move, huh... I’ve never seen anything like this. Hey, Maïne. What did you do today? At his prompting, I start going over the events of my long, long day. "Ummm, I went to the temple, I had my rite of vows, I did my prayers and my dedications, I was a.s.signed my attendants, the head priest gave me some explanations, then I read the scriptures in the library until you came to pick me up. I think you and Mister Benno know everything after that happened.” “What are 'dedications’?” “Ummm, putting mana in a votive tool.” My stomach suddenly growls, halfway through my explanation. Everyone in the room turns to look at my stomach. Now that I think of it, I skipped lunch, didn’t I? I forgot all about it until just now. I’ve been too stressed to remember it, but now that I’m thinking about it, I’m really hungry. “...Oh, I guess I’m hungry,” I say. The tension in the air suddenly slackens. Mark smiles faintly, turning to open the door leading upstairs. “If she doesn’t have a fever and is instead merely hungry, I don’t believe that her condition will suddenly worsen anytime soon. Master Benno, let us head upstairs to change. I shall bring something down for her to eat.” After the two of them disappear through the door, Lutz brings a chair over next to the couch. He sits down on it, scowling, looking like he’s not satisfied with my explanation. “How are you hungry at this time of day? What did you eat for lunch?” “I didn’t want to waste any book-reading time. I can go two days without eating if I’ve got a book to read.” The instant I say that, Lutz’s jade-colored eyes narrow dangerously, gleaming with a cold anger. “So, Maïne,” he says, his tone sharp. “When do you know that from?” “Huh? When...?” “Ever since you became Maïne, you’ve been trying to make books because you don’t have any, right? So, when did you figure out that you could go two days without eating if you’ve got a book? You sure that wasn’t from before?” “Ah...” When he says that, I break out in a cold sweat. Lutz knows that I’m not the real Maïne. I’ve got Urano’s memories. It’s exactly as he says. Going two days without food was something I did back in my Urano days. Ever since I became sick, feeble Maïne, the only times I’ve skipped meals were when I was too unwell to eat. I’d never skipped a meal of my own volition before. “Plus, when you say you used your mana, that means you consciously made your devouring fever move around, right? When you were almost about to die to the devouring, your temperature suddenly went really “It’s different though. The dedication sucked the mana out from me by force. It’s not like how it usually happens, where the fever just thrashes around in me with nowhere to go.” “But the part where your mana is moving around is the same, right? So after you put that stress on your weak, frail body, you skip lunch, and then you keep wandering around like this? No wonder you collapsed! You’re so dumb!” he yells. He suddenly deflates, letting out a helpless sigh. He picks up my arm and makes me punch myself in the face. “You’re so cold, even though it’s summer,” he mumbles, looking at me like he’s about to cry. “You might have died. Don’t do this to me. If something like this happens every time I take my eyes off of you... my heart can’t take it.” I want to reach out to comfort him, but the only things I can move are my eyes and my mouth. It’s like my arms and legs have completely forgotten how to move. “I was so happy to be in the library that I totally forgot. I’m sorry, Lutz.” Tears well up in his eyes. He clutches my hand tighter, getting even angrier. “Don’t forget! It’s your own body, right?!” “What’s all this noise?” says Benno as he walks into the room. “Lutz, you’re yelling at a sick girl. Tone it down a bit.” It looks like he got changed quickly. He walks towards us, frowning at Lutz. Lutz jumps down from the chair to make room for Benno, letting go of my hand. As he steps aside, he vents his frustrations. “But Master Benno. She got really engrossed in reading, so she skipped lunch, and that’s why she collapse. I—” “You utter imbecile!!” he roars at me. “Gyah?!” I squeak. Benno, having only just told Lutz not to yell at a sick girl, blasts out at me with a voice like a clap of thunder. Even though he’s yelling so loudly, I can’t run away. I can’t even cover my ears. All I can do is watch, with tears in my eyes, as he stands imposingly over me. “The reason why people with the devouring grow so slowly is because mana absorbs nutrition. Even knowing that, you used mana and then skipped a meal? What were you thinking?!” “I... I didn’t know that—” “It’s a fact about your own body! Care enough to gather some basic information, you moron!” “Y-y-yes sir!” What he’s saying is absolutely correct, but I have no idea how to gather any information about the devouring. I realize, though, that pointing that out would only throw fuel on the fire, so I keep my mouth shut. “Maïne,” says Mark, entering the room carrying a tray, “your inattention is hardly a new phenomenon, but please do pay more attention to your own body. Master Benno, I would ask that you as well refrain from yelling at a girl so sick she cannot even sit herself up. Mark, his voice tender but his words not giving me any slack, sets the tray of tableware down with a clatter, then helps me sit up. "Maïne, do you think that you’ll be able to eat something like this?” It looks like bits of hard bread have been soaked in milk, making a kind of bread porridge you’d feed to a sick person, to which honey has been added. It looks sweet, and delicious. “Lutz,” he continues, “as I am helping her sit up, could you help feed her?” “I’m, uh, not very good at this, so I’m probably going to spill it on those robes, I think.” He points at the blue robes I’m wearing, a troubled expression on his face. Because this outfit is something that n.o.bles wear, it’s made out of expensive, high-quality material. Spilling milk on it and having it get stinky would be a bit problem. Another problem is that these robes are the type designed to be pulled on over one’s head. Since I can’t move at all, getting them off of me while holding me upright would be a huge undertaking. “I see, this is a conundrum, isn’t it.” “Mark, go get the hardened bits of honey. If we can’t get her moving on her own even a little bit, getting that robe off her is going to be a problem.” At Benno’s instruction, Mark retrieves a little nugget of crystallized honey. It’s hard and spiky, like konpeito. As I roll it around my mouth, it gradually starts to dissolve, and I can feel the sweetness gradually spreading through my body. It really looks like skipping even just one meal left me seriously lacking in nutrition. By the time the lump of honey finishes dissolving away, I can feel a little warmth returning to my body. A few more are tossed into my mouth, and as I suck on them, Benno roughly scratches his head. “Maïne, did the head priest say anything about using your mana? Did he ask you if you were feeling okay, or tell youor tell you that something like this might happen...?” I think back to what he had said this morning. “Ummm, he said that I should only give my dedications as long as it doesn’t put a strain on my body. It made my body feel light and felt pretty refres.h.i.+ng, though, so I didn’t think it was a strain at all.” “Ah, I see. But, since you’ve had the devouring all of your life, you’re used to having your body full of mana, aren’t you? Could it be that when something you were used to having went away, it caused some sort of abnormality?” “...You might be right.” I concentrate my will, loosening the seal keeping my mana contained. I slowly, carefully let a tiny little bit of the heat flow through my body. I can immediately feel my cold fingers start to warm up. After I’m sure that I’ve filled up all the places that needed it, I seal everything back up tightly. “It looks like you were right,” I say. “My body’s getting a little warmer.” Lutz immediately interjects. “Make sure you don’t overdo it and get so hot that you pa.s.s out,” he cautions. He’s completely aware of what I might wind up doing. “...I think I’m doing okay.” Now that warmth has returned to my hands, I try to slowly clench and unclench my fist. It still feels very stiff, but at least it’s moving as I’m willing it to. When Benno sees this, he puts a hand on his chest, breathing a sigh of relief. “...Maïne, most of the information I have about the devouring is hearsay. You need to ask the head priest about mana. He’s young, but he’s pretty sharp for a blue-robed priest.” “...Huh? The head priest is young?” I blink a few times in bewilderment. Benno mutters something to himself about how hard it is explain how young someone is to a kid like me. “He looks, what, twenty-two or twenty-three?” he says. “He comes across as inexperienced, like he hasn’t gone through a whole lot, so he might even be younger than that...” “No way! I thought he looked thirty! I don’t think he looks any younger than you, Mister Benno!” “Maïne,” he says, glaring at me with terrifying intensity, “that’s not something you say to someone’s face, now, is it?” But, the head priest is very composed, he’s got a sort of dignity about him, he’s skilled at directing others, and he’s holding the rank of head priest. Doesn’t getting all that take a lot of time? As I hum thoughtfully to myself, I start moving my body this way and that, turning myself over in preparation for getting myself up. Unfortunately, due to the fact that not quite everything is in full working order, in the process of rolling over I fall right off the couch. “Maïne!” shouts Lutz. “What do you think you’re doing, you idiot!” yells Benno. “I was just thinking it was about time I got up...” “Ah,” says Mark, “it seems you can’t be left alone even for a moment.” They had all seemed relieved that I had recovered a little, but now their worry seems to be turning to anger. They crowd around me as I lie there on the ground, their anger rising off of them like an aura. “Lutz,” says Benno, “every time you get Maïne from the temple, talk to Fran, her attendant, and get a detailed report from him on the day’s activities, if she used mana or not, what she ate, and so on.” “A good idea,” adds Mark. “If her actions aren’t closely managed, then who knows just what might happen. As you can clearly see.” Benno taps his finger restlessly against the table, glaring at me with irritation. Mark, at first glance, seems to be smiling, but it’s a terrifying sort of smile that doesn’t reach his eyes at all. “You’re not fooling me with that expression,” says Lutz, quietly. “If there’s a book in front of you, I don’t think anyone beneath you, not even your attendant, will be able to get your attention.” Lutz, who knows me the best out of anyone here, points his finger accusingly at me. “If, when I get that report from your attendant, he tells me that you got mad at someone for interrupting you when you were reading, or that you didn’t make sure to eat your lunch... then I’m going to march straight to the most important person in the temple and make them ban you from the library!” How could you do something so cruel! ...It seems that, somehow, thanks to everyone’s help, even at the temple I shall be forced into living a healthy life.

カツカツと大股で足早にベンノが歩くと、お姫様抱っこをされて仰け反った状態のわたしの頭がガックンガックンと揺れる。脳味噌が掻き回される感じがするので、もうちょっと揺れないように歩いて欲しい。 そんなことを考えていると、後ろの方から慌てた様子で駆けてくる足音が追いかけてきた。 「ベンノ様、お待ちください!」 フランの声だ。ガクンと仰け反った視界にフランの胸元から顎が映った。フランがベンノの半歩後ろについて歩きながらも呼びかける。 「ベンノ様」 「何だ? 見ての通り、俺は急いでいる」 足を止めようともせずに、ベンノは丁寧さの欠片もない素の状態で言葉を返した。そのぶっきらぼうな態度に一瞬怯んだフランだったが、グッと息を吸い込んで食い下がる。 「マイン様を運ばせてください」 「急いでいる。却下だ」 「お客様に運ばせるわけにはまいりません。私がマイン様の側仕えです」 ベンノ相手に引こうとしないフランの言葉に、わたしは内心ハラハラしていたが、ベンノは突然足を止めた。 「力が入っていないヤツは小さくても重いぞ。絶対に落とすな」 「存じております」 フランはわたしの頭の位置や腕の位置を微調整して、立ち上がった。頭の位置がフランの肩にもたれかかるようになったので、頭がガクンガクンと揺れることはなくなった。 「フランは抱き上げるのが上手だね」 「身体に力は入らないけど、頭は冷えてる感じだから、別に無理はしてないよ」 「......お言葉遣いに気が回せていらっしゃらないようなので」 フランの言葉に心配の色がにじんでいて、わたしは小さく笑う。フランの心遣いがわかって、ちょっと気恥ずかしいけれど、ちょっと嬉しい。 「あのね、フラン。デリアやギルがいるとで話せる機会が次にいつあるかわからないから、言っておきたいの。いい?」 廊下には他の神官がいるかもしれないので、フランの耳元で内緒話をするように囁きかけると、視線だけは真っ直ぐ前に向いたまま、フランは小さく頷いた。 「わたし、まだ全然貴族のことわからなくて、フランをすごく困らせると思うけど、なるべく早く覚えるように努力するから、協力して欲しい。神官長の役に立てるように頑張るから、目的は同じってことで協力し合えないかな?」 グッとフランの腕に力が籠り、フランの喉仏が上下して、息を呑むのが見えた。 「それが私の仕事ですから。......私の方こそ、神官長のお心を推し量れず、マイン様に不満をぶつけるような結果になったこと、お許し頂けたらと......」 「え? 推し量れず、って何? 神官長はちゃんと説明しなかったの?」 ポカーンとしてしまう。説明も無しに、わたしに付けられたら、それは不満だろう。神官長付きの側仕えから一介の青色巫女見習い――それも、貴族でもない平民の小娘――の側仕えに変えられるというのは、左遷だとしか思えなくても仕方ない。 「周りに一体どれだけ敵に通じている者がいるかわかりませんから、言質を取られぬよう、神官長は普段から多くを語られません。人払いをしたとはいえ、今日のお言葉の多さには驚きました」 「いやいや、部下に意図が通じてないのは、問題だよ。フランは意図がわからないまま、わたしに付けられて辛かったんでしょ?」 神官長の立場が一体どういうものなのか、わたしには全くわからないが、こんな忠義者に悲しい思いをさせていたら、味方は減るばかりに違いない。 「そうですね。神官長には必要ないと、デリアやギルと同程度の者だと、言われた心地がいたしました」 「それはないよ。神官長はね、フランをわたしに付けておきながら、フランを手放したつもりなんて欠片もない人なんだよ」 神官長への忠誠心を更に強くし、ついでに、わたしにも優しくしてくれるといいなぁ、という下心満載のフォローのために、わたしはこっそりと囁いた。 「そうでございましょうか?」 疑問の形をとっているけれど、フランの声音には明らかに否定の色が強い。 「わたしに貸してるだけの気分だから、ベンノさんって客人がいる前で、一応新しい主であるはずのわたしに何の断りもなく、フランに命令しちゃえるんだよ。秋までに体調管理できるようになれって、言ってたけど、普通の貴族に置き換えたら、かなり失礼じゃない?」 「......マイン様のおっしゃるとおりですね」 ちょうど馬車が前に入ってくるところで、タイミングを合わせていたのだろう御者が、わたし達のあまりに早い登場に目を白黒させているのが見えた。 先に馬車へと乗ったベンノが腕を広げる。フランが一瞬の躊躇いを見せた後、ベンノにわたしを渡しながら、すがるような声を出した。 「わたしもお伴することはできませんか?」 「駄目だ。その服で神殿から出ると、つまらん問題が起こる」 わたしを受け取ったベンノからピシャリと却下の言葉が吐かれた。服を理由に断られると思っていなかったのだろう、フランは戸惑ったように自分の服を見下ろす。 「しかし、私達はこれ以外......」 「中古で良ければ、次回までに服を準備してやる。今日は諦めろ」 ベンノに礼を述べた後、馬車の前でフランが両手を交差させて、少しかがんだ。 「マイン様、ご無事のお帰りを心よりお待ちしております」 出かける主に向けられる挨拶だったが、予想外の言葉に狼狽した。どう答えて良いかわからない。 言葉を返すことができないわたしにベンノが耳元で低く囁く。 そう反論するのは簡単なのに、フランに待っていると言われてしまえば、わたしはフランの主として、ここに戻って来なければならない気がして、むず痒いような気分になった。 軽く息を吸って、精一杯主らしく答える。 「フラン、留守を任せます」 馬車の中ではベンノの膝に頭を置いた状態で、座席にゴロンと横にされた。金のブローチを外したベンノのマントで包み込まれると、冷たくなっている身体が少し温まった気がする。 何これ!? 膝枕ってやつじゃないですか! 秘密の手紙交換に加えて、身内以外の異性との膝枕初体験までベンノとこなしてしまうことになるとは、想像もしていなかった。恋心の伴わないイベントはノーカウントでいいだろうか。 ベンノの膝に全体重を預けた状態を自力で回避できるわけがないので、店に着くまで、この照れくさくて恥ずかしい体勢でいるしかない。 逃げ出したい気分を少しでも霧散するため、わたしは少しばかり早口になりながらベンノに質問する。 「ベ、ベンノさん、神官って、普段着は持ってないんですか?」 「必要ないからな。持っていなくても不思議はない」 ベンノの説明によると神官が神殿から出て、下町の方に現れるのは、儀式の時だけらしい。青色神官ほどは目立たないが、基本的に神殿から出ることがない灰色神官が街の中をフラフラすると悪目立ちする。それも、わたしにつき従うように灰色神官が動けば、嫌でも注目されるに違いないと言う。 「あの、じゃあ、えーと......」 静かに宥めるような口調でそう言ったベンノがゆるりと額を撫でた後、冷たい手に熱を与えるように軽くわたしの手を握る。それは、まるで大事な恋人が倒れたような仕草だった。 口調がぶっきらぼうなくせに、ベンノさんは無意識でこういうことをやっちゃうから、周囲から妙な誤解を受けるんだよ! わたしの思考を読んだように、正面に座るマルクが悲しげに目を伏せる。 「旦那様、マインはリーゼ様ではありません。大丈夫ですよ」 「......わかっている。わかっているから、大丈夫だと、簡単に言うな」 けれど、何でもできて、完璧に見えるベンノの触れてはいけない場所に触れてしまった気がした。多分、ベンノを安心させようと「大丈夫だよ」と笑いながら、恋人は逝ったに違いない。 声をかけることもできず、熱を与えてくれる大きな手を握り返すこともできないまま、馬車はギルベルタ商会に着いた。 御者が外の鍵を開けて扉を開くのと、マルクが馬車を飛び出すのはほぼ同時だった。店の扉を開けて、従業員に指示を出す。慌てているように見えても、素敵執事なマルクは有能なようだ。ベンノのマントに包まれたまま、ベンノに抱きかかえられたわたしが奥の部屋に運び込まれた時には、マルクと従業員によって長椅子が運び込まれていた。 「ルッツ、奥の部屋へ来なさい」 店でわたしの帰りを待ちながら、仕事をしていたらしいルッツが、珍しいマルクの大声にバタバタと足音を立てて、駆けよってくるのが聞こえる。 奥の部屋へ運び込まれた長椅子に、ベンノが一度マントを剥ぎ取って、わたしを横たえる。だらんと落ちた腕をお腹の上に置かれて、自分の腕が意外に重たいと感じた。上からふわりと布団代わりにマントがかけられる。 「ルッツ、マインが神殿で倒れた」 長椅子に転がされたわたしの顔をルッツが心配そうに覗きこむ。額や首筋、手を触りながら、不思議そうに首を傾げた。 「疲れてるみたいで顔色が悪いけど、熱は出てないし、むしろ、手足が冷たいくらいだよな? 力が入らないだけって......今まで見たことがない。なぁ、マイン。今日は一日、何してた?」 ルッツの質問に、わたしは長かった今日一日を思い返した。 「えーと、神殿に行って、誓いの儀式をして、お祈りと奉納をして、側仕えを紹介されて、神官長からちょっとした説明を受けて、ルッツが迎えに来るまで図書室で聖典を読んでた。その後はルッツとベンノさんが知ってる通りだよ?」 「奉納って何だ?」 「えーと、神具に魔力を込めること。余分な熱が減って、すっきりするんだよ」 説明途中でお腹が鳴った。全員の視線がわたしのお腹に集中する。 そういえば、わたし、お昼食べてなかったっけ。今頃思い出したよ。緊張が続いてすっかり忘れてたや。思い出すと急激に空いてくるよね。 「......なんか、お腹空いたみたい」 わたしがそう言うと、張りつめていた空気が少し緩んだ。マルクが小さな笑みを浮かべて、上の階へと繋がる奥の扉を開ける。 「熱がなくて、お腹が空くくらいなら、体調が急変することもないでしょう。着替えるついでに何か食べられそうな物を持って来ましょう、旦那様」 二人が奥の扉に姿を消すと、ルッツが長椅子の側に椅子を持って移動してきた。椅子に座って、眉を寄せながら、ルッツは聞き足りない様子で口を開く。 「この時間に腹が空くって、昼は何食べたんだよ?」 「本を読む時間がもったいないから。本を読んでる間は二日くらい食べなくても平気だし」 その瞬間、ルッツの目が据わった。翡翠のような目が怒りに冷たく光り、声が尖る。 「なぁ、マイン。それって、いつの話だ?」 「え? いつって......」 「マインになってから、本がないから作ろうとしたんだよな? 本を読んでいたら二日食べなくても平気だったのはいつの話だ? マインになる前の話じゃないだろうな?」 「あ......」 ルッツの指摘通り、二日食べなくても平気だったのは、麗乃時代の話だ。病弱虚弱なマインになってから、体調不良で食べられないことはあっても、自分から抜いたことはなかった。 「それにさ、魔力を使うって、身食いの熱を自分の意思で動かすってことだろ? 身食いに食われそうになった時、体温が急上昇して急下降して辛いって言ってたじゃないか。魔力を使うって同じようなものだろ?」 「一箇所に向かって、一方的に魔力を吸い取られる奉納と、身体中に行き場のない熱がうごめいて暴走する身食いは違うんだよ」 「魔力を動かすってところは一緒じゃないか。そんな大変なことをした後で、虚弱な体力ない身体で、昼飯食べずにこんな時間までうろうろしていたら倒れるに決まってるだろ! マインのバカ!」 叫んだ後、ルッツが力の抜けたような遣る瀬無い溜息を吐いた。そして、ルッツがわたしの手を握り、自分の額にコツンと当てる。「夏なのに冷てぇ」と呟いて、泣きそうな目でわたしを見つめた。 「また死ぬかもしれないんだぞ。勘弁してくれよ。オレがちょっと目を離しただけで、こんなことになるんなら、心臓いくつあっても足りない」 ルッツを慰めたくても、瞬きと口を動かせるくらいで、わたしの手足は動かし方を忘れてしまったように全く動かない。 「図書室に浮かれて、すっかり忘れてたんだよ。ごめんね、ルッツ」 涙がうっすら滲んだ目で、ルッツがわたしの手を握ったまま、激昂する。 「忘れるなよ! 自分の身体だろ!?」 「何を騒いでいるんだ? 一応相手は病人だぞ。もうちょっと声を抑えろ」 ルッツはベンノのために、椅子から下りて、わたしの手を離す。場所を空けながら、持っていき場のない感情を吐きだした。 「だって、旦那様。マインが本に夢中になって、昼飯を抜いたせいで倒れたって言うんだ。オレ......」 「こんの大馬鹿者!!」 「ひゃんっ!?」 くわっと目を見開いて、ベンノが怒鳴っても、逃げることも耳を塞ぐこともできず、ビックリ涙の浮かんだ目で仁王立ちのベンノを見ているしかない。 「身食いの成長が遅いのは、魔力に栄養を取られるせいだと言われている。それなのに、魔力を使って、飯を抜くとは何事だ!?」 「そ、そんなこと知らなかったし......」 「自分の身体の事だろう! ちょっと気にかけて情報を集めろ、阿呆!」 「ふぁいっ!」 言っていることが正しいのはわかるけれど、身食いの情報なんて集め方がわからない。余計な事を口にすれば、ベンノの怒りに油を注ぐ結果になりそうで、口を噤んだ。 「マインが不注意なのは今に始まったことではありませんが、自分の体調をもう少し気にかけてくださいね。旦那様も起き上がれない病人相手に怒鳴るのは、そろそろお止めください」 優しいけど、甘やかすことはないマルクがカチャリと食器をテーブルに置き、わたしの身体を起こして支える。 「マイン、これくらいなら食べられるのではありませんか?」 カチカチの固いパンを削って、ミルクに浸した病人食であるパン粥に蜂蜜がかかっているのが見えた。甘みがあっておいしいだろう。 「私が支えているので、ルッツ、食べさせてやれますか?」 「オレ、下手だから、多分、その服を汚すと思います」 青い衣は貴族が着るものなので、高品質で高価だ。ミルクを零して臭くなったら困る。そして、脱がそうにも、ずっぽりと被るタイプの服なので、全く力が入らないわたしを支えながら脱がせるのは大変だ。 「なるほど、これは困りましたね」 「マルク、蜂蜜の固まった部分を持ってこい。少しくらいは自分で動けるになってもらわなきゃ、脱がすのも大変だ」 金平糖のようにガタガタボコボコの形の甘い物が、口の中に転がり込んでくる。じわりと解けて、とろりとした甘みが身体中にじんわりと広がって行くのがわかる。 お昼ご飯をたった一食抜いただけで、本当に栄養が足りていなかったようだ。蜜の固まりが口の中で溶けてなくなる頃には、ほんのり身体に温もりが戻ってきたような気がした。 「マイン、神官長は魔力を使うことについて何か言っていなかったか? 気分が悪くなるとか、後でこういうことになるかもしれないとか......」 わたしは午前中の神官長の言葉を思い出す。 「えーと、負担にならない程度で奉納するように、とは言われました。身体が軽くなってすっきりしたので、全く負担じゃなかったんです」 「なるほど。だが、お前はずっと身食いで、魔力が身体に満ちているのが常だったわけだろう? 常にあるものが無くなったせいで、変調を来したという可能性は?」 「......あるかもしれません」 わたしは意識を集中して、魔力を押し込んでいる蓋を開けてみる。ほんの少し、じわじわと広がるくらいの熱をゆっくりと身体中に循環させていく。冷たい指先が温まって行くのがわかった。足りないところへ熱を流し込んだ後、また蓋を閉める。 「ベンノさんが正解みたいです。身体が温もってきたみたい」 即座にルッツの注意が飛んでくる。わたしがやりそうなことを完全に把握されているようだ。 「......多分大丈夫と思う」 温かくなってきた手をゆっくりと握って開いてしてみる。まだ強張った感じはするが、自分の意思でちゃんと動くようになった。 それを見ていたベンノが胸を撫で下ろして、息を吐く。 「......マイン、俺も身食いに関しては又聞きの情報が多い。魔力に関することは神官長にしっかりと確認しろ。まだ若いが、青色神官の割にはマシな目をしている」 「......え? 神官長って若いんですか?」 思わぬ言葉に瞬きの回数を増やすと、ベンノは「ガキのお前にとって若いがどれくらいを指すのか知らんが」と前置きしつつ、答えてくれた。 「見たところ22~23だろう? あんまり世間に揉まれてない不慣れな感じだから、もうちょっと若い可能性もあるが......」 「うそ!? 30歳くらいじゃないんですか? ベンノさんとあまり変わらないと思ってました」 「マイン。お前、それ、絶対に本人には言うなよ?」 でも、落ち着きがあるし、何となく貫禄と言うか、人を使い慣れているところもあるし、「長」なんて位についているんだから、そこそこのお年だと思うんだけど? むーん、と考えながら、わたしは身体のあちこちを動かし、起き上がるために寝返りを打ってみる。まだ完全には動けるようになっていなかったわたしは、寝返りどころか、ボテッと長椅子から落ちた。 「何をやってるんだ、この阿呆!」 「そろそろ起き上がれるかな、と思ったんだけど......」 「あぁ、本当に目を離せない方ですね」 わたしがちょっと回復したことで安心したらしい三人は、感情が心配から怒りに変わり始めたようだ。落ちたわたしを取り囲む三人の背後に怒りのオーラが見えた。 「ルッツ、マインの側仕えのフランにこれから毎回、その日の行動、魔力行使の有無、昼食の内容、全て細かく報告させろ」 「マインはきっちり管理しなければ、何が起こるのかわからないので、当然のことですね。見ていたつもりで、この有様ですから」 ベンノがテーブルをトントンと指先で叩きながら、苛立たしげにわたしを睨み、マルクは一見ニコニコしているのに目が全く笑ってない怖い笑顔になっている。 「そんな顔してもオレは誤魔化されないからな」 「ルッツ?」 「本を前にしたマインが、側仕えなんて自分より下の立場のヤツの言うことを聞くはずがない」 わたしのことを一番よく理解しているルッツはビシッとわたしを指差して宣言した。 「もし、側仕えからの報告に、本を読む邪魔されたって怒ったとか、ちゃんと昼飯食わなかったなんて報告があったら......神殿の偉い人に頼んで、マインを図書室禁止にしてもらうからな!」 そんな殺生なっ! どうやら、わたし、皆様のお陰で、神殿でもきっちり管理された健康ライフが送れそうです。

Ascendance of a Bookworm “This...” murmurs the guild leader, transfixed. The only time Tory used this hairpin was during her baptismal ceremony. What happened on that day, I wonder? I’m a little shocked about how suddenly the guild leader’s aloof smile completely disappeared, so I look back at Benno, seeking some kind of a.s.sistance. The guild leader’s captivated by this, is he okay? While I may be worried, Benno is clearly not. A terrifying expression flickers across his face, like a carnivore licking his chops, before it settles back into his usual darkly pleasant smile. “Is this not the hairpin you’ve been searching for, Guild Leader?” “You’re selling this?!” asks the guild leader, his eyes wide, looking back and forth between me and Benno. There isn’t a trace of a smile on his face anymore as he looks at us hungrily. Terrified, I can’t stop my breath from catching in my throat. ...Lutz, no fair! You’re hiding behind Benno! I turn slightly to try to creep behind Benno as well, but he firmly clasps my shoulder, dragging me back to the forefront. “Umm,” I stammer, “I was planning on making these during my winter work.” “Your winter work... then, could you sell me that one right now?” He reaches out as if to take Tory’s hairpin from me. His blazing eyes tell me that if he gets his hands on it I’ll never get it back, so I frantically shove it back into my bag. “I can’t do that,” I say. “This is something I made for Tory. It’s not for sale.” “I’ll buy it for this much,” he says, his hand coming up in a flash, three fingers standing straight up. That’s probably some sort of sign to indicate a value, but I don’t know what exactly it means. Fl.u.s.tered, I look up at Benno for advice. “Hmm, I see...” he says, grinning broadly. “If we could ask for a little more, we might be able to make one in advance especially for you, sir. What do you think, Maine?” “It’s... it’s just like Mister Benno says, sir.” As if I could possibly refuse. I force a smile onto my face and comply with his implicit order. “If she starts now,” he says, “She should have plenty of time to complete it before your daughter’s baptismal ceremony this weekend. Isn’t that right, Maine?” ...Ah, now I see. During the summer’s baptismal ceremony, the guild leader’s granddaughter must have seen Tory’s hairpin and said that she wanted something just like it. With that one statement, everything finally snaps into place. As the leader of the Merchant’s Guild, this man would be the most informed person in the entire city about the flow of merchandise through the markets, but even so, he couldn’t find a trace of this hairpin. Since it’s something I made entirely in-house, solely for Tory, it was never on the market, and nothing else like it is sold anywhere, he must be growing more and more nervous as the day of the winter’s baptismal ceremonies draws ever closer. “There’s barely a month left, are you sure you can finish it?” Come to think of it, making the flowers requires a surprisingly large amount of both time and thread, so in this extremely hectic season, unlike during the winter season where we’re shut inside by the snow and have nothing else to do, we don’t have time for making random things, or so my mother said. However, if this is a job that I’d be making money on, there might not be any problem with me devoting all of my time to it. Since I’ll need to procure the thread and talk to the granddaughter about her specific request, it’ll take somewhat more time than otherwise, but if I have until the winter baptismal ceremony, I should have more than enough time. “Yes, sir. This hairpin isn’t for sale, but there won’t be any trouble making a new one.” Next to me, Benno has been grinning broadly as he listens to our conversation. “However,” he interjects, “since I can’t register these two, when they finally finish making the hairpin, they most unfortunately won’t be able to sell it...” “Tsk... Fine then, after we get their temporary registrations complete, let’s work out the details of the order...” With that, Benno’s victory over the guild leader seems to have been clinched. The guild leader was unable to find serious fault with him, he didn’t reveal any information about the paper, and he was able to secure our temporary registrations. In high spirits, he turns to head out of the guild leader’s office. “Well then, shall we go back downstairs?” “Hold up,” says the guild leader. “I can take care of their guild cards in here, so why don’t you let the children wait here? I’d like to work out the details of the order, too.” Benno clucks his tongue quietly, then looks back, smilingly, over his shoulder at the guild leader. “If I left the kids here alone, I don’t even know what kind of troubles they could blunder their way into, so why don’t I stay here and make sure to keep an eye on them for you?” “No, no, these kids seem to be very well-raised! I’m sure they won’t cause any trouble if they’re out of your sight for a minute. Right?” Though the guild leader may be smiling kindly, I’m scared of whatever he could be scheming underneath that. Cautious of the fact that I could be suddenly stolen away, I unthinkingly grab for Benno’s hand. “Th... this is the first time I’ve come here,” I say timidly, “so I want to stay with Benno.” Smiling triumphantly, Benno sits down on the hard bench that the guild leader has in his office, picking me up and setting me on his knee. “Good work,” he murmurs in my ear, gently ruffling my hair. He seems to be in a very good mood. Shortly thereafter, I’m relocated to a spot on the bench next to Benno, with Lutz sitting on my other side. The guild leader sits down across from us, and we begin discussing the details of the hairpin. “Well then,” he says, “I want one hairpin, delivered before the baptismal ceremony.” “Umm... what color should I make the flowers? Do you know what colors she likes, or what might fit her hair, or...” “I don’t really know much about that. Just make it like that one,” he says, pointing at the pin inside my totebag. However, that kind of blunt declaration is actually somewhat problematic for me. I am very sure that Benno is ma.s.sively overcharging the guild leader for this, so I want to make sure that I’ll be producing a product that his granddaughter is going to be absolutely delighted with. I have no doubt that this grandpa, who went to great lengths to find a hairpin for his granddaughter, thinks that her smile is the most priceless thing in the world. “Umm, could I maybe speak to your daughter directly and ask her about what she would like? I believe she’ll be much happier if I could do so.” “I want to surprise her, so I’m trying to keep this under wraps.” There it is! That ever-troublesome surprise gift! In order for someone to be truly delighted by a surprise gift, the giver needs to be very certain of the recipient’s tastes and desires, and present it to them at just the right time, when they’re thinking that they want something like that. Grandpa, though, is saying that he doesn’t even know what his granddaughter’s favorite color is, which makes a surprise gift much more challenging. “...Umm, well, it’s important that the hairpin matches the dress she’ll be wearing, and it should fit with her hair color as well. And if she’s already found something else that she’s going to wear in her hair, then wouldn’t she be troubled by getting a new hairpin?” “Ah, really?” Since it’s the winter ceremony, preparations are probably already underway for the dress she’ll be wearing. If that’s the case, it’s possible that her mother is also working on something for her to wear in her hair. “Since I’ll be making it from scratch, I feel that it’s most important that she receive something that she truly wants, even more than something that merely matches her tastes. Wouldn’t you agree that her look of joy would be more wonderful than a look of surprise?” “Hmm, I see...” The guild leader strokes his mustache, looking up at the ceiling as if in thought. “Maine, was it?” “Yes, sir.” “Would you like to come to my shop?” “She refuses!” Before I even have a chance to react, Benno rejects the proposal. “My shop is much bigger than Benno’s,” continues the guild leader, “and we trade in some very good things. It’s a great offer, isn’t it? You still haven’t actually had your baptismal ceremony and officially become apprentices yet, so it’s still possible for you to come apprentice at my shop. How about it?” How about it, he says, but after all of the support I’ve received from Benno so far, I have no intentions at all to do him the injustice of spontaneously switching to another shop. “I owe a lot to Benno that I can’t pay back,” I say. “Hmm, I’ll pay him back for you.” “What? Ummm...” I have every intention of refusing, but the words won’t leave my mouth. As Benno watches me waver under the guild leader’s relentless pressure, his mood grows worse and worse. His eyebrows crease together as he taps his temple repeatedly, looking at me with a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Maine, kindly give your response to the guild leader. Your rejection, if you would.” “I... I mu, mu... I must refuse!” “Mm, well, that’s a shame, but I guess I’ll give this up for now. You’ve got someone scary standing over you, after all, so you can’t say what you really want.” He’s giving up for now?! But I’m already telling him what I really want! “If you’re going to be meeting with Freida, my granddaughter, how does tomorrow sound? It’s better to get these decisions squared away sooner rather than later, isn’t it?” “Umm, couldn’t Mister Benno come with me?!” Earlier today, Benno had thoroughly engraved the words “don’t meet with the guild leader alone” into my consciousness. Meeting with him without someone present who can actually handle him would be very dangerous. However, the guild leader shakes his head in reply. “Unfortunately, both Benno and I have a meeting tomorrow. If you’re just meeting with another girl your age, you don’t need a stern old man like him watching over you, do you?” “...Alright, if it’s just us kids.” Caught in the middle of Benno’s battle with the guild leader and focused on the plan to ask Freida about her wishes, I’ve started to wear down a little, so without thinking about it too much, I consented to a meeting with only another girl my age. Benno, hearing me agree with the guild leader’s opinion, clucks his tongue disapprovingly. What?! Did I do something wrong?! I glance between Benno, whose eyebrows grow even more creased, and the guild leader, whose smile grows even wider, and suddenly realize the stupidity of my reply. By agreeing for it to only be “us kids”, I’ve made it so that Mark won’t be able to come with me. Frantically, I kick my brain into full power, looking at both sides, trying to figure out what to do. “S... since Lutz is going to be working on making this too, it’s alright if he comes too, right? Si... since it’s just us kids!!” Going entirely by myself is too scary to consider. When I suggest dragging Lutz into it too, though, Benno seems to relax just a little bit. “Well, that’s fine too,” says the guild leader. “Now then, how does meeting in the central plaza at the third bell sound? Freida can come out to meet you there.” As if she had been waiting for the conversation to conclude, the staff member from earlier enters the room, carrying temporary members.h.i.+p cards. It appears that our temporary registration has been successful. “These are your temporary members.h.i.+p cards. These are magic tools as well. They’re absolutely necessary when you’re conducting any sort of business discussion. Benno can explain the fine details about that later. Since this card shows that you two are essentially a shop’s apprentices, you’ll be able to use it to access the upper floors of the building.” This mysterious card is made of a strange, pale metal that glimmers with rainbow colors as the light strikes it. Compared to the things I normally interact with, this is almost unnecessarily different. The more of the explanation I listen to, the more I admire this obviously fantastical card. Faced with the wonder of a magic tool, I can only blink in response. “Now then, the last step is for the two of you to push some of your own blood into the card so that it can recognize you. If you do that, other people won’t be able to use it arbitrarily.” “Wha?! B... blood?!” Does all magic require blood? The memory of having to slice open my finger and make a blood seal for the contract magic is still very fresh in my mind. “Give it up, Maine,” says Lutz. “Lu~uutz...” “It’s fine, just give me your hand. ...It’s not like you’ll do it yourself, right?” “Oooohh...” Tearfully, I extend my hand. Lutz p.r.i.c.ks my fingertip with a needle. A drop of blood immediately wells up from the wound, to which he presses the card, which seems to absorb it. In the next instant, it brightly flashes. “Whoa?!” It flashed with light for just a moment, but afterwards, it looked exactly like it had before. Not a trace of a bloodstain or a fingerprint has been left behind, leaving it as perfectly clean as it was before. Magic tools are really convenient. But scary. Although I had been frightened of drawing blood and startled by the card’s bright flash, Lutz finishes his own task almost disinterestedly. “With that,” says the guild leader, “your registration is complete.” I run after Benno, who has already started leaving the room now that there’s no longer any reason for him to be there, then leave the Merchant’s Guild building entirely. All we did was get registered, but now I’m very worn out. “Welcome back, sir. It seems you were able to successfully get these two registered?” When we return to Benno’s shop, Mark is there waiting for us. Although from time to time I’ve seen a merchant’s dark smile cross his face, Mark is, fundamentally, a supporter, and his pleasant smile always heals me. “Yes!” replies Benno. “Thanks to Maine, we won a flawless victory today.” “Oh ho! How rare.” “She caught that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s eye, though.” “...That would seem to be rather dangerous indeed.” Even Mark seems to regard the guild leader as dangerous. I must agree, from the bottom of my heart. “Please, right this way,” he says, opening the door to Benno’s office and showing us in. “I’ve made arrangements so that we can settle the accounts regarding the prototype paper.” “Excuse me! I have a question. Could you please teach me about money?” “Huh?” Benno frowns, not understanding what I meant, Mark, similarly, has his head tilted to the side in puzzlement. “Ummm, well, until now, I’ve never actually held any money... I can read numbers very well, but I don’t know how the numbers and the money actually match up. ...Let’s take , leon, for instance; I don’t have any idea at all how to use coins to pay that amount, or anything like that.” “What?!” The wild shout of disbelief was not just Benno’s. Mark and Lutz both joined in as well. “You...” says Benno, slowly, “haven’t touched money... Well, you’re not a merchant, and you’re such a young kid, so maybe that’s not strange? Wait, no, that still is strange, right?” “I do calculations at the gate, but I’ve never actually watched anyone exchanging money with the merchants. When I went with Mark to go place orders, too, all we really did was hand over order forms, and we really didn’t exchange any money. I’ve been to the town market a few times with my mother, and I’ve seen her use some small coins to buy things, but I don’t know what those are or how much they’re worth.” As I explain, Mark retrieves a small cloth bag, then steps forward in front of Benno. With a jingle, he spreads the contents of the bag over the desk. “Then, perhaps I should first show you the different kinds of coins.” There are coins minted out of a light brown metal, perhaps copper, in three different sizes, and there are both small and large coins made out of silver and gold. Lutz, fixated on the gold coins on the table, gulps audibly. “This small copper coin is worth ten leon. The mid-sized one here with the hole in the middle is one hundred leon, and the largest is one thousand. The small silver one is ten thousand, and the pattern continues through this large silver coin, and these small and large gold coins.” Since it’s very easy to remember that ten of a small coin is exchanged for one of a large coin, I’m much more at ease, nodding my head in comprehension as Mark explains. To my right, however, Lutz moans quietly to himself. It seems that he is completely and utterly confused by higher orders of magnitude. We’re going to study very hard this winter. Once he starts having money of his own, I think he’ll probably learn how to calculate with it, so it’ll probably be all right. Benno takes out the six sheets of prototype paper, then lines them up on the desk. “A full sheet of parchment is worth one small gold coin. A sheet the size we use for contracts is worth one large silver coin. A sheet about this size, then, would be about two small silver coins, I think. A postcard-sized sheet is worth two small silver coins, he says... I knew in theory that paper was expensive, but now that the money is being set out right next to it, I suddenly gain a new appreciation of that fact. Come to think of it, I did hear that a contract-size sheet would have been an entire month’s salary for my father, didn’t I? "So, this time, let’s use parchment as the basis for figuring out the price of this paper. I’ll pay two small silver for the forin paper, and four small silver for the higher-quality tronbay paper. I’ll take a thirty percent commission from that. Next, you said you’ll be needing a new paper frame, larger than the one you used for this prototype. I’ll go ahead and take the price of that out of the total now. That’ll be another fifty percent.” “Alright,” I reply, nodding. Since we’ve managed to complete our prototype, from now on the cost of any tools and materials will be entirely our responsibility. Benno smiles broadly. “How does a twenty percent share sound, this time? In the future, you’ll be ordering raw materials through the lumberyard, and the market price might go down once more paper starts to circulate, so we might have to revisit this in the future, but...” “This is fine with me,” I say. I nod in agreement, then turn to look at Lutz. He nods as well, with an expression I have no idea how to read. Benno sets a wooden calculator on the desk with a thunk and pushes it towards Lutz. “Lutz,” he says, “that’s three sheets of forin paper and three sheets of tronbay. Alright?” Lutz pushes a few things around on the calculator, inputting the price for three sheets of forin, but after that he pauses, bent finger trembling in the air, and hangs his head in defeat. He can do calculation in one digit, but when the quant.i.ties or the varieties increase, he loses all hope. “Umm, ‘two times three is six and three times four is twelve’, so it’ll be eighteen small silver coins total. Twenty percent of that will be three small silver and six large copper for both Lutz and my share together, so each of us will get one small silver and eight large copper.” I blink a little as Benno stares at me. Behind him, Mark smiles wryly. “That’s correct. That really is amazing, to be able to compute that on the spot without a calculator.” I, however, can’t even use a calculator at all, so this winter I’ll need to be practicing right alongside Lutz. I need to be as familiar with my surroundings as possible. “Next... Lutz, I’ll take the cost of the slate and slate pencils out of your individual portion. That’ll be two large copper coins.” Two coins are pulled from Lutz’s share, and in exchange he receives a slate and a few slate pencils. “Now, you can carry this money with you, but if you’re going to have trouble finding a place to store it, you could instead deposit it at the Merchant’s Guild for safekeeping. Which would you prefer?” It seems that the Merchant’s Guild also functions as some sort of bank. Having a lot of physical cash on hand is somewhat terrifying, and since one day I’d like to be able to buy a book, I’d like to have some sort of savings account. “Please give me the large copper coins. I’ll be giving them to my mother. I’ll leave the silver coin with you, if you could please deposit it for me.” It had been one of my dreams as Urano to show grat.i.tude to my parents by giving them my first real paycheck. It’s okay if I manage to fulfill that dream here instead, right? “Alright. Lutz, what about you?” “I’ll do the same as Maine.” “Alright then.” I receive eight large copper coins, then Benno and I touch our guild cards together. They make a sharp pinging noise, like the plucking of a string, then we take them back. Nothing on the card seems to have changed at all. “Now, you’ll be able to take out your money on the third floor of the merchant’s guild. Eventually, you’re going to need to go there and practice doing that.” Benno smiles wryly at me as I stare at the card in my hands, spinning it around in my fingers. Mark seems to share similar thoughts. Lutz touches his card to Benno’s as well, then collects six coins. The feel of the cold metal in our hands sets our hearts racing. “This... is the first time I’ve ever held money,” I whisper. “We’ve earned this ourselves, you know?” I think back on all of the many failures we faced before we successfully made paper. Seeing this money after all of that is moving me deeply. “When spring comes, let’s make a lot of paper, and let’s sell it all,” I say. My mind still fixated on my first ever earnings and feeling completely satisfied with the afternoon’s events, I look up at Benno. “This is everything we needed to do today, right?” I ask. However, my words only cause Benno to grimace, and he flicks me on the forehead. “Hey, don’t be stupid, kid. Your battle is tomorrow. You’re going to be facing off against that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s granddaughter, alone, with no adults there, you know? With that thoughtless look on your face?!” “What?! But, um, she’s just a child, and we’re both girls, right?” I can’t imagine this being anything you’d call a battle. All I’m going to do is meet Freida so that I can ask her what she wants, and the guild leader isn’t going to be there, so is “facing off” really the right phrase to use? “According to the rumors, it sounds like the granddaughter that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d really dotes on is the one kid amongst all his grandkids who’s the most like him.” I try to imagine what the guild leader’s face would look like on a young girl, but my imagination fails me. “Well, you’re bringing Lutz with you, so that’s a little better. You won’t get overwhelmed. Lutz, you shouldn’t say anything you don’t need to, but if that girl tries to steal Maine like the guild leader did earlier today, you need to immediately refuse. Personally, I have no idea where that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s hidden his traps. Got that?” “Got it.” Lutz nodes vigorously, an earnestly serious expression on his face. Is it really necessary to make this big of a deal out of this meeting, though? We’re talking about an unbaptized little girl, right? As I lean my head to one side doubtfully, the coins audibly rub together in my hand. “...Come to think of it,” I say, “how much did you agree on for Freida’s hairpin? The guild leader made some sort of sign with his fingers, but I didn’t know how to read it...” “The sign that old man put up meant three small silver coins. When I said we needed to ask for a little more, that made it four coins.” This is extremely startling to hear. Even factoring in the price of the thread, this is ma.s.sively overcharging for just a single hairpin. “Make sure you’re done on time. This winter’s baptismal ceremony is going to be a great advertis.e.m.e.nt, so that’ll affect how well we can sell them afterward.” “Um, so, adjusting the price is...” With a sharp glare, Benno banishes my last glimmer of hope. “You think I’m pulling one over on that geezer?” “No, not at all.” I hang my head dejectedly as I reply. I’m going to have to make a pin that’s worth four small silver coins, so there’s more than just a little bit of pressure on me. “Even after my introduction fee, my commission, and the materials cost, you’re still going to make, what, fifty, sixty percent of that? Put your heart into this, kids. It’ll be fine! Look, that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d finally managed to find the hairpin he was looking so hard for, but you wouldn’t sell the one you were holding right in front of him. That makes it seem even harder to get, right? Then, he’s asking that you do something that you’d ordinarily be doing as your winter handiwork right now, in the middle of this amazingly busy time of year when everyone’s trying to prepare for winter, and sell it to him by this winter’s baptismal ceremony, before it’s even gone to market, so his granddaughter can wear something n.o.body else is? That’s what that price means. Don’t worry about it, kid.” So, if you can come up with a few excuses, it’s okay to blatantly rip someone off, he’s saying? Seriously, give me a break.

そう呟いて、ギルド長が固まった。 トゥーリがこの髪飾りを使ったのは洗礼式の時だけだ。その時に何かあったのだろうか。今までの飄々とした笑顔がいきなり消えたことにドキリとして、ベンノに助けを求めて振りかえる。 ギルド長が固まっちゃったんですけど、大丈夫? 心配になったわたしと違って、ベンノは肉食獣が舌なめずりでもするような表情だけ見せて、ニッコリと黒い笑顔を浮かべた。 「ギルド長が探していた髪飾りはこういうものではなかったかな?」 ギルド長がカッと目を見開いて、ベンノとわたしを交互に見た。笑顔のない、食らいつくような顔が怖くて、ぅひっと小さく息を呑む。 ......ルッツ、ずるい! ベンノさんの後ろに隠れてる! わたしもこっそりベンノの後ろに回りこもうとしたが、ベンノに肩を掴まれて、グイッと前に出された。 「あぁ、冬の手仕事になる予定だ」 「冬の手仕事......ならば、今すぐこれを売ってくれんか?」 ギルド長がわたしの持っているトゥーリの髪飾りを手に取ろうとした。取られたら絶対に返ってこないような爛々と光る目にぎょっとして、わたしは髪飾りを慌ててバッグに入れる。 「ダメです。これはわたしがトゥーリのために作ったんです。売れません」 ビシッと突きつけるようの指を立てられた。おそらく値段を表しているサインだと思うが、意味がわからない。 「ふむ、そうだな......。もう少し色を付けてくれたら、優先的に作ることはできそうだ。どう思う、マイン?」 「ベ、ベンノさんのおっしゃるとおりです」 反論なんて考えられない。引きつる笑顔でベンノに追従しておく。 「今から作れば、孫娘の冬の洗礼式には十分間に合う。そうだよな、マイン?」 ......あぁ、なるほど。夏の洗礼式の時にトゥーリの髪飾りを見た孫娘が同じような物が欲しいと言ったんだ。 商業ギルドのギルド長なら、この街で流通しているものに関しては、一番情報を持っているはずの立場なのに、髪飾りが見つからない。 「......あと一月ほどしかないが、作れるのか?」 そういえば、小さい花を作るのに意外と時間と糸が必要なので、雪に閉じ込められてやることがない冬ならともかく、今の季節は忙しくて、とても作っていられない、と母は言っていた。けれど、お金をもらってする仕事なら、それにかかりきりになっても問題ない。 「はい。これは売り物じゃないですけれど、新しく作る分には問題ありません。ね、ルッツ?」 わたしとルッツが大きく頷いて請け負うと、わたしの横で頷きながら話を聞いていたベンノがニヤリとした笑みを浮かべて、付け加えた。 「ただの登録ができていないせいで、せっかく作っても売買はできないのが残念だがな......」 「くっ......。ならば、仮登録の後に注文することにしよう......」 たいした難癖をつけられることもなく、紙の情報を出すこともなく、仮登録ができたことにベンノはご機嫌で、ギルド長の部屋を出ようとする。 「じゃあ、下に戻るか」 「待て。子供達はここでギルドカードができるのを待てばいい。注文もしたいからな」 ギルド長の言葉にちっと軽く舌打ちをして、ベンノが笑顔で振り返る。 「子供だけで置いておいたら、どんな粗相をするかわからんから、オレもここで待たせてもらうよ」 「いやいや、躾の行き届いた子供達のようだ。ベンノがいなくても問題はなかろう。なぁ?」 ギルド長の笑顔は、優しそうに見えても何かを企んでいるようで怖い。いつの間にか丸めこまれていそうな気がするので、わたしは思わずベンノの手を握った。 「は、初めての場所だから、ベンノさんにもいてほしい」 わたしをひょいっと抱き上げて、自分の太股の上に座らせると、よくやった、と小さく囁いて、頭をぐりぐりと撫でた。かなり機嫌が良いようだ。 その後、わたしはベンノの隣に場所を移動して、その隣にルッツが座った。正面にギルド長が座って、髪飾りの商談が始まった。 「では、髪飾りを一つ。冬の洗礼式までに頼む」 「えーと、何色の花にしましょう? お孫さんのお好きな色とか、髪に合う色とか......」 「わしはそういうことにはあまり詳しくない。それと同じでいい」 多分、ベンノが料金をふっかけたはずなので、せめて、孫娘に喜んでもらえるような髪飾りにしたい。孫のために情報を集めていただろうおじいちゃんには、孫娘の笑顔プライスレスに違いないのだから。 「あの、もし、お孫さんとお話できるなら、本人の希望を伺ってもいいですか? その方が喜ばれると思いますけど」 「秘密で贈って、驚かせたいのだ」 出た! 迷惑なサプライズ! 秘密で贈って喜ばれるのは、普段から好みや希望を熟知していて、欲しいと思っているタイミングにピッタリはまった場合だけだ。 「......あの、でも、髪飾りは服と合わせる必要もあるし、髪の色と合わなかったり、すでに別の飾りを用意されたりしていると、もらってもすごく困ることになるかもしれませんよ?」 「そうか?」 冬の洗礼式なら、衣装はすでに準備されているはずだ。もしかしたら、髪に飾るものも孫娘とその母親で準備しているかもしれない。 「せっかく一から作るんですから、好みに合わないものより、希望に沿ったものを贈った方がずっと大事にしてもらえると思います。驚いた顔より、喜んだ顔の方が素敵だと思いません?」 「ふぅむ、なるほど......」 ギルド長が髭を撫でながら、何か考えるように上を向いた。 「マインと言ったか?」 「お前、ウチの店に来ないか?」 「却下だ!」 わたしがどんな反応をするよりも速く、ベンノが即座に却下した。 「ベンノの店よりも大きいし、長いこと商売をしている。条件はいいぞ? まだ、洗礼式が終わって正式に見習いとなったわけでないのだから、ウチの見習いになることもできる。どうだ?」 どうだ? と言われても、あれだけ援助してもらって、いきなり店を変えるような不義理をするつもりはない。 「ベンノさんに返しきれない恩があるんです」 「ふむ、わしが代わりに返してやろう」 「えぇ? えーと......」 断ったつもりなのに、断れていない。押しの強いギルド長にあわあわしていると、ベンノの機嫌が急下降していく。 「マイン、ギルド長にハッキリと答えてやれ。お断りだ、とな」 「お、おお、お断りします!」 「むぅ、残念だが、今回は諦めるとしよう。怖い見張りがいては、本音を言うこともできんからな」 本音で喋っているつもりですけど! 「孫娘のフリーダに話を聞きにくるのは、明日でいいか? 早目に決めた方が良いだろう?」 「あの、ベンノさんも一緒でいいですか!?」 本日の教訓として、「ギルド長と一人で会うな」が心にしっかりと刻み込まれている。ギルド長に対応できる人もいない状態で、会うのは危険だ。 「残念ながら、明日はベンノもわしも会議がある日だ。同じ年頃の女の子同士が会うのに、いかついおじさんの同伴は必要ないだろう?」 「......そうですね、子供同士なら」 ベンノとギルド長の戦いの中で、孫娘のフリーダの希望を聞く図を思い浮かべて、げんなりとしてしまったわたしは、同じ年頃の女の子同士で会うという言葉に思わず頷いた。 ギルド長の意見に同意してしまったわたしの横で、ベンノさんが舌打ちした。 え!? 何かまずかった!? 眉間の皺を復活させたベンノと笑顔が復活したギルド長を見比べて、自分が迂闊な返事をしてしまったことを悟った。「子供同士」と同意したなら、マルクについてきてもらうこともできない。 「い、一緒に作っているので、ルッツが行くのはいいですよね? こ、子供同士だし!」 一人で乗り込むのは怖すぎる。ルッツを巻き込む提案をすると、ベンノはわずかに表情を和らげた。 「まぁ、いいだろう。では、明日、中央広場に3の鐘でどうだ? フリーダに迎えに行かせよう」 話がまとまるのを待っていたように、仮会員カードを持った職員さんが入ってきた。どうやら無事に仮登録が終わったようだ。 「これが商業ギルドの仮会員カードだ。これも魔術具の一種だ。商談の時には必ず必要になる。詳しいことはベンノに聞けばいい。二人のカードは店の見習いに準じたものだから、上の階にも上がれるようになっている」 薄い金属のカードで光に当てると虹色に反射する不思議なカードだ。普段触っている物とあまりにも差がありすぎる。どこからどう見てもファンタジーなカードで、説明を聞けば聞くほど、感心する。魔術具のすごさに目を瞬くしかない。 「では、最後にそれぞれ、自分の血を自分のカードに押し付けて、認識させなさい。そうすれば、他人が勝手に使うことはできなくなる」 「うぇっ!? 血!?」 魔術には血が必須なのか。以前に契約魔術で指に傷を付けて血判を押したことは記憶に新しい。 「諦めろ、マイン」 「ルッツ~......」 「いいから手を出せって。......どうせ自分じゃできないんだろ?」 「うぅっ......」 泣く泣く手を出せば、ルッツに針で指先を突かれた。ぷっくりと盛り上がってきた血をカードに押し付けて染み込ませる。 その瞬間、カードが光った。 「うひゃあっ!?」 一瞬光っただけで、その後は先程と全く変わらないカードだった。血痕も指紋も残っていないという意味で、全く変わっていない綺麗な物だった。 魔術具、便利かもしれないけど、怖い。 わたしが血を出すのにおびえたり、カードが光って慌てたりするのを見ていたせいか、ルッツは淡々と作業を終わらせる。 「これで登録は終了だ」 もう用はないとばかりに部屋を出ていくベンノを追いかけて、わたし達も商業ギルドを後にする。 登録だけなのに、ぐったりと疲れてしまった。 「お帰りなさいませ。無事に登録が終わったようですね」 ベンノの店に戻ると、マルクが待っていてくれた。時々商人らしい黒い笑顔も浮かび上がるけれど、基本的には味方であるマルクの笑顔に癒しを感じる。 「おぅ、今日はマインのお陰で完全勝利だったぜ」 「ほぅ、それは珍しい」 「あのくそじじいに目を付けられたけどな」 「......厄介なことになりそうですね」 マルクのギルド長に対する印象も厄介らしい。 マルクがベンノの部屋のドアを開けて、わたし達を招き入れる。試作品の精算と聞いて、わたしはビシッと挙手した。 「はい! お願いがあります。お金について教えてもらっていいですか?」 「ぁん?」 ベンノは意味がわからないとばかりに、眉を寄せる。マルクも同じように首を傾げている。 「えーと、わたし、今までお金に触ったことがなくて......数字は読めるんですけど、数字とお金がいまいち結びついていないんです。......例えば、5640リオンで、一体どの硬貨をどれだけ払えばいいのか、わからないんです」 「はぁ!?」 ベンノだけでなく、マルクもルッツも、素っ頓狂な声を上げた。 「金、触ったことがないって......まぁ、商人でもない、その年の子供なら、それほど珍しくもないのか? いや、珍しいだろ?」 「門で計算はしても、商人と実際にお金のやり取りをするところは見たことがないし、マルクさんと発注に行った時も、発注書を出すだけで実際にお金のやり取りはしなかったし、母さんと一緒に市場に行った時に小さい硬貨を払っているのは見たけど、それが何かは知らないんです」 わたしの言葉に布袋を持ったマルクがベンノの前に進み出て、ジャラリとマルクが机の上に硬貨を広げた。 「では、まずは、お金の種類をお教えしましょう」 銅のような茶色の硬貨が3種類と大小の銀貨と金貨があった。 「この小銅貨1枚が10リオン。穴が開いている中銅貨が100リオン、大銅貨が1000リオン、小銀貨が10000リオン。その後、大銀貨、小金貨、大金貨と続きます」 ほぅほぅと納得しながら聞いているわたしの隣で、ルッツが小さく唸り声を上げる。どうやら桁が大きくなると完全にわからなくなったようだ。 冬に頑張って勉強しようね。 自分でお金を持つようになれば、お金の計算は嫌でも覚えると思うので、多分大丈夫だろう。 ベンノは試作品の紙を6枚持ってきて、机の上に並べていく。 「羊皮紙一枚が小金貨1枚。普段使う契約書の大きさで大銀貨1枚。これくらいの大きさなら、小銀貨2枚ってところだな」 葉書サイズで小銀貨2枚って......。 紙が高いことは知っていたけれど、目の前にお金と一緒に並べられるとよくわかる。そういえば、契約書サイズが父の給料一月分って言っていたはずだ。 「今回は一応羊皮紙を基準に値段を決めるからな。フォリン紙は小銀貨2枚で、品質が良いトロンベ紙が小銀貨4枚だ。そこから、手数料として3割引く。それから、試作品ができるまでの先行投資とこれから先に必要な 試作品ができたので、これから先は道具や原料を発注すると原価にしっかり組みこまれることになる。 「今回のお前達の取り分は2割でどうだ? 原料になる木を材木屋から仕入れたり、紙が流通することで値段が下がったりすれば、また見直しが必要になるだろうが......」 「それでいいです」 わたしが頷いてルッツに視線を向けると、よくわからない顔のままでルッツも頷いた。 ベンノが机の上にドンと計算機を置いて、ルッツの前に押し出した。 「ルッツ、フォリン3枚とトロンベ3枚でいくらになるか、わかるか?」 計算機を少し動かして、フォリン3枚分は入ったけれど、その後、指を伸ばしたり曲げたりしていたルッツが、しょぼんとして首を振った。一桁の計算はできても、数が多くなったり、種類が増えたりするとお手上げらしい。 「えーと、『三二が6と2』だから、小銀貨18枚ですね。その2割なので、小銀貨3枚と大銅貨6枚がわたしとルッツの取り分で、一人分は小銀貨1枚と大銅貨8枚になります」 やや目を瞬いてわたしを凝視しているベンノの後ろに控えていたマルクさんが苦笑した。 「正解です。計算機も使わずに即座に計算ができるのだから、すごいですね」 わたしの場合は、計算機が使えないんだから、冬の間にルッツと練習しないとダメだ。なるべく周りと馴染むようにしたい。 「あとは......ルッツの石板や石筆の費用だが、これは個人から徴収だな。ルッツの取り分から大銅貨2枚を引く」 ルッツは大銅貨を2枚引かれて、代わりに石板と石筆をいくつか受け取った。 「現金を渡すこともできるし、保存場所に困るなら商業ギルドに預けておくこともできるが、どうする?」 どうやら、商業ギルドは銀行のような機能も持っているらしい。 「大銅貨はください。母さんに渡します。小銀貨は預けておきます」 初任給で家族孝行するの、麗乃時代の夢だったんだよね。ここで夢をかなえてもいいかな? 「わかった。ルッツはどうする?」 「オレも、マインと同じ」 わたしが大銅貨8枚をもらって、ベンノのカードとわたしのカードを合わせる。ピンと弦を弾いたような音がした後、カードが返ってきたけれど、何も変わったところはない。 「これで、お前の金はギルドの三階で取り出せるようになった。そのうち、練習させに行かないと駄目だな」 「そうですね」 ルッツも同じようにカードを合わせた後、大銅貨を6枚もらった。手の中の冷たい重みに心が浮き立つ。 「わたし、お金持ったの、初めて」 「これ、オレ達が稼いだんだよな?」 自分達が納得できる紙が仕上がるまでの失敗の数々を思い返して、お金を見ると感動で心がいっぱいになる。 「春になったら、いっぱい紙を作って、いっぱい売ろうね」 初めてのお金にうっとりしながら、わたしはやりきった満足感でベンノを見上げた。 「これで全部、終わったんですよね?」 しかし、ベンノはわたしの言葉に思い切り顔をしかめて、わたしの額を指で弾いた。 「おい、バカなことを言うな。お前の戦いは明日だ。大人のいないところで、あのくそじじいの孫娘とやりあうんだぞ? 気の抜けた顔をしている場合か!?」 「え? でも、子供だし、女の子同士ですよね?」 戦いというようなことになるとは思えない。わたしはフリーダの希望を聞きに行くだけだし、ギルド長も会議でいないし、やり合うようなことがあるだろうか。 「噂によると、くそじじいいが溺愛している孫娘で、数いる孫の中でも一番じじいに似ているらしい」 ギルド長の顔の女の子を想像してみたけれど、全く想像できない。 「まぁ、ルッツを連れていけるだけ、マシだ。呑まれるなよ。ルッツ、お前は無理に会話に入らなくていいから、マインが今日みたいに引き抜きかけられそうになったら、絶対に阻止しろ。じじいの罠はどこに潜んでいるか、わからないんだ。いいな?」 「わかった」 ルッツが真面目な顔つきで大きく頷いているけど、そこまで大袈裟にする必要あるかな? だって、相手は洗礼前の女の子だよ? わたしが首を傾げると手の中で硬貨が擦れて音を立てた。 「......そういえば、フリーダの髪飾りって、いくらで請け負ったんですか? ギルド長の指のサインが理解できなかったんですけど」 「爺の出したサインが小銀貨3枚。色を付けさせて、小銀貨4枚だ」 ベンノの言葉にぎょっとする。糸の値段を考えても、髪飾り一つにそれはふっかけすぎだ。 「きっちり仕上げろよ。冬の手仕事の宣伝にもなるし、売れ具合に係わってくるからな」 「あの、金額の訂正は......」 わたしの一縷の望みは、ベンノの一睨みで霧散する。 「俺があのじじい相手にすると思うか?」 「いいえ、全く」 小銀貨4枚に見合うだけの飾りを作らなければならないのだから、こちらのプレッシャーが半端ない。 「俺の紹介料と手数料と原価考えても、お前達の取り分が5~6割くらいになるか。気合入れろよ。大丈夫だ。やっと見つけたことと、お前が今持っている飾りを売らなかったことで、さらに手に入りにくい印象が付いただろう? それに冬の手仕事を前倒しで忙しい冬支度の時にねじ込む罪悪感と売り出し前の誰もつけていない冬の洗礼式で付ける特別扱いに対する金額だ。あまり気にするな」 いくら理由つけたところで、ぼったくりもいいところじゃないですか。

We were to meet at the Gilberta Company at the third bell of the day to shop for winter clothes, but Benno asked Lutz and I to come early to discuss winter preparations. “What about Turi? Won't she be very bored while we're talking?” “She can go and talk to Corinna about sewing.” Turi's blue eyes lit up at Benno's words. When Benno rang the bell, a maid appeared and started upstairs with Turi. “Anyway, I've already ordered two pigs this morning, and I've asked two people at the butcher's to help you. Without the help of experts, you inexperienced people are just going to mess up, right?” “Really?! You've solved so many things in less than a day! Mr. Benno, you're so efficient! It's amazing!” I clapped my hands and marveled. Benno gave me a smirk and puffed out his chest and said, “Praise me more.” I then had to order a lot of tools from him, so I lavished him with compliments. “You are great! I admire you! If you can give me a discount, you will become more handsome in my eyes!” “You fool, this is not possible!” “Maine, you are too tactless.” I was just trying to save some money. They could say no if they wanted, but why were they so shocked? Hum. “As for the smokehouse, you can rent one any time during the next ten days. For preservation reasons, everyone wants to wait until late in the winter to process meat. So when do you want to start?” Pork was a reserve food during the winter, so few people started processing it so early. Most of my neighbours started just before it snowed. Now only half of the bas.e.m.e.nt was cold enough, so I thought the storage was a bigger problem than the shelf life. The pork might be eaten in the middle of the winter. “Let's start in three days. That's when father and Turi will rest.” “Ok. I ordered the tools when we decided to work together, and most of them have been delivered. I can borrow them if you don't have enough, but don't forget to bring your own.” “Thank you, Mr. Benno. Besides, these are the winter supplies for the orphanage, in addition to wood and food.” Benno frowned as he looked at my list on the board. “... that's a lot.” “Since this is my first official winter preparation for the orphanage, I'm short of everything, and there are a lot of people...” “But the orphans have survived before. There's no need to make special preparations, is there?” I smiled guiltily at Lutz's words. In fact, this year I was just going to start with wood and food, and then gradually filled the other orphans' needs. “But there's no way my family would agree that I'm not prepared to live at the temple. It's a totally unexpected expense.” “You're right. After all, you faint a lot. It's normal for your family to worry about not being there for you.” “If you want to live at the temple for a long time, you do have a lot less stuff in your room.” Since I usually had lunch at the temple, I had no problem with cutlery, but I was noticeably short on toiletry and bedding, such as towels and sheets, and I only had quilts and no blankets. If I brought my stuff with me, the style would not match what the temple had, and my family was already short of supplies, so I had to buy new ones. What's more, there was no carpet for autumn and winter in the room. I was told that the carpet left by the previous owner had become moldy and could not be used. “Maine, I can lend you some money.” “No! I won't borrow money from a friend. It may ruin the friends.h.i.+p.” When the third bell rang, Fran appeared with the rest of the attendants. Everyone was wearing a gray coat for the outing. Because of the simplicity of the coat, if they could have worn a scarf or gloves to add a bit of personalisation, it wouldn't have looked out of place on the street, but now they were dressed in the same way and it was quite striking. “Looks like we can't wait to buy clothes.” “Right? Suddenly it seems to me that the coat is more important than the clothes under it. If they put on the coat, they can still wear the robe under it.” “I'm just saying.” “You must be serious about eighty percent of what you say.” He had guessed right, so I turned from my face in embarra.s.sment and walked out of the Company, while Lutz ran upstairs to call Turi. “Everyone can buy an outfit. Go find something you like.” “At your command!” Turi and Delia chattered happily as they wandered around the Children's Section. Lutz and Gil, who were about the same height, also compete when it came to choosing clothes. Rosina, who was already about the size of an adult, chose her clothes quietly and alone in the Women's Section. “... Master Maine, is it really all right?” Fran asked me in a nervous whisper, and I calculated the amount of money I had left. I gave him a rea.s.suring nod to show that there was no problem in buying clothes here. Taking this opportunity, I looked at the basket in his hand. “Money is not an issue, and if it's not enough, I'll sell some picture books. Go and help yourself to an outfit, Fran. When the weather gets cold, you'll need more clothes in your room.” I could only act like a master occasionally, so I asked Fran generously not to worry about money today. But he looked at the mult.i.tude of clothes on display in the shop with great perplexity and didn't move his feet. “I don't know how to choose my clothes...” If Fran had to choose clothes for his master, he could choose according to the location, the season, the purpose of his master's journey, and who his master would visit, but he didn't know how to apply this skill to himself. Seeing him at a loss about his own affairs, I had to come up with some criteria for his reference. “First, the clothes must fit you, and then you must check if the fabric is good. Since it's winter wear, warmth is also important. Choose something that fits and keeps you warm, and I will help you pick out the one that suits you best.” “I can't thank you enough, Master Maine.” Fran's expression betrayed a hint of trepidation. I smiled, remembering what my mother had said last night. “Fran, my mother said she would like to visit the Dean's Office. When do you think would be a good time for her to visit?” When I indicated that my mother said she wanted to see the room to make sure it was comfortable for me during the winter, Fran cast down his eyes. “...Master Maine, I don't think your mother is suitable for coming to the temple. I told you before that many people in the temple have very complicated feelings about pregnant women and their so-called family members. Delia who hates going to the orphanage is actually a sensitive girl, and the visit of your mother may reach the Temple Chief's ears, so if your mother wants to ask me something in person, let me visit your house.” I glanced at Dalia who was giggling, and then slowly nodded. When Fran and I were in the adult section, Benno paced over leisurely. “Did you say you were going to live at the temple?” “Yes. I can't stay in the temple in cheap clothes every day, can I?” “Of course. Casual clothes, visiting clothes, pajamas, clothes for going out, these must be bought. Your underclothes must be of good quality, too. You must also buy several pairs of thick socks, for the temple is not warm in winter.” “... Oh dear, the expense will be terrible, and since no one's going to see my underclothes anyway, it doesn't matter if they're of a lower quality, does it?” Only where you can see is there a need for decency — Benno's eyes were bulging with anger at my words. “How can a person only do appearances? Besides, you are easily taken ill. You must wear more clothes!” “So I should buy as many as I can wear, right?” I had to buy a lot of clothes if I wanted to wear several to keep warm. I could buy as many as I wanted at the usual thrift store, but the cost of decent clothes for the temple would be devastating to my purse. In the end, it was my winter preparations that cost the most money. “You can buy cloth from me, and then ask your mother and sister to make your underclothes. They're both very good at it, aren't they?” “They are very good indeed... but I'm sure I don't have enough money. Mr. Benno, please buy five of the picture books I made before.” “Then why not print more? You can print many of the same picture books as long as you have pigment, right?” “Ah... if you want to print picture books, you have to print them all at once.” I hung my head in regret as I remembered my blunder. Benno raised his eyebrows, not seeming to understand me. “When the pigment dried, the paper templates got out of shape and couldn't be used again. The templates were exquisitely engraved, and they weren't made of metal or wood, so the pigment on them could not be washed off, which made them disposable...” A lot of paper was needed to make picture books, so my initial idea was to make copies to see the response. What I didn't expect was that the templates we had invested so much in were disposable, and I cried at the time because I thought it was too wasteful. “In the future, I will prepare a lot of paper in advance and then print all the picture books in one breath.” “If you don't have enough paper, you can order it from my workshop.” “... no, it's too expensive. I'll make it at the Maine Workshop and buy it from Lutz.” I puffed out my cheeks unhappily, and Benno gave me a wry smile. Just then we heard the loud voices of Lutz and Gil, who seemed to be having a quarrel over the same coat. “I've already told you! It's mine!” Benno's cheek twitched. “... Maine, go and reconcile them.” I trotted in the direction of the brawl and saw Lutz and Gil arguing about the same coat. They were about the same height, so it was not like I couldn't understand them at all. “You're making too much noise. Be quiet. It's very rude of you to disturb others.” As soon as they saw me, they rushed at me, clutching the same coat. “Maine, who do you think will fit this coat better, Gil or me? It must be me!” “No! It would look better on me, Master Maine!” They both bore down on me with fearful faces. I looked at the aqublue coat in their hands, sighed deliberately and shook my head. “It doesn't fit either of you.” They probably didn't expect me to give such an answer, so they both stared at me with round eyes. It was not the style that didn't fit! It was that their pale hair color combined with an aqublue coat would only make it visually colder. It was fine for summer, but definitely not for winter. “Lutz, didn't Mr. Benno say before? There are warm colours and cool colours. Which do you think is the colour of this coat? And what colour is better to wear in the cold winter?” Lutz reacted quickly and let go, but Gil still held the aqublue coat and c.o.c.ked his head in confusion.

わたしとルッツは少し早い時間にベンノから呼び出されていて、冬支度のあれこれについてベンノと話をすることになっている。 「トゥーリはどうする?」 「コリンナと冬の手仕事の話をしてくればいい」 ベンノでトゥーリはコリンナのところへ冬の手仕事の髪飾り作りについて話を聞きに行くことになった。ベンノがベルを鳴らすと、奥の扉から下働きの女性が出てきて、トゥーリを連れて戻っていく。 「......とりあえず、今朝のうちに、それから、肉屋の職人を二人、手配した。職人がいないと初心者ばかりではどうしようもないだろう?」 「本当ですか!? 昨日の今日で!? ベンノさん、すごい! 仕事早い! ビックリしました!」 わたしが拍手して褒め称えると、ベンノは得意そうに笑って「もっと褒めろ」と胸を張った。これから、大量の道具を注文するので、もっと褒め称えてみる。 「ベンノさん、素敵! 値引きしてくれたらもっとカッコイイ」 「却下だ、阿呆」 「露骨すぎるだろ、マイン」 手数料の値引き交渉をしたが、呆れた表情の二人にあっさり却下されてしまった。 「燻製小屋については、この十日ほどならいつでも空いているらしい。保存を考えると、皆、冬になるギリギリに作りたがるからな。いつがいい?」 豚肉加工が冬の間の保存食作りだと考えると、確かに早い時期に作りたがる人は少ないだろう。ウチの近所でも雪がちらつく寸前であることが多い。 後でお願いします。その日は父もトゥーリもお休みなんです」 「わかった。では、三日後の予定で進めよう。道具の購入は合同になると決まった頃から注文していたから、ある程度揃っている。足りない分は貸し出すし、お前の家にある分も使え」 「ありがとうございます。それから、これが薪と食料以外で、孤児院の冬支度に必要な物です」 わたしが木札に羅列した一覧を見て、ベンノが眉を寄せて唸った。 「......ずいぶん多いな」 「まともに準備するのが初めてなので、足りない物だらけなんですよ。人数も多いし......」 「なくても、何とかなってきたなら、敢えて準備する必要もないんじゃないか?」 ルッツの言葉にわたしは曖昧に笑った。 「孤児院の方はそれで行くつもりだったんだよ。薪と食料だけを準備して、少しずつ揃えていけばいいかなって。でも、わたしが神殿に籠ることになったら、家族が許してくれなくてね」 「まぁ、お前はすぐに倒れるし、寝込むからな。目が届かなくなると思えば、家族の心配もあながち間違ってはいない」 「マインの部屋も確かに生活しようと思ったら、細々したものが足りないもんな」 昼食を取っているので、食事関係は何とかなるが、お風呂や寝具に関する日用品の不足が目立つ。タオルやシーツの洗い替えなどのリネン関係が全くなくて、布団は入っているけれど、毛布もない。家から持ちこむと雰囲気が違いすぎるし、家の分が足りなくなるので、新しく買うしかないのだ。 困ったことに、秋冬用の床に敷くカーペットの類もない。前任者が置いていった物はカビが生えていたので、使えないと言われてしまったのである。 「マイン、お金、貸してやろうか?」 「ううん、ダメ。友情にお金の関係は入れない方が良いから」 3の鐘が鳴る頃にフランが側仕えを率いてやってきた。全員外出用の衣装の上に、灰色の上着を着ている。シンプルな上着なので、マフラーなり、手袋なりで差があれば、街でもそれほどの違和感はないのだが、全員が全く同じ色で、同じ作りの上着なので、非常に目立っている。 「服は早く買わないとやばいな」 「ですよね? 冬物なんて、中よりもコートの方が重要な気がします。コートさえ着ていれば、下が神官服でも問題なさそうじゃないですか」 「ちょっと言ってみただけですよ」 「お前の場合方本気に決まっている」 わたしはベンノからふいっと視線を逸らして、外に向かい、ルッツはトゥーリを呼ぶために奥の扉から階段を駆け上がっていった。 「トゥーリも皆も一着ずつだからね。気に入ったの、探して」 「はぁい!」 トゥーリとデリアは弾むような足取りで服を選び始め、二人でキャッキャッと楽しそうに子供用の服のところを見始めた。ルッツとギルは似たような背恰好なので、張り合うようにして服を探し始める。ロジーナは成人に近い体格なので、一人別の場所で静かに服を見ていた。 「......よろしいのですか、マイン様?」 こっそりとフランが不安そうに尋ねてきた。わたしは残金を計算して、コクリと頷く。ここで服を買う分には問題ない。その後、ちらりとフランが持っているかばんに視線を向けた。 「ここの分は問題ありません。......それに、問題になりそうなら、本を売りますから。フランも自分の分を選んでくればどうかしら? 寒かったら部屋でも着こめるでしょう?」 たまにしか、主らしいことができないのだから、今日は遠慮しないように言うと、フランは困りきったように視線を逸らした。 「自分の服を選ぶと申されましても、何を基準に選べばよいのか......」 主の服を選ぶならば、着ていく場所や季節、行事、訪問相手など、色々な情報から正しいドレスコードの服を選ぶことができるフランだが、それは従者であり、常に灰色神官の服を着用するフラン自身には当てはめることができないらしい。 「まずは体格に合う物。それから、素材。冬だから、温かい服を選んでね。体格に合う温かい服を選んでくれば、その後はフランに一番似合う服を見立ててあげるよ」 恐縮するフランに小さく笑いながら、わたしは昨夜の母の言葉を思い出した。 「ねぇ、フラン。わたくしの母が一度ご挨拶に部屋へ行きたいと言っているのだけれど、都合が良いのはいつかしら?」 部屋を見て、わたしが冬の間きちんと暮らせるかどうかを確認したい、と母が言っていたことを伝えると、フランは困ったように視線を伏せた。 「以前にも申し上げたと思いますが、妊娠されている女性や家族というものに対する感情が複雑な者が孤児院には多くいます」 楽しそうにはしゃぐデリアの声へと一度視線を向けた後、わたしはゆっくりと頷いた。フランが成人男性の服が並んでいる辺りへと向かうと、ベンノがゆったりとした足取りで近付いてくる。 「お前は神殿に籠るんだったな?」 「そうです。さすがに神殿で過ごすのに、安い服ばかりってわけにはいきませんよね?」 わたしの冬支度で一番お金がかかりそうなのが、服だ。いつもの普段着を買う、安い中古屋で買うのならば何枚買っても問題ないのだが、神殿で着られる服を何枚も揃えようと思ったら、結構なお値段が必要になる。財布に大打撃なのだ。 「当たり前だ。普段の部屋着と神殿で他の人を訪ねる時の訪問着、寝巻、外出着は必要だろう? それから、下着類もある程度の品質の物を作っておけ。後は厚手の靴下だ。冬の神殿は冷えるぞ」 「......うぅ、出費が痛いですよ。下着なんて他の人が見る予定もないんだから、別にこだわらなくても、ボロボロでもいいじゃないですか」 見えるところだけ取り繕えば、とわたしが言うと、ベンノは目を剥いて怒った。 「馬鹿者! そこで気を抜くな! それに、お前はただでさえ体調を崩しやすいんだ。着こんでおけ」 「着こめるだけの服を買っておけって、ことですよね?」 「下着に関しては、ウチで生地を買って、母親かトゥーリに縫ってもらえばいい。腕は良いんだろう?」 「それはそうですけど......そこまで揃える余裕がないんですよ。ベンノさん、店に戻ったら、この間の本を5冊買ってください」 「だったら、5冊と言わず、もっと刷ればいいんじゃないのか? インクさえあれば、同じ型で刷れるんだろう?」 「......あ~、刷るなら、一度に刷ってしまわないとダメだったんです」 わたしがマイン工房での失敗を思い出して項垂れると、ベンノはわけがわからないようで、眉を軽く上げた。 「インクが乾いて、版紙がくるんって反ってしまって、使えなくなっちゃったんです。あの絵、本当に細かく切れ込みが入っていたから。板とか金属と違って、インクを拭き取ったり、洗ったりできる素材じゃないので、一度乾いてしまうとダメみたいで」 絵本を作るにも結構な枚数の紙が必要になる。30冊は試作品で、良い出来だったら、紙を量産してもう一度刷ろうと思っていたら、版紙がダメになってしまったのだ。もったいなすぎて泣いた。 「今度から印刷する時には大量の紙を準備して、一気に作らなきゃダメだってわかりました」 「紙ならこっちの工房から買ってくれても良いぞ?」 「......高いから嫌です。マイン工房で作ってルッツから買いますよ」 その時、「だーかーらー! オレのだって言ってるだろ!」と店の奥の方からルッツとギルの叫ぶ声が響いてきた。ベンノがひくっと頬を引きつらせる。 「......マイン、あれを仲裁して来い」 ベンノが示した指の先に向かって、ぽてぽてと歩いていくと、ルッツとギルが喧々諤々と言い合う姿があった。背恰好が似ているせいで、一つの服を取り合っているらしい。 「二人とも、うるさいよ。静かにしないとお店に迷惑じゃない」 わたしの姿を見つけた二人が、一つの服を握ったまま先を争うようにして駆け寄ってくる。 「マイン、これさ、オレとギルのどっちが似合う!? オレだよな?」 「違うっ! オレの方が似合うって! なぁ、マイン様?」 二人がずずいっと顔を近付けてきて、怖い顔で迫ってきた。わたしは二人が持っている水色のような上着を見て、これ見よがしに溜息を一つ吐いて首を振った。 「どっちも似合わない」 まさかそう言われるとは思っていなかったのか、二人が目を丸くして口を閉ざした。 デザインが似合わないわけではない。二人とも髪の色が薄いので、冬の服に水色ではものすごく寒々しく見えるだけだ。夏の服なら良かったが、冬には合わない。 「あのね、ルッツ。前の時にベンノさんが言っていたでしょ? 色には温かく見える色と冷たく見える色があるって。これはどっちの色? 寒い冬に着る服はどっちの色が良いと思う?」 ハッとしたようにルッツが手に持っている服から手を離した。ギルは水色の服を持ったまま首を傾げる。 「ありがとう、マイン様。うふふ~ん」

“I heard from Fran that someone has broken up the library.” “Yes, everything on both shelves was thrown to the floor, and there was not even a gap to step into. Isn't that a felony punishable by death?!” I complained with a strong voice, but the Head Priest overruled me by waving his hand. “Not that much, little fool... so, you already know who the culprit is?” “Yes. As I was on my way to the library, a blue-robed priest who was going to leave the temple said to me, “there's no need to go out of my way to teach you.” so it must be him.” “That being said, there are five blue-robed priests who are going to the Harvest Festival today. Which one do you mean?” Although I saw several carriages, I did not expect that there were as many as five people going out today. “I don't know. But I know his face.” “They won't be back for about ten days. Will you remember then?” The Head Priest asked me in a skeptical tone, and I gave him a vigorous nod. “I shall never forget the man who did so to the library.” “I'd be grateful if you'd forget...” The Head Priest said with a long sigh, staring at me angrily. But even if I were to be stared at, I would never spare the foolish man who had done that. I decided to change the subject. “By the way, what is the Harvest Festival? I've never heard of it.” “Because it's not your thing. The Harvest Festival is a village festival in the territory, which is...” The Head Priest then began to explain what the Harvest Festival was. His lengthy explanation even referred to myths, but in a word, it was an activity in which tax collectors and blue-robed priests went to the countryside to collect crops. “Nominally it's about taxing the state and collecting offerings for the G.o.ds, but taking away crops like that is not a good thing for the countryside.” “Don't be so explicit. Taking away the crops is not the whole of the Harvest Festival. The priests will hold various rituals for the villagers.” The Head Priest coughed and glared at me. I guessed I had to be a little more tactful, but the aristocrat's choice of words was hard to learn. “Are village rituals held in the autumn?” “After the harvest, exactly.” I saw. For from the time the snow melted until the autumn harvest, the farmers had no leisure. In winter, the farmers would be trapped in the snow, so they had a lot of leisure, but then the priests who held the rituals could not go to the countryside. Although the Harvest Festival was for tax purposes only, the timing was reasonable. “Especially the Star-union. If the newlyweds do not attend this ritual and are not blessed and registered, they will not be recognized as a couple in the winter house, and there will be no new house or fields for the following spring.” “What is a winter house?” “It's a country house for the winter. Life in the city is very different from that in the country. In the summer, the farmers will live in separate houses in the fields to make it easier for them to farm. But in the winter, when they can't farm, they will live together in a large house in the center of the countryside. I don't know the details, though.” I still didn't quite understand, but the Head Priest said he didn't know the details, so there's no need to ask. “So, the Harvest Festival isn't my thing?” “Yes. At the meeting to decide who to send to the countryside, the Temple Chief shouted that sending you would reduce the crops they receive.” I was not surprised that the Temple Chief, who had always seen me as a thorn in his side, would say that. I had been so busy that I had almost forgotten about him, but he did not seem to have forgotten me, which made me laugh and cry. The Harvest Festival was a valuable opportunity for the blue-robed priests to increase their income, so they must have agreed with the Temple Chief. “Some of the countryside is so remote that a long journey can be a burden on your health. To make sure the spring blessing rituals go well, you'd better not to go to the Harvest Festival.” I was a little puzzled by the answer of the Head Priest. “Do you mean I'm going to the countryside in the spring?” “Yes. You and I will be sent to ensure the power for the rituals.” I knew the rituals were held in the spring, but I never knew they were held in the countryside. “But I can't bear travelling in a carriage! ” “I know. But it's important to have rituals. We accepted all your conditions to get you into the temple because the rituals required your power. Have you forgotten?” “... no.” “That's good. As hard as it will be for you, don't forget how hard it will be for me to travel with you as your guardian.” ... Was the Head Priest destined to labor all his life? But I swallowed back these words that almost came out of my mouth. I must keep in mind that “misfortunes come from the mouth”. “Actually, I am not at ease about handing you over to another priest. It would be safer for me to do it myself. ” “I'm sorry to trouble you.” I crossed my hands in front of my chest and bowed my head. “Well, what are you going to do about the library?” “A Blood Carnival, of course!” “What are you talking about?” “I meant to make an example of him by offering him a Blood Sacrifice. He's declared war on me by destroying the library. I must punish him!” The action of that blue-robed priest was a clear declaration of war. I was asked by Fran to be a majestic master, and this was my chance. “Calm down! His crimes are not enough to warrant a Blood Sacrifice, either by destroying the library or by keeping you out of the Harvest Festival. You are going too far!” I thought it was just the right thing to do, but the Head Priest clearly didn't approve. “Did he make a mess of the library just to keep me out of the Harvest Festival?” “Well, probably. The collections in the library are arranged according to the order in which they are received, so he was trying to find fault with you for not being able to arrange them. To be honest, even I don't know what's in the library.” I had an epiphany when the Head Priest said, “he was trying to find fault with you for not being able to arrange them.” This was a stark challenge. It was the last straw that the culprit thought I could not arrange the library! “Then I'll take the challenge.” “What do you mean?” “I'll do the library. But as I don't know the order of the past, I'll do it my way. Please turn a blind eye.” Came to think of it, wasn't this a once-in-lifetime opportunity for me? I could take this opportunity to create my own library. I could manage all the books using a taxonomy. No one else wanted to clean up after that mess, so I could do whatever I wanted. In that case, I owed it to the culprit. “If it is to trouble me, no one else will do it. After all, I am the one who uses the library most.” “I'm a little worried about your sudden change of mood, but all right. After all, you're not going to be rude to the library, so I'll leave it to you.” When I returned to the Head Priest's Office, Fran cast a worried look at me. He seemed worried that I would lose my temper. As soon as I saw him, an important thing occurred to me. I couldn't reach the top of the bookshelf, and neither could Gil and Delia, who worked as attendants. Fran would be tired if he was the only one to help me. “Head Priest, may I ask the gray-robed priests of the orphanage to help me with the library? Besides, do you have a catalogue? If so, I shall know what is in the library.” “OK. It is impossible to rely on the help of your attendants alone. Besides, I have only the catalogue of the part which I sent, and the rest I do not know. If there is, it is at the Temple Chief.” With a catalog, I'll know how to use the taxonomy. I looked up in antic.i.p.ation at the Head Priest. “Could you lend it to me, please?” “Yes.” On hearing this, Arnaud immediately handed me the catalogue. He was still a good and able attendant. “Thank you, Head Priest. If you'll excuse me.” When we got to the corridor, Fran asked me in fear: “Master Maine, you seem to be in a good mood, don't you?” “Haha, yes, I am in a good mood. I even want to thank the culprit and G.o.d!” “May I ask why?” “Now the library can be arranged as I please. There is nothing so delightful as that! Don't you think so?” I had planned to search the library shelves for new reading goals. Now I can also arrange according to my preference, which is really killing two birds with one stone. I finally feel like a librarian! Muster up my energy!

「フラン、今日は図書室に向かって大丈夫かしら?」 「収穫祭?......聞いたことがないお祭りですわね」 突然聞こえてきた知らない声にビクッとして振り返ると、旅支度を整えた貴族らしき男がこちらをバカにするような目で見下ろしていた。星祭りの時の青色神官とは違う人物だが、青の衣をまとっていないため、青色神官なのか、青色神官に用があって神殿にやってきた貴族なのか、すぐに判断できない。 「それは神官長にお話しくださいませ。神官長がお待ちです」 「......はい」 「フランから図書室が荒らされたと聞いたが?」 「はい。本棚が二つ、空っぽになっておりました。資料は全て床に撒き散らされて、踏み入ることもできない有様になっています。これは死刑級の犯罪でしょう!?」 わたしは力を込めて訴えたけれど、神官長は軽く手を振って却下した。 「馬鹿者。死刑はない。......それで、犯人がわかったと言ったようだが?」 「はい。図書室に向かう途中で旅支度をした青色神官が、わざわざ手を回すこともなかった、と言ったんです。間違いなく彼です」 「彼と言われても、本日、収穫祭に向けて旅立った青色神官は5名いる。そのうちの誰だ?」 馬車がたくさん並んでいるとは思っていたが、まさか今日出発した青色神官が5人もいるとは考えていなかった。 「存じません。けれど、顔を見ればわかります」 「収穫祭から戻るのは今から十日ほど先になるだろう。それまで覚えていられるのか?」 疑わしそうな神官長の言葉にわたしは大きく頷いた。 「本に仇をなした相手をわたくしが忘れるはずがございません」 「忘れてくれるとこちらとしてはありがたいのだが......」 溜息混じりの神官長にじろりと睨まれても、あんな所業をしでかした愚か者を放置するなんてできるわけがない。 「君が参加する行事ではないから、確か後回しにしたのだ。収穫祭は領内にある農村での祭りだ。元々......」 神話も絡めた神官長の長ったらしい説明を一言で言い表すならば、徴税人と青色神官が農村での収穫物を掻っ攫ってくるイベントらしい。 「税金と神への供物として収穫物を持っていかれるなんて、農村にとっては嫌なお祭りですね」 「身も蓋もない言い方をするな。もちろん、それだけではなく、農村での結婚式も同時に行われる」 コホンと咳払いして、神官長がわたしを睨んだ。もうちょっとオブラートに包まなければならなかったらしい。 「農村の結婚式は秋なのですか?」 「正確には収穫が終わってからだ」 なるほど。雪が解けてから収穫を終えるまで、農民に暇な時間はない。冬は雪に閉じ込められるので、暇な時間はあるだろうけれど、神官が農村まで向かえない。 「結婚式に参加し、夫婦としての承認と登録を行っていなければ、冬用の家で夫婦と認められないし、次の春から、新しい家も畑も与えられない」 「冬用の家って何ですか?」 「農民が冬を過ごすための家だ。街中と農村では生活が大きく違う。夏は畑を耕しやすいように各家は畑の中心にあるが、冬は畑を耕すこともできないので、農村の中心にある大きな家で過ごすことになっている。私も詳しくは知らないが」 農村は農村で街と全く違う生活があるらしい。ちょっと話を聞いただけではよくわからないけれど、神官長も詳しくは知らないなら、敢えて勉強する必要もないのだろう。 「......収穫祭は、わたくしが参加する行事ではないのですね?」 「あぁ。誰をどこの農村に派遣するか決める会議において、分け前が減るのでマインは出すな、と神殿長が大声でわめいていた」 「農村は遠い場所にもあるから、長旅をすれば身体に負担もかかるからな。魔力が必要な春の祈念式はともかく、収穫祭に赴く必要はないだろう」 「......それって、春は農村に行くってことですか?」 「そうだ。魔力の量を考えても、私と君が選出されるだろう」 豊作を願う祈念式が春に行われるのは知っていたが、農村で行われるなんて聞いていない。わたしに旅など、どう考えても無理だと思う。 「旅なんて、わたくしには絶対に無理だと思います!」 「だが、これは重要な仕事だ。君を神殿に入れたのは、こういう儀式で魔力が必要だからだ。忘れたのか?」 「よろしい。君も大変だろうが、君の保護者兼責任者として同行しなければならない私の心労についても考慮するように」 危うく口から飛び出そうになった言葉をゴクリと呑みこんで、口は閉ざしておいた。下手な事を口にすれば、藪蛇になるだけだ。 「まぁ、他の青色神官に任せる方が不安なので、自分で動いた方がまだしも良い」 わたしは両手を胸の前で交差させて、軽く頭を下げた。 神官長の言葉にわたしはニッコリ笑って、グッと拳を握って見せる。 「もちろん『ブラッディーカーニバル』を開催します」 「何だ、それは?」 「犯人を血祭りに上げます。図書室を荒らすなんて明確な宣戦布告を叩きつけられた以上、見せしめと味方の士気を上げるためには必須でしょう」 名前も知らない青色神官が行ったのは、この上ない宣戦布告だ。フランにも主らしい威厳を要求されていたし、ちょうど良い機会だと思う。 「待ちなさいっ! 収穫祭に君を出さないように閉じ込めておくために図書室を荒らす犯人も、資料を破損されたわけでもないのに血祭りなどと言いだす君も極端すぎる!」 極端同士でとても釣り合いが取れていると思うが、神官長とは意見が合わないようだ。 「......収穫祭に行かせないため。たったそれだけの理由で、資料をぶちまけたんですよね?」 「あぁ、おそらく。あそこの資料は入手順に並んでいたからな。君には片付けることさえできないだろうという、嫌がらせに違いない。私も図書室の資料を全て把握しているわけではないからな」 これは青色神官からの挑戦状で宣戦布告だ。わたしに図書室を片付けることができないと思われているなんて、許容できない。 「......受けて立ちます」 「どういう意味だ?」 「ただ、わたくしは資料の入手順を存じませんので、わたくしのやり方でお片付けすることになりますけれど、その点は目をつぶってくださいませ」 入手順なんて、くそくらえ。せっかくなので、ここの図書室に分類法を取り入れてやる。書誌事項も整理して、目録を作って、わたしが全ての本を管理する。わたしが使いやすい図書室にするんだ。 「わたくしに対する嫌がらせならば、他のどなたも片付けなどなさいませんでしょう? 図書室を最も利用しているのはわたくしですし」 「いきなり機嫌が良くなっていることが少々不気味ではあるが、君が本を粗末に扱うとは考えられないし、いいだろう。片付けは君に任せよう」 わたしも同じように立ち上がった後で、ハッとした。本を片付けるにもわたしでは本棚に届かないし、側仕えに手伝ってもらうにしても、ギルやデリアも本棚には届かない。フラン一人が大変なことになってしまう。 「......神官長、図書室の目録か何かございますか? どのような資料があるか、参照できるようなものがあると助かるのですが」 分類法について考えるためにも、蔵書目録があると嬉しい。 「私が持ち込んだ本や資料に関してはあるが、それ以外は知らぬ。持っているとしても神殿長であろう」 「お借りしてもよろしいですか?」 神官長の承諾を耳にしたアルノーがさっと木札を取り出して渡してくれる。相変わらずアルノーは有能な側仕えだ。 廊下に出ると、フランは不可解そうに首を傾げて、恐る恐るといった様子で声をかけてきた。 「......マイン様、何やらご機嫌がよろしいように見えるのですが?」 「うふふ、ご機嫌ですわよ。犯人に感謝して、神様に祈りと感謝を捧げたいくらい」 「理由をお伺いしてもよろしいでしょうか?」 「図書室をわたくしの好きに片付けられるんですもの。こんな楽しいことってないわ。そう思わない?」 鎖に繋がれた本はあらかた読み終わって、そろそろ本棚いっぱいの資料に手を出そうと思っていたところだ。わたし好みに片付けもできるなら、一石二鳥と言える。 ......何だか司書っぽくなってきた! やるぞぉ!

My name is Mark. I am the a.s.sistant to Master Benno, the manager of the Gilberta Company. I believe I’m just about thirty-seven years of age, if I recall correctly. When one is as old as I am, one’s age isn’t something that is clearly remembered. I have served the Gilberta Company since its previous manager was in charge. If you include my time as an apprentice, they have employed me for thirty years of my life. The year I started apprenticing at this shop as a dalua was the year that Master Benno was born, so the years have pa.s.sed amazingly quickly. There are two types of apprentices.h.i.+ps amongst merchants and tradesmen: dalua and dapla. To explain it succinctly, a dalua makes a contract with the shop’s manager to simply work at the shop for a fixed term, while a dapla studies towards being able to a.s.sist in the management and affairs of the shop itself. There are substantial differences in the contract fees and the contents of the contract themselves, but at this moment there is no need for a thorough explanation. The Gilberta Company, essentially, employs the children of other shops as dalua. The sons and daughters of merchants spend a certain amount of their lives studying at other shops. The particular duration of this stay is a matter of negotiation between the shop’s management and the child’s parents. I believe the most common arrangements are between three and four years, perhaps. The reasons for doing this are manifold. By working at another shop, the child’s field of view is widened, they’re placed in a position where they are put to work, they’re removed from a place where they may be coddled, they make friends with other children who will eventually become the next generation of shopkeepers, and so on, but most importantly they serve as metaphorical bridges built between shops. My original employment at the Gilberta Company was as a dalua, with the intent that when my contract expired I would return to my family’s shop. However, during my employment, my father pa.s.sed away, and my eldest brother took his place as the shop’s manager. His att.i.tudes towards commerce, however, were too different from my own, so rather than returning to my family’s shop, I chose to renew my contract as a dalua several times. Eventually, when I came of age at fifteen years old I signed a contract to become a dapla instead. The term of apprentices.h.i.+p for a dapla is eight years. In essence, when a child finishes their apprentices.h.i.+p as a dalua at another shop, sometime between the ages of ten and twelve, they transition towards becoming a dapla instead. By the time they are twenty years of age, they have become capable of being entrusted with the affairs of the shop in place of the manager. Since I had begun my apprentices.h.i.+p as a dapla so late, I spent the first eight years of my adult life in renewed study. Of course, although I may say that it was eight years of study, in truth, I had already worked as a dalua at the shop for eight years, so I was already very much familiar with the operations of the Gilberta Company. Thanks to the good graces of the previous manager, I was not paid an apprentice’s wage as would be typical of a dapla, but was instead paid as much as any other adult employee of the shop. Thus, the prospect of eight additional years of study was not at all particularly painful. I was thrilled at how much better my treatment was compared to when I had been a dalua, and I threw myself into my work with zeal. However, not all remained well. When my period of apprentices.h.i.+p as a dapla was on the verge of completion, the shop’s manager unfortunately pa.s.sed away. Master Benno, at the time, had only just reached adulthood himself, and there was much concern that he was not yet ready to manage the shop on his own. Of the dalua who had formed a contract with the previous manager, there was no small number who declined to reestablish their contracts under Master Benno. As my own term of employment had not yet finished, in order to ensure that I could continue to work at the Gilberta Company, I proposed to my family that our own shop could lend their a.s.sistance to Master Benno. However, my eldest brother, who was still in charge of the shop, not only refused to offer any support, but went so far as to sneer at the death of the previous manager and sever all ties between my family’s shop and the Gilberta Corporation. I wonder, how I might best describe the anger I felt at that moment? The instant that I swore an oath to myself to say my farewells to my family and remain at the Gilberta Company to support it and its new manager to the bitter end remains exceptionally vivid in my memory, even to this day. When my term of apprentices.h.i.+p as dapla to Master Benno ended, he asked me if I would be returning to my family’s shop. I, however, had already severed ties with my family and thus had nowhere I could go. Moreover, the shop that needed my efforts the most was still the Gilberta Company. After I expressed this to him, the two of us threw ourselves headlong into the hard work of reviving the company. We quickly returned it to its original state, and shortly thereafter were able to grow it yet larger. The work I did in the shadows to use my own family’s shop as a mere stepping stone along the path to the Gilberta Company’s resurgence is a story best left untold. The eldest daughter of the previous manager, Miss Corinna, became married. Master Benno, however, lost all interest in marriage after his lover, Liese, pa.s.sed away. I as well never married; while I was so absorbed in my work, my marriageable years pa.s.sed me by without my noticing. Life, it seems, never goes as one might think it would. Because our work is going so well, and because Master Benno has decided that Miss Corinna’s children will inherit the shop, I can now say that our days are free of any problems that might imperil the future of the shop. Now then; as there is a meeting today which must be attended by the owners of all large shops, Master Benno is currently absent. As such, each of the important matters that need immediate decisions made have been brought to me. “Mister Mark, the rinsham workshop has contacted us to let us know that their s.h.i.+pment will be delayed,” says one employee. “I see. The s.h.i.+pment of leve they were expecting was delayed as well, so it’s only to be expected. Please contact the foreman and ask him to have whatever they have already completed delivered immediately, and to finish the rest of it as soon as they can.” “Um, Mister Mark,” says another employee. “We’ve received a commission request for Miss Corinna from Baron Bron’s daughter.” “It’s rare for her to commission a garment in the summer. We should hurry, I think. Please deliver that to Miss Corinna immediately.” Some time pa.s.ses, slightly more busily than usual, after which Master Benno returns to the shop, carrying Maïne in his arms. “Mark, let’s talk. Come!” He walks quickly towards his office in the back, eyes blazing with determination. Maïne looks perplexed. Lutz hurries along behind them, out of breath. I suddenly have a bad feeling that I’m about to be handed another unreasonable request. So far, I’ve had to procure the materials and ingredients for the rinsham workshop, run around like mad to ensure a market for the rinsham would exist so that I could provide guarantees to the craftsmen, scour the entire town to find the tools and materials that Maïne and Lutz requested as part of their paper-making experiments, aid in the efforts to reduce tension with the parchment makers’ a.s.sociation, and effectively do absolutely everything to establish the full-scale workshop for paper production... Now that I think about it, it seems that this last year has seen quite a few unreasonable tasks forced onto me. What might this next thing be now? “Mark, we’re going to train cooks to make desserts! Get ready!” Train cooks to make desserts? The suggestion that has just flown from his mouth has absolutely nothing to do with any of our business thus far. I have an astoundingly bad feeling about this. There is no doubt: the abruptness of this must have come as the result of something Maïne has done. As for Master Benno, his eyes are glimmering with determination as he digs through stacks of wooden boards, verifying something or other. I am pleased to see him so energetic, but at the same time I feel like this may have terrible impact on those around him. “When you speak of dessert cooks, what in the world do you plan to have them make?” “Ask Maïne.” Ah, so this truly is Maïne’s doing? It seems that, somehow, another difficult problem has reared its head. Originally, the Gilberta Company was founded so that Master Benno’s great-grandmother, Gilberta, could sell her wares. Essentially, the wife would make her wares at the company workshop, while the husband handled the sales. The husband’s name has always been the one registered as the owner of the company, but the true line of owners.h.i.+p has ultimately been matrilineal. The Gilberta Company’s core clientele is the rich people of the city, but the designs that Master Benno’s mother came up with attracted the attention of some of the lower-ranked n.o.bility. As such, the company has been able to gain a small amount of influence in n.o.ble society. Its ability to do business with the n.o.bility has only come about within the past decade. It is a very recent thing. As Miss Corinna’s fas.h.i.+on sense continues to hold some interest in n.o.ble society, the Gilberta Company’s position could be said to be very stable. In other words, the Gilberta Company trades in clothing, accessories, and other such beauty products. The rinsham that Maïne brought to us is an excellent beauty product that has become very highly valued among our clients, and the hairpins that Miss Corinna’s workshop will soon be making have already gathered quite some interest amongst the people of the city. Miss Corinna herself has expressed profound joy over being granted the rights to produce the hairpins, saying that if one were to adjust the quality of the thread and the designs, it is likely that they would be well-received amongst the wives and daughters of the n.o.bility. However, on the other hand, the plant-based paper that Maïne brought to us caused the Gilberta Company to stray somewhat from its path, and the training of dessert cooks is something entirely different than any of the business that we’ve been a part of to date. Just what in the world could Master Benno be thinking, I wonder? “What I’m trying to tell you,” says Maïne, “is that if you don’t have any sugar, then this entire thing is pointless!” “Even if they don’t have any sugar they can still bake bread. That’s good practice for using an oven, isn’t it?” “But bread workshops already exist, which means that a bread-maker’s a.s.sociation already exists, which means that we’re going to have another battle over people’s vested interests! Even if it’s just practice! And on top of that, weren’t you planning on hiring away people who already work at bread workshops, too?!” “If you’re always so concerned about vested interests, then how can you ever get anything new off the ground?!” Master Benno sits in his chair. Across from him, Maïne is on a chair of her own, standing on her knees so that her eye level is the same as his. Watching the two of them go back and forth like this reminds me strongly of how he used to argue with Miss Liese. I wonder if it would be better to describe them as being on too good terms for a quarrel to shake, or as them having such trust in each other to the point where they can have fights like this without caring too much? It has seemed that, as of late, Master Benno has never been quite so lively as he is when he is fighting with Maïne over matters of business. Perhaps it’s because cornering a skillful speaker like Maïne in an argument gives him the same joy as when he was able to best Miss Liese in one of there quarrels. This, incidentally, did not happen very often. “Lutz,” I say, “perhaps we should leave those two to their own devices. Could you please describe to me what happened to bring this about? Why did Master Benno suddenly decide that he needed to train cooks to make desserts?” “Ah, yes,” he replies. Lutz, who had been staring at the the two of them as they fought, startles, straightens up, and begins to explain to me what had happened. Since he is so used to being thrown around at Maïne’s whims, his mind is remarkably agile at switching to a new focus. He is capable of quietly absorbing any information thrown at him and has a very patient personality. He could be described as someone with talents that are hard to come by. He smoothly recounts the events of the day in an easy-to-understand order, as if he had done this all his life. According to his explanation, after the meeting at the merchants’ guild, a tasting party was held for pound cake, during which it seems that Master Benno got into a fight with the guild master’s cook. He declared, says Lutz, that if he does not have a cook capable of making sweets, then there’s nothing stopping him from training one himself. “What Maïne was saying,” says Lutz, “is that in order to make desserts, one needs a cook capable of skillfully using an oven. They must also have an enquiring mind and not be afraid to spend a lot of time experimenting with the recipe to make it more delicious. Master Benno was originally thinking that he would be able to find someone who had already mastered the use of ovens at a bread workshop, but Maïne said that since they would wind up making things other than bread, it seems that unless they’re enthusiastic something new, it wouldn’t go particularly well...” After Lutz finishes explaining the circ.u.mstances, I finally start to see the points of compromise that could be reached in the argument between Master Benno and Maïne. “It seems that Master Benno has determined that these desserts would be suitable for selling to the n.o.bility, then?” “Yes, but―” “Lutz, you cannot say ‘but’. When Master Benno is determined to do something, we have no choice but to follow along.” This may reflect my own particular partiality towards Master Benno, but I believe that he has an excellent sense for matters of business. I cannot recall any instances where he has decided something will sell and, after pursuing that goal with all of his power, failed to make a profit. I clap my hands together twice, drawing both Master Benno and Maïne’s attention to me. “Master Benno, when you say that you are going to be training dessert cooks, might I ask how long you believe that would take? Would such an action be profitable?” He quietly nods. “...Yeah, it’d be profitable. I’m planning on hiring someone who’s already able to use an oven from a bread workshop and using them to teach other people, so that shouldn’t take that much time.” His eyes are full of self confidence, and his face shows that he’s not seeing even the tiniest sliver of a chance for failure. “As Maïne has just said that one cannot make her desserts without sugar, you must believe it is possible for you to acquire some, then?” “It’s been a while since I talked to my relatives, but if I reach out to them, I think I’ll be able to manage something, even if it’ll be a little bit tough. I think Uncle Emil might have a bit of influence in Central? I could also have Otto get in touch with his friends from his trading days. In the meantime, I can have the workers make bread in order to get them used to working with ovens.” “Hm,” I reply. “it certainly does not seem entirely impossible.” It seems that because it is impossible to secure victory when there are fundamentally zero chances for success, Master Benno has been considering how he might acquire sugar from the moment Maïne had started talking about desserts. Arranging for a workshop and purchasing ovens is a tedious and complicated process, but is not exceptionally difficult. It does seem that, after all, the most significant problem that must be dealt with will be negotiating with those businesses that already have vested interest in this field. I dare say that the guild master will likely have objections of his own, as well. Thinking back on all of the strife that had happened with the parchment makers’ a.s.sociation when we wished to start selling plant-based paper makes my eyes narrow. These disputes that have happened over these things outside of our core business, like making paper or training cooks, are exceedingly difficult compared to the rest of my work. “Maïne,” I say, “might you have some idea as to how we might avoid strife with the bread makers’ a.s.sociation, similar to the solution you came up with to ensure we did not encroach on the profits of the parchment makers’ a.s.sociation?” “Huh?! You want me to think that up?!” Master Benno is a man who prefers to solve his problems by breaking through them with sheer force and fundamentally dislikes compromise. Maïne, who is unskilled at direct conflict and thus avoids them as much as possible, is much more suited to finding a good compromise. Not to mention, the training of dessert cooks is so far out of my area of expertise that I don’t have the background information required to find any points of common ground. “Of the four of us here, I believe you must be the one most familiar with the topic of dessert cooks, are you not? Because you are thus much more suited than Master Benno to find points of common ground, please, help us determine if there is any view that would allow both parties to still profit.” I am fully aware that this is an unreasonable demand to be making of a young girl who has only barely just been baptized, but I, along with Master Benno, do not think of Maïne as an ordinary little girl. “Eh?! Umm... common ground? I mean, you’re, kinda putting me on the spot, but, uh... if you want both sides to profit, umm...” “Let me see... perhaps there might be some other kind of bread besides the bread being produced now, or something one might use an oven for besides making bread...” As she broods, I offer her a couple of suggestions, reframing the ideas from her paper compromise so that they might apply to bread. Nothing at all comes to my mind, of course, but since Maïne is a constant font of strange ideas, I believe that there must be something that she will be able to think of. Confirming my hypothesis, Maïne quickly turns her head to face me, her dark blue hair swinging behind her. Her golden eyes glimmer as she shoots her left hand straight up into the air. “There is something! I’ve really been craving 'Italian’ food!” “...'Italian’?” She’s brought out a word I’ve never heard before. Both Master Benno and Lutz tilt their heads, looking at her funnily, but Maïne seems to not care in the slightest as she launches into the topic. “Even if we don’t have any sugar, then if there’s a style of cooking that uses an oven, then that’s still good practice, right? So if we can make things like 'pizza’, 'gratin’ dishes, or 'lasagna’, then that’ll definitely work. ...Ah! Also, also, you can cook meat in an oven, and also make things like 'quiches’ and 'pies’, too. Aaah, I can’t wait!” Maïne cheerfully lists off name after name of possible dishes, but based on the fact that she mentioned cooking meat in the oven, I can’t imagine that the rest of them are any sort of dessert. She looks off into the distance, eyes sparkling, looking so entranced by the idea of food that she might start drooling at any moment. Lutz, standing next to me, lets out a small groan. “Uh oh. She’s going wild again.” “She’s imagining something that she really wants. Once she sets her mind on something, she blazes forward at full speed... I don’t know if Master Benno’s going to be able to win, huh?” The way he’s groaning makes it easy to understand that Maïne’s rampages often involve forcefully dragging him around to do things. She and Master Benno are very much alike, it seems. Once they have an objective in mind, they blaze directly towards it, perhaps not even realizing the hards.h.i.+ps they may cause others around them in the process. “Mister Benno,” she says, “let’s just give up on desserts. We should make a 'restaurant’... ah, um, a kind of high-cla.s.s place where you can eat food.” “Hey, wait! You can’t just declare that we’re giving up like that!” “Oh, once we get sugar, we can also make 'Italian’ desserts there too. It’s fine! Let’s make 'Italian’.” “What about that is fine?!” As Lutz feared, Master Benno appears to be losing. I realize just how similar Lutz and my situations are, with how he is dragged around by Maïne and how I am dragged around by Master Benno. I shed a tear for him, in my mind. “Lutz, you must strengthen your heart. Do not let yourself simply be dragged around. You need to learn to predict when she might start to run wild. If you can turn things around before you get dragged into them, your life will be much easier.” “Mister Mark...?” “There’s a knack for everything, even getting dragged into things.” Lutz looks up at me, his green eyes s.h.i.+ning with pure admiration. Looking down at him, I silently swear to myself that I will train him to the best of my capabilities so that no matter what unreasonable things he and Maïne find themselves doing, he will be able to bear it fully. The entire time that the two of us were sharing our moment of appreciation for each others’ hards.h.i.+ps, Maïne has not stopped talking. She is currently describing reason after reason as to why establis.h.i.+ng an eatery is superior to simply starting a workshop. “What I’m saying is that if you can cook anything, not just sweets, then that’s way more marketable, you know? And if you’re offering the food that the workers make for practice to real customers, then not only is the food not going to waste, but the workers themselves will be way more motivated, right? And then if you get to a point where they can start making sweets, then before you start selling them to the n.o.bility, then you can have your customers sample them first, and use their feedback to make it even better!” As Maïne lists her arguments, with levels of both persuasiveness and expression that one wouldn’t think would come out of the mouth of a child, Lutz looks up at me, eyebrows lowered, looking concerned. “I... when I hear how pa.s.sionate she is, I can’t help but start thinking that she might actually be right,” he says. I hum thoughtfully, nodding. “The ability to make someone want to buy what you’re selling is a much sought-after talent amongst merchants.” Lutz shrugs, giving me a small smile. “In Maïne’s case though, it’s a talent she doesn’t actually use at all unless it’s for something she wants.” “Take care to watch how she says things to convince others of what she’s saying. Remember, everything around you can be an example to learn from.” The persuasive power to make your opponent believe what you do is a very attractive ability, but ultimately, if Lutz is to manage a shop in the future, he cannot live a life of merely being dragged along by Maïne’s zeal. “All that aside, Lutz. Is Maïne all right? I can’t help but wonder if she might be a little too zealous...” “Aah! Maïne! Calm down a little!” As soon as he says that, Maïne stops talking, and flops over onto the table, resting her head on its surface. It seems that she really has overdone it. Even still, it seems that she has yet more to say. While laying on the top, she starts mumbling, continuing her previous thought. “There’s a huge difference between what rich people eat and what the n.o.bility eat, you know. If you can provide tasty food, I think that people will absolutely come to eat it, even if it’s a little pricey. Definitely.” “A huge difference? Where in the world would you have learned about what n.o.bles eat... the guild master, huh?” “See? You’re interested too, aren’t you?” She chuckles gleefully. “They’re really different. But, you still have a chance. I’ve still got plenty of information that I haven’t given over to Miss Ilse yet, after all.” I can tell that her words have swayed Master Benno significantly, but at this point, he should not be making any firm decisions. He needs to step back, calm down, and go over Maïne’s proposal with careful, deliberate thought. If there are so many points in this plan’s favor, then there must be points against it as well. “As you say,” I interject, “we must carefully consider whether or not we truly need to train workers to be able to make desserts. Maïne, thank you very much for this wonderful suggestion. It is an enormous help. Won’t you return home and take care of your own needs, though? You must be quite tired after pus.h.i.+ng Master Benno around like that.” “Oooh, Mister Mark,” she says, still slumped over the table, “your kindness always goes straight to my heart.” I instruct Lutz to ensure that Maïne makes it home safely, then see the two of them out of the shop. After I see them off, I return to the back office, to find Master Benno slumped over like Maïne was just a moment ago, his face buried in a pile of doc.u.ments. “Master Benno?” “Seriously. That girl’s just full of surprises, isn’t she.” “You are very right. I did not expect in the slightest that her plan to avoid friction with the bread makers’ a.s.sociation would have turned into that.” Master Benno scratches his head, rustling his hair, as he slowly sits upright. He looks at me, a sharp glint in his reddish-brown eyes. “...What do you think, Mark?” “I do believe that it would be easier to establish an eatery than it would be to train workers to make desserts. With an eatery, we don’t risk starting any conflicts with the bread makers’ a.s.sociation. Instead, we would have to consider how we would deal with the food vendors’ a.s.sociation, but if we properly follow the processes in place, I do not think that the act of establis.h.i.+ng the shop itself would be particularly difficult.” “Agreed.” Maïne’s proposal is for a high-cla.s.s place to eat. A shop such as that should not disturb the much cheaper vendors that operate in the town marketplace, so I am comfortable considering that the food vendors’ a.s.sociation will not put forth any significant opposition. “An eatery isn’t a bad idea. A lot of rich people already employ cooking girls, but those girls are, fundamentally, commoners. So, even if you throw a lot of money at them, all that’ll happen is that you’ll be able to eat a lot of food. The actual food itself isn’t going to change all that much. The food the n.o.bility eat uses recipes that can’t be made unless you have a very good cook working in a n.o.ble house, so everything of course tastes different, and there’s a difference in variety. Even if it’s somewhat expensive, considering the subject matter and the flavors involved, I believe a such a shop might be successful.” I have never myself had the opportunity to eat the food of n.o.blemen, so I do not have a clear understanding of what’s at play here. Master Benno, however, has eaten it a number of times that could be counted on one hand, as a result of being invited to a meal by a n.o.bleman on several occasions. If Master Benno says so, then I have no doubt that there are significant differences between the food that the n.o.bility eat and the food that merely very wealthy people eat. “However, how does Maïne know recipes for n.o.ble food? That girl’s only been at the guild master’s house for a few days total. Why does she know so many different varieties of recipes? How can she just produce recipes that require an oven off the top of her head?” “Because she is Maïne, sir.” I sigh as I answer his question. He seems dissatisfied by my answer, but I have no better explanation to give. “Mark, you just—” “It’s pointless to waste time thinking on questions we cannot answer. Weren’t you the one who said that it doesn’t matter who she was as long as she was useful to us merchants, back when she sold us the rinsham? Even after all this time, we’ve learned nothing new. It’s a far better use of our time to instead think of ways to ensure that we do not let her precious information leak out to anyone else.” I shrug my shoulders and shake my head. Benno glances away, as if he felt bad about something, then claps his hands, awkwardly and abruptly changing the topic of conversation. “Ah, well, sure, but... I’ve been thinking of adopting Lutz. What do you think, Mark?” “It would seem that Maïne is having quite the influence on you, sir, if you are blurting out ideas that you haven’t actually thought through.” “Huuhhh? Well that’s rude! Don’t lump me in with that thoughtless little kid!” No matter how threateningly he shouts at me, I can’t imagine this idea of adopting Lutz to be anything but thoughtless. If it isn’t, what in the world could he possibly be thinking? If Master Benno, the manager of a shop, is seeking an adoptive son, perhaps he is looking to find an heir amongst the people around him. This would be troublesome for him to do so, however, as it would sow the seeds of strife with Miss Corinna, who has yet to bear a child. “Well then, if you truly have a reason as to why you would propose something that would cause such great discord between you and Miss Corinna, would you perhaps explain your careful thinking?” He sighs. “You’re just going to pick this apart, aren’t you,” he grumbles, before explaining why he wants to adopt Lutz. “First, if we want to keep our connections with Maïne, we absolutely need to secure Lutz. You’re with me so far, right?” “You’re quite right.” I already am aware that, because of the magical contract that stipulates that the things Maine’s Workshop produces will be sold through Lutz, keeping hold of him is very much necessary. Additionally, as Lutz is currently employed as a dalua, when his period of employment is over, if he were to have the inclination to go to somebody else’s shop, he would be entirely capable of doing so. It would seem that preventing this from happening is Master Benno’s objective. “I was thinking I could hire him on as a dapla, but I’ve been thinking that if I want someone that I can definitely trust with the shop, then maybe adopting him to carve out a more solid position would be a better idea.” “Wouldn’t hiring him as a dapla be enough, in that case? If you truly need someone you can definitely trust, then when Miss Corinna gives birth to a daughter, would you not be able to have them marry?” Rather than raising him as an adopted son, giving him a thorough education as a dapla, then having him marry into the family would cause far less strife, I believe. Master Benno, however, merely shrugs, waving his hand dismissively. “That’s not going to work with Lutz. He’s only got eyes for Maïne. Either way, Lutz’s original dream was to become a trader. He’s been looking for a chance to leave the city. And that’s even more reason why I think that tying him down to this shop is going to be really difficult.” “...A trader, you say? That’s...” This is quite surprising. It’s very rare for someone born and raised in a city to dream of becoming a trader. Benno shrugs his shoulders, quirking up the corners of his mouth. “I’ve been thinking that the main reason for that was because his life at home was so constrained, but honestly, if he didn’t have Maïne tying him down, there’d be nothing keeping him here. There’s no doubt about how Maïne’s going to be swallowed up by the n.o.bility in the near future. I don’t know if it’s going to be the n.o.bility in this city, or if she’s going to get tangled up with some other city’s n.o.bility, or even get called all the way out to Central, but... I don’t know just what the odds are, but there’s a good chance that she’s going to leave this city at some point or another.” Lutz is currently an apprentice under Master Benno’s patronage, and he has neither knowledge nor anything else that he can use. However, by the time he comes of age, he will have learned quite a lot, and most likely come to realize his own worth. If by this point Maïne has been removed from the city and their magical contract rendered meaningless, it’s entirely possible that he might leave for a shop in another city. “When Maïne leaves this city, I want to be in a position to follow her with Lutz in tow.” My eyes narrow slightly. “Why would you go that far, sir?” He gives me a slightly troubled smile. “The actual successor to the Gilberta Company is Corinna. I’m just a middleman. Maïne says she wants to make books, but that’s not what this shop does. This isn’t going to be anytime soon, but I’m thinking that maybe I what I really want is to leave the shop to Corinna and Otto and build my own, separate shop.” Owners.h.i.+p of the Gilberta Company is in fact matrilineal, so he is correct: the ones to which the shop should be entrusted are Corinna and Otto. However, I can’t quite make the connection between his desire for independence and his intentions for Lutz. As I look at him curiously, he sighs. “Mark can keep a secret,” he mutters to himself, and a nostalgic smile floats across his face. “Lately, when I’ve been watching Maïne and Lutz, I’ve been remembering how I used to be. When my dad was still alive, when I didn’t have anything to worry about in my life... like how I used to be when I was together with Liese.” The way Lutz and Maïne interact with each other is very reminiscent of the way Miss Liese and Master Benno used to laugh together. I can understand, somewhat, what he is feeling. I can almost see, in the corner of my eye, images of the two of them playing grown-up in the back of the shop or sneakily planning some sort of mischief. “Looking at those two made me remember. I had a dream, once, before my dad died and I put all of my efforts to keeping this shop and my family safe...” “Ah yes, your dream of becoming a merchant respected around the whole world.” As soon as I say that, Master Benno’s eyes go wide, falling into such a state of disarray that he appears, quite frankly, amusing. He points accusingly at me. “Wh... why do you remember that?!” “Because it was your dream, sir.” I do not want this to be taken lightly. I have known Master Benno ever since he was born. As I puff my chest out with pride, he clutches his head, moaning. He is quite terrible at dealing with people who know all of the little details about his childish past. I’m very aware of this. After a moment of continuing to hold his head and grumble, he clears his throat, as to free himself from his momentary embarra.s.sment. “If I can keep implementing every one of the things that Maïne’s got in her head, I can actually achieve that dream, can’t I?” “...This may sound pretentious, but if you indeed can realize everything that Maïne describes, then you truly will gain the respect of the world.” “So, to start, I’m going to go to the cities my brothers and sisters are in, get paper-making workshops set up there, and start trying to distribute this vegetable-based paper. ...Mark, what will you do?” He looks up at me, head tilted slightly to the side, leaning back in his chair with his fingers laced together in front of him. Seeing him stare at me, waiting for an answer, almost makes me laugh out loud. After all, when the shop’s previous manager had died, my educational period had ended, and he’d asked me whether or not I would be leaving the shop, he’d worn exactly the same expression on his face. “I think that Theo might be much better at dealing with Mister Otto than I would be. I’ll come with you. After all, Lutz will need training, won’t he?” “...Alright then.” Seeing him sigh in relief brings a nostalgic smile to my face. Master Benno had forgotten his dream, replacing it with a stubborn desire to protect his family and his shop. Maïne is pus.h.i.+ng him into motion, making him form a paper makers’ a.s.sociation, making him get ready to start even more new ventures. Just like Otto had said before, Maïne, to Master Benno, is the G.o.ddess of water, bringing about the end of a long, long winter. And thanks to her, I have remembered my own dreams as well. If Maïne is his G.o.ddess of water, than I want to be, now more than ever, his G.o.d of fire, helping him grow and flourish.

ギルベルタ商会で旦那様の補佐をしておりますマルクと申します。確か37歳になったばかりですね。この年になると自分の年齢などはっきりとは覚えていないものなのです。 私はギルベルタ商会に先代の頃から仕えておりまして、見習い期間から考えますと、30年もお世話になっています。私がこの店にダルアとして見習いに入った年に旦那様がお生まれになったのですから、月日がたつのは本当に早いものです。 商人や職人の見習いに類ありまして、ダルアとダプラと区別されています。簡単に説明しますと、ダルアは店長との雇用契約で、ダプラは将来的に店や業務を任せるための徒弟契約という違いがあります。契約金や契約内容に大きな違いがあるのですが、ここで詳しい説明は必要ないでしょう。 ギルベルタ商会では、基本的に他のお店の子弟をダルアとして預かっています。商人の子供期間、余所の店で修業するのです。この期間は店と子供の親との協議で決められます。3年から4年が多いでしょうか。 視野を広げるため、使われる立場を知るため、甘やかされがちな立場から引き離すため、次代の店長となる者たちとの交友を持つため、色々と理由はありますが、彼らは店と店を繋ぐ架け橋であるのです。 私も元々は雇用期間を終えたら、実家の店へと戻るダルアとして契約しておりました。しかし、父が亡くなり、後を継いだ長兄とは商売に対する姿勢があまりにも違いすぎたため、何度かダルアとして契約更新した後、15歳の成人式を期にダプラとして契約し直したのです。 ダプラの見習い期間は8年。本来ならば、他店でダルアとして修業した後、およそ10歳から12歳くらいの間にダプラとして契約することになります。20歳になった頃には旦那様の代わりに店を任されるようになるのです。 修業期間とは言っても、すでにダルアとして8年も仕事をしており、ギルベルタ商会での仕事を理解しておりました。先代の旦那様の計らいにより、一般的なダプラと違い、見習いとしての給料ではなく、成人雇用者に与えられるのとほぼ同じ金額のお給料をいただいていたので、8年の修業も特に辛いと感じることはありませんでした。ダルアの頃より待遇が良くなったことを喜び、仕事に励む毎日だったのです。 しかし、困ったことに、私がダプラとしての修業期間を終える寸前に、先代がお亡くなりになりました。旦那様は成人したばかりで、まだ店長としては頼りないことこの上ない状態でした。先代と契約していたダルアは、旦那様との契約更新を拒んで店を去る者も少なくありません。 私はまだ修業期間が終わっておりませんでしたので、引き続きギルベルタ商会で働くため、実家に援助を申し入れてみました。ところが、店を継いでいた長兄は援助どころか先代の死を嘲笑い、ギルベルタ商店との縁を切ると宣言したのです。 あの時の怒りをどう表現すればいいでしょうか。実家との決別を決心させ、何が何でもギルベルタ商会と旦那様を守り抜き、見返してやろうと心に誓ったあの瞬間を、私は今でも鮮やかに思い出すことができます。 店に残ることを伝えた後、私は旦那様と共に無我夢中で働いて、店を立て直しました。すぐに勢いを取り返し、更に店を大きくしてきました。私が裏で手を回して、店を立て直すために実家を踏み台にしたことも、今となっては時効の話でしょう。 先代の末娘であるコリンナ様はご結婚されましたが、長兄である旦那様はリーゼ様を亡くされた後、結婚そのものに対する興味を失ってしまったようです。私も気付いた時には婚期を逃しておりました。なかなか思うようにはいかないものですね。 仕事が充実しておりますし、店の後継ぎはコリンナ様のお子様と旦那様が決めていらっしゃいますので、今のところ店の存亡にかかわるような大きな問題はない毎日だと言えるでしょう。 さて、本日は大店の店主ばかりが集まる会議のため、旦那様が不在です。そうすると、重要な判断を要する案件が次々と私の元へとやってきます。 「マルクさん、リンシャンの納品が遅れそうだと連絡が入りました」 「今回はレーブの入荷が遅かったので、仕方ありませんね。完成した分を先に納品してもらって、残りはなるべく急ぐよう親方に伝えてもらうように」 「あの、マルクさん。ブロン男爵令嬢からコリンナ様への依頼が届きました」 「あの方が夏に依頼されるのは珍しいですね。お急ぎでしょう。すぐにコリンナ様に届けてください」 普段より少々忙しい時間を過ごしておりますと、旦那様がマインを抱えてお戻りになられました。 「マルク、話がある。来い!」 旦那様はずんずんと奥へと向かっていきます。目を輝かせ、やる気に溢れた旦那さまと困り果てたような顔のマインとぜいぜいと息を切らせながら二人を追いかけてきたルッツを見て、またもや無理難題が降りかかってくる予感がいたしました。 リンシャンを作るための工房準備に原料の仕入れ、職人の確保に販路の開拓と奔走したり、植物紙を作るマインとルッツのために道具の材料を求めて街中を歩き回ったり、羊皮紙協会との軋轢の緩和に尽力したり、植物紙の工房の開設を丸投げされたり......。思い返せば、およそ一年の間にかなり無茶を押しつけられた気がいたします。今度は一体何でしょうか。 「マルク、菓子職人の育成をするぞ! 準備しろ!」 菓子職人の育成? 今までの業務と全く関係のなさそうな言葉が飛び出してきました。とても嫌な予感がいたします。この唐突さはマインが関わっていると考えておいて間違いなさそうです。 「菓子職人とおっしゃいますが、一体何を作らせるおつもりですか?」 「マインに聞け」 あぁ、やはりマインですか。どうやら、また難題が持ち上がってきたようです。 元々ギルベルタ商会は旦那様の曾祖母であるギルベルタ様の服飾工房から始まった店で、妻が工房で服を作り、夫が売るという形で基本的に発展してまいりました。店長は常に夫の名前で登録されていますが、実質店を担っているのは女系というのが実情です。 街の富裕層を相手に商売してきたギルベルタ商会ですが、旦那様の母君のデザインが下級貴族の目に留まったところから、少しずつ貴族社会にも切りこんでいくことができるようになりました。貴族階級と商いをするようになったのは、ここ10年ほどのこと。つい最近のことなのでございます。 つまり、ギルベルタ商会が取り扱っているのは、服飾品はもとより、装飾品、美容関係に関するものなのです。 マインが持ち込んだリンシャンは美容関係の品物としては、かなり良い商品となりましたし、これから先コリンナ様の工房で作ることになっている髪飾りもすでに装飾品として街では一定の人気を得ております。 しかし、一方でマインが持ち込んだ製紙業は、ギルベルタ商会にとって少し横道に逸れた業務ですし、菓子職人を育成するというのも、今までの業務とはかなり毛色の違う仕事となります。 「だーかーらっ! 砂糖がなかったら無理だって何度も言ってるのに!」 「砂糖がなくてもパンは焼ける。オーブンを使う練習が先なんだろう?」 「でも、街の中にパン工房はすでにいくつもあって、パン職人の協会があるんだから、また既得権益とぶつかるじゃないですか! ただの練習で! しかも、ベンノさんはパン工房に職人の引き抜きをかけるつもりなんでしょ!?」 「既得権益が怖くて、新しい事業ができるか!」 椅子に座った旦那様と、椅子の上で膝立ちをして視線の高さを合わせたマインのやり取りは、旦那様とリーゼ様のやり取りを彷彿とさせます。喧嘩するほど仲が良いと言いますか、気軽に言い合いができるくらい信頼感が育っていると言いますか。 商売のことについてマインと喧々諤々と言い合っている時が旦那様は一番生き生きしているような気さえいたします。口の達者なマインをやりこめるのはリーゼ様に口喧嘩で勝った時のような爽快感があるのでしょう。リーゼ様には負けっぱなしでしたから。 「ルッツ、あの二人は後回しにして、先に前後の状況を説明いただいてもよろしいでしょうか? 何故、旦那様はいきなり菓子職人を育成するなどと言いだしたのでしょう?」 「あ、はい」 二人の言い争いを遠巻きに見ていたルッツがハッとしたように姿勢を正して、説明を始めてくれました。マインに振り回され慣れているルッツは意識の切り替えも早いのです。素直で何事に関しても良く吸収するし、真面目で忍耐強く、得難い人材だと言えるでしょう。元々頭も良いようで、順序良く本日の出来事を話してくれます。 ルッツの説明によると、商業ギルドでの会議の後、カトルカールの試食会があり、そこでギルド長の料理人と一戦交える展開となったようです。菓子職人がいないなら育てればいいだろうと旦那様が啖呵を切ったという話でした。 「マインが言うには、お菓子を作るためにはオーブンを自在に使える職人が必要らしいです。あとは、レシピの研究やおいしくするために努力を厭わない研究熱心な人。旦那様はすでにオーブンの使い方をマスターしているパン工房から引き抜くことを考えているようだけど、パン以外の物を作るんだから、新しいものを作っていきたい熱意がある人じゃないとうまくいかないかもしれないって......」 ルッツから事情を聞いたことでようやく旦那様とマインの言い争いの中心が見えてきました。 「そのお菓子とやらは貴族に売れると旦那様が判断されたのですね?」 「はい。でも......」 「ルッツ、でも、は厳禁です。旦那様がやる気になった以上、やるしかないでしょう」 これは私が旦那様贔屓なだけかもしれませんが、旦那様は天性の商売勘を持っていらっしゃいます。これは売れる、と決めて、やる気になった旦那様が全力で取り組んだものが当たらなかったことがないのです。 パンパンと手を叩き、旦那様とマインの注意をこちらに向けました。 「旦那様、菓子職人を育成するとおっしゃいますが、それは一体どのくらいの期間で育つものなのですか? 採算は採れるのでしょうか?」 「......採れる。ある程度オーブンを使える奴をパン工房から引き抜いて、教師役にするつもりだから、それほど時間はかからないだろう」 私の質問に旦那様は静かに頷きます。その目は自信に満ちていて、失敗することなど欠片も考えていない顔でした。 「砂糖がなければ、お菓子が作れないとマインが言っていましたが、砂糖について目途は立っているのですか?」 「少し疎遠になっている親戚連中全てに声をかければ、多少の無理で手に入る。確かエーミール叔父は中央の方に少し伝手があっただろう? あとはオットーの昔馴染みの旅商人に声をかけてもらっている。職人にはしばらくの間パンを焼かせて、オーブンに慣れさせればいい」 「ふむ。全く目途が立っていないわけでもないのですね」 基本的に勝算もなく勝負を仕掛けることがないので、旦那様はマインから最初にお菓子の話を聞いた時から砂糖を手に入れる経路については検討されていたようです。 工房の買い取りやオーブンの手配は手続きが複雑で面倒ですが、それほど大変なことではありません。やはり、一番の問題は既得権益との軋轢や交渉でしょう。おそらく、またギルド長が文句を言ってくるに違いありません。 「マイン、以前に羊皮紙協会と紙の用途で利益を分けたように、既存のパン職人との軋轢を少なくする案はありませんか?」 「へ!? わたしが考えるんですか!?」 正面突破というか、基本的に譲ろうとしない旦那様よりは、争い事が苦手で避けて通ろうとするマインの方が妥協案を考えるのは向いています。何より、私にとっても菓子職人の育成は専門外のことで、妥協点を見出すだけの知識がないのです。 「この中で菓子職人について一番詳しいのはマインでしょう? 落とし所を探るのは旦那様よりマインの方が上手いですから、ぜひ、どちらにとっても利益になるような意見がないかお伺いさせてください」 洗礼式を終えたばかりの幼子に無茶な要求をしていることはわかっていますが、旦那様と同じように、私もマインを普通の子供だとは考えておりません。 「ぅえ!? えーと、落とし所? 両方に利益って言われても、うーん......」 「そうですね......。今までのパンとは違うパンであるとか、パン以外でオーブンを使うものであるとか......」 考え込むマインに、紙の時の落とし所をパンに置き変えて提案してみました。私にはさっぱり思い浮かぶものがありませんが、妙なものを次々と持ちこむマインならば、思い当たることがあるのではないかと思ったのです。 私の予想は正しかったようで、マインはさらりと紺色の髪を揺らしながら私を振り返ると、金色の瞳を輝かせて、左手を真っ直ぐ上に上げました。 「ありますっ! わたし、『イタリアン』が食べたいです!」 「......イタリアン?」 聞き慣れない言葉が出てきました。旦那様もルッツも首を傾げていますが、マインは全く構わず、口を動かします。 「砂糖がなくてもオーブンを使う料理なら練習になりますよね?『ピッツァ』『グラタン』『ラザニア』辺りなら大丈夫です。......あ、それから、それから、肉のオーブン焼きや『キッシュ』『パイ』もできそうですね。うわぁ、楽しみ」 うきうきと弾んだ声でマインが次々と名前を上げていくのはいいのですが、肉のオーブン焼きが入っている以上、お菓子の名前が並んでいるとは思えません。 「ダメだ。マインが暴走し始めた」 「自分が欲しいものを頭に思い描いているんです。目標を決めたら、まっしぐらだから......旦那様、勝てるかなぁ?」 マインと旦那様はどうやら似た者同士のようです。目標を決めたらまっしぐら。おそらく周りの苦労なんて目に入っていないでしょう。 「ベンノさん、もうお菓子なんてやめて、『レストラン』......えっと、ちょっと高級な食事処にしちゃえばいいと思います」 「こら、待て! 勝手にやめるな!」 「砂糖があれば、『デザート』にお菓子も作れます。大丈夫。『イタリアン』にしましょう」 「何が大丈夫だ!?」 マインに振り回されるルッツの状況が、旦那様に振り回される自分の境遇と似ている気がして、私はそっと心の涙を拭いました。 「ルッツ、強い心を育てなさい。ただ振り回されるのではなく、暴走する先を予測して、振り回される先へ事前に回っておくことができれば、心労が激減します」 「マルクさん?」 「振り回され方にも多少のコツがあるのです」 私を尊敬するように緑の目を輝かせたルッツの純粋さを見て、私は心に誓いました。この二人のどんな無茶振りにも耐えられるよう、ルッツには私がしっかりと教育しましょう。 私達がひっそりとお互いの苦労を感じ合っている間も、マインの口は止まりません。旦那様を相手に次々に工房ではなく食事処にする利点を並べていきます。 「だって、お菓子だけじゃなく、料理もできた方が潰しは効きますよ? お客さんに提供すれば練習が無駄になることもなく、職人にやる気も出るじゃないですか。お菓子が作れるようになれば、貴族に出す前にお店でお客さんに試食してもらったり、意見をもらったりして改良もできますよ」 本当に子供とは思えない説得力と言い回しに感心していると、ルッツが困ったように眉を下げて私を見上げてきました。 「オレ、なんか......マインの熱のこもった言葉を聞いていると、何となくマインの言うとおりなのかもしれないと思ってしまうんです」 「客を買う気にさせるというのは、商売人にとって得難い才能ですね」 ふむ、と私が頷くと、ルッツは肩を竦めて小さく笑いました。 「どのように伝えれば相手がその気になるのか、よく観察しなさい。周り全てがお手本ですよ」 相手をその気にさせる説得力は大変魅力のある才能ですが、実際に店を運営することになるので、マインの熱意に引きずられて決めるわけにはいきません。 「それより、ルッツ。マインは大丈夫ですか? 興奮しすぎではないかと思うのですが」 「わぁ! マイン! ちょっと落ち着け!」 それでも、まだ言い足りないのか、マインはテーブルに伏せたまま、もごもごと口を動かし続けます。 「ただのお金持ちと貴族の食事には雲泥の差があるんですよ。おいしい料理があれば、ちょっとくらい高くても食べに来る人はいますって、絶対」 「雲泥の差、だと? お前、どこで貴族の食事なんか......ギルド長か」 「ほーら、ベンノさんも興味持ったでしょ? ホントに違うんです。でも、勝ち目はありますよ。わたし、料理に関してはイルゼさんにまだ何も情報を渡してませんから」 うふふん、と笑うマインの言葉に、旦那様の心が大きく傾いたのがわかりましたが、この場で、勢いのまま決定してしまうわけにはいきません。一度冷静になって、マインの提案をよく吟味してみなければならないでしょう。物事には利点があれば、必ず欠点もあるのですから。 「マインの言うとおり、本当にお菓子職人を育成する必要があるか、じっくりと考えてみた方が良さそうですね。素敵な提案をありがとうございます、マイン。本当に助かりました。今日は帰って、体調を整えた方がいいのではありませんか? 旦那様に振り回されて、疲れたでしょう?」 「うぅ、マルクさんの優しさが心に染みます」 テーブルに突っ伏したままのマインを送るように、とルッツに指示を出し、私は二人を店から出しました。 「旦那様?」 「ったく、マインには本当に驚かされるな」 「そうですね。まさかパン協会との摩擦を避けるための妥協案があのように方向を変えるとは予想外でした」 ぐしゃりと髪を掻きながら、旦那様がゆっくりと身体を起こしました。赤褐色の瞳を鋭く光らせて、私を見据えます。 「......マルク、どう思う?」 「菓子職人の育成よりは食事処の方が実現は簡単です。食事処ならば、パン協会との軋轢が生まれるはずもありません。むしろ、考えなければならないのは飲食店協会の方ですが、正当に手順を踏めば、店を出す事自体は難しくないでしょう」 「だよな」 マインが提案したのは、高級志向の食事処です。大店が安い市場を荒らしに行くわけではないので、飲食店協会からも目立った反対はないと思われます。 「食事処は悪くはない。料理女を雇っている富裕層は多いけれど、料理女は基本的に平民だ。使える金額が多くなっても、食事の量が多くなるだけで作る料理自体には、それほどの違いはない。貴族の食事は腕の良い料理人が貴族の家でしか作らないレシピを使うから、そもそも味が違うし、品数が違う。多少値段が高くても素材と味に気を配れば、客はつくだろう」 私自身は貴族の料理を口にしたことがないので、よくわかりませんが、旦那様は片手で数えられる程度ですが、貴族の食事に招かれたことがあります。その旦那様が言うのですから、貴族と富豪層の食事には大きな違いがあるのでしょう。 「だが、貴族のレシピをマインが知っているのは何故だ? アレがギルド長の家にいたのはほんの数日だ。何種類もの料理のレシピを何故知っている? オーブンを使う料理が何故あんなに出てくるんだ?」 「マインですから」 旦那様の口から出てくる疑問に私は溜息で答えました。旦那様は不満そうですが、それ以外に答えなどありません。 「マルク、お前な......」 「余計な事を考えるのは時間の無駄です。マインが何者だろうが、商人として利用できるなら問題ないとリンシャンの時に言ったのは旦那様でしょう? 今更考えたところで何も状況は変わりません。むしろ、マインが余所へ貴重な情報を漏らさないようにする方策を考える方がよほど建設的ですよ」 私がやれやれとこれ見よがしに肩を竦めて見せると、旦那様はバツが悪そうに視線を逸らした後、わざとらしく話を逸らそうとポンと手を打ちました。 「あぁ、それなんだが......ルッツを俺の養子にしようと思うんだが、マルク、お前はどう思う?」 「考え無しに思いつきを口にするところがマインに影響を受けているのではないかと思います」 「あぁん!? 失敬な! あんな考え無しと一緒にするな!」 旦那様は凄んで怒鳴りましたが、ルッツを養子にするなどという提案が考え無しでなければ一体何だというのでしょうか。 「では、コリンナ様との無用な軋轢を生みそうな提案に至った理由について、旦那様の熟考した意見をお聞かせ願えますか?」 旦那様は軽く溜息を吐いて、「いちいち嫌味ったらしい」と文句を言いながらも、ルッツを養子にしたいと考えた理由を語り始めました。 「まず、マインとの繋がりを保つためにルッツの確保は絶対に必要だ。それはわかるだろう?」 「そうですね」 マイン工房で作った物はルッツを通して売るという契約魔術が交わされている以上、ルッツの確保が必要な事は私にもわかります。 「ダプラにすることも考えたが、どうせ店を任せることを考えるなら養子にして、強く意見できる俺の立場を作っておいた方が良いんじゃないかと思ってな」 「ダプラで十分かと思いますが? どうせなら、コリンナ様のお子様が女の子だった時には結婚相手にしてしまえばいいのではないでしょうか?」 養子として育てるよりは、ダプラとして修業させ、婿入りさせる方が周りの反感も少ないでしょう。 「ルッツはダメだ。マインしか見えていない。それに、ルッツの夢は元々旅商人で、この街から出る機会を伺っているんだ。だからこそ、この店に縛り付けておくのは難しいんじゃないかと俺は思っている」 「......旅商人ですか? それはまた......」 街で生まれ育った者にしてはずいぶんと珍しい夢に私が驚いていると、旦那様が軽く肩を竦めて唇の端を上げました。 「抑圧された生活環境が一番の理由だと思っているが、マインという鎖がなくなれば、ルッツがここにいる意味もなくなる。マインは近い将来、間違いなくどこかの貴族に取り込まれる。この街の貴族か、余所の貴族に丸めこまれるか、はたまた、中央から出張ってくる貴族がいるか......。今の段階ではわからないが、マインがこの街を出る可能性は高い」 今は旦那様の庇護下にある見習いで、知識も何もありません。しかし、成人し、色々な知識を身に付ければ、ルッツは自分の価値に気付くでしょう。その時にマインがこの街から離れて、契約魔術に意味がなくなっていれば、余所の街の店に行くことも考えるでしょう。 「マインがこの街から動いた時に、ルッツを連れて動ける状態にしておきたいと思っている」 私が少しばかり目を細めると、旦那様は少し困ったようにクッと笑いました。 「ギルベルタ商会の後継ぎはコリンナで、俺は中継ぎだ。マインは本を作りたいと言っているが、本作りはウチの店とは方向が違う。すぐにではないが、店をコリンナとオットーに任せて、俺は独立して別の店を立ちあげても良いんじゃねぇかと思ったんだ」 ギルベルタ商会は女系の店なので、コリンナ様とオットー様が店を守っていくのが本来の形なので、旦那様の言葉に間違いはありません。 「最近、マインやルッツを見ていると、昔の自分を思い出すんだ。親父が生きていて、何不自由なく暮らしていた頃の......リーゼと一緒にいた自分を、だ」 ルッツとマインが二人で転げまわっている姿は、旦那様とリーゼ様が笑っていらした頃を彷彿とさせるので、私にも少し旦那様の気持ちはわかります。軽く目を伏せれば、店の裏で大人の真似事をしたり、こそこそと悪戯を企んだりしているのを横目で見ていた昔の情景が蘇ります。 「あの二人を見ていて思い出した。親父が死んでから店と家族を守ることに精一杯ですっかり忘れていた俺の夢のことまで......」 「世界中に影響力を持つような商人になりたいというものでしたね」 私が指摘すると、旦那様はぎょっとしたように目を見開いて、面白いほどに狼狽して私を指差しました。 「な、なんでお前が覚えているんだ!?」 「旦那様のことですから」 私が胸を張ると、旦那様は頭を抱えて小さく呻きました。幼い頃を詳細に知っている相手は実にやりにくいですよね。わかります。 「マインの頭にある物を次々と実現していけば、確実に俺の夢は叶うと思わないか?」 「......壮大すぎますが、マインの言うものを全て実現できれば、確かに世界中に影響力を持つでしょうね」 「手始めに、弟妹達がいる街に向かって、そこで植物紙の工房を作って、植物紙を広げてくる。......マルク、お前はどうする?」 胸の前で指を組んで、椅子の背もたれに体重を預け、少しばかり首を傾げるようにして、旦那様が私を見上げました。じっと答えを待っている旦那様の姿に思わず吹き出しそうになりました。 「私よりテオの方がオットー様と上手くやるでしょうからね。私は旦那様について行きますよ。ルッツの教育係も必要でしょう?」 「......そうか」 ホッとしたように息を吐く旦那様の姿に、私は懐かしく目を細めました。 家族と店を守ると頑なに決心し、自分の夢など忘れ去っていた旦那様を動かし、植物紙協会を作らせ、今また新しい事業へと旦那様を押し出そうとするマインは、オットー様の言うように、旦那様にとって長い冬に終わりをもたらす水の女神なのでしょう。 お陰で私も自分の夢を思い出すことができました。 マインが水の女神ならば、私は旦那様にとって、これから先も成長を助ける炎の神でありたいと思うのです。

“Man, we’ve got a lot to carry today.” Lutz, who came to pick me up this morning, looks down into a basket piled high with cloth. The basket, which is the one he uses when he goes to the forest, is packed with cloth-wrapped bundles of clothing. There’s the clothing for Fran, Delia, and Gil, my blue robe and sash, and the three-piece outfit that I’d bought just yesterday. My new outfit is cute, and it has a sort of traditional local charm to it, but it isn’t covered in patches, it’s covered in beautiful embroidery, and the sleeves are long and flowing. It is not the kind of thing that kids in this part of town wear. If I put this on and wandered around outside, I can’t even begin to imagine what people would start saying. Since we’re even being cautious about showing these to our families, Lutz and I are wearing the same street clothes we always do. We’ve headed to Benno’s shop, where we’ll get changed in Lutz’s storeroom there. As we do things in the north side of town, our garments and other personal effects are, bit by bit, becoming high-cla.s.s. That’s just what to be expected, since high-cla.s.s goods are what are used in that part of town. However, if we’re not careful, and people start thinking that we’re usually carrying around highly priced things, our trips to and from our homes will start to get more dangerous. A child’s first set of apprentice’s clothes are often new, specially prepared by parents in celebration of their child’s baptismal ceremony, so they don’t draw much attention, but if a child starts growing up and still keeps wearing new clothing, then, probably, they’ll catch the eye of a robber. So, I think it might be a good idea for me to ask Benno if he could get me some sort of place for me to store my things. “So,” I ask him, ”based on all that, would you be able to rent me a room for cheap?” While Lutz is upstairs in his own room, changing, and I’m here in the back office waiting for him, I decide to try asking if I could rent a room from him. Benno, grappling with a pile of paperwork, shoots me a look, an extremely skeptical expression on his face. “Sure, I could rent you a room, but if you want something cheap it’ll be in the attic, right? ...Can you really go all the way up to the attic, every day, just to change your clothes?” I groan quietly to myself, remembering how I still get out of breath climbing up five stories to get home. “If I take it really, really, slowly, it’ll be alright, I think.” “Not in the slightest. Don’t you have a room in the temple? What do you do when you have visitors over?” “Visitors?” I’d made arrangements for going to the temple to donate my mana and read books. I don’t have anything arranged for receiving any sort of visitors. I tilt my head uncomprehendingly, and Benno looks up at me, setting his pen down. “Even when Lutz comes to pick you up, under ordinary circ.u.mstances, he should be sent to your room, right? How have you been doing it?” “...Lutz was asked to wait outside the gates, and a gray-robed priest came to get me. Ummm, in other words, I thought it might be okay if we worked things out so that the library could be my room?” “And that happened?!” “I mean, I just really wish it would happen...” I know that there’s no way the library, full of expensive books, could ever be my room. It’s just a wish. Benno sighs. “Well, whatever. ...If you don’t have a room, then today you’re going to go talk to the head priest and ask to borrow one.” “Huh? Today?” “Lutz is already going to the temple today to talk with Fran about how to manage your condition.” “Alright. I’ll ask him about it.” The conversation dies down a bit, and Benno picks up and rings the bell on his desk. After a moment, one of his female employees steps through the inner door. “You called for me, sir?” “Help her get changed,” he orders. “Maïne, use that screen over there and get changed. Getting up to the attic is too much for you.” Eh? You want me to get changed here?! I choke down the words that threaten to fly from my throat. Benno, having given his instructions, picks up his pen and gets back to work. Briskly, the woman spreads out the screen, setting up a changing area for me. With how matter-of-factly everything is going, it feels like I’m the weird one for finding this bewildering, and I can’t really come up with any good way to object. “...Ummm, Mister Benno. I’m thankful for the offer, but I’m sure I can make it upstairs if I take it slowly, you know?” “Don’t waste what little energy you have right before you head out.” Benno smashes through my feeble resistance with a single sentence. Maybe he’s doing this out of concern, or maybe consideration, or maybe because I’m a little girl, so if I just tell myself I don’t need to be embarra.s.sed I won’t be embarra.s.sed, right...? No, no, I’m still pretty embarra.s.sed! “What will you be changing into?” asks the woman. “These? ...Alright, everything’s ready. Please come back here, if you will.” “Make sure you’re all ready by the time Lutz gets back down,” says Benno. With no time for me to object, everything’s been set up for me to get changed. I give in, heading behind the screen. “...Then, thank you very much for your a.s.sistance.” I just want to get this embarra.s.sing thing over with as quickly as possible. If I let this woman help me, then I can get changed in no time. If I get my dress off and the blouse on immediately, the blouse will hang down past my b.u.t.t so even if someone were to see me I won’t be indecent. The woman helps me b.u.t.ton up about half of the many tiny b.u.t.tons on the blouse, helps me adjust the length and waist of the skirt, and helps me tie up the laces on the bodice. Finally, we put the hairpin Benno gave me in my hair, and everything is complete. “I’m all done, Mister Benno. Thank you.” Holding my folded-up street clothes, I step out from behind the screen. Benno looks up from his desk, slowly looking me up and down. “...Well, that works well enough.” “Eh? Eh? By ‘that works’, do you mean I look like a proper young lady? Do I look really cute?” “As long as you’re not talking.” “Ngh?” I shut my mouth, putting my street clothes into the basket. Mark enters the room, bringing Lutz with him. “Pardon my intrusion,” he says. “Ah, Maïne. You’ve finished changing, I see?” “Thanks to Mister Benno’s help,” I reply. “Maïne, you idiot!” says Benno. ”Don’t skip the important part! All I did was call Matilda in.” Benno, roughly scratching his head, looks pointedly over at Matilda as she puts away the screen. “Ahh,” says Mark, nodding, before pus.h.i.+ng Lutz, having changed into his apprentice’s clothes, in front of him. Benno glances briefly at Lutz, making sure that he’s carrying a particular wooden tablet, then nods. “Alright, Lutz, today your job is to go to the temple and have a talk with Fran, one of Maïne’s attendants, about how to manage her physical condition. Have you finished the summary of what you’re going to explain to him?” “Yes, Master Benno.” Lutz bows politely, just like how Mark does, then picks up his basket and leaves the room. Seeing him acting like a model shop a.s.sistant makes me feel a little proud. I can understand, at least a little bit, what a parent must feel when they come to watch their kid at school on parents’ day. Aaah, Lutz is growing up, too... “Wow, Lutz, your posture and tone are really good,” I say, as I follow him out of the shop. “I’m not there yet, but this is part of my job, too.” Lutz huffs proudly, smiling. I think it’s wonderful that he’s able to be proud of his own hard work. I’ve definitely got to follow his example. “You’re doing so well being polite at the store. I’ve got to do the same and try to talk like a young lady at the temple, too.” “...Can you do that?” “When I tried, Mister Benno didn’t tell me I failed, so I don’t think it’s that weird. But it’s something that I need to practice so that I can get used to it. ...When we get there, I’m going to start talking differently, so even if it doesn’t really fit me, you’d better not start laughing.” If Lutz starts laughing, then my rich girl act, which I’m still very much not used to, will instantly come crumbling down. “...Do I need to talk politely, too?” “Mister Benno really surprised me with how careful he was being with his words when he was talking with n.o.bles. I think you should aim to be pretty polite, maybe?” “Y... yeah...” When I arrive at the temple, all three of my attendants are waiting for me in the courtyard beyond the gates. As I wonder to myself how they’d managed to do this when n.o.body’d contacted them in advance, Lutz kindly informs me that the Gilberta Company had sent a messenger ahead of us. It seems that even when returning home, word must be sent in advance. n.o.ble society is too much of a pain in the a.s.s. Now then, how do I greet them? “h.e.l.lo,” maybe? “I’m back,” perhaps? Hmmm... “Heh heh, I got you in trouble, didn’t I?” “...Huh?” I’d planned to use my rich girl voice for all of my interactions at the temple today, but Delia ruined that plan from the outset. I make a confused noise, tilting my head. Fran steps forward, pus.h.i.+ng Delia aside. “Welcome back, Sister Maïne. I am glad for your safe return. I have truly been awaiting your arrival.” Fran crosses his hands before his chest, bowing slightly. “All is well,” he says. “What is well?” interjects Delia. “She had a visitor come by, but she didn’t have her attendants with her! Now that was a public embarra.s.sment, wasn’t it? Heh heh, this makes me so happy.” Based on how she’s puffing out her chest, this seems like it should be an exceptionally embarra.s.sing event, but I don’t recall feeling particularly embarra.s.sed at all. Instead, I learned how skilled Fran is, and actually felt rather relieved that neither of the other two were there to cause problems for me. “...Fran was there, of course,” I say. “Hmph! That just meant that now everyone knows you can only bring out one attendant. You couldn’t even offer them flowers! I’m sure your visitor must have been very disappointed.” What does “offering flowers” involve? Even just from context, I don’t really feel the need to know, though. Benno made acquaintances with the head priest, pleased the head priest with his gifts, and seized the initiative in the conversation about distributing the profits of Maïne’s Workshop, so that was entirely satisfactory, wasn’t it? I don’t really understand, but it looks like Delia wants to hear that she did in fact cause me trouble. This is a huge bother, so there’s no better way to get this over with than as quickly as possible. “Argh. Yes. That was a problem. I’m in a lot of trouble now.” “Sister Maïne,” says Fran, “what―” “You’re causing me trouble, Delia. Even now.” Fran looks down pa.s.sively, seeming to understand what I’m going after. I glance briefly at the clothing in the basket on Lutz’s back, then look evenly at Delia, slowly tilting my head to the side. “How can I get you to work for me seriously, Delia?” “There’s no way I’d ever work for you, now is there?! You’re some kind of idiot, aren’t you! Too stupid.” Delia smiles triumphantly, turns around, and leaves to go off somewhere. She didn’t say any goodbyes, just doing whatever she wanted, so just like before, even though I wound up driving her away, I don’t feel the slightest bit guilty. It’s actually a bit refres.h.i.+ng. “...Hey, Maïne,” says Lutz. “Who was that?” “One of my attendants,” I reply. “What? Someone like that can be an attendant?” Lutz, dumbfounded, watches Delia as she heads off into the distance. His resolve to speak politely seems to have completely crumbled away. I understand completely. If I don’t put some willpower into it, my proper young lady speech isn’t going to come back either. “I apologize for my impertinence,” objects Fran immediately, perhaps feeling that his profession had been insulted, “but she is very much outside the norm.” Being an attendant is a job that requires one to be an excellent individual, like Fran is, so it’s likely that Delia, who had her eyes set on becoming the temple master’s mistress, is indeed outside the norm. “Fran, here, is an excellent attendant,” I tell Lutz. “Delia has certain problems, though...” “Hmm. So they’re not all like that, huh? That’s good.” As soon as Lutz voices his understanding, the other problem child b.u.t.ts into the conversation, pointing straight at Lutz. “And how about you, just kinda barging in here? What gives you the right?” Given that the two of them are the same height and build, and they’re having this conversation here, I’d a.s.sume that Lutz has already figured out that this boy is Gil. “Please think of this one as unusual as well,” says Fran. “You mean you’re the only decent one?!” cries Lutz. “What’s up with that?!” I have no follow-up. To Lutz, who sees that two out of my three attendants are outside the norm, it obviously looks like Fran is in the minority. As Fran and I stand there, at our wits’ end, Gil turns to yell at Lutz. “What’s up with you, you outsider!” “I’m Lutz. Maïne’s a.s.sociate. I’m the one primarily involved with managing her condition. I’m here because Master Benno asked me to talk with her attendants about how to manage her condition as well. And you, an attendant who can’t even manage a simple greeting...” To Lutz, who had been nervous about having to introduce himself to a n.o.bleman, this must have seemed like a huge anticlimax. “I’m sorry, Lutz. It’s because I’m still inexperienced as a master.” “Isn’t supporting you with that something your attendants are supposed to be doing? Do you really need someone like this who can’t even do the work he’s a.s.signed? If he doesn’t want to work, get rid of him. That other girl, too, she’s not thinking of anything but how to cause you trouble.” It is exactly as he says, but since these attendants were specifically a.s.signed to me, I can’t get rid of them so easily. “Well,” I say, “their stupidity is actually kind of helpful, in some cases, so it’s all good for now.” “Delia is the temple master’s spy, for example, but whenever she does anything, she immediately tells me about it. I definitely prefer that over someone who actually sneaks around in the shadows.” I really do prefer these kids over people I’d have no control over at all. “What a pain,” he mutters, shrugging. “...Hey. Tiny. You making fun of us?” says Gil. Gil glares daggers at me and Lutz. I’m pretty sure that he’s pointing out my stature when he said “tiny,” but I don’t feel like giving him the dignity of a response. “Fran, I have a favor to request of you,” I say. “Don’t ignore me! Stop being stupid!” Gil lunges forward, yelling, and grabs my arm, pulling with all his might. Given the differences in our physiques and our strength, he has no trouble pulling me, with my body barely big enough to be a four- or five-year-old, off-balance. As I’m yanked off my feet, Lutz is there to grab me, and we fall to the ground together. I sit there, squas.h.i.+ng Lutz, blinking uncomprehendingly, not quite processing what had just happened in that single instant. I slowly look around me. Fran, who I had just been talking with, looked like he had reached out to grab me, but didn’t make it in time, so he’s just standing there, looking at me, with his arm outstretched. Gil stands there in shock, looking back and forth between me and his hand, as if he can’t believe that he’d been able to send me flying so easily. “Maïne, you okay?” asks Lutz. “Yeah. So that’s one of your attendants, huh? Looks like he needs some discipline, doesn’t he?” Lutz’s tone of voice is no different than it usually is, but a fierce anger burns in his eyes as he looks at me. It almost looks like the color of his eyes is the tiniest bit lighter. Realizing just how angry he is, I flinch back. “He really does, but I don’t know if he deserves the kind of time, effort, and caring that would take... plus, I don’t really have the strength to do it myself.” “Alright, then, I’ll do it for you.” “You idiot! What were you going to do if she got hurt?!” In the poor parts of town, there are, of course, tons of quarrels between kids, but there’s a tacit understanding that you need to keep a close eye on your opponent if you get in a fight. After all, in the poor parts of town, your body is ultimately the source of your income, so it is strictly forbidden to go too far in a fight. This time, Gil clearly went too far. If he’d just kept talking, then Lutz would have shrugged it off and shot back a few of his own. However, Lutz had been told, both by my family and by Benno, to protect me, and Gil had dared to raise a hand against me in front of him. When I’m supposed to be his master, too, on top of that. “That’s my line! What kind of attendant attacks his master, idiot?!” Since it’s only natural that Gil should be paid back for attacking me, I stay quiet as I watch Lutz beat up Gil, thinking to myself that it would be great if this got him to behave. “Sister Maïne,” says Fran, “um, should you not stop Master Lutz—” “Why would I do such a thing? Is it not my duty as Gil’s master to discipline him? All that is happening is that Lutz is kindly doing it in my stead. I’m very happy for his help. After all, I lack the strength to do it myself.” I also don’t care enough, though, I add, in my head. Fran nervously looks back and forth between me and Gil, who is being slapped senseless. “You wish to discipline him... right? You could send him to the reflection room, or withhold the G.o.ds’ blessings, or...” “The reflection room?” “You... you musn’t resort to violence!” It seems that even discipline is greatly different between the poor parts of town and the temple. “Lutz, that’s enough,” I say. “This guy still doesn’t get it. He just keeps saying ‘why are you hitting me’ over and over.” “Fran says disciplining people in the temple doesn’t involve hitting them.” “Huh? Discipline is discipline, right?” “It looks like it’s different here.” Lutz clucks his tongue disappointedly as he takes his hands off of Gil. Apart from that first punch, the rest of the hits had been with an open palm, so Gil doesn’t have any obvious injuries. “Seriously. Not only does this guy not do the things he has to, he tried to hurt you. He’s the worst. I can’t let a dangerous attendant like this stay with you. Get rid of him.” “She doesn’t do what she has to either!” yells Gil. “She’s doesn’t give me anything she’s supposed to!” He stands up, holding a hand to his face, glaring at me. It seems like, once again, there’s another bit of common knowledge that I don’t know. “Say, Fran. What, perhaps, am I supposed to be giving him?” His squawking does nothing to advance the conversation. He should be fully aware that I don’t know any of the things that are considered common knowledge in the temple, but he’s still yelling about it. What an idiot. “Gil,” I say, “how stupid are you?” “What did you—?!” “I said it myself, didn’t I? I don’t know the common knowledge here. So why are you still thinking that I should know about this? Shouldn’t it be obvious, right from the start, that the daughter of commoners isn’t going to know anything about what goes on in the temple? Are you still seriously expecting me to know that?” “Ngh...” Gil grinds his teeth, glaring at me, unable to retort. Lutz steps between the two of us, as if he’s protecting me from Gil. “So why are you acting all self-important and yelling about the things she’s 'supposed’ to be giving you? What does she owe someone who doesn’t even bother doing his job? How did you come to the conclusion that someone who doesn’t do anything is owed anything?” “The blessings of the G.o.ds are given equally to everyone! Even though you get them sooner if you go up the ranks, everything is equal! It doesn’t matter what your job is!” Lutz and I exchange glances, neither of us understanding what Gil is trying to get at. I glance over at Fran, who is still standing next to me. “Fran. Might I ask you to explain this to me, perhaps? What might I be expected to give to Gil?”

「今日は荷物がいっぱいだな」 森に行く時に使う籠の中には、布に包まれた服が大量に入っている。フランとデリアとギルの服に、わたしの青の衣と帯、それから、昨日買ったばかりのわたしの3点セットだ。 昨日買ったのは民族衣装っぽくて可愛いんだけれど、継ぎ接ぎもなくて、綺麗な刺繍までされていて、だらりと長い袖にレースまで付いている。この辺りの子供が着るような服ではない。そんな服を着て、うろうろしていたら、どんな言いがかりを付けられるかわからない。 家族にも注意された結果、わたしはルッツと同じようにいつもの普段着でベンノの店まで行って、ルッツの倉庫で着替えさせてもらうことにした。 北の方で活動していると、どうしても服装や持ち一つが高価になっていく。そこでは当たり前に使われている物だから、仕方ない。けれど、よく気を付けないと、普段から高価なものを持っていると知られたら、家までの往復が危険になる。 洗礼式が済んだばかりの子供が着ている見習い服は、親が新しいものを準備するのが常なので、目を付けられることは少ないが、大きくなっても新しい服を着ていたら、多分、物取りに目を付けられる。ベンノに頼んでわたしのための荷物置き場も準備した方が良いかもしれない。 「そういうわけで、できれば格安のお部屋をわたしにも貸してくれませんか?」 ルッツが自分の部屋で着替えている間、わたしは奥の部屋で待たせてもらうことになり、ベンノに部屋を貸してほしいと頼んでみる。 「部屋を貸すのはいいが、格安となったら屋根裏部屋だぞ?......お前、荷物を置いたり、着替えたりするためだけに、毎回屋根裏まで上がれるのか?」 自分の家の5階でも息切れしている現実を思い出して、うっ、と怯んだ。 「ゆっくりゆっくり上がれば、大丈夫だと思います」 「全く大丈夫そうに見えんな。むしろ、神殿に部屋はないのか? お前に客が来た時はどうするんだ?」 「客?」 魔力をこめるのと本を読むためだけに神殿へと通う予定だったわたしに来客の予定はない。理解できなくて首を傾げると、ベンノがペンを置いてこちらを見た。 「ルッツを迎えに出した時でも、本来なら、お前の部屋に通されるはずだろう? 前はどうだった?」 「......ルッツは門前で待たされて、灰色神官が図書室まで呼びに来ました。えーと、つまり、図書室をわたしの部屋にできないか交渉した方が良いってことですか?」 「どうしてそうなる!?」 「そうなったらいいのにな、って願望が口からつるっと」 高価な本が並んだ図書室が自分の部屋になることがないことはわかっている。ただの願望だ。 「ハァ。もういい。......お前が部屋を持っていないなら、今日は神官長に申し出て、部屋を借りろよ」 「へ? 今日?」 「お前の体調管理について、フランと話をするのが、今日のルッツの仕事だ」 話が少し落ち着くと、ベンノは机の上のベルを手にとって鳴らした。すると、奥の扉から下働きの女性が顔を出す。 「お呼びですか?」 「着替えを手伝ってやれ。マイン、そこの衝立を使っていいから着替えろ。お前に屋根裏は無理だ」 え? ここで着替えろって言うんですか!? 喉まで上がってきた言葉を、わたしは呑みこむ。ベンノは女性に命じた後、ペンを取って仕事を始めてしまったし、女性はてきぱきと衝立を広げて着替える場所を確保し始めた。当たり前のように準備されて、戸惑うわたしの方がおかしいみたいな雰囲気に、どうにも上手い断り文句が思い浮かばない。 「......あの、ベンノさん。お気遣い頂かなくても、ゆっくり上がれば大丈夫ですよ?」 「出発前に、ただでさえ少ない体力を使うな」 一応心配されているわけだし、気遣いだし、幼女だし、恥ずかしくないと思えば恥ずかしくない......? いやいや、恥ずかしいですから! 「着替えはどれですか? これですか?......はい、準備できましたよ。こちらへどうぞ」 「ルッツが来る前に支度は終わらせろよ」 断る間もなく、着替えるための準備ができてしまった。わたしは諦めて衝立の方へと向かう。 「......じゃあ、ありがたく使わせていただきます」 恥ずかしい時間は早く終わらせてしまいたい。衝立の裏で下働きのおばさんに手伝ってもらいながら、さっさと着替える。バッとワンピースを脱いで、ブラウスを羽織ったら、太股まで長さがあるから、もう誰かに見られても平気。 おばさんには大量にある小さいボタンを止めるのを半分くらい手伝ってもらい、スカートの長さとウエストを調節してもらい、ボディスを締める紐をくくってもらった。最後にベンノにもらった髪飾りを付けて、着替えは完了だ。 「ベンノさん、終わりました。ありがとうございました」 脱いだ普段着を畳んで手に抱えて、衝立から出ると、顔を上げたベンノが上から下までゆっくりとわたしを見る。 「......まぁ、それらしく見えるな」 「え? え? それらしいって、お嬢様っぽいですか? 可愛いですか?」 「黙っていたら、の話だ」 わたしが口を閉じて普段着を籠に入れていると、マルクがルッツを連れて入ってきた。 「失礼します、旦那様。おや、マイン。着替えは終わっていたのですね?」 「ベンノさんが手伝ってくれました」 「......旦那様?」 「マイン、この阿呆! 省略しすぎだ! 俺はマチルダを呼んだだけだ」 ベンノがガシガシと頭を掻きながら、衝立を片付けているマチルダを視線で示した。あぁ、とマルクが納得したように頷き、見習い服に着替えたルッツを前に押しやる。 「では、ルッツの本日の仕事は、神殿に赴き、マインの側仕えであるフランとマインの体調管理について話をすることだ。報告してもらうことについてのまとめは終わっているか?」 「はい、旦那様」 マルクと同じように一礼したルッツがわたしの籠を持って、部屋を出る。ちゃんと店員らしい言動になっているのを見て、ちょっとだけ授業参観の親の気持ちがわかった気がした。 あぁ、ルッツも成長したなぁ。 「ルッツ、姿勢や言葉遣いがすごく良くなったね」 「まだまだだけど、これも仕事だからな」 フッとルッツは誇らしそうな笑みを浮かべた。頑張る自分を誇れるのはすごいことだと思う。わたしも見習わないといけない。 「ルッツが店で丁寧な言葉を使うように、わたしも神殿ではお嬢様っぽい言葉遣いしなきゃいけないんだよね」 「......できるのか?」 「ベンノさんも不合格とは言わなかったから、それほど変じゃないと思う。でも、馴染むように練習しなきゃダメなんだよ。......神殿で言葉遣い変えた時、似合わなくても笑わないでね」 ルッツに笑われたら、馴染んでいないわたしのお嬢様言葉なんて簡単に崩壊する。 「......オレも丁寧に喋らなきゃダメか?」 「ベンノさんはビックリするくらい貴族に対する言葉を使いこなしていたよ。丁寧くらいは心掛けた方が良いかも?」 「お、おぉ......」 わたしが神殿に行くと、側仕えが全員門の向こうの広場で待っていた。何の連絡もしてないのに、なんで? と思っていたら、ギルベルタ商会から使いが出されたとルッツが教えてくれた。自宅に帰る時も先触れが必要らしい。貴族社会って面倒くさすぎる。 さて、なんて挨拶すればいいんだろう?「おはよう」?「ただいま」? うーん......。 「ふふん、困ったでしょ?」 「へ?」 神殿ではお嬢様言葉で対応する予定だったのに、デリアに出鼻を挫かれた。間の抜けた声を出して首を傾げるわたしの前へ、デリアを押し退けるようにしてフランが出てきた。 「お帰りなさいませ、マイン様。ご無事の御帰宅、心よりお待ちしておりました」 気を取り直して、わたしはフランに声をかける。フランは両手を胸の前で交差させ、軽く腰を落とした。 「何が恙無くよ! 客人を連れてくるのに、側仕えがいないなんて。すっごく恥をかいたでしょ? ふふん、いい気味」 胸を張っているところ非常に残念かもしれないが、わたしは恥を掻いた覚えはない。むしろ、フランの有能さがわかって、余計な事をしでかす子がいなくて助かったと思っている。 「......フランがいてくれたわ」 「フン! たった一人でできることなんて、たかが知れてるわ。花を捧げることもできないじゃない。客人だって、さぞガッカリしたでしょうね」 花を捧げるって何さ? 文脈から考えても知りたくないけど。ベンノさんは神官長と面識を得て、贈り物が気に入られて、マイン工房の利益配分について主導権を握ったから、大満足だったみたいだけど? よくわからないが、デリアはわたしに困ったと言わせたいらしい。面倒なので、こんな会話はさっさと終わらせるに限る。 「あー、うん。困った。すごく困ってる」 「マイン様、何に......」 「デリアが面倒で困ってる。まさに今」 フランはわたしの言葉に納得したように目を伏せた。わたしはルッツの背負っている籠の中に入ったままの服に視線を向けた後、デリアを見て、ゆっくりと首を傾げた。 「デリアは一体どうしたら真面目に働く気になるの?」 「あたしがあんたのために働くわけないでしょ!? バッカじゃないの! 頭悪すぎ」 デリアは勝ち誇った笑みを浮かべて、踵を返すと、どこかへ去っていく。挨拶の一つもなく、やりたい放題なので、これから先、追い払うことになっても罪悪感も覚えずに済むし、いっそ清々しい。 「......なぁ、マイン。何だ、あれ?」 「一応側仕え」 「ハァ? 側仕えってあんなのでも務まるのか?」 呆然とした様子でルッツが去っていくデリアの背中を指差した。丁寧な言葉を使おうと思っていた決意が崩れたらしい。気持ちはわかる。わたしも一度気合入れ直さないと、お嬢様言葉に戻れそうにない。 「失礼とは存じますが、彼女は例外でございます」 自分の仕事を侮辱されたと受け取ったのか、フランが即座に反論する。本来の側仕えがフランみたいな優秀な人の仕事なら、確かに、神殿長の愛人を目指すデリアは例外かもしれない。 「フランは優秀な側仕えなの。デリアは問題あるけれど......」 「ふーん。あんなんばっかりじゃないんだな。よかった」 ルッツがそう言って納得してくれた直後、もう一人の問題児がしゃしゃり出てきた。ビシッとルッツを指差して睨む。 「お前こそ、勝手に神殿へ入って来て、何だよ?」 ルッツが嫌そうに顔をしかめた。けれど、自分と同じような背恰好で、この場にいるということで、ギルが何者か見当はついているはずだ。 「こちらも例外と考えてください」 フランがすぐさまギルも例外だと言ったけれど、フォローのしようがない。例外の方が多いわたしの側仕えしか見たことがないルッツにとっては、まともなフランの方が少数派になってしまう。 「さっきから何だよ、お前! 部外者のくせに!」 「マインの関係者、ルッツだ。主にマインの体調管理をしている。今日は旦那様の意向により、マインの側仕えと体調管理について話をしに来たんだけど、挨拶一つまともにできない側仕えって......」 貴族相手に挨拶しなければ、と気負っていたルッツにとって、ものすごい肩透かしだっただろう。 「ごめんね、ルッツ。わたしがまだ主として未熟だから」 「それを支えるのが側仕えの役目だろう? 与えられた仕事が満足にできないヤツは必要ないだろ? やる気がないヤツなんて切り捨てろよ。さっきの女なんて、マインを困らせることしか考えてなかったぞ」 ルッツの言うとおりなのだが、向こうが指定して付けられた側仕えなので、そう簡単に辞めさせることもできないのだ。 「まぁ、おバカ加減に助けられている部分もあるから、今はいいよ」 「デリアは神殿長の回し者だから。何をしたのか、わざわざ報告してくれるだけ、隠れてこっそり何かされるよりはよっぽどマシなの」 わたしの手に負えない人が付けられるより、マシだ。ルッツは「面倒だな」と呟き、肩を竦める。 「......おい、チビ。お前、オレ達のこと、バカにしてるのか?」 ギルが目にして、わたしとルッツを睨んだ。ギルがチビと言う以上、わたしのことを指しているのだろうと思うが、返事をしてやる義理はない。 「フラン、お願いがあるのだけれど」 「無視するな! バカにするな!」 ギルが叫びながら、わたしの腕を力任せに引っ張った。体格も違う、腕力も違うギルが力任せに引っ張れば、4~5歳の体格しかないわたしなんて簡単に振り回される。 横に飛ばされかけたのを、そこにいたルッツが抱きしめる形で庇ってくれた。ルッツを下敷きに転んだわたしは、一瞬何が起こったのかわからなくて、しぱしぱと目を瞬く。 ゆっくりと周りを見ると、わたしと向き合って話をしていたフランは息を呑んで手を伸ばしたが、届かなかったようで、手を伸ばしたままこちらを見ている。ギルはまさかわたしが簡単に飛ばされると思っていなかったのか、自分の手とわたしを驚いたように見比べていた。 「マイン、怪我はないか?」 「ルッツが庇ってくれたから平気。ルッツは?」 「ん。アレはお前の側仕えなんだよな? 躾が足りないんじゃないか?」 いつもどおりに声をかけたはずなのに、ルッツの目が怒りに燃えて、わたしを見た。少しだけ瞳の色が薄くなっている。ルッツがものすごく怒っているのがわかって、わたしは一瞬怯んだ。 「躾なんて全然足りてないけど、そんな時間も労力も愛情ももったいなくて......わたし、体力も腕力もないし」 「じゃあ、マインの代わりにオレがやる」 「このバカ! マインが怪我したらどうするんだ!?」 下町の子供同士の小競り合いはよくあることだが、相手をよく見てケンカしなければならないという暗黙のルールがある。何に関しても身体が資本の下町で、やり過ぎは御法度なのである。 今回、明らかにギルはやりすぎた。口で言う分には、ルッツも肩を竦めて言葉の応酬で終わっただろう。しかし、ウチの家族やベンノから「マインを守れ」と言われているルッツの前で手を出してしまった。それも、主であるはずのわたしに対して。 「それはこっちのセリフだ! 側仕えが主に手を上げるなんて何をするんだ、このバカ!」 手を出したギルはやり返されて当然なので、わたしはルッツがギルを殴りつけるのを黙って見ていた。これでギルが大人しくなってくれたらいいなぁ、と思いながら。 「マイン様、あの、ルッツ様を止めなくては......」 「どうして? ギルを躾けるのは主の役目なのでしょう? ルッツが代わりにしてくれるんですって。助かるわ。わたくし、腕力も体力もないから」 やる気もないけれど、と心の中で付け加えていると、おろおろしたようにフランがわたしと平手でぶたれているギルを見比べた。 「躾ですよ? 反省室で反省させるとか、神の恵みを一回禁じるとか......」 「反省室?」 「その、暴力はいけません」 どうやら、躾にも下町と神殿では大きな違いがあったようだ。 「ルッツ、それくらいにして」 「まだわかってないぞ、こいつ。なんで殴るんだって言ってるくらいなんだから」 「神殿では手を上げちゃいけないんだって」 「ハァ? 躾だろ?」 「ここでは違うらしいよ」 最初にグーで殴られた以外は、平手だったようで、ギルに目立った怪我はない。 「ったく。やらなきゃいけないことをやってない上に、マインに怪我をさせるなんて最悪だ。こんな側仕え、危なくてマインの側に置いておけねぇよ。解雇しろ」 「やってないのはそのチビだって一緒だ! 与えるべきものを与えてないだろ!」 どうやら、また何か、わたしの知らない常識があるらしい。 「ねぇ、フラン。わたくしが与えるべきものって何かしら?」 フランより先にギルが叫んだ。ギルがぎゃあぎゃあ叫ぶと全然話が進まない。わたしに神殿の常識がないことなんてわかりきっているのに、それしか叫べないなんて、頭が悪すぎる。 「ギルって、ホントにバカだよね?」 「何だと!?」 「......だって、自分で言ったじゃない。わたしには常識がないって。それなのに、なんでわたしが知っているって思うの? 平民出身のわたしが神殿の常識を知らないことなんて、最初からわかってたことでしょ? 今更何を期待しているの?」 「ぐっ......」 ギルは言葉に詰まったようで、わたしを睨んで歯ぎしりする。 「お前、与えるべきものって、偉そうに何言ってるんだよ? 仕事もしてないヤツが何かもらえると思ってるのか!? 何もしてないのに、何かもらえるなんて考える方がどうかしているぜ」 「神様からの恵みは平等に与えられる物だろ! 階級が上がれば恵みを先に頂けるようになるけど、全ては平等だ! 仕事なんて関係ない!」 ギルの言っている意味がわからなくて、わたしはルッツと顔を見合わせた後、隣に立っているフランに声をかけた。 「フラン。教えてもらっていいかしら? わたくしが与えるべきものというのは何?」

After the bamboo exploded in the stove, I slip back into feverish nightmare, clutching my last remaining bamboo stick as I writhe in pain. The anger of having something I made burned up. The vexation of that anger not being understood. The despair of having struggled so many times to make a book, yet never finis.h.i.+ng one at all. Spreading through it all, a deep and profound weariness that makes me just want to let go of everything. I don’t care about anything anymore. I no longer have the willpower to fight back. My mother burned my mokkan, When she burned the bamboo that Lutz had brought so I could make bamboo writing strips, though, I couldn’t summon up any of that anger. If only I was healthy. If only I was a strong, fit adult. If I were an adult, I could have skipped over papyrus, clay tablets, and mokkan, and gone straight to making rice paper. At least, if I was as strong as Tory and Lutz, strong and fit enough to do real work, I could at least try. With this frail body and these weak child’s hands, I can’t cut up the wood I’d need in order to make real paper. If I could just wait until I grew up, then maybe I could finally find my answer. But that’s so, so far away. And still, even though I’m talking about growing up, will I really grow as much as everyone else? Hobbled by my lack of strength, will I really grow? I can’t even hope for that. If everything is truly pointless, isn’t it okay for me to just surrender to this fever that rages within me? In a place where I can’t get a single book, is my fight to constantly endure living in this filthy, difficult world really worth it? Maybe it’s okay to just disappear. It was a fleeting, accidental thought, but the fever surged forth anyway, sucking me deeper and deeper. A feeling spreads through me, a vague desire to just stop thinking, to let the fever swallow me whole. I have only one regret. I won’t be able to apologize to Lutz. I won’t be able to apologize for the fact that I couldn’t use any of the bamboo, despite how hard he’d worked to find a nonflammable material I could use. The words he said to me when he’d left to go get me some bamboo drift through my mind. “This is just so you’ll introduce me to Otto! I’m paying you in advance, so you’d better get healthy! Got it?!” I haven’t fulfilled that promise. Even though he’d put in so much work for the sake of that promise, is it okay for me to just pretend it never happened and run away into the depths of this fever? Lutz did pay me in advance. It would be so simple to just fade away in this fever, but he gave me those bamboo strips, so I have to get better. I have to introduce him to Otto. I tell myself that it’s for Lutz’s sake, and try to push the fever back down. I’d much rather keep my promise than be eaten alive. I need to put my affairs in order. I don’t have time for thoughts like the one that flitted through my mind just a little while ago. That’s right, when I died in that earthquake, I wasn’t ready for that at a... aaaaaaAAA! What happened to all those things I’d never gotten around to doing! NOOOOOO! I don’t want this, I don’t want this! This is awful! I can’t just die here! All the regrets from my previous life that I’d thought I’d already buried come clearly flas.h.i.+ng through my mind. “Even though I died, dying is too much!” I cry, leaping to my feet. Somehow, the fever’s been crammed back into a tiny little ball. I shoved my last life’s regrets back into the corner of my mind, and once again resolved not to think about them anymore. Now that I’ve finally been allowed to leave the house and accompany my father to the gates, I head to the duty room to meet Otto. “Excuse me, Mister Otto, I asked you a favor, but then I got really sick...” That’s right: while I was laid out with fever, Otto’s day off came and went, so he and Lutz weren’t able to meet like I had promised. “Squad Leader told me about how you were sick for five entire days. Are you alright?” “Yeah!” I say, smiling. “Thanks to everyone.” Otto frowns slightly, staring closely at my face. “Are you really okay? Your color’s quite off.” The fact that I’m looking kind of pale is actually not the fever’s fault. Rather, it’s because it seems unlikely that I’ll be able to make any paper. “Aaah~, it’s because there’s something really troubling me that I can’t figure out how to solve. ...Mister Otto, can I ask what you’d do in my place?” “Huh? You want to ask what I’d do if I had your problem?” He glances at me briefly, his eyes round. Otto, during his time as a trader, must have acc.u.mulated so many experiences that I can’t even imagine. There’s a chance he might be able to think of something that I couldn’t. “Yeah. There’s a thing that I really want right now, but since I’m not healthy and not strong, I can’t make it myself. When I grow up, I think I’d be able to make it, but since my body’s like this, I don’t know if I’m going to be a healthy adult either, or if I’m even going to grow up as much as everyone else. Also, I really can’t wait all that time. Mister Otto, what would you do if you were me?” Otto nods along as he listens to my explanation. When I finish, he answers immediately, like he hardly needed to think about it at all. “If you can’t make it yourself,” he says, raising his eyebrows a bit, “why don’t you hire someone who can? Is that all that’s bothering you?” “Ah?!” The scales have fallen from my eyes. I’d never even considered the concept of hiring someone to get me the things I wanted. As expected of a trader. I wonder why, though. I was certainly aware of the concept that I could be hired by someone, but it had never crossed my mind that someone could be hired by me. “...That’s an amazing idea, but I don’t have the money for that.” “Well, if waiting until you do isn’t possible, then... Hm. If it were me, I’d find someone who could do it, then subtly lead them along until they offered to do it of their own free will. It’s not an easy thing to do, but if they do it without you directly asking, it won’t hurt your budget at all.” He truly is a former merchant. His explanation is so eloquent, and his smile so genuine, but he’s brilliantly wicked. I must have been happily lead along like that too, huh? My calculation abilities are quite high, but wasn’t I saying that it seemed really easy on the budget to hire an a.s.sistant on a salary of slate pencils? “......I’ll follow your example.” Taking someone who looks like they could do something, then leading them along until they do it on their own initiative... is it? That seems like it would be really difficult for someone like me. As I stew in my thoughts, Otto pats me on the shoulder and hands me my slate. He’s clearly telling me that the conversation’s over and that I should get to quietly studying. “Ah, that’s right! Maine, since you’re feeling better, how about we meet the day after tomorrow, on my day off? We could meet at, hmm... the central plaza would do nicely. How about we meet there around the third bell?” “I was just thinking about asking you. Thank you so much!” Out of habit, I jot down a memo in the corner of my slate, reminding myself that we’re meeting after the third bell. When I look back up, Otto is lightly rubbing his chin, smiling so widely that his eyes crinkle. For some reason, that smile sends a chill down my spine, like I’m looking at something dangerous. I reflexively straighten up in my seat and fix my gaze on him. “Ahh, if it’s someone you’re personally introducing to me, he’s got to be an interesting child. I’m looking forward to an enjoyable day off!” Did he just say “don’t bring someone boring, because it will ruin my precious day off”, or was it my imagination? Huh? I thought this was going to be a casual meeting so that he could talk about what it was like as a trader, right? I cover up the sudden turbulence in my heart with a big smile and a nod, then I let my gaze drop down to my slate. I’ve broken out in something of a cold sweat. This isn’t good. I barely have any time before this meeting, and I don’t even know what it’s really about! I grind my teeth with worry over how little time I have to prepare. We’re meeting the day after tomorrow, so I really have no time. I can’t ask, either; since I’m the one who is doing the introductions, I can’t really say that I have no clue what the meeting is really for. As I diligently practice my vocabulary, my pencil clacking against the slate, I frantically try to think of what the meeting could possibly mean. “Maine, we’re heading home already.” “Daddy!” It’s rather early for us to be heading home, but when he calls for me I gather up my things and leave the duty room. “Hey, Daddy. I told Mister Otto that I wanted to introduce him to Lutz, but what does an introduction like that mean?” “Lutz would be looking around for an apprentices.h.i.+p at about this time, right? I think that he’d do well to follow his older brothers into their line of work, but does he want to become a merchant?” A job referral?! No, no, it’s not supposed to be that heavy! I mean, a child like me can’t possibly be part of anyone’s network. “He just said he wanted to ask some questions...” “Right, so there’s no doubt about it, he wanted a referral so he could ask about an apprentices.h.i.+p. Your friend seems rather relentless.” “Relentless?” “Of course. When we talk about hiring an apprentice, we’re talking about looking after someone for a very long period of time. Even when you’re fully independent, that’s the kind of bond that can’t ever be completely broken.” This is far more serious than I thought. Lutz is not just looking to ask some questions. It seems that, since he wants to become a trader, he wants Otto, a former trader, to introduce him to somebody. Aaah, so in other words, the meeting the day after tomorrow is basically a job interview?! How did I have no idea this was going to be such an important meeting?! After we returned home, I asked my mother and father about apprentices.h.i.+ps in detail. The next day, I load my basket full of cargo before I head to the forest, now fully aware of how serious this meeting is going to be. On our way to the forest, I explain to Lutz about the sad fate of the bamboo strips, and let him know that the meeting with Otto was going to be tomorrow. He sighed when I told him about the bamboo, saying that it’s definitely possible to mistake bamboo for vanihitz, and when I told him about the meeting he thanked me with honest delight. When we reach the forest, everybody scatters to go about their gathering work. I, however, grab Lutz’s hand, and drag him over to the river. “Now then, Lutz. This is a good spot, so let’s make sure you’re nice and clean all over.” “Huh?” Otto, because he was once a merchant, keeps a very tidy appearance. I think that it’s best for Lutz to give the best possible impression that he can on his first meeting. Since I help Otto with his job so frequently, I am well aware of how calculating he is, just like a merchant. If I were in Lutz’s shoes, I would want to show up to this meeting looking absolutely flawless. If he were to judge Lutz as without merit on their very first meeting, there’s no way he’d even refer Lutz to a shopkeeper, let alone a trader. “When you’re meeting people for the first time, first impressions are really important! Since we have time to prepare, it’s a really good idea to make sure we do everything right. If I were to judge you right now, based on what you look like, I wouldn’t think very well of you.” “Even if I wash up, though, I don’t think much is going to change.” It would be stellar if Lutz could borrow the nice clothes Ralph wore to his baptism, but I don’t know if Ralph lend them to him. Neither Lutz nor I have much in the way of clothing, so there’s not much we can do but wear our usual stuff, but if there’s anything that we can improve, I want to improve it. Despite his stubbornness, I take out my simple all-in-one shampoo and get ready start working on his hair, explaining to him about how much of an effect one’s appearance has on other people. I intend to polish him until he s.h.i.+nes, so I lugged a bucket, some cloth, and a comb out with me to the forest. I don’t intend to just wash his hair, though; I want his whole body clean. I fill the bucket with water from the river and my simple shampoo, then I wash it through Lutz’s hair over and over, like I usually do with Tory’s. I keep talking with Lutz as I work, somehow feeling like some kind of hairdresser. “So, Lutz. When you said you wanted to hear about being a trader, you really meant you wanted to be a trader, right? And since you want to be a trader, you wanted to be introduced to one?” “Hm? Yeah.” I dry off his blonde hair with a cloth, which is now much glossier. It’s such a beautiful color of gold that I wouldn’t mind having it myself. As I comb it out, it only gets more radiant. Holding back my little bit of envy, I keep asking him questions. “So, Lutz, when you become a trader, what do you want to do? Just travel around?” “What’s up with you all of a sudden?” “You have to think carefully about it!” “Why?” “Mister Otto doesn’t know anything about you. You’re not being introduced by your parents or a relative who knows you super well, so you’re going to have to think of all of these answers yourself.” From what my parents were telling me yesterday, it seems like in this town a child’s parents do the introductions when the child starts doing an interns.h.i.+p. For that reason, a child’s job winds up being somehow related to one of their parents’ jobs. For example, my mother works as a dyer, so she introduced Tory to one of her friends from work, and got her an apprentices.h.i.+p as a seamstress. When a child has the same profession as their parent, they don’t tend to work at the same place, since it would be too easy for them to start relying on their parents too much. However, if the child enters a related profession, then their parents can rest easy knowing that their child is being supervised by someone they know, and the children work seriously because they know their parents will be hearing about it. It’s rare for a child like Lutz to want to work in a profession their parents are opposed to, and rarer still for them to be introduced by someone outside the family. “Mister Otto is being really gracious in meeting you tomorrow, but it’s not because he’s super nice! He used to be a merchant, so he’s a person who thinks of everything in terms of profit and loss. If you show up without having thought any of this through, he’s not going to meet you a second time, I don’t think.” Tomorrow’s meeting is a job interview. For an interview, you need to make sure your appearance is in order and that you know both what you want out of the job and what you think you can bring to it. If you don’t, there’s a good chance you won’t be taken seriously. “...How about you, Maine?” “Huh?” “If someone were to ask you why you wanted to be a merchant, could you tell them immediately?” Lutz scowls at me with pursed lips, perhaps because he couldn’t come up with his own answer immediately. “Yeah. I want to sell paper. If I can be a merchant’s apprentice, then I could find someone to teach how to make paper, then I could have them make it for me.” It’s all for my sake, because I want books. Until now, I’ve been thinking that I shouldn’t be relying on others, and I should do whatever I can to make something that I could reasonably subst.i.tute for books. However, at this point I am quite frankly at my limit. Now, what I want is for someone who can do all the labor, from beginning to end, while all I do is provide the knowledge. If I turn over the profits I’d ordinarily get for that information, I think I could find someone out there who would make it for me. “Paper? I thought you wanted books, though?” “You need paper if you want to make a book. And, you know, I don’t think there’s anyone else around here besides me who really wants books.” “If you’re the only person who wants to buy books, then you’re not going to be able to sell any, right?” he says, shocked. I nod, with a big smile. “Yeah! Selling books isn’t going to be that easy, I don’t think. However, paper... I think I can make it for cheaper than parchment, so I think I’d be able to sell it. At the very least, I think there might be a merchant out there who would take me on once I showed him how to make it.” “...Huh. You’ve really thought this through, Maine. I’ll have to think about it too.” “Since you’re only Mister Otto’s a.s.sistant’s friend, it’ll be really easy for him to turn you down. If you can clearly say what you want to do with yourself, though, and you can make them believe that it’ll be profitable for them, then won’t there be a merchant out there who’d take you on?” While Lutz sits, deep in thought, scowling at the surface of the river, I use the time to wash up the rest of his body. We don’t have the time to sit here and do nothing while we think. Well before the third bell sounds, Lutz and I arrive at the town square, me looking like I always do and Lutz looking far nicer than usual. I had been hoping that Ralph would lend Lutz his nice clothing, but it seems that Ralph didn’t want them to get dirty and refused. “Hey, we’re meeting at the third bell, right? Aren’t we way too early?” “That’s okay! Being late would be absolutely fatal. Once we get there, we can sit and talk for a while, and it’ll be time for the meeting before you know it.” The temple rings its bell regularly, in intervals of somewhere between two and three hours. I’m sure that being late to a meeting in a world without actual timepieces isn’t as bad as I made it sound, but I want to avoid any sort of negative impression from having the two of us be late to a meeting we requested. “That reminds me, yesterday, my mom was all, ‘what did you do to your hair?’, and she made a really big deal about it!” With a deplorable look on his face, he tugs at a lock of his glossy blond hair. I understand exactly what his mother was thinking. If my son suddenly had smooth, s.h.i.+ny hair after a day out, I’d be curious too. “Beauty is always the thing a woman is most fascinated by, after all.” “I told her you did it, so she should ask you if she wants to know.” “What?!” I shrink back suddenly, my voice crying out in incredulity, a headache instantly forming as I realize that I’ll never be free of Carla’s unceasing barrage of questions once she gets a hold of me. “I’ll tell her how to make it so she can do it herself. I don’t have very much of it anymore.” “...Ah, sorry. If it’s that bad, you didn’t need to use it on me, you know?” “That’s okay. You’re always the one helping me out, after all.” I don’t mind using some of my simple shampoo on Lutz at all, since he’s been constantly a.s.sisting me, but I absolutely would mind giving it to Carla. After all, I’m already having to suffer with the fact that I can only wash my hair with shampoo once out of every five days and have to use plain water on the rest. “But, still...” “If it really bothers you, I wouldn’t mind if you helped me make some more. I’m way too weak, so I’m not very good at pressing oil.” “What, is that it?” As we talk, Otto comes into view near the entrance to the plaza. When he sees the two of us, he smiles broadly, but even from this far away I immediately realize what just happened. Ahh, this really was a test. Given that he gave such a fuzzy time as “around the third bell” while giving me that dangerous smile that put me so on edge, this really must have been a test to see whether or not we’d arrive well before the bell actually rang. Otto purses his lips just a little, then turns towards another part of the plaza and gives a big wave. Another man comes into view, and the two of them start walking towards us. Beads of cold sweat trickle down my spine, and I unconsciously grip Lutz’s hand tightly. “They’re here, Lutz. Remember, introduce yourself first.” Judging from how the two of them are talking quietly to each other as they approach, I know that this is Otto’s friend, a merchant. He briefly glances at me, and I meet his eyes. They gleam with a sharp light, and I feel like my value is being appraised. n.o.body told me that Otto wasn’t going to be the only interviewer! Aargh, it’s Lutz’s interview, but I’m the one getting super stressed, here!

竈で竹が爆ぜた後、ただけ残った竹を握ったまま、わたしは高熱にうなされて、またうごめく熱の中にいた。 自分が作った物を燃やされた怒り。 抗う気力がなかった。 母に木簡を燃やされ、ルッツが持ってきてくれた竹簡になるはずのものを燃やされたのに、もう怒りさえ湧いてこない。 この身体が健康で腕力も体力もある大人だったらよかったのに。 わたしが大人だったら、パピルスも粘土板も木簡も全部すっ飛ばして、和紙が作れた。 もしかしたら、大人になるまで待てば、解決する問題かもしれない。 希望が持てるはずもない。 努力しても本が手に入らない場所で、不便で汚い環境と折り合いをつけて、我慢を重ねながら、生きていくことに、何か意味はあるんだろうか。 もう、消えちゃってもいいんじゃないかな。 ちらっと考えただけでも、身体の中の熱はわたしを呑みこもうと動きを活発にする。何もかも考えるのを止めて、呑みこまれてしまえ、と熱が誘うように広がっていく。 心残りはひとつだけだ。ルッツに謝ってない。 せっかく燃やされない素材を一生懸命考えて準備してくれたのに、竹簡がダメになったことを謝ってない。 「これは、オットーさんに紹介してもらうためだからな! 先払いしてるんだから、マインは絶対に元気にならないとダメだ! いいな?」 あれだけ手伝ってもらって、約束したのに、しらばっくれて、この熱の中に逃げ込んでもいいのだろうか。 熱に呑まれて消えるのは簡単だけれど、竹簡を受け取ってしまったわたしは、元気になってオットーを紹介しなければならない。 ルッツのためだ、と自分に言い聞かせて、熱を押し込めていく。熱に食われるにしても、ルッツとの約束は果たしてからの方がいい。 そうそう、地震で死んだ時は、全然整理できてなかっ......ああぁぁぁぁ! あの黒歴史の固まり、どうなったんだろう!? のおおおぉぉぉっ! 気になる、気になるよ! やばい! 死んでる場合じゃない! きっちりと処分しておきたかった前世での黒歴史が次々と浮かんできて、「死んでも死にきれないっ!」と飛び起きた時には、何故か身体の中の熱がかなり小さくなっていた。 やっと父同伴で門までなら、と外出を許されたわたしは、宿直室でオットーと顔を合わせていた。 「オットーさん、すみません。こちらからお願いしたのに、熱出しちゃって......」 そう、熱を出して倒れている間に、約束していた休日は過ぎてしまい、オットーとルッツを会わせることはできなかった。 「5日も熱が下がらなかった、って班長から聞いたよ。もう大丈夫なのか?」 笑って見せても、オットーは少し眉を寄せたまま、じっとわたしの顔を見る。 顔色が悪く見えるのは、熱のせいではない。 「あ~、解決しない悩み事がありまして。......オットーさんならどうするか、聞いてもいいですか?」 「え? その悩み事、俺が聞いていいの?」 旅商人として、わたしには想像もできないような経験を積んでいるだろうオットーなら、わたしには考えつかない答えを返してくれないだろうか。 「はい。わたし、今すぐに欲しい物があるんですけど、力も体力もない今のわたしじゃ作れないんです。大人になったらできるかもしれないけど、こんな体じゃあ、本当に健康になれるかわからないし、人並みに大きくなれるかわからない。そもそも、そんな長い時間待てない。オットーさんなら、こういう時どうしますか?」 ふんふんと頷きながら聞いていたオットーは、ほとんど考えることもなく、軽く眉を上げて答えを出した。 「自分でできないなら、できるヤツを雇えばいいだろ? 悩みってそれだけ?」 「!?」 自分が欲しい物を手に入れるために他人を雇うという発想はなかった。さすが元商人だ。 「......すごく名案だと思うんですけど、先立つ物がないんですよ」 「まぁ、その年で持ってるはずがない。そうだな。俺なら、できるヤツを誘導して、自主的にやるように仕向ける。簡単なことじゃないが、相手が自分からやればこっちの懐は痛まない」 わたしも間違いなく誘導されてますよね? 計算能力が高いのに、石筆で雇える助手は予算に優しいって言ってましたもんね? 「......参考にしてみます」 やってくれそうな誰かを巻き込んで、相手に自主的にやらせる......か。 ふんぬぅ、と悩んでいると、オットーがポンと肩を叩いて、石板を差し出してきた。お喋りは終わり。黙って勉強しましょう、の合図だ。 「あ、そうそう。マインちゃんが元気なら、明後日の休日に会えないか? 場所は、そうだなぁ......。中央広場がいい。中央広場鐘の頃でどうだい?」 「こちらからお願いしようと思っていたんです。わざわざありがとうございます」 何故か背筋がぞわりとするような危険を感じさせる笑顔で、思わず背筋を伸ばしてオットーを凝視する。 「あぁ、マインちゃんが紹介してくる子だから、面白い子だろうな。楽しい休日になるのを期待してるよ」 今の言葉が「つまらんヤツを紹介するなよ。貴重な休日を潰すんだからな」って聞こえたんですけど、気のせいですよね? あれ? 旅商人の話を聞くって気軽な会合じゃないんですか? わたしは内心の動揺を抑え込んでニッコリと笑って頷くと、石板に視線を落とした。 まずい。時間がないのに、会合の意味がわからない。 準備する時間の少なさに歯噛みした。明後日が会合なら、時間はほとんどない。ルッツを紹介するわたしが、会合の意味を理解していないなんて、言えない。 「マイン、今日はもう帰れ」 「父さん」 帰るには早い時間だったが、父が呼びに来たので帰り支度をして、宿直室を出た。 「ねぇ、父さん。ルッツがオットーさんに紹介してほしいって言ったんだけど、この紹介って、何か意味がある?」 「今の時期なら、見習い先を探してるってことか? 兄達と同じような仕事につくと思っていたが、ルッツは商人になりたいのか?」 就職の斡旋!? いやいや、そんな重大なことじゃないはず! だって、わたしみたいな子供がコネになるはずがない。 「ちょっと話を聞きたいって......」 「じゃあ、間違いなく見習い先を紹介してほしいってことだな。マインの友人じゃあ厳しいだろうが」 「厳しい?」 「当たり前だ。見習いを抱えるっていうのは、一人の面倒をずっと見るっていうことだ。独立しても完全に縁は切れないんだからな」 思っていたより大変な事態だった。話を聞くだけではなかった。ルッツは旅商人になりたくて、元旅商人だったオットーに誰かを紹介してほしいということらしい。 あ~、つまり、明後日の会合って、就職の面接みたいなものってことだよね!? そんな重大な会合のセッティングをわたしがしていたなんて! 家に帰ってから、父や母に仕事見習いの話を詳しく聞いて、事の重大さを理解した次の日、わたしは大量の荷物を籠に入れて、森へとやって来た。 森に着くと、みんなが採集に散っていく。わたしはルッツの手を取って、川へと向かった。 「じゃあ、ルッツ。ここでいいから、全身綺麗に洗おうね」 「は?」 オットーは元商人だったせいか、結構身綺麗にしている。初対面の相手に与える印象の大切さを知っているせいだと思う。 「人と会うのに第一印象って大事なんだよ。準備する時間があるなら尚更ちゃんとした方がいい。わたし、見た目だけでルッツが低く見られるのは嫌なの」 「洗ったところで、大して変わらないと思うけどな」 大した服なんて、わたしもルッツも持っていないので、普段のままでも仕方がないけれど、整えることができる部分だけでも整えたい。 桶に川の水と簡易ちゃんリンシャンを入れて、普段トゥーリにしているように何度も何度も髪にかけて、洗っていく。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。旅商人の話が聞きたいってことは、旅商人になりたいってことでいいんだよね? 旅商人の見習いになりたくて、紹介してほしいんだよね?」 「ん? あぁ」 ルッツの髪は布で拭けば拭くほど、金髪の艶が増していく。髪の色を取り変えてほしいくらい綺麗な金だ。 「じゃあ、ルッツは旅商人になって、何がしたいの? あちこちに行くだけ?」 「何だよ、急に」 「ちゃんと考えないとダメだよ」 「なんで?」 「オットーさんは、ルッツのことを全く知らない人だよ。親とか親戚みたいによく知っている人が紹介してくれるわけじゃないから、自分で全部考えておかなきゃ」 昨日、両親に話を聞いたところ、この街の子供達は基本的に親や親戚の紹介で、見習い仕事を始めるらしい。そのため、大体は親の仕事に関連した職種につく。 甘えが出やすいので、同じ職種でも親の仕事場に行くことは少ないらしい。ただ、似たような職種の仕事について、目の届く範囲にいれば、親も安心だし、周りに縁者の目があるので、子供達も真面目に取り組む。 「オットーさんは今回義理で会ってくれるけど、そんなに優しくないよ。元商人だから、損得勘定をしっかりする人なの。ルッツが何も考えてなかったら、二度目は会ってくれないと思う」 明日の会合は、就職活動の面接だ。 「......マインは?」 「え?」 「マインは商人になって何するかって、そんなこと聞かれて、すぐに答えられるのかよ?」 すぐに答えが浮かんでこなかったのか、悔しそうに唇を尖らせたルッツがわたしを睨んできた。 「うん。紙を売りたい。商人見習いになったら、誰かに紙の作り方を教えて、作ってもらいたいと思ってる」 もう、知識だけ出して、作るのは最初から最後まで誰かに丸投げしたい。情報料を取って利益を譲ったら、作ってくれる人はいると思う。 「紙? 本じゃないのか?」 「本を作るのに必要なの。本はね、ここじゃあ、わたし以外欲しいって思う人がいないんだよね」 「欲しいのがマインだけなら、それ、売れないだろ?」 「うん、本はそう簡単に売れないと思う。でも、紙なら......羊皮紙より値段抑えられると思うし、売れると思う。少なくとも作り方を知ってるわたしを拾ってくれる、利に敏い商人はいるよ」 「......そっか。マインはちゃんと考えてるんだな。オレもちょっと考える」 「オットーさんの助手の友人って繋がりは、断られる方が多いんだって。でも、ルッツが自分のしたいことをはっきり言って、それが相手にとって利益になると思えば、商人はルッツの面倒を見てくれるんじゃないかな?」 水面を睨んで考え込むルッツを川に追い立てて、全身を綺麗に洗わせた。 三の鐘が鳴るよりもずっと早い時間に、わたしは普段通りの服で、しかし、いつもよりずっと綺麗になったルッツと二人で中央広場へと向かって歩いた。 「おい、三の鐘だろ? 早すぎねぇ?」 「いいの。遅れる方が致命的だから。座って話でもしていれば、時間なんてすぐにすぎるよ」 時間は2~3時間くらいの間隔で響く神殿の鐘で判別する。 「そういえば、昨日、母さんにこの髪、どうしたんだ? って聞かれて大変だったんだぞ」 カルラおばさんの気持ちはわかる。息子の髪がたった一日でつるつる艶々になっていたら、気になるだろう。 「女にとって美容は一番心惹かれる話題だからね」 「マインにしてもらったって、言っておいたからな。聞きたいことはマインに聞けって」 「えぇ!?」 押しが強くて、声が大きくて、一度捕まったら放してくれないカルラおばさんの質問攻めに遭うことを考えたら、頭が痛い。 「作り方教えるから、自分で作ってよ。わたしもあまり持ってないんだから」 「......あ、悪い。大事なもん、使わせたんだな?」 「いいよ。ルッツにはお世話になってるから」 ずっとわたしを手伝ってくれたルッツに使う分は惜しくないが、カルラおばさんに使うのは惜しい。わたしだって、基本は水洗いで、簡易ちゃんリンシャンを使って頭を洗うのに一度で我慢しているのだ。 「でもさ......」 「そんなに気になるなら、わたしの分も作ってくれればいいよ。わたし、力無さ過ぎて、油がうまく搾れないんだよね」 「なんだ、そんなことか」 入口に立ったオットーがぐるりと広場を見回し、わたし達の姿を見つけて、ニヤッと笑ったのが遠目からでもはっきりとわかった。 あぁ、やっぱり試されてた。 ほぅ、と小さくオットーの口が動いた後、別方向に向けて手を振ると、もう一人男性が現れて、オットーと一緒にこちらに向かって歩いてきた。 「来たよ、ルッツ。まずは挨拶からね」 話をしながら歩いてくる二人の親しげな様子から、オットーの友人の商人だとわかる。その友人がちらりとこちらを見た目が、値踏みをするように鋭く光った。 面接官がオットーさん以外にもいるなんて、聞いてないよ! うぅ、ルッツの面接なのに、わたしの方が緊張してきた!

The temple master and the head priest look at me with gleaming eyes, and I falter. The head priest, perhaps noticing that my face has frozen up, goes to get the scriptures. While I wait for Lutz to come and pick me up, the head priest reads to me like before, letting me sit on his lap and teaching me various things. I’m happy about this, but there’s a weird sort of tension in the air, and I very much would like to run as far away as possible. Shortly after the fifth bell rings, a gray-robed priest enters the room. “A boy named Lutz is here for Maïne,” he says. I breathe a sign of relief, having grown increasingly impatient as I waited for him. “Lutz is here? I have to go, then. Father Bösewanz, Father Ferdinand, thank you for letting me come here today.” “Alright. Maïne, please, I’d like you to give this to your parents.” The temple master holds a written invitation. A written invitation from the temple master himself is nothing short of a summons that cannot be refuse. The day and time of the appointment is the day after tomorrow, at the third bell. I gulp, then take the thin wooden board from him. “Luuutz! Thank you so much for coming for meee!” The instant I see Lutz waiting for me outside the temple, I’m filled with an indescribable sense of relief. Swept up in my emotions, I leap at him, hugging him tightly to convey my heartfelt grat.i.tude. He staggers a little bit, but manages to withstand it. As I press my head into his shoulder, Lutz sighs. “Did you do something again?” “...I think so, yeah. I have no idea what I did, but I think I blew myself up in the most spectacular way possible.” He pats me on the head, then grins at me. “Master Benno’s waiting for you, with a smile that made it look like the veins on his forehead were going to explode.” “Huh? ...Can I just go home? I’m already really tired.” “He told me to bring you even if I had to drag you by the scruff of your neck. Your color’s still looking pretty good, you’ll be fine.” “Aaaaaarghhh...” Going to the temple had already frayed my nerves, yet now all of the warning flags that I’m going to be lectured by Benno have been raised. I trusted Lutz as my steadfast ally, but now I feel so betrayed. Feeling like a calf being led back to its cage, I’m brought to Benno’s shop. As if he’d been laying in wait for me, I’m immediately brought back into his office. I’m told to sit in the same chair I usually do. Across from me sits Benno. Behind him stands Mark. Lutz, instead of sitting next to me, sits next to Benno. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Maïne.” “Now then, I have a mountain of things I want to say to you...” I brace myself. It seems like this is going to be a very long conversation. Benno takes a long, slow breath, then opens his mouth to speak. “Before I get started, I have a message from Corinna. She said she’d like to see the dress and hairpin you wore to the baptismal ceremony. It was a very unique outfit. Very eye-catching! What were you thinking, wearing something like that?” “It was a hand-me-down from Tuuli that we’d altered. There was no real meaning to it. I don’t particularly mind showing it to her, but I don’t know what my mother, who made it, would think of bringing it out. I would have to ask her.” He folds his hands together on the table in front of him. He leans forward slightly, staring at me evenly. “Well, how about you just tell me everything? I have to figure out just what to do with you after I hear about whatever happened at the temple.” “Huh? Did Lutz not tell you?” It’s already been a few days since the baptismal ceremony. I thought he would have asked Lutz about it a long time ago, but it seems like he hasn’t heard anything. “Second-hand information always gets warped along the way. If I’ve got the chance to ask the actual primary source herself, why would I need to ask Lutz? Besides, there’s always the possibility that there’s some things you’re still keeping hidden.” He looks at me like a wild animal looks at his prey, and my breath freezes in my throat. It seems like he’s going to pursue me relentlessly. “...Where should I start?” “After you collapsed during the ceremony. Tell me everything that happened after you got separated from Lutz, and don’t leave anything out.” I tell him about how I collapsed, got lost searching for a restroom, and blundered into the n.o.bles’ s.p.a.ce. When I tell him about meeting the priestess and finding a library, his eyes widen in amazement. “A library? I didn’t think the temple had something like that...” “You didn’t know, Mister Benno?” “Wandering aimlessly around in an area used by the n.o.bility is the kind of extremely dangerous behavior that ordinary people usually don’t do. Reflect on your own stupidity. What would you have done if you’d gotten yourself in actual danger?” “Ngh...” It’s true, that wasn’t somewhere that ordinary people would come and go from, so when I look at it from where Benno’s standing I can see that he’s right. Of course, getting lost is what caused me to find the library, so for me it was actually a really good thing. “The priestess told me that only people connected to the temple were able to enter the library, so I thought that I should become a priestess as quickly as possible, so I went to the temple master immediately to appeal to him.” “Use your d.a.m.ned head! You thoughtless little girl!” Benno leans forward and starts pulling on both of my cheeks. Both Mark and Lutz look like they think this is a completely reasonable response, and neither of them lift a finger to help me. I rub my stinging face, and Benno, looking displeased, urges me on. “And then? You got permission?” “He told me that if I got my parents’ approval and gave him a donation, he’d let me become an apprentice priestess.” “A donation? Did you do it?” He frowns sharply, looking very stern. I can tell that he’s concerned that I thoughtlessly made a donation without having actually gotten permission first. To put him at ease, I puff up my chest proudly and give him my answer. “No sir, not yet. Based on a rough estimate of the price of the books and the amount of money I presently have, I calculated a usage fee for the library. I told them that I could donate up to one large gold coin, but that’s it; I have yet to actually make the donation. I’m not the kind of idiot that would hand over my money without knowing for sure that I’d actually be able to join!” I’d planned to put him at ease, but Benno, followed shortly by Mark and Lutz, gives me a pained look, as if he suddenly has a ma.s.sive headache, then slumps his shoulders. “I shouldn’t need to tell you that you’re a colossal idiot when it comes to money.” “But thanks to that they treated me very well...” “Well of course they did!” I’d thought that it was a large sum, but it seems that the amount of money I’d presented is mind-bogglingly huge, even to a major merchant. “Then, when I went home and talked with my parents, they said that being a priest or a priestess is a job for orphans, and got really mad and told me no.” “The head priest said that there were n.o.ble children there too, though.” I tilt my head, not entirely understanding the reason why my father would have gotten so angry. Benno scratches roughly at his head, then explains to me some things about the clergy. “You noticed that the clergy was wearing blue and gray robes, right?” “The ones wearing blue robes are n.o.bles, the ones wearing gray are orphans. The gray priests and priestesses are effectively slaves working at the temple, making no wages, and serving as attendants and a.s.sistants to the blue ones.” “Uh?!” I’d been thinking that the color difference was due to apprentices.h.i.+ps or formalities. I hadn’t even considered that there would be this kind of distinction. “If you, who are not a n.o.ble, joined the clergy, you’d be a gray-robed sister-in-training. Of course you’d be cut off from your parents.” I gulp noisily. Now I know why my father had gotten so agitated. It’s not just that it’s obviously work that I am not at all capable of doing, so of course my doting father would be disgusted at the idea of my joining the temple. “So, Lutz tells me that you went to the temple today to reject their offer, but did you really do it?” “...Ummm, I mentioned that I had the devouring, and they brought out some sort of golden chalice that one of the stone statues in the hall of wors.h.i.+p was holding, and then when I touched it it started glowing, and then they gave me a written invitation to take to my parents.” Benno firmly ma.s.sages his temples, breathing an enormous sigh. “...Well, now they really will bring you in. You should be thrilled, you’ll live a long and happy life. That’s some great luck.” I tilt my head curiously when he tells me that getting brought in by the church is good luck. Benno broods over something, ignoring the fact that I don’t really understand what he means. He suddenly raises his head, looking straight at me with utter seriousness. “Maïne, what would you say to signing a magical contract with me? Saying that the goods you produce will be sold through this shop.” “...Why?” The sudden appearance of terms like “contract magic” immediately puts me on guard. Benno strokes his chin, looking at me. “If we let things go as they are, you’ll be captured by the n.o.bility. If we want to put them in check, we’ll need contract magic to do that.” “...When we did the contract magic before, were you maybe thinking that I was going to be captured by the n.o.bility?” “No, that was just insurance. I had no idea what kind of kids you were, so my first priority was to make sure I drew the boundaries as clearly as possible. ...However, I did think there was a chance you had the devouring, and if you were going to live for a long time you’d need to make a contract with a n.o.ble. I thought it might be useful leverage against whatever n.o.bleman you contracted with.” It seems that him making a magical contract with me and Lutz, who weren’t anywhere near his equals, was based on a hypothesis that the n.o.bility might step in at some point. “But I never made a contract with any n.o.bles, though?” “You haven’t made any contact with n.o.bles until now, so you were able to make that decision yourself, but if you’re taken in by the temple then that’s all over. You need to start planning around being captured. I don’t think there’s a single n.o.ble alive that would pa.s.s up on the chance to take in a girl who invents things like you do and also has the devouring. Now, especially.” “What do you mean by ‘now’?” “This is news that I’m only just starting to hear recently, but...” he says, lowering his voice a little. “The lord of this town has been proclaiming neutrality in this, saying it doesn’t have anything to do with him, so there hasn’t been a lot of impact here, but it sounds like the bigger, more central territories are caught up in an enormous power struggle. There’s a huge political purge happening, so the ranks of the n.o.bility are really starting to thin out, or so I hear.” “Huh?” The conversation got really dangerous all of a sudden. I try to pull out my knowledge of history, but I can’t really make any guesses as to what kind of era we’re in in the first place or how things might actually unfold. I’m caught in a maelstrom with neither any information nor ability to take a step back and look at things from above. “Of course, in order to fill up the holes that these n.o.bles are leaving behind, members of branch families are being sought out, heirs are being adopted, and marriages are being held to build new ties and interests. All sorts of people, money, and things are going into motion. So, since there aren’t that many people, all of the outcast n.o.bility that got sent off to be blue-robed priests and priestesses are being called back into n.o.ble society. Can you guess what’s happening to the temple now?” Benno stares at me, and I tilt my head to the side. I look over to Mark and Lutz for help, but Mark is simply smiling demurely, and Lutz looks just as confused as I am. “Umm, so is there something bad about what would happen if there’s no n.o.bility in the temple? I don’t really know how the temple is organized, or what kind of work they do. Wouldn’t it be a good thing for the gray-robed priests if there’s fewer people around to work them so hard?” “First of all, there would be fewer donations. Also, if there’s fewer people to use the orphans, then those orphans won’t have any work, and it’ll be difficult for them to even just keep living.” Benno sighs, shaking his head. “It gets worse. That chalice they had you touch? The priests call it a ritual object, but practically it’s a magical tool. The blue-robed priests and priestesses pour their mana into it when they use it for their spring prayers, but that power’s been dwindling. When that happens, the harvests don’t produce as much food.” I had no idea that that chalice was connected to such an absurdly important thing. I’d been startled by how it had glowed, but I was just thinking that it was purely an expensive, decorative thing, meant to show off the temple’s majesty. It’s a necessary tool for ensuring the existence of a bountiful harvest. If the harvest shrinks, then the people who will be hit the hardest are going to be poor people like me and Lutz. “Before the coup, there were plenty of n.o.ble children sitting around. To the magic-monopolizing n.o.bility, kids with the devouring were nothing more than eyesores. However, with fewer n.o.bles, it becomes harder to make use of magical tools, so now kids with the devouring are extremely important to the temple.” “Um, sorry, but, what does the devouring have to do with magic?” Benno’s jaw drops in sheer astonishment. He looks like he can’t believe what I’m asking him. “Did you... seriously not know? The devouring is what happens when built-up mana in the body starts acting violently.” “Focusing mana into a magical tool how you make yourself able to control your power again.” “This is the first I’ve ever heard of it...” It seems like I’m some sort of magical girl! Having tremendous magical powers is the kind of thing that reincarnation is supposed to get me, isn’t it? This is finally time for my grand reveal! I’ll blast away my enemies with my overflowing mana, and cast a tremendously flashy spell... wait, do I even have any enemies? My thoughts drift off to a far away place thanks to this new information, but Benno bops me on the head, telling me to pay attention. “It’s common for n.o.bles with more powerful mana to be higher-ranked, and weaker mana to be lower-ranked. Plus, the poorer n.o.bles don’t have enough money to get magical tools ready for all of their children. It’s not uncommon for a family to only keep the kids with the strongest magic around as their heirs, and send the rest of their kids off to the temple.” In other words, right now, the blue-robed priests in the temple are n.o.bles whose parents weren’t able to raise them and had cast them out. Everyone would be in trouble if they weren’t there, but still, that’s a sad way to live. “Ultimately, until now, the temple had been performing their miracles by just throwing bodies at the problem, since the n.o.bles there didn’t have a whole lot of mana. However, now that there’s less and less of them, the burden on each person is a lot higher. If they’re not careful, they might wind up in a state where they don’t have enough mana to make everything work. How many blue-robed priests were there are your ceremony?” “Ten, I think.” The memory of so many men proudly doing the Gl█co pose, destroying my sides, is still fresh in my mind. “There’s usually twenty of them, but this time there were ten. Plus, since it’s the ones who have more mana that are getting called home, I bet you can guess how much mana the people who aren’t getting called back have. There’s no doubt about it: they’re so desperate that they’re practically begging on their hands and knees for someone with the devouring and lots of mana to show up. However, this is probably temporary. Keep in mind that there’s only a few years between this current thinning of the ranks and when any new n.o.bles born after this point come of age.” “Yeah...” If it’s a short period of time, then perhaps I could bargain based on an offer to donate mana to the temple? I wonder how readily they’d accept a deal where I exchanged mana for access to the library... As I hum to myself, deep in thought, Benno somehow manages to walk around behind me without me noticing, and he starts grinding his fist into my skull. “Are you even listening to me?!” “Ow ow ow!” “You have mana, money, and inventions. Have a little bit of self-awareness! You’d be the tastiest snack for the n.o.bility!” I straighten up when I hear how serious his tone is. Benno sighs, withdrawing his fist, then shakes his hand. “That’s why I’m saying that making a contract before you get taken in by the n.o.bility is the best thing to do for your sake.” “...What would the contract be for?” “Guaranteeing that the goods you make will be sold through Lutz.” “Huh? What do we need that for?” What this has to do with the devouring or the temple, I have no idea. I frown, wondering if he’s trying to take advantage of my confusion to secure some profit for himself. Benno, however, sits back down across from me, and starts to explain his thinking for me. “Right now, this is just insurance. You’re careless, hasty, and thoughtless, and when that gets you caught up in some n.o.bleman’s plans and dragged to the other side of the castle walls, this contract will guarantee that we can still communicate with you. Think of the case where you’re stuck in a contract with a n.o.bleman, and we don’t have anything like this in place. You already know that in order to go inside the castle walls you need permission, right?” Thanks to my work at the gates, I know that you need special authorization to enter the castle walls. I nod, and Benno gives me a small, wry smile. “The guild master’s granddaughter will still be able to meet with her family, even after she goes inside the castle walls, because they’re merchants who have been recognized by the n.o.bility. What about your family, though?” I can answer with nothing but silence. The entire reason I didn’t make a contract with a n.o.bleman is because I wouldn’t be able to see my family again. There’s no way I can answer that out loud. “I can’t think of a single way your family would be able to get inside the castle walls. However, at the very least, if we have the ability to make magical contract that not even the n.o.bility can interfere with, then why not make a connection with Lutz before the temple or the n.o.bility manage to take you away? If you do that, then I can use that contract as a pretext to take Lutz into the walls.” My eyes open wide, and I look at Benno, then Lutz. When I make eye contact with them, they both nod at me. “With Lutz as an intermediary, I can send you letters, verbal messages, or otherwise get in contact with you. You’ll be able to know how your family is doing. Best of all, I think, through Lutz’s information, your family won’t have to be so anxious about how you’re doing. Well, if you really wanted to make the contract with me instead, I don’t really care either way...” “If I were to make it with you, I don’t think you’d really know much about how my family is doing, would you?” I don’t want to imagine the possibility of being captured by the n.o.bility, but, if that really did happen, then it wouldn’t be a bad thing for me to have already put things in place to be able to meet with Lutz. Freida had said something to that effect too, how even just being able to see her family was rea.s.suring. However, is it really okay for me to be dragging Lutz into all of this? “What do you think, Lutz?” I ask. He shrugs. “I’d like to see the n.o.bles’ quarter if I could, and I wouldn’t really mind being the person in charge of contacting you. I’d be worried if you were there all by yourself. I think I’d always have a headache, wondering what you’re getting yourself into.” It seems like he’d already decided he wanted to do this. However, this is a contract designed to keep the n.o.bility in check. When I think of all of the extra burden Lutz would be put under if he was the other party in this contract, I can’t just follow along with this so easily. “Making a contract like this isn’t something you should be doing so freely, is it? You might suffer, or experience some awful things, right? Plus, Mister Benno, aren’t you not really making any profit all of this? If Lutz gets hired somewhere else, wouldn’t that be it for you?” When I taper my lips in dissatisfaction, Benno looks at me in amazement, sighs, and slowly shakes his head. “You’re not in such a carefree position that you can be worried about other peoples’ safety. Lutz will profit from this, and that should be fine.” “How would Lutz be profiting off of this?” “You don’t need to think about that. Think about what you stand to gain. Honestly, now that you’ve been given a written invitation, you don’t have very much time at all to get yourself ready.” Benno, who has much more information and a much broader view of things than I do, is plainly in much more of a hurry than I am. There’s a lot of things that will need to be done before I get taken in by the temple. “First, you’ll need to establish the Maïne Workshop, register you with the merchant’s guild as its proprietor, and secure a market for your goods. If they changed how they were treating you when money got involved, then when you negotiate with the temple you’ll need to make sure you establish a way to make money. They’re strapped for cash as well, it seems, so depending on how negotiations go you’ll be able to work something out.” It’s true, that’s one of the benefits of having large amounts of money. Since their interactions with me got so much more polite as soon as I mentioned how much gold I could bring to bear, it would be best if I came to the table bringing money in order to protect myself. Also, even if I were to keep making things, if the temple takes all of it, then there won’t be anything left for me to profit from. I need an outlet for my goods that I can trust. Even though Benno has been constantly testing me and I keep b.u.mbling into his traps, he’s still the most reliable partner that I have. I nod, and he nods back. “You’ll need to be careful of the fact that a single commoner isn’t worth much to a n.o.ble. If you can think of a path that will help you survive, secure it, and keep all of your routes of escape open. If you can think of any way to guarantee your life, any way at all, do it. Protect yourself.” The head priest let me sit on his lap and read the scriptures to me and the temple master interacted with me so politely, so I can’t help but think that the two of them are fundamentally good people, but there’s no harm in making sure I’ve got guarantees and escape routes set up for myself. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, after all. I’m vexed, though; I don’t have enough local common sense or information to know exactly how to prepare. Benno watches me closely, then continues to speak. “Right now there’s ten n.o.bles in the temple, aren’t there? Don’t just let yourself be exploited by them. Find someone among them that you can use. If you get s.n.a.t.c.hed up by the n.o.bility, you’ll just be kept under their control until you die, so broaden your options, even just a little bit. Watch them carefully, then pick someone. Think. Don’t just float along aimlessly. Struggle to survive.” “Mister Benno, why’re you going so far for me...?” These countermeasures that he’s laying out for me aren’t something that he could just spout off the top of his head without having carefully gathered information and given it a lot of thought. I can’t understand why he would go to all this effort for someone like me, especially now that I’m not going to be an apprentice at his shop. “If you keep living, you’ll be making new products. If you’re connected to this shop, I’ll profit off of that. You’ll be able to get information out of this too, which you’ll turn into your own profit, won’t you? Just shut up and listen.” Benno starts to sulk, but Mark, standing behind him, laughs quietly, wearing a wry smile. “Master Benno is simply worried about you. You could get into trouble or cause unexpected things to happen at any time, really; watching you is very hard on one’s heart.” Mark gives him a thin smile, then continues to speak. “The children who usually apprentice at this store are generally taught all of the fundamentals by their own families. Until now, there haven’t been any children that he’s needed to watch over so closely. He’s certainly not treating you like he would treat his own children, but he does worry about you with the same care that he would have for any of his relatives’ children. Of course, the same applies to me as well.” “Thank you very much, Mister Mark,” I reply, deeply grateful. “Just Mark?!” When I convey my heartfelt grat.i.tude, Benno interjects, sulking even harder. Mark and I exchange glances, and I can’t help but laugh. “Of course I’m grateful to you too, Mister Benno! ...So, please, help me with the contract magic and registering my workshop with the guild.”

ルッツの迎えが来るまで、聖典を読んでもらうことになって、さっきと同じように膝の上で色々と教えてくれるのは嬉しいが、妙な圧力を感じるというか、非常に逃げ出したい気分になる。 灰色の神官が部屋に入ってきたのは5の鐘が鳴り響いてから少したってからのことだった。待ちわびた迎えがやってきたことにわたしはホッと胸を撫で下ろす。 「ルッツが来てくれたの? じゃあ、わたし、帰らなきゃ。神殿長、神官長、今日は長々とお世話になりました」 「では、マイン。これをご両親に渡してほしい」 手渡されたのは招待状だった。神殿長からの招待状なんて断ることができない召喚状と同じだ。示された日時は明後日の3の鐘の時間だった。コクリと息を呑んで、わたしはその木札を受け取った。 「ルッツ~! 迎えに来てくれてありがとー!」 神殿を出たところで待っていてくれたルッツを見た瞬間、何とも言えない安堵感が広がっていく。感情のままにギュッと抱きついて感謝感激を表現すれば、少しよろけたけれど、ルッツは転ぶこともなく持ちこたえてくれた。 「もしかして、また何かやらかしたか?」 「......多分、やらかした。自分が何をやったかわからないけど、最大級の自爆っぽいことをやらかした気がする」 ポンポンとわたしの頭を軽く叩いていたルッツがニッコリと笑った。 「旦那様も血管浮き立たせた笑顔で待ってるぞ」 「え?......もうおうちに帰っていいかな? 今日は疲れちゃって」 「首根っこ引っ掴んでも連れて来いって言われてるし、今のマインの顔色ならまだ大丈夫だ」 「あああぁぁぁぁ......」 神殿ですでに神経をすり減らしたのに、ベンノのお説教フラグに突っ込んでいくしかないなんて。味方だと信じていたルッツに裏切られた気分だ。 いつもの席に座るように言われて座ると、正面にベンノ、ベンノの後ろにマルクが立ち、ルッツはわたしの隣ではなく、ベンノの隣寄りにいる。 「久し振りだな、マイン」 「......はひ」 「さて、言いたいことは山ほどあるが......」 これから出てくる話が非常に長くなりそうで、わたしは身を固くする。ベンノはゆっくりと息を吐いて、口を開いた。 「俺の話の前にコリンナからの伝言だ。洗礼式で着ていた晴れ着や髪飾りを見せてほしいと言ってた。ずいぶん変わった衣装だったな。かなり人目を引いていたぞ。何を考えてあんな衣装にしたんだ?」 「トゥーリのお下がりをお直ししただけですよ。意味なんてありません。わたしは見せるくらい別に構わないんですけど、衣装の持ちだしに関しては作った母に聞いてみないとわかりません」 ベンノは軽くそう言った後、テーブルの上で手を組んで、やや身を乗り出すようにして、じろりとわたしを見据えた。 「さぁ、洗いざらい吐いてもらおうか。神殿で何があったかによって、お前の今後の扱いを考えなければならないからな」 「え? ルッツから聞いてるんじゃ?」 洗礼式から数日がたっている。とっくにルッツから話を聞いていると思っていたけれど、ベンノは聞いていないらしい。 「人伝の情報はどうしても歪む。当人に聞ける機会があるのに、わざわざルッツに聞く必要はないだろう? それに、敢えて隠している情報があるかもしれないからな」 獲物を見つけた猛獣のような目に、ぅひっと小さく息を呑んだ。これは追及の手が厳しそうだ。 「......どこから話せばいいですか?」 「洗礼式で倒れた後だ。ルッツと別行動になってからのことを、隠し事なく、話せ」 倒れて、水場を探して迷子になって、貴族スペースに入り込んでしまった。そこで巫女に拾われて、図書室を発見した話をすると、ベンノが驚いたように軽く目を見張った。 「図書室? そんなものが神殿にあったのか......」 「ベンノさんも知らなかったんですか?」 「貴族が使う場所にふらふら迷い込むような危険な真似、普通のヤツはしないんだ。自分の間抜けさ加減を自覚しろ。自分から危険に踏み込んでどうする?」 「ぅぐぅ......」 確かに、普通の人が出入りする場所ではなかったので、ベンノの意見は完全に正しい。迷い込んだことで図書室を見つけたのだから、わたしとしてはかなり嬉しいことだったけれど。 「その巫女さんに神殿関係者以外は図書室に入れないって言われたので、手っ取り早く巫女見習いになろうと思って、許可を出してくれる神殿長に直訴しました」 「少しは頭を使え! この考え無し!」 身を乗り出したベンノに両の頬をぐにっとつねられる。マルクとルッツは当然の顔をして、助けてくれなかった。 「それで? 許可は出たのか?」 「両親の許可と寄付があれば、見習いにしてくれるって言われました」 「寄付? したのか?」 ベンノがくっと眉を寄せて、厳しい顔つきになる。わたしが考え無しに寄付をして、許可を得られなかったことを心配している顔だとすぐにわかった。 「いえ、まだです。大まかな本の値段と自分が持っている貯金を考えた結果、図書室の利用料として、大金貨1枚までなら出せるかなぁって話をしただけで、まだ寄付はしてません。さすがに入れると決まっていないのにお金を払うほど、わたしだってバカじゃないんです」 安心させるつもりだったのに、ベンノを初め、マルクもルッツも頭が痛いと言わんばかりに頭を抱えて、肩を落とした。 「金額がバカバカしすぎて、言葉にならんぞ」 「お陰で扱いはよかったですけど......」 「当たり前だ!」 高額の寄付だろうとは思っていたが、どうやら、大商人が頭を抱えるくらい、わたしが提示した寄付の金額は高額だったようだ。 「それで、家に帰って両親に話したら、神官や巫女は孤児がなるものだからダメだってすごく怒られました」 「神官長は貴族の子もいるって言ってたんですけどね」 父が怒る理由がよくわからなくて首を傾げていると、ベンノがガシガシと頭を掻きながら、神官について説明してくれた。 「神官や巫女には青い衣装と灰色の衣装がいただろう?」 「青い服を着ているのが貴族で、灰色が孤児だ。青の神官や巫女の従者や下働きとして、給料もなく奴隷のようにこき使われて、神殿で働いているのが灰色の神官や巫女だ」 色の違いは見習いと正式な神官くらいの差だと思っていたが、まさかそんな違いだったとは思わなかった。 「貴族ではないお前が神殿に入るとすれば、灰色の巫女見習いになる。親が許すわけがないだろう」 わたしはコクリと頷いた。父が激昂した理由がわかった。それは間違いなくわたしにできる仕事ではないし、娘ラブな父が神殿入りを嫌悪するわけだ。 「それで、今日は断りに行くとルッツは言っていたが、お前、本当に断れたのか?」 「......えーと、身食いことを話したら、礼拝堂の石像が抱えている金の聖杯みたいなものを持ってこられて、触ったら光ったので、両親への招待状をいただいてしまいました」 こめかみを揉みほぐすようにグリグリと指先で刺激しながら、ベンノが大きく溜息を吐いた。 「......これは完全に取りこまれるな。延命できる事を喜んでおくしかない。お前は運が良い」 神殿に取りこまれるのに運が良いと言われて、わたしは首を傾げた。意味がわからないわたしを放置して、ベンノは何やら考え込んでいる。 「マイン、契約魔術を交わす気はないか? お前が作った物はこちらで取り扱うと」 「......どうしてですか?」 いきなり契約魔術などという言葉が出てきて、わたしは思わず警戒してしまう。ベンノは顎を撫でながら、わたしを見た。 「今すぐのことにはならなくても、お前は確実に貴族に取りこまれる。貴族を牽制するなら、契約魔術は必須だ」 「......もしかして、最初の契約魔術の時から、貴族に取りこまれると思っていたんですか?」 「いや、あの時はただの保険のつもりだった。お前がどんな子供かもよく知らなかったから、きっちりと線引きしたいというの強かった。......ただ、身食いかもしれない可能性はあったからな。マインが生き延びるには貴族と契約することになる。契約した貴族を黙らせるには効果的だとは思っていた」 とても対等とは言えないわたしやルッツと契約魔術を交わしたのは、貴族が出てくることを想定していたからだったらしい。 「わたし、貴族と契約なんてしませんけど?」 「今までは貴族と接触しなかったから、お前の意思だけで何とかなったが、神殿に取りこまれたら無理だ。取りこまれることを前提に行動しろ。これだけ商品を生み出せる身食いを取りこもうとしない貴族はいないはずだ。今は特に、な」 「今はってどういうことですか?」 「ここの領主は中立というか、我関せずという態度を貫いたから、余波は少なかったが、もっとでかい領地は中央の政権争いに相当巻き込まれたらしい。大規模な粛清が行われ、貴族の数が激減したと聞いた」 「え?」 いきなり物騒な話になった。歴史の知識を引っ張り出してみるが、そもそも今がどの辺りの時代になるのか、これから先にどのような展開が待っているのか、すぐに察することができない。情報もないし、俯瞰して見ることもできない渦中のわたしには全くわからないのだ。 「当然、激減した貴族の穴を埋めるために、傍系を探したり、養子縁組をしたり、結婚が増えたり、と新しい繋がりや利権を求めて、人も金も物も動き始めた。人数がいないんだから、今までは厄介者のように神殿に放り込まれていた青い神官や巫女が大量に貴族社会へと戻っていくことになる。そうなると、神殿がどうなるかわかるか?」 ベンノにじろりと睨まれて、わたしは首を傾げた。マルクやルッツに助けて、と視線を送ってみたが、マルクからは澄ました微笑み、ルッツからは同じように首を傾げる反応しか返ってこない。 「えーと、貴族がいなくなって困ることって、何かあるんですか? 神殿の仕組みや仕事さえわからないわたしには思い浮かばないんですけど。灰色の神官達をこき使う人が減るならいいんじゃないですか?」 「まず、寄付が減る。それから、孤児達を使うヤツが減るんだから、孤児が仕事にあぶれる。孤児達は生きることすら困難になる」 「もっと大変な事がある。お前が触らされたと言った聖杯。神殿のヤツらはあれを神具なんて言っているが、実際のところ魔術具だ。青い神官や巫女が魔力を注いで溜めこみ、春の祈念式で使うけれど、その力が溜まらなくなる。そうなったら、農作物の収穫が減る」 そんな重大事にあの聖杯が直結しているとは思っていなかった。光ったことに驚いたが、神の威厳を見せつけるためのお金のかかった飾りくらいにしか考えてなかった。 「政変前までは貴族の子が余っている状態だった。身食いなんて、魔力を独占したい貴族にとっては目障りな存在でしかなかった。だが、貴族が減って、魔術具を使うことが難しくなった今、身食いは神殿に取ってかなり必要な存在になる」 「あの、身食いと魔力って何か関係があるんですか?」 わたしの質問に、ベンノは顎が落ちそうなほど驚いた顔をして、信じられないと頭を抱えた。 「お前、まさか知らなかったのか? 身食いは身体の中の魔力が暴れる状態を言うんだ」 「えぇ!?」 「魔術具に魔力を移すことで、自分の力で制御できる状態にするんだ」 「初めて知りました」 わたし、魔女っ子だったらしい。魔力持ちだなんて、それって、転生のお約束じゃないですか。わたしにもとうとう見せ場が来たってことですね。溢れる魔力でバーンと敵を倒しちゃったり、派手な魔法を使ったりできるってこと?......ん? 敵って何? 初めて知った情報にちょっとだけ心を遠くに飛ばしていると、聞け、とベンノに軽く頭を叩かれた。 「貴族も上級貴族の方は魔力が強く、下級貴族は魔力が弱い傾向がある。そして、金もない貧乏貴族は生まれた子供全員のために魔術具を準備できない。魔力の多い跡取りだけ家に残して、他の子供は神殿に預けるということも珍しくはないそうだ」 つまり、今、神殿にいる青い神官は、育てられないと親に放り出された貴族達ということになる。いないと困るけれど、悲しい存在だと思う。 「つまり、今まではそれほど強くない魔力の貴族が人海戦術で溜めこんで神事をこなしていたのに、人数が激減すると一人一人の負担が重くなる。今は下手したら足りていない状態かもしれない。洗礼式で青の神官はどれくらいいた?」 「10人くらいです」 華麗に揃ったグ○コに腹筋崩壊させられた記憶はまだ新しい。 「常時20人ほどいるのが、10人だ。それも魔力のあるヤツから家に呼び戻されるのだから、残っている若いヤツの魔力は推して知るべし。強い魔力を持つ身食いは喉から手が出るほど欲しいに違いない。ただ、これはおそらく今だけだ。貴族の数が激減し、これから生まれた貴族が成長するまでのほんの短い期間だけだと思え」 短い期間だったら、神殿で魔力提供のためにお勤めしても良いかもしれない。魔力提供と図書閲覧の交換条件を出せば、呑んでくれるだろうか。 むーん、と考えていると、いつの間にかわたしの背後に回ってきていたベンノが拳骨で頭をぐりぐりし始めた。 「俺の話を聞いているのか?」 「いだい! いだい!」 「お前は魔力も金を生み出す商品も持っている。いい加減自覚しろ! 貴族にとって自分がどれだけおいしい獲物なのか」 真剣な声に思わず姿勢が伸びる。ベンノはハァ、と溜息を吐きながら、拳骨を頭から離して軽く手を振った。 「だからこそ、貴族に取りこまれる前に契約を済ませておいた方がお前のためだ」 「......何の契約ですか?」 「お前が作った物をルッツが売るという契約だ」 「え? 何のために?」 身食いと神殿とどういう関係があるのか、全くわからない。どさくさにまぎれて利益を得たいだけではないのか。眉を寄せたわたしに、ベンノは椅子に座りなおして、丁寧に説明し始めた。 「今の段階では、ただの保険だ。迂闊で短絡的で考え無しなお前が、貴族の策にはまって城壁の向こうに連れ去られた時、連絡が付くようにするためだ。それでなくとも、貴族と契約させられた場合のことを考えてみろ。城壁の向こうへと行くには許可がいる。それは知っているだろう?」 門の仕事もしていたので、城壁を越えるには許可が必要な事は知っている。わたしが頷くと、ベンノは少しだけ苦い顔になった。 「ギルド長の孫娘は、城壁の向こうに行っても家族と会える。あそこの一族は貴族に認められた商人だからな。だが、お前の家族はどうだ?」 わたしは沈黙で答えるしかなかった。家族と会えなくなるから、貴族との契約を選ばなかったのだ。会えるわけがない。 「お前の家族が城壁を越えられるとは思えない。だったら、せめて、貴族に邪魔されない契約魔術を使って、神殿や貴族に取りこまれる前にルッツと繋がりを作っておかないか? そうすれば、その契約を口実に俺はルッツを城壁の中に連れていくことができる」 ハッとしてベンノを見た。ルッツを見た。二人とも目が合うと小さく頷いてくれる。 「ルッツが仲立ちすれば、手紙なり、伝言なり、何がしかの連絡は取れる。お前も家族の状況を知ることができる。何より、ルッツを通じて状況を知ることができれば、お前を案じる家族にとって少しは安心できる材料にはなるだろう。まぁ、俺と契約しておきたいなら、それでも一向に構わないが?」 「ベンノさんじゃあ家族の様子はわからないじゃないですか」 貴族に取りこまれるような想像はしたくないけれど、もし、そうなってしまった時にルッツと会える状況を作っておくのは、わたしにとっては悪くない。家族に会えるだけで心強いとフリーダも言っていた。 「ルッツはどう思ってるの?」 「貴族の街に行けるなら行ってみたいし、連絡係くらいなら別に構わないと思ってる。マイン一人にする方が心配だ。何をやらかすかと考えると頭が痛い」 軽く肩を竦めるだけで、ルッツ本人はすでに契約する気になっているようだ。だが、貴族を牽制するための契約だ。契約相手であるルッツにかかる負担を考えると、そう簡単に頷くことはできない。 「契約しちゃうってことはそんなにお気楽な立場でもないでしょ? 危険な目に遭ったり、ルッツが嫌な思いをしたりするんじゃない? それに、その契約だったら、ベンノさんの利益は少ないですよね? ルッツが引き抜かれたら、それまでじゃないですか」 わたしが唇を尖らせると、ベンノは呆れたように溜息を吐いて、緩く首を振った。 「他人の心配をしていられるほど、お前は呑気な状況じゃない。ルッツにも利益があるからそれでいいんだ」 「ルッツにどんな利益があるって言うんですか?」 「お前が知る必要はない。マインは自分の利益だけを考えろ。正直、招待状をもらっているなら、先に手を打てる時間はほとんどないんだ」 情報が多くて、周りが見えているベンノが、当事者のわたしより焦っているよう見える。神殿に取りこまれる前にしておくことを並べていく。 「まずはマイン工房を作って、工房長としてギルド登録をして、商品の販路は確保しておけ。金で待遇が変わるなら、金を手に入れる環境を作って神殿と交渉しろ。あっちも金は欲しいだろうから、交渉次第で何とかなる」 そして、商品を作っても、神殿に全て取り上げられたら、自分の手元には利益が全く残らないことになる。信頼できる販路は必須だ。ちょこちょこ騙されたり、試されたりしているが、ベンノは今のわたしが一番信頼できる相手でもある。 わたしが頷くと、ベンノも頷き返してくれた。 「貴族にとっては平民一人なんて大した価値はないと思って、用心しろ。生き延びる道、逃げ道は思いつく限り準備しておけ。保険になると思ったものは何重にも準備して自分を守れ」 普通に膝に乗せてもらって聖典を読んでもらったり、丁寧に対応したりしてくれたので、何となく良い人だと思っていたが、保険も逃げ道も準備しておいて損はない。備えあれば憂いなしだ。ここでの常識や知識が足りなすぎて、何をどう準備すればいいのかわからないところが歯痒い。 ベンノはわたしをじっと見たまま、言葉を連ねる。 「今だって神殿には貴族が10人はいるんだろう? その中から搾取されるだけでなく、利用し合える相手を探せ。貴族に掻っ攫われ、飼い殺されるだけから、少しだけ選択肢が広がるんだ。よく見て、選べ。考えろ。ぼんやり流されるな。生きるためにあがけ」 「なんでベンノさんが、そこまで......」 並べたてられた対策や注意事項は、相当情報を集めて、色々と考えなければ出てくるようなものではない。この店の見習いにもなれなかったわたしのためにそれだけの手間をかけてくれる意味がわからない。 「お前が生き延びたら、新商品ができる。ウチと繋がりがあれば、こちらの利益にもなる。お前はこうして情報を手に入れることもできるんだから、お前の利益にもなっているだろう? おとなしく受け入れろ」 「旦那様は心配なだけですよ。いつだって危なっかしくて、思わぬことを引き起こすので、マインを見ているのは実に心臓に悪い」 ベンノが振り返ってそう言ったが、マルクは薄く笑ったまま言葉を続ける。 「見習いに入る子供達は生家で基本的な教育を受けてお預かりする存在で、今まで旦那様の身近にはここまで面倒をみなければならない子供がいませんでした。我が子のように、とは申せませんが、親戚の子供程度には親身になって心配しているのです。もちろん、このマルクも」 「ありがとうございます。マルクさん」 「マルクかよ」 感激してお礼を言うと、ベンノがふてくされたように吐き捨てた。わたしとマルクは顔を見合わせて吹き出した。 「もちろん、ベンノさんにも感謝してますよ。......契約魔術とギルドへの工房登録、お願いします」

I had originally planned to start working on turning the gra.s.s stalks that the other kids had gathered for me into my pseudo-papyrus, but it seems like fate had other plans for me. “Maine,” says my mother, grabbing me by the scruff of my neck as I try to slip out the door. “Where do you think you’re going? I told you, today we have to start preparing for the winter, right?” I was trying to go down to the well so that I could start working on extracting the plant fibers from these stalks. Soon, we’ll all be stuck indoors as the long winter creeps in, so we’ll have to make preparations in advance. Why, though, am I being pressed into service? I’m so weak that I’m not good for anything! According to Maine’s memories, all she ever did was catch a cold, then spend all that time uselessly wandering around. In other words, I’m completely useless. (I’m hoping I don’t actually catch a cold, though.) “You’ll go help your father, Maine. Come,” she says. “Doesn’t Daddy have work?” “It’s his turn to take a few days off. It wouldn’t be good if the soldiers couldn’t prepare for winter, you know?” ...Giving employees time off to go prepare for winter is an unexpectedly reasonable thing for an employer to do. On top of that, is preparing for the winter really so hard that it requires a man’s help? Regardless, even if my father is home, it’s unusual for me to be paired up with him. He’s a muscle-headed soldier, after all, so it’s usually the much more fit and energetic Tory that winds up going with him. Since the entire family’s home, I don’t think I’ll be able to escape. And, since it seems like my father’s specifically nominated me, I’ve got no choice but to follow him. Next to the kitchen window, my father is pulling out some things that look like tools. “We’re going to go through the house and do a little maintenance on anything that needs it. The door’s what’s going to protect us from a big snowstorm, so we need to make sure the hinges are tight, there’s no rust, and there aren’t any holes in the wood. When we’re done with that, we’re going to clean out the chimney and the flue for the stove. We don’t want to have any problems with those during the winter.” I understand what needs to be done, but how the h.e.l.l am I supposed to help with any of that? I can barely hold a screwdriver, much less turn it. I can’t carry anything heavy, either! You can see these skinny little arms right?! However, if I’m enthusiastic about doing whatever little bit I can to help out, it’ll go a long way to helping build up my family’s confidence in me. I can definitely help identify the loose parts on the hinges, and my modern-age knowledge will make spotting rust a piece of cake. “Daddy, on this hinge, isn’t this nail getting rusty?” I say, pointing at a nail. Uh, wait, no matter how you look at it, a worn-out nail like this is going to rust away, right? I’m immediately worried by how confidently my father said that. Once winter hits, this door’s our main defense against a snowstorm, so it breaking down halfway through would be very bad for us. I climb up on a chair so I can reach the door, and try to rattle it back and forth. No matter how confident my father may be, if I’m able to break it like this, then surely he’d recognize my superior judgement. After I wiggle the door a few times, the top hinge pops off with a sharp ping, and the door starts to precariously sway on its one remaining hinge. I nod in satisfaction, but my father’s face goes ghastly white as he sees the door wobble. “M- Maine?!” “Looook, it broke!” I say, pointing at the door. “It wasn’t going to last the winter. Make sure you fix it, Daddy!” My father, pretending to ignore his judgement error, helps me down off the chair. “Maybe you should go help your mother now.” Perhaps he’s upset that his daughter pointed out his mistake? I shrug my shoulders, shaking my head. It can’t be helped, I’m not going anywhere. My mother specifically a.s.signed me to help my father, so I’m going to stay next to him and continue my inspections. I’m going to make sure that we make it safely and comfortably through the winter. “Huh?” I say. “I’ve got to make sure you’ve found everything! We’re fixing things so they don’t break in the winter, so we shouldn’t leave things all beat up like that.” “We can’t afford to fix everything, and I can’t have you around breaking everything you can. Go see your mother.” ...Money problems, again! I thought I’d be able to make my father take things a little more seriously by breaking the hinge. Instead, I’m having to quietly make my way to the bedroom to go help Tory and my mother. The two of them are hanging s.h.i.+rts and blankets from clotheslines, as if they were trying to dry them, and rearranging the beds to be closer to the kitchen stove, trying to make the place just a little bit warmer. “What’s wrong, Maine?” “Daddy said that I should come help you instead, Mommy.” “Oh? Well, we’re almost done with this, so next we’re going to work on getting some more light in here. We should have some beeswax this year. We’ve also got some tallow and some tree nuts, so we’ll spend some time squeezing some oil for the lamp and making a few candles.” Just hearing about the work makes me wrinkle my nose. I’ve been smelling the stench of animal fats coming from various other houses lately, but the thought of filling our own kitchen with that stink makes me feel really uneasy. Tory heads off to the storage room to start pressing oil out of the nuts. I, however, don’t have enough strength to swing a hammer, so I can’t seek shelter in the storage room with her. Next to my mother, our largest saucepan sits over the fire, filled with nothing but beef tallow. It stinks!! Hang in there, me... I might be able to bear this stench for now, but it looks like the total extent of my mother’s preparation is only just melting the tallow alone and skimming off the impurities that rise to the top. “Wait, Mommy, is that really all you’re doing? You’re not going to ‘salt it out’?” “Hmm? What was that?” Oh, c.r.a.p. “Salting out” is so extremely obvious, but it looks like she doesn’t know about it. I try not to flinch as my mother’s stare drills into me, as if she’s asking me if I really have a problem. As best as I can, I try to explain the process using only simple words. “It’s, um... where you add salt water, then you cook it over the fire a little more, and then you strain out the dirt multiple times?” “Salt water?” she asks. “Yeah. When you leave it alone and it cools down, only the fat on top will harden, and the water on the bottom will stay liquid, you know? Then, you can take out the water, and only use the fat that was on top. It’s more work, but it will smell a lot better, and it’ll be a higher quality fat, too.” I don’t know if it’s because I said “higher quality” or not, but my mother starts salting out the tallow. The quality of the candles that we’re going to be burning throughout the entire winter is literally a life-or-death matter for me. We’re going to be trapped indoors with it, after all. Living in a house filled with that kind of stench for the whole winter would be far too much for me to bear. I don’t actually know the right concentration of salt we should be using, but even just a little should make things better, right? I guessed on the concentration, but as we salted out the tallow, it gradually started turning from a dirty yellow to a pure white. We’ll be able to use this to make candles, and then when spring comes around and we need to make soap, we can melt the candles again and re-use the tallow. Not one to waste anything, my mother uses the chunks of meat and bone that we filtered out of the tallow to make a delicious soup stock, which we have for lunch. After that, we start making the candles. “Now then,” says my mother. “Tory, please work on the candles. Your father and I will go and start working on the firewood.” ...Uh, what am I supposed to do, then? The three of them stand up and get to work. I think about it for a little while, then decide to follow along behind my mother, who’s about to step out the front door. I guess I’m going to continue trying to help her out. She notices me, however, and points firmly back towards the kitchen table. “Maine, go help Tory with the candles. Try not to get in the way.” “...Fine.” Why do you have so little trust in me? I turn back to the kitchen, where Tory is cutting string into lots of equal lengths to use as wicks. She ties them to wooden sticks, letting them dangle. She takes each stick and starts to dip the strings into and out of the pot of tallow, one by one. As she dips them over and over, tallow starts to soak into and harden around each string, gradually building in circ.u.mference with each repet.i.tion. Slowly, candles start to take shape. “Huh, so is that how you make candles...” I muse. “Maine, don’t just watch, help me!” says Tory, scowling. Tory’s starting to get mad, so I decide to help out. I chop up some herbs to erase the scent, then take some candles from the pile so that I can start rolling them in the herbs. They’ll have some effect when they’re stuck to the outside of the candle, but next year, I’m going to make sure that these herbs get mixed in to the tallow as it melts. “Maine! Don’t play around!” says Tory. “...I’m only going to use these ones. It’s better to have candles that aren’t smelly, right? Please, Tory!” “Okay, fine, but only those ones!” I nod vigorously to show that Tory’s made herself clear. I don’t know if this will work or not, so I wasn’t planning on doing this to every candle anyway. I get the herbs attached to five of the candles, varying the amount and positioning so that I can try to figure out what will produce the best result. While Tory and I keep working like that on the candles, our parents work on preparing enough firewood. There’s so much careful preparation that goes into preparing for the winter, but it’s necessary if we don’t want to freeze to death. To supplement the kindling that Tory brought back, my father’s brought back a huge number of logs, each half a meter long, that he went out and purchased. He’s currently splitting them into firewood, his hatchet beating out a steady rhythm as he works. My mother collects the wood as it splits apart, then carries it to another room to stack it up for later. “Mommy, where are you taking that?” I ask, startled, as she opens a door to a room I’d never seen before. This is the first time I’ve noticed it, but attached to the storage room is what seems to be an additional storage room. It looks like it might not be used for anything but storing materials that were prepared for the winter. Already, the room is half-filled with chopped wood. “Huh?” I ask, following her in. “What’s this room for?” “It’s... the winter storage room, you know?” she says. “Maine, why are you asking about this now?” Come to think of it, I had been wondering where the heck all of the firewood that Tory had brought back was being stored, but it looks like it’s being kept in here. We typically keep the firewood we use on a day-to-day basis in the storage room, so I guess I just never noticed the other room. “...It’s cold.” “Well, this is the farthest place in the house from the stove, after all.” Our house doesn’t have a dedicated living room with a beautiful fireplace, so the kitchen stove is the only real source of heat in the entire house. We spend most of every day in the kitchen, as a result. Also, since the bedroom is separated from the kitchen (and the stove) by a wall, we’ve pushed all of the beds in the room up against the closest wall. While the stove burns, the heat radiates through the wall, so when it’s time for the children to go to bed the beds are quite warm. They’re only warm right when we go to bed, however. Our mother quenches the fire before she goes to bed, so the room is piercingly cold by the time we wake up. This winter storage room, however, is the furthest room away from the stove, so it’s very cold in here. During the winter, this room looks like it would be great for storing food, preserves, and maybe even oil for a while, kind of like a natural refrigerator. “Wow, we have a lot of wood,” I say, amazed. “We might just barely have enough, don’t you think?” Even though the room’s half-full?! Looking at the pile of firewood before me, I suddenly start thinking about the problem of deforestation. If a single house burns this much firewood over the course of the winter, how much wood does this entire city go through in a single year? “Maine, don’t s.p.a.ce out,” says my mother. “Make sure you’re ready for your handiwork.” I’m not s.p.a.cing out!! Deforestation is a serious problem that merits significant thought! Even as I try to object, my mother’s already heading back out towards the kitchen. I hurry after her. I really don’t want to be in that gloomy, window-less room by myself. “Mommy, what’s handiwork?” “Hmm... well, the men might do things like repairing the tools they use for their jobs, or maybe use the time to make furniture. We need to make sure we have enough materials ready for that.” “Oh, it’s the jobs we do during the winter?” As I’m asking my questions, my mother is counting out how many b.a.l.l.s of yarn she has. “That’s right. As for women, making clothes is our most important job, you know? If we don’t spin enough thread for weaving cloth or sewing, and if we don’t dye things in advance, we won’t be able to make anything. My job is dyeing thread, so I already have enough of that for now, but I’ll need to spend some time preparing some plants, like nilen, to spin into more thread next year.” “On top of that, your sister’s baptism is next summer! We’re going to need brand new clothing for that, since it’s a special day... Hm, and I’m going to need to make that this winter, while I have time...” My mother’s face goes fierce as she concentrates, calculating whether or not she’ll have enough materials for the task. I don’t want to interrupt her at all, so I quietly migrate downstairs to the well, where Tory is working. “Tory, what are you doing for your handiwork?” “I’m making baskets! I’ll sell them in the spring.” Tory’s already started preparing the materials she’ll need for her work. She’s brought down a bundle of sticks that she’d gathered in the forest, soaked them, and peeled the bark off. Now, it looks like she’s using a knife to shave them down, parallel to the grain. “Me? I’m going to make some 'pseudo-papyrus’.” “What’s that?” Following Tory’s example in getting a head start on my winter’s work, I’ll start separating the fibers I’ll need to make my pseudo-papyrus. This is an extremely important part of my preparation! This is a necessary task that n.o.body could possibly get mad at me about. To extract the fibers, I can probably do something similar to what Tory’s doing. I’ll strip the skin off of the gra.s.s stalks, soak them in water, and then dry them. Since there’s not very much time left to finish our preparations, I wasn’t able to get a whole lot of gra.s.s. Now, though, I can finally start working on separating out these plant fibers. “Hey, Tory,” I say, “can I get some water?” “Hey, Tory,” I say, “how do you think I should take just the fibers out of this?” “Huh? Ummmm...” “Hey, Tory,” I say, “these won’t fly away if I dry them like this, right?” “......” I bundle up the plant fibers that I’ve managed to extract. There aren’t a whole lot of them, but for the purposes of my experiments I should be able to make maybe one or two pages with this amount. And, so, I conclude my final preparations for the coming winter. Whoof, man, I worked hard! Huh? Why’s Tory looking so exasperated?

わたしは採ってきてもらった茎で、すぐさまパピルスもどきを作るつもりだったけれど、困ったことに、すぐには取りかかれなかった。 「どこに行くつもり? 今日から冬支度始めるって言ったでしょ?」 植物の茎を解して繊維を取り出すために井戸へ行こうとしたところを、母に首根っこを掴まれて阻止されてしまったのだ。 「父さん、仕事は?」 「しばらく休みだ。交代で休みを取らないと、冬支度に困るだろう?」 ......冬支度休暇があるなんて、意外と良心的な職場ってこと? それとも、男手がないとどうしようもないくらい冬支度が大変ってこと? どちらにせよ、父が家にいて、わたしとペアになるのは珍しいことだ。兵士という職業からわかるように、どちらかというと脳筋の父は、健康で気遣いなく連れ回せるトゥーリと行動することが多かった。 家族全員が家にいる以上、逃げ出すこともできそうにないし、父からのご指名が入ってしまったし、諦めて父のお伴をするしかない。 台所の窓の前で、父は工具らしきものを取りだしながら、答えてくれた。 「これからするのは、家の中の点検と補修だな。吹雪になると板戸を閉めるから、蝶番の緩みや錆び、板戸の穴の有無を確認していくんだ。それが終わったら、煙突や竈の掃除をして、冬の間、問題なく使えるようにする」 ドライバーも持てないし、回せない、重い荷物も持てない、この軟弱な細腕が目に入らんか!? しかし、多少張り切って、ちょっとくらい役に立つところを見せなければ、この家の中でわたしの株が上昇することはないだろう。 「父さん、この蝶番も、こっちの釘も錆びてるよ?」 いや、どう見てもボロボロで今にも朽ちそうですけど? 父の言うことを信用していいのか、一瞬悩む。これから、冬になり、吹雪を防ぐための板戸なら、途中で壊れてしまうと困るだろう。 不安定にブラブラ揺れる板戸を見て、わたしはやっぱりと思ったが、父は真っ青になって揺れる板戸を見つめていた。 「マ、マイン!?」 「ほ~ら、壊れた。これじゃあ冬の間もたないって。さぁ、父さん。ちゃんと直して」 びしっと板戸を指差すと、父は自分の判断ミスを棚に上げて、わたしを椅子から下ろして、溜息を吐いた。 「マイン、母さんの手伝いをしてくるんだ」 わたしは、やれやれと肩を竦めて、首を振った。母に言われた以上、わたしは父の傍で指摘を続けなければならない。 「え? わたしは父さんを見張ってるよ。冬の間に壊れないように補修するのに、そんなボロボロのまま置いていたらダメじゃない」 「全部を直す金がないのに、マインがいたら全部壊されそうだ。母さんのところに行っておいで」 ......ここでも金か! 父がもう少し大事に使うつもりだった蝶番を壊してしまったわたしは、おとなしく父の言葉に従って母とトゥーリのいる寝室へと向かった。 二人は寝室で毛布や上掛けを干して使えるようにしたり、竈に一番近い場所にベッドを移動したり、少しでも温かく過ごせるように内装を整えていた。 「どうしたの、マイン?」 「父さんが母さんの手伝いをしろって......」 「そう? ここは終わったから、灯りのための準備をするわよ。今年はたまたま採れた蜜蝋が少しあるでしょ。それに、牛脂や木の実から、ランプのためのオイルやキャンドルを作るの」 聞いただけで実に臭そうな作業である。ここ数日は色々な家から動物の油の匂いがしているので、我が家の台所で同じ匂いがするだけだと思っても気が滅入る。 トゥーリは物置で木の実から油を取る作業を始めたが、力が足りなくてハンマーがろくに扱えないわたしには逃げ場所なんてない。 母の隣で、一番大きい鍋に入れられ、火にかけられる牛脂を見ているしかできない。 臭っ! しかし、わたしがこれだけ臭いのを我慢しているのに、なんと母は牛脂を温めて溶かして、上に浮いてきたゴミを取るだけで、牛脂の準備を終えようとした。 「ちょっと待って、母さん。それで終わり? 『塩析』しないの?」 「え? なんて?」 まずい。『塩析』は当たり前だが、通じなかったようだ。 なんか文句でもあるの? と言いだけな母の眼差しに少しばかり怯みながら、わたしはなるべく簡単な言葉で塩析の説明をする。 「だから、えーと、塩水入れて、もうちょっと弱火で煮込んで、ゴミは何度か漉して取らないの?」 「塩水?」 「そう。放っておいたら冷えて、上に油だけ固まって、下に塩水って感じで分かれるでしょ? 下の水は抜いて、上澄みの油だけ使うの。ちょっと面倒かもしれないけど、匂いはかなりマシになるし、質が良い油になるよ」 冬の間、ずっと使うことになる油の質を向上させるのは、わたしにとっても死活問題だ。なにしろ閉めきった部屋で使われるのだ。冬中、家の中が臭いなんて耐えられない。 さすがに何%の塩水にしろなんて言えないけど、ちょっとはマシになるよね? この牛脂はキャンドルになる分と、春になってから石鹸作りに使う分に分けられ、キャンドル分が鍋に入れてもう一度溶かされる。 濾した時に出てきた肉の欠片は、出汁の利いた美味しいスープの具になりました。ごちそうさま。 「じゃあ、トゥーリ。キャンドル、お願いね。父さんと母さんは薪の準備に取り掛かるから」 ......あれ? わたしの役目は? がそれぞれ動き始めたので、わたしは少し考えて、玄関を出ようとする母の後ろについて歩くことにした。「母を手伝え」がまだ続いているかもしれないし。 「マインはトゥーリと一緒にキャンドル作りよ。邪魔しないようにね」 「......わかった」 全く信頼がないのは、なんで? できあがった紐を牛脂を溶かした鍋に入れたり出したりする。何度も何度も繰り返すことで、紐の回りについた油が固まって、少しずつ太くなり、ろうそくの形になっていく。 「へぇ、キャンドルって、そうやってできるんだ」 「マインも見てないで手伝って!」 トゥーリに怒られたので、お手伝いのため、匂い消しのハーブをちぎって、固まりかけのろうそくに張り付けていく。これで消臭効果があったら、来年はもっとちゃんとハーブを漬けこんでやろう。 「マイン! 遊んじゃダメ!」 「......ここの分だけだから。臭くないキャンドルになった方がいいでしょ? お願い、トゥーリ」 「本当に、ここの分だけね?」 トゥーリに念を押されたので、わたしは大きく頷いておく。 成功するか失敗するかわからないのに、全部香りを付けるつもりなんていない。5本のキャンドルに張り付けるハーブをそれぞれ変えて、どれかいいか比べるくらいはするけど。 そんな感じでトゥーリと二人でキャンドルの準備をしている間、両親は薪の準備だ。これがなくなったら凍死しかねないので、入念な準備が必要になる。 初めて知ったことだが、普段使っている物置の奥にまだもう一つ物置があった。基本的に冬支度のためにしか使われないらしい。すでに部屋の半分くらいまで大量の木が積まれている。 「え? 何、この部屋?」 「冬支度の部屋でしょ? マイン、今更何言ってるの?」 そういえば、トゥーリが持って帰ってきた籠いっぱいの薪って一体どこに置いているんだろうと思っていたけれど、ここに置かれていたらしい。普段使いの薪は物置に置かれているから、こんな奥の部屋には気付かなかった。 「......寒いね」 「そりゃ、ここは竈から一番遠いからね」 我が家にはリビングと暖炉なんて洒落た物はなく、台所の竈が唯一の熱源になる。普段は基本的に台所で過ごすのだ。 そして、竈と壁を一つで隔てられているのが寝室で、壁にベッドがぴったりとくっつけられている。竈で火が燃えている間、つまり、子供達が寝る時は意外と温かい。 逆に、この冬支度の部屋は台所の竈から一番遠いので、ものすごく寒い。冬場に使う保存食や食料、油も保存しておくのにちょうどいいらしい。天然の冷蔵庫になので、温かくなると困る部屋だそうだ。 「薪いっぱいだね」 「これでも、ギリギリしかないわよ?」 部屋に半分ほどあるのに!? 冬支度部屋に積み上げられた薪を見て、森林伐採の問題が頭をよぎった。一家族でこれだけ燃やすなら、この街だけで一体どれだけ使うのだろうか。 「マイン、ぼんやりしないで、手仕事の準備するわよ」 結構大事そうなこと考えてたんだよ!? 反論しようにも母はすでに台所へと向かってしまった。わたしも慌てて追いかける。こんな窓もない暗い部屋に一人で置き去りにされるのは嫌だ。 「母さん、手仕事って何?」 「そうね。男の人は仕事道具の手入れかしら? 他には家具を作る予定なら、その材料を集めておかなきゃね」 「冬の間にする仕事ってこと?」 わたしの言葉に母は糸巻きの数を数えながら頷いた。 「そうよ。女の人は服を作るのが一番の大仕事でしょ? 機織り用の糸や刺繍用の糸を紡いだり、染色したり準備しないとできないわ。母さんの仕事が染色だから、糸の準備は終わってるけど、ウチは代わりに、来年用に紡ぐための羊毛やニルエンのような植物の準備がいるの」 「しかも、来年の夏はトゥーリの洗礼式があるじゃない。晴れ着の準備も冬の間にしなきゃね」 母は足りない物がないか、鬼の様な形相で確認している。どう見ても邪魔になりそうなので、わたしはトゥーリのところへと移動することにした。 「トゥーリは手仕事って、何するの?」 「籠を作るの。春になったら売るんだよ」 トゥーリは自分の手仕事になる籠作りの素材を準備し始めた。森で採ってきた木を井戸に運んで、皮を剥いでいく。そして、ナイフで繊維に沿って切っていくらしい。 「わたし、『パピルスもどき』作るんだ」 「何それ?」 わたしもトゥーリを見習って自分の冬の手仕事のために、パピルスもどきの繊維を作ることにした。 繊維の取り方は、多分トゥーリと同じようにすればできるだろう。草の皮を剥いで、水にさらして、乾かすのだ。 冬支度までにあまり日数がなかったので、それほど多くの茎が集まっているわけではない。せっかくなので、全部繊維にしてしまおう。 「トゥーリ、わたしもお水欲しい」 「トゥーリ、この繊維だけ取り出すのってどうしたらいいと思う?」 「え? えーと......」 「トゥーリ、ここで乾かしても飛んでいかないかな?」 「......」 出来上がった繊維を束ねて持つ。それほど多くないけれど、試しに一枚か二枚くらいはできるだろう。 これで、一応自分のための冬支度は終了だ。 あれ? なんでトゥーリったら不機嫌そうな顔をしてるの?

Ascendance of a Bookworm “As you know, Lutz is a minor. If he wants to travel outside the city for work, he absolutely requires permission from his parents. Taking him without getting permission would be considered the same as kidnapping.” Taking a deep sigh, Benno began explaining the situation. I am grateful for the extra information since the a.s.signment list had simply stated Persuade Lutz' parents to give permission for him to go on a trip. “I already sent Mark but he was unable to get their permission. I don't know if it is because merchants and craftsmen have different formalities, or if his father is simply stubborn. I'd like to hear what you think.” “I'm not sure how much help I can be... You're having trouble getting permission for Lutz to travel, right? This is a conversation for you, Lutz, and his parents. Even as his childhood friend, I'm still pretty much an outsider in this matter.” Benno wants to take Lutz outside the city for work; Lutz needs to be able to travel; Lutz' parents need to be convinced to permit it. These are the four people concerned. I feel like I shouldn't meddle in their affairs. When I say as much to Benno, he stares intensely at me and scratches his head roughly. “That's why I'm asking for your opinion, Maïne. I need as much information as possible. If Lutz knows you best, then you should know Lutz best, right?” Benno wants to gather information before the discussion with Lutz' parents so he can prepare for all eventualities in advance. With as much time as I spend with him, I very likely do know Lutz best, except in regards to his work. “He needs to travel for work, so why would they refuse permission?” “That's what I want to know. According to Mark, Lutz' father stubbornly disapproved. I got an idea of Lutz' hectic family environment when I lent him the attic, but what exactly is his situation? Now that he mentions it, we rarely speak of our home life with Benno. Even to me Lutz doesn't talk about his family much. Not since the atmosphere at his home deteriorated when he declared his intention to be a merchant apprentice. I believe that he is even less willing to talk to Benno and Mark since it would feel like he's whining to his superiors. “To begin with, Lutz's family objected to him becoming a merchant apprentice.” “What did you say? That means they didn't just object to him becoming a peddler, but even to becoming a merchant in the city?” I slowly nod to Benno as his eyes widen in surprise. “Since his father works in construction and his older brothers are craftsmen apprentices in construction and woodworking, I heard they wanted Lutz to become a craftsman as well. They say that the steady work of a craftsman is better and more stable than that of a merchant with its intense ups and downs.” “It's not like being a craftsman is stable either, is it?” Given that there are also workshops that go out of business, you can't say that a craftsman's job is definitely stable. But if they are skilled, they will be hired by workshops in the same trade as opposed to managing and being expected to shoulder the debts of a shop. “I also happened to hear from Lutz that he was told that he definitely won't be allowed to become a merchant.” Even filtered through Lutz, there were many cruel remarks such as it's an occupation where one has to be ruthless or that they don't create anything and only take a cut from craftsmen. Their way of speaking makes me wonder just what kind of corrupt merchant scammed them. “... Lutz did well to become a merchant in such circ.u.mstances, didn't he?” Lutz might be a bit different, if you consider that the children in this city become apprentices by joining their parent's line of work through their familial connections. But, since he's lively in his work, I believe that Lutz's choice wasn't wrong. “Lutz intended to become a live-in apprentice if his parents were adamantly against it. Since Aunt Karla... Lutz' mother only approved after seeing just how serious Lutz was, the family is tolerating it for now." “Live-in apprentice? He had problems with his family to the degree of considering something like that?” Benno blinked. Eccentric children that choose the inferior circ.u.mstances of a live-in apprentice usually don't exist. By considering becoming a live-in apprentice, it was as if they declared that they believe such an inferior position to be better than staying with their own family. “I don't know anything since Lutz hasn't told me whether they currently have a good relations.h.i.+p or not. However, it bothers me that Lutz' older brothers actually look down on him quite a bit because of this.” “In the eyes of his family, it might look as if Lutz is doing as he pleases while defying his father. They might only be opposing him as they can't see Lutz' hard work or his accomplishments because he's not in the same industry. I have never talked with his brothers about Lutz, so I don't know.” I've never properly discussed Lutz with his brothers, and I haven't even spoken with Lutz's father. I know that the eldest son, Sascha, resembles him the most among Lutz' siblings and that he has pride in his work as craftsman, but that's all. I often see his mother chatting by the well, but I never saw his father much. “... However, I think that Lutz will run away from home if he learns that his dream will be crushed due to opposition from his parents. After all Lutz is stubborn and won't yield on something once he's decided on it. But, becoming a live-in apprentice is the last resort, right? With the extra burden of domestic ch.o.r.es, living alone will be hard for Lutz, so no matter what he says, I believe that his family is something he should rely on.” “That's right.” Saying that, Benno smiles bitterly, glancing up at the upper floor. It's obvious that Benno, whose parents died early, holds family very dear when you see how he looks at Corinna. He holds such deep affection that he stayed single after losing his lover. I don't believe for an instant that he wants to cause a rift in Lutz' family. “So there's no other choice but to explain it to Lutz and have him endure until adulthood if you wish for this to end harmoniously? Since there won't be any need for something like parental permission once he becomes an adult, the safest approach would be to choose to wait while avoiding a confrontation with his family, right?” It would be different if he was barred from leaving the city for his entire life without his parent's permission, but since he can achieve his dream once he becomes an adult, I think it would be best if he endured it for now. Short of Lutz declaring that he can't stand his family any longer, there is no need to cause such a rift in his family. Benno shakes his head and looks grim-faced at my suggestion to play it safe. “By then it will be too late.” “Too late for what?” I wonder, is there anything so urgent? Once I tilt my head in confusion, Benno suddenly frowns and averts his eyes. “These are my circ.u.mstances. ... For now I won't talk about it, okay?” If those are circ.u.mstances related to his work, it's not good for me to hear too much, as I am not a part of Gilberta Company. After I lightly pa.s.sed it off with a “I see,” he groans out a “Yeah.” “Let's a.s.sume then that this matter would cause a rift between Lutz and his family, for argument's sake. I believe that Lutz will choose living as merchant over his family, but Mister Benno, how far are you willing to go to support Lutz? Since you're planning to take him outside the city, you definitely have expectations of him. However, to what extent are you going to support Lutz in his life, seeing as he's only one of your apprentices?” Benno doesn't bear any responsibility towards Lutz, who has formed a Dalua Contract with him, in regards to his livelihood. If he does look after Lutz' livelihood, it will also create dissent among the other Dalua. If Benno has no interest in taking care of the practical side of life, Lutz will suffer even more if he becomes a live-in apprentice. It would be better to keep the status quo, than do that. “As for me... I'm considering adopting him.” “Eeh!?” I was taken aback by a reply beyond my expectations. If Benno is going so far for Lutz, I won't be worried even if Lutz runs away from home. Even if Lutz chooses to separate from his family and leave the city as a travelling merchant, there won't be any problems that threaten his choice if he's backed by Benno. “I didn't expect for you to go so far for him, Mister Benno. Isn't the best course of action to explain the situation to Lutz and then talk to Lutz' parents together with him?” “Talk to Lutz, huh...?” Benno exhales with a “hmm,” obviously hesitating. “No matter what you do, I think Lutz' will is important. After all, Lutz has always thought things over by himself so far.” Adopting him means that Lutz will eventually inherit Benno's store. Since he said that the Gilberta Company will be inherited by Corinna's child, I think that Lutz will probably take over the businesses related to Maïne Workshop, such as the paper crafting and the italian restaurant. That's likely the reason why Benno wants me to link up with Lutz at the time they create a new paper workshop. Realizing that Lutz' hard work up till now had been recognized by Benno, I am very happy as if I were the one being praised here. “I suppose you are happy since Lutz will become my adopted child?” “It's not about him becoming your adopted child, I'm happy that Lutz' efforts are valued highly.” Benno laughs with a “pfft,” rings the bell and calls Mark. It looks like this is the end of the secret talk. “What might be your order, master?” “Call Lutz.” Mark leaves the room at once with beautiful movements that look as if they are flowing and then returns with Lutz in tow. I guess Lutz has been carefully watching and imitating Mark. The similarity in their movements is amusing. “Lutz.” “Yes, master.” “There's something I'd like to discuss with your parents next time. Can you set up an appointment in the near future?” Lutz blinks, obviously confused by Benno's sudden question and slightly tilts his head in puzzlement. “... With my parents? Okay, I understand.” Benno nods slightly after receiving Lutz' acknowledgement for the time being and states the day's business details to Lutz. It is something along the lines of him having to go work at Maïne's Workshop on the ma.s.s production of Tronbay paper after escorting me to the temple. “Certainly. Let's go Maïne.” “Yeah. Then, Mister Benno, best regards.” “Maïne, think about your other a.s.signments as well.” “Yeees...” I head towards the temple together with Lutz. As just about everything seems to be looking up for Lutz, I end up humming spontaneously. “You are in a good mood, aren't you Maïne?” “I am happy, after all.” “Well, it's great that you seem to be relatively lively after receiving master's sermon.” “Uh... don't make me remember that.” According to what Lutz had said along the way, it looks like he had been sent to Maïne's Workshop by Benno to ma.s.s produce Tronbay paper while I was down with fever. It also seems like he went to the forest together with the orphans, ma.s.s produced black rind, picked up kalfe potatoes just like the two of us often did, and made b.u.t.tered kalfe. “It feels more like I'm the workshop head than you, doesn't it Maïne?” I shrug my shoulders a bit at Lutz' comment. Apparently a blue-robed priestess mustn't do any manual labour, so I'm not allowed to get involved. Given that everyone's doing it joyfully, I want to mingle with them, but I have been banned from doing so. “While I'm the workshop head as blue-robed priestess, it's only a t.i.tle for the sake of raising revenue. Do your best, since I pay you, the one who's actually running it, a salary befitting a workshop head a.s.sistant.” “Calling it workshop head a.s.sistant; that's cool, but it's basically just being your helper, right? I guess nothing's changed even now.” “It probably won't change in the future either. After all, I will come up with new merchandise and you will sell it, Lutz.” Even making Lutz produce paper and teaching the orphans at Maïne Workshop is likely a part of Benno's training, and necessary for circulating paper made from plants. “... Huh? There's no one here?” Although we entered the temple, none of my attendants can be seen at the gate. This is the first time since I came to the temple that no one has been waiting at the gate. “I guess it's because I told Fran that I didn't know when we would arrive, as you were going to be scolded by master. I think it would be best to directly head to your room?” “Yeah,” I say. “I'm going to the workshop, okay? I will pick you up on my way home.” I bid farewell to Lutz at the base of the stairs heading towards the hall of wors.h.i.+p, climb the stairs and make my way to my own room after going around the orphanage. The door, which has always been opened by my attendants, remains closed, so I'm slightly perplexed. I wonder whether it's fine for me to loudly open the door? Or is it better to knock lightly since it will be dangerous if someone's in there? Or maybe it might be the best to call out to the inside and wait until it's opened? Even if I want to call my attendants, it's not like I'm carrying a bell and they will scold me for being improper if I shout for them. Hmm, what would be the best option here? I tried to consider the proper, n.o.ble-like behaviour, but since it's ridiculous for me to be this conflicted just to enter my own room, I decide to open the door after knocking lightly. ... There's no one present who might get angry anyway. Let's ask Fran about the correct manners later. I knock and say “I'm coming in.” Turning the k.n.o.b and opening the door, I see Fran descending the stairs at a quick pace while looking fl.u.s.tered. “Good morning, Fran. I made you worry, didn't I? My fever has come down, so I'm alright now.” Fran throws a quick glance at the second floor with an extremely embarra.s.sed expression and whispers, “Sister Maïne, as a matter of fact...” “What's this about a lady walking by herself without taking any attendants along?” “Eh!? Head Priest!?” I never expected to see the Head Priest in my room! I stare blankly up at the Head Priest who is looking down on me from the second floor. “Close your mouth. How indecent. ... Apart from that, I don't know about outside, but make sure to never do something so disgraceful such as walking inside the temple by yourself.” Urged on by Fran, I head to the second floor and obediently listen to his tediously long scolding while sitting in front of the Head Priest and elegantly drinking tea. According to the Head Priest, the correct way of opening a door, one befitting a n.o.ble, is to “Always give a previous announcement and have your attendants wait at the gate” or “Inform the gatekeeper of your arrival and wait for your attendants to arrive in the waiting room.” ... That's a bit too fussy for me. Don't scold me so much just because I opened a single door. Seeing as he could go on indefinitely, I change the topic by asking about the Head Priest's visit. “Head Priest, I understand the way of opening a door.” “It's not about how to open a door! Just what did you hear!? I was talking about the way you should conduct yourself as lady...” Oh my, looks like the scolding wasn't about how to open a door. Interrupting the Head Priest at a point before he can get fired up and restart the scolding, I ask him, “Might I inquire as to the reason for your visit? For you to specially come visit my room, there must be quite a reason, right? Is it something urgent?” Normally I would have already started on sorting doc.u.ments a while ago. He mentioned that he has some leeway due to my help, but him allotting that extra time to scolding me will be unbearable. Does the Head Priest recall the main issue at hand? He clears his throat lightly and looks at me. “Did the fever go down completely?” “Eh? Yes, I have completely recovered. I'm very sorry for having caused you worry.” “That's great.” While calling it great, the Head Priest reveals a smile that chills me to the bone. I straighten up my back in shock as he switched to the sermon mode of the secret room. “I'm sure I told you to not cause an uproar. Didn't I?” “Eh? Huh?” As I had just returned from days in bed with a fever, followed by an intense discussion with Benno, I stare blankly at the Head Priest for a moment before I realized what he was talking about. “I checked the Orphanage grounds to see if everything had been properly cleaned up. I found much of the soil churned up and the paving stones in disarray.” I had counted on the blue-robed priests avoiding the place, but it looks like the Head Priest made the effort to check it out himself. It seems that he's neurotic and must check everything himself, despite being so busy. He narrows his golden eyes and pins me to the chair with the intensity of his stare. “Just how did you cause such a situation?” “How, you ask... umm... as I told you before...” I glance nervously towards Fran. I wonder just what Fran told him. I have no excuses that could keep me out of trouble. “I asked Fran and some of the orphans, but they only said that you cut a tree that will become a raw material for paper, threw Tau fruit, and that you collapsed after being afflicted by fever, but...?” “... we really haven't done anything besides that.” Jumping on the explanation he's given, I nod quickly. I guess they haven't revealed that the Tau fruit absorbed my mana and that the cut tree is Tronbay? Not knowing how much information they pa.s.sed on to the Head Priest, I hold my tongue so that I won't say anything unnecessary. I will ask Fran later what kind of questioning he has gone through. “The fact that everyone's answers are similar probably means that it's not wrong. But, can't you tell me what kind of uproar you caused that managed to turn the paving stones upside down?" Just as I put up my guard and brace myself for an interrogation, the Head Priest scowls at me and orders, “Maïne, today you will stay in the reflection room for the whole day.” “Eh?” ... Without any questioning? If it was Mister Benno, he would relentlessly interrogate me though? I wonder whether it's because he went to ask the orphans about the circ.u.mstances while I was staying in bed? The Head Priest imposed my punishment without asking anything further. “Reflection room, is it?” “Correct. You should properly contemplate your own deeds while offering prayers to the G.o.ds.” “... Very well.” In sharp contrast to me, who would rather stay silent and go to reflection room to avoid being questioned, Fran became ghastly pale the instant he heard about me going to the reflection room. Delia even shouted “Unbelievable!” “I have never heard something like a blue-robed priestess apprentice being sent to the reflection room! That's disgraceful!” “Head Priest, please reconsider sending her to the reflection room!” It looks like I will become the first blue-robed priestess apprentice in history to be sent to the reflection room. To be honest, I would choose being confined in the reflection room over being repeatedly and persistently picked at about the day of the festival while being scolded by the Head Priest with such a frosty atmosphere. “Both of you, it can't be helped as I broke the promise I made with the Head Priest. It's only natural for me to take responsibility. It's fine as long as no blame reaches the orphanage's children.” All's well as long as the orphans, who made a fuss together with me, don't end up being punished alongside me. It would be pitiful if their precious, happy memories were painted over by the Head Priest's sermon and the reflection room, especially considering they enjoyed it so much. “Umm, Head Priest. Where can I find the reflection room and what will I be doing in there? Ah, no, don't misunderstand. I know that I'm going to reflect on my actions. But, is there anything I have to accomplish during my reflection?” Various things pop into my mind from the time when I was scolded in my time as Urano, such as cleaning as punishment, writing apology letters or sitting in seiza. The Head Priest raises a brow and mutters “You... what are you saying?” It looks like I ended up asking something that's common knowledge for those working at the temple. “It's obvious that you are going offering prayers to the G.o.ds, isn't it?” Eh? Is it a sentence of one day in the Gl○co pose? As I'm not saying anything against that unexpected penalty, Gil comforted me by saying “Sister Maïne, since I'm used to it, I will go inside together with you.” Of course he wasn't allowed to accompany me into the reflection room and it was decided that I will enter by myself. “Make sure to properly contemplate in here.” The Head Priest led me to the reflection room, which is really close to the hall of wors.h.i.+p and urged me inside. It appears to be a small room made out of white stone, just like the hall of wors.h.i.+p, and there's a small gap for ventilation high up on the wall. It's a dormer window, so the small room is brighter than I expected. This room, that uses white stone for the floor and all the surrounding walls as well, is cold despite it being summer. It looks like it would be terrible during winter, but it doesn't seem to be such a harsh environment in summer. “Sister Maïne, are you alright?” “Yes, I'm doing fine.” I couldn't see the worried looks of Fran and Gil through the hastily closed wooden door. Since there's no one watching me, there's no way that I will seriously offer my prayers. I sit down in a corner with a thump. It's nice and cold, and has a very calming atmosphere. I decide to take out the a.s.signment list that I secretly put in the pocket of my skirt and ponder how to solve the problems. “Yeah, won't this be somehow possible, if he skillfully adopts a system of turning down first-time customers? What should I do about this one? It's not a good time to shamelessly ask the Head Priest to Please invite me to dinner and lunch since I want to learn about a n.o.ble's meals.” I wonder whether I'm maybe still not up to my normal condition? I'm getting too sleepy. Since my stomach's empty, I think that the time for lunch has pa.s.sed. I fold the a.s.signment list, put it into my pocket, and then lie down on the floor. In order to restore my stamina by having a little nap, I close my eyes and let myself doze. “Maïne, you're supposed to be reflecting, not taking a nap...!? Fran!” “Whaa! Sister Maïne!?” It seems that my body ended up growing cold while I was taking a nap on the chilly stone floor. When the Head Priest came back to let me out of the reflection room, my fever had come back at full strength and I was unable to move. “To cause her fever to act up again the day she showed up at the temple after recovering, just how am I going to apologize to her mother?” I could hear Fran's voice close to my ear. He was at his wits' end. “Didn't she recover!?” “With all due respect, Head Priest, you are taking Sister Maïne's feebleness far too lightly. Didn't I implore you to reconsider sending her to the reflection room?” “So those were words considering her physical condition and not her honor...?” He had ignored Fran's warning, and it resulted in my having to stay in bed with a fever again, right after recovering. It seems the Head Priest, who had sent me to the reflection room, deeply regretted my fever as being his responsibility. On my third day stuck in bed, Tuuli rushes into my bedroom. “It's a disaster, Maïne! Ralph said that Lutz ran away from home and didn't come back!” I reflexively try to get up, but instead collapse back into bed.

「ルッツは未成年だからな。余所の街に行って、泊りがけで仕事をするとなれば、親の許可は絶対に必要だ。許可なく連れだせば、誘拐扱いされる」 ベンノはゆっくりと息を吐きながら、事情を説明し始めた。課に書いてあったのが、「ルッツの親を説得し、外出許可を得る」というものだけだったので、説明をもらえるのは助かる。 「マルクに許可を取りに行かせたが、許可がもらえなくてな。商人と職人としての常識の違いなのか、あそこの父親が殊更に頑固なのか、お前の意見が聞きたい」 「意見を聞きたいと言われても......。それって、つまり、ルッツを連れ出す許可を取る方法がないかってことですよね? でも、それはやっぱりルッツとベンノさんとルッツの両親が話をしなければならないことですよ。幼馴染とはいえ、わたしは完全ななんですから」 仕事で外に連れ出したいと思うベンノ、実際に外に行くルッツ、それから、許可を出すルッツの両親。当事者はこれだけだ。わたしが口を出すような問題ではないと思う。 そう言うと、ベンノはガシガシと頭を掻いて、わたしを睨んだ。 「だから、お前の意見を聞きたいと言っている。情報はいくらでも必要なんだ。お前の事を一番知っているのはルッツなら、ルッツの事を一番知っているのはお前だろう?」 何に関しても事前準備をきっちりするベンノだからこそ、ルッツの両親と交渉する前に情報を集めておきたいのだろう。仕事に関する事ならともかく、生活に関係するところならば、確かに、あれだけ一緒にいるわたしが一番ルッツには詳しいと思う。 「お仕事なのに、どうして許可が下りなかったんですか?」 「それはこっちが聞きたい。マルクによると、許さん、の一点張りだったらしいぞ。ルッツの家庭環境があまり良くない事は屋根裏を貸す時に少し聞いたが、一体どういう状況なんだ?」 そういえば、ベンノに生活環境の話はほとんどしていなかったと思う。 自分が商人見習いになると宣言して、家の雰囲気が悪くなってからのルッツは、わたしにも家であったことをあまり話してくれなくなった。上司であるマルクやベンノには弱音を吐くように感じて、尚更言わないと思う。 「ルッツはもともと商人になる事自体、家族に反対されていたんです」 「何だと? 旅商人が反対されていたわけじゃなくて、街の商人も反対されていたのか?」 驚いたように目を見張ったベンノにわたしはゆっくりと頷いた。 「お父さんは建築関係のお仕事をしていて、ルッツのお兄ちゃん達はみんな、建築や木工関係の職人見習いをしているので、ルッツにも職人になって欲しかったみたいです。浮き沈みの激しい商人より堅実な仕事をする職人の方が安定していて良いって」 「職人だって安定しているわけではないだろう?」 仕事がなくなって潰れる工房もあるので、職人が絶対に安定しているとは言えないかもしれない。けれど、腕が良ければ同業の工房で雇ってもらえるので、店を経営して借金を背負うようなことにはならない。 「商人は絶対に許さないって、言われたとルッツに聞いたことがあります」 職人の上前を撥ねるだけで、何も生み出さないとか、冷酷でなければなれない職業だとか、ルッツから聞いただけでもひどい言い草が多かった。一体どんな悪徳商人に痛い目にあわされたのか、と思うような言い様だと聞いている。 「......ルッツはよくそんな状況で商人になったな」 この街の子供が親や親戚の口利きで家業に連なる職業に就くことを考えれば、ルッツは異質かもしれない。けれど、生き生きと仕事をしているので、ルッツの選択は間違っていなかったとわたしは思っている。 「ルッツはどうしても両親に許されなかったら、住み込み見習いになるつもりだったんです。カルラおばさん......ルッツのお母さんがルッツの真剣さだけは認めてくれたから、今は家から通ってますけど」 「住み込み見習い? そんなもんになろうと思うほど、家族とうまくいっていないのか?」 ベンノが目を瞬いた。住み込み見習いという劣悪な環境に自ら飛び込む酔狂な子供なんて普通はいない。住み込み見習いになろうと思った時点で、自分の家よりそんな劣悪な環境がマシだと思っていると宣言したようなものだ。 「今、うまくいっていないかどうかまでは、ルッツが言いませんからわかりません。ただ、ルッツのお兄ちゃん達があまりルッツに好意的でないところが気にかかっています」 「家族から見れば、父親に逆らって、ルッツが好き放題しているように見えるのかもしれないし、同じ業種ではないから、ルッツの努力や成果が見えなくて反対しているだけなのかもしれません。お兄ちゃん達とルッツのことについて話をした事はないから、わからないんです」 お兄ちゃん達ともルッツの事について、きちんと話をしたことはないけれど、ルッツのお父さんに至っては、わたしもほとんど面識さえない。 見た目はルッツの兄弟の中で長男のザシャが一番よく似ていて、建築関係の職人で仕事に誇りを持っているという事は知っているが、それだけだ。母親同士が井戸の周りで話をしているところはよく見るが、父親同士はあまり見たことがない気がする。 「......ただ、両親の反対で自分の夢が潰されると知れば、ルッツは家を飛び出すと思います。ルッツは頑固で、こうと決めた事は譲らないから。でも、住み込み見習いは最後の手段でしょ? 家事という面でルッツの一人暮らしは厳しいし、色々言ってみても、家族は拠り所だとわたしは思ってますから」 「そうだな」 そう言って、ベンノは一瞬上の階を見上げた後、苦い笑みを浮かべた。親を早くに亡くして苦労したベンノは、コリンナを見ればわかるように、とても家族を大事にしているし、恋人を亡くして独身を貫くくらい情の深いところがある。ルッツの家族に亀裂を入れたいとは思わないはずだ。 「丸く収めようと思ったら、ルッツにうまく説明して、成人まで我慢させるしかないんじゃないですか? 成人すれば、親の許可なんて必要なくなるんですから、家族との対立を避けて、今は待つという選択肢が一番無難ですよね?」 親の許可がなければ一生街から出られないというならともかく、成人すれば夢が叶うのだから、今は我慢しても良いと思う。ルッツが家族にはもう耐えられない、と言ってしまったならともかく、わざわざ亀裂を入れる必要もないはずだ。 わたしの最も無難な提案にベンノは渋い顔をして首を振った。 「それでは、遅い。間に合わん」 「何に、ですか?」 何か間に合わせなければならないようなことがあっただろうか。わたしが首を捻ると、ベンノがぐっと眉を寄せて目を逸らす。 「こちらの事情だ。......今は言えんな」 仕事上の事情ならば、ギルベルタ商会の人間ではないわたしが深く聞いて良いことではない。「そうですか」と軽く流した後、うーんと唸った。 「じゃあ、仮に今回の件でルッツと家族との亀裂が決定的なものになったとしましょう。ルッツは家族より商人としての生き方を選択すると思いますけど、ベンノさんはどれだけルッツの支援をしてくれるんですか? 余所の街に連れて行こうと考えてくれるくらいだから、期待されているのは間違いないと思ってます。でも、ただの見習いの一人であるルッツの生活の面倒をどこまで見てくれるんですか?」 ダルア契約をしているルッツに対して、ベンノは生活の面倒を見る義務を負っていない。ルッツの生活まで面倒を見るようになれば、他のダルアとの間にまた差がつく。 ベンノが考えているのが仕事面だけで、生活面の面倒を見る気がないなら、今から住み込み見習いになってもルッツが苦労するだけだ。それくらいなら現状維持の方が良い。 「俺としては......養子縁組を考えている」 「えぇ!?」 予想もしていなかった答えにわたしは仰天した。 ベンノがそこまでルッツの面倒を見てくれるなら、たとえルッツが躊躇いもなく家を飛び出したとしても、わたしは一安心だ。ルッツが商人として街の外に出ることを選んで家族から離れたとしても、ベンノという受け皿があるなら、生活面でも仕事の面でも心配はない。 「ベンノさんがルッツの事をそこまで考えてくれているとは思いませんでした。だったら、ルッツにも事情を話して、ルッツの両親を交えて話をするのが一番じゃないですか!」 「ルッツに話す、か......」 うぅむ、と躊躇うようにベンノが唸る。 「どうするにしても、ルッツの意思が大事だと思います。ルッツは今まで自分で考えてきたんですから」 養子縁組するということはルッツがいずれベンノの店を継ぐということだ。ギルベルタ商会はコリンナの子供が継ぐと言っていたから、多分、植物紙やイタリアンレストランなどマイン工房に関する事業を継ぐことになるのだと思う。だからこそ、新しく植物紙の工房を作る時にルッツに立ち合わせたいのだろう。 今までのルッツの頑張りがベンノに認められたことがわかって、わたしは自分が褒められたみたいにとても嬉しくなった。 「お前はルッツが俺の養子になれば嬉しいか?」 「養子がってことじゃなくて、ルッツの頑張りが評価されたことが嬉しいです」 ベンノはフッと笑うと、ベルを鳴らしてマルクを呼んだ。どうやら、秘密のお話は終わりのようだ。 「何が御用でしょうか、旦那様?」 「ルッツを呼んでくれ」 流れるような綺麗な動きでマルクが一度退室して、ルッツを連れて戻ってくる。ルッツがよくマルクを見て真似ているのだろう。動きが似てきているのが、ちょっと面白い。 「ルッツ」 「はい、旦那様」 「今度お前の両親に話したいことがある。近いうちに席を設けてくれないか?」 ベンノの言葉はあまりにも唐突で、ルッツは面食らったように瞬きした後、少し首を傾げた。 「......オレの親に? はぁ、わかりました」 ルッツの口から一応の了承が取れると、ベンノは軽く頷いて、本日の業務内容をルッツに述べる。わたしを神殿に送った後、トロンベ紙を量産中のマイン工房で作業をしてこい、というものだった。 「かしこまりました。行くぞ、マイン」 「うん。じゃあ、ベンノさん。よろしくお願いします」 「マインは他の課題についても考えておけよ」 「ふぁい......」 わたしはルッツと一緒に神殿に向かう。ルッツにとって何もかもが良い方向に向かっているようで、思わず鼻歌が出てしまう。 「ご機嫌だな、マイン」 「だって、嬉しいもん」 「まぁ、旦那様の説教を受けた割に、元気そうでよかったよ」 「う......そういうことは思い出させないで」 道中、ルッツが話してくれた内容によると、わたしが熱を出していた間、ルッツはトロンベ紙を量産するためにベンノからマイン工房に派遣されていたらしい。孤児達と森へ行って、黒皮を量産したり、よでしていたようにカルフェ芋を持って行って、カルフェバターを作ったりしたらしい。 「マインよりオレの方が工房長っぽいことしてねぇ?」 ルッツの言葉にわたしは軽く肩を竦めた。青色巫女は労働してはいけないらしいので、わたしには手を出せない。みんなで楽しそうにやっているので、交じりたいけれど、禁止されているのだ。 「工房長は巫女見習いをしながら、収益を上げるためだけの肩書だからね。実際に動くルッツには工房長補佐の肩書とお給料を渡すから頑張ってよ」 「工房長補佐って言えば、カッコイイけど、マインのお手伝いだろ? 今までと何も変わんねぇし」 「これからも多分変わらないよ。わたしが新しい商品を考えて、ルッツが売るんだから」 ルッツにマイン工房で孤児達の指導をさせて紙を作らせるのも、植物紙を広げるために必要な、ベンノによる教育の一部だろう。 「......あれ? 誰もいない?」 神殿に着いたものの、門に側仕えの姿はない。わたしが神殿に行くようになってから、誰も門で待っていないのは初めてだった。 「旦那様から説教されるから、いつになるかわからないってフランに連絡したからな。直接部屋に向かえばいいだろ?」 「うん」 「オレ、工房に行くからな。帰りには迎えに行く」 ルッツとは礼拝室に向かう階段の手前でわかれて、わたしは階段を上がった後、孤児院の建物をくるりと回って自室へと向かった。 いつもは側仕えが開けてくれるドアが閉まっていて、少し戸惑う。 バーンと開けちゃってもいいかな? 誰かがいたら危ないから、軽くノックした方が良いかな? もしかしたら、中に声をかけて開けてくれるのを待った方が良いのかも? 側仕えを呼ぼうにも、ベルを持ち歩いているわけではないし、大声を上げて呼ぶのははしたないと怒られたし、どうするのが正解だろうか。お貴族様らしい行動がわからず、しばらく考えてみたが、自分の部屋に入るだけで、悩むのがバカバカしくなって、軽くノックしてドアを開けることにした。 ......どうせ怒るような人はいないし、後でフランに正解を聞いてみようっと。 コンコンとノックして、「開けますよ」と声をかける。ドアノブに手をかけて開ければ、慌てた様子でフランが早足に階段を下りてくるのが見えた。 「おはようございます、フラン。心配をかけましたね。熱も下がったし、もう大丈夫ですわ」 非常に困り果てた顔のフランが一度ちらりと二階の方へと視線を向けて、声を潜める。 「マイン様、実は......」 「側仕えも連れずに淑女が一人で歩くとは何事だ?」 「へ!? 神官長!?」 まさか自分の部屋で神官長の姿を見ることになるとは、全く考えていなかったわたしは、ぽかーんとしたまま、二階から見下ろしてくる神官長を見上げた。 「口を閉じなさい。みっともない。......それより、外ではどうか知らぬが、神殿の中を一人で歩くような品位に欠ける真似は決してしないように」 フランに促されて二階へと向かい、神官長を差し向かいで優雅にお茶を飲みながら、くどくどと続くお小言をおとなしく聞いた。 神官長のお小言によると、貴族らしいドアの開け方の正解は「必ず先触れを出し、門で側仕えを待たせる」もしくは、「門番に到着を告げ、待合室で側仕えが来るのを待つ」だった。 ......わたしにはちょっと難しかったね。 ドアの開け方一つで、よくここまでお小言が出てくるな。いつ終わるんだろう、と退屈になってきたわたしは、神官長の訪問理由を知らないことに気が付いて、話題を変えることにした。 「神官長、ドアの開け方はわかりました」 「ドアの開け方ではない。何を聞いていた!? 私は淑女としての在り方を......」 あらま。お小言はドアの開け方ではなかったらしい。 お説教がヒートアップして再開しそうなところを遮って、わたしは神官長に質問した。 「訪問の理由をお伺いしてよろしいですか? 神官長がわたくしのお部屋にいらっしゃるなんて、よほどの理由がおありなのですよね? お急ぎではないのですか?」 普段ならとっくに書類に向かっている時間だ。わたしが手伝うことで余裕ができたとは言っていたが、その余裕をお小言に振り分けられては堪らない。 神官長は本題を思い出したのか、軽く咳払いしてわたしを見る。 「熱は完全に下がったのか?」 「え? えぇ、すっかり回復いたしました。ご心配をおかけして申し訳ありませんでした」 「それはよかった」 よかった、言いながら、神官長が底冷えのする笑みを浮かべた。秘密の部屋で見る時のお説教モードにビクッとして、背筋を伸ばす。 「私は騒ぎを起こすな、と言ったはずだ。違うか?」 「え? え?」 熱で寝込んで数日たっているし、ベンノとの話があったせいで、神官長が何の事を言っているのか、一瞬わからなかった。 「本当に後始末がしっかりできているのか確認に向かってみれば、広範囲に渡って土が掘り返され、石畳の一部がわずかに浮いていた」 こんなところに来る青色神官なんていない、と思っていたが、神官長はわざわざ確認に行ったようだ。多忙なくせに自分で確認せずにはいられない神経質で苦労性な人らしい。 金色にも見える目が細められ、わたしを逃すまいと捕らえる。 「一体何をしたらそんな状況になる?」 「何って......その......事前に報告したように......」 フランに視線を向ける。一体フランは何と報告したのだろうか。どう答えれば丸く収まるのか、全くわからない。 「フランを初め、孤児達の誰に聞いても、紙の原料になる木を刈った。タウの実を投げ合った。君が熱を出して倒れた、としか答えないのだが?」 「......本当にそれ以外は特に何もしていません」 わたしは神官長の言葉尻に乗っかって、頷いた。 タウの実が魔力を吸ったことや刈った木がトロンベだということは漏れていないのだろうか。神官長にどれだけの情報が渡っているかわからなくて、わたしは余計な事を言わないように口を噤む。あとでフランにどういう追及があったのか聞いてみよう。 「全員の回答が似たようなものになるということは、間違いはないのだろう。だが、石畳をひっくり返すほどのことをしておいて、何の騒ぎも起こしていないとは言えまい?」 これから、一体どれだけ追及されるか、とわたしが身構えていると、神官長はじろりとわたしを睨んで命じた。 「マイン、君は今日一日反省室だ」 「え?」 ......追及はなしですか? ベンノさんなら執拗な追及をしますよ? わたしが寝込んでいる間に孤児達から事情を聞きだしていたせいだろうか、神官長はそれ以上を追求することなく、罰を課した。 「反省室、ですか?」 「そうだ。神に祈りを捧げ、己の所業をよく反省するように」 「......はい」 肩透かしというか、黙って反省室ならそれでいいや、と思ったわたしと違って、反省室行きの言葉を聞いた瞬間、フランは真っ青になったし、デリアは「信じられない!」と叫んだ。 「青色の巫女見習いが反省室なんて聞いたことがないですわ! みっともない!」 「神官長、反省室はお考え直しください!」 どうやら、わたし、史上初、反省室に入れられた青色巫女見習いになるようです。 はっきり言って、神官長の底冷えのする雰囲気で怒られながら、ねちねちと祭りの日の事をほじくり返されるくらいなら、反省室に籠る方を選びたい。 「二人とも、わたくしが神官長とのお約束を破ったせいですから仕方ありませんわ。責任を取るのは当たり前ですもの。孤児院の子供達にお咎めがなければいいのです」 一緒に騒いだ孤児達が連帯責任で叱られなかったのなら、それでいい。あんなに楽しそうだったのに、せっかくの楽しい思い出が神官長のお説教や反省室で塗りつぶされたら可哀想だ。 「あの、神官長。反省室とはどこにあって、入って何をするのでしょうか? あ、いえ、反省するのはわかってますよ? その反省がわかるように、何かしなければならないことがありますか?」 正座しろとか、反省文を書けとか、罰として掃除しろとか、麗乃時代に怒られた時の色々が脳裏に浮かぶ。 神官長は軽く片方の眉を上げて、「何を言っているんだ、君は」と呟いた。神殿関係者には当たり前のことを質問してしまったようだ。 「神に祈りを捧げるに決まっているだろう?」 え? 一日グ○コの刑ってことですか? 予想外の苦行に言葉を発せずにいると、ギルが「マイン様、オレ、慣れてるから一緒に入ってやるよ」と慰めてくれた。もちろん、反省室への付き添いは認められず、わたしは一人で反省室に入ることになった。 「ここでよく反省するように」 わたしは神官長に礼拝室のすぐ側にある反省室へと連れていかれ、中に入るように促された。 礼拝室と同じ白い石造りの小部屋で、かなり上の方に細く空気を取り込むための隙間が開いているのが見える。それが明かり取りにもなっていて、白い小部屋は思ったよりも明るい。 床も周りの壁も全てが白い石でできているこの小部屋は夏なのにひやりと冷たかった。冬は大変そうだが、夏はそれほど厳しい環境でもなさそうだ。 「マイン様、大丈夫ですか?」 「えぇ、大丈夫ですわ」 心配そうなフランとギルの顔がバタリと閉められた木の扉で見えなくなった。 見張る人もいないのに、わたしが真面目に祈りを捧げるはずもなく、すとんと隅っこに座り込んだ。ひんやりとしていて、とても落ち着く感じだ。 こっそりとスカートのポケットに入れていた課題一覧を取り出して、問題解決について考えることにした。 「うーん、これは一見さんお断りのシステムをうまく取り入れれば、何とかなるんじゃないかな? こっちはどうしよう? 神官長に貴族の食事を知りたいので、ランチとディナーに招待してください、なんて今はちょっと頼みにくいよねぇ」 もしかしたら、まだ本調子ではないのだろうか。あまりに眠たくなってきた。お腹の空き具合から、お昼は過ぎたと思う。課題一覧の紙を畳んで、ポケットに入れると、床にゴロリと横になった。少しお昼寝して体力を回復させようと、うとうとする心地に任せて目を閉じる。 「マイン、反省しなければならないというのに、何を寝て......っ!? フラン!」 「わぁ! マイン様っ!?」 ひやりと冷たい石造りの床で昼寝をしているうちに体が冷えきってしまったようだ。わたしを反省室から出すために神官長がやって来た時には完全に熱が出て、動けなくなっていた。 回復して神殿に出したその日にまた熱を出させてしまうなんて、母に何と詫びよう、とフランが頭を抱えるのが、耳元で聞こえる。 「回復したのではなかったのか!?」 「恐れながら、神官長。マイン様の虚弱さを甘く見過ぎでございます。反省室はお考え直しくださいと申し上げたではないですか」 「体面ではなく、体調を考えての言葉だったのか......」 フランの忠告を聞き流したことで、回復直後にわたしがまた熱を出して寝込むことになってしまった。これは自分の責任だと、わたしを反省室に入れた神官長が深く反省したらしい。 わたしが寝込んで三日目。 「大変だよ、マイン! ルッツが家出して帰ってこなかったって、ラルフが!」 反射的に起き上がった瞬間、わたしの身体は崩れ落ちた。

“Lu~utz!” The instant I see Lutz’s face, the sheer sense of relief over having returned to a world where my own common sense prevails makes me feel like all the strength is leaving my body. I race down the stairs towards him, grab his arm tightly, and burrow my head into him. “I’m so exhausted, Lutz!” “Yeah, you look kinda pale. Rough day, huh?” He gives me a sympathetic look as he pats me on the head. What I did today was basically just read a book, but it seems like being with me is my attendants’ entire job, so the basically the entire time someone was standing near me, constantly watching me. Of course, when I’m absorbed in a book, it’s typical for me to be completely and utterly unconcerned by my surroundings, but every time I came to my senses I could feel someone’s gaze fixed on me, which made me really uncomfortable. You could call those stares painful, or heavy, but either way being constantly watched is a huge burden. It’s left me exhausted. Man, n.o.bles are amazing. How long does it even take to get used to that? I’m just happy because I get to go home in order to sleep. If I had to deal with all that from “good morning” to “good night”, I would go insane. “Hey, Lutz. I want to meet with Mister Benno today, is he at the shop?” “He actually just got back right when I was leaving, so he should probably be in right now, I think? Why, did something happen?” He looks worried, so I shake my head. “No, I just need to go to the merchant’s guild to withdraw money for my donation and bring it to the head priest. I figured I should tell him about it in advance...” “Hmm! Alright, let’s go.” When he says that, for some reason, the trio of attendants behind me starts heading with us at well. I don’t even want them following me around in the temple, so I really don’t want them following me around outside, too! I really don’t want to be stared at. “...You don’t need to come with me, you know?” “That’s right!” adds Delia. “It’s impossible for you to meet with anyone without your attendants around.” Since it’s not just Fran telling me it’s impossible, but even Delia too, I guess it must be common knowledge that a blue-robed priest never meets with anyone without their attendants. I’ll have to add this to the list I’m keeping in my head. “Hmm?” says Gil. “Well, if I don’t have to go, then yeah, I’m out of here. I’m starving.” As I thought, Gil, who’s disinterested in even an attendant’s common sense, shoots me a resentful glare as he turns his back on us and starts heading back inside. The other two, however, aren’t following suit. If I had to compromise and bring someone along, Fran’s the only one I’d be able to have follow me around. Even still, I’d be able to relax a lot more if I didn’t have any of my attendants following me around. Plus, I’m just going to the Gilberta Company, where I go all the time, and since I have Lutz with me I don’t have any particular use for an attendant. ...Can I just drive them off? “Oh, Delia,” I say. “Could you go tell Father Ferdinand that I’m going to come back with my donation once I’m done talking with Mister Benno? I really need him to know about this. I’m relying on you!” “Hmm? You really need it? Alright then. I’ll make absolutely sure to go tell him right away.” The wide smile she gives me is unbelievably easy to read. I wonder, is she just going to do literally nothing, or is she just going to go straight to the temple master instead? She turns around, looking the happiest I’ve seen her all day, and goes back into the temple. I breathe a sigh of relief over having managed to drive her off. Fran, however, grimaces in displeasure, looking back and forth between me and the departing Delia. “Miss Maïne, if you would like a message delivered to Father Ferdinand, I would be happy to do so. Please allow me to accompany Delia.” “Fran, I’ve already sent Delia. If you’re telling me that I have to have an attendant with me, then would it really be okay for you to go with her?” Fran shakes his head, his displeasure still clear on his face. “But, I can’t say if “...I have Lutz here with me, so I’ll be fine if you go tell Father Ferdinand, you know? I really do need someone to go tell him about this.” As I say this, I grab Lutz’s hand and start walking. Fran stands in the temple’s entranceway for a while, turning indecisively back and forth, but he ultimately seems to decide that he’d prefer to report to the head priest, and heads back into the temple. “Maïne, are you sure that’s alright? Isn’t he supposed to be learning how to keep an eye on your condition?” Lutz looks over his shoulder, tilting his head as he looks back at the empty temple entrance. Come to think of it, I was told to let my attendants monitor my health, wasn’t I? As I think that, I let out an enormous sigh. “...Hmmm. He is one of the attendants picked for me by the temple, but I still think it’ll be difficult. First off, he really doesn’t have any enthusiasm for it.” “I think that, probably, he really wanted to serve the head priest, but he got told that he was being a.s.signed to me instead. He always looked like he was doing things kind of begrudgingly, no matter what we were doing. If I could maybe make him consider me his master more than the head priest, that might change, but I’m pretty sure that’s hopeless, right?” “You, a master... don’t you need, like, dignity and presence for that?” He laughs teasingly at me, and I can’t help but start laughing too. I feel so much better now that I’m back in such a comfortable environment. “Good afternoon, Mister Mark,” I say. “Is Mister Benno in?” As Lutz opens the door to the shop, I see Mark inside and, as I always do, wave as I call out to him. The instant he sees me, though, his face turns pale. “...Maïne, quickly, please come in.” “Huh?” Mark, in an atypical hurry, rushes to show the two of us inside. Under ordinary circ.u.mstances, when we drop by without having made arrangements beforehand we’re usually asked to wait inside the store for a while, then are brought into the back room when Benno is able to see us. Today, however, Mark immediately opens the door to the back room and pushes us through, his face still drained of blood as he calls out to Benno. “Master Benno, Maïne has come to see you. I’m showing her in.” “What’s this now, Mark?” replies Benno. “Why’re you being so hasty when it’s just Maïne... dropping...” Mark shuts the door behind us as Benno looks up from his desk. When he sees me, he just stares at me for a moment, then immediately flies into a rage, his eyes wide. “Maïne! You! Idiot!” I squeak in fright, covering my ears as I recoil. Lutz flinches too, his breath audibly hitching as he steps back. “Uh? Huh? You too? What now?!” “You thoughtless little kid! You came here looking like that?! Don’t tell me you walked here all the way from the temple wearing that?!” I look down at myself, then tilt my head curiously. “...Yes, I did, is there a problem with that?” Lutz tilts his head too. Benno looks at the two of us, sees that we aren’t able to understand why there could be a problem here at all, and scratches his head vigorously in frustration. Mark closes his eyes, rubbing at his temples. “Maïne,” says Benno. “You’re wearing the clothing that a blue-robed priestess wears, aren’t you?” “Yes,” I reply. “Ordinarily, blue-robed priestesses are n.o.bility.” “That’s right,” I reply. “When the n.o.bility have to travel, they ride in carriages. They’re not able to just wander around the city on foot. Can you tell me why that is?” I tilt my head further as I consider his question. I think back to the few times I’ve ridden in a carriage. It shook a lot as it was moving and felt pretty terrible to ride. However, riding in one is something that us commoners never really get to do often. All we can do is stare yearningly as they ride past. So, it’s a great way to instantly show off how high your status is. Back in my Urano days, I had a car, of course, to use for transportation, but I didn’t use it all the time. It made sense for when I went shopping and knew that I was going to be buying more than I could carry, or when I was going on long trips. I also drove when the weather was bad enough to make walking difficult. walking is too hard and not ostentatious enough?” “Wrong! If they’re staggering around on the streets, then they will be abducted and held for ransom! So if you don’t want to be abducted, then don’t wear that robe outside of the temple!” “Y-y-y-yes s-sir!!” I immediately start taking off my robe on the spot. Since I already have my apprentice wear on underneath, it’s as simple as undoing the sash and pulling the robe over my head. I’ve always been the child of poor people. I hadn’t even considered the idea that anyone would want to kidnap me and hold me ransom. I see now. I’ve been thinking of this blue robe like it was just another kind of uniform, but to other people I’m basically wearing a sign that with “h.e.l.lO, I AM n.o.bILITY, I HAVE MONEY” written on it in big, bold letters. After I finish neatly folding my robe, Benno sighs exhaustedly, looking down at the bundle of cloth in my arms with a complicated expresion. “Well then... why are you here, Maïne? Surely you didn’t show up here just to try to scare us to death, right?” “Right. I have a favor to ask. Would you mind accompanying me to the merchant’s guild, and then after that to the temple?” “What for?” he asks, his head tilted in incomprehension. “I’d like for your help in withdrawing five small gold coins for my donation and bringing it to the temple. I’ve already asked the head priest, and he said it was okay.” “Why me?” “All of my large transactions so far have been done through my guild card, but the head priest doesn’t have one of those. I’m kind of scared of walking around with that much money on me. When I told that to the head priest, he told me to have my attendants take care of it, which actually surprised me a little.” Benno frowns, his eyebrows knitting together. “What’s surprising about that? That’s an attendant’s job, isn’t it?” “...I genuinely, completely, thoroughly distrust my attendants. The thought of trusting them with a large amount of money is utterly terrifying.” Benno pauses for a moment, eyes wide, then blinks a few times. “So, the girl who never thinks anything through, who constantly just shrugs her way through problems, who is so resistant to learning from her mistakes that she still goes to the guild master’s house after being so ma.s.sively deceived, has finally found someone she distrusts? Please, tell me, just who are these individuals?” I’m still going to the guild master’s house because it’s beneficial for me, though. I get to trade recipes for sugar, and even though the guild master had deceived me about the magical tools there’s no question that he saved my life. Of course, I don’t have enough trust in them to let them carry my money for me, but if I’m dealing with them as partners in a mutual transaction, then I’ll shrug my way through that particular problem. There’s no way that I could ever trust someone who flat-out say so my face that they’re going to intentionally cause trouble for me. “Out of the three attendants I was a.s.signed, one of them is a spy for the temple master, one is a spy for the head priest, and one of them is a problem child who seems like he was a.s.signed to me purely as hara.s.sment. I don’t even want them loitering around near me at the temple, much less carrying any amount of money for me.” “That’s... I’d thought this might happen, but you really made some enemies over there, didn’t you.” I groan a little at how accurately he hit the nail on the head. “Back when I thought that I only had half a year left to live, I was thinking that it didn’t matter how well-liked I was as long as I got to read books, but if this is going to go on for a while then this is really going to be a problem.” “Circ.u.mstances really are different now. So, for the spies, all you can do right now is try to improve your surface-level relations.h.i.+ps with them. You don’t need to trust them, but figure out what exactly you can trust them with. ...And for that problem child, you’re basically going to treat him like you’d treat a wild animal. The image of Gil as a wild baby monkey atop a tree, clapping his hands and shrieking down at me, floats through my mind. "People aren’t animals, though?” “They’re basically the same thing. If they don’t do what you say, give them a las.h.i.+ng. If they do, give That sounds less like building a healthy relations.h.i.+p of mutual trust and more like just forcing him into subservience. “...That sounds like it would take a lot of time that I would rather spend reading, though.” “Don’t be lazy! Being in n.o.ble society and not knowing how to use your attendants is a serious issue!” “Ngh... Okay, I’ll think about the future.” Benno lets out a long sigh, then lightly shakes his head as if to reset his thoughts. “We’ve gotten off topic. So, when are you going to be delivering this donation?” “That’s what I’m here to discuss with you, though? I told my attendants that we’d be back with the money as soon as it was convenient for you—” The color instantly leaves Benno’s face. “—Which means you basically said ‘immediately’! Mark, get things ready! We’re going to the temple!” Mark leaps out of the room, ghastly pale. “Uh, um, so, then we’re going to the merchant’s guild?” “No time to waste on that. We don’t actually need to go. Card?” After we tap our cards together, Benno tells me to put my robes back on since we’re going to the temple, then disappears through the inner door, bounding up the stairs. I unfold the robes that I had taken off just moments ago, then slip them back over my head. I tie the sash around my waist, then let my head hang dejectedly. I didn’t think it would turn out like this. I just told my attendants that to get them to leave me alone, and it looks like that’s just made a whole lot of trouble for everyone. “...What did I do now, Lutz?” The subtle implications of phrases and the way that promises are made can change depending on what organization you’re part of. It’s such a simple, obvious thing. I knew it, but I didn’t understand it. Lutz pats me comfortingly on the head. “We don’t know anything about how the n.o.bility work, do we?” “...Yeah.” “Sure, you messed things up this time, but use this opportunity to fix your weak points.” I tilt my head. “My weak points?” Lutz nods emphatically, looking at me with a little bit of strictness in his eyes. “Look, I know you love books more than anything else, and I know you’ve been wanting to read them for so, so long, but, before you can do that, you need to learn the way of life over there, which means you need to be asking everyone around you even the tiniest little questions you have.” “Their way of life?” “...Like, right now, there’s so much stuff I don’t know about the world of merchants. It’s all sorts of stuff that everyone around me thinks is obvious, but I’ve never heard of it before. So, I’ve been asking about everything I don’t understand, no matter how small it is. When I do that, then it doesn’t matter if it’s just the other apprentices or even Mister Mark, they’ll all teach me what I need to know. If you don’t put in the effort to ask, then you’ll never learn anything.” His words strike home. He’s a son of craftsmen, throwing himself into the world of merchants. I know full well just how hard he’s been having to work to get familiar with how things work in a shop. Despite knowing that, even after finding myself in basically the exact same situation of having thrown myself into the unknown world of the temple, I’ve been putting no effort into learning anything about the common knowledge of the temple, even beyond just wanting to spend my time reading books instead. “I’m planning on working as hard as I possibly can so that I can live as a merchant. If you want to go to temple and read books, then first off, you need to learn how they do things at the temple. It’s gonna be okay, though. I know you can do it. You’re really smart!” “I’m not, though! I’m always so thoughtless. You’re way smarter than I am.” There’s no way that I’m actually smart. Just like Benno always says: I’m thoughtless. I’ve got a bunch of prior knowledge, sure, but I wouldn’t say any of that makes me smart. “Yeah, sure, but even if you’re thoughtless, you’re still the kind of person who can always blast your way forward towards your goal, right? So, if your goal is to be able to read books without anything bothering you, then you’ll be able to do whateverto do whatever you need to make that happen, right? You just need to work hard to make sure you can read your books in peace.” “Ngh... you know me too well.” As soon as I start thinking a little more about the future, I hear the clatter of footsteps coming down the stairway. The door creaks open and Mark steps through. He’s wearing a long-sleeved garment that seems like it’s been made from a material light enough to still keep him cool. “I am sorry to keep you waiting,” he says. Unlike his usual work clothes, the sleeves on his white coat are long and fluttering, with enough extra cloth hanging from them that it almost reminds me of a long-sleeved kimono. The hems of the coat are embroidered, primarily with blue thread, and hang low, reaching down to his knees. Beneath that, he wears a comparatively crisp set of slender trousers. The overall outfit gives me the impression of a much more extravagant version of the nice clothes kids wear to their baptismal ceremonies. The quality of the material is much nicer too, so it’s clear to me that this is clothing worn when dealing with the n.o.bility. The sleeves on Benno’s large, white coat are even longer than Mark’s, and the hem of his coat falls all the way down at his ankles. The quality of the embroidery on his coat is leagues above that of Mark’s. On top of his coat, he wears a thin cloak, clasped shut at his shoulder by a golden brooch, set with a blue gemstone. In his hand, he carries something that looks like a flower. He’s also put some sort of pomade in his usually quirky, milk tecolored hair, fixing it in place. He looks like an entirely different person. The sudden reminder that interacting with the n.o.bility requires so much attention to be paid to even such things as clothing causes my throat to run dry. I’m gripped by the terrifying realization that I have just blundered my way into a world I know nothing about. I shouldn’t have said anything to drag anyone else into this mess with me. “I’m really sorry, Mister Benno,” I say, as I rush over to him. “I didn’t know that I’d get you caught up in all this...” “Don’t worry about it,” he says, grinning his usual fearless grin. He holds up the flower ornament. “This is a new model,” he says, then sticks it in my hair next to my usual chopstick. “My motto is that you find your best opportunities in your biggest predicaments. If we can safely deliver your donation while comporting ourselves as we should around the n.o.bility, then that’s an opportunity for us to demonstrate just how quick and thorough the Gilberta Company’s services are. Let’s go.” Benno’s confidence is no lie. I have no idea what sort of chain of command there is in the store, but in the time Benno and Mark were out getting changed, the employees a.s.sembled a small wooden jewelry box with my donation inside, a roll of cloth, a small jar, and three cloth-wrapped packages. Then, when we go outside, there is already a horse-drawn carriage waiting for us, big enough to fit four adults, with sharply dressed coachmen waiting for us to embark. When did this happen?! As I stare, dumbfounded, Benno lifts me up, much more courteously than usual, and helps me into the carriage. As I look around the obviously expensive carriage, my stress level only starts to rise. When I worriedly look up at Benno, though, he flicks me in the forehead. “Right now, you’re a n.o.ble. I know what I’m doing, so I’ll make it all work out, but what I need you to do, no matter what happens, is to not get fl.u.s.tered. Just smile. Be dignified. And never hang your head. Can you do that?” “...I will do that,” I respond. Through the window in the carriage, I see Lutz yelling something to me. I can’t hear it, but his lips are easy to read. “You can do it,” he says. I nod back, as exaggeratedly as I can so that he can see. Mark climbs on board and shuts the door behind him then, after a moment, the carriage starts slowly moving forward. The clattering of the wheels matches the unsteady rhythm of my heart as we head off towards my first encounter with n.o.ble society.

「ルッツ~!」 ルッツの顔を見た瞬間、自分の常識が通じる場所に戻ってきた安堵で身体の力が抜けていくのを感じた。わたしは階段を駆け降りると、迎えに来てくれていたルッツの腕にギューっとしがみついて、頭をぐりぐり押し付けた。 「もう疲れたよ、ルッツ」 「あ~、ちょっと顔色が悪いな。お疲れさん」 ルッツがポフポフと頭を軽く叩いて労ってくれる。 わたしが今日したのは本を読むことだったが、側仕えは側にいるのが仕事らしく、基本的に誰かが近くに立っていて、ずっと見られていた。 わたしは本に没頭すると周りのことなど気にならなくなるのが常だったが、フッと我に返る度に誰かの視線を感じるというのは、かなり居心地が悪いものだった。視線が痛いというか、重いというか、絶えず見張られているという状態が負担で、疲れた。 貴族って、すごいね。慣れるの、どれくらいかかるんだろう? 家に帰って寝られるだけ、わたしは幸せかもしれない。これが「おはよう」から「おやすみ」まで続いたら、発狂しそうだ。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。今からベンノさんに会いたいんだけど、お店にいた?」 「オレが出る時に丁度帰って来てたから、今なら多分いるんじゃないか? 何かあったのか?」 心配そうなルッツに、わたしはふるふると首を振った。 「商業ギルドでお金下ろして、神官長に寄付金を持っていかなくちゃいけないんだよね。早目が良いと思って......」 「ふぅん。じゃあ、行くか」 ルッツがそう言うと、何故か側仕組がついて来ようとした。神殿の中ならともかく、外まに来られたくない。見張られたくない。 「......別に来なくていいよ?」 「そうよ! 側仕えもなく、誰かに会うなんてあり得ないわ」 フランばかりかデリアまでが「あり得ない」と言うのだから、どうやら、青色神官が誰かと会う時には側仕えを連れていくのが常識らしい。頭の中にメモしておく。 「ふぅん。行かなくていいんだったら、一抜けた。オレ、腹減ってるから」 しかし、他は神殿に戻ろうとしない。譲歩して、連れていけるのはフランだけだ。それでも、いっそ側仕えなんていない方が気楽だし、行く場所はいつも出入りしているギルベルタ商会だし、ルッツがいるから役に立たなそうな側仕えは必要ない。 ......追い払っちゃっていいかなぁ? 「ねぇ、デリア。ベンノさんとの話がまとまったら、寄付金を持って戻ってきますって、神官長に伝えてくれない? ちゃんと伝わらないと困るの。頼むね」 「ふぅん、困るの。わかったわ。ちゃんと伝えてくるわね」 今日、わたしが見た中で一番楽しそうな笑顔でデリアが踵を返して神殿へと入って行く。 無事にデリアを追い払えたことに安堵の息を吐いていると、不満そうにフランが顔をしかめて、デリアの背中とわたしを見比べた。 「マイン様、神官長への伝言なら私が行きます。デリアを同行させてください」 「フラン、わたしはデリアに頼んだの。側仕えが付いてなきゃいけないって言うなら、フランが同行すればいいでしょ?」 フランはハッキリと不満を顔に出して、首を振った。 「しかし、あれでは神官長に伝わるかどうか......」 「......今はルッツが一緒だから、フランもあっちに行って良いよ? 確かに、神官長に伝わってないと困るし」 しばらく神殿の出入り口でうろうろしていたフランだったが、結局、神官長に報告する方を優先させたようだ。踵を返して、中へ入って行った。 「マイン、いいのか? あれって体調管理を覚えるヤツじゃねぇの?」 そういえば、側仕えに体調管理をさせるという話があったなぁ、と思いながら、わたしは大きく息を吐きだした。 「......うーん。神殿側に付けられた候補その1だけど、難しいと思うよ。まず、本人にやる気がないから」 「はぁ?」 「神官長に仕えていたかったのに、多分、わたし付きになれって言われたんだと思う。何をしていても嫌々って雰囲気が出てるんだよね。わたしが神官長以上の主になれれば、変わるかもしれないけど、それって絶望的じゃない?」 「マインが主か......。威厳とか貫禄とか、全然ないもんな」 ルッツがからかうようにそう言って、ひひっと笑った。わたしも声を上げて一緒に笑う。居心地の良さにホッとした。 「マルクさん、こんにちは。ベンノさんはいますか?」 ルッツがドアを開けている途中で、マルクの姿が見えたのでいつものように手を振った。マルクがわたしを見た瞬間、顔色を変えた。 「......マイン、早く中に入ってください」 特に約束なく店に立ち寄った場合、いつもならわたし達を店内で待たせて、まず、ベンノにお伺いを立ててから、奥の部屋に通される。けれど、今日は血相を変えて、奥の扉を開けながらベンノに向かって声をかけ、わたし達を押し込むようにして部屋に通した。 「旦那様、マインが店に来ました。すぐにこちらに通します」 「なんだ、マルク? マインが来たくらいで、そんなに慌て......」 マルクが即座にドアを閉めるのを耳にしたのか、ベンノがからかうような口調で顔を上げる。ベンノの目が、わたしに固定された瞬間、目が見開かれて、吊り上がった。 「くぉらっ! マイン! このバカ!」 突然の大声にぎょっとして思わず耳を押さえて座りこむ。ルッツも「ひっ!?」と息を呑んで飛び上がった。 「え? え? ベンノさんまで何ですか!?」 「この考え無し! なんて恰好で来るんだ!? まさか神殿からここまでその恰好で歩いてきたのか!?」 「......そうですけど、何か問題ですか?」 問題の根本が理解できていないわたしとルッツを見て、ベンノはガシガシと頭を掻いて、マルクはこめかみを押さえた。 「マイン、お前が着ているのは青い巫女服だな?」 「はい」 「普通、青い巫女や神官は貴族だ」 「そうですね」 「貴族っていうのは、移動に馬車を使うんだ。徒歩で街をブラブラすることはあり得ない。何故かわかるか?」 ベンノの質問にわたしは首を傾げた。数回乗った馬車を思い出す。ガクガク揺れて、乗り心地が悪い。けれど、平民が滅多に乗れるようなものではないので、憧れの目で見られるし、手っ取り早くステータスを見せつけることができる。 車と言う移動手段を当たり前に持っていた麗乃時代に車を使うのは、買い物に行くので荷物が多くなるとわかっている時や長距離を移動する時、天気が悪くて歩くのが面倒な時だった。 「えーと......見栄っ張りで歩くのが面倒だから?」 「違うっ! 貴族がフラフラ外を歩いていたら、営利目的で誘拐されるからだ! お前も誘拐されたくなかったら、神殿以外でそれを着るな!」 「は、ははは、はいぃっ!」 わたしはその場で青い巫女見習いの服を脱ぎ始めた。下にはここの見習い服を着ているので、帯を解いて、青い衣をペイッと脱いだら、終了だ。 わたしはずっと貧乏人の子供として育ってきた。営利目的の誘拐なんて考えたこともなかった。 そうか。わたしはこの青い服って制服みたいなものだと思ってたけど、他の人にとっては「わたしは貴族です。お金持ってます」って札を首から下げて歩いているようなものだったんだ。 ベンノはわたしが丁寧に畳んで抱えた青い固まりを、複雑そうな顔で見遣りながら、疲れきったような深い溜息を吐いた。 「それで......一体何の用だ、マイン? 俺達を驚かせるためだけに来たわけじゃないだろ?」 「はい、お願いがあってきました。ベンノさん、これから一緒に商業ギルドへ行って、その後、神殿へ行ってくれませんか?」 「何のために?」 「寄付金の小金貨5枚を下ろして、運ぶのに、ついて来て欲しいんです。神官長の許可は取ってます」 「何故、俺が?」 「今まで高額取引って全部カードで済ませたけど、神官長はギルドカードなんて持ってないし、わたしはそんな金額を持ち歩くのって怖いし、神官長にそう訴えたら、側仕えに任せろ、なんてビックリするようなこと言うし」 「どこがビックリするんだ? それは側仕えの仕事だろう?」 「......およそ、全く、完膚なきまでに、信用できない側仕えに大金任せるなんて怖いことできませんよ」 わたしがそう言うと、ベンノは赤褐色の目を丸くして、何度か瞬いた。 「基本的に考え無しで、何でもかんでも、まぁ、いいやで済ませて、騙されても懲りずにギルド長のところに出入りするお前が信用できない? どんな相手だ、それは?」 ギルド長のところに出入りするのは、わたしにとっての利益があるからだ。砂糖やレシピの取引もするし、騙されはしたが命を救ってもらったことに違いはない。もちろん、個人的にお金を預けられるほど、ギルド長やフリーダを信用しているわけではない。取引相手なら、まぁ、いいやってレベルである。 側仕えは「困らせてやると」正面きって宣言されたのに、信用なんてできるはずがない。 「側仕えとして付けられたうちの一人は神殿長の回し者で、一人は神官長の回し者。最後の一人は嫌がらせで付けられたって感じの問題児なんです。神殿内で周りをうろうろされるくらいならともかく、お金を預けるなんて無理です」 「お前、予測はしていたが......かなり嫌われているな」 ベンノの的確な指摘にわたしは小さく呻いた。 「うっ......。前は、半年くらいの命だし、本さえ読めたら、別に嫌われてても大して問題ないって思ってたんですけど、これがずっと続くと面倒ですよね」 「そういう意味では状況が変わったからな。回し者に関しては、表面上だけでも関係改善していくしかない。完全に信用するんじゃなくていいから、ここは任せられるって部分を探せ。......問題児は獣と向き合う要領で躾けろ」 ギルの見た目と獣という単語に、木の上の方で手を叩いてキャッキャッと騒ぐ貧相な子ザルが思い浮かんだ。 「獣と人間は違うでしょ?」 「大して変わらん。言うこと聞かなきゃ鞭で叩いて、言うことを聞けば餌を与える。誰が主か、叩きこめば良い」 信頼関係云々ではなく、服従させろということらしい。 「......そんなのに時間取られるくらいなら、本が読みたいんですけど」 「面倒くさがるな! これから先、貴族社会で側仕えが使えない方が大変だぞ!」 「うぐぅ......。前向きに検討します」 ハァ、と溜息を吐いたベンノが頭の中をリセットするように軽く頭を振った。 「話が逸れたな。ところで、寄付金を持っていくのはいつの話だ?」 「ベンノさんの予定を聞いて決めるつもりですけど? ベンノさんの都合が良かったら、お金持って戻ってくるって側仕えには神官長へ伝えてもらって......」 わたしの言葉と共にベンノの顔色が一瞬で変わった。 「......それは今すぐに持参しますと言っているに等しいっ! マルク、すぐに準備しろ! 神殿に向かう!」 真っ青になったマルクが部屋を飛び出していった。 「え、えと、じゃあ、すぐ商業ギルドに......」 「時間の無駄だ。わざわざ行く必要はない。カードを出せ」 カードを合わせた後、ベンノは「神殿に行くんだから、青い服を着ておけよ」と言い残して、奥の扉から上に駆け上がって行った。 わたしはついさっき脱いだばかりの青い衣を手にとって、もう一度着直す。帯を締めて、項垂れた。 「......どうしよう、ルッツ」 約束の仕方も、ちょっとした言葉の意味合いも、所属する団体が変われば全く違うものになる。そんな簡単な事くらい知っていたのに、わかっていなかった。 「......うん」 「今回失敗したのは仕方ないけど、マインも悪いところを直せ」 「悪いところ?」 わたしが首を傾げると、ルッツは少し厳しい目でわたしを見ながら大きく頷いた。 「マインが何より本のことを好きで、ずっとずっと本を読んでいたいことは知ってるけどさ、それより先に、周りの人に色々聞いて少しでも早くそこでの生き方を覚えなきゃダメだ」 「生き方?」 「......オレも商人の世界は知らないことだらけだ。周りにとっては当たり前ってことが、オレにはわからない。だから、小さいことでも一々聞いてる。そうしたら、他の見習いにしても、マルクさんにしても、ちゃんと教えてくれる。マインも面倒がらずに聞かなきゃ、いつまでたっても覚えないぞ」 職人の息子として生きてきて、自分の意思で商人の世界に突っ込んだルッツが、店に馴染むために全力で取り組んでいることを知っている。それなのに、本読みたさとはいえ、ルッツと同じように自分から神殿の世界に飛び込んだわたしは、神殿の常識に馴染むための努力をしていない。 「オレは、商人として生きたいから頑張ってるつもりだ。マインも神殿で本が読みたいなら、まず、神殿のやり方を覚えろよ。大丈夫。マインならできるって。頭良いんだからさ」 「良くないよ。考え無しだもん。ルッツの方がすごいって」 わたしの頭が良いはずがない。わたしはベンノの言うように考え無しなのだ。昔から、知識はあっても、その先に繋がらないと言われてきた。 「考え無しでも、マインはいつだって自分の目標に向かってまっしぐらだから、心置きなく本を読む目標のためなら、マインはどんなことでもできるだろ? 安心して本が読めるように頑張れ」 「うっ......。ルッツはわたしを理解しすぎだよ」 ちょっと前向きな気分になった時、階段を下りてくる足音が響いてきた。ギッと奥の扉が開いて、涼しげな素材ではあるが、長袖の衣装を着たマルクが出てくる。 「お待たせしました」 その下は比較的ピッタリとした細身の白いズボンだ。洗礼式の晴れ着をもっと豪華にした感じだ。布の質も上質のもので、明らかに貴族対応の服だとわかる。 マルクの後から出てきたベンノは、マルクの服より袖が長くて大きい白の上着を着ていて、その着丈が足首ほどまであった。刺繍の豪華さはマルクとは比べ物にならず、さらに、その上から薄手のマントを羽織っている。マントは肩に青い宝石のついた金細工のブローチで止められていて、手には花のような物を持っている。 服装だけでもこれだけの準備をしなければならない貴族との対応に、ゴクリと息を呑んだ。全く知らない世界に飛び込んでしまったことに、わたしの方が怖気づいてしまう。他人を不用意に巻き込むような発言をするべきではなかった。 「ベンノさん、ごめんなさい。わたしが無知なせいで、巻き込んじゃって......」 わたしが駆けよるとベンノは手に持っていた花の飾りを「新作だ」と言いながら、簪の側に挿しこんで、いつもと同じような不敵な笑みを浮かべた。 「窮地の中にこそ好機ありが俺の信条だ。貴族的なやり取りをこなしつつ、無事に寄付金を渡すことができれば、ギルベルタ商会の迅速で上質な対応を印象付けることができる。行くぞ」 店の中にどういう命令系統があるのか知らないが、ベンノとマルクが着替えて店へと出た時には、寄付金の小金貨が詰まっている両手に収まるくらいの宝石箱のような木箱と、くるくると巻かれた布と、小さい壺と、布に包まれた包みが3つずつ準備されていた。 いつの間に!? お金がかかっているとわかる馬車に座らされたわたしが、不安になってベンノを見上げると、ベンノはピンと額を弾いた。 「今のお前は貴族だ。慣れている俺が何とかするから、お前は何かあってもうろたえずに笑え。堂々としていろ。絶対に俯くな。できるか?」 「......やります」 馬車の窓からルッツが見えた。頑張れ、と口が動いているのがわかって、わたしはルッツにわかるように大きく頷いた。 マルクが乗りこみ、扉が締められると、馬車はゆっくりと動き始める。

A few days after I was baby-sat at the gate, my mother finally finished the brand new outfit she’d been working so hard on for Tory. It’s essentially a one-piece dress, made from unbleached cloth, with a straight, clean silhouette. The hems of the neckline and sleeves are embroidered with a simple design, and the whole thing is tied together with a wide sash of cool blue cloth, accentuating the outfit. Cute things are cute, but... it looks a little unsatisfactory to me. In j.a.pan, when kids visit shrines on s.h.i.+chi-Go-San, the kimono and dresses that they wear are all very showy and colorful so that they’ll look good for their photos. Or, at least, that’s the image the photography studios keep feeding us in their ads. “What do you think, Maine? Isn’t it cute?” If you wanted to, you could make it a little bit more fluttery, or maybe add some more decorations. Either of those things would make it so much cuter... I may be saying that to myself deep in my heart, but my mother looks so proud of her handiwork and Tory looks so pleased with her new dress that I guess it’s already more than good enough. This isn’t an outfit that you’re going to have a picture taken of for your own self-satisfaction, this is something that’s going to be worn to a temple. It’s entirely possible that wearing something flashy would be frowned upon. I don’t think I should really comment on Tory’s clothing right now, since I don’t actually know any of the things that are apparently common sense in this world. I have found one thing I can comment on, though: her hair. Regular care may have made it glossy and smooth, but she always wears it in exactly the same way, in a single thick three-part braid behind her. If we were to change up her hairstyle for her baptism ceremony, I wonder what people would think of some tasteful hair ornaments. However, whatever I do, I can’t actually get started until I learn what the customs are here. Maine was a very young child, after all, and she didn’t really have any memories of baptism ceremonies at all. “Tory,” I say, “it’s really cute! ...But, what about your hair? You’ve got to decide what sort of hairstyle you want for your baptism ceremony.” “I was going to just go like this, though...?” ...Tory, that’s not good at all. This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, put a little more thought into your fas.h.i.+on choices. Unintentionally, my head drops down in exasperation. I pull myself together and find a new angle to continue my questioning. If Tory’s hairstyle isn’t going to change, maybe we can add some sort of decoration to it. “Ummm... so, what about ornaments? Are you going to use any?” “Oh, hmm... it’s summertime, so maybe I’ll pick some flowers somewhere?” “Whoa, don’t do that! Your dress is too cute for that!” She’s just casually talking like she’s going to pick whatever flowers she manages to find lying around! Haven’t you heard of coordinating an outfit?! ...Ahh, of course not. Here, it seems like it’s weird for a child to wear their hair up. It’s okay for it to be braided, though, or to have ornaments in it. If Tory doesn’t have any, it should be okay for me to make them for her. I’d be able to make some sort of lacework, I think. I’ve got plenty of time until summer, so I don’t think I’ll have any problems. “I’ll do something! Leave it to me, Tory. I’ll definitely make you even cuter.” Immediately after I made that declaration, I suddenly realize that we don’t have any needles for lacework. My mother has large needles that she uses for knitting, but they’re too large for me to make lace with. Wh... what should I do?! My father’s the only one in the family who seems like he’d be able to make things like tools. Tory may have made my hair sticks, but the one who shaved it smooth so it was easy to use, then stained it with oil was actually my father. I surrept.i.tiously sneak a glance at my father, trying to gauge his mood. It’s already been a few days since I’d gone to the gate and Otto had agreed to help me learn to write, but my father has been in a pretty foul mood ever since. He doesn’t really look like he’s in the mood to be pestered, but I don’t think he’ll get less angry at me if I just leave him alone. Honestly, my father is being pretty childish, so it’s up to me to be the adult here. If I read between the lines, it’s almost like he wants me to say something. If I fawn on him a little bit and pester him to do something for me, I think I might be able to not only get him to make me some needles, but also cheer him up, killing two birds with one stone. “Daddy, daddy!” I say. “What?” “Daddy, you’re really good at making stuff, right? You’re the one who made Tory’s doll, right?” “Y... yeah, that’s right.” He clears his throat. “Ahh, what is it, do you want a doll of your own?” He’s keeping an expression on his face like he’s still angry with me, but there’s a little glimmer of antic.i.p.ation in his eyes as he glances over at me. “Nuh-uh,” I say. “I want some knitting needles.” “Needles? Can’t you use the ones your mother has? I think she’ll lend them to you, right?” As he answered me, a supremely dejected expression falls over his face. Waves of misery pour off of him, like he’s had enough just wants to smooth things over already. He waves his hand, shooing me, as if he’s telling me to just go away in a manner that’s not very becoming of a parent. At the very least, I’m going to make him hear me out. “I need needles that are way smaller than the ones Mommy has. I want needles that can knit thread, not yarn. ...Daddy, these need to be really skinny, and I think making them would be difficult. Can you do it?” I look up at him with glistening, upturned eyes, hands clasped in front of my chest, in the cutest begging pose I can possibly make. I don’t know if the j.a.panese standards of -D cuteness apply in this world, but there’s no doting parent in any world that doesn’t find their own daughter adorable... so I think this is probably cute enough. Whether it’s due to my cuteness or not, my father scratches at his stubbly chin, contemplating. “Hmm... is wood okay?” “Yeah! Can you do it?” “I’ll try.” His fatherly pride stimulated a little bit, he immediately stands up and heads towards the storage room. After rummaging around for a while, he comes back out with a few different knives and some wood, then sits down and starts to whittle. In his experienced hands, the work goes very quickly. The knife whispers as it shaves away at the wood, and in the blink of an eye all of the bark has been stripped off, leaving only the dense, hard core. He looks closely at the knitting needles, then, skillfully and carefully, starts whittling the wood down into the same shape. “If those needles are sized for wool,” he asks, “does this look about right for thread?” “Umm, can you make them a little bit skinnier?” “Like this?” “Like that!” With the proper size now determined, he changes to another knife, and starts to carve the hook ends of the knitting needles. I can’t say he’s as good as a real craftsman, but this is something that I can’t do myself at all, so I praise him anyway. “Amazing, Daddy! They’re already looking great. Do you think that when you’re done, you can polish them really smooth and oil them so that they don’t catch any thread? I’d really really appreciate it.” “Sure, leave it to me.” Being praised by his daughter has brought back a lot of his fatherly confidence, it seems. He carefully polishes each needle, in fine spirits. Heh, just as planned. While a dark smile flickers over my face, Tory beams angelically, the very picture of pure innocence. “Maine,” she says, “looks like Dad’s finally in a good mood again. That’s a relief.” “Yeah, yeah, it really is!” Don’t say anything about how I was the reason my dad was in a bad mood. Definitely don’t say anything about how I thought fawning over my father was troublesome, so I left him alone without bothering to read the mood. I’m just a little girl, after all, so please treat me as if I don’t know anything about bad moods. My father’s still been working hard on polis.h.i.+ng the needles. It looks like they’re almost ready to be used, so I start looking for thread. The ample stockpile of thread that my mother had prepared to use for Tory’s dress has almost all dwindled away. There should be some sort of thread available that isn’t the unbleached white thread that my mother used to make the cloth for the dress. However, the colorful threads that were used to make the sash and the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs aren’t in long enough pieces to really make cloth out of. “Mommy, can I have some threads dyed this color?” “What do you want to do?” My mother clearly never thought that I’d ask for thread, so her eyes momentarily grow wide with surprise before she puts on a dubious frown. “I thought I’d make some ‘lacework’,” I reply. “Eh?” “I want to make something to put in Tory’s hair.” My mother back in j.a.pan didn’t just turn advertis.e.m.e.nts into paper baskets. She kept bouncing around, getting swept up in one kind of handicraft after another. It wasn’t any of her business, but she wanted to get me into hobbies that weren’t just reading books, so she dragged me behind her as she went through this crafting boom. In other words, my list of miscellaneous crafting skills is rather large. Really, among all the handicrafts on my list, lacework is one of the ones that can make a useful finished product. I’m actually quite confident that I’ll be able to make hair ornaments, a.s.suming I have the tools and materials. My life as Urano may be over, but I have no idea what sorts of knowledge I have that might be useful in the future. However, my mother in this world has no knowledge of my former ident.i.ty, so she seems to disapprove of my request for some thread. There’s no doubt in my mind that she’s thinking that I’m going to do something useless again, so anything she hands over to me will wind up being wasted. “If you’re making hair ornaments, those aren’t really going to be useful except at the baptismal ceremony, you know? It’s a waste to use up our thread on such an inconsequential decoration. Flowers are more than enough for a hair ornament. Tory’s already cute, you don’t need to make her any cuter.” “If you can make something cuter, you must! Cuteness is justice!” I cry, clenching my fist tightly. My mother, for whatever reason, lets out a sigh, then turns away as if the conversation is already over. I quickly reach out and grab her skirt. “Hey, Mommy,” I beg, “I’d be okay with just these leftovers here. Daddy worked hard to make these needles for me, and I really want to use them. Let me just try, please?” I look over at my father, trying to hint that those needles might wind up being worthless. If he got my meaning, or if he realized that his work might be in vain, or maybe even if he was afraid that I’d lose all of my new-found respect for him, he speaks up in my defense. “It’s rare for Maine to take this much interest in sewing, so what do you think about just letting her have the remnants?” She picks out a few threads and hands them over to me. They’re short enough that it might actually be difficult to use them. “Woohoo! Thanks, Mommy! I love you, Daddy!” I throw up my hands in celebration. My father looks at me with exaggerated pleasure, grinning with his mouth almost hanging open. He suddenly puts way more strength into polis.h.i.+ng the knitting needles, a huge smile on his face. If I may be perfectly honest, it’s kind of creepy. His mood does seem to be a lot better, though. He’s acting a little weird, so... it’ll be better if I just leave him alone, right? My father gives me the needles, which have been stuffed full of his overbearing affection. I immediately get to work weaving lace. I’m going to make a lot of tiny lace flowers. Tightly, tightly, tightly, tightly... Much like my failed attempts to make pseudo-papyrus, making lace involves a lot of tight, tiny weaving and a lot of patience. Even if I acknowledge it, though, because the flower that I’ve been working on is so small, it took me about fifteen minutes to finish a single one. I let the yellow flower roll off my hand and onto the table, then start working on the next one. Tory looks at the little lace flower admiringly, then peers at it closely, tilting her head to once side with a doubtful expression on her face. “Isn’t it kinda too small?” “I’m going to put a lot of them together as decoration.” “Huh...” If I made a big one, it would be really bad if I started losing interest before I was finished, right? I keep the real reason to myself. I really let my big mouth get away from me when I started talking about hair ornaments, so I really need to make sure I finish something, which is why I decided to use a design that I can give up on halfway and still wind up with a usable result, like a collection of tiny flowers. Truthfully, back when I was Urano, I’d always decide I didn’t like working on huge designs and wind up giving up halfway through. I need to limit how much that might hurt me. “I thought about making lace or ribbon, but I don’t think I could connect these threads since they’re not very long. Plus, it would be weird if the color changed partway through, right? So I’m going to make a bunch of tiny flowers.” “Wow, Maine, you really thought this through.” I thought through many things before starting this. The final product is going to be made out of whatever I get done in the end, so I can finish it even when I get tired of working on it. Plus, this isn’t going to waste any thread, since I can always finish up my current flower and start a new one of a different color when I start to run out. Once I’ve finished making a few more tiny flowers, I feel like someone’s watching me. I glance up and see that my work has piqued my mother’s curiosity, and she’s carefully watching what I’m doing with my hands. My mother is good enough at sewing that she’s thought of as a “beautiful” woman by this place’s standards, and it looks like she’s pretty interested in my handiwork. She picks up one of my completed flowers and rolls it around in the palm of her hand. “...This doesn’t seem to be too difficult,” she says. “You already knit a lot with wool, Mommy, so if you learn a few patterns I think you’d be way better at making these than I am, right? Want to try?” I hand over my needles. My mother starts to knit, her motions fluid even as she studies the flowers. She occasionally picks one up and rolls it around in her fingers, confirming the way they’re woven. In the blink of an eye, she’s already finished one. Whoa. As expected of the sewing skills of a beautiful woman. Just by looking at how something’s st.i.tched, she figured out how to make it herself. She’s so different from me. I had to be taught how to do this step by step, grumbling the entire time. “Amazing, Mommy.” “Well, I’m amazed you knew how to make something like this, Maine,” she says. “I’ve knitted scarves and sweaters, but I never thought to knit decorations like this.” Everyone in this world has their hands so full with just surviving that n.o.body has the spare time to think about decoration. And, if n.o.body’s making it, then maybe lacework itself is something that n.o.body’s seen before. I was raised in a world where sewing decorations onto clothing was only natural, so I knew about it, but it looks like even tiny decorations like these aren’t really known of here. “So, Maine, now that we’ve made a lot of these flowers, how are you going to decorate Tory’s hair?” It seems like my mother can’t tell how all the little flowers rolling around on the table are going to be a.s.sembled into a finished product. I need to explain things to her in the simplest possible way I can think of. “Ummm... so we take these sc.r.a.ps of fabric and make them into a circle, and then sew the flowers on one by one. It’ll look like a bouquet of flowers after that, right? Then, we wrap that around a 'hairpin’, and... wait, 'hairpin’?!” In the middle of my explanation, all of the blood suddenly drains from my face. My mother jumps, startled, as I suddenly raise my voice. “Maine, what are you yelling about all of a sudden?” “...Oh no, what do I do... I don’t have a 'hairpin’, huh...” This is really bad! There’s no hairpins in this world, or at the very least I haven’t seen any in this house. I haven’t seen any elastic hairbands either. This is a world where everyone ties their hair back with string. How the h.e.l.l am I going to finish this off?! “D... D-d-d... Daddyyyy!” I immediately abandon my plan to leave my father alone. I rush over to him, taking up my begging posture again. Describing a hairpin by words alone is going to be difficult, so I take out my slate and draw a picture as I explain it to him. “I need one side of it to be pointy, like my hair sticks, and then the other side needs to be flat, like this, with a little hole drilled into it. It’s kinda like my hair sticks, but shorter. Can you do it?!” “Sure, this is actually simpler than those knitting needles.” “Really?! Daddy, you’re amazing! Now more than ever, you’re the best!!” I hug him tightly in a gratuitous display of overflowing grat.i.tude. “Heh heh heh, leave it to me,” he says, quietly. It seems like he still feels the need to compete with Otto. My father cheerfully whittles a somewhat short hairpin for me. I sew together the lace mini-bouquet, then thread it through the hole in the hairpin, kind of like I’m sewing on a b.u.t.ton. “Alright, done! Tory, put on your new dress and come over here!” Tory puts on her summer dress, then comes over to sit in the chair closest to the fire. I scoot my own chair over behind her, then kick off my shoes and climb up to stand on top of it. I undo her braid, comb it out, then loosely weave together hair from both sides of her head. Tory’s hair is naturally wavy and fluffy, like it’s permed, so I bring it back and weave it so it’s half-up. This hairstyle on her gives off an amazingly showy atmosphere. I tie up the center of the braid tightly with a simple cord, then stick the hairpin through the knot so that it won’t fall off. Against Tory’s blue-green hair, the little flowers of blue, yellow, and white seem to s.h.i.+ne. “Yep, cute!” I say. “Wow, really!” says my mother. “You look very cute, Tory.” “Maine, you’re pretty skilled with your hands,” says my father. “You might not be strong, but we can probably find you a job that needs nimble fingers like yours.” Tory smiles shyly as the family admires her, turning this way and that to show off. She reaches up to feel the hairpin, but after a little while she puffs her cheeks out in frustration. “Maine,” she says, “you put everything in the back, so I can’t see it at all, you know?” “I guess so, but... I can’t really help you there.” “But, I don’t really know what I look like right now.” We don’t have any mirrors in this house, so there’s no real way for me to show her what she looks like. I think about what I should do for a little while as Tory’s face grows unhappier and unhappier. I try to show her on my own head, pulling the mini-bouquet out of her hair and sticking it into mine, next to my own hair sticks. “It looks kind of like this! What do you think?” As soon as she sees the hairpin in my hair, Tory cheers loudly. “Whoa, cute! Amazing! Hey, Mom. Does my hair look like that?” “Well, Maine’s hair is straighter and all done up, and the colors of the threads we used match your hair much better. It definitely suits you more, Tory.” “Ahh, really... I see! Hee hee hee...” Her cheeks flush red and she smiles so wide that it looks like she might crack her face in two. She pulls her hairpin from my hair. “Thanks, everyone! I’m super happy.” With spring just around the corner, we have made Tory a perfectly coordinated outfit. If I’m not mistaken, she’s easily going to be the most eye-catching girl at this summer’s baptismal ceremony. After that, my mother got really into doing her own lacework, and the needles my father made for me suddenly disappeared into my mother’s sewing kit. ...Well, that’s okay, I guess.

基本はすとんとしたシルエットの生成りのワンピースだ。襟ぐりや袖、裾の縁取りに飾り刺繍がある程度のシンプルなもので、幅広のサッシュが青で、涼しげに彩りを添えている。 可愛いことは可愛いけど、ちょっと物足りない様な気がする。日本子供達が着物だったり、ドレスだったり、見栄えのするカラフルな衣装で撮影するスタジオの広告を見てきた弊害だろうか。 「どう、マイン? 可愛い?」 どうせなら、もうちょっとひらひらさせるとか、飾りを増やすとかすれば、もっと可愛いのに......。 自己満足の写真撮影と違って、神殿に着ていくものだし、あまり派手になるのはダメかもしれない。ここの常識がわからないわたしが服の作りに口を出してはいけないと思う。 お手入れで艶々になってきたが、トゥーリの髪型は常に後ろで一つの三つ編みにするだけ。洗礼式に髪型を変えるなら、髪飾りくらいは凝った物でもすればどうだろう。 しかし、何をするにも、ここの基準を知らなければ行動できない。幼いマインの記憶に洗礼式に関する記憶など全くないのだから。 「トゥーリ、可愛いよ!......でも、髪型はどうするの? 洗礼式の時はこうするって決まりがあるの?」 「このままのつもりだけど?」 ......トゥーリ、それはダメでしょ。せっかくなんだから、もうちょっとおしゃれしようよ。 思わずカクンと項垂れてしまったが、気を取り直して質問を続けることにした。髪型は変わらなくても、飾りには何か思い入れがあるかもしれないからだ。 「えーと、じゃあ、髪飾りは? 何か付けるの?」 「そうだね。夏だし、どこかで花でも摘んでこようか?」 「それじゃ、ダメだよ! せっかくの可愛い服なのにっ!」 トータルコーディネートって言葉を知らないの!?......あぁ、知らないよね、当然。 ここでは子供の髪型で髪をアップにするのはNGらしいが、編み込みくらいはしてもいいだろうし、髪飾りだって、ないなら作ればいい。 「わたしがやる! やらせて、トゥーリ。絶対に可愛くしてあげるから」 そう宣言した直後、レース編みのためのかぎ針がないことに気付いた。毛糸用のかぎ針は母が持っているが、あの太さでレースは編めない。 ど、どうしよう!? 家族の中で、道具っぽい物を作れそうなのは父だけだ。トゥーリに作ってもらった簪を使いやすいように滑らかに削って、油を塗って整えてくれたのも、実は父だ。 門でオットーに文字を教えてもらうようになって数日がたったというのに、父の機嫌はまだ悪い。あまりおねだりには向かなそうな機嫌に見えるが、機嫌を損ねたわたしが構わないから機嫌が直せないだけだと思う。 正直、おとなげない父だが、ここはわたしが大人になってあげることにしよう。構って欲しそうな空気を読んで、父にちょっと甘えておねだりしてみれば、父の機嫌も直るし、わたしはかぎ針が手に入るし、一だ。 「父さん、父さん」 「なんだ?」 「父さんは結構器用だよね? トゥーリの人形を作ったのって、父さんなんだよね?」 「ま、まぁ、そうだ。コホン! あ~、なんだ、その、マインも人形が欲しいのか?」 怒っているんだと主張するような厳めしい顔で、そのくせ、何やら期待しているような目をして、父がチラチラとこちらを見ながら、聞いてくる。 「ううん。かぎ針が欲しいの」 「かぎ針? 母さんが編み物に使うやつか? 借りればいいだろう?」 わたしが答えた瞬間、父の顔がものすごくがっかりした顔になった。もうちょっとでいいから、取り繕って欲しいくらい情けない感情がにじみ出ている。 もうあっちへ行け、と言わんばかりに手を振って、わたしを追い払おうとするなんて、親の態度として良くないでしょ。せめて、最後まで話は聞こうよ。 「あのかぎ針の形のもっともっと細いのが欲しいの。毛糸じゃなくて、糸を編むために使うから。......父さん、細いかぎ針って、すごく難しいと思うけど、作れる?」 日本の二次元の可愛さがこの世界で通用するかどうかはわからないが、親馬鹿に対する娘の可愛さは全世界共通......だったら、いいな。 「......木でいいんだろう?」 「うん! できる?」 「やってみよう」 父のプライドを少々刺激したようで、早速父は物置からごそごそと数種類のナイフと木を持ってきて、削り始めた。 「毛糸でこの太さってことは、糸ならこれくらいか?」 「う~ん、もうちょっと細くできる?」 「これくらいか?」 「それくらい!」 太さが決定したら、別のナイフに変えて、かぎ針の針先を作り、整えていく。職人技とまでは言わないが、わたしにはできないことなので、素直に父を称賛する。 「素敵、父さん! もう形ができちゃった。あとね、これに糸が引っかからないくらいすべすべになるように磨いて、油で滑らかにしてくれると、とっても助かるんだけど」 「任せておけ」 娘に褒められて父としての自信が回復したのか、父は上機嫌で細いかぎ針をせこせこと磨き始めた。 ふっ、計算通り。 黒笑いを浮かべるわたしと違って、トゥーリは天使のように純真な笑顔を浮かべる。 「マイン、なんだか父さんの機嫌よくなったね。よかったぁ」 わたし、幼女だから、どうして機嫌悪いのかなんてわかんないってことでよろしく。 トゥーリの晴れ着を作るためにたっぷりと準備された糸がまだ少し余っている。布を織るために使った白というか、生成りの糸は他にも使い道があるだろう。 「母さん、この色が付いてる糸ちょうだい」 「何するの?」 わたしが糸を欲しがるとは思わなかったらしい母が目を丸くした後、怪訝そうに眉を寄せる。 「『レース編み』しようと思って」 「え?」 「トゥーリの髪飾り作るの」 麗乃の母は、広告を丸めて籠を作るだけではなく、次々と色んな手芸にはまっていった。大きなお世話だったが、麗乃に何とか本以外の趣味を持たせようとした母は、どのブームにも麗乃を巻き込んだ。つまり、「おかんアート」歴は麗乃も長い。 実は数多く経験した「おかんアート」の中で、完成作品が比較的役に立ったのが、レース編みだった。道具さえあれば、レース編みで髪飾りを作ることには自信がある。麗乃の人生は一度終わったけれど、一体何が役に立つかわからないものだ。 けれど、麗乃として人生を知るはずがない母は、わたしに糸を渡すことに難色を示した。きっと、わたしに渡したら無駄になることが多いので、もったいないと思っているに違いない。 「髪飾りって、洗礼式の時だけしか使わないんでしょ? ちょっとした飾りにそれだけの糸を使うのがもったいないわ。髪飾りなんて、花で十分じゃない。これ以上可愛くしなくても、トゥーリは可愛いもの」 「これ以上可愛くなれるなら、してもいいじゃない。可愛いは正義だよ!」 わたしがグッと拳を握って主張すると、母は何故か溜息を吐いて、話は終わりだと言わんばかりに背を向けた。 「ねぇ、母さん。ここの余ってる糸でいいから、ちょうだい。せっかく父さんが作ってくれるんだから、かぎ針使いたいの。もうちょっとでできるんだよ。お願い」 父はわたしの視線の意味を読みとったのか、自分の手にあるかぎ針が無駄になるのが嫌だったのか、わたしから父への尊敬が消えることを恐れたのか、わたしに加勢してくれた。 「珍しくマインが裁縫に興味しているんだから、余った糸くらいやったらどうだ?」 しばらく考え込んでいた母が渋々といった表情で、使い道に困るくらいの長さの糸をいくつかくれた。 「やったー! 母さん、ありがとう。父さん、大好き」 わたしが万歳して、大袈裟に喜んで見せると、父がにやけだした。かぎ針を磨く手にすごく力が入っていて、鼻息が荒くて、ニヤニヤしている。ぶっちゃけ、ちょっと気持ち悪い。 機嫌もとれたみたいだし、ちょっと不気味だし、以後放置でいいよね? 父の暑苦しいほどの愛情がこもったかぎ針をもらったので、早速レース編みを始める。小さい花をたくさん作るのだ。 ちまちまちまちまちま......。 レース編みはこの前失敗したパピルスもどきと同じように、ちまちま編むもので、根気が必要だ。そうは言っても、わたしが作り始めた花は小さい花なので、15分もあれば、1つは出来上がる。 「ちょっと小さすぎない?」 「小さい花を集めた飾りにするんだよ」 「ふーん」 大きい花にしちゃうとね、完成前に飽きて面倒になった時に困るでしょ? 実際、麗乃の時に大きいデザインは嫌になって途中で止めてしまったのだ。危険は排除しておくに限る。 「レースのリボンも考えたんだけど、ある程度の長さがないと結べないし、途中でその色の糸がなくなるかもしれないでしょ? だから、小花をいくつも作ってるの」 「マイン、ちゃんと考えてるんだね」 「そうだよ! トゥーリのためだもん」 最後にできた分をまとめる感じの髪飾りにするから、飽きた時点で完成するとか、糸がなくなれば、別の色の糸で新しい花を作ればいいから、糸が無駄にはならないとか、いろいろ考えたんだよね。 いくつか小花が完成したところで視線を感じて、わたしはふと顔を上げた。母が興味を引かれたように、わたしの手元を覗きこんでいた。 「......それほど難しくはないのね」 「母さんは毛糸を編み慣れてるから、いくつかのパターンだけ覚えちゃえば、母さんの方が上手に作れると思うよ? やってみる?」 わたしがかぎ針を渡すと、母は小花を見ながらすいすいと作り始めた。時折、指先で小花を転がして網目を確認するだけで、あっという間に1つ出来上がる。 わぉ、さすが裁縫美人。編み目を見れば、編み方はわかりますか。つきっきりで教えてもらって、嫌々ながら覚えたわたしとは大違い。 「すごいね、母さん」 「こんな編み方を知っていたマインの方がすごいわ。マフラーやセーターを編むことはあるけど、こんな飾りを作ろうと思ったことはなかったもの」 生活するだけで手一杯のこの世界では、装飾品に気を向ける余裕なんてないし、誰も作っていないので、そもそもレース編み自体を見たことがない可能性もある。 「それで、マイン。たくさん作ったこの花をどうやって頭に飾るの?」 テーブルの上に転がる花から完成品を思い浮かべることができないらしい母に、わたしはできるだけわかりやすく説明する。 「えーとね、こういう端切れで小さい円を作って、1つ1つ縫いつけるの。そうしたら、花束みたいになるでしょ? それを『ピン』にぐるぐる......って、『ピン』!?」 自分で説明しながら、一気に血の気が引いた。思わず悲鳴のような声を上げてしまったわたしに驚いて、母がビクッとなる。 「マイン、急になんなの!?」 「......どうしよう、『ピン』ないよね?」 大変だ! この世界にはピンがない。少なくとも、この家の中では見たことがない。それに、髪ゴムもない。紐で縛るような世界で、せっかく作った飾りをどうすればいい!? 「と、ととと、父さーん!」 父を放置するのは即座に止めて、おねだり体勢に入った。口だけで説明するのは難しいので、石板を持ちだして、絵を描きながらねだってみる。 「わたしの簪みたいに片方は先を尖らせて、反対側はこんな風にちょっと平らに削って、小さい穴開けた短めの簪が欲しいんだけど、作れる!?」 「まぁ、これなら、かぎ針より簡単だ」 「ホントに!? 父さん、すごい! 今までで一番尊敬するよ!」 感激したわたしが大サービスでハグすると、父が「フッフッフッ、勝ったな」と小さく呟いた。どうやらまだオットーに張り合っていたらしい。 機嫌良く父が短めの簪を作ってくれたので、ボタンを縫いつけるような感じで、簪の穴にレースのミニブーケを縫い付けた。 「うん、完成! トゥーリ、晴れ着来て、ここに座って」 夏物の晴れ着を着たトゥーリが竈に一番近い椅子に座る。わたしは自分の椅子をトゥーリの後ろにズリズリと移動させて、靴を脱ぐと椅子の上に立った。 編み込みの先をぎゅっと縛った粗末な紐の上に、落ちないように簪をそっと刺した。トゥーリの青緑の髪に黄色や青、白の小花がよく映える。 「うん、可愛い!」 「まぁ、ホント! すごく可愛いわよ、トゥーリ」 「マインは手先が器用だな。体力はないが、手先を使う仕事なら見つかるかもしれないぞ?」 家族の言葉にはにかんで笑っていたトゥーリが、あっちを向いたりこっちを向いたり、髪や飾りを触ったりしていたが、しばらくして、むぅっと頬を膨らませた。 「マイン、後ろに飾られたら、わたしからは全然見えないよ?」 「それはそうだけど......仕方ないじゃん」 「でも、どんな風になってるか知りたいんだもん」 この家には鏡がないので、どんな感じになっているか、見せてあげることもできない。 「こんな感じになるよ。どう?」 わたしの髪に挿された飾りを見て、トゥーリが歓声を上げる。 「マインが綺麗に髪を結ってくれたし、この糸の色はトゥーリに合わせてあるから、トゥーリの方が似合うわよ」 「そっかぁ。そうなんだ。うふふっ......」 頬を真っ赤に染めて、ものすごく嬉しそうに笑み崩れたトゥーリが、わたしの髪から飾りをそっと外す。 「ありがと、みんな。すごく嬉しい」 春を目前にトゥーリの晴れ着のトータルコーディネートが完成した。これで夏の洗礼式ではトゥーリが一番注目されるのは間違いないだろう。 そして、母がレース編みにはまったようで、父が作ってくれたかぎ針が気付いた時には母の裁縫箱に入っていた。 ......まぁ、いいけど。

Currently, I am being held in Benno’s arms as we make our way to the Merchant’s Guild. Originally, I was making every effort to walk there myself, but Benno started to get fed up with my walking speed. “So slow! This is a waste of my time,” he said, and picked me up. Then, he started ranting on and on about the importance of time, which I had no real way to argue against. “By the way, Mister Benno,” I say. “What is the Merchant’s Guild?” Finding out all of the little details that are different from what I think I know is my top priority. “What, you don’t know?” “I’ve never been to it. Lutz, do you know about it?” “It’s a place where people who do business go, maybe?” I asked Lutz just in case this was something that any child in this town should know about, but all I got out of him was what I was expecting. Benno sighs lightly, then starts to explain. “...Well, that’s about right. Its main job is to do things like grant permits to people who want to open new shops or punish people who are doing bad business. If you don’t have the guild’s approval, you can’t run a shop and you can’t open a stall in the town market. Also, every person involved in a business must be registered; if they aren’t, the guild lays down very harsh penalties.” Based on what I’m hearing from Benno, I guess it might be something like a department of commerce? You can’t open a shop without getting approval, and you have to register new apprentices there, so I don’t think I’m too far off the mark. “They sound like they’re a very powerful organization,” I say. “That’s right. They’ve very powerful, and very greedy. When you register an apprentice, there’s a registration fee. When you start a new business, there’s a very large registration fee. No matter what you do, they take a commission from it.” It looks like things are the same whenever money is involved, no matter what world you live in. This is a terrible world for a poor person to live in. “Either way, once the baptismal ceremony is over, my new apprentices are registered here, since everyone working at my store is involved in trade. In your case, you’ll need a provisional registration until your actual baptism. If you don’t, then you won’t be able to sell your paper or your hair ornaments... or any kind of good.” “So, in order to buy the paper from us today, you need us to be registered first?” “Right.” Ah, I see. His rush to get us registered is so that he can purchase our prototype paper. I chuckle to myself, pleased that I figured that out. Benno, however, gets a stern look on his face, his eyebrows knotting together. “I’d really like to get you through registration quickly, but that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d is going to get involved. Every time, that man never fails to find some bone to pick.” “Like what?” Benno’s brought out some less-than-friendly language. I thought that he’d be fairly high up in the guild himself; was I wrong? Or, perhaps, is there some sort of inter-factional dispute happening here? “Right now, I’ve got a lot of momentum going, expanding on a few different ventures so I can grow my shop. It’s only natural that the guild chief would want to tear me down a little, you know? So, you two, don’t say anything unnecessary, got it?” “Yes, sir,” I say, in unison with Lutz. Two highly skilled merchants are about to engage in a battle of wits against each other. I have no plans to stick my nose in where it doesn’t belong. “Ah, that’s right. Maine, about that hairpin you brought...” He nods, then fixes his sharp, reddish-brown eyes on me. “How long does it take you to make one?” “If I already have all the materials, and Lutz makes the wooden part, then after that, if my physical condition is good... ummm, this flower part, if I work really hard I can do it in a day, probably... I guess...” It depends on the actual quant.i.ty of flowers, but at my speed it’s a day’s worth of work. My mother, though, who is good at sewing, could probably do it in about two bells’ worth of time. “How about you, Lutz?” asks Benno. “It’s just carving and polis.h.i.+ng some wood, so it’ll take me about one bell, I think?” Benno’s tone of voice may be light and pleasant, but his eyes glitter with a sharp light. “What’s so great?” I ask. “I’m looking forward to what’s coming up after this,” he replies, smiling the same vicious smile a predator makes when it’s found its next target, his eyes locked on the Merchant’s Guild building as it comes into view. The Merchant’s Guild is in a tall building on a street corner that overlooks the town’s central plaza. Just that alone shows that it is a very wealthy organization, but on top of that, not a single room in the entire building has been rented out to anyone else. The entire building is the Merchant’s Guild’s alone. “When I think about how much of my hard-earned money gets funneled into this building,” muses Benno, “I can’t help but get a little mad, you know?” “That’s true, but if you didn’t, you’d be in big trouble, wouldn’t you?” “Yep. And that makes me even madder.” Before the door stand two guards, each carrying weapons. As we approach, they look us up and down, then ask us what our business is here. “What are you here for?” As soon as we step through the doorway, we’re suddenly faced with a flight of stairs, and I’m momentarily bewildered. While the staircase itself is wide, there’s no sign of the first floor at all. “Mister Benno, what happened to the first floor?” “Ahh, the first floor is for the traders to park their wagons and carts. It would be a huge nuisance if they all were lined up on the street outside. If you go around back, you should be able to see them.” We ascend to the second floor, entering a large hall, packed full of people constantly rus.h.i.+ng about. I can’t help but be amazed by the overwhelming clamor. I hadn’t thought this town had this kind of people in it, until now. I feel a strange sort of admiration. “We don’t have anything to do here,” says Benno. “We’re heading to the stairs on the other side so we can get up to the third floor.” Since I’m still being carried in Benno’s arms, I’m relatively safe as we make our way through the crowd towards the stairway, but Lutz, following behind us, keeps almost getting crushed in the crowd. “Lutz, are you alright?” I ask. “I’m fine, yeah... This is kinda like a festival, huh.” “That’s because this is the place where both people who want to open stalls in the town market and traders who want to do business in this town have to come to get official permission,” says Benno. “The closer it gets to market, the busier it gets. After the market closes, it’ll be quiet for a while.” “Huh...” The stairs we arrive at are sealed tightly behind a metal fence. In front of it stand yet more guards. “May I see your registration card, please?” Benno pulls out some sort of metallic-looking card and hands it to the guard. “The three of us are going up.” For some reason, the guard holds the card up high. Suddenly, a brilliant white light runs along the bars of the fence, and it disappears into the ground as if it were melting away. “Wha–?! What’s that!!” I ask, my eyes wide. “A magical tool. Lutz, don’t let go of my hand. You’ll be pushed back if you do.” Benno carries me with one arm, taking Lutz’s hand in the other, and starts to ascend the staircase. “Didn’t you say that magic was something that only the n.o.bility could use?” I ask. “The upper levels of this organization are pretty well-connected with the n.o.bility. There’s quite a lot of n.o.blemen who’d give out magical tools like this if they thought it would give them some kind of advantage.” “It’s my first time seeing anything like this...” I’m struck by the same thought as I had back when I saw the contract magic. Somehow, I’ve found myself in a world that’s even more fantastical than I thought. When we reach the top of the stairs, Benno lets go of Lutz’ hand and sets me down. White walls extend past the stairway for a ways, until they arrive at a place in the back that looks something like a counter. While the second story handled business relating to the town market, the third story deals with the merchants who own shops. Compared to the second story, it is much quieter, and there are far fewer people here. The floor of the second story was made of wood and slightly dirty, with small piles of dust acc.u.mulating in the corners. The third story, however, is carpeted, and swept scrupulously clean. The furniture is also well-maintained here, further emphasizing that this place has plenty of money. This is, in a single glance, a stunning example of how stratified this society is. “There are conference rooms on the other side of these walls,” says Benno, pointing at the white walls. “You two won’t have much need to use them.” As he explains things, we start walking towards the counter. Lutz and I hold each other’s hands, feeling slightly nervous in the face of the kind of wealth that we don’t ordinarily see in our daily lives. Pa.s.sing the conference rooms, I can see that the counters stretch wall-to-wall, behind which children, perhaps apprentices, seem to be processing the income and expenditures of the Merchant’s Guild, reading from wooden notes and performing computations on their manual calculators. “Lutz,” I whisper, “this winter you really need to learn how to read and do math.” “...Yeah, I really do.” Partway down the corridor, on this side of the counter, there’s something that looks like a sofa in what appears to be a waiting area, or perhaps a reception area where one could be invited to relax. I turn around, surveying my surroundings. I notice, against one wall, a set of shelves on which a variety of wooden cards and rolls of parchment have been arranged. “Is that... is that a bookshelf?!” My energy level suddenly skyrockets. Benno looks down at me with curiosity in his eyes, then nods. “Yeah, those are bookshelves. They contain copies of the regulations that apply to shops, simple maps of the surrounding area, almanacs of the n.o.bility, and so on. ...Are you interested?” “I am! I am!!” I want to immediately charge towards the bookshelves, but Lutz’s grip on my hand is like a vise, squeezing so tightly that I can’t get away. Watching me struggle, a wry smile tugs at the corners of Benno’s mouth. “You can take a look after we’ve gotten your application filled out. It’ll probably be a long wait, after all.” “Really?! Yaaay!” “Maine,” says Lutz, “calm down. You’re getting too excited.” I’ve finally found book-like things that are okay for me to read, do you think I can possibly contain myself? No, I absolutely cannot. Lutz’s warning technically does register in my ears, but it’s nowhere near enough to stop the wild dancing of my heart. At least, that’s what I thought, until Lutz says something that forces me to stop dead in my tracks. “If you get too excited, you’ll faint before you get a chance to read anything.” ...That would be terrible! Benno, who has been watching our exchange with some amus.e.m.e.nt, notices that this is a good breaking point. “Come,” he says, continuing to walk towards the counter. As we approach, an employee that seems to be familiar with Benno looks up, an ingratiating smile on her face. “Oh, good afternoon, Master Benno. How may I be of service today?” “I’m here for temporary registration for these two. Can you handle both of them for me?” “Temporary registration? ...These aren’t your children, are they?” “They’re not. But, I need them registered. Quickly, please.” It seems that a temporary registration is effectively a loophole in the regulations, where the children of merchants can be allowed to help out with the family business even though they’re unbaptized and, by all rights, should not be allowed to be working, let alone be registered. Since it’s impossible to hire a child that hasn’t yet been baptized, children who aren’t directly related to a merchant would thus have no actual reason to be involved in any transactions. As such, it’s impossible that a temporary registration would be granted to a child that isn’t a blood relative of a merchant. Although she squints dubiously at us, she dutifully begins to ask me and Lutz a series of questions, writing something down on the other side of the counter. From what I’d heard so far, I had been thinking this would be a long, bureaucratic process, but this is just simple data entry: our names, our fathers’ names, where we live, our ages. “The son of a carpenter and the daughter of a soldier, is it?” When she finishes her questions, her expression grows all the more dubious as she looks back and forth between the two of us. It seems that she’s searching for some reason why we should be registered, even though we’re not the children of merchants. Her eyes are not exceptionally pleasant. “That’s right,” says Benno. “If you’re done with the questions, let’s move this along. I don’t think either of us have much free time to spare on this.” “Very well, I’ll be back shortly. Please, feel free to sit over there while you wait.” She gestures towards the reception area. I’m nearly crushed by my desire to immediately run off to the bookshelves, but I instead look up at Benno. “While we wait, may I look at the bookshelves?” “Sure. If there’s anything you’d like to know, I can show you. Come and wait over here. Lutz, don’t let her out of your sight.” “Got it.” Lutz and I calmly walk to the bookshelves, his hand clamped firmly around mine. I go through the contents of the shelves, unrolling the parchment scrolls and glancing through the stacks of wooden cards, looking to see what kind of information they contain. It’s all eminently practical information: maps and ill.u.s.trated references, almanacs of the n.o.bility, rules of business, block-printed news sheets with information from nearby areas, and so on. “Whoa, look at this map!” It’s a particularly rough and sketchy map, but this is the first time I’ve gotten a look at what this world looks like. I have no idea where even we currently are on this, so I tuck the scroll under my arm and head to the sofa where Benno is currently sitting. I sit down on the sofa in the manner in which one usually sits down on a sofa, only to realize that this beautiful clothy surface is, in fact, merely a piece of cloth attached to the hard boards of the wooden bench underneath. It has none of the softness or flexibility I was expecting, so instead my b.u.t.t slams hard into the unyielding surface. “Owww...” “How excited do you have to be to throw yourself into a chair like that. Are you an idiot?” I whimper softly as Benno stares at me with frank amazement. I was deceived by something that looked like a luxurious sofa in this strange environment, you know! If I had been able to see the wood this is made of, I wouldn’t have thrown myself into it like that. I keep these excuses in my heart, though, as I spread the map wide on the cloth-covered surface of the bench we are sitting on. “Mister Benno, where’s this town on here?” “Right here. Elenfest. That’s the family name of the lord of the land, so that’s the name of the town.” This is the first time I’ve heard the name of this town. Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve heard the name of the lord, too. Since there’s not been any reason for me to go outside the town, there’s never been any need for me to learn its name, and whenever people refer to the lord they just refer to him by his t.i.tle. Looking at the map, it seems that there is an agricultural village and a forest to the south of Elenfest, and if you go beyond that, there’s another small town. To the west, there’s a large river, with another town belonging to the neighboring province relatively close by. Since the lords of those provinces share a good relations.h.i.+p, it seems that it’s popular to come and go between those two cities. To the north is the aristocratic town where the feudal lord resides, so there’s a large blank area. To the east, a major highway stretches, where it appears the largest number of traders operate. “Well, when you two wind up going outside the town to do any purchasing, you’re probably not going to need to go off this map, anyway.” After Benno teaches us the names of a few of the other towns on the map, I return the map to the shelves, and once again start going through every last doc.u.ment on the shelves. On the very bottommost shelf, there are books that seem to be intended for apprentices to learn how to read words and numbers. Lutz and I flip through it to study its contents. In addition to the words I already know, I see quite a few more vocabulary words relating to commerce. I want some time to memorize all of these. “Mister Benno, could we maybe get a slate and a calculator so that Lutz can study...?” “Sure, I’ll take the cost out of your pay today and get those for you. Study hard, kid.” “By the way, could you tell me something, please? When a merchant’s kid becomes an apprentice, how well can they read, write, and do math already?” After we’re baptized, the two of us will be working as apprentices with the children of merchants. Until then, we need to do as much as we can to make sure that we can do all of the things that they can do. “They can read and write simple things and do basic calculations. For reading, they mostly know the names and related words of the goods their family trades in. For math, they know how to do the conversions between copper and silver coins, too.” This is bad. I don’t really know anything about the local currency. I already know that large and small copper coins exist, as well as small silver coins, but I don’t know what the exchange rate between them is, nor their actual market value. After all, at my house, all we really use is copper. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen many coins that weren’t made of copper. Also, when I’m doing my work at the gate, I’m only working with raw numbers. Otto handles all of the actual money, and I haven’t really seen him do it. “I think where the two of you are most lacking is knowing how to treat customers. The other children have watched their parents at work every single day, so it’s basically instinct for them by now.” “That’s...” That’s impossible for the two of us. In j.a.pan, I was only ever on the receiving side of customer service, and never actually stood behind the register myself. Lutz, as well, probably knows nothing that a merchant might actually know. What should we do? Before I can fall too deeply into a labyrinth of thought, the employee behind the counter calls out to us. “Master Benno, the guild leader would like to meet with you.” “...As expected of that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d,” he mutters, in a voice so low that only we can hear it. He stands up from his seat, eyes glittering coldly, his hands tightly balled into fists, the very picture of a man preparing to head into battle. “Let’s go, you two.” “Yes, sir.” Benno starts heading towards the counter. With a clink, the closest panel to us on the counter falls to one side, opening a path for us to go through. On the other side is another staircase, at the top of which is a door that opens automatically for us. Through it lies a room that, although it’s not particularly large, seems very comfortable. A fire is already burning brightly in the fireplace, spreading warm light across the carpet. On top of that carpet stands an official-looking desk, with a gentle-looking old man who, despite seeming to be in his fifties, still possesses a somewhat decent physique. Since “guild leader” sounds very much like a purely managerial position, I had been imagining a much more grandfatherly type, but I can see that this man has not yet aged past the prime of his life. “Hey there, welcome,” he says, standing up from behind his desk with a warm, genial smile. “I’m glad I could get a chance to chat with you. "Now then, Benno, let me get straight to the point. Why on earth are you asking for a temporary registration for these two kids, who aren’t even your blood relatives? This isn’t at all like when someone managing a street stall comes to ask for permission for their kid to watch the shop for them from time to time, am I right?” A crafty smile crosses the guild leader’s face, silently telling us that Benno’s insistence that the two of us be immediately registered without first waiting for our baptismal ceremony is basically exactly the same thing as him saying that the two of us possess some sort of goods that it is worth getting us registered for. “...If I don’t know what you’re trying to do,” he says, “I can’t give permission to get these kids registered, you know. There’s no precedent at all here in Elenfest for registering kids that aren’t blood relatives.” The guild leader looks the both of us over, with a contemplative smile that is completely impossible for me to read. His smile and his general demeanor seemed quite friendly at first glance, but this man is truly not friendly at all. After all, he just threatened us with rejection if Benno doesn’t immediately answer his question. Seeing the guild leader waiting expectantly for an answer is making me grow increasingly nervous, so I look up at Benno to see how he’s taking it. However, Benno wears the darkly triumphant look of a man who feels absolutely a.s.sured of his victory. “You want to know what these two kids have that I want, yeah?” he says, smiling broadly. “Yeah, I guess I do. Since it’s a thing, after all, any store could probably trade them, after all. Your shop is starting to reach a little too wide, I’m thinking.” If it’s something that could make some real money, he wants a chance to seize it, he’s saying. Mister, shouldn’t you be at least trying to hide your real intentions? “These kids have said they want to sell things through my shop, so they’re going to sell them through my shop. Right, Maine? Am I right, Lutz?” We’re still scared of accidentally saying something unnecessarily, like Benno warned us not to do, so the two of us gulp, then nod emphatically. Benno smiles even more brightly, then looks down at me. “Maine, please show the guild leader the hairpins that you’d like to start selling at my shop.” “...Understood, sir.” It seems that Benno still intends to keep our new paper trade secret for now. I don’t know what thought process he took to arrive at this conclusion, but since I don’t want to say anything I shouldn’t, I keep my mouth firmly shut as I reach into my tote bag. I pull out Tory’s hairpin, and hold it out for the guild leader to see. A moment later, the guild leader’s expression completely changes.

最初は自分でちゃんと歩いていたのだが、わたしの歩く速度に苛立ったベンノに「遅い! 時間の無駄だ」と怒鳴られて、ひょいっと抱き上げられた。 「そういえば、ベンノさん。商業ギルドって何ですか?」 自分が知っている物とどういう差異があるかわからないことは、詳しく聞いておくのだ。 「何だ、知らんのか?」 「行ったことがないです。ルッツは知ってる?」 「商売するヤツが行くところだろ?」 この街の子供なら誰でも知っていることかとルッツに話を振ってみたが、返ってきたのは、わたしでもわかる程度のことだった。 「......まぁ、そうだ。この街で店を開く時に必要な許可証を出したり、悪質な商売をしているところに罰を与えたりするのが主な仕事だな。商業ギルドの許可なく店を開くことも出来ないし、市場で露店を広げることもできない。そして、商売に関係する奴は全員登録が必要で、登録せずに商売をすると厳罰を下される」 ベンノの話を聞いて、商売に関係する役所みたいなところかな? と推測する。許可をもらわなければ、店を開くこともできないし、見習いの登録もするのだから、あまり間違えてはいないだろう。 「かなり権力のありそうな組織ですね」 「そうだな。権力があって、金にがめつい。見習いを抱えたら登録料、新しい商売を始めようと思ったら拡大金、何かやったら手数料ってな」 何をするにもお金がかかるのは、どこの世界でも同じことなのかもしれない。貧乏人にとっては嫌な世の中である。 「どっちにしろ、洗礼式を終えて商人見習いになれば、登録される。店で働く奴は全員売買する立場になるからな。お前達の場合、洗礼式までは仮登録になるが、登録しておかないと、紙も髪飾りも......商品の売買ができないんだ」 「それって、今日、ベンノさんが紙を買い取るために、登録が必要ってことですか?」 「そうだ」 なるほど。ベンノが急いで登録しようとするのは、試作品を買い取るためらしい。 「すんなり登録が終わればいいが、あのくそじじいのことだ。どうせ、また難癖付けてくるに決まっている」 何だか穏やかではない言葉が出てきた。ベンノは商業ギルドのお偉いさんだと思っていたが、違うのだろうか。それとも、派閥争いのようなものだろうか。 「今、勢いがあってどんどん事業を拡大しているのが、俺の店だからな。ギルド長が少しでもむしり取りたくて仕方がないんだろ? お前ら、余計なことは言うなよ」 「はい」 ルッツで、声を揃えて返事する。やり手の商売人同士が繰り広げるだろう、狐と狸の化かし合いにくちばしを挟むような真似をするつもりはない。 「そうだ、マイン、お前が持ち込んだ髪飾りのことだが」 「これですか?」 わたしがトートバッグを少し開いて髪飾りを見せると、ベンノが小さく頷いた後、鋭い赤褐色の目でわたしを見た。 「材料が全部揃っていて、ルッツが木の部分を作ってくれていたら、それから、わたしの体調が良い時で......えーと、この花の部分だけなら、頑張れば一日で、多分、何とか......」 小花の量にもよるけれど、わたしのスピードなら一日仕事。裁縫上手な母なら鐘二つ分もあれば、作れるはずだ。 「ルッツはどうだ?」 「木を削って、磨くだけだから、鐘一つ分の時間があれば作れると思うけど?」 ベンノは上機嫌な声音でそう言っているが、目だけはギラギラと鋭い光を放っている。 「何がいいんですか?」 標的を定めた肉食獣のような笑みを浮かべて、ベンノが睨んだ先には商業ギルドの建物があった。 商業ギルドは中央広場に面した角に大きく立っている建物だった。それだけでもかなりお金を持っている組織であることがわかるのに、上から下まで誰にも貸していない、全部ギルドの建物だそうだ。 「俺が稼いだ金がここに注ぎこまれているかと思うと、腹立つだろ?」 「そうですけど、ないと困るんでしょ?」 「そうだ。それがさらに腹立たしい」 ドアの前には武器を持った番人が立っていて、わたし達を上から下まで見た後、用件を尋ねる。 「どのような用件で?」 ドアを開けてもらって中に入ると、いきなり階段があったことに面食らう。やや広めの階段だが、一階が見当たらない。 「ベンノさん、一階ってどうなっているんですか?」 「あぁ、一階は旅商人が馬車や荷車を置くための場所だ。大通りにずらずら並べられたら迷惑だからな。裏に回れば並んだ馬車が見えるはずだ」 その中を大勢の人が行ったり来たりしている。あまりの喧騒に、この街ってこんなに人がいたのか、と妙な感心をしてしまうほどだ。 「ここには用がない。奥の階段かに行くぞ」 わたしはベンノに抱えられたまま、奥の階段へと向かったので、安全だったが、ベンノの後ろをついて歩くルッツがもみくちゃにされている。 「ルッツ、大丈夫?」 「平気だけど......まるで祭りみたいだ」 「市場の露店の申し込みやこの街に着いた旅商人がここで商売するための許可をもらうところだからな。市が近付くとこういうことになる。市が終われば、しばらく静かなんだ」 奥の階段にはがっちりとした金属の柵が付けられていて、その前にはまた番人が立っていた。 「登録証をお願いします」 ベンノが金属のカードのようなものを取り出して渡すと、番人がそれを何かにかざした。 白い光が柵を走ったかと思うと、柵が溶けるように消える。 「えぇっ!? 何これ!?」 「魔術具だ。ルッツ、俺の手を離すな。弾かれるぞ」 「お、おう」 ベンノがわたしを片手で抱え、もう片手でルッツの手を引いて、階段を上がり始める。 「魔法ってお貴族様しか使えないんじゃなかったんですか?」 「こういう組織の上層部はだいたい貴族と繋がっている。利があると思えば、魔術具を与えることを躊躇わない貴族も多い」 「初めて見ました」 契約魔術の時にも思ったけれど、わたし、どうやら予想以上にファンタジーな世界にいるらしい。 階段を上がったところからしばらく白い壁が続いていて、奥の方にカウンターらしき場所が見える。二階は市場の露店に関する仕事をしている場所で、三階が店を持っている店主に対応する場所ということで、二階の喧騒に比べて、三階は静かで人もまばらだ。 二階は床が木で、端の方には埃も積もっているような薄汚れた場所だったのに、三階はカーペットが敷かれていて、掃除が行き届いている。家具にも維持にもお金がかかっているような雰囲気になった。一目でわかる格差社会だ。 「この壁の向こうは会議室だ。お前達が使うことはまずない」 白い壁を指差して、ベンノが説明しながらカウンターの方へと向かって歩き始める。わたしもルッツと手を繋いでついていく。普段の生活では目にしない高級さに少しばかり気後れしてしまうのだ。 会議室を通り過ぎると、壁から壁までカウンターがあり、カウンターの中では商業ギルドに出入りしている見習いらしき子供達が、奥の方で木札を読んだり、計算機を使って計算したりしている姿があった。 「ルッツ、冬の間に文字と計算を覚えなきゃね」 「......そうだな」 廊下を挟んで、カウンターの反対側にはソファのような物があり、待合室というよりは応接室のように寛げる場所になっている。 「あれは、もしかして、本棚っ!?」 ぐぐんとテンションが上がったわたしをベンノが不思議そうに見て、首を傾げた。 「あぁ、あれは店を出すための規則やこの周辺の簡単な地図、貴族年鑑なんかが並んでいる書棚だ。......興味あるのか?」 「ありありですっ!」 すぐにでも書棚に向かって突進したいけれど、ぎゅっとルッツが握っている手に力を入れて離してくれない。 「申し込みが終わったら、見てもいい。どうせ待ち時間は長いからな」 「本当ですか!? やったー!」 「マイン、落ち着け。興奮しすぎだ」 読んでもいい本らしきものを発見して、興奮せずにいられようか。いや、いられない。ルッツの制止を耳にしても、この心躍る感覚が止まるわけがない。 そう思っていたが、ルッツの一言で、わたしはおとなしくせざるを得なくなった。 「興奮しすぎたら、読む前にぶっ倒れるぞ」 ......それは困る! わたし達のやり取りを面白そうに見ていたベンノが一区切りついたことを悟って、「来い」と声をかける。 「おや、ベンノ様。本日はどのような御用件でしょうか?」 「この二人の仮登録だ。マインとルッツの二人分頼む」 「仮登録?......お子様ではございませんよね?」 「違う。が、登録が必要なんだ。さっさとしてくれ」 洗礼前の子供を雇うことは出来ないし、そんな子供が親なしで登録を必要とするほどの売買に係わることなど普通はないので、血族でもない子供が仮登録されることはあり得ない。 職員が不審そうに目を細めながらも、わたしとルッツに質問を重ねて、カウンターの向こうで何やら書き始めた。 「大工の息子に兵士の娘が仮登録ですか?」 質問を終えた職員はさらに怪訝そうな顔になって、わたしとルッツを交互に見る。商人の子供でもないのに、仮登録する意味を探っているらしく、あまり気持ちのいい目ではない。 「そうだ。聞くことが終わったんだったら、登録を終わらせてくれ。こっちもそれほど暇じゃないんだ」 「えぇ、ただいま。しばらくそちらでお待ちください」 「待っている間、書棚見てもいいですか?」 「あぁ。知りたいことがあったら教えてやる。持ってこい。ルッツ、マインから目を離すなよ」 「わかった」 手を離してくれないルッツと一緒に書棚のところへと行く。並んでいる羊皮紙を広げてみたり、木札を取り出してみたりして、どのような物が並んでいるのか確認してみれば、地図や図鑑的なものや貴族年鑑、商業法、周辺の情報を集めた瓦版っぽいものなど、実用的なものばかりだった。 「わぁ、これ、地図だ!」 現在地さえわからない地図を抱えて、わたしはベンノが座っているソファに向かう。 普通にソファに座るつもりで座ったら、綺麗な布張りだったのに布の下は板があるだけで、予想していたような弾力が全くなくて、お尻を打った。 「いたぁ......」 「いくら興奮しているからって、そんなに勢い良く座るからだ、阿呆」 妙なところが贅沢なソファもどきのせいで騙されたんだもん。木目の見えるベンチだったら、こんな座り方しなかったよ。 「ベンノさん、この街ってどれですか?」 「ここだ。エーレンフェスト。領主の家名がそのまま街の名前になっている」 初めて街の名前を知った。ついでに、領主の名前も知った。 地図を見ると、エーレンフェストの南に農村と森が広がり、さらに行くと、小さな街があるらしい。 「まぁ、お前らが買い付けなんかで出向くにしてもこの地図から出るようなところに行くことは、多分ねぇよ」 いくつか近隣の街の名前を教えてもらった後、地図を返して、また書棚を片っ端から読んでいく。一番下の段には、見習いが文字や数字の手習いをするための本もあった。ルッツと一緒に勉強するためにざっと目を通す。 「ベンノさん、ルッツの勉強用に石板と計算機が一つ欲しいんですけど......」 「あぁ、今日払う金から、代金は引いておいてやろう。しっかり勉強しろよ」 「ついでに、教えてください。商人の子供達の見習いって、どの程度読み書きができるんですか?」 洗礼式の後は、商人の子供達と一緒に見習いの仕事をするようになる。それまでに、他の子ができることは、ある程度できるようになっておきたい。 「簡単な読み書きと計算だな。読みに関しては、商品名が主だから、その家で取り扱っている物や規模による。銅貨から銀貨程度の計算はだいたいできるな」 わたしは通貨がよくわからない。大小の銅貨と小銀貨があるのは知っているけれど、両替とか相場が全然わからない。 だって、家で使うのって、基本的に銅貨ばかりなんだもん。 銅貨以外の通貨を目にすることさえほとんどない。それに、門では数字の計算だけで、オットーが実際にお金を使う現場は見たことがない。 「お前達に一番欠けているのは、客に対する対応だと思っている。他の子供は毎日親の仕事を傍で見て、肌で知っているからな」 「それは......」 昔からわたしはサービスを受ける側で、提供する側に回ったことがない。ルッツも多分、商売人の心得なんて知っているはずがない。 どうしよう。 思考の迷路にはまるより先にカウンターから、職員の声が響いてきた。 「ベンノ様、ギルド長がお会いしたいそうです」 わたし達にしか聞こえない程度の小さくて低い声で、唸るようにベンノが呟いて、立ち上がる。 ギラギラ光っている目とか、両脇で固く握られた拳とか、ベンノが全体的に戦闘態勢に入っているのがわかった。 「行くぞ、二人とも」 奥にはまた階段があり、階段を上がると、自動でドアが開いた。それほど広くはないが、居心地の良さそうな部屋が見える。 そこに座っていたのは少し恰幅の良い50代くらいの優しげな男性だ。ギルド長なんて役職についているのだから、お爺さんを想像していたが、まだ働き盛りを少し過ぎた程度に見える。 「やぁ、ようこそ。少し話を聞きたくてな」 「さて、ベンノ。早速だが、教えてもらいたい。血族でもない、こんな子供に仮登録をさせるというのはどういうことだ? 露店の主が店番をさせるために我が子を登録しておきたいと言い出すのとではわけが違うだろう?」 洗礼式を待たずに登録したいとベンノが言いだすということは、登録をするだけの価値がある商品をわたしとルッツが握っていると言ったのと同じことだ、とギルド長は笑みを浮かべたままで言った。 「......目的がはっきりしない限りは、登録を許可できんな。血族でもない子供の仮登録など、このエーレンフェストでは前例がない」 笑顔と雰囲気で一見優しそうに見えたけれど、全く優しくない。質問にきっちり答えないと登録はしてやらん、と脅しているのだから。 しかし、ベンノは勝利を確信しているような黒い笑顔でギルド長を見つめて、ニヤリと笑っている。 「この子達が持ち込んだ物が何か知りたい、と?」 「まぁ、そうだ。物によっては、別の店で取り扱った方がいいかもしれん。君のところは少し手を広げすぎているからな」 金になりそうなら、横取りしたいってことですね。本音がちっとも隠れてませんよ? 「この子達がウチで売りたいと言ったんだ。ウチで売るさ。なぁ、マイン? そうだろう、ルッツ?」 ベンノに「余計なことは言うな」と目で脅されて、わたしとルッツはコクコクと頷いた。それに気をよくしたらしいベンノが笑みを深めて、わたしを見下ろす。 「マイン、これから売る髪飾りを、ギルド長に見せてやってくれ」 「......わかりました」 ベンノがどういう判断でそうしているのかわからないので、余計な事を言わないように、口はなるべく噤んだまま、トートバッグに手を突っ込んだ。 その途端、何故かギルド長がざっと顔色を変えた。

Ascendance of a Bookworm “Tuuli, what's going on? What happened? Is Lutz alright?” Falling back on the bed with a flop, I rapidly fire questions at her, causing her to show a troubled expression. She frowns and strokes my head soothingly. “Sorry, Maïne. I told you since your fever has subsided but... it's bad for you to get agitated. Your fever will act up again.” “Tuuli, tell me.” I grab Tuuli's hand and beg her incessantly until she sighs deeply and gives in. “... I will go call Ralph, so rest a little first. Okay?” Once she sees me nod, Tuuli turns around and leaves the room. I hear the sound of the door opening and closing, and the telltale click of the lock before Tuuli's footsteps fade away. I listened to all that while lying curled up. Just as I'm beginning to get impatient, I hear quiet footsteps approaching. The door is unlocked and someone comes in. “... Ralph, what happened to Lutz?” Ralph, having been brought along by Tuuli, sees how I've been confined to my bed by my fever and sighs. “I was definitely expecting you to be sheltering him...” “I told you before, didn't I? Maïne has been stuck in bed for three days. There's no way she could know anything about Lutz running from your house last night.” “I'm sorry for doubting you.” Apologizing to Tuuli, Ralph turns my way. "Yesterday, Lutz was really angry at Dad when he got home, yelling Why do you have to keep standing in my way?! and I've endured for so long, but I can't take it anymore. I'm leaving!" From Ralph's words, I understood why Lutz had run away from home. I'm pretty sure he heard from Benno the reason why he can't be taken along outside the city. I was a little relieved upon hearing that. Lutz is probably taking shelter at Benno's place. Even if he isn't officially adopted immediately, he should still be treated properly. "Mom was really upset but Dad said that we should just leave him alone and that he would probably be right back. We thought he'd be back as soon as he got hungry but he still hadn't returned in the morning and even past noon...I can't help worrying. Maïne, do you know where he could be?" The anxious feeling in my chest grew at Ralph's words. If he's with Benno, Lutz should be working. It would be impossible for Ralph to not know where he is. “If you are saying that you don't know where he is... does it mean that Lutz hasn't gone to work either?” “That is... I don't know that guy's workplace...” Ralph averts his gaze in embarra.s.sment. I couldn't believe what I was hearing for a second. Even though it's only been about two and a half months since the coming-of-age ceremony, Lutz has been coming and going from the Gilberta Company for almost a year. It's a shop that he frequented before becoming an apprentice. “You don't know? It's the Gilberta Company, no?” “... I know the name. You visited Sieg's workshop before, didn't you? But even Sieg doesn't know where to find their shop.” “So if Lutz and I hadn't gone to Sieg's workshop... you probably wouldn't know about it even now?” Ralph awkwardly turns away at my incredulous, verifying question. Seeing Ralph in such state, Tuuli exclaims “I can't believe it!” “Wait, Ralph! You don't know the workplace of your younger brother? Surely, you talk about work with your family, right?” I know that there's a difference between how much and what men and women talk about, but this is a little excessive, isn't it? I don't know if it's because they do not want to listen to Lutz' side at all, or if they're just indifferent, but not even knowing where to search for Lutz after he runs away is a problem. I reach out and clutch his s.h.i.+rt cuff. “... Hey, Ralph. I know it's not any of my business but you should really talk to Lutz more.” "It's Lutz who never talks! In the first place, aren't I the one enduring? No matter how much opposition he gets from our family, he's been doing whatever he wants! Even on his days off, he doesn't come to the forest to help forage! Tell me, what exactly is he enduring?" Ralph suddenly glares at me, slapping my hand away as he shouted out. “Ralph, don't be rough with Maïne! Her fever still hasn't gone down!” “S-, sorry...” Well aware that I have been monopolizing Lutz's days off, I back him up while thinking Don't give me a headache with your loud voice! "Isn't Lutz working on his days off? Whether he's summoned by Benno or working for me, he always gets paid, right? It's not like he's playing around.” It really seems like there's almost no conversation between them at all. Eyes widening in surprise, Ralph lightly shakes his head. “... I didn't know that.” It looks like conversation has been stilted due to the tensions in the house, but Ralph is genuinely worried about Lutz not coming home. There's no doubt about that. And ultimately the one that has to talk to Ralph is Lutz, not me. “Tuuli.” I look up at Tuuli. Given that she had gone to buy clothes with me, Tuuli has met not only Benno but also several of his employees. Having her go with Ralph would probably be better than him suddenly barging in all by himself. “Please take Ralph to the Gilberta Company. It's fine if he still doesn't want to go home as long as he's okay. Can you just go and check if he's safe? Please.” “I'm worried about Lutz as well, so I hope it all works out. Let's go, Ralph.” Ralph glances back over his shoulder as Tuuli grabs his hand and leads him out of the room, looking like he's worried about my condition. I can only respond with a powerless smile. Ralph has always been the big brother who takes care of others. Even now he's worrying about Lutz, even though he resents how Lutz has been doing as he pleases. Although neither Lutz nor Ralph fundamentally hates the other, the relations.h.i.+p between the two brothers has soured. I close my eyes and hope that Ralph can have a proper conversation with Lutz once he sees Lutz' situation with his own eyes. The sun is setting when I wake up. From the window, a bright beam of light is s.h.i.+ning directly on my face. It seems like Tuuli has already returned from Benno's store. I hear the sounds of her preparing dinner from the kitchen. I'm thirsty, so I pick up the wooden cup and quench my thirst. As if she can sense me moving, Tuuli pops her head around the open door. “Maïne, are you awake? Do you think you will be able to eat?” Once I nod and sit up with a rustle, Tuuli brings a bread gruel to the bed. While I tuck in, Tuuli tells me what happened after they headed to the store. “Lutz was present at the store and doing his job properly. He looked fine.” “I see. That's good.” I'm relieved that the worst-case scenario of him getting involved in trouble after leaving his home or being turned away by Benno hasn't occurred. "When he found Lutz, Ralph told him to come home quickly and tried to bring him back by force. Lutz told him that he was bothering him in the middle of work and it turned into a dispute. Ralph got angry and left after shouting "to h.e.l.l with you!"... Ralph's dad was at work as well, and it seems like he told Ralph to leave Lutz alone." I feel my heart constrict as I see the small crack in Lutz' family widening into a chasm that cannot be fixed. “I understand that you are worried, but Maïne, if you don't get better quickly, you won't be able to go visit him either, right?” “... Yeah.” It was Gil rather than Lutz who came to pick me up the next day. It seems Lutz told him to act as his subst.i.tute for a while. Although he made the effort to get me, I can't go to the temple since my fever hasn't subsided yet. Watching me as I lay on the bed, Gil worriedly peers at my face. “Sister Maïne, your fever still hasn't gone down?” “Yeah. Since I will have to monitor my condition for a day even after it goes down, can you come again in three days?” Gil nods anxiously, and kneels by my bedside, grabbing my right hand and lowering his head as if kissing the back of my hand. Gil presses his forehead against the back of my hand and begins to pray. “I pray for Sister Maïne to receive the divine protection of the G.o.ddess of Healing, Lungschummel.” “Thank you. I pray that you also receive the G.o.ds' blessing, Gil.” Gil went back with a painfully reluctant expression and, as promised, came to pick me up again three days later. Because my fever has gone down and I finally have my family's permission to go outside, I leave with Gil. Lutz's absence feels weird somehow and I can't settle down. Once we descend the stairs and leave the building, I spot Lutz' mother, Aunt Karla, doing the laundry by the well. I run up to her and ask, “Aunt Karla, has Lutz still not come back?” Aunt Karla shakes her head silently. The appearance of a cheerful, chatty old lady with startling intensity and a fine physique is gone. Now she looks haggard. “Maïne... do you know about Lutz's circ.u.mstances?” “I heard about it from Ralph and Tuuli, but I had to stay in bed the whole time because of my fever. I had planned to go to the store today and see Lutz' situation, but...” “I see. Can you tell me if he's okay?” “Yes, I can check on him.” I agree, thinking that it would have been fine if she had gone to visit him by herself, given the circ.u.mstances. Gil and I leave the square. “Gil, I want to check on Lutz, so please stop by the store, okay?” “It's fine as long as it's a place you want to go to, Sister Maïne. I mean, it will be alright even without that old lady worrying so much, won't it? One can survive without parents. There are no parents at the orphanage.” “... I guess that's true.” When I stepped into the orphanage for the first time, I fully grasped the meaning of children being unwanted. That's because the orphans, who were living without any parents, must have thought that it would be alright even if they didn't exist, feeling as if they shouldn't be alive. Once we arrive at the Gilberta Company, we are greeted with a broad smile by Mark. Behind him, Lutz is recording something on a writing board. “Good morning, Maïne. Is your physical condition alright now?” “Good morning, Mark. My fever has finally subsided. Rather than that, I heard that Lutz ran away from home...” “Please, let's take that inside, okay? A few days ago, people concerned with Lutz have disturbed the store and even the employees are slightly worked up.” Mark had interrupted my speech with a gentle smile as he spoke. It seems there were others besides Ralph who showed up at the store and tried to take Lutz back home. If poor people, who don't care about their attire, turn up at a store that deals with sales of high cla.s.s and quality goods for n.o.ble business partners and kick up a fuss, it will likely give the store a bad image. If it goes on like this, Lutz' position will get worse as well. I hold my tongue and nod. “Master, it looks like Maïne wishes to speak with Lutz, so we will go this way, alright?” “... You do remember that this is a lounge and not a counseling room, right Mark?” “I have taken that into account.” He's smiling, but Benno acknowledges it with a sigh after being overwhelmed by Mark's uncompromising aura. “Excuse me, Mister Benno. Although it would also be fine if we went outside...” “No, talk inside. Last night Lutz' mother came to my house instead of the store and went on a tirade about how we have to return Lutz right away and that we are kidnappers, you know? Mark got angry and turned her away.” “I'm sorry, master.” Imagining how Aunt Karla must have yelled at them with her usual intensity, I felt dejected. Immediately following that, I shudder at hearing that Mark had snapped at her. For him to be able to turn away Aunt Karla, just what had happened? I wonder if the reason why she looks so exhausted as if she's become another person entirely might be because of this? Having a hunch that it's better if I don't ask about the details, I turn to face Lutz. “Lutz, how is it going right now? Are you are staying at Mister Benno's place?” “Even if you ask me how... I'm living in the attic after taking my luggage there? That's why I didn't know about mum until this morning...” Aunt Karla was apparently chased away without being able to meet with Lutz. Now that I understand the reason she wanted me to check on his situation, I have complicated feelings. “... you say. Wait? The attic?” “I mean, there's no other place for me to stay besides there, right?” Lutz said that he's living in the attic that was used as a storeroom. That's the treatment of a live-in apprentice. Benno, who did say that he's considering to adopt him, has decided not to give him any additional support. “What's this about, Mister Benno!? Didn't you want to adopt Lutz!?” “... Me adopted by master? Huh? What are you talking about?” Guessing from the look of the bewildered Lutz, it appears that Benno hasn't told Lutz anything. Sending a glare my way, Benno looks down on me with eyes full of fury. “You idiot!” “Even if I want to adopt him, there's no way that I can arbitrarily adopt him legally without the permission of his parents. This is a path chosen by Lutz after I explained the circ.u.mstances to him. Putting that aside, how many times have I told you to stop speaking without using your brain!? Don't spout off talking about adoption in a situation where it's not possible to get the parents' approval, like a moron!” “... Ah.” d.a.m.n it, even if I hold my tongue now, it's already too late. Lutz' eyes lose their l.u.s.ter. The difficulties of living alone have likely been weighing on him since he ran away. Lutz's eyes, usually full of hope for the future, become hard as he finds a target for his frustration. “Maïne, you knew about this?” Benno interjects. “I talked to her. For the sake of obtaining information about your parents and your home life, okay?” “Master...” Lutz' eyes waver slightly due to Benno's words. Lutz looks at me with eyes similar to those of a lost child who's looking for his own place in this world. “But, if that's so... if you knew, why didn't you tell me?” "Because I thought you would act like this, Lutz. Turning your back on your family...I didn't want to break your family apart since mine means so much to me." I didn't want to do something like wrecking Lutz' family, but even so, I believed that if Benno could take Lutz in... if he could adopt him, it would be fine as long as he first made sure it was Lutz' choice. I thought that, if Benno was with him, it would be unlikely to turn into a situation where Lutz would have to endure the cruel life of a live-in apprentice until adulthood, when only then he could finally be able to move free of his parents meddling. However, the reality of the situation is that Lutz is now a runaway, living in the attic as a live-in apprentice, and he is unable to be adopted without his parents' permission. After a mere five days of this, Lutz's eyes have lost their usual l.u.s.ter. “Are you also saying that it's my fault, Maïne? My fault for running away...” His family probably said the same things as Ralph, Don't be selfish and come back home! Don't do whatever you like! The one causing trouble for the store is you! Haven't you had enough of this already!? I heard from Tuuli that Ralph had told Lutz things like that. If Lutz apologizes and goes back home, he should be able to live like before again. But he would be told Look, we told you so, something like being a live-in apprentice was impossible for you after all, and his determination would be reduced to selfishness. He would be able to live, but not only would he be suppressed, he wouldn't be able to say anything either. I don't want to see such a thing happen to Lutz, so I deny it right away. “I never said it was your fault, Lutz. There's no way I would say that, is there? I know how much effort you are putting into this, Lutz. I also know what you have been enduring all this time.” Relieved, Lutz breathes out a bit. Meeting his jade-green eyes, I continue. “No matter what happens, I'm your ally, Lutz. I'm here right now because you told me that I was fine just as I am.” I know how it feels to shut yourself away and feel like you have no real allies around you. I didn't feel like I had a place I belonged, and had been suffering under that. The one who changed that, telling me It's okay if you're my Maïne, was Lutz. If only I could give Lutz a little of the sense of that same security I had received from his words. “That's why I will tell you as well. Lutz, it's fine if you stay as you are. I will always support you. I will help you with all my power, just like you helped me, so depend on me when it gets tough.” Lutz hugs me with a teary smile. “Haha... What an unreliable ally. It looks to me like you will get crushed before I can depend on you." I am almost crushed in Lutz's arms with that declaration, as I tap sullenly on Lutz's back. “... I can help at least a little.” “With what for example?” I can hear him sniffing close to my ear. Nonetheless, it feels like Lutz' voice has become a lot brighter. “Are you going to eat lunch together with me...? Since there's no kitchen in the attic, you can't make any meals, right?” “... Telling me to eat with you, it's not like you are the one making it, Maïne.” "That will be a big help, Milady; that is what you were about to say, right?” I gently whisper. Lutz lifts his head and chuckles. I'm relieved that his usual, positive smile has returned. Maybe I've helped Lutz a little. “... Hey, are you done now?” Benno calls out to us with an exasperated expression, resting his chin on his hands as he props his elbows on the desk. I tilt my head to the side while patting Lutz' back. “... It's fine, but what do you mean?” “Well, if you are satisfied, return to your work.” Lutz separates from me in a hurry and leaves the room after Benno waves his hand and says “Disappear at once.” As I try to politely disappear as well, Benno starts talking while still staring after Lutz. "Maïne, I understand your feelings of wanting to handle this situation as soon as possible, but from the looks of it the matter, adoption will have to wait. Given his mother's threatening att.i.tude yesterday, there won't be any room to discuss it unless they calm down. " Benno's words, coldly logical despite the circ.u.mstances, make me feel like I've swallowed something bitter and there's a lump in my throat. “It looks like he will have to live like this for a while, so even if he can bear it now, it will take a toll on him if his quality of living drops any further. In my current situation I can't interfere since it will also affect the reputation of the store. Imagine if we are accused of kidnapping, tricking him and whatever else Lutz's family might say. If you say that you are Lutz' ally, then help him as much as possible.” “... Yes.” Even if he leaves home, Lutz should be able to fully devote himself to his work once he becomes Benno's adopted child. He should be able to fulfill his own dream of going outside the city to build a workshop for producing paper. It's troublesome if it's something like becoming a live-in apprentice and suffering more hards.h.i.+ps than he has already... Just as Benno says, if Lutz continues such a harsh life, he will likely fall apart. It might result in him resenting his family for not accepting it, and he might blame himself. I wonder if there is anything I can do for him, just like when he supported me. Unable to come up with a single reasonable method, I sigh heavily.

「トゥーリ、どういうこと? 何があったの? ルッツは大丈夫なの?」 ばたりとベッドに伏せたまま、わたしが矢継ぎ早に尋ねると、トゥーリは失敗したという表情になった。困ったように眉を寄せて、わたしの頭を何度も撫でる。 「ごめんね、マイン。熱が下がってから言わなきゃダメだったのに......。マインは興奮しちゃダメだよ。また熱が上がっちゃう」 「トゥーリ、教えて」 わたしがトゥーリの手を握って、何度も教えてほしいとお願いすると、トゥーリは仕方なさそうに溜息を吐いた。 「......ラルフを呼んでくるから、マインは寝てて。いい?」 わたしがコクリと頷くと、トゥーリは身を翻して部屋を出て行った。玄関のドアが開閉され、鍵がかかる音がして、トゥーリの足音が小さくなっていく。それをへにょりとベッドに伏せたまま、わたしは耳を澄まして聴いていた。 早く戻ってこないか、とじりじりとした気持ちでトゥーリの帰りを待っていると軽い足音が近付いてくるのが聞こえ始めた。玄関の鍵が開いて、ドアが開閉する。 「......ラルフ、ルッツは?」 トゥーリに連れて来られたラルフは、熱が下がっていなくてベッドから動けないわたしの状況を見て、溜息を吐いた。 「てっきりマインが匿っていると思っていたのに......」 「さっきも言ったでしょ? マインはも寝込んでいるもの。昨日の夕方に家を飛び出したルッツのことなんて知ってるわけないわ」 プンプンと憤慨してトゥーリが言う。ラルフは「疑って悪かったって」とトゥーリに謝りながら、わたしの方を向いた。 「昨日、帰ってくるなり、ルッツが親父に怒鳴ったんだよ。なんで、オレの邪魔をするんだ!? って。ずっと我慢してたけど、もうこんな家、出て行ってやる! って、すごい勢いと顔つきでさ」 ラルフの言葉でルッツが家出した原因がわかった。きっとベンノから余所の街に連れていけない理由を聞かされたのだろう。それで、少しだけホッとした。多分、ルッツはベンノのところで保護されているはずだ。すぐに養子縁組とはならなくても、それに準じるような扱いはしてくれているだろう。 「お袋はオロオロしているけど、親父はどうせすぐに帰ってくるだろうから放っておけ、って言ってるんだ。オレ達も腹が減ったら帰ってくると思ったけど、朝になっても昼になっても帰ってこねぇから、さすがに心配で。マイン、ルッツの居場所、わからないか?」 ラルフの言葉を聞いて、じわりと胸に不安が押し寄せてきた。ベンノところで保護されていれば、仕事をしているはずだ。ルッツの居場所がわからないはずがない。 「居場所がわからないって......ルッツ、仕事にも行ってないの?」 「それが......アイツの勤め先がわからなくて......」 わたしの質問にラルフが困ったように視線を彷徨わせる。 勤め先がわからないという言葉がすぐには理解できなかった。洗礼式か半ほどだが、ギルベルタ商会は見習いになる前から出入りしている店なのだから、すで近くルッツは係わっている。 「わからないって、なんで? ギルベルタ商会だよ?」 「......名前はわかったんだ。ジークの工房に来たことがあったんだろ? でも、ジークも店がどこにあるのか知らねぇんだ」 「ジークの工房にルッツとわたしが行かなかったら......もしかして、今でも知らないままだったの?」 恐る恐る確認したわたしの言葉にラルフが気まずそうに顔を背ける。そんなラルフの様子にトゥーリが「信じられない!」と声を上げた。 「ちょっと、ラルフ! 兄弟の勤め先も知らないの? 家族で仕事場の話くらいするでしょ?」 同じ兄弟でも、女同士と男同士では口数も話す内容も違うとは思うけれど、これはちょっとひどくないだろうか。相手に無関心なのか、意地でも聞いてやるか、という感じなのか、わたしにはわからないけれど、家出しても探せないというのは問題だろう。 「......ねぇ、ラルフ。余計なお世話かもしれないけど、もうちょっとルッツと話してあげてよ」 「ルッツが喋らないんだよ。大体、我慢してるのはオレの方じゃないか。どれだけ家族に反対されたところで、ルッツは自分のやりたい仕事に就いたし、休みの日だって森へ採集にも行かずに好き放題してるじゃないか。一体ルッツが何を我慢してるって言うんだよ?」 パシッとわたしの手を振り払うと、ラルフはくわっと目を見開いて、怒鳴った。 「ラルフ、マインに乱暴しないで! 熱も下がってないんだよ!」 「わ、悪い......」 大声は頭にガンガン響くなぁ、と思いつつ、休日のルッツを振り回している自覚があるわたしは、ルッツのフォローをする。 「ルッツが休みの日に出かけるのは、仕事だけど? ベンノさんに呼ばれた時も、わたしが振り回しちゃってる時もお給料は出てるでしょ? 別に遊んでるわけじゃないよ」 本当に兄弟間の会話がないようで、ラルフは少し驚いたように目を見張った後、軽く頭を振った。 「......そんなの、知らねぇよ」 ほとんど会話がないせいで、こじれているようだけれど、ラルフは帰ってこないルッツを心配している。それに間違いはない。そして、ラルフと会話しなければならないのはわたしではなくて、ルッツだ。 「トゥーリ」 わたしはトゥーリを見上げた。トゥーリは一緒に服を買いに行ったことがあるので、ベンノを初め、従業員の数人と顔を合わせたことがある。ラルフが一人で突然乗り込むよりはマシだろう。 「ラルフをギルベルタ商会に連れて行ってあげて。ルッツが元気そうなら無理に連れ帰らなくても良いから、無事だけでも確認してきてほしいの。お願い」 「わたしもルッツが心配だからいいよ。行こう、ラルフ」 トゥーリに手を引かれて寝室を出て行こうとするラルフが、わたしの様子を気にするようにちらりと一度振り返った。心配そうにこちらを見たラルフに力の入らない笑みだけ返しておく。 ラルフは昔から面倒見の良いお兄ちゃんで、今だってルッツが好き放題していると思いながらも、心配はしているのだ。 ルッツもラルフも根本的なところではどっちも悪くないのに、兄弟仲が完全にこじれている。様子を見に行ったラルフとルッツがきちんと向き合って話ができればいいな、と思いつつ、わたしは目を閉じた。 起きた時には夕暮れに差し掛かっていた。目を射るような眩しい光が窓から真っ直ぐに伸びて顔に当たったことで、わたしは目が覚める。 すでにトゥーリは店から帰ってきているようで、夕飯の準備をする音が台所でしていた。喉が渇いていたので、木のコップを手に取って喉を潤していると、動く気配を感じたのか、開け放たれたドアの向こうからトゥーリがぴょこりと顔を出した。 「マイン、起きた? 食べられそう?」 わたしが頷いてもぞりと起き上がると、トゥーリはパン粥をベッドまで持ってきてくれる。わたしがもそもそと食べている間に、トゥーリは店に向かってからの事を教えてくれた。 「お店にルッツはいて、ちゃんと仕事をしていたよ。元気そうだった」 「そっか。よかった」 家を出た後で事件に巻き込まれたとか、ベンノに保護されていなくて居場所がなかったとか、そういう最悪の事態はなかったことに、胸を撫で下ろす。 「ルッツの姿を見つけたラルフが、さっさと帰るぞって、力ずくで連れ戻そうとしたんだけど、仕事中に邪魔をするなって、ルッツに言われてね。ラルフまで頭に血が上っちゃったみたいで口喧嘩になった後、勝手にしろ! って、怒鳴って店を出てきたの。......ラルフのお父さんも仕事場にいる以上は放っておけって、言ってるみたい」 ルッツの家族にあった小さなひびが取り返しのつかない亀裂となり、壊れて行くのを見せられているようで、ギュッと心臓が締め付けられるような気がする。 「心配なのはわかるけど、マインは早く体調を治さないと、様子も見に行けないよ?」 「......うん」 次の日、わたしを迎えに来たのはルッツではなく、ギルだった。ルッツにしばらく代わりに行って欲しいと言われたらしい。せっかく来てくれたが、まだ熱が下がっていないので、神殿には行けないのだけれど。 ベッドで寝たままのわたしを見て、ギルが心配そうに覗きこむ。 「マイン様、まだ熱が下がらないのか?」 「うん。下がっても一日は様子を見るから、三日後にまた来てくれる?」 心配そうに頷いたギルがわたしの枕元に跪いて、わたしの右手を取ると、まるで甲に口づけるように顔を近付けた。コツンとわたしの甲に当たったのはギルの額で、流れるように祈りの文句が出てくる。 「マイン様に癒しの女神 ルングシュメールの加護がありますように」 「ありがとう。ギルにも神の祝福がありますように」 後ろ髪を引かれるような顔で帰って行ったギルは約束通り、三日後に迎えに来てくれた。 熱が下がって、家族からも外出許可が出たので、ギルと一緒に家を出る。ルッツがいないのは、何だか変な感じがして落ち着かない。 階段を下りて建物を出ると、井戸の広場でルッツの母親であるカルラおばさんが洗濯をしているのが見えた。パタパタと駆け寄って、わたしは尋ねる。 「カルラおばさん、ルッツはまだ?」 カルラおばさんは無言で首を振った。恰幅が良くて、お喋りで、迫力がある快活なおばさんの姿はなく、やつれて疲れきっているように見えた。 「マインは......ルッツの様子を知らないのかい?」 「ラルフとトゥーリから話は聞いたけど、わたし、熱出してずっと寝てたから。今日、これからお店の方へルッツの様子を見に行こうと思ってたんだけど......」 「そう。じゃあ、元気かどうか、知らせてくれないかい?」 「うん、わかった」 その時は自分で見に行けばいいのに、と思いながら了承して、わたしはギルと一緒に広場から出た。 「ギル、ルッツの様子が見たいから、お店に寄るね?」 「マイン様が行きたいなら、いいけど。あのおばさんだって、あんなに心配しなくても大丈夫なんだけどな。親なんていなくても生きていけるぜ。孤児院には親なんていねぇし」 「......そうだね」 わたしが初めて孤児院に踏み込んだ時は、生きていけない子供達がいたじゃない、という言葉は呑み込んだ。親も無しに生きて行く孤児院の子供達は「いなくても平気だ」と思わなくては、生きていけないような気がしたからだ。 ギルベルタ商会に着くと、マルクがニコリとした笑顔で迎えてくれる。その後ろにはルッツがいて、書字板に何か書きこんでいた。 「おはようございます、マイン。もう体調はよろしいのですか?」 「おはようございます、マルクさん。やっと熱が下がりました。それより、ルッツが家出したって聞いて......」 「そのお話は奥でお願いしますね。ここ数日、ルッツの関係者が店を騒がせていて、従業員も少し気が立っているのです」 やんわりとした笑顔でマルクが言葉を遮った。どうやら、ラルフ以外にも店にやってきてルッツを連れ帰ろうとしたようだ。 貴族相手の品質と高級さが売りの店に、身形を構わない貧民がやってきて連日騒ぎ立てれば、イメージは良くないだろう。このままでは、店におけるルッツの立場も良くないものになってしまう。わたしは口を噤んで頷いた。 「旦那様、マインがルッツと話をしたいそうなので、こちらに入れますね」 「......ここは談話室でも、相談室でもないんだが?」 「承知の上です」 笑っているが、有無を言わせない雰囲気のマルクに押される形でベンノが溜息混じりに了承した。 「ごめんなさい、ベンノさん。外に行ってもよかったんだけど......」 「いや、中で話せ。昨日の夜は店じゃなく、ウチにルッツの母親が来て、ルッツを返せ、とこちらを誘拐犯扱いで怒鳴り散らしてな。マルクがぶち切れて追い返したんだ」 「すみません、旦那様」 カルラおばさんのいつもの迫力で怒鳴りこまれたところを想像して、わたしはげんなりとした。直後に、マルクがぶち切れたという言葉に戦慄する。カルラおばさんを追い返せるなんて、一体何があったのか。人が変わったように疲れきってやつれていたのは、もしかしたらマルクの怒りが原因だろうか。 詳しくは聞かない方が良いような気がして、わたしはルッツに向き直った。 「ルッツは今どうしてるの? ベンノさんのところにいるの?」 「どうって、荷物置きにしてる屋根裏部屋で住んでるけど? だから、今朝まで母さんが来たこと知らなかったし......」 カルラおばさんはルッツに会えないまま、マルクに追い払われたらしい。わたしに様子を見てきてほしいと言った理由がわかって、複雑な気分になる。 「......って、え? 屋根裏部屋?」 「だって、オレ、それ以外に行くところないだろ?」 ルッツは物置にしていた屋根裏部屋で生活していると言った。それは住み込み見習いと全く同じ扱いだ。養子縁組を考えていると言ったはずのベンノが何の援助もしていないことになる。 「どういうことですか、ベンノさん!? ルッツを養子にするんじゃなかったんですか!?」 「......オレが旦那の養子? え? どういうことだよ?」 戸惑うルッツの様子から察するに、ベンノはルッツに何も話していないようだ。 わたしがベンノを睨み上げると、ベンノも怒りに満ちた目でわたしを見下ろして、「この阿呆!」と雷を落とした。 「養子縁組したくても、親の許可もなく勝手に縁組できるわけがないだろう! これはルッツに事情を説明した結果、ルッツが選んだ道だ。それより、考え無しに物を言うのを止めろと何度言ったらわかるんだ!? 親の許可が取れない状況で、養子の話なんぞ聞かせやがって!」 「......あ」 しまった、と口を押さえても、もう遅い。 ルッツの目が暗く光った。家出してから、一人で生活する厳しさがひしひしと迫っているのだろう。不満の矛先を向ける相手を見つけたように、いつも前向きだったルッツの目が、荒んでいる。 「もしかして、マインは知っていたのか?」 「俺が話した。お前の環境や親の情報を得るために、な」 「旦那様......」 ベンノの言葉にルッツの目が少し揺らぐ。自分の居場所を探す迷子のような目でルッツがわたしを見た。 「でも、だったら......知ってるなら、なんで、教えてくれなかったんだよ?」 「ルッツがこうやって飛び出すと思ったから。家族に背を向けちゃうと思ったから。わたしは自分の家族が大事だから、ルッツの家族を壊すようなことしたくなかったの」 ルッツの家族を壊すようなことはしたくなかったが、それでも、家の中の居心地が悪くて、ベンノさんがルッツを受け入れてくれるなら......養子縁組してくれるなら、ルッツの望むようにすればいいとは思っていた。 だが、現実にはルッツは家を飛び出し、親の許可なく養子縁組もできず、住み込み見習いとして屋根裏で過ごすことになっている。たった5日ほどの生活でも子供の一人暮らしは厳しいのだろう、ルッツの目は暗くなっていた。 「マインもオレが悪いって言うのか? 飛び出したオレが悪いって......」 多分、連れ戻しに来た家族がラルフと同じような事を言ったのだろう。「我儘を言わずに帰って来い」「勝手な事ばかりするな」「店に迷惑をかけているのはお前だ」「もう気は済んだだろう」というようなことをラルフが言っていたことはトゥーリに聞いた。 ルッツが謝って家に帰れば、また以前と同じような生活はできるはずだ。「ほら、見ろ。やっぱり住み込み見習いなんて無理だった」と家族に言われ、自分が我儘だったんだ。自分が我慢するしかないんだと不満を胸に溜めながら生きて行くことはできる。 そんなルッツを見たくなかったから、わたしは即座に否定した。 「ルッツが悪いなんて言わないよ。言うわけがないでしょ? わたしはルッツがどれだけ頑張ってきたか知ってる。いっぱい我慢したことも知ってるもん」 ホッとしたようにルッツが小さく息を吐いた。そんなルッツの翡翠のような瞳を覗きこみ、じっと見つめて、わたしは続ける。 「わたしは何があっても、ルッツの味方だよ。わたしがわたしのまま、ここにいてもいいって、ルッツが言ってくれたから、わたしは今ここにいるの」 わたしにも周りに本当の味方がいないように感じて、自分の殻に閉じこもったようになった経験がある。不安で居場所がないような気分で、生活していても落ち着かなかったわたしを「オレのマインはお前でいいよ」と言って繋ぎとめてくれたのはルッツだ。あの時わたしが感じた安心感の、ほんの少しでもルッツが感じてくれればいい。 「だから、わたしもルッツに言ってあげる。ルッツはルッツのままでいればいいよ。わたし、絶対に応援する。ルッツがわたしを助けてくれたように、わたしも全力でルッツを助けてあげるから、辛い時は寄りかかって」 翡翠の瞳が潤んで、泣き笑いのような顔のルッツがわたしに抱きついた。 「ハハッ......。頼りねぇ味方だな。オレが寄りかかった時点でマインの方が潰れそうだ」 涙声のルッツに押しつぶされそうになりながら、わたしはむむっとした脹れっ面でルッツの背中をポンポンと軽く叩く。 「......ちょっとくらいは助けになれるもん」 「例えば?」 ぐすっと鼻をすする音が耳元で聞こえる。それでも、ルッツの声がずっと明るくなっている気がする。 「お昼ご飯を一緒に食べるとか......? 屋根裏は炊事場がないからご飯作れないんでしょ?」 「......一緒に食べるって、作るの、マインじゃねぇし」 「そこは、とても助かります、マイン様って言うところでしょ?」 ルッツがくくっと笑って顔を上げた。いつもの前向きな笑顔が戻っていることに安堵する。ちょっとはルッツの役に立てたかもしれない。 「......おい、もういいか?」 ものすごく呆れたような嫌そうな顔で、執務机に頬杖をついたベンノが声をかけてきた。わたしはルッツの背中をポンポンしたまま、首を傾げる。 「......いいですけど、何ですか?」 「いや、気が済んだなら仕事に戻れ」 さっさと散れ、と手を振るベンノの言葉にルッツがわたしから慌てて離れて、部屋を出て行く。 わたしも挨拶してお暇しようとしたら、ベンノがルッツの出て行ったドアを見据えながら口を開いた。 「マイン、早くルッツの環境を何とかしてやりたいと思うのは同感だが、養子縁組の件は、昨日の母親の剣幕を考えても、もうちょっと頭が冷えんことには話し合いの余地もなさそうだ」 冷静に状況を判断しているベンノ言葉に、苦い物を呑みこんだように喉の奥が引きつった。 「しばらくはこのままの生活になりそうだし、今は良くても生活が荒めば心も荒む。ルッツの家族に、誘拐だの、騙しただの、言われれば店の評判にも係わるから、今の俺には手出しできん。ルッツの味方だというなら、できるだけ助けてやれよ」 「......はい」 ルッツは家を出てもベンノの養子になって、仕事に打ち込むことができるはずだった。植物紙を作る工房を立ちあげるために余所の街に行って、自分の夢を叶えるはずだった。 住み込み見習いになって、今まで以上に苦労するなんて......。 ベンノが言うように、厳しい生活が続けば、ルッツは荒れるだろう。自分が悪かったのか、と自分を責めて、どうして受け入れてくれないんだと、家族を恨むことになるかもしれない。 ルッツがわたしを支えてくれたように、わたしにできることがあるだろうか。有効な手段が何一つ思い浮かばず、わたしは重い溜息を吐いた。

“Hey, Maine, why is it that you deposit a silver coin at the guild every time? Why aren’t you bringing it all home to your family?” As we leisurely walk home, having gotten off the carriage at the Merchant’s Guild, Lutz spontaneously asks me this question. “I’m doing it because you’re doing it. I thought there must be some sort of reason for it, so I was copying you. My family thinks that I’m bringing all of my earnings home, though, so I kind of feel a little bad about it...” For commoners, who are used to sc.r.a.ping through their daily lives without any money to spare, there isn’t really any concept of “savings”. At most, when autumn comes around, they start stas.h.i.+ng away a little money in their dresser drawers for winter preparations. They don’t do anything like depositing money at the Merchant’s Guild. Of course, since kids learn things by watching their parents, even the children bring all of their earnings home to their families and spend it all on living expenses. “I’m saving for next time’s initial expenses, you know.” “Next time’s initial expenses?” he asks, his head tilted curiously to the side. Drawing on our own experiences, I explain it to him. “Remember how after we decided we were going to make paper, we didn’t have any tools, any money, nor any adults that we could ask for help, so even getting a single nail was really hard and we got in a lot of trouble?” “Yeah.” It wasn’t all that long ago that we had gotten scolded by Benno for begging Otto for help. Lutz, remembering this, smiles wryly. “We got lucky when Mister Benno bought the formula for my ‘simple shampoo’ in exchange for covering all of our initial expenses, but getting all of those tools took a huge amount of money, right, Lutz? Whenever you’re starting something, you need money.” “The pot, the wood, the ash, the thread, the bamboo work... now that I think about it, that was really expensive, wasn’t it?” Lutz, who has recently been visiting various stores for the sake of stocking up on things, understands the quality and cost of things that are sold not at ordinary street stalls, but actual stores. His face goes pale as he realizes just how much the initial investments for our paper-making enterprise really cost. “And that’s why I’m saving money. Since we made a working prototype for Mister Benno, he said that we were done with initial expenses, right? I think that we’ll need even more tools to keep making paper from now on, and I also want to start making something new, and all of that requires money. Once we make a lot of paper, and we start trying to make books, we’ll need new tools for that too.” “So, it’s for the next stuff, huh...” I can’t figure out if Lutz’s expression means he has or has not actually understood this. I stare at him fixedly. He has far more pressing reasons than I to actually need to be saving money, but is he aware of them? I wonder if he hasn’t even noticed. After thinking about it for a moment, I slowly open my mouth. “I don’t really want to say or even really think about this, but... Lutz, if by the time we’re baptized your parents still don’t approve of you becoming a merchant, what are you going to do? ...Have you... thought about that?” His face twists painfully as soon as I ask my question. He answers in a low mumble, without any strength behind his voice at all. “...I think I’d have to be a live-in apprentice at Master Benno’s shop.” “Yeah, if you want to become a merchant, you’ll have to do that, right? I’m glad you didn’t say you’d give up.” When Lutz seems me smiling, he sighs, looking just a little bit relieved. He’s talking about leaving his home behind at such an early age, which takes tremendous resolve, and I think he must still have some doubts about it. Lutz, however, is moving entirely along his own path, which means that he really will be needing money. “But, Lutz, think about it. If you leave home to become a live-in apprentice, then until your first pay comes in you’ll still need money for living expenses, the clothing you’ll need for your apprentices.h.i.+p, and so on. There’ll be a huge difference between the Lutz that leaves home with money saved up for his freedom and the Lutz that doesn’t have anything.” “Ah...” Lutz raises his head to look at me, looking completely taken aback. “I don’t think it’s bad at all for you to take the money that you yourself earned and save it away for your own future, you know. I know we’re supposed to be giving everything we earn to the family, so you might feel guilty about it, but you’re not even old enough to be really working, anyway, and you brought home thirteen large copper coins over five days, you know? That’s more than Ralph brings home from his apprentices.h.i.+p, you know? So it’s really okay.” “Huh... I make more than Ralph.” Lutz smiles proudly. Ralph, who’s still only recently started his apprentices.h.i.+p, probably brings home only about eight to ten large copper coins over an entire month. The amount the two of us have earned is huge in comparison. “Maine, thanks. I’m feeling way better about this now.” “I’m glad!” Grinning broadly, Lutz suddenly turns away from me for some reason, then squats down. “What’re you doing, Lutz?” “What?” “We’ve gone to a lot of different places today, so you must be getting tired, right? You’re looking a little pale.” Without thinking about it, I reach up to feel my face. I still don’t feel particularly feverish, so I don’t think I have a fever. “...I’m looking pale?” “It’s not that bad right now, but we need to be meeting with Master Benno tomorrow afternoon, so I think you shouldn’t push too hard. My number one job is looking after your health, after all.” It’s very true that, after a day of walking from place to place, I’m getting rather worn out. Since Lutz is telling me not to push too hard, things must be getting really dangerous. Lutz takes me home, with me on his back. I, of course, climb the stairs up under my own power, but since there’s a chance I might get too tired halfway up, Lutz comes up with me, leading me by the hand. He’s seriously a big help. To be perfectly honest, climbing the stairs up to my home is the hardest part. “I’m home, Mommy.” “Oh my, Lutz! It’s rare for you to come all the way up here, isn’t it? Is Maine not doing well today?” “We’d originally planned to just go show the hairpins to Master Benno today, but we wound up meeting the guild leader too, and then he invited us to his house immediately. He said that he wanted us to deliver the hairpins in person. So, I think that she’s probably very tired right now.” “I see. Thanks as always, Lutz. You’re a big help.” As she says that, she slips a bribe, a medium copper coin, into his hand. When I see the coin, I remember something. “Ah, that’s right! Mommy, I want to give you this before I forget.” “Maine... what in the world have you done now?” When my mother sees the five large copper coins I hold out for her, all the color drains from her face. Her eyes go as wide as I’ve ever seen them, as if there’s no way she could have possibly thought that the hairpins were worth anywhere close to that much money. “This is the money from making the hairpins for Freida. I said that she was buying them for a lot of money because they were so rare, right?” “I heard you say that, but... really, this much money...” I’m sorry, Mother. There’s no way that I can tell you that this is after the introduction, handling, and materials fees as well as the small silver coin I set aside for my own personal use. Not with this atmosphere, anyway. “Is this true, Lutz?” she asks him. “She’s not lying, Auntie Eva. Since I worked on it too, I got the same amount too. Maine and I split it halfway.” As he says it, he shows my mother his own share of the money. With that, my mother is finally convinced, and places a hand on her chest to calm herself down. Hey, wait, Mother. I’m your daughter, why don’t you believe me? “Master Benno called us out to his shop tomorrow as well, so we’re going to have to go there again. So, I want to make sure Maine gets as much rest as she can.” “Thanks again, Lutz.” After we see Lutz off, my mother closes the door behind him with a clack. With her eyebrows raised, she throws me straight into bed. “Don’t overdo it, Maine. Even so, you sold that for a lot of money, didn’t you?” “Yeah. Freida’s really rich, and the thread was really high quality, and we made two instead of just one, you know? Plus, since everyone’s so busy this season with winter preparations, she paid a high fee for that, too. So, if we make it for other people, it’s not going to be that expensive.” “I see! She was being considerate, since it’s such a busy season for us.” It seems like my mother’s image of the guild leader and Freida is one of kind, gentlemanly rich people who consider the plight of the poor. Since I don’t think she’s ever going to actually meet these two, I don’t think I need to dispel her illusions. My mother, relieved now that she knows why her child brought home so much money, heads out of the bedroom so that she can work on preparing dinner for the family. I, left behind in the bedroom, really do feel like a heavy weight presses down on me. As soon as I lay down on the bed, I start drifting off and soon, without even eating dinner, fall into a deep sleep. When I awaken, it’s already morning. Since I’m going to be going to Benno’s shop in the afternoon, I decide that I should spend the morning resting. It’s only about half my choice. Thanks to the fact that I’ve been going out quite a bit lately, my body is still rather heavy despite the fact that I got quite a bit of sleep. My family, seeing flickers of signs that my fever may be returning, have forcefully thrown me back to bed as they do their winter preparations. “Maine, be good and rest up,” commanded my father as he inspected our wooden front door. “You’ve been working too hard lately! You’re making more money than Daddy, you know?” Tory and my mother, as they spread out the thick blankets and carpets we’ll be using during the winter so they can air out, tell me, “You’re going to Mister Benno’s shop today as well, aren’t you? If you don’t sit quietly this morning, you’re going to collapse again, you know?” “Maine, you’re not really useful for winter preparations, so focus on what you’re actually good for.” And, with that, they prohibit me from leaving my bed. Since there’s nothing else I can do, I squirm my way back under the blankets, watching as my family ceaselessly moves about, working on their preparations. This year, unlike last year, I actually understand what goes into preparing for the winter, so I really thought I could be a little more useful, though... I think my family’s excessive care might be because I came home yesterday, delivered five large copper coins to my mother, then promptly fell fast asleep. I, who can’t even satisfactorily do a single thing around the house to help out, earned thirteen large copper coins over the course of not even five days, and then slept so soundly that I missed dinner. They suspect, in their minds, that I must have been doing some absurdly hard labor. However, over the past few days, I’ve been going around to a lot of different places, which for me really is a kind of hard labor. When the fourth bell rings at noon, I grab my tote bag as usual and head out the front door, dressed to keep out the cold. “I’m off,” I say. When I reach the bottom of the stairs and meet Lutz, he greets me with a little frown. “Maine, you don’t look too good, you know? Isn’t it okay if I go by myself?” “It’s because we’ve been so busy lately. Mister Benno said that we were going to talk about pricing for our winter handiwork today, though, so I’m going today. I’ll leave carrying the thread to you, Lutz, but I want to go so that I can handle deciding on a price.” “...Right, pricing, yeah. I still don’t really understand that.” I can’t, of course, leave deciding prices to Lutz yet, since he still doesn’t understand numbers very well. Today, I just want to go to the shop and discuss things relating to the pricing of the hairpins with Benno. “Well, at least let me carry you there.” “What? No, I can’t ask that. You already carried me home yesterday...” “I’m going to be carrying all the thread back with me today, so I can’t carry you then. So, save your energy for now.” I know full well that it’s impossible to get Lutz to back down when he gets this stubborn in times like this, so I get up on his back. Even though I’ve grown a little bit taller, I feel like Lutz has gotten even bigger. Although I know it’s because of my illness, it’s still a little frustrating that there’s this much of a difference in size despite us being the same age. “Lutz? It seems that you’re carrying Maine, is she all right?” When Mark sees Lutz approach with me on his back, he rushes towards us, with startled eyes wide open. He reacts far too sensitively to my physical condition. It seems like me collapsing to the ground right in front of him caused quite a bit of trauma. I’m really, really sorry about that. “...Lately, we’ve been going out every single day to go to various places, so she’s started to get a little tired. I think she’ll probably be stuck in bed after tonight. So, I’d like to finish up our business as fast as we can.” “I understand,” he says with a nod, then leads us to the room in the back. “Master Benno, Maine and Lutz have arrived.” “Bring 'em in.” The door opens with a creak, and Mark shows us in, following shortly behind us. “Lutz has informed me that Maine’s condition is not very good today. Please consider conducting your business with haste today.” “Got it. Sit down, you two.” As soon as we arrive at the table, we immediately begin discussing our winter handiwork. Benno informs us of the price of the thread, I estimate how many we could make with these quant.i.ties of material, and we decide on a price. “Mister Benno, I’d like to avoid making these hairpins too expensive. Since the thread we’re using is cheap as well, could we maybe price it as cheaply as we need to so that many people would be able to purchase them?” “I understand how you feel, Maine, but there’s no way I can sell these at a bargain right from the start. The price is only going to decrease once a lot of these start entering the market. We should be selling these for about three large copper coins at first.” Since these are for special occasions, that’s a price that my family could hypothetically afford, although it would be a bit of a reckless expenditure. It’s a little harsh, I think, but if sisters could share them with each other, somehow... if I consider that prices will slowly go down from this initial price, I think I can say that this is alright. “If that’s the case, that’s fine, then. I understand.” After I nod in agreement, the conversation next moves onto Lutz and my share of the profit. “For each hairpin, your cut is about five medium coins after the materials cost and my commission. I’ve set it higher than usual, since this is a new handicraft and there’s n.o.body else I can order these from.” “Five medium copper coins is high?! Doesn’t that mean that we really ripped the guild leader off for Freida’s hairpins?!” At the price Benno had negotiated, our share after making two hairpins should have been five small silver coins. That’s a hundredfold increase in price. “...So, ordinarily, how much would we be getting?” Last year, I helped Tory out with her basket-weaving handiwork, but the two of us were never actually given any of that money, so I was never really curious about how much each one was actually worth. “For things like winter handiwork, us merchants take our commission, then the master of the sewing or craftsman’s workshops takes his cut as well, so the amount that the people who actually make the thing would get is about one medium copper coin per item, I think? Since this order is going direct to you, without going through a workshop, your cut is high.” “What?! One medium copper coin... it’s that little?!” After my initial shock wears off, I remember that the things people back in j.a.pan made at home for a little side income were also pretty cheap. Something like a beaded strap would be something like yen each. If I think about it like that, one medium copper coin each isn’t that surprising. Getting five coins is actually extraordinary. “At workshops, the only people who can actually buy and sell things are basically just the masters. The amount any given workshop master takes can vary somewhat, though? Maine, don’t you have any experience with that?” Since I said we could make hairpins for winter handiwork, he’s asking, don’t we already know how this works? I think about what happened last year. “Last year, I helped my older sister Tory with her work. I was working without any actual knowledge of how much they cost or what the commissions were, and I didn’t see any of the money from that. Huh? Now that I think about it, since we were selling something, we needed a guild members.h.i.+p, wouldn’t we? I wonder if my mother’s registered?” The one who delivered Tory’s and my handiwork was my mother, but I’ve never once heard her mention anything about going to the Merchant’s Guild. When I said I’d gone, she’d asked about it as if it were something very rare. “Ah, so your mother runs a street stall, does she?” “No, she usually works as a dyer, I think.” “If that’s the case, then that was probably work given to her for the winter. Since each worker just delivers the products of work she was a.s.signed to do by her job, there’s no need for each of them to be registered with the Merchant’s Guild. It’s fine if the master’s the only one registered, as a representative of the studio.” It seems that the managers at the places where craftsmen work handle the actual buying and selling of things, so individual employees don’t need to be registered as merchants. Instead, it seems like craftsmen register with the various crafting guilds. Whoa, this is the first I’m hearing about that. Then, if I were to get help on making the hairpins, it would have to be after they meet their quotas. “In other words, last year’s handiwork was a.s.signed to my mother at work, and Tory helped her out with that, and then I helped Tory out in turn.” “What did you make?” “I made things like this. This is the first one I made, so it’s very simple, but I made the others I helped with in my spare time a lot more elaborate.” Triumphantly, I hold up my totebag to show it off. Benno, in response, smiles bitterly, rubbing his temples. “...So it was you, again?” “Huh?” Why is he saying “again”? Now that I think about it, I think I’ve seen that particular bitter smile before. Have I, once again, done something bad? “I recall that amongst all of the baskets being sold near the end of spring, there certainly were some number of finely decorated bags like that. For winter handiwork, if you can’t handle the quant.i.ty, your income won’t increase. Since it’s quick and dirty work, there’s a lot of roughly woven baskets out there, so those really stood out far too much, I’m afraid.” “Nooooooooooo!” I, in my free time, tried making somewhat elaborate handbags, and then taught Tory how to do it... I never thought that those would stand out so much on the market. “I wanted to know who made them, and I was able to track down the workshop they came from, but since all of the winter handiwork was turned in basically all at once, I wasn’t able to determine the specific craftsman who’d made them.” “Ah, that’s good~... you didn’t find out...” I’m well aware that I’m a little different, so I’ve been trying to keep myself hidden from the world as much as I can, but I have a feeling that doing so might not actually be possible. “Since a bag you made for yourself would be, of course, as durable as you could make it, I didn’t think that the one you carry was particularly unnatural, and there aren’t any decorations on it, so I hadn’t made the connection until now, but... it seems like every single mysterious thing I’ve seen in the last half year or so have all come from you, Maine.” Elaborate bags, hairpins, simple shampoo, paper... now that I’m actually counting them out, I’m growing increasingly perplexed. Now that I’ve heard Benno’s perspective, I can’t actually say that my actions were at all those of someone who wanted to stay hidden. Feeling so amazingly ashamed that I have no idea what else to do, I apologize in a tiny voice. “...I’m sorry, I guess.” “Well, whatever. More importantly, it looks like you have a tendency to make things elaborate in your free time. For the hairpins, just make the same design as the first one you did. Don’t change it arbitrarily. This is final. Got that?” “I understand. The colors on them will be different, but they’ll all have a unified design.” I never would have thought that the bags I made last year would have stood out so much, and I definitely do not want any new hairpins to stand out so terribly as the ones I made for Freida. I can sidestep this problem entirely by making sure that the design of each hairpin matches the rest. “I think that concludes all of the business we need to talk about for now. Ah, that’s right; you said you wanted to study during the winter, didn’t you? I’ll lend this to you for now, look over it when you get home.” “...What’s this?” When I look down at the wooden notes he hands me, he firmly pinches my cheek. “When you get home! Got it?!” “Yeth!!” “Good grief.... You can bring it back when your fever’s gone back down. Head home right away and get some sleep. Lutz, keep an eye on this idiot. She looks like the type to get in some kind of accident walking home because she’s too busy reading.” Suddenly remembering the time during my Urano years where I was heading home from school with my nose in a book and got hit by a car, I shut my mouth tightly and look away in embarra.s.sment. As we leave, Mark gives us the basket he’s prepared for us, full of the thread that we had ordered, which Lutz takes. We depart for home, with Mark seeing us off with an extremely concerned look on his face. We take it at a slow, leisurely pace. On the way, I ask Lutz about something that I want to discuss with him before I’m stuck in bed for a while. “Hey, Lutz, about splitting things up on the hairpins...” “What’s up?” “Since the flower part takes way more time to make than the pin part, do you think we can split it three coins to two?” “Sounds good. If we’re thinking about the time it takes, I’d be fine with four to one, I think.” If we’re just thinking about time, then Lutz has the better suggestion, but I’ve got a somewhat different reason behind asking for three to two. “In that case, since your math is so terrible, let’s stick with three to two.” “My math?” “Right! This time, we’ll each take one coin for our commission, and we can pay two medium copper coins for each flower part, and one coin for each pin part. Why don’t we get our families to do those?” “Huh? Our families?” Lutz tilts his head doubtfully, as if he has no idea what I could possibly be saying. I press on. “Yeah! If I think about my own speed for the flower parts, I don’t think I could make any more than about thirty of them a month. Since we’d be in a fix if we had a lot of pin parts left over, how about to start with you get your family to make thirty pins in a month? Then we can charge a commission for them.” “And that’s so we can become merchants?” Lutz, remembering our earlier discussion about the differences between merchants and craftsmen, seems to be understanding the point I’m trying to get at. “Right, don’t you want to start acting like Mister Benno? You need to study really hard in order to be a good merchant’s apprentice, you know? I think it’s impossible to make only the hairpin part. Well, if you make any yourself, then I think you can do whatever you want with the money you make from the stuff you make, though.” This is effectively holding money back from our families, which I also don’t feel very comfortable with, but we’re going to be merchants. If we give our families preferential treatment like that, we won’t be able to make a living in commerce anytime soon. After I explain it to him, Lutz stares down at the ground for a while, but soon he firmly raises his head. “...I’ll give it a try.” Since I’m the one who’ll be making the flower parts, the thread for doing so should go in my house, so Lutz carries it all the way up to our door. This is only natural, but my entire family is so shocked by the fact that we’ve come home with such a huge quant.i.ty of thread that they stop working on their winter preparations. “Lutz, what’s all this thread for?” Hey, you know, why are you asking Lutz that and not your own daughter? Grumbling about our difference in reliability, I offer an explanation anyway. “This is the thread for making hairpins. Since Benno’s going to buy the finished product from us, he bought the thread for us in advance. This is the raw materials for my winter handiwork, so don’t just use it on your own!” “I understand,” says my mother. “Thanks again, Lutz. Here, eat this, it’s tasty!” She hands Lutz a small bottle, filled with the jam she’s just finished. Lutz gladly accepts it, smiling brilliantly, and then leaves for home with a bounce in his step. “I’ll get this into the storeroom,” says my father, “so Maine, get to bed.” He picks up the basket full of thread to bring to the storeroom, shooing me briskly towards the bedroom. “Urgh, at least let me wash off first! I didn’t get to yesterday, and I went out today too so now I feel really gross.” “Perfect timing,” says Tory, “the water’s just starting to get hot. I wanted to get clean too, so I’ll bring it in for you.” “Thanks, Tory.” For the last year, I’ve been regularly wiping ourselves down to get clean, along with Tory. Lately, she’s started feeling bothered whenever she goes more than three days without was.h.i.+ng off. She sets things up for bathing in the bedroom in the spot that’s closest to the stove and thus the warmest. As she washes herself off, she starts speaking with an earnest tone. “Maine, last year you didn’t know how to do anything at all, so I was super surprised when you found yourself a job all by yourself, you know.” “Are you making baskets this year, too?” I ask, soaking a towel into the bucket and then wringing it out. Tory moves her pleated hair out of the way, wiping down the area around her scalp, while explaining her plans to me. “Yeah. Mom’s work is worth way more than I can make from the handiwork at my job. I’m going to be cutting up the wood we’ll need for making baskets from now on, and peeling all the bark off.” “Oh, really? You don’t absolutely have to do the handiwork from your own job?” Was she not a.s.signed anything to do by the master of her workshop? I tilt my head curiously to the side, since I’d heard from Benno that they worked on a quota. Tory chuckles quietly. “It’s just pocket money. There’s other people that make a lot, and some people are also busy making clothes for their families, so it’s not mandatory, you know?” “Aaah, so everyone’s got their own deal.” I thought that I could get Tory to help me out after she’d filled her own quota, but if she doesn’t really have to actually meet a quota, then I wonder if there isn’t any problem with having her help me right from the start? I briefly look over at her, smiling broadly. “What I’m making this year is hairpins, like the one I made for you. I can make two medium copper coins for each one I make like that.” “Huh?! Really?! That’s a lot of money, isn’t it? Can I help too?” “Yeah, let’s work together!” When I say that, Tory gets really happy and excited. Her eyes brighten at the thought that if she makes a lot of them, she can get some pocket money. “Hey, hey, Maine. Can I do anything to help prepare?” “Mister Benno already got us all the thread, and Lutz is making the pins, so we don’t need to do any more preparing. As long as we’ve got thin needles, we should be fine.” “This’ll be super nice if we don’t have to do any groundwork first,” she says, laughing gleefully to herself. Her smile suddenly freezes. She blinks her eyes once, then points at something behind me. When I turn my head around to see what’s the matter, I see my mother standing behind me, scowling, tapping one hand against her cheek, thinking about something with a profoundly serious look on her face. “Hey, Maine. Once I’m done with your new dress, I can help too, right?” Lutz, what do we do now? My mother’s getting fired up. We might need more pins.

「なぁ、マイン。なんで毎回小銀貨1枚はギルドに預けているんだ? 全部家に持って帰らないのは、なんでだ?」 馬車を下りた商業ギルドからの帰り道、ぽてぽてと歩いていると、ルッツが突然そんなことを聞いてきた。 「マインがしてるから。なんか意味があるのかと思って、真似してみただけだ。稼ぎは全部家に持って帰るもんだと思ってたから、なんか家族に悪い気がして......」 お金が残らないギリギリの生活をしている平民に貯金の概念は薄い。せいぜい秋口になると冬支度のためのタンス貯金をすることはあっても、商業ギルドに登録して預けるなんてことはしていない。 「わたしが貯めるのは、次の初期費用のためだよ」 「次の初期費用?」 ルッツが不思議そうに首を傾げるので、自分達の体験を例に、説明する。 「紙を作ろうと思っても、道具もなくて、お金もなくて、援助してくれる大人もいなかった時、手に入れることさえ難しくて、すごく困ったでしょ?」 オットーに援助を頼んで、ベンノに叱られたのはそれほど前のことではない。ルッツも思い出したようで、苦い顔で頷いた。 「たまたまベンノさんが『簡易ちゃんリンシャン』の作り方を買ってくれて、初期費用を全額負担してくれたからよかったけど、道具を揃えるのにもすごくお金がかかってるって、ルッツにもわかるでしょ? 何を始めるにもお金がいるんだよ」 「鍋に材木、灰、糸、竹細工......よく考えたら、すげぇ高いよな?」 ここ最近、仕入れのために色々な店を回るようになって、露店ではなく、店で売られている物の品質と物価がわかってきたルッツは、紙を作るための初期投資の値段に青ざめていく。 「だから、貯めておくの。ベンノさんにも試作品ができたから、初期投資は終了だって言われたでしょ? これから先、紙を作るための道具を増やそうと思ったり、何か新しいことを始めようと思ったら、全部お金がかかるの。紙がいっぱい作れて、本を作ることになっても、新しい道具がいるもの」 「だから、次のためか......」 わたしよりもルッツの方がお金を貯めておかなければならない差し迫った理由があるのだが、ルッツは気付いていないのだろうか。思い至っていないのだろうか。 少し考えた後、わたしはゆっくりと口を開いた。 「こんなこと言いたくないし、考えたくないけど......もし、ルッツの両親が洗礼式になっても商人になるのを許してくれなかったら、ルッツはどうする?......先のこと、考えたこと、ある?」 わたしの質問を聞いて、辛そうに顔を歪めた後、ルッツは力ない声で小さく呟いた。 「......ベンノの旦那に頼んで住み込み見習いになろうと思ってる」 「うん、商人になろうと思ったら、そうするしかないよね? 諦めるって言われなくてよかった」 わたしが笑って見せると、少し安心したようにルッツが息を吐く。この年で家を飛び出そうとするのだから、相当の覚悟がいると思うし、まだまだ迷いはあると思う。 「でも、ルッツ、よく考えて。家を飛び出して、住み込みになった時にも最初のお給料が出るまでの生活費や見習いとしての服を整えるお金がいるんだよ。家を飛び出したルッツに、自由になるお金があるのと無いのでは全然違うと思う」 「あ......」 ハッとしたように、ルッツは顔を上げた。 「自分が稼いだお金を自分のために貯めておくのは、別に悪いことじゃないよ。みんなが全額出し合って生活しているから、罪悪感はあるかもしれないけど、本当は仕事をする年齢じゃないルッツがたった5日足らずで大銅貨13枚も持って帰るんだよ? ラルフの見習いのお給料より高いお金を家に渡すんだよ? だから、大丈夫」 「そっか......。ラルフよりも稼いだんだ、オレ」 見習いを始めたばかりのラルフが一月で稼げるのは、多分大銅貨8枚~10枚くらいなので、わたし達が稼いだ金額はかなり高額になる。 「マイン、ありがとう。すっげぇ気が楽になった」 「よかった」 にへっと笑うと、何故か突然ルッツがわたしに背を向けて、その場にしゃがみこんだ。 「どうしたの、ルッツ?」 「背負ってやる」 「今日、結構色んなところに行ったから、かなり疲れてるだろ? 顔色が悪い」 ルッツの言葉にわたしは思わず自分の顔をぺたぺたと触ってみる。まだ熱いとは感じないので、熱は出ていないと思う。 「......顔色悪いの?」 「まだそれほどじゃないけど、明日の午後も呼ばれてるんだから、無理はしない方が良い。オレが一番にしなきゃいけない仕事はマインの体調管理だからな」 一日であちらこちらに移動しすぎて、へろへろになっているのは事実だ。ルッツが無理はしない方がいいと言うなら、結構危険な状態になっていると思って間違いない。 ルッツはわたしを背負って家まで送ってくれた。さすがに階段は自分で上がったのだが、途中でへたりこみそうになるわたしの手を引いて、ルッツが一緒に上ってくれたから、本当に助かった。 正直、家の前までの階段が一番きついんだよ。 「ただいま、母さん」 「あら、ルッツ。ここまで来るなんて珍しいわね? マインの体調、良くないの?」 「今日はベンノの旦那に髪飾りを見せるだけのつもりだったんだけど、ギルド長に会って、家にお邪魔することになったんだ。直接、髪飾りを渡してほしいって言われて。だから、多分すごく疲れてると思う」 「そう、いつもありがとう。助かるわ」 そう言って、母は中銅貨を一枚、ルッツに握らせる。 「あ、そうだ。母さん、これ、忘れないうちに渡しておくね」 「マイン、あなた、一体何をしたの?」 わたしが渡した大銅貨5枚を見て、母は蒼白になっていく。 「フリーダの髪飾りを作ったお金だよ。珍しいから高く買ってくれるって言ったでしょ?」 「聞いてはいたけど、まさか、こんなに高いなんて......」 ごめん、母さん。実は紹介料兼手数料として自分用に小銀貨一枚は取り退けてあるんだ、なんて絶対に口にできない雰囲気である。 「本当なの、ルッツ?」 「嘘は言ってないよ、エーファおばさん。オレだって一緒にやったから、同じだけ持ってる。マインと半分に分けたんだから」 そう言って、ルッツも自分がもらった分の大銅貨を母に見せた。それでようやく信用してくれたようで、母は胸を撫で下ろす。 ちょっと、母さん。娘のこと、全く信用してなくない? 「実は、明日の午後もベンノの旦那に呼ばれてて、店に行くことになってるんだ。だから、なるべくよく休ませてやって」 「わざわざありがとう、ルッツ」 ルッツを見送って、バタンとドアを閉めた母は、少し眉を吊り上げながら、わたしをベッドに放り込んだ。 「無理しちゃダメじゃない。それにしても、ずいぶん高く買ってくれたのね?」 「うん。フリーダはお金持ちで、糸も高級なの使っていたし、普通は一つなのに作ったでしょ? それに、冬支度の忙しい時期だからって、料金を弾んでくれたの。だから、他の人に作ってもこんなに高くないからね」 「そう、忙しい時期だからって、配慮してくれたのね」 母の中でギルド長とフリーダは貧乏人にも配慮ができる、とても親切で紳士的なお金持ちとなったらしい。これから先、母が二人に会うことは多分ないだろうから、幻想を壊す必要もないだろう。 寝室に残されたわたしは、やはり、身体に相当負担がかかっていたようで、ベッドに横になるとすぐにうとうとし始め、夕飯を食べることもなく、深い眠りに落ちた。 最近ちょっと外出が多いせいか、よく寝たはずなのに身体がだるい。熱が出そうな前兆がちらちらと伺えると思っていたら、冬支度を始めた家族にベッドに放り込まれたのだ。 「マインはおとなしくしてろ。最近、頑張り過ぎだ。父さんより稼ぐ気か?」 板戸の点検をして回る父にそう言われ、冬用の布団やカーペットを広げて干し始めたトゥーリと母には、 「今日もベンノさんのところに行くんでしょ? 朝はおとなしくしていないと倒れるよ?」 「マインは冬支度ではほとんど役に立たないんだから、役に立てるところで頑張りなさい」 仕方がないので、もそもそと布団の中に潜り込んで、家族が忙しなく動く様子を眺める。 今年は去年と違って、冬支度も何をするかわかってるから、ちょっとは役に立つと思ったんだけどな......。 家の中では手伝い一つ満足にできないわたしが、5日とたたないうちに大銅貨13枚を稼いできて、夕飯も食べずに眠りこけていたのだから、家族の脳内ではものすごい重労働をしたことになっている気がする。 でも、ここ数日色んなところに行ったし、わたしにとっては確かに重労働だったかも。 お昼の4の鐘が鳴ったので、わたしは寒くないように服を着こんで、いつものトートバッグを持って出かける。 「いってきます」 下まで降りて、ルッツと顔を合わせると、ルッツがわずかに顔をしかめた。 「マイン、体調、そんなに良くないだろ? オレだけで行ってきた方がいいんじゃないか?」 「最近忙しかったからね。でも、ベンノさんが冬の手仕事の金額を決めるって言ってたから、今日は行くよ。糸を運ぶのは、ルッツに任せられても、値段を決めるのは、わたしが行きたい」 「......あぁ、金額は、なぁ。オレ、まだよくわからないから」 そう、数字がまだよくわかっていないルッツに、値段を決めるのはまだ任せられない。今日だけはわたしが行って、ベンノが髪飾りにつける値段に関してはある程度交渉したいのだ。 「じゃあ、せめて背負ってやるよ」 「え? 悪いよ。昨日の帰りだって背負ってもらったのに......」 「今日の帰りは糸を持って帰るから、背負えないんだ。今、体力を使うな」 わたしはほんの少ししか成長していないのに、ルッツはまた大きくなった気がする。病気のせいとはいえ、同い年でここまで差が開くのが、ちょっと悔しい。 「ルッツ? マインを背負っているようですが、体調が良くないのですか?」 マルクはわたしの体調に過敏に反応する。わたしが目の前で意識を失ったことが相当トラウマになっているようで、本当に申し訳ない。 「......最近、毎日外に出て、色んなところに行ってるから、疲れが出始めてる。多分、今夜あたりから寝込むと思う。だから、用件をさっさと終わらせたいんだ」 マルクは一つ頷いて、奥の部屋へと案内してくれた。 ギッとドアを開けて通してくれたマルクが一緒に部屋に入ってくる。 「マインの体調があまり良くないとルッツから報告がありました。用件を手早く済ませられるようご配慮ください」 「わかった。座れ、二人とも」 「はい」 ベンノに仕入れた糸の値段を提示され、この量の糸から作れる髪飾りの数をわたしが予測し、料金を決める。 「ベンノさん、この髪飾りは販売価格をあまり高くしたくないんです。糸も安いものを仕入れたから、なるべく色んな人が買える値段にしてくれませんか?」 「マインの気持ちはわかるが、最初から大安売りというわけにはいかない。大量に出回るようになれば、販売価格は次第に下がって行くんだからな。最初は大銅貨3枚くらいだな」 ハレの日のためなら、ちょっと無理をすれば、ウチでも買えないこともない金額だ。ちょっときついが、姉妹で共有することにすれば、何とか......というくらいの値段設定なので、これから、少しずつ下がることを考えると妥当と言える。 「それくらいなら、妥当ですね。わかりました」 わたしが頷くと、次はわたし達の取り分の話となった。 「髪飾り一つにつき、手数料と材料費を引いた取り分は中銅貨5枚だ。新しい手仕事で、他に注文できる相手がいないから少し高めの設定にしてある」 「中銅貨5枚で高めの設定!? やっぱりフリーダの髪飾り、ぼったくりすぎじゃないですか!」 ベンノの値段設定で、2つ分作っていたら、取り分は小銀貨5枚だったはずだ。100倍は値段が違う。 「......じゃあ、普通はどれくらいの値段設定なんですか?」 去年の冬の手仕事はトゥーリの籠作りを手伝ったけれど、わたし達に渡されたお金なんてなかったので、一個当たりの料金を気にしたことはなかった。 「冬の手仕事なんて、俺達商人が手数料を取って、裁縫や細工の工房の親方が手数料を取るんだから、実際に作るヤツの手に渡る金なんて、1つにつき中銅貨1枚でも恩の字だろ? お前たちは工房の親方を通した注文じゃない分、高いが」 「えぇ!? 中銅貨一枚もないって、そんなに安いんですか!?」 確か、ビーズのストラップみたいなものでも、一つ数十円だった。そう考えると、1つにつき中銅貨1枚くらいでも不思議ではない。自分達が受け取る中銅貨5枚が破格なのだ。 「工房で品物の売買ができるのは、基本的に親方だけだからな。親方がどのくらい手数料を取るかにもよって、多少の違いはあるぞ? マインは経験あるんじゃないのか?」 冬の手仕事として髪飾りを作ると言いだしたのだから、経験はあるだろう? と聞かれて、わたしは去年の手仕事を思い出す。 「去年は姉のトゥーリの手仕事を手伝ったんです。でも、原価も手数料も取り分も何も知らずに作ってましたし、わたしの手元にお金は来ませんでした。あれ? そういえば、作った物を売るのって、ギルドの登録がいるんですよね? ウチの母さん、登録してたのかな?」 トゥーリとわたしの手仕事だった籠を持って行ったのは母だったけれど、母が商業ギルドに足を運んだという話は聞いたことがない。わたしが行った話を珍しそうに聞いていただけだ。 「なんだ、お前の母親は露店でもしているのか?」 「いえ、普段は染色の仕事をしているはずです」 「それなら、仕事場で割り振られた手仕事だろうな。親方が割り振った仕事を回収するだけなら、職人自身が商業ギルドに登録する必要はない。代表して売買を行う親方の登録だけがあればいい」 職人さんの仕事場では、社長がまとめて売買するので、社員に商人登録は必要ないらしい。代わりにそれぞれの職人ギルドで職人としての登録があるらしい。 じゃあ、髪飾りを手伝ってもらうのも、工房のノルマが終わってからかな。 「つまり、去年の手仕事は、母さんが仕事場で割り振られたもので、それをトゥーリに任せていて、さらに、わたしが手伝っていたんですね」 「何を作ったんだ?」 「わたしが作ったのはこれです。これは最初に作ったので、かなりシンプルですが、暇にまかせて作った他のバッグはかなり凝ったものもあったんですよ」 バーンとトートバッグを持ち上げて見せると、何故かベンノが苦い顔でこめかみを押さえた。 「どうしたんですか?」 「......また、お前か」 「へ?」 またって、何ですか? そういえば、そういう苦い顔、何度か見たことありますね。もしかして、わたし、また何かやらかしてましたか? 「確か、春の終わり頃に売られた籠の中に、装飾に凝ったバッグが数点あったことを思い出した。手仕事は数をこなさなければ、手取りが増えない。手っ取り早く稼ぐために、荒い編み方が多い中で、やたらと目立っていたんだ」 「のおおおぉぉぉ!」 暇にまかせてちょっと凝った飾りを入れてみたり、それをトゥーリに教えたりしていたが、まさか、市場で悪目立ちしていたとは。 「誰が作ったか知りたくても、工房までは特定できるが、一斉に集められる冬の手仕事を作った職人までは特定できないからな」 「よかった~。特定できなくて......」 自分が変わっていることは自覚しているので、なるべく埋没しているつもりなのだが、どうも埋没できていない気がする。 「自分で使う分なら、なるべく丈夫に作るのが当然だから、マインが持っているバッグもそれほど不自然ではないと思っていたし、装飾もないから、今まで結びつかなかったが......この半年ほどで俺が遭遇した不可解な物の出所は全部マインのようだな」 凝ったバッグ、髪飾り、簡易ちゃんリンシャン、紙......と指折り数えられて、わたしは頭を抱えたくなった。ベンノの視点から見た話を聞くと、埋没したい人間の所業とはとても思えない。 「......なんか、すみません」 「まぁ、いい。それより、暇にまかせると凝る傾向があるようだな。髪飾りのデザインはマインが最初に作ったやつだ。勝手に変えるな。これは絶対だ。いいな?」 「わかりました。色違いは作りますが、デザインは統一します」 まさか、去年作った籠やバッグが目立っているなんて思いもしなかったし、フリーダの時のように張り切って、悪目立ちしたくない。 「一応これで話しておく用件は終了だ。あぁ、そうだ。確か、冬の間に勉強したいと言っていたな? これを貸してやるから、帰ったら目を通しておけ」 「......何だろう?」 ベンノに渡された木札に目を通そうとしたら、ぐにっと頬を抓られた。 「帰ったら目を通すんだ! わかったか?」 「はひっ!」 「まったく......。返すのは熱が下がってからでいい。早目に帰って寝ろ。ルッツ、この阿呆から目を離すなよ。帰りの道中で木札を読んで事故にでも遭いそうだ」 麗乃時代に本を読みながら、学校から帰っていて車にはねられたことを思い出したわたしは、口を閉ざして視線を逸らした。 帰りはマルクが注文しておいた糸が入った籠を準備していてくれたので、ルッツがそれを持って帰る。マルクに非常に心配そうな顔で見送られながら、帰途についた。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。髪飾りの取り分なんだけど......」 「なんだ?」 「簪部分より花の部分の方が、ずっと時間がかかるから、中銅貨2枚と3枚に分けていい?」 「いいぞ。かかる時間を考えたら、1枚と4枚でもいいくらいだ」 手間だけを考えれば、ルッツの言う通りにするのが一番だが、わたしが2枚と3枚に分けたいと考えたのは、別に理由がある。 「それじゃルッツの計算が大変だから、中銅貨2枚と3枚に分けよう」 「計算?」 「そう。今回は自分達の取る手数料を一つにつき中銅貨1枚にして、花の部分は中銅貨2枚、簪部分は中銅貨1枚で、家族に仕事を依頼してみない?」 「え? 家族に?」 わけがわからないと首を傾げるルッツにわたしは先を続ける。 「うーん、わたしの花を作るスピードから考えて、一月で30くらいしか作れないと思う。 「それって、商人になるため?」 前に話した商人と職人の違いを思い出したらしいルッツは、わたしのしたいことを理解したようだ。 「そう、ベンノさんの真似っこから始めてみない? 商人見習いになるために、ルッツは勉強を頑張らなきゃダメでしょ? 簪部分ばかり作ってるわけにはいかないと思うんだよね。まぁ、自分で作ったら作った分のお金は自分の物にしてもいいと思うけど」 家族からお金を取るようなものだから、あまり気持ち良くないのはわたしも一緒だが、商人になってから、自分の家族だけは特別なんて行動をしていたら、すぐに商人として立ち行かなくなる。 そんなわたしの説明に、ルッツはしばらく地面を睨んでいたが、グッと顔を上げた。 「......やってみる」 糸は花の部分を作るわたしの家に置いておいた方がいいので、ルッツに家まで糸を運んでもらった。 「ルッツ、この糸、どうしたの?」 いや、だから、どうして娘のわたしじゃなくて、ルッツに聞くかな? わたしとルッツの信頼度の違いに、むぅっとしつつ、わたしは説明する。 「髪飾りを作るための糸だよ。完成品をベンノさんに売る代わりに、糸は買ってもらえることになったの。これ、わたしの手仕事の材料だから勝手に使っちゃダメだからね」 「わかったわ。ルッツ、ありがとう。これ、よかったら食べて」 母はルッツに小さなビンに入った、できたてのジャムを渡す。ルッツは顔を輝かせてビンを受け取ると、足取りも軽く帰っていった。 「これは、物置に置いておくから、マインはもう寝ろ」 父が糸の大量に入った籠を物置に置きに行ってくれて、わたしはベッドへと追い立てられる。 「うぅ、せめて、身体拭きたい。昨日も拭いてないし、今日だって外出したから気持ち悪いんだもん」 「ちょうどお湯が沸き始めたところだからいいよ。わたしも綺麗にしたかったし、持って行ってあげる」 「ありがと、トゥーリ」 寝室の中でも竈の裏側で一番暖かい場所に湯浴みの準備をして、身体を拭きながらトゥーリがしみじみとした口調で言った。 「去年は何かわけのわからないことをしていたマインが、今年は自分で仕事を取ってくるなんてビックリだよね」 「トゥーリは今年も籠を作るの?」 トゥーリは三つ編みを退けて、首の辺りを拭きながら、自分の予定を話してくれる。 「わたしの仕事場の手仕事より、母さんの仕事場の方が高いから。これから、籠作りのための木を切ってきて、皮を剥ぐ予定なの」 「そうなんだ? 仕事場の手仕事って絶対にしなくちゃいけないものじゃないの?」 工房の親方から割り振られるものではなかったのか。ベンノから聞いた話からノルマがあると思っていたわたしが首を傾げていると、トゥーリが小さく笑った。 「お小遣い稼ぎだからね。いっぱい作る人もいるし、家族の服を作る方が忙しくて、手仕事まで手が回らない人もいるから、絶対じゃないよ?」 「あぁ、それぞれ事情があるもんね」 工房のノルマが終わったら手伝ってもらおうと思っていたけれど、別にノルマというわけじゃないなら、トゥーリに最初からわたしの手仕事を手伝ってもらっても問題ないんじゃないだろうか。 わたしはちらりとトゥーリを見て、ニコリと笑った。 「わたしが作るのはトゥーリに作った髪飾りなの。あれと同じ髪飾りを一つ作ったら中銅貨2枚もらえるんだよ」 「え!? 何それ!? すごくお金になるじゃない。わたしも一緒にやっていい?」 「うん、一緒にやろうね」 わたしがそう言うと、トゥーリは嬉しそうにはしゃぎ始めた。いっぱい作って、お小遣いもらうんだ、と目を輝かせる。 「ねぇねぇ、マイン。何を準備すればいいかな?」 「ベンノさんが糸を準備してくれたし、簪部分はルッツが作るから、特に準備するものはないよ。細いかぎ針があれば大丈夫」 「下準備も必要ないなんてすごく楽だね」 わたしがくるりと後ろを振り返ると、眉を寄せた母が、頬に手を当てて立っていた。かなり真剣な眼差しで何かを考え込んでいる。 「ねぇ、マイン。マインの晴れ着を仕上げたら、わたしもやっていいわよね?」 ルッツ、どうしよう? 母のやる気に火がつきました。 簪部分に追加が必要そうです。

After filling my body with mana, I’m able to move enough to eat the bread porridge that Mark had made for me, which, finally, helps get me moving as well as I usually do. “Maïne,” says Benno, “do you want me to handle getting some street clothes for your attendants? You could do it yourself, too. What do you want to do?” “Where would I go to buy everyday clothing? The second-hand store my family usually uses isn’t going to work, I a.s.sume?” No matter how poor commoners may be, and no matter how hard it is to make new clothes from scratch, children (with the exception of me) are constantly growing up. They always need larger and larger clothes to wear, and at the same time, the clothes that they’re growing out of aren’t useful to them anymore. Our homes are already cramped, so there’s no room to let things that aren’t being used pile up. So, with the exception of our nicest, most expensive outfits, when a garment becomes unusable, then we take them to a second-hand clothing store to sell them. Then, at that same store, we purchase the next set of clothing. When we do that, we’re effectively only paying the price of the transaction, letting us acquire new clothes cheaply. Since the only real requirement is that they’re basically wearable for now, it’s only natural that they’re going to be stained. Patches should be thought of as decorations. Design? As if anything like that existed. The only things that matter are the strength and thickness of the cloth. Garments whose cloth has become too thin to be usable anymore aren’t sold, but are instead cut up for use as diapers or cleaning rags. “Idiot,” says Benno. “Don’t make them walk around the north side of town wearing anything like that.” My attendants will mostly be accompanying me between the temple and the Gilberta Company, so they’re going to be walking around the high-cla.s.s northern side of town. There’s no way we’re going to get away with our street clothes making us look like we’re dest.i.tute. “I don’t know where a high-quality second-hand clothing store is,” I say, “and I also don’t know what kind of clothing would be appropriate for my attendants, so I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d take care of it for me.” “I’ll bring you along if you don’t have a fever tomorrow. While we’re at it, we’ve got to stop at the restaurant along the way to check in on how things are coming. Come with me.” Benno looks over at Lutz. “I know you’d usually have the day off tomorrow, but come with us, too.” “No, it’s okay, I’ve been wondering where I could buy something other than my work clothes for cheap, so this is perfect.” It seems that since Lutz is going to continue coming with me to the temple, he wants some clothing to wear on his days off from work. Unlike our regular street clothes, the Gilberta Company’s apprentice clothing must be washed every day. Because apprentices interact with clients, they need to maintain clean personal appearances, and that starts with their clothing. However, if a garment is washed every time it’s worn, then, of course, it’ll start wearing out quickly. Even though Lutz doesn’t want his apprentice’s clothes to wear out, he doesn’t have anything else he can wear when walking around the north side of town. “If I don’t have anything other than my work clothes to wear, then it’s going to get to the point where I’ll need a new set made, right?” Hearing that makes me think that I’d like some clothes for myself, too. Just like him, I don’t have anything to wear but my apprentice’s clothes if I want to go to the north side of town. “Mister Benno,” I say, “please help me pick out some clothes for myself, too.” I’ve never actually shopped for my own clothing since I’ve come here. As I think gleefully to myself about how I’m going shopping tomorrow, Lutz and I make our way home. “See you tomorrow, Lutz!” I say, beaming brilliantly. Lutz stares grimly at me. “We’re not done yet. I still have to deliver my report.” “...Huh?” I grimace, but, of course, there’s no way I can actually stop him from reporting anything. “Why didn’t you take care of yourself!” yells Tuuli, tears in her eyes. “Tuuli, don’t cry!” “I’m not crying! I’m mad!!” I know that Tuuli has still been very worried all this time about whether going to the temple would really cure the devouring or if I was still going to suddenly drop dead, so I feel incredibly guilty seeing her cry as she yells at me. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I won’t do it again.” “...You’re make sure you eat lunch?” “You’re going to ask someone important all about mana?” “Yeah!” “You promise you won’t forget, even when you’re reading?” “...Ngh...” No matter how hard she stares, though, I can’t make her a promise I know I won’t be able to keep. I’m self-aware enough to know that all reason leaves me the instant I’m in front of a book. “...I, I’ll tell my attendant to make sure I don’t forget. He’s a really serious person, so it’ll be fine!” She sighs, shrugging and shaking her head. “So you can’t promise it yourself, then?” My family’s still in shock, but they’re no longer quite so angry about it, so I decide to change the subject. “Hey, Tuuli. If you’ve got the day off, do you want to come along with me when I go out?” “Huh? Where are you going?” “I’m going to go buy some clothing for my attendants. We’re going to be looking at the kind of clothing that people in the north side wear, so even though we’re going to a second-hand store, it’ll be a good studying opportunity, you know?” one picking things out. He’s the proprietor of a shop that sells clothing to the n.o.bility, so this would be an extremely valuable experience for her. “...It’s okay for me to come?” “Well, we’re going to be going to a bunch of places tomorrow, so if you’re okay with having to follow us around for all of it, then it should be.” She beams delightedly. I let out a sigh of relief, seeing her smiling her usual smile. Thank goodness. She’s not mad anymore. “What, so you’re skipping out on going to the forest too, huh Tuuli?” As Tuuli, Lutz and I head out of the plaza with the water well towards the main road, hand in hand, someone calls out from behind us, a bit of a challenge in his voice. “Ah, Ralph,” says Tuuli. “Ralph!” I say. When we look over our shoulders, we see Lutz’s older brother Ralph standing behind us, dressed casually, with a basket strapped to his back. He looks like he’s going to the forest. When he sees that Tuuli’s put on her nicest clothes to go to the north side of town, and that Lutz and I are in our apprentice’s clothes, he frowns at us, just a little bit. “Where are you going?” “I’m going to go look at clothes and do some studying. Ralph, you’re going to the forest, right?” Tuuli still goes to the forest fairly often on her days off, using the chance to exchange information with her other friends who’ve also started working. Unlike before, though, our family’s finances are in much better shape, so it’s not absolutely critical for her to do so. Compared to a few years ago, I’m stuck in bed far less frequently. That, as well as the fact that Tuuli and I are both working, means that our finances have started looking significantly better. Lutz’s family, however, is saddled with the expenses of feeding four growing boys with hearty appet.i.tes. Even though all four of them are working, their family’s financial situation hasn’t gotten much better at all. An apprentice’s wages are low, so since their gathering trips to the forest haven’t been going so well, their eating situation has been particularly painful. As such, it’s obvious that all four boys need to be going to the forest on their days off to gather food. Lutz, however, despite supposedly only being an apprentice, still goes to Benno’s shop even on his days off. His family doesn’t think too well of this. He’s grumbled to me before about how his family has told him they’d rather he go bring things back from the forest than him bring back double his apprentice’s salary, with how much he’s working. Tuuli and Ralph walk side by side as we head towards the main road. Lutz, looking displeased, follows a little ways behind. As Lutz and I walk along, holding hands, Ralph occasionally glances back at us. When he does, I notice Lutz sighing a little. “Alright, see you later, Ralph,” says Tuuli. “Good luck!” When we reach the main road, Ralph starts to head south, and the rest of us turn to head north. Tuuli waves enthusiastically at Ralph, then holds my free hand. We start walking towards the north side of town. Tuuli chatters enthusiastically about studying clothing. Lutz, perhaps having been told by Mark to become a good listener, listens carefully to what she’s saying. I feel someone’s eyes on me and look over my shoulder to see Ralph still standing where we’d parted ways, watching us, looking like there’s something he wants to say. When our gazes meet, he makes a face like he’s seen something irritating, then quickly turns around and runs off to the south. As I watch the distance quickly grow between us, I think of how quickly the distance between Lutz and his brothers is growing too, and cast my eyes downwards. When we arrive at the Gilberta Company, I see Benno, looking like he’s already gotten ready to leave, giving instructions to Mark and several other employees. “Ah,” he says, putting on a very believable smile, “are you coming with us today too, Tuuli? I heard from Corinna that you’ve got the potential to be a very excellent seamstress someday.” “Really?! I’m so happy!” Today, Benno will be the one bringing us along, rather than Mark. It seems like he needs to go to the Italian restaurant to take stock of how the remodeling is coming, to see if it’s being done as he’s ordered, to make sure the construction materials haven’t been swapped out for something cheaper, and so on. “Construction’s already started, then?” I ask. “It’s because I was able to find a place much faster than I expected. Right now it’s at the state where they’re expanding the kitchen so they can start putting in some ovens.” Benno has purchased from the foodservice a.s.sociation a building in the north side of town that had already been used as an eatery. It’s currently in the middle of being remodeled, first to get the kitchen ready, then to swap out all of the floorboards for high-quality ones, to match the image of a shop that sells food that n.o.bles would eat. The concept of the restaurant is that it should be so high-cla.s.s that patrons can feel as if they are really n.o.bles as they dine. It also seems that one of the intended uses is going to be to hold tasting events, the patrons of which would be the proprietors of the large shops that do business with the n.o.bility. “Ahh, so following along with what the guild master’s doing—” “No! Tasting events were your idea, so I’m not following the guild master’s lead at all.” “...I see.” Judging from appearances, the lumber, the brick, and iron seem alright, and there aren’t any real problems with the workmans.h.i.+p. The ovens aren’t finished just yet, but once they are, it looks like the cooks will be able to come in and practice until the restaurant’s official opening. “It’s great that it’s coming along so well,” I say. to look around myself. When I comment on the progress, though, Benno grimaces, then grumbles to himself, in a voice so low that only I can hear it. “No, there’s a huge pile of problems.” “Huh?” “...Never mind, it’s not something you need to know.” He raises his voice, calling out to Lutz and Tuuli. “Hey, we’re going to the next shop.” We start heading towards a second-hand clothing store that apparently has deep ties to the Gilberta company. “I wonder what that restaurant’s going to serve, if it’s food like what the n.o.bles eat? I really want to try it sometime...” Tuuli keeps looking back at the unfinished restaurant as we walk, causing her braid to bounce around. I look down from Benno’s shoulder at her and Lutz as they follow a couple steps behind him, and think back on the recipes that I’ve come up with. “Hmm, I’d say that about thirty percent of it is recipes you’ve eaten at home, fifty percent are new recipes for both food and sweets that require an oven to make, and the last twenty percent are things I created by putting some of Ilse’s recipes to practical use... or something like that?” Tuuli scrunches up her face, looking doubtful. “...So you’re saying that what that restaurant is going to be serving is your weird cooking?” “Tuuli, that’s so mean! You always say you like it, too!” It’s a real shock to hear her say that the food she always eats with a big smile is weird. Tuuli frantically amends her opinion. “It’s good! It’s really good. It’s just that your recipes are kind of surprising for people trying to make them for the first time, you know? I’m used to it already, though.” Lutz said “whatever’s fine” and Tuuli never retracted her “weird cooking” comment. To be fair, there are a few things a little bit different about how food is cooked here, so I can’t disagree with them entirely. “...What’s that?” asks Benno. “You’ve eaten Maïne’s cooking before?” Since the restaurant’s under construction and the cooks can’t yet use the kitchen, Benno hasn’t been able to try any of my cooking yet, making him the only person here who hasn’t. When he says that, though, Lutz and Tuuli exchange a very complicated glance. “Hmm... well, the recipes are Maïnes, but... Right, Lutz?” “Yeah, it’s always us that make it. So I guess it doesn’t really feel like we’ve been eating Maïne’s cooking, right?” Since the two of them are rapidly growing and I really am not, our physiques are very different. To pull an example from my Urano days, it’s about the difference between a kindergartner and kids already halfway through elementary school. With just that much difference, it means that their reach is much greater than mine, as is their physical strength. That means that their scope of the things they can do is much greater than mine. I haven’t really become able to do all that much more, but the two of them are quickly becoming able to do more and more without parental a.s.sistance. “I really want to get bigger...” I grumble to myself. The only ears my words reach are Benno’s. I actually didn’t even notice that I’d said my thoughts out loud, so I’m a little bit startled when he pats me on the back comfortingly. The reason that I’m not growing much is because it’s a symptom of the devouring, so n.o.body can do anything to change it, but if Tuuli or Lutz were to hear my grumblings, I know that they’d get worried about me for sure. I sneakily look over Benno’s shoulder at them, checking to make sure they didn’t hear. When I see that they’re busily chatting about how tasty my recipes are, I breathe a sigh of relief. Since both the under-construction restaurant and the second-hand clothing store are in the north side of town, it doesn’t take us very long to get between them. When we arrive, I can see that, just as expected, this second-hand clothing store is entirely unlike the one that my family goes to. The store that I know has dirty gray and tan clothes piled in baskets, sorted roughly by size. Since the goods here are so much nicer, this store has all of its vividly-colored clothes, except for the underwear, neatly hung on cross-shaped wooden hangers. Since all of these clothes were once made to order, the sizes and colors are all different, but the atmosphere of the shop reminds me of my Urano days, when I saw a clothier in a small town, filled with whatever the proprietor liked to sell. When the four of us enter, a lady who looks like the shopkeeper looks up at us, wide-eyed, and immediately rushes over. Her tightly bundled hair is dark brown, and her similarly brown eyes glitter brilliantly when she looks us over. “Oh my, Benno. What’s all this? Since when did you have this many children—” “Now, what do you mean by that?” “I mean, the loveless Benno just brought a bunch of kids to my shop, didn’t he? That’s the kind of juicy little tidbit that can take on a life of its own. I’m sure our friends would love to hear all about it.” “Aw, give me a break for once.” “I came here to buy some clothes for these kids. While we’re here, I thought my apprentice might be able to learn a thing or two, too.” “You mean Lutz, right?” I ask. “What can he learn here?” “Alright, listen. If an apprentice at my shop can’t even pick out a single outfit, what do you think’s going to happen?” Lutz, startles, seeming to be at a loss for words. He and Tuuli come from a commoner’s background, where the most important thing about a garment is how thick the cloth is, so they don’t have any eye for clothing themselves. It looks like Benno wants him to realize that and do some studying “Maïne, something like this should be good for your attendants. This is a relatively recent style, and its sleeves are fairly short so it should be easy to move around in.” “If we’re looking for something like that, then I think that dark green and brown one over there would work well, wouldn’t it? He’s got a really earnest seriousness to him, so I’m thinking that he should wear something that doesn’t clash with his hair and eye color.” “...Yeah, that’ll do, won’t it? As for the other two, I’ve never seen them, so I don’t know what would work for them. If you keep in mind the general feel of what you picked out for Fran, you shouldn’t be too far off the mark. Go pick out something you think will work.” Benno sets me down, and I start digging through the racks of children’s clothes, searching for things that might fit Gil and Delia. Although, even though we’re calling it “picking something out”, there aren’t actually that many things in each size, so selection is very limited. This, of course, means that it’s pretty quick to come to a decision. All that I need to do is hold these up against Lutz to make sure that the size will be more-or-less okay. Argh, if only there was a bigger variety to pick from... My excitement has largely dissipated since finding out that picking things out is pretty meaningless. What kind of luxurious times was I living in back in my Urano days? There was an overabundance of clothing everywhere. I didn’t really have a lot of interest in clothes back then, but it’s like they say, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. “Lutz, Lutz, can I borrow you for a second?” “What’s up?” “Gil’s basically about your size, so I want to hold these up to you to see if they look like they’ll fit.” I quickly go through three boy’s outfits that I’ve found, holding them up to Lutz. The size looks about right. Out of the three, though, I found one that matches Lutz pretty well. “Out of the things I found in this size, I think this would look best on you. What should I pick for Gil, though...?” As I compare the outfits I’m holding, trying to figure out what would be better for Gil, Benno sighs. “Maïne, where did you learn how to pick out clothes?” “Where? ...It’s not really something I ever studied, you know?” I’ve read books on color coordination and a variety of magazines on fas.h.i.+on, but I never formally studied it. If you really forced me to answer, I guess I’d say art cla.s.s in school. “I really shouldn’t think too hard about you, should I?” “That’s right. Please just accept it and leave it alone. Lutz, let’s try these next.” I hold out a dress that I picked out for Delia. Lutz quickly shakes his head in refusal. Staring at the cute, predominately red dress, he makes an enormous X with his hands. “Isn’t that something better to do with Tuuli?! I don’t wanna.” “I mean, Tuuli’s bigger than you, isn’t she? Delia’s a little smaller than you are, so using Tuuli wouldn’t work at all.” Lutz clearly hates it, but I manage to get him to let me hold the things I’m picking for Delia up against his back. After all, neither Tuuli nor I are the right size. “Alright, Lutz,” says Benno. “Start looking for something in a color that would suit Maïne. Take that green and that green, for example. They’re both green, but they’re different shades of green. Which would look better on her?” Just like Lutz had been subjected to before, now I’m the one having clothes held up to her. Lutz and Tuuli both look back and forth between the clothes and me, serious expressions on their face. After a moment, they both point at the same piece of clothing. “That one!” “That’s right. This one matches her skin tone better. What about these two?” Benno starts explaining all sorts of aspects of color theory, holding various outfits against me as examples. He covers monochromatic colors, a.n.a.logous colors, complementary colors, hue, saturation, lightness, and more. As I sit in my chair, listening in awe, wondering if piling up all of his acc.u.mulated knowledge would equal the book on color coordination I read, more and more clothing is held up to me. “Now, after you pound all this information about which colors suit which clients into your head, the next thing you’ll need to do is learn what styles to select. Clothes are the greatest indicator of one’s social standing and position. If you wear clothing that doesn’t match your station, then that will cause all sorts of trouble. You’ll remember Maïne’s baptismal ceremony, of course.” “This time, the clothing we’re picking out is clothing that Maïne will be wearing to go to and from the temple. This is the clothing of someone who has attendants, so the important thing here is the length of the sleeve.” Now that I think about it, when we went to the temple, Benno was wearing a s.h.i.+rt with especially voluminous sleeves. They were so long that they looked like they would get in the way if he tried to do anything at all. “What long sleeves show is that she doesn’t have to do anything, because her attendants do everything for her, so she doesn’t have to worry about her sleeves getting dirty. Basically, people who have to work can’t let their sleeves droop like that.” “Huh? Wait, didn’t Mark have long sleeves too, though? They were about half the length of yours, though.” “Those were the sleeves of an attendant who you’d take with you to meet with a n.o.ble. The other party already had attendants or subordinates to do the work, so Mark didn’t have to do much of anything. On the other hand, if a n.o.ble were to visit us, Mark would wear short sleeves, to show that we’re giving them a warm reception. ...We haven’t had any n.o.bility come visit us, though.” I hum appreciatively, nodding lightly to show comprehension. Lutz and Tuuli, on theTuuli, on the other hand, are paying rapt attention, their eyes glimmering. “Well then, you two, now that you’ve learned all that, pick out something for Maïne. I wonder, which of you will do a better job of it?” Lutz and Tuuli shoot each other a brief, sharp glare, then start circling the shop, looking for clothes. Benno looks on, smirking. “Good work bringing your sister along, Maïne. Having a rival makes people learn surprisingly quickly.” “I’m happy that this is such a good study opportunity for her,” I reply. While we watch the two of them taking to their education with zeal and trying their hardest to pick the best outfit, I try asking Benno about anything I need to be paying attention to when I’m interacting with n.o.ble society, but he just shakes his head. “Your situation is different from mine. I could tell you about what you should do as a merchant that’s doing business with the n.o.bility, but if you want to know how to behave yourself when you’re working in the same circles as n.o.bles, then you should ask Fran. Do what Lutz is doing and ask about even the tiniest things. He’s not going to know what you don’t know otherwise.” As I nod in comprehension, Lutz and Tuuli run up, clothing in hand. “Which would you pick, Maïne?” “...Huh? Umm...” The two of them press in close. I lean back, a little overwhelmed, and look at the outfits that the two of them brought over. Tuuli has picked a cute pink dress. Lutz picked a dress as well, this one using blue as its main color. “If I were to be just walking around outside, then I think what Tuuli picked is cuter, but if I think about how I’m going to be going to the temple, I think the dress Lutz picked would fit that job better. Choosing is hard...” At Benno’s direction, I take the dresses Tuuli and Lutz picked for me and follow the shopkeeper into a changing room. The shopkeeper helps me into the dress that Tuuli picked for me, then walks me over to a highly polished metal mirror. This is the first time I’ve seen my own face. My skin is pale, but not the kind of pale that would draw out the contours of my egg-shaped face. It comes across as more of an abnormal pallor, but part of that is due to the influence of my straight, deep blue hair. In the mirror, I see my large, full, ochre-yellow eyes, so bright they’re almost golden, opened wide with astonishment. My high-bridged, shapely nose and the plumpness of my lower lips matches my mother’s, but apart from the skin around my eyes, I don’t look that much like Tuuli. If I were to be childishly honest about it, according to my sensibilities from my Urano days, I am a cute little girl. However, I don’t know what this world’s standards are. Lutz calls me cute, so maybe my sense of aesthetics isn’t that off? As I brood, I’m brought out to show off the dress I’m wearing. “Whoa, Maïne, you’re so cute! That looks super good on you.” Tuuli gives me high praise as I wear the dress that she picked out for me, but Lutz just hums thoughtfully, his head c.o.c.ked to the side. However, he looks a little bit annoyed about this, so he’s probably thinking that this matches me well enough that he can’t really find any fault with it. Benno, smiling wryly, waves his hand, silently directing me to try the next one on. “Yep, this one is definitely a better look!” I change into the dress that Lutz picked out and head back out to show them, and this time it’s Lutz who is beaming brilliantly as he praises me. Tuuli looks a little vexed, and peevishly says that her pick suits me better, which sparks an argument about which dress really is the better one. I tug on Benno’s sleeve, trying to get him to intervene in the rapidly intensifying quarrel, but he just looks around the shop, thoughtfully stroking his chin. “You got to see what you look like in the mirror, right? So, what do you think would suit you the best?” “Hmm... if I keep usefulness in mind, then maybe this, this, and this, I think?” The first thing I pick is a white blouse. The sleeves are long, and both the cuffs and collar are decorated with lace, so even though the design is simple, it looks like I could wear it in front of n.o.bility. After that, I pick a blue skirt that looks like it would be perfect to wear when going to the temple. It’s embroidered with a floral design, but when I’m wearing my apprentice priestess’s robes, it’ll be covered up entirely. Finally, I pick a red, bodice-like vest that’s embroidered with flowers and adorned with lace. “If I do this, then if I make any additional purchases, or if I buy any replacements, then I can really change the look of the outfit, and I think that these pieces would work well with pieces of the apprentice’s clothes that I already have... what do you think?” When I look up at Benno, he smiles slightly at me, then turns to look at Lutz and Tuuli. The two of them look over the outfit I’ve picked with hollow faces. “Lutz, Tuuli,” says Benno. “There are more clothes here than just one-piece dresses. Abandon the notion that dresses is what girls wear.” The girls of poor families generally don’t wear anything but one-piece dresses. After all, they’re very easy to make, with a single seam from top to bottom, and they don’t use a whole lot of cloth. Even though we wear many layers to ward off the cold, we don’t put any effort into making it actually look good. n.o.body has any blouses whose collars could be replaced or whose sleeves can be changed out for a different kind of lace. “Study hard until next time,” says Benno. “Yes, sir!”

魔力が体内に満ちて動けるようになった後、マルクが準備してくれたパン粥を食べて、ようやく普通に動けるようになった。 「マイン、側仕えの普段着はこちらで準備した方が良いか? それとも、お前が準備するか? どうする?」 「普段着って、どこで買えばいいんでしょうか? ウチが使ってる古着屋じゃダメですよね?」 貧しくて新しい服を作るのが難しい平民でも、わたしみたいな例外を除いて、子供はどんどん成長する。次々と大きい服が必要になるし、小さい服は必要なくなる。 ただでさえ狭い家の中に不用品を溜めておくことはできないので、晴れ着のような高価な服を除いた普段着は、着られなくなった時点で古着屋に売りに行く。そして、その古着屋で次の普段着を買ってくるのだ。そうすれば、引き取り価格分だけ安く、次の服が手に入る。 とりあえず着られれば良いという感じなので、汚れていて当たり前。継ぎ接ぎは飾りと思え。デザイン? そんなものは存在しない。大事なのは生地の厚みと丈夫さである。 「阿呆。そんな服で北をうろつかせるな」 わたしにギルベルタ商会と神殿に出入りする側仕えは、基本的に高級地である街の北側をうろつくことになる。わたし達の普段着のようにあまりに貧しい恰好をさせるわけにはいかないらしい。 「わたし、上質な古着屋なんて知りませんし、側仕えに相応しい服が全くわからないので、全面的にベンノさんにお任せします」 「明日、熱が出なかったら連れて行ってやる。ついでに、レストランの進歩状況も確認に行かなきゃならんからな。お前も来い」 「ルッツ、本来なら休みの日だが、お前も一緒だ」 「わかってます」 「いや、オレも仕事着以外の服が安く手に入ればいいと思っていたから、丁度いいんだ」 普段着と違って、ギルベルタ商会の見習い服は毎回洗濯しなければならない。客商売のため、清潔な身なりをするためだ。しかし、洗濯回数が多くなると、当然、服が傷むのも早くなる。あまり傷めたくないけれど、ルッツには北を歩ける服が見習い服しかない。 「仕事以外の時に着られる服がないと、また見習い服を作らなきゃいけなくなるだろ?」 ルッツの言葉を聞いて、わたしも自分の服が欲しくなった。わたしもルッツと同様に、北を歩き回れるような服は、見習い服しかないのだ。 「ベンノさん、わたしにも一着見立ててください」 自分の服を探すために買い物をするなんて、ここではまずない。明日はお買い物だ、とうきうきしながら、わたしはルッツと一緒に家に帰った。 「じゃあ、また明日ね」 「まだだ、マイン。今日の報告が済んでない」 「......え?」 満面の笑顔で別れようとしたら、ルッツに睨まれた。うっ、と怯んだけれど、もちろん、ルッツの報告を止められるわけがない。 「どうしてマインは自分を大事にしないのっ!」 「トゥーリ、泣かないで!」 「泣いてないっ! 怒ってるんだよっ!」 本当に神殿に行ったら身食いが大丈夫になるのか、いきなりいなくなっちゃうんじゃないか、トゥーリがずっと心配しているのを知っているので、トゥーリに泣きながら怒られるのが一番罪悪感を覚える。 「ごめん。ごめんなさい。もうしません」 「......ちゃんとお昼ご飯を食べる?」 「もちろん!」 「魔力のこと、偉い人にちゃんと相談できる?」 「本を読んでも、約束忘れない?」 「......う......」 トゥーリはじっとりとした目でわたしを睨んだけれど、自分で守れないとわかっている約束はできない。本を前にすれば、理性なんて簡単に飛んでいってしまう自信がある。 「......わ、忘れないように、側仕えに教えてもらう。真面目な人だから大丈夫!」 「ハァ、自分で守る約束はできないんだね?」 やれやれ、とトゥーリは肩を竦めたけれど、約束を守れる自信はない。家族は呆れているようだけれど、怒りはある程度消えたようなので、話題を変える。 「ねぇ、トゥーリ。明日、お仕事がお休みなら、トゥーリも一緒にお出かけしない?」 「え? マインはどこに行くの?」 「わたしの側仕えのために服を買いに行くの。北の方に住む人達の服選びだから、古着屋でも勉強になるでしょ?」 それに、服を見立ててくれるのはベンノだ。貴族向けの服飾を扱う店の旦那様なので、トゥーリにはとても良い経験になると思う。 「......いいの?」 「明日は色々行くところがあるから、そっちにも付き合ってもらうことになっちゃうけど、それでよかったら」 トゥーリがへにゃっと嬉しそうに笑った。わたしはいつものふわりとした笑顔にそっと胸を撫で下ろす。 「何だ、トゥーリも今日は森へ行かないのか?」 トゥーリとルッツと手を繋いで、井戸の広場から大通りに向かって出ていこうとした時、背後から少し咎めるような響きを持った声が聞こえてきた。 「あ、ラルフ」 「ラルフ兄」 くるりと振り返ると、ルッツの兄であるラルフが普段着に籠を背負って追いかけてきていた。ラルフは森に行く恰好だ。 「どこに行くんだ?」 「今日は服の勉強なの。ラルフは森でしょ?」 トゥーリは仕事を始めたお友達との情報交換を兼ねて、仕事が休みの日に森へ行くことが多いけれど、前と違って家計の面で考えると、絶対に森へ行かねばならない状況ではなくなった。 しかし、ルッツの家は食費がかかる食べ盛りの男の子4人兄弟の家庭で、子供たち全員が働きに出ても、それほど家計に違いはない。見習いの給料は安いので、下手したら森での収穫が減って、以前より食生活は苦しくなっている。 そのため、休みの日は森で収穫してくるのが当然で、見習いであるはずのルッツが休みの日でも店へ行くことを、家族はよく思っていないらしい。「働いた分として、見習いの給料の倍、お金を渡すより、森で収穫してきて欲しいんだってさ」とルッツが零していた。 大通りに出るまで、トゥーリはラルフと並んで歩き、気まずそうな顔をしたルッツが少し後ろを歩く。わたしはルッツと手を繋いで歩きながら、時折こちらに向けられるラルフの視線にルッツが軽く溜息を吐くのを見ていた。 「じゃあ、ラルフ。頑張ってね」 大通りに出たところでラルフは南へ、わたし達は北へと向かうことになる。トゥーリがラルフに大きく手を振りながら、わたしの空いている手をつかんで、手を繋いだ。 ふと視線を感じてわたしが振り返ると、ラルフが物言いたげな顔をして、別れた地点に立ったまま、こちらを見ていた。わたしと視線が合った瞬間、ラルフは ギルベルタ商会に着くとすでに出かける準備ができた状態で、ベンノが店で仕事をしているのが見えた。マルク他、数人の従業員に指示を出している。 「おや、今日はトゥーリも一緒か? ずいぶん腕が良い針子になりそうだとコリンナが言っていたぞ」 「本当ですか!? 嬉しい」 今日はマルクではなく、ベンノと一緒に出かけることになっている。午前中はイタリアンレストランの改装工事の見回りに行き、頼んだ通りにできているか、建築材料が勝手に安物に変えられていないか、確認しておかなければならないらしい。 「もう工事、始まってるんですね」 「予想以上に早く場所が決まったからな。今は厨房を拡張してオーブンを作らせているところだ」 イタリアンレストランは、飲食店協会から北で元々食事処をしていた場所を買い取った。今は改装工事中で、最初に厨房を整え、その後で床板も全部張り変え、貴族の食事を出す店として内装は高価なものを入れる予定らしい。 まるで貴族になった気分で食事ができる高級食事処というのが、コンセプトだ。貴族に関係する仕事をしている大店の旦那を顧客にするべく試食会もするらしい。 「あぁ、ギルド長を見習って......」 「違う! 試食会はお前の提案だったから、ギルド長を見習うことにはならないんだ」 見たところ、材木や煉瓦、鉄などの材料にも、職人の仕事にも、特に問題はなさそうだ。まだオーブンが仕上がっていないけれど、オーブンができたら料理人を入れて、開店までの期間に練習をさせるらしい。 「順調でよかったですね」 わたしがベンノに抱き上げられたまま、工事中の店の中をぐるりと見て回ってそう言うと、ベンノは難しい顔になった。わたしくらいにしか聞こえない低い声で、小さく零す。 「いや、問題は山積みだ」 「へ?」 「......いや、お前に言うことではないな。おい、次の店に行くぞ」 ルッツとトゥーリに声をかけて、その後はギルベルタ商会とも繋がりが深い古着屋に向かって歩き始める。 「貴族のような食事って、どんなのだろうね? 一度くらいは食べてみたいなぁ」 ちらちらと工事中の店を振り返りながら、トゥーリ編みをぴょこぴょこと跳ねさせる。ルッツと一緒にベンノのやや後ろを歩くトゥーリをベンノの肩越しに見下ろしながら、わたしは構想しているレシピを思い浮かべた。 「うーん、ウチでトゥーリも食べたことがあるレシピが3割。5割はオーブンを使う新作料理やお菓子。後の2割はイルゼさんのレシピを応用した創造料理......かな?」 「......もしかして、あのお店で出す食事って、マインのへんてこ料理?」 「トゥーリ、ひどいっ! いつもおいしそうに食べてるのに!」 笑顔で食べてくれる姉に「へんてこ料理」だと言われたショックに落ち込むと、トゥーリは慌てた様子で言葉を足した。 「おいしいよ! すごくおいしいんだけどね。マインのレシピ、初めて作る人はビックリすると思うよ? わたしはもう慣れたけど」 肩を竦めて「何でもいい」と言うルッツも、トゥーリの「へんてこ料理」という部分を訂正はしてくれない。確かに、ここの調理方法とはちょっと違うことが時々あるので、完全には否定できない。 「......何だ? お前らはマインの料理を食べたことがあるのか?」 店が工事中で料理人が調理できる状態ではないので、この中ではベンノだけが、まだわたしの料理を食べたことがない。 ベンノの言葉に、ルッツとトゥーリがものすごく複雑そうに顔を見合わせた。 「うーん、レシピはマインだけど......ねぇ、ルッツ?」 「あぁ、作るのは自分達だからなぁ。マインの料理を食べた気はしねぇよな?」 どんどん成長していとほとんど成長しないわたしでは、もう体格が全然違う。麗乃時代の記憶で言うならば、幼稚園児と小学生の中学年くらいの差がある。 「わたしだって大きくなりたいよ......」 ポツリと零れてしまった本音が届いたのは、わたしを抱きかかえたまま歩いているベンノだけだったようだ。自分では声に出している自覚がなかったので、慰めるように軽く背中を叩かれて、ぎくりとした。 わたしが成長しないのは、身食いの症状としてどうしようもないことなのに、わたしの愚痴を聞いてしまったら、トゥーリやルッツはきっとわたしを心配して、気に病むに決まっている。 やはり、街の北側にある古着屋は、ウチが使っている古着屋とは全く違った。籠に大体のサイズで分けられて、薄汚れた灰色や茶色の服が山積みにされているのが、わたしの知っている古着屋。 ここは品が良いせいか、下着以外は一着ずつ十字のような形のハンガーにかかっているし、色鮮やかだ。それぞれがオーダーメイドで作られているものなので、サイズ違いや色違いはないけれど、店の雰囲気は麗乃時代の小さな町にある店の主人の趣味でやっている洋服屋に似ていた。 わたし達が店の中に入ると同時に店長らしい女性が目を見開いて、駆け寄ってくる。きっちりとまとめられた髪は焦げ茶色で、同色の目が好奇心でキラキラに輝いていた。 「あら、ベンノ。どうしたの? いつの間にこんなにたくさんの子供......」 「何を言っているんだ、お前は?」 「だって、浮いた噂がないベンノが子供連れでウチに来たのよ? こんなおいしいネタ、勝手に膨らませて、仲間内で楽しまなきゃ」 「今日はこいつらの服を買いに来たんだ。ついでに、ウチの見習いに勉強させようと思ってな」 「見習いって、ルッツに何の勉強をさせるんですか?」 「あのな、マイン。ウチの見習いなら服の一つくらい見立てられなくてどうする?」 うぐっ、とルッツが言葉に詰まった。服なんて丈夫さ一番という貧民生活で育ってきたルッツやトゥーリには、服を見る目が育ってない。それを自覚させ、勉強させるつもりなのだろう。 「マイン、お前の側仕えにはこの辺りの服がいいだろう。比較的新しいデザインで、袖も短く動きやすそうだ」 「その辺りなら、フランにはあそこの深緑か茶色が良いと思うんですけど、どうですか? 真面目でかっちりした雰囲気だし、髪や目の色ともあまりケンカしないと思うんですけど」 「......いいんじゃないか? あとの二人に関しては、見てないからわからん。フランに見立てた雰囲気から考えても、それほど外れはないだろう。お前が適当に選べ」 選ぶとは言っても、同じようなサイズでそれほど多くの服は無いので、選択肢はかなり限られている。当然、決まるのは早い。あとはルッツに合わせてみて、サイズが本当に大丈夫そうか確認するだけだ。 あぁ、もうちょっと色んな服があったらなぁ。 選び甲斐がなくて、わたしはテンションを落とした。麗乃時代は何と贅沢な時代だったことか。周りに服が溢れていた。あの時には大して服に興味がなかったのに、周りになくなると欲しくなるなんて困ったものだ。 「ルッツ、ルッツ、ちょっといい?」 「どうした、マイン?」 「ギルはね、ちょうどルッツくらいの背恰好だから、ルッツに合わせてもらいたいの」 3つ抱えていた男の子向けの服をパッとルッツに当ててみる。大きさに問題はないようだ。そのうちの一つをルッツに向かって差し出した。 「これくらいのサイズの中では、これが一番ルッツに似合いそうだよ。ギルはこっちかなぁ?」 手に持っていたギル用の服を見比べていると、ベンノが軽く溜息を吐いた。 「マイン、お前は服の見立てをどこで学んだ?」 「どこって?......学んだことなんてないですよ?」 カラーコーディネイトに関する本や服飾に関する雑誌なら色々読んだが、改めて学んだことはない。強いて言うなら、学校の美術だろうか。 「お前に関しては考えるだけ無駄か」 「そうですね。そういうものだと納得しておいてください。ルッツ、次はこっちを当ててみて」 わたしがデリア用に選んだワンピースを見せると、ルッツはぶるぶると首を振った。赤を基調とした比較的可愛い感じのワンピースを前に、大きく手でバツを作る。 「それはトゥーリに頼めばいいだろ!? オレは嫌だ」 「だって、ルッツよりトゥーリの方が大きいじゃない。デリアはルッツより小さいんだよ。トゥーリじゃダメだよ」 ルッツは嫌がったけど、デリアの分もルッツの背中に当ててサイズを選んだ。だって、トゥーリもわたしもサイズが違うんだもん。 「じゃあ、ルッツ。マインに合う色を探すところから始めろ。例えば、この緑とその緑じゃあ、一口に緑と言っても色が違う。マインに合うのはどっちだ?」 ルッツに服を当てていたように、今度はわたしに服が当てられる。ルッツとトゥーリが真剣な顔でわたしと服を見比べた後、ビシッと二人が同じ服を指差した。 「こっち!」 「そうだな。マインの肌の色にはこれが合う。これとこれなら?」 同一色、相似色、補色、中差色、彩度、明度などの色に関するベンノの説明が実際に服をわたしに当てながら始められた。経験によって積み重ねられた知識をまとめると、わたしが読んだカラーコーディネイトの本になるのか、と感慨深く思いながら、わたしは椅子に座ったまま布を当て続けられる。 「客に似合う色をいくつか頭に叩きこんだ上で、次はデザインを選ぶことになる。服は身分や立場を一番よく表すものだ。違う階級の服を着ると厄介事が起こることが多い。一番身近な例は、マインの洗礼式だ」 「今回、マインに選ぶ服は神殿に出入りするための服だ。側仕えを持つ者が着る服だが、これは袖の長さが重要になる」 そういえば、神殿に向かう時、ベンノが袖の長い衣装を着ていたことを思い出した。何をするにも邪魔そうな振り袖くらい長い袖の服だった。 「自分で動かなくても、側仕えが動いてくれるので、服の汚れを気にしなくても良い立場だと示す物だ。実際に働く人は袖をだらだらさせていられない」 「あれ? でも、マルクさんも長い袖でしたよ? ベンノさんの半分もなかったですけど」 「アレは貴族に会いに行く時の側仕えの服だ。向かう先に側仕えや下働きがいるのだから、マルクが働くことはほとんどない。逆に、貴族が来るなら、マルクは袖の短い服で歓待のために立ち回らなければならない。......ウチの店に貴族が来ることはないがな」 へぇ、とわたしは軽く頷いているが、ルッツとトゥーリは目をギラギラさせてベンノの話に聞き入っている。 「では、そういうことを含めて、マインに合う服を選べ。ルッツとトゥーリ、どちらが上手く選べるかな?」 キッとお互いに睨みあった直後、二人は店の中を歩き回り、服を選び始めた。その様子を見て、ベンノが楽しそうにクッと笑いを漏らす。 「マイン、お手柄だったな。競争相手がいると成長は驚くくらい早くなる」 「トゥーリにも良い勉強になってるから、良かったです」 一生懸命に服を見比べている勉強熱心な二人を見ながら、わたしはベンノに貴族社会で気を付けなければならないことを聞いてみたが、ベンノはふるりと頭を振った。 「お前と俺では立場が違う。貴族とやり取りする商人のことなら教えてやれても、貴族の中で立ち回ることに関しては、フランに聞いた方が確実だ。ルッツがやっているように、細かく何でも質問しろ。お前が何をわかっていないのか、相手は全く知らないんだからな」 ベンノ言葉に頷いていると、ルッツとトゥーリが服を抱えて、駆けてきた。 「どっちを選ぶの、マイン?」 「......え? えーと......」 ルッツとトゥーリに迫られて、たじたじしながら、二人が選んだ服を見る。トゥーリが選んだ服は可愛いピンク色のワンピースで、ルッツが選んだのは青を基調としたワンピースだった。 「外をうろうろするだけなら、トゥーリの服の方が可愛いけれど、神殿に行くことを考えるなら、ルッツの服の方がしっくりくるんだよね。難しいなぁ......」 「一度着てみろ」 ベンノに言われて、わたしはトゥーリとルッツが選んできた服を持った店長と一緒に試着室へと向かった。トゥーリの選んだ服を店長さんに着せてもらった後、よく磨きこまれた金属鏡の前に立たされる。 初めて自分の顔を見た。卵型の輪郭に抜けるような白い肌というよりは、病的で血色悪い白い肌をしていて、暗い紺色のストレートな髪が肌の青白さに一役買っているように見えた。 鏡には、大きくてパッチリとした金色のような黄土色のような黄色っぽい目が映っていて、驚いたように大きく見開かれていた。鼻筋が通った形良い鼻と下唇がぽってりとしているところは母に似ていて、トゥーリとは目元以外あまり似ていない。 これで、子供らしい闊達さがあれば、麗乃時代なら文句なく可愛い幼女だ。ただ、この世界では、どう評されるかわからない。ルッツは可愛いと言っていたから、それほど美的感覚に違いはないのだろうか。 うぬぅ、と悩みながら、着た服を見せに行く。 「わぁ! マイン、可愛いよ! すごく良く似合う」 トゥーリは自分が選んだ服を着たわたしを大絶賛するが、ルッツはうーんと首を捻った。でも、表情は悔しそうなので、文句を付けるのが難しい程度には似合うのだろう。 ベンノが苦笑しながら、次に行けと言わんばかりに手を振った。 「やっぱり、こっちの方が似合うって!」 ルッツの選んだ服に着替えて、見せに行くと、今度はルッツが満面の笑顔で褒めてくれた。トゥーリがちょっと悔しそうに「わたしが選んだ服の方が似合うもん」と唇を尖らせて、どっちが似合うか言い争い始めた。 「鏡で自分の容姿は確認したんだろう? お前は、どれが一番自分に合うと思う?」 「えーと......用途も考えたら、これとこれとこれ、かなぁ?」 最初にわたしが手に取ったのは白のブラウスだ。袖が長くて、襟元と袖にレース飾りがついているので、シンプルなのに貴族向きに見える。それから、神殿に履いて行くにはちょうど良い青のスカート。花の刺繍がされているが、青の巫女服を着れば、見えなくなる。最後に、花の刺繍やレースのついた赤いボディスのような胴衣だ。 「これなら、どれか一つ買い足したり、買い変えたりするだけで、かなり雰囲気が変えられるし、今持っている見習い服とも合わせられると思うんですけど、どうでしょう?」 わたしがベンノを見上げると、ベンノは小さく笑いながら、ルッツとトゥーリを見ていた。二人は虚を突かれたような顔で、わたしが選んだ服を見つめる。 「ルッツ、トゥーリ。ここにある服はワンピースだけではない。女の服はワンピースだという常識は捨てろ」 貧民の女の子の服はワンピースしか存在しない。上下に分けて縫えば、それだけ布が必要になるからだ。防寒のために重ね着することはあっても、オシャレのためにすることはない。ブラウスの襟だけ付け替えができたり、袖口のレースが付け替えできたりするような服が周りに存在しないのだ。 「次までにしっかり勉強しておけよ」 「はい!」

My name is Tuuli! I’m eight years old. When my little sister Maïne said she got everything figured out at the temple about becoming a sister-in-training, I was super relieved. She’s not going to die because of the devouring, and she’s not going to be a gray-robed priestess and get treated like an orphan. I was really scared that she’d go away and I’d never see her again, but that’s not going to happen, and I’m super happy about that! The day after Mom and Dad got called out to the temple, Maïne headed out to go to Mister Benno’s shop. She said that she needed to ask him some things about how she should be dealing with the head priest, and that while she was there she was going to figure out what day she was going to meet with Miss Corinna. Last time she met with her, she went all by herself, and I was stuck at home. This time, though, Maïne said that she’d ask Miss Corinna if I could come too. Aaahh, I’m really looking forward to this! My Maïne is such a good girl, always thinking of her big sister! I’m gonna get to brag to all my friends at the workshop about how I got to go to Miss Corinna’s house. Miss Corinna’s really amazing! When she came of age, she got her own workshop, and then she started getting orders from the n.o.bility to make clothes for them. To apprentice seamstresses like me, she’s like a s.h.i.+ning star in the sky, someone that one day we want to be just like. The story of how her amazing husband proposed to her super dramatically is like a legend you’d hear from a minstrel. All the apprentice seamstresses talk about it. For the sake of his love, he cast aside his dreams of being a merchant, spent all of the money he’d saved up, and then proposed to her! Hearing rumors like that, it’s really obvious to see that he really loves her a lot. It’s the kind of story that every girl wants to be part of. I wonder what kind of person Miss Corinna is? All I know is that Maïne said that she was really nice, and also really pretty. From how hard she’s panting, it looks like she was kinda hurrying home. Immediately after she tells me about this, she collapses on the spot. “Maïne?!” I say. “Urgh... I really wanted to come home and tell you as quick as I could, maybe I over did it? Sorry.” “It’ll be a big problem if you can’t actually make it out there tomorrow. Come sit down and take a break.” Maïne flops limply into a chair, and her glossy, dark blue hair falls down behind her. She’s always trying her best at a lot of different things, so she’s gotten a little bit healthier, but she’s definitely still not actually strong, and she’s still not getting any bigger. She still looks like she’s four years old, and I really can’t help but worry about her. When she stands next to Lutz, who’s the same age as her, she looks like his little sister, and lately when she goes to the forest, kids two years younger than her offer to help her out, which always makes her slump over dejectedly. She’s not weak just because she has the devouring. Even when she got cured, she was still really frail. She said that Freida, who has the same disease, doesn’t have that problem. She stands up, then starts slowly moving around. She carefully folds up her nice dress and puts it in the bag that she made herself and really likes, making sure that it doesn’t get dirty, then puts her hairpin in as well. As soon as I realize that she’s getting her things ready for tomorrow, I ask her a question. “Maïne, what about me? Do I need to do anything to get ready?” “No, I can’t think of anything... but since it’s such a special occasion, maybe we should wash our hair with rinsham?” “Yeah!” Maïne and I start was.h.i.+ng our hair with the rinsham I made. I didn’t used to wash it this much, but lately I guess I’ve started thinking that I need to keep myself looking nice. Even at a workshop, the only people who can talk to customers and show them around are people who make sure they’re dressed very neatly. “Hey, Maïne,” I say. “Today, they let me sit at the front desk for the first time!” “Wow, really? That’s great, Tuuli!” A while back, when I was grumbling to Maïne about how only pretty people got to meet with the customers at work, she said to me, “It’s because first impressions are vital when dealing with customers. It is absolutely something that merchants pay attention to. If you want to go from someone who only works in the back room making things to someone who gets to work publicly with customers, then you have to make sure to keep yourself clean, pay attention to your manners, and so on.” It was cautionary advice about a merchant’s viewpoint. She also said that I should make sure that my work clothes are nice enough that customers can see me in, and in order to make sure that they don’t get dirty I should wear an ap.r.o.n that even covers my sleeves. That way, if I have to talk to a customer, then I can take off the ap.r.o.n, and be wearing clean clothes. I took her advice to heart, and now I’m in a place where I can do work that involves talking to customers, too. She arrives as Maïne and I are in the middle of talking about what we’ve gotten done today as we carefully wash our hair. When she sees us drying our hair and thoroughly combing it out, her eyes widen slightly. “Oh my, you’re using rinsham? ...Does that mean...?” “Yep!” says Maïne. “Tomorrow, we get to go to Miss Corinna’s house.” Mom, when she hears this, immediately tells me and Maïne that we’re on dinner duty today and starts was.h.i.+ng her hair. Since we definitely understand that she wants to make herself as pretty as possible before meeting with Miss Corinna, Maïne and I just shrug at each other and give up our seats. “I’m going to wear the new summer dress you just finished making for me tomorrow,” I say to Mom. “Good idea. That’ll keep you cool, and you look good in it, too.” The cloth that we didn’t need to use to make Maïne’s dress has turned into a new summer dress for me, instead. Unlike Maïne, I’m actually growing healthily, so I’m always getting too big for my clothes really quickly. There wasn’t enough cloth to make the entire dress, so the skirt part was actually sewn together patchwork-style out of a few different colors of cloth in order to be long enough. It wound up looking like it’s decorative, so it looks really cute. It’s my favorite dress. I wonder if Miss Corinna is going to think it looks cute, too? The next day, the three of us leave the house fairly early, making sure that we’ll be able to get there in time even going at Maïne’s walking speed. As we pa.s.s through the central plaza and enter the north side of town, the clothes of the people around us start to get more colorful, and I start seeing people who are wearing clothes with lots of cloth. Since it’s rare for me to come to the north part of town, I look down self-consciously at my own clothes, wondering if I’m sticking out too much. When I look up at Mom, I see that she looks a little worried about how other people are looking at her too. Maïne, however, doesn’t look the least bit worried. In fact, she seems really energetic! She’s still really slow, though. “Miss Corinna’s house is right above Mister Benno’s shop,” she says. When she says that, it starts to make sense. Mom and I have only heard Maïne talk about these things. We haven’t seen them ourselves. Maïne, though, comes this way with Lutz a lot. There’s no way she’d be worried. “Oh no, how should I introduce myself?” says Mom. “You could start with ‘it’s nice to meet you’, right?” says Maïne. “Then maybe something like 'thank you for inviting us here’? And then when you meet Mister Benno and Mister Mark, you could say 'thank you for looking after my daughter’, I think.” Maïne immediately has an answer ready for our very stressed-out Mom. We don’t usually need to formally introduce ourselves, but maybe when working at the gates or at a shop, this is the kind of thing you need to be able to bring out immediately, I wonder? She didn’t hesitate at all. “Maïne, how about me? How do I introduce yourself?” “Just put on your cutest smile!” she says, beaming. “I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t be happy if you smile and say how much you’ve been looking forward to meeting them.” Mom and I start practicing our introductions as we walk. Maïne watches us, looking amused. Since she’s wearing her apprentice’s clothes, she really blends in here, unlike me and Mom. I suddenly feel like there’s a side of her that we don’t know about. It’s a strange, uncomfortable, almost frustrating sort of feeling. “Miss Corinna, h.e.l.lo~!” Maïne is completely unperturbed as she knocks on the door. Mom and I, on the other hand, are not. With every floor we pa.s.sed as we climbed the stairs, Mom started s.h.i.+vering more and more, and I couldn’t stop my legs from wobbling with every step. Wait a bit, Maïne! I’m still not ready! Before I have a chance to settle my nerves, the door opens. “Maïne, h.e.l.lo, come in!” says Corinna. She looks up at us. “You must be Maïne’s mother and sister. Welcome! I’m Corinna. Please, come in.” The door has opened to reveal a beautiful, charming woman. She is way younger and prettier than I even imagined. Her glossy, pale, cream-colored hair s.h.i.+nes like moonlight, and her thin, gentle eyes are a gray that gleams like silver as she looks at us with the kindest expression. Even though her colors are make her look almost ephemeral, she also has a really good figure. The parts of her that are supposed to stick out stick way out, and her waist is very narrow. Her body is the womanly ideal. “Miss Corinna, it’s nice to meet you,” says Mom. “My name is Eva; I’m Maïne’s mother. Thank you very much for inviting us here today.” Mom delivers her rehea.r.s.ed introduction, slightly bending her knees and lowering her chest in a small curtsey. I copy what she did, and introduce myself too. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Corinna! My name’s Tuuli. I’ve been really looking forward to coming here. I’m happy I get to meet you!” “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you as well. When I saw Maïne’s dress, even from far away, it stood out a lot to me. I thought I definitely had to see it up close. Sorry if I’m being a little selfish, calling you all the way out here.” Corinna’s gentle smile is infectious, and I can’t stop myself from smiling too. Her smile is as warm as a clear spring day. “Please, wait here for a moment. I’ll go get some tea ready.” The room that Miss Corinna brings us to looks like it’s a room that she uses for work, filled with embroidered cloth and samples of the clothing that she’s made. There’s so many decorations, this is a really wonderful-looking room. There’s a couple of tables in the room; one in the middle, that looks like it’s for talking, and one off to the side that looks like it’s for working. The table we’ve got in our kitchen that we use for literally everything doesn’t even come close. Aaaaaa!! This is so amazing~! Both Mom and me can’t keep our eyes off of all of the clothing set up around the room and the colorful tapestries hung up on the walls. I never thought that I’d ever see something this beautiful. I slowly spin around, taking it all in, one thing at a time. Every single thing is sewn neatly, colored brilliantly, richly decorated, and sewn into designs that are completely different from anything I’ve ever worn. I sigh in complete wonder, looking at these decorations. “So pretty...” I murmur. “how in the world do I learn how to make things like this? I’d never think to make any of these designs. Is it really just practice?” “Skill is very important, yeah,” says Maïne. “but if you want to come up ideas like those, looking at lots of good examples is just as important, too.” I wasn’t expecting her to say anything, so I turn to look at her. She seems tired, sitting all alone in her chair, legs lazily dangling as she looks at me with her golden eyes. “If you’re not paying attention to what rich people are wearing, what kind of fads and trends there are, and so on, then you won’t have any ideas like this. Miss Corinna was born into money, so she’s naturally surrounded by good examples. That’s why she knows about what’s good to make.” “So, then, it’s impossible for me?” I slump my shoulders, having been told that I can never get there no matter how hard I try. Maïne, though, shakes her head, saying “no, that’s not it.” “I know that going to the forest on your days off is still really important, but whenever you can, you should head past the central plaza and take a walk in the northern parts of town. There’s lots of rich people walking around there, and there’s lots of shops where those kinds of people shop, you know? Lots of different kinds of clothes on display. If you compare them, then you can figure out what kinds of colors and designs are fas.h.i.+onable right now, and use those as reference, I think.” On my days off, I’ve been going to the forest, but have never gone to the north part of town. I actually think I can count the number of times I’ve gone north past the central plaza on one hand. I hadn’t realized that going someplace where rich people are would be a good source of information about the kinds of things rich people liked to wear. “And then, the patterns on these tapestries and the flowers on this embroidery... this is all stuff you can find in the forest, you know? If you take a good look around you at things like that, when you have to come up with a design I’m sure you’ll think of something useful.” “...Okay. I’ll try that!” It looks like Maïne looks at this clothing and these decorations completely differently compared to me. I wonder if the difference between me, who was swept away by how pretty everything is, and her is the difference between a craftswoman and a merchant? I try to keep my feelings in check as I stare intently at Miss Corinna’s work, focusing on trying to find some sort of new technique that I can borrow, even how I am now. “Oh my, Tuuli,” says Miss Corinna, entering the room with a servant woman in tow. “I’m a little embarra.s.sed that you’re looking so closely.” “I never see clothes like this anywhere, so I don’t get any chance to look at them like this. I’m an apprentice seamstress, but they still don’t let me work on big things like clothing yet...” Lately, I’ve finally started to be given work to do on small accessories and st.i.tchery in places that won’t be noticed, but I’m still a long ways away from being able to make clothes all by myself. “Practicing the basics is very important! You need to be able to make a nice, straight st.i.tch if you want to make beautiful clothing.” “I’ll try my hardest! Um, Miss Corinna? How did you sew this part here?” “Oh, this? Well...” As the servant woman sets up some tea and sweets on the table, Miss Corinna explains a few things about the various pieces of clothing around the room. At some point, Mom joins in, listening along with me. Maïne is the only one left out, looking uninterested as she sits at the table. “Please, eat!” At Miss Corinna’s urging, I take a sip of tea. It’s amazing, completely unlike the tea we drink at home. It feels like the flavor’s spreading out all through my mouth. “This is really good!” “I’m glad that you like it,” says Miss Corinna, smiling sweetly. I glance at my family to see if they agree. Mom’s making a face that looks like she thinks it’s good, but can’t stop thinking about how much it costs, and Maïne has her eyes closed, entranced by the flavor. “Please, have some of this too.” Miss Corinna pushes a plate towards me, on which is a pastry made of a thin, bread-like dough topped with fruit and honey. I pick up a slice of it, then take a bite. Hmmm, it’s good, but compared to this I like the recipes that Maïne’s been teaching me even better. A little while ago, Maïne went to Frieda’s house to teach her a recipe, and came back with a bag of sugar in exchange. Then she started teaching me how to make all sorts of sweets I’d never even heard of, like “crepes”, “compote”, and “pseudo-cookies”. She even says that when it gets colder out she wants to make something called “pudding”, but it seems like it needs to be cooled so it won’t work during the summer. She also put some fruit, some sugar, and some alcohol in a pot and sealed it up. She says that she’s making something that’ll be full of summer flavor by the time winter comes around. I can’t wait! “This is delicious, and so sweet,” says Maïne, taking another bite. “I’m so envious that you can use so much honey on these...” Corinna smiles wryly. “If that’s how you feel, why don’t you buy some yourself? You’ve certainly made Benno bitter enough to afford it.” “I’m keeping my workshop’s funds separate from my own personal spending money.” After we finish eating, we immediately take out Maïne’s dress. Mom and Maïne show it to Miss Corinna, and they explain all the alterations that we made. Miss Corinna picks it up and looks over it carefully, inspecting the backs of the seams and rolling up the hems. “I never would have guessed this was an alteration,” she says. “It would have been much easier to make something from scratch,” agrees Maïne. As Maïne explains, Miss Corinna writes something on a little wooden board. She looks just like Maïne does when she’s writing on her slate or on her paper. I start to wonder if maybe I should learn how to read and write, too. Being able to write like that is actually kinda cool, I think. “And this is the hairpin, hm...” murmurs Miss Corinna, picking up the hairpin. The strands of small white flowers sway as she turns it over in her hands. “This is the first time I’ve seen anything like it.” “I made the big white one here,” I say, proudly. “Oh! It’s very beautiful, Tuuli,” she replies. Being praised by Miss Corinna makes my heart melt. She traces a pale fingertip along the flower. “This hairpin is really beautiful. ...I think I might want to make ones like these at my workshop; would that be alright?” She smiles, gently tilting her head. This is the most amazingly astounding thing that could possibly happen. I hadn’t even dreamed that Miss Corinna would like the hairpin so much that she’d want to make something like it herself! Overjoyed, I open my mouth, ready to say “Of course!!”, but before the words leave my mouth Maïne shakes her head. “There are terms,” she says. I absolutely can not believe that Maïne, after having finally been called all the way out to Miss Corinna’s house, would make demands! My eyes nearly pop out of my head. Maïne looks at me, raising her hand to calm me down. “These hairpins are our winter’s handiwork, one of our most important sources of income. We can’t just give away permission to anyone we want. No matter how much they say they want to make it, if they don’t buy the rights to do so, then that only hurts us.” Maïne’s words are like cold water thrown in my face. It’s true, these hairpins are a very, very good source of income for us. I suddenly remember just how much money we’d made last winter, and lose interest in stopping her. “Alright, then, please talk with my brother about that.” Miss Corinna rings a bell. The servant lady appears, and Miss Corinna tells her to go get her brother. Soon, I hear footsteps coming up the stairs. “Corinna, I got your message, what’s... Ah, you must be Maïne’s family? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Benno, Corinna’s older brother.” So, then, is this the Mister Benno that’s done so much for Maïne? His light, curly hair, the color of milk tea, frames his kind looking face and his reddish-brown eyes. The way he smiles so sociably makes him look very much like Miss Corinna, and his easy, friendly introduction leaves me with the impression that he’s a very good person. “I’m Eva, Maïne’s mother. Thank you for looking after my daughter.” “I’m Tuuli! h.e.l.lo.” My mother introduces herself, and I frantically follow suit. Mister Benno smiles broadly, nodding at the two of us in turn, then looks down at Maïne, quirking an eyebrow. “Maïne, what is it this time?” “A request from Miss Corinna. She wants the rights to make my hairpins. How much are you willing to buy them for?” “Business, then?” “Business, sir.” Benno nods, and his demeanor changes in a single, terrifying instant. As soon as a truly merchant-like expression appears on his face, the gentle air about him disappears entirely. With a thud, he sits down roughly in a chair across from Maïne, a fierce glint in his eyes as he stares at her. Maïne scoffs. “I certainly can’t sell it for that little. I’d rather take this to Freida instead.” Even though she is seated directly in front of Benno, who is giving off a terrifyingly menacing air, Maïne’s expression doesn’t flicker in the slightest bit as she turns down his offer like it’s the most obvious thing to do. Instead, she looks like she might even be a little gleeful when faced with this compet.i.tion. “We’ve already decided that the things Maïne’s Workshop makes would be sold through Lutz, haven’t we?” “The things Maïne’s Workshop makes, correct? That doesn’t include recipes or rights, you know?” Benno’s exasperated shout causes Mom and I, who are still seated at the same table as these two, to flinch back in shock. Maïne, however, just smiles sweetly, tilting her head curiously to the side. “Oh, speaking of which, Mister Benno! How much did you decide you’re selling rinsham for? I had a chat with Freida, and it seems that when it comes to the rights for a completely new product that has no other compet.i.tion, prices should start at no lower than a large gold coin, shouldn’t they? I think I might have been selling my ideas to you for very reasonable rates! Hee hee hee~...” I’d heard her talk about it before, but this is the first time I’ve seen Maïne working as a merchant. I know that hearing about it and seeing it are two entirely different things, but seeing her dealing evenly with such a terrifying adult is leaving me completely dumbfounded. What do I do? My little sister’s scary... At home, she’s always worn out, she gets sick whenever she tries to do any work, and she’s just as useless at helping around the house as she’s always been, so this is the first time I’ve seen her take such an active, prominent role in something. I’m honestly shocked. I know she’d been aiming to become an apprentice merchant at Mister Benno’s shop and gave it up because her health wouldn’t allow it, but I wonder if she’d really wanted to stick with it? This really seems to suit her. “This will take a while,” says Miss Corinna, standing up suddenly. “Please, come this way.” “Huh? ...Huh?” Corinna beckons us over to the table on the edge of the room. Mom and I exchange a look, then quietly stand up and follow her. I’m worried about Maïne, but even if we stayed with her, it really didn’t feel like there was anything we could do to help her. “My brother looks like he’s enjoying himself very much, so it’ll probably take a while,” she says quietly, looking at the other table. “...That said, I’m really impressed by Maïne, how she’s able to negotiate with my brother like that.” This is the first time I’ve ever realized how amazing Maïne can be. I’m her older sister, but I didn’t know anything about this until just now. “How about we leave the merchants’ talk to those two, and have our own discussion about sewing? Remind me, we’d been talking about how I shaped this skirt to drape like it does, right?” “Oh, yes! Please.” While the other table works their way through their haggling, a lively conversation about sewing grows at our table as we sip our tea. Miss Corinna kindly explains to us a lot about the kinds of styles and decorations that are currently in fas.h.i.+on with the n.o.bility. It seems like there are a lot of different methods for sewing things, because she’s mentioning names of things that, even when I hear them clearly, don’t bring to mind anything that would help change the shape of a skirt. These are words that I would never hear at the workshop, no matter how much I talked with coworkers, and Miss Corinna is mentioning them one right after the others. “What’s that there?” Whenever I have a question, Miss Corinna kindly answers it for me. I’m happy, but I’m also feeling a little ashamed. I’ve been working as an apprentice for a whole year now. I didn’t think that I had so much left to learn. I’m fully realizing that just asking questions isn’t going to be enough. If I don’t put a lot of effort into practice and study, I’m never going to get to make any clothes for the customers. “This is a kind of dress that is only just starting to come into fas.h.i.+on,” she says, gesturing at a dress that’s shown promptly in the center of a display. It looks like the kind of dress that a n.o.blewoman would wear to a fancy tea party. The cloth is glossy, the thread is fine, and the embroidery added here and there is simply splendid, and I can’t help but sigh in admiration. “It’s lovely,” I say. “But, I can’t believe that you’d need a whole dress just for one use. It seems like it’s a huge waste of money to me...” “Ah, you might be right. But think about it this way: when we sleep, when we go out, when we do dirty work... we have different kinds of clothes for different kinds of situations, don’t we? When you have more money, then the situations you need different clothes for get more and more specific.” “Huh...” Suddenly, there’s a loud clatter from the other table, as if someone had stood up very forcefully. When I look over in shock, I see that both Maïne and Mister Benno have stood up and are staring right at each other, with only the table providing any separation between them. “You’re not the slightest bit cute anymore, girl.” “It’s all thanks to your training, sir.” “Hmph, maybe I gave you too much advice...” “Ah, but making sure you gather information from several sources so that you can be as accurate as possible is one of the fundamental principles of being a merchant, isn’t it?” The two of them shake hands, exchanging rueful smiles. It somehow feels like there is something dark lurking behind each of them that they’re keeping restrained. Yep, I don’t think I could ever be a merchant, is the only thought that crosses my mind when I look at the two of them. Maïne glances restlessly around the room, looking for us. When she spots us, she rushes over. “We made a deal,” she says as she gets closer, “so Mom, please teach Miss Corinna how to make the hairpins.” She grabs a cup of tea, which has grown cold by now, thanking Miss Corinna for bringing it out. “Ahh... my throat got really dry.” “Good work,” says Corinna. “May I ask, how much did you settle on? I’ll be deciding how much I sell them for based on that.” Maïne glances nervously at me and Mom, then quickly holds up a few fingers for Miss Corinna to see. Miss Corinna gasps slightly as she looks at Maïne’s outstretched fingers. This must be some sort of merchant-specific sign, I think. I can’t help but get a little annoyed, since I have no idea what it actually means. “We’ve decided that you’ll make hairpins at your workshop for one year, and during that time you’ll have a total monopoly on selling them.” “Even still, I’m impressed that you managed to get that much out of my brother.” Corinna really does seem impressed when she looks at Maïne. It seems like that finger sign translates to a particular amount of money. “Hey, Maïne,” I say. “How much is that?” I’m legitimately curious as to how much the rights to make these hairpins might actually cost. When I ask, though, Maïne suddenly looks extremely troubled. She glances at Mom, then at Miss Corinna, then lets out a quiet moan. “You can’t say how much?” “I mean, it’s a perfectly reasonable price...” she says. “It’s not like I can’t say it, but I really don’t want to...” I keep pestering her, despite how pained she’s sounding. Eventually, she gives in, not even bothering to hide how reluctant she’s feeling. “...One large and seven small gold coins,” she mutters. “What?! Did you say gold coins?!” I’d thought that it was going to be expensive, but I’d been thinking that it was going to be a couple big silver coins. I was off by two entire digits, and the shock of it crashes into my brain like a bullet. My jaw drops, and Mom’s eyes nearly bulge out of her skull. “It sounds like a lot of money,” she says, frantically waving her hands, “but it really is a fair price for selling the rights to something. I mean, this was Mister Benno. I really didn’t rip him off! Also, these funds are for Maïne’s Workshop, so it’s not like this is my own money!” No matter how desperately she’s chucking out excuse after excuse, I can’t believe at all that Maïne could have so calmly been dealing with a pile of money that huge. I mean, these are large gold coins, right? It doesn’t matter that she’s insisting it’s not her own money, but just how much does she have?! Is she secretly really amazing?! Wouldn’t it be way better for her to be in business instead of going to the temple? As I sit there, overwhelmed by the realization that not only do I have a long, long way to go with my sewing, but also that my little sister is actually amazing, our visit to Miss Corinna’s house comes to a close.

わたしはトゥーリ、8歳。 妹のマインが神殿に巫女見習いとして通うことが決まって、安心したばかり。身食いで死ぬこともなくなったし、灰色巫女として孤児院に放り込まれることもなくなったみたい。いつ、マインがいなくなるのかって怯えていたけど、それがなくなったのがホントに嬉しい。 父さんと母さんが神殿に呼ばれた次の日、マインはベンノさんのお店に神官長対策の相談に行っていた。ついでに、コリンナ様と会う日を決めてくるって、言って出かけた。 あぁ、楽しみ~。ウチのマインは姉思いの良い子! コリンナ様のお家に行ったこと、工房の仲間に自慢しちゃうんだ。うふふ。 コリンナ様は成人した頃から自分の工房を持っていて、お貴族様からの注文まで受けて衣装を作っているくらいすごい人。わたしのような針子見習いにとっては、あの青いお空よりずっと遠い存在で、いつかあんな風になりたいなぁ、と思う憧れの人なの。 素敵な旦那様に熱烈な求婚を受けたことも、吟遊詩人の物語のように針子仲間の間では伝えられているんだよ。コリンナ様のために商人である自分を捨て、今まで築き上げてきた財産を捨て、求婚したという噂で、とても愛されていて、大事にされているコリンナ様は女の子にとって理想の固まりなの。 コリンナ様って、どんな人なんだろう? マインは優しくて綺麗な人だよって言ってたけど。 少し急いで帰ってきたのだろうか、息を弾ませてマインが玄関に飛び込んできた。満面の笑顔でそう言った後、マインはその場にへたりこむ。 「マイン!?」 「うっ......、トゥーリに早く教えてあげたくて、頑張りすぎたかな? ごめんね」 「明日行けなくなる方が困るよ。ちょっと座って休んでて」 マインは色々な事に挑戦して、少しずつ体力も付けているけれど、全然強くならないし、大きくならない。いつまでたっても4歳くらいにしか見えないので、心配で仕方ない。 同い年のルッツと並んでも兄妹にしか見えないし、最近では森に行く時に2つも年下の子に世話を焼かれたと、どんよりと落ち込んでいた。 自分で作ったお気に入りのバッグに、丁寧に畳んで汚れないように布で包んだ晴れ着と髪飾りと細いかぎ針を入れていく。明日の準備だと気付いて、わたしはマインに尋ねた。 「マイン、わたしは? 何を準備したらいい?」 「うーん、特にないけど......せっかくだから、リンシャンで綺麗にして行こうか?」 「うん!」 わたしが作ったリンシャンで、マインと髪の洗いっこをする。前はこんなに頻繁に洗わなかったけれど、最近は身綺麗にしないといけないと思うようになってきた。 「あのね、マイン。わたし、今日ね、初めて案内係を任されたんだよ」 「本当に? よかったね、トゥーリ」 いつだったか、マインに綺麗な人しかお客様と顔を合わせる仕事が回ってこないと不満を言ったら、「お客様相手の商売は第一印象が大事なんだよ。商人なら当然気を付けることだから。作るだけの裏方ならともかく、お客に顔を売りたいんだったら、トゥーリも汚れや恰好には気をつけた方が良いよ」と商人視点で注意された。 他にも、お客さんに見られても良い仕事着にして、汚したくないなら袖までついたエプロンをしておくといいよ、とも言われた。案内する前に外せば、綺麗な仕事着になるよ、と。 今日の出来事をお互いに話しながら、丁寧に髪を拭っていると、母さんが帰ってきた。わたしが髪を拭ったり、櫛で梳いたりしているのを見て、軽く目を見張る。 「あら、リンシャンを使っているの?......もしかして?」 「うん。明日、コリンナさんのところに行くことになったから」 マインの言葉を聞いた母さんは、料理番をわたし達に押し付けて真剣な眼差しで熱心に髪を洗い始める。コリンナ様に会う前に、できるだけ綺麗にしたい気持ちはとってもよくわかるので、わたしとマインは肩を竦めて交代してあげることにした。 「明日は作ってもらったばかりの新しい夏服で行くんだ」 「いいね。あれ、涼しそうで可愛いもん」 マインの晴れ着を作らなくて余った布は、わたしの夏服になった。マインと違って成長が早いわたしは、あっという間に服が着られなくなってしまうのだ。 わたしの服にするには布が足りなかったので、スカートの裾の部分だけパッチワークのようにいくつかの種類の布を縫い合わせて長さが足されている。それが飾りのようで、結構可愛くて、お気に入り。 コリンナ様も可愛いって思ってくれるかな? 中央広場を越えて北側に向かうと、行き交う人の服が色彩豊かになってきて、布もたっぷり使っている人達が出てき始める。北側に来ることなんて滅多にないので、わたしは自分の服を見下ろして、周りから浮いていないか心配になった。 「コリンナさんの家はね、ベンノさんのお店の上なんだよ」 そう言われて気が付いた。毎日の出来事をウチで聞いているだけだから、実感はなかったけれど、マインはルッツと一緒に日常的にこの辺りを歩いている。緊張するわけがなかった。 「あぁ、何て挨拶すればいいかしら?」 「まずは、初めまして、でしょ? あとは、お招きありがとうございます、とか? 娘がお世話になってますは、ベンノさんやマルクさん向きだね」 緊張している母さんにマインはさらっと答えを返す。わたし達が普段使わない挨拶なのに、すぐに出てくるということは門やお店で覚えたものだろうか。一切の迷いがない。 「マイン、わたしは? 何て挨拶すればいい?」 「トゥーリは可愛く笑っていればいいよ。楽しみにしてましたって、トゥーリに言われて喜ばない人なんていないから」 わたしと母さんは挨拶の言葉を練習しながら歩く。楽しそうにわたし達を見ながら、見習い服を着て歩くマインは、わたしと違ってこの辺りに馴染んでいる。 「コリンナさん、こんにちは~」 階段を一段上る度に緊張が高まってブルブル震えている母さんと足がカクカク動くわたしと違って、マインは慣れた様子でドアを叩く。 ちょっと待って。まだ心の準備が! 「いらっしゃい、マインちゃん。ようこそ、マインちゃんのお母様とお姉様。コリンナです。どうぞ入ってください」 月の光を集めたような淡いクリーム色の髪は艶々で、柔らかく細められた銀色のような灰色のような瞳はとても優しそうに見える。全体に色彩が淡くて儚げに見えるのに、とてもスタイルがよくて、出るところがグッと出て、腰回りはキュッとくびれている理想的なスタイルだった。 「コリンナ様、初めまして。わたしはマインの母、エーファと申します。本日はお招きありがとうございます」 母さんがさっき練習していた挨拶を、軽く膝を曲げて腰を少し落とすようにして口にする。わたしも母さんの真似をしながら、挨拶した。 「初めまして、コリンナ様。わたしはトゥーリです。とても楽しみにしてました。会えて嬉しいです」 「わたしも楽しみだったの。マインちゃんの晴れ着は遠目から見てもとても目立っていて素敵だったから、ぜひ見せていただきたくて。我儘を言って、ごめんなさいね」 コリンナ様のおっとりとした笑顔につられて、わたしも一緒に笑ってしまう。春の日差しのように温かい笑顔だ。 「こちらで待っていてくださいな。お茶を準備させますから」 コリンナ様に通された部屋は、お仕事をする部屋でもあるようで、綺麗な刺繍をされた布やコリンナ様の作った見本の服がたくさんあった。飾りがたくさんある、とても豪華な部屋だ。話をするためのテーブルと奥の方におそらく作業をするためのテーブルの2つがある。台所で全部済ませるウチとは比べ物にならない。 きゃあ! 素敵~! わたしと母さんは壁際に飾られている服や色とりどりのタペストリーに目が釘付けになる。こんなに綺麗なものを見られるなんて思っていなかった。 「綺麗......。どうしたら、こんな服が作れるようになるんだろう? わたしには全然思いつかないよ。やっぱり練習かな?」 「技術も大事だけど、思いつくためには良い物をいっぱい見るのも大事だよ」 疲れた様子で一人だけ席について、足をブラブラとさせながら、マインが金色の目をこちらに向けた。思わぬ言葉にわたしはくるりと振り向く。 「お金持ちの人達がどんな服を好むのか、今の流行はどんなものか、よく観察しなきゃ思いつかないってこと。コリンナさんは生まれがお金持ちだから、自然と良い物に囲まれてた。だから、良い物がよくわかるんだよ」 「それじゃあ、わたしには無理ってこと?」 努力しても無駄だと言われたような気がして肩を落とすと、マインが「違うよ」と言いながら、ふるふると首を振った。 「お仕事が休みの日に森へ行くのも大事かもしれないけど、できれば、中央広場から北に向かって散歩してみるといいよ。お金持ちが歩いているし、そういう人が使う店もいっぱい並んでるでしょ? 色々な服の人がいるから。見比べたり、流行している色やデザインを調べたりしてみると参考になると思う」 休みの日に森へ行くことはあっても、北に行くことはなかった。片手で数えられる程度しか、わたしは中央広場より北に行ったことはない。お金持ちのいるところに行けば、お金持ちの間で流行していることについて得られる情報がある。そんなことにも気付かなかった。 「あとはね、こういうタペストリーの模様やこの刺繍の花って、森で採れる物でしょ? こういうのもよく見ておくと、デザインを考える時には役に立つよ」 「......わかった。やってみる」 マインはわたしと全く違う見方で服や飾りを見ているみたいだ。綺麗だと浮かれているわたしとマインの差は職人と商人の違いだろうか。 コリンナ様がそう言いながら、下働きの女性を伴って部屋に入ってきた。 「わたしが見ないタイプの服だから、とても珍しいんです。針子見習いをしているけれど、服のように大きい物はまだ任せてもらえないし......」 最近、やっと商品の中でも小物の目立たないところを縫わせてもらえるようになってきたけれど、自分で服を縫うなんてまだまだ先の話だ。 「基礎の練習は大事よ。縫い目を揃えて丁寧に縫えなければ、綺麗な服にはならないもの」 「頑張ります。あの、コリンナ様。この部分ってどうやって縫いつけているんですか?」 「これはね......」 下働きの女性がお茶とお菓子を持ってきてテーブルに準備している間、コリンナ様はそれぞれの服について解説してくれた。いつの間にか母さんも寄ってきて、一緒に聞いている。マインだけはそれほど興味もないようにテーブルに座ったままだった。 「どうぞ、召し上がれ」 コリンナ様に勧められて、お茶を一口飲んだ。ウチのお茶と違って香りがすごい。口の中にぶわっと広がっていくようだ。 「おいしい!」 わたしの声にコリンナ様がニコリと微笑む。家族に同意を求めようと隣を見ると、母さんはおいしいけれど、値段が気になって仕方なさそうな顔をしていて、マインは軽く目を閉じてうっとりとした表情で味わっていた。 「こちらもどうぞ」 薄く焼いたパンのような生地の上に、果物と蜂蜜がかかっているお菓子の皿をそっと押し出してくれる。わたしは切り分けられている一つを手に取って、口に入れた。 うーん、おいしいけど、これだったらマインが教えてくれたお菓子の方がおいしいな。 マインはこの間フリーダちゃんのところで料理の作り方を教えて、代わりに砂糖をもらってきた。そして、クレープとか、コンポートとか、クッキーモドキとか、わたしが知らないお菓子を教えてくれて一緒に作っている。 「甘くておいしいです。やっぱり蜂蜜をたっぷり使えるのが羨ましいなぁ」 マインがお菓子を食べながらそう言うと、コリンナ様が苦笑した。 「その気になれば、買えるでしょう? ベンノ兄さんが苦い顔をしていたわよ」 「お小遣いと工房のお金は別なんです」 お菓子を食べた後は、早速晴れ着を広げ始めた。母さんとマインが晴れ着を見せて、お直しのやり方を説明する。コリンナ様は晴れ着を手に取って、じっくりと眺め、ひっくり返したり、裾を捲ったりしながら、観察している。 「こんなお直しをするなんて驚いたわ」 「一から縫い直すより、よほど簡単なんですよ」 マインの説明を聞きながら、コリンナ様は木札に何やら書きこんでいく。マインがよく石板や紙に書きこんでいる姿と同じに見えた。何となくわたしも文字を覚えた方がいいのかな、という気分になる。その方が何かカッコイイ気がした。 コリンナ様がそう呟きながらマインの髪飾りを手に取った。白い小さな花がゆらゆらと揺れる。 「この白い大きいほうの花はわたしが作ったの」 「そう。とても綺麗にできているわ、トゥーリ」 コリンナ様に褒められて、わたしはへにゃっと相好を崩す。白い指先が花をなぞっていく。 「この髪飾り、とっても素敵ね。......わたしの工房で注文を取って作りたいと思うのだけれど、いいかしら?」 まさかコリンナ様の工房で作ろうと思うほど気に入ってもらえるとは思っていなくて、わたしは感動と感激に包まれる。パァッと明るい気分になって「もちろんです!」とわたしが言おうとしたら、それより先にマインが首を振った。 「条件次第ですね」 せっかくのコリンナ様からの申し出に条件を付けるマインが信じられなくて、わたしはぎょっと目を剥いたが、マインはスッと手を上げてわたしを制した。 「髪飾りは大事な冬の手仕事で、収入源なので、ほいほい許可は出せません。どうしても作りたいというなら、権利を買っていただかないと、こちらとしては困ります」 マインの言葉に頭がさっと冷えた。確かに、髪飾りはとても大きな収入源だ。冬の間にがっつりと稼いだわたしは、もうマインを止めようと思えなくなった。 「では、ベンノ兄さんとお話してくださいな」 コリンナ様がベルを鳴らすと、下働きの女性が現れて、ベンノさんを呼びに行ってくれた。すぐに階段を上がってくる足音が聞こえ始めた。 「コリンナ、呼ばれたようだが、何が......。あぁ、マインのご家族か。初めまして。コリンナの兄のベンノです」 これが、マインがお世話になっているベンノさんか。 ミルクティーのような淡い色の癖毛に優しげな容貌で、赤褐色の瞳をしている。人当たりの良いベンノさんの笑顔はコリンナ様とも似ている感じで、最初の挨拶ではにこやかで良い人そうな印象を持った。 「マインの母、エーファです。娘がいつもお世話になっています」 「トゥーリです。こんにちは」 挨拶をする母さんに続いて、わたしも慌てて挨拶する。ニッコリと笑ったまま、軽く頷いてくれたベンノさんは、マインを見下ろして軽く眉を上げた。 「マイン、今度は何だ?」 「コリンナさんから依頼がありました。髪飾りの権利が欲しいそうです。いくらで買っていただけます?」 「商談か?」 「商談です」 ふむ、と一つ頷いたベンノさんの表情がいきなり変わって怖くなった。商売人の顔になった瞬間にガラッと雰囲気が変わった。どさっと乱雑な動作で椅子に座り、ギラリと光る目でマインを見据える。 「そんな金額では売れませんって。フリーダに売った方がマシです」 横で見ていても怖い雰囲気のベンノさんを、マインは全く表情を変えることなく、当たり前のこととして受け止めている。むしろ、嬉々として張り合っているように見える。 「マイン工房で作った物はルッツが売ることになっているはずだろう?」 「マイン工房で作った物は、ですよね? 権利やレシピは含まれてませんよ?」 激昂したように怒鳴るベンノさんの迫力に、同じテーブルについているわたしと母さんがビクッとしたのに、マインはニッコリと笑って首を傾げただけだった。 「そういえば、ベンノさん。リンシャンって結局いくらで売ってるんですか? フリーダが言ってたけど、他にはない新しい物の権利を売る時って、大金貨から、が相場なんですって? 今までずいぶん格安でお譲りしていたみたいですよね。うふふ~」 話には聞いていたけど、初めてマインが商売人をしているところを見た。見ると聞くでは大違いというか、こんな雰囲気の中で怖い大人とやり合うマインに度肝を抜かれる。 どうしよう、ウチの妹が怖い。 家ではでろでろしてて、動いたらすぐに熱を出すし、お手伝いも相変わらず役に立たないのに、マインがこんな風に活躍している場面を初めて見た。正直ビックリだ。 「長引きそうだから、こちらへいらっしゃい」 「え? え?」 わたしと母さんは顔を見合わせた後、そっと立ち上がってコリンナ様の後を追った。マインが心配だけれど、ここにいてもわたし達が立ち入ることができるような雰囲気ではない。 「ベンノ兄さん、とっても楽しそうだから、長くなりそう。......それにしても、マインちゃんはすごいわね。あの兄さんと商売の話ができるなんて」 わたし、マインのお姉ちゃんなのに、知らなかったな。 「商売のお話はあちらに任せて、こちらはお裁縫のお話をしましょうか。さっき、スカートの形について話をしていたでしょう?」 「はい! お願いします」 縫い方にも色々種類があるようで、パッと名前を聞いてもどんな形のスカートなのかすぐに思い浮かばない。工房の見習い仲間と話をしていても全く出てこない裁縫の言葉がコリンナ様の話には次々と出てくる。 「それって、何ですか?」 見習い仕事を始めて一年たつのに、これほど自分が物を知らないとは思わなかった。話を聞いているだけで裁縫について勉強不足だな、と痛感した。もっと練習して勉強しないと、お客様に服作りを任されることはないと思う。 「今流行し始めたドレスの形がこれよ」 コリンナ様がそう言って、特別に作っている最中のドレスを見せてくれた。お貴族様のお茶会用のドレスらしい。生地の艶や糸の細さ、ところどころに刺された刺繍の見事さに感嘆の溜息を吐く。 「とっても素敵です。でも、用途ごとにドレスが決まっているなんて信じられない。わたしには無駄遣いにしか思えないなぁ」 「えぇ、そうね。でも、わたし達も寝る時、外に出かける時、汚れ作業をする時、全部違う服を着るでしょう? お金があるからそれがさらに細かく分けられているだけなの」 「へぇ......」 驚いて視線を向けるとベンノさんとマインが二人とも立ち上がって、テーブルから少し離れたところで向かい合うのが見える。 「お前、可愛げがなくなったぞ」 「それもこれもベンノさんの教育の賜物ですね」 「ったく、余計な入れ知恵されやがって......」 「複数ルートから情報を仕入れて、情報の精度を上げるのは商人の基本なんですよね?」 そんなことを言いながら、二人は何かいっぱい含むところがあるような笑顔で握手を交わしている。何となく二人の背後から黒い物が出てきて牽制し合っているような気がした。 うん、わたしは絶対に商人にはなれないな。 二人のやり取りを見てそう思っていると、きょろきょろとしたマインがわたし達を見つけて、駆け寄ってきた。 「決着付いたから、コリンナさんに髪飾りの作り方教えてあげて、母さん」 そう言いながら、マインがこちらのテーブルへとやってくる。コリンナ様が準備してくれた冷たいお茶にマインはお礼を言って手を伸ばした。 「ハァ、喉乾いちゃった」 「お疲れ様。結局いくらで決着がついたのかしら? それによって、こちらの値段設定もあるの」 マインが母さんとわたしをちらりと見た後、パッと指をいくつか立てて、コリンナ様に見せた。コリンナ様が小さく息を呑んで、その指を見つめる。 「コリンナさんの工房の一部で、一年中髪飾りを作らせるらしいです。そして、独占販売するって言ってました」 「それにしても、よくベンノ兄さんからそれだけもぎ取ったわね」 感心したようにコリンナ様がマインを見た。指の動きは予想通り金額を示していたらしい。 「ねぇ、マイン。いくらなの?」 髪飾りの権利というものが一体どれくらいの金額になるのか興味があって、わたしはマインに聞いてみる。マインはものすごく困った顔でわたしを見て、母さんを見て、コリンナ様を見て、う~っと小さく唸った。 「言えないような金額なの?」 「適正価格だし、言えなくはないけど、言いたくない......」 歯切れの悪い口調でそう言うマインに何度か「教えて」とねだると、マインは渋々という表情を隠さずに、小さくボソッと呟いた。 「......大金貨1枚と小金貨7枚」 「え!? 金貨って言った?」 高くても大銀貨くらいだと思っていたわたしは、あまりに桁違いの金額にガツンと力いっぱい頭を殴られたような衝撃を受けた。ひくっと口元が引きつる。母さんもぎょっとした顔でマインを見ていた。 「すごい金額に聞こえるけど、権利の譲度として考えると適正価格だからね。ベンノさんじゃあるまいし、ぼったくりなんて、わたし、してないから。それに、これはマイン工房のお金で、わたしの個人的なお小遣いじゃないんだよ」 バタバタと手を振りながら、マインは必死に次々と言葉を連ねて言い訳をしているけれど、そんな大金を平然とやり取りできるマインの神経がわたしには理解できない。 だって、大金貨だよ? 個人的なお金じゃないって言うけど、マインって一体いくら持ってるの!? 自分の不勉強さと裁縫の奥深さと妹のすごさ......色々なことに圧倒されて、お宅訪問は終わった。

My name is Ilse. I’m the house cook for the guildmaster of the merchant’s guild. Hm? Didn’t anyone tell you it was rude to ask a woman how old she it? I set myself on the path to becoming a cook from a very early age. This was the most natural outcome for me, since my parents ran a restaurant when I was growing up. When I was very little, they just had a little food cart, but as I grew I watched them get set up in a small shop right inside the eastern gates. Because of all of the training they gave me, even before I started my apprentices.h.i.+p I already knew how to cook and had a much better grasp of finances than the other pre-baptized children. After my baptism, I apprenticed at a shop belonging to some acquaintances of my parents, and I quickly started absorbing as many new recipes as I could. Learning made me so happy, so I memorized every recipe I was taught, watched the other cooks around me to steal their recipes, and spent long hours seeing if I could make them even better than they already were. As I bounced around from shop to shop, I got better to the point that people started telling me that maybe I should be working for the n.o.bility. My parents objected, saying that there was a chance I’d never be able to come back home if I did that, but I brushed them off and went to work for a n.o.ble house. It’s only natural, right? How could I possibly pa.s.s up the opportunity to learn the kinds of recipes that are prepared for the n.o.bility? I was put to work as the lowest of prep cooks, charged with doing the menial ingredient preparation and was.h.i.+ng the dishes. There, I quickly started stealing the techniques of the head chef. I learned that the ingredients and seasonings used in the n.o.bility’s food are enormously different compared to what the rest of us eat. Even the plates they eat off of are more extravagant than anything you would see in any restaurant in the city. I spent every day studying every single detail. However, that only lasted a few short years. No matter how hard I pursued my studies, I reached a point where I just couldn’t climb any higher through the ranks. After all, it’s not skill that you need to rise to prominence in a n.o.ble house. It’s your lineage and your connections. My grumblings about this reached the ears of the guildmaster of the merchant’s guild. He’d been out looking to a head chef to hire away from their position to work at his house, but when he heard about my skill and the fact that I was at a dead end in my career he offered to hire me. He told me that his granddaughter would be going to the n.o.bles’ quarter when she grew up, and he wanted me to make for her the kinds of food that the n.o.bility eat. He didn’t want her to face any hards.h.i.+ps when she eventually left to go live there all by herself, he said. I accepted on the spot. My chance to demonstrate my true skills as head chef had finally come around. On top of that, this was at the home of the guildmaster of the merchants’ guild, who had more money than even some of the lesser n.o.bility! He made sure that the kitchen was furnished with the same equipment you’d find in a n.o.bleman’s kitchen, and arranged for me to have access to the same ingredients and seasonings. This job had me doing exactly what any cook would dream of, in the perfect works.p.a.ce. And, in order to make full use of this ideal environment, I have spent every day exercising my skill to my utmost. I have never before had a life more enjoyable and fulfilling than this. I had utmost confidence in my skills. I took great pride in all of the recipes I’d gathered throughout my career. Yes. Until Maïne came cras.h.i.+ng in. That was a shock. Sugar is an ingredient that had only recently been introduced to this region from Central, and, even though this is the guildmaster’s house, had only just become available to me here. There is no way that anyone here could have had time to establish any sort of culinary principles around its use. I’d been thinking up a variety of possible uses for it, but hadn’t yet had enough time to do any proper experimentation with it. Despite this, Maïne immediately produced desserts with it as if she’d been using it every day in her life. She lacked the physical strength and stamina to make anything herself, so the actual cooking was done entirely by me, but she gave me instructions in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if she hadn’t known a recipe. The “pound cake” that we baked was a fluffy, moist dessert with a refined taste. The way it seemed to melt in my mouth was unlike any recipe I had ever encountered before. That’s right, even in my time cooking for the n.o.bility. However, the girl who taught the young Miss Freida this recipe is a commoner, the daughter of a soldier and a dyer. She does not live in a situation where she should have easy access to luxury goods like sweets. The only source of sweet things in her diet should be the fruits and berries that she can find in the forest. Where in the world did she learn this recipe? After that day, I started experimenting with the pound cake recipe that she’d taught me. I experimented with how much froth I whipped into the batter, how hot I kept the oven, how long I baked it for, and so on. After countless variations, I created what I thought was the ultimate masterpiece, the finest cake I could make with all of my skill. It was so good that even Miss Freida started wondering if this was something that could be sold to the n.o.bility. She said that she wanted to have Maïne sample it, say how delicious it is, and sell us the rights to it. Maïne has the devouring, she said, and is looking for connections with the n.o.bility. Miss Freida thought that she could offer to introduce Maïne to a n.o.ble who would give her favorable conditions in exchange for the rights to the pound cake. However, despite Miss Freida’s scheme, Maïne didn’t show her face at all, even as summer grew closer. Miss Freida took drastic measures to bring her here, only to have her refuse the offer with the calm of a girl who didn’t actually realize her life was running out. “Welcome, Maïne,“ I said. "Glad you could make it. I baked some pound cake today, and I’d love to hear what you think of it.” After taking a bite of the pound cake that I had improved again and again, she offered a plan to improve it further in exchange for a bag of sugar. “If you grate ferigine peel and add it to the batter, that’ll change both the smell and the taste, and it’ll still be delicious. You could add other things, too, and those will change the flavor as well. As for what exactly to put in and exactly how much, please do some experimentation on your own. I’ll tell you this as a bonus, too: if you’re going to bring this out to serve to n.o.bles, then you could thoroughly whip heavy cream and make a fringe around the edge of the cake, then decorate it with fruit to make it look really extravagant,” she said. Now, I grip my bowl tightly, beating together batter for a pound cake with ferigine peel mixed in. I have no doubt about it: Maïne, who can so immediately spit out ideas for improvements, must know more recipes. I want them. I want those new recipes. I want the recipes that Maïne knows. "Ilse, Ilse! I brought Maïne!” Miss Freida opens the kitchen door and rushes in with a huge smile on her face. Ever since she’d decided that she was going to be throwing a tasting party, she’s been unusually energetic. She’s roped the entire family into this and is pulling out all of the stops to make this a success. Since she had been very weak ever since she was born, when I first started working here I noticed that she spent the majority of her time in her room. Now, though, it’s difficult to imagine that the Miss Freida in front of me is the same girl who enjoyed spending all day shut in her enormous room, counting money. She’s changed so much, ever since she met Maïne. Now, she’s been burning with a desire to become a better merchant than Benno, who has been quickly ama.s.sing clout in this town as of late, and lure Maïne over to work for her. Miss Freida, of course, is the kind of girl who drags her entire family into whatever she gets excited about. “Now then,” she says to Maïne, “these are the things you suggested might appeal to kids. What do you think?” She leads her over to a table in the corner and starts setting out small slices of the cakes that I’ve made. It seems that she’s brought her over today to ask her questions about the tasting party. Maïne glances around the table as she answers the question. “Well, commoner kids won’t be able to afford it, but merchant kids would probably be able to tell how much it’s worth, and they’d probably have enough money to actually buy it, right? And if they’re around apprentice age, then they should be able to read... Actually, most importantly, when someone grows up, they never forget the kinds of food that they liked when they were kids.” Freida seems to be taking all this in stride, but this is very strange to me. Maïne, thanks to her devouring, has been slow to mature, so it’s difficult to see her as anything but a very young, unbaptized little girl. Despite that, she’s making some very adult comments, isn’t she? “And then also, when you’re selling the pound cake, instead of selling the entire cake, you could maybe just sell slices. You’d be able to sell those for less, and increase the number of actual sales, I think. You’d get people wanting to share a slice with their sweethearts, or maybe give them to their kids to congratulate them for their baptisms, and so on...” “I’ve been planning to start by selling these among the n.o.bility,” replies Freida, “as a high-cla.s.s dessert.” Miss Freida, who owns monopoly sale rights, wants to price it as high as she possibly can. Maïne wants to lower the price a little so that it can be sold to many more people. Even though these two girls are the same age and trying to sell the same thing, they have two entirely different schools of thought about it. “I get that you’re trying to get as much as you can out of your monopoly, but these are sweets. I think it’s a better idea to try to make it really popular so you can get a lot of customers...” “My monopoly lasts for just one year. Why would I want it to be popular after my year is up? I’d prefer to sell it exclusively to the n.o.bility for that year and try to price it as high as I possibly can.” “Hmm. Well, in that case, if you use seasonal fruits, then you’ll be able to offer new flavors each season. Making little differences like that will keep your regular customers happy.” Seasonal flavors, she says? My ears immediately pick up on her offhanded remarks. As different seasonal fruits flash across my mind, I c.o.c.k my head curiously. “There’s no seasonal fruits in winter, right? What would we use then?” “Paru is a winter fruit, isn’t it? Also, you could use ‘rumtopf’—” Maïne’s eyes go wide and she snaps her mouth shut mid-sentence. The silence hangs awkwardly in the air, and I raise my eyebrows at her. She glances nervously around the room, then crosses her fingers together in front of her mouth. “...Any more will cost you.” From the awkward face she’s making, it seems like she’s finally realized that her mind tends to wander off in a conversation and leaves her to thoughtlessly leak valuable information. Freida chuckles. “How much might it cost, then? I’ve already set aside quite a bit of money so that I can make sure to pay you for your knowledge.” Maïne, when paid a price she thinks is fair for her information, often throws in extra knowledge on top of that as a freebie. Miss Freida says that, rather than being stingy with our profits and trying to cheat her, giving her an actually fair price and building a solid, friendly relations.h.i.+p of mutual trust is better for us in the long run. It was a little astonis.h.i.+ng to hear her say that, since she’d previously been of the belief that the fundamental nature of merchants was that of deceit. “Umm, well, what I’m calling 'rumtopf’ is really just a way to pickle fruit in rum. It takes time for it to get tasty enough for that, but by winter you should have something you can use in a pound cake.” “How does five large silver coins sound for that?” If it’s just pickling fruit in rum, then the rest is just a matter of trial and error. I start thinking of ways I could still make things work if, in the worst case, negotiations fall through completely, but then Maïne glances at the bag of sugar. “...Since sugar really isn’t on the market here, then that means that it’ll be hard for anyone else to make or use 'rumtopf’, isn’t it?” Looks like this pickling process uses sugar, too. In that case, it’s probably worth asking her. Sugar-based cuisine is still very much in the experimental stages, and n.o.body has yet to come up with any real recipes. I exchange a glance with Miss Freida, who subtly nods back at me. “Then perhaps eight small gold coins would suffice?” “Alright. I’ll tell you how to make and use it. I don’t think there’s any need for a contract, since you’ll basically already have a monopoly until sugar really makes it onto the market, right?” After they tap their guild cards to finish their transaction, Maïne points out a jar sitting on one of the kitchen shelves. “We’ll need a jar like that. Do you have a spare?” “We can use that one,” I say. “There’s nothing in it right now. What else do we need?” As Maïne starts listing off instructions, I start moving around the kitchen to get everything ready. She says we’ll need to take several lutebelles, a seasonal fruit, wash them thoroughly, cut them up into chunks that are roughly equally-sized, and put them in a bowl. Then, we’ll need to fill the bowl halfway with sugar and let it sit. The sugar, she says, will draw out the moisture from the fruit, so I’ll need to leave it until it looks like the sugar is dissolving. “Maïne,” I say, “do you know how much sugar costs? Are you sure we really need to be using all of this?” “It’s a preservative,” she says. “If you’re stingy with it, then the fruit will bruise easily and won’t be edible. Also, for the rum, you’re going to want the strongest rum you can find. Otherwise, the fruit will rot.” I have a feeling that this girl, who trades her recipes and rights away for huge sums of gold, might not actually have a good sense for money. If she knew that sugar was literally worth its weight in silver, would she be using it in huge piles like this? “Once all the moisture’s been sucked out of the lutebelles, put it in this jar and then add some rum. ...Umm, if any of the fruit isn’t fully covered, then that part’ll get moldy. So then after about ten days, you can add other fruit. I think pyuhl and bralle are in season soon, right? If you put a bunch of summer fruits in there, then you can eat them in winter. Oh! That’s right. This doesn’t work really well with ferigine, I don’t think.” Miss Freida is quickly writing down all of the important points. I commit everything to memory as well as I stir up the contents of the bowl. I can already see a bit of the moisture being sucked out of the fruit. “Have you made this?” I ask. “Yeah. I used the sugar you gave me last time. It’s my first try making it too. So you can use this when making pound cake, or you can maybe use it as a jam subst.i.tute too. I also think it would be really tasty in a 'parfait’ or served with 'ice cream’, too...” Maïne looks like she’s very much looking forward to making all of these things as she stares, entranced, off into s.p.a.ce, a smile on her face as she continues rambling. Miss Freida suddenly startles, looking back at the table. “Oh no! We’re getting distracted. I brought you here to talk about cake tasting, after all.” “Ah, yeah, you’re right. So, about that, I kinda want to invite Mister Benno too. Is that okay?” A sharp glint enters Miss Freida’s eyes as she looks closely at Maïne. Maïne scratches her cheek, looking off into s.p.a.ce as if she’s trying to recall a conversation she’d had with Benno earlier. “Ummm, well, a tasting like this is rare, isn’t it? He’s interested in seeing what kind of sweets you’re going to be selling, but he’s also interested in just coming to the event itself.” “...I see. Mister Benno, hm.” After a moment of pondering, Miss Freida suddenly looks up, eyes gleaming. It seems like she’s just thought of something. She quickly spins around and starts walking towards the kitchen door. “I have something I must go ask my grandfather. I’ll return shortly. Ilse, please take care of our guest.” Thanks to the fact that Benno, who she one-sidedly considers to be her rival, will be coming to the party, it seems like Miss Freida’s fire has grown even hotter. Leaving Maïne behind, she walks briskly out of the room, somehow still as elegant as always. “...She left,” says Maïne. “She doesn’t usually act like this,” I remark. “Freida said the same thing about you, actually, back when I told you how you could make your pound cake better.” She snickers, and I sigh. I thought I’d left my days of being unable to contain myself when faced with a new recipe long behind me, but it seems like I haven’t changed at all. “Your new recipes are hard,” I say. “...Urgh. I’m sorry about that.” “Nothing you need to apologize for,” I say, lightly. “I still want to know them. Now, why don’t you try these? I’d like to hear what you think.” I line up a slice of the basic cake that she’d taught me how to make, a slice of a cake that I’d added grated ferigine to to change its aroma, a slice where I’d subst.i.tuted honey for some of the sugar, and a slice with walnuts. Then, I fill a cup with a tea I’d picked to match the cakes and set it in front of her. “Wow, these all look delicious!” she says, eyes sparkling. Beaming, she starts to taste each cake, cutting neat pieces off of each slice with her fork and slowly lifting them to her mouth. The precision with which she moves her fork and her immaculate posture reminds me of the young n.o.blewomen I’d seen who had had table manners thoroughly drilled into them from a young age. At the very least, her att.i.tude is definitely not one of a common girl who ordinarily never gets to eat sweet things. She takes a long drink of tea, seeming to enjoy that too, then lets out a long, satisfied sigh. “I think my favorite out of all of these was the ferigine cake, probably?” “Why’s that?” “I really liked how the flavor seemed to fill my mouth.” She takes another gulp of tea. “...Hm, these tea leaves might really work in a cake, too,” she mutters, squinting down into her cup. “The leaves?” I say. “Wouldn’t that be hard to eat?” “...Ah!” she says, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. “I’ve said too much.” It seems like this might be yet more valuable information. I snort, then bring out another full bag of sugar, the same size as I’d given her last time. The table rattles as I set it down heavily. “I’ll trade you a bag of sugar for the tip,” I say. “I’m only going to get antsy if we just leave it like that. You said you made some of this 'rumtopf’, so you’re probably running low, aren’t you?” To be perfectly honest, I hadn’t even imagined that you’d put tea leaves in a desert. Deserts are sweet things. Sugar is extremely expensive, so I’d heard that the current thinking in Central is that you need to highlight its sweetness when you use it. I can’t imagine that adding tea leaves into a cake would make anything sweet at all. Also, I don’t actually have enough time to experiment with all of the different kinds of ways to use all of the different kind of leaves to figure out what she’s talking about. She hums, thinking about it for just a little while. “...For a bag of sugar? Eh, sure. You make tasty things for me to eat.” She smiles. “If you grind the leaves into a powder so that you can’t taste them individually, then adding tea into the batter can change the aroma of it.” “You mean, this tea?” I point at the pot that holds the tea leaves I’d served to Maïne, and she gives me an emphatic nod. I stare distrustingly at the pot for a while, then go to fire up the oven. I sit down next to Maïne as she continues to eat her cake and start grinding up tea leaves. I should try this out immediately, I think. I feel bad for neglecting Maïne, my guest, but she gives me a happy smile, saying that she’s really just here to taste things and is content to watch me work. “Say, Maïne. Do you mind if I ask you something?” “Sure, what is it?” “You don’t just have good ideas about sweets, do you? I bet you’ve got some ideas for soup, as well.” “Huh?!” Maïne freezes, fork in her mouth, and looks up at me with her wide, startled, golden eyes. My hands are currently occupied whipping a bowl full of eggs, so I shrug at her with one shoulder. “It’s something I thought of when I saw what you left behind on your plate back when you stayed with us. You ate everything but the soup, didn’t you? I thought at first you just didn’t like vegetables, but then you ate pretty much everything else I fed you. You’ve got another tasty secret in you, don’t you, Maïne?” “...You’re very perceptive, Miss Ilse.” She removes the fork from her mouth and gently sets it down on her plate. “Will you teach me?” “Ummm... the soup is actually something I’m kinda worried about. If my circ.u.mstances change a little, I might find myself having to take care of n.o.bility, even if I don’t want to. I’m hoping to keep some secrets to myself so I can have them up my sleeve in case I need them to protect myself.” “Ah, I see.” She looks so exhausted that I decide not to press her any further, so I just shrug. I worked in a n.o.ble house, too, so I know what she’s afraid of: the differences in social stature and the constant danger of being cut down. It’s entirely natural for her to want to hold on to a few trump cards, and she really should. “Since you’ve got a temporary monopoly on sweets, though, I’d be happy to consult with you about those.” “Really?!” I grip the bowl under my arms even more tightly. Maïne flinches back, startled, then nods quickly. “First off, although I guess this is after you get things going, what’s your plan for when your monopoly on pound cake expires?” “Is Mister Benno going to be getting in our way?” Miss Freida always complains about how Lutz and Mister Benno are constantly monopolizing Maïne’s knowledge. Maïne tilts her head thoughtfully. “Hmmm, I don’t know. I’m sure he’d be mad if I said this, but I don’t think he can? Honestly, I don’t think anything would change if I told him about my dessert recipes.” “Well, Mister Benno’s connections with the n.o.bility are still not very deep, so I don’t think he’d be able to find the ingredients or people with the skills to make them. I don’t think he’s got a path open to him that he could get sugar from, and if he can’t hire people away from the n.o.bility, then he’s not going to find a cook like you, will he? I heard from Freida how the guildmaster hired you.” I’m halfway dumbfounded to hear Maïne’s frank a.n.a.lysis of Benno, a man who by all reasonable descriptions is practically her guardian. Maïne, in her own way, seems to be thinking about who she should be telling things too. If this is the case, though, then this might be my chance to learn more of her recipes. “Yeah, if I didn’t know a cook as good as you I wouldn’t be able to make any of these things just by describing them. I really like how enthusiastic you are about learning, too, so I want to help you out too.” Her words make me so happy that I have to keep a wordless shout of joy from springing from my throat. What she’s saying, in other words, is that she recognizes my skill. She’s not going to be telling her recipes to Benno, the man she owes so much to, but to me. “...But, if I just tell them to you, then I don’t make any money off of it, and there’s all sorts of unfairness in that, so I’m in a kinda difficult situation.” Even if Maïne herself doesn’t find profit to be that important, the world doesn’t agree. Also, her recipes might cause all sorts of chaos in the rest of the world. She probably has ideas for other things besides food, too, things that have no precedent at all. As I mix melted b.u.t.ter into the bowl, I decide to just ask her the question that’s been on my mind for so long. “So, Maïne. Who are you, really? Where in the world did you learn all these recipes?” “...Ummm... a dream.” Without thinking, I shoot her a threatening glare. She must be trying to make fun of me. “...What was that?” I say. She gives me a troubled sort of smile. “...It’s true. Everything so far has just been me trying to eat things I’ve only ever tasted in a dream.” She sighs heavily, letting her eyes close halfway as she looks nostalgically off into the distance, smiling sadly. Seeing such a mature expression on her face makes me strangely anxious. She closes her eyes, briefly, then looks up at me, putting on the biggest, most childish grin she can. It’s painfully obvious how fake that smile is. “But I really do wanna just spread all my recipes eeeverywhere, so I want really good cooks like you to help me make them!” Sensing that there’s something she deeply doesn’t want to talk about, I go back to stirring my batter, and follow along with where she’s trying to steer the conversation. “You can’t make them yourself?” “I mean, I’m weak, and I’m frail, and I don’t have the tools, and I’m not good enough at cooking, so I definitely can’t actually make any of it myself. But if I have good cooks make them for me, then there’s tons of recipes I want to share with the world. I just can’t do it right now, though.” She waves her tiny hands around, letting her eyebrows droop pitifully. I glance at her thin, pale arms, recalling how she didn’t have the strength to whip eggs or stir flour into a batter. She probably really can’t do much cooking with those arms. “Well, if you ever get a craving for something come see me. I’ll be happy to make anything you want, if you show me how to do it.” My heart trembles with the idea of reproducing the recipes Maïne saw in her dreams. Aaah, I’m looking forward to that! Just what in the world could be hidden in there? Keeping one eye on Maïne as she keeps eating away at her cake, I pour the batter for my new tebased pound cake into a pan, then shove it deep into the hot oven.

アタシはイルゼ。ギルド長の家のお抱え料理人だ。 アタシが料理人としての道を目指し始めたのは、両親が飲食店を営んでいたから当然の成り行きだった。幼い頃は屋台で商売をしていたが、東門のすぐそばに小さな店を構えることができた両親の背中を見て育った。両親に仕込まれていたから、見習いになる前から料理もできたし、洗礼前の子供には珍しいくらいに金勘定だってできたんだ。 洗礼式を終えたアタシは両親の知り合いの店で見習いとして働き始め、どんどん新しいレシピを吸収していった。覚えることが嬉しくて、教えてもらったレシピ、横で見ながら盗んだレシピ、それぞれをもっとおいしくできないか、考えるのが好きだった。 あちらこちらの店を渡り歩いて腕を磨いてるうちに、アタシは貴族の館で働かないかと声をかけられた。もう街に戻ることができなくなるかもしれないから止めておけ、と言う両親を振りきって、貴族の館に行った。 下っ端として下拵えや皿洗いをしながら、アタシはどんどん料理長の技を盗んでいく。貴族の食事になると使える食材も調味料も段違いだった。皿の華やかさも街の食堂では見られないような物ばかりで、何もかもが勉強になる毎日だった。 いくら修業を重ねても、なかなか上に上がることはできなかった。貴族の館で上に上がろうとすれば、技術だけじゃなく、血筋や縁故が必要だったのさ。 くすぶっていたアタシに声をかけてくれたのがギルド長だった。本当は副料理長が引き抜かれるところだったんだが、技術はあっても上には上がれないアタシを料理長が推薦してくれたんだ。 キッチンの設備も貴族の館と同じ様に揃えてもらったし、調味料だって、素材だって揃えてもらった。料理人としてはこれ以上なくやりがいのある仕事で、最高の仕事場だ。最高の環境に応えるために、アタシは毎日腕をふるう。こんなに楽しくて充実した毎日はない。 アタシは自分の腕に自信があった。 今まで掻き集めてきたレシピには絶対の自負があった。 そう、マインが飛び込んでくるまでは。 あれは衝撃だった。 ギルド長の家でさえ、やっと取り入れることになった砂糖だが、中央からこちらへ回ってきたばかりの調味料で、まだ大した調理法が確立しているわけではない。色々と使ってみようと思っていたが、研究しきれていなかった。 それなのに、マインは当たり前のようにそれを使ったお菓子を作りだした。体力も腕力もなくて、作るのは全部アタシがしたけれど、レシピがわかっていなければできない指示の出し方だった。 焼きあがったカトルカールはふんわりしっとりとした生地のお菓子で、品の良い甘みがあり、口の中でほろほろと崩れていくような食感は今までのレシピにはないものだった。そう、貴族の館でも扱ったことがなかった。 だが、お嬢様に教えてもらったマインの素性は、兵士の父と染色工房で働く母を持つ平民の娘だ。お菓子なんて贅沢品にそうそうありつける家庭事情ではない。森で採ってきた果実や蜂蜜くらいしか甘味などないはずだ。 一体どこでマインはお菓子のレシピを知ったのだろうか。 アタシはそれからというもの、マインに教えてもらったカトルカールについて、生地の泡立て具合やオーブンの温度や焼き加減など色々と研究してみた。何度も焼いて作ることで自分でも最高傑作だと思う出来に高めることができた。お嬢様もこれを貴族に向けた商品にできないかと言いだすくらいの仕上がりだった。 マインに味見をしてもらって、うまく話を向けて、権利を買い取りたいとお嬢様は言った。身食いのマインはきっと貴族との繋がり求めてやってくる。条件の良い貴族を紹介するのと引き換えにカトルカールに関する権利を譲ってもらおう、と。 しかし、お嬢様の目論見は外れ、マインは夏が近付いても一向に姿を見せない。焦れたお嬢様が強硬策で連れてきたマインは、命の期限があることを理解していないような穏やかさで応接に入ってきた。 「いらっしゃい、マイン。よく来たね。カトルカールを焼いて待っていたよ。是非、感想を聞かせておくれ」 アタシが改良に改良を重ねたカトルカールを食べたマインは、砂糖と引き換えに更なる改善策を口にした。 『フェリジーネの皮をすりおろして生地に加えると香りと味が変わっておいしくなります。他にも何か入れることで味は変わります。何をどんな比率で入れたらおいしくなるかは、自分で研究してみてください。これはおまけ情報ですけど、もし、お貴族様相手に出すようなことがあるなら、よく泡立てた生クリームや飾り切りした果物を添えると、見た目が豪華になりますよ』と。 フェリジーネの皮をすりおろしたカトルカールを作りながら、アタシはボールをつかむ手にグッと力を込める。さらりと改善点を口にできるマインは、間違いなくもっと色々なレシピを知っているはずだ。 欲しい。新しいレシピが。 マインが知っているレシピが欲しい。 「イルゼ、イルゼ! マインを連れて来たわ!」 お嬢様が満面の笑顔でそう言いながらキッチンの扉を開けた。初めての試みである試食会なるものを開くことを決めたお嬢様は、ここ最近ビックリするほど精力的に働いている。家族全員を振り回し、開催に向けて、全力を尽くしていた。 お嬢様は生まれた頃から病弱で、アタシがこの家に来たばかりの頃は、基本的に部屋の中にいることが多かった。広い部屋の中で金貨を数えることを最上の趣味としていたお嬢様と同一人物とは思えないほど、マインと出会ってから変わったと思う。 「では、マインは子供も範囲に入れる方が良いというのね?」 今日は試食会について意見を聞くために連れてこられたらしいマインは、キッチンの中をキョロキョロと見回しながら、お嬢様に答えを返す。 「さすがに平民の子供が買うのは無理でも、商人の子供なら商品価値がわかったり、購入するお金を持ってたりするかもしれないでしょ? 見習いになるくらいなら字も読めるだろうし......。何より、子供の頃に食べて好物になった物って、大人になっても忘れないものだよ」 お嬢様はそう呟きながら、木札に何やら書きこんでいるが、アタシは何とも不思議な気分になった。身食いで成長が遅いマインはまだ洗礼式も終わっていないような子供にしか見えない。それなのに、まるで大人になったことがあるような言い草ではないか。 「それからね、カトルカールを売る時に一本丸々だけじゃなくて、こんな風に切った分ずつ売れば、値段が下げられるから購入層が増えると思うの。恋人と二人でとか、洗礼式のお祝いにとか」 「最初は貴族を中心に売るつもりなのよ。高価なお菓子として」 お嬢様は独占販売することで価値を高めたい。マインは少しでも値段を下げて、大勢の人に広げたい。同じ年頃の少女が同じ商品を売るにしても、ずいぶんと考え方に差があるようだ。 「独占販売で価値をつけるのもいいけど、これってお菓子だし、知名度を上げるならやっぱり購買層は広げた方が良いと思うけどなぁ......」 「わたくしの独占期間が一年ですもの。一年たてば嫌でも広がるものでしょう? 一年の間は貴族を中心に売って、できる限り価値を高めておきたいわ」 「ふぅん。だったら、季節のフルーツなんかでちょっとずつ季節限定の新しい味が出せれば、他との差別化もできるし、固定客も喜ぶかもね」 マインの零した言葉をアタシの耳が素早くキャッチする。それぞれの季節のフルーツを思い浮かべながら、アタシは首をひねった。 「冬は季節の果物がないだろう? そういう時はどうするんだい?」 「冬の甘味って言ったらパルゥじゃない? あとは『ルムトプフ』......」 言いかけたマインがいきなりハッとした顔になって口を噤んだ。会話が突然切れたことに軽く眉を上げてマインを見ると、マインは視線をあちらこちらにやりながら、口の前で人差指を交差させた。 「......ここから先は有料」 会話に夢中になって、貴重な情報をボロボロと零していたことにようやく気付いたらしい。気まずそうなマインの顔にお嬢様が小さく笑う。 「それはどんな情報ですの? マインの情報には正当なお金を払う用意がありますわ」 こちらだけが利益を得ようとケチったり、騙したりして距離を置かれるよりは、正当な値段を付けて、仲良く長く信頼関係を築いていった方がよほど得だとお嬢様が言っていた。商売人は騙してなんぼと言っていたお嬢様の変化には少しばかり目を見張るものがある。 「えーと、わたしは『ルムトプフ』って言ってるけど、簡単に言うと果物の酒漬けのこと。おいしく漬かるには時間がかかるけど、冬のカトルカールの材料にも使えると思う」 「大銀貨5枚でいかが?」 果物の酒漬けとまで分かれば、あとは試行錯誤でも何とかなるだろう。最悪、この商談がまとまらなくても何とかしてみせようとアタシが思った瞬間、マインがちらりと砂糖を見た。 「......ここで砂糖が出回ってないってことは、『ルムトプフ』の作り方も使い方も当然出回ってないよね?」 果物の酒漬けと言っておきながら、実は砂糖も使うらしい。これは聞いておいた方が良いだろう。砂糖を使う料理はまだ試行錯誤が多くて、あまりレシピが出回っていない。 「小金貨8枚でどうかしら?」 「わかった。作り方と使い方を教えるよ。この辺りに砂糖が出回るまでは、独占できるから別に契約書はいらないよね?」 ギルドカードを合わせて、お金をやり取りした後、マインはキッチンにある一つの壺を指差した。 「あんな感じの壺が必要なんだけど、他にもある?」 「今は使ってないから使えるよ。他に必要なものは何だい?」 季節の果物であるルトベーレをよく洗って、ヘタを切って、大きさを揃えて切って、ボウルに入れる。ほぼ半分の砂糖を入れて、しばらく放置。ルトレーベから水気が出てきて、砂糖が溶ける感じになるまで置いておくんだってさ。 「マインは本当に砂糖の価値を分かっているのかい? こんなに大量に砂糖を使うって、本気かい?」 「保存のためだからね。ケチったら、果物が痛んで食べられなくなっちゃう。それから、あとで入れるお酒も蒸留してるような、すごくきついお酒じゃないと、果物が腐っちゃうから気を付けて」 権利やレシピを売って大金を稼いでいるマインの金銭感覚はどこかおかしいと思う。同じ重さの銀貨と取引される砂糖の価値がわかって、こんなにドバドバと使っているのだろうか。 「ルトレーベから水分が出たら、この壺に入れて、お酒を加えてね。......えーと、果物がちゃんと浸かるまで入れないと、出てる部分はカビが生えちゃうよ。それから、10日くらいしたら、また別の果物を加えるの。プヒュルやブラーレがこれから出てくるよね? 夏の果物を詰め込んで、冬になってから食べるんだよ。あ、そうそう。フェリジーネみたいな果物は向かないみたい」 注意事項をせっせとお嬢様が書き留めていく。アタシも記憶に刻み込みながら、ボウルの中身をぐるりと掻き回した。少しずつ水分が出てきているのがわかる。 「アンタも作ってるのかい?」 「うん。前に砂糖もらったからね。わたしも初挑戦なの。カトルカールに入れることもできるし、ジャム代わりにも使えるよ。『パフェ』や『アイスクリーム』にかけてもおいしいの」 これを作ると冬が楽しみになるよね、とうっとりした笑顔でマインが呟いていると、お嬢様がハッとしたように、テーブルの方を見遣った。 「いけない。脱線してしまったわ。試食会のお話をするためにマインを連れてきたのに」 「あぁ、そうだ。その試食会ね、ベンノさんも参加したいんだって。いい?」 お嬢様がギラリと目を光らせて、マインを見た。マインはポリポリと頬を掻きながら、ベンノさんとの会話を思い出すように軽く上を見上げる。 「えーと、試食会ってもの自体が珍しいんだってね? どんなお菓子が売り出されるか興味もあるけれど、それ以上に試食会って催し自体に興味があるみたい」 「......そうですの。ベンノさんが」 しばらく考え込んでいたお嬢様がバッと顔を上げた。どうやら何か思いついたようだ。お嬢様はくるりと身を翻してキッチンの扉へと向かう。 「わたくし、おじい様にお伺いすることができました。少し留守にするわ。イルゼ、マインのもてなしをお願いね」 勝手に敵対意識を燃やしているベンノさんが来ることになったせいで、更に熱がこもり始めたようだ。マインをキッチンに残し、優雅な雰囲気はそのままに、お嬢様が早足でスタスタと去っていく。 「......行っちゃった」 「普段はあんな行動しないんだけどね」 「それ、イルゼさんにカトルカールの改善点を教えた時、フリーダが同じこと言ってたよ」 くすくすと笑うマインに以前の自分の行動を指摘されて、アタシは軽く溜息を吐いた。新しいレシピを知ると居ても立ってもいられなくなるのは、昔から指摘されてきたことだが、一向に直せない。 「アンタの新しいレシピが悪い」 「......うぅ、すみません」 「謝ることじゃないさ。アタシは新しいレシピを知りたいからね。じゃあ、これを食べて、感想を聞かせておくれ」 マインが教えてくれた一番基本となるカトルカール、フェリジーネの皮をすりおろして香りと味を付けたもの、砂糖のいくらかを蜂蜜に変えたもの、胡桃を入れたものを並べる。 そのフォークを操る指先の動きや姿勢の良さは、きちんとマナーを教えられた貴族のお嬢様のようだと思う。少なくとも、甘味を食べることが少ない貧民のがっつく姿勢とは全く違うのだ。 マインはお茶を一緒に楽しみながら、ほぅ、と満足の息を吐いた。 「この中でわたしが一番好きなのはフェリジーネのカトルカールかな?」 「どうしてだい?」 「口の中に広がる香りが好きなの。......このお茶の葉っぱもカトルカールと相性が良さそう」 「お茶の葉? 食べにくくないかい?」 「......あ、言いすぎた」 アタシはフンと鼻を鳴らしながら、以前に渡した砂糖と同じ袋をドンと作業台の上に置いた。 「砂糖一袋と引き換えに喋っちまいなよ。中途半端でこっちがもやもやする。ルムトプフを作ってるなら、砂糖もそろそろなくなるだろ?」 正直、お茶の葉をお菓子に入れるという発想はなかった。お菓子とは甘い物だ。高い砂糖を使うのだから、甘ければ甘いほど良いと中央では言われていると聞いた。 「......砂糖一袋なら、まぁ、いいか。イルゼさんならおいしいお菓子を作ってくれるし」 「お茶って、これかい」 マインがカトルカールを食べている隣で、ゴリゴリとお茶の葉を潰し始める。早速焼いてみようと思ったのだ。客であるマインを放り出すことになるけれど、一番に味見させてくれるなら別にいい、と楽しそうに笑いながら、マインはアタシの手元を見ている。 「なぁ、マイン。聞きたいことがあるんだけどいいかい?」 「はい、何ですか?」 「アンタさ、お菓子だけじゃなくて、スープも何か秘密を持っているんじゃないかい?」 「へ!?」 フォークをくわえた状態で、マインは金色の目を丸くしてアタシを見上げてくる。アタシは卵を泡立てながら、片方の眉を上げた。 「ここに泊っていた時の食事の減り方を考えると、そういう結論になるんだ。アンタ、スープだけ残していただろう? 野菜が苦手なのかと思ったが、他の料理では大体食べている。何かおいしい秘密を知っているね?」 「......鋭いですね、イルゼさん」 マインはフォークを口から出して、そっと皿の上に置いた。 「教えてくれないかい?」 「うーん......スープについてはちょっと悩むところですね。ちょっと以前と状況が変わってきて、嫌でも貴族と係わることになりそうなので、自衛のためにも切り札は余計に置いておきたいんですよ」 「そうかい」 自分が貴族の館に勤めていたから知っている。身分差の厳しさとそこに切りこんでいく危険性を。自衛のための切り札はいくつでも持っておきたいと思っても不思議ではないし、持っていた方が良い。 「お菓子のレシピは、期間限定の独占販売なら相談に応じますけどね」 「本当かい!?」 アタシがボウルを抱えたままグッと身を乗り出すと、マインはぎょっとしたように身体を引いて、何度か頷いた。 「まずは、カトルカールが軌道に乗ってからですけど。カトルカールの独占販売が切れる頃が頃合いかなぁ?」 「ベンノさんに邪魔されるんじゃないのかい?」 お嬢様が苦い表情で、「ルッツとベンノさんばかりがマインの知識を独占する」と嘆いているのを知っているアタシがそう言うと、マインはコテリと首を傾げた。 「うーん、どうだろう。苦い顔はすると思うけど、邪魔はできないんじゃないかな? 正直、ベンノさんにお菓子のレシピを公開しても意味がないんですよ」 「ベンノさんはまだ貴族との繋がりが浅いから、素材と技術が手に入らないんです。砂糖を手に入れるルートは開拓できていないみたいだし、イルゼさんレベルの料理人って、貴族から引き抜きでもしないといないんでしょ? ギルド長が引き抜いてきたってフリーダが言ってたから」 自分の後見人と言っても過言ではないベンノさんに対するマインの分析と判断にアタシは半ば呆然としてしまう。情報を流す相手をマインなりに一応考えているらしい。これならば、マインのレシピをアタシが知るチャンスがあるかもしれない。 「イルゼさんくらいの腕の料理人じゃないと口で説明しただけで作れないんです。それに、研究熱心だから応援したくなるんですよね」 今の言葉は、つまり、マインがアタシの腕を認めているということだ。恩があるベンノさんに公開しないレシピをアタシには公開してくれると言うのだから。 「......でも、レシピを公開するにはお金も貰わないと、色んなところで不平等になっちゃいますから、ちょっと難しいところなんですけど」 マイン自身は利益に重きを置いていなくても、周囲はそうでない。そして、マインのレシピは色んな意味で周囲を混乱に巻きこんでしまう。多分料理以外の商品も前例がない物が多いのだろう。 溶かしたバターを混ぜながら、アタシはずっと疑問だったことをマインにぶつけてみた。 「なぁ、マイン。アンタ一体何者なんだい? 一体どこでそんなレシピを手に入れた?」 「......うーん......夢の中です」 ふざけているのか、と思わず凄んで見せたアタシに、マインは困ったように笑った。 「......本当に。今となっては夢の中でしか味わえないものばかりなんですよ」 軽く一度目を閉じた後、マインが顔を上げて、にぱっと子供らしい笑顔を見せる。でも、それは作り笑いだとわかる下手くそな笑顔だった。 「できることならパパーッとレシピを広げて、イルゼさんみたいな料理上手な人にどんどん作ってほしいんですけどね」 あまり触れられたくない部分なのだろうと察して、アタシは生地を型に流し込みながらマインの会話に乗ってやる。 「自分では作らないのかい?」 「腕力ないし、体力ないし、道具もないし、技術が足りなすぎて、正直再現できません。技術のある料理人に作ってもらえるなら、本当はレシピなんていくらでも公開したいんです。現状ではそうもいきませんけど」 卵の泡立てどころか、小麦粉を混ぜることさえできなかった腕力と体力のなさを思い出しながら、マインの細ッこい貧弱な腕を見下ろす。アレではどんな料理もできないだろう。 「食べたくなったらいつでも言いな。レシピさえ教えてくれればいくらでも作ってあげるからさ」 マインの夢の中にしか存在しないと言うレシピを再現するのは、とても心躍ることだ。 あぁ、楽しみだねぇ。一体どんなレシピがあの中に眠っているんだろう? ちょびちょびとカトルカールを味わうマインを見ながら、アタシは新しいお茶の葉入りのカトルカールを熱いオーブンに突っ込んだ。

The waiters working in the commoners' restaurants are always careless since they need to offer a lot of food, and the soup is often spilt out. It will be a great trouble if they work together with Fran. Benno also knew it very well, and I saw him wearing a slightly helpless face. “... Can you train them at your place?” “Do you mean that the waiters will be trained at my house? Well... the waiters cannot get permission, let alone the cooks...” “On the contrary, I mean how about getting the priests to work outside?” “I'm going to have lunch with the Head Priest tomorrow and will ask him then. But don't antic.i.p.ate too much.” Once the Head Priest said, “Orphans can only become priests or priestesses because there is no one who introduces or takes care of them.” At that time, I thought his words meant “They can go out if they have guardians.” But if I had known the reality of the orphanage or the temple, I could not have thought so definitely. Now that there are so many idle priests, it may be good for them if they could make some money. But this might be considered to break the temple's rules. It's a matter of some delicacy. “Right. ... I'm going to invite the Head Priest to the tasting. What do you think, Mr. Benno? “... Wait a minute. Do you mean the Head Priest? He is a real n.o.ble. Are you sure he will come?” It is usually impossible for the n.o.ble to come to a commoner's restaurant. Basically, they invite guests to their own house in the n.o.ble area. The temple is at the border of the n.o.bles and the commoners, and there is a gate that leads to both. However, the blue-robed priests do not go to the Civilian Areaexcept for rituals. Hmm, I think he is interested in the dishes and sweets I made. I think the way used by me to persuade him is important. It's possible that he comes for the tasting.” “... Well.” Mr. Benno rubs his chin, considering with great interest. “So how about inviting some people who are only entrusted by Mr. Benno to the tasting? Do you feel special if you eat with a n.o.ble?” “...Indeed, I think so.” “If it really becomes a restaurant with guests of n.o.ble birth, the Italian restaurant will gain prestige, right?” Mr. Benno's brown eyes are fixed on the profit, bright as a flesh eater's. “Yes, it will.” “Unlike the pound cake tasting, I don't want to invite too many people at once. I'm going to invite only those who can be trusted in small groups. Besides, considering the number of cooks, it's impossible to prepare too much food. It's expensive, so there would not be too many potential customers. So let's make it a restaurant for selected people only, and as luxurious as possible. What do you think?” “If you can get support from the Head Priest, it must be manageable. May you a success.” We smile and shake hands with each other. Rosina turns to me gracefully. “Excuse me, Miss Maine. What do you think about the music?” “Music?” “On a n.o.ble party, there will be several musicians who perform alternatively. But I'm not sure if there is a performance at the restaurant.” ... I have no idea about BGM. Then I look at Mr. Benno, who shrugs his shoulders lightly. “Unfortunately, we cannot find a musician who can perform like those at the n.o.bility's dinners.” “... What do you think, Rosina? Do you want to play in the restaurant?” “I have more time to play the musical instrument. So there is no problem.” As long as I see Rosina's positive att.i.tude, I can feel that she says so because she wants to play Fespiel. Is the restaurant mainly for lunch? If a customer makes a request when placing an order and is willing to pay an extra fee... I think Rosina can come to perform after the cla.s.s. If there is a guest who pays the extra fee at lunch time and wants to listen to music, I will have my attendant Rosina come when the third bell rings. However, she has to learn the business. Besides, I have to report it to the Head Priest if she needs to go out every day. “... Hey, can she play music at night?” “Huh? Some people may have a drink at night. A pretty girl like Rosina should not sit in front of a drunk guest. I oppose the idea definitely. If a musician is needed at dinner time, Mr. Benno needs to find someone else.” Women who work in the bar at night often work as prost.i.tutes meanwhile. It is likely that customers will not obey the rules, even though it's a luxury restaurant and it's different from other places. I don't want Rosina to work at the restaurant. While talking about the details, the sixth bell rings. It's time to end today's work. Mr. Benno summarizes various items discussed today, and then looks at me. “If you go to the Head Priest's office tomorrow, try your best to invite him.” “No problem!” “... Well, I can't help worrying about it.” I pout, seeing Mr. Benno pressing his belly. “I cannot help but wonder when the work of restaurant will be completed.” The next day I am invited to have lunch with the Head Priest. The last section of Fespiel practice is finished when the rd bell rings. Rosina guides me appraisingly, with a spirited look. Now I can manage to play Fespiel, without any mistake. I may fail to find the position of the strings when I am distracted by the lyrics. Perhaps I can perform well in front of Head Priest if I am careful enough. After the cla.s.s, I help the Head Priest with his official business. Fran says that he goes to prepare for the luncheon, and leave Gil to go to the Head Priest's office with me. This is the first time I am invited like a n.o.ble. Because the other side is the Head Priest, I think I don't need to be overcautious even if I cannot behave properly. But Fran and Rosina are extremely nervous. ... Facing the n.o.bles, the two are really a perfect pair. Rosina has helped a lot on how to get along with a n.o.ble at dinner. Fran cannot come along with me to everywhere, for he is a male. But Rosina can. She worked as an attendant of a n.o.ble lady. After the fourth bell rings, I finished the work and return to my room with Gil. After Delia helps me adjust my clothes, I set off with Rosina and Fran, who carry the big and small Fespiels separately. Besides, Fran carries a set of tableware. I am able to play the melodies learnt at cla.s.s, but am so nervous that my hands s.h.i.+ver. However, Rosina is different. She keeps unperturbed when she is required to play Fespiel at dinner in the Head Priest's house. “... Aren't you nervous, Rosina?” “Yes, I am. I feel very restless in my heart.” She says while showing a soft smile which makes me rather doubt about her. But Rosina's wearing the same smile as the n.o.ble ladies'. Maybe it's a way to protect herself from being seen through by the opponents. “You look not nervous at all... But do we have to pretend so?” “Yes, we have to smile and look quite capable.” When we arrive at the Head Priest's house, we see several gray-robed priests are changing the arrangement of the furniture and preparing for the lunch. While noticing the Head Priest's attendants working efficiently, I give a n.o.ble greeting to the Head Priest for his invitation. I speak with a salutation taught by Fran, and the elegant manner taught by Rosina.

「......まぁ、そうだが」 大量の料理を運ぶせいで、乱暴だろうが、零れようが気にしない下町の給仕とフラン達を一緒にしてもらっては困るのだ。ベンノもそれをよくわかっているようで、少しばかり情けない顔でわたしを見た。 「......お前のところで何とかならないか?」 「それは、給仕もわたしの部屋で練習させるということでしょうか? うーん......料理人はともかく、給仕は......中に入れる許可が取れない気がします」 「逆に、神官を外に働きに出すのはどうだ?」 「明日、神官長の昼食にお呼ばれしているので、聞いてみますけれど、期待はしないでくださいね」 以前に、「紹介をしてくれたり、面倒を見てくれたりする人がいないから孤児は神官や巫女にしかなれない」と神官長は言っていた。その時は「後見人がいれば外に出せる」という意味で受け取ったけれど、孤児院や神殿の現実を知ってしまうと、額面通りには受け取れない。 今は余っている神官が多いので、外貨を稼いで来られるなら良いと言われるかもしれないし、神殿のシステムが壊れる可能性があると判断されるかもしれない。微妙なところだ。 「そうですね。......あとは、最初の試食会に神官長をお招きしようと思うんですけれど、ベンノさんはどう思いますか?」 「......ちょっと、待て。神官長だと? 本物の貴族を呼んだとして、本当に来るのか?」 貴族が平民の店にやってくるという状況はあり得ないことだ。基本的に貴族街の自分の家に呼び付ける。 神殿は貴族街と平民の街の境にあるので、両方に通じる門がある。しかし、青色神官が儀式以外で平民の街に出ることはない。 「うーん、興味があるみたいです。わたしが考案した料理やお菓子。攻め方によると思うけど、連れだせない雰囲気ではなかったと思います」 「......ほぉ」 興味深そうにベンノが顎を撫でながら、考え込む。 「ですから、本当にベンノさんが信用できる人だけを最初の試食会にお招きするのはどうですか? 貴族と一緒に食事って、特別感が出ません?」 「本当に貴族も出入りするって店になれば、イタリアンレストランにも箔が付くでしょ?」 ベンノの赤褐色の目が利益を見据えて、肉食獣のような目になって、ギラリと光る。 「あぁ、付く」 「カトルカールの試食会と違って、大勢を招いて一度にしようと思わないで、少人数ずつ信用できる人だけを招きましょう。料理人の人数を考えても、一度にたくさんは無理ですよ。料理が高価だから、それほどたくさんの潜在顧客数がいるはずないんです。選ばれた人だけが入れる店として、できるだけ高級感を出す方向で行けばどうです?」 「神官長の協力が得られるなら、行けるだろう。失敗するなよ」 ガシッと握手して、ニヤリとベンノで笑っていると、ロジーナがおっとりと首を傾げた。 「あの、マイン様。音楽はどうなのでしょう?」 「音楽?」 「貴族の食事会であれば、奏者が複数呼ばれて、代わる代わる演奏するものですけれど、レストランでは音楽はなさいませんの?」 ......BGMについては何にも考えてなかったね。 わたしがゆっくりとベンノに視線を向けると、ベンノはお手上げだと軽く肩を竦める。 「残念ながら、貴族の会食で演奏できるような奏者に伝手がない」 「......ロジーナの気持ちはどうかしら? レストランで演奏してみたいと思いますか?」 「楽器を触っていられる時間が増えるならそれに越したことはございません」 きっぱりとそう言いきったロジーナを見る限り、むしろ、自分がフェシュピールを弾きたいからこそ、音楽について言いだしたような感じに思えた。 「レストランは昼食をメインに開店するんですよね? それならば、予約時に要求があって、別料金を支払うなら、って感じになりますけど......ロジーナが授業の終わる3の鐘の後に動けば、間に合うと思います」 昼食時に別料金を支払っても音楽が欲しいお客様がいれば、わたしの側仕えであるロジーナをその時だけ貸し出すのは構わない。ただ、実務も覚えてもらわなければならないし、毎日になると、神官長へのお伺いが必須だろう。 「......おい、夜はどうするんだ?」 「え? 夜はお酒が入るかもしれないでしょ? ロジーナみたいな可愛い子を酔っ払いの前に出すつもりなんてありません。却下に決まっているじゃないですか。夜に音楽を使いたいなら、ベンノさんが奏者を探してください」 夜に酒場で働く女給は売春婦を兼ねていることが多い。いくら高級レストランで、余所とは違うと言っても、客が聞き入れない可能性は高いのだ。そんなところにロジーナを出すつもりは爪の先ほどもない。 細かいことについて話し合っているうちに、6の鐘が鳴った。仕事は終わりの時間だ。今日話し合った色々な項目をベンノがまとめながら、わたしを見据える。 「お前、明日は神官長のところで色々見て来いよ」 「任せてください!」 「......くっ、不安で仕方ない」 胃の辺りを押さえるベンノを見たわたしは、むぅっと頬を膨らませた。 「わたしはレストランがいつ仕上がるのか不安で仕方ないですけどね」 次の日は神官長の昼食にお呼ばれだ。 3の鐘が鳴るまではフェシュピールの最後の練習で、気迫のこもったロジーナにすごい目で見られながら練習した。フェシュピールだけなら間違いなく弾けるようになった。歌に気を取られると弦の位置を見失いやすくなるところに注意すれば、大丈夫。多分。 その後は神官長のお手伝いだ。フランは昼食会の準備があると言って、神官長の部屋に行くのをギルに任せた。わたしにとっては初めての貴族らしいお呼ばれだ。相手が神官長なので、多少失敗しても問題がない気楽なお呼ばれだけれど、フランとロジーナは神経を尖らせている。 ......対貴族ってことになると、あの二人、とっても息が合うんだよね。 貴族を相手にする場面ではロジーナの真価が発揮される。男性であるフランではついてこられないところまで、ロジーナはついてくることができるし、貴族令嬢の側仕えをもう何年も経験しているからだ。 4の鐘が鳴った後、執務のお手伝いを終えたわたしはギルと一緒に一度部屋に戻った。 デリアの手によって、軽く身だしなみを整えた後、大きいフェシュピールを抱えたロジーナとカトラリーと小さなフェシュピールを持ったフランを連れて出陣である。 一応課題曲は弾けるようになったけれど、緊張してすでに手が震えているわたしと違って、神官長の部屋で食事中にフェシュピールを弾くようにと要望を受けているロジーナは涼しい顔をしている。 「......ロジーナは緊張しないのでしょうか?」 「しております。胸の辺りがざわめき、とても落ち着かない心地ですわ」 にっこりと柔らかな微笑みを見せながら言われても、全く信用できない。けれど、ロジーナの笑顔は貴族の令嬢と同じ武装だ。自分の身を守り、相手に隙を見せないための。 「ちっともそうは見えませんけれど......わたくしも見せないようにしなければならないのですね?」 「えぇ、笑顔で余裕があるように見せるのですよ」 神官長の部屋へ着くと、数人の灰色神官により家具の配置が変えられ、昼食の準備が始められていた。無駄のない動きでテキパキと働く神官長の側仕えを視界の端に留めながら、わたしは招待してくれた神官長に貴族の挨拶をする。 フランによって叩きこまれた挨拶文とロジーナによって叩きこまれた優雅なお辞儀である。

I’m going to make was.h.i.+. My circ.u.mstances have finally come together to let me do that. On top of that, it’s not something I’m going to make, but something that Lutz is going to make for me. As a step forward in his job search, of course. Right now, I’m soaring, like a figure skater leaping in the air to spin in a full circle... no, a circle and a half! Don’t you dare snark about the idea of me jumping! It’s hard in this body! “Eheheheh. Heheheh.” “Maine, I’m glad you’re in a good mood, but... you’re kinda getting a little too excited! Aren’t you going to get sick again?” “It’s not like I can help it! We’re going to make paper, you know? We can actually make paper, you know? And, if we make paper, then I can make books! Woohoo!!” Now that books are finally almost in my grasp, how could I possibly not get excited? As I make my way home, practically jumping with every step, Lutz lets out a sigh, like he’s at his wits’ end. “...Maine, sure, we’re going to make it, but... how exactly are we going to do that? I definitely have no idea. Are we going to need tools? Can we really actually do this?” Sighing, Lutz grumbles out his objections. In an instant, I come cras.h.i.+ng back down to the real world. ...That’s right. It we don’t make all of the tools ourselves, we have nothing! I’m pretty sure I know the process for making was.h.i.+. I even remember the names of all the tools we need. However, when it comes to making those tools, I might have read a few books about the sorts of things those obsolete craftsmen used, but I can’t actually remember the fine details. If I don’t have the tools, I won’t be able to make any paper. ...Whoa, our first step is to make the tools, huh... Immediately starting to make paper seems pretty impossible. Aaargh, once again, my modern knowledge just isn’t quite good enough! “...Hey, Maine. You just got really quiet. Don’t tell me that, after all of that, you can’t actually make it?” Lutz has a look of extreme worry on his face, so I emphatically shake my head. “Don’t say that! I definitely know how to make paper. It’s something I’ve been wanting for a very long time. But, I don’t have the strength to cut up enough wood, I still don’t know how to use fire, and I can’t crush the fibers like I need to. I couldn’t ask you to make it for me before, because that would have been too selfish...” “I told you I was going to help you out, so I would have been fine with that...” Lutz pouts, looking a little bit chagrined. I’m happy he’s so willing to help, but making paper is going to be very physically intensive work. It’s going to be on a level far above helping me dig up some clay or helping me cut some wood down to size. “Um, Lutz, all I can do is teach you how to do it. It’s not like the things we’ve been doing before, where I can do them myself but you helped me out, this is going to be something where you do everything by yourself, from the very start to the very end. Do you still want to do it, if it’s like that?” Lutz immediately nods his head, but I need more confirmation. I can’t help but think that he might be getting carried away. “That’s the thing, Lutz. We have to start all the way back with making the tools first. Can you stick with that?” “...You’ll be helping too, right?” “Of course, I’ll do whatever I can!” As I say that, I start thinking. Even when we’re just getting started making the tools, I’m going to have to figure out what kind of tools we’re going to need to make the tools. While I’m at it, I should try searching my house for anything we could use as a subst.i.tute. I might make my mother mad again, but we’re going to have no choice but to find subst.i.tutes for anything that we don’t have the wherewithal to make ourselves. “I’m going to write down a list of all the tools we need, and try looking for things we can use for those. If I can’t find any, we’re going to have to make them, though... Lutz, I’d like you to search for wood that we can use to make paper.” “We can find all the wood we need in the forest, right?” “That’s true, but I don’t know what kind of wood is suitable for making paper.” I know that plants like the paper mulberry, Oriental paperbush, or ganpi are suitable for making was.h.i.+, but I don’t know what trees in this world would make good paper. “Ummm, so, wood that would be easy to use in paper would have long, durable fibers. They’d need to be sticky, too, and easy to bond together, and we’d need to be able to extract a lot of them... and so on, but I don’t actually know how exactly to spot what kind of tree has long, durable fibers.” On top of that, a paper mulberry’s wood is only suitable if it’s less than a year old. I remember reading that after two years the fibers start to stiffen and become very difficult to use for making paper. However, I can’t tell if a tree is one or two years old just by looking at it. “...You’re telling me to do something complicated like that, but I don’t know how to do it either.” “I guess you’re right. For now, I know that there’s soft wood and hard wood, but wood is softer when it’s younger, right?” “And then it gets harder as it gets older, yeah.” Lutz, having more experience than me, knows much more about wood than I do after all. For me, every kind of wood is difficult to cut, but Lutz knows what kinds of wood are easy or hard for him to cut, so it seems he can tell the difference between the softer and harder woods. “Well, there’s paper we could make that uses either bamboo or bamboo gra.s.s, and there’s pros and cons to doing that, but for now, since I think we can make paper out of other kinds of vegetation, we should probably focus on a paper that’s the easiest to make for now, right? Plus, if we’re going to commoditize this, that’s all the more reason that we need to pick a wood that’s easy to use.” “Huh...” Lutz nods slightly, mumbling to himself about woods that might be easy to use. “If we can find one, it would be even better if we could find trees that we could cultivate, so we could make acquiring the raw materials even easier, but we don’t know what kinds of trees are easy to cultivate, right?” “No, trees that are and aren’t easy to grow are pretty different. There’s definitely trees that can be easily grown.” “Really?!” I gnash my teeth at how low Maine’s XP total is after having never gone outside. I’ve only been able to go out to the forest since a month ago. I can’t even cut any wood right now, let alone pick what kinds of wood we should be using. “Alright, I’ll leave finding the wood to you, Lutz. I want to test a lot of different types and compare their pros and cons, so try coming up with a few kinds of soft-ish wood. After that... I want to find some ‘sunset hibiscus’.” “What the heck is that?” “The thing I’m thinking of is the root of that tree, but I don’t know if there’s anything like that around here. What I want is a tree that has a goopy, sticky sap... a fruit would do too, I guess. Do you know of any?” Lutz ponders for a moment, but nothing seems to come to mind immediately. “No..., I don’t think so.” “We’re going to be using it as a glue to stick the plant fibers together, so there has to be something.” “I’ll try asking someone who knows a lot about the forest.” “Alright, then! I’ll go and work on remembering the process and writing down all the tools we’ll need to make it happen. After that, I’ll start figuring out how we’re going to make everything.” By the time we’ve finished laying out what we’re each going to be doing next, we’ve arrived back at my house. “We’re here,” says Lutz. “Alright, let’s do our best!” “Yeah!” Just making paper seems daunting, but the work of developing a prototype that could actually be turned into a salable good looks like it will require a lot of patient work. As soon as I returned home, I went straight for my slate. What I need to do now is try my best to remember the entire process involved in making was.h.i.+ and write out a list of all the tools I think we’ll need. The first step of the process is to harvest the trees or plants that we’ll use as raw materials. Lutz has a knife that’s kind of like a machete, so we don’t need anything else in particular here. Right, next step. When using paper mulberry, you need to steam the dark-colored bark off of the wood first, I think. If that’s the case, we’ll need a steamer. Since I haven’t seen our family use a steamer, if we happen to have one in the kitchen, I’ll be able to borrow it. I quickly search through the kitchen, but don’t find anything. Well, I haven’t tried to drag out any steamed recipes yet, so it’s no surprise that we don’t have a steamer. I add “steamer” and “pot” to the list on my slate. Right, next step. When the wood is steamed, we immerse it in cold water, then immediately skin off the outer bark while the wood is still hot. In other words, it’ll be best if we don’t have to go far from where we do the steaming to the river, but since we already have knives, we don’t really need any other tools. Right, next step. Neither letting everything fully dry out nor stripping off the white bark after exposing it to the river for a day requires any particular tools. Since we have a knife, we can make do. Right, next step. Then, we boil the white bark with ash, making it soft, then remove the excess. In other words, we need a pot and some ash. We can use the same pot that we needed in order to do the steaming, but getting the ashes is going to be difficult. I’m pretty sure my mother isn’t going to give me any, and I don’t know if boiling the wood will produce ash in a sufficient quant.i.ty. I add “ash” to the list on my slate. Right, next step. Then, we expose it to the river for over a day again in order to remove all of the ash, then leave it out in the sun to whiten it. Then, we remove all of the chips and knots. This is, generally, all physical labor. We don’t particularly need any tools here. Right, next step. Then, we beat the fibers until they have a consistency like cotton. Here, we’ll need some sort of rectangular timber that we can use for that. We should be able to make this out of either fresh wood or firewood. I add “rectangular timber” to the list on my slate. Right, next step. Next, we thoroughly mix the beaten fibers with water and the sunset hibiscus sap, then spread the resulting pulp on a special frame and let the water drain out. Mixing everything together will need a bucket, tub, or some other kind of bowl. After that comes the wooden frame with a removable bamboo mat, called a suketa, we’ll need in order to spread everything out. I think our suketa is going to be our number-one problem. I add “tub” and “paper frame” to the list on my slate. Right, next step. Then, we remove the mat from the frame, then transfer the drained paper to a drying bed. We let these stacks of paper dry on their own for a full day. I add “drying bed” to the list on my slate. Right, next. After that, we slowly apply pressure to the paper using either weights or a clamp to wring the last of the water out. After pressure is applied, we leave everything as-is for another full day, by which point the stickiness from the sunset hibiscus sap will have completely disappeared. I wonder what we could use for weights? Certainly, there’s the big stone weight we use for pressing oil, but is Lutz able to use that? For now, I just add “weights”. When we’re finished pressing the paper, we carefully peel it from the stacks on the drying bed one at a time, then stick it to another board. I add “flat board” to my list. Then we let it dry in the sunlight, remove it from the board when it’s dry, and then we’re finished. “Hmmm, now that I’m thinking everything out, we’re going to need a lot of things, huh...” The things we need: steamer, pot, rectangular timber, ash, tub, paper frame, drying bed, weights, and a flat board. Also, the raw wood and the sunset hibiscus sap. I’ve seen photos and ill.u.s.trations of the process, so I can generally remember how everything fits together, but since I’ve never actually done it for myself, I don’t know any of the finer details. In our pulp, for example, what ratio of fibers to water to sap are we going to need? However, I recall watching a TV show where a particularly un-pop-idol-like pop idol went to a rural village and made some paper, and if a pop star can do it, then there’s no way that I can’t do it too. I need to remember more details about that program. Memory, do your best! ...Well, hmm, that pop idol... was borrowing someone else’s tools, right? She didn’t have to make her own? And she had someone guiding her through the process, didn’t she? Rrrrrrgh. It’s not just like I only have theoretical knowledge. I have indeed personally made paper before: in home economics cla.s.s once, we made a sheet of recycled paper the size of a postcard out of a milk carton. I think it’s better than nothing at all, but it’s certainly not something I can actually rely on. For now, let’s try taking on the production of a postcard-sized sheet. It’ll be easier to build the tools at a small scale as well, and when we’re experimenting with different kinds of wood, small batches are better to make than large. “So, Lutz,” I say, “how about we start making the steamer first?” In Chinese cooking, they use a round wooden basket to steam food. Making something like that would be very difficult, but making a four-sided wooden box shouldn’t be quite so hard. I sketch out the design on my slate and show it to Lutz. “Making it should be really simple, but do you have any nails?” “Uh?! Can’t you... put notches in the wood and join them together with those?” Making the tools has. .h.i.t a snag. We don’t have the tools we need to make the tools. We may be able to cut wood to size, but we don’t have nails. Plus, nails here are not priced such that a child could buy them if they decided they wanted to use some. Plus, although we have the tools to cut wood, we don’t have any of the smaller implements we’d need for any fine work. It would be great if I could just borrow my dad’s tools, carve out some joints, and put everything together like an old-school carpenter, but there’s no way I have enough knowledge of that kind of skilled labor to actually make use of it. Incidentally, although Lutz can do many things for me if I just give him an explanation, I can’t call any of it skilled labor. Nails are something people use in their day-to-day life, so there’s no way we wouldn’t be able to go to a hardware store and just buy them. The problem is our purchasing power. All of our options are suddenly closed. “What are we going to do, Maine?” “Um, I’ll consult with Otto. He’s familiar with things like market prices and tradesmen, so I might be able to get nails if I help out...” Since I can’t even do any labor for my family, I have no choice but to go to the one place where someone will actually pay me for my efforts. The next day, I go to the gates and ask Otto about it. “Mister Otto, I have a question... Um, do you know how much nails tend to cost? Also, if you know a tradesman that sells them cheaply, I’d really appreciate it if you could introduce me to them...” “...Why nails? I don’t think you’re going to be able to make use of them, Maine.” That’s right. I don’t have enough strength to actually use a hammer. For someone who used to ask for slate pencils and ink to suddenly start asking for nails must be incomprehensible to him. As he tilts his head to the side in wonder, I sigh, then start to explain. “I want to start making the tools I’ll need to make paper, but I don’t actually have the tools I’ll need to make those tools.” “It’s not funny!” I say, pouting at him. Of course, just the other day, I harshly declared to Benno that I was absolutely going to make it by spring, so for me to immediately turn around and say that I can’t even start on the tools might actually be really hilarious. For me, however, it’s a really serious matter. Otto wipes a tear from his eye as he calms down, a wide grin spreading across his face. I can clearly see that this is the slightly menacing smile of a calculating merchant. As he chuckles pleasantly at me, I’m suddenly very much on my guard. “If you teach me how to make whatever it is you put in your hair, how about I finance your nail purchases?” The value of what he’s asking for does not at all match what he’s offering. This is an absurdly huge ripoff. If Otto were to then let that information slip to Benno, then I would lose one of my most important cards that I could use against him. The price of that is far too high. “...Just for some nails, I can’t tell you how to make it. When I think about Benno’s reaction the other day, I think it might be something very profitable.” “...You’ve got good eyes,” he mutters, with the tiniest gleam of admiration in his eyes. As I stall with a vague sort of answer, I frantically start to think. I’ve got no other rope to cling to besides Otto’s, so if I lose him, I’ve got nothing. I have to come to some sort of compromise here. ...Why would Mister Otto be so interested in my simple all-in-one shampoo? Otto, unlike Benno, is not a merchant. Therefore, I don’t think he wants to bring it to market as a new commodity. It might make sense if he wanted to get Benno indebted to him. ...Otto is a comparatively neat person, but he doesn’t seem to be the type to care enough about his appearance that he’d go to the trouble of making something just for it. If I really had to say it, the people who’d want to do that would be women... his wife?! Is it his wife?! “...Mister Otto, it’s too much for me to tell you how to make it, but if you wanted to exchange goods, I’d be okay with that.” Based on his look of interest, it seems like learning my methods might not actually be the important thing here. I fix my gaze on my tiny chance of victory and take another step forward. “...Ummm, that’s right. I can teach Miss Corinna how to use it, and show her how to make her hair smooth and glossy. I could just give you the product, but it would be useless without the instructions, so that’s what I can offer you.” “Sounds good to me. It’s settled, then!” Otto nods in agreement, looking like he didn’t even give it a second thought. I had thought that bringing up Corinna would be my most effective move, but I didn’t think that such a simple thing would take me quite that far. “Well then,” he says, “come over to my house on my next day off. Let’s make the exchange then, alright?” “Alright!” Just like that, it was decided that I’d bring my simple all-in-one shampoo to Otto’s house on his next day off, then play beautician (a shampoo-only beautician) for the day. “Lutz, I got us some nails.” “Seriously? Wow, Maine, you’re really amazing, aren’t you?” “Yeah, I’m going to get some in exchange for giving Otto some 'simple all-in-one shampoo’, but... I don’t have much of it left. Would you mind helping me make some for me today?” Better yet, if I make a little more of it to put aside, why couldn’t I use it as a source of additional fundraising? “If we had a little more time, we could gather melil to use for this, but in this season, rio is the best fruit for it.” Lutz and I gather rio fruit from the forest, then go back to my place to squeeze the oil out of it. Lutz still can’t use the big stone weight to press it down, so we smash it out with a hammer. I take the freshly-squeezed oils and throw various herbs in one by one. “Hmmm!” says Lutz. “That’s really simple to make, isn’t it?” “That’s right. The important part of this is the kind of oil you use and the kinds of herbs you mix it with. So, Lutz, even if we’re going to be selling the finished product in exchange for the things that we want, we can never show anyone how it’s made.” “Why?” “Since it’s so simple, once you show someone how to do it, they can make it themselves, right? You won’t be able to trade with them ever again, you know?” “Ah, okay! I get it.” I take a portion of the completed shampoo, put it in a somewhat small container, and hold it out for Lutz. He looks down at it dubiously, head tilted to one side. “I don’t need any, though? Maine, you’re the one getting money and buying things, so you should hold onto that.” “This is your share after making it, Lutz. How about you use it to make Mrs. Carla happy? Hasn’t she been pestering you about what you did to your hair?” After I made Lutz’s hair look good to prepare for his interview with Otto, his mother started persistently a.s.saulting me with questions. I haven’t met her since then, so I’m sure that she’s turned her questioning on Lutz. “Oh, thanks a bunch! You’re a lifesaver, Maine.” With a happy look, he takes the container from me. I grin broadly at him, imitating Otto’s smile. “Mrs. Carla is a very forceful woman, so you have to make sure that you don’t let her get the secret of how to make it out of you. This is good practice for giving someone something without telling them how it was made. When we become merchants, we’re going to have a whole lot of things that we’re going to need to keep secret, after all.” “...I really want to practice on something easier, though...” he says, smiling dejectedly. I still don’t have those nails in hand. The road to was.h.i.+ will be a long one.

それも、自分が作るのではなく、ルッツがやってくれるのだ。就職活動として。 普通でも飛べるってつっこまないで! この身体では難しいの! 「マイン、機嫌が良いのは、いいけどさ......あんまり興奮しすぎるなよ。また、熱出すぞ?」 「興奮せずにいられないよ。だって、紙を作るんだよ? 作れるんだよ? 紙が作れたら本も作れるんだよ。ぃやっふぅ!」 跳ねるような足取りで家に向かうわたしに、ルッツは頭を抱えて溜息を吐いた。 「......マイン、作るのはいいけどさ。どうやって作るんだ? オレは全然知らないからな。道具とか必要ないのか? 大丈夫なのか?」 溜息混じりにこぼされたルッツの冷静すぎる疑問に、浮ついていた空気が霧散して、一気に現実に戻った。 ......そうだった。道具から手作りしなきゃ、何にもない! 和紙の作り方の手順は知っている。道具の名前は何とか覚えてる。でも、和紙作りに使う道具の作り方までは、廃れていく職人とその道具関係の本で読んだけれど、細かくは覚えてない。 ......ぅわ、まずは道具作りかぁ。すぐに紙を作り始めるのは無理かも。あぁぁ、相変わらずわたしの知識、いまいち使えない。 「......おい、マイン。急におとなしくなったけど、ここまできて、できないなんて言わないよな?」 ルッツにものすごく不安そうな顔をされて、わたしは慌てて首を振った。 「そんなこと言わない。わたし、紙の作り方は知ってる。ずっと欲しいと思ってた。でも、木を切る力がなくて、まだ火が使えなくて、繊維を潰せないわたしにはできなかったの。わたしの我儘のために、紙を作ってなんて言えないし......」 「オレが手伝うって言ったんだから、言ってみればよかったのに......」 気持ちは嬉しいが、紙を作るのはかなりの重労働だ。採集の合間に土を掘るのを手伝ってもらったり、木を切るのを手伝ってもらったりするのとはわけが違う。 「あのね、わたし、ルッツに作り方を教えるしかできない。自分でもできそうなことを手伝ってもらってた今までと違って、最初から最後までほとんど全部ルッツが一人で作ることになっちゃう。それでも、やる?」 ルッツは即座に頷いたけれど確認は必要だ。もしかしたら、その場の雰囲気に呑まれただけかもしれないなんて、思ってしまったので。 「それでね、ルッツ。道具作るところから始めなきゃいけないけど、頑張れる?」 「......マインも一緒にやるんだろ?」 「もちろん。できる限りはやるよ」 道具を作るにも、どんな道具が必要か洗い出さなくてはならない。そのついでに、代用できそうなものがないか、家の中を探ってみよう。 「わたしは必要な道具を書きだして、代わりに使えそうな物がないか探してみる。なかったら、作るしかないんだけど......。ルッツは紙の原料になる木を探してみてほしいの」 「木なんて森に行けばいくらでもあるだろ?」 「そうだけど、どの木が紙作りに適してるか、わたしにはわからないんだもの」 こうぞ、みつまた、がんぴ辺りが和紙に適した木材だと知っているけれど、この世界でどの木が紙作りに適しているのかわからない。 「えーとね、紙を作るのに使いやすい木は、繊維が長くて、強いこと。繊維にねばりけがあって、繊維同士がからみやすいこと。繊維がたくさん取れること......なんだけど、繊維が長くて強い木かどうかって、どうやって見分けたら良いかわからないんだよね」 しかも、こうぞの一年目の木が向いているらしい目以降になると、繊維が固くなり、節ができてくるので使いにくくなる、と読んだことがある。 でも、わたし、木を見ても一年目か二年目かなんて見分けがつかないんだもん。 「......そんな難しいこと言われても、オレだってわからないぜ」 「そうだよね。とりあえず柔らかい木と堅い木があると思うんだけど、柔らかくて若い木がいるんだよね」 「年数がたつと堅くなるもんな」 わたしにとってはどれも堅くて切れない木だが、ルッツにとっては切りやすい切りにくい、堅い柔らかいの違いはわかるらしい。 「まぁ、竹を使ったり、笹で作った紙だってあるから、向き不向きがあっても、一応植物なら紙にできるはずだけど、少しでも作りやすい方が良いでしょ? それに、商品にするなら尚更使いやすい木を選ばなきゃ」 「へぇ......」 使いやすい木か、と呟くルッツに軽く頷いた。 「できれば、栽培ができて、原料の入手がかんたんにできれば、尚良いけど、栽培しやすいかどうかなんて、わからないよね?」 「いや、簡単に育つ木と育たない木は違う。簡単に育つ木はあるよ」 「そうなの!?」 わたしが森に出られるようになって一月。未だ木を切ったことがないわたしでは、木を選ぶことなんてできない。 「じゃあ、木を選ぶのはルッツに任せるよ。いくつもの種類の木で挑戦して、向き不向きを調べていくつもりだから、柔らかそうな木をいくつか考えてみて。あと......『トロロ』を探してほしい」 「なんだ、それ?」 「わたしが知っているのは、木の根っこなんだけど、この辺りにあるかどうかはわからない。どろっとねばっとしている液が出てくる木とか......実でもいいけど、心当たりない?」 ルッツもすぐには思い当たらないようで、しばらく考え込んだ。 「繊維同士をひっつける糊の役目をするから、いるんだよね」 「森に詳しいヤツに聞いてみる」 「じゃあ、わたしは手順を思い出して、必要な道具を書きだすよ。それから、作り方を考える」 これからすることを挙げているうちに、家の前に着いていた。 「着いたぞ。じゃあ、頑張ろうな」 「うん」 家に帰って、わたしは石板を取りだした。和紙を作る工程を思い返しながら、必要な道具を書きだしていかなくてはならない。 手順としては、最初に原料となる木や植物の刈り取り。鉈のようなものはルッツも持っていたし、道具は特に必要ないだろう。はい、次。 ウチでは蒸し器を使っているところを見たことがないので、台所にあれば貸してもらおう。そう考えて早速台所を探してみたが、なかった。 蒸した木を冷水にさらして、熱いうちに皮をはぎとる。つまり、蒸す作業から川の近くで行う方が良いと思うが、ナイフがあれば、道具は特に必要なさそうだ。はい、次。 よく乾燥させるのも、一日以上川にさらして白皮を剥ぐのも、特に道具は必要ない。ナイフがあればなんとかなるだろう。はい、次。 白皮を灰で煮て、柔らかくして、余分なものをとる。つまり、灰と鍋がいる。鍋は蒸す時に使うので使い回せるが、灰の準備が厳しい。母がくれるとは思えないし、蒸した時にできた灰だけで足りるかどうかがわからない。 また川で一日以上さらして、灰を流して、天日にさらして、白くする。その後、繊維の傷や節を取り除く。この辺りは大体手作業だ。特に道具は必要ない。はい、次。 繊維が綿のようになるまで叩きまくる。ここで繊維を叩くための棍棒みたいな角棒が必要になる。これは木や薪から作れるだろうか。 全部を混ぜるための桶というか、たらいというか、とにかく器がいる。それから、紙をすくための木枠のような けたからすを外して、すにろかされた紙を紙床に移す。一日分の紙を紙床に重ね一昼夜ほど自然に水を切る。 その後、ゆっくりと重石やジャッキなどで圧力をかけ、さらに水をしぼる。一昼夜プレスしたままの状態にしておけば、トロロのねばりけが完全になくなる。 プレスし終わったものを紙床から一枚ずつていねいにはがし、板にはり付ける。 天日で乾そうして、乾そうし終わったら、はり板からはがしてできあがり。 「うーん、こうして考えると結構色んな物がいるなぁ......」 必要な物、蒸し器、鍋、角材、灰、たらい、簀桁、紙床、重石、平たい板。そして、原料、トロロ。 写真やイラストで見たことはあるし、過程はだいたい覚えていても、実際に自分が作ったことがないので、細かいことがわからない。たとえば、木の繊維とトロロと水の割合とか。 いや、でも、あのアイドル、道具は借りてたよね? 道具は作ってなかったよね? 知識だけあっても、わたしが実際作った紙なんて、家庭科の授業で牛乳パックを使って再生紙の葉書を作ったくらいだ。何もしたことがないよりはマシだと思いたいが、非常に頼りない。 とにかく、葉書くらいのサイズから挑戦してみよう。道具も小さい方が作りやすいだろうし、木の種類を確かめるなら大きいサイズより小さいサイズで作った方がいい。 「じゃあ、ルッツ。最初に蒸し器を作ってみようか」 中華料理に使うような丸いせいろを作ろうとすれば難しいけれど、木く作る分にはそれほど難しくはないはずだ。 「作り方自体は簡単だからできると思うけどさ、釘ってあるのか?」 「えっ!? 木に切れ込みを入れて、組み合わせていくとか......できない?」 道具を作ろうとして困ったこと。道具を作るための道具がない。 木は切ればあるけれど、釘がない。ここでは釘も子供が使いたいと思って使えるような値段ではないのだ。 父の道具を借りて、ほぞを作って組み合わせていく江戸指物の技術をわたしがちょちょいと使えたらよかったけれど、そんな職人技、知識として知っていても使えるわけがない。 釘は日常生活に使うので、金物屋に行けば売ってないわけではないが、困ったことに先立つ物がない。 「どうするんだよ、マイン?」 「う、オットーさんに相談してみる。相場とか、業者に詳しいし、お手伝いで釘が手に入るかもしれないから......」 わたしが家族に労働力を提供できない以上、わたしの労働力を買ってくれるところに行くしかない。 次の日は門に行って、オットーに尋ねてみた。 「オットーさん、質問があるんですけど、釘の値段ってどのくらいですか? 安い業者とかご存知なら、紹介してほしいんですけど」 「......なんで釘? 使えないだろ、マインちゃん」 そうです。わたしにはトンカチを使う筋力がありません。 石筆やインクならともかく、釘を欲しがるわけがわからない、と不思議そうに首を傾げるオットーに、わたしは溜息混じりに答えた。 「紙を作るのに必要な道具を作りたいんですけど、道具を作るための道具がないんですよ」 「あははははは......」 「笑い事じゃないんですよ」 確かに、ベンノに「春までに作る」と啖呵切った直後に、「道具が作れない」では、笑い話にしかならないだろうけれど、こちらは切実なのだ。 笑いすぎて目尻に浮かんだ涙を拭いながら、オットーがニッコリと笑みを浮かべた。爽やかに見える計算商人のちょっと黒い笑顔だ。 「髪の艶を出す物の作り方を教えてくれたら、釘を融通してあげるよ?」 もし、オットーからベンノに情報が流れたら、あのベンノに対してわたしが切れる有効なカードを一枚失くすことになる。あまりにも損が大きい。 「......釘だけで、作り方は出せません。先日のベンノさんの反応から考えても、かなり利益の出る商品になりそうですから」 「......よく見てたね」 まぁ、と曖昧に答えながら、わたしは必死で考える。オットーという綱を失ったら、わたしには他にすがれる綱がない。何とか落とし所を探らなければならない。 ......なんでオットーさんは簡易ちゃんリンシャンが必要なの? オットーはベンノと違って商人ではない。だったら、商品として売り出したいわけではないと思う。 ......オットーさんは比較的小奇麗だけど、自分で使いたいってほど外見を気にするタイプでもないし、どちらかというと使いたがるのは女性......嫁!? 嫁か!? 「......オットーさん、情報は無理ですけど、現物同士の引き換えならいいですよ」 オットーが軽く眉を挙げた。興味を示している様子から、情報にはこだわらないかもしれない。少しばかりの勝機を見据えて、もう一歩踏み出す。 「......えーと、そうですね。コリンナさんに使い方も教えて、つやつやのつるつるに仕上げてみせます。現物だけもらっても使い方がわからなきゃ、どうしようもないですからね」 「いいだろう。取引成立だ」 オットーにはコリンナの名前を出すのが一番効果ありそうだとおもったけれど、まさかここまで簡単に事が運ぶとは。 「じゃあ、次の休日にウチにおいで。その時に交換しようか」 「わかりました」 次の休日にオットーの家に簡易ちゃんリンシャンを持っていって、即席美容師さん(シャンプーのみ)になることが決定してしまった。 「ルッツ、釘は手に入る目途がついたよ」 「マジで? すげぇじゃん、マイン」 「うん、代わりに『簡易ちゃんリンシャン』を渡すことになったんだけど......もう、あんまりないんだよね。今日、作るの、手伝ってくれる?」 いっそ、簡易ちゃんリンシャンを少し多めに作っておいて、資金調達源として活用するのはどうだろうか。 「もうちょっとしたら、メリルが取れるんだけど、今の季節ならリオの実が一番向いてるの」 森でルッツと一緒にリオの実を取って、わたしの家で潰して油を取ってもらう。ルッツもまだ圧搾用の重石は使えないので、ハンマーでトントンしていた。 「うーん、結構簡単にできるんだな?」 「そうだよ。大事なのは、油の種類とハーブの組み合わせ。だからね、ルッツ。できあがった物と交換して自分が欲しい資材や資金を調達するのは良いけど、作り方だけは絶対に教えちゃダメだよ」 「なんで?」 「簡単だから、一度作り方を教えたら、自分で作れるじゃない。二度と交換してもらえなくなるでしょ?」 「そうか。わかった」 出来上がった簡易ちゃんリンシャンを小さめの器に入れてルッツに渡す。 「オレ、いらねぇけど? 物や金を調達するのはマインだから、マインが持ってろよ」 「ルッツが働いた分だし、これでカルラおばさんの機嫌をとればいいよ。ずっと質問されてるんでしょ?」 オットーとの面接前にルッツの髪を綺麗にした時、カルラおばさんがしつこく聞いてきて参ったと言っていた。あれから、わたしがカルラおばさんと顔を合わせていないから、質問は全てルッツに向かっているはずだ。 「おぉ、助かる。ありがとな、マイン」 そんなルッツにわたしはオットーの笑顔を真似してニッコリと笑う。 「カルラおばさんの勢いに押されても、絶対に作り方を漏らしちゃダメだからね。現物渡しても、情報を渡さない練習だよ。商人になるなら、秘密にしなきゃいけないことっていっぱい出てくるんだから」 「......もっと簡単なところから練習したいぞ、オレ」 まだ釘が手に入らない。

As I cling to Ralph’s back, my legs dangling, the gates of the outer wall come into view. The outer wall was built to protect the town, so it’s considerably taller than other buildings nearby. It’s about two or three stories tall by j.a.panese standards, and it’s quite thick. It has gates at each of the cardinal directions, at which it seems that several soldiers are stationed in order to check incoming travelers. The gate ahead is the south gate, and I can see several soldiers standing there. One of them is probably my father. I can’t tell which one is him, but it looks like Tory knows. She clutches the bundle close to her chest, and runs forward, waving her arm. “Father!” she calls. Our father looks surprised. “Tory, what’s the matter?” “You left something at the house!” says Tory, beaming as she hands over the bundle. “We came to bring it to you.” Tory, you’re so kind. You’re too kind! If it were me talking to my previous father, I wouldn’t have said anything nearly so kind. My true feelings would probably have slipped out, something like “Mom would be p.i.s.sed if she found out you’d left this at the house, and that would be a huge bother. Did you forget what happened this morning?” “Ahh, I’m saved!” he says, reaching out to take the bundle with a sigh of relief. “...Hm? Did you leave Maine by herself?!” Father scowls. It seems that he hadn’t noticed anyone except for his beloved daughter Tory, so he had completely ignored Ralph’s group and missed me, his other beloved daughter, clinging to Ralph’s back. Tory shakes her head vigorously, and points over at Ralph. “Nuh uh, she came too! Look, she’s riding on Ralph’s back.” “Huh? Oh! I see.” He glances around, feeling a little embarra.s.sed that he hadn’t noticed us, then pats Ralph on the head. “Sorry you had to carry her all this way, Ralph.” “We were going to the forest, so it was on our way,” says Ralph, looking a little bothered by how my father is ruffling his hair. He sets me down, then goes to collect the stuff that Fey and Lutz were holding for him. “Thanks, Ralph,” says my father. “Lutz and Fey, you too.” We see off Ralph and his friends as they head through the gate on their way to the forest, then Tory and I head to the gate’s waiting room. The wall here is thick enough that you could probably put a three meter by four meter room in it. This room isn’t nearly that large, so it looks like there’s both a waiting room and a room for the night watch in here. The waiting room is very simple, with a table, a few chairs, and a cabinet. I look around excitedly, feeling like I’m visiting a foreign country for the first time. After a little while, one of my father’s coworkers brings us some water. “You two are such good kids, bringing your dad something he forgot.” It took us about twenty minutes, going at Tory’s pace, to get from our home to the gate, so I’m incredibly grateful to finally get some water. I gulp back all of the water in the wooden cup I’ve been given, then let out a huge sigh. “Ahhh, delicious! I’ve been revived!” “Maine,” says Tory with a frown, “didn’t you barely walk at all?” At those words, everyone starts laughing. I try to look upset, but I really can’t object since everyone saw Ralph carrying me in. I help myself to another cup of water as everyone laughs at me. Another soldier enters the room. He grabs a wooden box, which seems to be some kind of toolbox, from the shelves, then immediately heads back out. Unintentionally, I frown a little at how hectic things seem to be. “Daddy,” I ask, “Did something happen?” “It’s probably just someone who needs special attention coming through the gates. Nothing to worry about.” My father may be waving his hand dismissively while saying not to pay it any mind, but I can’t help but worry a little when I see a busy situation like that. Are things really okay? I mean, this is a gate. The gatekeepers are riled up, you know? Isn’t this a danger flag? In contrast to my worries, Tory is just sitting there, looking like there’s no danger at all, with her head tilted to one side. “What kind of person needs special attention?” she asks. “Have I seen them before?” It looks like Tory can’t think of anyone who would rile up the guards like this, even though she travels through this gate fairly often. Our father rubs thoughtfully at the stubble on his chin for a moment before answering. “Uhhh, perhaps its someone who looks like a bad person who committed a crime. Or, maybe, it’s an arriving aristocrat that we need to inform the lord about.” “Oh...” If he says that someone looks like a criminal, then it seems like they pa.s.s judgement just based on how someone looks. Although, if I think about how things work around here, it seems unlikely that they have any real way to transmit information around, so they probably have no choice but to stop and investigate every suspicious-looking individual. “We’ll have them wait in another room while the higher-ups decide if it’s okay to let them into the city.” Ahh, so that means that there must be several waiting rooms around the gate. I get it now. Surely, there must be significant differences between the rooms for the n.o.bility and rooms for criminals, from the size of them to the quality of the furniture. Life’s unfair, no matter what world you’re in. While I contemplate these things, the young soldier returns, bringing back the wooden box as well as some sort of cylindrical, pipe-like item. There wasn’t even a trace of any tension on his face, like you’d expect from an emergency situation. Looks like my father was right, this is no big deal. The soldier, with cargo in his left hand, walks up to my father, raises his right fist, then thumps the left side of his chest twice. My father stands up, straightens himself, and returns the gesture. This is probably this world’s salute. “Ohh,” I murmur, appreciatively. I haven’t seen him do anything but laze around, so this is really fresh. His expression is sharp, and he actually looks really cool. “Count Lowenwalt wishes for the rampart gates to be opened, sir,” says Otto. “His seal?” “Has been verified, sir.” “Right, he can pa.s.s.” Otto salutes once more, then sits down in the chair across from me. He sets the wooden box down on the table next to him, then uses both hands to spread the other thing out. It isn’t as smooth as paper, and it has some sort of smell to it, but my eyes snap to it immediately. Parchment?! I don’t know if it really is parchment, but it definitely is some kind of paper that has properties like it was made out of animal skin. I can’t read anything it says, but there are words written there using the alphabet of this world. Before my staring eyes, Otto takes from the box an inkwell and a reed pen, then starts to write something down on the parchment. Whoooooooooooa!! Writing! There is a person who can write here!! This is the first civilized man I have met in this world. I absolutely want him to teach me how to read this language! As I think, my gaze is fixed on Otto’s hands as if I were going to devour them. My dad places a hand on my head and ruffles my hair. “What is it?” he asks. I look up at my father, then point at the parchment-looking thing. If I don’t figure out what it’s called, I won’t be able to ask about it in the future. “Daddy, Daddy! What’s that?” I ask. “Ah, that’s parchment!” he says. “It’s a paper made from the skin of goats or sheep.” “What’s this black stuff?” “That’s ink, and that’s a pen.” As I thought! I’ve found paper and ink, so I can make books. I’m so happy that I could start dancing, but I try to stay calm. I clasp my hands tightly in front of me, look endearingly up at my father, and start begging with all my might. “Hey, Daddy. Can I have that?” “No, Maine, that’s not a kid’s toy.” Even though I’d tried to project every last mote of adorable little girl charm, he rejected my pleas immediately. Of course, just because I’ve been shot down, doesn’t mean I’m not going to stop trying. When it comes to books, I clamp down on them like a snapping turtle and stick to them like gum on a shoe. You really shouldn’t underestimate my adhesion! “I wanna write like this! I really do. Pleeeease!” “You just can’t, Maine! You don’t even know how to write.” Certainly, if you don’t know how to write, then you don’t need any paper or ink. For this very reason, now’s my greatest chance to twist my father’s words back around. “Ah, I’ll learn if you teach me! If I learn, then can I have that?” The younger, lower-ranked soldier can write, so it’s likely that my father, who seems to be his superior, can write as well. I never would have thought that someone who knew how to write would live in a house without a single sheet of paper, but I’m happy to have been proven wrong. If my father can teach me how to read and write, then reading the books of this world is no longer an impossible dream. As I sit there with a huge smile plastered over my face, feeling like I’ve gotten one step closer to realizing my ambitions, someone lets out a m.u.f.fled snort. I look around, trying to find the source, and see Otto barely holding in his laughter, as if our father-daughter conversations about pen and ink are almost too much to bear. “Ahahaha, ‘teach me’, she says... heh heh, sir, aren’t you pretty bad at writing?” With a sharp snap, cracks spiderwebbed throughout my ambition. My smile freezes on my face, like someone’s dumped a bucket of ice water all over me. “Huh? Daddy, can you not write?” “I can read, more-or-less, and write too. My job involves paperwork, so I need to know how to read, but I’ve never really needed to know any characters outside of the ones I use at work. Just enough so that I can write down the names of people who come from far away, after I hear them.”“Ohhh...,” I sigh, staring at my father with a sullen expression on my face as he makes his excuses. So, it seems that my father’s literacy level is such that he’s only got a basic grasp of the alphabet to the point where if his cla.s.s a.s.signment was to write out his friend’s names then he could. The young Otto, though, said “pretty bad”, so he must be on the level of a first grader, who’d still make some mistakes with his cla.s.smate’s names. To be frank: worthless. “Hey now, don’t look at your father like that!” says Otto, the person who caused my opinion of my father to drop so dramatically, with a nervouse look on his face as he scolds me. Then, as if he’s covering for my father, he starts to explain the duties of a soldier. “The job of a soldier is to keep the peace in the town, but when there’s big events that the n.o.bility put on, the knights usually are the ones who get the written instructions, and for smaller events all of the coordination is done verbally. We don’t really see a lot of different characters. Just being able to write people’s names is enough.” My father had a chance to pull himself together while Otto was covering for him, and has pulled his pride back together. It seems like my unimpressed stare hurt his feelings unexpectedly much. “Barely anyone knows how to read amongst the peasantry, except for the village leaders. I’m pretty amazing already, you know!” he says, his chest puffed out. “Whoa, you really are amazing, Daddy! Can I have this? Pleeeease?” You’re amazing, Daddy, so you want to give your beloved daughter with a hundred sheets of paper as a present, with fanfare. I stare into his eyes as I layer on the extortion, but he wavers a little and retreats a step. “......One page would make an entire month’s wages disappear, so giving it to a kid...” What did you say?! An entire month’s wages?! Wh... how much could parchment cost?! This... even though I’m not a child, this is not the kind of thing that you should dangle just out of my reach! The reason why there’s no paper in the house, the reason why there’s no bookstores in this town, they’re all the same. The price just isn’t one that us commoners can afford to pay. No matter how much I beg for paper, my family barely makes enough money to keep us fed. n.o.body’s going to buy me paper. I drop my shoulders, a defeated look on my face. Otto pats me gently on the head, trying to cheer me up. “Paper’s not the kind of thing you can find in stores that commoners can enter, anyway. It’s the kind of thing that’s only used by the n.o.bility and the people they work with, like important merchants and government officials, so it’s not something that kids can use anyway. If you want to learn how to write, why not use a slate? How about I give you the one I used to use when I was just learning?” “Really? That would be great!” I immediately nod, and graciously make arrangements to get the slate. I’ve waited so long, and I really want to learn how to write too, so I’m going to figure out how to press Otto into serving as my teacher. “Thanks, Mr. Otto! Please, could you teach me how to write? I’m counting on you!” As I pressure Otto with my adorable smile, my father looks back and forth between the two of us with a pitiful expression on his face, but I’m not paying attention. Being able to practice writing, getting a slate to write on, these things are enough to set my heart soaring, but what I truly want, books, require paper. After all, you can’t preserve anything on a slate. A slate is something that you write on and erase many times, like a chalkboard. It’s great for practicing how to write, but you can’t use it as a book. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that paper might be something that just wasn’t sold to commoners. Hmm, how can I make any books if I don’t have any paper? If I can’t just acquire any paper, what should I do? What can I do? Can’t I just make it myself? Before I make any books, I’m going to need to start by making my own paper. However, making paper really isn’t all that simple. I don’t think it’s the kind of thing that I can just pa.s.s off as a kid playing around. Grr, the road to books is long!!

わたしがラルフの背中にしがみついて、足をブラブラさせているうちに、外壁の門が見えてきた。 外壁は街を守るための壁で、間近で見るとかなり高い。日本の建物の2階から3階くらいの高さがあって、厚みもある。外壁の東西南北に門があって、街に入る人をチェックする数人の兵士がいるらしい。 目の前の門は南門で、数人の兵士の姿が見える。その内が父のはずだ。 「父さーん!」 「トゥーリ、どうしたんだ!?」 驚きに目を瞬く父に、トゥーリはニッコリと持っていた包みを手渡した。 優しい。優しすぎるよ、トゥーリ。わたしなんて、麗乃だった時の父にそんな優しい言葉かけてあげなかった。今だって、「忘れて行かれると母さんの機嫌が急降下でこっちが迷惑なんだけど? 朝の状態忘れた?」って本心が勝手に出てきそうで困る。 「あぁ、助かった。......ぅん? マインを放ってきたのか!?」 差し出された包みをホッとしたように受け取った後、父はくっと眉を寄せた。どうやら、愛娘トゥーリの姿しか見えていなかったようで、ラルフ達はもちろん、背負われている愛娘その2にも気付いていないようだ。 「ううん、一緒に来てる。ほら、ラルフが背負ってくれたの」 目に入っていなかったことがきまり悪く感じるのか、父はわずかに視線をさまよわせながら、ラルフの頭にポンと手を置いた。 わしゃわしゃと父に頭を掻き回されて、迷惑そうな顔をしながら、ラルフはわたしを背中から下ろした。そして、フェイとルッツに持たせていた自分の荷物を手に取る。 「ありがと、ラルフ。ルッツとフェイもありがと」 外壁は壁の中くらいの部屋が作れるくらいの厚みがあって、それほど大きくはないが、待合室や宿直室もあるらしい。待合室は、簡素なテーブルと椅子が数脚と戸棚が一つあるだけの部屋だ。 まるで外国へ観光に行った時と同じような気分で、きょろきょろしていると、父の同僚の人が水を入れてきてくれる。 「忘れ物を届けてくれるなんて、いい娘さん達ですね」 家から門までは、トゥーリの足で歩いて20分くらいかかるので、水を入れてくれた心遣いがとてもありがたい。 「ハァ。おいしい。生き返るね」 「マインはほとんど自分で歩いてないでしょ?」 むーっと脹れっ面をしてみるが、ラルフに背負われていたわたしの姿を見られているので、反論しようもない。 わたしがみんなに笑われながらおかわりを飲んでいると、兵士が一人部屋に入ってきた。棚からお道具箱のような木箱を持って、すぐさま部屋を出ていく。 「父さん、何かあったんじゃない?」 「要注意な奴が門に来ただけだろう。そんなに心配することじゃない」 パタパタと手を振って父は気にするなと言うが、慌ただしい様子を見ればちょっと心配になる。本当に大丈夫だろうか。 だって、ここが門で、門番がバタバタするんだよ? 厄介事のフラグっぽくない? わたしの心境とは裏腹に、トゥーリは全く危機感なんて感じていない表情で、こてんと首を傾げた。 いつも通っている門で門番を慌てさせるような人がトゥーリにはすぐに思い浮かばないらしい。 「あー、どっかで犯罪犯してそうな悪人面とか、逆に、領主に先触れを出した方がいいようなお貴族様とかだ」 「へぇ......」 悪人面って、人相だけで判断されるらしい。でも、生活環境から考えても、情報伝達が発達しているとも思えないから、犯罪者っぽい人を足止めして調べるのは仕方がないかもしれない。 「別の部屋で待ってもらって、街に入れてもいいかどうか、上が判断するんだ」 きっと、お貴族様用の待合室と悪人面の待合室は広さから家具まで色々違うんだろうな。どこの世界も世知辛いものだよね。 わたしがそんなことを考えているうちに、若い兵士は木箱と筒のように丸められた物を持ってすぐに戻ってきた。その表情には緊急事態の緊張感など全くない。父の言葉通り、大したことではなかったようだ。 そして、手にしていた荷物を左手に父の前に立って、右手の拳左の胸を叩いた。父も立ちあがって姿勢を正して、同じしぐさを返したことから考えると、多分この世界の敬礼だ。 家では見たことがない父の厳めしい顔に、おぉ、と小さく呟いた。だらだらした姿しか知らないので、とても新鮮だ。きりっとした顔をしていると、結構カッコいい。 「ロウィンワルト伯爵が城壁の開門を望んでいます」 「割印は?」 「確認済みです」 「よし、通せ」 オットーはもう一度敬礼をした後、わたしの正面にある椅子に座った。机の上に木箱を置き、もう一つ手に持っていた物を広げた。 羊皮紙!? 本当に羊皮紙かどうかわからないが、動物の皮からできているような材質の紙だ。読めないけれど、この世界の文字がそこに書かれている。 この世界で初めての文明人だ。ぜひ、この世界の文字を教えてほしい! そう思いながら食い入るようにオットーの手元を見ていると、父が「どうした?」と頭にぽすっと手を置いてきた。 父を見上げて、わたしは羊皮紙と思われる物を指差した。名前を確認しておかなくては次回から尋ねることもできない。 「あぁ、羊皮紙だよ。ヤギやヒツジの皮で作った紙」 「こっちの黒いのは?」 「インクとペンだ」 紙とインクが見つかったから、これで無事に本が作れる。 「ねぇ、父さん。これ、ちょ~だい」 「駄目だ。子供のおもちゃじゃない」 この年頃の可愛さを全面に押し出してみたわたしのおねだりはあっさりと却下された。 もちろん、却下されたからといって、そう簡単に諦めるわけがない。スッポンのように食らいつき、熱い餅のように剥がれないと言われたわたしの本に対する粘着力を甘く見てもらっては困る。 「こういうの書きたい。欲しいの。お願い」 「駄目だ、駄目だっ! だいたいマインは字も知らないだろう?」 確かに、字を知らなかったら紙もインクも必要ない。だからこそ、父の言葉はわたしにとっては最大のチャンスになる。 「じゃあ、覚えるから教えて。覚えたら、これ、ちょうだいね?」 若い下っ端兵士が字を書けるのだから、上司っぽい父だって当然書けるはずだ。 野望に一歩近付いた気分で、満面の笑みを浮かべていたわたしの近くで「フハッ」と誰かが吹き出した。発生源を探して視線を巡らせると、羊皮紙とインクを巡る親子のやり取りを聞いていたらしいオットーが堪え切れないと言ったように笑いだした。 「ハハハ、『教えて』だって......くくっ、班長は字を書くの、苦手でしたよね?」 その瞬間、パキンとわたしの野望にひびが入った音がした。ザッと冷水を浴びせられたように笑顔が凍ったのが自分でもわかる。 「え? 父さん、字、書けないの?」 「多少は読めるし、書ける。書類仕事もあるから、字を読める必要があるが、仕事に関する以上の文字なんて全く必要としていない。余所からやってくる人達の名前を聞いて書くくらいだ」 わたしの中の父の株を落とした元凶であるオットーが気を揉んだような表情で、わたしの態度を咎めた。そして、父を擁護するように兵士の仕事について説明する。 「兵士っていうのは、街の治安維持を仕事としているけど、街の中でお貴族様が係わるような大きい事件があった時に調書を取る時は騎士階級がやってくるし、小さな事件なんて口頭で報告も終わりだからね。文字に触れることも少ないんだよ。人の名前が書ければ、十分さ」 オットーの援護に気を取り直したのか、父もぐっと胸を張った。わたしの冷たい視線に意外と傷ついていたらしい。 「農民だったら、村長くらいしか字が読めないんだから、父さんは十分すごいんだ」 「じゃあ、すごい父さん。これ、欲しいの。ちょ~だい」 すごいなら、可愛い娘に紙の100枚くらいババーンとプレゼントしてほしい。 「......1枚で一月の給料が飛んでいくようなもん、子供にやれるか」 何ですと!? 一月の給料!? ちょ、羊皮紙、どれだけ高いの!? 家の中に紙がない理由も、街の中で本屋を見かけない理由も、全部同じ。平民に買えるような値段じゃないということだ。 しょぼーんと肩を落としたわたしの頭をオットーが慰めるようにポンポンと軽く叩いた。 「そもそも、平民が出入りする店には売ってないよ。紙は貴族や貴族との繋がりが必要な大商人や役人が使う物で、子供が使うようなものじゃないからね。字の勉強がしたいなら、石板を使えば? 昔、俺が使っていたヤツ、あげようか?」 「いいんですか!? 嬉しいです!」 すぐさま頷いて、ありがたく石板を頂く約束をする。せっかくなので、字の勉強もしたいから、オットーをわたしの教師役に任命しておこう。 「ありがとう、オットーさん。ぜひ、わたしに字を教えてください。頼りにしてます」 笑顔でねだるわたしの横で、父がわたしとオットーを見比べて非常に情けない顔をしていたが、見なかったことにしておいた。 字の練習ができることも、石板をもらえたことも、わたしの心を浮き立たせることだけど、わたしが欲しいのは、本で、必要なのは紙だ。 紙がないのに、どうやって本を作ればいいというのだろうか。 自分で作ればいいじゃない。 本を作る前に、紙を作るところから始めなければならないようだ。しかし、紙を作るのはそう簡単ではないだろう。子供の遊びの延長ではとてもできないと思う。 うぅ、本までの道のり、遠っ!

Ascendance of a Bookworm Ascendance of a Bookworm – Three Cheers for Mesopotamia! Today is the very first day I will be heading to the forest on my own two feet. Today, I’m leaving my tote bag and slate at home. Instead, I’ve got a wooden basket on my back like everyone else (although mine is smaller), containing a shovel that I’ll be using to dig up the earth. I can’t help but think of a wooden spatula when I look at this shovel, though. To be perfectly honest, I think this spatula is going to be even less effective at actual excavation than the little plastic shovels that kids use in the sandbox. Doesn’t anyone else see this? As I brandish the shovel, which absolutely looks like it is going to break immediately, my father grabs me firmly by the shoulder. He turns me around to face him, and starts giving me the same lecture that he’s been constantly giving ever since we decided that I could go to the forest. “Maine. All you’re doing today is going to the forest, then coming back. Everyone’s going to have a lot of things to carry on their way back, and they’re going to be tired. I want you to rest up while you’re out there so that you’ll have enough energy to make it back with them by yourself. Understand?” My father’s face grows very serious for a moment, although I can’t tell if it’s just because of my answer itself or because any of my frustrations at being told this countless times might be starting to spill over. He turns to Tory. “Tory,” he says, “this might be tough, so I’m counting on you. Please talk with Lutz to make sure he knows that Maine is going to have to make it back before the gates close.” “Okay. Today we’ll make sure to leave early,” she replies. Tory already has an overflowing sense of responsibility, but when she hears my father’s request, her sense of duty burns brightly as well. Today, she seems a little more strict than usual. By the time we head outside, there are already other children gathered near the well, boxes and baskets strapped to their backs as well. There’s a total of eight of us, ranging from the young kids like me who haven’t really started growing up to the older kids like Tory and Fey, who are a little bit bigger and stronger. Fey leads the way with his pink hair while Tory brings up the rear. As for me, I’ll start at the front with Fey, but by the time we reach our destination I’ll have fallen more or less to the rear. “Alright, Maine. Let’s go! Don’t slow down, okay?” I may be used to walking to the gates by now, but this is my first time going all the way to the forest. Thus, Lutz will be setting the pace for me. Over the last three months while walking between the gates and my home, Lutz has been gradually been figuring out what the upper bounds of my walking speed are. It’s thanks to him that we’ll be going at a speed that’s only as fast as I can comfortably go. “Thanks, Lutz,” I say. “No, thank you, Maine, you’ve been a big help too,” he replies. The other day, we had to finish off the last of the leftover squeezed paru. It seems that paru, which can apparently only be harvested during the winter, go bad very quickly once the weather starts to warm up. So, in thanks for everything they’ve done for me so far, I modified the recipe for bean curd hamburgers and taught them how to make paruburgers. I made a sauce by boiling down a kind of fruit called a “pomay”. It looks at a glance like a yellow bell pepper, but it has a very tomato-like consistency and flavor on the inside. To finish the dish off, I melted cheese on top of it. The gentle sweetness of the paru added an unexpectedly deep flavor to the dish. I was a little shocked myself, and I made it! Incidentally, Lutz literally started crying earlier, and his older brothers followed suit. They seem to have been deeply moved by the fact that I managed to double the amount of delicious food that they were able to eat during the winter. Carla, their mother, thanked me from the bottom of her heart for how easy my style of cooking is on their family’s finances. Having to feed four kids must be extremely rough. Engel’s law is absolutely murderous when you’re at the low end of the scale, huh? “Maine, why couldn’t you have told us about paruburgers during the winter?!” Lutz complains. “Well, if you want to mince beef, it has to be very fresh, you know? Also, mincing meat is really difficult, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to convince everyone to help me...” “Ahhh, yeah, it’s tough, but we would have done it for the sake of your cooking!” I completely lack the strength required to work a knife for long enough to actually mince meat, and there was no way my mother would have agreed to doing something so difficult, so until now I haven’t been able to eat anything like a hamburger. I’m very glad that Lutz and his family were able to help me, and I consider myself very lucky to have been able to enjoy paruburgers with them. We keep a steady pace towards the forest, chatting about cooking along the way. Talking as we walk made the long journey actually kind of enjoyable, but as soon as we hit the forest all of the fatigue catches up to me at once, cras.h.i.+ng over me like a wave. While everyone goes off to start foraging, I sit myself down on a sizable rock and try to recover as much of my stamina as I can. As I sit on my rock, hunched over and sucking in short, ragged breaths, Lutz comes over, obviously concerned. He pats me on my back. “Maine, you’re going to need to get used to coming out here. Otherwise, it’ll be a big problem once Fey and Tory have their baptisms.” “...Why’s ...that?” I gasp. I certainly am aware that Tory is about to get baptized. After all, she has new clothes for the occasion, and I helped make her some hairpins. I’m not, however, very clear on what all happens after the ceremony. “After she gets baptized, she’s going to start her apprentices.h.i.+p, right? So that means that you’re going to have to come out here alone for half the week.” My eyes go wide as Lutz explains the situation. When Tory starts her apprentices.h.i.+p, then I’m going to have far less help from her when it comes to a lot of the things I do every day. “Wh... what do I do? I hadn’t really considered this...” Maine may be weak, but her life has been quite pleasant thanks to the fact that Tory is such a dependable older sister. If Maine needed anything, she could always bother Tory for it. Without Tory there, though, I don’t think I’ll be able to live. The blood drains from my face as I quietly sit there and panic. Lutz, however, chuckles, scratching at his nose. “Heh heh, well, when Tory’s gone, I can help you out instead. You’re still so weak!” “Thanks, Lutz. I’m really glad for your help.” “Ah... well, I’ve got to go looking for firewood, so you should just stay here and rest up.” He adjusts his backpack, then turns to walk away. “If you can’t make it back to the city, we’ll be in big trouble, you know!” Lutz wanders off, heading deeper into the forest. After his footsteps have faded into the distance, I look around my surroundings to make sure that there’s n.o.body around, then drop to the ground, pull out my makes.h.i.+ft shovel, and get ready start my excavations. Today, my goal was to make it all the way to the forest and back without getting sick. However!!I’ve made it all the way out here, to the forest, at long last! Is it even possible for me to just go home without even trying to challenge this obstacle? Absolutely not! Dig! Dig! Dig until you can’t dig any more! I’m hoping to find some clay-like soil, but how far down am I going to have to dig to find it? a.s.suming the soil composition here is like it is back on Earth, I should be able to find some if I dig a fair ways down. With all of my power, I thrust my shovel deep into the soil. Unfortunately, this vaguely shovel-shaped piece of wood only manages to get about a centimeter in. This is solid! Uh... can I even really dig here? This feels like I’m trying to dig up the packed dirt beneath a well-used sports field. I had this image in my mind of a forest’s soil being a lot more moist and loose than this. I feel a little betrayed. Is it the really soil that’s too hard, though, or is it that this shovel is terrible? ...Yeah, I’m betting it’s the shovel. There is a world of difference between my concept of what a shovel should look like and thisthing. I wanted something made out of metal, at least, not wood! Regardless, though, it doesn’t matter if the shovel’s made of wood, or if the ground is too hard or too soft, abandoning this is just not an option. Even if progress is going to be slow, what choice do I have but to continue digging? Sc.r.a.ping, sc.r.a.ping, sc.r.a.ping, sc.r.a.ping... My wooden shovel slowly peels away the topmost layers of dirt. Unearthing my clay is going to take a lot of time, patience, and strength, and it really doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to get it done in just one day. It looks like making clay tablets is going to be some serious work. I can only pray that it will be easier than my attempt to make pseudo-papyrus. By the time I’ve gotten maybe five centimeters deep, I hear someone’s footsteps approach from behind me. “What the heck are you doing, Maine?” says Lutz as he approaches, both hands full of sticks and branches. His eyes go wide as he sees me sitting on the ground, digging with my shovel. “You promised that you were going to stay put and rest if we took you with us to the forest, right?!” I certainly did promise that when we were leaving, but there was no way I could just sit tight when my target was finally right in front of me. I was planning on stopping before Lutz returned, but once I got started, I just couldn’t quit. ...W, what do I do? I was able to fool my father with a smile and a hug, but Lutz and Tory have specifically been appointed my guardians. I won’t be able to trick them that easily. I know from experience that if I try, that would only make me look more suspicious, and they’d end up asking me even more direct questions. “Uh, ummm... you see, Lutz,” I stammer. “...I see what?” Lutz furrows his brow, puts his hands on his hips, and looks down at me sternly. My interrogation has begun. Well then. If I tell him the truth, he’s going to get mad at me for not thinking things through, and if I lie, then he’s going to see through it and get mad at me for lying to him. Which of these options is the least damaging? “I’m pretty sure that I told you that you need to be resting, so what the heck were you doing?” he demands. “...Um, ummm! I was digging a hole!!” The truth spills out of my mouth as my will crumbles under Lutz’s imposing aura. I’m actually pretty scared of him getting angry at me. I’m pretty dependent on him right now. If he storms off, I won’t make it back home before the gates close. “Yeah, I can see that. What are you digging for?” Even though I’d answered honestly, Lutz seems twice as angry now. He glares at me from above, his eyes cold as ice. “Well, um, you see... I want some ‘clay’.” “Huh? You want some what?” Lutz c.o.c.ks his head to one side, unable to understand what I’m getting at. His expression grows slightly more dubious, and seemingly slightly less angry. “I want soil that’s really dense and solid, the kind where water doesn’t drain away.” “...If you wanted that, wouldn’t there be a lot more of that over there, where there’s not a lot of trees and gra.s.s?” If soil has bad drainage, then it’s difficult for plants to grow there. I guess it would be much more efficient to look for a place with fewer plants. “Thanks, Lutz!” I say, immediately standing up to leave. “Hey! Maine, wait!” Lutz reaches out and grabs me by the scruff of my neck before I can run away. He’s got both size and strength over me, so there’s no way I can escape. “Let me go, Lutz.” “Your job today is to rest, Maine. Haven’t you been listening?” he says, pulling on my ears. “This isn’t something you need to run out and get literally right now, right?” “Ow, ow, ow!” Fl.u.s.tered, I flail my arms ineffectively as I cry out. “I don’t need it to live! I just really want it, so I wasn’t going to bother anyone to help me get it!” “If you make me sit still here, are you going to go dig it up yourself?!” “...I’ve actually gathered my share of the firewood for today, so I can do that. So, Maine, sit there and be good.” I am floored by this completely unexpected reply. My jaw drops, and I can do nothing but stare blankly up at him. He should have lashed back out at me for what I just said, but... is this guy an idiot? He surely has more important things to do than helping me work on a project that he has no interest in at all. Rather than digging up clay, shouldn’t he be gathering something? “Lutz, um, I’m happy you want to help, but don’t you have your own things to do?” “Maine, you’re really weak, and there’s no way you’ll be able to dig that up, so I’ll do it for you. You can pay me back by telling me what it is you need it for and what you want to do.” “...Why, though?” “Well, if I know what you want to do with it, then I can help you avoid doing something useless. Just now, even though you knew exactly what you wanted, you were digging in the wrong place, you know?” Ouch, right in my weak spot. Even though I certainly know what it is I’m after, I don’t know the words for it in this language, I don’t know what things might look like here that are different in j.a.pan, and I don’t have the tools that I need. There are a lot of places where I can go wrong. After that explanation, I definitely understand now how useful it would be to have Lutz’s help in this project, but I still don’t actually know what his motivation is. “Why do you want to help me like this?” “Hm? You made me parucakes when I was super, super hungry that one time, right? I decided right then that I needed to help you out in the future.” Huh? Just like that? That’s all it took to get him to dig up some clay for me? Wow, I shouldn’t underestimate the power of tasty food. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what’s going on in Lutz’s head that makes him equate pancakes to heavy labor, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s a lifesaver. Lutz offered to help of his own volition and without any reservations, so of course I’ll accept. It’s fantastic that I have someone to entrust the heavy lifting to. “...Okay, I’ll leave it to you,” I say. “I’ll wait here.” “Okay! I just need to finish this up real quick.” In a flash, he gathers up his firewood and stows it away. Real quick, indeed. Then, he leads me over to where he thinks that the drainage in the soil is poor, at a somewhat low, sloping spot in the forest floor. “Should be around here,” he says, pulling out the shovel I had brought with me. He shoves the wooden, spatula-like implement into the earth and begins to dig. “Maine, you brought this shovel all the way out here. This digging thing isn’t just some impulse, is it. Were you even intending to keep your promise?” “Um!? W... well, uh... ummm, I finally was able to come out here, and I just couldn’t wait any longer. So I guess I did plan this...” His face twitching, Lutz stabs the shovel deep into the ground with all his might in a sudden outburst of emotion. “Your dad’s way too soft on you!” Lutz, fueled by his anger, tears up the earth, despite the fact that he’s using the wooden shovel I was barely able to make any progress width. Unlike the slow, steady sc.r.a.ping that I was doing, Lutz pounds away at the ground, gouging out chunks of the earth with every strike. This is a marvel to watch. Is this just the strength difference? Or is it the way he’s doing it? Is there a knack to it? “Huh? The color of the dirt is different down here?” Lutz has excavated about fifteen centimeters down to a layer where the earth is a different color. It’s cool to the touch, dense, and sticky, and it changes shape as I try to mold it with my fingers. There’s no mistake, this is exactly the kind of clay I was searching for. “Yeah, this is it! Wow, Lutz, you’re so strong! This would have taken me forever to do.” My eyes glitter with excitement as I start ferrying the growing pile of clay, bit by bit, over to a nearby rock. How many tablets am I going to be able to make with this, I wonder? I’m still only just thinking ahead, but I’m already starting to fall in love with these lumps of clay. “So, what are you going to do with this?” he asks. “Eheheh~, I’m going to make some 'clay tablets’.” “'Cleh tab-luts’?” “Yeah!” I squeeze and stretch the clay, Lutz’s effort given form, into the shape of a thin clay board. When I’ve finished stretching into shape, I pick up a thin stick from the ground, then start to write out the fairy tales that my mother back in j.a.pan used to tell me. I really want to be writing this in the local language if I could, but the things Otto’s been teaching me are all the high-level vocabulary that are needed for work. I can probably write out boilerplate text for a n.o.bleman’s t.i.tle or letter of introduction by now, but I still don’t know any words that are actually useful in ordinary circ.u.mstances. For now, I’ll stick to writing in j.a.panese. “Maine, are those words you’re writing?” “Yeah, they are. If I record everything in a doc.u.ment like this, then if I forget something in the future I can read this to remember it. Doc.u.ments are amazing, you know! If I write out enough of these like this, I can then collect them into a book, which is even more amazing.” “Ahh......” “Lutz, thank you so much for getting me this clay! If there’s something else you need to go gather, then you can go do that, okay? I’ll just stay here and write.” “Got it.” The story that I’m writing right now feels like it should be t.i.tled “The Shoemaker and the Elves, Alternate Universe Edition”. I try to squeeze as many characters onto each slab as I can, but in the end it takes me nearly ten tablets to finish the story. “Alright, I did it!” At the bottom of the page, I scribe the character for “the end”, visibly trembling with excitement. I spin around, throwing my hands in the air in glee. Clay tablets are amazing! Clay tablets are doable! Three cheers for the great ancient civilization of Mesopotamia! Once I get these home, I can fire them in the stove. If they don’t crack and fall apart, then they truly will be complete. I clench my writing stick tightly in my fist, then turn around to gaze upon my spread of tablets. “Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” In the next instant, my hands are clasped to the sides of my face, mouth gaping wide open, looking very much like that _The Scream_. All of the blood drains from my face as I take in the almost unbelievable situation I see before me. “What’s wrong, Maine?” asks Fey, standing in front of me. “Y... you stepped on them! They’re all... squished!! W... waaaaaah!!” The first half, the entire first half, of the story that I had so carefully and painstakingly written out, has been squashed completely out of shape by the bootprints of Fey and his friends. They’re unrecognizable as tablets anymore, and of course the writing on them is completely illegible. “I... I just finished that... after so much work... this!” I hiccup, barely choking back my tears. “Don’t you know how much effort I’ve put in to finally make it out here?! I put so! much! time! into trying to make this absurdly frail body strong enough to do this, pushed myself through all sorts of pain, and I really thought... Aaah, I even dragged Lutz and Tory into this too, and still! I finally finished this, I finally got it done, and then what?! Is there anything in that skull of yours? Is your hair pink because your brain is stuffed full of flowers?! Idiot! Idiot idiot idiot! Waaaaaaaah!!” I break down crying in such a ridiculous emotional display that I, who is supposed to have the mental stability of an adult, should be ashamed of. I can’t stop sobbing, I can’t stop my tears from falling. If you put my supposed emotional maturity aside, though, this is exactly what a very distressed little girl should look like. Having heard me scream, Tory rushes over with wide, worried eyes. She quickly asks around to figure what the current situation is, then crouches down next to me, wrapping a comforting arm around me. “Maine, there’s no need to cry like that. They didn’t mean to hurt you, you know?” It doesn’t matter if they had ill intentions or not, that’s not going to change the fact that my tablets have been smashed into pulp. No matter what Tory says, there’s no way it can abate my resentment, my rage, over seeing the finished product that I had finally achieved smashed right in front of me. “No! I’ll never forgive them!” Tears and snot stream down my face, but I lift my head to give a terrified Fey my most threatening glare. Lutz gently pats me on the back. “You can make them again, right?” he says. “I’ll help, and these guys want to make up for this so they’ll help too, right?” “Ah, yeah!” exclaims Fey. “We’ll help. I’m really sorry.” Fey and his friends nod vigorously, not disagreeing with Lutz at all. “...Okay,” I say. “I’ll make it again.” I was able to make these tablets once, so I’m sure that I’m on the right path. Clay tablets are far easier to make than papyrus, and I’m satisfied with the final result. However, I make very sure to leave them with a warning. “There will not be a second time.” If these kids are keeping a list of people not to p.i.s.s off, I’m pretty sure I just jumped to the top of it.]

石板の入ったトートバッグではなく、みんなよりはちょっと小ぶりの籠をわたしも背負って、土を掘り返すための木べらにしか見えないスコップを持った。 すぐに壊れそうに見える木べらスコップをブンブン振り回していると、父がガシッとわたしの肩を掴んだ。森に行くと決まってから、耳にたこができるほど聞いた台詞を繰り返す。 「マイン。今日は森へ行って、帰ってくるだけだ。帰りはみんな荷物が多いし、疲れている。マインは森で休憩して、みんなと帰ることを目的にするんだ。わかったか?」 わたしの返事だけだと不安なのか、もう何回も聞いたよ、という心情が透けて見えているのか、父は苦い表情のまま、トゥーリを振りかえった。 「トゥーリ、大変だと思うが、頼むぞ。閉門までにマインが帰ってこられるようにルッツともよく相談してくれ」 「うん。今日は早目に切り上げるよ」 責任感溢れるトゥーリが、父に頼まれたことで使命感に燃えている。今日のトゥーリはちょっと厳しそうだ。 外に出ると、すでに何人か子供達が同じように籠を背負って集まっていた。わたしとあまり体格が変わらない子から、トゥーリやフェイのようにちょっと体格が良い大きめの子まで8人がいる。 「じゃあ、マイン。行くぞ。ペースを崩さないようにな」 門までは普通に歩けるようになったわたしだが、森まで歩くのは初めてだ。そして、わたしのペースメーカーはルッツだ。 「ありがとう、ルッツ」 「いや、マインにはウチも世話になってるからな」 この間、ルッツの家でパルゥの搾りかすの最終処分があった。雪の中でしか採れないパルゥは、暑くなるに悪くなってしまうらしい。 パッと見た感じは黄色のパプリカだが、中身はトマトっぽい味のポメを煮詰めてソースにし、チーズも乗せて完成させた。パルゥの優しい甘みが味に思わぬ深みを出していて、作ったわたしがビックリの出来だった。 ちなみに、ルッツを始め、お兄さん達はマジ泣きしていた。おいしいことはもちろん、食べられる量が普段の倍だったことに感動したらしい。 「なんで、あのパルゥバーグ、冬の間は教えてくれなかったんだよ?」 「新鮮なお肉がなきゃ、ミンチにできないでしょ? それに、ミンチにするの、大変だから。協力してくれるかどうかわからなかったし......」 「あ~、あれは大変だけど、マインの料理のためなら頑張れるな」 わたしは、肉をミンチになるまで包丁で叩き続けられる体力がないし、大変なことがわかっていて母に作ってほしいなんて言えなかったので、今までハンバーグっぽいものは食べられなかった。ルッツの家でみんなに作ってもらえて、一緒に食べられてラッキーだったと思っている。 そんなお喋りをしながら、森まで歩く。お喋りをしながら歩いた方が楽しく長く歩けるのだが、到着した後の疲労感は半端ない。 「もうじきフェイとトゥーリも洗礼式だから、マインも早く森に慣れないと困るぞ」 「......なんで?」 トゥーリの洗礼式があるのは、服を作ったり、髪飾りを作ったりしていたから知っていたが、洗礼式の後、具体的に何が変わるかは、理解できていなかった。 「トゥーリも洗礼式が終わったら、見習い仕事を始めるだろ? そうしたら、週の半分は森にマイン一人で行かなきゃならないんだから」 トゥーリが見習いとして仕事を始めるということは、わたしがトゥーリの代わりに手伝わなければならないことが増えるということだ。 「ど、どうしよう......。ちゃんと考えてなかった」 マインが病弱で、何に関してもトゥーリが世話を焼いてくれるおねえちゃんだったから、今まで平穏に暮らしてこられた。トゥーリがいなくなったら、わたしは多分生活できない。 血の気が引いたわたしに、ルッツが、へへっと笑って鼻を擦る。 「まぁ、トゥーリがいなくても、マインのことはオレが守ってやるよ。マインは弱っちいからな」 「ありがとう、ルッツ。じゃあ、お願いするね」 「あぁ。オレは薪拾いに行ってくるから、マインはちゃんと休憩してろよ。帰れなくなったら困るだろ?」 ルッツの足音が遠ざかり、周囲に誰もいなくなると、わたしは早速スコップもどきの木切れで穴を掘りはじめた。 森に来て、何の挑戦もせずに帰ること出来ようか。いや、出来ない! 粘土質の土が欲しいけれど、さて、どれくらい掘れば取り出せるのだろうか。地質が地球と同じようなものだと仮定した上で、結構深く掘らなければ、粘土質の土に行きつかなかったような気がする。 けれど、スコップという名の木切れの先は1センチも刺さらなかった。 え? これって掘れるの? まるでよく踏み固められた運動場の土を掘り返す気分だ。森の土って水気も多くて、柔らかめってイメージがあったのに、完全に裏切られた。 土が悪いのか? それとも、スコップが悪いのか? だが、スコップが木製だろうが、土が固かろうが、柔らかかろうが、わたしに諦めるという選択肢はない。なかなか進まなくても、とりあえず、もそもそ掘っていくしかないのだ。 ザリザリザリザリ...... 粘土板を作るのも結構大変そうだ。パピルスもどきより楽にできることを祈るしかない。 5センチほど掘れたところで、誰かの足音が近づいてくる音がした。 「マイン、何やってんだ?」 両手にいっぱい木切れを拾ってきたルッツが、地面に座り込んでスコップを動かすわたしを見つけて、目を見張った。 確かに、家を出る時に約束をさせられたけれど、目の前にあるとわかっていて、我慢はできない。ルッツが戻る前に止めるつもりだったが、やり始めたら止められない。 ......ど、どうしよう? 父なら笑顔とハグで誤魔化せるが、ルッツはトゥーリがお目付役に任命するだけあって、そんなものでは誤魔化せない。 「あ、あの......でもね、ルッツ」 「......でも、どうした?」 さて、素直に吐いて、ルッツに協力を求めて「この考えなし!」と怒られるか、誤魔化そうとして失敗して「この俺にマインの嘘が通ると思うな!」と怒られるか、どちらがダメージは浅いだろうか。 「休憩していろと言ったはずなのに、一体何をしてるんだ?」 「......あ、ああ、穴掘ってますっ!」 下手したら、わたし、閉門までに帰れなくなっちゃう。 「見ればわかる。なんで掘ってるんだよ?」 一応正直に答えたはずなのに、ルッツの怒りは倍増した。見下ろす視線がものすごく冷たくなった。 「えーとね、そのね、『粘土質』の土が欲しいの」 「え? 何が欲しいって?」 ルッツが理解できないというように、首を傾げた。怪訝そうな表情になった分、怒りがちょっと薄れたようだ。 「ぎゅっと詰まってて、べたっと重い感じの水はけの悪い土が欲しいの」 「......それなら、ここじゃなくて、あっちの木や草が少ないところの方が多いぞ?」 粘土質は水はけ悪くて、植物が育ちにくい土だから、植物の少ない方を探した方が確かに効率的だ。 「ルッツ、ありがと!」 「こら! マイン、ちょっと待て!」 そそくさと移動しようとしたら、ルッツに首根っこを引っ掴まれた。体格も力もわたしとルッツでは比べ物にならないので、逃げ出すことなんてできやしない。 「ルッツ、離して」 「今日のマインの仕事は休憩だ。この耳には聞こえないのか? 今すぐに集めなければならないほど必要な物なのか?」 「痛い! 痛い!......だって、生活には関係ない、わたしだけが欲しい物だもん。トゥーリにも誰にも頼めないでしょ!」 「わたしがおとなしくしていたら、ルッツが掘ってくれるって言うの!?」 「......今日の分の薪を拾い終わったら、オレが掘る。だから、マインはおとなしくしてろ」 予想外の返事にわたしは思わず固まってしまった。ポカーンとしたまま、ルッツを見つめるしかできない。売り言葉に買い言葉とはいえ、ルッツはもしかして、馬鹿じゃないだろうか。 「ルッツ、あの、気持ちは嬉しいけど、ルッツは自分のこと、した方がいいよ?」 「マインは弱っちくて、土を掘るなんて出来るわけないんだから、オレがやる。その代り、土を何に使うのか、マインが何をしたいのか、ちゃんと言え」 「......なんで?」 「マインが何をしたいのかわかってたら、無駄が省けるから。今だって、欲しい土がはっきりしているのに、見当違いなところを掘ってただろ?」 うっ、痛いところを突かれた。 確かに、わたしの場合、目的は明確でも、ここでの名前がわからなかったり、日本で見た物と見た目が違っていて気付けなかったり、道具が手元になくて、迷走することが多々ある。 「なんで、ルッツはわたしを手伝ってくれるの?」 「ん? オレがすっげぇ腹減ってた時に、パルゥケーキ作ってくれただろ? あの時にオレ、マインのこと、手伝うって決めたから」 それだけで、粘土掘れちゃうの? 本人がやると言っているのだから、遠慮なくルッツに手伝ってもらおう。特に体力的なことは全面的に頼らせてもらうのが一番だ。 「......じゃあ、ルッツに任せる。わたしは待ってるね」 「ん。すぐにやること終わらせる」 そして、わたしを水はけの悪い土のところに案内してくれる。森の中でも少し斜めになっている低いところだ。 そう言いながら、ルッツはわたしが持ってきたスコップを手に取った。木べらのようなスコップでルッツが土を掘っていく。 「マイン。お前さ、こんな物を準備して持ってきてるってことは、出来心じゃなくて、最初から約束守る気なかったな?」 「ぅえっ!? そ、それは、その......えーと、やっと森に来られたから、我慢できなくて......つい。計画的に」 ひくっと顔を引きつらせたルッツが、感情を爆発させるように力一杯スコップを地面に突き刺した。 「おじさんはお前に甘すぎだ!」 怒りに任せて掘るルッツはわたしと違って、ただの木べらで土が掘れてしまう。ザリザリと削っていたわたしと違って、ガッガッガッと土が抉れていくのが不思議で仕方ない。 これは力の差? 力の入れ方? 何かコツがあるの? 「あれ? 土の色が変わった?」 ルッツが15センチほど掘ったところで、土の色が変わった。 少し掘り出してくれた土を握ってこねてみる。ひやっとしていて、べたっと重くて、手の中で形を変える土。わたしが探していた粘土で間違いない。 「これ! わたしだけだったら、きっと何日もかかったよ! すごいね、ルッツ。力持ちだね」 わたしは積み上がる粘土に目を輝かせながら、大きな石の上に少しずつ運んでいった。これでどれくらい粘土板ができるだろうか。 「で、これをどうするんだ?」 「んふふ~、『粘土板』作るの」 「ネンドバン?」 「そう」 ルッツの汗の結晶である粘土質の土を、ぐにぐにこねこねして、わたしは薄い粘土板を作っていく。 できることなら、ここの文字で書きたいが、オットーが教えてくれる単語は仕事に関係する物ばかりだ。貴族の役職や紹介状の定型文が書けるようになったのに、未だに日常で使う言葉が書けない。 「マインが書いているのって、文字か?」 「うん、そう。こうやって記録しておくと、忘れてもまた読んで思い出せるんだよ。記録ってすごいよね。そんな記録が延々とつづられた本って、もっとすごいよね」 「へぇ......」 「ルッツ、粘土掘ってくれてありがとう。何か集めるなら、行ってきていいよ? わたし、ここで書いてるから」 「わかった」 今、書いているお話は、雰囲気的には『小人の靴屋 異世界編』って感じの話だ。粘土板一枚にびっしりと文字を刻んでも、全部で粘土板10枚に及ぶ大作になった。 「やったぁ。できたー!」 最後まで書き切って、「完」の字を書きつけたわたしはやりきった感動に打ち震える。 すごいよ、粘土板! 偉大なるメソポタミア文明、万歳! この粘土板を竈で焼いて、崩れないようにすれば本当の意味で完成だ。グッと棒を握ったまま、今まで書いてきた粘土板をくるりと振り返った。 「ぎゃあああああああっ!」 次の瞬間、わたしはムンクの叫びのように頬に手を当てて絶叫した。目の前の信じがたい光景に頭の中が真っ白になる。 「フェイが踏んだっ! ぐちゃぐちゃになってっ!......うわーんっ!」 わたしが一生懸命に書いたお話の前半が、半分以上、フェイとその子分達に踏まれてぐちゃぐちゃになっている。足跡だらけで、形も完全に崩れていて、当然文字なんて読めるはずがない。 「せ、せっかくできたのに......ひどいっ......ぅえーんっ! 森に来るまでどれだけかかったと思ってるの!? この病弱な身体に体力をつけるのにどれだけ苦労してると、思って......。ルッツもトゥーリも巻き込んで、やっと完成したのにぃっ! フェイの頭のピンクは脳内お花畑で考えなしのピンクなの!? バカバカバカ! ぅあああぁぁぁん!」 精神的にいい年した大人がみっともないかもしれないが、大泣きした。涙も嗚咽も止められない。精神はともかく、わたしの見た目は幼女なので問題ないということにしておこう。 わたしの絶叫にトゥーリが血相を変えて走り寄ってきた。周りから前後の状況を聞いて、わたしを宥める。 「マイン、そんなに泣いちゃダメよ。みんな悪気があったわけじゃないんだから、ね?」 悪気があろうとなかろうと、ぐちゃぐちゃになった粘土板が戻るわけではない。せっかくの完成品を踏みにじられたわたしの恨みと怒りは、トゥーリの言葉では全然おさまらない。 「やだ! 絶対に許さないっ!」 ふーっ、ふーっ、涙と鼻水と流しながら、わたしの剣幕にビクビクしているフェイ達を睨みつけていると、ルッツがトントンと背中を叩いた。 「作り直せばいいだろう? その、オレも手伝うし、あいつらだって悪いことをしたと思っているんだから手伝ってくれるって、な?」 「あぁ、手伝う! 悪かったって」 ルッツの取りなしにすがるように、フェイとその子分達がカクカクと首を振って、協力を約束した。 「......わかった。もう一回作る」 ひとまず粘土板は完成したんだから、方向性は間違ってなかった。 けれど、フェイとその子分達に釘をさすのは忘れない。 目があると思わないでね」 子供達の間で噂される「絶対に怒らせてはいけない相手ランキング」で、わたしはしばらくぶっちぎりトップに輝いていたらしい。

I nervously watch the oven, wondering if this really is going to turn out alright. This pound cake is a dessert that uses liberal amounts of some very precious ingredients. Not only am I in someone else’s house using someone else’s ingredients, but this is also the very first sweet I’m making for Freida. I cannot mess up. “Maine, is it done yet?” “How about we take a look?” Ilse cracks open the oven, and I peer inside. I can see that it’s puffing up quite nicely, but the back part of the cake seems to have browned more than the front. “Miss Ilse, it looks like the back part is pretty well baked, so could you please turn it around?” She pushes the cake pan around in the oven, rotating it. Even if I were wearing the same sort of thick mittens she is, I definitely wouldn’t want to stick my hands into that blazing oven. I’m impressed by the kinds of things professional cooks get used to. Ilse shuts the oven door with a clack, then looks down at me. “How do you tell when it’s done baking?” she asks. “Hmm, the first thing that comes to mind is the skewers we use for grilling meat.” After rummaging about for a little bit, she produces iron skewers, like you might stick vegetables or meat on at a barbecue. I’ve never seen anyone use iron skewers to check cake before, but, honestly, the only way to find out whether or not it’ll work is to try it. ...These are going to leave behind some pretty big holes, but since I don’t have any bamboo skewers, I don’t have much of a choice, do I? In the past, when I didn’t have any bamboo skewers I used a cooking chopstick, so I think it’ll probably be okay. Ilse quickly sticks the skewer into the cake. When she pulls it out and shows it to me, I can see that a bit of uncooked batter still clings to the rod. “It looks like the inside’s not cooked yet.” “See how some batter’s stuck to the skewer? When it comes out totally clean, that’s the sign it’s done.” By the time the inside is fully cooked through, the top of the cake is starting to turn a fairly dark brown. I think the oven might be a little too hot. However, unlike the ovens I’ve used before, it’s not easy to precisely control the actual temperature, so all I can do is entrust this to the experience of this trained worker. “Hmm, I’ll need to watch the oven more closely next time,” murmurs Ilse. She pulls the pound cake out of the oven. Once it’s removed from its pan, it’s revealed to be a fluffy, round, almost sponge cake-like cake. “Amazing!” exclaims Freida. “Yeah,” says Ilse, “this looks quite delicious.” As the two of them look at the finished pound cake with glittering eyes, an indescribable feeling of accomplishment wells up in my chest. “It’ll be really delicious if we cover it with a firmly wrung-out wet cloth so it doesn’t dry out and then just let it sit for a couple of days, but how about we taste just a little bit right now?” I ask Ilse to cut out a very slender slice from it, which I pick up with my fingertips and bring it to my mouth. Eating without a fork like this, before anyone else has been drawn to the kitchen by the smell, is the epitome of the kind of tasting that only those who make the dish can truly appreciate. “Yeah, this tastes perfect.” I’ve only ever eaten this when it’s in actual pound-cake shape, but even though it’s just a circle, and even if the cake pan was an iron saucepan, the taste is all right. Ilse, accustomed to tasting things, takes the next little slice and pops it into her mouth. “Huh, this is...” Freida had been hesitating a little bit to pick up her own piece, but once she sees Ilse taste it, she hurriedly puts it in her mouth. Their eyes go wide when they taste it, then their heads swivel around to look directly at me. Their expressions look almost predatory, like the guild leader’s did this morning. ...What’s up with this... kinda creepy atmosphere? It would probably be best if I escape from here before I get asked any awkward questions. I grab onto Freida’s hand. “Okay then, Freida! Let’s bring this out as a dessert after a meal so that everyone can eat it too. Let’s go take a bath next!” As we exit the kitchen, I look back over my shoulder, remembering my manners. “Thank you very much, Miss Ilse!” The two of us didn’t do very much real work when we were making sweets, but thanks to all of the sifting we did, the cuffs of our sleeves are stained with flour. Since we have more than plenty of time, let’s go use the rinsham and get pretty. When we exit the kitchen, the female servant who had helped me out earlier this morning is waiting for us. “You two, before you two go running about, would you kindly take baths?” “Well now, Yutte,” says Freida, “you’re saying exactly the same thing Maine is.” Freida chuckles to herself as we walk. Yutte seems to have antic.i.p.ated that making sweets would get us dirty and has already prepared baths for us. With a basket in hand containing changes of clothes, towels, and the jar full of rinsham, she guides us forward. “This way, please.” She starts descending the staircase in the center of the house, but I just watch warily. At Benno’s shop, the staircase in his inner office has a staircase like this one, so I know that it wouldn’t be unusual for there to be a staircase leading down into the shop inside a merchant’s home. Is it okay for me to walk down there, though? I quietly lean over to ask Freida. “...Doesn’t this staircase go down to the shop?” Yutte pa.s.ses the door that leads to the shop on the first floor, then goes down another flight of stairs. It seems we’re going to some sort of bas.e.m.e.nt room. At the bottom of these stairs are two doors, one very st.u.r.dy and splendid, and the other ordinary. Yutte opens the splendid door, ushering us inside. The floor underneath my feet is warm enough that I want to say that it’s got some kind of heating, and the room temperature is fairly high as well. There are two large tables here, covered with cloth, looking entirely like ma.s.sage tables. (Later, I learn that I’m not at all wrong to think this.) “Now then, please remove your shoes and clothing.” It seems like this is a combination ma.s.sage parlor and changing room. Prompted by Yutte, I strip out of the clothes I’m wearing. Freida disrobes as well, with the help of Yutte. Then, Yutte opens another door, revealing a bathroom that’s about three by three-and-a-half meters in size. At the far wall sits an enormous bathtub, as big as a family-sized pool you’d see at a hot spring in j.a.pan, able to comfortably hold two or three people. The wide floor is made out of something that looks at first glance to be white marble, as is the tub, which is filled with gently lapping hot water. Next to the tub is a statue of a young girl holding a pot, and from that pot pours a trickle of hot water. Matching the flow from the statue, a little bit of water runs out of the tub and, heated by that water, the rest of the room is quite warm. The ceiling is tiled, and the windows near the ceiling overflow with brilliant light. Thanks to the room being surrounded by gleaming white marble, the room gives off a very bright atmosphere. “Whaaat?! What is this?!” Taken aback by the utterly unexpected appearance of such a grandiose bath, I unintentionally yell out. My voice rings off of the smooth walls. Freida, seeing as how I’m frozen in place, staring through the opened door, chuckles mirthfully, walking past me into the bathroom. “Heh heh heh, are you surprised? This is a reproduction my grandfather had made of the baths found in the houses of the n.o.bility! It’s not something that we use very often, but since tomorrow is my baptismal ceremony, he gave me special permission to use it.” “So, baths... do exist...” After more than a year without taking a bath, there’s now one right before my eyes. On top of that, it’s way bigger and more extravagant than Urano’s was. “They originally came from another country, and the n.o.bles believe they they are good for your beauty and bodily health. Oh, just, please be careful, the ground is slippery.” Yutte, still clothed, follows us into the room. Only her ap.r.o.n has changed. It’s made of a tough material that looks like it was picked under the a.s.sumption that it would get wet, and the skirt portion of it covers her entire lower body. The skirt is rolled up a bit so that it won’t get wet, and part of it has been tied off. Upon entering, she immediately starts was.h.i.+ng Freida’s hair, prompting me to hurriedly bring out the rinsham. “Miss Yutte, when you wash her hair, please use this. You, um, pour it on like this...” I try to explain to her how to use it, but her expression grows slightly troubled and she looks down at Freida. “Yutte,” says Freida, “would it be okay for Maine to wash my hair today?” Yutte surrenders her spot to me, and I start to wash Freida’s hair. Meanwhile, she rubs a wet towel against a bar of soap and starts scrubbing Freida’s body. “When you have a place like this to bath someone in and can use a lot of hot water, you can put the rinsham directly in your hands like this and then apply it to their hair. You need to be careful to use your fingertips when you’re was.h.i.+ng their scalp so that you don’t poke them with your nails.” “It’s kinda ticklish,” says Freida, “but it feels nice.” Freida’s hair is most likely already being maintained by Yutte, I think. It was already smooth before I started, and glossy, too. There might not have been a need to use the rinsham to begin with. Since there’s a high chance that rich people have already established their own styles of cosmetology, I wonder if it might actually be kind of hard to sell rinsham? I think about things like that as I continue was.h.i.+ng Freida’s hair. I wonder if I should inform Benno about this. “Once you’ve washed all of the hair like this, then you rinse it out. Please take extra care to make sure all of it gets rinsed off of the scalp.” As I say that, Yutte pours a bucketful of water over Freida. When her entire body except for her head has been rinsed off, she quickly walks over to the bathtub and hops in. I stare blankly, wondering what in the world she’s doing getting into the tub with shampoo still in her hair, but she rests her head on the edge of the tub, letting her hair hang down. Then, Yutte starts carefully rinsing off the hair that dangles out of the tub. Oh ho, is that how you wash someone’s head? I’m glad I didn’t immediately say “oh, I’ll rinse you off” and dump a bucket of water on her. That would have been pretty awkward. In the brief time it takes for me to marvel, wide-eyed, at how rich girls take their baths, Yutte finishes rinsing Freida’s hair off. Truly, an environment where you can just splash water everywhere is magnificent. Now that Freida’s all clean, I reach out for the jar of rinsham so that I can wash my own hair. With a splash, Freida jumps out of the tub and runs up to me, looking at me with brilliant eyes. “I want to try was.h.i.+ng your hair, too!” “...I can do it myself, though?” Is it okay for a rich little girl to do something like that? I quickly glance over at Yutte, silently asking if this is a proper thing to do. She sighs lightly, then comes over to sit down next to me too. “Well then, young lady, how about you help me? I’d like to practice how to use this ‘rinsham’ as well.” “Excellent!” She says she wants practice, but I’m pretty sure she’s really there to fix up any mistakes that Freida might make. Thank you, Yutte. The two of them wash my hair, big fingertips and little fingertips squirming against my scalp. It’s almost painfully ticklish, but I manage to bear my way through it without bursting into laughter. “Maine, your hair is so silky smooth,” says Freida. “It’s a mystery to me how a wooden stick like that can keep hair in place.” “Hmmm, well, it was kind of a last resort, since I couldn’t find anything else nearby that would work...” When Yutte feels my hair is appropriately washed, she leaves Freida to continue working on that while she starts scrubbing my body. Since I can’t really run away while Freida’s still working on my hair, I have no choice but to sit there and let her do it. Freida, who has basically just been ruffling my hair for a while, seems satisfied with her handiwork and pulls back, and I reach for the bucket. However, Yutte quickly s.n.a.t.c.hes it out of the way. “Now then,” she says, “I’ll rinse your hair out for you, so please get in the bathtub.” “You are a guest here, Maine. Please, go right ahead.” With a smile, she forces me forward, so I get into the tub like Freida had, resting my head on its rim. I let my hair hang down, and Yutte starts carefully rinsing it out. She pours warm water over it, gently shakes it out, and runs her hands along my scalp. Ahhh, it’s like a spa. This feels good... I wonder if Yutte always helps Freida take her baths? Her practiced motions are very comfortable; at this rate, I might just drift off again... “Hey, Maine,” says Freida. “How do you wash your hair when you can’t use a bathroom?” Freida’s question snaps me back awake in an instant. This is not a spa. I can’t fall asleep here. I look around for her, moving only my eyes, and see that she’s quietly slipped back into the tub next to me, her head resting on the side of the tub in the same pose as I’m in. I look up, past the steam hanging in the air, at the patterns in the tile mosaic on the ceiling, then start explaining how I usually wash my hair. “When you don’t have a bathroom, you’d fill a bucket like that one about halfway full of water, then mix the rinsham into that. Then, you soak your hair in the bucket, and wash it in the liquid in there. Then you wipe off your hair over and over with a cloth to make sure no liquid remains, and then you comb it all out.” You first dilute the rinsham to the point where it should be more-or-less okay if you can’t get it all out of your hair, then you wash it over and over, then you towel it off many, many times to make sure that there’s no rinsham left over. Even this was a last resort, developed when I really wanted to wash my hair but had no access to a bath. If my family had a bathroom, this wouldn’t have been a problem. “Is rinsham your thing, Maine?” Freida looks like she wants to say something, but before the words can leave her mouth, Yutte stops working on my hair. “Should be all rinsed out by now, I think?” “Thank you very much,” I reply, sitting up. “That felt really good.” Yutte stands up smoothly. “Now then, I’ll be in the other room getting the next things ready. The two of you, please warm yourselves thoroughly.” “Okay~!” As soon as Yutte leaves the room, I slump down into the water, all the way past my shoulders. I scoop up some water, splash it over my face, and breathe deeply. Ahhh... paradise. “Maine, you look like you’re melting,” says Freida. “You’re pleased with it, then?” “Yeah, really!” I reply, my whole face breaking out into a smile as I nod. “I want to take one every day.” However, I can’t see much of a smile of enjoyment on Freida’s face. “...Do you not like it, Freida?” I answer entirely by reflex, and Freida’s eyes widen. “Oh really? I was told to warm myself thoroughly, so I’m just staying in as long as I would in a normal bath, though?” “Let’s do that.” Freida and I get out of the tub early. It’s quite early by my own intuition, but Freida, thoroughly warmed up, is bright pink all over. “Did it not feel good?” asks Yutte. “Are you okay?” After we exit the bathroom, Yutte tells us that she’ll give us a ma.s.sage with a perfumed oil, but I turn down the offer. I’d ordinarily be inclined to accept, but in my particular case, I won’t be taking another bath anytime soon. After I return home, I don’t know if I’ll be able to clean it all off when Tory and I are scrubbing each other. I put on my clothes, dry my hair, and then watch Freida as she gets her ma.s.sage. “I don’t particularly like how long all this takes, but my grandfather says that if I’m to enter n.o.ble society, I’d better get used to this kind of thing.” Ahhh, I finally get it. She got in the bath even though she thinks it’s too hot and doesn’t feel very good, and she’s getting a ma.s.sage even though she’s making that slightly bothered face, all to practice for when she’ll be joining n.o.ble society. I have absolutely no clue to what extent, but Freida’s life must be very different to what it used to be. “...Ah, I see. If you have the chance to get used to it, then you really should. There’s definitely going to be big differences in common knowledge, manners, and so on, after all.” “My grandfather said the same thing. That’s why he’s acquired a lot of things for this house that one might find in a n.o.bleman’s residence.” Corinna’s premarital lifestyle probably wasn’t that different from what it is now. I had thought that this house felt very different than hers had, despite the fact that they’re both the houses of merchants, but it seems that the extravagance of the guild leader’s house is not just because he’s a wealthy merchant. The food, the bath, the various supplies, they’re all of vastly superior quality here, and it seems that they’re all things that the n.o.bility have, gathered for Freida’s sake. “Wow, he dotes on you.” “...He’s investing in the future. He’s planning a lot of things ahead, making it so that I won’t run into any problems when I open my shop in the n.o.ble’s district, and so that we’ll be able to make use of the foothold we’ll finally get there.” Freida purses her lips, looking slightly dissatisfied. I certainly don’t think that Freida’s view is wrong, but all this is definitely not something done without any love at all. “It’s your dream to open a store, Freida, and isn’t he helping you out with that? When your grandfather ordered your hairpins, what I saw in him was a man who saw nothing but his granddaughter.” “...Oh.” Does Freida, perhaps, really long for other people? She couldn’t go outside very often while she was sick with the devouring, and when she was finally freed from that she was immediately contractually bound to a n.o.bleman. Since it’s been decided that she’ll be that n.o.bleman’s concubine, she’ll be living for that reason, and making friends might be very difficult in such wildly different circ.u.mstances. To live in n.o.ble society, she’ll need to learn to be both stubborn and calculating, and she also needs to learn everything she’ll need to know in order to manage her own shop by the time she grows up. I’m positive she spends every single day studying hard, all for her own sake, with the pressure of her very life, her future livelihood, and the expectations of her family weighing down on her. I think this must be an enormous burden for a little girl to have to bear. On top of that, although her family is spending a lot of money on her, it’s obvious that they’re operating out of their own self-interest, so she can’t just quietly sit back and depend on their care. Is that why she’s so attached to me? We both have the devouring, we’re both already involved in business despite not yet being baptized, and if Lutz is to be believed then we both let our weird hobbies run wild. We seem to be quite similar. Compared to the other kids, we have a lot in common, and there’s no denying that we get along pretty well. Is that why she wants to trap me? “Maine, this is amazing. My hair’s so smooth!” While I was s.p.a.cing out, Freida finished her ma.s.sage, got dressed, started running her fingers through her hair, and raised her voice in wonderment. Yutte, in the process of neatly combing it out, lifts up a lock of Freida’s hair as well. “Yes, it’s turned out quite well.” “Oh my, you already paid me for that, so you don’t need to worry about that, right?” Smiling wryly at Freida’s very merchant-like words, I shake my head. “I really felt like I wanted to thank you. If the guild leader hadn’t collected all of those magic tools for your sake, then even if I had a lot of money, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything anyways.” “...I guess you’re right.” We leisurely finish up in the bathroom and head back upstairs. When we arrive, a delicious smell is once again wafting out of the kitchen. It seems Ilse is tackling her second pound cake. “I finally have a new recipe,” she chuckles, with a trustworthy smile, “so I have to make sure I memorize it!” I’m thrilled that a tasty recipe is spreading, so I can definitely support this. “Ilse,” says Freida, “since you’re making a new one, it’ll be okay for Maine and I to eat the one we made earlier, won’t it? I’d like to enjoy some tea with her, please make some for us.” “I’ll bring it out in just a bit.” As we move to the dining room for tea, Lutz arrives, just in time. “Hey, Maine! I smell something amaaazing.” I chuckle to myself over how sharp his nose is when it comes to smelling sweets. Lutz, though, turns to face me, narrowing his eyes and peering at me very closely. “What’s up, Lutz? Is something wrong?” “Huh? Huh? You’re kidding. I feel great, you know?” I pat my face, tilting my head doubtfully, but Lutz only scowls and shakes his head. “You’re just too excited to notice it. You’re not looking so good.” “Oh my,” says Freida, “but her fever from the devouring has gone away, and all we’ve done today was bake sweets and take a bath, you see?” Freida, backing me up, lists off what we did today, her head tilted to one side. Lutz rubs frustratedly at his temples, sighing. “...Alright. Freida, when you don’t have the devouring, you’re a pretty healthy person. When Maine doesn’t have the devouring, she’s still really frail. Whether she collapses because of the devouring or because of exhaustion, it’s fast enough that anyone who’s not familiar with the signs won’t see it coming.” At those words, Freida and I spontaneously exchange a look. “Maine, is that true?!” “Freida, you’re not really weak?!” It seems like we’d arbitrarily decided we understood each other. Freida thought that since my devouring was gone I was perfectly fine, and I thought that the devouring had left Freida just as weak as me so I should be fine if I just kept up with what she did. “I don’t really know what a bath involves, but anyway, since it was your first time, and you wanted to show Freida a good time, you put in a lot of effort, right?” “Urgh... It wasn’t a lot of effort...” It’s the undeniable truth that I’ve been feeling a little pressured this entire time, on top of being convinced that if Freida was doing okay then I must be doing okay too. “You look like you’ve been moving around way too much today. Don’t take your own weakness too lightly. You really are weak, remember?” “It’s true, isn’t it? Aren’t you supposed to come home tomorrow during the baptism ceremony? If you get sick again here, your family’s going to get really mad, you know?” If, after getting help in curing the devouring, I run around a whole lot doing various things to try to show my thanks, then straight-up collapse with another fever as a result, I’d be throwing the favor right back in their face. My father, who’s looking forward to me getting well and coming home, would be very angry, my mother would scold me endlessly for being such an enormous bother to Freida, and Tory would just be flabbergasted. “Why can’t you just be good for once?” she’d say. “Aaaarnghh...” “He’s absolutely right,” says Freida. “You’re here under my supervision, so I can’t let you ruin your health on my behalf. Maine, please, go rest. Alright?” When Freida says that to me, a worried look on her face, I give the two of them a big nod. “Okay, I will. Thanks, Lutz, for telling me. ...Freida, sorry, but, would you mind splitting that 'pound cake’ with Lutz?” I’m led back to the guest room, and when I lie down on the bed, I’m suddenly keenly aware of how exhausted I actually am. My entire body goes limp. It seems that the slight hotness I’ve been feeling isn’t actually from having been in a bath for the first time in ages. That’s Lutz for you. It just took him one look... This was my first time in Maine’s body working under the pressure of failure while making those sweets, and my first time in an actual hot tub instead of bathing as I normally do, so I had no idea how to adjust for that, I think. Not only was I nervous about being in someone else’s house, but just as Lutz said, I was in way too high spirits. Wrapped up in the soft, comfortable bedding and the warmth of my own body, my consciousness immediately drifts away.

他人様の家で他人様の材料を使ったもので、しかも、初めてフリーダに作ってあげるお菓子なのだから、失敗はできない。 「マイン、まだなの?」 「そろそ様子を見てみようか?」 イルゼがオーブンを開けて、少し様子を見る。いい感じに膨らんでいるのが見えた。けれど、奥と手前で少し焼き色が違う。 「イルゼさん、奥の方が良く焼けているみたいなので、反対にして入れてもらっていいですか?」 「あぁ」 ミトンのような厚い手袋を付けていても、わたしは絶対にこの熱いオーブンに手は突っ込めない。料理人の慣れた作業に感動する。 ガチャンときっちり蓋を閉めた後、イルゼがわたしを見下ろした。 「うーん、思い当たるのが、肉を焼くためのこんな棒しかないね」 ごそごそと探してくれたのは、バーベキューの時に肉や野菜を突き刺すような鉄串だった。鉄串で焼き加減を見たことがないので、正直、大丈夫かどうか、やってみなければわからない。 ......なんかすごく大きい穴が開きそうだけど、竹ぐしがないなら仕方ないよね? 昔、竹ぐしがなくて菜箸を突っ込んだこともあるので、多分大丈夫だと思う。 「まだ中まで焼けてないみたい」 「ここにちょっと生焼けの生地が付いてるでしょ? こういうのが付かなくなったら、焼けた合図だよ」 中まで焼けた時には、上が少しばかり濃い茶色になっていたので、ちょっとオーブンが熱すぎたかもしれない。けれど、わたしが使っていたオーブンと違って、温度調節が簡単にできないのだから、こればかりは職人の経験と勘に任せるしかない。 「次はオーブンに気を付けてみようかね」 イルゼがそう呟きながら、カトルカールをオーブンから取り出した。型から取り出すと、ふんわりと丸いカステラのようなケーキが焼けている。 「すごいわ!」 「あぁ、おいしそうだね」 焼き上がったカトルカールを見つめの目がキラキラとしていて、わたしの胸には何とも言えない達成感が湧きあがってくる。 「本当は乾燥しないようにこのまま堅く絞った濡れ布巾に包んで2~3日休ませた後、食べる方がおいしいんだけど、ちょっとだけ味見してみようか?」 イルゼに包丁で細く切ってもらって、指でつまんでパクッと食べる。フォークを使うのではなく、匂いにつられて人が来ないうちに、作った人だけでひょいっと食べるのが味見の醍醐味だと思っている。 「うん、大成功の味」 パウンドケーキの形でしか食べたことがなかったけれど、丸い形でも、ケーキ型が鉄鍋でも、味は大丈夫だった。 「へぇ、これは......」 少しばかり指でつまむのをためらっていたフリーダも、イルゼが味見をしたのを見て、急いで口に入れた。 「まぁ!」 味見した二人が目を丸くした後、ぐるんと顔をこっちに向けてわたしを見た。朝のギルド長にも似ている捕食者の目だ。 ......なんか、ちょっと嫌な雰囲気? 妙な質問を受ける前に逃げ出した方が良さそうだ。わたしはフリーダの手をつかんだ。 「じゃあ、フリーダ。これはみんなで食べられるように、食後のデザートに出してもらおうね。次は湯浴みだよ」 台所を出るところでくるりと振り返って、お礼だけは忘れない。 「イルゼさん、お世話になりました」 お菓子作りをするうえで、わたし達は作業らしい作業をしていないけれど、小麦粉をふるったせいで、袖口が粉まみれになっている。時間もたっぷりあるし、リンシャンを使って、綺麗にしよう。 フリーダの手を取って台所から出ると、朝の支度を手伝ってくれた下働きの女性が待ち構えていた。 「お二人とも、あちらこちらへ移動する前に湯浴みをなさってください」 「まぁ、ユッテもマインと同じことを言うのね」 フリーダがクスクス笑いながら歩きだす。 ユッテは、わたし達がお菓子作りで汚れることを想定していたようで、お湯の準備をしてくれているらしい。着替えとタオルとリンシャンの入った壺が入った籠を持ったユッテがわたし達を案内してくれる。 「こちらへどうぞ」 ベンノの店でも、奥の部屋に上と繋がる階段があったので、家の中から店に行ける階段があることは不思議ではない。けれど、そこを自分が歩いていいんだろうか。わたしはこっそりとフリーダに尋ねた。 「......この階段下りたら、お店に行っちゃわない?」 ユッテはお店のある1階のドアを通り過ぎて、さらに下に下りていく。どうやら地下室に行くらしい。 ユッテは立派な方のドアを開けて、わたし達を中に入れる。床暖房でもしているのか、と言いたくなるくらい足元が温かく、室温も高い部屋だった。 「さぁ、靴も服も脱いでください」 ユッテに促されて、わたしは着ていた服を脱ぐ。フリーダもユッテに手伝ってもらって脱いでいた。 パッと見た感じ白い大理石のような床が広がっていて、同じ素材の湯船には、ひたひたにお湯が張られていた。湯船の端には壺を持つ少女の彫像があり、その壺からちょろちょろとお湯が出ている。 「ええぇ!? 何これ!?」 ドアを開けた状態で固まっているわたしの驚きっぷりを見て、フリーダが楽しそうにクスクス笑って、浴室に入っていく。 「うふふ、驚いた? おじい様が貴族の館にあったお風呂を再現したものよ。普段使うものではないのだけれど、明日は洗礼式だから特別に使って良いと言われたの」 「お風呂なんて......あったんだ」 一年以上入っていなかったお風呂が目の前にあった。それも、麗乃の家のお風呂よりも広くて豪華だ。 「外国から入ってきたもので、貴族の間で美容と健康に良いと評判らしいわ。ただ、足元は滑るから気を付けて」 ユッテが服を着たまま入ってきた。エプロンだけが変わっている。濡れることを想定した少し硬そうな素材で、ぐるりとスカート部分を取り巻いている。そのスカートも濡れないように少しばかりたくしあげられて、一部分が結ばれていた。 中に入ってきたユッテが早速フリーダを洗おうとしたので、わたしは慌ててリンシャンを取り出した。 「ユッテさん、洗う時にこれを使ってください。こうやって、ちょっと振って......」 わたしが説明したけれど、ユッテは少しばかり困った表情でフリーダを見下ろした。 「ユッテ、今日はマインに洗ってもらえばいいんじゃない?」 「えーと、わたしが洗っちゃっていいですか?」 ユッテが場所を譲ってくれたので、わたしはフリーダの髪を洗い始めた。その間にユッテは石鹸をタオルに擦りつけて、フリーダの身体を洗い始める。 「ここみたいに洗い場があって、お湯をたっぷり使える時は、こうして直接手に取ったものを髪につけて洗ってね。爪を立てないように、指の腹で頭皮を丁寧に洗うの」 「くすぐったいけど気持ちいいわ」 フリーダはおそらくユッテによってよく手入れされているのだろう。もともと髪もさらりとしていたし、艶もあった。リンシャンを使う必要はなかったかもしれない。 富豪層はすでに自分の美容術を確立してる可能性も高いから、リンシャンは売りにくいかもしれないな。 フリーダの髪を洗いながら、そんなことを考えていた。ベンノに要報告かもしれない。 「こんな風に全体を洗ったら、髪を洗い流します。頭皮についた液を全部流せるように丁寧にすすいでください」 わたしがそう言うと、ユッテはフリーダの身体の泡を桶で流した。身体だけ綺麗になると、フリーダはスタスタと湯船に向かって行って、トプンと中に入る。 ほほぉ、あんな風にして頭を洗ってもらうのか。わたしがすすぐよ、って言って、ザパァッとお湯をかぶせないでよかった。大変なことになるところだったよ。 お嬢様の風呂の入り方に目を丸くしているうちに、すすぎ終わったようだ。ザパザパとお湯が使える環境が素晴らしい。 フリーダが洗い終わったので、わたしもリンシャンを使って、頭を洗おうと壺に手を伸ばした。ザパリと湯船から出てきたフリーダが、目を輝かせてやってくる。 「わたしもマインの髪を洗ってみたいわ」 「......わたしはいいけど」 お嬢様にそんなことをさせていいの? ちらりとユッテに可否を問う視線を向けると、軽く溜息を吐いて、ユッテもわたしの近くに腰を下ろした。 「では、お嬢様。わたしと一緒に洗いましょう。わたしもこのリンシャンの使い方を練習したいですから」 練習したいと言いながら、お嬢様が失敗しそうになったらフォローしてくれるんですね。ユッテさん、ありがとうございます。 二人がかりで髪を洗ってもらえば、大きな指と小さな指がもぞもぞ動く。ひどくくすぐったい気がするが、笑うわけにもいかずに我慢していた。 「マインの髪はとても指通りが良いわね」 「木の棒で髪がまとめられるっていうのも不思議よね」 「うーん、周りに物がないから、わたしとしては苦肉の策だったんだけど......」 ユッテはある程度わたしの髪を洗った後は、フリーダに髪を洗うのを任せて、わたしの体を洗い始めた。フリーダに髪を洗われている状態では逃げることもできず、わたしはおとなしくされるがままになっていた。 しばらくわたしの髪をわしゃわしゃしていたフリーダが満足そうに手を引いたので、わたしは桶を手に取ろうとした。 「さぁ、髪を流しますから、お湯につかってください」 「じ、自分でできますけど?」 「マインさんはお客様ですから。さぁ」 バサリと髪を垂らすと丁寧にユッテが洗ってくれる。温かいお湯がかかり、優しい手が髪をゆすり、頭皮を撫でてくれる。 あぁ、美容室みたい。気持ちいい。 ユッテはフリーダの湯浴みをいつも手伝っているのだろう。慣れた手つきはとても心地良くて、このまま眠ってしまいそうだ。 「ねぇ、マイン。浴室を使わない時はどうやって頭を洗うの?」 フリーダの質問にわたしはハッと覚醒した。ここは美容室ではない。寝てはダメだ。 湯気の向こうの天井にある、タイルのモザイク模様を見上げながら、わたしはいつもの洗い方を説明していく。 「浴室を使わない時は、あれくらいの桶に半分くらいのお湯を入れて、リンシャンを入れてよく混ぜるの。それから、桶に髪を浸しながら、液を髪にかけて洗っていくんだよ。髪に液が残らないように、何度も何度も布で拭って、櫛で梳いていくの」 多少髪に残っても平気でしょってくらいに薄めた液で、何度も洗って、なるべくリンシャンが残らないように何度もタオルで拭うのだ。これも、お湯がない状況で何とか頭を洗いたかったわたしの苦肉の策である。 「リンシャンはマインのもの?」 フリーダが何か言いたそうにしたが、フリーダが声を出すより早く、ユッテの手が止まった。 「これで大丈夫でしょうか?」 「ありがとうございます。すごく気持ちよかったです」 「では、わたしは次の準備をしてまいります。お二人ともよく温まって出てきてくださいね」 ユッテが浴室から出るのを見送って、わたしはたぷんと肩まで湯につかる。お湯をすくって、顔をパシャリと洗って、深々と息を吐いた。 ふはぁ、極楽、極楽。 「マインったら、とろけそうな顔をしているわ」 「そりゃ、もう! 毎日でも入りたいよ」 フリーダの言葉にわたしは満面の笑みで大きく頷いた。しかし、フリーダはあまり楽しそうな笑顔に見えない。 「......フリーダは気に入らないの?」 反射的にわたしが答えると、フリーダは目を丸くした。 「そうなの? よく温まりなさいって言われるから、湯浴みの時と同じように温まっているだけよ?」 「そうするわ」 フリーダと一緒に早目に上がる。わたしの感覚では早目だったが、フリーダはかなり温まっていたようで、全身がピンクに染まっていた。 「気持ち悪くない? 大丈夫?」 香油マッサージは気になるけれど、わたしの場合、次はお風呂に入れない。ウチに帰った後のトゥーリとの拭き合いで香油を綺麗に落とせるかどうかわからない。 「わたくしはこのような時間はあまり好きではないけれど、貴族社会に入っていくならば、慣れておいた方が良いとおじい様がおっしゃるの」 あぁ、と納得した。フリーダにとっては熱くて、気持ち悪くなるだけなのにお風呂に入るのも、少しばかり面倒そうな顔でマッサージを受けるのも、全部貴族社会に慣れるための練習なのだ。 「......そうだね。慣れる機会があるなら、慣れておいた方が良いよ。常識や習慣の違いってかなり大きいから」 「おじい様もそう言ったわ。だから、この家の中には貴族の館にある物がいくつも取り入れられているのよ」 婚前の生活とあまり変わらない生活をしているはずのコリンナの家とは、同じ商人の家でもずいぶん雰囲気が違うと思っていたが、ギルド長の家が豪華なのは、金持ちの商人の家だからという理由だけではないようだ。食事も風呂も生活用品も全て品質が段違いなのは、フリーダのために貴族の生活にあるものを取り入れているからなのだろう。 「溺愛されてるねぇ」 「......先に向けての投資ですわ。貴族街でわたくしがお店を持っても困らないように、せっかくの足がかりを無駄にしないように、おじい様も今から色々と考えているのよ」 少しばかり不満そうにフリーダが唇を尖らせる。フリーダの意見の全てが間違っているとは思わないけれど、愛情もなく出来ることではない。 「店を持つことがフリーダの夢だから、応援してくれているんでしょ? 髪飾りを注文してきた時のギルド長なんて、完全に孫娘しか見えていないただのおじいさんだったよ」 もしかしたら、フリーダはかなり人恋しいんじゃないかな? 身食いであまり外に出ることができなくて、やっと身食いから解放された時には、貴族との契約に縛られた。貴族の愛妾になることが決まっている以上、それに向けて生きていくことになり、境遇が全く違う周囲に友人などできないだろう。 貴族社会で生きていくための強かさと計算高さを身につける必要があり、店を経営できる知識を成人までに身に付けなければならないフリーダは、間違いなく勉強漬けの毎日だ。自分のためには違いなくても、命も生活も家族の期待も圧し掛かってくるのだから、多分幼女の肩にかかる重圧は半端ないと思う。 だから、わたしに執着するのかな? 同じ身食いで、洗礼前から商売に足を突っ込んでいて、ルッツに言わせると変な趣味に暴走するところがよく似ているという共通点があるらしい。他の子供に比べたら、共通点が多くて、多少話が合いそうなのは間違いない。だから、囲い込みがしたいのだろうか。 「マイン、すごいわ。髪がつるつるよ!」 わたしがぼんやりしているうちに、マッサージを終えて、着替えたフリーダが自分の髪に指を通して、驚嘆の声を上げた。 「えぇ、とても仕上がりが良いですわ」 「あら、マインは対価を支払ったのだから、そんなことは気にしなくて良いのよ?」 実に商人らしいフリーダの言葉に苦笑しながら、わたしは首を振った。 「お礼をしたいと思ったわたしの気持ちだよ。もし、ギルド長がフリーダのために魔術具を集めてくれていなかったら、お金だけあってもどうしようもなかったからね」 ゆっくりとしたお風呂を終えて上に戻った時には台所からまたいい匂いが漂ってきていた。どうやら、イルゼが再度カトルカールに挑戦しているらしい。 「せっかくの新しいレシピだから、きっちり覚えないとね」 イルゼの頼もしい笑顔に小さく笑う。美味しいレシピが普及したら、わたしも嬉しいので、しっかり応援だけはしておく。 「イルゼが新しく焼くなら、わたくしが作った分は食べても大丈夫よね? マインとお茶を楽しみたいので、準備してちょうだい」 「すぐに運ばせるよ」 食堂でお茶をしようとしたら、ちょうどルッツがやってきた。 「よぉ、マイン。すっげぇイイ匂いがしてるな」 お菓子に関する嗅覚が鋭いのかな? なんて、わたしがひそかに笑っていると、ルッツは顔を合わせるなり、目を細めて、わたしの顔を覗きこんできた。 「何、ルッツ? どうしたの?」 「え? え? 嘘? 体調良いよ?」 わたしは自分の顔をぺたぺたと触りながら首を傾げたが、ルッツは眉を寄せたまま首を振った。 「興奮して気付いていないだけだ。あんまり良くない」 「あら、でも、身食いの熱は落ち着いたはずだし、今日はお菓子を作って、一緒にお風呂に入っただけですわよ?」 フリーダもわたしを援護するように、今日したことを並べて首を傾げた。 「......そうか。アンタは身食いがなければ、健康な人なんだな。マインは身食いがなくても虚弱なんだよ。身食いで倒れたのか、疲れて倒れたのか、慣れてないヤツには区別するのが難しいレベルで突然倒れるんだ」 ルッツの言葉にフリーダとわたしは思わず顔を見合わせた。 「マイン、そうでしたの!?」 「フリーダは虚弱じゃないの!?」 フリーダは身食いさえ治れば大丈夫と思っていて、わたしはフリーダも身食いで虚弱だから一緒に活動しても大丈夫だと思っていた。 「風呂とか、オレにはよくわからないけど、どうせ初めてのところだから、いいところを見せようとして張り切って色んな作業したんじゃないのか?」 「うぅ......。それほど作業はしていないけど」 ずっと緊張感に包まれてはいたし、フリーダが大丈夫なら自分も大丈夫だろうと、甘く考えていたのは事実だ。 「今日は動きすぎの顔になってる。自分の弱さを甘く見るなよ。本当にひ弱なんだぞ?」 「本当のことじゃないか。だいたい、明日が洗礼式で家に帰る日なんだろ? これで熱出したら、家族に怒られるなんてものじゃないぞ?」 元気に帰ることを楽しみにしている父が怒って、フリーダ宅に多大な迷惑をかけたと母に叱られて、トゥーリに「どうしてマインはおとなしくしていられないの?」って呆れられるに決まっている。 「あわわわわわ......」 「そうですわね。お預かりしておいて、体調を崩させるわけにはいきませんもの。マイン、今日はもうお休みなさい。ね?」 心配そうなフリーダにもそう言われて、わたしは大きく頷いた。 「そうする。ありがと、ルッツ。教えてくれて。......フリーダ、悪いけどルッツにこの『カトルカール』分けてもらっていい?」 客間に案内されて、ベッドに横になると、自分がかなり疲れていたことがよくわかる。 さすがルッツ。一目で見抜くとは......。 失敗できないプレッシャーの中でお菓子を作るのも、いつもの湯浴みではなく、お風呂にだっぽりと入るのも、マインの身体では初めてだったから加減がわからなかったのだろう。 他人の家って結構緊張するし、ルッツの言うとおり張り切りすぎちゃったかな。 柔らかな布団が自分のぬくもりで温まる頃には、わたしの意識は完全に落ちていた。

Starting today, I’m going to be an apprentice priestess. They told me that it would take a few days to prepare a set of blue robes for me, so my start date is nearly a month later than Lutz’s, even though we got baptized on the same day. I couldn’t help but be impatient to go, so it was only inevitable that I felt that the days until I could go to the temple felt very long. Although, even though I say that they felt long, I didn’t actually have all that much free time to spend. I went with Tuuli to Corinna’s house a few times to teach her how to make hairpins, and there was the pound cake tasting party too. Benno got riled up by Ilse during that party and swept me up in his rampage, so I went on a field trip to a bread workshop and even got to partic.i.p.ate in the preliminary investigations into the workers that we wanted to hire away. Of course, I wound up overexerting myself, so the last few days I wound up stuck in bed with a fever again. I was kept busy with so many different things, but to me all that time was just keeping me from the library room, so to me it felt like forever, every day feeling like a thousand years. However, today that long wait has come to an end. I finally, finally get to read book! And they’re those chained-up books, too, you know? Aaah, just thinking about it is getting me really excited! “Maïne, Lutz is here for you.” As I twirl merrily around the room, Tuuli walks in, stops, looks at me in amazement, then shrugs. “Thanks, Tuuli. I’m heading off!” “Maïne, be careful not to get too excited!” As if! I yell in my heart, leaping out the door. Since the temple is in the north part of town, I’m wearing the nicest set of clothing that I own: my apprentice robes from the Gilberta Company. This will work for me until I get the blue robes that’ll be my priestly uniform. “Hm hm hmmm, hm hmm~...” I skip down the street, humming merrily. Lutz grabs my arm to stop me, scowling at me. “Maïne, you’re acting a little too happy. Your fever’s gonna come back before you even get to the temple.” “Urgh... that wouldn’t be good.” I force my feet to stop skipping on their own, cursing my body for being so frail that I can’t even skip happily down a street. I squash down every instinct I have to speed up, even just a little bit. Taking Lutz’s hand, I walk, slowly, towards the temple. “Maïne, are you really going to be okay today?” “All I’m doing today is getting my robes and meeting the attendants they’re a.s.signing me today, so it’ll be fine, trust me.” It turns out that my work days largely wound up overlapping with Lutz’s. Both my family and Benno decided that it would be best for Lutz to stick with me like he’s always done, at least until the attendants that’ll be with me at the temple know how to keep a handle on my physical condition. I think it might be impossible for someone to be able to judge my condition as well as Lutz can, though, no matter how much time pa.s.ses... I wonder if maybe they want Lutz to stick with me forever? It started with my family, but even Benno, Mark, and Lutz are all extremely wary of the n.o.bles at the temple. If I’m always depending on Lutz, though, then I’m still just going to be weighing him down, which would make me giving up on being a merchant’s apprentice basically pointless. When I tried explaining my objections to Benno, he just snorted, which prompted Mark to give me a vague sort of laugh and, with a troubled look on his face, explain a few things to me. It looks like Lutz is getting a lot of coaching directly from Mark so that he can help out with opening the new Italian restaurant and establis.h.i.+ng paper-making workshops in other towns too. Since he’s the primary point of contact with me, the original inventor of these ideas, it’s a very different curriculum compared to what the other apprentices get. Since Lutz is going to be involved in these new businesses from the start, said Mark, he needs to very quickly put the things he learns into practice, so everything he needs to know for work is getting drilled into him very quickly. When I heard this, I thoughtlessly objected, insisting that that’s not new-hire training at all, but it turns out the Lutz himself is very enthusiastic about the whole thing, because it means that he gets to go visit other towns far earlier than he’d been antic.i.p.ating. If it makes him happy, then that’s all right. Good luck, Lutz! We arrive at the temple to a lone gray-robed priest stands by the gate, waiting for us. When the relatively well-built man sees me approach, he immediately bows to me, crossing both of his hands over his chest. “Good morning, Miss Maïne. I am here to guide you to the head priest.” “Miss Maïne!? Pff, ahahaha! Seriously?” The polite way that the gray-robed priest had addressed me caused Lutz to burst into laughter. He glances between me and the priest, cackling. I notice the priest’s eyebrows twitch in a brief look of discomfort, so I frantically start pus.h.i.+ng Lutz, who is clutching his sides, back in the direction of Benno’s shop. “Don’t laugh, Lutz!” “Ahhh, sorry, sorry. I’ll be back by fourth bell to pick you up, so wait here for me, okay?” I wave goodbye, then after just a little bit of seeing him off, I turn around to face the gray-robed priest. “I’m very sorry if my friend caused you any discomfort.” He casts his eyes downward. “...There is no need for you to apologize to me, ma'am. Leaving that aside, Father Ferdinand is waiting for you.” As I stand there, shocked at how he turned down my apology, he turns his back on me and starts walking into the temple. The clicking of his wooden shoes on the smooth white stone resounds through the temple. I hurry after him, making no other sound than that of my own footsteps as a heavy feeling of restraint settles over me. We turn a corner in the hallway, and I start hearing noises other than just our footsteps. I glance up, looking for the source of the noise, and see a handful of gray-robed priestesses sweeping the hallways. I’d seen a few gray-robed priestesses during the baptismal ceremony, but these women don’t seem to be as clean as the ones I’d seen back then. It’s not just because they’re in the middle of sweeping or that their robes have gotten a little bit dirty. Maybe it’s a reflection on how frequently they bathe, or how much effort they put into their personal appearance, but when compared to the priest I’m walking behind, they have an entirely different atmosphere about them. As each priestess and apprentice looks up, one by one, and notices the priest’s approach, they stop sweeping and line up against the sides of the corridor, looking demurely downward. Are they maybe showing deference here? Since I’m so small, I’m effectively hidden by the gray-robed priest as we walk. Judging by how a few of the priestesses looked shocked to see me behind him, I’m pretty sure their behavior wasn’t directed at me. The sudden realization that there’s a strict hierarchy amongst even the orphans that make up the gray-robed priesthood leaves me completely filled with unease at how absolutely different the world I’ve just stepped into is compared to what I’m used to. Until now, my daily life hasn’t really been affected by any n.o.bility. I’ve basically spent my entire life interacting with people who are like me. Even when I’ve met with wealthy merchants, the quality of the goods that I brought with me meant that I still got treated more-or-less as an equal. Am I really going to be okay here? I don’t understand anything about hierarchical societies. I’m going to make some seriously ma.s.sive blunder, aren’t I? As we pa.s.s through the richly-appointed, empty hallways, our footsteps are the only thing that breaks the deafening silence. I feel like the world that I’ve stepped into is something that, even with everything I learned as Urano, is far beyond my wildest imaginings. “Father Ferdinand, Miss Maïne has arrived.” Hearing myself referred to as “Miss Maïne” sounds entirely unfamiliar to me and I don’t like it at all. I’m a child, and I’m certainly not important, but this gray-robed priest is a fully-grown adult, and him addressing me with a respectful honorific makes me very uncomfortable. It nettles me. However, in this temple, when I’m given my blue robes, I’ll be treated the same as a n.o.ble, so it’s not like I’m going to be able to constantly say “please don’t call me ‘Miss’”. I have no choice but to get used to being called that. “Pardon my intrusion,” I say out of instinct, ducking my head as I enter the head priest’s room.When I look up, I see that a simple altar has been set up in the middle of the room. I can tell at a glance that this is a simplified version of the ma.s.sive, many-tiered altar in the ceremonial room that I was in for my baptismal ceremony. The topmost level of the three-tiered stand contains two dolls, one wearing a black cloak and one wearing a golden cap, just like it did during the baptismal ceremony. On the middle level are five dolls, bearing in turn a staff, a bow, a chalice, a s.h.i.+eld, and a sword. The bottom-most level contains flowers, fruits, an incense burner, and a bell, but the closest thing to the edge is a neatly-folded set of blue robes. A blue carpet has been spread out before the altar, which, no matter how much I try to avoid it, brings to mind memories of the prayers from the baptismal ceremony. I’m fairly sure that there wasn’t an altar like this set up the last time I visited the head priest’s room. As I stand there in the entrance, searching my memories, the head priest stands up from his work desk, putting aside what he was doing, and walks before the altar. “This way, Maïne.” He looks down at me with his orange eyes that almost look like they’re golden. He sighs momentarily, then looks over to the altar. “We’re here because you magically coerced the reverend,” he says. “You frighten him, so he very much dislikes you.” “That’s... well, understandable.” The temple master’s haughty att.i.tude and comments had cut me deeply. Regrettably, my emotions caused my mana to explode out of its prison, mixing with my anger and annoyance to rush out towards him. However, I can understand why he, as the result of having my out-of-control mana forced upon him, would hate me, and even maybe carry a grudge. Even under normal circ.u.mstances, as the child of poor people, he’d scorn me anyway... “Under ordinary circ.u.mstances, you would go to the temple master’s room to pledge yourself to the G.o.ds and the temple and then be given your robes, but it would seem Reverend Bösewanz wishes for you not to enter his room, so I rather urgently had to build an altar here.” “...I’m sorry for all the trouble,” I reply. It seems that he hates me very much. For the highest authority in the temple to hate me so irrecoverably from the moment I joined... this is an extremely awful situation to be in, isn’t it? As I worry about how all the obstacles I might suddenly face in my life at the temple, the head priest slowly shakes his head. “I would like to avoid adding fuel to this flame, so for now I think it’s best for you not to meet him.” Since the head priest knows much more about the temple master’s temperament than I do, if he’s saying that, then I really should avoid contact with the temple master. “Now then, let us begin the ceremony of vows.” “Thank you very much.” The head priest picks up the incense burner, grasping it by its chain, and begins to slowly swing it like a pendulum. As he does so, the smoke of the incense within starts to dance, filling the room with a calming scent that’s not unlike frankincense. Then, in a low, careful voice, he begins to explain the meanings behind each of the ritual objects arrayed on the altar. On the highest step, the black cloak represents the night sky, and is thus the symbol of the G.o.d of darkness. The golden cap represents the sun, and is the symbol of the G.o.ddess of day. These two married G.o.ds rule over all the sky, making them the highest-ranked G.o.ds, which is why they are placed on the highest step. On the middle step, the staff is the symbol of the G.o.ddess of water who washes away the snow and ice, the spear is the symbol of the G.o.d of fire who urges life to grow long and tall, the s.h.i.+eld is the symbol of the G.o.ddess of wind who pushes back the chill of winter, the chalice is the symbol of the G.o.ddess of earth who accepts everything she receives, and the sword is the symbol of the G.o.d of life who pierces his way into the earth. On the lowest level are the offerings to the G.o.ds. The head priest tells me that we offer plants to symbolize breath, fruit to celebrate the harvest, incense to show peace, and cloth to express piety. “The holy color of spring is green. It is the color of the life that pa.s.ses through the harsh winter to sprout anew. The holy color of summer is blue. It is the color of the sky that life reaches for as it grows ever bigger and taller. The holy color of autumn is yellow. It is the color that wheat becomes when it is ripened, and each stalk bends under its own weight. The holy color of winter is red. It is the color of the hearth that is lit with the hopes that it will soften the cold.” It seems like the colors revered at the temple change as the seasons do. He tells me that the cloth adorning altars, the carpets spread before them, and the decorations that the blue-robed priests wear over their robes follow the colors of the season. “Now, for the speaking of the vows.” He kneels on the carpet before the altar, resting on his left leg. Then, he crosses his hands before his chest, bowing his head. I take my place beside him in the same pose, and he, after quickly ensuring everything is in its place, opens his mouth to speak. “Repeat after me,” he says. I stare the head priest’s face, carefully watching his mouth to make absolutely sure that I don’t make any mistakes. He speaks slowly, his thin lips moving in a way to make his words easy to understand, as we move through each phrase of the vows. “The highest of all G.o.ds, who rule over all in the high, lofty skies, the G.o.ds of darkness and light.” “The five G.o.ds who rule over all in the wide, vast earth:” “The G.o.ddess of water, Flütrenne.” “The G.o.d of fire, Laidenschaft.” “The G.o.ddess of wind, Shutselia.” “The G.o.ddess of earth, Gedullich.” “The G.o.d of life, Ehvilibe.” “The brilliant divine power of the highest of all G.o.ds, which s.h.i.+nes from the high, lofty skies to spread across the wide, vast earth.” “The divine power of the five G.o.ds, which bestow life upon all that exists across the wide, vast earth.” “To return the blessing of this precious divine power,” “We reform our hearts, prepare our hearts, steel our hearts, wors.h.i.+p and believe in the G.o.ds, who are not confined by the years.” “To all the G.o.ds of nature,” “I swear to give my earnest prayers, grat.i.tude, and dedication.” I look up at the head priest when he finishes his recitation, and he nods at me as if to say I did well enough. He stands, looking over at the gray robed priests standing along the wall. The priest closest to the altar soundlessly walks forward, picking up the set of folded blue robes at the front of the altar and bringing them to the head priest. “Blue is the holy color of the G.o.d of fire who helps life grow to its fullest, and the color of the high, lofty skies over which the highest of all G.o.ds rules. We give these robes to those priests and priestesses who swear to give faith to those highest of G.o.ds and forever strive to grow.” An apprentice priestess that had been waiting along the wall steps forward to dress me in the been robes that have been given to me. The robes are very simple: they go over my head, then are tied at the waist with a sash. It seems like I’m free to pick what I want to wear under the robes to match the season, and during ceremonies I’ll wear additional ornaments in colors that match particular G.o.ds. “Maïne, you are now a disciple of the G.o.ds, piously led by their divine guidance. We of the temple welcome you.” The head priest bends forward slightly, his hands crossed before his chest. I cross my hands in front of my chest as well, mimicking him. “Thank you very much for the warm welcome, from the bottom of my heart,” I say. “Now, give your prayers.” “Um?” I actually don’t understand what I’m so suddenly being instructed to do. I tilt my head in confusion, my hands still crossed in front of my chest. The head priest frowns slightly, as if surprised by my inability to guess what he meant. “You were taught this during your baptismal ceremony, were you not? Lift up your prayers to the G.o.ds.” Ah, that? The Gl█co pose? That’s right. Now that I’m joining the temple, that’s going to be an everyday thing, isn’t it. ...Will you be alright, my sides? The imagery of the baptismal ceremony from which I was forced to retreat due to total abdominal collapse flashes through my head. I shake my head to chase the memory away, tightly bracing my stomach to stop myself from laughing. I can keenly feel the sharp gaze of the head priest on me, as if he wants to ask me if I’ve seriously managed to forget it already, so I lift up my praises to the G.o.ds. “W... we pray to the G.o.ds! ...Ngh?!” I’m finding it unexpectedly difficult to hold myself straight upright in the Gli██ pose. A good sense of balance and enough strength to hold my entire weight on a single leg is an absolute requirement. I can’t maintain the kind of perfect, beautiful Gl█co pose that I saw all of the priests do during my baptismal ceremony, and I wind up wobbling unsteadily. “Maïne! That kind of prayer won’t do at all. You will one day be required to partic.i.p.ate in prayer ceremonies for the general public. What would a priestess who could not pray do then? Before such a ceremony, you must make yourself able to give proper prayers.” “Urgh... I will try my very, absolute best.” The head priest sighs, shaking his head, before turning to look at the gray-robed priests lined up along the wall. “Let us introduce you to the gray-robed priests and apprentices who will be your attendants. Arnaud?” Arnaud, a gray-robed priest, indicates three people in gray robes standing in the corner of the room, who then step forward. One of them is an adult man, and the other two are a boy and a girl, about the same age. It looks like the priest who had brought me to this room is going to be my attendant. He’s built relatively solidly, and is about as tall as my father. He has light purple hair and dark brown eyes, and I get the impression that he’s a man of few words. His facial expression is very stiff and silent, like it was when he was bringing me here. It might be because of how tightly his lips are pressed together, but he looks like he might be a little difficult to get acquainted with. “My name is Fran. I’m seventeen years old. I look forward to serving you.” I only meant to politely return his greeting, but the head priest immediately rebukes me. “Maïne. You are someone who has been granted blue robes. Do not debase yourself to the gray-robed clergy.” “S... sorry. I’ll be careful.” I don’t get hierarchical societies. I don’t know what’s right or wrong to do. I can’t make any guesses based on anything I’ve learned so far. It’s just like when I first became Maïne and I had to learn all of this world’s common knowledge from scratch. Even as I start to succ.u.mb to my anxiety, another, even more anxiety-provoking attendant steps forward. I’m not sure if it’s because of nutrition or whatever, but even though he’s about as tall as Lutz is, he’s got a bad look in his eyes and he’s rail-thin. He has pale golden hair, and his eyes appear black at first glance but after a closer look turn out to be a deep purple. My first impression of him is that he’s a clever, awful little brat. Urgh, I hate this type of kid. In my Urano days, I stayed in my room reading a lot, and in my current feeble state I wind up frequently shut inside with a fever, so I’m basically a purebred shut-in. Rude... no, naughty, energetic, sharp-tongued boys are exactly the kind of person I have no desire to get close to at all. I look at him, resigning myself to the fact that I’m going to have to get on good terms with him. He gives me an appraising look in return, looking me over from head to toe with a pretty rude look on his face. “I’m Gil,” he says. “I’m ten. Are you seriously my master? Wow, this sucks. You’re tiny.” “Uh?” Huh? Is it okay for an attendant to act like this? I’m shocked by how he looks like he’s just straight-up scoffing at everyone around him. My mouth flaps wordlessly, and again, the head priest gives a rebuke. Not to Gil, though, but to me. “Maïne, Gil is your attendant. If he displays a poor att.i.tude, it is your job to warn him to not do it again.” “Uh? My job?” “If you don’t do it, who will?” He’s talking to me like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, but, how do I actually tell him off? Isn’t he the kind of person who would just ignore anything you tell him? “Umm, could you try to speak a little more nicely?” “Hah! Are you an idiot?!” ...Is it okay for me to ask for someone else? The head priest is shaking his head, like he wants to say how my words had no effect at all, but I’m pretty sure this is a fairly obvious mistake in his personnel selection. The thought flashes across my mind that this might be deliberate hara.s.sment, and I take a step back. This is, without a doubt, hara.s.sment. There’s no way anyone could think that Gil is suitable to be someone’s attendant. This is clearly the result of someone deciding to give the most troublesome person to me, the commoner. Now that I understand this, I realize that trying to deal with him politely is utter folly. I should treat him like I’d treat the rambunctious cla.s.s clown: ignoring him. I hold up my fist, shutting him up, then I look over to where the last attendant, a young girl, is standing. She has crimson hair and light blue eyes. She’s wearing a fiercely determine expression, but she has a beautiful face. Not a cute face, but a pretty one. I get the impression that she’s the kind of girl who knows just what she looks like and uses that to flatter all the boys. Since we’re both girls, I intuitively sniff that out about her. “My name’s Delia. I’m eight! I hope we can get along.” Despite the fact that she’s saying that she hopes we can get along, her smile isn’t really reaching her eyes. She’s got the kind of air around her that makes me thing that we won’t be able to become friends. It looks like she’s ready to go on the offensive. Even still, it seems like the seemingly-smiling Delia is not a particularly objectionable pick. He has no rebuke this time. None of these attendants has even the faintest glimmer of amicability about them. I don’t think I have any hope of being able to deal with these people. I feel like just having them around me would be exhausting. “Umm, Father Ferdinand. I, um, I’ve never had attendants before, so I don’t really need—” “That won’t do. It is an obligation of a blue-robed priest to have attendants. The temple master and I have personally selected these three for you. You are a blue-robed priest. Thus, you are their master, and must conduct yourself accordingly.” “...I see. Alright.” I can’t even say I don’t want them? Plus, I don’t even get to pick? It looks like, even starting from my very first day, just when I’ve taken my vows, I’m faced with frustration.

今日からわたし、神殿の巫女見習いです。 青の衣を準備するのに、日数がかかると言われたのでに洗礼式を終えたルッツに比べて、わたしは一月近く遅れての見習い仕事の開始になる。早く行きたくて仕方なかったので、神殿に行けるまで待っている時間が長く感じて仕方なかった。 待っている時間が長かったとは言っても、暇な時間を過ごしていたわけではない。トゥーリと一緒にコリンナのところに何度か通って髪飾りの作り方を教えたし、カトルカールの試食会もあった。そこでイルゼに挑発されて暴走するベンノに付き合わされて、パン工房の見学に行ったし、引き抜く職人の下調べにも参加させられた。最終的には動きすぎて熱を出して寝込んだ。 色々と大忙しだったけれど、図書室へのお預け期間というだけで、わたしにはホントに長くて、一日千秋の思いだったのだ。でも、そんな待ち時間も今日で終わり。 やっと、やっと本が読める! それも、あの鎖に繋がれた本だよ? あぁ、考えただけで興奮してぞくぞくしちゃう! 「マイン、ルッツが迎えに来たよ」 部屋の中でくるくる回っていると、トゥーリが呆れたように肩を竦めながら呼びに来てくれた。 「ありがと、トゥーリ。いってきます」 「マイン、興奮しすぎないように気を付けてね!」 心の中で答えながら、わたしは家を飛び出した。 神殿は街の北側にあるので、わたしの恰好は自分が持っている中で一番上等な服のギルベルタ商会の見習い服だ。神殿の制服である青い衣をもらうまでは、このままでいいだろう。 「うふふん、ふふ~ん......」 鼻歌混じりにスキップしていたら、眉を寄せたルッツに腕をグッと引っ張られた。 「マイン、ちょっと浮かれすぎ。神殿に着く前に熱出すぞ」 「うっ......。それは困る」 わたしは勝手に飛び上がりたがる足を宥め、浮かれて喜ぶこともできない虚弱な身体を恨めしく思いながら、少しでも速く歩こうと急く気持ちをぎゅぎゅっと抑え込んだ。ルッツと手を繋いで、ゆっくりと神殿に向かう。 「マイン、本当に大丈夫かよ?」 「今日は衣をもらって、側仕えの人を紹介されるだけだから平気だって」 わたしの出勤日は基本的にルッツと同じ日ということになった。神殿で付けられる側仕えがわたしの体調を管理できるようになるまでは、今までどおりルッツが見ていた方が良いというのが、家族やベンノの判断だった。 他の人がルッツレベルでわたしの体調を管理するなんて、いつまでたっても無理だと思うけどなぁ......。 でも、ずっとルッツに頼りきりでは、お荷物にならないようにわたしが商人見習いを諦めた意味がない。ベンノに文句を言ってみたら、フン! とベンノは鼻を鳴らし、マルクは困ったような顔で曖昧に笑って教えてくれた。 なんと、ルッツはイタリアンレストランの開店と余所の街に製紙工房を開くためにマルク直々の指導が入ることになったらしい。発案者であるわたしとの連絡役なので、かなり変則的な教育課程になると説明された。 最初から新しい事業の立ち上げに参加させ、どんどん実践させて、仕事内容を叩きこむんだって。 ルッツが喜んでいるなら、それでいいんだけど。 神殿に着くと、門のところに一人の灰色神官が待ち構えていた。比較的がっちりとした体格の男性は、わたしの姿を見て、スッと腰を下げて、両手を胸の前で交差させる。 「おはようございます、マイン様。神官長のところへ案内いたします」 「マイン様!? ぷっ、あははは......。似合わねぇ」 灰色神官の眉が不愉快そうにピクリと動いたことに気付いたわたしは、お腹を抱えて笑うルッツを慌ててベンノの店の方へと押し戻す。 「ルッツ、笑いすぎっ!」 「あぁ、悪い、悪い。マイン、今日は4の鐘が鳴ったら、迎えに来るから待ってろよ」 ルッツに手を振って、少しばかり見送った後、わたしはくるりと灰色神官の方へと向き直った。 「不快な思いさせてしまってごめんなさい」 「......貴女が私に謝る必要などありません。それより、神官長がお待ちです」 視線を逸らされ、謝罪を拒否されたことに驚くわたしに背を向けて、灰色神官が歩き始めた。コツコツと木靴の音が白い石の回廊に響く。靴の音以外の音がしなくて、沈黙を重く感じながら、わたしは早足で灰色神官の後ろを歩いた。 洗礼式の時にはいなかった何人もの灰色巫女だったが、彼女達の恰好はあまり綺麗ではなかった。掃除をしているからとか、薄汚れた服を着ているからとかの理由ではなく、風呂の回数というか、身嗜みというか、前を歩く灰色神官とは雰囲気が全く違う。 灰色神官の姿を見ると同時に、掃除途中の巫女や見習いがいちいち手を止めて、廊下の端に下がって並んで目を伏せる。 これはもしかしたら敬意の表れだろうか? わたしが小さくて灰色神官の陰に隠れているようで、あとから驚いたようわたしを見る巫女がいたことからも、この動作はわたしに対して行われたものではないようだ。 今までの生活圏では貴族と係わることがなかった。基本的に似たような生活環境の中に住んでいたし、豪商と付き合うようになっても商品価値のお陰で、そこそこ対等に接してもらっていた。 わたし、大丈夫かな? 階級社会なんてわからなくて、とんでもない失敗しちゃうんじゃないかな? シンと静まった豪華な廊下に心もとない靴音が響く。麗乃時代を含めて、想像できない世界に自分が踏みこんでいるのを感じていた。 「神官長、マイン様をお連れしました」 自分の耳に届く「マイン様」は、耳慣れなくて、自分が呼ばれているような気が全くしない。子供で、偉いわけでもないのに、大人の灰色神官に様付けされて呼ばれるのは、違和感があって、どうにも落ち着かない。 けれど、この神殿では、青い衣をもらって、貴族に準じた扱いを受けるのだから、いくら何でも「呼び捨てにしてください」なんて言えるわけがない。呼び方には、わたしが慣れるしかないだろう。 わたしが癖で軽く頭を下げながら神官長の部屋に入ると、正面に何故か簡易式の祭壇ができていた。洗礼式の時の礼拝室にあったものすごく大きい雛壇を簡略化したものだと一目でわかる。 ある祭壇の一番上には、洗礼式の時に正面の雛壇にあった石像に飾られていた黒いマントと金色の冠が置かれ、中央の段には杖、槍、聖杯、盾、剣が置かれていた。一番下の段には花や果物、香炉や鈴が置かれ、一番端に青い衣が丁寧に畳まれているのが見える。 前に神官長の部屋に来た時は、こんな祭壇はなかったはずだ。わたしが部屋の入口に立ち止まったまま記憶を探っていると、執務の手を止めた神官長が立ち上がり、祭壇の前へと歩いてきた。 「マイン、こちらに」 やや早足で歩き、わたしは神官長の手前で立ち止まる。神官長が金色のように見えるオレンジっぽい目でわたしを見下ろし、軽く溜息を吐いた後、視線で祭壇を示した。 「君は魔力で神殿長を威圧してしまったからな。神殿長には恐れられつつ、嫌われている」 「......それは、まぁ、そうですよね」 わたしは傲慢な態度と言い草にプツッと切れて、感情的に魔力を大爆発させたお陰で、怒りや苛立ちもある程度魔力と一緒にスッキリ飛ばしてしまった。けれど、暴走した魔力の威圧を受けた神殿長には嫌われて、恨まれていることくらいはわかる。 ただでさえ、貧乏人の子供として蔑まれてたわけだし......。 「本来ならば、神殿長の部屋の祭壇の前で神と神殿に仕える誓いを行い、衣の付与があるのだが、神殿長は君を部屋に入れたくないようで、至急こちらに祭壇を作った」 「......お手数をおかけいたしました」 どうやらかなり嫌われているらしい。神殿における最高権力者に、最初から修復不可能な状態で嫌われているというのは、非常にまずい状況なのではないだろうか。 これから先の神殿生活にいきなりの障害を感じていると、神官長は緩く首を振った。 「火に油を注がぬよう、神殿長には、なるべく顔を合わせないようにした方が良いな」 わたしより神殿長のことをよく知っている神官長がそう言うのだから、今は接触を控えた方が良いだろう。 「では、誓いの儀式を行う」 「よろしくお願いします」 神官長が香炉を手に取り、香炉についている鎖を握って、振り子のようにゆっくりと振った。その動きに合わせて、焚かれている香が舞い踊り、心落ち着く乳香のような匂いが部屋に広がっていく。 最上位にある黒いマントは夜空を意味し、闇の神の象徴。金の冠は太陽を意味し、光の女神の象徴。この夫婦神が天空を司る最高神であるため、最上位に飾られる。 中央の段にある杖は雪や氷を押し流す水の女神の象徴、槍は長く高く成長を促す火の神の象徴、盾は冷たい冬の到来を防ぐ風の女神の象徴、杯は全てを受け入れる土の女神の象徴、剣は堅い大地に切りこむ命の神の象徴であるらしい。 下段にあるのは神への供物。息吹を象徴する草木、実りを祝う果実、平穏を示す香、信仰心を表す布が捧げられると言う。 「春の貴色は緑。厳しき冬を越え、萌え生ずる若い命の色。夏の貴色は青。大きく高く育つ命の目指すべき高き空の色。秋の貴色は黄。豊かな実りに色付き、首を垂れる麦の色。冬の貴色は赤。冷たさを和らげ、希望を与える炉の色」 神殿において尊ばれる色は季節ごとに変わるらしい。祭壇を飾る布やカーペット、神官や巫女が青い衣の上からまとう飾りの色はその季節に準じたものになると言う。 「では、誓いの言葉を」 神官長はそう言いながら、カーペットの上に跪き、左の膝を立てる。そして、両手を胸の前で交差させて、首を垂れる。 「復唱するように」 間違わないように緊張しつつ、わたしはじっと神官長の口元を見つめた。神官長の薄い唇がわかりやすいようにゆっくりと動かされ、誓いの文句が流れてくる。 「高く亭亭たる大空を司る、最高神は闇と光の夫婦神」 「広く浩浩たる大地を司るの大神は」 「水の女神 フリュートレーネ」 「火の神 ライデンシャフト」 「風の女神 シュツェーリア」 「土の女神 ゲドゥルリーヒ」 「命の神 エーヴィリーベ」 「高く亭亭たる大空より広く浩浩たる大地にあまねく最高神の御力輝かせ」 「五柱の大神の御力を以て、広く浩浩たる大地に在る万物を生し給う」 「その尊い神力の恩恵に報い奉らんことを」 「心を正し、心を整え、心を決し、幾代も限りなき正しき神であると崇め信じ」 「大自然の神々諸共に」 「ただひたすら祈り、感謝し、奉納することを誓願いたします」 きっちりと復唱して神官長を見上げると、よろしいと言うように神官長が軽く頷いて立ち上がり、壁際の灰色神官に視線を向けた。一番祭壇寄りにいた灰色神官が音も立てずに動いて、祭壇の一番端に畳まれていた青の衣を手に取って、神官長へと手渡した。 「青は成長を促し、助ける火の神の貴色であり、最高神の司る高く亭亭たる大空の色である。最高神への信仰と、これから常に成長し続けることを誓う神官巫女にこれを与う」 青の衣を与えられたわたしは壁際にいた見習い巫女によって着付けされた。青の衣は上からずっぽり被って、腰を帯で留める簡単な物だった。下に着る物は季節によって自分で適当に調節し、儀式の時にはその上から色々と神に因んだ飾りを付けることになるらしい。 「マイン、神の導きにより赴いてきた敬虔なる使徒よ。我らは君を歓迎する」 神官長が軽く腰を下げながら、両手を胸の前で交差した。わたしもその真似をして、手を交差させる。 「歓迎していただけたこと、心から嬉しく存じます」 「では、祈りなさい」 「え?」 唐突過ぎて、何を要求されているのかわからなかった。両手を交差させたまま、わたしが首を傾げると、察しの悪さに呆れたように神官長が少し眉を寄せた。 「洗礼式で教えられただろう? 神に祈りを捧げなさい」 そうだよね。神殿に入るってことは、あれを日常的に行うってことなんだよ。 腹筋崩壊してリタイアした洗礼式が脳裏に蘇ろうとするのを、頭を振って追い払った後、笑わないようにグッとお腹を引き締めた。 「か、神に祈りを!......っ!?」 ビシッとグリ○の状態をキープするのは意外と難しい。バランス感覚と自分の体重を片足で支える筋力が必須だ。わたしは洗礼式の神官達のように美しいグ○コポーズをとることができず、無様にふらふらとぐらついた。 「マイン! そんな祈りでは駄目だ。君はいずれ人前で祈らなければならない祈念式に出席することになるんだぞ。巫女が祈れなくてどうする? 祈念式までに、お祈りができるようになっておきなさい」 「うぅっ......。誠心誠意努力します」 神官長が溜息を吐いて、緩く頭を振った後、壁際に並ぶ灰色神官に視線を向けた。 「君の側仕えとなる灰色神官と見習いを紹介する。アルノー」 アルノーと呼ばれた灰色神官が指示を出して、部屋の隅に立っていた中から灰色神官と見習いが三人、祭壇の前に進み出てきた。大人の男性である灰色神官が一人、あまり変わらない年頃の少年と少女が一人ずつだった。 比較的がっしりした体で、父さんくらいの背の高さをしている。藤色の髪に濃い茶色の目をしていて、真面目そうで口数が少ない印象だった。 「フラン、17歳。よろしくお願いします」 丁寧に挨拶を返したつもりだったが、神官長からの叱責が飛んだ。 「マイン。君は青の衣をまとう者だ。灰色神官にへりくだって接するものではない」 「す、すみません。気を付けます」 階級社会がわからない。何をするのが良くて、何をするのが悪いのか、今までの常識では測れない。マインとなって生活を始めた時のように手探りで常識を覚えていかなくてはならないようだ。 栄養状態が悪いのか、ルッツとあまり変わらない身長なのに、目つきが悪くて細ッこい。薄い金髪に一見黒だけれど、よくよく見ると紫の目をしている。すばしっこい悪ガキって感じの第一印象である。 うわぁ、苦手なタイプ。 麗乃時代はずっと屋内で本を読んでいたし、今は虚弱の体調不良で寝込んでいることが多いわたしは、筋金入りの引きこもりだ。乱暴......いや、やんちゃで、活動的で口が悪い男の子は基本的に近付きたくない存在である。 仲良くはなれないだろうな、と思いながら、わたしが少年を見ていると、少年も値踏みするような態度で、じろじろと不躾にわたしを見上げたり見下ろしたりしながら、口を開いた。 「オレはギル。10歳だ。お前がオレの主? 最悪。すっげぇチビじゃん」 「え?」 あれ? 側仕えって、こんな態度でも良いの? 周りをバカにしているような目と非常に口が悪いことにビックリして、口をパクパクさせていると、またもや、神官長から叱責が飛んできた。ギルにではなく、わたしに。 「マイン、ギルは君の側仕えだ。よくない態度をとった時は君が諫めなければならない」 「え? わたしが?」 「君がやらずに誰がするんだ?」 当然のように言われたが、諫めるって、どうやって? 言葉で言っても聞いてくれるタイプじゃないと思うんだけど? 「あの、もう少し言葉遣いを改善してくれない?」 「ハッ! バカじゃねぇの!?」 ......チェンジお願いしても良いですか? 神官長は処置なしと言いたそうに首を振っているが、これは明らかに人選ミスだと思う。嫌がらせか、と思った瞬間に、附に落ちた。 間違いなくこの人選は嫌がらせだ。ギルに側仕えが務まるとは思えない。面倒そうなのを平民のわたしに押し付けてしまえと言うことなのだろう。 深紅の髪に薄い水色の目。勝気できつそうな顔をしているけれど、美人顔。可愛いじゃなくて、綺麗な顔立ちをしている。 「あたしはデリア。8歳よ。仲良くしましょうね」 仲良くしましょうと言う割には、デリアの目はちっとも笑っていない。明らかに仲間になれなそうな雰囲気を察して、攻撃態勢に入ったように見える。 どの側仕えも友好的な雰囲気は欠片もないし、全然上手くやっていけるような気がしない。側にいられるだけで疲れそうなんだけど。 「あの、神官長。わたし、今まで側仕えはいなかったので、いなくても......」 「駄目だ。青色神官が側仕えを持つのは義務だ。彼らは神殿長と私によって選ばれた側仕えだ。君は青の衣まとっている以上、彼らの主として相応しい言動をしなければならない」 「......そうなんですか。わかりました」 しかも、わたしには選択権もないんだ? 神殿の巫女見習い、誓願を立てた初日から挫折しそうです。

Here are some things that happened while I was still waiting for my soot pencils to dry out. Now that Tory’s started going to work, cooking has been added to my list of duties. However, I can’t hold a kitchen knife very well and I don’t really know how to make or properly use fire, so right now there’s very little that I can do from start to finish entirely on my own. Right now, I work with my mother, helping out as much as I possibly can. After all, it’s fundamentally hopeless, right from the beginning. I really crave j.a.panese food, but there’s no rice. No miso. No soy sauce. You can’t buy mirin or other kinds of sake anywhere, of course. If I don’t have the right seasonings, I don’t think I’ve got any options. I can’t think of anything I can actually make. Well, you know, I actually do know how to make miso and soy sauce, right? If I’ve got the ingredients, I’ve got the knowhow. It’s just soybeans and koji. I learned it in elementary school! We went on a field trip to a miso factory, and I actually paid a lot of attention to how they made it in the olden days. But, where do I find soybeans or koji in this world? It’s possible that I could subst.i.tute some other kind of bean for soybeans, but where can I actually buy koji? Of course, you can make koji from things that you can find in nature, but that’s a really scary proposition. After all, koji is mold, right? If I mess up even a little bit, I’m going to drag every single member of my family into a nightmare of food poisoning. Even if I were to just happen across koji, then there’s still the terrifying thought of trying to ferment something in this bacteria-infested place, plus it will put off enough of a stench that it’ll get thrown out long before it’s complete. So, I gave up on making my own seasonings and started thinking long and hard about what kinds of j.a.panese food I could possibly make without any j.a.panese seasonings at all. How about sas.h.i.+mi? We don’t have any soy sauce, but if you eat it with citrus fruit juice mixed with salt, that would still be tasty, right? Although, this place doesn’t seem to be close to the ocean. Even when I search through the town market, I can’t find anyone selling fresh salt.w.a.ter fish. There’s no wakame or other kinds of seaweed for sale, either. Forget sas.h.i.+mi, I can’t even make a seaweed salad. So, if there’s no seafood, there’s obviously no kombu. No bonito flakes, either. I want to make j.a.panese food, but I can’t even make das.h.i.+. This is a fatal blow. Man, I’m not even going to ask for instant das.h.i.+... just, give me some kombu and bonito flakes, please? There’s these cuc.u.mber-like things that could be pickled, but I don’t have soy sauce, my mother won’t let me use any sugar, and I don’t have any kind of vinegar to use except wine vinegar, so the taste is so wildly different that I can’t be satisfied with it at all. I tried making it once, but it was so harshly sour that it was nothing at all like the pickles I was thinking of. Vexed over my inability to do anything at all, I tried something very simple that even a child like me could do: I rubbed salt into slices of a pseudo-cuc.u.mber and ate it. The salt drew out a little bit of the moisture and made it just a little bit more tender, and it had the perfect amount of saltiness to remind me just a little of tsukemono. I thought that I’d finally be satisfied once I’d tasted something remotely j.a.panese-y, but, on the contrary, it only made me cry for the white rice I so dearly miss. Incidentally, I tried putting the salted cuc.u.mber on the multi-grain bread we have in the house, but that didn’t work at all; they don’t have particularly good affinity. Rice! Rice! j.a.panese food! Someone, please! Give me some j.a.panese food!! Thanks to those cuc.u.mbers, my cravings for j.a.panese food became so great that I thought I might try going to the river, catching some fish, and making something even vaguely j.a.panese. I can’t use fire, so I don’t have any alternatives but drying, so I decided to try drying out whatever fish I could catch. If I brought along some salt, then I could salt the fish and let it dry, and that might even work. ...I really hoped it would work. “Hey, Lutz,” I said. “I want to catch some fish. Can I do that in this river?” “I don’t think you’d be able to.” As I sat there, dejected, Lutz caught some fish and brought them over to me. “Look, I caught some, but what are you thinking of doing?” “Can I have these?” “Yeah, sure, I don’t really need them.” Bitter! My face immediately scrunched up after just one bite. Strange, it was far less refined of a taste than I was expecting. What on earth could make it smell so awful? I didn’t think my grilling methods were wrong, so I tilted my head to the side, searching my memories to figure out what could have possibly happened. Lutz looked on with a frown. “If you don’t cook it right,” he says, “it must really stink when you eat it like that, right?” “......Yeah, it stinks.” This is a stinky fish. It would have been great if he told me that earlier. Next, I pulled out my knife. It’s different both in form and function than a modern kitchen knife, and it’s a little bit worn, but that’s not going to have any effect on the flavor. I sharpened a stick and then speared the fish through, thinking I could actually make dried food like this. I left it alone for a while as I gathered firewood so the sun could dry it out. While I wasn’t paying attention, though, it suddenly became rock-hard and inedible. It seems like, somehow, too much moisture evaporated. “Maine... what is this?” “...Fish that dried too much. Dried fish is supposed to be food, but you can’t eat this at all.” “Yeah, I’ll say. No matter how I look at it, that doesn’t look like food at all.” “I might be able to make 'das.h.i.+’ with this, though. I’m going to bring these home and try that out.” This might have been inedible as dried food, but there was a chance I might be able to use it as a base for das.h.i.+. When I got home, carrying the withered husks of the fish, I tried my hand at making das.h.i.+. “Maine, what are you doing?!” yelled my mother as soon as she saw what I was doing. “That’s disgusting! Don’t you dare put that thing in my pot!” “Umm, Mommy, I want to try making 'das.h.i.+’, though...” “Absolutely not! The only thing that goes in that pot is food.” ...It probably would have become food, though. Thanks to the fact that my mother finds dried fish disgusting, my plans to make das.h.i.+ have been strongly prohibited. Maybe it’s because of the fact that she doesn’t often see fish in her daily life that she seems to think that dried-out fish are disgusting. Even though she did look at a pig whose skull was split half open and say that it looked delicious... I’m sorry, Mister Fish. In conclusion: making j.a.panese food is impossible, at least for me. Without das.h.i.+ and without seasonings, there isn’t a single thing left for me to try. Once I give up on finding miso, soy sauce, or sake, there’s basically no j.a.panese-style cooking left for me to try. I’m keenly aware of how fundamentally important these seasonings are. For now, at least, I need to be thinking about what kind of foods I can make that, even if they’re only tangentially j.a.panese, still have the kinds of flavors that you might find in j.a.pan. Even that would be worthwhile. Yeah. Then, somehow, a bird was delivered to my house. It seems like one of our neighbors managed to bring down five birds while in the forest. In this season, it would be almost impossible for them to eat all of that before it spoiled, so they gave it to my father, repaying him for when he did that same for them a while ago. The one to handle preparing this bird, whose name I don’t even know, was my mother. The knife used to prepare the meat is very large, so not only I but even Tory can’t handle it. “Maine. Come here and pluck the feathers for me,” she says. “O, okay...” “Now, Maine, we’re ready to start cooking.” “Got it!” After a lot of thought, I realized that I might be able to make a stock out of the leftover chicken carca.s.s. If I have chicken carca.s.s soup as a base, the number of things I can cook dramatically increases. I have neither kombu nor bonito flakes, but I wondered if I could make a usable stock if I subst.i.tuted some other dried mushrooms for s.h.i.+take. However, just making the soup was difficult. My mother had no idea what I wanted to do, and didn’t help at all. It seemed she wanted to eat it grilled. I firmly insisted that it was my day to be the cook, however, and got her to give me the carca.s.s and a few other large cuts of meat. After that, I was left to do everything myself. I filled our biggest pot with water, then added the carca.s.s, some breast meat, and some herbs one-by-one. Next, I started going through our vegetables, looking for things that have the right taste, smell, and texture even if they didn’t have the right taste. I found that smelled like an onion, something that tasted a little like ginger, something that smelled a bit like garlic, and some leaves that were kind of like bay leaves, and so on. In order to get rid of any foul smells the bird might give off, I started adding these things to the pot one by one. “Maine, wait!!” cries my mother, suddenly. I freeze, knife in hand, holding the garlic-smelling plant on the cutting board by the leaves. “Huh?” “That’s too much for you to handle. It’s brutal!” I stared blankly down at the vegetable, which looked like an ordinary radish, but white. She rushed over to confiscate both the knife and the radish. Grasping it tightly by the leaves, she holds it firmly down on the cutting board, giving it a look like she’s daring it to run away. With a scowl, she chopped straight down, slicing the top cleanly off. At the same instant, I heard a sharp scream. From the radish. “Uh? What?” I blinked disbelievingly, convinced that I had to have misheard. My mother let go of the leaves, flipped the knife sideways, and smashed down on the radish with a loud bang, just like how you crush garlic. Crus.h.i.+ng it like that took way less time than the fine-grained chopping I was planning on doing, so I thought she had saved me a lot of effort. When she lifted the knife, though, the white flesh of the radish had somehow turned red, almost like blood had spread over its surface. Scary. “All set,” she says. “You can use this once you make sure to wash it properly.” “...Okay.” My mother’s expression seemed far more brutal than the radish was. I was just seeing things, right? Yeah. just seeing things. A trick of the eyes. In this world, I occasionally see vegetables that resemble ones that I know from Earth, but there are lots of incomprehensibly strange foods here too. Whenever I run across a weird ingredient like this one, it only just reawakens the feelings that I’m no longer in the world I know. Despite that little incident, I carefully skimmed the denatured fats off the top of the broth, taking with it the leaves that I used to soak up the bad flavors. I remember hearing that you’re supposed to bring everything to a boil, drain off all the water, and then re-fill the pot clean water, but I’ve never had a soup that tasted bad because I didn’t do that. I ignored that particularly bothersome step and just let it simmer over a low heat. After I let it simmer for a while, I pulled out just the breast meat from the stock. I quickly quenched it in water, then pulled the tender meat apart into shreds. This will be delicious as a garnish on top of a salad. As the soup simmered atop the stove, I worked on preparing the rest of the meat. I took the heart, the gizzard, and the other parts that go bad super easily and chopped them into chunks small enough to easily eat, then sprinkled salt and liquor on them. It’s a simple way of baking these so you can more easily eat them. This is probably the kind of cooking that my family will be most easily able to understand. For an instant, the words “charcoal grill” flashed across my mind, but I had other ways to cook it so I gave up on the idea. Our dinner was going to be organs and thigh meat. My mother slaved away over the thighs, cooking them like roast chicken, and prohibited me from interfering with that at all. I sprinkled salt and liquor on the breast meat, then put it aside in the winter preparation room so that I could use it in the next day’s cooking. If I had a refrigerator or airtight plastic bags, I could make chicken ham, but, alas, I don’t. “...That smells pretty good!” says my mother. “The taste isn’t quite there yet.” My first experiment in my plan to eat j.a.panese-y food was nabe. After all, I thought, if you have das.h.i.+, you can make nabe, right? I don’t have access the das.h.i.+ that I’m familiar with, but I had chicken soup. I have neither ponzu6 nor sesame sauce, so I decided to cook pomay (the fruit that looks like a yellow pepper but tastes like a tomato) and some herbs into the broth make it into something like a tomato nabe. I took the wingtips, which my mother says are hard to actually use because they’re so bony, and added them to the pot. While they cooked, I chopped up some various seasonable vegetables, none of which I know the name for, into the right size for serving. When these are all cooked together in the broth, they’ll be quite delicious. That’s nabe’s true charm, I think. “Ah,” I said, “That looks about ready.” I set a strainer on top of our second-biggest pot. “Mommy, could you help me, please?” “What do you need me to do?” “I want to pour all of the soup in here to strain it, so that I can get out the parts I don’t want in it.” She poured out the chicken carca.s.s soup into the strainer. I washed out the first pot, then had her pour the filtered soup back in there. Our second-biggest pot is the most-used pot in the house, so using that to keep soup stock would be a huge hindrance. Even my next few steps in making pomay nabe needed that pot. I added some chopped, dried mushrooms to the finished soup stock, then got to work on making the pomay nabe. I carefully pulled the edible meat off of the boiled carca.s.s and wingtips that we strained out of the soup, taking care to avoid stabbing myself on all of the tiny bones in the meat. Based on the delicious scent of my mother’s roast chicken that drifted through the room, and the amount of time I think it’s been since we started, I thought it was just about time for me to put the finis.h.i.+ng touches on the nabe. “Maine! What are you doing?!” “Putting... the vegetables in?” “You have to boil those first!” Generally speaking, when my mother cooks vegetables she boils them until they’re limp to make them less bitter, then drains the water and uses just the boiled vegetables in the dish. This, however, gets rid of half the flavor and quite a bit of the nutritional value. I can’t really complain about my mother’s cooking, but when it comes to my own recipes, being forced to do things my mother’s way would be a problem. “For this kind of cooking it’s okay,” I explain. “Aren’t you going to ruin that tasty-looking soup that you’ve worked so hard to make?” “It’ll be fine!” I boiled everything together while skimming off the fat, until finally the pomay nabe was complete. I gave it a little taste, and it was great. Even without boiling the vegetables first, everything turned out fine. Yep! “I’m home!” said Tory as she walked through the door. “A~ah! It was coming from here!” “Hi, Tory! What was coming from where?” “I could smell this amazing smell from all the way down the main street! I got really hungry just smelling it as I walked. All the people I was pa.s.sing were trying to find where it was coming from. I didn’t think it was coming from here!” Is it like how you suddenly get hungry when you pa.s.s by a Chinese restaurant or a ramen shop? This chicken carca.s.s soup has a really powerful aroma. It seemed like the scent of my chicken soup reached far and wide. My family gathered at the table, faces gleaming with antic.i.p.ation. They all came together just in time for their dinner. “This is made from a bird that Al dropped by to give us earlier today,” explains my mother. “He’s returning the favor from when you shared some of your hunting earlier. Maine and I cooked it up.” “So, this unusual recipe is Maine’s, then?” “That’s right.” In the center of the table, my mother placed her roast chicken legs. Next to that is a salad, garnished with pulled chicken breast meat. Near my father, I put the salted, baked organ meats out as snacks, and I lined up bowls of pomay nabe for everyone. When it’s all split out like this, though, it’s not really nabe. It’s more like an ordinary pomay soup. “What’s this?” asks Tory. “It smells really good. Can I eat it?” “It’s pomay soup,” I reply. “I did my best making soup from the bird, so I think it’s going to be delicious. Try it!” As I talked, Tory brought her face really close to her bowl of soup, eyes glittering, then grabbed her spoon and had a taste. “Whoa, delicious! How?! This is really delicious.” My mother tried a mouthful. “Oh my, it is!” she said, sincerely. “I’m really surprised. You were stewing bird bones and you didn’t cook the vegetables first, but it still turned out this well.” It looked like she’d had a knot of anxiety within her about whether it was going to be delicious, since she knew what went into making it. “Amazing, Maine!” said my father, attacking his food with zeal. “You’ve got a real talent for cooking.” I tried a spoonful myself. The chicken stock had a very good flavor, splendidly bringing out the umami of the vegetables. Delicious. Delicious, but not j.a.panese food. The next day, I finished gathering firewood in the forest quickly and headed home. The younger kids have to come and go at specific times, but Tory, who’s already been baptized, seems to be able to come and go freely without having to ask permission. I went back early with her. Since I wanted to use the leftover chicken meat, Tory wasn’t the only cook for the day. For round two of my plan to try to eat j.a.panese food, I wanted to make poultry sakamus.h.i.+.7 I thought that even though I don’t have sake, it might have a similar feel to it if I use another type of alcohol. “You said you want to use the leftover chicken, do you know what you want to make already?” “Yeah, I want to make 'sakamus.h.i.+’ out of bird meat, 'gnocchi’, and a salad. How does that sound?” “Umm... I don’t really understand, but I’ll leave it to you.” First up was the gnocchi. I boiled some tubers, mashed them, and mixed them with multigrain flour and a little bit of salt. Commoners don’t have the budgetary freedom to use wheat flour as much as they want, so we use mixed-grain flour instead. It’s a combination of rye, barley, and oats. I mixed it into a dough that’s about as firm as my earlobe, rolled it out into a long tube, and started cutting it into one-centimeter pieces. “If you don’t mind,” I asked, “could you take these things that I’m cutting out and flatten them out like this?” With a bit of difficulty, I use the back of a fork to spread out and flatten a chunk of dough. Spreading out the dough with a fork leaves ridges, so when it’s rolled into a finger shape, it holds sauce very easily. One by one, Tory stretched out each piece of dough that I cut off. Since she has more strength than I do, every piece I cut off is stretched into the right shape in no time. “Tory, you’re way better at this than me.” “Really? ...Maine, don’t look at me, you just keep cutting. I’ll run out if you don’t, you know?” I have Tory fill up a pot with water, put everything in, and bring it to a roiling boil. When they started floating to the top of the pot, they were finished. I took the leftover pomay soup from last night, add more pomay to it, and stew it until it’s reduced to a thick sauce. Right before it’s time to eat, I’ll mix the gnocchi with this sauce, but that’s about all I can do on this for now. “That’s all for now, right? The salad comes together really quickly, too...” “Mom will be home soon, so it’s okay if we start the salad now, right?” As Tory and I made the salad, our mother came home. As soon as I saw her come in, I went to the winter preparation room to fetch the breast meat I set aside yesterday so that I could start on the sakamus.h.i.+. I’d left the meat in a room that’s always cool, on a rock that was cool to the touch, but in this warm season, I was scared of it spoiling. Cautiously, I sniffed the meat. ...Alright, it didn’t spoil. This is fine. “Maine, will this pot do?” “Yeah! Thanks, Tory. Since I seasoned this with salt and alcohol yesterday, we can get started immediately.” Since we don’t have any pepper to use as a seasoning, I had no choice but to give up on making it spicy. The actual recipe is very simple. You season the breast meat with salt and alcohol, lightly grill just the surface, then put it in a pot with more alcohol and cover the lid to let it steam. I thought that I should add the mushrooms I worked hard to gather up in the forest, to help bring out the flavor. I washed them clean, then lined them up on the cutting board. As I lifted my knife, Tory’s eyes snapped up. “Maine, stop! If you don’t put those in the fire first, they’ll dance!” “Huh?” No sooner than she had said that, she’d already started skewering the mushrooms from their base through the cap. Then, she sprinkled them lightly with salt and stuck them in the fire. Dance? The mushrooms would? Like... how bonito flakes flutter in drifting steam? I did not understand what she said at all. I doubtfully tilted my head to one side, trying to figure out what she meant. Tory pulled the lightly-toasted mushrooms from the fire, turned, and handed them back to me. I decided that it was a strange turn of phrase, but if Tory said it was okay to use them now, then it must be okay. It’s just one more strange foodstuff on the pile: a mushroom that requires extra care in preparation. I cut them up, taking care not to burn myself on the hot mushrooms. “Mommy, can I use this alcohol for cooking? It won’t taste good if I don’t use enough of it, so I need about half a cupful.” I took the cup from her, then climbed up on a stool, stretching up on tiptoes to pour it into the iron pot. It hissed as it hit the hot metal, and I quickly covered the pot with a lid. When I heard it start to bubble, I removed it from the fire, cooking the chicken with just the heat still trapped in the metal of the pot. “You’re taking it off already?” “Yeah. I’m going to cook the meat for another ten minutes just using the heat in the pot. If I cook breast meat over a fire for too long, it’ll get all dry and hard to eat.” I heated the pomay sauce I made from the leftover soup and the fresh gnocchi, then mix them together. Tory’s salad was finished as well. Just like the previous day’s dinner, we used shredded breast meat as a topping. I’m very pleased with how that meat turned out. “Today’s dinner looks great too!” “We’ll have to be sure to thank Al.” Given the state of our budget, seeing so much food lined up on the table like that is a rare sight indeed. It’s a big deal to give someone a bird like that. “I’m home,” said my father, walking through the door with a big smile on his face and high expectations for dinner. “Another delicious looking meal today!” He told us about how much he was bragging about last night’s meal to his coworkers at the gate. I hoped that his overly-doting-father filter was making him ma.s.sively exaggerate. I’d be much happier if it was all in his head. If it wasn’t, it’s going to make it a bit harder for me to go to the gates. “Whoa, amazing! This is delicious, Maine!” Tory’s eyes went wide as she took a bite of sliced-up poultry sakamus.h.i.+. As soon as my mother had one mouthful, she smiled brilliantly. “It’s so simple to make, but this breast meat is so wonderfully tender. The flavor of the mushrooms has baked into it as well, it’s really delicious. Is it because we used good liquor, I wonder?” “I think so. The whole dish brings out the depth of flavor of the honey wine.” As soon as I said that, my father’s face went pale, and he dropped his fork with a clunk. He stood up and woodenly walked to the shelves, picking up the earthenware pot in which we store the alcohol. When he saw how much was missing from the small pot, his head suddenly dropped, and he looked like he was moments away from bursting into tears. “...M, my precious alcohol got...” Sorry, sorry. I mean, when I asked my mother for some alcohol, she said that it was something that he’d gone off and bought in secret, and that it would be such a shame if all of us couldn’t enjoy how delicious it was. She had a bit of a wicked smile on her face when she said that, and I thought it would be best to just follow along through that unusual occurrence. Since it was honey wine that I used, it had a different sort of sweetness than it would have if I’d used real sake, so once again it wasn’t really much like j.a.panese food. It was another completely different thing. Aaah, I really want j.a.panese food... Although words like “dance”, “struggle”, and “danger” come up when talking about some of the ingredients here, it looks like I’m able to adapt the kinds of cooking that I’m familiar to this new world without any problems. On other days, I made a tuber-based gratin, a pseudo-risotto out of a grain kind of like buckwheat, and a quiche made on top of the stiff dough of the multigrain bread, all of which were well-received. My family may like everything I make, but as for me, I can’t stand this at all. Even if I’m making Western-style food, we don’t have any spices or seasonings, and I’m starting to get very tired of the same sorts of flavors over and over again. At the very least, give me pepper! I’d be overjoyed with curry powder! There are still many tribulations ahead in my quest to better my culinary life. 1. Koji is a fermentation starter made of various molds, yeasts, and bacteria.

時期的には煤鉛筆を乾燥している間のことになる。 しかし、包丁がろくに持てない、火がろくに使えない、という状態では、までは全行程を作るのは無理だ。わたしができる範囲で手伝い、母と一緒に作ることになった。 和食が恋しいのに、米がない。味噌がない。醤油がない。当然、味醂だって日本酒だって売ってない。調味料がないのにどうしようもない。作れるなんて思えない。 手順だって習ったよ。小学校の時に味噌工場へ見学に行って、実際に昔はこう作ってたってコーナーの見学も真面目にしたからね。 さすがに、自然界にあるものから麹を作るなんて、怖くてできない。だって、麹ってカビだよ? ちょっと失敗したら、家族全員巻き込んで食中毒一直線だもん。 調味料を自作するのは諦めて、調味料を使わない和食がないか、これでも一生懸命考えた。 醤油はないけど、塩と柑橘系の果汁で食べてもおいしいじゃない? でも、ここ、どうやら海が遠いらしい。市場に行っても新鮮な海水魚なんていなかった。ワカメや海藻だって売ってない。 海鮮がないということは、当然、昆布だってない。干しエビも鰹節もない。和食を作りたいのに、出汁が取れない。これがホントに致命的だった。 ほんだしが欲しいなんて言わない。せめて、昆布と鰹節をください。 きゅうりもどきの酢の物だって、醤油もなくて、砂糖は使わせてもらえなくて、ワインビネガーしかない状態じゃ、風味が違いすぎて満足できない。 塩でちょっと水分が抜けて、くたっとなった程良い塩味のきゅうりもどきが、ちょっと漬物っぽくなっていた。和食っぽい物で満足できると思ったら、逆に、白米が恋しくなりすぎて泣けた。 米、米、和食! 誰か和食を! 和食を恵んでください! 火が使えないわたしには、魚を干す以外の選択肢がない。川で魚を釣って、干物を作ってみよう。塩を持参して、振りかけて干せば何とかなるかもしれない。......何とかなってほしい。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。魚を釣ってみたいんだけど、この川って釣れる?」 「マインには無理だと思う」 しょぼくれるわたしの前に、ルッツが釣った魚を持ってきた。 「ほら、釣れたけど、これ、どうするんだ?」 「もらっていいの?」 「いいよ。オレはこんなのいらないから」 苦ッ! 一口食べて、思わず顔をしかめた。おかしい。わたしが思ったのと違う泥臭い味がする。 「ちゃんと料理しないと、そんな食べ方で臭くないか?」 「......臭い」 この魚、臭いんだ。もっと早く教えてくれたら嬉しかった。 天日干しだ、と放置しておいて、薪を拾っていたら、いつの間にか食べられないくらいカチンカチンになっていた。どうやら、水分が蒸発しすぎたようだ。 「マイン、これ、何だ?」 「......干されすぎた干物。もう干物としては食べられないね」 「そうだな。どう見ても食べ物には見えない」 「でも、出汁は取れるかも。持って帰って使ってみる」 わたしは家にカピカピの干物を持って帰って、出汁として使ってみようとした。 「マイン、何これ!? 気持ち悪い! ちょっと、鍋に入れるのは止めてちょうだい!」 「あの、母さん。出汁をとるのに使いたいんだけど」 「ダメよ! 鍋に入れてもいいのは食べ物だけよ」 ......一応食べられるものなんだけどな。 もしかしたら、普段の生活であまり魚を見ないから、捌かれて干からびた魚は気持ち悪いのかもしれない。半分にかち割られた豚の頭は「おいしそう」って言うのにね。 お魚さん、ごめんなさい。 味噌と醤油と日本酒と味醂を諦めたら、こんなに和食って作れないんだね。調味料の重要性を思い知ったよ。 ひとまず、今使える材料でちょっとでも和食っぽく、せめて、日本で食べてた味に近づけて食べる方法を考えよう。 そして、なんと、本日は鳥を一羽頂いた。ご近所さんが森で5羽ほど仕留めたらしい。全てを傷む前に食べるのは季節柄難しいので、前に父が仕留めすぎた時に配ったウチにお返ししたいとのこと。 名前も知らない鳥を捌くのは母だ。肉を捌くための包丁は重くて、わたしもトゥーリもまだ使えない。 「マイン。ほら、羽を毟っていって」 「う、うん......」 「さぁ、マイン。料理するわよ」 「わかった」 せっかくあるので、鳥ガラで出汁をとろうと考えた。鳥ガラスープがあれば、料理の幅が変わってくる。 しかし、鳥ガラスープをとるのが大変だった。鳥ガラスープを母が理解できなくて、最初、手伝ってくれなかったのだ。焼いてギリギリまで食べるのがいいらしい。 ネギっぽい匂いのもの、ショウガっぽい味がするもの、ニンニクっぽい匂いがするもの、ローリエっぽい葉っぱ、とにかく、肉の臭み消しに使われる薬草は次々入れてみることにした。 「マイン! 待ちなさいっ!」 「え?」 「それはマインの手には負えないわ。凶暴よ!」 ニンニクっぽい味がする、白いラディッシュの葉っぱ部分をナイフで切ろうとしたら、母に取り上げられた。 母がキッと白ラディッシュを睨んで、包丁で半分に切った瞬間、「ぎゃっ!」と叫ぶような声が聞こえた。白ラディッシュから。 「え? 何?」 わたしがちまちまとみじん切りにするより速いので、助かったと思っていたら、包丁の下から出てきた白ラディッシュが何故か赤ラディッシュになっていた。血がにじんだように赤くなっているのが、怖い。 「もう大丈夫。ちゃんと洗ってから使うのよ」 「......うん」 ラディッシュより母さんの方が凶暴に見えたのはわたしの目の錯覚でしょうか? 錯覚ですね。錯覚ということにします。 ここでは、たまに自分が知っている野菜と似たような見た目に見えても、よく理解できない不思議食材がある。こういう変わった野菜に遭遇すると、あぁ、ここは自分の知っている世界ではないんだな、と実感するのだ。 一度沸騰したら、とりあえず水を全部捨てて、水をはりなおすなんて、よく聞くけど、特にスープの味が悪くなったりしたこともないし、面倒くさいのでそのままトロ火で煮続ける。 沸騰した後で、ささみだけは頃合いを見て取り上げた。さっと水にさらした後、解して、サラダに添えるとおいしい。 スープを煮込む間に他の部分の肉を下処理していく。心臓部分とか砂肝っぽい部分などの傷みやすい部分を食べやすい大きさに切って、塩と酒をふっておく。こういうのはシンプルに塩で焼いて食べる。それが家族にとって一番受け入れやすい調理法らしい。 わたしは胸肉に塩と酒をふって、冬支度部屋に入れておく。これは明日の料理に使うためだ。 「......いい匂いね?」 「味はまだまだだよ」 和食っぽく食べよう計画第一回目として、鍋だ。出汁があれば、鍋ならできるんじゃない? と思ったのだ。 ポメ鍋には、母が骨ばかりで使いにくいという手羽先を使うことにして、名前がよくわからない旬の野菜を適当に切っていく。煮込んでしまえば大体おいしく食べられるのが、鍋の魅力だと思う。 「あ、そろそろいいかも。母さん、手伝ってくれる?」 「何をすればいいの?」 「ここにスープをザーッと流してほしいの。中のいらない部分を出すから」 一番大きな鍋の汚れを洗って、濾したスープを移す。二番目に大きい鍋は使用頻度が高いので、スープストックを入れておいたら邪魔になる。今からポメ鍋を作るのも、二番目に大きい鍋だ。 出来上がったスープに刻んだ干し茸を入れて、ポメ鍋を作り始める。手羽先を煮込みながら、さっき濾した鳥ガラから食べられる肉をほじっては投入していく。 母が作るローストチキンのいい匂いが立ち込めてきたので、煮込む時間を考えて、こちらも鍋に野菜を投入する。 「マイン! 何してるの!?」 「......野菜、入れただけだけど?」 「ちゃんと湯がかなきゃダメじゃない!」 あく抜きならともかく、野菜をくたくたになるまで別の鍋でゆでて、そのゆで汁を全部流して、ゆで上がった野菜だけ料理に使ったら、おいしさ半減しちゃうから。栄養もかなり溶けだしちゃうから。 「この料理は、これでいいの」 「せっかくおいしそうな料理が台無しになっちゃうでしょ?」 ちょっと味見したけど、おいしい。野菜を先に湯がいていなくても大丈夫。うん。 「お帰り、トゥーリ。どうしたの?」 「大通りの方まですごくおいしそうな匂いがしてて、歩きながらすごくお腹空いてきちゃったの。道を歩いている人が、匂いがどこからしてるのか探してたよ。ウチの匂いだとは思わなかった」 中華料理やラーメン屋の近くを通ったら食べたくなるような感じだろうか。鳥ガラスープの匂いは結構強力だから。 昼番だった父も帰ってきた。かなり広範囲に鳥ガラスープの匂いがしていたらしい。期待に顔を輝かせて、テーブルに着く。 「今日はアルさんから、鳥を一羽頂いたのよ。前にあなたが分けたから、そのお返しにって。それをマインと一緒に料理したの」 「じゃあ、この見慣れない料理がマインの作ったやつか?」 「そうだよ」 テーブルの真ん中には、母が作ったもも肉のローストチキンが置かれ、その隣には解したささみを少し上に乗せたサラダ。父のそばには内臓系の塩焼きが、おつまみとして並び、それぞれの器にポメ鍋が入れられる。こうして並べられると、もう鍋じゃなくて、ただのポメスープだ。 「これ、何? すごくいい匂い。食べていい?」 「ポメスープ。頑張って鳥ガラスープを取ったから、おいしいはずだよ。食べてみて」 わたしがそう言うと、ポメスープに顔を近付けていたトゥーリが目を輝かせて、スプーンを手に取った。 「うわぁ、おいしい! なんで? すごくおいしいよ」 「あら、ホント。鳥の骨なんて煮込みだすし、野菜も洗っただけで直接入れちゃうからビックリしたけど、おいしいわね」 母も一口食べて、しみじみとした口調でそう言った。料理過程を知っている母にとっては、おいしそうに見えても不安の塊だったのだろう。 「すごいぞ、マイン。料理の才能があるな」 わたしもポメスープを食べてみた。鳥ガラスープがとても良い味になっていて、野菜のうまみも出ていて、おいしかった。 おいしかったけど、和食にはならなかった。 翌日は森での薪拾いを早目に終わらせて、帰ってきた。小さい子達は行きも帰りも固まって行動しなければならないが、洗礼式を終えたトゥーリは先に一言断っておけば、自由に動けるらしい。トゥーリと一緒に、わたしも早目に帰宅した。 鳥肉の残りを使いたいので、今日の料理番はトゥーリだけではなく、わたしもいる。 「残りのお肉を使いたいってことは、何を作るか、決まってるの?」 「鳥の『酒蒸し』と『ニョッキ』とサラダの予定なんだけど、どう?」 「うーん、よくわからないから、マインに任せるよ」 まずはニョッキ作りだ。 芋を茹でて、潰して、少しの塩と雑穀粉を混ぜる。小麦粉を気軽に使えない懐事情の市民が使うのは雑穀粉だ。ライ麦や大麦やえん麦が中心になっている。 「わたしがナイフで切ったのを、こうやって伸ばしていってほしいんだけど」 わたしが切る生地をトゥーリが次々に生地をのばしていく。わたしよりも力があるので、速くて、形が揃っている。 「トゥーリ、わたしより上手だね」 「そう?......マイン、こっち見てないで、さっさと切って。なくなっちゃうよ?」 昨日のポメスープの残りに、さらにポメを加えて、煮詰めたポメソースを作る。食べる直前にニョッキを絡めたらいいので、今できるのはここまでだ。 「今はこれくらいかな? サラダもすぐにできるし......」 「そろそろ母さんが帰ってくるから、サラダを作り始めてもいいんじゃない?」 トゥーリとサラダを作っていると、母が仕事から帰ってきた。 母の姿を見つけたわたしは、酒蒸しを作り始めるために、昨日のうちに下準備していた胸肉を冬支度部屋から取ってくる。 ......うん、腐ってない。大丈夫。 「マイン、この鉄鍋でいいの?」 「うん。ありがと、トゥーリ。昨日のうちに塩と酒をふって下味付けたから、すぐにできるよ」 作り方はいたってシンプル。塩と酒で下味をつけた胸肉を皮の方だけ炙って焼き色を付けたら、ひっくり返して、お酒を入れて、蓋をするだけだ。 せっかくなので、今日森で採ってきた茸も入れて風味を出そう。茸を洗って、ナイフで切ろうとしたら、トゥーリが目を釣り上げた。 「マイン、ダメ! その茸は一度火であぶらないと踊るよ!」 そう言うやいなや、トゥーリが茸の石づきを全て串刺しにする。そして、パラリと塩をかけて竈の炎で炙りだした。 踊る? 茸が? 鰹節が湯気でゆらゆらする感じ? 意味がわからないんだけど。 茸が踊るというのがよくわからずに首を傾げるわたしの前に、トゥーリが炙って少し焼き目のついた茸を差し出す。 「これで大丈夫」 変な表現だとは思ったが、もう大丈夫ならそれでいい。これも不思議食材の一つなのだろう。一見しめじは要注意らしい。 「母さん、料理に使っていいお酒ってどれ? お酒をけちったらおいしくないから、コップに半分くらい欲しいの」 母がコップに半分ほど入れてくれた酒を、台に乗ってやや背伸びした状態で、鉄鍋の中にダパッと回し入れる。ジュワ~という音を立てる鉄鍋に蓋をして、鍋がジュワジュワと言い始めたら、火から下ろして放置。余熱で火が通るのを待つだけだ。 「もう鍋を下ろしちゃうの?」 「うん。あとは余熱で十分火が通るんだよ。胸肉は火を通し過ぎるとパサパサして食べにくくなるから」 トゥーリが作っていたサラダも完成した。サラダの上には昨日と同じように、ささみが乗っている。昨日のささみが非常に気に入ったらしい。 「今日のご飯も豪華だね」 「アルさんに感謝しなきゃ」 懐事情を考えると、これだけの食事が食卓に並ぶことは滅多にない。鳥を譲ってもらえたのは、とても大きいのだ。 今日のご飯にも期待していたらしい父が、満面の笑顔で帰ってきた。職場で昨夜のご飯を自慢してきたと胸を張って言っている。 親馬鹿フィルターで、ものすごい誇張されて自慢されている気がする。気のせいだったらいいな。気のせいじゃなかったら、ちょっと門に行きにくい。 「あ、すごい! おいしいよ、マイン!」 切り分けた鳥の酒蒸しを食べたトゥーリが目を丸くして喜んだ。 「手軽なのに、胸肉が柔らかくていいわね。茸も味が染みてすごくおいしいわ。イイお酒だからかしら?」 「そうかも。蜂蜜酒の甘みで味に深みが出てるよね」 わたしがそう言った途端、顔色を変えた父がガタッと立ち上がって、棚のところに走ると酒瓶を手に取った。 「......お、俺の秘蔵の酒が......」 だって、「父さんが隠れてこっそり買ったお酒よ。せっかくだから、みんなでおいしく頂きましょ」なんて、母さんにちょっと黒い笑顔で言われちゃったんだもん。 蜂蜜酒だったので、日本酒とはまた違った甘みがあっておいしかったけど、やっぱり和食っぽくはなかった。完全に別物だった。 あぁ、和食が恋しい。 時々「踊る」とか「暴れる」とか「危険」とか言われる食材があって驚くけれど、大体はわたしが知っている調理法で問題なく料理できた。 家族には好評だが、自分としては全く納得できない出来だ。洋食を作るにしても調味料や香辛料がろくに無いので、似たような味で飽きてくる。 せめて、胡椒くださいっ! カレー粉もあるとなお嬉しい! わたしの食生活改善への挑戦はまだまだ続く。

Ascendance of a Bookworm Today, we can finally start making paper. I’m raring to go, excited to the point where Lutz might tell me that I need to back it off a bit. Today’s tasks include finding and cutting down wood from trees that we think might work, based on what we were told at the lumberyard and what Lutz learned after asking various people he knew. Then, I’m thinking that we’ll set up next to the river and steam the wood, then submerge it in the river and strip the rough outer bark from it. We can then leave that bark in the warehouse to let it dry out. Since our prototype is only going to need to be postcard-sized, I don’t think we need very much raw wood to use as materials. However, since we’ll need to steam it for several hours, we’ll need to gather a lot of wood to use as fuel. If we’re working in the forest, gathering that much firewood shouldn’t be particularly difficult, and if we start to run out we can always go and find more. Lutz, though, seems to be having a hard time lugging both the pot and the steamer. In order to do this, he had to go out early in the morning to get the key to the warehouse, then go back to retrieve the pot and the steamer. Since we’ll have more work to do in the warehouse afterwords, he also let Mark know that we’d be keeping the key for the day. All of this preliminary work went flawlessly, but right now, things are unexpectedly difficult. “Lutz, are you okay?” I ask. Although he says, that, he does not look at all okay as he trudges forward, the pot and steamer tied securely to his back. It looks like he’s about to give out any second now. The cause is simple. When we looked at the pot, he judged that it was a weight he’d have no problem carrying, and he did the same when we finished the steamer. “Yeah, I can carry this much,” he said. However, he didn’t actually think about what it would be like to carry both of them simultaneously all the way to the forest. “Can I carry the steamer, maybe?” If Lutz says it’s too much for me, then it’s probably too much for me. All I can do right now is cheer Lutz on while I make sure to get to the forest without overdoing it. As always, a number of other children are walking with us as we all head to the forest together. “What’re you doing in the forest today?” Since Lutz is carrying both a pot and a never-before-seen steamer, the other children are very curious. “A pot and a steamer,” he says, tersely. “Making paper.” The stuff he’s carrying must be very heavy for him to be so taciturn. The children, though, are so full of curiosity that the pay no attention to his mood and keep peppering him with questions. “Huh? What are you making?” “Is it something fun?” “...No,” he replies. “I have to do this if I want to get my apprentices.h.i.+p, they’re seeing if I can do it or not.” “Oh, okay! Got it. Good luck, Lutz!” I thought the questions were going to be endless, but as soon as they heard that it was something Lutz needed to do to secure his apprentices.h.i.+p, they immediately started drifting away. I have no idea why the kids left us alone so quickly, so I ask Lutz about it. He says that even though a lot of kids get their apprentices.h.i.+ps through their parents, a lot of the more popular professions can get a flood of applications. In those cases, some parents will change tack, but it looks like there’s also some apprentices.h.i.+ps that have selection tests. It seems that other children are absolutely forbidden from interfering in these tests. There’s probably cases where some kids mess with others out of revenge, but if word of that were to get out then it would make their own job search even harder. Oh ho, I see. Trying to get into a popular job is the same, no matter where you go. When we pa.s.s by the gate, Otto waves at us encouragingly. “Good luck!” he says. He probably noticed the pot and steamer on Lutz’s back and figured out that we’re getting started making paper. “Yeah, we’ll do our best! Oh, Daddy! We’re heading out,” I say, waving at him. My father has been sulking a bit lately since I’ve been spending so much time with Lutz lately, but he still waves back at us, wearing a complicated expression that flickers somewhere between smiling and sullen. He’s not happy that I’m on such good terms with both Otto and Lutz, but I know very well that, with his particular mentality, there’s no way he wouldn’t be happy when his daughter waves cheerfully at him. “Whooof. I’m tired~. That was way heavier than I thought.” Lutz rolls his shoulders, having set the pot and steamer on the ground near the riverbank. “Good work, Lutz. Want to take a break for a little?” “Nah, steaming’s going to take about a bell’s time once we start, right? I’ll rest then.” Even as he’s saying that, he’s already starting to pile up rocks in a circle, building a makes.h.i.+ft stove that we can set the pot on top of. That’s Lutz for you. Nothing’s too impossible for him. Compared to Lutz, who’s so used to outdoor work, my previous life was all about indoor work, so I don’t have very much experience with this at all. Not being very useful, though, is basically my natural state. All I can do right now is gather up wood from the nearby area and hand it over to Lutz. He fills the pot up with water from the river, sets it on top of the stove, then quickly piles up wood underneath it and gets a fire going. “I’ll head off and start cutting down some wood, so how about you take a break and watch the fire for a while?” “Aren’t you the one that needs a break?!” “Well, if your health gets worse before we can make paper, I’ll really be in trouble. You’ll probably be fine gathering more wood around here, but don’t move around too much. Also, if anything happens, give a shout. Got it?” Like Lutz asked, I quietly stay near the fire, keeping watch over it. Although, it looks like it’s going to be quite a long time before it actually starts boiling, so I’ve got some spare time. I gather up more fallen wood from around the area, bring it back to the firepit, and feed it into the fire. When I’ve collected all the wood from the immediate area, I head a little bit further into the forest looking for more. As I reach down to pick up a stick, I see something half-buried in the dirt. It looks like a large red berry, kind of like a pomegranate. “Huh? What’s that?” I wonder aloud. “Is it edible? Or maybe can I press oil out of it?” I’m convinced that most of the things in the forest are used in day-to-day life around here. After all, I’ve been living in this world for nearly a year now, so it’s only natural that I’d start thinking like it. When I was in j.a.pan, I wouldn’t have done anything like arbitrarily gathering up whatever I see on the ground. “I’ll have to ask Lutz about this,” I muse. I grab a st.u.r.dy stick and start digging around the red berry, until I have it free of the ground. I reach down to pick it up, only to find it rapidly heating up in my hands. Oh no! This is probably some incomprehensibly weird fruit. Somehow, it seems like this red berry is another one of those really strange ingredients that I sometimes wind up using in my cooking. To be honest, I have literally no idea what’s about to happen, much less how to deal with it. Frantically, I summon all of my power, and throw it as far away from me as I possibly can... which means it lands about five meters away. Bang! Ba-ba-bang! The red berry bursts open violently, scattering everywhere. Suddenly, countless plants start sprouting from the ground. As I stare, dumbfounded, they quickly grow until they’re up to my ankles. What?! What the h.e.l.l?! What are these pop-up trees?!I frantically run away from this clearly abnormal situation, yelling at the top of my lungs. “Lutz! Lutz! Luuutz! Something weird’s happeniiiiiing!” “What’s wrong, Maine?!” Lutz comes cras.h.i.+ng through the trees, probably from somewhere nearby. As soon as he sees what I’m pointing at, all the color drains from his face. He sticks his fingers in his mouth and lets out a piercing whistle. “I’ll explain later!” He immediately unsheathes his machete, chopping away at the rapidly-growing plants. By now, they’re up to his knees (and up to my thighs). It’s very clear that these fast-growing plants are actually extremely dangerous. “Head to the river, Maine! Got it?!” There’s no spare time to chat in the middle of an emergency. I flee back towards the riverbank. The other children come running in from the other direction, summoned by Lutz’s whistle. “What’s u― whoa, tronbay?!” “It’s tronbay!” “Cut it down, now!” As always, I’m the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on. It looks like all the kids who came running already know what these pop-up trees are. Like Lutz, they all take out their knives and machetes as they head towards the plants. As the children run around, cutting down the pop-up trees, I sit by the pot and watch the reaping unfold. The foe is a plant, I think to myself, so couldn’t I just burn it down since I’ve got fire here?However, I’m already winded from that little bit of running I did, so I can’t really do anything but sit by the river like Lutz told me. “Any more still growing?” I hear. While I sat, worn-out, by the riverbank, the reaping of the pop-up trees seems to have drawn to a close. The children search about, making sure that there aren’t any that they’ve missed. “I think we’re alright now.” “There may be more tronbay around, so be pay attention out there when you’re working. If anything happens give a whistle.” The children disperse, going back to their gathering. Lutz comes over to stand next to me. “I told you to go sit by the river... was that too much?” Lutz just finished chopping down a large number of plants, but I’m still the one who’s shamelessly gasping for every breath. If someone were to stumble across us like this, they definitely wouldn’t be able to guess who was on the front lines of that battle. “Lutz, what was, that?” “That was tronbay.” Tronbay, he says, are extremely fast-growing trees that, if you let them grow to adulthood, immediately suck up all the nutrients from the surrounding soil. Also, if you let them get too big, they become extremely difficult to cut down, to the point where you need to request the order of knights to send someone to deal with them. Huh, so there’s an order of knights here? As I’d expect of a fantasy world. “It’s weird, though.” “What is?” Lutz sits down on a rock on the riverbank, catching his breath, his head tilted to one side in puzzlement. “It’s kinda early for tronbay to show up. It’s usually much closer to autumn before you start seeing them.” “Huh...” “They also were growing really quickly. But the soil around them wasn’t really churned up...” “What, you don’t think that’s weird?” Lutz stares at me, unimpressed by my lack of reaction. Asking me directly like that, though, puts me in a tight spot. This is the first time I’ve seen something like this, so I can’t tell if it’s weird or not. Trees popping up out of the ground like that is weird enough to me already. “Umm, I’ve never seen tronbay before, so I can’t tell if that was any different than usual.” “Ah, that’s right. You’ve only been coming to the forest since the spring.” He nods several times in understanding. As he does so, the pot starts audibly bubbling as the water comes to a boil. “Lutz, where’s the wood?” “It’s scattered somewhere around there, I think...” He points over to where the tronbay was growing, hanging his head. It looks like he’d found enough wood well before the pot came to a boil, but he threw away all his hard work when the tronbay suddenly appeared. “...Hey, Lutz. We’ve come all this way, so how about we try making paper out of tronbay? There’s a lot of it, and since it was cut down right after it started growing, its fibers are probably still very soft...” “Hey, you’re right. Going back to get the other stuff right now would be a huge pain.” We put the tronbay in the steamer, then Lutz sets it on top of the pot. All we need to do for a little while is just keep feeding the fire so it doesn’t go out. Lutz keeps an eye on the condition of the fire for a while, occasionally throwing in a few pieces of the firewood that I’d gathered earlier. “Maine, sorry, but could you watch the fire for a bit? I’m going to go gather up the wood I dropped.” He heads back out to where he’d been startled by the tronbay to go pick up the wood, perhaps because he’s had a bit of time to rest. I, in my new position as fire watchman, grab tightly to a stick, staring intently at the fire. By now, I’m actually able to regulate fires a little bit, but I’ve made too many inattentive mistakes getting to this point that I can’t take my eyes off of it now. Gas stoves really are convenient. At this point, induction grills and microwave ovens are practically magic. Seriously. As the tronbay steams, Lutz heads off to work on his gathering duties. It seems like there’s quite a lot of things to eat in the forest around the time summer turns to autumn. I gather some things as well, alternating between keeping an eye on the fire and picking up whatever catches my eye. “I found a lot of stuff, Lutz! What do you think?” “Lemme see, lemme see... ...Maine! Pay attention! Actually look to see if you can bring something home before you pick it up.” As he looks over the pile of things I’d collected, the color drains from his face. He goes through the pile, pulling out everything that couldn’t be eaten. Over thirty percent of what I’d found was poison. “This one’s bad. If you eat it, your arms and legs will go all numb, and you won’t be able to move for three whole days. This is bad too. If you eat it, you’ll foam at the mouth and die. This too! It’ll make your stomach hurt terribly for two days. ...Maine, if you don’t learn this stuff soon, you won’t have to worry about dying from sickness, because you’ll poison yourself to death! Got it?” Yep. And it’s not just me who’ll die if I don’t remember this, it’ll be my family, too. I need to immediately start memorizing not just the things that are useful in everyday life, but also how to distinguish which things out here are poisonous. I don’t have anything like an ill.u.s.trated field guide, either, so I have no way to do this other than have it shown to me in person. “I’ll try hard to remember, so please teach me about it,” I say. “Yeah.” Faintly, the sound of the city’s bell rings through the air, and we take the steamer off the pot. A burst of steam hits us in the face as we open it up, but just from taking a look at it I actually can’t tell if it’s had enough time to steam. “I don’t really know, but let’s put it in the river and peel off the bark.” We dunk the wood in the river, then try to strip off the bark while the wood is still warm. It comes off cleanly, without crumbling or snapping at all. This is far easier than I thought it was going to be. We might have found an excellent material after all. “This tronbay might be really good for making paper,” I say. “We don’t know when it’ll grow, though, and we have to cut it down when it’s really young, right?” “...Whoa, this isn’t going to work, then.” I sigh, thinking back on how things unfolded today. If we could cultivate this, it would be an amazing material, but, alas. “Hey, Maine. Is this all we need to do today?” “Yeah. Next we need to let the bark dry out completely.” “...Hmmm. Alright, I’ll go wash up the pot, so take care of these, okay?” Lutz leaves me with tidying up the pile of bark as he goes to clean up the pot and the steamer. Sitting there and lining all of the strips in a row is remarkably fun, so I’m in good spirits as I pick away at the pile. As we return home, I carry several strips of the bark we harvested in the basket on my back. Lutz carries the pot and steamer, putting his entire soul into lugging it along. Since he’s also carrying the things we gathered today, his burden is definitely way heavier than it was when we had first gone out. Both Lutz and I are barely still on our feet as we make it back to town and split off from the rest of the group to head to the warehouse. When we get there, Lutz unlocks the door, steps inside, and drops everything to the ground. “Aaargh, that was heavy!” “You had a lot more stuff coming back than you did before, after all. You know, I could probably have carried a little more...” What I’d carried back already took all of my effort. I didn’t really have any extra surplus of energy to help him out. Lutz sits down in the corner and takes out a fistful of bark strips from the pot. “Hey, Maine,” he says, waving them around, “how and where are we going to dry these things?” “Eh? Ummm... how, huh?” “Lutz,” I say, putting a hand on his shoulder, “I know your tired, but could you hammer a bunch of nails at even distances into these shelves, please? I’ll dry the bark on that.” Lutz hammers nails into the board, his hammer ringing, and I hang strips of bark from them. This is doable for now, since we don’t have very many of them, but when we move on to ma.s.s production, we’ll need a dedicated place for drying. When we get to the point where we start ma.s.s production, I’ll ask Benno about it. We don’t need to worry about that right now, right? “It would be pretty bad if these couldn’t dry completely here. If they’re damp for too long they’ll start getting moldy. Tomorrow, when we go to the forest, maybe we should take these along and dry them in the sun?” “So, could we just bring the bark with us tomorrow and keep the work pretty light? I want to gather some normal things. There’s a lot of things I need to get for my family, so I’d really appreciate it.” “Yeah, I want to gather a lot of mushrooms too so that I can try drying them out. I want to try making soup stock out of them.” “...Maine, get better at picking out the poison ones first.” The next day, we bring the bark with us. I hang the strips off the rim of my basket, then collect quite a large number of mushrooms. About twenty percent of them were poisonous. That’s weird, I didn’t expect that... Over the next few days, we let the bark dry out in the sun until it was completely dry. I don’t actually know how to tell when it’s “completely dry”, so I let it dry until I started wondering if I was maybe overdoing it. With the hard, dry bark strips in hand, we head back out to the forest. Our next step now is to let them soak in the river for a full day, so the weather is actually important. We pick a spot in the river that wouldn’t really stand out to anyone looking for it, then arrange some rocks in a circle and place the bark inside. “...Probably. Let’s check on it on our way back home.” I don’t have much practical experience, so I’m not very confident, but I’m pretty sure this is probably going to work. While I think about it, I look down at my feet, immersed in the river water. ...It should be obvious, but I don’t have any rubber boots or gloves. Today, the weather is still fairly warm, so the water is merely cool, but as the seasons progress, the river might start getting life-threateningly cold. “Lutz, before it gets too cold, we need to get all of the wood to this point, not just the tronbay. At some point we won’t be able to go in the river anymore.” “...You’re right. The river’s pretty cold already, too.” Perhaps he’d been thinking about what was going to happen when the weather got cold too, because he frowns, nodding in agreement to my suggestion. “Today let’s cut down some wood, and hide it somewhere like we did with the clay. Tomorrow if we bring the pot and the steamer, shouldn’t we have some wood ready to go?” We spend some time searching for suitable wood, collecting a variety of different kinds and stas.h.i.+ng them underneath a bush. While we do our gathering, I occasionally stop by the river to check on the state of the bark. They’ve been drifting around within the enclosure of the rocks, but they don’t look like they’re in any danger of being washed away. They’ve also started to swell up a bit from being immersed in the water. “I’ll be kinda worried while we’re away from the forest, but I think it’ll be okay,” says Lutz. “...Yeah.” With great reluctance, I head home, but even then I can’t help but worry about what’s happening to the bark. What if it suddenly starts raining super hard upstream, causing the water to surge and wash everything away? What if bandits come, see that there’s floating treasure, and steal it? Increasingly strange thoughts bounce unceasingly around my head as I stare blankly at the wall. The next day, I’m fidgeting constantly as we walk back towards the forest, but when we arrive I see that neither has a flash flood washed everything away nor have bandits stolen it, so they’re right there where we left them. “Oh, phew, they didn’t disappear.” Lutz picks up a soggy, floppy strip of bark and looks at it dubiously. “We’ll use our knives to strip off this outer part, leaving only the white inner part of it. Although, let’s start steaming the wood we got yesterday first. We can work on this while the wood’s steaming.” “Got it.” The stone stove we made last time is still there, so after we do a little bit of maintenance we set the pot and the steamer back on it again. With that complete, we find a large, flat rock near the riverbank, close enough that we can keep the an eye on the pot, and start working on peeling off the outer bark. “Looks like we can leave the bark we want to dry here for now. Let’s try to get all of the white bark finished while the weather’s still warm out.” Skrnk, skrnk, skrnk...... Screeeeeeeeeeeek...... We place the bark on top of the stone, then start stripping the dark outer bark away so that we can keep only the lighter inner bark. It’s kind of like slicing off the high-quality breast meat from a chicken. The bark isn’t quite as tough as that, though, so we have to use short, halting strokes. There’s probably better tools and better methods for doing this, but right now, I need to make the best of what I’ve got. “Hey, Maine. This, um... well, it’s not like I can’t do it, but...” “Yeah, we need a table for this.” The sound of our knives sc.r.a.ping against the stone shoots through my body, leaving me with unceasing gooseb.u.mps. I very, very much want some sort of cutting board to do this kind of work on. Thinking back on the list of tools that I’d written down, I really did wind up missing a lot of necessary things. I thought I’d had a good grasp on it, but there’s a lot of things I didn’t know about at all. As we work, it looks like we’re going to need to gradually supplement our supplies with more things that we need. With tears in my eyes, I continue peeling away at the bark, my gooseb.u.mps serving as a keen reminder of how important experience actually is.

今日からいよいよ紙の制作に入ることになった。 本日の作業としては、材木屋で教わったり、ルッツが色々な人から聞いたりして、見当をつけている木を切ること。そして、それを川原で蒸して、川さらした後、黒皮を剥ぐところまで森で終わらせたいと思っている。剥いだ黒皮は倉庫に持ちかえって乾燥させるのだ。 試作品は葉書サイズが作れればいいので、材料もそれほど必要ないと思う。ただ、数時間蒸さなくてならないので、薪はたくさんいる。 そのため、朝早くに倉庫の鍵を借りに行って、鍋と蒸し器を取ってきた。森から戻った後も倉庫で作業するので、鍵は借りたままにすることをマルクに伝えてある。 「ルッツ、大丈夫?」 ルッツはそう返事をするけれど、背負子に鍋と蒸し器をくくりつけた姿は全く大丈夫そうに見えない。今にも潰れそうだ。 鍋も蒸し器もルッツが運べる重さで考えていた。これくらいなら大丈夫だとルッツも言っていた。けれど、森ま一緒に運ぶことをルッツが想定していなかった。 「蒸し器だけでも持とうか?」 ルッツが無理だという以上、わたしには無理なのだろう。 わたしにできることは、ルッツを応援することと、頑張りすぎずに森に行くことだ。いつも通り、何人もの子供達と一緒にわたしとルッツも森に向かって歩いていく。 「森で何する気?」 ルッツが背負う鍋と見慣れない蒸し器に子供達は興味津々だ。 「鍋と蒸し器で、紙作る」 不機嫌なように聞こえても、好奇心に彩られた子供達はお構いなしに質問を続ける。 「え? 何を作るの?」 「面白いことするんだろ?」 「......違う。これができるかどうかで、オレが仕事見習いになれるかどうかが決まるんだ。邪魔しないでくれよ」 「そうか。わかった。頑張れよ、ルッツ」 いつまでも続くだろうと思っていた質問責めは、ルッツの見習いになるために必要なことだという言葉を聞くと同時に遠ざかっていった。 あっさりと子供達が引いた理由がわからなくて、後からルッツに聞いてみたところ、親からの紹介で仕事先が決まることが多いとはいえ、人気のある仕事先には希望者も殺到する。そうなれば、親が頼む先を変えることもあるが、選抜試験のようなものがあるところもあるらしい。 選抜試験を邪魔するのは、子供達にとって絶対にしてはならないことだそうだ。自分の時に仕返しで邪魔されるかもしれないし、邪魔したという噂が広がれば自分が仕事先を見つけることも難しくなる。 ほぅほぅ、なるほど。人気がある就職先に人が集まって倍率が上がるのはどこでも一緒なんだね。 門でオットーに会って「頑張れよ」と激励された。鍋と蒸し器を背負ったルッツを見て、紙作りを開始したことを悟ったのだろう。 「うん、頑張るよ。あ、父さん。いってくるね」 父は最近、わたしがルッツとばかり行動するので少々拗ね気味だが、手を振るとしかめ面とにやけ顔の中間のような複雑な顔で振り返してくれる。ルッツやオットーと仲が良いのが気に入らなくて、でも、娘から手を振ってくれたのが嬉しいという心理状況が良くわかる顔だった。 「くっはぁ、疲れた~。予想以上に重かった」 川の側に鍋と蒸し器を置いて、ルッツが肩をぐるぐる回す。 「お疲れ様、ルッツ。ちょっと休憩する?」 「いや、蒸し始めたら、鐘一つ分くらいは様子見だろ? その時に休む」 そう言いながらもルッツの手は川原で石を積み上げて、鍋を乗せられるような竈を作り始めている。 さすが、ルッツ。無駄がない。 アウトドアの作業に慣れているルッツに対して、前世の記憶まで含めてもインドア万歳で、ほとんど経験がないわたし。役に立たないのは、いつものことですけどね。 「オレは木を切ってくるから、マインは休憩を兼ねて、鍋の見張りを頼むな」 「休憩はルッツの方が必要でしょ!?」 「紙ができるまでは、お前に体調を崩されたら困るんだ。この周辺で木切れを拾うくらいはいいけど、あんまり動くなよ。それから、何かあったら大声出せ。いいな?」 ルッツの言うとおりなので、わたしはおとなしく鍋の見張りをすることにした。そうは言っても、沸いてくるまではずいぶん時間がかかりそうだし、暇だ。 近くに木切れがなくなってきたので、少しずつ鍋から遠ざかりながら、木を集めていると、土に半分埋もれたような形で、まるでザクロのような赤い木の実を見つけた。 「あれ? 何だろう? 食べれる? それとも、油でも取れる?」 森にあるものは大体が生活に役立つ物と決まっている。さすがにおおよそ一年ほどこの世界で過ごして、わたしの思考も結構こちらに染まってきたようだ。何か見つけたら、とりあえず拾っておくなんて、日本ではしなかった。 「これが何かルッツに聞いてみようっと」 自分が持っていた木切れで、赤い木の実の周りをざりざりと掘って、赤い木の実を掘り出す。ひょいっと手に取ると、何故か木の実が一気に熱くなってきた。 ヤバ! わけがわからない不思議系木の実だったっぽい。 どうやら、赤い木の実は料理の時にも時々交じっている不思議食材の仲間だったようだ。正直、何が起こるかわからないし、対処方法もわからない。 パン! パパパン! と弾けたような音と共に、赤い実が飛び散って、辺りからいきなり何本もの芽がぽこぽこと生え始めた。 明らかな異常事態に、わたしは泡を食ってその場を逃げ出しながら叫んだ。 「ルッツ! ルッツ! ルッツ~! 何か変なのがぁ!」 「どうした、マイン!?」 近くにいたらしいルッツがザザッと音を立てながら、走り寄ってくる。 「何それ?」 「説明は後!」 そう言いながら、ルッツは鉈をふるって、植物を刈り取り始める。あっという間に膝の高さを越えて自分達の太股辺りの高さに伸びていく植物はどう見ても危険物だった。 「マインは川の向こうにいろ! いいな?」 非常事態に話をしている暇などない。わたしはルッツの指示通りに川へ向かって逃げ出した。 「どうしたの......って、トロンベ!?」 「トロンベだ!」 「すぐに刈れ!」 相変わらず理解できないのはわたしだけのようだ。集まってきた子供達は、このにょきにょっ木が何かわかっているようで、ルッツと同じように鉈やナイフを構えて立ち向かっていく。 わらわらと子供達が寄ってたかって、にょきにょっ木を刈り取る様子を、わたしは鍋の近くに座りこんで見ることになった。 相手は植物だし、火があれば燃やせるんじゃないかと思った......というのは建前で、実際はちょっと走っただけで息切れして、ルッツに言われた川の向こうまで行くことができなかっただけだ。 「もう伸びてるのはいないか?」 「大丈夫だと思う」 「もしかしたら、他にもトロンベが出てくるかもしれないから、気を付けて採集するんだ。何かあったら指笛で呼べよ」 子供達がまた採集のために散らばって行って、ルッツがわたしの隣にやってきた。 「川の向こうに行けって......無理だったか」 刈り取りをしたルッツより、わたしの方がぜいぜいとみっともないくらい荒い息を繰り返している。何も知らない人が見たら、最前線で戦っていたように見えるに違いない。 「ルッツ、あれ、何?」 「トロンベだよ」 トロンベはものすごく成長が速い木で、伸び始めた時に刈り取らないと、辺りの栄養が一気に吸われてしまうらしい。 へぇ、騎士団とかあるんだ。さすが異世界。 「でも、変だな」 ルッツが川原の石に座りこんで、息を整えながら、首を傾げる。 「トロンベが出てくるにはちょっと早い。いつもはもっと秋になってからなんだ」 「へぇ......」 「成長もすっげぇ速かった。でも、あんまりトロンベの生えた周りの土が荒れてないし......」 「何だよ、マインは変に思わないのか?」 しかし、変に思わないのか、と言われても困る。わたしにとっては初めて見るものだから、変に思うも何もない。あのにょきにょっ木の存在自体が変だ。 「あんなの、初めて見たんだもん。いつもと違うって言われてもわからないよ」 「そっか。マインが森に来るようになったのって、春からだもんな」 納得したようにルッツが何度か頷いたのと同じくらいに、ぐつぐつと鍋が沸き始めた音がし始めた。 「ルッツ、木は?」 「あの辺りに散らばってるはず......」 このお湯が沸くまでに材料になる木を切ってくるはずだったが、トロンベが出たせいで、ルッツはせっかく切った木を放り出してきたらしい。 「......ねぇ、ルッツ。せっかくだから、このトロンベで紙を作ってみない? 何かいっぱいあるし、生え始めを刈ったから、繊維も柔らかいだろうし......」 「そうだな。これから採りに行くのって結構きつい」 蒸し器にトロンベを入れて、ルッツに鍋の上へ置いてもらう。しばらくは火が消えないように薪だけ補充すればいい。 「マイン。悪いけど、火ぃ見ててくれないか? 放り出した木、拾ってくる」 火の番を任されたわたしは木切れを握って、火を見つめる。ちょっとだけ火の調節ができるようになってきたけれど、目を離すと様子が変わっていることが多すぎて失敗するのだ。 ガスコンロ、便利だったな。今となってはIHや電子レンジなんて魔法の域だよ、ホントに。 トロンベを蒸しながら、ルッツは採集を始めた。夏の終わり、秋に入りつつある森は食べられる物がたくさんあるらしい。 「いっぱい採れたよ、ルッツ。どう?」 「どれどれ......って、マイン! 全部見せろ! 持って帰れるかどうか確認する!」 わたしの採集物を見て、顔色を変えたルッツに確認してもらうと、採集したうちの3割ほどが毒物だった。 「これはダメ。食べたら手足がしびれて、3日くらい動けなくなる。これもダメ。食べたら泡吹いて死ぬ。これもダメだ。腹痛で2日は苦しむ。......マイン、お前、ちゃんと覚えないと、病気じゃなくて、毒食って死ぬぞ?」 うん。確かにちゃんと覚えないと死ぬね、わたしだけじゃなくて家族も。 ここで生活する以上、毒物の見分け方は、ただちに覚えなければならない項目に分類される。図鑑も何もないので、現物を見て覚えるしかない。 「頑張って覚えるから、教えてね」 街の方からかすかに鐘の音が聞こえてきたので、蒸し器を外してみた。湯気で顔が熱かったけれど、蒸す時間がこれくらいでいいのかどうか、見ただけではわからない。 「よくわからないけど、川に入れて、皮を剥いでみるよ」 ざっと川にさらして、熱いうちに皮を剥いでみる。するりと剥がれて、ぶつぶつ切れることもなかった。 「このトロンベって紙の素材に向いてるかも」 「いつ生えてくるかわからないし、成長前に採れるとは限らないぞ?」 「......ぅあ、ダメだね」 今日の様子を思い出して、溜息を吐いた。栽培ができたら、すごくいい素材になるのに残念だ。 「なぁ、マイン。今日の作業はここまででいいのか?」 「うん。次はこの皮を乾かさなくちゃいけないから」 「......ふぅん。じゃあ、オレ、鍋片付けるから、任せていいか?」 座りこんで皮を向く作業は結構楽しく、わたしはご機嫌で皮をむしった。 街に帰る時間になったので、わたしは籠の中に黒皮といくつかの収穫物を入れた。ルッツは気合を入れて鍋と蒸し器を背負う。採集物もあるので、来た時よりも帰りの方が確実に重くなっている。 ルッツもわたしもよろよろしながら街に戻ると、みんなから離れて倉庫へと向かった。ルッツが鍵を開けて中に荷物を下ろす。 「ぅあぁ、重かった!」 「帰りは採集物も増えたからね。わたしがもっと持てたらよかったんだけど......」 わたしは自分が採った物を運ぶだけで、精一杯だ。ルッツを手伝う余裕なんて露ほどもない。 「なぁ、マイン。これを干すって、どこにどうやって干すんだ?」 「え? えーと......どうしよう?」 「ルッツ、お疲れのところ悪いんだけど、この棚板に等間隔で釘を打っていってくれない?わたし、これを干していくから」 コンコンとルッツが打ちつけた釘にわたしは黒皮を引っ掛けていく。数が多くないからできるけれど、量産するようになったら乾かす場所も必要になる。 量産するようになったら、ベンノさんにまた聞いてみよう。今はまだ必要ないよね? 「これで黒皮を完全に乾かさないとダメなの。乾いてないとカビが生えちゃうから。明日は森に持って行って、天日干しかな?」 「じゃあ、明日は皮を持っていくだけで、特に作業は無しでいいんだな? だったら、普通に採集ができそうだな。今のうちに拾わなきゃいけないものも多いから、助かる」 「うん、わたしもいっぱい茸拾って、干し茸作りたい。出汁にするんだ」 「......マインは、毒キノコを見分けられるようになれ」 次の日は森に黒皮を持って行って、籠の縁に引っ掛けるようにして、天日干ししながら、茸を大量に採った。 2割が毒キノコだった。 おかしい。こんなはずでは......。 数日間、天日干しして、黒皮を完全に乾燥させた。「完全に乾く」がどの程度かわからなかったので、干し過ぎかなと思うくらい干した。 川の中でもあまり目立たない人が近付かない辺りに石を丸く組んで、黒皮が流れていかないようにして、皮をいれる。 「......多分。帰りに一度様子を見てみようね」 経験がないので、確信は持てないけれど、これで間違っていないはずだ。そう思いながら、川に入っている足元を見つめた。 ......当たり前だけど、ゴムの長靴も手袋もないんだよね。 今日はまだ暑い日だから川に入っても平気だけれど、これから先の季節は、川に入るのが生死に係わる季節になる。 「ルッツ、寒くなる前に、トロンベだけじゃなくて、他の木もここまではしておかないとダメかも。川に入れなくなっちゃう」 「......確かに。今でも結構冷たいもんな」 ルッツも寒くなってから作業することを考えたのだろう、顔をしかめてわたしの意見に賛成した。 「今日のうちに木を切って、粘土の時みたいにどこかに隠しておこうよ。明日は鍋と蒸し器を持ってくるなら、材料の木まで持てないでしょ?」 「そうだな」 採集しながら、時々黒皮の様子を見にいく。石に囲まれた中で漂う黒皮は、川に流れてしまうことなく、水を吸って少し膨らんでいた。 「森を離れるの、心配だけど、大丈夫そうだな」 「......うん」 いきなりゲリラ豪雨のようなものが上流で降って、増水して、流されていたらどうしよう、とか。山賊が出てきて、お宝を見つけたとばかりに持っていかれたらどうしよう、とか。ぼーっとしていると変な考えがどんどん浮かんでくる。 次の日はそわそわしながら、森に向かったけれど、ゲリラ豪雨が降ることも、山賊に目をつけられることもなかったようで、次の日に森へ行った時も黒皮はちゃんとあった。 「よかった。なくなってなかったね」 でろんでろんに水を吸った黒皮を取り上げて、ルッツが首を傾げる。 「この外皮をナイフで剥いで、内皮の白皮だけにするの。でも、先に昨日の木を蒸し始めよう。蒸している間にすればいいよ」 「わかった」 前回作った石の竈がまだ残っていたので、多少の補修を加えて、鍋と蒸し器をセットする。 「これで乾燥させた分はしばらく置いておけるから。温かいうちに白皮作りを終わらせようね」 ガリガリガリ......ギギギギギギ...... 石の上に黒皮を乗せて、白皮だけになるように表面の黒い皮を剥いでいく。ささみの筋を取るみたいな感じだ。そこまで皮も丈夫じゃないので、ぶつぶつと途切れる。もっと効率の良いやり方や道具があるのだろうけれど、今のわたしにはこれが精一杯だ。 「なぁ、マイン。これ、出来なくはないけどさ......」 「うん、台が必要だったね」 ナイフと石が擦れる音が身体中に響く感じで鳥肌が立つのが止まらない。皮を剥ぐ作業をするためには、まな板のような板が欲しいと切実に思う。 頭の中で思い出して、道具を書きだしてみても、実際作業してみると足りないものが結構ある。わかっていたつもりでもわかっていないことが多すぎる。作業する中で、足りない物は少しずつ補充していかなければならない。 わたしは涙目で皮剥ぎをしながら、止まらない鳥肌に経験の大事さを痛感していた。

The cart stops at the entrance to the temple, and the coachman steps down. I can hear them saying something to the watchmen standing at the gates. I stand up from my seat, getting ready to get out, but Benno, not saying a word, holds me back. I look blankly up at him, he slowly turns his head away, still staying silent. I guess that he’s trying to tell me to sit down and stay quiet, so I give him a small nod, sitting back down, a little heavily, in my seat. Urgh, my heart’s pounding. I have no idea about what’s happening now, and even less of one about what might be happening soon. I can’t stop s.h.i.+vering anxiously. I clench my fists tightly, looking around the inside of the carriage. Mark seems to be making use of the fact that the carriage has come to a stop to write something. Mark, noticing that I’m looking at him, lifts his head to show me a calming smile. I try to smile back, but my face is a little too stiff, and it comes across as more of a grimace. Mark covers his mouth, trying not to laugh. I still don’t know if it’s okay for me to break this silence, so I scowl at him, puffing out my cheeks angrily. Benno, from next to me, pokes me in my puffed-up cheeks. It’s as if they’re ridiculing me for being the only person here who’s nervous about this whole situation. After a little while, the carriage rocks slightly as the coachman climbs back on board. Mark quickly puts away his pen and ink, then hands Benno the paper he’d been writing on. Benno looks it over, then grins broadly. I lean over, trying to see what’s written on it, but in that moment the carriage starts moving again. When the clattering of the carriage’s wheels fills the cabin, Benno starts to speak. “At this gate, visitors introduce themselves and request for their presence to be announced, then the gates are opened for them. When we get off, Mark will go first, then me, then you. You’re going to take my hand and step down slowly. Absolutely do not just jump off, and don’t lose your footing on the steps.” By “don’t jump off,” he must be referring to the time that Lutz and I rode in the guild master’s carriage. (To get down, we’d leapt off in unison, yelling “woo!” as we flew.) I was already worried about being so tense that I’d miss the stairs, too. I look off sheepishly off to the side. “Since they’ve gone and announced our presence, I’m betting that your attendants are going to be beyond that gate too. When we’re walking to the head priest’s office, I want the guy that he a.s.signed to you in front, then me and you, and then Mark and your other attendants should follow behind us, carrying our gifts.” I’d honestly just planned on handing the head priest the money and saying “here’s my donation!”, but it looks like this has gotten exaggerated far beyond that. If I’d just brought the money by myself, I can’t even imagine what kind of rude blunders I’d make. “So, the box with your donation in it is something that you had me carry. When we get to the head priest’s room, open it up and look inside to check its contents, and then thank me for my troubles.” “Huh? How? Like, ‘thank you’, or 'I appreciate the effort’, or something like that?” “Something more n.o.ble-like would be better, but, well, that’ll work too.” What would n.o.ble words of thanks sound like? “I appreciate what a laborious task this must have been.” But that sounds way too self-important, though!! I hum thoughtfully to myself while I dig through my memories. I can remember medieval legends and poetry collections, but not only would that sound way too theatrical, if I’m talking to someone who isn’t just quoting lines out of a book, being able to recite memorized lines isn’t going to cut it. If I were talking to a merchant, then I’d be able to pull out the various phrases I learned from books on business manners, but I feel like that’s not quite what a n.o.ble would sound like. In the end, I dredge up my memories of what pampered rich girls sound like and try them out. “Ummm... I am grateful from the bottom of my heart that you so willingly undertook my request, as difficult as it may have been... something like that?” “And where did you learn how to talk like that?!” Benno stares at me, his eyes wide in absolute shock. I can’t figure out if that was too overbearing, or if it was just right, or if it just failed altogether. “So... no good, then?” “...No, that’s perfect. Try to keep talking like that until we get back to the carriage.” I bite down on a cry of disbelief, my face contorted into a nervous grimace. I am currently, most likely, the furthest possible thing from the image of an elegant rich girl. I force myself to take a slow, deep breath, straightening my back. Shortly thereafter, the carriage pa.s.ses through the gates, and we come to a stop within the grounds of the temple. The door is opened for us by our coachman, and Mark steps out first. Next is Benno. Finally, I step forward to stand in the doorway. The scene that I see when I look out the door is entirely unlike the temple I know. It seems like the entrance that carts stop at might be the temple’s true front entrance. This entrance appears to be for the exclusive use of the n.o.bility and the very wealthy, with ornate sculptures and carvings made from a variety of materials placed amidst green gardens bursting with flowers. The mouth of the entryway itself is decorated with colorful tile in much the same way as the front wall of the hall of wors.h.i.+p. The entrance that I’ve been using up until now, the one that leads straight from the main road, seems to be the entrance used by the commoners who arrive on foot. Compared to this, it seems like it’s just the back door. There is a strict separation between the dull monochrome of that world and the vivid color of this one. The scene before my eyes is a harsh reminder that there are a lot of stark differences that I just don’t know about. For a temple, a place that purports itself to be a house of the G.o.ds, to be so sharply different even just at its entrance is something that I couldn’t have even imagined. When the unexpected evidence of this clear disparity hits my eyes, my heart freezes. “Maïne, your hand...” Benno’s voice snaps me out of my trance, and I hold out my hand. I glance down at my feet, worried about falling, and in that moment he grabs my hand tightly and picks me up. “Don’t look down,” he says in a quiet voice, his smile unwavering. A cold sweat runs down my spine, and I smile broadly back, nodding. One of the key points that he had explained to me was “even if you don’t have any confidence in yourself, don’t lower your head”, but it seems like that extends to a ban on looking down for any reason at all. He gently sets me down, more courteously than I could ever imagine him doing under normal circ.u.mstances. Fran quickly approaches. “Sister Maïne,” he says. “Master Benno,” I say, “This is one of my attendants. Fran,” I continue, looking up at him with a slight tilt to my head, “might I perhaps be able to request a meeting with Father Ferdinand?” A look of astonishment flashes briefly over Fran’s face, then he smoothly crosses his hands before his chest and bows slightly. “Preparations are already underway,” he replies. “Madam Maïne,” says Mark, “who might I be able to ask for a.s.sistance with bringing Master Benno’s gifts to the head priest?” A tiny jolt of panic shoots through my heart, and I glance back at him over my shoulder. When I slowly look around the area, I see neither Gil nor Delia nearby. I can’t decide if I should be worried that I don’t have them to help carry things or relieved that they’re not here to make trouble for me. Either way, I have no idea what the correct answer to this particular problem is, so I decide to pa.s.s the burden onto Fran. “Fran, might I ask you to find a few trustworthy individuals to a.s.sist me?” Even though I’d just shoved a bunch of work onto him, he immediately nods and starts quickly carrying out my request. No look of dissatisfaction, no “but"s, just the smooth acknowledgement of an excellent attendant fulfilling his master’s request. I tilt my head in blank confusion. Why is he behaving so differently all of a sudden? Literally the only thing that’s different between this morning and now is the fact that I’m talking differently... And then it hits me. Fran finds it very important that I speak like a n.o.ble. I’d been irritated that he seemed to only have eyes for the head priest, but at the same time, he resented the fact that I didn’t seem to be even the slightest bit n.o.ble. If I want him to feel good about the work that he’s doing, then what I’ve been doing isn’t good enough. enough. Just like Lutz said, I need to put a ton of effort into learning how n.o.bles speak and act. Fran calls over several gray-robed priests and starts directing them to carry the gifts, splitting the work between them. After checking to ensure that nothing was left behind, he says, "please, this way,” and begins to lead the way. Unlike this morning, when a vague air of dissatisfaction had followed him around as we walked, he seems lively now, as if he’s very much in his element. Benno gives me a look, silently urging me onwards, and I start following him. Just as we’d discussed, everyone falls into place as Benno had described. However, Fran is an adult, and his brisk pace is rather difficult to keep up with. As I frantically move my feet as quickly as they can go to keep up, Benno speaks up, unable to keep quiet about the situation. “Aren’t you going a bit fast?” he says. Fran looks over his shoulder. “I beg your pardon?” he says, blinking. “Madam Maïne is your master, isn’t she? I’m well aware that you were only just a.s.signed to her this morning, but if you don’t pay attention to how quickly you’re walking, she’s going to collapse. So, this might be a bit impertinent of me to ask, but would you maybe keep an eye on your speed?” “...My sincere apologies.” Fran looks ashamed that Benno, a visitor, had been the one to point that out. Really, I as his master should have been the one to ask that. He immediately starts to apologize, but I realize that if I let him do so then I would be failing my obligations as a n.o.ble. “Master Benno, I apologize for making you worry. Fran is an excellent attendant, a.s.signed to me by the head priest himself. I have no doubt that he’ll adjust quickly. Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary.” “Alright,” he replies. “How about, for today, Mark carries you, since he is already accustomed to you? It would be rather problematic if you lost consciousness today, as you have before.” Glancing up at Benno, it’s very easy to see what’s written on his face: “you’d better not pa.s.s out on me in the middle of the corridor after we’ve come this far”. Mark hands the cloth-wrapped bundle he’s been carrying to Fran, then, with a courteous apology, gently lifts me up in his arms. Eeek! In a princess carry?! I choke down a shout over having picked up in an entirely different way than I’m used to. Elegantly, elegantly, I repeat to myself, putting on the most elegant smile I can muster. “Fran, if you will,” I say, gesturing down the corridor. When the head priest’s room comes into view, Mark lets me down, takes his bundle back from Fran, then steps back to rejoin the squadron of gift-bearers. Fran, despite the fact that the head priest’s room is literally right in front of us, constantly checks over his shoulder as we walk, making sure that he’s matching my walking speed. I smile and nod back at him, trying to silently convey that his speed is fine. A look of obvious relief crosses his face. Unlike the temple master’s room, no priests stand guard outside the high priest’s room. When Fran reaches the unattended door, he retrieves a small bell from his sash, then rings it once. I’ve only ever seen doors like this opened after someone calls out to the gray-robed priest next to the door, who then opens the door for them, but this time, he opens the door himself after a single ring of the bell. I start heading towards the door as it swings open, but Benno squeezes my shoulder to get me to stop. I glance at the other people around me and see that everyone is patiently standing by. It seems like we mustn’t start entering until the door is completely open. I step back to my previous position, keeping a perfectly straight face as if nothing at all had happened, and wait for the door to finish opening. Beyond the door are two gray-robed priests. The head priest sits at his desk, with Arnaud standing beside him. Fran enters the room, stopping in front of the reception table. Seeing that, I stop as well. Benno and Mark stop behind me, and the squadron of gift-bearers spreads out along the wall. Benno smoothly takes a single step forward, sinking down onto his left knee much like I did during my ceremony of vows, then gently bows his head. “On this brilliant day, granted to us by the power of Leidenschaft, the G.o.d of Fire, the G.o.ds have guided me here. May they bless this auspicious meeting. ...I believe this is the first time we have Benno fluently recited the name of the G.o.d of fire as if it were the most obvious thing, but I still don’t actually remember them myself. I’m guessing that if I don’t learn the names of the G.o.ds that affect each season, I won’t be able to properly greet any n.o.bility. When I think of what it’ll take just to be able to properly introduce myself, I can feel the blood start to drain from my face. I suddenly realize just how important the task of memorizing the scriptures that the head priest had given me really is. Learning how to deal with the n.o.bility is going to be very difficult, it seems. “I grant you my blessing,” replies the head priest, “from the depths of my heart. May the guidance of Leidenschaft, the G.o.d of fire, pour down upon the Gilberta Company.” He raises his left hand over his heart, stretching his right hand before him until his fingers come to rest just above Benno’s head. A gentle blue light s.h.i.+nes forth from his palm, and Benno’s pale hair, ordinarily the color of milk tea, is dyed blue. The light disappears quickly, but it’s plain for anyone to see that Benno has received a blessing. This unexpectedly solemn scene takes my breath away. That blue light must be mana, isn’t it? All I can do is force my mana out using my emotions, creating that coercion effect, but if I’m taught how to use it, could I give blessings like that? Or, rather, since I’m an apprentice priestess, am I going to be expected to be able to give blessings like that? The list of things I need to keep track of in my head just keeps on growing. Lutz’s words p.r.i.c.kle in the back of my mind: I have a lot I need to do before I can read my books. His voice snaps me back to reality. I can see that he’s already moved next to the head priest’s reception table. Now that I think of it, given my social standing here, if I don’t move, I’m pretty sure that n.o.body else can. I walk over to the chair that Fran guides me to. That, at least, poses no difficulty. However, since I’m basically only as large as a five-year-old, whenever I need to sit in a chair, I have to climb up onto it. Ordinarily, this poses no problem at all, but today, that just won’t do. I didn’t think of this! How the h.e.l.l do I sit gracefully on a chair that’s too tall for me? What would an elegant rich girl do in this situation! Do I just make an “oh, bother” pose and hope for the best?! I stare at the chair, at a loss for what to do next. Then, not entirely sure whether or not this would actually convey what I want it to, I lift my right hand, resting my index finger on my face, then bring my left hand up to my right elbow as I would if I were crossing my arms. I look up at Fran, tilting my head slightly to the side. I stand like that for about three full seconds. “...Pardon me, Sister,” says Fran, picking me up and sitting me down in the chair. Oho! It went through?! I smile brilliantly at Fran as he pushes my chair in. A faint, almost wry smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. By the time I look away from him, Benno’s already taken a seat next to me. Behind him stands Mark, and, across the table, behind the high priest stands Arnaud. Fran must be standing right behind me as well. The gift-bearing priests are still lined up against the wall. He reaches towards me, holding out the ornately carved wooden jewelry box he has been carrying in both hands this entire time. He opens the box, showing me its contents. Inside are five small gold coins. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a gold coin. I spend a moment staring at their dazzling sparkle, then thank Benno for his effort, just as we practiced. “Master Benno, I am grateful from the bottom of my heart that you so willingly undertook my request, as difficult as it may have been.” He sets the box down on the table, leaving the lid open, and presents it to the head priest. “Father,” he says, “this boxsays, “this box contains Madam Maïne’s donation. Please accept this offering.” “...Hm, this is indeed all in order. Maïne... also, Benno. I appreciate what a laborious task this must have been.” The head priest looks into the box, verifying its contents, then closes it. He hands it to Arnaud, who carries it off somewhere, most likely to where they keep their coin for safekeeping. “Additionally,” says Benno, “I would like to offer you these gifts of my own, as a token of my thankfulness to you.” With these words, the gray-robed priests lining the walls step forward, placing their bundles on the table. Mark moves to down his bundle as well. The head priest looks over them, frowning. “I’d understand if this were a greeting, but thankfulness? I don’t think I’ve done anything you’d be thankful for.” “It is through your good graces that Maïne’s Workshop will be able to continue operating. It is this for which I am most deeply thankful.” Benno crosses his hands before his chest, casting his eyes downward. “Ah, I see,” murmurs the head priest. Benno then starts to introduce the head priest to the items he’s brought. “This cloth is of the highest quality that my shop has to offer. This, here, is called rinsham. While I presently hold all of the rights to its production, this product was originally produced by Maïne’s Workshop. This, here, is a product of her workshop as well: a plant-based paper, which we are only just beginning to sell.” “Hmm...!” The thing that seems to have caught the head priest’s interest the most is the plant-based paper. He picks up a sheet, feeling its texture. “I would like to dedicate these gifts to you, Father, as well as to the Reverend, the master of this temple, who it seems could not be here with us today. I would also like to dedicate these to Madam Maïne, through whose good graces has allowed this meeting to occur.” Huh? Me?! I can’t stop my eyes from widening in shock, but I at least manage to stop myself from saying anything out loud. The two of them, paying no attention as I force down my surprise, continue their conversation. “These are excellent gifts. You have my grat.i.tude.” “I am deeply delighted that they have pleased you, Father.” The head priest glances at the gray robed priests. “Put these gifts on the shelves, if you would.” At his word, they begin to put everything away. Mark helps to hand things to them as he wraps the paper back up in its cloth. Ahh... it’s over. My donation has been delivered, the gifts have been received, and so our business today has gone off without a hitch. The moment I let out a small sigh of relief, however, Benno’s hand moves nimbly under the table, lightly tapping against my leg. I turn to look at him, tilting my head curiously. He looks back at me, copying my surprised expression. He smiles a fake smile, then makes a show of glancing down. Careful not to bow my head, I glance down as well, and see that there’s a small sc.r.a.p of paper tucked between his fingers. I quietly reach out to take the paper, suddenly hit with nostalgia. What schoolkid hasn’t pa.s.sed notes like this during cla.s.s? I, personally, exchanged a few notes like this with girls before, but I never got any notes from boys. Benno is more than a little too old to be called a boy, but this is the first time I’ve ever gotten a letter from someone of the opposite s.e.x. I know it’s just Benno, but I can’t help but get a little bit excited as I unfold the paper. When I casually glance under the table, taking care to keep it hidden, written there on the paper, in neat writing, is “stay sharp, idiot.” You got me excited over this?! The head priest looks at me, perhaps having noticed that my elegant demeanor suddenly slipped. I frantically paste a smile on my face, but it might have been slightly too obvious, as his expression suddenly changes. I straighten myself, swallowing, as the head priest holds his hand out to the side, gently waving it. The gray robed priests, seeing this, all cross their hands over their chests, bowing gently, then file out of the room one by one. “While we have this opportunity,” he says, “I have a few questions I’d like to ask of you, Benno.” The head priest’s face grows tight. He looks at Benno with sharp eyes that seem to brook no lies nor deceit. At the same time, the feeling that Benno is giving off suddenly grows much sharper than it did before. It seems like this is the start of the real conversation. I sit up ramrod straight, clutching Benno’s reminder to “stay sharp, idiot” in my fist.

馬車が神殿の入口に止まって、御者が台から降りたのがわかった。入口に立っている門番に声をかけているのが何となく聞こえてくる。 外に出るために椅子から立ち上がろうとした途端、ベンノに無言で押さえつけられた。きょとんとしてベンノを見上げると、口を開かずにゆっくりと首が横に振られる。 うぅ、ドキドキする。 何が起こっているのか、これから先何が起こるのか全くわからなくて、身体が震える。グッと拳を握りしめたまま、わたしが馬車の中を見回すと、マルクは馬車が止まった時間を利用して、何か書き物をしていた。 わたしの視線に気が付いたのか、顔を上げたマルクが安心させるように笑みを見せてくれた。ちょっと顔が引きつっているのを自覚しつつ、わたしがへらっと笑い返してみたら、マルクは口元を押さえて笑いを堪え始めた。 少しして、馬車が小さく揺れたことで、御者がまた乗りこんだのがわかった。マルクは素早くインクとペンを片付け、書き物をしていた紙をベンノに渡す。目を通したベンノがニヤリと笑った。 「門で来訪者は名乗りを上げて、取り次ぎを頼み、馬車を止めるための門を開けてもらう。馬車を下りる順番はマルク、俺、お前だ。俺の手を取ってゆっくり下りろ。間違っても飛び降りたり、段を踏み外したりするな」 前にギルド長の馬車に乗せてもらった時に、ルッツと一緒に「とぉっ!」と掛け声付きで飛び降りたことを言っているらしい。緊張で段を踏み外しそうだと思っていたわたしはそっと視線を逸らす。 「今、取り次ぎを頼んだから、あっちの門にはお前の側仕えもいるはずだ。神官長付きだったヤツを先頭にお前と俺、その後に、贈り物を持ったマルクと残りの側仕えが続く形で神官長のところに向かう」 わたしは「はい、寄付金です」と、神官長にお金を渡すだけのつもりだったが、ずいぶんと大仰な事をしなければならかったらしい。自分で持って行ったら、どのくらいの失礼をしたのか、全く想像もできない。 「寄付金の箱は、お前の要望通りに俺が運ぶから、神官長室で一度中を確かめた後、俺に労いの言葉をかけろ」 「え? どんな? ありがとう、とか、お世話になりました、とか、そんなのでいいんですか?」 「もうちょっと貴族らしい言葉の方がそれらしいが、まぁ、そういうのでいい」 貴族らしい労い言葉って「大儀であった」とか? いくら何でも偉そうすぎるよ。 うーん、と、考えて、騎士物語や詩集を記憶から掘り出してみるが、あまりに芝居がかっている上に、相手に本と違う言葉を返されたら、一節を覚えているだけのわたしでは太刀打ちできない。 結局、使えるお嬢様言葉を記憶から掘り出して並べてみた。 「うーん、わたくしの願いを快く聞き入れ、ご足労頂きましたこと、心より嬉しく存じます......とか?」 「どこで覚えるんだ、そんな言葉!?」 ぎょっとしたようにベンノがわたしを見た。威勢が強すぎて、合格なのか、ダメだったのか、判断できない。 「ダメだった?」 「......いや、十分だ。言葉遣いは馬車に戻ってくるまで、それでやってみろ」 うぇっ!? と出かけた声をゴクンと呑みこんで、引きつった笑みを浮かべてみるが、多分、優雅なお嬢様には程遠い。姿勢を正して、ゆっくりと深呼吸する。 御者によってドアが開けられ、マルクが一番に出ていく。次にベンノ。わたしは最後にドアの前に立った。 貴族や富豪専用のようで、正面玄関の手前に広がる前庭には、様々な素材を生かした彫刻や緑と花の溢れる花壇があり、玄関口は礼拝室の正面の壁のように色とりどりのタイルで装飾されている。 わたしが今まで使っていた大通りから真っ直ぐの入り口は、徒歩の平民専用らしく、この入り口と比べるとまるで裏口だ。白黒の世界と色彩の世界にくっきりと分かれている。目に映る光景だけで、自分が知らない明確な格差があることを思い知らされた。 神の家と称される神殿の入り口から分けられ、それが知られることもない。予想外の格差を目の当たりにして、心臓がぎゅっと縮む。 「マイン、手を......」 ベンノに声をかけられて、わたしはハッとしながら、手を差し伸べる。落ちないようにと思って、足元を覗きこもうとした途端、グッと手を引っ張られて抱き上げられた。 ニコリと笑いながら、低い声で素早く囁かれて、わたしは冷や汗を掻く思いでニッコリと笑って頷いた。 ベンノが普段では考えられないくらい丁寧な動作でわたしを下ろすと、フランが足早にやってくるのが見えた。 「マイン様」 「ベンノ様、わたくしの側仕えです。フラン、神官長にお目通りできるかしら?」 ほんの少しだけ首を傾げて、フランを見上げると驚いたように目を見張っていたフランがスッと両手を胸の前で交差させた。 「準備は整っております」 「マイン様、旦那様からの贈り物はどなたに任せればよろしいでしょうか?」 マルクの言葉に内心びくっとしながら、振り返る。ゆっくりと辺りを見回してみたけれど、ギルとデリアの姿はない。運び手がいなくて困るべきか、いなければ余計な事はされないので安堵するべきか、悩む。 「フラン、貴方が信用できる方にお願いしてくださる?」 丸投げされたのに、フランは即座に頷いて、てきぱきと対応し始めた。不満そうな顔をすることもなければ、「しかし」と声を上げることもない。主の要求に応える優秀な側仕えの姿がそこにあった。 なんでいきなり態度が変わったんだろう? 午前中と今でわたしが変えたのは言葉遣いだけなのに......。 そこでハッとした。 フランにとっては貴族らしい言葉遣いが大事なことだったに違いない。 神官長しか見ていないフランの態度にわたしは苛立っていたが、それと同様に、フランは貴族らしさが欠片もないわたしに憤っていたのだろう。 フランが気持ちよく仕事をするためには、主であるわたしの努力が足りない。ルッツに言われた通り、本腰を入れて貴族としての言動を身に付けなければならないようだ。 フランは数人の灰色神官を呼ぶと、灰色神官が手分けして贈り物を持つように指示する。忘れ物なく贈り物を抱えたことを確認すると、「こちらへどうぞ」と先頭に立って歩き始めた。嫌々という雰囲気が漂っていた午前と違って、今は水を得た魚のように生き生きとしている。 ベンノに視線で促され、わたしがフランについて歩き始めると、打ち合わせでもしていたように、ベンノの言葉通りの順番で隊列ができあがった。 「君、少し速いようだが?」 フランが振り返って、目を瞬いた。 「マイン様は君の主だろう? 側仕えになったばかりであることは重々承知だが、歩く速さに少し気を付けなければ、そろそろ倒れる。差出口かもしれないが、もう少し気を配ってやってくれないか?」 「......申し訳ありません」 客人であるベンノに苦言を吐かせ、フランに恥をかかせてしまった。本来、主であるわたしが言わなければならないことだった。一瞬、謝罪の言葉が口をついて出そうになったけれど、ここでわたしがフランに謝るのは貴族として失格だ。 「ベンノ様、お気遣い恐れ入ります。フランは神官長に信頼されている優秀な神官ですから、すぐに覚えるでしょう。御心配には及びませんわ」 「では、今日のところは扱いに慣れているマルクに運ばせよう。いつかのようにいきなり意識を失われては困る」 ここまで来て、廊下でぶっ倒れるようなヘマはするな、とベンノの顔に書いてある。 うひーっ!? お姫様抱っこ!? いつもと違う抱き方に叫びそうになった口を慌てて押さえた。優雅、優雅と自分に言い聞かせて、優雅らしい笑みを浮かべてみる。 「フラン、案内をお願い」 すぐそこに見えている神官長の部屋の前までの距離なのに、フランは何度か振り返り、わたしの速度に気をかけながら足を進めてくれる。「大丈夫だよ」という意味を込めて、わたしが笑って頷くと、フランは明らかにホッとした表情になった。 神殿長の部屋と違って、神官長の部屋の前に立つ神官はいない。誰もいない扉の前でフランが帯の内から小さなベルを取り出して、鳴らした。いつもは声をかけて、応答があった後で灰色神官が開けている扉が、小さなベル一つで開いていく。 そっと他の人を見回すと、全員が待機態勢だった。完全に扉が開くまで、動いてはいけないらしい。足を元の位置に戻して、何事もなかったかのように澄ました顔で、わたしも扉が開くのを待った。 部屋の中に入り、応接用のテーブルの前でフランが立ち止まる。わたしがそれを見て止まると、ベンノとマルクも止まり、贈り物部隊は壁際に整列した。 スッと一歩ベンノが前に出て、わたしが誓いの儀式をした時のように、左の膝を立てて跪き、軽く首を垂れる。 「火の神 ライデンシャフトの威光輝く良き日、神々のお導きによる出会いに、祝福を賜らんことを。......お初にお目にかかります、神官長。ギルベルタ商会のベンノ、マイン様のご紹介により、この場に参上いたしました。以後、お見知り置きを」 自分が実際に挨拶する側になる事を考えて、さぁっと血の気が引いていく。聖典を覚えることが仕事だと言った神官長の言葉が身に染みる。貴族のやり取りを覚えるのは、かなり大変そうだ。 「心よりの祝福を与えよう。火の神 ライデンシャフトの導きがギルベルタ商会にもたらされんことを」 そう言いながら、神官長は左手で自分の心臓の辺りを押さえ、右手を斜め前、ベンノの頭の少し上に指を揃えて伸ばした。ぽわりと神官長の手の平から青い光が出て、ベンノのミルクティーのような淡い色の髪が青く染まる。光はすぐに消えたけれど、ベンノに祝福が与えられたのが誰の目にも明らかだった。 あの青い光は魔力だろうか。わたしが感情的になって魔力を押しだすと、威圧にしかならないけれど、使い方を覚えたら、あんな祝福ができるんだろうか。むしろ、巫女見習いとして、できるようにならないといけないんだろうか。 脳内のやることリストがどんどん増えていく。「本を読むより先にやれ」と言っていたルッツの言葉がチクチク刺さる。 フランの声にハッと我に返ると、神官長が応接用のテーブルにすでに着いていた。ここでの身分を考えると、わたしが動かないと他の人が動けないに違いない。 体格が4~5歳のわたしは、椅子に座る時、基本的によじ登らないと座れない。普段はそれで問題なかったけれど、さすがに今日はまずい。 思わぬピンチ! 椅子が高すぎて優雅に座れないっ! お嬢様はこんな時どうすればいい!? 困ったわ、のポーズはここでも通用する!? 椅子を見つめて途方に暮れていたわたしは、通じるか通じないかわからなかったけれど、右手の指先を揃えて頬に当て、左手は腕を組んだ時のように右手の肘に添え、フランを見上げると、少し首を傾げた。 そして、そのまま3秒待機。 フランがわたしの脇に手を入れて、椅子に座らせてくれた。 おおぉぉ! 通じた!? ガタンと椅子の位置を調節してくれるフランにニッコリと笑うと、苦笑に近いような笑みが微かにフランの口元に浮かんだ。 わたしが視線をフランからテーブルに戻した時には、ベンノはすでにわたしの隣に座っていて、神官長の後ろにアルノー、ベンノの後ろにマルクが控えて立っているのが目に入った。わたしの後ろにはフランが立っているに違いない。贈り物を持った神官は壁際に並んだままだ。 箱の中には、きちんと小金貨が5枚入っていた。初めて見る小金貨だ。キラキラの輝きをまじまじと見つめた後、言われていた通りに、わたしはベンノに労いの言葉をかける。 「ベンノ様、わたくしの願いを快く聞き入れ、ご足労頂きましたこと、心より嬉しく存じます」 ベンノが蓋を開けたまま、テーブルの上に置き、神官長に差し出す。 「神官長、こちらがマイン様からの寄付金でございます。どうぞお納めください」 「......ふむ、確かに受け取った。マイン、それから、ベンノ。大儀であった」 神官長は箱の中を軽く確認した後、蓋を閉じてアルノーに渡す。アルノーがそれをどこかに持っていった。おそらく保管場所があるのだろう。 「そして、こちらは御挨拶とお礼の品でございます」 ベンノの言葉に壁際の灰色神官が進み出て、テーブルの横に並んだ。マルクが1種類ずつテーブルの上に置いて行く。 置かれる品物を見ていた神官長が、くっと眉を寄せた。 「挨拶はわかるが、お礼とは? 君に礼を言われるようなことをした覚えはないが?」 「神官長の計らいにより、マイン工房の存続が決まったと伺っております故。心から感謝いたします」 ベンノが両手を胸の前で交差させ、軽く目を伏せると、神官長は「なるほど」と軽く頷いた。ベンノが並んだ品物を神官長に紹介していく。 「こちらは当店が取り扱う中でも最高級の品質を誇る布でございます。そして、こちらはリンシャン。現在、権利は全て私が買い取っておりますが、元々マイン工房で作られていた品物です。そして、こちらもまたマイン工房で発明され、新しく販売された植物紙でございます」 「ほぉ......」 神官長が一番興味を示したのは植物紙だった。手にとって手触りを確認している。 「こちらを神官長、それから、この場にはいらっしゃいませんが、神殿の最高位にいらっしゃる神殿長、そして、この出会いを授けてくださったマイン様のにお納めしたく存じます」 え? わたし!? 思わず目を見開いたが、声を上げるのは耐えきった。驚きをぐぐっと耐えるわたしに気付くことなく、二人はやり取りしている。 「これは素晴らしい品だな。感謝する」 「お気に召したようで、恐悦至極に存じます」 神官長の言葉に灰色神官が動き出す。マルクはテーブルの上の物を神官に渡したり、紙を布で包み直したりと動き始めた。 ハァ、終わった。 寄付金を渡して、贈り物を受け取ってもらえたので、本日の任務は無事終了だ。ホッと小さく息を吐いた瞬間、テーブルの下でベンノの手が素早く動いて、わたしを軽く叩いた。 ベンノを見て首を傾げると、ベンノは呆れた目をした作り笑顔という器用な真似をして、視線を下げていく。なるべく俯かないように気を付けて、わたしも視線を下げていくと、ベンノの指先に小さな紙が挟まれているのが見えた。 授業中によくこういうことをしている子がいたなぁ、と懐かしくなりながら、そっと手を伸ばして紙片を受け取る。女の子とは交換したことがあるけれど、男の子とはなかった。 テーブルの下に隠すようにして目を通すと「気を抜くな、阿呆」と書かれていた。 わたしのドキドキを返せ! わたしが小さく息呑んで姿勢を正すと、神官長がスッと手を横に振った。それを見た灰色神官が両手を交差させて、軽く腰を落として神官長に礼をすると、次々と部屋を出ていく。 「この機会にベンノから聞いておきたいことが、数点ある」 神官長の顔が引き締まり、嘘や誤魔化しを許さない鋭い目でベンノを見つめる。それと同時に隣のベンノの雰囲気も明らかに先程より堅くなった。 わたしもグッと背筋を伸ばし、「気を抜くな、阿呆」と書かれたベンノの注意事項を握りしめた。

Prologue My name is Urano Motosu, and I am twenty-two years old. I love books. I really love books. I love books more than I love getting enough food. I love how the printed words let me reach out and touch another person’s ideas, their fantasies. My heart dances along the roads of thought laid down by the author, and I can’t help but smile. Absorbing the vast knowledge contained within just a single volume always leaves me feeling like I’ve grown as a person. The whole wide world, which I have never seen with my own eyes, is at my fingertips, stacked neatly within the shelves of bookstores and libraries; isn’t it intoxicating? The fairy tales of foreign lands, the glimpses of life in distant times and places, the reaches of every branch of history... when I absorb myself in a book, time evaporates around me. Psychology, religion, history, geography, education, folklore, mathematics, physics, geology, chemistry, biology, art, fitness, language, fiction... All of humanity’s acc.u.mulated knowledge and insight has been tightly packed into these books, and I love each of them from the bottom of my heart. Encyclopedias, stretching to fill the entire shelf; the collection of literature, with every volume in place; specialty magazines that look so simple on the cover, but hold such advanced contents; colorful periodicals full of photographs; countless novels, written with fastidious prose; light novels, lacking any depth but still selling fantastically; huge picture books, intended for children; manga, the comics that are the pride of j.a.pan; comics and magazines published by and for fans... the rustling of each turning page is more intoxicating than the finest wine. I also love the smell of the darkest corners of the library archives, where the dusty, even a little musty scent of ancient books fills the air. Just slowly breathing in the smell of old books sends waves of ecstasy cras.h.i.+ng through my body. The smell of new books is equally irresistible! The smell of fresh ink on new paper tells me that there is something new waiting to be discovered between those pages, and just thinking about it fills me with excitement. I want to live my entire life surrounded by books. If I can, I want to spend the rest of my life in a dark, but well-ventilated archive, where the books are s.h.i.+elded from the sun’s damaging rays. I’d spend every second I could reading, inseparable from my books, until my skin became ghostly pale, my body weakened from lack of exercise, and I forgot so many meals that I had to be pulled away by force. I want to die buried in books. I don’t want to quietly pa.s.s on in bed! Being smothered to death by a mountain of books would make me so unbelievably happy. ...Well, I should use the past tense here. Because, just a little while ago...! There was a big earthquake, and I was crushed to death underneath a pile of books! Maaan, really, out of all my wishes to grant, why this? I really did want this, but I’m not really feeling like G.o.d did me any favors here. I had just gotten my librarian certificate, and had somehow managed, in this age of unemployment, to find a position at a university library! G.o.d, please. If I can, I’d like to be reborn. There’s still so much more for me to read. Even in my next life, I want to read. So, make me a librarian. Let me spend each day surrounded by books. Of course, I know that working as a librarian won’t let me read all the time. It’s a job, and I’ll be busy, and I know that. But still, other jobs won’t let me spend the entire day surrounded by books. Just being surrounded by books will make my happy. The intoxicating smell of ink and paper... who else could appreciate these feelings? Who else can feel this fluttering of my heart that occurs whenever I find myself looking back at all of this ama.s.sed history, these words written to preserve the insights of man, a uniquely human labor of the mind that is as old as writing itself? If I can just read, that would be fine. Please, G.o.d. If you’ve heard my wish, please let me be reborn. When I am, I can read again.

わたしは本が好きだ。大好きだ。 様々な知識にまとめられている本を読むと、とても得をした気分になれるし、自分がこの目で見たことがない世界を、本屋や図書館に並ぶ写真集を通して見るのも、世界が広がっていくようで陶酔できると思わない? 心理学、宗教、歴史、地理、教育学、民俗学、数学、物理、地学、化学、生物学、芸術、体育、言語、物語......人類の積もり積もった知識がぎっちり詰め込まれた本を心の底から愛している。 ぶ厚く連なる百科事典も、 一見簡素に見える表紙でも内容は高度な専門誌も、 それから、図書館の古い本が集められた書庫の古い本独特の少々黴臭い匂いや埃っぽい匂いが好き。ゆっくりと吸い込み、そこに年を経た本があるだけで絶頂を迎えられそうなほど身悶える。 本を読むことにできる限りの時間を費やすことで、肌が青白くて薄気味悪いと言われようと、運動不足で不健康と言われようと、食事を忘れて叱られようと本を手放すことなんてできない。 ――いえ、正確には、思っていた。 ついさっき、大地震で本に埋もれて死にました! 本望だったけれど、神様ありがとうと素直に思えないのは、司書資格を取って、就職難のこの時代に大学図書館への就職が決まったばかりだったから。 次の生でも、本が読みたい。 でも、他の仕事より、本に囲まれている時間は圧倒的に長いじゃない。本に囲まれているだけで、幸せだもの。 さぁ、神様。わたしの願いがわかったら、とっとと転生させてください。

This is the season where it’s absurdly difficult to get out of bed in the morning. While I hide under the sheets, grumbling about how cold it is, my father, who’s already almost done getting ready for work, calls out to me. “Maine, are you feeling alright today?” “Hmm? No worse than usual? What’s up, Daddy?” I wonder if he saw me squirming around under the covers and guessed that I’d come down with something? I abruptly hop out of bed, earning a worried frown from my father. The gates open at the second bell, so when it draws near, I wave goodbye to my father as he heads off to work. Then, quickly, I change my clothes, right there on top of the bed. “Mommy, Tory. I’m gonna go to the gate today.” “Oh yeah,” says Tory. “There’s not that much stuff left in the forest to gather anymore. Mom, it’s better for Maine to stop going to the forest now, right?” “You’re absolutely right,” replies my mother. “If she gets a fever and faints again she’d be in big trouble, so it’s for the best that she doesn’t go to the forest with just the other kids anymore.” Lately, the weather has gotten very chilly, and the season where it’s easiest to catch a cold has come around. Lately, there are more and more days where even I can recognize that my physical condition isn’t particularly good. If I keep pus.h.i.+ng hard, I’ll only be a burden to everyone around me, so I should take care of myself and stay out of the forest. “Hey, Maine!” calls Lutz as I head down the stairs carrying only my tote bag. “You going to the gate today?” In order to make sure I don’t catch a cold, I’ve been dressed in a ton of layers of clothing. Unlike me, the other children look comparatively nimble, since being bundled up like I am makes it rather difficult to move. There isn’t very much time left before the snow starts to fall, so today’s the last spurt of activity towards gathering firewood. I walk along with the other children as they head towards the gates. Lately, I’ve been able to walk fast enough that I don’t get separated from the rest of the children anymore. Every time I try to push a little harder, though, Lutz shoots me down with a stern warning. “Right, so we’ll stop by here on our way back, so wait here, okay?” “Okay! Good luck with your gathering, Lutz!” I wave farewell from the gates as the others continue on towards the forest. I don’t see my father anywhere, but I find one of the younger gatekeepers I’ve made acquaintances with and have him let me into the night duty room. “Mister Otto, are you here? It’s Maine!” As I open the door and step inside, I see that the shelves along the walls are packed full of thin wooden boards for the budget estimations. “Hey, Maine! Thanks for coming out.” “h.e.l.lo, Mister Otto, it’s been a while.” After we exchange crisp salutes, he ushers me to the chair closest to the fire. It’s a little on the tall side, so I have to halfway climb up onto it, but once I’m settled, I pull my slate and slate pencils out of my bag. “How often do you think you’ll be able to make it out here this winter?” he asks. “Ummm, I talked it over with my father, but we decided that I could come on days when I’m feeling well, the snow isn’t too bad to walk in, and my father is working either the morning or day s.h.i.+ft.” First of all, there aren’t very many days during the winter where I’m feeling very well. Since I’m at least a little bit stronger this year than last, I really hope that the number of times I catch a cold and wind up stuck in bed are both rare and brief, but I have no way to really predict how often it will actually be. Next is the weather. There aren’t very many days during the winter where there isn’t a snowstorm, either. On sparklingly clear days, there’s nothing to worry about. My father says there’s nothing to worry about on days when the snowfall is light, but once it actually starts drifting from the sky I think he’ll stop me. And, finally, my father will be on the night s.h.i.+ft for basically a third of the winter in total. “Most likely,” I continue, “I’ll barely need two hands to count the number of days I’ll be able to come out here, I think.” “...Well, I’d guessed as much, but really, you only helped me out for one day last year and it was still a huge help, so I’ve really got my hopes up for this year, too. I’ll be very glad for your help no matter how often you can come.” “Thanks!” It’s a good thing that I’ll be able to earn a bunch of slate pencils by just doing calculation work. Since this year I’ll be helping with Lutz’s education, we’ll need a lot more slate pencils than I did last year, so I plan on working as hard as I can. “Ah! When I’m working on the estimations, you’ll be providing the slate pencils I’m using, not me, right?” “Heh... hahaha! Well, aren’t you thinking like a merchant now? Of course the slate pencils are part of the cost. Don’t worry about it, just calculate.” After I suddenly remembered the question I needed to ask, Otto’s eyes went round for a moment before he burst into laughter. I may be getting laughed at, but at least now I can do my work without any doubts. I roll up my sleeves a little so that I won’t accidentally rub out any numbers, then pick up my slate pencil. “All set,” I say. “Right, here’s today’s work.” Otto brings over an enormous pile of wooden boards and drops them on the table with a clatter. These are the tallies of the furnis.h.i.+ngs and equipment used by the higher-ups at their duty station. It seems like Otto is in charge of doing the accounting for this entire post. Hanging his head, he tells me that he’d brought this on himself by pointing out a mistake in one of his superiors’ calculations. I start working on totaling up the sums, triple-checking my work to make sure that I don’t make any mistakes, either. “Otto, you here?! Come out, it’s an emergency!” A soldier bursts into the room, looking frantic. Otto quickly jots a line down on his sheet to mark his place, then dashes out of the room, telling me over his shoulder not to let anyone touch his calculator. It seems that, for some reason, the entire guard contingent at the gate has been called to action. From the corridor on the other side of the door, I can hear the rush of countless footsteps, amplified to a roar by echoes off the stone pavement. In this enormous commotion, there’s n.o.body outside that I could ask what’s happening right now. I’ve been to the gate countless times to help out, but this is the first time I’ve seen it be this ridiculously noisy. Left all by myself in this room, I feel thick, cold anxiety slowly oozing into my heart. Is it... okay, for me to be here? I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. As I look around the empty room I’ve been left alone in, I suddenly feel the lurch of vertigo. My fever, refusing to overlook even the tiniest lapse in my concentration, suddenly thrashes about within me, as if it’s pointing out the weakness in my heart. Recalling my life’s irritations, I send my will through my body, forcing the fever back into the depths of my heart, imagining s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g a lid shut on it so tightly that it cannot escape. “...Whoof, I’m tired.” After struggling so hard against the devouring, my anxiety about what’s happening outside has dramatically decreased. I sit back down to resume my calculations, but Otto immediately comes back into the room. He quickly finishes up the calculations he’d finished thus far, and starts tidying up his share of the paperwork. “It looks like a bunch of tronbay has appeared in the forest. The kids came running for help, so more than half of the gate guard headed out to deal with it. I’ve got to go stand by the gate, but, Maine, can you stay here and keep working? Also, if any letters of introduction show up, I’ll direct them here, so please take care of them for me.” “Right, understood.” With the cause of the disturbance identified, I feel a little bit better, and I get back to tackling the remaining work. Now that I think about it, Lutz had mentioned that tronbay started coming around in the fall. I wonder, maybe we can get some tronbay for ourselves. Hm? Although, it looks like the soldiers will be partic.i.p.ating as well, so maybe it’s grown too much by now, to the point that we won’t be able to use it for paper? I wonder... Last time, it was possible for the children to cut it down by themselves, so I turn back to my calculations, thinking that it’s not something anybody should be quite so worried about. After a while, though, I once again hear the clamor of people talking though the closed door. “Maine,” says Otto, “Lutz has come back. He says he has something he wants to discuss with you and would like for you to return home with him. What do you think?” “If he cut down any tronbay, I think that’s what he’ll want to talk with me about, so I’ll go home. I’ve finished the calculations from here to here.” “Thanks, Maine, you’re a great help.” By the gate, I can see soldiers and children alike milling about, seeming to have just returned from the forest and carrying bundles of raw tronbay. As I scan the crowd, looking for Lutz, my father rushes up to me, a chunk of wood as big as I am hoisted up on his shoulder. “Maine! Look at the size of this tronbay that your daddy cut down!” “Whooa, that’s big! Is that gonna be firewood?” “No, tronbay doesn’t burn very easily, so we won’t do that. I’m going to make furniture out of it instead. When there’s big house fires, things made of tronbay sometimes don’t burn up, so it’s used for making things you put your valuables in.” “...Huh, I didn’t know that. That’s really cool!” As expected of such a mysterious plant. To not burn up, even in a huge fire... that’s not even wood, anymore! As I let out an astonished breath at this new surprise, I notice Lutz standing behind my father, beckoning me closer. “What’s up, Lutz?” I ask. “Heh, Lutz,” says my father, looking down at the basket on Lutz’s back, “were those skinny sticks all you could manage to cut down?” He puffs out his chest pridefully, like he’s just won a compet.i.tion. I’d really like him to stop competing against children. It’s embarra.s.sing. I let out a long, exasperated sigh, but I can see a lot of the other soldiers and children nearby comparing the size of the trees and branches they cut down, since it’s so difficult to cut down once it matures. “There’s not really any use for thin branches like that,” says one. Since tronbay hard to burn, you can’t use sticks like that as firewood, and such young, soft wood couldn’t hold back the heat of a blaze, so it can’t be used as furniture, either. “These sticks are uuuuseless!” says another child. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him angrily chuck the pile of slender branches he was caring to the ground with a clatter. Even if that child doesn’t need them, they’re perfect materials for making high-grade paper. It would be an enormous waste to throw away such slender, soft wood. “You really don’t need them?” I ask. “...N... no!” Suddenly noticing how many people were staring at him, the boy runs off, shouting at me over his shoulder. As I gather up the pile of sticks he discarded, other children come up to me, offering me similarly slender tronbay cuttings out of their own baskets. “Hey, take these too. All I’d get if I brought these home is my dad mad at me.” “I’ll give these to you. I don’t need them.” Shortly, a huge quant.i.ty of sticks has been piled up around me. “Lutz, I’ve... got a lot of wood here.” “...Yep.” Lutz and I set to neatly organizing the pile of branches into neat stacks, then cramming Lutz’s basket as full as it can get. My father, dumbfounded by this turn of events, looks back and forth between me, Lutz, and the overstuffed basket, a troubled scowl on his face. “...Hey, Maine. What are you going to do with all that?” “We use young, soft wood to use, so this is good. Lutz, let’s go?” I turn my back on my father and walk away. Lutz follows, scratching his head, looking a little troubled himself. “When I was cutting the tronbay down, I was thinking we could use it as raw materials too, but... we have to actually use it within like five to seven days, right, otherwise it doesn’t work?” “Yeah, that’s right, what’s wrong?” “...What do we do now? I really don’t want to go stand in the river during this season, and we don’t have enough extra firewood to steam this stuff for over a bell... do we give up?” I’m well aware that in this season, even if you were to go to the forest, you wouldn’t find very much in the way of firewood, but I’m also certain that if we let all this tronbay go to waste for such a reason, Benno would be so indignant that his eyes might pop out of his skull. “...I understand what you’re saying, but maybe we should go talk to Mister Benno first?” “Yeah, I guess he’d get real mad if we just threw it away on our own.” He lets out a long sigh. “Man... I reeeally don’t want to go stand in the river when it’s this cold out.” We plod our way towards Benno’s shop, but, as one might expect, the watchman outside tells Lutz that he can’t let him in looking like he just came back from gathering sticks in the forest, so he’ll have to stay outside. At the watchman’s call, Mark comes out from within the store and escorts me inside. A customer is just leaving Benno’s office when I enter the store. As we pa.s.s each other, he looks down at me, notes my mismatched appearance, and snorts disdainfully. I really should order those clothes sooner rather than later. I don’t want to lessen the dignity of Benno’s shop just by being here. I need to keep saving as much money as I can. Benno looks mildly surprised when I’m shown into his office. “What is it? We didn’t have a meeting scheduled today, right?” “We didn’t have anything schedule, no, but I needed to talk to you... to be frank, tronbay showed up in the forest today.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, Benno stands up so suddenly that his chair clunks behind him. He leans forward excitedly across his desk. “Did you say tronbay?! Did you cut it down?!” “Yes, sir, we were able to get quite a lot of it. It’s just, well...” “What is it?” “Making it into paper is... hard.” “Why?” He frowns dubiously at me, not seeming to understand. I open my mouth to reply, guessing that he’s absolutely about to get angry. “Ummm, well, we, we need to steam the wood for a bell’s worth of time, which we don’t have enough firewood for, and then we...” “You imbecile!” I was about to say that we couldn’t soak it in the river like we need to, but before I could finish listing all of our reasons, Benno impatiently cut me off, yelling in a voice like the crash of thunder. “You can buy firewood literally any time of the year! You can’t possibly have thought of comparing it to tronbay, which is exceedingly rare! And don’t even try to tell me that you can’t do that cost/benefit math!” “...That’s what I thought you were going to say. Since I’d like to buy firewood, may I ask Mister Mark to take me to the lumberyard?” Since there is no way that anyone could possibly mistake me for a child who has already had her baptism, if I were to walk up to a store and ask for some firewood they’d probably just look at me suspiciously and shoo me away. “...Where’s Lutz?” “Waiting outside, sir. We came here immediately after he returned from the forest, so he’s not really presentable enough to enter the shop...” As I speak, Benno rings the small bell on his desk, summoning Mark. “Mark, please go ask Lutz if Maine is okay to walk to the lumberyard today.” “Maine, write up your order form here,” he says, tapping on the desk. I shake my head. “Ummm, since all I had planned to do today was go to the gate, I don’t have any of my ordering forms with me.” “...I have some here.” Benno produces a thin wooden board and some ink, and I start writing out my order there on the spot. “Mister Benno, I just want enough firewood to burn for one bell’s worth of time; what should I write?” “Just write it like that. I’ll probably be able to sell off any surplus.”“Yes, sir,” I reply. As I write, Mark returns with Lutz’s answers. “It seems that it would be better for Maine to not do any more walking than she has already. When you’ve finished writing up the order, he and I will head for the lumberyard ourselves.” After I hand him the finished order form and see him off, Benno hands me a stack of several wooden sheets. “Read these when you have some time.” “Gladly!” On these wooden sheets is more knowledge that could be called common knowledge for merchants: information about how contracts work. I hum happily to myself, overjoyed to be reading, but as I continue to skim, questions start steadily popping up inside my head. “Mister Benno, will this firewood purchase be treated as part of the initial investment?” “......” Benno soundlessly turns to fix his gaze directly on me, giving no answer. “Also, I’ve been thinking that this was kind of strange, but the other day when we delivered the prototype you said that that was the end of what you’d call initial investment, right? But, unless I’m mistaken, didn’t the magical contract state that it would last until our baptismal ceremonies? Are you not planning on covering the cost of the larger paper frame as part of the initial investment?” If I had to think about why Benno would specifically have me read about contracts, the only thing that comes to mind is the subject of our contract magic. “...Tch, you noticed?” “Why would you try to cheat me?!” “I wasn’t really trying to cheat you. That was a test, to see whether or not you two could remember the contents of a contract you’ve signed. I wanted to see how you’d respond if you caught your partner in violation of the contract. Since you hadn’t said anything, I was wondering if you’d forgotten.” He snorts dismissively, drumming his fingers on the top of his desk as he stares fixedly at me. After a brief moment of speechlessness, I lock eyes with him seriously. “When you said that the initial investments were finished after we’d completed our prototypes, I though to myself, ‘oh, I guess that’s what it was’. I never thought that you would try to cheat us, Mister Benno, and since the contract magic burned up the original written copy I had no way to check the terms for myself.” “If the original contract got burned,” he replies, shrugging, “then you should have either written down a copy elsewhere or completely memorized it. You’re too naive.” “...I’ll keep that in mind, sir.” He’s not at all wrong. If you don’t get a copy of a contract, then it’s your job to either copy it down somewhere yourself or commit it to memory. I was just foolishly leaning on the fact that I was told the penalties for breaking a magical contract were severe. “Now that you’ve pointed that out, then, yeah, I’ll pay for the rest of the initial purchase.” “You say you’ll pay for it now, but don’t we have a contract that says you needed to pay for it anyway? Wouldn’t that have been a breach of contract?” I frown at him, lips pursed tightly together. Benno, however, smiles triumphantly, looking at me with a face full of joy. “If I’d said that I wouldn’t, that would have been a violation. This one was your fault for not doing more research. If you asked me for something, I’d pay for it and, since I paid, there wouldn’t be a violation. If you’re going to be a merchant, you have to remember these things.” “...Urgh...”His smirk grows only smugger when he sees how vexed I am. “If you’d read through all that information on contracts and still hadn’t noticed, I was planning on taking advantage of it even harder,” he laughs. Since Benno so kindly gave me a hint so that I’d realize what was happening, I’m going to be optimistic about this and look at it as him trying to give me valuable training towards being a merchant... but vexing things are still so vexing. Determined not to be fooled again, I go over the sheets again, paying much closer attention this time. When I’m in the middle, though, Benno suddenly stops working and calls out to me. “Ah, that’s right. Maine, can you accelerate the schedule on your winter handiwork?” “My family’s already done with preparing for the winter, more-or-less, so I think that it might be possible, if we needed to?” The amount of time it takes for my family to complete our winter preparations is largely determined by my father’s work schedule. Although every soldier at the gate needs to prepare for the winter, there’s no way that they can all simultaneously take leave of their posts to go do so, so they take turns taking days off in order to spread the workload. Last year, my father’s days off were very late in the season, so we were only just barely able to get things finished in time for the first snowfall, but this year we’ve finished with comparatively plenty of time to spare. “Do you think you could make about, say, ten or twenty hairpins of different colors? The guild master’s granddaughter has been bragging about hers, so I’ve had a lot of enquiries about them. ...Including several that I can not turn down.” “I thought Frieda wanted to stand out by having the only one at the winter baptismal ceremony? Wouldn’t doing this make hers less special?” Benno’s eyes falter, just the tiniest bit. “...Hers are going to be the only ones that match her perfectly. The rest of them are going to be off the shelf, so that’ll make hers just stand out even more. There’s no problem.” “If there’s no problem, then that’s fine with me, but if you need these to be finished in a hurry, are you willing to pay for expedited service?” He seems momentarily dumbfounded that I just demanded extra money from him. I smile sweetly back. “Whenever and wherever you can take money, take it, it’s something to be taken,” I recite. “Right? I’m studying under you, Mister Benno, trying to be a merchant like you are.” I chuckle to myself as Benno makes an unreasonably disgusted expression, his entire face pulling taut. “Ten medium copper coins per hairpin. That’s double what it was before, so there’s no problems there, right?” “That simply won’t do. I must ask for either eleven or thirteen medium copper coins, if you would. I must consider the share of the profit that Lutz and I have previously agreed on with respect to the differences between the flower and the pin portions. If I don’t, it would be very inconvenient for me.” We had previously told our families that the flower portions were worth two coins and the pins were worth one. Since Lutz and I are to split the remaining coin evenly, having an odd number of coins left to split would be, honestly, a bother. “Can’t be helped. Eleven it is. You’re getting good at this,” he says, ruefully. “I am quite humbly delighted to be praised for such a small thing, sir.” “...Really, where did you learn to talk like that?” he murmurs, halfway between amazed and amused, and shrugs his shoulders. “Ah, also,” I say, “I’d like one coin per hairpin I have to make right now. I’d prefer if this was prepayment, but if you need to take it out of my savings, that would be fine, too...” “Alright, I don’t mind paying you in advance, but what’s this for?” “To weave a spell of urgency,” I reply. If I need to make ten of these before the snow starts to fall, then I need to enlist the cooperation of Tory and my mother and, in order to do that, I need to give them some motivation. My mother, in particular, has been doing winter handiwork for many years now, and knows just how large the payment I’m promising for each of these is, compared to other things she’s done. So, she has some doubts, somewhere: either we’re being deceived somehow, or even if we do make these we won’t get paid. If I can actually give them money for each of these they make, money that they can use right now for additional provisions, then not only can I earn their trust, but I can also boost their motivation as well. A knock comes at the door, and Mark reenters the room. “I’ve returned,” he says. “The firewood you ordered will arrive here by the time the gates close. Someone from the shop will deliver it to you tomorrow morning.” “Now then, it’s very cold outside, so please take care.” After Mark ushers me out of the shop, I see Lutz standing to the side, the basket on his back conspicuously empty. It seems that on the way to the lumberyard they stopped by the warehouse so that he could deposit the tronbay there. Ah, of course, no wonder that he wouldn’t have wanted to bring me along. We walk slowly home, through streets that rapidly darken as the sun grows dim behind the horizon. It really is cold, so I want to hurry home as quickly as possible, but if I run as fast as my instincts tell me, it’s absolutely certain that I’ll get sick again. As we plod onwards, I discuss with Lutz the plan for accelerating the schedule on our winter handiwork, telling him about how I secured an expedited delivery fee and my plans for getting my family to help so we can make it on time. Lutz nods once, then scrunches his eyebrows in concern. “So, I’m not worried so much about what’s going to happen if I can’t get my family to help and I have to do everything by myself. It’s the tronbay I’m worried about.” “The tronbay?” I tilt my head to the side concernedly. Lutz lets out a huge sigh, his shoulders drooping. “...Hey, Maine. You’ve been told you can’t go to the forest anymore, so is there actually any way we can still prepare the tronbay? Am I really going to have to do it all by myself?” “This time I think we can do it all in front of the warehouse, so I can help you there. Although, we’d have to be outside for at least a bell, so I don’t know what my family would say about that...” There’s no way I can actually leave the town’s gates, but if we’re talking about doing something like going to Benno’s shop, the trip itself isn’t particularly difficult. The exposure to the cold, however, is the difficult part. If I’m outside for a long period of time, the chances of me getting sick are strikingly high. “The warehouse... you mean we don’t have to go to the river?!” His eyes have gone very round with shock. However, even if you think about it, asking him to carry the pot, the steamer, and the firewood to the forest all by himself would be completely unreasonable. “Before, we were getting both our raw materials and the firewood out in the forest, so it was more efficient for us to do our work out there too, but this time, we already have the tronbay and the firewood here in the workshop, right? We don’t specifically need to go out to the forest for this, so we’d be overdoing it if we dragged everything all the way out there.” “Ah, really? I was going to have to lug all of that stuff...” It seems like he was so worried about the fact that he was going to have to work alone that he hadn’t even thought about the sheer quant.i.ty of stuff he was going to have to carry out to the forest. “We won’t have river water to immediately dunk the wood into after it’s steamed, but the reason we do that is so that we can expose it to cold water in order to make it easier to peel the bark off. The water in the well should be more than cold enough this time of year. We’ll need to draw water from the well several times in order to make sure that the water we’re soaking the wood in doesn’t get lukewarm, but that’s way easier than going to the forest, right?” However, Lutz’s face grows even more gloomy. There’s no way I could have allayed all his concerns in at once. “That’s... easier, but... what about after that? How are we going to preserve the bark?” “If we could get all the way to preserving the white bark, that would be great, but it’s not like it’s impossible to preserve the black bark either. It might make stripping it off a little more difficult later, but in this weather me going to the forest is dangerous, and you even thinking about going into the river is suicidal, so let’s stop there.” “Alright!” With the final cause of his worries dispelled, Lutz looks ahead, face s.h.i.+ning. He broadens his gait just a little bit as we walk, constantly repeating things like “oh man, I’m so happy, this is a huge relief”. When we get home, I’m going to need to ask Tory and my mother for help with the handiwork... and then we’re steaming the wood tomorrow, huh...? As I continue to plan out what I need to do after this, my thoughts begin to drift gradually off course, perhaps because I’m really hungry. ...And now that we have a steamer, I really want to eat some piping hot steamed sweet potato, ooh, or some fluffy b.u.t.tery mashed potatoes. We don’t have any sweet potato equivalent, but I’m pretty sure I can get a tuber around here that’s enough like a potato. I’ll get the potatoes, and Lutz can get the b.u.t.ter, so tomorrow we can have mashed potatoes, right? Aaah, that’ll be so good! Mashed potatoes are great for warming up both your body and your soul. Yep, that’s settled. At some point, while I’m lost in my imagination, we arrive at the water well in front of our houses. Lutz stops walking and turns to look at me. “Maine, I’ll go get the warehouse key from the shop, and then when the firewood arrives I’ll come and get you. Wait at home until then, okay?” “Got it. Remember to get the b.u.t.ter, too!” I give him a huge wave, then disappear into my building. As I climb the stairs, I can hear Lutz’s stunned voice echo in through the windows. “Eh? What?! b.u.t.ter?! What b.u.t.ter?! What do we need b.u.t.ter for?!” Huh? Did I not tell him? Oops.

朝起きて、布団から出るのが厳しい季節です。布団の中で、寒いなぁ、とうごうごしていたら、朝勤務の父がほとんど仕事の準備を終えた状態で声をかけてきた。 「マイン、今日の体調はどうだ?」 「ん~? いつも通りだけど? どうしたの、父さん?」 もしかしたら、ベッドでもぞもぞしていたから、体調が悪いと勘違いされてしまったのだろうか。わたしがむくりと起き上がると、父は心配そうに眉を寄せる。 開門の2の鐘に向けて出勤する父を見送って、わたしはベッドの上で手早く着替える。 「母さん、トゥーリ。わたし、今日は門に行くから」 「そうだね。そろそろ森で採れる物も少なくなってきたし、マインはもう森へ行くのは止めておいた方がいいんじゃない?」 「トゥーリの言う通りよ。マインが熱で倒れた方が大変だから、子供だけで行くことになる森は止めた方がいいわね」 最近は寒くなって、風邪を引きやすい季節になってきて、自分でも体調があまり良くないと感じる日が増えてきた。わたしが頑張ると、周囲が迷惑を被ることが多いので、森行きは自重することにしよう。 トートバッグだけを持ったわたしに、ルッツがそう声をかけてくる。 風邪を引かないようにたくさん着こまされたわたしと違って、他の子供達は比較的身軽な格好をしている。あまり着こむと動きにくくなるからだ。雪が降るまでの短い期間が、薪拾いのラストスパートになる。 森に向かう子供達に門に向かって歩き出す。最近やっと周囲の子供達にあまり離されることなく歩けるようになってきた。もうちょっと頑張ろうと思った瞬間、ルッツに釘を刺されることが多いけれど。 「じゃあ、帰りも寄るから、待ってろよ?」 「うん。ルッツは採集、頑張ってね」 父の姿が門に見えなかったけれど、すでに顔見知りになっている門番のおにいさんに敬礼して、宿直室に通してもらう。 「オットーさん、いらっしゃいますか? マインです」 ドアを開けて宿直室に入ると、壁際にある棚は、予算関係の木札ですでにいっぱいになっているのが見えた。 「やぁ、マインちゃん。よく来てくれたね」 「オットーさん、お久しぶりです」 ビシッと敬礼した後、暖炉に一番近い椅子を勧められる。少し高めの椅子に、よいしょっと半ばよじ登って座った後、バッグの中から石板と石筆を取り出した。 「冬の予定なんだけど、マインちゃんはどれくらい来られそう?」 「えーと、父さんと相談したんですけど、わたしの体調が良い日で、少なくとも吹雪ではない日で、父さんが朝番か昼番の時という結果になりました」 まず、冬は体調の良い日が少ない。去年よりは体力がついているはずだから、風邪を引く回数や寝込む日数が短くなることを祈っているが、どうなるか全く予測できない。 次に、天気だ。吹雪ではない日というのもそれほど多くはない。ピカピカに晴れなくてもいい。チラチラ雪が降るくらいなら構わないと父は言っていたが、実際雪が降ったら止められると思っている。 そして、父が夜勤の時が冬の間の一あるのだ。 「多分、門に来られるのは、春になるまでの間で両手を越えることはないと思います」 「......まぁ、そんな気はしていたけど、去年の冬に一日手伝ってもらっただけでも、かなり楽になったから、どうしても期待してしまうんだ。できるだけ来てくれると嬉しいよ」 計算するだけで、石筆が稼げるのだから良しとしよう。今年はルッツとの勉強に去年以上の石筆が必要だと思うので、頑張って稼ぐつもりだ。 「あ、予算仕事の時に使う石筆は自腹じゃなくて、経費ですよね?」 「ぶっ、はははは。ずいぶん商人らしい思考回路になってるじゃないか。仕事中に使う石筆は経費だよ。安心して計算してくれ」 笑われてしまったが、これで安心してお仕事ができる。袖で擦れて、文字が消えないように、少しだけ袖をまくって、石筆を構えた。 「準備できました」 「今日の仕事はこれだ」 オットーがどさどさと木札を持ってきた。お偉いさん達の部署で使った備品の集計だった。この部署の会計は全てオットーが担当しているらしい。下手にしてもらって、計算間違いを指摘する方が面倒の元だからと首を竦めて言った。 わたしも計算間違いをしないように、確かめ算をしながら、それを合計していく。 「オットー、いるか!? 至急門に立ってくれ!」 慌てた様子で一人の兵士が飛び込んできた。どこまで計算したかわかるように、木札にピッと線を入れ、計算機は誰にも触らせないように、と言い置いて、オットーが駆けだしていく。 何となく門全体が騒がしい。ドアの向こうの廊下を足音がたくさん行き交っていて、石畳で反響するせいで、その足音がやたら大きく聞こえてくる。 もう何度も門にお手伝いに来ているけれど、こんな風にざわついた雰囲気は初めてだ。一人宿直室に残されたこともあって、じわじわとした不安が心を占めてくる。 ここにいれば、大丈夫だよね? ほんの少しわたしの心が弱った瞬間を見逃さないように、身体の中の熱が暴れだそうとしている。奥の方から出てこようとする熱が、まるで自分の心の弱さを指摘しているようだ。 「......ハァ、疲れた」 わたしが計算の続きを始めると、じきにオットーが戻ってきた。切りの良いところまで計算を手早く終わらせて、自分の分の書類を片付け始める。 「森でトロンベが出たらしい。子供が応援を呼びに来たから、兵士が半数ほど飛び出していったんだ。俺は門のところで立たなければならないけど、マインちゃんはここで計算していてくれないか? あと、紹介状が来たら、こっちへ回すから、処理頼むね」 「はい、わかりました」 慌ただしかった理由がわかったことで、少し安心して計算に取り組めるようになった。 ん? でも、兵士が参戦するくらいだから、成長しすぎて、紙には使えなくなってるかな? どうだろう? 前は子供だけでも刈れたので、トロンベが出たと聞いてもそれほど心配することもなく、わたしが石板に数字を並べて計算していると、また、ガヤガヤとドアの向こうが騒がしくなってきた。 「マインちゃん、ルッツが帰って来たよ。相談があるから、一緒に帰りたいって言ってるけど、どうする?」 「トロンベを刈ったなら、その話だと思うので帰ります。ここからここまでは計算が終わってます」 「助かったよ。ありがとう」 兵士達と一緒にトロンベを刈った子供達も帰ってきたようで、トロンベの素材を抱えた兵士や子供達が門のところでうろうろしているのが見える。 「マイン! 見ろ、こんなに大きなトロンベを父さんが刈ったんだぞ!」 「うわぁ、大きいね。これ、薪になるの?」 「いや、トロンベはそう簡単に燃えないから、薪にはならん。家具にするんだ。火事が起こっても、燃えずに残っていることがあるから、貴重品を入れるのに使われるんだ」 「......へぇ、そうなんだ。すごいね」 火事でも燃えないなんて、それ、もう木じゃないから! あまりのビックリ加減に感嘆の息を吐いていると、ルッツが父の後ろから手招きしているのが見えた。 「どうしたの、ルッツ?」 「なんだ、ルッツはそんな細い木しか刈れなかったのか?」 わたしはハァ、と溜息を吐いたが、実際、トロンベは成長するほど切るのが難しくなるため、辺りにいる兵士や子供達の間でも、刈った木の太さや枝の大きさを比べあっているのが見えた。 「細い木は使い道がないからな」 燃えにくいため、薪にできないのに、若くて柔らかくて細い木は火事に耐えるだけの耐火性もないし、家具にできるような強度もない。 比較されて馬鹿にされたらしい子供の一人が癇癪を起して、トロンベの枝をべちっと投げ捨てたのが視界の隅に入った。 その子にはいらなくても、わたしにとっては良質の紙になる素材だ。細くて柔らかいトロンベを捨てるなんて、とんでもない。 「本当にいらない?」 「......い、いらねぇよっ!」 わたしが捨て置かれたトロンベを拾い上げると、同じように刈ったトロンベを籠から放り出す子供達が続出した。 「オレのもやるよ。こんなん、持って帰っても困るだけだ」 「わたしのもあげるわ。いらないもの」 かなりたくさんの枝がわたしの周囲に積み上がる。 「ルッツ、いっぱい手に入っちゃったよ」 「......だな」 ルッツと一緒に積み上げられたトロンベを拾い集めて、ルッツの籠にぎゅうぎゅうと詰め込んでいく。 「......おい、マイン。こんなもん、どうするんだ?」 「わたし達が使うのは若くて柔らかい木だから、これでいいの。ルッツ、行こう」 父に背を向けて歩き出すと、ルッツが困ったように頭を掻きながら口を開いた。 「オレも、つい、材料だって思って、トロンベを刈っちゃったんだけどさ。紙の素材って、採ってから5~7日くらいまでには処理しなきゃ使えなくなるんだよな?」 「うん、そうだよ?」 「......どうする? オレ、この時期に川なんて入りたくないし、鐘一つ分蒸すだけの余分な薪なんてないし、諦めるか?」 今の時期に森へ行っても、あまり薪がないのはわかっているけれど、それを理由にトロンベを無駄にしたら、ベンノが目の色を変えて激憤するに違いない。 「......言われることはわかりきってるけど、一応ベンノさんに相談してみる?」 「やっぱり、勝手に捨てたら、怒られるよな。ハァ......。こんなに寒いのに川なんか入れねぇぞ」 ぽてぽてと歩いてベンノの店へと向かったが、さすがに森から帰ったばかりの恰好のルッツを店に入れるわけにはいかないと番人に言われて、ルッツは店の外で待機することになった。 ベンノの店の品格を自分のせいで貶めるようなことはしたくない。そのためには、早くお金を貯めなければならないようだ。 奥の部屋に案内されると、ベンノが軽く目を見張った。 「どうした? 今日は会う予定はなかっただろう?」 「予定はなかったんですけど、相談があって......実は今日、森でトロンベが出たんです」 わたしの言葉にベンノがガタッと立ち上がって、身を乗り出してきた。 「トロンベだと!? それで、刈ったのか!?」 「はい、結構いっぱい素材は手に入りました。でも、ですね......」 「何だ?」 「紙にするの、難しいんです」 「何故だ?」 この後、絶対に怒られるんだろうな、と予測しながら、わたしは口を開いた。 「えーと、実は、その、鐘一つ分蒸すだけの薪がなくて、川......」 「馬鹿者!」 川が冷たくて入れない、と理由の全てを述べる前に、せっかちなベンノの雷が落ちた。 「いつでも買える薪と希少なトロンベを比べるな! 原価と利益の計算もできんとは言わせんぞ!」 「......やっぱりそう言われると思ってました。薪を買いたいので、マルクさんと材木屋に行ってきていいですか?」 洗礼式が終わっている子供にさえ見えないわたしでは、薪にする木が欲しいと頼んでも、胡散臭く見られて門前払いされるだろう。 「......ルッツはどうした?」 「外にいます。森から帰ってきて直接ここに来たので、店に入れる恰好じゃなくて......」 わたしがそう言うと、ベンノは机の上のベルを鳴らしてマルクを呼んだ。 「マルク、ルッツにマインの今日の状況と材木屋に行けるかどうか、聞いて来てくれ」 「マイン、お前はここで発注書を書け」 「えーと、今日は門に行くだけの予定だったので、発注書セットを持ってないんです」 「......ここにある」 ベンノが木札とインクを出してくれたので、その場でわたしは発注書を書き始めた。 「ベンノさん、鐘一つ分燃やせるだけの薪が欲しいんですけど、何て書いたらいいですか?」 「そのまま書いておけ。多少、余裕を持たせて売ってくれるさ」 はい、と返事しながら、書いていると、ルッツに話を聞いたマルクが戻ってきた。 「マインはこれ以上出歩かない方が良いそうです。発注書が書けたのなら、私がルッツと行ってまいります」 マルクに書きあげた発注書を預けて見送ると、ベンノはわたしに木札を数枚渡してきた。 「暇なら読んでおけ」 「喜んで!」 字を読むことが嬉しくて、ふんふんふふーん、とわたしは鼻歌混じりで目を通していたが、読んでいるうちにどんどん頭の中に疑問符が浮かんでくる。 「ベンノさん、さっきの薪代って、先行投資に入るんですか?」 「......」 無言でベンノはわたしに視線を向けただけで、何も答えようとしない。 「それに、ちょっと不思議に思ったんですけど、ベンノさんはこの間、試作品ができたから先行投資は打ち切るって言いましたよね? でも、契約魔術では洗礼式まで、じゃなかったですか? 大きい簀桁の代金も、実は先行投資に入りません?」 ベンノがわざわざ契約に関する木札を読ませる意味を考えているうちに、一つ思い当たったのが、契約魔術の内容だった。 「......ちっ、気付いたか」 「なんで騙すんですか!?」 「別に騙していない。試しただけだ。お前達が交わした契約内容を覚えているかどうか。相手が違反した時にどう動くか興味があったんだ。何も言わないから、覚えていないのかと思ったぞ」 フンと鼻を鳴らして、ベンノは指先でトントンと机の上を叩きながら、わたしをじろりと睨む。 「試作品を作ったから終わりだって言われて、あぁ、なるほどって思っちゃったんですよ。まさかベンノさんに騙されるなんて思いませんでしたし、契約魔術って、契約書が燃えてなくなったから、契約の内容を確認できませんでしたから」 「契約書が燃えるから、別の何かに書き留めるか、きっちり覚えておくかどちらかしなければならなかったんだ。お前が甘い」 「......肝に銘じます」 ベンノの言い分は違っていない。契約書の控えがなければ、自分できっちりとメモするか、記憶しておくべきだった。罰則がきつい契約魔術という言葉に甘えていたのは事実だ。 「ちゃんと追求できたから、先行投資分は払ってやろう」 「払ってやろうって、最初からそういう契約だったじゃないですか。契約違反じゃないんですか?」 むぅっとわたしが唇を尖らせると、ベンノは勝利の笑みを浮かべて、愉悦に満ちた表情でわたしを見つめた。 「俺が払わないと言いきれば、契約違反。今回はお前の追及不足だ。追求されたので、俺は払う。払えば、契約違反には当てはまらない。商人になるなら、きっちり覚えておけ」 悔しがるわたしにベンノはますます唇の端を釣り上げて、「契約に関する木札を読んでも何も気づかなかったら、遠慮なくむしり取るつもりだった」と笑った。 ベンノから気付くためのヒントが与えられたのだから、わたしを商人として育てるために色々考えてくれているんだと、一応前向きに受け取ることにしたけれど、悔しいものは悔しい。 今度は騙されないように、と木札にもう一度じっくり目を通していると、ベンノがふと仕事の手を止めて、声をかけてきた。 「あぁ、そうだ。マイン、冬の手仕事を少し前倒しでできるか?」 「ウチはもうほとんど冬支度が終わってますから、やろうと思えば何とかなると思いますけど?」 ウチの冬支度の期間は父の仕事の都合に左右される。門にいる兵士全員に冬支度は必要だが、一度に全員が仕事を休めるわけがないので、交代で休んでいくことになる。 「色合いの違う髪飾りを10~20ほど作れないか? ギルド長が孫娘の髪飾りを自慢しまくって、問い合わせが多いんだ。......断りきれないところもいくつかあるからな」 「冬の洗礼式で付けるのがフリーダだけって特別感がなくなるんじゃないんですか?」 「......本人に合わせて作ったのは、アレだけだ。既製のものとは全く違うからさらに目立つだろう。問題ない」 「問題がないなら、別にいいんですけど、急いで仕上げるので、特急料金頂けますか?」 わたしがニッコリと笑って上乗せ料金を要求すると、ベンノが目を向いて絶句した。 「お金は取れる時に、取れるところから、取れるだけ、取っておくもの、なんですよね? ベンノさんを見習って、商人らしさ、目指してますから」 「髪飾り1つにつき、中銅貨10枚だ。倍にするんだから、文句はないだろう?」 「それじゃあ、ダメです。中銅貨11枚か13枚で、お願いします。ルッツと決めてある花飾りと簪部分の比率を考えると、そうしないと都合が悪いんです」 花飾りは中銅貨2枚、簪部分は1枚と値段を決めて、家族にも言った。残りをルッツと山分けするので、もらえる中銅貨が偶数だと正直困る。 「仕方がない。11枚だ。この商売上手め」 「お褒めにあずかり、恐悦至極に存じます」 「......本当に、そんな言葉をどこで覚えたんだか」 呆れたような面白がっているような表情で、ベンノがそう言って肩を竦める。 「あ、それと、髪飾り一つ分の中銅貨が欲しいんです。前払いでも、わたしの貯金から出してくれてもいいんですけど......」 「それは、前払いでも構わんが、どうするんだ?」 「大急ぎの魔法をかけるのに必要なんです」 雪が降るまでに10個も作ろうと思ったら、母とトゥーリに協力してもらわなければできないし、協力してもらうには、やる気の元が必要だ。 その時、ドアがノックされて、マルクが戻ってきた。 「ただ今戻りました。発注した薪は、本日の閉門までに店に届きます。明日の朝、店の者に運ばせますね」 「ありがとうございます」 「では、寒いのでお気をつけて」 マルクに見送られて外に出ると、ルッツがほとんど空っぽの籠を背負って立っていた。材木屋に行くついでに、倉庫にトロンベを置いてきたらしい。なるほど、わたしを連れて行きたくなかったわけだ。 日が暮れるのが早くなった街並みを、家に向かってゆっくり歩く。本当は寒いので、急いで帰りたいけれど、本能のまま動いたら、間違いなく熱を出して倒れるのだ。 ほてほてと帰りながら、わたしはルッツに冬の手作業が前倒しになった話をする。特急料金も約束したし、家族に協力を頼んで、作ろうね、と言ったら、ルッツは一つ頷いた後、不安そうに眉を下げた。 「オレの場合、家族の協力がなくても一人で何とかなりそうな冬の手仕事より、トロンベの方が問題なんだよ」 「トロンベ?」 わたしが首を傾げると、ルッツは肩を落として、大きく溜息を吐いた。 「......なぁ、マイン。森行くなって言われてるのに、トロンベの作業って、できるのか? もしかして、オレ一人でやらなきゃダメなんじゃねぇの?」 「今回は倉庫前で作業するつもりだから、一緒にできるよ。鐘一つ分は外にいることになるから、家族が何て言うかわからないけど」 門の外に出るわけではないし、ベンノの店に行くとでも言えば、外出する事自体は難しくないと思う。ただ、外でいる時間が長いので、風邪を引いて熱を出す可能性が著しく高くなるのが困りものだけれど。 「倉庫って......川じゃなくていいのかよ?」 ルッツがビックリしたように大きく目を見開いた。けれど、よく考えるまでもなく、ルッツ一人で鍋と蒸し器と薪を持って、森へ行くなんて無理だ。 「前は素材と薪を採らなきゃいけなかったから、森で作業した方が効率的だったけど、今回は素材のトロンベも薪も全部倉庫にあるんだよ? わざわざ森で作業する必要ないし、全部森まで運んで作業するなんて無理だよ」 「あ、そうか。アレ、全部運ばなきゃダメなんだ」 一人で作業することになる不安の方が大きくて、ルッツは自分が運ぶことになる荷物の量を把握できていなかったようだ。 「蒸したトロンベをさっとさらすのが川の水じゃなくなるけど、あれは蒸された木を一度冷たい水にさらして、皮を剥きやすくするためだから。今の井戸水なら十分冷たいよ。水が温くならないように、何度か井戸から水を汲んでもらうことになるけど、森へ行くより楽でしょ?」 だが、ルッツの気がかりが消えたわけではないようで、顔色がどんよりと暗い。 「そりゃ、楽だけどさ。......その後はどうするんだよ? 白皮で保存するんだよな?」 「できれば白皮まで加工してから、保存する方がいいんだけど、黒皮でも保存できないわけじゃないから、大丈夫。黒皮を剥ぐのがちょっと面倒になるかもしれないけど、この季節にわたしが森に行くのも、ルッツが川に入るのも自殺行為だし、止めとこ」 「おぅ!」 不安材料が払拭されて、ルッツは顔を輝かせた。「あぁ、よかった。ホッとした」としきりに繰り返しながら、歩く足の幅が少し大きくなっている。 帰ったら、母さんとトゥーリに手仕事を手伝ってって、お願いして......明日は木を蒸す作業かぁ。 この後の予定を思い浮かべながら歩いているうちに、お腹が空いたせいか、思考が少しずつずれていく。 ......蒸し器があるなら、あつあつで甘いふかしいもとか、ほくほくのじゃがバターが食べたいなぁ。サツマイモに該当する芋はないけど、ジャガイモっぽい芋なら、ここでも手に入るんだよね。 幸せな想像にうっとりしているうちに、家の前の井戸のところまで来ていたようだ。ルッツが足を止めて振り返る。 「マイン、明日は鍵を取りに行って、薪を運んだ後で呼びに行くから、それまで家で待ってろよ」 「わかった。ルッツはバターの準備、忘れないでね」 階段を上りはじめた時に明かり取りの窓からルッツの動転した声が響いてきた。 「え? はぁ!? バター!? なんでだよ!? 何に使うんだよ!?」 あれぇ? 言ってなかったっけ? 失敗、失敗。

The temple master, having seen me collapse right in front of him, summons a gray-robed priest to carry me to the lodging room, and left a priestess to keep an eye on me so that I don’t go wandering off again. As a result, I wasn’t able to sneak out to go use the restroom by myself, but had to rely on the priestess’s help. Having to do my business while someone else watches is mortifying, and after being forced to ask the priestess for help cleaning up my waste I am so unbelievably embarra.s.sed that I can’t even look her in the eye any more. I want to pull the covers all the way over my head and writhe in utter shame, but I can’t actually muster any strength to make my body do so. While I lie limply on the bed, dejected about the things I can’t do, the baptismal ceremony comes to an end, and Lutz comes in to check on me. When he sees how nice the room is, and notices that someone is here to keep an eye on me, his eyes go wide and he rushes up to my bedside. “What did you do this time, Maïne?!” “Ummm, I got lost looking for the restroom... and collapsed.” When I weakly lift my head from the pillow and give him very broad summary, he stares at me, unimpressed, then folds his arms and shakes his head. “That can’t be all, right? Tell me everything.” “Guh... Um, well, I found a library, and I got a little excited...” Halfway through my sentence, Lutz squints, tilting his head. “What’s a ‘library’?” “An earthly paradise, crafted by the G.o.ds.” “Huh?” “...A room with lots of books.” “Ahh... Well, whatever. I get the gist of it either way.” He rubs his forehead, waving dismissively. Since he cut off my story, I start getting ready to go home, reaching for the hairpin placed at my bedside. “You’re leaving out something important, aren’t you? This little princess collapsed after she went to appeal to the temple master.” As I wind my hair up, the priestess, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, interrupts, shocked, then shrugs. “What were you thinking, you idiot?!” says Lutz. “Sorry. I’m really thinking that I got a little too excited, though...” Things would probably have gone better if I’d been a little more cool and collected, but it still turned out more-or-less all right. I accomplished my goal of laying the groundwork for becoming a priestess here, and the temple master will even let me go to his room to read the scriptures. I’m trying to properly reflect on my actions, but I don’t really have any regrets. “We’re going home before you do anything else,” he says. Lutz carries me on his back and, with the priestess’s guidance, leads us out of the temple. My father is nervously waiting for us in the plaza outside. “...Looks like someone’s here for you,” says the priestess. “Well, this is as far as I go.” And so, my father carries me on his back and takes me home. Along the way, Lutz gives my father a brief rundown of the day’s events. I leave it to him, as the swaying up here is lulling me to sleep. “I’ve got to finish up my contract here at the shop,” says Lutz, “so I’ll head home after that.” I snap back to my senses when I hear that, and see that we’re outside Benno’s shop. It’s clear that in my current condition I’m in no shape to visit Benno’s myself. Lutz is splitting off from us here, since he needs to deliver today’s report and to handle his apprentices.h.i.+p contract. Mark sees us from inside the shop and comes out to greet us. I wave at him from my spot on my father’s back. “Thanks for earlier, Mister Mark,” I say. “I don’t think I can visit today, but I’ll come back later.” “Lutz, good luck with the contract,” I say. “Yeah! Go get some rest.” Lutz and Mark see us off with a wave, and my father and I head home together. After a slightly extravagant celebratory dinner, as the family sits around drinking tea, I look at my father. I don’t have much choice, I need to ask him about becoming a priestess. “Hey, Daddy.” “What’s up?” He lifts his cup to his mouth and takes a sip. “I want to go to the temple and become a sister-in-training, I think.” My father’s smile vanishes in an instant. In the next moment, he slams his cup down onto the table with an enormous bang. I flinch in sudden shock as the tea flies out of the cup, splas.h.i.+ng all over the table. My eyes widen. The anger and disgust rolling off of him is so powerful that it sends s.h.i.+vers down my spine and makes my heart pound. “...A priestess, at the temple.” “Don’t be ridiculous! As if I’d ever let my daughter join the temple.” “D... Daddy. Why are you so angry?” I have no idea what on earth could have made him so suddenly angry, so all I can do is stare in bewilderment. I’d thought that there would be some opposition, but I hadn’t even considered that the topic would cause my father to have this kind of furious outburst. “Apprenticing as a priest or priestess is something that orphans do! If you don’t have parents and don’t have a patron, then that’s your last resort in order to survive. That’s not for you, Maïne!” “Only orphans... become priests?” “Yeah, that’s right,” says my father, suddenly looking helpless. “You’ve got parents, so it’s not a job for you. Don’t ask me again!” I’m dumbfounded by my father’s reaction. Then, something clicks, and I realize what he’s saying. I think I might have been misled a bit by how the temple master had said that he hadn’t expected there to be any applicants to become apprentice priestesses from someone “with a family like yours”. “Gunther,” says my mother, “Maïne didn’t know, there’s no need to get so upset with her.” “...Yeah, you’re right.” My father takes a long slow breath, as if to let out his irritation, then rustles my hair. My mother starts wiping up the splash of tea from the table, tilting her head curiously. “But, either way, why in the world did you suddenly decide that you wanted to be a priestess?” I can see from how my parents are talking that we have a different view on how we think about priests and priestesses. If I had to describe how I thought about priests and priestesses, I’d say that I thought they’d generally be pretty respectable, so this is a little surprising. “So, um, after I collapsed at the baptismal ceremony, I went to look for the restroom and got really lost.” “You were in the aid room, right? Isn’t there one right when you exit?” My father, who’d gotten a simplified rundown of events from Lutz, c.o.c.ks his head in puzzlement. Certainly, there do tend to be restrooms very near large rooms that commoners use. I shake my head. “...Since my dress was so nice, they mistook me for some kind of rich girl, so I got brought to a different room, like the one where merchants with letters of recommendation from n.o.bles go. So, there wasn’t one nearby...” “Aah, of course, if it was that dress.” My father nods several times. My mother and Tuuli look pretty understanding as well. “While I was looking, I kinda stumbled into a place that looked like it was used by the n.o.bility...” All the blood drains from my parents’ faces. In a society that’s as stratified as this one, we’re actually completely segregated from the n.o.bility. If I were to stagger around, lost, and get caught by a n.o.ble, there’s a good chance that might be the end of my life right there. “I was found by a priestess, so I didn’t meet a n.o.ble, but there was a library! There were so many books there. I really, really wanted to read them, so bad I couldn’t help it, but I couldn’t go in...” “When I asked if there was any way I could go in, she said that I could if I became a sister-in-training...” “And then you just decided you’d become a priestess without thinking about it?” He sighs. “Give up on those books. Just keep making them like you’ve been doing so far.” I stare blankly at him, unable to believe that I was just told to give up on books. He stares back at me, completely serious, without a single trace of a smile on his face. “If you had to choose between cutting all ties with your family and going to live in an orphanage so you could be a priestess and read books, or staying here with us like you’ve always done, what would you pick?” He asks me to choose between books and my family, and my head goes blank. I want to stay with my family until the very end, before the devouring rots me away. I’ve been thinking that while I do that I’d make a few books and read those until I was satisfied. Today, however, I found a library, and was overjoyed that I might be able to read books, and got very excited, but I hadn’t even considered that I might get separated from my family. “...Cutting ties... with my family?” My shoulders shake, and my voice comes out weak and cracked. My father nods gravely. “That’s right. Apprentice priestesses live in the temple. The work is hard, and the people you’d be working together with are all orphans. It’s not the kind of thing you could do since you have the devouring. You collapsed during the ceremony because you couldn’t manage your physical condition, so how do you expect to be able to work? Plus, books are extremely valuable. They’re rare enough that those people are protecting them using some sort of magical tool to make sure strangers can’t go into their library, right? Do you think that you’d be able to touch them as soon as you become an apprentice?” Every single point he makes is a good one. I’ve got no room to refute any of it. The answer in my head is clear: becoming a priestess won’t work. However, I really don’t want to give up on all of those books that I’ve found. As I chew on my lip, feeling like I’m about to cry, Tuuli takes my hand. Her eyes are br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears, and she squeezes my hand like she never wants to let go. “You want to be a priestess? You promised me that you’d stay here with me, but you want to break your promise and go be a priestess?” Tuuli’s words. .h.i.t me like an arrow through my heart. Feeling like all the strength has left my body, I shake my head. “...Nuh-uh. I was just trying to think of a way that I could read the books that were right in front of me. I didn’t really want to be a priestess at all.” Apprenticing as a priestess is a means to an end, not the end itself. I don’t want to become one so badly that I’d make my entire family cry and leave them forever. When I answer, Tuuli smiles brilliantly, but a sliver of anxiety still remains. “I’m glad,” she says. “...You’ll stay here with me, right? Like we promised?” “Yeah. ...When I’m feeling better, I’ll go see the temple master and tell him no.” When he hears my answer, my father suddenly breathes a huge sigh of relief, like he’d been holding his breath the entire time, and hugs me tightly. “I’m so glad you understand. You’re my precious daughter. Don’t go off to the temple.” While in my heart I really am happy that this ended without me making my family cry, the instant I close off my path towards that library, the devouring fever, of course, starts to spread through my body. “Maïne, your temperature’s going up, isn’t it?” says my father. “Didn’t you collapse several times today?” says my mother. “The stress of talking about this must have been the only thing keeping you going. Go rest already.” I’m put to bed, and as I feel the devouring fever slowly spread through me, I gently close my eyes. I didn’t think I’d ever not be able to chose books. Until now, there hadn’t even been a “not books” option in me. Back in my Urano days, I probably would have immediately picked the books and leave my family behind. No matter what, books were foremost in my mind. Despite that, I’m not immediately choosing books. I’d been thinking that my family was the most important thing to me only in the absence of readily-available books, but at some point it looks like they’ve become just as important to me as books are. But still, I finally found books, though. I really want to read them... I’m not able to choose between my family and books, but there’s no way I can just abandon books entirely. In this kind of mental state, even though I’m trying to contain my fever like I usually do, I can’t really manage it as well as I usually do. It struggles with more force, as if sneering at me for being unable to cast off my lingering desires for that library. Irritated at how I can’t make this fever move, I start trying to come up with a way that I can find some compromise between books and my family. Is there any way I can read those books without becoming a sister-in-training? Since the temple master’s att.i.tude changed after we started talking about donations, perhaps I could try saving a bit more, then throw money at them until they let me in? I’m not really the kind of person who likes slapping people around with money to get my way, but desperate times call for desperate measures, do they not? For now, if I could only go to the temple master’s room and read the scriptures, that would be satisfying enough, wouldn’t it? It ultimately takes me about two days to shut away the devouring fever. When my temperature finally goes back down and I can finally get up, my body is still sluggish. The devouring fever’s receded, so if I spend another day resting I should be recovered after that, I think. Lutz comes to check on me, and when he sees my face gives me a difficult expression. “You’re still not looking too good. Master Benno said that he wanted to talk with you, but it looks like you can’t do that today.” “Lutz, do you have plans tomorrow? I want to go to the temple, and then after that go to Mister Benno’s shop; can you come with me?” When I ask my question, Lutz tilts his head slightly to the side. “The temple? Sure, but what do you need there?” “To read the scriptures. ...Also, to tell them that I don’t want to be a sister-in-training.” “Huh?! An apprentice priestess? Where’d that come from?” Come to think of it, although the priestess had said that I’d collapsed while making an appeal to the temple priestess, she hadn’t said just what I was appealing to him for. “I told you that I found a library during the baptismal ceremony, right? I was told that the only people who could go in were people connected to the temple, so I thought that I should get connected to the temple. I heard that being a sister-in-training was the simplest way to do that so I jumped straight to that.” “Isn’t that more reckless than me wanting to be a trader? Look at reality for once. Aren’t you the one who taught me not to leap straight ahead, but to look for a different path that’s actually possible?” Hearing those words coming from Lutz, who’d gone from a boy just dreaming about a better life to a boy with his feet firmly on the ground as he chases after that dream, is pretty painful. “...I wasn’t thinking about anything but the shortest route to reading those books.” “Man, you don’t pay attention to anything else when books are involved. It’s okay to just not go back to the temple at all, right? Jumping between hope and despair isn’t good for your body. Doesn’t that make your devouring fever start going crazy?” “I was only able to get it under control this time by telling myself that I could at least go and read the scriptures,” I say. He looks down at me, at a loss for words, then smiles wryly, patting me on the head. “A compromise with yourself, huh? I didn’t think you’d ever back down when it came to books. Good job, that must have been hard. ...Well, if just going to the temple will make you feel better, then sure. I really think living there would be way too much for you.” “Yeah, I know.” The next day, I head with Lutz over to the temple. I put on my new, nicer clothing, since we’ll be going to Benno’s shop afterwards. Also, since the area around temple master’s chambers is particularly nice, I don’t think it would be proper for me to show up in my usual attire. I tell the temple gatekeeper my name, and that I’d like to meet with the temple master. It seems like they had already been told about me, because a gray-robed priest appears, ready to show me around the temple. “What will you do, Lutz? Even if you came with me, you wouldn’t have anything to do, right? Maybe you could go to Mister Benno’s shop and study? When I’m done with my business here, I can go to the shop too.” “I’ll come pick you up at fifth bell, so wait here. Don’t go wandering off by yourself, okay?” The gray-robed priest guides me through the temple to the temple master’s chambers, but the temple master isn’t there. Instead, the head priest, dressed in blue robes, is there to greet me. He’s roughly the same age as my father, with pale blue hair that reaches down towards his shoulders. The temple master had been a dignified, slightly portly older man, but the head priest is fairly tall and slender. He looks like he’s used to practical work involving organizing people and running about. “You must be Maïne?” he says. “My name is Ferdinand. Father Bösewanz told me about you. Please, come in.” “Thank you very much,” I say. “He’s asked me to read the scriptures to you until he comes back.” It seems like the high priest is here to read aloud to me, but why would the high priest himself be here to entertain me? What did I do this time? ...Ah, the donation, huh? Since I’m someone who can give them a lot of money, they’re treating me with a lot of courtesy, I think. It seems like the amount of money I presented them with had a pretty significant impact. If that’s the case, depending on how negotiations go, I might be able to open the way towards that library. “Now then, please have a seat over there and listen.” We sit down at the table in the center of the room and he starts reading to me, but because I’m sitting across from him, all I can see is the book’s cover. It seems like they won’t let me touch the book. They’re treating me with caution, not knowing what I might do or what I might be thinking. “Um, Father. I don’t want to just listen, I want to actually see the book.” “Why is that? Didn’t you want to know the story of the G.o.ds?” “I do, but I also want to learn new vocabulary words as well.” From his face, it looks like my words struck a weak point. He thinks for a minute, then nods deeply. “...Ah, I see. However, these are our very precious scriptures. Can you promise me that you absolutely won’t touch them?” “I promise.” The high priest lifts me up on his lap so that I can see the scriptures, then starts reading aloud. The pages of the book are yellowed around the edges from where they’ve been touched, and are covered with absolutely beautifully-inked calligraphy. I inhale a deep lungful of the scent of old paper, then let out a slow, appreciative sigh. It seems that the story we had been told during the baptismal ceremony really had been significantly rephrased in much simpler vocabulary. It has a very different sound to it now. As the high priest reads to me, I start learning new vocabulary words. It’s fascinating to see all sorts of common nouns and verbs that I’ve been wondering how to spell for so long show up one right after another. I point out words that I recognize in the scriptures, careful not to touch the pages, and the high priest, looking amused, starts helping me with the rest. “You’re a very quick learner! If you’re this good at absorbing knowledge, teaching you is very worthwhile. ...You aren’t n.o.bility, are you? Perhaps one of your parents might have some n.o.ble blood in them?” “Not in the slightest, I don’t think.” “Ah, a shame.” I have no idea why the high priest would think that’s a shame. However, I get the feeling that the high priest might be like Mark, in charge of the education of the priests and priestesses. He seems very teacher-like, perhaps, and gives an impression that he’s very accustomed to teaching things to other people, much like Mark. “Ahh, you’ve come?” says the temple master as he enters the room. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.” Now that the temple master has returned, the high priest tells me to return to my seat, and he carefully sets the book back on its shelf. “Since Father Ferdinand was reading the scriptures to me,” I reply, “it was a very fun and worthwhile use of my time. Thank you very much for your consideration.” With slow, easy movements, the temple master moves to sit down in the chair the high priest had been sitting in, while the high priest stands to one side. “Well then, what did your parents say?” “They told me that only orphans become priestesses, so they scolded me and told me no.” The high priest had been leaning towards me with antic.i.p.ation gleaming in his eyes, but when I tell him this his shoulders droop dejectedly. He sighs, shaking his head. Next to him, the high priest opens his mouth to speak. “It’s not entirely true that only orphans join the clergy. n.o.ble children do so as well. It’s true that an orphan is very likely to become a priest or a priestess, but that’s because they can’t find another profession. The jobs that orphans can take are sharply limited, so they often have no choice but to become priests and priestesses.” I blink a few times. “Why can’t they find another profession?” “They don’t have anyone to refer them to one, and they don’t have anyone to look after them.” I can clearly understand this. The system of employment in this town is highly dependent on having a relative or a friend who can refer you to an apprentices.h.i.+p, so it would of course be extremely difficult for an orphan. It’s already hard for people to find jobs besides the ones their parents can refer them to, so I can’t even imagine how hard it must be for an orphan, who can’t even find any connections. “So, I’d like to be clear, it is possible for you to become a priestess without being an orphan.” “I understand. However, my parents also told me that if I was an apprentice here I’d have to live in the temple, and the difficult work I’d have to do here would be far too stressful for my weak body.” “Do you mean that you weren’t simply feeling weak, but you are normally frail?” The temple master frowns slightly, stroking his white mustache, and I realize that his face would make him look perfect in a Santa suit in the snow. I give him a big nod. “That’s right. I have a disease called 'the devouring’.” “The devouring?!” The slow, graceful temple master suddenly stands bolt upright, his eyes wide. The high priest, already standing, slams his hand into the table, leaning towards me excitedly. “Y... yes. Is something wrong?” The two of them have completely different expressions as they crowd their faces towards me, and I instinctively shrink back. I frown, wondering if I’ve somehow said something terrible, and the temple master slowly lifts a trembling finger towards the door. “Father Ferdinand,” he says, “please bring the relic.” “I know!” The high priest nods slightly, then makes use of his long legs to briskly stride out of the room. He appeared so elegant at first glance, but he is amazingly quick. He seems in such a hurry that he leaves the door open behind him after he leaves. I stare at him, dumbfounded, as he leaves, but out of the corner of my eye, I see the temple master turn to the shelf the book of scriptures is resting on. “We pray to the G.o.ds!” He suddenly starts praying, rising into the Gl█co pose. Caught in his rhythm, I reflexively raise my hands as well. “We give thanks to the G.o.ds!” Flowing like water, he sinks down into a dogeza, and I stare, dumbfounded, at his back. I tremble in fear, wondering what the h.e.l.l is going on. I’m convinced that something terrible is clearly happening. I really want to run far away from here, but judging from their threatening att.i.tude a moment ago I can’t imagine they’d let me escape so easily. Frozen stiff in my chair, I slowly look away from the temple master, who continues to pray. From outside the door, I hear very rapid footsteps quickly growing louder, and the high priest bursts back into the room, carrying something wrapped in a bundle of cloth. He unwraps the cloth, revealing the chalice I’d seen during the baptismal ceremony, and gently sets it down on the table. “Please, touch this chalice.” “Huh? It’s really okay for me to touch this?” “Yes, quickly now!” I timidly reach out for the chalice on the table. The two of them watch it closely, their eyes sparkling. The moment my fingertip reaches the chalice, it starts gleaming with dazzling light. “Whoa?! What the heck?!” I frantically yank my hand back, and the light gradually fades. As I look back and forth between my finger and the chalice, the temple master and head priest look at each other, then exchange nods. “Maïne,” says the temple master, “I’d like to speak with your parents.” Mother, Father, I’m sorry. It seems something important just happened.

神殿長の目の前でぶっ倒れたわたしは、神殿長に呼び出された灰色の神官によって宿泊室に戻され、勝手に出歩かないように巫女が監視として置かれた。 他人様に監視されながらの行為に涙目になり、後始末をさせてしまった申し訳なさと恥ずかしさに巫女とは顔を合わせることができず、頭まで布団を被ってゴロンゴロンとのたうちたかったけれど、身体に力が入らない状態ではそれもできない。 でろんとベッドの上で伸びながら、できない尽くしの自分にガッカリしていると、洗礼式を終えたルッツが様子を見に来くれた。綺麗な部屋に監視が付いている物々しい様子にルッツはぎょっと目を剥いて、ベッドの傍らに駆け寄ってくる。 「何やらかしたんだよ、マイン!?」 「えーと、水場を探して迷子になって......倒れた」 ベッドからのっそりと頭を持ちあげて、大まかに答えると、じっとりとした視線でわたしを見ていたルッツが腕を組んで、首を振った。 「それだけじゃないだろ? 全部言え」 「うぐっ......。えーと、図書室見つけて、興奮して......」 言葉の途中でルッツが目を細めて首を傾げる。 「図書室って何だ?」 「神が作り給いし、この世の楽園」 「はぁ?」 「......本がいっぱいある部屋」 「あぁ......。もういい。全部言わなくても大体わかった」 ルッツは片手で額を押さえながら、もう片方の手をパタパタと振った。話が打ち切られてしまったので、わたしは帰り支度をしようとベッドサイドにある髪飾りを手に取る。 「大事な事言ってないでしょ? 神殿長に直訴して倒れたのよ、このお嬢様は」 くるくると髪をまとめていると、わたし達の会話を聞いていた監視役の巫女が呆れたような顔で肩を竦めた。 「何やってんだ、バカ!」 「ごめん。さすがにちょっと興奮しすぎたなぁ、とは思ってるんだけど」 もうちょっと冷静に理性的に事が運べればよかったのだが、結果オーライ。神殿巫女になれそうな目途も付いたし、神殿長の部屋で聖典を読ませてもらえることにもなった。反省はしているが、後悔はしていない。 「これ以上、余計な事をする前に帰るぞ」 ルッツに背負われて、巫女の先導で神殿を出ると、神殿前の広場では父が苛々した様子でわたし達が出てくるのを待っていた。 「......迎えがいるのね。じゃあ、わたしはこれで」 そのままわたしは父に背負われて家に帰ることになった。道中でルッツが父に本日あったことを簡単に報告しているのを聞きながら、揺れに任せていると眠たくなってくる。 「オレ、店で契約済ませてから帰るから」 ルッツの声にハッと意識が戻ると、ベンノの店の前だった。さすがにこの状態ではベンノの店に寄ることもできない。今日の報告と見習いとしての契約に行くルッツとは、ベンノの店の前で分かれることになった。 わたし達に気付いたマルクが店から出迎えに来てくれる。わたしはマルクに父の背中から手を振った。 「今日はありがとう、マルクさん。店に寄るのは無理だから、また来るね」 「ルッツ、契約、しっかりね」 「おぅ。ちゃんと休めよ」 見送ってくれるルッツとマルクに手を振りながら、わたしは父と一緒に家に帰った。 お祝いのためのちょっと豪勢な夕飯を終え、家族でお茶を飲みながら、わたしは父を見た。巫女見習いになりたい、という話をしなければならない。 「ねぇ、父さん」 「なんだ?」 父がコップに口をつけて一口含む。 「わたし、神殿の巫女見習いになろうと思うんだけど」 父の笑顔が一瞬で消えた。 次の瞬間、ダン! と大きな音を立てて、コップがテーブルに打ち付けられた。ビクッと竦み上がったわたしと同じように、コップの中で飛び上がったお茶がパタパタとテーブルに落ちる。 父の凄むような低い声に驚いて、わたしは目を瞬いた。背筋が震えるほどの怒りと嫌悪感を剥きだしにされて、心臓が嫌な音を立てる。 「......神殿の、巫女見習い」 「ふざけるな! 俺は自分の娘を神殿になど入れはしない」 「と、父さん。なんでそんなに怒ってるの?」 いきなり豹変した理由が全くわからず、わたしはただ戸惑うしかできない。反対はされるだろうと思ったけれど、父がここまで嫌悪感を剥きだしにして怒るとは全く考えていなかった。 「神官や巫女見習いは、孤児がなるものだ! 親がおらず、庇護する者がいない孤児が生きていくために、仕方なくなるものだ。マインがなるものじゃない!」 「孤児がなるもの、なの?」 「あぁ、そうだ。親が揃っているマインがなるようなものじゃないと言うな!」 ほんの少し引っ掛かっていたのだ。巫女見習いの希望者が存在することを考えていなかったような神殿長の反応や「君のような家庭の子供」という言葉に。 「ギュンター、マインは知らなかったんだから、そんなにきつく言わないで」 「......あぁ、そうだな」 苛立った感情を吐きだすように、ゆっくりと呼吸した父がわたしの頭をぐしゃりと撫でる。そして、ポツポツとお茶が飛んだテーブルを軽く拭きながら、母が少し首を傾げた。 「それにしても、何故マインは突然巫女見習いなんかになりたいと言い出したの?」 両親の言葉の端々から神官や巫女に対する差別意識が透けて見える。神官や巫女はどちらかというと敬われる職業だと思っていたので、ビックリだ。 「わたしね、洗礼式で倒れた後、水場を探して迷子になったの」 「宿泊室にいたんだろう? 大体は部屋を出れば水場があるじゃないか」 ルッツから簡単に事情を聞いていた父が首を捻る。確かに、平民が利用する大部屋はすぐ近くに水場があることが多い。 「......わたし、晴れ着が豪華だったから、本当にお嬢様と間違われたみたいで、貴族の紹介状を持ってくる商人が泊るような部屋に通されたの。だから、すぐ近くになくて......」 「あぁ、あの服なら仕方ないな」 父が何度か頷いた。母もトゥーリも納得の表情だ。 「迷っている間に貴族の人が使うような場所に入り込んじゃったの」 ザッと両親が青ざめた。身分社会だからこそ、住み分けは徹底的にされている。ふらふらと迷子になって、貴族に難癖をつけられたら、人生そこで終了になる可能性は高い。 「巫女さんが見つけてくれたから、お貴族様と会うことはなかったんだけど、図書室があってね。すごくいっぱい本があったの。読みたくて、読みたくて、堪らなかったのに、わたしは入れなくて......」 「どうしたら入れるか聞いたら、巫女見習いになれば入れるって言われたから......」 「それで考え無しに見習いになろうと考えたのか。......ハァ。本は諦めなさい。今まで通り自分で作ればいい」 本を諦めろと言われたことが信じられなくて、わたしは父を見つめた。父は笑みを一切浮かべていない真剣な表情でわたしを見据える。 「マインは家族と縁を切り、本を読むために孤児院で巫女見習いとして生きていくのと、家族と一緒に今まで通り過ごすのとどちらを選ぶんだ?」 身食いで朽ちるギリギリまで家族と過ごしたい。その時間の中で少しでも本を作って、読んで満足したいと思っていた。 「......家族と、縁を切るの?」 唇が震えて、まともな声にならない。掠れた声で問いかけると、父は重々しく頷いた。 「そうだ。巫女見習いは神殿で暮らすことになる。仕事はきついし、一緒に仕事をする相手は孤児ばかりだ。身食いのマインになれるはずがない。体調管理さえ自分でできなくて、洗礼式で倒れるのに、一体何の仕事ができる? それに、本は高価だ。見知らぬ者が入らないように、魔術具か何かで守られているほど、希少な物なのだろう? 見習いになったところで、すぐに触れる物なのか?」 巫女見習いになるのは無理だと、わたしの頭は答えを出している。けれど、あれだけの本を見せられて諦めることはしたくない。 「マインは巫女になりたいの? 一緒にいるって、わたしと約束したのに、約束破るほど、巫女になりたいの?」 トゥーリの言葉がスコンと胸に当たった。身体から力が抜けていくのを感じながら、首を横に振った。 「......ううん。わたしは目の前にあった本を何とかして読みたいと思っただけ。別に巫女になりたいわけじゃない」 巫女見習いはただの手段で目的ではない。家族を泣かせ、家族と離れてまでなりたいものではないのだ。 わたしの答えにトゥーリは顔を輝かせながら、それでも、一抹の不安を覗かせる。 「よかった。......マインは一緒にいてくれるよね? 約束したもんね?」 「うん。......体調が良くなったら、神殿長にお断りしてくるよ」 わたしの下した答えを聞いて、父は胸のつかえが下りたように安堵の息を吐いて、ぎゅっとわたしを抱きしめた。 「わかってくれてよかった。お前は俺の大事な娘だ。神殿なんかにはやらん」 家族を悲しませずに済んで良かったと、思う心は確かにあるのに、自ら図書室に繋がる道を閉ざした瞬間、身食いの熱が身体の中で広がり始めた。 「マイン、熱が上がり始めたぞ?」 「一日に何度も倒れたんでしょ? 話が終わって緊張の糸が切れたのよ。もう寝なさい」 ベッドに入れられたわたしは、ゆっくりと身食いの熱が広がっていくのを感じながら、軽く目を閉じた。 本を選ぶことができなくなるなんて、思いもしなかったな。 今まで、わたしの中に本を選ばないという選択肢は存在しなかった。麗乃時代なら即答で本を取って、家族と離れたはずだ。何を置いても、まず本だった。 でも、せっかく見つけたんだもん。本、読みたい。 家族と本とどちらかを選ぶことができなくて、でも、本を切り捨てるなんてできるわけがない。そんな状態で熱を押し込もうとしても、いつもと違ってうまくいかない。図書室に未練を残す不安定な精神状態を嘲笑うように、身食いの熱が勢いを増していく。 巫女見習いにならずに本を読める方法はない? 寄付金の話をしたら態度が変わったし、もうちょっと稼いで、お金を積み上げて入室許可を取ってみる? お金で人の頬を叩くような真似は気が進まないけど、背に腹は代えられないよね? 結局、身食いの熱を抑え込むのに2日かかった。やっと熱が下がって起き上がれるようになったけれど、まだ身体がだるい。身食いの熱が引いたので、今日一日寝ていれば回復するだろう。 様子を見に来てくれたルッツが、わたしの顔を見て難しい顔をした。 「まだ顔色悪いぞ。旦那様がマインと話をしたいって言ってたけど、今日は無理そうだな」 「ルッツ、明日の予定はある? わたし、神殿に行って、その後、ベンノさんのお店に行きたいんだけど、一緒に来てくれない?」 わたしの問いかけにルッツは少し首を傾げた。 「神殿? 別にいいけど何しに行くんだ?」 「聖典を読みに。......ついでに、巫女見習いの話を断ってくる」 「はぁ? 巫女見習い? どこから出てきた?」 そういえば、神殿長に直訴して倒れたとは巫女が言ったけれど、どんな直訴をしたのかは話をしていなかった。 「洗礼式で図書室を見つけたって言ったでしょ? 入れるのは神殿関係者だけだって言われたから、神殿関係者になろうと思ったんだよ。巫女見習いが一番簡単だと聞いて飛びついちゃったの」 「オレが旅商人になるより無謀だぞ? ちょっとは現実見ろよ。一足飛びに突き進むんじゃなくて、実現可能な回り道を探せって、オレに教えたのはマインだろ?」 自分にとって都合のいい夢を見る少年から、地に足のついた夢を追いかける少年へと変わったルッツの言葉は痛いほど胸に刺さった。 「......最短ルートで本を読むことしか考えてなかった」 「本のことになるとマインは本気で周りが見えてないからな。もう神殿に行くの、止めておいた方がいいんじゃないか? 期待と失望の連続で身体に悪そうだ。身食いの熱が暴れ出すんじゃないのか?」 「せめて、聖典だけでも読もうって考えて、身食いの熱を抑え込んだところなの」 ルッツは何とも言えない顔でわたしを見下ろして、苦笑しながら頭をポフポフと叩いた。 「自分で折り合いつけたのか。本に関してマインが譲るなんて思わなかった。よく頑張ったな。......まぁ、神殿に通うだけで気が済むならいいけどさ。どう考えてもマインが神殿で生活するのは無理だと思うぜ」 「うん、わかってる」 次の日、わたしはルッツと一緒に神殿へと行った。ベンノの店に行くので、新しい綺麗な服を着ている。神殿長の部屋の辺りは豪華なので、普段の服よりこちらの方が良いだろうと思ったせいもある。 門番に名前を告げて、神殿長に会いたいことを伝える。すでに話が伝わっていたようで、灰色の神官が現れて、神殿の中を案内してもらえることになった。 「ルッツはどうする? 一緒に来てもやることないでしょ? ベンノさんのお店で色々勉強してきたら? 神殿での用件が終わったら、お店に行くよ?」 「5の鐘が鳴ったら迎えに来るから、待ってろ。勝手にフラフラするなよ?」 父と同じ世代くらいで、薄い水色の髪を肩ほどまで伸ばしている。神殿長は威厳のあるちょっと恰幅の良いおじいちゃんだが、神官長はかなり背が高く、やせ形だ。実務レベルで人をまとめ、奔走しているやり手な人に見える。 「君がマインか? 神殿長から話は聞いている。さぁ、入りなさい」 「ありがとうございます」 「神殿長が戻るまで、聖典を読んでやってほしいと頼まれている」 神官長がわたしに読み聞かせてくれるらしいけど、神官長自らのおもてなしを受けるなんて、わたし、何かしたっけ? あ、寄付金か。 高額寄付をしてくれる相手だから、丁寧に接してくれているのだろう。どうやら、提示した寄付金の金額は相当インパクトがあったようだ。これなら、交渉次第で図書室への道が開けるかもしれない。 「では、そこで聞いていなさい」 部屋の中央のテーブルで神官長は読み聞かせを始めてくれたが、正面に座らされたわたしには本の表紙が見えるだけだ。どうやら本には触らせてはくれないらしい。わたしが一体何をするのか、何を考えているか、警戒しつつのおもてなしである。 「あの、神官長。話が聞きたいんじゃなくて、わたし、本が見たいんです」 「それは何故だ? 君は神の話を知りたいのではなかったのか?」 「話も知りたいけれど、知らない単語を覚えたいんです」 わたしの言葉に神官長は虚をつかれたような表情になった。少し考えた後、深く頷く。 「......なるほど。ただ、これは貴重な聖典だ。決して触らないと約束できるか?」 「します」 神官長はわたしを自分の膝に乗せて、聖典が見えるようにしながら、読んでくれる。端の方やページを捲る時に触るところが黄ばんだ羊皮紙に、流れるような美しい字が綴られている。古い紙の匂いを胸一杯に吸い込んで、ほぅ、と感嘆の溜息を吐いた。 神官長に聖典を読んでもらいながら、新しい単語を覚えていく。ずっと知りたいと思っていた一般名詞や動詞が次々出てくるのが面白い。 「君はずいぶんと覚えが良いな。これほど吸収が良いと教え甲斐がある。......君は貴族ではないのか? 両親どちらかが貴族の血を引いているという可能性は?」 「全くないと思います」 「そうか、残念だ」 何故神官長が残念がるのか全くわからない。ただ、この神官長はマルクと同じように神官や巫女の教育も受け持っているのではないかと思う。教師っぽいというか、人に物を教えることに慣れている雰囲気が、マルクと似ている。 「あぁ、来ていたのか。待たせたようだな?」 神殿長が戻ってきたので、わたしは椅子に戻るよう言われ、聖典は神官長によって丁寧に綴じられて棚の上へと返された。 「神官長が聖典を読んでくださったので、とても有意義で楽しい時間を過ごせました。ご厚意に感謝します」 神殿長がゆったりとした動作で神官長が座っていた椅子に座り、神官長が傍らに立った。 「それで、親御さんは何と?」 「巫女は孤児がなるものだから、ダメって言われて叱られました」 神殿長はハァと溜息を吐き、頭を振った。神殿長の傍らから、神官長が口を開く。 「別に孤児がなるものだとは決まっていない。貴族の子もいる。確かに神官や巫女は孤児の確率が高いが、それは他の職業に就けないからだ。孤児はどうしても就ける仕事が限られ、神官や巫女見習いになるしか道がないんだ」 「どうして他の職業に就けないんですか?」 「紹介をしてくれたり、面倒を見てくれたりする人がいないからだ」 ものすごく納得した。親戚や身内の紹介で、見習いになれるかどうか決まるこの街の就職制度は確かに孤児には優しくない。親の紹介する仕事以外を選ぶだけで一苦労なのに、伝手を探すことさえできない孤児の苦労は想像もできない。 「孤児でなくとも巫女にはなれる。それは理解してほしい」 「はい。でも、見習いは神殿に住むもので、虚弱なわたしには見習いのきつい仕事もできないから無理って言われました」 「体調が悪かったわけではなく、普段から虚弱なのか?」 神殿長が少し眉を寄せながら、白いひげをなぞる。冬になったらサンタの衣装を着せてみたいと頭の隅で思いながら、わたしは大きく頷いて肯定した。 「はい。身食いって病気なんです」 「身食い!?」 ゆったり泰然とした動きをしている神殿長が目を見開いてガッと立ち上がった。立っていた神官長はバンとテーブルに手をついて、わたしに向かって身を乗り出してくる。 「は、はい。それが何か?」 血相を変えた二人に詰め寄られて、わたしは反射的に身体を引いた。何かまずいことを言ってしまっただろうか、と眉を寄せるわたしの前で、神殿長が小刻みに震える手で扉の方を指し示す。 「神官長、あれを持ってきてくれ」 「わかっています」 軽く頷いた神官長が長い脚を生かした大股でスタスタと歩いていく。一見優雅なのに、ものすごく速い。よほど慌てているのか、神官長が出ていったドアは開け放たれたままだ。 「神に祈りを!」 いきなりグ○コの祈りを始めた神殿長につられて、わたしも一緒に手だけ上げてしまった。 「神に感謝を!」 明らかに何かまずい展開になった気がする。ここから逃げ出したいが、先程の剣幕から考えても、そう簡単に逃げ出せるとは思えない。 わたしは椅子に座って固まったまま、祈り続ける神殿長からゆっくりと視線を逸らした。 「この聖杯に触ってみなさい」 「え? これってわたしが触っていいんですか?」 「あぁ、早く」 テーブルの上に置かれた聖杯に恐る恐る手を伸ばす。ギラギラとした目で、じっと見てくる二人が怖い。 「わぁ!? 何これ!?」 慌てて手を引いたら、すぅっと聖杯の光が消える。自分の指と聖杯を見比べるわたしの前で、神殿長と神官長が顔を見合わせて、頷き合った。 「マイン、君のご両親と話をしたい」 父さん、母さん、ごめんなさい。 なんか大事になったようです。

My name is Otto. I am the man who loves my beautiful, adorable wife Corinna the most in the whole wide world. Her hair is the color of cream, and the irises of her eyes are gray. Each of her pale colors adds to the gentle, pure atmosphere that floats around her. The bridge of her nose may be long, but she’s so cute when she worries about how the plumpness of her cheeks makes her look a little bit baby-faced. She’s so lovely when she laughingly tells me that she doesn’t know what she’s going to do about me. She smells great when I hold her close, her huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s squis.h.i.+ng up against me. She’s the best. I’ll shout it from the top of the world! My Corinna is the best woman in the world! Today, at the behest of my helper Maine, I met Lutz, a young boy who said that he wanted to become a trader. I gently hit him with the harsh truth of reality, leaving his dreams smashed into tiny pieces. “I’m home, Corinna!” I call out. “Benno’s with me too.” “Welcome back, dear. ...So, even after bullying children that haven’t even been baptized, you can still come home with a smile like that.” “She’s so cute even when she’s pouting!” I unintentionally blurt out my inner thoughts. Corinna looks at me in shock, then lets out a long sigh. This is a regular sort of shock, so I just shrug my shoulders and explain myself. I really had no intention to bully those children, so it’s not like what I did could be considered bullying. All I did was talk to a child who still believed in fairy tales and told him about how reality truly works. “I didn’t have a choice. There’s nothing good about becoming a trader, after all. Sure, I had to shatter his dreams completely, but it was for his own good.” Corinna looks down at the ground with her gray eyes, her eyebrows knitting together in concern and pity. Seeing my Corinna worrying about another man, even if he’s just a child, makes my heart tremble, though just a little bit. “You’re such a kind person, Corinna. You’re so worried about a child you haven’t even met...” I grab onto her shoulders and hug her close, just ready to kiss her. “You’re blocking the door, Otto,” says Benno, crossly, from behind me. “Actually go in the house, please.” Corinna, looking a little fl.u.s.tered, shoves me off to the side and shows Benno in. “Come in, big brother! ...You look quite depressed, are you maybe feeling guilty about rejecting those children?” Deep lines are carved between Benno’s knotted eyebrows, and not a single trace of his usual affable demeanor can be found in his expression at all. Contrary to what Corinna is thinking, Benno actually didn’t wind up rejecting Lutz, so, of course, his gloomy mood has nothing to do with guilt at all. “No, no, Corinna, it’s not that,” I say. “He tried to drive away Lutz after the boy said he wanted to become a merchant’s apprentice, but Lutz wouldn’t be driven away. Maine set forth a few conditions, and Benno actually accepted them. She completely turned the tables on him. That’s why he’s depressed.” “Otto...” says Benno in a low, warning voice. I ignore him and head into the house with Corinna. He must be feeling the effects of being done in by a child. This is great. Savor this, Benno. This is how I feel every time Maine does something shocking to me. As we walk towards the parlor, I embrace Corinna from behind, and kiss her lovely cream-colored hair over and over. Benno clenches his first, telling us that we should wait to do that until he’s not around. Even though I want to be mad at him for interrupting our couple’s time, but if I were to actually say that in front of Corinna, she’d tell me to cut it out immediately, so I bite my tongue. The parlor is typically where Corinna entertains her customers. She works hard to keep it very clean so that she can use it whenever a customer may happen to come by. In the center of the room stands a round table, unlike the one in the dining room. Four chairs are set around it. Since the use of cloth for things besides just clothing is the mark of a wealthy individual, this parlor has much more cloth in it than any other room in the house. For instance, display shelves are arranged along the right wall, showing the patterns that Corinna can make, On the left wall, a vividly colored tapestry has been hung, sewed together out of leftover cloth. I don’t usually come into this room, since I rarely need to, but it’s fun for me to just look at it, since it’s decorated with Corinna’s handiwork. I sit down at the table opposite from Benno, broadly grinning at him. “Well! That really was an unexpected turn of events! I never would have thought that Benno would make a compromise...” She’s so cute when she pesters me with those wide eyes. Also, after she sits down on the chair next to me, she scoots it just a little bit closer. She really is adorable. It’s rare for Corinna to pester me like this, so I cheerfully recount the day’s events to her, applauding Maine in my heart for her efforts. When I finish with my story, Corinna looks at her brother, her eyes wide. “He made himself look as good as he could before he met you, then showed up in the plaza to wait for you long before the bell actually rang... Benno, weren’t you losing that fight from the very beginning?” Benno’s mood is only growing more and more foul. Even as he pours the liquor Corinna had brought out down his throat, the knot between his eyebrows doesn’t loosen even the slightest. Both maintaining at least a minimum level of personal grooming and making sure you arrive earlier than the person you’re requesting a favor of to avoid making them wait are obvious, basic things for a merchant. Benno thought that he could see how prepared Lutz actually was based on whether or not he could do those basic things, but Lutz actually cleared both of those hurdles. It was, however, probably Maine’s doing. From expression that flashed across her face the moment she saw us enter the plaza, I can’t think of anything else. Today’s victor was clearly Maine, and, thanks to that, I got to see a scene where Benno was forced to make a compromise. “Well! Thanks to Maine, today was much more fun than I thought it was going to be!” “You’re talking about your squad leader’s daughter, right? The one you said was extremely bright.” “Yeah, that’s right. Even though it’s been nearly half a year since I made her my a.s.sistant, I still don’t have a good grip on her. She’s so peculiar that I can’t help but wonder how a child like her could have been raised.” As a trader, I went to many different places and met with many different people of many different social positions, and Maine’s peculiarities stand out from all of them. Benno, my companion for the day, has similar experience; as a merchant, he knows many people of note. If you think of my breadth of knowledge as wide, but shallow, Otto’s is narrow, but deep. “Hey, Otto,” he says. “What was that?” “I told you already, that was my a.s.sistant.” “No, I get that, but don’t lie to me: was that really a soldier’s daughter?” “No doubt about that at all... but I, for one, think it’s strange.” “How so?” asks Corinna, head tilted to one side in wonder. Usually, when I tell her about my day, I mention a few things about Maine, like how she’s smart, or how she’s frail, and so on, but this is the first time I’ve ever described her as strange. After all, I think she’s so strange that you can’t truly understand just how strange she is unless you see her for yourself. “First of all, her appearance is unusual. She keeps herself so tidy that you’d never think she was ever a soldier’s daughter. The clothes she wears aren’t all that different than what you see on other children like her; old, worn-out, and patched in places. Her skin and hair, though, are so clean that they s.h.i.+ne. The squad leader is a man that looks just about the same as all the other soldiers, but neither of his daughters are slightly dirty like he is, and their hair is glossy.” “Surely their mother must be helping them take care of their skin and hair, then?” Corinna was raised as the daughter of a wealthy merchant, so even if she’s seen how poor people live, she really can’t truly grasp what it’s really like. Putting effort into taking care of your skin and hair requires time, money, and supplies. Poor people have none of those things in abundance at all. “...I last saw their mother this past winter, but she didn’t seem like she was taking the initiative to put in that kind of effort. She is, though, so beautiful that she’s really wasted on the squad leader.” During a clear winter’s day, Maine stayed at the gates for a while so that her family could collect paru. When her mother came to pick up her daughter, I didn’t get the impression that she was remarkably tidy. All I really noticed was that she looked a lot like Maine, and that she was beautiful. “Ohhh, is that so?” says Corinna, an amused twinkle in her gray eyes. It’s very rare for me to compliment other women. “Of course, you’re the best woman in my whole wide world, and that will never, ever change!” “Yes, yes, dear, that’s quite enough. ...So, Benno, did Maine seem strange to you too?” Benno puts his gla.s.s down, leans back in his chair, and looks up at a beam holding up the ceiling. Slowly, he takes a breath. “Yeah. Her hair, the color of the night sky, was so glossy that it almost seemed to glow, her skin was an untarnished white, and her hands did not look like those of someone who lives a life of manual labor. Her teeth were white, too. The beat-up dress she was wearing matched her so poorly that it almost looked forced, no matter how I looked at it.” “Wait... hair so glossy that it almost seemed to glow?! What did she do to make it do that?!” “Quiet, Otto! I’m talking to my brother.” To women, it seems that the s.h.i.+niness of one’s hair is a matter of utmost importance. It’s rare for Corinna to express this much interest in something that’s not related to sewing. “It looked like she’d put something in it, but she didn’t tell me what exactly she’d used.” “Benno, she said it was a secret,” I added. “Otto, do you think you’ll be able to ask her about it?” asked Corinna. “...Yes, but she’s probably going to be on guard from now on, so I don’t think I’ll be able to get an answer.” Corinna wants to know what Maine does to her hair. For Corinna’s sake, I’ll ask Maine about it the next time I see her, even though I’m certain it’s useless. “Aside from her hair,” I say, “I think that the reason her hands are so clean is because her body is so small and weak that she can’t be of much help around the house. The whiteness of her skin is probably because she gets sick at a moment’s notice, so she doesn’t go outside very often and thus doesn’t get a lot of sun. Honestly, she’s only really started to be healthy enough to go outside since this spring.” “...Now that you mention it, we cancelled the meeting last time because she had a fever, didn’t she?” I nod, unable to keep off my face a faint expression of irritation as I remember how jumpy and distracted the squad leader was during his daughter’s five-day fever. “So, in other words, Maine’s appearance is due to her weak const.i.tution?” asks Corinna. “That’s not quite enough to call her strange, isn’t it?” It seems that Corinna has decided this isn’t that big of a deal after hearing all of this. She shrugs her shoulders, looking like she’s rapidly losing interest. Benno shakes his head. “No, it’s not just her appearance that’s strange. What stood out to me was her posture and her speech. ...Those were something that she couldn’t have mastered without very good upbringing at home. Otto, don’t tell me that she had such a strict upbringing because her parents are disgraced former members of the n.o.bility?” I wouldn’t draw that conclusion about the squad leader’s family circ.u.mstances. If you look at the rest of Maine’s family, it’s quite obvious whether or not they have any connections to the aristocracy. “The squad leader has one more daughter, who is perfectly ordinary. Her hair is unusually glossy and her skin is relatively clean, though, but that’s it. She’s not so far beyond her peers as Maine is.” Benno nods slightly, then looks over to Corinna. “Corinna,” he says, “that girl doesn’t just look strange. She had the courage to maintain eye contact when I was staring her down, was crafty enough to protect her advantages with regards to the secret behind her hair, was able to feed me a wild bluff without anything to back it up, and even negotiated terms... none of those things are things I’d expect from a child that hasn’t even been baptized.” “A child that doesn’t flinch away under your glare, Benno?!” asks Corinna, her eyes wide. “That child is strange. Without any doubt, that child is strange.”“ When Benno starts to lay on the coercion, his eyes grow sharp like a predator’s. Benno is the eldest son of the family and Corinna is the youngest daughter, so when they lost their father while Corinna was still very young, Benno stepped in to raise her in his place. He scolded her a lot whenever she got immature, and the fact that even to this day she still averts her eyes is a sign of how scary Benno can get. "A~ah, her memory and calculation ability are also amazing!” I say. “Now that I think about it, when I gave her my slate, she surprised me again. She picked up the slate pencil and started writing immediately, without anyone even needing to show her how to hold it! It’s almost like she already knew how to write.” She glances down briefly, noticing that my gla.s.s is empty, and pours me another. I take a mouthful, hesitating about how I should answer. It’s true that I showed her how by example, but... “Writing isn’t something that you can just simply start doing after watching someone else, especially with how smoothly she was writing right from the start. I train all of the new apprentice soldiers in how to write every season, so I know how difficult it is to learn. When they first start, they can barely draw a line, let alone write a single letter.” “Ahh, that’s right...” Corinna has instructed quite a few apprentices of her own in a variety of things, so she knows how rare it is for someone to be able to learn how to do something just by watching. “Her calculation abilities are also very strange. She said that she learned how to read numbers when her mother took her to the town market, but surely it’s impossible for someone to learn how to do math just from being taught the numbers, right?” “Well,” says Benno, “the apprentices who come to me already know a little bit of math. It’s something their parents teach them, you know?” The children who become apprentice merchants are generally the children of merchants themselves, so it’s not uncommon for the children to know how to read, write, and do basic math by the time they go through their baptismal ceremony. When I was a child, traveling with my trader parents, they taught me math and writing. Maine’s calculation abilities, however, are on an entirely different level. “It’s not just a little bit of math. The south gate’s financial report calculates the quant.i.ty and costs of all of the equipment that we’ll need over the course of the year, right? These aren’t the tiny numbers you see at the town market, these are very significant sums once you start adding them all up, and she was able to just start doing those calculations like it was an everyday sort of thing. Also, she didn’t even need to use a calculator, she just worked everything out on her slate.” “...That really isn’t something that you make an a.s.sistant do, usually? Letting a kid like her work on your financial report.” I shoot a glare towards an amused Benno. For the sake of shocking them, I then tell them something that I’ve never told anyone before. “...What?!” “...Seventy percent... Otto...” They’re even more surprised than I thought they were going to be. Their faces have gone rigid and their eyes have gone wide with shock. I can’t help but start laughing. “And it’s only seventy percent because there’s vocabulary words she doesn’t know yet! And it only gets worse. When I was away from the office, she was able to perfectly handle what needed to be done when someone came through with a letter of introduction from a n.o.bleman.” That had been shocking. I had been in a meeting that day, where my squad leader was constantly, restlessly, nervously fidgeting in his seat because he was missing the baptismal ceremony for his beloved daughter. When that let out, Maine came to me to give a report: a merchant carrying a letter of recommendation from a low-ranking member of the n.o.bility was waiting for processing. Essentially, when a visitor comes through with a letter of introduction from one n.o.bleman to another, we want to accommodate them as quickly as possible, validating their information and letting them through into the town. Even if they’re commoners, they should still be treated like low-ranking n.o.blemen. That day, the meeting I was in had been called by a high-ranking n.o.bleman. Of course, when having to decide what to prioritize, a high-ranking n.o.bleman’s request comes before that of a low-ranking n.o.bleman’s. However, if we were to mistreat a guest, then they’d get furious at how rude we were being, brandish their low-ranking n.o.ble’s letter of introduction like a s.h.i.+eld, barge into our meeting, infuriate the high-ranking n.o.bleman present, and make an enormous mess out of everything. Instead, Maine directed the merchant, who was not a n.o.bleman, to the waiting room for low-ranking n.o.blemen, tickling his sense of self-conceit, then explained the fact that the ranking officials were in the middle of a meeting called by a high-ranking n.o.bleman. Then, immediately after the meeting finished, she came to deliver a report so that there would be no misunderstandings with the leading private and the merchant could be swiftly processed through. She did all of this by instructing a new recruit what to do, despite the fact that he was so fl.u.s.tered that he was practically useless. It was perfect. “What an amazing girl, isn’t she?” says Corinna. “Amazing, hmm... more like strange. Weird. However, I think that Squad Leader Gunther hasn’t paid much attention to her peculiarities. From his perspective, I think he just sees her as his adorable, frail little girl. If I hadn’t told him that I wanted her to be my a.s.sistant, n.o.body would have noticed her excellence, would they? Even now, he says things like ‘my little girl is so clever!’ without, I think, actually realizing how abnormally clever she really is.” “It’s a good thing he’s so slow, isn’t it!” laughs Otto. “If she weirded him out, it wouldn’t be strange at all for him to throw her away!” Corinna frowns, sadly. “Don’t joke about things like that. I don’t even want to imagine it.” “It’s alright, Corinna,” I say, with a comforting smile. “Even if the squad leader did get weirded out, and if she were to be thrown out, then maybe Benno could adopt her instead. After all, she’s so brilliant that she was able to turn the tables on him completely.” Corinna softly smiles at that. Yep, as I thought, Corinna is way cuter when she smiles. “Hey,” says Benno, lightly drumming his fingers on the table, “do you think that girl’s going to be able to make that paper?” As he looks at me, I notice that his eyes once again are filled with a merchant’s shrewd gleam. “A kind of paper that isn’t parchment, was it? I think she can definitely do it.” “You’ve got a lot of faith in her, huh?” “Hmmm... earlier, she told me that there was something she wanted immediately, and she really wanted to make it, but she didn’t have the strength to do it herself... could it be that? I told her that she could always try to convince someone to do it for her if she couldn’t do it herself. If Lutz is going to be her hands and feet, moving as she directs, then she’ll be able to complete it.” She told me that she regretted how little strength and stamina she had, which means that she must already know how she wanted to make it. Then, she declared that she was going to be able to make it, as if she knew her probability of success was high. Most likely, that wasn’t a bluff. “...If she actually does this, it’ll turn the town’s market upside down. How am I going to handle this girl?” “Are you thinking of taking her on yourself?” From what Benno is saying, it sounds like he’s thinking about taking on not just Lutz as an apprentice, but Maine as well. It’s just a guess, but when I say it out loud, Benno’s eyes go wide. “Of course! You thin I could let a something like that fall into someone else’s hands?! Just what kinds of things is she capable of making by herself? That 'hairpin’ she wore, whatever product she uses in her hair, paper that isn’t parchment... and that’s just the things that I know about from today! She has to have even more ideas secreted away. She is a calamity that could singlehandedly throw the entire market into chaos.” “Wait a minute! That’s my apprentice! You can’t just steal her like that!” “She said that becoming a merchant was her number-two aspiration. She has no interest in being your a.s.sistant! You’ve only been training her for, what, half a year? Find someone else, Otto.” “Where am I going to find someone else who can be trained into usefulness in half a year?! Maine can think of things, Lutz can make those things, so then there’s no problem at all with her continuing to work at the gate, is there?!” I’m especially not going to surrender her during budget season. Benno and I glare at each other with all our might, willing the other to capitulate. I grab my cup, and pound back the rest of my drink. “Of course there is!” Benno roars. “I’m going to make her contract with the merchant’s guild. I can’t risk her getting s.n.a.t.c.hed up by someone else.” “Think about her health, then! Working with the merchant’s guild will be impossible!” “Her health?” Benno deflates, like he’s suddenly exhausted. I see an opening, and immediately hammer home my point. “Her const.i.tution is so weak that she’s almost shockingly feeble, right? Getting her to do any sort of work that involves her body would be impossible!” “...She’s that frail, huh?” “Yeah, when she went to a nearby village on pig-slaughtering day, she suddenly collapsed. The squad leader brought her back to the night duty room so she could rest. That was the first time I really came into contact with her. I thought that she was going to be fine, since she was in a warm room with a fireplace, so I gave her a slate so she could kill some time and left her alone. Not even one bell later, she got a fever and collapsed again.” “Uh?” I needed to stand watch that day, so I’d left her next to the fireplace in the night duty room for a while. When I came back in to check on her, she’d collapsed due to fever. When the squad leader came to pick her up, he told me to pay it no mind, because it happened all the time. Her extreme feebleness seems to be something her family just kind of accepts by now. “When spring came around, it was awful for her. She couldn’t even walk on her own from her house to the gate.” “Wait... to the gate?” asks Benno. “No matter where your house is in this town, making it to the gate isn’t really very far, you know?” adds Corinna. The city is surrounded on all sides by a wall, so the town itself isn’t actually all that big. Even going at a child’s pace, going from the west gate to the east gate shouldn’t take more than one bell’s worth of time. “That’s right, the squad leader’s house isn’t particularly far from the south gate. However, that didn’t do Maine any good. She’d get exhausted about halfway there, and after the squad leader carried her the rest of the way in his arms, she was laid out in the duty room, unable to move, all the way until noon. After that, she’d usually have to stay in bed for another two or three days.” “Hey, that... is she really alright? Won’t she just die if she has to do any work?” I can’t at all say that I’m not afraid of that. In particular, Benno is always full of vigor, and his workplace is so busy that it’s always br.i.m.m.i.n.g with raw energy. I can’t imagine that being a place where Maine would be fit to work. “Well, by the time spring was halfway through, she was finally able to make it all the way to the gate, and she needed to stay in bed far less than before. When spring was over, she was able to make it all the way out to the forest, but I think she still doesn’t have the strength to do any ordinary work. So, I was thinking that she should work at the gate, where doing paperwork is her sole responsibility and she can take care of herself...” “Mm...” I’d said she had a weak const.i.tution, but it seems like Benno hadn’t thought that she was quite so frail. He furrows his brow as he contemplates. He might be figuring out how to change course now that he knows that all of his previous plans aren’t going to work out for him. If that’s the case, then I should probably give him one more piece of information. “Lutz is the one who’s always been keeping an eye on Maine. Whenever she got separated from the rest of the children coming back from the forest, Lutz stayed behind to escort her all the way back. The squad leader gave him some pocket money for it, but I think he did it because of his strong sense of loyalty and responsibility.” Lutz is at that age where most boys just want to run around wildly, but he’s instead always accompanying Maine. That’s not something that just anyone could do. Incidentally, I don’t have any strong sense of loyalty like that; there’s n.o.body to whom I’m devoted besides Corinna. “...I can’t fathom all of that girl’s abnormalities, but that boy is pretty strange too,” says Benno. Benno rubs his chin lightly, looking like he’s just remembered something. Gradually, an unpleasant expression creeps onto his face. “It wasn’t just the girl who was able to stand up to my stare and clearly state their own opinions. Moreover, most people would ordinarily see a sickly girl like that as trouble, but he seems to treat her like he’s her guardian? He stood in front of her, like he was trying to protect her from me. Despite that, though, as soon as she started negotiating with me, he stepped back like it was only natural for him to do so.” Just like Benno said, after he clearly made his declaration, he handed the reins over to Maine as she made the proposal. This doesn’t seem to me like the usual sort of protector/protectee relations.h.i.+p. What kind of relations.h.i.+p could they possibly have? “There aren’t very many kids who think about when they should step forward or when they should let someone else do the talking. On top of that, even though I couldn’t get any information out of the girl, she tells him everything so that he can make things for her. If I only had the girl, I wouldn’t be able to get information out of her, so it would be meaningless. If I only had the boy, then the girl would find someone else to make her things for her, so that would be meaningless too. It’s much better to keep those two as a set.” I can’t help but smile when I see the sharpness of Benno’s merchant’s intuition. He didn’t just notice Maine, he also sized up how useful Lutz was, and after meeting the two of them just once, he so clearly noticed all of those things about them. He’s as quick-witted as they come. “You’ve got a keen sense of smell as always... The squad leader seems to put a lot of trust in Lutz as well. He seems to be the person who has the greatest influence on her. He’s there for her right when she collapses, and he can prevent her from running amok to chase things outside her reach by skillfully helping her out.” “Hmm, if he’s able to confidently state that he’ll make everything that Maine can come up with, then he must have something to back that up.” Lutz had said something about how Maine was always like that. There’s probably even more things that Maine has done that I’m not even aware of. “I think they’ve probably made some other weird things together, probably. Didn’t they mention something called 'clay tablets’?” “...Weird things? d.a.m.n, I have no idea what kind of things they could be making! Regardless, those two are a single set. I’ll take them both. I’ll surrender neither of them to you.” With a single stroke, the subject was settled. Corinna stands up from her chair, leaving to go start preparing dinner. She leaves behind a lamp for the table, a small cask in case we wanted to refill our drinks, and some snacks to go with our liquor. As I gnaw on the slightly salty jerky, I look over at Benno pouring himself another drink. “Hey, Benno. Do you have any idea of what Maine was asking about, that wriggling sort of fever inside her body?” “...” “I’ve never heard of a fever that thrashes around inside your body like that, feeling like it’s going to consume you.” From his reaction when Maine asked the question, I think he might have some inkling of what might be happening, and from his reaction now, I think he really does know something. His eyes are raised, just a little bit, as if he’s worried about whether or not he should say anything. After spending a while in contemplation, he mutters something in a voice that’s almost too quiet to hear. “It might be... the devouring. I don’t have any proof, though.” “...The devouring? What’s that?” “It’s not an illness. It’s where you let too much mana build up in you with nothing to use it on. It eats you from the inside, then you die.” “Wh... what?! Isn’t mana something that only the n.o.bility have?” My eyes fly open as soon as I hear that rare word. Mana is not a thing that commoners have. It’s a mysterious and powerful force. It’s not something that’s seen frequently, so I don’t know much about it at all, but it’s said you can change the course of nations if you have enough of it. That’s why those who possess mana are the n.o.bility, governing the country at the top. “...It’s not common, but there are people outside of the n.o.bility who have mana. However, the magical implements needed to release that mana are very expensive, so it’s more accurate to say that only the n.o.bility have the ability to properly use their mana.” Benno is quickly rising through a company with connections to the n.o.bility, so his knowledge about the workings of this country is much deeper than mine. “Huh! Maine has mana. I wonder if that’s why she’s so strange?” “Didn’t I just say that I have no proof? If it’s the devouring, though, that would explain why she’s so small for her age and why she collapses so frequently.” “Is mana so hazardous?” I had thought that mana was a wondrous, useful, but mysterious thing, but if Maine’s weakness is the result of magic, then I wonder if it’s something dangerous as well. “If this somehow really is the devouring... yeah. If it’s the devouring, and she can’t release that mana, that girl is... going to die very soon.” “Wh–?!” An image of Maine’s doting father flashes into my mind, and I’m hit with a feeling like a bucket of cold water was dumped over me. I stare at Benno in shock. From the serious expression on his face, this doesn’t look like any sort of joke or friendly banter. “It seems that mana builds up in someone as they grow up, and it starts to devour their heart. There are many commoners who don’t have access to magical implements who just simply die before they’re even baptized.” “Is there anything she can do?” If anyone knows of a good solution to this problem, it would be Benno. As I plaintively ask for advice, he combs his fingers back through his hair, then lets out a sigh. “If she had the backing of a n.o.ble, then they could lend her a magical implement and postpone her death. ...However, she’d effectively be theirs until she died. She’d only be living for the sake of using her power for that n.o.ble. Between dying surrounded by her family or living her entire life as a n.o.ble’s pet, I don’t know which I would rather choose.” “...” There was no salvation in anything he just said. To be honest, I have no idea which of those two I’d pick, either. I don’t want to die, but I also am deeply concerned that being a n.o.bleman’s pet for life would be equally awful. “It’s a somewhat different story if you can keep the built-up power pinned down with your willpower. A child, though, doesn’t have the sheer force of will to be able to keep that up indefinitely. ...I wonder how that girl will do?” Just looking at Maine, I can tell that she has much more willpower than other kids her age. However, I don’t know if even she’ll be able to hold down her mana long enough to keep the devouring at bay. She seems to be keeping it in check for now, but if her mana keeps growing as she does, then I don’t think anyone could have any idea about when she might finally reach her limit. “Otto, don’t look so serious. We still don’t actually know if it’s the devouring. Look at it this way: if it really was, she’d be very close to death. Do you think she’d be able to walk around outside if that were actually the case?” A tiny bit of relief and a heavy pile of anxiety simultaneously crash through my heart. That’s right, Maine has seemed close to death countless times. She may be able to walk around outside now, but that was the result of her enormous struggle during the spring. Before that, I hear that she really wasn’t able to go out like that. Is she really going to be okay? I don’t know whether I should tell the squad leader about this or not. Inexpressible emotions tumble around in my chest, and I down the rest of my drink.

美人で可愛い嫁、コリンナを世している男だ。 クリーム色の髪にグレイの瞳。全体的に淡い色彩は清らかで、やんわりとした雰囲気のコリンナによく似合っている。 世界の中心で叫べる。俺のコリンナは世界一! 今日は助手であるマインの紹介で、旅商人になりたいなんて言うルッツ少年と会った。現実を優しく叩きつけて、ルッツの夢を粉々に壊してきたところだ。 「ただいま、コリンナ。今帰ったよ。ベンノも一緒だ」 「おかえりなさい。......洗礼前の子供を苛めて、よくそんな笑顔で帰ってこられるわね」 「その唇を尖らせた顔も可愛いな」 本格的に呆れられたらしいことを悟って、俺は軽く肩を竦めて、弁解する。別に苛めたくて苛めたわけではない。おとぎ話に憧れる子供に現実を教えただけだ。 「仕方がない。旅商人になってもいいことなんかないからな。確かに希望を粉々に粉砕したけど、その方が彼のためだ」 コリンナのグレイの瞳が伏せられて、痛々しげに眉が寄せられた。子供とはいえ、他の男のための憂い顔が少しばかり俺の心を波立たせる。 「コリンナは優しいな。会ったこともない子供のためにそんなに心を痛めるなんて......」 「邪魔だ、オットー。さっさと中に入ってくれ」 慌てたようにコリンナが俺を脇に退けて、ベンノを迎え入れる。 「いらっしゃい、ベンノ兄さん。......ずいぶん不機嫌そうね。お断りした罪悪感かしら?」 眉間に深い皺が刻まれ、普段の愛想の良さは欠片も見当たらないベンノを見て、コリンナはそう言ったが、ベンノはルッツをお断りなんてしていないので、もちろん、罪悪感など覚えているはずがない。 「コリンナ、違う、違う。商人見習いになりたいと言ったルッツをベンノが怖がらせて追い払おうとしたのに、追い払えなかったばかりか、マインちゃんに突きつけられた条件を呑むことになったんだ。マインちゃんに返り討ちにされたんだよ。不機嫌なのはそのせいだ」 低い声でベンノが凄むが、俺は無視してコリンナと家の中に入って行く。 いい気味だ。いつもマインに驚かされている俺の気分をたっぷりと味わうと良い。 コリンナの腰を抱いて、クリーム色の髪に何度も唇を落としながら、応接室へと向かえば、ベンノに「俺がいない時にやれ」とげんこつを落とされた。 部屋の中央に、食堂とは違って丸い形の木のテーブルがあり、椅子が4脚準備されている。服以外に布を使えるのは富の証しなので、この応接室は、ウチの中で一番布が多い。 用がないので、この応接室に俺が入ることはあまりないが、ここにはコリンナの作品が飾られているので、それを見るだけでも楽しい気分になれる。 「いやぁ、あの展開にはビックリしたな。まさか、ベンノが譲歩させられるとは......」 そして、俺の隣の椅子に座った後、少しばかり椅子を俺の方へと寄せてくる。本当に可愛い。 コリンナがこんな風にねだってくることは滅多にないので、俺は心の中でマインに称賛の拍手を送りながら、軽く今日の流れを話して聞かせた。 話を聞き終わったコリンナが目を丸くして、ベンノを見つめる。 「人と会うためにできるだけ身だしなみを整えて、鐘が鳴るよりずっと早くから広場にいて待っていられるなんて......ベンノ兄さん、最初から完全に負けているじゃない」 最低限の身だしなみを整えることと、お願いした相手より早く待ち合わせ場所で待つことは商人にとっては当たり前のことだ。それができているかどうかで、心構えを見てやろうと思っていたが、ルッツはどちらもクリアしていた。 多分、マインが誘導したのだろうけれど。 今日の勝者はマインで間違いないだろう。おかげで、ベンノが譲歩する場面を見ることができたわけだ。 「いやぁ、マインちゃんのお陰で予想以上に面白い会合だったよ」 「マインちゃんって、班長さんのお嬢さんでしょ? とても頭が良いって貴方が言っていた」 「あぁ、そうだよ。でも、俺の助手になって、半年以上がたったが、未だにつかみきれないんだ。どうすれば、こんな子供が育つんだろうと思うくらい変わった子だよ」 旅商人として、色々な土地で色々な階級の人間と接してきた俺にはマインの異様さが際立って見える。 「なぁ、オットー。あれは何だ?」 「言っただろう? 俺の助手だ」 「違う。わかってるくせに、誤魔化すな。あれは本当に兵士の娘か?」 「それは間違いない。けど、俺だって変だと思っている」 コリンナが不思議そうに首を傾げた。 マインのことを頭が良いとか、身体が弱いとか、その日あったことを交えながら話をしたことはあったけれど、変だということは言ったことがない。マインの異常さは実際に見てみないとわからないと思ったからだ。 「まず、見た目がおかしいんだよ。マインちゃんはいつだって兵士の娘とは思えないくらい小奇麗だ。着ている服自体はその辺りの子供と大差ない。継ぎ接ぎの当たったぼろぼろの服なのに、肌と髪の艶が綺麗過ぎる。班長はそこらの兵士と同じようなおっさんなのに、二人の娘は肌も薄汚れていないし、髪も艶があるんだ」 「お母様がお手入れされているんじゃない?」 裕福な商人の娘として育ったコリンナは、貧民の生活を見て知っていても、明確には理解できていない。肌や髪の手入れをするには、時間も金も品物もかかる。貧しいとそんなものにかける余裕などないのだ。 「......冬に見たけど、母親が率先して手入れをしているようじゃなかった。班長にはもったいない美人さんだったけど」 冬の晴れ間にパルゥを採るため、マインが門に預けられていた。引き取りに来た母親を見たが、特筆するほど小奇麗だった印象はない。 「もちろん俺にはコリンナが一番だ。それは絶対に変わらない」 「はいはい。もういいわ。......それで、マインちゃんは、ベンノ兄さんから見ても変だと思うの?」 コリンナに話を向けられたベンノは杯を置いて、天井の梁を見上げながら、ゆっくりと息を吐く。 「あぁ。光が浮き上がるように艶のある夜色の髪に、真っ白で汚れがない肌で、労働と生活感を感じさせない手だった。歯も白かったな。全てがボロの服とちぐはぐな印象で、どう考えても不自然だった」 「光が浮き上がるほど艶がある......ですって!? 何をしたらそうなるの!?」 「え? コリンナはそのままでも十分だよ?」 「オットーは黙ってて。ベンノ兄さんに聞いてるの」 女性にとって、髪の艶はかなりの関心事になるようだ。コリンナが裁縫以外でここまで興味を示すのは珍しい。 「何か付けて手入れしているようだが、何をつけているのか教えてもらえなかったな」 「秘密って言われたもんな、ベンノ」 「オットーは教えてもらえるの?」 「......多分、これから先は警戒されて、聞き出せないと思う」 マインの髪の艶の秘密を知りたがるコリンナのために、駄目でもともと、今度会ったらマインに聞いてみよう。 「髪の艶はともかく、手が綺麗なのは、身体が小さくて、腕力がないから、大した手伝いもできないせいだよ。それに、マインちゃんの肌の白さは病弱ですぐに寝込むから、外に出ることがなくて、日に当たることが少ないせいだと思う。実際、外に出るようになったのは、春以降のことだし」 「......そういえば、前回は嬢ちゃんが熱を出したから、会合が流れたんだったな」 も熱が下がらなかったせいで、班長がピリピリして大変だったことを思い出して、俺はうんざりとした表情を隠せないまま頷いた。 「つまり、マインちゃんのそういう外見は病弱なせいでしょ? 変わっていると言うほどでもないんじゃない?」 コリンナは話を聞いて、大したことがないと判断したらしい。興味を失ったように、肩を竦めるコリンナにベンノが首を振った。 「いや、外見だけじゃない。俺が気になったのは姿勢や口調だ。......これは躾をされていないと身につくわけがない。まさか、親が落ちぶれた貴族で躾に厳しいってわけでもないんだろう?」 班長の家庭事情について、そこまで詳しいわけではないけれど、マイン以外の家族を見れば、貴族と繋がりがあるかどうかはわかる。 「班長にはもう一人娘がいるけれど、そっちは結構普通。髪に艶があって、比較的綺麗な肌をしているけど。それだけ。マインちゃんと違って周りから浮くほどじゃない」 「コリンナ、あの嬢ちゃんの異常さは見た目だけじゃない。俺に睨まれても目を逸らさない胆力、髪の艶については情報を伏せて有利に事を運ぼうとする頭の回転、現物がなくてもハッタリかます度胸、条件つけてくる交渉......どれをとっても洗礼前の子供のものじゃない」 「ベンノ兄さんに睨まれても目を逸らさない子供なんていたの!? その子、変だわ。間違いなく、変よ」 ベンノが長男でコリンナが末っ子で、コリンナが幼い頃に父親を亡くしたことで、ベンノはコリンナの父親代わりでもあった。幼い頃から叱られてきたコリンナは、大人でも目を逸らしたくなるベンノの怖さを嫌というほど知っている。 「あ~、計算能力に記憶力もすごいぞ。そういえば、石板を与えた時もビックリしたんだ。誰に教えられることもなく、正しく石筆を持って書いていたんだぜ。まるで、書き方を知っているように」 そりゃあ、見せたけどね、と答えて、俺はコリンナが入れてくれた酒を一口飲んだ。酒で口を湿らせながら、何と言えばいいか、逡巡する。 「見てすぐにすらすら書くのは、そう簡単にできることじゃないって。季節ごとに入ってくる見習い兵士に字を教えているからわかるんだけどさ。石筆の持ち方を教えて、思ったように線を引けるようにならないと、字は書けないんだ」 コリンナも見習いに物を教えることが多いため、見せれば覚えるのではないことをよく知っているのだろう。 「マインちゃんは計算能力もおかしい。本人は市場で数字を母親に教えてもらったと言っていたけど、数字を教えてもらっただけで計算ができるはずがないだろう?」 「いや、ウチに来る見習いだって、少しの計算くらいはできる。親がしていれば多少は覚えているものだぜ?」 商人の見習いになるのは基本的に親が商人なので、洗礼式の頃に文字の読み書きや計算が多少できる子供も少なくはない。俺だって、小さい頃から旅商人の親について回っていたので、計算も文字も教えられた。 「少しなんてもんじゃないんだ。会計報告なんて、南門で使われる備品の数や値段を計算するものだろ? 市場で使われているような小さい数字だけじゃなくて、合計していくとかなり大きな桁の数になる。それを当たり前のように、計算できるんだ。それも、計算機も使わずに、石板に数字を並べて書くだけで」 「......やっぱり助手として活躍してんじゃねぇか。あんな子供に会計報告を手伝わせるなんて」 面白がるベンノを軽く睨んで、俺は二人を驚かせるために、誰にも言ったことがないことを告げた。 「......はぁ!?」 「......七割って、貴方......」 予想以上に驚いてくれたようだ。目を見開いて一瞬固まった顔がよく似ていて、思わず笑ってしまう。 「まだ覚えている単語数が少なくて、それだからな。末恐ろしいぞ。俺の留守中に、貴族の紹介状に対して完璧な対応をしてのけたんだ」 溺愛している娘の洗礼式の日に会議があって、そわそわうずうずいらいらしている班長にやきもきしながら会議を終えると、マインから報告を受けた。下級貴族の紹介状を持った商人が待っている、と。 本来、貴族から貴族へ紹介されている客は、確認が取れ次第、できるだけ速く城壁へと行けるよう便宜を図ることになっている。客が平民でも下級貴族のように扱うのだ。 そんな中、マインは貴族ではない商人に下級貴族用の待合室を使うことで商人の自尊心をくすぐり、上級貴族が招集した会議だと説明することで納得させた。そして、会議終了すぐに報告してもらったことで、士長と行き違いにもならず、速やかに処理することができた。 「すごいというか......異常。おかしい。でも、多分、父親であるギュンター班長はマインの特異性に気付いていないと思う。班長の接し方を見れば、病弱で可愛い娘に対するものでしかないんだ。俺が助手にしたいと言わなかったら、優秀さにも気付いていなかったんじゃないかな? 今も「ウチの子、賢い」レベルで、異常なほど賢いことはよくわかっていないと思う」 「鈍い親でよかったじゃねぇか。気味悪がって捨てられてもおかしくないぞ」 ベンノの言葉にコリンナが悲しげに眉を寄せる。 「そんなこと、冗談でも言わないで。想像もしたくないわ」 「大丈夫だよ、コリンナ。たとえ、親が気味悪がって捨てたとしても、ベンノが拾ってくれるさ。マインちゃんはベンノを返り討ちにできるくらい優秀なんだから」 俺が笑ってそう言うと、コリンナがくすりと笑った。 ベンノが指先でテーブルをトントンと軽く叩きながら、俺を見据える。赤褐色の目が先を読もうとする商人の目になっていた。 「羊皮紙じゃない紙、だっけ? 確実にやるさ」 「ずいぶんと信頼してるんだな?」 「ん~......今すぐにでも欲しくて、作りたいけど、自分では力がなくてできないって言ってたのが、それじゃないかな? 自分でできないなら、他の奴にやらせろって、俺がこの間焚きつけた。ルッツがマインちゃんの要求通りの手足になれたら、完成するさ」 力も体力もない、と悔しそうに言っていたが、それはつまり、作り方はわかっているということだ。 「......実現したら市場がひっくり返るぞ。あの嬢ちゃん、どう扱うかな?」 「もしかして、マインちゃんを抱え込む気か?」 ベンノの言葉から、ルッツだけではなくマインまで見習いとして抱え込むつもりだと推測して問いかけると、くわっとベンノが目を見開いた。 「当たり前だ! あんなもの、余所にやれるか!? あの嬢ちゃん一人だけで一体どれだけの商品が作れる? あのカンザシ、髪の艶を出す物、羊皮紙じゃない紙......俺が今日知ったのはこれだけだが、絶対に色々隠し持っている。市場をひっくり返す災害になる」 「ちょっと待て! アレは俺の助手だ。勝手に連れていくなよ」 「本人の第二希望が商人だ。助手に興味はないってよ。半年仕込んだだけだろ? 他を当たれ」 「半年であれだけ使えるようになるヤツが他にいるわけないだろ! マインちゃんが考えて、ルッツが作るなら、マインちゃんは門で仕事していても問題ないじゃないか!」 特に決算時期だけは譲れない。力一杯睨んだが、ベンノも全く譲ろうとしない。 「駄目だ! 商業ギルドと契約させる。他に取られるような危険は冒せない」 「マインちゃんの体力を考えると、商業ギルドは無理だ!」 「体力?」 ベンノが虚をつかれたように、勢いを失くす。 「ビックリするほど虚弱で病弱なんだぞ? 身体を使うような仕事は無理だ!」 「......そんなに虚弱なのか?」 「あぁ、豚の処理に農村に行ったマインちゃんがそこで倒れて、班長が宿直室に連れてきたのが初めてきちんと接した時だけどさ。暖炉がある部屋だから大丈夫だろうと、暇潰し用の石板与えて鐘一つ分放っておいたら、熱出して倒れてた」 見張りに立たなければならないので、暖炉のある部屋に置いておいたのに、様子を見に行ったら、熱を出して倒れていた。迎えに来た班長が「気にするな。いつものことだ」と言っていたので、その虚弱さは家族にとって当たり前のものらしい。 「春になったばかりの頃はひどかったぞ。家から門まで歩けなかったんだ」 「門まで、だと?」 「街のどこに家があっても、門まで歩くのってそれほど遠くないわよ?」 街の回りを外壁がぐるりと取り巻くのだから、街自体、それほど大きなものではない。子供の足でも西門から東門まで、鐘一つ分の時間があれば歩けるはずだ。 「そう、班長の家は南門から大して遠くない。でも、駄目だったんだ。途中でへたれて、班長に抱えられてやってきた後、宿直室で倒れて昼まで動けない。ついでに、2~3日は確実に寝込んでいた」 「おい、それ、本当に大丈夫なのかよ? 仕事させたら死ぬんじゃないのか?」 特に、今勢いがあるベンノの仕事場は活気に溢れている分、忙しい。マインの体力で務まるとは思えない。 「うーん、春の中頃にやっと門まで歩けるようになって、寝込む日数も減ってきて、春の終わり頃に森に行けるようになったけど、まだ普通の仕事ができる体力はないと思う。だからこそ、書類仕事専用で門が面倒見ようと思っていたんだし......」 「むぅ......」 病弱と言っても、そこまで虚弱だとは思っていなかったのだろう。ベンノが眉間を押さえて考え込む。今まで考えてきた計画では駄目だと方向転換するのだろう。 「そんなマインちゃんの面倒をずっと見てきたのがルッツなんだ。子供達の集団から遅れるマインに付き添って森まで行くんだ。班長に多少の小遣いをもらっていたとはいえ、献身的で責任感は強いみたいだぞ」 走り回りたい年頃の男の子が虚弱なマインに付き添うのだ。誰にでもできることではない。 「......あの嬢ちゃんの異常性に隠れてわかりにくいが、坊主も相当変だぞ」 「ん?」 何かを思い出そうとするように軽く顎を撫でていたベンノが、だんだん苦々しい顔になっていく。 「俺の睨みに耐えて、自分の意見を言ったのは、嬢ちゃんだけじゃないってことだ。それに、普通はそれだけ病弱な嬢ちゃんの面倒をみていたんだったら、嬢ちゃんは庇護対象だろう? もっと全面的に前へ出て、俺から嬢ちゃんを守ろうとするはずだ。それなのに、坊主は嬢ちゃんが交渉し始めたら、当然のように一歩下がった」 「あぁ、そういえば......」 確かにベンノの言うとおり、一度ハッキリと宣言した後は、発言の場をマインに譲っていた。普通の保護者と庇護対象の関係では見られないだろう。一体どういう関係なんだろうか。 「出る時と譲る時を考えられる子供は少ない。それに、俺には情報を出さなかったあの嬢ちゃんが、坊主には自分の考えた物を作らせるんだ。嬢ちゃんだけいても、情報が引き出せなかったら意味がない。坊主だけいても嬢ちゃんが他の奴に作らせるようになれば意味がない。あれは、二人で一組にしておいた方がいいんだ」 商人の目で見るとマインのおまけに見えるはずのルッツの有用性に、たった一度顔を合わせただけでしっかり気が付いているのだから、目端が利くなんてものではない。 「相変わらず嗅覚が鋭い......。班長もルッツを信頼しているみたいだ。ルッツが一番うまくマインを動かすって。倒れるギリギリを見計らい、自分の手に余ることをやりたがるマインを暴走させないように、うまく助けたり、流したりできるんだってさ」 「ふぅん、マインが考えた物は全部オレが作るって自信は、一応裏付けがあるんだな」 マインがずっとそうだった、と言っていたくらいだ。俺が知っている以外にも、色々やったのだろう。 「何か、変なもん、一緒に作ってたらしいからな。ネンドバンとか言ってたっけ?」 「......変なもん? くっそ、何が出てくるのか、全然予想できないんだよ! とにかく、あいつらは二人で一組。俺がとる。お前にはどっちも譲らん」 そこで一度、話題に決着がついたので、コリンナが食事の準備をするために席を立った。 「なぁ、ベンノ。お前、マインちゃんが言っていた身体の中で熱がうごめく病気って心当たりあるか?」 「......」 「身体の中で熱が暴れまくって、食われそうになるように感じる病気なんて俺は知らない」 マインに質問を受けた時の反応で、もしかしたら知っているのではないかと思った。やはり知っていたようだ。言った方がいいのかどうか悩んで、視線が少しばかり上へと向く。 「身食い、かもしれないとは思った。ただ、確証はない」 「......身食い? なんだそれ?」 「病気じゃない。魔力が自分の中で増加しすぎてもどうすることもできなくて、魔力に食われて死ぬんだ」 「は、はぁ!? 魔力って貴族だけが持っているものじゃなかったのか?」 魔力というのは、平民は持たない、不思議で強大な力らしい。滅多に見るものではないから、よく知らないが、魔力がなければ国を動かすことはできないと言われている。 「......それほど数は多くないが、貴族以外にも魔力を持つヤツはいる。ただ、魔力を放出するための魔術具が高価だから、貴族以外はろくに魔力が使えないというのが正しいな」 貴族とも付き合いのある商会へと伸し上がっているベンノは、この国のことに関しては俺よりも知識が深い。 「ふぅん、マインちゃんは魔力を持っていたのか。変なのってそのせいかな?」 「確証はないと言っているだろう? だが、身食いなら、あの嬢ちゃんが年齢よりずっとちっこくてすぐに倒れるのも説明はつく」 「魔力って、危険なものなのか?」 不思議で便利なものだと漠然と考えていたが、マインの虚弱さが魔力のせいなら、かなり危険なものではないだろうか。 「もし、身食いだったとしたら......の話だ。身食いなら、魔術具がないと、あの嬢ちゃんは......近いうちに死ぬ」 マインを溺愛する班長の姿が脳裏に浮かび、冷水を浴びせられたような気分でベンノを凝視する。 「成長と共に増えてくる魔力に心が食われるらしい。放出するための魔術具がない平民なら洗礼式までもたないことが多いそうだ」 「何か方法はないのか?」 ベンノならば何か良い手段を知っているのではないか。すがるような気分で尋ねると、ぐしゃりと髪を掻き上げて、溜息を吐いた。 「貴族の後援があれば、魔術具を借りることができるから、死は免れる。......だが、一生飼い殺しだ。その貴族のためだけに力を使わされ、生きることになる。このまま家族のもとで死を迎えるのと、一生飼い殺しと、どちらがいいかはわからんな」 「......」 確かにどちらがいいのか、俺にはわからない。死にたくはないが、貴族に飼い殺しにされるのもごめんだ、と心底思う。 「意思の強さによって、抑えられる力は違うらしいから、いつまでもつかは知らんが、子供の精神力ではそれほどもたない。......あの嬢ちゃんはどうだろうな?」 マインを見ていると、子供にしては精神力が強い方だと思う。ただ、それが身食いという自分の魔力を抑えられるようなものかどうかはわからない。 「オットー、あまり深刻になるな。まだ身食いだと決まったわけじゃない。だいたい、本当に身食いだったら、そろそろ死にかけている。あんな風に外を歩き回れるような身体じゃないはずなんだ」 わずかな安堵と多大な不安が同時に胸に押し寄せてきた。 外を歩き回れるようになったのは、春からの努力の成果で、それまではほとんど外に出られない子供だったと聞いている。 班長に報告した方がいいのだろうか。 胸の内をぐるぐると回る、何とも言えない感情を、俺は酒で腹の奥に流し込んだ。

“Gaaah! I solved my paper problem, but now I have to get ink, too! Why meee!” No store in this area sells anything like the ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils I’m used to. There are no regular pencils, no fountain pens, and, of course, there’s neither liquid nor block ink. If ink were freely available, then I wouldn’t need anything more than a sharp stick to write with, but ink is so expensive that I can’t obtain it at all. I know how much the slate pencils I get paid in cost, but I don’t know what my special wages will be during bonus season, so I can’t use Otto’s three-year estimate to calculate how much it actually costs. It’s three years’ worth of work, you know? My options here are: buy it, find it, be given it, steal it, and make it. Thinking about it, the only real option I have is to make it. After all, there’s no way I can actually steal any from the night duty room... It seems like it’s not just books that I have to hand-make, but ink as well. Even so, is making ink even something that I’m capable of doing? I know that it involves a pigment and a drying oil, but will I be able to acquire whatever pigments and oils exist in this world? “Wouldn’t it be great if I could just find an ‘octopus’ or a 'squid’? Where the heck is the ocean?!” I shout, tightly clutching the mokkan I’ve been carving. Lutz, sitting next to me, flinches. “What now?!” he says, turning to look at me. “Lutz, can you think of anything here I can use as ink?! Or even a way I can make it?!” Of course, going on a journey to the ocean and fis.h.i.+ng up a octopi and squid is unrealistic. However, I can’t think of a single thing amongst my possessions that I could use to make either a liquid or solid ink. “What’s 'ink’?” “Ummm, it’s a black liquid, that you use for writing on things like these boards...” Explaining the concept of ink to someone who’d ordinarily never see anything like it is rather difficult. Lutz tilts his head in confusion as I try to lay it out for him. “A black thing? If you don’t mind unclean sorts of things, then do you think maybe ash or soot might work?” “Yeah, that! I’ll try that!” If I’m going to use ash or soot, then that’s something that my home always has around in the cinders of our fireplace. This is something that I can undoubtedly get immediately. As soon as I return home, I immediately try asking my mother. “Mommy, can I use some of this ash?” “No, you can’t,” she replies immediately, rejecting me without any hesitation. “Huh? Why not?” “We use ash to make soap, melt snow, dye things, sell to farmers... it has a lot of uses, you know? Please don’t arbitrarily waste any of it.” Come to think of it, when spring came around, I helped scatter ashes around for some incomprehensible reason, like I was in Hanasaka Jiisan. I guess that was for melting snow, huh? I only just figured that out now. If we need to use a lot of it for making soap, then I guess it really is an important material. Since we can sell whatever’s left over, it seems like it would be difficult for me to acquire any ash, but I wonder if my other option, using soot, would be feasible? “Then, Mommy, could I use the soot?” My mother scowls a little bit after I asked for another thing, but after a moment she suddenly breaks out into a smile. “Well, I don’t know what you want to use it for, but, sure, you can have some soot.” “Oh, yay!” “You can have whatever you can sweep out of the stove. You can get even more if you clean out the chimney too, you know!” “Wha?! ...Ah... right. ...I guess, you’re right.” My grinning mother has taken advantage of my plight, and now I get to sweep out the chimney. This wasn’t what I’d expected to have to do, but if it’s for the sake of gathering soot, then I’ve got no choice. With fire in my eyes, I grab the narrow broom we use for sweeping the chimney, only to be stopped by my mother, her grin slipping from her face. “Wait just one second, Maine! Are you planning on doing that in those clothes?!” “...Huh? I shouldn’t?” These clothes are already kind of dirty and worn-out, so I have no idea how it could possibly be a problem for me to sweep out the stove in clothes like this. I look skeptically at my mother as she goes to get her sewing kit and the box of old cleaning rags. “I’ll make you something better, wait for a moment.” With high spirits, my mother st.i.tches together some clothing made out of cleaning rags with lightning speed. I change into my new cleaning-rag clothes, then decide that it wouldn’t do at all for my hair to get stained with soot, so I pin it up and use another rag as a bandana to cover my head. Wow, I never thought I’d be doing Cinderella cosplay, but here I am. First of all, I sc.r.a.pe the ashes out of the bottom of the fireplace and set them aside. After that, I stick my head in the oven and start knocking down and collecting all of the soot that I can. This is probably the first time I’ve actually been glad to have such a small body. I can’t deny my mother’s smile, so while I was at it I started sweeping out the chimney to collect the soot from there as well. As black particles crumble from the walls, the chimney starts looking cleaner and cleaner, and the pile of my much sought-after soot grows taller and taller. This is way more fun than I thought it was going to be when I started out, and I got so engrossed in it that I wound up pus.h.i.+ng myself too hard. The next day, my fever came back and I was laid out all day. I may be covered in soot, I may have collapsed, but I somehow managed to collect my pile of soot. Now I need to get my health back as well... I really want to get better enough today to start working on writing with this soot. “I think we try water first?” The first step that I came up with is dissolving the soot in water. I feel like it might turn into something ink-like. Somehow. I scoop a little bit of water from the river into a wooden bowl add some soot, and then stir it round and round with a piece of wood. The soot doesn’t seem to dissolve very well, and most of it just floats on top of the water. “Well, I wonder how well you can write with it?” I nod at him, then dip the sharpened stick we’re using in place of a pen into the bowl. Tentatively, I try marking the top of one of my mokkan with its page number, “”. However, way more of the soot stuck to my stick than to the wood of the board, and the number that I wrote is so faint as to be illegible. “Ah, man... That’s a failure.” “What’s next?” “Hmmm, well, my original theory was that I should try mixing the soot with oil, but...” Oil is one thing I can’t request from my mother. Vegetable oil is used not only in a lot of our cooking, but I also use a lot of it to make my simple shampoo, so we never have enough of it. Also, animal-based oils are used for making candles and soaps, so I think that’s not something I can easily get either. Probably, my mother would shoot down my request as quickly as she did when I asked about the ashes. “Using oil, huh. I guess you couldn’t get any?” “Yeah, it’s impossible. Is there nothing else we could try...?” Searching for hints, I flip through in my mind all of the j.a.panese writing implements I can think of. “Ah, the 'paints’ that were used in 'j.a.panese painting’ used 'gelatin glue’... but, I’m not allowed to use any fire, so that’s not going to work.” In the future, I might be able to try making a gelatin-based ink, but right now I don’t have that kind of setup. If I were to be able to use gelatin, then I could make paints out of natural materials, so my options would dramatically increase. However, I can’t actually wait until I grow up. “Heeey, Maine, you still with me?” says Lutz, waving his hand back and forth in front of my face to bring my thoughts back down to earth. “Snap out of it.” “Hmmm, well, it’s probably okay if it’s not a liquid. We could make something like 'crayons’ or'chalk’ or... 'pencils’... Ah, right! We can use clay! Let’s mix it with clay!” “If I’m not mistaken, mixing 'graphite’ with clay will give me something like 'pencil lead’. Like, um... 'conté’, maybe...? Well, whatever. We’re using soot, not 'graphite’, but I think it’ll work out!” Mix soot and clay, make it into round, slender sticks, then let them dry out. Once they harden up, I may actually be able to write with them. “Lutz, back when we were making 'clay tablets’, we dug up the clay somewhere around here, right?” “We don’t have to dig any up, actually. Last time, we dug up more than we used, and I think we put the leftovers somewhere around that rock.” Just like he says, there’s a small pile of clay over there. I take a bit of it, then knead soot into it until it’s thoroughly mixed. My mental image here is something like a Coupy Pencil or the core of a pencil. If touching it doesn’t blacken your fingertips, it won’t produce a usable color. Both my hands and the rock that I’m using as a work surface get stained pitch black as I work. I roll my soot pencils into long, slender tubes, then cut them down to about the length of a pencil. If these harden up when they dry, then this will be a great success. I try to wash my hands off in the river, but they don’t get much cleaner. I’m going to have to scrub down with soap when I get home. These persistent stains, however, make me feel like I’ll definitely be able to write with these. “How long should we let these dry for, I wonder?” I say. “Should we maybe try baking them?” “Let’s not do anything unnecessary. They might explode again.” “Urgh...” Over the next few days, my soot pencils gradually start to dry out and solidify. I wrap one in an old dust rag so that I’ll be able to use it without staining my hands. After that, I use my knife to sharpen the tip, then try writing a letter. It writes! It may crumble very easily in my grip, but for now, I can write with these. These will be less like books and more like antique media, but this works. “We did it! Lutz, it writes!” “Oh! Good job.” I, having made my own writing implements from scratch, cheerfully work on making moremokkan. Since I have a guaranteed source of materials as long as I go out to gather firewood, I can acc.u.mulate these things very cheaply. The best part about this is that I’m able to do everything, from start to finish, with my own power. The only major problem with these is that they’ll be very bulky when they start to pile up, but that was going to be a problem with clay tablets, anyway. I’ll just have to deal with it until I’m an independent adult. My pile of completed mokkan grows to satisfaction, but one day I return from the forest to unexpectedly find that they’ve disappeared. The place I’ve been stockpiling them is suddenly empty. “What’s wrong, Maine?” As I frantically search through the storeroom for my missing mokkan, my mother pokes her head in to see what’s the matter. “Mommy, do you know what happened to the 'mokkan’ I left here?” “'Moe-kahn’? Well, what are those?” “Ummm, they’re pieces of wood, and they’re a bunch of different sizes, but they’ve all been flattened on both sides so that I can write on them...” “Ah, the firewood you brought back? I used it, you know?” “Uh? Huh? You used it? Why?” My head suddenly goes completely blank. “It was the firewood that you worked so diligently to bring back after you worked so hard to get strong enough to help out, you know? It wouldn’t be nice for me to not use it.” “But, the pile of firewood is over there, right? Why did you use the pile that I specifically kept separated from that? Those were a compilation of the fairy tales you told me to get me to sleep at night!” “That’s not what I meant...” Not a single one is left. I stare blankly at the spot where my mokkan used to be, and all of the strength leaves my body. All of the effort I put into them, all of the struggle, was for naught. They’re cinders. When I think about that, I don’t think I can get motivated for anything again. The moment my strength fails me, a heat that was buried deep inside my body explodes out. A fever, stronger than the ones I get after getting too excited or working too hard, blasts through me in an instant. In its grip, my limbs go numb and I lose all ability to move. “What’s...” Without any understanding of what could possibly be happening within my body, I suddenly collapse, whimpering like I was trapped in a nightmare. My consciousness trembles as I slowly sink deeper into the churning, swirling fever. I feel like I’m slowly dying, bit by bit, under the fever’s relentless a.s.sault. It’s only now that I’m experiencing it firsthand that I can clearly comprehend how the real Maine could have been swallowed whole by a fever like this. As I slip further and further away, without even the willpower to struggle against it, flashes of worried faces pa.s.s through my consciousness, my family members looking in, concerned, to check on me. Lutz’s face is among them. ...Why... is Lutz...? I push my way up towards him, and my submerged consciousness starts to float back to the surface. I strain my temples, pus.h.i.+ng even harder, and everything comes into focus. This isn’t just an image that floated itself across my mind. I’ve consciously managed to get Lutz focused in my field of view. “...Lutz?” “Mrs. Eva!” he yells, turning towards the kitchen. “Maine w...woke up!” My mother rushes into the room. “Maine. You collapsed so suddenly, and I thought you’d never wake up again!” “Yeah... sometimes, I saw your face. I’m sorry to make you worry. ...Mommy, my throat is really scratchy. I feel really sticky too, so I want to wash myself off. Could you bring me some water?” “Alright, I’ll be right back,” she says, turning to leave. As soon as I see her step out, I grab Lutz’s hand tightly. I still can’t even raise my head, lying down like this. “...Lutz,” I whisper, “I failed again. My mother burned all of my 'mokkan’.” “Oh maaan... Well, they do really just look like weirdly-shaped cuts of wood.” “But I put so much effort into them, and I put them aside on purpose...” I can’t take anymore. Fate itself has decreed that I’m never going to finish my book. I sigh in defeat, and I can feel the fever start to come back to life. I shake my head to clear it before I’m pulled under again. “Don’t get so down,” says Lutz. “Doesn’t that just mean that we should try something that doesn’t burn well?” My mokkan were made out of wood, so they were used for firewood. If that’s the case, then we should make them out of something that won’t get burned. Lutz’s suggestion is like a spark of light in the darkness. Now is not the time to be drowning in fever. I need to think of a good replacement material. I focus all of my willpower inward, feeling like I’m grabbing hold of the fever and squeezing it down into the tiniest ball I can. “...What do you think we could use that wouldn’t burn?” I say, after a long pause. I’ve put some thought into it, but I really can’t come up with anything, either because my mind is still hazy from the fever or because I just don’t know what I could find around here that would work. “Ummm, maybe, bamboo, or something like that?” “Ah!! ...Lutz, you’re a genius!” Bamboo pops when it burns, so it’s probably not the kind of thing that you’d simply burn. Hope floods through me once more. When that happens, for some reason my fever starts going down as well, and I can breathe a little more comfortably. “Oh, what are you talking about?” asks my mother, entering the room carrying a bucket of water. Lutz and I glance at each other. “Thanks, Lutz! You’re so sweet.” His eyes go wide. “Th-this is just so you’ll introduce me to Otto!” he yells, fleeing from the room. “I’m paying you in advance, so you’d better get healthy! Got it?!” As his footsteps fade away, I start to scrub myself down with the water that my mother brought in for me. This fever was strange. I can’t think of a single disease that would cause a fever to suddenly explode out like that, especially not one that would slowly devour at my consciousness. Plus, I’ve definitely never heard of any sort of fever that could be forced aside through sheer willpower alone. What the heck kind of sickness is this, wriggling around in my body? When I first came here, I was getting feverish fairly regularly, but I didn’t think that was particularly strange. However, once I managed to train my body into being a little bit more robust, then the strangeness of my fevers became much more apparent. What the heck could be wrong with this body? My family, however, is not at all affluent enough to afford a doctor in this world, and there’s no encyclopedia of common diseases around, so this isn’t something that I can immediately research. ...Well, if I concentrate on bringing down my fever, it seems to go down slowly, so maybe we’ll just wait and see? After two more days of thinking about dealing with my fever, Lutz comes to my home in the evening, with a bundle of bamboo that he cut down to the perfect size for use as bamboo slips.He even shaved off all of the skin, so I can start writing on them right away. “Don’t even think about touching these until you’re healthy again,” he says, sternly. “Got it? If you break this promise, I’ll never help you again.” “Okay. Thanks, Lutz.” I hold on to just one slip, and ask my mother to put the rest of them in the storage room. I’m still too sick to get out of bed, but as soon as my fever’s gone down all the way, I’ll be able to write on these and then finally finish my work. My first priority, then, is to get better. Holding tightly to the bamboo slip that Lutz brought me in one hand, I gradually drift off to sleep. Just when I was almost completely out, though, loud cracks start piercing through the air. “W... what?! What happened?” Crack after crack rings out from within the oven, like there’s something inside that’s bursting open. My mother storms into the room, livid. “Maine! What did Lutz bring into this house?!” “...Bamboo?” “Ugh! That was misleading! I thought he was bringing us firewood, since you can’t go and get any!” I suddenly realize the source of those cracking sounds. She burnt the bamboo, thinking that it was firewood. It sounds like it’s exploding with far more force than the bamboo that I’m used to; is bamboo different in this world? “Oh, did you mistake it for firewood, since the skin was already shaved off? ...Wait, don’t bamboo and wood look different, though?” “Bamboo and vanihitz wood look very similar, you know?” “I’ve never seen that kind of tree before, so I guess I didn’t know...” I don’t recognize the name of that tree. At least, when I was at the forest, I didn’t see any sort of tree that resembled bamboo. “What are you talking about? That’s the wood you were using to weave baskets with Tory during the winter. It’s what your own basket’s made out of!” “Oh, I remember now. I guess they really do look similar once you peel off the bark.” I remember, now that I think back to the preparations that Tory had been doing for her basket-weaving winter work. Vanihitz wood looks like any other wood while the bark is on, but it looks very much like bamboo once it’s peeled off. “Anyway, don’t bring any more bamboo into the house. It’s dangerous! Are we clear?” “...Yes...” Bamboo is forbidden as well. Yeah, I was afraid of this, ever since I heard those first pops. I’m sorry, Lutz, since you tried so hard...

「くぅっ! 紙の問題が解決したかと思ったら、次はインクだなんて! どうしてくれよう!」 使い慣れたボールペンやシャープペン、鉛筆、万年筆はもちろん、墨やインクでさえ周りに売ってない。 ただ働きっていくらよ? 買う、拾う、もらう、盗む、作る......と手に入れるプロセスを考えたら、結局作るに行きついてしまう。 さすがに宿直室から盗んでくるわけにもいかないしねぇ......。 本だけではなく、どうやらインクも手作りしなければならないようだ。それにしても、インクってどうしたらできるのだろうか。顔料と乾性油ってことは知ってるけど、ここで手に入る顔料と乾性油ってどこで手に入れるのさ。 「いっそ『タコ』とか『イカ』とか捕ってくればいいってこと? 海どこよ!?」 「ルッツ、ここのインクって何でできてると思う!? どうやったらわたしが作れると思う!?」 さすがに海を探して旅して、タコやイカを捕るのが現実的でないことはわかる。しかし、自分の身の回りにある物で、インクや墨が作れるかどうかがわからない。 「インクってさ、そもそもどんな物?」 「えーと、黒い液体で、こういう板に字を書くためのもので......」 普段目にしていない人に説明するのは難しい。思いつくまま並べていると、ルッツが首をひねりながら、言った。 「黒いもの? 汚れが付くという感じでもいいなら、灰や煤で何とかならないか?」 「それ、いい! やってみよう!」 煤や灰なら、薪の燃えかすだし、いくらでも家にある。今日だって作られている物だ。すぐに手に入るに違いない。 わたしは家に帰ると、早速母に頼んでみた。 「母さん、この灰、使っていい?」 即答で拒否された。 「え? なんで?」 「灰は石鹸を作ったり、雪を溶かしたり、染め物に使ったり、農家に売ったり、いくらでも使い道があるでしょ? 勝手に持っていかないでちょうだい」 そういえば、春先に灰を撒くのを手伝わされて、わけがわからないまま花さか爺さんの気分で灰を撒いたけど、雪を溶かすためだったのか。今頃知ったよ。 余れば売ることもできる灰を手に入れるのは難しそうだが、もう一つの候補である煤も使い道があるのだろうか。 「じゃあ、母さん。煤ならいい?」 わたしがを提示すると、母は少し眉をひそめた後、何故かニッコリと笑って許可してくれた。 「何をしたいのか知らないけど、煤ならいいわ」 「マインが竈の中を掃除してくれるってことでしょ? ついでに煙突も掃除すると、もっと集まるわよ?」 「ぅえっ!?......あ~、うん。......そう、なるのかな」 笑顔の母に押し切られて、竈と煙突の掃除をすることになってしまった。こんなはずではなかったが、煤を手に入れるためならば仕方ない。 「ちょっと待ちなさい、マイン! その服で掃除するつもり!?」 「......え? ダメ?」 すでに薄汚れていて、ボロボロな服で掃除することに何の問題があるのかわからない。 「すぐに作るから、待ってなさい」 母がご機嫌で、あっという間に雑巾を繋ぎ合わせた服を作りだす。 わぁお、シンデレラのコスプレだとでも思わなきゃ、やってられないよ。 竈からまず灰を掻き出した。その後、内部に頭を突っ込んで、こびりついていた煤を掃除して、回収する。小柄な体で初めて助かったことかもしれない。 やり始めると意外と楽しくなってきて、夢中になりすぎたようだ。次の日、熱を出して倒れた。 自分も煤まみれになって、ぶっ倒れたが、何とか煤は回収できた。体調も回復した。 「まずは水かな?」 木の器に川の水を少し入れて、煤と一緒に木切れでぐるぐると掻き回してみた。煤が水に浮いているだけで、いまいち溶けない。 「とりあえず書いてみたらどうだ?」 ルッツの言葉に頷いて、ペン代わりに先を削った棒を突っ込んで、木簡にページ数を表す「1」を書いてみた。 「ダメだ~。失敗」 「次はどうする?」 「うーん、油で溶いてみるっていうのが、インク作りのセオリーだと思うんだけど......」 そして、動物性の油はろうそくや石鹸に使うので、これも簡単にもらえるとは思えなかった。多分、灰と同じくらい簡単に却下されるだろう。 「油は使うからな。もらえないよな?」 「うん、無理だね。他に何かないかな......」 ヒントを探って、日本で使っていた筆記用具を次々と思い浮かべていく。 』を使ってた......けど、火が使えないから、無理だ」 将来的には膠を使うことが選択肢に入るだろうけれど、今の時点では準備できない。 ルッツが目の前で手をパタパタと振るのが意識の端の方で見えているが、今はまだ戻るわけにはいかない。 「うーん、別に液体じゃなくてもいいんだよね。『クレヨン』とか『チョーク』とか『鉛筆』とか......そうだ、粘土! 粘土と混ぜてみよう!」 「確か、『鉛筆の芯』は『黒鉛』と粘土を混ぜた物だった気がする。あれ? 『コンテ』だっけ? まぁ、いいや。『黒鉛』じゃなくて煤だけど、何とかなるかも!」 粘土と煤を混ぜて、丸めて細くして、乾燥させる。これで固まれば、書けるかもしれない。 「ルッツ、『粘土板』を作った時の粘土って、あの辺りを掘ったよね?」 「わざわざ掘らなくても、使いきれなくて放っておいたのが、あの石の辺りにあったはずだ」 そこから、少し粘土をとって、煤を混ぜてこねていく。イメージはクーピーとか鉛筆の芯だ。触って真っ黒にならなければ、使える色にならない。 自分の手も、台の代わりに使った石の上も真っ黒にしながら、煤鉛筆を細く丸めていく。そして、鉛筆くらいの長さに分けた。 川の水で手足を洗ってもあまり綺麗にならない。帰ったら石鹸を使わなければ。 「どのくらい乾かしたらいいんだろうね?」 「いっそ焼いてみようか?」 「余計な事しない方がいい。また、爆発するぞ」 「うぅっ」 煤鉛筆にぼろきれを巻いて、手が汚れないように持つところを作る。その後、ナイフで先を削って尖らせて文字を書いてみた。 本というより、古代の記録媒体だけど、成功だ。 「やった! 書けたよ、ルッツ!」 「おぉ、やったな」 薪拾いのついでに材料が確保できるので、かなりお手軽に増やすことができる。自分だけの力でもちょっとずつ増やしていけるのが何よりの魅力だ。 わたしは出来上がった木簡におおむね満足していたが、ある日忽然と木簡が姿を消した。 「どうしたの、マイン?」 わたしがどこかに移動されたのかもしれない木簡を探していると、母が物置に顔を出した。 「母さん、ここに置いてあった『木簡』知らない?」 「モッカン? さぁ? どんなもの?」 「えーと、細いのや太いのでサイズは違うけど、全部表面を削って、字が書いてある木なんだけど......」 「あぁ、マインが拾ってきた薪でしょ? それなら使ったわよ?」 「え? え? 使った? なんで?」 頭が一瞬で真っ白になった。 「やっとお手伝いができるようになったマインが一生懸命森で拾ってきた薪だもの。ちゃんと使ってあげないといけないと思ってね」 「でも、薪はこっちに積み上げてる分でしょ? なんでわざわざ除けてある分、使っちゃうの? それ、わたしが作った、母さんが寝物語に話してくれた民話集だったんだよ!」 「そういう意味じゃない......」 一つも残っていない。木簡があった空間を目にして、気力が全部抜けていく。 身体から力が抜けた瞬間、身体の中で今まで抑えられていた熱量がぐんと増したように暴れ出した。興奮や疲れから熱を出す時間を一瞬に縮めたような感覚で、手足が痺れて身体が動かせなくなる。 「何これ......?」 自分の中で何が起こっているのか把握できないまま、わたしはいきなり倒れ、突然の高熱にうなされることになった。 自分の中をぐるぐる回っている熱に自分が段々呑みこまれていくようで、意識がゆらゆらと揺れる。熱に食われて自分が少しずつなくなっていく感じだ。 抗うだけの気力もなくわたしも少しずつ呑みこまれていく中、心配そうに家族が覗きこんでくるのが時々映る。 ...なんでルッツが?... こめかみのあたりにさらに力を入れて、よく見ようとすると、ぼんやりと浮かぶのではなく、自分の意思できちんと視界にルッツが入ってきた。 「......ルッツ?」 「おばさん! マインが目ぇ覚ました!」 「マイン。いきなり倒れて、全然意識が戻らないから心配したのよ」 「うん。時々、顔が見えてた。心配かけてごめんね。......母さん。喉が、ひりひりする。それに、すごくベタベタするから、身体を拭きたいの。水、持ってきてくれる?」 「えぇ、すぐに持ってくるわ」 母が踵を返したのを見て、ルッツの手をぎゅっと握った。寝転がったまま、まだ頭を上げることもできない。 「......ルッツ、またダメだった。母さんに木簡、燃やされた」 「あぁ~......。まぁ、変な模様のついた木切れにしか見えないからなぁ」 「せっかく作って、わざわざ別に置いたのに......」 わたしの本は、絶対に完成しない運命にあるんだ。 ハァ、と溜息を吐くと、身体の中の熱が勢いを持った。意識が沈んでいきそうになるのを、わたしは首を振って、振り払う。 「そんなに落ち込むなって。だったら、燃やされない素材にすればいいだろ?」 木製だから、薪にされてしまう。それなら、燃やされない素材にすればいい。 全身に力を入れると、身体の中の熱が中心に向かって集まるように小さくなっていく気がした。 考えてみても、燃やされない素材が全く思い浮かばない。熱のせいで頭がぼんやりするせいか、この辺りで採れる素材をあまり知らないせいか。 「えーと、ほら、竹、とかさ」 「っ!......ルッツ、天才」 希望が湧いてきた。すると、何故か熱が少し小さくなって、呼吸が楽になる。 母さんが水の入った桶を持って、入ってきた。 「ありがとう、ルッツ。優しいね」 「こ、これは、オットーさんに紹介してもらうためだからな! 先払いしてるんだから、マインは絶対に元気にならないとダメだ! いいな?」 ルッツがそう言って飛び出していったので、わたしは母が持ってきてくれた水で身体を拭いていく。 突然身体の中から襲い掛かってくるような感覚がして、ゆっくりと意識が食われていくような熱は、わたしが知っている病気ではない。いきなり広がったり、集中したら小さくなったりする熱をわたしは知らない。 しかし、この世界の医者に診てもらえるほど裕福じゃないし、家庭の病気百科みたいな本があるはずもないので、すぐに調べることはできないだろう。 ......意識を集中して小さくしようと思えば、段々小さくなっていくから、しばらくは様子見かな? 熱との付き合い方を考えながら二日たった夕方、ルッツは本当に竹を竹簡にするのにちょうどいい大きさに切って持ってきてくれた。 表面の皮も削り取られていて、すぐにでも書ける状態になっている。 「熱が下がるまでは絶対に触るなよ。いいな? この約束は破ったら、これから手伝わないからな」 「うん。ありがと、ルッツ」 まだベッドから出られないけれど、完全に熱が下がったら、これに文字を書いていって、完成させるんだ。 ルッツが持ってきてくれた竹を握ったまま、うとうとと瞼が下がってくる。このまま眠ろうと意識が途切れかけた時、パパパパン! とけたたましい音が響いた。 「きゃあっ!?」 「な、何っ!? 何があったの!?」 台所の方から、パパン! パパパン! と断続的に何かが爆ぜるような音が続いている。 顔を引きつらせた母が寝室に飛び込んできた。 「マイン! ルッツは何を持ってきたの!?」 「......竹、だけど?」 「まぁっ! 紛らわしい! マインの代わりに薪を集めてきてくれたんじゃなかったのね!?」 母の言葉で破裂音の原因を理解した。薪として竹を焼いたらしい。わたしが知っている竹より、ずいぶんと勢いよく爆ぜている気がするけれど、世界差だろうか。 「もしかして、表面が削られていたから、薪と間違えたの?......あれ? 木と竹って、見てもわからないものなの?」 「竹とバニヒツの木は繊維がよく似ていているでしょ?」 「わたし、その木、見たことないからわからないんだけど......」 名前を上げられてもわからない。少なくともわたしが森に行った時に、竹やそれに似た木を見たことはない。 「何言ってるの? 冬の手仕事でトゥーリが籠を作るために使っていた木よ。マインも籠を作っていたじゃない」 「あ、思い出した。確かに皮を剥いちゃうと紛らわしいね」 トゥーリが手仕事の準備をしているのを見たから、知っている。皮が付いている時は普通の木に見えるのに、皮をむくと竹のように見える木だった。 「とにかく、危険だから、竹は家の中に持ち込まないで。わかったわね?」 「......はぁい」 うん、竹が爆ぜた時から、こうなる気がしてた。

“Tell me everything you know about paper-making, so that I can figure out where and how large the workshop will be,” says Benno, looking very self-important. Wouldn’t it be appropriate, though, for me to ask for a fee for this information, like I did for the rinsham? Watching him carefully, I open my mouth. “Lutz and I aren’t going to make any money off of this paper makers’ a.s.sociation of yours, so we’re going to have to charge you for any information about actually making paper, you know?” “...Ah well, can’t be helped. How much?” Benno smiles, smugly, tapping the table with his finger. How much should I actually charge, though? I have no idea whatsoever what a fair price would be in this case. “Ummm, how much are you willing to pay?” “Whatever you ask for. How much?” He turns the question back around on me, his smile widening, perhaps having guessed my thought process. The only reference point I have for information fees is the rinsham, which was three small gold coins. Since Benno’s going as far as to make a new trade a.s.sociation for vegetable-based paper, he must be thinking that he’ll be able to do great things with this. “Nnngh... H... how about tw... twice the fee from the rinsham?” “Alright, deal. Here.” Benno pulls out his guild card and waves it around in front of me. I take mine out and clink it against his. He just calmly accepted my offer without even the slightest flicker in his broad smile. Should I have charged him way more? I really don’t have any idea how to estimate these things at all. As I ponder, grumbling, Otto folds his arms, looking at Benno. “For the workshop, let’s listen to what Maïne has to say, then start thinking about the size and amount of equipment we’ll need, and the scale and location of the workshop itself. For now, we can probably just appropriate the tools that we already have at the storehouse, right?” Otto’s words cause my eyes to bug out. “Those are the property of Maïne’s Workshop!” I say. “If you take them, then won’t Lutz and I basically not be able to make paper anymore?” “...The storehouse itself is Master Benno’s, though,” adds Lutz. I glare at Lutz, lips pursed, when he interjects, then look over at Benno. If they start doing things like appropriating our tools, then we’d be in a lot of trouble. Plus, those tools aren’t at all suited for ma.s.s production. “Also,” I add, “that really won’t work. The tools we have at Maïne’s Workshop can’t really be used for ma.s.s production.” “Hm?” Benno raises his eyebrows, not following my train of thought. I start to explain. “Our tools were made primarily for the sake of finis.h.i.+ng our prototype, so we made them easy for us to use. They’re lightweight, miniaturized, and simplified, so they’re not really suited for ma.s.s production. Also, I was concerned about spending too much of your money, sir, so I made several subst.i.tutions using things at hand...” “Huh?” says Otto. “Why would you be concerned about that when he said he’d give you money? It would have been better to put together the best equipment you could...” Otto looks at me like I’m an idiot, but I really hadn’t been thinking about trying to put together the best possible equipment at all. Back then, getting even a single nail was extremely difficult for me, so the only thing I was thinking about was how I could make things as cheaply as possible. “I wouldn’t have done something so shameless,” I reply. “I think that I might get a little more bold in the future, though.” “I really don’t care if you get more bold,” says Benno. “So, when you say these aren’t suited for ma.s.s production, what do you mean by that?” “There’s a difference in physique.” I think about how to phrase things in a way that’s easiest for Benno to understand. “For example, the paper frame that the two of us have been using is the size of a written contract, but an adult man could probably use a much bigger paper frame for making paper. If you could use a frame that’s large enough to make four sheets at a time, then you’d save a lot of time.” “Ah, I see.” Even if you scale up the operation, if you still make relatively small contract-sized sheets one by one, all you’ll do is increase the amount of time and manpower you’re using. If you’re strong enough to use a larger paper frame, then making several sheets at once is a better idea. “I’m not familiar with any of these tools,” says Benno, tapping his temple thoughtfully and looking down at me. Most of these tools are things that we didn’t order through him. “Hmmm, I think that it might be hard to understand what kind of tools you’d need and what we’ve been subst.i.tuting if we don’t show you our actual process down at the storehouse while we explain it.” “Oh? Well then, I’ll stop by your storehouse tomorrow to observe you. I haven’t actually seen your workshop before, so this is a perfect chance.” I’m startled by how smoothly he suddenly decides tomorrow’s course of action. I try to recall what plans we’d already had for making paper. “Even if you say you want to come by to observe us, we unfortunately just finished our current round of paper today. So, tomorrow all that we’ll be doing is letting it dry, so we don’t particularly have anything to do with that particular batch, so we were thinking that we’d go to the forest tomorrow to gather raw materials...” “Hoh, so you’re saying that you’re starting a brand new batch?” “That’s right. We’ll be cutting wood, steaming it, and stripping off the bark. We’ll then bring it back to the warehouse to let it dry, and that’s about it.” As I talk, Benno nods along. “Alright,” he says, “Mark will go with you.” “Huh? To the forest?” When he says that, I try to picture Mark coming to the forest with us. It just doesn’t work. I refuse. “Mister Mark is a wonderfully proper gentleman who always dresses impeccably. He’s not at all suited for things like cutting wood or stripping bark. ...Hmm, but, Mister Benno, you’d be alright wearing work clothes, right?” “Hey, what do you mean by that?!” “What I’m saying is that you’re the one who wants to learn more about the work, sir, so I think it would be best for you to go.” “That’s not what you just said.” Even though he has a pretty disagreeable expression on, Benno agrees that he does want to understand the process from beginning to end, so he decides to accompany us after all. Before we know it, we’ve made plans to head off to the forest to work tomorrow. The next day, when Lutz went to retrieve the key to the warehouse, it seems that he apparently found Benno, already wearing work clothes. Mark, who came out to greet Lutz, had a troubled expression on his face, constantly worried that Benno might be running wild. Lutz quietly whispers all of this to me shortly after he returns. “I’m impressed you can work in such a tiny s.p.a.ce,” says Benno. He slowly spins around inside the storehouse, taking it all in. To Benno, who usually works in such a large shop, it’s only natural that a storehouse only big enough for two children to loiter in would seem very cramped. “It’s fine for when it’s just me and Lutz, but when you’re here as well it is pretty small. Well, most of our work takes place outside, so there’s not a lot that we actually do in here, you know.” We start gathering up the tools we usually take with us when we head to the forest to gather materials. Into the pot, we put the steamer, the bucket, and a bit of firewood. Today, all I’m carrying in the basket strapped to my back is my pair of chopsticks, the plank I use in place of a plate, some kalfe root, and some b.u.t.ter. Benno offers to carry part of Lutz’s load, but Lutz just slowly shakes his head. “It’s okay, I’m used to it by now... uh, sir. Instead of helping with my stuff, it would really help if you could carry Maïne.” “You always carry all of this, kid?” Benno replies, frowning. “That must be rough, isn’t it?” “Wha?!” “Hold on tight. Lutz, give me that big wooden frame, at least. I can’t stand how it looks like it might get smashed.” Benno takes the steamer in one hand, then starts walking. His strides are enormous, and he sways back and forth a lot as he walks. Terrified, I cling tightly to his head. “Ummm, so we picked the size of our pot based on what Lutz is able to carry, but since the pot is fairly small that means that the amount of wood we can steam at once has to be small as well. You should probably consider whether you want to use one big pot or a few smaller pots, I think? If you find a workshop near the river, then you won’t have to carry the pots to the river, just the materials, so it’ll be much easier.” “Mhmm...” Since today we’re going with Benno, an adult, we don’t need to be with the rest of the unbaptized children today. We skip the usual meeting point entirely and head straight from the storehouse to the southern gates. When we arrive, I see my father and Otto talking about something. “Daddy, Mister Otto. We’re heading out!” I give the two of them a big wave over Benno’s shoulder. Their eyes widen a bit, and they hurry over to us. “Maïne, who’s this?” says my father. “This is Mister Benno, the merchant that I’ve been working with. Mister Benno, this is my father.” While the two of them exchange their greetings, I notice out of the corner of my eye that Otto is shaking a little bit. “Mister Otto, what’s wrong?” “Oh, nothing, I mean, looking at you two together, Benno’s looking a little bit fatherly...” “Shut up, Otto. I’m a bachelor.” Benno angrily smacks Otto upside the head, then starts walking with long, swaying strides. Huh, Benno’s a bachelor, he says? He’s at a great age, though. Since the marriage age is pretty low around here, my father is barely in his thirties. It feels a little strange for Benno, who looks to be roughly the same age as my father, to be unmarried. “Mister Benno, you’re not going to get married?” I asked. “...Yeah, probably not.” “Would it be okay for me to ask why? This is purely out of curiosity, so if you don’t want to say then I can forget all about it.”Benno smiles wryly. “It’s not like it’s a big secret,” he says. “When I wanted to get married, I had my hands full taking care of my family. After Corinna got married, I didn’t have anyone left that I still had to take care of, but then the woman I wanted to marry died. There wasn’t anyone else but her, so I never got married. That’s it.” “That’s it,” he says, even though it’s such a heavy story. I let out a slow sigh. The reason he’s single is because a very important person to him died. I can’t really pester him for more details, nor can I poke fun at his bachelorhood. I pat his head gently, and he smiles wryly. “What’s this, now?” “Oh, nothing. I just thought that you were going to say that you’re single because you’re in charge of such a large shop and things like marriage and succession and all of that would make your life obnoxious.” “Well, you’re not wrong. But, it’s been pretty quiet lately. I’ll be training Corinna’s kids to by my successors so there’s no problem there. That was one of the conditions I gave for those two to get married, after all.” Whoa. Hang in there, Mister Otto. As I quietly cheer him on in my heart, we reach the end of the dark tunnel and emerge into the world beyond, where the stone-paved road is replaced with dirt and the air is much, much fresher. The broad field of view leaves me with a great sense of freedom. “Ahhh, it’s been a while since I’ve gone to the forest,” says Benno. “Now that you mention it, you did say a while ago that you’d gone picking paru. I thought that merchants’ children didn’t really go to the forest, though. Freida even said that she’d never been except for picnics...” I can’t forget the shock I’d felt when Freida said that it sounded like I went on picnics every day. Benno chuckles, then gets a nostalgic look in his eyes. “I’d occasionally slip out of my house to go in secret,” he says. “In secret...” “The other apprentices around my age that were working in my family’s shop would go there to forage, you know? So it’s only natural that I’d get curious, right? Kids still do that, right?” “...Aaaah, yeah,” says Lutz, “now that you mention it, every now and then when some of the apprentice kids come with us I see some people I don’t really know.” After their baptisms, apprentices still go to the forest on their days off to forage or hunt. Unlike us pre-baptismal children, they can go to and from the forest freely, so there’s lots of them that just go whenever they want. However, sometimes they have friends who aren’t apprentices yet, so they occasionally meet up with other kids at the usual meeting stop and go with the group. It seems like even Benno went with other kids like that. “So, how do the children of merchants generally spend their time?” I ask. “I spent most of my time studying. I studied how to receive customers that come to the shop. When I went to the town market, I had to do calculations on the prices I saw, learn how to identify outsiders, how to tell when goods were good or bad, and so on...” No matter how he describes it, it’s really difficult for me to understand a life where every single action is related to commerce. All I can really understand from that is how utterly different his life was compared to mine and Lutz’s. “That’s certainly very different from how Lutz and I live, huh...” “I’m sure kids from smaller shops are even more different, too.” Lutz puts our gear down by the riverside, makes sure the fireplace is still intact, and sets up the pot. I draw some water from the river, pour it into the pot, and set the steamer on top of it. Today, I throw in potato-like kalfe roots in as well. “I’m going to go cut some wood,” says Lutz. He looks up at Benno. “What will—” “Lutz,” Benno interrupts, “if you’re going to work at my shop, start calling me ‘sir’.” “Sir, what will you do? Are you going to stay here and wait with Maïne, come with me to cut wood, or...” “I’m interested in the kind of wood that you’ll be cutting, so I’ll go with you. Shall we?” Lutz and Benno head deeper into the forest to search for wood. I collect whatever firewood I can find in the area around the pot, keeping an eye on our things. The two of them eventually come back, carrying a lot of freshly-cut wood. When Benno looks at me sitting idly by the pot, he raises his eyebrows a bit. “You’re not doing anything?” “You asked me what I can actually do, right? Right now, my job is to sit here and be quiet. If I faint, there usually isn’t anyone here to carry me back home.” When Lutz isn’t by my side, that’s when I have to try my hardest to move around as little as possible, or so I’m constantly told. There have been many, many times where I’ve arbitrarily started doing things on my own and wound up causing a lot of trouble for everyone. “...Lutz, you always surprise me with how patient you are.” “That’s right!” I say. “You’re really amazing.” “Stop it, Maïne!” he says, giving me an embarra.s.sed glare. “I’m gonna go grab some more firewood.” He makes his escape, and Benno and I grin at his back as he runs off. Then, I pull out my knife. I start picking folin out of the pile of wood Lutz brought back and cutting it down to a size that will fit into the steamer. Meanwhile, I keep telling Benno about Lutz. “Lutz really is amazing. If he hadn’t been there, I don’t think I’d even still be alive. The first time the devouring tried to swallow me, he saved me.” “Back then, before we started doing things that actually made money, Lutz was always looking after me, and helping me make a lot of different things.” “...Ah, I’d heard about that. So, Lutz is basically your patron, then?” It was entirely possible for me to have hogged all of the profits to myself for our winter handiwork and our paper-making enterprises. To a merchant, it must seem very strange for me to split the rights and profits for the things I’ve been dragging him into. “That’s right. Since Lutz basically saved my life, I’ve been doing what I can to help him. Although all I’ve really been able to do is come up with new things to make, and then once we have that, sell them through you and make money off of that.” “...Ah, I see. So, I need to make sure to keep him at my store at any cost, hm.” “Thank you for your continued support,” I reply. Benno pats me on the head, as if to say “leave it to me”, and I feel relieved. By the time I finish cutting the folin down to sticks of about the same length, Lutz comes back. He adds some water to the pot, and I use my cooking chopsticks to put the wood into the steamer, taking out the potatoes already in there. “Lutz, quick, add the b.u.t.ter!” “Yeah, I know!” He sticks some b.u.t.ter in it, giving us b.u.t.tered potatoes. Benno looks down at the potatoes lined up on the plate-subst.i.tute board with the same unimpressed expression that Lutz had the first time he’d tried it. “Master Benno, sir, Maïne’s cooking is really delicious. Even if it’s just a potato.” Lutz laughs excitedly as he bites into his potato. Seeing this, Benno shrugs, lifting his potato to his mouth as if he doesn’t have much choice in the matter. “...That’s actually good.” “Eh heh heh, steaming it actually locks in all of the flavor, and biting into a piping hot potato on a cold day is really extraordinary.” After we finish eating our potatoes, we ask Benno to keep an eye on the pot for us while Lutz and I start foraging. We manage to gather a few medicinal plants. After the bark is steamed, we rinse it in the river water and immediately start stripping it off. Benno helps us as well, but he’s unexpectedly clumsy with his knife, and leaves the bark in tatters. As he helps us, I watch our total amount of usable bark slowly decrease. “Mister Benno,” I say, “we’re all done with stripping the bark now. Could you please help Lutz clean up?” Since we’re done stripping bark, we head back to the storehouse and hang the bark up to dry. Benno wrinkles his nose when we ask him to hang the bark on the nails we have pounded into the shelves, but helps us out anyways. I’m a little envious of how he doesn’t need to slowly inch a footstool along as he works in order to reach the top shelves. “Like this, if we had any more bark then we wouldn’t be able to dry it. If we wanted to dry that much, then you’d want to build something like this.” I sketch out diagrams on my slate, explaining some of the tools we don’t have at the workshop. Benno nods, asks questions, and picks up some of the tools we do have to feel them. “We’ll dry this batch of bark in the sun until it’s completely dried. If we don’t make sure it’s entirely dry, then it might start getting moldy. Then, we’ll take the dried bark and soak it in the river for at least a day.” “Hm, that could be stolen then.” “That’s right. That’s the part that’s the most worrying. If someone knows how this is made, then here’s where the money is. That’s why I think it’s all the more important for the workshop to be near the river.” As I continue talking, I pat the bag of ash sitting in the corner of the workshop. “After soaking the bark in the river, we use our knives to strip off the outer bark, boil the inner bark with ash, and then soak it in the river for another day. Boiling the bark with the ash makes the fibers soft and flexible.” “After that, we remove any impurities or defects from the fibers, then beat the fibers with this rectangular stick here until they’re as soft as cotton. This specific one is sized for Lutz, so an adult man could use a much larger and heavier stick, which would be more efficient.” I point at the table we use for beating fibers, and Benno picks up the stick and waves it around. “I would want something heavier if I was going to be smas.h.i.+ng things,” he murmurs. “Then, we take the now-fluffy fibers and mix them with a sticky fluid called a binding agent, making pulp. Since we’re using this paper frame, we can make it in this tub, but an adult would be able to use a much bigger paper frame, so increasing the size of both the frame and the tub would let you make much more paper. To mix the pulp we’ve just been using a bunch of cooking chopsticks that Lutz made tied together, but if you’re using a big vat then you wouldn’t be able to mix the entire thing together like that, so you’d want to use a larger tool, something like a large comb to mix it. Something like this.” I sketch out another diagram on my slate. Benno hums thoughtfully, and starts stroking his chin. “After that, we use this paper frame. We shake and tilt it around like this, to make sure that it all ends up the same thickness, then take the finished sheet and pile it here, on the paper bed. We let it dry on its own, giving us this,” I say, indicating the pile of mostly-dried paper on the bed. “Tomorrow, we’ll put a weight on top of the pile, drying it out even more.” “What for?” “This will squeeze the last of the stickiness from the binder out. After that, we stick each sheet to that board over there, one by one, and let it dry out in the sunlight. Once we peel it off from there, the paper is finally done.” After I finish my rough explanation of the entire process, Benno lets out a long sigh, seeming to admire our work. “This is a much longer process than I’d thought,” he says. “Well, while it’s drying, then you can work on something else, so it doesn’t really feel like that long of a process. If you want to make a lot of it, I think you’d wind up very busy. Besides, right now, actually going into the river is extremely difficult.” Benno nods deeply, having helped us draw water from the river today. “So this’ll be the kind of workshop that shuts down in the winter,” he mutters. If you couldn’t put the wood in the river during the winter, then it would be too hard to work with, so you couldn’t make any paper. “Since you can’t make it without a river, please make sure you think very hard about the location of the workshop itself.” “Alright, got it. Looks like things are going to be pretty hectic for me, then!” Despite the fact that he says things will be hectic, he looks like he’s actually enjoying himself. You can do it! I think to myself, silently cheering him on. I thought that at that point everything would be completely out of my hands, but Benno, having only a little practical experience making paper, excitedly starts picking out workshops, the people who wind up being extremely busy are me and Lutz. When we’re not making paper, Mark sticks to us like glue, escorting us around to various craftsmen to help him order tools and equipment. “This is still covered under your information fee,” we’re told, and are given no choice but to go along with it. The tools are made, the people are gathered, the manufacturing process is explained, and the warehouse is acquired. By the time things start coming together, the season has turned to summer.

ベンノが偉そうに「工房の場所や大きさを決めるために、紙作りについて話せ」なんて言うけれど、これはリンシャンの時のように情報料を取っても良い案件ではないだろうか。 「植物紙協会の利益はわたし達に回ってこないんですから、紙の作り方に関しては情報料頂きますよ?」 「......仕方がない。いくら欲しいんだ?」 わたしは紙の情報料をいくらにすればいいのかどれくらいが適正価格なのか、正直全くわからない。 「えーと、ベンノさんはいくら払いますか?」 「お前の望むだけ払ってやろう。いくらだ?」 わたしの中にある情報料の基準はリンシャンの時の小金貨3枚だ。紙は新しく協会まで作るくらいだから、かなり手広く設けることができるとベンノ自身は考えているに違いない。 「うぅっ......リ、リンシャンの倍は頂きますよ?」 「わかった、ほら、来い」 ニヤニヤ笑いを全く崩さないまま平然とベンノに受け入れられてしまった。もっとふっかけてもよかったのだろうか。やっぱり相場がわからない。 うぬぅっと考え込んでいると、オットーが腕を組んでベンノを見た。 「工房はマインちゃんの話を聞いて、道具の量や大きさ、規模、立地を考えて決めるとしてもさ。道具は倉庫にあったヤツを最初のうちは流用すればいいんじゃないの?」 オットーの言葉にわたしはぎょっとした。 「あれはマイン工房の備品ですよ! 取られたら、わたし達の紙作りができなくなっちゃうじゃないですか」 「......倉庫自体、旦那の物だけどな」 ルッツのツッコミにむぅっと唇を尖らせながら、わたしはベンノに視線を向けた。流用なんてされて、道具を運び出されてしまったらわたし達が非常に困る。そして、あの道具は大量生産向きではない。 「でも、本当にダメなんですよ。マイン工房の備品は大量生産には向きませんって」 わけがわからないとばかりに眉を上げたベンノにわたしは説明し始めた。 「あそこにある道具は試作品を完成させることを第一目的に、わたし達が使いやすように軽量化、小型化、簡素化してあるので、大量生産には向かないんです。ベンノさんの先行投資にあまりお金をかけさせるのも悪いと思って遠慮して、代用品で済ませたものもいくつかありますし......」 「え? なんでお金出してくれるって言ってるのに、遠慮なんてしたんだ? 最高の設備揃えてやればいいのに」 オットーが「バカじゃないのか」と驚いたように言ったけれど、他人のお金で最高の設備を揃えるなんて考えてもみなかった。あの頃、釘一つを手に入れるのも難しかったわたしは、いつだっていかに安く済ませられるかばかり考えていたのだ。 「そこまで図々しくなれなかったんです。今ならもうちょっと図太くなれると思いますけど」 「お前は俺に対してこれ以上図太くならなくて良い。それで、大量生産に向かないって言うのはどういうことだ?」 「体格が違うんです」 ベンノの言葉にわたしはベンノに一番わかりやすい例を考える。 「例えば、わたし達が使っている簀桁は契約書サイズですけど、大人の男の人ならもっと大きな簀桁で紙漉きができるはずなんです。一回で4枚分くらい取れるような大きさの簀桁が使えれば、時間効率は良くなります」 「なるほど」 大量生産するのに契約書サイズでちまちま作るのは時間と手間がかかるだけだ。大きな簀桁を使える力があるなら、一気に作った方が良い。 「聞き覚えがない道具ばかりだな」 「うーん、どんな道具が必要で、今はどんな風に代用しているのかってことは、いっそ倉庫で作り方を見せながら、説明しないと分かりにくいと思います」 「そうか。では、明日、倉庫に視察へ行くとしよう。俺はお前達の作業場を見たことがないから、ちょうどいい」 さらりと予定を決められて、わたしはぎょっとした。自分の中にあった紙作りの予定を頭に思い浮かべる。 「視察って言われても、今日、紙漉きが終わったところなんです。だから、明日は乾燥させるだけで、特に作業することがないので、原料を取りに森に行こうと思っていたんですけど」 「ほぉ、それは一から作業するということか?」 「そうですね。木を切って、蒸して、皮を剥ぎます。そして、倉庫で干すところまでします」 わたしの言葉を聞いて、ベンノは何度か頷いた。 「よし、マルクを行かせる」 「え? 森へ?」 ベンノの言葉にわたしはマルクがわたし達と一緒に森へ行く姿を思い浮かべてみた。似合わない。却下だ。 「マルクさんはピシッとした服が似合う素敵紳士だからダメです。森で木を切ったり、皮を剥いだりするなんて似合いません。......うーん、ベンノさんが作業着を着てくるならいいですよ?」 「どういう意味だ、こら!」 「仕事内容を把握しておきたいのはベンノさんだから、ベンノさんが行く方がいいってことです」 「さっきはそうは言ってなかっただろう」 嫌な顔をしつつも、確かに一通りの作業内容を知っておきたいな、と言ったベンノは一緒に行動することに決めたようだ。いつの間にか、明日は森で一緒に作業することになっていた。 次の日、ルッツが倉庫の鍵を取りに行くと、作業着を着たベンノがいたらしい。迎えに出てくれたマルクが困ったような顔で、ベンノが暴走しないか、しきりに心配していたとこっそり教えてくれる。 「よくこんな狭いところで作業ができるな」 倉庫に入ったベンノはぐるりと倉庫の中を見回して、そう言った。広くて大きな店で仕事をしているベンノから見れば、子がうろうろできるだけの倉庫は狭くて仕方ないだろう。 「わたし達だけなら平気ですけど、ベンノさんが入るとすごく狭くなりますね。まぁ、作業のほとんどを外でするので、中でやることは少ないですよ」 原料を取る時に使う道具をいつも通りに準備して森に向かう。鍋に蒸し器、桶、薪を少し。今日のわたしは籠の中に菜箸とお皿代わりの板とカルフェ芋とバターしか持っていない。 「もう慣れたから平気、です。オレの荷物を持ってくれるより、マインを担いでくれる方が助かる」 「これをいつもはルッツが全部運んでいるのか? かなりきついだろう?」 「ひゃあ!?」 「きちんとつかまっておけ。ルッツ、その大きな木枠だけでも寄こせ。潰れそうで見るに堪えん」 蒸し器をベンノが片手で持って、歩き始める。大股で歩くベンノの肩の上はぐらんぐらんと大きく揺れる。びくびくしながら、わたしはベンノの頭にしがみついた。 「えーと、わたし達はルッツに運べる大きさで鍋の大きさを決めたんですけど、鍋が小さいと一度にできる量はどうしても少なくなります。鍋を大きくするか、小さめの鍋をいくつも設置するか、考えどころですよね? 川の側に工房があれば、鍋じゃなくて材料だけを運べるから、かなり楽なんですよ」 「ふぅむ......」 今日は大人のベンノが一緒なので、洗礼前の子供達と一緒に行動する必要はない。集合場所には向かわず、倉庫から直接南門へと向かった。 「父さん、オットーさん。いってきます」 わたしがベンノの肩の上から大きく手を振ると、二人が目を軽く見張ってこちらに駆け寄ってきた。 「マイン、誰だ?」 「いつもお世話になっているベンノさんだよ。ベンノさん、わたしの父です」 二人が挨拶しているのを見ていると、視界の端の方でオットーが小刻みに揺れているのが見えた。 「オットーさん、どうしたんですか?」 「いや、君達が一緒だと、ベンノが父親にしか見えなくて......」 「黙れ、オットー。俺は独身だ」 ゴン! と怒りにまかせた拳をオットーの頭に落として、ベンノはやや大股で歩き始めた。 へぇ、ベンノさんって独身だったんだ? 結構いい年なのに。 ここは結婚年齢が低いようで、わたしの父でも30を過ぎたところだ。父と同じくらいに見えるベンノが結婚していないのは不思議な感じがする。 「ベンノさん、結婚しないんですか?」 「......あぁ、多分しない」 「俺が結婚したかった時は家族を抱えるのに手一杯で、コリンナが結婚して抱える家族がいなくなった時には、嫁にしたかった女は死んで、もういなかった。アイツ以上の女がいないから結婚しない。それだけだ」 それだけって、かなり重い話と思うんですけど。 わたしはゆっくりと息を吐く。ベンノにとって大事だった人が死んでしまっている話なので、これ以上蒸し返すことも、茶化すこともできない。 「何だ、急に?」 「いえ、何となく。ベンノさんは大きな店の旦那様だから、結婚だ、跡取りだ、と周囲はうるさいだろうな、と思っただけです」 「まぁな。だが、最近は静かになった。跡取りはコリンナの子供を鍛えるから問題ない。それが二人に結婚を許した条件だからな」 うわぁ、オットーさん。頑張れ。 心の中で応援しているうちに、暗いトンネルのような門を出た。それと同時に石畳から土がむき出しになった道へと変わる。空気がおいしくなって、視界が開けて、解放感に包まれた。 「あぁ、森に行くのも久し振りだな」 「そういえば、パルゥを採ったことがあるって言ってましたね。商人の子は森なんて行かないと思ってました。フリーダもピクニックくらいでしか行かないようなことを言ってたし......」 毎日がピクニックみたいと言われた時の衝撃は忘れられない。ベンノはクッと笑った後、懐かしそうに目を細めた。 「森へはたまに家を抜け出して、こっそりな」 「こっそりって......」 「見習いとしてウチに来た同年代はみんな採集に行ったことがあるんだぞ? 興味を持つのは当然だろう? 今でもいるんじゃないか?」 「......あぁ、そういえば見習いが一緒の時って時々見かけない顔がいるもんな」 洗礼式を終えた見習い達も仕事が休みの時は森で採集や狩りをする。洗礼前の子供と違って、自由に森と街を行き来できるようになるので、勝手に森へ行く子も多い。けれど、時々集合場所へ見習い先でできた友人を連れてくる子もいる。 「商人の子って、子供のころはどうやって過ごすんですか?」 「ウチは基本的に勉強だったな。客が来たら接待の勉強。市場に行ったら、値段を見て計算させられたり、余所者の見分け方を教えられたり、商品の良し悪しを判断させられたり......」 一つの行動全てが商売に繋がるような生活は、言葉にされてもすぐには理解できない。ただ、自分達とは全く違う生活があるのだと言うことがわかるだけだ。 「それは、確かにわたし達の生活とはずいぶん違いますねぇ」 「小さい店の子供はまた違う生活をしているだろうがな」 川原に荷物を運ぶと、ルッツが竈を確認して、鍋を設置した。川から水を汲んで、鍋にザザッと入れると、その上に蒸し器をセットする。今日もカルフェ芋を放り込んでみた。 「ルッツ、お前は店に入るんだから、旦那様と呼べるようになれ」 「旦那様はどうする? マインとここで待ってるのか、一緒に木を切りに行くか......」 「どんな木を採るのか興味があるから、行こうか」 ルッツとベンノが木を探しに行く。わたしは鍋の辺りで薪を拾いながら、お留守番だ。 木を刈ったルッツとベンノがたくさんの枝を抱えて戻ってきた。鍋の傍で座り込んでいるわたしを見て、ベンノが軽く眉を上げた。 「マインは何もしないのか?」 「ベンノさんはわたしに何ができると言うんですか? ここでじっとしているのがわたしの仕事ですよ。倒れたら連れて帰ってくれる人なんていないんですから」 ルッツが傍にいない時は、極力動かないように言われている。わたしが勝手に動きまわると迷惑をかけることの方が圧倒的に多いのだ。 「......ルッツはビックリするくらい忍耐強いな」 「そうですよ。ルッツはすごいんです」 「マイン、やめろって。オレ、もうちょっと薪探してくる」 ルッツが取ってきたフォリンと薪を選別し、フォリンを蒸し器に入る大きさに切りながら、ベンノにルッツについて話をした。 「ルッツは本当にすごいんですよ。わたし、ルッツがいなかったら生きてなかったんです。初めて身食いに呑みこまれそうになった時に助けてくれたの」 「ほぉ?」 「それにね、こんな風にやってることがお金になる前から、ルッツはわたしの面倒を見て、一緒に色々作ってくれてたんです」 「......あぁ、聞いたことがあるな。だから、お前はルッツに肩入れするのか?」 冬の手仕事にしろ、紙作りにしろ、自分だけで利益を独占することもできたのに、ルッツを巻き込んで権利と利益を分けるのが、商人から見ると不思議らしい。 「そうですね。ルッツのおかげで助かってるから、わたしにできるだけのことをルッツにしてあげたいと思ってます。新しい商品を考えるくらいしかできませんし、それだって、ベンノさんが売ってくれるからお金になるんですけどね」 「......なるほど。だったら、何が何でもルッツはウチの店で確保しておかないとな」 「よろしくお願いします」 わたしの頭にポンとベンノが手を置いた。任せておけ、という言葉が聞こえたようで、ホッとする。 フォリンを同じくらいの長さに切り終わるころには、ルッツが戻ってきた。 「ルッツ、すぐにバターを挟んで!」 「わかってる!」 バターを挟んで、じゃがバターにする。皿代わりになっている板の上に並んだじゃがバターを見たベンノは、最初のルッツと同じようなうんざりとした顔で芋を見下ろした。 「旦那様、マインの料理はうまいんだよ。ただの芋なのにさ」 へへっと笑いながら、ルッツが芋にかぶりつくのを見て、ベンノも仕方なさそうに口へ芋を運ぶ。 「......うまいな」 「うふふん、蒸すことでおいしさがギュギュッと詰まってますし、寒い外で食べるホクホクのお芋は別格ですからね」 芋を食べた後はベンノに鍋を見ていてもらって、わたしとルッツは採集を始めた。薬草を少しと山菜を採った。 皮が蒸せたので、水にさらして、すぐに皮を剥き始める。ベンノにも手伝ってもらったが、意外と不器用で、皮がボロボロになっていく。ベンノに手伝ってもらったら、黒皮がどんどん減っていきそうだ。 「ベンノさん、皮剥きはいいです。ルッツと一緒に片付けをしていてください」 黒皮を剥き終わったので、倉庫に帰ってきて、皮を干していく。棚に打ち付けられた釘に干していくのを、ベンノが鼻に皺を寄せながら手伝ってくれた。わたし達と違って、いちいち台を使わなくて良いのが羨ましい。 「この黒皮も、もっと量があると干せなくなります。本当はこんな風に木を組んで、干すんです」 わたしは石板に絵を描いて、ここにはない道具の説明をしていく。ベンノは頷いたり、質問をしたりしながら、道具に触っている。 「この黒皮をカラカラになるまで天日にさらして干すんです。きちんと干しておかないとカビの原因になります。干した皮は川にさらします。丸一日以上川に放置です」 「盗られそうだな」 「そうですね。一番心配なところでもあります。作り方さえ知っていれば、お金の元ですからね。だからこそ、川の近くに工房があった方が良いと思うんです」 わたしはそう言いながら、倉庫の端にある灰の袋をポンポンと叩く。 「川にさらした皮の黒い部分をナイフで剥ぎ取ったら、灰と煮込んで、また川に丸一日以上さらします。灰で煮ることで繊維が柔らかくなるんです」 「その後は、皮の繊維についている傷や汚れを取り除いて、この角棒で綿みたいになるようにガンガン叩きます。これもルッツに合わせてあるので、大人の男の人ならもっと大きくて重いのでやった方が効率的ですね」 叩くための角棒と台を指差すと、ベンノが角棒を持って振り始めた。「確かに何かを潰すなら、もっと重みが欲しいな」と呟く。 「そして、ふわふわになった繊維とトロロというネバネバと水を合わせて、船水を作ります。わたし達はこの簀桁に盥を使ってますけど、大人ならもっと簀桁も大きくして、船も簀桁に合わせた方が漉ける紙の数は多くなります。船水をかき混ぜるのも、わたし達はルッツが作ってくれた菜箸を束ねたものでできますけど、船が大きくなると全体に混ざらなくなるから、大きな櫛みたいな道具を使って混ぜるようになります」 こんな感じ、と言いながらわたしが石板に絵を描くと、ふぅんと言いながらベンノは顎を撫で始めた。 「それから、簀桁を使って、こうやって振ったり傾けたりしながら、均等な厚さの紙を漉いて、紙床に重ねていきます。それで自然乾燥させているのが、これです。明日はこの上に重石を置いて、さらに乾燥させます」 「何のために?」 「これでトロロのネバネバが取れるんです。その後はあの板に一枚ずつ張り付けて、天日で乾燥させます。剥がして出来上がりです」 ざっと全行程を説明し終わったわたしにベンノは感心したような溜息を吐いた。 「予想以上に時間と手間がかかるんだな」 「まぁ、乾燥しながら、別の作業をするので、時間がかかっている気はあまりしないんですけどね。量を作ろうと思ったら結構忙しいですよ。それに、この時期は川に入るのが大変なんですよ」 今日、川での水汲みを手伝ってくれたベンノは深く頷いた。「冬は閉鎖するタイプの工房になるな」と呟く。冬は川に入れないし、木が堅くて紙作りに向かない。 「川がないと作れないので、工房の立地はよく考えてくださいね」 「あぁ、わかった。これは忙しくなりそうだな」 忙しくなりそうだと言う割には楽しそうなベンノに、わたしは心の中で「頑張ってくださいね~」と軽く応援していた。 完全に他人事のように思っていたが、実際に少し紙作りの体験をしたベンノが張り切って工房を選び始めると、忙しくなったのはわたし達だった。マルクが紙作りの合間を縫って、わたしとルッツを連れ回しては道具作りを職人に依頼して回るのだ。この働きも情報料のうちだ、と言われれば、動くしかない。 道具を作って、人を集めて、作り方を教えて、工房がある程度の形を整える頃には、季節は夏になろうとしていた。

The next morning I put the failed print and my own drawing in my bag, intending to show them to Wilma. Of course, I didn't forget to take the penknife and soot pencil that I was going to give her. “Good morning, Lutz. What do you think of such a picture?” I took out the G.o.ddess picture I had drew yesterday and showed it to Lutz, who had come to pick me up. He had been looking uneasy, but when he saw the picture, he stared at it for a long time, then breathed in relief. “Not bad. I think it looks more comfortable than print.” “Great, I'm going to ask Wilma if she can draw in this style.” “Welcome, Master Maine.” I put the print on the table in the canteen and pushed it towards Wilma. Her expression darkened at the sight of it. This print must be different from what she imagined. “Your drawing is very delicate, but making a print has to go through the engraving process, so this is the result. There is an amazing beauty in your drawing, but it can't be rendered as a print. So I'm wondering if you can draw the ill.u.s.trations in a different way.” As I spoke, I took out my own drawing. I had b.u.t.terflies in my stomach about showing it to an expert, but that was the only way to proceed. “I think it would be easier to print. I just don't know if it's acceptable. You're very good at drawing, so I'd like to ask your opinion...” Wilma looked at my drawing and took a breath. “... is this your work?” “I referred to your drawing when I drew this picture. With black and white, it looks something like this. What do you think? It's very different from normal drawings. Can you get the feeling?” I watched Wilma's reaction. She stared at my drawing in silence for a while, then suddenly looked up, her brown eyes glowing with joy. “I can draw in this way. I want to challenge myself to see how far I can go.” “Here is the penknife and the soot pencil for you. Draw and practice on the paper I gave you before. Also, this is the thick paper for picture books. When the first ill.u.s.tration is finished, we'll print it out to see how it looks.” Wilma's eyes shone and she looked at my drawing with fascination. I gave her the tools and explained to her what to do when using them. She was an excellent artist, and she could certainly draw better than I could. Around the same time that Wilma was trying to draw in a new way, I started writing on thick paper to make templates. To my surprise, John soon brought the penknives and the rollers, so Lutz and I began to cut carefully with the penknives. It's a patient job, but I was happy to keep going when I thought about how these templates would turn into picture books. In addition, the net for Lutz was also completed. So I went to Lutz's house and asked Ralph and Seig to make a wooden worktable and frame for the stencil. “What do you want?” “I just want a wooden frame! Lutz's hands won't get dirty with it. Please!” I held up the detailed design in front of them. Because of their work, they often look at the design, so it didn't take them long to figure out how to make the wooden frame. As they discussed with me, they brought boards and nails. “Hmm... is this all right?” “You are awesome! This is just right!” They were worthy of the name of apprentice carpenter, the wooden frame had no deviation in size. It felt like they had finished it in the blink of an eye. Upon hearing my compliment, Ralph looked at Lutz and said with a chuckle, “Lutz looks like a merchant now, so we need to look like carpenters.” “All right, carpenters, it's time for you to make a worktable.” Lutz said, puffing his cheeks petulantly, Ralph and Seig shrugged with a smile and went back to work. “Oh, not this one. Lutz, fetch that board over there.” “Make it smooth. This worktable is for you, isn't it? If there are any burrs left, you'll get hurt.” Luz was being bossed around as usual, but I could feel the old tension completely gone, and I secretly relieved. “Seig, please install this, so you can fasten the net to the wooden frame.” I asked Seig to install teardrop-shaped metal buckles on the wooden frame, which were used to secure the net to the wooden frame, as well as the board on the back of the frame. The next step was to connect the wooden frame with the worktable by hinges. Finally, I asked Ralph to install a board about . centimeters thick on the worktable so Lutz could line up the paper. At this point, the worktable was completed, taking less time than expected. “... brothers, thank you. Er... you've been very helpful.” Presumably embarra.s.sed to thank his family, Lutz turned his head to the side. Ralph and Seig also looked away when they heard their little brother thank them. “It's nothing.” “Yeah, yeah, just to earn some pocket money.” If that was me, I would have jumped on Turi and given her a big hug to show my grat.i.tude. But for the Lutz brothers, this kind of communication was probably the limit. But considering that they didn't even talk to each other before, I felt that they had made great progress, so I could not help looking at them with tender eyes. Their faces froze as they caught my eye. “Maine, why do you keep looking at us!” At this time they became one heart, they really were brothers. I looked at them more tenderly. “Lutz, take Maine home!” “Yeah, we'll clean this place up!” “Maine, let's go!” Lutz and his two brothers were suddenly united, and with their cooperation, I was taken outside the house in the blink of an eye. I wished I could see a little more brotherly interaction. What a pity. “Maine, don't giggle, use your brain quickly! Have you got everything? Is there only Wilma's drawing left?” Lutz forced a change of subject, apparently not wanting me to bring up his interactions with his brothers. I chuckled as I went over the tools needed to make a picture book. Paper, pigment, text template, roller, worktable were all ready. Now as soon as Wilma had finished the ill.u.s.tration, the inner pages of the picture book could be printed. However, if the cover was blank, it looked too lonely. “Lutz, if you have time, make some paper with petals. I want it for the cover.” “Oh, you mean flower paper. It's very beautiful. I'll take the children to the forest tomorrow.” All the preparations were done, I just needed to wait for Wilma to finish the ill.u.s.tration. So for a few afternoons, I could enjoy the world of reading. Today, after lunch, I was in high spirits to read a book when Gil, having received a notice from the children of the orphanage that Wilma had finished her ill.u.s.tration, came into the Dean's Office. “Master Maine, I heard Wilma has finished her ill.u.s.tration template. The kids also said Wilma had something to ask for you, so please go to the orphanage in person.” Hearing Gil's message, my world suddenly brightened. Having an ill.u.s.tration template meant I could start printing. “Gil, please go to the workshop after lunch and get ready for printing. Rosina, let's go to the orphanage!” “Please calm down, Master Maine. The grace of G.o.d has not yet reached the orphanage.” Then I remembered that my lunch hour was different from the orphanage, so I sat down again. Gil chuckled and said: “I'll let you know when the kids come to the workshop. You can memorize the prayer in the meantime.” I followed Gil's advice, waiting restlessly while trying to memorize the prayer. I had heard that this was a prayer that I would use when the knights ask for blessings in the autumn. Because we didn't know when we were going to be asked suddenly, so the Head Priest wanted me to memorize it now. ... Oh, I didn't know how the ceremonial dress was going, I would have to ask about it. After receiving the announcement that the children had finished lunch, I walked briskly to the orphanage with Rosina. The canteen was not far from the gate of the orphanage, and we soon met Wilma. Instead of her usual quiet smile, she looked nervous. There was a piece of paper on the table in front of her. “Oh dear! ” Rosina looked over my shoulder at the paper and let out a cry of admiration. It was a beautifully cut template. Wilma's work had retained her delicate features, but the lines were more concise than before. This work showed the encounter between the G.o.d of darkness and the G.o.ddess of light. The lines of the G.o.d of darkness were more complicated than those of the G.o.ddess of light. However, although there was a lot of white s.p.a.ce in the part of the G.o.ddess of light, Wilma still vividly showed the shadow of her hair and the folds of her clothes. I couldn't wait to see it in a picture book! “Great! We're going to print it right now! I've told Gil to get ready.” I asked Rosina to take the template and immediately got up to go to the workshop. Wilma stared at me with an expression of great determination. Several times her lips parted slightly; her hands clasped so hard that the tips of her fingers turned white. Finally she asked me in a trembling voice: “May I accompany you to the workshop?” “Of course it's fine with me, but is it okay with you?” Because of the fear of male contact, Wilma had refused to leave the orphanage. I heard she never showed up at the workshop. She said she was concerned about the children but was still too scared to move her feet. “I'm still afraid of meeting men... but I'm too curious to do anything about what this picture looks like when it's printed. The previous print has not produced the effect I've imagined, and this time it's a new way of drawing. I have no idea what it's going to look like...” I just thought the print was weird, but for Wilma, the result seemed like a blow. This time, instead of using black pigment to draw a delicate and beautiful picture, she cut the paper and made a simple silhouette. This was her first attempt, so I could understand her concern about the result. But once she went to the workshop, she was sure to meet the gray-robed priests. Could she bear the fear of men? “If I go with Master Maine, I can summon up courage...” Hearing Wilma say so, my worry flew out of the sky in an instant. Instead, I felt a sense of mission to protect her. “I will never let a man come near you! Let's go!” “Master Maine, it was supposed to be that the attendants would never let a man near their master, was it?” Rosina interjected in disapproval, but I didn't care! Wilma finally had the idea of wanting to step out of the orphanage, this was very rare, and she now regarded me as her support, this was the most important! Wilma put a hand on her chest and smiled uneasily, so I gently took her hand and walked down the steps at the back door of the canteen. ... Wilma is protected by me! I must show my reliability! But no sooner had I set my sights on it than I nearly fell down the stairs. Luckily Wilma caught me in time to prevent a tragedy. “Master Maine, are you okay?!” “Yeah, yeah. ” “... Master Maine, it's all right to be so active, but please don't forget to be steady.” Rosina's gentle reprimand stabbed me in the chest like a dagger.

「全くわからんな」 「なるほど」 次の朝、わたしはヴィルマに見せられるように、微妙だった版画と自分が描いた影絵をバッグに入れた。ヴィルマに渡せるようにデザインカッターと煤鉛筆も準備してある。 「おはよう、ルッツ。絵はこんな感じにすれば、どう?」 迎えに来たルッツに、昨日描いた影絵のような女神様を見せてみた。不安そうだったルッツは軽く目を見開いて、まじまじと絵を見た後、ホッとしたように息を吐いた。 「これなら、まぁ、いいんじゃねぇ? 木版画よりは見やすいと思う」 「よかった。これで何とかならないか、ヴィルマに相談してみる」 「マイン様、ようこそいらっしゃいました」 食堂のテーブルにわたしは木版画の絵を置いてヴィルマにそっと差し出した。ヴィルマはそれを手にとって、困惑したように眉を寄せる。 「マイン様、これは......?」 「ヴィルマの絵はとても繊細で、板を彫らなければならない木版画になると、こんな感じになってしまうのです。これでは、せっかくのヴィルマの絵の良さが失われてしまうでしょう? ですから、別の方法で作れないかと思い、考えてみました」 わたしはそう言いながら、影絵の方を差し出した。本職に見せるのは少し躊躇ってしまうが、見せなければ先に進まない。 「板を彫るよりは手軽にできると思います。ただ、芸術の中でも絵を得意とするヴィルマの意見を伺いたくて......」 ヴィルマはわたしの影絵を見て、小さく息を呑んで、目を見開いた。 「......こちらはマイン様が?」 「はい。ヴィルマの絵を参考にして、白と黒だけで紙を切って作るならこんな感じになるという見本で作ってみたのですけれど、どうかしら? 今までの絵とはずいぶん変わると思うのだけれど、その、雰囲気はわかるかしら?」 ダメかな? と思いながらヴィルマに尋ねると、ヴィルマはふるりと頭を振って、嬉しそうに茶色の瞳を輝かせた。 「初めて見ました。この方法で作ってみたいと存じます。私が新しい手法でどこまでできるか挑戦してみたいのです」 「では、ヴィルマにこのカッターと煤鉛筆を贈ります。以前に渡した紙で色々試してみてくださいな。こちらは本番用の厚紙ですわ。一枚目ができたら刷って、また様子を見てみましょう」 目を輝かせて影絵に魅入るヴィルマに、わたしは持ってきた道具を下賜して、使う時の注意点を述べた。ヴィルマのことだ。きっとすぐにわたしよりずっと素敵な絵を描いてくれるだろう。 一度作ったせいか、仕上がりが速かったヨハンがデザインカッターとローラーを届けてくれると、今度はルッツと二人で、書いた文字を丁寧に切り抜いていく。ちまちまとした細かい作業だが、これを印刷すれば本になるのだと思えば、頑張れる。 そして、ヴィルマの絵ができるより先に、細工師に頼んでいた網の枠ができてきた。そこで、ルッツの家に行き、ラルフとジークに頼んで、ガリ版印刷の木の台と網がはめられる枠を作ってもらうことにした。 「一体どういうのがいるんだ?」 「こういうの! ルッツの手を汚さないように必要なの。お願い、お兄ちゃん達」 設計図は仕事柄よく見ているようで、ジークとラルフはそれに目を通すとすぐさま作り始める。軽い打ち合わせと共に、板や釘を取り出してきた。 「すごい、お兄ちゃん達! ピッタリだね」 わたしが褒めると、ラルフがフンと鼻を鳴らして「ルッツが商人らしくなるように、オレだって職人らしくなってるからな」とルッツをからかうように見る。 「じゃあ、次はこっちの台を作ってくれよ、職人」 むすぅっと頬を膨らませたルッツの言葉に、二人は肩を竦めて軽く笑いながら、作業を再開した。 「あ~、これじゃあ、合わないや。ルッツ、あっちの板を持ってこい」 「これは丁寧に磨いておけよ。お前が使うんだろ? 変なささくれが残っていると怪我するからな」 相変わらずルッツは使われているけれど、一時のようなピリピリとした雰囲気は消えていたことに、少し安堵の息を吐く。 「ジークお兄ちゃん、木枠に網を固定できるように、これも付けて」 ジークに頼んで木枠にトンボも取りつけてもらう。トンボは木枠に網を固定するための部品だ。金属製で涙滴型をしていて、枠にネジ止めして回転させることで網の着脱をする。額縁などの裏板を留めるための部品と言えば、わかりやすいだろうか。 「あ、ありがとう、兄貴達。その、助かった」 改めて家族にお礼を言うのは恥ずかしいのか、ちょっと照れたようにルッツがそっぽ向く。言われたお兄ちゃん達も困ったような顔をして、視線を逸らした。 「そうそう。ただの小遣い稼ぎだからな」 わたしだったらトゥーリにハグして、最大限感謝を身体で示すが、この兄弟にとってはこれが精一杯なのだろう。全く会話がない状態からはずいぶん進歩したと思う。 「マイン、あんまりこっち見るな!」 そんなところで声が揃う辺り、兄弟だなぁ、とわたしは更に生温かい目になってしまう。 「ルッツ、マインを送って来い!」 「そうだ。オレはこっちを片付ける!」 「行くぞ、マイン!」 やたらと息の合った兄弟の連携で、わたしはすぐさまルッツの家から連れ出されてしまった。心温まる兄弟のやり取りをもっと見ていたかったのに残念だ。 「マイン、にやけてないで考えろ。これで全部揃ったか? あとはヴィルマの絵だけだよな?」 わたしは本を作る上で必要な物を色々と思い浮かべてみる。紙はできた。インクもできた。文章の版紙もできた。ローラーもできた。印刷のための台もできた。これで、ヴィルマの絵が完成すれば、本の中身は仕上がる。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。余裕があるなら、表紙にするための紙を作ってよ。押し花を間に挟んだ紙を表紙にしたいの」 「あぁ、あれか。綺麗だもんな。じゃあ、明日はあいつら連れて森へ行ってくる」 全ての準備が整って、ヴィルマの絵を待つだけの状態になり、午後は図書室でどっぷり読書に浸れるようになった。 「マイン様、版紙ができたってさ。頼みもあるから、マイン様に版紙を取りに来てほしい、ってチビ達が言ってるんだけど」 ギルの言葉にわたしはパァッと目の前が明るくなっていくのを感じた。版紙ができたということは、印刷に取りかかれるということだ。 「ギル、昼食の後は印刷の準備をして欲しいと工房に伝えてくださる? ロジーナ、孤児院へ行きましょう」 「マイン様、落ち着いてくださいませ。孤児院にまだ神の恵みが届いておりませんわ」 孤児院との昼食時間に差があることを思い出して、わたしはすとんと椅子に座り直した。 ギルが小さく笑いながら、「チビ達が工房にやってきたら、オレが教えに来るから、マイン様は祈りの文句でも覚えて待ってればいいさ」と言って、わたしに神官長から出された課題のことを思い出させる。 そわそわしながら、わたしはギルに言われた通りに祈りの文句の暗記に努めた。これは秋に騎士団からの要請があった時に使われる文句で、いつ要請があるかわからないので、今から完璧に覚えておくように、と言われたものだ。 ......あ、儀式用の衣装もどうなってるか、進行状態を聞きに行かないと。 子供達の食事が終わったという知らせを受けて、わたしはロジーナと一緒に足取り軽く孤児院へ向かった。 「まぁ!」 ロジーナが軽く目を見張って、感嘆の声を上げる。 闇の神が光の女神と出会った場面で、切り抜きの多い方が闇の神、白を多く残してはいるけれど、髪の影や衣装の皺が見事に表現されているのが光の女神だ。すぐにでもインクを入れて、完成形を見たくなった。 「......素敵! すぐに印刷してみましょう。ギルには準備してもらうように言ってありますから」 ロジーナに版紙をもってもらって、わたしは即座に工房へ行こうと立ち上がった。 重大決心をしたような表情でヴィルマがわたしを見つめる。何度か小さく唇を動かした後、胸元で指先が白くなるほど力を入れて指を組み合わせ、震える声で問いかけた。 「わ、私も工房にご一緒させて頂いてもよろしいでしょうか?」 「わたくしは構わないけれど、大丈夫ですの?」 ヴィルマは男性が苦手で、孤児院から出たくなくて、工房にも顔を出すことはないと聞いていた。子供達の様子は気になるけれど、怖くて足が竦むのだ、と。 「殿方は苦手なのは変わっておりませんけれど......印刷すればどんな風になるのか、気になって、気になって、何も手につかないのです。木版画では思ったような結果にはなりませんでしたし、これも新しい手法ですから、どんな結果になるかわからなくて」 木版画の仕上がりがわたしにとっては微妙だったけれど、ヴィルマにとってはかなり不本意な結果だったらしい。細密に黒で質感を出すわけではなく、紙を切って、影絵のようにシンプルな絵を作りだすのは、ヴィルマにとって初めてのことで、結果が気になるのは非常によくわかる。 だが、ヴィルマの心の方は大丈夫なのだろうか。工房に行けば嫌でも灰色神官達がいて、顔を合わせることになる。成人男性が怖いと言っていたヴィルマに耐えられるのだろうか。 「マイン様と一緒なら心強いのですけれど......」 ヴィルマが躊躇いながらも、そう言った瞬間、わたしの中でヴィルマを心配する気持ちが吹っ飛んだ。代わりに、使命感がぶわっと湧き上がってくる。 「わたくし、絶対ヴィルマには殿方を近付けませんわ。一緒に参りましょう」 「マイン様、本来は側仕えが主に殿方を近付けないようにするのですけれど?」 ロジーナの呆れたような声が割り込んできたけれど、そんなことはどうでもいい。ヴィルマがほんのちょっとでも孤児院の女子棟から出る気になったということが大事で、わたしが頼りにされているということが一番重要なのだ。 片手で胸元を押さえている不安そうな笑みを見せるヴィルマの手を軽く引くようにして、わたしは食堂の奥の階段を下りて、裏口からマイン工房へと向かう。 ......ヴィルマはわたしが守るんだ! 頼りになるところ、見せなくっちゃ! 張り切った瞬間、わたしは階段で足を踏み外し、ヴィルマに抱き上げられて事なきを得た。 「大丈夫でございますか、マイン様!?」 「......マイン様、張り切るのは結構ですけれど、落着きを失ってはなりませんよ」 ニッコリと笑ったロジーナのお小言が、さくっと胸に刺さった。

Ascendance of a Bookworm Today I visited Corinna’s home to formally order a blue robe for ceremonies and for everyday’s use . Since the ceremonial robe will take time, I requested them through Benno ahead of time, but the design of the embroidery, the weaving of the obi and the fee; apparently many things have to be determined . Today’s attendant was appointed to be a nice motherly woman by Corinna . As Corinna herself is in the midst of pregnancy, I was told to bring along an a.s.sistant for taking my measurements . Previously Benno took my measurements from above my clothes, but she apparently wanted to take my measurements properly since it looks like we will a.s.sociate with each other for a long time . For that reason I have come together with Tuuli and Lutz who has a day off . My mother’s health seems to be slightly bad, and although she wanted to come along, father stopped her . “Ceremonial, that means a terribly nice cloth will be used, right? It’s the first time for me to see such soft, smooth cloth . ” Tuuli, who finished the measuring after I undressed down to my underwear, touched the cloth with sparkling eyes . It looks like there hasn’t been an order to handle such a fine cloth at Tuuli’s workshop . I guess watching Corinna’s work will become a good experience for Tuuli . The cloth used for my ceremonial robe is the one given to me by Benno . It appears it had already been dyed blue at the dyeing workshop, where mother works, and given back to the store . As it’s a deep blue similar to lapis lazuli, it resembles the colour of my hair . “Maïne, sweety, you can put on your clothes now . Tuuli, thank you for your help . This ceremonial robe will be embroidered with decorative words expressing the scriptures’ prayers at its hemming . Once light s.h.i.+nes on those letters, they will glitter in gold and silver, and it will be very beautiful . ” “This is Maïne’s crest?” “Yes . It’s the crest of Maïne’s workshop . This is a book . This is ink and this is a pen . And here’s a combination of the hair ornament’s flower and the materials for making paper . I came up with it, and it was finished after Benno added a quite a bit . ” “It’s you after all, Maïne . So he had to correct it after you created something weird, right?” “... Gah, I was only told that it’s too plain . ” While Corinna giggles as she listened our conversation, she gently spreads the blue cloth on a big work table . The table was fully covered by the blue cloth, which has a l.u.s.tre that felt as if it was flowing, just like a wavy sea . Being told that she will weave in the design into the fabric itself, it was a kimono’s woven pattern that came into my mind as very first . I wonder whether she plans to apply embroidery with a feeling similar to figured satin or silk damask . As I’m small, the parts, where she can use embroidery, will be few if compared to an adult . Be that as it may, since it will have plenty of leeway as the cuffs will have the length of a long-sleeved kimono, the fabric is big . Although the time needed has been reduced in comparison to weaving the cloth from scratch, putting embroidery on all of it is difficult . “Maïne! A n.o.ble’s ceremonial robe cannot be plain!” When I’m soothing Tuuli, who is in a huff, with all my mind, Corinna placed a hand on her cheek while saying 「Now let’s see」 . “It would be great if we show extravagance with simple embroidery, just like Tuuli’s going-out dress appeared after making a few simple adjustments, but does anything come to mind, Maïne?” Being told so by Corinna, I brood over it as I search my memory . Rather than embroidering the whole with small patterns, it should lower the parts that have to be embroidered by using a largish design . “Umm, it means inserting flowers at several places in a pattern which exudes the impression of flowing water . If you widen the s.p.a.ce between the water ripples and place some petals in-between, it will look gorgeous even if the embroidered parts are few... That’s at least what I think . ” I draw curves that look soft with a loose touch and yet flexible on the slate . By making the depth of the curve lines thick and thin, I depict a flowing water pattern . I try adding small hearts similar to cherry blossoms and petals that gathered into five fitting, long and narrow hearts . “It would be better to think about the design of the flowers a bit more, but this water flow is nice . Maïne, you are my elder brother’s water G.o.ddess, aren’t you?” “Otto’s the one finding it amusing and spreading it, I think?” While eating the lunch that had been prepared by Corinna, Corinna and Tuuli began to excitedly talk about the flowers decorating the flowing water . Given that I don’t know the names of that many flowers, I have been left behind, despite being the one concerned here . “Lady Corinna, it looks like Master Benno wants to enter the room...” “Sorry for intruding during lunch, Corinna . There something I’d like to pa.s.s to Maïne . Is that fine?” “Yes, it’s alright . Maïne is done and apparently doesn’t know what to do with her free time . ” Being beckoned by Benno, I lightly jumped off the chair and headed towards Benno . Once he says that and pa.s.ses a piece of paper to me, Benno raises a hand lightly and quickly goes back to the store below . After I check the surroundings and make sure that no one’s here, I immediately opened the four-folded piece of paper with a rustle . The paper was a list of problems Benno has noted down . “W-Wait a moment, following a memo pad of suggestions and disparage, a letter with an a.s.signment list?” There are various points, starting from stupid issues like Otto being useless and out of it since Corinna got pregnant, to things related to the italian restaurant, such as its interior, menu, service and price per guest . If there’s something I can come up with that will solve these problems with the snap of a finger, I will sooner or later think of it, but there are also solutions where I don’t know whether they will be accepted in this place . Of course, it also lists problems where I have to raise the white flag . While pondering about a reply to Benno, I scrutinized the problems one-by-one . And then, I sharply inhale and become pale at the moment I read the last problem mentioned . “Maïne, what’s wrong?” How long did I stood frozen there? Tuuli came peeking at the letter that made me look gloomy and worried . I folded the letter in panic, but realizing that it’s equal to a listing of figures for Tuuli who cannot read characters, I breathe out secretly . “Say, what’s written on it?” “It’s a secret as it’s about work . ” While deceiving Tuuli who was eager to learn of the letter’s contents, I quickly put the piece of paper that had the problem list noted down into my bag . After sighing slowly, I try to ponder whether there isn’t any solution for the last problem, but I’m not hit by inspiration readily . Since Benno said that taking along Lutz outside the city will happen after determining a place for the workshop, I simply swallowed that story . By no means did I perceive that as him being unable to take Lutz along because he hasn’t gotten the permission of Lutz’s father . Just like me, Lutz believes in Benno’s excuse as well . Seeing Benno returning from outside the city Lutz’s eyes gleamed with the expectation of 「I wonder whether he won’t decide on a location for the workshop soon?」 . There’s no way I can tell such Lutz something like 「You can go there even by tomorrow as long as your dad gives his permission」 . It would result in causing an irreparable crack in Lutz’s family . ... I simply don’t know a good method to persuade Lutz’s father gently . Tuuli and Corinna wanted to use flowers of the four seasons in the embroidery, but while they were getting excited next to me whether to do it from the top to the bottom, or from the left to the right, I was at my wits’ end . “The Star Festival will take place soon, won’t it?” “Waah!? W-What?” Being called out by Lutz along the way to the temple, I look around me with a start . Lutz squinted his eyes slightly and peered at me . To keep a secret from Lutz, who is in charge of taking care of my health condition is a herculean task for me . “What’s wrong, Maïne? Aren’t you distracted quite a bit?” “I’m not! What were we talking about again?” Apparently having quickly seen through me being dazed, Lutz returned to the topic after sighing once . “Star Festival . Does it look like we can go together this year?” “Star Festival? ... Ah, you mean the summer festival? It was about playing in water, right?” “No, it’s not water, it’s about throwing Tau Fruits . ” The Tau Fruit is a small red fruit seen during spring . I heard that it will swell up to a the size of a fist by storing a lot of water in summer . I have understood it as something like a naturally occurring water balloon, but I have never seen the real thing . “If it’s not playing in water, what kind of festival is the Star Festival?” I completely don’t grasp what kind of festival it is since I never partic.i.p.ated in it . Lutz taught me, who is inclining her head to the side in confusion . It seems the Star Festival is actually not a festival of playing around in water, but a day of marriage ceremonies . Apparently marriage ceremonies are carried out all together once a year and it seems that throwing Tau Fruits has been taking place as it’s connected to the marriage ceremonies . Being reminded of the spectacle during the baptismal ceremony where a great number of people appeared on the main street, a picture of everybody holding water balloons in their hands popped up in my mind . That’s surreal . I don’t get the meaning . But, there are many events related to important ceremonial occasions that bear no meaning if seen by an outsider . Even in books I read in the past, there were certainly many various events such as guests fighting at a marriage ceremony, all invitees trespa.s.sing on the bridal night or the right of the bridal night belonging to the feudal lord . It’s probably best to comply with the custom while considering it as culture of this place . “And then?” “After all the brides and grooms have entered the central plaza, the battle will start once the bell chimes . In other words, the Tau Fruits will be thrown at the brides and grooms . ” “Eh!? At the brides and grooms!?” “What an amazing festival . ” Even at the exchange of engagement gifts in j.a.pan, there will be some mysterious goods, but there’s meaning to it, if you strain the interpretation . The Tau Fruits said to be thrown at the brides and grooms might carry the meaning a prayer for children or the perpetuation of one’s descendants if it’s a fruit that has many seeds . “But you know, the ones who gather and throw Tau Fruits with the highest zeal are definitely the adults who were unable to marry this year . Every year they aim at the brides and grooms with an unbelievable drive dwelling in their eyes . It’s funny though . ” Yeah, I certainly understand, such murmur popped up in my head . Including my time as Urano, I had an extremely weak relation to things such as lovers or marriage . I can very well understand the emotions of the adults, who were unable to get married, throwing Tau Fruits at the married couples, who leave the temple with smiles full of happiness, with all their might . “... I was able to comprehend what kind of festival it is . I’m looking forward to it, Lutz . ” “Oh, Maïne, you are suddenly all eager? And then, once the married couples are gone after having been chased away with the Tau Fruits, various celebratory dishes will be lined up on the plaza . The children will go back home after the sun goes down at a time when they have eaten enough of those dishes . After that the children will be forbidden to go outside . The reason being that next it will become a festival for just the adults where alcohol will be put out . ” As might be expected of a festival with the name of Star Festival, the most important event apparently starts at night . After the children are gone, it will apparently change into a festival of the unmarried adults, who have grandly celebrated the appearance of the married couples, searching for lovers . The ones who will be vexed the most at this point are those who were born in summer with their coming-of-age ceremony being at the end of summer, according to Lutz . “Umm, I wonder, do the orphanage’s children partic.i.p.ate in the festival?” “Who knows? So far I haven’t seen them even once . ... Is there something you got to do at the temple, Maïne? If I remember correctly, you told me that there isn’t until autumn, but does it look like we can go to the Star Festival together?” Even though I was asked by Lutz with a worried look, I was unable to answer right away . Seeing that the marriage ceremonies will take place in the temple, there might be some work for me . “... I don’t really know, so I will try to ask the Head Priest . ” I enter the temple and Lutz goes back to the store . After seeing off Lutz, I changed clothes in my room, and then tried to ask Fran about the Star Festival while immediately writing a letter to request a meeting with the Head Priest . “Hey Fran, did you ever take part in the Star Festival?” “Sister Maïne, it’s not Star Festival, but the Ritual of Star Union . Isn’t the Star Union a ritual to congratulate a marriage?” Fran explained that it’s a ritual called Star Union and not Star Festival in the temple, and that it’s something connected to the myth of blessing the marriage between the G.o.d of Life and the G.o.ddess of Earth by the G.o.d of Darkness who is the supreme deity . As it’s originally a ceremony that was carried out at night where it was easy to obtain the G.o.d of Darkness’ divine protection, it seems that it’s actually even now taking place during the night in the n.o.ble district . It appears that the commoner’s ceremony ended up being carried out in the morning at the time when the ceremonies of the commoners and n.o.bles were separated after the number of residents in the city grew too much . “Though, if it’s the blessing of the G.o.d of Darkness, it seems to be best to hold it during the winter where the nights are long...” “Sister Maïne, it was summer when the G.o.d of Darkness gave his permission for the two G.o.ds to marry . Given that there’s the offering ritual in winter, it seems that there are no priests who can grant their blessings . ” I lightly shook my head after reconsidering it and then nodded at Fran’s denial . Although it was me who mentioned it, there will be no marriage ceremonies in midwinter . “If I consider it properly, it’s difficult to hold a marriage ceremony during a blizzard . If one considers that the newly-wed family has to prepare for winter, marrying before autumn is just logical . If the wedding anniversary is the same for everyone, there probably won’t be any husbands angering their wives by mistaking the date either . ” While saying that, I finished writing the letter . “Fran, can you please take this letter to the Head Priest? There are things I want to ask the Head Priest about my and the orphanage’s duties at the time of the Star Festival . ” In spite of me meeting the Head Priest during the filing of doc.u.ments in the morning, it’s necessary to set up a meeting even for petty consultations and I have to make an appointment through letter . I’m slowly getting used to those bothersome formalities . Still, there are also very many situations where trivial questions are resolved by being written down as answer in a letter . Anyway, what I was told time and time again by Fran and the Head Priest is to not carelessly chatter at a place with other people present . Despite me scheduling the meeting date for several days later, the Head Priest grabbed his head at the instant he scanned through the letter he was given by Fran and called me to his secret room . I follow him obediently, but as for a reason why he is so troubled with the letter for requesting a meeting, nothing comes to my mind . “You fool . The Ritual of Star Union is tomorrow, right!? Won’t the ceremony finish before you even send out something like written invitations?” “Oh, is that so? I simply thought that there’s still some more time left as I was told that it’ll be soon...” The Head Priest clearly realized that I’m not understanding the events within the temple at all . This is bad . It’s a dangerous omen . Having a premonition that his zealous training, which results in grey-robed priests becoming first cla.s.s, albeit reluctantly, once they become the Head Priest’s attendants, just as gossiped between the grey-robed priests of the orphanage, will befall me, I secretly avert my look . The fed-up expression of the Head Priest was reflected at the edge of my visionary field . Being told to stay in the orphanage’s building on the day of the festival, I got fl.u.s.tered . As I want to partic.i.p.ate in the Star Festival and throw Tau Fruits, I really don’t want to get locked away in the orphanage . “Umm, I’d like to partic.i.p.ate in the Star Festival in the lower city . Is that not allowed?” “The lower city’s festival?” The Head Priest’s eyebrows twitched slightly . “All of the city’s children will go to the forest to pick up Tau Fruits throughout the morning . In the afternoon it will apparently turn into a festival of throwing the Tau Fruits at each other . ” “... What’s that? Just how is that related to the Star Union?” The Head Priest creased his wrinkles and eyebrows . It’s an expression wavering between rejection and sympathy . He wanted to tell me that it’s not allowed, but at the same time he pitied me for it being the first time I could partic.i.p.ate . “... No good? Though I believe that the children of the orphanage will also be docile if I take them along, you know?” It seem that the blue-robed priests and their attendants will all leave the temple for the sake of the n.o.ble district’s Ritual of Star Union once the marriage ceremonies in the morning end . Isn’t it fine for them to play inside the temple’s grounds once there’s no one left to get angry? “... Umm, Head Priest, can you please permit the throwing of Tau fruits in the orphanage and temple in order to not cause troubles outside in the afternoon, once they have picked up the fruits in the forest throughout the morning? Since it’s a rare occasion, I’d like to have the children experience the festival as well . Given that it’s the first time for me as well, I have been looking forward to it very much...” After slighly casting down his eyes and pondering about it for a while, the Head Priest slowly lifted his line of sight and said, “Very well . You will have to clear it away properly . Also, I won’t mind as long as you don’t cause an uproar to the degree of worrying the city’s residents . ” “Thank you very much . ” “I will be a sentry on that day . ” “I will prepare the carriages . ” “However, any duties will be done once the ceremonies end, right? As for the throwing of Tau Fruits, let’s start the throwing battle once everyone finished their task after the blue-robed priests and their attendants have left towards the n.o.ble’s district . It’s something that’s more fun with everyone joining in . We will patiently wait until all the priests have finished their duties, okay?” Once I asked the children, they nodded deeply . “Yeah, we will wait!” “I will pick up the share of those who cannot come due to their duties . ” After returning to my room, I requested Hugo and Ella through Fran that I’d like them to finish their business on the day of the Star Union until the fourth bell to prepare dinner . As it seems that Hugo is an adult, who hasn’t been able to marry, he’s burning with the ambition to partic.i.p.ate in the festival . I heard from Fran that he’s eager to have his work finished as fast as possible . Although he would be unable to throw Tau Fruits at the married couples, it would be fine as long as he could please the children of the orphanage, right? And, a crest has been st.i.tched right in the middle of the collar’s embroidery . The n.o.bles decorate theirs with their respective family crests, but since I don’t have one, they have used my workshop’s crest “Usually you make sure that the cloth and the design of a ceremonial robe stand out by specifying the weaving and choosing the yarn . But, since we have no time now, I will use an already finished cloth, okay? I’m planning to have its shape stand out when light s.h.i.+nes on it by using embroidery with a thread in the same colour all over, but Maïne, I wonder, what kind of design would you like?”. “Umm, Miss Corinna . Even if you ask me that, I don’t know as I have never properly seen a ceremonial robe . However, if you are going to apply embroidery on the whole, keep it as simple as possible...”. I ought to have seen it during my baptism, but my memories have been completely swept away by the library and the Gl○co pose . I don’t remember the robes worn by the blue-robed priests well . If it’s the scriptures held by the Head Priest, I do remember it, but as for his robe that appeared to be extravagant, I was completely ignorant “Whaa! ... But embroidery all over is a lot of work, so I think it would be alright to keep it slightly simple? You think so too, Tuuli, right?”. “... How about decorating it with flowers and a『Flowing Water Pattern』?”. My mouth suddenly cramped due to that naming coming out of the giggling Corinna’s mouth . Even if Benno and me were to deny it, it would be impossible for us to clear the misunderstanding by those around us if Corinna, who is Benno’s younger sister, is the one a.s.serting it “... Umm, Miss Corinna . Just how far have you spread that story?”. ... Otto, you utter fool . Get scolded by Benno!. “Read it somewhere alone with no one else around . I will leave the rest to you . It will be a big help if you tell me in case you have a good idea . ”. “Okay...”. “Meaning, those unrelated to the marriage ceremonies will go together into the forest once the gate opens on the second bell and pick up Tau Fruits . When the third bell chimes, the marriage ceremonies begin, and after the ceremonies finished upon the fourth bell, the brides and grooms will leave . The guests, who had gathered in the central plaza until then, will lurk in various alleys and get ready to use the Tau Fruits they have . ”. “Correct . They will run to their new home while the groom is protecting his bride . You might as well say it’s a test of the men’s dependability . At that time various people along the way will throw Tau Fruits at the bride and groom, and it will turn into a exhausting cycle of them running around the whole city while throwing back at their attackers and having Tau Fruits thrown at them . ”. “Is it alright even though I have no meeting appointment?”. The eyes of the Head Priest got a sharp glint and he asked me that right after we entered the secret room . Given that the Head Priest lectures me in this room while showing anger that’s similar to him releasing cold air, even though he usually scolds me with a composed expression, it’s better to be in his normal office during the times he’s angry than here “I suppose it’s a topic that won’t be brought up in the temple since it’s the norm . Because the filing of doc.u.ments that had piled up until now is progressing nicely, I ended up postponing it, but it looks like we have to focus on your education first, doesn’t it?”. “Good grief, you are... So, to answer your question, the Ritual of Star Union is a ceremony of growing up . Since you are an apprentice, you mustn’t partic.i.p.ate in the ceremony . Rather, as director, stand watch so that the orphans won’t leave the orphanage . There will be many people from the city enter and leave the temple during the Ritual of Star Union . Make sure that not a single person leaves the orphanage during the ritual since it’s a ceremony where the blue-robed priests are eagerly pining for alms . ”. “I don’t quite understand . I never partic.i.p.ated in it until now as last year I had the Devouring and the years before my physical condition wasn’t that great either . I’m looking forward to it very much as this year’s my first partic.i.p.ation, but...”. “The morning will be fine with that, but what will you do about the afternoon? In fact it will be a mutual throwing of Tau Fruits at each other, right? It will be problematic if needless quarrels happen after taking the orphans into the city . Since the blue-robed priests will head into the n.o.ble district in the afternoon, it will turn into a situation where there are no people in charge present . ”. Starting from afternoon, there’s immediately a preparatory meeting at the orphanage . As it will be fine as long they are not discovered by the blue-robed priests, they will wait for mine and Lutz’s arrival after having finished the cleaning of the prayer room in the early morning and changed into their attires for going to the forest . We will sneak out secretly and go to pick up the Tau Fruits in the forest . The orphans, who are doomed to be always locked up in the orphanage, are very elated The grey-robed priests, who cannot come along as they partic.i.p.ate in the ritual, have to prepare the blue-robed priests’ departing to the n.o.ble’s district, and can’t leave as sentries, won’t be able to pick up the Tau Fruits in the forest . They are watching the frolicking children while looking jealous I had the grey-robed priests, who are on duty, compromise by preparing dinner and having the children endure . What to say, it seems they went without dinner on the day of the Star Union’s ritual since the blue-robed priests were all out “I will ask my cooks and have them make plenty of food . ”.

本日はコリンナ宅へお邪魔して、普段使いと儀式用の青い衣の正式注文をすることになった。儀式用は時間がかかるので、先にベンノを通して依頼していたが、刺繍の柄とか、帯の織り方とか、料金とか、決めることがたくさんあるらしい。 今日の付き添いはコリンナから家族の女性が良いと指定された。コリンナが妊娠中で、採寸の手伝いをお願いしたいと言われたのだ。前にベンノが服の上から採寸してくれたけれど、以後、長い付き合いになりそうなので、きちんと採寸しておきたいらしい。 そのため、ルッツはお休みでトゥーリに行動している。母は少し体調が良くないらしく、行きたがっていたけれど、父からストップがかかった。 「儀式用って、すごく良い布を使うんだね? こんな柔らかくてつるつるした綺麗な布を見たの、わたし、初めて」 わたしを下着姿にして、採寸を終えたトゥーリは目を輝かせて、布に触れた。トゥーリの工房ではここまで良い布を扱う依頼は来ないらしい。コリンナの仕事を見るのはトゥーリにとって良い経験となるだろう。 わたしの儀式用衣装に使うのはベンノに贈られた布だ。これはすでに母の勤める染色工房で青に染められて、店に戻ってきたらしい。ラピスラズリのような深い青で、わたしの髪の色にも似ている。 「マインちゃん、もう服を着ても大丈夫よ。トゥーリ、お手伝いありがとう。この儀式用の衣装は縁取りに聖典の祈りの文句を装飾的な字体で刺繍するの。光が当たると金や銀に輝いてとても綺麗になるわ」 そして、襟元の刺繍の真ん中に紋章が縫いとめられる。貴族はそれぞれの家紋を刺繍するが、わたしには家紋がないので、工房の紋章だ。 「これがマインの紋章?」 「そう。マイン工房の紋章だよ。これが本。これがインクでこれがペン。それから、紙作りの原料の木と髪飾りの花を組み合わせてあるの。わたしが考えたのにベンノさんがいっぱい付け足してできたんだよ」 「どうせマインの事だから、変なのを作って、修正されたんでしょ?」 「......簡素すぎるって言われただけだもん」 わたし達の会話を聞いたコリンナがくすくす笑いながら、大きな作業用のテーブルの上に青の布をふわりと広げる。つるりとした光沢のある青い布で波だった海のようにテーブルがいっぱいになった。 「儀式用の衣装は本来なら、糸を選んで織り方を指定して、布に模様が浮かび上がるようにするの。けれど、今回は時間がないから、すでにできている布を使うでしょう? 同じ色の糸で全体的に刺繍を入れて、光が当たった時に形が浮かび上がるようにしようと思っているのだけれど、マインちゃんはどんな模様が良いかしら?」 生地自体に織り方で模様を入れると言われて、わたしの頭に一番に思い浮かんだのはお着物の地紋だった。 わたしが小さくて、刺繍を入れる部分が大人に比べると小さいとはいえ、ゆとりがたっぷりあって袖口が振り袖のように長いので生地は大きい。一から生地を織るより時間が短縮されるとはいえ、全体に刺繍を入れるのは大変だ。 「あの、コリンナさん。どんなと言われても、わたし、儀式用の衣装自体をよく見たことがなくて、わかりません。でも、全体的に刺繍を入れるなら、できるだけ簡単に......」 自分の洗礼式の時に見たはずだが、記憶はグ○コと図書室に全部持っていかれている。青色神官が着ていた衣装なんてよく覚えていない。神殿長が持っていた聖典なら覚えているけれど、豪華そうだった衣装についてはさっぱりだ。 「マイン! 貴族様の儀式用が簡単じゃダメでしょ!」 「ぅひっ!......でも、全体に刺繍なんて大変だし、ちょっとでも簡単な方が良いかな、ってトゥーリも思うでしょ?」 ふんぬぅ、と憤慨するトゥーリを一生懸命宥めていると、コリンナが「そうねぇ」と頬に手を当てた。 「トゥーリの晴れ着を簡単にお直しして豪華に見えたように、刺繍でも簡単で豪華に見せることができれば良いけれど、マインちゃんは何か思い当たるものがあるかしら?」 コリンナに問われて、わたしはうーん、と記憶を探る。 小さい模様をちまちまと全体に刺繍していくよりは、大きめの柄を刺繍した方が刺繍する部分は少なくなるはずだ。 「......『流水紋』に花を添えるなら、どうかな?」 「えーと、こんな感じで水が流れている感じの模様にところどころ花を入れるんです。水の間隔を広げたり、花弁を散らしたりすれば、刺繍している部分は少なくても、豪華に見える......と思うんですけど」 石板にぐにぐにとした曲線を描いて、曲線部分の線の太さを太くしたり細くしたりして、流水模様を描き、適当に細長いハートを5つ固めた桜と花弁っぽい小さなハートを散らしてみる。 「花はもうちょっと図案を考えた方が良いけれど、この水の流れはいいわ。マインちゃんはベンノ兄さんの水の女神だものね?」 くすくすと笑うコリンナの口から出てきた言葉に、ひくっと口元が引きつった。ベンノやわたしが否定しても、妹であるコリンナの口から語られたら周囲の誤解が解けるはずがない。 「......あの、コリンナさん。それって、一体どこまで広がってる話なんですか?」 「オットーが面白がって広げている話かしら?」 ......オットーさんのバカバカ。ベンノさんに怒られろ。 コリンナが準備してくれた昼食を食べている間、コリンナとトゥーリで流水に添える花の話で盛り上がり始めた。わたしはそれほど多くの花の名前を知らないので、当人にもかかわらず、置いていかれている。 「コリンナ様、ベンノ様が入室されたいそうですが......」 「昼食中に悪いな、コリンナ。マインに渡すものがあるんだが、いいか?」 「えぇ、大丈夫よ。マインちゃんは終わって、暇を持て余しているようだもの」 ベンノに手招きされたわたしは、椅子からぴょいっと飛び降りてベンノところへと向かった。 「他のヤツがいないところで、お前一人で読んでくれ。その後は、お前に任せる。思い当たる解決策があれば、教えてくれると助かる」 「は......?」 わたしにたった一枚の紙を渡してそう言うと、ベンノは軽く手を上げて、さっさと下の店の方へと戻って行く。 辺りを見回し、誰もいないことを確認して、わたしはその場ですぐさま手渡され折りの紙をかさりと広げてみた。紙に書かれていたのは、ベンノが抱えている問題の一覧表だった。 「ちょ、ちょっと、罵倒と注意事項のメモ用紙の次は、課題一覧のお手紙? こんなんもらっても困る......」 コリンナが妊娠してからオットーが浮かれて使えないというくだらない問題から、イタリアンレストランの内装やメニュー、サービス、客単価に関するものまでさまざまだ。パッと解決方法が思い浮かぶものもあれば、思いつくけれどここで受け入れられるかどうかわからないものもある。もちろん、完全にお手上げ状態の問題も並んでいる。 わたしはベンノに対する答えを考えながら、問題を一つ一つ吟味していった。そして、最後に書かれている問題を読んだ瞬間、すぅっと血の気が引いていく。 「マイン、何だったの?」 どれだけの間、その場に立っていたのか、トゥーリが心配そうに顔を曇らせて手紙を覗きこんできた。慌てて手紙を畳んだが、字が読めないトゥーリには模様の羅列に等しいと気付いて、そっと息を吐く。 「ねぇ、何が書いてあるの?」 「お仕事の事だから、秘密だよ」 知りたがるトゥーリを誤魔化しながら、わたしは問題一覧が記された紙をさっとバッグに入れた。 ゆっくり溜息を吐いて、最後の問題について何か解決策がないか、思いを巡らせてみるが、すぐには浮かばない。 余所の街にルッツを連れて行くのは、工房の場所を押さえてからだ、とベンノが言っていたので、それを鵜呑みにしていた。まさか、ルッツの父親から許可が取れないため、連れだせないとは気付かなかった。 ルッツはわたしと同じようにベンノの言い分を信じている。余所の街から帰ってきたベンノを見て、「早く工房の場所が決まらねぇかな?」と期待に目を輝かせていた。そんなルッツに「お父さんが許可出してくれたら明日にも行けるよ」なんて言えるわけがない。ルッツの家庭に修復しようのない亀裂を入れてしまうことになる。 ......ルッツのお父さんを懐柔する方法なんて知らないよ。 トゥーリとコリンナが刺繍する花を春夏秋冬で入れたいが、上から下にするか、左から右にするかで盛り上がっている横で、わたしは頭を抱えた。 「そろそろ星祭りだな」 「へわっ!? な、何?」 神殿に向かう道中でルッツに声をかけられて、わたしはビクッとして辺りを見回す。ルッツは少し目を細めて、わたしを覗きこんだ。体調管理をしているルッツに隠し事をするのは、わたしにとって至難の業だ。 「何だよ、マイン。ずいぶんぼーっとしてないか?」 「してない! 何の話だっけ?」 わたしがすっとぼけたことはお見通しだったようで、ルッツは一つ溜息を吐いた後、話題を戻してくれた。 「星祭り。今年は一緒に行けそうか?」 「星祭り?......あぁ、夏のお祭りだっけ? 水遊びだったよね?」 「水じゃなくて、タウの実をぶつけるんだよ」 タウの実は春に見た小さい赤い実だ。夏には水をたくさん含んで、拳ほどに膨らんでいると聞いた。わたしは自然にできる水風船のような物だと理解しているが、実物を見たことはない。 「水遊びじゃなかったら、星祭りって何のお祭り?」 自分が参加したことがなかったのでどんな祭りなのか、全くわからない。首を傾げるわたしにルッツが教えてくれた。 星祭りは、実は水遊びのお祭りではなく、結婚式が行われる日らしい。どうやら一年に一度行われる合同結婚式で、タウの実をぶつけるのは結婚式に関連して行われるイベントのようだ。 「結婚式に関係ないヤツらは2の鐘の開門と一緒に森に行ってタウの実を拾うんだ。3の鐘が鳴ったら、結婚式が始まって、4の鐘で式を終えた新郎新婦が出てくる。それまでに中央広場を中心に色んな路地に潜んで、タウの実を持って構えるんだ」 洗礼式で大量の人達が大通りに出ていた光景を思い浮かべ、みんながそれぞれの手に水風船を持っている図を思い浮かべた。シュールだ。意味がわからない。 だが、冠婚葬祭にまつわるイベントなんて、余所から見たら意味不明なものが多い。昔読んだ本にも、結婚式で客同士が殴り合うとか、招待客一同が初夜に押しかけるとか、領主の初夜権とか、色々あったはずだ。ここの文化だと思って聞いておくのが一番だろう。 「それで?」 「新郎新婦が中央広場に全員入った後、ベルが鳴ったら戦闘開始。新郎新婦にタウの実をぶつけるんだ」 「え!? 新郎新婦に!?」 「そう。新郎は新婦を守りながら、新居に走り込む。男の甲斐性ってやつを試されるんだってさ。大体は新郎新婦に投げる途中で色んなヤツに当たって、投げ返して、投げ返されて、街中走り回ってくたくたになる」 「すごい祭りだね」 日本の結納だって謎の品物を交わすけれど、こじつけにせよ、意味はある。新郎新婦にぶつけるというタウの実が、種の多く取れるような実なら、子孫繁栄とか子宝祈願という意味があるのかもしれない。 「でもさ、一番張り切ってタウの実を集めてぶつけるのは、今年結婚できなかった成人なんだよ。毎年、新郎新婦を狙う目にすげぇ気迫が籠ってるんだ。面白いけどさ」 あぁ、わかる。そんな呟きが胸に浮かんだ。 わたしは麗乃時代を含めても、恋人とか結婚とかには非常に縁が薄かった。結婚できなかった成人が幸せいっぱいの笑顔で神殿から出てくる新郎新婦にタウの実を力いっぱい投げつけたくなる気持ちがよくわかる。 「......どんなお祭りか、理解できたよ。楽しみだね、ルッツ」 「お、マイン。急にやる気だな? それで、タウの実で追い立てて、新郎新婦がいなくなったら、色んな広場にお祝いの食べ物が並べられる。それを食べて満足する頃には日が暮れるから、子供は家に帰るんだ。その後、子供は絶対に外に出ちゃいけない。次は酒が並んで成人だけの祭りになるんだ」 どうやら、星祭りという名前の祭りだけあって、一番重要なイベントは夜のようだ。子供を排除した後、新郎新婦が登場して盛大に祝われ、未婚の成人が恋人探しをするお祭りになるらしい。ここで一番悔しがるのは、夏の終わりに成人式がある夏生まれの者達だとルッツは言った。 「その、星祭りって、孤児院の子達は参加するのかな?」 「さぁ? 今まで見たことないな。......マインは神殿でやることあるのか? 確か、秋まではないって言われたみたいだけど、星祭りには一緒に行けそうか?」 ルッツに不安そうに尋ねられてもすぐには答えられなかった。神殿で結婚式がある以上、何か仕事があるかもしれない。 「......よくわからないから、神官長に聞いてみるよ」 神殿に着いて、ルッツは店へと戻って行く。ルッツを見送った後、部屋で着替えたわたしは早速神官長に面会以来の手紙を書きながら、フランに星祭りについて聞いてみた。 「ねぇ、フランは星祭りに参加したことがあるのかしら?」 「マイン様、星祭りではございません。星結びの儀式です。星結びは婚姻を寿ぐ儀式ではありませんか」 神殿では、星祭りではなく星結びと呼ばれている儀式で、最高神である闇の神が、命の神と土の女神の婚姻を祝福した神話に因んだものだとフランは説明してくれた。 もともとは闇の神の加護を得られやすい夜に行われた儀式で、今でも、貴族街では本当に夜に行われているらしい。街の人数が増えすぎて、貴族と平民の儀式を分けることになった時、平民の儀式は午前中に行われるようになったということだ。 「闇の神の祝福なら、冬の方が夜の時間は長くて良さそうだけれど......」 「マイン様、闇の神が結婚を許したのが夏でございますし、冬には奉納式がございますので、祝福を授けられる神官がいないと思われます」 フランの否定に頷きながら、わたしは真冬の結婚式を頭に思い浮かべて、軽く頭を振った。自分で口にしてみたものの、真冬に結婚式はない。 「よく考えてみると、吹雪の中で結婚式は難しいし、新婚家庭が冬支度をしようと思ったら、秋前に結婚するのが合理的ですものね。結婚記念日がみんな同じなら、間違えて奥様の機嫌を損ねる旦那様もいらっしゃらないでしょうし」 わたしはそう言いながら、手紙を書きあげた。 「フラン、この手紙を神官長にお願いできるかしら? 星祭りの時の孤児院やわたくしの役割について、神官長に伺いたいことがあるの」 神官長とは午前中に書類整理で顔を合わせるにもかかわらず、ちょっとした相談事にも面会が必要で、手紙で予約しなければならない。そんな面倒くささに少しずつ慣れてきた。些細な質問なら、手紙に回答を記されて済んでしまうことも多々ある。 とにかく、フランと神官長に口を酸っぱくして言われたのが、他人がいるところで不用意に喋るな、ということだった。 面会予定日を数日後に覚悟していたにもかかわらず、神官長はフランが渡した手紙に目を通した瞬間、頭を抱えてわたしを隠し部屋に招いた。 おとなしくついていくけれど、面会依頼の手紙で頭を抱えられる理由が思い浮かばない。 「面会予約がないのに、よろしいのでしょうか?」 「この愚か者。星結びの儀式は明後日だぞ? 招待状など出していたら、儀式が終わるではないか」 隠し部屋に入ってすぐにわたしがそう尋ねると、神官長が目を尖らせた。普段は取りすました顔でお小言を言うのに、この部屋では神官長が冷気を発するような怒りを見せてお説教するので、怒られる時はここよりいつもの部屋が良い。 「あ、そうなのですか? そろそろと言われたので、まだもう少し時間があるものだとばかり......」 「神殿内では当たり前だから、誰も話題に出さなかったのであろう。今まで溜まっていた書類整理が順調に進んでいるせいで、後回しにしてしまったが、先に君の教育をしなければならないようだな」 わたしが神殿内の行事を全く把握していないことを神官長にはっきりと認識されてしまった。これはまずい。危険な兆候だ。 神官長の側仕えになれば嫌でも一流になると、孤児院の灰色神官の間で噂の熱血教育が我が身に降りかかってくる予感がして、わたしはそっと視線を外す。視界の端に神官長の呆れかえった顔が映った。 「まったく君は......。それで、質問の回答だが、星結びの儀式は成人の儀式だ。君は見習いのため、儀式には参加してはならない。むしろ、院長として孤児達が孤児院から出ないように、よく見張っておきなさい。星結びの儀式は街の者が神殿にたくさん出入りする。そして、お布施目当ての青色神官が張りきる儀式なので、儀式中は一人も孤児院から出さないように」 お祭りの日に孤児院にいろと言われてしまって、わたしは焦った。星祭りに参加してタウの実を投げたいのに、孤児院に閉じこもるのは嫌だ。 「えーと、わたくし、下町の方の星祭りに参加したいのですが、ダメですか?」 「下町の祭りとは?」 神官長がわずかに眉を動かした。 「午前中は街の子供達がみんなタウの実を拾いに森へ行くんです。午後はタウの実をぶつけ合うお祭りだそうです」 「......何だ、それは? 星結びと一体何の関係がある?」 「よくわかりません。去年は身食いの熱で、その前も体調が良かった時がなくて、わたくし、今まで参加したことがないのです。今年が初参加でとても楽しみにしているのですけれど......」 神官長がくっきりと眉間に皺を刻んだ。駄目だと言ってしまいたいが、初めて参加できるようになったのに可哀想だという拒絶と同情の間で揺れているような顔だ。 「......ダメ、でしょうか? 孤児院の子供達も出してしまった方が静かだと思いますけど?」 「午前はそれでも良いが、午後はどうする? その実をぶつけあうのだろう? 孤児達を街に出して、無用の衝突が起こると困る。午後は青色神官が貴族街へと赴くので、責任者がいないという状況になる」 午前中の結婚式を終えたら、青色神官と側仕え達は貴族街の星結びの儀式のために神殿を出払うらしい。 怒る人がいないなら、神殿の敷地内で遊べばいいんじゃない? 「......あの、神官長。午前中に森で実を拾ってきて、午後からは外で揉め事を起こさないように、神殿の、孤児院の中だけでタウの実をぶつけ合うなら許してくださいますか? せっかくだから、子供達にもお祭りを体験させてあげたいんです。わたくしも初めてなので、とても楽しみにしていましたし......」 軽く目を伏せて、しばらく考え込んでいた神官長がゆっくりと視線を上げた。 「よろしい。しっかりと後片付けをすること。それから、街の人が訝るほどの大騒ぎでなければ構わない」 「ありがとう存じます」 午後からは早速孤児院で打ち合わせだ。青色神官に見つからなければそれでいいということで、朝早くに礼拝室の清掃を済ませた後、森用の服に着替えて、わたしやルッツの到着を待つ。その後、こっそりと抜け出して森にタウの実を拾いに行く。孤児院に閉じ込められるのが常である孤児達は大喜びだ。 「私はその日、門番ですよ」 「オレは馬車の準備だ」 儀式に参加したり、貴族街へと出かけて行く青色神官の馬車を準備したり、門番として立たなくてはならない灰色神官は森にタウの実を拾いにはいけない。羨ましそうにはしゃぐ子供達を見ている。 「でも、どのお役目も儀式が終わるまででしょう? タウの実を投げ合うのは、青色神官と側仕え達が貴族街に出かけてからになるから、みんなのお役目が終わった後で投げ合いっこしましょう。みんなで楽しめた方が良いもの。神官の方々のお役目が終わるまで、我慢して待てるでしょう?」 わたしが子供達に問いかけると、子供達は大きく頷いた。 「うん。待つよ!」 「オレ、役目で来られない人達の分もいっぱい拾う」 役目がある灰色神官には、子供達にも我慢してもらうことと夕飯の準備をすることで妥協してもらった。なんと、青色神官が出払ってしまうので、星結びの儀式の日は毎年夕飯抜きになっていたらしい。 「わたくしの料理人に頼んで、たくさん作っておいてもらいましょう」 部屋に戻った後、フーゴとエラに星結びの日のお勤めは4の鐘までで終わり。その代り、夕飯分も作っておいて欲しいとフランを通してお願いした。 どうやら、フーゴは結婚できていない成人のようで、祭り参加に意欲を燃やしているらしい。なるべく早く仕事を終わらせると意気込んでいるとフランから聞いた。 新郎新婦にタウの実をぶつける事はできなくなったけど、孤児院の子供達が楽しんでくれたらいいな。

After becoming Miss Maine's attendant, I am busy in the orphanage. So I can only hear some news from children from their talks during dinner time. When Fran and Gil come to clean the orphanage, I know they work for Miss Maine as her attendants. They are well-known so that I have heard their names before and can recognize them. But the name of Delia is new to me. “Delia was a priestess apprentice of the Temple Chief before. She is an aggressive girl, with red hair.” When I was returned to the orphanage at years old, I lived in the bas.e.m.e.nt. However, I cannot recall any apprentice with such a striking feature of red hair. “I have seen lots of apprentices since I was -year-old, but I'm not able to remember anyone with red hair.” “Delia was taken away by the Temple Chief after she was baptized. So she did not live in the first floor of the orphanage, but went to the n.o.ble area. I don't know her, either. When I asked her, she told me that proudly. She says without shyness that one day she will become a mistress. What if Miss Christine hear this?” Miss Christine don't like the gray-robed priestesses who perform flower offering. Because flower offering is a job only done by females who have nothing special. So I don't want to be taken in by a blue-robed priest. However, the gray-robed priestesses in the orphanage do not seem to dislike flower offering so much. They say that all they want is a better life to have enough food, no matter what they are asked to do; a mistress or flower offering doesn't matter. Because their present life is only full of rough work, with little blessing from the G.o.d. “Delia did not have the gray-robed priestess to take care of her. She was only a child, who should have lived in the bas.e.m.e.nt, but was chosen from the orphanage to live a comfortable life. Don't you think it unbelievable? Rosina, if it was you that was closed in the bas.e.m.e.nt, what would you think?” “No, Wilma. It would make me sick.” Rosina is always the first to escape whenever she is asked to clean the females' dormitory, let alone helping children living in the bas.e.m.e.nt to bathe. She is affected by Miss Christine so deeply, and only wants to see beautiful things. Occasionally, I cannot stop myself sighing at her difference from Miss Maine, who saw children's condition and asked Gil to help them as possible as he could. “Delia has no courtesy, knows nothing about the art, and feels Fespiel noisy. ‘What! What!' she always shouts. Though Delia herself is noisy, Miss Maine just smiles embarra.s.sedly but does not scold her...” I think Rosina and Delia are the same type. Because both of them prefer to live in the n.o.ble area, rather than do rough work in the temple. However, usually, the job of apprentices' attendants is to do the rough work for their masters. So, differing from Rosina, my impression on Delia is not so bad. “Besides, Delia speaks ill of me in front of Miss Maine.” Rosina tells me what Delia complained in the meeting. Most of what she says is repeated again and again. This further makes me sense her restlessness and anger at Delia. “What do other people say about Delia? Do they say that Delia is right? Is there anyone who says that he or she is on your side?” “Gil is Delia's friend. He always complains rudely. He says I don't work but eat only, and asks me not to play musical instrument at night...” When I worked for Miss Christine, Rosina often played Fespiel late at night, but n.o.body complained. Delia and Gil are apprentices, so they must sleep as early as the children in the orphanage. “I think playing instruments at night is noisy for children of that age. If you play the instrument in children's room of the orphanage, I will feel trouble, too.” “Wilma?!” “Though at Miss Christine's house you don't have to get up early, it's different at Miss Maine's house, right? They have to get up as early as the children in the orphanage do.” Rosina slightly lowers her eyes. Maybe someone else have said the same words. “Besides, I only remember Gil is a naughty boy who is always beyond control. But my impression on him changes a lot.” I can't recall any gray-robed priest, who does all the rough work for the temple, has ever been put into the introspection room. When people in the orphanage heard that Gil became a priestess's attendant, they quite doubted about that. “You will feel more surprised if you see Gil kneels down in front of Miss Maine and is commended by her.” I have seen the obsessed expression of Gil who hasn't seen Miss Maine for a long time. I think Gil works hard for Miss Maine and keeps a good relations.h.i.+p with her, because he can often be rewarded with cards or something. “Has Fran said anything? He used to be the attendant of the Head Priest, and is different from the children. Has he judged the matter fairly?” As everyone in the orphanage knows, Fran used to be the Head Priest's attendant, and now helps, instructs and guides the commoner Miss Maine. He is also Miss Maine's only adult gray-robed priest. Obviously, Miss Maine trusts him and relies on him. “Fran is a gray-robed priest, but he does not work even if he is directed to do. He does not do the rough work either. And he also gives me orders.” “... It's natural that Fran orders you, right?” “Why?” Rosina tilts her head to one side with a blank look, as if she really does not know the reason. Now I can understand why Rosina arouses hostility of Miss Maine's attendants, and why Miss Maine comes to talk with me about this. “Because Fran is Miss Maine's first attendant, while Rosina is a new apprentice.” “But I am a Fespiel teacher...” “Rosina, Miss Maine is different from Miss Christine. Although you are doing the same thing, I don't think you have been accepted.” “... Miss Maine also said so.” “I can't become a lady like Miss Christine,” Miss Maine said so to Rosina indeed. “What else has she told you?” “Things like, ‘Don't play a musical instrument late at night, for it causes trouble to everyone. You should stop playing by the time when the seventh bell rings. I know you have to protect your hands for playing musical instruments. If you don't do the rough work, I hope you can do some routine work'.” “Routine work?” Rosina nods when I ask her. “There are not enough attendants at Miss Maine's house. So Fran is in charge of all the routine work, Gil is in charge of the workshop and the male's dormitory, and Delia is in charge of all the housework.” “... It's not enough indeed.” They are supposed to be the attendants who take care of Miss Maine's life. But now Miss Maine becomes the orphanage director, and the workshop head. They have too much work which covers many branches, but people who can help them are too few. “Wilma is in charge of female's dormitory and painting, right? I'm ordered to be responsible for music and other work. But I don't have enough time even on music.” It's embarra.s.sing for an attendant who cannot do the attendants' work. Rosina is almost an adult. Miss Maine says that she wants her to do part of Fran's work. It should be understood that they are short of hands. Besides, different masters require different capacities. “What is routine work?” “She asks me to write doc.u.ments, and to balance the books of the house, workshop and orphanage. She wants me to share Fran's burden.” “That's good. Gil and Delia have just become attendants, so reading and writing must be difficult for them. They must think you are almost an adult, and well educated...” Huh, I sigh. Rosina will have a chance to learn reading, writing and calculation after she becomes an attendant of Miss Maine. When Rosina served Miss Christine, she practiced calligraphy and wrote poetry, but she had no experience of writing doc.u.ments. Besides, she is so weak in calculation that she almost knows nothing about that. She is really an attendant specializing in art only. The weakness, which has never been noticed so far, now is showing up.

マイン様の側仕えとなって、孤児院から碌に出なくなった私には、食事時に交わされる会話や子供達からの情報以外に外から入ってくる情報はございません。フランとギルは孤児院を清める時にマイン様の側仕えとして動いていたし、それぞれ以前から有名人なので顔も名前も知っているけれど、デリアという名前は初めて聞きました。 「デリアは元々神殿長のところにいた巫女見習いなのですって。紅の髪が印象的な気の強い子ですわ」 8歳ということは、私達が孤児院に戻された時は地階にいたはずです。けれど、印象的な紅の髪という特徴を持っているのに、私の記憶にそのような見習いの姿はありません。 「8歳の見習いなら見たことがあるはずですけれど、私、全く覚えていないようだわ」 「デリアは洗礼式の直後に神殿長に引き取られたので、孤児院の一階に上がることなく、貴族区域に行ったのですって。私も記憶にないと思って質問したら、誇らしげにそう言っていましたわ。いずれ愛人になると恥ずかしげもなく言い切るなんて、クリスティーネ様が聞けば何とおっしゃるでしょう」 花捧げは女性であるということ以外に取り柄のない者がすることだとクリスティーネ様は花捧げをする灰色巫女を嫌悪しておられました。ですから、私達は青色神官に召されたいとは思えません。 けれど、孤児院にいる灰色巫女は花捧げを厭ってはいないようです。神の恵みも少なく、厳しい下働きの生活をするくらいならば、花捧げであろうとも、愛人であろうとも構わないので、満足できるだけのご飯を食べられる生活がしたいと言っていました。 「デリアが世話をする灰色巫女もなく、地階にいた子供だったならば、孤児院から抜け出し、安定した生活を得たいと思うことに不思議はないと思いませんか? もし、仮に、ロジーナ、貴女があの地階に閉じ込められていたら?」 「やめてちょうだい、ヴィルマ。気持ちが悪くなってしまうでしょう」 地階の子供達を洗うことを命じられたにもかかわらず、ロジーナは女子棟の清掃をすると言って、一番に逃げ出していました。美しい物しか目に入れたくないのよ、とよくおっしゃっていたクリスティーネ様の影響がとても大きいのでしょう。 偶然とはいえ、子供達を見つけ、何とか救おうとギルを遣わしたマイン様との違いに私は溜息を禁じ得ません。 「デリアは教養の欠片もなく、芸術を解することもなく、フェシュピールの音をうるさいと表現するのです。もー! もー! と騒がしいのはデリアの方なのに、マイン様は少し困ったように笑うだけで、叱ることもなさらない......」 神殿の下働きをすることなく、貴族区域に移ったという意味では、ロジーナとデリアは同じだと思います。しかし、一般的に側仕え見習いの仕事は、主の世話を中心とする下働きなので、ロジーナと違って、デリアの心証は悪くないようです。 「それに、デリアがマイン様に私のことを悪く訴えたのです」 ロジーナはデリアが会議の間に言った文句を次々と並べてくれました。重複していることも多く、それが尚更デリアの苛立ちや怒りを表しているように私には感じられます。 「デリアに対して、他の人は何とおっしゃったのかしら? デリアが正しいと言ったのですか? ロジーナの味方をしてくださった方はいらっしゃらなかったの?」 「えぇ。ギルはデリアの味方でしたわ。働かざる者、食うべからずとか、夜は楽器を弾かないでほしいとか、そのようなことを乱暴な言葉で......」 クリスティーネ様の時と同じ時間までフェシュピールを弾いているならば、嫌がられるのも無理はないでしょう。デリアもギルもまだ見習いで、孤児院の子供達と同じように寝るのも早いに違いありません。 「その年頃の子供達に夜遅くの楽器は迷惑でしょうね。孤児院の子供達の部屋で弾かれたら、私も困ってしまうわ」 「ヴィルマ!?」 「クリスティーネ様のお部屋では朝がゆっくりでしたけれど、孤児院と同じように、マイン様のお部屋も朝早いのでしょう?」 ほんのわずかにロジーナが目を伏せました。おそらく同じことを言われたのではないでしょうか。 「それにしても、ギルはやんちゃで悪戯っ子で手がつけられない悪童だった記憶しかないのですけれど、ずいぶん印象が変わりましたね?」 神殿の下働きを統率している灰色神官によく反省室に入れられていた記憶しかありません。ギルが青色巫女の側仕えになると聞いた時には孤児院中が耳を疑ったものです。 「マイン様の前に跪いて、褒めてもらっているギルの様子を見れば、ヴィルマはもっと驚きますわよ」 久し振りに見たギルはマイン様に心酔している様子が見受けられました。ご褒美にカルタを贈られるくらいなのですから、ギルはよく仕え、マイン様とはよい主従関係を築いているのだと思います。 「フランは何と言いましたの? 元々神官長の側仕えでしたし、まだ幼い子供達とは違って、公正な目で物事を見ているのではありませんか?」 フランは孤児院の誰もが知っている通り、元々神官長の側仕えで、平民であるマイン様を助け、教え、導く存在です。マイン様の側仕えの中で唯一成人している灰色神官でもあります。マイン様が信頼し、頼りにしているのは見ていればわかります。 「フランは灰色神官なのに、指示しても動いてくれないのです。力仕事もしてくれない方ですわ。何かと私に命令するのです」 「......フランがロジーナに命令するのは当たり前でしょう?」 「まぁ、何故?」 本当にわからないというように、ロジーナがきょとんとした表情で首を傾げました。これでは、マイン様の側仕えから反感を買って、マイン様が私のところへ相談に来るのも頷けます。 「フランはマイン様の筆頭側仕えで、ロジーナは新入りの見習いですもの」 「でも、私はフェシュピールの......」 「ロジーナ、マイン様とクリスティーネ様は違うのですよ。同じことを望んでも、受け入れられるはずがありません」 「......マイン様も同じことをおっしゃったわ」 マイン様は「わたくしでは貴女のクリスティーネ様になることはできません」と、ロジーナにおっしゃったらしい。 「他には何とおっしゃったのかしら?」 「夜遅くの楽器はみんなの迷惑になるから、7の鐘が鳴ったら終わりにするように、ということと、楽器を扱うのに手が大事なのは理解できるから、下働きをしたくないならば、実務をしてほしい、ということですわ」 「実務?」 私が聞き返すとロジーナは大きく頷きました。 「マイン様のお部屋には側仕えが少なすぎるのです。ですから、実務全般をフランが、工房と孤児院の男子棟に関することはギルが、部屋の中に関する仕事はデリアが取り仕切っているのです」 「......確かに少ないですわね」 本来なら生活の面倒を見るだけの側仕えですが、マイン様は孤児院の院長であり、マイン工房の工房長でもあります。仕事内容が多岐に渡っていて多いけれど、手伝える人数は、仕事量に比べて少なすぎると思われます。 「ヴィルマは孤児院の女子棟の仕事と絵の仕事をしているのでしょう? 私にも音楽と他の仕事をするように、とおっしゃるの。音楽だけをさせる余裕はないのですって」 本来側仕えがするべき仕事ができないのは困る。ロジーナはもうじき成人なのだから、フランの仕事の一部をこなしてほしいと思っている、とおっしゃられたらしい。人手が足りないならば、それは当然のことでしょう。そして、仕える主によって必要とされる能力は違うのです。 「実務とは何かしら?」 「書面の代筆、それから、部屋や工房や孤児院の帳簿の計算などだそうですわ。フランの負担を減らしてほしいとおっしゃったの」 「それは......。側仕えになったばかりで、読み書きできないギルやデリアには難しいでしょうね。成人が近く、教養があるロジーナならばできると思われたのでしょうけれど......」 ハァ、と私は溜息を吐きました。 側仕えになると読み書き計算は教えられますが、クリスティーネ様の側仕えの場合、字の美しさを競ったり、詩を書いたりすることができても、実務的な書面の代筆は経験がありません。計算は苦手で、ほとんど戦力にはなりません。本当に芸術だけに特化した側仕えなのです。 今までは見えていなかった自分達の欠点がよく見える気がいたしました。

“Lutz, is there a shop here that sells geometric graphic templates?” “You see, you just dig out lots of patterns on thin metal plates or 'plastic', and they come in all sizes...” A geometric graphic template was handy when you need to draw the same graphic multiple times. Since this world had compa.s.ses, there may also be geometric graphic templates. I drew a diagram on the board, but Lutz just turned his head. He didn't seem to have seen anything like it. “How does this work?” “Well, you can draw a line along the border like this to get the graphic you want.” “... can't you make it out of thick paper?” “Wow! Lutz, you're a genius!” I pulled out a sheet of thick paper for my picture book and began to make a geometric graphic template. I drew various graphics of different sizes, and then, as long as I cut them down along the line, the geometric graphic template was done. Lutz and I worked together, happily drawing the graphics, but when it came to the cutting, I was struck by something important. We still didn't have a proper cutting tool! “The graphics are too small to cut with a knife!” I looked back and forth at the thick paper and the knives in our hands, and at last dropped my shoulders. Big circles and straight lines were just about manageable, but small circles were really impossible to cut. “If we don't have a right tool, we'll go back to making prints. Let's ask John to make a penknife.” “What's that?” “It's a small, thin knife that I can use, too.” Since we were going to commission work, we should go in formal dress, so Lutz and I changed into apprentice uniforms, took the guild certificate and detailed design, and went to the forge. Craftsman avenue was on the south side of the city, so John's forge was close to my house. “h.e.l.lo.” “Oh, welcome.” They might have just been receiving guests, I saw several boards on the table in the doorway, and the master was sitting on a chair. At the sound of my greeting, he stroked his beard and turned to me with his eyes wide and bright. Last time I ordered an iron pen here, the master seemed to remember my face for that, so he grinned at me. “Isn't this the little girl who came last time? Come to place an order again?” “Yes. Is John here?” “He is. I'll get him. Please sit here and wait.” The master folded the boards, picked them up, and shouted at the top of his voice, “hey John! Your guests!” Then we heard a thunk, and John, with his orange curls tied behind his head, rushed out in a panic. “Yes... ah, you've been here before. You're from the Chilbota Chamber of Commerce, aren't you?” “h.e.l.lo, John. I came today to ask you to make a penknife. Please look at the design.” I took out the order written on the paper and flipped over to the back to show John the design. John felt the paper curiously and looked at my drawing, looking puzzled. “Most people order big knives. No one has ever ordered a knife so small and so thin. What is it for?” “It's for cutting plant paper. When you cut small circles, the blade has to get smaller.” “Oh... to cut this paper? This is the first time I've touched plant paper.” John picked up the paper with his fingertips, looked at it front and back several times, and waved it in front of his eyes to confirm its texture. After letting him confirm it to his heart's content, I pointed to the design on the back of the order. Since John's questions were very detailed, I wrote down the size and purpose of the knife on the order in advance. “The handle can be made of wood, but I hope the blade can be replaced. You can try to leave a small hole in the blade. Also, there must be no gap between the handle and the body, otherwise the blade will wobble, which is very dangerous. The craft of this knife is very complicated, that's why I came to John who is good at fine craftsmans.h.i.+p.” John looked at the design and asked questions about the replaceable blade. I gave him clear instructions as I answered. John's eyes lit up as if he was about to accept a challenge that ignited his spirit as a craftsman. “Oh, that's interesting. It's nice to replace the blade so easily.” “In addition, please make a pen cap or a special box for the penknife. The blade is very sharp, so it is dangerous to leave it exposed, and it's also thin and small, which makes it easy to break or damage.” “That being the case, it is better to prepare more replaceable blades.” After a long discussion, I produced the guild certificate and paid the master the deposit. “When you're done, please send it to the Chilbota Chamber of Commerce.” If this penknife came to my house, I couldn't get the cash ready right away. But if I asked John to send it to the Chamber of Commerce, as long as I told Benno and gave him the money in advance, he would pay John in cash when he received it. Also, I could trade with my guild certificate, which was convenient because I didn't have to carry cash around. “Lutz, Maine!” It was about ten days after I ordered the penknife. On the way home from the temple, Lutz and I pa.s.sed the Chamber of Commerce and were stopped by the guard at the gate. It was Mark who told the guard that something was coming and let him call us in. “John brought it in the afternoon. He was very excited and said it was an interesting job.” I took the slim box Mark handed me and headed home. As soon as I got home, I used the penknife John had made and began to make the geometric graphic template. Since there was no special backing, I had to put thick paper on the board and be careful not to cut too hard, but this seemed to make the blade wear out faster. However, thanks to the sharp and handy penknife, the geometric graphic template was soon made. I put it on my notebook and blackened the hollow graphic with a soot pencil, creating a perfect black circle. “As long as the template for the picture book is also made of thick paper, there's no need to engrave boards, is there? Wow, maybe I'm a genius, too.” So I put it into practice and started to design black-and-white picture books using the geometric graphic template. I did it as I pleased: first, I made two large triangles, and then I added a rectangle to make a j.a.panese fir; Then a round eye, a semicircular mouth, and a triangular nose were drawn in a round frame to form the features of a man; And with the help of the compa.s.s, a flower composed of hexagons appeared. I couldn't help but enjoy it and plunged into the world of design picture books. I didn't cut the graphics with the penknife and complete the template until my family said, “it's time to call it a day.” “Lutz, look! I'm done!” The next day, I beamed as I showed Lutz the templates. After cutting the original thick paper in half, each template was about the size of A. Lutz frowned and looked at me with a puzzled expression as he flipped through the ten templates. “Hey, Maine, these pictures ... will the baby really be happy after looking at them?” “Yes... yes! The contrast between black and white is very strong, and the pictures are also simple combinations of graphics, which has nothing to do with drawing skills, right? ” As I explained, Lutz's suspicious eyes became even more suspicious. “Um... well, if you can take it yourself.” So in the afternoon, though still full of doubt, Lutz started making picture books at the workshop. Like drawing with a geometric graphic template, he took a brush and filled the hollow graphics with pigment. As for the thinner lines, the paper would wrinkle if he used a brush to paint it, so I wrapped rags around a thin stick to make something like a cotton swab and asked him to apply the pigment with gentle pressure. “Wow, great! It's done!” “... Master Maine, what is this?” “What's this for?” The children gathered round and peered over. I asked a grey-robed priest to dry the pictures on the rack and answered the children's questions with a big smile. “This is a picture book for the babies!” “... for the babies? Oh...” The children's reactions were all indescribable. They either tilted their heads or looked away, and there was an air of “I'd better not talk, though I can't understand it at all”. Although I felt a little lonely, the inside pages of the picture book were finished. I wanted the pages to spread out and stand up like screens, so I had to glue them to the boards, then drill holes in the boards and string them together.

「あの絵、ナイフで彫るには細かすぎたんだよ」 「ルッツ、『テンプレート定規』や『ステンシル定規』って売ってないかな?」 「何だよ、それ?」 「......こういうの。薄い金属や『プラスチック』にこんな感じで色んな図形の色んな大きさの穴が開いているものなんだけど......」 枠を描くだけもできるし、塗りつぶしも可能だ。同じ模様をたくさん描く時にはとても便利だ。コンパスが売っているなら、ステンシル定規もあるかもしれない。 「どうやって使うんだよ?」 「えっと、こんな感じで、穴の枠に沿って、好きな大きさの図形を描くのに使うんだよ」 「......厚紙で作れないか?」 「わぉ! ルッツ、天才!」 わたしはルッツと手分けして、うきうきと図形を描いていったが、切り抜くところになって、大変なことが発覚した。道具がない。 厚紙と自分達が持っているナイフを見比べて、軽く溜息を吐く。大きい物ならば、何とか切れる。直線なら何とかなる。しかし、小さめの丸はどうにもならない。 「必要な道具を添えなきゃ木版画の二の舞になるね。先に鍛冶工房へ行ってヨハンに『デザインカッター』作ってもらおう」 「わたしでも使える小さくて薄い刃物だよ」 仕事を注文する以上、きちんとした格好で行った方が良い。わたしとルッツは見習い服に着替えてギルドカードと丁寧に描いたフォリン紙の発注書を持って、二人で鍛冶工房へと向かった。 職人通りは街の南側にあるので、鍛冶工房はウチから比較的近いところにある。 「こんにちは」 「おぅ、いらっしゃい」 今までお客の相手をしていたようで、入ったばかりのところにあるテーブルには木札がいくつかあって、椅子に座った状態の親方が髭を触りながら、ギョロリとした目を向けてくる。 「ぁん? この間の嬢ちゃんじゃねぇか。また注文か?」 「そうです。ヨハン、いますか?」 「あぁ、呼んでくるから、ここで座って待ってろ」 ずしんと腹に響くような声が響いた後、奥からオレンジの癖毛を後ろで束ねた少年が慌てた様子で飛び出してきた。 「はい!......あ、この間の、ギルベルタ商会の方。こんにちは」 「今回は『デザインカッター』を作ってほしいんです。これを見てください」 ヨハンは珍しそうに紙を触った後、わたしが描いた図に目を通し、不可解そうに少し目を細めた。 「大きな刃物はよく注文受けるが、ここまで細くて薄くて小さい刃物の注文はまずないな。一体何に使うんだ? こんな小さい刃では何も切れないぞ」 「この紙を切るんです。羊皮紙でもない、植物紙なんですけど、小さい丸を切り抜くには刃が小さくないと困るんですよ」 「ふぅん。......この紙か。植物紙を触るのは初めてだ」 ヨハンは指先で紙を摘まんで、裏表に何度か捲ってみたり、目の前で振ってみたりして感触を確認する。 「それで、持ち手の部分は木でも良いんですけど、こんな風にして、刃の付け替えができるようにしてくれると嬉しいです。刃の穴の部分とこの持ち手の合わせる部分がピッタリ合わないと、ぐらついて危ないので細かい仕事を得意とするヨハンさんにお願いしたいんです」 図を見ながら、ヨハンが刃の付け替えについて、いくつか質問してくる。それに答えながら、わたしが細かい指示をすると、ヨハンの目が挑戦的に燃え始めた。どうやら職人魂に火を付けてしまったらしい。 「......へぇ。面白いな。この刃を簡単に交換できるというのが良い」 「それから、蓋を付けるか、専用のケースも一緒にお願いします。切れ味が鋭くて、危険だし、薄くて小さいから欠けたり壊れたりしやすいんです」 「付け替えるための刃もいくつか準備しておいた方が良さそうだな」 様々な打ち合わせの後、親方にギルドカードで前金を支払う。 「仕上がったら、ギルベルタ商会に届けていただけますか?」 ウチに届けてもらってもすぐには現金を準備できないこともあるけれど、ギルベルタ商会なら言付けて、お金を先にベンノ払っておけば、受け取る時にきちんとヨハンにお金を支払ってもらえるのだ。そして、ギルドカードでやり取りできるので、現金を持ち歩く必要がないこともありがたい。 「ルッツ、マイン!」 デザインカッターを注文してから十日ほどたった神殿からの帰り道、ギルベルタ商会の前でわたし達は門番に呼びとめられた。荷物があるので、寄るようにマルクが言っていたらしい。 「鍛冶工房のヨハンが午後に持ってまいりました。面白い仕事だったと、ヨハンがずいぶん興奮していましたよ」 しかし、鋭くて使いやすいカッターのお陰で、ステンシル定規自体は簡単に作ることができた。メモ帳の上に厚紙で作ったステンシル定規を置いて、穴を煤鉛筆で塗りつぶせば、ちゃんと黒い丸になっている。 「......絵本の型も厚紙を使って、ステンシルみたいにインクを塗ったら、わざわざ板を彫らなくていいんじゃない? わぁ、わたしって天才?」 大きめの三角形を二つ上下に並べて、下の三角形に長方形をくっつけたもみの木っぽい図形とか、丸の輪郭に丸の目と半円の口と三角形の鼻とか、紐のコンパスもどき形を作る時にやった花のような図形とか、思いつくままに楽しく描いた。 そして、カッターで切り抜いて、「もう終わりにしなさい」と家族に言われながら、カッターが届いた夜のうちに型を作り上げた。 「ルッツ、見て! できたよ!」 次の日、わたしは上機嫌で仕上がった型をルッツに見せる。一つ一つの図はA5くらいのサイズで、元の厚紙を半分に切った大きさだ。 「なぁ、マイン。この絵って......ホントに赤ちゃんが喜ぶのか?」 「よ、喜ぶよ! 白黒は『コントラスト』がはっきりしてるし、図形の組み合わせだから、絵の上手下手は関係ないでしょ?」 わたしの説明にルッツは何故か疑わしそうな目を更に疑わしそうにした。 「まぁ、マインが納得してるなら、それでいいけどさ」 怪訝そうなルッツが午後から工房で絵本作りを開始する。今回はステンシルの要領で刷毛を使って黒インクを塗っていく。細かい線のところは刷毛では紙がよれてしまうので、綿棒のように細い棒の先にぼろ布を巻き付けたもので、トントンと軽く押すようにしてインクを付けてもらった。 「わぁ、すごい! できた!」 「......マイン様、これは何ですか?」 「何に使うものですか?」 子供達が周りに寄ってきて、覗きこんできた。乾かすために棚の上へ灰色神官に並べてもらいながら、わたしは満面の笑顔で答える。 「赤ちゃんのための絵本ですわ」 「......赤ちゃん?」 帰ってくる反応は全て微妙だ。首を傾げたり、視線を逸らしたり、わけがわからないけれど、余計な事は言わない方が良いと言うような空気が辺りに漂っている。やはり、理解されないようだ。早く世間がわたしに追いついてくれればいいのに。 理解者がいないことが孤独だけれど、白黒絵本のページはできた。後は屏風のように広げて立てたいので、仕上がった紙を板に張り付けて、板に穴を開けて紐で繋いでいかなければならない。

I’m Gunther. I’m thirty-two years old, and today I’m standing watch at the south gates to protect my beloved family. Otto is being extra annoying today. He just can’t stop himself from constantly grinning, and he isn’t actually doing his job at all. My guess is that something good’s happened to his wife, who he just adores. I get it, sure, but that face he’s making is just begging for a couple good punches. “Get yourself together, Otto. Is that the kind of face a gatekeeper makes?!” “I am keeping myself together!” When I call him out on it, he smacks himself in the cheeks, making an effort to shape up, but he barely manages anything. His cheeks are a little redder, but he can’t keep a straight face at all. As I sigh in astonishment, I hear a low chuckle behind me. I turn around and see my commanding officer, shoulders quivering with laughter. “Your subordinate’s just like you, isn’t he?” he says. “He’s paying exactly as much attention to his job as you do when you’re worried about your daughters.” “Ah...?! Uh, no, sir, what I―” He claps me on my shoulder. “Have a talk with him,” he says, sauntering off. “He always does it for you.” Back when I had to miss Tuuli’s baptismal ceremony, and whenever Maïne’s in trouble, Otto’s always been there to listen to me, so I guess I owe him one. Gotta do it, then. It’s not gonna be great, but maybe I should go keep him company after work. ...Although, whenever he really gets started talking about things he loves, he gets completely unstoppable. I sigh again. Learning that that’s what people think of me was pretty unexpected, and I really had no way of knowing that everyone wanted us two irritatingly doting family men to be friends with each other, either. After we hand over our posts to the night s.h.i.+ft, Otto and I start walking towards the eastern gates. The eastern gates are connected to the main highway, so it gets the most pedestrian traffic, and the road that connects to them is lined with inns and eateries. The side streets and alleys off the main road are packed with shops too, and these are the ones that the people who actually live here tend to use. Since it’s the summer, every single shop has its doors flung wide open, an here and there I can hear the rowdy voices of people enjoying a drink or four. We make our way towards a bar that’s a favorite among the soldiers here, taking care to avoid b.u.mping into anyone else along the way. The bar is full of the smell of food and drink. When we walk in, the two medium-length tables in the middle of the room are full of a party of about ten or so people having a loud conversation about something or other. The handful of smaller, round tables around the edge of the room that are meant for a few people are also almost all full up. “C'mon, over there,” I say. I head towards the back of the room, cutting my way through the noisy party in the middle. On my way, I call out to the manager standing behind the counter. “Hey, Ebbo! Two bereas this way. And some boiled sausage too, when you get the chance.”“Comin’ up!” I put in an order for two bereas from Ebbo, the manager. To someone like me, who’s been a gatekeeper ever since his apprentice days, basically everyone in this little city’s an acquaintance, except for the n.o.bles and rich people that keep the curtains closed on their carriages. I slap down a large copper coin on the counter to pay for the drinks and the sausage, and Ebbo sets out two large wooden mugs, filled to the brim with berea. I grab the mugs, careful not to spill anything, look around the room for an empty spot, and start moving towards a round table near the back of the bar. The table’s still got all the tableware on it from the previous customers, but when the two of us start heading for it a sharp-eyed serving girl quickly runs over to clear off the wooden cups and forks. There’s a piece of the bread that they serve meat on instead of plates left on the table, already damp with juice. She uses it to roughly wipe down the table, then tosses it to the ground. The shop dog runs over, tail wagging, and hungrily scarfs it down. Otto and I set our mugs down on the freshly cleared table and sit down, our chairs clattering against the wooden floor. “We give thanks to Vantolle,” we both say, lifting our mugs in grat.i.tude to the G.o.d of alcohol, and take a drink. I down my entire mug in one go, gulping noisily. In my opinion, this is the absolute best way to enjoy a frothy mug of berea. The feeling of the drink pouring down my throat after it’s gotten so parched from work is irresistible. The sensation of the tiny little bubbles and that special bitter flavor hit my mouth an instant later. I let out a satisfied sigh. “That’s the stuff! ...So, what’s happened?” I set my empty mug down on the table with a clack. Otto, who still has some froth around his mouth, takes a plate of boiled sausage from the serving girl and orders us another round. As I reach for the chunk of hard bread they served my sausage on, Otto starts acting absolutely lovestruck, foppishly shrugging his shoulders. “Wellll, Corinna says we’re still not telling anyone yet, so even if it’s you, sir, I just can’t say!” “What, you’re having a kid or something?” “H, how, how did you know that?!” “I mean, based on how you’re acting and the fact that your wife doesn’t want you to tell anyone, what else could it be?” Otto gives up, scratching his cheek. To be a little more honest, I figured it out after going through the exact same thing and having someone point it out the same way. No need to tell him that, though. Seriously, though, Otto’s going to be a dad, huh? Is this merry man really going to be okay? Yeah, if he’s so happy about having a child now, then he’ll probably be a good, doting father. Based on my own past, I’d bet there’ll be no problems there at all. “Alright, here’re your refills! Thanks for waiting.” The serving girl sets down fresh mugs with a heavy clack, their contents slos.h.i.+ng a little and sending a spray of foam over the sides. Neither she nor us customers pays it any mind, though, and I hand her a medium copper coin. Otto and I drink our drinks, distracted by the hubbub around us. Unlike my first mug, I don’t slam it back in one go, but instead let the complex flavor roll across my tongue, tasting the bitterness of the wheat mixed with the sweetness of the malt, before finally swallowing it down. Come to think of it, wasn’t Otto’s wife the seamstress that Eva and Tuuli admire? Tuuli was saying that after her darua contract runs out at her current workshop, she was going to try really hard to move to Otto’s wife’s workshop next. Also, her older brother’s the proprietor of that company that’s been taking care of Maïne. I myself only really know Otto, but it seems like our families have somehow managed to get pretty close. “Otto, make sure you do right by your wife and kid. Your kid’s going to be the heir to a major store, isn’t he? Maïne was saying something about that.” “...About that, sir.” His entire demeanor suddenly changes. His face hardens, his foppish demeanor disappearing, and he looks off into s.p.a.ce as if he’s searching for words. When I see his shoulders tense, just like Maïne’s did when she was trying to tell us something she’d been bottling up, my head suddenly cools, the buzz of the alcohol disappearing. Despite the fact that I’d just taken a swig, my throat suddenly feels dry. I take a long, slow drink of my berea. “...Alright, what is it?” “Ah~... well, this isn’t an immediate thing, but... in a few years, I’m probably going to quit being a soldier.” The reason Otto had become a soldier was originally so that he could try to marry the heiress of a major store. A mere trader falling in love with the heiress of a major store. Basically everything about being a trader is different from being a merchant in a city. There’s no way a trader could suddenly become a merchant working for a major store. At that point, the people around her were saying that he was only courting her in order to gain the social standing of a major merchant, so she treated him with a lot of suspicion at first. However, when Otto bought his citizens.h.i.+p and found work as a soldier, not a merchant, it showed her how serious his feelings were. That was a major shock, though, when I heard about it. That happened when I was still stationed at the west gate, so that must have been, what, four years ago? One day, a particular trader, who’d always said that he was selling his wares so he could go home to his parents one day and open a shop in the city they lived in, came through the gates as usual. A few days later, that same trader shows back up again at the gates, saying that in order to woo a woman he’d sold everything he owned to buy a citizens.h.i.+p and was now looking for non-mercantile work. The other gatekeepers had to ask him to repeat himself several times, not believing their own ears. I’d known Otto since he was a kid, though, all the way back from when his father kept bringing him along his journeys as a trader. It was easy to understand that if a man like him who said that he was going to go back to his parents someday suddenly sold everything to buy citizens.h.i.+p, he must have seriously fallen in love at first sight. Thanks to his life as a trader, Otto knew his numbers, could read our official doc.u.ments, and was decently good with his hands. In the end, I’d recommended him to the higher-ups in the guard, on the condition that he was mostly going to be doing paperwork. There are many soldiers who, no matter how diligent they are about training, constantly forget to do their paperwork. Otto joining the soldiery made dealing with the merchants and n.o.bility coming through the gates with their letters of recommendation a lot easier on us all. But now he’s quitting being a soldier? Does this mean that his wife’s family has recognized him as a merchant? I’ve known for a while that when he’s not on duty at the gates, he’s been helping out with things at his wife’s shop. I also know that he’s been making sure to keep his mercantile senses sharp by talking with the traders and merchants that come through the gates. If this is the result of all of his hard work paying off, then I’m really happy for him, but there’s something in his face that reminds me of a man who’s lost his bearings. “So now that you’re having a kid, is that dutiful older brother of Corinna’s finally recognizing you?” “...No, we’ve occasionally had conversations about that before, so that’s probably not it. I think this is because of Maïne.” “What?!” I slam my cup down, eyes nearly flying out of my head. I hadn’t expected that my daughter’s name would come up at all. Otto, however, looks a little more relaxed, reaching for his cup and taking a drink. “Sir, when I was looking for work outside of being a merchant, the reason I thought being a soldier was the best choice for me was so that I could make acquaintances with the people living in this city. I wanted to make sure that I could remember everyone’s faces, and that they’d all remember mine. Also, I wanted to be able to know about all the merchants and n.o.bles coming and going, so I decided that being a soldier would be a good way to gather a little intelligence.” “I’d planned to keep being a soldier for a while longer, but things around the store have started changing. The rinsham and hairpins that Maïne brought us have been extremely good products for us, so the Gilberta Company’s been achieving great things lately.” “Huh, because of the products Maïne brought you?” I’m happy that Maïne’s being praised, and as a parent I’m pretty proud about that, but something feels a bit off about all that. From where I’m standing, rinsham is something that Tuuli made, and the hairpins that Eva and Tuuli made were much prettier than Maïne’s. When Maïne tries to make things, she doesn’t have enough strength to do it, so she winds up making a whole lot of mistakes. I can’t even count all of the times I’ve seen her look at something that hasn’t turned out quite right with her head tilted to the side in confusion. “But the Gilberta Company’s main business is in clothing and accessories, so when she and Lutz made a vegetable-based paper and brought that to us... it’s very profitable and influential, but it doesn’t fit the direction of our store. Benno wants to expand the scope of what we sell. Corinna, though, really doesn’t have any interest in anything but clothing, so she’s been saying that she doesn’t want to do any expansion.” I frown. “Are you telling me that Maïne bringing you things has been causing conflict?” Otto frantically waves his hand back and forth. “Oh no no no, I wouldn’t call it conflict at all. From a merchant’s standpoint, all those things are amazing. I totally understand why Benno wants to get involved. It’s just that Corinna doesn’t want to sell them. That’s why Benno’s thinking that he wants to hand over the Gilberta Company to Corinna earlier than we’d planned, get me to help, and own his own shop... He’s going to start a new shop in order to sell the things that Maïne comes up with to other cities.” If the proprietor of a major store is going all the way as to start a new store, then selling and distributing these products must be generating colossal sums of money. A little while ago, an extremely excited Tuuli had been trying very hard to explain to me that Maïne was actually extremely rich, but I figured, reasonably, that she was just exaggerating. There’s no way that a girl just barely out of her baptism would have any real amount of money. “...So it’s true, then, that Maïne’s been earning a ridiculous amount of money?” “It really is. But, she’s been extremely careful about controlling her finances. Maybe someone taught her about that, because she’s far better at it than you’d expect a kid to be. I don’t think you’d have managed to teach her how to calculate transactions at that level, sir, so where in the world did she learn it?” He grins teasingly at me. I stare back at him for a moment, then snort. There’s only one being that could have taken notice of my cute little girl, filled her to overflowing with mana, and gifted her with knowledge beyond understanding. “The G.o.ds taught it to her. My daughter is beloved by the G.o.ds, after all.” “I kept thinking you were just exaggerating like a normal father, but it’s kinda scary how persuasive that idea is now.” Otto laughs, shrugging his shoulders, then takes a big bite of his sausage. I take a bite of my own, then turn the conversation back to him. “So, when are you planning on quitting? We don’t have anyone able to take over for your work, you know?” “Oh, yes, there’s no way that I’d be able to hand off my post anytime soon, so I was thinking that it would be sometime in the next two to three years. I’ve been thinking I want to train up someone to be good at calculations, though.” He sighs. “Ahh... Maïne getting caught by the temple was a miscalculation on my part.” I recall that Otto had advised Maïne to not become a merchant’s apprentice, trying to convince her that both her physical weakness and the strain she’d put on human relations.h.i.+ps meant that it would be better for her to work out of her home. What she decided back then was that she was going to work at home, sometimes come along with me to the gates to do some work there, and keep living like that for as long as she could, wasn’t it? I don’t think anyone was thinking that she might get caught up by the temple. “It was a miscalculation for me too, I guess. Maïne had been saying that she didn’t want to make any n.o.ble’s acquaintance, then suddenly she started saying she wanted to go apprentice as a priestess. Just to read books whenever she wanted, huh, that girl...” Just remembering the time when she’d told me that she wanted to go to the temple and be a priestess makes my grip tighten painfully on the mug. “It seems like Benno had been gathering information and trying to pull some strings, but... Sir, are you happy with the way things turned out?” “Do you think I am?” I say, shooting him a sharp look. No matter how many good conditions we got, Maïne attending the temple isn’t anything I would have picked by choice. “I don’t think I possibly could be happy about that,” I say. “They’re promising that she’s going to be treated the same way that the n.o.bles are, but once you start thinking about those guys’ sense of privilege, there’s no way that that’s actually going to wind up happening.” “...Yes, exactly.” It’s just lip service. Sure, to make it look good, they’ll probably give her some blue robs, but I know for a fact that they’re not going to treat her the same as a n.o.ble in any meaningful way. “Although, we did manage to avoid getting her thrown in the orphanage. If she can come home, then I still get to see her. Those guys are n.o.bles. Even if all we got out of this was that she didn’t get completely s.n.a.t.c.hed away by them, then that’s still a win in my book.” “It’s a very precarious position, though.” “...Yeah.” Maïne’s magic had gone berserk, coercing the temple master into backing down, so things are somewhat hazy right now, but he was originally planning on sentencing me and Eva to death and throwing Maïne into the orphanage. She saved our lives, and we won her the ability to live at home, but that was an enormous concession on the temple’s part. Wis.h.i.+ng for any better treatment than that is futile. Rather, the temple master is going to be livid that he was coerced by a mere commoner, and is absolutely going to treat her terribly. Just thinking of what might happen once she starts going to the temple fills me with dread. “Sir. This is second-hand information, but according to Benno, Maïne has at most five years of relative peace at the temple. Since there aren’t that many n.o.bles around right now, people that have mana are very important, but once their numbers start to increase then there’s a very real danger that they’re going to treat her as a burden.” “...Just five years, huh? It’s still better than the alternative, though. If she doesn’t go to the temple, then it won’t even be half a year from now before she dies.” I’m letting Maïne go to the temple for the sake of prolonging her life. That is all I can do for her. If I had magic tools, I could do it myself, but I don’t have either the connections or the money to be able to get any. I’m too worthless as a father. “If she can’t go to the temple, then making a contract with a n.o.bleman would be fine, too. She has a lot of value: she has mana, and she can make money. If she can demonstrate how valuable she is before things start getting dangerous, then there’s a good chance that she’ll be able to secure better conditions on the contract than just being kept alive.” “Maïne said that she wanted to stay with her family, so she didn’t want a contract with a n.o.ble, but... as her father, I think I’d prefer her to keep living.” She suffered with her fever for so long, but now that she’s finally able to do the things that she wants to be able to do, I want her to live for the sake of her dreams. But, does her wish to live extend all the way to making a contract with a n.o.ble? What kind of n.o.ble would she contract with, and what conditions would she be able to get on that contract? Everything is all up to Maïne. I’m her father, yet there’s so little I can do. Benno consulted with his relatives to gather all sorts of information for her. The guild master sold her one of the magical tools he’d gathered for his own granddaughter’s sake. I can’t help but wonder if they’ve done so much more for her than I ever could. “...Just what can I do for her, as her father? I don’t have money, I don’t have connections. No matter how important she is to me, in the end, I’m just a soldier that can’t even protect his own daughter, aren’t I? I’m just a bad joke.” I let the alcohol do its work, letting out the feelings I can’t ever let out at home. I’ve been so self-importantly declaring that I’d protect all of the families of this town, when there’s nothing I can really even do for them. Otto slowly tilts his head doubtfully to one side as he listens to me grumble. “No, I’d say that you, the soldier who guards the gates to this city, are the G.o.ds’ baton of command.” Otto glances around the room, which still roils with noisy activity, then leans a little closer, lowering his voice. “Thanks to Benno’s a.s.sistance, Maïne is more-or-less well-protected within the city by a magical contract. At the very least, there’s plenty of people here in the city who want to keep Maïne safe. Out of all of Benno’s predictions, though, the one that we should be most scared of is the possibility that Maïne might be kidnapped by a n.o.ble from somewhere else.” I gulp. “What happens if she’s kidnapped?” I’ve been mostly a.s.suming that the danger was going to come from the n.o.bles in the temple. I hadn’t even considered that n.o.bles from other parts of the country might have their eyes on her too. “If she leaves the city, she’ll be cut off from the contract magic’s effects. If n.o.bles from this city do anything, and someone like the guild master or Benno decide to do something about it, then they might be able to appeal to the lord of the city to investigate the matter. However, if the n.o.bles are from another city, then there’s a possibility that they’d be out of the lord’s reach.” Benno is the proprietor of a major shop, and it’s plain to see that he has a lot of political power. Hearing that someone like him, or the master of the merchant’s guild, or even the lord of the city himself have limits to where they can actually exercise that power hits me like a blow to the head. If the lord of the city can’t do something, then how could I possibly do it either? How in the world do I deal with n.o.bles from another city? I squeeze my forehead tightly, fingers digging into my temples. Otto, though, gives me a broad, challenging grin. “If we don’t want that to happen, then we’re going to want to find out this of the priests in the temple has ill feelings towards Maïne and do some investigation into what n.o.bles those people might have relations.h.i.+ps with. Also, we’ll need to keep an eye out for any n.o.bles from other places who come to the city, then decide if they’re trouble or not. Since that’s the case, then wouldn’t you think that the gatekeeper’s job of reading every single letter of introduction and written invitation that people bring with them is, in fact, a very suitable job for keeping Maïne safe?” I blink several times, thinking back on what a gatekeeper’s job is. He’s right in that if you want to know about the movement of the n.o.bility, being a gatekeeper is an excellent way to do so. No n.o.ble from other cities ever comes through our gates without either a letter of introduction or a written invitation. Whether by horse or carriage, n.o.bles who enter the city always pa.s.s through the gates, then based on their letter of introduction, head straight to the inner ramparts and enter the n.o.bles’ quarter. Distinguished n.o.blemen never ordinarily wander around the districts where us commoners live. If we’re alert for any n.o.ble stopping their carriages in the city or heading straight for the temple, then there’s a good chance that we’d be able to head off any kidnapping attempt. Even if, for example, a n.o.bleman were to hire some thug to do the kidnapping for her, any gatekeeper on duty would instantly recognize them as a stranger. We can pretty easily spot anyone who makes their living doing shady business, too. If I talk to the people here as I make my rounds, asking them if they’ve seen anything suspicious, and get closer to my fellow guards, then I could, just by my every day actions, put myself in a position where I can find out very quickly if something strange is going on. This is entirely part of my job as a soldier. “Sir, weren’t you the one who said that you became a soldier to protect all the families of the city? Maïne counts. I think that if you just keep doing what you’ve always been doing, you can protect her.” “Now that I think of it, I think starting next spring we’re going to be rea.s.signed to the eastern gates. That might be some good luck.” Every three years, squads are rotated between the gates. That’s probably in place to stop things from getting in a rut, help deepen the bonds between all the soldiers, and make sure the work winds up being the same everywhere, but I don’t really care too much about the actual details. All I care about is the fact that this upcoming spring, my squad is going to be rea.s.signed to the eastern gates. Those gates face the highway, so they have the highest amount of traffic out of all of the gates, and it’ll be the easiest place to get information from. It’s the gate through which the largest number of strangers come through, so it’ll be the place where I’ll need to be the most vigilant. “You’ll need to be on your guard, and don’t let anything slip by when you’re gathering information,” says Otto. “I think it would be a good idea for you to figure out how you can use your connections with the other soldiers, and go over how they can get in contact with you so that you can start moving as soon as even the littlest strange thing happens. I’ll help, too. After all, Benno’s sticking his nose into all sorts of things these days, so it’s not like this doesn’t affect my family either.” With a defiant grin, he makes a fist and flexes his bicep, bending his elbow, making the sign we soldiers use to wish each other a good fight. “Sir. Let’s definitely keep her safe.” “Yeah. My family’s one of this city’s families, so I’ll protect them too.”

愛する家族を守るため、今日も南門で門番をしている32歳だ。 今日はオットーが非常に鬱陶しい。笑み崩れてニヤニヤしていて、仕事になっていない。おそらく溺愛している妻に何か良いことがあったのだろう。わかっていても、何発か殴ってやりたいようなにやけ顔だ。 「オットー、少しは顔を引き締めろ。そんな顔で門番が務まるか!?」 「引き締めてますよ」 俺が指摘すると、オットーはパンパンと自分で頬を叩いて、顔を引き締めているが、全く効果はない。頬が少し赤くなっているが、顔は崩れたままだ。 「部下は上司に似るのか? 仕事に対する上の空っぷりが娘に何かあった時のお前とそっくりだぞ」 「っ!? いや、士長、俺は......」 「お前がちょっと話を聞いてやれ。なに、いつもと逆なだけだ」 トゥーリの洗礼式で落ち込んだり、マインに関することでは時々話を聞いてもらっていたり、時折オットーには世話をかけている自覚が少しはある。 仕方ない。気は重いが、今日はオットーにとことん付き合うことにするか。......だが、オットーのヤツと話をしたら、本気でのろけ話が長いんだよな。 溜息を吐く俺は、自分が周囲に同じような評価を下されているとは思ってもみなかったし、家族愛が鬱陶しで仲良くやってほしいと望まれているなんて知る由もなかった。 東門は街道に繋がる門で、最も人通りが多く、宿屋や飲食店が軒を連ねている通りになる。大通りに近い路地や裏通りにも店は軒を連ねていて、この街の住人は大体行きつけの店を持っているものだ。 夏なので、どの店も出入り口の扉は大きく開け放たれていて、中で酒を飲みながら大騒ぎしている声があちらこちらから聞こえてくる。行き交う人とぶつかるのを避けながら、俺達は門の兵士が集まりやすい行きつけの酒場に向かった。 酒と料理の匂いが充満する酒場の中に踏み込むと、店のほぼ真ん中にある二つの並んだ長テーブルは団体の客が占領して、十数人が大声で何やら言い合っている。壁際には少人数で利用できる丸テーブルがいくつかあり、ほとんどが埋まっていた。 「さっさと行くぞ」 わぁわぁと大騒ぎしている団体さんの後ろを通り抜けて、奥のカウンターで酒を注いでいる店主に声をかける。 「おぅ、エッボ。ベレアを二人分だ。後は腸詰の塩茹でをいくつか適当に頼む」 店主であるエッボにベレアを二人分注文する。洗礼式の後から兵士見習いとして門番をしている俺にとっては、それほど大きくないこの街の人間なんて、顔を見せずに馬車で移動する富豪や貴族を除けば、ほとんどが顔見知りのようなものだ。 ベレア2杯分と腸詰の代金として大銅貨1枚をカウンターの上に出すと、エッボが木の杯にベレアをなみなみと注いでくれた。零さないように気を付けながら杯を持つと、空いているテーブルを探して、奥の方の丸テーブルへと移動する。 テーブルに残されているのは、肉汁を吸って少しふやけた食器代わりの固いパンだけだ。そのパンでテーブルの上をザッと拭いて、パンごと床に落とせば、店の犬が尻尾を振りながらやって来て、パンをガフガフと食い始める。 酒の神に感謝を述べ、木の杯を軽く互いに見せ合うと、ベレアを口へと運んだ。 ゴクゴクゴクと杯のほとんどを一気に喉に流し込むように飲む。これがベレアを一番うまいと感じる最高の飲み方だと俺は思っている。仕事帰りの乾いた喉を通過するベレアの清涼感が堪らない。しゅわしゅわとする炭酸の刺激とベレア独特の苦みと香りが一瞬遅れて口の中に広がっていく。 「ぷはぁ、うまい!......で? 一体何があったんだ?」 空になった杯をテーブルにトンと置いて、口元の泡を拭っているオットーを促す。オットーは給仕女から腸詰の塩茹でを受け取りながら、二人分のベレアのおかわりを頼んだ。 「いやぁ、これはまだ言うなってコリンナに言われているので、いくら班長が相手とはいえ、喋れませんよ」 「何だ、子ができたのか」 「な、なな、なんでわかったんですか!?」 「いや、お前の状態と他に言うなという奥さんの言葉でわかるだろ?」 わかったのは、俺が全く同じことをして、周りに同じように指摘されたからだが、そんな余計な事は言わない。 それにしても、オットーが父親か。こんな浮かれている男で大丈夫か? と、一瞬頭をよぎった言葉も、よく考えてみれば自分が言われた言葉だった。 うん、子供ができて浮かれるということは、愛情深い良い父親になるはずだ。全く問題ないな。 「はい、おかわり! お待ちどうさん」 給仕女に中銅貨を渡すと、俺とオットーは周りの喧騒につられるように、杯に口を付けた。一杯目と違って、勢いで流し込むことはなく、麦の香りと苦味と甘味と旨みの混ざった複雑な味を舌の上で転がして味わいながら、ゴクリと飲み下す。 そういえば、オットーの奥さんはエーファとトゥーリにとって憧れの裁縫師で、トゥーリは今の工房のダルア契約が終わったら、オットーの奥さんの工房へ移れるように頑張ると言っていた。 「オットー。お前、奥さんも子供も大事にしてやれよ。お前の子が大店の後継ぎになるんだろう? マインが前にそんなことを言っていたぞ」 「......そのことで話があるんです、班長」 オットーの雰囲気ががらりと変わった。にやけていた顔が引き締まり、視線が言葉を探して空をさまよう。マインが抱え込んでいたことを家族に話そうとした時と同じように強張った肩を見て、一瞬で酒気が飛んで、頭が冷えた。 「あ~、その、今すぐのことじゃないんです。......数年後のことになると思うんですが、俺、兵士を辞めることになると思います」 ついでに、娘の周りの人間には街での商人の地位欲しさに娘に言い寄っていると言われ、肝心の娘に不信感を抱かれる始末。オットーは街での市民権を買い取って、商人ではない職につくことで自分の想いを証明したのだ。 門をくぐりながら、ここで商品を売ったら親の住む街に行って店を出すんだ、と語っていたはずの旅商人が、ほんの数日後には女を口説くためにこの街の市民権を買って、全財産を使ったので、商人以外の職の伝手がないか、と尋ねてきたんだからな。他の門番と一緒に何度か聞き返したくらい自分の耳が信じられなかった。 だが、俺はオットーが子供の頃から父親に連れられて旅商人として過ごしている姿を知っていたし、親元へ行くと言っていた男が全財産をはたいて市民権を買うくらい本気で一目惚れをしたことも理解できた。 オットーは旅商人として生活してきたお陰で、計算ができて、書類を読めて、そこそこの手練だった。結局、オットーを主に書類仕事をすることを条件に、兵士職を紹介したのは自分だ。 そのオットーが兵士を辞める? 商人として、妻の家に認められたということか? 兵士としての職業の傍ら、妻の店を手伝わされていることは知っている。門に出入りする業者と商人としてやり取りして、勘が鈍らないようにしていることも知っている。オットーの努力が実ったのなら、めでたいことだが、顔色には困惑と戸惑いの色が濃い。 「子供ができてやっと義理兄に認められたのか?」 「......いや、その前から時々それらしい話が出ていたから違うと思います。原因はマインちゃんなんですよ」 「何!?」 思わぬところで娘の名前が出てきて、ぎょっとした俺は杯をドンとテーブルに置く。逆にオットーは表情を少し緩ませて、杯を手にとって一口飲んだ。 「班長、俺が商人以外の職として、一番に兵士を選んだのはこの街の住人と顔を繋ぐためでした。街の人々に顔を覚えてもらうため、自分が街の人々の顔を覚えるため。そして、街に出入りする商人や貴族を知るため、情報収集のために兵士を選んだんです」 「もうしばらく兵士でいるつもりだったけれど、店の状況が変わってきているんです。マインちゃんが持ちこんだリンシャンや髪飾りがすごくいい商品で、ギルベルタ商会の業績が一気に伸びているんです」 「ほぅ。マインが持ち込んだ商品が?」 俺の目から見れば、リンシャンを作っているのはトゥーリだし、髪飾りだってエーファやトゥーリの方が綺麗な物を作る。マインは作ろうとしては力が足りなくて失敗したり、出来がいまいちで首を傾げたりしている姿を見ている方が多いのだ。 「でも、ギルベルタ商会は基本が服飾品で、ルッツと一緒に作って持ちこんだ植物紙は......利益も影響も大きいけれど、方向性が違うんです。ベンノは扱うものを広げていきたい。コリンナは基本的に服飾にしか興味がないから、扱う物を広げたくないって話になって......」 「もしかして、マインの持ちこんだものが諍いの種になったのか?」 「いいえ、諍いというほどじゃないですよ。商人としての目で見れば、すごいものなんです。ベンノが手を出したいのもわかる。ただ、コリンナには扱いきれないだけです。だから、ベンノはギルベルタ商会を予定より早くコリンナに譲って、俺を補佐に付けて、自分の店を持ちたいと思ってるみたいで......。新しい店を作って、マインちゃんが持ちこんだものを余所の街にも広げようとしているんです」 大店の旦那が新しく店を作ってまで、売り、広げようとしているということは、莫大な金額が動いているはずだ。前にトゥーリが興奮して、マインはお金持ちだと一生懸命説明してくれたが、大袈裟に言っているのだろう、と適当に考えていた。洗礼式を終えたばかりの子供が持っているような金額ではなかったと思う。 「......マインがとんでもない金を稼いでいるというのは本当だったのか」 「本当ですよ。でも、誰に教わったのか、子供とは思えないくらい金の管理が徹底しているんです。金勘定が適当な班長が教えたわけじゃないだろうし、一体どこで覚えたんでしょうかね?」 ウチの可愛い娘を気に入って、魔力なんて余計な物まで与えて、賢すぎる知識を与える存在なんて一つしかない。 「神様に教わったんだろうよ。マインは神に愛されている娘だからな」 「ただの親馬鹿かと思っていましたけど、妙な説得力があって怖いですよ」 オットーは笑いながら肩を竦めて、腸詰にかぶりついた。俺も同じように腸詰をかじりながら、話を戻す。 「それで、いつ辞めることになるんだ? お前の仕事を引き継げるヤツなんていないぞ?」 「さすがにすぐに交代というわけにはいかないから、2年から3年ほど後になると思いますよ。計算ができる後継を育てておきたいとは思っているんですけどね。......ハァ、マインちゃんを神殿に取られたのは誤算でしたよ」 オットーはマインが商人見習いにならないように、虚弱なことや人間関係の大変さを吹きこんで在宅仕事を勧めていたことを思い出す。 「俺にとっても誤算だったさ。貴族に近付きたくないと言っていたマインがいきなり神殿巫女になりたいと言い出したんだからな。いくら本が読みたいからって、まったく......」 マインが神殿の巫女見習いになりたいなどと言いだした時のことを思い出して、杯を持つ手にぐぐっと力がこもる。 「ベンノも色々と情報を集めたり、手を回したりしていたみたいですけど、班長は納得しているんですか?」 「していると思うか?」 「いえ、全く」 じろりとオットーを睨めば、オットーは降参するように軽く手を挙げて首を振った。いくら良い条件を付けられたところで、神殿にマインを通わせるなんて、俺が好き好んでやるはずがない。 「納得なんぞできるわけがないだろう。貴族と同等の扱いをするなんて言っているが、あいつらの特権意識を考えれば、本当にそんな扱いをするわけがない」 どうせ口先だけだ。建前上、青の衣は与えられるかもしれないが、マインが本当の意味で貴族と同等になど扱われるはずがないことくらいわかっている。 「それでも、孤児院に放り込まれることは回避できた。家に帰って来てくれれば、まだ、俺の目が届く。貴族が相手なんだ。完全に取り上げられなかっただけでも、よかったと思うしかない」 「でも、かなり危うい立場ですよね」 「......あぁ」 マインの魔力が暴走し、威圧で神殿長を止めたから、有耶無耶になっただけで、神殿長は俺とエーファを極刑にしてもマインを孤児院に放り込むつもりだったのだ。命が助かって、マインが家から通えるようになっただけでも、神官側にすれば大きな譲歩だろう。これ以上の優遇を望んでも無駄だ。 「班長。これは、ベンノが言っていたことなんですけど、おそらく、マインちゃんが神殿で安穏と過ごせるのはせいぜい5年くらいだそうですよ。今は貴族が少ないから、魔力持ちは重宝されるだろうけれど、貴族が増えてきたら厄介者扱いされる危険性があるそうです」 「......たった5年か。それでも、神殿に入らず、半年とたたないうちに死ぬよりはマシなんだろうな」 神殿にマインを通わすのは、マインの延命が目的だ。それだけは俺の力ではどうすることもできない。魔術具が必要だが、俺にはそれを手に入れるだけの伝手も金もない。父親として不甲斐なさすぎる。 「神殿にいられないと思えば、貴族と契約すればいいんですよ。マインちゃんは価値が高いんです。魔力もあるし、お金を稼ぐ力もある。危険が迫る前に存在価値を示すことができれば、飼い殺しにされるのとは契約条件が変わってくるかもしれません」 「マインは家族と一緒にいたいから、貴族と契約はしたくないと言っていたが、......親の心情としては生きていて欲しいと思う」 しかし、命欲しさに貴族と契約するかどうか。契約するとなれば、一体どんな貴族とどんな契約条件ですることになるのか。何もかも全てがマイン次第だ。 父親であるのに、俺が手を出せる範囲は本当に小さい。父である自分よりも、親身に相談に乗ってくれて色々な情報を集めてくれたベンノの方が、孫娘のために集めた魔術具を売ってくれたギルド長の方が、よほどマインのためになっているのではないかと思う。 「......父親である俺に一体何ができるというんだ? 金もない、伝手もない。どんなに大事に思っていも、自分の子供さえを守ることもできない兵士だぞ? とんだお笑い草だな」 酒に任せて、家では漏らせない愚痴を漏らす。偉そうに、街ごと家族を守ると、言ってみたところで、俺にできることなどないのだ。 俺の愚痴を聞いていたオットーが緩く首を傾げる。 「いえ、マインちゃんの父親が、この街の門を守る兵士であることは、神の采配かもしれません」 「......どういうことだ?」 俺は目を細めると、オットーは喧騒に溢れる周囲を一度見回した後、少しだけ声をひそめた。 「ベンノが尽力したので、この街の中では契約魔術で多少守られている。少なくともマインちゃんを守ろうとする者が何人も存在します。ベンノが予測する中で一番怖いのは余所の貴族に掻っ攫われることだそうです」 「掻っ攫われるだと?」 物騒な言葉にゴクリと息を呑んだ。神殿にいる貴族については多少想定していたが、マインが余所の貴族にまで狙われる可能性があるなんて考えてもいなかった。 「街を出れば、契約魔術の効果は切れるそうです。この街の貴族が相手ならば、ギルド長やベンノが動ければ、領主様に願い出て調べてもらうことができるかもしれない。けれど、余所の貴族では領主様の手さえ及ばない可能性があるんです」 大きな権力に見える大店の旦那様も、商業ギルドの長も、この街の領主様でさえ、その力が及ぶところは限定的だと言われて、頭を殴られたような気がした。 領主様にできないことが俺にできるわけがない。余所の貴族なんて一体どうやって対応すればいいんだ? グッとこめかみを押さえる俺に、オットーはニヤリと唇を歪めて、挑戦的に笑った。 「そんな事にならないためには、神殿でマインちゃんに良い感情を持っていない神官とその神官に関係のある貴族を調べあげなければならない。そして、余所から入ってくる貴族に目を光らせて、問題がないかを判断しなければならない。だったら、全ての紹介状や招待状に目を通す門番という仕事はマインちゃんを守るためにうってつけの仕事じゃないですか」 余所の貴族はこの街の貴族の紹介状や招待状を持たずに入ってくることはない。馬車や馬など、乗り物を使って街に入ってくる貴族は必ず門を通って、紹介状を元に城壁へと移動し、貴族街へと入っていく。 街の住人に声を掛け、不審者がいないか見回りをし、門番同士の結束を深めて、異常事態が起こった時には迅速に動けるように普段から準備をしておく。これは全て、兵士である俺の仕事だ。 「街ごと家族を守るために兵士になったって、班長は言っていたじゃないですか。今までどおり、街ごとマインちゃんを守ればいいんです」 「そう考えたら、次の春から東門に異動になるのも幸運だとしか言えんな」 兵士は3年に一度班ごとに門の異動をする。妙な癒着を防ぎ、兵士同士の結束を深め、仕事の均一化を目的としているらしいが、詳しいことはどうでもいい。この春、俺の班が南門から東門に異動することだけ分かっていればいい。 「十分に警戒して、情報収集は抜かりなく、ですね。兵士同士の繋がりを利用して、少しでも危険を察知したら動けるように、連絡の取り方も見直した方が良いかもしれません。俺も協力しますよ。ベンノがあそこまで首を突っ込んでいる以上、俺の家族も無関係ではないですからね」 オットーがそう言って、拳を握ると、力こぶを作るように肘を曲げた。挑戦的に笑いながら、兵士がお互いの健闘を祈る時にする仕草を見せる。 「班長。絶対に守りましょう」 「あぁ、俺の家族はこの街ごと、俺が守る」

The day after the family council, everyone was a little bit awkward around each other. My father’s smile looked a little bit lonely, my mother hugged me over and over throughout the day, and Tuuli kept suddenly bursting into tears. However, as the days pa.s.s, everything starts gradually returning to the same old day-to-day life that we’d been living before. “You don’t have to do that, Maïne. I’ve got it,” says Tuuli. “Huh? I’ve got to do it! Aren’t you the one who told me that I’ll never learn how to do something unless I do it myself?” Tuuli, who had previously been encouraging me to help out more so that I could work on building my own independence, thoughtlessly takes over my work. It’s unmistakeable that she’s taking even more special care of me than she already was before. I’m woken up by Tuuli’s excited shout. “Whoa, it cleared up! We have to go pick paru today!” The sky is still dim and gloomy, but it seems like there isn’t much snow falling at all. Tuuli had seen a little bit of light coming in through the window and thrown it open wide to check the weather, letting the freezing air outside come rus.h.i.+ng in. “Tuuli, I’m cold!” “Ah! Sorry, sorry.” She closes the window, then immediately gets started in on her breakfast. I, too, eat my breakfast, while my family noisily hustles around the house. The instant they finished their food, my mother and father started gathering up baskets and firewood. My father, starting to organize things by the entryway, looks up at me as I, still unkempt, chew on my bread. “What will you do today, Maïne? Are you going to the gates?” “Nuh-uh, I was thinking that I’d go and try help picking paru, maybe?” From what Tuuli had told me, a paru tree is a beautiful and miraculous kind of plant. I’m not entirely sure what she meant when she said how it sparkles brilliantly with light as it spins around, though, so I kind of want to see it for myself. But, when my curiosity prompts me to say those words, every single member of the family turns to stare at me. “Absolutely not! You’ll either stay here and watch the house or you’ll go help out at the gates.” “Picking paru is very hard, too hard for you! You’ll definitely get sick!” “That’s right! You’re bad at climbing trees, and you can’t walk through snow so it’s impossible for you to help.” All three of them immediately reject the idea of me accompanying them to the winter forest to pick paru. Certainly, there’s no way someone such as me, who can’t even walk through the snow to get to the gates, would be capable of foraging in a snowy forest. “...Okay. You’ll be picking paru until noon, right? So, I’ll go to the gate and help out there while I wait for you.” I prepare my tote bag and get myself ready to head out to the gates. I’d thought that since my father had the day off Otto might as well, but it seems that around this time of year he shows up nearly every single day. My family loads up their baggage, including me, onto a sled, and we head off. I’d heard that everyone in the town goes to pick paru whenever they can, and based on the huge number of people dragging their sleds towards the southern gates, I’d heard correctly. The air is so cold that it bites into my skin, but everyone is filled with such excitement over being able to go and pick paru that the mood is very much like a festival. Even I am getting a little excited too. ïne for me. She’ll be helping Otto out until noon.” “Yes sir!” “Everyone, good luck picking paru!” I say. When we arrive at the gate, I get off the sled and wave goodbye to my family as they head towards the forest. I say h.e.l.lo to the gatekeeper, who I’m acquainted with, and head to the night duty room. “Mister Otto, good morning.” “Oh? Maïne? I thought the squad leader had the day off, didn’t he?” Otto’s eyes twinkle in wonder, and I nod, smiling slightly. “Yes, since the weather is clear today, he went to the forest to pick paru. I’ll be helping out until noon today.” “Ahh, I see, I see. Hm, until noon, huh...” Otto smiles broadly, seeming to immediately understand the circ.u.mstances, then starts laying out doc.u.ments that he needs the calculations checked on. While he works on clearing a s.p.a.ce for me to work, I thank him for the advice he gave me the other day. “Mister Otto, thanks for the other day.” “Hm?” “Umm, when you consulted with me about my job prospects. I told my family about the devouring, and about finding a job that I can do from home. When spring comes, I’m thinking I’ll consult with Mister Benno, too...” “Ah! Well, taking care of yourself is very important, so if Benno has no idea what you could do, then my door is always open if you’d like to ask about things you can do here.” “Alright!” I definitely notice a hint of something dark in his smile, but now that I’ve properly expressed my grat.i.tude, I get to work on my calculations, feeling refreshed. After noon, my family returns from the forest, so I get back on the sled and head home. Since there were three of them out picking today, it looks like they’ve brought six paru back with them. Unlike last year, now we know that even the dried-up lees is useful, so my mother is in very high spirits. While my mother works on preparing lunch, Tuuli and I work on juicing the paru. Tuuli grabs the skinniest stick she can find from the pile of firewood, lights it in the fire from the stove, then jabs it into the fruit. In the next instant, just that little bit of the rind cracks open. “Maïne, here it comes!” I stick a bowl under it, so as not to waste any of the creamy white fluid that starts spilling out. Entranced by the sweet smell, we finish draining the juice, then Tuuli pa.s.ses off the drained paru to our father. He crushes the pit of the fruit, pressing the oil out of it. Since he’s able to lift the heavy weight we use for pressing oil, leaving that part of the task to him means that the oil is finished in the blink of an eye. Since the lees left over after the fruit has been thoroughly squeezed has actual use in cooking, we set aside four parus’ worth of it for ourselves, leaving the remaining two to give to Lutz’s house in exchange for eggs. After lunch, I head out, bringing both the paru lees and some fresh ideas for recipes. If I could only just use an oven, I could make a gratin or a pizza, but since all I have access too are a griddle and a pot, the kinds of things that I can make are sharply limited. “Hi, Lutz. Could you trade me for some eggs, please? By the way, I came up with a new recipe, do you want to try it?” “Yo, Maïne! I’m happy about the new recipe, but there’s n.o.body around to help out right now so we can’t start on it yet. Come on and wait in here.” Even though I finally brought them a new recipe, Lutz’s older brothers aren’t here, it seems. “Where’re your brothers? Did they go sledding or something, since it’s clear out?” “Those kids went out to earn a little change shoveling snow,” says Lutz’s mother. I had no idea this was a thing, since there’s no way I could partic.i.p.ate, but it seems like some of the heavy labor of shoveling snow is something that kids can do in order to earn some decent pocket money. “Why’re you still here, Lutz?” “Someone’s got to juice the paru. If you wait too long, they’ll melt, right?” It’s true that you can’t just leave paru alone for a while, but I can’t help but notice that it looks like Lutz has been stuck with the housework, unable to earn any pocket money, and I’m realizing that he’s actually looking a little gloomy. But, since neither Lutz or Auntie Karla are saying anything, I figure that I, as an outsider, should probably keep my mouth shut. I’d at least like to help them with pressing the fruit, but since that’s something that fundamentally requires actual physical labor, it’s beyond my capabilities. All I can really do is watch as Lutz smashes the core with a hammer and Auntie Karla presses the oil out. As I absent-mindedly look on, I suddenly remember that I haven’t actually told Lutz about the family council. Letting him know that I won’t be working at Benno’s shop is something that I absolutely have to do. “Um, so, Lutz. I’ve, uh, decided that I’m not going to work at Benno’s shop.” “What?! Why?!” Lutz, his hammer raised high, turns to stare at me with wide eyes. Auntie Karla looks over at me as well, her eyes open a little wider too. “Umm... my mother mentioned something like this, right? I’d just be a burden on you. Plus, no matter how I think about it, I don’t have enough stamina for a job like that. I talked with Mister Otto about it, and he pointed out a few different things.” “A few things like what?” Lutz gradually starts moving his hammer again, urging me on with a stare. “Right, um. So, if a brand new apprentice keeps getting fevers and has to rest all the time, what do you think everyone else that has to work with her is going to think?” “...Ahh. That’s...” Murmuring quietly to himself like he might be starting to understand, he hits his paru. Auntie Karla, firmly pressing hers, squints. “You’d be a bother to everyone when you’re absent,” she muses, “and you being absent during your training would hurt you in the long run, too...” “That’s right. ...Plus, I’ve still got lots of things I’m planning on making, and if they wind up being really profitable, I’m going to earn a lot of money, you know? So if there’s an apprentice that’s always absent, but she still makes a ton of money, wouldn’t that ruin human relations at the shop?” “You’re right...” Lutz scowls, nodding in understanding, but Karla looks a little astonished. “Well,” I say, “the bit about the money applies to you too, I think, but if you work as hard as you can, I think people’s reactions will be different. I think we should discuss this with Mister Benno in detail, though.” “Yeah, let’s make sure we talk to him in the spring.” I think it might be possible to keep Lutz’s profits separate from his wages. Then, he could be given the extra money secretly. After all, even now, all it takes to give someone money is to tap your guild cards together. “If you’re not going to work at the shop, then what are you going to do after your baptism, Maïne?” “In my case, I don’t know what I’m going to do about the devouring, so I’d work out of my home transcribing letters or official doc.u.ments while coming up with new products, or helping out at the gates... I told my family that I don’t really want my lifestyle to change all that much.” “Ah, okay. Yeah, that’s probably better for your body.” Now that I have Lutz’s support, I let out a little sigh of relief. As I do, Auntie Karla’s expression suddenly brightens. “Well, now! If Maïne’s not going to work at the shop, then there’s no need for you to work there either, Lutz, is there? Now you can be a craftsman!” I tilt my head to the side, confused. What does me deciding not to work at Benno’s shop have to do with Lutz not working there? Lutz, however, raises his eyebrows high as soon as he hears his mother’s sigh of relief. “Huh?! What are you saying, mom?!” Lutz clucks his tongue. “I want to be a merchant!” he yells. “Maïne has nothing to do with it! I’m the one who dragged her into it!” She stares at him, looking as if she can’t believe a word he’s saying. “What did you just say?! So, you still are planning on becoming a merchant?” “Of course I am! I really wanted to be a trader, but after I talked with one I learned about how citizens.h.i.+p works, so I decided I wanted to be a merchant instead.” “Lutz, why didn’t you say anything about this before?!” “I did! Were you not listening, or did you just forget?!” It looks like she really hadn’t acknowledged what he’d been saying. She looks at him as if this is the first time she’s ever heard this. I, not wanting to intrude into a conversation between mother and son, watch quietly from my chair, not saying a single unnecessary word. “...You did say that you wanted to be a trader,” she says. She shakes her head weakly, a troubled expression on her face. It’s clear to see that she’s bewildered by how her expectations aren’t matching up with reality. “But, that was just a childish fantasy, wasn’t it? That was just something you were dreaming about, not something that had any basis in reality, wasn’t it? I didn’t actually think that’s something you really had your sights set on. I’ve been thinking that you’d eventually come to your senses.” I think that what Auntie Karla is saying isn’t unreasonable at all. It’s rare for someone who lives in the city to go any farther than the forest or the surrounding farmland. A trader is a foreigner that unexpectedly drops in from time to time, not someone that anyone typically aspires to be. It’s a childish fantasy, and he needs to wake up from it soon. Karla’s line of thought is probably pretty typical of people living around here. “...I really did want to be a trader. I want to leave this city, and go to other cities that I’ve never been to before. I wanted to see all sorts of things that I haven’t even heard of... and I still do! I’m still holding onto that dream.” “Lutz, you...” Auntie Karla rises halfway from her seat, looking like she’s about to say something. From her expression, it’s probably some sort of objection to his train of thought. However, before she can say anything, Lutz continues talking. “But, I talked to someone who used to be a trader himself. He told me that only an idiot would give up his citizens.h.i.+p. And traders don’t have apprentices, so it would be impossible for me, anyway.” “Well, he was right,” she says, looking a little bit relieved. She sits down with a thump. It seems that being a trader is an occupation that is very much something to avoid. I’d thought, naively, that being able to travel the world and see the sights sounded really fun, but I still really haven’t internalized enough of this world’s common sense. “So then, once I found out that I couldn’t be a trader’s apprentice, I started thinking that maybe I could just go out and be a trader on my own. Then Maïne told me that maybe instead of being a trader, I could be a merchant in this city. If I was a merchant, then I could still go to other towns to buy and sell things, she said. It’s more pragmatic, and more realistic to try to do.” She shrugs. “Well, compared to being a trader...” she says, tiredly. It seems like she had no idea that her son was serious about his plans to become a trader, so this might be a bit of a shock for her. “So, I told a merchant that I wanted to be his apprentice. He was only a second-hand acquaintance of Maïne’s, though, so he basically refused me right away.” With how the apprentices.h.i.+p system works in this town, Lutz’s odds of actually becoming a merchant’s apprentice were really slim. So, probably, even though Lutz kept telling her that he wanted to be a merchant, she didn’t consider it to be any more than some half-hearted ideal. Then, working from that a.s.sumption, she might not have ever really fully listened to Lutz when he explained that he actually would be able to do it. “But, we got him to set out some conditions, and agree to let us apprentice under him if we met them. Maïne and I already met those conditions, so we’ve got his approval to be his apprentices. So, whether Maïne’s there or not, I’m going to be a merchant.” Karla finally looks directly at Lutz, a serious look in her eyes, noticing at long last that Lutz has started forging his own path forward. “...Lutz, even if you got this man’s permission to be his apprentice, did you really think you could do so if your parents disapproved?” “I already decided that I’d do it. In the worst case, I’d be a live-in apprentice. I got him to hear me out, I got him to set some conditions, and I finally started on a path towards becoming his apprentice. I’m not gonna give that up.” “A... live-in apprentice...?” Being a live-in apprentice is probably among the worst lifestyles you could have. First of all, as an apprentice, you can only actually work half of the week, so your wages are low. Plus, you have no family to rely on. A child suddenly forced to live on their own would find it both really physically taxing as well as time-consuming. His living quarters would be the attic on the topmost floor of the building. Summers would be hot, and winters would be cold. It wouldn’t be at all rare for the roof to constantly leak. Carrying things upstairs, especially water, would be an enormous undertaking. It’s not unusual for birds to nest in attics, like they do in Lutz’s home, so the smell would be horrific, too. Plus, unlike the rooms rented out for families to live in, there wouldn’t be any place for Lutz to cook, so he’d need to either get someone else at the shop to let him use theirs or eat out a lot. Naturally, that kind of lifestyle isn’t something that leaves you with any money left over. Rather, he’d need to constantly be taking advances on his pay, putting him in debt. The shop would provide the bare minimum to keep him alive, but until he grew up he would basically be living solely to work his apprentices.h.i.+p. “Lutz, think about what you’re saying! Do you really think you could live that kind of life?!” I don’t think any normal parent would want their son to have to live such an austere life. She raises her voice so high it’s practically a shriek. Lutz, however, just shrugs. “I can, yeah. I’ve started preparing for that already.” In Lutz’s case, he’ll be able to save up the money we’re going to make from paper-making during the spring. If we use the bark that we’ve already got in the storehouse, we’ll be able to put quite a lot of money in the bank. By my calculations, even after buying the clothing necessary to be a merchant’s apprentice, he’ll still have a sizable amount left over. Plus, during his apprentices.h.i.+p he’ll have half of his days off, which he’ll be able to spend with me, developing new products to potentially make money off of. If we can do that, then there’s no doubt that he’ll be making much more than an ordinary apprentice’s wages. He won’t have a lot of room in his budget to spare, but I think it’ll definitely be much better than dest.i.tution. I don’t think he’d have enough extra money to rent a place for himself, though, so he wouldn’t really be able to do anything about his awful living conditions. “...You’re serious about already preparing, aren’t you?” “Very serious.” After a long silence, Auntie Karla lets out a deep sigh, slumping her shoulders. She wears a complicated expression, like she’s given up on challenging Lutz’s seriousness but still can’t give up altogether. “I still think it would be better if you found a nice, steady job as a craftsman instead of something as unstable as being a merchant.” Auntie Karla squints at him. Since he just effectively said he’s dissatisfied with his current life, her mood quickly grows sharp. “What do you mean by that?” “My brothers do whatever they want with me, and when I have something they want the just take it, and I never have anything left for myself.” “That’s... you’re siblings, so of course they take things from you, but they give things too you as well, don’t they?” “It’s not like they can give my food back after they eat it, and when I get stuff from them it’s all just broken hand-me-downs, you know? And if the hand-me-downs are too awful to actually use and I get something new for once, then they immediately take it away!” The fact that the youngest child always gets hand-me-downs is something that’s true for me as well. However, while Tuuli is always helping me out, Lutz is constantly being ordered around by his brothers. I don’t know if that’s just what brothers do to each other, but the difference between the two of our experiences is enormous. “I set my sights on becoming a merchant, worked really hard doing a lot of different things with Maïne, and learned what it’s like to actually hold onto something I’ve earned. I want to see how far I can take myself without anyone getting in the way. I’ve never even consideredbeing a craftsman.” Lutz, who has always been kept down by his family, has made it his goal to find an environment where he can be free of their control, and he was finally able to find a place where he might be able to accomplish his dreams. “I wouldn’t make this kind of life-changing decision if it was like that...” “I really thought it was, so that’s why I was objecting.” She lets out a long, deep sigh, looking down at the floor. She thinks to herself for a while, then slowly raises her head, a smile on her face as if she’d come to accept things as they are. “If you’ve thought it through that far, and this is something you really want to do, to the point where you even started preparing to leave home, then why not go for it as much as you can? Your father will probably object, but you’ll have at least one supporter in this family.” “Really?! Thanks, Mom!!” Lutz’s face is practically sparkling. He had long since giving up on earning his family’s understanding, so hearing something so unbelievable makes him so happy he could jump for joy. Until just a moment ago, he’d been forcing himself to look focused, but now his expression is something that a child his age should actually be wearing, and I can’t help but smile, too. Having even just one family member on his side must make a whole world of difference. When his brothers come home, Lutz is still in a good mood. The four of them work harmoniously together as they start making my new recipy. “Zasha,” I say, “could you and Zeke please heat the griddle? Lutz, please grate plenty of cheese and mix it with the paru lees. Then, Ralph, could you chop those lege leaves finely, please?” While I divide up the work amongst the brothers, I add some paru oil and salt to the bowl that Lutz is grating cheese into. Once Ralph is done chopping the basil-like herb, I add it to the bowl, and all that’s left is to mix it and grill it. “The griddle’s hot!” “Alright, then grill this please, like how you do the parucakes.” We grill it thoroughly, until the cheese gets crispy, then eat it. It looks kind of like _okonomiyaki_, but thanks to the melted cheese that’s holding everything together, it has a very western flavor. This recipe is a variation on something I’d come up with in my Urano days, making use of leftover cooked somen or spaghetti noodles by chopping them up really finely. “It’s so simple, but it’s so filling!” “It would be really good if you added minced ham or veggies, too,” I add. “Yeah, now that I think of it, these would actually make a good meal on their own, unlike the parucakes.” Everyone eats their food, smiling happily about how delicious it is. In the middle of that, Ralph tries to help himself to seconds off of Lutz’s plate, but Auntie Karla smacks him in the back of his head. “Don’t take other people’s food. That’s greedy! How about you grill another for yourself?” Ralph, who had just gotten smacked on the head, looks at her with mild shock. Lutz does, too. After a moment, Ralph gets up to start grilling up his seconds, and Lutz goes back to eating, relieved. Karla watches the two of them, then smiles. Now that Lutz has convinced someone as influential as her of his problems with the rest of the family, it looks like things have calmed down around here, at least for now. After that, I return to being a shut-in. My life becomes an endless cycle of handiwork, tutoring Lutz, helping at the gate, and lying in bed with a cold, while Lutz keeps stopping buy to deliver hairpin parts, be tutored, and occasionally bringing completed product over to Benno’s shop. Eventually, the snow starts gradually getting weaker, and my wintry shut-in lifestyle comes to an end.

家族会議の次の日は、みんなどことなくぎくしゃくしていた。父の笑顔がどことなく寂しそうだったり、母が何度も抱きしめてきたり、トゥーリがいきなり泣き出したりしていた。 「マインはやらなくていいよ。わたしがやるから」 「えぇ? わたしだってやるよ。やらなきゃできるようにならないってトゥーリが言ったのに」 自立のためにわたしのお手伝いを奨励していたトゥーリが、やたら仕事を取り上げようとし、わたしに対してさらに過保護になった以外は元通りと思って間違いない。 「うわぁ、晴れた! 今日はパルゥ採りに行かなきゃ!」 まだ薄暗い空だけれど、雲がほとんどないらしい。わずかに入ってくる光を見て、トゥーリが天気の確認のために窓を開けたので、外の冷たい空気に入ってきた。 「トゥーリ、寒い」 「あ、ごめん、ごめん」 朝食をさっさと食べ終わった父も母も籠やら薪やら準備をしている。玄関に色々と並べ始めた父が、もしゃもしゃとパンを咀嚼するわたしを振りかえった。 「マインはどうする? 門で待っているか?」 「うーん、わたしもパルゥ採りに行ってみようかな?」 トゥーリの話から察するに、パルゥという木は綺麗系の不思議植物らしい。きらきら光ってぐるぐる回ってとても綺麗って表現がよくわからなかったので、ちょっと実物を見てみたい。 「ダメだ! マインは家で留守番か、門で助手をするかどちらかだ」 「パルゥ採りは大変だから、マインには無理よ。絶対に熱を出すわ」 「そうだよ! 木登りが下手だし、雪の中を歩けないのに無理だよ」 冬の森に入るパルゥ採りへの同行は家族全員から却下された。確かに、雪の中を歩いて門まで行けないわたしには、雪の森で採集なんてできるわけがない。 「......わかった。パルゥ採りはお昼までなんでしょ? だったら、門でお手伝いして待ってるよ」 父が休みならオットーも休みではないかと思ったのだが、この時期オットーはほぼ毎日門に顔を出しているらしい。 空気は肌に刺さるほど冷たいけれど、パルゥ採りへの期待に胸を膨らませている人々の雰囲気はお祭りのような高揚感があって、わたしまでわくわくしてしまう。 「悪いが、マインを頼む。昼までオットーの手伝いだ」 「はっ!」 「みんな、頑張ってパルゥを採ってきてね」 わたしは門で下ろされて、森へと向かう家族を見送ると、顔なじみの門番さんに挨拶しながら、宿直室へと向かった。 「オットーさん、おはようございます」 「あれ? マインちゃん? 班長は休みだよな?」 不思議そうに目を瞬くオットーに、わたしは小さく笑いながら頷いた。 「はい、今日は晴れているので、パルゥ採りに行きました。わたしは門でお留守番しつつ、お手伝いです」 「あぁ、なるほどね。じゃあ、お昼までか」 すぐに事情を察したらしいオットーがニッコリ笑って、計算確認をする資料を横に積み上げ始めた。 「オットーさん、先日はありがとうございました」 「何?」 「えーと、仕事に関する相談に乗ってもらったことです。家族に身食いの話もして、在宅の仕事を探すことにしました。春になったら、ベンノさんにも相談しようかと思って......」 「うん。まぁ、マインちゃんの体調が大事だし、ベンノの方に心当たりがなかったら、こっちから在宅の仕事をお願いすることもできるから、いつでも言って」 「はい!」 少し黒いものを感じさせる笑顔がやはり気になるが、きちんとお礼を言えたので、スッキリした気持ちでわたしは計算に取り掛かった。 お昼を過ぎるころに家族が森から帰ってきたので、わたしはまたそりに乗って家に帰る。今日で採ったので、パルゥが6つも採れたらしい。去年と違って、搾りかすにも利用価値があるので、母が張り切った結果だ。 トゥーリが薪用の中から一番細い枯れ枝に暖炉の火を付けて、パルゥにツンと押しつけた。次の瞬間、その部分だけ、プチッと皮が破れる。 「マイン、出てくるよー!」 とろりとした白い果汁をこぼさないように器へ取っていく。甘い匂いにうっとりしながら、パルゥの汁を採り終わったら、トゥーリが父に汁を採り終わったパルゥを渡した。 昼食の後、搾りかすと一緒に新作パルゥレシピも持っていく。せめて、オーブンがあれば、グラタンやピザができるけれど、鉄板と鍋しかない状態ではできる料理が限られてくる。 「こんにちは、ルッツ。卵と交換してください。ついでに、新作レシピはいる?」 「よぉ、マイン。新作は嬉しいけど、人手がいないから、すぐに作るのは無理だな。入って待ってろよ」 せっかく新作レシピを持ってきたけれど、おにいちゃん達は不在らしい。 「おにいちゃん達はどこに行ったの? 晴れてるし、そり遊び?」 「あの子達は小遣い稼ぎの雪かきに行ったよ」 わたしは参加したことがないから知らないけれど、重労働な雪かきは子供達の良い小遣い稼ぎの場にもなっているらしい。 「なんでルッツはいるの?」 「パルゥを絞らなきゃ、このまま放っておいたら溶けるだろ?」 確かにパルゥも放っておけないけれど、小遣いが手に入らない家の手伝いをルッツに押し付けたようにしか見えなくて、少しもやもやとした気分になる。ルッツとおばさんが何も言わないなら、部外者のわたしが口出しすることではないけれど。 せめて、パルゥ搾りを手伝いたいけれど、パルゥを搾るのは基本的に力仕事で、わたしの出番はない。ダンダンとハンマーで潰していくルッツと、搾っていくカルラおばさんを見ているしかできない。 ぼんやりと作業を見ていたわたしは、ルッツに家族会議の報告をしていなかったことを思い出した。ベンノの店に入らないと決めたことはルッツに報告しておかなければならないことだ。 「あのね、ルッツ。わたし、ベンノさんのお店に入るのを止めることにしたの」 「はぁ!? なんでだよ!?」 ハンマーを振り上げたまま、ルッツが目を見開いてこっちを向いた。カルラおばさんも軽く目を見張ってこっちを向いた。 「うーん、母さんも言ってたでしょ? ルッツの足手まといになるって。それに、わたしの体力じゃあ、どう考えても仕事にならないもん。オットーさんに相談したら、他にも色々指摘されたんだよ」 「色々って何だよ?」 ダンダンとハンマーを再び動かしながら、ルッツが視線で続きを促した。 「うん。入ったばかりの見習いが熱出して休みまくるのって、一緒に働く周りの人にどう思われる?」 「......あぁ。それは......」 少しばかり納得したような声を出しながら、ルッツはパルゥを叩く。カルラおばさんはぎゅっときつくパルゥを絞りながら、目を細めた。 「あまり休まれると周りに迷惑だし、教育の時に休んで困るのは自分だからねぇ」 「そうなの。......それに、わたし、まだ色々な商品作るつもりだから、その利益をもらっていたら、結構な金額になるでしょ? 休みは多いのに、給料をいっぱいもらう見習いって、お店の人間関係を壊すんじゃないかって」 「......そうだな」 ルッツは眉を寄せて納得したように頷いたが、おばさんは少しばかり驚いたように目を見張った。 「まぁ、このお給料に関しては、ルッツにも関係してくると思うんだけど、真面目に仕事していれば、多少は違うと思う。詳しくはベンノさんにも相談してみた方が良いと思うんだけど」 「あぁ、春になったら、きちんと相談しようぜ」 給料と利益を別々にして、こっそりもらうくらいのことはできると思う。今だって、ギルドカードを合わせるだけで、お金をもらえるのだから。 「店に行くのを止めるなら、マインは洗礼式の後、どうするんだ?」 「わたしの場合、身食いがどうなるかもわからないから、家で手紙や書類の代筆をしながら、商品作ったり、門のお手伝いしたり......今までとあまり変わらない生活にしようって、家族と話したの」 「そっか。マインの身体にとってはその方が良いかもしれないな」 ルッツが賛成してくれたので、わたしはホッと安堵の息を吐いた。それと同時に、カルラおばさんの表情も明るくなる。 「おや、まぁ。マインが行かないなら、ルッツも行く必要がなくなったじゃないか。これで職人になれるね」 わたしがベンノの店に行くのを止めるのと、ルッツが止めることにどんな関係があるというのだろうか。首を傾げたわたしと違って、ルッツは心底ホッとしたと言わんばかりのおばさんの声に、キッと眉を吊り上げた。 「ハァ!? 何言ってんだよ、母さん!?」 「オレが商人になりたいんだよ! マインは関係ない! むしろオレが巻き込んでいたんだ!」 ルッツの言葉におばさんはぎょっとした顔で、信じられないとばかりにルッツを凝視する。 「なんだって!? じゃあ、まだ商人になるつもりかい?」 「当たり前だろ! 本当は旅商人になりたかったけど、旅商人から市民権の話を聞いて、街の商人になることにしたんだ」 「ルッツ、アンタそんなこと言わなかったじゃないか!」 「言ったさ! オレの話を聞いてなかったか、覚えてないんじゃないか!?」 本当に話が通じてなかったみたいだ。カルラおばさんは、まるで初めて話を聞いたような顔で、ルッツを見ている。 親子の会話を邪魔しない方が良いだろうと、わたしは余計な口出しをせずに、様子を見守ることにした。 「......アンタが旅商人になりたいというのは聞いていたさ」 カルラおばさんが困ったように眉を寄せて、弱々しく頭を振った。自分の予想と違うところに真実があって戸惑っているように見える。 「でも、そんなのは子供の戯言じゃないか。夢物語と一緒でなれるわけがない、全く現実味のない話じゃないか。まさかルッツが本気で目指しているとは考えていなかったよ。そのうち、ちゃんと現実を見るようになると思っていたんだ」 カルラおばさんの言葉も無理はないと思う。森や最寄りの農村に行く以外、街の外に出ることさえ滅多にないのが街の住人だ。 「......オレは本気で旅商人になりたかったんだ。この街を出て、知らない街に行ってみたい。話でしか聞いたことがない物を実際に自分の目で見てみたいと思っていたし、今でも思ってる。夢はまだ変わってないんだ」 「ルッツ、お前......」 カルラおばさんが座っていたお尻を浮かして、何か言おうとした。表情から考えても批判するような何かを。 「でも、旅商人だった人に言われたんだ。市民権を捨てるのは馬鹿のすることだって。旅商人に見習いなんてないから、オレには無理だって」 少し安心したようにカルラおばさんが息を吐いて、ドスンと座り直す。 よほど、旅商人というのは忌避される職業らしい。色んなところに行けるのも楽しそうだな、と呑気に思っていたわたしには、やはりここでの常識が全然足りていないようだ。 「旅商人の見習いになるんじゃなくて、一から旅商人になろうか考えていた時に、マインが言ってくれたんだ。旅商人にはなれなくても、街の商人になることはできる。商人になって、他の街に買い付けに行くくらいはできるようになるかもしれないって。それは旅商人になるより、現実的で実現可能な将来だった」 疲れたような声でカルラおばさんはそう言って、肩を竦めた。まさか本気で息子が旅商人になるつもりだったとは思っていなかったようで、軽くショックを受けているようだ。 「だから、オレは見習いにしてほしいって商人に頼んだんだ。マインの知り合いの知り合いだから、最初は断られかけたけどさ」 この街の見習い制度から考えると、ルッツが商人見習いになれる確率はほとんどなかった。 「でも、条件が出されて、条件を達成すれば見習いにしてくれるって約束してくれた。オレはもうマインと一緒に条件を達成したし、見習いになる許可ももらってる。マインがいてもいなくても、オレは商人になるんだ」 自分で自分の道を作り始めたルッツに気付いて、ようやくきちんと目を向けたカルラおばさんは少し厳しい目でルッツを見据えた。 「......ルッツ、お前、見習いの許可をもらったところで、親の反対を押し切って、本当に商人になれると思ってるのかい?」 「最悪、住み込みの見習いになっても、オレは商人になるって決めてる。話を聞かせてもらって、見習いになるための条件を出されて、やっと見習いになれる道が拓けたんだ。諦めるつもりなんてない」 「住み込みの見習いだって......?」 住み込みの見習いは最悪の生活環境になる。まず、見習いで、週の半分しか仕事ができないので給料が低い。そして、頼れる家族はいない。子供がいきなり一人暮らしで家事全般をするなんて、体力的にも時間的にかなり難しい。 住むところは最上階の屋根裏部屋になり、夏は暑くて、冬は寒い。雨漏りをすることも珍しくはない。荷物を運ぶのも、水を運ぶのも大変だ。ルッツの家のように屋根裏部屋のスペースで鳥を飼っていることも珍しくないので、匂いもひどい。 当然、そんな生活で金が手元に残るわけなんてなく、前借りをして借金ばかりが貯まっていく。死なない程度には店が面倒を見てくれるけれど、一人前になるまではほとんどただ働きになるのが住み込みの見習いだ。 「ルッツ、よく考えておくれ! そんな生活ができるわけがないだろう!?」 息子にそんな厳しい生活をさせたいと思うまともな親はいないだろう。カルラおばさんが悲鳴のような声を上げた。けれど、ルッツは軽く肩を竦めただけだった。 「できるさ。そのための準備はとっくに始めてるんだから」 ルッツの場合は、紙作りで春のうちにお金が貯められる。今まで倉庫に貯めてある白皮や黒皮を使えば、洗礼式までに結構な金額のお金が貯まる。商人見習いになるための服などの準備物を揃えても、ある程度のお金が余る計算だ。 そして、見習い期間中は週の半分が休みになるが、その休みを利用して新しい商品をわたしと開発すれば、その分の利益が手に入る。そうなれば、間違いなく見習いの給料より利益の方が多くなるに違いない。 「......準備を始めているって、本気なんだね?」 「本気だ」 しばらくの沈黙の後、カルラおばさんが深い溜息を吐いた。ルッツの本気を知って諦めたような、まだ諦めきれないような複雑な顔で肩を落とす。 「わたしは浮き沈みの激しい商人より堅実な仕事をする職人の方が安定していて良いと思うけどね」 不満そうに唇を尖らせたルッツに、カルラおばさんは目を細めた。今の生活に不満があると言われたも同然で、雰囲気が尖った。 「このままって、どういう意味だい?」 「兄達に良いように使われて、オレの分は兄達の気分で何だって取り上げられて、オレの手元には何も残らないってことだよ」 「そりゃあ......兄弟だから、取られることもあるけど、もらえるものだってあるだろう?」 「食べ物は食べられたら戻ってこないし、もらえるものは壊れかけのお下がりばっかりじゃないか。あんまりお下がりがひどいからって、たまに新しい物をもらえばすぐに取り上げられるんだからさ」 末っ子だから何もかもお下がりなのはわたしも同じだ。けれど、わたしはトゥーリに助けてもらってばかりで、ルッツは男兄弟の宿命か、助け合うよりも支配されてしまう。この差は大きい。 「商人の仕事を目の当たりにして、マインと一緒に色々頑張って、自分の成果が自分の手に残ることを知ったんだ。オレはこのまま邪魔されずに自分の力を試してみたい。職人になりたいとは全然考えていないんだ」 ずっと頭を押さえつけられていたルッツは家族に支配されない環境を見つけてしまった。自分の夢を叶えられそうな場所を確保できた。 「それで一生の仕事を決めるなんてしないさ」 「そう考えていたから反対していたんだよ、わたしは」 ハァ、と深い溜息を吐きながら、カルラおばさんは目を伏せる。しばらく考え込んでいたおばさんは、ゆっくりと頭を上げて仕方なさそうな笑みを浮かべた。 「そこまで考えて、本気で家を出る準備までするほど、やりたいことなら、やれるだけやってみればいいさ。父さんは反対するだろうけど、ウチの中でわたしくらいは味方してあげるよ」 「ホントか!? ありがとう、母さん!」 バッとルッツの顔が輝いた。家族に理解されることを諦めていたルッツは、信じられないとばかりに飛び上がって喜ぶ。 おにいちゃん達が帰って来てからも、ルッツはご機嫌なままだった。みんなで和気あいあいとわたしの新作レシピを作っていく。 「ザシャにいちゃん達は鉄板を温めてね。ルッツはパルゥの搾りかすにすりおろしたチーズをたっぷり入れて。それから、ラルフはレージの葉を小さく刻んでくれる?」 それぞれに仕事を振り分けながら、わたしはルッツがチーズをすりおろしているボウルの中に、パルゥの油と塩を加えた。 「鉄板は温まってきたぜ」 「じゃあ、これを焼いて。パルゥケーキみたいに」 溶けたチーズがカリカリになるまでよく焼いて食べる。お好み焼きっぽい見た目だけど、すりおろしたチーズがよく利いていて、味は洋風だ。 「簡単だし、腹にたまるな」 「小さく刻んだハムや野菜を入れてもおいしいよ」 「そうすれば、パルゥケーキと違って、ご飯にもなりそうだな」 みんながおいしそうに笑いながら、同じ料理を食べている。そんな中、おかわりをしたルッツの分をラルフが横から取ろうとして、カルラおばさんから拳骨を食らった。 「他人の物を取るんじゃない。意地汚いね。もう一つ焼けばいいだろう?」 拳骨を食らったラルフもルッツもちょっと目を丸くする。その後、ラルフは自分で焼き始め、安心したように食べ始めたルッツを見て、おばさんが頬を緩めた。 わたしは手仕事とルッツの家庭教師と門のお手伝いと風邪を引いて寝込むのをぐるぐると繰り返し、ルッツは簪部分をウチに運んで勉強して、たまにベンノの店に完成した髪飾りを持っていく生活を繰り返す。 そのうちに、吹雪は少しずつ弱まっていき、引きこもり生活だった冬は終わりを告げた。

It has been a few days since Delia started working as an attendant . Since it was decided that I have to take days off, I stayed home on the day of earth, which Tuuli and my mother have off as well, but apart from that I’ve been going to the temple every single day . Since I’ve had to spend so much time on things like taking receipt of the things I ordered from Benno and writing up new recipes on wooden boards to teach to the cooks, I’ve been trying to get even just a little more reading time back into my life . During these past few days, my attendants have sorted out each of their a.s.signed duties amongst themselves . Delia is in charge of the bathtubs, the toilets, and laundering my expensive clothing, as well as looking after my daily needs and cleaning the second floor . It also seems like Fran is teaching her how to prepare tea, as she’s started helping with that as well . Gil primarily handles cleaning the first floor and sweeping the grounds outside, as well as keeping an eye on the cooks as they work . He’s also currently in the middle of having proper speech and etiquette drilled into his skull by Fran . When I’d mentioned in a conversation that Lutz had spent last winter learning how to read and do math, Gil got fired up and declared that he’s going to do that too, but according to Fran there’s a huge mountain of things that he needs to learn before he can start on anything else . Speaking of Fran, not only does he spend time checking the other attendants’ work, but he does everything else that needs doing as well . On top of his regular duties, he’s in charge of reading the recipes to the cooks as well as taking regular inventory to make sure that they aren’t misappropriating any of the ingredients or trying to sneak out any of the finished product . In the morning, he accompanies me to the head priest’s chambers as I work on the paperwork . After delivering the leftovers from lunch to the orphanage, he starts the afternoon by explaining the menu to the cooks and verifying that they have the right ingredients, then accompanies me to the library room . He monitors my condition, is there to receive Benno when we have advance notice of his arrival, educates the two apprentices, and teaches me anything I need to know about the n.o.bility, which is everything . Right now, everything is left to Fran . I’ve been concerned about how he might be overworked, but when I asked if perhaps his workload was too intense, he replied that since he is never summoned unexpectedly at night, he finds it quite pleasant . He is just too amazing . As my grat.i.tude to him, my trust in him, and his salary skyrocket, I’m becoming more and more thankful to the head priest for having backed me up by a.s.signing me such an excellent attendant . I wouldn’t have gotten this far without him . Today is, strictly speaking, my day off, but I’ve come to the temple anyway . I had a marble bathtub, which I was told was in vogue with the n.o.bility these days, installed in the second-floor room that I had thought was for storage, so I need to go pay for it . Honestly, carrying enough water for a bath seems tremendously difficult, and I already bathe myself at home with Tuuli, so I don’t think there’s any need for me to actually have a bathtub . However, when I’d asked if just a washbasin would be good enough, Delia got mad . “Ugh, what are you saying?!” she had said . “As an attendant to the temple master, I need to be taking far more baths to remain decent!” Delia wanted to use the tub as soon as it arrived, so when it did I told her she could go right in, but, of course, she got mad again . “As if I could use it before my master has even touched it! Ugh!” It seems that baths for blue-robed priestesses are able to use both water and firewood, but gray-robed priestesses are only allowed to use water . “Now then, perhaps you could ready the bath for me?” I ask . She has to carry hot water all the way up from the kitchen, so I thought it would be an onerous task, but Delia, who is almost always p.r.i.c.kling with anger, bounces happily up the stairs as she does so . I decide that if she’s enjoying herself I might as well leave her alone . Delia washes my hair with rinsham, helps me get dressed, dries my hair, and, after absentmindedly making sure that my hair looks good, declares that she’ll be making use of the remaining bathwater and jumps in . I imagine that she’s so enthusiastic about this because of her own desire for self-improvement . “Sister Maïne,” says Fran, having brought me something to drink while Delia is in the bath, “please do not place too much confidence in Delia . She is still connected to the Reverend . ” He scowls in discomfort as he delivers his warning . When I see how serious his face is, I can’t help but chuckle a little . “I know,” I reply . “She just described herself as ‘an attendant to the temple master’ a few minutes ago, after all . ” It seems like Delia is still firmly convinced that n.o.body could get rid of someone as cute as her . However, it also seems like she’s not able to return to the temple master’s side and has made me the foundation of her daily life instead . I’m fairly sure that she’s doing this not just because she can use this to get a lot of information about me, but also because the work itself is easy and the pay is good . From what she’s said, the temple master keeps two gray-robed priests and three gray-robed priestesses in his chambers . He also has three apprentice attendants, including Delia . Those three apprentices are required to take care of six people’s daily necessities . Here, however, the only person that really needs taking care of is me . On top of that, compared to other blue-robed members of the clergy, I really don’t have a whole lot that needs taking care of . On top of that, Fran, who distrusts her, isn’t making use of her like he might with a different apprentice, so he is giving her a lot less work than what might otherwise be expected . So, it seems like Delia is still fixated on the idea of becoming the temple master’s mistress and is thus keen on particular kinds of self-improvement . As an attendant, she isn’t looking to be useful to someone, she’s looking for someone she can use . Her particular goals aside, though, she is very hardworking in pursuit of them . “Even if Delia still pa.s.ses everything along to the temple master, as long as she still works hard at her job, I do not particularly mind either way . We just need to be careful about what information we’re willing to let her have . ...I am not entirely certain as to what information we must keep concealed from her, however . ” He tells me that the most important things to keep from her is anything about my family or about Lutz . Those are my weakest points, he says . Delia returns from her bath, and we have lunch . Today’s lunch is fluffy bread rolls, a consommé, bacon, and vegetable soup, and baked chicken with herbs . Gil and Delia take turns waiting on the table, and those who aren’t serving the table eat at about the same time I am . Fran isn’t serving the table because he’ll be going to the leftovers to the orphanage as the blessings of the G.o.ds, as after lunch he’ll be accompanying me to the library . “Then, Sister Maïne, I shall deliver the blessings of the G.o.ds to the orphanage,” he says . “Please do,” I reply . Outside, a wagon has already been loaded with the leftover soup, bread, and chicken, which are still warm . Since the wagon is quite heavy, Gil and Delia don’t yet have the strength to push it, so the task is left to Fran . “Oh? Did Fran leave already?” Shortly after Fran takes off, Gil exits the kitchen carrying a basket with a few more rolls in them . When he looks out the front door and sees that the wagon has already been taken away, he looks down at the basket he’s carrying . “What’s wrong, Gil?” I ask . “Delia was all, like, 'As if you could eat all of that! Ugh!’ so I thought that if I hurried I might be able to make it before the cart left . I’d been thinking that it would be a good idea to save a little so that we could have some left when it’s time for dinner, but it sounds like the cooks are going to be baking some different bread this afternoon, so...” “The G.o.ds’ blessings are lacking right now, are they not? Perhaps it would be best for you to bring those there yourself?” “Sure, I’ll do that!” Gil smiles confidently, hoisting up the basket in his arms . There’s only four rolls in there, but I’m sure that the orphans will be happy to get more food . “Hey, Gil,” I say . “might I perhaps come along with you? I’ve never seen the orphanage myself . ” “I’ll show you around! I actually know a shortcut . Here, this way!” With Gil leading the way, we head towards the orphanage . Even though the entrance to my rooms is different from the orphanage’s entrances, the orphanage is still fairly close by, so it wouldn’t be odd for me to see younger children around . Strangely, though, I never have . I’ve seen children around Gil and Delia’s age, who’ve already been baptized, doing things like sweeping the corridors and the wors.h.i.+p halls, doing laundry by the water well, and tending to livestock in their pens, but I’ve never actually seen any children who haven’t been baptized yet . “Alright,” says Gil, “so once we leave, then we take the walkway that goes around the building there . The wagon can’t go on any stairs, you know? So this way is way shorter . We’re probably gonna even beat Fran there . ” Gil, with the kind of boastfulness you only see when someone’s spoiling a huge secret, starts heading towards the temple gates . As for me, if he really does know a shortcut, I’d very much like to take it to save what little stamina I have . We make our way around the building, reaching the stairs in front of the hall of wors.h.i.+p . As we descend, the radiant summer sunlight makes the white stone of the stairs even more brilliant . I really haven’t been walking around outside that much outside of the cool hours of the morning and evening, but here beneath the noonday sun I can feel the true heat of summer . “The orphanage’s cafeteria is in the girls’ dormitory . The girls’ dormitory has all of the kids that haven’t been baptized yet and also any gray-robed priestesses that aren’t anyone’s attendants . When boys are baptized, they go to the boys’ dormitory . So since the G.o.ds’ blessings are given out equally to everyone, it’s way easier to have the boys come to the girls’ dormitory from wherever they’re working instead of making the girls bring the little kids with them to the boys’, right?” I listen to Gil talk about the orphanage as we make our way down the stairs and head towards the girls’ dormitory . Near the stairway, there’s a hidden back door to the orphanage . It looks like it’s barred from the outside, like n.o.body’s particularly worried about any intruders breaking in but are instead trying to make sure that n.o.body can get out this way . “Basically n.o.body but me knows that this actually opens . From the other side, it just looks like the rest of the wall, and you can’t open it from that side either . ” “How do you know about it, then?” “Once, when I was really little, I saw it open in the middle of the night . Someone was beckoning from outside, and a gray-robed priestess ran out to meet them . I wanted to go out too, but the door closed right away . Back then, I really wanted to be able to go outside, so I kinda thought that maybe someone had come to get me out of there . ” Gil, a nostalgic look in his eyes, sets the basket down at his feet and undoes the bolt . The door doesn’t seem to want to move, as if it’s rusted, so he throws his entire weight into pulling it open . As soon as the door cracks open, a gust of hot, foul air rolls out, and I instinctively clap my hands over my nose . Gil, making the same face, pinches his nose shut . Even though I’m used to the stink of the city, this stench is more than I can handle . The door swings wide and I can clearly see what lies beyond . A number of completely naked children lie on filthy piles of straw that stink of stale s.h.i.+t and p.i.s.s, staring blankly at the ceiling with lifeless eyes . The room appears to be completely closed in, so even though the noonday sun is s.h.i.+ning brightly outside the interior of the room is dark and gloomy . “...Blessings of the G.o.ds?” Perhaps drawn by the smell of the bread, a small, skeletal child, her skin smeared with something black starts crawling towards us, a desperate gleam in her eyes as she calls out to us in a raspy voice . I’ve only ever seen anything like this in magazines or on TV, in pictures of emaciated children fleeing Africa . As I watch this child creep towards me along the ground, the first thing that crosses my mind isn’t pity, but fear . I freeze on the spot, unable to say a word, teeth clattering in terror . “N... no...” I whimper . Gil snaps back to his senses when he hears me, frantically shutting the door and slamming the bolt closed . There’s pounding on the other side of the door, like something’s trying to break out, but there’s no force behind the blows . There’s no way the door is going to be broken down and let whatever is inside come pouring out . As soon as relief from having fled from my fear washes over me, images of the unthinkable scene I saw inside that orphanage crowd their way into my brain . My mind goes blank and my consciousness winks out as I faint on the spot . When I wake up, I’m in my own room . I move my hand experimentally, feeling that I’m lying on something hard, and realize that I’m not laying on a cotton-stuffed mattress like a n.o.ble would use, nor a straw-stuffed mattress like I have at home, but the plain, unadorned boards of the bed that I’d never bothered to do anything with . I turn my head, looking around, and see Gil in a chair at my bedside, sitting in a fetal position, making himself as small as he can . “...Gil?” I say . “You’re awake? ...Oh man . I’m so sorry . I...” He looks like he might be about to cry as he starts talking, but before he can get another word out, Delia’s voice rings out from behind him . “Ugh, seriously! You took Sister Maïne to the girls’ dormitory and of all things you took her to the back door?! You complete idiot!” “As if I did that on purpose! Did you know about what was in there?!” As soon as the words “what was in there” leave his mouth, images of what I saw in the orphanage flash through my head . The room, completely shut off from the outside world . The straw, soaked in human filth . The children, entirely skin and bones and completely naked . That is no environment to raise children . Even animal pens have better ventilation than that . As I remember, my whole body breaks out in gooseb.u.mps, and something sour starts to surge up from my stomach . I bolt upright, swallowing hard, forcing it back down . Fran, seeing me suddenly sit up and clap my hand desperately over my mouth, brushes the helpless Gil aside as he approaches . “I am deeply, unbearably sorry, Sister Maïne . I am truly regretful that you were shown such a disgraceful sight . Please, forget what you saw . ” The way Fran describes the orphanage as a “disgraceful sight” and tells me to forget all about it makes me deeply uncomfortable . I look over at Gil . “That was the orphanage?” I say . “That wasn’t like you described...” “After my baptism, I moved to the boys’ dormitory, so I don’t know anything about what the girls’ dormitory is like right now, except for the cafeteria... The place you saw is for the kids that haven’t been baptized yet, but it wasn’t like that when I was there . ” He hangs his head shamefully, mumbling out his answer . Delia glares at him, snorts, then starts to talk . “It’s because there aren’t as many blue-robed priests around, so there aren’t as many grey-robed priestesses left either . There isn’t anyone left to take care of the children, so the littlest ones die off fairly quickly . If they can make it to their baptismal ceremony, then they can live on the first floor, so they’re just waiting patiently for that day to come . ...That’s how it was a year ago, when I left, so right now it’s probably even worse . I don’t want to think about it . ” Gil is ten years old, so it seems like when he had his baptismal ceremony three years ago, things were much better than they are now . Delia has only just turned eight, and it sounds like around the time of her ceremony things were already horrible . Based on the grim information she reveals, it seems like since at least a year and a half ago there were fewer and fewer girls living in the dormitory, to the point where the orphans were almost completely neglected, only having food brought to them twice a day . “On the day of my baptismal ceremony, a gray-robed priestess came to get me . She said that I was too unsightly and dirty to be shown to the blue-robed priests . She scrubbed me until I was raw, and when she was done, she said that I was cute, and that I’d be beautiful when I grew up . Right after the ceremony, she took me to the temple master . There were three other girls who were brought with me . I got to become an apprentice attendant, but the other girls weren’t chosen, so they went back to the orphanage . ” Now that I understand why she’s so fixated on her looks and so strongly against the idea of returning to the orphanage, I feel even more depressed . “Sister Maïne,” says Gil, “please, help those kids . I’m begging you . ” “Be silent, Gil,” says Fran, sternly . “Sister, you must not get involved . ” Even just remembering the image of what I saw makes me feel terrible, so I don’t actually want to have anything to do with it, but I’m surprised that Fran, who grew up in the orphanage, would tell me not to get involved . “What?! Why?!” objects Gil, saying just what I was thinking . “It’s too dangerous,” says Fran, plainly . “Sister Maïne has shown a tendency to be particularly protective of things she finds important to her, such as when she turned her magic against the temple master in order to defend her family . If she were to develop deep ties to the orphanage and it were to become something important to her as well, then there is a strong possibility that she may stand in opposition to the blue-robed clergy in order to protect the orphans . It is my belief that reducing the number of situations where she may unconsciously release her mana, even if just by a small number, is a good thing . ” Gil has begged me to help, and Fran objected to the idea . For some reason, I turn to Delia, looking for her opinion . “...If you can help them, then I think you should . But I don’t want to have anything to do with it . I don’t want to have to remember . ” She looks pointedly away, her expression hard . Gil, hearing no sympathy for his desire to help the orphans, grimaces as if he’s been deeply wounded . Clenching his teeth, he looks at me with trembling eyes, then slowly lowers himself down on one knee before me . He crosses both hands before his chest, casting his eyes down . “Sister Maïne, I’m begging you, please, help those kids . ” His heartfelt plea makes my jaw tighten . There is some part of me that thinks that if I can do anything to help them, I should . If someone were to say that they wanted to do something concrete, and that thing were to be something that was reasonable for me to do, then I think I could help with that . However, if they were to tell me to keep doing it forever, or if they tell me to do something without giving me any suggestions or advice, then I’d be at a loss for what to do . In my Urano days, I did actually do some work helping with a fundraiser, but that kind of volunteer work was a compulsory part of my education . Outside of that, I had no interest in anything that didn’t involve reading books . And now, as Maïne, I’m weak and frail . People are always looking out for me and helping me with my daily life . If there’s something that I know that might be helpful, I could suggest it, but fundamentally everything that involves actual action has to be done by someone else . I can’t think of anything that I can do myself . “Right now,” says Gil, “I’m really enjoying my work because you keep telling me I’m doing a good job, and I’m happy that if I work really hard, my wages go up . The food here’s delicious, and I can eat as much as I want, and I have my own room that’s big enough for me to stretch out when I sleep . But, those kids, they...” “I’m sorry, Gil,” I say . “There’s nothing much that I can do . I’m a blue-robed priestess that isn’t actually a n.o.ble, so I can’t just ignore what Fran is saying, either . ” Gil looks up at me, clearly hurt . All I am is an ordinary commoner who wanted to trade my mana and money for the right to read more books . I don’t know anything about anything right now, so as I am, I can’t just freely promise that I’ll take care of the orphans, and I really can’t take any responsibility to look after them forever . “But,” I continue, “I will at least try to ask the head priest about this . Since there’s a surplus of gray-robed priests, then perhaps he could a.s.sign some of them to take care of the orphans, or perhaps we could make a little more room in the budget for them, or...” I trail off . “I’ll ask him if there might be anything that can be done to improve the situation at orphanage . ” “Thank you,” he replies . The head priest is capable enough to be able to handle the entire temple’s daily affairs by himself . If I tell him about the current situation in there, then he should be able to do something about it, whether it’s allocating more funding or a.s.signing people to look after the youngest kids . Now that I have a plan to talk with him, I take a breath to calm myself . Fran frowns at me, his eyebrows knitting together . “Sister Maïne,” he says, “there is no need to involve yourself . ” “...I’m just going to ask the head priest about it . Might I ask you to arrange a time for me to speak with him, if possible?” If he refuses my request, then there’s nothing I can do . If he has a suggestion, then I could put it into action . But at the very least, what this would do is clear up my worries about whether or not I can actually do anything about this situation . Fran hesitates, and I ask him again, finally getting him to set a time for me to meet with the head priest . When the fifth bell rings, and the time arranged for my meeting comes, Fran and I head towards the head priest’s office . It seems that Fran had already told the head priest about what I wanted to ask about, because when I arrive, he looks me straight in the eyes and answers me immediately . “Your request is denied . There is no reason to improve the situation . ” “Huh?”

デリアが側仕えの仕事を始めて数日がたった。休息日と定められていて、母もトゥーリも休みになる土の日以外、毎日わたしは神殿に通っていた。 風呂、トイレや高価な衣装の洗濯などを初めとした、わたしの見回りの世話の掃除をデリアがする。最近はフランからお茶の入れ方を習っているようで、お茶の準備もデリアがするようになった。 わたしが、ルッツは冬の間に文字の練習をして、計算の練習をしたことを話したら、対抗心を燃やして、「オレもやる!」と言いだしたけれど、フランによると先に覚えなければならない事が山積みらしい。 ちなみに、フランは二人の仕事の確認を含めた、それ以外の仕事全部である。料理人にレシピを読み上げるのも、横領されたり、出来上がりを持ちだされたりしないように在庫の確認をするのもフランの仕事だ。 わたしと一緒に午前中は神官長の部屋に行って書類仕事をし、昼食の残りを孤児院に運んだ後は、料理人に午後からのメニューの説明と材料の確認をして、わたしと一緒に図書室に行く。わたしの体調管理も、ベンノが来る時の先触れなどに応対するのも、見習いの二人への教育も、貴族としての知識が全くないわたしへの教育も全てフランに任せている現状だ。 フランの過剰労働を心配して、「仕事量が多すぎるのではないかしら?」と聞いたところ、「夜中に突然呼びつけられることがないので、楽なものです」と言っていた。フランが優秀すぎる。フランへの感謝と信頼度と給料額はうなぎ登りで、わたしへのフォローにフランを付けてくれた神官長には足を向けて寝られないレベルで感謝している。 今日も本来ならばお休みの日だが、わたしは神殿に来ていた。二階の物置だと思っていた部屋に、最近の貴族の間で流行していると言われている大理石の風呂が取りつけられるので、お金を払わなければならないのだ。 正直言って、お湯を運ぶのも大変そうだし、わたしは家でトゥーリと洗いっこしているし、この部屋に風呂は特に必要がない。けれど、「盥で十分じゃ?」と言ったら、「もー! 何を言っているんですか!? 神殿長の側仕えだって、もっとまともなお風呂に入っています!」とデリアに怒られた。 取りつけられたばかりのお風呂をデリアが早速使いたがったので、「どうぞ」と言ったら、「主を差し置いて使えるわけがないでしょ! もー!」と怒られた。青色巫女のためなら水も薪も使えるが、灰色巫女は水しか使ってはならないらしい。 「じゃあ、準備してもらえるかな?」 厨房からお湯を運ばなくてはならないので、準備がすごく大変そうだが、いつもぷりぷり怒っているデリアが嬉々として動いていたので、まぁ、いいや、と好きにやらせることにした。 デリアはわたしをリンシャンで洗って、服を着せて、髪を拭って、うっとりとした顔で髪の艶を確認した後、「残り湯を使わせていただきますね」と言って、風呂に入ってしまった。多分、自分磨きに力を入れているのだと思う。 「マイン様、あまりデリアを信用しないようにお気を付けください。まだ神殿長と繋がっております」 デリアがお風呂を使っている間に、飲み物を持ってきてくれたフランが不快そうに眉を寄せた顔で、そんな忠告を寄こしてきた。深刻そうなフランの様子にわたしは、くすっと小さく笑う。 「知っています。神殿長の側仕えと話をした、とデリアが上機嫌で言っていましたから」 やっぱり可愛いあたしを切り捨てるわけないわよね、とデリアは誇らしそうに胸を張っていた。でも、神殿長のところに戻るわけではなく、生活の基盤はこちらに移すらしい。わたしからの情報をいっぱい得るため、そして、仕事が楽で待遇が良いから、というのが理由だ。 神殿長の部屋では灰色神官が二人と灰色巫女いるらしい。そして、側仕え見習いはデリアを含めて三人。神殿長の部屋では三人の見習いで、神殿長を含めの世話をしなければならない。 そのため、まだ愛人への道を諦めていないデリアは思う存分、自分磨きに精を出せるらしい。側仕えとして誰かに仕えるより、誰かを使う側になりたいと言っていた。方向性はともかく、努力家だとは思う。 「デリアが神殿長と通じていようが、真面目に仕事をしてくれれば、わたくしはそれでいいの。デリアに与える情報にだけ、気を付けてくれれば。......ただ、隠さなければならない情報が一体何か、わたくしにはよくわからないのだけれど」 フランが溜息を吐いて、家族やルッツについてはあまり話をしないように、と言った。わたしにとっての一番の弱みだから、と。 今日の昼食は、ふわふわロールパンと野菜とベーコンのコンソメスープと鳥のハーブ焼だ。ギルとデリアが交代で給仕をしていて、給仕以外の人はわたしと同じ時間帯で昼食を食べることになっている。 「では、マイン様。神の恵みを孤児院に運んでまいります」 「えぇ、お願いね」 外に準備されたワゴンにはまだ温かいスープとパンとハーブ焼の残りが乗せられている。重たいワゴンを押して孤児院に運ぶには、デリアもギルもまだ力が足りないので、総じてフランの仕事になっている。 「あれ? フランはもう行っちゃったのか?」 フランが行ってしまった後、ギルがいくつかパンの入った籠を持って、厨房から出てきた。ドアの外にワゴンがないのを見て、自分が持っている籠に視線を落とす。 「どうかしたの、ギル?」 「デリアが、こんなにたくさん食べられるわけないでしょ! もー! って言ったから、今なら間に合うかな、と思ったんだ。夕飯に残しても良いかと思ったけど、料理人が午後から別のパンを焼くって言ってたし......」 「今は神の恵みが少ないのでしょう? 持って行ってあげればいいんじゃないかしら?」 「そうする」 ギルがへへっと笑って、籠を抱え直した。ロールパンが4つでも、増えれば喜んでくれるはずだ。 「ねぇ、ギル。わたくしも一緒に行っていいかしら? 孤児院がどんなところか見たことがないもの」 「じゃあ、案内してやるよ。オレ、近道知ってるんだ。こっち」 ギルの先導でわたしは孤児院に向かった。 すでに洗礼式を終えて、見習い仕事をしているデリアやギルのような年の子供達なら、回廊や礼拝室の掃除をしていたり、井戸の近くで洗濯をしていたり、家畜小屋へ世話をしに行く姿を見るけれど、洗礼前の孤児達は見ていない。 「本当はさ、ここを出て回廊をぐるっと回って行くんだ。ワゴンじゃ階段は通れないだろ? でも、ホントはこっちの方が近いんだぜ。フランよりも先に着くかもな」 ギルは秘密を打ち明けるように、ちょっと得意そうにそう言いながら、門の方へと回って行く。近道が出来るのは、体力のないわたしにはちょうどいい。 建物をくるりと回って、礼拝室前の広くて大きな階段を下りていると、初夏の太陽で白い石の階段がさらに眩しく見えた。朝夕の涼しい時間帯しか外を歩くことがなかったけれど、昼の外はまるで夏の暑さだ。 「孤児院の食事は女子棟で食べるんだ。女子棟には洗礼前の子供と側仕えじゃない灰色巫女や見習いがいて、男は洗礼式が終わると男子棟に移る。神の恵みを平等に分けるには、チビを連れて女が移動するより、あちこちで仕事をしている男が女子棟に行く方が楽だろ?」 ギルから孤児院の話を聞きながら階段を下りて、女子棟に向かえば、階段の脇に孤児院の裏口が隠れるようにあった。閂が外側に付いていて、まるで、外からの侵入者を警戒しているわけではなく、中のものを出さないようにしているように見える。 「ここが開くなんて、ほとんどのヤツが知らないんだ。あっちからは壁の一部にしか見えないし、開けられることもないからな」 「どうしてギルは知っているの?」 「オレが小さい時に一回だけ、夜中に開いたことがあったんだ。誰かが手招きして、灰色巫女が一人、駆けだして行った。オレも出て行きたかったけど、すぐに戸は閉められて動かなくなったんだよ。あの時から、オレ、すごく外に行きたくて、誰かがオレの事も迎えに来てくれないかって思ってた」 懐かしそうに目を細めてそう言いながら、ギルがパンの籠を一度下に置いて閂を外す。そして、蝶番が錆びているのか、なかなか動かない扉に全体重をかけるようにして引っ張って開けた。 次の瞬間、むわっとした熱気と共に異臭が流れ出てきて、わたしは思わず鼻を押さえた。うぐっ、と呻いたギルも同じように鼻を押さえる。街の匂いに慣れていても耐えられない悪臭だった。 蒸れてすえた臭いがする糞尿まみれの藁の中、服を着ていない裸の幼児が何人も生気のない顔で寝転がっている。閉めきられた部屋のようで、部屋の中はよく晴れた初夏の昼間だと言うのに薄暗かった。 「......神の恵み?」 パンの匂いに気付いたのか、掠れた声と共に突然目をギラギラに光らせて、黒いものがこびりついた幼児がこちらに向かって這い出てくる。 写真や映像でしか見たことがない、飢えたアフリカ難民の子供達のようなガリガリの幼児がずりずりと近付いてくる姿に、可哀想と思うより先にぞっとした。何とも言えない恐怖を感じて、その場を動けず、ガチガチと歯が鳴る。 「......い、や」 何とか出てこようとドン、ドンと扉を叩く音が響くけれど、あまり力が籠っていない叩き方だった。とても、扉を破って出てこられるような力はない。 恐怖から逃れた安堵に、孤児院とは思えない光景が脳裏に蘇った嫌悪感が混ざり合って、頭が真っ白になったと同時に意識が途切れたようで、わたしの身体はその場に崩れ落ちた。 下が硬いな、と思って手を少し動かせば、貴族らしい綿を詰め込んだ布団も、家で使用している藁を詰め込んだ布団もない、板張りのまま放置されている自分の部屋の寝台に寝かせられていることがわかった。 「......ギル?」 「気付いた?......よかった。ごめんなさい、オレ......」 今にも泣きそうな顔で覗きこんできたギルが何か言うより早く、デリアの声がギルの向こうから響いてきた。 「もー! マイン様を女子棟の、よりによって裏口に連れていくなんて、バカよ、バカ!」 「しょうがないだろ! あんなことになってるなんて知らなかったんだ!」 閉めきられた部屋、糞尿にまみれた藁、ガリガリで服も着ていない飢えた子供。あそこはどう考えても人を育てる環境ではない。風通しが良い分、家畜小屋の方がマシなくらいだ。 思い出すと同時に、全身に鳥肌が立って、身体の奥から酸っぱいものがせり上がってきた。飛び起きるようにして、その場で身体を起こすと嚥下して耐える。 「申し訳ございませんでした、マイン様。見苦しいものをお見せしてしまったこと、心よりお詫び申し上げます。どうぞ、お忘れください」 フランが孤児院の惨状を見苦しいものと言ったことに、忘れろと言ったことに違和感を覚えながら、わたしはギルに視線を向ける。 「あれが孤児院なの? ギルの話とずいぶん違うけれど」 「洗礼式が終わったら、オレは男子棟に移ったから、今の女子棟は食堂しか知らなくて......。マイン様が見たところは洗礼式前のヤツらがいるところなんだけど、オレがいた時はあんなじゃなかったんだ」 俯いて、力なくそう呟くギルをデリアが軽く睨んで、フン、と言った。 「青色神官がいなくなって、灰色巫女が減ったからよ。小さい子供達の面倒を見る人がいなくなった途端、小さい子がどんどん死んでいったわ。洗礼式を迎えれば、一階で生活できるから、洗礼式が来るのをじっと待ってた。......あたしが知っているのは一年前だから、今はもっとひどいんでしょうね。考えたくないわ」 ギルが10歳だから、ギルが洗礼式を迎えた三年前はもっとマシだったらしい。デリアは8歳になったばかりで、デリアが洗礼式の頃にはひどい状態だったらしい。デリアの重い口から聞きだした情報によると、一年半ほど前からどんどん世話をする女がいなくなって、一日に二回、食事が運ばれてくるだけで、放置された状態になっているようだ。 「洗礼式の日に連れだされて、青色神官の前に出るのに見苦しい、汚いって言う灰色巫女に全身を痛いくらいゴシゴシ洗われたわ。汚れを落とした途端、可愛いとか、美人になるとか言われて、洗礼式の後すぐに神殿長のところに連れていかれたの。一緒に連れていかれた子は三人いた。わたしは側仕え見習いになったけど、他の子は選ばれなかったから孤児院に戻ったのよ」 デリアの可愛さに対する執着と孤児院を頑なに忌避する理由がわかって、気が重くなった。 「マイン様、あいつらを助けてやって。頼むよ」 「止めなさい、ギル。係わり合いになってはいけません、マイン様」 ギルの頼みをフランが厳しい顔で切り捨てた。わたしだって、あの光景を思い出すだけで気持ちが悪くて、あまり進んで係わり合いになりたいとは思えないが、孤児院出身のフランに係わり合いになるなと言われるとは思わなかった。 「なんでだよ!?」 「マイン様は自分の内に置いたものは殊更大事にする傾向がございます。神殿長に魔力を向けてでも家族を守ろうとしたように。もし、マイン様が孤児院に深く係わり、孤児院を内側に置いてしまったら、孤児達を守るために青色神官と対立するかもしれません。無意識の魔力を放出する可能性は少しでも減らしておいた方がよろしいかと存じます」 ギルには助けてほしいと懇願され、フランには逆に反対されたわたしは、何となくデリアの意見も欲しくて視線を向ける。 「......助けられるなら、助ければいいと思います。けど、あたしは係わりたくないし、思い出したくない」 デリアは固い表情でそう言って、ふいっと顔を背ける。 孤児達を助けたいと思ってくれる仲間がいない事に、ギルが傷ついたように顔を歪めた。歯を食いしばって、揺れる目でわたしをじっと見つめながら、ギルはその場にゆっくりと片膝を立てて跪き、両手を胸の前で交差させて、目を伏せる。 「マイン様、お願いだから、あいつらの事を助けてやってください」 わたしの中にも助けられるものならば助けたいという思いはある。例えば、誰かにこうして欲しいと具体的に言われて、それが自分でできる範囲の事なら、手伝うくらいのことはできる。 ただ、それを継続してずっとやれ、とか、誰かの助言もなくやれ、と言われたら、途方にくれるしかないのだ。 麗乃時代は募金くらいならしたことがあっても、ボランティア活動なんて学校で強制される範囲しかしたことがないし、そもそも本を読む以外に興味を持つものがなかった。 「今オレは、マイン様が褒めてくれるから仕事をするのが楽しいし、頑張ったらお給料が増えるのも嬉しい。食べ物もうまくて、腹いっぱい食べられて、自分の部屋があって手足を伸ばして寝られる。なのに、あいつらは、あんな......」 「ごめんなさい、ギル。わたくしにできることはほとんどないわ。貴族ではない青色巫女だし、フランの言ったことも軽視できないと思うの」 傷ついた顔でギルが顔を上げた。 わたしはもともと本が読みたくて、魔力とお金を引き換えに、その権利を勝ち取っただけの平民だ。何もわからないまま、孤児達を助けるなんて安易には約束できないし、ずっと面倒を見るなんて責任は持てない。 「でも、せめて、神官長にお願いしてみます。灰色神官が余っているなら、世話してくれる人を付けてもらうとか、もうちょっと予算を回してもらうとか......。少しでも孤児院の状況が改善されるように神官長に頼んでみます」 「ありがとう、マイン様」 実務を一手に担っている神官長なら、現状を話してお願いすれば、予算を増やすなり、小さい子供達の面倒を見られる人を探すなり、何かしてくれるはずだ。 「マイン様、係わる必要はございません」 「......神官長に頼んでみるだけです。神官長とお話できるように、取り計らっていただけないかしら?」 神官長に頼んで駄目だと言われれば、わたしにできることはないし、こうすればいいと助言を受ければ、それを実行すればいい。少なくとも、自分にできることがあるのかないのか、わからないままで悩むよりはよほどマシな結果になるはずだ。 渋るフランに重ねてお願いして、わたしは神官長と話ができる時間を作ってもらうことにした。 5の鐘が鳴る頃に面会の許可が下りて、わたしはフランと二人で神官長の部屋へと向かう。フランから話を聞いていたらしい神官長はわたしの顔を見るなり、ハッキリと言った。 「君の要求は却下する。改善する理由がない」 「え?」

The gray-robed priests bow, then file one by one out of the room. Arnaud, meanwhile, has managed to produce a small cart from somewhere. He then fills a thick gla.s.s bowl with tea leaves, likely the head priest’s favorite. As the tea starts to steep, he turns towards me, pulling out gla.s.s jar after gla.s.s jar full of tea leaves, describing their variety, the region from which they came, and the season during which they picked. “Sister Maïne, which of these may I serve you?” ...Honestly, I have no idea. “That one seems quite excellent,” I reply, pointing at one that looks good enough. Next, however, comes the question of what milk I would like put in it. Again, he sets out a series of jars, asking me if I had any preference for the farm or the breed of cow. However, because of my social status, I must be the first to choose. I can’t just let Benno pick and then ask for what he’s having. Suddenly aware of how terrifying even drinking tea is for the n.o.bility, I glance over my shoulder at Fran and employ my new secret technique of pa.s.sing all my work onto him. “Fran, which milk do you think would best suit this tea?” “Let me see... I would recommend the milk from the three-year old Glauvache from Holger. It carries a gentle sweetness that would best complement the flavor of tiphgaft.” “Alright. Then, might I try the Glauvache from Holger?” The tea I’m drinking today is tiphgaft. I’m having it with the milk of a Glauvache from Holger. I have no idea when I’m going to need to know this, but I’m going to remember it. As I chant it to myself, wondering what mnemonic I’ll need to actually remember it, I can’t stop my head from tilting thoughtfully to one side. Arnaud, meanwhile, asks Benno what kind of tea he might like. As he does so, the last of the gray-robed priests finishes exiting the room. I carefully pick up the gla.s.s cup, careful not to make a sound, and take a sip. The mild flavor of this particular blend of tea fills my mouth, mingling with the gentle sweetness of the milk. Everything from the ingredients to the brewing must have been amazing. It’s almost entrancingly delicious. Arnaud, having finished serving everyone’s tea, wheels the cart away to tidy up. As soon as I realize he’s gone, he reappears, firmly closing the door to the room. I watch his crisp, vigorous movements, in awe at how he avoids wasting even a single step. He takes his place behind the head priest, who then begins to speak. “Benno, you were among the first to support Maïne, weren’t you? From my reports, I am told you have an excellent eye.” “I am flattered, sir.” “What does that discerning eye of yours tell you about Maïne? There are certain members of the clergy who view her as a dangerous person who lets her mana run rampant. What is your opinion, as someone who knows her well, of her character?” “Letting her mana run rampant...? Ah, that...” Benno glances at me, not even the faintest trace of a smile in his eyes. I’m pretty sure that if we were anywhere else, he’d be thundering “and you didn’t tell me, huh?!”. I meet his gaze evenly, lifting my cup to my mouth. “I am but a mere merchant,” he says. “As such, I don’t know much about the intricacies of magic. I can, however, describe the Maïne that I know.” I suddenly feel like I’m back in elementary school, sitting in on a parent-teacher conference. I force myself to sit quietly, but what I really want to do is run right out of the room, yelling “No, stop! Don’t say anything! Not in front of me!” “Madam Maïne is a genius, at least in terms of her faculty towards bringing new products into being. She is without equal in conceptualizing these products, but ultimately the boy who makes her ideas reality is an apprentice at my humble shop. Over the course of working on her inventions, she has shown only mild recognition of her own genius. Ultimately, I believe that she has a gentle, tolerant character, as do others at my shop.” I’m going to guess that “gentle and tolerant” is how he sanitizes “absent-minded, thoughtless, and oblivious” for a n.o.ble audience. I honestly never thought I’d hear Benno describe me that way. I guess that old adage holds true: it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. “Hold on,” says the head priest. “Putting aside ‘gentle’, what do you mean by 'tolerant’?” of that, since the head priest is getting reports on my behavior from Fran, he probably knows that I released my mana in order to drive off Gil while he was interrupting my reading time. So, from the head priest’s viewpoint, I am definitely the furthest thing from “tolerant”. He probably thinks I’m dangerous, liable to let my magic explode at the slightest provocation. “There are things which she refuses to surrender... those would be her family, her friends, and, also, books. As long as nothing threatens to affect those, Madam Maïne is tolerant to an astounding degree. She lacks a strong sense of vigilance, and when she is deceived, she largely does not learn from experience. An apprentice at my shop who knows her quite well would likely describe her less as tolerant, and more as indifferent.” When he says that, I hear Fran mutter “indifferent... I see,” from above me. I think back on my actions this morning, realizing that I really have no room to complain. The head priest hums thoughtfully, looking at me. He hums again. “Maïne, is there anything else? If you’ll let your mana run rampant over anything besides your family, your friends, or books, tell me.” “I cannot think of anything at this moment that I would find quite as precious to me,” I reply. “Very well,” he says, nodding, looking slightly relieved. After momentarily looking up towards the ceiling, mulling over Benno’s words, the head priest exchanges a look with Fran. “Ah,” says Fran. “If I may, Master Benno, might I ask you to share with Father Ferdinand whatever information you have on Maïne’s exceptional feebleness?” “Feebleness?” says the head priest, glancing at me. “Ahh, the reason why she requires someone to monitor her physical condition.” I notice Fran tremble slightly in agitation. It seems like he’s remembering how Benno had taken him to task back in the corridor. “Madam Maïne has an astonis.h.i.+ng lack of physical strength and stamina,” replies Benno. “If details such as her complexion, the amount she speaks, how quickly she walks, and how far she travels are not carefully monitored, then she runs the risk of suddenly collapsing, no matter how energetic she may appear. Afterwards, she is indisposed for several days as she recovers, often while feverish. As of now, I know none who are capable of monitoring her condition besides the apprentice of which I have been speaking.” “That apprentice is the boy named Lutz, I a.s.sume? ...Fran, do you think you can do it?” When the head priests asks his question, the eyes of everyone in the room turn to Fran. His eyes dart agitatedly around the room for a moment, then hangs his head ashamedly. “No, not yet... this is inexcusable.” When I glance back over my shoulder, seeing him towering above me, I notice that his fist is clenched so tight that his hand is trembling. I strongly sympathize with how awful he must be feeling, to not be able to meet the expectations of the man he looks up to so much. “Fran was a.s.signed to be my attendant merely this morning,” I say. “To ask him to be able to understand my condition so quickly is to ask him to be able to do the impossible. Even Lutz had to spend many months together with me before he was able to completely recognize the warning signs.” “It would be problematic if it takes him that long,” says the head priest, blasting through my carefully-crafted followup with a single retort. “It is likely that the knightly order will be convened in the fall. Fran, you will need to be able to monitor her condition by then. Understood?” The head priest looks seriously at Fran, who inhales slowly, then replies with a crisp nod. “...As you wish, Father. I shall definitely learn how to do so by autumn.” Judging by the way he was able to take charge in the entranceway, and by how expertly he was able to judge the tea, it’s obvious that Fran is a kid who can put in tremendous amounts of effort if it’s for the head priest’s sake. I think that since he just received a direct order, he will tackle the task of learning how to manage my condition with utmost seriousness. If nothing else, I’m just happy that going forward at least one of my attendants will be interested in trying to maintain my health. Benno glances over as I quietly sigh in relief, then looks back at the head priest with a worried expression on his face. “Father, Madam Maïne is terrifyingly intelligent for a child of her age. However, she has little experience in society, and knows nothing of the knowledge common in the temple. Worse, she has lived a life very distant from n.o.ble society.” “Ah, I’m aware. Please don’t be worried. That’s why I’ve a.s.signed Fran to her. He is one of the most excellent attendants on my staff. If she has any questions, he will be more than capable of answering them. Of course, I myself also intend to partic.i.p.ate in her education.” in his throat. When I instinctively glance over my shoulder at him, I see that his eyes are wide with disbelief as he stares at the head priest. Huh? Did he maybe think that him being rea.s.signed to be my attendant was a punishment for his lack of skill? If that’s the case, then does this mean that all I need to do to get him on my side is to say something like “let’s work together so that we can be useful to Father Ferdinand”? As I swallow another mouthful of tea, contemplating how I might win him over, they head priest glances back and forth between me and Benno, narrowing his eyes. “Incidentally, Benno. What does it mean when people say Maïne is your G.o.ddess of water? It seems that you care quite a lot for her, but are you really a man of such tastes?” Benno yelps, his cup falling from his fingers to crash hard onto its saucer. The head priest frowns concernedly, crossing one leg over the other as he watches Benno sink into obvious panic. “What kind of eyes do you look at Maïne with, I wonder? Please, tell me.” “What kind... you ask...? I, uh, myself, don’t really understand, why people around me, insist on saying that. Father.” It’s actually a little funny to see how fl.u.s.tered Benno is now despite usually being so composed, but I actually don’t understand what the head priest means when he’s talking about a “G.o.ddess of water”. Come to think of it, I do recall Otto saying something like that once and Benno getting angry about it. I tilt my head in confusion. “Um, I apologize for the interruption, but what might you mean when you are referring to a 'G.o.ddess of water’?” I look around the room for answers, but no matter who I look at, every single one of them refuses to meet my eyes. Everyone seems to be wis.h.i.+ng that I’d ask someone else. This is an extremely uncomfortably awkward situation. When I tilt my head again, a troubled frown on my face, Benno slips me another note. “Be quiet,” this one says. I decide to interpret it as him telling me not to speak so loudly, so I turn to Fran and quietly whisper to him. “...This is a matter of the G.o.ds, so it is related to the temple, is it not? Fran, would you kindly tell me what it means?” “Ah, um, uhh...” Fran turns desperately to the head priest, hoping for help. Benno sighs, clutching his head in his hands. The head priest, making a sour face, reluctantly answers. “The person in his thoughts. His sweetheart. The one who makes his heart beat. Those are the typical meanings people use that phrase for.” The person in his thoughts? His sweetheart? No way. Benno is a man of principle who has remained a bachelor ever since his actual sweetheart died. Even still, if you look at me and Benno, it’s just weird to think anything like that could be happening. “...Well, Father, such a thing is simply impossible. Master Benno is old enough that he could be my father, after all.” I can’t hold back my objection. Benno, too, immediately latches on to what I say, adding his strong denial as well. “It is exactly as Madam Maïne says. It’s simply impossible.” In j.a.pan, back in my Urano days, I definitely heard stories about celebrities marrying people much younger than they were, but I haven’t heard anything like that since becoming Maïne. After all, even if it’s a second marriage, if someone were to marry someone young enough to be their child, then that person would wind up needing a.s.sistance from their spouse’s children in a lot of things. Plus, since this is effectively increasing the number of dependents in a family, this would definitely breed discord with the breadwinner’s children. And, of course, the world isn’t kind enough for the younger spouse to be able to live on their own earnings. “I’ve heard of nothing of the sort, though. ...Ah, now that I think of it, perhaps such age differences are not uncommon here at the temple? One of my own attendants told me that she wishes to have such a relations.h.i.+p with the Reverend.” I’d tried to cover for Benno by implying that the head priest might be unaware of how us commoners live, but another strange silence falls around the room. Benno pa.s.ses me another note, this one saying “please, shut up.” As requested, I shut my mouth, but now n.o.body is saying anything, and the silence is only growing more and more oppressive. “......” “......” All we do is take frequent sips of our tea, exchanging questioning glances with each other. This is unpleasant. This is making me extremely uncomfortable. “...Father Ferdinand, I am aware that it is exceedingly impertinent for a servant such as myself to ask this, but may I be permitted to add a remark of my own?” The one to finally tear through this strange, heavy silence is Mark. The Mark. The head priest looks up in surprise, and when he turns to Mark, it’s plainly written on his face that he doesn’t care who does something about this situation as long as somebody does it. He quickly raises both his hands. “I’ll allow it. What is it?” “I will confess that I am saying this in part because I would like to protect Master Benno’s good name, but I wish to clarify that the common meaning of 'G.o.ddess of water’ does not quite apply in this case. I am sure you are already aware of this, Father, but the commodities that Madam Maïne has been so continuously creating has spurred Master Benno into starting new enterprises. She has been causing new projects to bloom within a company that previously only worked in clothing and accessories. It’s perhaps more accurate to describe Madam Maïne as being the G.o.ddess of water not just for Benno, but our entire humble establishment.” “Hmm, is that what that means? I understand, then. Now, lastly, about Maïne’s Workshop...” He didn’t look like he particularly understood the answer he was given for the question he’d been the one to bring up, but he doesn’t press the subject any further, instead deciding to change the topic of conversation. “Just how much of your proceeds are you willing to donate? We agreed to discuss your promise of the portion of your profits we will be receiving, I believe?” Benno nods, hand on his chin, making a show of pondering the topic. His long, trailing sleeve drapes over his lap, and tucked in it I can see a number of little pieces of paper that already have things written on them. Are... those...? I suddenly realize that the pieces of paper that Benno has been pa.s.sing me are the same notes that Mark had written during the cart ride here. My face stiffens with shock. M... Mister Mark?! Was it you that wrote “idiot” on that paper?! I thought you were a perfect gentleman! How could you come up with all of those mean words! I know he was just writing things down that Benno would want to say, but it’s still a ma.s.sive shock to realize that he’s was the one to write things like “idiot” and “shut up”. I really wish he didn’t give me the same rea.s.suring smile as always when he was writing all that, too. As I slump in my chair, Benno pa.s.ses me another little piece of paper. “Keep your mouth shut,” this one says. “...It will depend on the product being produced,” he says, out loud, to the head priest. “I am sure you are aware of this, but it is not possible to guarantee a fixed amount of money at a fixed interval. In addition, we are currently in the process of developing new products, and we are still in a state where we are not presently making any profit, as we are continuing to pour money into our initial investments.” “That may be so, but—” “Considering the money that we must spend on maintaining the workshop and developing new products, I believe we should be able to donate ten percent of our net profits to the temple.” Benno interrupts the head priest, immediately presenting him with the figure of ten percent. The head priest frowns at the number. “Ten percent seems rather small, doesn’t it?” “...I apologize for my impertinence, but ten percent is actually almost an excessive sum. There are costs involved with the distribution of the finished product, the acquisition of the raw materials, and the salaries of our workers, none of which we can decrease.” “But you—” “There are times when one must still sell one’s products even if margins are slim, but I cannot imagine that you would wish for Maïne’s workshop to be forced to operate at a deficit, would you?” The head priest remains silent. He probably doesn’t want to place that burden on us. After all, the temple itself is currently running in the red. Also, it would be difficult for him to actually object. The temple gets its labor from the orphans in the orphanages, and its income comes from the lord of the land and the families of the blue-robed priests. The income and expenditures of the temple are fundamentally different than those of a business. I think the head priest might not have any idea how a shop is organized or what wages might be paid. “Madam Maïne is certainly free to donate as much of her own share of the workshop’s proceeds to the temple as she wishes, but there is little of the workshop’s income that could be donated to the temple without impacting its ability to do business.” “...I see. Ten percent it is, then.” Benno seized control of the conversation by constantly pressing the head priest for answers, and quickly established the amount I’d be paying to the temple. Benno’s share, of course, is thirty percent, so I can’t help but admire how he was able to so calmly keep the temple’s share down to ten. As I marvel at this turn of events, Mark smoothly retrieves a piece of contract parchment, spreadingcontract parchment, spreading it out on the table. The instant terms were agreed on, he produces the contract. Mark’s role in this transaction is much more subdued than Benno’s, but he’s still amazing. He absolutely matches up to these attendants that have been trained to serve these blue-robed n.o.ble priests. Since the temple is an organization of n.o.bles, the contract spread out on the table is, of course, a magical contract. The contract is quickly filled out, stating that ten percent of Maïne’s Workshop’s net profits would be donated to the temple, that the representative of the temple is the head priest, that the workshop’s head is myself, and that my guardian, who will be tasked with delivering the financial reports to the temple, is Benno. We each in turn sign the contract and seal it with our blood. Blood again?! I really hate contract magic... “Maïne,” says the head priest, “what are you staring at? It’s your turn.” Even after all this time, I still can’t get used to the idea of taking a knife to my own finger. At the head priest’s urging, though, I reach out with a trembling hand to pick up the knife. As I do so, someone from behind me gently reaches out to take it instead. “Please avert your eyes, Sister Maïne,” says Fran. “Fran...” I clench my eyes shut, and a sharp p.r.i.c.k of pain shoots through my finger. When I cautiously open my eyes, a fat drop of blood is welling up on my fingertip. Fran holds the contract out for me, and when I press my finger against it the same golden flame as always ripples across it, burning it away into motes of light. “That is all I had to say today,” says the head priest. “This was a most fruitful use of my time. I thank you, Benno.” As the head priest and Benno exchange their pleasantries, Mark neatly tidies up the implements for the contract magic, Fran clears the teacups and utensils from the table, and Arnaud spreads out a carpet. “Now, let us offer our prayers and our grat.i.tude to the G.o.ds for their guidance in this meeting and in this contract.” He motions for Benno and I to come stand on the carpet. As we take our places, I look up at Benno and Mark, trying desperately to keep myself from laughing. So now Benno and Mark are going to do the Gl█co pose?! I need to see this! I really need to see this! But my sides will absolutely give out! My brain is already conjuring up the image of them lined up and posed perfectly. As I struggle valiantly to keep a straight face as that explosive image blasts through my brain, all of the strength suddenly leaves my body. “Hwah?!” An extremely unladylike noise emanates from my mouth. I fall with a thud to my knees, and after a moment, the weight of my head pulls my upper body down to the ground. “Sister Maïne?!” shrieks Fran from behind me. Everyone turns to look at me. The head priest lets out an amazed sigh, looking down at me as I lay there in a heap. “Maïne, get up, please. This is most unsightly.” The head priest didn’t need to tell me that. I’ve tried several times already to push myself back up, but I can’t move my arms. I can’t lift my head. ...What the h.e.l.l? “Umm, my body’s being weird. I can’t move anything right now. But I really don’t feel like I’m getting a fever. My hands and feet are actually feeling kind of cold. Mister Benno, what’s happening?” “Why would I know?!” he shouts. “Don’t ask me!” He stoops down to pick me up. I try to grab on to his clothes for support like I usually do, but I really can’t move my arms at all. They’re completely limp, hanging heavily from my shoulders. It’s like they’re not even my arms. “Father Ferdinand,” says Benno, “I cannot apologize enough for this disturbance. I beg your forgiveness, but I would be much obliged if we could cut our farewells short at this time.” Benno quickly takes his leave. Even after all that, I still don’t feel any of the signs that I have a fever coming on. I actually feel comparatively cool. In fact, despite the fact that it’s the start of summer, it feels like my body is quickly cooling off. Mark frantically finishes getting everything ready to leave, and Arnaud and Fran both step forward to open the door for Benno as he carries me out of the head priest’s room. Benno, however, walks a little too quickly and is forced to stop, clucking his tongue impatiently, as he waits for the door to finish being opened. Unlike when I usually collapse, I haven’t pa.s.sed out. My arms and legs just feel a little weird as they dangle limply. As my heavy head jostles about, only one regretful thought flashes through my mind. ...I didn’t get to see Benno and Mark do the Gl█co pose.

そして、おそらく神官長の好みに合わせているのだろう、厚みのあるガラスの器でお茶を入れ始めた。蒸らし始めると同時に、アルノーが顔を上げて、お茶の葉が入ったガラス瓶をいくつも取り出しながら、種類やら、産地やら、取れた季節やらを説明しつつ並べていく。 「マイン様、どのようなお飲み物がお好みでしょうか?」 ......正直、全くわかりません。 わたしがよくわからないまま、適当にそのうちの一つを指差して「これを頂きたいわ」と答えると、次はミルクについて、どこの農家が好みか、牛の種類の好みは、と質問が並べたてられた。 しかし、身分的にわたしが選ばなければ、先に進まないので、ベンノを参考に「同じもので」と済ませることもできない。 「フランはどんなミルクがこのお茶に一番良く合うと思って?」 「そうですね......。ホルガーのグラウヴァーシュ、3歳のものなら、ほのかな甘みがあって、ティーフガフトによく合うと思われます」 「そう。では、ホルガーのグラウヴァーシュで頂きたいわ」 今日飲むお茶はティーフガフト。ホルガーのグラウヴァーシュのミルクを入れる。いつまで覚えていられるかわからないけど、覚えた。何の呪文? と思うような音の羅列に首を傾げるしかない。 「どうぞ、マイン様」 音も立てないように丁寧な仕草で置かれたガラスのカップを手にとって、コクリと一口飲む。ブレンドされたお茶にまろやかなミルクが加わり、優しい甘みが口の中に広がっていく。素材も入れ方も良いのだろう。うっとりするほどおいしい。 全員のお茶を準備し終えたアルノーはワゴンを押して、どこかに片付けに行った。姿が見えなくなったかと思えば、すぐさま戻って来て、扉をピッチリと閉める。全く無駄のないきびきびとした動きに、ほぅ、と感嘆の息を吐く。 「ベンノ、君はマインを最初に引き立てた慧眼の持ち主であると報告を受けている」 「その目にマインはどのような人物だと映っている? 神殿において、マインは魔力を暴走させる危険人物という認識が神官の間にはある。そのため、マインがどのような人物なのか、付き合いの長い君から率直な意見が聞きたい」 「魔力の暴走......? ほぅ、そんなことが」 ベンノが全く笑っていない目で、ちらりとわたしを見た。ここでなかったら、「聞いてないぞ、くぉら!」と雷を落とされている目だ。すーっと視線をベンノとは反対の方へと向けて、カップを口に付ける。 「私はただの商人でございます。故に、魔力に関してはわかりかねますが、私が知っているマイン様についてなら、お話できます」 わたしの心境は、家庭訪問面談で保護者と担任が自分の話をしている時と同じような居心地の悪いものだった。一応、神妙な顔で座っているが、本当は「やめて! 余計なこと喋らないで! せめて、わたしのいない時にして!」と叫んで、この部屋から出ていきたい。 「マイン様は天才でございます。新しい商品を生み出すという一点においては。発想だけは他の追従を許しませんが、実際に品物を完成させるのは当店の見習いでございます。いくつもの商品を作りだしていながら、マイン様本人には天才の自覚が薄く、基本的にはおっとりとした寛容な性格だと当店では認識されております」 ぼんやりしているとか、考え無しとか、警戒心がないとか散々言われているわたしの性格も貴族向きに言い換えれば、おっとしりとした寛容な性格になるらしい。ベンノの口から出てきたとは思えない評価だ。物は言い様、とはこのことか。 「待ちなさい。おっとりはともかく、寛容だと?」 無理もないと思う。魔力を暴走させて、神殿長を失神させたことは多くの神官の間で有名だろうし、今日、フランが報告しているなら、読書の邪魔をしたギルに魔力をちょっとだけ放出したことも神官長は知っているはずだ。 「自分にとって譲れない大事なもの......家族や友人、それから、本。これらに手を出さない限り、マイン様は呆れるくらい寛容ですよ。警戒心も薄く、多少騙されても懲りません。寛容と言うよりは、無関心だとマインをよく知る当店の見習いは申しておりました」 ベンノの言葉に「無関心。なるほど」とフランの小さな呟きが頭上から降ってきた。午前中の自分の言動を思い返してみると、反論の余地など全くなかった。 うーむ、と唸りながら神官長がわたしを見て、もう一度同じように唸る。 「マイン、他にはないか? 家族、友人、本以外に魔力が暴走しそうな要素があれば述べなさい」 「わたくしにとって大事なものは、今のところ他には思い浮かびませんわ」 わたしがそう答えると、「ならば、よい」と少し安心したように神官長が頷いた。 ベンノが考えを巡らせるように少し視線を上に向けた後、フランと神官長を交互に見る。 「そうですね。あと、私からマイン様について、神官長にご報告しておかなければならないのは、類稀な虚弱さでございましょうか」 「虚弱さ? あぁ、体調管理する者が必要だと言っていたな」 神官長の視線がこちらを向いた瞬間、フランが少し動揺したように震えたのがわかった。さっき廊下でベンノに指摘されたことを思い出したのかもしれない。 「マイン様は驚くほど体力も腕力もございません。顔色、口数、歩くスピード、行動距離や内容をよく観察していなければ、元気そうにしていても突然意識を失って倒れます。そして、その後は数日間熱を出して寝込みます。今のところ、当店の見習い以上に体調管理できる者はおりません」 「その見習いはルッツという少年だな?......フランはできそうか?」 神官長の言葉に全員の視線がフランに集まる。動揺したように濃い茶色の瞳を少し泳がせた後、俯いて悔しそうな声を漏らした。 「いえ、私はまだ......。申し訳ありません」 少し振り返ると、ちょうどわたしの目の高さにあるフランの拳が小刻みに震えている。尊敬する神官長の期待に応えられていない自分が歯痒くて仕方ないという心情がビシビシと伝わってきた。 「フランは今朝、側仕えになったんですもの。いきなりは無理でしょう。ルッツも完全に見分けられるようになるには時間がかかりましたもの」 「秋にはまた騎士団からの召集があるかもしれない。それまでにマインの体調を管理できるようになれ。いいな、フラン?」 神官長にひたと見据えられたフランは、一度息を吸い込んだ後、しっかりと頷いた。 「......かしこまりました。秋までには必ず」 玄関口での采配やお茶の知識を見ればわかるように、フランは神官長のためならものすごい努力ができる子だ。神官長直々の御命令だし、わたしの体調管理に真剣に取り組んでくれると思う。何にせよ、側仕えが前向きに体調管理をする気になってくれたようでよかった。 安堵するわたしを見ながら、ベンノが心配そうに視線を伏せる。 「神官長、マイン様はこの年の子供にしては大変利発でございます。けれど、社会経験は乏しく、神殿の常識、ひいては、貴族社会には疎くていらっしゃいます」 「あぁ、知っている。だが、案ずるな。そのためにフランを付けてある。わたしの側仕えの中でも優秀だ。疑問点はフランに聞けば良い。もちろん、わたし自身もマインの教育には携わるつもりだ」 自分の背後に立っているフランが、ひゅっと息を呑んだのがわかった。思わず振り返ると信じられないと言わんばかりに目を見張って、神官長を見ていた。 あれ? もしかしたら、フランはわたしの側仕えに回されたの、自分に実力がないせいだって思ってたのかな? だったら、一緒に神官長の役に立てるように頑張ろうねって、言えば、案外簡単に味方になってもらえるかも? こくりとお茶を口に運びながら、フランの攻略方法を考えていると、神官長がわたしとベンノを見比べるようにして、目を細めた。 「とこで、ベンノ。君にとってマインが水の女神と言うのはどういう意味だ? 君はずいぶんとマインを大事にしているようだが、そういう趣味の人間か?」 ベンノが素っ頓狂な声を上げて、ガチャッと音を立てて、カップを取り落とした。わかりやすく動揺しているベンノを見て、疑いを深めたように神官長は息を吐き、足を組み直す。 「君が一体どのような目でマインを見ているのか、知っておきたい」 「......どのような、と申されましても......。私自身、何故周囲がそのように言うのか、理解できない有様でございます」 しどろもどろで弁解するベンノというのはとても珍しくて面白いが、神官長が口にした水の女神の意味がわからない。そういえば、前にオットーが似たような事を言っていてベンノが怒っていたなぁ、と思い出しながら、わたしは首を傾げた。 「あの、恐れ入りますが、水の女神ってどういう意味で使われていらっしゃるのでしょう?」 くるりとわたしが見回すと、目が合った途端に全員が目を逸らした。自分には聞くな、という空気が全員から出ている。ものすごく気まずい雰囲気だ。 困って首を傾げていると、ベンノから「静かにしろ」と書かれたメモが回ってきた。どうやら大きな声では聞いてはいけないことのようなので、小さい声でこっそりフランに聞いてみる。 「......神様のことだし、神殿に関係あることでしょう? フラン、教えてくださる?」 「あ、えーと、その......」 フランが助けを求めるように神官長に視線を向ける。ベンノが額を押さえて溜息を吐き、苦り切った顔で神官長が仕方なさそうに口を開いた。 「想い人、恋人、心を動かす者。一般的にはそのような意味で使われる」 想い人? 恋人? ない、ない。ベンノは死んだ恋人一筋の独身主義者だ。それでなくとも、わたしとベンノを見て、そんなことを考える方がおかしい。 「......まぁ、神官長。そのようなことはあり得ませんわ。ベンノ様とわたくしは親子ほど年が離れているんですよ?」 吹き出すのを堪えながら、わたしがそう言うとベンノもしっかり便乗して否定した。 「マイン様もおっしゃる通り、あり得ません」 麗乃時代の日本なら、芸能界でそんな話を聞いたことも多いけれど、マインとなってからは、聞いたことがない。 なぜならば、再婚するにしても、親子ほど年が離れれば、その人は子の世代に世話になっていることが多く、扶養家族を増やすような真似は稼ぎ頭の子供世代に嫌われる。そして、年下の方の結婚相手一人だけの稼ぎで生活していけるほど、世間は甘くない。 「わたくしは伺ったことがありませんけれど? ......あぁ、そういえば、親子ほど年の離れた関係も神殿では珍しくありませんものね? わたくしの側仕えの一人も、いつか神殿長と関係を持ちたいと願っているようですし」 ベンノから「頼む。黙れ」メモが回ってきた。メモ通りにわたしがお口にチャックすると、今度は誰も口を開く者がいなくなり、部屋の中に満ちるのは重い沈黙になった。 「............」 「............」 しきりにお茶を飲み、お互いを伺うような視線だけが行き来する。 「......神官長、従僕の身で大変不躾ではございますが、発言をお許し願えますでしょうか?」 誰も口を開けない妙な雰囲気を破った救い主はマルクだった。 バッと顔を上げて、マルクを見た神官長の顔には、誰でもいいからこの場を何とかしろ、とハッキリ書いてあった。諸手を上げる勢いで神官長が許可を出す。 「許す。何だ?」 「旦那様の名誉のために断言いたしますが、一般的な意味合いで使われる水の女神とは異なります。神官長もご存じのことでしょうが、マイン様が次々と作りだす商品から、旦那様は新しい事業を起こされています。長いこと服飾の商売のみを行ってきたギルベルタ商会に、次々と新しい事業の芽をもたらしてくださるマイン様は、旦那様にとってと言うよりは、当店にとって水の女神なのでございます」 「ふむ、そういう意味か。納得した。では、最後に、マイン工房のことだが......」 自分が持ち出した話題で、あまり納得できていないように見えたけれど、それ以上を追求することはなく、あっさりと神官長が話題を変えた。 「一体どれだけの利益を上げる? こちらは利益の一部を神殿にもたらすという約束で、存続を許したのだが?」 ベンノは、そうですね、と考える振りをしながら、膝の上に重ねられている長い袖の中で、すでに何か書かれている紙を小さく切っているのが見えた。 あれって、もしかして......? さっきからベンノがちょくちょく寄こしてくる紙片が、馬車の中でマルクが書いていた紙だと気付いて、わたしは頬を引きつらせた。 ちょ、マルクさん!? もしかして、「阿呆」ってマルクさんが書いたんですか!? 素敵紳士だと信じていたのに! 前もって準備しておく言葉があんなのばっかりなんて! ベンノの代筆で「阿呆」とか「黙れ」と書いていることはわかっていても、ショックが大きい。あんないつも通りの笑顔で書かないでほしい。 落ち込むわたしにまた小さな紙が回された。「口を開くな」と書かれている。 「......何を作るかによります。ご存じでしょうが、事業に関しては、利益が定期的に定量入ることなどありません。そして、現在、新しい事業の準備中でございますが、これは利益どころか、初期投資にお金がかかる有様でございます」 「それはそうだが......」 「工房の維持、新事業の開拓を考えますと、純利益の1割程度が妥当だと考えます」 神官長の言葉を遮るようにしてベンノが1割という数字を出すと、神官長は不快そうに眉を寄せた。 「1割とはずいぶんと少なくないか?」 「......失礼ながら、多すぎるくらいでございます。流通にかかる費用や材料費、職人への給料は減らすことなどできません」 「しかし......」 「利益を少し削ってでも売らなければならないことがあるのですが、マイン工房の事業が赤字の場合はご負担いただける......と言うわけではないのでしょう?」 神官長は押し黙った。負担などできるはずがない。神殿自体が赤字経営だと言っていたのだから。 そして、神官長には反論も難しいだろう。神殿は孤児院の孤児から灰色神官という労働力を得て、領主や青色神官の実家から収入を得ている。神殿の収入や支出は商売をしている店と全く違う種類のものだ。多分、神官長には店の仕組みも給料の仕組みも理解できないと思う。 「マイン様が報酬として受け取られる分を神殿に寄付するのは個人の自由でございますが、工房の利益から、となると、商売が立ち行かなくなるほどの金額を寄付することはできかねます」 「......わかった。1割だ」 ベンノ自身は手数料で3割を平然と持っていき、神殿の取り分は1割に抑えるベンノの手腕に、おぉ、と感心していると、さっとマルクが契約書を取り出して、テーブルに並べ始めた。 言質を取ったら、即契約。マルクの活躍はベンノに比べて一見地味だが、凄い。貴族である青色神官の側仕えにも負けていないと思う。 マイン工房の純利益の1割を神殿に納める旨を書き、神殿の代表として神官長、マイン工房の工房長であるわたし、そして、後見人として財務表を提出する義務を負ったベンノがサインして、血判を押していく。 また血~!? 契約魔術、嫌い。 「マイン、何をぼんやりしている? 君の番だ」 刃物を指先とはいえ、自分に向けるのが未だに慣れない。神官長に促され、わたしは震える手でナイフを握る。すると、横からそっと手が伸ばされ、誰かがナイフを取りあげた。 「目を瞑ってください、マイン様」 「フラン......」 ギュッと目を閉じて手を出すと、指先にチクリとした痛みが襲ってきた。目を開けるとぷっくりと血が盛り上がっている。 「わたしの疑問は以上だ。本日は実に有意義な時間を過ごせた。礼を言うぞ、ベンノ」 神官長とベンノが挨拶を交わす間に、マルクはさっさと契約魔術に使った道具を片付け、フランはテーブルの上の茶器を端にまとめ、アルノーはカーペットを準備し始めた。 「では、神の導きによる出会いと契約に祈りと感謝を」 そう言いながら、神官長がベンノとわたしをカーペットの方へと招いた。全員でぞろぞろとカーペットの方へと移動しながら、わたしはベンノとマルクを見上げて、笑うのを必死に堪えていた。 これは、もしや、ベンノさんとマルクさんのグ○コ!? 見たい! マジ見たい! けど、絶対に腹筋崩壊する! 脳内ですでに繰り広げられていの揃ったグ○コの破壊力に口を押さえていると、いきなり身体から力抜けていった。 「へわっ!?」 お嬢様らしからぬ声が口をついて出る。わたしはガクンと膝が折れるように崩れ落ち、そのまま頭の重みで前に上半身が投げ出された。 「マイン様!?」 べしゃりと崩れているわたしを見て、神官長は呆れたように溜息を吐いた。 「マイン、早く立ちなさい。みっともない」 神官長に言われるまでもなく、わたしは何度も立ち上がろうとしていたが、全く手が動かない。頭が持ち上がらない。 ......何これ? 「あの、身体が変。全然力が入らないんです。でも、熱が上がってくる気配もなくて、手足は逆に冷たいくらい。......ベンノさん、これ、何でしょう?」 「知るか! 俺に聞くな!」 怒鳴るベンノに抱き上げられたので、いつものように服をつかもうとしたけれど、腕が全く動かない。だらんと肩から下がる腕が重たくて、まるで自分のものではないようだ。 「神官長、御前を騒がせたこと、幾重にもお詫び申し上げます。退出の挨拶を省略させていただき、帰途につきたく存じます」 その間もいつものように熱が上がってくるような気配が全くなかった。まだ比較的涼しいとはいえ、夏の初めなのに、どちらかというと身体がどんどん冷えていくような感じだ。 慌ただしくマルクが帰宅準備を終え、アルノーとフランがわたしを抱いて大股で歩くベンノのために扉を開ける。けれど、ベンノが少し速く歩きすぎているのか、扉が開いておらず、足を止めることになったベンノが軽く舌打ちする。 いつも倒れると時とは違い、意識が途切れることもなく、ぶらんぶらん揺れる手足の感覚がおかしいたけだ。ガクンとなっている頭の重さを感じながら、わたしは一つだけ残念に思った。 ......ベンノさんとマルクさんのグ○コ、見損ねたなぁ。

“Master Maine, Ella has offered to stay during the winter if there is room.” As a result of Fran's efforts, Ella would cook for us during the snowing winter months, and some of the children from the orphanage would be chosen as a.s.sistants. “Rosina, Wilma has been making soup for the orphanage. Ask her who is fit to be Ella's a.s.sistant. Also, Fran, Lutz has gone to the Gilberta Company, so please take me there.” “As you wish.” Rosina and Fran answered in unison. Behind me, Delia looked distraught, as if she had been waiting for us to finish our discussion. Seeing that our discussion was finally over, she began to fire off questions as she helped me change my clothes. “Master Maine, where shall we shop? Will you buy my share? Shall I help you choose? How many will you buy?” “Delia, you're too excited to sleep tonight.” Under her questioning, I could only smile helplessly. Her watery blue eyes sparkled and said without hesitation: “How could I not be excited! This is going shopping!” “Delia, Fran is waiting. Concentrate on your work.” Only when Rosina reminded her did she come to her senses and rush through my dressing. “Then tomorrow let us go shopping for winter clothes. If Wilma doesn't want to go out, do not force her. Those who want to go meet at the third bell at the Gilberta Company.” I followed Delia down the stairs and told her about the next day. She happily opened the door and turned to me: “The third bell? As you wish, Master Maine. Take care, I look forward to your early return.” Fran and I laughed when we saw how excited Delia was. We walked out the door, discussing the winter items I had listed on my writing board. There was a chill in the evening streets, and I could hear the footsteps of winter. “Fran, tell Gil to bring five picture books to the Gilberta Company tomorrow.” “... at your command, but why?” I had said firmly, “I want these picture books as textbooks!” Fran knew about it, so he asked me with a wink. Fran oversaw everything in the Dean's Office, so I'd better tell him why. “Because I don't have money if I don't sell them.” “... what?” “The Head Priest asked me in such a relaxed tone to stay in the temple for the winter, but I never thought to prepare myself. I must place an order with Mr. Benno now, but I don't have enough time to make a second batch of picture books and sell them. The paper and pigment will also be used for subsequent picture books, so I can't sell them... I've run out of money. ” As if he didn't know how to respond to my honest confession, Fran stiffened. He looked exactly like the Head Priest when he was perplexed, I thought, looking up at him. Recovering himself, he shook his head. “Well, er... what happens if you don't have money? I don't quite understand what it's like to be without money, but I guess it means not being able to buy things... Right?” Having grown up in the orphanage and once served the Head Priest who was rich enough to bring as many as five books to the temple, Fran had never heard of “no money”. He said that he learned after serving me that sometimes not everything that people want can be obtained, and that money should be earned through work. If there was no money, even the master had to endure a poor life. “Stop worrying, Fran. I'll make new picture books to sell as soon as possible, I also have the confidence to rely on handiwork to make money. I'm just lack of money for the time being. You must not let others know the truth. Just say that Mr. Benno likes these picture books so much that he would like to buy them at any rate. It would be a pity if the others could not do their shopping with pleasure.” “... at your command.” By the time I had finished talking to Fran about my secret, the Gilberta Company was visible ahead. There was a figure in the doorway. The figure saw us and waved. It was Lutz. “Lutz, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.” “Let's go home.” “Thank you, Fran, it's getting dark earlier than before, so go straight back to the temple. Please help me with what I just told you.” When I said that, Fran nodded his head with a complex expression. He saluted me and walked off in the direction of the temple. Lutz and I set off for home, and on the way he told me about the outcome of his discussions with Benno. “My master has promised me to send someone to consult with the villagers. But it all depends on the leasing of the smokehouse.” “Well, if only we could make gelatin before the blue-robed priests come back...” “Can I make it...?” I muttered. Lutz shrugged, as if noncommittal. “This is not the time to think about gelatin, Maine. You should worry more about pork processing. We're all new to this. It's still some time before the Company begin preparing for winter, so even if we go to the villages for help, it's almost impossible to find anyone with experience. Although my master said to send the butcher to help, it will be a mess if most people are inexperienced.” We had expected to make winter preparations with the Gilberta Company, but now the preparations for the orphanage had to start earlier, so we went our separate ways. As a result, we had few experienced helpers. Most of us had never been involved in pork processing, so we didn't have a clue. I was the best example to prove that an inexperienced person was of no use at all. “I'll ask Dad and Turi about it, but it's hard to say when we're not going to start yet.” My mother was having a hard time being pregnant, and I couldn't let her do the heavy work, but I was hoping that my father and Turi could help. It was just that the date hadn't been decided yet and it was hard to ask them. “Well, yeah... and are you sure you'd be all right? Your father would be mad if he knew you'd have to live in the temple for the winter.” That was right. After dinner today, I would have a long-lost family meeting. Although I had to convince my family, I could imagine their faces, so my stomach was aching before I could see them. “But it is your job to render the magic. I think it would be better for you to stay in the temple. To be honest, the temple rooms are definitely warmer than your own, and you would not catch cold easily there. Besides, Fran knows your condition well.” “Thank you, Lutz. I'll quote that to my family, because they believe you more than I do.” “Cheer up!” Lutz encouraged me. After saying goodbye to him at Well Square, I walked slowly up the stairs to my house. “What do you want to discuss, Maine?” As I had imagined, the faces of my family suddenly changed when I said, “I have something to discuss with you.” I had little life left, I was about to enter the temple, I had an invitation to the temple... In retrospect, everything I had wanted to discuss so far was unnerving, and no wonder they were braced for it. “Well, actually... today, the Head Priest told me that there was an important ceremony to be held in winter, and he was afraid that I would not be able to go to the temple because of the storm, so he asked me to stay at the temple all winter...” “What?! Didn't we say that Maine was going to stay at home?” Just as I thought, father slapped the table and shouted excitedly. Not only did Turi and mother not stop him, they even nodded in agreement. “That's true, but the Dedication is important. It's a ceremony to infuse magic into the sacred tools. If the magic isn't enough, the next year's harvest will be affected. A bad harvest will worry a lot of people, won't it?” “Huh? Is the temple responsible for doing that?” Turi asked in surprise, and I nodded. Before I became a trainee priestess, I also had no idea what ceremonies would be held at the temple. The people in the temple hardly came to the commoners' quarter, and the commoners could saw the priests and priestesses only when they went to the temple for baptism and coming-of-age ceremonies. Moreover, the work of the temple would not be introduced to them, so the commoners did not think much of the temple. “Your health is more important! What if something happened to you while you were alone in the temple?” “As Lutz has said, Fran knows my condition well. Besides, the Head Priest has promised that my family can visit me. That's the best he can do.” Father clenched his teeth. Although he understood the importance of the ceremony, and the concession of the Head Priest, his reluctance betrayed itself. For a moment, a wave of sadness came over me. Mother asked me. As if trying to calm herself down, she was gently stroking her belly. I had promised the Head Priest and asked many people to help me prepare for the winter. So, there was only one answer. “... I will live in the temple. Because it is my job to partic.i.p.ate in ceremonies.” “Maine!” Father gave a loud roar, but I just shook my head at him. “Dad, I am also the head of the orphanage. I have the responsibility to look after orphans. Moreover, I was able to enter the temple because my magic was needed. Thanks to the sanctuary of the temple, I put on the blue robe and got rid of the hard physical work.” Father bit his lip, as if to swallow the words that came to his lips. “The Head Priest has given me the best possible conditions, so I must be present at such a ceremony which requires magic. And I have seldom fallen ill from the eclipse, since I have begun to render my magic. Being in ceremonies is actually good for me.” Without the magic tools, I would have died. I had lived until now because I could render my magic to the sacred tools in the temple. ‘What if you were ill?” “I have a bed and attendants in my room, and I won't be left alone at the temple. But I need Turi to instruct my attendants on how to take care of me when I get a fever.” “That bed looked soft, I love it...” “Muttered Turi, who had been to the Dean's Office. “I'll do it. Since they'll be taking care of Maine during the winter, I must go and say h.e.l.lo...” Mother spoke. “Mom, don't force yourself.” “It doesn't matter. Pregnancy is not illness, and my morning sickness is not so bad now.” It seemed that she had made up her mind that when she was better she would come and see my room in the temple and say h.e.l.lo to my attendants. I had decided to live in the temple, and my mother was on my side. After all, it was impossible to overturn the decision of the exalted temple. Father scratched his head and finally gave up. “... can the family visit you?” “Of course, I will be lonely, so do visit me.” “I have not only to be a sewing teacher, but also to learn to read, so I'll often go to the orphanage in the winter. I'll drop in on Maine then.” Turi talked happily about what she expected to do when she went to the orphanage. At this, father turned a heavy face and stared at me. “Why did you only ask your sister for help? You can count on Daddy more.” Father was visibly upset when he found that his daughter did not count on him, so I quickly thought of some suitable jobs for him. “Er... Dad, could you go to the orphanage and teach the children carpentry? It would be too hard for Lutz to teach alone.” “Sure, leave it to Daddy. Anything else?” Although he was not a carpenter by trade, my father was very skillful with his hands, so it would be most suitable for him to be a carpentry teacher. As expected, he agreed with a smile. Since I could count on him and he was willing to help, I wanted to ask him a lot of things. “There's more, there's more. Although the date hasn't been decided yet, I want Dad to help the orphanage process the pork. There's no one in the orphanage who's experienced in this, but we have to do it because the pork is our winter food.” “I must help you in this matter. When you set a date, I'll make time for you.” “By the way, I would like to know what I need for the winter. I had a fever every time you were preparing for the winter, so I never know what you have done. In fact, I have no idea what I lack in my room in the temple...” So my family began to talk about things to prepare and pay attention to during the winter. Most of what they said was nagging about my health, but I could only write them down while listening.

「さもありなん」 自分の部屋に戻りながら、わたしが内心のたうっていると、心配そうに少し眉尻を下げたロジーナが顔を覗きこんできた。 弾んだ声を上げたのはデリアだ。買い物、新しい服にはとても興味があるらしい。ロジーナはデリアとは反対に、少し浮かない顔になる。きっと出かけるより留守番をしてフェシュピールを弾きたいと思っているに違いない。ロジーナが静かに頭を振った。 「マイン様、料理人に伺ってまいりました。エラは部屋があるならば、住み込んでも良いそうです」 フランを通じた交渉で、雪に閉ざされている間はエラが主導となって食事を作り、孤児院の子供の中から料理に興味がある子を助手として付けることになった。 「ロジーナ、誰が助手に相応しいか、孤児院でスープ作りをしているヴィルマに聞いておいてくださいね。それから、フラン。ルッツは先に店へ戻りました。わたくしを店まで送ってくださる?」 「それで、マイン様。どこにお買い物に行きますの? あたしの冬服も買ってくださいますの? マイン様の冬服を選びますの? どのくらい買いますの?」 「......デリアは興奮しすぎですわよ。今夜は寝られないかもしれませんね」 デリアの勢いに押されていたわたしが思わず苦笑すると、デリアは瞳をキラキラに輝かせたまま、断言した。 「もー! 興奮くらいしても当然ではありませんか! お買い物ですのよ!」 「デリア、早くマイン様のお召し替えを終わらせなければ、フランが下で待っていますわ」 「では、明日ね。冬物の服を買いに行きましょう。ヴィルマが嫌がれば、ヴィルマ以外の側仕えで、3の鐘にギルベルタ商会に来てほしいのだけれど」 先導するデリアについて階段を下りながら明日の予定を口にすると、デリアは満面の笑顔でドアを開けて振り返った。 「3の鐘ですわね? かしこまりました。では、いってらっしゃいませ、マイン様。お早いお帰りをお待ちしております」 デリアの興奮っぷりにフランと二人で笑い、書字板に書き込んだ内容をフランと話し合いながら、ひんやりとした肌寒さを感じる夕暮れの街をフランと歩く。 「フラン、ギルに言って、工房にある子供用聖典を5冊。明日、ギルベルタ商会に持ってくるように言ってくれないかしら?」 「......それは構いませんが、何故でございましょう?」 わたしが教科書にするのだ、と息巻いていたことを知っているフランが目を瞬きながら、首を傾げる。部屋の全てを取り仕切っているフランには言っておいた方が良いだろう。 「売らなきゃお金がないの」 「......は?」 「神官長は簡単に冬支度をしろ、と言ってくれたけれど、わたくしの分の冬支度なんて、完全に想定外だったのよ。ベンノ様には早く注文しなければいけないのだけれど、絵本の第二弾を作るには日数が足りないし、紙もインクもこれから絵本を作ることを考えたら売れないし......切実な状況なんです」 わたしのぶっちゃけ話にフランが軽く目を見張った。どうすればいいのかわからないと言うように固まり、小さく口を開け閉めする。混乱した時の仕草が、神官長の処理落ちと似ているなぁ、と思いながら見上げていると、フランはふるりと頭を振った。 「あ、あの、マイン様。大丈夫なのですか? その、お金がなくて。......私はお金がないという状況がどういうものなのか、よく理解できていないのですが、買い物ができない状況になる......のですよね?」 孤児院育ちで、本を5冊も神殿に持ちこめるような金持ち貴族の神官長に仕えていたフランは、金欠病にかかったことがないらしい。 「大丈夫よ、フラン。落ち着いて。なるべく早くシンデレラを作って売るし、冬の手仕事で取り返せる自信はあるから。ただ、今の手持ちが心許ないだけ。デリアはあれだけ喜んでいるんだもの。他の子には金欠については知らせないで、絵本が良い出来だったからどうしても売ってほしいとベンノ様が言ったという風に適当に誤魔化してちょうだい。お買い物が楽しめなかったら可哀想でしょ?」 「......かしこまりました」 フランとの内緒話を終える頃、ギルベルタ商会が見えてきた。店の前には人影が見える。こちらを見つけて、手を振る人影はルッツだった。 「お待たせ、ルッツ」 「じゃあ、帰るか」 「フラン、ありがとう。少し日が傾くのが早くなってきたから、フランはこのまま神殿へ戻ってちょうだい。明日はよろしくね」 わたしの言葉に複雑な笑みを浮かべて頷いたフランは、両手を胸の前で交差させて、軽く腰を折って一礼すると、くるりと踵を返した。 わたしはルッツからベンノとの話し合いの結果を聞きながら、一緒に家へ帰る。 「旦那様から、一応農村と交渉はしてやる、って言葉はもらえたぞ。やっぱり燻製小屋の予定次第だってさ」 「そっか。青色神官が戻ってくるまでに 大丈夫かなぁ、とわたしが溜息を吐くと、ルッツは呆れたように肩を竦めた。 「マイン、膠より豚肉加工ができるかどうかを心配しろよ。孤児院の連中、初めてのヤツばかりだろ? 店の冬支度はもっと先でするから、今回、豚肉加工できるようになっても、手伝える経験者がほとんどいないんだぜ? 旦那様は肉屋から派遣を頼むとは言ってくれたけど、もうちょっと経験者がいないときついぞ?」 本来ならギルベルタ商会の冬支度と合同でやる予定だったが、こちらの予定を大幅に早めるのだから、それぞれで冬支度をすることになる。そうなれば、経験者の数がぐっと減る。何をすればいいのかわかっていない、おそらく、豚を 「......一応父さんとトゥーリに頼んでみるつもりだけど、まだいつになるかわからないもん。頼みようがないよ」 母は妊娠して大変そうなので除外しているが、できれば、父とトゥーリには手伝ってもらいたいと思っている。しかし、日が決まっていないのに、話を持ちかけることはできない。 「冬の間、神殿に籠るなんて、ギュンターおじさん、怒るんじゃねぇ?」 そう、今日の食後は久し振りの家族会議だ。家族が心配して怒ることは目に見えているので、今から胃がキリキリする。 「でも、奉納はマインの仕事だからな。オレもマインは神殿から出ない方が良いと思う。言っちゃなんだけど、家より神殿のお前の部屋の方が絶対に温かくて、風邪引きにくいと思うし、フランは結構お前の体調のこと、わかるようになってきたからな」 「ありがと、ルッツ。ルッツの言葉も交渉材料にさせてもらうよ。......わたしの言葉より、ウチの家族には信用あるんだもん」 頑張れよ、と激励してくれたルッツと井戸の広場で別れて、わたしはのそのそと階段を上がっていった。 食事が終わった後、わたしが「話があるんだけれど」と切り出した途端、家族の顔色が一斉に変わった。命の期限、神殿入り、神殿からの招待状......よく考えなくても、わたしの話は心臓に悪いものばかりだ。警戒されるのも無理はない。 「えーと、その、実は......今日、神官長に言われたの。冬の間は大事な儀式があるから、吹雪で来られないようなことになると困るって。雪が降り始めたら、神殿に籠るようにって」 「どういうことだ!? マインは通いだと言ったはずだ!」 案の定、父がテーブルを叩いて激昂した。トゥーリと母も揃って頷く。 「うん、それはそうなんだけど、冬の奉納の儀式は大事なんだよ。神具に魔力込める儀式で、ここできちんと魔力が溜まっていないと、次の年の収穫量に影響するんだって。作物が育たなくなったら、大勢の人が困るよね?」 「神殿って、そんなことをしてたの?」 驚きに満ちたトゥーリの言葉にわたしはゆっくりと頷いた。神殿が行っている神事なんて、巫女見習いになるまで全く知らなかった。神殿関係者は基本的に下町には下りて来ないので、洗礼式や成人式、お祭りなどでなければ、見ることもない。神殿の仕事内容が語られることもないので、街の中で神殿の評価はそれほど高くない。 「確かに、それも大事かもしれんが、お前の体調の方が大事だ。マインを一人で神殿に籠らせるなんて、俺は嫌だ。いつ死ぬか、わからん」 「フランはわたしの体調が見られるようになってきてるって、ルッツが言っていたよ。それに、家族が様子を見に来るのはいいんだって。それが最大の譲歩だって、神官長は言ってた」 父がギリッと奥歯を噛みしめる。神事の大切さも神官長の譲歩もわかるけれど、許可したくないという心情が痛いほどによくわかる。 「マインはどうしたいと思ってるの?」 母がゆっくりと自分を落ち着かせるようにお腹を撫でながら、そう尋ねてきた。 「......神殿に籠る。それがわたしの仕事だから」 「マイン!」 父の怒声にわたしはゆっくりと首を振った。 「父さん、わたし、孤児院の院長だから、孤児院の面倒も見なくちゃいけないの。それに、わたしが神殿に入ることを許されたのは魔力が必要だったからだよ? だから、青の衣を許可されているし、辛い肉体労働はせずに済んでる」 ぐっと父が言葉に詰まって、固く拳を握りしめた。言いたい言葉を呑みこんで、きつく目を閉じる。 「神官長はできるだけ、こっちの意見を入れてくれて、守ってくれた。それなら、わたしは魔力が必要な儀式にはきちんと出なきゃいけないの。魔力を奉納することで、確実に寿命は延びてるし、身食いの熱で倒れることはほとんどなくなったでしょ? 奉納するのはわたしのためでもあるんだよ?」 魔術具がなければ、そろそろ死んでいる頃だ。神殿で神具に魔力を奉納することで、わたしは生きながらえている。 「マイン、体調を崩したらどうするの?」 「一応部屋にはベッドもあるし、側仕えもいるし、放置されることはないよ。熱で倒れた時の対処をトゥーリから側仕えに教えてほしいとは思うけど」 部屋に入ったことがあるトゥーリが「あそこのベッド、ふかふかそうでいいよね」と呟いた。 「じゃあ、母さんが教えに行くわ。マインが冬の間中、世話をかけるなら挨拶しておかなきゃ......」 「母さんは今動けないでしょ? 絶対に無理だけはしないでね」 「動けるわよ。妊娠は病気じゃないんだから。 母はそう言って、もう少し体調が良くなったら、神殿の部屋の様子を見て側仕えに挨拶すると決定してしまう。当人であるわたしが籠る気になっていて、母も籠ることを前提にフォローの態勢で動き始めてしまった。 「......家族が行くのは良いんだな?」 「うん、わたしが寂しいから会いに来て」 「わたしは裁縫教室の先生もするし、字を覚えるためにも冬の間はちょくちょく孤児院に行くつもりだから、マインの様子を見に行ってあげるよ」 トゥーリがニコニコ笑いながらそう言うと、父は反対にぶすっとした表情になって、わたしを睨んだ。 「どうしてマインはトゥーリばかりを頼りにするんだ? もうちょっと父さんにも頼れ」 頼られたい父のためにわたしは急いで仕事を探す。 「じゃあ、父さんは孤児院の冬の手仕事を教えるのを手伝ってくれる? 木の板を切ったり、溝を彫ったりするんだけど、ルッツ一人じゃ大変だから」 「よし、任せておけ。他には?」 本職ではないが、手先の器用な父に木工教室の先生をお願いしたら、ニヤッと笑って引き受けてくれた。頼っていいなら、手伝ってくれると言うなら、して欲しいことはたくさんある。 「それからね、まだはっきりと日が決まっていないんだけど、孤児院の豚肉加工も手伝ってほしいの。孤児院には経験者がいないし、この加工品がわたしの冬の食料になるから」 「それは大変だな。日が決まったら仕事を変わってもらうか、調整するか」 「あとね、冬支度に必要な物をきちんと教えてほしいの。わたし、熱出していて、家の冬支度も満足に知らないでしょ? ......部屋にどんな不足があるかも、わからなくて」 その後、家族がそれぞれ冬支度に必要な物や点検しておかなければならないことなどを口々に言い始めた。

Ascendance of a Bookworm “Maïne, what should we do today? The weather looks pretty bad.” The dull, heavy clouds that blanket the sky outside my window aren’t at all ideal for making paper. It might still be possible to go to the forest to forage, but if it suddenly starts pouring I’ll just wind up being a huge burden, so I should probably just stay home and watch the house. This spring, on days when we’ve been blessed with good weather, we worked on making paper to earn some money. When the weather wasn’t quite so good, we went with Mark, wandering around the city as we worked on getting the workshop ready. However, by now, the workshop is basically finished and all of the workers have been trained. The other day, they even successfully finished their trial run, so by now there’s not a whole lot left for me and Lutz to do. “Mister Benno said that our baptismal ceremony is next Fire Day, so I wanted to do our last round of paper making, but I guess we can’t help the weather being as bad as it is, huh...” “Kinda sucks about not being able to do another batch of paper, but man, I still can’t believe that I have so much money now, right?” Every time we went to deliver our paper, we each brought back one small silver coin with us for spending money, which we gave to our families. This meant that our food situation had gotten a little bit better, but our lifestyles ultimately hadn’t really changed all that much. The amount of money we have stored with the guild, however, is enormous, partly due to just how comparatively great the weather has been for paper making and partly due to the fact that tronbay paper sells for an enormously high cost. After our most recent sale the other day, I now have a little more than two large gold coins’ worth of money saved up, and Lutz isn’t very far behind at all. No matter how you think about it, this is not the kind of money pre-baptized children should have. Well, I guess that once we’re baptized, I won’t be earning any money for a little while, after all. I think to myself, going over the list of what we needed to do before the day of our baptismal ceremonies, then suddenly look up in shock. “Lutz, we need to go see Mister Benno today. I completely forgot!” “Oh, he isn’t, but our baptisms are next Fire Day, right? We need to make sure that you’ve got everything that you’ll need for your apprentices.h.i.+p already prepared. ...Your parents aren’t merchants, so they won’t have any tools prepared for you, you know?” “...Ah!” Since a child’s baptism marks the day they start working, it’s tradition for those children to be given the clothing and equipment they’ll need for their new apprentices.h.i.+ps. When a child follows in their parents’ footsteps, their parents pick out those tools to give to them as presents, as if to say, “do your best”. However, Lutz’s parents haven’t been able to prepare him anything. One reason is that Lutz’s father still objects to this course of action. Another is that since neither of his parents are merchants, neither of them know what tools he’ll actually need. Even worse, they don’t even know just how much money it would take to get someone prepared to be a merchant’s apprentice. Benno told us that clothing was necessary, and we’d placed an order, but I can’t believe that that could possibly be enough. When Tuuli, a seamstress’s apprentice, was baptized, our parents gave her not just a set of work clothes but also a kit full of sewing supplies. It’s highly likely that a merchant is going to need much more than just clothing. Luckily, we’ve saved up quite a lot of money, so we should be able to buy whatever we need to ourselves, and if we ask Benno or Mark, they’ll probably tell us what we need to know. “I really don’t know what else you’ll need besides clothes,” I say. “Since you’ll be doing a lot of studying as part of your new hire training, you’ll need your slate and your calculator, but there’s got to be more than just that, right?” “Right now, we can buy whatever we need. I’m really glad we saved up all that money, just like you said.” Even though Auntie Karla had become Lutz’s ally, there really wasn’t much of anything she could actually do to help her son become a merchant. She doesn’t have any connections to any merchants, and Lutz’s father still opposes his decision. All she was really able to do is scold his brothers for their bad behavior, but Lutz has told me that even just that has made his life a little easier. “When you become an apprentice, Mister Benno is basically going to be acting as your guardian, so I think it would be best for us to go ask him about it,” I say. I grab my usual tote bag and head out into the gloomy weather with Lutz, walking towards Benno’s shop. “Oh my, but I thought you weren’t going to have any more paper for us for another few days?” Mark, who has more-or-less figured our schedule out by now, looks a little surprised to see us approach. “We’re hoping to ask Mister Benno about something,” I say. “...Although, maybe we might be able to ask you?” I think I remember hearing that Mark was in charge of educating apprentices at this shop, at least. “What might you need?” “We’d like to know what kinds of things, such as tools, an apprentice might need. Lutz’s parents aren’t merchants, so they don’t know what kinds of work-related things to give to him at his baptism, so we need to prepare these ourselves...” “Ahh, I see,” he says, looking a little astonished. “I hadn’t thought of that.” He frowns slightly, tapping on his temples. “I know the ceremony is very soon,” I say, “but do we still have enough time? Since Mister Benno will be Lutz’s guardian, would it be best for us to discuss this with him?” “Hmm, you’re right. After you’ve finished your discussion with the master, shall we go purchase what you need?” As usual, we’re led into the inner room. There, we see a busy-looking Benno, sitting at a desk piled high with boards and papers, quickly scribbling something down. “Master Benno,” says Mark, “Lutz and Maïne have come to see you.” I gently push Lutz forward, urging him to ask on his own. “Master Benno, sir, I would like to ask you about the equipment I’ll need to prepare for my apprentices.h.i.+p,” he says. “The equipment you’ll need to prepare...?” Benno puts his pen down, perhaps having reached a good stopping point. He has a dubious expression on his face, like he isn’t quite sure what Lutz is asking, so I step in to explain further. “Ordinarily, we were thinking that his parents would prepare these things, but since neither of Lutz’s parents are merchants, they don’t actually know what he needs. So, what will Lutz be needing when he becomes an apprentice? Surely it’s more than just clothes, right?” “Ahh, that’s right. Go with Mark to buy your things. I got word that the clothes you ordered before are done, so go order a few changes of clothes when you go pick those up.” Lutz looks confused, slowly tilting his head to the side. “Changes of clothes?” “Obviously,” replies Benno. “There’s no way you’ll wear the same set of clothes to work day after day, will you? It’ll be a big problem if they get dirty or start stinking.” Since this is a shop that deals with the n.o.bility, appearance is extremely important. An employee would absolutely not be able to show themselves in torn or dirty clothing. Practically every employee of this shop is always dressed very tidily. “A change of clothes for every day, sir?” Lutz asks, frowning. “That’s right.” “...You kidding me?” In Tuuli’s case, and probably Lutz’s brothers’ cases as well, her work clothes get washed once a week. It’s work that our mother does on her day off, so the concept of changing clothes every day doesn’t even really exist. Since we don’t even have much in the way of ordinary clothing, we keep wearing the same set of clothing for as long as any freshly-laundered clothing is still drying. Also, when fabric gets washed, it gets damaged bit by bit, so there are many families that, with the exception of underwear, avoid was.h.i.+ng their clothes for as long as they can bear it. Unlike Benno, who has subordinates to do it for him, Lutz is on the bottom of his family’s hierarchy. It would probably be very hard for him to ask his mother to wash an entire week’s worth of changes of clothing. However, this is something that is definitely required for work. “If you can’t ask Auntie Karla,” I say, “what if you washed it yourself? You’ll have some free days when you’re an apprentice.” “Urgh...” “If you were a live-in apprentice, then you’d have to do it all by yourself anyway, you know.” I can understand his astonishment; this isn’t at all in line with what he’d thought was common sense. However, there’s nothing he can do now but swallow this new information about what society expects common sense to be. “I know how shocking it is to be hit with something that doesn’t fit your common sense, but you can’t really do anything else but accept it. This is something that you need to do to make sure that the customers don’t get uncomfortable. It’s just another way craftsmen and merchants are different.” Benno, as well, looks like he’s experiencing some culture shock. He blinks, slowly, muttering to himself. “Your lives really are fundamentally different, huh.” “So, please,” I say, “if you think something might be a little strange, please point it out. We really don’t know anything about it.” “Alright, I’ll keep an eye out. ...Mark, I’ll leave these two to you.” We wait briefly for Mark to reach a stopping point in his own work, then the three of us head to pick up our finished clothing. He carries me in his arms along the way there, but after an entire spring of being carried around while making arrangements for the new workshop, I’m fairly resigned to my fate. With a single glance at Mark, Lutz, and me, she immediately realizes what we’re here for, and she urges us towards rooms deeper in the shop. “Please, try these on.” The clothing that she presents me with is just a simple blouse and skirt, but since it’s cut to my exact measurements, it fits me perfectly. I’d be extremely excited just for clothing that isn’t patched together, but this is order made. I experimentally raise and lower my arms, squat down, and stand back up, checking for any problems with the fit, but it feels incredible. It fits amazingly, with no parts of it too tight or too baggy. “Amazing! This feels great to wear,” I say. “Oh, excellent!” she says. “Now, Mark said you’ll be wearing this today, so I’ll wrap up these clothes for you here.” It seems that Lutz had ordered two more sets of clothes in the same style and design while I was still trying on my clothes. When I leave the dressing room, Mark and Lutz, who had been talking with the shopkeeper, turn to look at me. “You look very cute wearing that,” says Mark. “A simple change of clothes has made you look like a child from a good family.” “Yeah, you look like a proper lady!” adds Lutz. Being praised by the two of them like that gets me even more excited. I pinch up the folds of my skirt. “Really?! I’m cute? Like a proper lady? With just some new clothes?” “When you’re standing still and not talking,” says Lutz. “Hmph,” I sulk. “...But, Lutz, your posture has gotten a lot better lately, too, so you’re looking like a proper gentleman!” Benno has been reminding Lutz to mind his personal appearance, so he’s been keeping himself as clean as he can, and occasionally was.h.i.+ng his hair with rinsham. His golden hair is glossy and sparkling. Also, he’s been paying more attention to his posture and movements, saying that he’s copying Mark because I keep talking about how excellent he looks. So, now that he’s in a proper set of clothes, he really does look gentlemanly. He doesn’t look out of place wearing them at all. “Now we will be able to actually enter the other establishments we need to go to,” says Mark. It’s not rare to be turned away at other stores for being improperly dressed. After Lutz and I use our guild cards to finish paying for our clothes, Mark leads the two of us, in our proper garments, towards the next shop. We arrive at a stationery shop, and Mark opens its wooden door, which has the mark of a pen drawn on it. The front of the store is dominated by a long counter, behind which stands a kindly-looking old man, polis.h.i.+ng something. Products are neatly lined up shelves along the wall, but since this store doesn’t sell many goods directly, these are largely just individual samples. This is a fairly typical sort of shop in this town. Small shops are primarily reception areas for their customers, with most of their actual goods in storehouses. It’s a necessary measure to protect against robbery, but it’s somewhat of a shame that you can’t easily compare products against each other. “Mister Mark! What can I get for you?” “Hm, let me see. We’ll need an ink pot, a pen, and parchment for a contract of employment. We already have a slate, slate pencil, and calculator, I believe? Then, if we add some number of writing boards, that should be it.” As I listen to Mark, I let out a small sigh. These are definitely not the kinds of things that Lutz’s parents would be able to afford. Lutz and I may be able to afford them now, but neither ink nor parchment are things that we could be able to so easily buy in our usual sphere of influence. “Oh, me too!” I say. “I’d like a pen and some ink, please.” Seizing the opportunity Lutz’s errands have afforded me, I also purchase a pen and an ink pot for myself. Being able to buy ink, which is such an expensive, un.o.btainable item, leaves me deeply emotional. The old shopkeeper places pen and ink on top of the counter for me. After we touch our guild cards to complete the transaction, I reach out and pick them up. “Woohoo! My own pen and ink!” My smile almost splits my face wide open as I twirl around, holding my new bottle of ink and my wooden pen. However, Lutz’s smile, unlike mine, is bitter. “All that money I saved is just going away bit by bit. ...Does being a merchant really cost this much?” In a small shop, they’d probably have the necessary tools already prepared. They also probably wouldn’t make their employees buy parchment for their own employment contracts, either. They’d usually use wooden boards for that, I think? “I don’t think it’s just being a merchant. I think it’s that Benno’s shop is so big. But, you should still have money left over, right?” “But, I mean, we spent so much of it, in just one day! That doesn’t really feel good. I don’t want to have to rely on my parents, so let’s try to make even more paper before our baptismal ceremony.” “We really don’t have much time left, so it’ll be good if it clears up soon, yeah.” We return to Benno’s shop and deliver him the news that we’ve finished our shopping. “From now on, wear those clothes whenever you come here,” he tells us, giving us the stamp of approval now that he can see us looking properly apprentice-like. “Hey, Lutz. Where are you going to store all this? The storehouse?” “That’s probably safest, huh...” The two of us start discussing how leaving the things we buy in the storehouse for safekeeping would be a bit of a pain, since we’d need to borrow the key in order to get into it. Benno, overhearing this, shrugs his shoulders. “There’s no real reason to keep any of that in the storehouse, why not just keep it in your own room?” “Umm,” I say, “Mister Benno. We don’t have our own rooms. I only have a wooden box to keep my things in, and I can only keep what I can fit in there.” Benno’s eyes widen when I point out this difference in our standards of living. When I saw Corinna’s house, I’d noticed that there were a lot of rooms. It seems that Benno, who was raised as the successor to a large shop, didn’t have any friends who didn’t have their own rooms, either. “I’ve got it worse then Maïne,” says Lutz. “Even if I put stuff in my box, someone will just arbitrarily rummage around in there and take it all out.” “What do you mean by that?” Benno’s eyes are filled with surprise. He squints down at us, uncomprehendingly, and I explain Lutz’s living situation a little more, “Lutz is the youngest of four brothers. So, his older brothers often just do whatever they like with his things. It’s really rough.” “So, the brothers are always stealing each others’ things?” “It’s okay if it’s the younger brother’s things, they say. A younger brother’s things are an older brother’s things. The older brother’s things are only the older brother’s things, though.” Benno rubs his temples as he listens to my description of Lutz’s home life. I’m sure he had no idea that our living situations could possibly have been this different. As a working man who has supported his family ever since his father died, Benno has probably never had to worry about his family stealing his things, nor has he ever had to worry about where to keep his things to begin with. His expression is one of sheer astonishment. “Lutz. How about you store your things upstairs? I’ll rent you one of the live-in apprentice rooms for cheap. If all of these things that you’ve finally put together disappear before your baptismal ceremonies, or if the things you need for work get stolen, that would be a big hindrance to your work here. That storehouse is too far away, too.” “...Thank you very much, sir.” Through Benno’s arrangement, Lutz manages to rent one of the rooms on the top floor of the building that are usually used by live-in apprentices, and use it as a better subst.i.tute for our storehouse. If he leaves the things that he’s purchased here and locks the door behind him, then he won’t have to worry about any other person going through any of his things. “So, when I come to the shop, can I come up here first to get changed?” I leave my things here too until we can finally go home. Benno had told us that, since we had some time, we were going to the merchant’s guild with him, so we won’t be able to head home immediately. “If I don’t teach you some things about how the guild works in advance, I can’t use you to run errands, after all.” Since the children of mercantile families constantly visit the guild to help out their parents, it seems like going there to help retrieve doc.u.ments is a fairly everyday sort of thing for them to be doing. So, one of the things that an apprentice at a shop can do from the very start is run errands at the guild. Even so, Lutz hasn’t been back to the guild ever since we went to deliver Freida’s hairpins, so of course he can’t run any errands there. He just hasn’t ever done so before. “Is there anything else...?” mutters Benno, trying to figure out what other things a merchant’s child would be expected to be able to do. He gathers up a few written applications and hands them to Lutz to bring to the merchant’s guild. I decide to tag along, mostly so that I can read the stacks of wooden tablets they keep on their bookshelves. “Whoa...” “Man, this is nuts.” The merchant’s guild building overlooks the central plaza. In front of it, many wagons are lined up in a long queue. I can see traders leaving their carts in the hands of their fellow pa.s.sengers as they run into the building, applications in hand. We’re still outside, but already I can see how ma.s.sively congested everything is. “It looks like the second floor is going to be very busy,” I say. “Yeah,” replies Benno. “The baptismal ceremonies are just around the corner, and market day is pretty soon, too.” Just like I’d predicted after seeing all of the carts outside, the crowd packed into the second floor is enormous. Benno pushes his way through the crowd, Lutz trying to avoid being crushed behind him, as he makes his way towards the inner staircase. As usual, I’m being carried in Benno’s arms, so I’m thankfully not getting crushed too. We show our guild cards to the guards in front of the stairway, and start to ascend. The tumult of the second floor almost instantly fades behind us. I have the strongest suspicion that the gate we pa.s.sed through has some sort of magic on it to block out sound. “Running errands is going to be really difficult, huh,” sighs Lutz. If we had to force our way through that oppressive wave of people without Benno’s help, we wouldn’t be able to run errands here at all. “It’s possible that your doc.u.ments could get stolen or crumpled up by other people, so make sure you watch out for that.” “Yes, sir.” “Now then, first off, these doc.u.ments go...” Benno starts heading towards the counter, giving Lutz an explanation as he goes. I turn my back on the two of them and start heading towards the bookshelves, but Benno smacks me on the back of my head and grabs me by the scruff of my neck. “And just where do you think you’re going, kid?” “...I was going to go to those bookshelves and read.” Benno teaches the two of us how to use the merchant’s guild services, going over the minute details of how to use the reception desk, as well as the various places that particular doc.u.ments need to be brought to. He makes sure to point out to me where magical contracts are registered and inspected, since I’ll be working to develop new kinds of goods. “If you file a request here, you can inspect the magical contracts that are registered with the guild.” “Oh my, if it isn’t Maïne!” A pair of light pink pigtails rushes up towards us from the other side of the counter. There’s no mistaking who this is. This is the guild master’s granddaughter, Freida. She clearly looks like she’s here to worn as an apprentice. I hadn’t even considered that I might run into her here, so I stand there in shock while Freida crosses her arms and pouts at me. “Spring is nearly over, and you haven’t even been by to visit once!” “Ah, sorry about that, I’ve just been so busy...” I’m really sorry, but between making paper and establis.h.i.+ng the new workshop, I’ve been extremely busy. I was thinking that, since I had fulfilled my promise to make sweets with you, I could just kind of break it off. If I were to go, you’d inundate me with invitations, and I wouldn’t know exactly how to spot the traps you’d hide in our conversation, so I wouldn’t be able to relax at all. “Well, I’m free tomorrow, so you’d be most welcome to come and play at my house,” she says. “Oh? Umm, but, if the weather clears up tomorrow, then—” Benno has been lightly resting his hand on my shoulder, and he suddenly squeezes it while I was mid-sentence. I had been about to say that I wanted to make some more paper, but I’m suddenly reminded that he had told us that he wanted us to do everything we could to keep our involvement in the paper-making process a secret, so I hurriedly snap my mouth shut. Freida glances briefly at Benno’s hand, then smiles sweetly. “If it’s raining tomorrow, then you’re very welcome to come over. It seems that you’ll be busy again if the weather clears up, but if it’s raining, perhaps you’ll come and play? I do recall you promised you’d stop by this spring, yet spring is just about at its end.” If she phrases it like that, it’s hard to refuse. It’s true that if the weather is bad tomorrow I won’t be able to make any paper and will thus have plenty of free time. As I waver, she piles on more pressure. “There’s so much I want to talk with you about, especially about the devouring.” “Oh, I had some questions about that as well.” The person I know who has the most knowledge about the devouring is, in fact, Freida. There’s things that I’ve been thinking I want to ask her about, so the chance to speak with her is actually really helpful. When I say this, Freida’s face immediately lights up, and she claps her hands joyfully. “So, if it rains, then this will be perfect! I’ll make some pound cake and have it waiting for you.” “That sounds great. If it rains...” Fascinated by the thought of pound cake, I agree to her proposal. Benno’s grip tightens on my shoulder even more. He smiles down at me, a blood vessel clearly popping out on his temple. “Mister Benno,” says Freida, smiling sweetly as she jumps in to save me. “we’re just talking about if it rains.” It seems that everyone here knows how to read the weather, even without a weather forecast. The rain that begins to fall in the evening lasts all the way through the night, and continues well into the day.

「マイン、今日はどうする? 天気が悪い」 窓から見えるどんよりとした曇り空は紙作りには向かない天気だった。森に採集に行っても良いけれど、途中で雨が降れば、わたしはかなり足手まといになるので留守番しておいた方が良い。 この春は、天候に恵まれた時は紙作りに没頭してお金を稼ぎ、少し天気が悪い日はマルクに街の中をうろうろして工房作りに助力してきた。 「わたし達の洗礼式は次の火の日だって、ベンノさんが言っていたから、最後の紙作りをしたかったんだけど、天気ばかりはどうしようもないね」 「最後の紙が仕上がらなくても、今のオレって、自分でもビックリするくらい金持ちだもんな」 現金としてもらうのは小銀貨一枚で、紙を売る度に家族へ渡している。ほんの少し食糧事情が改良されただけで、生活に大した変化はないが、ギルドに預けてあるお金はすごい金額になっている。天気が良くて、紙作りが比較的順調だったことと、トロンベ紙の値段が高かったお陰だ。 まぁ、洗礼式が終わったら、しばらくは稼げなくなっちゃうんだけどね。 洗礼式までにしておくことで忘れていることはないかな、と考えていたわたしはハッとした。 「ルッツ、今日はベンノさんのところに行こう。すっかり忘れてた」 「約束はしてないけど、洗礼式が次の火の日でしょ? 見習いになるために準備するものがないか、確認しておいた方が良いよ。......ルッツの両親は商人じゃないから、親が道具を準備してくれないでしょ?」 「......あ!」 洗礼式の後は見習いとしての仕事が始まるので、洗礼式のプレゼントは仕事着と仕事道具と決まっているらしい。これから、頑張れ、という意味を込めて、同じ道を進むことになる子供達に先達である親が道具を選んでプレゼントするのだ。 理由としては、未だ父親から反対されているから。そして、親が商人ではないから準備する道具がわからない。それから、商人見習いの準備にどれだけお金がかかるかわからないというのもある。 針子見習いをするトゥーリの時だって、洗礼式の日に両親から仕事用の服と裁縫道具一式が贈られていた。商人にも服以外の道具が必要な可能性は高い。 幸いなことに、資金は貯まっているので、必要な物は自分で買える。ベンノかマルクに聞けば教えてくれるはずだ。 「服以外の道具がよくわからないんだよね。新人教育で勉強をするから、石板や計算機がいるとは思うんだけど、他に何がいるんだろうね?」 「今なら大抵の物は買えるもんな。マインの言うとおり、金を貯めててよかったぜ」 カルラおばさんがルッツの味方をしてくれるようにはなったけれど、おばさんは商人になることに対して何かができるわけではない。商人と繋がりがあるわけでもないし、おじさんの意見は相変わらずだ。ただ、兄達の態度がひどいと叱ってくれる分、生活が少し楽になったとルッツは言っている。 「ルッツが見習いになって、後見人をしてくれるのはベンノさんだから、ベンノさんに聞きに行くのが一番だよ」 いつものトートバッグを持って、わたしとルッツはどんよりとした天気の中、ベンノの店へと向かった。 「おや、紙ができるのは数日先ではなかったですか?」 わたし達の予定を大体把握しているマルクがわたし達の姿を見つけて、軽く目を見張った。 「ベンノさんに相談があってきました。......先にマルクさんに言った方がいいのかな?」 確か、マルクはこの店で見習い教育の責任者をしていたはずだ。 「見習いに必要な道具とか、教えてほしいんです。ルッツの両親は商人じゃないので、洗礼式の時に贈る仕事道具がわからないので、必要な物は自分で準備しなきゃ......」 「あぁ、そうですね。思い至りませんでした」 「もうじき洗礼式ですけど、間に合いますか? ベンノさんが後見人になるなら、相談はベンノさんにした方が良いんでしょうか?」 「そうですね。旦那様に相談した上で、行動した方が良いでしょう」 いつものように奥の部屋に通されると、机の上に板や紙を積み上げて、忙しそうにベンノは何やらガシガシと書いている。 「旦那様、ルッツとマインが相談に訪れています」 板に書き込んでいる手を休めずに、ベンノが尋ねる。わたしは、そっとルッツの背中を押して、自分で言うように促した。 「旦那様、見習いが準備する道具について相談したくて来ました」 「見習いが準備する道具?」 切りの良いところまで書き終わったのか、ベンノがペンを置いて顔を上げた。意味がわからないと怪訝な顔をしているベンノにわたしが説明を加える。 「普通は親が準備するものだと思うんですけど、ルッツの両親は商人じゃないので、必要な物がわからないんです。見習いになる時に必要な物って何ですか? 服だけじゃないですよね?」 「あぁ、そうだな。マルクと買い物に行って来い。前に注文した服ができているという報告も来ていたから、取りに行くついでに着替えを数着作っておけ」 頷くわたしの隣でルッツが緩く首を傾げた。 「着替え? 数着?」 「当たり前だ。何日も同じ服で仕事ができるわけがないだろう? よれて匂って大変なことになる」 貴族も相手にする店なので、見た目はかなり大事だ。よれた服や薄汚れた服で客の前に出るわけにはいかない。実際、この店で働いている従業員はみんな小奇麗な格好をしている。 「毎回着替えるんですか?」 「そうだ」 「......マジで?」 トゥーリもそうだが、おそらくルッツの家も、仕事に使う作業着を洗うのは週に一度だ。母が休みの日の仕事で、作業着を毎回着替えるという概念はない。 下働きがいるようなベンノと違って、家庭内ヒエラルキーが最下層であるルッツが毎回着替えて洗濯するなんて母親には頼みにくいだろう。しかし、仕事をする以上必要な事だ。 「カルラおばさんに言えないなら、ルッツが自分で洗うようにすれば? 見習いの間は休みの日があるんだし」 「うぅ......」 「住み込み見習いだったら、どうせ自分でやらなきゃいけないことだよ」 今までの自分の常識と違うので、驚いているのがわかる。けれど、これから自分が属する社会の常識なんだと呑みこんでいくしかない。 「違う常識にぶつかったら、ビックリするのはわかるけど、慣れるしかないよ。お客さんが不愉快な気分にならないように必要な事だからね。職人と商人の違いってことだもん」 ルッツが頷いているとベンノもカルチャーショックを受けたような顔をしていた。緩慢に目を瞬いて、呟いた。 「本当に生活が基本的なところから違うんだな」 「だから、ちょっとでもおかしいと思ったら、指摘してください。本当にわからないんです」 「あぁ、気を付けよう。......マルクを頼む」 「はい、旦那様」 マルクの仕事が一段落するのを待ってでできあがった服を取りに行く。マルクに抱き上げられて移動するのは、工房準備の間に仕様となってしまったので諦めている。 店員が迎えてくれて、マルクとわたし達を見て、すぐに用件がわかったようだ。わたしとルッツは店員に促されて、奥の部屋へと連れていかれる。 「さぁ、着てみてください」 店員に差し出された服はシンプルなブラウスとスカートだが、きっちり計って作ってもらったのだから、当然ピタリと合う。継ぎ接ぎのない新しい服というだけで、テンションが上がるのに、オーダーメイドだ。 「すごい。着ていて気持ちが良いです」 「そう、よかったわ。今日はこれを着ていくとマルクが言っていたから、こちらの服を包むわね」 わたしが試着している間に、ルッツは同じサイズの同じデザインであと2つ追加注文していたようで、店員と話をしていたマルクとルッツがわたしに気付いてこちらに向く。 「とても可愛らしいですね。服を変えただけで良家の子女に見えますよ」 「あぁ、お嬢様に見えるぞ」 二人に褒められてテンションが上がる。スカートの端を摘まんでみた。 「本当!? 可愛い? お嬢様っぽい? 服だけじゃなくて?」 「大人しくしていて、喋らなかったらな」 「むぅ。......でも、ルッツも最近姿勢が良くなってきたから、ちゃんとおぼっちゃんに見えるよ」 ルッツはベンノから身だしなみについて言われているので、なるべく汚れを落として、リンシャンで時折髪を洗うようになった。ルッツの金髪は艶々のキラキラだ。 「これで他の店に買い物に行けるようになりましたね」 服装で門前払いを食うことも珍しくない。ギルドカードを合わせて支払いを済ませた後、マルクは服装を整えたわたし達を連れて、次の店へと向かった。 壁際に棚があり、商品が並んでいるが、店に出ている物は少なく、棚に一つずつ見本が置かれているだけだった。この街では普通の店構えだ。小さいのは接客スペースだけで、ほとんどが倉庫になっている店である。 「マルクさん、何が必要なんですか?」 「そうですね。インク、ペン、雇用契約を結ぶための羊皮紙でしょうか。石板、石筆、計算機は持っていましたね? あとは、木札がいくつかあれば大丈夫です」 マルクの言葉を聞いて、軽く溜息を吐いた。これはルッツの両親に買える値段ではない。わたし達には買えるようになったけれど、インクも羊皮紙も、わたし達の生活圏ではそう簡単に買えるものではないのだ。 「わたしも! わたしもインクとペンが欲しいです」 おじいちゃん店主がわたしの分のインクとペンをカウンターに並べてくれた。ギルドカードを合わせて精算した後、インクとペンを手に取った。 「やったぁ! わたしのインクとペン!」 買ったインクと木製のペンを持って、満面の笑顔でくるくる回って喜ぶわたしと違って、ルッツの表情は苦笑いだ。 「貯めてあった金がどんどん減っていくな。......商人ってこんなにお金がかかるのか」 小さい商店ならそれに見合った道具の準備になるはずだ。雇用契約のための羊皮紙なんて買わされない。木札で済ませるだろう。 「商人ってだけじゃなくて、ベンノさんの店が大きいからだよ。でも、お金はまだまだ余裕があるでしょ?」 「でも、今日一日ですごく減ったから、ちょっと不安になってきた。親に頼れるわけないし、洗礼式までにもっと紙を作りたい」 「もうあんまり時間がないから、晴れてくれればいいね」 ベンノの店に戻って、買い物が終わったことを報告する。ベンノはわたし達に「今度から店に来る時はその服で来るように」と言った。ちゃんと見習いらしい姿に見えると太鼓判を押してもらった。 「ねぇ、ルッツ。これ、どこに置いておく? 倉庫?」 「それが一番安全だよなぁ......」 ちょっと面倒だけれど、倉庫の鍵を借りて買った品物を置いてくるかどうかという話をルッツとしていると、ベンノが軽く肩を竦めた。 「別に倉庫になんて置かなくても、自分の部屋に置いておけばいいだろう?」 「あの、ベンノさん。自分の部屋なんてないですから。自分の物は木箱に入れられるだけしか持てません」 生活水準の違いを指摘するとベンノは目を丸くした。コリンナの家を見ても部屋の数には余裕があった。どうやら大きな店の跡取りとして育ったベンノは自分の部屋がないような知人が周りにはいなかったようだ。 「ウチはマインの家より、もうちょっとひどいです。自分の木箱に入れてあっても、勝手に漁られて取り上げられるから」 「どういうことだ?」 ベンノの目が驚きに染まっていく。理解不能とばかりに目を細めるベンノにわたしはルッツの生活状況を説明する。 「4人兄弟の末っ子なんです、ルッツ。だから、上のおにいちゃん達に好きなようにされることが多くて大変なんです」 「いくら何でも、兄弟の物を盗るか?」 「弟の物だから平気なんです。弟の物は兄の物。兄の物は兄の物って感じですね」 父を亡くして、家族を支えた苦労人とはいえ、ベンノは家族に荷物を漁られたこともないし、物の置き場所に困ったこともないのだろう。愕然とした顔をしている。 「ルッツ。荷物は上に置いておけばどうだ? 住み込み見習いの部屋を一つ格安で貸してやろう。せっかく揃えた物が洗礼式前になくなったり、仕事に必要な物を盗られたりしたら、これから先の仕事に支障があるし、倉庫は遠すぎる」 「......ありがとうございます」 ベンノの計らいで、最上階の見習い部屋を一つ、格安で倉庫代わりに使うことができるようになった。ここに買い揃えた物を置いて鍵をかけておけば、他の人に盗られる心配はない。 「今度からお店に行く時は、ここで着替えてから行く?」 初めて自分だけのスペースを持ったルッツが満面の笑みを浮かべる。わたしも帰るまでの間、買った荷物を置かせてもらうことにした。「時間があるなら、商業ギルドに行くぞ」とベンノが言ったので、すぐには帰れないのだ。 「ギルドのことは先に教えておかないと、お使いの仕事もできないからな」 商家の子供達は親の手伝いで何度も商業ギルドに出入りするので、書類を出しに行く手伝いは日常的に行っているらしい。店に入ってきた見習いが最初からできる仕事が、商業ギルドへのお使いなのだ。 「他に何かあったかな?」 商人の子供が当たり前にできることを思い浮かべながら、ベンノはいくつかの申請書類をルッツに持たせて商業ギルドに向かう。わたしも書棚の木札を読むつもりで一緒に出かけることにした。 「うわぁ......」 「これはひどいな」 中央広場に面する商業ギルドの前にはいくつかの荷馬車が並んで順番を待っていたり、同乗者に荷馬車を任せて、申請に向かう旅商人の姿も見えたりして、すでに混雑が目に見えるような状況だった。 「2階は人が多そうですね」 「洗礼式が近くて、市が立つ日も近いからな」 外に並んだ荷馬車から予測されたように、2階の人出はすごかった。ルッツはもみくちゃにされながら、奥の階段までベンノの後ろをついて歩く。わたしはいつも通りベンノに抱き上げられているので、もみくちゃにされることはない。 「お使いも結構大変な仕事だよな」 ベンノの先導なしに自分であの人波を掻き分けなければ、お使いはできない。ルッツはハァと溜息を吐いた。 「書類を盗られたり、人に揉まれてなくなったりすることもあるから、気を付けろ」 「では、まず、この書類だが......」 ルッツに説明しながら、ベンノはカウンターに向かっていく。わたしはベンノに背を向けて書棚に向かおうとしたが、ペシッと頭を叩かれて首根っこをつかまれた。 「どこに行く気だ、こら」 「......書棚がわたしを呼んでいるんです」 ベンノにギルドの使い方を教えてもらう。受付の仕方、書類を出す場所などを細かく教えられる。 「ここで申請すれば、登録されている契約魔術を閲覧することができる」 「あら、マイン」 カウンターの奥の方から、淡いピンクのツインテールが駆け寄ってきた。見間違えるはずがない。ギルド長の孫娘、フリーダだ。明らかに仕事をしている見習いっぽい姿だ。 「春が終わろうとしているのに、全然遊びに来てくれないのね」 「あ、ごめん。かなり忙しくて......」 紙作りと工房作りに忙しかったのは事実だが、ごめんなさい。お菓子作りは終わって約束は果たしたし、もういいかなって思ってました。行ったら勧誘がすごいし、会話のどこに罠が張られているのかわからないし、落ち着かないんだもん。 「明日はわたくし、お休みですし、我が家へ遊びにいらして」 「え? でも、天気が良かったら明日は......」 残っている紙を作ってしまいたいと言いたかったが、わたし達が紙を作っていることは極力伏せておくように言われていることを思い出して、慌てて途中で口を閉ざす。 フリーダはベンノの手に視線を向けた後、ニコリと笑った。 「明日が雨だったら、迎えをやりますわ。天気が良かったら忙しいけれど、雨だったらわたくしと一緒に遊んでくださるでしょう? 春になったら、と約束していたのにそろそろ春が終わってしまうもの」 そう言われると断りにくい。確かに天気が悪かったら紙作りはできないので、余裕はある。悩むわたしをフリーダはどんどん追い詰めていく。 「わたくし、身食いのことについてもお伺いしたり、お話ししたりしたいことがありますの」 「あ、わたしも聞きたいことがあったかも」 わたしの周囲で一番身食いに詳しいのはフリーダだ。聞きたいと思っていたことがあるので、話ができる機会があるのは助かる。 わたしの言葉にフリーダはパァッと顔を輝かせて、両手をパチンと合わせた。 「雨だったらで、結構ですの。カトルカールを作って、待っているわ」 「そうだね。雨だったら......」 カトルカールに心惹かれて承諾した瞬間、肩にぐぐっと力が加わる。ベンノがこめかみに血管を浮き立たせながら、笑っていた。 天気予報などなくても、みんな天気がわかるらしい。

It’s been three days since Lutz’s older brothers promised to make hairpin parts for me. Today is the day I go to pick them up. During those three days, I didn’t leave the house at all, spending my hours working on making tiny little flowers. Since the devouring fever has been very active lately, roiling about in my body, I’ve not been feeling particularly good, so I haven’t really wanted to go outside at all. I’ve even been attacked by the fever in the middle of the night, leaving me exhausted and sluggish the next morning. Honestly, since I have no idea when or where the devouring is going to strike next, I’m feeling kind of uneasy about how I could collapse at any time. While secluded at home for the last few days, I managed to complete enough flowers for two hairpins. If you include the one I made before, I was only able to make three out of the whole twenty. All the rest were made by my mother and Tory. The sheer difference in speed is pretty depressing. The two of them, as before, seemed to race against each other while making their flowers. Tory’s speed has improved immensely by now, and between the two of them they made twelve more pins’ worth of flowers over the last three days. Right now, they’ve split up the work to get the last pin finished. “I’m gonna go over to Lutz’s house now. I gotta go pick up the pins and give them their money,” I say. “Have fun,” say the two of them, in monotone unison. Neither of them even look up, they’re so engaged in their work. I put fifteen medium copper coins in a small coin purse and walk out the front door. I head down the stairs, exit the building, walk through the water well plaza, start climbing the stairs of the building that’s basically in the front. Lutz’s home is on the sixth floor, but they’ve rented two floors’ worth of s.p.a.ce. There’s lots of stairways, and going up and down them is really difficult, but the interior is s.p.a.cious. Even though there’s four boys living there, it’s not actually that cramped. Lutz, however, says that it’s full of all sorts of craftsman’s tools and there’s a lot of s.p.a.ce set aside for work, so it’s not really as big as it sounds. I knock on the door and announce myself, and after a moment the door swings open with a creak, revealing Auntie Carla. “Good afternoon, Auntie Carla. Are the boys home? I’m here to pick up some handiwork that I asked them to make for me.” “They are!” she says, beaming. “They’ve been waiting restlessly for you all morning.” Once she says that, her face darkens a bit. She furtively glances around a bit, then leans in, speaking in a lower voice. “...Hey, Maine. Lutz is really serious about being a merchant, isn’t he? He’s being very stubborn, so the mood in the house has been pretty bad lately. Even still, he doesn’t look like he’s going to back down. Wanting to be a merchant isn’t something to tear up a family over! Don’t you agree?” I’d already heard from Lutz that things weren’t going particularly well for him at home, but this looks more serious than I’d thought. He may be worried, but Lutz does not back down. After all, he’s already made up his mind that he’s going to be a live-in apprentice if he has to. “I don’t think I can answer that, Auntie Carla. Lutz is the one who’d make that decision, you know?” An outsider like me b.u.t.ting into a parent-child dispute is only going to sow more discord, so I just tilt my head doubtfully to one side. Carla, having not gotten the agreement she was looking for, frowns sourly, her lips pointed. “Well, I guess you’re right. If I’d had a girl, she’d do what her parents said, but boys just don’t listen to anything. They’re so disagreeable.” Well, as for me, I have no real intention of living my life like my parents want me to. I’ll just keep that to myself, though. Auntie Carla’s grumblings show no signs of stopping. Her sons, very much used to how troublesome their mother’s ranting could be, stay out of sight lest they get dragged up into it, and Auntie Carla hasn’t yet invited me inside. I should just politely agree with her and head her off before she gets really going. Unlike the older ladies who are more than willing to have long conversations outside by the water well as snow piles up around them, I have no particular desire to stand here and chat in this freezing entranceway. “It must be rough living with four boys, Auntie Carla.” “It is! And they don’t even appreciate how hard they’re making it on me. You know, the other day...” Ahh... c.r.a.p. I have a feeling I’m going to be out here forever. At about the time I start to wonder if I should just start over entirely, I hear Lutz call out from within the house. “Hey, Mom. Didn’t Maine come to pick up that handiwork? She needs to get it before the snow starts falling, so I think she’s in a bit of a rush. It’s also really easy for her to get sick, so let her in, please!” “Ah, that’s right. Come in, Maine.” Lutz and I exchange glances. You seriously saved me, thank you so much, I say silently. Sorry my mom talks so much, he replies. Finally, I’m able to enter Lutz’s house. It really is warm in here compared to outside. “Lutz,” I say, “did your big brothers finish their work? And did you make sure to practice your math?” “Yeah.” “...Maine, are you perhaps the one teaching Lutz how to do math?” Lutz’s mother, seemingly having listened in on our conversation, asks that question in a somewhat pointed voice. There’s an undercurrent of “don’t make my life any more difficult” buried in there, which I completely disregard, instead turning to smile up at her. “Yeah! I’ve been helping with math at the gates.” “Ahh, you’ve been helping your father, then? That’s so wonderful. It would be really nice, though, if Lutz would help his father out with his own apprentices.h.i.+p.” In this world, a young girl generally helps her parents out with their work until she gets married to a boy that her parents introduce her to. Then, she helps her husband with his work. If she were in a rural farming area, she’d be helping out with farm work, so she’d marry a farmer. In other words, while I, the daughter of a soldier, have been studying various things, others have had the expectation that it’s so that I can eventually become the kind of wife that can support a soldier. It is actually really difficult to be the wife of a soldier, with their irregular work hours and such, and whether or not she’s able to adapt to it depends largely on if there are other soldiers in the family and if she already understands what the job entails. I wonder if Carla had heard that my father is letting me help him out at the gate to help me with my future prospects? Unfortunately, I’m rocketing along the path towards my merchant’s apprentices.h.i.+p, and have not even the tiniest shred of an intention of becoming the wife of a soldier. As I head deeper into the house, Lutz’s brothers are lying in wait, gripping hairpins in each hand. When I get close, they all simultaneously stand up, shoving their fistfuls of pins in my face. “Hey, Maine! Take a look.” “I got these done in no time at all.” “I think these are perfect!” “W-whoa!” I stammer. “Line up! By year!” Having a whole bunch of sharpened hairpins thrust into my face is actually terrifying. I wave my hands frantically as I dodge out of the way. In a flash, the three of them line up in order of age, just like I asked. One by one, I examine each hairpin and deliver them their pay. Not a single step had been skipped. The smooth finish and expert craftsmans.h.i.+p causes a smile to float across my face. “All three of you did way better than Lutz did! You really are professionals. Tory and Mommy are better than me at what I’m making at home, too. Hey, guys! Do you think I could ask you to help me with my handiwork this winter, too? I’d have to wait to pay you until the spring, but the pay would be the same.” “Yeah, leave it to us!” The three older brothers agreed to the work with big smiles. Thanks to the fact that they’re going to be doing the actual handiwork, Lutz should be free to focus all of his efforts on studying. “Lutz, did you do the calculations? How much is it?” “Six thousand leon, so six large copper coins. ...Is that right?” This time, Lutz’s older brothers made fifteen pin parts. Since each one makes him four medium copper coins, that’s six large copper coins in total. He’s making a killing just off of the commission. “Yep, that’s perfect! Let’s keep practicing calculations like that. I’m gonna go bring these home now and finish them up; how does going to Mister Benno’s shop tomorrow sound?”“Sounds good to me.” By the time I gather up the pins and return home, the final decorations have been completed. I work with Tory and my mother to sew everything together and finish off each pin. “I’m gonna go bring these to the shop tomorrow and bring back the rest of the money, okay? You guys were so fast, I couldn’t keep up with the amount of money I already had.” When I’d originally asked Benno to give me some money in advance, I thought that we’d wind up delivering only ten hairpins. I’m actually kind of shocked that we managed to make twenty. Both my mother’s raw determination in the face of money and Tory’s ma.s.sive speed increase were far beyond anything I could have imagined. “Heh heh, I’m getting pretty fast, aren’t I?” “Yeah, Tory, you’re amazing! We’ll be able to make so many of these this winter.” “Right! Let’s work hard and make a bunch!” I must tip my hat towards Tory, who is walking steadily along the road of becoming a sewing beauty. I simply cannot compare. The next day, Lutz and I head for Benno’s shop, completed hairpins in hand. As we walk along the cobbled road, Lutz asks me a question. “Hey, Maine. Do you have any other things you can to sell?” “Huh?” “Master Benno told me that if you wanted to do anything about the devouring, you need a lot of money. When we start selling paper in the spring, it looks like we’ll sell it for a really high price, though, but if you had anything else, then... If you think of something, I’ll make it, after all.” Seeing the honest worry in his face, I start to think if there’s any new products I could come up with to do something about the devouring. “Hmmm, let me thing. All the things I’ve come up with until now that can earn a lot of money are things aimed at wealthy people, huh.” It’s obvious that everyday necessities are goods that require spending constant amounts of money. Even the hairpins, though, if we increase the quality of the thread and change the designs, the pricing will be way different, and paper made from the very rare tronbay will be more expensive as well. As such, if we want to make a ton of money, what we need are products that the upper cla.s.s are likely to want. “I don’t really have a clue what wealthy people want, though. Rinsham, hairpins, and paper are all things that used to be all around me.” “Man, your world must have been amazing...” Lutz, who’s fully aware of the fact that I have memories that aren’t just Maine’s, is not only not creeped out by it, but is actually interested. So, when it’s just the two of us talking, that’s the only time I don’t have to keep my memories of j.a.pan purposefully concealed. As I’ve only become more and more nostalgic about it, I haven’t been able to say anything but the most amazing things about it, so I think the image Lutz has of j.a.pan is that of an amazing utopia. To me, it certainly was a utopia compared to here, if only because of the proliferation of bookstores and libraries. Even now, if I could, I’d go back in a heartbeat. “I guess I could try taking hints from ‘dollar stores’ and think of things that could improve people’s daily lives? Maybe improving soap, or making more stylish candles? I made some herb candles last year, but I guess those might be a good idea.” “Herb candles?” asks Lutz, tilting his head to one side and frowning. “During last year’s winter preparations, the candles were extremely smelling, so I added herbs to some of them to try to eliminate the smell. I found some that smelled good, but I also found a bunch that synergized terribly and smelled awful, too. My mom told me not to mess with things I shouldn’t and forbade me from making them this year.” While I was laying in bed, I’d said that I wanted to make herb candles, but my mother immediately refused and strictly forbade me from leaving my bed. That was absolutely not just out of concern for my health, but probably much more that she was worried about the candles I’d make. “Man, you get in trouble a lot.” “Urgh... Trial and error is an indispensable part of making things! For some other ideas, my baskets and lacework were pretty popular, so I wonder if I could make some other kind of 'arts and crafts’... wait, no, 'arts and crafts’ aren’t usually very useful at all.” Even while casually dismissing my own idea, I dig through my memories from my Urano period for any useful sort of arts and crafts. “Hmmm, 'bead accessories’ won’t work since I don’t have any 'beads’, making art out of pressed flowers might technically work but I don’t think we could actually sell those, we can’t do 'tole painting’_ since we don’t have paints... what do we do?” “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. In the end, what _can we do?” No matter what we make, we’ll need to start by making all the tools we’ll need for that, just like we did with the paper. When I think about that, all of my will to actually do any of that instantly vanishes. Honestly, if it’s not going to be something that can immediately improve my own life, I actually can’t summon up very much energy. “Ummm, I think my biggest problem right now for coming up with new products is that I really can’t get fired up for making a bunch of tools for things I won’t actually use in my own life.” “You have to!” yells Lutz. “Do you want to die?!” “It’s not that I’m not worried, it’s just that I’m not very enthusiastic for making things I don’t think are necessities, like, next up is a book...” “Hey, wait! You’re the only one actually saying that if you yourself don’t think something’s essential then n.o.body else is going to buy it! Think of something we can sell!” Lutz is a little teary-eyed, maybe from getting a bit too agitated. I pat him gently on the shoulder. “Lutz, you should calm down a bit.” “You’re the one making me agitated!” “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, sorry.” As I soothe Lutz’s nerves, somebody suddenly grabs my head from above. “Aaah!” “Just what are the two of you talking about in the middle of the street? People are laughing; was that supposed to be funny?” When I hear the familiar sound of Benno’s voice, I look around my surroundings. Just as he says, I can hear people chuckling as they watch the two of us with small smiles. My face goes red with embarra.s.sment, and I channel my urge to lash out angrily into a fierce glare up at him. “Mister Benno, why might you be here?” “I’m on my way back from the workshops. What about you two?” “We finished the hairpins and were going to deliver them to you.” “Ah, really? Then, let’s go.” Benno promptly picks me up and starts walking off at an impatiently brisk pace. From over his shoulder, I see Lutz having to jog to keep up. He doesn’t even put me down once we enter the shop, instead carrying me to his office and setting me next to our usual table. I climb up into a chair, then pull the hairpins from my tote bag, lining them up on the table in front of me. “Counting the ones we delivered before, this makes a total of twenty,” I say. “Please look them over.” “...Great, now I can sell hairpins, too. The baptismal ceremony is next Earth Day, so this is pretty urgent.” Since there’s n.o.body in my house with any connection with this season’s baptismal ceremony, I don’t particularly care about the details, so I nod politely without paying much attention to what he was actually saying. Then, I realize there was a new vocabulary word I hadn’t heard before. “...Hey, Lutz. What’s Earth Day?” “What?! What are you saying... Earth Day is... Earth Day, right?” Since it seems that Lutz can’t actually explain it, he pa.s.ses the buck on to Benno. Benno sighs, then starts explaining it to me. “They’re the names of the days that constantly cycle around. Water Day, Sprout Day, Fire Day, Leaf Day, Wind Day, Fruit Day, and Earth Day, you know?” Huh? “You know,” he says, but I don’t actually now. This is literally the first time I’m hearing it. Are these the days of the week? “Spring is the season of water, when the snow melts and the sprouts start to grow. Summer is the season of fire, when the sun is the closest and the leaves are growing. Autumn is the season of wind, when the cold air is blowing and the fruits are ripe. Winter is the season of earth, when all life is sleeping. That’s why Earth Day is the day of rest, when we close the shop. Earth Day is basically Sunday then. Got it. Since my mother had days off on fixed intervals, I knew that the concept of days in a week technically existed, but since there’s no calendars in my home, my dad has an irregular schedule, and n.o.body ever actually mentioned any of the days by name, so I just didn’t know them. So, the days of the week have names? Perfect. "Huh,” says Lutz, “I didn’t know that. I knew what the names were, but I didn’t know what they meant.” “That kind of discussion happens around baptism time. The baptismal ceremonies for each season happen on the first day of that season, so the winter ceremony is on Earth Day.” “Ah, I see.” Since there’s neither garbage pickup days nor any calendars, the average working person, in their day-to-day lives, doesn’t need to know about any other day besides their weekly day off. If the subject isn’t specifically brought up at all, you can live your life without needing to think about it. Even when making arrangements with people, we haven’t needed to use anything besides saying how many days in the future it’ll be. Perhaps that’s preferred over the days of the week because it’s easier for both parties to understand? From what Benno’s saying, this seems like it’s got primarily religious significance. Learning more about this subject makes me kind of uncomfortable, though, so I think it shouldn’t be a problem if I just leave it at that for now. “That’s enough about the names of days. How about we finish settling this account?” “Sure, it’s not like it’s particularly useful information, ordinarily.” We finalize the transaction. I take the money I owe Tory and my mother in medium copper coins, which I put in my coin purse, which then goes back in my tote bag. As for the rest of the money, I touch my card to Benno’s to add it to my savings. As I was packing up to leave, since our business was finished and I didn’t want to get in the way of Benno’s work, he grabs my arm to stop me. “Did you come up with any new product ideas? That’s what you were talking about on the way here, right?” I have no idea for just how long he’d been listening to our conversation, but judging from the fact that his eyes are br.i.m.m.i.n.g with expectation, I see that it was him who kindled Lutz’s sudden pa.s.sion in coming up with new ideas. ...Well, I do need the money, so it’s not like it’s that big of a problem. For the last few days, the devouring fever has been steadily growing more restless, and pinning it down has taken longer and been more exhausting each time. To be perfectly honest, I can’t be sure my body will last long enough for me to actually save up enough money. There’s no actual reason for me to openly say something so extremely pessimistic, so I shrug lightly shrug and decide to play along. “Mister Benno, can you think of any sorts of things that would sell for a lot of money? I think that if you want to make a lot of money, you need to sell something unusual or an expensive consumable item to the upper cla.s.s.” “If I’m selling something unusual, though,” I continue, “then it loses its meaning once everyone has it and it stops being unusual, but if someone uses a consumable item, that means they have to buy it again, so that’s something you can make money off of forever. ...Now that I think about it, about the rinsham, you’re probably making a lot of money off of that, aren’t you?” All of the profits from the rinsham are exclusively Benno’s, so he says that with a broad, self-a.s.sured smile. Incidentally, the high-quality rinsham should be done as well, so he should be starting to sell it soon. If I can think of something like rinsham, I think it’ll earn quite a bit of money. “My gut feeling is that I should go with more beauty products after all, maybe? You can’t underestimate the pa.s.sion of a beauty-conscious woman, you know.” Cosmetics are expensive. Even though they’re expensive, there are many women out there searching for products that suit them and will spend unreservedly on something that might make them a little more beautiful. I think that the n.o.bility and upper cla.s.s especially will be willing to sh.e.l.l out for effective products. Benno, perhaps having exactly the same idea I am, looks at me with glittering eyes, leaning forward across the table with antic.i.p.ation. “What are you thinking?” “Ummm... personally, I want a high-quality, good smelling soap. After that, since a lot of these are used during the winter, I think candles that have a variety of different scents pretty popular, maybe? I feel like the herb candles I made last week would make a decent product. After that, this is something that I don’t need right now, but I think there would be solid demand for some kind of facial lotion.” As things come to mind, I count them off on my fingers, and soon I’m able to list off a few things that might be decent products to sell. Lutz’s eyes are s.h.i.+ning too, now, as he looks eagerly at me. “Hey, Maine,” he says, “do you know how to make all those things?” “Ummm, I know enough to get started. It’s like the paper, getting the materials and the tools is going to be a big effort, and there’s going to be a lot of trial and error in order to get the fine details down...” “Alright, give it a shot!” says Benno, grinning broadly as he points right at me. This is the face of a merchant running profit calculations in his head. I mumble something to myself about counting chickens before they hatch, reaching up to rub at my temple. “Mister Benno,” I sigh, “it’s really easy to say 'give it a shot’, but that’s going to be all the way in the spring, and I don’t even know if I’ll even be able to leave the house then... wha?!” Honestly, will I be able to hold out until spring? That’s a risk, right? The instant the thoughts form in my head, the tight seal within me blasts wide open and the white-hot fever of the devouring surges out. It burns within me like a blazing pillar of fire. I can’t surround it and push it back away like usual, and in my brief moments of panicked confusion it roars out, consuming my entire body. “Oi, Maine!” yells Lutz, noticing this sudden disaster. He stands up, his expression changing in an instant. I find myself unable to put any real strength into my limbs, and I start to sway dangerously. With my body burning up from a fever that can’t be pushed away, I’m aware that I’m in the process of falling from my chair, but I can’t manage to stop myself. It’s only the fact that my field of view suddenly changes that makes me realize I’ve hit the ground. Even though I hit the ground with a heavy thud, the heat raging within my body far surpa.s.ses the pain of the impact, and I don’t feel it at all. My eyes, somehow still open, see two sets of feet rush up to me through the thick carpet. “Maine, are you okay?!” Lutz grabs my arms to shake me. He instantly lets go, surprised by the heat, but grabs on even tighter. Benno turns around to face the door, not wasting a moment before ringing the bell to call Mark. “s.h.i.+t!” he yells. “Mark, get her to the old man’s right now!” “Hey!” yells Lutz. “Didn’t you say you were going to make a book?! Didn’t you say you can’t lose yet?! Maine!! Keep it toget...” “Mark, ...urry... ...e prepare...” Their shouts gradually fade into the distance until I have no idea what they’re saying anymore. Then, with a snap, I lose consciousness.

ルッツの兄達に簪部分を作ってもらう約束をしてかがたった。今日は引き取りに行く日だ。 この三日間、わたしは家から出ずに、ちまちまと小花を作って過ごした。身食いの熱の動きが活発になっていて、身体の中でぐるぐるしていて、気持ち悪いから、あまり外に出たくないのだ。 母とトゥーリは相変わらず先を争うようにして、小花を作っている。トゥーリの速さが上がっていて、三日合わせて12個の飾りができた。今は最後の飾りを二人で手分けして編んでいる。 「わたし、ルッツのところに行ってくるね。簪部分をもらってきて、お金払って来なきゃいけないから」 不乱にせっせと小花を作っている二人はほとんど顔を上げることなく、声を揃えてそう言った。 階段を下りて、建物を出て、井戸のある広場を突っ切って、ほぼ正面にある建物の階段を上がっていった。 ルッツの家は6階だが、二つ分借りて広げてある。階段が多くて、上下の行き来は大変だが、中は広い。男の子が4人いても、それほど狭くはない。職人ばかりの家系で仕事道具が多いことと、作業部屋を取るために広げたので、実際の生活スペースはそれほど広くはないとルッツが言っていたけれど。 トントンとノックをして名乗ると、ドアがギギッと音を立てて開き、カルラおばさんが顔を出してきた。 「こんにちは、カルラおばさん。お願いしてた手仕事の引き取りに来たんだけど、おにいちゃん達いる?」 「あぁ、朝からそわそわして待ってたよ」 笑顔でそう言った後、おばさんは少し顔を曇らせて、辺りに視線をさまよわせて声をひそめた。 「......ちょっと、マイン。ルッツは本気で商人になるつもりなのかねぇ? あんまり意地を張るから、家の中の雰囲気もずいぶん悪くてね。それなのに、あの子ったら全然折れようとしないんだ。商人なんて家族と仲違してまでやることじゃないよ。そう思わないかい?」 家族との関係がうまくいっていない、とルッツから聞いてはいたが、予想以上に深刻な状況らしい。 「わたしに聞かれても困るよ、カルラおばさん。何になりたいか決めるのはルッツだよ?」 親子の問題に第三者であるわたしが口を挟むと混乱の元になるので、首を傾げて話題を流すが、おばさんは賛同されなかったのが不満なようで口元をへの字に曲げる。 「まぁ、そうだけどさ。女の子なら、親の言うとおりにするのに、男は全く聞かないんだ。嫌になるよ」 わたしだって、親の言うままに生きていくつもりなんてないけどね、という心の声は隠しておく。 カルラおばさんが愚痴を終わらせてくれないと、おばさんの愚痴の面倒さを日常的に体験している息子達は巻き込まれるのを嫌がって出てきてくれないし、中に入れてもらえない。 「男の子が4人だもん。カルラおばさん、大変だよね?」 「その苦労を息子達はちっともわかってくれないからねぇ。この間だって......」 あぁ、ヤバい。すごく長くなりそうな予感。 一旦出直した方がいいかもしれないと思った時、奥からルッツの声が響いた。 「なぁ、母さん。マインは手仕事の引き取りに来たんだろ? 雪が降るまでに持っていかなきゃいけないから、結構急ぎなんだ。それに、マインは体調を崩しやすいんだから、中へ入れてやってくれよ」 「あぁ、そうだった。中へお入り」 ルッツ、マジで助かりました。ありがとう。 そんな会話を目で交わして、わたしはやっとルッツの家に入ることができた。やはり家の中は外に比べると温かい。 「ルッツ、おにいちゃん達のお仕事、終わってる? 計算の練習はちゃんとできた?」 「あぁ」 「......もしかして、マインがルッツに計算を教えているのかい?」 わたし達の会話を耳に止めたらしいおばさんが背後から少し尖った声で問いかけてきた。余計な事をしてくれるな、という響きが含まれているのを丸ごと無視して、ニッコリと笑う。 「うん。わたし、門で計算のお手伝いもしてるから」 「あぁ、マインは父さんのお手伝いか。えらいねぇ。ルッツも見習って、父さんの手伝いをすればいいのに」 ここの女の子はだいたいが親の仕事を手伝いながら、親の紹介する男と結婚して、男の仕事を手伝うことになる。田舎の農村ならば、農作業を手伝って、そのまま農民と結婚して農民。 つまり、兵士の娘であるわたしは、適当な仕事に就きながら、兵士を支える妻の役割を期待されているのだ。仕事の時間が不規則な兵士の妻はなかなか大変らしく、身内に兵士がいて仕事内容をわかっているか、いないかで、適応率が違うらしい。 カルラおばさんには、父がわたしに門での仕事を手伝わせ、将来に向けて色々準備しているように聞こえたのだろう。残念ながら、商人見習いを目指して爆走中のわたしは、兵士の妻になるつもりなんてこれっぽっちもない。 中に入ると、ルッツの兄達がそれぞれ手に簪部分を握って待ち構えていた。わたしが近付いていくと、三人が一斉に簪部分を突きだしてくる。 「ほら、マイン。見てみろよ」 「これくらいすぐに終わったぞ」 「完璧だと思うぜ」 「わわっ! 並んで! 年の順!」 わたしの言葉通り、年の順にザッと音がたつほど素早く並んだ三人の簪部分を、わたしは一つ一つチェックして、報酬を渡していった。 「全員、ルッツよりも出来が良かったみたい。さすが本職だね。ウチもわたしが作るよりトゥーリや母さんの方が上手だもん。ねぇ、おにいちゃん達。冬の手仕事でも同じ物、お願いしていい? 冬の手仕事はお金を払うのが春になっちゃうけど、同じ値段だから」 「おぅ、任せとけ」 冬の手仕事を手伝ってもらえるように約束したので、ルッツは勉強に専念できるだろう。 「ルッツは計算できた? どうなった?」 「6000リオンで、大銅貨6枚だ。......合ってるか?」 今回、ルッツの兄達に作ってもらった簪部分は15個。一つにつき中銅貨4枚の手数料なので、大銅貨6枚。手数料だけで大儲けだ。 「うん、大正解! その調子で計算の練習もしていこうね。わたし、これを持って帰って、今日中に仕上げちゃうから、明日はベンノさんのお店に行っていい?」 「わかった」 わたしが簪部分を持って、家に帰った時には、最後の飾りができていた。母とトゥーリと一緒に、簪部分に飾りを縫い付けて完成させていく。 「明日はこれをお店に持って行って、残りの分のお金をもらってくるからね。二人とも速すぎて、もらったお金じゃ追いつかなかったんだもん」 ベンノから依頼された当初は10個仕上がればいい方かな、と思っていたが、まさか20個もできるなんて、ビックリだ。現金を前にした母の本気と、トゥーリのスピードアップがわたしの予想以上だった。 「うふふ~、速くなったでしょ?」 「トゥーリはすごいね。冬の手仕事もいっぱいできそう」 「うん、頑張っていっぱい作るよ」 着実に裁縫美人への道を歩んでいるトゥーリに脱帽だ。わたしには無理。 次の日、わたしはルッツと一緒に仕上がった髪飾りを持って、ベンノの店に向かっていた。石畳を歩きながら、ルッツが問いかけてくる。 「なぁ、マイン。他に売れそうな物って何かできないか?」 「身食い、何とかするにはお金がいるって、ベンノの旦那に言われてさ。春になったら紙を売れば、結構いい値段になるだろうけど、他にも何かないかなって......。マインが何か考えてくれたら、オレが絶対に作ってやるから」 真面目に心配してくれているのがわかるので、わたしも身食いを何とかするための新商品について考えてみることにする。 「うーん、そうだね。これまでに売った物から考えても、利益が大きいのは富豪向けなんだよね」 髪飾りも糸の値段を上げて、デザインに凝ったら、全く値段が違ったし、紙だって、希少価値のあるトロンベの方が高い。 「でも、ここのお金持ちが欲しい物って見当つかないんだよね。リンシャンにしても、髪飾りにしても、紙にしても、わたしの周りにはありふれた物だったし」 「お前の世界ってすごいところだったんだな」 わたしがマインとは別の記憶を持っていることを知っているルッツは、気味悪がるのではなく、興味を示してくれるので、二人だけで話をしている時には日本での思い出をわざわざ隠しはしない。 ここに比べれば本屋と図書館がありふれていたというだけで、わたしにとっても理想郷だった。できることなら帰りたいと未だに思う。 「いっそ『100均』や『アイデア商品』あたりをヒントに、生活必需品の改良を考えてみる? 石鹸を改良してみるとか、ろうそくをオシャレにしてみるとか? 去年のハーブろうそくは物によるけど、いい感じだったんだよね」 ルッツが眉をひそめて首を傾げた。 「去年の冬支度の時ね、ろうそくがものすごく臭かったから、匂い消しにハーブをくっつけたろうそくを作ったの。いい感じになったハーブもあれば、相乗効果でひどい匂いになったろうそくもあってね。余計な事しないでって、今年は母さんに禁止されたの」 ベッドの中からハーブろうそくを作りたいと言ったら、即座に却下されて、ベッドから出るなと厳命されてしまった。あれは絶対にわたしの体調より、ろうそくの心配をしていたと思う。 「お前、色々やらかしてたんだな」 「うっ......。何事にも試行錯誤は付き物なんだよ。他には、籠やレース編みが受けたんだから、『おかんアート』から何か使えそうな物がないか......いや、本来は使えないのが『おかんアート』なんだけどね」 自分でツッコミを入れながら、麗乃時代に体験したおかんアートに思いをはせる。 「うーん、『ビーズアクセサリー』も『ビーズ』がないとどうしようもないし、押し花で絵を作ったことはあるけど、売れるようなものじゃないし、『トールペイント』も絵具がないとできないし、どうしようか」 「何言ってるか全然わからねぇよ。結局、何だったらできるんだ?」 何を作るにしても、紙作りと一緒で道具作りから始めなければならない。そう考えた瞬間に一気にやる気が失せた。 「えーと、新商品を考えるにあたって、自分の生活に必要ない物のために道具作りから情熱を燃やせる気がしないことが一番の問題点だとわかった」 「燃やせよ! お前、死にたいのか!?」 「心配しなくても、わたしの必需品なら情熱もわいてくるから、次は本とか......」 「ちょっと待て! わたし以外に必要とする人がいないから売れないって言ったのはお前だろ! 売れるものを考えろよ!」 興奮しすぎたのか、ルッツがちょっと涙目になっている。わたしはルッツの肩をポンポンと叩いた。 「ルッツ、ちょっと落ち着きなよ」 「オレを興奮させてるのはマインだ!」 「うん、そうだね。ごめん、ごめん」 ルッツをなだめていると、後ろからいきなりガシッと頭を掴まれた。 「ぅひゃあっ!?」 「お前ら、往来で一体何の話をしているんだ? 笑われてるが、笑いを取るつもりの会話か?」 聞き慣れたベンノの声にハッとして周りを見回してみると、確かにクスクスと小さい笑い声が聞こえてくる。 「ベンノさん、なんでここに居るんですか?」 「工房の見回りに行った帰りだ。お前らはどうした?」 「髪飾りができたので、持っていくところです」 「そうか。だったら、行くぞ」 わたしをひょいっと担ぎあげて、せっかちなベンノはスタスタと歩きだす。ルッツが小走りでついて来ているのが、ベンノの肩越しに見えた。 店に入っても、わたしは下ろされることなく、そのまま奥まで連れていかれて、いつものテーブルのところで下ろされた。 「前に納品した物と合わせて20個です。確認してください」 「......よし、これで髪飾りも売れる。次の土の日が洗礼式だから、大急ぎだな」 家族の中に今回の洗礼式に関係する人がいないので、大して興味もなかったわたしは、へぇ、と聞き流そうとして、知らない言葉に気が付いた。 「......ねぇ、ルッツ。土の日って何? わたし、初めて聞いたんだけど」 「はぁ!? 何って言われても......土の日は土の日だよ。なぁ?」 ルッツも説明はできないのか、話をベンノに振った。 「水の日、芽の日、火の日、葉の日、風の日、実の日、土の日がぐるぐる繰り返しているだろう?」 え? だろう? って、言われても知らないよ。初耳ですけど。 「春は雪解けの水の季節で芽が息吹く。夏は太陽が一番近い火の季節で葉が茂る。秋はひやりとしてくる風の季節で実が実る。冬は命が眠る土の季節だ。だから、土の日は安息日と決められていて、店も閉まっている」 今までも定期的に母が休む日があるので、曜日が存在するのはわかっていた。ただ、家の中にカレンダーもないし、父の仕事は不規則だし、だれも曜日の名前なんて出さなかったから、知らなかっただけだ。 「ふぅん、そんな意味があったんだ。名前は知ってたけど、知らなかったぜ」 「洗礼式でそういう話が出るはずだ。洗礼式は季節の初めの季節の日にあるから、冬の洗礼式は次の土の日になる」 「なるほど」 ここではゴミの日もカレンダーもないので、生活する上で仕事をしている人が安息日だけわかっていれば問題ない。わざわざ話題にするようなことではないので、知らなくても生活はできてしまう。 約束するにも何日後という言い方しかしなかったし、その方がお互いわかりやすいので、曜日は普段の生活で使わないのだろう。ベンノの言い方では宗教に関係があるようだし、嫌でも洗礼式で教えられるなら、今は放置で問題なさそうだ。 「日の名前はもういいです。それより、精算を終わらせましょう」 「まぁ、普段はそれほど使わないからな」 髪飾りの精算をしてもらって、トゥーリと母への未払い分である中銅貨は持って帰れるように、お財布に入れてトートバッグの中へ入れた。それ以外のお金はベンノとカードを合わせて貯金に回す。 用件が終わったので、仕事の邪魔をしないようにさっさと帰ろうとしたら、ベンノにがっしりと腕を掴まれた。 「何か商品アイデアが出てきたのか? 道でそんな話をしていただろう?」 どこからわたし達の会話を聞いていたのか知らないけれど、期待に満ちた目と言葉からベンノがルッツを焚きつけて新商品を作らせようとしていることがわかった。 ......まぁ、お金が必要なのは間違いないんだけどさ。 ここ数日のうちにも身食いの熱の活発さがどんどん増していて、押さえるのに時間と体力をかなり消耗するようになってきた。正直、お金が貯まるまで自分の身体が持つと思えない。 「ベンノさんは何が高額で売れると思いますか? わたしはね、がっつり利益取ろうと思ったら、富豪層を相手に珍しい物か、高品質な消耗品だと思うんですよ」 「珍しい物はみんなが持ったら珍しくなくなるから意味なくなるけど、消耗品なら使ったらまた買ってもらえるから、ずっと稼ぎ続けられるんですよね。......そう考えたら、リンシャン、イイ稼ぎになりますよね?」 リンシャンの権利は全てベンノにあるので、余裕綽々の笑顔である。ついでに、高品質のリンシャンも仕上がって、これから売り始めるらしい。リンシャンのような商品なら、長く稼げると思う。 「わたしの感覚で思いつく分ならやっぱり美容関係かな? 美にかける女性の情熱ってすごいですもんね」 化粧品は高い。高くても自分に合うものを求めて、少しでも綺麗になるためにお金を惜しまない女性は多い。特に貴族や富豪層なら、効果があれば喜んでお金を出してくれると思う。 「何があるんだ?」 「えーと......個人的に欲しいのは高品質で香り高い石鹸ですね。それから、冬の間ずっと使うんですから、ろうそくに色や香りを付けてオシャレにしてみるとか? 去年のハーブろうそくは物によってはいい感じだったんです。あとは、わたしにはまだ必要ないけど、化粧水なんかは売れ行き良さそう」 思い当たる物を指折り数えていくと、いくつか新商品になりそうな物が出てきた。 「なぁ、マイン。全部作り方はわかっているのか?」 「うーん、大体の見当はついてるよ。紙を作った時と一緒で、材料と道具を揃えるのが大変だし、細かい割合の調整で試行錯誤は必要だろうけどね......」 ビシッと人差指でわたしを指して、ベンノがニヤリと笑った。脳内で利益を計算している商人の顔だ。 とらぬ狸の皮算用、と心の中で呟きながら、わたしはこめかみを押さえた。 「ハァ、やってみろって簡単に言いますけど、ベンノさん。春にならなきゃ、わたしは外に出られませんか......ひあッ!?」 正直、この身食いが春まで持つかな? 危ないんじゃないかな? なんて考えた瞬間、封じ込めてあった蓋が弾け飛んだように、どっと身食いの熱が噴き出してきた。 異変に気付いたルッツが顔色を変えて立ち上がった。 わたしはうまく体に力を入れることができなくて、ぐらりと身体が揺れる。 身体が熱くて、熱が抑えられなくて、椅子から転がり落ちるのがわかっているのに、自分で自分を止めることができない。 椅子から自分が落ちるのを視界だけで認識していた。どさっと床に落ちても、身体中の熱さが勝って痛みは全く感じなかった。見開いたままの視界には厚みあるカーペットと駆け寄ってくる二人の足が映っている。 「マイン、大丈夫か!?」 ベンノがドアの方を振り返り、ベルを鳴らしてマルクを呼ぶ手間も惜しんで大声を出している。 「まずい! マルク、すぐにじじいへ使いを出せ!」 「おい! 本を作るって言っただろ! まだ負けないんだろ!? マイン! しっかり......」 「マルク、......の準備......も、急げ......」 何を言っているのかわからなくなり、そして、わたしの意識はプツリと途切れた。

Although my body seethes with a boiling fever, my head is cool and clear. I feel like my body is lighter than ever. When I stare directly at the temple master, haughtily standing by the door, I can clearly see all the blood drain from his face, turning him ghastly pale. Well, if you get like this just from being stared at, maybe you shouldn’t have threatened me with such horrible things, hm? Idiot. “Maïne, your mana is leaking out. Control your emotions!” The head priest, perhaps having seen the temple master quickly lose all color, stands up with a sudden clatter, face tight as he calls to me. I, hearing an unexpected voice from an unexpected direction, turn my gaze from the temple master towards the head priest. The instant the temple master leaves my field of vision, the sound of him collapsing heavily to the floor reaches my ears. It seems like now that I’ve looked away, the gray-robed priests who had been standing stock still, like they had been st.i.tched to the spot, are suddenly free to move. I hear them rush over to the temple master, frantically asking if he’s okay. The sound of their voices echoes distantly in my ears as I look toward the head priest. He moans, clutching at his chest. “Urgh... like... you usually do?” “You called me out here to have a friendly conversation, and then suddenly start shouting orders and attacking us, and then when we dare to defend ourselves you threaten us with the death penalty. Please, enlighten me, how might I control my anger? I don’t quite understand how.” I snort disdainfully as I look away from the head priest and focus my gaze once again on the temple master. He sits, slumped against the wall. Unlike before, he can’t even bring himself to meet my eyes. He whimpers, terror written plainly on his features, and I can’t help but laugh a little, putting a bit of my rage behind. What a funny face. This isn’t the face of a kindly old man, nor the face of an arrogant n.o.ble. This is the face of a man who looks at a weak little girl and cowers like he’s seeing a monster. I get a little irritated at how this many-faced temple master can’t seem to stay anything to me, and take a single step forward. “G... get away! Get away from me! Don’t come any closer!” His breathing is ragged as he yells at me, like he’s in great pain. He’s just saying the same thing over and over, like he’s so panicked he can’t even come up with anything else to say. Over my right shoulder, I hear the head priest hurriedly calling out to me. “Please, wait! If you keep letting your emotions control your mana like this, Father Bösewanz’s heart will give out!” “Hmmm?” I say, taking one slow, measured step after another towards the temple master. “I don’t mind if he dies, though. If he lives, then he’s going to have my mother and father killed, isn’t he? So perhaps he should die before he has the chance to do that. If you’re willing to kill someone, aren’t you supposed to be prepared to be killed yourself? Perhaps you should be happy about this! Aren’t you next in line for his position if he dies?” With my fourth step forward, the temple master goes limp, his eyes wide and mouth frothing. In the next instant, the head priest steps in to block my view. He kneels down in front of me. He grits his teeth as if in great pain, a cold sweat dripping down his face, but looks at me with a very serious expression. “Let us talk.” “‘Talk’? You mean with our fists? Ah, or perhaps with our magic?” The head priest’s eyes open wide, and he starts coughing violently. A bit of blood leaks from the corner of his mouth. I am captivated by the sight of the bright red drop. “Don’t kill him,” he says. “If you kill Father Bösewanz, your entire family will be killed by the n.o.bles. I don’t think that is what you want, is it?” His words give me a moment of clarity. I can’t let my desire to protect my parents run so rampant that I get my entire family executed. I blink, rapidly, and a long, exhausted sigh slips through the head priest’s lips. “Have you come to your senses?” he says. “...Probably.” The head priest slumps with relief. He pulls a handkerchief out of his breast pocket, wipes his mouth, and straightens his disheveled bangs. And, with that, he looks as cool and composed as he would have been if nothing had ever happened at all. “Let’s have a conversation,” he says. “Like you want.” “And you’ll actually listen to all of our demands?” He flinches, then lightly shakes his head. He lays a hand on my shoulder. “...If you want that to happen, I need you to get your mana under control. Do you think you can do that?” I take in a slow, deep breath, gathering up all of the heat that had spread throughout my body and compressing it deep down, back into my heart. This is something I do a lot, but I can’t help but feel like there’s more of the devouring fever than I thought there would be. Ah, but it’s not the devouring fever, though. It’s mana? I tell myself that it doesn’t matter either way as I finish tidying up the last of it and sealing it tightly away. In that instant, all of the strength leaves my body, and I collapse like a puppet with its strings cut. “Oop,” says the head priest, reaching out to catch me as I crumple in front of him, saving me from falling to the floor. “Maïne!” “Are you okay?!” My parents rush over, and the head priest picks me up, handing me to them. My mother kneels down and takes me, hugging me tightly against her. My father nervously looks down at me, eyes filled with worry as I dangle limply in my mother’s grasp. “I’m okay,” I say. “The devouring fever went wild for a bit so my temperature went up and down very fast, that’s all. It happens all the time. I’m still wide awake.” “It happens all the time?” says my father, uneasy. “That?” I manage a small smile. “It’s rare for my emotions to run wild like that, but half a year ago when it looked like the devouring was going to swallow me up, my fever was going wild quite often.” While I talk to my parents, the head priest stands up and talks to the priests, giving them instructions on how to deal with the present situation. He asks some of them to look after the temple master, and others to go prepare a room for us to have our discussion in. “You two, get Father Bösewanz into his bed, then go to your rooms and rest as well. Taking that much magical coercion head-on must have left you exhausted.” “But Father Ferdinand, what about you...?” As the worried-sounding priest says, the person who should be the most exhausted here isn’t any of the priests that had been off to the side, but the head priest himself. He’d stepped between me and the temple master, putting himself directly in front of me, and met me eye-to-eye as we talked. The head priest looks at me, startled, then smiles wryly. “This is my punishment,” he says. “I had no idea just how much mana someone who had managed to survive the devouring up until their baptism might have, yet I sat quietly aside as Father Bösewanz made you so angry. It’s only natural.” Now that he’s finished giving instructions, he walks slowly over to me. Now that he’s closer, I can hear just how ragged his breathing really is. It’s plain to see how hard he’s pus.h.i.+ng himself. “Why were you just observing?” “I had been thinking that it would be best for us if we could get you to join the temple without any extra conditions. It would save a lot of trouble for us, and I must confess I was a little greedy over what we would gain from the arrangement. I hadn’t even considered that your parents, commoners, would have ever refused an order from a n.o.bleman, let alone be prepared to face capital punishment in order to protect you.” As the head priest murmurs about how far out of his expectations this was, my father narrows his eyes at him. “Maïne is our precious daughter. How many times do I have to tell you this, sir?” The head priest looks down at me. He smiles a complicated smile, with hints of self-recrimination and a thought that he had looked at something terribly radiant. He gently strokes my head as I rest in my mother’s arms. “...Maïne, I am quite honestly jealous of how loved you are by your parents. After all, those of us here at the temple, whether we are orphans or n.o.blemen, are people whose parents did not need.” These incredibly sad words, said to me in this dazzlingly extravagant room, will stay in my heart for the entire time I stay at the temple. With the temple master put to bed, we relocate to the head priest’s room so that we can have our conversation. The basic arrangement of the room and the quality of the furniture is the same as the temple master’s, but there’s no display shelf here. In its place is what appears to be a work desk, covered with wooden boards and pieces of parchment. It seems like the head priest is responsible for singlehandedly managing the practical business of the temple. This time, we’re properly asked to take a seat at the table. Since I still can’t move my body at all, I am propped up on a sofa. Then, we begin our discussion. “On a previous note,” says my father, “you mentioned 'coercion’, right? May I ask what that might be? Maïne’s eyes were glowing with a rainbow light, and yellow mist was rising off of her...” What the h.e.l.l?! I had no idea that such bizarre phenomena was happening! Rainbow eyes and weird mist, what the h.e.l.l?! My eyes almost pop out of their sockets when I hear him say that. I’m the only one who didn’t know about it (or, rather, hadn’t seen it), so my silent astonishment goes largely unnoticed and the conversation quickly continues. “It’s a phenomenon that occurs when one’s emotions run rampant. Mana is circulated through the body and activated, and a coercive effect is applied to anyone that one considers to be an enemy. It’s something that happens frequently in children who have a hard time controlling their emotions; surely you’ve seen it at least once?” My parents look at each other, trying to remember. “I’ve seen her eyes change colors a few times,” says my mother. “Usually when she’s acting spoiled. It was never something that I’d describe as 'coercion’, though. She usually settled down when I told her she was being unreasonable.” “Come to think of it,” says my father, “there was one time when she’d gone to the forest to make something, then Fey and the others destroyed it. I think that was the first time I saw it. It was a little intimidating.” My parents are having a lively conversation as they start remembering things, but I, the third party to this conversation, am only growing more and more intensely aware of my own strangeness. I’m pretty sure a little girl whose eyes change colors and starts to give off an intimidating vibe whenever she started being unreasonable would be described as, quite frankly, creepy. It wouldn’t have been strange for them to get rid of me. Man, they’ve taken great care to try to raise me right... “The amount of influence depends on the amount of mana used,” says the head priest, “so it’s likely that the difference in power compared to those previous incidents is caused by Maïne having gradually gained more and more mana. Please, take care not to cause her to run wild like that in the future.” “If nothing extraordinary happens,” I say, “I won’t lose control of my emotions.” When I indirectly point blame at the temple master for causing me to lose control, the head priest stares at me for a moment, narrowing his eyes. “I’d heard that having the devouring generally means that someone has a comparatively large amount of mana, but I hadn’t thought that you’d be able to release so much that your coercion would cause the temple master to faint. ...If I may ask, how are you still alive?” “Huh?” I don’t know how to answer that one. I tilt my head, not fully understanding the question, and the head priest starts to explain. “You need to have a force of will that is stronger than the mana you are trying to keep bottled up. For a child who doesn’t know that they must keep their emotions in check, the amount of mana that they can endure with their fragile wills is quite frankly not very large. If a child is born with strong magic, they die quickly. Since the amount of mana one possesses multiplies as one grows older, the magical strength of a child who has survived all the way to their baptism is not anything to fear. It is odd that someone with magic as powerful as yours has survived for as long as you have.” “I’m pretty sure I’ve been close to death. A very kind person sold me a broken magical tool, once, which allowed me to live a little longer.” The original Maïne died two years ago. Then, if Freida hadn’t saved me, I would probably have died half a year ago. Like the head priest says, making it all the way to my baptism while having the devouring was no easy task. “I see. But did you not wish to have this kind person help you find a n.o.ble with which to make a contract? Without a contract you wouldn’t be able to continue living. Granted, it is only because you did not make such a contract that you were able to meet us like this, but I can’t help but wonder why you would have made this choice.” He really does look curious. I tilt my head to the side as well. “If making a contract with a n.o.ble means I’ll be locked away, there’s not much point to living anymore, is there? I wanted to stay with my family. I wanted to make books. I wanted to live for my own sake, because otherwise it would be meaningless.” “...Living for your own sake... I simply can’t understand thinking like that.” He shakes his head, takes a slow breath to steady himself, then looks at me, my mother, and my father in turn before opening his mouth to speak. “Maïne, I wish for you to join the temple. This is not an order, but a request.” “I heard from a merchant that the number of n.o.bles here in the temple has been decreasing, so you don’t have enough mana, correct? Is it really true that you use magic to help the crops grow?” “...What a well-informed merchant. Well, alright then.” It seems that somehow Benno managed to acquire accurate information. If that’s the case, then the lack of mana really will have terrible, far-reaching effects. “Can you not cooperate with the other n.o.bility?” I ask. “There are various other magical tools that must be kept running in order to protect the city. The fundamental basis of our city’s defenses are its magical tools, after all.” I’d been wondering why the other n.o.bles weren’t bothering to help, but it seems like they’ve got other things that they need to do. “The temple master being who he is,” says the head priest, “the majority of the practical business of running the temple falls to me. It is very unusual for a child with the devouring to have as much mana as you do. As promised, I’ll accommodate you as best as I can.” “Dad, I’ll leave it to you.” He’s taking our conditions seriously. Now it’s time for my father, the head of the house, to take over. My mother gently strokes my head. “You look so tired. You should rest now,” she says, but I must make sure I stay awake to listen. This conversation is all about my future; if I don’t pay proper attention, Benno’s going to smack me on the head again. As I continue to recline on the couch, I watch my father’s discussion with the head priest closely. “Then, sir, here are our conditions,” says my father. “If what you need most from Maïne is her mana, then we would like for her to be treated more like a n.o.ble priest. She absolutely cannot be put to the same work as the gray-robed priests.” The head priests nods, not having to give it much thought. “I’ll have a special blue outfit prepared for her. She’ll have the same duties as the younger n.o.bles, which largely consist of tending to the magical tools here. This is what I was originally intending to suggest, had the temple master not gone so wild, so I have no objections. How would it sound if I were to have her both tend to the magical tools and, as she has requested, work in the library as well?” My opinion of the head priest, who is offering me permission to enter the library with no strings attached, is skyrocketing. He may have a cool demeanor, but he risked his own well-being to stop me, he’s skilled enough to singlehandedly manage the temple’s affairs, he read the scriptures to me, he’s letting me into the library, he’s letting me into the library, he’s letting me into the library! “Father Ferdinand, you’re such a good person!” “Uh?” It seems my deeply heartfelt joy did not reach him. He and my father give me a single, fleeting glance, and then simply return to their conversation. “Next, if our daughter were to be kept here at the temple out of our sight, we would be constantly worried sick. We would like for her to be able to come home. We don’t have any intention of giving her up.” “...Hmm, I see. Since Maïne is not an orphan, she should be able to go home. Practically, many of the n.o.bility here have homes to go back to as well, so this shouldn’t pose any problems.” “Pardon me,” says my mother, “but Maïne is very frail, so she won’t be able to perform her duties every day. Is there something you can do about this?” My mother lightly covers my mouth with one hand, prohibiting me from speaking, as she moves the conversation forward. “There’s no need for her to push herself when she’s not feeling up to it. You implied that she’s able to go to the forest when she’s well enough; she’s not incapable of moving, is she?” Frustrated at myself for having spoken out of turn before, I shake my head, making eye contact with the head priest. “Even if I’m feeling okay, it’s pointless if I don’t have Lutz with me.” “Lutz? The boy who came to pick you up the other day?” “Yes, sir. He’s always been helping me manage my health. If he’s not with me, I often collapse suddenly and my fever comes back. I need to have someone to help me with managing my condition.” Before I can continue onto my next thought, which would have been that I’ll only be able to come at Lutz’s convenience on days when my health is good, the head priest nods. Without saying anything, he jots something down on a nearby board. “Ahh, so you’ll be needing attendants? I have no objections there. Blue-robed priests and priestesses generally have several a.s.signed to them.” Did he just say “attendants”? Having several people a.s.signed to me would actually be really hard on me, though? As I sit there in mute bewilderment, the head priest looks away from me, glancing at my parents. “Do you have any objections so far? Any further conditions?” He’s absolutely fine making whatever compromise he needs to. It seems like Benno was right: these people will do anything to make sure that I join the temple. “Um,” I say, “Father Ferdinand. I’m currently registered with the merchants’ guild. Will I be able to continue operating my workshop?” “...The temple master must have told you that you’ll have no use for that while in service of the G.o.ds.” This is the first thing he’s disapproved of. He frowns intensely, deep in thought. Just as Benno taught me, I start to negotiate. “...However, I’ve been operating this workshop forever. It’s my main source of income. You run an orphanage here, don’t you? If I hired the orphan children to work for a wage, and set aside some of the profits from my products to donate to the church, could we possibly work something out?” Unlike the temple master, who I’m sure would have rejected me without a second thought, the head priest is in charge of the day-to-day affairs of the temple. This, of course, must include their accounting. As Benno said, with fewer n.o.bles, there are fewer donations coming in, so the temple must be in need of money. As I watch him, waiting patiently for his answer, he sighs, rubbing his temples. “Just how much do you know?” he mutters, sadly. “...Very well. We’ll have a more detailed discussion in the future about the percentage of your profits that you’ll be setting aside, then put that in writing. As of now, I don’t have enough information to be able to talk about this.” “I understand. Let’s leave talking about donations and money until a later date.” I don’t really want to have the conversation about donations in front of my parents. The head priest, perhaps noticing this, quirks one eyebrow, but says nothing, instead looking back at my parents again. “Any other conditions?” “No, sir. If she’s given blue robes, is allowed to live at home, and can keep an eye on her health, then as her parents we have no objections. Thank you for your consideration.” When we finished our discussion, the head priest invites us to lunch. However, the three of us leave immediately, with my mother saying that it would be best for us to let the head priest get some rest. As we pa.s.s through the towering gates of the temple, I see the refres.h.i.+ngly clear, blue skies spreading out before me, and I’m struck with a renewed sense of liberation. I’ve solved all of the problems that have been plaguing me. We head home, my father carrying me in his arms. We walk in silence for a while, but when the central plaza comes into view, signaling that we’ve returned to our usual sphere of existence, my father murmurs, “We did it, huh...” “Yeah,” I reply. “We just won, didn’t we?” he says, expressionlessly. I give him my biggest smile, nodding vigorously. “Yeah! A really big win. Mom, Dad, thank you for protecting me.” I finally have recovered a bit of my strength, so I make a loose fist and bend my elbow. My father, breaking into his usual smile, holds me in one arm, and makes a fist with his other. “Nah, you were the one protecting us, weren’t you? With that 'coercion’ thing.” “Nuh-uh, that just me getting so mad that my fever went wild. I don’t really remember it that well.” Chuckling to each other, my father and I tap our fists together. We managed to get every single one of our demands met, though the financial conversation will come later. I’ll have to talk to Benno about that and come up with a really solid plan so that I can definitely win next time, too. “I’m a little relieved myself,” says my mother. “Since that head priest is there, I’m sure things will turn out alright.” I tilt my head curiously. Certainly, the head priest seems like a very capable person, but I don’t know why looking at him would set my mother’s mind at ease. “He stopped you, didn’t he? You always just take off running in whatever direction you please, so not having anyone to stop you would be terrible. Even if something happens that makes your mana go wild, you’ll have someone there to hold you down and scold you. That’s a very important thing.” That’s exactly the kind of reason I would expect my mother to give. I can easily imagine my days at the temple being full of the head priest scolding me with my mother’s full approval. “...He’s going to get mad at me a lot.” Both of my parents laugh at my prediction. I think about how if I hadn’t been able to stop the temple master, I wouldn’t be looking at this scene right now. I let out a sigh, relieved that I’m actually able to return home with my family. I’m so glad. I went a little wild, but I didn’t mess up. We turn off of the main road and head along the narrow alleyway that leads to our building. When the plaza comes into view, I see Tuuli, pacing nervously by the water well, obviously waiting for us to come home. “Tuuli!” I call out, beaming broadly. “Maïne! You’re okay! You really came home!” When she sees me, she immediately starts running towards us, trampling the weeds in her path. My father sets me down, leaving a hand at my back to keep me propped up. Tuuli leaps at me, hugging me tightly. “I’m so glad you’re back, Maïne! I was waiting forever!” Tuuli is so happy that tears are welling in her eyes. I smile back at her.

身体は沸騰するほど熱いのに、頭の芯は冷え切っているようで、いつもよりずっと身体が軽くなっているような気がする。 そんな顔をするくらいなら、最初からひどいことしなきゃいいのに。バカじゃないの。 「マイン、魔力が漏れている。感情を抑えるんだ!」 わたしの視界から神殿長の姿が消えた瞬間、神殿長がその場にドサリと重い荷物が落ちたように崩れて座りこんだ音が耳に届いた。 わたしの視界から外れると動けるようになるようで、縫いとめられたように動かなかった神官達が神殿長に駆け寄り、声をかける様子が耳に届き始める。神殿長の無事を問う声を遠くに聞きながら、わたしは神官長に問いかけた。 「ぐっ......、いつも、しているだろう?」 「話し合いをしたいと言って呼び出しておきながら、いきなりの命令口調で、強硬手段に出た上に、反撃したら極刑なんて言う相手に、どうやってこの怒りを抑えればいいの? わからないよ」 ふいっと神官長から視線を外して、再び神殿長を視界に収める。床にへたりと座り込んでいた神殿長は、先程と違って見上げなくてもわたしと視線が合う位置に顔があった。 変な顔。 好々爺の顔とも、傲岸不遜な顔とも違う。わたしのような虚弱幼女を相手に、まるで怪物とか化物でも見たような顔だ。 「く、来るな! 来るな! こっちに来るな!」 ぜいぜいと息苦しそうに呼吸をしながら、神殿長は恐慌状態に陥ったように、何度も何度も同じ言葉を繰り返している。 わたしの右肩の後ろ辺りから神官長の焦ったような声が響いてきた。 「待ちなさい! このまま感情に任せて魔力を放たれたら、神殿長の心臓が持たない!」 「死ねばいいのに。このまま生きていたら、わたしの父さんと母さんを殺すんでしょう? だったら、先に死んで。人を殺そうとするんだから、当然殺される覚悟だってあるでしょう? 貴方が死ねば、後釜を狙う人はきっと喜んでくれると思うよ?」 次の瞬間、神官長が神殿長をわたしの視界から隠すように立ち塞がって、わたしの前に膝をついた。そのまま苦しげに眉を寄せ、脂汗を垂らしながら、真剣な目で言い募る。 「話し合いをしよう」 「オハナシアイ? 肉体言語で? それとも、魔力で?」 わたしの質問に目を見開いた神官長がコフッと咳き込んで、口の端から血を滴らせた。つつっと伝っていく赤い滴に、目を奪われる。 「殺しては、ならない。君が神殿長を殺せば、家族は貴族殺しの身内になる。それは君の望むところではないはずだ」 神官長の言葉に、ハッとする。家族を守りたいと思ったわたしの暴走で、家族を犯罪者の身内にするわけにはいかない。 「理性が戻ったようだな?」 「......多分」 安堵したように神官長が身体の力を抜き、懐から取り出したハンカチで、自分の口元を拭って、乱れていた前髪を整える。それだけで、神官長は何事もなかったように冷静な顔に戻ってしまった。 「話し合いをしよう。君が望んだとおりに」 「こっちの条件を全部呑んでくれるってこと?」 一瞬苦い顔をした神官長が、軽く頭を振った後、わたしの肩に手を置いた。 「......そのためには暴れる魔力を抑えるんだ。できるか?」 ゆっくりと深呼吸しながら、わたしは全身に広がってしまった熱を集中して、中心に押し込んでいく。いつもの慣れた作業だが、自分で思っていたよりも身食いの熱が増えているよう気がする。 身食いの熱じゃなくて、魔力だっけ? そんなどうでもいいことを考えながら、ギュッと綺麗に押し込んで、きっちりと蓋を締めた。その途端、身体中の力が抜けて、糸が切れた操り人形のようにガクンと身体が崩れる。 倒れ込んだわたしの身体は目の前の神官長が抱き止めてくれて、床に放り出されることはなかった。 「マイン!」 「大丈夫か!?」 母が軽く膝を曲げて、わたしを受け取り、ギュッと抱きしめてくれた。父が心配そうにぐったりとして身体に力の入らないわたしをおろおろと見下ろしている。 「大丈夫だよ。身食いの熱が暴走する時の体温の急上昇と急降下に身体がついてこないだけ。いつものことだし、意識ははっきりしてるから」 「いつものことなのか? あれが?」 「あんなに感情的になって暴走することは滅多にないけど、食われそうになってた半年前は結構頻繁に熱が暴走してたから」 わたしが両親とそんな話をしているうちに、神官長は立ち上がり、この場を収拾するべく神官達に指示を出していた。神殿長の世話を頼み、話をするための部屋を整えさせる。 「君達、神殿長をベッドに放り込んだら、自室に帰って休みなさい。あれだけの魔力の威圧を正面から受けたら、相当疲弊しているはずだ」 「ですが、神官長の方が......」 心配そうに声をかけた神官の言うとおり、多分、この場で一番疲弊しているのは、周囲の神官より、神官長の方だ。神殿長とわたしの間に割り込んで、真正面の間近でわたしと目を合わせて話をしていたのだから。 「これは私に与えられた罰だ。洗礼式まで生きていた身食いにどれだけの魔力があるかわからなかったのに、君を怒らせる神殿長を静観していたのだから当然のことだ」 指示を出し終えた神官長がこちらにゆっくりと歩いてくる。近くで見ると、荒い息と疲れ切った表情から、無理していることがよく感じ取れた。 「神官長は、なんで静観していたんですか?」 「何の条件もなく、君を神殿に入れることができれば、それに越したことはないと思っていたからだ。手間を惜しんで、少しでも利益を得ようと欲張った。まさか、平民である君の両親が貴族の命令を強硬に断るとは思わなかったし、子供を守るために極刑さえ覚悟しているとは思わなかった」 計算外だと呟く神官長に、父はわずかに目を細める。 「マインは大事な娘だ。何度もそう言ったはずですが?」 父の言葉に神官長がわたしを見る。自分自身を嘲笑しているような、ひどく眩しい物を見たような、複雑な笑みを浮かべて、母の腕の中にいるわたしの頭を軽く撫でた。 「......マイン、私は正直、ここまで親に大事にされ、愛されている君が羨ましいと思う。神殿にいるのは、孤児であれ、貴族であれ、親に必要とされなかった者ばかりだからな」 きらびやかで豪華な部屋に住める神官長の言葉は、とても悲しいもので、これから先、神殿に係わる間、ずっと胸に残る言葉になった。 基本的な配置や使われている家具の高級さは神殿長の部屋と同じだが、飾り棚がなく、執務机が木札や紙に埋もれている。どうやら、神殿の実務的なあれこれを一手に担っているのは、神官長のようだ。 今度はきちんと席を勧められて、でろんと力が入らないわたしのために長椅子まで準備してくれて、話し合いは始まった。 「先程の、威圧と言ったかな? あれは一体何だったのか、伺っても良いでしょうか? マインの目が虹色のように光って、身体から薄い黄色のもやもやとしたものが出てきていたが......」 何それ!? そんな怪奇現象が起こっていたなんて知らなかったよ! 目が虹色とか、身体から何か出るって、何それ!? 知らないというか、見えないのは自分だけなので、わたしの驚きなど誰も気付かないらしく、話はさっさと進められていく。 「激しい感情が抑えきれなくなった時に出る現象だ。魔力が全身を巡り、活性化し、自分の敵だと認識した対象を魔力で威圧する。感情を抑えることが下手な子供ならば起きやすいが、今まではなかったのか?」 両親は顔を見合わせて、記憶を探り始めた。 「目の色が変わるのは何度か見たことがあるわ。我儘を言う時になるのよ。けれど、威圧と言うほどでもなかったわね。無理な理由を言えば、大体は収まったから」 「そういえば、森でマインが何か作って、フェイ達に壊されたと大騒ぎした時に、俺は初めて見たな。あれは、かなり威圧感があったぞ」 両親は思い出話に花を咲かせているが、として話を聞くと、自分の奇妙さが浮き彫りになっていく。我儘を言うと目の色が変わったり、威圧感を出したりするような子供は正直薄気味悪いと思う。 捨てられててもおかしくないじゃん。よくここまで大事に育ててくれたなぁ......。 「魔力の差によって影響も差が出るので、以前より威力が上がっているということは、少しずつマインの魔力が増えているのだろう。これから先は暴走させないように気を付けなさい」 「よっぽどのことがないと、感情が振りきれることなんてないですよ」 切れさせた神殿長が悪い、と遠回しに非難すると、神官長はわたしをじっと観察しながら、目を細めた。 「身食いは魔力が比較的高いとは聞いていたが、まさか神殿長を卒倒させるほどの威圧を放つほど魔力があるとは思わなかった。......こう言っては何だが、何故、君は生きている?」 「え?」 何故と言われても困る。よく理解できなくて首を傾げると、神官長が説明してくれた。 「魔力が強いほど、抑え込むのに精神力がいる。感情的で抑えることを知らない子供のもろい精神力で耐えられる魔力は正直それほど強くない。強い魔力を持って生まれるほど、すぐに死ぬ。成長に合わせて魔力も増えるので、洗礼式まで生き延びた身食いの魔力は本来ならばさほど脅威でもない。君ほどの魔力の持ち主が生きていることがおかしい」 「もう死んでるはずでした。親切な人が壊れかけの魔術具を譲ってくれたので、延命できたんです」 元のマインは2年近く前に。そして、フリーダに助けられていなかったら、わたしも半年前に死んでいるはずだった。神官長が言うとおり、身食いが洗礼式まで生き延びるのは簡単ではない。 「そうか。だが、君はその親切な人を通して、貴族と契約することを望まなかったのか? 契約しなければ生きられない。君が契約しなかったおかげで、こうして神殿に迎えることができるのだが、私には不思議で仕方ないんだ」 本当に不思議そうに問われて、わたしも同じように首を傾げる。 「契約して貴族に飼い殺されるなんて、生きている意味がないでしょう? わたしは家族と一緒にいたかった。本を作りたかった。自分の生きたいように生きられないのでは意味がないんです」 「......自分が生きたいように生きる、か。とても理解できない考え方だな」 軽く頭を振った神官長は、ゆっくりと呼吸を整えて、わたしを、母を、父を順番に見て、口を開いた。 「マイン、君には神殿に入って欲しい。これは命令ではなく、お願いだ」 「商人さんから聞きました。貴族が減って、魔力が足りないんですよね? 魔力によって収穫に影響が出るのは本当ですか?」 「......ずいぶんと物知りな商人だな。まぁ、いい」 どうやら、ベンノが集めてきた情報は正しかったようだ。だったら、魔力が足りなければ、影響の出る範囲がひどく大きいことになる。 「他の貴族の人には協力してもらえないんですか?」 「それぞれ守り、動かさなくてはならない魔術具がある。街の根幹を守るのは、ほとんど魔術具だからな」 なんと、お貴族様もちょっとは協力しろよ、と思っていたが、別にやることがあるらしい。 「神殿長はアレだが、実務を担当しているのは私だ。君ほどの魔力の持ち主は身食いでも珍しい。約束した通り、できるだけの便宜を図らせてもらう」 「父さん、あと、よろしく」 母はそっとわたしの頭を撫でながら「疲れてるでしょ? 寝てていいわよ」と言ってくれたが、自分に係わる話をきっちり聞いておかないと、またベンノからチョップを食らう羽目になる。長椅子にもたれかかったまま、わたしは父と神官長の話し合いを見ていることにした。 「では、こちらからの条件です。マインの魔力が必要だというなら、貴族とほぼ同等の扱いを要求します。マインに灰色巫女のような仕事は決してさせないでほしい」 父の要求に、ほとんど考えることなく神官長が頷いた。 「マインには特別に青の衣を準備する。貴族の子弟と同じように魔術具の手入れが主な仕事となるし、神殿長が暴走しなかったら、本来はそうするつもりだったので、問題ない。魔術具の手入れと、本人が熱望する図書室の仕事を勤めとするので、どうだろうか?」 条件を付けることなく、図書室への出入りを許可してくれた神官長への好感度がうなぎ登りに上がっていく。 冷たそうに見えるけれど、わたしの暴走も身体を張って止めてくれるし、実務を一手に引き受ける有能さんだし、聖典も読んでくれたし、図書室に入れてくれるし、図書室に入れてくれるし、図書室に入れてくれるし! 「神官長、とても良い人ですね!」 「ハァ?」 わたしの感動と歓喜は誰にも通じなかったようだ。ちらりと一瞥しただけで、父も神官長の話し合いに戻ってしまった。 「それから、親の目が届かない神殿に住むのは心配で仕方がないので、通いでお願いしたい。こちらとしてはマインを手放すつもりはないんです」 「......そうだな。マインは孤児ではないので、家から通えばいい。実際、家がある貴族も通いが多いので、問題はないだろう」 「あの、マインは虚弱なので、毎日のお勤めはできませんが、その点については?」 母に片手で軽く口を押さえられ、発言を禁じられている間に、さくさくと話がわたしを置いて進んでいく。 「体調が悪い時に無理をする必要はない。体調の良い時には森へ行った話もしてくれたのだから、動けないわけではないのだろう?」 神官長に視線を向けられ、わたしはペラペラ喋ってしまった自分に歯噛みしつつ、首を横に振った。 「体調が良くても、ルッツがいないと無理です」 「ルッツ? 先日迎えに来た少年か?」 「そうです。わたしの体調をずっと管理してくれていたの。ルッツがいなかったら、わたし、いきなり倒れたり、熱出したりするんです。体調を管理してくれる人がいないとダメなんです」 だから、ルッツの都合が良くて、体調の良いだけ......と言う前に、得心したように神官長が頷いた。何と言うこともないように、手元の木札に何やら書きこむ。 「あぁ、側仕えが必要ということか。青の神官や巫女には必ず数人が付くことになっているので、問題ない」 側仕えって何ですか? そんなん数人も付けられたらこっちが困りますけど? 戸惑うわたしから視線を外し、神官長は両親を見遣る。 「これでも、まだ反対か? 他に条件は?」 かなり譲歩されているのは間違いない。何が何でもわたしを神殿に入れたいと言っていたベンノの言葉は正しかったようだ。 「あの、神官長。わたし、商業ギルドに登録してるんです。工房を続けても良いですか?」 「......そんなものは神に仕えるのに必要ない、と神殿長なら言うだろうな」 神官長が初めて難色を示した。難しそうに眉を寄せて、考え込む。わたしはベンノに教えられた通りに、交渉する。 「......でも、工房の仕事はずっとしているんです。わたしの大事な収入源だし。ここって孤児院があるんですよね? 孤児の子供達にお給料を払って雇うとか、できた商品の利益の一部を神殿に納めるとか、何か落とし所を探せませんか?」 頭ごなしにダメだと言いそうな神殿長と違って、実務を一手に担っている神官長ならば、帳簿のこともわかっているはずだ。貴族が減って、寄付が減っている神殿は収入が欲しいはずだとベンノが言っていた。 「......よろしい。利益や神殿に納める割合は後日ゆっくり話し合ったうえで、認めるかどうか決定することにしよう。今日は全く情報がないので、話にならない」 「わかりました。じゃあ、寄付も含めて、お金に関するお話はまた後日にしましょう」 寄付金の話はあまり両親の前で言いたい話ではない。神官長は何を察したのか、軽く片方の眉を上げたけれど、何も言わずに両親へと視線を向けた。 「他に条件は?」 「いえ、青の衣を頂いて、体調を見ながら家から通うのであれば、親として反対はできません。よろしくお願いします」 話が終わると、昼食に招かれた。けれど、わたし達はすぐに神殿を出た。神官長を早く休ませてあげた方が良い、と母が言ったからだ。 父に抱き上げられて帰宅する。しばらく無言で歩いていたが、中央広場が見えて、自分達の生活圏内へと帰ってきた時に父がぼそっと呟いた。 「うん」 「勝ったんだよな?」 「大勝利だね。父さんも母さんも、わたしを守ってくれてありがとう」 やっと力が入り始めた拳を緩く握って、わたしが肘を折ると、父はいつもの笑みを浮かべて、片手でわたしを抱き直し、もう片手で拳を作った。 「父さん達を守ってくれたのはマインだろう? 威圧ってヤツで」 「うーん、怒りに熱が暴走しただけで、正直よく覚えてないの」 並べた条件は全部呑んでもらえたし、お金に関してはわたしの交渉次第だ。ベンノに相談して、対策を練りながら、絶対に勝ちとってやればいい。 「わたしはちょっと安心したわ。神官長がいれば、大丈夫そうだもの」 母の言葉にわたしは首を傾げた。確かに、神官長は有能だとは思うけれど、母が何を見て安心したのかわからない。 「神官長はちゃんとマインを止めてくれたでしょう? マインは勝手に突っ走るから、誰も止められないのは困るもの。何かがあって魔力が暴走しても、きちんと止めて叱ってくれる相手は貴重よ」 神殿に入ったら、母のお墨付きで神官長に叱られる日々になることが今から予想できる。 「......いっぱい怒られそう」 わたしの予想に父も母も笑った。 神殿長を止められなかったら、この光景をわたしは見ることができなかったのだと思って、息を吐く。 よかった。暴走したけど、わたし、間違ってなかった。 みんな揃って帰って来られたことに安堵しながら、大通りを曲がり、家に向かう細い路地へと入ると、井戸の広場にトゥーリがいた。 「トゥーリ!」 「マイン! よかった! ちゃんと帰ってきた!」 父がわたしを下ろしてくれ、わたしの背中を自分にもたれさせるようにして、支えてくれた。飛びついてくるトゥーリごとわたしを支えてくれる。 「おかえり、マイン! 待ってたよ」 よかった、と涙さえ浮かべたトゥーリの笑顔に、わたしも笑って応えた。

The snow has begun to melt, and the days have grown clearer. The days are still cold, but my family has said it’s no problem for me to go out to Benno’s shop, so Lutz and I get ready to make our way there to settle the final accounts for our winter’s handiwork. Each person who helped with the work has entrusted me with a small bag to put their earnings into. I put these into my tote bag, along with the last completed hairpins, and we head towards the shop. Traces of winter still remain: the center of the main road has been cleared of snow, but in the corners of the alleyways there’s still some snowmen that have yet to melt, and along the sides of the road there are still mountains of snow that had melted a little bit and then refrozen hard. The faces of everyone who has gone out to meet the new spring are bright, and their footsteps are buoyant as they go to and fro along the streets. The number of carts and carriages on the main road has significantly increased as well. It looks like the number of people visiting Benno’s shop is much higher than normal, so even though we’ve arrived in the afternoon, where there are usually comparatively few people present, it seems extremely busy. As I ask Lutz if it might be best for us to come back later, Mark appears, walking towards us. It seems as if one of the employees that we’ve become acquainted with might have noticed us and called him over. “Good afternoon,” I say. “It’s good to finally see you again, Mister Mark.” “Ah, Lutz and Maïne! Blessings upon the thawing of the snow. May the G.o.ddess of spring bring you great favor.” Mark raises his right fist in front of his chest, then presses his left palm to it, fingers together, slightly bowing his head. I have no idea whatsoever what he could possibly be doing, so Lutz and I stare wide-eyed at him. “Uh? What was that?” “...It’s the way you greet someone in the new spring?” Judging by Mark’s tone of voice, he doesn’t know how we couldn’t know what that was, so I can guess that this is some sort of extremely obvious greeting that is exchanged around here. “This is the first time I’ve heard it. Lutz, did you know about this?” “No, it’s my first time, too.” If Lutz hasn’t heard of it, then it may be something unique to this particular part of the city, or perhaps it’s something occupationally-related. “...Is this maybe a greeting only merchants use?” “It is something that has always been done in my family,” Mark replies, “so I haven’t given it much consideration, but all of the socialization I have done outside of work has been with other merchants, so that might be entirely possible. Since business booms as the snow thaws, we wish blessings upon the thawing of the snow, and greet our fellows by wis.h.i.+ng that the G.o.ddess of spring brings them great favor.” Having said that, he teaches us this merchant’s greeting. It looks like this is a greeting you give the first time you meet someone in the spring. I’m just going to file this away as something similar to “happy new year”. As Mark did a moment ago, I put my right fist in front of my chest, press my left hand against it, and try practicing the greeting. “Blessings upon the thawing of the snow...?” “That’s right,” he says. “May the G.o.ddess of spring bring you great favor, I think.” I quietly mutter it to myself over and over, but I’m fairly confident I will have completely forgotten about this by tomorrow. It’s times like this that really remind me that I very much want a notepad. I may have a slate tucked in my tote bag, but that’s not a notepad. “The master is presently conducting a negotiation. What matters of business might you need to speak with him about? In response, I start ticking off the things I’d like to do today on my fingers. "Umm, first I would like to settle accounts regarding our winter handiwork. Next, since I’d like to resume paper-making as quickly as possible, I’d like to verify whether or not the craftsman has finished making the larger bamboo mats by now. Also, I would like to speak with Mister Benno about my apprentices.h.i.+p, but it seems he’s currently busy?” “I understand. Very well; let us begin with settling your winter’s handiwork. He should finish his business while we work.” He guides us to a small table inside the shop. Lutz and I sit down next to each other, and Mark seats himself opposite us. He presents the bag containing the hairpins. Mark removes them from the bag to count them. “There are twenty-four here,” he says. “Including the ones you left with us during the winter, this makes a total of one hundred and eighty-six, is that correct?” “Yes sir, that is correct.” Lutz nods, having verified Mark’s final count matches the tally we had made on a small board. Each hairpin is worth five medium copper coins. From that, the handling fee Lutz and I are charging will be deposited directly into the guild. Then I take out the various bags that I’d brought with me in order to make distributing the rest of the money easier, and start dividing it up. To make sure that Lutz’s brothers don’t fight, we divide their share evenly across the three of them, excluding Lutz. Splitting it up is easy: each of them gets six large and two medium copper coins. As for my family, my mother made eighty-three, Tuuli made sixty-six, and I made thirty seven. Since these numbers are all over the place, splitting it up is a bit of a pain. My mother winds up with one small silver, six large copper, and six medium copper coins. Tuuli’s share is one small silver, three large copper, and two medium copper coins, and my share is seven large and four small copper coins. “With this number of pins, we should have stock to last us until next winter,” says Mark. “There’s quite a lot of demand for these! Since there are so many colors to choose from, our customers seem to enjoy themselves picking theirs out.” I smile, imagining a parent and child picking out a hairpin together. “Ah, is that so? I’m glad,” I say. “I made myself a hairpin as well, you know!” “How might it be decorated?” I giggle. “That will be a secret until the day of the ceremony.” Mark quirks an eyebrow. “Oh my,” he says. “Then, I shall look forward to seeing it on that day. Now then, you next wished to discuss the resuming of your paper-making, did you not?” “That’s correct,” I say. “We won’t be able to actually resume work until Lutz has had the opportunity to visit the forest and check on the state of the river, but since spring has come, I think that I would like to start as soon as possible.” Benno’s investment will only continue until the early summer, when our baptismal ceremony will be held. Thus, I’d like to resume our work as soon as we can. Mark nods slightly. “Very well. I shall ask the workshop about your order. If I’m correct, you wished for two bamboo mats, the size of a contract sheet?” “Yes, sir, thank you very much.” I notice several merchants leaving the back room, as if the negotiations taking place there finished at about the same time we had finished our discussion out here. “I shall go inform the master of your presence. Please, wait one moment.” After he momentarily disappears into the back room, he returns to lead us in. Since this is the first time I’m meeting Benno this spring, I promptly press my left palm into my right fist in front of my chest, delivering the greeting I’d memorized. “Mister Benno, it is good to see you again. Blessings upon the thawing of the snow. Oh, um... may the G.o.ddess of spring’s, um, great favor... huh?” As I struggle to remember something I’d heard just a moment ago without the aid of a notepad, Lutz looks at me in amazement. He steps in front of me, pressing his left palm into his right fist in front of his chest. “Master Benno, blessings upon the thawing of the snow. May the G.o.ddess of spring bring you great favor.” “Aha, yes, that! Blessings upon the thawing of the snow. May the G.o.ddess of spring bring you great favor.” Thanks to Lutz jogging my memory, I deliver the proper greeting. Benno, visibly trying not to laugh, returns our greeting. “Ahh, blessings upon the thawing of the snow. May the G.o.ddess of spring bring you great favor. ...I have to say,” he says, chuckling, “that was a very sloppy greeting. Make sure you learn to say it correctly.” He taps the table with his finger, beckoning Lutz and I to sit down. We do so, and then talk about the spring well-wis.h.i.+ng. “That was something we just learned from Mark a little earlier, you know. It’s not something either of us heard growing up, so say something like, ‘very good for your first try’, please!” “...Oh, is that so? Then, good work, Lutz. Now then, you wanted to talk about your apprentices.h.i.+p?” Benno only praised Lutz, who’d completely remembered the greeting. I pout, briefly, before launching into today’s main question. “I won’t be apprenticing here after my baptism,” I say. “Huh? ...Wait. Why are you saying this? Is it because I didn’t praise you just now? Well, you didn’t say it right, but at least you tried?” He rubs hard on his temples, uncomprehendingly, and forces out some praise for my greeting. “That’s not it! It has nothing to do with that.” “If not that, then what?” “Umm, well, I’m kind of weak, you know?” His interjection stabs straight into my heart. “Urgh... You were worried earlier about whether or not I’d be able to properly do my work here, weren’t you? If you had an apprentice who was always taking days off because of her poor health and was only being a.s.signed easy work that wouldn’t put a strain on her body then, if you think about it, wouldn’t that be bad for human relations here at the shop?” “Is that all?” He glares down at me with his reddish-brown eyes, and I remember the other concerns that Otto had raised with me. “Also, if I’m earning profits from my goods, then isn’t there the chance that I’d be making more money than even the veterans who’ve been working here for over ten years? Money’s the easiest way to ruin relations.h.i.+ps.” “Who told you that?” he says, eyes narrowed. “There’s no way you would have come up with that on your own.” I nod vigorously. Back when I was Urano, the only thing I ever did or ever really wanted to do was read, so my field of view was pretty narrow. This time around, I hadn’t really been considering anything but my own physical strength. It took Otto pointing things out for me to start thinking about human relations. “Mister Otto,” I reply. “...I see.” Huh? I think his voice just now was pitched a fraction of a step lower... And then, he’s got a sort of predatory aura going on now... or am I imagining things? I tilt my head slightly to the side as I think about Benno’s ferocious aura, then say the thing that’s been weighing most heavily on my mind. “Also, you know about my devouring, right? If I were making the decision, then I don’t think I’d hire an employee that I wasn’t sure would still be around in a year.” It’s very likely that any resources spent on my education will go entirely to waste. I don’t think a merchant would be capable of wasting resources like that. Benno rubs his forehead, looking at me with sharply discerning eyes. “Then, if you’re not working at my shop, what do you plan to do instead?” “I’ll be transcribing letters or official doc.u.ments at home, working with Lutz to develop new products on his days off, and from time to time helping out at the gates... basically, I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing. After talking with my family, I’ve decided that it’s best for me to do things that don’t place too much of a strain on my body.” “And being an apprentice and so on would. Got it.” The strain goes out of his eyes and shoulders. He rubs at his temples, looking like he’s trying to figure out what he’s going to do next. As he mutters to himself, I speak up again. “Umm, Mister Benno. Do you have any work that I might be able to do at home?” In that moment, Benno’s eyes gleam, and a slow, predatory smile spreads across his face. “Your writing is very neat, hm. I can send some amanuensis work your way, so stop by with Lutz from time to time. Alright?” “Thank you very much.” What was that just now? I feel like I’ve just been cornered by a carnivorous beast... Since my request was accepted so easily, I put aside my deep thoughts and move onto my other question. “Umm, so if that’s the case, what’s going to happen to my guild card? I’m planning on selling through Lutz, but I’m not going to have an apprentice’s card from your shop, right? I’ll be unaffiliated, right?” We had originally planned around my eventual registration as an apprentice at Benno’s shop after my baptism, but if I’m not actually going to be his apprentice, then I wonder what will happen to my guild card? Since it’ll be after my baptism, I don’t think they’ll let me have a temporary registration. However, if I’m not attached to a shop, I won’t be able to conduct any business without being registered. “I don’t know what kind of products you’re planning on making, but how about we call the storehouse you’ve been using 'Maïne’s Workshop’, register you as the workshop head, and get you a card that way? If you enter into an exclusive production agreement with my shop, then our business won’t be much different from how it is now.” “Workshop head?! That sounds kinda cool! If everything will be more or less the same as it is now, then yes, please, let’s set it up like that.” I clap my hands excitedly, and Benno nods happily. “So,” I say, “this is something that I mentioned to Mister Mark, but we’re going to be restarting our paper making as soon as we can go look at the river’s current condition. We’re currently planning on the two of us making the paper until our baptisms, but after that Lutz will be busy with his apprentices.h.i.+p and I won’t be doing an apprentices.h.i.+p at all, so I’m hoping that we’ll be able to pa.s.s the entire task on to a workshop you select. Is that okay?” Our magic contract stipulated that Lutz and I would be able to have safe, stable employment at Benno’s shop. Since this is turning into a new industry, I think the people and the workshop making it would be particularly important to Benno. For me, however, I won’t have either salary or extra profit, so as long as a large amount of paper winds up in circulation, I don’t particularly care who winds up making it. “I mean, I don’t know anything about workshops, and I also don’t know anyone who might want to work on making paper. All I know is that since the process requires soaking tree bark in a river, it would probably be best for the workshop to be near the river, I think.” “Near the river, huh... that’ll be difficult. How are you doing it now?” Lutz shrugs. “Right now, we’re carrying all of our equipment to the river bank in the forest, but doing that every day is really hard... oh, um, difficult, sir.” “If you think about scaling things up for ma.s.s production,” I say, “then the equipment will need to be much bigger, so transporting it to the river will be next to impossible, I think? Well, thinking about that is probably a job for you, Mister Benno, or the people at the workshop.” Since it looks like Benno has understood, I’ll just leave selecting a workshop and sourcing the tools to him. “Please take care of selecting a workshop, getting the equipment, and finding suppliers for the materials before our baptisms. As the actual day of the ceremony gets closer, Lutz will go and instruct the workers in the actual manufacturing process.” “Me?!” Lutz’s eyes go wide, and he gapes like a fish. I smile sweetly, giving him a big nod. “I mean, aren’t there steps that I can’t do myself? I think it would be best for you to show them how to do it in person. If after spending the entire spring doing it over and over you’re still uneasy about it, then I can go with you too, so you’ll be fine!” I glance guiltily to the side. I’m definitely well aware that I’m seriously s.h.i.+rking a lot of responsibility here. However, more than just making prototypes, improving distribution, and setting up ma.s.s production, I already want to be setting my sights on the next project. If I spend all my time fussing over the particulars of making paper, then I’ll never actually get to making books, no matter how much time I spend. This spring, I want to make enough paper for me to use, and then turn my attention towards printing. “Then, please excuse us.” With my heart full of my time-limited ambitions, I depart from Benno’s office. The next day, the fast-working Mark delivers new bamboo paper mats to our storehouse. Hearing that, Lutz takes the opportunity to check on the condition of the river when he heads to the forest for his gathering. “Lutz, how’d it look? You think we can make paper?” “There’s a little more water flowing than usual from all the snow thawing, but not more than we’d get after a heavy rain, I think.” And, with that judgement, we officially resume making paper. First thing in the morning on the following day, Lutz fetches the key, then we immediately head off for the storehouse. As we walk along the alleyways, still cold enough that you need a coat, I spend my time thinking about the day’s work. To start with, when we get to the warehouse, we’ll check to see if the outer bark we’d harvested from the tronbay back in the autumn and left out to dry is still alright. If it is, then we’ll start by working on stripping that down to its inner back. While that happens, I’d like to use the preserved folin inner bark to start making actual paper. “I’d really like it if we could wait for the water to get a little warmer, though...” I say. “Yeaaah, you’re right. But, if you keep in mind that we’re trying to save up money, the sooner we start the better.” Benno’s support for our paper-making enterprise is only going to last until the day of our baptismal ceremony. Until then, we want to do as much as we can to earn as much as possible. “I wonder if the tronbay bark’s going to be alright...?” I say, wondering aloud. “That’s been airing out this entire time, so it’s probably going to be completely dried out by now.” “It wasn’t drying in the sun, so I’ve been really worried about mold growing all over it!” Since we left it alone all winter, it’s only natural that it would have completely dried out by now, but whether or not it dried in a way that we actually want is another question entirely. “There aren’t really any molds that grow on tronbay,” says Lutz. He may be shrugging it off, but since we completely skipped the sun-drying part of the process altogether, I can’t help but worry. We arrive at the storehouse and unlock the door. With a creak, the door opens. Through the gloom and the dust, dark, wavy strips of material hang from the shelves like strands of seaweed, giving the entire place a supremely ominous air. “Is it really going to be okay?” I ask. “I think I’m a little worried now,” Lutz replies. I prod at a strip of outer bark, finding that it’s completely dried out. Since the outer bark itself is dark, I can’t really tell from the color alone whether or not it has mold growing on it. “How about we bring these to the forest and try soaking them in the river for now?” I mutter to myself. “What all are we going to bring to the forest today?” asks Lutz, sweeping dust off of the wooden box with back straps that he’d left in here. “Umm... Lutz, how about you bring the pot and some ash? And, hm, I don’t think we’ll need something as big as a tub, but maybe we should bring a bucket as well. It would be kinda bad if we couldn’t find any firewood in the forest, so maybe we should bring some with us? I’ll bring this outer bark and this preserved folin inner bark, and my 'chopsticks’, too.” “I don’t get why we need a bucket, but if you say we need it I’ll bring it.” I gather up the dried tronbay outer bark and the folin inner bark from where we’d hung it in the warehouse, fetch the pair of cooking chopsticks Lutz had made for me, grab a few dust rags, and put it all in a basket. The two of us strap our supplies onto our back, and rush off to where the other children are meeting to get ready to go to the forest. We all arrive at the forest, and as the other kids scatter about to go foraging, Lutz and I head for the riverbank. Lutz starts getting the pot ready right next to the river. He sets it down on a stove made of piled-up rocks, then uses the bucket to fill it up with river water. “Oh,” he says, “if we use this then we don’t have to get soaked when we get water from the river. I knew you had a good reason!” If you want to fill up the heavy pot with water directly from the river, then you’ve basically got no choice but to get in the river yourself. It seems like Lutz hadn’t quite been thinking ahead that far. Now that the pot’s full of water, we use the firewood that we brought to get a fire started. While we wait for the water to boil, I want to start soaking the outer bark in the river, if possible. “Wow, that looks cold,” mutters Lutz, staring at the river, swollen with water from melting snow. If we want to make sure that the bark doesn’t wash away as it soaks, we need to build a circle of rocks to put it in. The one that we had made during the fall, however, has fallen apart, and only about half of it remains. Our first step thus has to be building a new stone circle. “You can do it, Lutz!” “Eek! Cold!!” Lutz squawks as he wades into the river of ice water. If I were to go in myself, I’d almost certainly get another fever and my family would probably bar me from leaving the house for a while, so basically the only thing I can be doing to help is to cheer him on. For Lutz’s sake, I walk around the area, gathering up fallen firewood. While I’m in the middle of that, though, he calls out for me. “Maïne, bring the bark over!” As soon as the bark’s in the circle, Lutz leaps out of the river, running to the stove to warm himself up with the fire. He holds his bright-red hands up to the fire, rubbing them vigorously together. I fill up the bucket with some warm water from the pot, then set it down in front of him. “Put your hands and feet in here. If you don’t warm them up, you’ll get frostbite!” “...Ah, warm... this feels great!” He sticks his hands and feet into the bucket of warm water, heaving a sigh of relief. The hot water starts cooling down almost immediately, but thanks to that foot bath, it looks like his body’s warming up a bit. The pot has started gently simmering, so I add the ash and the white bark to it, stew it well, then get Lutz to put it in the river to rinse out the spare ash. Thanks to Lutz’s hard work, even if it did seem like the freezing river had him on the verge of tears, our job for today is finished.

まだ寒い日が続いているが、ベンノの店までなら構わないという家族の許可が出たので、ルッツに店へ行って、冬の手仕事の精算をすることにした。 大通りの真ん中は雪がないけれど、路地の片隅に溶けきっていない雪だるまがあったり、脇に退けられてカチカチに凍っている雪の山があちらこちらに見えたりと、冬の名残があった。 ベンノの店も出入りする商人が増えているようで、比較的人が少ない午後を狙ってきたのに、非常に忙しそうだ。 「こんにちは。お久しぶりです、マルクさん」 「あぁ、ルッツとマイン。雪解けに祝福を。春の女神が大いなる恵みをもたらしますように」 マルクが胸の前で右手を拳にして、指を揃えた左手の手の平に付けながら、軽く目を伏せた。 「え? なんて?」 「......春を寿ぐ挨拶ですが?」 何故わからないのかわからない、と言いたげなマルクの様子に、この辺りでは当たり前に交わされる挨拶なのだと知る。 「初めて聞きました。ルッツ、知ってる?」 「いや、オレも初めて見た」 ルッツも知らないということは、この街でもこの界隈だけの挨拶なのか、職業に関係する挨拶なのかもしれない。 「......もしかして、商人独特の挨拶ですか?」 「我が家ではずっとしていたので、あまり深く考えたことはありませんが、仕事上お付き合いがあるのが商人ばかりなので、そうかもしれませんね。雪が解けることで取引が増えますから、雪解けに祝福を。春の女神が大いなる恵みをもたらしますように、と挨拶をするのですよ」 マルクはそう言って、わたし達に商人の挨拶を教えてくれた。春に会った最初だけの挨拶らしい。明けましておめでとう、のようなものだろう、とわたしは勝手に解釈しておく。 マルクがしていたように、胸の前で右の拳を左の手の平に当てて、挨拶の練習をしてみる。 「雪解けに祝福を?」 「そうです」 「春の女神が大いなる恵みをもたらしますように、ですね」 何度か口の中で呟いてみるが、明日には忘れている自信がある。こんな時にこそメモ帳が欲しい。バッグの中に石板は入っているが、メモ帳はない。 「旦那様はただいま商談中ですが、はどのような御用件ですか?」 マルクの質問に、わたしは今日やることを指折り数えた。 「えーと、冬の手仕事の精算です。それから、そろそろ紙作りを再開したいので、細工師さんに大きめの 「わかりました。では、手仕事の精算から行いましょう。そのうちに終わるでしょう」 店の中の小さめのテーブルに案内される。わたしとルッツが並んで座り、マルクが正面に座った。 ルッツが慣れない丁寧語を使いながら、髪飾りが入ったバッグを差し出した。マルクがそれを出して数えていく。 「ここに24個。冬の間にお預かりした分と足して、186個で間違いないですか?」 自分達が板に刻みつけた数とマルクが言った数がきちんと合っているので頷いた。 髪飾り一つにつき、中銅貨5枚。その中からわたしとルッツが取ることにした手数料分はギルドに預けておく。そして、それ以外の料金を配りやすいようにそれぞれを持参した別の袋に入れてもらう。 ルッツの兄弟は喧嘩しないように、ルッツを除いて3人で均等に作っていたので、大銅貨6枚と中銅貨2枚ずつで分かりやすい。 「これだけの数があれば、次の冬までもつでしょう。髪飾りはなかなか売れ行きが良いですよ。色々な色があるので、みなさん、楽しそうに選んでいらっしゃいます」 マルクの言葉に髪飾りを選ぶ親子を想像して、わたしは口元を綻ばせた。 「そうなんですか? 嬉しいです。わたしも自分の洗礼式用に髪飾り作ったんですよ」 「どのような飾りですか?」 「当日まで秘密です」 「おや、では、当日見るのが楽しみにしております。それから、用件は紙作りの再開でしたね?」 「はい。ルッツが森に行って、川の様子を見てからじゃないと再開できないんですけど、春になったので、そろそろ作りたいとは思っています」 ベンノの投資がもらえるのは初夏にある洗礼式までだ。できれば早目に再開したい。マルクは軽く頷いた。 「わかりました。細工師に聞いておきましょう。注文していたのは、契約書サイズの簀桁が2つでしたね?」 「はい、よろしくお願いします」 おおよその話が終わったところで、奥の部屋でも商談が終わったようで、数人の商人が出てくるのが見えた。 「旦那様に報告してまいります。少々お待ちください」 春一番にベンノに会うことになるので早速覚えたての挨拶をしようと、わたしは胸の前で右の拳を左の手の平に当てる。 「ベンノさん、お久しぶりです。雪解けに祝福を。えーと、春の女神の......大いなる恵みの? あれ?」 ついさっきのこともメモ帳がなければ覚えていられないわたしを見て、呆れたようにルッツがわたしの前に出た。すっと胸の前で右の拳を左の手の平に当てる。 「旦那様、雪解けに祝福を。春の女神が大いなる恵みをもたらしますように」 「そう、それ! 雪解けに祝福を。春の女神が大いなる恵みをもたらしますように」 ルッツのお陰できちんと思い出したわたしは、挨拶をし直す。ベンノが笑うのを堪えたような顔で、挨拶を返してくれた。 「あぁ、雪解けに祝福を。春の女神が大いなる恵みをもたらしますように。......それにしても、へったくそな挨拶だな。ちゃんと言えるようになれ」 笑いながらベンノがトントンとテーブルを指差す。わたしとルッツはテーブルの席に着いて、春の寿ぎの話をした。 「さっきマルクさんに教えてもらったところなんですよ。家では聞いたことがなかったから、初めてにしては上出来、って言ってくださいよ」 「......そうなのか? だったら、上出来だったな、ルッツ。それで、見習いのことで話とは?」 ベンノに褒められたのはきちんと挨拶ができたルッツだけだ。むぅっと膨れながら、わたしは今日の本題を口にした。 「わたし、洗礼式の後、ここの見習いになるのを止めます」 「は?......ちょっと待て。どうしてそうなった? 褒めなかったからか? きちんと言えていなかったが、マインも頑張っていたぞ?」 ベンノが理解できないとこめかみを押さえながら、取ってつけたようにわたしの挨拶を褒めだした。 「違います! 挨拶関係ないし」 「関係ないなら何故だ?」 「えーと、わたしって体力ないでしょう?」 ベンノの合いの手がサクッとわたしの胸に刺さる。 「うっ......。ベンノさんも仕事ができるのか不安がっていたじゃないですか。見習いが体調不良でよく休んだり、体力的に楽な仕事に就かせてもらったりするのって、店の中の人間関係を考えるとよくないんじゃないかって」 「それだけか?」 じろりと赤褐色の目で睨まれて、わたしはオットーに言われた懸念事項を思い出す。 「それに、商品の利益をもらっていたら、勤続十数年のベテランよりお金をもらうことになる可能性もあるんですよね? お金は一番人間関係が壊れやすいんです」 「それは誰に言われた? お前が考えたわけじゃないだろう?」 目を細めたベンノにわたしは大きく頷いた。麗乃時代から自分のやりたい読書だけをやってきたわたしは基本的に視野が狭い。今回だって自分の体力のことしか考えていなかった。オットーに指摘されて初めて、人間関係に思い至ったのだ。 「オットーさんです」 あれ? 何だか声が一段低くなった気がするような......。ついでに、肉食獣っぽい雰囲気になっているような......。気のせい? 雰囲気が獰猛になってきたベンノの様子に首を傾げながら、わたしは自分が一番不安に思っていることを口にする。 「あと、わたしの身食いのこと、ベンノさんは知ってますよね? 一年でどうなるかわからない社員を雇うのは、止めた方が良いと思います」 わたしにかける教育費は無駄になる可能性が高い。商人ならそんな無駄はできないはずだ。 ベンノは眉間をぐりぐりと押さえながら、眼光の鋭くなった目でわたしを見つめる。 「それで、ウチの店に入らずにどうするつもりだ?」 「家で手紙や書類の代筆をして、新商品の開発をルッツが休みの日にやって、時々門のお手伝いに行く......今までとあまり変わらない生活をするつもりです。身体に負担がかからない方が良いって、家族と話し合ったんです」 「わかった。見習いからは外そう」 ベンノの目と肩から力が抜けた。こめかみを押さえながら「どうするかな......」と何やら考え始める。 「あの、ベンノさん。在宅のお仕事でわたしに回してもらえそうなものってありますか?」 その途端、ベンノの目がギラリと光った。一見穏やかそうな肉食獣の笑みが口元に浮かんでいる。 「マインは字が綺麗だからな。代筆があれば回そう。だから、ルッツと一緒にたまに店に顔を出すように。わかったか?」 「ありがとうございます」 何故だろう? 肉食獣に捕まった気がする。 自分の要求がするりと通ったので、深く考えるのは止めて、わたしはもう一つ質問をした。 「あの、その場合、ギルドカードってどうなるんでしょう? ルッツを通して売るつもりなんですけど、わたしのカードはベンノさんのお店の見習いカードじゃなくなりますよね? 露天のものになるんでしょうか?」 洗礼式の後はベンノ店に見習い登録をする予定だったが、見習いでなくなれば、わたしのギルドカードはどうなるのだろうか。洗礼式の後だから、仮登録というわけにはいかないだろう。しかし、所属している店はないし、登録しなければ取引はできない。 「どのくらい品物を作るつもりなのかは知らんが、今使っている倉庫をマイン工房ということにして、工房長のカードにすればいいんじゃねぇか? ウチと専属契約を結べば、今と大して変わらない状態で取引できるぞ」 「工房長!? なんかカッコ良いですね。今までと変わらないなら、そういう感じでお願いします」 わたしが手を打って喜ぶと、ベンノも嬉しそうに笑って何度か頷いた。 「それから、マルクさんにもお話したんですけど、川の様子を見て、紙作りを再開します。わたし達の洗礼式までは二人で作るつもりなんですけど、その後はルッツも見習いのお仕事が始まるし、わたしは見習い自体止めるので、ベンノさんが選んだ工房に紙作りを丸投げしたいんですけど、いいですか?」 新しい事業になるので、利益を取るベンノにとっては作る相手や工房が重要かもしれない。けれど、わたしにとっては給料も上乗せする利益もないので、紙が大量に流通するようになってくれれば、正直誰が作ってもいい。 「だって、わたし、全然工房には詳しくないし、紙を作りたがっている知り合いもいませんから。ただ、木の皮を川にさらす工程があるので、工房は川が近い方が良いかもしれません」 「川の近くか......難しいな。お前達はどうしているんだ?」 「道具を担いで森の川原で作業しているけど、毎日の仕事にするには道具運びがきついと思う......思います」 「大量生産しようと思ったら、道具も大きくなるから運ぶのは無理だと思いますけど? まぁ、その辺りを考えるのは、ベンノさんと工房の人の仕事ということで」 「......そうだな」 ベンノが納得してくれたようなので、工房選びや道具の設置は全部任せることにする。 「工房の選択と設備の設置、材料の購入先決定などは洗礼式までに終わらせてください。作り方は洗礼式が近くなったら、ルッツが教えに行きます」 「オレ!?」 ルッツが目を大きく見開いて、口をパクパクとさせる。 「だって、わたしはできない工程もあるじゃない。ルッツがやって見せるのが一番だよ。これから、春の間に何度も作れば嫌でも覚えるし、不安なら一緒に行ってあげるから大丈夫」 しかし、紙の試作品を作って、配分もある程度改良して、大量生産の目途が立った以上、わたしは次の過程に進みたい。紙作りだけにこだわっていては、いつまでたっても本が作れない。春のうちに自分が使える分の紙を作ったら、印刷にも手を出していきたいのだ。 「じゃあ、失礼します」 タイムリミットのある自分の野望を胸に、わたしはベンノの店から出た。 仕事が早いマルクが、次の日には新しい簀桁を倉庫に運んでくれた。それを聞いたルッツが雪解けでぬかるんだ森に採集に行くついでに、川の様子を見てきてくれることになった。 「ルッツ、どうだった? 紙作り出来そう?」 「雪解け水でちょっと水量が増えているけど、大雨でもない限り皮が流されていくことはないと思う」 次の日の朝早く、ルッツに鍵を取りに行ってもらって、早速倉庫へ向かって歩く。コートがなければまだまだ寒い路地を歩きながら、今日の作業に思いを馳せる。 まずは倉庫に行って、秋の終わりに刈り取って黒皮にした状態で放置しているトロンベが大丈夫かどうか確認する。大丈夫そうなら、これを白皮にする作業を始める。 「本当はもっと水が温まってからの方がいいんだけどね」 「あ~、まぁな。でも、金を貯めることを考えると、早目にやらねぇとな」 ベンノから紙作りの援助があるのは洗礼式までだ。それまでにできるだけたくさん作って稼いでおきたい。 「トロンベの黒皮、大丈夫かな?」 「あれから干しっぱなしだもんな。カラカラに乾燥してるはずだ」 「天日干ししてないから、カビとか生えてないか心配なんだよ!」 冬の間中放置していたのだから、乾燥しているのは間違いないだろうが、自分達が望んだ乾燥状態になっているかどうかが問題だ。 「トロンベに生えるカビなんて、そうそうないさ」 ルッツは軽く肩を竦めたが、天日干しという過程を完全にすっ飛ばしているので、わたしとはしては気が気ではない。 ギギッと音を立てて、倉庫のドアが開く。薄暗い倉庫の棚から黒いワカメや昆布のような物が大量にぶら下がっている様子は、埃っぽい倉庫の背景と相まって、ひどく不気味に見える。 「本当に大丈夫かな?」 「さすがにちょっと心配になってきたな」 つんつんと黒皮を指先で触ってみると、完全に乾燥してかぴかぴになっている。黒皮だからなのか、カビが生えているのかどうか、色だけでは判別できない。 「森に持って行って、ひとまず川にさらしておこうか」 ルッツが倉庫に置きっぱなしにしていた背負子の埃を払いながら、声をかけてきた。 「えーと、ルッツは鍋と灰かな? 後、盥ほどの大きさはいらないけど、桶を一つ持っていくと良いと思う。森で薪が取れなかったら困るから、少し薪も持っていった方が良いんじゃない? わたしはこの黒皮と保存してあるフォリンの白皮と『菜箸』を持っていくから」 「桶がよくわからないけど、マインがいるって言うなら持っていく」 わたしは倉庫に干しっぱなしだったトロンベの黒皮とフォリンの白皮を準備して、鍋の中を掻き回すためにルッツに作ってもらった菜箸と雑巾を数枚、籠に入れる。 川のすぐそばでルッツは鍋の準備を始めた。石を組んだ竈に鍋を置いて、桶で水を汲んでいく。 「これなら確かに川につからずに水が汲めるな。さすがマイン」 直接鍋に水を入れようとすれば、川の中に入らなければできないのだが、ルッツはそこまで考えていなかったようだ。 鍋に水が入ったので、持ってきた薪で火を付ける。お湯が沸くまでの間に、黒皮をできれば川にさらしたい。 雪解け水が流れる川を睨みながら、ルッツが呟いた。 川の中に石を丸く組んで、黒皮が流れていかないようにしなければならないのだが、秋に作っていた石の丸は半分ほどしか残っていない。流れていかないように、石の丸を組む作業から始めなければならない。 「頑張れ、ルッツ!」 「うひぃっ! 冷てぇ!」 わたしが入ったら、熱を出すのは確実だし、しばらく家族が家から出してくれなくなるに決まっている。できるのは基本的に応援だけだ。 川で頑張るルッツのために川原に落ちている薪を拾って歩いていると、川からルッツの呼び声が響いてきた。 「マイン、黒皮取ってくれ!」 黒皮を川に入れ終わると、ルッツは川から飛び出して、竈の前で火に当たった。真っ赤になった手足を火にかざしてゴシゴシ擦る。 「これに手足をつけて。よく揉んでおかないと、しもやけになるよ」 「......あったけぇ。これ、気持ちいいな」 手足をお湯に付けたルッツが、ホッと息を吐いた。すぐにお湯は冷めてしまったようだけれど、足湯ができたことで、少し身体も温まったようだ。 川の冷たさに泣くルッツの頑張りによって今日の作業は終了した。

◯ toroddo won't come out (maybe) The time goes back to when Kanna arrived at the encampment. ーーーflash A flash of sword swing from Chloe slices a goblin's throat, ending its life while still spurting blood. Viewed from above, the mine has a terrain shaped like a crescent moon and the goblin's nest was formed in the central part of it. In this operation, the fully equipped Genryuu Knights launch their offensive from the opening in the crescent-shaped mine. While the more agile and lightly armored adventurers invade the mine through a precipitous path in a flanking maneuver. To the highly disciplined knights, success would be a natural outcome. Moreover, there are also the presence of experienced C-rank adventurers capable of impromptu adaptation to some extent. There was no foreseeable issue to address. 「nuu.........As expected, [that] has a tad too much firepower to be tested on mere goblins de gozaru na.」 As Chloe murmur in frustration, she slices another goblin without being negligent. Led by a B-rank adventurer, Chloe and the other C-rankers continues to annihilate goblins without facing any particular difficulty. 「.........nu?」 Wielding the spear to pierce a goblins' skull in a single strike is a rugged man, who then shook his spear and toss the corpse to the side. 「Ops, was it unnecessary?」 「Gahahaha. I see. Let's both do our best not to die out here then.」 Leaving behind echoes of a hearty laughter, the rugged man carries his spear in search for new prey. Chloe also fixes her posture and continue to cut down goblins. After a while, a slightly larger goblin appears in front of Chloe. A goblin variant. Although not to the extent of a superior variant, it still has a stronger physique than a normal goblin. The weapon its wielding also looks somewhat higher in quality than its normal counterparts. However, her slash ends up only cutting a shallow wound on the green skin. With its face distorted by pain, the goblin swung its sword in anger. Chloe jumps backward to avoid and distanced herself. 「With a different [weapon], its usage will differ as well de gozaru na.」 Chloe's specialized weapon has a unique shape with similarly unique manufacturing method and Draknil's weapon store possess neither. Of course, even with the [sword] currently in her hand, she can face this particular goblin head-on with plenty of room to spare. 「.........Shall I test it de gozaru ka?」 Another goblin attacks from the side but Chloe nimbly turns aside to evade. 「[Thunder Blade].........activate.」 She holds her sword with two hands. She invoked the spell just before gripping it, and it activated immediately after she did. [Lightning] borne out of her hands are now pouring into the blade. She turns around and drops her sword onto the attacking goblin. Upon contact with her sword, the green body got cut off into two as easily as slicing tofu. It split into two and crumbled to the ground without any blood gus.h.i.+ng out. Either it judged this moment to be a gap or angry at the death of a fellow goblin, the variant goblin brandish its sword at Chloe while raising its voice. Thereupon, the attacking goblin twitches as if having a convulsion and stops moving. She immediately slash the goblin with her [thunder] blade. It should have resulted in a slash wound just like earlier, but this time the goblin will never move again as it received a blow that split apart most of its torso. Again, not a single drop of blood gush out from the two cross section of its torso. Looking closely at the goblin's corpse lying on the ground, the cross section parts looks burnt as if it had been heated at high temperature. 「.........It's also effective against opponents with metal equipments de gozaru na」 Chloe a.n.a.lyzes the goblin's corpse and compares it with her own sword. ーーーChanneling lightning through weapon. Of course, the original idea appeared in a famous s.p.a.ce war robot anime in which a grumpy ossan pilots a blue mobile suit. She did not have enough mana to shoot out a lighting bolt. A direct strike with it on the other hand would be too dangerous. Taking that into consideration, he proposed channeling lightning into a weapon familiar to her. The magic developed based on this idea is the lightning-type support spell currently used by Chloe, the [Thunder Blade]. It is a spell that houses [lightning] inside a blade, making an opponent receive a semi literal blade of lightning. When her sword with the spell invoked collides with a metal weapon, the opponent will be electrocuted by a lightning current transmitted through the contact. Of course, there are also drawbacks. 「ouch ow It's hot de gozaru.」 Chloe yelps and release [Thunder Blade] in a fl.u.s.ter. The entire sword would heat up to an [ultra high temperature] due to its inherent [electrical resistance]. That heat is the reason behind those burnt goblin corpse but at the same time, it's also transmitted to Chloe through the handle. To cope, Chloe wrapped the handle of the ready-made sword with a heat resistant material. But that was merely a stopgap measure, not a solution. 「This is an issue to be addressed hereafter de gozaru na.」 Above anything else, it is a magic borne from Kanna's idea. It would be inexcusable to him if she cannot overcome this slight challenge. Chloe is now motivated afresh to search for new prey. ーーーdogon She hears an dreadful sound. She perks her ears up and raise her alertness a notch. Other adventurers around her are equally wary. In a battle against magic beasts, unexpected situations are a daily occurrence. The closer adventurers are to being first-cla.s.s, the more attentive they will be towards any changes. Once again, it resounds. 「Over there de gozar......ru.........ka?」 Chloe who identified the source the sound, turns her face facing it. ーーーGoblins are flying in the air. Furthermore, the sight continues to transpire, sending goblins and its body parts dancing in the air every time the sound reverbrates. 「Oh, that is the [Ryuuken (Dragon Sword)].」 The nearby goblins have all been swept away and there are no more moving goblins around. Skirmish in this area has probably reached its end. 「Ryuuken......... If this one isn't mistaken, they are the commander-dono of the knights partic.i.p.ating in this operation......de gozatta ka?」 「The person is the youngest ever to reach rank in Draknil's guild. Probably one of the strongest in Diagal as well.」 「Is that also the work of Ryuuken-dono?」 「I've only heard about this from rumors. I hear that the guy possesses unrivaled physical strength comparable to an [ogre]. I saw him in the flesh the first time yesterday and thought that it might be a fake rumor judging from his slender armor but apparently the rumors are not wrong.」 While they are having that conversation, goblins continue to fly one after another. In a closer observation, a sword's glint can be seen from the gaps of the onslaught. Without a doubt, that is from the greatsword the person is wielding. 「.........Rather than that, isn't it strange that the commander is fighting at the forefront de gozaru ka?」 「I'd rather have that than someone who only sits in the back and relax.」 Chloe understands what he implied. This commander is by far, better than an incompetent who withdraws deep at the back while clamoring self-importantly. Perhaps, from the point of view of the subordinates who are fighting alongside Ryuuken, this is a cause for more mental and physical effort. 「c.r.a.p, while we're fascinated by the sight, the others overtook us. What are you gonna do jou-chan? I'm going to join the army to observe Ryuuken up close.」 Their vicinity is already devoid of both people and magic beasts, with only goblin carca.s.ses strewn about. The nearest groups of goblins is exactly where the Ryuuken is displaying their peerlessness. In a different direction, she could see the backs of other adventurers. 「A rare chance as it is, this one will also partake de gozaru yo.」 「Okay. My introduction is overdue. I'm called Barlhardt.」 「Chloe de gozaru.」 With a nod, both Chloe and the spearman -Barlhardt- rush towards the imperial army. In the middle of the tumult of a battlefield, Regulus sensed multiple presence unrelated to their subordinate approaching from the rear. One of the adventurers, a woman with wolf's ear and black hair caught Regulus' eye as beastmen are an unusual sight in Draknil. 「.........mu」 The goblins which had been blown away diagonally degrees upwards up to this moments, flew horizontally this time around. Regulus readjust the grip on their partner, the greatsword before once again unleas.h.i.+ng a swing towards some goblins. This time, the goblins properly fly away at degree angle. 『I am still immature if I can say so myself.』 This murmur is drowned out by screaming goblins and did not reach the adjutant and other subordinates at the back. When the two adventurers broke through the wall of goblins, the adjutant -Dyne- commands his subordinates to halt and yells at the two. 「You b.a.s.t.a.r.d adventurers should be in charge of another area! Why are you here! ? Get lost!」 Chloe blanked out at the menacing att.i.tude from Dyne but immediately pulls herself together. 「It is not the intention of ourselves to be a hindrance, not in the least de gozaru. However, it is also our wish to fight alongside [Ryuuken-dono] de gozaru.」 「Though you are a former adventurer, to witness an ranker in the flesh is a rare occasion after all. As Chloe jou-chan said, we won't get in your way.」 「umu, I permit it.」 「Leader! ?」 It is said that a prompt decision accompanied by a swift execution is a virtue but this particular decision might be too hasty a judgement. Chloe listens to Dyne's high-pitched shriek raised over his helmet. 「If you properly observed how they fight when heading towards us, you realize that they will not be a burden, right? They also said that they will not get in our way.」(re-regulus) 「That is not the issue at hand here!」 「Then tell me, what is the problem?」(reregulus) 「Th-that is.........」 With the adjutant tongue-tied, Regulus looks at the two adventurers and said... 「Now then, if both of you can act according to your words, then I will allow you to follow. But I must remind you that if you can't follow my pace, I will leave you behind without exception. Keep that in mind if you still insist.」(-ahem-regulus) The two adventurers replied as such. They were the ones who wanted to tag along on their own accord. Just the approval alone is a very appreciated outcome. 「tch If leader says so, then I will obey.」 A regular member of the army tends to dislike free-spirited adventurers. Chloe can only wryly smile at such a typical reaction. The advance of Genryuu Knight along with the two adventurers resumes. Being exposed to this fighting figure at close range made Chloe harbor a sensation close to trembling in fear. With every swing, a whirlwind occurs and several goblins are blown away. Frighteningly, the greatsword bisects everything equally without exception whether the goblin is holding a sword or a club or even a slightly larger and stronger variant. The adjutant Dyne also cannot be ignored. Manipulating his [rapier] with a focus on stabbing, he brings down goblins with pinpoint accuracy on their vital spots. The speed of his thrust is so fast that it [can barely] be perceived by Chloe's kinetic vision. Unlike adventurers who stand out for their individual skills, they continue to subjugate goblins without being disordered by their commander's movements. Each of them are probably equal or better than Chloe in terms of combat prowess. 「Not only the leader but all the members are also skilled de gozaru na.」 「True, I'm surprised too. I always thought that the army consist of blockheads who only care about outward appearance but after seeing this, I can't help but to change my impression.」 This is not due to lineage or n.o.bility but purely because of combat prowess. The soldiers they led are rigorously trained every day, resulting in each and every one of them surpa.s.sing the level of soldiers from other countries. What Barlhardt refers to as [blockhead corps] is a group of commanders who only managed to take up the position by virtue of the social standing of their household. They only align themselves with likeminded people and as a result, became a disordered crowd. 「heh We can't lose out to them either way.」 「Naturally de gozaru yo!」 Inspired by the valorous scene, Chloe and Barlhardt rush over in high spirits. Both of them are adventurers aiming for the lofty heights. If they are discouraged by the sight they just saw, then by all rights, they have no qualifications to aim higher. Before long, green figures vanished, leaving only knights and adventurers standing. Almost all of the berths are toppled down and their inhabitants turned into motionless corpse. On the other hand, no serious injuries occurred among the present party, and if if must be mentioned, it was only to the extent of a bruised elbow from a fall. 「All that is left is inside that cave.」(re-) 「According to the report, the corpse of the superior variant, the lord of this large nest hasn't been confirmed yet. It is probably inside.」 This operation will not end until the superior variant is subjugated. If it is not taken down here, there is a possibility of the variant uniting goblins in other areas and form another large nest. That is because they know in advance that the goblin superior variant was predicted to be a B-rank. Of course, they do harbor desire to subjugate it for the sake of accomplishment but none are rash enough to a.s.sault a B-rank magic beast backed by only enthusiasm. At the very least, they did resolved themselves to take on the challenge with all their might. .........Though there are a few who strives to be the first. 「Commander, you are not thinking about raiding the cave all by yourself, are you?」 The adjutant's cold tone rings out from the side of Regulus, who looks strangely eager. Regulus turns facing the adjutant with a slumped shoulder, with a slightly depressed atmosphere. 「Can't I? If I go, it will probably be over soon though?」 「Of course not! In the first place, to have the top of an operation rampaging at the frontline is a major problem in itself. Normally, it is your job to issue commands from the rear.」 「It it not in my nature to sit silently at the back with legs outstretched. Your job as an adjutant is to take that into consideration, am I wrong?」 「With all due respect commander, if I do not keep you in check, you will persistently plunge into the center of conflict each and every time. Please be more considerate to your subordinates who have to keep up with you.」 The two outsider adventurers were listening to the conversation on the side. 「So it is a problem for the leader spearheading the frontline after all de gozaru na.」 「It's quite different from the image of Ryuuken that I had so far.」 And whispering various things between the two of them. The commander who had been admonished by Dyne gave up and shrugs it off before calling out to Chloe. 「Young lady of the black wolf. My bad but can you please summon your leader? I want to form a party before heading into that cave. Tell him that I leave it to him to choose two or three adventurers who are good at fighting in a cave environment. I am also going to choose some of my men for this.」 「A message for the B-rank adventurer-dono de gozaru na. Understood de gozaru.」 Chloe who received the order from the commander nods in a.s.sent and heads towards where the rest of the adventurers are gathered. She runs with a light gait. However, at the midpoint between the knights and adventurers, she suddenly stops. 「.........What is this de gozaru ka?」 Is it because her instinct borne out of her beast factor flaring up? Or is it due to the experience she acc.u.mulated over the course of her adventuring days? Or is it possibly her [sixth sense] which manifested as a result of her experiencing [death]. She should not have stopped at this inopportune moment of time. If it were the white-haired youth she adored, he would have run through that spot with all his might. However, the moment to regret have come to pa.s.s. An [arrow] that flew from somewhere struck her left chest. ーーーbakiin Chloe's consciousness fades immediately after the sound of something hard breaking reached her ears.

時は遡り、カンナが野営地に到着した頃に移る。 「疾ッ」 クロエが走らせた剣が、ゴブリンの喉を裂き、血を吹き出しながら絶命させる。それが倒れる姿を視界の端に収めながらさらなる一刀を走らせる。彼女が剣を振るう都度にゴブリンの命が失われていった。 鉱山は上空から見れば月のような地形をしており、ゴブリン達の集落はそのちょうど中央部の平らな空間に形成されていた。事前の偵察によって、動物の皮やどこから拾ったぼろ切れと、伐採しただけでろくに加工もされていない木材を使ったテントのような寝床と、山の側面に空いた洞穴に大量のゴブリンが確認されていた。 作戦では、装備を固めた幻竜騎士団は三日月状の地形の、丁度隙間があいた地点から。身軽な冒険者達は道が険しい側面から攻め入る形で鉱山に進入していた。この配置によってゴブリン達の注意を騎士団が引き付け、浮き足立ったところを横から冒険者が強襲する、という策ともいえない段取りだ。 だが、最低限に道具を扱う程度の知能しかないゴブリンが相手である。この程度の作戦でも十分すぎるほどに通用していた。加えて、統制された騎士団は当然として、場数を踏んでいるCランク冒険者であればある程度の臨機応変さは持ち合わせている。特に問題は無かったのだ。 「ぬぅ............やはりゴブリン相手では『アレ』を試すにはいささか火力過多でござるな」 些かの油断もなくゴブリンを斬り伏せ、だがクロエは不満げに呟いた。リーダー代わりのBランク冒険者に率いられたクロエらCランク冒険者達は特に苦戦をすることもなくゴブリン達を殲滅していく。 「............ぬ?」 背後からの気配にクロエは振り向くが、剣を振るう前に迫っていたゴブリンの眉間に横から槍が突き刺さった。一撃でゴブリンの頭蓋を貫通した槍を振るい、死体をどこかへ飛ばしたのは、ガタいのよい男性だった。 「おっと、余計なお世話だったか?」 「がははは、そうかいッ。んじゃ、互いに死なない程度に頑張ろうぜ」 豪快な笑いを残し、槍を担いだ彼は新たな獲物を求めて去っていった。クロエも剣を構え直し、再びゴブリンを切り捨てていく。 しばらくすると、クロエの前に他の個体よりも一回り大きなゴブリンが姿を現した。ゴブリンの亜種だ。上位個体には到底及ばないが、それでも通常のゴブリンよりは強靱な身体を持っている。持っている武器ーー剣も他の者よりも幾分か上等に見えた。おそらくDランクほどの能力はあるだろう。 ゴブリンが鈍い雄叫びを上げながら襲いかかる。クロエは余裕を持ってゴブリンの一撃を回避すると、すれ違いざまに切りつけた。だが、彼女の斬撃は緑色の皮膚を浅く切っただけに終わる。痛みに顔を歪めたゴブリンは怒り任せに剣を振るうが、クロエは後方に飛び退き一旦距離をとった。 「やはり、『モノ』が違うと勝手も変わってくるでござるな」 クロエが得意とする武器は特殊な形状と製造方法をしており、ドラクニルの武器屋では取り扱っていなかったのだ。仕方なしに最も形状が近い『片手剣』を選んで使用していたが、クロエの呟いたとおり使い勝手が微妙に異なっていた。故郷で慣れ親しんだ『武器』が手元にあれば、多少防御力が上がったとて切り捨てていただろう。 もちろん、今現在に手にしている『剣』であっても、正面のゴブリンは余裕で相手ができる。 「............試してみるでござるか」 正面からとは別に、横から他のゴブリンが襲いかかるが、クロエはヒラリと身を翻して回避。 「『雷刃』............起動ッ」 片手剣を両手持ちに。柄を握る寸前に術式を構築し、即座に発動。両手の中に生まれた「雷」を刀身に注ぎ込む。 振り向き様に、身近のゴブリンへと刃を落とした。緑色の体躯は刃を受けると豆腐のように切り落とされ、だが一切の血液を流すことなに分かれて地面に崩れ落ちた。 同胞の死に憤ったのか、あるいはこれを隙と判断したのか、ゴブリンは声を発しながら剣を振り下ろした。クロエは己の剣を持ってその一撃を受け止めた。すると、攻撃した筈のゴブリンの体が痙攣を起こしたかのように震え、動きが止まる。その胴体に、クロエはすかさず『雷光』を纏った刃を走らせた。 先ほどは傷の一つで済んだはずの、だが今度は胴の大半を断ち切られるほどの一撃を貰い、ゴブリンは二度と動かなくなった。やはり半ば以上まで分かたれた胴体の断面からは血の一滴も流れ落ちなかった。 地面に倒れたゴブリンの傷口をよく観察すると、まるで高温で熱したかのような焼けた断面図を残していた。 「............金属の装備をしている相手には有効でござるな」 クロエはゴブリンの死体と、雷光を宿した己の剣を見比べて感想を漏らした。 ーーーー武器に雷撃を宿す。 これがカンナが思いついた省エネ魔術の正体だ。アイディアの元はもちろん、某有名ロボット戦記アニメに出てくる、渋いオッサンが乗った青い人型兵器。アレが持つ『ヒート○ーベ○』である。 雷撃を放射するには魔力は足りず、かといって直接叩き込むには危険すぎる。ならば、使い慣れた武器に雷撃を乗せてしまえばいいではないか。 その発想の元に開発された魔術が、クロエが使用した雷系支援術式『雷刃』だ。刀身に『雷』を宿し、雷撃の刃を相手に食らわせる魔術式である。 これが金属製の武器とぶつかり合うと、クロエが持つ武器から雷撃が伝わり、相手が感電する。さらに『雷撃』が刃を形成することによって切れ味の底上げにも貢献するのだ。刀身に雷撃を通しているだけなので必要なのは最低限の魔術式で済み、魔力のエコにつながっている。日頃の訓練の賜物で、一定の出力を維持する制御に長けていたクロエには非常に相性の良い魔術式となった。 ただしここはやはりカンナクオリティ。もちろん欠点もあった。 「あちちッ、熱いでござるッッ」 クロエは悲鳴を上げながら慌てて『雷刃』を解除した。 この『雷刃』、攻撃力に加えて雷撃の付加効果を与えるのだが、その副産物として剣の全体が『電気抵抗』によって『超高温』を帯びる。これがゴブリンの傷口が焼け焦げている理由なのだが、その超高温が柄を通してクロエにまで伝わってしまうのだ。おかげで一度使用すると刀身が冷えるまで使用不可。無理に使用を続けると、今度はクロエの手が焼け焦げてしまうのである。 対処法として、剣は既製品だが柄の部分だけは熱を通しにくい素材に変更している。が、根本的な解決には至っていない。刀身が超高温になってもすぐには手が火傷しない、程度である。調子に乗って解除を忘れると、今のような熱い思いをする。 「今後の課題でござるな」 大きな欠点はあるが、それに見合うだけの攻撃力。何よりもカンナのアイディアによって生まれた魔術なのだ。この程度を改善できなければ彼に申し訳ない。 さて、新たな獲物を狙って足を踏み出したその時だ。 ドゴンッ! と。 凄まじい音が聞こえてきた。 クロエは耳をピンッと立て、意識の警戒レベルを上げた。他の冒険者たちも同様に警戒心を強めた。魔獣との戦闘に置いては、不慮の事態は日常茶飯事だ。一流と呼ばれる者ほど、周囲の状況には気を配っているのだ。 またもやドゴンッと、音が聞こえる。 「あっちでござ............る............か?」 音の発生源を特定したクロエはそちらの方に顔を向けた。だが、目撃した光景に、思わず目を疑った。 ーーーーゴブリンが、宙を舞っていた。 緑色のゴブリンが数体、体の一部に部位の欠損を生じさせながら吹き飛んでいたのだ。しかも目撃した一度きりではなく、音が発生する度にゴブリンがその都度に宙を舞う。 「おお、ありゃ『竜剣』だな」 つい先ほどに言葉を交わした槍使いだ。近くのゴブリンは掃討し終わったのか、辺りに動くゴブリンの姿はない。ここでの戦闘は一段落したのだろう。他の冒険者は新たにゴブリンがいる場所へと向かっている。 「竜剣............。確か、この作戦に参加している騎士団の団長殿............でござったか?」 「ドラクニルのギルドで最年少Aランク到達の記録保持者だ。おそらく、ディアガル国内でも屈指の実力者だろうよ」 「あれが、竜剣殿の仕業であると?」 「俺も人伝でしか聞いたことが無かったがな。何でも『オーガ』にも匹敵する膂力を秘めた怪力無双だとかな。昨日初めて姿を見たが、鎧姿とはいえあんな細身だから眉唾だと思ってたが、どうやら噂に わないらしい」 会話をしている間にも、ゴブリンが次々と宙を舞っていく。よく観察すると、剣の煌めきがゴブリンの合間から確認できる。間違いなく、彼が背負っていた巨大な剣だ。 「............というか、指揮官が直々に最前線で戦っているのはおかしくないでござるか?」 「俺はむしろ、後ろでふんぞり返ってるよりも好感が持てるがな」 言いたいことはクロエも理解できる。自陣の奥に引きこもり、偉そうに喚き散らす無能な指揮官と比べれば遙かにマシだ。おそらく、竜剣のそばで戦っている彼の部下からしてみれば、心労の一因であろうが。 「っと、見とれている内に他の奴らに遅れちまったな。どうする嬢ちゃん? 俺はこの際、間近で竜剣を見ようと帝国軍の方に合流するつもりだが」 付近にはもはや人気はなく、あるのはゴブリンの死骸だけだ。一番近くにあるゴブリンの群は、今まさに竜剣が無双している地点だ。別方向に離れ得た位置には冒険者たちの背中が見えた。 「折角なので、拙者もご一緒するでござるよ」 「そうかい。自己紹介が遅れたな。俺はバルハルトだ」 「クロエでござる」 頷き合うと、クロエと槍使いの男ーーバルハルトは、帝国軍に合流するべく再びゴブリンの群へと突っ込んでいった。 戦場の喧噪の中にあって、レグルスは背後で率いる部下以外の人間が接近してくるのを察した。そちらを見やると、ゴブリンたちを切り捨て、あるいは貫きながら冒険者二人がこちらに近づいてくる。 その片割れ。ドラクニルでは珍しい黒い髪に狼の耳を持った獣人の女がレグルスの目に留まった。 「............む」 それまでの方向に吹き飛んでいたゴブリンが、この時だけ水平後方に飛んでいった。レグルスは相棒である大剣の柄を握り直し、再度振るいゴブリンを薙払う。今度は四十五度の角度に戻る。 「我ながら未熟だな」 呟きはゴブリンの悲鳴に打ち消され、背後の副官や部下たちに届くことはなかった。 魔獣の壁を突破してこちらに向かってくる二人に、副官のダインは背後の部下達に一時停止を告げると、冒険者達に怒鳴る。 「貴様ら冒険者たちは別の方面の担当のはずだ! 何故ここにいる! 邪魔だッ!」 イキナリである。ダインの剣幕にクロエは少しだけ目を瞬いたが、即座に気を取り直す。 「拙者たちは貴殿らの邪魔をするつもりは毛頭ないでござる。ただ、『竜剣』殿のお側で戦ってみたいと馳せつけただけでござる」 「元とはいえAランク冒険者の戦う姿なんて滅多に拝めないからな。クロエの嬢ちゃんの言うとおり、あんたら帝国軍の邪魔はしないさ」 「うむ、許可する」 「団長ッッ!?」 即決即断は美徳とは言うが、さすがに決断が早すぎるのではないか。ダインが兜越しに上げた甲高い声を耳に、クロエとダインは思った。 「こちらに向かってくる際の戦いぶりを見れば足手まといにはならないだろう。邪魔をしないとも言っているのだし」 「そう言う問題ではありません!」 「では、どういう問題なのだ?」 「そ、それは............」 口籠もる副官を後目に、レグルスは二人を見据えて言った。 「さて、君たちの言うとおり邪魔にならない範囲でなら一緒に来るがいい。ただし、付いて来れなければ容赦なく置き去りにするから、そのつもりでいるといい」 「構わない」と冒険者二人は答えた。勝手に付いていくと言い出したのはこちらなのだ。同行を許可してくれただけでもありがたかった。 「ちッ、団長が仰るのならば私は従うまでです」 渋々と。本当に渋々と副官は引き下がった。兜の奥に苦みが走った表情が浮かんでいるのはありありと想像できた。正規軍の人間は自由気質の冒険者を嫌う傾向があるが、その典型的な反応にクロエは苦笑した。 冒険者二人を共にした幻竜騎士団の進撃が再開する。 最前を走るのは、やはり竜剣ーーレグルスだ。彼の戦う姿を身近に、クロエは戦慄に近い感情を抱いた。 剣を一閃する度に旋風が巻き起こり、ゴブリンが数体まとめて吹き飛ぶ。恐ろしいことに、剣を構えようが棍棒を構えようが、他の個体よりも一回り大きい亜種だろうが関係無しにすべてを両断していくのだから。驚くのは、一見にして力任せに見える斬撃が、よく見れば全く淀みのない洗礼された動きであること。その細身からは考えられないほどの膂力ではあるのだが、それを十二分に発揮するための理に適った動きだ。 副官ダインも忘れてはいけない。刺突を主眼に置かれた『レイピア』を操り、的確にゴブリンの急所をえぐり仕留めていく。刺突のスピードは素早く、クロエの動体視力で『どうにか』認識できるほどだ。 背後に続く幻竜騎士団団員達の実力も侮れない。個人技が目立つ冒険者達とは違い、統率された動きで乱れずにゴブリンを討伐していく。一人一人の実力はおそらく、クロエと同等かそれ以上だ。 「団長だけでなく、団員の方々も手練ればかりでござるな」 「ああ、俺も驚いた。軍ってのは外見ばかりのボンクラばかりだと思っていたが、こいつは認識を改めないと駄目だな」 ディアガルの軍を率いる指揮官クラスの人間の殆どは竜人族で固められている。これは血筋や貴族云々が理由ではなく、純粋な戦闘力が要因。それらが率いる兵達は日々厳しい訓練に明け暮れており、一人一人の練度は他国のそれを凌駕する。軍全体の規模こそ他より劣るが、総合的な戦力ではむしろ上回ってさえいるのだ。 バルハルトの言う『ボンクラ部隊』とは、家柄によってのみ指揮官としての地位に収まり、人数だけを揃えた烏合の衆を指している。ディアガル帝国内であっても悲しいことにそれらの類は存在する。それと比べれば、幻竜騎士団は精鋭中の精鋭にも見えた。 「へっ、俺たちも負けてはいられねぇな」 「無論でござるよ!」 猛者達の戦いを目に、クロエとバルハルトは己を奮い立たせた。両者ともに高みを目指す冒険者だ。ここで奮い立たなければそこを目指す資格などない。 やがて、動く緑色の姿は消え去り、後に残るのは騎士団と冒険者達のみとなっていた。ゴブリン達の寝床は殆ど全てが薙ぎ倒され、その主達も動かぬ屍と化していた。その間に、騎士団、冒険者達に怪我人らしい怪我人は出ず、強いて言えば転んで肘を擦りむいた程度である。 「残るは、あの洞窟の内部か」 「報告によれば、この大集落の主である上位個体の死体はまだ確認されていません。おそらくあの中でしょう」 レグルスとダインは、鉱山の側面に開いている大穴を兜の奥から見据えた。上位個体を討伐しなければこの作戦は終わらない。ここで仕留めておかねば、ほかの地域でまたもゴブリンを束ねて大集落を作る可能性があるからだ。 なお、この時点で無闇に洞窟の内部に突入する者は冒険者の中にもいなかった。事前にゴブリンの上位個体の討伐ランクは『B』であると予想が立てられていたからだ。無論、倒して確固たる実績を挙げたいという欲望はあれど、意気込みだけでBランクの魔獣に突撃するほどに無謀でもない。最低でも、足並みを揃え万全を期して挑む心構えだ。 ............若干一命、我先に飛び出そうとしている者がいたが。 「団長、まさか自ら洞窟に侵入しようとは、考えてませんよね?」 妙にうずうずしているレグルスの横から冷たい副官の声が押しとどめる。レグルスは若干気落ちしたように肩を落とすと副官に振り向いた。 「駄目なのか? 私が行けば多分すぐに終わるぞ?」 「駄目に決まっているでしょう。そもそも、一部隊のトップが最前線で暴れ回っている時点で大問題です。普通は後方で構えて指揮を執るのがあなたの仕事ですよ」 「後ろで黙ってふんぞり返っているのは性に合わん。考えるのは副官であるおまえの仕事だろう」 「お目付役がいないと、あなたはどこまでもどこまでも突っ込んでいってしまいますからね。後に付いていく団員達の身にもなってください」 そんな会話を側で聞いていた外様の冒険者二人は。 「やっぱり、団長が自ら最前線に立つには問題があったのでござるな」 「今まで想像してた竜剣のイメージとかなり違うな」 と、いろいろ呟いていた。 ダインに諭された団長は仕方がないな、と肩を竦めると、クロエに声を掛けた。 「黒狼のお嬢さん。悪いが君たちのリーダーを呼んできてもらえないか? 今からあの洞窟に向かうパーティーを形成したい。ニ、三人、洞窟内の戦闘が得意な人材を見繕って欲しい、と伝えてくれ。こちらの部隊からも何人か出すのでな」 「Bランクの冒険者殿にでござるな。了解でござる」 軽快な足取りで走るクロエ。だが、騎士団と冒険者、それぞれの集団のちょうど中間点に差し掛かった頃に不意に足を止めた。 「............なんでござるか?」 それは、獣の因子を持つが故の本能か。 冒険者として培った経験か。 あるいは、『死』を体験したことによって得た『』か。 惜しむらくはこの時、彼女は足を止めるべきではなかった。 彼女が敬愛するあの白髪の少年ならば、全力でその場を駆け抜けていただろう。 しかし、その後悔を覚えたのは。 どこからか飛来した『矢』が彼女の左胸に突き立ってからだ。 ーーーーバギンッ。 硬質な破壊音が耳に届いた直後、クロエの意識は途絶えた。

Rewinding time for a bit. Kanna rush into the cave without hesitation while leaving behind the totally exhausted Real. 「H-He really went ahead de gozaru.」 She never would have foreseen him to be such a cold-hearted man. Though both of them have not been acquainted for long, she thought Kanna was a heroic man br.i.m.m.i.n.g with righteousness. A feeling of disappointment, not unlike that of betrayal begins to sprout in Chloe's mind. However, as if to chase away the emptiness swirling inside her mind, Real who was left behind lifts the edge of her lips and says... 「Despite his frivolous words, he is a reliable man.」 「Real-dono?」 「Don't look down on meーーand that man.」 Putting strength into her fatigued limbs which in the first place was due to the recoil of her support-type spell, Real picks up the greatsword beside her. Although her current appearance looks so unimaginably frail and a far cry from her earlier display of peerlessness, the strength dwelling in her eyes has not diminish, not in the least. 「Since I've known him a little bit longer than you, I understand his character just as much. He is a man who can act upon a decision instantly as soon as he decided that something needs to be done. What Kanna ought to do right now is not to concern himself about me but rather to eradicate the main culprit behind all this.」 「B-But...」 「It's true that [Dragonic Rage's] recoil is harsh but even so, I won't fall behind to the likes of Lizardman. Kanna went ahead knowing that fact. Condemning him would be barking at the wrong tree.」 Though there are fewer of them now, the Lizardman still has quite the number. She cannot rest and have a peace of mind while the knights and adventurers are resolutely fighting for their lives. 「Why......to that extentーー」 Chloe could not find the words to continue. 「If I'm to borrow his wordsーlet's see. If there is something that needs to be done, accompanied by a desire to do it and the determination to follow through, then there is no room for hesitation.」 Real's words as she pa.s.s by Chloe were unwavering. 「I wished for it and he responded. If so, do we need further words?」 An expression of faith, without a single blemish. Chloe felt pain running through her chest and she unconsciously reach out to the scar that serves as a testimony of the time when she was bound under a spell. But it is also a scar she's proud of because that scar gave birth to a connection with [him]. 「You don't have to worry about me. That aside, go on and chase after him. I'm sure he's going to do something reckless in one way or another.」 Leaving behind those words, Real rejoins the battlefield while holding her greatsword in one hand. Although she's grumbling that it is hard to even stand up, her fighting spirit did not decrease at all, rather it increased instead. Chloe's heart is in chaos as she gaze upon Real's back advancing further towards the battlefield. How can she trust him so much? Why is he so trusted? 『This oneーーI, did I not place my trust in Kannsama?』 Anger and hatred that cannot be contained burns within her, intensifying her pain. 『............It's unpleasant.』 The bond of mutual trust between Kanna and Real is by far much stronger than the one she had developed with him over the course of the last few weeks. However, not once up until this moment had she ever felt jealousy to the point of causing nausea. Although she was born as a member of the Black Wolf Clan, she was and still is critically lacking in mana. Despite her acc.u.mulation of desperate efforts to improve, young clan members of her generation surpa.s.sed her with ease. Even though she had the same lightning apt.i.tude, she could only watch the back of a clan member who had risen to the ranks of rank adventurer in a short period of time. It would be stranger to be jealous at all. And yet, even that is not comparable to what she is currently experiencing. ーーーgigyaaaaaaa!! Lizardmen wielding swords and axes are rus.h.i.+ng towards Chloe who was standing absent mindedly on the battlefield, all while neglecting caution and defense. 「ーーー! [Thunder Blade]! !」 With a lightning spell coursing through it, the blade s.h.i.+nes to an excessive degree. In addition to the lightning strike, the blade, heated to a super high temperature slices the nearest lizardman's right hand just like a heated knife against b.u.t.ter. She press on with its left hand, both its leg next and finally killing it by decapitation. 「gaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!」 At this moment, Chloe is reminiscent of a [wild beast] tormenting its prey and leaving it scattered afterwards. Even with that, the pain in her chest does not subside. Portraying the very image of a [beast], Chloe continues to search around for her next [prey]. At that moment, a thunderous roar accompanied by a violent earthquake engulfs the whole mine. 「ーーー! Kannsama!?」 Chloe's eyes which had been clouded by instinct regains its clarity. Along with her clarity, his words before speeding off into the mine echoes inside her head. 『ーーーYou wanna bring along someone whose one step away from getting injured all over? 』 「Just how much of a fool am I!」 Chloe wants to cry because of her foolishness. If Kanna's a.s.sumption proves true, there is a possibility that the [mastermind] lurking inside that cave. He cannot possibly bring along someone who would only be a hindrance. She finally understood. However, while it may be true, there was no reason for him to charge in alone. This is no longer the time and place to be slaughtering magic beasts while driven by emotion. Compared to the worn-out Real, Chloe's consumption of mana and stamina was more or less lower. So when Kanna rushed into the cave, Chloe should have followed him without hesitation. 『ーーーIf anything happens to Kannsama by any chance...』 Just by imagining it, a sense of uneasiness that was gripping her heart surge through her whole body. 「gh!?」 She throw the sword away and checks her hands. Her palms is just one step away from being completely burnt. Any longer and she would have suffered severe burns that will require a significant amount of time to fully recover, even after being healed by a spell. 「This is a fitting punishment for a fool.」 While enduring the pain that will cause her to scream should Chloe ever lose concentration, she breaks into a run with a stiff visage. As soon as she enters the cave, her superior beastkin sense of hearing picks up an ominous sound. 「The bedrock is becoming brittle............ There's no time.........I have to hurry!」 There are numerous auditory signs of an imminent [cave-in] throughout the cave wall. It was perhaps because of the prior earthquake. With its effect in shaking the whole crescent-shaped mine, a cave-in would be a natural result. Chloe desperately sprints through the cave's pa.s.sageway. As the signs of collapse gradually gets stronger... She finally found Kanna at the pa.s.sage's end. He is leaning against the wall while dragging his body towards the exit. 「.........Chloe?」 「Kannsama, are you all right!?」 When she rush over to him in a hurry, he began collapsing as if utterly spent. 「Kannsama, are you hurt somewhere!? 」 「Don't worry. I'm not injured and I took down the magical formation and the masterminds.」 His words has no vigor behind it but there were no obvious injuries at first glance. Chloe's mind is awash with relief after confirming Kanna's safety. 「It's just that, I overused Spirit Art」 After defeating one of the mastermind -the woman- using the [superma.s.sive ice sh.e.l.l], Kanna's mental strength was on the verge of exhaustion. If she can avoid it, the I'll just have to hit her with an unavoidable attack. That conclusion inspired me to create that superma.s.sive ice sh.e.l.l but I didn't expect it to pack that much of a brutal firepower. 「...Was it a bit too flashy?」 「That earthquake was your doing, Kannsama?ーーーNow is not the time, we should escape first. This cave will collapse soon.」 That's to be expected. After all, I did launch a ma.s.sive chunk of ice with nearly six meters in diameter at the same speed of a gunpowder-type cannonball. That much force is probably enough to deal a fatal blow to this cave. 「Can you move?」(chloe) 「To be honest, even standing up is taking all I have.」 I am barely holding on to my consciousness and despite my effort to exit this cave, I'm moving so slowly that my progress is practically non-existent, surprising even myself. 《retrun later. rechck last bit. grammar n flow》 「We have no time. Pardon me but I'll have to carry you on my back.」(chloe) 「My bad, please do.」 As a man, it is a very pathetic sight but instead of being down, the person himself is ecstatic at the excuse for a close contact with a woman. Nonetheless, he does have enough sense not to put those silly thoughts into words. Although at this point of time, that sort of thinking would be fatal... 「hau......... We're glued together de gozaru yo.........」 「.........ha?」 「No, it's nothing. Nothing at all! Shall we move now?」(chloe) Apparently, Kanna is not the only one with a silly mind. Her diligent effort as an adventurer did not go to waste at all. Even while carrying the weight of a man and his armor behind her back, Chloe starts running with a powerful gait. A little while later, a deep rumbling echoes from the back of the cave, the place where Kanna had been moments ago, accompanied by a gust of wind. 「yikes The open s.p.a.ce where they put up that magical formation collapsed.」(kanna) 「It seems that it has begun. I'll pick up the pace.」 Intermittent sound of rocks collapsing reverberates inside the pa.s.sage, albeit at an irregular interval. Starting with the first collapse, the adjacent bedrock must have reached its limit. 「phew I'm lucky you came when you did. I wouldn't be able to escape on my own and buried alive if you weren't here. .........Chloe?」 Full of grat.i.tude, Kanna thanks her but Chloe on the contrary, keeps her mouth shut, seemingly discouraged. Speaking of Chloe, there is something about her that Kanna only noticed just now. Chloe words no longer include [gozaru]. The exact cause is unknown but Chloe's speech pattern switches to that of a [woman] when her mind becomes highly agitated or conversely, highly insecure. Peeking at Chloe's face from behind, her profile has an atmosphere of someone brooding but before Kanna could ask her about it, they successfully made their way out of the cave. They squinted at the sudden increase in brightness. After recovering from the white-out, the current situation on the battlefield greets them. Any remaining Lizardman and General Goblins that were left before Kanna stormed into the cave had already been wiped out. Now, the joint expedition members are in the midst of administering first aid and confirming the state of affairs. 「How do I put this, it's like a picture of h.e.l.l I guess.」(kanna) 「There was quite the number clas.h.i.+ng here after all.」 He did not pay much attention when he was in the midst of the battle but looking at it calmly, heaps of magic beast corpses are scattered everywhere. The ground is soaked with red and a thick smell of blood permeates the air. 「wow There's even a display of grotesquely mutilated corpses. Was there someone with a lifelong grudge against magic beasts?」 Kanna caught sight of lizardman corpses at a relatively closer distance to the cave. All of the lizardman in that area are subjected to thorough amputation of all four limbs alongside their head. It is hard to determine the exact number of corpses as there seems to be more limbs than bodies. Chloe could not provide any response. It was none other than her who ma.s.s-produced the grotesque sight and the reason was to [vent her anger] caused by extreme palpitation. By all means, it is not a detail she could divulge. 「Good job Kanna, Chloe.」(real) While both of them busy surveying the battlefield, Real who came close unnoticed greets them. She received a report from a subordinate who was tasked to monitor the cave's vicinity and promptly head to their direction. 「How's the situation?」(kanna) 「There are quite a few severely wounded but miraculously there were no casualties. Even those severely wounded would be able to resume active duty after undergoing treatment and a proper rest afterwards.」(real) 「That's splendid.」 「What about you? It seems that you've been quite reckless there.」 Real said that as she look upon Kanna still being piggybacked by Chloe. As a response, Kanna flashes a grin and gives her a thumbs up. 「I settled it properly.」(kanna) 「As expected of Kanna.」(real) 「Flattering me won't get you anything yo.」 Kanna and Real hold out their hands, lightly doing a fist b.u.mp. Long words are unnecessary between the two who had done what they had to do. 「You too, Chloe. Good job. Sure enough, he seems to have recklessly pushed himself to the limit. He would've been in jeopardy if you didn't follow after him.」 Looking towards the cave, the cave-in had reached the entrance, burying the pa.s.sageway with rocks. 「.........Don't mention it, I just did what I had to.」(chloe) Real inclines her head after hearing her words muttered while hanging her head as if she's having a guilty conscience but she did not pursue the matter. 「We will return to the encampment as soon as the emergency treatment for the severely injured are done. Further cleanup and investigation will be conducted at a later date.」(real) ーーーThus, this strange incident that began with a goblin outbreak which ultimately led to a seemingly long but short battle came to an end.

時間は少々遡る。 疲労困憊のレアルを置いて、カンナは迷い無く洞窟へと突入していった。その背中をクロエは信じられないとばかりに見送ってしまった。 「ほ、本当に行ってしまわれたでござる」 彼があそこまで薄情な男だとは思っても見なかった。知り合って間もないが、カンナは義に溢れる勇敢な男だと思っていたのに。裏切られたような失望感がクロエの中に生まれた。 だが、彼女の胸に去来した空虚を振り払うように、置き去りにされた当のレアルは口の端を吊り上げながら言った。 「口ではなんのかんのと言いつつ、頼りになる男だ」 「レアル殿?」 「彼をーーーーそして私を見縊ってくれるなよ」 支援術式の反動で疲労しに力を込め、レアルは傍らに横たわっていた剣を手に取り立ち上がる。先ほどまで無双を誇っていた姿からは想像できないほどの弱々しさだったが、目に宿る力強さは些かも衰えていない。 「君よりは多少付き合いが長い分、理解しているつもりだ。彼は成すべき事が決まっているなら即座に決断を下せる男だ。いまここでカンナがすべきは私の心配ではなく、元凶を断つことだ」 「で、ですが」 「確かに『ドラゴニック・レイジ』の反動はキツいが、それでもリザードマンごときに遅れを取る私ではない。カンナとてそれを承知で行ったのだ。彼を責めるのはお門違いだ」 レアルは歩を進めた。残り僅かとはいえ、リザードマンはまだ数を残している。騎士団の部下や冒険者達が果敢に戦っているのに、己だけが呑気に休んでいるわけにもいかない。 「どうして............そこまでーーーー」 後に続く言葉をクロエは見つけることが出来なかった。 「彼の言葉を借りるならーーそうだな。成すべき事があり、成す事を望まれており、成す意志があるのならば、そこに躊躇いが入り込む余地はない」 擦れ違い様に呟かれたレアルの言葉は揺るぎなかった。 「私が望み、彼が応えた。ならば、それ以上の言葉が必要か?」 の淀みもない、信頼の言葉。 クロエは、胸に走る痛みを覚えた。無意識に手を伸ばしたのは、かつては己を呪縛していた証の傷跡。だがそれは、『彼』との繋がりを生んだ誇るべき傷でもあった。 「私の心配は無用だ。それよりも彼の後を追ってくれ。アレは何かと無茶をやらかすのでな」 そう残し、レアルは剣を携え戦場に戻っていった。立っているのさえ辛いと本人は零しながら、背負う気迫はむしろ増していた。 なおも戦いに赴く背中に、クロエの心は大きく揺れていた。 どうしてそこまで彼を信頼できるのか。 どうしてそこまで彼に信頼されているのか。 (拙者はーーーー私は、カンナ様を信頼していなかったのか?) 言葉少なくとも意思を通わせに対して、ドロリとした汚泥の様な感情が溢れ出す。怒りとも憎しみともとれない思いが胸を焦がし、痛みを激しくさせる。 (............気持ち悪い) 嫉妬ーーーーなのだろう。 カンナとレアルの間にある信頼関係は、己がカンナと共にしたこの数週間で築いたそれよりも遙かに強い。だが、ここまで吐き気を及ぼすような嫉妬を抱いたことはかつてない。 黒狼族に生まれながらも、決定的に不足していた魔力の素養。必死の努力を積み重ねても、それを軽く追い越していく同世代の若者達。同じ雷属性の適性を持ちながらも、早々とAランク冒険者の地位にまでたどり着いた者の背中。嫉妬を感じない方がおかしい。 だが、今感じている嫉妬に匹敵するほどではなかった。胸元の傷がジクリジクリと痛む。歯を軋ませ、爪を立て掻き毟るように傷口を抱きしめる。 ーーーーぎぎゃぁぁぁあぁッッ!! 泥のような思考に沈んでいた意識が、間近から聞こえたリザードマンの声に浮上した。戦場に無防備で佇んでいるクロエに、剣や斧を振り上げたリザードマン達が襲いかかる。 「ーーーーーッ、『雷刃』ッッ!!」 術式を発動した刀身が、過剰なまでの閃光を纏う。雷撃のみならず、超高温を宿した刃は手近にいたリザードマンの右腕を熱したバターの如くに切り裂いた。そのまま左腕両足、最後に首を断ち切り、絶命させた。 「がぁぁぁああああああああああああッッッッ!!!!」 この時のクロエは、野生のままに、感情のままに獲物を食い散らかす『獣』を彷彿させた。 胸の痛みは治まらない。まさしく『獣』を宿したクロエは次なる『獲物』を求めようと視線を巡らす。 その時、鉱山全域に激震と轟音が響きわたった。 「ーーーーッ、カンナ様ッ!?」 本能に塗り潰されていたクロエの瞳に、理性が戻った。 それに併せて、つい先ほどに交わされた言葉が脳裏を木霊した。 ーーーーあんな満身創痍の一歩手前の状態で連れて行く気か? 致命的な言葉の見落としに、今更になって思い至る。 「どこまでも大馬鹿なのか、私は!」 自分のあまりの愚かさにクロエは泣きたくなった。 カンナの話が正しければ、洞窟の奥には今回の件の『黒幕』がいる可能性がある。そんな場所に足手纏いは連れていけない。それは分かる。 だからといって、自分が付いていっては行けない道理はなかった。 消耗したレアルと比べて、クロエは多少の魔力と体力を消費した程度。ならば、カンナが洞窟に突入したとき、クロエは迷わず彼に後を追うべきだった。 ーーーーカンナの身に万が一があれば。 想像しただけで、心臓を鷲掴みにされたような焦燥感が全身を走る。指先から凍り付くような寒気を覚えた。 「ギぃィッ!?」 口から嫌な悲鳴が飛び出す。剣の超高温に焼かれた右手の痛みが、ようやく『痛み』として理性を取り戻した脳を直撃したのだ。手から柄を放り出し、痛む手のひらに目をやると、皮膚は焼け爛れる一歩手前。もう少し手放すのが遅ければ、治癒術式でも完治するのに相当な時間を要するほどの重度の火傷を負っていた。 「愚かな私にはふさわしい罰でしょうね」 油断をすれば悲鳴を上げたくなるのを堪え、痛みに顔を引き攣らせながらクロエは駆けだした。 洞窟に入るなり、人種よりも優れた獣人の聴覚が不吉な音を察知した。 「岩盤が脆くなってる............。時間が無い............急がないとッ!」 壁の奥の至る所から、『崩落』の予兆が聞こえてきていた。おそらく、先ほどの大激震が原因だ。鉱山全域に轟くほどであるし無理もない。 クロエは必死になって洞窟の通路を駆け抜けた。 徐々に崩落の兆しが強くなっていく中、 ようやく通路の先にカンナを発見した。彼は通路の壁に身を預け、身体を引き摺るようにして出口を目指していた。 「............クロエ?」 「カンナ様ッ、ご無事ですかッ!」 大急ぎでカンナに駆け寄ると、彼は力尽きたように倒れそうになった。咄嗟に彼の身体を抱き留めることに成功するクロエ。 「カンナ様ッ、どこかに怪我をッ!?」 「大丈夫だ、怪我はない。黒幕も魔術式もぶっ壊した」 言葉に力は籠もっていなかったが、ぱっと見に目立った負傷もない。カンナの身が無事であることに、クロエは内心に盛大な安堵をついた。 「ただ精霊術を使いすぎてキツい」 敵の黒幕、その片割れの女性を撃退した『超巨大氷砲弾』で、カンナの精神は枯渇寸前になっていた。 その結論の元に導き出した攻撃だったが、想定していたよりも遙かに凶悪な攻撃力を秘めていた。 「や、ちょいと派手にぶちかましすぎたか」 「先ほどの衝撃はカンナ様が? ーーーーいえ、今はここを脱出する方が先決でしょう。ここはもうまもなく崩落します」 直ートル近くの大質量が、火薬式の大砲弾と同じ速度で発射されたのだ。付近の岩盤に致命打を与えるには十分すぎた。 「動けますか?」 「正直もう立ってるのも辛い」 かろうじて気絶の半歩手前で踏みとどまり出口を目指していたが、遅々として進まない足取りに本人も焦りを覚えていた所だった。気を抜いてしまえば意識を失ってしまいそうな状態。これ以上進むには体力も気力も底を突いていた。 「時間がありません。背負って行きますが、ご容赦を」 「悪いが、頼む」 抵抗も文句も言わず、カンナは素直にクロエに背負われた。男の矜持としては非常に情けない格好だが、あいにくとカンナはむしろ合法的に女性と密着できると、場違いを通り越して大馬鹿な事を考えていたが口に出さない程度の聡明さはあった。考えている時点で致命的ではあったが。 「はぅ............。密着してるでござるよぅ............」 「............ほ?」 「あ、いえ。何でもありません! そ、それでは行きますよッ!?」 どうやら、馬鹿なことを考えていたのはカンナだけではなかったらしい。クロエはクロエでこの状況に役得を覚えていた。 伊達に冒険者としての研鑽を積んでいたのではない。男の体重+軽鎧の決して軽くない重量を背負いながら、クロエは力強い足取りで走り出した。 少しして、カンナが歩いてきた道の先、洞窟の奥から『ドォォォン』と深い音が響き、遅れて突風が吹き出した。 「ありゃぁ魔術式があった空間が崩落したな」 「どうやら始まったようですね。急ぎましょう」 不定期ながら断続に崩落の音が通路の内部に響きわたる。最初の崩落を皮切りに付近の岩盤が限界を迎えたのだろう。 「や、迎えにきてくれて本当に助かった。下手すりゃ逃げきれずに生き埋めになってたからな。............クロエ?」 カンナは感謝の念を込めて礼を言うが、クロエは逆に気落ちしたように口を閉ざした。 そういえば、とカンナは今頃になって気が付いた。 クロエの口調が、『ござる』ではなくなっていた。 詳しい原因は不明だが、クロエは、精神が極度の興奮状態や逆に不安定になると口調が『女性』のものに変化する。意図的なものではなく、無意識に言葉が切り替わるのだ。 クロエの顔を背後から覗き込むと、その横顔はどこか思い詰めた雰囲気を宿していた。 だがそれを問うよりも早く、カンナ達は洞窟の外へと脱出していた。急激に量を増した光の眩しさに目を細めた。 焼け付いたような白い視界が回復すると、戦場の様子が伺えた。カンナが洞穴突入する前に残っていたリザードマンやジェネラルゴブリンは既に全滅しており、戦闘は終結を向かえていた。今は、負傷者の応急処置と状況の確認最中だ。 「なんつーか、地獄絵図ってこれをいうのかね」 「ぶつかり合った量が量ですからね」 戦場で戦っていた最中は気にも留めなかったが、冷静に見渡すと魔獣の死体が至る所に散らばっている。地面にも血が染み込んでおり、血臭が鼻にこびり付く。 「うぉう。猟奇的バラバラ死体まであるぞ。よっぽど魔獣に恨みがあったのかね」 カンナの目に留まったのは、比較的洞窟から近い位置にあるリザードマンの死体だ。ご丁寧に両の手足に首まで切断されている。手のパーツだけでも四つ以上あるが、正確な死体の数が判断しにくいほどだ。 クロエはなにも応えることが出来なかった。見覚えのあるあの死体を量産したのは己であり、動悸は当たり』というあんまりの理由。とても口に出せる内容ではなかった。 「ご苦労だったなカンナ、クロエ」 戦場の様子を見渡していた二人に、いつの間にか此方に向かってきていたレアルが声を掛けてきた。洞窟の付近を監視するように命じていた部下からの報告に、いち早く駆けつけてきたのだ。 「状況はどうなんだ?」 「重傷者はかなり出たが、奇跡的に死者は出ていない。怪我の重い者も、しっかりとした休息と治療があれば現場復帰できるだろう」 「そりゃ重畳だ」 「そちらはどうなんだ? 随分と無茶をやらかしたようだが」 クロエに背負われている格好を目にレアルが言った。対してカンナは不敵な笑みを作り、ぐっと親指を立てた。 「きっちりと片を付けてやったさ」 「さすがカンナだな」 「おだてても何も出ないっての」 カンナとレアルは互いの拳を突き出すと、軽くぶつけ合わせた。成すべき事を成した両者の間に多くの言葉は不要だった。 「クロエもご苦労だったな。案の定、無茶をやらかして限界寸前だったようだ。君が彼の後を追ってくれなければ危うかった」 洞窟の方に目をやると、崩落は入り口付近にまで届いており、崩れ落ちた天井が通路を埋めていた。 「............いえ、私は私の成すべき事をしたまでです」 後ろめたさを抱いたような俯き気味の言葉にレアルは首を傾げたが、追求する事もなく続けた。 「とりあえず、これで作戦完了だ重傷者の応急処置が終わり次第、野営地の方に帰投する。ここの後始末や調査は後日に行おう」 ーーーーこうしてゴブリンの異常発生から始まった長いようで短い今回の戦いは終わりを迎えたのだった。

three weeks have pa.s.sed since Kanna’s friends were summoned to this world. “Aaaaah!!! ” Misaki shoots a tornado kick which Yuzuki stops. Though she raised a voice that shouldn’t come from a girl, there was no one there to make the retort . Anyway, I shall explain since the situation is advancing a little too fast. Un? who’s this narrator. you ask? Just don’t bother with the small details. I’m more or less a personality created by the author of this story. At least, I’m not something like a G.o.d watching over earth and I’m unrelated to the idiot in this world. Just keep in mind that I might make an appearance whenever the story isn’t centered around the protagonist. Back to topic. As Misaki and Ayana had guessed, the kingdom wasn’t stupid enough to immediately send them to war. Weird enough, the princess who summoned them even knew they came from a peaceful world. Yuzuki and Misaki had borrowed the training grounds and are now doing a mock battle. “Hold on, Misaki-san?? don’t you think a girl shouldn’t raise such voices?——?!!” “don’t you put in ——— unneeded quips” A great blast blows the ground to pieces. Even if it was a move she she favors that could actually shatter the ground, making rocks fly, as expected, was no longer a human feat. Looking at her, she was wearing Short pants and a T-s.h.i.+rt prepared by the servants. Both of the best quality with high defensive capabilities. The two arm-guards that cover from her elbows to her fingertips give her an increase in defenses and blunt attacks power. What drew the most attention were the leg-guards that clearly deviate from the norm. The part covering until below her knees was obviously much bigger that the rest. Although it holds quite the weigh that posed no challenge for Misaki. But as a weapon it was unbalanced to say the least. “Oops” “there’s still more where that came from, you know!!” Receiving the blast of the explosion Yuzuki broke his balance. Not overlooking the chance Misaki taps the ground with her left leg-guard activating a magic formation. A magic formula appears on the ground followed by another big explosion. —The first thing the three were thought when they came to this world was their magic powers values and their magic elements. Due to the precedence called Kanna the court magicians were quite anxious at first, but that too vanished soon enough. All three summoned students were talented enough to be called ‘The hero’. Misaki showed talent for offensive fire magic and a magic pool many times the size of a court magician. though she still couldn’t use anything complicated and is incapable of shooting her magic long ranged attack. though the firepower of fire magic is nothing to scoff at one must always consider the risk of self injury when producing such explosions. Yet Misaki managed to find a method to make use of even that. The blast yet again shaves the earth off. Blowing Misaki’s body, using the shock to accelerate she charges in. That is right,those huge leg-guards weren’t for adding to her defense or firepower.their true worth lies in dampening the impact of the explosion.Possibly because she had trained in martial arts while on earth, this way of fighting greatly suited her. Misaki continued closing in on the fleeing Yuzuki. Normally one will be unable to handle the force from the acceleration and lose their balance at some point. But then again footwork happened to be Misaki’s area of expertise. She had already gotten used to her new way of fighting. “The magic item of Misaki-san seems to be in a good condition. For now I guess it’s fine to keep it as it is.” The one who muttered that was Ayana who was spectating the fight from a distance. Ayana’s magic power surpa.s.ses that of Misaki by a half. Just that makes her enough of a genius yet she even possesses the superior attribute『Origin』. 『Origin』is an attribute that interferes with the const.i.tution of inorganic matters on a molecular level. The majority of those specializing in this magic are called ‘alchemists’. In short it’s the the beansprout’s, the same ability that fuses and creates a bunch of things as the shorty whose arm and leg are machine parts. The example is too hard? h.e.l.l if I know. As if that wasn’t enough Ayana was actually smart enough to come out on top on national tests. That’s why in a mere half month she managed to master The knowledge and skills that take the normal person four years to acquire. Though part of it was just 『Origin』being compatible with earth’s science. ——— Clearly the influence of Kanna And so It came to Ayana making her a weapon that makes use of that factor. Living up to her t.i.tle of genius she finished the process much faster that her peers would and the result was those leg-guards, enabling the usage of fire magic in melee combat. Of course, Ayana was also developing a weapon of her own. As for ⌈mister protagonist⌋ (Kanna’s naming sense) “Kuh..........,I won’t let this be so one sided!!” Having finally escaped the barrage of explosive fists Yuzuki goes for the attack. Speaking of which. The equipment of Yuzuki consisted of an armor of the highest quality and a well-ornamented b.a.s.t.a.r.d sword. A s.h.i.+eld in his left hand, the so called buckler. It was the general knight’s attire. Surrounded in flashy equipment he really looked the part of a ‘Hero’. But that didn’t stop at his appearance. “Magic formation deployment complete!!Body reinforcement magic『overdrive』 activate !!” The magic formation’s light appears on the left hand of Yuzuki. Who then swings it down on himself. The light which got absorbed into his body grew more intense. “Ooooooooh!!” A strong wind dances around. “———Wa?! I didn’t make it!!” “From this point on is my turn. Here I come Misaki-san!” Leaving a small crater behind, Yuzuki closed in with overwhelming speed and swung his sword. Having somehow managed to receive the blow Misaki got blown away. Though she danced in the air, Misaki quickly recovers her balance. But Yuzuki didn’t miss that small opening. “Youuuuuuuuuu!!” Driven by anger, Misaki Releases an exploding kick. Having predicted that, Yuzuki dodged with the least movement. A bit fl.u.s.tered, Misaki returned her leg. But what awaited her when she turned around was the sight of Yuzuki thrusting a sword to her neck. “............I guess this is my loss” “..............It’s my win” The frustrated Misaki and Yuzuki with a wry smile on his face. The match was decided. —— Yuzuki’s magic power value is more than ten times that of the court magician. Unfortunately because they couldn’t measure up his total amount it remains unknown how much magic power he really has. Just that makes him absurd enough. And yet he even could use the legendary ⌈light⌋ attribute. An element of which the number of users in all history can be counted on one hand. The element is actually so much of a mystery that the only ⌈light⌋ spell the castle people knew of was that『overdrive』. Although similar spells exist such as the fire attribute’s “Agility boost” or the earth attribute’s “stamina boost” etc. Magicians will suffer extreme pain once the effects of those run out. That is where the magnificence of light magic comes into view. Not only does 『overdrive』boost all stats it also doesn’t have any recoil on the body. Even so it’s not like it’s without disadvantages, since the magic formula is quite complicated it takes time to activate. Add to that the humongous amount of magic power it eats up. Having made sure of his victory, Yuzuki took a deep breath and Misaki moved away. “I always think so but, you really use quite the cheat spell. you’re already troublesome enough without it. Yet the moment you activated it the winner was decided.” “Well, I can’t use anything else after all. If you ask me, your stable way of fighting is much more attractive. Not to mention that is actually my trump card, I’ll be troubled if it doesn’t decide things.” ” Is this the so called winner’s composure? you’re kinda annoying so, Won’t you let me punch you once?” Misaki thinks ‘Just how weak of a mind do you have ‘ as she drops her fist. The saddest part was that she lost to such a good for nothing though. “Good work out there both of you. Here you go.” “Thanks Ayana.” The two wipe their sweat with the towels they received from Ayana. “So Misaki-san, is there any problem with the leg -guards I made?” “It’s become easier to use compared to the first article. But it felt like the force of the explosion is kinda lost in the process. It’s weaker than the image I have.” “Won’t it become hard to control if the explosion is too strong?” “I’ll handle that myself so don’t worry about it becoming too strong. Also it’s kinda lacking in weigh so my kicks come out a little too light and I easily lose control of the explosion.” “Understood. I guess I better topple with the materials and shape, leaving the design as is.” “It might be weird coming from me but, what about your personal weapon? You haven’t even shown it to me yet.” “I see, you can just leave mine for later, you know?” “Though I’m thankful you worry about me, unlike you two I don’t really like fighting so it’s only at times like this that I get to s.h.i.+ne.” “Well, just don’t push yourself, OK?” “I got it.” Ayana give a thumbs up. Though she looks like a small animal, she was quite the reliable girl. “How about Yuzuki-kun. Is there no problem with your equipment.” “there is no problem.........Maybe?” “Why is it a question?” “Well until now I’ve used wooden swords and the like countless times but I’ve never handled a real sword. It even feels weird to be able to use it so easily.” Looking at his sword handling, Yuzuki had already mastered his new weapon. “W~ell,............It’s Yuzuki-kun after all.” “It’s Yuzuki after all.” “Aren’t you two kinda mean for getting convinced with just that?” “”It’s Yuzuki(-kun) after all.”” The boy named Yuzuki was just that sort of existence. whatever he tries he’ll master it in little time to a degree that leaves experts in the dust. furthermore, although it increases one’s physical ability, that spell doesn’t interfere with the perception. In short, it’s like the common car you were riding suddenly turned into an F. A normal person can’t handle that. Yet he mastared it in less than a week. Simply put he’s the polar opposite of the all-incompetent Kanna. G.o.d’s most beloved child, so to say. It won’t be long before his name resounds through the whole world. I’ll just say this but as the narrator of this story, I’m completly neutral towards characters. Anyway. “You three are truly worthy of the hero t.i.tle, there might no longer be a peer of you in this castle.” turning towards the source of the sound there was a sparkling woman. As if she personalized the image of a princess. A super beautiful girl. Said super beautiful girl was the second princess of this human kingdom of “Yurufilia” and the one responsible for summoning the three. Her s.h.i.+tness highness Firias ēdel yurufilia. “Ah, princess Firias.” “How mean of you Yuzuki-sama, didn’t I already tell you to call me ‘Fii’.” “Th-That’s right, you did say that Fii. So, did you need something from us.” “-Can’t I meet our heroes unless I have business with them, I wonder?” “No such thing! it makes me happy that you came to see us!” “For getting to meet Yuzuki-sama, I’m happy as well.” “S,stop saying embarra.s.sing things...................” Misaki and Ayana kept sending painful gazes to Yuzuki whose face loosened up with the coming of Firias. It’s not like they were feeling jealous or have romantic feelings for Yuzuki. Nevertheless their eyes were cold. ((he’s so easy)) Even I (Narrator) think so. The funny part is that both of them returned their expressions to normal the moment Firias turned her gaze to them. As if to say they don’t think much of her. “Misaki-sama and Ayansama, how have you been?” “Well, I’m more or less in a good mood, especially with the leg-guards Ayana made being in a good condition.” “It’s good that Misaki-san likes them. Fii-san, thank you for providing me the materials.” “It’s my pleasure to be able to help our heroes.” Towards he bright smile of Firias, capable of taking down even women. The two girls try to make the most natural smiles they could. from preparing materials and equipment to taking care of their daily needs and even readying a training ground. Just by the looks of things, the princess had actually done so much for theme Well, that much is obvious after you summoned someone and told them to fight for you in all selfishness. And Firias herself admitted that. Actually, Yuzuki had completely fallen for her. Well that probably can’t be helped. A top cla.s.s beauty with the princess attribute. Any normal man would fall. Even a girl will have opened up to due to that kind and n.o.ble conduct of hers. Nevertheless Ayana and Misaki still refuse to let their guard down around Firias. It’s not like they they’re doubting her, But every time they try to believe in her their hearts start ringing an alarm. And they remember the face of a certain boy. Hence they doubt her. Whatever support she’s offering they will take. But if their fears turned true Then they run away asap. “Now then, I actually have something to tell you but, may I?” “W, what could it be? Don’t tell me we’re finally leaving for an adventure!” “No,-that’s not it. I simply thought it was about time to have you build up some experience.” “................When you say experience you mean to say we have to fight magic beasts, right?” “It is as you say, Misaki-san, in a few days I’d like to ask everyone to do magic beast subjugation around the capital.” The three heroes start feeling pressure after hearing Firias’s serious declaration. Sounds of gulping can be heard. Up to now the three of them have mostly done mock battles with the soldiers of the castle. Of course they were no holds barred fights. And since professional healing magicians exist in the castle the worry of injuries was a needless one. But the outskirts of the capital is a place where the rules of the humans don’t mean a thing. In short, might makes right. No matter how talented they were a single mistake can cost one’s life. “I swear on my Yurufiria name, you’ll be accompanied by the best of healing magicians. however, as expected, you have to do the fighting yourselves.” “...............I guess that’s a given. In the end, we’ll have to go on an adventure on our own after all. either way, it’s helpful to have experienced people come along on our first time.” “though it sounds like a scary talk, there’s totally no need to be that concerned. Both the adventurer guild and the castle soldiers clear the area every now and then so there won’t be any strong magic beasts around. It will be a piece of cake with everyone’s abilities.” It goes without saying for Yuzuki and Misaki but even Ayana who doesn’t like fighting much achieved victory against the castle soldiers. If the magic beasts are weaker than those castle soldiers, then they should be fine. “however, if your opponent is so weak it won’t be much of a learning experience. More than that, there was a place I’d like you to visit. It probably contains magic beasts strong enough to become your learning material.” “Well, I concur that the best way to get used to real battle is by fighting strong foes. So, where exactly do you want us to go?” (Misaki) Fiaris puts a hand to her chest, takes a deep breath and opens her mouth. “A day’s distance from this capital by carriage. there is a mountain where the『demon G.o.d』that once rampaged through our country was sealed three hundred years ago. A mountain of absolute frost that n.o.body dares put a foot into, the『Serafeed mountain』.”

正統派の勇者一行として召喚され間。その友人三人といえば、 「だっしゃぁぁッッ!!」 と、美咲が回し蹴りを繰り出し。 「わぁぁぁぁッッッ!?」 と、有月が絶叫しながらそれを受け止めていた。美咲は女性が出すにはちょっとおかしい声を発していたが、それを突っ込む人材はその場に存在していなかった。 また例の如くに端折りが過ぎるので状況を説明しておこうか。 うん? この語り部が誰だって? 細かいことは気にするな。この物語の創造者が適当にでっち上げた疑似人格とでも思ってもらえれば良い。少なくとも、地球を管理している神様とか、この世界に存在している『馬鹿』とは関係ないと断言しておこう。あくまで傍観者で語り部という立場。基本的に、この物語はカンナ少年の主体で語られるために、彼から遠く離れた場所にいる者達の事を語ろうとすると、私みたいな役割が必要になってくるのだ。 話を戻そう。 美咲と彩菜の予想通り、王城の者達は勇者三人組に対して一定の準備期間を設けた。彼らとて、いかに優秀な才能を秘めた若者を召喚したとして、それいきなり戦場に駆り出すほどに馬鹿ではなかった。そもそも、彼らが今まで『戦い』とはほぼ無縁の世界に住んでいたことは、召喚の儀を主体で執り行っていた『王女』が事前に知っていたのだ。 有月と美咲は現在、王城の訓練場で今まさに激突していた。 「ちょ、ちょっと美咲さんッ? 今のは女性が出すには間違っている声じゃなかったかなッッ?」 「余計なつっこみしてんじゃないわーーーよぉおおッ!」 瞬間、爆炎と共に地面が吹き飛んだ。 「踵落とし」は確かに美咲という少女が得意とする技の一つであったが、さすがにそれ単体で地面を砕くほどの威力は持っていなかった。ーーいや、地面は砕けたかもしれないが、直径一メートル近くの土砂を吹き飛ばす程のモノではなかった。 正確に表現するならば、今の彼女は無手では無い。衣服は王城の者が用意した全身の動きを重視する格好。短パンに袖無しのシャツ。どちらも素材は最高級の代物で、それ単体でも高い防御力を持っている。両腕には肘から指先までを覆う手甲。これはカンナと同じく、防御力と同時に打撃による攻撃力の増加を計っている。 そして、ひときわ目立つのが両足。手を覆う防具からしてかなり大柄な脚甲だ。膝下から爪先に掛けての部分だけが異様に大きい。当然、重量も相応を秘めてはいたが、日々の鍛錬により、無駄なく引き締まった両足にとってはさほど苦になる重量ではなかった。だが、やはり不釣り合いすぎる大容量だ。 「おっと」 「まだまだ行くわよッ!」 そこに追い打ちを掛ける美咲。爆炎を起こした右とは逆の左足ーーそれを覆う脚甲で地面を叩き『術式』を起動する。脚甲と地面との設置点に術式方陣が描かれ、またも爆炎が起こった。 ーーこの世界に来て三人がまず最初に教わったのは、それぞれ魔力値の測定と術式適性だった。それはもう念入りに。某無能少年の例もあり、測定係だった宮廷魔術士達の不安は計り知れなかったが杞憂に終わる。三人とも、まさに『勇者』と呼べる素晴らしい才能を有していたのだから。 まずは美咲。測定の時点で宮廷魔術士の中でもっとも魔力を多く保有する者よりも一回りも多い。適性の属性は火の攻撃術式。基性の中では最も攻撃力がでやすい属性だ。ただ彼女の場合、複雑な術式を練り上げる事を苦手としており、この三週間で取得できたのは単純な攻撃魔術式のみ。威力は出せるものの、遠距離に対する攻撃手段が得られなかったのだ。 確かに、火属性魔術式の威力は魅力的だ。だが、火を扱う性質上、術士が近くにいると自爆の危険性が非常に高くなってしまうのだ。超高温炎や超威力の爆発が至近距離で発生すればどうなるかは文字通り『火を見るより明らか』である。 だが、美咲はそれを己の最大の武器として活用する方法を得ていた。 それがーーーー。 爆炎が更に地を砕き、そして彼女の身体を『吹き飛ばす』。爆発の衝撃力を推進力とし、美咲の身体を弾き飛ばしたのだ。 大きすぎる脚甲は攻撃力と防御力のアップを図るためではなく、爆発の衝撃を利用するための緩衝材の役割を担っているのだ。元々現実世界で『空手』という無手武術を習っていた為かこの魔術活用法は驚くほどに彼女にはまっていた。 通常はこれほど頻繁に強引な推進力を追加していれば、即座にバランスを崩して転げ回っているところだが、足技を得意としていた彼女はバランス力を常日頃から鍛えており、あるいはバランス力が卓越していたからこそ足技に傾倒していた。最初こそ制御に手間取っていたが、既に地上で爆発推進を扱う分には十分すぎるほどに適応している。 逃げまどう有月と、爆炎と共に追い回す美咲。 「美咲さんの『魔術具』の調子は良さそうですね。とりあえず、彼女の装備の方向性はこのままで良いでしょう」 それを遠めに眺めている彩菜は手元にあるメモ帳に色々と記していた。内容は、有月と美咲の戦闘を観察し、彼らの装備に新たな装備を設けるかどうかの検証だ。 彩菜の魔力量は美咲の一。宮廷魔術士のそれを軽々しく上回っている膨大な量だった。これだけでもはや天才と呼べるのに(美咲も十分に天才レベル)、彼女はなんと上位属性である『元』の適性者だったのだ。 『元』とは物質の根元に干渉する属性である。この属性に適した魔術士の多くは『錬金術』と呼ばれる物質に魔術的要素を組み込む学問に傾倒する。わかりやすく言うと某片腕と片足が機械でできているちびっ子が使っている、色々なモノを混ぜ合わせて様々なトンデモ物質を生み出す術だと思ってもらえればいい。例えが分かりにくい? 知らん。 さて、そんな天才中の天才みたいな能力を持った彩菜。更に言うならば、彼女は全国模試でトップに君臨するほどの頭脳の持ち主である。並のモノなら修めるだけでも三年か四年も有する元属性の基本知識を、僅か半月ほどで取得したのだ。ただこれは彼女のスペックの高さと言うよりは、『元』属性の基礎知識が現実世界の『物理』科目に非常に似通った内容だったから。違いと言えば、そこに魔術的要素が加わったときにどのような変化を起こすかどうか、という追加事項があるぐらい。つまりは十分すぎる程の下地があったからこその習得速度と言えた。様々な面で『元』の属性は彼女にとって適していたのだ。 そこに待ったを掛けたのが、彩菜である。 ────間違いなく、某無能少年の影響である。 それから彼女は、元の世界での基礎知識に、この世界で得た技術をフル活用し、美咲の能力を最大限に発揮するための武具ーー魔術具の開発に乗り出した。 一方で、彩菜本人の攻撃手段も疎かにはなっていない。構想は既に頭の中で出来上がっている。美咲の脚甲と同時並行で開発する予定だ。 そして、最後の『ミスター主人公(某無能少年命名)』はと言えば。 「くぅ............、僕だってやられてばっかりじゃッ!」 爆炎を絡めた連続蹴りから逃れた有月が反撃にでる。 得物は、片手でも両手でも扱える、バスタードソードと呼ばれる長めの剣だ。左手には小型盾であるバックラーを装備した、剣士としてオーソドックスなスタイル。こちらの方も職人芸が光る一級品で、特に剣などは採算度外視の、現時点で用意できる最高の一品である。 全身を絢爛な装備で彩る有月はまさに『勇者』を体現したかのような洋装を有していた。 「術式構築完了ッ! 有月の剣を持たない左手に術式方陣の光が現れる。彼はそれを誰に向けるでもなく、振り上げた左腕を自らに叩き込んだ。術式方陣が一際大きな光を放つと、それらは彼の身体に吸収されるように溶け込んだ。 気迫と共にドンッと衝撃を伴う風が吹き荒れた。 「ーーーーッ、間に合わなかったッ!」 「ここからは僕のターンだ。行くよ美咲さんッ!」 美咲は脚甲を爆発させて距離を離そうとするも、有月はそれよりも素早く肉薄し剣を振るった。反射的に美咲は手甲で防御を取るが、剣を受け止めた衝撃は凄まじく、彼女の身体は完全に宙に浮き吹き飛ばされた。 大きくバランスを崩す美咲だが、持ち前の優れた平衡感覚に加えて脚甲を小さく爆発させ、瞬時に体勢を立て直す。だが一息をつく間もなく有月が接近する。 「こんのぉぉッッ!」 ところが有月はそれを予想していたのか、接近の軌道を爆炎が届く寸前に変更し、美咲の横をすり抜けた。 慌てて蹴り足を戻し振り返った美咲だったが、その瞬間に身動きが取れなくなる。その喉に、背後に回り込んだ有月の構える剣の切っ先が突きつけられていたからだ。 「............私の負けね」 「............僕の勝ちだよ」 悔しげに敗北を認める美咲に、有月は苦笑しながら勝利を認めた。 ーー有月の保有する魔力は、宮廷魔術士の十倍以上。『以上』と付くのは、残念なことに測定係の魔術士では彼のあまりにも膨大な保有魔力を測定することができなかったからだ。 そして適性属性は『光』。魔術の代表的であ性の埒外にあり、もはや伝説と呼ばれるほどに希有な属性だ。その担い手の存在は記録の上では殆ど観測されておらず、この国が発足してから数えるほどの人数しか記録されていない。 あまりにも記録が少なすぎるためにどのような術式が存在するかすら殆ど不明。しかし、情報が完全に無いわけではなかった。有月が扱って見せた今の術式『超強化』も僅かに残されていた術式の一つだ。効果はまさに読んで字の如く、発動者の身体能力を大幅に高める。 光属性でなくとも『超強化』に似た身体強化の術式は存在している。火属性の『 欠点が無いわけでもない。一つは術式が複雑であり、構築の始動から術式の発動が完了するまでに時間が掛かること。もう一つは、効果は永続発動なのだが時間単位で消費する魔力が膨大であり並の魔術士の保有魔力では一分も待たずに魔力枯渇を起こす。 勝敗が決すると、有月は荒くなった息を深呼吸で整えながら剣を鞘に収める。美咲も肩から力を抜き、有月から一歩離れる。 「相変わらずチートくさい術式よね本当に。素の状態でも攻めきれないのに、使われたらもう手に負えないわ。その時点でほぼアンタの勝ちが確定して瞬殺されるんだもん」 「これしか使えないからね。これで負けちゃったら困っちゃうよ。僕としては、常に安定して戦える美咲さんの方が凄いと思うよ。超強化はどうしても切り札みたいな使い方しかできないから」 「勝者の余裕って奴? 腹立つわー。ちょっと一発殴らせなさい」 あからさまな冗談だったが、勝者であるはずの有月が「ひぃッ」と悲鳴を上げる。美咲は作り掛けの握り拳を解いて嘆息する。ちょっとメンタルが豆腐すぎる。美咲や彩菜が揃って『ヘタレ』と称するに足るヘタレっぷりである。なにが悲しいかと言えば、そんなヘタレ男に真正面から勝負して自分が負けた事実である。 物悲しさを感じる美咲に、いつの間にか近づいていた彩菜が声を掛ける。 「お疲れさまです、二人とも。これで汗を拭いてください」 「あ、ありがとうございます彩菜さん」 彩菜が差し出した汗拭きようの布を受け取り、両者は礼を述べた。 「早速ですが美咲さん。私が造った脚甲の具合は如何ですか?」 「試作一号よりも断然使いやすかったわ。ただ、爆炎の衝撃がちょっと逃げてる感じがする。イメージよりも反動が弱いのよね」 「反動が強すぎると制御が難しくなるのでは?」 「そこは私が自分で調節するから問題ないわ。あと、もうちょっと重量を増やして欲しい。軽すぎると蹴りの威力が出ないし、爆裂推進を使った後の方向転換で振り回されちゃうから」 「となると、基本設計はそのままとして、微調整をするよりも素材と形状をイジった方が良さそうですね。了解しました」 「頼んでおいてあれだけど、あんた自身の武器は大丈夫なの? まだ見せてもらってないんだけど」 「そっか。私の分は今装備してるのがあるから後回しにしても大丈夫だからね?」 「お気遣い感謝します。ですけど、私は荒事が苦手なので、こういった面で活躍しないと出番がないのです」 「ま、無理はしないでね」 「合点です」 ビシっと親指を立てる彩菜。小柄な体躯ではあるが、非常に頼もしい限りであった。 「有月くんはどうですか? 装備に不備があるなら私が手を加えちゃいますけど」 「問題はない............かな?」 「なぜ疑問系なんですか」 「いや、今まで木刀や竹刀は扱ったことはあるけど、真剣を使ったことはなかったからさ。むしろここまで扱いやすいってなると逆に不思議に思っちゃうんだよね」 「まぁ............そこは有月くんだからでしょうね」 「有月だからね」 「その一言で済ませちゃうんだ二人とも。ちょっと酷くない?」 「「だって有月(くん)だから」」 彼女ら二人にとって、有月はそういう認識。大概のことは短期間で習得し、大抵のことならその道を極めようとする者達と互角以上の戦いを可能とする『規格外』。それが有月という少年だ。彼の手に掛かれば、剣だろうが槍だろうが斧だろうが多節棍だろうが、果ては銃火器であろうが、それなりの時間があれば十分すぎるほどにマスターしてしまうのだ。深く議論していても時間の無駄だ。 しかもそれが、元の世界では存在し得なかった『魔術』という要素でも変わりはない。有月は現在では使い手の殆ど存在していない『光』の属性術式を操ることができる。言い換えれば、資料のみを読み解き、ほぼ独学で『超強化』の術式を会得したのだ。 さらにさらに、『超強化』は身体能力を大幅に増大させる術式だが、ただそれだけだ。肉体を制御する精神には影響しない。それまで一般乗用車に乗っていた人間が、いきなりF1グランプリに出場するスペシャルマシンを操作するのと等しい。普通は動かした時点で操作を誤り大事故を引き起こすだろう。 ──神に祝福されし愛し子。 現実世界でさえの異名が、幻想世界でさえ轟くのもそう遠くないだろう。どこぞの無能少年とは真逆である。 最初に断っておくが、語り部である『私』は『あの無能少年』を忌み嫌っている訳ではないし、蔑んでいるわけではない。ただ、現実世界と幻想世界にあって、彼がどのような存在であるかを便宜的に呼称しているだけであって、特別な感情はない。私はあくまでも中立であり、事実を述べるだけの語り部である。 「さすがは勇者様方。もはやこの城であなた達にかなう人材は存在していないかもしれませんね」 王女というイメージを具現化したような煌びやかな少女だった。男性はおろか女性すらも見惚れてしまうほどの美しさでありながら、純粋無垢な清楚さをもっている。 人族国家『ユルフィリア』の第二王女。 「あ、フィリアス王女」 「いやですわ有月様。私のことは『フィー』と呼んでくださいとお願いしたではないですか」 「そ、そうだねフィー。わざわざどうしたのこんな場所に」 「用がなければ我らが勇者様はお会いしていただけないんですの?」 「そんなこと無いよ! 会いに来てくれて嬉しいよ!」 「私も、有月様にお会いできて嬉しい限りです」 「て、照れること言わないでよ............」 お姫様が登場した途端に天才少年の表情がだらしなく崩れるのを、美咲と彩菜は冷え切った目でみていた。決してそこには嫉妬等の恋愛感情は含まれておらず、ただただ冷徹の色を宿していた。 ((チョロい)) 語り部たる『私』も全く持って同意だ。 と、ここで流石なのは、フィリアス姫が視線を二人に向ける寸前に、彼女らは表情を平常運転に移行。当たり障りのない感情を取り繕っていた所だ。傍目からしてフィリアス姫に思うところがまるでなさそうな雰囲気を醸し出す。 ーー某無能少年の影響パートツーである。 「美咲様、彩菜様、ご機嫌いかが?」 「そこそこにご機嫌ね。彩菜が造ってくれた脚甲の調子が上々だったしね」 「私としても、美咲さんの期待に応えられてご機嫌です。フィーさん、材料を融通してもらってありがとうございました」 「勇者様達のお役に立てたのならば光栄ですわ」 同性でさえ魅了しそうなお姫様の笑顔。二人も自然な笑みで返したが、内心はそれが不自然に見えていないかドキドキしていたりする。 表面的な評価を述べてしまえば、フィリアス姫は十分すぎるほどの便宜を図ってくれていた。美咲の脚甲の材料や有月の身につけている装備も然り、その他衣食住の提供や訓練を行うための場の確保も行ったりと、至れり尽くせりだ。姫の立場からして、身勝手に異世界から呼び出した上で戦場に駆り出そうとしているのだ。その身勝手を引き受けてもらうために最大限のサポートを担うのは当然と、彼女は言い切っていた。 有月はもうデレデレにデレている。正統派美少女なお姫様にこれほど尽くしてもらっているのだ。普通の男なら墜ちている。女性であっても、彼女の真摯な行動に心を許してしまうだろう。だが、美咲と彩菜の二人は、この世界に召喚されてから今まで、一度たりともこの可憐な美少女への警戒心を解いていなかった。 実の所、普通に信じていいのではないか、と思ったのは一度や二度ではない。けれども、その都度に、心の奥底で警戒心が疼くのだ。 だから割り切っていた。 最大限のサポートはとりあえず受け取っておく。 だが、いざとなったら全力で逃げようと。 「さて、私がこちらに伺ったのは実は別件があるのですが、よろしいでしょうか?」 「ん、何かな? まさか、いよいよ冒険の旅に出発とかッ」 「いえ、そうではありません。ですが、そろそろ『実戦』を経験していただきたいとは思っていました」 「............城の兵士相手じゃなくて、街の外にいる魔獣を相手にするって事かしら?」 「美咲さんの仰るとおりです。後日、皆様には街の外にて魔獣の討伐戦の任についてもらいます」 それまでの微笑ましい雰囲気を潜め、フィリアスは真剣味を帯びた宣言を述べた。その深い雰囲気に、興奮気味だった有月も落ち着きを取り戻し、小さく息を呑んだ。それはほかの二人も同様だった。 これまで三人はずっと城の敷地内で仲間内や宮勤めの兵士達を相手に戦いの訓練を行ってきていた。無論、それとて半可な遊びではなく、生傷の絶えない本格的なものだ。しかし、城には常に高位の治療術式を扱える者が控えており、よほど致命的な怪我でなければ一日や二日で完治する。いわばある程度の安全が保障されていたのだ。 けれども、街の敷地外に一歩出れば、その瞬間に世界は弱肉強食に変貌する。いかに有月らの才能が優秀であっても、下手を打てば冗談無しに死の気配が忍び寄る。 「ユルフィリア王家の名の下に、最高位の治療術を扱える魔術士を同行はさせます。けれども、魔獣討伐の要は勇者様方のみで行ってもらいます」 「............当たり前ですよね。最終的に、冒険の旅には私たち三人だけで出るんですから。ただ、今回は初めての実戦ですから、経験者が同行してくれるのは助かります」 「脅すような話が先行してしまいましたが、そこまで心配する必要はないでしょう。王都付近の魔獣は冒険者ギルドや城仕えの兵士達が定期的に掃討しているので強い個体は出現しません。勇者様達の実力を持ってすれば討伐は容易いでしょう」 城の兵士を相手にした模擬戦では、有月も美咲もそうだが戦闘が苦手な彩菜でさえ難なく勝利を得ている。その兵士等が問題なく相手できる魔獣なら、危機的状況に陥る確率はまさに万が一だ。 「ただ、余りに簡単すぎると慢心を呼ぶ恐れがあります。それに、魔獣討伐の云々を除いて、皆様に向かって貰いたい場所があったのです。そこでなら、みなさんに戦場の危機感を味わって貰うのに足る個体が現れるでしょう」 「ま、強い相手と戦わなきゃ実戦慣れは出来ないって意見には同意するわ。で、私たちに向かって欲しい場所ってどこなの?」 この中で曲がりなりにも『戦い』というモノに慣れている美咲が一つうなずき、フィリアスに先を促した。 フィリアスは胸に手を当て、軽い深呼吸をすると凛とした態度で告げる。 「この王都から馬車で一日ほど進んだ先にある霊山。三百年の昔にこのユルフィリア王国を襲った『魔神』が封印される、極寒の冷気に閉ざされた『セラファイド山』です」

Right after the announcement, the examiner kneeled on the spot. He holds his chest down while heaving. A female guild staff rushes to put her hand on his chest. As her hand s.h.i.+nes, the pained countenance of the examiner slowly softens. Was the female employee a healer? After all, it was a test conducted with weapons, albeit blunted ones. Seemed rather obvious to have treatment on standby in the event of an injury. But... judging from her expression, she did not think that the examiner would be the one who required healing... A while after the light from the healing subsided, the examiner stood up. On the surface, he looks calm, but how would he react to receiving blow from a youngster who has yet attain rookie status. The examiner laughed out loud and called out to a nervous me 「I had some confidence in [waiting] but I certainly did not expect to be made to [look away] in that situation. I still have a long way to go. Hahaha~」 The man was beaming while patting my shoulder. 「I see. Did you cover your overwhelming lack of skill with schemes and tenacity? I have never encountered your type before. Iya~ I was splendidly deceived.」 My bluff was exposed. That tactic will not work for the second time. And I pray that I will not have to use it again. The fatigue I acc.u.mulated from the last few minutes drained me of my energy for the whole day. 「However, by just relying on tactics and schemes, you cannot reach the top. It is best to focus on the basics and thoroughly temper yourself to the utmost diligently.」 A reasonable view. It would be better to train continuously while I am still in this world. During the test, I can sense that under the guise of his carelessness, he was actually being alert. There was this premonition, even if I were to release the full power of my [Spirit Art], it would most likely be dealt with. He exudes a presence that naturally makes you think so. 「If I'm not wrong... Kannkun wasn't it? Umu, I will remember your name.」 「.........well, it wouldn't be a problem even if you forget.」 I might've overdone it a little. I'm screwed. I was too focused on getting a pa.s.sing grade and didn't think much more than that point. It's the standard template where weird development was bound to follow by standing out in tests. 「I've been examiner for newbies a number of times, but you are the first to have landed a clean hit. I can't forget even if I wanted to. Besides......」 The intensity of the examiners eyes' looking at me increases. 「.........well, it's against the rule to pry into adventurers' secrets. I hope you will be able to raise your rank safely.」 I found out later. The one who took charge for the examination this time was a talented adventurer who could not be described as a mere B rank. I feel that there are a lot of this pattern recently. The female employee took all the examinee and left the room, leaving only the examiner behind. 「As expected of Kanns.h.i.+ gozaru na. To be able to land a blow to an opponent that powerful. If it was this one, no matter how many times, this one would not be able to reach him gozaru yo.」 Chloe was excitedly praising me but it was too much of a lucky streak for me to accept it honestly. After all, in reality I am useless without [Spirit Arts]. That was the last time I want to fight in a fair and square manner. The female staff brought us to a meeting room with chairs and desks are lined up. The staff were told to sit at their position and so did the examinees. After a short while, a male employee who was also at the exam hall appeared. 「Everyone, I commend you for you effort today. Now that the a.s.sessment has been completed, I will read out the names of successful applicants. It is regrettable but if any of your names are not called, you did not pa.s.s the test.」 Then, the male employee started announcing. Fifteen people took the exam. It will end soon with this number but when it comes to the announcement of success or failure, even one second feels like forever. Acceptance announcement has the same sequential order as the exam. The first boy didn't get called. The next girl did. The reaction of both was a stark contrast, with the boy slumping dejectedly, and the girl jumping up and down with joy. More names of the successful applicants were announced, but the responses were all similar on both sides. 「ーーRuks Abern. Kanna..........That is all. These names are the successful applicants of this exam.」 Including me, there are eight successful applicants huh. Just half. 「Those who were called, remain on standby in this room. I ask of those who were not to leave. Please note that you can only reapply for an examination again after one month interval. One month of blank period. How you use this time depends on yourself. Whether to continue training or to earn exam fee, both are good paths to choose. One thing I can say is, please make a choice that you will never regret.」 When the man showed the exit by hand, those who failed left one by one. Me? He called my name at the very end. Both the male and female staff remain behind. With eight young people. .........hmm? Something's not quite right here. Certainly there were eight successful applicant but Chloe was not an examinee. She was just applying for a reissue of her guild card. If so, other than the staff here, there should be nine people. ...Whatever. The idea flashed through my thoughts but it didn't matter so I chucked it to the sideline. It wouldn't matter that much if I forgot about it that easily. 「Once again, congratulations on pa.s.sing. With this, the exam has ended without problems. After this, we will issue your guild card.」 The man took out one card in his hand. 「This card is essential for all of you to be recognized as adventurers. Please drop your blood on top of the mark on the upper right of the cards I'm distributing right now. One drop is enough. Once you're done, return the card temporarily as I will need to do a bit of processing. In the meantime, please head over to the reception where you applied for the exam. There you will be called individually to collect your card to finish the process. Is there anyone who needs a knife to draw blood?」 n.o.body raised their hand. Actually, I own one myself. In order to strip monsters of their parts, a knife is needed during my journey up to now. I was given one at Reizan village but it never got a turn because I usually use my homemade ice knife. The card handed by the employee was blank on both the front and back. There is a small circle on the upper right of one side, I should drop my blood there. I used a peeling knife to pierce my index finger a little, and when enough blood came out, I pressed it against the circle on the card. 「If you are finished, please return the card temporarily to me and please wait at the reception.」 I handed over the card as I was told and returned to the reception with Chloe. The other applicants, who waited by the reception, safely received their guild card one by one. Soon after, I was the only one left. Despite waiting for quite a while, there was no sign my name getting called. 「............I wonder what is going on de gozaru na?」 Chloe tilts her head in confusion. She seems to have finished reissuing her guild card. She was called by a different staff for her new card. A newly registered adventurer would have a white card. Chloe's card, on the other hand, was blue. 「This one have seen A rankers' gold card in pa.s.sing but as expected, a rainbow colored one would be difficult de gozaru yo.」 After all, S rankers are less than ten people altogether. Comparing to an army, they would be considered as commander-in-chief/generals. It would not be easy to meet one. On the other hand, I haven't even received my E rank card yet. Rather, this is taking too long. 「Perhaps I have been forgotten?」 「That would be a bit too much self deprecation gozaru yo.」 New adventurers received their cards and leave the reception with joy, while me and Chloe are left behind. About time I should complain. As much as I dislike an incessant complainer, to have me waiting this long was quite excessive. It is within range of common sense if I complain here. Thinking so, as I was standing up, I saw the female employee in charge of my examination coming my way. 「Kannsama, I apologize very much for the delay. I am very sorry to trouble you further but can I have a moment of your time please?」 「.........Can it be, I'm disqualified.」 「No, there is no problem in that regard. However, the process of registering Kannsama's information on the card and guild network does not seem to be going well.」 So, I was not forgotten but rather an unexpected delay on processing my card. 「It can't be helped. How about you Chloe? Your card has been reissued and you can accept a job request now. You don't have to wait for me.」 「What are you saying gozaru ka. I accompanied you up till now, I will do so to the end gozaru yo. In the first place, this one was only planning to reissue this one's card today and accepting requests from tomorrow onwards.」 「Then, I will guide you both.」 This is the second time this person has guided us today. We entered a room half the size of earlier conference room as I was entertaining that trivial thought. There was a person already inside. An old woman with wrinkles. Although she looks old, you can still see vestiges of a beauty from her appearance. Her back is straight and her eyes s.h.i.+nes with strong light. And the most eye-catching of all is the two horns protruding from the base of her ears. This is one of the physical characteristics of the Ryujin (Dragonkin). It is the first time I have met the Ryujin since coming to this world. But, their existence are quite natural in this place, or rather in this country. On the contrary, it was unnatural that I had not witnessed any since I visited this country. The Diagal Empire with the capital city of Draknil is a nation ruled by the King of the Dragonkins after all. 「Lydeal-sama I have brought them.」 「Thank you for the hard work.」 「It was my duty.」 When the old Ryujin showed her appreciation, the female staff respectfully bowed. It seems that the grandma is in the higher position of the two. 「You, are you thinking of something strange just now?」 The old woman suddenly said. 「Well, I did..」 「......An original response ne~.」 The old woman is not just an old woman, but an experienced old woman. Not just any beautiful old woman. How many years under her belt did she acc.u.mulate to turn the tsukkomi around. 《tlnote: its off mark but i just go with best i can do》あれは年期重ねすぎて一周しちまったのか。 The old woman began talking with a wry smile 「First of all, I apologize for our inadequacy. By all means, I would have preferred to present your guild card as soon as possible, but some complications occur during the processing, you see. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to register your information in a different way.」 「Is that what the crystal for?」 A table was placed in the center of the room, and a colorless and transparent crystal placed upon it. Is it easy to understand if you can imagine a setup similar fortune-tellers often uses. 「Your guess is correct ne~. This is a magic tool for measuring the maryoku of new registrants from the magician cla.s.s. There was no magician in the earlier exam you took, hence this tools' absence.」 「Come to think of it, there was no magician-like guy.」 Everyone who took the exam with me had some kind of melee weapons. Rather, I was the only one to use my armor as a specialized weapon. 「The number of existing and newly registered magicians are fewer than warriors. Unlike regular new registration exams that takes place every day, new magician registration exams are held twice a week. Leaving aspirations aside, even non-magician adventurers can use this crystal as well.」 「Then, is it possible for this one to use it gozaru ka?」 Chloe was very interested. Her ears are restless. This is bad. I want to mofu her. 「Is the Black Wolf girl your companion? Of course, I don't mind. Just putting your hand on the crystal should suffice.」 「Then, if you'll excuse me.」 With some weird determination, Chloe put her hand on the crystal. Thereupon, with accompanying sound effect, purple electric-like lines appeared inside the previously transparent crystal. 「Fumu, lower-middle rank. Attribute is [Thunder]. She is a rare find ne~」 While the Ryujin grandma touches her chin in fascination, devastated Chloe on the other hand slumps her shoulder. 「......I knew that de gozaru. I already knew that de gozaru ga!」 Was she rattled by the [lower-middle rank] evaluation? The troubled grandma scratched her cheek and continued explaining. 「 You can visually determine the innate attribute and the amount of maryoku of a person who touches the crystal. In addition, this thing has the characteristic in which it temporarily acc.u.mulates the magic wave of the last person using it. Using that information, we can register the newest applicants' information on the guild's network.」 Although the level of civilization in this world is much lower than in the real world, there are technologies that sometimes go beyond my original world. It's a technology developed through magic , but sometimes it feels unbalanced. Might as well ask questions. 「Um, what's magic wave?」 「Oh, don't you know? For a magician, it's just common sense ne~. Well, there are quite a few things warrior adventurers don't know. Right, I will explain it briefly.」 I'll break up the explanation from the grandma and explain it in my terms. In short, a magic wave is the magic version of a human fingerprint. Each person has different characteristics of maryoku, and none of them is the same. By registering the magic wave in the card into the guild's information network, the guild manages the card and by extension, its holders. 「There are two ways to measure magic waves. Just like what you did after your test, a drop of blood on a special material is one way. Another is to read the information acc.u.mulated in this crystal.」 「Why don't you just use this crystal?」 「First, it takes time. Only the magic wave of the last measured person can acc.u.mulate in the crystal. You can't process large number of people because you have to keep a record of every measurement. Secondly, warriors don't need to know their attributes to use jutsu-s.h.i.+ki, they just fuel the jutsu-s.h.i.+ki with their maryoku and it will be executed. There are a lot of independent magicians operating nearby. Most of them chose to register with this crystal ne~.」 A new undiscovered -for me- fact has come to light. But what does it mean to use maryoku to execute jutsu-s.h.i.+ki. Is it considered bad timing to question it here and now? Judging from the way grandma speaks, its not a special term but rather, a common sense. .........c.r.a.p. At this point, I had completely forgotten about this relatively important characteristics of mine. Rather, it was accepted much too naturally and hardly cared about. And because of Spirit Art, I didn't feel the necessity of [it] at all. 「Let's leave the preface so far, and finally measure your magical power. 「Oh, its just that I suddenly remembered quite an important thing.」 I'm a little hesitant about whether to tell it, but isn't it already too late in this situation? It's my fault that I forgot about my circ.u.mstances and didn't know what to do with the word [magic wave] that the staff sometimes say. It's better to confess honestly. 「I'm very sorry telling you this at our present stage but...... 」 「What is it? Don't tell me you want to keep it a secret because you have a hereditary superior attribute? Rest a.s.sured. I swear by the guild's honor and pride, I will not divulge the adventurer's personal information. Even for the Emperor's faction.」 「No, its a more fundamental issue.」 It would be faster to show than to say it. Fortunately, there is a tool in front of my eyes to prove it. I closed my finger and opened it, and then put my palm on the crystal. ............................................................。 「.........Its not lighting up at all gozaru na.」 「......What seems to be the problem?」 As I thought, even though my palm touches the crystal, it remain colorless and transparent without showing any change. The only person who changed her complexion dramatically was the Ryujin grandma. 「Indeed, I see. Certainly this is a matter of [existence]. As you mentioned, a fundamental issue.」 「.........What do you mean, Lydeal-sama?」 「Let's see......Try your hand at the crystal as well.」 「Ok.........」 The female staff who couldn't understand the situation, touched the crystal as told. Then, unlike Chloe, something like a light blue liquid squirmed in the crystal. With larger reaction as well. 「The attribute is [Water]. Maryoku amount is upper-middle rank.」 「There is no particular change from the previous measurement.」 「Well then, listen. What is the result of this kid's measurement? 」 「That is.........?」 The staff tried to answer immediately, but the words got lost halfway. That would be normal. Because the change necessary to measure did not occur at all for me. You all know that. The fundamental fact that my maryoku is [zero]. 「That is correct. The maryoku of this young man is [zero] which is hard to believe. I have met a good number of people during my long life but I have never met someone with a [zero]. This is surprising ne~.」 Luckily the staff member in her amazement, shouts louder than Chloe. 「No magic power? Is that even possible. As long as the person is alive, they should have at least some magical power! In fact, every single person who has ever been measured with this crystal displayed some result, no matter how little their magic power was!」 「But in reality, here exist a young man who has none whatsoever. It's a good thing to live a long life ne~.」 That grandma was looking at me like I'm a rarer specimen than Chloe. From my perspective, a person with horns protruding from their head is the one equal to a rare specimen. 「You're thinking rudely again.」 「Well, you're right.」 「You have a good personality on your head ne~.」 「I hear that a lot.」 「.........You reeally are blessed with good personality.」 I received another sigh. 「For the moment we should leave out the fact that you are a rare [zero magic]. 」 「Lydeal-sama!? I don't think that is a matter we can just brush aside!?」 「Calm down. There are more than tens of thousands people living in this world. It is not a strange thing to have a person or two with no magic power.」 There it is. A rare old woman with a deep compa.s.sion. It might not be unusual in this world. But then again, up until 0 years ago, the Ryujin's were treated as fict.i.tious existence, so it might not be too far off. 「You're really a rude boy, you know.」 How in the blazes does she knows what I'm thinking. 「It come with the years. Anyway, the problem we have currently is that you have no maryoku, therefore you produce no magic wave to measure with.」 「Any negative effects it comes with?」 「Let's see. If you can safekeep the same card for the rest of your life, there is no problem. But if by any chance you lose it, it's a different story.」 Grandma took out a white guild card from her pocket. 「The guild card keeps track of your achievement, at the same time, the information is also stored as a backup in the guild network. As you know, being an adventurer involves high amount of fighting and moving around. Losing a card can happen to anyone. Which brings us back to magic wave, specifically its [pattern] which is necessary to reissue a guild card. By comparing this with the information stored in the guild, it is possible to reproduce a brand new card with exactly the same information.」 「Is that reason besides the card material that guild cards can only be reissued in a limited number of branch de gozaru ka?」 Grandma affirms Chloe's question 「This process requires special magic tool owned by the guild. Well, the guild's regulations require you to submit your card at a fixed branch once every three years, right?」 「Speaking of which, this one feels like such a story has been heard before de gozaru na. Until now, this one have been receiving requests only in the capital of Hinoizur and Yulfilia, so this one have completely forgotten about it de gozaru ga.」 「There are limited number of magical tools that can overwrite and withdraw information. That's why they are given priority to relatively large branches. So, if you keep track of your achievements in a guild that doesn't have that magical tool and you lose your card, all your achievements will be lost.」 In easier words, limited network of [majutsu-s.h.i.+ki]. The technology of this world is quite similar to the real world in strange places. 「It took a while to get this far ne~. What I wanted to say was...」 「If I ever lose my card by any chance, I risk losing all my achievements......Was that what you wanted to say? 」 「Correct. Well now, this is troubling ne~.」 If I'm in need of a large sum of money, I can always use my share of divided money and goods and put it into the p.a.w.nshop. 《tln: ones he got frommountain village n yulfilia castle》 From what I've heard, E rank requests are enough to get by if the person lives in a cheap inn. 「It does not solve everything, but I came up with a good idea. This way, you won't fall into a situation where you lose your cards and your achievements at the same time.」 Grandma took out another white guild card. 「For this occasion only, let's issue two cards for you. And then, to register these two cards and the magic wave needed for the guild information network, we will have another person to do it in your stead. Even if you lose one of the cards, you can still search for magic waves to reissue as long as you have the other card left. Of course, it will be described in the remarks of the card. With this arrangement, it should be possible to acc.u.mulate information and reissue cards at any eligible branch.」 I can understand its merit but a question came up my head immediately. 「Even if it's possible, whose magic wave is to be registered? If said person is an active adventurer, I can imagine chaos from the mix up of information.」 「I already thought about that. Please rest a.s.sured. It's the magic wave of someone who will never register as an adventurer in the future.」 For some reason, the grinning face of this Ryujin grandma seems to overlap with the mischievous sly smile of the Great Spirit of Ice. ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー When the new registrant young man and his accompanying Black Wolf woman withdraws, the other two people remained in place. The old Ryujin woman and the female staff member. 「............Lydeal-sama, whose magic wave are you going to register? Could it be a civilian who is not an adventurer?」 「If we proceed that way, there will be problems when said person tries to become an adventurer ne~. As an absolute requirement, as I told the youngster, I need a person who will not act as an adventurer. And so, for that particular person, I have one in mind.」 The old woman put her hand on the crystal. Thereupon, brown turbidity not unlike muddy water spread throughout the crystal. With the transparent part completely filled, its transformation was as if it was brown colored from the beginning. The staff was stunned after she realized what the old woman was planning. 「It...can't be......Lydeal-sama, do you intend to register your own magic wave!? That's impossible! Your magic wave is already present in the guild's information network!」 「That sort of thing is not a problem if I just erase it with my authority.」 「Erase?!!......Are you going to throw away all your achievements!?」 「I'm not interested in glory of bygone days ne~. In addition, I have no intention of going back to active duty now. There is no better role than this ne~.」 「Even so, there is no reason for Lydeal-sama to go that far for a single rookie, right?!」 The old woman says to the shrieking staff, looking at the door where the white-haired boy had left. 「That boy somehow managed to stand his ground against The Answerer [Fragarach]. I don't think it can simply be explained with a few words. You were properly watching the fight, didn't you?」 「Th-That's true but......」 He was the only one in her charge to deliver a blow to [him]. A young n.o.bleman just before the him was excellent too, but it can be said that the white-haired young man was the most promising rookie. 「In addition, the subject is a young man with zero magical power that are rare in this world. This should be amusing.」 「.........Please don't talk about a person like they are some kind of rare animal.」 「Tell that to that youngster.」 An att.i.tude that respects his superiors but does not humble oneself more than necessary, one of the reasons the old woman took a liking to that youngster. 「Each and everyone of you, while conversing with me, were always mindful of my past, that sort of conversation was not enjoyable at all. If an opportunity presents itself, I want to enjoy some tea with that youngster ne~.」 「............It was his first time visiting this branch, and he probably didn't know your face nor your achievements at all. Otherwise, he won't behave like that.」 「Really? Perhaps he won't change at all.」 「There's no way that can be true. No matter what Lydeal-sama says, you are a [former S rank]. Furthermore, the Guild Master of this branch, that is the undeniable truth.」 Hearing her t.i.tle as proclaimed by the staff member, the old woman -Lydeal- wryly smiled. 「Yare yare, you sure are obstinate ne~. Why don't we take a bet. If that youngster learns of my position and change his behavior with me, I'll reward you a gold coin. If it's the other way around, I'll have one from you. How about that?」 「I am not betting.」 「How boring ne~.」 Such a conversation was exchanged without Kanna knowing.

終了の宣言が響いた直後、試験官の男はその場に膝を突いていた。腹を抑えてゴホリと咳に近い息を吐き出した。女性職員が急いで駆けつけると、彼の腹部に手を当てる。その手が光り輝くと、小さく歪んでいた試験官の表情が和らいでいく。女性職員は治療魔術士だったのか。刃を潰しているとはいえ武器を使った試験だ。怪我の際の処置の為に待機していたのは当然か。 や、まさか試験官の方に治療術を使うとは思っていなかったのは、女性職員の表情から伺えた間違えれば、処置してもらうのは俺だったはずなのだから。 しばらくして術式の光が収まると、試験官は立ち上がった。表面上は冷静だが、新人にすら至っていない若造に一撃を貰った心中はいかほどか。 「『待つ』のには多少なりとも自信はあったが、まさかあの状況で『よそ見』をさせられるとは思っても見なかったよ。私もまだまだだな」 はっはっは、と男はにこやかに俺の肩を叩いた。 「しかしなるほど。圧倒的な技量不足を胆力と策でカバーするか。今まで出会ったことのないタイプだ。いや、見事に騙されたよ」 ハッタリがばれてら。これ目は通用しそうにないな。や、再度この手を使うことが無いように祈る。この数分間で一日分の気力を根こそぎ使ったような疲労感がある。 「けれども、策に頼ってばかりでは『上』にはたどり着けない。それは、基本を鍛え上げた上で弄するのが最善だ。精進したまえ」 今回の試験で、彼の油断の中の油断を突いた形になるが、おそらく本来の実力を発揮されれば精霊術を行使したとしても対応されてしまう予感があった。そう思わせるだけの気配が自然とにじみ出ている。 「確か............カンナ君だったかな? うむ、君の名前は覚えておこう」 「............や、忘れて貰っても問題ないんですが」 少しだけ『しまった』と後悔する。合格することに意識が向きすぎて、その先に頭が回っていなかった。試験等で下手に目立つと以後に妙なトラブルが付きまとうのはテンプレ展開だ。 「新規登録の試験官役は何度も引き受けているけど、まともに一撃を食らった経験は君が初めてだからな。忘れたくても忘れられないさ。それに............」 こちらをみる試験官の瞳に深みが増した。まるでこちらの内心を見透かすような視線。 「............いや、詮索は冒険者のルール違反か。君が無事にランクを上げられることを祈っているよ」 後に知るが、今回試験官を担当した冒険者はたかが『Bランク』に収まるような実力者ではなかった。それが発覚するのはもう少し先の話だ。 ーーーー最近このパターンが多い気がする。 試験官を一人残し、女性職員の後に続いて試験会場を他の受験者と一緒に退室する。 「さすがはカンナ氏でござるな。あれほどの実力者を相手に一撃を届かせるとは。拙者であれば幾重に攻めても手が届くイメージができなかったでござるよ」 クロエが興奮気味に賛美の向けてくるが、素直に受け取るには運に助けられすぎだ。相も変わらず、精霊術が無いとへっぽこなのは事実。や、面前で堂々と戦うのはこれで最後にしたいな。 女性職員に連れられて来たのは、会場の傍にある椅子や机の並んだ会議室のような一室だ。職員に適当に席に座るように言われ、受験生は各に着席した。 「みなさま、試験お疲れさまでした。査定が終了しましたので、今から合格者の名前を読み上げていきます。呼ばれなかった方は、残念ですが不合格とさせていただきます」 合格発表の順番は試験を受けた順番と同じ様で、一番最初の少年は飛んで次の少女から名前が呼ばれ出す。両者の反応はまるで対照的で、少年の方はがっくりと肩を落とし、少女の方は飛び上がらんばかりに歓喜の声を上げている。続けて合格者名が発表されていくが、受かったものとそうでないものの反応はすべて似たり寄ったりだった。 「ーーーールキス・アーベルン。カンナ。............以上が、今回の試験の合格者となります」 俺を含めて、合格者か。ちょうど半分ほどだ。 「合格者の方はこのまま部屋で待機。不合格者は退出をお願いします。再度試験を受けるためには一ヶ月の期間が必要になりますのでご了承下さい。一ヶ月というのはみなさんが再度試験を受ける為の空白期間です。この短くない時間をどう使うのかは皆様の自由です。次回の合格を目指して鍛錬を重ねるのもよし、新規登録の申請料を稼ぐのもよしです。一つだけ言えるのは、決して後悔のない選択をお願いします」 職員が手で部屋の扉を示すと、名前を呼ばれなかった不合格者はとぼとぼと退出していった。俺? ちゃんと最後の最後に名前を呼ばれたって。 ーーーーん? ちょっとおかしい。確かに合格者は八人だったが、クロエは現在カードの再発行を申請しているので新規登録者ではない。だったら、ここにいるべき職員以外の人間のはずだ。 心当たりを思い出しかけるが至極どうでもよかったので思考の片隅から切り捨てた。忘れているならそれほど重要でもないだろうしな。 「改めまして、試験お疲れさまでした。無事に試験を終えられたようで何よりです。これからギルドカードの発行手続きを行います」 職員は手に一枚のカードを取り出した。 「こちらが皆様が以後冒険者として名乗るための必要なギルドカードです。今からお配りしますので、右上の印がある部分に皆様の血を一滴垂らして下さい。終わりましたらそれらは一旦回収し、こちらで処理を行います。その間にみなさんは新規登録の申請を行った受付に移動してもらいます。そこで発行が終わり次第に名前をお呼びします。血を取るためのナイフが必要な方はいらっしゃいますか?」 誰も手を挙げなかった。実は俺もちゃんと持っている。これまでの道中で出現した魔獣を狩った時に、その魔獣の特定部位を剥ぎ取る為。麓の村で譲って貰ったのだが、以降は殆ど精霊術で作った氷のナイフで代用していたので殆ど出番がなかったが。 職員から手渡されたカードは、裏も表も真っ白の無記入だった。片面の右上に小さな丸模様があり、ここに血を垂らせばいいのか。剥ぎ取り用のナイフで人差し指を小さく刺し、血の玉ができたところでカードの模様に押しつけた。素材の影響か、模様が特殊なのか、カードに押しつけた血はたちまち吸い込まれるように色を失い、跡の残ったのは赤く変色した模様だけだ。 「終わった方は、私の方にカードを一度返却し、受付の前で待機していて下さい」 俺は言われたとおり血をしみこませたカードを職員に手渡すと、クロエと共に最初の受付へと戻った。 受付の傍まで戻った俺以外の者は、程なくして名前を呼ばれて無事にギルドカードを受け取った。ところが、どうしてか最後の名前を呼ばれてから暫くしても、いっこうに俺の名前が呼ばれる気配がなかった。 「............どうしたでござるかな?」 クロエも首を傾げるが、彼女の方は無事にギルドカードの再発行が終わったようだ。他の新規登録者とは違う職員に呼ばれて、新たなカードを渡されていた。新規登録者のカードは、先ほど血を垂らしたものと同じ白色。一方でクロエが受け取ったカードは青色だ。これは冒険者のランクによって決められており、一番下のEランクは白のカードから始まり、ランクが上がるにつれて、緑、青、赤、金となり、最上位のSランクになると虹色のカードになるとか。 「Aランクの金のギルドカードは横目に見たことあるでござるが、流石に虹色の実物は無いでござるよ」 や、Sランクは全部で十人にも満たないレアキャラ。国の軍隊で言えば大将軍ぐらいの階級。そう簡単に会える筈もないしな。 「もしかして忘れられているとか?」 「それはちょいと自虐が過ぎるでござるよ」 新たなる冒険者達は自分のカードを受け取り、嬉々としながら受付を離れていく一方で、ぽつねんと残される俺とクロエ。そろそろ文句を言うべきか。文句大好きお馬鹿クレーマーは俺も嫌いだが、さすがに待たせすぎだろう。ここで文句を言っても常識で許される範囲だ。 「カンナ様、大変申し訳ありません。お手数をおかけしますが、ちょっとこちらに来ていただけますか?」 「............まさか、合格の取り消しとか」 「いえ、その点に関しては問題ありません。ですが、カードとギルドのネットワークにカンナ様の情報を登録する処理がどうしてもうまく行かないようでして」 忘れられたのではなく、本当に処理で手間取っていたのか。 「だったらしょうがないか。クロエはどうする。ギルドカードは再発行できたし、もう依頼は受けられるんだろう? 俺に付き合う必要はないぞ」 「なにを言うでござるか。ここまで来たら最後まで付き合うでござるよ。元々、今日はカードの再発行だけで終わらせて依頼は明日からこなすつもりでござったからな」 「ではお二人とも、ご案内しますね」 この人に案内されるのは今日二度目だな、と至極どうでもいい事を考えながら訪れたのは、先ほど訪れた会議室の半分程度の広さをもった部屋。 皺をたっぷりと蓄えた婆さんだ。や、婆さんなのだけれど、昔は半端ではない美人だったのだろう、と確信させられる風貌だ。年老いているのは一目瞭然なのに、背筋は真っ直ぐに伸びており、目に篭る光も強い。そして何よりも目を引くのは、頭部の耳の付け根に近い位置から伸びている、二本の角。 この世界に来てから竜人族に出会ったのは初めてだ。だが、この場所ーーあるいはこの国にこの種族が居るのは至極自然だ。この国を訪れてから目の当たりにしてなかったのが逆に不自然なほど。 「リーディアル様。お連れしました」 「ああ、ご苦労さん。手間をかけたね」 「いえ、職務ですから」 竜人族の婆さんが労いの声を掛けると、女性職員は恭しく礼を取った。どうやら婆さんは職員さんよりも上の立場らしい。しかし様付けか。婆さんの雰囲気からして若い頃は『女王様!』とか呼ばれてたりしそうだ。 「あんた、いま妙なことを考えてなかったかい?」 と、唐突に婆さんは口にした。 「まぁ、考えてたな」 「............その反応は斬新さね」 婆さんはただの婆さんではなく、経験豊富な年期の入った婆さんのようだ。どこぞの美女婆とは違うな。あれは年期重ねすぎて一周しちまったのか。 婆さんは苦笑を一つこぼすと話を始めた。 「まずこちらの不手際を謝っておこうかい。本来であるならばすぐにでもギルドカードを渡してやりたいところだが、処理にちょいと失敗しちまってね。悪いけど別の方法であんたの情報を登録する事になったんだ」 「それが、その水晶か?」 いかにもな風に部屋中央にはテーブルがおかれ、その上に無色透明の水晶が置かれていた。似非占い師がよく使っていそうなアレを想像してもらえれば分かりやすいか。 「察しが良いね。これは魔術士系の新規登録者の魔力を計るための魔術具さ。あんたが受けた試験には魔術士系が居なかったから出番はなかったがね」 「そう言えば、魔術士っぽい奴が居なかったな」 俺と一緒に試験を受けた全員がなにかしらの近接武器を持っていた。むしろ防具を『得物』と称して扱ったのは俺だけだ。 「魔術士系の冒険者は既存数も新規数も戦士系に比べて少ないからね。毎日行われている新規登録試験とは違い、魔術士系の新規登録試験は週に二度行われているんだよ。希望を出せば魔術士でない冒険者もこの水晶を利用することはできるがね」 「では、拙者も使えるでござるか?」 興味津々といった風にクロエ。耳もピコピコしている。やばい、モフリたい。 「そっちの黒狼ッ子は付き添いか。勿論かまわないよ。その水晶に手を置きな。それだけで十分だ」 「では、失礼して」 ふんす、と妙な気合いを入れてクロエがテーブルの上に鎮座する水晶に手を置いた。すると、透明だった水晶の中に『バチリ』と紫色の電気のような光が走る。 「ふむ、中の下といったところかい。適性が『雷』と来るか。先天でこいつを持っているのは珍しいね」 感心する風に竜人の婆さんが顎に手を当てる一方、クロエはがっくりと肩を落としていた。 「............分かっていたでござる。分かっていたのでござるが」 気落ちしているクロエに婆さんは困ったように頬を掻いてから言った。 「とまぁ、こんな風に水晶に触れた者の適性属性と魔力量を視覚で判断できるのさ。さらにこいつには直前に計った者の魔力波動を一時的に蓄積してくれる特性を持っている。そいつを使って、ギルドのネットワークに今回の新規登録者であるあんたの情報を読みとるって寸法だ」 この世界の文明レベルは現実世界に比べて遙かに低いのに、時たま現実世界を越えるような技術があるな。魔術ありきの技術だが、時折にバランスの悪さを覚える。 今更ながらの質問だが。 「なぁ、魔力波動って何なんだ?」 「おや、知らないのかい? 魔術士にとっては半ば常識だけどねぇ。ま、戦士系の冒険者でも知らないのは結構居るから。いいさ、簡単に教えておこうかい」 そこから続いた婆さんの説明を俺なりにかみ砕いて説明しておこう。つまり、魔力波動とは、人間の指紋の魔力版だ。人それぞれによって、魔力は様々な特徴を持っており、誰一人として同じ者はいないとか。その魔力波動をカードとギルドの情報網に登録しておくことによって、ギルドはカードと所持者である冒険者を管理しているのだ。 「魔力波動を計測する方法は二つ。この水晶に蓄積された情報を読みとるのと、あんたが試験を行った後にやったような、特殊な素材に血を染み込ませる方法さ」 「なんで普段からこの水晶を使わないんだ?」 「第一に手間が掛かる。水晶で蓄積できるのは直前の計測者だけ。計測の度に記録を残すから大人数はできないのさ。二つ目、戦士系は大量の魔力を持っていても術式を扱わずに使う術を選ぶから属性を知る必要はないのさ。近接を主体に行う魔術士はこっちの水晶で登録することが多いけどね」 今なんか聞いたことのない新事実が発覚したぞ。術式を扱わずに魔力を扱うってどういう意味だろうか。ただ、この場で口にするのはちょっと不味いか。口振りからすると、特別な技術ではなく一般常識っぽいしな。 ............あやっべ。 この時点で、比較的重大な我が身の特徴をすっかり忘れていた。というよりは自然に受け入れすぎて殆ど気に留めていなかった。や、精霊術のお陰で『それ』の必然性を全く感じていなかったからな。 「前置きはここまでにしておいて、いよいよあんたの魔力を計ろうかい。............ってどうしたんだね。急に神妙な顔になって」 「や、結構大事なことを今の今まですっかり忘れてたんで」 伝えるかどうかを小さく迷うが、この状況ではぐらかしてもすでに遅いか。自身の事情を忘れていたし、時折職員が口にしていた『魔力波動』という単語に先の展開を察しなかった俺の失敗だ。素直に告白するのが無難だ。 「現段階で割と手間をかけて非常に心苦しいんですが、今の説明を聞いてちょいと問題が............」 「なにさね? まさかあんたも先天的な上位属性持ちだから、それを秘密にしておきたいとか? 安心をし。ギルドの名誉と誇りに誓って、冒険者の個人情報は漏らさないよ。たとえ皇帝一派の権力があろうともね」 「や、もっと根本的なお話」 口で言うよりも実際に見て貰った方が早いだろうな。幸いにも、それを証明するための道具が目の前にあるのだから。 俺は小さく指を閉じ開きしてから、手の平を魔術具の水晶に置いた。 ............................................................。 「............うんともすんともしないでござるな」 「............いったいなにが問題なんでしょうか?」 クロエも職員たちも、そろって首を傾げた。 や、おそらく余りに変化が乏しいので逆にその不自然さに気がついていないのか。俺の思っていた通り、手の平が水晶にぺたりと触れているのに、水晶の中身は一切の変化を見せずに無色透明を保ったままだ。 「なるほどね。確かにこりゃ問題『アリ』だ。あんたの言うとおりに根っこからの、ね」 「............どう言うことですか、リーディアル様?」 「そうさね............。試しにアンタも水晶に手を当ててみな」 「はぁ............」 いまいち事情が飲み込めない女性職員は、言われるままに水晶に手を当てた。すると、クロエの時とは違い、水色の液体のようなものが水晶の中で蠢いた。変化の具合も先よりは大きい。 「属性は水。魔力量は中の上と言ったところかい」 「以前に計ったときと特に変化はありませんが」 「では聞こうかい。この小僧の計測結果はなんだったい?」 「それは............................................................?」 即座に答えようとした職員だったが、言葉は意図せずに途切れる。 皆様はご存じだろう。 俺の魔力がーーーー『零』である根本的事実を。 「そうさ。こいつの魔力は、信じ難い事に完全なる『零』なのさ。私も決して短くない人生で結構な数の人間と出会ってきたけど、まさか魔力を一切持たない奴ってのは初めてさね。こいつぁ驚いたよ」 「魔力を持たない? そんな馬鹿なッ。人間は生きている以上、多少なりともの魔力を持っているはずです! 現に、今までこの水晶で計ってきた人間の誰もが、どれほどの微細な魔力であっても計測できていました!」 「けど、現実にここに一人、魔力を持たない若造がいる。長生きってのはするもんだねぇ」 婆さんは、クロエの時よりも一層に珍獣を見るような視線をこちらに向けてくる。俺からすると頭から角生やした人間の方が余ほどに珍獣だが。 「また失礼なこと考えてるねあんた」 「まぁ、正しいな」 「良い性格してるねアンタ」 「よく言われる」 「............本当に良い性格してるよ」 もう一つ嘆息をいただきました。 「アンタが世にも珍しい『魔力無し』なのはこの際置いておくかい」 「リーディアル様ッ!? これは『置いておいて』よい問題ではないと思うのですがッ!?」 「落ち着きな。世の中には万を越える人間がいるんだ。一人ぐらい魔力を持っていない輩がいても不思議じゃないだろ」 懐の深い珍獣婆さんである。や、この世界では珍しくは無いんだろうが。あ、でも百五十年前ぐらいまでは竜人族は架空の存在扱いだったからそれほど的外れでもないか。 「本当に失礼な小僧だね」 だからなんで考えてること分かるんだ? 「年の功だ。ともかく、問題なのは魔力が無いことじゃなくて、そのせいで魔力波動が計測できない事さ」 「具体的にどんな弊害がでるんですか?」 「そうさな。アンタがこの先ずっと同じカードを持ち続けていられるのならば問題はない。ただ万が一そいつを紛失しちまうと、話は別だ」 婆さんは懐から一枚の白いギルドカードを取り出した。 「ギルドカードにはそいつの実績を記録として蓄積して置いてくれるが、その情報は同時にギルドの方にも予備として保管される。何かと荒事が多い職業だからね。カードの紛失は誰にでもあり得る。で、カードの再発行に必要なってくるのが魔力波動の『型』だ。こいつをギルドに控えてある情報と照らし合わせることによって、以前の物と寸分違わない物を複製することができるって寸法だ」 「もしかして、限られた支部でしか再発行を行えないのは、カードの素材の他にそれが理由でござるのか?」 クロエの疑問に婆さんは肯定した。 「こいつの処理にはギルドが保有する特殊な魔術具が必要だ。ほれ、ギルドの規定にに一度は決められた支部でカードを提出するのを義務づけられてるだろ?」 「そういえばそんな話も聞いてた気がするでござるな。今までヒノイズルとユルフィリアの首都でばかり依頼を受けていたでござるから、すっかり忘れていたでござる」 「情報の上書き、引き出しをできる魔術具の数は限られてる。だから、比較的大きな支部に優先的に回されてるのさ。だから、もしその魔術具がないギルドで実績を重ね続けて、いざカードを紛失しちまうとそれまでの実績がすべてパァになっちまう」 魔術式の限定的なネットワーク、と言えば分かりやすいな。全く持って、妙なところで現実世界に似ているなこの世界の技術は。 「話がちょいと長くなったね。なにが言いたいかというと」 「万が一にカードを紛失しちまったら、どんな状況であれそれまでの実績がすべて消滅する危険性がある............って事ですか?」 「そういうことさ。さて困ったねぇ」 俺としては、別に冒険者として成り上がるつもりは無いし、金にそこまでの執着はない。そこそこに路銀が稼げてそこそこに貯蓄ができれば良いのだ。もし大金が必要になったら、レアルと山分けした金品を質屋にでも入れてしまえば問題ない。聞いた感じでは、人間一人が安い宿屋で生活する分にならEランクの依頼をそれなりにこなせば良いらしい。もしカードを無くしたのなら、また最初から試験を受けてFランクの初っぱなから再スタートすればいいのだ。 その事を伝えようとしたところで、婆さんがそれよりも先に顔を上げた。人差し指を一つ立てて。 「万事が問題ない、という解答ではないが手は思いついたね。この方法ならカードの紛失で即実績抹消、という事態には陥らないだろう」 婆さんは既に持っていた白いカードとは別の、同色のカードを取り出した。 「今回に限り、アンタのカードを二枚発行しよう。そして、この二つのカードとギルドの方に登録する魔力波動は、あんた以外の別の人間の物を登録する。そうすりゃ片方を紛失したとしても、もう片一方のカードさえ残っていれば再発行するための魔力波動は検索できる。もちろん、その旨はカードの備考に記載しておく。これならどの支部に行っても情報の蓄積とカードの再発行は可能の筈だ」 なるほど、と納得し掛けるが、すぐに疑問がでた。 「仮にそれが可能だとしても、誰の魔力波動を登録するんだ? そいつが冒険者だったりしたら、情報が混ざって混乱するんじゃ」 「そいつも既に考えてある。安心をし。登録するのは今後絶対に冒険者に登録することはない者の魔力波動だ」 そう言ってニヤリと笑う婆さんの顔は、どうしてか氷の大精霊様が浮かべていた茶目っ気のありすぎるそれと重なって見えた。 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー 新規登録者の少年とその付き添いである黒狼の女性を一端下がらせると、その場に残ったのは竜人族の老婆と女性職員の二人っきりになった。 「............それでリーディアル様。いったい誰の魔力波動を登録なさるおつもりですか? まさか冒険者でない一般人を?」 「そうなると、そいつが仮に冒険者になろうとしたときに問題がでるさね。絶対条件として、あの小僧に言ったとおり、冒険者として活動しない輩が必要だ。そして、その人間には一つ心当たりがある」 と、老婆は魔術具の水晶に手を置いた。すると、泥水のような茶色の濁りが水晶に溢れた。透明な部分が完全に埋まり、最初からその色一色だったかのような変化だ。 「ま、さか............リーディアル様の魔力波動を登録なさるおつもりですか! それは無理ですよ! あなたの魔力波動は既にギルドの情報網に登録されてますよ!」 「んなもん、私の権限で抹消すりゃぁ問題ないだろう」 「抹消って............これまでの実績を全て捨て去るつもりですか!」 「私は過去の栄光ってのにとんと興味が無くてね。かといって今更現役に戻るつもりもない。これ以上の適役は無いさね」 「たかが一人の新人のためにそこまでする事もないでしょう!」 悲鳴を上げる職員に対し、白髪の少年が去っていた扉を眺めながら、老婆が言う。 後より答えを出す者 』の異名を持つ男に一撃を食らわせた。これがたかが、の一言で済ませられるとは私は思わないがね。あんたもその現場はしっかり見てたんだろ?」 「そ、それはそうなのですが............」 彼女が担当していた受験者の中で唯一、『彼』に一撃を与えた少年。直前に受けた貴族の若者も優秀だったが、それをさしおいて一番の有望株と言えた。 「しかも、よりによってそれが世にも珍しい魔力零の若造ときたもんだ。こいつは愉快じゃないか」 「............人を珍獣みたいに言わないでください」 「それはあの小僧に言ってやりな」 目上の者に対して、敬いつつも必要以上に畏まらない姿勢も、老婆にとっては気に入る要因の一つだ。 「どいつもこいつも、過去の栄光を背後に見てるせいかどうにも話してて楽しくない。あの小僧とは一度、別の機会に茶を楽しみたいねぇ」 「............彼はこの支部を訪れたのは初めてでしたし、あなたの顔も功績も全く知らなかったのでしょう。そうでなければ、あんな態度は取れませんよ」 「そうか? 案外変わらないかもね」 「あるわけ無いじゃないですか。リーディアル様がなにをどう言ったところで、あなたが『元Sランク』であり、当支部の『ギルドマスター』である事実には変わりないのですから」 職員の述べた自らの肩書きを耳に、老婆ーーリーディアルは苦笑した。 「やれやれ、頭が固いねぇ。だったら賭けようじゃないか。あの小僧が私の立場を聞いて、対応を変えたらアンタに金貨一枚。逆だったら私に一枚。どうだい?」 「賭けませんから」 「つまんないねぇ」 こんな会話が交わされているとは露も知らぬカンナであったとさ。

A few more days pa.s.sed after I presented my outlandish idea to Chloe. She was so grateful to the point of tears. The motivated girl now spends her free time with special training immediately after finis.h.i.+ng her daily request. All for the sake of B-rank promotion. Nonetheless, I still completed a number of them. Thanks to the magic beast encyclopedia I bought, preparations for before and during the hunt of a non-delicious magic beast goes smoothly. This is the story of a certain day. I couldn't endure my cravings anymore and chose to go out and hunt for delicious magic beast. The request this time takes place in a forest area nearby Draknil. That's why I'm able to return to the city by the time mid day arrived. 「Yo Real.」 「hn? Oh, its Kanna. Its been a week since we last met.」 A chance meeting with the girl without the usual greatsword strapped to her back. 「.........Playing hooky?」 「How rude. I just had some breathing room after finis.h.i.+ng my acc.u.mulated work. Lately, I've been sitting at my desk all day and my shoulders are all stiff because of it.」 With a strained laugh, she put her hand on her shoulder and cracks her neck slightly. If you ask me, no matter how I sliced it, her stiff shoulder are not only because of her paperwork, but also because of her two watermelons. I had a premonition of my head getting a [watermelon split attack] the moment I say those words, so I won't say it. 「I just got back after finis.h.i.+ng a request. Oh right Real, do you have any plans after this? If ya don't, then let's have some tea somewhere.」 I invited her without thinking anything in particular. Just felt like having a chat with a friend I haven't met for some time. 「Splendid, just as I was thinking on how to spend my time. I think I'll accept your invitation. Come to think of it, you're not completely familiar with this city yet, haven't you Kanna? I happen to know the location of a good tea shop, so let us head there.」 「Oo~ as expected of a local. Counting on ya then.」 Thus, we spend our free afternoon in each others company. 「Nevertheless, you still look the same as ever even in your day off.」 She didn't have her greatsword but she's still in her light armor getup. 「Unfortunately, I don't have any other clothes to wear when I'm just walking around. Is it strange by any chance?」 「Not at all, you look good wearing that to the point its a natural fit on you.」 I see adventurers wearing armors here and there when I take a walk around the city. This capital city's inhabitants show very little reaction to them. It shows how much the presence of adventurers have blended into their daily lives. 「Isn't it stifling to wear armor even during holidays?」 「After wearing it everyday, you'll become used to it. Besides.........its hard to say but.........there aren't many clothes suitable for my [size].」 I had the manner not to pursue this topic further, seeing that she hesitated explaining to that extent. For a man, [that] is packed with dreams, love and romance along with various others hopes but its not necessarily so for women. The armor she's wearing right now does cover her chest but its actually a custom made protector adjusted according to Real's dimension. Once she's accustomed to it, she doesn't have to go out of her way to get another outfit huh. As for my personal thoughts... 「Also, there's no way clothes that suits a boorish person like me exist.」 「Really? You're beautiful ya know. I think if you dress up a bit, guys won't be able to take their eyes off of you.」 I don't have much of a discerning eye in judging a person's beauty but I can definitely a.s.sert that Real's beauty is preeminent. Although she has enough physical strength to swing around a greatsword as if its a branch, her physique surprisingly resemble that of a professional model. Needless to say about all the feminine allure hidden behind her armor. For external features, she possesses long and glossy silver hair with pointed ears. With eyes full of dignity. Combine those with her exquisite jaw line in total produces a beauty with a perfect score. In fact, even though she's wearing her usual armor right now, she still attracts glances from multiple pa.s.serby. Even from an a.s.shole with his girlfriend. She's gonna cause a commotion by dressing up, won't it? .........Somehow I'm having a complicated feeling imagining her all dressed up. As I was tilting my head to process my last thought, Real started talking before I could ponder upon it deeply. 「Yo-You're good at making jokes Kanna. N-Nothing's going to happen if you f-flatter a woman with not a fragment of s.e.x appeal like me.」 「Its not a joke though.........」 Looking at the negative Real, her usual dignified look was gone and in its place, you can see her blus.h.i.+ng for just a little bit. When she noticed my gaze, she turns away in a panic. 『Strange. When he told me that, I felt strange. Even though my subordinates and superiors told me that I am [beautiful], there was not a fragment of me affected by those words.』(Real) I couldn't catch her muttering while she's looking at who knows where but she seems to be worried about something. Maybe she's not used to being praised for her beauty? Suddenly, I felt some slight tingling along my spine. 「Hold on Real, there's something.」 I suddenly stopped and Real who had gone a little ahead turn to face me. Her cheeks are still red but after looking at me furrowing my eyebrows, she tightened her expression. I stopped right at the entrance of a back alley with my line of sight directed to the dimly illuminated interior areas. 「.........Is it a presence of the [usual]?」 「Nope. Feels completely different. But, there's no mistake its an unpleasant air. Just a hunch though.」 「Considering how helpful your intuition had been, I'm sure there's no reason to doubt it now.」 Her earnest praise made me chuckle a bit. And then, after nodding to each other, we simultaneously rush into the back alley. As we proceed deeper in, the presence I felt back at the entrance feels more prominent. 「Three a.s.sholes and a woman.」 「I can determine the situation from that information alone.」 Most likely, the women was dragged here for some unsavory act. This spot is considerably deep in the winding corridors of the back alley. Even if someone were to shout at this time of day, their voice will be drowned out by the bustle of the main street. 「You didn't bring your prided partner, ya gonna be okay? 」 Pointing out to Real's back only earned a chortle from her. 「If I swing [that] around in such a narrow place, damages to the surroundings won't be trivial. Besides, I'm not soft enough to lose against that level of opponent even while barehanded.」 She sure is amazing. The back alley is much narrower than the main street. Although she should've been in a disadvantageous position by wielding her greatsword, she instead implied that she'd destroy the buildings surrounding us if she were to swing it here. 「Are you going to be okay?」 「Don't be silly. Back alley brawls is right up my alley.」 As we continued further, we found ourselves at a cul-de-sac. And as I perceived, three men and a woman was there. The lone woman was pressing her back to the wall while being encircled. From my perspective, I can't see the men's facial expression but judging from the terrified look of the woman, it seems that my intuition was spot on. 「Real.」 I instantly create an ice lump not larger than a fist and threw it to Real. Discerning my intention from that alone, she stopped at once after catching it. Me on the other hand, exerts more power to my feet and accelerated further. One of the three turned around after noticing me charging in. But before he can even show the slightest reaction... hyun 「gweh!?」 An ice lump from Real hit him squarely in the nose. The man let out a pathetic yelp and collapsed on the spot. Surprised by the sudden screaming of their companion, the other two hurriedly turn around. The man on my right got smashed in the face with my tekkou-covered backhand. Even if I'm holding back, my tekkou was made out of iron, ya know. After being blown away flas.h.i.+ly to the side, he didn't move anymore. Continuing my momentum after sending one of them flying, I reached midway point between the last man and the woman. All of a sudden, two intruders barged in and without even a word, proceeded to knock down half their numbers. The abrupt change in situation couldn't be immediately processed by the remaining two, as they became white-eyed from surprise. [Victory goes to the first one who makes a move] is one of my method of getting a win in a brawl. Using a surprise attack to take control of the situation is preferable for me and its especially effective for group battle. Originally, I'd pummel the survivors after catching their attention but this time, top priority is given to the safety of the victim. 「To force yourself onto a young woman during broad daylight, it seems that some of the imperial citizens are surprisingly ill-mannered.」 Real who caught up with me slightly later voiced her disappointment. The man who finally swallowed the situation shows a mixture of anger and fl.u.s.ter on his face. 「Miss, you've been forcefully dragged into this alleyway by those bunch. That is your situation right?」 With my body still facing the man, I turn my head to speak to the young lady behind me. Although she's still trembling, she shook her head vertically in response to my words. There's no indication of a lie or fabrication. Seems like I truly didn't make a wrong a.s.sumption. Relief awash over me once I confirmed this fact. Well, I am almost certain of my intuition but there was a time when Yuuzuki skipped everything and barged in the middle of some incident similar to this one. Turns out it was just a misunderstanding. And because of that precedent, I had to ask the would-be-victim behind me as an insurance. By confirming her situation, any counterargument from the man got completely sealed. If he truly doesn't have any bad intention, some words of denial would undeniably be spoken immediately at this juncture but if its the other way around, his thoughts would be filled with how to spout excuses. There's a possibility that he's speechless due to confusion but the man currently sports an ugly face like he's bitten a bitter bug. That face tells me everything I need to know. He's also groaning something unintelligible. Realizing his disadvantageous position, he ran past Real back towards where we came from while clicking his tongue in annoyance and leaving his friends behind. 「You okay with letting him go Real?」 For some reason, Real just silently watch the man escape. I thought she's gonna rake him over the coals severely. 「Getting caught almost red-handed aside, it was still at the level of an attempted a.s.sault. I did properly memorize his face, as a precaution. Next time he tries something similarly foolish again, I intend to put him down where he belongs.」 ............I had the hunch she would say something similar considering her preemptive attack caused the first man to faint straightaway but I guess that much is par for the course. 「Ano!」 A non-Real female voice resounds. Goes without saying whose voice it was. 「Thank you so much for helping me out of that danger!」 The young lady who still had her back to the wall bowed her head with grat.i.tude towards me and Real. She was that scared huh. Her bowing form reflects the sincerity of her grat.i.tude as far as I can see. If I look closely, she's quite lovely herself. Not at the level of Real, Chloe or Faima though. She may not be wearing something elegant but her clothes can be considered as stylish. Beauty of Real's level is perched high above the clouds and clearly out of my reach but for this lovely maiden, I wonder if I can extend my evil clutches towards her. Well, that would be rude to the lady. 「Miss, are you hurt anywhere?」 「No, I'm fine. They.........haven't done anything yet.」 She must've imagined her worse case scenario as she shuddered a little. It was immediately followed by a sigh of relief. After a light inquiry, we discovered that the young lady is in fact the daughter of a shop owner who runs a clothing and accessory store nearby. She was out on a shopping errand to restock their accessories when she unluckily got entangled with those men earlier. Despite her clear intention to reject them, the men persisted. Fearing for her safety, she ran away in a panic and got herself lost in the alleyway as a result. 「Why did you run into a place like this? You should have known about this dead end here.」(Real) 「If she's not used to running away, she can't afford thinking about escape route in her panic, I can a.s.sure you of that.」(Kanna) If one had the leeway to a.n.a.lyze their situation, they might've considered running away either to the guard station or the adventurer's guild to seek safety. But expecting that from a panicking girl might be a tall order. 「I think its gonna be all right now but we'll send you home just in case.」(Kanna) 「We must insist because we don't know when that man might return to retaliate. If you were to be attacked again after separating from us, it would leave a bad taste for us.」(Real) 「For our peace of mind, please let us escort you home.」(Kanna) 「uu.........Thank you very much.」 She bowed to us again to show her gratefulness. Now then, let's get the young lady home and settle this case shall we. 「ーーーhn?」 With her ears twitching, she narrowed her eyes while turning back to face the alleyway. When I look at the same direction, I can sense several people approaching us. 「.........Don't tell me he brought more hoodlums.」 Retaliating by calling in more manpower. Its a common behavioral pattern for a street thug. 「No, its different.」 Before long, the man who ran away earlier showed up at the entrance of the cul-de-sac. But the ones he brought along was not of his kind. I recognize as much with a glance. The reason was because they are wearing armor, simple as it may be. If I'm not wrong, they are soldiers of Draknil, patrolling as city guard to safeguard the public order. Me and the young lady tilt our head. Well, I can understand if the thug came back while being tied with a rope, but why did he return while leading those guards? To the side, its Real's turn to show a bitter look, like that man earlier. She seems to have grasped the situation quickly. And we'll know the rest immediately anyway. 「Ah there! Its them, officer! They attacked us all of a sudden! Look sir, you can see my friends lying there!」 ....................................... 「Well, this development was certainly...... unexpected.」(Kanna) 「We coincide then. I am of the opinion as well.」 Both of us hold our temples to suppress a headache. The young lady who finally finished processing the new development, suddenly turns pale. At this moment, we got involved with three simultaneous unlucky events. Second. The patrol unit rus.h.i.+ng to this place has a prominent sense of justice even among the guards, which unfortunately are also famous for not listening to people. 「Conducting violence during daytime is far from admirable! Surprise attacks are extremely cowardly! Surrender obediently!」(stuー) 「Rather than that, you should tie up the one in front of you, y'know.」 「hn? To even drag a young woman into a back alley, you are further aggravating you crime!」(ーpid aー) 「I am also a woman, are you going to ignore me?」 「No more words! My water magic will wash away your evil acts!」(ーho) Their lines sounds like they came straight from a period drama. I was about to put in a tsukkomi when the patrol-guards began to cast a spell. Me and Real finally return to our senses at that moment. But it was already too late. The patrol-guards invoked their spell and produces a large torrent of water. As it is a spell that specializes in mob suppression, there are no sharp elements or any other changes to the water. It is just a ma.s.sive stream of water. Although I lost to the currents and fell down flas.h.i.+ly, Real was able to withstand it head-on without budging an inch. Sometimes, I'm doubtful of her status as a member of the humankind. Ultimately, all the misunderstanding was resolved when all the falsehood spewed from that thug immediately got unraveled by the young lady's testimony. Giving false testimony as the offense, this time the thug cannot escape arrest as he definitely got caught red-handed doing it. It was not until Real reluctantly took out a dagger that they stopped insisting. The dagger, or to be exact, its handle is engraved with elaborate pattern not unlike a crest. After witnessing the crest, their complexion shoots pa.s.s blue into pale white. From there, Real said to them in a low voice, [I ask you to keep this matter a secret]. The patrol-guards snapped in attention as they answered her with a salute. This time, the arrested thug leaves the area while being dragged with a rope. Incidentally, the two fainted men were left as they were. Perhaps, compared to the one who was taken away, their crimes are much lighter in comparison. 「But now, what should we do?」 I point out to my wet clothes. Real also looks troubled by her drenched outlook. The sun is high and its kinda warm now, and I hardly feel cold due to the spirits' protection. However, the sensation of wet clothes sticking to my skin still feels unpleasant. 「We can't just continue to walk around the city like this. There's nothing else we can do but to return home and change our clothes.」 「Yea you're right. Which means that we have to part here.」 「It can't be helped.」(Real) My spare clothes is at the inn and as for Real, it goes without saying that hers isn't there. There's no choice but to return to our respective residence at this point. Looks like we have to cancel our plan to have some tea time after this. Its a bit unfortunate but we can't possibly enter a tea shop while being soaked to the skin. 「Ano.」 Before I can release a sigh, the young lady raise her voice. 「If the both of you don't have anything planned after this, would you be willing to stop by my house? Please consider it as my thanks!」

俺の突飛な思い付きにクロエが食いついてからさらに数日が経過した。 流石に素人の考えなので問題点はあるが、試しに実践してみるとクロエなりに光が見えたようだ。涙を流す勢いで感謝された。やる気の漲る彼女は依頼のランクをCからD帯の物へと変更して、依頼を手早く終えた後の余った時間を特訓に費やしている。 俺はといえば、美味しく頂ける魔獣の狩猟が無いので若干気落ちしつつ、それでもそれなりに依頼をこなしていた。食用以外の魔獣狩猟も、購入した魔獣図鑑のおかげで予習ができて随分とスムーズに行える。 そんなある日のことである。 美味しいと食堂の従業員さんに聞いていたが直ぐには食指が伸びず、だが我慢しきれずに選んだ魔獣狩猟を終えた後である。今回も狩猟の場は近隣の森だったので昼を迎える頃にはドラクニルへと戻れた。依頼完遂の処理をし、食堂に件の魔獣を預けて昼食を取り、さて夜までいかにして時間を潰そうかと考えていると、町中に見知った顔を発見した。 「よぉレアル」 「ん? ああ、カンナか間ぶりだな」 偶然に遭遇した彼女は、いつもは背中に差している大剣を今は携えていなかった。 「............サボリか?」 「失敬な。溜まっていた仕事が一通り処理し終わったから少し余裕が出来ただけだ。最近は机に座りっぱなしで色々と肩が凝って仕方がなかった」 彼女は苦笑しながら肩に手を置き、軽く首を回した。や、その肩こりは書類作業だけではなく、どう考えても胸からぶら下がっていのスイカのせいだと思う。口に出した瞬間、俺の頭がスイカ割りのようになりそうなので言葉にはしないが。 「君こそサボリか?」 「俺は依頼を終えた帰りだ。そうだレアル、この後予定とかあったりするか? 無かったらどっかで茶でも飲もうぜ」 俺は特になにも考えずに彼女に言った。心境は、久しくあった友人と話がしたい、という気分だ。 「そうだな。行く宛もなく暇を持て余していたところだ。お誘いに乗ろうかな。そうだ、まだ君はこの近辺の地理も疎いだろう。美味しい茶を出す店を知っているからそこへ行くか」 「お、さすがは地元人。頼りになるねぇ」 こうして俺たちは午後の暇を同道することになった。 「にしても、おまえさん休日だってのに相変わらずの格好な」 剣こそ背負っていないが、彼女の格好は相変わらずの軽鎧姿だった。 「生憎とこれ以外に外へ出歩けるような服が無くてな。もしかして変だったりするか?」 「や、普通に似合ってるしむしろ自然だが、な」 町を歩いていれば偶に同業者らしい鎧姿の者と擦れ違うし、彼らに対して町の住人はほとんど反応を示さない。冒険者の存在が生活に溶け込んでいるのだ。よって、レアルの軽鎧姿も別に違和感はない。 「休日まで鎧着てんのは堅苦しくないのか?」 「毎日着て慣れてしまえば案外楽なものだ。それにその............悲しいかな、私の『サイズ』に適した服が少ないのだ」 彼女が言い淀んだ部分を追求しない程度には俺もマナーを弁えている。男にとっては夢と希望と愛と浪漫と夢とその他諸々がこれでもかと言うほどに詰まっているのだろうが、女性にとってそうとは限らない。 今着ている鎧だって胸部を覆う形の物だが、レアルのサイズに寸法を調整した特注品だという。着慣れているのならば無理して別の服を選ぶ必要もないか。 「それに、私のような武骨者に似合う服などあるはずも無い」 「そうか? おまえは美人さんだし、ちょいと着飾ればそこらの野郎共の視線を釘付けにするとは思うがな」 人様の美に点数が付けられるような目利きを持っていると断言できるほどに肥えた目は持っていないが、それでもレアルの美貌は飛び抜けていると断言できる。 あの巨剣を自在に振り回す膂力を持っていながらも、彼女の体躯は本職モデルも驚きのバランスを持ち、それでいて鎧の奥には女性的な肉付きも秘めている。顔立ちにしても、艶のある長い銀髪にとがった耳。凛々しさを秘めた目。絶妙な顎のラインを総合して満点を付けたくなる美人だ。 現に、普段と変わらない鎧姿であるのに、すれ違う野郎の視線が彼女の後ろ姿を追っている。カップル連れの野郎であってもだ。これで衣装を着飾ったらちょっとした騒ぎになるんじゃね? と言うレベルだ。 ............なんかそれの様子を想像するとモヤっとしたな。 「ん?」と内心の変化に首を傾げる俺だったが、そこを深く考えるよりも先にレアルが口を開いた。 「き、君も冗談が上手いな。わ、私のような色気の欠片も無いような女を煽てても何も出ないぞ?」 「や、別に冗談じゃ無いんだけど............」 否定を口にしながらレアルの顔を見ると、普段の凛々しさがナリを顰め、頬を少し赤らめていた。そんな彼女と目が合うと、レアルは慌てたように顔を逸らした。 (おかしい。彼に言われると変な気分になるな。部下や上司に「綺麗だ」なんだと言われても全く何とも『欠片』も思わないのに) あらぬ方向を見ながらブツブツと呟く彼女の小声を俺は聞き取れなかったが、なにやら悩んでいるようだ。あまり自分の美貌を誉められるのに慣れていないのかもしれないな。 「ちょっとレアル、たんま」 唐突に足を止めた俺に、少し先を行ってしまったレアルが振り向く。まだ赤かった頬だが、俺の眉に刻まれた小さな皺を見て表情を引き締めた。 「............『例』の気配か?」 「いや、完全に別物。ただ、あんまりよろしくない空気なのは間違いないな。ただの勘だが」 「その君の勘に助けられた私が今更それを疑う筈もないだろう」 彼女の真摯な言葉に俺は小さく笑った。そして、互いに頷き合うと、俺たちは同時に駆けだし路地裏の内部へと突入した。 「野に女一人」 「その組み合わせの時点で何が起こっているのか判断できるな」 大方、如何わしい行為に及ぼうと男三人が女性を路地裏に連れ込んだのだろう。奥を覗くには結構深く、真昼に大声を出しても表通りの喧噪にかき消されて届かないだろう。 「自慢の相棒が無いけど大丈夫か?」 レアルの背中を指さすが、彼女は不適に笑った。 「こんな狭いところで『アレ』を振り回せば、『被害が馬鹿にならん』。それに、そこらの相手に素手で負けるほどに柔ではない」 すげぇな。路地裏は表の通りに比べて格段に狭い。レアルの得物である長剣を振り回すには本来は不利のはずなのだが。言外に『周囲の壁ごと破壊して』剣を振るえると宣言したのだ。頼もしいと思うのと同時に恐ろしいとも感じた。その凄まじい腕力から繰り出される打撃は果たしてどれほどの威力か。 「馬鹿言うなよ。路地裏喧嘩は俺の真骨頂だ」 女性は奥の壁に背を預ける形で、そしてその女性を三人の男が囲うような立ち位置だ。こちらから男達の表情は窺えないが、女性の顔に張り付いている恐怖の表情が、俺の勘の正しさを裏付けていた。 「レアル」 俺は即座に拳よりも少し小さな氷を生み出し、レアルに投げ渡した。こちらの意図を察したレアルはそれをキャッチすると足を止めた。逆に俺は足に力を入れてさらに加速する。 俺たちの駆け足の音に気が付き、男三人のうちの一人がこちらの方を振り向いた。だが、そいつが何かしらの反応を示す前に。 ヒュンッ。 「くぺッ!?」 レアルが投擲した氷の礫が鼻面に突き刺さる。無様な悲鳴を上げてその場に崩れ落ちた。 仲間の一人が突然悲鳴を上げたのに驚き、他の二人も慌ててこちらへと顔を向けた。しかし、既に俺は射程圏内にまで踏み込んでいる。手甲を装着した右の拳を残った二人の片割れの横面に叩き込む。手加減をしてはいるがそれでも鉄製の板が覆う拳だ。弾かれたように横へと吹き飛ぶと、そのまま動かなくなった。 突然の乱入者に、有無言わさずに倒された仲間二人。状況の急変を即座には受け止めきれず、残った残った男と女性は目を白黒とさせていた。 喧嘩の常套手段の一つは先手必勝だ。特に集団戦ならば、不意打ちから一気に制圧してしまうのが好ましい。本来なら残った一人も一気に殴り倒してしまうのだが、今回は女性の安全確保を最優先にさせてもらった。 「昼間からうら若き女性を無理矢理手込めにしようとは、帝国臣民にしては随分と不実な者もいたものだ」 俺とは僅かな時間差で追いついたレアルの失望を含んだ声に、男はようやく状況を飲み込んだのか、怒りと狼狽えが混ざった表情を浮かべた。 「お嬢さん。あんたはあの不届きな輩に無理矢理路地裏に連れて込まれた、ってぇ認識で間違いないよな」 体は男の方に向けたまま、顔だけを振り返り背後の女性に声を掛けた。女性は小さく肩を震わせたが、怯えながらも俺の言葉に首を縦に振った。嘘や偽りの気配は感じられない。俺の行動は早とちりの勘違い、という展開はなさそうだ。事実確認に一安心。 や、ほとんど確信はあるのだが。有月の奴がたまに前後関係すっ飛ばして割り込んで実は盛大な勘違いでした、なんて事もあったから、念のためだ。 俺が娘さんに確認したことで、男が口にしようとした反論は一切封じられた。本当に疚しいことがなければ即座に反論が飛び出るだろうが、逆であれば言い訳を考えるために思考が割かれる。頭が混乱して言葉が出ないと言う可能性もあるだろうが、男は苦虫を摩り潰したような表情を浮かべる。その反応が全てを物語っている。意味を持たない唸り声を上げるのがやっとだ。 男は自らが絶対的な不利を悟ったのか、悔しげに舌打ちを残すとレアルの方ーー路地裏の出入り口へと反転すると、仲間を置いて走り去っていった。 「いいのかレアル、見逃して」 去り際に男はレアルと擦れ違ったのだが、なぜか彼女は男の逃亡を黙って見送った。てっきり、きついお灸を据えると思ったのだが。 「現行犯ならともかく、まだ女性に乱暴を働いていない未遂の段階だったからな。ただ、顔はしっかりと覚えた。次に同じ様な馬鹿な真似をしでかそうとしたら、出すところにしっかりと出すつもりだ」 ............と、言う割には先制攻撃で迷わず一人を昏倒させている気がするが、そこは不届きな行動の代償として甘んじて貰うか。 「あ、あのッ!」 レアルの物ではない女性の声。もちろん誰の声かは問うまい。 「危ないところを助けてくださって、ありがとうございます!」 俺とレアルへと、壁に背中を預けていた女性が感謝の念を込めて身体ごと頭を下げた。よほど怖かったのか、そのお辞儀の仕方には真に迫るモノがあった。 よくよく見れば、レアルやクロエ、ファイマほどに極上ではないが、普通に可愛らしい女性だ。着ている服もお上品ではないだろうがお洒落なデザイン。レアルらのレベルには恐れ多くて手が届かないだろうが、このぐらいの可愛らしさなら邪な手が伸びてしまうのか。と、流石にこの女性に失礼だな。 「お嬢さん、怪我はないか?」 「はい、大丈夫です。その............まだ何もされてませんでしたから」 何か、を想像して女性は小さく震えたが、直ぐに安堵の溜息をついた。 軽く事情を聞くと、お嬢さんは近くで服飾屋を営んでいる店の娘さんらしい。店で扱う小物の補充に買い出しに出かけたところ、運悪く柄の悪い男達に絡まれたらしい。拒絶の意志をハッキリと示したが、しつこく言い寄ってくる男達に恐怖を抱いた彼女はその場から逃げ出し、結果としてこの路地裏に迷い込んでしまったのだ。 「何でこんな場所に逃げ込んじゃったんだろう。ここに行き止まりがあるのは知ってたのに」 「逃げることに慣れてなきゃ、逃げ道考える余裕なんてないだろうさ」 考える余裕が多少でもあるのなら、治安維持のためにいる兵士の屯所や冒険者ギルドの方に逃げ込めただろうが、気が動転している女性にそれを求めるのは酷だ。 「もう大丈夫だとは思うが、念のために家まで送っていこう」 「い、いえっ、そんな手間を掛けさせる訳にはッ」 「いや、この後に先ほどの男が報復に来ないとも限らん。分かれた直後にまた襲われた、では余りにも寝覚めが悪すぎる」 「俺たちの心の平穏のために、家に送り届けるぐらいはさせてくれよ」 「うぅ............、本当にありがとうございます」 さて、後はお嬢さんを家に送り届けて一件落着、とはいかないようだった。 「ーーーーん?」 今度、先に反応したのはレアルだった。長い耳がピクリと動くと、彼女は目を細めて路地裏の入り口の方へと顔を向けた。俺もそちらを見ると、こちらに向かってくる複数人の気配を感じた。 「............まさか、さっきの野郎の仲間か?」 仲間を引き連れての報復行為。町のチンピラにありがちな行動パターンだな。だが、レアルは俺の予想を首を横に振って否定した。 「いや、違うな」 やがて、入り口の方からこちらへと走ってくるのはやはり、先ほどの男だ。けれども彼が引き連れているのがその仲間でないと一目で分かった。男の後に続いていたのは簡素ながらも鎧を纏っていたからだ。見覚えがあるそれは、確かドラクニルの治安を守るために街を巡回している兵士ーー警邏部隊だ。 一方で、今度はレアルが先ほどの男と同じように苦虫を磨り潰したような顔になった。彼女はいち早く事情を把握したらしい。そしてそれは俺たちも直ぐに知ることになる。 「あ、いましたッ! あいつらです! あいつらが急に俺たちを襲ったんです! ほら、仲間があそこに倒れてますよ!」 ....................................。 「や、この展開は予想外すぎたわ」 「奇遇だな、私もだ」 俺たちは揃って頭痛を抑えるように頭に手をやった。女性の方は、事態を飲み込んだのか、顔をサッと青ざめさせた。 この時、運が悪い出来事が三つほどあった。 一つ。俺たちは予想外すぎる展開に頭痛を覚え、反応が遅れていたこと。二つ。この場に駆けつけた兵士達は警邏隊の中でも正義感が飛び抜けており、余り人の話を聞かないことで有名だったこと。三つ。そんな彼らが治安維持のためによく使っていたのが、水属性の魔術だったことだ。 「昼間から暴力沙汰とは感心せんッ! 不意打ちとは卑怯千万! 神妙にお縄に付くがいい!」 「や、むしろ前を走ってる奴をお縄にしろよ」 「ん? しかもうら若き女性を路地裏に連れ込むとは、いよいよ許せんな!」 「私も一応女なのだがな、存在は無視されているのか?」 「問答無用ッ! 貴様等の悪行、我が水の魔術ですべて押し流してくれるわッッ!」 台詞の言い回しがどうにも時代劇のお代官様みたいだな。と、場違いなツッコミを口にしそうになったが、警邏が構築しだした魔術式に俺とレアルはようやく我に返った。 しかし、行動を起こそうとしたときには時既に遅し。警邏は魔術式を発動させ、大きな水の奔流を生み出した。暴徒を沈静化する為に特化した術式のようで、鋭さも奇をてらった変化もなくただの水流で対象を押し流す魔術だ。俺は咄嗟に女性の前に氷の壁を作り水の奔流から守れたのだが、当の俺たちにまでは及ばなかった。警邏の魔術式にはほとんど殺気が感じられなかったのも大きな要因だ。 もっとも、俺は水の圧に負けて派手に転んだが、レアルは真正面から奔流に巻き込まれながらも、ほとんど体勢を崩さずに仁王立ちで堪えていた。たまにコイツが人間なのか疑わしくなるな。 結局、あの不届きな男の嘘偽りは女性の証言ですぐさまに発覚。虚偽の証言を行ったとして、今度こそ現行犯逮捕の流れとなった。やってきた警邏達は深い深い謝罪を述べ、何かしらの賠償を申し出たが騒ぎが大きくなるのを嫌った俺たちはそれを断った。女性には被害が出なかったし、俺たちも水を被っただけで怪我らしい怪我も無かったからだ。 その剣をーー正確には柄の部分に刻まれた紋章らしい凝った装飾を一目見ると、顔色が青色を通り越して真っ白になった。そこからレアルが「このことはこの場限りの内密に頼む」と小声で囁くと、警邏達は背骨が折れんばかりにさっと敬礼を残すと、今度こそお縄になった男を引きずり回す勢いで路地裏を去っていった。 ちなみに、男の仲間だった気絶した二人は今も倒れたまま。もしかしたら、気絶しただけで連れて行かれた男よりもよほどに罪が軽くなったのかもしれないな。 「しかし、どうするかね、これ」 俺は水気を存分に含んで重くなった服を摘んだ。レアルも困ったように水濡れになってしまった己の身を見る。今は日も高く暖かいし、精霊の加護のお陰でほとんど寒さを感じない。けれども、水気でぐっしょりとなってしまった服が肌に張り付く感覚は気持ち悪いことこの上ない。 「どうするも何も、このまま街の中を出歩くわけにもいかん。着替えに戻らんとならんだろうな」 「仕方がないだろうな」 俺の着替えは宿の方にあるが、当然そこにレアルの着替えがあるはずもない。この場で別れてそれぞれの住処に戻るしかない。どうやら、この後に茶を飲む予定はご破算らしい。少し残念だが、濡れ鼠のまま喫茶店に入るわけにもいかないしな。 「あ、あのッ」 溜息を吐きそうになる前に、またも女性が声を上げた。 「この後ご予定がないのでしたら、私の家に寄ってもらえないでしょうかッ。その、今回のお礼もありますし!」 そんな女性も申し出に、俺たちは揃って顔を見合わせたのだった。

Although its sudden, lets talk about my friends. .........This is the second time I've done this. Its not about the childhood friend Yuuzuki, whom I've talked about before. This time, its about the two female friends I've known since middle school. Up till now, their name came up several times. Hiiragi Misaki. She has a black belt in karate, a lively girl. Asagi Ayana. A genius with the ability to secure top ranks in the national mock exam. Though their type are exact opposite of each other, both of them are best friends. When they hang out together, attracting attention from the crowd was the norm of their daily lives, as the pair of them are [bishoujo]. It sounds like I'm announcing their profession but it's true, so no argument can be made on that point. The original materials can be compared to beautiful gems but after entering high school, they were further refined and polished. By the end of high school second year, their popularity grew to such an extent, the school was practically divided between the two of them. While Misaki was tomboyish, her body began to exude a mature charm. Combining the sensuality of an adult with the childish innocence still present in her countenance, a beauty like no other. Ayana, on the other hand, was pet.i.te. A trait which further increases her prominence. She was a rare beauty with both adorably cute atmosphere and loveliness in one package. I was on good terms with both of them, forming a group in high school along with my childhood friend, a certain hetare ikemen, Yuuzuki. In the first place, Yuuzuki was not the kind of person other people would hate. He doesn't turn into a target of envy even if he became friends with the two bishoujo. For example, if there are someone from among the students harboring feelings towards Misaki or Ayana. When they knew they have Yuuzuki as their opponent, they will be convinced to give up and say [it can't be helped.] ......Can you guys guess which template situation are going to happen next? That's right. Including the grudges and jealousy directed originally towards Yuuzuki, those envious b.a.s.t.a.r.ds pooled together even my share and it all came cras.h.i.+ng down to me. Its a typical pattern that happens when the protagonist is close to you. Things weren't so bad during middle school but it escalated after entering high school. I was involved in several events called [behind the school gym]. As for the latter, they were good practice partners. The cost for all that events was my own body. Luckily, I don't have to worry about reprisals because I did it properly with moxibustion. .........Well, doing a [carefully, precisely and thoroughly] routine too far causes my infamy to spread wildly. It was only appropriate my friend counts are low. Thankfully, other than the trio, my other friends are normal because, I'm not too fond of grouping up and and making a ruckus. Despite that, there were also times when I was horsing around with my friends, resulting in a very boisterous commotion. The reminiscence became rather lengthy. Again with this pattern. What I wanted to say was, I'm already familiar to this kind of development. Forced to a duel-like situation because of my relations. Even though I'm not the protagonist! 「Why are Kanns.h.i.+ being melancholic de gozaru ka?」 「Oh, I was just thinking that there sure are a lot of troublesome matters these days.」 「.........Limited to the matter this time, this one is of the opinion that Kanns.h.i.+ plays no small part to propel that argument into this predicament de gozaru yo. Kanns.h.i.+ is in no position to be uttering that at this moment de gozaru ga.」 At dusk, the very same day we got into an argument with the botchan, we were once again inside exam hall of the guild. Chloe was with me in the room. The Ryujin basan came too. 「You're being considerably calm ne~.」 「How frightening ne~. To readily a.s.sert that its the n.o.ble's fault. I'm rather interested in your past experience, seeing you behave like this at such a young age.」 My experience, huh. Such as, immediately after being summoned to this world, I was about to be disposed of. Or that time when I almost got crushed to a paste by a giant golem in the Sacred Mountain grotto. Or when I narrowly avoided being burnt to ashes by a mysterious magician. Compared to that, its impossible to be nervous when facing the tantrum of an angry obotchama in a duel. According to obotchan, due to the disgrace he was subjected to, his honor was tarnished and so, proposed this duel to reclaim his honor back. I'm sure he initially wanted no less than to punish us severely with the power of n.o.bility at his back. I was convinced of that by the time I saw my opponents. Usually, a duel is a one on one match. However, our opponents are a total of three. Me and Chloe as a team. The trio of botchan with his escorts. In other words, he proposed this duel with this arrangement from the start. Well, if our opponents excels in cooperating during a fight, that would be a different story. 「That weapon, didn't you pa.s.s the exam unarmed?」 「Because this isn't an exam.」 Basan points out to the ice axe beside me. During the test, a large axe was also prepared but it weighs almost as heavy as the real article, blunted edge notwithstanding. Its hard to control with my current strength. On the other hand, I can brandish an axe made with Spirit Art freely. Even if it has the same volume and dimension, most of the weight were alleviated by the spirits. (This would be easy enough if only I can attack from a distance.) At first I thought I'd proceed like that but the situation this time was not good. The main cause was the Ryujin basan who planted herself as the umpire to this duel. 「Is it a magic tool that solidifies attributes to be used as weapons? You have a very unusual item ne~.」 「As you know, I don't have any mana. Having these kind of magic tool would help a lot.」 The big axe I made this time was a little different from usual. A blue gem was embedded in the middle of the long ice handle. The magic tool pointed out by basan referred to this gemstone but its actually just a regular gemstone. This was one of the gems I had in my stash. I keep only the blue gemstone with me to serve as emergency money. The other day, basan became aware of the fact that I don't possess any mana. I don't think she is a bad person but it is best to avoid any unnecessary scrutiny. Basan said it herself, her age and experience is not just for show. I'm afraid some bits of truth would get extracted from me if I talk more than I should. As for this big axe, I pushed through by saying it is a product created by the effects of a magic tool. In the future, let's use this gimmick when I want to use my abilities in public. Chloe already knew my circ.u.mstances but just a light version of it. She doesn't know how I obtained Spirit Art and the details surrounding that particular information. For the time being, I managed to convince her that I was capable of evoking magic without using mana. I lost count on how many times she saw me generating ice, so I decided to tell her at least that much. 「By the way, Chloe.」 「What is it de gozaru?」 「I've never seen you fighting, so I was wondering about your battle style.」 Its been about two weeks since we first met but I've never seen her in a battle. That was because magic beast almost never made an appearance during our carriage trip with Faima and her entourage after Chloe joined. 「...It is hard to describe with words de gozaru na.」 「Then, how about this. Are you focusing on speed or technique or something else?」 「......Inexperienced as this one is, if it were to be expressed in words, this one excels more in technique de gozaru na. As Kanns.h.i.+ witnessed the day before, even though this one is part of the Black Wolf Clan, the mana amount this one possesses are just a meagre amount. Consequently, compared to the other clan members, this one cannot even begin to compare in speed and power de gozaru yo.」 From Chloe's explanation just now, one would a.s.sume amount of mana directly affects physical ability. Its not entirely wrong but its not the whole truth either. The reason I knew all this happened yesterday. I bought a book t.i.tled [Maryoku(mana) courses even -year old can understand] before returning to the inn. True to its namesake, it was very easy to understand even for me who can't read properly yet. According to the book, in tandem with the commonly used jutsu-s.h.i.+ki, mana can also be used to improve physical abilities. Support type jutsu-s.h.i.+ki does not produce intense effects, but on the contrary, it raises body performance naturally without imposing too much of a burden on the body. In addition, higher mana amount used means a more powerful jutsu-s.h.i.+ki effect. Furthermore, the ratio of the increased effect is related to an innate trait of a person. 「The Black Wolf Clan compared to the other races, has much higher mana affinity de gozaru yo. This trait contributes much to the strength of the Black Wolf de gozaru. However, it does not matter how high an affinity one possess, it is all but meaningless with low amount of mana de gozaru. Moreover, this one's attribute is [Thunder]. If its Fire attribute, [instantaneous power enhancement] and if its Earth attribute, [muscle strengthening]. Both attribute comes with jutsu-s.h.i.+ki that can cover either of this one's lack of power or speed de gozaru ga. The Thunder attribute, however, does not have any prominent support type jutsu-s.h.i.+ki. That is why this one devoted efforts solely towards improving this one's meager techniques de gozaru yo.」 Chloe showed a listless smile. I can sense that she was close to the point of resigning to her fate due to her [incompetence]. From her, I feel a deep sense of familiarity to my own state of mind. 「......The conversation has digressed de gozaru na. In short, that is the truth of this one's situation de gozaru. This one wishes to be pardoned for not being a dependable partner such as Real-s.h.i.+ de gozaru na.」 「...She is outside of common sense in various ways. If another unreserved transcendent power character exist, it will be a major problem.」 「......Isn't that too much de gozaru ka.」 「She can blow away heavy warriors wearing full plate armor in a direct confrontation.」 「That is......spectacular de gozaru na.」 Maybe she can even win against a heavyweight boxer in a head-on match. Despite all that, she was not the heavily muscular type but instead a slender type with only one part of her emphasizing itself with intense presence. I feel bad for Chloe, but I wanted power-type or speed-type for group battle like this but I won't voice out this selfishness. 「Then, I'll distract the two escorts. Chloe's opponent is that botchan.」 「Eh, this one de gozaru ka? This one thought our role would be reversed de gozaru ga.」 「In a one on one fight, technique-type s.h.i.+nes, am I right. Besides, I'm quite used to one against many situation, be they magic beasts or people.」 With the experience from earth and the perception I obtained from this world, even if I can't defeat those escorts, I can at least stall for time. 「Understood de gozaru. This one will swiftly defeat that botchan and provide backup de gozaru.」 「Ou, I'm counting on you.」 At this stage, devising further strategy is impossible. If I want to proceed past this point, I need to experience fighting multiple times alongside Chloe, taking note of her habit along the way. Only then, I can a.s.semble new ideas for our strategy. Our brief strategy meeting was over but even then, the other party hasn't shown up yet. 「Chloe, did someone got injured badly during your escort request?」 「None at all de gozaru. When we returned to Draknil via a train station, it was only to the extent of acc.u.mulated fatigue de gozaru.」 「Then, why are they taking so long?」 「Even if you ask this one de gozaru...」 Let's ask someone else. 「Basan, don't tell me its actually tomorrow?」 「No way that's true. I personally confirmed it a while ago. They only said it will take a while to finish preparing ne~」 「Preparing?」 「Don't tell me he's going to fix his makeup or something like that.」 「Kanns.h.i.+, this one is sure our opponents are all male de gozatta zo.」 「I was just saying.」 As I was joking around, metal clanking sound can be heard from the hallway. Whatever the source is, it grows louder as it gradually gets closer as Chloe and I looked at each other in confusion. Eventually, the clanking reached the door and before long, the door was pushed opened. Its the appearance of the n.o.ble botchan party but our interest was concentrated on the two hired escorts behind him. When I came across them at the guild entrance, they wore light armor similar to mine, emphasizing mobility in exchange for defense on vital areas only. Their equipment was a sword and light s.h.i.+eld. And yet, when they finally came to the venue, both of them are clad with steel-looking, full plate armor. Only their sword remained as it was. Even their s.h.i.+eld was exchanged to a much larger version, twice the original size. I wonder if he got satisfied looking at our dumbfounded face, botchan was grinning annoyingly as he continued on to the center of the room. Both the armor followed closely behind. One whole set of full plate armor, that must have been considerably heavy but their smooth movement belies that. 「That armor is made of mithril alloy. Such an expensive shopping ne~.」 「Mithril alloy?」 A typical fantasy metal came out. 「Mithril alone is softer than iron de gozaru yo. But by treating it as a catalyst, the resulting alloy is much harder and lighter than its metal const.i.tuents de gozaru yo.」 「......Is it expensive?」 「If you want to buy a standard-sized sword made entirely of mithril alloy, be sure to prepare gold coins ne~. Let's see now, that is a full plate armor, so maybe around 0 gold coins ne~.」 An armor with a five million yen price tag. 「......Isn't that a bit too unreasonable for a pocket money of a botchan.」 「The Duke household won't be fazed by merely that amount. Remember this fact.」 It seems that my [make-up joke] unexpectedly became true. 「I've kept you waiting, gentlemen. My escorts' armor was not in good shape, you see. As an employer, I must be aware of any detrimental issues regarding my subordinates. Hence, at my discretion, I have provided them with the latest product available.」 Botchan there shamelessly began a speech. 「I want to slug him.」 「s.h.i.+!.........Kanns.h.i.+, please bear with it de gozaru yo.」 Ooops, did I let that out. 「It appears to me that you're intimidated. If you cry to me asking for forgiveness right here and now, I will consider it.」 Ah, this must be that scene. The scene where the rich guy acts arrogantly behind hired professionals. What a cliché. 「I had heard that the man over there had just become an adventurer today.」 You're in the same boat, dumbo. 「As for me, I regret to inform you that since my childhood, I've been trained by a former royal guard ceaselessly in the art of swordsmans.h.i.+p. Although, I'm still at the lowest E-rank right now, my abilities are surely equivalent to C-rank. In the near future, I'll be promoted to C-rank without fail.」 If so, then don't take a C-rank escort for your E-rank request!! 「......Patience de gozaru.」 I had to swallow all the tsukkomi I wanted to throw at botchan when Chloe placed her hand on my shoulder. 「Chloe, was it? Even now it is not too late to become my subordinate. If you help me administer punishment to that insolent person, I will even forgive your transgression.」 「Redo your life from antiquity!!」 「tte oi Chloe! Where did you throw your patience to?! More importantly, where did your [gozaru] go?!?!」 I had to pin down Chloe to prevent her from las.h.i.+ng out. Chloe bared her fangs and growled just like a wolf. Subjected to such fierce intimidation, botchan flinched and went [hiii!]. Ah, this botchan has mental strength as thick as paper. 「H-Hmph! No matter how renowned the Black Wolf are, in the end, you are just like a beast. F-Fine by me. I-I'll just make you a slave and firmly reeducate you later.」 Still trembling from Chloe's intimidation, botchan somehow managed to spew some big declaration. 「......Listen here, let me make this clear. This is a duel with only honor at stake. Losing party complying with demands of the victor, such nonsensical rule does not exist. Also, in this Diagal Empire, owning a slave other than a criminal slave is a crime in and of itself. There is no way you would not be aware of this fact, being a member of the outstanding Duke household yourself, isn't there?」 Those who are charged guilty for petty crimes spend a period of time as a slave. If they are deemed to pose no further troubles, they will be released from slavery. Conversely, a major felony will forever chain the convicted criminal, with no chance of release. 「Oops. What have I done. Apologies Lydeal-sama, it was a slip of the tongue.」 His seemingly polite mannerism towards basan shows her superior position. 「......You seem to know my name, don't you?」 「But of course. There is not a single person in this capital who is not aware of your fame and ident.i.ty.」 「I don't need flattery. More importantly, after this duel has concluded, there will be no more animosity nor grudges between both parties. Regardless of the outcome, I will not allow any lingering resentment to fester into another conflict afterwards.」 Botchan nodded in agreement while replying to basan but his face was clearly transmitting [h.e.l.l if I care, kuso baba]. Basan was able to read him too but her only reaction was just a scowl, a nigh undetectable one. 「Then, I'll explain the rules. The outcome of this duel will be decided when I adjudge all the duelists on either party to be incapable of combat. Attacking an incapacitated duelist will be deemed as breaking the rules of engagement. Same will be applied if any duelist refuse to comply with my restraining order. ma, That much should do. Uphold the rules, and you are free to do everything else. This guild employs an excellent healer, as you know. Whether you lost a leg, an arm or getting even your eyes crushed, she will perfectly heal you.」 As basan pointed out, without anyone noticing, the female staff whom I've met so many times now was already bowing politely at the entrance. Standing next to her was a familiar dandy figure. 「oya, You came as well?」 「The rookie under my charge raised a commotion in no time at all. It would be strange not to be interested.」 It was the examiner me and botchan had to fight during our examination yesterday. 「Then, you'll be my a.s.sistant. With your [eyes], nothing will be overlooked. Is that acceptable?」 「I respectfully accept.」 After the examiner nodded in agreement, he proceeded to the center of the room, placing himself the opposite of basan. His gaze naturally wandered over to the big axe placed by my side. 「You didn't use that weapon against me yesterday.」 I look away with all my might. 「It seems that I've made you wary.」 I'm afraid of your eyes which seems like they can see through me. While being nervous under the watchful eyes of the examiner, I waited for basan to begin the duel.

突然ではあるが、俺の友人の話をしようか。 以前にも話した幼なじみの有月程ではないが、中学からのつき合いの長い二人の女友達がいる。これまで何度か名前が出ていると思う。 柊美咲。空手有段者で元気溌剌娘。 浅葱彩菜。全国模試でトップの成績を持つやはり才媛。 タイプは真逆ではあったが、互いに親友と認め合っているこの二人は周囲の女子からは頭か二つほどに飛び出ているほどに『美少女』をやっていた。まるで職業みたいな響きだが、本当なので他に言いようがない。 元々の素材もあったが、高校に進学してからはそれに更に磨きが掛かり、二年にあがる頃には校内でも人気を二分する程になった。 美咲はボーイッシュでありながらも、身体が女性的な丸みを持ち始め、子供と大人の色気を併せ持つような美しさを。対して彩菜は小柄ではあったが、それでいて可憐さと美しさを際だたせていった。 そんな校内二大美少女と仲良しグループを作っていたのは、某ヘタレイケメンとその幼なじみである俺である。 有月とこの女友達が一緒にいる場面は非常に絵になる。有月は元々人にあまり嫌われない方なので、美咲達と交友関係にあってもそれほど嫉妬の対象になならない。例え美咲や彩菜に好意を持っている輩がいても、有月が相手なら『仕方がない』で納得してしまう。 ............この前振りで後に続くテンプレは察せたかな? そう。本来なら有月に向くべきであろう嫉妬も含めて、野郎共の妬みがまとめて俺に降り注いで来るのだ。主人公系キャラが身近にいると陥るパターンの典型だな。始末の悪いことに、それが野郎だけじゃなくて女衆からも集めていたりする。こっちは有月関連だな。俺に男色の趣味はないんですが、との言い訳は効果無かった。 中学の頃はそれほどでもなかったが、高校に入学した当初は『体育館裏に呼び出されるイベント』が何度か発生した。その大体が美咲や彩菜に近づくな云々の文句が殆どだったが、時折に物理的な手段に出た奴もいた。前者は殆ど聞き流していたが、後者はしっかりと相手をしてやった。『目には目と歯と鼻と口と骨の数本と性根』が俺の主義である。や、実際にそこまではしなかったが、きっちりかっちりねっちりと心を根っこからへし折り、二度とそんな暴挙に出ないように『お願い』しましたよ。 悪いのは、人の交友関係に口を出し、さらには暴力に訴えようとした相手だ。そのツケは身を持って支払って貰った。お灸をしっかりと据えてやったので、報復手段をとられる心配もなかった。 ............まぁ、しっかりきっちりかっちりねっとりと遣りすぎたので、その悪評が広まり、友達が少なかったのはここだけの話だ。や、有月達以外にも友達は普通にいた。が、大勢と一緒に騒げるだけはいなかったな。少数で超派手に騒いで遊んだことは結構あるが。 話が長くなったな。またこのパターンだな。 なにが言いたかったかと言えば、因縁を付けられて決闘紛いの行為をさせられる展開には慣れているのだ。 主人公ポジじゃ無いはずなのに! 「なにを黄昏ているのでござるか?」 「や、最近は面倒事が多いなぁと」 「............今回に限って言えば、少なからずはカンナ氏にも原因があると思うでござる。人のことは言えないでござるが」 騒動を起こした後の夕暮れ時、俺達は再びギルドの中になる登録試験を受けた会場にいた。現在室内にいるのは、俺とその隣にいるクロエ。加えて先から続いて竜人の婆さんだ。 「随分と緊張感が無いねぇあんた」 「お坊ちゃんから難癖付けられてるだけで、どう緊張を持てと?」 「貴族様からの決闘を難癖と言い切っちまうあたりが怖いね。その若さでどんな場数を踏んできたんだか、興味がわいちまうよ」 そりゃ、この世界に召喚されて早々に処分されそうになったり、霊山の洞窟で巨大ゴーレムに圧殺されそうになったり、謎の魔術士に爆殺されそうになったりと。 それと比べれば、お坊ちゃまがオコした癇癪から発した決闘など、緊張しろと言うのが無理だ。 お坊ちゃん曰く、名誉を傷つけられたから、その落とし所としてこの決闘を提案したと言うが、本来ならば俺達を貴族の権力を持って断罪したかったに違いない。そう確信できたのは、この決闘を行う人数にあった。 通常、決闘と聞けば一対一の尋常な勝負だ。けれども、今回の決闘はで行われる。俺とクロエのチーム。そして貴族の坊ちゃん本人と他護衛二人のチーム。つまり、ニこちらが人数的に不利な条件での申し出だったのだ。 や、相手が本当に連携をとれていれば、の話ではあるが。 「その武器。試験の時にはほぼ無手で合格したって聞いたが?」 「これは試験じゃ無いからな」 婆さんが指さしたのは、俺の傍らに突き立てているお馴染み氷の斧だ。試験の際、模擬武器の中には大斧も用意されていたが、刃が潰れているだけで重量はほぼ本物と同等だ。俺の素の筋力で操るには難しい。 (や、遠距離からガンガン攻めれば楽なんではあろうが) 氷手裏剣他、現在開発中のロングレンジ技を多用すればよほどの相手で無い限り一方的に攻め勝てるだろう。最初は俺もそうしようと思ったのだが、今回は状況が悪かった。他ならぬ竜人の婆さんがこの決闘の立会人になったのが主な原因だ。 「属性を武器として具現化する魔術具か。珍しいもんを持ってるね」 「ご存じの通り、俺は魔力を持ってないからな。このぐらいの補助具がないと色々と不便なんよ」 今回作った大斧はいつもと少し違う。長い氷の柄の半ば辺りに、青い宝石が一つ埋め込んであるのだ。婆さんが指摘した魔術具というのはこれのことを言っているのだがーー実はただの宝石だ。俺が緊急用の金策措置としてため込んでいた宝石群の中から、一つだけそれっぽいものを選んで持ってきたのだ。 婆さんは先日に、俺が魔力を持っていない事実を知っている。悪い人間ではないと思うが、余計な詮索を受けないに越したことはない。それに婆さん自身が言っていたとおり、年期の重ね様は伊達ではない。言葉の端から余計な事実まで引っ張り出されそうで怖いのだ。 この大斧は、なんちゃって魔術具の効果によって生み出された代物だと言うことで押し通し。今後も人前で能力を使うときはこの手口で何とかしていこう。 クロエには既に簡単な事情を説明している。や、精霊術を手に入れた経緯は伏せているが、とりあえず魔力を使わずに扱える魔術、という感じで納得して貰った。彼女には既に目の前で何度も氷を生み出す場面を目の当たりにしているので、最低限は必要だと判断したのだ。 「ところでクロエ」 「俺はおまえが戦っているところを見たことがないんだが、得意な戦い方ってなんなんだ?」 出会ってそろそろ二週間目になるが、なんやかんやで俺は彼女の戦闘シーンに出くわしたことがない。ファイマ等とまだ一緒にいた最後の馬車旅の時には殆ど魔獣の出現が無かったからだ。クロエが操られていた時は実際に事を構えたが、後に聞けばあれは彼女本来の戦い方では無いとのこと。 「そうでござるな............改めて言葉にすると難しいでござるな」 「じゃあ、速度重視とか、技巧重視とか、そこらへんは?」 「............未熟ではござるが、どちらかと言えば技巧重視でござるな。先日にカンナ氏も見ていたので知っているでしょうが、拙者は黒狼の一族でありながらも先天的に魔力が少ないのでござる。故に、他の同族に比べて圧倒的に速度も力も低いのでござるよ」 今に出てきたクロエの説明だと魔力=身体能力に聞こえただろうが、実はこれはあながち間違っていない。俺の魔力云々の話が出た日に、宿に戻る前に『三歳児でも分かる魔力講座』という本を購入したからだ。流石幼児向けであって、字の読解がまだ得意でない俺でもわかりやすい内容であった。 それによると、通常の術式の他にも魔力には人間の身体能力を向上させる力もあるらしい。支援術式のように劇的な効果は発揮しないが、逆に肉体への急激な負担を強いずに自然な形で能力を引き上げる。そして、その上昇効果はその本人の魔力が高ければ高いほど上がり幅が大きい。更に言うならば、その上昇比率には本人の素質も関係してくるのだ。この素質を『魔力の馴染み易さ』。あるいは『魔力親和性』とも呼ぶ。 「黒狼の一族は他の種族に比べて、魔力親和性が飛び抜けて高いのでござるよ。黒狼の強さの大きな要因はこれでござる。けれども、いくら体に魔力が馴染みやすくても、大本である魔力が少なければ意味を成さないのでござる。更に言えば、拙者の適正属性は『雷』。火属性であれば『瞬発力強化』。地属性であれば『筋力強化』の支援術式で速度や力をカバーできるでござろうが、雷属性は目立った支援術式が無いのでござる。なので、ひたすら小手先を磨くしかなかったのでござるよ」 クロエは力のない笑みを浮かべた。それは、己の『無能』に諦めに近い感情を抱いているのだと俺は読みとれた。他ならぬ俺にとって、その心の形は馴染みの深いものだった。 「............話がそれてしまったでござるな。ま、つまりはそういうことなのでござるよ。レアル氏の様な心強い相棒でなくて申し分けないでござる」 「や、あれは色々と別枠だ。あんな超絶パワーキャラがそうポンポン居られても困る」 「............そんなにでござるか」 「全身鎧の重装甲兵を真正面から吹き飛ばせるからな」 「それは............壮絶でござるな」 多分、ヘビー級ボクサーと真正面から殴り合いをしても勝てるんじゃないだろうか。それでいてムキマッチョでなく、むしろ細身で一部分だけ自己主張が激しい衝撃のスタイル。あんなのは一人で十分だ。 しかし、技巧派か。クロエには悪いが、多人数戦闘ならばパワー系やスピード系の仲間が欲しいところだが、我が儘は言うまい。 「んじゃ、俺が護衛の二人を引きつけておくから、クロエは坊ちゃんの相手を頼む」 「拙者がでござるか? こちらは拙者が護衛の二人を引きつけておく役になると思ってたのでござるが」 「技巧重視なら一対一の方が強いだろう。それに一対多は、魔獣相手も人間相手も結構慣れてるからな」 元の世界の経験と、幻想世界で手に入れた勘の良さがあれば、倒せないにしても時間は稼げるだろう。 「分かったでござるよ。速攻で坊ちゃんを倒して援護に回るでござる」 「おう、頼りにしてる」 これ以上の作戦を立てるには、現段階では無理だ。コレより先を望むのならば、クロエと共に場数を踏んで相手の戦い方や癖を覚えないと組み立てようがない。 簡単な作戦会議が終わったのだが、未だに当事者の片割れ陣がやってこない。 「クロエ、護衛の依頼最中に誰か目立った怪我とかしてたか?」 「皆無だったでござるよ。ドラクニルの駅に帰ってきた時点でも、さほどに疲労は溜まってなかったはずでござる」 「じゃあ、何でこんなに時間掛かってんだ?」 「拙者に言われても困るでござる」 では、他の人に聞こう。 「実は今日じゃなくて明日ってオチじゃねぇよな婆さん」 「なわけないだろう。あたしが直々にさっき確認してきたからね。ただ、ちょいと準備に時間が掛かるとは言ってたねぇ」 「準備?」 「まさかお化粧直しとか言わないよな」 「カンナ氏、相手は確かに全員が男性でござったぞ」 「言ってみただけだ」 そんな冗談を口にしていると、会場の扉奥から金属が忙しなく重なり合うような音が聞こえてきた。何事か、とクロエと顔を見合わせる中でもその音は徐々に大きくなり、やがて扉の直前にまでたどり着くとバンッと両開きに入口が開かれた。 件の坊ちゃん貴族の登場なのだが、俺達の関心はその背後に続いていた雇われ護衛の二人に集中していた。 なのに、会場にやってきた今の姿は、二人とも全身を鋼で覆った甲冑姿。剣こそそのままだったが、盾も大幅チェンジで以前よりも大きさが一回りーーや、二回りは面積を大きくしていた。 ポカンと口をあんぐりさせている俺達の様子に悦には入ったのか、坊ちゃんは癪にさわるにやけ面を浮かべながら、会場の中央へと歩を進める。後ろに続く護衛も鎧をガチャつかせながら続く。あれほどの全身甲冑ならその重量も相当だろうが、そう思わせないスムーズな動きだ。 「ミスリル合金製の鎧だ。ありゃ高い買い物だったろうねぇ」 「ミスリル合金?」 ファンタジーの代表的な金属の名前が出てきたな。や、合金と名が付いているのが気になる。 「ミスリルはそれ単体では鉄よりも柔らかいのでござるが、それを触媒として合金にすることで、通常よりも遙かに丈夫で軽い素材へと変じるのでござるよ」 「............高いのか、やっぱり?」 「通常の剣の一本を全てミスリル合金で作ると、金貨二十枚は確実にするね。そうさな、あの鎧は一式で多分金貨五十枚は行くね」 日本円で五百万円の鎧か。 「............お坊ちゃんのお小遣いにしちゃ破格すぎるでしょうよ」 「公爵の財政ってのはそれだけ破格って事さ。覚えておきな」 冗談で言った『お化粧直し』は案外的を外していなかったようだ。 「待たせたな諸君。彼らの鎧の調子がよろしくなかったようでな。雇い主として配下の不備があってはならんので新しい物を見繕ってきた」 「凄く殴りたい」 「しッ! ............カンナ氏、まだ我慢でござるよ」 おっと声に出てたか。 「どうやら、今頃になって怖じ気付いた様だな。この場で泣いて許しをこうのならば考えてやらなくもないぞ?」 俺達の反応が薄いのをなにを勘違いしたのか、見当違いの台詞が飛び出る。この光景はアレだ。小金持ちが資金に物言わせて雇った暴力専門職を後ろ盾に威張っているシーンだ。テンプレだな。 「聞けばそこの男は今日に冒険者になったばかりだと言うではないか」 や、おまえもそうでしょ。 「私か? 残念だったな。私は幼少の頃より、元近衛騎士隊の一員を教師として、剣の鍛錬を欠かさずに行ってきた。今でこそ未だに最低のFランクだが、確実にCランクの実力を持っている。遠からず内にそこまで昇格するつもりだ」 だったら、Eランクの依頼にCランクの護衛とか連れてくなよ。決闘にまで出してくるなよ。装備にそこまで贅沢懲らすなよ! 「............まだ我慢でござる」 喉まで出掛かった突っ込みは、クロエに肩をたたかれて飲み込んだ。 「クロエとか言ったな。今からでも遅くはない。私の配下となり、その不届き者を成敗する手助けをすると言うのならば、許してやってもよいぞ?」 「前世から出直してこいッ!」 「ッておぉいクロエ! 人に我慢させておいてそれはないだろ! しかも『ござる』が取れてるしッ!」 速攻でブチ切れ、飛びかかろうとするクロエを羽交い締めにする。クロエはまさしく狼のように犬歯を剥き出しにして喉を唸らせた。獰猛な威嚇に坊ちゃんが「ひぅッ」と悲鳴を上げて怯む。 あ、メンタル紙だなこの坊ちゃん。 「ふ、ふんッ! いくら名高い黒狼とは言え、しょせんは獣か。いいだろう。身の程という者をしっかり教え込んだ上で、奴隷にでもしてやろう」 クロエのうなり声に声を震わせながら、そんな盛大な事を言ってのける坊ちゃん。 「............あのね、言っておくがこの場は賭けるのは身の上じゃなくて名誉だ。勝者が敗者に言うことを聞かせられる、なんて決まりは無いからね。それに、ディアガルじゃぁ犯罪者以外の奴隷を所有することは禁じられてるってぇのを、公爵家の一員であるあんたが知らないわけでもないだろ?」 坊ちゃんの無茶な言い分に、さすがの婆さんも口を挟んだ。 婆さんの言うとおり、ディアガルはーーユルフィリア他の各国もだがーー奴隷制度をごく一部を除いて禁止している。唯一の奴隷は、犯罪奴隷だ。罪の軽い者はある一定の期間を奴隷として過ごし、期間中に問題がないと判断されれば無事に奴隷から解放される。逆に、重犯罪者の場合はどれほどの期間を過ごしても奴隷から解放される事はない。 「おっと。私とした事がつい。申し訳ありませんリーディアル様、今のは失言でした」 婆さんに対して、目上に対する様な礼をする。 「............あたしの名前は知ってるみたいだね?」 「勿論ですとも。この町であなたの名前を知らぬ者はいないでしょう」 「おべっかは要らないよ。それより、この場の決闘を持って双方の蟠りは全て帳消し。勝敗の如何に関わらず、以後に引きずるのは許さないよ」 「重々承知しております」 婆さんも同じく読みとったようで、僅かばかりに目を細めていたがそれだけに留めていた。 「んじゃ、ルールを説明するよ。勝敗は双方の全員が戦闘不能になるか、こちらがそうと判断した時点で決することにする。戦闘不能者の追い打ち、またはこちらの制止を聞かずに続行しようとしたら反則とする。ま、禁則事項はこの程度かね。後は好きに押し。このギルドには優秀な治癒術士が要るからね。腕がモゲようが足がモゲようが目が潰れようが、完璧に治してやるから」 と、婆さんが指を指すと、何度も顔を合わせた女性職員の方がいつの間にか会場の入口で礼をしていた。 その隣には何故か、見覚えのあるダンディーなお姿が。 「おや、あんたも来たのか?」 「自分が受け持った新人が即座に問題を起こしたのです。気にならない方がおかしいでしょう」 俺と坊ちゃんが登録試験を行った時の試験官だ。 「じゃ、あんたは副審をやりな。あんたの『目』なら見逃しはほとんど無いだろうさ。そのぐらいはいいだろ?」 試験官は頷くと、会場中央で婆さんと対面する位置に着いた。 彼の目線が、俺の傍らに刺さっている大斧に向いた。 「私の時には使っていない得物だね」 俺は全力で目を逸らす。逸らすといったら逸らす。 「どうやら警戒させたかな」 その心すら見透かそうとする目が怖いのだ。 俺は試験官の視線にビビりつつ、婆さんの開始の合図を待った。

I still don't know about the various flags I've raised I throw the hunting bag to my back and turn my feet to the forest exit. I got what I came here for, so I got no more business in this place. 「mh, b.a.s.t.a.r.d, are you running away?」 「.........eh whaddya mean?」 But when I started doing so, Ruks unsheathes his two swords and points one at me. I don't feel any hint of killing intent so I don't put myself on guard but I can't swallow the situation. 「I told you. I will make you repent. That said, I challenge you for a duel to clear away my humiliation!」 「............Is this the scene where you vow for a rematch?」 「As if I can suffer underneath you b.a.s.t.a.r.d even a minute or a second longer! Before I return your money, I will pay you back for the duel!」 ............Even though the fatally distorted part got corrected, it seems that the arrogant part hasn't been completely corrected as well. Anyhow, this is troubling. I'm not in the mood at all. I want to eat an egg dish as soon as possible. There's no way I'll follow his lead. One of the few signature move that I have lies in subterfuge. I'll make full use of my eloquence and trickery-filled brain to snake my way out of this troublesome situation. 「Uh, look. You're still E-rank.」 「mh, That is true but...」 「And I'm D-rank.」 「.........Do you want to be cut down b.a.s.t.a.r.d?」 I placate the indignant Ruks with my hands. 「No, I don't mean to put on airs for that. But if we proceed to a duel as it is, it's a little unfair.」 「Even if I'm a little inferior in ability...」 「Well, it's not about us but rather the public view on this matter. Supposing if I win by any chance, there is a possibility of me unjustly getting labeled as [a D-rank guy gloating after bullying a newcomer]. If you win on the other hand, it'll be [the newcomer put a c.o.c.ky D-rank in his place.] Even from this point of view, I'll be disparaged. That is kinda unfair, isn't it?」 「.........hmm. There is not any difference in my position whether I win or lose...」 The key to it is in using [if] and [by any chance] to lower the likelihood of me winning. Flatter the opponent naturally and diminish their spirit at the same time. The order isn't wrong because the point to be struck will gradually lower. Just one more push. 「But this won't happen if you and I are both in D-rank. It'll then become a fair and square duel on equal footing. No one will complain if it comes to that.」 「.........That makes sense.」 Nodding his head in agreement, Ruks finally lower his swords and sheaths both. 「Fine. Certainly, it is hard to say that we have an equal footing, as you have just said. Though I have been exiled from the Duke's household, I still possess my pride.」 Hou~ It seems that we will not be dueling here after all. 「But remember this. I will be promoted to D-rank in the near future, without fail. Then, our position will no longer be unequal. At that time, wash your neck and wait for me!」 .........Blimey. I set up a strange rival flag. It even came out as a different dialect. Of course, my [subterfuge] was only an excuse to escape the situation. I didn't even think about the aftermath. Isn't it obvious that things will develop in that direction based on how the situation unfolded. In the end, it was nothing but a postponement of the problem. While feeling slightly depressed, I return to the capital to mitigate it by enjoying egg dish for the first time in a long while. His destination is probably a gem dealer. He'll immediately cash out my [lent out] gem and repay all off his debts. The rest is up to him. It'll be troublesome but when we are of the same rank, it might be a good idea to accept his challenge. I head straight to the guild and hand over the eggs of Crimsongwing Birds to complete my request. With six of them safely delivered, my next destination is the diner next door with the remaining two. There are two of these and two of that. But, I'm also kinda looking forward to seeing what'll come out of chef's recommendation. I'm walking out of the guild while thinking about that when I see a familiar figure in the first floor hall. Lydeal basan is looking around restlessly. Except for two occasions, I'd only met basan in her office. So, I'm surprised to find her in the first floor hall, which is the most visited place in the guild. For some reason, most of the adventurers who also noticed basan stiffens up and quickly move away from her surroundings. Was it because she said that her position inside the guild is [as it suits the occasion], and they would be troubled if she zeroed in on them? ーーーI'll learn all about this later on. Although retired from active duty, Lydeal's exploits still s.h.i.+nes among adventurers and is attracting a great deal of reverence from them. To find themselves in the presence of the former S-rank who is said to be a living legend is awe-inspiring. However, at this stage, I'm still not aware of that information. 「Yo, basan. Playing hooky?」 「Oh, it's you youngster. Rude kid aren't you. I'm on my break you know.」 I call out to basan casually but for some reason, the surroundings become noisy. 「Hey hey that young man. What was he thinking?」 「He just called Lydeal-sama as [basan]. .........Does he have a death wish?」 The whole area got me as the center of attention. And not only the adventurers who got all stiff but also all the guild staff. When I'm looking around at the strange atmosphere around me, a tremendous amount of [pressure] suddenly overflows from my front. It appears as an illusion of a monster that can suddenly kickstart your survival instinct. I'm probably showing the face of a [person who just got deceived by a fox] right now. 「Okay, nothing more to see here you bunch of chicks. Go on, scatter about! Guild staffs too, gather your wits and quickly get back to work!」 Basan claps her hands and said that. Returning to their senses after hearing her words, those who were rigid begins to thaw and move about in a hurry. After a while, the inside of this adventurer's guild goes back to the usual hustle and bustle. ............eh? What just happened? 「Good grief. Days when I sometime go out always results in this. It makes me feel embarra.s.sed for all my youthful indiscretion ne~」 Basan bitterly laughs. 「Now then, youngster. This is also the strings of fate at work. I'll ask you first, are you rus.h.i.+ng for a request right now?」 「N-no. I just submitted my request earlier and I'm currently free.」 「I see I see. Then, this old woman would like to ask you for a bit of an errand, okay?」 「Errand?」 「There's a trifling [item] I want you to deliver to an acquaintance of mine, you see. I'll tell you more about it in my office.」 After saying so, basan starts walking back to her office with me following behind. And behind us, some commotion occurs again, though not as noisy as the one before. 「Is it normal for a single adventurer entering the executive's office so often?」 「It's doesn't mean favoritism on my part, so there's no problem. Your D-rank promotion was undeniably a show of your own ability. But to have my eyes on you, in that sense, it may have been a form of favoritism ne~」 「.........Isn't that the source of my trouble.」 Now I regret calling out to basan at that time. I think a lot of those who were in the first floor hall is gonna remember my face. 「I didn't think you would be the sort worrying about it to that degree.」 「I'm used to slander but that doesn't mean I want to gather unnecessary attention.」 Basan who replies vaguely whether she understood my meaning or not opens the door while chuckling. As soon as she goes into the room, she heads to a corner. There was over a meter long [something] wrapped over and over again in cloth set against the wall. Basan picks up that something that may even be comparable to her height. 「You know that a team of raid party is heading for the Imperial Army for a joint operation, right?」 「Of course. Since I was there when basan recommended Chloe for it.」 「Actually, the commanding officer dispatched from the Imperial Army is my acquaintance, you see. This is something that I wanted to hand over to them. Originally, I wanted to ask someone from the raid party to deliver it but the finis.h.i.+ng touch took quite some time to finish. And it was finished just a while ago.」 「In other words, the errand is to deliver [that] to basan's acquaintance, right?」 「Of course, as a [request]. I'll even reward you for this.」 The reward is pieces of silver coins. It's an exceptional price for just an errand. 「This thing is a tool for war, you see. It may not be necessary for the goblin superior variant but it would be rea.s.suring backup nonetheless.」 「It doesn't have to be me right? Shouldn't it be better to stick it on the bulletin board in the form of an urgent request?」 「[This] took quite a lot of money to make, you see. It will sell for a reasonable amount of money. That is why I wanted to entrust it to someone trustworthy. Unfortunately, the more notable ones are all out on other requests. I was looking for someone else for this errand in the hall earlier when you called out to me.」 「Did you think I wouldn't run away with it?」 「My long life isn't for show, you know. I know how to distinct those who can or cannot be trusted. I judged you as somebody or other who won't do anything dishonest.」 Somebody or other, da heck. Though it feels like someone else told me the same thing. 「.........Well, I get silver coins just for a delivery, so there isn't an objection there. It's not like I've been commissioned for a subjugation request, right?」 「I'm not asking you to go that far. But if you don't mind, I'll allow you to partic.i.p.ate the raid request.」 「And that is exactly what I meant by favoritism. Besides, hordes of delicious magic beasts aside, how can I even be motivated by green goblins. Once I pa.s.s on the item, I'll go straight back.」 「.........In your mind, what do you think of adventurers?」 「As a way for me to procure supplies to satisfy my appet.i.te.」 While receiving a familiar amazed expression as my reply, I also express my acceptance. Then I received the long item covered in layers of cloth from basan. 「whoa This is quite heavy.」 The item itself is a bit lower than my height, with a weight suitable for its appearance. I place one end on the floor and let it lean against my shoulder. Carrying it around seems difficult unless strapped to my back. 「tte Basan. You're unexpectedly strong aint cha.」 When basan picked it up earlier, she handled it lightly. 「Even though I may appear this way, I am a former adventurer ne~ I still have much more in me before I can lose to young'uns.」 「geez You should've gone personally then.」 「Don't be stupid. I'm always busy in one way or another unlike you adventurers who can freely take requests at your whims. I can't carelessly leave the guild empty for a day or two.」 The outbreak of goblins are about half a day from Draknil by way of train. Even a return trip takes a whole day. 「Even if you board a train heading there now, it'll be night by the time you reach the station nearest to the encampment made there. Therefore, you'll be staying overnight at the station before heading to the camp the morning after. Then you'll arrive there by noon.」 「It doesn't have to be delivered by today?」 「[This] was intended as a surprise, so I didn't tell the commander about it. I just somehow felt like preparing it.」 [This] feels like a safety net, for caution's sake. 「There will be guards at the encampment. If you show them my signature, it should grant you pa.s.sage. And maybe you'll arrive during the operation, so I want you to wait in the camp until the commander returns. After you've delivered the item, please obtain the commander's signature as proof. When finally you submit the signed doc.u.ment to me or Cindy, only then will the request be completed. Do you have any questions?」 「None in particular. Oh, just in case. This acquaintance of yours, basan, what is the name of this knight leader?」 「It's [Regulus]. The person is carrying a huge sword on top of wearing full plate armor complete with a helmet, so you'll know right away.」 「eh? I'll know right away even with their face hidden?」 「The deputy of that army also wears the same armor but only Regulus carries that large sword. Such an eccentric figure, I wonder who they took it from.」 .........Is it okay for the knights to be led by two eccentric men of unknown appearance? 「They do look suspicious but their ability is the real deal. Although they are small in numbers, the knight order boasts the foremost fighting power in the empire. In particular is Regulus, who is the singular top cla.s.s powerhouse, domestically speaking. The adjutant is also reputed as a sharp and able person.」 After completing the explanation, basan gives me a piece of paper that was on her office desk. 「Here, the request certificate. I'll deal with any fine details later so hurry along and depart.」 Once I got the doc.u.ment from basan, I head to the next door diner with the eggs. I told the waitress that I received a request, so I requested for a dish that I'll be able to eat even tomorrow with the eggs I brought. She a.s.sured me with a [please wait a moment] before disappearing into the kitchen. 「With this menu, I believe you can even snack on it along the way.」 「Thank you very much. But wasn't this a ha.s.sle?」 「It's a special service for our frequent customer. ah but please understand that the price is not subjected to special service.」 In the end, I get to eat delicious food, so no complain whatsoever is gonna come outta my mouth. With a long [delivery item] strapped to my back and a basketful of sandwiches in my hand, I head to Draknil's station.

の若者を更正(?)させた俺は、狩猟袋を背負い直し、森の出口へと足を向けた。採るもの採ったし、この場にもう用はない。 「む、貴様、逃げる気か」 「............え、どゆこと?」 ところが出口に向きを変えたところで、ルキスを鞘から引き抜き、その一方を俺に突きつけてきたのだ。殺気が感じられないので身構えはしないが、話が飲み込めない。 「言っただろう。貴様を後悔させてやると。ならば、先日の雪辱を晴らすために、貴様に決闘を申し込む!」 「............や、ここは再戦を誓って終わる場面じゃね?」 「貴様の下に一分一秒たりとも甘んじてなどいられるかっ! 金を返す前にまず、決闘の借りを返させてもらう!」 ............致命的に歪んだ部分は矯正されても、傲慢な部分が完全に更正したわけではなかったらしい。や、この短時間で全てが解決するほどに人間は単純な作りをしていないか。 しかし困った。俺としては全くやる気がでない。一刻も早く卵料理が食べたいのだ。こいつの事情に付き合ってやる通りはない。 安心してほしい。その場限りの言い逃れは俺の数少ない得意技の一つだ。この面倒な事態、小細工がみっしりと詰まった皺だらけの脳を駆使し、舌で見事に脱してやる! 「あー、ほら。おまえってまだEランクじゃん」 「む、そうだが」 「で、おれDランク」 「............斬り殺されたいのか貴様ッ」 激昂するルキスを手で制して落ち着かせる。 「や、別にランクが高いからって偉ぶるつもりはない。けど、このまま決闘を受けたらちょいと不平等になる」 「私が実力的に劣るとでも」 「や、俺たちじゃなくて世間的な問題だ。もしだ。もし、万が一に、仮に俺が勝ったとすると『Dランクの奴が新人を虐めて悦に浸っている』という不当なレッテルが貼られる可能性があるのよ。対しておまえさんが勝てば、『調子に乗ったDランクを新人が懲らしめた』と。ここでもまた俺はボロクソに言われるわけよ。これって、一種の不平等じゃね?」 「............ふむ。勝敗の後の立場に差が出てきてしまうのか」 『もし』や『万が一』と、こちらが勝つ確率を低く持ってくるのがポイントだ。自然な形で相手を持ち上げて、気勢を削ぐ。 突きつけられていた切っ先が徐々に下がってきているので、順序は間違っていない。あともう一押しだ。 「けど、俺もおまえもともにDランクだったらこんなことは起こらない。対等な立場の上で、正々堂々の決闘が行われたって形になる。これなら、誰も文句は言わないだろうさ」 「............一理あるな」 納得に首を縦に振ると、ルキスは掲げていた剣を完全におろし、腰の鞘に収めた。 「良いだろう。確かに貴様の言うとおりに、このままでは対等な立場とは言い難いな。公爵家を追放されたとは言え私にもプライドはある」 ほ、どうやらこの場は戦わされずに済みそうだ。 「だが覚えておけ。私は必ず、近い内にDランクに昇格してみせる。そうなればもはや我々の立場は対等だ。その時は、首を洗って待っていろ!」 ............あかん、変なライバルフラグ立ててもうた。 当たり前だが『その場逃れ』はその場を逃れる言い訳に過ぎず、後先全く考えない行き当たりばったりだ。後の展開を考えればこうなることは明白だったではないか。結局、問題の先延ばしにほかならなかった。 若干憂鬱になる気分を、久しぶりに味わえる卵料理の楽しみで緩和しつつ、俺は町へと帰還したのだった。 ドラクニルに到着すると「今に見ていろ、私を助けたことを後悔させてやるからな!」との捨て台詞を吐いてルキスは走り去っていった。向かう先はおそらく宝石商。早速俺の『貸した』宝石を換金し、借金を返済するのだろう。後はあいつ次第だ。面倒くさいとは思うが、同じランクに立った時、決闘の申し出くらいは受けても良いか。 俺はといえばさっさとギルドに向かい、採取したベニハネ鳥の卵を引き渡して依頼完了を納品し、余った二つは隣の食堂に持ち込みだ。 卵焼きか目玉焼きか。や、二つあるんだし両方とも。や、しかしここは調理人にお任せでなにが来るのかを楽しみにするのもありか。 なんてことを考えながらギルドから出ようとすると、一階ホールの中に見知った姿があった。リーディアル婆さんがきょろきょろと辺りを見渡していたのだ。 初対面の一件を除き、婆さんとは彼女の執務室でしか会ったことがなかった。だから、冒険者たちがギルド内で最もよく訪れる一階のホールで見つけたことに驚いた。 どうしてか、婆さんを目にした冒険者たちは、だいたい誰もが身体を硬直させ、その後は足早に彼女の側から離れていくのだ。婆さんはギルド内でも『それなり』の立場にいると言っていたし、変に目を付けられると困るからだろうか。 現役を引退してはいるが、リーディアルの武功は今なお冒険者たちの中では光り輝いており、莫大な畏敬の念を集めていると。まさに生ける伝説とまで言われるほどの元Sランク冒険者の前に立つことは恐れ多いとされている。 が、現段階の俺はそんな由を知る筈もなく、 「よぉ婆さん。サボリか?」 「お、小僧か。失礼な奴だね、休憩中だよ」 俺は婆さんに気軽に声をかけたのだが、どうしてかその瞬間に場の空気が騒然となった。 「お、おいあの若造。なにを考えてやがる」 「あのリーディアル様に「婆さん」呼ばわりだと。............死にたいのか?」 場の注目が一斉に俺へと集まった。って、冒険者のみならず、職員のみなさんも顔が硬直してらっしゃる。あ、一人だけ。シナディさんが大きな溜息を吐き出している。それは俺に対してか? 婆さんに対してか? と、周囲の妙な雰囲気に目を配らせていると、俺の正面から凄まじいほどの『気迫』が溢れ出した。突然に生存本能を脅かすよな化け物が出現したかのような錯覚だ。途端、あれだけ騒がしかった周りが、水を掛けられた火のように静寂になった。 慌てて視線を正面に戻すとーーやはりリーディアルの婆さんしかいない。彼女は相変わらず人を食ったような微笑を浮かべていた。多分、『狐に化かされたような顔』とは今の俺が浮かべているものだろう。 「はいはい、見せもんじゃないよひよっこどもッ、散った散った! 職員も固まらないでさっさと業務に戻りなッ!」 婆さんがパンパンと手を叩く。軽快な音と鶴の一声に、硬直していたその場にいた者達は我に返り、慌てたように動き出す。少しもすれば、冒険者ギルドの内部は普段通りの喧噪に戻っていた。 ............え、何だったんだ今のは? 「ったく、たまに外に出りゃぁこの始末か。若気の至りってのは恥ずかしい限りだねぇ」 婆さんは苦笑を漏らす。 「さて小僧。これも何かの縁だ。聞いておくが、今は急ぎの依頼を受けてるかい?」 「い、いや。さっきに受けてた依頼を終えたばかりでフリーだが」 「そうかいそうかい。じゃ、ちょいとばっかしこの婆の使いを頼みたいんだが、いいかい?」 「使い?」 「知り合いにちょっとした『品』を届けて欲しいのさ。詳しい事は私の執務室で話すよ」 そういった婆さんはギルドの奥の方へ歩き出し、俺もそれに続いた。さらにその背後は、先ほどではないがなにやら騒々しい雰囲気が流れたが、気にはなりつつもそのまま婆さんの後を追った。 「しかし、一介の冒険者がこうも頻繁にギルド重役の部屋に来てもいいのかね?」 「贔屓をしてるわけじゃないし問題ないだろうさ。あんたのDランク昇格は紛れもなくあんたの実力でもぎ取ったもんだ。目を付けている、という点ではある意味贔屓かもしれないがね」 「............や、それってトラブルの元でしょうよ」 上役の贔屓と異常な出世速度は、後輩が先輩に因縁を付けられる最たる原因だ。今になって、あの場で婆さんに声をかけたのを後悔した。多分、一階ホールにいた多くの者に俺の顔を覚えられた。白髪の赤目はかなり目立つし。 「その程度を気にするタマじゃないと私は思ってるがね」 「誹謗中傷は慣れてるけど、かといって無用に注目を集めたい訳じゃないんだよ」 「そうかいそうかい」と、分かっているのかそうでないのか曖昧な返答をする婆さんは、笑いながら執務室の扉を開けた。 部屋に入るなり、婆さんは執務室の片隅へと向かう。そこには、布に包まれていた長さ一メートルは余裕で越えている長い『何か』が立て掛けてあった。もしかしたら自身の身長に匹敵するそれを、婆さんは手に取った。 「今、帝国軍と冒険者が合同で作戦に向かっているのはあんたも知ってるだろ?」 「婆さんがクロエを推薦してた現場にいたんだ、当然だろ」 「実は、帝国軍の方から出張ってる騎士団の隊長が私の『知り合い』でね。渡したい物があったんだ。本来なら帝国軍と合流する冒険者の誰かに頼んで届けてもらおうと思ってたんだが、最後の仕上げに手間取っちまってね。で、完成したのがついさっきって訳だ」 「つまりお使いってのは『そいつ』を婆さんの知り合いに届けりゃぁ良いんだな?」 「もちろんこいつは『依頼』だ。ちゃんと報酬も出してやるよ」 掲示された報酬は銀。ただのお使いにしては破格な値段だ。 「コイツは戦道具でね。たかだかゴブリンの上位個体には必要ないかもしれないが、あったらあったで心強いだろうさ」 「別に俺じゃなくても、緊急の依頼って形で掲示板に張り付けとけばよかったんじゃねぇのか?」 「『コイツ』を作るのには中々に金が掛かってね。売ればそれなりの金になる。なるべくなら信頼できる奴に預けたかったのさ。けど、あいにく目ぼしい奴は他の依頼で出払っててね。他に頼める奴がいないか、ホールで探してたところに、あんたが声を掛けてきたのさ」 「俺が持ち逃げしないとは思わなかったのか?」 「伊達に長生きはしてないよ。信頼できる奴とそうでない奴の見分けは付くさ。あんたはなんだかんだで不義理はしない男だと判断してる」 なんだかんだっておい。別の誰かに同じ事を言われた気がするぞ。 「............ま、届け物をするだけで銀貨五枚なら申し分ないか。別に魔獣を討伐しろって話じゃないんだろ?」 「そこまで頼むつもりはないさ。けど、あんたさえよければレイド依頼の飛び入り参加も認めるが」 「それこそ依怙贔屓だろうよ。美味しい魔獣の大群ならともかく、緑色の化け物相手にやる気なんて出るか。渡すもの渡したらさっさと帰るよ」 「............あんたは冒険者稼業をなんだと思ってるんだい」 「俺にとっちゃぁ、食欲を満たすための調達屋だな」 お馴染み呆れ顔を頂きつつ、俺は依頼を受ける意を伝え、婆さんが持っていた布に覆われた長大な代物を受け取った。 「うぉう、地味に重いな」 俺の身長にちょっと足りない程度の外見の長大さに相応しい重量がのし掛かる。下を地面に置き、肩に立てかけるようにして持つ。持ち歩くときは背負う形にしないと運ぶのに苦労しそうだ。 「って、婆さん。あんた何気に力持ちだな」 婆さんが壁に立て掛けてあったのを持ち上げるときは、軽々しく扱っていたのだが。 「これでも元冒険者さね。まだまだ若い者には負けられないよ」 「もうさ、あんたが直接届けりゃいいじゃん」 「馬鹿を言うなっての。私は気ままに依頼を受けるあんたら冒険者達と違って何かと忙しいんだよ。軽々しく一日も二日もギルドを空けられるかい」 ゴブリンが大発生している場所はドラクニルから列車で半日ほど掛かる。往復をするだけで優に日を跨いでしまうか。 「今から列車に乗っても、あっちに作られた野営地の最寄り駅に着くのは夜になっちまうだろう。だから、今日はそこで一泊して次の日の朝に出れば野営地には昼頃着くね」 「今日中に届けなくてもいいのか?」 「驚かせてやろうと思って『コイツ』を用意したことは伝えてなかったからね。なきゃないで何とかなると思ってるだろうし」 あくまで『これ』は念の為であるようだ。 「野営地の入り口には見張りの兵士いるだろうから、私のサインが入った書類を見せれば通してくれるはずだ。多分、作戦中で出払ってるだろうから、本人が帰ってくるまで野営地で待ってて欲しい。で、受け渡しが完了したら団長本人のサインを書類の方にもらってきてくれ。そいつをシナディか私に提出したら依頼完了だ。質問は何かあるかい?」 「や、特に。あ、一応念の為に。婆さんの知り合いだって言う団長さんの名前は?」 「『レグルス』だよ。顔まで隠した全身甲冑の上でっかい剣を背負ってるから直ぐに分かるはずだよ」 「え? 顔まで隠してるのにすぐに分かるのか?」 「そいつの副官も同じような甲冑を着てるが、剣まで背負ってるのはレグルスしかいないよ。あんな酔狂な格好、誰が好んでするかい」 ............そんな容姿不明の酔狂な輩が二人もいる騎士団ってのは大丈夫なのか? 「格好は不審者だが実力は本物だよ。騎士団としては小規模だが帝国屈指の戦力を誇ってる。特にレグルスの単騎戦力は国内トップクラス。副官の方も切れ者だって評判だ」 一通りの説明を終えると、婆さんは執務机の上に乗っていた書類の一枚を持ってきた。 「ほれ、依頼の受注書だ。細かい処理はこちらでやっておくからさっさと出発しな」 依頼を受けてしまい、卵料理を食べられるのは明日以降になると伝えると、従業員のお姉さんは「少々お待ちください」と卵を受け取って店の厨房へと消えた。二十分ほど立つと、彼女はバスケットーー手提げ籠を持ってきた。中にはなんと、ベニハネ鳥の卵サンドイッチだった。 「これなら列車の中でも食べられると思います」 「や、ありがとうございます。でも手間だったんじゃ?」 「いつも当店を利用してもらってるのでサービスですよ。あ、お値段の方はサービスできないのでご了承ください」 と、あざとくも可愛らしい笑顔を向けられれば俺も笑顔でお値段を払うしかなかった。や、結局はおいしい料理が食べられるので全く持って文句はないのである。 俺は背中に長い『届け物』を背負い、手にはサンドイッチの入ったカゴを携えながら、ドラクニルの駅へと向かうのだった。

It's been two days later since then. We've been shaking inside the carriage and advancing through the plains like usual. No particular problems have happened. If anything, it's to the point I'm getting tired of the unchangeable scene. Nevertheless, I didn't get really bored personally. That's because I've been receiving private lessons from Faima in the meantime. "I will warn you beforehand, if you call the races other than us something like 『demi-humans』, it could become insulting enough for them to want to kill you depending on the situation, so it's better to be careful about it. This is because the name 『demi-humans』 is what they're called with by human race ideologists and it's a derogatory term to them." Just as she promised, she has been teaching me general knowledge first, in relation to religion of this world. Although her explanations were brief, they're also unusually easy to understand. This is proof of her possessing this knowledge at an extraordinarily high level. In the real world there exists a large number of religions depending on the country. On the other hand in the fantasy world, there is basically only one religion. There are some differences in the teachings and precepts, but the root of the G.o.d they believe in is practically one and the same existence. Right now I'll omit the teachings that are trivial, but this world's G.o.d is wors.h.i.+pped as the creator of this who brought forth this world. The creator brought forth the world and the world and land and then after that, it brought forth various living things including humans from its own body. This serves as the main cause of magic power dwelling in all creation. Afterwards G.o.d disappeared from this world, but it ended with him watching over all creation inhabiting this world, even now. (I knew it, I really am not loved by G.o.d.) This is the religion of another world, so the origin of the world may be different, but when I consider my zero magic power, I end up thinking a joke was mixed in. After the broad explanation ended, I told her I wanted her to explain other general knowledge. She gladly accepted with『This is just right for killing time』. She too seemed to be happy of my att.i.tude of earnestly listening to her story. And just like that, I took lessons in general aristocracy yesterday. I'll leave this out since they're nearly the same as the former aristocracy I have a smattering knowledge about in the real world. Today is the study about the Races. Finis.h.i.+ng the break-c.u.m-training in the noon and then listening to Faima's story in the carriage has become my daily course of events. By the way, todday's training with Agaht is - for me. This too is about the usual course of events. "I understand that. What sort of races are there specifically?" "Let's see. There are probably races we haven't seen yet in the uncivilised lands, but if I sum up the existing races............" There seems to be animal eared people in this world. No, I only knew it since I sporadically saw some in the large city two places ago. I want to cuddle up some furries. First off, the human race like us. Then the beastkin, seakin and the elven race. The dwarven race. And finally the dragonian race. These six races are roughly the representation of all races of this world. That's because each of these races have founded their own country. "Where we are at is 『Yulephillia』, central state of the human race. The race's strength is their ability to adapt. They can live in any location, unless the location is very harsh." "They're unexpectedly strong willed people" "Physical ability is not a large feature of theirs, but their distinctive trait is their power to grow. Also, although they don't have as much as elves do, they also feature a relatively high amount of magic power, you see." The beastkin species are, as their name implies, a race that possesses various parts of animals somewhere in their body. Most of them have animal ears and tails. It seems that there are also those among them who possess a physique that can walk on two legs as a beast. Their race characteristic takes over the characteristics of the animal part the individual possesses. For example, an individual with strong characteristics of dogs has a superior sense of smell; if it's a rabbit, then their sense of hearing is strong. There are merits and demerits in relation to physical abilities: you can be weak even if you have more strength than their race and the opposite is also possible. And also, the dog and rabbit beastkins I mentioned are actually called dog race and rabbit race respectively, but that's justified in that case. They're a race whose differences between individuals are the greatest. I want to furry furry up their ears and tails and all. The seakin species are a race capable of living at the coastline. The base is close to the human race, but they have swim fins attached between their fingers and toes. They can also breathe through their lungs, but they can similarly breathe underwater through the 『gills』 attached to the nape. Also, they have the physical strength to act in the depths of the ocean and not succ.u.mb to the water pressure. However, they are weaker towards fire and heat compared to the other races and, their physical ability will greatly reduce if the liquid from all over their body is removed. By the way, the race with fish characteristics is different from the seakins, but they can also move underwater so many live in the same places. Calling either of them a 『fish b.a.s.t.a.r.d』 would immediately develop into killing each other, so I have to be careful about that. It's taken as a bigger insult than 『demi-human』. Usually it's rude I guess. The dwarven race was a little unexpected to me. They're even more skillful with their fingers than the elves and yet they're musclemen. Except, the fellows being hairy or women being big and heavy; it doesn't seem to be like that. On the contrary, both men and women seem to be unusually thin and their adult height being that of a human child doesn't seem to be any different. It's just that their aging is even less visible than the elves. They say that even an old person who has piled up quite some years would have an outward appearance of a human in their early 30s. I almost unintentionally retorted with a "Are they 『legal loli/shota's』!?". I think it's good they're not in the real world. By the way, they're slow with their feet or something like that. "The explanation on the dragonians was awfully long isn't it?" Ms. Faima finished her explanation on『the races of this world』 and I expressed my frank impression on it. It feels like there are twice as much compared to the other races if we go by word count. "It's because the dragonian race has many anecdotes in battles. In addition, their ecology has been unraveled in the past 150 years and before that they were treated as a race of legends. By both the human race as well as the other four races. It was unthinkable to the people at that time that there exists a race possessing an element of the dragons; the magic beasts that enter the category of one of the strongest among the magic beasts. It seems like they weren't thought of as a race that could converse in the first place when they encountered them for the first time." So it's a race that's regarded as legends even by the humans living in this fantasy world. Furries are fine too, but my desire to see them became stronger. After all, 『Dragons』 sounds cool too. "Hm? What's wrong Real?" I unintentionally looked Real's way and saw she made a complicated expression. Like she's forcibly suppressing a shame that emerged from the inside, that kind of look. "............No, it's nothing." She spat out what she was putting up with together with a sigh. "Even so, you've getting along surprisingly well with Miss Faima, aren't you Kanna?" "It's because what she's talking about is interesting" We're having lessons under the blue sky, but this is the first time I thought increasing my knowledge is interesting. I think it's probably because it's knowledge of a fantasy like world, but Faima's teaching method is also one of the main cause. "Kanna is a good listener to me, so it's worth talking to him. It's as if I'm teaching children so it's enjoyable." "So I'm on the same level as a kid!?・・・・So there's not much difference in our amount of knowledge I see" "It bothers me if you reply honestly on that though. Negate it a little at least." "How does a former inhabitant of the countryside display that?" "Being frank without putting on unnecessary airs is one of my few redeeming features." It's much better to expose myself with embarra.s.sment for an hour than fatally blundering with your pretentions. No matter how much you go under in shame, there's no problem if you can laugh at it at the very end. At least, that's what I believe in. A week pa.s.sed by again and again after that one act. Being viciously beaten by Mr. Agaht, spending time taking Ms. Faima's fun lessons, we then approached a deep ravine. "If we pa.s.s through here and travel one more week at most, we will approach the national border. If we advance even further then we will finally reach the southern tip of Diagal territory." Sitting on the coachman's seat, Rand explains it to me who, for some reason, is also sitting on the coachman's seat like him. I'm not planning on getting a role as a coachman, but only got a little curious about the way the horses are controlled. I wasn't sure though. It took us roughly a little less than three weeks to get here from the foot of the sacred mountain. If, for argument's sake, I followed the official route from the castle I was summoned at, it would take around three more weeks is what I had Real inform me in the shadows. It seems like it will take quite a bit of time to circ.u.mvent that sacred mountain. I spent a week at the foot of the sacred mountain, but we advanced for two weeks even if we deduct that. The people at the castle would never expect us to have gotten this far already. "I had thought that some sort of trouble would happen during our travels, but this is kind of anti-climatic. My bad for not really being useful." Even the magic beasts that comes out sometimes doesn't have the strength to pose a problem at all to the three servants. While I'm employed as the escort's additional fighting power, it's like me and Real practically aren't playing an active role there. I mean, it's to the point we're living idly. "No, I am grateful to the fact that your turn hasn't come. The preparation for emergencies being unnecessary and useless is something we desire the most. Some people will think it's an useless expense however, I consider this a necessary expense." Rand returned an extreme answer towards my cynicism. He is holding praiseworthy thinking each and every time. "Besides, we had you become Agaht's training and milady's companion. You're at the very least not living idly, I a.s.sure you." "Hold it there, you. If that's the case, then aren't you talking like I am about the only one living idly?" Real heard our conversation and says so, sounding dissatisfied. "How inexcusable of me, did I hurt your feelings?" "No, it's because what you have said is the foundation, lord Rand. I also agree that having no situation occurring where the guard displays their duty is the best situation. I'm just saying that." After showing a wry smile, Real's expression then becomes somewhat serious. "To be honest with you, I'm rather feeling ominous with how well it has been going until now." "I'm with you. Crossing over here without any attacks is nice and all, but on the flip side I'm a little worried about the fact nothing has happened at all." It's a standard expression, but it surely reminds me of the calm before a storm. Rand too has the same thoughts towards the similar opinions of Real and I. "If we a.s.sume something will happen, then it would be from here on out. The plains with the good view continued all the way here, but the place beyond this changes completely and a ravine with numerous blind spots shall continue. A road for carriages has been maintained to some extent, but I believe this is a perfect location for starting a surprise attack." "Don't deliberately pa.s.s through this kind of place. Isn't there a safer route or something?” This time, Faima joins in on the conversation when I stated my frank question. "There aren't that many roads connecting between Yulephillia and Diagal. And when it comes to roads that are wide enough for carriages to pa.s.s through, I can safely say the risk would skyrocket if we exclude this place. The ruggedness of the road is so, but the problems are the magic beasts. There are also places that overlaps with the territory of the ferocious dragon species, depending on the route. If you approach them poorly, then you will be trampled down at that point." "............So this route is the best choice, is what you're saying?" "Even this road had been nearly impa.s.sable until almost hundred years ago, you see? The road was nearly non-existent and ferocious magic beasts were numerous. The abled adventurers at that time subjugated the magic beasts controlling this land and from then on they could finally start developing the road. Since then, this ravine has been called 『Blaze Lizard Ravine』, taken after the name of the magic beasts." "Blaze Lizards............ having scales with strength rivaling that of bedrock and thoroughly burning its preys with the flame pouch inside their body, they're large lizards with very high risks, aren't they? Originally they are magic beasts inhabiting volcanic areas. The individual who lived on this land before must have strayed from their habitat in another area." "Oh, you're well informed aren't you, miss Real." "I don't know enough to be considered well informed. It's just that having to understand simple characteristics of magic beasts is a matter of life and death due to our line of work after all. I don't know very well their ecology you see." Just in case, Real a.s.sumed the setting of a travelling mercenary. It's an occupation where she would (seemingly) take on even extermination of dangerous magic beasts depending on the contract, so it's not unnatural. "What's commonly called a Blaze Lizard has an overall span of two meters, but there were records left that said that the Blaze Lizard ruling this area was a hill-sized giant species. What's the dominant theory is that it was not that it had strayed from its companions, but rather it ate the supplementary food from the neighbourhood of its habitat and arrived at this place looking for new prey." "This is the first time I'm hearing that. I suppose it may have had a risk more comparable to that of a dragon species rather than a reptile species." Faima pulls out the t.i.tle of adventurer here, but it wasn't to point out the pa.s.sionate people br.i.m.m.i.n.g with an adventurous spirit to pa.s.s through uncivilized lands. This is kind of familiar in the recent RPGs, but there exists adventurer's guild in this world. What's common in most games is an organisation that holds the role of accepting requests from citizens and the like and intermediating the people in search for work. And so, you call the people who are registered in the adventurer's guild an 『adventurer』. I also learned that with Ms. Faima's lessons. I'm digressing, but there are adventurers who seek the impossible dreams in the uncivilized lands and there are also investigation type work for those lands or something. "If there's such a convenient work mediation place, then you could've just taken applications for escorts at the adventurer's guild" I asked Faima. There is a branch of the adventurer's guild in the city Faima and I met and I'm sure she also had considered that. But just like she said before, there's the problem of whether the adventurers they will employ are really trustworthy to start with. And adding to that, the journey to Diagal from that city is long, so it's unlikely that adventurers who would accept being an escort would appear under those conditions. There was surely nothing but good fortune for Faima that me and Real's destination was Diagal. "At the very least, an individual this dangerous hasn't been identified these ten years, so it should be safe to have minimal vigilance towards magic beasts. The problem is still an『enemy』 attack. During the time we are in the ravine, we will be adding another guard while travelling and a another midnight watch. There are no problems with that, is there?" "No objections here." "Agreed." Me and Real answered respectively. Shall we work diligently in order to relinquish the shame of receiving an idle living?

それか後。相も変わらず俺たちは馬車に揺られて平原を進んでいた。特に問題は起こっていない。強いて言えば変わらぬ光景に飽きがきていたぐらい。 ただ、俺個人としてあまり退屈していなかった。その間、ファイマの個人授業を受けていたからだ。 「先に注意しておくと、私たち以外の人種を『亜人』なんて呼ぶと、場合によってはその時点で殺し合いに発展する程の侮辱になるから気をつけた方がいいわよ。『亜人』という呼称はの人族主義者が呼び出した彼らへの蔑称だから」 約束通り、彼女はまず俺にこの世界の宗教に関して一般的な常識を教えてくれた。彼女の説明は簡単でありながら非常に分かりやすかった。これは彼女が非常に高いレベルでその知識を持っていた証拠だ。 現実世界には国によって多数の宗教が存在していた。一方この幻想世界には基本的に宗教が一つしかない。教えや戒律に多少の違いはあるが、信仰されている神の根っこはほとんどが同一の存在だ。 細かい教えは今は省くが、どうもこの世界の神様はこの世界を生み出した創造主として崇められている。創造主は世界と大地を生み出し、その後に人間を含む様々な生物を自らの肉体から生み出した。万物に魔力が宿っているのは、これが要因とされている。その後、神はこの世から姿を消すが、今でもこの世界に住まう万物を見守っていると、そう締めくくられた。 (やっぱり、俺は神様に愛されてなかったのかね) 別世界の宗教だから世界の成り立ちも違ったりするかも知れないが、自分の零魔力を考えると冗談混じりにそう考えてしまった。 一通りの説明を終わった後、俺はほかの一般知識を教えてほしいと申し出た。それを彼女は『暇潰しには丁度いい』と快く承諾してくれた。彼女も、自分の話を真剣に聞く俺の態度が嬉しかったらしい。 そんなこんなで、昨日は大まかな貴族制度を習った。こっちは現実世界で聞きかじった昔の貴族制度とほとんど変わらないので省く。 本日は人種の勉強である。昼の休憩兼訓練タイムを終え、その後に馬車の中でファイマから話を聞くのが一日の流れになっていた。ちなみに、本日のアガットとの訓練内容は一。これも大体いつもの流れ。 「了解だ。具体的にはどんな種族がいるんだ?」 「そうねぇ。未開の地には私たちがまだ見ぬ種族がいるかも知れないけど、既存の種族をあげるとすれば............」 この世界にはケモミミがいるらしい。や、二つ前の大きな町でちらほらいたから知ってたけどね。ケモフサモフモフしたい。 まず、俺たちのような人族。そして獣人族、水人族、エルフ族。ドワーフ族。そして竜人族。こ族が人間の大まかな代表種族だ。と、言うのも、これらの種族はそれぞれに独立した国を立ち上げている。 「私たちがいまいるのが、人族中心国家の『ユルフィリア』よ。種族の特長としては、環境への適応力よ。よほど過酷な環境じゃない限り、どんな場所でも生きていけるの」 「なにげに逞しいな人間」 「身体能力に大きな特徴はないけど、それを補ってあまりある成長力が持ち味ね。後、エルフほどじゃないけど比較的に魔力が高いのが特徴よ」 獣人種は、その名の通りに獣の各部が体のどこかしらに持つ人種だ。大体が獣の耳と尻尾を持っている。中には、獣をそのまま二足歩行にしたような体躯の持ち主もいるらしい。種族の特徴は、その個人が持つ獣の部位の特徴をそのまま引き継いでいる。たとえば犬の特徴が濃い個人は嗅覚が優れていたり、兎であれば聴覚が強い。身体能力に関しては一長一短で、人種より一回り強い力を持っていても打たれ弱かったり、またその逆もあり得る。また、彼らの中には、今上がった犬や兎の獣人をそのまま犬族、兎族と呼ぶが、それはそれで正しいとされている。個体によってもっとも差がでる種族だ。耳とか尻尾とかケモフサケモフサしたい。 水人種は、水際で生活するのに適した種族だ。ベースは人族に近いが、手足の指の間に水掻きが付いており、肺呼吸も出来るが水中では首筋についている『エラ』で同じように呼吸が出来る。また、深海で活動できる様、水圧に負けない様強靱な筋力を有している。ただし、炎や熱に対して多種族よりも弱く、体中の水分が抜けると身体能力が大きく減少してしまう。ちなみに、魚の特徴を持った獣人族と水人族は別種族だが、同じく水中での活動が可能なので同じ場所に住んでいることが多いとか。どちらも『魚野郎』って呼ぶと速攻で殺し合いに発展するようで気をつけなければならない。『亜人』呼ばわり以上の侮辱と取られる。普通に失礼だよな。 ドワーフ族がちょっと意外だった。エルフよりもさらに手先が器用で、かつ力持ち。ただ、別に野郎が毛むくじゃらとか女性がでっぷりしているとか、そんなことはないらしい。逆に男性も女性も非常に細身で、成人の身長も人族の子供とさほど変わらないらしい。ただ老化がエルフ以上に見られない。歳を重ねた老人であっても、人間代前半程の外見という。思わず『合法ロリショタ』かッ、と突っ込みをいれそうになった。現実世界にいなくて良かったと思う。ちなみに足は遅いとか。 「竜人族に関しての説明がやけに長かったな」 ファイマ先生の『この世界の人種』に関しての授業が終わって、俺は率直な感想を述べた。文字数にすると、他の種族よりも二倍ぐらいあったような気がする。 「こと戦闘に置いて、竜人族は逸話が多いから。それに、彼らの生態はここ百五十年ほどで解明されたもので、それ以前は伝説の種族みたいな扱いだったわ。人種族にとっても、他の四種族にとってもね。当時の人間にとって、魔獣の中でも最強の部類にはいるドラゴンの因子を持った人種が存在するなんて考えられなかったのよ。遭遇した当初なんて、そもそも対話ができる人種だなんて思われていなかったらしいわ」 この幻想世界に住まう人間にさえ伝説とされていた種族か。ケモフサもいいが、彼らに会ってみたい気持ちが強まった。やっぱり『ドラゴン』という響きはかっこいいしな。 「ん? どうしたレアル」 何気なくレアルの方に目を向けると、彼女は複雑な表情になっていた。内側から出てくる羞恥を強引に押し殺しているような、そんな様子。 「............いや、なんでもない」 堪えていたのを一緒に溜息で吐き出した。 「それにしても、ファイマ嬢とずいぶん仲良くなったな、カンナ」 「話の内容がおもしろいからな」 青空授業ではあるが、知識が増えるのがおもしろいと思ったのは初めてだ。たぶん、ファンタジーな世界の知識であるが故だとは思うが、ファイマの教え方も要因の一つだ。 「私としては、カンナが聞き上手で話甲斐があるわ。まるで子供に勉強を教えるみたいで楽しいわ」 「俺は子供と同列かッ・・・・知識量は大してかわんねぇか」 「そこで真面目に返されると困るんだけど。少しぐらいは否定しなさい」 「田舎出身者が見栄張ってどうするよ」 「余計な見栄を張らない正直なところが、俺の数少ない取り柄の一つだ」 見栄で致命的な失敗するより、一時の恥に身を晒す方が余程にマシだ。どれだけの恥辱に沈んでも、最後の最後に笑っていられるならなんの問題もない。少なくとも俺はそう信じている。 そんな一幕からさらにさらに一週間が経過。アガット君にぼっこぼこにされたり、ファイマ先生の楽しい授業やらを過ごし、俺たちは深い渓谷に差し掛かった。 「ここを越えて、さらに一週間ほど行けば国境に差し掛かる。それをさらに進めばディアガル領内の南端にたどり着く」 御者席のランドの説明を、何となく同じく御者席の端に座った俺は聞いていた。御者の役をやるつもりはないが、どんな風に馬を操っているのかがちょっとだけ気になったのだ。よく分からなかったが。 霊山の麓からこの地点まで掛かったのがおよそ三週間弱だ。もし仮に俺が召喚された王城から正式なルートを辿ると、さらに三週間ほどの時間が掛かったとレアルから影で教えてもらった。あの霊山を迂回するとなるとかなりの時間が掛かるらしい。霊山の麓で一週間過ごしたが、それを差し引いても二週間繰り上げだ。城の奴らはまさか俺たちがもうここまできているとは思うまいよ。 「道中の間に何かしらのトラブルが起こると思っていたが、拍子抜けだったな。悪いな、あんまりお役に立てなくて」 時折出てくる魔獣も、従者三人でまったく問題ない程度の強さしかなかった。護衛の追加戦力として雇われていながら、俺とレアルはほとんど活躍していないに等しい。つまり、無駄飯ぐらいである。 「いや、君たちの出番がないのは、それはそれで有り難い。いざという時のための備えは、結局は無用の長物であるのが一番望まれる。人によっては、無駄な出費だったと思うだろうが、私は必要経費だと考えるよ」 俺の皮肉に対して、ランドはもっともな答えを返した。いちいちに立派な考えを持っていらっしゃる。卑屈ではなく、素直に尊敬できる。 「それに、君にはアガットの訓練やファイマお嬢様の話し相手になってもらっている。無駄飯ぐらいではないさ」 「おいおい、それでは私だけが無駄飯ぐらいみたいな言い方ではないか」 話を聞いていたレアルが不満そうに言った。 「これは済まない、気を悪くしたか?」 「いや、基本はランド殿の言うとおりだからな。護衛が本領を発揮する事態が起こらないのが一番なのは、私も同感だ。ただ、言ってみただけさ」 苦笑したレアルは、それから少し真面目な顔になる。 「正直に言うと、ここまでの順調さが私にはむしろ不気味に感じている」 「そうさなぁ。襲撃が無いに越したことはないが、逆に無いなら無いでちょっと気になる」 定番の言い回しだが、まさに嵐の前の静けさを彷彿させる。 俺とレアルの同意見に、ランドも意を同じくした。 「何かあるとすれば、ここから先だ。これまでは見晴らしの良い平原が続いたが、あそこからは打って変わって死角の多い渓谷が続く。馬車を通すための道はある程度整備されているが、奇襲を掛けるには絶好の立地条件だろう」 「ワザワザそんなとこ抜けないで、もっと安全なルートとかねぇのか?」 率直な疑問を述べると、今度はファイマが会話に参加した。 「ユルフィリアからディアガルへと繋がる道はそんなに多くないわ。その中で馬車が通れるような広い道となると、この場所を除くと危険度が跳ね上がるの。道の険しさもそうだけど、問題なのは魔獣よ。ルートによっては凶暴な竜種の縄張りと被っている場所もあるの。下手に進入しようとしたら、その時点で蹂躙されるわ」 「............このルートが一番マシ、ってことか」 「この道だって、百年近く前までは殆ど通れなかったのよ。道も殆ど無かったし、凶暴な魔獣も多かった。それを、当時にいた腕利きの冒険者がこの地を支配する魔獣を討伐して、そこからようやく開発が始まったの。以降、この渓谷はその魔獣の名前をとって『ブレイズリザード渓谷』って呼ばれてるわ」 「ブレイズリザード............岩盤に匹敵する強度の鱗と、体内に持つ火炎袋で獲物を焼き尽くす、危険度の高い大蜥蜴だな。本来なら火山地帯に生息する魔獣だ。かつてこの地に住んでいた個体は、ほかの地域から流れてきたはぐれだったのだろう」 「あら、詳しいんですねレアルさん」 「詳しい、という程に知っているわけではない。ただ、職業柄に魔獣の簡単な特徴ぐらいは把握しておかないと死活問題だからな。詳しい生態までは知らんよ」 一応、レアルは旅の傭兵という設定だ。契約の次第では危険な魔獣の駆除等も引き受ける(らしい)職業なので、不自然ではない。 「通称のブレイズリザードは全長が二メートル程ですが、この地を支配していたブレイズリザードは小山ほどもある超大型種だったと記録に残っています。はぐれたのではなく、生息地付近の補食対象を食い尽くし、新たな獲物を求めてこの地にやってきた、というのが有力な説ですね」 「それは初耳だな。ともすれば、爬虫類種と言うよりはむしろ竜種に匹敵する危険度だったかもしれんな」 ここでファイマが冒険者、という名称を出したが、これはなにも未開の地をゆくロマン溢れる情熱家達を指しているわけではない。 最近のRPGにはおなじみであろうが、この世界には冒険者ギルドなるものが存在している。大体のゲームで共通しているのが、市民等からの依頼を引き受け、仕事を求める者に仲介する役割を持った組織だ。そして、この冒険者ギルドに登録した者を総称して『冒険者』と呼ぶのだ。これもファイマ先生の授業で習いました。余談だが、未開の地にロマンを求める冒険者はいるにはいるし、そう言った調査系の仕事もあるにはあるとか。 そんな便利な仕事斡旋場があるなら、冒険者ギルドで護衛を募集すれば良かっただろうに、とファイマに聞いた。俺とファイマが出会った街にも冒険者ギルドの支部があり、確かに彼女もそれは考えてた。ただ、以前に言っていたとおりに、まず雇った冒険者が本当に信用できるかの問題があった。付け加えて、あの街からディアガルへの道程が長く、その条件で護衛を引き受けてくれる冒険者が現れるのは望み薄だった。俺とレアルの目的地がディアガルだったのは、ファイマにとってはまさしく幸運にほかなら無かった。 「少なくとも、ここ十年はそれ程までに危険な個体は確認されてないから、魔獣に関しては最低限の警戒で大丈夫だろう。問題はやはり『敵』の襲撃だ。渓谷にいる間は、道中の警戒と深夜の見張り番をもう一人追加する。それで問題ないな?」 「異議なーし」 「了解した」 俺とレアルはそれぞれ答えた。これまでの無駄飯食らいの不名誉を返上すべく、せっせと働こうか。

Kanna falls face down on the pool of his own blood flowing from his left arm. 『Truly unexpected......to counterattack from that state......』 He could not resist the edges of his mouth pointing upwards. Of course, the purpose of this exam was to ascertain the extent of Kanna’s ability but Answerer’s interest lies in a different direction. He predicted the opponent’s action in an instant from their facial expressions, muscle movements and legworks. His insight boasts accuracy so much so that it is not an exaggeration to say he possesses [foresight]. And the insight extends not only to the opponent’s action but also to what they are [thinking]. No matter how clever a scheme they concocted, he would be able to read even that. In addition to the outstanding [insight] that serves as a pillar to Answerer’s strength, there exist another forte of his. Regardless how unexpected an attack is and regardless of influence a person has that exceeds his own, even as he stood alone against an army of ,00 strong, he would still maintain his [composure] in spite of all those. Perhaps, even if he is on the verge of being decapitated by a guillotine, he would be able to [calmly] a.n.a.lyze the situation without the slightest whine. Although, the person in question would not let himself be driven into such corner in the first place. With the superhuman [insight] and [composure], Answerer reigns at the height of rank adventurer. [Those] are the main reasons why he was often selected to become the examiner for adventurer’s registration exam. With Answerer’s prowess, it is possible for examinees to exhibit their utmost without the risk of injuries. That was also the reason why Lydeal entrusted him to take charge of Kanna’s special examination. He is an interesting person, much more than what Answerer had imagined. He should also be praised as an adventurer for being reluctant to reveal his hand to the point of needing a [non-disclosure] agreement before starting the exam but when push comes to shove, he did not hesitate to exhibit his utmost even through dastardly methods. If Answerer wanted to merely fulfill the task a.s.signed by the guild master, the test should have ended on the occasion when Kanna showed that level of decision making capability. Truth be told, by the time when he came under a.s.sault of the waves of spikes, Answerer had inwardly concluded that Kanna had [pa.s.sed]. However, watching the young man facing a higher ranked opponent without being daunted raised [interest] within Answerer. It has only been a month and a few weeks since the youth registered as an adventurer. There are talented ones who reached C-rank with similar timeframe. Answerer is not an acquaintance but a good example would be the retired [Ryuuken] whose valor is still famous among adventurers. Even among those remarkable adventurers with promising futures, some knelt in the middle of the road to glory. Some gave up their lives as adventurers while others lost it entirely. There were various factors as to why but the most prominent was the presence of an [overwhelming existence]. It would be the sort of existence that pulverized the [self-confidence] they built up to that point as one endowed with exceptional talent. It is hard to say that Kanna is a [prodigy overflowing with talent]. Even so, looking at his approach alone, the youth is following the same path as those who would make a name for themselves in the future. That is why Answerer deviated from an examiner’s conduct and cut off Kanna’s arm. ーーーWhat path would he choose when his mind and spirit are broken by an overwhelmingly stronger opponent? If Kanna’s heart gives in after the exam ends, Answerer would be disappointed. Though he is sure to suffer the wrath of Lydeal who favors the young man, Answerer still proceeded to satisfy the [interest] born within him. He had already resigned himself to accept the wrath of the former S-rank. If possible, he hoped that this defeat will spur the young man. And if he does, let alone B-rank, he might even be able to reach the so called realm of [inhumans], the rank. His reason being, those who were distinguished in the past also learned of their inexperience self through defeat and transcended it to become a true [luminary]. .........Even if he recovers from this, Lydeal’s fury is an unavoidable consequence. If he breaks down, then that would be it. Answerer would be very pleased if he could bounce back up and face forward once again. Answerer became too [serious] in order to satisfy his [curiosity] which was too excessive for a mere C-rank promotion exam. 『Despite knowing the overwhelming difference in ability with one arm gone..................... Far from loosing the will to fight, it swells up instead!?』 The reason why Answerer could not avoid Kanna’s last ditch [blood blade] was not simply because he was surprised Kanna could still move but also because he was pressured by Kanna’s [haki]. He felt an overwhelming sensation that he had never experienced from the young man’s red pupil, an ominous [spirit]. In front of the ranker equivalent to a super dangerous magic beast, this young man half his age continued to calmly aim at the opponent’s vital despite the danger to his life. 『I see. [Yasha], is it? The one who started in might have said it half in jest but it is strangely fitting. That [spirit] is just like a [demon].』 It was a mistake of judgement on his part but Answerer is all but ashamed. The true worth of this young manーKanna lies not within his zero mana emitted magic nor does it lie within his trickery-filled brain. ーーHis true worth is his tenacious willpower that will never break even in his dying moments. Answerer is so happy that he forgot the pain on his cheek. Indeed, it is not surprising that Lydeal has her eyes on him. He have not seen someone so interesting in a long while and looks forward to seeing how far the young man can go in the future. But before that, there is a problem that needs to be addressed first. 「Bastaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard! !」 As he move to evade her sword clad in lightning, he unleashes a fist strike to her torso. Chloe who was blown away by the blow immediately rolls on the ground to restore her posture and attacks Answerer again alongside a roar. 「How dare you do that to Kannsama!」 「.........Quite the interesting spell you have there.」 Seeing her one-handed sword clad in lightning made Answerer narrows his eyes with interest. The idea of [adding] magical attribute to a weapon is a fairly rare occurrence. That sword is probably sharper than usual and just a light contact with it will result in electrocution. An intriguing use of magical formation. Chloe’s furious a.s.sault was also within the scope of his a.s.sumption. Wolf-type beastkin have stronger affection for their relatives than other races and they would boldly confront those who harm their own, even if is against a superior in status or power. Still, he did not think that she would attack with the intention to kill without hesitation. But looking from another angle, she is from the clan called [Black Wolves] among wolf-type beastkin. It is well-know that those who recognizes one as their [Lord] forms a stronger bond than those of blood. But then again, in the conversation they had earlier, Chloe looks up to Kanna but not to extent of revering a [Lord]. No, perhaps the person herself is unaware but she may have recognized him (Kanna) as a potential [Lord]. If that person were to be seriously injured, then it’s no wonder that she would draw her sword, even against an ranked adventurer. 『Oops there goes my bad habit of thinking too much.』 While being aware of his bad habit as a result of his sharp insight and deep comprehension, Answerer dares to step in closely towards the furiously slas.h.i.+ng Chloe. Answerer, drawing in closer to the kill zone with sword still unsheathed, surprises Chloe and in turn dulls her sword. At that point, Answerer did not hesitate to drive-in a full powered punch. 「ーーghaaaa...............!?」 Chloe is blown away again but this time, she could not stand up immediately. Her body lost strength after being hit by a pinpoint strike aiming at her vital. Getting on a knee is the most she could do. 「Although it was my fault for going all out, I want you to calm down a bit.」 「Don’t......mess with me......」 Chloe bares her teeth and growls. Since she could not put power into her limbs, she’s shooting a death glare at Answerer instead. He took it on with an unperturbed expression. 「It makes sense to be angry at me but isn’t there someone you should worry about?」 From Answerer’s words, Chloe finally recalls Kanna’s injury and turn to him with her complexion pale. Kanna, who should have fallen down face first, is lying on his back without her noticing and on his left side is the one serving as a witness to the fight, Cindy. She received the [disconnected left arm] that Barlhardt collected unnoticed, place the cross section closely and holds her hands towards the wound. 「What......is?」 「Did you think that I cut his arm without thinking? If [she] was not the witness, I would not have inflicted such a big injury.」 「What do you meーー」 「Seeing is believing.」 Although not visible from the exterior, it is not only the skin starting to gradually connect across the cut surface, but also the bones, nerves and blood vessels. Barlhardt who is watching from the side as well as Chloe who is looking from a distance, lost their words. 「Cindy-kun has an average combat capability but limited to healing spells, she’s treated no less than an rank adventurer. Her healing spell can completely heal even a fatal injury, so long as it is sustained within a few minutes prior.」 The light subsided from Cindy’s hands while everyone continued watching. Kanna’s arm has been splendidly reconnected the way it was before the dismemberment. Exhaling deeply, Cindy looks up to Barlhardt. 「The treatment is over. Nevertheless, because of blood loss and shock from the pain, his consciousness will not return for a while. Excuse me Barlhardt-sama, but could you take him to the guild’s infirmary?」 「Oh, okay. That much is an easy job.」 「Well then, please. Also, please adhere to the [non-disclosure] that Kannsama requested before the exam. If you breach the terms for any reason whatsoever, you will be penalized with my authority as a staff.」 「I got it. I’m not that fearless to disobey the guild master’s [right hand].」 The story of guild master’s confidant mixed in amongst the regular guild staff is famous in Draknil’s branch. However, the ident.i.ty was obscured and only the information about [a master healer] was known. While carrying Kanna in a way that lessens the burden on his left arm as much as possible, Barlhardt says to Chloe 「I’m going ahead.」and walk out of the venue. Cindy draws close to Chloe, who is anxiously seeing off the back of him and the young man he is carrying. 「Then, I will proceed to heal Chloe-sama.」 「eh?」 「.........You do not seem to notice the pain because of your agitation.」 With a sigh, Cindy grabs her right hand holding the sword and lifts it up. Before the falling sword hits the ground, a severe pain shoots up Chloe’s brain from her right hand. 「ーーー!! Not again de gozaruuuuu!?」 Needless to say, her hand was burnt by the overuse of [lightning blade]. As Cindy said, she forgot the pain because of her intention to kill Answerer. 「.........Apparently, there is a flaw in the magic of attaching an attribute to a sword. It is an interesting magic but the usage is limited.」 「Don’t calmly a.n.a.lyze it de gozaru!!」 With tears in her eyes due to pain, Chloe scowls at Answerer but fury she had earlier had diminished. Knowing Kanna’s safety considerably relieved her and alleviated her bloodl.u.s.t. 「The healing is now complete.」 The treatment for her burn was overwhelmingly shorter than the one for Kanna. The other day she had the same injury but at the time, it was at the town clinic and it took at least 5 minutes. Cindy’s healing on the other hand, was completed in about 10 seconds. Chloe checks the feeling of her completely recovered hand. 「Amazing de gozaru, Cindy-dono.」 「The guild is a hub for a lot of rough adventurers. Therefore it is necessary for at least one of the staff to be familiar with healing magic.」 「More importantly, would it not be better to go after Kannsama?」 「ーー! Th-That is true! For treating one’s right hand, this one is grateful de gozaru yo, Cindy-dono!」 Chloe has not yet full gained strength in her limbs but even so, she manage to stand and directs her body to the exit. But before she breaks into a run, she turn to Answerer once again. 「Answerer-dono, This one will never forgive you de gozaru yo. Regarding this one’s disrespect earlier, this one will not apologize de gozaru.」 「.........Of course. I am aware that I deserve as much.」 「However......This one understands the reason behind your conduct that included the healing from Cindy-dono de gozaru.」 Answerer nods deeply at Chloe, who had regained enough reason to hold back her anger. 「Did Kanns.h.i.+ conform to your standard de gozaru ka?」 「He pa.s.sed the C-rank special exam perfectly. Do tell him that.」 「.........Understood de gozaru. Then this one will take one’s leave.」 Chloe left the venue at a quick pace after bowing to Cindy and Answerer. One of those left behind, Cindy, said. 「I will report the details of the exam to Lydeal-sama.」 「......A severe scolding is to be expected, isn’t it?」 「Definitely.」 It was a conduct he was resolved for but hearing his verdict made him feel b.u.mmed out. 「That aside, I am worried about whether or not he will leave the guild because of this case.」(cindy) 「Regarding that, I’m sure it will be fine.」(answer) 「Even though his arm was cut off in a so-called exam?」 Despite being under a criticizing glare, Answerer responded without losing his calm. 「He is the kind of person who will launch a counteroffensive [to kill] as soon as I showed the chance, even while his arm was cut off. He is not a weakling to escape from this branch only from that much. Well, it would be a different story if his arm remained separated but this time he was completely healed by Cindy-kun after all. I am sure he will resent me but I wonder if it will last a [lifetime].」 「To be resented is a given, is it.」 「As I said to Chloe-kun, I am aware that what I did deserve as much.」 With a bitter smile, Answerer starts walking. 「Answerer-sama. I still haven’t treated your wound yetーー」 「.........No, [this] is fine.」 『It ends when Kannsama becomes unable to continue or when I or Answerer-sama ends it with [halt].』 (??) Immediately after having his arm cut off, Kanna was not incapable of fighting and neither Answerer nor Cindy declared the end. While everyone was convinced that the [test was over], only one man saw through the [error] and pierced Answerer with a blade. 「Before the battle is overーーNever let your guard down until the enemy is incapacitated. It is a failure of mine to have forgotten the great principle of adventurers. I will leave this wound as a future reminder.」 I am still immatureーーsays Answerer as he resolve himself to be more diligent. 「.........By the way, what should we do with [this]?」 Cindy mutters about the [disastrous scene] left behind at the exam venue. Even now Kanna’s ice cone and spikes still remain in the hall. Though it does not amount to much, the place cannot be used without removing all of it. 「......Until Kannsama removes it, will this stay as it is?」 Answerer’s punishment is likely to be even heavier. Meanwhile, Cindy could only sigh.

自らの左腕から流れ出た血の海に俯せに倒れ伏すカンナ。それを見据えていたアンサラは抉られ痛む頬を放ったまま驚愕していた。 (まさか............あの状態から反撃するとは............) 己の口の端が上向きに歪みそうになるのを堪える。 今回の試験で確かめたかったのは、もちろんカンナの実力を推し量るためだが、アンサラの関心は別にあった。 アンサラの戦いぶりを見た者は『まるで来る前から敵の攻撃を見極めているかのようだ』と口を揃える。そしてそれは比喩表現ではなく正鵠を射ていた。彼は相対する者の表情、筋肉の動き、足の運びから瞬時に敵の行動を予測しているのだ。その洞察力はもはや『予知』といって過言では無い精度を誇る。そしてその洞察力は相手の行動だけではなく相手の『思考』にまで及び、どれほどの奇策を弄しようが彼はそれすらも読み取る。 どれだけ予想外な攻撃が来たとして、己を上回る実力者を前にしたとして、万を越える軍勢に一人で立ち向かったとして、それでもなお保ち続ける『冷静さ』だ。 おそらく、その気になれば断頭台の上にて首を刎ねられる寸前にあっても、泣き言を僅かに漏らすことなく『冷静』に状況を分析できるだろう。本人も首を刎ねられる状況に追い込まれるのは御免ではあろうが。 この超人じみた『洞察力』と『冷静』を以ってしてアンサラはAランク冒険者の高みにいるのだ。 彼がよく冒険者の登録試験担当官になるのも、『これ』が大きい。アンサラであれば受験者の全力を発揮させつつ、傷を負わせないような立ち回りが出来るからだ。そして今回、リーディアルからカンナの特別試験の担当を任されたのも同じ理由であった。 さて、試験官としての目線なら、カンナはCランク昇格試験の合格水準を満たしていた。氷の魔術(?)を操る技量は甘いと言わざる得ないし、身のこなしも未熟。少々奇策に走るきらいがあるのも減点対象。だが、本人もそのことを良く自覚しており、欠点を補う防御策を弄し、頭の回転力と思い切りの良さで補っている。また、魔力を感じさせないという特殊な魔術を使用するという点もある。想像していたよりも随分と面白い人材だ。試験の開始前に『口止め』をしていたのも、必要以上に手の内を明かすのを嫌い、だが必要となれば全力を発揮し卑怯な手も躊躇わない、という考え方も冒険者としては褒めるべき点だろう。 ギルドマスターから任された役を全うするだけなら、そう判断できた時点で終了だ。事実、氷の剣山攻撃が襲いかかってきた時点で、アンサラは内心に『合格だ』と決を下していた。 だが、格上相手にも動揺はあっても気後れせずに立ち向かってくる若者を見ていて、アンサラの中に一つの『興味』が生まれた。 彼が冒険者となってまだ一ヶ月と数週間。その短期間でCランクに届いた人材はいるにはいる。アンサラは面識は無かったが、引退してなお武勇を冒険者達に轟かせている『竜剣』が良い例だ。他にも、過去の冒険者達を見れば『竜剣』ほどでは無いにしろ将来の栄光を期待されていた者は存在していた。 ただ、その全てが『竜剣』と同じく武勇を馳せたわけではない。将来を有望視されていた非凡な冒険者達の中であっても、栄光への道を辿る半ばに膝を付く者もいた。冒険者を諦めた者もいれば、命を落とした者もいる。 要因は様々であったが、その最たるものが『圧倒的強者』の存在。類稀なる才能を有していたとして、それまで築き上げていた『己への自信』を木っ端に粉砕する存在だ。 カンナは『才能溢れる非凡』とは言い難い。それでも、過程だけを見れば将来に名を馳せる人材と同じ道を辿っている。 ーーーー圧倒的強者に心を折られた時、彼はどのような道を選ぶのか。 試験が終わった後に、カンナの心が折れてしまえば己が失望するだけだ。彼に目を掛けているリーディアルの逆鱗には確実に触れるだろうが、自分の中に生まれた『興味』を満たすためだ。甘んじて元Sランクの怒りを受けよう。 なるべくなら、この敗北を糧に奮起してもらいたい。そうすれば彼はBランクどころか、もしかしたら『人外魔境』とも呼ばれているAランクの地位に手が届く。なぜなら、過去の栄光者達も敗北から己の未熟を学び取り、真なる『強者』と昇華していったからだ。 ............たとえ彼が立ち直ったとしても、リーディアルの怒髪天は免れぬ運命ではあるのだが。 心折れるならそこまで。立ち直って再び前を向いてくれるのならば大満足。その『好奇心』を満たすために、アンサラはCランク昇格試験にしては過剰なまでの『本気』を発したのだった。 (圧倒的実力差を思い知り、腕の一つを失いながら........................。それでも戦意を喪失するどころか、殺気を更に膨れ上がらせるかッ!?) アンサラが、カンナが最後に繰り出した『血刃』を避けきれず頬に傷を負ったのは、彼がまだ動けたことに単純に驚いただけではない 紅の瞳に宿る禍々しいとさえ思えるほどの『気勢』に、経験したことのないほどの圧倒感を感じた。Aランク相当の超危険魔獣を前に、命の危機に瀕しながらそれでも冷静に敵の急所を狙い続けた『 (なるほど。『夜叉』か。言い出した者は面白半分だったろうが、これはこれで言い当て妙だ。あの『気勢』はまさに『鬼』に違いない) 彼のーーカンナという少年の真価は、魔力を感じさせない氷魔術ではなく、奇策を弄する頭脳でもない。 ーー今際の際まで決して折れないであろう、強靱な精神力。 なるほど、リーディアルが目を付けるのも無理はない。これほど面白いと思える人間を久しく見ていない。この先に彼がドコまで行けるのかが楽しみである。 ただ、その前に解決しなければならない問題が出来た。 「貴様ぁぁぁああああああッッッッッ!!」 アンサラは間近に接近していた『黒き狼』ーークロエへと振り向く。彼女が振るう雷光の纏う刃を回避すると、その胴体に拳を繰り出した。一撃を食らったクロエは吹き飛ぶが、すぐさま地を転がり体勢を立て直すと、再度咆哮を発しながらアンサラに襲いかかる。 「よくもカンナ様をッッ!」 「............なかなか面白い魔術を使うーーッ」 振るわれる片手剣に纏う雷を眼に、アンサラは興味深げに眼を細めた。武器に魔術の属性を『付加』するという発想はなかなかお目に掛かれない。おそらくあの剣は通常時よりも切れ味が増しており、接触するだけでも感電するだろう。面白い魔術式を使う。繰り出される鋭い斬撃を回避しながら、アンサラは冷静な分析を下した。背中の得物を抜かないのは、仮に金属製の剣で受け止めても雷が伝わると判断したからだ。 狼系の獣人は身内への情が他の種族よりも強く、それを害する者は例え格上の相手でも果敢に立ち向かう。単純に、昇格試験の範疇内だったら彼女もここまでの怒りは発しなかったろう。冒険者である以上、傷を負うのは当然なのは承知の上だ。だが、最後の一刀は『試験』の域を明らかに逸脱したものであり、クロエの中の激情を爆発させるには十分すぎた。 だが、よくよく考えれば彼女は狼系獣人の中でも『黒狼』と称される一族。『主』と認めた相手には血縁よりも強固な絆を結ぶのは有名だ。 とすれば、カンナはこの黒狼の娘の『主』なのだろうか。だが、先程に交わしていた会話では、クロエはカンナの事を尊敬はしていたが『主』とまで敬っている様子はなかった。いや、本人が無自覚なだけで、潜在的な部分で (っと、余計なことを考えすぎるのが私の悪い癖だ) 鋭い洞察力と思考力ゆえの悪癖を自覚しながら、アンサラは猛然と斬り掛かってくるクロエに対して、あえて深く踏み込む。背中の長剣を抜刀せず、そうでありながら自ら死地に踏み込むアンサラに、クロエは驚き剣筋が鈍る。そこへ、アンサラは躊躇無く力を込めた拳を叩き込んだ。 「ーーーーガァァッ........................!?」 またも吹き飛ばされるクロエだが、今度はすぐには立ち上がれない。急所を狙った鋭い拳打に全身の力が抜ける。膝立ちが精一杯。 「全面的にこちらが悪いとはいえ、少しは落ち着いてもらいたい」 犬歯を剥き出しにし、うなり声を上げるクロエに力は入らずとも、眼光だけでもアンサラを射殺さんと睨みつける。視線を受け止めるアンサラは涼しい表情で。 「私に憤るのは道理だが、それよりも気にするべき相手がいるのではないか?」 アンサラの言葉に、ようやくカンナの『傷』を思い出したクロエが顔色を蒼白にしながら彼の方に目を向けた。 彼女は、いつの間にかバルハルトが回収していた『切断された左腕』を受け取ると、断面を繋ぎ合わせその傷口に向けて両手をかざしている。 「なに............を?」 「私が考えも無しに彼の腕を切断したと思っていたのか。『彼女』が立会人でなければ、あそこまで大きな傷を負わせたりはしなかったさ」 「どういうーーーー」 「見ていれば分かる」 アンサラとクロエの見守る中、シナディの両手から光が発せられる。魔術式の光だ。カンナの傷口を包み込むと、なんと彼の腕が『結合』を始めたのだ。表面からは察せ無いが、皮だけではなく骨や神経、血管迄もが切断面から徐々に繋がり始めていた。側で様子を見ていたバルハルトはもとより、遠目でそれを見ていたクロエも言葉を失う。 「シナディ君は直接的な戦闘能力こそ並だが、治療術式の扱いに限ればAランク冒険者と同等だ。致命傷を負ったとしても、数分以内であるならば彼女の治療術式で完全に治癒できる」 全員が見守る中、シナディの手から光が消えた。カンナの腕は切断前と何ら変わりのない様子で見事に繋がっていた。深く息を吐き出したシナディはバルハルトを見上げた。 「治療は終わりました。ですが痛みのショックと失血で暫くは意識が戻らないでしょう。バルハルト様、申し訳ありませんが彼をギルドの医務室にまで運んでもらえませんか?」 「お、おう。その程度ならお安いご用だ」 「では、お願いします。あと、カンナ様が試験の前に申し出た『口止め』は厳守してください。いかなる理由があれ、もしこれに違反した場合は職員権限でペナルティーを科しますので」 「分かってるよ。ギルドマスターの『懐刀』に逆らうほど、俺も怖い者知らずじゃねぇんでな」 一般職員に紛れ、ギルドマスターの腹心が存在している話はドラクニル支部では有名だ。ただその素性は知れず、ただ『凄腕の治療術士』という情報だけは知れ渡っていた。 バルハルトは極力彼の左腕に負担が掛からないように抱えると、クロエに「先に行っているぞ」と言い残して試験会場から出て行った。どうでも良いが、カンナにとって人生二度目の『お姫様だっこ』であった。しかも今回はむさい野郎である。 心配そうに彼と彼の運ぶ少年の後ろ姿を見送っているクロエに、シナディが近づいた。 「では、クロエ様の治療も行います」 「え?」 「............興奮で痛みに気が付いていないようですね」 溜息を吐いたシナディは、剣を握ったままの右腕を掴むと、おもむろに持ち上げた。ぽろりとこぼれ落ちる剣が地にぶつかる前に、凄まじい激痛が右手から脳へと直行した。 「ーーーーッッ、またやってしまったでござるぅぅぅぅっっっ!?」 言うまでもなく、『雷刃』の過剰使用による火傷だった。シナディの言うとおり、アンサラへの殺意やらなんやらで痛みを忘れていたのだ。 「............どうやら、あの剣に属性を付加する魔術には欠陥があるようだ。面白い魔術ではあるが、それでは使い物にならんな」 「冷静に分析しないでほしいでござるッッ!!」 痛みに涙目のクロエは冷静なアンサラを睨みつけるが、先程までの激情は薄れていた。カンナの無事に少なからず安堵し『殺気』が抜けていた。 「これで治療は完了です」 「か、かたじけないでござる............」 カンナの治療に比べて圧倒的短時間で火傷の治療は終了した。先日も同等の火傷を負ったが、その時は街の治療院で治して貰ったのだが、掛かった時間は少なくと以上。対してシナディの治療は十秒程度で完了した。 クロエは完治した手の感触を確かめる。 「すごいでござるなシナディ殿」 「荒事が多い冒険者稼業の斡旋場ですから、職員の最低一人は治療術式に精通している必要があるのです」 「それよりも、早くカンナ様を追いかけた方がいいのでは?」 「ーーーーッ。そ、そうでござった! 右手の治療、感謝するでござるよシナディ殿ッ」 まだ完全に躯に力は入らないが、それでもどうにか立ち上がり会場の出口へと躯を向けたクロエ。 「アンサラ殿。拙者は決してあなたを許さないでござるよ。先程の無礼に対する謝罪はしないでござる」 「............当然だな、それだけのことをした自覚はある」 「ですが............シナディ殿の治療措置も含めて、あなたなりの考えがあったが故の行動だと、そう理解もしているでござる」 彼への怒りは消えなくとも、それを押さえ込める程度の理性を取り戻したクロエに、アンサラは深く頷いた。 「カンナ氏は、あなたのお眼鏡に叶ったでござるか?」 「文句無しに、Cランクの特別試験は合格だ。彼に伝えておいてくれ」 「............了解したでござる。では失礼」 クロエはアンサラとシナディに一礼を残し、足早に会場を去っていった。 残された内の一人、シナディが言った。 「試験の内容は、リーディアル様に報告させて頂きます」 「............やはり、大目玉を食らうと思うか?」 「確実に」 覚悟あっての行動だったが、いざ宣告されると若干気が重くなる。 「それよりも、私は今回の件で彼がこのギルドから離れないかが心配で仕方がありません」 「そこに関しては大丈夫だろう」 「試験と称して腕を切られたのに、ですか?」 咎める視線を受けながらも、アンサラは調子を崩さずに答えた。 「腕を断ち切られながらも、私が隙を見せた途端に『殺そう』と反撃に出るような人間だ。あの程度の事でこの支部から逃げ出すほど軟弱では無いだろう。まぁ、腕を切られたままであったら話は別だが、今回はシナディ君が完全に治療してくれたのでな。恨まれるだろうが『一生の』とまではいかんだろうし」 「恨まれるのは確定なのですね」 「クロエ君にも言ったが、それだけのことをした自覚はある」 苦笑すると、アンサラは歩き出した。 「アンサラ様。あなたの傷の治療もまだですがーーーー」 「............いや、『これ』は結構だ」 ーーカンナ様が戦闘不能になるか、あるいは私かアンサラ様が『待った』を掛けた時点で終了しますーー。 腕を切断した直後にあって、カンナは戦闘不能には陥っておらず、アンサラもシナディも終了の宣言をしなかった。誰もが『試験終了』と思い込んでいた中、たった一人だけその『誤ち』を射抜き、アンサラに一矢を報いた。 「戦闘が終わるまでーー敵が行動不能になるまで決して油断してはならない。冒険者の大原則を忘れてしまった落ち度だ。今後の戒めの為に、この傷は残しておくことにするさ」 私もまだまだ未熟だなーーと、アンサラは更なる精進を決意したのだった。 「............ところで、『これ』はどうすればいいのでしょうか?」 カンナの放った氷円錐や剣山が未だに会場に残ったまま。とてもでは無いが、それらを撤去しなければ再使用は不可能だ。しかも、魔術で構成されている 「......カンナ様に解除してもらうまで、このままですか」 アンサラへの処罰が更に重くなりそうです、とシナディは溜息を漏らしたのだった。

The place is similar to the guild registration exam hall and the place where me and Ruks had our duel, only considerably larger. 「This place was designed with large scale magic in mind. Accordingly, it is st.u.r.dy and cannot be easily destroyed by anything less than strategic-cla.s.s magic.」 Under the condition they would not interfere with the exam, Chloe and ossan were allowed to accompany us. It’s a rare chance for them to observe the rare rank in battle after all. Or maybe they wanna see me miserably beaten up? The venue already has a preceding occupant. It’s Cindy-san. 「Kannsama, Answerer-sama. I have been waiting for you. I will serve as the witness for this examination. I am also the healer in case of emergency, so please feel free to battle to your heart’s content.」 My opponent is a powerhouse who reigns at the same rank as that Real. Such strength is encouraging to have at the same side of a fight but facing them head on is a suicidal act. I won’t say sure, no problem but can I even provide a satisfactory battle if I go [all out], such doubt comes up. 「The details of this proficiency exam is simple. We will have the both of you battle each other and it ends when Kannsama becomes unable to continue or when either myself or Answerer-sama says [halt]. Regardless of whether you win or lose, you will pa.s.s the exam if we adjudge that you [fulfill the criteria].」 After giving a brief explanation of the rule, Cindy-san steps back. 「Kanns.h.i.+! Do your best de gozaruuuu!!」 Chloe is cheering for me from the corner of the venue. Barlhardt next to her, has both his arm folded while facing here with a serious look. He’s keeping a watchful eye, determined not to miss even a single frame from the impending fight. 「Kannkun.」 Answerer addresses me while drawing the long sword from his back. 「There is no need to conceal your [card] as you did during the your registration exam and the duel uproar. It would be best if you come at me with your utmost. Otherwise, there is no point in conducting this exam.」 「.....................」 「It is okay to have a card up your sleeve. Rather, that much is expected. However, not using a hidden hand or the likes when it should be dealt is the same as not having them. You can think of this exam as a good place to try them out.」 As he settles into middle stance, his whole body relaxes as well, belying the strong [fighting spirit] from his eyes. There is no explosive pressure like that of Real’s but on the contrary, there is a deeply oppressive atmosphere. At first, I came as an unwilling test partic.i.p.ant but having come this far, I’m finally proactive about it. To what extent has my strength reach at this point? Let’s have the rank adventurer make a personal judgement about it. As long as the way to return back to earth has yet to be found, I’ll be relying on Spirit Art. Besides, I haven’t been able to have a bout with Real lately and it’s not a bad idea to know how far I can go against a [higher rank] opponent. While checking the condition of equipments on both arms and legs, I said... 「I have.........a favor to ask.」 「What is it? I won’t accept a request to restrain myself, okay?」 「I ask for the details of this proficiency exam to be held a secret as much as possible.」 「.........In other words, you don’t mind not taking this test unless we accept?」 My utmost means, to show Spirit Art more than just adequately. And once that happens, everyone in this room will notice that Spirit Art is [unorthodox], different than regular magic. 「All right. At the very least, I need to report to Lydeal-sama but I swear I will not divulge to anyone else. Are you fine with this, Cindy-kun and you two over there?」 No one objected. Upon receiving their consent, I take out the blue gem I had previously used as a mock-magical tool from my chest pocket. With the gem as an origin, I manifest the familiar large axe. 「It’s not against the rule to prepare weapons in advance, right?」 「I don’t mind. However, please refrain from producing more than one.」 I had prepared an ice axe in advance for the duel with Ruks and I know it wouldn’t be a problem. Honestly, I want to [prepare] as much as possible before fighting a superior opponent but I give up. At least I managed to place the minimum one card on my hand. All I can do now is to improvise during the fight. 「Then, both sides, please prepare.」 Cindy-san gently raises one hand. I hold the axe with both hands while Answerer narrows his eyes to concentrate. ーーーNow then, let’s do a quick review. Answerer’s alias is [One Who Answers the Future (Fragarach)]. From what Barlhardt has seen in the past, his fighting style is a counterattack type. His strategy incorporates the long sword and the [small s.h.i.+eld] equipped on his left hand to precisely counter the enemy after observing their movement. In short, purposely letting the enemy attack first and retaliate with a lethal blow. I understand his modus operandi. That being the case, the important thing is not to step into his playing field. I exert more strength holding the axe and slightly tighten my arm holding the upper part of the handle. And then... 「ーーーCommence!」 At the same time as Cindy-san’s hand drops down... 「fu!!」 Secret techniqueー[A weapon is something to be thrown]! I throw my weapon without hesitation right after the start. If I pile the minimum amount of strength on top of the spirits’ power, it’s more than enough for a power throw despite with nearly zero initial motion. However, the rank adventurer’s action easily broke my expectation. Answerer steps in right in front the incoming axe and nimbly ward it off, as if he knew I would throw the axe from the outset. 「fumu As expected.」 While affirming my guess, Answerer steps in further. The distance I was planning to increase is being reduced instead. He swings his sword at me as soon as I got into his slas.h.i.+ng range while I’m still in the posture to jump backwards. ーーーbaginnnn The slash aiming at my left side upper arm where I’m not covered by the tekkou is blocked by the Reactive Ice Field deployed there. While Answerer becomes slightly wide-eyed, I’m blown away by the momentum of the slash. Despite being shaken by the impact, I roll on the ground and manage to distance myself from Answerer. Things deviated quite far from the plan but strictly looking at the result, it’s a success. It’s a sore spot to lose one Reactive Ice Field early on but on the flip side, should I be relieved that only one was needed? 「.........An automatically activated magical formation, is it? A high ranking magician tends to be negligent in their personal protection but that does not seem to be the case for you.」 Answerer mutters so without immediately pursuing me as if impressed but I spared no time to answer while consolidating my image. Raising both hands overhead, I manifest approximately ice cones. 「KKanns.h.i.+ is very serious de gozaru na.........」 I’m super serious, Chloe. I was made to understand from the get go. The moment I think that he’s one step behind, I’d immediately be cut down. If I don’t push him into my pace even by force, this will end in an instant! 「All bulletsーーsimultaneous launch!」 I fire all the cones at once, with the ends [flat], instead of [pointed]. 「Did you judge that shooting at one location could be avoided? Not bad but still naïve.」 Answerer didn’t show even an ounce of agitation in face of the approaching ice hail, advancing leisurely in the midst of it. 「ーーー! That much of an attack...」 Barlhardt is amazed at the scene happening in front of him. Answerer is [waltzing through] the ice hail with a leisurely gait, as if he’s taking a stroll. 「It looks like you increased the number too much. Your control is not pervasive, leaving a slight gap as a result. If I exploit that opening, it’s surprisingly not that difficult.」 That’s plain impossible dontcha think! 「ーーI’m not done yet!」 The ice I created by using Spirit Art is under my control until the spirits’ protection is removed. One of the cones stuck into the ground behind Answerer still has spirits remaining inside it and I relay an order to aim at his back. 「No hesitation to attack an enemy from behind huh. Apparently your frame of mind is not so naïve. Splendid.」 Without even turning around, Answerer avoids the incoming ice cone by turning his body sideways while conveying his satisfaction. Upon witnessing that sight, it can’t be helped that I’m stunned. Honestly, that one shot aimed at Answerer’s back was my real attack. To be precise, I was planning to agitate him using the simultaneous launch and earn more time with the single shot from behind. I didn’t think of anything past this development. All the precautions I made to earn time for thinking were crushed without any efficacy. Normally, this is where I single-mindedly push onwards or solidify my defenses to earn more time. 「ーーRegrettably, I cannot grant you that time.」 Answerer steps in again while uttering words that foresaw what was in my mind. I strengthen my defense by manifesting ice on both arms’ tekkou and extend its surface area. With the enlarged defense on my tekkou, I catch his swift slash. I didn’t get blown off like the first time thanks to the fact that I was able to brace myself but I couldn’t withstand the impact enough for a counteroffensive. ーーーbaginnn! Repeated slashes tore through the ice I deployed on the tekkou, causing the Reactive Ice Field on my right arm to activate and subsequently shatter. 「Upon closer observation, that is disposable huh. Then, if I continue to attack the same areaーー」 He already saw through the weak point of my barrier. Following that, the ice barrier on my right foot and left flank are broken. If anymore are broken, I won’t be able to defend myself. 「How’s this!」 As if he knew the timing beforehand, Answerer leapt backwards and avoided most of the pebbles. And immediately after he lands, he rushes back in. I need to obtain more time and distance one way or another, so I throw an ice shuriken while backstepping. Answerer’s rush on the other hand, didn’t abate at all. Using his small s.h.i.+eld and long sword, he flings away all the shurikens I threw and once again, draws close to me. His sword is coming from above. History will repeat itself if I get caught in a melee clash again. I don’t have that much Reactive Ice Field crystal left. 『I really don’t wanna resort to this!』 I pour all the strength I have into the spirits residing inside the ice on both my hands. In response to my will -[pulled backwards]- I’m transported to the rear at once with my hands still on the ice, moving at a speed faster than simply jumping backwards. 「ーーtssp G.o.d, that’s harsh............!!」 When I release the [aerial control] from both arms, a dull pain runs through my head. In a way, it’s the same as manifesting and launching an ice cone in the air. It would be easier to imagine if I say that my body is attached to the cone. It has already been proven that I can move my body by utilizing Spirit Art, specifically with the recently developed [ice board]. However, compared to the ice board’s operation which is to kick the ground for acceleration, the current transition goes from zero to top speed in an instant. It’s an evasion method that I came up with during my eating tour but it remains a defective technique that’s only useful during emergency and can’t be used frequently. Even so, I succeeded in getting the most distance up until now. 『I sure don’t have the time to think about the aftermath.』 Manifesting a giant sword in the air, I thrust it into the ground with force. The next moment, the glacial spike activates and swallows the exam venue’s floor. 「No longer keeping up pretense, is it?」 He leaps vigorously after bending both legs. After jumping over the waves of glacial spike, which protruded from the ground like a wave and had already finished blooming, he nimbly lands with one foot on a spike. That’s beyond unexpected. The Glacial Spike is an Art in which ice spikes protrudes from the starting point to the target sequentially. In other words, the technique’s power are concentrated at the wave’s front row, in contrast to the practically stationary rear where the wave has ended. If one lands at the rear part, in theory there’s almost no offensive power left. However who would’ve thought that he would land on the pointed tip of the spike, even if it’s no longer protruding further. He jumps once again, reaching the s.p.a.ce above my head. Due to the effect of exhausting my spirit, my body couldn’t start any evasive action. Emergency evasive maneuver also couldn’t be initiated for the same reason. And yet, Answerer goes beyond my imagination even to this moment. He grabs the small s.h.i.+eld on his left arm and throw it the way a discus thrower does. At the halfway point between me and Answerer, the ice cone that I launched and the s.h.i.+eld that he threw collided and blown off in two different directions. There’s no more obstruction between me and him. And then. ーーーkin! A downward single slash from his upper stance slices my left arm. Searing hot sensation is transmitted from the cut surface, triggering a scream out of my mouth. I spontaneously lost strength in my legs and get down on my knees. Bathed in my fresh blood, Answerer slowly rises up from his end of slash position and sweeps away blood residue from his sword before sheathing it. And then he turns around to pick up the s.h.i.+eld he threw away previously. 「Cindy-kun, please administer his treatmeーー」 Answerer’s gaze s.h.i.+fts to Cindy-san. He’s completely taken me off his sight. I never would’ve expected him to be this overwhelming. Or rather, [up until now] went too smoothly for me. I got a powerful weapon called Spirit Art and through it, I was able to repel enemies who appeared in my way, no matter who or what they are. In one corner of my mind, there’s no doubt that I had the feeling of [I’m surprsingly strong]. For all that, look at how miserable I am against a higher ranking opponent. Growing rapidly in the midst of a battle to defeat strong enemiesーthat sort of development is surely the cliché. Sadly, I don’t have the foundation to progress according to that [cliché]. The only one who can do that is [that prodigy]. Thus, with blood flowing and my strength spent, my fight against a [seasoned veteran] reach its end. .........If I employ Spirit Art normally, Answerer will be able to avoid it, judging by his reaction speed. .........If so, I just have to manifest ice in an unusual way. .........Fortunately, the [material] is right around the corner. .........If I freeze that, I’ll be able to launch the fastest, most powerful attack. .........This is just an exam. It’s not where I put my life on the line. Still...to end it like this is......... .........unpleasant. I’ve forgotten about it for quite a while now. My biggest weapon is neither the Spirit Art nor taking down enemies by surprise. ーーIt’s struggling to the very end.........my last ditch disposition! 『Answerer, I haven’t heard the end signal from you yet!』 Overcoming the severe pain with even more fighting spirit. 「ーーーgaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!」 This time I’m pouring all the spiritual strength I have left to appeal to the spirits. Answerer’s disconnected focus returns back to me because of my unintentional shout but you’re too late! My cut off left arm. Fresh blood that flows from it are [frozen] and floating in the air. Become a blade and unleash it on Answerer! 「guuooooo.....................!」 The red blade gouges Answerer’s cheek. The same color as the blade flows out of the wound. 『For my cut off arm, I only got a cheek wound huh.』 I feel a great deal of frustration and a small sense of satisfaction in my heart. This time at last, I lost consciousness due to the severe pain in my arm. hai owari desu

やってきました試験会場。ギルドの登録試験、あるいはルキスと決闘を行った会場と形は近く、だがそれよりもかなり広い作りをした場所だった。 「この会場は、大規模な魔術も想定して作られている。その分頑丈に作られており、戦略級の魔術でもない限り容易には破壊できない」 途中から逃げるのを諦めた俺はアンサラから解放され、彼の後に続いて歩く。試験の邪魔をしない、という条件の下クロエとおっさんも同伴だ。数少ないAランクの戦いぶりを見られる恰好の機会だ。あるいは俺が無惨にぼろ負けする姿を眺めたいのか。 試験会場には既に先客がいた。シナディさんだ。 「カンナ様、アンサラ様。お待ちしておりました。私が、今回の試験の立会人を務めさせていただきます。万備えた治療術士でもありますので、存分に戦ってください」 存分............ねぇ。 相手はあのレアルと同等のランクに君臨する強者だ。その強さは、肩を並べて戦うなら心強く、だが正面から向き合うのは自殺行為と思えるほど。とてもではないが『存分』と称せるほど満足な戦いが出来るか、疑問が出てくる。 「実力試験の内容は単純です。に戦ってもらい、カンナ様が戦闘不能になるか、あるいは私かアンサラ様が『待った』を掛けた時点で終了とします。勝敗は合否に関係なく、私とアンサラ様が『基準を満たしている』と判断すれば試験は合格となります」 簡単なルール説明が終わると、シナディさんは一歩下がった。 「カンナ氏ィィィッッ! 頑張るでござるよぉぉぉ!!」 会場の隅っこで待機しているクロエから応援の声。隣のバルハルトは両腕を組み、こちらに真剣な眼差しを向けている。これから始まる戦いの一挙動すら見逃さないと目を光らせていた。 「カンナ君」 正面にて対峙するアンサラが、背中の長剣を抜きながら言う。 「いつかの登録試験の時、あるいは件の決闘騒ぎの時の様に『手札』を隠す必要はない。君の持ちうる全力を持って臨むと良い。でなければ、この試験を行う意味がないのでな」 「........................」 「手札を隠すのは別に良い。むしろ常套手段だ。だが、切るべき時に迷わずに切れない手札などあって無いも同然だ。この試験は言わば『それら』を試すための恰好の場と考えて貰って良い」 長剣を正眼に構えると、彼の全身にゆったりと、だが強い『戦意』が漲っていく。レアルのような爆発的な圧力こそ無いが、逆に深く重苦しい空気が伝わってきた。 最初こそ気乗りのしない試験ではあったが、ようやくここまで来て前向きになってきた。己の強さが現段階でどの程度にまで到達したか。Aランク冒険者直々に判断を下してもらおうではないか。 元の世界に帰る手立てがまだ見つかっていない以上、しばらくは精霊術の世話になるのだ。レアルと最近は手合わせしていないし、『格上相手』に今の俺がどれだけ通用するか、知っておくのも悪くない。 両の手、足に装着してある装具の具合を確認しながら言った。 「一つ............頼みがある」 「何だ? 手心の申し出は受け付けないぞ?」 「この実力試験の内容は、なるべく他言無用に頼む」 「............つまり、出し惜しみは無いと受け取っても構わないか?」 俺の全力とはつまり、精霊術を十二分に発揮するという事だ。そうなればこの場にいる全員が、精霊術が魔術とは別の『異端』であると気が付くだろう。何せ魔力が込められていないのだから。だからどうした、という話ではないが、もしかしたらそこから問題が発生する可能性も否定できない。 「いいだろう。最低限、リーディアル様への報告は必要だが、それ以外の者には漏らさないと誓おう。シナディ君もそこの二人も構わないか?」 了承を得たところで、俺は懐から似非魔術具として以前にも使用した青い宝石を取り出した。そいつを起点に氷を生み出し、お馴染みの大斧を具現した。 「武器をあらかじめ用意しておくのはルール違反じゃねぇよな?」 「構いません。ですが、その一つ以上を生み出すのは控えてください」 ルキスとの決闘の時もあらかじめ氷の斧を用意していたし、問題にならないのは把握済みだ。 「では、両者ともに構えてください」 シナディさんがそっと片手を上げる。 俺は斧を両腕で持って構え、アンサラも集中するように目を細めた。 後より答えを出す者 』。バルハルトが過去に見た彼の戦いぶりから察するに つまり、あえて敵に攻めさせ、致命的な一撃を返すということか。 斧を持つ腕に力を込める。柄の上部を握る方の腕を小さく引き絞る。 そして。 「ーーーーーー開始してくださいッッ!」 シナディさんの手が振り下ろされるのと同時に。 「ふッ!!」 秘技ーー『武器とは投げるものだ』ッ! 試験の開始に併せて武器を迷わずに投擲した。 最低限の腕力に精霊の力を加えれば、殆どノーモーションで十分すぎる威力の投擲が放てる。いくら洞察力に優れていても、行動の『起こり』が見えなければ対処も遅れるだろう。 だが、Aランク冒険者の行動は俺の予想を軽く突破した。 アンサラは目の前に投擲された斧を、手持ちの剣で軽く受け流しながら踏み込んだ。まるで、最初から俺が斧を投げると分かっていたかのように。 「ふむ、予想通りだな」 俺の想像を肯定しながら、アンサラがさらに踏み込む。俺が離そうとしていた距離を逆に縮めてくる。長剣の間合いに入り込むなり、後方に飛び退こうとしていた体勢の俺に長剣が振るわれた。 ーーーーバギンッ。 手甲の覆われていない左側の二の腕を狙った斬撃は、仕込んでいた反応氷結界の防壁によって阻まれた。僅かに目を見開くアンサラを余所に、俺は斬撃の勢いそのままに吹き飛ばされる。 ーーーー予定とは随分段取りが異なったが、間合いを離すという事に限れば成功だ。反応氷結界を開始早々に一つ失ったのは痛いが、逆にこれ一つで済んだと安堵するべきか。 「............自動発動型の魔術式か。上位の魔術士は自身への防御が疎かになる傾向があるが、君には当てはまらない様だ」 アンサラはすぐに追撃することなく感心したように呟くが、俺は答える間も惜しんでイメージを練り上げる。 「か、カンナ氏。超本気でござるな............」 超本気だよクロエ。最初の一手で早々に理解させられた。 後手だの先手だのを考えていたら、即座に切り捨てられる。強引にでもこちらのペースを作り出さなければ一瞬で終わる! 「全弾ーーーーッ、一斉掃射!」 『点』ではなく『面』をカバーするように、氷円錐を全て発射する。 「一カ所を狙い撃ちにすれば避けられると判断したか。悪くはないが、甘いな」 アンサラは迫り来る氷円錐の雨に欠片ほどの動揺も見せず、ゆったりとした足取りで踏み出した。 「ーーーーッ、あれだけの攻撃をッ」 バルハルトが目の前で起きた光景に驚愕した。アンサラは散歩をするかのような緩やかな足取りで、氷円錐の雨を『通り抜けた』のだ。 「数を増やしすぎたようだな。制御が行き渡らず、僅かばかりに隙間が残っていた。そこを突けば、案外難しくない」 や、無理だろ! 「ーーーーまだ終わりじゃねぇ!」 精霊術で生み出した氷は、精霊の加護が抜けるまでは俺の支配下にある。アンサラの背後の地面に突き刺さった氷円錐の一本ーーそこに宿ったままの精霊に命令を下し、アンサラを背後から狙う。 「躊躇無く敵の背後を撃つか。どうやら心構えの甘さは無いらしい。重畳だ」 アンサラは振り向きすらせず、満足そうに言いながら背後から飛来する氷円錐を半身になって回避する。 実は、アンサラの背後を狙う一発が本命だったのだ。正確には、氷円錐一斉掃射で動揺を誘い、背後からの一発でさらに時間を稼ぐ予定だったのである。ところが実際には、氷円錐一斉掃射はびっくり回避法でやり過ごし、背後からの一発もまるで効果無し。 この後の展開はまだ考えていなかった。考える時間を作ろうとした事前策は効果を発揮することなく全てが潰されてしまった。 「ーーーーその時間を与えるわけにはいかんな」 俺の心の内を先取りする言葉を発しながら、アンサラが再び踏み込んできた。俺は両腕の手甲に氷を纏わせて面積を広げ、防御を固める。繰り出される素早い剣戟を大振りになった手甲で受け止める。踏ん張りを利かせていたおかげで最初の時のように弾かれる事はなかったが、反撃に出られるほどに堪えきれなかった。 ーーーーバギンッ! 繰り返される斬撃が氷の手甲をくぐり抜け、右腕の反応氷結界が効果を発揮し砕け散る。 「その様子を見ると使い捨てか。ならば、同じ部位に続けて攻撃を与えればーーーー」 そこから続けて右足部、左の脇腹の氷結界も砕かれる。これ以上砕かれると、防御しきれねぇッ。 「こなくそッッ!」 そこから更に何度か斬撃を受け止めると、俺は氷の手甲を弾けさせ、その礫をアンサラに見舞う。アンサラは装甲が弾けるタイミングを察していたように自ら後ろに飛ぶと衝撃の殆どを逃がし、地に着地すると間髪いれずに突っ込んできた。 とにかく距離と時間を稼がなければ。俺はバックステップをしながら氷手裏剣を投擲。対してアンサラは踏み込みの速度をいささかも衰えさせず、小盾と長剣を使って迫り来る氷の刃を全て弾き飛ばした。 またも肉薄するアンサラ。上段から迫り来る刃。また近距離での斬り合いに捕まれば同じ事の繰り返しだ。反応氷結界の結晶も残り少ない。 (これはあんまりやりたくないんだがッ!) 意志に答え、俺の躯が両腕の氷に『引っ張られる形』で後方へと一気に運ばれる。単純に後方に飛び退くよりも速度をもった移動。アンサラもこれには反応しきれず、振り下ろされた長剣は空を切った。 「ーーーーっぁぁ、きっついなこれッッ........................!!」 両腕の『空中制御』を解除すると、ズキリと、頭の芯に鈍痛が走る。 精霊術を利用すれば、俺の躯ごと氷を動かせるのは先日開発した技『アイスボード』で証明済みだ。ただし、アイスボードをあらかじめ地面を蹴って加速を付けた上で操作しているの比べて、今のはほぼゼロからトップスピードに移行した。初速が無いだけあって精神力の消費も激しい。車で言うところの、ギアをファースト、セカンドを飛ばしてトップに入れたようなものだ。 食べ歩きツアーの最中に思い付いた回避方法なのだが、緊急時には役に立つが多用が出来ない欠陥技に留まっている。 (後先考えてる暇は無いなっ) 俺は空中に巨大な剣を具現化し、勢いをつけてそのまま地面に突き刺した。次の瞬間、氷剣山波が発動し試験会場の床を飲み込んだ。 「なりふり構わなくなったか」 剣山の波が襲い来るも、アンサラはどこまでも冷静だった。彼はその場で両足を曲げると勢い良く跳躍した。波打つように地面から突き出す剣山の波を飛び越えると、既に『波』が終わった剣山の先端に、片足で上手に着地した。 予想外すぎる。氷剣山波は技の起点から順次目標に向かって剣山が突きだしていく技だ。つまり、技の威力が最も高いのは波の最前列であり、そこから後ろは既に波が終わり殆ど静止状態にある。そこに着地すれば理論上は攻撃力は無い。 しかしまさか静止しているとはいえ、鋭い剣山の先端に着地すると誰が思うか。靴底が特殊な素材で構成されているのか、剣山が刺さる様子もないし、また滑ってバランスを崩す事もない。 彼はそのままもう一度跳躍すると、俺の頭上に到達した。 精神の枯渇の影響か、躯が回避行動に移らない。氷の移動を使った緊急回避も精神が持たない。それでも俺は咄嗟に左腕を上空に向け、なけなしの精神力を消費し氷円錐を具現しアンサラへと発射した。 だが、アンサラはドコまでも俺の予想を越えていく。彼は左腕に装備している小盾を掴むとそれを腕から外し、円盤投げの要領で投げ放ったのだ。 俺とアンサラの中間点、俺の発射した氷円錐とアンサラが投げた小盾が激突し、双方ともあらぬ方向へ弾き飛ばされた。俺と彼を阻む存在が、なくなる。 ーーーー斬ッ! 上空から振り下ろされた大上段の一刀が、掲げていた俺の左腕を斬り飛ばした。 灼熱の痛みが切断面から伝わり、口から絶叫が発せられる。自然と足から力が抜け、地面に膝が付く。 吹き出す鮮血を身に浴びたアンサラは、剣を振り下ろした恰好からゆっくりと立ち上がると、剣から血糊を払い鞘に収める。そしてこちらに背後を向けると、遠くへ弾き飛ばされた盾を拾おうと歩き出す。 「シナディ君。彼の治療をーーーー」 俺へ向けてた視線が、完全に外れた。 まさか、ここまで圧倒的な展開になるとは思っていなかった。 精霊術という強力な武器を手に入れ、目の前に現れた敵は形はどうあれ撃退できていた。心の片隅で『俺も意外とヤレるな』という気持ちを抱いていたのは間違いない。 戦いの最中に急成長し、強敵に撃破ーーという展開は確かにお約束だ。だが、悲しいかなその『お約束』を展開するための下地が俺にはない。そんなことが出来るのは『あの天才』ぐらいだ。 こうして『強者』の前に血に塗れで力尽きるのが結末だ。 ............普通に精霊術を使ってもアンサラの反応速度では避けられる。 ............ならば普通でない方法で氷を生み出すしかない。 ............そいつを凍らせば、最速で威力が出る攻撃ができる。 ............たかが試験だ。命を賭けるほどのことではない。 だがーーーーやられっぱなしと言うのは............面白くない。 俺の最大の武器は、精霊術でも相手の意表を突く作戦でもない。 ーーーーーー最後の最後まで足掻き抜く............土壇場根性だ! (終わりの合図は、まだ聞いてないぞアンサラッッ!) 激痛をさらなる気迫で消し去り、 「ーーーーーッッ、がぁぁあああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああああッッッッッッ!!!!!」 俺は今度こそありったけの精神力を使って精霊に呼びかけた。 意図せずに絶叫が迸り、外れていたアンサラの意識がこちらに戻ってしまうが、もう遅い! 断ち切られたままの、左腕を。 そこから吹き出す鮮血を 「ぐぉおッ........................ッッッ!」 傷を与えた刃と同じ色彩が傷跡から流れ出た。 (腕切られてまで作った傷が、頬の一つかい) 多大な悔しさと、小さな小さな満足感を胸に抱いて。

Since then, I went there on many occasions and became acquainted with the soldiers stationed there. 「Oh, Kannkun. Hunting again today?」 「Yep. I'm here to procure some eggs from the crimsonwing bird.」 「That one huh. Its highly delectable even if fried. I'm not dissatisfied with my current job, but seeing adventurers freely hunting magic beasts as ingredient sometimes makes me jealous.」 「ahaha So, am I cleared to go?」 「I'm sorry but regulation calls for a check-up, so let me at least confirm your request acceptance receipt. Just because we're acquainted, I can't let you through without one.」 「No no. That much is natural. Here.」 I hand over the rolled up receipt taken from my waist pouch to the on-duty soldier. He looks a bit surprised after scanning the paper. 「I'm surprised. I heard that you only became E-rank just a while ago but now you're already a D-ranker.」 「Well, this and that happened and I got promoted.」 「You're talking like its not about you.」 After receiving my receipt with a polite smile, I bid the soldier goodbye and steps into the forest. The crimsonwing bird is a magic beast with grey torso and red wings. A single bird ranks the lowest in strength amongst E-rank magic beasts. Its D-rank designation is related to the bird's habitat. The outskirts where E-rank magic beasts roam about is a relatively safe area but as one moves deeper into the forest, danger levels of magic beasts increases sharply. Its too dangerous an area for a person with neither knowledge nor ability to enter. In fact, the crimsonwing itself is often sighted at the outskirts of this great forest. In terms of ingredient however, it is categorized as [unsavory] and even if that was not the evaluation, the bird has no suitable body parts to be processed. In short, crimsonwing birds does not qualify for a request of any kind. But, when its [eggs] come into play, the evaluation does a complete 80 and thus crimsonwings obtained the ranks of a high-quality ingredient. If one intends to obtain the egg, one first needs to search for the nest but the crimsonwing bird nests in an area one step deeper than the outskirts. It is the whereabouts of D-rank magic beasts. This request was commissioned as a D-rank request to address the difficulty of reaching the objective rather than because of the magic beast itself. 「Do I make it into a sunny-side-up or a tamagoyaki?」 In search of a new and delicious ingredient, I'm aiming deeper into the forest without neglecting caution. Speaking of which, I haven't eaten rice lately. I must ask Chloe to make sure if rice is available in Hinoizur or not. There's so much similarity to j.a.pan's culture there, so rice will probably be present as well. Rather, if they don't have it, I'll conclude that Hinoizur is a separate civilization isolated from j.a.panese culture. While I'm thinking that sort of things, it appears that I've entered the deeper layer. The region where D-rank magic beasts inhabits. In other words, the second layer? I'm sensing a slight increase in presence. From here on out, its an unknown area for me. Gonna have to focus my mind. I proceed through the forest while paying attention to my surroundings. Crimsonwings has the habit of nesting on a specific type of tree. In other words, the eggs are easy to find if I can locate that particular tree. I double checked the description of the tree from my magic beast encyclopedia, which crimsonwings nests on, with Cindy-san when I accepted this request. The tree trunk seems to have a distinct feature and if I look at the real thing, I'd be able to easily recognize it. 「............Is that it?」 20 minutes after venturing into the second layer. Its trunk has a more reddish hue than other trees with a smooth-looking texture. No doubt that it's the tree I'm looking for. Looking up, I can spot a nest made of branches nestled between two trunks about 5 meters above ground. The reason why crimsonwing birds chose this tree to nest on was to protect it from attacks of other magic beasts in search of their eggs. The trunk of this tree is smooth enough to make a sound if rubbed with a finger. Other magic beasts can't climb this tree due to this smoothness. And even if nails were to be used, other obstacles awaits. Naturally, both the deterrents work against humankind too. Even if the intense smell can be put up with, that slippery smoothness will be a major obstacle to the person climbing. Adventurers employ some other means to collect the eggs. Some climb other trees and jump across from it. Others throw stones to drop the nest. Climbing the red tree by hooking a rope to the branch seems to be a common method. 「Here goes.」 At the base of the tree, I crouch down and put my hand on the ground. After wis.h.i.+ng for it lightly, my underfoot freezes over and with a crackle, an ice column extends to the air with me on top of it. It's an ice-style elevator. It's similar to a plastic egg pack I often see in a supermarket. The interior is inlaid with cus.h.i.+ons to absorb impacts so that it won't break even under intense movement while the exterior feels like a box made out of wood. I need six eggs for the quota this time. The nest I found earlier had four eggs and I secured two of them. The reason I did not swipe them all is because there is a possibility for the crimsonwing lovebirds to never again produce more eggs. The guild also warn against such action. Afterwards, I go around locating more trees and smoothly secure more eggs. The outcome. A sum total of 8 eggs is now inside the case. Of course, the excess are for my own consumption. I close the case firmly and shake it lightly to confirm there's no sound produced from shaking. There seems to be no problem with it so I throw it into my guild-issued bag. According to a waitress from the diner, any cooking method involving the crimsonwing's egg can be completed in a short time. a.s.suming that is so, then I can have it for late lunch or dinner today. And since its already past noon, let's enjoy it as a late lunch. Or maybe I should have a light lunch and look forward for dinner. I'm kinda wavering between those two options. As I'm thinking about such easy-going thoughts, the very next moment it all scatter away. 「............hn?」 A sludge-like dark presence is coiling around my skin. As the gra.s.s rustles from swaying, a familiar figure appears from behind it. ーーーーーbang! It took me a while to recall the unfamiliar explosive sound. A [round pebble] penetrated my breastplate. Blown away by the impact, I slid on the ground and crashed into the foot of a nearby tree. Ruks Abern is greatly fl.u.s.tered. Until a month ago, he had great ambitions. Although born as the second son of a duke, he was unlikely to inherit the position. The same rule can be applicable for most n.o.ble household. The second son onwards are only reserves for when the eldest son cannot succeed their house for some reason. Ruks Abern was by no means inferior in intellect but his arrogant mind which does not pay heed to civilians was not acceptable in the eyes of his father and eldest brother. Hence, the reason why he was barred from territory management. Fortunately, he had a genius level of ability in martial arts and he chose the path of an adventurer in order to rise up using it. Although some bit of trouble occurred during his registration exam, he managed to somehow become an E-rank adventurer. He thought that his days of glory would finally begin. As it naturally should be, that is. He hired escorts for his first request as an E-rank, just in case. He couldn't afford to stumble at the very first step. Befitting a person of a n.o.ble birth such as himself, steps must be taken in the unlikely event of an accident. Among his hired escorts, a beautiful black-haired beastmen caught his eyes. The woman accompanied a latecomer examinee at the time of E-rank registration examination. Her black hair and wolf ears instantly revealed her origin as a black wolf clan member. The Black Wolves are a clan of beastmen inhabiting a far away country. It is said that their physical ability far surpa.s.ses other clans of beastmen. It is also said that their Lord commands their absolute obedience and loyalty. Even further than that is that some aristocrat deserved to be called a n.o.ble just by having a Black Wolf as a retainer. Ruks believed he will eventually make it big as an adventurer. If he manage to obtain the beautiful black wolf, his prestige will increase. As soon as the request was over, he approached the black wolf woman and made a proposal for her to become his subordinate. However, the reply that came back was a rejection not unlike a disparagement. His proposal, as the second son of the Duke, was rejected with a mixture of insults. No matter how famed the Black Wolves are, that was much too irreverent for a member of a Duke household. Moreover, her friend who came in late also joined the conversation and made a fool out of Ruks. He lost his composure too much and could not remember what happened afterwards. When he woke up, he was lying down inside a room within the guild with his head hurting for some reason. Ruks wanted to somehow punish those two offender for their affront but since the guild has extraterritorial right within its building, that discretion was left to the guild master. The former S-rank adventurer reigns inside the guild and authority of a duke was hardly able to influence her. However, the guild master was a personage who understood the situation. She respected his will as a member of the duke household and was able to mediate for him a duel for honor's sake. It was an opportunity. By demonstrating his ability, his plan was to make the black wolf woman to acquiese his worthiness to become her Lord. The other offender on the other hand was to be shown the power at the disposal of a high n.o.ble. His opponent was a C-rank and a newly registered E-rank. His forces on the other hand, includes two C-rank escorts with himself being equivalent to a C-rank. There was no reason to lose. He was planning to crush them [head-on] in a [fair and square] manner to show them their place. Of course, it was necessary to show disparity not only in terms of ability but also in terms of financial strength. Immediately after receiving consent for the duel, Ruks went to the armor shop in the capital and replaced the armor of his two escorts from iron amor to mithril alloy armor. ーーーHe wanted to erase his memory from that point. The duel began and the situation was locked into a stalemate right after it commenced. One of the offender, a white-haired man used a cowardly move to defeat one of his escorts. The duel was ordered to be recommenced without any acknowledgement to his protest. It was not supposed to end up that way. If he had been able to fully demonstrate his ability, the commoner would not hold out, even by hanging on the skin of his teeth. Such a result should have been nullified. However, the guild master and the rank adventurer who bore witness to the duel does not entertain his objection. ...............The story didn't end there. A few days after the duel. There are three fact that awaited Ruks as he recovered from the shock of defeat. The escorts who was supposed to hired on a long term contract came to him with the intention of revoking the contract. They told him that following him any further would greatly hurt their career as adventurers. Such a disrespect for the second son of the Duke. For their discourtesy, Ruks fired those two on the spot and drove them away without receiving [anything] for the breach of contract. A reminder came for him from the finance company, demanding payment for mithril alloy armor he prepared for the duel. Only at this time did he regret his earlier action. When he drove them away, those escorts still wore the mithril alloy armor. They offered to return the armors but in his anger, Ruks yelled at them to chase them out. Once that happens, they have owners.h.i.+p of said armor. They also said that they will be leaving Draknil soon, so he could not retrieve those armors even if he wanted to. And lastly. After sending away a representative from the finance company, Ruks sent a letter to his parent. The content are for asking additional funds in order to pay for the purchased mithril alloy armor. However, what came two days later was not a gold letter but instead it's a letter expressing [disownment]. ............His head blanked out at the revelation. Even if he read it over and over and over again, the [disownment letter] reads as nothing else but a [disownment letter]. As a result of all three predicament, Ruks only had his previously owned money at hand. He needed 100 gold coins for the two armor. In contrast, 20 gold coins was all he had. The next day after his head went blank, the one who visited him was not the representative the other day but some giants, who in a sense, was making a living in a rougher style compared to normal adventurers. To tell the truth, a letter came to the finance company from the Duke household. Its content can be summarized as [the second son is disowned, therefore we do not have the obligation to pay for his debt]. Those giant men enters the scene to prevent a debtor from s.h.i.+rking their debt and collect said debt by using [any means] necessary. The finance company depend on the giants in order to collect debts. For the first time in his life, Ruks realized he was at the [edge of a precipice]. s.h.i.+rking a debt that went through a legitimate transaction is undeniably a crime. If he cannot pay off his debt by the due date, he will be charged as such. In addition for penal servitude for a certain period of time, the penalty for failing to settle a debt is an increase of 20% from the remaining amount which must be paid through severe forced labor. Ruks was desperate in trying to repay his debt. Wages that can be earned through forced labor are very miniscule and even earning a single piece of gold coin will take at least two months. It was too frightening a prospect for him to even think about laboring for 100 gold coins. The first course of action Ruks took was to check out of his 3 silver coins per-night hotel to a cheaper inn with a rate of 2 copper coins per night. He was under a great stress due to the sudden drop from heaven to earth and had no other choice but to suppress his tears in a situation where he could not afford wasteful expenses. Ruks' remaining debt was cut to half. The payment deadline is one month later. He worked himself desperately. Two silver coins per request, such is the rate for an E-rank request, His labor earned him four coins so far. If he does not complete requests in droves, repaying his debt will be just a dream within a dream. For most days, he received and completed three requests per day. Luckily for Ruks, most E-rank requests were completed at the guild's receptionist counter. Supposing if he met commoners and aristocrats lower than a Duke, the unscrupulous behavior ingrained within himself would have flared up. In the worst case scenario, his adventurer's qualification could be temporarily frozen. But even that haughty mannerism was gradually sc.r.a.ped off as he imagined the harsh punishment of a daily labor awaiting him in the event that he could not repay in time. While accepting his requests, various regrets flash through his mind. Why did he hire escorts for an E-rank request? Combining the train wreck of the chronological order of events with his regrets surfacing little by little, Ruks' anger which had nowhere to go continued to seethe within him. However, all his time were occupied by requests and earning more for his debt, leaving none that can be used for venting. And then, he managed to earn 40 gold coins. But the deadline was the very next day. Ruks was dangerously close to his mental and physical limit, but he must persevere for the remaining 10 pieces. His two swords are now worn-out from lack of maintenance due to him being too preoccupied. A p.a.w.nshop a.s.sessed that two of it sold together would net a 5 gold coins. In other words, in one way or another, he must somehow obtain 5 gold coins by the end of the day. Ruks went to the guild with impatience weighing heavily on his mind. However, with his one month experience, he can determine that it is almost impossible to earn 5 gold coins by the end of the day with only E-rank requests. There was just not enough time. When Ruks came to his senses, he was already in front of D-rank's bulletin board instead of his usual E-rank. His mind was in chaos due to his impatience. With no time to waste, Ruks tried to immediately head back to E-rank bulletin board. It was then when he saw him. The [main culprit] who drove him into this situation. The feelings that were smoldering in his chest threatened to overflow. But he cannot afford to spend time on his grudge. He accepted an E-rank request in a hurry. Even though he knew there was not enough time, he still had no choice but to move. The destination was the Yuri Great Forest. The forest had been his hunting ground for so many times in the past month. Before he was aware of it, he was already into the second layer of the forest. Since his target is an E-rank magic beast, he had no business in this place. He tried to return where he came from when he saw the white-haired man in that area by pure coincidence. Only this time, he could not hold back the dark feeling he suppressed earlier. Perhaps, one of the reason was the lack of human presence around them. He wondered why did he hold his breath and crept closer to the white-haired man? What was he trying to do? His free hand stretched into his waist pouch and his fingertips touched a [gun] he had hidden inside it. The gun was a birthday present from his father when he was still a child. Even if he was desperately in need of money, that alone he could not let go. In his mind, if he sell even that, then that would be the moment when he loses his connection to his father in the truest sense of the word. His heart was beating so loudly that it reached his ears. Ruks slowly pulled the gun out while trembling. He practiced shooting several times when he was at his former home. That was why he knew he will not miss his mark from this distance. ーーーWill not miss? Why did he thought of that? What was he trying to shoot? The white-haired man turned towards his direction. He should not be able to see Ruks hidden behind the bushes. And yet, the man's line of sight was on point, shooting straight at Ruks' hidden position. ーーーbang! When he realized it, Ruks had already jumped out of the cover and fired his gun. It made a small hole in the man's breastplate and the impact caused him to be blown away. Ruks finally returned to his senses after watching the man crash into the ground. At first, he could not comprehend what he did. However, a shot was evidently and undeniably fired from his gun...... ............Reality began to creep into his mind as he registered the collapsed white-haired man with the smell of gunpowder wafting about him. 「No...............no...............」 The gun fell out of his hand. If only that was a mithril alloy but that was a ma.s.s-produced iron breastplate, with strength and thickness appropriate for its raw material. The bullet easily penetrates through that level of protection and pierced into flesh and blood behind it. In other words, Ruks shot a man and killed him. He is now trembling terribly, teeth rattling and shoulders shaking. Up until this moment, he had killed countless magic beasts, earning money from the materials he dismantled from them. To an extent, he does have experience partic.i.p.ating in the cycle of life. But, not once did he ever killed a fellow humankind. At this very moment, Ruks is experiencing [murder] for the very first time in his life. In his mind, he was prepared for the [eventuality]. However, he did not expect to lose his mind and commit it on impulse. Whereupon. Faster than he can scream under the crus.h.i.+ng weight of a [murder]. 「Phew, that surprised me.」 ーーーThe white-haired man who got a hole in his breastplate arose as if nothing had happened. A few seconds of utter silence drifts in the air This time at last, Ruks screams from the bottom of his heart.

その日のうちに訪れたのは、以前にツノウサギの狩猟をした森だ。その後も幾度となく足を運んでいるので、屯所に駐在している兵士とは顔見知りになっていた。 「お、カンナ君。今日も狩りかい?」 「ええ。ベニハネ鳥の卵を取りに来ました」 「あれかぁ。あれは目玉焼きにしても絶品だからなあ。今の仕事に不満はないが、魔獣食材を自由にできる君たち冒険者がたまに羨ましくなるね」 「ははは。んで、通っても良いですか?」 「すまないが規則なので依頼の受註証の確認だけはさせてくれ。顔見知りだからといって素通りは流石に許されなくてね」 「いえいえ、当然です。どうぞ」 腰の携帯鞄に丸めて仕舞っていた受註証を駐在の兵士さんに渡した。内容を確認する兵士さんは目を通すと小さく驚く。依頼状にはギルドが発行した証の印と依頼の内容、冒険者のランクが記載されている。 「驚いたな。つい先日にEになったばかりと聞いていたが、もうDランクか」 「や、なんか成り行きで上がってました」 「そんな他人事みたいに」 愛想笑いを浮かべながら返却された依頼証を受け取り、兵士さんの別れを告げて森の中に入った。 ベニハネ鳥は、胴体は灰色、翼は赤い羽根で覆われた魔獣だ。単体の強さはEランクの最低ライン。それがDランクの依頼として発行されているのはその生息域が関係している。 この森の正式名称は『ユーリィ大森林』と呼ばれる広大な森だ。大森林の表層にはEランクの魔獣が出現する比較的安全な地域だが、中心に進むにつれて魔獣の危険度が跳ね上がる。何の知識も実力も持たない者が入り込むには余りに危険地域なのである。 実はベニハネ鳥自体は大森林の表層でもよく見かけられる。だが、食材としては『不味い』部類に入り、そうでなくても加工して扱うには不適切な魔獣だ。依頼を出すほどに求められてはいない。 が、その『卵』となると評価が一転、高級食材の仲間入りを果たすのだ。 卵を採るのならば巣を探す必要が出てくるが、ベニハネ鳥はDランクの魔獣が生息する、森林表層から一歩深みに進んだ地域に巣を作る。よって、この依頼のランクは魔獣の強さよりも、目的の卵に辿り着くまでの難易度なのだ。 「目玉焼きにするか卵焼きにするか」 捕らぬ狸ならぬ卵の黄身算用............違うか。新たなる美味食材を求め、だが油断はせずに森の奥を目指す。 そうだ、卵かけご飯も............しまった、米がない。そういえば最近白米を食ってないな。由緒正しき日本人なので、割と真剣な問題だ。や、近頃は魔獣食材のおかげで舌は肥えてきたが、やはり白米の味が恋しくなってくる。クロエに聞いてヒノイズルに米がないか確認せねば。あれだけ日本文化に似ているのだから米ぐらい置いてあるだろう。むしろ置いてなければ俺はヒノイズルは日本文化とは隔絶した文明だと判断するね。味噌汁があって米がないなどあり得ない。 何のかんのと思考している間に、どうやら表層から一歩深みに入り込んだようだ。Dランクの魔獣が生息する地域ーー言うなればか。僅かながら気配に鋭さが増した。ここからは俺にとって未知の領域、気を引き締めていこう。 周囲に気を配りながら森の中を進む。ベニハネ鳥は特定種類の樹木の上に巣を作る習性がある。言い換えれば、その特定種類の樹木さえ見つけられるのならば発見はたやすい。 「............こいつか?」 第二層に入り込んで二十分ほどだ。 他の樹木よりも赤みが強く、肌触りもツルツルした幹。教わった樹木に間違いないな。上を見上げれば、地ートルほどの位置の幹と幹の間に木の枝が集められて作られた鳥の巣を発見だ。 ベニハネ鳥がこの木に巣を作るのは、卵を求めて襲いかかる他の魔獣から巣を守るためだ。この木の表面は、指で擦れば音がでるほどによく滑る。魔獣は木を登ろうにも、このツルツル感のせいでまともに登ることができないのだ。そして、爪を立てて登ろうとしても障害がまだ残る。幹の赤みは樹液の色であり、指の第一関節ぐらいの深さまで抉られるとそれが滲み出す。この樹液が曲者で、魔獣が嫌う臭いを発するのだ。表面のツルツルと内面の樹液により、ベニハネ鳥は安心して巣を作り産卵ができるのだ。 もちろん、魔獣除けの天然防犯装置は人間相手にも同じく。キツい臭いは我慢すれば何とかなるにしろ、表面のツルツルは人が登るにも大きな障害となる。冒険者が卵を採るには木に登るための策が必要になってくる。 他の樹木に登って飛び移る。石を投げて巣を落とす。枝にロープを引っかけて登る、などが一般的な方法らしいが、もちろん俺は俺らしい方法を取る。 「ほいっとな」 木の根本に立つと、しゃがんで地面に手をおく。軽く念じれば、足下が瞬時に凍り付き、そのまま『バキバキ』と音を立てて氷の円柱が俺を乗せたまま天へと伸びる。氷式自前のエレベーターだな。巣のある高さまで到達すれば、目的の卵を無事に発見した。 卵はそのまま狩猟袋に放り込まず、ギルドから支給された専用の保存箱に納める。スーパーの売場でよく見かけるプラスチック製の卵パックに近い形だな。激しい動きでも割れないように卵を納めるくぼみの周囲には、衝撃を吸収するクッションが敷き詰められ、その外側に木製の箱がくっついている感じだ。 今回の狩猟で必要なのだ。今発見した巣には卵あったので、そのうち二つだけを確保する。全部を取らないのは、そうするとベニハネ鳥が二度と卵を生まなくなる可能性があるかららしい。ギルドでも、巣の卵を取り付くしてはいけないと注意している。 俺はそれから幾つかの木を回り、順調に卵を確保していく。結果、合計の卵をケースの中に納められた。もちろん、あまりの二つは俺が自分で食べる分だ。 これであとはギルドで狩猟物を納品すれば依頼は完了だ。食堂の従業員さんの話では、ベニハネ鳥の卵料理はどのような調理法でも短時間で済むそうだ。とすれば、遅めの昼食か晩飯に卵料理が食べられる。 なんて事を考えていたのだが、そんな気楽な思考は次の瞬間には霧散していた。 「............ん?」 ヘドロのように暗い気配が肌に絡みつく。 草がガサリと揺れれば、その奥から見覚えのある人物が姿を現す。 ーーーーバンッ。 どこからか聞き慣れない破裂音に数瞬遅れて。 衝撃に吹き飛ばされた俺はそのまま地面を滑り、付近の木の根本に激突したのだった。 ルキス・アーベルンは、大いに焦っていた。 一ヶ月前ほどまで、彼は大きな野望を抱いていた。 貴族の次男として生まれたものの、彼に公爵家を継ぐ可能性は低い。だいたいどこの家でも同じだが、貴族の次男以降とは長男が何かしらの問題で家を継承できなかった場合の予備軍でしかない。次男でありながら兄を大きく超越した才能を有しているなら下克上もあり得るし、またそれに及ばずとも補佐として兄の手助けをする者もいるにはいるので全てではないが。 だが、ルキスは頭は悪くなかったが、民を省みない傲慢な考え方が父や兄に認められず、領地の経営には一切触れることができなかった。せいぜい、地位の権力を笠に着て領内で偉ぶる程度が限度。そして領民からの評判の悪さがやがては父の目に留まり、ある程度の金を渡されて半ば追放気味に領地を追いやられた(ある程度、とは言うが平民なら大金である)。 幸いにも武に関しては天才的な能力を秘めていた彼は、己の才覚のみで成り上がろうと冒険者の道を選んだ。登録の際には少々のトラブルはあったが、どうにか無事にEランクの冒険者になることができた。 ところが、である。 Eランクの一番最初に受けた依頼に、念のために護衛を雇った。こんなところで躓いてはいられない。高貴なる出自である自分に万が一があってはならないのだ。 その中に黒い髪の美しい獣人が目に留まった。登録試験の時、遅れてやってきた受験者の付き添いとして同行していた女性だ。黒い髪と狼の耳から彼女が黒狼族だとすぐに判明した。 黒狼族は遠くの辺境国に住まう獣人の一族。他の獣人族を凌駕する身体能力と、主には絶対服従の忠誠心を持っているとされ、一部貴族の中には黒狼の配下を持つだけでも名君に値するとまで言われている。 いずれは冒険者として名を上げる予定だ。黒狼の配下を持つことができれば箔が付く。そう思った彼は依頼が終わり次第、黒狼族の女性に自らの配下になる提案を持ちかけた。 だが、返ってきた返事は罵倒にも等しき拒絶。公爵家の次男である己の提案を、侮辱を混ぜて跳ね返したのだ。いかに黒狼の者とはいえ、公爵家の人間に対して余りにも不遜だ。 しかも、遅れてやってきた女の仲間も加わり、そろって小馬鹿にしてくる始末。頭に血が上り過ぎてその後の記憶が曖昧だ。後頭部がどうしてか痛んだが、気が付けばギルドの一室で寝込んでいた。 しかし、ギルドマスターは話が分かる人物であった。公爵家の一員たる自分の意志を酌み、名誉を懸けた決闘を取り付けることができた。 チャンスだった。己の力を示すことにより、黒狼の者に主に相応しき自分の力を認めさせ、もう一人の下手人には高貴なる者の血筋とはどのような力を持っているかを知らしめるのだ。 相手はEランクになりたての素人に、Cランクが一人。対してこちらはCランクの護衛者二人にC相当の実力を持った己だ。負ける道理がない。『正々堂々真正面』から粉砕し、身の程を教えてやる。 もちろん、実力だけではなく財力の面でも格差を示す必要がある。決闘の承諾を頂いた直後に町の防具屋に赴き、護衛者二人の装備を鉄製からミスリル合金製の鎧に買い換える。流石にミスリル合金の鎧ともなると所持金は足りず、金融業から『借金』をしてしまった。一個人が持つには『大金』ではあるが、『公爵家の力』を持ってすれば『小遣い程度』の金額だ。 ーーーーそこから先は思い出したくもなかった。 決闘が始まり、戦況が膠着したのは序盤のみ。下手人の片割れ、白髪の男は卑怯な手を使い護衛の一人を倒してしまう。こちらの異議を認められずに仕切り直し。『義憤に駆られる』彼はこの手で白髪の男を打ち倒そうとするも、罵詈雑言を並べてこちらを嘲笑い、またも卑怯な手を持ってして己を敗北に追いやる。 こんなはずではなかった。己の実力を十全に発揮できていたのならば歯牙にも掛けぬ下民だった。あんな結果は無効であるべきだ。しかし、その申し出を立会人となっていたギルドマスターやAランク冒険者は取り合わず、敗北の烙印は動かぬ称号となった。 ............話はそれだけでは終わらなかった。 決闘から数日後。敗北のショックから立ち直った彼を待ち受けていた事実だ。 一つ。長期の契約で雇っていたはずの護衛が、その契約を破棄したいと申し出たのだ。これ以上彼について行けば、冒険者としての経歴に大きな傷が付くと言い出したのだ。公爵家次男に対してなんと無礼な。彼はその場で護衛の冒険者二人を解雇、契約の違約金も『何も』受け取らずに追い払った。 二つ。決闘の際に用意した『ミスリル合金』の鎧の代金を払う際に利用した金融業者からの催促だ。この時ばかりは彼も「しまった」と後悔した。追い払った際に元護衛たちはミスリル合金の鎧を着たままだ。その返却も申し出ていたのに、怒り任せに怒鳴って追い返してしまった。こうなってしまえば鎧の所有権は彼らにある。すぐさまドラクニルを出るとも言っていたし、後を追って取り返すこともできない。 そして三つ目。 取り立てにきた金融業者を一度追い返し、彼は実家に手紙を送った。内容は購入したミスリル合金の鎧二着分の立て替え。 ............頭が真っ白になった。 何度も何度も何度も読み返しても『離縁状』の内容は『離縁状』に他なら無かった。立て替えの催促状よりも早くに、リーディアルのしたためた事の顛末の書状が公爵家に届いており、その内容を読んだ公爵家当主は大激怒。直後に届いた『催促状』を読んだ瞬間に破り捨てたのだ。 対して所持金は、金貨二十枚。 思考が停止してから翌日、泊まっていた宿に踏み込んできたのは先日の金融業者ではなく、ある意味冒険者よりも荒事を生業にしている強面の巨漢たちだ。実は彼が借金した金融業者の方に、公爵家当主の方から手紙が届いたのだ。「次男は勘当し、こちらに彼の尻拭いをする義理はない」との内容で。 巨漢の男たちは、借金の踏み倒しを阻止し『いかなる方法』を使ってでも回収する取立屋。金融業者が彼らに依頼を出し、代金の回収を図ったのだ。金貨百枚ともなれば貸す方にとっても間違いなく大金だ。ただでくれてやるほどお人好しではない。ましてや相手は、もはや公爵家の人間ではなく勘当された一般市民だ。遠慮する理由はない。 この時初めて、彼ーールキスは己が『崖っぷち』にいることを自覚した。 正当な取引を経た借金の踏み倒しは立派な犯罪だ。もし期日までに借金を返済しなければ罪に問われる。借金の踏み倒しに対する刑罰は、一定期間の懲役に加え、借金の残額に二割を増した金額を過酷な強制労働によって返済しなければならない。 彼は必死になって借金返済に奔走した。 強制労働で稼げる賃金は非常に安く、金貨一枚を稼ぐのでさえ最低で二月は掛かる。金貨百枚ともなれば考えるのすら恐ろしい。逃亡を図ろうにもドラクニルから外に出る道には借金苦に逃げだそうとする者達を捕らえる為に取立屋が目を光らせており、もし捕まれば刑罰がさらに重さを増す。 まずは日に銀貨三枚の掛かる宿を引き払い、銅貨二枚の安い宿へと移った。まさに天から地へと落ちたかのような環境の急変に大きなストレスを溜めながら、だが無駄な出費ができない状況に涙を呑むしかなかった。装備も得物の二剣以外を全て売り払い借金返済の足しにした。凝った意匠と高価な素材が使われていたことが良かったのか、これで金貨三十枚を稼ぐことができた。 借金の残りは金貨五十枚。 支払期限は一ヶ月後。 Eランクの仕事など、一件で銀貨二枚。稼げて四枚だ。数をこなさなければ借金返済は夢のまた夢。日に多ければ三件の依頼を受けた。 ルキスにとって幸運だったのは、Eランクの依頼はギルドの窓口で処理が完了する類がほとんどだった事だ。もし仮に平民や公爵未満の貴族らと直接顔を合わせれば、それまで身に染みていた厚顔無恥な態度によって依頼を取り上げられ、最悪の場合は冒険者資格の一時凍結もありえた。 その横柄だった態度も、日々の重労働と借金が返済できなかった場合の刑罰を想像すると徐々に削り取られていった。 依頼を受けているうちに様々な後悔が押し寄せてきた。 なぜたかがEランクの依頼を受けるのに護衛を雇ったのか。なぜ護衛が離れるとき違約金を貰わず、あまつさえ鎧までもくれてやったのか。なぜ黒狼の女を無理矢理配下に加えようとしたのか。 時系列もめちゃくちゃに、ぽつりぽつりと浮かび上がる己の後悔に、行き場のない怒りがわき上がる。だがそれを発散する暇もなく依頼を受け、借金返済の資金を稼いでいく。 だが借金返済の期日は明日に迫っていた。もはや心身ともに限界に近く、だが残り金貨十枚を稼がなければならない。 得物の二剣は忙しさの余りに手入れを怠り、もはやぼろぼろだ。売ったところで二本合わせて金貨五枚だと質屋には宣言された。つまり、今日中にどうにか金貨五枚を工面しなければならない。 内心に大きな焦りを抱きながら、ルキスはギルドに足を運んだ。だが、この一ヶ月の経験で、たった一日と少しで金貨五枚を稼ぐのはEランクの依頼では不可能に近いと判断できてしまう。どうしても時間が足りないのだ。 大きな焦りに混乱してしまっている。一刻も時間が惜しい中、ルキスが即座にEランクの掲示板の方に向かおうとしたその時。 見つけてしまったのだ。 己をこんな状況に追いやった『元凶」が。 向かう先はユーリィ大森林。この一ヶ月で幾度と無く足を運んだ狩猟場だ。駐屯の兵士に叩きつけるように依頼の受註証を見せると、急いで森の中に入った。だが、焦りが焦りを生んだのか、獲物を前にしても取り逃しが多く、また必要以上に損傷させて納品できない様になってしまったり。 獲物を求めて森の奥へ進んでいく。いつの間にか表層から深い位置へ足を踏み入れてしまったようだ。依頼を受けた得物はEランクの魔獣なのでこの場に用はない。 何の偶然か、あの白髪の男を森の奥に発見したのだ。 先ほどは耐えた筈の薄暗い感情を、今度は押さえきれなかった。おそらく、周囲に人気が無かったのも要因の一つだろう。 どうしてだろうか。息を殺して身を屈め、白髪の元へと忍び寄っていた。己はいったい何をするつもりなのか。何がしたいのか。ただ手元は、携帯袋に伸び、指先がその中に隠し持っていた『銃」に触れていた。 この銃は、幼少の頃に父親から送られた誕生日の品だ。金策苦であってもどうしてかこれだけは手放せなかった。これを売り払ってしまえば、本当の意味で公爵家ーー父親との繋がりが無くなってしまうと思ったからだ。 心臓の鼓動が痛いほどに高鳴り、耳にまで届く。震える指先でゆっくりと銃を引き抜く。射撃の練習は、実家に居たときに何度か試した。この距離なら外さない。 ーーーー外さない? 何を外さないと言うのだろうか。己は何を撃つつもりなのだろうか。 白髪の男がこちらを向いた。茂みの奥に隠れた己は見えないはず。なのに男の視線は一点、自分が隠れた位置を射抜いていた。 ーーーーバンッ! 気が付けば、ルキスは草陰から飛び出し、銃の引き金を引いていた。 音を立てて地面に転がった白髪の男を目に、ルキスはようやく我に返った。 今自分は何をしたのか、最初は飲み込めなかった。 だが、銃の弾丸が放たれた証拠............火薬の燃え尽きた臭いと倒れて動かなくなった白髪の男を目に現実が脳に染み込み始めた。 「あ............あ............」 銃が手からこぼれ落ちた。 ミスリル合金ならともかく、大量生産品の鉄の胸当て程度の強度と厚みなら、銃の弾丸は易々と貫通しその奥の生身を穿つ。 これまで何体もの魔獣を殺し、そこで得た素材を元に金を稼いできた。多少なりとも命のやりとりには触れてきた。 だが、これまでの人生でたったの一度も人を殺した経験は彼にはなかった。この時この瞬間、彼は生まれて初めて『殺人』を経験したのだ。 心の中には『いずれは」という覚悟はあった。だが、ほとんど我を失い、衝動的に殺人を犯すなどとは思ってもいなかった。 彼が『殺人」という重みに耐えかねて絶叫を上げるよりも早く。 「ああ、ビックリした」 ーーーー胸の鎧に穴を空けた白髪の男が、何事もなかったかのようにむくりと起きあがったのだった。 数秒間の間を置き。 今度こそルキスは心の底から絶叫を発したのだった。

By me... (hereinafter abbreviated) Rewinding time to when Kanna was making various kinds of ruckus in the Adventurer’s Guild. As soon as she returned from Mount Serafide, Philias reported the [Devil’s resurrection] but only to the highest level of personnel within the castle. An existence that terrorized the kingdom’s capital years ago and the name has since permeated into the lives of the kingdom’s citizen, though in the form of a fairy tale. Accounts of the Devil was also preserved in the kingdom’s official record and if the revival of [that] were to be known, there will be pandemonium. Philias mobilized a part of her royal guards to form a top-secret Devil tracking unit. Even if the other party harbored no hostility, investigating her movement is a necessary precaution. Now, we turn to the three heroes who had the tables turned on them by the devil in their first campaign. By the time a little over than a month had pa.s.sed after they were summoned, if it is limited to only combat capability, theirs has risen to the extent that they are not at all inferior to a B-rank adventurer. If active adventurers who struggled to reach that rank were to hear that speed of progress, it would make them go mad with jealousy. 《review. rword myb.flow grammr》 There is no denying that the three heroes were blessed with a good environment. A large amount of materials were needed to develop magic tools for Misaki and Yuuzuki. It has to be capable of complementing Misaki’s martial arts and magical apt.i.tude in the entirety while for Yuuzuki, withstanding his excess supply of mana would be the priority focus for development. Fortunately, most of the materials were provided by the castle’s stockpile. Apart from Misaki who could only utilize and deploy simple magical formations, Yuuzuki and Ayana read the grimoires carefully, absorbing knowledge of various types of magical formation. As a magician, they were already superior than a royal court magician. But it should be noted that the reason why the three of were able to fully take advantage of their environment was because of their outstanding [talent]. 「Now might be the right opportunity.........」 The three of them are chatting inside a guestroom for their intended use after they finished training for the day. Ayana breaks a new topic after their conversation came to a halt. 「Opportunity.........about leaving this castle? 」 「Yes. More than a month has pa.s.sed since we were summoned to this world. I believe we have acc.u.mulated enough combat power and common sense to become independent. If we stay any longer than this, sentiments and obligations will increase, making it harder to escape. both mentally and physically.」 In response to Misaki’s question, Ayana provides further explanation. 「Is this okay? Even if they’re obliged to provide accommodation after summoning us, we’ve received a lot of favor from the people of this castle and to say that we won’t be returning the favor is............ Besides, it’s not an exaggeration to say that our equipment comes from the tax-payers’ money.」 「That’s true. I was planning to run away from the start but we’d be practically the same as thieves if we just up and leave without doing anything. If we execute it poorly, we could even be wanted for theft.」 The former was mainly driven by emotion while the latter by materialistic viewpoint. Ayana interjects to explain what she had prepared in antic.i.p.ation of this. 「Anyway, in terms of material, there is no need to worry. Although it is a bit regrettable, I will disa.s.semble all the equipment and development devices I have created up till now and revert it all back to the original [material]. For materials that cannot be reverted back, we will replace it with material from magic beasts we subjugated recently. By doing this, we should be able to zero out loans between us and the people of this castle.」 The main purpose was to acquire as much real combat experience as possible but it was also for the purpose of ama.s.sing large amount of rare materials that magic beasts would drop. They would reimburse materials that cannot be reverted back by allocating some of those dropped from magic beasts. 「But then, we’ll have no equipment left for a fight, won’t we? Are you really going to start making it from scratch again?」(hetare) 「There is no oversight on my part. I have already set aside a portion of the magic beast materials for our new equipments. Still, it would result in a downgrade of our current equipment but I should be able to adjust it so we can get used to the new equipment immediately.」(ayana) 「Y-You’re as astute as ever, Ayansan.」(hetare) Her thorough preparation made her two friends slightly taken aback. 「With that said, I am sorry to ask this but can both of you bring me your equipments later? I will start replacing our equipments and disa.s.semble the things I made from this castle’s stockpile so that we can escape at any time.」 By using Ayana’s [Origin] attribute in tandem with alchemy, even alloys made of three or more metal const.i.tuents can be separated with a 100% purity. 「But, if we change our equipment, won’t the others suspect anything?」(hetare) 「It should be fine if we say it’s a new model. I think a little downgrade shouldn’t be too suspicious if we stick to [we’re not used to it yet] as the reason.」(misaki) 「I wonder if such a straightforward excuse could be accepted.」(hetare) 「It will be effective precisely because we will openly declare it.」(misaki) 「I’ll be counting on you then.」(hetare) According to Ayana’s plan, at the very least, they will be able to zero out material loans. After that, their path will be clear if they can take care of any lingering sentiments. 「B-But I don’t think that the people of this country are planning anything. They are all good-natured people. We don’t have to be in a hurry to run away, don’t we?」(hetare) 「That’s true. At least most of those close to us are good people.」(misaki) When Yuuzuki tries to interject, Misaki cut him off with her own words. 「Certainly, those maids who took care of us and those soldiers who accompanied our training, whether they are civil servants or military personnels, they are all good people. I won’t deny that.」(misaki) 「Then...」(hetare) 「While that may be true, it doesn’t mean that the whole country is the same.」(misaki) Of course, in a collective group of people, the whole country’s populace cannot all be good natured. Misaki knew that the higher one’s position is, the more necessary it is to have the capacity for both light and darkness. 「I’m sure that the citizens in this country are good people. But even after a month of a.s.sociating with Princess Philias of the Royal Family, I still can’t place my trust on her.」(misaki) 「What!? Hasn’t Fii been supporting us ever since the summoning!?」(baka hetare) 「Well of course she would. With such a vague reasoning like [to save this world], she could not afford displeasing us in any way. Therefore, the first cla.s.s hospitality we received, don’t you agree?」(ayana) Usually, one would be ecstatic at the high cla.s.s treatment and afterwards, placing full confidence towards Princess Philias and those serving her would not be too much of a surprise. In fact, Yuuzuki is almost convinced of Philias’ trustworthiness by this point of time. 「But I want to believe in her.」(oo baka) The female camp could only shrug their shoulders and sigh at Yuuzuki’s persistent [protagonist] antics. They feel like a woman who cannot abandon a useless man but there is no romantic feelings involved. Rather, it is their deep sense of camaraderie that prevented them from forsaking him. Both of them also understand why Yuuzuki felt the way he did. It is hard to believe that Philias, who helped them in various things, would harbor malicious intent but even so, there are too many [mysteries surrounding the princess] and it cannot be brushed off as a [virtuous kind of secret]. 『『If only Kanna(kun) is present at times like this.』』 Despite being a hetare, Yuuzuki sometimes shows obstinacy at an odd timing such as this and the person he will absolutely obey is only Kanna. The two girls are simultaneously thinking of said young man whose whereabouts is unknown. Both of them are halfway to seriously considering whether or not to restrain Yuuzuki’s whole body like a caterpillar and kidnap him away when push comes to shove. A sound of knocking from the door attracted the attention of the three heroes who were absorbed in their conversation. 「Esteemed heroes, Princess Philias calls upon your presence.」 Hearing the summon from a lady attendant on the other side of the door, the heroes put an end to their conversation to comply with it. As they walk out of the room, Misaki and Ayana bear in mind not to show their distrust towards the princess. Under the guidance of the lady attendant, they arrive at a conference room. Philias was already waiting inside. 「I apologize for interrupting your break.」 Philias dismisses the attendant and invites them to have a seat. A sofa was prepared for each of them. 「So, what do you want to talk about? It couldn’t be for a tea party since you expressly summoned us to the conference room, right?」 For Misaki’s outspoken words, Philias responds with a smile and says... 「There was a lot governmental affairs to be sorted out, true and if possible, I myself would love to have a relaxing tea time with our heroes.」 After the preamble that sounds not unlike an idle complain, Philias tightens her expression and immediately move to the main subject. 「Everyone, do you know about the Diagal Empire?」 「If I remember correctly, it is a nation ruled by the Dragonkin, isn’t it? Their entire territory is a danger zone inhabited by numerous magic beasts. On the other hand, it is also a land rich in natural resources with abundance of raw materials from magic beasts.」(ayana) 「Dragonkin is it......... Along with the Aquafolk, we haven’t met one yet, right?」(misaki) Aquafolk’s dwelling are confined to the coastline. They would be a rare sight in the landlocked capital of Yulfilia. As for the Dragonkin, they are fewer in number compared to the other races in the first place and most of them reside within the Diagal Empire. 「So, what’s the matter with the Diagal Empire?」(misaki) 「.........This is a highly cla.s.sified information. There are reports of the Devil sighted in the empire.」(black) The three heroes gulp at the revelation. Even Yuuzuki with his cheat-like light attribute spell [Overdrive] activated, was unilaterally driven out of commission while the combined effort from Misaki and Ayana could not even draw the attention of the devil. 「Is that true?」(ayana) 「A similar person was confirmed in the capital city of Diagal Empire, Draknil. That report was sent by a citizen of this country during his stay there. His reported person greatly resembles the one we had. Surely, it is the devil.」 「That report is very vague, isn’t it?」(ayana) 「To ascertain the truth, he followed after her but he lost sight of her in the crowd.」 Philias exhales slowly to release tension from her body which had acc.u.mulated unnoticed. 「However, that is the only report we have from the recent search effort. We are far too lacking in information to overlook this.」(black) 「Hold on, I have a question. If I’m not mistaken, the travelling distance between Yulphilia’s royal capital and Diagal Empire would’ve taken more than a month using a normal route, wouldn’t it?」 Serafide Mountain is an area that cannot be traversed with an exception for a limited number of people. It takes at least three weeks on a large detour around the mountain to reach the opposite side. From there, one would finally enter the Diagal Empire’s territory after travelling for another two weeks or so. If one wants to send a letter from this side, it will take more than a month to arrive there. Furthermore, a reply letter would have taken the same amount of time and after receiving the order to search for the Devil, he could not have possibly found a [trace of her] immediately. At least two month would be needed for the search. Thinking about it normally, it would have taken more than three months for any kind of report to arrive. 「We provided those entrusted with the investigation a special magic tool. Using it, it is possible to instantly converse with someone far away for a short period of time.」(black) 「A magic tool for communication, right?」(ayana) 「Correct, Ayansan. However, as this magic tool requires rare materials for its production along with its high difficulty to create, only a limited number could be prepared. The only drawback is it cannot be reused again without filling it with mana for a minimum of 3 days.」 「In other words, you told the [intelligence operative] who are staying in that region about the characteristics of the devil and received a report from said operative that stated he found someone who resembled the aforementioned devil. Is that what happened?」(ayana) The search area for the investigation team organized by Philias is limited to within the borders of Yulfilia. In that case, the search effort for other regions can only be left to those who are already there. 「By intelligence operative.........you mean like those [spies] inside movies?」(dai aho no hetare) The surprised Yuuzuki alternates between looking at Ayana and Philias. By no means would he believe that Philias would dispatch a covert operative to another country. Ayana who could tell just what kind of image of a spy he is thinking of from his expression wants to sigh. 「It is not at all strange if I might add. Even if we have an amicable relations.h.i.+p with another country, it is not a good reason for neglecting information gathering.」(black) 「You do realize that it’s not the kind of spy that flas.h.i.+ly does a car chase scenes or the one bombing everything left and right, don’t you? Don’t go believing everything they show you in movies.」(ayana) Even though he was an excellent student at school, why is that his head is filled with flowers? He is dreaming far too deep in dreamland. 「S-So Fii, this spy of yours found the devil, right? So what should we do?」 Even he could notice the already delicate situation deteriorating even further, so Yuuzuki forcibly steer the conversation back to the devil. Philias takes a deep breath and then, with a serious expression, says... 「I apologize for the abruptness of it but I ask of everyone to depart for Diagal Empire [early in the morning tomorrow] and ascertain the truth in the report. If it is true that he found the devil, I would like you to confirm her true intention.」 Ayana just barely managed to endure her expression from becoming [sharp]. Looking at the other two, Yuuzuki was surprised, as he usually does but Misaki holds the same feeling as her. 「.........It’s certainly abrupt, Fii」 「If I accompany you, we will be able to pa.s.s through Serafide Mountain and a journey that should take more than a month could be reduced to nearly half. However, it will still take around two to three weeks. With every pa.s.sing moments, the likelihood for the devil changing location will increase. Hence my abrupt request but the sooner we depart, the better. I trust Misaki-san should be able to comprehend as much.」 「Well, yeah.」 Fumbling for a bit, Misaki nods in a.s.sent, as calmly as she could while suppressing her bitterness. Ayana on the other hand, stops herself from clicking her tongue through sheer will. 『Dismantling both equipments and development devices will take two days, including adjustments for new magic tools. I do not think I will be able to complete it all in half a day.』(ayana) Any adjustments for the new equipments (though a degraded copy) could be completed during their travel but the problem lies with the [dismantling]. Many of the equipments used to develop magic tools are too large to be transported and could only be used within the royal castle. 『.........If we delay the departure without any valid excuse, she will suspect something. No choice then. I will stay up all night to thoroughly dismantle all of the equipments and complete the replacements while on the move.』(ayana) After departing from this city, it will be more than a month before she could return. Thus, her determination to burn the midnight oil, forgoing sleep. Her mind is working at full capacity, organizing what needs to be done by tomorrow. 「I understand. Please leave it to me. I will show you my brilliant display of taking down that devil!」(baka hetare) 「As one would expect of my yuushsama!」(scheming black) ...............How did it come to that? Suddenly, the situation progressed into that direction following a certain person’s disappointing remark in which he uttered after jumping into conclusion, causing the other two reflexively exclaiming in their mind [my brain hurts]. Misaki could no longer persevere at this point, holding her head to endure the headache. Wasn’t the initial request to verify if the devil is truly in the empire and if she does, they need to ascertain her intention? Yuuzuki clenches his fist while being oddly enthusiastic and Philias’ cheeks reddens with feverish pa.s.sion as she gaze upon him. Outwardly, it is a very picturesque scene but the truth behind it is so disappointing that if it is made into a portrait, even an antique shop would only accept it is dirt cheap. They are very curious about what kind of unusual conversation could ever sidetrack a search mission and replace it with a [subjugation] task but conversely, they are scared of the answer. It would probably be answered like a third-rate play that they could not even tsukkomi at from the start to finish. 『『If only Kanna(kun) is present at times like this!!』』 Despite being able to read the situation, that young man would have kick its b.u.t.t and ruin the atmosphere by throwing tsukkomi left and right. Thus, the heroes party will embark on a journey to Diagal Empire.

我で(以下略)。 カンナが冒険者ギルドで色々と騒ぎを起こしている頃にまで遡る。 セラファイド山から城に帰還するなり、フィリアスは『魔神復活』の報を城の上層部にのみ伝えた。 年前、王都を恐怖に陥れた『魔神』の存在は、お伽噺での形でだが国民の大半に浸透している。公式の記録にも残っている『それ』が復活したなどと知れ渡れば大混乱が起きる。『本人』は既に復讐心も失せている口振りだったが、それを国民が知る由もなく、現時点での者に留めておくしかなかった。 フィリアスは近衛騎士隊の一部を使い極秘の魔神捜索隊を編成させた。相手に敵対の意思が無くとも動向を探る必要がある。霊山の麓にある村にも捜索の手は伸びたが、魔神の影は無かった。強いて言えば捜索隊の様子を興味深そうに眺めている幼い少女が一人だけいたが、些細である。 さて、最初の大勝負で魔神に軽く返り討ちにあった勇者三人である。 あれから奮起した三人は一層に戦闘訓練に取り組み、召喚されてから数えて一ヶ月と少しを越える頃には、三人の戦闘能力に限ればBランク冒険者にも劣らない程に上り詰めていた。苦労してそのランクに到達した現役冒険者達が聞けば、嫉妬に発狂したくなる程の上達速度だ。 環境がよかったのは否定できない。 美咲の格闘技能と魔術適性、有月の有り余る魔力を十全に発揮するために必要な魔術具の開発には大量の資材が必要であったが、大半は王城の備蓄で賄うことが出来た。 そこに加えて、王城には莫大な量の魔術関連書籍が保存されており勇者の権限で閲覧可能。単純な魔術式しか扱えなかった美咲はともかく、有月と彩菜はそれらを読み解き様々な魔術式の知識を取り込んだ。もはや、魔術士として腕は宮廷魔術士よりも勝るほどだ。 もっとも、これらの環境を余さずに利用できたのは、三人の『才能』が飛び抜けていたからである。 「潮時かもしれませんね............」 その日の訓練を終えた三人が与えられた客間で団欒していると、会話が途切れるなり彩菜が切り出した。 「潮時............この城を出るって事?」 「ええ。この世界に呼ばれてから一ヶ月以上が経過しました。一般常識にしても戦闘力に関しても、独り立ちには十分だと思える程度には蓄えが出来ました。これ以上留まれば、下手な情やシガラミが増えて、立場的にも精神的にも抜け出しにくくなります」 美咲の疑問に、彩菜は続けて根拠を述べた。 「いいのかなぁ。いくら召喚した負い目があるといっても、この城の人たちには沢山世話になったし、その恩を返さないって言うのは............。それに、僕たちの装備はいわば国の血税で揃えて貰ったといっても過言じゃないし」 「そうよね。そりゃ元々逃げ切る気でいたけど、ここまでして貰って何もいわずに去るのは殆ど泥棒も一緒よねぇ。下手したら盗難の罪で指名手配を貰っちゃいそうだし」 有月のもっともな言葉に少なからず美咲も同意した。前者は主に感情面。後者は物資的な面でだが。 そこに、彩菜は用意していたように説明した。 「少なくとも物資の面では心配ありません。少々惜しくはありますが、今日までに私が制作した装備や開発設備は全て分解し元の『素材』にまで還元します。消費して還元のしようが無い資材に関してはここ最近で討伐した魔獣の素材を代替にします。これで私たちと王城の人間の間にある貸し借りはゼロになるはずです」 セラファイド山から帰還してすぐに、彩菜の提案で、有月達は王都の周辺地域に出回り、ひたすら魔獣を狩り続けていた。実戦の経験を多く積むのが主な目的だったが、魔獣が落とす希少な素材を大量に抱え込むためでもあったのだ。これを使い、返済しようがない消耗した素材の返済に割り当てる。 「でも、それじゃぁ僕たちが戦うための装備が無くなっちゃうよ。まさかまた一から作り始める気?」 「抜かりはありません。今の装備の代わりは返済用とは別にため込んだ素材を作って制作してあります。流石に現在の装備より多少のグレードダウンは強いられるでしょうが、すぐに慣れる程度にまでは抑え込めました」 「あ、相変わらず抜け目がないね、彩菜さん」 友人の用意周到ぶりに有月も美咲も若干引いた。 「なので、申し訳ないのですが後ほどの装備を持ってきてもらえませんか? いつでも逃亡できるように装備を入れ替えて、城からの素材で作った方は分解してしまうので」 彩菜の持つ『元』属性と錬金術を組み合わせれば、三つ以上の金属を混ぜ合わせた合金も、純度百パーセントの状態でそれぞれに分離できるのである。 「でも、装備が変わったら他の人に疑われない?」 「新型を作ったと言っておけば大丈夫でしょう。多少のダウングレードも『慣れていないから』という理由をくっつけておけばそれほど不審に思われないはずです」 「なんでそうもずばずばと言い訳が出てくるのかしらね」 「ハッタリは堂々と言うほどに効果が出るのですよ」 「頼りになるわね、本当に」 彩菜の策により、最低でも物資的な恩はこれで貸し借り無しにまで至る。後は感情の面で踏ん切りをつければ問題はクリアだ。 「で、でも。僕はこの国の人たちが何かを企んでいるようには思えない。みんな気の良い人達ばかりだったよ。そう焦って逃げ出す必要なんてないんじゃないかな?」 「そうね。少なくとも私たちの身近にいる人達の殆どは善良な人達なんでしょうね」 有月が尚も留まろうとするのに対し、美咲は含みのある言葉で返した。 「確かに。生活の世話をしていた給仕の人達や訓練に付き合ってくれていた城仕えの兵士達。武官も文官もみんな良い人達ばかりよ。それは否定しないわ」 「じゃあ」 「だからといって、それが国全体が潔白であるのと同然ではないわ」 もちろん、人間の集合団体である以上、国の全てが潔白なはずがない。上に立つ者ほど清濁を併せ持つ度量が必要になるのは美咲とて理解できる。その典型的な見本のような人物が、彼女の傍には『二人』もいるのだ。 「この国の人達が善良なのは間違いないでしょうね。でも、私はこの一ヶ月の付き合いがあっても、王族であるフィリアスってお姫様を信用できないでいる」 「そんなッ!? フィーは召喚された僕らをずっと助けてくれたじゃないか!」 「そりゃぁ『世界を救うため』という曖昧な理由のために召喚した私たちの機嫌を損ねる訳には行かないでしょうからねぇ。待遇も良くなるでしょ」 とても思春期の女子高生が出す結論とは思えない。通常なら高待遇に有頂天になり、フィリアス以下王城の人間に全幅の信頼を抱いてもおかしくない。現に有月は殆ど疑いもなくフィリアスを信用しきっていた。 「でも、僕は彼女を信じたい』 どこまでも『主人公』な有月にやれやれと肩を竦めたくなる他二人。気分は駄目男を見捨てられない女だ。や、恋愛感情は欠片もないが、この友人を見捨てるには深く付き合いすぎていた。 有月の気持ちだって分かる。様々な面で援助を申し出てくれたフィリアスが悪意を持っているとは通常ならば考えにくい。だが、そうであっても彼女に関しては色々と『謎が多すぎる』。そしてその謎がどうにも『善良な隠し事』には思えないのだ。 ((こんな時、カンナ(君)が居てくれれば)) ヘタレではあるが妙なところで頑固なところがある有月。だが唯一、カンナの言うことは絶対的に従う。二人の少女は同時に、行方知れずの少年に思いを馳せるのだった。 扉をノックする音に、話に没頭していた三人の意識が傾いた。 「勇者様方、フィリアス王女様がお呼びです」 扉越しに聞こえる侍女の声に三人は話に区切りを付け、呼び出しに応じた。美咲と彩菜は王女に対する不信感を表に出さないように心掛けて部屋を出た。 侍女の後について行き、会議室に到着。 「休憩中の所、申し訳ありませんでした、三人とも」 フィリアスは侍女に退出を指示し、勇者三人には席に座るように言った。各自が椅子に座る。 「それで、お話って何? わざわざ会議室に呼んだって事は、茶飲み話をするつもりじゃないんでしょ?」 遠慮のない美咲の言葉に、フィリアスは苦笑気味に言った。 「何かと政務が溜まっていまして。本当ならみなさまとお茶を楽しみたいとは思うのですが」 愚痴にもならない言葉を前置きに、フィリアスは表情を引き締めすぐに本題に移った。 「皆様、ディアガル帝国をご存じで?」 「確か、竜人族が統治する国家ですよね。領土全体が魔獣の多く生息する危険地帯。一方で、天然資源や魔獣の貴重な素材が豊富な地だと」 「竜人族かぁ............。水人族と一緒でまだ会ったことないのよねぇ」 水人族の住処は水際に限られており、内陸部にあるユルフィリア王都に滞在中は会うことは希だ。竜人族はそもそも数が他の種族よりも少なく、大半がディアガル帝国に在中だ。 「それで、そのディアガル帝国がどうしたんだい?」 「............これは極秘事項になるのですが、彼の地に『魔神」の姿が発見されたとの報告がありました」 勇者三人は揃って息を呑んだ。 光属性魔術式の反則気味な支援術式『超強化』を発動させた有月を一方的に戦闘不能に追い込み、美咲と有月の全力を持ってしても歯牙にもかけなかったあの氷の魔神だ。 「それは本当のことなのですか?」 「ディアガル帝国の帝都ドラクニルに、似たような人物を確認したと。滞在中の我が国の者から報告があったのです。彼の者の特徴はまさしく魔神に酷似していた、と」 「随分と曖昧ですね」 「真偽を確かめようとどうにか後を追った様ですが、人混みに紛れて見失ってしまったようです」 いつの間にか緊張していた肩から力を抜こうと、フィリアスは息をゆっくりと吐き出した。 「ですが、ここ最近の捜索で唯一の報告です。見過ごすには少々情報が少なすぎます」 「ちょっと質問だけど。確かこのユルフィリア王都とディアガル帝都って通常の道程じゃ一ヶ月以上は掛かるんじゃなかったっけ?」 美咲は疑問を口にした。セラファイド山は限られた者以外は進出不可能の地域だ。それを大きく迂回して対岸に到着するには最低でも三週間。そこからさらに二週間以上の行程でようやくディアガル領内に突入できる。 此方から手紙を出したとして、あちらに到着するのは一ヶ月以上先。さらにそこから返信が来ても同じだけ掛かる。知らせを受けてから即座に『魔神の影』を発見できたわけではないだろう。最短で二ヶ月。普通に考えれば報告が返ってくるまで三ヶ月以上の時間が必要になってくる。 「調査を任せた者達には特殊な魔術具を持たせています。これを使用すれば短時間ではありますが瞬時に遠く離れた相手とも会話が可能なのです」 「通信用の魔術具ですね」 「そうです彩菜さん。ただ、この魔術具は制作に希少な素材が必要になり制作難易度も高いので限られた数しか用意できない上、一度使用すると最低三日の魔力充填期間を置かないと再使用できないという欠点がありますが」 「つまり、魔神の特徴を現地に滞在している『諜報員』に伝え、同じくその諜報員から魔神に酷似した人物を見つけたと、そういうわけですか?」 フィリアスが近衛騎士隊の一部で編成した調査隊の捜索範囲はユルフィリア国内が限度だ。ならば他の地域の捜索は現地にはなっている者達に任せるしかない。 「諜報員って............あの映画に出てくるような『スパイ』?」 いかにも『怪しげ』な役割がこの国に存在しているのか。有月は驚いたように彩菜とフィリアスを交互に見やる。まさか、フィリアスが特殊工作員を他国に送っていたなど信じられない。 「別に不思議ではありませんよ。いくら友好的な付き合いをしている相手とはいえ、情報収集を怠って良い理由にはなりませんから」 「派手なカーチェイスや爆発アクションをするだけがスパイじゃないでしょ。アンタは映画を鵜呑みにしすぎよ」 学業では非常に優秀すぎるのに、どうして有月の頭の中はこうもお花畑なのだろうか。色々と夢を見すぎである。 「そ、それでフィー。そのチョウホウインさんが魔神さんを見つけたんだよね。それで僕らはどうしたらいいのかな?」 旗色が微妙に悪くなったのを流石に察し、有月は強引に話題を魔神の件に戻した。 フィリアスは大きく深呼吸をしてから、真剣な表情で告げた。 「突然で申し訳ないのですが、皆様には『明日の早朝』にディアガル帝国に向けて出発してほしいのです。そして、彼の地で事の真偽を確かめ、もし真実であるならば魔神に接触し、『アレ』の真意を確かめていただきたい」 彩菜は表情に『険』が混じるのをどうにか堪えた。ほかの二人を見ると、有月は普通に驚いていたが美咲は自分と同じ風だった。 「............随分とまた急ね、フィー」 「私が同行すればセラファイド山を越えることが出来るので、一ヶ月以上掛かる道程は半分近くにまで短縮できます。ですが、それでも二週間から三週間近くは掛かります。それ以上の時間が経過してしまえば、魔神がほかの地に移動してしまう可能性があります。出立の時間は短ければ短いほど良いはずです。それは美咲さんもおわかりになるはずです」 「そりゃぁ、ね」 内心の苦みを噛み潰しながら、美咲は平静を努めて頷いた。彩菜は彩菜で舌打ちをする寸前の口内を、意思の力で止めていた。 (装備と設備の分解。新しい魔術具の調整を含めて、二日で終わるのですがね。流石に半日では間に合いそうにありません) 新装備(劣化コピー品だが)の調整は移動中も可能だが、問題は『分解』の方だ。魔術具開発に使用した設備の多くは大きすぎて移動不可能であり、王城に滞在している最中でしか触れない。そして装備の方も、合金製の素材を多く使用しているだけあって、落ち着いた場所での作業が好ましい。 (............下手に時間を延ばせば勘ぐられるかも。仕方がありませんね、今日は徹夜で設備の方を徹底的に分解し、装備の方は移動中にすませてしまいましょう) 頭の中を高速回転させて今日中に成すべき事を組み立てていると。 「分かりました。任せてください。見事に魔神を討ち取って見せます!」 「さすがは私の勇者様です!」 ........................どーしてそんなはなしになったんよ。 思わず『頭痛が痛い』という脳が残念な台詞を導き出したくなるような話の展開だ。美咲を見れば今度は流石に我慢できず、頭痛を堪えるように頭に手をやっていた。 魔神がディアガル領内にいる真偽と、彼女が何を考えているのかを確かめに行くのではなかったのか。どうして『討伐』などという物騒な台詞を気合いを入れて吐き出しているのだ。 有月は妙に気合いを入れて握り拳を作り、それを見るフィリアスは熱に浮かされたように頬を赤らめている。その光景だけは非常に絵になるのだが、内実が残念すぎて骨董品屋に捨て値で売っていそうだ。 どのような会話が成されれば捜索が『討伐』にすり替わっていたのか非常に気になるが、逆に聞くのが怖い。おそらく、三文芝居が過ぎて突っ込みを堪えきれないに決まっている。 ((こんな時にカンナ(君)が居てくれればッ!)) あの少年なら空気を読みつつあえて蹴散らし、盛大な突っ込みをまき散らして場を台無しにしてくれたろうに。 またも二人の心が重なった瞬間だった。 こうして、勇者一行はディアガルへと旅立つことになる。

But my reaction got delayed because there was quite a bit of distance and I only paid attention to magic. The reason was because I only encountered long range attacks in the form of magic ever since I came to this world. I was under the impression that magic was the only method of a long range attack. Attacks unleashed fully through physical mean are, as a matter of course does not contain magic. Whether it is an arrow shot with a bow or a bullet fired with gunpowder, if the process does not include magical element, then there would be no magic present. The culprit who shot me with a [gun] -that n.o.ble botchan- screamed at the top of his lung and got dumbfounded after he fell on his b.u.t.t. He must've thought that I got killed after that shot. Then the next thing he saw was me waking up like nothing had happened. When I unfasten the slightly distorted iron breastplate, I see a small burnt hole. By holding it against the sun, a ray of light s.h.i.+nes through the hole. Now then, there is a good reason why I'm still alive and kickin' in spite of the bullet hole in my iron armor. Placing my hand on my chest, a bullet still having residual heat is stuck in a thin ice sheet covering my body. When an additional image got superimposed into an ice construct created by spirit art, the ice are able to transform freely. But, the change is not limited to [immediate] effect. If I use a precise image, various additional effects such as [delayed activation], [remote activation] and [conditional activation] can be given to my constructs. I realized that perks when I accompanied Chloe in her [new magic] developing session. Can't I do the same with Spirit Art just like how she's creating a [new magic]? That was the trajectory of my thoughts. The spirit-type defensive technique [Reactive Ice Field] was completed a few days after I got promoted to D-rank. ーーーThere is something called [reactive armor] developed back on earth. Once an enemy's bombardment comes flying in, the impact will cause explosive installed within the armor to detonate. It's a highly romantic defense mechanism created to lessen the impact of a sh.e.l.l. Referencing to this mechanism of [responding to enemy attack], I conditioned the defensive spirit art to activate the moment a deadly attack reaches the vicinity of my body which will then create an [ice sheet] to defend me against the incoming attack. The effect was proven when it managed to prevent the bullet that penetrated my armor before it bore a hole into my body. Someone's cooperation was indispensable to clarify this image. What I did was, I asked Chloe to [attack] me. It took a lot of trial and error to determine how much power a fatal attack would produce. Sounds like a fairly versatile defense but there are drawbacks to it. In my case, I use ice crystal [image] instead of explosives, but once activated, the ice crystals break up. Furthermore, my Reactive Ice Field has a very limited sensing range. The range that one crystal can sense is a distance similar to the length from my fingertips to my elbow. It's not a very complicated process but it's not so simple a process that I can perform in the middle of a hectic battle. In other words, there's no other way but to avoid another lethal attack from landing on the same area. In addition to that, since it's not directly controlled by me, I wonder about the maximum load it can withstand? Will it deteriorate with the pa.s.sage of time? There are various issues to address, such as whether a malfunction will occur or not but that will have to be resolved later. Now then, let's set aside the wall of text. I reequipped my pierced breastplate and approach botchan who is still dumbfounded from shock. I grab his collar with both hands and lifts the stunned botchan up. 「Humph!」 「Gah!?」 Shocked by the impact right to his face, the light of consciousness returns to botchan's eyes who is having a nosebleed at the same time. When I confirm his consciousness, I let him go but he plants his b.u.t.t on the ground again. 「Be thankful yo. Cuz I'm willing to settle the price of killing me with only a headb.u.t.t.」 「WhYou bast」 Botchan seems furious, so I immediately produce an ice spear and thrust it in front of his nose. He swallows his words at at that point. 「Don't get any funny ideas. Regardless of your position, it's undeniably me who is making a concession right now. Unfortunately, I'm not a saint enough to just laugh it off when I almost got killed.」 If it wasn't for my Reactive Ice Field, I would be dead by now, or seriously injured at the very least. He sure is bleeding profusely even from a single headb.u.t.t. With the spear tip in front of his face, botchan miserably went [hii]. 「ah More importantly, is the egg safe?」 Though I was able to defend against the bullet, I couldn't absorb all of the impact, so I toss the bag containing the egg's case before I got blown away. I check the contents of the hunting bag in a hurry and take out the egg's case. Fortunately, not a single egg inside the case got harmed. Relieved that my eggs didn't go to waste, I turn my attention back towards botchan. Imagine my surprise when I see him sobbing while spilling tears. eh? Was the headb.u.t.t too painful? Looking at him again, I can see a different ambience compared to the time of the duel. His exquisite looking armor got replaced with a tattered leather armor and his overall appearance looks somewhat dirty. 「I-I am inferior even to eggs.........」 Apparently, he got shocked to be treated more casually than eggs. No no no, you're not that kind of character y'know. You are supposed to be the epitome of a no-good n.o.bility, with a more unscrupulous or rather, shameless att.i.tude. If that was only crocodile tears to invite my negligence, then I'll beat the c.r.a.p out of him, no questions asked. But the problem is, he's genuinely bawling his eyes out. I don't have a grudge against him so much that I'm willing to deliver a final blow in his crying state. (At this point, I kinda forgot the shooting bit.) As I'm standing still while being troubled at the sight, botchan starts narrating on his own accord. It starts after the duel with Chloe and me. His two escorts' breach of contract, followed by a reminder from the debt collector and ending with a letter of disownment from his parent. It was exactly a month of tumbling downhill for him. Well, bluntly speaking, % of it was him getting his just desserts but I'm not cold-hearted enough to cut into his crying narration. And lastly. As soon as he saw me in this forest, he already fired his gun before he noticed what he's doing. With that line, Botchan's story is over. After listening to his story to the end, I first put in a few words. 「.........Y'know, you should've vent out your pent-up resentment when the person in question isn't in front of you.」 When I said that and sigh in exasperation, botchan averted his swollen eyes. Well, it's not my intention to spit it out in front of botchan in particular. Its just that, I just wanted to spit it out to someone. After sending me a brief glance, botchan opens his mouth again. 「hn?」 「Why did you b.a.s.t.a.r.d listen quietly to the end?」 「What are you even talking about after all that one-sided narration.」 「I was spewing my grudge against you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, did I not? Why did you not bash me with abusive language like the other day?」 「Don't lump me spewing insults together with someone who habitually sing poems and praises everyday.」 I say it twice to emphasize its importance. 「Besides, there should have been many opportunity for you to turn the table. Why did you not kill me?」 「.........Beats me.」 The time when botchan (misunderstandingly) shot me to death, supposing if he goes joyful and went [hyahaa~~!] , then I would've responded in kind with an ice axe. But, far from rejoicing, he was heavily colored with confusion and dismay, dropping his gun in the process. To be honest, there is no room for taking his extenuating circ.u.mstance into consideration. Normally, retaliatory self-defense would be pursued. Even so, why did I not retaliate immediately? If I have to put it into word, the strongest reason would be [sympathy]. The stunned look of him immediately after shooting me. The tears he shown afterwards. And the color of his emotion which I felt as he hurl all of his pent-up resentment. All of them are laced with strong regret. 「Instead of answering your question, Imma ask mine.」 I stare into botchan's eyes earnestly. 「Even now, do you still resent me?」 「O-Of course! It was because I lost to you b.a.s.t.a.r.d that I'm in such a filthy looking drab!」 「If that's the case, then why didn't you ever come to kill me?」 「T-That is.........because you b.a.s.t.a.r.d was not in front of my eyes!」 「Then, why didn't you search high and low for me? Like you, I'm also an adventurer. If you stalked the guild for a few days, you could've found me when I'm going there to receive a request. After that, if you ambushed me with your gun when I entered an area devoid of people, you might've stand a chance to kill me.」 「Th-That is.........」 Botchan who couldn't retort immediately is faltering. Well, even if that happened, I'll be able to cope with it, I think. In the event of botchan pointing his gun at me with clear murderous intent, I would've been able to react despite being surprised. Thanks to that, he didn't have any extra time to think about much else. It can also be said that all his extra thoughts are gone. To put in another way, his murderous intent and resentment against me were included in that [extra]. There is mistake in saying that botchan was a foolish one. It's not hard to imagine how he had been freely throwing his weight around with the power of the n.o.bility. In fact, that was the primary reason he got disowned. In spite of that, he is not truly rotten to the core. Otherwise, he wouldn't have considered repaying his debt legitimately. On top of being disinherited, if he can't pay off his huge debt, harsh punishment in the name of force labor awaits him. He was under a lot of pressure. If he gave in to despair and pointed his grudge towards me and Chloe, he would've done anything in his disposal that even a surprise attack from the darkness wouldn't be surprising. ーーーThere was a similar fool by my side when I was young. That guy could do anything provided he'd be given instruction. He could even do more than the one who taught him. And even without tutelage, he could still do anything. But he was more foolish than anyone else around him. However, he's not foolish in the truest sense of the word. Even now, that guy is still a hetare (good-for-nothing) despite being a ikemen as well. That hetare was able to get back on his feet. The idiot in front of me too should be able to do the same. At the very least, if he's stunned after killing a person he hates and express genuine regret over it, then there is a possibility for it. 「You, gimme your hand.」 「ha? What are you............」 「Just do it.」 Botchan didn't understand my reasoning but still holds out his hand, albeit hesitantly. I drop one of the jewel for emergency purpose that I had onto his palm. Botchan got surprised when he recognize the high quality article on his palm. 「Use that to pay off your debt. I guess you can sell that thing for around gold coins.」 「Wh......I will not accept your d.a.m.n charity.」 「But if ya don't prepare gold coins by the end of the day, you'll go through forced labor. Having said that, ya got no other way to obtain five gold coins.」 「Wh-While that may be true, that is no reason for you to pity me!」 「Don't be stupid. I'm just making a [loan] to you. I'll collect it later without fail. Rest a.s.sured, this is a long-term plan with a low interest rate. It's only at a low 0% interest rate every 10 days.」 「Don't take me as a fool! Even though I was disowned by my family, I still take pride in my origin! I have not fallen low enough to borrow from the likes of you peasant!」 「Frustrated?」 「Of course!」 「.........If that's the case...」 I grab the collar of the indignant botchan and bring his face closer as I yell at him... 「If that is your case! Look into my eyes! If only you could get by without being helped by this kinda guy! If only you could get by without being shown mercy! The more you regret it, the more you should make up for it by gaining fame and spreading your name! Go and earn lots more money! While you're at it, be successful enough to show it off to those who cut you off! Be successful to the extent that they will double down on their decision and think about how they shouldn't have done it! If ya don't at least do that much, then you'll just be a genuine loser, ya hear me! !」 Botchan who got initially stunned by my words gradually gains strength in his eyes and clench his teeth to show his determination. There is now a strong light dwelling inside his frail-looking eyes. 「There's no next time yo. Next time ya hit me with a surprise attack, I'll beat ya to death, no questions asked. Be prepared for that time.」 「............Do not underestimate me anymore.」 Botchan grabs my collar in return. 「Fine by me. Bring it on! Let it all come cras.h.i.+ng down! You and my house, I will make all of you regret your decision! Be it the money or the insults, I'll smack it to your face along with a great deal of interest! The words I just said, do not ever forget those!」 「Oo~ Is that so? I'm looking forward to it.」 「I'll surpa.s.s you! The likes of you, I can easily leave you in the dust, just you watch.」 With that said, he let go of my collar to push me away. I also follow the motion without any resistance. Looking angry while standing up vigorously, he then enquires. 「b.a.s.t.a.r.d, your name?」 「Normally, it should've start with your self-intro, isn't it?」 「.........No, you should have heard mine once during the duel.」 Botchan clicks his tongue and then... 「Ruks. I have been disowned. Just call me Ruks.」 「Then, I'm fine with only Kanna too.」 The reason why I didn't give out my surname is because, in this world, only the upper cla.s.s people has surnames. Though I don't worry about it that much. 「ah If you're going to gain fame and spread your name, be sure to do it properly and in an honest way ‘kay. Yer not a n.o.ble anymore, so if I find ya bothering someone, I won't hold back and crush ya.」 When I give him that warning, he shot back with an amazing expression. And to think the reason we got into this situation was because of the duel. Well, I guess it's all right now. I'm not much of a saint to sympathize with someone who tried to kill me unless I'm softhearted enough to help people indiscriminately. But there's no punishment in being nice to people once in a while. With this, it is up to him whether he will bounce back up or fall back down. Oh, I forgot to say one thing. 「Actually, I'm already a D-rank. I'm already one step ahead of ya.」 The enraged botchaーNo, the enraged Ruks' exclamation of annoyance reverberates deep in the woods.

誰かが接近していることは気が付いていた。良からぬ雰囲気を出していることも。だが距離があり、かつ魔術にのみ注意を払っていたせいで対応が遅れてしまった。この世界に来てから出会った遠距離攻撃は、もっぱらに魔術が中心だったことが油断の原因。遠距離攻撃の手段が魔術だけと頭から思いこんでいたのだ。 完全な物理的手段で放たれた攻撃は、当然だが魔力を含んでいない。それがたとえ弓矢であれ、火薬で発射された弾丸であれ、過程に魔術的要素を含んでいないのならば、魔力は宿っていないのだから。 俺を『銃』で撃った本人ーーあの貴族の坊ちゃんは、絶叫を上げその場にぺたんと尻餅をついてから呆然としてた。俺が銃で撃たれて死んだと思っていたのに、何事もなかったように起きあがったからだろう。 少し歪んだ鉄の胸当てを体から引き剥がすと、焦げ目の付いた小さな穴が出来ていた。天にかざすと穴から日光の光が漏れている。見事に貫通しているな。 右手を己の胸元にやると、まだ少し熱を持った弾丸が体を薄く覆っている氷にめり込んでいた。 精霊術で生み出した氷にイメージを注ぎ込むと、氷は変幻自在に形状を変化させるが、何もそれは『即時』に限った話ではない。明確なイメージを注ぎ込めば『時間差』『遠隔操作』『条件発動』など様々な付加効果を与えられるのだ。 その事実に気が付いたのは、クロエの『新魔術』の習得訓練に付き合っていた時。彼女が『新魔術』を操っている時、精霊術でも似たような事ができるのでは?と考えたからだ。結果、思いついた方向とは異なったが、『発動条件の付加』という新たな技術を得るに至ったのである。 そして、Dランクに昇格した後の数日を使い、出来上がったのがこの精霊式防御術『反応氷結界』だ。 現実世界で開発されている『反応装甲』と言うものがある。飛来してきた敵の砲撃を、着弾の瞬間に装甲に備え付けていた爆薬を起爆し、衝撃を逃がすというトンデモ浪漫防御機構だ。 この『敵の攻撃に反応する』という仕組みを参考に、俺の体に致死性の攻撃が加えられると、その瞬間に発動し攻撃が体に届く前に身を守る『氷の膜』を生み出す精霊術だ。効果のほどは鎧を貫通した弾丸を、肉体に届く前に防いだ事で証明された。 反応氷結界の最大の特徴は、俺の意志に関係なく『致死性の攻撃』と判断された場合に発動する点。このイメージを明確にするのには誰かの協力が不可欠だった。何をしてもらったかというと、クロエに俺を『攻撃』してもらい、致命的な攻撃力とは如何ほどかと試行錯誤を重ねたのだ。や、致命的とは言うが、本当に殺す気で攻撃されると俺の体が持たなかったし、クロエもそれは拒否していた。だから『戦闘の続行に支障が出るレベル』の攻撃力を計り、それ以上の攻撃を発動条件に設定したのだ。 割と万能的な防御手段の様に聞こえるが、欠点もある。 まず、この反応氷結界は『使い捨て』だ。実際の反応装甲も敵の攻撃を防いで爆発してしまえば、その部分の爆薬は消費され、装備し直すまで使用不可能になる。俺の場合、爆薬の代わりに『イメージ』を注ぎ込んだ氷を使うのだが発動するとその氷の結晶が砕け散ってしまう。さらに、結界の起点となる氷結晶の感知範囲が非常に狭い。結晶一個がカバーできる範囲が指先から肘あたりまで。なので体の各部にイメージを込めた結晶を仕込んでいるのだが、今の攻撃のせいで胸部に仕込んでいた氷が砕けて使用不可になってしまった。新たな氷結晶を作るまで胸部の防御力は素に戻ってしまう。 大きな欠点をもう一つ上げれば、イメージを注ぎ込むのに多少なりとも時間が掛かること。一日に一個............とまでは掛からないが、落ち着いた場所と時間が必要になる。とてもではないが、戦闘中に動き回りながら作れるような簡単な代物ではないのだ。つまり、同じ部位を致死的攻撃で狙われると防ぎようが無い。 他にも、直接操作しているのではないので、最大どれほどの攻撃を防げるのか。経過劣化はあるのか。誤作動は起こらないかなどの様々な問題点はあるが、これは後々に解決していくしかないだろう。ただ、これらの欠点を加味しても、即死級の攻撃を一度でも自動で防いでくれる反応氷結界の恩恵は得難い。 さて、長々とした説明はそろそろ脇に置いておこうか。 俺は穴の空いた胸当てを装備し直し、未だショックから立ち直れない坊ちゃんへと近寄った。 「ふんぬッ!」 「がッ!?」 顔面に向けて頭突きをかました。顔の正中に衝撃を与えられ、鼻血を吹き出しながらも坊ちゃんの目に意識の光が戻った。それを確認すると、俺は坊ちゃんの体を解放し、彼はまたも地面に尻餅をついた。先ほどと違い、鼻の痛みを手で押さえながら、こちらを睨みつけてくる。会話ができるくらいには気を持ち直したか。 「感謝しろよ。命を狙われた代償を頭突きの一つで終わらせてやったんだからな」 「なっ、きさッーーーー」 坊ちゃんが激情しそうになるが、即座に生み出した氷の槍を鼻先に突きつけられ、言葉を飲み込んだ。 「勘違いするなよ。おまえさんの立場がどうあれ、譲歩しているのは紛れもなく俺だ。あいにくと、殺されかけたのを笑って済ませられるほどに、できた人間でもないしお人好しでもない」 反応氷結界の結晶を鎧の中に仕込んでいなければ、俺は死んでいたかそうでなくとも重傷を負っていたのだ。頭突きの一発でもお釣りが大量に出てくる。 「っと、それよりも卵は無事か?」 銃弾は防げたがその衝撃の全ては吸収できず、倒れた拍子に卵を納めたケースを入れた狩猟袋を放り出してしまった。あわてて離れた場所に落ちていた狩猟袋の中身を確認し、卵入りケースを取り出す。幸いにもケース内の卵は罅一つ無く全てが無事だった。 卵を無駄にせずに済んだことにほっとして坊ちゃんの方を見ると、なんと彼は嗚咽混じりに目から涙をこぼしていた。 え、頭突きがそんなに痛かったのか? や、痛かったのに違いは無いだろうが、泣くほどか。でもさっきはこちらを睨みつけてきたし。 改めて彼の姿を見ると、決闘騒ぎの時と随分と雰囲気が異なっていた。職人技が冴える鎧はボロい皮製に置き換わり、風貌もどことなく薄汚れていた。『没落した貴族』を体現している格好だった。護衛もいないようだし。 「わ、私は卵にすら劣るほどなのか............」 どうやら、卵よりも素っ気なく扱われたことがショックだったらしい。いやいや、君はそんなキャラじゃないでしょうよ。もっと厚顔無恥っていうか恥知らずというか、駄目貴族の典型だったでしょ。 嘘泣きで油断を誘っているのだったら問答無用で殴り飛ばしているが、困ったことにガチで泣きが入っている。本気で泣いている相手に追い打ちを掛けられるほどに俺は坊ちゃんに恨みはない(この時、彼に撃たれたことは忘れてた)。 俺、クロエと決闘を終えた後から始まり、護衛二人から半、借金取りの催促、実家からの勘当。まさに転落人生の見本のような一ヶ月間だった。や、ぶっちゃ九分自業自得だったのだが、泣きながらの独白に突っ込めるほどの冷徹漢でもないしな。 そして最後。この森で俺の姿を目にした途端、気がつけば持っていた銃を発砲していたこと。それを締めに坊ちゃんの語りは終わった。 話を聞き終えた俺はまず一言。 「............恨み辛みは本人が居ないところでぶちまけてくれ」 呆れに溜息すると、坊ちゃんは泣き腫らした目を逸らした。や、坊ちゃん的には俺に聞かせるつもりはなく、ただ胸の内側を誰かに吐き出したかっただけだろう。 「お?」 「貴様はどうして話を黙って聞いていたのだ?」 「一方的に話し始めて何を今更」 「私は貴様に対しての恨み言を吐き出していたのだぞ。どうしていつかのように罵詈雑言をぶつけてこない」 「普段から歌うように罵詈雑言を並べるような人間にしないでくれ」 失礼だな。............本当に失礼だ。大事なので二回。 「それに、私を返り討ちにする機はいくらでもあったはずだ。なぜ私を殺さない」 「............さぁな」 坊ちゃんが俺を撃ち殺した(と誤認)した時、「ひゃっはぁー!」と歓喜の声でも上げていたら、氷の斧をお見舞いしていたところだ。だが、彼は喜ぶどころか狼狽の色が強く、銃を取り落としていた。計画的な犯行ではなく、衝動的な行動だったのだろう。話を聞く限り、死に物狂いで働いていた影で溜まっていた鬱憤が、その状況を作り出した俺を目にした途端、暴走してしまった、とこんなところか。あの絡みつくような嫌な気配の正体はおそらく『それ』だ。 ぶっちゃけ、彼に情状酌量の余地は無い。普通に正当防衛が成立する。 どれもに、強い後悔が滲んでいた。 「答えの代わりといっちゃぁ何だが、逆に問う」 俺は坊ちゃんの目を真剣に見据えた。 「今でも俺を本気で恨んでるか?」 「あ、当たり前だろうッ! 貴様に負けたせいで私はこんな薄汚い格好でいるのだからなッ!」 「だったら、どうしてこれまで俺を殺しに来なかった?」 「そ、それは............貴様が目の前にいなかったからッ」 「だったら、草の根を分けてでも探し出せただろう。おまえさんもそうだが、俺も冒険者だ。ギルドに数日でも張ってりゃぁ、依頼を受けにくる時に見つけられただろう。後は人気のないところに入ったところをその銃で強襲すれば俺を殺せたかもしれない」 「そ、それは............」 や、多分それでも普通に対処できてたとは思う。明確な殺意を抱いて銃を構えたのならば、それこそ不意打ちでも反応できただろう。今回は、ほとんど衝動的な行動だったため、絡みついた嫌な気配はあったが殺気が薄かった。だから反応氷結界が役に立つ結果に終わってしまったが。 彼はこの一ヶ月、生まれて初めて必死に働いた。そのおかげで余計な事を考える暇はなかった。余分な思考が全てそぎ落とされてしまったという。言い換えれば、俺への殺意や恨みはその『余分』に含まれていた。 この坊ちゃんは確かに愚かに違いなかった。貴族の権力を笠に着て今まで好き勝手してきたのは想像に難くない。現にそれが原因で実家を勘当されたのだしな。 でなければ真っ当な手段で借金を返そうとは思わない。なにせ実家からの勘当の上に莫大な借金が返せなければ強制労働の刑罰が待ち受けていると、様々なプレッシャーに追いつめられていた。自棄になり恨みの矛先を俺とクロエに向け、闇討ちでも何でもしていただろう。 そいつは教えられれば何でもできた。 けど、本当の意味で愚かではなかった。 そいつは、今ではヘタレではあるが人の良いイケメンをやっている。 あのヘタレが立ち直れたのだ。俺の目の前にいる大馬鹿野郎だって立ち直れるはずだ。少なくとも、憎い相手を殺したのに呆然としているならば、自分の行いに真っ当な後悔ができるのなら可能性はある。 「おまえさん、手ぇ出せ」 「は? いったい何を............」 「いいから」 坊ちゃんは訳も分からず、だが渋々と手を差し出した。俺はその手の平に、緊急用の金策として持っていた宝石の一つを落とした。 決して安物ではないと分かる品を目に、坊ちゃんが驚く。 「そいつで借金返しな。金分位はあるだろうよ」 「なッ............貴様の施しなど受けんッ」 「けど、今日中に金貨五枚を用意しなきゃおまえさんは強制労働行き。かといって金貨五枚を稼ぐ手立てもない」 「だ、だからといって情けを掛けられる謂れはない!」 「馬鹿言え。こりゃおまえさんに『貸し』を作ってるだけだ。後日にきっちりと取り立てるからな。安心しろ、低金利の長期計画だ。十日で一割なんて暴利は取らないさ」 「ふざけるなッ! いくら家を勘当された身とはいえ私にだって 「悔しいか?」 「当たり前だ!」 「............だったら」 激昂する坊ちゃんの胸ぐらを掴み上げ、顔を近づけ俺は怒鳴った。 「だったら! 俺を見返してみろ! こんな奴助けなきゃ良かったと、情けを掛けなきゃよかったと後悔するぐらいに名を上げてみせろ! 金を稼いでみろ! ついでに、てめぇを見限った実家の奴にも、切り捨てるんじゃなかったと思えるほどに出世してみろ! でなけりゃぁてめぇは正真正銘の負け犬野郎だ!」 俺の言葉に最初は呆然とした坊ちゃんは、次第に目に力が宿り歯を食いしばる。弱々しかった瞳に強い光が宿る。 「次はないぞ。また不意打ちで狙ってきたら、今度こそ問答無用にぶっ殺すからな。その時は覚悟しろよ」 「............ッ、この私をこれ以上舐めてくれるなよ」 坊ちゃんは俺の胸を掴み返してきた。 「良いだろう。上等だッ! やってやろうではないか! 貴様も家も、まとめて後悔させてやる! 金も侮辱も、利子を盛大に付けて叩き返してやる。今吐いた言葉、忘れるなよ!」 「おお、そうかいそうかい。そりゃ楽しみにしてるよ」 「抜かせッ! 貴様など、すぐさまに置き去りにしてやるからな!」 そう言って、彼は俺を突き飛ばすように胸ぐらを手放した。俺も抗わずに坊ちゃんから離れた。肩を怒らせた彼は勢いよく立ち上がると、尋ねてきた。 「貴様、名前は?」 「普通、名乗りってのは自分からだぜ?」 「............いや、貴様は決闘時に一度名前を聞いているはずだが」 坊ちゃんは舌打ちをしてから、 「ルキスだ。もはや家からは勘当された身。ただのルキスと呼べ」 「じゃ俺もカンナでいいぜ」 名字を名乗らないのは、この世界でそれは上流階級の人間しか持っていないからだ。気にせず名乗ったこともあったが。 「あ、名を上げるって言っても真っ当な手段で出世しろよ。もう貴族じゃないんだし、人様に迷惑かけてるの見つけたら遠慮なく叩き潰すからな」 釘を刺しておくと、凄い形相で睨み返された。や、俺たちと決闘に至った原因を思い返してみ? ま、もう大丈夫だろうけどな。 俺は無差別に人助けができるほどにお人好しでなければ、自分を殺しにきた相手に同情できるほどに聖人ではない。けど、たまには人に甘くしても罰は当たらないだろうさ。情けは人の為ならずとも言う。回りに回って自分に返ってくるかもしれない。片手間で恩が売れるのならばそれはそれでいいではないか。 これで真っ当に立ち直るか、落ちるかは彼次第だ。 あ、そう言えば言い忘れてた。 「実は俺、もうDランク。既に一歩リード中」 ブチ切れた坊ちゃんーーいや、ルキスの絶叫が森林に木霊するのだった。

After finis.h.i.+ng the clean up, I ma.s.saged my tired arms a few times. Although they're slight movements, my muscles are screaming from the continuous movements and raising my arms is also tiresome. As I resign myself to the fact that I'll definitely be getting muscle pain tomorrow, I called out to the 『person behind me』. "So, you satisfied?" The person's figure isn't behind me when I looked over my shoulder. However, I held conviction and said that towards the 『woman』 there. Several seconds pa.s.sed and an empty where the starlight is s.h.i.+ning on 『warped』. And then when the swaying vanished, appearing at that place was a redhaired woman. "............How did you see through my 『Air Stealth』?" "Intuition" "Intuition, you say............" Faima became surprised at the word that was too unreasonable. Sorry, but it's not all smoke and mirrors, it's really intuition. It's just that it was accompanied by a conviction that was evident unlike the time I was in the real world. The sense to perceive presences and magic power of the current me has become sharp. No matter how she tried to erase her appearance, I won't fail to recognize her as long as she is existing there. "ーーーーDoes that also have an impact to your trade secret?" "It may just possibly have I guess." "So I suppose you won't tell me then. Nevertheless, I'll lose my confidence in my skills. And yet I had the confidence that I wouldn't be seen through by anyone except a wind user like me or a void magician, as long as I don't move." "My bad for that okay. Just out of curiosity, how did you become transparent?" "You don't even know the theory behind it............ 『Air Stealth』is a high grade wind attribute spell that artificially manipulates a s.p.a.ce in the air, changing the refractive index of light, as though you become transparent in order to deceive your opponent's vision, you see." Although her shoulders dropped, Faima explained it to me carefully. Listening to her explanation, I put in even more words. "Although magic is using some sort of bundle of mysteries, its content is awfully scientific, isn't it." "I called it a high grade spell, but it is relatively easy to use it as long as you are able to control the theory of light and the spell to bend that theory you know. Well, most of the pract.i.tioners would be frustrated when they finally understood that theory though. In my case, this is about the intermediate level. The old-fas.h.i.+oned people who are obsessed with cla.s.sical teachings are the only ones insisting on calling them something like high grade spells you know." Not sure if it's because of the shock of being seen through her transparency together with the heat added to her explanation after the shock, but her tone became something different from several days ago. "............So that's the plain you, huh" When I say that in a whisper, she, who was remembering her own words up until now, closed her mouth with her hand as if she was panicking. "............is the theory I have told you about. Were you able to understand what I have explained to you?" "Er, it's because you were speaking quite frankly on our first meeting in the first place. You're late at this point no matter how you're trying to keep appearances." "ーーーーーーーUgh!?" She agonized and her face is dyed red in shame. She looks cute like that. Is it rude of me to call the older woman I'm talking to cute?" "I'm a super commoner from the countryside. You don't particularly need to have a respectful tone, okay. Rather, I'd appreciate it more if you could use a simpler way of talking like right now." "............ I guess. Just like you said, it looks like I'm already late with it after all, right." It sounded like it's accompanied with various resignation, Faima stopped keeping up her appearances and starts giggling. "I will take up on your offer and talk to you normally, mister Kamis.h.i.+ro." "Just Kanna is fine. You don't have to add mister either, my lady." "I understand then, Kanna. Then you too, please call me Faima." "This here also understood you, Faima. Once again, best regards." We laughed and shook hands out of nowhere. "So, the escort target went out of town without a single guard around her, what's up with that?" "........................I'm sorry." Despite the fact she experienced danger the other day, have these course of events become an everyday habit of her? In this case, I noticed her following me at the time I went out of the inn, so I didn't say anymore. "Let's er, let's change the subjectーー" In a terribly pushy way, Faima changes the subject. "You used the magic that's part of what you call trade secret in front of my eyes while you knew I was here, didn't you." "Knowing it doesn't lead to one thing or another you see." As you can see, what's necessary in order to handle spirit arts is the intuition that's on the border of the five senses that comprehends the logic of this worldーー the spirits. In my case, it started with touching that magic spear sealed in the sacred mountain, but I'm completely ignorant of the other patterns of awakening it and all. Well, suppose an opportunity comes together, some uncertainty still remains whether or not a person exist who can endure『that』. After all, if I'm carelessーー。 I shake my head after thinking that far. Give it up, I'm here as a result after all. "As for me, you really can look at me for five hours without even getting tired of it." It's not like she was near me the whole time. Except for the time I turned around, she should've been standing at a place much more separated from here. "『Air Stealth』 isn't capable of being maintained for long periods of time. It's because you use quite some magic power even if you optimize the spell. Partway I was observing you with 『Phantom Scope』 from a distance. Do you know about mirages?" "It's a phenomenon you can see in deserts or something, right? Where you see a faraway landscape as if they're right in front of your eyes. I've never seen it before though, to be honest." "What artificially and locally deploys that is 『Phantom Scope』. That spell and the light refraction utilizing『Air Stealth』 are quite closely related. Despite that, it's a lot more energy efficient than 『Air Stealth』. Compared to 『Air Stealth』, which needs to be deployed on your whole body, you can deploy the spell to just the part in front of your eyes after all. Except that this one too would consume your magic power like a fool if you don't understand the theory, so normally none can handle it except for only some of the skilled sorcerers you see." "So if you understand the theory, the efficiency of magic would go up?" "That's right. Which is easier; Going through all the difficult calculations by mental calculation or memorizing every important points? Naturally, the answer is the latter. If you can define the course that would arrive at the phenomenon regardless of the speed. Solidifying the image is also easy after all." The more I hear about it, the more this so-called magic comes to sound close to science. Is the difference the subst.i.tution of the minimum denomination of the phenomenon with a spell? In Faima's case, she manipulates the windーーair and following up to that, she is artificially bringing about a quasi-natural phenomenon. "............By the way, Kanna. You were able to keep up with the conversation normally, but do you understand science?" Says Faima suddenly as if she just remembered. "It'll be hard for me to answer if you ask me how much I understand it, but if it's my impression." "Is that how it is............" "I wonder how much" she says as she smiles delightfully. "It's the same with the two magics I've used today, but there hasn't been any person around me who was able to keep up with this kind of scientific conversation. That's why this is somewhat refres.h.i.+ng for me." Speaking of which, around when was the theory of 『light』 explained in the real world? I don't remember, but it shouldn't have been unraveled in the Edo period as you would have expected. Even if you talk about today's topics, it may sound gibberish to the people from that period. "They're doing it gradually right now, but people have appeared trying to scientifically verify the natural phenomena. However, the majority of the sorcerers sanctify magic like an embodiment of mystery. 『Magic power』 is G.o.d's blessing and the power manifested from that is G.o.d's act for another, or something like that." "G.o.d's blessing, huh" I'm at a loss at how to respond to the majestic representation that just suddenly appeared. "Well, I don't particularly care about which religion or G.o.d the other people believe in. I don't consider denying them that and it has become something some people could rely on. But I would like them to stop hindering cultural development with that. Thanks to that, it has also become a difficult situation where it moves to the soil of foreign countries from afar." Maybe she took offense to that, but this time her expression has become grim. Really, don't raise your tension by talking on your own, this miss Redhead." "You've heard it from Rand haven't you? The reason I am heading towards Diagall" "Ah, yeah. I've did hear you're interested in the magic spells spread in that country though." "Right. Magic spells for contracting magic beasts as well as summoning them, which isn't often seen in this country, are developed in Diagall you know." "Now that’s magic that looks like the embodiment of mystery." I recall the magic Real used before, the one that summons that soothing flying dragon. Speaking of which, I haven't seen it since that one time. Shall I ask Real to summon it next time? "No matter how many books I can get my hands on, I couldn't get my hands on the clue to unravel that magic spell. I already have no other choice than to go to the actual place and study it don't you think? To think I also can't afford to invite a sorcerer from Diagal to our side." "Your aggressiveness exceeds my expectations you know" By no means is this an answer an aristocratic lady would arrive at. "I want to know at least which attribute the spells are originally developed you know. I think they're most likely using the 『sky』 attribute, but if that's all then there would also be various hard to explain parts. Perhaps, it may possess an attribute beside the eight attributes. "Beside the............There are magic beside the eight attributes?" "Of course. Its users are overwhelmingly fewer compared to users of the eight attributes and also there are many whose effects have some peculiarities and are difficult to use, so they are not really famous. I want to advance my studies in relation to that, but the church's influence in this country is strong. Like I talked about just now, they are spreading the teachings that magic power and magic spells are blessings granted from G.o.d you know, and they avoid studying magic scientifically. "............So in every place, touching the realm of G.o.d is considered heresy." In the real world, science and technology like the cloning technology has been subject to attacks until recently such as blasphemy of life. Nowadays such consciousness is gradually fading away, but as far as a portion of the religionists are conscerned, it's certainly "Blasphemy towards G.o.d". Suddenly I found something I'm curious about. "Speaking of, what religion does this country have?" "Why that ordinary common knowledge at this point of time............oh, aah. Now that you mention it, you did say you came from the countryside weren't you?" "It was the boondocks in the heart of some nameless mountain." Is the setting I'm taking. "If that is the case, then it wouldn't be unreasonable for you to not know that. Fine, I shall tell you about it as thanks for letting me silently observe your magic." After saying that, she accidentally let out a small sneeze. She sniffled and held her slightly s.h.i.+vering shoulders. "Uugh, I forgot about it, but isn't it a little cold around here?" "Well that's kind of obvious. I've erased it some time ago, but I've been spreading ice around here afte rall. The temperature won't return back with just a little time you know. Rather, I'm amazed you forgot about the coldness." It's different when it's during the day when sunlight pours in, but I can't expect that late at night where there's nothing but starlight. She must've forgot about the cold because she got pa.s.sionate in her talk. So she's the type who would become more talkative when the thing she herself is interested in becomes the topic. "No matter how much of an ice user you are, how can you be so nonchalant about it? From what I can see, I didn't see you use anything like a resistance spell." "I'm just persevering. After all, I'm a boy." "That made no sense." I could only do a foolish laugh towards Faima glaring at me with upturned eyes. The current her is mentally the same as me who just entered the sacred mountains where I met the spirit. I understand how she feels, but I can't do anything but feeling pity for her. "Kakakah. Now, it's already late now, so let's return to the hotel. Is it fine if we leave your lessons for tomorrow, Prof. Faima? "I guess. I will end up catching a cold if I keep staying in this cold and even Rand and the others will start worrying if I stay out any longer, won't they." And so, we all went back to the hotel. Afterwards, mr. Agaht got angry as if it is the end of the world. That much is obvious. Two people of marriagable age went out together that late in the night after all. It's just that I'm only a little annoyed that the brunt of his anger is limited to me. When I lightly glare at Faima, she would apologize with only a gesture with her hand and a "I'm sorry". That action was cute, so I'll forgive her. I'm probably easy.

後かたづけを終えた俺は、疲れた腕を数度揉みほぐす。小さな動作とは言え、動かし続けた筋肉が悲鳴を上げており、腕を上げるのも億劫だ。明日は確実に筋肉痛だな、と諦めつつに、俺は『背後にいた人物』に声をかけた。 「で、満足したか」 振り返った背後に人の姿はない。けれども俺は確信を持ってそこにいる『女性』に対して言った。 数秒の時間を起き、星明かりが照らす虚空が『歪んだ』。そして、揺らぎが消え去ると、そこに現れたのは赤毛の女性だった。驚きと警戒の表情を整った顔立ちに張り付いている。 「............私の『エア・ステルス』をどうやって見破ったの?」 「勘」 「勘って............」 あまりにも酷にファイマは愕然とした。悪いが誤魔化しではなく本当にそうなのだ。ただ、現実世界にいた頃とは違った、紛れもない確信を伴ったもの。今の俺には人の気配や魔力を感じ取る感覚が鋭敏になっている。いかに姿を消そうとも、彼女がそこに存在している限り見誤ることはない。 「ーーーーそれもあなたの企業秘密が影響してるの?」 「無きにしも非ずってところかな」 「教えてはくれないのね。それにしても自信無くすわね。動かない限り、同じ風使いや空術士以外には絶対に見破られない自信があったのに」 「そりゃ悪いな。興味本位で聞くが、どうやって透明になってたんだ?」 「理屈も分かってなかったの............。『エア・ステルス』は空気の断層を人為的に操って光の屈折率を変化させ、あたかも透明になったかのように相手の視覚を誤魔化す風属性の高等術式よ」 肩を落としながらも、ファイマは丁寧に説明してくれた。話を聞いて、俺はさらに言葉を重ねた。 「魔術なんて神秘の固まりみたいな物使ってる割に、中身は酷く科学的なのな」 「高等術式なんて言ったけど、光の原理とそれを屈折させる術式制御さえ出来れば割と簡単に出来るのよ。ま、その理屈を理解する時点で、大体の術者が挫折するけどね。私からしてみれば精々中級程度。高等術式なんて、古典的な教えに凝り固まってる時代遅れ共が言い張ってるだけなのよ」 透明化を見破られたショックと、その後の説明で熱が入った為か、ここ数日間の口調から離れたそれになっている。 「............それがアンタの素か」 ぼそりと俺が言うと、それまでの自分の台詞を思い出し、彼女は慌てたように口を手で塞いだ。 「............と、言った理屈なのですよ。ご理解いただけましたか?」 「や、そもそも初対面の時点でかなりぶっちゃけてたからな。今更どう取り繕うとも手遅れだ」 「ーーーーーーーッッ!?」 彼女が羞恥に顔を真っ赤に染め悶えた。その様子が可愛らしく思えた。年上相手に可愛いは失礼か。 「俺は田舎出身のド平民だ。別に畏まった口調は必要ないさ。むしろ、今みたいな砕けた喋り方の方が俺の方は有り難い」 「............そうね。あなたの言った通り、もう手遅れみたいだしね」 色々と諦めが付いたようで、取り繕った態度を止めたファイマがクスリと笑う。 「お言葉に甘えて、普通に話させてもらうわ、カミシロさん」 「カンナで良い。さんもくんもつけなくて良いぞ、お嬢様」 「分かったわカンナ。じゃあ、私もファイマって呼び捨てでお願い」 「こちらも了解した、ファイマ。改めてよろしくな」 笑い合った俺たちは、どちらともなく握手を交わした。 「で、護衛対象が町の外に一人の護衛も付けずにくるのって、そこんとこどーなのよ?」 「........................ご免なさい」 常日頃から癖になってるのか、こないだに危ない目に遭っているのにこの始末。今回の場合は、俺が宿をでた時点で彼女が尾行してくるのを感知していたので、これ以上は言わない。 「は、話は変わるけどーー」 ものすごく強引に、ファイマは話題を切り替えた。 「企業秘密、という割に、私がいるのを知っていながら、あなたは私の目の前で魔術を使ってたわね」 「知っててどーこーなるもんじゃねぇしな」 前途の通り、精霊術を扱うのに必要なのは、世界の理をーー精霊を理解すの外枠にある感覚だ。俺の場合、霊山に封印されていた魔槍との接触が切っ掛けだったが、ほかに覚醒するパターンなど知る由もない。 まぁ、仮に切っ掛けが合ったとして、『アレ』に耐えきれる人間が果たして存在するのか、不安が残る。俺だって、下手したらーー。 そこまで考えて頭を振る。やめとけ、結果として俺はここにいるしな。 「俺としては、五時間もよく飽きずに眺め続けてたな」 彼女はずっと間近にいたわけではない。俺が振り向いた時以外は、もっと離れていた位置にいたはずだ。 「『エア・ステルス』は長時間維持しているのには適してないの。術式を効率化しても結構な魔力を使うからね。途中までは遠くから『ファントム・スコープ』で観察してたの。蜃気楼って知ってる?」 「砂漠とかで見える、遠くの景色が目の前にあるように見える現象だろ? 実際に見たこと無いけど」 「それを人為的、局所的に展開するのが『ファントム・スコープ』。光の屈折を利用した『エア・ステルス』と術式が結構近いのよ。それでいて『エア・ステルス』よりもよほどに燃費が良い。全身に展開する必要がある『エア・ステルス』に比べて、目の前の一部分に術式を展開すればいいんだから。ただこっちも、理屈が分かってないと魔力を馬鹿みたいに食うから、通常は一部の熟練魔術士しか扱えないけどね」 「理屈が分かってると魔術って効率上がるのか?」 「そうね。難しい計算を暗算で全て進めるのと、要所要所でメモ書きするのとどちらが楽か。もちろん答えは後者よ。速度はともかく、事象にたどり着く課程を明確にしておけば、その後に続く結果を導き出すのは簡単よ。イメージも固めやすいしね」 聞けば聞くほど、魔術というのは科学に近しく聞こえてきたな。違いは、事象の最小単位を魔術式で代用している所か。ファイマの場合、風をーー空気を操作することで、それに追準する自然現象を人為的に引き起こしている。 「............そういえばカンナ。あなた普通に話に付いてきてるけど、科学を理解できているの?」 ふと、思い出したようにファイマが言った。 「どこまでかってきかれると答えに困るが、触りぐらいなら」 「そうなの............」 どこかしら彼女は嬉しそうに微笑んだ。 「今使っての魔術もそうなんだけど、こういった科学的な話に付いて来れる人って、私の傍にいなかったの。だから、ちょっと新鮮でね」 そういえば、現実世界で『光』の理屈が科学的に説明されたのはいつ頃なのか。俺は覚えていないが、江戸時代にはさすがに解明されていなかっただろう。その時代の人に今の話をしても、たぶんちんぷんかんぷんだ。 「最近は徐々に、だけど自然現象を科学的に証明しようとする人も出てきてる。けど、魔術士の大半は、未だに魔術を神秘の固まりみたいに神聖化してるわ。『魔力』は神の恩恵であり、それを用いて発揮される力は神の代弁であるとかなんとか」 「神の恩恵・・・・ねぇ」 イキナリ出てきた壮大な表現に、俺はどう返したものか迷う。 「ま、別に他人様がどんな宗教や神を信奉しようが気にしないわ。それを否定しようとは思わないし、人によっては心の拠り所になる。けど、それで文化の発展を邪魔するのは止めてほしいわね。お陰で、遙々異国の地にいく羽目になっちゃうし」 今度は腹が立ってきたのか表情が険しくなってきた。本当に、一人語りでテンションがアップしていくなこの赤毛さん。 「ランドから聞いてるでしょ? 私がディアガルに向かってる理由」 「あ、ああ。確かあの国に伝わってる魔術式に興味があるって聞いたが」 「そ。ディアガルにはこの国ではあまり見られない、魔獣との契約と召喚の魔術式が発展してるのよ」 「それこそ神秘の固まりみたいな魔術だな」 レアルが以前に使った、あの癒し系飛竜を召喚する魔術を思い出す。そういえば、あの一度だけでそれ以降は会ってないな。今度レアルに頼んで召喚してもらうか。 「いくら書物を読みあさっても、あの魔術式を解明する手がかりは掴めなかったわ。これはもう、現地に行って調べるしかないじゃない。まさかディアガルの魔術士をこっちに呼び込むわけにも行かないし」 「聞きしに勝るアグレッシブさだなおい」 間違っても、貴族のお嬢様が行き着く答えではない。 「どの属性を元に術式を展開しているのかぐらいは知っておきたいのよ。たぶん、『空』の属性を使っているのだとは思うのだけれど、それだけだと色々と説明しにくい部分もあるし。もしかした性以外の属性を持っているのかも知れない」 「それ以外って............八つの属性以外に魔術ってあるのか?」 「もちろん。ただ、八属性使いに比べて圧倒的に使用者が少ないし、効果も癖があって使いにくいのが多いから、あまり有名じゃないの。それに関しても研究を進めたいんだけど、この国は教会の権威が強い。さっき話したとおり、魔力や魔術は神から与えられた恩恵って教えが広まっててね、魔術を科学的に研究するのは忌避されてるの」 「............どこもかしこも、神様の分野に触れちまうのは異端ってか」 現実世界では、クローン技術等の科学技術は、生命の冒涜とかで最近までは糾弾の対象だった。今では徐々にその意識も薄れてきているが、一部の宗教家にとってはまさに「神への冒涜」だ。 ふと気になることが出来た。 「そーいや、この国ってどんな宗教があるんだ?」 「何でそんな一般常識を今更に............ってああ、そういえばあなたって田舎出身って言ってたわね」 「名もない山の奥のど田舎のな」 という設定だ。 「だったら知らないのも無理はないわね。いいわ、黙ってあなたの魔術を観察させてもらったお礼に、教えてあげるわ」 そこまで言って、彼女は小さくクシャミをしてしまった。ずずっと鼻を啜り、僅かに震える自分の肩を抱いた。 「ううぅ、忘れてたけど、この辺りってちょっと寒くない?」 「そりゃそうだ。さっき消したが、この辺りは氷が散乱してたからな。ちっとやそっとじゃ気温は元に戻らないさ。むしろ、この寒さを忘れてたアンタに俺はびっくりだ」 日光が注ぐ昼間ならともかく、星明かりしかない深夜ではそれも望めないしな。彼女が寒さを忘れていたのは、喋りに熱が入っていたからだろう。自分に興味が有ることが話題になるとより饒舌になるタイプか。 「いくら氷使いでも、どうしてあなたはそんなにけろっとしてるの? 見たところ、耐性術式を使ってるようには見えないし」 「我慢強いだけだ。男の子だからな」 「意味分からないわ」 眼でこちらを睨むファイマに俺は誤魔化し笑いをするしかない。心境的に、今の彼女は精霊と出会った霊山に入ったばかりの俺と同じだ。気持ちは分かるが、同情以外に出来ることはない。 「カカカッ。さ、今日はもう遅いし宿に戻ろう。ファイマ先生の授業は明日に持ち越しってことでいいか?」 「そうね。この寒さの中にいたままじゃ風邪を引いちゃうし、これ以上遅くなったらさすがにランド達に心配掛けちゃうか」 そうして俺たちは、揃って宿に戻ったのであった。 この後、アガット君がこの世の終わりとばかりに怒ってましたが。そりゃそうだ。こんな夜更けに年頃の若者二人がそろって外出してたんだ。ただ、怒りの矛先が俺に限定されていたのがちょっとだけ腹が立った。ファイマを軽く睨むと、彼女は「ごめんね」と手の仕草だけで謝った。その動作が可愛かったので許す。俺ってチョロいかも知れない。

"Sickness and health start with the mind"ーーif we have that saying, then paradoxically if the sickness is cured then what's in your mind should be fixed. Sickness won't be cured if you don't have physical strength. And you must eat delicious things in order to gain physical strength. ーーWell, it's something stupid I'm thinking about while I'm trying to eat. "Say, I was actually thinking about this since we were in the village at the foot of the sacred mountain, but eh" It's dinner time right when my right arm has recovered and I'm able to move it without any problems. In order to recover the force of will I've spent as a result of using spirit arts and because I've become hungry like normal again, I've decided to have dinner. "ーーAin't the amount you’re eating clearly overcapacity, Real?" Being in the middle of my growth period, I pay additional charges to the inn and order . times the usual serving of a dish. That is probably quite the substantial amount of food. "It's because a swordsman's a.s.set is their body. If you don't properly eat whenever it's fine to eat, then you won't have the strength at the critical moment." Meanwhile, Real also took the same dish, but she has three servings or something. Three times the usual, twice the amount I ordered. Even though we're sitting in a four seat table with the two of us, the table is filled to the limit. And even though she started eating roughly at the same time as I did, the pace the ratio of food is disappearing is the same for us two, it's a dreadful story. "How bad is the energy consumption of that body of yours? Normally, the things you eat becomes either fuel or flesh or something though." Since we're eating, I'm omitting the matter about excretion. If I take a glance, I can tell that Real's body is slender. With one glance I can judge a body that's identified as female. She has good looks that I'm sure could earn her fame as a 『model』. On the other hand, I know that despite her limbs being supple if you were to touch them, they hide enough physical strength to freely handle that large sword at will. I have heard of this before by chance; it's the most ideal form of muscle. Even so, I'm sure that's still an excessive amounts of calorie. "Muhh, I do admit that my energy consumption is certainly bad, but this doesn't mean that I won't put on any weight at all, okay?" Real puts the tip of the fork in her mouth and expresses her complaints. There's probably some meat attached to her under her clothes. "How can you think about carefree things?" She says as she hits her breastplate with her hand. "It's simple, I happen have a const.i.tution where it acc.u.mulates as much in my 『b.r.e.a.s.t.s』 as I've eaten whenever I eat. Good grief, even if they get any bigger, they will only become hindrances in combat, I tell you. My armor as well as my clothes; because I don't fit in ready-made goods, I have to have them custom made so I'm also dealing with money. They're inconvenient things. ............? What's wrong Kanna? Sinking into silence suddenly." Perhaps the biggest surprise since coming to this world just held sway over me. ーーDid she just say they can still get bigger? Real's 『that』 I mean. Teal's pair of hills already can't be described as anything other than giant b.r.e.a.s.t.s, is she saying they'll evolve even further into 『explosive b.r.e.a.s.t.s』!? "b.r.e.a.s.t.s grows as much as I've eaten whenever I eat" she says, it's like a special const.i.tution that would make women from all over the world cry in envy. If that Ayana hears about this, she'll go crazy I bet. I calmly look around the place and I realize that the fellows sitting inside the store are firmly straining their ears while pretending to be indifferent. The guy's interests in the two fruits are also mutual across the world. Furthermore, the not so few female guests here are looking at Real with jealousy and envious eyes. It's their impression regarding Real's prime beauty and the conversation just now. A slim and attractive figure and an attractive face are supposed to be characteristics of "Elves". It's extremely rare to pa.s.s by other elves like Real in town, but the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the ladies, never mind the men, were slippery and flat if you know what I mean. No, I'm fairly sure Real is a half-elf. So does that mean that one of her parents has strong giant breast genes? ーーーーThank you very much! Is what I want to go and tell that parent. My stomach is also bulging out and my energy is replenished. Real wraps up the conversation while we're enjoying the after meal tea. "So, have you come to an answer?" Of course, it's about the contract Faima offered some time ago. "As the senior in journeys, what do you think about it Real?" While sipping the bitter black tea-like tea, I request for her opinion. "Listening to it, it's an exceptional treatment, isn't it? Taking responsibility on the entire expenses and the like, usually these situations are mainly merchant groups who possess a plan within limitations or travelling aristocrat households. When it comes to individuals, a completion bonus is more than enough and most of the other travel expenses will be paid by themselves." "As far as I heard the story, she seems to have grown well too." Apart from her physically grown up b.r.e.a.s.t.s, she had an impression that her education among other things were seemingly quite high. At the time of our first meeting, she displayed quite a plain self-conceit, but I can agree that she's from a household with a name like she said to the point of maintaining politeness and keeping us company. "If she can move that much money individually, then either she has very doting parents or the person herself is very good." As far as I can see from the person herself, it must be the latter. "If I have to say it, I became curious when she didn't reveal her family name, but that is because it is usual for aristocrats to conceal their names and go on a journey." "It's probably because they have ties of obligations, aristocrats that is." In real world j.a.pan too has family lineages that has an ancient and honorable origin that continued from their former peerage and not only do they have a history, they also have a household that rode on the currents of antiquity and obtained power. There's also one among the people I'm familiar with and that person often spill out complains. "They are certainly a privileged cla.s.s, but I can't deny that they are also troublesome social position. Socializing with other households or territory management if you're a man. An uncomfortable life in one way or another through a political marriage. At first glance it looks glamorous and the facts are muddled." Real's face turns bitter and she drinks the bitter tea to make it look misleading. The world is different, but the darkness of the upper cla.s.ses being deep doesn't change. To put it in other words, various things of the universal human societies may have been condensed because it is a cramped world. "Miss Faima's position must also be in a political marriage I guess. She has that much beauty and wisdom. She's very popular for sure. Her journey to Deagal could be the last freedom she's been given before that." "Quit it, don't make this conversation any heavier than this. It'll get harder to decide." If I only listen to that, I'll end up accepting it, don't you think? If Yuuzuki was here, then he should become extremely angry at the time the political marriages and the like is announced. To put it bluntly, that guy only would act violent and doesn't think and all kinds of various preparations were made by me in cooperation with the little girl in question. If we're going to do it, then we'll do it, so I want him to try and act more well behaved. "Setting that aside. If we properly exchange contracts with her, then we should have no problems as long as she doesn't commit any dishonesty. It's a surprisingly attractive negotiation if I only listen to it. We have a surplus in our savings, but if she will bear in mind the emergency expenses, then we won't have to worry about it no matter how much money she has." Taking the burden on the total expenses on various things surely is attractive. It's because we can go on a journey without putting our hands on our current savings; if it was the usual we would be stupid not to accept this. If it was the usualーーI unexpectedly noticed that preface. "As I expected, are you curious about the owner of that magic power?" "............It would be stranger if I'm not curious about it don't you think?" Some time ago when Faima approached us with that proposal, my head still hasn't been recovered yet to the point of being able to completely understand its contents. And now, my mind has recovered, my stomach is satisfied and my energy is full. But even so what I'm still hesitating about is all because of that strange magic power I felt at the end of the attack. "There's no doubt that the owner of that magic power used magic in order to save the masked men. You should know that too, Real. If we accept being Faima's escorts, then we will almost certainly clash with the owner of that magic power, you know that?" I guess Faima brought up this proposal because of that. It's impossible for her to not realize this. It's a magic that can emit super-high heat enough to melt flagstones. If a person is directly hit by it, then they would carbonize on the spot, or they become ashes without leaving any trace and disappear. Even if the servants risk their life to try and protect their master, they will burn up along with him. "Even if it's a financially attractive contract, the risk is too big. We're not so troubled with money that we have to put our lives at stake for the sake of a n.o.ble lady whom we just met yesterday and we're not that soft-hearted either." If it was that idiot, then I bet he would readily accept the escort of Faima, but is it fortunate or unfortunate that he's not at this place? "You're surprisingly cold aren't you? You went out to help the daughter in the village at the foot of the mountain without hesitation, I tell you." "That was me getting swept up by the course of events if I remember, but circ.u.mstances are circ.u.mstances. I also regretted the time I spent hesitating. In the first place, weren't you also br.i.m.m.i.n.g with motivation to undertake that task?" In my case, the hand I was dealt with was unusually limited, so there were a lot of situations where I inevitably had to rely on another person's abilities. So that may be why I don't hesitate in to take someone's hands. Of course, I don't plan on taking someone's hand without compensation and I'll also do reasonable transactions. If, at that time, Real misunderstood the agreement, I would be tempted to demand recompenses from the villager I guess. Real gave the agreement before I could make demands, so it was lucky for us that we were able to shorten the time. If it was that Yuuzuki, he would decide immediately with time to consider it and also charge into the mountains at night with the intention to do this free of charge, that's for sure. He's a hopeless guy when it comes to taking things into consideration, but sometimes I feel jealous towards that lack of hesitation and grudges are also born towards the greatest heights of his ability. I've been a.s.sociating with my incompetence for a very long time, so my jealousy and grudges disappear instantly and also there's Yuuzuki's degree of stupidity that outdoes all of that, so my anger would come out instead. "As a result, it was a farce the spirit grandma played though." "Don't say that. The spirit lady as well as the villagers have apologized deeply and you have also received a power that is useful to you. It's exceptional as a recompense in regards to the crime." "That's also true, I guess." I leak out negative words one after another from my mouth, but if I only express arguments based on emotion without any reason, then I would believe it's fine to undertake the escorting of Faima. In the end, me and that guy may resemble each other in the roots. Otherwise, we would've never hung out together since around elementary school until now, though it's an undesirable but inseparable friends.h.i.+p. In any case, I'm at a loss as to whether not pus.h.i.+ng through reasoning with emotional arguments is me being cautious or me not being dependable. I keep calling Yuuzuki a good for nothing and all, but on the contrary, I may also be good for nothing. "So at a time like this............we drink." "Wait, why did it come to that?" "Hé, young lady. Some alcohol s'il vous plaît." Ignoring Real's calm retort, I ordered some fruit wine from the waitress. Real shruggs and also orders the same thing. By the way, there are no age limits to drinking alcohol. Generally it looks like you will develop a taste for it from the age of fifteen so there are no problemsーー or should be. "ーーーーDo you mind if I also join you?" Right when the waitress pa.s.sed by to fetch wooden cups to pour the wine into, a voice calls out from behind me. I turn around and a face I've seen beforeーーFaima's head servant is there.

病は気からーーと言う言葉があるなら、逆説的に病が治れば気も持ち直る。病とは体力が無ければ治らない。体力を付けるためには美味しい物を食べるべし。 ーーまぁ、ぶっちゃけた話、ご飯を食べろと。 「霊山麓の村に居たときから思ってたんだけどよ」 右腕が回復し、動作に問題なくなるとちょうど晩飯の時間。精霊術を行使した為に消費した精神力を回復するため、また普通にお腹が空いてきたので、晩飯にすることにした。 「ーーレアルの食べる量って明らかに容積をオーバーしてね?」 育ち盛り真っ盛りの俺は、宿に追加料金を払って、通常よ前のメニューを頼んだ。中々のボリュームに食べ応えがありそうだ。 「剣士は躯が資本だからな。食べられるときにしっかり食べておかないと、いざというときに力が出ない」 一方レアルも同じメニューだが、こちらはなん前。通常の三倍、俺の倍の量だ席で座ってるのに、テーブルの上は許容一杯一杯。そして、俺とほぼ同時に食べ始めたのに、食べ物が消えていくペースの割合が両者同じと、恐ろしい話である。 「どれだけ燃費が悪いんだその躯は。普通、食った物は燃料になるか肉になるかのどっちかなんだけどな」 排泄の事は、食事時なので省く。 一見すれば、レアルの躯は細い。一目で女と分かる体躯をしている。現実世界であれば『モデル』として名声を得られる事間違いなしの美貌を持っている。一方で、その手足に触れれば、しなやかではありつつ、それでいてあの大剣を自在に操るに足る膂力が秘められているのが分かる。以前にちらっと聞いたことがある、筋肉としては一番理想な形だ。 だとしてもやはり過剰なカロリー量なのは間違いない。 「むぅ、確かに燃費が悪いのは認めざる得ないが、贅肉が全く付かないわけではないのだぞ?」 俺の言葉に、フォークの先端を口に加え、不満を漏らすレアル。服の下に、ちょっとお肉がついているのかも知れないな。 なんて暢気な事を考えていると、彼女は自分の胸当てに手を当てる。 「どうにも、私は食べたら食べただけ『胸』の方に集中してしまう体質のようでな。まったく、これ以上大きくなられても、戦闘の邪魔になるだけだというのに。鎧も服も、既製品では収まらないので特注をしなければならないから金も掛かる。困ったものだ。............? どうしたカンナ、急に黙り込んで」 もしかしたら、この世界にきて一番の驚愕が、俺を支配していた。 ーーまだ大きくなると言うのか、レアルの『アレ』が。 もはや巨乳としか言いようがないレアルの双丘が、もう一段上の『爆乳』に進化するというのか! 食ったら食っただけ胸が成長するって、世界中の女が泣いて羨ましがるようなスペシャル体質。彩菜の奴が聞いたら、発狂するな。 何気なく周囲に視線を巡らせると、店内に座る野郎達が、無関心を装いつつがっつり聞き耳を立てているのが分かった。二つの果実に対する野郎の関心は、世界を隔てても共通していた。さらに、少なからずいる女性の客も、嫉妬と羨望の目でレアルを眺めていた。今の話と、レアルの素の美しさに対する感情だ。 エルフってのは容姿端麗で痩身なのが特徴だったはずだ。町中で極稀にレアルとは別のエルフとすれ違うが、男はいいとして女の方の胸元もツルペタだったぞ。いや、確かレアルはハーフのエルフだ。ということは、親の片割れに巨乳の遺伝子が濃かったのか。 ーーーーありがとうございます!、とだけ言っておきたい。 腹も膨れて気力も充実。食後の茶を楽しみながら、レアルが話を切りだした。 「で、答えは出たのか?」 無論、先ほど持ちかけられたファイマとの契約だ。 「旅の先輩として、レアル的にはどう思うんだ?」 渋い紅茶っぽい茶をすすりながら、俺は彼女の意見を求める。 「聞いただけなら、破格の待遇だな。経費の全面負担など、普通はそれなりの規模を持つ商隊や、貴族の一家が旅行をする場合が主だ。個人でとなると、普通は成功報酬のみで、他の旅費は自腹がほとんどだ」 「話を聞いていた限りじゃ、育ちは良さそうだったし」 物理的に育ちまくってた胸はともかく、教養とかかなり高そうだった印象がある。初対面の時はかなり砕けた唯我独尊を発揮していたが、礼節を持って相手するとなるほど、言ったとおり名のある家の出だと納得できる。 「個人でそれまでの資産を動かせるなら、余程の親馬鹿か、本人が優秀かのどちらかか」 本人をみる限りは後者だろう。 「強いて言うならば、家名を明かさなかった点が気になるが、貴族が名を伏せて旅をするのは普通にあるからな。それほど不審ではない」 「シガラミがありそうだからねぇ、貴族って」 現実世界の日本にも、旧華族から続く由緒正しき家系があったりするし、由緒だけではなく時代の流れに乗って力を得た家もある。身近な人間にもその一員がいて、よく愚痴を零していた。 「確かに特権階級ではあるが、面倒な身分であるのも否定できない。男であれば、他家との付き合いや領地の運営。女であれば、政略結婚やらで何かと窮屈な生活だ。一見華やかに見えて、内実はどろどろだ」 苦い表情になり、それを誤魔化そうと渋い茶を飲むレアル。世界は違えど、上流社会の闇が深いのは変わらないか。言い換えれば、窮屈な世界であるからこそ、普遍的な人間社会の様々なものが圧縮されているのかもしれない。 「ファイマ嬢もおそらく政略結婚をさせられる身だろう。あれほどの美貌と才気だ。引く手数多に違いない。ディアガルへの旅は、その前に与えられた最後の自由だろうさ」 「やめろ、話を重くするな。決めにくくなる」 それだけ聞くと、引き受けたくなってしまうだろ。 ここにもし有月がいれば、政略結婚云々が出てきた時点で激しく憤っていたはずだ。実際、身内一人の『婚約』騒ぎを派手にぶち壊した実績がある。ぶっちゃけ、あいつは考えなしに暴れただけで、最後のお膳立て諸々は俺と当事者の少女が共同で拵えたのである。やるならやるでもう少し利口的な行動を心がけていただきたい。 「さておいて。彼女ならば、きちんと契約を交わせば、こちらが不義理を働かない限り問題は無いだろう。聞くだけならずいぶんと魅力的な話だ。蓄えに余裕はあるが、緊急の出費を念頭に置くなら金は幾らあっても困りはしない」 諸々経費の全額負担は確かに魅力的だ。現時点での蓄えに手を着けずに旅ができるのだから、普通なら乗らない手はない。 普通ならばーーとの前置きがついてしまう。 「やはり、あの魔力の持ち主が気になるのか?」 「............気にならない方がおかしいだろ」 先ほど、ファイマに話を持ちかけられた時は、まだ頭が内容を十全に理解できるほど回復していなかった。そして、精神が回復し、腹も満たされ気力も充実した今、それでもやはり迷いがあるのは、襲撃の最後に感じたあの異様な魔力のせいだ。 「あの魔力の持ち主は間違いなく覆面共を助ける為に魔術を使った。レアルも分かってるはずだ。ファイマの護衛を引き受けたら、ほぼ間違いなくあの魔力の持ち主とぶつかるぞ」 ファイマはそれを込みで話を持ちかけてきたんだろう。彼女なら気が付かないはずがない。石畳を溶かすほどの超高熱を発せられる魔術だ。人間に直撃すれば、即座に炭化するか、跡形もなく灰になって消滅する。従者が身を挺して主を守ろうとしても、それごと焼き尽くされてしまう。 「いくら金銭的に魅力的な契約だろうが、リスクがでかすぎる。昨日今日であったばかりのお嬢様の為に命を掛けられるほど、俺達は金には困ってないしお人好しでもない」 あの馬鹿なら一もなく二もなくファイマの護衛を引き受けていただろうが、この場にいないのは幸か不幸か。 「意外に冷たいな。麓の村で迷い無く娘さんを助けに行ったというのに」 「あれは確かにちょいと勢い任せだったが、状況が状況だ。迷ってる時間も惜しかった。そもそも、レアルも引き受ける気満々だったじゃねぇか」 俺の場合、自前の手札が非常に限られているので、必然的に他者の能力を頼らなければならない場合が多かった。だからか、俺は人の手を借りるのには躊躇しない。もちろん、無償で手を借りるつもりはないし、相応の取引もする。あの時、レアルが承諾を濁らせていたら、村人に報酬を要求して釣っていただろう。要求する前にレアルが承諾してくれたので、時間短縮ができて僥倖だった。 これが有月の奴だったなら、思考時間ゼロで即決し、無償奉仕の精神で夜の山に突撃していたに違いない。考えなさには困ったものだが、時折その迷いのなさが羨ましくなるし、それができるだけの能力の高さにも嫉妬が生まれる。自らの無能には随分と付き合いが長いので、羨ましさも嫉妬も直ぐに消え去るし、それらを遙かに凌駕する有月の馬鹿さ加減があるのでむしろ怒りが出てきたりするし。 「結果的に、精霊の婆さんが自作自演してた茶番だったんだけど」 「言ってやるな。精霊殿本人も村人も深く謝罪していたし、君は君で有用な力を得られたんだ。罪に対する報酬としては破格だ」 「そらそうなんだけどな」 なんやかんやと否定的な言葉が口からでているが、理屈抜きの感情論だけを述べれば、ファイマの護衛を引き受けても良いと思っている。有月を何かと引き合いに出しているのがその証拠だ。 結局の所、俺とあいつは根の所では似ているのかもしれない。でなければ腐れ縁とはいえ小学校の頃から現時点まで長くは付き合えないか。 ともあれ、感情論で理屈を押し通せないのが、俺が慎重なのか甲斐性が無いのか判断に困る。有月の事をへたれヘタレと言ってきたが、存外に俺もヘタレなのかもしれない。 「こういうときは............呑むかっ」 「待て、どうしてそうなる」 「へいッお姉さん。お酒プリーズッ」 レアルの冷静なつっこみは無視し、俺は店員に果実酒を注文。レアルも肩をすくめて同じものを注文した。ちなみに、この世界で飲酒の年齢制限はない。だいたい十五歳ぐらいから嗜むらしいので問題ないーーはず。 「ーーーー私も同席しても良いか?」 店員が酒が注がれた木製の杯を持ってくるのと入れ違いに、俺の背後に声が掛けられる。 振り返ると、見たことのある顔ーーファイマの従者筆頭がそこにいた。

Finally some visual confirmation, huh? With a body completely made out of ice that’s over meters tall, it’s a giant completely made out of ice. It’s also translucent with several colors, but white is the more prominent one. The appearance is like a giant armor without a neck and on his hand it has a gigantic sword fit for his size. 「............ This is one of those guys known as Ice Golem, huh?」 「You know about golems? They are man-made life created by pouring magic power into them; it’s an automatic doll」 The Frozen Golem stands in front of us in a way that perfectly blocks the entance. Obviously, it won’t allow us through so easily. 「............ Can you beat it?」 「I wonder? For golems, the basics is that their capacity changes greatly depending on who created them; and it’s easy to tell that to make a golem of that size one needs considerable skill.」 The motion she performs to ready her sword is the same one she did when fending off the wolves; however unlike then, now clear traces of tension could be seen in her face. 「I’ll face this guy... Kanna, in the mean time use the gap and take away the ojou-san, just leave this place. Since he is a guard, he won’t give chase if it means leaving.」 I could feel weight in my mouth as I blurted a positive answer. I’m aware that her plan is certainly the most feasible... But having no choice other than using Real as a decoy is something that feels pretty d.a.m.n bad... 「Don’t worry, after exchanging some blows; I’ll be sure to run away as well, I don’t have any suicidal tendencies.」 She only barely sided her face and then smiled at me. That face, it struck me heavily. I took the chance to see the girl on my back; she was shaking with fear. Her sight was not directed at me nor appealed for any requests... However, now I can only smile just like Real has. I can’t die in a place like this, our two hearts are probably engraved with these same words; if not, we would have never had made it outside that castle. 「Well then........................ Let’s go!」 Real advanced, wielding that heavy giant sword and with enough power that her steps crushed the ground; with enough speed that I wouldn’t think of possible. I also added power to my legs, taking a stance that would allow me to run at any time. The right time is when Real attack lands square; once that’s done the guardian will set his aim fully on her... She will probably concentrate her attacks to leave a gap for me to escape, it’s simple; but we can only proceed with a plan like this; that’s why, I need to pull all of my effort there. The golem reacts to Real’s movement brandis.h.i.+ng his own sword. It was then, only few seconds away from their swords engaging, that the golem jumped. A large jump unthinkable for such large ma.s.s... With great momentum added, Real’s sword struck nothing; her balance completely broken. There is no way that I’m just going to watch this till the end, I don’t have that time... Because even while it’s on the air, I can tell that the landing point of the golem is right behind Real, the place I had planned running towards to. Up until now in my life, this has to be the most excellent, worthy or respect ultra fast reaction I have ever had; before the golem reached the highest point of his leap, my body was already sliding sideways to another direction. The giant gave a strong swing to the location where I just was, gravity and body strength worked together to pulverize the floor’s surface with a ground shattering impact. The aftermath of said impact struck my legs... Once again I made use of a yet to be seen in my life sense of balance to keep myself standing and made a beeline towards the entrance. It was then when I felt a s.h.i.+ver in the temple of my head, trusting that feeling I bent my whole body forward; when I was half bented, I had the sensation of a large ma.s.s that created winds pa.s.sed through the place where my head would normally have been. My face collapesed to the ground... When I directed my eyeline there, I noticed the giant ice sword was sweeping the air, the golem had thrown it. 「Are you safe, little girl?」 「I- I’m safe............」 After hearing that terrified reply, I stood up and turned around to check the golem; from the now empty arms of the golem ice stretched giving out a cracking sound, within seconds a new sword was created. 「Give me a break...」 I once again readied to break into a run, at the same time the golem was readying to throw his new sword! A great shock ran through the side of that enormous body, Real hammered that arm with a tremendous attack with that giant sword which is as big as a person. While the difference in volume was obvious, Real strike was espectacular enough to completely overwhelm the body of the golem; the frozen giant flew for a moment to then crash loudly into the ground. 「That’s some outrageous power」 Even if it’s from an ally, that great power is enough to bring chills to my spine. 「Retreat now, Kanna!」 Sadly I have no time for a.s.senting words, now is the time to run quickly towards the entrance. However, reality seems to be cruel... The ice t.i.tan forcefully threw his sword even from a knocked down position; the target is not Real nor me... and thinking that it failed a throw would be an overly hasty conclusion. The giant ice sword landed on top of the exit that I was just das.h.i.+ng towards to. The impact of a great ma.s.s and speed is exactly what would correspond to the description, the vecinity of the tunnel was completely destroyed; it came broking down with a large DOOON sound effect. I can’t immediately compute the scene in front of my eyes, thus my own run towards that place was not stopped and I set foot on where the exit once was. Touching the mountain of rubble that covers the only exit, I am forced to finally face reality. 「Perfectly trapped............」 Deprived of the sole means of escaping, a complete sensation of despair fills my body. Even then, I refuse to give in to hopelessness and I refuse to release the power on my feet; the reason being the extra 『weight』 I feel on my back. Before I realized Real was already at my side; I felt her breathing on my shoulder... It looks like she had already gave some blows to that giant. 「The person who made that golem surely has an amazing ability. Someone who is able to perform such a precise automatic control, is already worthy of the royal court of most countries」 「And how amazing is that?」 「With people like that, you can overturn thousands of troops fighting without any tricks」 「That’s monster level...」 Once said that, just for a milisecond; Real’s eyes weavered. 「Ah, Real; please hold this a little」 「Ah? O- Oi, Kanna!」 I forcefully pa.s.sed the girl to Real before she could said anything; then I made a dash without stopping. From when I started moving, the ice giant switched his course to me. 「「Demolish it」, Real!!」 Just once, I pointed my finger beind her. 「ーーー!!。 d.a.m.n, so I have to do this!」 Real instinctively got my intention in an instant and readied her stance towards the blocked escape way. It really is mysterious, ever since we meet, she can read my intentions perfectly with me only varely phrasing some words about it. 「Don’t die like this, Kanna!」 After such outcry, Real mows down the blockade horizontally with her sword; a great deal of rubble was blown away with each swing. The ice golem completely ignored Real’s actions and kept turning as to always face my direction– So it was true... It’s unknown why, but this giant has designated me as the target from the start. Thinking back, since it appeared; the golem attacks have always involved me in some form, while completely ignoring Real whose firepower is the only threat. Originally I had no way of ruling out that it wasn’t me, but the village girl that was in my back; but after leaving her with Real the fact is that he isn’t even looking at her right now. Understanding that much it becomes simple, I just need to fill in the role of decoy that originally Real a.s.sumed. I’ll get his attention and Real will dig the way out; this is what’s know as the right person in the right place. If there is a problem with this isーーーー。 「UUUOOOOOOHHHH!!!」 The giant gave yet another jump, strongly swinging it’s blade from an overhead position, he did this by the time I was screaming. ーーーー The problem is that I need to survive until the excavation work on the exit is done. 「My parallel world life is way too filled with Violence–」 While renewing my resentment towards that princess and her whole family for having selfishly called me here, I increase the distance between me and Real. It’s true that I’m the target now; but there is no guarantee that it won’t switch to Real later. Probably it’s because such a large object can’t ensure other means of fast movement; but the giant kept chasing me with leaping attacks again and again. Each time I narrowly dodged I felt as if my soul was being chipped away, I kept a zigzag shaped evasive route and I’m fully aware that the moment my legs fail; It’ll be my last. Probably it’s due to the fear of becoming minced meat, but right now keeping my balance while running at full strength is quite the ordeal... Ever since arriving at this world, I have tasted it G.o.d knows how many times; that 「chill runs down my spine」 feeling which is now warning me about each and every time the giant makes a leap. Right now the feeling is slightly different... I turn my sight to notice that the Golem is taking different action than before. He is not straddling for a jumpstart, he raised overhead that giant sword; is he going to throw it again? But he did not threw it; he stabbed deeply at the ground with it, smas.h.i.+ng the surface. After that, a countless number of icebergs popped from the ground, that large amount of mountain swords came lunging, directed at me while crus.h.i.+ng everything on their way. The speed was much lower than throwing the sword, but the targeted area increased many folds... I barely escaped a direct hit from the group of raising icebergs; but the aftermath of the attack bulged the ground and sent me flying. 「Kuh............-」 Not landing head first was the only fortune, my back struck the ground and I was send rolling. The force of the impact made me discharge a lot of oxigen from my mount, that made my field of vision blink reddish brown. After hitting on a metalic object, my rolling was stopped. I felt as the pain ran across my body as if it was cracked. I somehow lift my upper body; I was thrown quite far away from the straight line of icebergs; I guess that’s the true meaning of being blown away. Checking the starting point of the iceberg attack, I noticed that footsteps of the golems where drawing close. 「KANNAAAA!!」 Real stopped the work on the entrance and ran towards the golem... The distance is just too far appart, while the golem movements are slow; the distance to covered with each step is just too different, the golem will get here long before she does. I withstand the pain in my body, and stand up by forcing my knees. If there is pain, that means that I’m still alive. Since I’m alive, it’s natural that I can move my body... I glare the approaching ice giant, I clench my own teeth as if to break them and pour more strength into my legs. 「Nuhーーーー Gaahhh」 As if they had run out of oil, every joint in my body screams in pain; but I manage to stand up. The ice giant is no longer in sight... I don’t have time to be immersed in despair nor leeway to remember how to be afraid. What only matters is surviving. Keep moving forward, you can’t afford to give up here!

ようやく姿を確認できたのは、身のートルを軽く超える、巨人だ。氷でできているのか、白を強調した半透明。首のない全身甲冑の外観で、手には身の丈に合う巨大な剣。 「............アイスゴーレムって奴か?」 「ゴーレムは知っているのか。そうだ、魔力によって偽りの生命を注ぎ込まれた、自動人形だ」 氷のゴーレムはちょうど入り口を塞ぐ形で俺たちの前に立ちふさがる。 すんなり通してくれそうな雰囲気ではないな。 「............勝てるのか?」 「どうだろうな。ゴーレム系統は、制作者の力量次第で強さの度合いが大きく変わってくる。少なくとも、あのサイズのゴーレムを作れる術者はなかなかの腕の持ち主だろう」 剣を引き抜く動作は狼の群と退治したときと変わらず、だが表情から滲み出る緊張感は隠せていない。 「私が仕掛けるから、その隙にカンナはお嬢さんを連れて先に逃げろ。奴がこの場の守護者であるなら、この場から逃げ出せさえすれば深追いはしてこないだろう」 肯定の音を発するのに、口が重かった。彼女の案確実であり、それをおれも理解していた。それでも、レアルを囮にしなければならない事実が心に重くのし掛かる。 「心配するな。私も少し打ち合ったら直ぐに逃げる。自殺願望は持ち合わせていないからな」 僅かに振り返ったレアルの横顔には、笑み。 その顔に、俺は腹を括った。 一度、背負っている娘さんの方を向く。彼女は恐怖に震えているのか、俺の躯に顔を押しつけてその表情は伺えない。けれども、俺もレアルと同じく笑みを向ける。 こんな場所で死んでいられない。俺とレアルは同じ言葉を心の中で唱えているはずだ。でなければ、あの城かそろって脱出などできるはずがなかったからだ。 「では........................行くぞっ」 大地を踏み砕くほどの勢いで、レアルが駆けだした。重量のある巨剣を振りかぶりながら、そうとは思えないほどの速度を出し、氷の巨人へと突っ込む。俺もぐっと両足に力を込め、いつでも走り出せるように身構える。 狙い目としては、レアルが一撃を入れた後だ。それによって守護者の攻撃目標をレアルへと定めさせ、彼女を追撃している最中に俺が逃げ出す。単純だがこれぐらいしか策はない。ならば、そこに全力を注ぐのみだ。 ゴーレムはレアルの接近に反応し、剣を振りかぶる。 そして、衝突まで残り僅かというところで、ゴーレムが跳躍した。その巨体からは想像できない高らかな跳躍だ。 勢いの付きすぎたレアルはなにもない地点に剣を振り下ろし、バランスを崩しかける。が、俺はそれを最後まで見届けていられない。いる暇などない。なぜなら空高く跳躍したゴーレムの着地地点は、まさしくレアルの後方で走る準備をしていた俺の立つ場所だったからだ。 これまでの人生で数えるほどに見事な超反応だろう。ゴーレムが跳躍の最高高度に達する前に、俺の躯は横方向へと走り出していた。巨人が俺のいた地点に剣を叩きつけながら着地。重力と膂力が合わさり、地面が粉砕、衝撃で掘り返される。その震動に足を取られる。またまた人生の中で己をほめたくなるほどのバランス感覚で転倒するのを耐えると、脱出口へと方向転換。 コメカミの当たりに寒気を覚える。俺はその感覚に従って躯を前方に投げ出す。頭の位置が立っていたときの半分になったとき、その直ぐ上を風を巻き起こしながら大質量が通過。顔から地面に倒れ込み、すぐさま視線をあげると、宙を直線に突き進む氷の巨剣。ゴーレムが投擲したのだ。 「娘さん、無事かッ」 「ぶ、無事だよッ............」 怖々とした返答を耳にしながら急いで立ち上がりゴーレムの方を向くと、無手になったゴーレムの腕から、バキバキと音を立てて氷が伸びだし、数秒もせずに新しい剣ができあがっていた。 「勘弁してくれよッ」 俺はもう一度走り出そうと足に力を込める。同時に、ゴーレムはもう一度剣を投擲しようと振り被る! 巨体の横合いに、凄まじい衝撃が走った。レアルがゴーレムの腕に斬撃を打ち込んでいた。人間の大きさからしては巨大な剣。だが氷の巨人からすれば質量の差は歴然。だが、レアルの見舞った一撃は、ゴーレムの躯に完全に打ち勝っていた。氷の巨人は一瞬の滞空の後に、地面に倒れ込んだ。 「なんつー馬鹿力だ」 味方ながら、その逸したパワーに戦慄する。 「今のうちだ、カンナッ」 鋭い声に頷く暇も惜しく、俺は出口に向けて駆けだした。今度こそッ。 だが、現実とは無情だったらしい。 氷の巨人が、地面から立ち上がらぬ内に、強引に剣を投げたのだ。ねらいはレアルでもなく俺でもない。投げ損ねたのかと考えたのが早計だった。投げ放たれた氷の巨剣が、俺の目指す出口の直ぐ上に命中したのだ。 見た目相応の重量と速度が合わさった衝撃は、出口付近を完全に粉砕し、どぉぉんと音を立てて崩してしまった。俺はすぐさまには目の前の光景を受け入れられず、走ることも立ち止まることもできず、徒歩で出口のあった場所までたどり着いた。 脱出口を塞いだ瓦礫の山に手を触れて、俺はようやく現実を知る。 「完全に、閉じこめられた............」 唯一の活路を閉ざされ、絶望感が全身を支配していく。 それでも俺は、砕けそうになる両脚に活を入れる。背中にのしかかる『重み』が、絶望に浸るのを拒絶させる。 いつの間にか俺の横にまで近づいていたレアルが、肩で息をしている。どうやら氷の巨人と切り結んでいたらしい。 「あのゴーレムを作ったのは相当の実力者だな。かなり緻密な自動制御がなされている。一国の宮廷魔術士クラスだ」 「それってどのくらいすごいんだ?」 「十人いれば、千人規模の部隊と正面から打ち勝てる」 「化け物かッ」 と、レアルの姿を視界に入れた瞬間、閃いた。 「あ、そうだレアル、ちょっとパスッ」 「はッ? お、おいカンナッ」 俺は娘さんをレアルへと強引に押しつける。レアルが何かをいう前に、俺は一気に駆け出す。 俺が走り出すと、氷の巨人が俺のいる方へと躯の向きを変えた。 「レアルッ、「壊せッ」」 一度だけ、俺は彼女の背後を指さした。 「ーーーッ。クソッ、承った!」 こちらの意図を瞬時に汲んでくれたレアルが、崩れた脱出口へと剣を構えた。不思議と、出会った当初から彼女は俺の言わんとする事を最小の伝達で読みとってくれるのだ。 「死ぬなよカンナッ」 叫びながら、瓦礫の山へと剣を横に薙ぐ。剣圧に、かなりの量の瓦礫が吹き飛ばされる。そのまま続けて、レアルは剣を振り回した。 氷の巨人はレアルの行為を完全に無視し、走り回る俺へと向きを変え続ける。思った通りだ。 どうしてかは不明だが、巨人の攻撃目標はずっと俺だったのだ。 思い返せば、氷の巨人は出現してからずっと俺たちに攻撃を向けてきた。脅威となる攻撃力を保有するレアルを完全に無視する形だった。 俺ではなく、俺が背負っていた娘さんだった可能性も否定できなかったが、ゴーレムはレアルの側にいる少女には見向きもしない。 それがわかればやることは単純だ。俺とレアルの最初の役目を逆転させればいい。俺が巨人の注意を引きつけている間に、レアルには出口の掘削作業をしてもらう。これが現時点での適材適所だ。 問題があるとすればーーーー。 「うぉおおッッ」 巨人がまたも跳躍し、大上段から剣を振り上げて襲いかかってくる。俺は悲鳴を上げながら前方に飛び込む形でジャンプ。背後で地面が割られるが、俺は即座に前受け身で体勢を立て直して走り出す。 ーーーー俺が掘削作業が終わるまで生き延びられるかである。 「バイオレンス過ぎるだろう俺の異世界ライフッ」 俺を呼びだした姫様とその一族郎党に新たな復讐心を決意しつつ、レアルから離れる形で走る。攻撃目標は俺であるが、レアルの行動に目標を変更しないとは限らない。 大きな移動手段が他にないのか、氷の巨人は幾度と無く跳躍を繰り返し、俺もそのたびに魂がすり減る気分でジグザグに進路を取り回避していく。脚がもつれてしまえば最後、俺はあえなくあの重量に圧殺され挽き肉になる。全力で走りつつもバランスに意識を向けるのは結構大変だ。 この世界にきてから、もう何度も味わった「背筋に伝わる寒気」がまたも来た。巨人の跳躍の度に来たそれは、回避の指針にもなっていたのだが。 どうにもそれまでとは色合いが違った。 振り返れば、ゴーレムはそれまでとは違った動作をとっていた。跳躍するために踏ん張るのでなく、その場で大きく剣を振り上げていた。また剣を投げる気だろうか? だが、ゴーレムは氷の剣を投擲するでもなく、その場で剣を地面に叩きつけた。地面が粉砕され、その後に隆起していくのは無数の氷山。大量にそそり立つ氷の剣山が、地面を砕きながら俺に向かってきたのだ。剣を投げるよりも速度は遅かったが、その範囲は数倍以上。 辛うじて氷山の隆起の直撃だけは免れるも、隆起の余波に巻き込まれて俺は宙に投げ出された。 「ぐッ............ッ」 頭から落下しなかっただけが幸運だ。背中から地面に叩きつけられた俺はそのまま転がり続ける。落下の衝撃で酸素が口から吐き出され、酸欠に視界が赤黒く明滅する。 ガンッと躯に何かがぶつかり、動きが止まった。 全身が軋むように痛むが、どうにか上体を起こす。一直線にできあがった氷山からかなりの距離が離れている。それだけ吹き飛ばされたという意味。氷山の発生点を見れば、ゴーレムが、足音を立てながらこちらに近づいてくる。 「カンナッッッッ」 レアルが掘削作業を中断し、ゴーレムに向かって駆け出す。が、いかんせん距離が離れすぎている。ゴーレムの動作自体はゆっくりだが、体積ーー歩幅が違う。彼女が追いつく前に、ゴーレムがこちらに到着する。 俺は全身の痛みに、立ち上がりかけた躯が膝を突く。 痛みはあるが、死ぬほどではない。死んではいないなら、この躯はまだ動くはずだ。迫り来る氷の巨人を睨みつけながら、俺は歯を折れんばかりに噛みしめ、両足に力を注ぐ。 「ぬーーーーがぁぁぁぁッッッ」 油切れを起こした関節が悲鳴を上げるような痛みを走らせながら、俺は立ち上がる。氷の巨人がもはや目の前だ。 絶望に浸っている暇はない。恐怖を覚えている余裕もない。 ただただ、生き残るために。 前に進むために、諦めている場合ではない!

Kanna no Kanna — — — — Well, that really surprised me. What you ask? That Chloe. Normally, is there a guy who stabs himself without a moment's hesitation when told to? someone with normal nerves would hesitate at the last second. Even if they have every intention to take their life. The moment they're about to die their resolve will shake. Yet she didn't have any of that. Her『reason』actually twisted her『instinct』. It felt like time had stopped and n.o.body could move. And then — — — — “.........................Eh?” The first to open her mouth was the one who had just stabbed her heart,『Chloe』. The dagger in her hands was buried in her chest safe for the handle. Even if she didn't aim for the heart she would have died with something that big piercing her chest. However, not a single drop of blood flowed out of her body. Chloe Hesitatingly pulled the dagger out whilst confused at the contradiction. — — — — Well, there is no『thing』to pull out in the first place. The three girls opened their eyes wide and stared at the dagger. Obviously because the sharp blade I showed them at first wasn't there. As if it never existed. To tell the truth, that dagger I made was a bluff, a fake so to say. At the time I cut my finger it was undoubtedly real. But right after that I had told the spirits to『make the density of the blade part as low as possible』. Fragments of ice could be seen scattered around Chloe's feet. The remains of the blade. The blade which was as fragile as backed confectionery obviously shattered when it touched her chest. Chloe looks at my face and the dagger as if to say she's been deceived by a fox, seeing that I return a weird smile. “Well, I now fully understand your resolution. It was bad of me to test you like that. My bad.” I lower my head and apologize to Chloe. Finally understanding that the whole thing was a『test』, Chloe swings her arms in a fl.u.s.ter. “P, please stop it, Thanks to you this one could prove my innocence degozaru. There is nothing for you to bow for degozaru yo.” Unlike when she made up her resolve, Chloe's expression was a peaceful one. “...............Phew! Stop it with the surprises Kanna. It's not good for my heart.” “deceiving from your allies is the iron rule of bluffing after all. However with this her innocence was confirmed. At least she shouldn't have any ill intentions towards us.” No matter who you are you never know what kind of person you truly were until your death. So someone who did what she did wouldn't betray us. “In that short amount of time, not only did you generate the ice you even changed it's density. As always the magic formula you use is absurd. I couldn't even grasp a part of it. At this rate I really am going to lose confidence.” Faima mutters with a far away look on her face.『This』is impossible to explain with the rules of magic to begin with. As I don't have the confidence to properly explain it, I'll gloss it over. “Now then, it's fine we managed to proof her innocence and all but....” “I'll cut to the chase, who ordered you to a.s.sa.s.sinate Faima? Or should I be saying who used that magic on you?” “........................I truly apologize. Though I really want to give you an answer degozaruga, I can't remember a thing concerning that degozaru yo. By the time I realized I was already being manipulated by the『voice』, is all I can say degozaru.” Chloe drops her shoulders apologetically and Faima follows her up. “Anything that could lead to the mastermind was probably erased using mind magic. We already heard details from her.” “Can one even erase memories with magic?” “If it's a high ranking magician then it's possible. Only that it's as dark as the crystal case so the number of magicians that can use it is limited. Nevertheless there should be a bunch of them. That's why it's impossible to identify the culprit from just that. ” “What's more, the last memory she has seems to be from half a year ago in a castle town of Yurufiria but she can't seem to remember the details about the place.” “I really apologize for being of no help.” “I'ts not your fault. It's the the rotten piece of s.h.i.+t that manipulated you that's at fault here. Besides, though someone got injured luckily no one died on our side.” “.....................This one is really grateful for your magnanimous heart degozaru.” All in all we couldn't get any information related to the culprit, further investigation is useless at this stage. Just that according to Faima's deduction the opponent isn't some stupid worthless n.o.ble but someone big enough to attract a skilled magician or maybe the skilled magician himself. Either way, he's quite cautious. “To begin with, why did he think of manipulating you? Rather than going through the trouble of controlling someone, asking『professionals』would have been much more certain, no?” A natural question comes out. “The answer to that most likely lies with this one.” Chloe puts her index and middle finger to her forehead. “Magic formation.................release.” Magic power flows around Chloe. I remember the strange feeling I had when I carried her last time. Just when I though the magic power around her started s.h.i.+ning it calmed down right away. There was no flashy sound or effect, enough to believe that the magic was my imagination. however, there was a clear change in Chloe's『body』. Chloe's『ears』shake as if to a.s.sert their existence. Real's long ears often pikupiku move sometimes but this is of a totally different victor, actually the positions of their ears are different too. — — — — Kemofussama has descended. Different from the round ears of humans. The same article as the one beasts have, two of those are growing on Chloe's head. Her black hair behind her ears was swaying. “Uuu..............As I thought, the human pants are kinda stiff.” Looking at her b.u.t.tocks whilst muttering, there was a black tail flailing around. “That hair color and and ears' shape. Chloe-san, could you be a beastman of the『black wolf』race?” “That's right degozaru. This one is a black wolf beastman that came from『Hinoizur』.” “A black wolf from Hinoizur.......... I see, no wonder he wanted you as a p.a.w.n.” Faima nods her head as if she understood something. Meanwhile I and Real tilt ours. “Sorry, getting convinced on my own. Her race is greatly superior to other beastmen when it comes to physical ability and magic talent.” “That's not all degozaru. Black wolf warriors are called『samurai』and『s.h.i.+n.o.bi』, and once we decide on a master our loyalty is unshakable degozaru. Furthermore, Becoming the master of a black wolf brings great honor and fame de gozaru.” Chloe puffs her chest as she boasts about her race, her clothes above her chest seem about to burst. it'll probably be stretched after she takes it off. “Black wolfs are among the strongest beastman races. She was probably captured for her battle prowess.” “This one suspects as much too.......... The spell I just used is the clan's transformation magic degozaru. Since the black wolf's features are pretty well known degozaru kar. I sometimes hide my ident.i.ty like that degozaru yo.” But well, samurai and s.h.i.+n.o.bi was it — — It's obvious they are written as 『ブシ』and『シノビ』 . Once again I discover another mystery of this fantasy world. I guess Hinoizur has the culture of j.a.pan around edo period. At this rate Chinese freaks or america might come out soon enough. “By the way, samurai who decide on a master feel pride in their way of life degozaru. If they happen to sully that way of life they willingly slit their stomachs degozaru yo.” “You even have seppeku?!!” Isn't it fine not to have the ultimate most extreme way of putting one's spirit to the test? “Oh!! Kanndono knew of the seppeku degozatta ka? But that tradition should be limited to hinoizur. Might you be blood related to a Hinoizur n.o.ble.” “................No, I most certainly am not. It's just a rumor I heard.” The only person who knows my circ.u.mstances is Real. Hence I can't help but play dumb. “Hmm.............Kanndono doesn't possess the characteristics of the humans of Hinoizur. Seems like it was only this one's misunderstanding degozaru ka.” “Characteristics?” “The majority of the humans with Hinoizur blood in them possess black hair and eyes degozaru yo. Though people of other races will have varying hair colors degozaruga, Hinoizur was originally a human country. The black wolf race has lived there since ancient times along with Hinoizur's humans. The blood of the Hinoizur humans got mixed in degozaru. that's why it's black degozaru yo.” The more I hear about it the more I think Hinoizur resembles j.a.pan.Is the default hair color black there? — — — — Wait a moment. “What are you saying? Isn't my hair black too?” “..................? What are you saying degozaru ka? Just where do you see a black haired person in this room degozaru ka?” No, I'd like to hear that from you but. Eh? Why are you tilting your head in front of this splendid j.a.panese black hair? It's not dyed and I don't have something like eye contacts so my eyes are supposed to be black too though? “.................... Kanna take a good look a this.” Real brings her great sword's blade in front of me with a difficult expression on her face. Maybe because she doesn't forget to take care of it, or it could be the sword being well made in the first place, Anyway it's blade was as clear as a mirror. “.........................White?” I look at my face reflecting in the blade. “.........................Wha?” Not a speck of the black I was familiar with was there. “The heck is thissssssssssssssssssss?!!!” Instead, my pure white hair could be seen. “Eh, wha?! Ehhhhhhh?!!” I pluck a hair out and look at it. It was undoubtedly white. “After you defeated the mysterious magician in the valley, before I realized your hair color became like that. The burden on your mind in such an extreme situation probably showed up in your body. Actually, your eyes turned from black to red too, likely for the same reason.” “Seriously?!Eh, seriously?!!!” “Err................Un, seriously serious.” In my confusion, I turn to Faima for confirmation and she nods her head with her face twitching. Even from an outsider's eyes, I must be pretty bewildered right now. It's fine to say this is the most confused I got since coming to this fantasy world. Well it's true that at that moment I kind of burned out completely but, I never though I'll be doing『I burned ou~t..............』for myself . Looking back, this must be why Real and Faima were looking out for me when they first entered the room. My black hair lost all color in the matter of a few minutes after all. Currently I can't detect any problem with my body. Though my eyes turned red my eyesight remains unaffected. In terms of the real world, I guess I became an『albino』huh. Looks like I have to dye my hair when I get back home. As for this world, it is full of special hair colors so one or two white haired people won't make a difference. “................Well, un. I more or less calmed down.” “From the talk just now, I take it your hair used to be black?” “I had the same black hair and black eyes as you. More importantly, stop that overly humble way of calling. Kanna is fine.” “Then this one will be calling you Kanns.h.i.+ degozaru. This one doesn't mind if you call me without honorifics too degozaru yo.” “That so? Then Chloe it is.” We kinda got sidetracked with my hair accident (has a bad ring to it) but I'll get back to the main topic here. “Now that I think about it, Chloe's fighting ability was nothing to scoff at. She totally couldn't be mistaken for some mob out there.” knocking down all the ice shuriken I threw at her and mercilessly aiming for my vitals, her skill was the best of all I've seen (excluding one). Had I not acquired spirit magic I'd have been taken down in less than a minute. That wasn't on the level of a back-alley fight. “No, someone of this one's level still has a long way to go degozru. If it was a real black wolf that you fought, though this is a bad way of saying it degozaruga, both Faims.h.i.+ and Kanns.h.i.+ wouldn't be alive by now gozaranakatta.” “................I don't know whether to honestly be happy or not.” “you don't have to look out for me degozaru yo. Being manipulated was this one's miss and precisely because this one is unskilled that Kanns.h.i.+ could stop me. I only have grat.i.tude for you de gozaru.” Or so she said but Chloe's expression would cloud whenever she said the word『unskilled』, her eyes would sway too. Well, doesn't seem like a topic she wants to touch on so I'll keep it at that.

ーーーーや、びっくりした。 何に驚いたって? クロエの迷いを見せずに短刀を己の胸に突き刺したからだ。並の神経の持ち主なら、己の体を傷つけるときは僅かに躊躇する。自殺を心に決意したとして、いざ崖の上で踏み切ろうとしても少しは惑う。 なのに彼女はそれが無かった。 『理性』が『本能』をねじ伏せやがった。 時が凍り付いたかのように、場にいる誰もが動かなかった。 そしてーーーー。 「............え?」 最初に声を上げたのは、己の心臓に刃を突き立てた『クロエ』だった。逆手に握り、胸を深々と貫いた短刀は、柄の辺りまで埋没している。仮に心臓を狙っていなくとも致命傷に等しい一刺。 けれども、クロエの体からは血の一滴も流れていない。 我が身に起こった矛盾に混乱する中、クロエは恐る恐ると短剣を己の肉体から引き抜いた。 ーーーーまぁ、そもそも引き抜くほどの『物』は存在していないが。 この場にいる俺以外の全員が目を見開き氷の短刀を凝視する。クロエの手の内にある短刀の刃先が、まるで最初からそうであったかのように存在していなかったからだ。 種明かしをすれば、俺が作った短刀の刀身はハッタリだ。指を軽く切って切れ味を証明した時点では紛れもない本物だったが、その直後に短刀を構成する氷の精霊に命じたのだ。内容は『刀身部分の強度を徹底的に弱める』ことだ。視線をクロエの膝元に戻せば、氷の欠片が散らばっている。刀身の成れの果て。焼き菓子程しかない強度の刀身は、彼女の胸に到達した時点で崩壊したのだ。 クロエは刀身のない短刀と俺の顔を、狐に化かされとばかりに交互に見比べる。その表情に、俺は何とも可笑しく笑ってしまった。 「や、アンタの覚悟は痛いほどに分かった。試すような真似をして悪かったな、すまない」 声を出して笑った後、俺は謝罪を込めて頭を下げた。 ようやく俺の申し出が一種の『試し』であったのを理解したのか、クロエがあわてて両手をパタパタとふる。 「お、おやめください。むしろ、拙者としてはこれで我が身の潔白を表明できただけでも御の字でござる。決して貴方様に頭を下げられるほどではないでござるよ」 覚悟を決めた時とはまるで違う、表情豊かなクロエ。 「............まったく、驚かせるなカンナ。すこし心臓に悪いぞ」 「ハッタリってのは、身内から騙すのが鉄則だ。けど、これで彼女の無実が証明された。少なくとも、俺たちに害は及ぼさないだろうさ」 生死を分かつ状況は人間の本性が如実に現れる。ケジメの為に命を掛けられる程の胆力の持ち主なら、俺たちを騙しはしないだろう。 「アレほどの短時間で氷を精製してかつ、一瞬で強度の調整まで。本当に摩訶不思議な術式だわ。そもそも、目の前で何度も披露されて術式の欠片も把握できないってどーなのよ。そろそろ魔術士としての自信を失いそうよ私は」 ファイマはぶつぶつと呟きながらここではない遠くを見ている。『コレ』はそもそも魔術視点では説明不可能なのだが、満足に説明できる自信もないのでスルーする。 「さて、無実の証明もばっちり出来たわけなんだが・・・・」 「単刀直入に聞くが。アンタにファイマの暗殺を命じた奴は誰だ? あるいは、拘束術式の宝石を埋め込んだ奴って聞いた方が正しいか?」 「............申し訳ない。答えたいのは山々でござるが、その辺りの事は全く覚えていないのでござるよ。気が付いたときには既に『声』に操られていた、としか答えようがないでござる」 すまなそうに肩を落として語るクロエに、ファイマがフォローする。 「おそらく、黒幕の手掛かりになるような洗脳前後の記憶は精神系魔術式で消去されたんだと思う。そのことに関しては私たちが事前に話を聞いているわ」 「魔術で記憶って消せるのか?」 「高位の魔術士なら可能ね。ただ、宝石に施されていた術式と同じようにかなり尖った分野だから、扱える魔術士は限られているわ。でも、少ないとは言えある程度の人数はいるから、それだけで犯人の特定は不可能ね」 「ついでに言えば、彼女の記憶がまともに残っている最後の日付は、今現在よりも半年位前だそうだ。場所はユルフィリアの城下町。けれども、具体的な日付や記憶を失った起点は思い出せないらしい」 「重ね重ね、我が身の事ながらお役に立てず申し訳ないでござる」 「アンタの責任じゃねぇよ。悪いのはアンタを操っていた腐れ外道だ。こちらとしてはけが人こそ出たが運良く死者零だしな」 「............寛大なお心、誠に感謝するでござる」 ファイマの暗殺を企てた犯人に直接繋がる情報は手に入れられなかったが、これ以上は詮索しても仕方がない。ただ、ファイマの補足が正しいとするのならば、黒幕はしょぼい木っ端貴族などではなく、腕を持った魔術士を囲い込める力を持っている。あるいはその魔術士自身か。どちらにせよ、軽々しく尻尾を出さない程には狡猾だ。 「そもそも、なんでアンタを操って刺客にしようと考えたんだ? 別にワザワザ手間を掛けて誰かを操るより、最初から『本職』に頼んだ方がよほど確実だろう」 率直な疑問が飛び出る。 「おそらく、それは拙者自身が答えでござろう」 クロエは人差し指と中指を立て、己の額にかざす。 「術式............解除」 魔力の流れがクロエの周囲に流れた。そういえば、彼女に身近で触れたとき妙な感覚が合ったのを今更ながら思い出す。 ほのかな光を放つ魔力が彼女を覆ったかと思うと、それはすぐに消滅した。派手な効果や音は殆ど起こらず、術式の発動が気のせいと錯覚する程 レアルの長耳も時折ピクピクと動くが、アレとはベクトルがまるで違う。というか、耳が生えている位置も違う。 ーーーーケモフサ様が降臨なさった。 人間の丸っこい耳ではない。獣の持つそれと全く同じ形を持った耳が、クロエの頭上か、ニョッキリと生えていた。耳の裏にも髪と同じ漆黒の毛並みが揃っており、フサフサしている。 「うぬぅ............やはり人族用のズボンだと窮屈でござるな」 クロエが己の臀部を振り返りながら身じろぎすると、ズボンと肌の隙間からまたもニョッキリと漆黒のケモフサな尻尾が姿を現した。 「その髪の色と耳の形。・・・・クロエさん、あなたはもしかして『黒狼族』の獣人なの?」 「そうでござる。改めまして。拙者はここより遠く離れた島国『ヒノイズル』出身、黒狼族のクロエと申すでござるよ」 「ヒノイズルの黒狼族............なるほど、手駒にしたい理由は分かった」 ファイマは合点が言ったように頷く。俺とレアルは理解できず、疑問に首を傾げると、ファイマが説明をしてくれた。 「ごめんなさい、一人で納得しちゃったわ。ヒノイズルって言うのは多重民族国家の島国よ。それで黒狼族っていうのは代々その国の盟主を影ながら守護してきた獣人の一族なの。彼らは他の獣人よりも遙かに優れた身体能力と魔力の才能があるのよ」 「それだけでは無いでござる。黒狼の戦士は『ブシ』や『シノビ』と呼ばれており、一度仕えると心に決めた主君への忠誠心は鋼の如しでござる。黒狼の者を配下に加えるだけで、その者は名君と称されることもあるでござる」 胸を張り自慢げなクロエ。ついでに豊かな胸が窮屈そうに薄い上着を押し上げている。脱いだらたぶん服は伸び伸び状態になってるな。 「黒狼族の強さは獣人族の中でトップクラス。その戦闘力を狙われて、彼女は洗脳されたんでしょうね」 「そうではないかと............。今の術は一族に伝わる変化の魔術でござる。黒髪に狼獣人の特徴は一部の者には有名でござるからな。時折こうやって隠しているのでござるよ」 にしても、ブシとシノビーー明らかに『武士』と『忍び』って書くな。幻想世界での神秘をまたも発見してしまった。ヒノイズルって国は日本の江戸時代かそれ前後の文化だろうな。その内、中華フリークとか、アメリカンとか出てきそうだ。 「ちなみに、ブシは主君に忠誠を誓うのと同時に、己の生き様に誇りを持っているでござる。それを自ら汚すような事があれば、腹を割いて自害するでござるよ」 「切腹まであるんかいッ!」 究極の根性試しみたいな自害方法まで似なくていいんじゃね? 「なんと、カンナ殿はセップクを知って御座ったか。しかし、あの作法はヒノイズル出身の上流階級の者しか知らないはずで御座る。もしかして、血縁者にヒノイズルの貴族が?」 「............や、ないない。風の噂で聞いただけだから」 あまりの文化の酷似(悪い意味)に思わずツッコミをしてしまった。俺の本当の事情を知る人間はレアルだけなので、とりあえず誤魔化すしかない。 「ふむ。............カンナ殿には、純血のヒノイズル人族の特徴は見受けられないでござるしな。拙者の勘違いで御座るか」 「特徴?」 「ヒノイズルの血が濃い人族は、大抵の者が黒髪に黒い瞳を持っているで御座るよ。ほかの人種に関しては外来の者が多いので髪の毛の色は多種多様で御座るが、ヒノイズルは元々人族中心の国。黒狼族はヒノイズル人族と同じく古来より住んでいた獣人であり、ヒノイズル人族の血も混ざっているので御座る。だから黒髪なのでござるよ」 聞けば聞くほど日本に似ている国だな。人のデフォルトが黒髪なのか。 ーーーーや、ちょい待て。 「何言ってんだ? 俺の髪だって黒じゃねぇか」 「............? 何を仰るでござるか? どこに黒髪のお方がこの場にいるので御座るか?」 や、聞いているのは俺なんですが。え? この見事な純血日本人の毛並みを見て何で首傾げてんの? 染髪なぞに手を出したこと無いし。目もカラーコンタクトなぞ入れずに天然で黒ですが? 「............カンナ、コレをよく見ろ」 難しい顔をしたレアルが背中から剣を引き抜き、俺の目の前に刀身の面を向けた。手入れを怠っていないからか、剣その物が見事なのか、その刀身は鏡の如くに光を反射している。 そう、まるで鏡のようなのだ。 「........................白?」 刀身の面に、鏡写で俺の顔が見えた。 「............なッ」 そこに、長年慣れ親しんだ黒は一切存在せず。 「なんじゃこりゃぁああああああああああああああっっ!?」 純白に染まりあがった髪が代わりに頭に乗っかっていたのだ。 「え、ちょ? えぇッ?」 慌てて頭上の髪の一房を摘んで延ばすと確かにそれは白かった。 「君が渓谷で謎の男を倒した後、気が付けば髪の色はそうなっていた。おそらく、極限状況に於ける精神への負荷が表面化した結果だろう。さらに言わせて貰えば、目の色も黒から赤に変色している。こちらも理由は同じだろう」 「マジでッ!? え、マジでッッ!?」 「えっと............うん、マジマジ」 俺は混乱しながらファイマに確認をとると、彼女は顔をひきつらせながら頷いた。今の俺は傍目から見ても相当に混乱しているのだろう。幻想世界に来てから一番の混乱が今日この瞬間だった。 や、確かにあの瞬間は完全燃焼してましたけど。まさか我が身で『燃え尽きたぜぇ............』をやる羽目になるとは思いもしませんでしたよ。 思い返すと、目が覚めた直後にレアルとファイマが俺に気遣ったのはこの髪の変色もあったのだろう。真っ黒の髪が数分足らずで白になればそれは不安になるだろう。 現時点で自覚できる体の不調はない。目も赤くなっているっぽいが、視力にも影響はなさそうだ。現実世界で言えば『アルビノ』みたいな容貌になっているのか。元の世界に戻ったときに髪を染めなければならなそうだ。当面に関しては、幻想世界では緑やら青やらのスペシャルヘアカラーが普通にいるので、若白髪が一人増えたところで問題はない。 「............や、うん。一応は落ち着いた」 「お話から察するに、あなた様の髪は元々黒だったと?」 「おまえさんと同じで黒髪に黒い瞳だったよ。それより、そんなへりくだった呼び方は止めてくれ。カンナで良い」 「ではカンナ氏とお呼びするでござる。拙者もクロエと呼び捨てにしてもらって構わないでござるよ」 「そうかい。じゃ俺はクロエって呼ぶよ」 俺の髪の毛のアクシデント(イヤな響きだな)で話がかなり脱線したが、ここで元に戻す。 「思い返せば操られていた時のクロエの戦闘力は半端無かったな。そこら辺の雑魚とは段違いだ」 俺の投げた氷手裏剣を全てたたき落とし、急所を容赦なく狙い打つ技量は(一つの例外を除き)この世界で出会った誰よりも卓越していた。仮に俺が精霊術を会得していなかったら、一分も持たずに殺されていた。アレは路地裏喧嘩の経験など歯牙に掛けない実力だった。 「いえ、拙者などまだまだ未熟でござる。本当の黒狼の一族であるならば、言い方は悪いでござるが、カンナ氏もファイマ氏も生きてはござらんかっただろう」 「............良かったと素直に安堵して良いか困るな」 「気を使わないでいいでござるよ。操られたのは拙者の過ちであるし、未熟であったからこそカンナ氏が拙者を止めてくれた。感謝はあれど他意は無いでござる」 口ではそう言いつつ、クロエの表情は若干影が指していた。「未熟」と口にする度に。目が揺れた。あまり触れて欲しくなさそうだし、これ以上追求するのは止めておくか。

It’s been days since we left the village at the foot of the sacred mountains; we have finally reached another town– if I judge it from Real’s story, this town is quite decent in size and liveliness. This is technically the first town I visit, that castle town I only glanced it a little from the sky thanks to the dragon and the village at the holy mountain was very small scale. The landscape gives the impression of any western country middle ages town that you would read in a manga; unlike the mountain village, the material for the houses was not wood but mostly built with bricks. The attire of the people we pa.s.s by too, was varied in colors and brightness. In other words, if I had to explain it compared to somewhere in the world (I mean, the world were I was summoned from), I had to say that resembles the feeling of the old Italy. 「Humans are a thing that perhaps, even if you change the world; you won’t change how they develop」 As for the schedule, we plan to spend a few days in this town; replenish the food we have consumed up to this point, and if possible; acquire useful goods that couldn’t be obtained in the mountain village. It’s obvious that a town of this size performs trade with other cities; the influx of goods should be numerous. 「We should at least get one horse」 「Is that possible with the money we have?」 「Horses quality comes in all sizes, with what we have now we should be able to afford a cheap one. If it’s not possible, we’ll just have to hold it... but having one would change drastically the expenditure we need to endure during our travels.」 Indeed, while riding a horse our own legs will get some rest. If you b.u.mp into beasts or thiefs or something else then; you’ll be in perfect condition to face them. In fact, four days ago during our travels, a group of monsters came attacking when we were about to sleep... An enemy ambush when you are high on mental and physical fatigue is actually quite the ordeal. While there it was no danger scene there; fighting during the break period after walking the whole day is something unpleasant. 「By the way, can you handle horses, Kanna?」 「I’m completely city brew. The last time I rode one was when I was taken to visit a ranch when I was a kid.」 At the moment we are searching for an inn to as our base while we stay in this big town. While there is quite the diversity of inns, it’s natural that the accomodation quality has plenty of different ranks. As I’m ignorant of the ways of the world, I leave judgement in that area completely to Real. 「Then, let’s stay here tonight.」 What she chose was a storey inn which seems to be of quite elegant making. The accomodation fee was priced in a signboard outside, it’s slightly higher that the ones we have pa.s.sed by so far. 「Isn’t it a little bit expensive?」 「That might be so; but there is the thing that while it’s not well known, we are currently wanted people. Cheap inns don’t really do much about preventing info about their guests leaking out; on the other hand, those that demand firm payment are also more tight lipped about customer’s personal information.」 「Buying safety with money.」 「That’s how it is. For those who have scratches in their s.h.i.+n, it’s an habitual practice to put more money in a good inn; in the end this is convenient for us. Rather than creating problems for being stingy; better make sure it’s ok by choosing something pricy... As expected, that won’t work if the state uses it’s power; but that’s exactly why we don’t want to make any noise.」 I have no recollection of getting any s.h.i.+n injury... Swallowing my small indignation, we opened the door of the inn. After negotiating with the reception desk, we rented single rooms, naturally divided by gender. The period is days and 3 nights and the price was relatively high after all; and as Real said, we should consider this an investment towards safety. Each room has a doorlock and even a vault In addition, each room has a bath. It’s great to be able to soak in the bath without thinking about the opposite s.e.x. ーーーー Truth be told, while we were staying in the village; I happened to b.u.mp once into Real who was just done with the tub. Of course not her armor clad figure, but one donning thin underwear... That soft hair which was damp with moisture; the fickleness of the skin that overflow with feminine appeal; it was seriously bad. In fact, she has quite the amazing figure, way more than grandma– Letters such as G or H kept showing up in my head for some reason; along with the doubt of how could such a plentiful ma.s.s possibly fit inside any armor piece. Furthermore; the person herself was completely indifferent in that area, so I was really troubled then. Elven ears, cool beauty and hidden huge breast can only be called foul play... Just how many attributes is she in possession of? If we throw her to a certain place where Otaku have their holy land; she’ll create enough happiness that it’ll look like a chapter of the pandemonium. And it was for that reason that; while we were at the village, I put a great deal of attention so that I wouldn’t b.u.mp heads with Real in the bath. If you are shown a body like that in the raw; I don’t think the young me who is a teenager in p.u.b.erty will be able to keep it together. To that avail, I made sure of not to fall in a situation where my libido would overflow; better diminuish the places where I could have a strange accidental discharge. It’s that, you know? While at first glance it looks like a development worthy of an eroge... when it comes down to it, the anxiety is just too much; it’s obvious an issue that can be problematic in a relations.h.i.+p between different genders, and the after something happens it’s quite awkward... We left our luggage in the inn, and decided to discuss concrete policies during lunch. While this inn provides meals during morning, midday and nights; just like the mountain village inn, the dining room is not open at all times– The time we arrived here was already a little bit past lunch, and more time pa.s.sed while we were sorting our luggage. The place selected for the meal was a trendy shop with an open terrace; their selling point was pasta with sauce. The flavor was similar to spaghetti á la bolognese. 「Tentatively, I would like to take my equipment to the blacksmith; not only the defensive gear, but the sword as well have been used quite a lot without getting professional manteinance. Besides that, I would like it if you choose something as well; as expected leaving you with just some clothes won’t be acceptable from now on.」 My current equipment consists of plain cloth, clothes made of hide, some breast plate and arm protectors; I have leg protectors as well. Speaking of protection, this is practically naked; if something that has even the slightest cutting power strikes, this might as well be paper made armor... Back then I learned some means of defence from that spirit-sama grandma; but using that at the spur of the moment is an unreasonable request– It’s essential that I increase my defensive power. 「You did a one week training period at the village, additionally you put that into use four days prior to arriving to this city; your muscle strength doesn’t seem bad... It looks like gear that put emphasis on movement might suit you well. I think you didn’t say anything about it, do you have some previous experience with martial arts?」 「The childhood friend I have since I was a brat is a trouble maker and another one of my close friends is a black belt in Karate, so this much is natural.」 「karate?」 「It’s a martial specialized in bare hands; when you become proficient in it............ How to put it? You can pill up several thin bricks and then you break the with your hand.」 In Misaki’s case, with her bare hands she can manage five; but she proudly boasted that with a kakato otos.h.i.+ she can score for about twenty... I don’t think that’s something you should boast so much if you are a girl, though. 「Ohh, That sounds interesting; I would like to have a match someday if possible.」 The warlike Real said this as her lips raised. 「In the end it’s a happening in a world that’s at peace. There is probably no match for Real who can make fully armored soldiers fly away; additionally, the prerequisite can’t be fulfilled in the first place.」 For starters, that person is in another dimension 「Well, hanging around friends like that, it’s natural to move your body. Even casual skins.h.i.+p can become quite painful; when focusing in evading, you do it as if your life depends on it.」 Yuuzuki was the one that mostly got those injuries... But that’s just getting your own just deserts. 「As a result, I have enough guts that I can still move when a battle ensues... One really never knows what can actually be useful in life.」 「Indeed; at least now, you should thank that trouble maker and the karate weilding friends」 ーー Long after this... I will come to realize that said trouble maker is the root of all evil; but that’s not something I can tell at this point. Before going to the buy the gear, we need to drop by the p.a.w.nshop to increase our funds– Reason being, we are going to trade some precious metals we borrowed from the castle; we won’t trade stuff that has engraving or that the making is too luxurious, only focusing in selling simple jewels and ornaments that have no unusual characteristics. It’s likely that the luxurious stuff comes from a well known craftsman; and if they appear in the market it might be possible to trace it back to the original seller which would be us. Speaking of, I haven’t explained how we got those treasures; in other words, how we got into the treasure warehouse of the castle. Normally speaking, a room like that will be locked by secure methods... Real said : 「That door that has no keyhole, is probably sealed by a special magic tool... It has a mechanism that only allows a person whose magic power has been registered to open it. If anyone else tries to open it, some sort of security measure is sure to activate.」 Then, I just opened it normally. 「Even the technician that desined that magical door, as expected did not took into account the existence of 『someone who has no magic』. It does not matter who it is, even if small, you expect everyone to possess at least some magic in them; thus your existence was not considered in the design. Perhaps, againt you the most simple and common lock would be the most efficient crime prevention measure」 It seems that high tech(?) always has it’s downside, regardless of the world. And that’s the story of how we got to hoggle some good stuff; it ended up as quite the anecdote. The money that circulates in this world is separated in coins; there is no paper. Gold holds the highest value, then there is silver, cooper and even iron; all of them have their own type. A single gold cold would probably equate to 100.000 yen; silver would be 10.000 then cooper at 1.000 and the lowest monetary value would be 100 yen. That would mean that 10 of the same coin can be changed for a higher ranked coin; and as a reference a piece of bread being sold in the street goes for an iron. For this opportunity the trade earned us 30 gold coins; that would be 3.000.000 in yen... That’s the average anual income for a salary man. In this world the anual income for any regular family would be between 10 and 15 gold coins; so this amount translates into quite the haul. Additionally; this time we did not trade everything, we only sold like a quarter of the booty, so we can still trade this amount 3 more times... Even if we don’t want to exaggerate, we still hold at least twice as much money as this. It should be noted that we did not deal all of this at once; taking such a huge amount of precious metals to a single shop is bound to raise some suspicions. While feeling uneasy over the weight of a bag that has 30 gold coins, we directed our steps to a blacksmith shop. 「Very well Kanna, I already entrusted the sword so that it gets maintenance; we should worry about your side............ What is it?」 Right now, I am speechless due to the price of a sword that’s placed in a wall of this shop. It might be a long sword, it looks like a normal 2 bladed weapon; it’s 3 gold coins– 300.000 in j.a.panese yen... Even a short sword that’s right next to it is going for a single gold coin; and there is even a shorter sword beneath that, going for 5 silver coins. 「............ Weapons are really this expensive?」 If it’s for an early RPG weapon, you can already get something for like a thousand yen (wasn’t that right?). Getting reality and games mixed up is obviously not good; but deep down I had some consciousness that it was similar; it is now that I realize this. 「The one who uses it is trusting his own life to it; the one who crafts it has poured considerable effort into making it; it has to be something that withstands actual combat. The price is fair in relation to the performance; even more than that, you should take into account that some weapons made with weak materials might have been mixed into the lot.」 「............I can’t even joke around about any talk of adventurers aiming for ritches.」 「There is retrieving valuables from ancient ruins; there is also selling materials from rare magical beasts. Any of those can fetch high prizes; while there is a risk factor where you can die, the reward is appropiate to the risk– For that very same reason, the balance between supply and demand for these weapons is steady.」 So that’s how it is. Because there is someone who is willing to buy, naturally there is someone who sells; even if the weapons are at these prices, there are adventurers who have no problem meeting these bills. 「This is only for reference, but how much does your sword cost; Real?」 After I asked due to being interested, Real took a pensive pose with her hand in her chin. 「Let’s see............ The lowest price would beーー probably a hundred gold coins?」 「What’s with that? That’s too expensive.... And you were just swinging around something that costly?」 Isn’t this the same has having a bunch of gold bars in your back? And that’s even the lowest estimate... You can basically build a residence for that. 「Even if it has this unrefined shape; this is a heirloom that has been pa.s.sed down through my family even before my grandfather’s days. I might be praising one’s own wares, but I don’t think there are that many swords that possess this much st.u.r.diness and sharpness. The thing is that; even if it’s a heirloom pa.s.sed from grandfather to father and so on; the fact that a weapon is a weapon does not change; it’s value is on being present in the battlefield... I have not done a proper appraisal about the actual value, so this is merely an educated guess.」 「It’s fine to entrust such a thing to others?」 「I understand what you are going for; but if by chance a weapon shop losses equipment that has been entrusted with, the collapse in reputation of said shop will surely lead to falling out of business... Additionally, that probably will earn the grudge from the adventurer who was the owner of the weapon; that will be even more critical if it’s the weapon of someone whose name is well known.」 Even if it’s a fantasy world; the weight of business transaction is quite real... I learned this during this weapon shop visit; a relations.h.i.+p of mutual trust is really important. What we brought this time, was iron made gear for my chest and hands; added to that was a change in the leg protection. Real went along with my wishes, an order for defense power that does not hinder movement. What I picked was a wrist cover that includes the fist and totally covers fingers; it’s something with a plain design. If you hold a sword, the design will probably get in the way; but that’s exactly why there is no problem if you just use it to punch the opponent... Better yet, since the defense in my arms and legs make them more heavy, my offensive ability has actually been increased. Real’s equipment was practically unchanged, there is only the issue of maintenance on the sword... Though the price of said maintenance is enough to match the cost of a new weapon. The total price for getting together my armor was eight gold pieces; that would be 800.000 in yen... Perhaps it’s a fair price on necessary expenses; but it seems like an awful sum to me who is among the common people. It’s better if I don’t carry back this money sense when I get back to my own world; my small worries continue to increase.

霊山の麓村を出発してか後、俺らは新たな町にたどり着いていた。レアルの談では規模はそこそこでなかなかに賑やかな活気がある。俺としては初めて町らしい町に訪れた。王城の城下町は竜に乗って上空からチラッとみただけだし、霊山の麓村は小さかったし。 町並みは俺が日頃に読んでいたマンガに出てくる中世西洋の色が濃い。家屋の素材は、麓村にあった木造中心ではなく煉瓦作りが殆ど。道を歩く市民の服装も、心なしか色とりどりに晴れやかだ。そういえば、現実世界(俺的な元の世界の意味)でのイタリアは未だに昔の町並みを色濃く残しているそうだ。 「人間ってのは、世界は違えど発展の仕方はどこも変わらないのかもしれないな」 予定としては、この町に数日間留まり、これまでの道程で消費した食料等の旅用品の補給をするつもりだ。できるならば、麓の村では入手できなかった便利グッズがあるならこちらも入手したい。これだけ大きい町なら他所との交易もあるだろうし、物資の流入も多い。 「馬の一つも手に入ればな」 「今の手持ちで買えるのか?」 「馬といってもピンキリだ。安い物なら何とかなるだろう。なければないで我慢するが、あるとないとでは旅路の疲労度が段違いだ」 確かに、馬に乗っている間は、俺たちは体を休めることができる。そうすれば、道程の間に襲いかかってくる魔獣やら盗賊や等と出会っても万全に近い態勢で迎撃できる。事実、この四日感で一度だけ寝る寸前に魔獣の群が襲いかかっていたが、心身共に疲労した状態でそれを迎え撃つのは中々に大変だった。ヒヤッとする場面は無かったが、休憩を挟みながらも一日歩き通した上での戦闘は辛い。 「そういえば、カンナは馬の扱いは?」 「こちとら都会のもやしっこだ。ガキの頃に遠足で言った牧場で、試乗したのが最後だ」 俺らはしばらくの拠点となる宿屋を探す。大きい町なので、宿屋には事欠かない。ただ、宿と一概にいってもランクは勿論あり、世間知らずの俺はそこら辺の判断はレアルにまかせっきりである。 「では、今日はここにするか」 彼女が選んだのは建ての中々に立派な作りをした宿屋だった。看板に簡易な宿泊費が書いてあったが、これまで通り過ぎていた宿屋よりも若干割高だ。 「ちょいと高くねぇか?」 「だろうな。だが、一般には知られていないが我々は尋ね人だ。下手に安い宿屋は簡単に客の情報を漏らす。逆にこういった宿は、しっかりとした金払いがされれば客の個人情報の秘匿をしてくれる」 「安全をお金で買うんだな」 「その通り。臑に傷がある者は、むしろランクの高い宿屋を借りるのが常套手段で、我らとしては好都合。下手に金をケチるよりは、多少割高でも安全面を買うべきだ。さすがに、国家権力を振りかざされれば無理だろうが、騒ぎにしたくない以上それもしないだろう」 身に覚えのない臑の傷だ。小さな憤慨を飲み込み、俺たちは宿屋の扉を開けた。 受付との交渉の結果、俺らは一人部屋を一つずつ借りた。男女の振り分けだ。期間三日。やはり値段は少々高くついたが、レアルの言うとおりに安全面を考慮すれば妥当な出費。部屋の扉には鍵がついているし、金庫もある。 さらには部屋毎にお風呂まで。異性を気にせずに湯船に浸かれるのは大きい。 ーーーー実は麓の村に滞在中、風呂上がりのレアルと一度出くわしてしまった時のこと。 普段の鎧姿ではなく、薄い肌着姿だったのだが、アレはヤバかった。水気でシットリした髪の具合や、上気した肌の色気もさることながら。実は彼女、婆ちゃん以上にスタイルが抜群だったのだ。頭の中にGとかHとかそこら辺の単語が頭の中に浮かんだ。あれだけの巨大質量をどうやって鎧の奥に納めているのか気になる。しかも本人はそこらに無頓着だからさらに困る。 エルフ耳でクールビューティーであの隠れ巨乳とか反則だろう。どんだけ属性多いんだよ。某オタクの聖地に放り込んだら、歓喜の阿鼻叫喚が巻き起こる。 そんなわけで、俺は村に滞在中、レアルといかに風呂で鉢合わせにならないかに細心の注意を払っていた。あれだけの肢体を生で見せられたら、若き思春期な俺の理性が持ちそうにない。その甲斐があり、俺のリビドーが迸るようなシチュエーションに陥る事態は起こらなかった。妙なところで暴発する危険性は増えたが。 あれだね。一見するとエロゲ的展開だが、案外心労が絶えないね。下手に異性間の問題が起こったら、その後の展開が気まずすぎる。 宿に荷物を置いた俺たちは、具体的な方針を話し合うため、昼食もかねて外にでる。この宿も朝昼晩に食事はでているが、麓の村の時のように食堂は常時開放でないらしい。俺たちが宿に着いたのが昼を少し過ぎた頃だったので、荷物を整理している間に時間が過ぎてしまったのだ。 昼食どころに選んだのは、こじゃれたオープンテラスの店だ。売りはソースが掛かったパスタで、味はミートスパゲティに近い。 「とりあえず、私の装備の方を鍛冶屋の方に預けてこよう。防具はともかく、剣は一度奪われてから今の今までろくな整備が出来なかったからな。ついでに君に装備も見繕おう。さすがにその服のままではこの先何かと不安だ」 俺の現装備は、簡素な布の服に皮の胸当てと手甲、脚甲という出で立ちだ。ナマクラは防げても、少し切れ味のよい刃物相手だと多分紙装甲同然である。一応、防御手段は精霊様こと婆ちゃんに教わったが、咄嗟にそれが出来るかと問われれば無理である。素の防御力アップは必須だ。 「村にいた一週間で君の訓練を行い、その上でこの町に着くまでの四日間を省みるに、筋は悪くないように見える。動き易さを重視した装備がいいだろう。聞いてはいなかったが、君は何か武術をたしなんでいたのかい?」 「ガキの頃からの幼なじみがトラブルメーカーだったのと、別の友人が空手有段者だったから、自然とな」 「カラテ?」 「素手の武道の一つだ。実力者になると瓦............じゃわからねぇか。数枚重ねた薄いレンガを拳で叩き割れる」 美咲の場合、素手だが、踵落としだと二十枚ぐらいいけると自慢げに豪語していた。女性として自慢していい部分なのかと思う。 「ほぉ、それは興味深いな。いつか手合わせをお願いしてみたいものだ」 好戦的にレアルが口の端をつり上げた。 「所詮は平和な世界の出来事だ。全身鎧姿の兵士を一薙で吹き飛ばせるレアルの相手にはならないだろうさ。それに、前提条件として無理がある」 何しろ此方と彼方は次元を隔てているのだ。 「ま、そんな友人とじゃれ合ってると、自然と体も動くのよ。さり気ないスキンシップが結構痛いんだ。避けるか防がないと生傷が絶えない」 主に有月の生傷が絶えなかったが、あれはほぼ自業自得だ。 「お陰で、急な荒事が起こっても何とか躯が動く程度の度胸が付いたんだから、人生って何が役に立つか分からないよな」 「そうだな。少なくとも今だけはそのトラブルメーカーとカラテの友人に感謝しておくべきだろう」 ーー後に。 そのトラブルメーカーが諸悪の根源であると発覚するのだが、今はそれに気が付く由もなかった。 装備屋に行く前に、手持ちの金銭が心許ないので先に質屋に行くことになった。無論、売買するのは城から拝借した貴金属類だ。とりあえず、何かしらの刻印や豪華な作りをしているのは除外し、作りの簡単な宝石や装飾を優先的に売り払う。前者だと、名のある細工師が手がけている可能性があり、それが市場に出回ると逆算して俺たちの存在が発覚しかねないからだ。 そういえば、俺たちがどうしてこんな財宝類を所持しているかは説明したが、どうやってそれらが保管してある宝物庫に侵入できたかは説明不備だったな。普通、ああいった貴重品を納めた部屋は、厳重な扉と鍵によって施錠されており、 レアル曰く。 「あの扉には鍵穴が無かったからな。鍵は特殊な魔導具だったのだろう。登録された魔力の持ち主でなければ開かない仕組みだ。それ以外の者が無理にこじ開けようとすれば、何らかの防犯装置が作動するのが大半だ」 や、普通に開いちゃいましたけど。 「あの魔導具の扉を作った技師も、さすがに『魔力を持たない者』までは想定していなかったのだろう。どんな人間だろうと、通常は大なり小なりに魔力を秘めているからな。君の存在は正しく設計の想定外だったのだろうな。もしかしたら、君にとってはむしろ普通の錠前の方が防犯上は効果的だ」 ハイテク(?)の弊害はどこの世にもあるらしい。 そんなこんなで補足説明を挟んでパクった財宝類を換金したのだが、なかなかのお値段になった。 この世界の金銭は紙幣ではなく硬貨で循環している。上から金、銀、銅、鉄と段階がある。一番高い金貨が十万円。その銀貨が一万円。さらに下がって千円、百円と多分基準はこんな感じ。同じ種類の貨幣が十枚集まって一つランク上の貨幣になる。道端の露天で売ってるパンが鉄貨一枚なのが判断要素だ。 今回換金したのは金貨にして三十枚ほど。日本円にして三百万円程か。日本サラリーマンの平均年収並。この世界の一般家庭の年収が金貨十〜十五らしいので、どちらにせよかなりの大金だ。さらに、今回は全て換金したのではなく、全体の四分の一を処分したにとどまる。つまり、最大でこの三倍、軽く見積もっても二倍近くの貯蓄がある計算になる。 何で一気に全部を処分しなかったのかというと、これだけ大量の貴金属類の全て質屋に持って行くと、何かしらの疑いを掛けられる可能性があるからだ。 金貨三十枚の入った皮袋の重さに恐れを抱きつつ、俺たちは今度こそ装備屋にへと向かった。 「さてカンナ、とりあえず剣の方は整備の方に預けたので君の物見繕おうか............どうした?」 俺は、装備屋の壁に立て掛けてある剣の値段に言葉を失っていた。 ロングソードだと思わしき両刃の長剣のお値段、金貨三枚。日本円換算で三十万円である。隣のショートソードも金貨一枚。その下にある更に短い剣も、銀貨五枚。 「............武器ってこんなに高いのか」 RPGに出てくる序盤の武器は、大体千円(でいいのか?)かそこらで購入できる。リアルとゲームをごっちゃにするのは良くないが、どこかしらで似通った意識を持っていたのだと、今更ながらに気が付く。 「使い手が命を預ける代物だからな。作る側としても少なからずの労力をそそぎ込んでる。実戦に耐えうる物となると、大体がそこに置いてあるものと同等の価格だ。それ以下になると、素材や作りの悪い粗悪品の可能性を疑った方がいい」 「............冒険者が一攫千金を狙うって話は、あながち冗談じゃ無いのか」 「古代の遺跡からの発掘品や、魔獣の死骸から取れる希少性のある素材は、高い値で売れるからな。命の危険はあっても、それに見合う報酬がある。だからこそ、武器の供給と需要のバランスが保たれているのだ」 そりゃそうだ。買う相手がいるから売る側も存在できるのだ。これら武器の値段も、冒険者たちの収入からして無理のない設定なのだ。 「参考までに聞くけど、レアルの剣は幾らぐらいになるんだ?」 興味本位に問いかけると、レアルは顎に手を当てて考え込む。 「そうだな............最低価格でもーー金貨百枚は行くか?」 「なにそれめっちゃ高いな。あんたそんなもん振り回してたのか」 背中に金の延べ棒を背負っているのと同じではないか。しかも最低価格ときましたか。とりあえず家が建つな。 だが、あれはあれで祖父の代の更に上の代から我が家に伝わる家宝だからな。自画自賛な点もあるだろうが、あれほどの頑強さと切れ味を併せ持った剣はそう多くは無いだろう。ただ、祖父も父もあれは家宝ではあるがやはり武器には変わりないから、常に戦場に携えていったよ。正確に値段の鑑定は行ったことはない。これは私の推測だ」 「そんなん預けて大丈夫なのかよ」 「言いたいことは分かる。もし万が一、装備屋が預かった武器が紛失して見ろ、その店の評判は一瞬で崩れて廃業一直線だ。加えて、武器を預けた冒険者の恨みも買う。それが名の知れた冒険者の得物なら尚更だ」 ファンタジーな世界だが、商売に関しては非常にリアルである、と今回の装備や訪問で学ぶのであった。信頼関係って大事だよね。 今回のお買い物で、俺の装備は鉄製の胸当てと手甲、足甲に変更された。俺の希望とレアルの見立てに沿い、動きを阻害せずに防御力を底上げするオーダー。手甲は拳を握ると指を覆ってくれる風な設計の物を選んだ。剣を握るならその部分は邪魔になりやすいが、武器を持たずに相手を直接殴るのならば問題はない。むしろ手足の防御力と重量が増したので攻撃力もアップである。レアルの方は装備は殆ど変わらず、剣の整備だけに留まる。ただし武器の整備費が結構掛かったようだ。 装備を調えた経費の合計は金。およそ八十万円。必要経費で妥当なお値段なのだろうが、一小庶民の俺にとってはやはり大金に思えた。 この金銭感覚が現実世界に戻ったときに引きずらなければいいが、と小さな心配事が増えたのだった。

「It is not like there is anything left to be said by starting anew.」 With that preface, Faima begins her narration. When she first came to this country, she seemed to have spent many productive days observing the culture of a foreign country and the theory behind the unfamiliar magical formation. She’s just like international students getting excited with the fresh local experience. Once her initial excitement subsided, she regained her calm and began her [investigation] in earnest but the difficulty was far beyond what she expected. 「I was prepared for a long battle but it is depressing to have little result thus far. Even today, I was going around visiting every antique bookshops I could locate but it was fruitless.」 After her story ends, Faima moisten her parched throat with tea. 「ーーThat is all from me. It is not an interesting topic to share over tea though.」 「First, I understand that it’s not going all that well for you.」 She didn’t go into details about what exactly was she looking into, so I can only reply vaguely. 「Just listening to me is appreciated. Perhaps you are the only one I could converse with casually in this city, except for my three attendants.」 After saying that, Faima...「hmm?」...put a finger on her chin. 「.........How should I put this. I wonder if there is anyone other than you who would converse with me in this manner?」 A loner remark suddenly appeared. 「Aren’t there related n.o.bles and other ojou-sama? You didn’t talk with them at tea parties or ballroom parties?」 「Of course I do, to some extent. However, because most of us are carrying our house name, we could not utter much lest we risk imprudence. Words casually spoken may become a weakness that could be taken advantage of by another. As such, having a relation close enough to exchange jokes would not be possible.」 Parties held by n.o.bilities are often a social occasion and they rarely enjoy the party itself. Most busy themselves with information exchange and securing new [connections]. I remember when I attended a buffet party under Ayana’s invitation. I went all out against the food there together with Misaki who was also invited but Ayana, who invited us, was busy greeting business a.s.sociates. Well actually, when she was done making the rounds, she also joined our all out battle. 「Besides, a young lady of a n.o.ble household are more troublesome than a commoners’. It is said that the misery of others taste like honey and I’m certain that no one tasted it as much as those particular group of people. If anything were to catch their interest even for a tiny bit, they will pry thoroughly without any consideration to the person involved and spread a rumour around after embellis.h.i.+ng it with a mixture of fact and fiction.」 Maybe it reminded her of an unpleasant memory as Faima’s expression is bitter while placing her elbow on the table. 「Forming an amiable friends.h.i.+p between n.o.bles is exceedingly difficult. In that context, I envy the commoners but that does not mean that I intend to renounce my position as a n.o.ble.」 「There are various types of commoners, y’know.」 「Exactly the reason why I do not want to give up my position. We of the n.o.bilities subsist through the blood tax derived from the commoners. Although I phrase it as such, I am grateful, you know?」 「ーーBy comparison, I’ve heard worse from you before.」 It was when we were attacked by a group that included Chloe, who was manipulated by the [mysterious voice]. In a conversation we had just before that happened, Faima also made a disparaging statement against commoners. 「In truth, I do not belittle them to such an extent. However, I will take such an att.i.tude towards a commoner I’m meeting face to face for the first time, with no exception. I meant no offense in doing so. I really mean it, you know?」 「............Your stranger’s anxiety is on the exact opposite vector of your excuse.」 「Not a bad guess, if I might say so. My father’s education policy has a hand in this. [A n.o.ble taken lightly by a commoner cannot maintain their dignity.] Like so. I was taught equality with those I deem worthy and to be clear about the hierarchy with those that I consider otherwise.」 Her experience from the muddy world of the n.o.bility combined with her parents’ education resulted in a strange mixture. It’s highly likely that her overbearing att.i.tude for a first time meeting completely twisted her disposition. That would certainly make it harder to make friends. 「ah Do excuse me. Before I knew it, complain is already streaming out. I’m sure it was not a very pleasant story.」 「Not at all. It was quite interesting actually.」 I’m pretty satisfied to know a little bit more about the true nature of the person named Faima. 「Is that so? Then as thanks for listening to my grumbling, I would like to hear your story. I know not what I can do but at least I could provide consultation for you.」 「.........Can it be that you knew about my worries?」 「No, not in the least.」 Please don’t answer that immediately, wouldja. I have as much worries as anyone else y’know. Have you ever seen someone enjoying a life without any worries? 「However, I might be able to provide an insight. I know not if I can resolve it but why don’t we talk about it first? It would lighten your burden considerably just by having someone listen to you, like I had.」 Certainly, her expression is brighter than before after she let out all those complain. I guess it must’ve been refres.h.i.+ng to spit out all the frustration from the lack of result in her research and even all the frustration she had acc.u.mulated long before that. Her words are a G.o.dsend to me since Faima has a deep understanding of magic. Additionally, she is also the owner of a flexible mind that can a.n.a.lyze magic scientifically. Spirit Art and magic are fundamentally different. Still, she might be be able to impart some wisdom. 「Then, I’ll take you up on that. Faima, lend me your help.」 I told her about my current stagnating situation. It’s a poor subst.i.tute for an excuse but I rephrase (or rather, dodge the topic) the Ice Spirit Art as a special magic taught by an old woman living deep in the mountains. From there, I asked if there was any way to overcome my bottleneck. ーーーAside from excluding the word Spirit Art, most of what I told her is the truth. As soon as she heard about my [magic (tentative)], Faima’s eyes glitters brightly. Same old Faima. When it comes to her subject of interest, her usual rational self undergoes a complete change. 「I’m very curious about this old woman and theory behind your magic and it is heartrending holding it back. Heartrending, I say!」 Saying it twice to express her grief, Faima then cross her arms to brood about it. She’s thinking seriously. 「ーーーThe issue at present is what to do with the [cold air] that diffuses quickly in regular s.p.a.ce, correct?」 「I can only deal physical damage using ice as I am currently. I want a skill that can give me a little more edge against a highly durable opponent.」 I don’t believe that simply increasing the number of attack methods at my disposal would work for rank adventurer level of opponent like that Answerer but I also don’t believe that an effective techniques can be produced all of a sudden. Reaching that result gradually within our capacity would be more reasonable. 「.........I would like to enquire something. Let me know if there is a spell befitting your criteria from what I am listing from now.」 Faima says so. Did she come up with something? 「ーーShow me a technique, would it be possible?」 「Easy. If it’s only that much.」 I remove an ice crystal from the interior of my tekkou, and put it on the table. 「At first glance, this looks just like ice but when it’s. .h.i.t with a strong impact, it will deploy an ice barrier to protect the area where it’s installed.」 Upon receiving my brief explanation, Faima releases a sigh with a mixture of astonishment and exasperation. 「.........You are still surprising as ever. With a few exceptions, objects created by magic will disappear quickly if the object runs out of mana. Moreover, even an accomplished magician would find it next to impossible to impart a certain effect without a catalyst, you know? And here we have you taking it for granted............」 It’s not magic after all. I won’t say it though. Spirit Art manifests a phenomenon as a reality to the world through the presiding spirits whereas magic creates a pseudo-phenomenon using spells. A picture drawn in a sandbox will disappear quickly if the wind blows, but a character engraved on a rock won’t disappear as easily. Would it be easy to understand if the former correspond with magic and the latter with Spirit Art? 「But with this, a method I thought of might be able to be of use.」 And then, she starts to speak about a method based on the existence of ice crystals that made the scales fall from my eyes. 「ーーHow is it? Through this method, at the very least it would clear the criteria of [practical use of cold wave], wouldn’t it?」 「What can I say. I’m speechless.」 She solved the problem I’ve been worrying about for the last few days in a matter of minutes after hearing about it. 「Thanks, Faima. Meeting you today is without a doubt a stroke of good luck for me.」 「It is fortunate that I’m able to help.」 ーーーLater on. Good luck and bad luck are separated only by a paper-thin difference. The good luck I’m going through this time is a sign of the troubles waiting ahead.

「改まって言葉にするほどの何かがあった訳じゃないのだけれどね」 ファイマは前置きをしてから語り出した。 この国に来た当初は、異国の文化や見慣れない魔術式の理論を目に色々と有意義な日々を送っていたらしい。留学生が現地の新鮮さに触れて大興奮しているのと同じだな。 そしてドラクニルに来てか間後。ようやく当初の興奮が収まり、落ち着いて『調べ物』をするための行動に移ったのだが、これが予想を遙かに越えて難航しているようだ。 「簡単には行かないのは覚悟していたけれど、ここまで成果が少ないとちょっと気が滅入ってくるわ。今日も一応、目に付く古書店を片っ端から回ってるんだけど、やっぱり成果無しだわ」 語り終えると、ファイマは渇いた喉をお茶で潤した。 「ーーーー私からはこの程度ね。あまりお茶請けにしては面白味のない話になっちゃったけど」 「取りあえず、あまりうまく言っていないって事だけは分かった」 具体的に何を調べているのかを一切聞いていないので、この程度にしか答えられなかった。 「聞いてくれただけで助かるわ。この街で気兼ねなく話せるのは多分、護衛を除けば貴方ぐらいだし」 言ってから、ファイマは「うん?」と顎に指を当てた。 「............というかそもそも。私の周囲でこうして親しく話せる相手なんて貴方以外にいないかしら?」 ぼっち発言が飛び出した。 「貴族繋がりでどこぞのお嬢様とかいるだろう。お茶会とかパーティーとかで話したりしないのか?」 「もちろんその程度はね。けど、大体が家の名を背負ってるから下手なことは言えないわ。何気ない一言が、相手に弱みを握られるような言質になりかねないもの。少なくとも貴方みたいに軽口を叩けるような間柄にはなれないわよ」 貴族が開催するパーティーは社交の場であることが多く、純粋にパーティーを楽しむ事はあまりない。多くの者が、情報交換と新たな『伝手』の確保に大忙しだ。 彩菜の誘いで俺も立食パーティーに参加した時のことを思い出す。 一緒に参加していた美咲と共に全力で『食』を楽しんでいたが、誘ってくれた当の彩菜は招待された他の企業関係者への挨拶回りに忙しそうだった。や、それが一段落したら同じく食に勤しんでいたが。同じく参加していた有月の奴はいつものように、企業のご令嬢に囲まれて言い寄られてたな。危うくR元服なホテルに連れ去られそうになったときは会場から出る寸前で阻止したが。 「それに、貴族のお嬢様って平民の女性以上に面倒くさいのよ。他人の不幸は蜜の味とは言うけれど、あの人たちほどその味を占めている人種はいないでしょうね。少しでも興味の対象があれば、相手の都合なんてお構いなしに根ほり葉ほり、あること無いことを尾ひれを付けて吹聴するんだから」 嫌な思い出があるのか、ファイマはテーブルに肘を突くと表情に苦みが入った。その格好はテーブルの上に胸が乗って非常に絵になる。 「貴族である以上、気の置けない友人を作るのは非常に難しいのよ。別に貴族という立場を放棄したい、とまではいかないけれど、そこら辺に関してだけは平民のあなた達が羨ましいわ」 「平民は平民で色々とあるぞ」 「だから立場を放棄したいとは言わないのよ。私たち貴族は平民の血税によって食べているのだから。これでも感謝しているのよ?」 「ーーーーの割には、以前に酷い暴言を貰ったぞ」 クロエを含む『謎の声』に操られた集団に襲われた時だ。その直前に交わされた会話で、ファイマは平民を明らかに見下す発言をしていた。 「うーん。実際の所はそれほど見下してるわけじゃないの。ただ、初対面の平民に対してはどうしてもああいった態度を取っちゃうのよね。悪気はなかったの。本当よ?」 「............人見知りを真逆のベクトルに突き抜けた言い分だな」 「当たらずとも遠からずかしら。父の教育の方針がちょっとね。「平民に舐められていては貴族としての威厳が保てない」って。認めた相手には対等な付き合いを、そうでない相手には上下関係をハッキリしろと教えられたわ」 貴族のドロドロとした世界の経験と、親からの教育が妙な感じに混ざり合い、初対面の相手には高圧的という変な人見知りを拗らせた性格が出来上がったのだろうな。こりゃぁ確かに友達は作りづらいだろうさ。 「って、ご免なさい。いつの間にか愚痴ばかり口にしてたわ。聞いててあまり気分のいい話じゃなかったわね」 「いんや。中々におもしろい話を聞かせて貰ったさ」 ファイマという女性の内面を少しばかり知ることが出来て、俺的には満足だった。 「そう? だったら愚痴を聞いて貰ったお礼に、あなたの話を聞かせてほしいわ。何が出来るかは分からないけど、悩みがあるなら相談に乗るわ」 「............もしかして、俺も悩みがあるように見えるか」 「いえぜんぜん」 いや即答しないでくれよ。人並みに悩みはあるんだが。そんなに悩みとは無念な人生エンジョイ勢に見られているのか? 「けど、その答え方だと何かあるみたいね。解消するかは分からないけど、話すだけ話してみない? 私もそうだったけど、誰かに聞いてもらえるだけでもだいぶ精神的には楽になるわよ」 確かに、彼女の表情は愚痴を吐露する以前よりも雰囲気が明るくなっていた。調べ物に対する成果の無さと、それよりもっと以前から溜め込んでいたものを吐き出せてスッキリしたのだろうな。 ファイマは魔術に対して深い造詣がある。その上、魔術を科学的にも解析できる柔軟な思考もある。精霊術と魔術は根本的な分野は違うが、それでも彼女だったら良い知恵を貸してくれるかも知れない。 「じゃ、お言葉に甘えて。ファイマ、少しだけ力を貸してほしい」 俺は伸び悩んでいる今の現状を彼女に伝えた。苦しい言い訳だが、氷の精霊術を、田舎の山奥に住まう老婆に教わった特殊な魔術と言い換え(あるいははぐらかして)、ここから先に一歩を踏み出すための方法がないかを訪ねた。 ーーーー精霊術という単語を伝えていないだけで、だいたいが事実だが。 話を聞いていたファイマは俺の扱う『魔術(仮)』の話に、途端に目を輝かせて聞き入った。相変わらず、興味の対象の話になると普段の理性的な雰囲気が豹変するな。 「その老婆がどこの誰なのか、その魔術の理論が非常に気になるけど、断腸の思いで聞かないことにするわ。断腸の思いで!」 も言いたくなるほどに聞きたいのを堪えて、ファイマは腕を組んで暫く考え込んだ。まじめに考えてくれるようだ。 「ーーーー目下の課題は、通常空間ではすぐに拡散してしまう『冷気』をどうするかなのよね」 「今のままじゃぁ氷の物理攻撃しかできないからな。純粋に耐久力のある相手に対してもうちょっと効率的な威力を出せる技が欲しい」 単純に攻撃方法を増やしてもアンサラのようなAランク冒険者レベルの手練れに通用するとは思わないが、いきなり効果的な技が生まれるとも思っていない。手が届く範囲から徐々にクリアしていくのが妥当だ。 「............ちょっと尋ねるけど、私が今から言う内容をクリアできる術式があるなら教えて」 何かを思いついたのか、ファイマは言った。 「ーーーーって具合だけど、出来るかしら?」 「ああ。それだったら」 俺は手甲の内側に仕込んでいた氷結晶を取り出し、テーブルの上に置いた。 「こいつは一見すれば単なる氷だが、強い衝撃が加わると氷の防壁を展開して装着している部位を保護してくれる」 俺の簡単な説明を受けると、ファイマは驚きと呆れが混ざったため息を吐き出した。 「............相変わらず驚かされるわね。魔力で生み出された物体は、魔力を失えば数少ない例外を除けばすぐに消滅してしまうのに。しかも、触媒もなく特定の効果を宿したままなんて、熟練の魔術士でも至難の業よ? それを当たり前のように............」 そりゃ魔術じゃないしな、とは口にしない。 砂場に書いた絵は風ですぐに消え去るが、岩場に刻み込んだ文字は容易くは消えない。前者を魔術、後者を精霊術と考えれば分かりやすいか。 「でも、これなら私の考えた方法が試せるかもしれないわ」 そして彼女は、氷結晶の存在を元に俺も目から鱗の方法を口にしたのだった。 「ーーーーどうかしら。これなら少なくとも『冷気を戦闘に活用する』というお題に限ればクリアできたんじゃない?」 「や、流石としか言いようがない」 俺がこの数日間にさんざん悩んでいた課題を、話を聞いた数分で答えを導き出してしまったのだ。 「助かったぜファイマ。今日お前さんに会えたのは間違い無く幸運だ」 「お役に立てたのなら幸いね」 幸運と不運は紙一重。

Kanna no Kanna I wonder when it happened? A『voice』that's not mine took over my mind. At first I recognized that as something strange. Hence, I resisted it. But the more I resisted the more painful it became. In time resistance became impossible and I gave in to the『voice』. Having been enslaved, it felt like my emotions dimmed and I stopped caring about everything. It was then that the『voice』gave me orders. — — — — “Kill”, it said. Having no will to fight back. , I obeyed without feeling the slightest repulsion towards the act. The target was a red haired woman. I didn't even know who she was or why I had to kill her. I was a simple tool that brings death. I started moving along with the other a.s.sa.s.sins. There was no sound of conversation between us. Though that was a given considering everyone most likely suffered the same fate as me. Before long, an opportunity revealed itself. Pursuing someone, the woman went into a back alley. Not missing the chance we got ready to attack. The magician that was accompanying us fired a long ranged magic. If that killed the target then good. And if it didn't it can serve to confuse the enemy. — — — — something unexpected took place. As if he was some clairvoyant, The『someone』that the target was chasing easily handled the surprise attack. He even fended off all our next attempts to kill the target. We were told beforehand of the lady and her escorts' level of abilities. Only then did we move. Yet that『Someone』ruined everything. More than that, If the comrade of the『Voice』, that magician hadn't saved us, all the puppets would have gotten captured. In fact two of us suffered some injuries. The really abnormal part was the spell 『That』was using. He constructed the formula in almost no time. He was clearly a threat. Yet weird enough both the『voice』and the magician didn't even give him a glance. As if to say that his existence was of no importance. Had I been serving them of my own free will, surely I would have regretted my inability to even warn them. It was precisely that difference in view that sealed our fate. The attack of the magic beasts that The『Voice』controlled, from the front. and an ambush using us, from behind, both crushed. excluding me all four a.s.sa.s.sin's were ma.s.sacred along with the magic beasts. I felt my ego returning as I lost consciousness. It was then that I saw death closing in on me. In order to hide it's existence, the『Voice』had planted a magic crystal that activates when a certain amount of time had pa.s.sed since the start of the mission and the puppet recognized the mission's failure. It's effect, of course is crus.h.i.+ng the puppet's heart. I honestly felt relieved. Ah, with this I'm finally released. There is no need to embrace something like hatred at the time of my death. But I also felt regret. Though I don't regret having left home despite all the voices that were against it, It's a little disappointing that I couldn't achieve my goal. What proceeded that was an emotion much more simpler that relieve and regret. — — — — I want to live. While being relieved I also couldn't accept my death. — — — — i don't want to die. I felt strong frustration towards my regret. But it's already too late. Even though I Intended to understand that, I still couldn't abandon this feeling. Had I really wanted to die, I should have just resisted the『Voice』and the resulting pain would have killed me. I should have refused the mission and my heart would have been crushed. But I wanted to live. I strongly desired that no matter how shameful it was. That's why, right? Something like the mastermind's scenario I'll make sure to ruin it completely and thoroughly. I heard a『Voice』in the middle of the deep darkness of my heart. A totally different『Voice』from the one that was ruling me so to say. The foreign something that was sticking to me had at some point disappeared. Instead I felt a refres.h.i.+ng cold. As if my body that just got hit by a wave of heat is getting cooled. Then I remembered that my life was disappearing. However, my regret was no longer. Dying while enveloped by this comfortable cold might not be so bad, or I so I thought. — — — — An unfamiliar ceiling. ................... No well, it's been a while since I got to look at one in the first place. Lately sleeping in tents was the norm after all. “................Ah, it's that kind of thing huh.” Staggering for a second after opening my eyes, I remember what happened, I had lost consciousness from the rebound of spirit magic. It is the『spirit exhaustion』that hadn't occurred in a while. The fight with the mysterious magician in the valley, that last spirit magic I used was the final blow. Putting power in my body I raise my upper half in order to ascertain the situation. I confirm that I've been sleeping in a normal room you can find in any inn around. It seems like we safely arrived at the next town after I fainted. “I wonder how much I slept though.” According to Rand, there's quite the distance between this town and that valley. At the very least a few of days should have pa.s.sed. Frankly, this is my first time surpa.s.sing my limits that much with spirit magic so I can't really tell how much has pa.s.sed. Usually, I'd recover in half a day or so from a normal『spirit exhaustion』. I look at the room again, there's n.o.body aside from me. looking from the window I could see the blue sky. It's daytime and everyone is out I guess. “Oh?” — — — — Nay, looks like someone is here. Having sensed a presence, without thinking much, I take a look below the bed I was sleeping on. my field of vision turns upside down. — — — — My eyes meet with the eyes of the『person』below the bed. The face of someone from the orient with black hair and eyes. I remember the last survivor of the a.s.sa.s.sins that attacked us or rather Faima. Looks like she opened her eyes faster than I did. “..........................” “..........................” Humans are creatures that turn speechless when they meet eyes. “......................... Wa?!” Gon!! The first to come to here senses was the blackhair-san but she seems to have forgotten where she was and hit her head. “Err...............You fine there?” An amazing sound resounded through the room as the bed was hurled up. Blackhair-san puts her hands on her hit head while shaking. “P,please don't mind me.” She moves her hand indicating she's okay with her head facing down. But she doesn't look okay at all. More importantly, since she's lying down on the floor her bosom is. .h.i.tting the ground and her rich chest is spreading to the sides “................... Well anyway, once you calm down get out of there, otherwise you're gonna hit your head again.” A few minutes later, having recovered from the pain blackhair-san slipped from under the bed. Looking from above it is a very surreal scene. She kept standing but since I didn't like that I had her take a seat on the bed besides mine. I also sit on the bed I was lying on. gazing at the woman in front of me I wondered where should I start explaining from. But before I could say anything she opened her mouth. “................... Your comrades already explained everything.” She puts both hands on her chest. “Not only did you save the life of『this one』you even freed me from the rule of that『voice』.” Her hands are held where the crystal that bound her was planted. As if confirming her freedom she keeps tapping that place with her fingers. “Although late my name is Chloe degozaru.” Chloe gives her name and lowers her head. “I'll never forget the favor of having saved this life degozaru.” ................... Someone with strong attributes came out again. Even while receiving the grat.i.tude from the bottom of her heart, I was thinking something incredibly stupid. Soon after two of my companions enter the room — — it was Real and Faima. “Oh, Kanna. You finally woke up huh.” The first to raise her voice was the first bullet br.i.m.m.i.n.g with attributes (Real). I wave my hand. “How long did I sleep for?” “Close to two days I'd say. you broke the record.” “That's one record that doesn't need to get broken though.” That's right eh. Sympathizes Real with a bitter smile on her face. “Are you fine? Is your body alright?” “Although it's a little sluggish there's no problem.” Cheerfully answering Faima who seemed worried.『I see』, she in turn became relieved. “We already had a doctor take a look at you but there was nothing to worry about, just some bruises that didn't even require the use of magic. But well, you're bit unique and all so just say so if you feel anything abnormal.” “Understood, the other three are?” “Rand went to get a new carriage. Kisuka is checking up on her injuries and Agat is accompanying her.” “Kiska got injured right?” “It's nothing that serious though. Today's examination is supposed to be her last.” “That's good to hear.” Though we were under attack and it couldn't be helped the main cause of Kiska's injury could be said to be me. I'm glad it won't leave any marks on her body. “So this person, Chloe-san was it? How did it turn out with her?” Now that I think about it I should have restrained her legs with my ice. Ice made with spirit magic will never melt with normal temperature. Which means that these guys destroyed it. “I forgot to mention it but this is the closest town to that valley. Since the carriage broke down it saved us that it was close by. It was right after we reached town that Chloe's consciousness returned.” “So she woke up before I did huh. The one who broke the cuffs is?” “Of course it was me.” Pointing at her great sword Real says so. Oi oi, are you sure you didn't cut something else along the cuffs with that big sword. Ah, Chloe's face turned blue. she's remembering that time's scene huh? That must have been scary. Real continues without clue about Chloe's feelings. “I though she would be confused after waking up but surprisingly she was quite calm. listening to her talk it became clear that she was just being manipulated as we though. seeing that she isn't dangerous I and Rand-dono agreed on releasing her.” “Didn't Agat, Agat-kun or Agat-san criticize that decision.” “No no, aren't all of them the same person? Even if he gives a warning, Agat generally listens to Rand's decisions after all. Kiska is the same. Rand himself made the decision while considering their opinions.” “What about you, Faima?” “I've seen with my eyes how brutal that binding magic was after all. If there is a person willing to work under someone while having that on, that person wouldn't be sane. That's why I'm also of the opinion that she was simply being manipulated.” So everyone believes her to be safe huh. Now, what about me? No well it's true that I was the one who made the choice of saving her. But that has nothing to do with her life or character. And second, because I didn't want to give up on a life that could have been saved. the equation of (Saving her life=trusting her) doesn't exist within me. Only this time my opinion most likely intersects with that of Agat whom I believe to be only obeying Rand's decision without trusting Chloe. “Ano................” Chloe hesitatingly raised her hand to me who was crossing my arms, deep in thinking. “would you allow me a few words gozarou ka?” I want to be forgiven for losing all the seriousness I had when I heard her talking. I'm reflecting on it. “Although this one was undoubtedly being controlled by the『Voice』, I more or less remember what I did. It remains true that this one pointed her blade towards everyone. manipulated or not, it's not something that can be forgiven so easily degozaru.” The expression of Chloe when addressing her sins was one full of sorrow. “Fortunately, this one has already been freed from the『Voice』 . However if you say that you can't forgive this one then .................” Her eyes after she closed and opened them again were full of resolve. “It's fine to lay down this life degozaru. If you say to die, this one will die.” towards Chloe's declaration Faima and Real show clear agitation. “Stop there Chloe-dono.-you were just being controlled by this『Voice』right? Then you have no obligation to go that far.” “Exactly. I can attest to the mercilessness of the magic that was constraining you. Then you who was being manipulated by that are not to...................” “This is『settling』degozaru you two. If this will help wipe my shame then I want nothing more degozaru.” Though it ended in failure Chloe did try to kill Faima. Even at that time in town she would have been killed if I wasn't there. Chloe probably doesn't think of that as something that can be pardoned so lightly. I look into her black eyes and see that she is serious. — — — — Then I'll have you show me how serious you are. “Fine then.” I lightly wave my hand and make a dagger of ice. “As you can see, although it was made in hurry it's sharpness is the real thing.” I point the handle at Chloe. “As you talked, settle things with your life.” “Wha!! Kannkun?!” “Kanna!! what are you?!” ignoring the two making a racket in the background I turn my eyes to Chloe, though she was stunned for a second. The next moment she took the dagger from me with strong will residing in her eyes. And before the two can even say anything. Chloe thrust the dagger into her chest.

何時からだろうか。頭の中を己ではない『声』が支配し始めたのは。 最初の頃はその声が己にとっての異質と認識できた。だから抗おうと、耐えることが出来た。けれども、反抗の意志を見せれば、身も心をも苛む苦痛が生じた。その激痛は耐え難く、徐々に『声』に抗う意志は消え、『声』の支配を受け入れるようになる。 己が、心を持たぬ人形になっていくのを、他人事のように認識していた。意志と感情を奪われると、『声』は命じた。 ーーーー殺せ、と。 抗う意志もなく、殺しへの感情も消え、『声』に従って動き出す。 狙うは赤い髪をした女だった。それがどのような人物か、彼女をなぜ殺すのか、その理由の是非は関係ない。『声』に命じられるまま、死を運ぶのみだ。 己以外の数人と共に任に就く。おそらく、全員が『声』に意志と感情を奪われているのだろう。会話らしい会話もなく、互いに対して何ら思いを抱くことなく、ただただ行動に移る。 チャンスは存外にすぐ訪れた。赤髪の女は誰かしらを追いかけ、その人物と共に路地裏に迷い込んだ。逃げ場のないここならば、任を遂行するに最も適した地形だ。護衛も諸共を皆殺しにするために襲いかかる。 先手を取るために、同道する魔術士の男が炎の魔術を遠距離から放つ。これで殺せるならばよし。そうでなくとも不意打ちで相手の集団に混乱を呼べるならそれでもよし。 ーーーー予定外の事態が生じた。 女が追いかけていた『誰かしら』がこちらの手の内を予知していたかのように、打つ手の悉くを対処してしまう。初手の不意打ち然り、本命の上方向からの奇襲然り、護衛を突破した個体然り。 女の能力や、護衛達の実力の程は事前情報として知っていた。それをふまえた上で『声』は命じたであろうに。その埒外であった『誰かしら』がすべて打破してしまった。 危うく、襲撃に参加した『声の操り人形』全員に捕縛される寸前にまで追いやられる。あわや、という所で『声』の仲間であろう男に手助けをされるが、結果としてこちらは仲間が戦線復帰の不可を余儀なくされる。致命傷とまでは行かずとも、骨と内臓に甚大なダメージを負っていた。 何よりも異常なのは、『アレ』が使っていた魔術式だ。術式の構築から発動までのタイムラグが殆ど存在していなかった。『声』の仲間である男にも匹敵する詠唱速度。これを脅威とせずになんとするのか。 だが、『声』も声の仲間の男も、その脅威を気に留めなかった。通常ならば申告の一つもしていただろうが、意志と感情を殺された身として、命令をただ受け取る程度の思考が残されたのみ。無理な話だ。もしこの身が『声』に対して心からの忠誠を持っていたとすれば、この時の我が身を心の奥底から悔やんでいたに違いない。 そして、この致命的な認識の差異のツケは我が身に降り注ぐ。 『声』が用意した魔獣の大集団と、それを囮にした残った我々による奇襲攻撃。その両方が正面から打ち破られた。魔獣どもと、残っは討ち取られ、自身も意識を失い捕らえられた。 そして、己の死期を悟った。 『声』は自ら存在が必要以上に表に漏れるのを嫌って、我ら人形に意識と感情を奪う以外の細工を施していた。発動条件は、任務開始より一定の期間が経過することと、任務遂行の不可を自身が認識すること。これらが満たされた時点で、心臓が破壊される仕組みになっている。 これでようやく解放される。僅かばかりの反抗心の度に襲いかかる激痛も、本来ならば望まぬ殺意も抱かずに済む。 家という鎖に雁字搦めにされる人生を嫌った。親の反対も振り切り兄弟姉妹の制止も聞かず、だが祖父の言葉に後押しされて旅に出た。そのこと自体に悔いはない。旅の目的は果たせなかった。その一点に、小さな悔いを残す。 安堵と後悔を越えた先にある、最も純粋な願いが浮かび上がった。 ーーーー生きたい。 自らの死に安堵する傍らで、紛れもない未練を抱く。 ーーーー死にたくない。 自らの後悔に、果てのない悔しさを覚える。 でも、もう手遅れだと分かっている。 操り人形であるのをやめたければ、自ら命を絶てば良かった。『声』に抗い続けていれば、絶え間ない激痛の果てに心の死を迎えていた。任務を拒んでいればその時点で心臓が破壊されていた。 浅ましくもあり、けれども心の底では生きていたかったのだ。 だからだろう。 ーーーー黒幕のシナリオなんざ、俺が愉快に痛快に台無しにしてやる。 深い闇に沈んでいた心に『声』が聞こえた。 この身を苛む『声』とは全くの別物。 心と体に纏わりついていた異物が、根刮ぎ消え去った。 代わりに広がる、心地よい冷たさ。 熱にうなされていた身体が冷やされるような感覚。 ふと、己の命が消える寸前であったのを思い出す。 けれども、未練は消えていた。 この心地よい冷たさに包まれたままなら、それも悪くない。 本気で、そう思った。 ーーーー見慣れない天井だ。 ............や、そもそも天井自体を見るのすら久しいか。ここしばらくは野宿用に張ったテントの中で寝てたからな。 「............あー、例のアレか」 目が覚めて一分ほど呆けた後、俺は我が身に起こった出来事を思い出す。ここしばらくは起こさなかった『精神切れ』だ。渓谷で謎の男に襲われたとき、最後の最後に後先度外視で精霊術を使ったのがトドメだ。 身体に力を込めながらゆっくりと上半身を起こし、周囲の状況を改めて確認する。俺が今まで寝ていたのは簡素な調度だけが置かれた一室。おそらく宿屋の部屋だ。何度かほかの宿に泊まったこともあるし、その時の雰囲気と似ている。とすると、俺が気絶した後も無事に一行は次の街にたどり着いたようだ。 「問題は、どのくらい寝てたって所だが」 記憶を探ると、あの渓谷から次の街まで一日は時間が掛かるとランドが言っていた。つまり最低でもその日数は経過しているはず。正直、今回ほどに限界を超えて精霊術を使ったことがないので、判断が付かない。通常であれば、普通の『精神切れ』なら半日か長くて一日で意識が戻る。 もう一度辺りを見渡すが、室内には誰もいない。窓を見れば、外には青空が広がっている。昼間であるし、全員で出払っているのだろう。 「お?」 「気配」を感じた俺は、殆ど何も考えず、自分が今まで寝ていたベッドの下を覗いた。ベッドの上から覗き込んだので視界が上下逆転する。 ーーーーベッドの下に潜り込んでいた『人物』と、目がばっちりあう。 東洋系の人間の特長である、黒髪黒瞳とそれに準ずる顔立ち。 思い出す。俺たちをーー正確には、ファイマを襲った暗殺者達最後の生き残りの女性だ。俺が覚醒するよりも前に意識を取り戻したらしい。 「........................」 「........................」 人間とは、不意に目が合うと沈黙してしまう生き物である。 「........................はッ!?」 ゴンッ! 「はぅううッッ!?」 最初に我を取り戻したのは黒髪さんだが、自分のいる場所を忘れていたようだ。伏せの体勢から驚いて立ち上がろうとした瞬間、頭上のベッドの底に頭を思いっきりぶつけていた。 「えっと............大丈夫か?」 中々に凄い音がしました。ベッドが一瞬浮き上がると思うぐらいの勢いだったし。黒髪さんは頭のぶつけた部分を両手で押さえて震えている。 「お、お気遣い無く............」 顔を伏せたまま、彼女は手で『大丈夫』のポーズを取るが、まったく大丈夫そうに見えない。 そして果てしなく余談だが、うつ伏せの状態で床に伏せていると、豊かな胸部の盛り上がりが潰れて横に広がっている。 「............まぁ、なんだ。とりあえず、落ち着いたらそっから出てこいよ。また頭ぶつけるぞ」 「はい............」 それから二、三分後。頭の痛みから立ち直った黒髪さんは、ベッドの下から這いだしてきた。上からそれを眺めていた俺だが、非常にシュールな光景だ。 這い蹲った状態から立ち上がった彼女だったが、そのままだと気が引けたので、とりあえず俺の隣にあるベッドに腰を下ろして貰う。俺も下半身に乗ったままの毛布を除け、ベッド脇の床に足を置く。 言葉を選んでいた俺よりも先に口を開いたのは、黒髪さんだ。 「............お仲間の皆様からお話は伺っております」 両手を、自らの胸の一点に添える。 「操られていた『拙者』の命を見逃し、あまつさえ『声』に支配されていたこの身を解放してくれたのは、あなた様であると」 彼女が今手を当てている部分。そこには、彼女を縛り操っていた『宝石』が埋め込まれていた部分だ。戒めの装飾が無いのを確認するように、指の先でその場所をなぞる。............って『拙者』? 「名乗りが遅れました。拙者はクロエと申すものでござる」 自らの名前を口にすると、彼女は深々と頭を下げた。 「この命を救っていただいたご恩、一生忘れないでござる」 ............また濃いのが出てきやがった。 彼女の真剣そのものの礼を受けつつも、俺はすさまじくアホなことを考えていた。 程なく、部屋に仲間の内の二人ーーレアルとファイマが戻ってきた。 「お、カンナ。ようやく気が付いたか」 最初に声を掛けてきたのは属性特盛り第一弾だ。俺は軽く手を挙げて返事を返す。 「俺はどのくらい気絶してたんだ?」 「まる二日、といったところだな。今までで最長記録だ」 「嬉しくない最長記録だな」 確かにな、とレアルが苦笑しながら同意する。 「大丈夫なの? 体調は問題ない?」 「起き抜けでちょいとだるいが問題ないさ」 次に声を掛けてきたファイマに陽気に答えた。『そう』と彼女はホッと安堵の息を吐いた。 「とりあえず、意識が無い内に医者に診察して貰ったが特に怪我らしい怪我はなかったらしい。強いていえば所々の打撲だそうだが、魔術を使う程度でもなかったようだ。だが、君は少々特殊だし、異常が有ればすぐに申告しろ」 「了解だ。ほかの三人は?」 「ランドは新しい馬車の調達に。キスカは怪我の治療に医院に行っていて、アガットはその付き添いです」 「キスカの奴、怪我してたんだっけ」 「といってもそれほど深刻では無いので、今日の診察で完治するそうです」 「そりゃ良かった」 魔獣集団の襲撃の折、已むを得ない状況ではあったが彼女の負傷の原因は俺だ。後遺症等が残らないようで良かった。 「んで、このクロエさんだっけ? 彼女とはどんな感じになったんだ?」 思い出せば、彼女は俺が作った氷の錠前で手足を拘束されていた筈だ。俺が精霊術で作った以上、常温で溶ける事はまず無い。レアル達が意図的に破壊したと見える。 「言い忘れていたが、この街は君が意識を失った渓谷から一日の地点にある場所だ。馬車が壊れてしまったからな、思っていたよりも距離が短くて助かったよ。で、クロエの意識が戻ったのは街に着いた直後だ」 「俺よりも一日早かったってことか。錠前を壊したのは?」 「勿論私だ」 例によって例の如く、背中に携えている自慢の愛剣を親指で指す。おいおい、あんなでっかい剣で拘束の氷を壊したのかあんなので『錠だけを破壊する』と宣言されても説得力無いだろう。まかり間違って腕ごと切断されそうだ。あ、クロエの顔色が青くなった。そのときの光景を思い出しているのか。そりゃ怖かっただろうさ。 クロエへの同情を余所に、レアルは続けた。 「覚醒の直後は錯乱すると思っていたが、存外に冷静だったのでな。話を聞いてみれば、やはり彼女は操られていたに過ぎないらしい。ランド殿と私の同意で危険は皆無だと判断し、拘束を解いた」 「アガットとかアガットさんとかアガット君とか、反対しなかった?」 「いやいや、それ全部同一人物でしょ。アガットは基本、忠告や進言はしても最終的な判断はランドに任せてるから。キスカも同様ね。ランドも二人の意見を取り入れた上で判断しているし」 「ファイマはどうなんだ?」 「私の場合は、あの拘束術式のえげつなさを直に確認したからね。アレに自ら従おうって人間がいるのなら、その正気を疑いたくなるわ。だから私も、彼女が操られていただけって意見には同感よ」 俺以外は満場一致で彼女の安全を保障しているのか。 さて、俺はどうするか。 や、クロエを助ける選択肢を最初に選んだのは紛れもない俺だ。けれども、その選択の意志に彼女の人格、人生は含まれていない。 もう一つは、助かるかもしれない命を見過ごせなかっただけだ。 命を助ける=信頼するの等式は、俺の中では成り立たない。 おそらく今回ばかりはアガットと意見を同じくするだろう。ランドの判断に従ってはいたが、おそらくクロエの警戒心は解いていないはずだ。それは間違いなく正しい。少なくとも現時点では同意だ。 腕を組んで思考を重ねている俺に、当事者がおずおずと手を挙げた。 「発言、よろしいござろうか?」 語尾を聞いた瞬間に、真面目に考えていた思考が脱力した俺を許して欲しい。移っちまいましたよ。 「拙者、『声』に操られていたとは言え、自らの所業は朧気ではありますが覚えているでござる。拙者が皆様方のお命を付け狙ったのは紛れもない事実。操られていたとは言え、簡単に許されない咎であるのは承知しているでござる」 自らの罪悪を述べるクロエの表情は悲痛に満ちていた。 「幸いにも、もはや拙者は『声』から解放された身。望まぬ命で体を縛られることはもうありません。ですが、もしあなた様が拙者のことを許さないと申されるのならば............」 一度目を閉じ、再び開いた彼女の表情は決意に満ちていた。 「この命、如何様にしても構わないでござる。死ねと申すのならばこの命、進んで散らして見せましょう」 クロエの宣言に、ファイマとレアルは驚愕した。 「ま、待つんだクロエ殿。君はその『声』とやらに操られていたに過ぎないんだろう? ならばそこまでする必要は無い」 「そうよ。貴方を従えていたあの拘束術式の凶悪さは私が保証するわ。だったら、アレに操られていた以上、貴方に罪は............」 「これは『ケジメ」でござるよ、お二人とも。それで我が身の潔白を示すことが出来るのならば、それで本望でござる」 未遂に終わってはいるが、一歩でも間違えればファイマはあの時点でクロエに殺されていた。あの渓谷だけではなく、その前に起こった一件にしたって、俺との縁がなければその時点で死んでいた。 ーーーーだったら、どれほどの『本気』か、試してみるか。 「いいだろう」 軽く手を振るい、短剣の形をした氷を造形する。その切っ先を自分の指先に当てると、鋭さに負けて皮膚から血の滴が漏れ出す。 「見ての通り、即席で作った物だが本物の切れ味だ」 俺はそれを逆手に持ち、クロエに差し出した。 「言うほどの覚悟、その命を賭けてケジメをつけろ」 「カンナッ、君はいったい何を!?」 声を上げる二人を無視して、鋭い視線をクロエに送る。俺の言葉に一瞬だが呆然とする彼女だったが、次の瞬間に瞳に強い意志を宿し俺の手から氷の短剣を受け取った。 そして、クロエは二人の制止の声が届く前に、勢いよくその剣を己の胸に突き立てた。