Day 451-460/Day 459

Day 459
　It was just before dawn, I was asleep but I woke up in response to a presence that was approaching me, killing my senses.
　Minokichi-kun, Kanami-chan, and the others also woke up, but they seemed to have sensed my caution and went back to sleep.
　Thinking that they trusted me, I waited to see what would happen.
Then I felt something intermittently flowing in from outside the large room.
Then I realized with my body that it was a gas that had been seared with a magic potion that caused 【Coma】 and 【Paralysis】.
The effect of magic is so powerful that it must be an illegal magic that would otherwise be treated as a contraband. If you inhale a little, awareness would not return and the victim would be dragged into a deep sleep unless detoxified.
Anyway, It would be quite dangerous if the blacksmiths inhaled it so I will do my best to contain it when the gas fills the big room, and I will do my best to make a few suspicious people come in when they hear no noise I will kill them without sound.
　Since the killing was instantaneous, the bat-shaped beastmen who were in charge of the attack were unable to understand what was going on.
　I tied them together with string and carried them out of the room with one hand, still angry about the attack.
　The children seemed to wake up a little at that stage, but they seemed to have decided that nothing was wrong and went back to sleep.
　In order to finish the matter quickly, I moved to the suspicious shopkeeper who had been hiding in the large room.
　As a preemptive strike, I gave him a moderate slap. The slap was powerful enough to cut his lips lightly, but it was not enough.
　The owner was about to make some kind of dare, but I slapped him again, and again, and again.
　His face swelled up and his vision was almost completely blocked. At that stage, he finally begged for forgiveness, so I quickly extracted some information from him. It seemed that the men were underworld workers and members of an underground organization that was expanding its influence through illegal means.
　The shopkeeper confessed that he had connections with the organization and had sold them our information.
　Travelers don't care much if they disappear in the middle of their journey. That's why they are the perfect prey for robbers.
　It seems that he had done similar things in the past, so there was no room for extenuating circumstances.
　The shopkeeper's confession was corroborated by the smell of blood smeared on the moss of his bed.
　I quickly stunned the shopkeeper, who insisted on letting me go, tied him up with string, and headed with the corpses of the servants to the guard, the mole-type beastman I had talked to yesterday.
　It's easy to find him since I've memorized his presence, but there's no need to look for him, he's still guarding the gate as he did yesterday.
　After a brief explanation of the situation, the mole-beast man went ahead and inspected the equipment of the servants and came to a conclusion.
　It seems that the underlings are members of the "Perbigas Family", a particularly large organization in the underworld.
　It seems that there were some high ranking people in the mix, and this time there will be a bounty.
　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of this kind of thing.
　I wondered if it was because he had just come from outside and looked rich.　As I recall, the owner of the store where we tied him up was eagerly looking at the money and equipment we had on hand when we were going through the procedures to stay here. Could it be that we were chosen as targets from there?
　Well, as I thought about it, there was no way I could find out anything about the servants who were already dead.
　The corpses and equipment of the servants were taken away as they would be used as evidence, and the shopkeeper who tied them up was also taken away as he was going to be severely interrogated and spit out information.
　I wanted to eat the corpses, but I had no choice. I gave up this time.
　It would have been better for my reputation if I hadn't interfered with a member of the governing body like a mole beastman.
　Instead, I received a bounty and asked him to record my contribution in the record crystal at the gate.
　The bounty was only a modest amount, but the contribution was more than I had expected, so although it was a hassle to be attacked this time, it was not a bad incident.
　Sometimes, in order for beings like us from the outside to deepen our depth, we need to contribute more than a certain level.
　The contribution can be measured by bringing back minerals from the danger zone at the end of the tunnel, defeating dangerous dungeon monsters, or catching criminals as part of maintaining public order.
　And with this one, I've accumulated a bit of contribution, so I'd say I'm off to a good start on the first morning.
　This is why I decided to destroy the "Pervigas Family" that I had come to know so well.
　I don't have any grudge against them, but for now, I'm going to start gathering information in earnest.
　Thinking that we would be able to gather some information by tomorrow, I took the investigators arranged by the mole beastmen to a cheap inn as a post-processing measure, and headed to the restaurant for breakfast with everyone else.
　I asked the mole beastman about a place that served good rock cuisine, a specialty of the area.
　Since the locals said so, it must be true.
　We all went to the restaurant that was recommended to us, and ordered the "recommendation of the day".
　It was reasonably priced, and many of the other customers had ordered it, so it couldn't be that bad.
　We waited for a while.
　The food was brought to me on a flat black stone plate, and it was a boulder about a few centimeters in diameter and several dozen in size.
　The corners were round and smooth, and the surface was white and shining.
　I touched it with my fingertips, but the texture and hardness were no different from real stones. Even if it were lying on a riverbank, it would be indistinguishable.
　I don't know if they were baked or boiled, but they were slightly warm to the touch.
　One after another, the stone plates were brought in, and everyone stopped moving when they saw them lined up in front of them.
　No one said a word as they looked around, but the thought, "Oh my God, can I eat this? I could sense the feeling.
　I could understand the feeling. If I came here to eat food and a stone was brought to me, I would act the same way.
　We were silent for a bit, and then I picked up the first thing I could find because I was the one who started it.
　I picked up the boulder with my fingers and brought it to my mouth.
　Since I had eaten harder items such as [divine artifacts] in the past, I didn't hesitate to bite into the stone slowly.
　At first, the texture was like a stone itself, but with a little effort, the boulder softened mysteriously.
　The texture changed to that of biting into a thick piece of meat, and what oozed out of it was a delicious taste.
　It was something that had been aged. It was like meat, but also like fish.
　The more I chewed, the more I was amazed at the changing taste of the cobblestone, and after swallowing it, I reached for the next one. I swallowed it, and then reached for the next one. I took another bite, and again savored the inexpressible flavor.
　I wondered if it had been nurtured by the earth over a long period of time.
　As I ate the strange, yet interesting and tasty boulder, everyone started to reach for it.
　Their faces changed and they smiled, as if they were surprised by the texture and taste that defied their appearance. It was a new experience for them, and they were probably amused to see everyone else eating them.
　There were enough boulders on the stone plate that came with the first order, and everyone seemed satisfied.
　However, some of them, being gluttonous, ordered more to fill their stomachs.
　At that time, I asked the waiter about the boulders.
　I guess they are used to explaining things to customers from outside. The clerk explained it quickly and clearly.
　According to the explanation, cobblestone is a kind of ore that can be extracted from a special stratum and is called edible stone.
　While there are certain places where you can collect them, the manager of this store has a wide range of connections, so he is able to purchase cheap and tasty edible rocks.
　The deeper the depth, the more delicious the edible stones. The deeper the depth, the better the edible stone.
　We decided to make plans for the future while listening to other information as well.
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PLACE TRANSLATIONS ABOVE THE BAR. THESE ARE THE RAWS, LEAVE THEM HERE UNTIL SOMEONE DOES A REAL TRANSLATION (NOT JUST A GT OR RUSSIAN TRANS). CLICK EXPAND TO VIEW THEM.
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“四百五十九日目”
　時間にすれば夜明け前、就寝中だったが気配を殺して近寄って来る存在に反応して目を覚ます。
　ミノ吉くんやカナ美ちゃんなども察知したのか一度目を覚まし、しかし俺が警戒しているのを感じたのか再び寝たようだ。
　信頼されているのだろうと思いつつ、何が起こるのかそのまま待った。
　そして大部屋の外から何かが断続的に流れ込んでくるのを感じ、とりあえず【森羅万象】でその気体を一纏めにしてその一部を吸い込んでみる。
　するとそれは【昏睡】や【麻痺】を引き起こす魔法薬を炙った気体だという事が身体で分かった。
　魔法薬の効果はかなり強力で、普通なら禁制品扱いになるだろう違法魔法薬に違いない。少しでも吸い込めば、普通なら深い眠りに引きずり込まれて解毒されなければ意識は戻らない筈だ。
　俺はともかく、鍛冶師さん達が嗅いでしまうとかなり危険な代物だったので、何もしなければ気体が大部屋を満たす頃を見計らって音も無く入りこんで来た不審者数名を即座に全力で音もなく捩じり殺す。
　殺すのが一瞬だったので下手人の蝙蝠系獣人達は理解不能といった間抜けずらで事切れた。
　襲撃された事に怒ったまま首が折れ曲がった下手人達を糸で縛って一塊にし、片手で担いで大部屋を出る。
　その段階になって子供達も少し起きたようだが、何もないと判断したのか再び眠ったようだ。
　さっさと事を終わらせようと、先ほどから大部屋を伺うように隠れていた挙動不審な店主のところまで移動する。
　先制として手加減をしたビンタを一発。軽く唇が切れる程度の威力だが、それでは不十分だったらしい。
　何か啖呵を切ろうとした店主を更にビンタし、ビンタし、ビンタする。
　顔はブクリと腫れ上がり、視界はほとんど塞がっただろう。その段階でようやく許してくださいと懇願してきたのでさっさと情報を引き出すと、下手人達は裏稼業者であり、非合法な手段で勢力を伸ばす裏組織の一員らしい。
　そして店主はその裏組織との繋がりがあり、俺達の情報を売ったと白状した。
　旅人は旅の途中で消えてもあまり気にされない。強盗などからすれば絶好の獲物という訳だ。
　これまでも似たような事をしていたらしいので、情状酌量の余地はない。
　店主の告白は、寝床の苔に染み付いた血の匂いが裏付けている。
　俺は逃がしてくれと言う店主を手早く気絶させて糸で縛り、下手人達の死体と共に昨日話した守衛のモグラ系獣人のところに向かう。
　気配は覚えたので探すのは簡単だが、探すまでもなくモグラ系獣人は昨日と変わらず門にて守衛をしていた。
　かなり早い時間からご苦労様だと思いつつ、軽く事情を説明すると、モグラ系獣人は先に下手人達の装備品を検め、一つの結論を出した。
　どうやら下手人達は裏組織の中でも特に規模の大きい≪ぺルビガス・ファミリー≫の一員だそうだ。
　それもそこそこ階級が高い奴が混ざっていたらしく、今回は懸賞金も出るらしい。
　そいつは結構な大物だったらしいが、何故そんな奴が俺達のところに来たのか小首を傾げる。
　外から来たばかりで、金持ちに見えたからだろうか？　確か、縛った店主は泊まる手続きの時に手持ちの金や装備を熱心に見ていた。そこから標的に選ばれたのかもしれない。
　まあ、考えたところで、既に死んだ下手人達の事など分かるはずもない。
　下手人達の死体や装備品は証拠になるので引き取られ、縛った店主は厳しく尋問されて情報を吐き出す予定なので同じく引き取られた。
　死体は喰いたかったが仕方ない。今回は諦めた。
　モグラ系獣人のように統治機構の一員の邪魔をしない方が心証にはいいだろう。
　ただ代わりに懸賞金を受け取り、門に設置されている記録水晶に今回の貢献度を記録してもらう。
　懸賞金はそこそこの額しかないが、貢献度は思った以上の数値だったので、今回は襲われたのは面倒だが悪くない一件となった。
　時に、外からやって来た俺達のような存在が深度を深める為には、一定以上の貢献が必要になる。
　その指標となる貢献度を得るには坑道の先にある危険地帯で鉱物を持ち帰るとか、危険なダンジョンモンスターを討伐するとか、治安維持の一環として犯罪者を捕まえるなどがある。
　そして今回の一件で貢献度は少し溜まり、初日の朝からいい出だしだと言えるだろう。
　という訳で、こうして縁が出来た≪ぺルビガス・ファミリー≫を潰す事に決めた。
　何の怨みも無いが、とりあえず、分体による情報収集を本格的に開始する。
　明日にはある程度集まるだろうと思いながら、事後処理としてモグラ系獣人が手配した調査機関員を安宿に案内して、皆と一緒に朝飯を喰いに店に向かう。
　名物である岩石料理が旨い店をモグラ系獣人に聞いている。
　地元民が言うのだから間違いないだろう。
　そしてお勧めされた店に皆で行き、『本日のおすすめ』を注文する。
　値段は手頃で、他の客も多く注文しているのでハズレという訳ではない筈だ。
　それから待つことしばし。
　黒く平たい石皿に乗せられ、運ばれてきたのは数センチほどの大きさで数十はある玉石だった。
　角は丸くツルリとした表面で、白く薄っすらと輝いている。
　指先で触ってみるが、その触感も硬さも本物の石と何ら変わりない。河原とかで転がっていても区別できないだろう。
　また焼いたのか、あるいは煮たのか分からないが、ほんのりと人肌くらいに温かい。
　次々と石皿は運ばれてきて、全員の前に並んだそれを前にして皆動きを止めた。
　誰も声にせず周囲を伺っているが、『え、これ食べられるの？』という思いはヒシヒシと伝わってきた。
　その気持ちは察する事ができる。料理を食べに来て、石が運ばれてくれば同じような行動をするだろう。
　少しだけ沈黙し、俺が言い始めた事なので最初に手に取った。
　玉石を指で摘み、口まで運ぶ。
　これまで【神器】などもっと硬い品を食べてきたので今更石程度では躊躇はなく、ゆっくりと噛みしめる。
　最初はやはりというか食感は石そのものだったが、少し力を加えただけで不思議な事に玉石は柔らかくなった。
　どこか分厚い肉を噛んだような食感に変わったそれから滲み出るのは、旨味である。
　それも熟成された何かだった。肉のような、しかし魚のような。
　噛めば噛むほど味わいが変化する玉石に驚きつつ、飲み込んでから次に手を伸ばす。またパクリと食べ、再びその表現しにくい旨味を味わう。
　長い時を経て、大地によって育まれたとでもいうのだろうか。
　不思議な、しかし面白く、また美味しい玉石を食べていると皆も手を伸ばし始めた。
　そして見た目に反した食感と味に驚いたように顔を変え、そして笑顔を見せる。今までにない体験に加えて、他の皆が食べている姿が面白かったのだろう。
　最初の注文で運ばれてきた石皿に乗せられた玉石の量は十分あり、皆満足そうだ。
　ただ大食漢である一部は更なる注文をして腹を満たす。
　その際、店員に玉石について聞いてみた。
　外からの客も来るからか説明に慣れているのだろう。店員は手早く分かりやすく説明してくれた。
　それによれば、玉石は鉱物資源を主食とする地下生物以外でも食べられる事が可能な、特殊な地層から採取できる鉱石の一種で可食石と呼ばれているらしい。
　採取できる場所はある程度決まっている中で、この店では店長が太く広いコネを持っているので安くて美味い可食石を仕入れられているそうだ。
　ただ深度が深い店ほど美味い可食石が揃えられているそうだ。あくまでも同じ深度なら美味い店という事なので、もっと美味しい可食石が欲しいなら深度を深めた方がいいという。
　ますます深度を深めねばと思いつつ、他の情報も聞きながら今後の予定を立てる事にした。
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Category:Novel
Category:Articles that needs cleaning
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 2