TNZKMA 128

１２８

We walked through the empty marketplace and arrived at the Guards Guild. It was quiet, with no sound at all. I thought there might not be anyone in the guild, but with Saine’s arm around my shoulders, we stepped inside. The interior was so crowded with people that I almost stopped in my tracks.
[Hey, Saine!]
An older man, unable to find a seat and standing, called out.
[What happened?]
[A monster suddenly appeared in the eastern section plaza.]
[Suddenly?]
[Yeah, just like that. It didn’t come flying in from somewhere or running—it was just there, bam.]
The man opened his clenched fist to emphasize his point.
[And its strength?]
[It’s a big one. Even someone of Lezas or Mirta’s level would probably flee. It can even change its size. It grows big, then shrinks again. The guards tried to face it when it was large, but it shrank and escaped. You see, it’s got a form, but at the same time, it doesn’t. Sometimes it takes on a human shape, and other times it turns into something like black smoke.]
The man spoke casually, but the atmosphere inside the guild was completely different than usual. The air felt heavier. The guild had few windows, so it was dim, and big men were gathered together. Normally, the place would be lively, but today, many of the guards were quietly brooding.
Though I recognized the people around me, fear gripped me, and I clung to Saine. I felt Saine’s arm around me tighten.
[Are they trying to track it down?]
[Yeah. The priests have put up a barrier to keep it inside the town. But they’ve lost it since, and no one has a clue where it is. The search area is just too broad to pick up any trace of it.]
The town is large, with many houses. The monster could be hiding anywhere—in homes or gardens enclosed by walls. It almost seemed like it would be easier to find in the forest.
[Is there anyone injured?]
[We sent the apprentices away. Anyone who isn’t a Dauntless is useless. We just kept them for support. As for Vent and Gus, they haven’t come back. Ruth saw two people get their stomachs ripped open by the monster… Hopefully, they managed to escape.]
Hearing about the disembowelment, I clenched my fists in Saine’s clothes. I couldn’t stop shaking. Saine is a Dauntless, not like those cowardly ‘heroes.’ So, he’ll probably—no, definitely—go to fight the monster, to drive it out of town.
Upon closer inspection, I realized there were few guards without injuries. They weren’t bandaged up or anything fancy like that, but I could see dried blood on their faces and arms. Many had torn clothes as well.
[Saine!]
A voice called out from the back. When I looked, I saw Dole raising his hand. After giving a nod of thanks to the older man, Saine headed toward the back. The warriors sitting on the floor greeted him briefly, and Saine responded in kind.
[Thank goodness! You’re safe.]
Dole said that to me, addressing me directly.
[We were worried that if something happened to you while Saine wasn’t around, it would be irreversible. Where the heck were you?]
It seemed Dole had been running around town looking for me. The guards at the same table as Dole offered their seats to me and Saine. We thanked them and sat down.
[Sorry for worrying you. I was waiting for your Ceremony to finish, Dole. In the eastern section plaza. Then there was this huge gust of wind, and before I knew it, I’d fallen below the town.]
[Below?]
[Yeah. Turns out there’s a road beneath this town.]
I explained it just like I had to Saine.
[Hmm… I don’t quite get it, but well, I’m just glad you’re okay.]
[Hey, how did your Ceremony go, Dole? Did a girl show up?]
The monster scares me, but I’m also really curious about Dole’s Ceremony. When I leaned forward across the table to ask, Dole made a face—just for a moment, a slightly awkward expression. And then, for some reason, the room erupted in laughter. It was as though the heavy atmosphere had been blown away by their roaring laughter.
[Shut up, you guys!]
Dole shouted.
[If you don’t keep it down, we won’t even know if the monster’s walking outside!!]
Dole slammed the table as he yelled, but the guards kept laughing. The guy who had given up his seat for us teased him.
[It’s not the monster—it’s your Reincarnator.]
At that cue, the laughter grew even louder.
When the out-of-place laughter finally died down inside the guild, I cautiously asked Dole.
[What do you mean? Your Reincarnator?]
[It was a monster…]
Dole averted his eyes and muttered softly.
[[A monster?]]
Both Saine and I said it in unison.
[Yeah, a monster. I thought if the Ceremony failed, a male Reincarnator would show up. And honestly, I was fine with that. Male Reincarnators seem fun when I see you with Saine, and you’re cute too.]
Dole reached out a hand toward me as he said that, but Saine swatted it away. The loud smack startled me.
[Ouch, that hurt! Don’t worry, I’m not crazy enough to lay a hand on someone else’s reincarnated one. But seriously… Have you ever heard of a Ceremony failing and summoning a monster?]
[No, never.]
[W-what does that mean? The Ceremony’s supposed to pull a girl from another world, right? If it fails, then a male Reincarnator from the same world as the girl shows up, like me. So why did a monster appear? There were no monsters in the world I lived in!]
Those only existed on TV.
[Where in the world did we reincarnate this monster from? The Blue Crest of Subtlety sure did something crazy…]
Dole and Saine both glanced down at me as I marveled.
[Is that really something to admire?]
[Yeah, and there’s something you just said that I couldn’t ignore. What’s the ‘ Blue Crest of Subtlety’?]
[Ah…]