第十一章：教皇暗殺編「１４６．初会合」 (Pixiv Fanbox)

※The English version is also below. ※글자수 제한으로 한국어 번역은 별도 페이지입니다. 　リーシェ様から教皇様の警護を依頼された次の日から、私たちはその準備にかかりきりになった。 　人を配備したり、警備のシフトの見直しをしたり、会談が行われる公会堂の見取り図をチェックしたり、とすることは山のようにある。 　当然だが、学館の方はお休みだ。 　評価に響くかと思いきや、その辺りは都合をつけてくれるらしい。 　ありがたい。 　ただ、試験は普通に受けさせられるので、休んでいた分の勉強は自分たちでしなければならないだろう。 「ヒルデガルト＝アイヒロートです。どうぞヒルダとお呼び下さい」 　レボリリの攻略対象、最後の一人とも面識が出来た。 　彼女は帝国側の警備責任者として挨拶しに来たのである。 　当然だが、会談の警備は教会側だけが行うわけではない。 　会談には皇帝も出席するのだから当然だよね。 　その帝国側の警備責任者がヒルダなのだ。 　帝国の国力の一つに、強大な軍事力がある。 　帝国は各国に先んじて魔法という技術に力を入れ、その結果、魔法先進国となった。 　バウアーとは逆のパターンである。 　ドロテーアがいなければ、帝国の魔法技術部門こそが権力の中枢になっていたかもしれない。 　そして、ヒルダはそんな魔法技術部門に太いパイプがある。 　ヒルダはいかにも切れ者と言ったような風貌で、女性にしては珍しくモノクルをかけている。 　銀色の髪の毛と赤い瞳はリリィ様を思い起こさせるが、小動物めいた彼女と違い、ヒルダにはそれらしい怖さがある。 　フィリーネが言うには、 「ヒルダは一見怖いですけれど、実は優しい人なんですよ」 　とのことだが、私はレボリリの知識でヒルダの性根を知っている。 　彼女は野心家で、目的のためには手段を選ばないタイプだ。 　フィリーネがああ言うのは、彼女自身がヒルダの出世の種だからである。 　ヒルダはフィリーネの前では猫を被っているのだ。 「こちらが帝国側の警備計画です。ご確認下さい」 　そんな一癖あるヒルダだが、能力は申し分なく優秀だった。 　 　私たちは公会堂の一室に設けられた警備部の共同会議室で初の対面をしている。 　大勢の人間が出入りするので室内は広々としていた。 　机と椅子がいくつも並べられ、壁には警備に必要な資料が何枚も貼り出されている。 「ありがとう、ヒルダ。こちらが教会側の警備計画です。すりあわせをしていきましょう」 　対する教会側も、クレア様を筆頭に奮闘していた。 　慣れない仕事ではあったものの、教会のスタッフたちはリリィ様を筆頭に経験者揃い。 　頼もしい味方に支えられて、警備計画は順調に進んでいた。 「今回も、教皇様のご尊顔は拝せないのでしょうか」 「申し訳ありませんわ。教皇様は基本的に、そのお姿を人にさらされませんので……」 　クレア様や私が教皇様の顔に驚いたのは、これが原因である。 　一般人が教皇様の顔を見る機会は基本的にないのだ。 　会話をするにも人に会うにも、彼女はいつも御簾越しだからである。 　移動の際も輿に乗って移動するので、人々がその姿を目にすることはない。 「そうですか……。陛下を説得するのはまた骨が折れそうです」 　ヒルダ曰く、ドロテーアは教皇様が顔を隠して会談に臨むことが気に入らないようで、余計なことをしないように言い含めるのが大変らしい。 　放っておくと、御簾を切りつけてでも無理矢理その顔を拝もうとするかもしれない、とのこと。 「ドロテーア陛下は気が短いですからね。会談を実現させるスタッフたちは戦々恐々としていますよ」 　などと肩をすくめるヒルダだが、その顔は口調ほどには困っていないように見えた。 　そのことをヒルダに指摘すると、 「まあ、ドロテーア陛下だってこの状況下で教皇様に無体を働くほど外交音痴ではないでしょう。今、精霊教徒に反感を持たれれば、帝国は一気に厳しい状況に追い込まれますから」 「陛下を信頼していますのね」 「それはもちろん。陛下は合理を愛する方です。よほどのことがない限り、教皇様に対して失礼を働くことはないですよ」 　安心して下さい、とヒルダは笑った。 　どうでもいいけど、先に不安を煽るようなこと言ってきたのはそっちなんだけどね。 「ところで、フィリーネ様はどうですか？　もうお会いになったのでしょう？」 「ええ。お優しい方ですわね。あの苛烈なドロテーア陛下のご息女とは思えないくらいに」 「ふふ、皆さんそう仰いますね。でも、意外に似ているところもあるのですよ」 「例えばどんなところですの？」 「フィリーネ様も芯がお強い。つまらないことでくじけてしまう方ではありますが、ここぞというとこでは踏みとどまれる方です」 　ヒルダはフィリーネを賞賛した。 　まあ、そこは同意である。 「バウアーの皆さんもぜひフィリーネ様の良き友人になって頂ければと思いますよ。特に、革命の旗手だったあなた方お二人とは」 　ヒルダは口元を緩めて笑った。 　そうすると、意外なほどに冷たい感じがなくなる。 　この微笑みにやられたプレイヤーは多い。 　でも、騙されてはいけない。 　きっとヒルダは裏でフィリーネに、真逆のことを言っている。 　私たちには気安く近づくなとかそんな釘を刺しているに違いなかった。 　彼女は自分がフィリーネの一番であることを望んでいるからだ。 「ええ、もちろんですわ。親しくさせて頂きたいと思います」 　帝国留学のための事前準備で、クレア様もヒルダの性格については学習している。 　ヒルダが猫を被っていることはクレア様も分かっているのだろうが、そこは流石クレア様。 　如才なく笑って外交に勤しんでいる。 「ところで……、教会側はもちろんご存知ですよね？　教皇様のお命を狙う輩がいるという噂」 　ヒルダが少し声のトーンを落として聞いてきた。 「断言しますが、賊は帝国の人間ではありません。先ほども少し言いましたが、帝国は教会を敵に回すわけにはいかないのです。今回の会談もドロテーア陛下にとっては少し屈辱的ではありますが、帝国が置かれた状況を考えれば受け入れる他ないのです」 　今回の教皇様行幸の目的は、他国侵略を続ける帝国に対して釘を刺すためなのである。 　戦争をすることで民が苦しむようなことはあってはならない、と帝国を諫めるために教皇様は帝国行きを決めたのだ。 　背景には、バウアー、スース、アパラチアの三カ国連合対ナー帝国という、大国間の戦争が起きようとしている今の構図がある。 　帝国に対してだけではない。 　教皇様は既にバウアーでセイン陛下とも会談しているし、帝国の後、スースやアパラチアにも行幸する予定である。 　リリィ様曰く、教皇様は戦争ムードが高まっていることに、ひどく心を傷めているらしい。 　ドロテーアからすれば宗教屋の内政干渉だとでも言って会談そのものを拒否したいところだろうが、帝国が置かれている状況がそれを許さない。 　三カ国軍と事を構える可能性があるのに、この上精霊教徒まで敵に回せば、いくら帝国の国力が大きかろうと、流石に無理が出る。 「ですから、教会側もぜひ警備は厳を期して下さい。猊下に万一のことがあった場合、一番困るのは帝国ですから」 「分かっておりますわ」 「件の元宰相の行方は、その後掴めましたか？」 「それについては……申し訳ありませんわ。まだ捜索中ですの」 　帝国はサーラスの脱獄についても知っているらしい。 「早く……出来れば行幸よりも先に捕まえて頂きたいですね。不安要素は少ないほどいい」 「ええ、全くですわ」 「聞けばその宰相、教会の重要人物と繋がりがあるとか。教皇様を害そうとしているのは、意外とその――」 「ヒルダ、そこまでですわ」 　続けてその「容疑者」の名前を挙げようとしたヒルダを、クレア様が遮った。 「わたくしたちとて馬鹿ではありません。そちらが心配なさっているようなことには、こちらもきちんと対策を立てます。ですから、お互い邪推に基づくような発言はあまりしないようにしましょう」 「……これは失礼を。お詫び申し上げます」 　そう言ってヒルダは軽く頭を下げた。 　そもそもサーラスは帝国とも繋がりのあった人物である。 　腹を探られるのは、あちらもイヤなのだろう。 「いえ、警備の責任者としては当然の心配ですわね。お察ししますわ」 「ありがとう。では、すり合わせを続けましょう」 　教会と帝国の初会合は、その後は何事もなく終わった。 　責任者であるクレア様は流石に疲れたようで、寮に戻るとぐったりしてしまった。 「……何やら予定外のことが色々起きますわね。当初は帝国の籠絡が目的だったはずですのに」 「仕方ありません。私の原作知識のそれとは、だいぶ状況が違いますし」 　メイとアレアの髪に櫛を通しながら、私はクレア様に言う。 　メイとアレアの髪型は、メイが私、アレアがクレア様に似ている。 　初めて会ったときは、メイはショート、アレアはロングだったなあ、などと考えながら。 「それでも、なんとかしませんとね。まずは目の前の仕事を一つ一つ片付けて行くとしましょうか」 「しっかり支えますよ」 　メイとアレアの髪をとかし終えてから、今度はクレア様の髪に櫛を通す。 　ちょっと枝毛が目立つかなあ。 　ストレスだろう、多分。 「頼りにしてますわよ」 「任せて下さい」 　少しでもクレア様の負担がなくなるように、私も頑張らないと。 　私はクレア様の髪に口づけを何度も落とし、決意を新たにするのだった。 *Translation below was made possible with the help of Angela. Thanks, Angela. The day after Lishe-sama asked us to act as bodyguards, we started our preparations. It was a ton of work having to deploy various people, review our shift schedules, and double-check the floor plans of the meeting hall for the upcoming visit. Of course, we were taking a break from school. Contrary to what I expected, it seemed that, conveniently, we were going to be credited for our contributions. I was incredibly grateful for that. However, since exams would still be taking place just like usual, we would have to make up for the parts that we missed on our own time. “I am Hildegard Eichrodt. Please feel free to call me Hilda.” At last, we were able to become acquainted with the final love interest from RevoLily. Since she was acting as a security officer for the Empire, she came over to greet us. Naturally, the Church wasn’t the only party that required tight security during the visit. Especially since the Empress would be in attendance as well. And the security officer that would be representing the Empire was none other than Hilda. One of the Empire’s strengths was that it boasted an extremely powerful military. As a result of prioritizing the development of magical technology and techniques, the Empire ended up becoming the most advanced nation when it came to magic. It was the complete opposite of Bauer. If it weren’t for Dorothea, perhaps the Empire’s Magical Technology Department would’ve ended becoming the entire backbone of the Empire. And Hilda happened to be somebody who was strongly affiliated with the Magical Technology Department. Hilda appeared to be an incredibly capable person, and she also wore a monocle, which was rare to see on women. Her silver hair and red eyes reminded me of Lily-sama, but instead of giving off the impression of a small animal, Hilda seemed rather fear-inducing. According to Philine, “Hilda may look scary, but in reality, she’s actually a really kind person.” However, I knew of Hilda’s true nature thanks to the knowledge I acquired from RevoLily. Since she was extremely ambitious, she was the type of person who would resort to using any means necessary in order to achieve her goals. To Hilda, Philine was just another stepping stone in order to further her own career. Hilda was just keeping her true nature hidden from Philine. “This is the security plan that we came up with on the Empire’s side. Please double-check it.” Despite her quirks, Hilda was indisputably an incredibly capable and hardworking person. We had decided to use one of the rooms in the town hall as our conference space for our joint security department meetings, and were gathered here for the first time. The room was quite spacious and allowed for people to move in and out freely. There were a number of chairs and desks neatly lined up, and there was a lot of necessary information related to security taped along the walls. “Thank you, Hilda. Here’s the plan that we’ve drafted out on behalf of the Church. Let’s take a look at everything together.” On the Church’s side, Claire-sama was the one who struggled the most. Since it was a job that she was unfamiliar with, the Church paired her up with other staff members and their most experienced one, Lily-sama. As a result of having the support of such a reliable ally, the plan that they created ended up being well-received and allowed us to proceed smoothly. “Will we be able to worship the Pope face-to-face this time around?” “I apologize, but actually, the Pope does not like to show herself in front of other people, so……” That was part of the reason why Claire-sama and I were so surprised when we saw her face for the first time. Generally, there were no opportunities for regular people to come in contact with the Pope. Even while meeting or conversing with other people, she was usually well-hidden behind a curtain. Whenever she was required to travel, she would be transported in a portable shrine, so nobody would be able to get a good look at her appearance. “I see…… It’s going to be a pain trying to get Her Majesty to accept this.” What Hilda was trying to say was that Dorothea didn’t like the idea of having the Pope hide her face during their upcoming meeting. Most likely, she would admonish the Pope for doing something so unnecessary, which may turn out to be troublesome. If we just kept silent about it, there was a chance that she was going to forcibly cut the curtain down herself. “Dorothea has a short-temper, after all. Even the staff members that are in charge of putting the conference together are trembling with fear.” Hilda shrugged, although her face didn’t match how troubled her tone was making her out to be. When I pointed that out, Hilda said: “Well, it’s not like Her Majesty Dorothea is so politically unaware that she would resort to using force against the Pope under these circumstances. Right now, if she ended up garnering the hatred of all of the Faith’s followers, the Empire would immediately be forced into a tough situation.” “You have a lot of trust in Her Majesty, don’t you?” “Of course. Her Majesty loves rationality. Unless the situation calls for it, she would never act rudely towards the Pope.” “Please rest assured,” Hilda added with a smile. It probably doesn’t matter, but this was exactly the reason why I felt a bit unsettled. “By the way, what do you think of Philine-sama? You’ve met her already, correct?” “Yes. She is a very kind person, to the point where I wouldn’t have expected her to be the daughter of somebody as stern as Her Majesty Dorothea.” “Fufu, everybody says the same thing. However, I think they’re actually surprisingly similar.” “In what aspects, for example?” “Philine-sama is very strong at her core. Although there are some things she gets tired of, there are other things that she gets very particular about and she becomes virtually immovable.” Hilda was singing Philine’s praises. Well, I could agree with that much. “I hope all of you that came from Bauer can become good friends with Philine-sama. Especially you two, who were at the helm of the revolution.” Hilda loosened up as she laughed. When she did so, surprisingly, it felt like her cold demeanor melted away with it. That same smile used to reel in a lot of players. However, I wasn’t going to let myself get fooled. Surely, Hilda was telling Philine the complete opposite of what she said to us. She probably warned her and told her not to get too close to us. She wanted herself to be at the top of Philine’s list, after all. “Yes, of course. I would also like for us to get closer.” In preparation for the exchange program with the Empire, Claire-sama studied Hilda’s personality in great detail. As expected of Claire-sama, she was well-aware that Hilda was currently putting up a front. She laughed, cleverly putting her diplomatic skills to use. “By the way…… Is the Church aware of this as well? That there are rumors of somebody going after the Pope’s life.” Hilda asked, lowering her tone a bit. “I can assure you that whoever is behind it is not somebody from the Empire. As I mentioned before, the Empire has no plans of turning the Church into an enemy. Although Her Majesty Dorothea might feel humiliated that she is attending such a meeting in the first place, considering the Empire’s current standpoint, we have no choice but to accept it.” The purpose of the Pope’s imperial visit this time was to deliver a reminder to the Empire, which was still invading other countries. The Pope decided to pay the Empire a visit in order to warn them to not start a war that would cause the citizens to suffer. In the background, Bauer, Sousa and Appalachia formed a three-way alliance in opposition to the Naa Empire, so the pieces that could start a war against all of the great powers were falling into place. It wasn’t just the Naa Empire. The Pope had already met with His Majesty Sein, and after the Empire, she was bound for Sousa and Appalachia as well. According to Lily-sama, it seemed that the Pope was fearful of the rising tensions and increasingly high chances for a war to begin. Dorothea easily could’ve refused the intervention from what she considered to be a religious shop, but the Empire’s current circumstances would not allow for that. On top of having the Allied Forces against them, if the Empire were to make an enemy out of the Holy Spirit Church, no matter how powerful the Empire was, it would be impossible for them to handle. “That’s why, I hope that as representatives of the Church, you will take this just as seriously. If anything were to happen to Her Holiness, the Empire will end up being the one to shoulder the consequences.” “I understand.” “Regarding the whereabouts of your former Prime Minister, were you able to catch him?” “About that…… I apologize. We are still in the middle of investigating the situation.” It seemed that the Empire was aware of Salas’ jailbreak. “Please…… If possible, you should try to capture him before the imperial visit takes place. The less to worry about, the better.” “Yes, absolutely.” “From what I’ve heard, apparently, an important figure in the Church has connections with the Prime Minister. Perhaps the person that is out to hurt the Pope is actually――” “Hilda, that’s enough.” Claire-sama interrupted Hilda before she could name the suspect. “We are not fools. We will take proper countermeasures against the things that you have concerns about. Therefore, please do not jump to conclusions and declare your suspicions based on assumptions.” “...... I apologize for being rude.” Hilda slightly bowed her head as she spoke. To begin with, Salas was somebody who had connections with the Empire. I wondered if they were against us searching for him. “No, it’s natural for you to be worried about these things as a security officer. I understand how you feel.” “Thank you. Well then, let’s continue.” The first meeting between the Church and the Empire ended without incident. As expected, Claire-sama, who was in charge and poured a lot of work into everything, was dead-tired by the time we got back to our dormitory. “...... Somehow, a lot of things outside of our expectations keep happening. Even though our initial goal was to ensnare the Empire.” “It can’t be helped. The situation has deviated a lot from my previous knowledge, after all.” I said to Claire-sama while combing Mei and Alea’s hair. In terms of hairstyle, Mei’s was quite similar to mine, while Alea’s looked like Claire-sama’s. When we first met them, Mei had short-hair and Alea had long-hair, so that was something that crossed my mind. “In any case, we’ll have to do something about this. First, we’ll complete all of the tasks that are right in front of us one by one.” “I’ll give you all of my support.” After combing Mei and Alea’s hair, I went to do Claire-sama’s next. Her split ends were becoming noticeable. It was probably because of the stress. “I’m counting on you.” “Please leave it to me.” In order to reduce Claire-sama’s stress, I had to give it my best. I gave Claire-sama’s hair a countless number of kisses and renewed my determination.