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Episode 20: After the Monster Extermination 1

第20話　怪物退治の果てに　1

――side Kuon Family

――side久遠本家

 

“Did the Ushi-oni get defeated!? Is that for sure!?”

「牛鬼が討伐されただと！？　間違いないのか！？」

“Y-yes! It’s certain that the Ushi-oni’s youki has completely vanished!”

「は、はい！　牛鬼の妖気が完全に消滅したことは確かです！」

 

The report of the “Ushi-oni Extermination” that arrived at the Kuon family estate shocked Kuon and the exorcists belonging to his clan.

久遠家本邸、そこへ舞い込んできた「牛鬼討伐」の報は久遠とその一門に所属する退魔士に衝撃を与えた。

 

The prestigious exorcist family “Kuon,” and the duty assigned to one of the candidates for the next head, Kuon Kyōri, the “Ushi-oni Extermination,” was something that was considered impossible to achieve under normal circumstances.

退魔の名門「久遠家」、その次期当主候補者の1人である久遠京里に課されたお役目、「牛鬼討伐」は常識的に考えて達成不可能なものだ。

 

The Ushi-oni is a high-ranking youma that has ravaged Japan since ancient times, and even if the highest-level exorcists of the current era gathered, sealing it would be a monumental task.

牛鬼は古代より日本を荒らしてきた最高位の妖魔で、当代最高峰の退魔士が集まったとしても封印するのが関の山。

 

When the news came that the Ushi-oni had escaped from its seal along with its minions, the exorcists were greatly troubled.

その牛鬼が眷属と共に封印から抜け出した、それを知らされた時、退魔士たちは大いに悩んだ。

The decrease in youma itself, along with the extinction of powerful families, meant that the overall strength of exorcists had significantly declined since the Ushi-oni was sealed.

妖魔そのものの減少、さらには有力家の断絶と退魔士全体の実力は牛鬼が封印された時より格段に落ちている。

 

Thus, the plan conceived was to deliberately feed someone with immense spiritual power to the Ushi-oni to weaken its activity, and then attempt to seal it during that window.

そこで考えられたのが巨大な霊力を持つ誰かを敢えて牛鬼に食わせることで活動を鈍らせ、その隙に封印を試みるという作戦だ。

 

And the unfortunate sacrifice chosen for this was Kuon Kyōri, who was among the candidates for the next head but lacked political power and held a weak position.

そしてその哀れな生け贄にされたのが次期当主候補者の中でも政治力が無く立場が弱い久遠京里だったのだ。

 

She was given false information that “a small demon had escaped,” and all responsibility for that area was placed on her, followed by the provision of information about the Ushi-oni and the extermination order, making her the sacrificial lamb.

彼女には「小鬼が逃げ出した」と偽りの情報を与えると共にその地域の責任を全て押し付け、後から牛鬼の情報を与えると共に討伐命令を下し、そして生け贄とする。

 

That was the plan.

そうする手筈だったのだが。

 

“So, how did Kyōri defeat the Ushi-oni?”

「それで、京里はどのように牛鬼を討伐したのだ？」

 

The current head of the Kuon family, Kuon Sōgen, casually asked the exorcist who had come to report.

久遠家現当主、久遠宗玄は報告に上がった退魔士の男におもむろに尋ねる。

 

“W-well, according to Kyōri-sama, it seems that it was actually a collaborator who defeated it…”

「そ、それが京里様によると実際に討伐したのは協力者らしく……」

“A collaborator?”

「協力者？」

“The report only states that. Ah, it seems a response team has just arrived on site…!?”

「報告書にただそれだけしか。あ、ただいま現地に対応班が到着したようで……！？」

 

Having said that, the young exorcist lost his words upon seeing the image displayed on his tablet.

そこまで言って若い退魔士の男はタブレット端末に表示された画像を見て言葉を失う。

 

“What happened?”

「どうした？」

“I-I’m sorry. The image that arrived was… too shocking.”

「す、すみません。届いた画像がその、あまりにも衝撃的なものだったので」

“……Hmm. Can you show that image to us as well?”

「……ふむ。その画像、こちらにも見せてもらえるか？」

“Y-yes!”

「は、はい！」

 

The man placed his tablet on the tatami table.

男は座敷机の上に自らのタブレット端末を置く。

Upon seeing the image displayed, some felt nauseous, while others suspected it might have been altered.

そこに映し出されていた画像を見て、ある者は吐き気を催し、またある者はそれが加工されたものではないかと疑う。

The image was so shocking that it led them to such thoughts.

そんな考えを抱かせるほど、そこに表示されていた画像は彼らにとって衝撃的なものだったのだ。

 

“Is this the Ushi-oni? But what on earth could have split that Ushi-oni, which has such a tough exterior, in half…?”

「これは、牛鬼か？　しかし一体どんな方法で強固な外皮を持つあの牛鬼を真っ二つに……？」

“Look at this small demon over here. Some were killed by techniques, but most seem to have been knocked off from a height.”

「こっちの小鬼を見てみろ。何体かは術によって殺されているが、大半は高所から叩き落とされたようだぞ」

 

As the elders were enveloped in confusion and shock from the images that had come up, a young man slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

上がってきたそれらの画像に老人たちが困惑と衝撃に包まれている中、1人の青年が「バン！」と机を叩いて立ち上がる。

 

“Everyone, what we should be considering now is not how the youma was exterminated! What we truly need to think about is how to respond to and punish Kyōri for breaking our absolute principle of [Secrecy]!”

「皆さん、我々が今考えるべき事は一体どうやって妖魔が討伐されたかではありません！　真に考えるべきなのは久遠京里が我々の絶対原則である【秘匿】を破ったことへの対応と処分についてです！」

“Y-yes…”

「う、うむ……」

 

The elders fell silent at the young man’s words.

青年の言葉に老人たちも押し黙ってしまう。

[Secrecy], that is, not exposing their existence to the public. This was an absolute rule for exorcists.

【秘匿】、即ち自分たちの存在を公に晒さない。これは退魔士にとって絶対のルールであった。

 

“What did Kyōri report about that collaborator!?”

「その協力者について京里はどう報告している！？」

“Well, it just says ‘collaborator’…”

「それがその、ただ協力者としか……」

“The fact that it wasn’t written means she couldn’t write it honestly! It’s clear that Kuon Kyōri broke [Secrecy]! Grandfather, we should swiftly execute Kuon Kyōri!”

「書いていないということは即ち素直に書くことができないということ！　久遠京里が【秘匿】を破ったのは明白です！　お祖父様、ここは速やかに久遠京里を処断するべきかと！」

“――Genji”

「――玄治」

 

The impassioned young man――the foremost candidate for the next head of the Kuon family, Kuon Genji, was solemnly addressed by Sōgen.

息巻く青年――久遠家次期当主候補筆頭である久遠玄治に宗玄は厳かに語りかける。

 

“Indeed, we must adhere to the rules. However, we sometimes need to respond flexibly.”

「確かに規則は遵守せねばならない。しかし我々は時として柔軟な対応をする必要がある」

“……What do you mean by that?”

「……それはどういう意味でしょうか？」

“There are likely only two people in the world with such skill and a cooperative attitude towards us. What we should be considering now is how to build a friendly relationship with Kyōri’s collaborator.”

「これほどの腕を持ち、さらに我々に協力的な態度を持つ実力者は世界中を探しても二人といないだろう。我々が今考えるべきなのは京里の協力者と如何に友好的な関係を築くか、だ」

“Does that mean we will overlook Kyōri’s actions?”

「それは京里が取った行動を不問にする、ということでしょうか」

“We will monitor this so-called collaborator, and that will serve as Kyōri’s punishment.”

「その協力者とやらの監視、それを京里への罰とする」

 

After saying this to Genji, Kuon Sōgen, supported by a shikigami, slowly stood up and left the room.

玄治にそう告げると、久遠宗玄は式神の介護を受け、ゆっくりと立ち上がり部屋を去った。

Everyone gathered there stood up to see him off, and Genji exited the corridor with an irritated expression.

その場に集まった一同全員立ち上がってそれを見届けると、玄治は苛立った様子で廊下に出る。

 

(Damn, damn, damn! That raccoon old man and that damn girl!)

(クソ、クソクソクソっ！　あの狸爺とクソ女め！)

 

To Genji, Kyōri was a girl who irritated him to no end.

玄治にとって京里はとにかく腹が立つ少女だった。

 

She was a top-tier exorcist in both looks and lineage, and there should be no one else but himself who could possess her.

見てくれも血統も一級品の退魔士の女、それを手に入れるのは自分を置いて他にいないはず。

Thinking this, Genji had given Kyōri an order a year ago.

そう考えて玄治は1年前、京里にこう命令した。

 

“Discard your title as a candidate for the next head and become mine. If you do, I’ll pamper you as much as you want.”

『次期当主候補の肩書きを捨てて俺のものになれ。そうすれば好きなだけ可愛がってやる』

 

In response to Genji’s words, Kyōri had replied with a composed attitude.

そんな玄治の言葉に、京里はすんとした態度でこう返したのだ。

 

“I will decide my own life. I have no intention of being directed by you. Please take your leave.”

『私の人生は私が決めます。貴方に指図されてどうこう決めるつもりはございません。どうぞお引き取りを』

 

With those words, Genji, who had used his noble bloodline to act tyrannically, felt “humiliation” for the first time in his life.

その京里の言葉に、嫡流の血筋を笠に着て横暴の限りを尽くしてきた玄治は生まれて初めて「屈辱」というものを感じた。

At the same time, Genji vowed to make Kyōri pay for the humiliation he had suffered.

それと同時に玄治は、京里に自分が受けた屈辱の代価を支払わせることを誓ったのだ。

And the perfect opportunity to fulfill that vow was the recent Ushi-oni incident.

そしてそれを果たす絶好の機会が今回の牛鬼の件だった。

 

However, the outcome only served to further irritate Genji.

しかしその結果は玄治をさらに苛立たせるものとなってしまう。

――Because Kyōri had achieved the greatest accomplishment of exterminating the Ushi-oni.

――京里が牛鬼討伐という最大級の功績を上げたことによって。

 

(Just wait and see, damn girl. I will make you taste that humiliation for sure…!)

(今に見ていろ、クソ女。お前にも必ずあの屈辱を味わわせてやる……！)

 

With his insides boiling with rage, Genji walked down the long corridor.

玄治は腸を煮えくり返しながら、長い廊下を歩いていく。

Unaware that his shadow stretching down the hallway was transforming into something ominous.

廊下に伸びる自分の影が禍々しいものへと変化していることに気づかずに。

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