ある時いつものように、路地裏の店で薬を買った。
「スノーを10本」
スノーは魔薬の隠語だ。いつもなら大量注文でも、黙って奥から瓶を持ってくる女主人だが、その時は違った。
「今日は５本しかないよ。最近取締りが厳しいんだ」
「そうか。」
国王が魔薬対策に乗り出したということは聞いていた。薬が手に入りにくくなる。それは困る。だが僕には一つの計画が浮かんでいた。
―北の山の方で瘴気が出ている場所がある。上手く使えば魔薬を大量生産できるが、危険なので中々近づけない。瘴気の扱いは魔獣の死骸なんかよりずっと難しい。徐々に肺を病んで長く生きられないらしいぞ。まぁ俺たちみたいな中毒者には天国みたいなもんだろうな。がはは。
顔中ひげだらけにした親父が酒瓶を片手に話したこと。僕は一緒になって笑った。だが、僕の心の中にはわずかな灯がともったのだ。
僕は父に領地に行きたいと言った。騎士団も魔術師団も入れる実力がない。国の政策に関わるほどの学力もない。せめて伯爵家の領地経営を学びたいと言ったら、父は諸手を挙げて賛成してくれた。よかった。
まぁ、先月、”ビーネ”で知り合った女や娼婦たちを連れて王宮の舞踏会に乗り込んで、乱痴気騒ぎを起こしたら蟄居をくらっちまったからちょうどいい。父も厄介払いできてよかっただろう。
それにしてもあのときの皆が軽蔑する目線は快感だったな。とくにベルタ王女。ゴミ虫を見るような目。ああ。ゾクゾクする。ああいう女をいつか組みしいてみたいものだ。
ノルトグレシャーでは暇を弄ぶ領主代理を装った。暇つぶしに領民と関わり、瘴気が出ている場所をさぐろうと思ったのだ。こういうものは大人よりも子供の方が知っている。大人は異質なものを見て見ぬふりすることが多い。
「変わった色の石がいっぱいとれる所知ってるよ！」
「ぼくも」
「あたしも」
子供らに案内されて行ったのは村のはずれ。山の中腹にひっそりと開いた洞穴だ。
「このあたりで紫色の石をひろったの」
「おかあさんに見せたら、きもちわるいからすててきなさいっていわれた」
「ぼくもひろったことあるよ」
「こっちの奥にいっぱいありそうだけどなんか気味悪くて行ったことない」
少女が洞穴の奥を指差す。
「ヨハンが行ってみたけど気持ち悪くなって２日間吐き続けたって」
「げぇ」
「ミアは平気らしいよ」
「あいつは変なやつだから吐き気しないんだろ」
「あいつがゲロみたいなもんだし」
「それいえてるな、わはは」
子供らと別れて僕は洞穴の辺りを見回した。ふと紫色に光る石の欠片が目に入った。僕はそれを指先でつまんで持ち上げる。陽の光にさらされてそれはきらめいた。
「あ…それ、綺麗ですよね」
声がして振り返ると一人の少女がいた。薄い赤毛に、ドロのついた顔。つぎはぎだらけの服。
「あたし…それ最初は宝石かと思って。一生懸命集めてたんですけど…みんな気持ち悪いって。宝石ではなかったみたい。」
えへへ、と少女は笑った。屈託のない笑顔だった。
「奥に行ったらいっぱいありますよ。行ってみます？あぁ、でも気持ち悪くなっちゃう人もいるみたいで…」
「多分…大丈夫だ」
その少女に案内されて僕は洞穴の奥へと進んだ。通路は狭く、中腰になって進まないといけないほどだったが、一番奥はぽっかりと開けていて、大人４人くらいはゆったりと立てる空間があった。彼女が手に持っている灯りで照らすと、所々に煌めくものが見える。岩の一部分が紫色に光っている。ここだけ瘴気を帯びて変化しているのだ。いわば魔石といったところか。これだけの量があれば…。
これを薬に精錬すれば、しばらく魔薬に困らない。それどころか良い商売になる。もしかしたら一財産…。いずれは父があっと驚くような成果が出せるかもしれない。何の才能もないと思われた息子が潤沢な富をえたら、父はどれほど驚愕するだろう。
魔薬の流通量が増えたら王家はきっと困るだろう。あの小憎らしい金髪野郎の王太子が苛立つだろうな。もう考えるだけで血が沸き立つのを抑えられなかった。
目線を横にすると少女が蕩けそうな目でこちらを見ていた。
これだけの瘴気を浴びても平気でいられるのか…
こいつは使える
「君…名前は？」
「…ミア…です」
One day, as usual, I bought some pills at a back-alley store.
Ten bottles of Snow.”
Snow is a cloak for magic potion. Normally, the owner of the shop would bring the bottles from the back of the store without saying a word, even if I ordered a large quantity, but that time was different.
We only have five bottles today. But not that time.
I see.
I had heard that the king had taken measures against magic potions. It would be difficult to get medicines. That would be a problem. But I had a plan.
-There is a place in the mountains to the north where there is a miasma. If I used it right, I could produce a large amount of magic potion, but it would be too dangerous to go near there. It is much more difficult to deal with the miasma than with the carcass of a dead magical beast. It’s said that the lungs gradually get sick and you don’t live long. Well, for addicts like us, it’s like heaven. Ha-ha-ha.
My father, with his face covered with beard, was talking with a bottle of sake in his hand. I laughed along with him. But there was a small light in my heart.
I told my father that I wanted to go to the estate. I didn’t have the ability to join the knighthood or the sorcerers’ order. I didn’t have the academic ability to be involved in the government’s policies. When I told my father that I wanted to at least learn how to manage a count’s estate, he unanimously agreed. That was good.
Well, it’s just as well, because last month, I took a bunch of girls and prostitutes I met at the “Beane” to a ball at the royal palace and caused a riot, which resulted in my being sent to my estate. My father would have been glad to get rid of them.
But it was a pleasure to see how everyone looked at me with disdain. Especially Princess Bertha. The way she looked at me like I was a garbage worm. Ah. It’s thrilling. I’d like to put a woman like that together someday.
In Nordglescher, I posed as a deputy lord who played with his spare time. I wanted to kill time by getting involved with the people and trying to find out where the miasma was coming from. Children know more about these things than adults. Adults often turn a blind eye to things that are foreign to them.
I know a place where you can get lots of strange colored stones!
Me too.
Me too.
The children led me to the edge of the village. The children led us to a cave on the edge of the village, hidden in the middle of the mountain.
I found a purple stone here.
When I showed it to my mother, she said it was disgusting and that I should throw it away.
I found one too.
I think there are a lot of them over here, but I’ve never been there because it’s kind of creepy.”
The girl pointed to the back of the cave.
Johann tried it, but he got sick and threw up for two days.
Wow.”
Mia says she’s fine.
He’s just a weird guy. That’s why he doesn’t throw up.
He’s like puke.
You’re right. Ha-ha-ha.
I parted from the children and looked around the cave. Suddenly, I noticed a piece of purple-glowing stone. I picked it up with my fingertips and lifted it. It sparkled in the sunlight.
Ah…that’s beautiful, isn’t it?
I heard a voice and turned to see a girl. She had pale red hair and a face covered in dirt. Her clothes were full of patches.
I thought they were jewels at first. I tried so hard to collect them, but…everyone said they were disgusting. I don’t think they were jewelry.”
The girl laughed. It was a carefree smile.
There are a lot of them in the back. Do you want to go there? Ah, but I heard some people get sick…”
“Maybe…it’s okay.”
The girl led me deeper into the cave. The passage was so narrow that I had to sit on my back to get through, but at the far end there was an open space where about four adults could stand comfortably. When illuminated by the light she held in her hand, we could see something shimmering in places. One part of the rock was glowing purple. This was the only place where the miasma was changing. A magic stone, so to speak. If there is this much of it….
If we could refine it into a medicine, we wouldn’t have to worry about magic potions for a while. In fact, it would be a good business. Perhaps a fortune…. In time, I might be able to produce results that would surprise my father. How astonished his father would be if his son, who was thought to have no talent whatsoever, became rich and wealthy.
The royal family will surely be troubled if the distribution of magic potions increases. The crown prince, that little hateful blonde bastard, would be annoyed. I couldn’t stop my blood from boiling just thinking about it.
I looked to the side and saw a girl looking at me with eyes that looked as if they were about to be consumed.
How can she be okay with this much miasma…
This guy can use it.
You… what’s your name?”
“…Mia…”
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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