あのあと、俺たちはリーンが開けた天井の穴をよじ登り、地上に出るとすぐに別れた.
　リーンは、

「……先生のおっしゃっていた意味がやっと分かった気がします.
　ここから先は、私一人でも大丈夫です.
　ミスラへ行くまでには、きっと……もっと上の力を得て見せますから」

　笑顔でそう言うと、一人でどこかへ行ってしまった.

　……一体、彼女は何が分かったというのだろう.
　それに、あの子はあの歳で、あれ以上強くなってどうしようというのだろうか……？
　もう十分すぎるぐらいに、強い気がするのだが.

　疑問は尽きないが、ひとまず、もう『幽霊退治』は懲り懲りだと思った.
　元々、幽霊だとか骨だとかは、あんまり好きなものではない.
　その上、まさか初日でいきなりあんなものが出て来ようとは.

　あとで色々聞いてみると、やっぱりあれは『幽霊(ゴースト)』ではなかったらしい.
　確かに、あんな化物がネズミ避けにしか思われていないなんて、幾ら何でもおかしいと思ってはいたが…….
　あれは名を『灰色の亡霊(ファントムグレイ)』という、もっと別の何かだった.

　冒険者ギルドのおじさんから最初にその話を聞かされた時、冷や汗が出た.
　ギルドではちょうどその化物の話題になっており、俺がそれと遭遇したと伝えると、おじさんには「よく生きて帰ってこれたな」と驚かれたが、本当にその通りだ.

　────ほんの少し触れただけでも、即死.

　あれはそんな超常の怪物だったのだ.
　あの巨大な無数の触手.
　不気味なのでなんとなく避けていたが、あれは絶対に触れてはいけない類のもので、一瞬でも触れたら命を吸い取られ、絶命するという恐ろしいものだという.

　どんなに屈強な冒険者であろうとも確実な死が訪れる.
　実際、それで死んだ人間は過去数千人も出ているらしい.
　本当に俺などがよく生きて帰ってこれたものだ.

　一緒に行ってくれたリーンには感謝しかない.
　あの子がいなければ、決め手の攻撃手段のない俺だけでは、確実にあの気味の悪い触手を躱しきれずにあの暗い地下空間の中で帰らぬ人となっていた事だろう.

　リーンが跡形もなく消滅させた為、あんなものはもう、二度と出てこないだろうとは言っていたが……用心はするべきだろう.
　一度あることは二度あるとも言う.
　何かの拍子に、また一匹や二匹、まとめて同時に出てこないとも限らない.

　そういうわけで、その日以来、もう俺は『幽霊退治』の依頼は受けないことにした.
　流石に初回から強烈な経験だったし、リーンも行方をくらまして見つからない.
　またアレが出たらと思うと、とても一人で出向く勇気は出ないし、その後、出没する『幽霊(ゴースト)』も急速に姿を消し、依頼自体が少なくなったこともある.

　────さらば、俺のまだ見ぬ宿敵『スケルトン』.
　腕試しのために、一度ぐらいは戦ってみたかったが…………ちょっと当分は見送らせてもらおう.

「────────パリイ」　

　そうして、俺は森の中で相変わらずの素振りを続けている.
　『葉っぱ素振り法』は、辺りの木々が以前と比べて明らかに風通しよくなってしまったので、申し訳なくなってしまいしばらく前から封印している.

　そういうわけで、今はただの素振りだ.
　一振りする度、地面が揺れる.
　とても重たい『黒い剣』のおかげで、それだけで鍛えられている感じは確かにするのだが、物足りない.
　こんなことを繰り返しているばかりでは、俺は強くなれないだろう.
　I've been feeling limited here.

　What can I do to get stronger ......?

　It is said that it is quite good if there is one person whose strength is equal to yours.
　This is because we can improve each other through mock battles.

　But I can't think of anyone who's as good as me .......
　Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a solid comparison of strength with someone else.
　I'm not sure who has the time to hang out with me in the first place.

　──── Maybe I'll ask Lean to do it for me next time.

　When I was thinking like this, I suddenly heard a voice behind me.

──── I didn't expect to be training alone in a place like this.

　The man standing there, carrying a golden spear on his shoulder, looked familiar.
　I'll never forget that face.
　He was the man who saved my life when I was about to be killed by the armies of the previous empire.
　Yes, his name is Gil...

　Gil. ......?

　Gil...

　Gil ────

　Gil ──────

　Gil ────────────!

"Gil ........................... May I call you .....................?
What the heck, while we're at it.

　I managed to get Bart ...... so, that was it.
　Gilbert, the man with the spear, suddenly appeared behind me.

Gilbert, what are you doing here?
What? ...... You remember my name. I thought you'd forgotten my name.
No, of course not. I'm talking to the man who saved my life. I remember. It's okay. Don't worry.

　...... took a while to come out.

"Saved my life"?　What the hell is that?　...... You can feel that way all you want. Well, it doesn't matter. You're gonna have to run an errand for me.

"──── errand?

Yeah. It seems that Oaken's grandfather was playing with some 'magic armor' he picked up on the battlefield. I've been looking for the right person to use it and let me know what you think.



　Gilbert's figure seemed to disappear for a moment.

　──── fast.

　I could barely see that he'd just moved behind me.

"What do you think?　It's not like this. As a training partner (・・・・).

　Apparently, his appearance in front of me meant that he was going to lend me his chest like before.
　I really hope not.

Yeah, I think I can handle the current speed.
"Well, ............ that's good to know.

　Gilbert, the spearman, held up his spear.

I'll tell you what, no rough stuff this time, okay?
Yeah, that's what I'm asking.

　I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you have.

"Draggrave.

　────── fast ──────!

Parry.

　I quickly flicked his spear.
　I've seen that move before.
　If I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to pop it as easily as I did now.

　But it was so much faster than before ────.
　It was so sharp that it was as if it was trying to kill me.

"Haha, ──── you can't reach me now? It's a joke. Can I make it ............ even faster?
"............ Oh, please. I'm good.
Here we go.

　The smile that had been on his face disappears.
　Next time, I mean it.
　──────── I get it.

"Draggrave.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

　────── Concentrate.
　The sound disappeared from around me. ──────.

　I put all my nerve into catching his spear, and used all my muscle power just to swing my sword.

"Parry.

　The tip of Gilbert's spear collided with my 'black sword' and golden sparks flew.

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. The orichalcone has been chipped. ............ Hahaha, what the hell is this ......... ...interesting. ............ So much cheating, and now this?



　Gilbert smiled happily.

　──── He's laughing.
　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one whose body is tense and whose hand is shaking from the blow.
　After all, this man is ────── strong.

The next one will be even faster, okay?

　And the next one will be even faster.
　The man with the spear in front of him says.
　As if it were nothing.

　──────── as if it were nothing.

"──── Oh, please.

　The words came out of my mouth before I could think.

　Even the blow I just received was too fast for me to experience.
　Next time, I don't know if I can keep up.

　But this man is telling me to follow him (・・・・・) as a matter of course.
　That's what he's saying.
　If you don't go beyond your limits, you'll never be strong.
　I know that much too.

　──── Then...

　I'll borrow his chest and see how far I can go.
　I know the risks, but I dare to try.
　If you're not prepared to do that, you'll never be strong enough.

──── Next time, don't go easy on me. I want to see how far you can go.

"──── Haha, you got me there, ......!　Don't ...... regret it.

　And so ────
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