Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Vol 2 Chapter 67

Since I can remember, life is conflict.
For the most part I have no memories of my parents.
By the time I noticed, I was walking aimlessly in the outskirts of the royal capital.
The one who took me in when I was close to collapsing on the streets, was a church’s minister-sama who could definitely not be called affluent.
An extremely kind person, he provided for many other children who had lost their relatives as well as myself.
The lifestyle in the church was, a harsh one.
The number of rooms weren’t sufficient, in narrow rooms countless people resided crammed in together.
Also, for food once a day was normal, our stomaches were always empty.
Even within this, because studies are important we were told to study every day.
Empty stomach, studies that I didn’t want to do forced onto me.
With me included the children’s discontent with the minister-sama who looked after them became exacerbated.
However, we noticed that since some time ago, minister-sama’s cheeks had become hollow.
We noticed that, his body had shrunk one size compared to the time when we first met.

(If something, isn’t done)

To the extent I thought that, at some point attachment boiled up for the children living with me and, that worn out church.
That, uncomfortable church for which nothing could be done.
Thinking back that I’d practiced the bow for self defense was fortuitous.
While vague, the memories of the practice I’d done during my youth were still ingrained in my body.
Because before coming here, the only things I could be said to possess, were that bow and that technique.
Thinking perhaps, this bow might be a memento of my parents.
On a certain day, I took a dust covered item out of the storage room, I obtained it.

「Ooh, Aim is it? Where are you going? Carrying that bow.」

The minister-sama with deep wrinkles in his face, came smiling kindly.
I realized――I didn’t have much time.

「Nn, slight, adventure work.」
「That so, do it so it doesn’t turn overly late.」
「Roger.」

Leaving the church built outside the royal capital’s walls, I faced the area outside of town and hurried.
Partway, the towering castle walls caught my eye.
The people within that, should surely have a good lifestyle.

「……Wait for me, everyone.」

With my own power, I will save everyone.
Having decided that, I set out outside.

By defeating a monster, I obtained an item that could be exchanged for money.
By defeating animals that weren’t like that, I obtained food to survive the day.
Pulling the string, carrying arrows made by shaving wood with my knife, I went to the gra.s.slands on the outskirts of the royal capital.
Looking at countless test shots, the force isn’t a problem.
After that it depends on me.

「――Ow.」

Since long ago, when I concentrated I could sense much further than other people.
Therefore finding prey was fast.

Bullet Wolf:LV5

The enemy status emerged.
Monster.
My pulse leaped up.
The enemy hasn’t noticed me.
By this one shot, I’ll end it.
Drawing my bow tight, I aimed well――

(――It hit!)

I released the arrow, into the wolf’s body.
And so I closed in on the wolf that hadn’t noticed me yet, and then――――missed.
I stabbed the ground directly in front of the wolf.
Then the startled wolf jumping up――finally confirmed my presence.
Just as its name impli

ed, the wolf came running toward me like a bullet.

「U, ua…… Come, theeeeen!」

Recklessly, I released an arrow.
Without taking aim, fearfully, fearfully, I desperately released an arrow.
That everything, completely left me.

「Why! Why won’t it hit!?」

When the wolf approached just before my eye, I’d already panicked.
The wolf faced me and without decelerating, as it further accelerated its velocity it rammed forward.

「――Aggu.」

My breath, stopped.
Sky and earth reversed.
Flying in the air, and so, a moment later I struck the ground.

「――tsu.」

My voice didn’t come out.

――It hurts it hurts hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it huurts!

For a moment I forgot myself and rolled on the ground due to the overly sharp pain.
The wolf cautiously gazed at me as such, from there it jumped in to finish me.
Opening its ma.s.sive mouth, to bite my windpipe to shreds.

――Minister-sama and, everyone’s faces came into my mind.

「――Don’t, mess with me.」

Within the mouth of the wolf that had opened its ma.s.sive mouth, I plunged my hand holding my bow in completely.
The wolf that came to bite me to shreds with its sharp fangs.
From my right hand sharp pain and blood gushed out.

「Over here is, not, prey.」

From there I pulled the string, and mounted an arrow.
I can’t get out.
Even so eat this.

「Here is your, meal!!」

From the wolf’s ma.s.sive mouth, I released an arrow.
The one strike piercing it obviously caused the opponent a fatal injury.
The wolf melted away like a phantasm.
In that place, a wolf’s pelt remained.

「Success…… with this, I can buy, bread.」

I grabbed that pelt with a blood covered hand, while pulling my body I returned to the church.

As a result that day, I had the returned minister-sama use heal on me, I got scolded like lightning fell.
And so I apologized, and expressed grat.i.tude.
Since then it became that from time to time the minister-sama would go hunting with me.
Although our livelihood became more stable than before, even so our poverty didn’t change.
Such a livelihood continued for several years――――The minister-sama died.
Minister-sama emaciated day by day, that impression had vaguely come.
I was surprised that even my tears still flowed, even so I thought I have to be reliable for the sobbing children and cheered up.

「Aim…… from here, what will you do.」
「Nn, don’t worry, Rana. I leave the children to you. Since regarding money――I’ll collect it.」

I was senior and, at the same age and raised within the church in the same manner there was Rana.
The two of us, pledged to look after the young orphans.

Rana could use magic.
After she received the basics from minister-sama and gathered practice as a sister, we received permission from the country for her to officially inherit the church.
Rana protected, the orphans’ place to be.
Hence I have to build a future for the children.
As it is now I’m unsure about my earnings.
Surely still, someone will starve.

――More, I have to select profitable work.

The work relating to killing was, from this period.
When I first shot a person, everything in front of me turned pure black.
Returning, I vomited into a river.

――Even so, the weight of a ma.s.sive wealth like I had never seen, like a gold coin was ma.s.sive.

「――This, how did you? Aim? This large sum……」
「……Nn, it’s because I found some profitable work.」
「Profitable is…… Your body, you didn’t sell it did you!?」
「That’s wrong.」

Toward Rana who changed the color of her face, I smiled bitterly and waved my hand.

「I’m a little, tired so I’ll sleep.」
「U, un…… Aim.」

Seeming worried Rana saw my off, I remembered my pain.

「――It was, more despicable work.」
「Aim……?」

Leaking something like a confession to the girl that’s a sister, I closed myself into my room.

From there again, time pa.s.sed.
With the church’s age progressing its withdrawal order was issued, it was a good chance so it came to be that we moved into an excellent church within the walls.
Though it was slightly expensive, with what I could prepare now it somehow worked out.
There were a large number of rooms, all the orphans came to like the clean wide church.
Above that, there was a wide park suitable for the children to play in nearby.

「Aim, thank you. From anything to anything, it’s all due to you.」
「Nn, don’t mind it. That we were saved, is the same for both of us after all.」

Furthermore, Rana bore the church’s management as a sister.
She handled the gathering the children within the walls, teaching of lessons and looking after them.

――Beyond myself, she did far more upstanding work.

「Then, I’m going to work.」
「……Take care.」

I thought that probably, Rana should’ve vaguely noticed.
For me as I set out to work like it was normal, cladding myself in the manner like it was nothing, there was the form of Rana putting her hands together like she was offering a prayer to see me off.
This time’s work was a quarrel between two merchants.
One merchant, seemed to want to erase a rival who had recently come take power, it was a request that couldn’t be helped.
Though to promptly dispose of the other party in the rivalry should be a barbaric way of thinking, in a certain sense it’s rather clear.

「……Irrelevant. If it’ll obtain money, just do it.」

The sniping point, as well as the target’s information have been investigated in advance.
The eternally rushed merchant who flies around within the country, is returning to his home today.
When that merchant sets out he is protected by his escort, his house has a defense system set, so it’s that sort of thorough policy.
Because he uses his wealth freely, the sniping must take place in the instant from when he descends from the carriage protected by that escort until he enters his house.

「Sufficient.」

At some point, my sniping arm had become firmly polished.
To the extent that when my target is in front of me it’s difficult to remember my disorganized feelings.
This body has already, degraded to just a tool.
A tool, that just kills people.
Arriving at the sniping point, there’s still some time.
The target came back.
I heighten my concentration.
I stop my breath.
I had an illusory sensation like even time had stopped.
I used clairvoyance to target the enemy’s vital spot――I released, death.

――Dead center.

The target collapsed, an uproar came from the surrounding people.
Watching that with a backward glance, I acted to quickly hide my body――A certain scene caught my eye.
The merchant I just sniped, had a small child clinging to him.
The form of a crumbled crying child.
The hand was, the leg was, shaking.
I just――what did I do?
To save everyone at the church?
――Then, is it fine to sacrifice someone else?
Alright, alright, alright――?

「――Ha, hahaha! Ahahahahaha!!!」

What is that laugh, even I don’t know.
Even so since for the children, I have to turn my tail and escape back home――

Recently, I don’t know myself.
This body is already, completely a tool for killing people.
Though the children were playing in the park, I thought of some place above in the sky.
Suddenly, I looked toward a large tree at the edge of the park――and froze up.

(Silver hair! The target’s!? Why? Have I been found!?)

I immediately averted my face, I became uneasy, that that behaviour would unnecessarily inculcate distrust in the other party.
Though up until now my proficiency at tailing has been sufficient, since I have clairvoyance, I’ve never had my tracks grasped.
……I’m fine.
But, if the children get caught up in this――!

(Though she’s not really a target, I can’t――let her live.)

I thought as such.

I quickly moved into action.
Thinking to do a preliminary investigation I thought to search the silver haired girl’s surroundings, with whatever intention she returned to that same park again that night.
――Have I, been exposed?
Does she intend to do something, to the children!

「――I don’t have a grudge but, I’ll grab the bud of my anxiety.」

While saying that, I placed an arrow.
With myself like that I ridiculed myself.
――Something like a grudge, I suppose no one has one, so.
I released the arrow.

――She received it.

What, is that?
No, I see how she saw through that.
The magic lightning counterattack came.
But, at this range shouldn’t it be impossible?
Once again, I strongly pulled the bow back.
Release.
Perhaps because her instincts were good, she evaded by throwing herself to the ground.
With that as it is, I don’t think she can endure indefinitely.
Being wary of magic I relocated slightly then readied my bow.
That was correct as, area magic lightning struck the location I’d been at a little before.
Again I pulled the bow.
Stronger.
Release.
This time as well――it was received.

「What, is that gold color……?」

This time, I definitely won’t let it be stopped.
I pulled the arrow back to the limit.
With this!
Releasing the arrow――――Even so, it was received.
Blood flowed from the mouth.
In an instant, the silver leaped into the air.
She could do that sort of thing as well could she.
Strong.
Though strong――an enemy.

「――The end.」

Quickly readying an arrow toward the silver coming toward me in a straight line, I released death.
――The silver girl, saw through the moment when this side released an arrow, and moved slightly in the air.
The arrow grazed her shoulder, and was swallowed by the night sky.

「……」

The next……won’t make it.
I lowered my bow.
The girl jumped in.

Aah with this――――I can rest.

Thinking that, I closed my eyes.

Far from my concious, I heard a voice calling over to here.
I vaguely opened my eyes.
――I’m alive?

「Please, keep it together!」
「Na……」

The silver girl used heal.
What?
What is this?
To take my back, I’ve been left alive?
She’ll take the children, hostage?
Such a thing――tsu!
At the point when I opened my mouth to bite off my tongue, the girl who didn’t overlook that thrust her arm in the way.
Thin, delicate arm.
An arm like that, I’ll bite it to shreds!

「Uaa…… Calm down, please!」

――Quickly, finish this!

「Tsu――Nee? You have, just now died. Is that no good? Hitman-san.」

Is there really a need to die?
That out of place calm smile, caused me to be taken aback.
I unintentionally released the arm I had bit.
Even so the silver girl didn’t do something like pull out her arm, I conveyed to her by waving my hand that I wouldn’t bite my tongue anymore.

「If you lie, I’ll become mad you know?」

Her manner of speech made me want to laugh.
With her arm thrust into mouth, I somehow nodded my head in reply.
The girl finally withdrew her arm.

「The children, don’t do anything to them. Please.」
「I promise, I won’t do such a thing.」

Lying――I think she seems like she’s not.
I looked at her with clairvoyance.
I looked over a bit of her status information.
……Half elf?
Seems like a complicated upbringing……in reverse to that extent, can I believe her?

「That so. I believe that. Then, finish me already.」

I closed my eyes.

「――Do you want to die that much?」
「――That, it seems so.」

Speaking honestly, I’m tired.

「……This is second hand goods from my precious people.」

She stretched my cheeks with her full strength.

「That life is, precious. Others and――also your own. Therefore, I won’t let you give up and die.」
「――To a surprising extent, that doesn’t hurt.」
「Eeh!?」

The girl looked at her hand doubtfully.
Blown away.
But……

「――It might have, worked.」

Leaking that voice the girl seemed extremely happy, she made a kind seeming face.

「Rana, I’m quitting my work.」

I announced that to the girl like a sister who I was raised together with since I was small.
I boldly announced that I wouldn’t work.
At that good for nothing announcement Rana――expressed a smile across her whole face, she nodded with tears floating in the corners of her eyes.

「Un, unn, I understand! Good work, thank you……And so for everything up until now, I’m sorry Aim!!」
「You’re like minister-sama, Rana.」

Showing grat.i.tude, then apologizing.
While stroking such a sister’s head, I looked up into the sky.

――Minister-sama, is this how it should be?

Though I don’t think I’ll be forgiven, at the least from now on I want to live for someone’s sake.

「For our sake, for everything up until now, thank you Aim.」
「……Ours? Has it become, for everyone?」
「Aim is always, like that aren’t you? Thus, sorry, thus, thank you are the only words I could say.」

I received those words.
Though I still understood that I couldn’t be helped.
I realized I’d been saved.
That day, since the time when minister-sama died――――my tears ran as if overflowing.