Répliques

{color 5}《輝く環》の事件が 終結してからしばらく後――

{color 5}Some time had passed since the crisis involving the Aureole came to an end.

新たな人生へと旅立って行った 仲間たちの後を追うように――

One by one, many of those who fought to bring it to an end set off from the land of Liberl to begin new lives...

ここにまた１人の青年が、 リベールを離れようとしていた。

And today, yet another of their group was ready to leave the kingdom behind as well.

ま、まさか君が――

I-I can't believe that you...

――い、いや！　あなた様が オリヴァルト皇子であったとは。

I mean, my deepest apologies for not noticing that you were His Highness Prince Olivert sooner!

ご尊顔に拝する 機会がなかったとはいえ、 数々の無礼をお許しください。

While I may not have had the opportunity to see you in public before now, I realize that is no excuse... I do hope you will forgive my ignorance.

はっはっはっ。 そう恐縮しないでくれたまえ。

Haha. There's no need to be so apologetic, Ambassador.

それは身分をいつわった このボクに帰すべき罪であり 大使には何の責任もない。

If anyone deserves to be blamed here, it's me for falsifying my identity, and not you.

か、かたじけないお言葉――

I-I thank you for your mercy...

それにしても、ご身分を隠し 王国内をご遊行などとは……

Still, I can hardly believe that you went so far just to come here and enjoy yourself.

ご無事であったから良いものを 危うく国際問題となる所です。

It's just as well you came out of it all safely, or this could have become a major international incident.

いや、お恨みしますぞ――皇子。

I dread to think what would have happened to me in that case... You were really playing with fire this time, Your Highness.

フッ、しかしそのおかげで、 書物からでは決して得られぬ 生きた知恵を学ぶことができたわけさ。

Heh. Still, thanks to that, I was able to get the kind of firsthand knowledge about this country that no amount of books could have given me.

まあ、これからも折りに触れて ちょくちょく足を運ぶ予定だから、 その時にはよろしくお願いするよ。

Regardless, this won't be the last this country sees of me, so I hope I'll be able to count on you on future visits, too.

な、なんですと！？

Wh-What?!

どうせなら一緒に 温泉にでも繰り出そうじゃないか。

Perhaps next time I could even involve you more directly in the proceedings. What say you to a little hot springs trip together?

フッ、共和国のエルザ大使を お誘いするのも悪くはないねえ……

Heh. We could even invite Ambassador Cochrane to join us.

お、皇子……

Y-Your Highness...

ゴホン、大使……

*cough* Ambassador, if I may...

いちいち真に受けていたら 日が暮れてしまいますよ。

Please don't take every one of his worthless jokes at face value, or this meeting will take the rest of the day.

それより、先ほどお願いした 我々の帰国についてですが。

I think it would be best to get right to the point and discuss the request regarding our return home that we made earlier.

あ、ああ…… すぐに飛行艇を手配しよう。

Y-Yes, of course... I'll arrange an airship at once.

外交官用の高速艇なら 明日には用意できると思う。

I should be able to have one of the high-speed airships for diplomats arranged for tomorrow.

フッ、感謝するよ。

Heh. You have our thanks.

いえ、皇子のお役に立つことは むしろ私の喜びとするところです。

It's an honor to be able to do anything to help you, Your Highness.

しかも、折しも国境で あのような緊張が高まった直後……

Besides, I think you're right that in these times, returning on a military airship would be an unwise move...

皇子の仰る通り、 ここは軍用艇を用いない方が 懸命かも知れませんからな……

Especially with how tense the situation at the border is...

と、大使は言っていたが……

So, regarding what the ambassador said...

本当のところ…… 何を警戒しているんだ？

What exactly is it that you're on the alert for?

フフ、不慮の事故の可能性を 前もって排除しておいたまでさ。

Heh. I just want to avoid the possibility of any unfortunate accidents.

今回のボクの行動で 帝国軍主戦派の面目は丸つぶれだ。

What I did will have caused the hawk faction in the Empire to completely lose face.

彼らの掌中にあっては 何を仕掛けて来ても不思議はない。

There's just no telling what they'll choose to do.

事故にみせかけた謀殺――

In other words...

それもあり得るというわけか。

You think there's a possibility that there may be an attempt on your life disguised as an accident?

あの辛抱強い宰相殿が、 そこまで短気とも思えないがね。

My instinct is that the chancellor is far too patient a man to try doing something so rash.

だが、もしボクが彼の立場なら この機会を利用するかも知れない。

Still, if I was in his position, I can't deny the possibility I may try to use this opportunity.

――ふと、そう思ったわけさ。

Once that thought occurred to me, no precaution seemed too great, I suppose.

……………………………

...

......

俺の所属する第７師団は お前の味方だ……

The 7th Armored Division I serve is your ally, as you well know.

有事の際にはすぐさま 行動を起こす用意はできている。

If anything were to happen, they would be right there for you.

それは頼もしいかぎりだが……

Well, that's certainly reassuring to know...

しかし、我が友よ…… ここで下手に動いては 敵の思うつぼというものさ。

But as I'm sure you know, acting rashly in the current situation is just what our enemy would want us to do.

街角のケンカだって 先に刃物を出した方が悪い。

It's similar to street fights in a sense -- the first one to draw their weapon is the one in the wrong.

ボクが実力部隊に泣きついたら 反乱謀議そのものだからねえ。

If I decide to rely on brute force, they'll have every reason to decry me as a rebellious traitor.

そうだな……

I suppose you're right...

自衛のための根回しが過ぎて、 かえって追い込まれんとも限らん。

Sometimes trying too hard to defend yourself can end up cornering you instead.

何もしないことが、 最高の自衛という場合もあるか。

Perhaps sometimes the best method of self-defense is to do nothing at all.

フッ、まさにその通りだよ。

Heh. Indeed.

こちらの方針が判らなければ 敵だって対処のしようがない。

As long as our enemy doesn't know what we plan to do, they can't do anything to counter it, either.

まずは帝都に帰還し、 リベールで見た事件の真相を 皇帝陛下にご奏上する……

First, we need to return to Heimdallr and tell His Majesty the truth of all that happened here.

その後の策は 出方を見てからとしよう。

We can decide what we're going to after seeing what kind of a reaction we get.