#yuber

Timestamp December 2018

p48 しかしビクトールは、ウィンディよりも彼女に従う男のほうが気になるようだった。 Viktor’s gaze, however, was arrested not by Windy, but by the man who stood beside her.

剣の柄に手を掛けて、彼は呟く。「ネクロード、こんなところに現れやがったか……」 His hand went to his sword. “So this is where that bastard Neclord is,” he breathed.

黒いマントを風になびかせた顔色の悪いその男こそ、ネクロードだった。 Neclord’s face was a pale, unhealthy color. His black cape fluttered in the wind.

だが彼を倒す武器をまだ手に入れてない今、ビクトールも手出しできなかった。 But since they had not yet obtained a weapon that could defeat Neclord, Victor’s hands were tied.

様々な思いで立ちつくす四人を押しのけ、老人が家から出る。 All four stood motionless, each wrapped in their own thoughts. The old man came out of his house and pushed past them.

「ウィンディ、わしらの村に何用だ？」 “What do you want with our village, Windy?”

老人はじっとウィンディを見据え、語気を強めて言った。 He said in a loud, strong voice that carried, looking directly at her.

だがウィンディは、あざけるような笑みを絶やさずに言い返す。「村長、あんたが素直に紋章を渡さないから、わざわざ出向いてあげたのさ。さあ、お前が持っているソウルイーターを私に渡すんだよ」 “My dear mayor,” Windy responded, that mocking smile still on her lips. “Since you refuse to just hand the rune over to us, I have come all this way to meet with you personally. Now, you will give the Soul Eater rune to me.”

ウィンディの言葉に、ティルはソウルイーターを受け取った時のテッドの言葉を思い出した。 Her words made Tir remember what Ted had told him when he gave him the rune.

苦しげに顔を歪めて、彼は言った。ウィンディは、前にもこの紋章を奪おうとしたことがある、と。 Windy almost snatched this rune away once before, he had said, grimacing in pain.

すると自分は今、その瞬間に立ち会っているのかー。 Am I standing here watching that very moment now?

「そんなものは知らん！！」老人がウィンディの前に歩み出る。 “I don’t know what that is!” The old man walked to stand in front of Windy.

「何と言われようと知らんものは知らんのだ！さあ、とっとと帰ってくれ！！」 “I have no idea what you’re talking about! Get out of my village!”

「ふん、隠したって無駄さ。あんたが私たちから逃れてこんな村を作ったってこと自体、紋章を持っている証拠じゃないかね」 “Hmph. There is no point in trying to hide it. The fact that you ran from us and started this village itself is proof that you have the rune.”

P49 ウィンディは言い終えるなり、腕を上げて指をぱちんと鳴らした。 She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

どこからか、風の鳴る音が響いたかと思うとーー。 First came a sound like the howling wind—

ドン！！ WHAM!

もの凄い地鳴りと共に、村に火の玉が降り注いだ。 The earth itself rumbled and balls of fire began to rain down on the village.

ティるたちが驚く間にも火の玉は一軒、二軒と村の家を潰し、紅蓮の炎を巻き上げた。 They stared in shock as the fireballs destroyed one house and then another, enveloped in crimson flames.

あっという間にに村は火の海になり、家々から悲叩をあげながら村人が飛び出してきた。 In moments, the village was awash in a sea of flames. The villagers screamed as they fled their burning homes.

目の前の惨劇に耐えかねて、ついにティルが叫ぶ。「みんな！！」 Unwilling to stand by and watch as this tragedy unfolded, Tir finally shouted, “Help the villagers!”

「わかった！！」 “Yes, sir!”

四人は村を走り回り、炎に逃げまどう人たちの救出にあたった。 All four leapt into the fray, helping the villagers escape the flames.

すでに遺体がいくつか道筋に転がっていたが、今は生存者を救い出すほうが先だった。 A number of corpses already littered the road; they focused on helping the survivors first.

衣服に移った炎を消し、混乱に陥った人々を安全な森へと誘導していった。 They put out those whose clothes had caught fire and led the panicked villagers to the relative safety of the forest.

炎と混乱に包まれる村に、再びウィンディの笑い声が響く。 Windy’s laugh rang out once again over the village wrapped in flames and chaos.

「おっはっはっほ！村長、あんたがわからず屋を言ってる間に、待たせていたユーバーが退屈したらしいねえ。私はともかく、彼を怒らせると大変なことになるよ。さあ、早く紋章をお渡し。さもないとこの村を全部焼き払うことになるよ！！」 “Ahahaha! While you were busy playing the fool, mayor, it appears Yuber got tired of waiting. He is not someone you want to anger. Hand the rune over to me at once. Otherwise we will burn your precious village till there is nothing left but ashes!”

Desde que comecei a trabalhar como motorista parceiro da Uber, tenho ouvido muitas e muitas histórias interessantes, de uma diversidade enorme de pessoas. Sorte a minha, já que amo dirigir e conversar.

Claro que cada pessoa, por mais passageira que seja, deixa uma marca na minha vida, uma experiência diferente.

Foi o que aconteceu numa noite fria, quando encostei o carro em frente a uma casa para buscar o Luan, que se despedia da namorada com um beijo e um abraço. Ele entrou no carro se sentou no banco ao meu lado e deixou escapar um suspiro profundo enquanto prendia o cinto de segurança.