Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Chapter 86

The night progressed.
Obtaining slightly calmer temperatures with the season, this is a place of repose since it's within the bed.
I'm bad with pitch darkness.
In my own irreplaceable room, a magic crystal is giving off a dim light.
But there's something different from normal.

「……Please pardon me, Eclair……munya.」
「You don't need to apologize even in your dreams, mou.」

Since the silver girl sleeping next to her had started sleeping she'd occasionally apologize in this manner.
She came to meet me with a flushed look so, I became surprised.
But what drives me mad is that woman.
There's a distinct and eye catching mark on Alice's porcelain like smooth white skin.
I tried lightly reproducing those traces left on the nape of her neck with my finger.

「Nn……」

Alice moved her body like she was ticklish but, she was sleeping well and there were no signs of her waking up.

「……Leaving a mark so as to show this to me. She intends to provoke me, doesn't she?」

I absolutely won't forgive her, that wooman!
Thinking such a thing, I'm completely unable to fall asleep.
Since I'm completely completely unable to fall asleep!

「Since on that note you also, let your guard down too much or such don't you?」

The anger I had taken control over once came bubbling back up.
I understand that, you, idiot Alice!

「……Heal.」

I touched the nape of her neck with magic and, cleanly wiped away the mark.

「Please at least, keep you personal appearance in order okay……idiot.」

I stabbed her forehead lightly.
As always for how she makes that sort of captivating appearance, she's full of openings.
What is this unbalance?
Making a bitter smile, I turned my gaze from Alice as she slept while seeming happy to the ceiling.
I wonder how long it has been, since I wasn't alone, and――――

I have held a demon eye since birth.
My mother gave birth to me, and soon died.
I heard that she was a person with a weak body to begin with but, probably, I can imagine how this demon eye could have effected her.
That's why I am――parricide.
Sacrament princ.i.p.ality, first royal daughter.
Parricidal demon eye holder.
That is my t.i.tle.
But, that sort of thing is not once officially announced to the world.

「It's the crimson unwanted child-sama.」
「Ooh, scary scary.」

Pa.s.sing by knights or civil officials in the castle, I came to hear their scorn at a tiring frequency.
They didn't even pretend to take the att.i.tude for facing a royal daughter but, there was a reason they called me 『Unwanted Child』 and despised me.
Because it's said that in history from long ago, a person of this country who held the same sort of demon eye betrayed the n.o.bility, and drove the family into a corner.
Since then, demon eye holders have been detested in this country.
It is a taboo.
Enough that if I act carelessly I could be executed just from having truth known.
To speak of that point, I'm still being protected by my position.
……To begin with, something like a demon eye holder still wouldn't be something to be welcomed or such even if it wasn't this country though.
In any case, it's certain that I couldn't pa.s.s my time as a young girl properly.
Because of such a thing, it didn't take all that long before I felt like I'd come to hate other people.
My self from that period, saw everything around me as an enemy.
If everything reflected in my eyes were to be burned away, just how simple would being in this world become.
An ephemeral, child's rash blind action.
Taking off the necklace my father had told me to absolutely never remove, I 『Saw』 that person pa.s.sing off a joke.

――In a moment, the world was dyed crimson.

Originally, something like a child returning a grudge isn't a major incident.
But to me that is――――It was something major.
When I came to, the necklace was placed on my neck and I had fallen to my knees in the castle's courtyard.
I was dazed.
I still felt like I was in a trance, the truth before my eyes was hammered into me.
Within the influence of a fire that wasn't growing weaker…………two unidentifiable objects that had turned to ash were scattered before me.

「A――A, AA―――」

I don't remember what came after that well.

――As punishment, it came to be that I was brought to the battlefield at an age where I hadn't reached 10.

During that time the princ.i.p.ality was in a war with the land to its east.
Sacrament is a country made by demons.
The ruling n.o.bility are all demons.
Of course if you look at the ratios the humans are greater in number but, it's built on that sort of foundation.
That's normal in just this country but, the race called 『Demons』 are despised by many.
Perhaps they didn't think well of this country's systems, or perhaps that was simply a pretext and they really had political reasons, the eastern theocracy came to attack into it while raising the untrustworthy slogan called a crusade.
The battlefield was a wasteland of whirling dust.
In such a battlefield, all I saw was a body clad in elegant crimson equipment, I was brought to the furthest forward line.
Looking at it from the enemy's perspective, I'm nothing but an enemy to be cut down, I suppose I was nothing but a target.
That was the intent of the princ.i.p.ality.
As they couldn't execute me due to my position, they had to get rid of the problem in a plausible manner.
I'm not afraid――I shouldn't have that sort of empty bravery.
Drinking in the battlefield's air, I was in a state where I couldn't even walk.

「Are you trembling in excitement, princess Eclair.」

The voice that came from on horseback was, from an old man with red hair that had mostly turned white.
Of all things, supreme commander Cliff Steard advanced his horse all the way to my side on the furthest forward line.
Baronial house Steard.
Even though Cliff is the head of that family he's a strange person.
A person for whom such rumors circulate.
Though he's a personage with enough vigor to command from the frontlines, the wrinkles carved into his face are deep.
To be sure he should have lived for several hundred years by now.

「I, I am, not scared!」
「Hohho, that's why, I said as such.」

At the relief I was given by that voice, I reflexively displayed my empty bravery.
As such Cliff looked at me with a smile fitting a cheerful old man.
While I was surprised that he would still put on such a display.

「If this is your first battle, just feeling this air is fine isn't it?」

I shook my head at Cliff as he gave me a kind smile.

「Tha, that's wrong……wrong……」

That isn't something that would be accepted by the country.
I will――die henceforth.
That's what is desired of me.
What was never desired, was that I was born.

「Fuumu……The battlefield is, not a place that a child should be sent to iss it. The adults and the country who made that happen, are foolish.」

A person with a position was judging his country but, strangely, the soldiers watching over the surrounding events weren't surprised.
Aah, this again is it.
I think they watched our affairs with such an impression.
Without minding such a thing much at all, Cliff descended from his horse and placed his hand on my head.

「Princess Eclair……No, Eclair. Your body pa.s.sed away on the battlefield, how does that sort of thing sound?」
「……Eh?」

Cliff faced me with a mischievous face, almost like a boy setting up a prank.

「Hohho, and from this day you will, be just Eclair.」
「……Just, Eclair?」
「That is so, if you don't like that……How about something like, Eclair Steard?」

That was, how I and Cliff met.

The baronial house Steard is on one part of the princ.i.p.ality's eastern border territory, a n.o.ble family entrusted with a truly small domain.
It seems that he was known as a strange person but, I couldn't see anything particularly strange about him as a person.
Only, he was certainly a little strange given that he was a n.o.ble with many matters of his own safety to consider.
The day I first met him for example.
That he sheltered the troublesome person that was me on the battlefield and, boldly gave the country a false report.
His manner of action while holding me on the furthest forward line went beyond being admirable to being astonis.h.i.+ng.
One episode in his territory for example.
How, he became covered in sweat tilling the fields while chatting lightheartedly, alongside the people of his territory.
I had never seen a n.o.ble that farmwork suited so well.
At another time, he chased around the top standing prey after he said he was going out to hunt in the mountains with a hunter.
Despite having such easygoing and vigorous aspects, he likes flowers.
This person has probably, forgotten that he's an adult.
But I quickly came to love that strange being Cliff.

「Cliff! I finished it!」

Having become someone who died on the battlefield I, entrusted my body to the Steard family during that time.
On such a day, I was doing work in the mansion's yard with my hands covered in dirt.
Cliff looked after the flowers in his yard well but, he complained that he wished he could have a little bigger flower garden.
So building it from brick, tilling the earth, I prepared a quickly a.s.sembled flower garden myself.
It was something that would be fine to leave to the gardener but, regardless of anything, I wanted to make it with my own hands.

「Ooh, it's wonderful! Do you intend to drive this old to death from happiness!?」

As planned, Cliff rejoiced flamboyantly.
Since his face became pure red like an excited child, it was enough to make me also enjoy it by looking at him.

「Fufun, since if I take on this much, it's nothing at all!」

It was more important than anything that it made Cliff happy so, it became my specialty without me intending it.
Looking at me as such, Cliff became narrow eyed.

「But you've become covered in dirt riight, this old man shall offer to wash your back in the bath.」
「I don't want to! Cliff you idiot! Ecchi!!」
「Mu, muu……such an intent is to this old man」
「Fun.」
「I see, you've already reached that age then……I seee.」
「?」

Somehow sadly, seeming deeply moved, Cliff gazed at me.
As if he was seeing someone else who was not me layered upon me.

「……But well, I could at least grant you permission to stroke my head? It'd be pitiable otherwise so, it can't be helped you see!」
「Hohho, that is an honor.」

While laughing, he stroked my head with his coa.r.s.e hand.
Granddaughter and beloved grandpa.
Our relations.h.i.+p was that sort of thing.
This, competes within my memory over whether it's the most or second most eudemonic time.
That this livelihood would continue forever, so I felt.
That this happiness would continue forever――――

「――Eh?」

This is, a letter I found in Cliff's room when I snuck in with a mischievous heart.
In the desk drawer that I opened after losing against my curiosity, there was a ton of similar letters inside.
The emblem is star and wolf……Sacrament's.
Fearfully fearfully, I took one which had been put on top of the desk.
What was written there was, content of the sort that made me doubt my eyes.

「What is……this……?」

In the letter, there is that the eastern theocracy came to invade.
The princ.i.p.ality's strict command was, something like cut through that forward position.
That, until reinforcements arrive, Steard must hold out alone.

「……Why, is it so quiet today, why?」

I noticed it, for the first time then.
The lively sounds outside the mansion from the territory's people's daily life were too quiet.
The number of chamberlains was also too low.
Furthermore, a few days ago Cliff said he had to set out to do some work and vanished……

「――tsu」

With an impatient feeling like my heart was being gripped by an eagle, I jumped out of the room.
Recently, the soldiers gathered here while saying they were doing exercises.
Training for when the need arises is important isn't it, I cursed my own idiocy for saying such a carefree thing.

――The time right now, is when that need arose!

As such I left the mansion as if I were tumbling.
Running around the territory, I realized anew that the territory's people were clearly few in number.
Those who could take refuge were taking refuge.
Beyond my position, I didn't notice since I didn't leave the manor often.
Having run around enough that I was covered in sweat, I remembered a familiar minister-sama and flew into the church.
Within the church, I finally saw the forms of a great number of the territory's people.
The majority were women, children and old men.

「Minister-sama, everyone!」

With a surprised face with deep wrinkles like Cliff's, the minister-sama came trotting over to me.

「Eclair-sama, you must not leave the mansion!」
「Why is he doing something like fighting, even though it's making everyone afraid! Minister-sama as well, if Cliff isn't stopped then!」
「It cannot be helped, he has a duty to answer the princ.i.p.ality's demand. A heavy punishment will be imposed if he continues to ignore that, so we have no path in which we can survive……」

In the church, everyone prayed wholeheartedly for husbands, for lovers, for sons who had been sent to the battlefield.
They shouldn't reach their hand out all the way to the town or the church but, given just that they'd invaded this far in, the one who these people offer their prayers to is……

「I will, go stop them!」

Ignoring the minister-sama's voice of inhibition, I flew out of the church.
Before the battle begins, I will convince Cliff.
From there, I will also convince the princ.i.p.ality.
I will finally stop running and hiding.
Having returned to the mansion I ignored the chamberlains inhibitions and, I left the town while urging on my horse.
I somehow heard from the chamberlains that the battlefield wasn't all that distant.
And so in a region of continuous hills――I finally reached the edge of the battlefield.

――To start by saying the conclusion, I wasn't able to arrive in time.

It was already a depiction of h.e.l.l.
What caught my eye first was, the dead body of an ojisan who often picked delicious vegetables.
Besides him there was a good natured ojisan who did tailoring.
The eccentric ojisan who did blacksmithing……
The dead bodies of house Steard's soldiers and their territory's people stood out to an overwhelming extent.
That's obvious……with only the soldiers in this frontier territory, that they would fight the theocracy's army is……!

「……You must not, Eclair-sama……Hurry, you must escape.」
「Ojisan!」

While I had been thinking that they were all dead bodies, a flower seller ojisan who still seemed to have his eyes shut even now called out to me.
I knew the flower seller well since he frequently came and went from the mansion.
I rushedly descended from my horse and ran over to him.

「Ah aah……Keep it together, please keep it together!」

The flower seller had a wife, in the church……
How should I word it when I report this to her……
Perhaps I am cursed.
Perhaps I really am, an 『Unwanted Child』.
Perhaps I bring ill fortune……

「……Haave I properly protected, the town and, the country as well?」
「You protected it. That you protected is, decided right!」
「I seee, I really, wish I could meeet my wif……」
「――」

Saying only that, the flower seller's breath was taken away without time for heal to be used.
……After I closed his eyes for him, I turned my eyes toward the center of the battlefield filled with shouts.
As the violence struck my eyes, I stood up.
My legs became unable to move, as they always had.
Even so, my heart that wanted to protect won out.
I forced back my fear and, ran toward the battlefield.
The people who live in this remote region are mostly demons.
Their magic power is strong by nature, that magic power also crystallizes physically into something like a horn or a fang, their appearances have special characteristics depending on the person.
In my case, it's the 『Demon Eye』……
And so naturally Cliff is also a demon.
I really don't think that, the theocracy will offer mercy to him.

――And so finally, I arrived at the location 『That Was』 the central section of the battlefield.

There was already, no battle there.
What was there were confused and fleeing Steard soldiers being chased about by pursuing forces.
It was a ma.s.sacre.
Soldiers throwing away their weapons, turning their backs, or sometimes begging for forgiveness, and the indifferent soldiers of the theocracy.
Indifferently and indifferently and indifferently again, they continued cutting them to death.
The Steard were, a moment from annihilation.
The scenery was too much, my anger broke out of my body.

「――Turn, to flaaaaamme!!」

I haphazardly burned away, the enemy soldiers who caught my eyes.
Maybe I stood out too much, as such the revenant like enemy soldiers rushed at me.
……I felt like that also, was fine either way.
It means I can take even one more person with me.
Remembering back to the flower selling ojisan, I resolved as such.
The rus.h.i.+ng enemy soldiers.
I who seemed like she would be crushed by their ma.s.sive quant.i.ty, was saved by a flame attack from their flank.
Turning toward that, the person I wanted to meet the most was there.

「Cliff!!」
「Coming all the way to this sort of place, you're quite the troublesome granddaughter.」

Even with a face covered in injuries, Cliff faced me with a smile like a beloved grandpa.

「Cliff! Let's retreat already!? This, isn't a fight anymore! Already……?」

Approaching me, Cliff's body wavered……and then I saw ma.s.sive amount of blood on my hands.

――Eh?

I?
I'm, injured?
My gaze is wandering.
My expression froze at a bad premonition.
I slowly lowered my gaze, from Cliff's face that expressed a smile like always.
There's an arrow stabbed in, breaking through the armor on his back, it sprouted from his body to an extent that I thought I'd misread it.
The amount of blood dripping out is――

「Ah, eh――?」

My comprehension, couldn't keep up.
As I was left dazed the enemy soldiers coming to cut me down from behind were, defeated by Cliff's magic again.

「I won't be pulling back, they would continue like this and come to burn the town away. What, until reinforcements come from the homeland, I will stand firm one last time.」

I'm going for a short walk.
Cliff laughed out such a light statement.
Arrows flew at us, from every direction.
Those were, all received by the man carrying me in his embrace, by Cliff's back.
Huh……?
This is strange isn't it, humans, even if they're stabbed this much, are they still okay?
Even if this much blood comes out……?

「I, am……Eclair……rosary……」

The blood dripping from Cliff's mouth struck my face, and I saw that.

――The necklace was, pulled to shreds.

I might have thought that I wanted to disappear already.
Or maybe I thought that if I depended on the demon eye, something might come if it.
I can't remember what I was feeling at that time.
A moment later, I was swallowed by a crimson world.
When it seemed like my conscious was going to dissipate away, I heard a voice.

――Here, please look here.

I recognized those words, at the edge of the faint traces of my conscious.
Guided by that voice, I looked at her.

『Good day, lovely ojousan.』

There was, a beautiful elf with silver hair and silver eyes.

『Be firm, your name is?』
「Name――Ecl,air?」
『Eclair?』
「……Eclair.」

As her voice checked, I nodded while feeling that that was so.

『Right, then you must not forget that. Please think strongly, I am Eclair.』

The silver elf, called out to me as if she was instructing me.
Even as I was losing sight of who I was, Eclair, Eclair, she kept calling out to me.

「I am――Eclair?」
『That's right, Eclair. Don't be imprisoned by something like past sight. You are yourself. Impurity is no good, losing sight of yourself is no good. Eclair is Eclair you know.』

Confirming that name, that was a ritual to confirm my self.
Strangely, I noticed that I had vaguely grasped my self that had seemed like it would melt away.

「Eclair is, Eclair……You are?」
『Me? I am……Right, people gather a sense of reverence and, call me Demonic Flame! Since in any case as a great magician……I used to be.』
「Demonic Flame……」

Saying that Demonic Flame, stroked my――Eclair's head.
From there, I think that I talked about various things within my conscious.
But regardless of what's said about past sight, this sort of thing was possible because it was this person.
I closed my eyes as I was invited by slumber and, beseeched Demonic Flame like a prayer.
That girl replied to such an Eclair by, giving her a sad seeming smile.

『It has been entrusted to me.』

she said as such with a kind voice.

The next time I came to, I was surrounded by Sacrament's vast army.
At some point the demon eye sealing necklace that should have been shredded was placed on my neck.

「Eclair, is it.」
「……Leoneil?」

It was my unlikeable ani with an unconcerned face.
As I gazed upward a recognizable face obstructed my view of the sky, he stood like he was looking down on me.
It somehow seems like I'm still laying in rest.

「……Come back, Eclair. That power, should be used for the princ.i.p.ality shouldn't it.」
「It's a fearsome magic power isn't it, Leoneil might also die.」

Right beside me, stood a small statured girl with silver hair and red eyes.

「……What, what, happened?」
「If you're asking about the theocracy's soldiers they've retreated. I suppose that they sensed that we would arrive, they were quick to escape.」
「Before this side arrived, it seems like they took considerable losses though.」

The small girl looked at Eclair while seeming deeply interested.

「……? Cliff, Cliff?」

Saying that, I had continued to embrace Cliff since I fell asleep.

「Cliff?」

Even if I called out to him, even when I shook him no reaction came.

「……To the hero who protected the country from the menace of the theocracy using a small force, salute!」

At Leoneil's words, the surrounding soldiers of the princ.i.p.ality saluted.

「――」

I, understood.

「What, is……a, hero.」

The tears, overflowed.

「Because, you didn't come swiftly eeennnooouuugh!!!!」

That wail pointlessly, truly pointlessly echoed through the remains of the battlefield――

「――tsu, u.」

At some point, it seems like I fell asleep.
My pulse was fierce, my body was stiff.
――My tears, wouldn't stop.
There was a warmth that enveloped, such an Eclair.

「Alice……」
「Hai.」
「Aliice.」
「Haai.」

Without asking anything, Alice just embraced Eclair, and stroked her hair.
As Eclair endlessly continued to cry, Alice always stayed with her.

――Aah, Alice is surely strong enough to protect someone.

That wasn't to say that she's strong in battle.
That felt slightly frustrating.
That I felt that frustration made me, relieved.
Because that is, the proof that I still haven't admitted defeat within my heart after all.
Though I can't do anything about the past, I won't waste, this life that you protected for me.
……Cliff, I will surely become strong.
Because I'll become stronger and, so that I can protect someone, I'll show that I can become your prided granddaughter.

「Alice……」
「What is it?」
「……Because I won't lose okaay!」
「Eeh!?」

My rivalry suddenly flared up and, Alice became amusing as her eyes filled with surprise.

――Really, that was adorable.

「To, today only, I'll pamper you, Alice. But don't misunderstand okay!」
「Cu～te, Eclair.」
「I, idiott!」
「Nfufuu.」

She's a really worrisome rival――――