「너희의 길은 피로 물들었다…… 앞으로의 인생도 분명 그렇겠지…… 죽고 죽이고, 지배하고 지배당하고…… 그 끝에서, 나와 같아질 거다… 큭큭큭큭큭」
「아니, 나-와 스-는 이제 “도구”도 아니고 누군가를 “도구”로 만들 생각도 없어. 그리고」
「사람을 죽이는 건 당신으로 끝이야」
「「잘 가」」
――――
――
칼바드 공화국의 변방에서 한 대의 마차가 천천히 달린다.
열차를 제외하면 육지에서는 주로 도력차로 이동하는 요즘 시대에 드문 광경이긴 하지만 가끔은 운치가 있어 좋다.
마부는 어린 소년, 그리고 마차 안에는 동년배 소녀가 뒹굴고 있었다.
「그러고 보니 그 “관리인”은 대체 어디 출신일까」
가면 아래의 얼굴이 의외로 미남이었던 것을 떠올리며 소년은 중얼거렸다.
「소문 정도는 들은 적 있어～」
너무나도 의욕 없는 졸음 어린 목소리로 소녀가 대답했다.
「어디？」
「그러니까……」
소녀의 이야기를 요약하면 대체로 이렇다.
어느 작은 나라에 대단히 난폭한 임금님이 있었다. 폭군으로 군림하며 악정을 펼쳐 백성들로부터 두려움을 샀다.
어느 날, 임금님이 죽고 그 아들인 왕자가 즉위했다.
왕자, 아니, 새 왕은 대단히 상냥한 사람으로, 부친의 과오를 반복하지 않도록 좋은 정치를 하려 했다.
하지만 두려움을 사지 않았던 탓인지, 아무도 그의 말을 들으려 하지 않았다.
심지어 폭군이 살아 있던 시절에는 아무도 불평하지 않았지만 선왕이 죽은 뒤 불만이 커지면서 혁명이 일어났다.
혁명군은 왕궁을 함락시키고, 새 왕에게 악정의 책임을 묻고 나라를 공화제로 개편했다.
그리고 상냥한 새 왕은 목숨만을 건져, 모든 것을 잃고 나라에서 쫓겨났다.
이것으로 끝.
「즉 그 왕자가 “관리인”이라고？」
「몰라～ 애초에 그런 나라가 있는지 없는지도 모르고～」
마차의 흔들림에 소녀는 마차 안에서 데굴데굴 굴러다녔다.
「관대함 때문에 나라를 제대로 관리하지 못했던 반동으로 강한 지배욕에 사로잡혔다……거나？ 아니… 그만두자……」
동정할 생각은 전혀 없지만 비참한 남자라고 소년은 생각했다.
「저기…」
「왜～？」
소녀의 느긋한 목소리와는 달리 소년의 어조는 진지해졌다.
「네 오빠 일 말인데…… 너는 날 용서할 수 있어？」
「용서 안 해」
의외지만 납득한 듯 보이는 표정으로 소년은 침묵했다.
「평생 용서 안 해. 내 단 하나뿐인 가족, 너무너무 소중한 오빠였으니까. 그러니까……」
거기서 한번 말을 끊고, 소녀는 얼굴을 붉히며 큰 목소리로 말을 이었다.
「그러니까 책임지고 나-를 돌봐！ 평생 나- 곁에 있어！！」
「그래, 책임은 확실하게 질게. 평생 널 돌볼게」
소녀는 한순간 하늘로 날아오를 것 같았다. 하지만――
「앞으로 내가 그 녀석을 대신해서 네 오빠로서 널 훌륭하게 키울게」
예상과는 다른 말이 돌아와서 소녀는 울컥했다.
「그거 아니야！！！！」
「뭐가 아닌데？ 그런데 낡은 마차니까 그렇게 막 움직이지 마」
소년의 물음에는 대답하지 않고 납득할 수는 없지만 어쨌든 지금은 됐다고 생각한 소녀는 다시 마차 안에서 뒹굴었다.
그리고 화제가 다시 바뀌었다.
「이제부터 어떻게 하면 좋을까……」
일단은 당초 예정대로 리벨이나 레만으로 갈 생각이지만 그 다음은 아직 생각하지 않았다.
앞으로 “조직”의 추격자들이 잔뜩 따라올지도 모르지만 둘이서라면 어떻게든 될 것 같다. 그렇기에 지금 생각하는 것은 그런 것이 아닌, 미래의 일이다.
「어쨌든…… 뭔가 일을 해야 하는데」
「어떤 일？」
「가지고 있는 스킬을 활용할 방법이라면…… 극단에서 일하는 건 어때？」
「뭐어～？ 무리야～ 스-는 연기 못하잖아」
「그렇게 심하지는 않아, 평범한 연극이라면……」
조금 의기소침해졌던 소년은 갑자기 생각났다는 듯,
「그럼 유격사는 어때？」
「뭐어～？ 무리야～ 엄청 바쁘다고 들었는데？ 과로사하면？」
애초에 유격사 협회가 자신들처럼 사연 있는 자들을 받아들여줄지도 문제고. 나쁘지 않은 아이디어라고는 생각하지만.
「그럼 넌 대체 뭘 하고 싶은데？」
「나-는 그냥 매일 뒹굴거리면서 자고 싶어～」
「정말이지 얘는……」
저도 모르게 한숨이 나온다.
「아, 그러고 보니 아직 못 들었던가」
소년은 갑자기 무언가를 떠올렸다.
「뭔데～？」
「이름. 진짜 이름을 아직 못 들었다는 걸 방금 깨달았어」
「나- 이름은 나디아」
「나는 스윈」
「「…………」」
「뭐라 해야 하나, 엄청난 우연이네」
애초에 소녀는 여러 해 전부터 편지로 소년의 이름을 알고 있었다. 그래서 계속 호칭에 집착한 것이었다. “도구”로서의 이름이 아닌, 진짜 이름에서 따온 애칭으로. 이 이야기를 소년에게 할 생각은 없지만.
「역시 스-는 스-고 나-는 나-야～」
「그러네」
그렇게 매듭지었다.
흔들리는 마차가 천천히 먼 곳을 향해 달리고 안에서는 끝도 없이 시시한 대화가 계속되고 있었다.
소년의 이름은 스윈, 스-.
소녀의 이름은 나디아, 나-.
둘은 이제 막 “인간”이 된, 여행자이다.
FIN
Chapter 10 - S & N
The Emperor had fallen to his knees, Three's sword protruding from his chest. He looked up at the sky and gave a dry, bitter laugh.
'Found some humor in your end, have you?' asked Three.
'To think you two would best me,' the Emperor said, his voice weak, 'Heh... I admit it. I underestimated you. You are, by far, the most powerful tools I've ever had the pleasure of owning.'
'Enough! We're not your tools any longer!' Three said, gripping his sword, preparing himself to silence the Emperor forever.
So, he thought to himself, the moment to kill had come yet again. The thing he hated most. The thing he would never grow accustomed to. Things were different this time, given that the man who stole away his humanity in the first place now sat at the end of his sword. But that didn't stop Three's hand from trembling.
'S...' Nine said gently, moving closer. 'We'll do it together, okay?'
Her typically light and relaxed expression was now serious and sincere.
'...Okay,' Three responded.
This was it. The moment where the two would put their tragic past to rest. Nine placed her hands on Three's, steadying his weapon. Her warmth abated his trembling ever so slightly. They moved to raise the sword together. In response, the Emperor spoke once more.
'Every arge of your path thus far has been stained with blood, just as the rest of your lives shall be. Your fates are immutable. Kill or be killed... Control or be controlled... You will end up no different than I. We will ever be one and the same.'
'You're wrong,' said Nine, 'We're no longer anyone's tools, and we'll never force anyone to be ours.'
'After this, we're done,' said Three, 'You're the last person we're ever going to kill.'
The two took a deep breath and spoke in unison.
'Farewell.'
◇
Off in some far-flung region of Calvard, a horse-drawn carriage plodded along. Aside from trains, most terrestrial transportation had long since switched to orbal cars, so such an old-fashioned mode of travel was a rare sight to see. The more rustic method did have its certain undeniable charm, however.
A boy drove the carriage, while a young girl of about the same age lazed about within.
'It makes you wonder how he got that way,' the boy said, thinking back to the Emperor's face--the one that had been obscured by both cloak and helmet. His appearance had been a poor fit for his monstrous behavior. If anything, he had been rather handsome.
'Well, if you don't mind rumors and hearsay, I might have an answer or two for you.'
The girl's response came from within the carriage, delivered in her usual sleepy drawl.
'I'm listening.'
'Well...'
The girl's story went something like this.
In a small country in some corner of the world, there once lived a vile, oppressive king. His reign was tyrannical, his rule evil, and his people lived in fear. One day, he died, and his son, the crown prince, was enthroned. The prince--this new king--was, at his core, a kind and gentle soul who strove to govern in a fair and just manner. He was determined to avoid his father's errors. But perhaps because they were too accustomed to fear, no one met this new king's ideas with an open mind. Free assembly and speech had already been brutally suppressed during his father's reign, and the people's rage had already reached a boiling point. Violent voices grew louder and louder, eventually resulting in a revolution.
The revolutionary army launched an assault on the royal palace and forcibly converted the country into a republic, holding the new king accountable for his father's sins. Suddenly finding his life at risk, he had no choice but to flee, leaving behind his country and his entire way of life.
'You're telling me this prince eventually became the Overseer?' the boy asked, his brow wrinkling in thought as he turned the story over in his head.
'Who can say?' shrugged the girl, 'I don't know if a kingdom like that even existed in the first place.'
The girl rolled over to continue dozing as the carriage bumped and bounded its way along the road.
'Assuming this is more fact than fiction, then what?' the boy asked, 'He was too kind and lost control of his kingdom, so he developed a powerful desire to control others? It's hard to believe...'
The boy trailed off. He had no intention of giving the Overseer even a shred of sympathy, but strangely enough, he did find himself feeling a little pity for the man.
The boy and girl fell silent for a few moments, the only sounds that could be heard were the clopping of the horse's hooves and the creaking of the carriage.
'Um...'
The boy broke the silence.
'What is it?' The girl raised her head from her nap. Her voice remained as relaxed as ever, but the boy's tone suddenly grew tense.
'Is there any chance you could...ever forgive me? For what I did--for what happened between me and your brother?'
'No.'
The girl's response was swift and blunt.
The boy fell silent. He had no right to scorn her answer.
'Never,' she continued, 'Because he was my brother, and I loved him. He was the only real family I ever had. So...'
'So...?'
The girl paused for a moment. Her cheeks flushed red and then she continued in a much louder voice.
'So if you want me to forgive you, you can't ever leave me! We need to stick together, through thick and thin! You and me! N and S!'
The boy smiled, his fear a moment ago having left him.
'Of course! We'll always be there for each other. I'll have your back and you'll have mine.'
The girl could barely contain the emotions swelling in her chest at this point. Unfortunately for her, the boy continued talking.
'I'll do my best to fill his shoes from now on. And that includes making sure you get the education you need to grow into the best person you can be.'
This was, in fact, not the answer the girl had been looking for.
'I'm not talking about education!' she exclaimed as she started violently shaking the carriage in frustration.
'But what could be more important? Hey, calm down! This thing can't take too much abuse. It's rickety enough as it is! If you make it fall apart, we'll have to walk the rest of the way.'
The girl settled back down, still not fully satisfied with his response, but resolved to leave things be for the moment.
The topic changed again.
'So, any ideas?'
For the time being, their plan was to head to Liberl or Leman, just as the boy had initially planned. But where to from there? They had yet to give it much thought. They knew they would be pursued by any number of people from the Organization. Despite this, the two knew that as long as they stuck together, they'd find a way to manage.
For the moment, they reveled in the idea of an unknown future--a new path to tread that was all their own.
'In any case, we'll need to find some kind of work,' the boy said.
'Anything in mind?'
'Well,' he mused, a confident smile growing on his face, 'when we consider our skill set, how about something in theater?'
'Not on your life,' the girl swiftly retorted. 'Think about it, S. You're a TERRIBLE actor.'
'Hey! I'm not that bad! And I'm sure a play would be way less pressure than an assassination mission...'
A tad deflated, the boy sank back into his seat, but then threw out another idea--one somewhat more plausible than the last.
'I know! How about we become bracers?'
'No way.' The girl rejected the idea again, but with a bit less bite than before. 'I've heard they get super busy. No sense escaping one grave just to work yourself into another.'
There was also the question hanging in the air over whether the Bracer Guild would even consider taking on people with the duo's...unique background. All things considered, however, it wasn't the most outlandish idea.
'Fine, fine. What's your bright idea, then?'
'Me?' the girl yawned, 'All I want to do is lay around in bed every day. Just sleep, sleep, sleep.'
'You're ridiculous,' the boy sighed.
His face then lit up suddenly as he remembered something.
'Oh, right!'
'Hm? What is it?'
'Names,' he said with a hint of excitement, 'I just realized we haven't shared our real names with each other.'
'Oh, right. N is short for Nadia. That's my real name.'
'Mine's Swin.'
'...Huh,' the girl said, hiding a small smile, 'so S wasn't too far off, then. Pretty crazy coincidence.'
There was a good reason her nickname for him had been so close to his real name: her brother had mentioned it in one of his letters. She had known Swin's name before their paths even crossed. After they had worked together for a bit, she decided she wanted to call him by something that resembled his actual name, rather than his Organization moniker. This, however, was something she intended to keep to herself.
'Well, in the end, you'll always be S to me. And I'll always be N to you, right?'
'Yeah. You're right.'
The carriage continued its slow roll forward, as did their conversation. It was profound at moments, but was otherwise silly, lighthearted, and most of all...free.
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