붉은 달의 로제/8권

제8회　정체

제도의 밤하늘에는 또 다시 새빨간 달이 떠 있었다. 흉흉하고도 불길한, 새빨간 보름달. 그것은 며칠 전보다 훨씬 진하게 빛나면서 마을을 물들이고 있었다. 마치 피와 같이.

흡혈귀 사건으로 인한 10명이나 되는 피해자가 발견된 후, 갈라드 부대 대원들은 마을의 심야 순찰을 더욱 강화하게 되었다. 더 이상의 희생자가 나오는 것을 막아야 한다. 사건에는 제국군의 명예도 달려 있었다. 대원들은 그러한 결심으로 담당 영역을 각자 순찰하고 있었다. 그 중에서도 특히 어두운 거리, 술집《알레그리아》에서 한 골목 떨어진 곳에 군복을 입은 청년이 서 있었다. 그는 기분 나쁜 표정으로 더 이상 다니는 사람이 없어진 그곳을 순찰하고 있었다. 순간 모퉁이에서 사람 그림자가 나타났다. 청년은 경계하며 옆구리에 찬 검의 감촉을 확인했다. 그림자는 청년에게 다가가더니 서서히 그 모습을 드러냈다. 그것은 청년과 같은 연령대의 동료, 알폰스였다. 그 눈은 조용히 청년의 모습을 응시하고 있었다.

「흥, 너였냐」

청년은 불쾌하다는 내색을 하며 혀를 찼다.

「네 구역은 어쩌고 여기 왔냐？ 여기는 내 담당인데」

알폰스에게 노골적인 적의를 내비치는 청년.

「네게 묻고 싶은 게 있어」

그는 그 눈동자를 청년에게 고정한 채 품에서 뭔가를 꺼냈다. 알폰스가 들고 있는 것은 더러운 천 조각이었다.

「뭐냐, 그게」 영문을 모르겠다는 표정으로 묻는 청년.

「어젯밤 흡혈귀가 나타난 곳에 떨어져 있던 거야. 이건 네 거지？ 엘로이」

청년── 알폰스는 엘로이에게 말했다. 정작 엘로이는 평소와 같이 그에게 차가운 시선을 되돌려줄 뿐이다.

「무슨 말을 하는 건지 모르겠군. 그 천 쪼가리가 뭐가 어쨌다는 거지？ 그리고 흡혈귀라고？ 명색이 제국군이라는 자가 그런 말도 안 되는 소리를」

그는 코웃음을 쳤으나, 알폰스는 지극히 진지했다.

「이것은 네가 훈련을 받다가 다쳤다고 했을 때 왼쪽 팔에 두르고 있던 붕대야」

그 일부가 지난 밤의 싸움으로 찢겨져 나가 조사현장의 사각에 떨어져 있었다.─로제에게 당했다고는 말하지 않았다. 눈앞의 청년도 알고 있을 사실이었기 때문이다. 그 말을 들은 엘로이는 군복 소매 아래 가려진 왼쪽 팔을 눌렀다.

「애당초 갈라드 부대에서 제일의 검술 실력을 가진 네가 일상적인 훈련에서 부상을 입는 것 자체가 부자연스러웠다. 아니, 부상 자체는 진짜겠지. 붕대에는 막 흘러나온 피가 스며 있었으니까. 아마 그건 레이피어로 관통당한 상처를 위장하기 위해 일부러 만든 것일 테고」

엘로이는 입을 다물고 있다. 평소대로라면 무언가 반론했을 것이다. 하지만 그는 침묵했다. 미간을 찌푸린 채 화가 난 눈으로 알폰스를 노려보고 있다.

「물론 어젯밤 사이에 붕대는 새로 갈았겠지. 하지만 그렇다면 왜 이 붕대는 현장에 떨어져 있었지？ 너는 오늘 아침 조사에는 참가하지 않았을 텐데」

그것은 엘로이가 흡혈귀라고 증명할 수 있을 만한 확실한 증거는 아니었다. 애당초 전설 속의 존재인 그것을 입증한다는 것은 불가능하다. 하지만 그때 거기에 엘로이가 있었다는 증거는 된다. 흡혈귀의 존재를 알고 있는 알폰스에게는 그걸로 충분했다.

「나도 믿고 싶지 않아. 같은 부대에 소속인 네가…… 누구보다도 뛰어난 네가, 흡혈귀에다가 사람들을 습격하고 있었다니」

「………」

아무런 대답도 하지 않고 침묵한 채 엘로이는 고개를 약간 숙였다.

「하지만, 제도를 수호하는 갈라드 부대의 일원으로서 더 이상 희생자가 나오는 것을 보고 있을 수만은 없어. 반론하지 않는다면 중요참고인으로서 널 구속하겠다」

「……………………………………후」

엘로이가 온몸에서 힘을 뺀 듯한 자세에서 한숨을 쉬었을 때, 알폰스는 현장의 분위기가 급격하게 무거워진 것을 느꼈다.

「하하하하하하하하하하！！」

돌연 위를 바라보고 크게 웃는 엘로이.

평소의 조용한 그라고는 생각할 수 없을, 심연에서 스며나온 듯한 불길한 목소리가 밤거리에 울려 퍼졌다. 찢어질 것 같이 벌린 그의 입에서 알폰스는 보았다.

그, 짐승의 것처럼 날카로운 흡혈귀의 이빨을.

허리에서 검을 뽑으려는 알폰스. 도신과 칼집의 마찰음을 내며 칼을 뽑고 자세를 취했다. 하지만 엘로이는 뒤로 젖혀질 만큼 위를 바라보았던 자세에서 튕겨내듯이 알폰스를 덮치며 검을 뽑았다.

오른팔로 마치 나무 막대기를 휘두르는 것처럼 알폰스에게 검을 휘두르는 엘로이. 너무나도 빠른 그 속도에 검을 막지 못하는 알폰스. 격렬한 금속음과 함께 그 몸은 쥐고 있던 검과 함께 후방으로 날아갔다. 무시무시한 완력. 알폰스가 흉부를 얻어맞았던 며칠 전보다 현격히 강해졌다. 만일 그때 같은 힘으로 맞았더라면 그는 이미 이 세상 사람이 아니었으리라. 간신히 일어나 저린 손으로 쥔 검의 감촉을 확인했지만 즉각 엘로이의 검이 강한 추가타를 날렸다. 몸의 중심을 무너트리며 그 공격을 어떻게든 받아내어 능숙하게 충격을 흘려넘긴다. 하지만 그게 한계였다. 도무지 공격할 여유가 없어 알폰스는 오직 방어만 하게 되었다. 엘로이는 몇 번을 막든 상관하지 않고 계속해서 검을 내리쳤다.

「마음이 급했군, 알폰스！ 흡혈귀는 밤에 힘을 발휘한다는 걸 모르진 않았을텐데！」

분명 해가 떠오르는 것을 기다렸으면 조금은 승기가 있었을지도 모른다. 하지만 알폰스는 기다릴 수 없었다. 오늘 밤에도 새로운 희생자가 나왔을지도 모를 일이었다. 그걸 알면서도 편하게 승기를 기다릴 만한 비정함은 그에게 없었다.

그의 힘은 금세 한계에 다다랐다. 묵직한 일격에 튕겨나간 검이 땅 위로 굴러 떨어졌다.

「끝이다, 알폰스！！」

엘로이는 그대로 검을 들어올리고는 오른팔에 혼신의 힘을 담았다. 그 검은 알폰스의 목으로 내리쳐질 것이다.

허공을 향해 날아가는 자신의 목이 머릿속에 떠올랐다.

그 순간, 어디선가 소리가 들려왔다. 수많은 무언가가 공기를 가르는 매서운 소리가. 그리고 이제 막 휘두르려던 엘로이의 오른팔이, 사라졌다.

주위에 새빨간 피가 흩날렸다. 엘로이의 오른팔은 알폰스가 상상했던 자신의 목처럼 허공에 날아가더니 땅에 떨어졌다.

「으윽！？」

오른팔을 잃은 자리를 붙들며 본능적으로 뒤로 물러나는 알폰스의 눈앞에는, 무수한 칼날이 철선으로 연결된 불가사의한 검, 법검(템플 소드)의 도신이 붉은 달이 빛나는 밤하늘로부터 일자로 뻗어 있었다. 도신은 다시 하늘을 가르는 날카로운 소리를 내며 밤하늘로 돌아갔다. 교대하듯 그 자리에 아리따운 사람의 모습이 내려섰다.

남보라색 외투로 몸을 감싸고 같은 색 베레모를 쓴 여성. 속에는 수많은 무기가 달린 전투복을 입고 있었다. 여성은 어깨까지 내려오는 금발을 펄럭이며 갖고 있던 법검에 묻은 피를 털었다. 알폰스에게 어이없다는 시선을 보내는 그녀.

무릎을 꿇은 채, 알폰스는 옅은 미소를 지었다.

「늦었어, 로제」

Chapter 8 - The Truth

The stillness of night came once again to the streets of Heimdallr. A bewitching yet eerie red moon hung full in the sky, its carmine glow staining the red bricks of the surrounding buildings an even deeper crimson.

After the gruesome discovery of the bodies that day, the Garrard Team had strengthened its night time patrols. Most of the soldiers in the team were on the streets, determined to prevent any further violence, and repair the damage to the Imperial Army's honor. Their patrol routes had them making tight circuits of the city roads, vigilantly searching for anything out of order. On one particularly dark street corner, a block away from the Alegria tavern, stood a young man in military uniform. Much like the others, he was making the rounds in his thoroughly deserted patrol area. A figure turning onto the street just ahead of him made him pause mid-step. Warily, he put his hand on the sword at his waist. As the figure drew closer, the features gradually became more visible - it was another soldier like himself. It was Alphonse.

Alphonse stepped forward and stood silently before the other young man. He fixed him with an unwavering gaze. 

'Oh, it's you,' the young man said, sounding annoyed. 'What are you doing here? This is my patrol area, not yours.'

He glared at Alphonse with intense dislike, but Alphonse did not look away.

'I came to ask you something,' Alphonse replied simply. He put his hand into his pocket and took something out of it. It was a dirty piece of cloth.

The other man looked puzzled. 'What's that supposed to be?'

'It was something I found in the area where the vampire appeared last night. It's also yours. Isn't it, Elroy?' 

Elroy stared back at Alphonse, then rolled his eyes. His voice dripped with contempt.

'What are you talking about? Did you really abandon your post over who some rag might belong to? ...And 'vampire'? You're supposed to be a soldier, not some kind of superstitious lunatic,' he scoffed.

'This is part of the bandage you were wearing around your left arm when you said you were injured in training,' Alphonse said calmly.

The cloth, Alphonse continued, must have been cut from his bandage during the previous day's battle and ended up between the two buildings in an area they neglected to check. He didn't, however, mention who had done the cutting - there was no need to tell Elroy information that he already knew, after all. Hearing this, Elroy clutched his left arm, hidden under the sleeve of his army uniform, almost as if trying to hide it from Alphonse. 

'Besides, the idea that you were injured badly enough to need a bandage like that in standard training makes no sense to begin with. You're the most skilled swordsman on the Garrard Team, after all. That's not to say you weren't actually injured, especially considering there really was fresh blood on the bandage itself. But you didn't injure yourself during training - you were stabbed by a rapier, and that was what the bandage was intended to disguise.' 

Elroy said nothing. Under any other circumstances, he would have been quick to argue back. But not this time. His brow furrowed, and he glared angrily at Alphonse.

'I'm sure that you must have replaced the bandage with a new one last night. But then, what was this doing at the scene of the crime? You weren't involved in this morning's investigation.' 

Alphonse was aware that what he was saying wouldn't be enough to prove to the world that Elroy was a vampire. They were, after all, creatures of legend. People would never believe him. What it did prove, however, was that Elroy had been where Rose and the vampire's battle took place. And considering that Alphonse already knew that vampires were no mere myth, that was all the proof he needed.

'I don't want to believe it myself. I can't bear to think that someone who I served alongside as a soldier, someone more skilled than any of us, is actually a monster who's been indiscriminately murdering people.' 

'...'

Elroy made no reply. He just stared down at the ground, silent and tense.

'But I am a member of the Garrard Team,' Alphonse continued resolutely. 'And we are entrusted with the task of protecting this city. I have a duty to do what I can to prevent any more lives from being lost. Unless you can prove that what I am saying isn't  true, I'm going to have to arrest you as a suspect--'

'...Heh.' 

Hands at his sides, Elroy let out a short, quiet laugh. The second he did, something changed, and the atmosphere became oppressive.

'Hahahahahaha!'

Elroy threw back his head and let out a loud, maniacal laugh. It was an inhuman sound, that outburst. The skin-crawling utterance was entirely unlike the usual quiet Elroy, and as his mouth yawned wide, Alphonse saw what he knew he would. Beast-like fangs. The fangs of a vampire.

Alphonse placed his hand on the saber at his waist and drew it as fast as he could. The sound of blade scraping against scabbard cut short the awful laugh, but he wasn't fast enough - before he knew it, Elroy was right in front of him, swinging his own sword with incredible force. Alphonse barely had the time to block its arc with his own. 

The sound of metal against metal filled the air, and the monstrous strength of the blow pushed Alphonse backwards. It was obvious to him that Elroy's power was vastly greater than it had been when he took the punch to the stomach several days before. If Elroy had been this strong that day, Alphonse knew that he would already be dead. 

Barely managing to hold his position, he clung to his saber with his now somewhat numb hand, but the vampire was already drawing back for another strike. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, Alphonse was just able to parry the blow...but it was all he could manage. If he strayed even a hair from focusing on defense, he would soon be overwhelmed. Elroy, meanwhile, maintained his onslaught seemingly without effort. Blow after blow rained down relentlessly.

'You should've waited, Alphonse! Surely you know that vampires can only use their powers at night!'

Alphonse grunted as he narrowly deflected another attack. Naturally, he did know. He was fully aware that waiting until morning might have actually given him a chance to defeat Elroy. But he just couldn't bring himself to wait. Not when there was a possibility that he might have claimed another victim  that very night. His conscience wouldn't allow him to sleep peacefully in his bed knowing that he could have done something to stop that murder from happening. 

As if to punctuate his point, Elroy knocked the saber from Alphonse's hands with a vicious swipe that drove him to his knees. The blade clattered down on the paving stones far from the fighting pair. 

'You're finished!' Elroy crowed, turning his sword on Alphonse. The blade flashed up, then descended.

Alphonse watched the fall of the sword as if in slow motion. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. It would bite through his flesh and send his head soaring through the air, much like his saber had just done.

Suddenly, a high-pitched whistling sound of something moving very fast cut through the night. And then another, and another followed. The next moment, Elroy's right arm was gone. 

Blood speckled Alphonse's cheeks like a fine rain. And just as he had imagined, something soared through the air and hit the ground - but instead of it being his head, it was Elroy's right arm, sword still  clutched in its rigid fingers.

'Graaaaah!'

Elroy instinctively jumped back, clutching at his wounded limb while Alphonse stared wide-eyed at the many parts of a templar sword stretched before him like the flexing of a metal snake. The wires connecting the razor sharp blade segments gleamed in the moonlight. A line of tension then ran through the wires, and they all retracted just as fast as they had appeared. Soon after, a lone figure approached to take their place. It was a woman in a navy blue coat that was thrown wide, exposing countless weapons  attached to the battle gear she was wearing underneath. She had sleek, shoulder-length blond hair, capped by a navy blue beret. The look she gave Alphonse when she saw him was somewhere between exasperation and disbelief. 

Alphonse smiled weakly. 'What took you so long, Rose?' 

第８回　正体

　帝都の夜に、再び真っ赤な月が出ていた。妖しくも不気味な、真红の満月。それは数日前よりもさらに色浓く辉き、绯のレンガの町并みを染め上げている——まるで、血のように。　

吸血鬼事件による１０人もの被害者が発见されたことを受け、この夜、ガラード队の队员たちによる深夜の巡回が强化されていた。　

これ以上の犠牲者を出すわけにはいかない。ことは帝国军の面子に関わる问题である。そんな思いを胸に队员のほとんどが出払い、担当するルートを各々が巡回していた。

その中でも、特に薄暗い一角——宿酒场〈アレグリア〉から道一つ离れた通りに、军服の青年がいた。彼は不机嫌そうな颜をしつつ、もはや夜中に出歩く者のいなくなったそこを巡回している。

ふと——彼の前方の曲がり角から、人影が现れた。

　それを见た青年は警戒し、腰に携えた剣の感触を确かめる。人影は青年に近づいて、徐々にその姿を明らかにしていく。

　それは青年と同じくらいの歳の同僚——アルフォンスだった。その双眸は、静かに青年の姿を见据えている。　

「フン、お前か」青年はあからさまに不快そうに舌打ちをした。

「持ち场はどうした。ここは确か、俺の担当だったはずだが」

　アルフォンスに明らかな敌意の眼差しを向けてくる青年。だが彼は、その瞳で青年を捉えたまま、「——お前に、闻きたい事がある」と、懐から何かを取り出す。

アルフォンスが持っているのは、薄汚い布切れだ。「なんだ、それは？」怪讶な颜で寻ねる青年。

「昨日の夜、吸血鬼が现れた现场に落ちていたものだ。　

　これはお前のものだな——エルロイ」

　青年——エルロイにそう言い放つアルフォンス。当のエルロイは至って普段通りに、彼に冷たい视线を返す。

「言っている意味が分からない。その布がなんだというんだ？

　それに、吸血鬼だと？仮にも帝国军に属する者が、何を世迷言を」　

　そう鼻で笑う。しかしアルフォンスはあくまで真剣だ。

「これは、お前が训练で怪我をしたと言っていた——

　左腕に巻かれていた包帯だ」

その一部が昨晩の戦いで切り离され、捜査の死角に入り込んでいた。そう続けるアルフォンス。ロゼによって、とまでは言わなかった。それはエルロイも知っているはずの事実だったからだ。

　それを闻いたエルロイは、军服の袖の下に隠れた左腕を押さえ、隠すような姿势をとる。

「……そもそも、ガラード队随一の剣の腕を持つお前が、

　日常的に行っている训练でそんな怪我を负うこと自体が不自然だった。　

　いや、怪我を负ったこと自体は事実だろう。　

　包帯には真新しい血が渗んでいたからな。

　おそらくそれは、レイピアによって贯かれた伤を伪装するためにわざと负ったものだ」

エルロイはそれを闻いて黙り込んだ。いつもなら、すぐさま何かしらの反论を返しただろう。だが彼は、黙った。眉间に皱を寄せ、苛立った目でアルフォンスを睨みつけている。

「もちろん、昨晩のうちに包帯は新たなものに取り替えられただろう。

　だが、だったらなぜ、この包帯は现场に落ちていた？

　お前は今朝の调査には加わっていなかったはずなのに」

　それは、公にエルロイが吸血鬼だと证明できるような证拠ではなかった。そもそも伝承の存在であるそれを立证することはできない。　

だが、あの时、あの场所にエルロイがいたことを示す证拠にはなる。吸血鬼の存在を知るアルフォンスにとっては、それで十分だった。

「……俺も、信じたくはない。同じ部队に所属するお前が……

　谁よりも优秀なお前が、吸血鬼として人を袭ったなんてことは」　

「……………………………………………」　

なにも返事をせず、沈黙したままのエルロイは、ゆっくりと俯いたような姿势になる。

「だが、帝都を守るガラード队の一员として、これ以上の犠牲は出させるわけにはいかない。

　反论がないなら、重要参考人として拘束させてもらう——」

「………………………………………………フ」　

　エルロイが全身から力を抜いたような姿势から、そう息を漏らした时——场の雰囲気が急激に重くなったのを、アルフォンスは感じ取った。

「ハハハハハハハハハハハハハハハハハハハ！！」　

　一気に身体を仰け反らせて高笑いするエルロイ。　

　普段、物静かな彼では考えられない、深渊から这い出てきたような祸々しい声が、夜の街に响き渡る。裂けそうなまでに大きく开けられたその口元に、アルフォンスは见た。　

あの、獣のように锐い——吸血鬼の牙を。

　腰の剣に手をかけるアルフォンス。刀身と鞘が擦れあう音を鸣らしながら、すばやくそれを引き抜き、构える——だがエルロイは仰け反らせた身体をバネのようにしならせ、こちらも剣を抜きつつすでにアルフォンスに肉薄していた。

右腕の筋肉を轧ませ、棒切れを振るうような动作で力任せに剣を叩きつけるエルロイ。あまりの速度に、それを防ぐことしかできないアルフォンス。

　激しい金属音とともに、その身体は持っていた剣ごと后方に吹き飞ばされた。凄まじい膂力——それは、自分が胸部を殴打された数日前よりも格段に増している。もしあの时同じ力で殴られていたなら、彼はすでにこの世にいなかっただろう。

　かろうじて立ち上がり、痹れた手で持っていた剣の感触を确かめるが、すぐさま吸血鬼エルロイは刚剣にて追撃をはかる。

身体の重心を落として何とか受け止め、上手く捌いて冲撃を受け流す——だが、それで手一杯だ。とても攻撃に転じる余裕はなく、アルフォンスは防戦一方になってしまう。エルロイは何度防がれても构わず、间髪いれずに剣を叩きつけていく。　

「急いたな、アルフォンス！吸血鬼が夜に力を発挥するのを、知らぬわけではあるまい！」

　确かに日が升るのを待っていれば、少しは胜负になったかもしれない。

だが、アルフォンスは待つわけにはいかなかった。この夜にも新たな犠牲者が出たかもしれないのだ。それを知りながら安穏と胜机を待てるほどの非情さは、彼にはなかった。

　彼の握力が限界を迎えたのはそれからすぐのことだった。重い一撃で剣が弾かれ、回転しながら敷石の上を滑っていく。

「终わりだ、アルフォンス！！」　

　エルロイはそのまま剣を翻し、右腕に浑身の力を込める。次の瞬间、それはアルフォンスの首へと振りぬかれるだろう。　

弧を描いて宙を舞う、自分の首のイメージが鲜明に浮かぶ。

　刹那、音が闻こえてきた。几つもの、空を切り裂く甲高い音が——そして、今まさに振り抜かれようとしたエルロイの右腕が——消失した。

あたりに鲜血が撒き散らされる。エルロイの右腕は剣を握ったまま、アルフォンスが思い浮かべたイメージの如く弧を描いて宙を舞い、地に落ちた。

「ぐぁっ！？」　

失った右腕を押さえながら、本能で后方へ飞び退くエルロイ。アルフォンスの目の前には——无数の刃が鉄线に连なった不可思议な剣——法剣《テンプルソード》の刀身が、赤い月が辉く夜空からまっすぐに伸びていた。

　刀身は再び空を切り裂く音を鸣らして、鉄线をしならせながら夜空へと戻っていく。それと入れ代わるようにして、その场に可怜な人影が舞い降りた。　

紫绀の外套に身を包み、同じ色のベレー帽を被った女性——。外套の下は様々な武器で固めた戦闘服を身につけている。彼女は肩までの金髪をはためかせつつ、持っていた法剣についた血を振り払うと、アルフォンスに呆れたような颜で一瞥をくれた。

　膝を突いたまま、彼女に向かって薄く笑みを浮かべるアルフォンス。

「遅かったな、ロゼ——」