同時に、百里先では……
+At this moment, hundreds of miles away…
男は金色の砂に伏せたまま、動かない。
+A man laid on the golden sand, unable to move.
汗の粒が額、鼻、首、脇、足から湧き出し、体の所々が痒くて仕方がない。
+Beads of sweat emerged all over his body, making him itchy.
それでも彼は動こうとしない。
+But he was motionless.
服があっても、皮膚が熱い砂に焼かれているようだ。
+Even through clothes, the sand was so hot to the touch, it was burning his skin.
気絶しないように、男は必死に精神を集中させようとする。
+The man tried his best to focus, so he wouldn’t faint from all the heat and pain.
こういう時、彼はいつも「鷹」の言葉を思い出す——
-彼らのような者が朝廷の兵に捕まると、胸元に烙印を押される。
+At this time, he always remembered what the「Eagle」 once said:
+If people like them were caught by imperial officers and soldiers, their chests would be branded with a red branding iron.
烙印は砂よりも硬く、太陽よりも熱い。皮膚に触れるとすぐにくっつき、剥がす時は皮膚も一緒に剥がされる。
+A branding iron was harder than sand and hotter than the sun. Once it touches the skin, it will melt a layer of skin and leave a brand.
あの感覚は、「鷹」曰く、まるで地獄のようだ。
+That feeling,「Eagle」said: it's like going to hell.
金砂会の構成員たちはよく地獄を口にする、[\s]なにせ彼らはそこで再会する運命なのだ。
+Golden Sand gang members often speaked of hell, after all they were destined to meet again there.
地獄の中は不気味で恐ろしく、そして退屈だ。金も酒もなく、美人もいない。
-良いものなど、地獄に存在しないのだ。
+Hell is a scary place and it’s boring; there’s no gold or silver, no good wine, no beautiful women.
+You couldn’t name a single good thing there
しかしここで、今日の「商売」が成功すれば、欲しいものは何でも手に入れられる。
+But here, as long as they succeed in today's raid, they will have whatever they want.
今回の「商売」は今までよりも大きいと、「鷹」が信頼できる情報を掴んだのだ。
+This caravan was said to be larger than ones before, and the「Eagle」had received absolutely reliable information.
-遠方から来た隊商は貴族の家族を連れており、金銀財宝をたくさん持っているらしい。
+The caravan from far away brought the families of the rich and nobles, and the car was full of gold and silver treasures.
その情報に間違いがなければ、あと30分で全部手に入れられる筈だ。
+If the information was correct, in 30 minutes, all of these would belong to them.
彼の実年齢はもう少し若いが、それでも不惑の年に近い。そして顔全体を見れば、目だけが際立っていることが分かる。あれは猛禽類の目だ。
-彼は遠方を眺めている。まるで獲物を見つめているかのようだ。
+He was actually younger, but not too young. Looking at the whole face at a glance, only the eyes stood out: those were the eyes of an eagle.
+He looked into the distance, as if hunting for his prey.
質問も承諾もいらない、
-「鷹」の命令に従えば、返ってくるのは——
+There was no need to question, no promises,
+As long as you follow the instructions of「Eagle」, the exchange will be——
突如、男の顔に笑みが浮かび、
-同時にその目つきも変わった。
+Suddenly, a smile appeared on Eagle’s face,
+His eyes changed accordingly.
砂に伏せた男は視線を戻し、息を吸う。熱い空気が肺に充満したが、まだ我慢できる。
+The man on the sand looked forward again and gave a sigh of relief. Though the heated air was roasting his lungs, he didn’t mind.
遠い先、塵が舞い上がる。
+Far away, dust was rising.
「来る。」
+「It’s coming.」
誰かが呟く。
+Someone whispered.
長く待ち伏せしていた男たちはほっとする。苦しい時間が、やっと終わるのだ。[\s]
+The men who had been in ambush for a long time were relieved, the most difficult stage had passed.
-あとは、勝利のみ。そして、この勝利を……
+From here on, there was only victory. And this victory……
彼らはすでに長い間待ちわびていた。
+Was something they’ve been waiting for a long time.
よく見れば、この棺はほぼ密封されていて、その周りに少しの隙も見当たらない。
-数本の黒い本革の帯が棺をしっかりと縛っている。
+From the outside, the coffin was completely sealed with no gaps present.
+Several black leather straps were wrapped around the body of the coffin and bound it firmly.
金髪緑目の男は棺の横に膝をつき、長い指で棺の表面に触れる。
-その動きは撫でるみたいに優しいが、まるで、全身の力を使っているかのようでもある。
+A man with blond hair and green eyes knelt next to the coffin on one knee, sliding his slender fingers across the coffin's surface.
+His movements were as soft as if caressing, but as if he had exhausted all his strength.
男は自分の手でこの棺を作り、その中身を外の世界と隔離した。[\s]
-そして男はあらゆる法則に抗い、愛する者を連れ戻そうとした。[\s]
-宿願が叶うまで、彼はまだこの世界から離れられない。
+This person made the coffin with his own hands, so that the contents of the coffin were isolated from the world.
+It was this person who fought against the laws of the world, just to bring his beloved back to the present world.
+Before his wish was fulfilled, he couldn't throw himself away from the world.
遠い先から聞こえる咆哮、叫び声、泣き声の中で、
-ラクダの悲鳴、馬車の転覆、刀のぶつかり合う音の中で——
+So, among the roars, shouts, and crying from afar;
+among the wailing of camels, the overturning of carriages, the slashing of swords——
——男は微動だにせず、少しも気付いていないようだ。
-まるで目の前にある棺以外のものとは、何の関係もないように。
+——The man was motionless, unconsciously.
+It seemed that everything except this coffin had nothing to do with him.