Chapter 2 Part 10
Translator : PolterGlast
Proofreader : John4891
A
few days after the incident with Lisa. Nozomu returned to his normal life, but
even after that, he still didn’t know what to do after what happened at
Ushitotei.
However,
even if Nozomu himself wanted to put the issue on hold, time passed on
regardless of him, and he’d have to return to his daily life.
In
a sense, it may have been good. Both Nozomu and Lisa were able to distract
themselves from the problems they had in the hustle and bustle of everyday
life.
At
the school courtyard during lunch break, Nozomu and Mars talked about Somia's
birthday party, which was just around the corner, while eating lunch that
they’d bought.
"Today
is Somia-chan's birthday. Irisdina-san said she’d have a party after
school."
"Oh.
That's right ..."
However,
Mars’ behaviour was strange. He’d been giving off an anxious vibe since
morning. He was warned several times during the morning lesson by their
professor.
"?...What's
up with you? Recently, something feels very off about you."
"N-no.
I'm fine. I-I’ll be back to normal after school..."
"Is
that so? It's good then. By the way, what about Ena-chan? It feels bad to say
that we’re the only ones to attend the party ..."
"It's
okay, right. I-In the first place, she wasn't invited. It would be bad for an
uninvited person to suddenly go..."
"Certainly
so..."
Certainly,
Mars was right. It was normal that Ena wasn’t going since she wasn't invited to
the party in the first place, but Nozomu was worried about Mars, who was
strangely restless. The reason came to light after school when he went to
Irisdina-san's house to attend the party.
============================================
The
northern part of Arcazam. The political institutions of the academic city
existed here, and it managed the city politically.
At
the same time, the administrator’s residence was also built in this section
along with the Francilt Family’s residence as well.
However,
its size couldn’t be compared to the other mansions in this area.
This
was a site that was more than two times larger than other mansions, and the
site was surrounded by a fence that was more than three times the height of a
person.
The
mansion itself was so large that the residents of a small village could sleep
in it.
In
addition, the owner of this mansion seemed to be Irisdina, the next head of the
Francilt Family. The mansion itself was built when she decided to enroll in
Solminati Academy.
It
was unthinkable for ordinary people to prepare a mansion for their daughter's
move.
After
school, Nozomu and Mars arrived at the main gates of the party venue,
Irisdina's mansion, but they were just overwhelmed by its size.
“………………
It’s wide.”
"…………Aa"
“…………….
The venue is here.”
"…………Aa"
"It's
a really big mansion. Don't do anything strange again, Onīchan."
Nozomu
and Mars were stunned, just standing in front of a mansion that most people
would never see, but they came back to their senses after hearing a familiar
voice heard from the side.
"...By
the way, didn't you say that Ena wouldn't participate, Mars?"
"U!"
Next
to Nozomu and Mars was Ena, who shouldn't have been here at all. Nozomu asked
Mars a question, but Mars awkwardly turned away from him.
Ena
began to explain her circumstances, whether she couldn't see her brother.
"Don't
get me wrong, Nozom-san. I didn't come to attend the party."
"E,
then for what?"
"I'm
here to apologize to those who have been involved with Onīchan during this
time. I feel uneasy if it's just Onīchan alone..."
Apparently,
Ena followed Mars to apologize to Tima-san, who was involved during this time.
Mars in question was holding his head. This may have been the reason why he was
acting so strange at school.
"Mars...you..."
Nozomu’s
raised voice held a slight hint of surprise in his tone. It would be pitiful
for him to let his sister accompany his apology.
"No!
What are you thinking about! This girl just came along!"
"What
are you talking about! If it's just Onīchan again, you would just say something
strange again!"
"Give
it a rest! Are you my mother!!"
"H-hey,
both of you..."
Brother
and sister joked around with each other as usual. Naturally, the people around
paid attention to the two of them. Nozomu was embarrassed, to say the least. He
called out to them several times, but they were engrossed in verbal-war and
didn't notice.
It
was natural to stand out if they yelled at the front of such a big mansion, but
Nozomu knew that it was impossible to stop the quarrel between this brother and
sister; therefore, he ignored them and walked toward the gate.
When
Nozomu approached the gate, the gate opened, and a maid who seemed to be
working in the mansion appeared from inside.
"Excuse
me. Please refrain from making noise in front of this mansion."
"Oh,
I'm sorry. Today is Somia-cha... I was invited to Somiliana-san's birthday
party."
"Are
you...?"
The
maid clearly eyed Nozomu and the others with suspicion. Nozomu and Mars were
dressed in Solminati Academy uniforms, but the argument behind him made them
look suspicious to the maid's eyes.
In
addition, the Nozomu and Mars came in their uniforms because neither of them
had a suit that could be worn to a daughter's birthday party from a famous
family, even though she was an acquaintance.
"...I'm
sorry to trouble you, but I can't let such suspicious people into the
mansion."
"Yaa
Nozomu-kun, so you came."
"O,
ojōsama! !! "
It
was Irisdina, the organizer of the party, who appeared from behind the maid who
was trying to send Nozomu and friends home. Behind her was her best friend
Tima.
"They
are my friends. It's okay to let them through. I'll guide them, so you can go
back to work."
"Y-Yes"
"Th-thank
you, Irisdina-san"
The
maid left in a hurry, and Nozomu was relieved because he thought he’d be driven
back.
"Fufu,
I can't just send away the guests I invited at the front gates...By the way,
how long have they been doing that?"
Irisdina
answered Nozomu with an elegant and charming smile on her face. However, the
brother and sister behind him were still worrisome. The two were still
quarreling without noticing this. Not to mention, they seemed to be completely
unaware that a crowd was starting to form around them.
"Those
two...Oi !! I'm going inside! How long will you two be doing that!!"
""…………e?""
Nozomu
yelled and called out the two, and it looked like they heard him this time.
When they looked at him with a stupid voice, they came in a hurry as if they
had finally noticed their tom-foolery.
"Nozomu,
let me know earlier!"
"That's
right, Nozomu-san! Isn't it embarrassing!"
“…E~”
Nozomu
had no choice but to be dumbfounded by the two who said something so
unreasonable. Irisdina and the others looked at these three people with
interest.
"Fufufu.
It looks fun. But if it's okay, Nozomu-kun, can you please introduce her?"
Irisdina's
line of sight was directed at Ena who was beside Nozomu and Mars.
"Oh,
now that you mention it, this is your first time meeting Ena-chan."
"Well
yes. You may have heard of me, I'm Irisdina Francilt. Nice to meet you."
"Y-Yes!
I-I'm Ena Dickens."
Encouraged
by the atmosphere of Irisdina, Ena introduced herself in a tense manner. Then
Tima, who was behind Irisdina, introduces herself.
"Fufu,
Tima Lime. Please treat me well, Ena-chan."
"A-are
you Tima-san? I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused by my foolish
brother."
Ena
bowed deeply and apologized when she found the person Mars ‘messed’ with. Tima
was a little taken back by the situation.
"It-It's
okay. You don't have to worry about it..."
"No,
that's not the case...or rather, Onīchan should apologize too! Originally the
bad one was Onīchan !!"
"That's
why! Are you my mother!? Isn't it difficult for me to apologize when you’re
embarrassing me!"
"What!
Onīchan can't apologize by himself anyway! That's why we should apologize
first!"
"That's
why it's excessive!! Rather, it's counterproductive !!"
"Wa-wait
a minute, you two! Fighting at the birthday party in someone else’s house is
bad!!"
"Pu,
Ahahahahaha"
Nozomu
managed to stop the two who were about to start fighting again, but he was
surprised by Irisdina’s laughter as she watched them. She was dignified and
unwavering, as Nozomu had seen so far, and her atmosphere felt like a human
being somewhere different from themselves; however, she, who laughed in front
of him, didn’t have such transcendence, and she was just a girl of the same age
as them.
Mars
and Ena, who saw such Irisdina, forgot about their quarrel and looked at the
black-haired girl with their mouths wide open, and Tima, who was behind her,
was also surprised.
"Fufu,
sorry. They sure are very close to each other...Oh. Was it Ena-chan? Would you
like to join my little sister's party?"
"E.
B-but ......... I've never been to a party like this, and ..."
Ena
was quite hesitant.
She
seemed to be uncertain about attending the party because she originally came
intending to apologize for her brother, but Irisdina didn’t seem to care about
that, saying that it didn’t matter.
"You
don't have to be so stiff. This time, it's a party only for relatives, so take
it easy. I think my sister would be happy if there were a lot of people."
"Well...I
guess it's okay to join if the organizer herself says so."
“…I
understand. Please let me participate if you are not bothered by me."
Nozomu
agreed with Iris's opinion, and Ena thought it was bad to keep refusing her, so
she decided to participate.
==========================================================
When
we arrived at the party venue, there were various people, but most of them
seemed to be working in the mansion.
The
party itself seemed to be stand-up style, and various dishes were lined up on
the table at the venue. It was clear at a glance that all the delicacies were
all elaborately prepared by the chef.
The
guest of honor, Somia, was at the center of the party and was surrounded by
children of the same age in Ecross uniforms. They were probably her school
classmates.
When
Irisdina got to Somia, Somia noticed her sister and jumped into her chest, and
Irisdina gently caught Somia who jumped in.
An
older sister held her younger sister with a smile like a goddess, and a younger
sister hugged her older sister with a big smile.
The
scene was very precious, and the people around them naturally smiled. A warm
atmosphere surrounded the party venue.
"Thank
you for celebrating my dear sister's birthday today. I want you to forget your
usual duties and have a lot of fun today."
The
party started with a speech from Irisdina, and everyone started to enjoy
themselves afterward.
Nozomu
was watching the venue while enjoying his meal with Mars and others.
There
was a crowd around Irisdina, Somia, and Tima, and everyone was talking happily.
Somia
was talking to her classmates, but when she noticed Nozomu and the others, she
waved her hand and came here.
"Good
evening, Nozomu-san!"
"Good
evening,Somia-chan. Happy birthday."
"Yo"
"Thank
you. Thank you for coming today!"
Somia
answered cheerfully. She was so happy. She was more energetic than ever.
"Nozomu-san.
Who is this person?"
Somia
turned her gaze to Ena, who was next to Mars.
"Nice
to meet you. My name is Ena, Mars Dickens's little sister. Today, I was invited
by Irisdina-san to participate. Please treat me well, Somiliana-san."
"Ah,
just Somia is fine. I'd be happy if you called me that, don't mind it, so
please call me that!"
"I
understand. Regards, Somia-chan."
"Okay!"
Then
they started chatting with smiles. As far as a self-introduction and the
current situation, it seemed that they were quite a hit with each other.
The
two were talking about their siblings now. The stories seemed to be lively,
probably because they both had older siblings. Ena talked about how hard
dealing her brother had been, and Somia completely followed the story about
Mars, who was often talked about.
Mars
protested against her sister who belittled him and retorted back. Tima joined
Somia, who heard the noise, and tried to stop the big verbal battle that was
about to start for the third times.
Nozomu
was watching the situation from a distance, and Irisdina came in.
"Yaa,
Nozomu-kun. Are you having fun?"
"Yes,
there aren't many opportunities like this. Is it okay not to stop them?"
"It
doesn't matter. Mars and Ena seem to be doing their usual thing, and Somia
seems to have fun with that. Tima seems to be a little troubled, but sometimes
like this is okay."
She
was looking at the turmoil happily with giggles. Her appearance was
age-appropriate, unlike the dignified girl at the school. Her smile was very
attractive.
"~Tsu!"
"?
Is something wrong ?"
"N-no,
it's nothing!"
"?
Is that so ?"
Nozomu
became embarrassed to see her smile and simply turned his eyes away.
Irisdina
drew closer to the strange Nozomu, which made Nozomu's heart throbbing.
"By
the way, I haven't thanked you yet."
"Thanked
me?"
Nozomu
inclined his head at Irisdina's words. He didn't understand why he was thanked.
"Our
mother gave birth to Somia, and she died at that time. That's why I was trying
to be Somia's mother... I wonder if she misses her real mother. For some
reason, Somia is usually sad when her birthday approaches."
Nozomu
listened to her story seriously.
Nozomu
didn’t know that her mother had died.
"But
this time, it's not the case. I think it's because she met you guys. Somia
talked a lot about you in the mansion. She met a strange Onīchan."
"Is...that
so"
Looking
at Somia, she was trying to stop the quarrel between Mars and Ena in a hurry.
It seemed to be difficult, but there was no unpleasant atmosphere there, and it
made her smile somehow.
"Please
don't be distracted! Ane-sama! Nozomu-san! Don't feel intimate in such a place,
please do something about this---."
Nozomu
and Irisdina laughed at Somia's voice when they looked at each other.
"Well,
let's go now because the princess is calling."
"Yes,
I will stop Mars for the time being."
The
two nodded to each other and ran into the turmoil.
============================================
The
main gate of Francilt Mansion. An old man in butler's clothes stood there, and
when he rang the doorbell, the maid told Nozomu and the others to beat it
appeared.
"Yes,
who is it?"
"I'm
sorry to bother you late at night. May I speak to the owner of the mansion?,
for I have something to do with said owner.”
"I'm
sorry. Today, a party is being held to celebrate the birthday of the Lady's
sister, so no one can act as an intermediary. If you have a request, I will
deliver it to the Lady later, so can you forgive me?"
The
owner of the mansion was Irisdina. When the maid saw the old man, he was well
dressed and polite in his language, but something was wrong.
She
asked about the important matter, but the old man said that he needed to speak
in front of the Lady and never gave up.
The
old gentleman repeatedly asked the maid to meet the owner of the mansion, but
she gently refused because the maid was concerned about the life of her master.
"Hmm,
it can't be helped..."
Eventually,
the old man sighed, straightened the collar of his butler's clothes, and
snapped the fingers of his right hand.
Suddenly,
the maid's body weakened, and she collapsed on the spot.
"I'm
sorry. This is also the Lord's order."
The
old man hugged the collapsed maid and gently laid her back at the gate, and
swiftly ran the fingers of his right hand into the air.
At
that moment, a huge magic square appeared at the feet of the old man. An
enormous magical power spread over the mansion.
=======================================
The
fun time had passed and the party itself had closed, so the people who were
attending the party were either going home or cleaning up the venue.
However,
Nozomu and his friends were still at the venue, waiting for Somia and the
others. For them, the birthday party wasn't over yet.
"I'm
sorry to have kept you waiting, everyone!"
Somia
rushed to Nozomu and his friends. Behind her were Irisdina and Tima.
The
reason Nozomu and his friends were still there was to give a present to Somia.
Others
were giving presents during the party, but Nozomu and his friends didn't have
the opportunity.
Incidentally,
The cause was the big quarrel between Mars and Ena. Nozomu was constantly
intervening to stop the two before they could create too much chaos throughout
the party, so he missed the opportunity to give his present.
Somia
looked at Nozomu with excitement. Her eyes urged Nozomu as if to say
"quickly".
He
laughed at the situation and tried to give the present.
However,
the next moment, the door of the party venue opened with a clicking sound, and
an old man came out from the entrance.
The
old man was dressed in black butler clothes, had silver hair tied behind him,
had red eyes, and wore monocles.
Irisdina
saw the person and frowned at him. Neither Irisdina, Nozomu or the others had
seen such a person at this party. Looked like an outsider.
"Who
are you? It seems that you weren't the one I invited to today's party."
"I'm
really sorry to have disturbed you in an unscrupulous manner. Actually, there
is a message from my lord to the owner of this mansion...I'm late to say, I'm
Rugato, a butler who serves the Waziart family of the Dizart Empire. May I meet
Irisdina-sama and Somiliana-sama, who are the owners of the mansion? "
Irisdina
asked the old man with a strained voice. He bowed his head deeply and kept the
smile on his mouth without changing. It was an ideal expression of gratitude as
a servant.
"The
Empire of Dizart...Sure, in the northwestern part of the continent..."
Nozomu
muttered the name of the country under his breath.
"...
Certainly, I'm the owner of this mansion, Irisdina Francilt, and this child is
my little sister Somiliana...What on earth did Rugato-dono come for?"
"My
purpose is to retrieve the treasure "Furnace of Spiritual Flame" that
we lent to the Francilt family before."
"Furnace
of Spiritual Flame?"
Irisdina
tilted her head to the words she’d never heard before. Apparently, she knew
nothing about the treasure.
"Yes.
That is a treasure that can trap in the souls of others and control their
power, and it belongs to the Waziart Family that I originally served...Looks
like it is now fused with the soul of Somiliana-sama. I'll get it back now.
"
"Na~
!!"
Everyone
who was there doubted their ears.
According
to Rugato's story, it seems that the "Furnace of Spiritual Flame" was
fused with Somia's soul. And he said he’d get it back.
"Then
I will fulfill the contract."
"Wa-wait
!!"
Irisdina,
who had no idea what was going on, called out to Rugato to stop him, but at
that moment, a tremendous amount of magical power covered the entire
mansion.
