Chapter 7 Part 1
Translator : PolterGlast
The
morning sun had not yet risen over the horizon, and the sky began to brighten
gradually. The twilight began to illuminate the streets of Arcazam.
In
the northern section of Arcazam.
She
woke up in a certain mansion built in the northern section of Arcazam, the
section where the administrative offices and city leaders were concentrated.
Irisdina
Francilt. She is a girl with lustrous black hair and jet-black eyes as
dignified as obsidian.
She
woke up early in the morning, about the same time the servants wake up, and
quickly took off her negligee to take a bath.
After
washing off the sweats, she headed to the mirror and put on her underwear and
the uniform of Solminati Academy.
She
then went to the mirror and combed her hair with her accustomed hand.
As
the next head of the Francilt Household, one of the greatest powers in Arcazam,
she could be entrusting her servants with everything if she wanted to. However,
basically, she had the temperament to take care of her own personal affairs
herself.
After
a quick application of light makeup, her figure, combined with her naturally
well-shaped features, shone as if it were a work of art.
However,
despite her radiance, her expression was somehow stiff.
Normally,
she had a noble image like a lily, but now she gave off a different impression.
Her
mouth was tightened into a single line. Irisdina continued to stare at her
reflection in the mirror, keeping her rigid expression intact.
*Knock,
knock, knock*
The
sound of knocking on the door echoed in the silent room.
"……
Get in"
"Good
morning, young lady. Breakfast is ready."
Hearing
the maid's words, she turned her eyes out the window.
The
sun, which had been hiding in the shadows of the city, was now beginning to
peek out.
"......
Okay. I'll be right there."
After
a knock at the door, she was told that the breakfast was ready, and she replied
with a few simple words and left her room.
“…………”
Irisdina
walked through the door and was about to head for the dining room. At that time, she glanced back.
She
saw through the gap of the door that closed with a creaking sound. It was a
white building towering over the window, shining in the morning sun.
=========================
After
finishing her breakfast, Irisdina walked around the city with her sister, and on
the way from the administrative district to the central park, she met up with
Shīna, Mimuru, Tima, and Mars.
"Good
morning, everyone!"
"Oh,
Somicchi. Good morning ~~"
"Ai,
good morning"
"Yea,
good morning Tima, and also Shīna ..."
"Yes"
Somia
and Mimuru, who had become good friends, raised their hands lightly to each
other, and Irisdina and the others nodded slightly while exchanging greetings
with each other.
"Yo,
Irisdina. You're early today too."
"You
too, Mars-kun ..."
From
across the street, Mars, Tom, and Feo also came.
Even
though the sun was rising, it was still too early to go to school at this time,
and the streets were still quiet.
Even
though it was almost summer, the early morning air was still chilly, and Mimuru
sometimes shivered.
Irisdina
and the others walked through the cold streets. As they neared the central
park, Tima, who was walking next to Irisdina, opened her mouth.
"Ai
and Somia, are you going there again today?"
"……Yeah"
"Yes,
to be honest, we can't do much, but it's better than doing nothing..."
When
Tima asked her a question, Irisdina replied with a discouraged expression.
After
Irisdina's reply, Shīna spoke, but even her face seemed to have some shadow to
it.
"...
Hey, don't you think we should go too?"
"I'd
like to do that, but ..."
"Well,
I guess we can't. We don't have permission from Jihad-sensei after all."
Tom
and Feo spoke as if to follow Mars' words.
The
fox-tailed boy shrugged his shoulders and bent his mouth in frustration.
"Also,
we couldn't involve more people than we have to ..."
“…………”
Mars
fell silent at Feo's words. As if following his lead, silence reigned in the
area.
An
extraordinary power was released by Nozomu. Jihad and Inda who saw this
interrogated Irisdina and the others after the chaos of the incident had died
down.
At
first, Irisdina and the others were reluctant to talk about Nozomu being the
Dragon Slayer, but in the course of the interrogation, they were forced to tell
their secret.
Irisdina
aside, some of them were not good at lying. That was why they told Jihad and
Inda that Nozomu was a Dragon Slayer albeit reluctantly.
At
the same time, they also wanted to pull Jihad and Inda to their side.
Furthermore,
Jihad had been told all of Nozomu's secrets by Zonne, so Jihad interrogating
them was just a confirmation...
Irisdina
and the others continued on their way in silence. Eventually, they arrived at
the central park.
"Well,
this is as far as we go ..."
Irisdina
and Shīna turned off from the path to the school and headed in the other
direction.
The
remaining members of the group do their best to smile back at them.
"Alright,
we are going this way. Give Nozomu our regards."
"When
you get to him, give him a blow to the head or something. Maybe, with such a
shock he will wake up…”
"Mars-kun
...?"
Feo
waved his hand lightly to Irisdina and the others, followed by Mars, who made a
light remark.
When
Tima turned her gaze to Mars, he gave a small shrug.
"...
I'm kidding. Anyway, tell him that if he doesn't come to school soon, his
grades will be jeopardized."
"...
Okay, I'll let him know."
Mars
didn't really mean it either. He was simply trying to distract his friends.
Although
his remarks were inappropriate, it was his own clumsy way of caring for his
friends.
Even
though the time they spent together was not very long, Tima and the others,
understood how Mars was feeling right now.
"Ane-sama,
please take care of him..."
"Yeah
... I'm going"
Somia,
who had been smiling until a second ago, now had a hard expression on her face.
As if to reassure her sister, Irisdina gave her a pat on the head.
"Well
then everyone, see you at the school ..."
Irisdina
and Shīna started walking away from their friends. The destination was the
medical facility of the Gloaurum Institute where Nozomu was being treated.
============================
Irisdina
and Shīna visited the Gloaurum Institute and first talked to the female doctor
in charge of Nozomu, and then followed her for a visit.
The
three of them continued walking through the ward, where the chill of the night
still lingered.
Behind
the doctor, Iris and Shīna were carrying sheets, towels, and disinfectant trays
filled with tweezers, gauze, and bandages.
"By
the way, were your studies at school alright?"
"Don't
worry. The school is right next door to this facility, so we won't be late for
class."
"We
won't interfere with your work. We can't provide professional treatment, but we
can at least help you this much."
Irisdina
and Shīna responded clearly to the doctor's concerned words.
They
were now spending several hours a day in this medical facility, helping the
doctor. To be precise, they were taking care of a person who was treated in
this medical facility.
Nozomu
Bountis. Although he was not publicly known, he was a student at the school who
was involved in the recent Abyss Grief incident and fell into unconsciousness
at the same time.
Yes,
it had already been almost two weeks since the incident, but Nozomu still
hadn't regained consciousness.
It
was a few days after he was brought in that Irisdina and Shīna offered to take
care of him.
As
a female doctor, she had no intention of letting amateur students get involved
in professional medical treatment, so she frowned when Irisdina and Shīna
offered to help take care of Nozomu.
Originally,
there was no need to involve amateurs or outsiders in the medical care of such
a specialized institution.
Especially
in the case of Nozomu Bountis, Jihad Raundel personally reminded her that
contact with unnecessary people was strictly forbidden.
Irisdina
and Shīna were indeed related to the school, but they were not from the
Gloaurum Institute. Normally, they would not be allowed to help with Nozomu's
treatment, nor would they be allowed to enter this facility.
However,
they were now allowed to enter the facility only in relation to Nozomu.
The
reason for this was that Irisdina and the others made a fierce plea to Jihad,
who forbade contact with Nozomu, and Jihad decided that contact with them would
be beneficial to Nozomu.
However,
due to the strict rules and regulations of the facility and medical treatment,
it was not possible to give permission to everyone.
Therefore,
only a limited number of people were allowed to take care of Nozomu.
The
only actions they were allowed to perform were changing sheets, carrying
luggage, and periodically moving Nozomu's bedridden body to prevent bedsores.
No
matter how good they were, Irisdina and Shīna hadn't received any professional
medical education.
Furthermore,
those who were not accustomed to the work here sometimes made mistakes even in
even the simplest tasks.
When
this happened, the female doctor would raise her eyebrows and give them a
scolding, but Irisdina and Shīna never complained.
Rather,
they took the initiative and tried to complete any task.
And
on their way back, they bowed apologetically, saying they were sorry for the
inconvenience, and the people at the medical facility didn't feel disturbed by
them.
"Well,
that's okay. As long as you don't disturb me ..."
As
a result, even the normally difficult female doctor was complaining less and
less these days.
In
the meantime, they arrived at their destination.
The
three of them stop in front of a hospital room. In this room, there is Nozomu.
When
he was brought to this facility, Nozomu was in a state of extreme debilitation.
At first, it was thought that this was due to over-exhaustion, but even now,
when his body should have recovered, there was no sign of him waking up.
“…………”
“…………”
The
two beautiful girls stare at the door of the hospital room in silence.
Irisdina's eyebrows were slightly twitched and her cheeks were tense, Shīna's
hand that was holding the disinfectant board also unconsciously stiffened.
And
as if to show their concern, their straight eyes shook slightly.
This
was the kind of expression the girls always showed when they visited this
hospital room.
A
complicated expression, like a mixture of expectation and anxiety. They
desperately pushed their anxiety into the depths of their minds and grabbed the
doorknob of the hospital room where he was every day.
The
woman doctor let out a small sigh as she looked at them from the side.
"Good
grief, this is kind of hard ..."
She
may complain about it, but from her point of view, both of them had an aura
that was different from the others.
Their
fine skin and long hair flowed lightly in the wind. The dignified Irisdina and
the mysterious Shīna were different types of girls, but they were attractive
girls that everyone admires when they walk around the city.
Their
days were filled with rigorous schoolwork and training. Even though their
training exhausted their bodies and minds every day, they had come here to help
nurse him.
After
seeing them every day, the doctor who had been in contact with so many people
could easily understand how worried they were about him.
At
the same time, she felt a sense of helplessness in the current situation.
Nozomu
Bountis is currently in a deep coma. In other words, he was asleep and hadn't
woken up yet, but upon closer inspection, it turned out that he was in a rather
peculiar state.
He
is currently in a state of hypothermia and his pulse is slowing down, which is
similar to hibernation in animals.
Normally,
when a person's body temperature drops below 20 degrees Celsius, the heart
stops beating and the person dies. However, Nozomu's body temperature had
remained stable at around 31 degrees Celsius and had not fluctuated
significantly since then.
During
daily sleep, the human body temperature also drops to some extent, but it is
unlikely that the drop would be this large.
According
to theory, they should raise Nozomu's body temperature to increase metabolism
and encourage him to wake up, but they had no idea how this would work in
reality.
Furthermore,
since there was no sudden change in his condition at the moment, it was finally
decided to continue monitoring him.
But
at the same time, it also meant that they would continue to be in a situation
where they didn't know when Nozomu would wake up.
"Come
on ... Let's enter."
When
the doctor called out to the silent girls, Irisdina finally put her hand on the
door.
With
a creak of the hinges, the inorganic white of the hospital room peeked through
the gap of the door.
The
next moment, however, Irisdina and Shīna's eyes widened at the sight that came
into their eyes.
A
bleak hospital room with a simple bed and stand, and the figure of a boy lying
on it. However, the inorganic white of the room was now bathed in an
eye-catching crimson color.
As
if remembering something, the female doctor clapped her hands.
"Ah,
right, I didn't tell you. She was here before you two, so I had her go here
first."
A
girl looked into Nozomu's face as he lay in bed. Lisa Hounds was there.
“…………”
“…………”
Their
gazes crossed in silence.
===================================
A
room in Arcazam.
In
the office of the person who stood above all the teachers and instructors of
this school, a languid voice resounded.
"Good
grief, it's finally over."
"Thanks
for your hard work. As I thought, those documents won't be a problem for
you."
Zonne,
an old man with gray hair, sat down on the sofa with his shoulders slumped.
Sitting across him sat Jihad Raundel, the owner of this room.
"I've
delivered it to the destination properly. You made me go that far, made me have
to disguise myself as a messenger, and went through all those annoying
procedures ... You're a hard man to please, old man."
"But
without your help, our means of communication would have taken too long."
Jihad
smiled bitterly as he watched the old man's demeanor.
But
Jihad immediately stiffened his expression. His eyes, as sharp as a bird of
prey, pierced Zonne.
"And
we need to cooperate with each other on this matter. It's a must..."
"I
know, I know ... You've heard of my conditions, right?"
"Yeah
... it's about that, right?"
Zonne
had requested something from Jihad in order to cooperate with him.
"That's
right. I'd like to put a 'wedge' on this school ..."
"...
I know. I've thought of a few possible locations."
As
if prompted by Zonne's words, Jihad got up from the sofa and walked to a corner
of the office.
He
went to the desk. Underneath was a tightly sealed safe.
He
removed the multiple locks one by one and took out something from inside. It
was the map of Solminati Academy.
Jihad
spread out the map in front of Zonne and pointed to a certain point.
"There
are various magic facilities underground here. The 'wedge' you're talking about
won't be noticed by the academy's instructors here ..."
[Wedge]
The
word cannot be understood by those who hear it. But there was no one here to
pursue the details.
"Surely
you can disguise it with the facility above it ..."
"Yeah,
the problem is what is the effect on the facilities above it..."
"That
shouldn't be a problem. My magic is fundamentally different from yours
..."
"And
also, there's that other thing I asked you to look into ..."
"Yeah,
I've looked into it."
While
saying so, Zonne took a rolled-up bundle of paper from his pocket and threw it
on top of the spread-out school map.
"Thank
you"
Jihad
thanked him and took the bundle of papers in Zonne's hand, then he examined its
contents.
The
bundle of paper was filled with letters and a map attached to it.
It
was a map of Arcazam, drawn like a spider's web from the center. There were red
marks all over it.
"I
can't help you more than this."
Zonne
ended the conversation as if this was the end of the matter. Jihad nodded
slightly as if he knew that.
"I
know. Now, about Nozomu-kun ..."
“He hasn't woken up yet, has he? Don't
worry. The reason that boy fell asleep is because his previously dormant
abilities have suddenly manifested. Well, maybe Tiamat has something to do with
it …”
He
sat down on the sofa, slumped down, and waved his hand in the air as if it was
obvious.
"In
the first place, the kid's ability, unlike Tiamat's, is not originally meant to
hurt him. He may be asleep at the moment, but he will awaken when he calms
down."
Jihad's
eyes sharpened when he heard those words.
"...
So, you've already examined his body?"
"Of
course. My original purpose was to watch over the fate of that little
boy."
To
be honest, Jihad didn't remember giving permission to Zonne to meet with
Nozomu, as he was not affiliated with the school. But it was the old man he was
talking about. He must have snuck in and inspected his body.
Jihad
furrowed his brow at being taken advantage of. He let out a small sigh.
Given
the old man's extraordinary ability, it
would be easy for him to break into the facility.
"You
said your purpose was to watch over Nozomu-kun, but you didn't even try to
actively engage him."
"Good
gracious! Does it look like that?"
Jihad's
eyes squinted, but he did not look away from the old man in front of him.
An
inexplicable heaviness filled the bright early morning office.
No,
it was only Jihad who was giving off a heavy atmosphere, while Zonne remained
relaxed, tilting his head and stroking his beard.
The
old man didn't seem to be upset, and there was not a hint of agitation in him.
"It's
understandable, considering who you are, but ...... there seems to be some
other reason for it ..."
"Is
that so? I don't think that's the case ..."
"…
I see."
Zonne
tilted his head and stroked his beard, and Jihad continued to stare at the old
man.
Silence
reigned in the office for a few moments.
"We'll
talk about the 'wedge' later this evening when the moon is fully up ..."
"All
right, See you at that time then ..."
It
was Jihad who broke the silence. Following him, Zonne rose from the couch and
turned on his heel.
Jihad
didn't know if the old man just didn't want to talk, or if he really had
nothing to say, but it was hard to keep the conversation going in like that.
There
were multiple presences coming. It was the arrival of the teachers and students
to the school.
Another
day began.
A
certain amount of time had passed since the incident caused by Ken Notis, and
things were beginning to calm down at the school.
However,
underneath the surface, a powerful storm was still blowing.
What
kind of consequences will that storm bring to this school?
Nozomu
Bountis had been discovered to be the youngest Dragon Slayer.
He
was surrounded by his friends, including Irisdina Francilt, and his
ex-girlfriend, Lisa Hounds.
The
movements of Mekria and other outside forces.
And
the old man in front of him.
Something
big is going on in this school right now.
Jihad
felt it keenly as he watched Zonne raise his staff and disappeared with the
light.