Chapter 7 Part 3
Translator : PolterGlast
Even
after the incident caused by Ken Notis, classes at the school were still going
on without a hitch on the surface.
It
was the same in the third year, first-class classroom to which he belonged.
Irisdina,
having finished nursing Nozomu, was walking down the hallway leading to her
classroom.
The
morning assembly had probably not started yet. There were buzzing conversations
leaking into the hallway from inside the classroom.
When
Irisdina arrived in front of her classroom, she took a deep breath and put her
hand on the door.
When
the door rattled open, all eyes in the classroom turned to her at once.
The
hustle and bustle that had been going on earlier had suddenly stopped, and all
eyes filled with interest and curiosity turned to her at once.
Irisdina
sat down in her seat, ignoring all of the various gazes around her.
The
information about Irisdina and Shīna treating the injured Nozomu had not been
made public.
However,
it was a fact that Nozomu, who had been spending a lot of time with Irisdina
and the others recently, was currently being treated in the hospital after
being injured in a recent incident.
Irisdina
and Shīna were frequently seen coming to school late and leaving immediately
after school ended, anyone could get a rough idea of what was going on.
In
fact, there was a student who actually asked Irisdina directly, "Are you
going to visit Nozomu?" and she didn't deny it either.
The
only thing that Jihad kept quiet about was that Nozomu was a Dragon Slayer and
about Abyss Grief.
Since
it was a well-known fact that Nozomu was hospitalized, there was no need to
deny it.
However,
this fact caused quite a stir among the students.
Irisdina
is one of the five most beautiful girls in the school. And considering her
ability, origin, and potential, it was impossible not to gossip about her.
Precisely
because she was unattainable, she attracted people's interest and attention.
The
dark-haired princess had a new love interest.
Recently,
she and Nozomu had been getting along well, and rumors about this had been
circulating, but when she started taking care of Nozomu, the story spread
throughout the school at once.
The
fact that Lisa Hounds' gossip had sprung up just at that time also contributed
to the spread of this rumor.
"Hey,
Is it true that Irisdina-san.. with that
guy..."
"I
wonder about that. Nozomu and Irisdina-san are an unusual combination, aren't
they? Nozomu certainly seems to be ridiculously strong, but he's not someone of
noble birth, isn't he?"
"But
it's obvious that the black-haired princess has been acting strange lately. It
seems she lost her composure…”
Even
though her surroundings were noisy, Irisdina's mind was on something else
entirely.
From
the beginning, Irisdina was accustomed to the gazes of those around her.
She
had lived in a narrow, aristocratic society that was sensitive to other
people's rumors.
Compared
to that sticky, suffocating, damp, and cold world, she didn't care about the
gossip of the students.
Therefore,
it was not such a rumor that dominated her mind now.
What
came to her mind was Nozomu lying in a hospital room. And all she could think
of was his childhood friend who was nursing him.
"Hey,
what do you think?"
"I
wonder about that ... Kevin?..."
"……Ha!?"
"S-sorry,
it's nothing ..."
"Idiot,
why did you ask him? ..."
"It
just slipped out..."
"Fuh..."
Irisdina turned her gaze out the window, ignoring the annoying voices around her.
Summer
is already near.
Young
birds were resting on the branches of the trees that lined up in the central
park, as they were about to leave their nests.
Outside
the window, the sun was shining brightly.
However,
in contrast to the city brilliantly illuminated by the sunlight, her mood was
dark and depressed.
Nozomu
was not waking up. When she saw him like that, it made her recall her past memories.
It
was a story from when Irisdina was a child.
Somia
didn't remember it, but Irisdina remembered her late mother well.
A
gentle smile and a graceful gesture. Her mother was a gentle person with a
charm that could attract people just by standing.
Irisdina
loved her mother, always called, "Mother, mother!", and would cling
to her legs.
Sometimes
she grabbed the skirt of her dress or picked flowers from her favorite
flowerbed with the intention of giving her a present, but her kind mother would
just pat her head with a troubled look on her face and never scold her.
Instead,
her father was the one who scold her.
She
remembered how her mother loved her and how she gently comforted her when she
was crying.
Irisdina
played with her own glossy black hair, curling it with her fingertips.
Her
lustrous black hair was also inherited from her mother. It was her pride and
precious thing that allowed her to feel the connection with her late mother.
However,
Irisdina's mother was never a strong person.
Her
mother suffered considerably when she gave birth to her first daughter who was
born prematurely.
Then
she had her second child.
When
Irisdina knew it, her mother had a big smile on her face, and she was very
happy that she would have a sibling.
When
her father found out that her mother was pregnant with Somia, he had one of the
best doctors in the country working exclusively for her mother, and he made
careful preparations for her mother.
Irisdina
knew that her mother was frail and wanted to do something to help her, but
there was nothing a six-year-old girl could do.
And
her mother, who was pregnant, became frequently ill, partly due to her original
frail constitution.
Her
mother's personal doctor made careful preparations for her dietary improvements
and childbirth, and her father gathered rare medicines that had been passed
down in distant lands.
But
their efforts were not enough, and her mother gradually became weaker and
weaker.
Even
healing magic could not be used on her frail mother.
Instead
of regaining her physical condition, she would use up her remaining strength,
which would be irreversible.
Her
mother developed a fever every few days and gradually became unable to walk.
As
her mother's belly grew larger, the intervals between her bedtime became
shorter and shorter. To Irisdina, it seemed as if a new life was taking her
mother's life.
Finally,
her mother became so worn out that she could no longer get out of bed.
(Master,
regarding your wife, I'm sorry but you have to prepare for the worst...)
Irisdina
happened to overhear words that her mother's personal doctor told to her father
at night.
Knowing
that her beloved mother's life was in danger, Irisdina prayed night after night
for her mother's safety.
(Please
help mother!)
At
that time, Irisdina was hoping that her mother's life would be saved more than
the unborn life.
On
the other hand, that unborn life might look like a sinister thing that would
take her mother's life.
(It's
okay, Irisdina ... Mom, will do her best ...)
But
her mother was different.
She
had lost weight, her cheekbones were protruding, and she looked like a
different person, but she was rubbing her growing belly with a big smile on her
face. For her mother, the unborn life looked precious, really precious.
(I
wonder if it's Irisdina's brother or sister who will be born ... Fufu! I'm
looking forward to it.)
Her
mother's figure smiling lovingly was still vividly burned in Irisdina's mind.
She
must have felt extremely happy when she received the unborn life and saw it
growing inside her belly.
Even
though her mother looked like a dried-up, skinny woman, the image of a mother
thinking of her unborn child was so beautiful that it was hard to deny.
That
was the last smile Irisdina saw on her mother's face.
Her
sister was born at the same time her mother passed away.
The
figure of her mother, who lay motionless and silent, was still burned into her
eyes.
(M-mother...?)
No
matter how much Irisdina called her mother out, her mother didn't answer.
(Mother!
Mother !!)
No
matter how loud she shouted, shook, or pulled her mother's hand, her cold
mother gave her no response.
Her
mother had already become a corpse. Irisdina was confronted with the fact that
her mother, who had burned up all her life, had left this world, whether she
wanted to or not.
Everyone
there was speechless, and her father, who was usually taciturn, was weeping in
front of the servants at that time.
Even
to the young Irisdina, her mother's death was like a sharp blade that cut
deeply into her heart.
A
sharp pain ran through her chest, and the gust of wind that blew in through the
scar took the heat out of Irisdina's heart.
Her
heart, her emotions, froze. Just like the corpse of her mother sleeping in
front of her.
Whether
she yelled, shook, or pulled her hand, her cold mother didn't reply to her.
*Waaa!
Waaa!*
At
that time, it was the voice of her newborn sister that echoed in the silent
room.
A
young life was born, fed by the life of her mother.
Irisdina,
who had been preoccupied with her mother's death, turned her attention for the
first time to her newborn sister.
A
tiny, tiny infant, lying next to her mother, who was sleeping peacefully.
It
was a life as fragile as glass, but as bright as the sun.
Gently,
she reached out and touched her sister's forehead.
It
was warm.
The
heartbeat and the heat she felt through the palm of her hand gradually seeped
into Irisdina's body.
She
recalled the face of her mother, who was smiling at her as she slowly
approached death.
At
that moment, Irisdina suddenly understood.
Ah,
my mother wanted to keep this warmth alive. Even if she were to give all her
life to this child ...
(Mother
...)
Something
hot ran down Irisdina's cheek.
Strangely,
the thought that her sister had killed her mother did not occur to her.
The
warmth of her sister's body on the palm of her hand. It was like her mother's
warmth, gently comforting the young Irisdina.
The
wound in her chest was closed by her mother's feelings entrusted to her sister.
At
that moment, she made a vow in her heart. She will protect her sister in place
of her mother.
However,
now that Nozomu had fallen asleep, the wound that should have been closed was
about to reopen.
"Nozomu
..."
Nozomu's
name naturally came out of Irisdina's mouth as she stared out the window.
Nozomu's
figure lying on the bed overlapped with the last moments of her mother's life.
The
sight of Nozomu's face, as if he were dead, undeniably stirred the wounds in
her heart.
Irisdina
clutched her chest tightly as if to suppress the prickling wound.
The
doctor said that there was nothing wrong with Nozomu's body. She said that his
spirit was just hibernating.
However,
such a thing did not calm her down.
One's
mind and body were closely intertwined.
If
the spirit dies, the body also dies, and vice versa.
Moreover,
Nozomu's soul carried a tremendous amount of danger.
(If
Nozomu didn't wake up ... )
The
worst-case scenario that came to her mind inevitably stirred Irisdina's heart.
This
was not the first time she had been driven by this anxiety.
Every
time she saw him asleep in the hospital bed, Irisdina caught a glimpse of her
mother's death.
Previously,
it was just for a few days. But this time it had been far too long.
The
growing sense of frustration and loneliness drove her uncontrollably.
At
that moment, at the edge of Irisdina's vision, she saw someone's reflection in
the windowpane.
Her
red hair was tied back and she was facing her head down as if to hide in the
shadows around her.
“…………”
When
she confirmed the appearance, the stabbing pain in her chest increased.
And
the pain was getting worse. Her feelings for Nozomu were further contributing
to that pain.
(I
want you to be by my side)
Those
were the words she directed at him when he was swallowed by Tiamat and went out
of control. The wish from the bottom of her heart was now felt painful.
Irisdina
shouldn't be the one to tell Lisa Hounds about Nozomu's thoughts and feelings.
Only
one person in the world was qualified to tell her that. Only Nozomu himself,
who was still asleep.
Irisdina
gritted her teeth and put a lid on the feelings of impatience that had nowhere
else to go.
She
could see his smile in her mind. The smile he had shown to his friends who had
accepted his past.
The
first person outside of her family to whom she wished to smile from the bottom
of her heart. Thinking of his smile, Irisdina desperately suppressed the black
thoughts swirling in her chest.
Hoping
that he would wake up as soon as possible.
====================================
While Irisdina was
feeling frustrated, there was someone else who was equally hurt.
An instructor's
lecture was flowing in the classroom of the second class in the third year.
"... Mainly, the
deployment of the army in the Great Invasion was deployed individually by each
country who was facing the invading demon beasts. Because of that, the biggest
problem at that time was the coordination of those various armies."
Shīna was in the
classroom where the lecture was going on, and she opened her textbook and
followed the words listed in it with her eyes.
However, her eye
movements were erratic and somewhat unfocused.
Shīna's slender
fingers tapped restlessly on the corner of the textbook.
She was usually
serious. She had the good looks of a fairy, which gave a stiff impression to
those who didn't know her well.
But now, instead of
her usual stiff expression, she gave off a somewhat frivolous impression.
Her attention was now
directed out the window, not to the lecture. To the Gloaurum Institution as
seen from the window. To a boy sleeping there.
"The Allied
Forces were originally assembled at the request of countries invaded by demon
beasts, but when multiple forces like this are combined, it is often difficult
to integrate the chain of command ..."
Even though Shīna was
in the middle of a class, she concentrated on the path that she had previously
connected to Nozomu and attempted to make contact with his spirit.
She closed her eyes
and carefully maneuvered through the single thread that had been stretched
still within her.
As she put her magic
power into it, the thin thread gradually increased in thickness.
The thread became
thicker, and then it expanded at once as if exploding from the inside.
Her vision widened and
a gentle wind blew.
A corridor was created
connecting Nozomu and Shīna's spirit, and her consciousness flew toward
Nozomu's spirit.
There was no ground.
In this corridor, unbound by gravity, Shīna's spirit could even fly like a
bird.
Feeling the wind on
her cheeks, Shīna headed toward the end of the corridor where Nozomu's spirit
was located.
But just as her
consciousness reached the border of Nozomu's spirit, it appeared.
"...~!"
Multiple chains
suddenly ran in front of Shīna, who was feeling the wind as she passed through
the magic path.
Like a school of fish
swimming in the sea, the chains swam through the corridor in every direction.
The scene was like
something came out of a dream. However, Shīna ignored the chains running in the
air and pushed her body forward.
Then, the swarm of
chains changed direction in mid-air and attacked Shīna.
"Kuh~ !?"
Shīna avoided the
swarm of chains coming toward her from above by turning her body away from it.
The swarm of chains
penetrated the space where Shīna's body had just been and scattered in all
directions as they rose again.
The chains, which had
broken free from the swarm, now attacked Shīna from all directions, up, down,
left, and right.
Shīna skillfully
maneuvered her body to avoid the countless chains rushing toward her.
She increased her
speed to pull away from those chasing after her from behind and rose to avoid
the chains coming at her from the left and right.
She dodged the chains
coming from above by twisting her body, and at the same time, she quickly
brushed off the chains catching up to her from below with her hands by rotating
to gain momentum to spin around to avoid being caught by the chains.
Up and down, right and
left, Shīna flew around the corridor of the magic path, moving forward a little
at a time.
But the further she
went, the more chains chased her.
At first, there were
only a few chains, but then there were more than ten, and then more than
twenty.
And before she knew
it, over a hundred chains were chasing her.
"Ah gosh, they
are persistent!"
Shīna, who was
frustrated with the persistent swarm of chains, couldn't help but raise her
voice.
However, when she
shouted, her concentration was slightly diverted.
As if to seize the
opportunity, the chains tangled around her legs.
"Kya~ ...!?"
A small scream escaped
from Shīna's mouth.
The chains entangling Shīna's
legs pulled her body at once.
The chains pulled
Shīna back in the direction she had come from in an instant, and her body was
tossed like a piece of paper trash.
Shīna, who had been
thrown out while spinning around, managed to regain her posture, and before she
knew it, a large shadow was standing in front of her.
If she had to describe
it in one word, it would be a “wall of chains” that reached the sky.
A myriad of chains
were gathered together and stood in front of Shīna's eyes.
She grabbed one of the
chains and attempted to move forward while cutting her way through them.
"N~! Nnn ~~~
!!"
With all the strength
she could muster, she pulled on the chain.
However, the chains
were tugged harder than she expected, and Shīna's slender arms were not able to
pull them off.
Shīna struggled with
the chains for a while, but when she came face to face with the wall of chains
that did not seem to be loosening no matter how much effort she put into it,
her shoulders slumped.
"As usual, they
won't let me go any further from here..."
Gently touching the
wall of chains in front of her, Shīna muttered while feeling lonely.
Shīna had tried to
reach Nozomu's spirit several times before. However, the path was always
blocked by this wall of chains.
Her lonely voice echoed
through the empty magic path.
The swarm of silent
chains returned a cold touch as if to answer her question.
Shīna, who had been in
front of the wall for a while, exhaled heavily and peeked through a gap in the
chains to see what was ahead.
Through the gap, she
could see a light, flickering like a bonfire.
"But you are
there, aren't you?"
It was blurry and
almost impossible to see, but the light was gentle as if it was a sleeping
baby.
Shīna exhaled a little
and rested her back against the wall of chains.
"Okay. I'll be
waiting. But let me stay here for a while..."
Shīna meditated for a
while, letting the cool sensation on her back soothe her heart.
Looking through the
gap between the chains, she felt Tiamat's presence and danger in Nozomu's soul,
and what she feared most of all was that the giant dragon would devour Nozomu's
spirit.
But Nozomu's spirit
was safe. He was just sleeping.
If she could confirm
this fact directly and inform her friends waiting outside, they would be able
to relax for the time being.
However, the coldness
she felt on her back made her feel lonely.
Even though he was
near, she couldn't touch him. She couldn't see him. She couldn't hear his
voice.
Even so, she couldn't
get his smile out of her head.
Even if he didn't
answer, she wanted to stay here to feel his presence as long as she could.
"A~……"
At that moment, the
words of her best friend came back to her mind.
(Shīna, if you've ever
had someone you love, I think you'll understand. You want to be with that
person all the time and you want that person to love you back.)
"Ah, I see. I
wonder if Mimuru and Tom always feel this way, and Tima-san always looks at
Mars-kun with this kind of feeling."
It was the first time
Shīna became aware of her love for him. It was the moment she realized the
small flame shining deep in her chest.
At the same time, that
small fire gradually burned Shīna's heart.
She felt frustrated
because she couldn't get a reply from him and she couldn't touch him even
though he was near.
"What are you
doing? Please, wake up ..."
The weak muttering
voice in the magic path where silence reigned soon turned into a sob.
A wall of chains
blocking her.
A ball of light
flickered behind it.
What is Nozomu doing
in the middle of it? ......
======================================
"Where is
this?"
While muttering a dull
line, he gazed at the strange scenery spread out before him with a dazed look
on his face.
