Chapter 7 Part 18
Translator : PolterGlast
A
huge wall surrounded Arcazam.
The
thick walls, over 10 meters high, were not made of bricks but of natural stone
and engraved with magic circles, making them extremely resistant to physical
and magical attacks.
The
massive wall was far surpassed that of ordinary castles. This wall, built 10
years ago to prevent invasion from outside enemies, showcased Arcazam's
sturdiness and at the same time clearly illustrated the importance of this
city.
Nevertheless,
in the peaceful daily life of the city, it had become a resting place for
birds. The messengers of the sky were resting their wings on the corner of the
wall, chirping.
On
the wall where these birds were resting, a girl in a white robe stood there.
Her
hair is white reminiscent of ice. She was probably in her mid-teens. The light
red ribbon that tied her hair made the girl look even younger than she was on
the outside.
The
girl, called Azel, gently stroked the ribbon while leaving herself in the
breeze, and staring at a point in the city.
Her
eyes were dyed with hatred and rage. Not a single bird was approaching her,
perhaps because of the anger oozing out of her body.
"Azel.
So you're in a place like this..."
An
old man called out from behind Azel, who glared at Arcazam. For some reason,
birds were swarming around the old man's shoulders and head.
Zonne
smiled at the birds pecking at him with their beaks. He pulled out some bread
crumbs from his pocket and started sprinkling them around.
The
birds immediately rushed to the crumbs and began to peck at them.
Zonne
looked at the happy birds with satisfaction and then turned his attention to
Azel, who was still glaring at Arcazam.
"Did
you observe that little boy?"
Azel
slowly turned around without answering. The birds that had been pecking at the
food stopped moving.
Azel's
mouth was tightly shut, and her eyes, stained with rage, spoke eloquently of
her feelings.
"Do
you want to kill that boy? If you do that, Tiamat will be released for sure. If
that happens, we'll be right back where we started. In the first place, you are
not powerful enough to destroy that black dragon, do you?"
Azel
frowned at Zonne's words.
In
the first place, the odds of winning against an existence that even a dragon
with many years of experience could not beat would be lower than finding a
grain of gold from the sandy beach.
"I
understand, Grandfather. But I just can't leave that dragon alone."
However,
Azel seemed to have no intention of stopping even at such an obvious fact. Her
bright, shining eyes reject all other intentions.
Zonne
shook his head in resignation.
"If
so, it can't be helped. Now is a crucial time, so
I won't let you interfere with that brat ..."
Realizing
that persuasion was impossible, Zonne stepped forward and held his staff up. It
seemed that he intended to stop the girl in front of him even by force.
The
tension in the air increased at once. The birds that had been watching Zonne
flap their wings in unison and flee from the place.
White
light leaked out from the wrinkled body of the old man. A shimmering light
rose, and at the same time, Zonne's piercing gaze was directed at Azel.
It
was so intimidating that even a hungry demon beast seemed to be silenced.
However, even under such a gaze from Zonne, Azel was determined not to back
down.
Seeing
Azel's figure, Zonne's eyes squinted.
"You
can't do it alone, anyway."
"Sure,
I can't do it alone. If I'm alone that is…”
She
was no match if she were on her own. Azel's words were as if to say that she
was aware of such a fact.
In
front of Zonne, who was holding his staff with a dubious expression on his
face, Azel reached into her pocket.
She
took out a white crystal with a shining hair ornament inside. The moment he saw
the crystal, Zonne's expression froze.
"~
!? T-, that's!"
Zonne's
eyes couldn't have been more wide open and a look of surprise stretched across
his face. While Zonne's thoughts were completely rigid, Azel quickly deployed a
magic circle.
The
crystal in Azel's hand emitted light, and a mandala-patterned magic circle
appeared in the air and began to glow. The magic circle was so huge that it was
comparable to the circle that Zonne had displayed in front of Nozomu and the
others in the previous incident.
The
moment Zonne saw the glowing magic circle, he cursed himself for his
carelessness and hurriedly deployed a magic circle.
However,
he was one step too late.
Azel's
magic circle was approaching Zonne. Before Zonne could activate his magic,
Azel's magic circle had enveloped the old man and exploded.
A
momentary flash. After less than a second, all that was left was grass growing
through a gap in the bricks.
The
old man who should have been there a moment ago was gone as if he had never
been there in the first place.
"Even
if it's grandpa, I believe this will at least buy me some time, no matter how experienced
grandpa is. Now I just need to go to that detestable dragon..."
Azel's
mumbled words echoed on the walls.
She
looked down at the crystal in her hand and bit her lip.
The
slight awkwardness on her expressionless face was either regret for deceiving
her relative or something else.
At
that moment, Azel's eyes caught a glimpse of her own hair blowing in the wind.
A
light crimson mixed in with the all-white.
She
gently stroked her ribbon and clutched the crystal in her hand.
"Father,
please help me to fulfill my long-cherished wish ..."
Azel
meditated as if in prayer and took a deep breath.
She
opened her eyes, put the crystal back in her pocket, and looked at a spot on
Arcazam again.
"Today,
I will erase your disgrace."
The
magic circle deployed again. With a popping sound, she disappeared from the top
of the walls.
The
feathers left behind by the birds were dancing in the wind on the empty walls.
=====================================
Nozomu
and Lisa walked toward the commercial district. There was a subtle gap and a
heavy silence between them as they remained silent. Nozomu and Lisa were both
concerned about each other. They moved their shoulders unnaturally, glancing
sideways at each other.
"So,
Lisa, where are we headed to? ..."
It
was no use to leave things as they were. Nozomu called out to Lisa on the
pretext of confirming the request from Norn.
It
was a fact. He was asked to help pick up and transport a package, but he had
yet to confirm the details of his destination.
However,
Lisa's reply was curt.
"A
little further. It's a bit far from the main street, but it's a pretty big
store in the commercial district, so you should be able to find it..."
"I
see ..."
“…………”
Lisa
began to go ahead of Nozomu as if to show him the way.
Nozomu
opened his mouth to say something, but contrary to his will, no words come out
of his throat.
Nozomu
had no choice but to watch Lisa's back as she moved ahead without saying a
word.
The
two of them were unable to measure the distance between each other. No wonder.
In the weeks following the incident, the two had not seen each other at all.
But
more than that, two years have passed, and a deep feud lies between them.
Nozomu
closed his eyes and asked himself once again.
He
had been struggling with the purpose of breaking the distorted relationship
between Lisa and Ken once and for all. But what kind of future did he envision
for himself beyond that?
To
tell the truth, he had not thought about it. He just thought that he could not
go on like this and acted accordingly.
Perhaps
he had unconsciously refused to think about it. In a sense, this was also the
result of his own escape, Nozomu thought to himself with a self-mocking smile.
However,
the current Nozomu was not bound by such a thing. He was beginning to think
about what kind of relationship he wanted with Lisa.
As
a lover? As a friend? As a childhood friend? Or as a complete stranger?
The
thoughts that came to mind were still unspeakably messy, and he was unable to
express them well.
Once
again, Nozomu looked at Lisa's back as she moved ahead. Her slender, feminine
back. He used to want to protect her back.
Seeing
her safe and sound, the chaotic feelings that had been swirling in his chest
until a moment ago subsided.
There
was still an indescribable knot in his heart, but if she was safe like this, he
might have fulfilled a little of the promise that was once lost.
When
he thought so, he felt that his heart was a little lighter.
(Have
I changed too ... I wonder?)
He
gripped the hilt of the katana at his waist tightly. The bond he has with his
master, who made him realize his mistakes, supported him even though she was no
longer with him.
The
first step he was able to take. From there, he was able to gain some really
important friends.
If
he had only followed Lisa's dream, he would never have become so close to Iris
and the others.
The
back of the girl he once wanted to protect. He was still confused but happy at
the same time to be able to walk like this again, and he could see the friends
who had saved him beyond her back.
Stopping,
running away, and struggling, he might have changed before he knew it.
His
future, his personal goals. He still couldn't envision it. But.......
"……Eh?"
Nozomu,
who was sunk in his own thoughts, suddenly noticed that he had deviated from
the side of the main street and was walking down a secluded street.
He
looked around to see that he had already left the main street, and there were
only a handful of small stalls.
Before
he knew it, Lisa's legs were leading him further and further away from the
center of the commercial district, where houses were beginning to line up all
around him.
"Hey
Lisa, are you sure this is the way? There doesn't seem to be a store selling
goods to the school here..."
Lisa
strode ahead without responding to Nozomu's words. Nozomu had no choice but to
follow.
They
entered a side street and passed through it, which led them to a vast field.
Beyond the thick vegetation, huge walls rose up, glistening in the sunlight.
"Well,
this is the outer edge of the city, isn't it? Why are we here ..."
They
arrived at the outer edge of Arcazam. The vast space between the walls and the
city stretched out before Nozomu's eyes.
Nozomu
tilted his head in doubt. At that moment, Lisa suddenly turned around.
Nozomu
gulped at the expression on her face.
Her
eyes were filled with a sense of anguish and her mouth was clenched into a
tight line as if she was trying to endure something. With such a pained
expression on her face, Lisa looked straight at Nozomu.
"...Actually,
the thing about helping Norn-sensei is a lie."
"Eh?
What do you mean by a lie? ..."
Nozomu,
who did not fully understand the situation, sounded dumbfounded. Lisa looked at
Nozomu with an apologetic look as she stared at him.
“It
was the excuse Norn-sensei prepared for me…”
"Excuse?"
"Yes,
an excuse, so that I can talk to you alone ..."
Nozomu's
eyes widened at Lisa's words.
He
had been thinking that he needed to have a chance to talk to her. But Nozomu
had never imagined that Lisa also felt the same way.
Nozomu's
feelings for Lisa and Lisa's feelings for Nozomu were like tangled threads, too
complicated to describe in a single word.
Lisa
understood the pain that eroded her heart.
It
was the regret of not trusting Nozomu and the remorse that she had continued
tormenting him.
Thus,
having come face to face with Nozomu like this, making something that she had
been desperately trying to suppress, dislodged.
"I've
been pretending not to see it all along. I kept trying not to notice and kept
hurting you, Nozomu ..."
A
confession of one's sins and an apology. It was painful as if she was tearing
her own heart out with her own hands. But more than that, her heart was burning
like a flame.
The
pain in her chest increased with each word she uttered. The feelings that had
been building up in her heart began to overflow as if a shackle had been
removed and she could no longer hold it in.
"I
took it for granted when Nozomu was being treated so badly. The truth is, it
was all my fault..."
Lisa
continued to expose the thoughts swirling deep inside her heart while tearing
her own heart.
The
remorse that had been building up in her heart could no longer be controlled.
"It's
natural for them to hate me and to loathe me, but Nozomu is ..."
She
couldn't ask for forgiveness. She felt she didn't deserve it.
But
she remembered that Nozomu gritted his teeth in the face of his anger and
suppressed it. He didn't direct his abusive words at Lisa, but simply expressed
his concern for her wellbeing.
With
trembling legs and a mouth about to fall silent, Lisa desperately tried to
shape every word.
"T-,
that's why. I thought I had to say it properly... B-, but it's too late for me
to do that now..."
It
was too late to talk about it now. His side felt so far away now, and there
were already people who deserved to be where she used to be.
Still,
Lisa knew she could not allow herself to rot away.
In
Lisa's eyes, two girls were visible behind Nozomu.
One
was a dignified girl with black hair. She was torn by the sight of her beloved
person not waking up, and she was so concerned about Nozomu's safety. She was a
strong woman who was jealous of Lisa, whom he tried to save at all costs, but
tried to suppress her jealousy.
The
other was an elf girl who took Nozomu's feelings into consideration and
reminded Lisa while killing her own feelings.
They
would surely support Nozomu to the end.
She
envied the girls who could be beside him. Even though such thoughts came to
mind, she couldn't stop thinking about Nozomu's feelings...
Therefore,
no matter how painful it might be, she had to say it properly. Otherwise, she
wouldn't even be allowed to appear before him.
That's
why .......
"A-,
at that time I didn't believe you ... I-, I'm so- "
"~
!?"
(I'm
sorry)
Just
as Lisa was about to say those words, Nozomu somehow hardened the expression on
his face.
He
leaped toward Lisa in an instant, held her body in his arms, and jumped away
from the place.
"Eh……?"
Lisa
screamed in surprise when she saw Nozomu's expression and the sudden floating
sensation spread before her eyes.
However,
the next moment, a powerful shock struck Lisa's body along with a flash that
burned her eyes.
"Kyaa~!"
"Guu
!"
Their
bodies were thrown into the air and slammed to the ground.
What
in the world was going on?
In
front of Lisa, who was confused and did not understand what was going on,
Nozomu quickly stood up and pulled out the katana at his waist.
The
reflexive action he had acquired naturally prepared his body for battle.
Confused
by the situation, Lisa also stood up in a hurry and carefully searched the
area.
Who
exactly was the attacker? The identity of the attacker immediately became
clear.
A
girl was staring at Nozomu and Lisa from about 20 meters away. Her eyes were a
mixture of boiling magma-like rage and icy murderous intent.
Nozomu
involuntarily gulped his spit down at the intense hostility that suddenly
assaulted him.
"You
are ... if I'm not mistaken, Azel-san,
right?”
Meanwhile,
Lisa recognized the girl in front of her. It was the girl who had argued with
the old man called Zonne who owned the fortune-telling store the other day.
Nozomu
asked Lisa, who unintentionally mentioned the girl's name.
"Lisa
... do you know her?"
"Y-yes.
She's a girl I saw in an old man's store called Zonne..."
"……Eh?"
Nozomu
was dubious at the mention of Zonne's name coming out of Lisa's mouth.
Since
the incident that Ken caused, the old man's whereabouts have been unknown for
some time.
How
did Lisa know Zonne's name in the first place?
As
far as Nozomu knew, Lisa and Zonne had never had any contact with each other.
If
that were the case, it would make sense to assume that there had been some sort
of contact recently, but what was the reason the old man had contacted Lisa in
the first place?
Nozomu
already knew that Zonne had extraordinary abilities. He had some kind of
agenda, and that was why he was in contact with Nozomu.
And
Lisa said that the girl who turned hostile in front of them was also with
Zonne. If that was the case, then there was no doubt that she was related to
the old man.
"That
means, that old man was involved in this? But that pervy geezer never showed
this kind of hostility toward me before..."
Although
the old man seemed to be hiding something, he had never been so clearly
hostile.
Then,
was this attack an act of this girl's own accord, or was that old man just
cleverly hiding his hostility?
"Damn,
I don't get it ..."
The
sudden turn of events seemed confusing, but for the time being, Nozomu brushed
aside the many questions that kept popping up in his head.
The
hostility directed at him from the girl in front of him was becoming sharper
and sharper as if it was about to pierce through his body. Nozomu, too,
naturally prepared his stance while holding his katana at the ready.
Lisa
was also watching Azel carefully, but inwardly, she was not so sure.
Lisa
herself knew very little about her. The only thing she knew was that she
harbored a clear murderous intent toward Nozomu. And that the cause of her
anger was related to Nozomu's secret.
Lisa
glanced sideways at Nozomu. What in the world was he hiding?
It
was precisely because of this situation that Lisa couldn't help but be curious
about Nozomu's secret.
"Lisa!
She's coming!"
"A~!"
Lisa
was caught up in unnecessary thoughts. Nozomu's words forced her to pull back
her floating mind.
When
she noticed, there were already countless magic circles around Azel.
"W-,
what is that !?"
"Kuh~
!?"
A
mandala-patterned magic circle was being formed at an unbelievable speed. Lisa
involuntarily screamed out at the complex and bizarre magic technique that she
had never seen before.
Rushed
by the chill running down his spine, Nozomu stepped forward, but Azel's magic
technique was taking shape too fast and he obviously couldn't get there in
time.
*Flash!*
A
flash of light flashed along with an ear-splitting sound.
When
the light subsided, there was no one there.
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