Chapter 7 Part 28
Translator : PolterGlast
Nozomu, who was absent
from school, invited Lisa and went out for a walk in Arcazam together.
They passed through
the civic district where the student dormitories were located and headed for
the central park in the middle of the city.
Sitting on a park
bench, Nozomu and Lisa gazed at the chalk-white school building of Solminati
Academy in silence.
For a while, silence
flowed between the two.
"Umm, I'm
sorry."
It was Nozomu who
opened his mouth first.
He glanced sideways to
check Lisa's shortened hair and looked down in regret.
Her hair, which was
cut to the shoulders, was now trimmed even shorter, making her look like a boy.
"I told you, no
need to apologize. I just wanted a change of pace. Well, Camilla surprised
me."
Contrary to Nozomu,
who had a painful expression on her face, Lisa had a clear expression, and she
waved her hand, saying not to worry about it.
"No, that one
too, but what I mean is that everything happened until now."
"That's not
something Nozomu should apologize for, isn't it? To begin with, it was my fault
because I couldn't believe you, Nozomu..."
This time, Lisa's
expression became clouded.
Even though she had
been fooled by Ken's plan, it was definitely her who had thrown abusive words
at Nozomu.
And her words were the
decisive factor in bringing down Nozomu's position at the school to the bottom
of the barrel.
"I should be the
one apologizing. I'm sorry I didn't believe in you, Nozomu..."
Turning towards Nozom,
Lisa bowed her head deeply.
She herself didn't expect
to be forgiven. Even so, she felt that she had to apologize properly here.
"No, I should
have asked you as soon as those rumors came out. I should have confronted you,
as well as Ken. The only reason I didn't do it was because I myself ran away
from you and Ken."
Nozomu looked at her
as she bowed her head and slowly speak about his true feelings.
His words were colored
by regret.
Indeed, Nozomu was
rejected by Lisa. Furthermore, he had been deceived by Ken's trickery, and he
had also been impatient with his own ability, which was not growing at all at
the time.
However, the reason
the situation had become so complicated was also because Nozomu had a part in
it.
He couldn't bring
himself to face her. He was under the delusion that if he became stronger, he
would be able to help Lisa. That was Nozomu's sin.
"In the end, we
said we were doing it for each other, but we didn't even try to face each other.
We kept convincing ourselves about stories that were convenient for us and kept
turning our backs on each other because they weren't going the way we wanted
them to. That is why. I want to apologize."
Once again, Nozomu
turned to Lisa and bowed deeply.
Then, both of them
raised their heads at the same time, and both of them smiled.
"Pfft~! We're
doing something weird, aren't we?"
"Haha~! That's
for sure. A man and a woman are absent from school in the daytime and bow their
heads on a bench in the park. From the outside, people would be scratching
their heads and wondering what they're doing."
They smiled and
laughed at each other for a while.
They could feel the
stagnation that had settled in the depth of their heart for two years flowing
away. It was the first time in a really long time that they could smile from
the bottom of their heart.
They had a distorted
relationship, but they still leaned on each other as if they depended on each
other. The rusty cogs in their relationship were finally starting to turn.
"What are you
going to do now, Lisa?"
They laughed for a
while.
After a while, Nozomu
suddenly asked Lisa a question, and she looked up and stared off into the
distance.
She looked at the sky
and closed her eyes as if to look inside her own heart. Then, with a wry smile
on her face, she turned to Nozomu and slowly opened her mouth.
"I don't know.
I've always wanted to be an adventurer like my father, but I've come to think
that there's more to it than that, and I still want to learn a lot of things
here..."
"Hmm?"
When she cut her own
words without saying them to the end, Lisa quickly closed the distance between
her and Nozomu.
Her moist eyes stared
at him from a close distance.
Nozomu felt his heart
skip a beat at the expression on her face as if she were about to cry at any
moment.
"Hey, Nozomu...
If I decide to leave the academy, will you come with me?"
Lisa's words were a
plea for confirmation.
She knew she had no
right to ask, but she had to be sure.
Her eyes were as moist
as rubies wet in the rain, and her quivering mouth eloquently expressed her
feelings.
Faced with Lisa's
pleading. Nozomu closed his eyes as if to confirm his feelings.
Then he slowly opened
his eyes, in front of Lisa's plea...
"Sorry, I have
something I really, really have to do."
He refused, once and
for all.
"That's why I
can't fulfill my promise to you right now."
"I see. I thought
so..."
Lisa distanced herself
from Nozomu as if she knew it was coming.
Nozomu bit his lip as
she moved away with a sad expression on her face.
"I'm sorry. I
couldn't fulfill my promise."
"No, that's not
true. Nozomu, you have kept your promise to me. You supported me so that I
could face my dreams properly. I know, Nozomu is a man who always fulfills his
promises."
He couldn't fulfill
his promise. When Nozomu said so, Lisa smiled gently, and clearly denied his
words.
Nozomu had fulfilled
his promise.
It was definitely
thanks to Nozomu that she was able to wake up, who had run away and turned
away.
It may have taken him
a long time. Even so, in the end, it was because of him who never gave up.
Lisa was happy from
the bottom of her heart that she was able to fall in love with him.
The result may not be
a happy ending. Still, for Lisa, this feeling was a precious gift from the
person she loved more than anything else.
"I was spoiled by
Nozomu. I invited you to this academy, probably because I was worried. Life as
an adventurer is fraught with danger. I invited you to this academy because I
thought you might suddenly disappear..."
If all she wanted to
do was become an adventurer, there was generally no need to attend the
Solminati Academy. She could have joined a guild or other union near her
hometown and started as an adventurer there.
The reason why Lisa
did not do so was because she was worried. She confessed that she had been
feeling that way.
However, she felt that
it would not be good to keep being tormented by regrets and frightened by
anxieties.
'Besides, I've got a
lot of goals now."
"You have?"
"Yes."
Returning a smile to
Nozomu, who stared at her with wide eyes, Lisa raised her hips.
Her face was as
radiant as a clear sky.
"Are you going
home?"
"Yes. Nozomu is
Nozomu. Besides, you have other things to do, right?"
"Yeah ... you can
tell?"
"How many years
do you think we've been together? I'll know right away if it's only this
much."
Apparently, the
childhood friend in front of him could see right through what he was thinking.
Nozomu chuckled at
Lisa, who smiled at him with her hands folded behind her waist. He slowly got
up from the bench.
"Alright, I'm
off."
"Yeah, off you go
..."
Turning his back to
Lisa, who waved him off, Nozomu walked toward the exit of the park.
Lisa sighed loudly as
she looked at his back.
"'We've come a
long way in two years..."
Lisa couldn't help but
let out such words as she reached out her hand for Nozomu's shrinking back.
"But it doesn't
matter. Let's start anew, from the beginning. From here and now..."
With such thoughts in
her mind, Lisa turned her back on Nozomu and began walking away.
Their paths part here.
But Lisa was happy
about it. Deep down in her heart, the feelings that the love of her life left
behind were still firmly in place.
With such thoughts in
her heart, she would be strong enough to stand beside him once again.
Feeling the last,
hot-drop of water dripping from her eyes, the red-haired girl took a new step
forward.
=====================================
Nozomu, who had parted
ways with Lisa, was visiting a stall in the commercial district alone.
A unique fortune
teller's shop where ancient and modern ornaments and ritual objects were
crammed into filling the room in a disorderly manner.
Was it because of the
bizarre decorations or the shopkeeper who was too unique that no one didn't
feel like visiting at all?
While thinking about
this, Nozomu called out into the store.
"Old man, are you
there?"
"Oya oya~, look who it is, the little brat. What do you
want? The store is still closed."
The owner of the
store, the white dragon with gray hair and a beard, appeared with an annoyed
expression on his face.
"You came back
sooner than I thought. Have you decided what to do with Azel?"
"We have agreed
on a sealing sentence and are now detaining her in the village. Do you want to
hear the specific punishment?"
"No, that's not
important right now. Besides, I didn't even want to ask you about
fortune-telling."
"Then what
exactly do you want?"
Nozomu himself had no
intention of hearing about Azel's punishment now.
As long as he didn't
get involved, that was fine. Besides, there was another reason why Nozomu had
to meet the old man.
"I have something
to ask. Old man, when I entered the Abyss Grief's predatory barrier at that
time, you said that I needed my own strength to save Lisa. What did you mean by
that?"
"I meant exactly
what I said. You have more than just the vast amount of elements you took from
Tiamat. You awakened other abilities as well. That is the reason why you have
been able to live until now."
Nozomu's own ability.
This was what the old
man said to Nozomu in the incident where Ken and Abyss Grief fused together.
Nozomu raised his
eyebrows at these words.
He honestly had no
idea what Zonne was referring to.
"Did you ever
think it was strange? Tiamat's power is extremely heretical and different
compared to other dragons. There is no way a person could take in such power
and remain sane."
This was somewhat
understandable if one were to imagine Ken fused with Abyss Grief. It was not a
good idea to compare Abyss Grief and Tiamat. They were very similar in the way
they erode the host's spirit, however, both have a different scale of power.
"But you are
alive now because of your unique skill as a Dragon Slayer."
"Unique skill?..."
"It has already
manifested. The invisible chains that bind your body. You know it well, don't
you?"
Invisible chains.
Hearing that word, Nozomu reflexively looked down at his arm.
As he squinted his
eyes, he could faintly see the chains binding him.
As usual, the chains
entangled around Nozomu's entire body, giving his body a lead-like weight.
"You mean Ability
Suppression? But this is..."
"It's not Ability
Suppression. More precisely, your abilites have been transformed. The
suppression of your powers is merely a byproduct of the abilities you now
possess."
"A
by-product?"
Nozomu's eyes widened
as he was told that the power he had previously thought of as Ability
Suppression was now something else entirely.
The old man stared at
Nozomu with a mysterious look on his face and urged him to go inside the store.
He poured water into a
glass from a jug at the back of the store and handed it to Nozomu.
Nozomu grabbed the
glass and gulped down its contents in one gulp.
The lukewarm water
fell into his gut, and his agitated and hot head cooled slightly.
After confirming
Nozomu's situation, Zonne continued to talk about Nozomu's unusual ability.
"The power you
possess is sealing. You have the ability to seal the being connected to your
soul. Moreover, it has a sealing power far more powerful than my dragon-sealing
barrier. It is a chain that can even seal a dead dragon. It is like a [Soul-Sealing
Chain]."
"Soul-Sealing
Chain..."
"Those chains are
so powerful that they have sealed Tiamat along with your soul, and they also
sealed most of your abilities..."
Once again, Nozomu
looked down at the invisible chains that bound him.
He was stunned, but Zonne
continued to speak regardless.
"Perhaps what was
originally an Ability Suppression was transformed after you became a Dragon
Slayer. In exchange for power, you acquired the ability to contain even a
dragon. The reason I was watching you was to investigate why Tiamat was able to
be sealed by a mere human."
Since Zonne was a
watcher, what he did was a natural course of action.
Even the Dragon King
could only seal other Dragons by confining them in another world. If he knew
that there might be another way to seal them, it was only natural that he would
try to find out.
The reason why the
Dragons have yet to contact anyone other than Zonne may be because Nozomu has
this power.
However, while Nozomu
was concerned about the situation of the Dragon Race, there was something more
important than that at the moment.
As a matter of
importance, the fact that he had sealed Tiamat was more important.
"... If I can
master that, will I be able to control Tiamat's power?"
"Well, I don't
know. I can't interfere with your soul because of that chains. As long as you
are the cause of this power, it may be possible to control it, but in the end,
any power depends on the bearer."
Zonne himself didn't
know the details of Nozomu's ability. Perhaps due to the chains, he was unable
to come in contact with Nozomu's soul even with the power of the White Dragon.
Even if he tried to
interfere when the chains were released, the power of Tiamat overflowing from
his body was blocking his way.
"I have a
request. I want you to train me."
"Hmm,
specifically?"
"How to control
the power of the Dragon. Also, how to use this extraordinary ability. I want to
learn it."
Zonne squinted his
eyes at Nozomu, who was staring straight at him.
"As I said
before, I cannot interfere with your soul because of the [Soul-Sealing
Chain]. If you want me to show you exactly how to use it, that's
impossible."
"But if I need
someone to teach me about the power of dragons, I couldn't ask for a better person
than you, old man. I feel sorry to say this about Jihad-sensei and the others,
but you are far more qualified than them."
It was the truth.
As the saying goes,
"Every man knows his own business best", and if one wants to learn
the power of the dragon, it is considered more certain to study under the said
dragon.
However, Nozomu is a
human being. Even Zonne wouldn't know how to master dragon techniques, as long
as he wasn't a dragon.
Zonne stroked his
beard while pondering for a moment, and then turned his penetrating gaze
towards Nozomu.
"Your reason is,
that lady?"
Why did Nozomu, who
had lost his reason to fight, now decide to become strong again? Zonne needed
to confirm that.
Zonne's gaze seemed to
see into his heart, and Nozomu took a few deep breaths, and slowly opened his
mouth.
"Back then, the
first time I was misled by Tiamat, I almost hurt my friends. But Iris and the
others accepted me ....... I was happy. No one had ever done that for me except
my master."
Nozomu continued
speaking, in a tone of confirmation, as if probing deep, deep into his own
heart.
At that time, he was
in denial, and he had nothing but troubles to deal with, but they accepted him
regardless.
How much did their
feeling had saved Nozomu? It was not hard to imagine.
However, the color of
joy in his thoughts as he spoke of it soon turned to deep regret.
"Somewhere in the
depth of my mind, I may have been looking away. I believed that since I had
friends, everything would be all right. I believed that. But somewhere along
the way, I had become complacent."
For Nozomu, being
around Irisdina and the others could not have been more comfortable.
He had been considered
one of the lowest-ranking students at the school, but now he was relied upon by
the junior students. No doubt it was all because of his friends' support.
However, this comfort
made Nozomu relaxed.
He thought, since he
had his friends, everything would be alright. Such an uncertain sense of
security seeped into his mind like a leak in the rain, unknowingly depriving
Nozomu of his sense of tension.
As a result, he lost
himself in anger and then turned his blade on Irisdina and the others again.
That situation was also caused by his inexperience and carelessness.
"Hey old man.
What do you think about Iris and the others?"
Suddenly, Nozomu's
expression changed as if he were looking into the distance.
"They are very
attractive women. In all the years I've lived, I've never seen so many
attractive women. They are too good for you. I'd rather have them
myself..."
"I agree. I think
so too. Even though I'm like this, Iris and the others are happy that I'm still
alive. That's why..."
With a bitter smile on
his face due to Zonne's joke, Nozomu looked down once more at the arm around
which the invisible chains were wrapped.
Nozomu and Tiamat were
connected by their souls. No matter how much he tried to deny it, it seemed to
Nozomu that he could no longer break the connection.
"I will not run
away from this power anymore. I don't want to run away from Tiamat. That's why
I don't care how hard the training is. Please, I want you to teach me how to
use my power."
If that was the case,
then Nozomu himself had no choice but to take control of Tiamat's power.
He wanted to become
strong so that he could continue to stand beside his friends.
With such thoughts in
mind, Nozomu bowed his head to Zonne.
In front of Nozomu,
who bowed his head deeply, Zonne remained silent, with a more serious
expression on his face than ever before.
One second, two
seconds ....... Eventually, when the silence had passed ten seconds, Zonne
replied to Nozomu in heavy, powerful words.
"...... The
training will be tough. Tiamat will definitely try to escape your seal. If
there is even the slightest gap in your spirit, you will lose yourself, as in
yesterday's incident, and this time you will surely die. Are you still willing
to do this?"
"I'm well aware
of it. If I can't even overcome it, I don't deserve to be next to them. Let me
do it."
Nozomu answered
immediately to Zonne's intimidating question.
Zonne exhaled deeply
and urged Nozomu to raise his face.
"... Fine. From
now on, call me Shishō."
"No, I can't do
that. There is only one person I call Shishō. So I'm going to call you Rōshi
(Old Master)."
"Hmm, you are a
disciple who doesn't know how to use his words."
"Of course, I can
respect my teacher. That's why I'll use the honorifics .... Rōshi, please treat
me well."
In response to Zonne,
who smiled provocatively, Nozomu also returned a gaze with a strong will and
firmly grasped his old master's hand that was offered to him.
=================================
Inside a certain
mansion in a section of the administrative districts. In a dimly lit room, a
man and a woman were facing each other, staring at a crystal placed on the
table.
The woman, wearing a
purple-toned dress, is Mekria. The other man is a man known as the Corpse
Raven, dressed in a costume reminiscent of a raven.
The crystal at the end
of their gazes emitted a faint glow from within. The light, which shimmered like
a shimmering flame, gradually took on color and revealed its shape. The light
was modeled after a young man carrying a katana and a white dragon facing him.
The young man and the
white dragon fought fiercely, and the young man, who had cornered the dragon,
was subdued by the white dragon's death-defying move.
Then, students in
Solminati Academy's uniform stood in front of the white dragon who was trying
to finish him off.
"So, you mean
this is what you wanted to ask me to do?"
"Yes, it was.
You're the right person for the job, weren't you?"
"Certainly, there
is no one better suited for the job than me~. It is impossible for a normal
person to notice the quarantine barrier..."
While Mekria and the
Corpse Raven were talking, the images on the crystal were changing by the
minute.
The white dragon was
defeated by the students, and now the young man that the white dragon had
restrained was released from the seal.
The katana-wielding
young man and the students began to clash their blades.
The young man's body
blew out five-colored elements, which overwhelmed the black-haired girl and the
greatsword-wielding young man in charge of the front line.
The Corpse Raven
clapped his hands with a happy expression as he watched this spectacle with admiration.
"Ooh, those boys
and girls are amazing~. I was beyond surprised to see such students, but I was
also a little scared~. What are they? Are they really human?"
"They are the
daughter of the Francilt Household, the school's most powerful mage, and the
problem child. And then there's the elf and the beastman. More importantly,
"that" is a normal human being according to the data. He is neither a
beast nor an elf. He's just an ordinary person from a remote village."
The tone of the Corpse
Raven's voice seemed to strike a nerve in others. However, Mekria, who was
facing him, didn't seem to be bothered by it and answered the Corpse Raven's
question in a nonchalant manner.
On the other hand, the
Raven, upon hearing Mekria's answer, smiled bitterly and pointed at Nozomu's
reflection in the crystal, as if to say it was impossible.
"No, it can't be.
That little boy's power, no matter how you look at it, is the power of a
spirit. Moreover, it's out of the ordinary."
"Yes, I have so
much in mind that I can't even bother to mention them."
In front of The Corpse
Raven and Mekria's eyes, the battle between Nozomu and Irisdina was entering
its final phase.
Nozomu tried to grab
the magic arrow released by Shina. Irisdina and Lisa forcefully pushed the
arrow against Nozomu's left chest, causing it to explode.
There, the image
inside the crystal was interrupted.
"It's
confirmed."
"So what are you
going to do about it?"
"I'm going to
move up the schedule. I intended to be a little quieter, but that's no longer necessary.
I'm going to have you work for me, too."
"Eh~. I've just
come to this town, so I thought I'd do a little more sightseeing and get my
energy replenished~."
Mekria's absolute-zero
gaze was directed at the unmotivated and complaining Corpse Raven.
Quiet, cold eyes with
a flickering flame of thirst behind them.
They were filled with
the color of rage as if they had been interrupted from an encounter that they
had long been in love with.
*I would not allow you
to do so.*
The Corpse Raven
shrugged his shoulders as if he had no choice.
"Good grief~, you
are a rough and wild young lady, aren't you? Well then, call me if you need
me~."
With a flick of his
cloak, the Corpse Raven instantly disappeared from that place.
All that remained was
a black feather that fell to the floor.
Mekria, on the other
hand, paid no attention to the Corpse Raven that had vanished in an instant.
She gazed intently at the crystal from which the image had disappeared, then
gently reached out her hand and slowly stroked its surface.
With a ghastly smile
on her cheeks, she stroked the surface of the crystal.
