Chapter 8 Part 2
Translator : PolterGlast
The sun was already
setting in the western sky when Nozomu stepped outside the martial arts garden.
The setting sun
illuminated the white school building in vermilion.
Nozomu recalled his
earlier training as he walked through the vermilion-colored corridors. A
torrent of violent power raged throughout his body. The will of destruction was
contained within that stream.
(I have to do
something about it as fast as possible ......)
Nozomu felt that
nothing was enough. There was still no sign of him being able to control the
power of chaos, and he could not sense the presence of spirits.
In the labyrinth of
thoughts that still haven't found a way out, the frustration in Nozomu's heart
only grew.
"Fuh~ ..."
Aware of his own
impatience, Nozomu took a deep breath.
With a quiet exhale,
the urge to scratch his chest somewhat eased.
With his head still
hot from the heat, Nozomu once again recalled the training he had just done.
"Even though I've
been told that I have to deal with my unique skill myself ...... ~!"
Nozom felt a tingling
sensation in his head.
At the same time, a
fragmented image flashed through his mind.
(Tet, good work.)
(Gosh~. Why do I have
to dress like this in human form~.)
(I already told you,
didn't I? If you're the head of a country, you need to have the dignity to
match it. Tet is a disappointment on the inside, so you have to do something
about your appearance at least, for now, right?)
(Uuu, Mikael is
terrible...)
"This is .......
Another one of her memories..."
The shadow of a woman
who appeared to be Tiamat, who was shouting in protest, and the shadow of
Mikael, who was letting out an astonished voice.
It was the memory of
Tiamat that Nozomu had glimpsed before when he had lost himself in anger and in
sync with Tiamat.
The two of them shone
as if backlit, almost invisible to Nozomu. However, the fact that he could now
see them, even if only slightly, whereas two weeks ago he could not see them at
all, aggravated Nozomu's frustration even more.
(Am I gradually
becoming more in sync with Tiamat? Or is it a sign that I am beginning able to
control the [Soul-Sealing Chains]? No, the control time has hardly increased.
Then what exactly happened ......)
Twenty percent
anticipation and eighty percent anxiety mingled in Nozomu's chest.
The figures of Tiamat
and Mikael disappeared like the ebbing tide in just a few seconds.
However, the anxiety
and anticipation that welled up in Nozomu's chest were like mud, accumulating
in the depths of his heart.
"Nozomu, have you
finished your training?"
"Eh?"
Nozomu unintentionally
leaked a shocked voice to the familiar voice that was suddenly heard.
Nozomu looked ahead
and saw the main gate of Solminati Academy. Apparently, he had come close to
the main gate while he was lost in thoughts.
And there were several
students waiting for Nozomu at the main gate.
One of them, an
ashen-haired girl, noticed Nozomu and approached him with a small wave of her
hand.
"What are you all
doing here?"
"What are you
talking about? Of course, we are waiting for you."
The ashen-haired girl,
Irisdina Francilt, asked Nozomu what he was talking about with a question mark
on her face.
She put her hands on
her hips and let out a sigh of dismay.
"We've got a lot
of things to do here too. So, you don't have to worry about it."
Mars came out from
behind Irisdina and the others.
Seeing that his white
uniform was stained with dirt in several places, it seemed that he had been
training at the training ground.
He is probably using
some kind of magic combination of air and magic.
Seeing that Tima, Tom,
and Mimuru were behind him, it was probably related to the magic and Qi
combination technique.
"The sun is
beginning to set, it's about time for us to go home."
Shina, who came a
little later from behind Irisdina, urged Nozomu in an indifferent tone.
Apparently, waiting for Nozomu is a given for them.
"I think Shina is
right, we better leave before they close the main gate."
Irisdina looked up at
the western sky while holding her gray hair that was fluttering in the cold
wintry wind
Yes, her hair was
still ashen white.
Irisdina's glossy
black hair had completely lost its color due to the excessive use of magic
power to stop the out-of-control Nozomu.
According to Norn, who
examined her body, there was nothing wrong with her body and her hair would
return to its original color after some time.
Nevertheless, every
time Nozomu looked at her hair, which had faded to ashen white, he felt a
tightening sensation in his heart.
"By the way,
how's the training going? You're not doing anything reckless again, are
you?"
"No, it's not as
reckless as you think..."
Irisdina drew closer
to Nozomu while wrinkling her brow.
Unlike her hair, which
has turned gray, Irisdina's eyes have hardly changed color.
Her obsidian-like eyes
mysteriously sucked in Nozomu's gaze.
Nozomu's cheeks were
flushed with vermilion as he gazed at her from such a close distance.
Meanwhile, Irisdina,
who had detected Nozomu's hidden exhaustion, deepened the wrinkles between her
eyebrows.
"What are you
talking about with such an exhausted face? You've done something reckless
again, haven't you!?"
"Nozomu, sit down
there for a minute. I've been telling you this every day for the past two
weeks, but it looks like it's still not enough."
Furthermore, Shina,
who had been watching them from the side, joined them.
Nozomu was made to sit
on the cobblestone pavement without question, and the two standing in front of
him questioned him about the details of today's training session.
As Nozomu told them
the details of his training, Irisdina and Shina began to shake their shoulders.
A dark shadow began to
appear behind them. They seemed to be very angry.
On the other hand,
Nozomu, while wiping the greasy sweat on his forehead, began to talk about the
contents of his training.
"Seet? It's not
as reckless as you think, right?"
""Which part!?""
When he had finished
speaking at one point, two Yasha exploded in anger.
The next thing that
hit Nozomu was a muddy stream of abusive words.
"Nozomu, you are
one step away from being seriously injured every single day! What are you
thinking!?"
"Well, it was
healed so I don't have any injuries..."
"Don't tell me
you think it won't matter once your injuries are healed? No matter how great a
sword is, it still has a life span. No matter how much you repair it, it will
break if you continue to use it recklessly. Don't tell me you think that won't
happen to you?"
"N-, no, I didn't
mean to go that far..."
"Oh, I'm sure you
do. I know you understand what we mean. But even if you understand it in your
head, it means nothing if you don't act on it."
"Rather, it's
worse because you still do it even though you understand it. Even a bird, once
attacked by a snake, will not rest in the same place a second time."
"Are you saying
that my head is even worse than a bird's, by any chance?"
"No, it's rather
disrespectful to the birds."
"You'd better
reflect on what you've learned so far."
"... Well, at
least his records are improving~."
Nozomu's small protest
was firmly silenced by the two.
After that, Nozomu
kept getting scolded by them.
Mars and the others
watched the three of them warmly.
"Well, he's
always been reckless."
"After all, that
part of him is always strange."
Feo agreed with
Irisdina and Shina's fierce protests, and Mars sighed at Nozomu's
airheadedness.
Meanwhile, Tima was
flustered, her gaze darting back and forth between the three of them.
"Um, shouldn't we
stop them?"
"Nozomu reaps
what he sows, so let it be. Irisdina and Shina are so worried about him that
they can't help but nag him like that."
"Nihihihi~,
Shina's getting cute, isn't she?~"
"Mimuru, you have
a bad taste."
Mimuru smiled
devilishly at the change in her best friend, who had recently become aware of
her love for him.
Perhaps she was
thinking about how to tease her afterward.
Tom was aware of
Mimuru's deviousness but didn't try to stop her, probably because he knew that
Shina would counterattack later.
While Nozomu was
scolded by two beautiful girls, and Mars and the others enjoyed it like a
snack, at that moment, a red-haired girl called out to them from behind.
"Yahho~. Nozomu,
are you alive?"
It was Lisa Hounds, a
childhood friend of Nozomu's, who called out to him.
Her once long ponytail
had been cut off, and her hair was now trimmed shorter than her shoulders.
There was also Camilla
next to her.
"Pretty much,
yes. Camilla's on her way home, too?"
"Yes. Anyway,
what are you guys doing?"
"Well, you
know... please don't ask."
A male student sat up
straight and two beautiful girls stood in front of him. Seen from the side,
Nozomu could only be seen as a criminal caught and publicly exposed.
"Why are you
here, Lisa?"
"I was just doing
some self-study. It’s not strange, isn’t it? More importantly, we should hurry
up, or the main gate will be closed."
Lisa casually took
Nozom's arm and made him stand up, so naturally, his body and Lisa's were in
close contact.
Seeing the two of
them, a vein appeared on Irisdina's forehead.
"Lisa-kun, I
don't think you should get too close to him, don't you think?"
"Hmm? I think it
won't be a problem if it's just this much. I'm his childhood friend, and we're
friends. It's normal."
Irisdina chastised
Lisa in a calm and demanding tone. Shina didn't say anything, but she showed
her protest with an absolute zero stare.
Lisa, on the other
hand, was taking the intimidation from the two of them as if it were a breeze.
Instead, she put even
more power into her own hand, which was holding Nozomu's arm, even tighter.
Their bodies, which
had been clinging to each other, were now getting even closer. At the same
time, Irisdina and Shina's gazes turned fiercer.
Nozomu's entire body
stiffened as he felt the intimidation as if having an ice spear thrust into his
neck.
"Oh, are you
worried about what people will think? It's fine. I know, there will be a lot of
noise, but it's right before school dismissal time, and there are hardly any
students around."
It's been two weeks
since Nozomu and Lisa made up. The story is now known throughout the school.
Naturally, there were
many rumors about the circumstances of the reconciliation.
From Lisa's change of
heart, her attempts to switch from Ken to Nozomu, to Nozomu wanting to
reconcile with Lisa, and so on. Many different rumors spread widely depending
on the grade and class.
However, both Nozomu
and Lisa were now training every day without paying any attention to such
rumors.
Nozomu tried to
control Tiamat's powers, while Lisa pursued her own dream.
Now that each of them
had started their own path, they were no longer bothered by the unnecessary
noise around them.
Instead, Lisa would
occasionally tease Irisdina and Shina in this way.
A sigh naturally
escaped from Nozomu's mouth.
"Haa .......
Lisa, could you step away for the time being?"
"Nn, if Nozomu
says so."
He urged Lisa to step
away in order to appease the Yashas in front of him.
Lisa, too, when told
by Nozomu, obediently separated her body from him.
Irisdina and Shina
also retracted their hostility as soon as Nozomu and Lisa moved away from each
other.
With school dismissal
time approaching, Nozomu and the others quickly made their way to the main
gate.
As they approached the
main gate, the number of students leaving school gradually increased.
Nozomu then noticed
that there were more students remaining at the school than he had expected.
"There are quite
a lot of students."
"Nozomu, don't
you remember? It's almost time for the Opening Festival, isn't it?"
"Opening
Festival? Ah, now that you mention it, you're right ..."
Opening Festival.
It is the day when
Solminati Academy opens its door to the public once a year. On that day, many
visitors come from inside and outside of the town to see what the school is
like, which is usually something they would not normally see.
At the same time, the
town also holds a variety of events to take advantage of the event. It was a
kind of festival.
However, the purpose
of the festival actually comes after the daytime is over.
On the night of the
festival, a party is held at the school for dignitaries from various countries,
to which the best students from each grade are invited. The main purpose is for
key figures from each country to recruit these students. Each country competes
with each other to get the best students after graduation.
The students also look
for a suitable figure for their career path at the party. In other words, it
was a kind of job hunting party.
"To be honest,
we've never really had much to do with the festival."
"At best, it's
just a big party in the name of a festival."
"Besides, we had
our fair share of things to do, so we couldn't take it easy..."
Aside from Nozomu and
Mars, who were always in the tenth class as inferior students, Irisdina, who
has always been at the top of the overall class, has naturally attended parties
every year.
Although she was used
to socializing, the people she dealt with were all important people she was
already acquainted with. That's why she said she couldn't let her guard down.
Perhaps she has her
own thoughts about the party, but Irisdina's dignified expression was
overshadowed by a slightly melancholy atmosphere.
Lisa nodded her head
in agreement with Irisdina's opinion.
"They'll say
things like, 'Yes-yes, by all means, come to our country!', but it still kind
of gives us the creeps, isn't it?"
"Lisa-san, do you
ever think about serving any country?"
"Hmm? My dream is
to become a real adventurer, and then I'm not sure if I want to serve a
particular country ....... I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to have a connection,
though. What about you, Sheena?"
"Hmm? My dream is
to be a real adventurer, and since that's the case, I'm not sure if I want to
serve a particular country... Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a
connection, though. What about you, Shina?"
"I'm the same. I
really need help from other countries to get my homeland back, because it's not
enough for us elves to do it by ourselves... But, frankly, I'd prefer not to be
around people who look at me like they're licking my body."
Lisa, who was in the
first class, and Shina, who was in the second class, naturally had participated
in the party before.
They seem to have
their own problems.
"The students who
stay until just before dismissal time are probably party participants who have
never been to a party before. They're probably not used to parties, so they're
desperately studying to figure out how not to be rude."
Nozomu looked around
the school and observed the other students leaving the school.
When he looked
closely, some of them were walking while thinking, others were reading from a
handbook of etiquette for ladies as they left the school.
They were all trying
their best to make as good an impression as possible.
"They all look
like they're having a hard time."
"What are you
talking about? This time you're coming to the party too."
"……E-, eh?"
Nozomu's stuttering reply
was met with a sigh from all of his friends present.
Nozomu, who could not
understand why his friends were sighing, scratched his head at the subtle
atmosphere that filled the area.
"You performed so
well in the special training and you went on a rampage against Jihad-sensei at
the martial arts garden. I don't think there's any reason why you wouldn't be
invited. In fact, I'm sure that Jihad-sensei would be more than willing to have
you participate."
"In fact, your
name was on the list of participants. Didn't you see it?"
"... Where did
you see it?"
"It's on the
bulletin board next to the main gate. By the way, it has been posted for a
week.
"It's on the
bulletin board next to the main gate. By the way, it has been posted there for
a week. You were mumbling and mulling
things over on your way to school, though, so you didn't notice it at all. You
were probably too preoccupied with your training session with Zonne-dono,
weren't you?"
Apparently, Nozomu was
so focused on his training that he was completely unaware that he was a party
participant.
The stares from his
friends turned to dismay.
"No way. I'm not
supposed to be out in public, am I? You see, I have a spiritual existence
inside me..."
Perhaps unable to bear
the indescribable stares, Nozomu at least tried to resist.
However, what Nozomu
said was not wrong. He was like a walking bomb. Normally, he shouldn't appear
in public too much.
However, that question
was denied rather easily.
"No matter how we
look at it, Nozomu-kun's body is still that of a human. If that's the case,
then you should have no problem going out in public. Even Zonne-sama said he
couldn't see right through your soul, and I think the chances of you being
found out are slim."
"Rather, I think
the purpose is to proactively get you known and get you recognized, don't you
think? Maybe to increase the number of allies that might be willing to
cooperate with Nozomu and ask them to lend a hand when the time comes."
"I'm sure that's
what they're trying to do. In any case, Nozomu is already on the radar of the
higher-ups after his fight with Jihad-sensei. I think they would have pulled
you out sooner or later."
“…………”
Nozomu's eyes widened
in admiration at the inferences that were being made in quick succession.
"W-, why are you
in a daze now.?
"No, I just
thought, not only Iris but also Shina and Lisa as well to tell me such a
thing..."
Considering the
balance and movements of those in power, for Irisdina, who has been raised in
an aristocratic society, it made sense for her to say such a statement.
However, Lisa was
originally a commoner and had no connection to such an aristocratic world until
she came to this school.
Also, it was hard to
imagine that Shina, an elf with a strong sense of isolation, would have a
sensibility such as knowing the balance of power between humans.
In other words, it was
only after coming to this town that Lisa and Shina came to be able to think in
this way.
Nozomu was genuinely
amazed at the two of them.
"I think you're
just being too cautious, Nozomu-kun."
"'I think you
ought to think a little more about how you are viewed by those around
you."
Just as he was feeling
amazed, he was suddenly bombarded with words.
Nozomu could only nod
his head to Shina and Irisdina's merciless remarks.
Looking back, Nozomu
himself has been doing nothing but training since he came to this school and
has not been able to hone his sensibility like the girls.
Nozomu was still on
his knees while wondering if this situation was also the result of his low
sensibility...
"But Nozomu, this
sensibility has nothing to do with the fact that you forgot to check the party
participants, right?"
"Guh~!"
His childhood friend,
with whom he had spent the most time together, had just finished him off with
her words.
Nozomu fell to the
ground and wept tearfully as if there was no more life left in him.
"Even though it's
a great opportunity, somehow, I don't feel like attending the party..."
Perhaps it was
supposed to be a joyous occasion, but his energy was already drained before he
even got to the party.
"Well, the party
is a bore in some ways, but the food is definitely top-notch. I don't think it
would hurt to try some of it."
"...In that case,
I might be able to look forward to it."
Irisdina comforted
Nozomu with a smile on her cheek.
Nozomu wondered if
eating would help him restore his energy, but he frankly felt that anything
that would help him get back on his feet at this point would be fine.
Perhaps feeling a
little more energized, Nozomu stood up with a smile on his face.
Shina let out a sigh
and Lisa shrugged her shoulders as if she couldn't help it, but it was a
somewhat heartwarming scene.
The atmosphere turned
warm. However, the friendly atmosphere was destroyed by a bomb thrown by
someone.
"By~the~way~,
there will be dancing at the party. Who is Nozomu going to dance with?"
The bomb that was
thrown into the room detonated, and a soundless impact hit the four of them.
Irisdina, Shina, and
Lisa freeze with silent smiles on their faces. On the other hand, Nozomu shrank
like a turtle from the intimidation, which had increased even more than before.
And Feo, who threw the
bomb, quickly evacuated and turned into a spectator.
In a sense, he was a
man who didn't betray expectations, reading the air and then ignoring it with
all his might.
Nozomu wanted to take
him down right away, but the current situation was so close to the start of the
war. His crisis-sensing ability was warning him that he might die if he made a
wrong move.
"Ah right, I
remember that they were handing out guidebooks for party participants in the
office..."
"Alright, I'll go
for a bit! You guys can go home first!"
"Ah~!
Wait~!"
Nozomu quickly took
advantage of the words that Mars let out.
He raised his hand and
dashed towards the office as fast as he could as if he had forgotten the
exhaustion he had just experienced.
================================
Irisdina returned to
the Francilt mansion, entered her room, and fell straight onto her bed.
"I've done it
..."
Such words escaped
from her mouth as she buried her face in the fluffy bed.
What she remembered in
her mind was the sermon she gave to Nozomu after school.
"Uuu, I didn't mean
to say that much..."
To be clear, she had
no intention of reprimanding Nozomu in such a strong tone.
She knew from her time
with Nozomu that his way of thinking about training was somewhat different from
others, and she also knew that he was now eager to control Tiamat's power.
But Irisdina had lost
her patience.
On the outside,
Nozomu's expression seemed normal. However, Irisdina sensed the deep fatigue
and exhaustion hidden behind his expression.
Most importantly,
Nozomu's reaction when he saw her ashen hair made his attitude even stiffer.
"Even though I
was happy..."
Irisdina turned her
face sideways, which she had buried in the bed, and entwined her fingers in her
own hair, which had turned gray. Her hair that had lost its color and luster
caught in her fingers.
Roughened hair. But it
was very dear to her.
She was proud of her
black hair, just like her mother's, but she was also proud that she had been
able to protect Nozomu even though she had lost the color of her hair.
However, this hair had
now become a source of pain for Nozomu.
"To show such
disgraceful behavior until the end ...... It was unsightly of me..."
Irisdina became even
more depressed as she recalled her jealousy towards Lisa for taking Nozomu's
hand.
She is happy that
Nozomu and Lisa have reconciled.
However, she also
noticed that a deep bond has been re-established between Nozomu and Lisa, even
if it's no longer shown on the surface.
It's not a passionate
emotion like the sun, but a gentle connection reminiscent of the moon.
She couldn't help but
feel envious of that brilliance, which reminded her of the bond between her own
father and mother.
Nozomu and Lisa had
decided to go their separate ways, and in the past two weeks, there was no sign
that they would ever return to a sweet relationship like a lover.
Still, the feeling of
“uncertainty……” continued to swirl deep within his chest, along with impatience
and pain.
Irisdina once again
buried her face in her bed and closed her eyes as hard as she could, then
relaxed with an exhale.......
Irisdina was lost in
thought once again, feeling her dark emotions waning along with her
sandstorm-like vision and her pain.
"What Nozomu is
trying to do is to gain complete control of Tiamat's power ....... Then what I
can do is ......."
Irisdina was almost
powerless when it came to his training to control Tiamat's power.
She didn't have the
power to sense spirits like Shina.
But there was something
only she could do.
"Alright"
After she bounced out
of bed, she went to her desk and slowly picked up a pen.
==================================
While Nozomu and the
others were falling into a deep sleep. Jihad was in his office late at night
checking the list of dignitaries from various countries who would participate
in the opening festival.
Applications for
participation had been received from many countries, including Forsina and the
Cremazone Empire.
"Jihad-sensei, a
new list has been delivered to you. This brings the total number of party
participants to about 200 people."
"As is the case
every year, the number grows every year.'
While having a serious
expression, Jihad confirmed the names on the list.
From those he knew to
the names he saw for the first time, he slammed one by one into his head.
"It has been
about seven years since the first group of students graduated. Gradually, the
graduates are gaining recognition. I suppose it means that the existence of
this school is now more widely recognized."
"Perhaps the fact
that more and more people from the Suimahya Union are joining us is proof of
that."
The Suimahya Union was
originally founded by the survivors of the countries that were destroyed during
the Great Invasion 10 years ago.
Due to this history,
there were some dignitaries who did not have a favorable impression toward the
western countries, and there were some negative impressions toward the
Solminati Academy at the time of its establishment, which was founded under the
leadership of a western country, Forsina.
Also, there was a name
of an elven elder on the list of participants.
They have been living
quietly near the border between the Suimahya Union and the Cremazone Empire
since they lost their home forest in the Great Invasion.
Even after losing
their homeland, they remained isolationist and did not try to get involved with
other races.
They may be changing
little by little. With that in mind, Jihad flipped through the list of names.
At that moment, a name
on the list caught his eye.
'Egrod Fabran'
One of the most
prestigious aristocrats in Forsina. Jihad raised his eyebrows at the name of
the head of the Fabran Household, which was comparable to the Francilt
Household.
