Chapter 8 Part 7
Translator : PolterGlast
By the time the lesson
from Madam Parline was over, it was already late in the evening.
The sun had completely
set and the stars were twinkling in the sky.
Nozomu and his friends
were treated to a late dinner at the Francilt Mansion and were planning to return
to the dormitory after enjoying the delicious meal.
However, after the
meal, Irisdina's words caused a bit of a commotion.
"Nozomu, it's
getting later than expected, so why don't you stay the night?"
"Eh?"
"Whaat
--------!"
The first one to
protest was, of course, Victor.
He said, "Even
though you know each other well, it's not right to let a person of the opposite
sex stay at your house!" and, "We mustn't make any mistakes! Aside
from the women who may not feel safe on the streets at night, the men should be
sent back to their dormitories!"
His words were all a
very straightforward protest.
Of course, there was
no doubt that behind those words was an outburst of love for his daughter.
But Irisdina also made
a counterargument.
"Not only women
but also male servants live in this mansion. Besides, there are more than
enough spare rooms in the mansion, so it's not a problem for the opposite sex
to stay in this mansion."
"In the first
place, Nozomu and the others are the benefactors of the Francilt Household. It
would affect the dignity of the Francylt Household to disrespect such
people."
She confronted Victor
head-on.
Although she had a
valid point, a slight hint of anger could be seen in her words.
Furthermore, Irisdina
secretly ordered the maids to prepare rooms for Nozomu and the others.
Moreover, the room
prepared for Nozomu and the others was on the opposite side of Irisdina and the
others' rooms across the center of the mansion.
In other words, it was
the furthest away from the women's rooms. This was also probably done to
persuade Victor.
"N-, no. As a
father, I cannot tolerate it, no matter what!"
However, of course,
Victor would not back down either.
He continued his
argument in an attempt to somehow get rid of Nozomu and the others, but Irisdina
completely ignored Victor's words and called out to someone else.
"We have also
prepared a room for Madam Parline. We hope you will stay with us today."
"Oya~, even
though letting me join you for dinner was enough to trouble you."
"No, I was the
one who forced you to come today. Please make yourself at home."
Madam Parline was
slowly sipping her after-dinner wine as she watched the turmoil of Irisdina and
Victor with amusement.
Behind her were two
female maids. They were the maids of Madam Parline. One was a beautiful woman
with short dark blue hair. The other was a pretty woman with fluffy brown hair.
Both looked to be
about the same age as Nozomu and the others. However, Nozomu was convinced that
these women were quite powerful and that they were the ones who had sent
warning glances to him at the entrance.
They stood behind
Madam Parline, blending in with the atmosphere of the place, but remaining
vigilant in their efforts to ward off any danger that might befall their
master.
Their figure was like
a guardian spirit.
"Irisdina! We
haven't finished talking yet!"
"Father, I am the
master of this mansion. And although I am still young, I am the next head of
the Francilt Household. Do you really think that I would act so rashly,
father?"
"Ugh……"
Meanwhile, the balance
was tipping in Irisdina's favor in the bickering parent-child quarrel that was
being repeated noisily.
Victor was momentarily
at a loss for words at the dignified atmosphere of Irisdina.
"Isn't it
alright? You used to be quite a fool when you were a student, too."
At that moment, a
helping hand came to Irisdina's side that seemed to push the balance even
further in the direction it was tilted.
Victor's forehead
broke out in cold sweat when he saw Madam Parline suddenly taking Irisdina's side.
"O-, oi,
Mazari-!"
(TLnote : Mazari (マザリー) = kind and gentle
like a mother)
Victor unintentionally
blurted out a nickname for Madam Parline from his student days.
"Umm, Father,
what did you do when you were a student?"
"Oya~, Somiriana,
you didn't know?"
Somia nodded at Madam
Parline's words.
Victor was shaking his
head for some reason, but Madam Parline glanced at Victor with a sideways
glance and smiled wickedly.
"If you want, I
can tell you the story. He was known to sneak into the girls' dormitory and was
nearly slashed out on suspicion by the female knight guarding the place.
Furthermore, he went on a triple-booking date arrangement and tried to cover it
up. However, Firana caught him in the act..."
"Alright, I get
it! It was my bad! Please, I beg you to stop!"
Firana was Victor's
wife. In other words, she was the biological mother of Irisdina and Somia.
Although not even the
daughters, let alone Nozomu and the others, didn't seem to know it, it was said
that the head of this family was quite a playboy when he was young.
When he was a student,
he was always in a relationship with two or three women.
"Father..."
"J-, just so you
know, that was before I was in a relationship with Firana! And that's already
in the past!"
Absolute zero stares
from the daughters toward their father.
Victor desperately
tried to make excuses, but in this case, whatever he said would only lower his
reputation.
By the way, it was
said that after he fell in love with Firana, Irisdina's mother, he stopped his
flirtatious behavior once and for all, and continued to think about her
sincerely.
In Foskia, there is no
prohibition against having a second wife.
This is because
insurance may be necessary, especially for a household of high status.
Of course, one cannot have
a second wife unless he is financially able to afford it and has the
appropriate authority.
However, Foskia was
not directly invaded by demon beasts even ten years ago, and the disposition to
have numerous wives was almost non-existent, except for some nobles and
royalty, and even among the nobles, it was gradually being left behind.
This was because
marriages with a number of families could end up reducing the power of the main
family.
Victor, too, never
welcomed a second wife after taking Firana as his first wife, because of his
single-minded devotion to his wife.
Irisdina, too, had
seen Victor desperately trying to save her late mother when she was a little
girl, so she seemed to be convinced in her head.
However, since she had
always thought of him as an ideal father who was always respectable and
dignified, she was unable to hide her disappointment at this discrepancy. It
was even more obvious when it came to Somia.
It was the first time
she had seen her father's pathetic appearance. And because the reason for his
behavior was so terrible that there was no way to cover it up, she turned her
eyes to Victor with a look of deep disgust.
In the end, Victor,
who couldn't stand the cold stares from his daughter, easily relented and
agreed to let Nozomu and the others stay in the mansion.
He then retreated to
his own room with tears streaming down his face like a waterfall.
===================================
As the moon rose into
the sky and illuminated the night city with its gentle light, the bathhouse of
the Francilt mansion was filled with the voices of the ladies who were amazed
in awe.
"Uwa~! So
spacious~!"
"What's this,
it's even bigger than the classroom at the school..."
The bathhouse could
only be described as ridiculously large.
The bathtub, which was
so vast that it looked as if it might have been brought straight from the
fountain, filled with milky white water and furnishings carved out of marble,
transforming the vast bathhouse into a majestic palace.
This was truly a
bathhouse of the highest quality.
The women, all of whom
were from commoner backgrounds, let out a cry of admiration, their eyes shining
brightly.
"H~yahhoo~!"
The first to charge in
was Mimuru.
*Splash!*
She jumped into the
bathtub with a loud splash and began to swim in the hot water like a child.
"Uwa~, I can swim
in this bathtub, look, look!"
"Hey, Mimuru,
that's improper! You should wash your body first!"
Shina pulled Mimuru
out of the hot water while admonishing her with a bitter expression on her
face.
She then sat Mimuru
down on a nearby bath chair, splashed hot water over her head, and began to
scrub her with soap.
"Unya~! Shina, my
ears, my ears, stop it~!"
"You're noisy!
Please behave yourself!"
"Ahaha,
Mimuru-san, your ears are still weak after all."
Mimuru screamed at
Shina's rather aggressive washing, but the elf girl washed Mimuru's head
without care.
On the other hand, the
other women were washing their own bodies with soap, smiling at Mimuru, who was
being washed like a pet.
Fluffy foam bubbles like
cotton candy covered and flowed over the girls' fresh skin.
Moreover, these girls
here were so good-looking that everyone would look back at them if they walked
down the street.
If that lusty dragon
were to see them, he would surely have a nosebleed from the excitement of this
scene.
"Camilla, can you
wash my back?"
"Y-, yeah"
"Come on,
Tima-san come here."
"Ue~!?"
Some of the girls were
washing each other's bodies.
The three of them were
washing each other's backs. Lisa turned her back to Camilla, and then Lisa
pulled Tima's arm in front of her.
Tima, who was shy,
suddenly found herself in a situation where her back was being washed and she
involuntarily curled her back and shrank back.
By curling herself up
to hold her knees, Tima's surprisingly large breasts peek out from the edges of
her slender thighs.
"H~hmm ..."
"W-, what is
it?"
"No, I was just
thinking that Tima-san has big breasts..."
"Fuhyaa~!"
Tima's body jumped at
Lisa's sudden words in her ear.
In a panic, she jumped
back and stay away from the place, and began to quiver by the wall.
Apparently, she was
quite embarrassed by what Lisa had said to her.
"Ah, I'm so
sorry. I didn't think you'd be that embarrassed..."
It wasn't something
that Lisa was particularly conscious of, but she did not expect Tima to
overreact that much.
When Tima stayed away
from Lisa because of her unexpected reaction, Lisa smiled bitterly and waved
her hand saying, "Sorry, sorry."
Lisa was surprised by
Tima's excessive reaction, but at the same time, she was surprised by Tima's
unexpectedly large breasts.
(Maybe they are as big
as Irisdina's? Even so, her legs and
waist are so thin... What an unfair girl).
The current Tima,
combined with her quivering body, was unusually alluring even to Lisa, the same
woman. An ordinary man would surely have his rational mind ascend to heaven in
a single shot.
And it was outrageous
that she was doing this so naturally.
"Speaking of
which, why did you come to Arcazam, Tima-san?"
"Eh?"
"I thought that
if you have that much magic power, there must be many other options..."
Thinking that it would
be better to divert the conversation for the time being, Lisa suddenly asked
Tima about a topic that popped into her head.
Although Lisa and Tima
were in the same class, they have actually rarely spoken to each other.
Lisa herself was not
very comfortable talking to strangers she was not familiar with, and she
herself had always kept a bit of a distance from Tima, who was friends with
Nozomu and Irisdina.
However, after Nozomu
went out of control, Lisa and Irisdina had reconciled for the time being.
Therefore, Lisa was
also interested in talking to Tima.
“…………”
However, Tima, who was
the person in question, looked complicated and fell silent.
Lisa wondered if she
just asked such a strange question out of the blue. Lisa glanced at Irisdina, Tima's best friend, while
thinking so.
But the ashen-haired
girl, who probably knew about Tima's situation, only shrugged her shoulders as
she carefully washed her sister's back.
"Um, maybe I shouldn't
have asked?"
"N-, no. That's
not it."
Tima shook her head at
Lisa, who scratched her cheek a little awkwardly.
Seeing Tima's
behavior, Lisa regretted asking such a thoughtless question.
The magic power that
Tima possessed was clearly too great for one person to possess.
Lisa didn't know how
much magic power Tima had since she was a child, but it occurred to her at this
moment that it was at least inconvenient for Tima to live as a normal person.
And what Tima said
that followed was in line with what Lisa had expected.
"I've had strong
magical powers since I was a child, but I couldn't control them at all. I can
control it a little bit now, but in the past, I couldn't control it at all
... It often got out of control, that's why
I couldn't stay in one city for very long."
Magic is the power of
the mind, and the effectiveness and accuracy of magic are greatly influenced by
the mental state of the user.
There was no way that
Tima, as a young girl, could have ever been able to control the enormous amount
of magic power.
As a result, it seemed
that her family lived from town to town, doing things like peddling.
"I had a scary
dream. My magic power went out of control and wreaked havoc inside the tent, or
I ended up leaking my magic power when I was playing with my friends.
Fortunately, my father, mother, and younger brother told me not to worry about
it, but as I got older, my magic power also grew bigger..."
Still, it seemed that
everything was still fine when she was a child.
Sure, she had a lot of
magic power, but not as much as now.
Even if her magic
power leaked out, at best it would be a gust of wind, the ground would rise,
and the sparks of fire that flew up would cause a bit of a blizzard.
Nevertheless, as her
body grew, her magic power also grew, and when her parents began to fear that
they would have to do something about it, she was scouted by the Solminati
Academy and came to Arcazam.
"After coming to
this city, meeting Ai, and learning at the academy, I've gotten a little better
at controlling it, but to be honest, I still have a long way to go..."
"But it has been
getting better lately, hasn't it? Even when we fought Nozomu last time, your
magic supply was pretty stable, right?"
It was Irisdina who
interjected Tima's words.
However, Tima shook
her head and denied her best friend's words with a wry smile on her face.
"Because at that
time, I got help from Tom-kun and the others so that I was able to do
that."
At that time, they
made use of Tima's immense magic power for many techniques such as body
enhancement, constantly deployable barrier magic, etc.
It was Tom who
constructed all of these techniques, and it was Feo who controlled them.
"Hey, are those
two really that amazing?"
Camilla, who was not
familiar with their skills, asked.
Camilla was the only
person present who hadn't been told the truth about Azel's previous attack, nor
did she know that Nozomu was a dragon slayer.
However, she was aware
that Nozomu and Lisa had reconciled that day, and out of consideration for
their feelings, she did not pursue the matter in any particular detail.
"Well, Feo-kun's
ability to control magic when he is in beast form is probably in the class of a
court magician, and Tom-kun, I think he has the ability to build up a technique
as good as a researcher at the Gloaurum Institute."
In fact, Tom was an
assistant to Torgrein, a lecturer who conducted research at the Gloaurum
Institute.
He had just acquired
his own forge, so he didn't have the opportunity to help Torgrein that much,
but there was no doubt about his skills.
When it comes to Feo,
he had a wide range of combat skills that were comparable with the first class.
He was a master of the
talisman technique, staff technique, and sword throwing technique, and he had
no hesitation in playing tricks.
In a sense, he was the
type of person we couldn't let our's guard down if we were to meet him on the
battlefield.
"Then, why are
those two in the second class?"
"Tom-kun knows a
lot about alchemy and magic, but he seems to have a habit of getting lost in
it. Besides, he's not very good at offensive magic or combat-related magic...
About Feo-kun, I think he's ...... doing it on purpose."
"If it's Feo,
it's certainly possible."
Shina nodded to Tima's
words.
Feo, who was only
interested in what was fun for him, would probably cut corners on the final
test at the end of the school year, let alone in class. It was a reason that
everyone present could agree on.
"Hmm. So,
Tima-san, what kind of dream do you want to achieve in the future?"
"I guess I would
like to live a normal life, fall in love in a normal way, and have a happy
family..."
Tima smiled brightly
as she talked about the happiness of an ordinary life, a very small dream for a
mage of legendary talent.
"I'm learning
magic because it's necessary for me, and now I feel like I can help Ai and the
others with it, but honestly, I used to
think that I didn't need this kind of magic power..."
She used to be
uninterested in the magic power she had.
Now she was able to
think positively about being able to help her friends, but when she was a
child, it must have been painful for her.
Still, the only reason
she was able to smile like this now was because of her best friend who accepted
her for who she was.
While Tima was smiling
with a big smile on her face, Irisdina was blushing with embarrassment.
"I see, the
person in that dream is Mars-kun..".
"...Eh !? W-, why
is Mars' name coming up!"
"Eh? Don't tell
me, you're trying to hide it from me?"
"E-, eh? T-,
that's, umm..."
Tima overreacted to
Mars' name, which was mentioned by Lisa.
Her cheeks, which had
been slightly tinted vermillion by the steam, turned red like a boiled octopus.
At that moment, a hand
sprouted from Tima's side and grabbed her huge twin hills.
"Hyaa~!"
A high-pitched scream
escaped from Tima's mouth.
The one who attacked
her was Mimuru, who was supposed to have been restrained and washed by Shina.
She was covered in
foamy bubbles on her whole body and began to bring her body closer toward Tima.
"I smelled
something of sweet and sour love ...... Oh, this is just superb. The size, the
firmness, everything is just perfect! Without a doubt, this is what celestial
maiden would have!'
Mimuru enjoyed the
feeling of the marshmallow-like texture as it changed shape in her hands, and
let out a rough breath.
On the other hand,
Tima was completely paralyzed by the sudden situation.
"Iyaa~, I envy
Mars-kun, for being able to make these breasts his."
"Fu-, fue, fuee
..."
Tima's eyes began to
moisten as she finally understood the situation.
At the same time, the
magic power that could make one's hair stand began to leak out of Tima's body.
"Ah, this is bad
..."
Lisa's mouth
involuntarily leaked out serious words when she was suddenly confronted with
Mimuru's foolishness right in front of her.
If Tima were to let
her magic power run wild at this point, there would surely be a catastrophe.
However, before Lisa's
fears could become reality, the executioner appeared to bring the maniac to
justice. Shina, with an expression of Hannya on her face, was standing behind
Mimuru.
"What are you
doing, you stupid cat! Wasn't it enough that you humiliated me yesterday?"
Shina grabbed the back
of Mimuru's head from behind and began to tighten it with ferocious force.
The sound of Mimuru's
bones creaking echoed through the bathhouse, and a sharp pain shot through her
head.
The pain was too much
for her to bear, and she released her hands from Tima's breasts and began to
thrash about.
"Aaa, I'm sorry!
I was just a little curious about the pheromones of love! Aaa, stop it, my
head, my head will crack~!"
"You stupid
cat-!"
"Ukyaaaaaah!"
Without a second
thought to Mimuru's screams, Shina lifted her body and threw her straight into
the bathtub.
Mimuru's body, which
had drawn a beautiful parabolic line, plunged head first into the hot water,
making a spectacular splash.
"Uee~. I got hot
water in my nose~~. Shina, you're terrible~~"
"You totally
deserved it!"
Mimuru's eyes were
teary as she leaked a large amount of hot water from her nose.
However, Shina, who
had been sexually harassed by Mimuru yesterday, naturally cut off Mimuru's
protests.
"Shina, you
didn't even feel bad yesterday..."
"Did you say
something?"
"No, I didn't say
anything!"
Shina let out a sigh
as Mimuru saluted her.
Irisdina and the
others, who were watching from afar, were also smiling wryly.
"Good grief,
Mimuru is really troubling."
"Ahaha, she seems
to be having fun."
"I'm not joking.
I wish I didn't have to be the one to stop her every time."
Shina sighed and
shrugged her shoulders as Lisa called out to the indignant Shina in a light
tone.
Shina, who had been
caught up in the commotion that Mimuru made every time, envied Lisa, who could
simply say so.
After washing their
bodies, Lisa and the others slowly soaked themselves in the milky white water.
The girls' cheeks
relaxed as they felt their fatigue melt away from the core of their bodies.
"Well, now we
know Tima-san's dream. So, how about you, Shina-san?"
Lisa, who was able to
hear Tima's dream, now turned the topic to Shina.
"Me? I want to
take back my hometown, the forest of Foskia."
"I see. What
about you, Irisdina?"
"Nothing has
changed, to join the Silver Rainbow Knight Order."
"Hmm~..."
Lisa stared at the two
girls with a meaningful smile on her face.
The feelings she had
for these two were quite complicated.
Was it friendship or
sympathy? Or maybe both.
However, for Lisa,
these two girls were special in many ways.
"What about you,
then?"
"I guess I'm
going to become a top adventurer and travel all around the continent..."
This time, Irisdina
returned a question to Lisa.
Lisa did not hesitate
to answer the question but instead spoke frankly about her thoughts.
There are roughly two
types of adventurers.
One is the day
laborer, who just wants to make a living for the day. The other is a pioneer
who ventures into uncharted territory or into the territory of demon beasts.
Lisa's dream of
becoming an adventurer is, of course, the latter.
"Actually, I
could drop out of the academy now, but since I've come this far, I feel like
testing myself to the end here at the academy... In a way, this is also part of
my adventure."
As for Lisa, she could
have quit the Academy right now and gone on an adventure.
However, the lessons
and experiences available at the Solminati Academy could not be gained by
simply going on an adventure.
If that was the case,
then it would be better to go out to the continent after having as many
"adventures" as possible right here and now. That was Lisa's current
thinking.
"After all, it's
about the promise you had with Nozomu, right?
"Hmmm... Promise
....... I guess so. I guess you could call it a "promise"..."
It was Nozomu who
reminded her of her dream of becoming an adventurer, and it was Nozomu who
tried to be there for her until the very end.
Even though Nozomu and
Lisa's paths have now parted, Nozomu's wish for Lisa's recovery remained strong
in her heart.
In that sense, the
promise she made with Nozomu when she was a child was what supported her today.
But at the same time,
Lisa also understood.
She was not the most
special person in current Nozomu's life.
That's why Nozomu said
he couldn't go with her.
(... That's why I will
definitely make my dream come true)
However, Lisa didn't
say those words.
Was she trying to be a
little mean, or was her competitive spirit got the better of her?
Neither Irisdina nor
Shina spoke when Lisa mentioned the word "promise" and remained still
in the hot water.
The hot water, which
had turned into droplets on the ceiling, fell into the tub, bouncing, and
making a pleasant sound.
Feeling the weariness
drifting through their bodies and the heat rising in their chests, the three
girls closed their eyes and thought about the dreams and the person they each
had in mind.
