Chapter 8 Part 24
Translator : PolterGlast
A day after the
opening festival.
Classes at Solminati
Academy were cancelled, and Nozomu was alone in the craftsmen's district.
His motive was to make
a bell to be presented to Irisdina.
The bell he had
previously given to Somia was made using the furnace in Shino's hut, Nozomu's
master, but unfortunately, the entire hut had been completely destroyed in a
previous battle with the mechanical dragon.
Therefore, Nozomu was
thus looking for a store that might lend him their furnace, but...
"Ha? Let you use
the furnace? You've got to be kidding me!"
"I'll think about
it after you do three years as an anvil cleaner."
This was how he had
been turned down right away.
It was inevitable.
Craftsmen tend to be stubborn because they would never compromise on their
work.
In particular, the
craftsmen in Arcazam were generally skilled.
They were so confident
and dedicated to their work that there was no way they would accept Nozomu's
proposal to allow him to use their furnace.
After being kicked out
of the thirteenth blacksmith shop, Nozomu returned to the main street of the
craftsmen's district and began looking for the next store.
While walking along
the main street, he could hear the sounds of hammering and shouting coming from
all over the place.
Nozomu could almost
hear his master's voice scolding him, and his mouth relaxed as he recalled his
own master amongst the shouts of abuse.
However, there was no
way he could just sit back and relax. Fortunately, he had managed to prepare
the materials, so he had just to find a place where he could borrow a furnace.
"I wonder if Iris
going to be okay..."
The head of the
Waziart family suddenly approached him at the party during the opening
festival. Vitora had shown a clear interest in Nozomu.
Furthermore, the
Francilts have begun to close the distance between them and the Waziart family.
Knowing about the
secret agreement that once caused quite the uproar, Nozomu's heart grew uneasy.
"I think I should
ask Mena-san about it..."
Nozomu was tempted to to
do such a thing, but at the same time he knew it was impossible, so he shook
his head and shook off the thought that had popped into his head.
Nozomu was just being
warned by Jihad to stay away from the Francilt family.
This was due to the
relationship between Nozomu and Irisdina, as well as Nozomu's own problems with
Tiamat.
The worst-case
scenario that Jihad feared was that the Waziart family would go out of control
as a result of the Nozomu's involvement and that Tiamat would be resurrected
resulting in the destruction of Arcazam.
Nozomu himself could
understand Jihad's concern, as he has had two previous out-of-control
experiences.
Currently, he has
repeatedly trained to control Tiamat's power with Zonne, the White Dragon's
guardian, but he has only been able to extend the time in which he could
release his power to around 20 seconds.
And the surroundings
of those whom Nozomu wanted to help were already beginning to be filled with a
disturbing sense of uneasiness and tension.
Nozomu's frustration
was fueled by his own slow growth in response to the rapidly changing situation
around him.
"For now, let's
just focus on fulfilling my promise..."
Shaking off the
thoughts that were about to get into his head, Nozomu took a deep breath,
trying to concentrate on making the bell he had promised to Irisdina.
The design was already
in his mind.
One of the materials
was a bit rare, but not impossible to find, and he had already obtained it and
placed it in the pouch on his hip.
All that remained was
to find a furnace to melt the essential material.
The question is
whether there is a blacksmith who is willing to lend a furnace to Nozomu, who
is an inexperienced blacksmith.
As Nozomu looked
around for a new place to search, he heard a somewhat slow and languid voice.
"Nozomu-ku~~n!"
"Anri-sensei?"
He looked in the
direction of the voice and saw Anri, dressed in neat, well-tailored clothes.
She was dressed
nicely, and it seemed that she was still at work.
However, her workplace
is the school. Normally, she would never leave the school.
"What're you
doing in a place like this, sensei?
"Of course, it's
for my job~. You know, like returning the things used at the opening
festival~"
"... I see."
According to Anri,
many of the costumes, tables, plates, and other furnishings rented by the
students were borrowed for a fee from stores that own many of these things.
Since parties as large
as the opening festival do not happen very often, it is cheaper for the school
to rent them than to buy them.
However, the
furnishings used were all of high value, so in order to prevent loss or theft,
Anri, a regular staff member of the school, was responsible for returning the
furnishings.
"Why are you
here, Nozomu-kun~?"
"Umm,
actually..."
When he told Anri that
he had been looking for a store with a furnace that he could use to make the
bell that Irisdina had asked him to make, but had been turned down right away
everywhere, she nodded as if she understood.
"I see~. And you
still haven't found the essential furnace yet~"
"Yes, I wonder
what should I do?"
In response to
Nozomu's question, Anri tilted her head and put her hand on her cheek and began
to think.
Perhaps attracted by
her beauty, which reminds one of an innocent lady, and her somewhat childish gestures,
people passing by on the street glanced at Anri with sideways glances.
As Nozomu was thinking
that Anri was still a charming woman who could attract men without realizing
it, Anri clapped her hands in front of her ample bosom, as if she had just come
up with an idea.
"Then, shall I do
something about it?"
"Is that
okay?"
"Yes, leave it to
me~"
No matter where the
place was, if he could use a furnace, Nozomu would be very grateful.
Nozomu bowed to Anri
and said, "thank you for your help".
"In return, I
need your help with something~."
"Is it carrying a
load?"
In exchange for
showing him where he could use the furnace, Anri had something to ask of
Nozomu.
Considering that Anri
had returned the borrowed items from the opening festival, Nozomu wondered if
Anri wanted Nozomu to help carry the borrowed items, but Anri shook her head in
denial at Nozomu's words.
"I'm done
returning borrowed items, so no~. For the time being, come with me~."
Anri casually took
Nozomu's hand and began to walk away.
The gazes of the men
around them turned murderous toward Nozomu, who was having a conversation with
a strikingly beautiful young woman.
(Lately, I've been
getting a lot of murderous intent and hostility directed at me...)
With a wry smile on
his face over his own situation, which he was beginning to get used to, Nozomu
left the craftsmen's district, still being pulled along by Anri's hand.
===================================
Anri brought Nozomu to
a school building adjacent to Solminati Academy.
Although much smaller
in scale than the Solminati Academy, the school building itself was still quite
large, with two three-story school buildings built in a north-south alignment.
The building was a
school affiliated with Solminati Academy, which Somia attended.
"Is this
Ecross?"
Ecross.
A school affiliated
with Solminati Academy, where Irisdina's younger sister, Somia, attends.
It is a school for
gifted children gathered from all over the continent to provide them with
education from an early age.
Naturally, Nozomu has
never set foot in this school building.
The main gate is
guarded day and night, and the school is surrounded by high walls with
detection magic.
The only gate into
Ecross is the main gate, and only students, teachers, and others involved in
the administration of Solminati Academy and Ecross are allowed to pass through
the main gate.
"You know~. The
teacher who teaches here said that she really wants you to come, Nozomu-kun~."
While saying so, Anri
confidently pulled Nozomu by the hand and passed through the main gate of the
Ecross school building.
It was natural that
Anri, a teacher at Solminati Academy, could pass through the main gate of
Ecross, but she seemed to visit Ecross quite frequently as she waved her hand
to the gatekeeper in a light manner as she passed through the main gate and the
gatekeeper waved back with a wry smile.
On the other hand,
Nozomu could not help but be bothered by the fact that Anri was still holding
his hand.
"Umm,
Anri-sensei, your hand..."
"Hmm? What is
it~~?"
"... No, it's
nothing."
It was embarrassing
for Nozomu to have his hand held by an older, beautiful teacher, but even if he
wanted to let go, Anri's strength was stronger than he expected.
He wanted to ask Anri
to let go of his hand, but Anri's big smile made it difficult for him to do so.
However, the figures
of Nozomu and Anri were too conspicuous in Ecross.
Moreover, Anri was
casually approached by staff and teachers who passed by her from time to time,
as if she knew many people in Ecross.
At the same time, the
eyes of those who greeted her turned to Nozomu, who was holding hands with
Anri, and for some reason the way they looked at her, as if they were grinning,
stirred Nozomu's sense of embarrassment even more.
The hostility of the
men was not the same as when they were walking around town, but for Nozomu, the
embarrassment was many times worse.
"Anri-sensei, why
me? I don't know the reason."
"Now, now~. Just
come with me~."
Anri kept walking,
dodging Nozomu's question, which was an attempt to disguise his embarrassment.
Anri led us to an
outdoor training area adjacent to the Ecross school building.
The size was a bit
smaller than the training grounds at Solminati Academy.
However, compared to
the training grounds in the academy, the training area was quite impressive, as
it was surrounded by a simple, but efficient, magic barrier like the one in the
martial arts garden.
At the edge of the
training area, about 30 boys and girls of about 10 years old were sitting in a
row.
In front of the
children stood a bestial woman, who appeared to be their homeroom teacher, and
a man and woman whom Nozomu also knew well.
"...Huh? Mars and
Tima-san?"
"Ah……"
"Oh~?"
Mars and Tima,
noticing Nozomu's figure, look surprised.
"Why is Nozomu
here?"
"You guys too.
Why are both of you in Ecross?"
"I'm Tima's
assistant. She seems to have some acquaintances in Ecross."
"I was in Ecross
for a short time before I came to the academy. I'm helping them with their
lectures on how to deal with magic."
According to Tima's
story, she had been enrolled in Ecross for a few months as a candidate for
special admission before entering the Solminati Academy.
She originally came to
Arcazam because of her high magic power, but at first she could not control her
magic power well enough, so she was learning the basics of magic control here
in Ecross.
"Why are you
here, Nozomu-kun?"
"Because
Anri-sensei asked me to come …”
Nozomu looked at Anri,
who was talking with a woman of the rabbit-eared race, whom he believed to be a
teacher in Ecross, and the person who had brought him to this place.
The woman of the
rabbit-eared race was around thirty to forty years old.
She was a
mature-looking woman with a face that was less conspicuous and ears reminiscent
of rabbits wrapped in dark brown fur.
The Rabbit-eared race
is a race of beastmen who are unusually skilled in brainwork among beastmen,
who tend to have a rather strong brain disposition.
They are also timid by
nature, and are thoroughly averse to conflict, running away as soon as they are
confronted with a fight.
However, because of
their cowardice, they were quick to evacuate during the Great Invasion, and as
a result, quite a large number of the rabbit-eared race were able to escape
unharmed.
"Um... I'm sorry.
I'm Veri. I am a graduate of Solminati Academy and a teacher in Ecross. I'll
get right to it, would you mind helping me with my class?"
Veri's tone of voice
was humble even to Nozomu, who was younger than her and was only a student, in
contrast to her mature appearance.
Nozomu was also unsure
of the proper approach to be taken towards his senior, and a woman of such
caliber.
"Umm, how do you
know Anri-sensei?"
"She is my
junior."
"In other words,
you're Anri-sensei's senior?"
"Y-, yes..."
According to Veri, as
a first-year student at Solminati Academy, she was admitted to the academy from
the Sumahya Union.
According to her
story, she entered the school when she was in her late 20s. She said that she
could not suppress her curiosity about the existence of this city where people
and technology gather from all over the continent.
She gave up her
previous job as a researcher in the Sumahya Union and came to Arcazam.
In spite of her quiet
personality, her energy is extraordinary.
Regardless of her
outward appearance and personality, it seems that this woman is also an
acquaintance of Anri's.
"Veri-senpai
taught magic to Tima-san when she came to Ecross, and now she's in charge of
Somia-chan's class~~."
"... Eh? Is that
true!?"
"Y-, yes.
However, the only thing I taught Tima-san was the basics of magic control. Even
in this class, they are all such promising kids that I'm not sure if I'm the
right person to be in charge of them..."
Despite being shy and
reserved, according to Anri, Veri's natural intellectual capacity and curiosity
have given her a broad knowledge of a wide variety of subjects.
Naturally, she has a
solid foundation in basic knowledge, and she has been providing her knowledge
to promising children here in Ecross.
"Umm, where is
Somia-chan?..."
"She is absent.
We've heard she's not feeling well..."
Nozomu glanced at the
students in Veri's class, but she was right, Somia was not among them.
Veri seemed to be a
little hesitant to say anything, and Nozomu felt the anxiety he had been
harboring inside getting bigger.
The meeting between
the Waziart and Francilt families is the hottest topic of conversation here in
Arcazam right now.
As for Nozomu, who may
have been a part of the topic, even if unofficially, he could not stop thinking
about Irisdina and Somia, who were in the middle of it all.
The bell he intended
to give to Irisdina. Nozomu naturally put his hand on the pouch that contained
the materials for the bell.
"I'd like to ask
you a favor..."
Veri's words drew
Nozomu's consciousness, which had been focused on the Francilt family, back.
The reason why Nozomu
came here was because Anri asked him to come.
In return, they seemed
to be willing to help him make the bell for Irisdina, so there was no reason
for Nozomu to refuse.
“Ah, right. Although you say so, what do you actually
want me to do?..."
"Nozomu-san, you
are a master of the Mikagura style of the East, aren't you? In this class, I
would like you to demonstrate it to us."
"Demonstration?"
"Yes. We are not
familiar with the Eastern katana techniques, so we would like you to show us
your skills in front of the children, as a way of broadening their knowledge
and insight."
The absorbing
capability of a young child is remarkable.
There is no doubt that
the knowledge, practices, and habits absorbed at this age will directly affect
the child's future.
That is why Veri
wanted for the children to perceive more experience and knowledge, and to have
a broader perspective.
"Well, if it's
just to show them ......"
"Great! Then
let's get started!"
With a happy smile on
her face, Veri spun around and looked right back at her students.
Then, finally, Nozomu
turned to face the children too.
Nozomu felt a twinge
of embarrassment at the thirty pairs of eyes that were suddenly directed at
him.
"Everyone, I am
here with someone who is going to participate in our class today and show us a
very unique technique. He is a senior student. He is Nozomu Bountis, a
third-year student at Solminati Academy."
"H-, hello."
"Everyone. Please
say hello~"
"" Nice to
meet you ""
"Nozomu-san is a
master of the Mikagura-style katana technique, which is a revered and respected
technique in the East. You all already know of his abilities, don't you?"
The Ecross students
had previously watched the combat training that Nozomu had performed with Jihad
at the martial arts garden.
Therefore, they
responded in a cheerful voice to Veri's question.
"In today's
class, we will first study this Mikagura-style katana technique with Nozomu-san.
Doesn't it sound great~?"
"" Yes~~
""
"Then,
Nozomu-san, please..."
"... Eh, I
thought it was just a demonstration!?"
Being suddenly made to
stand in front of the students and asked to give a lecture, Nozomu
involuntarily raised his voice as if to confirm what she had said.
Nozomu, who has never
been good at teaching, was a little troubled by this turn of events.
"Before you
demonstrate, please give us a brief introduction to the Mikagura-style. Don't
worry, a brief explanation will do."
According to Veri, a
brief introduction was enough.
Hearing those words,
Nozomu changed his mind.
"Umm. I'm... no,
that's not it. The Mikagura-style I use is a katana technique originally
derived from the sacred rituals of the East. It has been refined in the harsh
and rugged eastern lands, with the aim of taking on and surviving against both
humans and beasts alike."
First, Nozomu began
with a brief introduction to the art of katana technique in the Mikagura-style.
He wondered if he had
used too many difficult words. Nozomu felt uneasy, but the children did not
seem to mind.
The children, though
young, were promising prodigies, having been admitted to Ecross.
"The weapons we
use are forged weapons called katanas. It is a weapon specialized for slashing
and thrusting, characterized by its gentle curves and the ripples that appear
on the blade during the forging process.”
Nozomu pulled out the
[Mumei] from his waist and held it with both hands to support the handle and
the pommel, then showed it to the children.
In front of the
katana, the children, especially the boys, seemed to be quite interested and
their eyes lit up at once.
"The
Mikagura-style fundamentally does not use shields. If you are facing a powerful
demon beast, a half-hearted defense is meaningless. The majority of the
techniques used are techniques capable of inflicting fatal wounds, such as
one-point penetration and internal destruction, even against demon beasts,
which have a much stronger killing power and a life force that is much higher
than that of humans."
While nodding his head
at the sparkling gazes of the children, who were strangely interested in him,
Nozomu proceeded on with his explanation.
"At the same
time, in terms of defense, this style is more vulnerable than those used by
swordsmen on this continent, since many of the techniques emphasize parry and
evasion, and there is a wide variety of techniques, so it is a style that is
very dependent on the ability and strength of the user."
At this point, Nozomu
cut the explanation once and turned his attention to Mars.
"Mars, can you
help me?"
"Sure."
Nozomu and Mars moved
a little away from the children and faced each other, readying their respective
weapons.
Then, just like they
always did in their training, they began to clash their blades.
"Fuh~!"
"Zei~!"
Mars' greatsword
roared and swung down toward Nozomu.
Nozomu deflected the
blade's trajectory by hitting the side of the approaching blade with his
katana, and then used the returning momentum to cleave Mars' torso.
Mars also swiftly drew
his greatsword back and intercepted it.
The two blades crossed
in every direction: a diagonal slash, a reverse cleave, a sweep up, and a
thrust.
"Whoa..."
Watching Nozomu's
effortless, confident strike against Mars' greatsword, which was overwhelmingly
superior in terms of physical strength and power, the children who were
watching him let out a gasp of admiration.
This contrast
demonstration between the continent's swordsmanship which emphasized brute
strength and the East's swordsmanship which emphasized flexibility was a sight
to behold.
The children's eyes
were glued to the two different techniques unfolding in front of their eyes.
Eventually, the two
swordsmen, who had been striking each other with their weapons, stepped forward
at the same time, as if to make a sign to the other, and with a single flash of
their blades, they crossed their positions to each other.
After switching
positions, they slowly retracted their weapons.
"Umm, would this
be about right?"
"Yes, thank you
very much. Today we have third-year student Nozomu Bountis demonstrating the
Eastern katana technique."
"" Thank you
very much! ""
"Thank you,
Nozomu-san. If you would like to observe the class with Anri-sensei, please do
so."
"All right. I
guess I'll observe for a bit then."
Nozomu bowed to Veri
and stepped back.
Then Tima stood next
to Veri, as if replacing Nozomu.
Nozomu decided to
watch Ecross' class from a little distance with Mars.
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