Chapter 8 Part 33
Translator : PolterGlast
Perhaps they were
hidden by spirit magic.
Triforium appeared
before Shina's eyes and sighed in front of his surprised great-granddaughter.
"Of course, we
were waiting for you. The spirits told me that you were coming out of the
academy that the humans had built."
"Hi Shina,
haven't seen you since the opening party."
Standing next to
Triforium was Shina's prospective fiancée, Rauls.
Rauls put a gorgeous
smile on his handsome face, which everyone admired, and raised his hand in a
casual manner.
His smile, which
perfectly fit the description of a friendly nobleman, would be an enchanting
smile similar to a narcotic for women.
Shina, on the other
hand, simply bowed her head in response to Rauls' greeting with a blank
expression.
As always, Shina's
lack of interest in Rauls' greeting was not unusual, and Rauls, perhaps
accustomed to it, only smiled wryly.
"I've already
told you what I want to talk to you about. We are going back to the
village."
"I refuse. To
me..."
The matter that
Triforium talked about was the same as during the opening festival. Shina also
tried to respond with the same answer.
However, unlike at the
opening festival, Triforium began to continue his words before Shina could
finish hers.
"I have friends,
I have companions, I have colleagues I believe in. I'm not going to listen to
those lies."
"Wait a minute,
what do you mean by lies!"
Mimuru raised her
voice at Triforium, who dismissed Shina's words with a single sentence.
"Our friends, the
spirits, have told me everything. If it is not a lie, let us call it empty
words. You have performed the blood-covenant ritual without telling the person
who is the most important to you what it means, and you can't even talk about
the curse you received as a result. So what makes one a companion, what makes
one a friend, what makes one a colleague?"
Triforium has lived a
long time as an elf. It took no effort at all for him to talk to the spirits
around him and have them eavesdrop on Shina's condition.
And with the help of
the spirits, Triforium has discovered that Shina can no longer even sense the
spirits.
"That's…"
And Triforium's words
accurately hit the gap in Shina's heart.
Shina stammered as she
was struck by the gap in her heart.
"Shina. I
wouldn't blame you. Since you have lost the ability to sense even the presence
of spirits, it is not surprising that you have become like a foolish human
being. It is all that man's fault that you have become like this, isn't
it?"
In front of his silent
great-granddaughter, Triforium somewhat softened the tone of his voice.
But his words put the
blame for the whole thing on Nozomu Bountis alone.
Shina couldn't help
but open her mouth at the words and actions of the elf, which exude feelings of
disdain for human beings and, above all, seek to humiliate the person she held
in her heart.
"You're wrong!
That was what I wanted to do! I want to repay him, I want to help him! I don't
want him to go through that again!"
He was angry with
himself for hurting his friends. That was why she wanted to do something about
it.
The pent-up, depressed
feelings that had been building up. As if reversed, they overflowed at once,
exposing her bare heart.
(Even so, I don't want
to regret it this time, my dreams, my love ... Well, if you can't stand to
watch it happen, then feel free to take the initiative, okay?)
Lisa Hounds' harsh but
gentle provocation pushed her forward.
"I did that
because I want to be by his side forever!"
Shina's confession
resembled a scream.
Both Triforium and
Rauls' eyes were wide open in front of it.
Did they not expect
Shina to show such rejection, or did they think she was brokenhearted because
she could no longer even cast magic?
Triforium's eyes
widened for a moment, but he quickly squinted his eyes and continued to
persuade Shina in a serious tone of voice.
"I'll say it once
again. Go back to the village. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much
you put your heart into it, humans will not understand."
"That is not ...
true."
"You are an elf,
and that boy is a human. It's true that he has some strange abilities, but that
doesn't change anything. He cannot communicate with spirits like we can, nor
can he live in the same span of time as we do. In fact, isn't that actually the
case?"
Triforium was also
aware of the fact that Nozomu could not master spirit magic.
The atmosphere between
them was so heavy that even the sheer force of their physical weight could be
felt.
"He is special.
Even more than the Triforium-sama can imagine..."
"I know. There
seems to be a king of spirits in this land..."
The king of spirits.
These words made Shina's eyes widen.
These words were
undoubtedly referring to the old white dragon who trained and monitored Nozomu.
It was only natural,
if one thought about it. Zonne, who was monitoring Nozomu, would not have missed
something such as a spirit that was observing him as well.
"Why, such a
thing..."
As he looked up at his
great-granddaughter, who was stunned, Triforium remembered the time when he had
made contact with Zonne, and his expression distorted bitterly.
==================================
It was not long ago
that Triforium came into contact with Zonne. It was when Nozomu was on his way
to Ecross to help with a lecture at Anri's request.
At that time,
Triforium had made a contract with a spirit drifting in the sky and was
watching Nozomu.
At that time, Rauls,
who was usually by his side, was also absent. The young elf was acting as a
mediator with the other races, and his job was not only to stand beside
Triforium.
Taking advantage of
the absence of his personal attendant, Triforium glared at Nozomu through the
spirit and pondered what he should do to get rid of him from Shina's life.
He could not let a man
mislead his granddaughter.
But it is also
difficult to eliminate him by force. Even Triforium, who was in a state of
rage, could tell that this individual was in a rather important position in the
academy.
"It's
unavoidable. I have no choice but to talk to the boy directly and order him to
leave, after slapping him with Shina's current situation."
If Nozomu would not
back down, however, he was willing to take more forceful measures.
Elven spirit magic is
one of the most powerful techniques on the Arkmill continent.
Using it, Triforium
was proud of the fact that he could do anything he wanted to a single human
being.
With the help of the
spirits, he could isolate the individual in a different space and leave him
there until he was unable to move due to thirst and hunger.
He could draw out
traumas and nightmares, keep hitting them and break their hearts.
(Shina. Now, I will
release you from your shackles.)
For Triforium, Shina
is the only remaining family member. All of his relatives died in the great
invasion. Therefore, his love for her is extraordinary.
Combined with the
disdain the elves have long harbored for other races, he feels the need to get
rid of Nozomu at all costs.
And, driven by a
seething rage, Triforium attempted to give orders to the spirits in his
control, but he was unable to do so...
"~!"
The spirits in his
control fizzled out in the blink of an eye due to the fear that suddenly
attacked them.
The path that should
have connected them has forcibly torn apart, and immediately afterward the
surrounding scenery changed to gray.
"W-, w-,
wha..."
Leaving the dismayed
Triforium behind, he was thrown into a completely different space.
Immediately after, an
intense sense of intimidation crushed him.
"A-,
guh~...!"
The air was forced out
of his lungs, and the old elf involuntarily collapsed to his knees.
And then, as he
crouched down, a presence appeared in front of him.
"A-, you
are..."
An old man appeared
before him.
But Triforium's eyes
could clearly see this person's true identity.
It was Zonne, the
Great White Dragon, who appeared in front of the old elf.
(Leave. I will not
allow you to touch him.)
A dragon that stands
at the pinnacle of spirits.
The old elf was simply
speechless at the appearance of the one who could be considered the pinnacle
for Triforium as well.
Immediately afterward,
an image was sent to his mind.
It was the image of
Nozomu, blasting out the five-colored elements as he faced the king of spirits
before him. It is the scene of his previous rampage.
Triforium shuddered at
the sight of Nozomu, who was able to drive Zonne into a corner, even though he
was weakened because he was in human form.
No, it is not just
Nozomu's strength. What frightened him the most was the five-colored elements
erupting from the boy's body. It was impossible not to see what kind of being
Nozomu Bountis was by looking at these clearly foreign elements.
(I repeat, I will not
allow you to touch him.)
In the face of these
words, which were uttered with such gravity and absolute force, all Triforium
could do was to fall prostrate.
==================================
Thinking back to his
previous encounter with Zonne, Triforium exhaled heavily to release the tension
on his face.
"Well, he seems
to have been quite attentive to me. He contacted me through the spirit who made
a contract with me. I understand that that human being is so special. I was
shown it personally by the king himself."
"... What are you
saying?"
"He told me to
back off... I was given strict orders not to make contact. If it is a direct
order from the king of spirits, then there is nothing we can do about it."
"Is that
so…"
Triforium, which knew
of Nozomu's existence, was put on the precautionary list by Zonne.
There was no way he
could come into contact with the source of his great-granddaughter's confusion
if Zonne, the white dragon, stopped him. And it would be impossible to
eliminate him by force. In other words, even though he was burning with rage
against Nozomu, he was unable to do anything about it.
"That's exactly
why. Shina, you shouldn't be here right now."
Because of these
circumstances, he was even more determined to get Shina away from Nozomu.
With uncontrollable
emotion and frustration, he quickly emphasized to Shina how dangerous the
situation is for her.
"The feud between
the Dragon Race and Tiamat is well known among the chiefs of the Elves. Tiamat
wanted to destroy everything, and the dragon race tried to stop her. As a
result of this horrific battle, the power of the spirits on this continent was
greatly weakened."
The battle between
Tiamat and the dragon race is only a legend among humans, but the elves, a
long-lived species, have their own record of the battle.
However, those records
have only been revealed to the elders.
There are some truths
that are never allowed to be spoken.
Triforium recalled the
time when Zonne made a contact with him.
The moment he was
about to give an order to the spirit to punish the filthy human who had
bewitched his great-granddaughter, his whole body went rigid and he was unable
to move.
It was as if his arms
and legs had been ripped off and his entire body had been pierced by icicles.
The spirit that had
been in his control instantly fizzled out, completely cutting off any
connection with him. That was exactly the same situation that Shina is in now.
(Leave. I will not
allow you to touch him.)
A royal decree echoed
in Triforium's ears as he felt as if he were all alone in the world. Triforium,
which had worshipped the spirit of the great tree in its long-lost homeland,
could not possibly defy such a royal decree.
"The shape of the
present continent is also due to the battle between Tiamat and the dragons.
Shina. This is no longer a matter within the control of elves and humans."
"But I will not
abandon him."
So, while maintaining
his dignity, Triforium desperately tried to persuade Shina.
But Shina, too, showed
no signs of backing down, and the old elf's impatience with his unheeding
great-granddaughter slowly began to grow.
"You are not
abandoning him. You are just backing down."
"It's the same
thing!"
"There is nothing
left you can do! You have lost your
connection with the spirits, and you can no longer cast your magic, so what can
you do now in the face of a disaster of such magnitude as the Dragon Slayer!?
Furthermore, that monster from the Empire is coming to this town! And on top of
that, that monster seems to be taking a keen interest in that Dragon
Slayer!"
A monster of the
empire.
Vitora's existence was
another headache for Triforium.
Her attitude toward
Nozomu Bountis, the Dragon Slayer, contained obvious intent, and those who were
involved with spirits could feel that their intuition rang alarm bells that
things were not going to be just as they seemed.
"Stop calling him
a symbol of misfortune! He is my benefactor! He is the person ...... whom I
sincerely wish to have as my companion!"
"You just assume
that unilaterally!"
In response to Shina's
lack of understanding, Triforium finally raised his voice.
Triforium, who has
lived a particularly long time among the elves, knew the tremendous power of
personal military might possessed by the key figures of the Dizzard Empire.
And the outcome is
easy to imagine.
If those two were to
clash, this city would undoubtedly be brought to an end by the Dragon Slayer
and the Death Demon Princess.
And not to mention
Shina, even the resident of this town, would not be able to escape that
calamity if they continued to live in the town.
"If you continue
to be involved with that boy, you will definitely be in misfortune! We were
trampled by demon beasts, deceived by humans, and lost everything! I will not
allow my last great-granddaughter to sacrifice herself!"
"I absolutely
will never be going back!"
"~!,
Sheena!"
While Triforium was
running out of patience due to his unheeding great-granddaughter, Shina was
also unable to accept her great-grandfather's one-sided demand.
Mimuru hurriedly
chased after Shina, who turned on her heel and ran away.
Triforium, who was
left behind, was ashamed of himself for being driven by rage, but he was
troubled by the stubbornness of his great-granddaughter and put his hand on his
forehead and groaned as if wiping away the root of his sorrow.
"Triforium-sama,
about that story you just talking about..."
At that moment, Rauls,
who was standing next to him, asked him in surprise.
He, too, had just
learned for the first time that Nozomu was actually a Dragon Slayer and that
Zonne had contacted him.
"It's the truth.
This town is too dangerous. We don't have much time. We must get Shina out of
this city at any cost..."
Triforium gritted his
back teeth due to the frustration that welled up in him.
Next to him, Rauls put
his hand over his mouth and stared thoughtfully at the alleyway where Shina had
run off to.
