Merry Christmas guys. :)
After I read this chapter, I'm now Team Shina XD
-------------------------------
Chapter 8 Part 49
Translator : PolterGlast
"Phew, that Lisa
sure was getting out of control..."
In the hall of the
Gloaurum Institution. While sitting in a chair placed there, Nozomu let out a
sigh. He had undergone various examinations over the past few days, but today
was the most tiring day of all. Mainly because of his childhood friend who had
gone out of control.
"It can't be
helped you know, considering how she feels."
A refreshingly clear
voice drifted into the chilly hall where the smell of disinfectant wafted
through the air.
Nozomu looked up to
see Shina holding a cup of steamy water.
Nozomu breathed a sigh
of relief when he saw his colleague, who he hadn't seen for a long time, as he
had been under house arrest for the past few days and had been subjected to a
series of examinations and interrogations.
"It's been a
while. Is everything going well on your side?"
"Yes. I'm not
required to undergo the same kind of examination that you did."
Shina sat down next to
Nozomu and offered him the cup she held in her hand. The steamy milk smelled
sweet. It was apparently hot milk with honey.
"Thank you"
"Fufu~, you're
welcome"
Guided by the warmth
of the porcelain cup in the palm of his hand, he gently sipped the milk.
The warmth of the warm
milk in his throat soothed his body and mind, which had been tired from the
examinations and interrogations.
Hoo~... A white breath
quietly escaped from his mouth. When he looked beside him, he saw that Shina
was breathing out the same white breath.
"Oh, it's so
warm. Where did you get this?"
"I just snuck it
out from Torgrain-sensei's lab."
Shina held up her
index finger and put it over her mouth, saying, "don't tell anyone".
Seeing her gesture,
Nozomu couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
The air between the
two of them was calm. However, as if to break the air, a graceful voice called
out to the two of them.
"Hey, you two.
Are you two meeting up here?"
"You are..."
The one who appeared
was Laurus, a handsome elf and Shina's prospective fiancée.
With a smile that
would make any woman swoon, he approached the bench where they were sitting.
"How can I help
you, Rauls-sama?"
"As usual, you're
being too harsh with me. Well, it's too late for that now. I have a little
favor to ask of him."
As he said so, Rauls
turned his gaze to Nozomu.
"A favor?"
"Yes, I'd like
you to meet Triforium-sama."
Both Nozomu and
Shina's eyes widened at the name that came out of Rauls' mouth.
Triforium, Shina's
great-grandfather, is currently in jail for attempted kidnapping. Even though
they are related by blood, he tried to force a student out of the city, by
sealing the student's will.
If this were an
ordinary criminal, he would be sent to a mine or some other place as a
prisoner. However, after considering his position and status, it seemed that he
would eventually be deported from the city.
"... Am I the
only one who will meet him?"
"No, if possible,
take her with you..."
Upon hearing Rauls'
words, the two looked at each other.
As for Nozomu, it was
okay to meet him. In fact, he had thought that he had to meet him.
After all, he and
Shina had performed a blood covenant ritual, even though he did not aware of
it.
But what about Shina?
Her eyes, which were
reminiscent of the azure skies, still showed a sense of enmity toward her
great-grandfather.
However, she sipped
the hot milk in her cup again, nodded her head in understanding, and quietly
opened her mouth.
"I understand. I
will see him."
"I'm glad to hear
it. I have made an appointment for you to visit him, and I have permission from
Jihad-dono. Then, would you like to come now?"
"Right now?"
"Considering your
current position, I thought it would be better for you to meet him in the
evening when you can avoid being seen."
The sun was already
setting outside the window.
It is true that the
current Nozomu is, in many ways, the man of the hour.
The school probably
chose this time of day because they thought it would be easier to provide as
much security as possible at a time of day when as few people as possible would
be watching.
Nozomu and Shina
nodded to each other, drank down the milk they had, and followed Rauls.
=================================
Nozomu and Shina were
brought to the Guard's headquarters, which is located near the Central Park.
Here, there is a
prison for those who have committed crimes in the city.
The prisons are
underground dungeons designed to prevent escape. The old elf was in the deepest
and most heavily guarded of the prisons.
Magic circles are
drawn here and there in the dungeon, shining faintly. They were meant to seal
the magic power of the spirit magic user.
"... You come,
huh."
Triforium raised his
deeply wrinkled face and stared through the bars at the visitors. Triforium's
gaze was wary, but so far showed no sign of dislike for Nozomu.
"Hello..."
"Rauls, so you
brought Shina too?"
"Yes, I thought
you'd want to make sure she's okay..."
Upon hearing Rauls'
words, Triforium let out a sigh ... and then turned his attention back to
Nozomu.
"Well then, brat,
how will you atone for the crime of defiling my great-granddaughter?"
"Grandfather! It
is I who-...!"
"Shut up! This is
not a matter of reasoning."
Triforium's actions
were not right in anyone's eyes.
Even so, even if
Nozomu couldn't say that he understood all of this old man's feelings, he could
still imagine them.
Shina was the only
remaining member of his precious family. It would be impossible not to care
about her, and some might go out of control or force themselves to do something
that is not what they want because of their piling-up emotions and anxieties.
His former best friend
was just like that.
"I understand. I
will take responsibility."
"Nozomu-kun!?”
"I will cooperate
with her dream of recapturing the Nebula Forest. When that time comes, I will
use all the power I have to help her reclaim her homeland."
Cooperation with the
Dragon Slayer. Upon hearing this assurance, Triforium's eyebrows furrowed. He
wanted to confirm whether Nozomu's words were true or not.
Nozomu, on the other
hand, simply met the old elf's gaze.
A few seconds of
silence. In the midst of the mutual gaze, it was Nozomu who opened his mouth
first.
"... That would
be my wish too."
"Wish?"
"My wish is to
help the people I care about. That remains true today and always will be."
It might seem
grandiose, but it is in fact a tiny dream. And it is Nozomu's original wish.
To connect the dreams
of those he cares about.
This is the answer he
has arrived at after many twists and turns.
"She is someone
who is very important to me, and at the same time, one of my irreplaceable
benefactors. If it were for that reason, I would not refuse to use this
power."
For a moment, Nozomu's
eyes suddenly seemed to relax, and then they turned to Shina next to him.
Her face turned
slightly vermilion as he turned his gaze on her, soft and full of warmth.
Triforium's shoulders
slumped at this gentle atmosphere.
On the one hand, there
were those who could not admit their own negative sides and went berserk. On the
other hand, there were those who faced their weaknesses and overcame them.
Which of them truly
cared about their loved ones? The result was clear.
"In the end, I
could do nothing, was I? No, those who are blinded by the past are no match for
those who live in the present with an eye on the future, huh..."
The elven elder closed
his eyes as if reflecting on his past and bowed deeply to Nozomu.
"I would like to
take this opportunity to apologize for my many rudenesses. I am truly sorry.
And please take care of my last family member."
================================
After meeting with
Triforium, Nozomu was walking with Shina and Rauls on the way back to the guest
house.
The sun had already
set, so there were few people around.
"Iyaa~, you sure are
amazing..."
"What do you
mean?"
When Nozomu turned
around, Rauls was staring at him with a look of admiration on his face.
He was smiling with
such a beautiful expression that even a man might be charmed by it, and there
was a tinge of pure respect in his gaze.
"There aren't
many people who can speak straight to Triforium-sama like you did. He is one of
the Elven Elders, after all."
"I was just
talking about my intentions..."
"Not many people
can do that, especially when they are in front of someone with power and
authority. Well, you yourself don't seem to be aware of it."
Seeing Nozomu tilting
his head, Rauls let out a chuckle.
In response to the
words, which were too subtle to be taken as a compliment, Nozomu looked at him
with a difficult expression on his face.
"How should I say
it? You have a very clear heart. I know I have my own issues with Shina, but
for me, I'd like to be friends with you."
Saying so, Rauls
extended his right hand to him.
A handshake. An act of
friendship. However, it was quite unusual for an elf, who seemed to be uptight
and had a strong sense of independence, to ask for a handshake.
Most importantly,
Nozomu did not know Rauls well.
He knew that he was
Shina's prospective fiancée, but that was practically all he knew.
He stared at the
extended hand and then turned his gaze back to the smiling face of the handsome
elf.
There was nothing
negative in Rauls' gaze, and he seemed to be genuinely hoping for a friendship.
Nozomu then took a
deep breath and shook his extended hand.
"I look forward
to working with you, Shina’s fiancée-dono.”
"Yes... Huh?
Fiancée?"
For a moment, Nozomu,
who didn't understand what Rauls was saying, couldn't help but ask back.
Who is the fiancée of
whom? The face of Shina, who was standing next to Nozomu, instantly turned
vermilion.
"You and Shina
did the engagement ceremony, didn't you? If so, wouldn't it be right to call
you her fiancée? Besides, you said you'd take responsibility..."
"N-, no,
that's..."
"~~~! ~~~~!"
While Nozomu was
flustered, Shina, with her face bright red, was beginning to make inarticulate
noises next to him.
"Ahahahaha! Well,
you two should talk about the rest. And you should be a little careful. Elven
love is gentle, but to humans, it tends to be heavy in many ways."
"… Eh?"
"Well then, I'll
leave the rest to the young ones, so I'll excuse myself now."
After agitating Shina
as much as he could, Rauls quickly walked away with a few meaningful words.
Whether he was
borrowing the power of a spirit or not, his speed was even faster than usual,
and in no time at all, he was out of sight.
And the two of them
were left behind. Their gazes naturally crossed each other's ... and then they
quickly turned their gazes away.
Nozomu, who scratched
the back of his head from embarrassment, and Shina, who looked down with a red
face. A quiet, sweet and sour atmosphere began to prevail.
"I-, I'm
screwed..."
"You don't like
it? I'm ... happy."
In response to
Nozomu's attempt to fill in the silence, Shina's words were straightforward.
Nozomu was momentarily
taken aback by the straightforward confession, which was hard to imagine from
an elf who normally does not show much emotion.
However, he quickly
calmed his agitated feelings and slowly opened his mouth as he faced Shina
head-on.
"... No, I don't
hate it. Rather, I'm flattered."
Hearing these words,
Shina's face lit up.
She looked up with a
smile on her pretty, fairy-like, unrealistic beautiful face and was deeply
happy from the bottom of her heart.
Seeing her smile,
Nozomu also felt a strong affection welling up in his heart.
At the same time, he
felt a twinge of regret.
"... But I still
have someone I want to talk to, someone I want to convey my feelings
to..."
In a sense, these
words were a rejection of Shina's confession.
However, as if she was
aware of what he was saying, she nodded her head at his words with a delighted
smile.
"Yes, I know. Are
you going now?"
"Yeah..."
"I see ... She's
probably already back at the guest house after today's examination."
"Thank you…"
After saying so, Shina
turned away with a somewhat regretful expression on her face.
But after a step or
two, she abruptly turned around.
"Ah, that's
right... I forgot something."
"Huh? Uwa!?"
Suddenly, Shina's
beautiful face loomed over Nozomu's eyes.
Then, a refreshingly
calming, sweet scent spread to his nose, followed by a soft, warm sensation on
his lips.
"Nn…..."
The girl closed her
eyes and laid her lips on her beloved's.
In an instant,
Nozomu's brain froze. The suddenness of the situation made his eyes widen
involuntarily.
In his rigid
consciousness, Nozomu thought, in a strangely silly way, that the girl seemed
to be happy, as she gently relaxed her closed eyebrows.
Eventually, after a
few dozen seconds of silence, Shina slowly parted her overlapping lips and let
out a soft, gentle sigh of pleasure.
*Smooch* The sound of
the mucous membranes separating from each other was oddly lascivious to
Nozomu's ears.
"You and I are
connected. But you can't feel my feelings. If so, I have to tell you how I
feel..."
Although their lips
parted, Shina kept her body close to Nozomu's chest as she continued to speak.
"It doesn't
matter who you fall in love with. But my feelings will never change. From now
on, I will continue to convey my feelings to you like this..."
"B-, but that
doesn't mean you should just do something like this out of the blue! Or rather,
how could you do such a thing with the way things are going right now!"
"Ara~, Lisa-san
had done it too, hadn't she? If so, it won't be a problem if I do it too,
right? Besides, it's evening now. There are no people around, so it's totally
fine. Remember, girls can be possessive, too, you know. Even if the person
they're attracted to likes someone else, it doesn't matter."
Rather, it was because
he was interested with someone else that she wanted to monopolize him even
more.
While adding these
words, Shina puts her index finger on Nozomu's lips, which she had just kissed.
As if to confirm the kiss she had just given.
"I was so happy
to be able to feel your heart, but it is even more exciting to express my
feelings like this. Perhaps it is because my feelings for you are overflowing
from within me."
Her sexy gesture,
which seemed to be out of place for an elf with a sense of purity, made his
heart skip a beat.
"And one more
thing to remember. Elven love lasts for several decades. Their love lasts until
one of them dies. So my feelings for you will never wane."
Some elves, who value
their heart-to-heart connection so much, mourn for a long time when their
partner is gone.
And Shina's heart was
completely captivated by Nozomu. The words that Rauls had said earlier,
"Elven love is gentle, but to humans, it tends to be heavy in many
ways", came back to his mind.
Before he realized it,
he saw white chains floating on her arms.
"Well then, see
you tomorrow. Aa~h, it's a shame I have to leave. I'll leave you to
"her" for today, but you'll have to make it up to me later."
Shina quickly detached
herself and turned on her heel, returning to the girls' dormitory with
conflicting scents of lewdness and innocence.
Nozomu, who had been
overwhelmed by Shina's unexpected attack, closed his eyes once and took a deep
breath.
It was to calm his
disturbed mind once more.
"... Shall I go
then?"
Nozomu then went to
the guest house where she now resides.
In order to tell her
how he feels about her right now.
