This chapter was brought to you by the collaboration between PolterGlast and Saekano Translations.
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Volume 2
Chapter 2.1
Off-Street
[Rivalry] Tune Part 1
Translator : PolterGlast
After reporting to the
guild, Nozomu and his group parted ways with Shina and the others and headed
directly for the Ox-head Pavilion, which is the home of Mars' parents.
Normally, it would be
just Nozomu, but this time Irisdina and Tima were with him.
The reason for this
was to celebrate the completion of their first mission as a party.
Also, although no one
said it, it was to get rid of the bad feeling at the time of reporting the
completion of the request.
"All right,
cheers!"
"C-,
Cheers!"
"Ooh......."
Nozomu also raised his
cup to Irisdina's prompting. What was in the cup was not sake, but juice. When
Mars was about to order sake, his sister, Ena, the tavern's signature girl,
stopped him.
"Absolutely no
sake for you, Onīchan!"
Apparently, Mars had
once confronted a customer who had complained all kinds of things about the
restaurant's food when he was drunk, and since then he had been forbidden to
drink sake at home. Of course, he was also not allowed to return home drunk.
"Come to think of
it, Irisdina-san. I wanted to ask you, what happened to that butler's
case?"
"Although I've
covered it up as a magic tool malfunction to the outside world, I can't keep it
completely under wraps. Well, I've explained it to the academy to some
extent."
"...... Is that
really alright?"
"To be honest,
it's not looking good. However, it's fortunate that Jihad-sensei told me that
he doesn't blame Somia and me."
"Thank
goodness......"
Nozomu was relieved to
hear Irisdina's words.
When Rugato attacked,
barrier magic was cast on the Francilte mansion, and the battle took place
inside the mansion, which was only on the premises of the Francilt mansion.
Therefore, in
Irisdina's opinion, the battle was probably tolerated because no damage was
inflicted on the town.
"By the way,
Nozomu, you didn't release your [Ability Suppression], huh?"
Nozomu's heart thumped
loudly in response to Mars' abrupt words.
"Well, yeah. I
didn't have the opportunity or need to do that...... Like I said before, I'm
still couldn't control it yet."
"But you could
have used it. I mean, it's not like it's going to take long, and once you use
it, the people who make fun of you will shut up, right?"
"That's
......."
Certainly, by showing
Tiamat's power once released, he would be able to silence the students who made
fun of him. But at the same time, Nozomu will definitely be asked to explain
this power in detail.
If that were to
happen, they might also find out about the existence of the giant dragon that
Nozomu had come to host.
A sense of fear and
agitation ran down Nozomu's spine.
What would they look
at him if they were to find out? How would he be treated?
The return of a
Dragonslayer for the first time in hundreds of years. Nozomu could not be so
optimistic as to think that everything would be smooth sailing as a result.
What's more, Tiamat
still lived inside Nozomu's body, and he could still sense its mighty presence
if he were to focus his attention on it.
Even after his battle
against Rugato, Tiamat has even tried to intrude on his consciousness in the
form of dreams.
Therefore, Nozomu had
a strong premonition that after becoming a Dragonslayer, he would face all
sorts of troubles, troublesome situations, political disputes, and
international issues.
"He has the
ability to control his Qi with such precision that it's no wonder he doesn't
like to feel differently than he normally does."
"Well, besides,
it seems that Nozomu-kun is under a great deal of strain...... You remember how
he slept for more than a day and a half before, don't you?"
"Well, yeah,
that's true......."
Mars seemed to have a
slight second thought about it, but he nodded at Irisdina and Tima's words and
did not pursue Nozomu any further.
A moment of silence.
Trying to cover up the slightly awkward atmosphere, Nozomu opened his mouth.
"Speaking of
which, I was curious about something....... Why were Kevin and his party
members so mad at her?"
"By her, do you
mean Shina Juliel-kun?"
Upon Irisdina's
confirmation of his question, Nozomu gave a small nod.
"What, you don't
know?"
Nozomu tilted his head
at Mars, who looked a little surprised. Mars let out a sigh of exasperation at
Nozomu, who really didn't understand.
"Most of the students
who had been harboring hostility toward Shina-kun were beastmen. They are all
from the Sumahya Union."
"Sumahya
Union....... ah-."
Irisdina's words
sparked a connection between the questions that Nozomu had in his mind.
Sumahya Union is a
country in the southern part of the Arkmel continent, a new nation founded by
those who lost their country due to the Great Invasion of the demonic beasts
that took place 20 years ago.
Therefore, it is a
melting pot of races, not only human, but also many demihuman races live here.
Elves are also a
member of the Sumahya Union, but what caused problems was the behavior of the
elves at the time of the Great Invasion.
Basically, elves do
not get involved with other races. In particular, only elves were allowed to
enter the Nebula Forest, their former homeland.
The Nebula Forest was
originally created by the spirits that dwelled in the Great Tree that stood at
the center of the forest. Elves made a contract with the spirits of the Great
Tree in ancient times, and have coexisted with them for thousands of years
since then.
The forest's defenses,
protected by the elves, who have an extremely high affinity with spirits,
combined with the spirits of the Great Tree, can truly be called an iron wall.
Furthermore, Nebula
forest is always shrouded in thick fog, and only elves who can communicate with
spirits can reside in it.
Therefore, even during
the Great Invasion, the elves did not heed the warnings of other races and did
not accept help from them because it was their sanctuary as it has always been.
The other nations also
believed that the Nebula Forest would be able to withstand the invasion of the
demonic beasts for half a year.
"But, if I'm not
mistaken, the Nebula Forest fell just within a week or so......."
However, the forest of
elves fell earlier than expected. The reason seemed to be that the Great Tree,
the heart of the forest, was attacked by demonic beasts that came out of
nowhere, and the "High Elves" who could establish communication with the
Great Tree were annihilated.
After the fall of the
Nebula Forest, the monsters invaded the neighboring countries, which had not
yet finished their defense preparations, and caused them to collapse as well.
Naturally, the
refugees who had warned the elves beforehand were among them, and many were
killed.
"Of course, a
country's inadequate defense system is the responsibility of its government.
But those who lost their families and hometowns didn't care. Moreover, after
the fall of the Nebula Forest, the speed of the demonic beast invasion
increased, and many countries collapsed as a result."
The early fall of
Nebula Forest. This confusion created further chaos and triggered the chain
reaction collapse of many countries.
Although
consequential, this decisively worsened the standing of the elves.
"After the Great
Invasion, the surviving elves fled to territories within the current Sumahya
Union, but many in the Union still harbor animosity toward the elves because
they ignored reinforcements and warnings from other races. Kevin is also one of
those people."
Irisdina kept telling
the story while moistening her mouth with the juice in front of her.
"However, it is
not as if the elves are completely ostracized within the Union. In fact, the
elves' spirit magic was of great help in the recapture of territories after the
invasion."
[Operation Fructus]
It was the greatest
counterattack operation of mankind, which took place over a duration of four
years beginning right after the Great Invasion.
Thanks to this operation,
which lasted from the first to the fourth stages, the invasion of the demonic
beasts was successfully stopped, albeit at the cost of many casualties, and the
territory was subsequently recaptured to a certain extent.
However, it was not
possible to recapture all the territories occupied by the monsters, and this
operation has now been postponed indefinitely in the middle of the fifth stage
due to the exhaustion of the various countries.
"Umm ...... about
Tom-kun and Mimuru-san. As I recall, they are both from the Sumahya Union, just
like Kevin-kun. Moreover, the homeland of the Wolfmen hasn't been liberated
yet......"
On one hand, they were
hated, yet on the other hand, they could be friends. The relationships between
them seemed to reflect the chaotic situation of the Sumahya Union.
"If I remember
correctly, the recapture of territories occupied by demonic beasts after the
Great Invasion was- ......"
"Yeah, it stopped
right near the Nebula Forest. And despite the destruction of their homeland, it
was the Wolfmen, Kevin's parents' generation, who warned the elves about the
oncoming Great Invasion. That's why it's become such a complicated issue."
"Sorry to keep
you waiting! Here you go! A hole rabbit steak, a whole roasted chicken, a
salad, and some bread!"
Meanwhile, Ena, Mars'
younger sister, brought in the dishes one after another.
The dishes were served
on a large platter, as one would expect from a tavern, with steam rising from
the dishes and an appetizing aroma wafting through the air.
"Now that the
food is here, let's enjoy it."
As if prompted by
Irisdina and as if to change their mood, each of them began to reach for their
food.
At first, the group
was a bit reserved as they tucked into their food, but after the battle with
the demonic beasts and a fair amount of walking, they gradually picked up the
pace.
Before they knew it,
they were fighting over the remaining dishes.
"Oi, Mars, that's
my steak!"
"Hmph, the
fastest one gets it."
"I'll take it
then. Yeah, it's delicious!"
""Ahh!""
"A-
awawawa......"
The two boys who were
in the middle of eating fought over the food, but Irisdina took advantage of
their dispute and snatched the food from the side. Tima, who was watching the
three of them fight, laughed wryly.
Before they knew it,
their table had become the noisiest seat in the Ox-head Pavilion.
"Hahaha! They're
sure having fun, aren't they!?"
"Gosh, Onīchan,
you're such an embarrassment......"
Hanna, who was
watching Nozomu and his group from a distance, chuckled broadly, and Ena let
out a sigh while holding the tray.
Before he knew it,
Nozomu had forgotten the tightness in the back of his throat, and he, Mars, and
Irisdina were all fighting over the food.
A long-lost smile
appeared on his mouth.
◆
After the dinner at
the Ox-head Pavilion, the four of them headed back to their respective homes.
The commercial
district, which plays an important role in Arcazam's economy, is always lit up
even after the sun goes down.
The four of them
walked down the street, illuminated by the lanterns hung in the stores.
Although Mars, whose
home is in Ox-head Pavilion, did not have to follow them, he was forced to by
Hanna, who was furious with him for sending the two women home without
escorting them.
"Ugh~, I ate too
much......."
It was Nozomu who
appeared groggy. His stomach was on strike as a result of eating too much. His
digestive system was warning him that he was in danger, and he was desperately
trying to push the contents out through repeated expansion and contraction.
But Nozomu, whose life
would be a disaster if he listened to it, was holding his mouth and rubbing his
stomach to appease his stomach, which was on the verge of going out of control
and trying his best to hold it together.
"Well, our food
is basically about quantity. That's why some people tend to eat too much."
"The taste was
good, too. Unlike the food at home, the seasoning was strong, but it was good
for a change."
On the other hand,
Mars and Irisdina, who should have eaten as much as Nozomu, seemed to be fine.
He could understand if
it were Mars because he is big by nature, but he wondered what was going on
with Irisdina, who has a slender figure.
"Well, actually,
I was secretly using magic. I was lightly applying body enhancement magic to my
internal organs."
Irisdina smiled
lightly as if to answer Nozomu's question.
Strengthening magic,
as the name implies, raises the level of various bodily functions. She had
apparently improved the function of her digestive system with it. Moreover,
seeing that she was not chanting, she must have been using her ability
[Immediate Deployment] as well. What a waste.
"Oh gosh, Ai. If
you do, though, the food you eat won't necessarily disappear......"
"Yeah. The more
you eat, the more you have to move later......"
With a dry smile,
Irisdina looked into the distance.
She was the one who
was most affected later on. This is a big problem, especially for women.
"You had it
coming!"
Irisdina, staring off
into the distance with a gloomy expression on her face, was given a precise
rebuke by Tima.
Tima was surprisingly
taking the lead in giving a rebuke to her best friend's thoughtless behavior.
It was a very unusual sight for the usually dignified and mature Irisdina.
"Ehem! Well, it's
getting late, let's go home as soon as possible. Somia is waiting for me."
Irisdina coughed
deliberately to cover up her own disgraceful behavior, and then she walked
ahead of the others.
The three of them let
out a sigh in response to her behavior and followed after her.
"It's always
lively here. Even at night, there are always a lot of people around."
"Well, it's a
commercial district after all."
Irisdina spoke so in a
whisper, and while Nozomu agreed with her, the four of them walked down the
street side by side.
After a while,
Nozomu's stomach began to feel a little better, but as they walked down the
street, Irisdina, who was walking next to him, suddenly pulled him by the arm.
"Nozomu-kun, come
here for a sec......"
"Eh? Whoa!"
Nozomu was taken
directly into the shadows of the alleyway. Nozomu was perplexed, wondering what
was going on when the face of a beautiful, dark-haired girl suddenly jumped in
front of him.
"W-, what's
wrong?"
"I wanted to
leave Tima and Mars-kun alone for a moment."
"...... Eh?"
"As you know,
Tima is not very good with men. So I thought it would be a good opportunity for
her to get used to it."
Look. Irisdina pointed
to Tima, who was staggering around left and right with her eyes wide open. It
seemed that she was in a state of panic because she was suddenly alone with
Mars.
"She looks pretty
flustered......"
"Fufu~, isn't she
cute?"
It was hard to tell
based on her tone of voice whether it was revenge on the earlier tsukkomi or whether she was really
concerned about her best friend, but to Nozomu, it sounded somewhat like the
former.
"Irisdina-san,
you have bad taste in the weirdest ways."
"Hmm, that's not
true. Ah, look at her, she's so scary when she's angry."
Nozomu wondered if he
had ever offended her, but he didn't say anything more. He knew that if he said
it out loud, she would turn her anger away from Tima and toward him.
Nozomu let out an
involuntary sigh at the intuition working in an odd place.
"Anyway, why are
you still addressing me with honorific?"
"Eh?"
Upon hearing
Irisdina's dissatisfied voice, he raised his face and caught a glimpse of her
face coming closer and closer to his vision.
Even though their
distance was already close, her beautiful face approached him so close that he
could almost feel her breath on his face. Nozomu's cheeks turned bright red.
"I'd like you to
call me by my first name. And I will address you as Nozomu, as well."
"Eh?"
"Right, you can
also address Tima by nickname."
"N-, no, that's a
bit......."
"Come on."
Nozomu was at a loss
for words under Irisdina's relentless attacks.
He was so embarrassed
that he felt the urge to run away from the place, but unfortunately, Irisdina
was holding his arm tightly now, and he was not going to be able to run away.
"T-, then,
I-......ris."
"Hmm~, I think
it's still too stiff. Oh well, I guess that can't be helped.
"Maybe we can
work it out later. Then ...... let's go on a date night."
"......
Pardon?"
◆
(W-, where did both of
them go -----!?)
While Nozomu was being
dragged on a date by Irisdina, Tima, who was left alone with Mars by her best
friend's scheme, was screaming inaudibly with her face turning red.
(W-, why am I alone
with Mars-kun -----!? Ai and Nozomu-kun, who were next to me, were gone before
I knew it! Why? How!?)
As if in response to
her agitation, her heart was pounding wildly.
Unsure of what to do,
Tima, who had reached the peak of her nervousness, was drenched in sweat from
her forehead, her eyes wide open, her gaze darting to and fro as if looking for
help.
"Huh? Where are
Nozomu and Irisdina? When did they disappear...... did they lose their
way?"
"Y-, yeah, I-, I
think so......"
When Mars spoke to
her, Tima's reply was not even a coherent speech.
It could have been
said that a bird or a monkey was mimicking a human voice.
(W-, what should I
talk about!? I've never talked to a boy alone like this before! Ai, help me
------!)
In her mind, she asked
for help from her best friend who wasn't there, but unfortunately, the culprit
behind the situation was her best friend.
Naturally, she would
not come to her rescue.
"Tch, that's not
good. The roads are so complicated around here that it will be difficult to
find them once they deviate from the original route...... It can't be helped.
We'll just keep walking for a little bit and if we still can't find them, we'll
go on ahead. Is that okay?"
"U-, un.
Please......"
After saying so, Mars began
to walk, and Tima followed, taking a few steps away behind to stay behind him.
Time passed in
silence.
Tima kept her face
down and stared at his back as he went on ahead.
When she first met
him, he was a very scary man. He suddenly glared at her, intimidating her. Her
legs were wobbling and shaking, and if her best friend had not been by her side
at that moment, she might have been hunched over.
However, she noticed
that the feeling of fear was slowly fading away.
She is still nervous.
In fact, she couldn't even look him in the face and talked to him face-to-face.
But, she was able to
walk with him like this.
(If this were
happening a year ago, I would have run away immediately......)
From the outside, Mars
is infamous as a tough-looking, untouchable delinquent. When did the fear of
him fade away? She realized it as soon as she thought about it.
(Since I saw him with
Ena-chan ...... and also, the fight against Rugato-san......)
Ena, Mars' younger
sister, was a solid girl in Tima's eyes.
Mars, who quarreled
with her, had no hostility like the thorns that he usually exuded from his
whole body, even though he raised his voice.
And what was decisive
was that assault incident involving Rugato.
Tima, who was
struggling to protect Somia and was about to be defeated due to her lack of
power, was saved by Mars, who should have disliked her. Naturally, Tima didn't
expect him to save her.
[...... What are you
stupefied for? Just concentrate on your magic. I'll take care of that old man's
magic.]
Mars who stood facing
the vampire butler with his back turned to Tima, who was completely taken
aback, said those words to her.
The moment Tima heard
them, she felt her and his feelings, for certain, becoming one.
"What's
wrong?"
"U-, umm, no,
nothing!"
"...... Is that
so?"
Noticing Tima's gaze,
Mars turned around.
Mars could not say
anything more to Tima, who seemed to be unable to relax, and a silence
prevailed between the two of them.
"...... I'm sorry
for what I said to you at that time."
"Eh?"
"Um...... The
first time we met, I put a gun to your head, didn't I? I hadn't properly
apologized yet......."
Mars scratched his
cheek and apologized for glaring at her the first time they met.
Perhaps he was still
bothered by what had happened, his expression a little darker and he awkwardly
turned his gaze away.
"I-, it's fine! I
don't mind it anymore. Besides, you saved me that time......"
Tima was a little
surprised to see him without his usual intimidating air, albeit different from
the dignity that her best friend had. She had always thought of him as someone
who would never regret or apologize for his actions.
Such an unexpected
behavior of Mars opened Tima's heart, which had been tightly closed with a
sense of tension, a little.
"A-, and I
haven't thanked you properly yet, have I?......"
She was scared of him
when she first met him, but he still helped her when it mattered most.
"At that time, I
don't think I would have been able to save Somia-chan if you hadn't covered for
me back then, Mars-kun."
In fact, if Mars had
not protected Tima, Nozomu would not have been able to rescue her in time.
Her heart, which had
been trembling in agitation, throbbed with sweetness before she knew it.
It was a different,
numbing sensation than before. Her face, which she had been unable to raise,
naturally turned upward.
"That's why
...... umm ............ thank you ........."
Tima's mouth spontaneously
began to weave words of gratitude along with the feelings that welled up in
her.
Mars seemed speechless
when he heard these words, which were directed only at him, and then he turned
away, his face flushed red.
His eyes wandered
around, chewing on air as if he were a
fish on the verge of choking.
"Mars-kun?"
Tima's expression
gradually darkened upon seeing Mars' lack of response.
I have to say
something!
Driven by that
feeling, Mars desperately squeezed the air out of his lungs and shook his throat.
"O-, oh, I see.
.................."
What came out of his
mouth, however, was a curt response.
As Mars was fretting
over his own reply, which sounded as if his voice had been drained of alcohol,
Tima smiled with relief.
"I'm glad I could
finally say it properly......"
Seeing Tima's sincere
smile for the first time, even Mars' thoughts stopped altogether.
A shock shot through
his entire body, and not only his face but also the depths of his chest began
to heat up.
Mars himself had
noticed that he was acting strangely, but not wanting to let it be noticed, he
now turned his back on Tima, as if to run away from her.
However, contrary to
his own actions, he couldn't help but be curious about the girl behind him.
"Is something
wrong?"
"N-, no. It's
nothing...... L-, let's get going."
"Ah, u-,
un......"
As Mars began walking,
Tima followed him in a flustered manner.
Once again, they
continued to walk in silence. However, unlike before, the two silhouettes found
themselves walking side by side.
◆
