Volume 2
Chapter 6.1
The Shadow of
Causality Part 1
Translator : PolterGlast
Nozomu was lost in
thought as he made his way back to the student dormitory from the Francilt
mansion.
He was confronted with
the feelings he had continued to turn away from. It wasn't an easy thing to do.
Even though he was
aware that he was running away, a part of his mind was screaming that he didn't
want to face it.
His half-hearted
actions brought a sense of being suspended in mid-air, of not being able to
find his footing, and drove him to anxiety and frustration.
He understood that he
could not go on like this. But as soon as he realized this, the feeling that
things might still be okay began to creep up on him.
It would be easier if
he could just turn his back again and forget about it. But he couldn't do that.
[It's okay to run
away. But don't look away from the fact that you ran away.]
That was the final
lesson that his master showed him, the solid core that shaped him into the
person he is today.
Desire and wish, hope
and anguish. Two conflicting emotions kept colliding with each other.
[Someone with
malicious intent was at work here.]
This time, the words
of another benefactor came back to mind, and the calm part of his head spoke to
him.
At that time when he
was growing impatient to close the gap between himself and those around him
that kept opening up. Certainly, for a period of time, he and Lisa didn't see
each other very often.
No, he began to avoid
seeing Lisa. He was ashamed of himself for always being the one to be taken
care of.
And who was by her
side at that time? ......
"Grrrrr......."
Suddenly, with a
growling sound, the lakeside, shrouded in darkness, came into view.
It was a scene he had
once seen in a dream. If he looked down at the surface of the water where he
stood, he would see a five-colored, six-winged dragon at the bottom of the
lake.
Bound by chains and
with its mouth closed, the dragon looked up at Nozomu, who was standing on the
surface of the lake, and gave him a meaningful look while growling. It was as
if the dragon was whispering something to him, disapproving of his hesitation.
Feeling uncomfortable
with this gaze, Nozomu shook his head and said to himself.
This is a dream, and
it can't do anything while it is here.
Nevertheless, the
impatience, anxiety, and the temptation of sweet escapism persist, and they
continue to tempt him. He wanted to let his heart be trapped once again by
these chains.
"In the first
place, what's the point of me staying in the school? ...... I haven't had that
red dream again yet, so even if things stay as they are- ......."
But wouldn't it be
fine if he were to continue to live his life without releasing the power of
Tiamat?
The unintentional
words that came out of his mouth and into his brain shook the balance of his
mind even more.
Before he knew it, he
had walked to the central park, and when he looked up, he saw the street
leading to the south gate of Arcazam.
I would love to walk
through this street and leave the city as it is.
He shook his head and
shook off the impulse that had unexpectedly popped into his mind. He understood
that such a thought itself was born from his own desire to escape.
(If it's to move
forward, sure. But I can no longer use it as an excuse anymore......)
The desire to escape
from a reality that did not turn out the way they wanted. And the ignorance of
escapism.
Although he had
already aware of the latter, he has not yet been able to escape from the cage
of escapism.
And at the same time,
because he became aware of his own escape and stagnation, his new friends,
including Irisdina and Somia, who were moving toward the future, seemed to be
so dazzling.
Although the parting
with his Master had lit a solid fire deep within him, the flame was still
small.
[You can be confident.
You are more amazing than you think you are.]
But Irisdina's words
add more heat to the fire burning deep in his chest.
His face naturally
turned upward, and his gaze turned away from the street leading to the south
gate.
(Come to think of it,
she was trying to move forward too......)
His eyes, turning away
from the main street, naturally turned to the central park.
In his mind, the
figure of the elf girl who trained there came back to his mind.
Shina Juliel. A girl
who lost the power she once possessed and was scorned just like him, but still
striving to get back on her feet.
(What's the difference
between me and her? ......)
Shina was trapped in a
similar chain, but she kept moving forward, while Nozomu was stagnant. He
deeply pondered over the difference between the two.
At that time, he
noticed a faint light leaking from the shadows of the trees lining up in the
central park.
"That, can't
be......"
The light peeking
through the trees reminded him of the scene he had seen yesterday.
And then, as if lured
by the flickering light like a moth, he found himself walking into the
trees-filled area of the central park.
◆
That evening, Shina
was once again visiting the trees-filled area in Central Park.
Her purpose was to
engage in communication with the spirits again.
Although she had
already done so thousands and tens of thousands of times, she had not been able
to hear the spirit's voice since the Great Invasion.
It might be
impossible. As if to shake off the intrusive negative thoughts, Shina took a
deep breath once to calm her mind and began to draw out her magic power and
disperse it into the air.
What she was trying to
do was to make a contract with the spirits. As the name describes, it is a
technique of borrowing power from a spirit in exchange for one's own power.
(Everyone, answer me
......)
A blue magic power,
similar to the color of her hair, dispersed in the branches and leaves of the
trees.
A spirit is an
existence born from the source element, which is considered the most
fundamental power in this world. Therefore, they are able to feed on the power
of Qi and magic, which is the power derived from the source element.
And the elves' magic
power, which has a high affinity with spirits, is one of the most delicious
things for spirits.
At the same time as
Shina began to disperse her magic power, particles of light, different from her
own magic power, began to fly around her.
(Dad, Mom, Sis, Raz
......)
Her mind was filled
with her long-lost family members. Shina, in particular, was especially close
to her sister and Razward.
Shina's sister is a
"High Elf" who makes a contract with the Great Tree of the Nebula
Forest, and such a sister was her goal and dream.
And then, there was
Raz.
His real name is
Razward. He was a small spirit in the form of a lapis lazuli-colored bird with
whom Shina once made a contract, and this small spirit was a being that Shina
could call as "the other half of her body," who was always with her.
Even among elves,
there are only a few who can make a contract with a small spirit.
Just the fact that she
was able to do so at an early age showed the talent she once possessed. Like
her older sister, Shina also had an affinity with spirits that was outstanding
among the elves.
However, despite her
talent, the current her could not hear the voices of the spirits at all.
"~...... Why. Why
won't you guys answer me? ......"
The lost connection
with the spirits. The half of her body that has disappeared since the Great
Invasion.
Her magic power was
being transmitted. But she heard nothing.
Another failure.
An inextinguishable
sense of loss, frustration and anger at the frustrating reality, welled up from
deep within her chest.
The Nebula Forest, her
homeland, is surrounded by fog at all times, a terrain that makes it difficult
to conquer, and with the increasing strength and number of demonic beasts and
the exhaustion of the nations, there is no hope of its liberation.
Furthermore, something
might have happened to the great tree in the center of the forest, and the
forest's vegetation itself has been transformed into something that is roughly
harmful to people.
So far, an army has
been dispatched to the Nebula Forest three times to recapture it, but most of
them have been annihilated.
(I have to reclaim
that forest at all costs ......!)
Reclaim the Nebula
Forest, her homeland. That is her goal and mission.
However, contrary to
her wishes, the micro-spirits who had gathered there trembled and began to
leave Shina's side as if they were fleeing.
"Wait,
please!"
She raised her voice,
but her wishes were not heard and the spirits disappeared into the darkness of
the night.
It was another
failure.
Discouragement caused
a choking feeling as if she had swallowed lead, and unanswered questions,
grief, and resentment mixed together to become a fever that burned her whole
body.
"Ah......."
At that moment, the
voice of someone who was not herself reached Shina's ears.
"~, Who!?"
She quickly raised her
voice and turned around. There was Nozomu Bountis, who had made a sudden visit
to Torgrein's laboratory the other day.
(Why is this person
here ......)
Shina's expression
naturally stiffened as she realized that she was being seen by someone she did
not want to be seen by.
"...... it's you
again."
"Sorry, I didn't
mean to interrupt......"
"I doubt that. To
be honest, I don't trust you."
Nozomu's expression
turned stiff at her tone of voice, which remained as harsh as ever.
Swallowing the
discomfort rising in the back of his throat, Nozomu slowly opened his mouth.
"~, Can I ask you
why you are being so spiteful to me?"
"I don't like
people who betray others. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"
When Nozomu heard the
words "you know what I'm talking about", he thought she was talking
about him being a Dragonslayer.
Dragons are spirits
with physical bodies, and their power is prominent among spirits.
The existence of a
Dragonslayer, who is born as a result of killing a dragon that is a spirit,
would certainly be an abomination in the eyes of elves who coexist with
spirits.
But even so, the way
she rejected him seemed to be different. Shina's attitude toward Nozomu was
that she did not want to be involved with him, rather than to ostracize him.
Perhaps she avoided
him for a different reason than him being a Dragonslayer, Nozomu thought to
himself, and he stifled the turmoil that swirled in the pit of his stomach,
trying not to let it be noticed.
"I never knew you
in the first place......"
"Lisa Hounds.
Don't tell me you don't know."
The name Lisa came out
of nowhere, and Nozomu's eyes widened involuntarily. He had not expected to
hear the name of his childhood friend, whom he had once been attracted to.
Betrayal is one of the
most destructive factors in relationships with others, and elves have racial
and historical backgrounds beyond that.
That is, elves have
the ability to contract with spirits.
They are raised with
spirits from an early age.
In an environment
where there is always someone with whom they can communicate by contracting
with spirits through magical power. In such an environment, the elves consider
the connection with spirits to be sacred, but at the same time, they have come
to fear the loss of the contract and the existence of spirits themselves the
most.
Therefore, the act of
betrayal is their greatest taboo.
"Wait, you mean
those rumors? I don't know what you're hearing, but that rumor was horseshit to
begin with ......"
"Not only do you
betray, but you lie as well. Truly, it's disgusting."
"Lie?"
But Shina's words and
actions clearly did not indicate that she had only heard the stories through
others.
"Yes, I saw it
happen. I saw you betray her ......"
"What do you
mean? ......"
He couldn't
understand. In the first place, Nozomu did not commit such a betrayal.
At that time, he was
spending his days training desperately and had no time for such unnecessary
actions.
However, Shina,
regardless of Nozomu's turmoil, began to talk about what she had seen.
"She was crying,
clinging to you. She asked why are you doing this? And you rejected her once and for
all."
"Wait a minute! I
don't know what's going on! In the first place, -ugh!"
Nozomu was about to
close the distance, but Shina instantly nocked an arrow to the bow on her back
and fired it so that it grazed Nozomu's cheek. The pain stopped Nozomu in his
tracks.
"Really, it's
unsightly. This is why I don't trust people who lie. They're always trying to
cover up lies with lies......"
Shina poured magic
power into the engraved arrow and released it again.
The arrow flew in a
straight line toward Nozomu and exploded in front of his eyes, sending out a
powerful flash and shockwave.
"Gaah~!"
A groan escaped from
Nozomu's mouth as he was blown away and slammed into a tree.
"Guh,
uuu……!"
He bit his lip and
shook his whole body as if to endure the pain.
The pain and agony
running through his entire body, and above all, the disdainful look from Shina,
opened the wound that had been carved in Nozomu's heart.
"Don't fuck with
me! ......"
What followed was
intense anger. A rage that was released in order to protect oneself from
unreasonable reality.
Anger that had been
stifled for so long by the means of escape, once ignited, spread like a forest
fire in the dry season.
"Lies? You don't
believe me? I should be the one saying don't fuck with me......!"
A low, angry voice
that seemed to resonate deep in the pit of her stomach. Shina's face, hit by
the anger, became tense all at once.
Driven by rage, Nozomu
stood up and rushed out.
He grabbed her arms
and chest, which were frozen in surprise.
"Which one of us
didn't believe the other!? Which one of us betrayed the other!? What do you
think about how I felt ...... if you decide on your own that I betrayed
you!......"
With his thoughts
dominated by anger, Nozomu shouted loudly in front of Shina's eyes. Shina was
simply overwhelmed by the words of indignation that were spewed out without any
falsehoods.
"Ouch!"
At that moment,
Shina's arm felt an intense pain and she let out an involuntary cry.
In the blink of an
eye, Nozomu's anger was tinged with regret and shame.
"I'm sorry, I
just lost my temper. It's no use talking to you about it ......"
"Ah......."
After quickly
releasing Shina, Nozomu turned his back on her and tried to walk away with
unsteady steps.
Shina was released
from her restraints, but she remained stunned,
"I didn't betray
Lisa......"
Those words, squeezed
out forcefully and without deceit, pierced deep into Shina's heart.
"What in the
world is going on? ......"
Shina could only stand
there, stunned at the sight of Nozomu, who had become so depressed that even
the anger he had harbored just a moment before had dissipated.
◆
The day after his
argument with Shina, Nozomu was alone in the Spasim Forest, taking advantage of
the fact that it was a holiday.
Partly because the
subjugation of the pack of demonic beasts was over and he was once again free
to enter the Spasim Forest, but also because he had been through so much
recently and now needed a little time to calm down.
The point that
bothered him about the argument the other day. That was when Shina mentioned
that she had seen Nozomu commit a betrayal.
Naturally, this was
something that Nozomu had no recollection of, but at the same time, it was a
very important testimony.
At the very least, she
knew some important facts about the rumors that spread during Nozomu's first
year.
At the same time,
Nozomu regretted that he should have listened to her more closely. Even though
he lacked composure, it was an obvious blunder to have raised his voice.
A sense of self-pity
and disappointment welled up from the depths of his chest.
Trying to calm his
rising self-loathing, Nozomu took one deep breath.
The smell of plants
and trees filled his nose, gently calming his swirling mind.
Nozomu was suddenly
aware that he was on the verge of becoming a hermit just like his Master.
"It's kind of
strange......"
After regaining some
of his composure, Nozomu sensed something unusual in his surroundings. There
was no sign of animals.
There were many
demonic beasts in this forest, but there were also many harmless animals in
proportion to that.
There were many
different species of rabbits, rats, birds, etc. In the forest, he could sense
their presence, albeit to a lesser or greater extent, and their meat was useful
as a valuable source of protein when he was left in the forest by his master as
a training exercise.
"............"
Nozomu's accumulated
experience began to ring alarm bells at the abnormality of the forest. His
consciousness naturally began to be vigilant of his surroundings, and his heart
rate increased slightly to ensure that his body was ready to fight at any
moment.
His senses naturally
became sharper. He eliminated even the ringing in his ears and heartbeat that
echoed in the silence and became more aware of his surroundings.
Then, mixed with the
sound of branches rustling in the wind, he could hear the voices of several
people.
However, he could not
understand what they were talking about, as they were quite far away from him.
"I believe up
ahead is where there were various medicinal herbs growing wild, right?"
Even if they did not
qualify for evaluation by the guild, the medicinal herbs themselves were often
utilized by Nozomu. Deciding to take advantage of the opportunity and save some
for himself, he turned his feet toward the direction where the voice was coming
from.
He then moved through
the thick bushes, trying to get past the overgrown plants and trees.
"~!?"
The next moment,
Nozomu's head jerked up reflexively as he felt a piercing bloodlust.
Immediately afterward,
a flash of silver light flashed before his eyes. It was an arrow.
"Who is it? If
you're not a demonic beast, come on out. I'll hit you next time."
"W-, wait a
minute!"
Nozomu rushed out of
the bushes to avoid being hit by the arrow.
There, in the middle
of an open area, lay a cluster of medicinal herbs.
"You
......."
And a blue-haired girl
and her friends, with whom he had an argument yesterday, were there.
◆
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