Volume 2
Chapter 8.3
Connecting
Lights at the Lees of Shadows Part 3
Translator : PolterGlast
After defeating the
[Deformed Demonic Beast] and returning to Arcazam, Nozomu and the others,
dragging their sore bodies, immediately reported to the guild about this black
demonic beast.
Naturally, the story
was also relayed to the school, and Nozomu and the others had to give a
detailed explanation in front of representatives from both the school and the
guild.
The location was the
branch manager's office of the Adventurers' Guild. Two men were waiting for
Nozomu and the others.
The representative
from the school side was Jihad Raundel. He is a hero who played an active role
in mankind's counterinsurgency operations during the Great Invasion. He is also
a well-known warrior, recognized as equivalent to the S rank, which is rarely
found even on the continent.
The other was Karvis.
He is the head of the Arcazam branch of the Adventurers' Guild.
Both are prominent
figures in the city, and both are members of the council that practically runs
Arcazam.
"These are the
details of the demonic beast we defeated."
Shina explained on
behalf of the entire group.
Having regained her
connection with the spirits and overcome her own trauma, she was not
intimidated by the presence of the hero of 20 years ago and the dignitaries of
Arcazam.
The black demonic
beast encountered in the Spasim forest. She explained the situation clearly and
concisely, taking into account the fact that she had seen a very similar
demonic beast in the Nebula Forest 20 years ago.
"I understand
what happened. I'm surprised you guys survived. I will make sure that the guild
and the guards know about this matter and the demonic beast, but you guys must
not talk about this matter unnecessarily."
"...... Is it
because this particular demonic beast is very similar to the one that destroyed
my homeland?"
"Yes. The trauma
of that Great Invasion is still deep-rooted. If you unnecessarily reveal the
truth and cause unrest, it will lead to chaos."
Nozomu and the others
nodded their heads in acknowledgment of Jihad's words. Although 20 years have
passed since the Great Invasion, and the number of generations that did not
directly experience it has increased, the traces of damage left by the invasion
are still significant in many countries on the continent.
"There have been
no sightings of such demonic beasts in this forest until now. Therefore, it is
necessary to investigate and gather information for some time to come. We will
investigate from many angles, including the magic stone you brought back and
the corpse of the demonic beast you left behind in the forest."
After Nozomu and the
others defeated the beast, the beast crumbled away like a work of clay, leaving
behind a jumbled mass of flesh, twisted bones, and a huge magic stone.
Although there were
traces of Direwolves in some of the chunks of meat and bones, most of them were
distorted and fused together, and they emitted a strong odor, so they were
buried under the ground with Tom's magic.
The magic stone that
came out of the beast this time was of such a high purity and quantity that it
could hardly be found on the market, and in exchange for giving it to the
academy, Nozomu and the others received money that was a little too much for
them to call it extra income.
Furthermore, they
received a large addition to their guild evaluation points, and Shina and
Nozomu were promoted to A and C ranks, respectively.
In the end, it was just
a hush-money compensation for the incident, but for Nozomu, it was a big step
forward, as he could now enter the Spasim Forest without any penalty.
"There is one
thing I would like to ask. Jihad-sensei, do you know anything about this
demonic beast?"
Shina asked Jihad a
question that was a step further.
A question that, under
normal circumstances, he would not have answered. However, even Shina could not
back down on this matter.
Shina and Jihad's
gazes met.
He also knew about
Shina's situation as an elf, and after staring at her for a while, he quietly
exhaled.
"...... I don't
know everything about it. There are too many uncertainties about these demonic
beasts. However, there were several sightings during the Great Invasion and
later during Operation Fructus, Cremazzone's Imperial Army, which was part of
the Allied Forces at the time, was involved in a battle with them."
"Were you able to
defeat them?"
"Yes, with a lot
of casualties, somehow."
The demonic beasts
that fought against the Cremazzone Imperial Army disintegrated and disappeared
after the battle, just as what happened this time.
The only thing they
had in common was their black, miasma-emitting body surfaces and countless
crimson eyes.
"It is called
[Abyss Grief]. It is an unidentified demonic beast whose ecology has not yet
been fully understood. However, there is speculation that it may have something
to do with Great Invasion."
Once again, Jihad
looked over at Nozomu and the others. Jihad's intimidating gaze made everyone
in the room hold their breath.
"Once again, I
want to warn you not to talk about this matter to the other students".
Jihad once again
warned those who were present not to tell anyone about this.
The content of this
conversation is so sensitive that even he has to be very careful.
At the very least, it
is the duty of those who are responsible for the matter to talk to the council,
the guilds, and the guards, so that they can deal with the situation.
And Nozomu and the
others did not want any trouble at all, either.
When they left the
branch manager's office, two women were waiting for them in the corridor of the
guild.
When they saw that
Nozomu and the others had come out, they ran up to them with serious
expressions on their faces.
"Nozomu-ku~n, are
you all right~~?"
"Nozomu, I heard
that you were attacked by a surviving demonic beast of the previous subjugation
request ......"
The people who were
waiting for him were Irisdina and Anri. Apparently, they were asking him about
this one incident.
Trying to reassure them
of their concern, Nozomu smiled back at them.
"I'm alright, you
see. I am here just to have a little talk about the demonic beast we
encountered in the forest......"
"But~~ you got
injured, didn't you~~?"
"There is
nothing to worry about. Just a few torn muscles all over my body and a puncture
in my lungs......"
Blood quickly drained
from their faces.
"It's a big
problem! Anri-sensei, we should call a doctor right away!"
"Un, let's take
him to Norn right away~~!"
"W-, well, the
wounds themselves are already closed-...... aaaaaa!"
Anri lifted the
flustered Nozomu up and started to run. She was probably using Qi-jutsu as she
blasted off at a speed that would be hard to believe that she was carrying a
single person on her back.
And just as Irisdina
was about to run after Anri, someone grabbed her hand and stopped her.
"Hold on a
second."
It was Kevin who
grabbed Irisdina's hand. Irisdina turned around with a dubious expression on
her face.
"...... What is
it, Kevin? I'm in a bit of a hurry, you know?"
"Ah, sorry. I
don't mean to take up your time. Irisdina, do you know about his [power]?"
Silence fell between
them. To Kevin, whose eyes are blazing, Irisdina replied with cold-tinted eyes.
"What are you
going to do after you know about it?"
"....... No,
well. You see, I'm indebted to him. Just let him know that I'll definitely pay
him back for it."
After saying so,
Kevin calmly let go of Irisdina's hand and turned away.
While frowning at his
words, which were strangely considerate of Nozomu, Irisdina became concerned
over Anri taking Nozomu away and followed after them.
Meanwhile, Kevin
proceeded to walk toward Shina.
"Shina
Juliel."
'"......
What?"
"I just wanted to
apologize. I'm sorry I have been undermining you all this time."
Shina's eyes widened
in surprise as Kevin bowed his head deeply.
Standing beside him,
Karanti looked surprised to see her leader's sudden action.
"I'm surprised. I
didn't expect the proud leader of the Silver Wolf tribe to bow his head
......"
"Yeah, I'm sorry
about that."
"Hey, why did you
take such an aggressive stance against me?"
"A pack has
different roles within it. There are those who lead, those who fight, and those
who take care of the children born to them. The pack can survive only if each
person fulfills his or her role."
This is a
characteristic of the Wolf Tribe, which is based on the principle of living as
a family group.
They basically do not
settle down in large groups, such as in countries, like humans do.
They hunt and gather
as a family, and in times of war, representatives of each family gather
together to prepare for battle.
Therefore, the roles
of each family member are clearly established.
There are those who
act as family patriarchs, who organize the family, those who hunt and catch
their prey for food, those who process the prey and make tools, those who build
and maintain the house, and those who are in charge of the family's finances.
And .......
"I thought you
were one of those who give birth. Elves whose numbers have dwindled. To sustain
their seed. That's why I thought you weren't supposed to be in Arcazam."
"That's none of
your business."
"Yeah. But there
were elves who actually said that to you, weren't there?"
"Well, yeah, but-
......"
"Yeah, I know.
You are much bigger and stronger than I thought you would be. It's my utter
defeat."
Kevin raised his hands
in the air like he was being overwhelmed.
"Come to think of
it, are you alright? You've done some crazy stuff with your powers and
abilities."
"I would like to
say that everything is fine, but unfortunately, it is not quite so. I consumed
too much Qi. I won't even be able to do practical classes properly for a
while......"
Kevin lowered his
raised hand and repeatedly clenched and opened his fist several times, then
suddenly looked into Shina's face with a meaningful smile on his face.
"Hey, if you
don't mind, would you like to be my wife?"
"......Ha? Wait,
Leader!"
Karanti raised her
voice loudly.
"I have a
fiancée, but you are a good woman. You're strong-willed, fearless, and able to
face adversity. You're exactly my kind of girl......"
"Nope."
"Kukuku, guess
so."
"Grrrrrrr......"
Despite having his
confession rejected in a heart beat, Kevin laughed heartily and amusedly.
Meanwhile, behind him,
Karanti bared her teeth and snarled at Shina, who was one-sidedly confessed to
by Kevin.
"Forget what I
just said. See you later."
The young leader of
the Silver Wolf Tribe walked away while waving his hand in a light tone. The
alarmed Karanti still looked dissatisfied, but reluctantly followed after her
leader.
Mimuru and Tom, who
were left behind, smiled wryly.
"Ahaha, shall we
go home then?"
"Sorry, I still
have some business to do. You two should go ahead first."
"Sure, but what's
your business anyway?"
"Well, just
something to do......"
Shina's previous cool
expression collapsed, and instead, a flustered expression appeared on her face.
Mimuru and Tom chuckled when they saw the vermilion color on her cheeks.
"Ooh, that's what
you mean. All right, we understand."
"Good luck!"
Shina, being seen off
by her two friends who were waving at her, started walking in the opposite
direction from where Kevin and the others had headed. Leaving the guild, she
headed north down the main street. The bright sun was shining on her path.
◆
Nozomu was taken away
and thrown into the infirmary, but was released as soon as it was confirmed
that his injuries had healed. By the way, Anri, who was blasting through the
city, is in the process of being preached to by Norn.
"Haa, so many
things have happened in the last few days......."
After leaving the
infirmary, Nozomu headed towards the dormitory, while looking at the school
building painted in twilight with a sideways glance.
It was a very intense
few days. The escape and battle against the demonic beasts, and the release of
[Ability Suppression]. Although he felt dead tired like lead, Nozomu's face was
rather radiant.
"It was
amazing......"
Spirit magic came back
to his mind. Unlike Tiamat's violent, tremor, and stormy power, spirit magic is
a gentle force reminiscent of a cool, refreshing breeze. The radiance that is
emitted by those whose hearts are truly connected to each other is very
intense.
Above all, it was the
moment when a once-lost bond is reconnected. For Nozomu, who is now aware of
his stagnation, this is something that is both dazzling and enviable at the
same time.
"Nozomu-kun."
Nozomu's eyes widen
involuntarily when he heard a voice suddenly calling his name.
There was Shina, a
little out of breath and blushing.
The person he had just
recalled. Nozomu's heart skipped a beat upon the appearance of the person for
whom he had a certain admiration.
"Shina-san? What
brings you here?"
"I just wanted to
talk to you for a minute. Could I have a moment of your time?"
The icicle-like
coldness that had been with her was gone.
Instead, she wore a
warm atmosphere reminiscent of the sunlight streaming through the trees in
spring.
At that moment, light
gathered next to her and a small lapis lazuli-colored bird appeared.
"This bird
is-......"
"Fufu, looks like
Raz also wanted to talk to you, Nozomu-kun."
As soon as Razward
appeared, he flapped his wings, approached Nozomu, and began to chirp in a
soothing tone of voice.
[ Chirp, chirp,
chirp-chirp! (Yo, you've been a great help to Shi-jou! But I'm surprised a
human being can do something like you did!) ]
"Raz, you are not
respectful towards our benefactor, you know that?"
[ Chichu! Chuchuchu!
(Come on, it's fine! We're going to be friends with this brother for a long
time, so we should be nice to each other without any unnecessary pleasantries!)
]
"Gosh, even after
twenty years, you still have a foul mouth......."
Contrary to the
cheerful chirping, the words uttered by the minor spirit were strangely
frivolous for a spirit who is the embodiment of the mystical.
It seemed that this
spirit, Razward, had a personality that bore no resemblance to that of his
contractor, Shina.
In fact, Shina seemed
a little taken aback by Razward's overly frivolous tone.
Nozomu, on the other
hand, had an indescribable, subtle expression on his face as he watched Rasward
and Shina continue their conversation.
Shina and Razward
tilted their heads at Nozomu's lackluster response.
"Um, what are you
guys talking about?"
[ Chirp? (Arya~?) ]
"Don't tell me,
you don't understand what Raz is saying?"
Nozomu nodded at
Shina's words.
"That's strange.
If a spirit were willing to convey its voice, even if one couldn't understand
its language, one would still be able to hear the voice......"
Since spirits are pure
energy bodies constructed of source elements, they do not use voice or other
communication methods such as humans and ordinary living creatures do, such as
voice.
They communicate by
speaking directly to the soul of the person they wish to converse with. It is a
kind of telepathy.
However, for some
reason, Nozomu was unable to communicate by telepathy, even though the spirit
had the intention to do so.
[ Chu ~~, chuchuchu.
Chuichui! (Hmm~~~, perhaps he hasn't noticed. That technique you used to pierce
the body of that demonic beast, aren't you quite an intriguing nīchan?) ]
Rasward perched on
Nozomu's shoulder and peered into his face with interest.
His eyes, reminiscent
of glasswork, were fixed on Nozomu, as if he could see right through him.
Nozomu couldn't help
but gasp at the little bird's deep and meaningful gaze.
Shina, who was
watching them from the side, also tilted her head at her friend's strange
behavior.
"Raz, what's
wrong?"
[ Chu ―― i, chuchu,
chun, chun! (No, it's nothing. By the way, nīchan, do you have someone you
interested in?) ]
"Hey Raz, what
are you asking him that for?"
Shina gave a dubious
expression to Razward, who began to chirp in Nozomu's ear.
Nozomu, who could not understand
the spirit's voice, had no idea what the little lapis lazuli-colored bird was
saying, but Razward began chirping quickly, leaving Nozomu bewildered.
[ Chunchun, chu,
chuichui…… (As you already know, Shi-jou is a single-minded person. As her big
brother, I can't leave her in the hands of a half-hearted guy......) ]
"Who's my big
brother? I don't remember having an older brother like you. Rather, I was the
one who always took care of you when we were in that forest."
"Hey, Shina-san
...... Are you sure it's alright? What is it saying?"
"Never mind this
chirping little bird, he's just chirping for no reason."
[ Chuchunchuichui, chu
~ chuchu, chunchui…… chu! (He really couldn't hear me after all. Nevertheless,
Shi-jou, it's not for no reason, is it? Are you embarrassed by any chance?) ]
The next moment, a
vivid vision popped into Shina's mind.
It was the vision that
Razward had sent her through the path of the contract.
The moment she saw it,
Shina's face turned red like a boiled octopus.
"~! ……"
"U-, um?
Shina-san?"
Nozomu was dismayed
when Shina suddenly clamped shut her mouth and began writhing in agony.
What in the world is
going on?
While Nozomu was
wondering what was going on, Razward, the culprit of the current situation, was
sighing on Nozomu's shoulder and ruffling his long tail feathers with an
exasperated expression on his face.
[ Chi~ichuchunchu……
chu? Chuichui! Dji~u~u ――――― i! (I knew it, you're just embarrassed. Why do you
have to worry about it? Your parents did the same thing-...... eh, what are you
doing, hey! Gueeeeehh!) ]
With swift movements,
a white hand grabbed Razward, and slender fingers squeezed the tiny bird to the
very limit.
A squeaking sound like
a rag being squeezed resounded, and a muffled screech echoed through the air.
Shina, looking like a
red devil, swung her arm and threw her friend toward the sky.
The thrown Razward
flung in a straight line over the school building and vanished into thin air.
The scene was so
surreal that Nozomu broke out in a cold sweat and twitched his cheeks.
"U-, um,
Shina-san?"
"Haa, haa, don't
worry about it ......"
"Well, but-......
yes, I wouldn't worry about it."
Seeing Shina, whose
cheeks were flushed red and staring at him with tearful eyes, Nozomu raised his
hands in surrender.
"Yes, please do.
(Gosh, it's your fault, Raz. It makes me so weirdly conscious......) "
Shina averted her face
to cover her embarrassment while muttering the second half of her sentence in a
whisper so that no one could hear her.
While placing her
hands on her cheek to hide her burning cheeks, her gaze glanced at Nozomu, who
was in front of her.
Their gazes crossed.
Shina's cheeks, which she hid, turned an even deeper shade of red.
"Hey, are you
sure you're okay?"
"E-, eh! I'm
fine, yep!"
Shina put her hand on
her chest and took a big, deep breath.
Once, twice, three
times. Little by little, the rising heat returned to the depths of her body.
"So, what did you
want to talk about?"
"I wanted to
thank you. I hadn't said it properly yet after all......"
The smile that
naturally appeared on her face made Nozomu's heart skip a beat.
There was no trace of
the cold, indifferent atmosphere she had had when Nozomu first met her, and she
was so charming that he couldn't help but look away.
It was Shina's true smile,
brought on by the warmth that had returned to her frozen chest from losing
everything.
"Thank me,
huh?...... You don't need to."
In fact, the only
reason she was able to reconnect her bonds was because she took action on her
own initiative.
Nozomu himself was
aware that he had merely bought them the time they needed.
"No, you saved
me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had the chance to speak to Mimuru
and the others again."
Shina, however, shook
her head and clearly rejected Nozomu's words.
Shina's eyes were pure
and clear as she stared back at him.
"Thanks to you, I
was able to protect my best friend. I was able to reunite with my friends. And
I didn't ...... lose myself."
Nozomu's consciousness
stiffened as if sucked in by her straight gaze and the words of gratitude
presented to him.
"Thank you so
much......"
His mouth naturally
relaxed, and the lingering emotions after his previous arguments with her
melted away like sugar.
"...... I'm glad
then."
Nozomu and Shina
smiled at each other. The wind blew gently between them.
"But still, how
could you try to deal with that beast twice by yourself? You really are a
good-natured guy, huh?"
"Is that
so?"
As Nozomu scratched
his cheeks in embarrassment, Shina brought her face close to his and deepened
her smile.
"Yes, you are.
And also, I am sorry. I misunderstood you."
"No, it's okay.
It's enough that you understand."
A peaceful time. The
feeling of being connected.
The feeling of warmth
and heat, reminiscent of a winter fireplace, naturally brought a smile to their
faces.
But in the midst of
such a peaceful moment, Shina suddenly changed her expression to a serious one.
While Nozomu tilted
his head in wonder, she slowly opened her mouth.
"And there is one
more thing I have to tell you. It's about Lisa and the others that I saw.
There's something I realize now......"
Nozomu gasped in
surprise at the sudden mention of Lisa's name. But his expression quickly
changed after that.
Then, a few seconds
later. Hearing Shina's next words, his eyes widened.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Aiden Elliott
Kcx1
Swagaraga
[Gold]
Godman gaming
Hikari Ashta
Jor Tran
[Silver]
CoolmanMTD
Glasses Kun
Mateo
ONEEYED_SLOTH
Alden H
Anton Lim
Curious Panda
Danial Azman
Matzar1
Стас Удрис
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
