Volume 3 Chapter 5.1
Dissonant Quartet Part 1
Translator : PolterGlast
[The Six Bad Omens]・[Cracked-Crown] Giant Centipede suddenly appeared
during a Special Comprehensive Exercise.
The exercise was
canceled due to this demonic beast. Students of all classes returned to the city
and disbanded as soon as their safety was confirmed through a roll call. They
were to remain in their dormitories for the time being.
At the same time, a
detailed investigation was commenced. Arcazam was placed on high alert and all
gates were closed. All citizens who were outside the city, including the
students who had been practicing, were immediately ordered to return to their
homes.
"Nozomu, where
are you? ......"
In the midst of all
this, Irisdina did not return to her residence but was running around the
residential area.
Drenched in sweat and
looking agitated, she kept running while restlessly looking around.
Everyone was looking
at her with bewilderment as she ran through the streets with her bandages still
wrapped around her, but Irisdina paid no attention to the gazes of those around
her and continued to search for Nozomu's missing figure.
From the residential
area, she went through the main street to the central park and searched in the
tree-lined area.
After that, she headed
straight to the men's dormitory to confirm that he was okay, but as she
expected, the person she was looking for had not returned.
"According to
Jin-kun, he was there at the time of the roll call......"
Irisdina had no choice
but to head once more to the central park.
In the street leading
to the academy, Tima, Shina and the others, as well as Anri, the homeroom
teacher of the tenth class, had gathered.
"Haa, haa .......
No luck. I even asked Raz to search for him, but he couldn't find him."
[ Chichichi…… (Sorry. It
seems that the spirits have sensed the unrest in the city. They are too
frightened to talk properly.) ]
"He was not even
at the west gate where I took the roll call~~. I asked the gatekeeper, but he
said he didn't see anyone who went outside ......"
"The west gate
was crowded with a lot of students and people returning to the city at that
time. Nozomu could easily slip through without anyone noticing."
Irisdina bit her lip
as she realized that he was most likely still outside the city.
"...... What about
Mars-kun?"
"Probably he has
returned to Ox-head Pavilion, but- ......"
Mars is not with them
now. After being dismissed, he disappeared just as quickly as Nozomu.
"I~, will contact
the upper echelon and go search outside the city~~. Irisdina and the others
should search inside the city once more time~~. Just don't go outside the city,
please~~!"
Leaving these words
behind, Anri headed toward the west gate where the school's officials were
gathered.
Meanwhile, just as
Irisdina was about to go searching once more, she saw a figure running toward
her from the Ecross school building.
"Ane-sama!"
"Somia!?"
The figure that came
running was Somia. There was also Mena behind her.
Upon seeing her older
sister, Somia ran toward her without looking anywhere else and embraced her
sister as if clinging to her.
"What on earth
are you doing here? ......"
Although she was
perplexed by the way Somia hugged her tightly and forcefully, Irisdina gently
hugged her beloved sister back.
"We were informed
that Irisdina-ojōsama was attacked and injured by a very dangerous demonic
beast during the exercise. So we have been anxiously waiting for you
......"
"Hic~, guu
......"
She must have been
very worried about her sister.
Somia's eyes were full
of tears and she was sniffling while Mena was giving a follow-up explanation.
"It's all right.
I'm right here. I would never have left you behind......"
"Fue, fu~!
Ggu…."
Somia desperately
tried to hold back her tears so as not to cry any more, but seeing her sister's
safe appearance must have broken the tension. Tears welled up from her moist
eyes as if they had burst from a dam.
Irisdina patted Somia
on the back to soothe her as she kept sobbing.
The sobbing subsided
little by little. When Somia calmed down, Irisdina released her from the
embrace, and Shina, who was standing by her side, slowly opened her mouth.
"Hey,
Irisdina-san. I'd like to ask you something."
"What is
it?"
"Mars-kun said
that if he was serious, he could have defeated that centipede easily, do you
guys know about his power as well?"
" 'As well',
huh?"
In response to
Irisdina's words, Shina and the others nodded their heads slightly.
"I was saved by
him. It's thanks to him that I was able to see Raz again......"
[ Chichi. Chichichi……
(Yeah. If Nozomu hadn't helped us, Shina would have died and I would have
disappeared too ......) ]
The elf girl calmly
talked about her past and the frustration she had been carrying around. She
also talked about her encounter with the Abyss Grief, a being of the same
nature as the demonic beast that had robbed her homeland.
Her family was stolen
from her. And the days when she desperately struggled to cope with reality
while being pitied by her own kind.
And then, the
encounter with Abyss Grief.
The trauma she had
gone through caused her to lose her self, but thanks to Nozomu, she was able to
regain what was important to her.
It was then that she
caught a glimpse of the [special power] he possessed.
"But we don't
know where his power comes from."
"Nozomu said it
was the release of his ability suppression......"
"But the nature
of his power is odd. Rather than releasing his ability suppression, it was more
like something was being forced out of him......"
"It sure
is......"
Irisdina agreed with
Shina's words.
Overpowering a
high-ranking vampire, who is several hundred years old, is clearly not within
the realm of humans.
If it was just simply
unleashing his suppressed power, it would be unnatural for Nozomu, who excelled
in controlling his power, to be letting such an enormous amount of power flow
out of him.
His fighting style
originally does not rely on strength, but rather is a fighting method that uses
a high level of Qi control and superior swordsmanship to achieve the greatest effect
with the least amount of power. His appearance when he released his ability
suppression was completely opposite to that.
"Irisdina-san,
where did you witness his power? Do you mind ...... telling us about it?"
"......
Ane-sama."
Shina's straightforward
eyes were directed at Irisdina. Somia's voice coming from next to her, although
small, was also filled with strong will and emotion, just like the elf girl in
front of her.
Irisdina who received
their gazes looked up at the western sky. The red-tinted sun was setting over
the cityscape.
I wonder what those
two who are not here are doing now ......?
As twilight fell, the
looming darkness fueled Irisdina's anxiety and frustration.
It is not easy to talk
about the secret agreement with Waziart Family that led to the discovery of
Nozomu's power.
(But Shina-kun has
revealed a secret that normally would not be disclosed. Then I can't be the
only one to keep my mouth shut.)
What is needed to
change is not thoughts but actions.
The courage to take
the first step, even if it means throwing oneself into the darkness.
(If I don't do this,
nothing will change. Not only Nozomu, but also Mars-kun ...... and us ......)
"We found out
about it when Somia celebrated her eleventh birthday ......"
Irisdina nodded her
head as if she had made up her mind, then turned straight to Shina and the
others and calmly opened her mouth.
◆
In Spasim Forest,
Jihad, together with the military police and researchers from the Gloaurum
Institute, were diving into the large hole where the [Cracked-Crown] had
appeared for investigation.
"It's so huge
......"
Jihad muttered to
himself in front of the tunnel formed under the hole made by the giant
centipede.
The depths of the
underground passage were shrouded in darkness, and it was hard to see how far
it went.
"This passage is
approximately five mel high and ten mel wide."
"This was not
here when Arcazam was being built. Considering the time of the attack and the
freshness of the earthen walls, it must have been dug just recently
......"
Two figures dressed in
white coats were conversing with Jihad.
One is Torgrein. He is
a researcher at Gloaurum Institute and is present in this case as an assistant.
The other person is
the leader of this investigation. He is an old man with piercing eyes.
His name is Fadrey
Insidious. He is the chief executive of Gloaurum Institute.
Born in Cremazzone
Empire. He was originally a high-ranking aristocrat, but fell in love with
archaeology. He has a unique background, having switched to magical studies
afterward.
He is also a
distinguished figure who compiled various magic techniques from all over the
continent and laid the foundation for the formation and chanting techniques
taught at the current Solminati Academy.
"I can't see the
end of the tunnel. How long does it go on? ......"
"Good grief, I
can't wait to get back to my research. Recently, my stagnant research has
finally begun to see a ray of light......"
Jihad peered upward
from the underground tunnel as he listened to Fadrey's words.
A dim, dark night was
coming through the huge hole in the ceiling.
"It is about to
get dark. We will start a detailed investigation tomorrow morning. Let's return
to Arcazam and leave the guards here."
"Fumu, I guess we
have no other choice."
On hearing Fadrey's
words, Torgrein began to prepare to leave the place.
The three returned to
the surface again with a rope lowered from above the hole, leaving only the
guards behind.
Just before returning,
Jihad glanced at the huge hole once again.
The night had already
begun to fall. A deep darkness peeked out from the mouth of the hole, making it
impossible to see what lay ahead.
◆
Arcazam commercial
district when the sun has set in the west and the light of the stars has filled
the sky.
This normally bustling
place is quiet now.
The [Cracked Crown]
attacked the city. Even though there has been no damage to the town, word
travels fast, and for those who saw the great invasion 20 years ago with their
own eyes, it is enough to stir up the fears of that time.
The Ox-head Pavilion,
an inn as well as a tavern located in a corner of the commercial district, is
also deserted today.
There are guests
staying at the inn, but they are scared of the madness emanating from the
counter, and have retreated to their own rooms. And in the empty store, Mars,
the source of the problem, is drinking alcohol like a desperate person.
"*Glug, glug*……
haa……''
"Hey Onīchan, I
have told you before, didn't I? No drinking in the store!"
"Shut
u~up......."
Ignoring Ena's
complaints, he gulped down the contents of his glass.
The sensation of sake
burning in his throat. Each time, his head becomes hazy, but no matter how much
he gulps down the sake, the image of Nozomu that flashes in his mind does not
disappear.
He learned a glimpse
of Nozomu's strength during combat training at the end of the second grade and
a test of his skills in the outer edge of the school.
Since then, Mars has
been hanging out with Nozomu both in class and during breaks. He, Irisdina, and
Tima also worked together on requests at the Adventurers' Guild, and they had a
good time at the Ox-head Pavilion.
It was a time filled
with a sense of fulfillment that was different from the time when he simply
wielded his sword in pursuit of strength or had cronies. It was the first time
he experienced human relations as equals.
What burned in his
mind most of all was the sight of the S-ranked, absolutely powerful opponent
being overpowered.
Even now, he can
vividly recall the scene where Nozomu defeated a vampire who had fought
thousands of battles in the past by slaying his countless magic attacks.
It was a kind of
admiration, and the moment when he himself, who had been lost, found the goal
he should aim for.
All of it was
dazzling, and therefore, his anger was uncontrollable.
(Why didn't he give it
his all? With his ability, it should be easy!)
Anger, resentment, and
disappointment welled up in him. To cover it up, he gulped down the sake and
tried to refill it again. However, a hand reached out from the side and
snatched the bottle and glass away.
Looking to the side,
Ena's angry face was on display.
".......Give it
back."
"No, you're being
a bad big brother today."
"Mars, enough of
this! Because of you, even the guests who are staying here won't show themselves!
And on top of that, you'll end up consuming the entire store's
products......"
Hannah, who came out
of the kitchen, agreed with Ena. Mars clicked his tongue and glared at them
resentfully.
"......
Mars."
"What do you want
pops...... -eh, what the hell are you doing!?"
At that moment, Del,
his adoptive parent, walked up to Mars and grabbed him by the collar.
Mars resisted, but
Del's arm, which is bigger than Mars', didn't budge.
"I don't know
what happened, but you can't do anything with such a heated head. Go cool down
your head for a bit."
Del tossed the
resisting Mars onto the street and quickly changed the "open" sign
hanging at the entrance to "in preparation" and closed the door.
For a short while, the
sound of banging on the door echoed inside the restaurant. But eventually, Mars
gave up. A sigh escaped from Ena and Hannah's mouths.
"Haa, Onīchan has
got us in trouble again ......."
"The customers
have all gone. There is no point in opening the shop today."
"But what
happened with him? It has been a while since we've seen him like
that......"
"That's true.
Ever since he met Nozomu-kun and the others, he has never been out of control
or violent......."
"I wonder if
something happened at the academy. As I recall, they said that a very dangerous
demonic beast appeared......"
While cleaning up the
table where Mars was, Ena couldn't help but stare at the locked doorway and
think about her brother's transformation, which should have gotten better
recently. Then Del's large hand was gently placed on her shoulder.
"Don't worry. He
may be like that now, but when things settle down, he'll come back. When he
does, you can ask him about it while you're giving him a good sermon."
"Dad ......"
"Of course. He
made Ena sad, so he has to be punished severely."
Hannah also tried to
reassure her daughter, smiling broadly and puffing out her chest.
Ena finally smiled at
her parents' kindness and gave a small nod.
At that moment, a
gentle tapping sound could be heard coming from the entrance door.
"Yes? Who is
it?"
Clearly different from
Mars, Ena opened the door to see if there was a customer.
"T-Tima-san
......?"
"Haa, haa......
sorry for coming so late at night! Is Mars-kun home!?"
There stood a girl
with light-yellowish-green hair who was gasping for air.
◆
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