Volume 3 Chapter 7.1
Intermission,
Harbinger of Bankruptcy Part 1
Translator : PolterGlast
"Ugh,
nn......."
A small groan leaked
into the room, and Nozomu's eyes slowly opened while he was lying on the bed.
The room was dimly
lit, and the ceiling was devoid of color. When he looked to the side, a gray
curtain jumped into his vision. Perhaps he fainted in the forest and was
brought to this room.
(Where in the world is
this? And what happened-...... kuh~)
As soon as he tried to
get up, a stabbing pain shot through his body, and he fell back on the bed.
Upon closer look, he
could see the marks of treatment all over his body, especially on his arms.
In particular, both of
his arms were covered with bandages and were firmly fixed so that he could not
move them.
From his conditions,
it could be assumed that a considerable amount of time had passed.
Nozomu began to move
them slowly so as not to put too much strain on his body. Although there was
still a dull ache in his body, he slowly, little by little, crept himself up,
opened the curtains, and peeked out of the window.
The room Nozomu was
currently in was on the second floor of the building, at least that was what he
thought, as he looked down he could see people walking down the street.
However, Nozomu felt a
sense of discomfort at the sight.
(Huh? That's strange.
I can't hear any sound. And there's something wrong with my vision as
well......)
The scenery outside
the window...... no, everything in his field of vision has turned gray.
Moreover, neither the chirping of the birds perched on the roof of the house
across the street, nor the hustle and bustle of people passing by on the
street, could be heard.
(No way, are these the
side effects of that?)
Obvious visual and
auditory abnormalities. What came to mind was the release of ability
suppression and the direct use of that dragon's power.
Considering that his
ears and eyes were normal before he used Tiamat's power, there was no doubt
about it.
Nozomu exhaled heavily
and looked up to the ceiling.
(I wonder if everyone
is safe......)
Considering the
circumstances, they must have brought Nozomu here, so it could be fair to
assume that they were safe. However, he couldn't shake off the uneasiness that
was still deep in his heart as long as he had not seen them.
(...... Shall I go
look for them then?)
Although he was in no
condition to go out, Nozomu gave in to his impatience and put his hand on the
edge of the bed to get up.
At that moment, the
door that was visible at the edge of Nozomu's vision was opened, and someone
entered the room.
(Ah~......)
In his grayish vision,
Nozomu's eyes crossed with those who entered the room.
It was Irisdina and
Shina.
They were carrying
bandages and gauze in their hands.
When they saw Nozomu
getting up, they shouted something in a panic and rushed to his side, forcing
him down on the bed.
When Nozomu groaned as
pain shot through his wounds, the two hurriedly removed their hands that were
holding him down.
Then Shina turned on
her heel and stormed out of the room. She probably went to call everyone else.
Irisdina timidly
touched Nozomu's body to check the state of his wounds.
After she finished
checking with a worried look on her face, she brought her face close to
Nozomu's and started shouting something.
Based on her atmosphere,
it was obvious that she was scolding him.
For Nozomu who
couldn't hear her voice, she lacked a sense of urgency at the moment, and
that's why his cheeks almost loosened up at the thought of her concern for him.
Each time he did, Irisdina's eyes became sharper and sharper.
As Irisdina's anger
intensified, Nozomu tried to calm her down, but unfortunately, he did not know
what she was saying, so he did not know how to respond.
Irisdina was getting
more emotional, and Nozomu was helplessly in a panic.
At that moment,
multiple presences entered the room.
They were the friends
who remained with him in the forest at that time. No one was missing, and no
one was seriously injured.
Nozomu was relieved to
see them. At least, if his friends were able to get out of that predicament, he
thought, the loss of his own senses was not for nothing.
When Norn said
something to Irisdina, she pulled away from him with an embarrassed look on her
face.
Irisdina glared at
Nozomu resentfully while fidgeting, and Nozomu's face heated up as he realized
that their faces had just been so close that they were almost able to feel each
other's breaths.
Norn raised her hands
in a gesture of dismay at the sight of the two of them, then sat down on the
round chair beside the bed and examined Nozomu's face.
".........,
............"
Norn tried to speak
with Nozomu, but he could only tilt his head, as he was now deaf.
Norn's expression
instantly turned grim when he did not answer her question.
Under her penetrating
gaze, Nozomu shook his head busily. Although he was not sure if it helped,
color gradually returned to his vision, and he could hear the sounds echoing
around him.
"I-I'm fine. I
guess I was just a little drowsy......"
"I see ...... Let
me examine your wounds for now. Everyone, please stay outside."
Norn urged everyone to
go outside, but Irisdina and Shina, who were worried about Nozomu, showed
dissatisfied expressions.
"Eh? But
......"
"Norn-sensei, if
it's just for a medical examination, I don't mind staying here ......"
"I'm going to
have to ask him to take off his clothes so that I can examine his wounds. Do
you two want to see Nozomu-kun's naked body?"
Nozomu's naked body.
As soon as they heard these words, their faces turned red as they looked at
each other.
"U~ ......"
"E-Excuse
us."
Irisdina and Shina
left the room in a hurry, and everyone else followed suit.
After everyone had
left the room, Norn faced Nozomu once again. Observing Nozomu, who was puzzled
and unsure of what was going on, Norn quickly took off his coat and began
examining him.
"Nozomu-kun. Are
you by any chance deaf earlier?"
"Yes ...... I can
hear you now, but the voice I heard is still a little echoing."
Nozomu nodded to Norn,
who asked him questions while examining him.
Hearing his reply, she
kept examining him with a somber expression on her face, trying to think of
several causes.
"It has been
about five days since you collapsed. This is Anri's room, and you were brought
into this room right after you collapsed. Do you feel anything else wrong with
your body?"
He responded to Norn's
question by nodding and telling her that not only his ears, but also his vision
had turned gray.
"That is probably
due to the temporary paralysis of the Qi veins and nerves in your body caused
by the release of that power."
The Qi veins represent
the flow of vital energy within the body. If this were to become impaired, in
the worst case, it could lead directly to death, as it did for Shino.
"It was a severe
injury. It took me a long time to stop the bleeding and you wouldn't regain
consciousness. You survived because I used a lot of medicine and continuously
cast healing spells, but if I had not, you would have undoubtedly bled to
death."
Just as she said,
Nozomu's body was weakened by the continuous use of excessive force, and the
effectiveness of healing magic was also diminished.
Since healing magic is
a magic that accelerates the injured person's natural recovery ability, its
efficiency inevitably diminishes as the injured person's life force declines.
"The wounds
themselves are getting much better than when I examined them while you were
still unconscious, and your Qi veins themselves seem to be undamaged. Most
likely your sensory loss is temporary and will heal as your body gets better,
but for now you should remain on bed rest."
After briefly
informing him of the results of the examination, Norn's tone changed to a
slight scolding.
"You are being
too reckless. You were lucky this time, but you could have died or been
handicapped for the rest of your life, you know?"
"But if I hadn't
done so, none of us would have survived."
"I know. I'm just
telling you what I have to say as a doctor."
Norn sighed while
changing his bandage, which had become worn out and saggy over time, and turned
her gaze to the door through which Irisdina and the others had exited.
"Everyone was
worried about you, you know? Anri and I took shifts looking after you, but
Irisdina and Shina stayed here until late at night to help us out."
Nozomu's chest
tightened at the mention of these words.
"They do
understand the situation. But their concern for you inevitably precedes
them."
Norn, who had just
finished examining Nozomu, put his coat over his shoulders while trying to
cheer the slightly dejected Nozomu up.
"Leave the rest
to me and Anri. You should rest well for now. As soon as you feel better, their
worries will also disappear."
"Yes......"
Although he was certainly
concerned about Irisdina and the others, his priority right now should be to
recover his body.
After the examination
and changing of bandages, Norn got up from her chair and was about to leave the
room.
"Nozomu-kun,
about that dragon inside you......."
A single sentence was
uttered whilst placing her hand on the doorknob. After a beat of hesitation,
Norn turned around.
"I'm sure you are
well aware of the dangers of that dragon's power, but as a doctor and a
teacher, allow me to say this. Using that power is not a good idea......"
"......Yes. I am
aware of what will happen if I keep using that power. I got it drilled into my
head so bad by that dragon itself after all."
If it were only about
his own death, it would still be fine. But in this case, it showed the reality
that its power could be directed at those around him.
Miraculously, no one
died, but as long as Nozomu holds the power of Tiamat, there is always the
possibility of him going out of control.
Nozomu himself fully
understood this. He knew it firsthand. He has kept his problems to himself and
almost went out of control because of it.
"But I can't run
away. Even if I run away, in the end, those around me will be hurt. And the
first ones to get hurt will be Iris and the others ...... I don't want
that."
However, there is
currently no solution to remove this power from Nozomu.
There are only two
choices. The first is to give up and throw everything away, and the second is
to face this power and completely control Tiamat, who has bonded with him.
And Nozomu had already
made up his mind not to choose the former.
Irisdina and the
others tried to stop Nozomu from going out of control, even though they could
have been killed. That's why. he didn't want to turn his back on those girls
who had gone to such lengths to accept him.
"Of course, the
difference in power between me and Tiamat is obvious. But I won't be deceived
anymore. Even if I die, I will not give up this determination of mine."
Nozomu declared so
while clenching his fists. His words were directed toward himself more than
anyone else.
"Do you think you
can do it? You're dealing with a legendary dragon, you know?"
Norn stared at Nozomu
with squinted eyes. As he met Norn's discerning gaze, Nozomu took a deep breath
and said in a clear tone.
"I don't think I
can do it alone. But it's all right. I've found something that I can't give up
on......"
Nozomu's words
reminded one not of a drifting cloud that seemed to be about to disappear, but
of a tree that had taken firm root in the wilderness.
Something that I can't
give up on. It is the bond he has acquired.
Although still small
and fragile, it served as a beacon to guide him when he was lost, troubled, and
unsure of his path.
It was the moment when
the small bud that had sprouted in Nozomu's heart began to grow.
"I see......
then, don't forget that feeling, and take good care of Irisdina and the
others."
After nodding to
Norn's words, Nozomu once again lay down on the bed and closed his eyes,
picturing the faces of Irisdina and the others in his mind. His body still
needed rest, and he immediately fell asleep.
Norn quietly left the
room.
Behind the door was
the living room. The interior was decorated with orange curtains and bright
colors.
The room has a
distinctive feminine atmosphere, befitting of the room where Anri is living.
There, Irisdina and
the others were waiting for Norn with anxious expressions on their faces.
"Well then.
Regarding Nozomu-kun's condition, he seems to have temporarily lost his senses
due to the power he released. He still has a little trouble hearing
sounds."
Norn's words made
Irisdina and the others tense up.
"It's okay, like I
said before, it's only temporary and he has passed the critical point for now.
All he needs to do is take a good rest, recover, and he'll be fine."
"I see..."
Norn tried her best to
explain in a cheerful tone, but the expressions on the faces of Irisdina and
the others were all gloomy.
"......Are you
worried?"
"Yes...."
Irisdina responded to
Norn's question in a weak tone of voice.
Aware of their
feelings, Norn and Anri gave a small smile to reassure them.
"He fell asleep
again right after the examination, but he's okay now. You guys can have a cup
of tea and relax until he wakes up."
"Norn, I'm going
to go shopping for a bit~~. Feo-kun, please take care of the luggage~~."
"Huh? Why
me?"
"Come on, just do
it~~"
Anri took Feo's hand
and walked out with him.
Norn, with a wry smile
toward her best friend's antics, began to prepare cups and tea leaves for the
tea party.
"Norn-sensei, let
us help you."
"No, as I said,
you can take a break ...... well, whatever. Then, can you please boil some
water for me?"
Norn smiled at
Irisdina and the others as they began to help out on their own.
They took turns
watching over Nozomu until he came to his senses. If one were to look closely,
one would see dark circles under their eyes, indicating that they had not slept
well in the past five days.
They knew that
Nozomu's condition had improved, but he was still not completely recovered yet.
Therefore, they still could not feel at ease in a real sense.
Norn, having expected
this, told them to take a rest.
While preparing tea,
their attention was kept focused on the next room, which was separated by a
wallboard.
◆
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