Volume 2
Chapter 7
In the few days after Nozomu reconciled with Mars, Nozomu's treatment in class had changed considerably.
Mars, who had disliked
Nozomu the most, had started talking to him frequently.
Students in the 10th
tier were generally treated as dropouts by students in all other classes. It
was a negative consequence of Solminati Academy's emphasis on thorough
meritocracy.
Their outlet for
venting their frustrations at being treated as dropouts had been Nozomu, who
was perpetually at the bottom.
However, once Mars,
who despite being in the 10th tier was comparable to the top students in the
year, started talking to Nozomu, those who had been insulting Nozomu could no
longer interfere and, as a result, adopted a stance of not getting involved
with him.
Mars also began to
distance himself from his former cronies and always partnered with Nozomu
during practical skill classes.
Inevitably, Nozomu
spent more time with Mars...
"I'm so happy~!
Nozomu-kun and Mars-kun have become friends~~~~!!"
It was lunchtime in
the infirmary. Today as well, Nozomu had been abducted by Anri-sensei and was
eating lunch with her in the infirmary. Incidentally, Mars, who was nearby, was
also one of her targets and had been similarly captured.
Anri-sensei's
excitement was at its peak from the start, and she was radiating a cheerful
aura more than usual.
"Ah, well, thank
you..."
Nozomu was slightly
taken aback by Anri-sensei's extreme excitement, but he understood that she was
genuinely happy, so he was sincerely grateful for her feelings.
"…………Hmph."
Mars was sullenly
shoveling down his lunch.
"Now, now. Anri
is happy too, you know. That Nozomu-kun and Mars-kun have become friends. Anri
was worried about Mars-kun as well as Nozomu-kun."
"What's that
supposed to mean?"
"Anri said that
Mars-kun is a clumsy but kind boy, you know~"
"Because~~~,
Mars-kun. At the end of the second year, you re-evaluated Nozomu-kun and
properly reflected on what you had done to him, right~~~?"
"………………"
"There's no way
such a child could be a bad person~~~."
A smile also bloomed
on Anri-sensei's face as she said this, accurately hitting what Mars had been
thinking. This surprised him.
Well, if you always
saw her spacey demeanor, it would be hard to realize that she was actually
sharp.
Nozomu had previously
had her somewhat notice and point out the confrontation between Nozomu and
Shino at the end of the second year and the changes that had occurred in Nozomu
as a result.
That was why Nozomu
wasn't as surprised as Mars at Anri-sensei pointing out the change in Mars's
heart.
"………………"
Mars looked away, but
his face was red, and it was clear he was embarrassed.
"Fufu... By the
way, Nozomu-kun, what are you making right now?"
Norn-sensei finished
her lunch quickly and spoke to Nozomu, who was doing something on the desk.
Nozomu had taken out a
set of crafting tools on the infirmary desk and was making something.
"This? It's a
birthday present for a friend."
"Oh! Really? Who
are you giving it to, and what is it?"
Norn was a little
surprised because she thought Mars was Nozomu's only friend in the academy, and
she was also curious about what Nozomu was making, so she asked.
"It's a gift for
a student of Ekros whom I met recently. I can't tell you what it is. It's
something that child should know first."
Apart from the present
he was currently making, Nozomu thought there was no need to hide about Somia,
so he talked about how he met her. Norn-sensei and Anri-sensei were very
surprised.
"Wow! To think
you're acquainted with a young lady from the Francilt family, Nozomu-kun,
you're quite something!"
"What are you so
surprised about?"
Mars didn't seem to
fully understand, but the Francilt family was a pillar among the powerful
families that had served the great Folsina Kingdom in the western part of the
continent since its founding.
Furthermore, during
the great invasion ten years ago, the Folsina Kingdom had quickly dispatched
troops against the horde of magical beasts, and those troops became the core of
the later formed Allied Forces, becoming a major driving force in repelling the
great invasion.
It was also the
country that proposed the founding of Solminati Academy to various nations,
making it a very significant presence on this continent.
Becoming acquainted
with a young lady from such a prestigious family would be something completely
unheard of for most people.
"Even though
we're acquainted, I only found out she was from the Francilt family just the
other day. When we first met, I had no idea she was from such a distinguished
family. Well, I didn't mind, but she seemed a little concerned about hiding
it."
Nozomu said this while
continuing to work on something with his hands.
"Considering her
upbringing, it's understandable."
Well, even prestigious
families probably have their own troubles.
When Norn looked at
Nozomu's face as he worked, a slight smile was visible on his expression.
(Yes. He'll be
alright.)
He was probably
looking forward to giving the present to the recipient, so he couldn't help but
be happy. Seeing Nozomu like that made Norn feel happy too, and a natural smile
bloomed on her face.
***
After school, Nozomu
and Mars headed to the outskirts of the town. Since reconciling, they had been
sparring there roughly every other day after school.
"In the end, I
still couldn't beat Mars just like the other day... Looks like I'm still not
strong enough to be your opponent in my current state..."
"……………………"
So far, Mars had a
higher win rate in their sparring matches. Nozomu would push Mars to the brink,
but since he wasn't using offensive Ki techniques like "Phantom
Void," he inevitably lacked the decisive blow.
Nozomu's offensive Ki
techniques were as deadly as ever.
This was to
efficiently use his limited Ki while ensuring he could reliably take down his
opponents, something he had learned from life-or-death battles with magical
beasts in the outskirts forest (or rather, forced upon him by Shino), and it
was necessary to survive.
However, things were
different in school life and mock battles, where he had to hold back with these
highly lethal techniques.
But since Nozomu
didn't have a large Ki capacity, holding back inevitably meant lowering the
density of the Ki he used in his techniques, which would make them insufficient
to defeat an opponent.
He was in a dilemma
where lowering the density would make the techniques not powerful enough to
finish an opponent.
Also, despite some
improvement, the influence of Nozomu's Ability Suppression was significant, and
the effects of supplementary Ki techniques like body enhancement and Flash Step
were low, so he was still not strong enough to face someone as skilled as Mars.
"…………You know,
it's weird that you've still managed to beat me a few times…………"
"Is that
so?"
Mars muttered in response
to Nozomu's words, but Nozomu's reaction was nonchalant.
Logically speaking,
there was no way Nozomu could beat Mars in a one-on-one fight.
The difference in
their physical abilities and Ki capacity was clear, and moreover, Nozomu had
almost no magic power, so he couldn't rely on magic either.
Even so, the fact that
he had managed to win against Mars, who should have been in a higher class,
even a few times, suggested just how high his skill level was in this academy.
However, Nozomu
himself wasn't aware of this.
Nozomu's standard for
swordsmanship was his own master, Shino. This was because almost all the
opponents he had sparred with so far had been her.
This was due to
Nozomu's narrow circle of acquaintances up until now. If he had even one friend
in the academy who would spar with him, things might have been slightly
different.
Once such a
monstrously skilled person became his standard, there was no way he could
accurately gauge where his own skills stood compared to those around him.
Also, Nozomu himself
tended to underestimate his own abilities.
This was due to the
influence of Ability Suppression and the results of his mock battles so far.
Because of Ability Suppression, he was always overpowered in direct clashes,
and moreover, he hardly ever won in mock battles.
For this reason,
Nozomu was, in a sense, "used to losing."
(This guy, what's he
talking about when he's got such a terrifying technique sealed away!!!)
Actually, Mars had
been shown Nozomu's “Phantom Void” only once before, but at that time, he felt
a shudder of terror and trembled.
The released Ki blade
passed in front of Mars's eyes in an instant and effortlessly cleaved the large
rock that was its target in two.
An incredibly
compressed and sharpened Ki blade. Its flight speed was extremely fast, and
Mars couldn't even see the afterimage of the Ki blade that had passed before
his eyes. And the control to create such a blade only took about half a second.
If that blade were
released towards him, he would be cut in two along with his defense in that
instant, without even a moment to evade.
(Haa~. My loss back
then was definitely confirmed after all.)
Mars recalled the time
at the end of the second semester when he had been cornered by the man in front
of him, but if it had been this technique that had been released at that time,
he wouldn't be alive right now.
(Well, there's no way
he can use a technique like that during class.)
Just as he was
understanding why Nozomu hadn't used Ki techniques in his attacks so far, three
girls walked towards them from the front. One of them waved her hand widely
when she saw Nozomu.
Nozomu waved back, and
the three of them came over.
"Hello,
Nozomu-san!"
"Hello,
Somia-chan. I see, You're with your older sister today."
"Hello Nozomu. It
hasn't been that long, I guess."
"H-hello…………"
It was Irisdina-san,
Somia-chan, and Tima-san who had walked over.
Tima-san still seemed
uncomfortable around him, still a little withdrawn as usual.
"Come on, Tima.
You have something to say to Nozomu-kun, right?"
"Y-yes."
"???"
Tima-san stood in
front of Nozomu, urged by Irisdina-san. It seemed she had something she wanted
to say to Nozomu.
"U-um! I'm sorry
about what happened in the infirmary!"
"…………Eh? What
about?"
"Well, I... I
think I was rude to Nozomu-kun... because I had heard the rumors..."
As she said this, her
shoulders slumped. She looked so dejected that it made Nozomu feel bad for her.
She must have been really concerned about what happened back then.
"I'm sorry,
Nozomu-kun. Tima is a little uncomfortable around men, you see. She was a bit
wary because she had heard rumors about you."
"……Oh! That time?
It's alright. She just apologized properly, and if she heard the rumors about
me, it's understandable..."
Indeed, if she had
heard the rumors about Nozomu, it was understandable. Back then, if you heard
rumors that he had cheated on a top female student in their year and then
dumped her, no one would have a good impression of him.
When Nozomu heard
Tima's words, a sharp pain shot through his chest.
(…………It still hurts
after all…………)
He had made friends
and didn't feel it as much as before, but whenever he suddenly remembered, the
pain gnawed at Nozomu's heart.
(………Every time I
remember Lisa, it's like this…………)
Nozomu hadn't overcome
his heartbreak with Lisa or the contempt he had faced until now. He had met
Somia and Irisdina, reconciled with Mars, and as new relationships formed, the
occasions to remember had naturally decreased.
"Um...
Nozomu-san. Who is this person?"
Nozomu, who had fallen
silent, was asked by Somia-chan, who had noticed Mars standing next to Nozomu.
"Ah, this is
Mars. He's my classmate."
The three looked at
Mars after Nozomu's introduction, but Mars was still looking at Irisdina and
the others with his usual impassive expression.
"…………What?"
"Eep."
Tima-san let out a
small yelp at Mars's intimidating presence, but Mars, disliking that, narrowed
his gaze even more.
Tima-san became even
more frightened by Mars's expression, but Mars's expression only hardened
further, creating a vicious cycle where Tima-san shrank back even more at the
sight of his face.
"Mars, calm down.
What's wrong?"
"…………Nothing…"
Mars replied to
Nozomu's question as if nothing happened, but in reality, he didn't like Tima's
frightened attitude.
She was an A-rank
student, higher than B-rank Mars. There were very few such people in this
academy, a rank given only to those who surpassed Mars in ability.
However, her being
frightened of B-rank him was something that Mars, who believed in strength,
couldn't accept.
But Tima didn't know
such beliefs of Mars. For her, Mars, who was well-built and known as a
delinquent, was a greater object of fear than a magical beast.
"Ah, oh that's
right. About Somia's birthday party, I was hoping Nozomu-kun could come too, if
possible…………"
When it seemed like an
unpleasant atmosphere was about to form between Mars and Tima, Irisdina changed
the subject to Somia's birthday, and Nozomu responded to it.
"Um... is that
alright? If it's a birthday party for the young lady of the Francilt family,
prominent people from all over must be coming. Is it okay for someone like me
to go to such a place?"
The Francilt family
was a well-known noble family throughout the various countries of the Arcmel
Continent. If it was a birthday party for the young lady of such a family,
dignitaries from various countries would probably attend.
Nozomu thought it
might be inappropriate for him, just a mere student, to join such an event.
Especially since he had bad rumors circulating about him even within Solminati
Academy.
But Irisdina herself
said it as if she didn't mind at all.
"It's fine.
Originally, this birthday party was only meant to be for family. Besides,
Nozomu-kun is Somia's friend, right? There's no problem."
Irisdina laughed off
Nozomu's worries as if they were irrelevant. Her expression held no lies or
pretense; she truly thought so and had decided on it.
At that smile, Nozomu
decided to attend.
"...I understand.
I will attend."
"Really! That's
great. Somia was looking forward to it too."
"Yes! Because
Nozomu-san said he'd prepare a present for me!"
She spread her arms
wide, a beaming smile on her face, and her bracelet jingled.
Both Irisdina and
Somia smiled contentedly, confirmed the date and location of the birthday
party, and then they parted ways for the day.
***
On the way back, Mars
and I were walking and thinking back on what had just happened.
"What about you,
Mars? Are you going to attend?"
"……I was invited
too after all. So I'll at least make an appearance."
Mars had also been
invited by Irisdina-san. He had been asked because he was my friend.
"Even so, you
were really harsh on Tima-san."
Mars's attitude
towards Tima-san was clearly strange. Mars, who was prone to being emotional,
had an attitude towards her that was similar to how he used to treat me.
"…………That kind of
person pisses me off the most. Why is she so timid when she's so
strong…………"
"……What someone
is afraid of, only themselves know. You're not the only one who doesn't
understand, are you……"
"…………"
Only the person
themselves know what is truly painful for them. For her, that was different
from Mars, but Mars's expression remained stiff, and it didn't change until we
reached the Ox Head Inn.
***
"...Tima, are you
alright?"
"…………Yeah…………"
I comforted my best
friend, whose face remained gloomy, but her expression didn't improve.
Tima was born with
high magic power, and because of that, she had been avoided by those around
her. Especially, since she hadn't been treated very well by boys her age.
Also, her looks seemed
to have been refined since she was a child, and because of that, she continued
to be subjected to various gazes from many people.
Envy, awe, jealousy,
hatred.
For her, who couldn't
yet handle her own magic power well, those gazes were a stronger psychological
burden than anything else.
As a result, she
developed a strong aversion to public attention, especially from men, and her
emotional instability directly led to a lack of control over her magic.
Despite being more gifted
in magic than anyone else, she couldn't seem to control it well.
"Well, Nozomu-kun
doesn't seem to mind, and that guy... Mars-kun, was it? I'll take care of him
somehow."
"That's right!
He's Nozomu-san's friend, so I'm sure it'll be alright!"
"……Yeah……sorry,
Ai, Somia-chan……"
"Tima, I'd be
happier if you said 'thank you' if you can."
"That's right! At
times like this, it's 'thank you'!"
I replied with a
somewhat joking tone, and Somia replied with a full smile.
"……Yeah, thank
you, both of you."
A smile appeared on
Tima's face at our responses, but her expression never truly brightened, and we
could only go our separate ways home.
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