Monday, May 26, 2025

[WN] Dragon Chain Ori : Volume 3 Chapter 4 [Re-Translation]

This is a re-translation.

Volume 3 Chapter 4

 

(W-where did everyone goーーーーーー!!)

 

I'm so nervous I feel like I'm about to die. My heart is also shouting loudly, "Help me, help me!"

 

(W-why am I alone with Mars-kun all of a suddenーーーーーー! Not only Ai and Somia-chan who were next to me, but Nozomu-kun and Ena-chan have also disappeared without me noticing! Why! How!!)

 

Honestly, I don't know what to do!! I'm screaming my lungs out in my head, but in reality, I can't say anything, and I've become stiff as a board from nervousness.

 

"What happened to Nozomu and the others? They disappeared without me noticing... Did we get separated?"

 

"Y-yeah, I th-think so…………"

 

I managed to answer in a small voice, but it cracked with nervousness.

 

(W-what should I talk about! ...I've never talked to a boy alone like this before.... Ai! Help meーーーーーー!!)

 

I mentally called for help from my best friend who wasn't here. I had never walked around town alone with a boy like this before. When I went out, it was always with Ai and Somia-chan, and although I had been confessed to by boys, I had never dated anyone, so I had never been on a date.

 

"This is troublesome. The roads around here are complicated, so if we get separated, it'll be hard to find them.... Alright, if we don't find them after walking for a while, we'll go back home and wait. Okay?"

 

"Y-yes. Please…………"

 

Saying that, Mars-kun started walking, and I followed him a few steps behind.

 

"……………………"

"……………………"

 

We walked in silence for a while. I honestly didn't know what to do, so I kept my face down, peeking at the boy walking in front of me.  

 

When I first met him, he was very scary. He suddenly glared at me and intimidated me. My legs were shaking, and if Ai hadn't been there then, I might have collapsed.

The next time I met him was at Somia-chan's birthday party, and he was with his younger sister. When we were waiting for Nozomu-kun and the others at Ai's house, he was still scary, but that was until I saw him arguing with his younger sister in front of Ai's house.

The two of them were having a big fight in front of someone's house, attracting the attention of everyone around them. Moreover, even though they had been fighting just a moment ago, as soon as they noticed the crowd of people, they completely ignored their own behavior and, as siblings, questioned Nozomu-kun, "Why didn't you stop us?"

When I saw that scene, my nervousness naturally disappeared, and I chuckled without even realizing it.

 

And then that incident happened.

 

To help Somia-chan, whose soul was about to be extracted due to a past contract, I captured the contract's familiar with my strongest binding magic, but Rugato-san wouldn't leave me alone, and I was about to be attacked by his magic.

 

It was Mars-kun who saved me.

I never thought he would save me, and I was completely stunned when he said to me,

 

...What are you spacing out for? Concentrate on your magic. I'll deal with that old man's magic.

 

Saying that, Mars-kun turned his back on me and faced Rugato-san.

 

Even though he had never tried to hide his irritation towards me until then, at that moment, I clearly felt that his feelings and mine had become one.

 

"…………Is something wrong?"

 

"N-no! It's nothing!"

 

"……I see……"

 

Perhaps noticing my gaze, Mars-kun stopped and turned around to talk to me. I replied that it was nothing, but it came out stiff and awkward due to my nervousness. Silence fell between us.

 

"……………………Sorry about that time..."

 

"…………Eh……"

 

"Well... when we first met, I glared at you, didn't I?... I hadn't properly apologized yet..."

 

He scratched his cheek as he apologized for what happened when we first met. He was still worried about that time, his expression was a little dark, and he was looking slightly down, perhaps feeling awkward.

 

"I-it's okay! I don't mind anymore! Besides, you saved me..."

 

He had a subdued appearance, different from Ai's dignified demeanor and also different from his usual confident self, which surprised me. I myself knew that he wasn't someone who was liked by everyone like Ai, but I thought that he, like her, was someone who could make decisions about his actions with confidence.

 

Besides, Mars-kun seemed worried that he hadn't apologized to me, but I myself hadn't thanked him yet...

 

I was always lacking in courage and hid behind Ai. Even during lunch break, I couldn't thank him properly myself and could only do so by following Iris.

But now, I felt like I could face him and thank him properly. My heart was still pounding, but I mustered my courage and raised my downcast face.

 

"I-it's me who hasn't properly thanked you yet.... Um, back then, if Mars-kun hadn't protected me, I don't think I could have saved Somia-chan."

 

"O-oh…………"

 

Mars-kun looked a little surprised, but I didn't notice because I was so nervous. My voice cracked, and I probably sounded like a very strange person, but I just blurted out the words from my heart.

 

"S-so... um... thank you…………"

 

I was finally able to convey my own words in my own voice to him.

 

***

 

Tima raised her downcast face and said to me, "Thank you." The expression on Tima's face after saying those words was not the dark, insecure, and gloomy one I had seen before, but a natural smile of heartfelt relief. It was directed entirely at me.

 

………………I don't know why, but my face feels hot. I can't look at her face properly.

 

"………………"

 

I moved my mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out at all. I looked like a fish gasping for air, about to suffocate.

 

"…………Mars-kun?"

 

Perhaps noticing that something was wrong with me, Tima's expression gradually darkened. D-damn it, I have to say something!!

 

"O-oh, I see………………"

 

(That's not it! What is this!! That's not a proper reply!! Why at a time like this!)

 

As I frantically searched for the next words while panicking inside, Tima somehow smiled even more deeply with a relieved expression.

 

It was the first time. It was the first time I had seen her heartfelt smile.

 

(……………………………………………)

 

This time, even my thoughts stopped. This time, not only my face but also my chest felt hot. At the same time, a shock like being struck by lightning ran through my entire body, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I myself knew that something was wrong with me, and I turned my back on Tima, not wanting her to notice. But contrary to my actions, I was still concerned about the girl in front of me.

 

"? Is something wrong??"

 

"...N-no. It's nothing. …………L-let's go."

 

"Ah, y-yes……"

 

As I started walking with my back turned, trying to hide my feelings, Tima hurriedly followed after me.

Once again, we continued walking in silence. However, unlike before, Tima wasn't just following behind me. She was walking alongside me.

 

Thank you.

 

How long had it been since someone had said that to me...? Maybe it was the first time.

Ever since I was a child, I had been strong, and when I fought, most of the kids my age would run around crying. At that time, the adults around me would scold me harshly, but as I grew older, fewer and fewer of those adults would scold me directly, and both children and adults would gossip about me behind my back instead of saying anything to my face.

That annoyed me even more. I couldn't stand those who couldn't say anything to my face but whispered behind my back, those who fawned over me, trying to read my mood, and those weaklings who couldn't retort against such scum. I hated everything.

So, I just wanted to become strong and vent my frustration on those around me. I knew it bothered Ena and Del, but I just couldn't accept the weakness of the others, and I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge it.

Perhaps I went too far, even for the meritocratic Solminati Academy, and I was dropped to the lowest class, but even then, I couldn't bring myself to admit that weakness.

 

But what was this? At first, I was just as irritated with Tima as I was with the others, but now, just the word "thank you" she had said made the uncontrollable irritation inside me disappear as if it were a lie.

 

Not only that, but somehow…………………

 

I glanced sideways at the girl walking next to me, trying not to let her notice. Her bangs, which had been hanging down and hiding her face until just now, were no longer covering it, and she was exposing her bare face to the sunlight.

A small face with large eyes, a well-defined profile, and a white nape visible from under her neatly trimmed shoulder-length hair.

The lightning-like shock that had run through my whole body just now was gone, but now a "thump, thump" beat echoed in my ears. I didn't know why, but my heart seemed to be beating faster and hotter than usual.

 

(W-what the hell is this...?)

 

"B-by the way, do you have any siblings?"

 

I continued to be overwhelmed by emotions I didn't understand and, trying to do something about it, spoke to her as if making it up on the spot. I just wanted to somehow deceive this unfamiliar feeling by doing something.

 

"Y-yes, I have one younger brother..."

 

Tima went along with my random, uninteresting story. Somehow, she also seemed strange. Her face was unusually red, and her movements were even more jerky than usual. She looked like a poorly made golem.

 

"I-is that so."

 

Speaking of which, I was strange too. No voice came out, my legs were heavy, and my heart wouldn't stop (well, if it stopped, I'd die), but everything was just weird.

We walked towards the main street with strange movements, but in the end, my heart wouldn't calm down.

 

***

 

The main street of the commercial district. This road led directly from the outskirts of Arcazam to near Solminati Academy in the center, and it was one of the busiest streets in the commercial district with many shops lining it.

 

Two girls, Somia and Ena, were walking side by side along this main street when many shopkeepers called out to them. Both Somia and Ena had looks that could be called beautiful, but it was mainly Ena they spoke to.

 

"Hey, Ena-chan. Are you off today? Eat this and cheer up." "Ena-chan. I have some good meat, why don't you take some?" "Yo, Ena. Thanks for keeping an eye on Mars. Here, take this, and please continue to look after him!"

 

The people who spoke to them gave them various things, and before they knew it, the two girls' small arms were full of souvenirs.

 

"Wow~~~. This is amazing. To receive so much..."

 

"Well, my brother always goes on rampages, and I've been stopping him, and I've been helping out at various shops, so it just happened..."

 

As for helping out, in her case, her role as a stopper for the rampaging Mars was also significant. As one of the few people who could stop her older brother Mars, Ena was relied upon by the people in the commercial district.

 

"But was Mars-san really that violent? He seemed difficult, but I thought he was a kind person at heart..."

 

"Well, Somia-chan hasn't seen my brother go on a rampage... We've been seeing him since we were little, and he's been picking fights with all sorts of people everywhere. I wonder why he became such a ruffian... I hope he hasn't done anything terrible to Tima-san."

 

Knowing Mars's past behavior, Ena was worried about Tima, who was with him, but Somia wasn't too worried.

 

"But I don't think he'll do anything that terrible now. He seemed to care about Tima-san in his own way."

 

"That's true, but…………"

 

Ena had noticed that Mars cared about Tima, but she still couldn't shake off her unease.

 

At that moment, a wave of people rushed towards them with a loud shout. The two hurriedly took refuge on the side of the road.

 

"W-what is it!!"

"W-waaaaaaaah!"

 

The rushing people fled as if they were rats who had foreseen a major earthquake, each trying to get away first.

 

"Sorry, move aside!!" "Kyaaaaaaaa!" "Ah! My shop!!"

 

Sweeping up the stalls, goods, livestock, and even the packhorses on the road, the human tsunami ravaged the main street.

Before they knew it, no one was on the main street, and not a single open shop or stall remained.

 

***

 

Mars and Tima had reached the main street while passing through the complicated side streets like a spider's web in the commercial district.

As it was the commercial center of the town, lively shops and stalls lined the streets. The bustle was such that even Tima, who had lived in this town for several years, felt somewhat overwhelmed.

 

"It's amazing after all…………"

 

"For now, let's go back to Ox Head Inn via the main street. If we're lucky, we might meet up with Nozomu and the others along the way. Besides, Irisdina and the others stand out. Someone might have seen them."

 

As Mars took a step forward, he made eye contact with a shopkeeper in a nearby store.

 

"M-Mars………… S-sorry. We're closing for today!!"

 

The shopkeeper who made eye contact with Mars suddenly said they were closing and began to shut the store. Hearing that, other shops also hurriedly began to close one after another.

 

"Sorry! We've run out of goods for today, so we're closing!!"

 

The old woman at the general store began to close even though there were still many goods on the shelves.

 

"W-woah, there's a hole in the bottom of this pot! Who would buy such a defective product!!! So, we're closing!"

 

The blacksmith's old man, who seemed to have found a hole in a pot that didn't look like it had one at all, retreated into the back of the shop.

 

"O-ouch! My stomach hurts! Looks like I sold some rotten goods... so we'll be closed for a while!!"

 

The butcher, uttering words that would likely cast a shadow over his future business, disappeared from the shop at a speed that didn't seem like someone who was sick.

 

The strange behavior in the surroundings wasn't limited to the shopkeepers...

 

"Ah! I just remembered something! I have to hurry home!!" "T-that's right! It's my sister's wedding today! I have to hurry home!!" "Come to think of it, I have a date right now!" "I have a bad feeling about my grandma! I have to go home!!"

 

The customers who had been diligently shopping at various stores until just now suddenly began to flee as if their lives depended on it. Tima was completely dumbfounded by the sight. People disappeared from in front of them as if the tide was receding. The only difference from the crashing waves was that the people who disappeared wouldn't be coming back.

 

Mars walked towards one of the shops.

 

"Awaawaawa! I-I have to hurry... oh no!" *CRASH!!*

 

Perhaps he was taking too long to close the shop, as the shopkeeper hurriedly tried to put away the goods but ended up knocking them over. He frantically tried to put them back, but by then, Mars was already right in front of the shopkeeper.

 

"...Hey," "A-aaaaah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!! Please don't break my shop!!" "...Listen to what people are saying..."

 

The shopkeeper pleaded loudly, interrupting Mars's words. Mars was completely taken aback by his desperation.

Just then, a clear voice spoke to them.

 

"What are you doing, big brother?"

"Huh? The shops suddenly closed, but what happened?"

 

It was Ena and Somia who had arrived. For some reason, the two of them were carrying their arms full of sweets and food. The shopkeeper, seeing Ena's figure, looked like he had seen a savior. It was a far cry from the desperate look he had just had.

 

"…………Big brother. Did you do something again?!"

 

"Haaah... I didn't do anything... I was just going to ask if they saw you guys who got separated..."

 

Ena, looking back and forth between Mars and the shopkeeper, thought that Mars had done something again and began to question him, but Mars's reaction was indifferent. Usually, he would snap back, but today he was strangely docile and obedient.

 

Ena looked at Mars with a suspicious face, finding him too strange.

 

(Somehow, big brother seems different than usual.)

 

"…………What's wrong, big brother? You seem strange?"

 

"Is it that strange that I'm answering honestly...?"

 

Even his own younger sister called him strange, and Mars, finally feeling defeated, dropped his shoulders heavily.

 

"Considering what you've done until now, the townspeople's behavior is only natural. How many shops do you think you've rampaged through and destroyed?"

 

"……………………"

 

Mars couldn't say anything to Ena's words.

 

"………………It's not like I intend to do anything..."

 

Mars muttered with a hint of melancholy. For him, the irritation in his chest had disappeared, and he was now facing this treatment in a calm state. Honestly, he was belatedly feeling the weight of his past actions and was depressed.

 

"…………But for big brother to be this obedient..."

 

Ena muttered, making sure no one around could hear. Her gaze was directed at Tima, who was looking at them worriedly, and Somia, who was standing behind her with her chest puffed out, as if saying, "How about that!"

 

"Hmm, what is it?"

 

"N-nothing, it's just... it's almost dinner time, and I have to help at the shop..."

 

Mars looked at Ena with a suspicious face, but Ena shook her head and said it was almost time. Indeed, the sky was turning red, and the wind was gradually getting colder.

 

"That's right... but Nozomu and Irisdina are still—" "Ah, Onee-sama!!" "W-wait a minute! Somia-chan!!" "...Looks like they found them over there too."

 

When Mars looked in the direction of Somia's gaze, who was waving her hand wildly, he saw Nozomu and Irisdina walking towards them from across the main street.

 

Mars dropped his shoulders as if to say, "Oh well," and sighed. Then, his eyes met Tima's, who was smiling at Somia. Tima's eyes met Mars's, and she looked away for a moment, but then she looked back and smiled at him again. A natural smile appeared on Mars's face as well.

Somia, who had started running towards her sister, and Ena, who was chasing after her, Mars and Tima looked at each other once more, and then, smiling at each other again, they started chasing after the two girls.

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