Volume 5
Chapter 8
Nozomu and the others spent the afternoon of a holiday relaxing at the Ox Head Inn after training in the outskirts during the morning. They hadn't originally planned to train, but a few days ago, Feo's duel incident had prevented them from getting enough training, so they gathered again for training today.
Ena, however, wasn't
with them. When there were no customers in the shop, she would join Nozomu and
his group, but the Ox Head Inn was full of people having late lunches even in
the early afternoon, and the hardworking Ena was still busy with her serving
duties.
Mars had tried to
help, but Ena told him, "You've been training, so rest properly
first," so he was resting now.
"Even so, things
were a mess the other day, Nozomu."
"Hahaha… I guess
so. I'd been feeling a strange gaze for a while, and I was curious about his
objective, but for the reason to be purely out of curiosity and for him to
cause such a commotion just for that…"
Nozomu replied to Mars's
words with a dry laugh.
"Indeed, the
Fox-tailed tribe is known for being quite whimsical, but this is the first time
I've seen Feo so lively."
"It can't be
helped, can it? He's the type who won't be satisfied until he thoroughly
investigates anything that piques his interest."
Tom, who was in the
same class as Feo, reiterated the difference between Feo's usual self and when
he initiated the duel with Nozomu.
Feo, who was nearby,
scratched his head, maintaining the suspicious smile he always wore.
"But I think it's
inappropriate to just suddenly attack. If you wanted to know about Nozomu, you
should have talked to him properly and become friends first."
"Well, I guess I
was a bit too eager myself… but being told that hurts a little."
However, he probably
felt a bit regretful. At Irisdina's sharp words, Feo looked a little awkward
and averted his gaze.
"…By the way,
Feo, I wanted to ask you something."
"Hm? What is
it?"
Shina opened her mouth
as if remembering something, and Feo looked at her, wondering what it was
about.
"…Why are you
here?"
"…………"
"…………"
The air froze for a
moment.
As far as Nozomu could
recall, Feo hadn't been at the morning training.
Yet, he was somehow
sitting next to Nozomu's group.
"…Come to think
of it, I didn't feel anything out of place, but why are you here?"
"Eh? Why can't I
be here?"
"Why, you
ask…"
Shina questioned why
he was there, but she was stumped when he countered her question.
"Well, it's fine,
isn't it? I've already properly received my punishment."
"…I don't think
that's something you should say yourself…"
"Well, I guess
it's fine. It's certainly questionable for him to say it himself, though…"
Feo was saying overly
optimistic things, but Nozomu agreed to his presence since there was no
particular reason to refuse.
The other members also
looked exasperated but didn't seem to harbor any ill will. This was probably
also due to his personality.
He often caused
commotions, but Feo was fundamentally without malice or ill intent. He was pure
like a child, making him hard to grasp, but also strangely, people just
couldn't bring themselves to hate him.
"Speaking of
which, changing the subject, it's almost time for the 'Special Comprehensive
Training' again."
"Oh, that's
right. So that's why the classroom has been strangely tense lately."
"Special
Comprehensive Training" was an abbreviation for "Special
Comprehensive Training Class," a special class held during this period.
Students from various
tiers usually attended separate classes, but for this class, the tier divisions
didn't matter; all students of a single grade gathered together.
This training was held
over two days, and each student formed a party, earning points by completing
various tasks within a designated training area.
On the first day,
parties were formed within the same tier to tackle their respective tasks, and
from the second day, parties could be formed freely regardless of tier.
The tasks varied
widely, from escorting designated items or individuals, to defeating specific
training targets, and discovering and securing designated items.
However, what was even
more notable about this training was that interference from other parties was
also allowed.
For escort tasks, points
were awarded to parties that successfully interfered with the escort. For
defeating specific training targets or discovering designated items, it was
basically first-come, first-served.
Naturally, battles
between parties would unfold everywhere, but if a party was defeated and
incapacitated, all points earned until then would be lost.
Moreover, the points
ultimately held would be reflected directly as their grade for this class, so
everyone fought desperately to defend their acquired points.
"…I thought the
notification came a while ago?"
"No~~. I was so
preoccupied with Nozomu that I completely forgot."
Feo chuckled,
scratching his head, trying to play it off.
Forgetting a class
that directly affected one's grades would normally be unthinkable, but in this
man's case, his gaze was always fixed on whatever piqued his interest, and the
members present, who had personally experienced this, could only sigh in
unison.
"…So that means
on the first day, we'll be enemies with Nozomu, too?"
"That's right.
Parties on the first day are formed within the same tier, so the people here
will inevitably be divided into three groups."
The gazes of the two
maidens turned to Nozomu.
From their gaze,
Nozomu felt an intimidating aura that was unimaginable from their delicate
appearance, and his back naturally straightened.
They were indeed
worthy of being called flowers, but they were still Solminati students and were
gradually beginning to exude the presence of first-class warriors.
"…Please go easy
on me."
"No, I'm going
all out. I can't afford to be careless against you."
"That's right.
Opportunities like this are rare, so I'll give it my all."
"Ah,
ahahaha…………"
Nozomu spoke somewhat
reservedly to them, who were overflowing with motivation and making declarations
that could be taken as declarations of war. However, he couldn't appease
Irisdina and the others and was completely overwhelmed by their intensity, only
able to let out a dry laugh.
The two of them were,
in a way, giving Nozomu heated glances, but Irisdina suddenly spoke to Nozomu
as if she had remembered something.
"Nozomu, the
first day is fine, but what about the second day?"
"Eh?"
"Y-yeah, the
second day. There are no restrictions on forming parties on the second day,
and…"
Indeed, on the second
day, the restrictions on party members by tier would be lifted.
However, Nozomu had a
narrow social circle, so he had intended to ask Mars first for the second day
as well.
"U-um. If it's
alright, together…"
"Ah!!"
Irisdina called out to
Nozomu, trying to invite him. Shina let out a startled sound when she heard
that, but Irisdina tried to continue speaking regardless.
"Hey Nozomu, why
don't you team up with me?!"
"Team up...
huh?"
However, the moment
Irisdina was about to deliver her words with determination, her voice was
suddenly drowned out by Feo's loud voice from the side.
Shina, who had been
beaten to the punch by the two, and Irisdina, who had been trying to beat them
to the punch, were both taken aback by the sudden interruption and stood
dumbfounded.
"Eh? With
Feo?"
"That's right! I
heard you've done various things with those two, so why don't you team up with
me this time? I can do a lot, despite how I look, and judging from your
movements during the duel the other day, I think our compatibility isn't
bad!?"
"Well, um, I
guess it's fine, but…"
Nozomu hesitantly
agreed. Indeed, there were no particular restrictions on party size, and he
knew that Feo's abilities were reliable enough, so he didn't object to Feo
joining.
However, tremendous
pressure, like that of a dragon, was being unleashed from the side.
Nozomu felt cold sweat
trickling down his back, but as for Feo himself, who was the cause of that
pressure being directed at Nozomu…
"Alright! It's
settled then. So, for the second day, I look forward to it... Hm? What's wrong
with you two, why are you looking so scary?"
At that point, Feo
finally noticed Shina and Irisdina looking at him.
"…………Nothing,
really."
"Yeah… Nothing at
all."
"Hm, is that so?
Then! Nozomu, see you at the academy~~"
Perhaps oblivious to
their pressure, or perhaps intentionally ignoring it, Feo just said what he
wanted to say and quickly left the shop. His manner of leaving after causing
such a commotion was exactly like a tornado or a storm, but Nozomu was the one
who bore the brunt of it.
"Um… you two,
what's wrong?"
"…What do you
mean?"
"Yeah, it's
nothing so you don't need to worry about it."
"Um…"
Nozomu flinched under
their absolute zero gaze.
He desperately tried
to say something to alleviate the atmosphere, summoning courage that threatened
to abandon him.
"U-um… you two.
If it's alright, would you join our party on the second day?"
"We're not
needed, are we? Wasn't it great that someone reliable joined?"
"…………"
The black-haired
maiden rejected Nozomu's request with a single word. That overly critical
mental attack crushed Nozomu's heart, which had been barely enduring, like a
mayfly. Having sharply rejected, Nozomu slumped his shoulders and buried his
face in the table.
Shina also seemed
displeased inside, as she glared at Nozomu with cold eyes, just like her old
self.
From his perspective,
there was no limit to the number of party members, so he didn't mind Feo
joining. But it seemed they didn't feel that way.
"Haaah… Nozomu-san,
what are you doing…?"
Somia let out a
bewildered voice at the pathetic Nozomu.
Nozomu also looked at
Shina. Judging by her earlier attitude, he had expected to be rejected, but…
"…Sure."
"…Eh!?"
"…Huh!?"
Nozomu and Irisdina
were surprised by Shina's words.
From her previous
attitude, both Nozomu and Irisdina had expected her to also reject Nozomu's
invitation.
"I said I will
join the party. I think I can entrust the vanguard to you… What? If you have a
problem with it, then you can forget it."
Nozomu frantically
shook his head at Shina's words.
"Alright, then
it's settled."
"…………"
Shina's expression
softened, perhaps pleased by Nozomu's acceptance, but in contrast, Irisdina's
gaze towards Nozomu was as cold as an arctic cold front.
"…Haaah."
Somia, who had been
watching them from the side, was exasperated by the helpless two and could only
sigh.
At that moment, Mars
suddenly stood up.
"…My bad, I just
remembered something I had to do. Ena, I'm heading out for a bit. I'll be back
around dinner to help with the shop…"
"Ah! Whoa,
Onii-chan!?"
Mars said only that,
then left the shop without another word.
He left the shop with
a somewhat troubled expression, saying nothing to Ena who called out to him.
"…What's wrong
with him?"
"Who knows?"
"…Oh. S-sorry
everyone, I just remembered something I had to do too…"
As Nozomu and the
others tilted their heads, Tima also left the shop in a hurry, as if she had
suddenly remembered something.
"Wh-what's wrong?
Even Tima-san…"
"…Well, it'll probably
be alright. She probably forgot something at the academy yesterday and went to
get it."
While everyone was
tilting their heads, only Irisdina and Hanna, who had been working behind the
counter and eavesdropping, nodded with understanding expressions.
After that, they
quickly dispersed, but Irisdina remained cold towards Nozomu the entire time.
***
I parted ways with
Nozomu and the others and headed to the outskirts, where we had all trained
during the day.
As soon as I arrived
at the outskirts, I immediately drew the greatsword from my back, practiced my
swings, and began to warm up my body, which had grown cold.
"Hmph! Hah!
Zeah!!"
I swung it down
directly from overhead, then reversed it into a horizontal sweep, and with that
momentum, turned back to the front again and raised the greatsword.
As I continued to
swing the sword, its speed gradually increased, and I moved my body nimbly in
sync with it.
Every time I swung my
sword, the air roared with a "whoosh! whoosh!" sound, and the torn,
churned air brushed my hair.
The sun, still high in
the sky, shone relentlessly despite it being spring, and I continued to swing
my sword with all my might.
The sword wind, which
had only caressed my hair before, gradually grew stronger, eventually
generating a wind almost equivalent to a gale.
Eventually, that sword
wind blew away the sweat on my forehead and pushed down the grass growing on
the ground with only its sword pressure.
"Hah! Hah!
Hah…"
I didn't know how long
I had continued to swing my sword, but eventually, I became out of breath, and
my sword speed gradually decreased.
I raised my sword high
one more time and swung it down vertically, but the moment the sword was about
to hit the ground, I mobilized all the muscles in my body to stop the falling
sword.
The descending sword
stopped its movement the moment it was about to hit the ground. Instead, only
the wind from the sword pressure kicked up dust, crawling across the ground.
"Hah, hah, hah…
Phew~~"
I regulated my
breathing in the stance of having swung my sword down, then once again took a
guard stance with my sword ready.
I slowly channeled Ki
into my greatsword, and at the same time, unleashed magic power.
Ki and magic power.
Feeling two disparate powers simultaneously, I first deployed the Ki Technique
"Dust Wind Blade." The wind generated by the Ki began to swirl around
my greatsword like a vortex, eventually enveloping the greatsword in a blade of
wind.
Next, I imbued magic
power into my greatsword, passing it through the center of the wind vortex, and
simultaneously chanted an enhancement spell. I applied the enhancement spell to
the greatsword's blade.
The greatsword
gradually began to glow with the magic power imbued in its blade, but after a
while of imbuing magic power, the wind of Dust Wind Blade began to sway
erratically.
"Kuh!"
I immediately tried to
regain control of the unstable Ki Technique by channeling Ki, but this time,
the magic power imbued in the blade fluctuated, and the magic became unstable.
"Damn it!!
…Whoa!!"
I frantically tried to
channel magic power, but it was already too late. The enhancement magic I had
applied dissipated, and the scattered magic power in the air interfered with
Dust Wind Blade.
The unstable Ki
Technique could no longer maintain its form, and the wind blade scattered
around. It indiscriminately cut down the surrounding plants and inscribed
lacerations on my body.
"Guh!!"
I suppressed the pain
running through my body while enduring it.
The lacerations themselves
weren't deep, and there was hardly any bleeding, but more than the wounds,
frustration and impatience began to rear their heads deep in my heart.
"Damn it!"
It wasn't working.
In the first place,
the idea of using Ki Technique and magic simultaneously came to me after
meeting Nozomu and Irisdina and the others.
Until then, even if
there was an enemy who used magic, I thought I just needed to cut them down
before they could use magic, and I believed that my Ki capacity was sufficient
to deal with magic.
But after meeting
them, and encountering enemies I couldn't even touch on my own, I came to
realize, from personal experience, the existence of beings far superior to
myself.
And in order to become
even stronger, I racked my brain and came up with the idea of using magic.
I thought that if it
worked, I would be able to consider the magic power I had hardly used until now
as a viable fighting force. Not only would I obtain the "my own
sword" I had longed for, but I would also gain more ways to fight in every
sense.
However, the
dual-wielding technique of Ki and magic that I had devised showed no signs of
improving at all, and only impatience continued to accelerate within me.
No matter how
desperately I struggled to keep up with that guy running before me, I just kept
sinking deeper and deeper, as if I had fallen into a bottomless swamp.
"!! Again!!"
Biting my teeth
tightly in frustration, I once again resolved myself and stood up. Without even
treating my injuries, I readied my sword and tried to use the technique, but
then a voice I had been hearing often lately reached my ears.
"Hah, hah.
Mars-kun… So you were here after all…"
"You…"
It was Tima, who
should have been at the shop with Nozomu and the others.
Perhaps because she
had been running, her face was slightly flushed, and she was pressing her hand
to her chest, trying to regulate her ragged breathing.
My heart gave a loud
thump at the sight of her.
"…Why did you
come here?"
"Ah…"
Somehow, I felt
embarrassed to look at her, so I averted my gaze and asked her in a blunt tone,
almost like an interrogation.
A slightly lonely
sound escaped Tima's lips, and hearing it, my chest also ached.
"Well… Mars-kun,
I thought you might be practicing that technique again, so I thought I might be
able to help…"
"There's no need
for you to do anything like that…"
I felt embarrassed by
her concern, but at the same time, I also felt a sense of joy.
However, I, who was
struggling with my training, lashed out my frustration at Tima, giving her
words that pushed her away.
It was by no means an
attitude to show to someone who was worried about you.
"B-but, you need
treatment, don't you? Mars-kun, you're injured…"
"…Tch."
Despite my attitude,
Tima, though trembling, didn't stop worrying about me.
Her gaze was directed
at the wounds caused by the failed technique earlier, and she looked as if she
had sustained the injuries herself.
Defeated by her, I
clicked my tongue and casually offered my injured arm to Tima.
"Just a moment,
okay?"
Perhaps reassured that
I was willing to receive treatment obediently, Tima, though her expression was
still stiff, began chanting a healing spell with a slightly softened face.
Light overflowed from
Tima's raised hand and enveloped my body. The stinging pain from the wounds I
had felt just now disappeared, and the wounds gradually began to close.
I was impressed by her
skill. Although she was said to have difficulty controlling her magic power,
her skill was far superior to mine.
"…You're good at
it."
"N-not really!
I'm nowhere near Ai..."
She said "Not
really" in a flustered manner. Perhaps Tima's original control ability
wasn't as bad as she thought it was.
"…Hey Mars-kun.
Why are you in such a hurry…? I don't understand…"
"…………"
"I still think
you're rushing things a bit too much, you know? Don't you think it would be
better to train a little slower?"
Tima spoke her opinion
modestly.
It wasn't that I
didn't understand what she was saying. I myself couldn't properly control the
crucial technique that combined Ki and magic, and its success rate was only
about 10%. It was truly rare that it succeeded in the mock battle the other
day.
"…………"
I knew Tima would say
this.
Tima, whose control
was difficult due to the immense magic power residing in her body since birth.
I didn't know what had
happened to her, but seeing her timidness towards those around her despite
possessing power, I, as foolish as I am, could somehow infer that she had been
suffering from her own power.
"…The treatment's
done, right? Then step back. One more time."
"Mars-kun…"
However, the
impatience swirling in my heart easily overruled that judgment of "it's
too early," and I once again readied my sword to train.
A slight pain pricked
deep in my chest, but driven by a feeling akin to a craving to "catch up
to him" and impatience, I could no longer hear Tima's words.
***
The administrative
district of Arcazam.
In the Francilt
mansion built here, Irisdina, the lady of this mansion, and her younger sister,
Somiliana, were having dinner, but their demeanor was different from usual.
Her posture was
straight, and she gracefully ate the artistic dishes of the first-class chef
spread before her, exuding the elegance that only chosen individuals possessed.
However, a somewhat tense atmosphere hung in the dining room where they were
eating, and the maids attending them also had stiff expressions, perhaps
affected by the atmosphere.
The person creating
such a stifling atmosphere was Irisdina Francilt, the mistress of this mansion.
"…………"
I silently moved the
knife and fork in my hands.
Normally, I would talk
to Somia about what happened at Ekros or what happened at Solminati, and on
holidays, we would each talk about what fun things we did and enjoy our meals.
But ever since the incident at the Ox Head Inn today, I have been irritated.
However, though young,
I was the next head of the Francilt family. As someone bearing that
responsibility, I would not display my emotions wantonly and expose myself in
an unsightly manner.
Yes, I was repeating
that to myself in my mind, but…
"Hey, Onee-sama.
Did you want to team up with Nozomu-san that badly?"
"Pfft!!"
Somia's single remark
made me choke, and I suddenly made a disgraceful display of myself.
"So-Somia. What
are you suddenly…"
"Because
Onee-sama, you've been in a bad mood ever since that time. Like this."
Saying that, Somia
pinched the corners of her eyes with her index finger, pulling them up.
"Somia, that's
rude. You're also a Francilt…"
"Onee-sama, don't
run away."
I tried to admonish
Somia for her rudeness, but Somia stared intently into my eyes, and I was at a
loss for words.
Since childhood, I had
been weak against Somia's direct gaze. My protective instincts were aroused by
my sister's appearance, as if saying, "Protect me," and I almost
ended up obeying her.
Still, I tried to make
excuses, avoiding Somia's gaze, not wanting to make a disgraceful display of
myself.
"What are you
saying? I'm not in a bad mood at all…"
"You are in a bad
mood. Because ever since you came home today, everyone has been scared of
you."
Somia quickly blocked
my escape route.
Indeed, the maids in
the mansion had been strangely scared after seeing me since I came home, and
some of them were desperately trying to suppress little yelps of
"Ah!"
It stung my heart to
have that fact thrown at me by my sister, especially since I had deliberately
tried not to think about it.
"Well, I know
Nozomu-san is a bit insensitive, but don't you think you were a little too
cold?"
"Muu…"
"And on top of
that, Nozomu-san went to the trouble of inviting you to his party, wasn't it
bad to refuse? How do you intend to be in the same party with him?"
"Guuugh…"
Regardless of the
cause, it would indeed be difficult to be in the same party with him if things
remained like this. Since I had so clearly refused, he might already be
thinking of forming a party with someone else.
I suddenly realized
the truth I had deliberately tried not to notice until now, and I could only
groan.
"…Haaah, you
should just apologize honestly. Or is there still something bothering
you?"
"That is…"
My anxiety and
dissatisfaction regarding Nozomu.
The anxiety I felt
when I sensed the bond that once existed between Nozomu and Lisa-kun, and my
dissatisfaction about him hiding things about himself.
And my dissatisfaction
with myself for not being able to step in.
How wonderful would it
have been if I could have just asked Nozomu directly?
I want you to tell me
about yourself.
Would it have been
that easy if I could have just conveyed those words directly to him?
If so, I would have
been able to know more about him.
Yet, there was still a
part of me that hesitated to step in.
My previous
conversation with Norn-sensei in the infirmary had somewhat alleviated it, but
it was still smoldering in my heart, not having disappeared.
Perhaps the darkness
deep within my heart surfaced and showed its face when I snapped at Nozomu at
the Ox Head Inn today.
"So what are you
going to do, Onee-sama? Are you going to ask Nozomu-san?"
"That is…"
The embers that had
been sleeping deep in my chest began to burn again, dyeing my heart with impatience.
Unable to answer
Somia's question, I could only continue to endlessly ask myself unanswered
questions.
***
In a certain room in
the girls' dormitory, two girls who had changed into their nightwear were
enjoying a chat on the bed.
"Hey Shina. What
do you think of him?"
"Who? Him?"
"Nozomu-kun. You
seem to care about him, don't you?!"
Mimuru let out a
slightly eerie chuckle.
I felt a bad
premonition, as if she had taken the head of an ogre, but I reconsidered
Nozomu-kun.
At first, I had believed
the rumors about him, so my feelings towards him were the worst, but that
greatly changed after the black magical beast incident.
His outstanding katana
skills, Ki control, and calm judgment.
Especially his Ki
techniques were capable of cutting through the flexible and tough hide of that
black magical beast.
Considering that
Mimuru couldn't even scratch its hide without Tom's help, and my arrows only
pierced the surface but couldn't penetrate, wasn't the sharpness of his
technique beyond the realm of us students?
And then, even though
I had believed the rumors and said such terrible things to him, he came to my
aid when I acted alone.
Considering that, I
understood that he was a person with enough ability to be fully trusted, and
also a trustworthy person in terms of personality.
"At first, I
certainly didn't think well of him, but it's different now. I know that his
abilities and personality are completely different from those rumors, and I
think I can trust him with my back..."
That's why I decided to
form a party with him in the special comprehensive training.
There were no problems
with his ability or personality, and above all, I had hardly ever teamed up
with anyone other than Mimuru and Tom.
In the future, when I
reclaim my homeland, I will likely need to borrow the strength of various
people, and I myself need to gain more experience.
What came to my mind
then was Nozomu-kun's figure when we first encountered the black magical beast
in that forest, moving more swiftly and accurately than anyone else.
My own position in
combat was more of a rear-guard.
If I could see the
battlefield more broadly and send more accurate instructions to my comrades, it
would undoubtedly be a great strength for both myself and my comrades.
For that, I wanted to
know how Nozomu-kun was able to make such accurate judgments.
"Well, I know
that too. If I fought Nozomu-kun seriously, I'd be in danger too."
Mimuru had helped me
distract the magical beast while I was performing the contract for Spirit Magic
during the battle with the black magical beast. Afterward, she also supported
me when I tried to deliver the finishing blow to the magical beast I had
restrained with Spirit Magic.
Among the three of us
who were there, Mimuru was the closest to him and watched the battle, and she
also understood Nozomu-kun's abilities.
And then, the previous
one-on-one duel with Feo.
I myself had thought
Feo's abilities were high, but the abilities Feo displayed at that time were
undoubtedly at a level sufficient to pass in the 1st tier. Normally, a student
in the 10th tier would be defeated in a single blow.
However, Nozomu-kun
fought well against Feo.
Considering that, I
fully understood that his actual abilities were certainly on par with the 1st
tier... no, in terms of swordsmanship and judgment, he surpassed them.
"Yeah, if I were
to fight Nozomu-kun head-on in close combat, I might even be played with if I'm
not careful. The most certain way is to use Beast Transformation and overwhelm
him instantly, or to finish him off with magic from long range... wait, that's
not what I want to ask! I don't want to ask about Nozomu-kun's abilities right
now, but about Shina's feelings!?"
"…What do you
mean?"
Honestly, I didn't
understand what Mimuru wanted to ask.
"In other words!
Are you saying you don't have romantic feelings for Nozomu-kun!?"
Romantic feelings...
"…I wonder?"
"Huh? That's a
more indifferent reaction than I expected."
"…What on earth
was Mimuru expecting?"
Mimuru tilted her
head, perhaps because my reaction was different from what she expected.
Honestly, I was the
one who was tilting my head...
"That's just how
it is. His face won't leave your mind! Or your chest aches so much you can't
sleep at night! Isn't that it? You were even in a bad mood during the day
because Feo beat you to inviting Nozomu-kun, weren't you?"
"That is…"
Remembering what
happened during the day, I felt a little embarrassed, averted my gaze from
Mimuru, and looked away.
"…Honestly, I'm
not sure how I feel. I haven't had any experience with that kind of
thing."
At that time, I
certainly felt frustrated, but even if I was asked how I felt about him, I
didn't know myself.
I certainly felt the
same friendship towards him as I did towards Mimuru and Tom.
But until now, I had
only thought about revenge and reclaiming my homeland, so I was ignorant of
topics like love and romance, and I didn't really understand how I felt.
"…Hmm. Was it a
bit too early to ask? Elves live long lives, so they're pretty laid-back about
that kind of thing."
"…Is that
so?"
"Yeah. Basically,
because they live long, they don't seem to rush things much. It's a different
story if it's someone they're truly committed to, but... why don't you, an Elf,
know that, Shina?"
"I told you, I
had no experience with it. Besides, if I were to do something like that, it
would have been better to train..."
It couldn't be helped,
could it? I had never thought about such things until now.
Certainly, I had seen
people from my tribe fall in love and marry, but I had only thought about
becoming strong, and I thought it was more meaningful to train or read books
than to meddle in other people's romances.
"You're a
muscle-head, despite your appearance, huh... Well, I guess that can't be
helped. The way people fall in love is different for everyone, and you never
know where you'll fall in love. Even I never thought I'd like Tom this much
when I first met him..."
"…Speaking of
which, you disliked Tom at first, didn't you? So why did you come to like
him?"
"Hmm, well...
When we first met, I thought Tom was a 'small and clumsy guy.' He wasn't
strong, so he was always bullied by the other boys, and at that time, I was
also among them who bullied Tom for fun~."
Mimuru said this,
looking up at the ceiling of the room as if remembering old times, but her
expression was a little dark.
She seemed to regret
having bullied him, even if it was from her childhood.
"But Tom studied
more and more, and became able to do more and more things. And before I knew
it, I started watching him... "
She slowly recounted
her encounter with Tom, as if not to damage a precious treasure she had hidden
deep in her heart.
"And then, before
I knew it, I was always thinking about Tom, and I couldn't help myself..."
When she talked about
her love story with a precious person, her face was always like that of a
maiden in love, so charming that she seemed like a different person from her
usual cheerful and energetic self.
"And then, just
before coming to this academy, Tom confessed to me... I think that's when I
realized I liked Tom. And then we started dating."
Saying that, she
turned to me, and her eyes sparkled more than ever, wearing the face of a
"woman," not just a girl.
"I see…"
"Yeah! I think
you'll understand if you ever fall in love, Shina. The feeling of wanting to be
by that person's side always, wanting to be desired by that person."
"…………"
"Well, but this
is just how I feel, and how I fall in love. You should fall in love in your own
way, Shina."
"…Is falling in
love a prerequisite?"
"Hm? It's not
necessarily limited to love, is it? I think Feo fought because he wanted to
know about Nozomu-kun."
"But what about
suddenly attacking someone just because of that? That's like a random attacker,
isn't it? From Nozomu-kun's perspective, the reason for being attacked being
'because I wanted to' is unbearable."
"Well, yeah,
that's true..."
"Anyway, why
don't you calm down a little? The other day, when you met Tom in Central Park,
you jumped at him and injured him, didn't you? I understand you want to be with
him, and I know you were looking forward to it, but you shouldn't injure the other
person because of that, right?"
"H-huh? The
conversations changed direction... Why did it turn into a lecture all of a
sudden?"
I wonder if she's
listening?
Come to think of it,
she probably tends to act on instinct, like "act immediately upon
thinking!" And on top of that, just a little success makes her
overconfident, leading to painful experiences later...
...I need to talk to
her about that.
Both Feo and Mimuru,
as Beastmen, have a tendency to be carried away by their instincts.
It might be fine now,
but later on, they might be exploited and fall into desperate situations.
I don't want my
precious best friend to experience that.
Then I should talk to
her properly. Mimuru is bad at listening to things that don't interest her, but
if it's for her own good, I should steel my heart and explain it to her
thoroughly.
In the end, the
lecture continued for three hours, and Mimuru was released after midnight.
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