Volume 6
Chapter 16
"Mm..."
Nozomu's consciousness
slowly came to the surface. What was vaguely reflected in his eyes was not the infirmary,
which he had been seeing often recently, but the ceiling of a room he didn't recognize,
with dirty wood grain standing out.
"Where is this...
a hospital, maybe?"
The smell of
disinfectant was pungent. In the corner of the room was a cart with a
disinfectant, tweezers, and other equipment on it. It seemed Nozomu had been
taken to a hospital room at some point.
"Is it...
night?"
Outside the window, he
could see the sleeping townscape of Arcazam. And the light of the stars
twinkling in the sky was illuminating the small room from behind the window.
"No...
zomu?"
How long had she been
there? As if guided by a small, whispering voice, Nozomu looked toward the
entrance of the room, and there stood Irisdina, holding a bucket of water. The
moonlight streaming in from the corridor window was illuminating her already
beautiful figure, making her look even more ethereal and alluring.
"G-good morning.
It's a nice day... even though it's, you know, night."
"............"
Nozomu's heart thumped
at her alluring appearance. But the words that came out of his mouth in
response to his pounding heart were just an attempt to save face.
"A-anyway, when
did it get so late...? I still had afternoon classes, but I guess I missed
them~."
"............"
Nozomu scratched his
head in embarrassment, unable to fill the silence. Irisdina, on the other hand,
was silently staring at Nozomu. Irisdina, who was frozen without moving a
muscle, had a composed, expressionless face that, combined with her dignified
aura, made her look strangely intimidating.
"...So,
Irisdina-san, why are you being so quiet?"
For some reason,
Nozomu was using polite language. Irisdina, who had been looking dazed, now had
a look that was so sharp it felt like a tense anger was building up. When
Nozomu timidly looked at her, feeling pressured by the unusual atmosphere,
Irisdina suddenly grabbed the towel from the bucket and threw it at him.
"Whoa!"
Nozomu let out a
surprised voice at the sudden event. Just as he was startled by the towel that
flew past his eyes, Irisdina appeared in the corner of his vision, now swinging
a bottle of disinfectant she'd grabbed.
"Wait! Iris!
What's wrong?!"
"Shut up! How can
you say 'good morning' when you don't even know how I feel?!"
The bottle of
disinfectant flew past Nozomu's head, who had his hands wrapped around his
head. The bottle hit the wall with a loud crash, and a pungent, stimulating
smell filled the room. Irisdina, who was angry for some reason, was throwing
whatever she could get her hands on at Nozomu, without caring about his
flustered state.
"That's
dangerous! It's gonna hit me, it's gonna hit me!"
What came flying next
were small items like gauze, tweezers, and bandages. Nozomu, who couldn't move
from the bed, could only cower. At that moment, a savior's face appeared from
behind Irisdina.
"Oh, Nozomu-kun,
you're awake."
"Norn-sensei,
please stop Iris!"
Nozomu's face lit up
as if a saving grace had appeared. Norn-sensei looked at Irisdina, who was
still throwing things, and at Nozomu, who was flustered by her, and for some
reason let out a big sigh.
"Well... I'm
going to go call everyone, so just wait a little while."
"Wait,
Norn-sensei?!"
Nozomu's eyes widened
at Norn, who was suddenly about to leave the room with a look of exasperation.
Nozomu reached out his hand as if to say, "Please wait," but Norn
just disappeared down the corridor without a care.
"At least stop
Iris!"
Nozomu let out a
pained voice. The next moment, what he saw was the water bucket that Irisdina
had been holding, with its contents splashing out, coming toward him.
***
A while later, Nozomu
was sitting in his bed, dripping wet, surrounded by his friends. His appearance
was nothing like a person who was hospitalized, and all his friends were
speechless.
"Um, why am I
here? And..."
In the room filled
with a subtle atmosphere, the first to speak was Nozomu, who was soaked and had
no idea what was going on. He looked at Irisdina, who was still looking sullen,
but she noticed his gaze and turned her head away with a huff. He didn't know
why, but she still seemed angry.
"You fainted
during the mock battle with Jihad-sensei. Don't you remember?"
"Hm... Oh, now
that you mention it."
Prompted by Norn's
words, Nozomu began to recall the mock battle. Nozomu's Phantom -Flash- and
Jihad's One Slash had clashed. In the end, Nozomu's Phantom -Flash- was crushed
by Jihad's Jaw Breaker after a momentary stalemate. That was only natural.
Under the Ability Suppression state, the effect of his Ki-based extreme
enhancement would also be diminished. Jihad's Jaw Breaker, which had crushed
Nozomu's attack, then crashed into the ground at Nozomu's feet. Nozomu was sent
flying by the shockwave of the explosion and lost consciousness.
"On top of that,
Jihad-sensei was only using his real sword for the last part of the mock
battle... Seriously, my Master and Jihad-sensei, people in their class are all
ridiculous..."
Even though he
couldn't unleash his full power due to Ability Suppression, Jihad had
unilaterally crushed his best technique. And on top of intentionally miss the
first One Slash, he also possessed an overwhelming amount of Ki and skill to
take his techniques head-on, as well as the political acumen and achievements
to practically run this academy. Nozomu couldn't help but sigh at Jihad's
amazingness all over again.
"...Are you one
to talk?"
Shina and the others
slumped their shoulders at Nozomu. From their point of view, even though Jihad
was holding back and had gone along with Nozomu's specialty, close-quarters
combat, Nozomu’s opponent was a person who was called a hero for his actions
during the great invasion ten years ago. How many people could fight such a
person to that extent while having the handicap of Ability Suppression? The
forced smile on Shina's face told them what her friends were thinking.
Ignoring Shina and the
others, Norn called out to Nozomu.
"Now, Nozomu-kun,
how long do you think you were asleep?"
Nozomu glanced at
Irisdina out of the corner of his eye, but she was still looking grumpy. Nozomu
didn't know why Irisdina was so angry, but he decided to answer Norn's question
for now.
"Um, it's already
night... so about half a day?"
He had looked out the
window and seen that the sun had set and the people were asleep, so he had
thought it was definitely midnight.
"No, to be exact,
it was two and a half days."
"...Huh?"
Nozomu was
dumbfounded, his mouth half-open, at the words Norn added.
"And you have
bruises all over your body, don't you? In fact, you were in a very dangerous
state."
Nozomu looked at his
arm at her words and saw blue bruises all over it. According to Norn, Nozomu,
who had lost consciousness during the mock battle with Jihad in the Martial
Arts Garden, was quite weakened. He had countless shallow cuts all over his
body. On top of that, his body was so weak that the recovery magic had little
effect, and his wounds wouldn't close for a long time.
Nozomu's eyes widened
at how much more serious his injuries were than he had thought, but Norn
continued her explanation regardless.
"The cause was
the excessive use of Ki and the repeated use of extreme body enhancement. The
last sword drawing technique was especially bad."
"The last
one...?"
Nozomu tilted his
head, wondering if she was talking about Phantom -Flash-, and Norn nodded in
reply.
"Um, I understand
the part about being weakened from excessive Ki use, but what about the body
enhancement?"
"Nozomu-kun was
able to be on par with Jihad-sensei's 'One Slash' for a moment. That's
impossible if you think about it normally."
Saying that, Norn took
out a bandage, imbued a part of it with magic power, and then pulled it hard.
The bandage, which should have torn, was able to withstand the pull because
Norn had momentarily increased the magic power.
"It's true that
if you perform an extreme enhancement and link it perfectly with your
movements, you can perform movements that you normally wouldn't be able to withstand
with little power. However, if that harmony is disrupted for even a
moment..."
She then pulled the
bandage hard. The thin bandage reached its limit before it could be given
enough magic power, and it snapped with a "pop!"
"...This is what
happens. The bandage tore, but in Nozomu-kun's case, because his movements were
sluggish due to the extreme consumption of Ki, the harmony between his Ki and
his body's movements was disrupted for a moment, and he hurt himself."
According to
Norn-sensei, in the worst-case scenario, all of his muscles could have been
ruptured, and everything from his bones to his internal organs could have been
a bloody mess.
"That's right,
there's no doubt about that. That technique has that much risk... But for me,
who can't overwhelm my opponents with power, I absolutely need my Master's
techniques when I’m in a pinch."
"I understand.
Considering that power, I can't tell you not to use that technique."
Nozomu, who already
had very few ways to fight. Considering the risk of awakening the Tiamat sealed
within him if he released his Ability Suppression, he needed a "secret
technique" he could use without releasing his Ability Suppression. Norn
also understood that.
Even so, she gave a
sad smile and glanced at Irisdina and the others nearby, then told Nozomu
gently.
"But I want you
to remember that there are people who will be sad if you get hurt. Irisdina-kun
and the others helped me take care of you the whole time you were
weakened."
"Ah..."
When Nozomu heard
those words, he turned to Irisdina with a start. He remembered Irisdina holding
the bucket of water in this room earlier. There was no other reason for her to
bring something like that here than to take care of him. He finally understood
why Irisdina had been so angry.
"Besides, Nozomu,
why did you do something so reckless? Wasn't there any need for you to go that
far?"
"That's right!
You're being too reckless! You could have done something irreversible!"
Mars and Irisdina
closed in on Nozomu, who had finally understood the situation. Mars was still
asking calmly, but Irisdina was clearly furious. Now that he understood why she
was angry, Nozomu had no choice but to bow his head.
"I-I'm sorry,
everyone. When I was clashing swords with Jihad-sensei, it felt so nostalgic
that I just... I felt like I was training with my Master."
Irisdina, who heard
Nozomu's words, leaned forward as if to get in his face and scolded him.
"That's no excuse
for going too far!"
Perhaps her emotions
were running too high. Nozomu's eyes were wide open at her intense tone, which
was unimaginable for her normally calm self. His other friends were also
flustered and panicking. The way she was acting now was that unusual.
"You were all
covered in blood..."
And her heightened
emotions suddenly dropped. What was reflected in Nozomu's dazed eyes was
Irisdina's watering eyes.
"Oh no~. You made
her cry~."
"Wait!"
Mimuru's teasing words
rang out, and Nozomu panicked for a moment. But those light words were
immediately replaced by a heavy silence. Seeing Irisdina, who normally
maintained a dignified expression, showing her emotions to this extent, they
could immediately tell how worried she had been about Nozomu.
"I'm... sorry,
Iris. I made you worry..."
"......No. I
won't forgive you."
Irisdina was pouting
like a child. Seeing her pained expression, Nozomu felt a sharp pain in his
chest.
"You were so
reckless the other day, too... Why do you always make me worry...?"
"............"
What was in Irisdina's
mind was the time when Nozomu had almost been taken over by Tiamat. At that
time, too, Nozomu had been seriously injured and was forced to be bedridden for
almost a week. For almost five of those days, Nozomu had been unconscious, and
his weakened body could have had its light of life extinguished at any moment.
And even after he woke up, his five senses, such as his sight and hearing, were
affected. The fear from that time was what was now gripping Irisdina's heart.
Irisdina hugged her
arms as if she were a scared child, and she looked down with her eyes wet with
tears. Nozomu's heart ached at her appearance, but he decided that he should at
least properly convey his feelings, and he slowly opened his mouth.
"...It might
sound like an excuse, but I've been running away all this time, haven't I? Not
just from Lisa and the others, but from this academy too."
Nozomu spoke his
feelings, as if to confirm each word.
"At that time,
the students of this academy were watching. Since I decided to face them again,
I didn't want to run away there."
It was a place where
many people were watching. The Nozomu from before would have been trapped in
his shell by the contemptuous looks and heartless words from those around him,
and he would have been unable to do anything. He wouldn't have even tried to do
anything. But the words that came out of the current Nozomu's mouth had a firm
core. Nozomu didn't look away from Irisdina, who was still looking down, and
looked at her head-on.
"So I clashed
with Jihad-sensei with everything I had. To be honest, I was surprised when I
heard about this mock battle from Anri-sensei..."
The start of this was
Anri bringing up the idea. Nozomu thought that she was probably the one who had
also talked to Jihad. Before the mock battle, he was impressed by how much more
enthusiastic she was than usual. When Nozomu glanced at Anri, she gave him a v-sign
with a smile.
Rumors that had
accumulated over time would start to wander on their own. And stories without
any basis would eventually be recognized as "truth" and become
commonplace. This mock battle could be the catalyst to blow away that ingrained
lie. It wouldn't be able to completely get rid of all the rumors, but it should
have been able to give a big shock to the people who believed in that rumor. A
thought crossed Nozomu's mind that Anri might have known everything from the
beginning and had suggested this.
"So I used this
technique without holding back. Well, it also helped that it reminded me of my
bouts with my Master. Just like with my Master, Jihad-sensei also didn't get a
single scratch from my Ki techniques... So, um, well..."
"...For now, let
me wipe your head."
"Huh? Whoa!"
Shina threw a towel at
his head, which had been trying to get a read on Irisdina's expression. Drops
of water were still dripping from Nozomu's head. She then wiped Nozomu's head
roughly with the towel and looked at Irisdina.
"Pouting isn't
going to help. Based on what Nozomu-kun said, I think this was necessary. If
you think about what's to come."
"That's...
true."
Irisdina also slowly
nodded at Shina, who was talking with a shrug. The normally intellectual her
had fully understood Nozomu's words. She also understood his reason for wanting
to work hard again in this academy.
"Besides, it
couldn't be helped that Nozomu-kun went a little overboard this time. He was
reminded of the time he spent with a person he missed."
Irisdina also
understood that. It was a genuine mock battle with a swordsman of the same
caliber as Nozomu's Master, Shino. For Nozomu, who had been trying not to use
his Ki techniques in the academy, he finally had an opponent he could go all
out against, just like he had with his Master. If she recalled Nozomu's
expression when he talked about his memories with his Master with a happy look,
it was no wonder he had gone overboard.
But even though she
understood, she couldn't help but feel a tightness in her chest because of how
reckless Nozomu had been.
"I'm... sorry for
making you worry..."
Seeing Nozomu continue
to lower his head in apology, she also began to calm down. She still felt a
sense of frustration in the depths of her chest, but now that she had heard him
speak properly, the lump in her chest had eased a bit.
"...No, I'm the
one who should apologize. When I think about it, Nozomu's reputation in the
academy has barely changed. Considering that, what you did was indeed a valid
thing to do..."
After a moment of
silence, Irisdina finally looked at Nozomu. Nozomu seemed relieved, and a smile
returned to his face.
"Irisdina, thank
you. For worrying about me..."
Seeing Nozomu smile in
relief, Irisdina's face suddenly became hot. The heart that had been clenched
tightly started to beat even faster, and her gaze began to wander.
"N-no! D-don't
worry about it!"
"Hmph..."
Shina, who had been
watching Irisdina's reaction, frowned. Her hand, which had been wiping Nozomu's
head with a slightly displeased expression, suddenly put a lot of force into
it.
"Ouch, ouch,
ouch! Shina, that hurts!"
"......Hmph!"
Ignoring Nozomu's
complaint, she roughly finished wiping his head and then huffed and walked away
from the bed. Mimuru and Feo were grinning at something, but when Shina glared
at them, they hurriedly looked away and quickly backed away.
"Now that you
mention 'nostalgic,' I'm a little late to ask, but were your bouts with your
Master really like that?"
Mars asked Nozomu, as
if to change the subject.
"Well~. We didn't
do anything that extreme. But she would sometimes unleash Phantom with just
enough precision for me to barely dodge it. And she would hold back just enough
with Vibration Strike to not kill me?"
Nozomu started talking
about his tearful memories with his Master. He was smiling wryly as he watched
everyone's cheeks start to twitch.
"Besides, even
though he used the Jaw Breaker, Jihad-sensei did hold back properly. He was
swinging his sword while checking on how I was doing, and he didn't hit me with
that huge Ki blade directly..."
"Is that
something you can call 'holding back'?"
Mars's retort was
completely valid. Nozomu didn't know this, but because of Jihad's One Slash,
there was now a problem with the magical barrier in the Martial Arts Garden,
and the arena was unusable. It would take about a week to repair it, but it was
clear that it was not an attack that should be used in a mock battle. There was
probably no student in this academy who would call that "holding
back," no matter how much he tried to avoid hitting him.
"Well, I guess
you have to be prepared for something like that if you're going to have a mock
battle with a Master-class person? Probably..."
"............"
Irisdina and the
others were speechless at Nozomu's words. They once again realized the cause of
the extremely abnormal mock battle.
***
"Alright,
everyone, you should go back now. I'll watch over Nozomu-kun until
morning."
"Understood.
Norn-sensei, please take care of him."
Since Nozomu had woken
up and it was confirmed that there were no problems with his body, his friends
who had gathered went back home, and only Norn remained in the room to watch
over Nozomu.
"But after what
happened the day before yesterday, I guess Nozomu-kun's surroundings will
change a lot..."
"Huh?"
After everyone had
left, Nozomu tilted his head at Norn's muttering.
"Why are you so
surprised, Nozomu-kun?"
"No, I mean, that
rumor hasn't been completely dispelled, has it?"
He thought that the
rumor that "Nozomu is weak" was probably crushed by the mock battle,
but the problem was the part about him being a bastard who had betrayed Lisa.
Nozomu thought that this mock battle would have no effect on that at all.
"That's because
you... Well, I guess it can't be helped since you haven't heard what's been
happening in the academy..."
Norn muttered
something meaningful and started to stare at Nozomu.
"W-what is it...?"
Nozomu flinched at the
gaze that was making his back itch.
"Well, seeing is
believing. You'll understand when you go to the academy tomorrow."
"...Huh?"
Norn left the room
before Nozomu could ask any more questions, leaving him with another meaningful
statement. She probably went to get bedding, but Nozomu, who had no idea what
was going on, just stared blankly at the door that Norn had disappeared
through.
***
The next morning,
after receiving a simple check-up just in case, Nozomu went to the academy when
the sun had started to rise. It was probably the middle of the morning classes
now. The meaningful words that Norn-sensei had said yesterday crossed Nozomu's
mind, but he headed for his classroom anyway.
Because it was already
class time, there were no people in the academy corridors, and only the sound
of Nozomu's footsteps echoed in the wide corridor. Nozomu looked out the window
and saw the first-grade students diligently training in basic skills. Their
figures, swinging wooden swords and being taught how to handle their weapons,
were the exact same as Nozomu's from two years ago. He himself had been
swinging a wooden sword in his hometown under the guise of special training,
but in this place was the first time he had been properly taught how to handle
it. Of course, he had a much higher aptitude for the katana than for a sword,
and he was swinging a katana now.
"Huh? Is that Eldor-kun?"
He looked closely and
saw Eldor and the others among the students swinging their swords. This class
was probably the 1st grade, 1st class.
At that moment, the
bell for recess rang throughout the academy. Students came out of their
classrooms, saying things like, "Did you understand the last class?"
and "No, not at all!"
Nozomu was currently
near the first-grade classrooms. He was planning to pass by the second-grade
classrooms and go to the third-grade section, but at that moment, he made eye
contact with a student who had come out of a classroom.
"Ah..."
"Hmm?"
The female student was
looking at Nozomu with a start. Nozomu tilted his head at the strange reaction
of a girl he didn't know. The first-grade students who were nearby also noticed
her gaze and looked at Nozomu, and they also widened their eyes just like the
female student from before. At first, he thought their reaction was because
they knew about the rumors about him, but he couldn't feel any negative
emotions like contempt or mockery in their gazes.
Nozomu was tilting his
head, wondering what was going on, when one of the underclassmen timidly
stepped forward.
"U-um. You're
Nozomu Bountis-senpai, right...?"
"Oh, yeah, I
am."
Nozomu's reply was a
little awkward due to the atmosphere of the underclassman talking to him with a
tense, hesitant tone. The girl in front of him was fidgeting and continued her
words as if to get a read on Nozomu.
"Um, there's
something I wanted to ask you. I heard that you have 'Ability Suppression,' is
that true...?"
"Oh, yeah, it
is..."
Nozomu's reply was
also a little stiff, perhaps because he was tense and on guard. Contrary to
Nozomu's demeanor, the girl in front of him suddenly broke into a big smile at
his reply and leaned forward with a "whoosh." A sparkling light of
admiration was shining in the girl's eyes.
"U-um! I watched
the mock battle the other day!"
"R-really...?"
Nozomu involuntarily
stepped back at her words, which were said with a strange intensity. On the
other hand, the girl, who was excited for some reason, didn't notice Nozomu's
reaction and continued to talk as if a dam had broken.
"I was so moved!
You fought so well against Jihad-sensei even though you can't move properly
because of Ability Suppression!"
"No, it's not
like I fought that well..."
Nozomu's senses were
off, and he thought he had been unilaterally trampled after Jihad had held
back, but the girl in front of him was a normal student with normal senses. Nozomu
had made Jihad, who was called a hero, use his greatsword, the Jaw Breaker.
Combined with her admiration, she saw Nozomu as a person who was on par with
Jihad.
"I was able to
get into this academy, but since then, things haven't been going my way...
Everyone is so much better at magic and Ki techniques than me..."
The girl's expression
suddenly became gloomy. It was true that this academy gathered many talented
students from all over the continent. Many students who were praised as
prodigies in their hometowns would become buried here, where there were more
talented people than them. This girl might have been one of them.
But the girl's gloomy
expression suddenly changed, and she looked at Nozomu with passionate eyes
again.
"But! When I saw
you, Nozomu-senpai, I understood! Even if you can't win with power, there are
so many things you can do! I don't have much talent, and I'm in the 10th-class,
but I can now think, 'So what!'"
"I-I see..."
Nozomu's weak reply
didn't reach the ears of the underclassman who was passionately talking in
front of him. The girl, ignoring the flustered Nozomu, became even more heated.
The girl's hand suddenly grabbed Nozomu's hand with an emotional look.
"Huh?!"
"I'm rooting for
you, Nozomu-senpai! Do your best!"
"T-thanks..."
She let go of his
hand, gave a small bow, and then ran back to her friends. Her friends, who
welcomed her back, were making a fuss, but Nozomu was just dazed, unable to
comprehend the situation at all.
"H-huh?
Something's strange..."
Nozomu was confused by
the reactions of the people around him, which were different from what he had
expected.
At that moment, a
voice calling him from a distance reached his ears.
"Hello,
Nozomu-kun. How are you?"
The person who had
spoken to him was Norn-sensei, who had come to the academy early this morning.
She was holding up one hand and approaching Nozomu with a meaningful smile on
her face.
"Norn-sensei,
what's going on?"
"While you were
hospitalized, everyone in the academy, especially the underclassmen who had
seen the mock battle firsthand, was talking about you. I was asked a lot of
things about you."
Nozomu looked around
in surprise and saw many underclassmen peeking at him from inside the
classrooms and from behind the corridors.
"Of course, I was
also asked about that rumor. Every time I was asked, I told them that the rumor
was ridiculous and completely baseless. The underclassmen, especially, hadn't
heard the rumor for long. Because you fought so well and had a good fight with
Jihad-sensei, they were convinced just by me saying, 'That rumor has nothing to
do with Nozomu-kun.'"
Nozomu's eyes widened
at the events that had occurred while he was sleeping. But the next words Norn
said made him completely speechless.
"What was most
significant was Irisdina-kun's actions."
"Huh?"
"Right after you
collapsed, Irisdina-kun and the others were the first to rush to you and tried
their best to help you. And after that, they desperately took care of
you."
According to Norn,
Irisdina and the others, who were admired by everyone and respected by the
teachers, had their desperate efforts to help him resonate with the hearts of
the underclassmen.
"Furthermore, you
helped Eldor-kun and the others the other day, didn't you? The fact that they
were talking about it to their classmates also had a big impact. Everyone
realized that you weren't the heartless person the rumors made you out to be
after hearing about it from the people you had actually helped."
"I see..."
The real image of
Nozomu that they had heard from Irisdina and the others, Norn-sensei, and Eldor
and the others had wiped away the false image of Nozomu that had been ingrained
in the underclassmen.
But Norn, who had been
smiling until a moment ago, suddenly had a clouded expression.
"However, the 3rd
and 4th-grade students who have been here since the rumor started are still a
little skeptical..."
"That's fine.
Considering everything that's happened, it's more than enough."
While the first-grade
students who had just entered and the second-grade students who didn't know
about the time when the rumor was spread were a different story, it seemed that
the rumor hadn't been completely dispelled for the students who had been
hearing it for a long time. It had only been a few days since Nozomu and Jihad
had their mock battle. It was probably not enough time to overturn a story they
had believed for years.
But for Nozomu, the
events of the past few days were completely unexpected. Of course, the problem
wasn't completely solved. However, it felt as if the path ahead, which he had
not been able to see at all until now, had suddenly opened up.
"Yeah, it's more
than enough..."
He thought of his
friends who had fought so hard for him. His heart was filled with a sense of
fulfillment he had never felt before. He felt sorry for making them worry
again, but he was still feeling content.
"Well, I'm going
back to the infirmary now. You should hurry go to your classroom, Nozomu-kun.
Your classmates were worried about you, too."
"Yes, thank you
very much."
Norn turned on her
heel and left. Nozomu watched her go, giving her his deep thanks with his
words. In his eyes, as he watched Norn's back returning to her daily life, he
saw the smiling faces of his friends.
***
The town of Arcazam
was bustling with life. Starting with the commercial district, many people come
and go throughout the city, living their daily lives and nurturing their
existence. Meanwhile, the military police of Arcazam were working hard to
maintain the security of the town by patrolling all day long, taking turns. The
military police basically worked in pairs in case of unforeseen circumstances.
And even now, there
was a pair of military police walking down the cobblestone street that was
illuminated by the sun that had risen high in the sky.
"Hey, are you
really okay? Your injury just healed, you know..."
"Thank you,
senpai. But I'm fine. The wound closed right away, and the doctor told me I can
go back to my normal life."
The young military
police said that as he put his hand on his shoulder. He was the one who had
been mobilized for the Abyss Grief experiment at the Gloaurum Institute the
other day and had injured his shoulder. The bearded senpai military police was
looking at his kouhai with a worried look. The injury itself was one thing, but
the opponent was not a normal magic beast. Even though the doctor had said
there were no problems, his anxiety didn't disappear.
"I'm really
fine."
The young man showed
him a smile to reassure him. The senpai military police, who had still been
frowning, finally relented when he saw that smile.
"If you say so...
but don't overdo it. It's no joke if you collapse before your wedding, you
know."
"Yeah. If I get
hurt and make her worry, she'll get angry and won't talk to me for a while. And
once she gets angry, it takes a long time for her to cheer up..."
In fact, this young
man had proposed to his girlfriend a little while ago. On the other hand, the
senpai military police had a wife, but their relationship had become cold... it
was a so-called "rut."
The young man stroked
his shoulder again. There was no pain where the black magic beast had bitten
him, but the scar was still a little warm, but he thought it was no problem for
his daily life and would go away soon.
"Ah, yeah, yeah.
That's enough. Jeez! I can't believe this! My wife is like a wine barrel and
has no cuteness at all..."
The young man forced a
wry smile as he looked at his senpai, who was shrugging his shoulders with a
light tone. While thanking his senpai for worrying about him, the two of them
continued their patrol of Arcazam at night.
However, the young man
didn't notice. The wound was still warm. In the depths of that wound, something
had begun to beat with a small pulse.
-----
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