Volume 6
Chapter 22
After an entire day of discussions and detailed planning by Jihad and Mauzu, Nozomu was officially released the next day. When Nozomu went to school, his classmates wouldn't stop asking him questions, but all he could explain was that he was taken away without knowing why and was then released. The students who didn't know the full story also kept asking Irisdina and her friends for the truth, but they insisted that they couldn't make it public because the investigation to find the real culprit was still in progress.
The person who gritted
his teeth upon hearing this was Ken, the very person who had set up Nozomu.
"Tch, was that
not enough?"
He was in the back of
the school building after school, where no one was around, and he was clicking
his tongue and kicking a stone at his feet. He felt even more irritated by the holow
sound of the stone hitting the school building, and he began to think about
another way to eliminate Nozomu.
"I guess causing
an incident of that level in the town isn't enough. I have to do something
bigger. Then..."
Ken didn't realize
that his means and objective had already been switched. At first, it was a pure
outburst out of his feelings for Lisa Hounds. His means were neither humanly
nor morally commendable, but at the very least, the root of his actions was his
affection for the person he loved and his concern for her. But that heart of
his started to show a shadow when his plan succeeded once, and Ken completely
lost sight of his objective over the course of two years. And in order to
completely break Nozomu's heart, he had revealed his entire plan, and the last
of his sanity had completely gone.
His uselessly inflated
ego and narrow perspective had already clouded his eyes to the point of
blindness.
"What are you
doing in a place like this?"
"...Camilla, what
do you want?"
A familiar voice
called out to Ken's back, who was swaying his leg in a bad mood due to the
failure of his plan. When Ken turned around, he saw Camilla looking at him with
cold eyes.
"That's my line.
What are you thinking of doing now?"
"It's obvious.
Don't ask me something you already know."
Camilla glared at Ken,
who was snarling as if to spit out his words. The two of them, who were
silently trying to figure each other out, made it clear that there was an
irreparable crack between them. The two of them were glaring at each other, but
there was no sign of regret or guilt in Ken's eyes. Camilla looked away as if
giving up, at Ken's eyes that told her that his actions were completely
justified.
" You haven't said anything. Well, you're the same as me. You'll do
anything for Lisa. Right?"
Perhaps
misunderstanding Camilla's gesture as his victory, Ken gave her a twisted
smile. Camilla felt her chest tighten with a feeling that was a mix of anger
and pity toward Ken, and she let out a self-deprecating laugh.
It was true that
Camilla was willing to do anything for Lisa. It was definitely thanks to Lisa
that she was able to change herself, who had come to this academy all by
herself and couldn't change herself while still being lonely. Lisa was the
person who had changed her, who was clumsy, not cute, and could only bite back
at people who came close to her.
But regardless of how
it started, as Ken said, there was no change in the fact that Camilla had also
helped to frame Nozomu. And even now, if she were to reveal the truth, it would
probably inflict an irreparable wound on the heart of the exhausted Lisa.
The act of betraying
her benefactor twice. Ken was probably acting like this because he was counting
on the fact that Camilla couldn't do that. That's because there are very few
people who can believe in that path and keep going even while imagining the
certain condemnation and torment that would fall upon them.
Ken, who didn't
hesitate to use everything around him and didn't doubt his own absolute
rightness. While feeling an unmanageable anger and disgust toward his ugly
smile, Camilla desperately swallowed her anger and opened her mouth to fulfill
her duty.
"I know that
telling the truth now will only hurt Lisa. But I can't see you as a comrade
anymore."
Camilla endured the
boiling rage inside her by digging her nails into her palm, and she conveyed
that she was on Lisa's side. Her words were exactly what Ken had expected.
Ken's twisted smile deepened even more.
"That's fine. I
just need to be able to protect Lisa."
Saying that, he
whispered in Camilla's ear, "I have the next move planned," and
passed by her.
As she watched his
back, Camilla desperately suppressed her anger that was about to burst out.
"Do you really
think you can protect Lisa with something like this? What you're doing is
completely insane."
"So you think Nozomu
is a good choice? It's true that he might have gotten a little stronger, but
his weaknesses haven't changed at all."
The image of Nozomu
clashing with Jihad came to Ken's mind. It was true that Nozomu had gained an
unbelievable level of skill. The vicious ki techniques that were so refined
they could pierce Jihad's shield, and his swordsmanship that was good enough to
be able to clash with an opponent who was overwhelmingly superior in power.
However, Ken stated
that he hadn't completely erased his ability suppression, and his physical
constitution, which was fatally unsuited for a long battle, hadn't changed at
all. He had a look of conviction on his face, as if to say that if his
weaknesses hadn't changed, he had countless ways to deal with him now.
But the more he spoke,
the more the scene of Nozomu fighting with Jihad flashed in Ken's mind like a
flash of light.
"As long as he
has his ability suppression, he's not a person who can protect Lisa!"
Ken spat out his words
as if to shake off the image that was floating in his head. At the same time,
was a feeling of an urge to scratch his chest welled up from the depths of his
chest, and he clenched his back teeth. Ken's tone, which had been flat, became
rough, and his handsome face became hideously distorted.
Looking at Ken's
state, Camilla let out a small snort.
"At the very
least, it's certain that neither you, who pretends to be her boyfriend, nor I,
who pretends to be her best friend, are the people who should be by Lisa's side
until the very end..."
"So, what are you
going to do? If you're on Lisa's side... I'm sure you know what to do."
Perhaps it was due to
his extreme emotion toward Nozomu. Ken was looking at Camilla with bloodshot
eyes and was pressing her for a reply. Camilla was also about to explode, but
she lost her words when she saw the depths of Ken's bloodshot eyes.
What she saw there was
a color that was as corrupted as a dead and putrid lake. It was a slimy, murky,
and matured hatred and murderous intent. Ken's murderous intent was squeezing
Camilla's entire body as if a giant were to crush a small bird.
"Ugh..."
In contrast to the
chill running down her spine, her heart was beating so violently that her blood
vessels felt like they would burst. Camilla desperately tried to squeeze out a
voice from the back of her throat in an attempt to escape from the pure
murderous intent that was chilling her to the bone. She needed to somehow
induce Ken's carelessness and make it seem like she had succumbed. But the
murderous aura that was piercing her entire body was so intense that it felt
like it would really break Camilla's heart.
She dug her nails into
her palm, endured the blood and pain that were gushing out, and desperately
gritted her teeth so that she wouldn't break her heart.
"......Lisa can't
handle any more truth. So, as much as it makes me sick, I'll follow your plan.
There's nothing else I can do anyway..."
The voice that was
squeezed out with a feeling of defiance was so hoarse that Camilla herself was
surprised.
But Ken, who was
looking at Camilla's state, let out a satisfied smile. The fact that she had
lost her composure in front of his gaze might have been a good thing for him.
The intimidation from Ken weakened, and Camilla let out a rough breath.
"Haah, haah...
What are you planning to do?"
"......Just
causing a commotion in the town isn't enough to drive Nozomu out. Then, I have
no choice but to set a bigger objective, right?"
He would cause another
incident. And he was even smiling faintly as he declared that he would involve
even more people this time. There was no sign of confusion or hesitation in his
expression. Camilla's entire body froze. She was made to realize that the man
in front of her had already gone off the rails to an unmanageable extent,
especially with the murderous aura she had just felt.
"Well, just leave
it to me. I've already thought of the next move..."
Saying that with a
confident look on his face, Ken turned on his heel and started walking toward
the main gate. Camilla also followed him in silence.
The main gate, which
was starting to be dyed by the sunset. To Camilla, it felt like a gate that led
to hell.
But they didn't
notice. That there were eyes watching them from a window of the school building
at that moment. And the wind that was blowing in from the opened window was
swaying her crimson hair. As if to express herself, who was wavering.
***
Around the time
Camilla was meeting with Ken, Nozomu was sitting on a chair in his room in the
dormitory and was just staring into space without anything to do. The sun was
gradually setting outside the window, and the light that was shining through
the curtains was gradually fading.
"Sorry. We're
causing you some inconvenience."
A voice that was
clearly not Nozomu's and sounded apologetic echoed in his room. When he looked
in the direction of the voice, he saw a kind-looking young man standing there.
Behind him, there was also a middle-aged man in his mid-30s with an unshaven
chin. They were the military police that Mauzu had put there to monitor Nozomu,
and although they had taken off their conspicuous armor, they were still
soldiers who were protecting this town.
At the same time, they
were also the people who would prove Nozomu's alibi if something were to
happen. That was because even though another suspect had come up, the suspicion
on Nozomu had not been completely cleared.
"No, I understand
that this is necessary, so please don't worry about it."
"It's a relief to
hear you say that..."
"Well, it
probably won't be for long, so just bear with us."
Nozomu also understood
the current situation very well, so he wasn't particularly bothered by this
treatment. When he replied with a smile, the young soldier in front of him, who
was named Jibin, let out a sigh of relief. The middle-aged soldier behind him,
Barozza, was also scratching his head with a wry smile.
Ken would probably
take action when Nozomu was alone. Nozomu had been ordered to refrain from
going out after school, and the two military police in front of him had been
cooped up in this room since before Nozomu was released, so as not to be
noticed by the people around them.
In a corner of the
room, there were sleeping bags and smoked meat and hardtack that they had probably
brought with them. In fact, they had been spending time in this room since the
day before Nozomu was released.
"Would you like
some?"
Saying that, Nozomu
held up a pot with herbal medicine in it. It was made by brewing some
strong-smelling herbs, and it wasn't particularly expensive, but the steam
rising from the spout of the pot had a somewhat soothing aroma.
"Don't worry
about us, just live your life as you normally would."
"On the contrary,
if you don't, it'll be a problem. We can't let any sense of incongruity leak
outside. But, what we can get, we'll take..."
"Senior..."
His junior was making
a dumbfounded face at the senior soldier who was acting like a respectable
person but was also sneakily taking some of the herbal medicine. While making a
wry smile at Barozza, who was pouting his lips and saying, "What's wrong
with it?," Nozomu also poured some herbal medicine into Jibin's cup.
The steam with the
aroma of the herbs tickled his nose, and the tension in his shoulders naturally
relaxed. His body must have been tense due to this situation. The two military
police were also enjoying the aroma and warmth of the herbal medicine that spread
in their mouths.
"Heh, it's a
little bitter, but it's not bad."
"It's an herb
that grows naturally in the forest, so it's a little different from the ones
that come from outside the town."
This herbal medicine
was something he used to drink often when he was training in the forest with
Shino. It had a good aroma, but it was a little bitter, and he remembered
choking on it a little the first time he drank it.
"Cough!
Cough!"
"Are you
okay?"
"I'm fi, cough!
cough! I'm sorry, I choked a little... mm!"
Jibin, who had choked,
was patting his chest in a somewhat exaggerated manner. Jibin continued to
cough for a while, but he eventually calmed down, calmed his rough breathing,
and started to enjoy the herbal medicine again.
The three of them
slowly tilted their cups and surrendered themselves to a temporary peace. For a
while, only the sound of them sipping the herbal medicine echoed in the room.
"By the way, what
happened to Irisdina and the others?"
Nozomu suddenly asked
Jibin a question that came to his mind. He hadn't heard what kind of
cooperation Irisdina and the others, who had decided to cooperate in the
investigation, would be providing.
"They were given Communication
Stones and are in different positions. Your homeroom teacher is also there.
They are mainly in the administrative district, the commercial district, and
the investigation headquarters that was set up in the academy. The 'Enseki,'
which is the core of this Communication Stone, should also be placed at the
headquarters."
"Well, if it
weren't for those young ladies, this investigation would have been a lot more
difficult."
Barozza mumbled while
playing with the blue Communication Stone in his cup. The communication network
that was connecting the people scattered throughout the town, including Nozomu
and the others now. This was all centralized by one Enseki. Originally, one
Enseki couldn't cover such a large area. However, it was made possible by the
help of Shina and the others' "unique talents."
Tima's immense magic
power and Shina's spirit magic. They would use an immense amount of magic power
to lure in a large number of spirits, and Shina would command the spirits that
had gathered to strengthen the magical connection between the Communication
Stones and the Enseki. This made it possible to build a communication network
that covered the entire Arcazam.
"Well, there's at
least one military police accompanying the students who are placed in the town,
and Jihad-dono and the others are at the headquarters, so it's fine."
"And there's also
the fact that they're officially 'cooperators'."
"I see..."
It seemed that not
only Nozomu, but also Irisdina and the others had military police with them.
This was a placement that took into account that they were cooperators and
students.
"However, due to
the nature of the investigation, it's difficult to have a military police stick
to that student named Camilla, but Jihad-dono said he'll figure something out
about that."
Since they couldn't
let Ken notice the undercover investigation, Camilla's body would naturally be
more susceptible to danger. So, Jihad had decided to have a few experienced
trackers from the academy carry Communication Stones and stick to her from a
distance. The trackers were, of course, specialized in stealth, and they had
skills that even the academy teachers couldn't easily see through.
"Well, if that's
the case, then it's fine."
When he heard
Camilla's name, the image of her when he was released came back to Nozomu's
mind. The sight of her with her eyes red and swollen, and her face with tear
stains, bowing her head deeply without wiping them away. And the time they had
talked on the outskirts on their way home after he was released. Nozomu and Camilla
had talked to each other, illuminated by the same light as the sunset that was
shining through the window now. It was their first proper conversation in two
years.
What do you
want with Lisa?
Nozomu recalled
Camilla's words. When he had talked to her on the outskirts, he had only said,
"I just want Lisa to get back on her
feet." For Nozomu, what was important now was to move the stagnant
time of Lisa and the others.
Nozomu was moving with
that determination in his heart. Of course, it wasn't that Nozomu didn't care
about Lisa. Nozomu still couldn't express his feelings toward her properly. The
conflicting emotions were complicated, and something was always clashing in his
heart.
"That's why I
could only say the feelings I knew I had now..."
Nozomu, with a wry
smile, scratched his head and drank the rest of the herbal medicine in his cup
in one gulp as if to shake off his anguish. An intense bitterness spread in his
mouth, and a frown involuntarily appeared on Nozomu's forehead.
"H-hey, are you okay?"
When Nozomu turned his
face in the direction of the voice, he saw Barozza looking down at him.
"Cough... Y-yes.
I'm fine."
Unlike Barozza, who
was flustered, Nozomu's reply was cheerful. His expression was also clear.
Even though he had
used it as a reason to run away, the feelings he had for Lisa were still one of
the things that had supported him. That was something he couldn't deny, and
something he shouldn't deny. Instead of being carried away by his anger, he
would move forward while holding on to it, instead of throwing it away. That
was what he had decided to do.
"...Well, you're
a complicated one, too."
Whether he knew about
Nozomu's feelings or not, Barozza shrugged his shoulders and drank the rest of
his herbal medicine in one gulp and then slowly opened his mouth.
"Well, as your
senior in life, I can only tell you not to have any regrets and to focus on
what's in front of you, regardless of what happens later."
Barozza and the others
understood the situation of this case to a certain extent, but they hadn't
heard the details from the people themselves, and they were just strangers whom
they had met a few days ago. Perhaps because of that, he chose his words to be
as safe as possible.
"When things
start to happen, the situation will progress regardless of your worries, and if
the culprit is your childhood friend, that person has already crossed a line
that shouldn't be crossed. After that, that person will just keep rolling down
a hill toward the abyss. While hurting the people around them."
However, they had seen
many criminals in this town. Even if they didn't lead to a crime, they had seen
many conflicts between people. For them, a person who had lost their sanity was
the worst kind. They would not doubt that they were right, and they would not
think about the victims of their actions. For them, what was important was the
person in their own enclosed world, and the people outside were no more than
food for ants. The military police in front of him, who was one of the
protectors of this town, would not be able to acknowledge that. The tired
middle-aged aura he had had until now was completely gone.
"Yes, I
know."
Barozza's sharp words
were thrown at him, but Nozomu accepted them without showing any signs of being
depressed. Nozomu also knew what Barozza was saying. He knew that he had to
stop Ken. He had chosen to act precisely because he couldn't stand the thought
of Lisa and the others staying in their current state. He wanted Lisa and the
others to be able to look forward, no matter what form it took.
It's okay to
run away. But I don't want them to turn their eyes away from the fact that
they're running away.
Both Lisa and Ken were
important people to Nozomu. Just like Nozomu was to Shino. That's why Nozomu
had continued to actively contact Lisa and the others. He had even exposed all
of his ki techniques in the mock battle with Jihad. All of it was so that Lisa
and the others would be able to see him as he was now.
And now, Ken, who saw
Nozomu as a threat again, had started to move as if to trace his steps from two
years ago. Ken had already strayed far off the right path. If he were to be
left alone, he would surely do something that was irreversible.
Time that was passing
would not care about a person's circumstances. Then he had no choice but to
act, even if he didn't have a complete answer. That was because this was the
time that was necessary.
"Yes, I know.
I'll stop him. This time for sure..."
That was what he was
supposed to do now. Nozomu carved that into his heart and looked straight at
the middle-aged military police in front of him with strong will in his words
and eyes. Barozza was surprised by Nozomu's eyes and widened his eyes. However,
he seemed satisfied with Nozomu's answer, and a smile immediately appeared on
his face.
At that moment, Jibin
reached into his pocket as if he had noticed something. What he took out was
the Communication Stone that was given to those who were involved in this
investigation. The color of the stone was already dyed red, as if a voice had
already been sent. He put the Communication Stone to his ear and listened to
the voice that was coming from it.
When the call was
over, the Communication Stone that had been glowing red returned to its blue
color, and Jibin slowly lowered the hand that was holding the stone.
"Did something
happen?"
"I just got a
call from Jihad-dono. The suspect and the undercover investigator have gone out
into the town."
When he sent some
magic power to the Communication Stone that Jibin was holding, the voices of
Inda and Jihad came from the stone with an even stronger red light.
The target is
currently moving along the main street in the west district. Commercial
district teams A and B and north district teams C and D, move to the border of
the west district. We'll set up a net to track the target.
The opponent
has an ability that can freely change their appearance. Everyone, always be
careful of the changes in the Communication Stones. The operation has begun.
Operation started. The
moment he heard those words, a clear tension dominated the entire room. In that
tense atmosphere, Nozomu slowly gripped the handle of the katana at his waist.
***
Ken and Camilla were
walking in the west district of Arcazam. The town, which was already in the
evening, was bustling with people who had finished their day's work and were
rushing home.
In the midst of that,
Camilla was following behind Ken, who was walking nonchalantly. They were both
walking in silence without saying a word to each other, but suddenly, Ken, who
was walking in front of her, turned around.
"Camilla, let's
split up here for a bit."
"...What do you
mean?"
Camilla narrowed her
eyes at his sudden words.
"We'll split into
two groups and act separately, then we'll meet up again later. If we act in a
group, we might leave a trail considering what we're going to do this
time."
"............"
Did he perhaps find
out about the undercover investigation? A cold sweat ran down Camilla's back.
Camilla tried to be as expressionless as possible so that he wouldn't notice
the turmoil inside her, but Ken continued to speak without a care.
"You wait here,
Camilla, I'll be back shortly."
Without changing his
expression at all, Ken handed Camilla a folded piece of paper and walked into the
hustle and bustle without waiting for her reply.
What should I
do?
Hesitation passed
through Camilla's mind. If she were to force herself to follow him now, he
might become even more suspicious of her. But if she were to lose sight of him
now, it would be difficult for her to find him on her own again.
A moment of anguish.
During that time, Ken's figure was almost completely hidden by the crowd.
Camilla, who was filled with impatience, took a step forward to follow Ken
without being able to make a decision.
"Camilla-kun, can
you hear me?"
"!"
However, Camilla's
foot, which she had taken a step forward with, was stopped by Jihad's voice
that came from the Communication Stone.
"We have trackers
on him. You go to the designated location first."
Camilla's eyes widened
at Jihad's words, "trackers." She hadn't been told that there were
people like that, and she hadn't felt the slightest hint of being tracked. It
was true that Camilla was inferior to Ken and Lisa in terms of skill and rank,
but she had good enough grades to be able to reach the highest rank of the 3rd-grade.
Since she had also been completing quests for monster subjugation and such at
the guild, she was not a little surprised by what Jihad had just told her. But
when she thought about it, the skill of the academy teachers she had seen in
the special training was something that they were only able to be on par with
by having a group of them go against them. When she thought about the academy
that had secured such people, it was only natural that she wouldn't notice the
presence of the trackers now.
"...Understood."
Perhaps, I wasn't
even needed?
As if to shake off the
cowardly thoughts she was about to fall into, Camila shook her head vigorously.
What she could do, being inexperienced, was limited. If there were experienced
trackers following him, she had no choice but to go to the location Ken had
designated for now.
With that change of
mind, she gently opened the paper that Ken had handed to her.
"Central
Park..."
On it was the name of a
recreation area that was located in the center of the town.
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