Volume 6
Chapter 3
In an office in a corner of Solminati Academy, the master of the room and his assistant faced each other.
A bundle of papers was
clutched in the hand of the room's master, Jihad Roundel, who was intently
poring over the documents.
His narrowed gaze was
stern, determined not to miss a single word, and the office was filled with a
somewhat tense atmosphere.
Perhaps affected by
the tension emanating from Jihad, a bead of sweat trickled down Inda's
forehead.
"Nozomu
Bountis... Ms. Inda, is what is written here true?"
"Y-yes. At the
very least, that document is Nozomu Bountis's report card from Solminati
Academy."
As Inda's voice,
choked with tension, echoed, Jihad repeatedly scanned the papers before him.
Clutched in Jihad's
hand were the documents of the students who had formed the top teams in the
recent special comprehensive training exercise.
Their past grades and
test results from the academy were recorded in those documents.
"............"
Jihad's gaze had been
fixed on Nozomu's document for a while now, occasionally placing a hand to his
mouth as if deep in thought.
Inda, standing nearby,
remained silent. Even for her, the results of the previous exercise were
unbelievable.
"Jihad-dono..."
"Understood.
Thank you, Ms. Inda. Please return to your work."
"Y-yes..."
Inda looked as if she
wanted to ask Jihad something, but she bowed and left the office.
Jihad slowly leaned
back in his chair.
The chair creaked, and
some of the tension in his shoulders eased. Jihad gazed at the office ceiling,
contemplating the contents of the document he had just read.
"Overall Rank D-.
At the very least, someone of this class shouldn't be able to confront a
dragon, even an undead one, and survive..."
Rank D-. This
indicated that the individual's ability was at the level of a novice adventurer
or a common soldier.
During the battle with
the Corpse Dragon, he was accompanied by top-tier members of the third year,
including Irisdina Francilt and Lisa Hounds. However, even with their growth,
they were still insufficient to face a dragon.
Young people are prone
to flaws due to emotional immaturity. While it's unavoidable, it was clear that
boys and girls their age still needed time and experience to mature emotionally.
In that situation, it
wouldn't have been strange for there to be casualties. In the worst case, they
could have been completely wiped out.
However, not a single
person was lost. There were many injured, but all those rescued were not in an
irreparable state. From that perspective, it could be said that they were still
lacking in many areas, but they were growing.
Among them, the
student written in the document Jihad had just seen, Nozomu Bountis, stood out.
He had survived a
battle with that black demonic beast, now named "Abyss Grief," even
before the special comprehensive training exercise. Considering that he had
directly confronted and survived a Corpse Dragon, it was strange that he was
still at this rank.
"As expected,
tests are just tests. You can't understand the true nature of a person from
documents alone."
Jihad muttered,
exhaling, as he gently placed the document he was holding on the desk.
"I can't ignore
Abyss Grief either. There are various other concerns, though..."
He exhaled deeply, as
if to clear his mind.
Gathering the
scattered documents on the desk and putting them away, Jihad stood up and left
the office.
There were many
headaches, but he had no choice but to deal with them one by one.
"First, I need to
talk to Mauz-dono, and then I need to ask Ms. Anri about him..."
Jihad's murmured
voice, contrary to his tone, melted away into the office, where warm sunlight
streamed in.
***
Now, lunchtime at the
academy was probably the busiest time in the school building throughout the
day.
Students rushed to the
cafeteria and shops, simply to satisfy their hunger and to gain energy for
their afternoon classes.
It was a familiar
sight in academy life, but it was also the time of day with the most trouble,
sometimes escalating into fights between students.
Ignoring the
commotion, Nozomu had quickly obtained what he wanted from the store.
In his hands were, as
usual, the cheapest black bread, raw vegetables, and grilled pork sausage.
Having bought a
considerably larger lunch than usual, Nozomu headed towards the school
building.
A small room located
within the white-themed school building. Nozomu, who had arrived in front of
the infirmary, opened the door carefully so as not to drop the lunch he was
carrying.
Inside the infirmary,
Nozomu's companions had already gathered and were chatting. When he gave a
small wave, his companions waved back.
When he reached their
side, Nozomu sat down on an empty chair.
"Hey, Nozomu.
You're early."
"Well, yeah. This
bread is still unpopular."
Exchanging a few words
with Irisdina, Nozomu tossed some of the bread he was holding to Feo.
"Here. The
promised goods."
"Ooh, here it
comes! Thanks, Nozomu!"
This bread was the
cheapest at the store. The dough was dry and it certainly wasn't delicious, but
it wasn't a problem for Feo, who continued to live in extreme poverty. For him
now, hunger was the best seasoning.
"Nom! Gulp,
gulp..."
Feo wolfed down the
dry black bread without anything on it. It was certainly hard, and the dough
was completely dry, making it difficult to swallow. But for Feo, that bread was
the greatest feast.
Nozomu, feeling that
it wasn't a good enough thank-you for teaching him throwing knife techniques,
had also bought a considerable amount of vegetables and meat. He thought that
for a starving Feo, quantity was more important than quality.
The side dishes Nozomu
offered also disappeared into Feo's stomach with tremendous speed.
The others, who had
been watching the scene with a wry smile, also brought chairs and sat down.
Nozomu and his friends
began to eat lunch while chatting. They enjoyed their conversation as they
savored the lunch they had brought.
"Oh? Tima-san,
what about that hair ornament?"
Shina glanced at
Tima's hair ornament and noticed it.
Her neatly trimmed
brown hair was adorned with a silver-shining ornament that glittered.
It was a neat and
stylish hair ornament, but its silver gleam felt a little too flashy for her
hair color and current outfit.
But Shina noticed the
hair ornament not only for its color but also because she faintly sensed a
magical presence from its craftsmanship.
"Oh, this? I just
tried incorporating a magic formula into an accessory and made it. The stored
magic doesn't last very long, and it only has enough effect to repel
insects..."
It seemed this hair
ornament was Tima's own creation.
"No, that's not
true. If even poisonous insects won't approach, isn't it quite effective?"
Mars praised the
effect of Tima's hair ornament. Nozomu also nodded beside him.
In the forest, there
are insects that carry poison or lay eggs inside living creatures to feed their
larvae. While many insects are small and may seem harmless at first glance,
they are by no means negligible in their natural habitat.
Nozomu himself had
once entered the forest and accidentally stepped on a beehive in the ground,
which led to a terrible experience.
Tima's face turned red
from Mars and the others' praise. She was looking down, perhaps out of
embarrassment, so her face was hidden by her bangs, but her mouth was also
completely red.
"That's right~.
And when you go into the forest, insects bite you and your skin turns
red..."
"Huh? That?"
Anri also praised her
hair ornament.
However, what came out
of Anri's mouth was, as expected, a little off.
Nozomu let out a silly
voice as the conversation suddenly shifted from poisonous insects that could
potentially kill him to skin irritation. Mars, next to him, also looked
bewildered.
"Indeed, if your
skin is red when you go to a party, the clothes you can wear will be
limited..."
"And taking care
of it afterwards is also a hassle~"
Nozomu and Mars
thought that this reason was probably quite low on the list of threats posed by
insects.
However, it seemed
that for the women, insects that caused skin irritation were almost as
threatening as poisonous insects.
"But you made
this hair ornament yourself, right~? It's quite a pretty hair ornament~"
"N-no. The hair
ornament itself was sold at a store. All I did was incorporate the magic
formula and infuse it with magic power..."
Anri seemed to like
the design of the accessory. She leaned forward, getting closer to Tima.
Irisdina and Shina
also seemed interested, gazing intently at the ornament adorning Tima's hair.
"It's a bit
flashy, but it's a pretty good design."
"It seems a new
shop opened along the main street in the commercial district. They were selling
it there. Ai, do you want to go together today?"
At Tima's invitation,
Irisdina muttered, "Today, huh..." and showed a slightly disappointed
expression.
"Hmm. I'd like to
go, but I was planning to complete a guild request today. I already accepted it
yesterday, and since it's a subjugation request, I thought it would be best to
finish it as soon as possible..."
The fact that there
was a subjugation request at the guild meant that there were people troubled by
that demonic beast. According to her, the request came from hunters who were
hunting in the forest.
As someone with a
strong sense of justice, Irisdina had already accepted the request, and more
than anything, she wanted to quickly reassure the people who were in trouble.
"Then it can't be
helped..."
Tima, knowing
Irisdina's feelings, had no intention of forcing her if that was the reason.
Besides, with her personality, she couldn't possibly force someone.
"Sorry, Tima,
please let's do it another time."
To Irisdina, who
looked apologetic, Tima smiled as if to say it was fine.
Perhaps relieved by
Tima's smile, Irisdina's expression also softened, and a smile spilled forth.
At that moment, she spoke to Nozomu as if an idea had just struck her.
"Oh, Nozomu, what
are you doing after school today?"
"Me? I was
planning to go into the forest today... Do you need help?"
Nozomu was a little
surprised to be suddenly addressed. However, from her previous conversation, he
realized she was referring to the request from earlier and asked her.
Indeed, Irisdina's
conversation seemed to be about that request, and she asked Nozomu for his
assistance.
"Yeah, you're
knowledgeable about the forest, and Tima can't join us for this request because
she has something to do. If possible, I'd like your help..."
Due to his low rank,
Nozomu was not qualified to accept dangerous requests like entering the forest.
However, if he formed a party with a certain number of people or with a
high-ranking person, he was allowed to accept such requests.
For Irisdina, having
someone knowledgeable about the forest like Nozomu was extremely reassuring.
"Well... we
promised to form a party during the special comprehensive training, but we
couldn't, right? So, I thought, well, why don't we try doing a request together
this time..."
Perhaps because she
brought up such a topic so suddenly, Irisdina asked Nozomu somewhat hesitantly.
Indeed, they had
promised to team up on the second day of the special comprehensive training,
but the exercise was canceled due to the Corpse Dragon's attack, and that
promise was unfulfilled.
Originally, that
promise was supposed to be a punishment for Irisdina following Somia's date out
of concern.
Nozomu briefly wondered
if she was bothered by having caused various troubles, but then his heart
pounded when he saw Irisdina peeking at his face with downcast eyes.
For a moment, what
flashed through his mind was a single phrase she had uttered to Nozomu in the
forest: "I want you to protect my back."
"...O-okay, sure."
Nozomu accepted
Irisdina's request, though he stumbled over his words a little.
He had planned to do
various training, including practicing his dragon-slaying power, in the
unpopular forest, but since there was a previous promise and it was her
request, he thought it would be fine to delay his plans a bit.
More than anything,
her fleeting words had been the most significant. He had hardly ever been
relied upon by anyone since coming to this academy.
"Oh... thank
goodness. Thank you."
Perhaps she thought he
might refuse. Irisdina relaxed her shoulders with a sigh of relief. Her
slightly tense cheeks also softened, and a smile bloomed.
Because she usually
maintained a dignified expression, her smile was captivating to behold.
This was a complete
surprise attack. Nozomu was instantly captivated by her gentle, natural smile.
Nozomu could only
stand there, stunned. At that moment, an unexpected person spoke.
"...Then, I guess
I'll go too."
What cut through the
sweet, honey-like atmosphere Irisdina was emitting was Feo's outrageous
declaration that he would also join the request.
"...Eh!?"
Irisdina let out a
surprised gasp at Feo's sudden announcement of participation.
The sweet, honey-like
scent from before had vanished, replaced by a suspicious gaze and a dubious
atmosphere surrounding them, as if this fox was thinking something strange
again.
"What's wrong
with that? We were talking about teaming up back then too. Oh, how about you, Shina?"
"H-huh!?"
Furthermore, because
Feo said something unexpected, Irisdina let out a surprised cry.
Shina also looked
bewildered as the conversation suddenly shifted to her.
"...Why me
too?"
"What are you
saying? You were supposed to team up with us back then, weren't you?"
Indeed, according to
the promise at that time, Shina was also supposed to join Nozomu's party.
Considering that, Feo's suggestion seemed natural.
However, Feo's
grinning face strangely fueled Shina's suspicion.
What he was saying
sounded reasonable, but even to Nozomu, his attitude clearly looked like he was
having fun.
"That's true,
but..."
Shina hesitated for a
moment, then glanced at Nozomu and Irisdina. Shina's eyes narrowed slightly,
becoming a little slanted.
The gaze directed at
the two became a little sharp, and for some reason, Nozomu felt a chill down
his spine.
Shina placed a hand on
her lips as if thinking for a moment, then shook her head.
"I'll pass. I
have something to do today..."
"Eh~, what's
that? It was just starting to get interesting... Oh, that's right! How about
Mars joins us too!?"
Nozomu felt a slight
unease at Feo's words about it getting interesting.
He glanced at Shina,
who averted her gaze with a huff. He tried to speak to her, but couldn't.
"Am I just an
afterthought...? I can't. I haven't finished helping at the shop."
"What, that's
boring. Helping out at home, huh..."
Feo pouted, looking
bored.
At his attitude,
Mars's temple twitched.
"You're partly to
blame, you know... Shall I remind you if you've forgotten?"
"Ha, haha...
That's right, family is important! What about Tom and the others!?"
Mars spoke to Feo with
a slightly menacing voice, wearing a good smile.
Seeing not only his
temple but also the corners of his mouth twitching and trembling, it seemed
that the Gyuutoutei had been in quite a mess due to that foolish commotion when
he was drunk.
The fox, who had been
subjected to Mars's intimidating smile, immediately decided to retreat. With a
slightly pale face, he forcibly brought up Tom.
"S-sorry. I've been
called by the teacher after school..."
"I'm with
Tom!"
"Hey, hold on,
you perverted fox."
It seemed Tom and the
others also had plans, just like Shina. Perhaps sensing an uneasy atmosphere,
Tom's voice was slightly stiff.
"Then it can't be
helped! It's decided that it's the three of us who will go to the forest!"
"I-is that
so..."
Mars tried to corner
Feo, who was clearly trying to escape. Feo, not wanting to be caught, now tried
to forcibly end the conversation.
When Feo went berserk
drunk at the Gyuutoutei, Tom, who was asleep, and his companions, who didn't
know the full story, all tilted their heads, but from Nozomu, who was present,
only exasperation and sighs emerged.
Among them, Teacher
Anri, one of the victims, who had inadvertently caused the male members present
to go wild with her unconscious charm, was, for some reason, smiling as usual
next to Teacher Norn. Even though she was one of the parties involved, she had
completely become an observer at some point.
As Nozomu was thinking
that this teacher might actually be the most unpredictable, Irisdina, who was
somehow next to him, spoke to him.
"Well, I'm
counting on you, Nozomu."
"...Yeah, you
too."
Nozomu replied, his
words slightly faltering.
Hearing his words, Feo
ostentatiously raised his voice and began to put away the empty bread bags.
"So, let’s meet
at the guild after school! Then we'll head to the forest! Oh, I'm really
looking forward to it... Well, that's that!"
"Wait, you!"
Feo, who forcibly
concluded the conversation, dashed out of the infirmary. Mars chased after the
fleeing Feo, also rushing out.
Nozomu watched the two
running noisily down the corridor, a wry smile on his face.
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