Volume 6
Chapter 8
After treating the injured female students, Irisdina and the others took a brief rest while waiting for Nozomu and Feo, who had gone to set up the perimeter. The treatment for the broken ribs was complete, and she could now somehow sit up.
"Are your
injuries okay? It would be terrible if such lovely young ladies were left with
scars. If your wounds still hurt, I'll..."
Zonne, still having an
eye for women, spoke to the first-year female students. He placed a hand on his
chest and bowed deeply, acting like a gentleman, but his eyes drooped, and his
nose was extended. Frankly, it was his usual perverted old man face.
"Uh, um... that’s..."
"Wh-who is this
person?"
The female students
who were addressed was completely intimidated by Zonne's strange aura. They
clung to Irisdina's arm, who was nearby, trying to distance themselves from
Zonne.
"Old man, even
though their wounds have closed, they are still injured. If you don't keep your
antics in moderation, you'll be punished someday."
"It's alright! I
won't do anything harmful to them. Rather, it feels so good they might get
addicted to it..."
The old man, snorting,
made a gesture as if kneading something with both hands. What's more, he was
grinning with a flushed face, his gaze drifting into space, which was
unbearable. The female students let out a shriek, feeling a chill run down their
spine.
"Old man, if you
don't stop..."
Irisdina smiled at the
old man before her, gently stroking her juniors' backs to reassure them.
However, she was directing a chillingly intimidating aura at Zonne.
"Ah, yes, I'll
behave..."
Zonne, struck by
Irisdina's menacing gaze, dejectedly backed down.
Eldor, who had been
watching this farce from the side, spoke to Irisdina with a puzzled expression.
"U-um, Senior
Irisdina. Who is this person?"
"Ah, he's an old
man who does fortune-telling in the commercial district. It seems he lost
something and entered this forest. He's an acquaintance... I guess?"
Thinking it over,
Irisdina herself hadn't met this old man that many times. He had harassed her
on her first date with Nozomu, tried to pick her up when they met on the
street, and held her precious sister's hand without permission...
"Mmm..."
Irisdina wore a rare
frown. Reflecting on past events, truly nothing good had happened. Honestly,
most of them were things that made her think it would be better to just turn
him over to the military police. That being said, Irisdina had experienced far
more sinister malice and depravity in noble society gatherings. She had
witnessed people who approached her, masking their jealousy and carnal desires
for her status and beauty with fake smiles and pleasant words. Compared to the
people in those places who didn't even see others as human, this old man seemed
better. It was probably because he didn't hide his true feelings. Some might
find his honesty refreshing. Irisdina definitely didn't want Nozomu to become
like Zonne, but she felt he wasn't a bad person, at least. However...
"Heh heh, well,
I'm this young lady's future spouse..."
"Sorry, I was mistaken.
I don't know such a rude person at all."
Irisdina immediately
retracted her previous assessment of Zonne as "not a bad person" and
dismissed Zonne's extremely rude remark. She then glared at the old man, who
showed no sign of listening to anyone's advice. Her glare, colder than ice,
pierced Zonne.
"I am but a
humble old man who runs a fortune-telling shop. I am truly grateful to this
young lady for helping me when I was lost in the forest."
Zonne, who had been
snorting and puffing out his chest, immediately rubbed his forehead on the
ground, begging for forgiveness, under Irisdina's pressure. He cut a truly
pathetic figure.
"H-haa... What a
strange old man..."
Eldor and the others
stared blankly at the comical scene unfolding in this forest, which involved
danger to life. Eldor and his team's expressions were still not good due to
having felt the danger of death up close, but as they watched the exchange
between Zonne and Irisdina, smiles returned to their faces.
"Oh, um... Thank
you very much, Senior Irisdina."
"You saved us."
The juniors once again
bowed to Irisdina. She shook her head in response, as if to tell them not to
worry about it
"You don't need
to thank me. Instead, I'd like you to thank Nozomu and the Feo when they
return. He was the first to notice the anomaly and rushed out, so help arrived
in time."
"Y-yes..."
Irisdina let out a wry
smile at their humbled expressions the moment they heard Nozomu's name. But
then, Eldor, who was sitting in front of Irisdina, spoke up, trying to gauge
her expression.
"U-um... Senior
Irisdina."
"Hm? What is
it?"
"Nozomu-senpai
and the others are...?"
"Ah, they're on
perimeter watch. Feo-kun is probably setting up a barrier, and Nozomu is
probably setting up other defensive lines besides magic ones, and checking if
there are any other magical beasts nearby. His presence detection ability is as
sharp as a beastman's."
"I-I see..."
A bead of sweat
trickled down Eldor's forehead at the mention of "beastman-level presence
detection." His voice also sounded somewhat dazed. He might still be
bewildered, having had his image of Nozomu Bountis, which he had heard about at
the academy, shattered repeatedly.
"Um... Who in the
world is Nozomu-senpai? He's completely different from the rumors..."
A male student next to
Eldor asked Irisdina about Nozomu. Indeed, the true Nozomu that Irisdina
experienced firsthand was completely different from the Nozomu in the rumors
circulating at the academy.
"What kind of
person is he... you ask."
Someone who saved
Somia, someone she owed an impossible debt to? The first boy she ever went on a
date with?
"Uhm, well, let's
see..."
Being asked what kind
of person he was, Irisdina stumbled over her words for a moment. What should
she say? There were many things about him that she couldn't easily speak of.
However, before she could answer, Zonne, who didn't know the contents of the
rumor, tilted his head and asked.
"Rumor? What
rumor?"
"Uhm... that he's
terrible at both sword and magic, and that he's a despicable man who cheated on
and betrayed his childhood friend who supported him..."
"............"
The junior
inadvertently blurted out the content of the rumor in response to Zonne's
question, but Irisdina's eyes naturally narrowed at the corners upon hearing
it.
"S-sorry."
"...No, I apologize,
it was wrong of me to get angry at you now."
Irisdina, too,
regretting her lack of maturity, apologized for her rudeness to the junior who
had apologized with slumped shoulders.
"However, that
story is all lies. I think you understood that by seeing him who just helped
you."
Irisdina's words made
Eldor and the others slowly nod. If he were the kind of person who would betray
a lover who supported him, as the rumors suggested, he wouldn't have tried to
help his juniors in a situation like this.
"Hmm~. Indeed,
that boy is a good-for-nothing, a rude idiot, but I certainly didn't see him as
someone who would do such a thing..."
Zonne, who had been
listening to Irisdina's words, stroked his white goatee as if in thought. His
tone was the same as usual, but his slightly furrowed brow exuded a different
aura from his usual carefree, instinct-first demeanor.
"Old man?"
As Irisdina looked at
the changed Zonne with a puzzled expression, she saw Eldor's perplexed face in
her vision. He still seemed to want to ask something, glancing at Irisdina
repeatedly.
"Is there something
you want to ask about him?"
Eldor's eyes widened
at Irisdina's question. He drifted his gaze into space for a moment, as if
hesitating, but then he quickly faced Irisdina with determination and opened
his mouth.
"U-um, well...
Why did Nozomu-senpai help us? Even though I said such terrible things..."
He must have felt
guilty about his attitude towards Nozomu. Eldor asked, looking down and
muttering in a small voice.
"Indeed, your
attitude at that time was not commendable. I myself found it unpleasant, and
though he might not show it, he probably wouldn't have a good feeling towards
you either."
"Figured so..."
Eldor's face darkened
and he looked down at Irisdina's harsh words. His actions in the city came back
to his mind. He had treated someone he had never met with extreme rudeness
based solely on rumors. At that time, the only information Eldor had to judge
Nozomu was that rumor. Indeed, people sometimes feel as if they understand
others based only on the information they possess, but they can't possibly
truly understand others based solely on that. Realizing that, Eldor bit his lip
in regret, recalling his actions in the city.
"But, well,
Nozomu himself doesn't seem to care much about what was said. I also can't
overlook the situation of our juniors, and I don't think he had any deep reason
for helping you all. The rest is up to you, isn't it?"
"M-myself?"
"What did you
think when you saw Nozomu?"
"...Honestly, I
couldn't find the words. Despite having a handicap like ability suppression, I
wondered how he could move like that. And besides..."
Eldor recalled the
battle between Nozomu and the orcs that had just taken place. Nozomu, who
deliberately plunged into the group of orcs to save them. His movements weren't
particularly fast, but if the katana in his hand flashed, the orcs would be cut
down before they knew it. His sword movements were so fluid that he could
vividly recall every detail even with his eyes closed. Nozomu's figure was
etched vividly into Eldor's mind. More than anything, Nozomu's words clung to
Eldor's ears.
Irisdina and
the others will finish soon. Hold out until then. Understood?
He had cared for him,
even though he had said such terrible things. What kind of words had he uttered
to such a person? Guilt welled up even further within Eldor. Before his figure,
Irisdina wore a wry smile, as if it couldn't be helped.
"I hate to say
this, but at least you're regretting your actions now, aren't you? After this,
only you can decide how you'll face those feelings."
As Irisdina said, what
mattered was what came next. He couldn't change the past. If Eldor wanted to do
something about what he had said to Nozomu, what mattered was now.
"But, what should
I do...?"
But now, anxiety
welled up from the depths of his heart. It was no wonder he was troubled. When
one realized their mistakes that they had no choice but to acknowledge, one was
exposed to uncontrollable negative emotions such as guilt and incoherent anger.
And they suffered even more because they couldn't express it to others, or
realized they couldn't.
"...Boy. There
are many reasons for what is gnawing at your heart now. Self-pity and shame,
guilt towards that boy. They must all be jumbled together."
When Irisdina was
about to speak, seeing the troubled Eldor, it was Zonne who opened his mouth.
"However, the
first step is crucial in everything. And in the case of human relationships
like this, if you carelessly prolong it, you often end up with an unresolved
wound."
As Zonne said, many
people miss the opportunity to apologize and end up in awkward relationships.
If they just had a little courage to take that step, their future might change
completely, but it wasn't easy to muster the courage to take that step.
"Of course, it is
necessary to properly arrange what you are feeling in the depths of your heart.
To reflect on your past self and what you want to do from now on. Otherwise,
whatever action you take will ultimately lead to regret."
"............"
However, Zonne said
that not only courage to take a step, but also sorting one’s feelings was
necessary. Eldor and the others listened to his words. Although his expression
was the same as usual, Irisdina was inwardly surprised by Zonne's demeanor,
which was different from his usual lecherous self. At the same time, Nozomu,
who had gone to scout the area, flickered in her mind.
"Sorting one’s
feelings, huh..."
The words that escaped
him like a soliloquy vanished into the dim forest. The current Nozomu was
probably like that too. The image of Nozomu after he had told her everything
about the truth of that rumor flashed through Irisdina's mind. Anger towards
his friend who had set him up, regret for losing himself to anger. And the
sadness of not being able to truly walk alongside his childhood friends with
whom he had made a promise. Nozomu wore a complicated smile, as if all of it
was jumbled together. But after he sorted out those feelings, what would he do?
Would he completely cut ties with his childhood friends? Or...?
"But, I..."
She couldn't give
Nozomu, who was now trying to find an answer, her own answer. If they
interfered, it would no longer be his answer. But she had also promised to do
her best if needed. Feeling an indescribable ache in her chest, Irisdina, with
that promise in her heart, stared into the direction where Nozomu had
disappeared.
***
After the injured
juniors were treated and Nozomu and his team had a brief rest, Irisdina and Feo
walked through the forest with Eldor, the first-year students, and Zonne. Their
destination was the place that was supposed to be an orc den. After treating
the juniors and taking a short break, they discussed what to do with Eldor and
Zonne, and decided to return to town for now. However, Zonne threw a tantrum.
According to him, the item he was looking for was very important, and he
couldn't turn back now that he knew its location. Irisdina and the others tried
to persuade him for a while, but Zonne stubbornly refused to go home. Seeing
the old man's stubbornness, Nozomu and the others eventually gave in. Irisdina
didn't look too happy about it, but according to Nozomu, "It's useless to
say anything to old men like him, and he'll force his way in even if you send
him home." This was probably a decision born from his familiarity with
someone like Shino, who never listened to anyone. Irisdina and Feo, seeing
Nozomu's words and the old man's readiness to go on alone, also gave in. As a
result, Eldor and his team were also brought along. Although their wounds from
the battle with the orcs had healed, they were still anxious about taking their
unreliable juniors with them. However, at the same time, they were also anxious
about sending them back alone. There was a possibility that they might
encounter other magic beasts on the way back. As a result, they firmly told
Zonne and Eldor's group not to stray from them, and Irisdina and Feo guarded
them as they advanced little by little, with Nozomu going ahead to scout the
den's condition. Nozomu went ahead because he was accustomed to acting alone in
this forest, and Irisdina and Feo could use magic to protect Eldor and Zonne
with barriers. Irisdina and the others proceeded cautiously, mindful of their
surroundings. But when they heard Nozomu's report, their worries turned out to
be unfounded. When Nozomu arrived at the orc den, it was already empty.
"No sign of
orcs."
"That's right.
There's no trace of them having fled in a hurry or being attacked by other
magic beasts. It seems the ones we just defeated were all of them."
It seemed they had
already completed the request without realizing it. Animal bones, presumably
eaten by orcs, were scattered around, but the crumbling remains of small goblin
tents still remained in places. In the shadows, they also saw the decaying,
almost skeletal remains of goblins.
"The goblin
corpses are still here, and the tent remains are untouched. The orcs must have
settled here very recently."
"Oh, so Nozomu
knew about the goblins that lived here?"
Feo asked Nozomu about
the place, noticing his familiar tone.
"Well, yeah. I
almost became dinner here once..."
Nozomu didn't mention
the black magic beast since Eldor and the others were present. Instead, he told
them about his previous visit to this place. But at the same time, he also
unearthed unnecessary memories. The scene of him almost becoming dinner
himself, when he was ordered by his master to get food for dinner, flashed back
to Nozomu. Countless small creatures chased him. Little brats like goblins,
making cute grunting sounds, wielding clubs instead of sweets, and pressing in
on him. The number of opponents was too overwhelming, and he didn't have enough
traps, so he barely managed to escape after almost an hour of running. And when
he returned to the hut, out of breath, waiting for him was an old woman with a
terrifying Hannya face... Nozomu's dry laughter, with his vacant eyes drifting
aimlessly, gave Eldor and the others an unspeakable sense of unease, causing
them to pull back significantly.
"Nozomu, Nozomu!
Pull yourself together!"
Irisdina grabbed
Nozomu's shoulder and desperately shook him, but he showed no sign of returning
to reality. Leaving Nozomu to Irisdina for now, Feo looked around again. Orcs'
tools were scattered around. There might still be some stolen goblin items.
"There's what the
old man is looking for in here. Old man! What is it you're looking
for...?"
"I know, I know!
It's here!"
Just as Feo was about
to ask Zonne what he was looking for, the old man suddenly started running at
full speed.
"Wait...!"
Feo frantically chased
after him. Irisdina and the others, and Nozomu, who was still preoccupied, also
started chasing Zonne, who had suddenly begun to run.
"It's here!"
Zonne, who had
suddenly dashed off, arrived at a mountain of rubble taller than a human. Among
the rubble, which at first glance looked like mere trash, there were also
paintings drawn with delicate brushstrokes and expensive cosmetics for nobles.
However, these works of art must have been worthless to goblins and orcs. Items
that countless craftsmen had painstakingly created, and that nobles and
merchants would eagerly pay precious metals and gold coins for, were discarded
here as lumps of dirt. The paintings were cruelly torn, and the white porcelain
vases were shattered. The other expensive items probably held no more value now
than the garbage they were mixed with. As Nozomu and the others felt a strange
sensation at the sight, the old man's cries echoed as he leaped onto the
mountain of rubble.
"Where is it,
where is it?!"
Zonne leaped onto the
mountain of rubble, bloodshot eyes, frantically digging. It wasn't easy to dig
through the rubble, which was half-buried in damp soil, and the old man's hands
and clothes quickly became black with compost. Nevertheless, Zonne desperately
continued to remove the rubble. Former expensive artworks and jewelry were dug
up by Zonne's hands one after another and flew into the air. His appearance was
far removed from his usual frivolous, lecherous old man persona. And the sight
of the valuable artworks being discarded, which were now perhaps worthless,
made Nozomu and Irisdina and the others stare in bewilderment.
"Fuu-ooh-doryaaaaah!"
Zonne, raising a
particularly large wooden box, let out a spirited yell that seemed unlike an
old man, and threw the box. Perhaps something quite heavy was inside. The
wooden box, falling to the ground, deeply gouged the earth, scattering clumps
of soil around. Nozomu and the others hastily dodged the flying clumps of dirt
and then saw Zonne, frozen with wide eyes.
"Oh, oh, oooh..."
A groaning sound
squeezed from the old man's mouth. He had probably found his objective.
Wondering what this old man had been searching for, Nozomu approached Zonne and
followed his gaze.
"This is...
Eh?"
A dazed sound escaped
Nozomu's lips. In his line of sight were nearly a hundred pieces of paper,
mangled with dirt and mud. But what surprised him was what was written on the
paper. It was...
"The old man was
looking for erotic prints?!"
On nearly all hundred
pieces of paper were depicted nude women. From ordinary humans to beastmen, and
even demon races like succubi with bat-like wings on their backs, alluring
women were sensually drawn. The depicted women were giving enticing glances to
the viewer... but sadly, all of them were stained with mud and dirt, and had
faded.
"Oh... Ligreenaria!
Sagini! Yao-yan! Why have you become like this...?"
Zonne slapped his
hands on the ground, lamenting, seemingly calling out the names of the depicted
women. Faced with the perverted old man's appearance, Nozomu put a hand to his
forehead and looked up at the sky. Had they gone through all this trouble for
something like this? When Zonne suddenly appeared when the orc fled, the old
man might have almost died... Irisdina and Eldor and the others, who had been
watching the scene unfold behind Nozomu, also peered over, wondering what was
going on.
"!"
"Eh, whoa! Even
in a place like this...!"
Eldor and the others'
faces flushed red, having seen the nude female bodies drawn on the paper. They
were innocents for their age when it came to such topics. Even though Eldor, at
first glance, had a flashy appearance that suggested he enjoyed flirting with
women. Meanwhile, Nozomu, too, was somewhat blushing from embarrassment, but he
was more overcome by fatigue. Even looking at the painting, which shamelessly
displayed beautiful limbs, his crucial energy had withered.
"You could have
been with me forever from now on... Why did this happen?!"
What were you
planning to do with them, old man...?
Nozomu muttered to
himself, watching Zonne, who was screaming loud enough to echo deep into the
forest, with tired eyes.
"Iris. For now,
shall we go home?"
"Y-yeah. I don't
see any orcs either... So the request is fulfilled, I guess?"
Irisdina replied
somewhat hesitantly to Nozomu's tired voice. When Nozomu looked at Irisdina,
she, too, seemed exasperated by Zonne, turning away and putting a hand to her
mouth. Nozomu couldn't see it, but her cheeks seemed a little flushed.
"In the end, we
were just at the mercy of the old man..."
"W-well, yeah.
But isn't it fine? We managed to clear out the orc den, which was the
objective."
Indeed, they had been
put through various things, and there were many headaches, but as she said, the
hunters would be relieved now.
"That's right. By
the way, Iris, why are you still looking away?"
"N-no, it's nothing.
Don't worry about it..."
Nozomu tilted his head
at Irisdina's rather elusive reply.
"U-um.
Nozomu-senpai, Irisdina-senpai... what about that person?"
When Nozomu looked at
Zonne again at Eldor's voice, he frowned again.
"Ugh, sniffle,
sniffle..."
Nozomu looked to where
the old man was digging a hole, his cheeks red and swollen. Zonne finished
digging a hole about knee-deep, then put his mud-covered collection into it and
covered it with dirt. He even kindly erected a grave marker-like board, and the
board was filled with the names of women he had just been shouting, like Ligreenaria
and Sagini.
"When did he make
that grave marker...?"
Nozomu watched, 30%
surprised, 70% exasperated, as Zonne picked flowers blooming nearby and offered
them at his collection's grave. He must have been truly saddened by his damaged
collection. With a face so covered in tears, snot, and other fluids that it was
unbearable to look at, he looked up at the sky like a tragic heroine witnessing
the end of the world. That scene, combined with the sunlight filtering through
the gaps in the trees, was like a painting. Except the models were a perverted
old man and his collection. It was both divine and utterly ridiculous.
"Wh-what should
we do...?"
Receiving Eldor and
the others' gazes, a mixture of bewilderment and anxiety, Nozomu and Irisdina's
answer was one.
""Just leave
him for now.""
It was complete
disregard.
By the way, as a side
note, it turned out that the request Eldor and the others accepted at the guild
was the very one this perverted old man had requested before, which inflicted
considerable damage on their morale.
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