Volume 7
Chapter 1
This was a time when the morning sun had not yet risen from the horizon, and the sky was gradually beginning to brighten. The light of dawn began to illuminate the cityscape of Arcazam.
In the northern
district of Arcazam, a certain mansion built in the area where the city's
brains, such as the administrative office, were concentrated, she awoke.
Irisdina Francilt. A
girl with an impressive appearance, with glossy black hair and dignified,
jet-black eyes like obsidian.
She woke up early in
the morning, at about the same time as the servants, shed her negligee, and
quickly took a bath.
After lightly washing
off her night sweat, she went to the mirror, put on her underwear, and then her
Solminati Academy uniform.
Then, facing the
mirror, she began to comb her hair with a practiced hand.
As the next head of
the Francilt family, an influential figure from one of the great powers in
Arcazam, she could have left everything to her servants if she so wished.
Considering her family's prestige, she was, in fact, a person who should have
done so.
But fundamentally, she
had a disposition to do her personal affairs herself.
Her figure, after
quickly applying light makeup, combined with her already well-proportioned
features, shone so brightly as to be reminiscent of a work of art.
But contrary to that
brilliance, for some reason, her expression was stiff.
Usually, she had a
noble image like a lily, but now she gave a different impression.
Her lips were drawn
into a single line. Without breaking her rigid expression, Irisdina continued
to gaze at her own reflection in the mirror.
Knock, knock,
knock.
The sound of a door
being knocked echoed in the silent room.
"...Enter."
"Good morning,
young lady. Breakfast is ready."
Hearing the maid's
words, she glanced out the window.
The sun, which had
been hidden behind the city's shadows until just a moment ago, was beginning to
show its face.
"...Understood.
I'll be right there."
Eventually, with a
knock on the door, she was informed by the maid that breakfast was ready. She
gave a concise reply and left her room.
"..."
Passing through the
door, Irisdina was about to head to the dining room. At that moment, she
glanced back.
What she saw through
the gap of the door as it closed with a creaking sound was a white building
towering beyond the window shining in the morning sun.
***
After finishing
breakfast, Irisdina, walking through the city with her younger sister, met up
with Shina, Mimuru, Tima, and Mars on their way from the administrative
district to the central park.
"Good morning,
everyone!"
"Oh, Somicchi.
Morning~~"
"Ai, good
morning."
"Ah, good
morning, Tima. And you too, Shina-kun..."
"Yes."
Somia and Mimuru, who
had become good friends, lightly raised their hands to each other, and Irisdina
and the others also gave small nods, exchanging greetings.
"Yo, Irisdina.
You're early, as expected."
"You too,
Mars-kun..."
From across the
street, Mars, Tom, Feo, and the others also arrived.
Although the sun had
risen, it was still early to go to school, and the people walking on the street
were sparse.
Even though summer was
approaching, the cold morning air was still chilly, and Mimuru would
occasionally shiver.
Irisdina and the
others walked down the still-chilly street. Eventually, as they approached the
central park, Tima, who was walking next to Irisdina, began to speak.
"Are two you
going again today?"
"...Yeah."
"Yes, honestly,
we can't do much, but I think it's better than doing nothing..."
Irisdina answered
Tima's questioning inquiry with a sullen expression.
Shina added to
Irisdina's reply, but her face also seemed to have a shadow over it.
"...Hey,
shouldn't we go too?"
"I'd like to,
but..."
"Well, it's
probably impossible. We don't have permission from Jihad-sensei and the
others."
Following Mars's
words, Tom and Feo continued.
The fox-tailed young
man shrugged his shoulders and twisted his mouth into a dissatisfied pout.
"They don't want
to involve more people than necessary... something like that, I bet."
"..."
Mars fell silent at Feo's
words. As if drawn in by him, a silence dominated the area.
The alien power that
Nozomu had released. After seeing that, Jihad and the others had questioned
Irisdina and the others after the chaos of the incident had subsided.
At first, Irisdina and
the others had not mentioned that Nozomu was a dragonslayer, but in the course
of the questioning, they had been forced to reveal that secret.
Aside from Irisdina,
there were some who were bad at lying. That's why, before they aroused any
unnecessary suspicion from Jihad and the others, they had told them that Nozomu
was a dragonslayer.
At the same time,
there was also the intention of drawing Jihad and the others to their side.
Of course, since Jihad
had heard all of Nozomu's secrets from Zonne, it was merely a confirmation...
Irisdina and the
others continued to walk in silence. Eventually, they arrived at the central
park.
"Well then, we'll
be heading off here..."
Irisdina and Shina
strayed from the path to the academy and turned their feet in another
direction.
Their remaining
comrades returned their smiles with an effort.
"Roger, we'll go
on ahead. Say hi to Nozomu for us."
"When you get to
his place, give him a good punch in the head for me. Maybe the shock
will..."
"Mars-kun...?"
Following Feo, who
lightly raised his hand to Irisdina and the others, Mars made a flippant
remark.
As Tima gave Mars a
sidelong glance for his comment, he gave a small shrug.
"...Just kidding.
Anyway, tell him for me. If he doesn't come to the academy soon, his grades are
going to be in deep trouble."
"...Got it, I'll
tell him."
Mars hadn't said it
seriously. He just wanted to lighten the mood of his comrades.
Although the remark
was inappropriate, it was his own clumsy way of showing concern.
Even though the time
they had spent together was not long, Tima and the others, who had spent that
time intensely, understood Mars's feelings painfully well.
"Big Sister, I'm
counting on you..."
"Yeah... I'm
off."
Somia, who had been
all smiles until just a moment ago, now had a stiff expression. As if to
reassure her younger sister, Irisdina gave her head a single pat.
"Well then,
everyone, see you at the academy..."
Irisdina and Shina
began to walk away from their comrades. Their destination was the medical
facility of the Gloaurum Institute, where Nozomu was being held.
***
Irisdina and Shina,
who had visited the Gloaurum Institute, first spoke to the female doctor in
charge of Nozomu and accompanied her on her rounds.
The three of them
continued to walk through the hospital wing, where the chill of the night still
lingered.
Irisdina and Shina,
following behind the female doctor, were holding sheets, towels, and a
disinfection tray containing tweezers, gauze, and bandages.
"By the way, are
you two okay with your classes?"
"We're fine. The
academy is right next to this facility, so we shouldn't be late for
class."
"And we won't interfere
with your work. We can't provide specialized treatment, but please let us help
with at least this much."
Irisdina and Shina
replied clearly to the doctor's concerned words.
They were now helping
this female doctor for a few hours a day in this medical facility. To be
precise, they were nursing a certain person who was housed in this medical
facility.
Nozomu Bountis.
Although it was kept from the public, he was an academy student who had played
a major role in the recent Abyss Grief parasitism incident and had fallen
unconscious at the same time.
Yes, nearly two weeks
had passed since that incident, but Nozomu had still not regained
consciousness.
It was a few days
after he was brought in that Irisdina and Shina had offered to nurse him.
The female doctor, who
had no intention of involving amateur students in specialized medical
procedures, had frowned when Irisdina and Shina first offered to help nurse
Nozomu.
Originally, it was
unthinkable to involve amateurs or outsiders in the medical care at such a
specialized institution.
Especially in the case
of Nozomu Bountis, Jihad Raundel himself had explicitly warned that
"contact with unnecessary individuals is strictly forbidden."
It was true that
Irisdina and the others were related to the academy, but they were not part of
the Gloaurum Institute. Originally, they should not have been able to help with
Nozomu's treatment, nor should they have been able to enter this facility.
But now, they were
allowed to enter this facility only with regard to Nozomu.
This was because
Irisdina and the others had fiercely negotiated directly with Jihad, who had
forbidden contact with Nozomu, and because Jihad had judged that their contact
would be beneficial for Nozomu.
However, due to
facility regulations and medical procedures, permission could not be given to
just anyone.
Therefore, only a
limited number of people were given permission to nurse Nozomu.
The tasks they were
allowed to do were limited to changing the sheets, carrying things, and
periodically moving the bedridden Nozomu's body to prevent bedsores.
No matter how
excellent they were, Irisdina and Shina had not received any specialized
medical education.
Furthermore, being
unaccustomed to the work here, they sometimes made mistakes even with simple
tasks.
At such times, the
female doctor would raise her eyebrows and scold them harshly, but Irisdina and
Shina never complained.
On the contrary, they
proactively tried to do any job they were given.
And when they left,
they would bow their heads apologetically, saying, "We're sorry for the
trouble," so the staff of this medical facility never thought of them as a
nuisance.
"Well, it's fine.
As long as you don't get in the way..."
As a result, the
usually difficult female doctor had recently stopped complaining much.
While they were doing
this, they arrived at their destination.
The three of them
stopped in front of a certain hospital room. Nozomu was in this room.
When he was brought to
this facility, Nozomu was in an extremely weakened state. At first, it was thought
to be due to an over-exhaustion of his ki, but even now that his body should
have recovered, there was no sign of him waking up.
"..."
"..."
The two beautiful
girls stared at the hospital room door in silence. Irisdina's dignified
eyebrows twisted slightly, and her cheeks tensed, while Shina's hand, which was
holding the disinfection tray, unconsciously tightened.
And as if to show
their concern, the depths of their straight gazes wavered slightly, like a heat
haze.
When they visited this
hospital room, they always had this expression.
A complex face, a
mixture of expectation and anxiety. While desperately suppressing this in the
depths of their hearts, they would reach for the doorknob of his hospital room
every day.
Glancing at them from
the side, the female doctor let out a small sigh.
"Good grief, what
a difficult situation..."
Although she
complained, from her point of view, these two also had an aura different from
other people.
Fine-textured skin and
long hair that flowed lightly in the wind. Although they were of different
types, with the dignified Irisdina and the mysterious Shina, they were charming
girls who would make anyone let out a sigh of admiration if they walked down
the street.
Days of strict
academic work and training. While performing training that wore down their
bodies and minds every day, they would come here and help nurse him.
Seeing them like this
every day, the female doctor, who had interacted with many people, could tell
as if she were holding it in her hand just how much they were worried about
him.
At the same time, she
also felt a sense of frustration at being unable to do anything about the
current situation.
Nozomu Bountis was
currently in a deep comatose state. In other words, he was asleep and not
waking up, but a detailed examination revealed that he was in a rather unique
state.
Currently, his body
temperature is quite low and his pulse has slowed, apparently putting him in a
state close to an animal's hibernation.
Normally, when a human's
body temperature drops below 20 degrees Celsius, the heart stops, leading to
death. But Nozomu's body temperature had stabilized at around 31 degrees
Celsius, and no major fluctuations had been observed since.
Although a person's
body temperature does drop to some extent during daily sleep, the change is on
average about one degree. It is almost impossible for it to drop this much.
It was proposed to
raise Nozomu's body temperature to increase his metabolism and promote
awakening, but it was not known what would actually happen.
Furthermore, since no
sudden changes in his condition were observed at present, it was ultimately
decided to continue observing his progress.
But at the same time,
this also meant that the situation where it was unknown when Nozomu would wake
up would continue.
"Come on... let's
go in."
As the doctor called
out to the silent girls, Irisdina finally put her hand on the door.
With a creaking sound
from the hinges, the hospital room, dyed an inorganic white, peeked through the
gap in the door.
But the next moment,
the sight that jumped into their eyes made Irisdina and the others' pupils
waver greatly.
A barren hospital room
with a simple bed and a stand, and the figure of a boy lying there. But now, in
that inorganic white, a captivating red was shining.
As if remembering, the
female doctor clapped her hands.
"Oh, right, I
didn't tell you. She came first, so I had her go here first."
A single girl was
looking down at the face of Nozomu, who was lying in bed. Lisa Hounds was
there.
"..."
"..."
Their gazes crossed in
silence.
***
In a certain room in
Arcazam, the office of the person who stood above all the instructors of this
academy, a weary voice echoed.
"Good grief, it's
finally over."
"Thank you for
your hard work. But I don't think it would have been a problem for you. ...The
documents in question are..."
The white-haired old
man, Zonne, collapsed onto the sofa with his shoulders slumped. Sitting
opposite him was the master of this room, Jihad Raundel.
"I delivered them
to the other party properly. Making me go all the way to such a distant place,
changing my appearance into an envoy, and going through troublesome
procedures... You work an old man hard."
"But thanks to
you, we were saved. Our own means of communication would have taken too
long."
While looking at the
old man's listless attitude, Jihad gave a wry smile.
But Jihad's expression
quickly tightened. A gaze as sharp as a bird of prey's pierced Zonne.
"And regarding
this matter, mutual cooperation is necessary. That's what we agreed on..."
"I know, I know.
I was just saying. ...You've heard my conditions, haven't you?"
"Ah... you mean
that matter."
Zonne had made a
request to Jihad in exchange for his cooperation.
"That's right. I
would like you to let me place a 'wedge' in this academy..."
"...I understand.
I've already considered some candidate locations."
As if prompted by
Zonne's words, Jihad slowly stood up from the sofa and headed for a corner of
the office.
The desk in his office
that he headed for. Under it was a heavily sealed safe.
He undid the multiple
locks one by one and took out a single map from inside. It was a floor plan of
Solminati Academy.
Jihad spread the floor
plan in front of Zonne and pointed to a single spot.
"If it's here,
there are various magic facilities underground. I don't think even the
instructors of this academy will notice your 'wedge' here..."
Wedge.
A word that would be
incomprehensible to an outsider. But there was no one here to question its
details.
"Indeed, the
facilities above will serve as a disguise..."
"Yes, but the
problem is the influence of the facilities on the upper level..."
"That shouldn't
be a problem. My magic is fundamentally different from yours..."
"And one more
thing, the matter I asked you about..."
"Ah, I've looked
into it."
As he said that, Zonne
took out a rolled-up bundle of papers from his pocket and tossed it onto the
spread-out academy floor plan.
"Thank you."
Jihad took the bundle
of papers while saying his thanks and checked its contents.
The bundle of papers
was filled with text, written without any gaps, and a single map was attached.
It was a map of
Arcazam, drawn like a spider's web from the center. Red marks were placed here
and there.
"Regarding that
matter, I can no longer help you."
As if to say that this
was the end of the matter, Zonne cut off the conversation. Jihad, perhaps also
aware of this, gave a small nod.
"I understand. As
for Nozomu-kun..."
"He hasn't woken
up yet, has he? Don't worry. The reason the brat is sleeping is because his own
ability, which had been dormant... or rather, he had been unaware of, has
suddenly manifested. Well, Tiamat's influence might also have something to do
with it..."
He sat back deeply in
the sofa, leaning back, and waved his hand nonchalantly as if it were a
foregone conclusion.
"In the first
place, the brat's ability, unlike Tiamat's power, is not something that harms
him originally. Even if he's sleeping now, he'll awaken once he settles
down."
Hearing those words,
Jihad's eyes sharpened.
"...So you've
already examined his body."
"Of course. My
original objective is to watch over the future of that brat."
To be honest, Jihad
had no recollection of giving permission for Zonne, who was not an academy
staff member, to meet with Nozomu. But knowing this old man, he had probably
snuck in and examined his body.
Jihad frowned at the
liberty he had taken, but with a mixture of exasperation, he let out a small
sigh.
Considering this old
man's extraordinary abilities, it would probably be easy for him to get into
that facility.
"You say you're
watching over Nozomu-kun, but you don't seem to be very actively involved with
them."
"Hmm? Does it
look that way?"
Towards Zonne, who
looked as if he had been offended, Jihad kept his eyes narrowed and did not
avert his gaze from the old man in front of him.
The bright morning
office was filled with an indescribably heavy air.
No, it was only Jihad
who was emitting a heavy presence; Zonne was relaxed, tilting his head and
stroking his beard.
The old man showed no
signs of being flustered, and not a hint of agitation could be felt.
"Considering your
identity, it's not incomprehensible... but it seems there's some other reason
as well..."
"Is that so? I
don't think so..."
"...I see."
Zonne, tilting his
head and stroking his beard, and Jihad, who continued to glare at the old man.
For a while, a silence
dominated the office.
"Regarding the
'wedge,' tonight, around the time the moon is at its highest..."
"Understood. Well
then, at that time..."
It was Jihad who broke
the silence. Following him, Zonne stood up from the sofa and turned on his
heel.
Jihad didn't know if
the old man had no intention of speaking or if there was truly nothing, but it
was difficult to continue the conversation in the office any longer.
Multiple presences
could be felt in the distance. The instructors and students had arrived at the
academy.
Another day was
beginning.
Some time had passed
since the incident caused by Ken Notice, and the academy was gradually
beginning to calm down.
But beneath the
surface, a fierce storm was still raging.
What kind of result
would that storm bring to this academy?
First and foremost,
Nozomu Bountis, whose identity as a young dragonslayer had been revealed.
His friends, including
Irisdina Francilt, who surrounded him, and his former lover, Lisa Hounds.
The movements of
external forces, including Mekuria.
And the old man in
front of him.
Right now, something
big was continuing to move in this academy.
While watching Zonne,
who raised his staff and disappeared with a flash of light, Jihad felt this
keenly.
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