Volume 8
Chapter 17
The Opening Festival. It was not only Solminati Academy's open campus but also a major event for the students. On that day, the academy was opened to the public during the daytime, and various people from both inside and outside visited the academy. The students, too, were attending classes with more spirit than usual, trying to appeal their own abilities on this occasion. However, the main event was the party held in the evening. Dignitaries from various countries would participate in the party, which was attended by the top-performing students of each grade, and the students would determine their own career paths, while the scouts from each country would compete to acquire more outstanding talent. On the other hand, for Arcazam as well, this opportunity, where many people related to the dignitaries of various countries would visit, was a considerable business opportunity. This was because many visitors, such as the attendants and guards of the dignitaries, would be coming. Along with that, the whole city became lively, trying to get in on this business opportunity.
"Uuuuh, I'm
getting nervous..."
While the academy and
the city were in a festive mood, Nozomu, dressed in the neat formal wear he had
received from Victor, was alone in the party participants' waiting room,
holding his stomach. The place where Nozomu was now was the guesthouse
established next to the Martial Arts Garden. It was a place for entertaining
the dignitaries and others who visited the academy, but naturally, it was a
place that Nozomu had had no connection with until now, and a facility that he
had not paid any attention to. As for its construction, it was a luxurious
building that was somewhat reminiscent of Irisdina's mansion, with a large hall
on the first floor that was large enough to hold a ball or a dinner party, and
a waiting room for the party participants. The second floor was equipped with a
salon, game facilities, and other things. At the time of the opening festival
party, the usual way was to mainly meet and greet in the ballroom on the first
floor, and to have detailed discussions in the salons on the second floor.
Incidentally, the waiting room where Nozomu was was exclusively for the male
students participating in the party, and upon closer inspection, he could see
some familiar faces here and there. Perhaps because it was made as a waiting
room, there was also a large, magic-driven pendulum clock on the wall.
"Are you okay,
Nozomu-kun?"
Perhaps having found
the slumped-shouldered Nozomu's figure, Tom called out to him.
"Tom, huh? I'm
okay... or not."
"I can't believe
you're the same person who was rampaging in the mock battle this morning."
"It can't be
helped. I've said it before, but I've never participated in such a big
party."
While suppressing the
sigh that was on the verge of escaping him again, Nozomu's shoulders slumped in
anxiety at the first battle that was about to begin.
"Where are Mars
and the others?"
"We're right
here."
"Yo."
When Nozomu turned his
gaze in the direction of the voice, he saw Mars and Feo, dressed in the formal
wear they had received from Victor before.
"What's with the
gloomy face, Nozomu?"
"You too..."
"By the way, I
was with Mars this morning, but were you in a normal joint class, Nozomu?"
"Yeah. As for
you, Tom, you had a thesis presentation in the morning, didn't you?"
"Rather than a
thesis, I guess it was more like a magic practical skills presentation? Yeah,
it was a demonstration of the construction of a high magic power control
formula and the variation in magic power efficiency due to the formation-style
inscription method, as well as the observation of the variation in control
efficiency due to different types of formulas..."
"That sounds like
a topic that would give you a headache."
"Ahaha... But it
was quite well-received. The fact that Mars-kun and Tima-san cooperated was a
big help~"
During the public
opening of the opening festival, although classes were being held as usual,
there were also places where, like Tom, one could present their own research or
perform practical skill demonstrations.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, my
gauntlet's formula, Tima's continuously deployed magic barrier, Shina's
enchanted arrows, and..."
"I was also with
them, you know?"
"So, the four of
you together?"
At Nozomu's question,
Feo and Mars nodded proudly. It seemed that the content of Tom's presentation
was related to the formula that Mars and the others had used when Nozomu had
gone on a rampage before. The content was just to present the observation
records of when Tima had poured magic power into each formula that Tom had
prepared and Feo had controlled it with his talisman magic, and to do a simple
practical skills demonstration, but the results were apparently excellent. In
particular, the high magic power efficiency of each formula and the control
assistance using talisman magic were highly evaluated. Although this was the
result of Tom's formula, Tima's magic power and ability, and Feo's magic
control meshing well, it seemed that the people from the research institutions
of various countries had shown considerable interest. The drawback was the
recoil on the medium on which the formula was carved. The high-power, high-load
magic power recoil was, as always, present, and it was said that the medium
after use was, as expected, damaged to the point of being unusable. Still, the
formula, which enabled the control of Tima-class magic power and Mars's
magic-ki combination technique, albeit in a very limited way, had struck a
chord with those who made a living in that field.
"Yeah, your joint
class, Nozomu-kun, was a normal mock battle, wasn't it?"
"That's right,
just like usual..."
"Just like usual,
huh. I feel sorry for your opponents."
"?"
Mars imagined the
figure of Nozomu, who had probably been unleashing his special techniques
unconsciously as always, and a meaningful grin appeared on his lips. At the
same time, Mars was also thinking that, as expected, this best friend of his
did not really care about the evaluations from others in his heart.
"By the way,
Nozomu, you also had a mock battle with Kevin, didn't you? How did it go? You
beat that noisy mutt to a pulp, right?"
Perhaps he had heard
somewhere that Nozomu and Kevin had had a mock battle in their joint class in
the morning, as Feo put his arm around Nozomu's shoulder and pressed him.
"No, the class
ended before we could settle it."
"What, how
boring."
At the fact that it
was not the result he had expected, Feo pouted. In reality, as for Nozomu,
although he was annoyed at being bothered by Kevin, he was more concerned about
Egurodo's presence and his own blunder at that time.
"Hah..."
"What's with the
sigh? I get that it's a pain to be bothered by Kevin, but..."
"It's not that...
No, that's also a pain, but..."
At Nozomu's somehow
vague words, Mars and the others urged him to speak. As he was prompted by Mars
and the others, Nozomu began to talk about the events after the mock battle.
That he had been called out to by a great noble named Egurodo Fabran and had
been asked a question with a high-handed attitude. That when he had found out
that his opponent was a political enemy of the Francilt family and had given a
vague answer, he had been laughed at. Furthermore, when he had begun to insult
Irisdina and the others, who had stepped in, he had not been able to bear it
and had ended up hitting him with his sword ki for real.
"You hit a great
noble with your killing intent..."
Tom himself also had
the experience of facing an all-out Nozomu, although he had been on a rampage.
Remembering Nozomu's sword ki, which was like his entire body was being
bisected by a sharp blade, Tom's face turned pale. It was definitely not
something one should do to a great noble of a country.
"Ha, hahaha!
That's great, isn't it!"
While Tom was stunned
at Nozomu's action, Mars was laughing out loud as if it were a thrilling
experience.
"It's not great!
It's a huge problem!"
"Why? This is
Arcazam, remember? It's not the country of Forsina, you know?"
"That's, true,
but..."
As Mars said, this
Arcazam was a neutral territory where the power of various countries did not
directly reach. If this had been within the country of Forsina, it would have
been a huge problem, but within Arcazam, it was hard to think that he would
raise his voice openly. Those in a position of power are often concerned about
what others think.
"Rather, I don't
think Nozomu's impression has gotten worse."
"...Seriously?"
"Rather, in this
case, it would be a problem if you were to easily back down or say
nothing."
"What do you
mean?"
"The one who
called out to Nozomu this time was Egurodo. And he was clearly provoking him.
His purpose from the beginning was to see Nozomu's reaction, and anything else
was probably a bonus. Of course, in the process of seeing Nozomu's reaction, he
had probably thought about checking the Francilt family, just in case."
According to Feo, no
matter what reaction Nozomu had given, Egurodo would have probably provoked
him. His original purpose was to see what kind of person the commoner student
who was on good terms with the Francilt family was, and anything else was
secondary.
"But if you were
to easily back down in a situation where you were being openly provoked while
being watched by the public, you would have been taken at your word, and you
wouldn't have known what you would have been demanded. In that sense, Nozomu's
strong repulsion is not a bad move in this case."
The relationship
between the Francilt family and the Fabran family was originally something that
everyone in various countries was aware of, and at this point, one or two
insults would not change anything. Rather, if he showed a somewhat strong
attitude, the other party would also not be able to easily step into his side.
"And, in this
case, Nozomu is resisting in the form of protecting the black-haired princess.
From a third party's point of view, it's clear who is at fault. In that sense,
Egurodo can't make a big deal out of this any more than he already has. Not
that he intends to."
The reason Nozomu had
counterattacked Egurodo's provocation this time was purely because Irisdina and
the others had been insulted. A true noble has high pride, but at the same
time, is also good at scheming. If they compare the merits and demerits of
shouting out loud and the latter wins, then they will not say anything more.
Let alone a small fry or a blockhead noble, Egurodo was, after all, a great
noble on par with Francilt and Parline. Naturally, he knew how to handle such a
situation.
"You also thought
so, didn't you, Nozomu?"
"I thought it
would be bad to just stay silent. And I also thought it would be okay to be a
little rude since it's Arcazam. But I wasn't thinking as deeply as you,
Feo."
In reality, Nozomu had
also instinctively thought in the flow of Egurodo's provocation that it would
be bad to stay silent. But the reason he had taken such a strong attitude was,
in the end, because he could not stand the fact that Irisdina and the others
had been insulted. The moment he had lost his temper, consideration for a third
party had not crossed his mind, and it wasn't as if he had a deep thought.
"Well, in noble
society, such provocations are a daily occurrence, you know? It's a waste to
worry about it every time."
"In the first
place, why are you so concerned about it, Nozomu?"
"No, um, I was
just wondering if it would cause trouble for Iris..."
In the end, what
Nozomu was worried about was whether his own rash actions would cause harm to
Irisdina and the others. The fact that a certain amount of time had passed
since the mock battle in the morning was also a factor that had made his
anxiety grow in his chest.
"That's exactly
what you don't need to worry about. For the black-haired princess, it's not
even a provocation, it's just a greeting, you know? Weren't you told?"
"No, Iris said it
was the usual thing."
"See, see?"
How ridiculous. As if
to say that, Feo waved his hand and laughed at Nozomu's worry. At his light
attitude, Nozomu felt the anxiety that had been swelling in his chest deflate.
"It seems it's
about time."
At Mars's words,
Nozomu looked at the pendulum clock in the room, and the start time of the
party was certainly approaching. Furthermore, the door of the waiting room
opened, and the supervising teacher entered.
"It's time.
Everyone, please head to the venue."
Prompted by that
voice, the students began to leave the waiting room one by one. Some students
with a confident smile on their faces. Some students with their bodies
trembling with tension.
"Well then, shall
we go?"
"Yeah."
Mars and the others
also left the waiting room, as if to follow the other students. Perhaps it was
because of the guidance at Iris's mansion, or perhaps because his presentation
in the morning had been well-received, as not a shred of anxiety could be felt
on his face. Nozomu also stood up to follow Mars and the others.
"Nozomu. It's a
rare opportunity. At least enjoy it."
Feo, who was walking
ahead, turned around and waved his hand in a light tone.
"It's as this fox
says. It's not like our futures will be completely decided by this party."
"Ahaha... Well, I
think being as carefree as Feo-kun is a bit much, but it's probably fine to
think of this party as just one of many opportunities, don't you think?"
As if to follow Feo's
words, Mars gave a thumbs-up, and Tom had a wry smile. They were probably being
considerate of the nervous Nozomu, who had had too many things happen to him
recently. His first formal social party. And a place that might decide his own
future. Even though he was heading to such a completely unknown place, Nozomu
strangely noticed that he was at ease.
"Enjoy it, huh..."
Strangely, a smile
appeared on his lips. Even though he had been worrying so much until just
before, he was changing his mood quite quickly. While giving a wry smile at his
rather opportunistic self, Nozomu suddenly remembered something.
"Come to think of
it, I haven't properly thanked Iris."
After Egurodo left,
Nozomu apologized for his rash actions, but when he thought back, he realized
he hadn't properly thanked Irisdina for intervening. That was not good. He was
already indebted to her, such as for setting up the opportunity for him to
practice etiquette and dancing with Madam Parline.
"It's not
just Iris. I've also been causing trouble for Shina, Lisa, and my other
comrades..."
Nozomu, who had gone
on a rampage during the Azel attack incident. Irisdina and the others, who had
struggled to suppress him. The fact that he had turned his blade on them twice
was still a large weight in Nozomu's heart. That weight remained in the depths
of Nozomu's chest in the form of regret, and had almost burst out in the form
of him overdoing it in his training with Zonne. But apart from that regret,
there was a feeling that was continuing to swell in Nozomu. It was the feeling
of "what can I do for them?" He wanted to be of help to them, even if
just a little. Such a feeling of Nozomu had naturally taken form. To be honest,
Nozomu did not know what he could do. Because he had been spending his days
immersed in training until now, and had only been swinging his katana. Still, the
fact that he could embrace a positive determination while still carrying
negative regrets was a testament to his growth, even if he didn't realize it
himself.
"Alright..."
Anyway, he wanted to
thank them for something. Not just with words, but with something else,
something that would remain... Prompted by the voice that was naturally welling
up from the depths of his chest, Nozomu advanced towards the party venue.
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