Volume 8
Chapter 18
When Nozomu entered the party venue, the only simple word that came to his mind at its sheer splendor was "too amazing..." The hall in Irisdina's mansion was also large, but a great hall that surpassed even that was spread out before Nozomu's eyes. In the great hall, which combined both grandeur and splendor, dignitaries dressed in various outfits were chatting with glasses in their hands. The party was a buffet, and dishes from all times and places, with various elaborate touches, were lined up, and each person was taking what they wanted onto their plates and savoring it. The students who were already used to parties were heading to the dignitaries with whom they seemed to have a connection to greet them. On the other hand, the reactions of the students who were not used to parties were varied. Those whose gazes were restlessly darting around, those who were trying to give a formal greeting to a nearby dignitary for the time being, those who were reaching for a nearby wine to borrow its strength, and those who were frozen with nervousness. Among them, Nozomu did not fall into any of these categories. The reason being...
"Nice to meet
you, Nozomu Bountis-kun. I am the head of the Eldoyle family of the country of
Forsina. I also saw your performance in the Martial Arts Garden."
"Ah, thank you
very much."
"I am Baron
Milhaln of the Cremazzone Empire. I have my residence in the southern part of
the empire."
"N-Nice to meet
you. If I recall, that is the production area of mithril..."
"Oh, you know of
it?"
"Y-Yes. I've only
heard the name in class..."
"Is that so? I am
honored just to have you know the name. Recently..."
It was because he had
been suddenly surrounded by many dignitaries after entering the venue. Many of
the dignitaries were from the country of Forsina and the Cremazzone Empire,
followed by the Sumahya Federation. Perhaps because he was on good terms with
Irisdina, the ratio of people related to the country of Forsina was, as
expected, high. Dignitaries of countries, lords of cities, great merchants who
traveled between other countries. Each and every one of them was far more
blessed than Nozomu, both in terms of authority and financially, and they were
all people who could be called successful. On the other hand, in stark contrast
to the morning's mock battle, Nozomu's responses were stiff. His atmosphere of
clearly not being used to the place was on full display. Nozomu was originally
a commoner who had no connection with such social parties. Although he was
giving innocuous replies while somehow remembering the knowledge of geography
and magic theory he had learned in class, as for himself, he was at his wit's
end just replying to each and every word.
"Have you decided
on your career path after you graduate?"
"Ah, no,
um..."
"If you haven't
decided on your career path, then after you graduate, by all means, come to my
place... I can also prepare a sufficient reward."
The head of the
Eldoyle family, who had been the first to talk to him, was making an obvious
recruitment attempt. As for Nozomu, he couldn't just carelessly nod at those
words.
"I'm sorry. I
haven't decided on my career path yet..."
"Is that so? I thought
that you had acquired that much ability because you had some kind of
goal."
"That's right.
And besides, such a swordsmanship, how did you acquire it? I've never heard of
such a skilled user being in this academy?"
"Could it be that
you have already decided to serve the Francilt family? I hear you are also
close to the young lady of that house..."
Although he thought
about somehow getting through this and leaving the place, the recruiting
dignitaries were piling on questions and words one after another, not giving
Nozomu any room to think. In fact, that was their aim. They were trying to rob
the Nozomu who was not yet used to the atmosphere of the place of his ability
to think by throwing countless questions at him, and were waiting for an opportunity
to get some kind of commitment from him. But there was someone who offered a
helping hand.
"Nozomu-kun, so
you were here."
A refreshing voice
blew between Nozomu and the dignitaries.
"Shina?"
The one who had called
out was the elf girl who was Nozomu's school friend. She was also wearing a
blue-based dress that she had received from Victor before. The translucent
see-through skirt that was hiding her, as always, short skirt and the shawl she
had on her shoulders were bringing out her charm as a member of the fairy race
to the fullest. In fact, the dignitaries who had been recruiting Nozomu until
just before were also fascinated by Shina's charm and were at a loss for words.
"I've been
looking for you. Come with me for a bit."
"Eh? Ah,
hey!"
While the dignitaries
were frozen, Shina quickly took Nozomu's hand and began to walk. Although
Nozomu was surprised at having his hand suddenly pulled, Shina, who was walking
in front, glanced at him and muttered.
"It's okay, let's
go somewhere a little quieter."
Hearing those words,
Nozomu realized that Shina was concerned about him, who had been surrounded by
the dignitaries, and as she urged him on, he moved to the edge of the venue.
When they had settled down in a not-so-conspicuous place by the curtains,
Nozomu let out a deep sigh.
"Thank you, Shina.
You saved me."
"It's fine. I
also wanted to get away from some persistent people."
"Persistent
people?"
"Yes, people who
are trying to recruit me for a career path after graduation, just like
you."
When Nozomu lightly
checked his surroundings, he saw that in addition to the group of dignitaries
that had been surrounding them, there was also a group that was directing their
gazes at them. They were probably the dignitaries who had been recruiting Shina.
Their number was about ten or so. It was about the same number as the people
who had been surrounding Nozomu.
"As I thought,
intense recruitment?"
"Yes, elven
spirit magic is rare, and in the first place, we hardly ever appear in front of
people."
"Are you
okay?"
"Yes. It's a
place like this, so it can't be helped. And besides, I'm not the only one who's
having a hard time."
Shina glanced at a
corner of the venue. When Nozomu followed her gaze, he saw Irisdina, dressed in
a glossy white party dress, and Victor, dressed in a luxurious outfit. Perhaps
to match Irisdina's hair, which had turned white due to the excessive use of
magic power, the color of the dress she was wearing was white. Around the two
of them, dignitaries dressed in similarly beautiful and luxurious outfits were
gathered, and they were scrambling to be the first to talk to Victor and
Irisdina. Their number was even greater than the dignitaries who had gathered
around Nozomu and Shina, so much so that they were completely occupying a
corner of the party venue. Nozomu was dumbfounded at the sheer number of
dignitaries who had gathered.
"Irisdina-san is
making her rounds with her father. She'll probably be busy for a while."
"It seems
so..."
The dignitaries were
gathering at their side and calling out one after another. Irisdina and Victor
were responding to each and every one of those numerous voices with a smile.
For Nozomu, who had been nervous just from being called out to a little, and had
not been able to respond well, it was by no means possible to behave like the
current Irisdina.
(That's completely
impossible for the current me...)
Irisdina, who was
shining in the center of the gathered people, was truly like the moon shining
in the night sky. The outfit, which had been matched to her hair, which had
turned white due to the excessive use of magic power, was also playing a part
in overturning her dignified image from before. Furthermore, upon closer
inspection, the dress was decorated with silver, which was further enhancing
the "pure white" image she had now. Perhaps because of that, the
dignitaries who were calling out to Irisdina seemed to be somewhat younger than
the people who were talking to Victor. While being surprised at the sight of
Irisdina, who was responding to the dignitaries with a smile, Nozomu also felt
a sharp pain in the depths of his chest.
"Where are Mars
and the others?"
As if to brush off the
pain that had run through his chest, Nozomu returned his gaze to Shina.
"Mars-kun, Feo,
Tima-san, and Tom are also in much the same situation as you. Mars-kun and
Tima-san are talking to someone from the Empire, and Feo-kun is talking to
someone from the Sumahya Federation. If you go there now, you'll definitely be
cornered along with them."
"Ueh..."
Imagining that scene,
Nozomu's expression clouded over. Furthermore, words that were like a finishing
blow came from Shina's mouth.
"And besides,
even if you're alone, you'll be surrounded. Not just by the people who were
trying to recruit you just now..."
"Eh...?"
Shina... pointed at
one of the tables set up in the party venue. There, a group of young ladies,
dressed in colorful dresses, was gathered. From the looks of it, the young
ladies were of the same race as Nozomu. But Nozomu had no memory of the faces
of those women at all.
"...Who?"
"They are the
daughters of the dignitaries who came with them. After you've finished greeting
all the dignitaries, you'll probably have to deal with them next."
It seemed that they
were not originally from Arcazam, but were young ladies who had come from
outside the city for this opening festival. Upon closer inspection, all of
their gazes were fixed on Nozomu. The moment their eyes met Nozomu's, they all
became excited. Young noble ladies are prone to admiring brilliant heroes or
the like. Perhaps they were superimposing the image of a future hero on Nozomu,
who had fought a close battle with Jihad. In fact, their reactions were varied,
such as those who were trembling with excitement, those who were sending him
alluring gazes, and those who were shyly hiding their faces with the fans they
were holding, but all of them were colored with curiosity, infatuation, and
other feelings.
"You're quite
popular."
"P-Please
stop..."
Nozomu, who was still
not used to being the center of attention, slumped his shoulders, feeling his
own cheeks twitching. Although Nozomu had been receiving favorable gazes in the
academy recently, he had still been forced to deal with unfamiliar interactions,
and now, on top of that, he was facing intense, passionate gazes from the noble
young ladies. It was enough to completely demoralize Nozomu.
"Oof... I really
want to be a wallflower."
"Fufu, a
'flower,' you say, but you're a man, aren't you?"
At Nozomu, who had
dropped his shoulders, Shina couldn't help but suppress a laugh. At being
laughed at by the elf girl, Nozomu couldn't help but pout.
"It's fine, isn't
it? To just erase my presence and hide..."
"Not just a
wallflower, you're going to become the wall itself..."
At Nozomu's presence,
which seemed like he was seriously going to hide, Shina couldn't help but
groan. This man, his swordsmanship skills were literally off the charts, but he
was also good at sensing presences. Not only that, but he also had the
experience of having played a game of tag with numerous demonic beasts in the
forest, due to his master's training (which he called torture). Naturally, he
also knew how to hide himself from his enemies. In fact, Nozomu had a track record
of having played a game of tag with Abyss Grief in the forest and having
splendidly gotten away. If Nozomu were to seriously hide, he might really not
be able to be found.
(He'll be fine, right?
This isn't a forest, and his clothes are conspicuous...)
The place where Nozomu
was now was not in a forest, but a guesthouse, and furthermore, since Nozomu
was wearing formal wear that was by no means suitable for hiding, he would
probably be found even if he did hide. While thinking in such a way, for Shina,
who had seen his lack of common sense until now, she could not wipe away the
trace of anxiety that had floated in her heart.
"Hmm?"
Just as Shina was
beginning to seriously worry about Nozomu's escape, two men with distinctive
features came into the corner of Nozomu's vision. One was an old man who was
quite advanced in age. The other was a beautiful young man, like a stage actor,
and both were wearing ethnic costumes based on green and white. What was most
characteristic was their long ears, just like bamboo leaves. They were exactly
the same as the ears that the girl next to Nozomu had.
"Are they
elves?"
The old man, without
even trying to hide his probing gaze, was directing a glaring gaze at Nozomu
and Shina. Although the beautiful young man had a gentle smile, his gaze was
clearly mixed with a color as if to probe the two. At Nozomu's words, Shina
also confirmed where he was looking. And she, for some reason, let out a deep
sigh with a resigned expression.
"...Yes, one of
the elf elders. He was also at the mock battle today."
Although Nozomu didn't
really understand, it seemed that the old man was quite an influential person
to the elves.
"An
acquaintance?"
"Yes, well. He's
my great-grandfather."
"...Eh?"
Not just an
acquaintance, but a blood relative. At the unexpected fact, Nozomu was
surprised.
"Did I not tell
you? My older sister was a shrine maiden who served the great tree of our
hometown. Even among the elves, the people who can take that position are a
very small fraction."
"I had heard that
you had an older sister, but..."
Nozomu also knew that Shina
had an older sister. And that that older sister had died along with their
parents during the great invasion, in order to let Shina escape. But he had not
known that Shina's relatives had actually held such an important role.
"Could it be that
you, like Iris, are also..."
"It's a little
different from Irisdina-san. In human countries, bloodline is important, but
what is necessary for a shrine maiden of the great tree is an outstanding
ability to empathize and contract with the spirits."
The shrine maiden of
the great tree was one of the most important positions for the elves. By making
a contract with the great tree that existed in the center of the Foschia Forest
and communicating with it, the Foschia Forest had become an impregnable
fortress, protecting the elf race.
"Revered
Singer," "Exalted One," "High Elf."
She was an existence
that was, in a sense, more authoritative than an elder, who would be called
such things.
"I was also a
candidate for a shrine maiden when I was in my hometown. But in the end, I was
just a candidate. There was a time when I couldn't make a contract with the
spirits, and I'm probably still no match for my sister, who was a shrine
maiden."
At Shina's words,
Nozomu held his breath. Nozomu also knew well the power of her spirit magic
from the Abyss Grief incident. In fact, she had almost completely sealed Abyss
Grief's movements with her spirit magic. He wondered what level of a user her
older sister, who had been even more outstanding than such a Shina, had been.
"Still, I am one
of the few shrine maiden candidates who survived. Naturally, the elder was also
very much against me coming to Arcazam."
The elves, who had
somehow survived while having lost the Foschia Forest, had made a hidden
village near the border of the Cremazzone Empire and the Sumahya Federation and
had survived until now. However, their innate exclusive way of thinking did not
change so easily. Although many of the elders wished to reclaim their hometown,
they were still reluctant to get involved with other races.
"It's a
ridiculous story. In the first place, it's because of that that we ended up
losing our hometown..."
In fact, it was said
that one of the factors in the fall of the Foschia Forest was due to the
exclusive nature of the elves. Until the great tree was felled, the elves had
not allowed other races to enter the forest. Because of that, the elves'
position in the federation was still not good.
(Could it be that that
elder has come to take Shina back?)
Such a thought crossed
Nozomu's mind. But Shina smiled as if to blow away such a thought of Nozomu.
"It's okay. My
great-grandfather can't take me back. And the reason for that is also
gone."
"...Eh?"
"The reason my
great-grandfather was so against it was because I couldn't use spirit magic.
His reasoning was that I shouldn't go outside because I had no means of
protecting myself."
Shina had been unable
to make a contract with the spirits from the time she had lost her hometown
until she had met Nozomu. Although this was due to the trauma of having lost
her family, that had been resolved with the help of Nozomu and Mimuru and the
others.
"But that's also
gone now. I can use spirit magic properly now."
"I see..."
"Yes, thanks to
you."
Shina turned a radiant
smile to Nozomu. To Nozomu, her white skin seemed to be flushed, as if in a
fever. A supple smile, filled with trust, affection, and love, without any
cloudiness. Combined with her fairy-like appearance and her dress, it was a
smile filled with a mystical charm that was, in a sense, out of this world.
"..."
Nozomu's cheeks, as he
was captivated in spite of himself, were dyed with a crimson color, regardless
of his own will. The two, who had blushed as if they were mirror images, fell
silent for a while in a sweet and sour atmosphere. Eventually, in the eyes of Shina,
who was looking at the embarrassed Nozomu, a color as if she had thought of a
prank, like that of a child, appeared.
"Fufu, are you
embarrassed?"
"Not
really..."
To Shina, who was
teasing him with her eyes relaxed, Nozomu could only turn his face away. To be
frank, Nozomu was embarrassed. Elves were originally a race with many beautiful
people, regardless of gender. The appearance of such a fairy, Shina, could also
be said to be outstanding, even compared to the dressed-up young ladies in this
place. If such a her were to smile at him from a close distance, any man would
be captivated. Perhaps she was reading such a thought of Nozomu, as Shina, with
her cheeks dyed crimson, continued to tease Nozomu with a mischievous smile.
"You don't have
to be so embarrassed. It's a little embarrassing for me too, to say such things
in front of people, you know?"
"Then why would
you say such a thing in a place like this..."
"Because it's
unpleasant..."
"Huh?"
As she muttered that
in a voice so low that Nozomu couldn't hear, Shina's charming smile changed
into a serious look for a moment, and she sent a look at the young ladies who
had been paying attention to them. Even if they were not as good as Shina, the
dressed-up daughters of the influential people were certainly gorgeous and had
an eye-catching appearance. The gazes of the young ladies were directed at
Nozomu and were tinged with a heat as if they had met a famous, favorite actor.
But that was all. Shina's excellent hearing and vision, which had been trained
in the forest, and above all, her intuition as a woman, had been picking up the
words of the young ladies in this bustling party venue. What kind of wonderful
power does he have, what kind of wonderful prospects does he have, what should
I give him to captivate his heart? The gazes of the young ladies were not
looking at the essence of the young man named Nozomu Bountis. They were merely
being driven by the reputation and rumor that "he might be a powerhouse
comparable to Jihad." That was precisely why Shina felt that the young
ladies who were paying attention to Nozomu were uninteresting. Precisely
because she was deeply connected to him, Shina knew. That Nozomu Bountis was
not a flimsy person written on paper, like a hero in a story. He was by no
means perfect, and he was by no means strong. His heart, which had been discouraged,
broken, and yet still managed to stand up, was the essence of Nozomu Bountis,
and the man that the fastidious elf girl had wanted to support, even to the
point of hiding the sacred blood pact ceremony from him.
"Ah, I
see..."
The small jealousy
that had leaked out from her. And when she had reconfirmed her own resolve, she
had realized the true nature of the heat that was dwelling in the depths of her
chest.
"I...
want to be by Nozomu-kun's side forever..."
It was the exact same
wish as her friend, the young lady. To continue to be by Nozomu Bountis's side,
to be close to him. As long as time would allow, even if they could not be in
the same place, a hot, deep affection of wanting their souls to continue to be
by his side. The form of such a wish of hers was the Ritual of the Blood Pact.
"Can you still
sense the spirits properly?"
"Yeah, though,
they're still vague as always, and I have no idea what they're
thinking..."
As he said that,
Nozomu pointed at the chandelier that was illuminating the venue. Although
Nozomu could only see something vaguely clinging to the chandelier, in Shina's
eyes, she could see the spirits of fire and light, who were playing happily,
circling around the flames of the candles.
"But
I..."
The fact that she had
tried to become Nozomu's strength, even to the point of using the sacred elven
ritual of the blood pact, was all out of admiration, respect, and love. But at
the same time, the sacred ritual of the blood pact had become a chain that
bound Shina's heart. The Ritual of the Blood Pact was, for elves, a unique
contract method that was equivalent to sharing their souls. It could only be
performed by those who had complete trust in each other, and if there were even
a single point of hesitation or distrust, it would not be established. This
ritual was originally performed between elves, and for those who had made that
contract, this contract would continue to be valid until one of them died. The
fact that Nozomu and Shina had been able to perform this contract was proof
that the two were bound by a strong, trusting relationship. Precisely because
she was an elf who could understand the other's intentions through a contract,
Shina could feel the unclouded gratitude and trust from Nozomu, who was
connected to her through the contract, more than he himself thought.
"To such
a him, I did not tell him the true meaning of the Ritual of the Blood
Pact..."
Such a trust from
Nozomu was a source of joy, but at the same time, it was tightening Shina's
heart. As if to brush off the dull ache that was running through her chest,
Shina glanced at a corner of the party venue. Her great-grandfather, with a
displeased look on his face, and his attendant were, as always, observing
Nozomu and Shina.
"Don't you have
to go greet them?"
"It's fine. The
elder was probably planning on checking on my condition and taking me back at
this opportunity, but that's become pointless."
Nozomu Bountis did not
know the meaning of the Ritual of the Blood Pact. He only knew a part of the
effects it would bring. For the sake of his training to control Tiamat's power,
Shina had deliberately not told him. That was precisely why the existence of
her relatives, who knew the meaning of the ritual, was a headache for Shina. If
possible, she didn't want them to talk to her. But apart from her true
intentions, her great-grandfather, accompanied by his attendant, was
approaching Nozomu and Shina.
"Phew, it can't
be helped. I'm sorry. I'll be excusing myself for a bit."
"Ah,
wait..."
I have to get away
from this place, quickly. Shina, who was spurred on by such impatience, was
about to leave the place with a quick pace, but Nozomu stopped her.
"What is
it?"
"Thanks to you,
I've been able to move forward, even if just a little. I'm still a long way
off, but I want to thank you again. Thank you..."
What the turned-around
Shina saw was the figure of Nozomu, who was staring straight at her and
expressing his gratitude. His eyes were exactly the same as what she could feel
through their contract, filled with an unclouded trust and affection. Even if
she had felt it in her heart, the power of the gratitude that was actually
directed at her in words was immense. Shina's face turned as red as a boiled
octopus.
(A surprise attack,
that's not fair!)
Shina reflexively
turned her gaze forward and turned her back. While pressing her pounding chest,
she repeated a deep breath once, twice.
"...It's fine. I
was also able to not give up on my own dream thanks to you."
"Your
hometown?"
"Yes, to reclaim
my hometown. That is my goal."
Although Shina spoke
of the goal she had strongly vowed, she could not say her other wish. The sense
of guilt that remained in her chest like a splinter would not allow it.
"Well then, see
you later. Be careful not to be taken away by any strange people, okay?"
"Am I a
child?"
"You might be
taken away, you know?"
The dignitaries'
daughters were still paying attention to Nozomu. However, perhaps because the
sight of Shina talking happily with Nozomu had stimulated their jealousy, their
gazes had begun to be tinged with a rather dangerous color.
"Ugh..."
"Well then."
"Hey!
Wait..."
Shaking off the plea
for help that was directed at her from behind, Shina turned her feet towards
her fellow tribesmen. While holding a joy at being able to be of help to her
beloved, and a guilt that was scratching at her chest.
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