Volume 8
Chapter 2
When Nozomu stepped out of the Martial Arts Garden, the sun was already setting in the western sky.
The setting sun
illuminated the chalk-white school building in a crimson hue.
As Nozomu walked down
the crimson-dyed pathway, he recalled the training from earlier. The violent
torrent of power that had rampaged through his own body. The will of
destruction contained within that flow.
(I have to do
something... quick.)
Nozomu felt that he was
lacking in everything. He had no prospect of being able to control the power of
chaos, nor could he sense the presence of the spirits.
In a maze where he
still couldn't even find a thread, only his impatience was growing in his
chest.
"Phew..."
Aware of his own
impatience, Nozomu took a deep breath once.
Along with the quiet
exhalation, the impulse to scratch at his chest subsided somewhat.
With his head now
cooled, Nozomu once again recalled the training from earlier.
"Even if you say
that I have to do something about my own unique ability myself...!?"
Nozomu felt a tingling
sensation in his head as if something had snapped.
At the same time, a
fragmentary image appeared in his mind.
"Good
work, Tet."
"You can
say that again~. Why do I have to be in a human form and wear this kind of
outfit~"
"I told
you, didn't I? If you're the head of a country, you need a certain amount of
dignity. Since you're unfortunate on the inside, Tet, you have to at least do
something about your appearance, right?"
"Uuuuh,
Michael is so mean..."
"This
is... Her memory again..."
The shadow of a woman
who seemed to be Tiamat, raising her voice in protest, and the shadow of
Michael, who was letting out an exasperated voice.
It was a memory of
Tiamat that he had glimpsed before, when he had lost himself in his anger and
had synchronized with Tiamat.
The figures of the two
were shining as if they were backlit, and Nozomu could hardly see them.
However, the fact that he could now see the figures of the two, albeit slightly,
which he had not been able to see at all two weeks ago, was further fanning
Nozomu's impatience.
(Is my synchronization
with Tiamat progressing little by little? Or is it a sign that I'm starting to
control the Soul-Sealing Shackles? No, my control time has hardly increased.
Then, what in the world is this...)
Twenty percent hope
and eighty percent anxiety were swirling and mixing in Nozomu's chest.
The figures of Tiamat
and Michael disappeared in a few seconds as if the tide were receding.
However, the anxiety
and hope that had welled up in his chest were accumulating in the depths of
Nozomu's heart like mud.
"Nozomu, is your
training over?"
"Eh?"
At the suddenly heard,
familiar voice, Nozomu couldn't help but let out a dazed voice.
When Nozomu raised his
gaze, the main gate of Solminati Academy jumped into his view. It seemed that
he had come near the main gate while he was lost in thought.
And in front of the
main gate, several students were waiting for Nozomu.
One of them, a
white-haired girl, noticed Nozomu and was approaching while waving her hand
slightly.
"Everyone, why
are you here?"
"We were waiting
for you, of course. What are you saying?"
The white-haired girl,
Irisdina Francilt, asked back to the questioning Nozomu.
She let out a sigh
with an exasperated look, with her hands on her hips.
"We also had a
lot to do, so there's no need to worry."
Mars showed his face
from behind Irisdina and the others.
Seeing that his white
uniform was stained with dirt here and there, it seemed that Mars had also been
training at the training ground.
Seeing that the three
of them, Tima, Tom, and Mimuru, were behind him, it was probably related to his
magic-ki combination technique.
"The sun is
starting to set, so let's head back soon."
Shina, who had come a
little late from behind Irisdina, urged Nozomu in a nonchalant tone. It seemed
that for them, waiting for Nozomu was a matter of course.
"Shina-kun is
right. It would be better to go home before the main gate is closed."
Irisdina was looking
up at the western sky, holding down her white hair that was flowing in the cold
wind.
Yes, her hair was
still completely white.
During the attack by
Azel, by excessively using her magic power to stop the rampaging Nozomu, Irisdina's
glossy black hair had completely lost its color.
According to Norn, who
had examined her body, there was nothing wrong with her body, and her
discolored hair would also return to normal with time.
However, every time he
saw her white, faded hair, Nozomu felt a sensation as if his heart were being
squeezed tightly.
"By the way, is
your training going well... no, it isn't. Did you overdo it again?"
"No, it's not
like I overdid it..."
Irisdina pressed
Nozomu, with a frown on her face.
Unlike her hair, which
had turned white, the color of Irisdina's eyes had hardly changed.
Nozomu's gaze was
strangely drawn into her obsidian-like eyes.
A blush appeared on
the cheeks of Nozomu, who was being stared at from a close distance.
On the other hand,
Irisdina, who had seen through Nozomu's hidden fatigue, deepened the frown on
her face.
"What are you
talking about with such a tired face? You overdid it again, didn't you!?"
"Nozomu-kun, sit
down there for a moment. I've been telling you this every day for the past two
weeks, but it seems it's still not enough."
Furthermore, Shina,
who had been watching the two from the side, joined in.
Nozomu, who had been
made to sit in seiza on the stone
pavement without any questions, had the details of his training for the day
completely exposed by the two who were standing with their hands on their hips
in front of him.
As Nozomu began to
talk about the content of his training, Irisdina and Shina began to tremble.
For some reason, a
dark shadow also began to appear behind the two. They seemed to be quite angry.
On the other hand,
Nozomu, while breaking out in a cold sweat on his forehead, continued to talk
about the content of his training.
"S-See? So it
wasn't that reckless, was it?"
""Where!?""
The moment he had
finished talking, the anger of the demonesses exploded.
What assaulted Nozomu
next was a torrent of a stream of insults that had broken loose.
"Nozomu, what is
the meaning of you getting injured to the point of being on the verge of serious
injury every single day!?"
"No, I'm not
injured anymore..."
"Don't tell me
you think that as long as your injuries are healed, there's no problem? Even
the finest swords have a lifespan. No matter how much you repair them, if you
continue to use them recklessly, they will break, you know? Don't tell me you
think that won't happen to you?"
"N-No, I wouldn't
go that far..."
"Ah, I'm sure you
wouldn't. You might understand that properly. However, even if you understand
it in your head, it's meaningless if your actions don't follow."
"Rather, the fact
that you're doing it while understanding it makes it worse. Even a bird, if
it's attacked by a snake once, it won't try to rest in that place again."
"Are you calling
me a bird brain?"
"It's better than
you, since they can at least reflect on their learning."
"Rather, it's
rude to the bird."
"...My record is
improving, though~"
Since his record was
improving, he was learning. Such a small protest from Nozomu was firmly ignored
by the two.
After that, Nozomu
continued to be lectured by the two.
Mars and the others
were watching the three of them with lukewarm eyes.
"Well, it is
reckless."
"As I thought,
he's off in a strange place."
Feo agreed with
Irisdina's and Shina's fierce protest, and Mars sighed at Nozomu's naivety.
On the other hand,
Tima was fidgeting, her gaze going back and forth between the three.
"Umm, shouldn't
we stop them?"
"It's Nozomu's
own fault, so it's fine to leave him be. Irisdina and the others are also being
so naggy because they're worried about Nozomu."
"Heeheehee, Shina
has also become cute, hasn't she~"
"Mimuru, you have
bad taste."
At the change in her
best friend, who had recently become aware of her own feelings of love, Mimuru
had a mischievous smile on her face.
She was probably
thinking about how to tease her after this.
Although Tom was aware
of Mimuru's evil scheme, he did not try to stop her. It was probably because he
knew that she would be counterattacked by Shina later.
Nozomu, who was being
lectured by the two beautiful girls, and Mars and the others, who were enjoying
it as a side dish. At that moment, a red-haired girl called out from behind
them.
"Hey there. You
alive, Nozomu?"
The one who had called
out was Nozomu's childhood friend, Lisa Hounds.
Her hair, which had
once been a long ponytail, had been cut clean off, and was now cut shorter than
her shoulders.
Next to her was the
figure of Camilla.
"For now, yeah.
Are you on your way home too, Camilla?"
"Yes. By the way,
what are you doing?"
"No, um... Don't
ask too much."
A male student sitting
in seiza, and two beautiful girls
standing with their hands on their hips. From the side, Nozomu looked nothing
but a public spectacle.
"Why is Lisa-kun
here?"
"I was also just
doing some self-study. It's not strange, is it? More importantly, if we don't
hurry, the main gate will close."
Lisa took Nozomu's arm
in a casual manner and made him stand up from his seiza.
Since she had made him
stand up by holding his arm, the bodies of Nozomu and Lisa naturally came into
close contact.
Seeing the two of them
like that, a vein popped on Irisdina's forehead.
"Lisa-kun, I
don't think it's a good idea to be so close."
"Hmm? This much
is fine, isn't it? We're childhood friends, and we're friends. This much is
normal."
Irisdina rebuked Lisa
with a quietly questioning tone. Shina said nothing, but she showed her protest
with an absolute-zero gaze.
On the other hand,
Lisa was brushing off the intimidating pressure from the two as if it were a
gentle breeze.
Furthermore, she put
more strength into her own hand that was holding Nozomu's arm.
The bodies of the two,
who had been close, came into even closer contact. At the same time, the gazes
of Irisdina and Shina were tinged with an even more dangerous light.
At the intimidating
pressure, as if an ice spear had been thrust into the back of his neck,
Nozomu's entire body froze.
"Ah, or are you
worried about what others think? It's okay. It's true that there are a lot of
annoying things, but it's almost time to go home now, and there are hardly any
students around."
Two weeks since Nozomu
and Lisa had made up. That story had now become known throughout the academy.
Naturally, about the
circumstances of that, groundless rumors were also spreading here and there.
From the content that
Lisa had reformed, to the vulgar stories of her trying to switch from Ken to
Nozomu, and conversely, that Nozomu and Lisa had gotten back together. Various
different rumors had spread depending on the year and rank.
However, both Nozomu
and Lisa were now spending their days training, without a care for such rumors.
Nozomu, to control the
power of Tiamat, and Lisa, towards her own dream.
Now that each of them
had begun to walk their own path, the two of them were no longer concerned with
the unnecessary clamor from those around them.
Instead, Lisa had also
come to tease Irisdina and Shina like this from time to time.
A sigh naturally
escaped from Nozomu's mouth.
"Hah... Lisa,
please let go for now."
"Hmm, if you say
so, Nozomu."
For now, in order to
appease the demonesses in front of him, he urged Lisa to let go.
Lisa also, when told
by Nozomu, readily let go of him.
Irisdina and the
others also, at the fact that the two had separated so easily, for the time
being, withdrew their sword-like hostility.
Since the time to go
home was approaching, Nozomu and the others immediately headed for the main
gate.
As they approached the
main gate, the number of students who were going home gradually increased.
There, Nozomu noticed
that there were more students remaining at the academy than he had thought.
"There are quite
a few students remaining."
"Nozomu, don't
tell me you don't remember? It's about time for the opening festival, isn't
it?"
"Opening
festival? Ah, come to think of it, that's right..."
The opening festival.
It was the day when
Solminati Academy was opened to the public once a year.
At this time, various
visitors from both inside and outside would come to see the state of the
academy, which they could not usually see.
At the same time, the
city would also hold various events to take advantage of that. It was a kind of
festival.
However, the purpose
of this opening festival was actually after the daytime public opening was
over.
On the night of the
opening festival, a party would be held at the academy for the dignitaries of
each country, and the top-performing students of each year would be invited to
that party.
What would be held
there was a recruitment activity from the dignitaries of each country to the
students.
Each country would
compete to get the outstanding students after graduation.
The students would
also search for a suitable partner for their own career path at that party. In
other words, it was a party that also served as a kind of job-hunting activity.
"Even if you say
opening festival, to be honest, it hasn't had much to do with us until
now."
"At most, it's
just a pretext to have a wild party in the name of a festival."
"We had our own
things to do, so it wasn't exactly a carefree time for us..."
Regardless of Nozomu
and Mars, who had always been in the tenth rank as inferior students, Irisdina,
who had always maintained the top overall grade in her year, had of course
participated in the party every year.
Although she was used
to the social world, her opponents were all dignitaries with whom she was also
acquainted. That's why she said she couldn't let her guard down.
Perhaps she had her
own thoughts about the opening festival party, as she had a somewhat
melancholic atmosphere behind her dignified expression.
Lisa nodded as if in
agreement with Irisdina's opinion.
"That's right,
that's right, it's nice that they say, 'Please come to our country!', but it's
somehow creepy."
"Lisa-san, have
you ever thought about serving a country?"
"Hmm? My dream is
to become a real adventurer, so serving a specific country is a bit... Well, I
don't think it would hurt to have a connection, though. What about you, Shina-san?"
"I'm the same. To
reclaim my hometown, our power alone is not enough, so we need aid from other
countries... Honestly, I'd rather not be with people who look at my body as if
they're licking it."
Lisa from the first
rank and Shina from the second rank also, of course, had experience
participating in the party.
It seemed they also
had their own various worries.
"The students who
are remaining until just before the time to go home are probably participants
in the party, and probably students who have never participated before. Since
they're not used to parties, they're probably desperately studying how not to
be rude."
Nozomu looked around
and observed the state of the other students who were going home.
Upon closer
inspection, there were also students who were lost in thought, or who were
going home while reading a guide on a lady's etiquette.
Everyone seemed to be
desperate to make a good impression, even if just a little.
"Everyone seems
to be having a hard time."
"What are you
talking about? This time, you're not uninvolved either, Nozomu."
"...Eh?"
At Nozomu's
dumbfounded reply, all his comrades present let out a sigh.
Nozomu, who did not
understand the reason even after seeing his sighing comrades, couldn't help but
scratch his head at the subtle atmosphere that filled the area.
"Your good
results in the special comprehensive exercise, and your rampage against
Jihad-sensei in the Martial Arts Garden. I don't think there's any way you
wouldn't be invited. Rather, knowing Jihad-sensei, I think he would go out of
his way to have you participate."
"In fact, Nozomu's
name was on the list of participants. Didn't you see it?"
"...Where was
it?"
"The bulletin
board next to the main gate. By the way, it's been posted for a week.
You were muttering to
yourself while you were on your way to school, so you didn't notice at all. You
were probably too preoccupied with your training with Zonne-dono, weren't
you?"
It seemed this man had
been so focused on his training that he had not noticed at all that he was a
participant in the party.
The gazes directed at
him from his comrades turned into exasperated ones.
"N-No. Isn't it
bad for me to appear in a public place? You know, because of that
thing..."
Perhaps unable to bear
the indescribable lukewarm gaze, Nozomu tried to resist as best he could.
However, Nozomu's
thought was not wrong.
He was a man with an
oversized bomb. Normally, he shouldn't be brought out to a public place very
much.
However, that question
was rather easily denied.
"Nozomu-kun's
body is human through and through. Then, it shouldn't be a problem for him to
appear in front of people. Even Zonne-dono says that he can't see through your
soul, so I think the possibility of you being noticed is low."
"Rather, isn't
the purpose to actively bring Nozomu out and have him be recognized? To
increase the number of allies who might cooperate with Nozomu, and to have them
lend a hand in case of an emergency."
"That's probably
also the aim. Either way, I think Nozomu-kun has already been marked by the
higher-ups in his battle with Jihad-sensei. Sooner or later, I think he would
have been dragged out."
"..."
At the successive
theories, Nozomu's eyes were wide with admiration.
"Hmm, what are
you doing? Spacing out."
"N-No, it's not
just you, Iris, but even Shina and Lisa, to think you can read that
far..."
If it were Irisdina,
who had been tempered in noble society, it was not incomprehensible for her to
make a statement considering the balance and movements between the powerful.
However, Lisa was
originally a commoner, and until she had come to this academy, she should have
had no connection with such a world.
It was also hard to
think that the elf Shina, who had a strong sense of isolation, had a sense of
the balance of power between humans from the beginning.
In other words, the
fact that these two had become able to think in such a way was since they had
come to this city.
At the sight of the
two of them, whom he did not know, Nozomu was purely amazed.
"I think it's
just that you're not wary enough, Nozomu-kun."
"I think you
should think a little more about how you are seen by others."
After being impressed,
he was suddenly attacked with words.
At the merciless
criticism from Shina and Irisdina, Nozomu hung his head.
When Nozomu himself
thought back on it, since he had come to this academy, he had only been
training and training, and he had not been polishing the kind of sensitivity
that they had.
So this was the
result, Nozomu was on his knees at his own patheticness, but...
"But the fact
that you forgot to check the party participants has nothing to do with this
sensitivity, does it?"
"Gah!"
He was properly
finished off by his childhood friend, with whom he should have shared the
longest time.
As if to say that his
own life was now at zero, while collapsing to the ground, Nozomu shed tears.
"Somehow, even
though it's a rare opportunity, I don't feel like participating in the party at
all..."
Although it should
have been a happy thing, his spirit was being scraped away before he even
participated in the party.
"Well, although
there are some troublesome parts to the party, the food and other things that
are served are undoubtedly first-class. I don't think you'll lose anything by
eating."
"...Then, I guess
I can look forward to it."
Irisdina comforted
Nozomu while her cheeks relaxed.
Although he thought it
was a bit much to have his recovery of spirit be from his appetite, at this
point, his frank feeling was that anything was fine as long as he could get
back on his feet.
Perhaps having cheered
up a little, Nozomu stood up with a smile on his lips.
Although Shina was
sighing and Lisa was shrugging her shoulders as if to say it couldn't be
helped, it was a somehow heartwarming scene.
A heartwarming
atmosphere. However, that gentle atmosphere was about to be destroyed by the
bomb that someone had thrown.
"B-y t-h-e w-a-y,
there's also dancing and stuff at the party. Who are you going to dance with,
Nozomu?"
The thrown bomb had
properly detonated, and a silent impact assaulted the four.
The three of them,
Irisdina, Shina, and Lisa, who had frozen with a smile on their faces. At the
even greater intimidating pressure than before, Nozomu, who was shrinking like
a turtle.
And Feo, who had
thrown the bomb, had quickly evacuated and had become a spectator.
He was a man who, in a
sense, did not betray expectations, in that he would read the room and then
completely ignore that room with all his might.
As for Nozomu, he
wanted to beat the culprit to a pulp right now, but in this situation, which
was on the verge of a war, his danger-sensing ability was issuing a warning
with all its might that he might die if he were to move carelessly, so he could
not move carelessly.
"Come to think of
it, I think they were handing out a guide for the party participants in the
office..."
"Alright, I'll be
right back! You all go on ahead!"
"Ah! Hey!"
At the words that Mars
had let slip, Nozomu jumped at it with a look of relief.
He raised his hand
with a snap and, as if the fatigue from before were a gentle breeze, he dashed
towards the office with all his might.
***
Irisdina, who had
returned to the Francilt mansion, entered her own room and then flopped onto
her bed with a poof.
"I've done
it..."
Such words escaped
from her mouth, as she had buried her face in her fluffy bed.
What was being
remembered in her mind was the lecture she had given Nozomu after school.
"Ugh, I didn't
mean to say that much..."
To be frank, she had not
intended to admonish Nozomu with such a strong tone.
In the time she had
spent with Nozomu until now, she also knew that his way of thinking about
training was a little off from others, and she also knew that the current him
was desperate to control the power of Tiamat.
However, Irisdina had
become unable to bear it.
The expression of
Nozomu, which looked as if there was nothing wrong with him on the outside.
However, Irisdina was sensitively sensing the deep fatigue and exhaustion
hidden behind it.
And above all,
Nozomu's reaction when he had seen her white hair had made her attitude even
harder.
"I was happy,
though..."
Irisdina turned her
face, which had been buried in the bed, to the side and entangled her fingers
in her own hair, which had faded to white. Her dry, lusterless hair was getting
caught in her fingers.
Her disheveled hair.
But for her, it was a very precious thing.
Although her black
hair, the same as her mother's, had been her pride, the fact that she was able
to protect Nozomu even if it meant losing the color of that hair was also a
source of pride.
However, this hair was
now causing Nozomu pain.
"And to top it all
off, to expose such a disgraceful sight... How shameful..."
Furthermore, Irisdina
remembered her own figure, who had become jealous of the Lisa who had taken
Nozomu's hand, and she became even more depressed.
The fact that Nozomu
and Lisa had made up was a joyous thing.
But although it no
longer appeared on the surface, she had also noticed that a deep bond had been
re-tied between Nozomu and Lisa.
Not a hot feeling like
the sun, but a calm connection reminiscent of the moon.
At that brilliance,
which was reminiscent of the bond between her own father and mother, she
couldn't help but feel envious.
The atmosphere of
Nozomu and Lisa, who had decided to walk different paths, returning to a sweet
relationship like lovers in the past two weeks was non-existent.
Still, the feeling of
"what if..." was still swirling in the depths of her chest, along
with impatience and pain.
Irisdina once again
buried her face in her bed, closed her eyes tightly with all her might, and
then... relaxed her strength.
Along with a
sandstorm-like vision and pain, while feeling her own dark emotions drain away,
Irisdina once again was lost in thought.
"What Nozomu is
trying to do is to completely control the power of Tiamat... Then, what I can
do is..."
Regarding the training
to control the power of Tiamat, Irisdina was almost powerless.
She did not have the
power to sympathize with the spirits like Shina.
But she had something
that only she could do.
"Alright!"
While jumping up from
the bed, she went to her desk and casually took a pen.
***
While Nozomu and the
others were falling into a slumber, Jihad was in his office late at night,
checking the list of dignitaries from each country who would be participating
in the opening festival.
Applications for
participation had arrived from numerous countries, starting with the country of
Forsina and the Cremazzone Empire.
"Jihad-sensei, a
new list has been delivered. With this, the number of participants in the party
will be about two hundred."
"It's the same
every year, but the number is increasing year by year."
While making a grave
expression, Jihad continued to check the names written on the list.
From those he knew, to
names he was seeing for the first time, he was firmly imprinting each and every
one of them in his mind.
"It has been
about seven years since the first batch of students graduated. The graduates
are gradually being evaluated, and it is probably a sign that the existence of
this academy is being more widely recognized."
"The fact that
the number of participants from the Sumahya Federation is also increasing may
be proof of that."
The Sumahya Federation
was a country that was built by the gathering of the survivors of the countries
that was destroyed in the great invasion ten years ago.
From that background,
there were also dignitaries who did not have very good feelings for the Western
countries, and there was also a somewhat negative aspect to Solminati Academy,
which had been built under the leadership of the Western country of Forsina, at
the time of the academy's establishment.
Also, on the list was
the name of the elder of the elf tribe.
Since they had lost
their hometown forest in the great invasion, they had been living quietly near
the border between the Sumahya Federation and the Cremazzone Empire.
Even after losing
their hometown, their isolationist side remained, and they had not tried to
interact much with other races.
Perhaps even they were
gradually changing. While thinking about such things, Jihad turned the pages of
the list.
At that moment, a name
written on the list caught Jihad's eye.
"Egurodo
Fabran"
One of the most
prestigious noble families in the country of Forsina. At the name of the head
of the Fabran family, which was comparable to the Francilt family, Jihad
frowned.
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