Volume 8
Chapter 7
By the time the lessons from Madam Parline were over, it was already getting late.
The sun had completely
set, and stars were twinkling in the sky.
Nozomu and the others
were treated to a rather late dinner at the Francilt mansion, and they were
planning to return to their dorms after enjoying the delicious meal.
However, a single word
that Irisdina said after the meal would cause a bit of a commotion.
"Nozomu, it's
gotten later than I expected, so why don't you stay over tonight?"
"Eh?"
"WHATTTTTTTTTTT!"
The one who raised his
voice in protest first was, of course, Victor.
"Even if we know
each other well, it is unacceptable to have a member of the opposite sex stay
over at our house!" and "We can't have any mistakes! While the ladies
who are anxious about the night road are one thing, the men should return to
their dorms!" he stated his protest, which was, at least in words, quite
reasonable.
Of course, there was
no doubt that behind those words was the rampage of his love for his daughter.
However, Irisdina also
made a counterargument.
"Not only female
but also male servants are staying in this mansion. There are plenty of spare
rooms in the mansion to begin with, so it is not a problem for a member of the
opposite sex to stay in this mansion now."
"In the first
place, Nozomu and the others are the benefactors of the Francilt family. To
treat such a person with disrespect would be a matter of the Francilt family's
dignity."
And so, she confronted
Victor head-on.
What she was saying
was also reasonable, but a slight color of anger could be seen at the edge of
her words.
Furthermore, Irisdina
showed her thoroughness by secretly ordering the maids of the mansion to
prepare rooms for Nozomu and the others.
And the rooms prepared
for Nozomu and the others were on the complete opposite side of the mansion
from Irisdina and the others' rooms, with the center of the mansion in between.
In other words, they
had been prepared in the location farthest from the ladies' rooms. This was
also probably to persuade Victor.
"N-No, no matter
what you say, as a father, I cannot allow it!"
But of course, Victor
would not back down at that.
Although he continued
his argument, trying to drive Nozomu and the others out somehow, the crucial
Irisdina completely ignored Victor and called out to another person.
"We have also
prepared a room for Madam Parline. Please, stay at this mansion today."
"Oh my, I feel
bad after you've even treated me to dinner."
"No, it was I who
was unreasonable in having you come today. Please, relax and make yourself at
home."
Madam Parline was
slowly savoring her after-dinner wine while watching the commotion between
Irisdina and Victor with an amused look.
Behind her, two female
maids were in attendance.
They were Madam
Parline's personal maids, and one was a beautiful woman with distinctive
navy-blue hair cut into a short cut. The other was a cute woman with fluffy
brown hair.
Both of them looked to
be about the same age as Nozomu and the others. But Nozomu was convinced that
they were considerable powerhouses, and that they were the ones who had sent
him a wary gaze at the entrance.
There was no opening
at all in the standing posture of them, who were in attendance behind Madam
Parline, and while blending into the atmosphere of the place, they were not
neglecting their guard to ward off any danger that might befall their master.
Their appearance was
just like that of guardian spirits.
"Irisdina! Our
conversation is not over yet!"
"Father, I am the
master of this mansion. And although I am still young, I am the next head of
the Francilt family.
Do you seriously think
that I would take such a rash action, Father?"
"Ugh..."
On the other hand, the
parent-child quarrel that was being repeated with great clamor was beginning to
tip the scales in Irisdina's favor.
At the dignified and
imposing atmosphere of Irisdina, Victor was at a loss for words for a moment.
Victor was in a state
where cold water had been thrown on his head, which had completely been filled
with blood.
"Isn't it fine?
You were quite a fool in your student days too, remember?"
At that moment, a
helping hand that would push the tilted scales even further came to Irisdina's
side.
Seeing the state of
Madam Parline, who had suddenly started to side with Irisdina, a cold sweat
appeared on Victor's forehead.
"H-Hey,
Mazarie!"
Victor had
unintentionally let slip the nickname of Madam Parline from their student days.
"Umm, Father,
what were you doing?"
"Oh my, didn't
you know, Somilliana?"
At Madam Parline's
words, Somia gave a nod.
Although Victor was
shaking his head vigorously, the lady, after glancing at Victor from the side,
had a mischievous smile.
"If you want,
shall I tell you? About how he snuck into the girls' dormitory and was almost
cut down as a suspicious person by a female knight of the guard, or how he
triple-booked his dates and, in the end, when he was trying to smooth things
over, the scene was witnessed by Filana..."
"I get it! It was
my fault! Please, just stop!"
Filana was Victor's
wife, in other words, Irisdina's and Somia's biological mother.
It seemed that not
only Nozomu and the others but even his daughters had not known, but this head
of the family had apparently been quite a playboy in his youth.
It was said that
during his student days, he had always had two or three women he was dating.
"Father..."
"W-Well, this was
before I asked Filana to go out with me, you know!? The statute of limitations
has passed, you know!?"
The absolute-zero gaze
directed at their father from his daughters.
Although Victor tried
desperately to make an excuse, in this case, whatever he said would only lower
his evaluation.
Incidentally, after he
had fallen in love with Filana, that is, Irisdina's mother, he had completely
stopped his flirtatious behavior and had apparently continued to think of her
sincerely.
In the country of
Foschia, it was not forbidden to have a second wife.
Especially if it was a
high-status family, there were cases where insurance was necessary.
Of course, unless one
was financially well-off, it was not possible to have a second wife, and a
corresponding authority was also necessary.
However, since the
country of Foschia had not been directly invaded by the demonic beasts ten
years ago, the temperament of having many wives was almost non-existent, except
for some of the nobles and royalty, and even among the nobles, it had been
gradually fading.
This was because if
one were to enter into a marital relationship with many families, in the end,
it could result in the power of the main family being weakened.
Victor also, after
taking Filana as his first wife, had never taken a second wife, but this was
because he was devoted to his wife.
Irisdina had also seen
the figure of Victor, who had desperately tried to save his sick mother when
she was young, so she seemed to understand in her head.
However, since she had
always thought of him as a fine, dignified, and ideal father, she could not
hide her disappointment at the gap.
As for Somia, that gap
was even more conspicuous.
The pathetic figure of
her father that she had seen for the first time. And on top of that, since the
reason for it was so terrible that it could not be defended, she was directing
a look of utter disgust at Victor.
In the end, Victor,
who could not bear the cold gazes from his daughters, readily gave in and
approved of Nozomu and the others staying at the mansion.
He himself, while
shedding tears like a waterfall, had shut himself in his room.
***
Around the time the
moon had risen in the sky and was illuminating the night city with its gentle
light, the voices of the ladies' astonishment echoed in the bathroom of the
Francilt mansion.
"Wow~! It's so
big~!"
"What is this,
it's bigger than a classroom at the academy..."
A bathroom that could
only be described as ridiculously large.
The vast bathtub,
which seemed as if a spring had been brought in as it was, was filled with
milky white hot water, and the furnishings, which had been carved out of
marble, were transforming the vast bathroom into a magnificent palace.
Truly a top-class
bathroom.
The ladies, who were
from commoner backgrounds, were letting out cries of admiration, their eyes
sparkling.
"Hooray!"
The first one to
charge in was Mimuru.
With a loud splash,
she jumped into the bathtub and began to swim through the hot water like a
child.
"Wow, what's with
this bath, you can swim in it, look, look!"
"Hey Mimuru,
that's indecent! Wash your body first!"
Shina, with a grim
look on her face, admonished Mimuru and pulled her out of the hot water.
She then made Mimuru
sit on a nearby bath chair, poured hot water over her head, and began to scrub
her with soap.
"Unya~! Shina, my
ears, my ears, not there~!"
"Shut up, be
quiet!"
"Ahaha,
Mimuru-san, so your ears are weak after all."
Although Mimuru was
screaming at Shina's rather forceful washing, the elf girl was washing Mimuru's
head with a scrubbing motion, without a care.
On the other hand, the
other ladies were giving a wry smile at Mimuru, who was being washed like a
pet, and they too had begun to wash their own bodies with soap.
A smooth foam, like
cotton candy, was covering the fresh skin of the girls and flowing down.
And the girls here
were so beautiful that anyone would turn to look at them if they were to walk
down the street.
If a certain lecherous
dragon were to see it, it was a scene that would undoubtedly make him have a
nosebleed and get excited.
"Camilla, will
you wash my back?"
"Y-Yes."
"Here, Tima-san,
this way."
"Ueh!?"
There were also girls
who were washing each other's bodies.
The three of them were
washing each other's backs in a row. Lisa turned her back to Camilla, and
furthermore, Lisa pulled Tima's arm and brought her in front of her.
The shy Tima, in the
situation of suddenly having her back washed, couldn't help but curl up her
back and shrink.
By curling up her body
as if to hug her knees, from the edge of her slender thighs, Tima's
surprisingly large breasts were peeking out.
"Hmm~..."
"Wh-What?"
"No, I was just
thinking that your breasts are quite big, Tima-san..."
"Fuhyaah!"
At Lisa's words, which
had been suddenly said in her ear, Tima's body jumped with a start.
The flustered her, as
if to run away, jumped back from that spot and began to tremble by the wall.
It seemed that she was
quite embarrassed by what Lisa had said.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I
didn't think you'd be that embarrassed..."
As for Lisa herself,
she had not said it with any particular intention, but it seemed she had not
thought that Tima would overreact so much.
Lisa, who had been
escaped from by Tima with an unexpected reaction, was giving a wry smile and
waving her hand, saying, "Sorry, sorry."
Although Lisa was
surprised by Tima's excessive reaction, at the same time, she was also
surprised by Tima's surprisingly large breasts.
(Could it be that
they're as big as Irisdina's? And her legs and waist are so thin... What's with
this rule-breaking girl?)
The current Tima,
combined with her fleeting appearance like a trembling fawn, was abnormally
bewitching even from the point of view of Lisa, who was a fellow woman. A
normal man would undoubtedly have his reason ascend to heaven in a single shot.
And the fact that she
was doing this naturally was outrageous.
"By the way,
Tima-san, why did you come to Arcazam?"
"Eh?"
"No, I was just
thinking that if you have that much magic power, you probably have various
other paths..."
For the time being,
thinking that it would be better to change the subject, Lisa casually brought
up a topic that had come to her mind to Tima.
Although Lisa and Tima
belonged to the same class, in fact, they had hardly ever had a conversation.
There was the fact
that Tima herself did not talk much with people she was not close to, and Lisa
herself had also kept a bit of a distance from Tima, who had a close relationship
with Nozomu and Irisdina.
But with the incident
of Nozomu's rampage, Lisa and Irisdina had for the time being made up.
For that reason, Lisa
had also been interested in having a little talk with Tima.
"..."
However, the crucial
Tima had a complicated expression and had fallen silent.
Was it a strange
question to ask all of a sudden? While thinking that, Lisa glanced at Tima's
best friend, Irisdina.
But the white-haired
girl, who probably knew Tima's circumstances, was just shrugging her shoulders
while carefully washing her younger sister's back.
"Umm, was it
something I shouldn't have asked?"
"N-No. That's not
it."
To Lisa, who was
scratching her cheek with a somewhat awkward look, Tima shook her head.
Seeing Tima like that,
Lisa regretted her somewhat careless question.
The magic power that
Tima possessed was clearly too great for a single person to have.
Although Lisa had not
known how much magic power Tima had possessed since she was young, she had at
that moment thought that it must have been inconvenient for her to live as an
ordinary person.
And the words that
followed from Tima were in line with Lisa's prediction.
"I've had a lot
of magic power since I was a child, but I couldn't control it at all.
Although I can control
it a little now, back then, not at all... Because of that, I would often have
it go out of control, and I couldn't stay in one city for very long."
Magic power is the
power of the mind, and the effect and precision of magic are greatly influenced
by the caster's mental state.
For the mentally young
Tima, it was by no means possible to control an enormous amount of magic power.
As a result, her
family had apparently lived a life of moving from city to city while doing
something like a merchant's work.
"Just by having a
slightly scary dream, my magic power would go out of control and the inside of
the tent would be a mess, or when I was playing with my friends, my magic power
would leak out...
Fortunately, my
father, my mother, and my younger brother told me not to worry about it, but as
my body grew, my magic power also grew larger and larger..."
Still, it seemed it
was still better when she was young.
Although her magic
power was large, it was not as much as it was now.
Even if her magic
power were to leak, at most, a gust of wind would blow, the ground would rise,
and a small fire would start from the kicked-up sparks.
Still, as her body
grew, her magic power also grew larger, and when her parents also began to
worry that they had to do something about it, she was apparently scouted by
Solminati Academy and came to Arcazam.
"After coming to
this city, meeting Ai, and learning at the academy, I've become able to control
it a little, but to be honest, it's still not enough..."
"But it's been
getting better recently, hasn't it? Even when you fought with Nozomu the other
day, your magic power supply was quite stable, wasn't it?"
The one who had
interrupted was Irisdina.
However, Tima, with a
wry smile, shook her head and denied her best friend's words.
"That time, it
was because of the cooperation of Tom-kun and the others."
The numerous formulas
such as body strengthening and a continuously deployed barrier magic that used
Tima's enormous magic power.
It was Tom who had
constructed all of these formulas, and it was Feo who had been controlling
them.
"Hey, are those
two really that amazing?"
Camilla, who did not
know the skills of the two well, asked.
Camilla was the only
one among the members present who had not been told the truth of the previous
Azel attack incident, and she also did not know that Nozomu was a dragonslayer.
However, she had
noticed on that day that Nozomu and Lisa had made up, and out of consideration
for their feelings, she had not particularly pursued the details.
"That's right,
Feo-kun's magic power control when he beastified was probably at the level of a
court mage, and I think Tom-kun also has a formula construction ability on par
with a researcher at the Gloaurum Institute."
In fact, Tom was an
assistant to the instructor Torgrain, who was conducting research at the
Gloaurum Institute.
Recently, since he had
obtained his own workshop, it seemed he didn't have much opportunity to help,
but there was no room to doubt his skill.
As for Feo, he
possessed combat skills that were on par with the first rank, and his range was
also wide.
He had no openings in
his talisman magic, staff fighting, and knife throwing, and he had no
hesitation in using schemes.
In a sense, he was the
type that you couldn't let your guard down against the most if you were to meet
him on a battlefield.
"Why are those
two in the second rank?"
"Tom-kun is
knowledgeable about alchemy and formulas, but he seems to have a habit of
getting absorbed in them. And he doesn't seem to be very good at attack magic
or combat-type magic...
As for Feo-kun...
isn't he doing it on purpose?"
"As for Feo,
that's certainly possible."
Shina nodded at Tima's
words.
If it was Feo, who was
only interested in things that were fun for him, he would probably slack off in
his classes, let alone his end-of-year exams. It was a reason that everyone
present could agree with.
"Hmm. So, what
kind of dream do you want to fulfill in the future, Tima-san?"
"Let's see, I
guess it would be nice to live a normal life, fall in love normally, and build
a happy family..."
For a mage with a
legendary talent, while talking about a very small, ordinary happiness, Tima
had a bright smile on her face.
"The reason I'm
learning magic is because it's necessary for me, and although I've come to
think that I can be of help to Ai and the others now, to be honest, I used to
think that I didn't need this kind of magic power..."
She was not very
interested in the magic power she possessed.
Although she had now
come to be able to think positively that she could be of help to her best
friend and her friends, it must have been nothing but pain when she was young.
Still, the reason she
could have a broad smile like this now was none other than because she had her
best friends who had accepted her.
Elsewhere, where Tima
was smiling broadly, Irisdina was blushing shyly.
"I see, and the
main candidate for that dream is Mars-kun..."
"...Eh!? Wh-Why
are you bringing up Mars-kun's name!?"
"Eh? Don't tell
me you're trying to hide it?"
"E-Eh? T-That's,
um..."
At the name of Mars
that Lisa had let slip, Tima overreacted.
Her cheeks, which had
been faintly tinged with red from the steam, at once turned as red as a boiled
octopus.
At that moment, a hand
grew from Tima's side and grabbed her huge twin mounds.
"Fuhyaah!"
A high-pitched scream
escaped from Tima's mouth.
The one who had
suddenly launched an attack was Mimuru, who should have been restrained and
washed by Shina.
While covered in soap
bubbles on her head and all over her body, she began to rub her own body against
her.
"I smelled a
sweet and sour smell of love and came to see... Oh, these are truly the finest.
The size, the firmness, everything is perfect! Truly the beautiful giant
breasts of a heavenly maiden!"
While enjoying the
marshmallow-like sensation that was changing shape in her hands, Mimuru let out
a rough breath.
On the other hand,
Tima was completely frozen at the sudden situation.
"No, I'm envious
of Mars-kun, who will be able to make these breasts his own~"
"F-Fue,
fue..."
Perhaps she had finally
grasped the situation, as Tima's eyes began to well up with tears.
At the same time, a
magic power that made one’s fine hairs stand on end began to leak from Tima's
body.
"Ah, this is
bad..."
At the sight of
Mimuru's foolish act in front of her, a serious word unintentionally escaped
from Lisa's mouth.
If Tima were to let
her magic power go out of control like this, there would be no doubt that it
would be a disaster.
But before Lisa's
fears could become reality, an executioner appeared to pass judgment on the
lust-crazed maniac. Shina, wearing a demonic expression, was standing
imposingly behind Mimuru.
"What are you
doing, you stupid cat! Wasn't it enough to humiliate me yesterday?!"
Shina, from behind
Mimuru, grabbed her by the back of her head and began to squeeze with a
tremendous force.
The sound of bones
creaking echoed through the bathroom, and an intense pain assaulted Mimuru's
head.
Perhaps unable to bear
the intense pain, Mimuru released the hands that had been kneading Tima's
breasts and began to struggle.
"Ah, I'm sorry! I
was just a little curious about the pheromones of love! Ah, stop it, my head,
my head is going to break~~!"
"You stupid
cat!"
"Ukyaaaaaah!"
Without a care for
Mimuru's screams, Shina lifted her body and threw her towards the bathtub.
Mimuru's body, which
had drawn a beautiful parabola, jumped into the hot water headfirst and made a
loud splash.
"Ueh~. I got
water in my nose~~. That's so mean, Shina~~"
"Honestly, you
brought it on yourself!"
While letting out a large
amount of hot water from her nose, Mimuru had teary eyes.
However, Shina, who
had been sexually harassed by Mimuru yesterday, naturally cut off Mimuru's
protest in a single stroke.
"You didn't seem
to mind it yesterday, Shina..."
"Did you say
something?"
"No, I didn't say
anything!"
To the saluting
Mimuru, Shina let out a sigh.
Irisdina and the
others, who had been watching the course of events from a distance, were also
giving a wry smile.
"Good grief,
Mimuru is also a problem."
"Ahaha, they seem
to be having fun."
"Don't be
ridiculous. I wish they would think about the one who has to stop them every
time."
Lisa called out to the
indignant Shina in a light tone, but she let out a sigh and dropped her
shoulders.
For Shina, who had
been dragged into the commotion caused by Mimuru every single time, she was
envious of Lisa, who could just brush it off with a single word, "they
seem to be having fun."
Although Mimuru had
gone on a rampage, Lisa and the others, who had finished washing their bodies,
slowly soaked in the milky white hot water.
At the sensation of
the fatigue in their bodies melting away, the girls' cheeks relaxed blissfully.
"Well, I
understand Tima-san's dream. So, what about you, Shina-san?"
Lisa, who was able to
hear Tima's dream, now turned the topic to Shina.
"Me? To reclaim
my hometown, the Foschia Forest."
"I see, what
about Irisdina?"
"Nothing has
changed, to join the Silver Rainbow Knights."
"Hmm~..."
While smiling
meaningfully, Lisa stared at the two girls.
The feelings she had
for these two were quite complicated.
Friendship, or perhaps
empathy. Or perhaps both.
But for Lisa, these
two girls were special in various ways.
"And what about
you?"
"As for me, I
guess it's to become a first-class adventurer and travel the continent..."
This time, Irisdina
returned the question to Lisa.
Lisa, without
hesitating at that question, spoke her frank feelings.
There are roughly two
types of adventurers.
One is the day laborer
who just earns their daily bread. The other is the pioneer who steps into the
unexplored lands and the territories of the demonic beasts.
The adventurer that
Lisa dreamed of was, of course, the latter.
"Honestly, I
could have already left the academy, but since I've come this far, I also have
the feeling that I want to test myself to the end at this academy... This is
also, in a sense, a part of an adventure."
As for Lisa, she could
have left the adventurer academy right away and gone on an adventure.
However, the classes
and experiences that she could receive at Solminati Academy were things that
she could not obtain just by adventuring.
Then, she might as
well have as much "adventure" as she could in this place, and then go
out into the continent. That was Lisa's current thought.
"Is it still
because of your promise with Nozomu?"
"Hmm. A
promise... That's right. It might be called a 'promise'..."
The one who had made
her remember her dream of becoming an adventurer was Nozomu, who had tried to
face her until the end.
Although the paths of
Nozomu and Lisa had now been separated, in the depths of her heart, Nozomu's
wish, "I want you to get back on your feet," was firmly lit.
In that sense, it
could also be said that the promise she had made with Nozomu when she was young
was supporting her now.
But Lisa also
understood at the same time.
That for the current
Nozomu, she was not the most special person.
That was precisely why
Nozomu had said that he could not go with her.
"...That's why I
will definitely fulfill my dream."
But Lisa did not say
those words.
Was it out of a little
bit of spite, or was her competitiveness taking precedence?
Both Irisdina and
Shina said nothing to Lisa's declaration and were just soaking in the hot
water.
The hot water that had
become drops on the ceiling fell into the bathtub, and with a plop, they made a
pleasant sound.
While feeling the
weariness that was drifting through their entire bodies, and the heat that was
welling up in the depths of their chests, the three girls closed their eyes and
were thinking of the dreams that each of them envisioned, and of the person in
their hearts.
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