Volume 8
Chapter 24
The day after the Opening Festival. Classes at Solminati Academy were off, and Nozomu was visiting the artisan district alone. His purpose was to make a bell to give to Irisdina. For the bell he had previously given to Somia, he had used the kiln at his master Shino's cabin, but unfortunately, that kiln had been completely destroyed along with the cabin in the previous battle with the Armored Dragon. Therefore, Nozomu was looking for a shop that would lend him a furnace, but...
"Huh? Let you use
the furnace? Don't mess with me!"
"First, wipe
anvils for three years, then I'll think about it."
He was being turned
away at the door. It couldn't be helped. Craftsmen do not compromise on their
own work, so they are often stubborn. In particular, the craftsmen in Arcazam
were generally highly skilled. Because they had confidence in their own skills
and took pride in them, there was no way they would accept Nozomu's proposal to
let him use their furnace. Nozomu, who had been kicked out of the thirteenth
blacksmith shop, returned to the main street of the artisan district and began
to search for the next shop. As he walked down the main street, he could hear
the sound of hammers hitting and looms moving from all over. He could also hear
the voices of masters scolding their apprentices, and at those roars, Nozomu
remembered his own master and his lips relaxed. However, he couldn't just stand
around. Fortunately, he had somehow managed to gather the materials, so he had
to find a place that would lend him a furnace, no matter what.
"Iris, I wonder
if she's okay..."
The head of the Wajiart
family, who had suddenly made contact at the Opening Festival party. Vitora had
shown a clear interest in Nozomu. Furthermore, the Francilt family, who was
beginning to close the distance with that Wajiart family. Just knowing about
the secret pact that had been the seed of the commotion in the past made
anxiety grow in Nozomu's chest.
"Maybe I should
try asking Mena-san..."
Nozomu let such a
thought slip from his mouth, but at the same time, he knew it was impossible,
and he shook his head to shake off the thought that had floated in his mind.
Nozomu was now being told by Jihad to stay away from the Francilt family. The
reason was the relationship between Nozomu and Irisdina, and the problem of
Tiamat that Nozomu himself was carrying. The scenario that Jihad was most wary
of was that the Wajiart family would make a move on Nozomu, and as a result, he
would go on a rampage, Tiamat would be revived, and Arcazam would collapse.
Since Nozomu himself had the experience of going on a rampage twice in the
past, he could understand Jihad's concerns. Although he was now repeatedly
training with Zonne, the observer of the white dragon, to control Tiamat's
power, he had only been able to extend the time he could release his power by
about twenty seconds. And the surroundings of the person he wanted to help were
already beginning to be filled with an unsettling tension. The slowness of his
own growth, in contrast to the changes in the situation around him, was driving
Nozomu's impatience.
"For now, I'll
think about fulfilling my promise..."
Shaking off the
consciousness that had been on the verge of falling into bad thoughts, Nozomu
took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on making the bell he had promised
Irisdina. He already had a design in his mind. Although one of the materials
was a little rare, it was not something that could not be obtained, and he had
already obtained it and put it in the pouch at his waist. All that was left was
to find a furnace to melt the crucial materials. The problem was whether there
was such an eccentric blacksmith who would lend a furnace to a novice in
blacksmithing like Nozomu. Just as Nozomu was looking around to search again, a
somewhat listless, drawn-out voice reached his ears.
"Nozomu-ku~n!"
"Anri-sensei?"
When he turned his
eyes in the direction of the voice, he saw Anri, dressed in neat, well-tailored
clothes. Seeing that she was properly dressed, it seemed she was still at work.
However, her workplace was the academy. Normally, she should not have been
outside the academy.
"What are you
doing? In a place like this."
"It's work~.
Returning the tools and things we used at the opening festival~"
"...I see."
According to Anri,
many of the costumes, tables, plates, and other furnishings that the students
had rented were apparently borrowed for a fee from shops that owned a large
number of them. It was said that since a large-scale party like the opening
festival was not so common, it was cheaper for the academy to rent than to buy.
However, since all of the furnishings that were used were of considerable
value, in order to prevent them from being lost or stolen, Anri, who was a
full-time employee of the academy, had been present at their return.
"What about you,
Nozomu-kun~?"
"Umm,
actually..."
When he told Anri that
he had been looking for a shop with a furnace he could use to make the bell he
had been asked for by Irisdina, but had been turned away at every door, she
nodded as if she understood.
"I see~. So you
still haven't found a furnace~"
"Yeah, what
should I do?"
At Nozomu's question,
Anri tilted her head with a "Hmm~..." and began to think with her
hand on her cheek. Perhaps they were struck by her beauty, which was
reminiscent of a pure and innocent lady, and her somewhat childish gestures, as
the people passing by were furtively peeking at Anri. As Nozomu was thinking
that she was, as always, a person who unconsciously charmed men here and there,
Anri, as if she had thought of something, clapped her hands in front of her
ample chest with a clap.
"Well then, shall
I do something about it for you?"
"Is that
okay?"
"Yes, leave it to
me~"
No matter where the
place was, if he could use a furnace, it was a welcome offer for Nozomu. Nozomu
bowed his head to Anri, saying, "Please, I'll be in your care."
"In exchange,
there's something I'd like you to help me with~"
"Carrying
luggage?"
In exchange for
introducing him to a place where he could use a furnace, Anri apparently had a
favor to ask of Nozomu. Thinking that Anri had been returning the rented items
from the opening festival, Nozomu thought that she wanted him to help her carry
those rented items, but Anri shook her head and denied his words.
"Nope. The return
of the rented items is finished, so that's not it~. For now, just come with
me~"
She casually took
Nozomu's hand, and Anri began to walk. At Nozomu, who was talking with a beautiful
woman of marriageable age, the gazes from the surrounding men were dyed with
killing intent.
"I've been
getting a lot of killing intent and hostility directed at me lately..."
While giving a wry
smile at his own situation, where he was beginning to get used to a situation
he didn't want to get used to, Nozomu, led by Anri's hand, left the artisan
district.
***
The place Anri had
brought Nozomu to was a school building adjacent to Solminati Academy. Although
its scale was quite small compared to Solminati Academy, the school building
itself was still reasonably large, and two three-story school buildings were
built in a north-south line. The building was an affiliated school of Solminati
Academy, which Somia was attending.
"Is this
Ecross?"
Ecross. The affiliated
school of Solminati Academy, which Irisdina's younger sister, Somia, attended.
It was a school for giving a gifted education from a young age to talented
children who had been gathered from all over the continent. Naturally, Nozomu
had no experience stepping into this school building. At the main gate of
Ecross, there was a gatekeeper day and night, and the surroundings of the
academy were also surrounded by a high wall with a detection-type magic circle.
The only gate to enter Ecross was the main gate, and the only ones who could
pass through that main gate were the students, the teachers of Solminati
Academy and Ecross, and the staff involved in its operation.
"That's right~. A
teacher here~ said that she really wanted you to come, Nozomu-kun~"
As she said that,
Anri, leading Nozomu by the hand, coolly passed through the main gate of the
Ecross school building. It was natural that Anri, who was a teacher at
Solminati Academy, could pass through the main gate of Ecross, but the fact
that she had waved to the gatekeeper in a light tone as she passed through the
main gate, and that the gatekeeper had also returned a wry smile and had waved
back, showed that she visited this Ecross quite often. On the other hand, for
Nozomu, the situation of having his hand held by Anri was something he was very
concerned about.
"Um, Anri-sensei,
my hand..."
"Hmm? What is
it~~?"
"...No, it's
nothing."
Although it was
embarrassing for Nozomu to have his hand held by a beautiful teacher, Anri's
strength was stronger than he had thought, even when he tried to let go. Even
if he wanted to say, "Please let go of my hand," in the face of
Anri's broad smile, it was hard to say. However, the sight of Nozomu and Anri
was too conspicuous within Ecross. And Anri seemed to have many acquaintances
within Ecross, as she was casually called out to by the staff and teachers she
passed from time to time. And at the same time, the gazes of the people who
were greeting her were directed at Nozomu, who was holding hands with Anri, but
for some reason, the way they looked at him as if they were seeing something
heartwarming was further stirring Nozomu's shame. Although it was different
from the hostility of the men when they were walking in the city, for Nozomu,
the embarrassment was many times greater.
"Anri-sensei, why
me? I don't understand the reason."
"Now, now, it's
fine~"
While brushing off
Nozomu's question, which he had asked to distract himself from his shame, Anri
continued to walk. The place Anri had guided him to was an outdoor training
ground adjacent to the Ecross school building. Its size was a little smaller
than the training grounds of Solminati Academy. However, the surroundings of
the training ground were, although simple, equipped with a formula that would produce
a magic barrier, just like the one that had been set up in the Martial Arts
Garden, and it was a fine one even compared to the training grounds within the
academy. At the edge of that training ground, about thirty boys and girls,
about ten years old, were sitting in a line. In front of the children were a
beastman woman, who seemed to be their homeroom teacher, and a man and a woman
whom Nozomu also knew well.
"...Huh? Mars and
Tima-san?"
"Ah..."
"Oh?"
Mars and Tima, who had
noticed Nozomu's figure, had surprised expressions.
"Why is Nozomu
here?"
"And what about
you, Mars? Why are you at Ecross?"
"I'm Tima's
escort. It seems she has an acquaintance at Ecross..."
"Before I came to
the academy, I was at Ecross for a short time. Because of that, I'm helping
with a lecture on how to handle magic."
According to Tima's
story, it seemed that she had been enrolled in Ecross for a few months under a
special arrangement before she had entered Solminati Academy. Although she had
originally come to Arcazam after her high magic power had been discovered, at
first, she had not been able to control that magic power, so she had apparently
learned the basics of magic power control at this Ecross.
"What about you,
Nozomu-kun?"
"Anri-sensei
asked me to come..."
When Nozomu moved his
gaze to Anri, the culprit who had brought him to this place was talking to a
rabbit-eared woman who seemed to be a teacher at Ecross. The rabbit-eared woman
was in her thirties or forties. She was a quiet-looking woman, with
unremarkable features rather than well-defined ones, and with rabbit-like ears
covered in dark brown fur. Although the rabbit-eared tribe was a beastman race,
among the beastmen, who were often rather simple-minded, they were a rare race
that excelled at intellectual labor. They were also timid as a race, had a
nature that thoroughly disliked conflict, and would immediately run away in the
face of a battle. However, because of that timidity, they had been the first to
evacuate in the great invasion, and as a result, a considerable number of the
rabbit-eared tribe had been able to escape safely.
"Umm... I'm
sorry. I am Velli. I am a graduate of Solminati Academy, and I am a teacher at
Ecross. It's sudden, but would you be willing to cooperate with my class?"
Velli's tone, true to
her quiet appearance, was a humble one, even to Nozomu, who was younger than
her and just a student. Nozomu was also at a loss as to how to gauge the proper
distance when being treated with such formality by a woman who was his senior,
and moreover, an exceptional person capable of becoming an academy teacher.
"Um, what is your
relationship with Anri-sensei..."
"She is my
junior."
"So you're
Anri-sensei's senior...?"
"Y-Yes..."
According to Velli's story,
she was a first-year student at Solminati Academy and had apparently entered
the academy from the Sumahya Federation. Although there was only a few years'
difference in their enrollment time compared to Anri, Nozomu was curious as to
why there was such a strange age difference between the two, but according to
the story, she had apparently entered the academy in her late twenties. It
seemed that she could not suppress her curiosity about the existence of this
city, where talent and technology gathered from all over the continent. For
that reason, she had apparently thrown away her previous research position in
the Sumahya Federation and had come to this Arcazam. Her ability to take action
was outstanding, contrary to her quiet appearance. Apart from her appearance
and her outward personality, this woman also seemed to be an acquaintance of
Anri.
"Velli-senpai
taught Tima-san magic when she came to Ecross, and now she's the homeroom
teacher of Somia-chan's class~~"
"...Eh? Is that
true!?"
"Y-Yes. Of
course, what I taught Tima-san was just the basics of magic power control. As
for this class, they are all truly promising children, and I wonder if it's
okay for someone like me to be in charge..."
Although Velli was being
modest, blushing, according to Anri's story, it seemed that from her natural
intellectual curiosity, she had a wide range of knowledge about numerous
academic subjects. Naturally, her basic academic skills were also solid, and
she was valued for her diverse knowledge, and it was said that she was
providing knowledge to the children who had a promising future at this Ecross.
"Um, as for
Somia-chan, today..."
"She is absent. I
have heard that she is not feeling well..."
Nozomu glanced at the
students in Velli's class, but as she had said, Somia's figure was not among
them. At Velli's somewhat hesitant state, Nozomu felt the anxiety he had been
harboring inwardly grow. The meeting between the Wajiart family and the
Francilt family was the hottest topic in Arcazam right now. As for Nozomu, who
might be involved in a part of that story, albeit unofficially, he could not
get Irisdina and Somia, who were in the midst of it, out of his mind. The bell
he intended to give to Irisdina. Nozomu had naturally placed his hand on the
pouch that contained its materials.
"So, about what
I'd like to ask you..."
Nozomu's
consciousness, which had been directed at the Francilt family, was pulled back
by Velli's words. The reason Nozomu had come to this place was because Anri had
asked him to. As a reward, it seemed that she would cooperate in making
Irisdina's bell, so Nozomu had no reason to refuse.
"Ah, yes. You say
cooperate, but what exactly am I...?"
"You are a master
of the Eastern Mikagura-ryu, right, Nozomu-san? I would like you to demonstrate
that in this class."
"A
demonstration?"
"Yes. The Eastern
swordsmanship is something we are not familiar with, but in the sense of
broadening the children's knowledge and insight, I would like you to show that
technique in front of the children."
A child's ability to
absorb is something to behold. It is no exaggeration to say that the knowledge,
habits, and quirks absorbed at this time are directly linked to that child's
future. That was precisely why Velli had probably wanted the children to feel
as much experience and knowledge as possible and to have a broader perspective.
"Well, if it's
just showing them..."
"That's great!
Well then, shall we begin?"
Velli, with a happy
smile, turned around to her students. There, Nozomu finally faced the children.
At the thirty pairs of eyes that were directed at the sudden participant,
Nozomu was feeling an ticklish sensation.
"Everyone. Today,
someone who will participate in our class and show us a very rare technique.
Your senior, from the 3rd year of Solminati Academy, Nozomu Bountis-san."
"H-Hello."
"Everyone. Please
greet him~"
""Nice to
meet you~""
"Nozomu-san is a
master of the Mikagura-ryu swordsmanship, which is also a proper school in the
East. You all know his abilities, don't you~?"
The students of Ecross
had previously observed the mock battle that Nozomu had had with Jihad in the
Martial Arts Garden. For that reason, they were also answering Velli's
confirming question with cheerful voices.
"In today's
class, first, we will study this Mikagura-ryu swordsmanship together with
Nozomu-san. Is that okay~"
""Yeees~""
"Well then,
Nozomu-san, please."
"...Eh, isn't it
just a demonstration!?"
Being suddenly made to
stand in front and told to give a lecture, Nozomu couldn't help but raise his
voice as if to confirm. As for Nozomu, who was by no means good at teaching, it
was a slightly troubling development.
"Before you
demonstrate, a simple introduction to the Mikagura-ryu would be fine. It's
okay, a concise explanation is fine."
According to Velli,
just a concise introduction was fine. Hearing those words, Nozomu changed his
mood.
"Umm. I... no.
The Mikagura-ryu that I use is a swordsmanship that was originally derived from
an Eastern ritual. It has a history of having been refined with the aim of
facing both humans and demonic beasts in the narrow, hilly lands of the East,
and of surviving."
First, Nozomu began to
talk about the basics of the Mikagura-ryu swordsmanship. Refined, huh, did I use a slightly difficult word? Although Nozomu
was anxious, the children did not seem to have any particular difficulty
understanding. Even if they were young, just being enrolled in Ecross, these
children were also promising child prodigies.
"The weapon we
use is a weapon called a katana, which has been forged. It is a weapon that is
specialized in cutting and thrusting, characterized by a gentle curve and a
wave-like pattern that appears on the blade in the process of its
creation."
Nozomu drew the "Mumei" katana that was at his waist
and, as if to support the hilt and the back of the blade, he held it with both
his hands and showed it to the children. The children in front of the katana.
The boys, in particular, were so interested that their eyes all shone at once.
"The Mikagura-ryu
basically does not use a shield. If the opponent is a powerful demonic beast,
then a half-baked defense is meaningless. The techniques that are used are also
mostly techniques that can inflict a fatal wound even on a demonic beast, whose
vitality is an order of magnitude higher than that of a human, such as those
that break through a single point or destroy from the inside."
At the sparkling gazes
of the children, while tilting his head at the strange interest he was receiving,
Nozomu continued to speak.
"On the other
hand, in terms of defense, it is fragile compared to what the swordsmen of the
continent use, and many of them place a strong emphasis on parrying or evading,
and furthermore, since there are various techniques, it can be said to be a
school that is very much dependent on the user's ability and skill."
Here, Nozomu cut his
story once and turned his gaze to Mars.
"Mars, can I ask
you?"
"Sure."
Nozomu and Mars moved
a little away from the children, faced each other, and readied their respective
weapons. And as they always did in their usual training, they began to clash
blades.
"Hmph!"
"Zei!"
Mars's greatsword
roared and was swung down at Nozomu. Nozomu, while striking the side of the
approaching blade with his katana to deflect its trajectory, returned a sweep
at Mars's torso with his returning sword. Mars also quickly pulled back his
greatsword and intercepted. A diagonal slash, a reverse sweep, an upward cut, a
thrust, the two blades crossed in every direction.
"Fuwah..."
At the sight of
Nozomu, who was easily fighting on equal terms with Mars's greatsword, which
was overwhelmingly superior in physical strength and power, without backing
down an inch, a breath of admiration escaped from the children who were
watching. The continental swordsmanship, which was based on strength, and the
Eastern swordsmanship, which had mastered softness. At the competition of the
two different types of swordsmanship that was unfolding before their eyes, the
children's eyes were glued. Eventually, the two, who had been clashing their
weapons, as if by arrangement, stepped in at the same time and flashed their blades.
After switching their positions as if to cross each other, they slowly sheathed
their weapons.
"Umm, is this
about it?"
"Yes, thank you
very time. Today, we had Nozomu Bountis-san from the third year demonstrate the
Eastern swordsmanship for us."
""Thank you
very much!""
"Nozomu-san,
thank you very much. If you'd like, please feel free to observe the class with
Anri-sensei."
"Understood. Well
then, I'll observe for a little while."
Nozomu bowed to Velli
and stepped back. And as if to switch with Nozomu, Tima stood next to Velli.
Nozomu decided to watch the Ecross class with Mars from a short distance.
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