Chapter 6 Part 10

Translator : PolterGlast

After escorting Eldor and the others to the city, Nozomu, Irisdina, and Feo finished reporting their request and left the guild gate.

The sun had already sunk below the horizon, and the twilight sky, dyed in red, covered the sky of Arcazam.

"Hmm! This is the end of the request. What are we going to do now?"

"Eh?"

"I'm hungry, and we've been rewarded for completing the request. Why don't we go to Ushitotei and have some fun?

"Gambling again? You're going to be poor again, you know."

Feo's sudden words made Nozomu reflexively ask back.

"It's okay. All I have to do is win!"

"I can't help but feel uneasy when you say that..."

Apparently, he had completely forgotten the fact that he had run out of money due to the recent commotion.

He still held fun-first as his principle, so Nozomu couldn't help but wonder what kind of trouble this fox would cause in the future.

“........”

Nozomu was silent. The old man next to him was also giving off a similar vibe.

What in the world is this old man imagining? I have an unpleasant premonition from the way he looks. His cheeks dyed red like a maiden's and his gaze drifted in the air.

"What are you talking about? Life is a party! No matter whether you win or lose, the person who enjoyed it will be the winner in the end!"

"That's right, kid! To win the hearts of beautiful maidens, there will always be hardships! Many challengers have been defeated in the face of such difficulties! To face these challenges, we must continue to hold our wish in our hearts!"

Sure enough, Zonne, inspired by Feo, was in an aggressive mode.

The two of them declare it while raising their fists high to the sky. One of them, bathed in the moonlight, has his eyes turned into gold, while the other exhaled pervy breath wildly from his nose.

"So, what's that wish you have in your heart?"

"Of course! To be with a beautiful girl! Have a date! Skinship! Cuddling, just the two of us!"

Their wish seemed to be dyed with money and lust. Nozomu could only sigh.

Turning away from the two who were creating their own world in front of him and attracting the attention of the public, Nozomu slowly looked up at the sky.

“........”

*Phew...*

Nozomu let out a big breath.

Looking at such Nozomu, Irisdina felt something stuck at the depth of her heart.

Since returning to Arcazam, Nozomu had been making numerous gestures as if he was thinking about something.

Wondering what was wrong with him... Irisdina spoke to Nozomu.

"Nozomu, what's wrong? You've been acting strange since you came back to the city..."

"W-well. I guess I got caught..."

Nozomu scratched his head with a wry smile on his face. He turned back to the path he had come from and slowly opened his mouth.

"I was thinking about Eldor and the others."

"Eldor and the others?"

When Nozomu returned to Arcazam, he sent them back to the dormitory first, considering the mental and physical strain they were under.

They had to report to the guild about their request, so he could tell the guild about them at the same time.

Nozomu was staring at the road he had come from. In his eyes, it was as if he could see Eldor and the others.

A wry smile appeared on Nozomu's face.

"I thought they were amazing ..."

As if speaking to himself, Nozomu muttered while relaxing his cheeks. Something reflected in his eyes... was it envy?

"I haven't figured it out yet. To be honest, I don't know how I want to face Lisa and Ken. But Eldor and the others can quickly decide their own answers and run forward."

Just before they parted ways at the entrance to the city, Eldor apologized to Nozomu for his attitude at the guild.

Eldor said, "If it's possible, please take care of me from now on!", and Eldor bowed his head so deeply that his head almost touched the ground.

He bent his waist and raised only his head, staring straight at Nozomu and the others with pure eyes.

To be honest, Nozomu was puzzled when he saw those eyes.

However, Nozomu immediately accepted his apology.

He was able to accept it.

Eldor looked like a different person than he had just a few hours ago.

No, perhaps this was his true self.

At Solminati Academy, students were "selected" based on their talent and ability immediately after enrollment began. As a result, people may inevitably change because of that. This was also the case with Nozomu's friends in the past.

At the same time, Nozomu was surprised to see how Eldor himself had changed.

Eldor was confronted with his mistakes, his shame, and his ugliness, and yet he was able to immediately use them as sustenance and look forward.

Nozomu felt that this was something that he did not have, as he still had not been able to come to an answer about his relationship with Lisa.

Certainly, Nozomu himself was able to change albeit a little. In fact, he was now able to speak his mind clearly, even if it was a bit stifled. In the past, he would only say, "It's nothing" and keep it to himself.

“........”

Nozomu still hasn't completely overcome his past.

Along with the pain running in his chest, Lisa and Ken were still reflected in Nozomu's mind.

The painful memories still shook Nozomu's heart violently, and indescribable emotions welled up in his mouth.

Due to the sweet and happy memories of the past, he couldn't help but feel even more bitter and painful.

".... brat, sit down there for a minute."

Zonne suddenly said so and sat down on the edge of the road.

"Hm? What are you going to do, old man?"

"I have not returned the favor you have done to help me. I'll give you a little advice in return."

Zonne sat down on the ground and took out a transparent crystal ball from his pocket. It was probably the same one he had used to help Somia with her problems. Apparently, he was going to give Nozomu advice on his problems, just as he had done before.

While Nozomu was wondering where the crystal ball was coming from, Zonne beckoned to Nozomu.

"Come, I'm a great man and I'm going to show you something. Could you come here, hurry?"

"But ... no, I understand."

He was puzzled, but there was no particular reason to refuse.

While showing a bitter smile, Nozomu sat down in front of Zonne and touched the crystal ball. Zonne then held his hand over Nozomu's hand.

Considering what had happened with Somia, the color of the crystal ball should change depending on the worries and psychological state of the person who touched it.

However, contrary to Nozomu's expectation, the color of the crystal ball remained clear and unchanged.

"Old man, nothing is happening?"

"Huh? That's strange..."

Zonne put his hand on his chin and looked into the crystal ball with a furrowed brow. For some reason, Zonne's expression seemed much more serious than usual.

Nozomu felt a strange sense of unease after seeing the expression that he had never seen before. Zonne did not even show that expression when he was attacked by the demon beast in the forest.

Zonne held up Nozomu's hand again.

The next moment, Nozomu's fingers suddenly went numb.

"~!"

Nozomu reflexively retracted his hand from the crystal ball. The expression on Zonne's face, who had been holding Nozomu's hand, somehow returned to his normal foolish expression.

"Hmm?　What's the matter?"

"N-no, nothing. I just felt a little numb..."

"A bit of your magic leaked out, didn't it? Well, it's okay. Look, I'm touching the crystal and it's fine."

"A-alright..."

While tilting his head at the sudden change in Zonne's atmosphere, Nozomu touched the crystal again, and soon the transparent crystal began to change color.

At first, the crystal ball glowed blue. The crystal ball, which had started out blue, eventually turned light gray and gradually became darker.

Eventually, Zonne slowly opened his mouth while looking at the crystal ball that had turned dark gray.

"It's the same gray as lady Somia's at that time. You have the same doubts. However, it seems that your troubles have been tormenting you for a very long time. Since this crystal ball has turned such a dark color."

While saying so, Zonne poked his crystal ball, which had turned gray.

"But you remain calm in this matter because the first blue we see at first signifies intelligence and calmness."

After he had said that much, Zonne let out a deep breath and cut the conversation short.

"However, due to the depth of your troubles, you may be overthinking things..."

"Eh?"

Zonne's words made Nozomu choke up.

The old man in front of him stared at Nozomu with a slight astonishment, yet slightly familiar expression in his eyes.

There was a familiar color in the depths of his eyes. It reminded Nozomu of the time when he received Shino's thoughts in the forest. It was a gaze tinged with melancholy and tinged with regret.

But Zonne, whether he knew what was going on in Nozomu's mind or not, smiled and continued.

"There is fundamentally only one relationship between people. You either love them or you hate them. That's all. Of course, there is the question of how you like or dislike the other person... From my point of view, you seem to overthinking things and getting yourself in a bind."

Once again, Nozomu's heart was pierced sharply.

He knew he had to move forward, but somehow he couldn't move forward.

Undoubtedly, it was because Nozomu was hesitant about the distance that had opened up between him and Lisa and Ken over the past two years.

Of course, he had tried to close the distance. But it had been destroyed by his best friend who had set everything up. This fact made Nozomu hesitant to step into their lives again.

No, how does he feel about his former friends in the first place?

"I am...."

The person who once wanted to be by his side. And the person whose back he wanted to protect.

They now felt so distant that even his own desires have become hazy.

"The longer you are apart, the more time you spend thinking about each other, the more your heart becomes entangled in your thoughts. This is especially true for memories that are both happy and sad at the same time."

What came to his mind was the moment he made that promise. He remembered the moment he made that promise, the time he conveyed his feelings in his village.

(If the girl I love wants to make her dreams come true, I want to help her!)

These words resurfaced in Nozomu's mind. The origin of everything. And the memory that had turned into a reason to escape.

It twinkled like the light of the stars, but it consumed his mind like poison.

Irisdina and Feo were both listening to the exchange between the boy and the old man.

Feo was watching the exchange between the two in front of him with a somewhat amused expression.

Irisdina put her hand on her chest and clenched it tightly. She felt as if her heart was tightening.

Eventually, Nozomu opened his mouth slowly while exhaling heavily.

"Is that so... No, I think you might be right."

Words of affirmation came out of his mouth. He himself had no reason or basis to deny what Zonne had just pointed out to him. However, an indescribable bitterness lingered in the depth of his throat.

"I may still want Lisa to pursue her dreams."

His words were like a monologue.

The words were not directed at anyone, but it was as if he was saying it to himself.

He did love her before. He didn't know if he still had those feelings or not, but it was a fact that those memories were still within him.

And it was for this reason that he was able to remain in the Solminati.

Even if that had become his reason for running away, it was a fact that this had supported him up until now.

His master also said.

(It's okay to run away, but you have to be aware that you're running away.)

Shino never forced an answer. It was only Nozomu himself who had to decide. Nozomu thought deeply about the words Shino and Zonne in his mind.

The image of Lisa as a child, proudly talking about her dreams, flashed through his mind.

Suddenly, he noticed a gaze directed at him. When he looked at that gaze, he saw a girl with black hair.

She was looking at Nozomu with a somewhat confused and anxious look in her eyes, but she never looked away.

When he looked into her eyes, something welled up in his heart. A bitter taste spread in his mouth. Nozomu gulped as if to swallow it.

"I am...."

His own heart still wavered. While being aware of this, Nozomu's mouth naturally opened. The next moment, however, the sight that met his eyes caused him to fall silent.

What he saw in his eyes was the figure of a girl with red hair. The person who still gave him a heartbeat that cannot be expressed in words. Is it hatred, or is it fondness?

"Lisa ..."

"No-zomu..."

Their whispers naturally disappeared into the darkness of Arcazam at night.

===================================

The sun had gone down, three students, a boy and two girls were walking on the cobblestone pavement illuminated by the light of a magic lamp.

A blonde-haired boy with a single sword at his waist, a girl with a mage's staff, and a long red hair girl with a saber and a dagger at her waist. The boy has a burlap sack in his hand. They were headed to the guild headquarters of Arcazam. The lights, which use the latest magical technology, were used to show off the majestic building that was unchanged from daytime.

It was already getting dark, and the adventurers who had completed their requests were disappearing into the night to find their favorite inns, taverns, and brothels.

However, there were still many adventurers in and out of the guild, checking on requests and exchanging information.

The three of them stood in front of the guild headquarters, which was still surrounded by a certain amount of noise. Among them, a girl with a staff stepped forward.

"Alright then. I'll get the report and the reward. You two can go ahead and get a table at the restaurant."

"Okay. Camilla, I'll leave it to you."

Camilla gave a small nod, took the burlap sack from Ken's hand, and disappeared into the guild headquarters.

"Then, let's go, Lisa"

"Yes...."

Lisa gave a small nod to Ken, and after watching Camilla's back, she walked to her favorite restaurant in the neighborhood.

The two of them walked through the commercial district at night, listening to the noise that echoed in the area.

The two of them are so close to each other that their shoulders almost touch. However, Lisa's expression was somewhat absent-minded.

Ken, who had been watching her face from the side, called out to Lisa.

"Hey Lisa, what's wrong? You seem to be in a daze today..."

"Eh!? R-really?"

"Yeah. It was the same when we were collecting the requested items, and when we fought against the demon beast, wasn't it?"

The request they received today was nothing special. They were asked to fetch some herbs from the forest to be used in the preparation of a potion.

Items from other cities would have been fine, but they would have been more expensive.

In addition, no matter how many countries were financing Arcazam, the city itself still needed to have a certain level of self-sufficiency.

Otherwise, there was a risk that the city itself would stop functioning when the transportation route for goods was cut off for some reason.

"That's not true...."

“............”

Lisa tried her best to remain calm and deny Ken's words, but Ken's brow furrowed slightly.

Lisa's mind flickered to the image of Nozomu being attracted to her classmate's hand. She couldn't help but think of the scene she had seen today in front of the guild headquarters.

The sight of him being led by the hand of a dark-haired girl from his class.

To Lisa Hounds, Nozomu Bountis was a person she could never forgive. To be honest, just the thought of him made her feel as if her whole body was on fire with rage.

But this time, what pierced her chest was not a flaming spear that burned her, but a freezing ice arrow.

A cold sensation shot through her body from her core. For a moment, Lisa felt as if she were all alone in the world.

It was the same feeling as that time. It was the same feeling she felt when she lost her father and when she was betrayed by the man she loved at this school.

Why do I feel this way? This thought crossed Lisa's mind.

She should have nothing but anger towards him.

She hugged her arms and shrunk back as if she withstood a winter blizzard.

However, despite her pleading thoughts, the coldness that pierced her chest gradually froze her whole body.

"Lisa, are you okay?"

At that moment, Ken was next to her and gently hugged Lisa's shoulder. The heat from his hand gradually seeped into Lisa's body, making her cheeks relax. Like a person freezing in a blizzard clinging to a small fire, Lisa twisted to keep the heat from escaping her.

However, the image of Nozomu kept coming back to her mind.

The back of Nozomu who stood in front of the Undead Dragon during the special exercise. And then he was taken away by Irisdina.

The icy arrow that pierced her chest would not melt and would try to take away even the slightest heat.

And Lisa, like a frightened child in the dark of night, leaned closer to Ken as if looking for more warmth. At that moment, Ken gently touched Lisa's chin and made her turn her head toward him.

The distance between them naturally closes.

Ken's face, which had been reflected in Lisa's eyes, gradually came closer.

Their breaths caressed each other's faces, and their lips were about to touch.

But the next moment, Lisa's body shivered.

"~! Don't!"

"Ugh!"

Lisa's arms instantly tightened. The next thing she knew, she was pushing Ken's body away from her.

"Ah... S-sorry, Ken!"

"I-it's okay, Lisa, don't worry about it."

Lisa looked flustered and tried to make up for it. Ken smiled and waved his hand so Lisa didn't have to worry about him.

"S-sorry. I'm sorry ..."

Even so, Lisa continued to apologize as if distraught. With tears welling up in her eyes, she looked as if she was about to collapse in tears.

As he comforted Lisa, Ken felt an indescribable bitterness.

She thought that Nozomu had betrayed her. Since then, Lisa had been unable to have a deep relationship with the opposite sex.

She could hold hands and cuddle, but if it went beyond kissing, she would suddenly reject it.

One's could call it a kind of phobia of love. She can have a normal conversation with someone of the opposite sex, but if she tried to develop a romantic relationship with them, she instantly got scared and reject them.

Even Ken, who had known Lisa since childhood and was closer to her than anyone else, had been unable to make any progress in his relationship with her.

At first, Ken thought that as long as he got rid of Nozomu, there would be no problem. He thought that if he could just take his anger out on Nozomu and dump all of his negative emotions on him, then one day Lisa would get over it and see him for who he was. That was what he thought.

But in reality, despite his expectations, Lisa's condition did not improve at all.

Still, he was the only one who could be near her now. This fact satisfied Ken to a certain extent since Nozomu had always been next to her.

"Sorry, Ken. I'm sorry I was such a coward..."

But when he saw Lisa in tears, only helpless resentment welled up in Ken's heart.

While desperately trying to convert his resentment into hatred for Nozomu, Ken could only comfort Lisa by putting a smile on his face.

Only silence enveloped the two of them. Lisa and Ken stayed close to each other for a while, but when Lisa calmed down, she slowly let go of him and they started walking again.

Lisa was angry at herself for not being able to accept Ken's feelings but still tried to smile somehow.

But then, her eyes caught something she wasn't supposed to see.

"Eh...."

Someone was right in front of her.

Someone who was once next to her and gave her warmth. And the person who messed up her heart.

"Lisa ..."

"No-zomu..."

The name naturally came out of their mouth. Lisa, Nozomu, and the others froze at the sudden occurrence.

“..............”

A silence flowed between them.

Facing them directly, Nozomu felt the hatred that had been smoldering in the depth of his mind rise up once again.

Black smoke was spreading through Nozomu's mind like a fire falling on dead grass.

Nozomu took a breath to calm himself down. Perhaps because of this, the darkness that seemed to be spreading in his mind temporarily subsided.

Nozomu stepped forward.

"Lisa, do you have a minute?"

After taking a step forward, Nozomu looked straight at Lisa and called out to the red-haired girl.

Irisdina and the others behind him did not speak but watched what was happening.

Lisa backed up slightly under his gaze. Her behavior was clearly different from when she had been shouting abusive words at Nozomu and rejecting him.

Nozomu felt doubt in his heart at the sight of such Lisa, but he still opened his mouth to speak to her. Because there was something he really wanted to confirm.

Is she still walking proudly towards her dream, just as she did when she was a child?

They've had their differences. Nozomu's own dreams have been shattered, but he hopes that at least she still has her dreams.

However, Ken stood in front of him.

"Ken, step aside..."

The moment he recognized his former best friend, the one who had framed him, the hatred he had suppressed began to rise up again.

"Do you really think I'd back down if I didn't know what you were going to do to Lisa?"

"How can you say that? ......"

Ken's attitude, which showed off that he was the one who protected Lisa, further fueled Nozomu's anger.

Both glared at each other, neither taking a step back. Ken looked down at Nozomu with his superiority, while Nozomu looked at Ken with eyes that seem to be ready to kill.

The atmosphere was filled with a sense of impending doom.

They were both in their battle atmosphere as if they could pull out their weapons at any moment.

Ken was the first to move.

However, he did not draw the sword from his waist but walked right up to Nozomu with his chest outstretched.

The two men's gazes crossed at a close distance.

"You're the one who caused it, in the first place.　Do you really think I'm going to let you talk to her now?"

"You think I'm the cause?"

"Yes, you are the cause"

Ken spoke in a small voice, inaudible to Lisa, Irisdina, and the others behind them. Ken brought his face close so that only Nozomu can see it, his mouth hanging up in a crooked smile.

Nozomu wondered if Ken was saying that he was the cause because he was so weak that he could only drag Lisa down, or for some other reason.

Ken's words themselves were in a tone that seemed to rub Nozomu in the wrong way, but when Ken said those words, Nozomu could see the fire of hatred in his eyes so clearly.

"~!!"

For a moment, Nozomu's eyes caught a glimpse of the giant dragon as it spread its 6 wings in 5 colors and continued to roar its grudges toward the skies as if it was so furious that it wanted to destroy everything but itself.

In the next moment, as if in response to Tiamat's hatred, a black flame of anger burst forth from deep within Nozomu's chest. A throbbing pain shot through his chest.

(Release me! Let me go! Kill them! Let me kill them!)

Tiamat's voice of hatred echoed in Nozomu's heart.

He didn't know what the reason was, but ever since Nozomu had taken Tiamat in, the giant dragon's hatred had been raging like never before.

It was overflowing with hatred and murderous energy. The rage against Ken painted Nozomu's mind, turning his heart black.

Nozomu's heart, which had begun to be trapped in anger, also began to be enveloped in its grudge.

(I'll kill them, I'll kill them! I'm going to kill them, the ones who didn't even look at me!)

It was the most intense torrent of hatred he had ever felt.

His reasoning warned him against his raging passion.

(T-this is bad....)

Nozomu who raised a grudge along with Tiamat in his heart, and another Nozomu who was desperately trying to stop it.

His remaining rationality was desperately trying to suppress the rage that was beginning to drive him, but the anger that overflows as if it were a dam was quickly chipping away at his remaining rationality.

"T-this is, s-somehow, looks dangerous..."

Feo who was sensitive and sensed Nozomu's change had a look of agitation on his face. Zonne, who was standing next to him, was also sweating on his forehead as if he had sensed Nozomu's strange atmosphere.

Irisdina also felt a chill run down her spine as she watched over Nozomu.

The atmosphere of Nozomu was reminiscent of the time when Tiamat had trapped him in its illusion. No, she had an even worse premonition than that time.

"~! Ken, you!"

Nozomu raised his voice. His previously suppressed emotions were transformed into anger, which he unleashed on the people around him.

Lisa's shoulders slumped, and Ken's eyes widened in surprise.

The current Nozomu could explode at any moment. Irisdina, driven by the frustration welling up in her chest, grabbed his hand in a desperate attempt to pull Nozomu back.

"Nozomu!"

(No! Came back!!)

Nozomu was about to lose himself in anger. However, a warm feeling spread over his hands and a dignified voice echoed in his head.

At the same time, a sound similar to a bell rang in Nozomu's head.

"....Ah"

When Nozomu slowly turned around, he saw Irisdina staring at him with tears in her eyes.

"Nozomu, calm down. Please..."

Irisdina's voice was weak as she clung to him. Her voice voiced concern about Nozomu's safety more than anyone else in that place.

The blood that had been rising to Nozomu's head suddenly dropped. But the Tiamat inside him was still raging, trying to get out.

The giant dragon was raging like never before. Nozomu gritted his teeth and tried not to let his anger get the better of him.

Greasy sweat poured down his forehead. However, once he started raging, his anger would not subside.

Taking a few shallow breaths, Nozomu shut his eyes and focused on his inner self.

The image of a giant dragon rampaging along the shores of the lake in his mind is projected on the depth of Nozomu's eyelids.

As he slowly calmed his shallow breathing down, Nozomu focused on the warmth of Iris's hand in his.

The image of Tiamat gradually fades. When the figure eventually disappeared, Nozomu let out a deep breath and opened his eyelids.

"Haa, haa ... Sorry, Iris ..."

Nozomu exhaled a ragged breath in an unusual manner. Lisa and the others who were watching were at a loss for words at the sudden change in Nozomu's condition.

In response to Nozomu's apology, Irisdina's eyes welled up with tears.

Irisdina smiled and grabbed Nozomu's hand back.

Feo and Zonne let out a sigh of relief. Nozomu put his own hand on Irisdina's hand, which was clasping his own with all its strength, and slowly let go of her hand.

"Ah...."

While hearing Irisdina's voice, Nozomu turned to face Ken and Lisa once more. There was no angry fire in his eyes.

Inside of his mind, Nozomu pictured the dream that Lisa had told him about when he was a child.

On an endless plain, sitting on the ground, were the adventurers who had become Lisa's friends. All of them were covered with mud, and their faces showed the dark color of fatigue. They must have been through a great deal. The expressions on the faces of her companions were all stiff.

Lisa smiled at them with a big smile on her face. Her armor and weapons were stained with mud, and her face showed an unconcealed amount of fatigue. But even so, Lisa's eyes shone like the sun that nurtures life. The smiles on the faces of her companions returned as if her smile had given them strength.

One of them shouted, "Let's go!". One by one, -->>

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