Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no 'Kokoro'-

[LN] Volume 2: Chapter 8.3

Volume 2 Chapter 8.3

Connecting Lights at the Lees of Shadows Part 3

Translator : PolterGlast

After defeating the [Deformed Demonic Beast] and returning to Arcazam, Nozomu and the others, dragging their sore bodies, immediately reported to the guild about this black demonic beast.

Naturally, the story was also relayed to the school, and Nozomu and the others had to give a detailed explanation in front of representatives from both the school and the guild.

The location was the branch manager's office of the Adventurers' Guild. Two men were waiting for Nozomu and the others.

The representative from the school side was Jihad Raundel. He is a hero who played an active role in mankind's counterinsurgency operations during the Great Invasion. He is also a well-known warrior, recognized as equivalent to the S rank, which is rarely found even on the continent.

The other was Karvis. He is the head of the Arcazam branch of the Adventurers' Guild.

Both are prominent figures in the city, and both are members of the council that practically runs Arcazam.

"These are the details of the demonic beast we defeated."

Shina explained on behalf of the entire group.

Having regained her connection with the spirits and overcome her own trauma, she was not intimidated by the presence of the hero of 20 years ago and the dignitaries of Arcazam.

The black demonic beast encountered in the Spasim forest. She explained the situation clearly and concisely, taking into account the fact that she had seen a very similar demonic beast in the Nebula Forest 20 years ago.

"I understand what happened. I'm surprised you guys survived. I will make sure that the guild and the guards know about this matter and the demonic beast, but you guys must not talk about this matter unnecessarily."

"...... Is it because this particular demonic beast is very similar to the one that destroyed my homeland?"

"Yes. The trauma of that Great Invasion is still deep-rooted. If you unnecessarily reveal the truth and cause unrest, it will lead to chaos."

Nozomu and the others nodded their heads in acknowledgment of Jihad's words. Although 20 years have passed since the Great Invasion, and the number of generations that did not directly experience it has increased, the traces of damage left by the invasion are still significant in many countries on the continent.

"There have been no sightings of such demonic beasts in this forest until now. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate and gather information for some time to come. We will investigate from many angles, including the magic stone you brought back and the corpse of the demonic beast you left behind in the forest."

After Nozomu and the others defeated the beast, the beast crumbled away like a work of clay, leaving behind a jumbled mass of flesh, twisted bones, and a huge magic stone.

Although there were traces of Direwolves in some of the chunks of meat and bones, most of them were distorted and fused together, and they emitted a strong odor, so they were buried under the ground with Tom's magic.

The magic stone that came out of the beast this time was of such a high purity and quantity that it could hardly be found on the market, and in exchange for giving it to the academy, Nozomu and the others received money that was a little too much for them to call it extra income.

Furthermore, they received a large addition to their guild evaluation points, and Shina and Nozomu were promoted to A and C ranks, respectively.

In the end, it was just a hush-money compensation for the incident, but for Nozomu, it was a big step forward, as he could now enter the Spasim Forest without any penalty.

"There is one thing I would like to ask. Jihad-sensei, do you know anything about this demonic beast?"

Shina asked Jihad a question that was a step further.

A question that, under normal circumstances, he would not have answered. However, even Shina could not back down on this matter.

Shina and Jihad's gazes met.

He also knew about Shina's situation as an elf, and after staring at her for a while, he quietly exhaled.

"...... I don't know everything about it. There are too many uncertainties about these demonic beasts. However, there were several sightings during the Great Invasion and later during Operation Fructus, Cremazzone's Imperial Army, which was part of the Allied Forces at the time, was involved in a battle with them."

"Were you able to defeat them?"

"Yes, with a lot of casualties, somehow."

The demonic beasts that fought against the Cremazzone Imperial Army disintegrated and disappeared after the battle, just as what happened this time.

The only thing they had in common was their black, miasma-emitting body surfaces and countless crimson eyes.

"It is called [Abyss Grief]. It is an unidentified demonic beast whose ecology has not yet been fully understood. However, there is speculation that it may have something to do with Great Invasion."

Once again, Jihad looked over at Nozomu and the others. Jihad's intimidating gaze made everyone in the room hold their breath.

"Once again, I want to warn you not to talk about this matter to the other students".

Jihad once again warned those who were present not to tell anyone about this.

The content of this conversation is so sensitive that even he has to be very careful.

At the very least, it is the duty of those who are responsible for the matter to talk to the council, the guilds, and the guards, so that they can deal with the situation.

And Nozomu and the others did not want any trouble at all, either.

When they left the branch manager's office, two women were waiting for them in the corridor of the guild.

When they saw that Nozomu and the others had come out, they ran up to them with serious expressions on their faces.

"Nozomu-ku~n, are you all right~~?"

"Nozomu, I heard that you were attacked by a surviving demonic beast of the previous subjugation request ......"

The people who were waiting for him were Irisdina and Anri. Apparently, they were asking him about this one incident.

Trying to reassure them of their concern, Nozomu smiled back at them.

"I'm alright, you see. I am here just to have a little talk about the demonic beast we encountered in the forest......"

"But~~ you got injured, didn't you~~?"

"Well, there is nothing to worry about. Just a few torn muscles all over my body and a puncture in my lungs......"

Blood quickly drained from their faces.

"It's a big problem! Anri-sensei, we should call a doctor right away!"

"Un, let's take you to Norn right away~~!"

"W-, well, the wounds themselves are already closed-...... aaaaaa!"

Anri lifted the flustered Nozomu up and started to run. She was probably using Qi-jutsu as she blasted off at a speed that would be hard to believe that she was carrying a single person on her back.

And just as Irisdina was about to run after Anri, someone grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Hold on a second."

It was Kevin who grabbed Irisdina's hand. Irisdina turned around with a dubious expression on her face.

"...... What is it, Kevin? I'm in a bit of a hurry, you know?"

"Ah, sorry. I don't mean to take up your time. Irisdina, do you know about his [power]?"

Silence fell between them. To Kevin, whose eyes are blazing, Irisdina replied with cold-tinted eyes.

"What are you going to do after you know about it?"

"....... No, well. You see, I'm indebted to him. Just let him know that I'll definitely pay him back for it."

After saying this, Kevin calmly let go of Irisdina's hand and turned away.

While frowning at his words, which were strangely considerate of Nozomu, Irisdina became concerned over Anri taking Nozomu away and followed after them.

Meanwhile, Kevin proceeded to walk toward Shina.

"Shina Juliel."

'"...... What?"

"I just wanted to apologize. I'm sorry I have been undermining you all this time."

Shina's eyes widened in surprise as Kevin bowed his head deeply.

Standing beside him, Karanti looked surprised to see her leader's sudden action.

"I'm surprised. I didn't expect the proud leader of the Silver Wolf tribe to bow his head ......"

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that."

"Hey, why did you take such an aggressive stance against me?"

"A pack has different roles within it. There are those who lead, those who fight, and those who take care of the children born to them. The pack can survive only if each person fulfills his or her role."

This is a characteristic of the Wolf Tribe, which is based on the principle of living as a family group.

They basically do not settle down in large groups, such as in countries, like humans do.

They hunt and gather as a family, and in times of war, representatives of each family gather together to prepare for battle.

Therefore, the roles of each family member are clearly established.

There are those who act as family patriarchs, who organize the family, those who hunt and catch their prey for food, those who process the prey and make tools, those who build and maintain the house, and those who are in charge of the family's finances. And .......

"I thought you were one of those who give birth. Elves whose numbers have dwindled. To sustain their seed. That's why I thought you weren't supposed to be in Arcazam."

"That's none of your business."

"Yeah. But there were elves who actually said that to you, weren't there?"

"Well, yeah, but- ......"

"Yeah, I know. You are much bigger and stronger than I thought you would be. It's my utter defeat."

Kevin raised his hands in the air like he was being overwhelmed.

"Come to think of it, are you alright? You've done some crazy stuff with your powers and abilities."

"I would like to say that everything is fine, but unfortunately, it is not quite so. I consumed too much Qi. I won't even be able to do practical classes properly for a while......"

Kevin lowered his raised hand and repeatedly clenched and opened his fist several times, then suddenly looked into Shina's face with a meaningful smile on his face.

"Hey, if you don't mind, would you like to be my wife?"

"......Ha? Wait, Leader!"

Karanti raised her voice loudly.

"I have a fiancée, but you are a good woman. You're strong-willed, fearless, and able to face adversity. You're exactly my kind of girl......"

"Nope."

"Kukuku, guess so."

"Grrrrrrr......"

Despite having his confession rejected in a heart beat, Kevin laughed heartily and amusedly.

Meanwhile, behind him, Karanti bared her teeth and snarled at Shina, who was one-sidedly confessed to by Kevin.

"Forget what I just said. See you later."

The young leader of the Silver Wolf Tribe walked away while waving his hand in a light tone. The alarmed Karanti still looked dissatisfied, but reluctantly followed after her leader.

Mimuru and Tom, who were left behind, smiled wryly.

"Ahaha, shall we go home then?"

"Sorry, I still have some business to do. You two should go ahead first."

"Sure, but what's your business anyway?"

"Well, just something to do......"

Shina's previous cool expression collapsed, and instead, a flustered expression appeared on her face. Mimuru and Tom chuckled when they saw the vermilion color on her cheeks.

"Ooh, that's what you mean. All right, we understand."

"Good luck!"

Shina, being seen off by her two friends who were waving at her, started walking in the opposite direction from where Kevin and the others had headed. Leaving the guild, she headed north down the main street. The bright sun was shining on her path.

◆

Nozomu was taken away and thrown into the infirmary, but was released as soon as it was confirmed that his injuries had healed. By the way, Anri, who was blasting through the city, is in the process of being preached to by Norn.

"Haa, so many things have happened in the last few days......."

After leaving the infirmary, Nozomu headed towards the dormitory, while looking at the school building painted in twilight with a sideways glance.

It was a very intense few days. The escape and battle against the demonic beasts, and the release of [Ability Suppression]. Although he felt dead tired like lead, Nozomu's face was rather radiant.

"It was amazing......"

Spirit magic came back to his mind. Unlike Tiamat's violent, tremor, and stormy power, spirit magic is a gentle force reminiscent of a cool, refreshing breeze. The radiance that is emitted by those whose hearts are truly connected to each other is very intense.

Above all, it was the moment when a once-lost bond is reconnected. For Nozomu, who is now aware of his stagnation, this is something that is both dazzling and enviable at the same time.

"Nozomu-kun."

Nozomu's eyes widen involuntarily when he heard a voice suddenly calling his name.

There was Shina, a little out of breath and blushing.

The person he had just recalled. Nozomu's heart skipped a beat upon the appearance of the person for whom he had a certain admiration.

"Shina-san? What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you for a minute. Could I have a moment of your time?"

The icicle-like coldness that had been with her was gone.

Instead, she wore a warm atmosphere reminiscent of the sunlight streaming through the trees in spring.

At that moment, light gathered next to her and a small lapis lazuli-colored bird appeared.

"This bird is-......"

"Fufu, looks like Raz also wanted to talk to you, Nozomu-kun."

As soon as Razward appeared, he flapped his wings, approached Nozomu, and began to chirp in a soothing tone of voice.

[ Chirp, chirp, chirp-chirp! (Yo, you've been a great help to Shi-jou! But I'm surprised a human being can do something like you did!) ]

"Raz, you are not respectful towards our benefactor, you know that?"

[ Chichu! Chuchuchu! (Come on, it's fine! We're going to be friends with this brother for a long time, so we should be nice to each other without any unnecessary pleasantries!) ]

"Gosh, even after twenty years, you still have a foul mouth......."

Contrary to the cheerful chirping, the words uttered by the minor spirit were strangely frivolous for a spirit who is the embodiment of the mystical.

It seemed that this spirit, Razward, had a personality that bore no resemblance to that of his contractor, Shina.

In fact, Shina seemed a little taken aback by Razward's overly frivolous tone.

Nozomu, on the other hand, had an indescribable, subtle expression on his face as he watched Rasward and Shina continue their conversation.

Shina and Razward tilted their heads at Nozomu's lackluster response.

"Um, what are you guys talking about?"

[ Chirp? (Arya~?) ]

"Don't tell me, you don't understand what Raz is saying?"

Nozomu nodded at Shina's words.

"That's strange. If a spirit were willing to convey its voice, even if one couldn't understand its language, one would still be able to hear the voice......"

Since spirits are pure energy bodies constructed of source elements, they do not use voice or other communication methods such as humans and ordinary living creatures do, such as voice.

They communicate by speaking directly to the soul of the person they wish to converse with. It is a kind of telepathy.

However, for some reason, Nozomu was unable to communicate by telepathy, even though the spirit had the intention to do so.

[ Chu ~~, chuchuchu. Chuichui! (Hmm~~~, perhaps he hasn't noticed. That technique you used to pierce the body of that demonic beast, aren't you quite an intriguing nīchan?) ]

Rasward perched on Nozomu's shoulder and peered into his face with interest.

His eyes, reminiscent of glasswork, were fixed on Nozomu, as if he could see right through him.

Nozomu couldn't help but gasp at the little bird's deep and meaningful gaze.

Shina, who was watching them from the side, also tilted her head at her friend's strange behavior.

"Raz, what's wrong?"

[ Chu ―― i, chuchu, chun, chun! (No, it's nothing. By the way, nīchan, do you have someone you interested in?) ]

"Hey Raz, what are you asking him that for?"

Shina gave a dubious expression to Razward, who began to chirp in Nozomu's ear.

Nozomu, who could not understand the spirit's voice, had no idea what the little lapis lazuli-colored bird was saying, but Razward began chirping quickly, leaving Nozomu bewildered.

[ Chunchun, chu, chuichui…… (As you already know, Shi-jou is a single-minded person. As her big brother, I can't leave her in the hands of a half-hearted guy......) ]

"Who's my big brother? I don't remember having an older brother like you. Rather, I was the one who always took care of you when we were in that forest."

"Hey, Shina-san ...... Are you sure it's alright? What is it saying?"

"Never mind this chirping little bird, he's just chirping for no reason."

[ Chuchunchuichui, chu ~ chuchu, chunchui…… chu! (He really couldn't hear me after all. Nevertheless, Shi-jou, it's not for no reason, is it? Are you embarrassed by any chance?) ]

The next moment, a vivid vision popped into Shina's mind.

It was the vision that Razward had sent her through the path of the contract.

The moment she saw it, Shina's face turned red like a boiled octopus.

"~! ……"

"U-, um? Shina-san?"

Nozomu was dismayed when Shina suddenly clamped shut her mouth and began writhing in agony.

What in the world is going on?

While Nozomu was wondering what was going on, Razward, the culprit of the current situation, was sighing on Nozomu's shoulder and ruffling his long tail feathers with an exasperated expression on his face.

[ Chi~ichuchunchu…… chu? Chuichui! Dji~u~u ――――― i! (I knew it, you're just embarrassed. Why do you have to worry about it? Your parents did the same thing-...... eh, what are you doing, hey! Gueeeeehh!) ]

With swift movements, a white hand grabbed Razward, and slender fingers squeezed the tiny bird to the very limit.

A squeaking sound like a rag being squeezed resounded, and a muffled screech echoed through the air.

Shina, looking like a red devil, swung her arm and threw her friend toward the sky.

The thrown Razward flung in a straight line over the school building and vanished into thin air.

The scene was so surreal that Nozomu broke out in a cold sweat and twitched his cheeks.

"U-, um, Shina-san?"

"Haa, haa, don't worry about it ......"

"Well, but-...... yes, I wouldn't worry about it."

Seeing Shina, whose cheeks were flushed red and staring at him with tearful eyes, Nozomu raised his hands in surrender.

"Yes, please do. (Gosh, it's your fault, Raz. It makes me so weirdly conscious......) "

Shina averted her face to cover her embarrassment while muttering the second half of her sentence in a whisper so that no one could hear her.

While placing her hands on her cheek to hide her burning cheeks, her gaze glanced at Nozomu, who was in front of her.

Their gazes crossed. Shina's cheeks, which she hid, turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

"E-, eh! I'm fine, yep!"

Shina put her hand on her chest and took a big, deep breath.

Once, twice, three times. Little by little, the rising heat returned to the depths of her body.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to thank you. I hadn't said it properly yet after all......"

The smile that naturally appeared on her face made Nozomu's heart skip a beat.

There was no trace of the cold, indifferent atmosphere she had had when Nozomu first met her, and she was so charming that he couldn't help but look away.

It was Shina's true smile, brought on by the warmth that had returned to her frozen chest from losing everything.

"Thank me, huh?...... You don't need to."

In fact, the only reason she was able to reconnect her bonds was because she took action on her own initiative.

Nozomu himself was aware that he had merely bought them the time they needed.

"No, you saved me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had the chance to speak to Mimuru and the others again."

Shina, however, shook her head and clearly rejected Nozomu's words.

Shina's eyes were pure and clear as she stared back at him.

"Thanks to you, I was able to protect my best friend. I was able to reunite with my friends. And I didn't ...... lose myself."

Nozomu's consciousness stiffened as if sucked in by her straight gaze and the words of gratitude presented to him.

"Thank you so much......"

His mouth naturally relaxed, and the lingering emotions after his previous arguments with her melted away like sugar.

"...... I'm glad then."

Nozomu and Shina smiled at each other. The wind blew gently between them.

"But still, how could you try to deal with that beast twice by yourself? You really are a good-natured guy, huh?"

"Is that so?"

As Nozomu scratched his cheeks in embarrassment, Shina brought her face close to his and deepened her smile.

"Yes, you are. And also, I am sorry. I misunderstood you."

"No, it's okay. It's enough that you understand."

A peaceful time. The feeling of being connected.

The feeling of warmth and heat, reminiscent of a winter fireplace, naturally brought a smile to their faces.

But in the midst of such a peaceful moment, Shina suddenly changed her expression to a serious one.

While Nozomu tilted his head in wonder, she slowly opened her mouth.

"And there is one more thing I have to tell you. It's about Lisa and the others that I saw. There's something I realize now......"

Nozomu gasped in surprise at the sudden mention of Lisa's name. But his expression quickly changed after that.

Then, a few seconds later. Hearing Shina's next words, his eyes widened.

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