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

Chapter 6.04

Translator : PolterGlast

A class was held immediately after lunch. For students, lectures at this time of the day were their biggest ordeal.

Their blood was concentrated in their digestive system to digest the food that had been pushed into their stomach, and as a result, the blood circulating in their head was reduced, which made the students sleepy.

Different from the lessons where they had to move their bodies in the training grounds, their current lesson was a plain lecture. They had to devote their concentration to fighting drowsiness rather than the content of the lecture.

No exception for students who attend lectures in the 10th class classroom. While holding back the drowsiness that assaulted them, they desperately wrote down the words on the blackboard that could be seen through the gaps of their falling eyelids.

"As you know, spirits sometimes show their very powerful powers. Volcanic eruptions, sudden earthquakes, extreme droughts, and heavy rains. Some of these major natural disasters are believed to have been caused by spirits."

Currently, Torgrain-sensei is in charge of the 10th class lessons. He is an expert in alchemy and an excellent teacher who is also a researcher at a certain research institute.

He is a gentle young man with gentle eyes and rimmed glasses, but he doesn't seem to be very good at asserting himself.

“Although spirits possess such great power, they also have some drawbacks. Because they are hollow and float in the air, they are basically unable to travel long distances like migratory birds. Spirits can only travel in areas where they can exist. "

While saying so, the teacher illustrated the relationship between the spirit and the land on the blackboard.

"These are lands with specific environments suitable for spirits, such as forests or springs. This was why elves had to make contracts with spirits from each land when they used spirit magic."

Torgrain-sensei drew a picture of a forest and a haze-like figure of spirits on the blackboard. He pointed to the spirit and forest that he had drawn with arrow drawing.

"The land becomes a nursery of spirits, and the increasing number of spirits dyes the land in the color of the spirits that have taken root. Then, the land will rejuvenate the spirits. The land coloration and spirit rejuvenation are repeated in a cycle, and we indirectly receive various benefits from the food and animals that grow in it. "

After finishing the drawing, Torgrain-sensei turned around, extended his index finger, and said in a slightly strong tone, "However!".

"It's not that there is no way for spirits to move out of their territory. There are ways such as possessing other creatures or covering their body with something to maintain their existence. Well, the latter method can only be done by a spirit with a very strong will. ......"

After saying so, he put his hand over his mouth as if he was coughing.

"Well now, I'm in the middle of a lecture, so..."

His gentle eyes sharpened and locked a target. Holding up the chalk in his hand and swung his arm at once.

"Agh~!"

The chalk that the teacher released perfectly struck Nozomu's head. His hair turned white from the shattered chalk, and he inhaled the flying powder, causing Nozomu to choke up.

"Are you awake, Nozomu-kun?"

"Y-yes..."

Torgrain hurled his words at Nozomu in a slightly stronger tone.

Nozomu woke up and hurriedly answered.

He could hear his classmates around him giggling and holding back their laughter. Nozomu lowered his head, looking slightly embarrassed.

Due to his Ability Suppression, Nozomu's performance in practical lessons was poor, and he had to make up the required credits through written exams. He couldn't afford to doze off in a normal lecture, but he must have been exhausted from the fight with Tiamat in his dream. Even though his body was asleep, his brain couldn't rest, so he must have dozed off involuntarily.

After confirming that Nozomu was awake, Torgrain began to resume his lecture. While sweeping the chalk powder off his head, Nozomu watched Torgrain standing on the stage. As he listened to the lecture, Nozomu's mind was filled with the dream he had just had.

The dream about what happened a week after the rematch with the Undead Dragon in the forest.

***

Nozomu Bountis has been an inferior student since he began enrolling in Solminati Academy.

There are two reasons why this story has taken hold and why Nozomu continues to be despised by the other students.

The first is the effect of ability suppression. The decline in all abilities, including magic and Qi, was fatal in this highly competitive school. In fact, his grades, which had dropped to the bottom, were so bad that it was understandable that he was ridiculed.

The second is due to the rumor that Nozomu had dumped his childhood friend and girlfriend. Seeing the way she acted since the rumors started, the people around her thought the rumors were true, and this would be the decisive factor in Nozomu's reputation.

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Irisdina and the others already understood that this rumor was completely nonsense and had no basis. However, they had never heard the story directly from Nozomu's mouth.

How did Nozomu end up like this?

Everyone in the room, including Irisdina, was curious about it. Irisdina was so frustrated by this that she even clashed with Lisa Hounds before.

In the past, Nozomu himself couldn't tell them the truth, but it was also true that Irisdina and the others couldn't take the step forward to ask him.

But they were going to put an end to that now. In that forest, when they learned about Nozomu's power, they declared, "we want to know more about you".

They took action a few days after Nozom woke up. It was around the time after he managed to get up on his bed. Irisdina stood in front of Nozomu with a serious expression on her face.

While surrounded by the others, including Tima, Mars, and Shīna, who were all looking at Nozomu with tense expressions on their faces.

"Nozomu, I have something to ask ..."

"Eh? W-what is it?"

Nozomu, who had been propping himself up on the bed, stepped back slightly. It was as if being pressed by everyone's pressure.

"Umm. The story about you and Lisa-kun..."

"Ah……"

With a word from Irisdina, Nozomu understood what they wanted to hear.

He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly as if preparing himself.

It was a painful past for Nozomu. His heart ached because he remembered the happy times of the past.

As Nozomu began to mutter a few words, Irisdina and the others felt as if the air around them had suddenly gotten heavier.

Nozomu's facial expression hardly changed. The fact that his expression did not change made it clear that he was feeling as if his heart was going to be plucked out of his chest.

Irisdina and the others also felt a stabbing pain in their hearts, but they waited patiently for Nozomu's words. Because they really wanted to know about him. They had sworn to face him properly once again.

"... Alright. Where should I start from?"

It's the same for Nozomu. The memories that come to mind are sweet and painful. Nozomu opened his mouth slowly as if contemplating upon those memories.

"You already know that Lisa and I used to be lovers, right?

"Yeah……"

"Lisa, Ken, and I were childhood friends and grew up together in the same village. Lisa is the only one who came from outside the village. She came to the village with her mother when she was little."

The first thing Nozomu began to talk about was how he met Lisa. It was the first time when Lisa spoke to him.

"The first time we met was when I was fishing in the river. She called out to me, and when I turned around, she was there."

Even now, Nozomu still remembers how his heart was clearly racing back then. The moment when he became aware of her as a person of the opposite sex was on another occasion, but when he thought about it, this was the moment when Nozomu started to be interested in her.

"At that time, she had just arrived in the village. She was already friends with Ken, but she didn't seem to have many friends."

Maybe that's why she approached him, Nozomu added.

It was just a coincidence that he was there, but at least the time he had spent with her and Ken was enjoyable for him.

"After that, we started to play together, and after a lot of things happened, I listened to her dreams... I wanted to support her dream, so I decided to enroll in this school."

Even thinking about it now, what he was doing was reckless. Solminati Academy is one of the best schools on the continent.

If one's think about the fact that the school is flooded with applicants from all over the world, and that it educates talented people like Ecross from a young age, one's can easily understand how difficult it is to continue their studies and go on to higher education there.

Fortunately for Lisa and Ken, their talents blossomed quickly, but this was not the case for Nozomu. The difference between him and his childhood friends began to show immediately after enrollment.

"Sure, I thought would do my best when I came to this school, but my grades didn't improve as I expected. I couldn't be as strong as Lisa and Ken. But they both trained with me every day and cheered me up when things didn't go my way. I thought I could still do it because I have friends who helped me besides Lisa and Ken... "

It was true that life at the academy had not gone well, and Nozomu's swordsmanship, Qi technique, and magic had not developed as he had hoped. His physical abilities were a little better because he had been working hard, but even so, it was not something he could boast about. In fact, Ken and Lisa, who had strengthened their bodies with magic, were able to move better than Nozomu.

Still, they hadn't abandoned Nozomu. They studied together and tried their best to teach Nozomu how to use magic.

Camilla, who had become Lisa's friend since she enrolled at the school, also accompanied Nozomu in his training. She is a girl who often uses abusive language, but she is also a girl who can be kind to Nozomu, an inferior student.

"I can manage with this", that's what Nozomu had in mind.

However, .......

"That's when my ability... Ability Suppression manifested."

The Ability Suppression that appeared on Nozomu was as if he was put in a deadly cangue.

"I can't move my body as much as I want to because of Ability Suppression. No matter how much effort I put into it, I can't push it away. I can't even withstand a blow from my opponent, and I can't wield my sword anymore. Certainly, I was not good at magic, but after being suppressed, I can no longer use magic at all.

Nozomu's body became slower than before. Let alone a normal life, his Ability Suppression became a huge obstacle when it came to going through battles.

With his limited Qi, he couldn't fight well. Magic could no longer be cast, no matter how many times he chanted.

"Even so, I kept trying to do something about it. At that time, both Ken and Lisa said I could handle it and went along with my training."

In the beginning when his Ability Suppression first appeared, his classmates looked at Nozomu with pity. However, they gradually began to sneak around and talk about Nozomu behind his back when they saw him repeatedly working out recklessly. To them, it must have been because Nozomu seemed to be making a futile effort.

Even so, Nozomu didn't give up, and his childhood friends and Camilla didn't want to give up on him either.

"But before I knew it, the rumors had spread and... everything had changed. I guess I don't need to tell you what the rumors are."

The day when everything suddenly turned around. Even the last bastion of support for Nozomu at that time shouted abusive words at Nozomu.

"Everyone was throwing abusive words at me. Even Lisa hated me. Ken didn't change his attitude toward me, though..."

Nozomu's heart froze. He subconsciously stopped moving forward, and instead of fulfilling his promise, he ran away from his dream instead.

If it weren't for his master and Anri, Nozomu would have been broken.

But the way Ken didn't change his attitude was also a significant thing for Nozomu. When he thought about it now, it was a temporary relief for Nozomu to be able to talk normally with the man he had shared his childhood with, even if it was only for the brief time when Lisa wasn't with him.

"But that too was a lie. It was Ken who made that rumor ..."

However, even that was within Ken's plan. When Nozom questioned Ken before, he had clearly pointed that fact to Nozomu.

"Why would he do that...?"

"... Maybe Ken did this because I was in the way of realizing Lisa's dream. As far as I'm concerned, I can't protect myself, and I'd be a liability in Lisa's dream of wanting an adventure..."

Lisa and Ken were getting stronger. Meanwhile, Nozomu was left behind in such a situation. In the end, he would lose everything.

"If I become stronger, maybe Lisa will turn to me again. With such thoughts, I could enter the dangerous forest alone and endure Shishō's unreasonable training. In the end, though, it was also my way of running away..."

Even when he was aware of that, at that time, he could only struggle in the dark. Nozomu ridiculed himself for his own escape.

When he looked back at his past self, he felt really pathetic. It seemed he was no different from a useless person getting drunk in a bar.

"When I think about it, maybe Shishō's training was for the best. I was so busy trying to survive that I didn't have time to think about anything else."

Because he didn't have time to think about anything else, Nozomu didn't become desperate and didn't lose his way.

In fact, when he first met Shino, Nozomu had entered the forest in desperation and was almost killed by a demon beast.

Even if he hadn't gone into the forest, if he had stayed in the city, he might have caused some kind of commotion.

Nozomu smiled as he remembered the days of training with his master. The days had been both fun and painful, but perhaps the pain had somewhat overwhelmed him, and a dry laugh escaped his mouth.

'Why aren't you angry! This is clearly a betrayal against you!"

Nozomu showed a self-deprecating and bitter smile. Mars raises his voice at the sight of Nozomu, who doesn't look angry. Everyone else was also angry at the unreasonableness directed at Nozomu.

In response to Mars' words, Nozomu silently shook his head.

"It's not that I wasn't angry. When Ken told the truth, I was shocked, but then I was enraged and lashed out at the surroundings. In fact, I released my ability suppression and annihilated a group of Cyclopses..."

Irisdina and the others widened their eyes in surprise when it was mentioned that Nozomu had gone berserk before.

Let alone the dragon power in his body, normally, Nozomu refrained himself from even using his own Qi technique,

They were surprised to learn that he had once wielded his powers in anger.

At that time, he went out of control and massacred a group of Cyclopses, and as a result, Nozomu had a very strong sense of fear and anxiety about Tiamat's existence within him.

"I'm angry, you know. Towards Ken, towards Lisa, and towards myself."

Contrary to his words, there was a bitter smile on Nozomu's face. It was a relief to know that Nozomu, who had gone through a lot of trouble, was able to express himself in such a way, even if only a little.

However, a moment later, Nozomu's face turned into a sad expression as if he had cut his own body.

He looked suffocated. It was as if a foreign object had been forcibly removed from within his chest.

As if forcing himself, Nozomu slowly spoke his mind.

"But more than that ... I feel sad."

A heavy silence enveloped Anri's room. Everyone had the same facial expression as if they had bitten a bitter worm.

Mars, who was so angry that he rushed at Nozomu, gritted his teeth with a bad expression on his face.

Irisdina and the others had no choice but to remain silent in the face of Nozomu's grief.

However, for Nozomu, despite everyone looking so angry and regretful, inside he felt happy. He could sense that they were angry for him and that they were thinking of him.

"Thank you, everyone"

Nozomu tried to remove their stiffened faces by keeping his voice cheerful as he thanked them for their kind words.

Nozomu continued talking while smiling at Irisdina and the others.

"I think Lisa is the most important thing to Ken. The promise we made together was to protect Lisa's back."

Certainly, Nozomu at that time was nothing more than a burden for Lisa.

He vowed to help Lisa, who dreamed of adventure, but there was nothing more he could do at that time.

"Besides, Ken has always been in love with Lisa, too. He backed off when Lisa and I started dating, but I think he's always hated me on the inside. ......"

The promise they made to Lisa when they were kids and their feelings for her. Nozomu, who is not Ken himself, has no idea how Ken fell in love with her.

However, when he declared that he was the one who spread the rumor, Ken said, "I met her first. I was the one who fell in love with her first!".

Given that, it may have been inevitable that Nozomu and Ken would collide in the end. It's difficult to keep a lid on one's own feelings. It's especially difficult for boys and girls in their sensitive years.

But if he were to be asked if he didn't do anything wrong himself. Nozomu couldn't say it for sure. Regardless of the outcome, there was no doubt that both Nozomu and Lisa didn't want to face each other.

Nozomu used it as an excuse to run away. And Lisa always turned away by lashing out her hatred at Nozomu.

"Turns out, we were never really together..."

This school has always been a place of dreams, hopes, and such thoughts. But for Nozomu, those things couldn't be achieved.

Even after all this time, Nozomu still feels that way.

"And so, ...... what are you going to do, Nozomu? Are you just going to let it be?"

"I don't know, ....... Lisa doesn't know that Ken is the one who started the rumor. Sometimes I thought it's better for her not to know, but ...... at least I don't want it to stay this way."

No matter how sad he was, Nozomu himself didn't think that the three of them should stay like this forever.

Maybe the current Lisa and Ken are just running away, just like he did before. Nozomu, who had realized his own escape and was moving forward with the help of his friends, somehow felt that way.

"Can you give me a little more time? I'm trying to figure out how to deal with those two again. Maybe I'll need to ask everyone for some advice..."

Just as he had faced Irisdina and the others the other day, he would now have to face Lisa and Ken again. But Nozomu himself couldn't help but feel uneasy at the bottom of his heart.

"... I understand. I'll do my best at that time."

"Yes, I intend to do the same."

Irisdina and Shīna look straight at Nozomu. All the other friends around him nodded uniformly and firmly.

"……Thank you, everyone"

After hearing everyone's replies, Nozomu felt a surge of emotion in his chest, and he bowed his head deeply.