Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no “Kokoro”-

Chapter 7.8

Upon receiving the news that Nozomu had woken up, Jihad and Inda immediately went to the Gloaurum Institute.

When they entered his room, they found not only Irisdina and the others in the room, but also Mars and the others.

Nozomu had undergone a thorough examination by the female doctor as soon as he awoke, and was just now being told the results. Everyone's expressions were stiff as if they were concerned about the results.

"So, how's his body?"

"Yes. He is in perfect health. His muscles are still weak, but will soon recover with training."

There's no problem.

The moment everyone heard these words, everyone's shoulders relaxed with relief.

After the doctor left the room, Mars tapped Nozomu on the head and grumbled.

"Good grief. You sleep too much.."

"Haha. I didn't think I would be bedridden like this either..."

"That means, you at least thought you were going to be carried to the hospital !?"

"Well-, if I don't die, what's the problem?"

As Nozomu grimaced while holding his head, sharp, spear-like gazes pierced him from beside him.

His shoulders shook and he looked to the side to see two dark-haired sisters and an elf girl, they had terrifying expressions as they raised their eyebrows.

"Ah, no. Umm ... I'm sorry ..."

Looking flustered, Nozomu bowed his head in a hurry, but the gazes of the girls, whose cheeks puffed out, remained the same.

It was reasonable, considering their feelings. They had worried about him so much, nursed him desperately, and wished him a quick recovery, but the person in question was looking as if nothing had happened to him.

They were glad that he was alright, but they would naturally take a hard attitude toward him, partly as a reaction to all the worries he had been putting into them.

Nozomu himself was aware that he had done something reckless, so he could do nothing but bow his head.

"I mean, I wasn't able to think such a complicated thing at that time. I was just thinking that I had to stop Ken somehow ......."

Nozomu confessed while looking up at the white ceiling.

That was the fact. At that moment, all that was driving Nozomu was to save Lisa and stop Ken, who had gone out of control.

Therefore, this was just the result of his own selfishness.

This time Feo opened his mouth with an aloof atmosphere, with his hands folded behind his head.

"Well, that's certainly true, given Nozomu's personality."

Perhaps understanding Nozomu's character, the rest of them were smiling with satisfaction.

However, the gazes of the three girls remained the same.

"But Mars is right, you've been sleeping a little too much. Unlike the time of the undead dragon, this time you weren't really injured or anything~."

"As I thought, did something happen when you entered the predatory barrier of that demon beast?"

As if encouraged by Feo's comment, Tom told his speculation

In fact, discussions about Abyss Grief that might affect Nozomu was raised quite a bit.

Nozomu himself vividly remembered the time when he plunged into Abyss Grief's predatory barrier, so he gave a small nod to Tom's question.

"Yeah, probably. But strangely enough, it doesn't seem to have left any residual effects."

Nozomu said so as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

It was true that his head felt hazy, and a sense of malaise enveloped his entire body, but he didn't feel any particular discomfort.

As Nozomu stared at his hands, an invisible chain wrapped around his body vaguely floated in his vision.

What had happened to me at that moment?

The chains that had been binding him suddenly sprang out and wrapped around Ken, who had fused with Abyss Grief, and they suddenly began to suffer.

At that time, these invisible chains seemed to have suppressed the power of that demon beast.

But he had never heard of such a thing before. Nozomu, too, had done a lot of research in libraries and other places after this ability manifested itself, but there was not a shred of such a description.

Nozomu frowned as he looked at his hands. Inda was looking at him with a complicated expression.

Since it was a fact that one of the military police officers was parasitized by Abyss Grief and revived, she was worried for a moment that Nozomu might have been infected in some way.

At the same time, she shook her head a little to admonish herself for thinking that way.

"Does that have anything to do with you being a Dragon Slayer?"

Meanwhile, Jihad, who had been told by Zonne about Nozomu's situation in great detail, was not particularly surprised.

However, he still asked Nozomu in a tone of confirmation, so as not to alert the others.

"Who knows, but ...... is it something that Jihad-sensei knew about."

"Well, they roughly told me about it. But I'd like to hear it straight from your mouth......"

When Jihad glanced at Irisdina and the others, they looked apologetic.

"I see ..."

Most likely, they felt apologetic that they had told Jihad about Nozomu's secret without his permission.

Nozomu smiled and lightly waved his hand as if to say, "I don't mind".

The power that was released when he released his Ability Suppression was not something that could be contained within human limits.

The enormous amount of Qi that erupted and the five-colored light that mixed with it. The [Phantom -Flash] released by Nozomu contained these five-colored lights, which were neither Qi nor magic power.

After having shown that much, it would be impossible for Nozomu's friends to keep it a secret. It would be better to tell Jihad and Inda what happened and bring them in as their allies.

Nozomu shrugged his shoulders, exhaled deeply, and faced Jihad after regaining his composure.

Once again, Nozomu talked about his secret, about Tiamat he has taken in, and about how it all happened.

The basic information had already been explained by Irisdina and the others, but Nozomu thought it would make sense to talk things through just in case.

"So, how am I going to be treated?"

After telling all his secrets, Nozomu looked straight at Jihad and asked him a question head-on. His tone of voice didn't show any agitation.

Certainly, in the worst-case scenario, he could be imprisoned. However, the fact that he was able to meet with outsiders such as Irisdina, Mars, and the others, negated the worst-case scenario that had crossed Nozomu's mind.

Perhaps understanding Nozomu's thoughts, Jihad also started to explain the current situation in a calm tone, without any particular intonation.

"Only those present here know that you are a Dragon Slayer. I have no intention of publicly announcing it either. It is not something that can be made public. But, I don't know what will happen in the future either."

Unclear as to what will happen in the future.

Nozomu was not particularly shocked about Jihad's answer.

While there was no way to prove that only the people present here knew, it was at least predictable that information about Nozomu would be restricted.

"After all, this is the first appearance of a dragon slayer in hundreds of years. It is obvious that various countries are going to be very anxious to get you to come to them. Even if they don't, they will make a fuss about examining your body and giving them the results."

Well, that was obvious. As one would expect, "Human experimentation!". However, as long as Arcazam was operated with the support of various countries, it was obvious that they would try to make unreasonable demands.

"For the time being, you will continue to attend the academy as before. But if various countries forcibly try to conduct experiments on you as a human subject or make other demands that are against humanity, we will have to consider making your existence known all over the continent. However, in that case, your life will be quite restricted ... "

Nevertheless, they have thought of countermeasures.

As Jihad said, one of the ways was to make him big and known.

But if that were to happen, it was obvious that there would be various restrictions on Nozomu's life. ......

"But even in that case, it is clear that various countries will try to use your power for whatever reason. That's why I would like you to remain quiet and not release your dragon powers for now..."

"I have no interest in showing off this power. It's like a double-edged sword to me. But either way, it's a good thing if I were to be quiet for now..."

Nozomu himself could predict this to some extent, but hearing it again from someone else's mouth was honestly so depressing that it made him feel heavy.

However, even Nozomu didn't want to be suddenly made famous or treated as a guinea pig.

In the worst-case scenario, he was going to resist.

Even Jihad would not be happy if Nozomu went on a rampage.

It was not certain how long he would be able to keep his power in the released state. But if Nozomu were to rampage, there would be no one able to stop him except Jihad, and in the worst case, a lot of unnecessary blood would be spilled.

"Well, yes. However, you don't seem to have the dragon's power completely under your control. That is another cause for concern. Therefore, I have to talk with you and work it out. Well, for starters, we need to train you to control that power you've taken in and train you in the magic you're not so good at... "

"Anri-sensei and I will help you with that. In that case, we have to be very careful not to leak anything to the outside. What do you think, Anri-sensei? ..."

"I'll be the one to choose the tools and locations needed~. Inda-sensei is better at magic-related things than I am~, so let's go help him."

Inda and Norn also agreed with Jihad's suggestion.

To begin with, Nozomu is now a student at Solminati Academy.

Since Jihad has decided to protect the school and its students, Nozomu has also become an object of protection for him.

Of course, Jihad himself was not omnipotent and had his own shackles. However, it was absolutely necessary for Jihad to eliminate as much of Nozomu's insecurities as possible.

"Umm……"

Nozomu scratched his cheeks as the teachers continued to talk.

Certainly, the power of the dragon taken in by Nozomu was powerful. It was also highly dangerous. But more than that, Jihad was impressed with Nozomu for rescuing Lisa while suppressing his own resentment and anger.

If he were to fight while being swallowed by hatred, he will only increase the number of casualties.

Even if they know it, how many people can go through it?

"You've already got a lot of power. I am not just talking about the power of the dragon. You have already proven your skill by mastering the katana technique of Shino Mikagura. Even in the special training, you put up a good fight against a superior opponent and survived in the face of an Undead Dragon. To tell you the truth, there are many countries that would love to have you. That's why ......"

Having said that much, Jihad made an emphatic pause.

Jihad's sharp gaze pierced through. Nozomu was overwhelmed in front of his strong will, much like his master.

"You will eventually have to decide your own path."

Decide his own path.

Nozomu gulped at the heavy words that seemed to echo in the pit of his stomach.

For a moment, a silence flowed between them.

"Well, not necessarily now. You can stay here even after graduation. Your katana technique is very valuable. But I want you to keep that in mind."

Jihad immediately loosened his cheeks and tapped Nozomu on the shoulder in a light manner. But although it should have been a light tap, Nozomu felt that his hand was strangely heavy.

"U-umm. What about Lisa ...?"

"She wasn't physically hurt. She's back to school for now. In the meantime, I'll let her know you're awake."

Nozomu fainted before he could confirm that Lisa was okay, so he stroked his chest feeling relieved after he was sure she was safe.

"Thank you very much"

"No, it's my pleasure. It was because of your efforts that the casualties were minimized. As the guardian of this city, I am grateful. In fact, I would like to apologize for our negligence. We are sorry."

Nozomu was surprised by the sudden gratitude and apology. To be honest, he had not expected such a face-to-face apology.

In addition, Inda, who was standing behind Jihad, bowed her head deeply towards Nozomu.

"I'm sorry for all the things I've done. I mean, for everything..."

"N-no. I feel uncomfortable if you bow your head like this..."

Frankly, that was Nozomu's honest feeling.

He was fully aware of his own inadequacies, which were partly to blame for what happened with Ken.

He could not bring himself to denounce others, even though they also had their own fault.

"But we need to be clear. If you need any help, just let me know. I'll help you, regardless of what's inside you."

"That's ... Thank you."

However, even for Jihad, he could not be satisfied unless he could settle the matter in some way.

It might be complacency. The first thing that Jihad felt was that he could not do anything for the students who really needed help, and as a result, he had to burden everything on them.

However, such a situation of being bowed down by a superior was somewhat embarrassing for Nozomu, who was only a small-town citizen.

"U-umm. What happened to Ken?"

Nozomu asked about his other childhood friend, just to change the subject.

The next moment, Jihad and Inda's expressions became clouded.

Jihad and Inda locked gazes for a moment, then let out a deep breath and slowly opened their mouths with an air of heaviness, as if they were carrying lead in their bellies.

"He is alive. But I don't know if I can call it alive..."

"The body itself is alive, but it is in the same deep coma state as you were. However, since he was controlled by the demon beast, he is under the highest level of precaution and sealed up. This is a decision of the city council and there is nothing we can do about it. I am sorry..."

"……I see."

According to Inda, who took over Jihad's words, Ken was currently sealed in the lowest part of the Gloaurum Institute.

The seal was made by powerful physical and magical means, and he was unable to move even a single muscle.

However, unlike Nozomu, his will and ego were extremely weakened, and he was literally just "alive".

Naturally, he couldn't be visited. The authority for the sealing was the city council, which was no longer under the jurisdiction of Jihad and Inda.

Nozomu's body wobbled, dizzy at the terrible state of his former best friend's condition.

"... Nozomu, are you all right?"

His friends around him tried to support his body while letting out worried voices.

Nozomu held up his hand to stop them and said, "It's okay," but his mouth was painfully clenched.

Nozomu looked up and wondered if this was how Ken ended.

He had indeed framed Nozomu. Ken had destroyed the dreams of someone he cared about. Nozomu had brought that to an end with his own hands.

He didn't think he made a mistake. He pulled out his katana because he did not want to regret it. There was no lie about that feeling.

Still, the inside of his chest continued to feel hurt.

His only salvation was to hear the fact that Lisa was safe.

"Anyway, you need to take a rest now. We will talk about various things when you are able to return to school."

"Now that the physical examination has shown that there are no problems, anyone is free to visit you from now on. We will have a lot to talk about at that time, so please take your time to rest now. See you at the school..."

Jihad and Inda took a glance at Irisdina and the others as if encouraging them to take care of Nozomu, and left the hospital room, after speaking to the heartbroken Nozomu with their gentle tone of voice

As the two left the hospital room, Nozomu's friends who had been watching behind their backs came up to Nozomu.

"Everyone. I'm sorry to make you guys worry."

"Seriously. You had me totally worried ......"

"Yes. But I'm so relieved that you woke up!"

Nozomu bowed his head and everyone smiled in relief. It was probably intended to cheer up Nozomu, who had just heard about Ken's current situation and was feeling depressed.

His chest still hurts. But when he finally saw the smiles on the faces of his friends, his cheeks naturally loosened.

"I had a dream."

"A dream?"

"Yeah. That dragon's dream ..."

Nozomu's words, implying that the one he meant was Tiamat, caused tension among his friends.

"Is it trying to take over you again?"

Mars frowned. Nozomu pondered for a moment and then slowly shook his head.

"No, sure, at the end it was angry and nearly killed me as usual, but it wasn't in that kind of mood. Besides, ..."

"Besides?..."

That scene came back to Nozomu's mind. The figure of Tiamat, raised her vengeful voice towards the sky while shedding tears of blood.

What in the world happened to that dragon?

Most of the 5000-year-old literature has yet to be discovered, and much is still shrouded in mystery.

And in the tone of Tiamat's voice, as she cried out in Nozomu's dream, he could sense a deep sadness, in addition to the madness that he had felt since they first met.

Woke up from his thoughts that had sunk too far, Nozomu shook his head.

"Yeah.  There are still many things I don't understand. But I think that dragon has a lot more complicated circumstances than we think."

He still didn't understand anything important.

However, Nozomu was beginning to get the impression that Tiamat was somewhat similar to him.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah .... Ugh~!"

Nozomu's body wobbled as he gave a small nod in response to Sh?na's question. After all, he had just woken up, and it was true that his body was still weak.

"You're still not in good shape, aren't you? Get some rest."

"Yeah, will do."

Looking out of the hospital room, the sun had completely sunk into the cityscape, and only a little twilight was remained to light the sky.

To be honest, Mars and the others were quite worried about Nozomu, but seeing his clear response, their fears had diminished considerably.

It might be a burden for him if they were to stay in the hospital room any longer. With this in mind, the others hurriedly prepared to leave.

"Nozomu-kun~. I'll prepare a supplementary lesson for you, so get well soon!"

"Yes, thank you, Anri-sensei. But please be gentle with me..."

Nozomu gave a bitter smile at Anri-sensei, who made a pose with both hands.

But what was this supplementary lesson about?

Nozomu had a bad feeling about Anri's strangely fierce spirit.

"Well, just give up. It's your own fault for sleeping too much."

"I can't say anything when you say it like that..."

"Well, a private lesson from a teacher... Maybe things will get interesting again..."

Nozomu shrugged his shoulders at Mars' remark, and Feo was plotting some kind of mischievous scheme again.

Tom and Somia, who were listening to their conversation, both tilted their heads.

"Private lessons?"

"What's the difference between private lessons and make-up classes? Do you understand, Tima-chan?"

"Well, I think it's still too early for Somia-chan ..."

Tima brushed off Somia's innocent question with a red face.

Meanwhile, Mimuru, who had her ears perked up at her words, jumped on Tom and let out a catcall.

"I'll give you private lessons, Tom! Wait, I'd rather Tom teach me..."

"Eh?"

"Alright, that's enough!"

I won't let you say all that in front of a little child. With such determination, Sh?na grabbed Mimuru by the collar and pulled her away from Tom.

Guegh! Mimuru's eyes rolled back as she let out a groan like a squashed frog.

"Good grief, this girl ... Well then, Nozomu-kun, we are leaving. Good night."

Nozomu returned a smile to Sh?na who was smiling at him.

Sh?na's smile made his heart warm. Nozomu did not know what had happened, but he felt a softness that he had never felt from her before.

"Thank you, Sh?na. Good night."

Nozomu nodded at Sh?na's words and then lay down on the bed.

At his response, Sh?na smiled and gave a small nod, then left the hospital room, dragging Mimuru with her.

There were so many things to worry about. But for now, he needed to rest his body.

The others were also exchanged words with Nozomu before parting and left the hospital room one after another.

As Irisdina put her hand on the door for the last time, she looked back, as if she had remembered something.

"Good night, Nozomu. And I'm so glad you woke up ..."

"Iris ..."

Her eyes were bright red and swollen, but she had a big smile on her face.

For a moment, Nozomu's heart skipped a beat.

But then, Irisdina's face suddenly became cloudy.

"I understand that it was impossible for me because there is Lisa-kun, but..."

"Eh?"

"S-sorry! Never mind! Well then, be well... Please don't overdo it."

Before Nozomu had the time to ask back, Irisdina disappeared behind the door.

The melancholy expression she had on her face as if she was enduring something.

Why did she have that expression on her face?

She suddenly mentioned Lisa's name. What happened?......

Shortly after that question appeared on his mind, drowsiness began to overtake Nozomu's entire body. His mind still needed rest more than his body.

Lisa, whom he had not yet met; Ken, who had been sealed; Tiamat's past, which he had a glimpse; the relieved smiles of his friends; and Irisdina's melancholy expression. All of these things were coming to his mind.

However, he could not resist the drowsiness that rapidly overtook him, and Nozomu's consciousness was lulled to sleep, and soon he began to breathe regularly in his sleep.

After a while, the door to his hospital room opened quietly. Through the slowly opened door, Lisa, with her crimson hair fluttering in the air, quietly stepped into the hospital room.

As she approached Nozomu, who was still sleeping, she smiled with relief.

However, the smile quickly faded and was replaced by a sad expression.

"Nozomu ..."

Nozomu, who had fallen asleep again, did not hear the girl's voice. But she had heard that Nozomu had woken up and could confirm it firsthand.

It was upon entering this medical facility that Lisa learned that Nozomu had woken up. She happened to meet Jihad and the others coming out of the facility and was informed that Nozomu had woken up.

Upon hearing that, she rushed to his hospital room. But before she could open the door to Nozomu's room, she overheard a conversation between him and his friends.

The moment she heard Nozomu speak brightly and cheerfully, Lisa's body stiffened like a statue and she was unable to open the door.

Eventually, it was time for his friends to leave.

Lisa hurriedly sneaked into a vacant room next door and entered Nozomu's hospital room just after he fell asleep.

She could have entered the hospital room when his friends were still there. She could have met him before he fell asleep.

After talking to Sh?na and witnessing her genuine feelings, and not wanting to disrespect Nozomu's wishes, she put her hand on the door to face him once again...

But the timid girl lurking in the back of her mind couldn't take the last step.

She didn't dare to appear in front of Nozomu. She couldn't face the grief-stricken rage that Irisdina had directed toward her.

"I'm sorry"

Lisa uttered an apology.

Nozomu, who was sleeping, didn't hear her. Still, once she spoke to Nozomu, the words come pouring out like a broken dam.

"Thank you ... For helping me. For staying at the school all these years."

Tears naturally began to spring up along with the words, and she could not stop them.

Her heart was filled with guilt toward Nozomu, pity for her own cowardice, and most of all, the thought of him confronting her and Ken's twisted relationship head-on.

Watching Nozomu's sleeping face with a peaceful expression in front of her, she felt an urge to touch his cheek.

However, she slowly retracted her outstretched hand.

She still didn't think she was qualified to touch him.

She hadn't done anything. She had done nothing to redeem herself. She had nothing to give back to him.

Her heart ached. The guilt and hesitation she felt towards Nozomu made her fingertips tremble just by standing in front of him as he slept.

But, still…….

"... Good night Nozomu. Get well soon."

Sending only those words to Nozomu, she got up from her seat and slowly left the hospital room with regret.

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

As Lisa returned to the central park, which was now completely dark, Camilla was waiting for her with a worried look on her face.

"Lisa. How was Nozomu?"

"Yeah ... I think his body is okay."

"From the looks of it, I guess you couldn't talk to him face to face..."

Camilla let out a sigh as Lisa looked down.

Well, Camilla had expected this to some extent, even though their dispute that had been going on for the past two years had finally ended, there was no way she could suddenly talk to Nozomu in a casual manner.

And there was also the case of the attempted assault earlier. Considering the magnitude of the shock Lisa had suffered, Camilla knew that hesitation would get the better of her.

However, that was precisely why Camilla wanted Lisa to talk to Nozomu. She thought that if it was Nozomu, he would be able to erase Lisa's hesitation.

At the same time, Camilla could only grit her teeth at her own inability to support Lisa.

She was just as guilty as Lisa. If she could, she wanted to help Lisa get back on her feet.

But while Nozomu was bedridden, no matter what Camilla said to Lisa, she could not get Lisa back on her feet.

Nozomu occupied Lisa's mind.

So, at the very least, she would stay by her side so that she would not be crushed by the guilt. Until she could face Nozomu properly one day. That was one of Camilla's atonement.

On the other hand, Lisa's expression became cloudy, as if her separation from Nozomu had made her feel even more regretful.

"Hey, Camilla. What should I do ...?"

"Well, the only thing I can think of is to do what you need to do for Nozomu... But frankly, we don't know much about the current Nozomu ..."

In Camilla's mind, the image of Nozomu crossing blades with Ken came to mind.

Two years ago, Nozomu couldn't even win a single combat training against Ken.

Nozomu has grown to the point where he could put up a good fight against Jihad Raundel and even use his own strength to win against Ken, who was using all his strength.

And to top it all off, he managed to rescue Lisa, who was captured by a black demon beast at that time.

His current ability was clearly different from the Nozomu they knew two years ago.

Perhaps that was the reason? While Lisa was happy about Nozomu's feelings, she also felt that he was very distant from her.

But at the same time, while Lisa felt distant from Nozomu, Camilla also had a different impression of Nozomu.

"But……"

"Hm?"

(Some things didn't change....)

Lisa's voice leaked slightly from her throat. Her words didn't even reach her own ears and were lost in the gentle breeze.

Lisa's heart was still too stiff and atrophied to speak those words with pride.

Certainly, Lisa and Camilla did not know a single thing about the current Nozomu.

Where did he learn that kind of sword technique? How did he save himself from being devoured by the monster? And above all, what was the relationship between Irisdina and Nozomu?

Now that Lisa had seen the truth that she had not been willing to see, and her clouded eyes had cleared, Lisa, tormented by guilt and regret, witnessed new discoveries one after another.

But if she recalled, the look in Nozomu's eyes when she had rejected him, was no different from the Nozomu when she loved him.

He was still the same pure and kind man she knew.

She just didn't want to notice it.

"……That's true"

Camilla was probably aware of this as well. Even if Lisa's words didn't reach her ears, she could sense what Lisa's words were as they were swept away by the breeze.

"Well, nevertheless, you need to have a proper talk with Nozomu at least once ......"

That was what it came down to. They need to settle their dispute over the past two years.

Otherwise, neither Lisa nor Nozomu will be able to truly move forward.

"Y-...... yeah. That's true, but ....... About that ...... Kyan!"

Lisa suddenly let out a cute scream.

She felt something crawling around her butt.

The hairs on her back stood at once, and when she turned around, she saw a suspicious white-bearded man, dressed in a robe.

"Hohoho, nice ass. It's like a peach ... I can't help but be fascinated by it~~"

"K-, kyaaa!"

"Gugyaa!"

Without checking who the other party was, Lisa's slap was swung toward the suspicious person.

She must have reflexively strengthened her hand with magic as well. The old man was hit with a powerful slap. The old man was flung into the air along with the roaring sound. He plunged into the grass in the park.

Camilla's eyes saw the old man's head bent in the wrong direction, but she tried not to think about it.

"W-who are you?"

"Ho, ho, ho! What a nice slap. Just like a whip of the goddess! Iyaa, thank you very much!"

"Hih~!"

However, the old man jumped out of the grass as if nothing had happened.

The old man's cheek swelled up like an octopus and blood was flowing out from his nose.

Despite this, he was still breathing wildly and uttering some disturbing words, which added to the eeriness of the scene.

"Ah, you. I'm pretty sure I remember, you are the old man at that time..."

"Ca-, Camilla, Do you know him?"

"Yeah. He is the old man who helped you when you were devoured by Ken..."

Indeed, Camilla recognized the old man, who was sloppy and grinning in front of her.

Yes, he was the one who intervened in the previous incident when Lisa was taken in by the black demon beast. It was Zonne.

"Nice to meet you ladies. My name is Zonne. I'm a fortune teller in the commercial district and a hero (for women only)!"

*Ta-dah!*

The old man reached out his hand in a rakish manner with such a strong impact that Camilla and Lisa could almost hear the sound effect. The time and space around him came to a standstill as his action made their eyes ache.

"Umm... I'm pretty sure he's a very strong old man, but ...... eh?"

Camilla somehow pushed through the frozen air and let out a quivering voice. But in her head, things were flying all over the place.

Indeed, Camilla recognized the old man who was sloppy and grinning in front of her.

He was supposed to be a strong old man ...... with unheard-of knowledge about that black demon beast, which even Jihad could not sense his presence when he came.

"Oh, young lady over there. Do you know me !? Iyaa~, I can't believe that such a young lady would fall in love with me~. As usual, I am such a sinful man~!"

But is he actually this kind of a person?

The pervy gaze, muddied by lust and delusion, was strangely infuriating...

"How did you jump to that conclusion..."

"It's rather annoying and creepy..."

Both Lisa and Camilla were on maximum alert against the old man who suddenly appeared.

Their gazes toward the old man were endlessly cold.

However, there was no doubt that the old man in front of them, who introduced himself as Zonne, was a man of extraordinary ability.

His behavior might be just an act. The old man's gaze, dyed with lust, did not look deceptive no matter how they looked at it, but Camilla forced herself to believe it was just an act.

"So, what do you want? I don't think someone as good as you would need anything from us..."

"Well, right~. It's about that red-haired young lady over there."

"M-me?"

"Umu. I wanted to have a little chat with her since she's someone who's closely related to that boy. That's why I wanted to say hello to her just now, but I was so fascinated by her beautiful ass that I ...... couldn't resist reaching out to it..."

Correction. There was not the slightest doubt that he was a pervert.

"... Lisa, I'm going to Jihad-sensei. Let's caught this old man quickly and have him arrested."

"Hey! Wait a minute! I know I was just playing a little prank on you earlier, but I'm serious about this!"

"I think it was your act of molestation that was serious. I'd rather not turn you in to Jihad-sensei, but I might as well crush you right here, right now."

"W-Which part of my body are you going to crush!?"

"... Whaat?"

Camilla turned her icy gaze as far as she could to a specific part of Zonne's body. I won't say where, but it is a common important part for men all over the world. It may not work for some special men, but...

Zonne's hips jerked back as the stinging cold gaze pierced the lower half of his body.

"Cough, Cough! Well, young lady. You're not sure what to do with yourself now, are you? But even if you wanted to do something, you know too little about the current boy."

Zonne's expression suddenly became serious as if to escape the absolute zero gaze directed at him by Camilla.

Camilla's eyes grew even more serious at the blatant change of subject, but Nozomu's name blunted her pursuit.

Camilla's mind replayed the image of Zonne when he intervened in the previous incident.

The old man was obviously familiar with Nozomu's situation And also about that black demon beast.

"The brat's secret that the dark-haired lady and her friends know and you don't. Don't you want to know?"

Zonne's words and actions, which seemed to lure them in, raised Camilla's alertness to a whole new level.

"You, what's your aim?"

"I'm watching over that kid. That is why I am here in this city. I am here to see whether he will be consumed by the power he has taken into himself, or whether he will be swept away by his own hatred. In that sense, one of my fears is gone..."

Camilla glared at the old man, but Zonne just shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Nozomu has taken in ...... power."

On the other hand, Lisa was pondering to confirm Zonne's words.

Before she knew it, her hands were clenched tightly and her heart was beating fast.

She knew in her gut that this was probably what separated her from Nozomu.

"...Why are you telling us this? If you want to talk about it, Irisdina and the others are more ......"

"They already know about it. They have tasted the danger of his power firsthand. Still, they seem determined to stay by the boy's side.

"…………"

Irisdina and the others already know Nozomu's secret. This fact rendered Lisa speechless and silent for a moment. At the same time, she was convinced. This was the bond between Nozomu and his friends.

Zonne took one look at her but did not stop moving his mouth.

"That kid is involved in a situation that could affect the future of Arkmill continent, regardless of his own will. If you are going to be by his side, you must have the proper resolve and courage. However, can you really accept the current him? You're too scared to even face the boy right now..."

"I……"

The bond between Nozomu and his friends was conveyed by a third party. She had some idea of this, but when she was confronted with the truth like this, she felt as if her eyes were completely blacked out.

She knew. She deserved it.

She was the one who failed to trust him until the very end. Despite the skills she had honed, her heart was so weak.

The reality penetrated her body once again and eroded her heart as if trying to steal even the small warmth that had been lit up in her body.

Without realizing it, she swallowed her spit.

Next to her, Camilla was looking at her with concern, but she, too, could not respond to Zonne's words. They were confronted with the fact that they were just outside the frame.

At that moment, Zonne, who had been staring at Lisa with a stern gaze, suddenly softened his expression.

At the same time, the cold atmosphere was dissipated.

"However…… that doesn't mean you are incapable of doing anything."

"Eh?"

Suddenly, his tone of voice changed to a gentle one.

Zonne continued to talk calmly, smiling at the bewildered Lisa and Camilla as if he were caring for his grandchildren.

His eyes were as gentle as the sun. There was a hint of slight pity and regret in his eyes.

"You still have time, young lady. There's something you can do. Above all, you are hesitant to confront your own sins, but this time you must not turn away from them. That's why ......"

"I found you, Grandfather."

At that moment, a cold voice could be heard from behind the old man.

The three of them turned to see who it was, and out of the darkness, a robed girl appeared.

Her white hair shone in the moonlight and her eyes were cobalt blue. Her face was beautiful just like a doll's. Yes, this was the girl whom Mars and the others bumped into in the central park before.

Lisa herself is a stunningly beautiful girl. But what caught Lisa's attention more than anything else was what she said to Zonne.

"" Grandfather? ""

"W-wha……"

Meanwhile, Zonne was staring at the girl in front of him with his eyes wide open.

"A-, Azel! Why are you here!?"

"That should be my line. What are you doing? You're suddenly missing from the village."

In response to Zonne's loud voice, the girl called Azel retorted with a look of dismay. Zonne was left shaken with astonishment.

The dignity that Zonne had been wearing just completely dissipated, and now he was looking somewhat embarrassed.

On the other hand, the girl was not concerned about the stunned Lisa and Camilla behind Zonne and nonchalantly continued her conversation as if they weren't in her eyes.

"Now is a delicate time. What on earth were you doing in a situation where you had to find and dispose of that calamity as soon as possible?"

"I have a lot of things to do. A lot of things..."

The girl's strong words were filled with accusations against Zonne. The girl's gaze became sharper and sharper as Zonnen whistled in ignorance.

At that moment, the girl's eyes finally caught sight of Lisa and Camilla behind Zonne.

"Grandfather, who are those humans?"

She asked about Lisa and Camilla, but her cold tone showed not the slightest interest in them.

The question was directed only to Zonne. The girl's gaze toward Lisa and Camilla was completely colorless.

"Iyaa~. As you can see, they have a very promising future, don't they? So I'm going to take them over to the liquor store over there and ......."

"I couldn't care less about what their situation is!"

The girl had no interest or concern for Lisa and Camilla, but she was strangely showed her anger toward Zonne.

On the other hand, Zonne, who witnessed Azel's tantrum, turned his head in the opposite direction and abruptly turned on his heel.

"Oh! I just remembered what I have to do! Well then, ladies. I'm afraid we'll have to continue this another time..."

"Ah~! Please wait a minute!"

The girl hurriedly chased after Zonne, who suddenly started walking away.

Zonne disappeared into the city, leaving the girl behind, who was grumbling and complaining about something.

But at that moment, Zonne suddenly turned around.

"Oh, right. If you have made up your mind, you can come to my store. I'll tell you all about it!"

After leaving only those words, Zonne ran out like a hare and disappeared into the darkness. A girl called Azel hurriedly chased behind him.

"What's going on ..."

Lisa and Camilla stood there stunned for a while, unable to speak in response to the sudden occurrence.

"A fortune teller in the commercial district ..."

About the current Nozomu. Will they know if they go there?

He was a very suspicious old man. Normally, they would never go there.

However, Lisa's heart was beating wildly with the temptation to find out Nozomu's secret.