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

After the meal was over, Victor, Nozomu, and the others moved to the salon and talked among themselves.

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By the way, Mimuru, who had been knocked unconscious by Nozomu and Shīna, was kept in a separate room, but had now woken up and was now in the salon.

However, she was so angry at not being able to enjoy the luxurious meal that she started devouring the tea confectioneries prepared for others in a fit of frustration.

However, at that moment, she was met with Shīna's icy glare, and she instantly turned tail and raised the white flag.

By the way, the previous remaining Mimuru's meals were all eaten by Feo.

 

Nozomu, for the time being, was watching his friends while drinking the tea served to him.

Irisdina and Somia continued to talk to Victor.
Perhaps because they had not seen each other for several years, they had a lot to talk about.

Mars was talking to Tima, Tom, and Shīna, and they were beginning to discuss magic.

Judging from the content of the conversation, it seemed to be about magic control.
The words “magic formation” and “Qi technique” were used occasionally, which probably meant that the conversation was related to Mars' combination technique.

Mars and Tom had talked about magic from time to time, but Nozomu had the feeling that the two were talking more than usual these days.

Feo was sitting in his expensive-looking chair, looking up at the ceiling with a truly happy expression on his face.
He must have really enjoyed the meal served today.

He sometimes said things like, “I have nothing left to regret,” and Nozomu worried that his happiness would be so great that his soul would be liberated.

It had been a long time since Nozomu had had a moment of peace and quiet like this.

Before he knew it, the cup of tea in his hand was completely gone.

 

“Nozomu”

 

After she put the empty cup in her hand on the table for the time being, Irisdina approached Nozomu.

 

“I-, Iris.
Have you done talking to Victor-san?”

“Yes.
Father is going to stay in this city for a while.
So I won't have to worry about parent-child conversations for a while.”

 

Nozomu noticed that Victor was no longer in the salon.
He must have gone back to his room first.

Perhaps he was being considerate.
Thinking about this, Nozomu looked around the salon again.

Although not as large as the dining room, this salon, which had a size of 20-meter squares, was also the most magnificent one that Nozomu had ever seen.

There were ornaments hanging on the walls.
The tables and chairs were elaborately carved, and the seats and backrests were soft and fluffy to the touch as if they were filled with feathers.

Even Nozomu, who had never known something like this before, could understand that all the chairs were made by first-rate craftsmen.

 

“But this sure is an amazing mansion.
I'm surprised that your family built this mansion just for you to attend Solminati …”

 

“I said that I could live in a dormitory, but my father won't let me, and the academy had a lot to say about it.
And after Somia and I graduate, the mansion will be donated to Solminati Academy.”

 

Nozomu was so surprised when she talked about donating this mansion so easily.

He also felt that Irisdina, who was willing to give up such a mansion as if she were giving away old clothes, had lived in a different world than he had.

 

“Are you sure you want to give it up so easily?”

“Neither my father nor I have any reason to stick to this mansion.
Also, the number of students in the school will increase, and the current school facilities will not be enough.
This mansion is spacious, so it's perfect for expanding the facilities, and it's also a good promotion to the outside world.
“

 

Apparently, it was not a bad deal for Irisdina and her family.

The mansion was indeed a grand house, but keeping it without using it just added to the expense and made no sense.

If that was the case, it would be more useful to donate it to Solminati to maintain the influence of the Francilt Household and Foskia within Arcazam and for external publicity.
It seemed they had already discussed this with the school.

 

“If this mansion is to be donated to the school, there is a possibility that it will be demolished.
When I first came to this city, I thought of this mansion as a temporary residence, but now that I think about it, I feel a little regretful…”

 

Inwardly, Nozomu was tempted to retort, “No matter how you look at it, this mansion is nothing like a temporary residence,” but he held it in his heart.

If this mansion was just a temporary residence, how big would the main Francilt's mansion be?

In Nozomu's mind, he pictured a white castle surrounded by walls, and he might not be wrong.

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“Iris, you said you were regretful to see this mansion gone, but why?”

“Why, you say…
That's …”

 

Nozomu tilted his head at Irisdina, who suddenly fell silent.

Irisdina glanced at Nozomu with a sideways glance and shook her head a little, then put on a mysterious expression on her face.

 

“Hey, Nozomu, what are you going to do after you graduate from this school?”

“…
Who knows.
Honestly, I don't really know yet.
Iris, you're going to join the Silver Rainbow Chivalric Order, right?”

“Yeah, I still want to join the Silver Rainbow Chivalric Order, help a lot of people, and …”

 

Irisdina glanced to the side.
She has some sort of puzzled expression on her face.

Normally, she was so calm and composed, but she was now putting on such a face.
Nozomu immediately understood.

 

“Somia-chan?”

“Y-, yeah.
Well, there is that, too.
I want to be a sister she can be proud of.”

 

Irisdina mentioned Somia's name with some hesitation.

Her usual elegance was gone, and she was just an ordinary girl who loved her family.

 

“Does Nozomu have any siblings?”

“No, I'm an only child.”

“How could your parents allow you to come to Solminati?.”

“Actually, my father was very much against it.
We even ended up in a fistfight.”

 

With a wry smile, Nozomu remembered about his father.

He was a stubborn father who supported the family by plowing the fields.

Although he eventually allowed Nozomu to attend Solminati, Nozomu remembered his father looking as if he had chewed about a hundred bitter bugs.

 

“Iris's father seems like a pretty nice person, but to be honest, I'd be pretty nervous facing him face to face…”

“People often say that about him because of his tough outward appearance.
My father looks like that, but he is straightforward and mischievous at heart.
Well, he can get into a lot of trouble because of that……”

 

“S-, Straightforward, is it? …”

 

Nozomu couldn't help but feel a sense of discomfort when he heard those words.

Iris' father was certainly not as strict as he appeared to be, but he had too much dignity to apply the word “straightforward” to him.

He was a person who exuded such a presence that could make ordinary people naturally bow their heads.

Nozomu forcibly convinced himself that perhaps Irisdina's senses were off.

The same was true about the “temporary lodging” in such a grand mansion.
People do not feel any discomfort with the environment in which they grew up.

 

“…
Nozomu, are you thinking of something rude?”

“…
No, that's not true”

 

As if reading Nozomu's thoughts, Irisdina looked at him with suspicion.

 

“In a particular field, you're not much different, Nozomu.”

“Ha?”

 

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Irisdina was well aware that her environment was different.
However, she had always felt that Nozomu was also beyond the standard in terms of swordsmanship and survival skills.

He possessed Qi techniques that could cut down both attackers and defenders in one fell swoop, and katana techniques that can cross swords with Jihad.

Irisdina, who had watched his fight up close, didn't think she could win if she fought head-on against Nozomu.

Even if she overwhelmed him with magic from a distance, he would always find some way to break through.  She had such a hunch.

Once he found a breakthrough, Nozomu wouldn't hesitate.
He would instantly pour out all his strength and he would devour her strategy as if it were nothing.

And once he got close, she would have to face hell.

Every of Nozomu's attacks could be a one-hit kill.

If she wanted to counter Nozomu's [Phantom] in close combat, Irisdina would have no choice but to use [Lunar Eclipse] as a countermeasure.

However, she couldn't activate her technique in an instant like Nozomu, and if she were to use [Lunar Eclipse], she wouldn't have time to focus on other magic.

And in the case of pure swordsmanship, Nozomu was completely superior.
In other words, once Nozomu got close, Irisdina would practically have no countermeasures at all.

Once he got close, victory was assured.
It was strange because, when she thought about it, Ability Suppression really didn't seem like such a trivial thing.

 

“Good grief, what kind of training did your master give you?”

“…
Please don't remind me”

 

Irisdina let out a small sigh as she saw Nozomu holding his head and looking pale.

In the end, whether or not someone can be strong depends on their own mindset.
Irisdina thought so as she looked at the young man holding his head next to her.

 

“But recently, while your surroundings have changed so much, you yourself haven't changed at all…”

“Shishō, the joints of my fingers do not bend that way.
Please don't even put blows into the gap between the joints and call it training.
Are you so angry that your dinner was a fish? And, I can't do 100 kumite, so please Shishō, stop telling me to do 100 kumite with you.
I'll die…
“

 

As she watched Nozomu sink into the vortex of trauma, Irisdina pondered his recent situation.

The rumors about Nozomu that Ken Notis had spread throughout the school had all but disappeared.
The combat training with Jihad at the martial arts garden had also helped to boost Nozomu's reputation.

He was especially popular among his underclassmen and was sought after as a dependable upperclassman.

Despite this, Nozomu himself didn't seem to be concerned about what others thought of his skills or swordsmanship.
He was not proud of it and went about his daily life as usual.

What he cared about was the safety of his friends and the underclassmen who asked him for advice, and about his childhood friends who have become broken.

Certainly, Nozomu had no time to worry about status or honor.

But even if he were to realize the position that was set before him, Irisdina had a feeling that Nozomu himself would not change.

He would simply reply with a curt, “Is that so.”

Irisdina had always seen the other side of people.
That was why she understood how precious his unchanging nature was.

And she couldn't help but be attracted to him.

Her feelings for Nozomu grew stronger day by day.
He was the only person Irisdina sincerely wanted to be by her side.

But at the same time, such Nozomu made Irisdina feel uneasy from the bottom of her heart.

 

“Nozomu …
about me …”

 

How do you feel about me?

In a panic, Irisdina swallowed the words that were almost in her throat.

Fearfully peeking sideways at Nozomu, she saw that he had finally emerged from the vortex of trauma and was breathing roughly with a frustrated expression on his face.

 

“Haa, haa …
Iris, did you say something?”

 

Her words, which had escaped her mouth, did not seem to have been heard by Nozomu.

At the same time, however, a magma-like heat rushed through Irisdina's body as she realized the meaning of the words she almost let slip out.

Irisdina desperately suppressed her cheeks, which were about to pull back, and pretended to be normal.

 

“…
Ah-, I said Nozomu was a dullard.”

“Isn't it terrible to send someone down into a traumatic hell and then pursue them up with more!”

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The feelings that raging deep in her heart.
While forcibly covering it up, Irisdina spoke to cover up her blazing cheeks.

The lamenting Nozomu was raising his voice in protest against Irisdina, but she remained as natural as ever.

At the sight of him, the magma-like heat instantly subsided, and instead, a soft warmth resembling the light of a fireplace enveloped her entire body.

Eventually, the two of them looked at each other and smiled.

 

“Phew, it's a good night …”

“I would honestly feel that way if Iris didn't dig up someone else's traumas.”

“Muu …”

 

For a while, the two enjoyed a moment of silence as they gazed at the moonlit night floating in the starry sky.

Irisdina quickly leaned in close to Nozomu and gently embraced his arm.

The soft-touch of the maiden spread across his arm, and Nozomu involuntarily raised his voice.

 

“I-, Iris !?”

“Let me stay like this …”

 

Nozomu was overwhelmed by Irisdina's sudden action.

However, Irisdina's eyes were downcast and she looked as if she had something on her mind.

 

“Hey, Nozomu.
Do you remember what I said to you at that time?”

“Eh?”

“Umm, that is, like I said…”

 

At that time, she said something in a hasty attempt to stop him from going out of control.
But there was no mistaking it was her true feelings.

Irisdina, wanting to engrave it even more on her heart, pulled her body even closer to Nozomu as if she were floating in the heat of the moment.

More, and more …….
Closer to him …….

 

“Excuse me, both of you.”

“Uhyau~!”

 

However, a voice resounded as if it were trying to put off her passion.

Irisdina involuntarily jerked away and turned her gaze to the owner of the voice that called out to her.

 

“Me-, Me-me-, Mena.
What was that for?”

 

It was Mena, Victor's maid, who called her.
She looked at Irisdina, who was panicking, and without seeming to be bothered, began to explain her business in an indifferent manner.

 

“I have been told by my lord to pick up Nozomu-sama.
I'm sorry, but will you come with me?”

“Father did?”

“Yes, he would like to thank him for the recent incident with the Waziart Household …”

 

In a sense, it was a convincing reason, but for Irisdina, Mena's words inevitably stuck in the back of her mind.

The attack report on Rugato that Irisdina sent to Victor didn't mention anything that would lead to Nozomu's secret.

It was partly because Irisdina didn't know of Tiamat's existence at the time, and she was afraid to pursue her benefactor's matter too deeply.

At the time, all Irisdina could hear from Nozomu was that he could release his Ability Suppression.

Therefore, she did not include anything about Ability Suppression in her report.
Instead, Irisdina emphasized how excellent his swordsmanship was.

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She knew immediately that Nozomu's swordsmanship was superior to her own, and she emphasized this point in her letter in the most natural way possible.

But Victor, who had seen more lies than she had, might have noticed.

 

It was quite difficult to fight back against an S-ranked enemy without losing a single person.

If so, was it about his secret that Victor wanted to ask Nozomu?

No, it's possible that it could be something else.

There was no shortage of topics regarding Nozomu himself, such as the rumors that spread at school in the past, the commotion caused by Ken Notis who was devoured by the Abyss Grief, and the combat training with Jihad-sensei.

Her brilliant mind can come up with a number of hypotheses in seconds.

But whatever the reason, there was no need for Victor to thank him alone.

Irisdina thought that the reason why Victor had only asked for Nozomu was that he wanted to be sure about something else.

 

“I'll go with him.
Besides, if Father wants to thank him for what he did, we must also invite Mars-kun, Tima, and the others.”

“As for those people, of course, my lord has said he will also thank them himself.
So please be assured.”

 

Irisdina reconfirmed that there were other people to call if it was about the case with the Waziart Household.

However, Irisdina's words was brushed off by Mena.
If the head of the household himself wanted to thank them, there was no reason for Irisdina to stop him.

Irisdina went silent.
But just as she was about to open her mouth to ask for more information, Nozomu stepped forward and interrupted her.

 

“I understand, Mena-san, let's go.”

“Nozomu …”

“Sorry, we haven't finished talking yet.
But I have to go for a bit.”

 

Nozomu quickly turned his body and left Irisdina's side as if following Mena's urging.

Irisdina watched his back with shaken eyes.

Suddenly, Nozomu turned around and smiled at Irisdina.

 

“…
and thank you for worrying about me.”

 

Irisdina's feelings were transmitted to Nozomu more than enough.
He could understand that Irisdina was truly concerned about him.

 

“I'll be fine.
From what you told me, your father doesn't seem as strict as he looks.
It will be like a small three-way meeting.”

 

Knowing about this fact, he dared to return the words in a lighter tone.

Nozomu didn't know what Victor wanted to talk about, but he didn't feel any anxiety swirling in his chest.

Nozomu then left the salon, as Mena urged him to do.

Irisdina, who was left behind, remained in place after Nozomu had left, gazing down the hallway where he had disappeared.

 

“Nozomu, how do you feel about me…”

 

The words she almost said before naturally leaked out of Irisdina's mouth again.

What came to Irisdina's mind was the image of Lisa, who was nursing Nozomu while she was tormented by guilt.

When Nozomu was still in a deep coma.
Irisdina, driven by impatience and anxiety over Nozomu's condition, which had not woken up at all, and while being driven by frustration and jealousy, spoke out heartless words against Lisa.

However, those were words that only Nozomu was qualified to say, not the words she should have said.
Irisdina felt she was somehow the same, she did nothing when Nozomu was isolated at the school.

Words that she was not qualified to say.
Now that Nozomu had woken up and was recovering well, she had always been ashamed of her own foolish actions.

But until now, she couldn't tell Nozomu or apologize to Lisa.

Despite her shame, Irisdina's jealousy of Lisa was still buried deep in her heart.

Irisdina, tormented by her love for Nozomu, her jealousy of Lisa, and her remorse, clutches her arms tightly.

The remains of Nozomu's heat in her arms.
The warmth that had been there just a few moments ago now clenched tightly around Irisdina's chest.