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

Chapter 3 Part 7

The commercial district where the night curtain descends.

Originally wrapped in the dark night, silence should dominate, but in the commercial area, lights are lit here and there, and many people are still coming and going. However, the people who come and go on the road are very different from the people who come and go in the daytime, adventurers with swords on their waists and women in bewitching costumes.

In order to get what they wanted, they went out to the city at night, which had a different atmosphere from the daytime.

Here, at Ushitotei, many men and women of all ages gathered for their food and sake.

"Okay! The ordered lamb soup and much more are ready! "

Hannah, the proprietress of Ushitotei, puts the hot soup on the counter with a dashing voice, and the waitress Ena begins to carry the dishes with her accustomed hands.

The petite girl has so many dishes that it looks like she can’t carry them, but with her solid footsteps, she carries the dishes one after another without fail.

"I’m sorry to have kept you waiting! This is the dish you ordered!!!"

Ena puts the ordered item on the table with a clear voice. The guests sitting at the table swallowed their spit, perhaps the scent rising from the freshly prepared dishes stimulated their nose and appetite center.

"Oh! I’ve been waiting!"

"I’m hungry~"

"This looks delicious!"

Perhaps the customers were very hungry, they immediately caught the food and put it in their stomachs one after another. Meanwhile, a customer talked to Ena.

"Ena-chan seems to be in a good mood. Did something good happen today?"

"Eh, does it look like that?"

"Yea, somehow your voice is more cheerful than usual, your face is brighter, and I understand it well."

"Eeh, well. Actually....."

"You! Come on, say it one more time!!"

"Ah, again ..."

The customer who was talking to Ena looked at the person who shouted, two customers who were drinking at the counter were arguing. Perhaps their blood is rising in their heads, it seems like they were about to start beating each other.

"Haa, it’s okay to drink alcohol, but I want you to stop using violence ..."

"Good grief, fighting at this store will make them can’t eat meals here for a while."

However, the two did not seem to be particularly concerned, as they were only amazed when they saw the customers. The two who were fighting heated up even further.

"I’ll say it over and over again !! At that time, I had to leave because the load has been stolen !!"

"Huh? It was probably because you made a detour and didn’t deliver it straight away!!! "

Not sure what the story is about, but it seems that the cause was that the load they were carrying was stolen. However, they made such loud noises, it would not be good if they caused violence.

The regulars at the store will never do that. They know well that it’s inexcusable for them to do that.

When Ena tried to talk to them to stop their quarrel before things got worse, a familiar voice broke between them.

"Oi, cut it out"

It was Mars who interrupted between the two who were in a quarrel. His voice echoing deep inside their belly and gave them a magical curse, and the two who were just in conflict are petrified like statues.

"I know that alcohol makes your head feel a little loose, but fighting is not legal here. If you’re going to do more, I’ll force your wallet and body to pay a nuisance fee, what would you do?"

When Mars threatened with some kind of words and actions, the two customers laughed, taken out of their wallets, handed over their money, and quickly went out of the store. It feels that the money given was lacking in prudence.

"Hahaha! Did it just happen? They were lucky. If they make a fuss at this store when he’s here, he couldn’t be satisfied with just that much if they weren’t good at handling it ... "

Actually, Mars has beaten all the adventurers who made a fuss at this store in the past. There was a big commotion due to the fact that the share of the reward within a group was broken. Some customers were caught up in the turmoil and some were injured.

The other party who caused the commotion was about D-rank, and the number of people was 5, but Mars, who had already begun to show his talent, fight against the adventurers alone. As a result, three of the adventurers had their arms and legs broken, and two were beaten to the point where the shape of their faces could not be recognized. Since then, the law of violence when Mars was at Ushitotei has become an implicit rule among regular customers.

The customers who did not know this were injured in their bodies and minds, were forced to collect nuisance fees and were thrown out of the store together with their friends, same as what Mars said earlier.

"Right."

(But I don’t think it’s just luck ...)

Ena remembers her brother after going out with everyone today. When Tima and Mars were alone, she was worried that her brother would be rude to Tima. Even though Somia said, "It will be okay", Ena, who has been witnessing Mars’s rampage, was still worried if her brother would do anything bad.

However, while she was away for a bit, her brother’s uptight atmosphere was fading. There is Mars, who is more straightforward than ever. He is less likely to be irritated when in conflict with her now. To be clear, Ena couldn’t believe her eyes and couldn’t help wondering if her brother had gone crazy.

(I wonder if something happened with Tima-san?)

Ena looks in her brother’s direction without being noticed. Mars, who has driven the quarreling customer away, is organizing the luggage at the counter, but unlike the usual him, Mars is somewhat calm.

To be honest, Ena was quite curious about what happened between Tima and her brother. Tima changed Mars in less than half a day, even though Ena, Hannah, and Dell had spoken over and over again and spent years after years.

Ena, who was always talking to her brother (sometimes a fierce mental attack), wanted her brother to change his mind. She is happy with the fact that Mars has changed. But on the other hand, she is a little disappointed.

"... Geez, stupid Onīchan ..."

Her mutter was inaudible to anyone and was swallowed by the hustle and bustle of the bar and disappeared.

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Tima’s POV

The eastern district of Alcazar, called the Civic District, is lined with homes for many people living in the city. One of the houses, an ordinary house that is no different from other houses. A nobody, who could become a historic magician in the future, is living in that house.

"Hey, Tima-nēchan. Did something good happen today?"

"Eeh, Why do you think so?"

"No, It’s just, you’re smiling more naturally than usual, and you’re giggling so freely. Didn’t nēchan never do something like that?"

"Is, is that so..............."

With my brother’s words, I thought of a boy of the same age who was walking next to me today. At first glance, he looks scary and violent, but the boy has been worried about the incident since that time.

I’ve been bullied by a boy in my neighborhood since I was a kid, and I couldn’t make friends with girls, and I couldn’t talk to anyone other than my family until I met Ai.

I was terrified when I was alone with him today, but before I knew it, I didn’t feel the fear anymore of being with another boy.

"What happened to me ............"

Somehow the inside of my chest is warm. It feels different than when I was with Ai and Somia. It’s been smoldering in my chest since I walked around the city with Mars today.

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

Iris’ POV

The northern section of Arcazam is the political center of the city. There’s a mansion in that section. Inside a room in Francilt’s mansion, a maiden was throwing her limbs onto the bed in a luxurious bedroom.

The maiden is wearing a purple see-through nightie. The moonlight shining through her window illuminates her long, lustrous black hair, projecting white skin like fresh snow in the dark night.

It was already late at night and the days were about to change, but the girl was lying on the bed and she was pondering all the time.

I threw myself into my bed and remembered about today.

In order to leave Mars-kun and Tima alone, Nozomu and Ena-chan were separated from them by me and Somia. It was a bit of a forceful method, but as a result, it seems that the two of them were able to make up properly, so it was good for me.

Well, when Mars and Nozomu weren’t there, I was told something by her, but when she remembered about what happened today, she will start to get bashful. That’s cute, but.............

"... I’m curious about Nozomu ........."

His appearance at that time is still deeply imprinted in my eyes.

A benefactor who saved the life of my sister. At that time, I was about to lose Somia and I tried to break the restraint, but before such a strong person, I was too helpless.

Since I was a child, I decided to protect my only sister, and I have been studying everything, not just sword skills and magic. I think that my power is certainly my own blood and flesh, and I was evaluated as an unprecedented human being in this perfect meritocracy Solminati.

However, such a thing did not work against the old man. I couldn’t even hurt the old man who tried to take my dear sister, and it seemed as if everything I had done was pointed out as meaningless.

Somia and I were trapped in despair when we were faced with a reality that we couldn’t do anything about. It was a single sword that rescued us.

The swinging sword pierced the abyss of despair and saved our hands that were begging for help. Since that time, I have been thinking about him.

Gaze at my own hand. Today, this hand held his hand and ran around the city.

His hand was bigger than I expected, and as he kept swinging his sword, it became stiff, and there were sword calluses in some places.

He was angry at the old man who touched my hand without hesitation, showing his emotions as much as he could, unlike his usual quiet self. To be honest, It’s a shame that he missed the timing because I punished the old man earlier than him at that time.

"I wonder what is it ..."

The palm of my hand was slightly warm, and the warmth vividly reminded me of when I was holding hands with him.

I remember many things. His face when he was making candy with a serious expression, his face when he was having a tongue battle with an old fortune-teller, and his face that was troubled when I held his hand.

While remembering his face, I gently squeeze the hand that was connected to him in my chest. I shouldn’t let my precious things escape .....

"Fufu! I feel my heart is throbbing ............"

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Nozomu’s POV

Nozomu and Irisdina parted ways at Ushitotei, and Nozomu returned to the dormitory. The sky seen through the window in the dormitory corridor is already near to darkness.

It’s probably because various things happened today. Nozomu’s face is a little tired.

(Various things happened today.)

Climbing the stairs to his room, Nozomu remembers about today. Irisdina, who suddenly came to the classroom during the lunch break, invited him to a meal and caused a big uproar in the classroom.

"Well, if those two suddenly come, everyone will be surprised ..."

The two, Irisdina and Tima, are the people that everyone in the school knows and is aiming for.

The turmoil broke out throughout the school, and Iwas taken to the back of the school building unwillingly by the classmates and was about to be lynched.

Nozomu also resisted, but as expected, many were out of his control. In addition, the students began to use magic even though it was not in a training ground. At that time, Nozomu, who didn’t have any advantage, would have been seriously injured without Shīna’s help.

Shīna dismissed the boys who surrounded Nozomu, but she turned to Nozomu with contempt. She told Nozomu, "you reap what you sow" and she immediately turned her heels back and left. She probably didn’t like being with Nozomu. Her attitude itself represented her feelings.

(Well, that’s reasonable ............. It’s because I haven’t take any action and tried to change anything ...)

Most people in the school will have the same feelings for Nozomu as Shīna.

A student who can’t keep up is not suitable for the school. A bastard who played with a woman’s heart. The evaluation surrounding him hasn’t changed as he turned to face it.

He still couldn’t decide what to do next, and while it’s painful to continue to be bullied by others, Nozomu was slowly beginning to accept that it was his reality.

Thanks to Shino, he was able to notice the fact that he had been running away, turning his eyes away, and closing his ears from the surrounding.

However, after realizing that he had escaped, he gradually accepting his escape because he is no longer alone, Shino is no longer in the world, but now there are a few student in the school who can be called as friends.

When he was with them, Nozomu felt that the dull pain that had been eroding his heart every time he was abused by the surroundings had now eased, albeit a little.

*Ba-dump*

"Eh !!"

Suddenly, a heartbeat was heard by Nozomu’s ears from the back of his chest. The heartbeat becomes quiet once it makes such a loud noise, and nothing can be heard anymore.

(What was that just now, perhaps ...)

That heartbeat is not Nozomu’s heartbeat.

The "Tiamat" inside him was reacting to something.

(What on earth............)

Nozomu doesn’t know what the guy inside him has reacted to. However, the heartbeat informs Nozomu of the existence that has been sealed inside him and forcibly reminds him of the bloody nightmare he had after releasing the suppression. The bloody nightmare that burns everything down.

Nozomu has finally begun to take a step, but the road is still surrounded by deep darkness.

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

“..................................”

One figure is looking up at the dormitory where Nozomu is. The lights of the surrounding houses had already gone out, and only the stars illuminating the night sky reflected the presence of the figure.

Various emotions are mixed in the eyes of the figure. Anger, hatred, and regret. But even if we can read his emotions, we probably can’t know the source of those emotions. The shadow doesn’t do anything, it just keeps looking up at the dormitory. Keeping his eyes on Nozomu who disappeared into his room.