Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no “Kokoro”- - Chapter 8.49

Chapter 8.49

"Phew, that Lisa sure was getting out of control..."

In the hall of the Gloaurum Institution. While sitting in a chair placed there, Nozomu let out a sigh. He had undergone various examinations over the past few days, but today was the most tiring day of all. Mainly because of his childhood friend who had gone out of control.

"It can't be helped you know, considering how she feels."

A refreshingly clear voice drifted into the chilly hall where the smell of disinfectant wafted through the air.

Nozomu looked up to see Shina holding a cup of steamy water.

Nozomu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his colleague, who he hadn't seen for a long time, as he had been under house arrest for the past few days and had been subjected to a series of examinations and interrogations.

"It's been a while. Is everything going well on your side?"

"Yes. I'm not required to undergo the same kind of examination that you did."

Shina sat down next to Nozomu and offered him the cup she held in her hand. The steamy milk smelled sweet. It was apparently hot milk with honey.

"Thank you"

"Fufu~, you're welcome"

Guided by the warmth of the porcelain cup in the palm of his hand, he gently sipped the milk.

The warmth of the warm milk in his throat soothed his body and mind, which had been tired from the examinations and interrogations.

Hoo~... A white breath quietly escaped from his mouth. When he looked beside him, he saw that Shina was breathing out the same white breath.

"Oh, it's so warm. Where did you get this?"

"I just snuck it out from Torgrain-sensei's lab."

Shina held up her index finger and put it over her mouth, saying, "don't tell anyone".

Seeing her gesture, Nozomu couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

The air between the two of them was calm. However, as if to break the air, a graceful voice called out to the two of them.

"Hey, you two. Are you two meeting up here?"

"You are..."

The one who appeared was Laurus, a handsome elf and Shina's prospective fiancée.

With a smile that would make any woman swoon, he approached the bench where they were sitting.

"How can I help you, Rauls-sama?"

"As usual, you're being too harsh with me. Well, it's too late for that now. I have a little favor to ask of him."

As he said so, Rauls turned his gaze to Nozomu.

"A favor?"

"Yes, I'd like you to meet Triforium-sama."

Both Nozomu and Shina's eyes widened at the name that came out of Rauls' mouth.

Triforium, Shina's great-grandfather, is currently in jail for attempted kidnapping. Even though they are related by blood, he tried to force a student out of the city, by sealing the student's will.

If this were an ordinary criminal, he would be sent to a mine or some other place as a prisoner. However, after considering his position and status, it seemed that he would eventually be deported from the city.

"... Am I the only one who will meet him?"

"No, if possible, take her with you..."

Upon hearing Rauls' words, the two looked at each other.

As for Nozomu, it was okay to meet him. In fact, he had thought that he had to meet him.

After all, he and Shina had performed a blood covenant ritual, even though he did not aware of it.

But what about Shina?

Her eyes, which were reminiscent of the azure skies, still showed a sense of enmity toward her great-grandfather.

However, she sipped the hot milk in her cup again, nodded her head in understanding, and quietly opened her mouth.

"I understand. I will see him."

"I'm glad to hear it. I have made an appointment for you to visit him, and I have permission from Jihad-dono. Then, would you like to come now?"

"Right now?"

"Considering your current position, I thought it would be better for you to meet him in the evening when you can avoid being seen."

The sun was already setting outside the window.

It is true that the current Nozomu is, in many ways, the man of the hour.

The school probably chose this time of day because they thought it would be easier to provide as much security as possible at a time of day when as few people as possible would be watching.

Nozomu and Shina nodded to each other, drank down the milk they had, and followed Rauls.

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

Nozomu and Shina were brought to the Guard's headquarters, which is located near the Central Park.

Here, there is a prison for those who have committed crimes in the city.

The prisons are underground dungeons designed to prevent escape. The old elf was in the deepest and most heavily guarded of the prisons.

Magic circles are drawn here and there in the dungeon, shining faintly. They were meant to seal the magic power of the spirit magic user.

"... You come, huh."

Triforium raised his deeply wrinkled face and stared through the bars at the visitors. Triforium's gaze was wary, but so far showed no sign of dislike for Nozomu.

"Hello..."

"Rauls, so you brought Shina too?"

"Yes, I thought you'd want to make sure she's okay..."

Upon hearing Rauls' words, Triforium let out a sigh ... and then turned his attention back to Nozomu.

"Well then, brat, how will you atone for the crime of defiling my great-granddaughter?"

"Grandfather! It is I who-...!"

"Shut up! This is not a matter of reasoning."

Triforium's actions were not right in anyone's eyes.

Even so, even if Nozomu couldn't say that he understood all of this old man's feelings, he could still imagine them.

Shina was the only remaining member of his precious family. It would be impossible not to care about her, and some might go out of control or force themselves to do something that is not what they want because of their piling-up emotions and anxieties.

His former best friend was just like that.

"I understand. I will take responsibility."

"Nozomu-kun!?”

"I will cooperate with her dream of recapturing the Nebula Forest. When that time comes, I will use all the power I have to help her reclaim her homeland."

Cooperation with the Dragon Slayer. Upon hearing this assurance, Triforium's eyebrows furrowed. He wanted to confirm whether Nozomu's words were true or not.

Nozomu, on the other hand, simply met the old elf's gaze.

A few seconds of silence. In the midst of the mutual gaze, it was Nozomu who opened his mouth first.

"... That would be my wish too."

"Wish?"

"My wish is to help the people I care about. That remains true today and always will be."

It might seem grandiose, but it is in fact a tiny dream. And it is Nozomu's original wish.

To connect the dreams of those he cares about.

This is the answer he has arrived at after many twists and turns.

"She is someone who is very important to me, and at the same time, one of my irreplaceable benefactors. If it were for that reason, I would not refuse to use this power."

For a moment, Nozomu's eyes suddenly seemed to relax, and then they turned to Shina next to him.

Her face turned slightly vermilion as he turned his gaze on her, soft and full of warmth.

Triforium's shoulders slumped at this gentle atmosphere.

On the one hand, there were those who could not admit their own negative sides and went berserk. On the other hand, there were those who faced their weaknesses and overcame them.

Which of them truly cared about their loved ones? The result was clear.

"In the end, I could do nothing, was I? No, those who are blinded by the past are no match for those who live in the present with an eye on the future, huh..."

The elven elder closed his eyes as if reflecting on his past and bowed deeply to Nozomu.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for my many rudenesses. I am truly sorry. And please take care of my last family member."

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

After meeting with Triforium, Nozomu was walking with Shina and Rauls on the way back to the guest house.

The sun had already set, so there were few people around.

"Iyaa~, you sure are amazing..."

"What do you mean?"

When Nozomu turned around, Rauls was staring at him with a look of admiration on his face.

He was smiling with such a beautiful expression that even a man might be charmed by it, and there was a tinge of pure respect in his gaze.

"There aren't many people who can speak straight to Triforium-sama like you did. He is one of the Elven Elders, after all."

"I was just talking about my intentions..."

"Not many people can do that, especially when they are in front of someone with power and authority. Well, you yourself don't seem to be aware of it."

Seeing Nozomu tilting his head, Rauls let out a chuckle.

In response to the words, which were too subtle to be taken as a compliment, Nozomu looked at him with a difficult expression on his face.

"How should I say it? You have a very clear heart. I know I have my own issues with Shina, but for me, I'd like to be friends with you."

Saying so, Rauls extended his right hand to him.

A handshake. An act of friendship. However, it was quite unusual for an elf, who seemed to be uptight and had a strong sense of independence, to ask for a handshake.

Most importantly, Nozomu did not know Rauls well.

He knew that he was Shina's prospective fiancée, but that was practically all he knew.

He stared at the extended hand and then turned his gaze back to the smiling face of the handsome elf.

There was nothing negative in Rauls' gaze, and he seemed to be genuinely hoping for a friendship.

Nozomu then took a deep breath and shook his extended hand.

"I look forward to working with you, Shina’s fiancée-dono.”

"Yes... Huh? Fiancée?"

For a moment, Nozomu, who didn't understand what Rauls was saying, couldn't help but ask back.

Who is the fiancée of whom? The face of Shina, who was standing next to Nozomu, instantly turned vermilion.

"You and Shina did the engagement ceremony, didn't you? If so, wouldn't it be right to call you her fiancée? Besides, you said you'd take responsibility..."

"N-, no, that's..."

"~~~! ~~~~!"

While Nozomu was flustered, Shina, with her face bright red, was beginning to make inarticulate noises next to him.

"Ahahahaha! Well, you two should talk about the rest. And you should be a little careful. Elven love is gentle, but to humans, it tends to be heavy in many ways."

"… Eh?"

"Well then, I'll leave the rest to the young ones, so I'll excuse myself now."

After agitating Shina as much as he could, Rauls quickly walked away with a few meaningful words.

Whether he was borrowing the power of a spirit or not, his speed was even faster than usual, and in no time at all, he was out of sight.

And the two of them were left behind. Their gazes naturally crossed each other's ... and then they quickly turned their gazes away.

Nozomu, who scratched the back of his head from embarrassment, and Shina, who looked down with a red face. A quiet, sweet and sour atmosphere began to prevail.

"I-, I'm screwed..."

"You don't like it? I'm ... happy."

In response to Nozomu's attempt to fill in the silence, Shina's words were straightforward.

Nozomu was momentarily taken aback by the straightforward confession, which was hard to imagine from an elf who normally does not show much emotion.

However, he quickly calmed his agitated feelings and slowly opened his mouth as he faced Shina head-on.

"... No, I don't hate it. Rather, I'm flattered."

Hearing these words, Shina's face lit up.

She looked up with a smile on her pretty, fairy-like, unrealistic beautiful face and was deeply happy from the bottom of her heart.

Seeing her smile, Nozomu also felt a strong affection welling up in his heart.

At the same time, he felt a twinge of regret.

"... But I still have someone I want to talk to, someone I want to convey my feelings to..."

In a sense, these words were a rejection of Shina's confession.

However, as if she was aware of what he was saying, she nodded her head at his words with a delighted smile.

"Yes, I know. Are you going now?"

"Yeah..."

"I see ... She's probably already back at the guest house after today's examination."

"Thank you…"

After saying so, Shina turned away with a somewhat regretful expression on her face.

But after a step or two, she abruptly turned around.

"Ah, that's right... I forgot something."

"Huh? Uwa!?"

Suddenly, Shina's beautiful face loomed over Nozomu's eyes.

Then, a refreshingly calming, sweet scent spread to his nose, followed by a soft, warm sensation on his lips.

"Nn…..."

The girl closed her eyes and laid her lips on her beloved's.

In an instant, Nozomu's brain froze. The suddenness of the situation made his eyes widen involuntarily.

In his rigid consciousness, Nozomu thought, in a strangely silly way, that the girl seemed to be happy, as she gently relaxed her closed eyebrows.

Eventually, after a few dozen seconds of silence, Shina slowly parted her overlapping lips and let out a soft, gentle sigh of pleasure.

*Smooch* The sound of the mucous membranes separating from each other was oddly lascivious to Nozomu's ears.

"You and I are connected. But you can't feel my feelings. If so, I have to tell you how I feel..."

Although their lips parted, Shina kept her body close to Nozomu's chest as she continued to speak.

"It doesn't matter who you fall in love with. But my feelings will never change. From now on, I will continue to convey my feelings to you like this..."

"B-, but that doesn't mean you should just do something like this out of the blue! Or rather, how could you do such a thing with the way things are going right now!"

"Ara~, Lisa-san had done it too, hadn't she? If so, it won't be a problem if I do it too, right? Besides, it's evening now. There are no people around, so it's totally fine. Remember, girls can be possessive, too, you know. Even if the person they're attracted to likes someone else, it doesn't matter."

Rather, it was because he was interested with someone else that she wanted to monopolize him even more.

While adding these words, Shina puts her index finger on Nozomu's lips, which she had just kissed. As if to confirm the kiss she had just given.

"I was so happy to be able to feel your heart, but it is even more exciting to express my feelings like this. Perhaps it is because my feelings for you are overflowing from within me."

Her sexy gesture, which seemed to be out of place for an elf with a sense of purity, made his heart skip a beat.

"And one more thing to remember. Elven love lasts for several decades. Their love lasts until one of them dies. So my feelings for you will never wane."

Some elves, who value their heart-to-heart connection so much, mourn for a long time when their partner is gone.

And Shina's heart was completely captivated by Nozomu. The words that Rauls had said earlier, "Elven love is gentle, but to humans, it tends to be heavy in many ways", came back to his mind.

Before he realized it, he saw white chains floating on her arms.

"Well then, see you tomorrow. Aa~h, it's a shame I have to leave. I'll leave you to "her" for today, but you'll have to make it up to me later."

Shina quickly detached herself and turned on her heel, returning to the girls' dormitory with conflicting scents of lewdness and innocence.

Nozomu, who had been overwhelmed by Shina's unexpected attack, closed his eyes once and took a deep breath.

It was to calm his disturbed mind once more.

"... Shall I go then?"

Nozomu then went to the guest house where she now resides.

In order to tell her how he feels about her right now