Ryuu Kusari no Ori

This chapter was brought to you by the collaboration between PolterGlast and Saekano Translations.

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Volume 1 Chapter 5.2

With a Legacy in one's Heart Part 2

Translator : PolterGlast

Walking down the school corridor after class, Mars was thinking about Nozomu's behavior.

"That guy ...... has changed."

He remembered the way Nozomu had glared at him when he had attacked him, showing his intent toward being involved in the attack.

The previous him would not have done that, he would have just turned his head down and turned away.

"But just what kind of training did that guy undergo?"

Putting aside the unanswered question for the time being, Mars recalled the combat training that had just taken place.

Mars, who was trying his best to maintain a blank expression, was actually admiring Nozomu's movements, which were practically one against four.

He moved efficiently, moving in the blind spots of his opponents and always keeping a one-on-one pattern, and he did not get flustered by friendly fire coming from his allies, but immediately judged them to be his enemies and acted accordingly.

Moreover, in that situation, he sensed Mars' sudden and unforeseen attack and immediately moved to evade it.

Mars was quite certain. He believed that he would not be able to handle attacks from as many as four people in a suppressed state like Nozomu's, nor with his current self.

Mars was certain that Nozomu had a very broad vision and excellent danger perception sense.

"He is quite used to combat. Where did he get that kind of experience?"

The only places in this city where one could gain experience in battle were the academy and the forests surrounding the city.

There was nobody at the academy willing to help Nozomu, so the only option left was the Spasim Forest.

He might be taking on subjugation requests from the guild, but it was doubtful whether the guild would allow him to take on a subjugation request since he could not form a party.

The guild would tend to make a decision on whether or not to allow someone to accept a request based on their rank, but as for the students of Solminati Academy, the guild would often take the school's side into consideration.

In order for a student to receive a request from the guild, such as subjugation requests, the student must hold a certain rank or be in a party with several other people.

Since the Spasim Forest was originally an unexplored forest, high-ranked demonic beasts sometimes appear there.

The school wanted to avoid losing valuable candidates, so this kind of arrangement was made.

"...... Is that guy perhaps going into the forest all by himself?"

The only other place where one could gain real combat experience is the forest, but it would be reckless for a student to enter a forest infested with demonic beasts alone, and no one would do such a thing.

Even though there are no powerful demonic beasts near the town, this is not a guarantee, and there have actually been cases where travelers have been attacked.

But otherwise, it would be hard to explain the movements of Nozomu, who was obviously accustomed to actual combat.

"...... Shall I go and check it out?"

Mars walked quickly down the corridor, searching for the person he was looking for, with a certain determination.

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After school, Nozomu immediately returned to the dormitory, got ready, and went outside.

He was going to Shino's hut, because his training as a Dragonslayer had to be done in a place where he would not be seen by the public.

He headed for the Spasim Forest, moving swiftly through the streets of the town.

On the way to the forest, however, Nozomu felt a strange presence in the street.

He felt someone's eyes on his back.

He had felt someone's eyes on him since he left the dormitory, but the fact that it did not stop even after he entered the town meant that someone was definitely following him.

"...... Who?"

At first, he thought it was someone who did not think well of him at the school, but he did not feel the malice or hostility, like a sharp arrow, that was often included in such stares.

Also, the number of stares he felt was small.

When someone harbored malicious intent, they would usually be in a group, and there would be a large number of stares, but this time, there was only one stare that was following Nozomu.

"I'm sure I could shake it off if I went into the forest, but ......"

Nozomu could not think of anyone in particular who might be after him at the moment.

However, he himself is a Dragonslayer, which means that it is as if he is carrying a bomb of a very dangerous magnitude.

The fact that the gaze was neither hostile nor harmful, but rather observant, made him wonder if he had been discovered as the Dragonslayer. He had such a bad premonition.

"...... I guess I have no choice but to confirm it."

If he were to shake them off poorly, it could be troublesome later. Taking them to Shino's hut in the forest would also be a problem.

With this in mind, Nozomu decided to leave the main street and proceeded to a small street in the commercial district.

He passed through the intricate alleyways, avoiding the miscellaneous loads placed there, and continued onward.

Once through the narrow alley, Nozomu emerged into an open space. Ahead, a huge wall stood tall.

Arcazam is surrounded by walls to prevent the invasion of demonic beasts and other creatures that inhabit the surrounding forests.

In addition, the buildings of the town are built at a considerable distance from the walls in order to provide a place to deploy troops and store supplies in case of a large-scale invasion.

Arriving at the outer edge of the town, Nozomu slowly took a turn toward the path from which he had come.

The owner of the gaze had followed Nozomu all the way to the path, despite the fact that Nozomu had detoured onto it.

The shadows created by the twilight light concealed the exit of the path in darkness.

Trying to ascertain the identity of the person who might be somewhere beyond, Nozomu kept his eyes fixed on the path and relaxed all the muscles in his body, ready to move at any moment.

His breathing naturally grew shorter, and the corners of his eyes narrowed.

A large figure emerged from the pathway, perhaps sensing Nozomu's presence.

"You ......"

"I knew it. You noticed."

The one who emerged from the shadows of the pathway was Mars, carrying a greatsword on his back.

"What kind of a plan are you having by following me?"

"I just want to confirm something."

"Confirm something, you say? What are-...... ~!"

Mars drew the greatsword from his back and suddenly came slashing at Nozomu. Nozomu quickly drew his katana and struck the belly of Mars' greatsword, then turned and moved to the side.

"What the hell are you doing all of a sudden!?"

"Nothing. I just want you to answer my questions."

"Then why are you pointing your sword at me!?"

While holding his greatsword, without saying a word, Mars slashed again at Nozomu, who was raising his voice.

Mars' body was already enveloped in Qi, and he was clearly ready for battle.

Nozomu was surprised by the sudden attack, but in the face of the impending battle intent directed at him, he immediately switched his mind and strengthened his entire body with Qi.

"Sei!"

Mars made full use of his enhanced physical abilities and unleashed a barrage of strikes that one would not expect from a greatsword user.

Slash from above, cleave to the side, and reverse slash. Three consecutive strikes, without even a pause for breath, came at Nozomu.

It was not a barrage of hand strikes, but a powerful slash with enough power packed into it. This alone demonstrated the high level of Mars' ability as a great sword user.

A series of blows with a heavy weapon such as a greatsword is a very advanced technique. With a half-baked physical ability, the weight of a greatsword will cause one to be swept away, making it impossible to deliver a flowing barrage of blows.

However, Nozomu easily overcame Mars' serious barrage of strikes.

He avoided the first slash by turning his body to the side, and the next one by ducking.

He also took the final reverse slash by angling his katana against the oncoming blade, and at the same time, he took a step forward diagonally.

He flexibly maneuvered the vector of the force he received and guided Mars' blade to the ground.

"Guh!"

The greatsword he had swung struck the ground, and a powerful impact was delivered to Mars's arm.

Nozomu then stomped on Mars' greatsword, which had struck the ground, with his left foot, pinning it in place.

As Mars's face contorted from being pinned by his foot, Nozomu readied the katana he was wielding.

But before Nozomu's katana could be swung, Mars released his hand from the greatsword and concentrated his Qi into his fist to create a mass of wind.

"Ooooo!"

With a yell, Mars released the wind generated in his fist at close range to Nozomu.

*Bam!* A deafening explosion rang out in his gut, pushing Nozomu's body backward.

[Qi-jutsu・Wind Clump Fist]

Originally, it is a wind attribute Qi-jutsu, in which a fist gathers wind into a single mass to enhance its striking power. However, as in the case of Mars, it is a highly versatile technique that can also be used to release the gathered wind mass and blow the opponent away.

The released wind pushed Nozomu's body back a few meters, and once again, the two separated from each other.

Mars pulled out his greatsword, which was driven into the ground, while Nozomu lowered his stance and pointed the tip of his katana toward his opponent.

Neither side moved and they both glared at each other.

Both remained motionless with their weapons at the ready. Only time flew by.

Staring at Nozomu, who pointed the tip of his katana at him, Mars once again admired the skill that he possessed.

(I see. As I thought, in terms of pure swordsmanship, he's better than me......)

Although Mars was overwhelmingly superior in terms of his physical strength and Qi, he was unable to land an attack.

Furthermore, even when he tried his best to launch a barrage of blows, they were either dodged or parried, and on the contrary, he was nearly defeated.

Based on the previous combat training, Mars understood once again the difference in skill between him and Nozomu.

That was why he wanted to know.

He wanted to know the reason why the man in front of him was able to reach such a level of skill with the disadvantage of [Ability Suppression].

Because he felt that if he could know the reason, he also could become stronger.

More, and more stronger......

"Phew......"

Mars exhaled one big breath and put his greatsword back on his back.

He dissipated the Qi he had been kneading, indicating that he had no more intention to continue the fight.

"Sorry for suddenly attacking you."

Nozomu also sheathed his katana, wondering why Mars had suddenly lost his desire to fight.

"I want to ask you something. How did you acquire such skills?"

"...... You mean about katana?"

"Yeah ......."

Nozomu was a little relieved that he had not asked about the Dragonslayer, but he still kept his eyes on Mars. He was suddenly attacked without warning, so he was not able to let his guard down quickly.

However, it was also true that he did not feel the hostility and malice that he had been subjected to previously from the current Mars.

After a few seconds of silence, Nozomu slowly opened his mouth.

"...... I had a master. I've been training under her since the first grade."

"Can I meet her?"

"No, it's impossible. She's already passed away."

"I see ...... What kind of training did you undergo?"

Nozomu, for the time being, gave a brief summary of the training he had received from Shino.

About his training with bare hands, about his jogging through the forests infested with demonic beasts, and about his combat training in which lethal techniques would be used.

Nozomu spoke in an unwavering and flowing tone. On the other hand, Mars' eyebrows gradually lifted as he listened, and he let out a dumbfounded gasp.

"How are you still alive?......"

"Yeah, I wonder why."

Involuntarily, tears welled up in Nozomu's eyes.

He recalled his master's affectionate discipline, which was rather overly strict.

"I'm convinced now. Your unusual swordsmanship, precise movements, and good judgment were cultivated under that master, weren't they?"

In response to Mars' words, Nozomu gave a small nod with an indescribable expression on his face. His fighting style was rooted in the katana-jutsu that Shino had passed down to him.

Furthermore, the experience of being continuously attacked by demonic beasts while being forced to jog incessantly through the forest also played a major role in developing Nozomu's keen sense of tactics.

The same was also true for his movements during group combat training. He always moved to avoid being surrounded and instead created a one-on-one situation.

This was something he learned while fighting Wild Dogs and other demonic beasts that hunt in packs.

And so was the mind-boggling combat trining against Shino.

Fighting against her, who possessed extraordinary strength, did not allow for even a moment's carelessness.

If his actions were even slightly careless or his judgment was delayed, he would immediately be hit in the vital spot and either faint in agony or be knocked unconscious and then roused by a lethal blow.

The experience of repeated suffering was etched into his bones every day.

Being in such an environment, his judgment and ability to perceive danger were developed, even if he did not want them.

But for Nozomu, it was an experience that, when he recalled it again, made him break out in a cold sweat.

"So, why did you follow me? Don't tell me you came slashing at me just to ask me that?"

Nozomu stared at Mars with a frown on his face.

In his gaze, there was a clear anger that he would not tolerate any lies or silence.

He had been followed and then suddenly attacked out of nowhere. Nozomu's reaction was only natural.

At the same time, however, Nozomu was wondering whether or not Mars knew his secret yet.

Nozomu had become a Dragonslayer, something that had not existed for the last several hundred years.

If this secret were to spread, it would surely cause trouble. Now that his master, the only one who knew he was a Dragonslayer, was passed away, he would have to carry this secret with him alone.

Hence, he was very paranoid about the possibility of his secret being exposed.

"Ugh, well, umm ...... What was it again?"

On the other hand, Mars, who was pressured by Nozomu's gaze, scratched his head awkwardly and let his gaze wander. There were feelings of hesitation and guilt in his eyes, but he showed not the slightest intention to open and reveal his mind.

(Mars, he does not know that I am a Dragonslayer, does he?)

This assumption, which was almost certain, came to Nozomu's mind.

Considering the character of Mars, it was hard to believe that this man would be so reluctant to speak out on matters involving swords and strength.

Nozomu was relieved that he was not yet discovered to be a Dragonslayer, but he also tilted his head at Mars' unusual behavior.

In the midst of all this, Mars opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind ......

"W-, what I want to say is- ......"

"Aaaaah! What are you doing, Onīchan!"

A loud voice interrupted Mars' words and resounded around the outer edge of the area.

Nozomu looked in the direction from which the voice came and saw a girl with a distinctive, piercing look on her face running over toward Mars.

"-Geh, you!"

Mars' face twitched in surprise. If one were to look closely, one would see that the girl running toward him had a face that was very similar to Mars'.

"What were you trying to do, Onīchan!? Bringing a stranger into a deserted place like this!?"

"I-, I didn't do anything! And why are you here!?"

"When I was shopping for supplies for the store, I saw you walking down the street with a frown on your face, and assumed you were going to do something crazy, so I followed you. Then, sure enough, here you are, trying to rob someone ......"

"That's not true! Why am I even trying to rob someone!?"

The girl raised her eyebrows and spat with her finger pointed at him.

On the other hand, Mars refuted it as if he was offended, but his eyes were wavering with agitation and sweat was forming on his forehead in spite of the loudness of his voice.

In fact, what Mars did to Nozomu was indeed almost like a street robbery. This girl, who called Mars her brother, was also looking at Mars with skeptical eyes as if she didn't trust his words.

It seemed that this girl was Mars' younger sister, and she also had the guts not to be intimidated by this bad-behaved older brother.

"Considering all the things Onīchan has done so far, of course, it's a natural conclusion! Do you have any idea how many times I and Auntie have bowed our heads to people who have been inconvenienced by you, Onīchan!?"

"Ugh!"

Indeed, Mars had been regarded by those around him as an unruly delinquent.

He should originally be in a higher class, but the fact that he was still in the tenth class showed how bad his daily conduct was.

However, even the worst delinquent in the grade was weak against his younger sister, and he had been constantly being criticized by her since a while ago.

Even if he refuted her to some extent, he was immediately shut down with a good argument.

Surprisingly, Mars seemed to be aware of his own bad behavior.

Therefore, he eventually became unable to even argue with her, and a one-sided verbal attack by his sister followed.

"Because of Onīchan's violent behavior, I've been banned from my favorite restaurant!" "Because of Onīchan, kids my age in the neighborhood treat me like I'm their boss!" "I spent all day and night apologizing to the neighbors because of you, Onīchan!" And so on.

The stories kept coming out, so much so that Nozomu wondered how they could have made it this far.

Whenever a story was mentioned, Mars would respond with, "Ugh!" or "Uph!" and groaned in agony, as if he had been stabbed in the chest with an invisible spear.

Eventually, the girl's preaching shifted to Mars' shameful tale of the past.

For example, "Your last bed-wetting was much later than mine", or "You wanted to ride a horse, so you jumped on a carriage horse and the horse was startled and went wild. All the men in the neighborhood came out to catch it."

Before he knew it, Mars' dark past had been exposed.

Perhaps because of the disclosure of his past disgrace, Mars finally lost his patience and put his hands on the ground, and hung his head down. Even though he deserved it, even Nozomu felt sorry for him.

The girl who had harassed Mars so much came to Nozomu and bowed to him as soon as she saw that Mars had been destroyed.

"I am terribly sorry. My foolish brother has caused you trouble."

"Ah, no, it's fine ...... Will your brother be all right?"

"Yes. My brother won't be sorry if I don't do this. And because of him, I've been through a lot of trouble. I think this is the least he deserves."

"I-, I see ......"

Nozomu was so overwhelmed by the girl's boldness that he could not say anything more.

Nozomu was also angry at Mars for suddenly attacking him, but he was completely overwhelmed by the anger of the girl who had just destroyed her own brother, no matter how bad of a delinquent he may have been.

"Ah, I'm late to introduce myself. My name is Ena Dickens and I'm the younger sister of the dead guy over there."

"Hello. I am Nozomu Bountis, Mars' classmate."

As if reminded, they introduced themselves to each other, but Nozomu's tone was a little stiff, perhaps because of the presence of his classmate lying on the ground at his feet.

However, unlike Mars, Nozomu was greeted courteously and politely, showing that she indeed was a very well-mannered young girl.

"I am very sorry for the trouble my brother has caused you today. I would like to apologize for that, so if you don't mind, would you please come to our store? We run an inn with a bar, so we can at least treat you to dinner."

Nozomu declined the offer of apology, saying he didn't mind, however, Ena was very insistent, saying, "Now that we have caused you trouble, we have to make a proper apology."

Having been asked this much, it would be bad for him to refuse the offer so forcefully.

"All right, I'm in for a treat. So, what about Mars?"

Nozomu glanced next to Ena and saw Mars lying on the floor, convulsing.

The way he had been so arrogant at school seemed to be a lie.

"Ah, right. Onīchan, get up now, you're in my way for goodness sake!"

Ena mercilessly kicked Mars.

Mars reflexively hopped up and said, "What the hell are you doing?", but then was disheartened by the glare of his sister.

Ena then led the way to the Dickens family's store.

The place that Ena guided them to was a corner of the commercial district.

This is where merchants from various countries would gather and stay while completing their business negotiations. Therefore, there are inns of various sizes for the merchants to spend the night in, ranging from high-class inns for major merchants to cheap inns for menial laborers such as cargo transporters.

The inn to which Nozomu was brought had a sign hanging above the door that read [Ox-head Pavilion]. The first floor of the inn is a restaurant, and the second floor is where the rooms for the overnight stay are located.

"This is the inn that my family runs, the Ox-head Pavilion."

Ena said so and went in to the entrance of the restaurant.

Nozomu followed her and was greeted by a well-dressed middle-aged woman wearing an apron.

"Oya~, welcome back, Ena-chan. Did you find Maru-boy?"

"I'm back, Hanna-san. He was causing trouble for other people again, so I gave him a good scolding. Oh, and this is the person who was troubled by him."

Nozomu bowed his head as he was being introduced by Ena.

Apparently, this middle-aged woman named Hanna was the landlady of the inn.

"Oh, is that so? I'm sorry, my foolish boy has caused you trouble, and I'd like to treat you to dinner to make up for it, so wait a minute."

"No, she already apologized for the trouble, and I don't really mind ......"

"Thank goodness, but it's true that we did cause you trouble, so please just give me a minute. Hey, Maru-boy, what are you doing causing trouble for people again!? Come here for a minute!"

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Let go of me!"

After guiding Nozomu to an empty seat, Hanna wrenched up Mars' ear and took him to the kitchen. After the two disappeared completely, a thumping sound, as if a pot had been banged on someone's head, rang out throughout the inn.

As Nozomu was breaking out in a cold sweat, imagining what had taken place, Hanna, who had disappeared into the back of the kitchen earlier, returned with a tray.

On a plate on the tray was toasted bread with a buttery aroma, grilled meat, and a side dish of salad.

"Here yo go~. Ox-head Pavilion's signature dish, a Hole Rabbit steak, and an assortment of salads. This is our apology for the trouble that foolish boy caused you, so it's on the house."

Saying so, Hanna placed the dish in front of Nozomu.

The aroma of the grilled meat and overflowing juices on the stone plate stimulated Nozomu's sense of appetite.

It was already dinner time.

Nozomu himself was feeling quite hungry after all the physical exercise he had done during training and other activities.

However, the food served to him was luxurious, something that he, as a poor student, could not normally afford to eat.

When Nozomu was hesitating about whether he could eat it or not, Hanna urged him, "it's fine, just eat it".

Nozomu was hungry, so he eagerly reached for the food.

As the name implies, Hole Rabbits live in the forests and grasslands around the area, digging holes in the ground for their survival.

They are highly valued as a food source and are caught in traps and sold.

For the time being, Nozomu cut the meat in front of him with a knife and fork into appropriate pieces and brought them to his mouth.

The rabbit steak was very tender, as if it had been well tenderized and grilled, and had a nice aroma as if it had been grilled with alcohol and some other spices.

The juices from the meat were so rich that it was enough to keep one's appetite going.

The accompanying salad and bread also went well with the meat and could be eaten as much as one wanted by mixing them with the meat juices.

After finishing one dish after another, he realized that there was not a single piece of meat, not even a drop of gravy, left on the plate.

"Thank you for the food. It was really delicious!"

Nozomu, who had finished the meal in no time at all, thanked them, and Hanna and Ena both smiled joyfully.

"Don't mention it. We were the ones who put you through all that trouble. Besides, it was worth it to see you enjoy the food so much."

"That's right. To begin with, it was that foolish brother of mine who was the cause of the problem.  What was he thinking to suddenly appear and attack someone like that? ......"

"Right now, my husband is giving that fool strict discipline so that he won't do such a foolish thing again, so could you please forgive him?"

"Well, I myself don't mind it anymore, so it's fine ......"

He was angry at being attacked out of the blue, but after seeing Ena's aggressive mental attack of "loudly revealing his past shame", even Nozomu was reluctant to pursue Mars any further.

He was also unaware that Nozomu was a Dragonslayer, and he was satisfied as long as the matter was settled.

"I see, that's great. Ena-chan, sorry, but it's almost time for more customers to arrive, so I need you to help my husband."

"Eh ......, ah, yes, I understand."

Perhaps she still has something to say, Hanna asked Ena to clean up the empty plates and sent her back to the kitchen.

"...... Your name was Nozomu, am I right? There's something I'd like to talk to you about ...... can I?"

With a slight hesitation, Hanna glanced around and made a gesture as if she was mindful of her surroundings.

"Yes. What is it?"

"It's about them, Maru-boy and Ena-chan. What do you think of them?"

Nozomu tilted his head, not understanding the meaning of the question.

On the other hand, Hanna looked at Nozomu with a somewhat serious expression on her face. The well-dressed landlady's gaze made Nozomu think once more with his hand on his chin.

"...... Let's see. I can't say anything about Ena-chan since I just met her earlier, but I thought she was a very well-behaved girl. I think Mars probably had a big part to do with that."

As for Ena, Nozomu didn't know much about her, partly because he had just met her. However, it was easy to imagine that she had grown up to be such a well-mannered child under the impact of the bad-behaved Mars.

"As for Mars, ...... I honestly don't know anything about him. He didn't think well of me, and he didn't even try to hide it. However, I had a feeling that his attitude toward me had been somewhat changing recently ......"

Although Nozomu himself had noticed a change in Mars' attitude after the combat training at the end of the second school year, he did not know the reason for it.

However, when Nozomu told Hanna about the combat training, Hanna muttered to herself, as if she had understood something.

"I see ...... I knew it."

"What do you mean?"

"I knew he had been acting a little strange lately, but after hearing the story from you, now I know the reason why."

"The reason, you say?"

"Well, yeah. But I am relieved. To think that there would be someone who still could become a friend to that boy."

"...... Eh, what does that mean?"

Hanna-san sounded happy, but Nozomu had doubts in his mind about her words.

Although he had become calmer recently, he did not think they could be friends, at least not considering the way Mars had been treating Nozomu.

"You know, that boy didn't say no to you coming here, right? I don't think he's ever going to talk about it, but he wants to be friends with you. He's been behaving pretty badly in all these years, and the boy himself has no experience apologizing to anyone, so I guess he doesn't know how to apologize ......."

From what Nozomu heard from Hanna, Mars had never even once brought his cronies or any of the other riffraff he had been associating with to the inn. This surprised Nozomu.

Nozomu's mind recalled Mars' behavior at the outer edge of the town.

When Nozomu blamed him for attacking him, he seemed to be awkward and hesitant to say something. Perhaps he wanted to apologize to Nozomu for all the bad things he had done.

(Does he at least know that what he was doing was wrong? Maybe he's not as bad as I thought?)

At least for Nozomu, who had been severely bullied by Mars and his cronies, his actions to keep his family from being involved in his doings seemed new.

Also, having seen a side of him that he had not known at the school, Nozomu could no longer simply say that Mars was a delinquent who could not feel people's pain.

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