Ryuu Kusari no Ori

Volume 2 Chapter 6.1

The Shadow of Causality Part 1

Translator : PolterGlast

Nozomu was lost in thought as he made his way back to the student dormitory from the Francilt mansion.

He was confronted with the feelings he had continued to turn away from. It wasn't an easy thing to do.

Even though he was aware that he was running away, a part of his mind was screaming that he didn't want to face it.

His half-hearted actions brought a sense of being suspended in mid-air, of not being able to find his footing, and drove him to anxiety and frustration.

He understood that he could not go on like this. But as soon as he realized this, the feeling that things might still be okay began to creep up on him.

It would be easier if he could just turn his back again and forget about it. But he couldn't do that.

That was the final lesson that his master showed him, the solid core that shaped him into the person he is today.

Desire and wish, hope and anguish. Two conflicting emotions kept colliding with each other.

[Someone with malicious intent was at work here.]

This time, the words of another benefactor came back to mind, and the calm part of his head spoke to him.

At that time when he was growing impatient to close the gap between himself and those around him that kept opening up. Certainly, for a period of time, he and Lisa didn't see each other very often.

No, he began to avoid seeing Lisa. He was ashamed of himself for always being the one to be taken care of.

And who was by her side at that time? ......

"Grrrrr......."

Suddenly, with a growling sound, the lakeside, shrouded in darkness, came into view.

It was a scene he had once seen in a dream. If he looked down at the surface of the water where he stood, he would see a five-colored, six-winged dragon at the bottom of the lake.

Bound by chains and with its mouth closed, the dragon looked up at Nozomu, who was standing on the surface of the lake, and gave him a meaningful look while growling. It was as if the dragon was whispering something to him, disapproving of his hesitation.

Feeling uncomfortable with this gaze, Nozomu shook his head and said to himself.

This is a dream, and it can't do anything while it is here.

Nevertheless, the impatience, anxiety, and the temptation of sweet escapism persist, and they continue to tempt him. He wanted to let his heart be trapped once again by these chains.

"In the first place, what's the point of me staying in the school? ...... I haven't had that red dream again yet, so even if things stay as they are- ......."

But wouldn't it be fine if he were to continue to live his life without releasing the power of Tiamat?

The unintentional words that came out of his mouth and into his brain shook the balance of his mind even more.

Before he knew it, he had walked to the central park, and when he looked up, he saw the street leading to the south gate of Arcazam.

I would love to walk through this street and leave the city as it is.

He shook his head and shook off the impulse that had unexpectedly popped into his mind. He understood that such a thought itself was born from his own desire to escape.

(If it's to move forward, sure. But I can no longer use it as an excuse anymore......)

The desire to escape from a reality that did not turn out the way they wanted. And the ignorance of escapism.

Although he had already aware of the latter, he has not yet been able to escape from the cage of escapism.

And at the same time, because he became aware of his own escape and stagnation, his new friends, including Irisdina and Somia, who were moving toward the future, seemed to be so dazzling.

Although the parting with his Master had lit a solid fire deep within him, the flame was still small.

[You can be confident. You are more amazing than you think you are.]

But Irisdina's words add more heat to the fire burning deep in his chest.

His face naturally turned upward, and his gaze turned away from the street leading to the south gate.

(Come to think of it, she was trying to move forward too......)

His eyes, turning away from the main street, naturally turned to the central park.

In his mind, the figure of the elf girl who trained there came back to his mind.

Shina Juliel. A girl who lost the power she once possessed and was scorned just like him, but still striving to get back on her feet.

(What's the difference between me and her? ......)

Shina was trapped in a similar chain, but she kept moving forward, while Nozomu was stagnant. He deeply pondered over the difference between the two.

At that time, he noticed a faint light leaking from the shadows of the trees lining up in the central park.

"That, can't be......"

The light peeking through the trees reminded him of the scene he had seen yesterday.

And then, as if lured by the flickering light like a moth, he found himself walking into the trees-filled area of the central park.

◆

That evening, Shina was once again visiting the trees-filled area in Central Park.

Her purpose was to engage in communication with the spirits again.

Although she had already done so thousands and tens of thousands of times, she had not been able to hear the spirit's voice since the Great Invasion.

It might be impossible. As if to shake off the intrusive negative thoughts, Shina took a deep breath once to calm her mind and began to draw out her magic power and disperse it into the air.

What she was trying to do was to make a contract with the spirits. As the name describes, it is a technique of borrowing power from a spirit in exchange for one's own power.

(Everyone, answer me ......)

A blue magic power, similar to the color of her hair, dispersed in the branches and leaves of the trees.

A spirit is an existence born from the source element, which is considered the most fundamental power in this world. Therefore, they are able to feed on the power of Qi and magic, which is the power derived from the source element.

And the elves' magic power, which has a high affinity with spirits, is one of the most delicious things for spirits.

At the same time as Shina began to disperse her magic power, particles of light, different from her own magic power, began to fly around her.

(Dad, Mom, Sis, Raz ......)

Her mind was filled with her long-lost family members. Shina, in particular, was especially close to her sister and Razward.

Shina's sister is a "High Elf" who makes a contract with the Great Tree of the Nebula Forest, and such a sister was her goal and dream.

And then, there was Raz.

His real name is Razward. He was a small spirit in the form of a lapis lazuli-colored bird with whom Shina once made a contract, and this small spirit was a being that Shina could call as "the other half of her body," who was always with her.

Even among elves, there are only a few who can make a contract with a small spirit.

Just the fact that she was able to do so at an early age showed the talent she once possessed. Like her older sister, Shina also had an affinity with spirits that was outstanding among the elves.

However, despite her talent, the current her could not hear the voices of the spirits at all.

"~...... Why. Why won't you guys answer me? ......"

The lost connection with the spirits. The half of her body that has disappeared since the Great Invasion.

Her magic power was being transmitted. But she heard nothing.

Another failure.

An inextinguishable sense of loss, frustration and anger at the frustrating reality, welled up from deep within her chest.

The Nebula Forest, her homeland, is surrounded by fog at all times, a terrain that makes it difficult to conquer, and with the increasing strength and number of demonic beasts and the exhaustion of the nations, there is no hope of its liberation.

Furthermore, something might have happened to the great tree in the center of the forest, and the forest's vegetation itself has been transformed into something that is roughly harmful to people.

So far, an army has been dispatched to the Nebula Forest three times to recapture it, but most of them have been annihilated.

(I have to reclaim that forest at all costs ......!)

Reclaim the Nebula Forest, her homeland. That is her goal and mission.

However, contrary to her wishes, the micro-spirits who had gathered there trembled and began to leave Shina's side as if they were fleeing.

"Wait, please!"

She raised her voice, but her wishes were not heard and the spirits disappeared into the darkness of the night.

It was another failure.

Discouragement caused a choking feeling as if she had swallowed lead, and unanswered questions, grief, and resentment mixed together to become a fever that burned her whole body.

"Ah......."

At that moment, the voice of someone who was not herself reached Shina's ears.

"~, Who!?"

She quickly raised her voice and turned around. There was Nozomu Bountis, who had made a sudden visit to Torgrein's laboratory the other day.

(Why is this person here ......)

Shina's expression naturally stiffened as she realized that she was being seen by someone she did not want to be seen by.

"...... it's you again."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt......"

"I doubt that. To be honest, I don't trust you."

Nozomu's expression turned stiff at her tone of voice, which remained as harsh as ever.

Swallowing the discomfort rising in the back of his throat, Nozomu slowly opened his mouth.

"~, Can I ask you why you are being so spiteful to me?"

"I don't like people who betray others. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

When Nozomu heard the words "you know what I'm talking about", he thought she was talking about him being a Dragonslayer.

Dragons are spirits with physical bodies, and their power is prominent among spirits.

The existence of a Dragonslayer, who is born as a result of killing a dragon that is a spirit, would certainly be an abomination in the eyes of elves who coexist with spirits.

But even so, the way she rejected him seemed to be different. Shina's attitude toward Nozomu was that she did not want to be involved with him, rather than to ostracize him.

Perhaps she avoided him for a different reason than him being a Dragonslayer, Nozomu thought to himself, and he stifled the turmoil that swirled in the pit of his stomach, trying not to let it be noticed.

"I never knew you in the first place......"

"Lisa Hounds. Don't tell me you don't know."

The name Lisa came out of nowhere, and Nozomu's eyes widened involuntarily. He had not expected to hear the name of his childhood friend, whom he had once been attracted to.

Betrayal is one of the most destructive factors in relationships with others, and elves have racial and historical backgrounds beyond that.

That is, elves have the ability to contract with spirits.

They are raised with spirits from an early age.

In an environment where there is always someone with whom they can communicate by contracting with spirits through magical power. In such an environment, the elves consider the connection with spirits to be sacred, but at the same time, they have come to fear the loss of the contract and the existence of spirits themselves the most.

Therefore, the act of betrayal is their greatest taboo.

"Wait, you mean those rumors? I don't know what you're hearing, but that rumor was horseshit to begin with ......"

"Not only do you betray, but you lie as well. Truly, it's disgusting."

"Lie?"

But Shina's words and actions clearly did not indicate that she had only heard the stories through others.

"Yes, I saw it happen. I saw you betray her ......"

"What do you mean? ......"

He couldn't understand. In the first place, Nozomu did not commit such a betrayal.

At that time, he was spending his days training desperately and had no time for such unnecessary actions.

However, Shina, regardless of Nozomu's turmoil, began to talk about what she had seen.

"She was crying, clinging to you. She asked why are you doing this? And you rejected her once and for all."

"Wait a minute! I don't know what's going on! In the first place, -ugh!"

Nozomu was about to close the distance, but Shina instantly nocked an arrow to the bow on her back and fired it so that it grazed Nozomu's cheek. The pain stopped Nozomu in his tracks.

"Really, it's unsightly. This is why I don't trust people who lie. They're always trying to cover up lies with lies......"

Shina poured magic power into the engraved arrow and released it again.

The arrow flew in a straight line toward Nozomu and exploded in front of his eyes, sending out a powerful flash and shockwave.

"Gaah~!"

A groan escaped from Nozomu's mouth as he was blown away and slammed into a tree.

"Guh, uuu……!"

He bit his lip and shook his whole body as if to endure the pain.

The pain and agony running through his entire body, and above all, the disdainful look from Shina, opened the wound that had been carved in Nozomu's heart.

"Don't fuck with me! ......"

What followed was intense anger. A rage that was released in order to protect oneself from unreasonable reality.

Anger that had been stifled for so long by the means of escape, once ignited, spread like a forest fire in the dry season.

"Lies? You don't believe me? I should be the one saying don't fuck with me......!"

A low, angry voice that seemed to resonate deep in the pit of her stomach. Shina's face, hit by the anger, became tense all at once.

Driven by rage, Nozomu stood up and rushed out.

He grabbed her arms and chest, which were frozen in surprise.

"Which one of us didn't believe the other!? Which one of us betrayed the other!? What do you think about how I felt ...... if you decide on your own that I betrayed you!......"

With his thoughts dominated by anger, Nozomu shouted loudly in front of Shina's eyes. Shina was simply overwhelmed by the words of indignation that were spewed out without any falsehoods.

"Ouch!"

At that moment, Shina's arm felt an intense pain and she let out an involuntary cry.

In the blink of an eye, Nozomu's anger was tinged with regret and shame.

"I'm sorry, I just lost my temper. It's no use talking to you about it ......"

"Ah......."

After quickly releasing Shina, Nozomu turned his back on her and tried to walk away with unsteady steps.

Shina was released from her restraints, but she remained stunned,

"I didn't betray Lisa......"

Those words, squeezed out forcefully and without deceit, pierced deep into Shina's heart.

"What in the world is going on? ......"

Shina could only stand there, stunned at the sight of Nozomu, who had become so depressed that even the anger he had harbored just a moment before had dissipated.

◆

The day after his argument with Shina, Nozomu was alone in the Spasim Forest, taking advantage of the fact that it was a holiday.

Partly because the subjugation of the pack of demonic beasts was over and he was once again free to enter the Spasim Forest, but also because he had been through so much recently and now needed a little time to calm down.

The point that bothered him about the argument the other day. That was when Shina mentioned that she had seen Nozomu commit a betrayal.

Naturally, this was something that Nozomu had no recollection of, but at the same time, it was a very important testimony.

At the very least, she knew some important facts about the rumors that spread during Nozomu's first year.

At the same time, Nozomu regretted that he should have listened to her more closely. Even though he lacked composure, it was an obvious blunder to have raised his voice.

A sense of self-pity and disappointment welled up from the depths of his chest.

Trying to calm his rising self-loathing, Nozomu took one deep breath.

The smell of plants and trees filled his nose, gently calming his swirling mind.

Nozomu was suddenly aware that he was on the verge of becoming a hermit just like his Master.

"It's kind of strange......"

After regaining some of his composure, Nozomu sensed something unusual in his surroundings. There was no sign of animals.

There were many demonic beasts in this forest, but there were also many harmless animals in proportion to that.

There were many different species of rabbits, rats, birds, etc. In the forest, he could sense their presence, albeit to a lesser or greater extent, and their meat was useful as a valuable source of protein when he was left in the forest by his master as a training exercise.

"............"

Nozomu's accumulated experience began to ring alarm bells at the abnormality of the forest. His consciousness naturally began to be vigilant of his surroundings, and his heart rate increased slightly to ensure that his body was ready to fight at any moment.

His senses naturally became sharper. He eliminated even the ringing in his ears and heartbeat that echoed in the silence and became more aware of his surroundings.

Then, mixed with the sound of branches rustling in the wind, he could hear the voices of several people.

However, he could not understand what they were talking about, as they were quite far away from him.

"I believe up ahead is where there were various medicinal herbs growing wild, right?"

Even if they did not qualify for evaluation by the guild, the medicinal herbs themselves were often utilized by Nozomu. Deciding to take advantage of the opportunity and save some for himself, he turned his feet toward the direction where the voice was coming from.

He then moved through the thick bushes, trying to get past the overgrown plants and trees.

"~!?"

The next moment, Nozomu's head jerked up reflexively as he felt a piercing bloodlust.

Immediately afterward, a flash of silver light flashed before his eyes. It was an arrow.

"Who is it? If you're not a demonic beast, come on out. I'll hit you next time."

"W-, wait a minute!"

Nozomu rushed out of the bushes to avoid being hit by the arrow.

There, in the middle of an open area, lay a cluster of medicinal herbs.

"You ......."

And a blue-haired girl and her friends, with whom he had an argument yesterday, were there.

◆

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