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

[LN] Volume 1: Chapter 5.4

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

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Volume 1 Chapter 5.4

With a Legacy in one's Heart Part 4

Translator : PolterGlast

The emotions that welled up in Irisdina's chest at the unexpected reunion were both joy at finally seeing each other and frustration that she had been made so impatient.

However, she had been too busy between the end-of-year examinations of the second grade and her promotion to the next grade to have a chance to meet with Nozomu.

A heavy atmosphere filled the infirmary.

Irisdina smiled at Nozomu, but her eyes did not look like she was smiling at all.

Not only Nozomu, but even Anri, who usually displayed a cheerful attitude, was silent in the face of the silent pressure.

"O-, oi, Nozomu, you know each other? And you, what the hell did you do?"

"Nozomu-kun~, what on earth had you done? I won't get mad, so please tell me~."

Mars tapped Nozomu on the shoulder and looked at him suspiciously. Anri also questioned Nozomu in a hushed tone of voice.

What came back to Nozomu's mind was that she had asked him about the rift between him and Lisa and the circumstances in which he did not want to be mentioned, and he had unintentionally raised his voice and walked away from her.

When he thought back on it, he realized that she had not said or done anything specific to condemn him, but that he had simply gotten mad and walked away on his own accord.

No matter how mad he was, it was not the kind of attitude one should have toward a stranger.

"I think I have behaved in a way that might have offended her a little ......."

Nevertheless, this hardly seemed like a good reason for Irisdina to be so angry.

It was true that Nozomu's attitude was not commendable, but Nozomu and Irisdina were not friends in the first place.

Nozomu and Irisdina barely know each other. They have no relationship of mutual trust, and Nozomu believed that they were not in a position to have an emotional relationship with each other.

On the other hand, Irisdina's cheeks twitched every time Nozomu and the others whispered to each other.

"Umm, Ai, we have an injured person right now......"

At that moment, from behind Irisdina, her best friend, Tima Lime, called out to her. She was lending a shoulder to a female student who appeared to be injured.

"Ah, sorry. Right. Norn-sensei, we have an injured person. Could you please treat her?"

"All right. First, have the injured student sit down in that chair."

Hearing her best friend's voice, Irisdina's anger instantly subsided.

Prompted by Norn, Tima helped the injured student sit down in a chair.

The female student was bleeding considerably from her hand and arm, and Norn quickly began examining the injured student.

Nozomu also offered to help, taking medicines and bandages from the shelves and arranging them on the examination table.

He, too, has been a frequent visitor to the infirmary.

He has a general idea of what kind of medicine is needed for what kind of injury and where it is kept.

"What happened ～～?"

In behalf of Norn, who was treating the injured student, Anri-sensei was asking Irisdina and Tima about the circumstances.

Apparently, while they were practicing magic during lunch break, the magic they were about to use went out of control.

"Hmm, the bleeding is certainly bad, but fortunately there's nothing wrong with the bone. The muscles also seem to be fine. For now, I'll use a healing magic and some medicine. If the discomfort persists after a few days, please do come back."

After saying so, Norn quickly patched up the wound with a potion and healing magic.

As Nozomu watched Norn's work, his eyes met Tima Lime's.

As soon as her eyes meet Nozomu's, she instantly looked away and hid behind Irisdina.

Nozomu, who had heard from Irisdina that Tima was not good with men, smiled wryly upon witnessing her behavior.

On the other hand, it was Mars who frowned at the sight.

He was sending a glare to Tima and Irisdina as he crossed his arms.

"Hiih~......"

Tima let out a small shriek due to Mars' intimidation, but Mars did not seem to like her frightened appearance, and his gaze became even sharper.

Tima became even more frightened by Mars's obviously displeased expression, and a negative cycle ensued in which Mars's expression became even more severe.

"Mars, chill out, man. What's wrong?"

"Nothing ......."

Nozomu jabbed Mars with his elbow to warn him, but the color of Mars' gaze remained the same. He was clearly feeling displeased toward Tima.

Displeasure toward Tima. The reason for Mars' displeasure toward Tima was her frightened attitude itself.

She is a rank A student, which is higher than Mars' rank.

She is a rare individual in this school and is definitely one of the best in the third grade, which is a sign of a talented student.

Mars also has a great sense of pride in his strength.

Therefore, despite being ranked A, which is the highest rank in this school, he can't tolerate the sight of Tima being scared and shrinking away even though she is one of the best students in the school.

However, Tima was unaware of Mars' beliefs. To her, Mars, who was much bigger than her and known as a delinquent, seemed even more terrifying than that of a demonic beast.

Irisdina, on the other hand, although she wasn't as angry at Nozomu as she had been earlier, seemed to be looking at him as if she wanted to say something.

(Tima-san is still afraid of me, but what about Irisdina-san? What could she possibly be up to?)

Nozomu inwardly tilted his head at Irisdina's unreadable intention.

While there was a sensitive atmosphere on both sides, the injured female student was finished being treated.

"This should be fine. You need to rest for the time being."

"T-, thank you very much. Umm, thank you for the seniors as well ......."

The female student thanked Norn for treating her and Irisdina and the others for carrying her here, and bowed deeply.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. As Sensei said, it would be better for you to rest and refrain from practicing magic for the time being."

"Y-, yes!"

The girl who raised her voice was looking upwards at Irisdina with a sparkling gaze.

Looking closely, the underclassmen, who seemed to be the friends of the female student, were also giving Irisdina admiring gazes from outside the infirmary.

Meanwhile, Irisdina once again bowed her head to Norn, who had treated the female student.

Although they were not acquaintances, Irisdina was still thanking the person who had treated the injured, even though she also helped by bringing her to the infirmary.

Watching her like this, Nozomu was reminded once again that she is indeed someone of outstanding character, and that she is admired by many students.

The injured girl then returned to the classroom with her friends who were waiting outside the infirmary.

"Nozomu-kun, thank you for helping out as well."

Once the underclassmen were gone, Irisdina approached Nozomu as if she had been waiting for that moment. The anger from earlier seemed to have all but disappeared.

"Well, I just happened to be there too ......."

Being thanked so suddenly, he scratched his cheeks in embarrassment.

As if drawn by Nozomu's behavior, Irisdina also smiled a little.

The air that had been heavy between the two of them just a few minutes ago became a little lighter.

"...... I don't know if it's alright for me to ask this, but can I talk to you for a minute?"

Perhaps encouraged by the lighter atmosphere, Irisdina looked a little hesitant, then asked to have a private chat with Nozomu.

"Umm, is it okay if we talk right here?"

"No, if possible, I'd prefer to talk in a place where no one else is around ......"

"Then you can use the storage room. The storage room is a closed room for storing chemicals."

Norn pointed to the chemical storage room adjacent to the infirmary.

Nozomu opened the door to the storage room, wondering what she wanted to talk about.

When Nozomu entered the room, not only Irisdina but also Tima entered the room with him. Apparently, she too wanted to talk to Nozomu about something.

The room, which could only be accessed from the infirmary, has shelves tightly placed on all four walls and inside the room, where various medicines such as disinfectants, potions, and antidotes are stored. There are no windows or other openings in the room to prevent deterioration due to sunlight, and the room is lit only by a magic lamp.

This magic lamp is one of the magical tools developed in Arcazam. This device, which provides lasting light, is more stable in light intensity than the lanterns and candles used until then, and is less susceptible to deterioration, among other innovations. Magic lanterns themselves have been made and used in various countries, but the cost per unit is relatively high and they are not suitable for mass production. For this reason, even in Arcazam, they are only used in very few facilities.

In the pale light of the magic lamp, Nozomu, Irisdina, and Tima were facing each other. Irisdina was the first to open her mouth.

"Umm, I want to apologize to you."

"...... eh?"

"It is about what happened when we had lunch together. For asking you such rude questions without taking your situation into consideration ...... I'm sorry."

Nozomu was perplexed when Irisdina bowed her head deeply.

For his part, no matter how unwilling he was to be asked about a situation he did not want to be reminded of, he was aware that it would be rude to walk away abruptly.

In the first place, she was about to conclude her words by adding that she didn't care about the rumors. Rather, it was Nozomu who walked away, having misunderstood the situation, who should be the one to apologize.

"W-, well, umm...... If anything I should be the one who apologizes. I am sorry for being rude. Although you were just trying to talk to me nicely, I made a one-sided assumption and walked away......"

For a few seconds, Nozomu was petrified, but when he saw Irisdina who kept bowing, he quickly came to his senses and hurriedly made an apology.

"Glad to hear you say that."

"Once again, I'm really sorry."

In response to Nozomu's apology, Irisdina lightly waved her hand as if to say, "It's fine".

Irisdina, too, was aware that she had stepped on someone's sensitive side.

Since further discussion could lead to a watering down of the issue, both parties accepted each other's apologies.

After the conversation with Irisdina, Nozomu's gaze shifted to Tima.

"So, what about you, Tima-san?......"

"I-, I wanted to apologize too ....... Even though you saved me in the forest, I behaved in a way that could have offended you ......"

Tima also wanted to apologize to Nozomu.

Perhaps feeling guilty, Tima's shoulders slumped and she became depressed to the point that it was obvious for others to see. Irisdina put her hand on Tima's shoulder as if to support her best friend.

"Forgive her, Nozomu-kun. Tima is a little uncomfortable with men. At the time, she was a little defensive because of the rumors she had heard about you."

"Yeah. I don't mind. I received your proper apology just now, and it's understandable if you've heard the rumors about me ......"

Indeed, if one had heard the rumors about Nozomu, it would be understandable. No one would have a good impression of him if they heard rumors that he had cheated on his girlfriend and then she dumped him, even though he was dating a famous female student in his grade at the time. At the same time, Nozomu remembered Lisa's attitude, which had not improved, and felt a pain deep in his chest.

(As I thought, it's still painful ......)

Nozomu's surroundings were beginning to change, albeit gradually.

Although he was saddened by the death of his master, he made new friends.

Unlike before, he now has a homeroom teacher at the school who properly looks out for him. Little by little, more and more people began to see him as he is now, not as the image of Nozomu spread by rumor. However, the memories of his former lover and the countless verbal abuse he received from them still haunt him, along with the pain he still feels.

(I'm still running away, after all. Every time I remember all the things I've turned away from, this is what I feel ......)

Actually, Nozomu has not completely gotten over his broken heart and the wounds of having been scorned up until now. It's just that as he met Somia, Irisdina, and the others, reconciled with Mars, and formed new relationships, he naturally had fewer opportunities to remember the pain.

"...... What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. Shall we go back?"

Irisdina made a pondering gesture as she watched Nozomu's back as he walked back to the infirmary, but she did not ask him any more questions due to the previous matter.

When they returned to the infirmary, Mars, Anri, and Norn were waiting for Nozomu and the others.

"You're back, huh?"

"Nozomu-kun, could you introduce them to us?"

"Alright, this is my classmate, Mars Dickens. The brown-haired one is my homeroom teacher, Anri-sensei."

"Nice to meet you~."

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you too."

"Hmm ......"

Anri responded to Nozomu's introduction with a big smile and a friendly tone of voice. She already knew Irisdina and Tima, but had never met them before due to the different classes they were assigned to.

Mars, on the other hand, was looking at Irisdina and Tima like a stray dog with a pouty smile on his face.

He was not at all interested in them. It was just the everyday Mars.

"I see, he seems to be a fellow with a rather strong temperament."

"U-, ummm."

Even under the intimidating gaze of Mars, Irisdina was able to nonchalantly pass it off with a cool face and respond with an elegant reply.

Nozomu would like to mention that she is indeed a black-haired princess, but unfortunately, there is someone present who is not very fond of such rough men. Of course, it goes without saying that it was Tima. Not only is she not good with men to begin with, but Mars is rather large in stature and has broad shoulders.

The way Mars shoved his hands in his pockets, spreading a sour expression in all directions, was completely typical of a delinquent.

Sure enough, Tima hid behind Irisdina's back again to avoid Mars' gaze.

"Hiiih......"

"Mars......"

"Tch."

A negative interaction between Mars and Tima was about to restart, and Nozomu reproached Mars.

Mars took his gaze away from Tima, and with an aura of displeasure emanating from his entire body, he moved away from them and sat down near the window.

A heavy atmosphere once again flowed between Nozomu and Irisdina and the others.

"Ah, right. Nozomu-kun, actually there is a birthday party for Somia coming up soon."

Irisdina tried to change the atmosphere in the room by bringing up another topic of conversation. The content was about Somia's birthday party. Nozomu was surprised at the abruptness of the topic but remembered something he had heard from Somia herself before.

"...... Ah, come to think of it, Somia-chan said something like that too."

"Some of Somia's classmates will be among the participants, and we'd love to have you there too."

"Umm, if it's a birthday party for the daughter of the Francilt family, there will be a lot of distinguished figures coming from various places, right? Are you sure it is okay for me to go to such a place?"

The Francilt family is a distinguished family that is well-known throughout the Arcmel Continent. If there would be a birthday party for the daughter of such a family, the leading figures from various countries would probably come.

Nozomu thought it would be a bad idea for him, a commoner, to attend such a party.

Moreover, Nozomu has a bad reputation at the Solminati Academy.

However, Irisdina, on the contrary, laughed off Nozomu's groundless fears as if she did not mind.

"Fufufu, I don't mind. In the first place, I was planning to invite only my family and close friends to the birthday party this time. Moreover, Nozomu-kun, you are a friend of Somia's, aren't you? There's nothing to worry about."

There was no lie or deception in her expression as she put her hand over her mouth and smiled. From the bottom of her heart, she was asking Nozomu to come and join the party.

"So, will you join us?"

"...... I understand. I will participate."

"Great! Thank goodness. I'm sure Somia will be happy to hear that."

Hearing of Nozomu's decision to join, Irisdina's smile deepened.

And her gaze suddenly turned to Mars, who was standing next to Nozomu.

"Then, what about you, Mars?"

"...... Ha~a?"

"E-, ehh!""

Irisdina's sudden words made Mars let out a dumbfounded voice, and Tima looked surprised.

He had no idea what she was getting at. Such a gaze from Mars was directed at Irisdina.

Mars just a few moments ago directed a gaze that tinged with hostility toward her friend. Normally, she would not have invited such a person to her sister's birthday party.

"What are you saying? Are you serious? I've never been friends with your sister, not to mention you guys. Besides, I've never met your sister even once."

"Well, yeah, you're right. You've never met her, but you seem to be a friend of Nozomu-kun. So, I don't think it's strange for me to invite you to the party."

Irisdina's expression did not show any dislike toward Mars.

She just had a meaningful smile on her face.

Perhaps finding her composure annoying, Mars scowled.

"I see. I'm sorry to disappoint you we are not friends. Besides, I'm not suited for such a classy, aristocratic party."

"Well, I suppose you're right. I've heard a fair amount of rumors about you, Mars Dickens-kun. Although I've only spoken to you briefly, you certainly seem to have the personality to cause trouble wherever you go. But ......"

Irisdina's gaze glanced at Nozomu.

"Why are you with him on your lunch break? If we were to think about it, normally, this would be a very unlikely combination."

Considering Mars' personality, there was no way he would be hanging out with Nozomu, the lowest-ranked student in his grade. But in reality, they spend the most precious time of the day, lunchtime, together like this.

One of the most obvious things about a person is his or her hidden temperament, which cannot be seen at first glance. And one of the most obvious expressions can be found in friendships. People instinctively tend to make friends with people who are similar to themselves or who share the same goals. This means that Nozomu and Mars, two people with very different personalities and appearances, have something in common or can relate to each other.

Indeed, from Irisdina's point of view, Mars has a rough personality.

However, unlike Tima, who was trembling at her back, Irisdina, who as an aristocratic lady had dealt with a thousand different types of aristocrats in the social world, sensitively sensed the shadow of Mars's hidden temperament behind his rough mannerisms.

"You may be as brazen as you look, but I think you are at least a principled man, no?"

In response to Irisdina's words, Mars' gaze finally turned hostile.

Basically, Mars has the temperament of a lone wolf who does not like to be over-interfered with by others.

At the same time, the hostility shown by Mars indicated that Irisdina's point was correct, and Nozomu was surprised at her insight into his temperament in such a short period of time.

"And you're so easy to understand. Just like a lone stray dog......."

Furthermore, Irisdina, having seen through Mars's temperament, threw a provocative word at him.

"...... You sure talk a lot, aren't you?"

"If one doesn't talk, it's impossible to socialize. Besides, It's inevitable because of my birth. Of course, you can refuse this invitation if you want."

Irisdina lightly brushed off Mars' hostility with a smile.

"Moreover, she firmly left the choice in Mars' hands, as if she didn't think in the slightest that she could talk him out of it and force him to come."

"Tch......"

As expected, even Mars could not say anything in return and had no choice but to avert his eyes and shut his mouth.

To begin with, Mars has a very straightforward personality.

It was impossible for him to win a verbal and mental confrontation with Irisdina, who had by far the widest circle of friends and had experienced many social interactions as an aristocrat.

"Ah, and also. If you come, I'll do my best to welcome you. You can look forward to the food as well."

After saying these words, Irisdina left the infirmary together with Tima.

"Mars, are you going?"

"There's no way I'm going!"

Mars answered Nozomu's question without hesitation, dismissing it with lightning speed.

Nozomu shrugged his shoulders in response to Mars' obvious answer as if to say, "I knew you'd say that."

"But then again, you've been glaring at Tima-san for quite some time."

Mars' attitude toward Tima was clearly excessive.

He was always prone to emotional outbursts, but his attitude toward her was similar to that toward Nozomu in the past.

"That girl sure makes me irritated. She's such a wimp even though she has a powerful talent ......"

"Being strong doesn't mean one will not be afraid of anything. Sometimes people would feel afraid because they had obtained a power that was too strong to control. She has such powerful magic powers. She might have been through a lot in the past because of that."

Norn spoke in response to Mars's words, which he blurted out as if to vent. Mars was silenced by her words.

(Too powerful of a power, huh? ......)

Nozomu also felt a deep sense of empathy and anxiety toward her words.

Without realizing it, the hand clenched on his chest tightened its grip.

The invisible chains that clung to his body made a creaking, grating sound inside Nozomu's tightly clenched hand.

◆

After school, Nozomu and Mars made their way to the Ox-head Pavilion.

Lately, Nozomu has been having dinner there more frequently.

Usually, he cooked for himself to make ends meet, but now that he has become friends with Mars, Ena and Hannah were willing to give him a discount.

Of course, Nozomu felt bad about simply accepting the discount, so he sometimes helped out with the dishes, shopping, transporting goods in and out of the store, and as a result, they have begun to build a good relationship in which they support each other.

"Onīchan, what are you getting yourself into now!?"

Ena's angry voice echoed inside the sunset-illuminated Ox-head Pavilion.

It was because Ena had noticed Mars returning home with a grim face so she questioned him and found out about his interaction with Irisdina back at the infirmary and how he had glared at Tima.

"Why are you so quick to snap at people, Onīchan!?"

"Shut up! Why the hell are you making such a big deal out of this!? It's none of your business!"

"Of course it is! What were you going to do if Hanna-san and the others got in trouble again!?"

"Umm ......"

Mars and Ena were arguing and quarreling. Nozomu, who was sitting at the same table as Mars, was completely excluded from it, not knowing what to do, and could only scratch his cheeks.

"You don't have to worry about it. It's a daily routine for both of them."

"Hanna-san......"

Hanna appeared from the kitchen at the back of the store and placed a plate of food and a glass of milk in front of Nozomu.

"For them, a fight like this is just like a skinship. Tomorrow, things will be back to normal, so there's no point in worrying about it."

Hanna pushed her chin forward as if telling Nozomu to look in that direction. Ahead of her gaze were several customers who had frequented the restaurant, but all of them only smiled wryly as they watched the commotion in front of them.

"Why do you always do such unnecessary things, Onīchan? By any chance, are you falling in love with Tima-san? How childish of you to try to get her attention by being mean to her!"

"I never even thought of that! Don't fabricate my feelings on your own!"

Contrary to the relaxed atmosphere of their surroundings, their argument heated up even more. Their argument was so loud that the windows of the inn shook and ripples appeared in Nozomu's glass of milk. To put it bluntly, the ruckus was so loud that one could be convinced that two demonic beasts were fighting against each other.

(But the customers remain unfazed ...... How could it be?)

Even in such a situation, the surrounding customers' behavior did not change. Seeing that the military police did not rush to the scene even after all this commotion, it seemed that even the military police were aware of the quarrel between the siblings.

What was even more surprising was whether it was the local residents who were able to act normal in the midst of such a huge commotion, or whether it was the siblings who had managed to make such a scene seem normal.

*Crash*

As Nozomu was dismayed by the reactions of those around him, a loud noise suddenly rang out from the quarreling pair.

"W-, what!"

Nozomu looked in the direction from which the sound came and saw Ena lifting a chair from the counter and slamming it down on the floor.

"W-, what the hell are you doing!?"

"I've realized that no matter what I say to Onīchan, it's completely pointless! In this case, It's better for me to use force to get you to understand. Prepare yourself!"

Ena gripped the legs of the chair with both hands and postured herself with her eyes fixed on the floor. Her posture was strangely elegant.

"Teyaaaa!!"

Ena swung the chair down toward Mars' head. Mars quickly dodged the chair, but his face twitched as the chair ran past him at high speed, right in front of his face.

"A-, Are you trying to kill me!?

"If I were a little slower, you would have cracked my head open!"

Nozomu inwardly agreed with Mars' desperate plea.

The wooden chair was a good choice, but a blow to the head with the corner of the chair could have been serious if it had hit the wrong part of the head.

And if one were to look closely at Mars, who had just barely evaded the chair, one would see a hint of raised Qi coming from his body. It seemed that he even used body strengthening to avoid Ena's blow.

(...... Wait a minute. Does that mean, even with body strengthening, Mars was just barely able to evade it?)

Nozomu felt a strange sense of uneasiness, and upon closer observation of Ena's condition, he could feel a hint of raised Qi from her body. It seemed that she was using body strengthening without even being aware of it.

(Huh? I'm pretty sure I heard that Ena-chan didn't have any combat experience, like how to use physical strengthening, or anything similar ......)

According to Hanna and the others, Ena had never learned any combat techniques or anything similar. However, as a matter of reality, one could clearly sense a hint of Qi from her body.

Seeing how she was unconsciously strengthening her body, even though she had not received any particular combat training, she might have considerable talent, just like Mars.

Or rather, Nozomu would like to tell her not to hit her family with such enhanced physical abilities.

No matter how bad Mars' conduct might be on a daily basis, what she did was still too much.

(Albeit unintentionally, if Mars couldn't dodge it, he would have ended up dead for real ......)

"Wait a damn second! You keep telling me not to be violent on a regular basis, but you resort to violence yourself!"

(Well, that's a reasonable statement coming from Mars, who was almost killed ......)

Right now, Mars was completely hunched over.

Ena is currently fourteen years old, not tall by any means, and has the body of a very ordinary girl.

However, the Qi she was radiating now was completely dominating the place. If things went on like this, Mars might really be killed. Nozomu thought that would be bad, and raised his voice to calm Ena down.

"W-, wait, Ena-chan. Even though Mars is such an inexcusable delinquent, I think what you're doing is indeed a bad idea ......"

"Don't get in my way, Nozomu-san! This is the only way to rehabilitate Onīchan! Maybe the shock will turn him into a decent person!"

"No, no, no! Before that, Mars' head will be rendered unusable! Let's calm down for a second!"

While Nozomu was desperately trying to calm Ena down, he looked at Mars, who was vigorously shaking his head up and down as if agreeing with Nozomu's words.

As expected, Mars also realized that Ena's current state was not good.

"No, I won't back down! If I don't do something to Onīchan here, I will surely regret it!"

"No, no, no! Instead, you'll regret it if you really do something about him!"

Ena once again raised the chair and tried to pounce on Mars, but Nozomu tried to stop her by pinning her down from behind but was almost shaken off by the strength of Ena's strengthened body.

"Wha, she is so strong!"

Nozomu of course also used body strengthening, but Ena's body strengthening was completely without any adjustment, perhaps because she was doing it unconsciously.

Meanwhile, Mars had completely lost his will to fight back and was stuck in a corner of the room.

From the side, it was just like a scene of domestic violence.

AS if a child was being violently beaten by a violent father, and the mother was trying to stop it. Needless to say, the violent father is Ena and the child is Mars. The wife who is trying to stop it is Nozomu.

On the other hand, the customers, who were supposed to be present at the scene, have gotten used to it, and were laughing heartily with a mug of sake in their hands.

From their point of view, it seemed to be a comedic performance in which the actors were cast in the wrong roles. The performers themselves, however, were quite serious.

In the end, Mars was hit in the head by a blow from Ena's chair, but Nozomu tried his best to prevent it from happening.

And because Nozomu defended Mars desperately, the power of the blow was dampened. Mars managed to avoid being beaten to death.

Nevertheless, he was completely knocked out and Hanna dragged him straight to his room.

Ena, who had just purged Mars in the name of rehabilitation, was completely unperturbed by her actions and returned to serving customers.

(Alright, let's never make Ena-chan angry ......)

Witnessing such a scene in the Dickens household, Nozomu made a clear mental note of one rule that he must not forget.

However, the reason Ena had become so agitated was because of Mars, who had been causing her a great deal of stress on a regular basis, so in the end, it was also his own fault.

◆

Nozomu was lost in thought as he walked back to the student dormitory after leaving the Ox-head Pavilion.

"Somia-chan's birthday party, huh? What should I give as a present? ......"

Naturally, a birthday party meant giving presents.

The face of Somia, whom he had met in the central park, surfaced in Nozomu's mind. Remembering her smiling face and cheerful smile, he wondered what would be a good gift to give her.

"Come to think of it, she had a rather distinctive bracelet on."

The bracelet she said her sister had given her was a rather expensive item, but more than that, Somia seemed happy that it was a gift from her dear sister.

The value of a gift is not determined solely by the monetary value of the item. If he were to think of it that way, it was likely that Nozomu might be able to handle the present.

"I hope I can still make it in time."

With the evening twilight already descending, Nozomu turned on his heel and began to walk in the opposite direction from the dormitory.

The destination was Shino's hut in the Spasim forest.

After running through the forest in the darkness, he finally arrived at the hut and began rummaging through it.

"Oh, there it is!"

Among the items found on the shelves was a single bell.

It originally belonged to Shino and was one of her personal trinkets.

It was made of brass, small in shape, and made a quiet chiming sound when shaken.

"Umm, I wonder if I can make something similar with the tools in this hut. Excuse me, Master. Let me use some of your possessions."

He stripped the brass parts from the unused tools found in the hut and threw them into the fireplace to heat them up.

He made two metal balls to serve as the beads and four hemispherical parts, enclosed the beads within the hemispherical parts, crimped them together, and glued them. Then, he borrowed an indigo-dyed sash of Shino and braided it into a bracelet shape. Finally, the bell and bracelet were attached to each other with thread.

Nozomu shook the newly completed bell as a test. The bell, which made a rather irregular sound, was not as good as the one he had used as a sample bell.

"Hmm, I guess I couldn't succeed in making it the first time. Let's try it again."

After saying so, Nozomu once again threw the brass into the furnace.

In the end, he repeated the process of making bells until dawn that day but never succeeded in making the bells he wanted.

When the morning sun shone on the hut, Nozomu had no choice but to head back to the school.

He spent the rest of the day working on the bell and struggled with the brass parts until the day before Somia's birthday party.

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