BXBX NOVEL [Ln] 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.
[It's okay to run away. But don't look away from the fact that you ran away.]
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.
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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