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

Volume 4 Chapter 5.4

Acceleration to Collapse Part 4

Translator : PolterGlast

"What is the meaning of this!?"

Irisdina's fury echoed throughout the Francilt mansion.

It was past noon. In the spacious reception room, not only Somia and Mena, but also Mars and Tima, as well as Shina, Mimuru, and Tom, all had a uniformly difficult expression on their faces.

They had abandoned their afternoon classes to gather here.

The reason was that they had learned that Nozomu had been detained by the guards. The charge was attempted murder.

At first, the school had kept this story a secret, but Nozomu was a promising star who had fought a narrow battle with Jihad Roundel. Therefore, information leaked out of nowhere, and within half a day the whole school knew about it as a sensational topic.

The reaction to this story was mixed. Some reacted, "As expected". Some did not make a clear judgment and withheld their opinions. Others denied it, saying they could not believe it. Irisdina and the others were, of course, the latter.

"I heard that Nozomu-kun is being detained at the Guard's headquarters in the administrative district. I went to see if I could meet him, but I was driven away saying that he was under investigation."

Hearing Shina's words, Irisdina crossed her arms and bit her lip.

Arcazam's judiciary and administration are completely independent from other countries, and no matter how powerful someone may be in his or her home country, he or she will not be given any special treatment. Especially when it comes to criminal investigations, it is common practice to detain suspects and cut off all contact with the outside world to prevent them from escaping or destroying evidence.

"Arcazam's investigative agencies are excellent compared to those in other countries. I don't think they would resort to using inefficient means such as torture......"

"But it is not certain. Torture is still not prohibited as a method of investigation."

Mena added to what Tom had just said.

Torture is considered to be an inefficient method of investigation in some countries. Because there are cases of people giving out false information to escape pain and suffering.

Without accurate information, a proper investigation cannot be conducted. However, as a customary practice, the use of torture remains within the regulations of investigative agencies in various countries, and it was the same here in Arcazam.

And the authority to do so remained in the sole discretion of the guards in charge of the investigation. This is one of the remaining issues in Arcazam despite the negotiations with the other countries.

"In any case, we need to find out what is actually going on."

Anxiety and impatience welled up in her. As if to shake them off, Irisdina opened her mouth.

However, everyone present understood that it would not be easy. After all, they had already rushed to both the school and the guard's headquarters, demanding an explanation of the situation.

The result was that they were turned away at the door. Both the school and the guard's responses were silent.

"Just in case, I have Raz investigating the Guard's headquarters. Hopefully, we'll find out something......"

[I'm back.]

"Raz......!"

While they were talking, Razward came into the reception room from outside the window. The lesser wind spirit, which entered the room through the glass without opening the window, perched on Shina's shoulder with a flap of its lapis lazuli-colored wings.

"Did you find out anything!? How's Nozomu doing!?"

[Sorry, I was able to get inside the headquarters building, but the basement where the prison is located is surrounded by barriers, so I couldn't get inside.]

"I see......"

Irisdina, while raising her voice, pressed closer to Razward, but his reply was not good.

The prison at the Guard's headquarters is built to temporarily detain major criminals. Naturally, it is also installed with a magic barrier.

It was also said to be tremendously durable because it was built in a ritual magic city, and considering that even Razward, a spirit, could not bypass it, it seemed that the rumors were true.

"Even if we went to the Guard's headquarters now, we would definitely just be turned away at the door. The academy also won't say anything publicly. In that case......."

There is no way that the Guards would release a suspect under investigation and at the same time allow a third party to make contact with him.

The same goes for the academy, which is merely an institution run as part of Arcazam, and avoids commenting on the fact that it is still under investigation.

Then what should we do? Irisdina, who had been silent and pondering for a while, turned her gaze to her maid.

"Mena......"

"How may I help you?"

"I would like to confirm something."

The maid, who had taken the role of a mother and had watched over Irisdina since she was a child, felt a shiver under Irisdina's intense gaze, but she then quietly smiled.

‡

In a certain room at the Solminati Academy. In his office, which was more glamorous than the other rooms, Jihad was groaning bitterly at the report that came from the Guard's headquarters.

On his desk was a notice stating that the student in question had been detained for attempted murder.

"We're in trouble......."

"Yes, he made his move right before we could roast him."

Inside Jihad's office, his and his assistant, Inda's, voices were heard. In the room, there were also Anri, who had introduced Nozomu to Jihad, and Feo, a member of Starlight. Anri was fidgeting in front of the bookshelf, while Feo was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed with a troubled look on his face.

"I think he got impatient upon seeing Nozomu's fight against you old man, and tried to destroy him as soon as possible."

"But even so, isn't this rather a very poor and hasty action? It is hard to believe that this is the action of someone who has been concealing the fact that he is [Spirit's Illegitimate Child] for all this time......"

Feo's speculation led Inda to voice her doubts.

Certainly, Ken Nortice's actions to date could be said to be very prudent.

Hiding his abilities and contracted spirits. Creating collaborators behind the scenes and using Starlights as pawns.

No matter how excellent he may be as an honor student at the Soluminati Academy, this is not the actions of an ordinary student, and since he was so capable, he would have acted more cautiously.

"Could it be that everything was done with the help of that spirit Mefi's wisdom? Even though she is young as a spirit, she has been alive for several decades."

"Even an outstanding person can completely lose his or her composure when faced with an unexpected situation. This is especially true when they are young and inexperienced, despite their abilities."

Feo shrugged his shoulders at Inda's words, and Jihad kept staring at the notice on his desk.

While the three of them were arguing over their theories, an impatient Anri raised her voice.

"More importantly, we should release Nozomu-kun as soon as possible~~! He did nothing wrong, after all~~!"

The most important thing for Anri is Nozomu's safety.

This arrest is far too well-timed. Besides, he is now separated from his friends and isolated. The possibility of Ken moving again was high, and they must get him out of jail as soon as possible.

However, the reality is not as good as it seems, and Anri is not even allowed to meet with her student.

"Inda-sensei, what about Camilla Vecknose?"

"She is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital room at the Gloaurum Institute. She is now being attended to by Norn-sensei, considering her situation."

Camilla, who had been stabbed in the stomach, was bleeding profusely, but fortunately, she was able to survive.

Largely because she was able to receive appropriate first aid at an early stage.

"Also, when I investigated her, I found out some interesting things. Here......."

Inda then pulled a sheaf of papers out of her pocket and handed them to Jihad.

He quickly skimmed through the report handed to him and grunted in understanding.

"I see. Now I know the situation on the Starlight side. All that remains is Nozomu-kun, who is being held at the Guard's headquarters. However, the response from the Guard's headquarters is not good."

Although the Academy and the Guard's headquarters are both located in Arcazam, they have different jurisdictions to begin with. The academy does not have the authority to conduct an investigation of an incident that took place outside the school. All they can do is raise a formal protest and verify the facts.

"What do we do now?"

"We have to move quickly now that this has happened. After Anri-sensei went to see Norn-sensei, we will go to the Guard's headquarters to-......."

At that moment, the door to the office opened with a sudden rattle, and a woman entered the room without permission.

A woman of mature age, dressed in a long-skirted maid's outfit with black as the base color.

She was Jihad's comrade-in-arms, Mena, the maid of the Francilt family whom he had met a little while ago.

"Hello, Jihad. It's been a few days."

"Mena, huh? Sorry, but I'm busy at the moment. We can talk about the old days later......."

"No, my business here is also about your current concern. Or more precisely, my Master is."

After saying so, Mena moved to the side of the office door and quietly bowed her head.

"Everyone, please."

As if prompted by Mena's words, Irisdina and the rest of Nozomu's friends entered the office. Jihad's eyes squinted at their appearance.

"What brings you guys here?"

"We would like you to tell us everything you know about Nozomu."

Jihad's gaze fell on Mena, who was standing behind Irisdina.

"Did she tell you?"

"No, I questioned her. Why did she visit the academy? The maid of mine here did a combat training with Nozomu and even visited the academy without any business some time ago. From there, it is not too difficult to connect it to her comrade-in-arms from 20 years ago, which is you, Jihad-sensei."

Irisdina's gaze then turned to Anri, who was watching the unfolding developments from the edge of the office.

"Furthermore, there is also Anri-sensei here, who fought against the Cracked-Crown Giant Centipede. She is also a teacher at the school. It is unreasonable to think that she has not reported anything regarding Nozomu."

"I see, I was indeed investigating Nozomu-kun's character and the source of his power. Since he was able to defeat one of the [Six Bad Omens], I have no choice but to do so. I know firsthand the horror of those beasts, having fought them myself many times before."

However, at first, it was just pure curiosity, he added, leaning back against the backrest of his seat and looking up at the ceiling.

"Jihad-sensei. You already know about Nozomu's true identity, don't you?"

Hearing Irisdina's words, which carried a whiff of conviction, Jihad remained silent.

Convinced that they already knew Nozomu's true identity, Irisdina glared at Anri, who was likely to be the one who conveyed the information to them. Irisdina's gaze was tinged with a strong reproach.

"Don't be so hard on her. She just needed a backing in a way that would keep his true identity hidden as much as possible. And that gamble paid off."

"Of course, I'm aware of that, too."

After Jihad defended Anri, Irisdina easily took her gaze away from her. From the very beginning, even she did not believe that Anri would act against Nozomu's will.

The intimidation that she had just directed at Anri was done simply to check Jihad's reaction.

"However, if you were to foolishly spread Nozomu's secret and cause him to fall into trouble, then......"

In that instant, a gaze far more intense than the one she had just directed at Anri was directed at Jihad.

If one looked closely, one could see that a thin black magic power was exuding from Irisdina's body.

Indah, who was standing by Jihad's side, reflexively lowered her hips indicating that she was ready to intercept.

"Hmm, good eyes. It is much more persuasive than 10,000 words. Rest assured, I am determined to help him. In fact, the only people in the school who know of his condition, other than those who have directly fought the Cracked-Crown Giant Centipede, are just me and Inda-sensei."

Even under Irisdina's gaze, the veteran hero's stance did not waver one bit.

On the other side, Irisdina also did not stop her questioning eyes.

Despite his outstanding swordsmanship and combat skills, Nozomu has no experience in such political maneuvering.

Combined with his good-natured personality, there was a good chance that he would be taken advantage of by those concealing their malicious intentions.

That was why Irisdina had to be sure. The reason why this hero came to Nozomu's backing.

"Jihad-sensei, did you become Nozomu's backer because you are an educator? Or was it to avenge your comrades killed by the demonic beasts?"

"As an educator. And as a swordsman who respects him for having reached such a level."

Jihad left the battlefield and came to this academy for the sake of the youths who will shoulder the future.

For Jihad, Nozomu was irreplaceable for the future of this continent.

He could have easily cornered Jihad if he had wanted to at the time when they crossed blades at the martial arts garden. That was if he had used the power of the dragon that resided in his body.

But he did not use that power. He decided to fight Jihad not with the power he had miraculously obtained, but only with the training he had accumulated by his own will.

There were almost no conversations exchanged between them. But that fact was more than enough for Jihad to believe in Nozomu. Because a person's true feelings do ensue from his actions, not from his words.

[Oi, jou-chan.]

"Irisdina-san, it looks like Jihad-sensei isn't lying to you. At least, neither Raz nor I can detect any malice in his words."

Razward and Shina interrupted.

Upon hearing their words, Irisdina took a deep breath and finally released her tension.

"...... I understand. I believe it. Jihad-sensei, please forgive me for my many rude remarks and actions."

"No, don't worry about it. Rather, I thank you for believing in me. I do not blame you for seeing me as a suspicious person who probes the privacy of your friends."

In fact, unlike Irisdina and the others, Jihad has not yet been told of Nozomu's secret by Nozomu himself. It was only natural for them to be wary. Once the atmosphere had calmed down, Jihad went on to the main topic.

"Actually, I could imagine that someone from this city and from the academy was behind Ken Nortice. But we still don't know exactly who or where this person is."

"Then we have no choice but to catch that lesser spirit and Ken Nortice."

"But currently, both Ken Notice and that lesser spirit are missing. Also, Lisa-san as well......."

Irisdina's eyes squinted upon hearing Inda's follow-up words.

"What do you mean?"

"I checked the girls' dormitory at the academy and found that she hasn't been back to her dorm since yesterday. Most likely, Ken Notice and that lesser spirit known as Mefi have abducted her."

"Could they have gone outside the city?"

"Given the time, that would be unlikely. It sounds more reasonable to assume that they are still inside the city. So, we need your help. Especially you and your lesser spirit partner."

"We?"

Jihad's eyes turned to Shina and Razward. Everyone looked as though they were understood.

Everyone present knew that Ken Notice was known as the [Spirit's Illegitimate Child] and that he had made a contract with a spirit. It was only natural that Jihad would seek help from Shina, who is an elf and has also made a contract with a spirit.

"If it is for Nozomu-kun's sake, I am more than willing to help. However, how does the academy intend to proceed?"

"We will keep Nozomu's secrets to ourselves. As for Ken Nortice, we are going to catch him and expose those who have been cooperating with him. We have many other things we need to confirm."

Many of Ken's actions could not be accomplished without a collaborator of considerable power within Arcazam.

The reason for this is that he was able to conceal the existence of the spirit and the fact that he himself is the [Spirit's Illegitimate Child].

"Is it about the case regarding the Cracked-Crown Giant Centipede?"

Jihad nodded solemnly at Irisdina's words.

It was unnatural that such a powerful demonic beast happened to be on the outskirts of Arcazam amongst such a vast Spasim forest. But is it really possible that someone could capture a demonic beast as powerful as the [Six Bad Omens]?

If such a thing were possible, the technique would have been disclosed long ago, and the threat of the [Six Bad Omens] would have long since disappeared. There is so little information available that it is difficult to even speculate. With so many unknowns, Jihad and Co. must capture the spirit that controlled the Cracked-Crown Giant Centipede and its contractor so that they can find the answer.

"Our current top priority is to capture Ken Notice."

"But where exactly is he now......?"

"I have a pretty good lead on where he is. He has a contract with a water spirit. If it is a place where it is easy to access power and suitable for movement with the contractor, then there is only one possible location."

With that, Jihad pointed his index finger downward.

End of Chapter 5

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