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

[LN] Volume 3: Chapter 7.1

Volume 3 Chapter 7.1

Intermission, Harbinger of Bankruptcy Part 1

Translator : PolterGlast

"Ugh, nn......."

A small groan leaked into the room, and Nozomu's eyes slowly opened while he was lying on the bed.

The room was dimly lit, and the ceiling was devoid of color. When he looked to the side, a gray curtain jumped into his vision. Perhaps he fainted in the forest and was brought to this room.

(Where in the world is this? And what happened-...... kuh~)

As soon as he tried to get up, a stabbing pain shot through his body, and he fell back on the bed.

Upon closer look, he could see the marks of treatment all over his body, especially on his arms.

In particular, both of his arms were covered with bandages and were firmly fixed so that he could not move them.

From his conditions, it could be assumed that a considerable amount of time had passed.

Nozomu began to move them slowly so as not to put too much strain on his body. Although there was still a dull ache in his body, he slowly, little by little, crept himself up, opened the curtains, and peeked out of the window.

The room Nozomu was currently in was on the second floor of the building, at least that was what he thought, as he looked down he could see people walking down the street.

However, Nozomu felt a sense of discomfort at the sight.

(Huh? That's strange. I can't hear any sound. And there's something wrong with my vision as well......)

The scenery outside the window...... no, everything in his field of vision has turned gray. Moreover, neither the chirping of the birds perched on the roof of the house across the street, nor the hustle and bustle of people passing by on the street, could be heard.

(No way, are these the side effects of that?)

Obvious visual and auditory abnormalities. What came to mind was the release of ability suppression and the direct use of that dragon's power.

Considering that his ears and eyes were normal before he used Tiamat's power, there was no doubt about it.

Nozomu exhaled heavily and looked up to the ceiling.

(I wonder if everyone is safe......)

Considering the circumstances, they must have brought Nozomu here, so it could be fair to assume that they were safe. However, he couldn't shake off the uneasiness that was still deep in his heart as long as he had not seen them.

(...... Shall I go look for them then?)

Although he was in no condition to go out, Nozomu gave in to his impatience and put his hand on the edge of the bed to get up.

At that moment, the door that was visible at the edge of Nozomu's vision was opened, and someone entered the room.

(Ah~......)

In his grayish vision, Nozomu's eyes crossed with those who entered the room.

It was Irisdina and Shina.

They were carrying bandages and gauze in their hands.

When they saw Nozomu getting up, they shouted something in a panic and rushed to his side, forcing him down on the bed.

When Nozomu groaned as pain shot through his wounds, the two hurriedly removed their hands that were holding him down.

Then Shina turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. She probably went to call everyone else.

Irisdina timidly touched Nozomu's body to check the state of his wounds.

After she finished checking with a worried look on her face, she brought her face close to Nozomu's and started shouting something.

Based on her atmosphere, it was obvious that she was scolding him.

For Nozomu who couldn't hear her voice, she lacked a sense of urgency at the moment, and that's why his cheeks almost loosened up at the thought of her concern for him. Each time he did, Irisdina's eyes became sharper and sharper.

As Irisdina's anger intensified, Nozomu tried to calm her down, but unfortunately, he did not know what she was saying, so he did not know how to respond.

Irisdina was getting more emotional, and Nozomu was helplessly in a panic.

At that moment, multiple presences entered the room.

They were the friends who remained with him in the forest at that time. No one was missing, and no one was seriously injured.

Nozomu was relieved to see them. At least, if his friends were able to get out of that predicament, he thought, the loss of his own senses was not for nothing.

When Norn said something to Irisdina, she pulled away from him with an embarrassed look on her face.

Irisdina glared at Nozomu resentfully while fidgeting, and Nozomu's face heated up as he realized that their faces had just been so close that they were almost able to feel each other's breaths.

Norn raised her hands in a gesture of dismay at the sight of the two of them, then sat down on the round chair beside the bed and examined Nozomu's face.

"........., ............"

Norn tried to speak with Nozomu, but he could only tilt his head, as he was now deaf.

Norn's expression instantly turned grim when he did not answer her question.

Under her penetrating gaze, Nozomu shook his head busily. Although he was not sure if it helped, color gradually returned to his vision, and he could hear the sounds echoing around him.

"I-I'm fine. I guess I was just a little drowsy......"

"I see ...... Let me examine your wounds for now. Everyone, please stay outside."

Norn urged everyone to go outside, but Irisdina and Shina, who were worried about Nozomu, showed dissatisfied expressions.

"Eh? But ......"

"Norn-sensei, if it's just for a medical examination, I don't mind staying here ......"

"I'm going to have to ask him to take off his clothes so that I can examine his wounds. Do you two want to see Nozomu-kun's naked body?"

Nozomu's naked body. As soon as they heard these words, their faces turned red as they looked at each other.

"U~ ......"

"E-Excuse us."

Irisdina and Shina left the room in a hurry, and everyone else followed suit.

After everyone had left the room, Norn faced Nozomu once again. Observing Nozomu, who was puzzled and unsure of what was going on, Norn quickly took off his coat and began examining him.

"Nozomu-kun. Are you by any chance deaf earlier?"

"Yes ...... I can hear you now, but the voice I heard is still a little echoing."

Nozomu nodded to Norn, who asked him questions while examining him.

Hearing his reply, she kept examining him with a somber expression on her face, trying to think of several causes.

"It has been about five days since you collapsed. This is Anri's room, and you were brought into this room right after you collapsed. Do you feel anything else wrong with your body?"

He responded to Norn's question by nodding and telling her that not only his ears, but also his vision had turned gray.

"That is probably due to the temporary paralysis of the Qi veins and nerves in your body caused by the release of that power."

The Qi veins represent the flow of vital energy within the body. If this were to become impaired, in the worst case, it could lead directly to death, as it did for Shino.

"It was a severe injury. It took me a long time to stop the bleeding and you wouldn't regain consciousness. You survived because I used a lot of medicine and continuously cast healing spells, but if I had not, you would have undoubtedly bled to death."

Just as she said, Nozomu's body was weakened by the continuous use of excessive force, and the effectiveness of healing magic was also diminished.

Since healing magic is a magic that accelerates the injured person's natural recovery ability, its efficiency inevitably diminishes as the injured person's life force declines.

"The wounds themselves are getting much better than when I examined them while you were still unconscious, and your Qi veins themselves seem to be undamaged. Most likely your sensory loss is temporary and will heal as your body gets better, but for now you should remain on bed rest."

After briefly informing him of the results of the examination, Norn's tone changed to a slight scolding.

"You are being too reckless. You were lucky this time, but you could have died or been handicapped for the rest of your life, you know?"

"But if I hadn't done so, none of us would have survived."

"I know. I'm just telling you what I have to say as a doctor."

Norn sighed while changing his bandage, which had become worn out and saggy over time, and turned her gaze to the door through which Irisdina and the others had exited.

"Everyone was worried about you, you know? Anri and I took shifts looking after you, but Irisdina and Shina stayed here until late at night to help us out."

Nozomu's chest tightened at the mention of these words.

"They do understand the situation. But their concern for you inevitably precedes them."

Norn, who had just finished examining Nozomu, put his coat over his shoulders while trying to cheer the slightly dejected Nozomu up.

"Leave the rest to me and Anri. You should rest well for now. As soon as you feel better, their worries will also disappear."

"Yes......"

Although he was certainly concerned about Irisdina and the others, his priority right now should be to recover his body.

After the examination and changing of bandages, Norn got up from her chair and was about to leave the room.

"Nozomu-kun, about that dragon inside you......."

A single sentence was uttered whilst placing her hand on the doorknob. After a beat of hesitation, Norn turned around.

"I'm sure you are well aware of the dangers of that dragon's power, but as a doctor and a teacher, allow me to say this. Using that power is not a good idea......"

"......Yes. I am aware of what will happen if I keep using that power. I got it drilled into my head so bad by that dragon itself after all."

If it were only about his own death, it would still be fine. But in this case, it showed the reality that its power could be directed at those around him.

Miraculously, no one died, but as long as Nozomu holds the power of Tiamat, there is always the possibility of him going out of control.

Nozomu himself fully understood this. He knew it firsthand. He has kept his problems to himself and almost went out of control because of it.

"But I can't run away. Even if I run away, in the end, those around me will be hurt. And the first ones to get hurt will be Iris and the others ...... I don't want that."

However, there is currently no solution to remove this power from Nozomu.

There are only two choices. The first is to give up and throw everything away, and the second is to face this power and completely control Tiamat, who has bonded with him.

And Nozomu had already made up his mind not to choose the former.

Irisdina and the others tried to stop Nozomu from going out of control, even though they could have been killed. That's why. he didn't want to turn his back on those girls who had gone to such lengths to accept him.

"Of course, the difference in power between me and Tiamat is obvious. But I won't be deceived anymore. Even if I die, I will not give up this determination of mine."

Nozomu declared so while clenching his fists. His words were directed toward himself more than anyone else.

"Do you think you can do it? You're dealing with a legendary dragon, you know?"

Norn stared at Nozomu with squinted eyes. As he met Norn's discerning gaze, Nozomu took a deep breath and said in a clear tone.

"I don't think I can do it alone. But it's all right. I've found something that I can't give up on......"

Nozomu's words reminded one not of a drifting cloud that seemed to be about to disappear, but of a tree that had taken firm root in the wilderness.

Something that I can't give up on. It is the bond he has acquired.

Although still small and fragile, it served as a beacon to guide him when he was lost, troubled, and unsure of his path.

It was the moment when the small bud that had sprouted in Nozomu's heart began to grow.

"I see...... then, don't forget that feeling, and take good care of Irisdina and the others."

After nodding to Norn's words, Nozomu once again lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, picturing the faces of Irisdina and the others in his mind. His body still needed rest, and he immediately fell asleep.

Norn quietly left the room.

Behind the door was the living room. The interior was decorated with orange curtains and bright colors.

The room has a distinctive feminine atmosphere, befitting of the room where Anri is living.

There, Irisdina and the others were waiting for Norn with anxious expressions on their faces.

"Well then. Regarding Nozomu-kun's condition, he seems to have temporarily lost his senses due to the power he released. He still has a little trouble hearing sounds."

Norn's words made Irisdina and the others tense up.

"It's okay, like I said before, it's only temporary and he has passed the critical point for now. All he needs to do is take a good rest, recover, and he'll be fine."

"I see..."

Norn tried her best to explain in a cheerful tone, but the expressions on the faces of Irisdina and the others were all gloomy.

"......Are you worried?"

"Yes...."

Irisdina responded to Norn's question in a weak tone of voice.

Aware of their feelings, Norn and Anri gave a small smile to reassure them.

"He fell asleep again right after the examination, but he's okay now. You guys can have a cup of tea and relax until he wakes up."

"Norn, I'm going to go shopping for a bit~~. Feo-kun, please take care of the luggage~~."

"Huh? Why me?"

"Come on, just do it~~"

Anri took Feo's hand and walked out with him.

Norn, with a wry smile toward her best friend's antics, began to prepare cups and tea leaves for the tea party.

"Norn-sensei, let us help you."

"No, as I said, you can take a break ...... well, whatever. Then, can you please boil some water for me?"

Norn smiled at Irisdina and the others as they began to help out on their own.

They took turns watching over Nozomu until he came to his senses. If one were to look closely, one would see dark circles under their eyes, indicating that they had not slept well in the past five days.

They knew that Nozomu's condition had improved, but he was still not completely recovered yet. Therefore, they still could not feel at ease in a real sense.

Norn, having expected this, told them to take a rest.

While preparing tea, their attention was kept focused on the next room, which was separated by a wallboard.

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