Published at 17th of June 2024 9:02 pm

[LN] Volume 3: 2.3

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Smoldering Fire Part 3

Translator: PolterGlast

Shortly before Irisdina stormed into the stall where Nozomu and the others were working on selling candy, Tima was once again reminding her best friend, who was peeking at them from the shadows.

"Hey Ai, there's no need to worry so much."

"But just now, Somia was about to be touched by that old man. That piece of filth......!"

"B-but Nozomu-kun managed to do something about it, didn't he?......"

Irisdina, recalling the earlier incident at the fortune teller's shop, let the flames of Qi rise from her whole body.

Nozomu was focusing on protecting Somia, so he did not notice them, but Tima and Mars were frantically trying to stop the siscon sister from storming into the fortune teller's shop.

"But, isn't it time for us to stop this? Nozomu knows we're here, and if we're too persistent, Somia is going to notice us, too, you know?"

"T-that's right, Ai. It's no good to go on like this. Do you want Somia to hate you?"

"Ugh!"

Do you want Somia to hate you? This one sentence drove a wedge into Irisdina's heart, which was in an out-of-control state.

"Uu, uuu, u~~"

The siscon sister cowered in place as her out-of-control state of mind was filled with conflict. She repeatedly glanced toward the stall, looked down, shook her head, and groaned.

(Ha~a, I knew it, Ai is worried about Somia-chan, but she's also curious about Nozomu-kun, the man with whom Somia-chan is going on a date with......)

Tima had noticed that whenever Irisdina looked at the stall, she would stare not only at Somia, but also at Nozomu. And every time she did, she also unconsciously reached for the hair ornament he had given her.

Tima exhaled heavily and looked at her best friend, who was still holding her head in an ongoing state of agony.

For her, Irisdina is her first friend and companion since coming to this school, but she has never seen her sulking like a child like this.

(Is that how much she is curious about Nozomu-kun? There is also the matter involving Shina-san as well......)

Shina Juliel. An elf girl who suddenly became friends with Nozomu.

Irisdina revealed her jealousy for the first time when she sensed the relationship between Shina and Nozomu.

That was the appearance of her best friend, whom Tima had never seen before. She was both surprised and a little happy to have learned about another side of her.

"Hey, I think we're done here. At least it doesn't seem to be a big deal after all."

"......Mars-kun, how would you feel if you saw Ena-kun walking around with a guy you don't know?"

"Ha? What are you saying all of a sudden? I couldn't care less about-......"

Ena Dickens is the younger sister of Mars and the mascot girl of his family's inn and tavern, the [Ox-head Pavilion]. She is a bold girl who always speaks out against her brother, who is a troublemaker.

To him, she is in many ways an overbearing younger sister, but she is certainly an important member of the family.

In fact, the way Mars stammered out his words as he turned away clearly showed the opposite emotion from what he just said.

"I am worried. What if Somia and Nozomu-......"

Irisdina's face suddenly turned red and she stiffened, looking down. And then she began to mumble and let out some sort of incomprehensible voices.

"......What should we do? She is totally screwed up."

"What should we do, you say?......"

Frankly, Tima herself also wanted to ask him the same thing. About what to do with her best friend in front of her.

At that moment, Irisdina's gaze caught a clothing store near the central park.

"Ah, right, that would do......."

"Wait, Ai, where are you going!"

Irisdina did not respond to Tima's call and rushed into the store.

She emerged from the store not long after, and Mars and Tima were stunned by her outfit.

"Hey, what's that?"

"Umm, that's probably Ai. I don't know why she's dressed like that though......"

She wore a long, full-length coat and cloak that covered her entire body, and a deep-fitted hat. Irisdina, who has completely dressed as a suspicious person, went straight to the stall where Nozomu and the others were working.

"...... Don't tell me, are you going to go check on them while dressed like that?"

Tima was at a loss for words at her best friend's outrageous behavior.

Nozomu, who noticed Irisdina, was staring at her with a dumbfounded expression. She was completely exposed.

In fact, after just a word or two of conversation, she began to shake unnaturally and reveal her agitation.

He was becoming more and more suspicious. Then Somia, who was tilting her head, appeared.

Thinking that her sister's appearance would cause problems, Irisdina grabbed Nozomu's bag of candy, brought her face close to his, and then returned as if running away.

"......What a disaster."

"......Un."

The two slumped their shoulders while sighing in the shadows where they were hiding.

◆

After enjoying a little work experience, Nozomu and Somia thanked Shina and left the stall with candy in their hands in exchange for a paycheck. They moved from the commercial district to the central park and took a rest on a bench. As the sun began to set, the area around them slowly began to turn red.

"Haa, that was fun!"

"Somia-chan, you were so energetic. You even made your own candy in the end."

"Yes! Though it turned out a little weird."

As she said so, Somia took out a piece of candy from a bag in her hand.

It has a round face with strangely sharp eyes and a slightly protruding nose.

Nozomu could tell that it was made to resemble an animal, but he had no idea what kind of animal it might be.

"What's this? A bear?"

"No! It's a cat!"

A cat. Nozomu blinked his eyes upon hearing that word. It certainly resembled a cat.

"What kind of candy did you make, Nozomu-san?"

At Somia's request, Nozomu also took out a piece of candy he had made.

It has a long torso and thin arms and legs. The face at the end of the extended neck is also small.

"Is it a goat?"

"It was supposed to be a horse......."

This time, Somia blinked her eyes.

Seeing each other's misshapen candies, both of them burst out laughing.

"Pfft......."

"Fufufu~!"

After a hearty laugh, the two sat down side by side on a park bench and exchanged candy with each other to try it.

"Mmm~~, delicious!"

"It has a slight fruit flavor, and it's sweet, but not too sweet. Yes, I think I like this."

The moderate sweetness and fruity flavor soaked into his tired body and healed him of the fatigue of his work.

Perhaps Somia was feeling the same way, she smiled brightly at the sweetness of the candies as she swayed her feet next to Nozomu.

"......Nozomu-san. Thank you very much for today."

"It was fun for me too and I got to experience candy-crafting. Though the result is-...... well, it is what it is."

Nozomu and Somia looked at each other, and a gentle atmosphere flowed between them.

This date has become a very pleasant memory for both of them.

"Hey, Nozomu-san. Can you listen to my story?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"It's about what I asked the old man in today's fortunetelling, umm......."

"It's about something that's been troubling you, isn't it? I don't mind if you want me to listen to it, but are you sure it's okay if it's me? Maybe you should talk to Iris about it......"

"No, I can't talk about this to my sister. Umm...... my trouble is about my sister, so-......."

Apparently, what troubled her has something to do with Irisdina. After Nozomu nodded in understanding, she began to speak her mind in a hushed tone.

"Nozomu-san, you knew, didn't you? You knew that I wanted to be like my sister.....".

"Yeah."

Somia's ambition is to be like her older sister, Irisdina. Nozomu has heard this when he first met her in this park.

"Ane-sama is a very nice person, isn't she? She is beautiful, strong, and can do anything......"

Nozomu nodded as he listened to Somia's words. It is true that she is a very attractive woman.

She has a beautiful look and is skilled in both literacy and martial arts. There are many people who admire her at the school. Moreover, her family is one of the most prominent figures in the Forsina Kingdom, and she is their heiress. To put it bluntly, it's difficult to find her flaws.

(Well, except when it comes to Somia-chan......)

Nozomu turned his attention to a corner of the park so as not to be noticed by Somia.

The presence of Irisdina and the others still had not disappeared. Although they were nowhere to be seen, their pursuit was still going on.

"I love her and I'm proud of her, but sometimes I think bad things about her...... I am jealous of her and think it would be nice to be her. Of course, I know that to reach such a lot of achievements, my sister has worked very hard, but sometimes I still find myself feeling that way."

"......Could it be, that's what's been troubling you?"

Somia nodded her head slightly in response to Nozomu's words. It seemed that Somia sometimes felt a twinge of jealousy toward her sister, who was so talented.

At the same time, she hated herself for having such feelings. This turned even stronger because she had seen her sister's efforts up close.

Having come into contact with Somia's feelings, Nozomu put his hand over his mouth and pondered. He wondered what he could do to lighten the burden in her heart. At that moment, Somia suddenly opened her mouth.

"You know, I used to hate my sister."

"...... Eh?"

For a moment, Nozomu couldn't believe his ears. It was an unthinkable statement coming from the girl who now loves her sister so much.

"I have never seen my mother's face. She died soon after giving birth to me, so I don't even know what she was like. All I have is a portrait of her in my father's room at home......"

Nozomu listened quietly to Somia as she began to speak somberly.

"She never held me in her arms, sang me lullabies, or slept with me. My sister used to tell me stories about our mother. She had black hair like us and was a very kind person."

As she continued to recount her memories, Nozomu could see the loneliness and...... regret on her face.

"Looking back, I think my sister just wanted me to know a little bit about our mother. But at the time I thought she was making fun of me for not knowing our mother. Or maybe she resented me for taking Mother away from her......"

"That's-......"

"That's why I tried not to talk to my sister or my father. If they hate me, I must hate them too. That was the only way I could think of."

The bag of candies Somia was holding crumpled with a crunching sound.

"No one would care about me. No one would be worried about me. That thought pained me so much that I ran away from home."

"......Eh? Eeehh!?"

A surprised voice escaped from Nozomu's mouth.

She is the daughter of one of the most prestigious families in the Forsina Kingdom. Naturally, the mansion must be heavily guarded.

Moreover, Somia was in the single digits in age at the time. Indeed, it might be easier to get out than to get in from the outside, but it was still an impressive feat for her to be able to do that.

But I had always stayed inside the mansion all that time, so of course I had nowhere to go. Even after the sun went down, all I could do was just sit there in a corner of the city. It was so cold, so cold that there was nothing I could do. Even so, I couldn't bring myself to go home......"

The loneliness of a cheerful and innocent girl.

Although he had heard a little about it from Irisdina before, he found himself at a loss for words again.

He wondered how much loneliness she had been suppressing in her small body.

"And finally, it started to rain. I was soaked to the skin, trying desperately to hold my clothes in my arms, and somehow trying to stand the cold, but my body was still shivering and I couldn't get warm at all. Eventually, as my consciousness began to fade, I heard a voice calling out to me, someone calling for me."

Before she knew it, she was hugging her swaying legs tightly together.

Seeing this, Nozomu caught a glimpse of a girl drenched in the rain, unable to go anywhere.

"At first, I thought it was just my imagination. Because I thought that no one loved me and no one would be looking for me".

Somia's body swayed as she held her knees.

"When I raised my head, I saw my sister, soaking wet just like me. She ran out of the mansion alone to look for me."

The disappearance of the two only daughters of the family head would have certainly caused a great deal of commotion in the Francilt family's main residence.

"But at that time, what I said to her was, "What are you doing here!?". Even when I think about it now, it was a terrible thing for me to say."

After that, it was a battle of words between the older sister, who wanted to take Somia home, and Somia, who stubbornly refused to do so.

Recalling her own hideous behavior at the time, Somia gave an "ahahaha"...... with a wry smile.

Eventually, they were found by their father and Mena, who had come looking for them as well, and taken back to the mansion to be scolded.

"At that time, I told them everything I'd been holding in my heart in front of everyone. Why Mother is not here!? Why does everyone hate me!? If everyone hates me, then why don't you just leave me alone!? I was crying and yelling at them. Then my sister, who was being scolded beside me, slapped me as hard as she could."

Somia slowly caressed her left cheek. That must be where Irisdina slapped her.

"I was so angry that I decided to slap her back, and when I looked at my sister, she was crying too. She was desperately trying to hold back the tears that were overflowing, but the tears still didn't seem to stop...... She was always smiling in front of me, but when I think about it, she must have been sad for a long time after our mother's death. But she couldn't let it show, so she tried her best to hide it, but when I said those words, the things she had been hiding overflowed."

When one thinks about it, Irisdina was about 10 years old at the time.

No matter how ambitious she might be as the next head of the family, it would be natural that the death of her own family would be painful for her.

"Afterward, I and my sister cried and yelled at each other, and before we knew it, we were all asleep. And the feeling of hating her disappeared before I knew it......"

Gradually, since then, Somia came to like Irisdina.

And she wanted to be like her.

After finishing telling everything, Somia exhaled heavily and stretched her back to relax her stiff body.

"Haa~~. I feel refreshed!"

"Hey, Somia-chan. Why did you tell me this story?"

Nozomu frankly expressed the question he felt. For Somia, both the concerns and the story she just told are the core of who she is. It was not something one could easily talk about with others.

"H~~mm. I'm not sure! I just feel like telling you about it."

"Just feel like telling me about it?"

"Yes, I wanted Nozomu-san to know more about me. When I thought so, I naturally started telling you!"

She smiled as she said so. Her face did not have the stiff expression that had been on her face just a few minutes ago, but her usual sunshine-like smile.

And then Nozomu thought to himself. He knew that she is a strong girl just like her sister......

"...... Somia-chan. I don't have a brother, so I can't really understand your worries about Iris. But...... I've had plenty of times when I was envious of someone."

Nozomu himself harbored some envious feelings inside him.

He was envious of Lisa and the others who were getting stronger and stronger, and he also felt sorry for himself for being left behind.

At the time, he covered it up with various reasons, such as his promise to Lisa, but now that he thinks back on it, those dark feelings were definitely there.

(Somia-chan must have been so distressed because she had hurt her sister with her envy before.)

"I don't know if I have the right to say this myself, but you still care about Iris, don't you?"

"...... Yes."

"If so, I think everything will be fine. I mean, Somia-chan, you thought that if you told Iris about it, she might get hurt, right? That's why you did the fortune-telling, and that's why you told me."

She is a sweet girl who loves her sister. So she was afraid of letting her sister know that she was envious of her. Because in the past, she had hurt her sister with her selfishness, and it had left a deep impression in her memory.

"Yes. After our mother passed away, my sister was forcing herself to smile, holding back her sadness, and taking good care of me. When I remembered how I had hurt her, I couldn't bring myself to tell her......"

Somia looked down as she let out a depressed voice.

"Then it's gonna be okay. No matter how much you envy Iris, the most fundamental feeling in your heart is that you love your sister."

"A-......"

She couldn't talk about it because she didn't want to hurt Irisdina. Then that is proof that her sister is the most important person for her more than anyone else.

Hearing such words from Nozomu, Somia suddenly raised her head with her eyes widening.

"Yes! I love my sister!"

And Somia clearly stated once again that she loves her older sister.

Her face, illuminated by the evening light, shone like the brightest star.

"Alright! It's getting dark soon, shall we go home?"

"Ah, wait a minute. There's still something."

Nozomu was about to lift his hips, but Somia stopped him. Apparently, she still had something to say to him.

"Eh, what is it?"

She turned to Nozomu and took a deep breath.

The atmosphere was as if she was about to make a major decision in her life, and Nozomu's back naturally straightened.

"...... Nozomu-san, you saved my life when my soul was about to be taken from me. I still haven't thanked you properly for that time."

"Eh? But you did already thank me for that though......"

She was no doubt referring to the incident involving Rugato of the Waziart family. However, Nozomu was already invited to the mansion afterward and received a formal thank-you and a gratuity. In fact, Irisdina even gave him the crest of the Francilt family, which is a bit too heavy for a commoner to carry.

"Yes, that is true for the Francilt family. But now I want to thank you personally."

Nozomu thought that was enough, but it seemed that it was still not enough for Somia.

The quiet, yet strong light of determination in her eyes stared straight at Nozomu. He didn't know what made her so determined, but Nozomu didn't want to let her determination go to waste.

"I understand. Since Somia-chan is determined to do so, I'll accept it."

"Ah...... yes!"

Somia's voice burst at Nozomu's approval, and she stood up on the bench perch.

Eleven-year-old Somia and seventeen-year-old Nozomu. Their eyes were at the same level now.

"Um, please don't move."

"Hm? What in the world is she about to-......"

Just when he was about to tilt his head at the nervous Somia, Somia's hands were gently placed on Nozomu's cheeks.

And then, Somia's face came close to cover his entire field of vision.

"N-......"

Immediately after, a soft sensation spread across Nozomu's lips.

Nozomu's thoughts went blank at the sudden turn of events, and he was simply dumbfounded.

"Ehehe~. I kissed you."

"E-eh?"

"That's my first kiss. It's the first time I've ever done it on the lips."

The soft sensation disappeared, followed by Somia's mischievous smile in Nozomu's field of vision.

Even though she was illuminated by the setting sun, her face was clearly tinted in vermilion, and it made Nozomu realize how much she resembled her older sister.

"...... You look a lot like Iris, after all."

"Is that so? If you say so, it must be true!"

"Aaaaa -------hhh!"

"Hiih!"

A loud voice suddenly resounded, causing Somia's shoulders to tremble. Reflexively turning toward the voice, she found Irisdina standing up from the shadows and pointing at her, trembling and wincing.

"Wha-wha-wha...... No~zo~mu~~!"

"Wait-, wait a minute...... gue~!"

Rushing in a straight line toward Nozomu, she grabbed his shoulders with both hands and began to squeeze them tight. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and Nozomu, unable to bear the pain, began to flail about, but Irisdina's hands, perhaps using reinforcement magic, were completely unfazed.

"Didn't I tell you!? I told you to make sure there were no mistakes......."

"Y-yeeess......."

"Then what was that all about?......"

"Well, that was-...... gya~~! Ouch, ouch! Iris, please let me go!"

"No way. If I let go, you'll run away. Now, shall I have you explain it to me properly?......"

Her eyes shot piercing glares and her voice resounded with vindictiveness from the depths of the abyss. His flesh was tightened by so much force that a scream escaped from Nozomu's mouth. But then a savior voiced her voice.

"Ane-sama, it is you who should provide an explanation to me. What is the meaning of this? I told you not to follow me, didn't I?"

"Ah, no, umm......."

Being glared at by Somia, Irisdina suddenly began to panic.

"Moreover, you even got Mars-san and Tima-chan involved....... Ane-sama, which one of you is in the wrong?"

"N-no. That's because I'm worried about you, Somia-......"

"No questions asked."

From there, Somia's sermon time began. Nozomu, who had escaped from the restraints, watched them from a little distance and took a piece of candy out of the bag and threw it into his mouth.

Irisdina turned her eyes to him as if seeking help, but Nozomu deliberately averted his gaze and pretended not to notice. She is completely to blame for this incident, so he decides to let her receive a good lecture from Somia.

"Yo, Nozomu."

"G-good evening."

In the meantime, Tima and Mars, who had been hiding in the shadows, appeared and walked up to him.

"Good evening. It looks like you've had a hard time too."

"Yeah. That Irisdina, she didn't want to listen to us at all...... -eh, so you noticed us after all?"

"Yeah. But Somia-chan didn't seem to notice, and I knew that if I told her, the date would be ruined at that point. I kinda understand how Iris feels, so I wanted her to at least keep an eye on her from a distance......"

"Ahaha......."

A dry laugh escaped from Tima's mouth for what must have been the countless times today.

"Good grief. Ane-sama, what are you thinking!"

"Uuu......"

While Nozomu and the others were having such a conversation, Somia's sermon gradually heated up.

Before they knew it, Irisdina was forced to sit upright on her knees in front of her little sister and slumped her shoulders.

Although there was no trace of her usual dignified appearance, Nozomu's cheeks relaxed at the sight of the two. Somia's worries seemed to have eased up, albeit a little.

"Ah, I know. Since Ane-sama did something like this, I need to punish you for being such a bad sister."

"P-punishment!?"

"Yes. In the first place, I was the one who asked him out on this date. And since Ane-sama took it out on Nozomu-san, who was only invited by me, it is only natural that you have to apologize to Nozomu-san."

"W-what do you want me to do?"

Iris nervously waited for Somia's words. She looked like a criminal waiting to be sentenced to death.

"It's easy. Please form a party with Nozomu-san at the next Special Comprehensive Exercise."

""...... Eh?""

With the sudden mention of this, Nozomu and Irisdina let out a shocked voice.

"As I recall, you can start on the second day, right? Nozomu-san, is that okay? By the way, Ane-sama has no right to refuse."

"Well, I don't mind, but......"

Nozomu turned his attention to Irisdina. For some reason, she blushed and turned her face away.

"Ane-sama, you're fine with this, no?"

"Y-yeah! Sure! T-then, Nozomu, I'm looking forward to working with you......"

"L-like wise....."

Nozomu was at a loss for words as he shook hands with Iris, who reached out her hand to him, but her face was still red and her hand was trembling for some reason. The only one watching this scene with a smile on her face is Somia.

(I've been pushed around by this girl from the beginning to the end today......)

Could it be that she had been planning to do this from the very beginning?

Such a thought crossed Nozomu's mind. Then he noticed that the sun was beginning to tilt to the west.

"Sorry, Somia-chan. Looks like the sun is about to set......"

"Ah, right. I'm sorry, Ane-sama has done something unnecessary. Well, I guess that's it for today. Well then, Nozomu-san, I'm going to take my sister with me. Come on, Ane-sama, let's go."

After thanking Nozomu once again, Somia took her sister by the hand and headed back toward the mansion.

"Well then, I'm gonna head home too. It was a disaster of a day......."

"A-hahaha....... Nozomu-kun and Mars-kun, I'm sorry about today."

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing. The main culprit is that siscon after all."

"U-un. See you later."

Tima apologized with an apologetic expression, but Mars' follow-up helped to lift her spirits a bit, and while waving her hands, she headed back home.

"Nozomu, what are you going to do now? Do you want to have dinner at my place?"

"Sorry, I'm heading home, too. I have some business in the Spasim forest."

"Business? Now? The sun is setting already, you know? Well, you're familiar with that forest, I'm sure you'll be fine......"

Nozomu gave a vague smile at Mars' words and turned on his heel.

Feeling eyes on his back, Nozomu left the place and did not return to the dormitory, but headed out of town to a place a little further into the forest from the street. It is a secluded place that is not often visited by the Adventurers.

That was the place he had mentioned in the letter he had given to Lisa. However, the person who was there was not her whom Nozomu had invited.

"What a nice person you are, Nozomu, to summon Lisa to a place like this."

Ken Notice, Nozomu's childhood friend and Lisa's current lover.

He tossed the letter with his hand and spoke to Nozomu in an unfriendly manner.

Nozomu frowned at the appearance of someone different from the person he had called for.

End of Chapter 2

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