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

Side Story - Ever-Changing Iris-chan Part 2

Side Story : 

Ever-Changing Iris-chan Part 2

Translator : PolterGlast

The area around Arcazam has a fair amount of precipitation, so why does it snow in the winter?

With the sun rising in the sky and illuminating the snow on the ground in white, Lisa walks down the main street to the commercial district. Her aim is to go shopping.

People who are not used to snow tend to stay indoors when it snows. However, Oire Village, where Lisa was from, also experiences a fair amount of snowfall, so she had gotten used to the snowy roads.

"Well, we don't use that much firewood, so the rest is bread and ham. Maybe we could have some pickled veggies?"

Since Arcazam was built, there has been an increase in the use of magic in daily life. The women's dormitory also has several heating tools that use magic. So, although there is a fireplace, the amount of firewood used can be reduced.

"On a cold day like this, how about a warm drink!? We have everything from wines of the kingdom to sake of the north!"

"From fur coats to boots and underwear, we've got all the clothes we need to keep the cold at bay! Why don't you buy some to save on your annual firewood bill!?"

"Welcome, welcome! We got some good meat in today! It's fresh as a whistle, and since it's winter, it'll still taste good even after a week! Come and take a look!"

Even in the cold winter, their business spirit seemed to know nothing about cooling down.

They proceeded to continue their business, stepping on the frozen snow as they finished their purchases.

In the midst of it all, Lisa caught a glimpse of a familiar blue-colored hair through a gap in the crowd of people passing by.

Seeing her acquaintance, Lisa instinctively called out to her.

"Ah, Shina-san. O~i!"

Shina turned around with a surprised look on her face when she was suddenly addressed by her name.

The blue-haired elf girl trotted toward Lisa, looking a little embarrassed, as she was exposed to the surrounding gazes.

"Lisa-san, please, don't call my name so loud, it's embarrassing."

"Now, now, don't worry. It's not like we don't know each other. So, Shina-san, are you shopping, too?"

"Mou~... Yes, I am."

Letting out a sigh, Shina held up the bag in her hand and showed it to her.

The contents, however, were different from what Lisa had bought.

There were candied fruits, bottled tea leaves, sweets, milk, etc. They were clearly intended for a visit somewhere.

"Shina-san, this is...”

"Ah, yeah. I'm going to visit Nozomu-kun's place..."

"Hee..."

Naturally, Lisa's tone of voice became higher.

She was jealous ... In front of the red-haired girl who exuded such emotion, Shina quietly smiled.

"Do you want to go with me, Lisa?"

"Eh, is that okay? But..."

"I know you've been through a lot with Nozomu-kun, but now that you've already reconciled with him, and you've helped me and Irisdina-san before, so I don't mind if you do."

As a matter of fact, it was Lisa who had been encouraging Shina when she lost her ability to communicate with the spirits again.

Although they had not spent much time together, they felt a strange kind of sympathy for each other.

Perhaps it was because they were both attracted to the same person. Moreover, they had no animosity toward each other, which was a strange thing.

"By the way, where is Nozomu now?"

"He's still at the guest house ..., no wait, he's in central park. I wonder if something happened."

"...Wait a minute, how do you know?"

"? Nozomu and I are connected by the path, so I can easily find out at least where he is... Is there something wrong..?"

Partner situation. Especially if it is a partner with whom one has exchanged a blood covenant ceremony, one can know every single thing about the partner. This is a normal situation for an elf.

However, for Lisa, who is a human, this is something that makes her feel a bit overwhelmed.

"Well, umm. It's a little, you know... I'm aware that I'm a fairly demanding woman myself, but I was just thinking that Nozomu might have it tough, too."

Of course, Lisa also trusted Shina Yuriel's personal qualities.

In fact, when Lisa gave her a blasting, Shina managed to overcome her own feelings of inferiority and bitterness, and firmly chose to face Nozomu.

As a rival in love, it was frustrating, but as someone who wished for her happiness, she was happy for her.

The girl tilted her head cutely and looked at Lisa, while Lisa quickened her pace.

"Well, he reaped what he sowed, so I wonder how it will turn out?"

Because of their long lifespan and the fact that they have a committed partner in the truest sense of the word, the love of elves is synonymous with pure love. However, when the partner is of a different race, there are times when the person to whom the love is directed cannot endure such love. There are several well-known stories about this kind of love that are told as tragic love.

So the two of them decided to go to Nozomu to see him, and as a result...

"Just when in the world did you and Irisdina-san have a child!?"

They witnessed Nozomu on a date with Irisdina, who had turned into a little girl.

***

When Nozomu was misunderstood by Lisa, whom he ran into by chance in the commercial district, that he had a child with Irisdina, he quickly calmed her down from her agitated state and went to the Ushitotei to clear up the misunderstanding.

Fortunately, the first floor was still being prepared and there were no customers in sight.

Nozomu explained the situation to Hannah, who was in charge of the diner, and borrowed a seat, then explained to Lisa and Shina that Irisdina had been turned into a little girl under the influence of being a Dhampir.

"I'm sorry."

"Well, I do hope I've cleared up the misunderstanding. Based on Iris' current appearance, she's about six years old, you know? Given our age difference, surely you would understand that that wouldn't be possible..."

"Oh well, I guess you could say that the sight was so shocking that it knocked me out of my wits..."

Nozomu scratched his head and was relieved when Lisa bowed her head in front of him. Looks like the misunderstanding has been properly cleared up.

If one were to calculate their ages, it would mean that Nozomu's child was born when he was about 11 years old.

At that time, he was in his hometown village of Oire, and of course had never met Irisdina.

"With the way things are going right now, it seems like it could be a possibility!"

"Umm, well, I can't say it's not possible given our current circumstances, but unfortunately I haven't done anything like that with Iris..."

"Eeh~~ Really~~"

Nozomu quickly shifted in his chair to get away from Lisa, who was coming closer to him with a smirk and a meaningful smile on her face.

Upon seeing his reaction, Lisa's smile deepened and she lowered her gaze to Irisdina, who was sitting comfortably on Nozomu's lap.

"Even so..."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"She really has turned into quite a cute little girl, huh..."

Without thinking, Lisa reached out her hand to Irisdina's head, which had become smaller. Then her hand was flicked off with a light sound.

"Yah~!"

"Oh no~, she hates me."

It seemed that Irisdina, who has been turned into a little girl, did not like to be touched by anyone other than Nozomu. Even her eyes, which were fixed on Lisa, had a hint of wariness.

Well, Lisa and Irisdina were rivals in many ways. Especially when it came to Nozomu, their rivalry remained unyielding. They have no intention of getting along with each other, even in such an unusual situation as being turned into a little girl.

It might be because she has been turned into a little girl that she no longer hides her wariness toward Lisa.

Meanwhile, Shina, who was observing the two of them next to Lisa, asked Nozomu.

"So, Nozomu-kun, do you have any plan to bring Irisdina back to normal?"

"Iris will probably be able to turn back to her normal state once she gets her magic powers back under control. But I'm not sure when that will happen..."

After Nozomu told her about Norn's diagnosis, Shina put her hand on her chin and thought for a moment.

"I see. Do you mind if I examine her for a moment?"

"Eh?"

"Since I am also connected to Irisdina-san through you, perhaps I might be able to notice something different from Norn-sensei."

In response to Shina's suggestion, Nozomu gave a small nod.

"That's true. Sorry, can you take care of it?"

"Yes, leave it to me."

Upon hearing Nozomu's request, Shina responded positively and stood up, walked around the table, and moved to stand in front of him.

Shina bent down and gently reached her hands out to cup Nozomu's cheeks.

"Wha..."

"Stay still. In order to examine Irisdina-san through the path, I need to strengthen my connection with you, the main root of the path. Nnn..."

Despite Nozomu's agitation, Shina kept leaning closer to him and put their foreheads against each other's. Their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breath.

Perhaps without knowing it, Shina's mouth was smiling, her cheeks had a hint of vermilion, and even her breath seemed to be tinged with heat.

"Aaah! That's not fair!"

"Muuu..."

Lisa voiced her envy at the two, who looked as if they were about to kiss.

As for Irisdina, she was tugging at Nozomu's clothes and expressing her dissatisfaction.

"Hmm... I see..."

It took about a minute. They separated their foreheads, which were attached to each other.

"Just as Norn-sensei said, her body seems to be trying to get back to normal. Little by little, Irisdina's magic is spreading throughout her body and she is beginning to harmonize her soul with her body."

"I see, thank you."

At least things are moving in the right direction. Being able to confirm this, Nozomu let out a breath of relief and thanked Shina for her help.

Then Lisa spoke up again.

"Hey, is there a quick way to fix it?"

"Well, since she doesn't have enough magic power, the conventional way is to bring it from other sources..."

"Come to think of it, when I was in the process of strengthening my path with Nozomu-kun, Irisdina-san's magic power was momentarily intensified."

"Huh? How?"

"... Hmm~~, could it be..."

Lisa smiled meaningfully, got up from her seat, and walked around the table to Nozomu's side. Then, she took Nozomu's arm and hugged him.

"Ah!"

As Irisdina who was on his lap let out a surprised voice, Lisa quickly brought her face close to Nozomu's with a natural gesture.

The distance between them was almost the same as Shina's earlier. Then she said something outrageous.

"Hey, Nozomu, do me a favor, will you go on a date with me right now?"

"Ha?"

"You know, I worked so hard during that last incident. Can't I at least have that as a thank-you?

"No! Don't! Nozomu is my boyfriend!

As Nozomu was processing the word "date" in his brain, Irisdina screamed something akin to a screeching sound.

But Lisa was not at all intimidated. Rather, she turned a provocative smile and began to flaunt Nozomu's arm between her cleavage.

"It doesn't matter even if he's not my boyfriend. It's not like there's something you lose, right?"

"No, It's not oka-, ouch~!?"

Nozomu finally came to his senses and was about to refuse when an intense pain shot through his leg. Looking closely, he saw that Lisa's heel was stepping on top of Nozomu's foot.

As she ground her weight on his foot as if to tell him to shut up, Lisa turned an inciting expression to Irisdina.

"Look, Nozomu seems to be so happy that he can't even speak."

"I don't like it! I hate it!"

Irisdina, on the other hand, quickly became heated up in the face of Lisa's provocation. She brought her body close to Nozomu's as if she were competing with Lisa's. However, perhaps because of her childlike appearance, she gave the impression of being a child's cute jealousy, and she seemed to be lacking in domination.

Understanding her current situation, Lisa began to act even more provocatively.

She came up behind Nozomu, put her hands around his neck, and hugged him.

"Hey, Nozomu, what do you think? I have quite a good one, don't I? You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Li-, Lisa, neck, my neck..."

While Lisa smiled bewitchingly, Nozomu was tapping at her hand around his neck, his face turning pale. Apparently, he was being strangled with a considerable amount of strength.

"Muuu, muuuuu!”

Irisdina couldn't have looked angrier, and then she glared menacingly at Lisa, bringing her face close to hers.

Perhaps because she has her face too close to Lisa's, Nozomu's face was in their blind spot, and they did not notice that he was being strangled.

Lisa's provocative smile deepened further as she reached her right hand inside Nozomu's upper garment.

"Did you know? Nozomu was very aggressive when we were dating, you know? Especially after we came to this city, he wouldn't even allow me to sleep..."

"Bullshit, don't- ......-ghh!"

When Nozomu tried to explain that he had been training all day and didn't have time for such a thing, Lisa squeezed her left hand, which was still around his neck, even harder.

"But he's my boyfriend now! He told me we'd always be together!"

"You know that he said that to me too, don't you? Although it was before we broke up. Hey Nozomu, let's get back together. I'm sure we can make it work this time~~"

"No--------!"

Finally, Irisdina's patience ran out.

The next moment, along with her scream, a dazzling magical light overflowed from her body.

"I-......ris, you're back ...... -ghh!?"

When the light subsided, Nozomu's eyes were met with Irisdina's figure, who had returned to adulthood.

However, perhaps because of the unusual increase in power, her normal black hair has turned silver, similar to Vitora, the main source of her power, and her entire body was overflowing with black-silver magic power.

"Get lost, you annoying pest!"

"Whoops!"

After returning to her original form, she forcefully pulled Lisa away from Nozomu and hugged him tightly as if to say she would not let Lisa have him.

"You've been awfully selfish, haven't you?..."

"But you've got your body restored, haven't you?"

"...-ah."

Irisdina finally realized that her body had returned to normal.

How come?

Shina, who had been standing by and watching the whole thing unfold, opened her mouth to answer her question.

"You've done a rather roundabout thing, trying to make her jealous in order to stimulate her magic power."

"Oh, Shina-san, so you knew it after all?"

"Your blatant attitude was so obvious, I could recognize it in a heartbeat."

Magic power is a kind of mental energy, and intense emotions are the priming force that draws out greater magical power.

Obviously, Lisa intended to provoke Irisdina's jealousy in order to stimulate her magic power and restore her body to its original state. And Shina, too, was aware of her intentions and did nothing to stop her.

However, there was also damage along the way.

First, the dishes and chairs in the restaurant were blown away by the eruption of Irisdina's magic power.

And one more thing .......

"But more importantly, Irisdina-san..."

"What?..."

"It's time to let Nozomu-kun go. He seems to have reached his limit."

"Huh?"

"...…"

"Aaah! I'm so sorry!"

Nozomu had completely fainted from being strangled by Lisa and hugged by Irisdina with all her strength.

Irisdina hurriedly freed Nozomu from her arms, but his face was pale from lack of oxygen. His appearance was quite bad, even when seen from the side.

"And, yeah, I think your clothes are a bit too revealing."

"Eh..."

And the last casualty was the clothes that Irisdina was wearing, which were specially made by Mena.

The clothes she was wearing have turned into rags down to her underwear, and due to her body's return, they barely cover a part of her body.

Yes, Irisdina was completely naked right now.

While exposing her naked goddess-like body, Irisdina's expression turned bright red with shame when she finally realized her current appearance.

"K-, Kyaaaa~~!"

Then, while screaming, she pulled the nearest thing at hand to hide her naked body. And the closest thing to her was the unconscious Nozomu.

"Ggh..."

Nozomu, who was embraced by Irisdina again, let out a cry of anguish.

The embrace of a loved one. However, when it was with such force that he suffocated to death, it was a different story.

His face began to turn beyond blue and become purple. Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate for him that he had already passed out.

"Come on, Irisdina-san, let go of Nozomu! How envious ... no, that's not it, I'm not jealous of you!"

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and help Nozomu-kun! What, Irisdina, you're too strong!"

"Kyaa, Kyaa, Kyaaaaa!"

Nevertheless, it was still a life-threatening situation for Nozomu.

Lisa and Shina rushed over to Irisdina and tried to pull Nozomu off of her, but the woman who had turned into a Dhampir had tremendous strength in her arms, and her arms did not budge.

The three of them continued their scuffle until Hannah heard the commotion and came back into the restaurant, where the four of them received a rare direct scolding from her.

"I hate you"

"What a coincidence. Me too..."

"Come on, both of you, just do your chores."

The four of them were then forced to provide one night's unpaid labor for causing trouble at the restaurant.

The three beautiful girls were sent out to the front desk to serve the customers.

Throughout the work, Irisdina and Lisa constantly glare at each other, and Shina warned them not to stop working every time they did.

Nozomu, on the other hand, was laid up in an empty room on the second floor. This was done by Hannah, who was concerned about the fact that Nozomu had fainted.

"Oi Nozomu, what the hell did you guys do?"

"Please, don't ask... It was an unfortunate accident..."

Mars, who came to check on Nozomu in between his work as the innkeeper, asked Nozomu what was going on, but he was troubled as to how he should explain it.

"Oi Hannah, what's going on here!? You've got three of these beauties working for you!"

"I'm having them work for me to pay for the mess they made in the store during the day. Don't think anything strange just because they're beautiful. All three of them are students at Solminati Academy. They can easily beat up anyone bad who enters this store by themselves."

"Oh, scary..."

The bustling noise of the customers could be heard from downstairs.

Judging from how noisy it was, the restaurant was probably crowded.

Three stunningly beautiful girls were serving the customers. In a sense, it seemed to have an unparalleled effect in attracting customers.

However, as for Nozomu, he had been out cold for quite a long time and had a severe headache, so his head was not working very well.

"Ah, I found her!"

"Muu, I haven't even finished the painting yet, and now she's back to normal!"

"-gh, Somia, Father, and even Mena... Why did the three of you come here!?"

"We are here because we were worried about our young lady who never returned home. But still, I can't believe that the young lady is serving among the commoners..."

And now Nozomu heard voices that made his head ache even more. It was an attack by the Francilt family.

"Wha, Mena, what's that outfit you pulled out of your pocket!?"

"It's a maid's uniform. If you're going to be a waiter, I thought this outfit would be indispensable. It's all right. I've already adjusted the length to suit you."

"When did you prepare such a thing!? Is this really a maid's uniform!? It seems strangely lacking in fabric!"

"Ah, please wear this when you are alone with Nozomu-sama."

What kind of exchange was going on downstairs?

Nozomu pulled the blanket over his head as if to escape reality.

"... Mars, can I stay over tonight?"

"I'll tell them you have a bad headache and can't move. You owe me one. You'll pay me back as soon as you can, alright?"

"Keep my word..."

As he exhaled in relief, a sudden feeling of drowsiness came over him.

Vitora's assault. The gaining control of his powers and his full awakening as a Dragon Slayer. And then there is the life of close to house arrest. Perhaps he was tired, both physically and mentally, due to the fact that so many things had changed.

"What are you talking about, Mena! I will not allow such a thing while I am still alive!"

"You're being unseemly, Victor! For God's sake, you should accept that Irisdina-ojōsama will be happy as a woman! Now, young lady, put this on and storm into Nozomu-sama's room!"

"T-, there's no way I can wear this! Such a shameless thing..."

"Oh, may I have it, then? I might be able to use it to seduce Nozomu."

"Who's going to give it to you, Lisa!?"

Nozomu could even hear a sigh of dismay from Mars, who was on the other side of his blanket-blocked field of vision.

As I thought, I've reached my limit.

Nozomu stuck his face out from between the blanket and the futon and asked for his best friend's help.

"Mars, can I ask you to stop Viktor and the others?"

"Ha~a... you owe me two."

A simple but reliable reply.

After watching him go behind the door of the room, Nozomu covered himself with the blanket again.

Then he fell asleep to the sound of his best friend's angry voice echoing from downstairs, and the sound of fist fighting.

***

*Rustling, rustling .......*

Amid the slumber, he woke up to a pleasant sensation.

The moonlight shining through the window illuminated the shadows that look down on him.

In the darkened room, it would be difficult to discern a person's face. However, Nozomu's eyes, well-trained in the forest, adjust to the darkness in just a few seconds. He caught sight of the face of the person looking down toward him.

"Oh, are you awake?"

"Shina-san?"

An elf girl was staring at him with eyes filled with a gentle light, while her glittering azure hair shimmered in the moonlight.

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