darklydivergent

Chap 16.3 – Growing Conflict

Nero: Don’t worry. Let’s leave that kinda blood-soaked fest to someone else. It’s alright for us to just keep collectin’ clues.

Heathcliff: I know…..I’m grateful to Lord Oz and everyone, but for this here, I’ll be relying on you, Nero.

Nero: Oh.

Heathcliff: Nero…..

Nero : Yeah?

Heathcliff: Shino well…for example, have you ever…heard him say something about me?

Nero: I mean every fuckin’ day. Only thing he ever talks to me about is food or you.

Heathcliff: Ah ….Haha……That’s true, isn’t it...

Nero: ……

Nero: Somethin’ up? Not intendin’ to pry, but if it’s okay with ya, can try to tell ya anythin’ I know.

Nero: Guess ya haven’t talked to Shino or Faust either, huh?

Heathcliff: No, I haven’t…..

Nero: Well…that’s, uh….what the hell d’ I say….. Ya don’t have to talk or anythin’.. Just whatever suits ya.

Heathcliff: Sorry. I should have considered your feelings…..

Nero: No, it’s cool, it’s cool. You’re th’ one who’s not havin’ the best time.

Heathcliff: ……

Heathcliff: Nero, my affliction from “The Great Calamity”-do you by any chance, know what it is?

Nero: Um.…no….

Heathcliff: Really?

Nero: Really. What, are ya askin’ cause ya don’t know?

Heathcliff: …..I don’t. I don’t know anything at all……..

Heathcliff: Well, I have a feeling Shino knows something. But, well, it IS just a feeling….

Nero: ….If he noticed, wouldn’t he say somethin’ to ya? No point in him keepin’ secrets.

Heathciff: If….

Heathcliff: If he did, maybe it is so embarrassing I’d rather die than know about it?

Nero: ……

Heathcliff: I know if it was something awful, Shino probably wouldn’t say anything….

Nero: …Somethin’ embarrassin’?

Heathcliff: I just don’t know….But…

Heathcliff: I’m guessing you’ve heard people talk about what Murr was like before, when he was the most renowned genius in the West?

Nero: Yeah, I’ve heard. That guy’s certainly gotta real clever brain.

Heathcliff: However, after his soul shattered….Shylock was spending a lot of time trying to teach him how to speak and have good manners again.

Heathcliff: Until then, he acted like a wild animal and didn’t wear any clothes…..he wasn’t even able to hold a conversation…

Nero: : ……..

Heathcliff: Oh, please don’t misunderstand. I very much love Murr, and I respect and admire him as a friend.

Heathcliff: Although now and then he is rather frightening, I still find him very charming and knowledgeable. He knows so many interesting things and there’s also times when he’s very cute. But….

Heathcliff: I…could not bear it. If I was in public, naked, and just started screaming like that…..

Heathcliff:…I’d want to just shrivel up and die right there….

Nero: …..

Heathcliff:….Above all else, what would it look like to my parents…..?

Heathcliff: ….Such kind and generous people would become a laughingstock because I was born as a wizard.

Heathcliff: ……… I don’t want to be a bother to my parents any further….

Nero:..... Heath…

Nero: Your parents, uh….Uh, how should I put it…. your mother and father? Or um, the kind Lady an’ Lordship? Duke? Duchess??

Heathcliff: You don't have to call them anything special. Really...

Nero: Uhh, well then、let’s just go with, um, Mr. an’ Mrs. Blanchett. Those two, they probably…um….

Nero: Seriously, they really think yer important. They’d never see their son as somethin’ embarassin’ like that, okay?

Heath: Yes….I understand…I just feel very guilty about it……

Nero: ……Hey, with what ya got goin' on, it’s no wonder you’re worried. But, well…..

Nero: …..that said.....might be possible for Shino to know yer affliction from the Calamity.

Heath: ……

Nero: ……Hey, so if… if I’m right, what then?

Heathcliff: Huh.......?

Nero: You're his lord there, so are ya gonna allow your underlin’ to keep secrets from ya?

Heathcliff: …..

Nero: Even if it’s for yer sake, if he’s keepin’ secrets like that from ya, how much are ya gonna trust him in the future?

Nero: If it was me, I’d just keep holdin’ on to your secret an’ feign ignorance, even if it made ya never trust me again.

Nero: Better than havin’ my precious lord say he wants to die.

Heathcliff: Nero…..

Nero: …..

Heathcliff: …. You know, occasionally I do wonder.

Nero: Hm?

Heathcliff: Do you have someone important like that to you, Nero?

Nero: ……

Heathcliff: For some reason……it just feels like you do.

Nero: I did, yeah.

Nero: But then I betrayed them.

Heathcliff: ……

Nero: That’s why ya shouldn’ put yer faith in me. I’m a shallow kinda man that ain’t worthy of your trust.

Nero: Well….I’m not gonna be runnin’ away any time soon. An’ definitely not today.

Heathcliff: …Still, there had to have been some sort of situation you were caught up in.

Nero: No, there ain't! Whatever happened, a betrayal’s a betrayal.

Heathcliff: But….

Heathcliff: ….ah…

???: ……..

???: Yo, Heath.

Heathcliff: Thank you for earlier, sir. You were staying here overnight then?

Nero: …..shit-

Heathcliff: Oh, Nero. This is the man I met just a little while ago on the street….I’m sorry, I don’t think I ever caught your name.

Nero: …Run, Heath!!

Heathcliff: Eh?

Nero: That bastard’s Nova!!

Heathcliff: …..!?

Nova: Haha……indeed.

Nova: That is my name.


(outside of the hotel)


Faust: …..!

Shino: …….What? Did something happen?


Suddenly, Nero and Heath’s signals had vanished.

A horrible premonition sent a cold lance through my heart.

For some reason, in that moment I was terribly calm.

My raging emotions are naturally repressed as soon as they start to climb; I know it is absolutely atrocious of me, but I suppose it is still a defense mechanism from when I abandoned my solitude.


Faust: (I don’t know about Heath, but I don’t think Nero would’ve gone down quietly.)

Faust: (If the worst case scenario happened, Nero’s magic would’ve gotten stronger before he vanished.)

Faust: (But they were just…gone, all of a sudden. Did they intentionally kill their signals, or was it spatial magic?)

Shino: ….I can’t sense Heath anymore......


Shino had finally noticed. Aghast, his eyes opened wide, and he looked like he was about to break into a run. Before he could though, I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back with all my strength.


Shino: ....ch, you-let go…!

Faust: Compose yourself! Shino, you need to listen to me.

Shino: Like hell I will!! This is your fault! Your miscalculation-Heath is….!

Faust: I said shut the fuck up, Shino!


I shouted out this order as the violent showers kept falling around us.

Speechless from my shout, Shino stood there in a daze, as rain forlornly soaked through his hair and dripped to the ground.

I quieted my voice as much as possible, speaking calmly and gently so he did not become further agitated.


Faust: Don’t panic. Beyond this point, it’s very likely any rash actions you do on your own will endanger them even further.

Faust: They might have encountered an enemy, and concealed themselves.

Faust: In that case, if we make any noise, it will just cause more unnecessary alarm. Okay?

Shino: .…B-but……


Shino’s gaze was still darting around frantically as he was prowling back and forth.

So, with a jerk of my hand I grabbed his chin, forcing him to make eye contact.


Faust: Shino. Shino, look at me. From now on we are infiltrating the hotel. If you cannot follow my instructions, stay behind here.

Shino: I…..

Faust: I want to take you with me. You’re the one who knows what Heath’s presence feels like the most. I know how brave and how strong you are as a wizard.


Shino stared back at me, and I watched as slowly, slowly, his frantic and frustrated glare gave way to calm.


Faust: Shino. I’m relying on you.

Faust: But, if you let your heart run unchecked like that, you cannot use your power to its fullest. Heath and Nero would likely be in even more danger.

Faust: So you need to compose yourself, and follow my orders, okay?


Shino took a deep breath. I let go of his chin, watching as the normal, cool-headed Shino returned, along with his shameless attitude.


Shino: Who do you think you’re talking to?


I laughed.

I had no idea where it came from or even why, but I could feel my face beginning to smile broadly along with it.


Faust: Got it. Follow me, then.


We get up and leave our seats. Shino, briskly shook out his robes, scattering water all over the ground.


Shopkeeper: Honored guests…..


With a nod to the shopkeeper, we place money for the service on the table, and I could see the relief of such troublesome customers leaving clearly shown on his face.

We head towards the guild hotel. With the rope I have concealed, I then drew a small summoning circle, with it creating a tiny black lizard.

With a flick of my wrist, it appeared at my feet and scrambled onto the wet roadway, smoothly running along to a deserted area, where it turned into a bird and flew off into the sky.

Its destination is the Sage’s manor. Even if we were all wiped out, that way at least, the information should still be passed along.


Shino: How’d you do that? I didn’t even sense any magic.

Faust: I’ll teach you next time. Shino, you remember how to signal from the lesson a few days ago,right?

Shino: Yeah. I even had an extra test.


We are able to communicate with each other’s minds through magic, but it’s almost like lighting a beacon for the enemy to find us.

If you used strong magic, someone could easily intercept what you were sending out.

So for that reason, many wizards have taken to using a weak magic signal that can only be understood by their friends and allies.


Faust: Even if we find Heath or Nero, we can’t immediately rush over to them. Nova’s changed into Mithra before; it could be another trick.

Shino: Understood.


We both faced towards the hotel.

Opening the door, we enter the building and walk inside.


Shino:….There’s no odd presence around anywhere. You sense anything?

Faust: ….No, I’m not getting anything either. Be careful.


Surveying around the front desk, I see what looks like a staff member and another employee working side by side.

They certainly didn’t have a sense of any nefarious doings, nor did they feel like a wizard hiding their true form.

Just modest, and exhausted. At the very least they seemed friendly to the guests, and there was no sign of them being involved in criminal activities.

Once again, I looked over the whole building. Just the stone walls of an inn that used to be the ex-guild headquarters rose up around me, silent and unassuming.


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