Today marks the beginning of the Ascension Festival honoring the descent of Edel.
The streets of the Sedeth Kingdom were filled with a lively atmosphere.
“Mom, I want to eat that!”
“That? Hmm… Alright. But just for today, okay?”
“Yay! Mom, you’re the best!”
“Oh, so it’s only when it comes to this, huh?”
“Hehe.”
At the child’s insistence, the mother, who usually frowned and scolded, chuckled helplessly and opened her wallet.
“Ah…! Such a mistake… I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. It’s just clothes; they can be washed, right? I also have my own faults for not paying attention, so let’s just move on.”
Even if someone bumped into an other passerby while holding a drink and got their clothes dirty, they moved on graciously, following the tenets of the Edel Church which valued mercy.
“Hey, babe, look at this… what do you think?”
“….”
“What’s wrong…? Is it not good?”
“No. It’s so pretty that I momentarily lost my mind.”
“Oh come on, don’t be shy~…”
“Excuse me, could you please go if you’re not going to buy anything?”
Of course, in such a bustling crowd, there were those who didn’t hesitate to commit heinous acts.
However, even those acts of villainy only appeared amusing in the eyes of people intoxicated by the joyous festival atmosphere.
In such a peaceful scenery, one naturally wondered if the world could be free of strife if every day were like today.
It seemed impossible to break the smiles and joyous vibes that were plastered on everyone’s faces, no matter what happened.
*
Until a girl and a woman appeared on the street.
Neither looked grim nor had threatening demeanor.
Rather, their appearances were so stunning that passersby were captivated.
First, there was the woman with jet-black medium-length hair.
Her slightly upturned eyes, long stature, and toned figure radiated an alluring aura, making the men’s gazes gravitate like magnets as she walked past.
A combination of innate beauty and earned elegance.
It was rare for someone not to be enchanted by that duo.
However, the moment their gaze fell on the girl walking in step beside the woman, thoughts of the woman’s beauty completely vanished from their minds.
How could there be such an adorable child?
Her round face and the delicate features inexplicably clustered together were so charming that anyone would instinctively want to pinch her cheeks.
With each blink of her pink eyes, she radiated an adorable charm that made hearts flutter across ages and genders.
If there was any flaw, it was that her expression was rather stoic for someone so cute, but that very expression added an air of mystery.
One couldn’t help but think of wanting to hug and protect her.
A girl who instinctively triggered a protective instinct.
Though she appeared just cute now, it was clear she would grow up to be the most stunning beauty in the country… no, the entire continent.
Despite being such a delightful girl…
“…Did they get into a fight?”
“If that kid were my sister, I’d let her win anytime. Just give in a little.”
“Are they not biological sisters? Well, if she were a real sister, this wouldn’t happen, huh?”
Due to the subtly fierce atmosphere, people hesitated to approach the duo, watching from a distance, avoiding eye contact whenever the girl’s gaze fell upon them.
As they moved, the crowd parted like magic, creating a path.
The two were a miracle, cutting through the sea of people.
After wandering like that for some time, the woman, Joanie, clutched her head and shouted.
“This is not the festival I wanted!”
“Whoa!”
“Geez, tsk tsk! That’s why you fought with your sister.”
Suddenly, Joanie found herself labeled as the bad older sister who had fought with her sibling, and she felt utterly wronged.
On top of not knowing why Kana was upset, she was now on the brink of losing her sister forever, and those around her tsked and pointed fingers.
But she couldn’t just walk around explaining, “Hey, that’s not it! It’s a misunderstanding!” to complete strangers, so she had to sulk by herself.
Instead of explaining herself to the crowd, Joanie directed her attention back to Kana.
“Is there something you want to eat? I heard from the nuns that during the festival, there are lots of delicious things that are hard to find any other time. Even if it’s not food, there are all kinds of cool stuff, so let me know if you want anything!”
Because she had plenty of money!
…Although technically, it was money obtained from disposing of ogres that Kana caught, so in a way, it was Kana’s money.
However, since Kana had passed the burden of the money to Joanie for convenience and insisted she didn’t need it, Joanie ended up holding all of it, but it didn’t bother her one bit. Spending it here felt just fine.
And, even if that weren’t the case, it wouldn’t have felt wasteful.
“Nothing.”
“Hmm, nothing in particular, huh? How about the chocolate you like?”
“I don’t want it.”
“…Then what about meat? I saw some orc meat skewers earlier, and if there’s a line, it must be a good place, right?”
“I’m not eating.”
But Kana replied in short phrases no matter what Joanie suggested.
As if to say, ‘I’ll go along because you pushed, but don’t get any silly ideas.’
Hoo—
Joanie let out a small sigh that Kana couldn’t hear.
…This isn’t easy.
It was true that she didn’t want to part with Kana just like that.
Is there anything sadder than abruptly breaking up without knowing why?
However, there was another reason Joanie was clinging to Kana right now.
“…Okay! Then how about we just stroll around for now? Sometimes wandering aimlessly can lead to interesting things!”
“Do as you like.”
Being full of energy, Joanie held Kana’s small hand tightly.
Luckily, this time, no sudden swords came flying at them.
Kana didn’t let go of Joanie’s hand and silently followed her.
‘….’
Joanie stared at that scene blankly, then shook her head.
Unwanted farewells always come with regret and longing.
Even if she ended up failing to convince her and parting, she wanted to make the most of this moment so that it would leave the least possible sense of loss.
With a sigh, Joanie wiped the sadness off her face and cheerfully strolled down the street.
*
What on earth am I doing?
I thought to myself while being led by Joanie through the bustling streets of the Holy Kingdom.
To be honest, I didn’t want to accept Joanie’s words.
The idea that she wanted to enjoy the festival with me without making any prior arrangements…
I couldn’t be sure, but it was probably not a lie.
But what does that have to do with me?
After all, we live in different worlds.
To them, I, and everyone else, are just NPCs in a game.
If it’s a relationship that can only run parallel indefinitely, then cutting ties here might be better for both her and me.
“….”
But why?
Just when I was about to refuse, I caught sight of the long scar lingering on Joanie’s cheek, and without realizing it, I accepted her proposal.
According to Edel, it wouldn’t even be a real scar.
While mulling over the puzzling question that rarely found an answer, I eventually came up with a conclusion.
‘…This is the last time, after all.’
No matter what, since I was the one unilaterally cutting ties without properly explaining why, I should at least make this small concession.
That’s why I accepted.
…It must be.
After coming to that conclusion, my heart still felt heavy, as if a large stone were pressing down on it.
Even as I struggled deep in the ocean, Joanie busily darted through the streets.
Sometimes she peeked at stalls selling sweet treats, and other times she went to check out monster meat stalls.
Now, she was curiously investigating a flower vendor.
“Wow— I didn’t know such a flower existed.”
“It blooms only in the great forest. It only flowers at this time of year and is called ‘Edel’s Footprint’.”
“Edel’s Footprint… What a romantic name. Do you know its flower language?”
“It’s about the expectation of new encounters and the nostalgia for those who have left. Here, take it.”
“Eh? You’re just giving it to me? Is it really okay to just accept it?”
“It’s because your sister is so cute, so don’t be shy.”
As Joanie chatted with the vendor, he glanced over at us, dropping his voice.
“But make sure to reconcile with your sister. Typically, when dealing with kids that age, it’s better to bow your head first even if you haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Oh, ahaha… Thank you for the advice.”
After wrapping up the conversation with the vendor, Joanie straightened her back.
“Take care!”
“Thank you! I’ll definitely buy something next time!”
After that, we—well, actually Joanie—continued exploring the festival.
Every little thing caught her attention, and she would rush over to me to ask about it, sulk for a moment, and then return to her investigations.
Repeating this cycle, the setting sun had long vanished.
It was nighttime when what would usually be a dull street, lit only by a few lights trickling from buildings, now shone brightly.
Joanie came to a halt at the street’s edge to avoid the bustling crowd.
“Thanks, Kana. I had a lot of fun because of you.”
“…Yeah.”
Did dragging along a statue with no reaction really turn out to be that fun?
I squinted my eyes and scrutinized her face, but found no sign of deceit.
We stood leaning against the light of the street for a moment, gazing at each other.
Just like when I first confronted the Apostle, the aura of Edel enveloping Joanie obscured her features along with her presence.
Though I could make her out with effort, for a period after our meeting, I had made no effort to look at her face.
However, at some point, I found myself gazing at her.
Before me stood a cat-like beauty with an expression I couldn’t quite understand.
She could likely see me without putting in any effort like I was doing.
Even in this trivial situation where we faced each other, I felt the difference between us.
“Was it enjoyable for you, Kana, to be with me?”
“…Yeah.”
“Really? I’m glad to hear that.”
Joanie donned a faint smile.
“There’s a place I want to go. Would you stick around for just a little longer?”
I nodded silently.
I’d spent just enough time with her; it was no burden to spend more.
Joanie also released the hand she was holding tightly and started heading somewhere.
After walking for quite a while, she unexpectedly began climbing a small hill under the moonlit sky.
It was a low hill, so we soon reached the top and were greeted by a breathtaking view.
This was the place she wanted to show me—
“Is this it?”
“Yeah. I heard from Selin that the view of the Ascension Festival from up here is extraordinarily beautiful.”
“….”
Indeed, though it was a low hill, it was higher than anywhere else, providing a panoramic view of the wide street below.
The dark veil of night had settled in, yet the streets remained just as vibrant as during the day.
We stood there, wordlessly gazing down at the boulevard as if we had made a pact.
Just as the silence was about to envelop the surroundings…
“…You know?”
Joanie broke the silence.
“When I was younger, I couldn’t imagine climbing such a mountain. Because I was very sick. The… the priest even said he couldn’t guarantee my survival, that it was serious.”
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.