“Did you sleep well?”
“Yawn… so-so?”
Maybe still half-asleep, Renny scratched her belly and then blushed, looking away.
“Isn’t it polite to pretend you didn’t see that?”
“You were the one scratching your belly in front of me.”
“Now that you say it, I have nothing to say… but somehow, I’m annoyed.”
“I don’t think we need to be shy around each other.”
“What are we, anyway?”
“More than friends but less than lovers?”
“Are you trying to flirt with me right now?”
“Well, maybe.”
I could tell she had feelings for me. Based on my experience with five girls already, it’s a familiar pattern. I can’t say it was less than Viola’s reaction.
…But that’s not the most important thing right now.
What we had to do next could be really dangerous.
“I’ll cut the chit-chat here and we need to leave right away. We have to get into the village before they notice the barrier surrounding it.”
“A village… I hope nothing happens.”
“You mentioned you visited when you were quite young, so do you have lingering feelings?”
“Hmm. I’ve kept in touch with friends I made as a child. The kids raised in the temple played together well.”
Friends from childhood, huh?
I don’t have that.
Actually, I just don’t have friends.
But at least I have plenty of girlfriends, so I’ll count myself as a winner.
While indulging in such trivial thoughts, I packed my belongings. I didn’t have much gear, but I still needed to pack a few things to pose as a traveler.
“Are you going to wash up?”
“Huh? How can I wash up here?”
“Do you really think you can’t manage that? There’s plenty of usable water around here.”
“No, but still…”
“Crafting.”
If we melt all the snow on this hill, there’d be enough water left over for two people to take a shower. Heating it is a different story though.
I pointed to a small shower area set up next to the camp.
“Go wash up. You wouldn’t want to feel dirty when you leave.”
“Well, if you say so…”
Renny scratched her cheek, avoiding my gaze, and nodded as if she understood.
————
“Stop! Who are you?”
“Is this Paradise?”
I took out a letter from my pocket and handed it to the guards. They took the letter from me and soon smiled back.
“Welcome, brother! You’ve arrived at Paradise.”
…That was easier than I expected.
Is it poorly guarded, or did they decide it’s fine for us to stroll in?
…To be suspicious is a given, especially since they weren’t making a fuss about me.
It’s funny that I think this about myself, but there’s no hotter guy than me on this continent.
My detailed appearance isn’t widely known due to some wild rumors, but my general impression is common knowledge.
“Renny, doesn’t this seem off?”
“Seriously off. Starting from the entrance! And… was this place this lush before? It’s winter yet feels like spring.”
Is the whole village structured like a greenhouse? The unusually warm village was eerily peaceful. Everyone’s faces were smiling.
How can such a village exist?
A village where everyone is smiling. Even in a real utopia, you wouldn’t see everyone smiling like that.
Starting out this bizarre makes me feel like this investigation won’t go smoothly.
“Renny, do you happen to have any acquaintances we can meet right away?”
“I do, but… isn’t that a bit concerning? We haven’t spoken in nearly 10 years since our last letter.”
“Still, knowing someone makes contact easier. So…”
“Oh! A new arrival! Were you invited?”
What the…? As the friendly lady approached, I paused to think about my answer and then nodded. They did invite me in the letter.
In response to my answer, the lady clasped her hands joyfully, looked up at the sky, and shouted loudly.
“Thanks for the grace of Lugaru!”
“Thanks!”
Seeing her shout the name of some unknown deity while the people around joined in prayer felt creepy. It looked like some sort of demon-worship.
If I inadvertently mention the Sword of Kalon, they might take me apart after their crazy prayer. After that, the lady looked back at me.
“May the blessings of Lugaru be with you.”
Lugaru?
Is that the being they worship in this Paradise?
I cautiously picked my words and asked her.
“May I ask about Lugaru?”
“Oh, you’re a young wolf just arrived in Paradise, so you probably don’t know. Lugaru is the great one who transforms painful lives into happy ones! Unlike Kalon, who only speaks of the sun, he is a truly great god! If you believe in him, you will find true happiness!”
The lady passionately explained in response to my question. Seeing her genuinely moved by her faith, I sensed that if I asked more questions, I’d only hear mad explanations.
“How exactly did he change lives? As someone who seeks grace, I’d like to know.”
“Ah, that… well…”
For the next ten minutes, the lady explained to me who Lugaru was, what he did, and how he revived the village that was slowly decaying.
From her explanation, Lugaru seemed many times more impressive than Kalon.
It was said that in the beginning, Lugaru created everything; that everything bows down when he glares, or that even Kalon would flee in fear upon seeing Lugaru, and so on, verging on the blasphemous.
“He really is a remarkable figure.”
“Right?”
What do you mean, “right”?
I maintained a smiling face and scanned around me. A few people strolling down the street. There wasn’t anything particularly unusual, but they seemed to be strangely eavesdropping.
Why are they interested? Because we’re outsiders?
Or perhaps… they actually know my identity and are keeping an eye on me?
Collecting each possibility that crossed my mind, I waited for the nameless lady’s words. She smiled warmly and asked me.
“So, brother, why don’t you join the upcoming thanksgiving festival?”
“The thanksgiving… festival?”
“Yeah. It’s a festival to express gratitude to Lugaru. It will surely be a happy time.”
“Happiness…”
“Exactly. Happiness.”
The lady emphasized the word “happiness.” It felt like an obsession with the word. I stored the keyword “happiness” in my mind and turned to Renny.
“Then we’ll go take a look around the village more.”
“Oh my, if you need a guide, just let me know anytime. I can show you everything that Lugaru has touched.”
“Thanks for the offer, but we’d prefer to explore on our own. After all, isn’t there a certain thrill in discovering things ourselves? Everyone knows how important knowledge is, but experiencing the unknown and seeing everything that Lugaru has created is what we truly wish for.”
“Oh my…”
What am I saying? If I mess around like this, things might get troublesome. But if I’m moved by the moment, maybe I gave a decent answer?
“Take care, brother. If anything happens, just find me in the café over there.”
“Thank you.”
We quietly stepped away from the lady and returned to the road. There were still quite a few people on the main road.
“…Hey, isn’t this a bit too obvious?”
“I agree. Is there someone we know mixed in?”
“No. Just strangers, but… it seems too odd. The variety of races is too mixed here.”
Since our conversation with the lady, the number of people staring at us had distinctly increased.
But the creepiest fact was that there was a strong sense of goodwill in their eyes directed at us.
Goodwill that went beyond mere curiosity. They looked like they would jump in to help if we asked. That gaze sent chills down my spine.
There’s no way this small village would have goodwill towards outsiders.
This village was definitely strange. While I still lacked enough evidence to pinpoint exactly what was strange…
“Renny, what if we wrapped our arms around each other like Elisa or Karina?”
“…What kind of nonsense is that all of a sudden?”
“Seems like they’re watching us… It’s probably better to act like a couple so if we talk secretly, they’ll just think we’re whispering sweet nothings.”
“…Is that so?”
Renny looked at me with a slight blush on her face, clearly shy. I intentionally moved closer to her to adjust my position so she could grab my arm.
“Come on. Let’s go.”
“…I’m only doing this because of the situation. Don’t get any wrong ideas.”
Renny repeated that to herself while avoiding my gaze.
I felt the soft touch of her arm around mine and smiled.
“Then let’s continue our date.”
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