Chapter 61

The Descent Festival, which honors the descent of the god Edel, began today.

The streets within the Sedeth Kingdom were filled with a lively and festive atmosphere.

“Mom, I want that!”

“That? Hmm… Okay, but just for today, alright?”

“Yay! Mom, you’re the best!”

“Ha, only the best when it’s convenient, huh?”

“Hehe.”

An exasperated mother, who would normally scold her child, opened her wallet with a helpless smile, unable to resist her child’s pleading.

“Ah…! I’ve made such a mistake… I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright. It’s just clothes; they can be washed. I wasn’t paying attention either, so let’s just move on.”

Even when bumping into another passerby and ruining their clothes while carrying a drink, the passerby graciously brushed it off, in accordance with the principles of Edel’s teachings that value mercy.

“Hey, honey, look at this. …What do you think?”

“….”

“Why aren’t you saying anything…? Don’t you like it?”

“No, it’s just… It’s so beautiful I was momentarily lost for words.”

“Oh, come on, don’t embarrass me~….”

“Excuse me, customer. If you’re not going to buy, could you move along?”

Of course, even in such a bustling crowd, it wasn’t as if there were no ruffians engaging in outrageous acts.

But even those heinous acts seemed almost amusing to those intoxicated by the festive atmosphere.

A peaceful scene that naturally evoked the thought that, if every day were like today, there would be no such thing as conflict in the world.

It seemed impossible for anyone or anything to break the smiles and joyous mood that lit up people’s faces.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Until a young girl and a woman appeared on the street.

It wasn’t because their appearances were rough or their behaviors intimidating.

On the contrary, their looks were so stunning that people passing by couldn’t help but stop and stare.

First, the woman with short black hair.

With slightly upturned eyes, a tall and lean figure, and a well-toned body, she exuded a charming aura. As she walked by, men’s gazes followed her like magnets.

The perfect harmony of natural beauty and diligent self-care.

Few could resist being captivated by such an ideal combination.

However, as soon as people caught sight of the girl walking beside the woman, their minds no longer lingered on the woman’s beauty.

How could such an adorable child exist?

With a round face and features so delicately arranged that it seemed impossible to replicate even if someone tried, the girl’s cuteness incited a desire in onlookers to pinch her cheeks.

The occasional blink of her pink eyes radiated such cuteness that it made people clutch their chests, regardless of gender or age.

If there was any flaw, it would be that her expression, contrary to her cute appearance, was rather stern. Yet, this only added an air of mystery.

A girl who made one feel like hugging her tightly and protecting her.

A girl who invoked a natural protective instinct.

For now, she was merely adorable, but in a few more years, she was bound to become the greatest beauty not just of the kingdom, but of the entire continent.

Yet, despite being such an adorable girl…

“…Did they have a fight?”

“If I had a little sister like that, I’d give in to her anytime. Why not just let it go?”

“Aren’t they blood-related? Then again, if they were real sisters, they wouldn’t be like that.”

Because of the tense atmosphere subtly exuding from them, people couldn’t easily approach and could only watch from a distance. Whenever the girl’s gaze fell upon them, an inexplicable pressure made them avert their eyes.

Wherever the two went, the crowd parted, creating an empty space along their path.

They seemed to perform a miracle, parting the sea of people.

After walking like that for quite some time,

The woman with short hair, Joanie, grabbed her head and shouted.

“…This is not the kind of festival I wanted!”

“Whoa, you scared me!”

“Geez, tsk tsk! No wonder she fought with her sister.”

Having suddenly become the bad sister who fought with her sibling, Joanie was beside herself with frustration.

Joanie already didn’t know why Kana was upset in the first place, and if this continued, they were headed for a dire situation where she might part ways with Kana altogether. Yet, all the people around her just clicked their tongues and pointed fingers at her.

But she couldn’t go around telling complete strangers, “Haha, that’s not it at all. It’s just a misunderstanding.” So she could only swallow her frustration alone.

Instead of trying to explain to people, Joanie decided to focus her energy on talking to Kana.

“Is there anything you want to eat? I heard from the sisters that during the festival, you can find all sorts of delicious food that’s hard to come by otherwise. And even if it’s not food, there are lots of interesting things. If there’s something you want, just let me know!”

She had plenty of money!

…Well, technically, it was the money earned from disposing of the ogres Kana had defeated, so it was practically Kana’s money anyway.

Since Kana found it bothersome to carry the money around and handed it over to Joanie, saying she didn’t need it, Joanie ended up with a large sum of money. Because of that, she felt a little guilty, so she didn’t mind spending the money like this at all.

And even if that wasn’t the case, she still wouldn’t have minded.

“Nothing.”

“Hmm, can’t think of anything? Then how about some chocolate, since you like it?”

“No.”

“…Okay, then what about meat? I saw some skewered orc meat on the way here. There was even a line, so it must be a popular spot.”

“Not hungry.”

But no matter what Joanie suggested, Kana only responded with short, curt replies.

As if saying, “I’m playing along since you’re insisting so much, but don’t get any weird ideas.”

Sigh.

Joanie let out a small sigh, making sure Kana couldn’t hear it.

…This isn’t easy.

It’s true that she didn’t want to part ways with Kana like this.

There’s nothing sadder than separating suddenly without even knowing the reason.

But that wasn’t the only reason she was holding onto Kana so desperately right now.

“…Alright! Then, how about we just wander around a bit? You might find something interesting if we explore a bit.”

“Do whatever you want.”

Joanie enthusiastically shouted and held Kana’s small hand tightly.

Fortunately, this time, a sword didn’t come flying at her.

Kana didn’t pull away from Joanie’s hand and quietly followed her lead.

‘…’

Joanie watched Kana’s reaction for a moment and then shook her head vigorously.

Unwanted goodbyes always come with regret and lingering feelings.

Even if she ended up failing to convince Kana and they parted ways, she wanted to enjoy this moment as much as possible to minimize those lingering regrets.

With a sigh, Joanie erased the sadness from her face and deliberately strolled energetically through the street.

***

What am I even doing?

I thought as I wandered through the kingdom’s streets, led by Joanie’s hand.

Honestly, I didn’t want to accept what Joanie was saying.

That she didn’t make plans to enjoy the festival with me just because she wanted to spend time with me…

I can’t be sure, but it’s probably not a lie.

But so what?

We’re living in different worlds anyway.

To them, I—and everyone else—are just NPCs in a game.

If it’s a relationship that will forever run parallel without ever converging, it’s better to cut things off here for both her sake and mine.

“…”

But then, why?

When I was about to refuse, I saw the long scar left on Joanie’s cheek, and I found myself accepting her offer without realizing it.

If what Edel said is true, it’s not even a real scar.

While struggling with questions that seemed to have no answer, I finally found my own.

‘…Because this is the last time.’

No matter what, since I’m the one who’s cutting ties without properly explaining why, I should at least show this much consideration.

That’s why I accepted her offer.

…Yeah, that must be it.

Even though I convinced myself of this answer, my heart still felt as heavy as a stone, as if it were being weighed down.

While I wandered aimlessly in the depths of this metaphorical sea, Joanie diligently explored the streets.

Sometimes she peeked around stalls selling sweet snacks, and other times, she stopped by places selling monster meat.

Now, she was browsing through a flower vendor’s stall.

“Wow—so there were flowers like these.”

— “They bloom only in the Great Forest. They’re called ‘Edel’s Footsteps’ since they only bloom at this time of the year.”

“Edel’s Footsteps… What a romantic name. Could you tell me its meaning in the language of flowers?”

— “It signifies the anticipation of a new meeting and the longing for those who have left. Here—take one.”

“Huh? You’re just giving it to me? Is it really okay for me to take it?”

— “I’m giving it because your sister is cute, so don’t worry about it.”

The vendor, who had been talking with Joanie, glanced over at us and lowered his voice.

— “Just make sure to reconcile with your sister. When it comes to kids that age, even if you did nothing wrong, it’s better to be the first one to make amends.”

“Ah, haha… Thanks for the advice.”

After finishing her conversation with the vendor, Joanie straightened her bent back and stood up.

— “Take care!”

“Thank you! I’ll definitely buy one next time!”

After that, we—or rather, Joanie—continued to enjoy the festival.

Whenever she saw something even remotely interesting, she would rush over to me to ask about it, only to go back looking dejected when I gave no reaction.

This cycle repeated until the sun, which had been gradually setting, finally disappeared completely.

Normally, this street would have been illuminated only by the faint lights leaking out from buildings. But even though it was night, the entire street was aglow, as bright as daylight.

Joanie moved to the side of the street, avoiding the passing crowds.

“Thank you, Kana. I had a lot of fun thanks to you.”

“…Yeah.”

Could it really have been fun, dragging around an unresponsive person like a wooden doll?

I squinted and studied her face, but there wasn’t the slightest hint of a lie.

We looked at each other for a moment, leaning on the lights of the street.

Just like when I first encountered an Apostle, the divine power of Edel enveloped Joanie, obscuring not just her presence, but even her face.

If I tried hard enough, I could just barely make out her features.

For a while after we met, I made no effort at all to look at her face.

But at some point, I found myself trying to catch a glimpse of her face. Sёarch* The ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The cat-like beauty gazed at me with an expression I couldn’t quite decipher.

Perhaps she could see me just fine without making any special effort.

Even in a trivial moment like this, where we were just looking at each other’s faces, I could feel the difference between us.

“Kana, did you have fun spending time with me?”

“…Yeah.”

“…Really? Then I’m glad.”

Joanie wore a faint smile.

“There’s a place I want to go. Will you stay with me until the end?”

I nodded silently.

I’d already kept her company this long; staying with her for a bit longer wouldn’t hurt.

Joanie, still holding my hand tightly, let go and began to walk somewhere.

We walked for quite a while, and once we left the bustling streets, she suddenly began climbing a hill under the moonlit sky.

Since it was only a small hill, we quickly reached the top, where a wide-open view greeted us.

So this is the place she wanted to go—

“Here?”

“Yeah. Celine told me about it. She said the view of the Descent Festival from this hill is beautiful.”

“…”

Sure enough, even though it was just a low hill, it was higher than the surroundings, and from the top, you could see the whole city spread out below.

Despite the pitch-black darkness of the night, the city was just as lively as it had been during the day.

We silently looked down at the city together, as if by mutual agreement.

As silence filled the air,

“…You know?”

Joanie broke the silence.

“When I was young, I couldn’t even dream of climbing a hill like this. Because I was really sick. The… priest even said that my life was at risk, that it was uncertain whether I’d survive.”