Orencia Festival (1)

The basic menu seemed to be the same at any inn you go to.

As soon as the two sat down at the table, it wasn’t long before stew was served, along with a few slices of dark bread to eat with it.

Alec picked up his spoon while sneakily observing Yona’s expression.

Yona’s expression, after hearing those adventurers’ conversation, wasn’t very good, and consequently, Alec’s expression wasn’t particularly good either.

While the adventurers dismissed it as just talking nonsense over expensive meals, Yona and Alec couldn’t think of it so lightly, and that was the reason.

“Yona.”

“……”

“Yona, the stew is getting cold.”

Only after Alec urged her again did Yona seem to snap back to reality, glancing at Alec before picking up her spoon.

Even so, her expression was noticeably bewildered.

It seems certain that the conversation those adventurers were having had some effect on Yona.

Alec glanced at Yona’s face repeatedly while dipping bread in the stew broth.

Yona’s white face showed no particular expression.

But the hint of anxiety that could be seen there was so subtle that only someone like Alec, who had observed Yona closely for a long time, would notice it.

“Yona.”

“Yeah.”

“I think I know what you’re thinking, but no.”

“…What?”

Yona also picked up a piece of bread and soaked it in the broth.

While doing so, she poured a glass of milk from the pot and pushed it towards Alec.

“That thing, that sacred place or whatever. The water deity’s sacred place or whatever it was. It’s none of our business. You understand what I mean?”

“I know. I wasn’t thinking about that.”

“You weren’t? I’ve been with you for 3 years, do you think I wouldn’t know what you’re thinking?”

Alec bit into the bread and gulped down the milk.

And Yona silently watched him do so.

“…Yeah, actually I was thinking maybe we should go check it out. After all, I’m—”

“A cleric. Right?”

Yona closed her mouth at Alec’s words, which cut off and interrupted her own.

Despite interrupting like that, Alec didn’t say anything more and just kept eating his stew.

It was as Alec said.

Yona had a strange stubbornness about being a cleric.

Whether it was strange or not — the standard for that was purely Alec’s, but compared to his values, Yona’s stubbornness about being a cleric was quite strong.

Even when everyone thought she was a woman with a strange head for saying weird things like she was a man and came from another world, there was a reason why everyone still liked Yona despite that.

Despite being a healer who wasn’t particularly treated well in the cathedral, she prided herself on being a cleric, and acted in a way befitting that title.

She didn’t abandon those in hardship, she cared for those in distress, and she didn’t pass by those in pain.

While bestowing the best mercy she could, she would say it was natural because she was a cleric, that this was how she was taught, and no one disliked Yona for saying such things.

That’s why even though she said such nonsense — it was serious talk from Yona’s perspective, but everyone just laughed it off to that extent.

Because Yona was like that, Alec could be certain that Yona would be thinking that way.

“Yeah. Because I’m a cleric.”

“I thought so.”

Yeah, I thought so.

Alec pretended to be nonchalant on the outside and didn’t show it.

“But at least not now. Not now. If you say you want to go now, I can’t go with you.”

Yona silently looked at Alec as he said this.

Alec wouldn’t say this for no reason.

If Alec is saying this, there must be some reason.

Yona wanted to hear that reason.

“I’ve decided. Yona, I want to enjoy this festival with you. There are only two days left of this festival, so you can wait that much, can’t you? Right? After this festival ends, just after we enjoy this festival. Then I’ll go with you.”

As far as reasons go, it was one Yona hadn’t thought of at all, hadn’t expected.

Wanting to enjoy the festival, wanting to enjoy the festival with Yona — she wondered if that could really be a reason.

“That’s the reason?”

“Yes. That’s the reason. Isn’t it a very valid reason?”

Alec wiped the plate that had contained the stew clean with bread, pushed it into his mouth, and stared at Yona.

Alec’s black eyes were directed at Yona without even a moment’s hesitation, as if he really thought so.

Yona was at a loss for words at Alec’s expression.

Festival — Yona doesn’t dislike festivals either. Aside from liking or disliking, she’s curious because she’s never experienced a festival before.

“Okay, I got it. After the festival, after we enjoy the festival. Then, that sacred place or whatever it was… anyway, that pond place, let’s go check it out. Just to see what’s going on. And then let’s go look for Kaiyak.”

“Since it’s on our way anyway.”

“Right. Since it’s on our way anyway.”

Alec nodded at Yona’s words.

Like Alec, Yona also wiped the empty stew plate clean with a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth.

It was delicious.

After finishing dinner like that and returning to the room, the sunset was already settling in as if the sun was about to set.

In the room she returned to with Alec, Yona opened the closed window.

The sound of an unknown bird calling could be heard in the distance, and as if responding to it, another bird cried out.

Meanwhile, smoke was rising from chimneys lined up in the residential area far from the shopping district, perhaps preparing for dinner, and in between, the shouting of children could be heard from the entrance of alleys.

The village on the verge of the festival had become a grand festival venue in itself.

In this village pulsating with excitement and anticipation, joy and thrill coexisting, there was no trace of darkness on people’s faces, and because of that, laughter echoed endlessly, while the voices and shouts of people in bars and restaurants created a nostalgic scenery like dust accumulated on staircases.

“Alec.”

Yona, standing by the window looking down at the scene, suddenly called out Alec’s name.

And without deviating an inch from her expectation—

“Yeah?”

Alec’s voice was heard.

“I just felt like calling you.”

In fact, she didn’t really have anything particular to say.

While Yona was looking out the window, darkness began to settle on the streets.

The shadows that stretched long in every alley were swallowed by the faint darkness, their boundaries gradually blurring, until they finally merged into one mass of darkness.

The deep orange sunset light gradually became murky and eventually turned into darkness as well.

Yona, who had been looking out at this scene, stepped back and closed the window.

When she closed the window, even the sunset light that had been streaming in disappeared.

The room was instantly plunged into darkness.

Only when Alec lit a candle did the room brighten up.

“I’m going to wash up.”

Yona said in a nonchalant voice as she approached her bed and rummaged through her backpack.

Pulling out washed underwear — one pair of panties and a piece of cotton cloth, Yona rolled them up and headed towards the bathroom.

Alec just watched Yona’s back without saying anything.

‘I made a resolution, but…’

Only after Yona entered the bathroom and the sound of the door locking was heard did Alec lie down on his bed.

The inn, built by joining wood, didn’t seem to have any finishing on the ceiling, as the joining of the wood was visible, and Alec looked up at those pieces of wood, lost in thought.

That was Alec’s current worry.

Honestly, looking at the tattoo itself, it’s not particularly problematic.

Just as Yona having a tattoo doesn’t make her not Yona, Yona is Yona and that’s enough.

How many years has it been since he left the church territory under a seal?

And after wandering like that, he met Yona, but Alec hadn’t expected to have his heart stolen like this.

‘I guess I have no choice but to go according to the plan.’

He spent time in the church territory, and also spent time as an adventurer.

During that time, he had virtually no experience with women, and as a result, it all came down to this worry.

He had made a plan of sorts.

But that might be too harsh on Yona.

‘…Will it be okay?’

It will be a big shock to Yona.

If he goes according to that plan, if he really proceeds according to that plan, it will come as a very big shock to Yona.

But he couldn’t think of a better method than that plan.

He had thought about slowly taking steps and developing a good relationship besides that, but it’s still impossible.

It’s impossible no matter how you think about it for Alec, who hasn’t even talked to women much let alone dated, to seduce Yona.

Wasn’t that line he threw at Yona quite a masterpiece for Alec?

That the pretty thing he sees every day is Yona.

That line was one Alec had thrown out after mustering up a lot of courage.

But after being thoroughly laughed at by Yona, he doesn’t know what to do from now on.

He doesn’t understand women’s hearts, let alone women themselves.

So he didn’t know where to start or how to proceed.

It was good that he made a bold resolution, the momentum was really good.

But where should he start and how should he proceed?

‘…There’s no better way than this.’

One of Yona’s problems, in Alec’s opinion, was her delusion that she was originally a man.

He learned through this incident that it wasn’t a delusion — no, but still, that’s not proof that Yona was really a man, is it?

Maybe it’s just magic that changes anyone to the opposite gender when cast, after all.

Then, regardless of whether she was originally a man or not, shouldn’t he start by making her realize that she’s a woman now—

Yona probably doesn’t dislike Alec either, that’s for sure.

If not, if she disliked Alec, there’s no way they would have traveled together for nearly 3 years, so it must be like that.

So it was certain that this festival was an opportunity.

The sound of water could be heard, indicating that Yona had started washing.

As that sound of water was heard, Alec’s worries only deepened.