Ch.117117. Festival (4)

Sione stood in front of the dazed Lavi Cournel.

“Who are you…?”

The empty eyes turned toward my master, who was hiding her appearance in a long robe.

Sione lifted her deeply pulled-down robe slightly to show her face.

“My lady?”

“Commander of the 2nd Magic Unit of the Marquisate of Allenar, Lady Lavi Cournel. I apologize for coming to you so suddenly with this matter… but might I request your assistance?”

“Assistance?”

“I’ve found a woman harboring Magia. From her appearance, she seems to be hurrying somewhere. I wish to follow her…”

“What…?”

Of course, Sione continued with words about how Lavi belonged to a Marquisate, not a County, and that there would be no problem if she refused her request.

But Lavi Cournel showed no sign of hearing Sione’s following words.

Understandably so. The second daughter of the County suddenly appears while she’s absentmindedly enjoying the festival and asks for help tracking someone who appears to be a cultist. It would be difficult to comprehend.

What is the County of Sianella anyway? The magical border beside the Beltrin Mountains.

The church directly under the papal authority that monitors the magical border is filled with excellent priests and holy knights. They regularly patrol the territory along with the guards belonging to the County.

Even for members of the Sianella family, those people are particularly good at sniffing out the scent of demons. How on earth could they have sneaked into this territory?

Even I wonder how those cultist bastards are breathing here. It’s no surprise that Lavi would react that way.

I followed behind Sione and lowered my hood.

Lavi’s tired eyes widened as she saw my face emerging from the hood.

“It’s been a while.”

As I bowed my head in greeting, Lavi looked back and forth between me and Sione.

“My lady, could I hear more details about what you just mentioned?”

“We don’t have much time, so I’ll explain briefly.”

Sione quickly summarized the current situation, occasionally glancing at the cultist behind her.

Perhaps because of the status gap between a County and a Viscounty, even though Sione spoke somewhat humbly while explaining the situation, Lavi didn’t seem particularly bothered.

The conversation ended with Lavi nodding in agreement with Sione’s opinion.

Lavi also advised that rather than immediately following her, perhaps it would be better to gather some soldiers from the area, but in the end, after a brief discussion, she agreed with Sione’s subsequent words. The decisive factor was the cultist beginning to move, apparently joining someone.

They too were mages belonging to the Marquisate that had slaughtered demons adapted to the bitter cold that filled the northern part of the kingdom, and seized the blood-stained land.

Those who inherited their spirit and legitimacy would not easily overlook anything related to cultists.

Moreover, with magical assistance available, they seemed to have judged that they could certainly help with tracking, if not combat.

‘That’s fortunate at least.’

Even if some skirmishes were to occur, being battle mages of a Marquisate…

With Lavi and these several mages, they wouldn’t be in much danger even if someone fairly skilled showed up.

“Sigh…”

I really just came out to enjoy the festival. Why does the story always flow this way?

Either I or Sione must be cursed. These troublesome matters always get entangled in the stories she follows.

Especially Sione. She has a talent for making already troublesome matters even bigger.

This time we managed to get through it somehow, but when we return to her room, I should give her a good talking to.

Tell her to stop thinking about impulsively getting involved in dangerous situations like this. If possible, I plan to tattle on Sione’s reckless tendencies to Ainel as well.

‘Well, still.’

With this many people accompanying us, I can worry a little less about this foolish Sione’s well-being.

No, it would be much more effective and safer than digging into them with mediocre combat priests or soldiers.

As the demon worshippers began to move, Sione pulled her hood down deeply again and spoke.

“Thank you so much for accepting my sudden and unreasonable request. I will ensure proper compensation after returning to the Count’s residence.”

Of course, Sione also promised compensation afterward.

Certainly, since she was borrowing the power of the Marquisate’s mages rather than the County’s forces.

Moreover, since they were helping with such a troublesome matter, it would be proper to give them appropriate compensation.

Lavi nodded in response to her words.

“Understood. If we all move together, they’ll easily notice us, so you three should follow separately.”

The most reliable Lavi ended up guarding me and Sione.

The three mages who were with her formed another team.

That’s how our journey began.

The goal was to follow them and collect even the smallest bit of information. Learning about their schemes or hideout would be the best outcome, but simply catching their trail would be enough.

If we made no progress after following them for a while or if we were discovered, we planned to extract information through interrogation. Lavi would be responsible for subduing them in case of emergency.

The other team decided to take a different route, while our team—me, Sione, and Lavi—would follow directly behind them.

We immediately began walking along the same street the cultists had taken.

“…So we’ve ended up in the red-light district.”

“It seems they’re heading toward the slums… this red-light district is the closest to the slums after all.”

Sione laughed awkwardly at my words.

Soon after, she and Lavi began to focus again on the cultists’ movements ahead.

I slipped behind them, using them as a screen to block the hellish scene unfolding before me as much as possible.

Nevertheless, I could only pray to escape the red-light district as quickly as possible, turning my eyes away from the unpleasant voices and glimpses of demonic figures.

* * *

“The slums. This is my first time coming here…”

The slums.

The most shabby and dangerous place even within the sturdy walls of the County.

This desolate place was extremely bleak, unlike the not-so-distant central district.

For these people, the territory’s anniversary day would be nothing but deception by the privileged.

Those who sustained their lives here were absorbed in finding warmth to survive the cold winter, rather than indulging in the festival’s excitement.

For me, Lavi Cournel, this was a familiar scene.

“…It’s worse than I expected.”

But it seems this was unfamiliar to the lady.

A deep concern appeared on the lady’s face.

She couldn’t move easily.

Caught by the gazes of many people around—the gazes visible through the holes in the shabby houses—she stood frozen.

However, as if the slums’ scenery wasn’t unfamiliar to me, I naturally faced it and simply moved forward, speaking to help the lady advance.

“My lady, the slums are known as a place where those who didn’t get opportunities gather and struggle for survival.”

“…?”

“But the truth is a bit different. Most people here aren’t those who didn’t get opportunities, but those who kicked away the opportunities they had. Most of them decided to stay here of their own accord.”

“Lady Lavi Cournel, that means…”

“There’s no need for sympathy. The people here are fugitives who turned their backs on effort and gave up on labor, ending up hiding in these shabby houses.”

“…”

“Have you heard of the Viscounty of Cournel, my lady?”

The lady remained silent.

“It must be unfamiliar. My family is a fallen house. Shamefully, I spent quite a long time in the slums when I was young. That’s when I realized.”

“…”

“The only innocent ones here are the pure-eyed children who still dream, or those with desperate looks before they embrace complete despair. Even they eventually learn to steal and fight, and in the end, their eyes too become murky and empty.”

I scanned the people in the slums with a cold gaze.

Those who stealthily glanced at us—their eyes were all dead black. They are nothing but worthless pebbles in the mud.

“Even until autumn, they’re just weak people who didn’t prepare for winter. There’s no need to worry too deeply about those who couldn’t overcome, or never even thought of overcoming. People in the slums get many opportunities. They simply ignored those opportunities. Look at them.”

The eyes of those looking at us were all predictable.

Just as I said, all murky or empty. Not a single proper person among them.

They were all just broken people who couldn’t overcome.

“My lady, feeling sympathy is unavoidable, but it would be troublesome if it slows our pace. Though I’ve expressed it extremely, I hope my words don’t let them weigh on your heart.”

“…I understand. Let’s move.”

We followed those who were said to emanate Magia in silence for a while.

I glanced back slightly. I heard she was of common birth—perhaps that’s why. Unlike the lady, her dedicated attendant seemed familiar with it all, like me. She was following behind, taking in the surroundings as if it was nothing unusual.

I exhaled a breath—haah—into the cold winter air and thought of my past self.

When I was born, my family had already fallen. My parents passed away when I was young, and I was left alone.

Wandering alone through the slums, I met a woman.

An aged sorceress who had settled in a shabby room in the slums.

Following my master’s teachings, I began learning magic—young Lavi Cournel, dreaming impossible dreams.

I was curious from childhood, and magic became my most interesting toy and dream.

I was happy when learning magic. A miracle unfolding over my hands! I still can’t forget the day I first learned to create fire from my master.

Of course, there were many difficult days too.

Being the descendant of a completely fallen noble family, the Cournel name wasn’t much of a shield.

I was beaten many times just for having noble blood. Many times I had my hard-earned coins stolen in the central district.

In the end, even when my only family, my master, was unjustly killed by slum thugs, I didn’t lose my dream and overcame it.

The idea that being born in the slums or sustaining life there means this is your fate is nonsense. I am living proof that all these adverse environments can be overcome. Who would dare utter such weak words?

The slums are just an abyss for those who don’t dream, don’t make any effort, and don’t even think of overcoming.

They’re just fools who want to climb out of the abyss but make no effort.

Even if you’re not fortunate enough to have talent in magic like me, or blessed with the luck to join a Marquisate’s unit.

If you try hard enough.

Even if not in the central district, it’s not impossible to set up a decent shop in the outskirts or live an ordinary life like a tenant farmer.

“Sigh…”

I just hate the slums. I hate the people in the slums too.

I’m just focusing on tracking those villains as per the lady’s request, trying to forget that the place surrounding me is the slums.

* * *

I have no idea how long we’ve been walking.

Once we started tracking, I never thought we’d end up right in front of the high walls beyond the slums.

Sione was deep in thought after Lavi’s words, and Lavi had come this far with even her footsteps silenced.

It was truly a suffocating atmosphere.

Anyway, as a result of tracking them.

“There are many of them. And every single one emanates Magia.”

We were able to find the demon worshippers gathered in front of the wall.

That wasn’t all we could see. A circular magic formation engraved on the wall.

Not being well-versed in magic, I don’t know what kind of technique is embedded in it, but judging by Lavi’s hardening expression, it’s not something trivial.

We’ve successfully tracked them and discovered the secret activities of these bastards at the wall.

Now we just need to go back and report to Ainel.

Just as I thought that.

A hoarse female voice came from behind.

“Tsk. There were some rats following our comrades.”

Four female cultists who had caught us from behind.

Judging by how they’re each drawing their weapons, combat seems unavoidable.

“…We’ve been followed. They all harbor Magia too.”

I placed my hand on my sword hilt and squeezed out words mixed with lamentation.

“…I’ll handle this.”

Seeing Sione nod slightly, I—

Shing!

Quickly drew my sword and without hesitation slashed the chest of a woman who had approached within close range.

This sword, a gift from Eunice Kallia, can cut through even tough orc hide. It forged cold death as it drank black blood.

Thud.

The cultist, deeply cut across the chest, collapsed instantly, and I rushed toward those drawing their weapons behind her.

“Hup!”

Exhaling a short breath, I swung my sword horizontally.

In the trajectory swept by the wide crescent was another demon worshipper’s neck.

“You… you…!”

A red line appeared on her neck.

Soon after, she fell, clutching her neck tightly with both hands.

‘Two more ahead.’

To slip away quietly, I just need to quickly deal with those two before they open their mouths and cause a commotion.

Looking at those visibly tense before me, I smiled self-mockingly.

At this rate, it won’t be a happy festival for everyone, but only a festival of blood.

Life truly is a series of trials.