Ch.4214. What is a Festival? (2)

“I was wondering where you were, but I see you’re flirting again.”

Though not in armor but in casual clothes, he still looked quite rigid, perhaps due to his build.

Despite wearing just an ordinary linen shirt and plain brown pants, there was a certain dignity about him.

“Captain! You’re here!”

“Hey, who says I was trying to sneak in?!”

“So you really do like the Holy Maiden! It’s her chest that attracted you, isn’t it?”

Luke frowned.

“Watch your drunken mouth! Shut up and empty your glasses, you bastards!”

Hahahahaha!

Despite Luke’s irritation, the soldiers paid him no mind.

Alesia’s expression was worth seeing too.

“What? Really? Were you actually attracted to me?”

“Don’t even dream of it.”

“So you were attracted to my chest then?”

“Ugh, fine. Just have some more drinks, will you? And why are you tormenting someone who’s already exhausted?”

“Tormenting?! That’s quite an accusation! Ruel! Ruel! Have I been tormenting you? Hmm? Has big sister been tormenting you?!”

“…Not particularly.”

“See!”

“Anyone would give that answer when intimidated like that. Consider your own size when you threaten people.”

“You?! Are you insulting me for being manly? With the right clothes, I’ll have you know I’m quite popular up north! Big and strong! I’m prime marriage material! I’ve received over a dozen marriage proposals!”

“Then why not go back north instead of coming down south? Especially as it’s getting hotter.”

“Because it’s cold! Both my body and heart! And the people there are too savage!”

Hahahahaha!

Sister, your way with words!

…It was complete chaos.

Despite the inappropriate situation, they laughed and shouted, then got serious and cursed, then burst into laughter again, dancing and singing.

Absolute mayhem.

“Hey? Sleep with me tonight! I’ll tuck you in nicely. And take you to heaven while we’re at it. Hmm? Hmm? You can fall asleep nestled against my chest. How about it? Wouldn’t that feel nice?”

“Hey! You clueless man! She’s suggesting this! This!”

The drunk beside them, frustrated by the lack of understanding, made a circle with his thumb and index finger, then repeatedly inserted and withdrew a finger from the other hand through the hole.

“……Oh.”

By that point, even Kariel couldn’t help but catch on.

“Hey, mister! Are you crazy?! What are you teaching our innocent Ruel?!”

“Come on! Aren’t you a Holy Maiden?! Is it proper for a Holy Maiden to seduce and try to devour a young boy?!”

“A hundred drunks like you couldn’t even touch our Ruel’s hand before collapsing!”

“What?! Have you seen it?! Have you?!”

“I don’t need to see it to know! It’s crystal clear that you’re just a loud drunk who can’t even perform at night!”

“Are you done talking?! I thought you were a Holy Maiden! Looking at you again, you’re just a crazy woman! Crazy!”

“Are YOU done talking?!”

Oh, are they about to fight?

I watched anxiously for a moment.

“Hahahahaha!”

“That’s why I told you to drink less!”

Why…

Why are they now arm in arm, dancing together?

“The kid will love it! With those big boobs!”

“Not just the kid! All men fall head over heels for them!”

“Ooooooh!”

“Holy Maiden! I love you!”

“Hug me too!”

“Get lost, you ugly hook-nose!”

“Bwahahahaha!”

“How could you be so cruel as to mock someone’s appearance?!”

“My chest hurts more, you shameless bastard! How dare you handle a delicate woman like that!”

“Kehehehe! Kek! Kuk! I can’t breathe! Bring more alcohol!”

…Lewd jokes, appearance insults, and all manner of abuse.

Despite the increasingly inappropriate content, the soldiers and even nearby customers were clapping with joy, creating what amounted to a small festival.

“What? First time experiencing this kind of atmosphere? Are you some noble brat who’s never experienced this kind of rough camaraderie?”

Luke pulled up a chair and sat next to Kariel, asking this.

Even in the midst of all this, Kariel responded calmly.

“I was mostly taught to practice abstinence.”

“Who wasn’t? When you’re young, people above you always tell you what to do and what not to do. Especially if you’re aspiring to be a knight.”

“…Is it that obvious that I aspire to be a knight?”

Though it wasn’t something I chose to aspire to.

“Just your clothes and equipment alone aren’t things an ordinary commoner family could afford. Even for the wealthy, there’s a certain aura. That noble air, the naturally ingrained etiquette. The very fact that you find a place like this uncomfortable is already proof enough.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s because you’re young. You’ll get used to it with experience. Still, your skills are solid, which is why you’re still in one piece. Otherwise, unless you ran away from home, who would carelessly send their precious child who seems ignorant of the ways of the world on a remote journey? So you can take pride in that.”

“……Yes.”

Though we’re both nobles, our circumstances couldn’t be more different.

More importantly, it seems I’ve been misunderstood in a different way.

Luke spoke again.

“I’ve already gotten permission from home, so don’t waste money or impose on others. Come to our house.”

“By house, you mean the lord’s mansion, right?”

“Yes. It wasn’t very crowded to begin with, so it’s nice not to be lonely. And you won’t have to worry about being a burden.”

“……”

Kariel thought for a while before asking.

“Won’t I be a nuisance? It’s not that I lack money, so…”

“This isn’t the end of your journey, right? There are people who can guide you if you ask, and for nobles, networking is key, so it can’t hurt to know people. Ah, and I have people to introduce you to. We need to repay you, and it would be dishonorable for us to neglect our hospitality to a guest.”

“……”

This might be a bit troublesome.

But refusing here might raise suspicions in a different way.

It was clear he wasn’t offering hospitality with ulterior motives.

However, as a noble, politics inevitably becomes entangled in everything.

Since I might unintentionally cause harm or arouse suspicion, I should decline here…

“Then give us a room! I’m going to sleep there with Ruel!”

“…You really are something.”

At the Holy Maiden’s declaration, the soldiers responded with cheers and encouragement.

“Come on! We’ve had enough to drink, so let’s go! The sun’s about to set, right? Let’s go and get some rest!”

“I just got here!”

“Go and drink more!”

“I feel self-conscious! Wine doesn’t even suit my taste!”

“That’s because you don’t know the taste of wine. Or have you only had cheap stuff?”

“No, I prefer gulping drinks down my throat, so wine…”

“Then drink it that way too. Why make so many excuses when you earn plenty?”

“Do you know how expensive wine is?!”

“Then take a barrel of beer! Use me as an excuse!”

Excuse me, if you could just listen to me first…

But somehow, a atmosphere where refusal became difficult had formed.

And so.

“Phew!”

“……”

I ended up being dragged out with Alesia holding onto my side.

This is really… there’s no way to escape.

Despite being drunk, whenever I try to slip away even slightly, she clings to me like a ghost.

“Hehehehehe!”

“……”

The smell of alcohol and a woman’s distinctive scent sharply assaults my nostrils.

It feels like my mind is becoming half-dazed.

How should I put it, like being entranced by the atmosphere and getting drunk along with it?

It’s awkward in many ways.

And.

Constantly pressing that, what is it.

That, pressing her side bosom against my face is a bit… problematic.

====

After being dragged out of the tavern and walking for a while in the gentle night breeze, with some brief guidance along the way, it turned out to be a rather interesting stroll.

The central square with its fountain was already bustling with competition for spots due to festival preparations.

Luke seemed quite popular, as acquaintances frequently greeted him.

In the midst of this, he introduced Kariel and Alesia as well.

Kariel guessed that he might be trying to help them make impressions so they wouldn’t face difficulties when moving around the city later.

As dusk fell, shadows quickly descended upon the streets.

While the nights in the Imperial Capital were desolate enough, here it felt even more pronounced due to the lack of people outside the crowded areas.

The sight of soldiers patrolling in groups naturally passed by.

The lord’s mansion was located somewhat away from the city center, so the density of people and buildings decreased as they went.

After passing through forest paths and densely planted trees,

They climbed a wide, open hill path, and finally the lord’s mansion came into view.

The main gate and the small flag hung on the front of the mansion.

A white sword drawn with inverted lines placed in the upper left corner against a blue background.

This was the emblem of the Baroness family.

Though the mansion’s size and sophistication were smaller than his parents’ home in the Imperial Capital, the grounds were at least twice as large.

Just inside the low stone wall, there was a garden with a small fountain and minimal landscaping facing the mansion.

To the right were what appeared to be stables, storage areas, and outdoor training grounds.

In terms of scale, it was by no means small.

“My father and brother are away to welcome guests from the Eden Levan Regiment, so you can exchange greetings with them tomorrow morning.”

At Luke’s words, Alesia responded with unexpected relief.

“That’s fortunate. Even I would feel a bit awkward meeting them in this state.”

“That’s surprising. I thought you wouldn’t care at all.”

“If it were people from the church, I wouldn’t mind, but outsiders might find it hard to understand.”

“Wouldn’t the church scold you even more for such behavior?”

“If they want to criticize me, they should be holier than I am.”

“……”

That’s true, but somehow…

“If someone seems deeply devout, well-behaved, and pious at first glance, I’ll dress appropriately, so don’t worry about that.”

And so, Alesia entered the lord’s mansion as if it were her own home, still holding onto Kariel’s arm, and directed Luke to show them to their room.

“Sigh.”

Alesia and Kariel entered the room guided by a young butler.

The horses would be taken care of in the stables, so that wasn’t an issue.

Except for the important luggage, everything else had been sent ahead and had already arrived.

“They’re efficient, that’s nice.”

Most of it was Alesia’s luggage, though.

The room was reasonably spacious with a table and about three chairs, but with only one bed, the intention seemed clear.

None of this was really problematic, but still.

“Kariel. Don’t overthink things and let’s get a good rest tonight.”

“……”

Kariel stared suspiciously at Alesia, who had just extinguished the lamp.

“All that talk earlier about touching and pouncing on you was just their nonsense. Do you really think I’m that loose?”

“……”

“O-Okay, I do have some desire, but I’m… a woman who hasn’t even kissed a man yet. So that kind of suspicious look is a bit…”

Those eyes, gleaming like gold.

So clear even in this darkness.

Exceedingly beautiful.

But.

More than that, they seem like they might wither away so fleetingly, involuntarily making my heart clench.

‘You’re making me waver unnecessarily.’

Alesia swallowed hard but tried to ease the awkwardness with a forced cough.

“Ruel. When was the last time you got proper sleep?”

“…I’m not sure.”

Just closing my eyes when I could, I suppose?

A life without proper sleep has become my daily routine.

Fatigue constantly pulling down my eyelids and making my head foggy.

It’s truly familiar.

So.

It’s just a little difficult.

“Alright, come here.”

“……”

Alesia thought he looked like a frightened rabbit.

Or a fox cub.

Or a wolf pup.

Whatever he was, he looked like a frightened, fragile animal.

Yet even afraid to show his wariness.

“I told you. Even I’m not so tactless as to do something in this atmosphere.”

“……”

Kariel had no choice but…

“You should take that off. Are you going to sleep like that?”

“……”

That’s something to consider.

“…Okay, okay. Just come here. Hurry.”

And so.

They were lying down, but somehow Kariel ended up nestled against her chest.

Of course, not face-to-face, but with his back to her.

Given the clear difference in their builds, it looked like a younger brother being embraced from behind by an older sister.

“When it’s hard to fall asleep alone, sometimes just being together like this can be a big help. The children at the convent often said my embrace was as good as a lullaby.”

“Convent?”

“…Well, I was there at times.”

Her broad embrace was quite cozy, and the weight that explicitly enveloped his face from above and below was… how should I put it.

Even through the fabric, the substantial weight was clearly felt.

…Strangely, the softness within made his heart race involuntarily.

“I may not be able to make believers cry with just a touch of my hand like other children…”

But still.

“I can help like this, so don’t be anxious and rest well.”

After saying that, she truly said nothing more.

Time passed with only the sound of her gentle breathing.

If feeling her lungs expand and contract behind his head gave him some comfort…

…was that a bit strange?

“……”

Kariel suddenly thought.

Come to think of it, being embraced like this by someone, front and back, like today…

How long had it been?