Ch.70Chapter 70 – Origin Festival (4)

“Miss Cara, please try this.”

“Sure.”

“Miss Cara, try this too.”

“Okay.”

“Miss Cara, here.”

“Mm.”

Cara accepted everything she was given.

Though her speech was rough and impolite, she seemed unable to refuse Christina, who approached with a smiling face, and just quietly accepted whatever was offered.

And before long, she started sticking close to Christina.

‘I guess they get along better than I expected.’

Thanks to this, although we initially planned to just sample one signature dish at each place while walking around, we ended up sitting down at one restaurant and ordering various dishes.

Of course, Christina and Cara were the ones eating.

I was amazed at how much food those slender bodies could hold.

“This is delicious.”

“Isn’t it?”

Christina chewed her meat with a happy face.

Beside her, Cara was also chewing meat with an equally happy expression.

Watching them, Sera smiled slightly and said,

“You two really look like sisters.”

I felt the same when I first saw Cara, but putting them side by side, they really did look like sisters.

From behind, they had almost identical hair color and style, which made the resemblance even stronger.

Of course, they couldn’t actually be sisters.

Christina’s eyes were blue, while Cara’s were red.

Before long, they finished the meat dishes, and Christina looked at Cara.

“Miss Cara, was it delicious?”

“Yes. Not bad.”

Cara said with a smile.

But soon her expression darkened.

“…I’d like to walk around together a bit more, but I think someone will be coming to look for me soon.”

It seemed like it was time for her to go.

Her body was similar to Christina’s, but her mental age might be a bit younger.

“Is it your parents?”

“No. I’m an orphan, so I don’t have parents.”

Cara said softly.

Christina also smiled gently.

“I’m the same.”

“…It seems we have a lot in common, you and I.”

Cara and Christina looked at each other and smiled.

“But if you have time, would you like to walk around together a bit more?”

“…I can’t. I’ll be scolded quite severely when that person arrives.”

“That’s true, but…”

Christina, still smiling, opened her mouth.

“Couldn’t we just stay together until that person comes?”

“…Would that be alright?”

“Yes. I’m sure Miss Sera and my benefactor would be fine with it.”

When Christina said this with a smile, Cara immediately turned her head toward Sera and me.

I could see Sera nodding with a smile.

Me? Thanks to my helmet, I didn’t need to smile.

Still, I thought I should set some conditions.

“As long as you speak politely.”

“…I’ll try.”

Since I didn’t particularly mind, I gave permission.

And so we gained an unexpected companion.

+

Despite our sudden companion, our activities didn’t change much.

We were just spending our free time walking around and sampling desserts to help Christina relax anyway.

Of course, today we planned to return earlier than yesterday.

We had agreed to start winter preparations with Sera.

Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, Christina was walking closely with Cara.

And Cara seemed to be enjoying herself, smiling faintly.

“Are you having fun, Miss Cara?”

“Ah, no.”

Cara quickly composed her expression.

But Christina had already noticed.

“I’m glad. I was worried earlier because you looked so gloomy.”

“Me?”

“Yes. And it felt like you were forcing yourself to maintain your expression.”

I couldn’t tell, but Christina had apparently been observing Cara closely.

At her words, Cara lowered her head for a moment.

“…That’s my teacher’s teaching.”

“What kind of teaching?”

“To become perfect, one must be able to discard even emotions.”

Cara spoke quietly.

“Joy and sorrow are ultimately temporary and unnecessary things that change freely, and to finally go to God’s side, one must abandon them.”

God, huh.

It was a term I didn’t particularly like, but I decided not to show it.

After all, the Origin Festival was ultimately a religious celebration, and it wasn’t strange for participants to be religious.

At Cara’s words, Christina’s expression turned slightly sad.

“That’s a teaching I find hard to understand.”

“Are you saying that person is wrong?”

“They must have their reasons for saying so.”

Christina looked at Cara with a smile.

“But is it wrong to feel joy in joyful moments? Would God give us something useless?”

“God might be testing us.”

“Or maybe He wanted to gift us emotions.”

Just then, what appeared to be a mother and child passed by in front of us.

We could see the mother wrapping a scarf around her shivering child.

“From the gods’ perspective, aren’t we like their children? As a parent, they might have wanted to give their children as much as possible.”

“Isn’t that a stretch?”

“Maybe it is.”

Christina smiled at Cara.

“But feelings like ‘joy’ and ‘happiness’ can only be felt because we have emotions. I think it’s because of emotions that people cherish joyful and happy moments and can be grateful to God.”

Christina said with a smile.

Cara thought for a moment and then spoke softly.

“…Still, not every day is joyful. There are sad and difficult days too.”

“If there are sad and difficult days, doesn’t that make the happy and joyful days more special because we understand their value?”

Christina said, tapping her chest.

Of course, hitting flat ground doesn’t create waves.

“So I don’t think you need to forcibly deny your own emotions. I believe your teacher’s teachings must have some meaning, so I hope I’m not being disrespectful.”

Christina said, making a small prayer gesture, and Cara seemed lost in thought.

“…Well, I don’t think it needs to be complicated.”

“What are you saying, helmet?”

Cara immediately glared at me slightly.

She keeps smiling at Christina but glaring at me—how unfair.

Regardless, I voiced my thoughts.

“I just think you should do your best in each moment. When you’re happy, just enjoy it happily. When you’re sad, cry. When you need to suppress your emotions a bit, do that. Isn’t that enough?”

“We can’t live forever anyway.”

Sera added at the end.

After considering our words from various angles, Cara chuckled.

“What carefree people.”

Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.

“…Still, it’s good to know there are such perspectives.”

Cara murmured softly.

By now, the crowd had grown even larger than before, and we were making our way through it.

Fearing we might get separated, Christina was practically hugging Cara, Sera was holding Christina’s hand, and I was holding Sera’s other hand.

“At this rate, tomorrow’s ceremony will have even more people.”

“I think so too.”

“You said you won’t be coming tomorrow, right?”

Christina knew the situation but asked once more.

She looked very disappointed.

“That’s right.”

“It can’t be helped, it would be dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

Cara suddenly showed interest and asked.

“Helmet, did you do something bad?”

“Not at all. Some strange people are after me, so I’m being cautious.”

“Strange people? I would have thought you’d just beat up most of them.”

What does she think of me?

…But somehow I couldn’t deny it.

“Even that has its limits. It’s a pretty powerful church, so I think it’s best if I just avoid them.”

At my words, Cara’s eyes widened slightly.

Soon she asked quietly.

“…Could it be the Emiris Church?”

“Well…”

At my response, Cara’s expression darkened a bit.

I tried to deflect, but it seems I failed.

She must have figured it out.

“Come on, let’s stop with the dark talk. We need to prepare for winter too.”

“…Right.”

Cara thought for a moment and then looked at Christina.

“Do you wish they wouldn’t come?”

“I’d like to ask them to come, but I understand their situation.”

Christina smiled a bit ruefully.

Then she looked at me for a moment before speaking again.

“…I was bullied by people from that big church. That’s when my benefactor here saved me.”

“What?”

Cara looked at me in surprise.

“Why?”

“…I see you in a slightly different light now.”

What exactly does she think of me?

I was too tired to point it out, so I turned my gaze away.

Various people’s heads came into view, and I just let my eyes wander over them.

There was blonde hair, red hair, unusual blue hair, and long black hair…

“What’s that?”

For a moment, I thought I saw long black hair.

It looked like Beatrice’s hair.

‘Damn.’

I quickly looked around, but I had already lost sight of it.

I searched the crowd for a while.

In the end, I couldn’t find the black hair I had seen earlier.

‘Was it my imagination?’

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Sera seemed worried and asked, so I reassured her.

“Hey.”

“What?”

Cara suddenly called me, so I looked at her.

“…Could I ask you for a favor too?”

“To come to the festival tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

Cara had a slightly sad look in her eyes.

“I’d like you to be by Christina’s side, at least during the blessing ceremony when the saint speaks.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Cara looked at Christina and said,

“Christina said she’d like that too. And even if you’re worried about friction with that big church, they won’t act rashly during the blessing ceremony. Wouldn’t it be fine?”

Cara spoke to me with a strange fervor.

‘What should I do?’

I had planned to stay completely away tomorrow to avoid any entanglement with the Emiris Church.

“…Is it not possible?”

With her hands clasped together and a face that looked like she might cry, Cara looked at Sera and me.

Somehow she reminded me of an abandoned cat, and I averted my gaze slightly.

“Please. Though we just met today, I’m begging you.”

“…What should we do?”

Sera also looked at me with a troubled expression.

Christina too looked at both of us with a troubled face.

She’s not a child, but when she pleads like that, it’s hard to refuse.

‘But going there is also difficult…’

I couldn’t go because it was dangerous, but as we were looking at each other awkwardly, unable to refuse the innocent girl’s sincere request—

“Lady Cara, so this is where you were.”

At the sudden voice, we turned around to see a man standing there.

He had white hair and a kind smile.

His clothes were worn and ordinary, like something a rural farmer might wear.

Seeing his face, Cara sighed.

It seemed the moment of parting had come.

“I didn’t expect you to come fetch me yourself.”

“Yes. For Lady Cara, I must endure this much.”

His manner of speech was very respectful.

Cara looked about the same age as Christina, yet this old man spoke to her with such deference—perhaps Cara was of higher status than I thought.

Could she be nobility?

‘I should watch my language.’

I hadn’t really said anything harsh, but I felt a bit self-conscious.

I should be more careful with my words.

Meanwhile, the man approached me and spoke.

“So you’ve been taking care of our Lady Cara?”

“Well, sort of.”

“Thank you. I will take care of Lady Cara now.”

The man bowed politely, so I nodded in return.

After nodding, I couldn’t help but look at the man a bit strangely.

“…What about your hand?”

“Ah, this?”

The man raised his arm.

At first glance it looked like a normal hand, but it wasn’t.

“It’s a prosthetic made with golem technology. Quite impressive, isn’t it?”

An arm that looked like it was attached directly from a mannequin.

It was a prosthetic.

Sera and Christina looked at the arm with pity.

Cara showed no particular reaction, as if she already knew about it.

“What happened to it?”

“A dog bit it off.”

The man said with a grin.

“Really, such a vicious dog that I had to give up one arm.”

“So you got that prosthetic…”

“Yes. But thanks to some remarkable people around me, it doesn’t hinder my activities at all.”

The man smiled as if it really didn’t bother him.

“Thank you for your concern. You three are truly kind people.”

“Well, I’m not really…”

I felt awkward at the unexpected compliment.

I was about to look away.

“Then let me offer you some advice as a token of gratitude.”

The man said with a smile.

“You should learn when to cut things off and when to discard them. Whether it’s a human life or your own emotions.”

“What?”

“Well, we must be going now.”

Before I could ask more, the man turned his back.

He walked toward Cara, then seemed to remember something and spoke.

“By the way, you know about the saint’s blessing ceremony tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Good.”

The man said with a smile.

“Please come and see it. An enjoyable festival is planned.”

With just those words, the man grabbed Cara’s arm, and Cara obediently followed him.

“See you next time, Miss Cara.”

“…I hope so.”

Slowly, the two of them left us.

“Will we be able to meet again?”

“I think so, Chris. Cara seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“…I suppose so. She even made such an unreasonable request.”

Sera answered Christina’s question.

Meanwhile, all I could do was watch the two people walking away.

I felt a bit sorry for Cara as she left.

And I had an ominous feeling about that man.

+

“Phew, this is troublesome.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.”

The man replied with a smile.

“Will there be punishment?”

“I only punish you when necessary, not unnecessarily.”

“I see.”

The man spoke with a smile, and Cara responded somewhat glumly.

“By the way, you looked like you were enjoying yourself?”

“…Is that not allowed?”

“It’s not. I understand, but it’s not.”

The man answered lightly.

“…I just had a thought.”

“Yes?”

“If my mother were alive, I wondered if she might have been like that woman, Christina.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Cara unconsciously looked back again.

The people they had parted from were no longer visible, but she had hoped they might be following.

Of course, they weren’t.

Feeling slightly disappointed, Cara spoke.

“I’m lacking in my training.”

“Yes. You must train every day.”

“…I want to ask you something.”

When Cara looked at the man, he smiled down at her.

“If I continue like this, will God allow me to meet my parents again?”

“In the afterlife, yes, I believe so.”

“…I see.”

“As I’ve told you before, you must do what pleases God. To do that, you must become a perfect saint.”

The man looked down at Cara, still smiling.

“To become perfect, you must cut away everything unnecessary.”

“…Yes.”

“Only perfect beings can approach God. If you become such a being, you might meet your parents again in the afterlife.”

Cara nodded at the man’s words.

“Yes. I need to regain my resolve.”

“Then let’s prepare for tomorrow. You’ll be busy.”

The man said with a smile.

“You’ll be busy too.”

“Indeed. Especially with dangerous things like this around.”

The man took something out from his pocket.

It was a pouch containing fire stones.

“…What is that?”

“I found it by chance while looking for you, Lady Cara. These things were scattered all over.”

The man said with a smile.

“It seems someone plans to disrupt tomorrow’s event, so after I escort you back, I intend to search thoroughly and collect them all.”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

Cara said this and thought for a moment.

“We can’t let the festival be ruined. Innocent people would get hurt.”

“Indeed, wise words.”

“Ah, and there’s one more thing I want to make clear.”

“I’m listening.”

When the man showed an attentive attitude, Cara looked at him.

“Tomorrow. Tell everyone not to cause any disturbance.”

“By disturbance, you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

Cara thought for a moment and then spoke.

“…The nun I met today said she was bullied by church people before. As soon as we arrived here, I heard pleas to ensure the Holy Kingdom people don’t cause trouble.”

“That’s…”

“If we’re discarding unnecessary things, surely such disturbances should be discarded too. You don’t condone that, do you?”

When Cara glared at him, the man shook his head.

“Of course not. I’ll caution everyone.”

“Make sure they follow my special order. Tell them that anyone who disobeys will be considered as bringing shame to my face, and they will face consequences.”

“As you command.”

Soon the man made a formal, slight bow.

A respectful standing bow.

Cara received it with an expressionless face.

“Shall we go, Saint of the Emiris Church?”

“Yes.”

The church’s saint, Cara, nodded.

“Know that I’m always grateful for your guidance, Somnus.”

“Thank you.”

As Cara walked ahead, receiving Somnus’s bow, Somnus murmured quietly.

“…Well then, shall we make use of those cute little ones?”

Somnus smiled, looking at the pouch of fire stones in his hand, saying he might have to work late tonight.