Chapter 22: See You Soon
by fnovelpia
A short while later, various sounds came from inside the fitting room.
The rustling of fabric, the clinking of hangers, soft, delicate breaths.
“…Mm.”
And then—
A very faint, almost shy laugh.
The shop assistant’s quiet voice could also be heard.
“Arms up, that’s it.”
“……”
“Hmm, it’s a little big. It’s fine— it’ll fit just right with an undershirt.”
“……”
“How is it? Not uncomfortable, is it?”
A slow, cautious breath sounded.
Perhaps she nodded, or maybe she was turning slightly to examine herself.
“……”
“Okay, seems like it’s fine.”
The rustling stopped, and the soft brushing of fabric suggested something was being adjusted.
“Alright, all done.”
“……”
“Should I open the curtain?”
A brief silence passed.
Then— Carefully, ever so slowly, the curtain was drawn aside.
Inside, a child in a pale green dress timidly peeked out.
Slightly embarrassed, clutching the hem of the dress tightly with both hands.
“……”
She didn’t say a word, but when our eyes met, she lowered her head slightly.
And then, very slowly—
She raised her gaze to look at me.
The child’s face,
It was as red as the sky just before sunrise.
“…Oh.”
“……”
I stared at her intently.
Or rather, at her dress.
Was the size right?
Would it be uncomfortable when moving?
Was it warm enough to wear even in winter?
My eyes naturally drifted— to the cuffs, the hem of the dress, and down to her ankles.
“……!” “Hmm…”
As I scrutinized it, an indignant voice came from the child.
“Seriously! Aren’t you supposed to say something?!”
“…Say something?”
The shop assistant huffed and nodded firmly.
“Of course! She’s dressed so prettily— if you don’t give her any praise, she’ll be so disappointed!”
“…I see.”
I looked at the child again.
Small hands gripping the hem of the dress, a trembling smile at the corners of her lips.
Her face was even redder than before.
For just a moment, it almost seemed like tears were welling up.
“Praise…”
I slowly approached the child.
Without a word, I knelt down, matching her eye level.
Then, I gently smoothed out the hem of her dress.
“Pretty. It suits you well.”
“……”
The child’s eyes widened.
Her expression was so stunned I could practically see the child holding her breath.
Soon after— their ears flushed bright red.
“Do you like it?”
“……”
The child pressed her lips together tightly, then gave a small, careful nod.
With a soft smile, I patted her head.
“Good. Then let’s get it.”
“……!”
The child’s eyes grew round. Then, slowly… very slowly, the corners of their mouth lifted.
It was an extremely cautious, bashful smile.
But even that tiny change made her expression glow a little warmer.
From behind, the old man’s laughter rang out.
“My, my, seems like she is happy.”
“Right? Adorable.”
The child’s face turned even redder.
Her lips trembled slightly, and her small hands clutched the hem of the dress tighter, as if she didn’t know what to do.
“…Embarrassed?”
“……”
The child’s shoulders twitched.
After a moment, they gave the faintest nod.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.
“It’s okay. It really does look good on you.”
“……”
Once again, a smile spread across the child’s face.
‘They like it so much… Maybe I should get something similar.’
But—
This child was extremely sensitive to the cold.
I couldn’t ignore her preferences, but her health was important too.
Humans, after all, tend to fall ill if she is too hot or too cold.
‘What should I do?’
After a brief hesitation, I turned to the old man and spoke.
“What do you think?”
“Hm?”
“Which outfit would be better to get?”
“Hmm…”
Just then—
“Hey, hey! Hold on a second!”
“…Huh?”
A clerk urgently called out to me.
The sudden shout made me reflexively turn toward her.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? You can’t just call the elderly ‘that one’!”
“…Is that wrong?”
“Of course it’s wrong! Even if you’re a foreigner, you should still mind your manners!”
The old man beside me burst into laughter at the clerk’s scolding.
His laughter carried an oddly amused tone.
‘Manners, huh…’
As the old man’s laughter subsided, the clerk placed a hand on her hip and spoke again.
“The elder is a respected figure in the village. Everyone looks up to him.”
“I see.”
I nodded and looked at the old man.
He was still smiling leisurely.
“Then what should I call him?”
“What do you mean? Of course, you should call him ‘elder’!”
“…Elder.”
For some reason,
It felt a little awkward calling someone much younger than me “elder.”
‘…Is this what they call a guilty conscience?’
As I lost myself in thought, tracing back memories,
The old man chuckled and patted me on the shoulder.
“Don’t make that face. What’s so important about titles?”
“…Really?”
“Really—! What are you saying, elder!”
“Hoho, what does it matter? No need to get hung up on titles. If your heart’s in the right place, that’s all that matters.”
The old man smiled as calmly as ever.
For some reason, his smile felt warm,
And before I knew it, I found myself staring at him.
“Then… can I keep calling you that from now on?”
“I don’t mind, but people around here might not take it well… Hmm…”
The old man stroked his beard, lost in thought.
Then, with a sly smile, he murmured.
“The elder of the bookstore… The bookshop owner… Or just my name would be fine too.”
“Your name? What is it?”
“It’s Hubert.”
“Got it, Hubert.”
The old man burst into hearty laughter.
Meanwhile, the clerk huffed in annoyance again.
“Honestly! How rude to just call him by his name like that!”
“Hoho, just add ‘Mr.’ to Hubert.”
“Okay. Mr. Hubert.”
“That’ll do.”
Hubert smiled his easygoing smile again.
For some reason, that smile looked even nicer than before.
In the comfortably warm,
And just lively enough atmosphere—
With the help of the old man and the clerk,
I bought several sets of clothes for the child.
Pretty clothes the child wanted.
A thick winter dress.
A warm, sturdy coat that could withstand the cold.
After the payment was done,
The clerk neatly folded the clothes and spoke up.
“You said you’re leaving the child at home and coming back to the village? You should return the baby clothes you bought yesterday.”
“Return them?”
“Yes. You won’t be needing them anyway. If you have the receipt, I can process the refund.”
I fell into thought for a moment.
It was true that I didn’t need the baby clothes anymore,
but I didn’t think a refund was necessary.
“Mr. Hubert.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Does the church still accept donations these days?”
Hubert nodded.
“Clothes too?”
“Yes.”
“…Where’s the church that serves Rakis around here?”
“There’s one at the northern edge.”
The clerk, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, chimed in as she packed the clothes.
“Are you planning to donate the baby clothes you bought yesterday?”
“Yeah. Is that not okay?”
“It’s not that it’s not okay, but…”
The clerk hesitated for a moment.
Then, as she placed the clothes into a bag, she spoke carefully.
“You… You’re really devoted to raising that child, and you’re surprisingly kind.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. Donating after the war isn’t something everyone does. Most are too busy just trying to survive.”
Bewildered, I took the bag from her.
“Kind….”
The word “kind” was something I hadn’t heard in a long time.
“Had I ever done anything to deserve such words…?”
From the beginning, as an evil dragon, it was almost laughable to hear something like that.
I destroyed, I ruined, I took lives.
Without a doubt, no one had taken more lives than I had.
“Calling someone like me ‘kind’….”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
The “charity” she cited as the reason was nothing more than a means to get Rakis to talk.
“Because going all the way to the nest would’ve been a hassle.”
It was simply the easiest, the least troublesome method I could’ve chosen.
But…
Was it not the same for humans?
The way the two people looked at me had distinctly changed.
It wasn’t exactly unpleasant, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant either.
Somehow unsettling, somehow ticklish.
***
I left the child in the cabin.
The child clung to me, begging to come along, but I persuaded them by saying I had too much to carry, and she relented.
“I’ll bring back something delicious when I return.”
“……?”
“Well, if you ask Hubert, he might know.”
Since I made that promise, I’d have to buy something tasty on the way back.
‘Though first, I should stop by the cathedral dedicated to Rakis.’
I glanced down at the bag in my hand, filled with baby clothes.
Perhaps it was under the pretext of charity.
Hubert had casually suggested I take care of my business at the cathedral.
He said he’d wait, even if I was late.
“Humans are interesting these days.”
That was my impression after speaking with Hubert and the shop clerk.
“That must be the place.”
Lost in thought as I walked, the emblem symbolizing Rakis came into view.
A central circle, three stars rising toward the sky, wings spread around the orb, entwined with vines.
It perfectly matched the symbol of Rakis from my memories.
Though much time had passed, the god’s emblem remained unchanged.
“Definitely Rakis’s domain.”
I stepped inside the cathedral.
It was a small yet tidy space.
Wooden benches lined either side, and at the far end stood an altar bearing a sculpted likeness of Rakis.
‘It doesn’t look like him.’
I glanced around briefly.
There weren’t many people inside.
Just one person sitting quietly in prayer in a corner, and a nun tidying up near the altar.
I walked slowly toward the nun.
“Excuse me, I’d like to make a donation.”
“Ah, yes. What are you donating?”
“Baby clothes.”
The nun carefully inspected the contents of the bag.
A moment later, her eyes widened slightly before she looked up.
“These clothes… they’re all brand new?”
“Yeah. I bought them by mistake.”
“I see. To donate such fine clothes so willingly… Thank you very much.”
With a sincere smile, she accepted the bag.
In the unfamiliar atmosphere, I stared blankly at the strange sculpture.
“Can I still pray at the altar over there?”
“Oh, yes.”
The nun nodded gently, her expression warm.
“Prayer is free—anytime, anywhere.”
“…I see.”
I slowly made my way to the altar.
The structure resembled human devotion, and the light streaming through the stained glass traced the contours of that faith.
‘Was I supposed to clasp my hands?’
I stole a glance at the person praying on the bench behind me and copied them.
Closed my eyes, folded my hands together.
‘Rakis, see you soon.’
I delivered my message briefly and left.
Even with just this, my old friend would surely answer.
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