Chapter 34: Loren’s Invitation
by fnovelpia
I held the child in my arms.
Why, I wonder.
Holding the child was something I’d always done.
But this time, it felt different.
My heart swelled, and somehow, the little one seemed so admirable that she felt unfamiliar.
Her slender legs,
Her tearful, frustrated expression,
The courage it must’ve taken to fall and rise again so many times—
All of it.
“You were amazing.”
“…!”
It wasn’t even something I had done,
But a deep sense of pride welled up in my chest.
The child wiped away her tears.
Then, she clung tightly to my robe.
I gently stroked her face, still streaked with tears.
“Yeah. Really. You were amazing.”
“!”
The child smiled brightly once more.
Then, slowly and cautiously,
She pressed her cheek against my chest and let out a soft, joyful giggle.
Her soft hair tickled under my chin.
Her warm body,
Her breath quickened with excitement, passed into me.
I slowly, very slowly, stroked her back.
To speak in place of someone like me,
Who struggles with words—
That it’s okay.
That she did well.
That I’m so proud of her.
I hoped this touch could convey everything in my heart.
Just then, Loren, who had been watching fondly, clasped her hands and approached.
“Our little one here really gave it her all ‘cause Row was watching! She stood way longer than when she practiced with me!”
“…!”
“Haha, she really achieved something big today, our little lady did.”
The child’s eyes wavered a little.
Then, looking a bit shy, she lowered her head.
Her cheeks, just barely visible, were tinged red.
Loren grinned and gently pinched one of them.
“Seriously, great job, our little one.”
“……”
“Row, don’t you have something for her? After she’s done something this amazing?”
“…Hmm.”
The child suddenly lifted her head.
Then, with eyes full of anticipation, she looked up at me.
Smiling softly, I asked,
“What would you like to do?”
“……”
The child’s gaze spun around the room.
Then, carefully,
She buried her face into my robe.
“Hmm?”
“……”
She just pressed in closer, rubbing her forehead in,
And even when I lightly tapped her hunched back, she only flinched a little.
‘What does she want to do…’
It’s still hard.
To understand what the child truly feels.
At that moment, Loren burst into laughter and said,
“Oh wow, Row, she must really like you.”
“Hm?”
“It’s obvious. She just wants you to stay close to her.”
“…Really?”
“Of course! Hehe. Hey little one, wanna come to me instead?”
Loren grinned as she gently touched the child’s back.
Startled by her touch, the child immediately burrowed deeper into me.
Her curled-up back had gone rigid with caution.
“See that?”
“……”
“Kidding, kidding. Row said he’d keep hugging you.”
“……”
Only then did the child’s back begin to relax.
Loren, who’d been watching with a teasing smile, shrugged.
“Well I’ll be. With Rakis’s festival coming up, I was hoping she’d ask for a grand gift or something. But nope, just happy to be in Row’s arms.”
“…Rakis’s festival? What’s that?”
“Blasphemy! It’s Lord Rakis! And don’t tell me you don’t know about His festival?”
I nodded as Loren looked utterly dumbfounded.
“I don’t.”
“You really don’t?”
“Yeah.”
Loren stared at me with her mouth agape, then placed a hand on her forehead.
“I mean, I did hear you’re from another continent, but I didn’t think you wouldn’t even know about Lord Rakis’s festival.”
“So what is it?”
Loren sighed, then gently patted the child’s head and began to explain in a calm voice.
“Lord Rakis is the patron deity of our country— and this continent, really. He brings abundance to the earth and fills the land with the breath of life.”
“…Rakis does?”
“It’s Lord Ra. Kis!”
Loren poked my chest with each syllable, as if to hammer it in.
She didn’t seem to be lying.
But something felt off, and I tilted my head in doubt.
‘My old friend never had such powers.’
The divine powers of a god never change.
So I cautiously asked,
“…Rakis is the god of abundance and life?”
“It’s Lord Rakis! More importantly, He’s an almighty god! His power can’t be confined to just one thing!”
“…Rakis?”
“Lord Rakis!”
A god being almighty.
Now that was a funny thought.
Their powers are absolute,
but at the same time, their domains are clearly defined.
No god, by any means,
can defy their own essence.
The gods,
After all, there were beings who couldn’t use magic that exceeded their own divine authority.
For such a being like Rakis to be called omnipotent—
I suddenly found myself wondering how such a perception had spread.
‘I’ve got another thing to ask Rakis.’
It seemed that the world had changed quite a lot
since I stopped learning.
Hubert let out a hearty laugh as he looked at us.
“Calm down, Loren. You can’t force someone to believe.”
“Ugh, well, that’s true.”
“What’s obvious to us might not be the same for someone from another continent.”
Loren slowly nodded.
Then her eyes lit up and she stepped closer to us.
“Alright then! I’ll officially invite you!”
“…Invite?”
“Yes! While the village has its own festival, on Rakis’s holy day,
What’s most important is to share food and blessings with dear neighbors at home!”
…
The moment she said “neighbors,”
the child shrank back uneasily and clutched my robe tightly.
To the child,
The world still wasn’t a place to open their heart so easily.
I gently wrapped my hand around the child’s small one.
“Sorry. We’ll have to decline.”
“……”
“Hmm…”
Loren, who clearly understood the child’s reaction,
Blinked in surprise for a moment, then smiled brightly.
“Don’t worry! It’ll be just us!”
“…Just us?”
“Yes! Me, the bookstore elder, Mr. Rowe, and the little one— four of us!”
“Hm, I’m fine with that… But Loren, are you sure it’s okay not to spend it with Shaun?”
“Ugh…!”
Loren’s face instantly turned bright red.
“W-Well…! Shaun will be busy selling skewers at the festival that day!”
“Haha, I see.”
Hubert chuckled slyly, clearly having said it just to tease her.
……
The small hand still clung tightly to my robe.
But it wasn’t trembling like before.
I quietly watched the child.
Their gaze was less tense than earlier.
It seemed the words “just us” had brought a bit of comfort.
Loren clasped her hands together and added,
“There won’t be crowds or strangers! Just us, quietly!
We’ll share the food we each bring, give gifts, and make wishes!”
“…Wishes?”
“Yes! On Rakis’s holy day, it’s customary for everyone to make a wish.
You write your wish on a slip of paper and hang it on a tree or burn it in a bonfire.”
The child’s eyes sparkled.
It seemed the unfamiliar custom had piqued their interest.
A spark of excitement lit up the child’s face.
“Would you like to try it?”
“……”
The child’s eyes trembled slightly.
Then, very slowly, very cautiously—
They nodded.
Loren beamed.
“Is that okay?”
“……”
My robe crumpled further.
But the child nodded again.
The gesture was firmer than before.
“Alright. We’ll come.”
“Yay! Then the four of us will celebrate Rakis’s holy day together!”
“Haha, sounds fun.”
Hubert narrowed his eyes with a pleased smile.
A now more excited Loren quickly dashed over to the counter and took something out.
She beckoned me over.
As I approached slowly,
She handed me a slightly thick book and a memo filled with writing.
“What’s this?”
“This memo is the unsweetened pancake recipe I mentioned before.
And this is a collection of dishes commonly made for the holy day.”
“Am I supposed to make all of these?”
“No, no! Just one or two!”
Loren hummed cheerfully as she added,
“Normally, we’d discuss who’s bringing what,
But for us, let’s each just bring whatever we want!”
“Haha, we might end up with three of the same dish.”
“That’s part of the fun!”
I studied the memo and book, glancing back and forth between them, then nodded.
“…Alright. I’ll prepare one or two.”
“Great! I’m looking forward to it!”
Loren clasped her hands together in joy.
The child, still nestled in my arms, continued to observe us cautiously.
But with their cheeks flushed, it was clear their excitement had grown.
“……!”
I gently stroked the child’s head.
Their soft hair tickled my palm.
“Oh, right! Also! I’ve got something to give you two!”
“Hm?”
“What is it?”
“Here! I bought too much, so please share these and enjoy!”
Loren pulled out a thick bag from under the counter.
Inside were—
A variety of vegetables and sausages.
There were also a few pieces of freshly picked fruit inside.
“I bought a bunch since they were cheap,
But honestly, I don’t think my family can eat it all.
By the way, I’ll be sad if you refuse!”
“Haha, thank you.”
“Thanks. We’ll enjoy it.”
“Oh, it’s nothing!”
I took the bag from her hands.
Its weight pressed down firmly in my grip.
Strangely, though the bag was cold, it somehow felt warm.
“We always end up just receiving things from you. Sorry about that.”
“Yeah.”
“Aw, don’t say that, now you’re making me sad.
If you really feel bad, how about giving me a nice gift on the holy day?”
“…A gift.”
“And just so you know— no expensive jewels, Mr. Rowe!”
How did she know?
Most of the gift ideas I’d just thought of were now off the table.
“A gift is about sincerity! And heart! Got it?”
“Haha, I got it.”
“…That makes it harder.”
“Ehehe, the little one just has to show up!
For this big sister, your presence is the best gift!”
The child’s eyes grew round.
Then, very slowly, they nodded.
Seeing that, Loren smiled contentedly and gently patted the child’s head.
***
The village was an interesting place.
Every time, something unexpected happened,
and things I never imagined would end up in my hands.
Today was the same.
A cookbook and groceries from Loren,
a picture book and learning materials for the child from Hubert,
and extra herbs and mushrooms thrown in by the alchemist merchant as a bonus.
I looked up at the sky.
The sun was starting to set.
‘I didn’t mean to stay this long.’
That, too, had been unexpected.
But I didn’t mind it.
“It was fun, wasn’t it?”
“!”
The child, hugging the fire fox, beamed and nodded.
Before we knew it, the cabin came into view.
The familiar roof was tinged red by the setting sun.
“The bunny must be hungry.”
“……!”
“You’re still okay, right? We had street food while walking around the village.”
“……”
The child giggled.
I gently wiped the sauce from their lips.
I opened the cabin door.
As the door opened,
the soft scent of wood and lukewarm air welcomed us.
And so did the bunny, stretching after a nap.
“……!”
“Let’s take care of the bunny first, then make our dinner.”
I placed a bundle of hay in the child’s hands.
The child carefully handed it to the bunny.
Watching that made me smile warmly, and I turned my gaze.
“Oh?”
“……?”
“It’s snowing.”
The first snow.
White, tiny flakes were falling silently from the sky.
“!”
“Hmm? You want to see it?”
“!!!”
“Alright. Let’s step out for a bit.”
I bundled the child tightly in their coat.
And then,
I held them in my arms.
Their eyes sparkled with excitement.
I opened the door.
A pale breath scattered into the air.
“……!”
“It’s really coming down.”
White snow quietly piled up—
On the stacked firewood,
On the branches,
At our feet.
The whole world was slowly being blanketed in white.
A sigh of wonder hung around the child’s lips.
As if trying to catch a snowflake,
The child slowly reached their hand up to the sky.
One white flake gently landed on their tiny palm.
“……!”
“You did it.”
“!”
The child, who had been staring in awe, smiled and nodded.
Just then,
I felt someone’s gaze.
I quickly turned my head.
“…Rakis.”
“You…”
Standing there was my old friend.
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