Chapter 42 – What Is a Festival? (2)

“Where have you been? I see you’re working your charms again.”

Even without his armor, in ordinary civilian clothes, he still looked incredibly resolute, perhaps due to his physique.

Though he wore just a simple linen shirt and plain brown trousers, there was something dignified about him.

“Captain! You’re here!”

“Hey, is that any way to sneak in?!”

“So you do fancy the Saint! It’s her chest that draws you in, isn’t it?!”

Luke’s face crumpled with annoyance.

“Keep your drunken nonsense to yourselves! Shut your mouths and empty your cups, you bastards!”

Roaring laughter erupted!

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

Alesia’s expression was worth seeing.

“What? Is that true? Were you actually attracted to me?”

“Don’t even dream of it.”

“Then you’re attracted to my chest?”

“Ah, just… forget it and have a drink. Why are you tormenting this poor, tired soul?”

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

“…Not particularly.”

“See!”

“Anyone would give that answer under intimidation. Consider your size when you’re threatening people.”

“You?! Are you insulting me for being womanly? If I dress properly, I’ll have you know I’m quite popular up north! Big and strong! Prime marriage material! I’ve received at least a dozen proposals!”

“Then why not stay in the north instead of coming down south? Especially as the weather gets hotter.”

“Because it’s cold! Both the weather and the people! And the men are too rough up there!”

Hahahaha!

Sister, your wit!

…It was absolute chaos.

Despite the impropriety, they laughed and chatted, then grew serious and cursed, then burst into laughter again, dancing and singing.

Complete pandemonium.

“Come on, sleep with me! I’ll help you sleep well. We can visit heaven while we’re at it. How about it? Nestled against my bosom, sleeping soundly. Wouldn’t that feel good?”

“Hey, hey! Man, you’re so clueless! She means this! This!”

The drunk at the next table, exasperated, made a circle with his thumb and index finger, then repeatedly inserted and withdrew his other finger through the hole.

“……Oh.”

At this point, even Cariel couldn’t help but understand.

“Sir! Are you insane?! What are you teaching our innocent Luele?!”

“Hey! Aren’t you a saint?! Is it proper for a saint to seduce and devour a young man?!”

“A hundred drunks like you wouldn’t be able to touch our Luele’s hand before collapsing!”

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

“I don’t need to! It’s painfully obvious that you can’t perform at night and just shout loudly when drunk!”

“Finished talking?! You’re supposed to be a saint! Looking at you again, you’re just a vixen! A vixen!”

“Are YOU finished?!”

Oh, is this going to turn into a fight?

After an anxious moment of watching…

“Hahahaha!”

“I told you to go easy on the drink!”

Why…

Were they arm-in-arm, dancing?

“The kid loves it! Those jugs are huge!”

“Not just the kid! All men are soaked by them!”

“Oooooh!”

“Saint! We love you!”

“Hug me too!”

“Get lost! You ugly hawk-nose!”

“Bwahahahaha!”

“How can you hurt my feelings with looks-based insults?!”

“My chest is heavier than yours, you shameless bastard! How dare you treat a flowery woman so carelessly!”

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

…Obscenities, appearance-based insults, and all manner of slander.

Despite the increasingly crude content, the soldiers and nearby patrons clapped with joy. It was like a small festival.

“What’s wrong? First time experiencing this kind of atmosphere? Being a noble gentleman, have you never experienced this kind of rough affection?”

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

Even amidst the chaos, Cariel replied composedly.

“I was generally taught to practice abstinence.”

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

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

Though he hadn’t actually aspired to it.

“Just your clothing and equipment alone aren’t things an ordinary commoner household could afford. Even for wealthy merchants, there’s a certain aura. The noble air, naturally embedded etiquette. The very fact that you find this place uncomfortable is already proving it with your whole body.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s because you’re young. You’ll get used to it with experience. Still, you’re definitely skilled, which is why you’re physically intact. Otherwise, unless you ran away from home, who would carelessly send their precious child on a remote journey when they seem so ignorant of the ways of the world? So you can take pride in that aspect.”

“……Yes.”

Though they were said to be the same nobility, their circumstances couldn’t be more different.

More than that, it seems he was misunderstood in another sense.

Luke spoke again.

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

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

“Yes. We didn’t have many people to begin with, so it’s good not to be lonely. No need to be self-conscious.”

“……”

After much contemplation, Cariel asked.

“Wouldn’t I be a burden? It’s not that I lack money, so just…”

“This isn’t the end of your journey, right? There are people who can guide you if you ask, and for nobility, connections are key. It won’t hurt to know people. Ah, I have people to introduce you to as well. We need to repay you, and neglecting a guest would be dishonorable for us, so that can’t happen.”

“……”

This might be a bit troublesome.

But if he refused here, it would raise suspicions of another kind.

It was clear Luke wasn’t offering kindness with ulterior motives.

However, being nobility meant politics were inevitably intertwined like breathing.

He might unintentionally cause harm or arouse ill intentions, so he should refuse here…

“Then give us a room! I’ll sleep with Luele there!”

“…You are truly something.”

The soldiers responded to the Saint’s bold declaration with cheers and support.

“Come on! We’ve had enough to drink, so let’s go! The sun’s about to set, isn’t it? Let’s go sleep quickly!”

“I just got here.”

“Go drink more!”

“I feel awkward! Wine doesn’t even suit my palate!”

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

“No, I just prefer pouring drinks down my throat until it bursts, so wine is…”

“Then drink it that way too. You earn plenty, so why so many excuses?”

“Do you know how expensive wine is?!”

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

Excuse me, could you please listen to me first…

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

And so.

“Huuuu!”

“……”

Cariel found himself being dragged out, held at Alesia’s side.

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

Though she was drunk, if he tried to pull away even slightly, she clung to him like a ghost.

“Hehehe!”

“……”

The smell of alcohol and the distinctive feminine scent pierced his nostrils intensely.

A feeling of being half-dazed.

How to put it, a sense of getting drunk along with the atmosphere?

It was awkward in many ways.

And, against his face, that, what is it…

That thing, pressing her side-breast against him was a bit… problematic.

====

After being dragged out of the tavern and walking for a while in the warm night breeze.

With a simple guide to the streets, it turned out to be a quite interesting walk.

The central square with its fountain, already preparing for the festival, seemed to be in the midst of a competition for spots.

Luke appeared quite popular; acquaintances frequently greeted him.

Introducing Cariel and Alesia alongside him was a bonus.

Cariel guessed it was to help them be recognized, avoiding future trouble when exploring the city.

As dusk fell, shadows quickly descended upon the streets.

While the capital’s night streets could be bleak, here, away from the crowded areas, there were even fewer people, which made that aspect much more noticeable.

The sight of some soldiers moving in patrols, doubling as night watch, passed by naturally.

As the lord’s mansion was located somewhat away from the city center, the population and building density decreased the further they went.

Passing through forest paths and densely packed trees.

At the end of a wide, uphill path, the lord’s mansion finally came into view.

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

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

The emblem of the Baronenes family.

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

Inside the low wall enclosure, there was a garden with a small fountain and minimal landscaping facing the mansion.

On the right, there was a space that looked like stables, along with a warehouse and an outdoor training ground.

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

“Father and brother are away to greet guests from the Edenrevan Regiment, so introductions can be made tomorrow morning.”

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

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

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

“If it’s someone from the Order, I wouldn’t mind, but outsiders might find it hard to understand.”

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

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

“……”

While that was true, something felt off.

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

And so, Alesia, who entered the lord’s mansion as if it were her own home, still monopolizing Cariel’s arm, directed Luke to show them to their room.

“Sigh.”

Alesia and Cariel entered the room, guided by a young butler.

The horses would be cared for at the stable, so that was no problem.

Except for important luggage, the rest had all been sent ahead by others, and everything had arrived.

“Their work is immaculate, which is good.”

Most of it was Alesia’s luggage, though.

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

None of this was a major issue, but still.

“Cariel, don’t overthink. Let’s just rest well tonight.”

“……”

When Cariel stared at Alesia with suspicious eyes as she just extinguished the lamp.

“All that talk earlier about touching and taking advantage was just their chatter. Do you really think I’m that loose?”

“……”

“W-well, I do have some desire, but I’m… a woman who hasn’t even kissed a man yet. So, um, that kind of gaze is a bit…”

Those golden eyes that shimmer like gold.

So vivid even in this darkness.

Intensely beautiful.

But.

More than that, they seemed like they might wither ephemerally, inadvertently making one’s heart tighten.

‘You’re making me flustered for no reason.’

Alesia swallowed hard but forced a fake cough to ease the awkwardness and said:

“Luele. When did you last sleep properly?”

“…I’m not sure.”

Just closing his eyes when he could, when his eyes shut by themselves?

A life without sleep is like an everyday occurrence.

Fatigue constantly pulling down his eyelids and making his head fuzzy.

It’s such a familiar thing.

So.

It’s just a little tough.

“Alright, come here.”

“……”

Alesia thought he looked like a frightened rabbit.

Or a baby fox.

Or a baby wolf.

Whatever it was, like a terrified, fragile beast.

Yet, that appearance, afraid even to show wariness.

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

“……”

Cariel had no choice but…

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

“……”

That’s something to consider.

“Okay, okay, I get it. Just come. Hurry.”

And so.

Though they were lying down, for some reason, Cariel ended up being embraced against her chest.

Of course, not facing her, but behind her back, behind her head.

Given the definite difference in physique, it somehow looked like a younger brother being embraced from behind by an older sister, but.

“If it’s hard to fall asleep alone, just being together like this can be a big help. The children at the convent often loved my embrace no less than a lullaby.”

“The convent?”

“…Well, there were times like that.”

Her broad embrace was quite cozy, and the abundant weight that explicitly wrapped around his face from top to bottom was… how to put it.

Despite being wrapped in fabric, the massive weight was clearly felt.

…Strangely, the soft something within made his heart pound automatically, but.

“I can’t make believers shed tears just by holding their hands like the other children, but…”

Still.

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

After saying that, truly without any more words.

The time continued with only her gentle breathing sounds calmly passing by.

If he found some comfort in feeling her lungs expand and contract behind his head.

…Would that be a bit strange?

“……”

Cariel suddenly thought.

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

How long had it been?