episode_0047

The carriage traveled all day until it reached the city where the Federal Assembly was located.

Ende Village was also a developed place, but its huge size made it suitable for being called a city.

“This is your first time together, right?”

Cheshire grabbed our shoulders while we were looking at the huge stone buildings with a dumb expression on our faces.

Arna and I looked at Cheshire and nodded.

“This is Orcia. It is the second largest and most important city in the federation after the capital, and is where the parliament is located. At the same time, it also serves as the center of the Archan Orthodox Church, which is widespread on the continent.”

As I listened to the explanation, the strange decorations I had seen at the temple near Ende Village the other day caught my eye.

“Ohh.”

“Cool. This is how humans live.”

Arna was extremely excited when she came here in person, as if it was better than she expected. I was a little excited because I felt like I was at some kind of tourist attraction.

“Incidentally, the place where we are standing is a lodging built for members of the council to stay when they visit Orcia.”

I see For some reason, I thought it was big.

“The meeting is tomorrow morning, so you can take a quick look around and then come back. Tell them you are an attendant from Ende Village and they will guide you.”

“Oh, Jihoo. Let’s go.”

“Is that so?”

Because it may be difficult to find time for it. Arna and I held hands and moved.

Neither of us knew anything about this place, but it was quite fun to just walk around and see large buildings that are hard to find in the forest or other villages.

“Sister, this place is really good too.”

“That’s right. I can’t see any trees, but it’s really amazing.”

tree? Oh, come to think of it, I see. I can’t see any trees or anything here.

The more I walked, the tighter Arna held my hand.

Arna walked while looking around with sparkling eyes, and a smile automatically formed on her face when she saw her like that.

It’s such an amazing sight even for me to see, but I wonder if it’s amazing for Arna.

“Jihoo, let’s go over there.”

Arna took my arm and pointed to the entrance to the temple at the end of the road we were walking on.

“Can I come in?”

“If that doesn’t work, let’s take a look at it up close.”

“Then.”

Arna walked to the temple, shaking my hand loudly. Because it was late, the surrounding area was really quiet.

In front of the temple, there were two people guarding the temple. They were men wearing robes similar to those of priests, but slightly different, and holding spears.

When I stopped in front of them, Arna held my hand and looked at me.

Are you asking if I can come in?

I swallowed my saliva and walked up to them.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, what’s going on?”

The gatekeepers were quite wary of me because I came in the middle of the night. In fact, anyone who sees an adventurer visiting the temple at this time is bound to be suspicious.

“I was wondering if I could take a quick look inside.”

“No.”

The story that it couldn’t be done came back like a knife.

“Please come tomorrow morning. After sunset, only those with special permission may enter.”

“Sister. Let’s go back first.”

Arna nodded with a slightly regretful expression, and we turned to go back.

It wasn’t something I was really curious about anyway.

As I was about to leave, I heard a voice from inside.

“What’s going on?”

I froze at the sound of that soft voice.

“Ah, saint. A visitor has arrived.”

A saint… .

Instead of turning around, he just stood still. I never thought we would suddenly meet here.

“There’s still a little bit left until the time I told you about, right?”

A voice you will never forget. It was certain. Saint… It’s Elena.

“Yes. There is still a little left.”

“Then, please let me take a look at them. That much time. Is it okay?”

“Ah… That is not allowed according to the regulations.”

Before the story got too long, I held Arna’s hand and started walking right away.

“Oh, wait a minute.”

Elena called me over, and Arna looked at Elena with a smile on his face, saying something might happen, and he held me in place to prevent me from moving.

“Then I will stay with you. As my guest. Is it okay?”

“Ah, if that’s the case… There is no problem… .”

“Wow! Breathing… !”

He covered Arna’s mouth and hurriedly left the place. Not now. yet… .

And then I ran, holding Arna’s hand tightly.

I couldn’t stand listening to that voice.

I felt like I would collapse if I stayed any longer, so I had no choice but to get out of that place.

“Ji, Jihoo. Why are you like that?”

Arna asked in a low voice as if she had noticed something strange.

After running for a while and returning to the front of the dorm, I let go of Arna, out of breath.

As I was just breathing heavily for a long time without saying anything, Arna hugged me.

“Is it that person from before?”

“Huh?”

Given the circumstances, it was a situation that could only be understood that way. They said she was a saint, and I suddenly ran away.

“Uh… That’s right.”

In response to my answer, Arna hugged me tighter. Being in Arna’s arms, my pounding heart slowly became relieved.

“What do you want your sister to do?”

Arna calmly comforted me and asked.

As I was held by her, my thoughts slowly came together.

Meeting Elena was planned. But when we actually met again, I couldn’t even move my body properly because of fear.

While many things became blurred while I was with Arna, the pain of the past that was not easily washed away because I was so happy now emerged more fiercely and vividly.

Even now, if you call me hero, I am afraid that I will break down, my vain will to endure for a promise that will not be kept, and the memory of that time when I collapsed on the cold floor and despaired.

“Ha… .”

I felt like my thoughts were getting deeper, so I let out a short breath and got away from Arna.

“Sister.”

“Yes.”

Arna looked at me kindly and held my arm tightly, as if she would listen to whatever I had to say.

“Stay by my side.”

“Okay.”

Arna smiled and hugged me tightly again.

“Let’s go in.”

–

I fell asleep, hugged tightly by Arna, until the next morning.

When I returned home yesterday, I couldn’t remember how I fell asleep.

However, I felt that the anxiety that I might be caught at any time without Arna was eased little by little by feeling her body temperature.

As a day passed, the fear did not resurface, as if it had been a dream.

I woke up in the sunlight and stayed still, feeling Arna’s hand stroking my head.

He got up and leaned his face against her chest.

You hugged me all night long.

When I saw Arna’s smiling face in the morning, I felt how my daily life had changed.

“Let’s wake up now.”

Arna helped me stand up.

The scary feelings I felt yesterday and the weak thoughts that I couldn’t do it without Arna became small again as usual and were pushed to a corner of my mind.

Now, all the things he had to do with the saint as a warrior are in the past.

“Jihoo.”

Arna was out in front of the room.

He was smiling brightly and holding out his hand to me.

I grabbed his hand, and Arna pulled me and dragged me out of the room.

“If anything happens, your sister will save you, so don’t worry. You know you’re strong, right?”

“… … know. Then.”

A faint smile naturally appeared at those words.

“Even if everyone in this world becomes my enemy, I will protect you. Don’t be scared, don’t be anxious. Stay confident.”

Arna then gave me a hard slap on the back.

Those words made me feel like crying, but I barely swallowed them.

This is the first time I have ever met someone who believes in me and protects me this much.

As long as Arna exists in my life, my time can no longer return to the same hell as before.

“You came out.”

Eurus and Cheshire were waiting in front of the dorm. When we arrived, Cheshire left, saying he had some business to attend to.

“Then I will go.”

“Okay, we are leaving tomorrow, so you should take your time and work.”

“Yes, then please be careful.”

Cheshire said hello to Eurus and to us separately before leaving.

“Then let’s go this way.”

We followed Yurus, who took the lead, and headed to the Federal Assembly building.

The road leading to the National Assembly, which was not far from my accommodation, was very wide and cleanly maintained.

What I saw most often as I went was the priests moving around, and along with them, various stone statues caught my eye.

“Heroes of each village.”

Eurus explained about the stone statues, as if he knew that we naturally did not know.

He pointed and laughed at what we were looking at.

“I see a person over there who was a hero of our village.”

“Oh, shall we take a look?”

At my suggestion, Yurus checked the time and nodded.

“There’s still some time left, so let’s take a look.”

So we ended up in front of the stone statue of the man who was the hero of Ende Village.

“He traveled all over the continent and even crossed the ocean in his later years and was active in all directions. After that, he disappeared… .”

Considering that a commemorative stone statue is probably an expression of real life characteristics as cool as possible, the man known as the hero of Ende Village seemed quite ordinary.

“Although he is said to be from the village, this person is actually from another world. He came from a place very different from here.”

uh? People from another world?

“Well, there are too many to explain in detail. All I can say for certain is that he was a great person. Let’s go first.”

We couldn’t sit around looking around for too long, so we headed back to the parliament.

Compared to the surrounding decorations, the parliament building itself was quite simple. From the outside, it was a square stone building, and inside there was only one large space for meetings.

After completing the simple confirmation process, we found the designated spot for the chief of Ende Village and sat down.

Although it was quite spacious inside, there were a lot of people.

It seemed like a few attendants like us were allowed to come in and help with decision-making.

“Wow… There’s a lot of space in this small space.”

Arna began to quickly move her eyes and search for something as she mumbled.

“That’s right.”

“Haha, that’s right. Just today, representatives from 10 regions came to visit. There are also places where there are multiple people with voting rights. For example, in a city this large, it is difficult to carry out work with only one person responsible.”

I think I know roughly what it means.

Soon, everyone who could come in seemed to have entered, and the door closed, and the inside of the council became quiet.

“From now on, we will proceed with a decision on measures to support the Rodian Kingdom.”

An old man who appeared to be the chairman spoke in the middle.

And as soon as he finished speaking, the door opened and a woman came into the center of the council and stood.

It was Elena who looked quite nervous.

“Jihu, that’s the girl from yesterday.”

“Uh, uh… .”

Arna held my hand tightly.

I glanced at Elena who was greeting me politely. What are you trying to talk about?

“I am Saint Elena of Rodian. I have come to ask for help from the Covell Federation Council.”

Elena quietly closed her eyes and bowed her back.

“In the Rodian Kingdom, many people are dying cruelly due to attacks by demons. If you return the grudges of the past with mercy, I promise that we, Rodians, will always make every sacrifice for the peace of the Korvel Federation and the Strait.”