episode_0072

Episode 72 Founding Festival (3)

“It’s been a while!”

“Yeah.”

It’s been almost two weeks since the semester ended, so it has been a while. I wasn’t thrilled. It was a day I’d finally come out to enjoy. When I’m with Evan, I never know what kind of incident I’ll get caught up in. That’s the protagonist’s fate and curse.

“When did you get back?”

“I arrived today. Oh, hello, Lana-sunbae!”

Belatedly discovering Lana, Evan greeted her as well.

“Hello, Evan-hubae? What brings you here? Are you here to play?”

“Yes. I arrived about two hours ago, and I heard the amusement park was open, so I rushed right over.”

As if to prove he’d arrived earlier, Evan was wearing wizard robes like us.

“You got here earlier than us. But who’s behind you?”

A child was closely attached to Evan’s back. It was a girl who looked like she was in elementary school. The child was peeking out with only her head showing, looking this way.

“Ah, this one? She’s my younger sister. Ria, say hello. These are my sunbaes.”

The child, introduced as Ria, carefully came forward, bowed, and greeted us.

“Hello….”

After a short greeting, the child hid behind her brother again. I thought she glared at me during the greeting, but it must have been my imagination.

“So cute…!”

Lana’s eyes lit up at the action, and she rushed over in one stride, hugging and stroking the child.

“Evan-hubae, why didn’t you say so sooner! If you had such a cute younger sister, you should have told me!”

“Haha, I didn’t have the chance to say it.”

“Your name is Ria? I’m Lana Heytale. Nice to meet you!”

Lana stayed close to Ria and had no intention of letting go. Showing this much reaction at the first meeting meant she liked her very much.

“Ugh, let me go….”

On the other hand, Evan’s younger sister, Ria, was struggling. She tried to get out in every way she could, but it was useless. It’s her first meeting, so she’s still very shy.

Stare.

I felt the gaze again.

‘Hmm, I think she glared again…’

I could have dismissed the first time as a misunderstanding, but if it happens continuously, it’s a different story. I don’t know why, but it seems like that child dislikes me.

“Let’s move our spot first.”

The spot wasn’t suitable for a conversation.

***

“Here are your ordered beers.”

Arriving at a street pub, we immediately ordered drinks, and soon an employee, with both hands full of beer glasses, put them down on our table.

Of course, it wasn’t real alcohol, just an imitation. The taste was similar to ginger ale.

“It feels like I’m drinking real beer!”

Lana, with foam all over her mouth, exclaimed. The carbonation and the texture of the foam were the same as beer, so the feeling itself wasn’t much different.

“What. Have you ever had alcohol before?”

“My grandfather gave me some a few times….”

“Why are you acting like you’ve committed a crime? You can try it.”

Adulthood is designated at 20 years old, but the Empire isn’t that strict. Around our age, they let us drink alcohol. Besides, 400 years ago, 15 years old was adulthood.

“Hehe, right? Ah, have you ever had it, Kyle?”

“I have.”

I haven’t eaten it since possessing this body, but at least Kyle before the possession would have.

Come to think of it, I craved alcohol and cigarettes in the early days of possession…. I don’t even think about it these days. Is it because my body has changed?

Anyway.

“So. Why did you come to the capital with your sister?”

“Ria said she wanted to see the capital. I thought it would be okay to bring her since we can use the warp gate.”

“Evan-hubae is kind. Taking care of his younger sister.”

“Haha, there aren’t many opportunities like this. There’s not much to do in our town.”

The place where Evan lives was the most rural of rural areas.

“More than that, were you two on a date?”

“Yes, we were on a date.”

“Oh… then am I interrupting?”

“If you knew, you shouldn’t have talked to us.”

As I replied bluntly, Ria glared at me. It was quite a cute reaction.

“Hyungnim, I’m sorry. I was so clueless….”

“I’m just kidding. Can’t I even joke around?”

The protagonist gets dejected with just that one thing. I need to fix that mentality of his.

“I’m glad. Ah, but shouldn’t we split up when we’re playing?”

It was when Evan said those words. Ria, who was sitting close by, slightly tugged on Evan’s sleeve.

“Oppa. I want to play with that unni.”

“Huh? That’s, uh….”

“You want to play with me?! Ria is so cute…!”

Evan seemed troubled, and Lana was about to hug her right away. And the two of them looked at me.

“Why are you looking at me?”

“Because we need hyungnim’s permission?”

“Kyle! I want to play with Ria!”

“Hmm….”

Pretending to contemplate, I turned my gaze. My eyes met Ria’s. I thought she was going to have a staring contest with me for a moment, but she huffed and turned her head.

‘Cute.’

Is it because she’s a child? Her actions and speech are cute because they’re fitting for her age.

“If Lana wants to, that’s fine.”

“Thank you!”

At my permission, the child breathed a sigh of relief as if she was relieved. I don’t know why she dislikes me, but I’ll slowly get to know her.

***

“Eek! I’ve overspent…!”

Evan tore at his hair. In Evan’s hands were shopping bags full of stuff. But it didn’t end there, he also carried toys and magical tools on his body.

“I, I didn’t plan to buy this much…! Hyungnim, what should I do?!”

“What else can you do but take it as it is. You used it, so refunds are impossible.”

The wizard’s street had numerous shops related to magic. And Evan, who was very interested in magic, couldn’t turn away. This was the result.

“That’s not what I mean! This is just the beginning, what about other places!”

“Are you a kid….”

I could only sigh inwardly.

“No, hyungnim! How can I pass this by…!”

As he said that, he headed to another store this time. I dragged him away.

“Evan-hubae would have been in big trouble if you came last year. Last year, they sold a strange golem.”

“A golem? What kind of thing did they sell…”

“Enough.”

I cut off their conversation because he was turning his attention to strange things. At that time, Ria, who was watching her brother, said.

“Oppa, I’m going to tell mom everything. That you spent money on useless things.”

“No, Ria…!”

In the meantime, we arrived at the next place. This time it was a train station where a train was parked.

“Wow… Ria, look at this. It’s a train.”

“I know, oppa.”

The siblings couldn’t take their eyes off the train. It’s because it’s hard to see trains unless you’re in a big city. Due to management and safety issues, trains only operated in major cities.

“I didn’t know they’d install a train. Is that why it took so long?”

“That could be it. More than that, let’s get on first.”

Soon, we heard an announcement that the train was about to depart. We could admire it inside.

We entered the inside of the train. The inside was quite worth seeing. Like in the novel, the rooms were divided, allowing four people to enter. Fortunately, there were four of us, so it was just right.

As soon as we sat down, the train started moving.

“Ooh….”

“Wow….”

The siblings’ reactions were the same. Their eyes were fixed on the changing scenery outside the running train. No matter what I called them, there was no response, and Evan was even drooling.

“Hehe, they act exactly alike. Is it because they’re siblings?”

“Family members resemble each other.”

“But Kyle and Bale aren’t like that. And they don’t get along.”

“Not getting along can’t be helped. There aren’t many cases where siblings, whether they’re brothers, sisters, or siblings, get along well.”

Those siblings are just unique. Of course, there’s a reason for that.

“Still, it’s nice to have a sibling, isn’t it? I think I’d be happy every day if I had one.”

“……”

It seemed like Lana had a lot of fantasies about this. If she experienced it, she wouldn’t be able to.

At that time, an old woman came along the aisle pulling a cart.

“Would you like to buy some candy?”

“One of each kind, please.”

As I handed over the gold coin, the old woman filled a basket with candy and handed it over. After that, the old woman left with a benevolent expression to the next room.

Looking at the basket of candy I received, I called Ria.

“Kid.”

That word was quite effective. Ria reacted immediately to the word “kid” and looked this way.

“I’m not a kid….”

“If I don’t call a kid a kid, then what should I call you?”

“I have a name, Ria.”

“So you’re telling me to call you by your name?”

“……”

“Never mind, take this.”

I gave the basket to the child as it was. Then she looked at me as if to say, “What do you want me to do with this?”

“Eat it.”

“……”

“That’s why I gave it to you.”

Ria made a sulky face for a moment.

“Thank you.”

But soon, she bowed her head and gave her thanks, and began to eat the candy.

“Ria, can’t you give one to unni too?”

“Ah, just one for me too!”

The three were munching on candy. Feeling conscious that only I wasn’t eating it, Ria gave me a candy too.

“I’ll enjoy it.”

I also put the candy in my mouth and munched on it.

About 10 minutes later, we arrived at the next station. We got off at a station with an open view. There was a sign kindly installed at the station, telling us which direction to go.

We passed through the forest and crossed the bridge. And we arrived at the castle, which is the main background of this theme. To be exact, it’s a school.

The castle was made with feeling. The antique atmosphere and appearance were well expressed. I was also impressed with the inside of the castle.

“Ooh….”

“Are there only geniuses in the imperial family? How did they think of making something like this?”

“Oppa, the painting is moving.”

The original characteristics were very well preserved. Especially the moving stairs and paintings, not to mention the ghosts floating around everywhere. Of course, everything was implemented with magic.

We looked at the guidebook we received at the castle entrance.

“There are many places to look around. If we look around the basement and hidden rooms, all our time will be gone today, right? Not to mention if we include the experiences.”

“Should we come tomorrow too?”

“There seem to be places we can skip. I think we just need to go to the main places.”

As the center of the theme, most of what came out in that novel was implemented.

But is it because of that? There were many visitors staying in the castle.

“Evan, take good care of your sister.”

“Yes, sir!”

I gave Evan a warning in case. These kinds of places are good for losing children.

After that, Lana stayed close to me, and Evan stayed close to his sister as we moved. I was the guide. I knew roughly where it was fun because I had read the original.

We rode brooms and wandered around the castle, and we also bought high-quality herbs that were being sold. Other than that, we had a match against other visitors on a giant chessboard.

There was also an experience for mana users once. I also tried a giant snake hunting experience.

“It’s fun! It’s more fun than last year!”

“Ugh, I shouldn’t spend more money….”

Lana’s eyes lit up, as if she liked all the experiences, and urged us to look around the castle more. Evan bought more items that were being sold after completing that experience.

“Um, where to next….”

I looked at the guidebook and searched for the next experience. And then I felt a sense of emptiness.

“Lana, Evan.”

“Huh? Why, Kyle?”

“What’s wrong?”

I looked around for a moment. But I couldn’t see the child next to us.

“Where did Ria go?”

“Huh?”

“Ah….”

“Ah, damn it….”

Me, Lana, and Evan too. We were so focused on playing that we lost Ria.