Festival (2)
The fortnight passed by in the blink of an eye.
I spent the days tending the fields, watching with quiet satisfaction as Elia trained under Zenle’s guidance, then sparring with Zenle myself once her sessions ended. Every day was the same, yet each one carried the steady pulse of growth. Whether it was the crops, Elia’s stamina, or my own skills that had grown rusty from disuse, those two weeks were a time of tangible progress in many ways.
And so the days flowed on, until the fortnight finally came to an end.
……
…………
………………
“Kael, are you ready?”
“Of course. I’ve already called for the carriage, so let’s head out.”
I stood with Luina, whom I hadn’t seen in two full weeks, fully prepared to head into Hagen Village. The carriage I had arranged in advance waited nearby, so we were completely ready to depart.
I let out a small sound of admiration at Luina’s outfit. It was quite different from her usual attire.
“Oh, that’s a beautiful dress. It suits you perfectly.”
Instead of her everyday clothes, Luina had arrived wearing a striking dress of pure white silk embroidered with golden thread. It wasn’t an overly extravagant party gown, but a high-quality, functional dress perfect for walking around outdoors. When I offered the compliment, she gave an awkward, bashful laugh and thanked me.
“Ahaha… R-really? I’m glad. You look quite handsome yourself, Kael.”
Like Luina, I had also traded my usual comfortable clothes for a refined formal outfit I hadn’t worn in a long time. After all, it had been ages since the last festival, and I would be accompanying someone special. It wouldn’t do to draw unwanted attention by dressing too sloppily. Besides, I didn’t want to embarrass Luina.
“Mom! I’m wearing a new dress too!”
“Oh my, our Elia looks absolutely gorgeous!”
Perhaps jealous that Luina and I were only praising each other, Elia twirled around, making her dress flutter as she proudly showed it off to her mother. The outfit, which practically radiated adorable elegance, was a custom-made dress I had ordered from the royal capital especially for Elia’s excitement over this festival.
It was the kind of garment she would outgrow in no time, but since we lived modestly and I had more than enough money, I wanted to give her lasting memories of her very first festival. That was why I had commissioned it. On the day I gave her the dress, I saw Elia smile so brightly it was almost blinding. It was a shame this world had no cameras; I would have loved to capture that radiant, joyful expression forever.
As Elia beamed while showing off the dress she loved so much, Luina swept her up into a warm hug. I watched the heartwarming sight between mother and daughter for a moment, then swung open the door of the waiting carriage with a loud creak.
Creak———
“Ladies first.”
“Oh dear, how chivalrous. Thank you kindly?”
Luina responded to my playful tone with an equally playful voice. She climbed in while still holding Elia, and I followed. Finally, Zenle boarded as well, dressed not in her usual armor but in formal attire.
“……I suppose I’m completely chopped liver.”
“Hmm… You look good too, so don’t look so down.”
When Zenle let out a somewhat forlorn complaint, I cleared my throat awkwardly. I gave her shoulder a light pat along with some gentle reassurance. Unfortunately, my attempt at comfort seemed to sting more than help; Zenle simply let out a small sigh.
But her dejected mood didn’t last long. Soon she lifted her head with her usual energetic expression, shrugged, and closed the carriage door.
“Well, I’m just a supporting character today anyway. Shall we be off, Master?”
Once she shut the door, the carriage began to move slowly forward. With the rumbling of wheels, we set off down the path from the hill.
At last, the morning of the festival had arrived. We were on our way to the festivities in Hagen Village.
“Wooooow……”
“Hehe, is it that fascinating, Elia?”
On the road to Hagen Village, Elia kept letting out little gasps of wonder as she stared out the carriage window. In the five years since she had come to us, she had rarely ventured far from the cottage. Luina smiled softly and stroked her hair.
Hmm… Now that I think about it, I really haven’t shown her much of the outside world.
Watching Elia marvel at the scenery filled me with considerable guilt. She had never really begged to go out, so I hadn’t given it much thought. But now I realized that aside from the few times we had visited a healer or a mental magic specialist, she had never been on any proper outings. Even then, I had carried her on my back and used the teleport gate, so there had been no time to leisurely enjoy the scenery.
In other words, I had never even taken her on a simple carriage ride.
Until now it hadn’t occurred to me, but seeing how delighted she was by the view outside the window made my conscience sting sharply.
I’ll have to take her out more often on weekends from now on.
Deciding to make a point of going out with her on her days off, I turned my gaze toward the opposite window. There I saw meadows thick with blooming flowers and, in the distance, the outline of Hagen Village. It wasn’t a long journey; after about an hour in the carriage, the outskirts of the village were already coming into view.
But my idle appreciation of the scenery lasted only a moment. As Hagen Village grew clearer, I couldn’t help but let out a stunned breath.
“Whoa… There are so many people.”
If anyone asked why, the answer was obvious: from the village entrance onward, the crowd stretched in an endless, packed line. Perhaps because it was a festival hosted by the Magic Tower, citizens seemed to have flocked here from countless cities. The sheer number of people made me wonder if there would even be room for us. Of course, Hagen Village handled massive amounts of trade every day, so it could probably accommodate such a throng. Still, it was clear even without entering that today’s festival was going to be incredibly lively.
The streets would be deafeningly loud and bursting with so much joy it could drive a person mad. Just imagining it brought a smile to my face, a mix of long-awaited enjoyment and anticipation.
Inside the carriage heading toward the jam-packed Hagen Village, Zenle, who had spotted the village at the same time I did, pulled three masks from her pocket.
“Master, Lady Luina, young miss, please take one each. I prepared masks that suit all three of your faces.”
“Masks? Why masks?”
The sudden offering of masks made me tilt my head. We weren’t attending some royal masquerade ball—what was this about? When I asked, Zenle pulled out a flyer from another pocket and answered.
“Apparently this festival requires everyone to wear a mask. It caused such a run on masks across every city that they sold out completely. These were rather difficult to obtain.”
“They require masks… The Magic Tower really came up with some strange rules.”
There had to be some reason behind it related to the festival; they wouldn’t have imposed it for no reason. The thought crossed my mind, but since it was still a mystery, I simply accepted the mask Zenle offered and put it on.
“Well, it works for me. If my face is covered, I won’t have to deal with any annoying people bothering me.”
“Hold still, Elia? Mommy will put yours on for you.”
“Mask… pretty!”
Whatever the Magic Tower’s reason for requiring masks, it was no inconvenience to me. With my face hidden, no one would cling to me unnecessarily. The same went for Luina. I had brought a hood just in case, but thanks to the masks, it seemed we wouldn’t have to worry about being bothered during the festival.
Clip-clop—— clip-clop——
“Please wait a moment for identity verification. What is your business here?”
“I am Zenle Hyde, Knight Commander of the Shardena Kingdom’s Knight Order. Open the gate.”
“K-Knight Commander?! Understood!!! Please wait just a moment!!!”
Using Zenle’s prestigious title, we bypassed the massive crowd and entered Hagen Village without having to wait. When we first approached the gate while ignoring the line, resentful voices had risen behind us, but the moment Zenle produced her Knight Commander’s badge bearing the king’s seal, the complaints died instantly.
Once we had passed through smoothly, I chuckled and patted Zenle on the shoulder.
“Looks like I get to enjoy the benefits of having a good disciple after all this time.”
“Haha, you flatter me. I am your disciple, after all. I should at least have this much authority.”
Zenle answered my praise with a similar chuckle. After exchanging some lighthearted banter, we reached the stables located in the center of Hagen Village and stepped out into the streets, which overflowed with vibrant energy.
Tap. Clack. Pat.
The sound of my and Luina’s shoes, along with Elia’s small footsteps, echoed through the streets of Hagen Village. Even though the festival hadn’t officially begun, the streets were already buzzing with noise. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the lively atmosphere.
“Alright, where should we go first?”
There were still two hours left until the festival officially started. The best way to pass the time would be to browse the street stalls and watch the performances scattered throughout the town.
I asked the question somewhat formally and turned to look at the three behind me.
“……Huh?”
The scene before me made me blurt out a confused sound. Or, to be more precise, I was reacting to the sight of Elia and Zenle naturally walking away together.
“So we’re really going to watch the gladiatorial fights, Master?”
“Of course. And after that, I will personally guide you through every single part of this festival from beginning to end, young miss.”
“Wow!”
As if they had planned it beforehand, Elia took Zenle’s hand. When she heard they were going to see the fights, she let out a cheer. Then, still holding Zenle’s hand, she began walking down the street.
“Mom, Dad, we’ll be back later!”
“Wait, hold on. Zenle, what on earth is——”
The whole thing happened so naturally that I tried to stop Zenle with a bewildered question, but someone cut me off before I could finish. I had no choice but to close my mouth.
“Kael.”
Squeeze———
Luina called my name and wrapped her arms around mine with a grip that was both intense and careful. It was as if she were telling me not to look anywhere else, drawing my gaze to her. When I turned, I found a Luina who was completely different from usual. It wasn’t just her clothes; her behavior, her eyes, even her aura felt different.
“……Luina?”
When I opened my mouth at the sight of her like this, Luina took a soft, deep breath. In a voice that trembled ever so slightly, she spoke.
“Would you spend today walking around with just me?”
It was, as expected, an earnest request unlike anything I had heard from her before.