"How About Here?"
“How about here?”
“Well... like I said before, I’m not really sure.”
“Hmm. Or we could just grab some food from the street vendors and wander around enjoying the festival sights?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“Then let’s do it. Wait here a moment.”
Ashytara said that and hurried off, soon returning to Ludenberg with strangely shaped sandwiches clutched in both hands.
“Try one. They’re supposed to be good. Cletta gave me some during duty last time, and they were delicious. It just popped into my head...”
“Thanks.”
Ludenberg replied flatly and took a bite of the sandwich.
“Good?”
“Yeah. It’s good.”
A faint smile crossed Ludenberg’s face. Ashytara, clearly pleased by the sight, blushed and smiled back at him.
“Glad to hear it. I was a little nervous. Just because something tastes good to me doesn’t mean it will for you.”
“If it suits your taste, it’ll suit mine for sure. Like I said, I can eat just about anything.”
“Phew, what a relief.”
The two ate their sandwiches while taking in the festival scenery.
“This isn’t so bad once in a while.”
“Right? Take this chance to relax a bit. No matter how tough you are, you’re still human—you need rest sometimes. Hard work is important, but... I still think you could use a little break.”
“...Yeah.”
Ludenberg started to say he was fine but met Ashytara’s firm gaze and could only nod. There was an odd intensity to it. And it all came from her concern for him.
“Thanks for listening seriously. It might’ve sounded like nagging.”
“Nah. I know it’s because you’re worried about me... I can take that much. We’re friends, after all.”
“Friends... Yeah. Right.”
Ashytara’s face flickered with a hint of regret, but it vanished so quickly that Ludenberg didn’t notice.
Once Ludenberg finished his sandwich, Ashytara spoke up.
“All done? Let’s go. There’s so much I want to see.”
The two strolled through the streets of Solemnute, lost in old nostalgia. Ludenberg found himself recalling childhood visits to the capital without realizing it. They’d definitely played around on these very streets. Whenever she had business here, Ashytara would drag him along to explore the vast city, like they were on some grand adventure. Those familiar alleyways they used to sneak into, ignoring the knights’ warnings about the dangerous security.
“See? That’s the one. The alley we used to slip into.”
The maze-like tangle of alleys looked just the same. The only difference was the street vendors that had popped up thanks to the festival.
Then Ludenberg’s eyes caught a familiar bakery tucked into a dim corner at the alley’s edge, in a spot where hardly anyone passed by. It seemed out of place in an area perfect for vagrants—a bakery that didn’t quite fit.
A Star Shining on the Ground.
For a mere alleyway bakery, it had a grand name. And Ludenberg knew it all too well.
“This place...”
“Remember? We came here a lot. One sandwich didn’t seem like enough, so I wanted to stop by.”
Back when they were kids roaming the alleys, playing hide-and-seek or just fooling around, they’d inevitably get hungry. They’d stumbled upon this bakery by chance, and it had become their secret hideout.
It sold only one kind of bread: sweet, honey-infused star-shaped buns. Just like the shop’s name, they sparkled like stars shining not in the sky, but on the earth—a piece of their shared memories.
“Yeah. That’s right. I’d forgotten. We were ten then. Seven years already...”
Ashytara nodded at Ludenberg’s wistful words.
“Yeah. We always came here whenever we visited Solemnute after that.”
“Is the lady still around? I remember she was always so kind to us...”
“I’m not sure. I only came when I was with you. Want to go in?”
“Sure.”
Passing through the worn, shabby door, a warm coziness enveloped them—the same warmth that had greeted the tired, hungry ten-year-olds playing hide-and-seek.
Along with the warmth came the glowing interior and its golden, freshly baked stars. The scene was identical to seven years ago. Ludenberg and Ashytara exchanged surprised glances before breaking into bright smiles.
“Oh, customers! Hungry, are you?”
A neat middle-aged woman with her brown hair tied up tightly, wearing a baker’s cap to keep even a strand from falling into the bread, smiled at them.
“H-hello.”
Even Ludenberg, who usually met others with a cool demeanor, stammered a greeting, powerless against the pull of nostalgia. Ashytara, on the other hand, beamed genuinely.
“Hello, Star Lady! Long time no see.”
Star Lady. The nickname the two had given the shop’s owner. For selling star-shaped bread. Her real name was Gleness Setia—a follower of the Setra church... and a woman who gave her bread for free to hungry children and the needy in Solemnute’s alleys.
Hearing “Star Lady,” Gleness’s eyes widened. In that instant, as her gaze took in Ludenberg and Ashytara, she saw them: the two ragged kids from seven years ago, etched deep in her memory.
“No way... Rud? Tara?”
“Yes. Long time no see, ma’am.”
“My goodness. It’s been ages. Rud’s grown so sturdy, and Tara’s become such a beauty.”
“Ahaha. Thank you.”
“Isn’t that an imperial knight uniform? Wait, both of you knights now? But you were ten back then, so seventeen now...”
“Not imperial knights. We’re students at Solemnute Adem now.”
“Solemnute Adem! So you’re both in the Knight Faculty? Here on assignment?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“I thought your faces looked familiar... Who would’ve thought it was you kids.”
“We’ve changed a lot, huh?”
Gleness nodded at Ashytara’s words.
“You’ve both changed so much from back then—it startled me. But impressive. Solemnute Adem... Getting in from the slums must’ve been tough.”
Of course, Gleness didn’t know their true backgrounds. Highborn folk never set foot in these rundown alleys. Especially since the two had dressed in old clothes on purpose to explore, she still thought they were slum kids.
That’s why she was so amazed. Slum students rarely made it to Solemnute Adem. The biggest hurdle was tuition. To enroll, they needed sponsors, who demanded strict conditions—above all, exceptional talent.
Gleness, assuming they had such talent, showered them with praise.
“Anyway, you two are amazing. Oh, you must be hungry. Have a bun.”
They accepted without refusing.
“Thank you.”
The star-shaped buns were as delicious as ever. One bite, and sweet honey oozed out, blending perfectly with the soft crust, amplifying the sweetness. Even Ashytara, with her refined palate, couldn’t help but grin at the long-lost taste.
“So good... Yeah, really delicious. Just like back then.”
“I’ve held down this spot all along. So many people say it’s good—it makes me happy. What about you, Rud?”
“...It’s good.”
It was a taste laced with memories. A flavor he’d thought gone forever now stirred deep nostalgia in Ludenberg. Like the scars from years of isolation and distrust in friends slowly healing, the soft bread slid gently down his throat.
A Star Shining on the Ground. The star-shaped buns that brought a ray of light to hungry children and the poor became a star of memories for the noble pair as well.
“We’ll be going now.”
Having finished their nostalgic buns, the two told Gleness.
“Come again.”
The same words as seven years ago drew smiles from them both.
Before leaving, Ashytara rummaged in her pocket as if remembering something and pulled out a gold coin.
“Star Lady, here...”
But Gleness waved it off upon seeing the gold.
“No money needed. This is a free bakery. And gold, no less—keep it for yourself. I’m fine financially. The church sends support every month.”
“Still, thank you.”
“It’s okay. I’d rather you pass on the gratitude you feel to someone else.”
Unable to go against Gleness’s firm refusal, Ashytara said regretfully,
“Thank you so much, ma’am. We had a great time thanks to you. We’ll definitely come back.”
“Good. That’s all I need.”
With A Star Shining on the Ground at their backs, the two walked through Solemnute in silence, reminiscing.
How long had they walked? Suddenly, Ashytara spoke up.
“Hey, Ludenberg. Truth is, I’ve been keeping an eye on that bakery all this time. Never went in, just checked from afar to make sure it was still there.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to go with you. We were always together until I was twelve.”
She glared at Ludenberg, who feigned ignorance.
“Oh.”
“Anyway, going back there with you was one of my wishes after that.”
“A wish...”
Ludenberg felt a twinge of guilt watching Ashytara call even something so small a wish. How much fear and hurt had she endured because of his own fears?
“Sorry. I should’ve listened to you.”
Ashytara shook her head at his bitter words.
“No. It could’ve happened to anyone—even me. So thank you. For believing in me again, even though it must’ve been hard.”
“That was all because of your actions. You alone saw me as a real friend, accepted me for who I am, never put me down. I had no choice but to trust you. If anything, I’m the grateful one. No—saying thanks a thousand times wouldn’t be enough.”
Ludenberg paused, hesitating briefly before speaking to Ashytara.
“Can you accept me as your friend again, Tara?”
Just hearing her old nickname from his lips made Ashytara feel all her loneliness melt away. We’re back to how we were. She smiled and replied.
“Even when you were pushing me away, you were always my friend, Rud.”
* * *
After that, the two continued wandering Solemnute’s streets. The festival’s lively energy lifted their spirits just by watching. Ludenberg and Ashytara laughed, enjoyed the festivities, and hoped this happy moment would last.
But then.
Kieeeek!
A chilling shriek pierced from the sky, and the dim evening heavens began to glow red.
“What...”
The massive noise sowed dread among the festival-goers. As they looked up toward the source...
The sky began to tear open.
Erosion.
It was erosion.