Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Martel (1)
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"What are you doing right now?"
Joanna, dressed in civilian clothes, asked as she looked at Oliver holding out a box of chocolates.
"Uh... a gift?"
Oliver replied in an uncertain tone.
"......"
"......"
An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment before Joanna spoke again.
"Are you joking right now?"
"Did I make a mistake?"
"What's with suddenly giving me chocolates out of nowhere?"
"I heard women like chocolates—"
"—Look here."
Joanna shouted in a low but firm voice.
"I'm not a woman. I'm a paladin. Did you call me out here to mock me?"
Ah... Joanna was genuinely upset.
It seemed to touch on a sensitive spot deep in her heart.
Oliver apologized politely.
"I... I'm sorry. You told me to do this?"
"Who on earth said that?"
"The old man at the bookstore I know."
"The bookstore... old man?"
"Yes. He runs a used bookstore, and he told me to bring chocolates as a gift."
"...What exactly did he say to make you do that?"
"I don't really know. I was just answering his questions... Anyway, if I've upset you, I apologize."
As he said that, Oliver took the chocolate box back.
Joanna silently stared at the chocolates.
Oliver asked again.
"Um... Do you want the chocolates?"
"...No, it's fine."
"I don't eat chocolate myself. No real use for it. Since I already bought it, please take it."
Joanna hesitated for a moment, then finally squeezed her eyes shut and accepted the chocolates.
"Well... thanks anyway."
"No, I'm the one who's grateful. You came to see me like this... Shall we head into the cathedral? Ah, but..."
Oliver looked troubled as he glanced at the cathedral.
The cathedral was currently holding an impromptu service. It didn't seem like a good place for a conversation.
"Um... Paladin. If it's not too rude, could we talk somewhere else? Chatting inside the cathedral during service doesn't feel right."
"I agree... Do you know a good spot?"
Oliver pulled a note from his pocket.
It was exactly what the bookstore old man had told him—restaurants suitable for going with a woman and compliments to give the lady every fifteen minutes.
Most were about praising her beauty, and he still didn't understand why he'd written them down.
"Just in case, how about a restaurant? There's one nearby that the bookstore old man recommended."
"The bookstore old man—the one who told you to give me chocolates as a gift?"
"Yes."
"Then I don't want to go."
Oliver nodded, somehow convinced. In that case...
"How about the park?"
"...The park?"
"Yes, it's a bit far, but there's a place I've been wanting to check out. It's quite pretty."
***
Click-clack-click—
Oliver got out of the taxi and arrived at the park with Joanna.
It wasn't just any park.
It was the park he'd first visited on Joseph's orders, and like his first time, it was filled with countless people.
Children ran around the fountain where the baby angel statue was peeing,
and nearby stalls sold hot dogs and ice cream.
An elderly gentleman sat on a bench reading the newspaper, while a couple who looked like husband and wife held their child's hand and headed off for a picnic somewhere.
Everyone looked happy.
Nothing like comparing it to Districts W, T, or X, which came later in the alphabet.
"This is unexpected."
Joanna, who had followed silently, finally spoke up midway.
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't think you'd like a place like this."
Joanna's words were sincere. He wondered why she thought that.
"I like places like this too. The emotions here are bright and light... They're pretty in their own way."
"Pretty?"
"Yes, the emotions... Compared to T or X District, or Wineham, they're pretty. Do you know why?"
"Know what?"
"Why this place is different from T or X District, or Wineham. Here it's bright, but over there, the emotions are mostly dark. I've been curious since way back... Do you know the reason, Paladin?"
Joanna fell into thought for a moment.
"...I don't know exactly. It's not easy to explain either. That's why I always pray and ponder it."
It wasn't a very satisfying answer, but Oliver didn't press her.
Joanna was being honest. And he hadn't met her to ask that in the first place.
"I see. Shall we keep walking and talking? Or sit on a bench for a bit?"
Joanna looked around.
She took in the surroundings, and her gaze suddenly fixed on a child walking with their mom and dad.
"Let's sit for a bit. I'm tired."
"Understood. How about over there?"
Oliver pointed to an empty corner of a bench.
"Yes, that works."
"Then, please wait just a moment."
Oliver said that to Joanna and stepped away briefly.
A short while later, Oliver returned with ice cream—the chocolate kind that the child walking with their parents had been holding.
"This is...?"
"Ice cream. Don't like it?"
Joanna hesitated, then took the chocolate ice cream.
"Th... thanks."
"No problem."
With that reply, Oliver took a bite of his ice cream.
It was cold and sweet. That was it.
"...Do you like ice cream?"
"Who knows. This is my first time trying it... It's cold and sweet."
Oliver took another bite of the ice cream.
Joanna ate hers in small bites too. She looked happy yet somehow bittersweet.
"...Is it not tasty?"
"No, it's delicious... What are you trying to say, going this far?"
"Was it obvious?"
"Yes... There are parts of the scriptures you don't understand, right?"
"Yes."
Oliver didn't deny it. In fact, he agreed wholeheartedly.
He'd read the scriptures through multiple times, but all he could conclude was that he couldn't understand them.
There were various reasons, but the biggest issue was interpreting the stories.
"The scriptures are hard to understand by nature. But if you keep reading and seeking guidance, you'll gain enlightenment someday."
"Then that's good, but I still don't get it well."
"I understand. Still, you're doing well, Oliver. You keep coming to the cathedral."
"Ah, that's to see you, Paladin. I wanted to meet you, but there's no other way."
He might have said something odd again, as Joanna's expression subtly stiffened.
Troubled, but not entirely displeased.
She thought for a moment, then asked.
"...Is there no one else?"
"Pardon?"
"People you want to meet. Or among the people you meet, no one you enjoy being with? For example, what about that bookstore old man? Is he a friend?"
A friend...
"Who knows. We've talked, but I don't know if he's a friend."
"Why not?"
"I don't really know what a friend is."
He knew the dictionary definition roughly. But Oliver doubted if he had any friends.
He tried plugging in the people he knew with the word, but it caused an error in his head, tangling into confusion.
Joanna said,
"A friend isn't anything special."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. If you can share stories and laugh together, that's a friend. Or if you help each other, that's a friend too."
He didn't know what laughing was, but he could think of a few people who'd helped him.
"There are a few who've helped me... More than I thought."
"Really? That's great... Then, have you ever helped someone first?"
Someone Oliver had helped first... Oliver pondered. Kant came to mind briefly, but he shook his head.
Kant had helped him first, and taking down the moles and Grib was repayment mixed with personal curiosity.
Of course, Kant himself said it was thanks to Oliver that he could support his poor siblings, but that was just because Oliver wanted to see what Kant would do.
It was far from help.
He thought more. Murphy came up, but he'd gotten paid, and Jane had just repaid an initial favor.
As he pondered, one person finally came to mind.
"...Rosburn."
"Rosburn...? Who's that?"
"Someone who worked at the inn where I was staying."
"What did you help with?"
"Taught him letters and numbers."
"Letters and numbers?"
"Yes, he wanted to learn, so I taught him."
"That's impressive. Really... May I ask why you helped him?"
"Because it was impressive."
"Impressive?"
"Yes. Despite being so scared, he mustered the courage to ask me to teach him. That's impressive, right?"
"Well, yeah. Courage is an impressive and important virtue."
"Yes. And you were brave too, Paladin."
"Me?"
"Yes. Do you remember when we first met?"
Joanna flinched at the sudden question.
She seemed to remember. Oliver did too.
Sewer, darkness, dead end, crisis, Joseph Filterette... And Joseph's memories and emotions that flowed in as he absorbed that Filterette.
"Yes... I remember."
"Back then, you were truly brave. And beautiful too."
"Are you talking about the beautiful light? The light that shines brilliantly before a person dies?"
"Yes. You shone with light, but more than that, you were the bravest... If it's okay, could you answer? What were you thinking then? I asked once before, but didn't get a reply."
Oliver asked like he'd rediscovered money forgotten in his coat pocket.
Fortunately, he got an answer this time.
"...I thought of God."
"Was that all?"
"...And my siblings too."
"Siblings? You have siblings?"
"Yes, not blood-related though."
"...???"
"I'm from an orphanage."
"...!!!"
Oliver was surprised.
He hadn't imagined Joanna was an orphan like him.
No basis or reason, but the thought had never crossed his mind.
"Weird?"
"No... Not weird. Just surprising."
"What's surprising?"
"Well... You don't seem like an orphan, Paladin. You're very different from the orphans I know."
Joanna smiled faintly.
"I don't know how I'm different, but that's not true. People aren't fundamentally different. We're all God's beloved children."
"Is that so? The mine supervisors said orphans are cursed beings abandoned even by God. That's why we'd go to hell even after death."
"They're wrong. God loves everyone."
Joanna spoke firmly, full of conviction.
"May I ask why you think that?"
"...When I thought it was all over, God gave me talent to protect everyone, and even let me have this conversation with you. You get to meet so many people and talk like this too. If that's not proof God loves us, what is?"
It didn't quite make logical sense, but he didn't argue.
Maybe it was a bit hard to argue?
As Oliver was about to ask something else, Joanna spoke first.
"Um... Oliver."
"Yes?"
"Can we call it a day? It's getting to evening, and I need to head back."
Oliver checked his watch. It was almost evening indeed.
"Ah... A shame, but no choice. Any idea when we can meet next?"
"Who knows? ...Come to the P District cathedral like usual, and I'll find you."
"If it's not rude, is there a way I can contact you first? Not for anything big—just if I have something really curious or want to tell you, I'd like to reach out right away. Even once is fine."
Joanna pondered his words, then spoke as if making a big decision.
"...If it's really urgent, tell the priest at P District cathedral. I'll come once, if I have no unavoidable circumstances."
"Oh... That's enough. Thank you so much."
***
After parting with Joanna, the sun sank beyond the horizon, dyeing the sky orange.
It was evening.
Time to end the day.
Oliver planned to wrap up his day too.
Normally he'd go home and rest, but instead, he changed his destination on the spot to the inn.
The reason was none other than to see Rosburn.
He'd completely forgotten for a while, but during his talk with Joanna, he remembered—and recalled promising to visit him once.
Of course, he hadn't gone even once.
He felt a little guilty. Like he'd broken a promise.
So he decided to visit the inn belatedly to keep it.
The inn glowed with its usual yellow light, and the faint smell of cooking wafted from the first floor.
"Who is i—... Oh. You came."
The innkeeper said upon seeing Oliver, as if she hadn't expected him.
"Hello. Have you been well?"
"Yes... I'm fine, of course. And you? I thought you were dead since you never came after saying you would."
"I had some business..."
Oliver trailed off as he looked around the inn.
Usually, Rosburn would appear around now, hauling potato sacks, but for some reason, he wasn't there.
"Where's Rosburn?"
"Rosburn? He left."
"Left?"
"Yes. The Magic Tower said they'd sponsor him as a student. Some research institute... Ah, it was called Martel."