Night Market (4)

The festival was still bustling with noise.

The Night Market was a kind of week-long harvest festival, or so I'd heard.

By the second day, the market was even livelier than the day before. The first day had been crowded enough, but today, it felt like the number of people had swelled even more.

Because of that, the figures of knights moving to and fro stood out all the more.

Perhaps the sheer volume of people made it difficult to maintain order—their faces betrayed clear impatience.

They were impossibly busy, darting here and there without a moment to spare.

As I watched them, Estelle spoke up beside me.

"It's packed, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

An awkward exchange that ended just like that.

Estelle didn't seem bothered in the slightest, humming a tune as she looked around excitedly.

Even after nearly two hours of wandering, she showed no signs of fatigue, still brimming with energy.

Had I not trained my stamina over the past while, I might've collapsed midway.

That's how impressive Estelle's endurance was.

It was as if she had some kind of high-capacity battery strapped to her—not a trace of exhaustion showed on her.

Somehow, she looked every bit like a girl her age should, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

Like a child with boundless energy, running around endlessly without ever running out of steam.

"Is this your first time at this festival, Estelle?"

"Of course. If not for Adel, I might never have come in my life."

Estelle answered with a bright smile. Her words made me curious, so I asked,

"Did you come because of me?"

"Yes. I was worried you might've been badly hurt after that battle."

Come to think of it, Estelle knew I'd participated in the subjugation expedition.

Given the circumstances, she probably also knew I was the knight who saved Yurp.

Though my face hadn't appeared in the papers, I wondered how she'd found out.

Well, she said she'd tell me a little later.

Speaking of which, Yurp said she's fine now, didn't she?

Ever since waking up at the mansion, I'd been worried about whether Yurp was alright.

Fortunately, Abel had received an official letter from the Holy Kingdom confirming that she was unharmed—memories intact, no less.

That had been a huge relief.

All that desperate running inside the Oblivion Whale had paid off, after all. Though jumping without a parachute had admittedly been a mistake born of recklessness.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Well, I'd reflect on that later. For now, reassuring Estelle came first. We were friends, after all.

"I'm fine, really."

As I said that and tried to swing my arm wide, a sharp twinge made me wince involuntarily.

The moment I let out a small groan, Estelle rushed over in a panic.

"Ahaha. Guess my muscles are still stiff..."

Apparently, I wasn't fully recovered yet.

Not that it was surprising—my master, Arin, had told me to take it easy for a while.

"Heal."

With a soft hum, the muscle pain gradually eased. I hadn't expected Estelle to know healing magic.

"Feeling a bit better?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Haha, don't mention it."

She grinned as she replied. After a brief silence, Estelle spoke again.

"Going back to what I was saying earlier, noble young ladies usually avoid festivals like this."

"Why's that?"

"It's simple."

Her explanation was straightforward.

First, since commoners could participate, mingling here was seen as beneath their station.

A very medieval way of thinking, but fitting for the era.

"The second reason is a bit more... practical."

"What is it?"

"It's the easiest place for kidnappings and abductions."

Her voice cooled slightly. Though her lips were still curved, there was no warmth in her tone.

Just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as I was about to be taken aback by her sudden hostility, I sensed killing intent.

Far cruder and clumsier than the aura Abel had emitted, but unmistakably malicious.

Clang!

I reflexively drew the rapier from my bodice and blocked the attack.

Lifting my head, I saw a black-masked man staring at me in shock.

Had he not expected me to draw a weapon and parry? Then again, given my current attire, it was understandable.

Though modest, I was wearing a dress.

Good thing I brought the rapier.

It was a habit—I always carried it. Who knew that habit would come in handy like this?

Maybe keeping a weapon on hand at all times was the way to go.

"Tch, damn it!"

I swung the rapier. I didn't tap into Silpi's power.

After facing Katra, Silpi had told me directly that he'd be unable to manifest for a while.

Not that I needed his strength here anyway.

My current physical abilities were more than enough to handle small fry like this.

A dagger thrust toward my throat.

Abandoning the idea of abduction, the man now aimed for a vital point. Clicking my tongue, I hooked his leg.

As he staggered, I drove my knee into his face.

"Guh—!"

The fangs scattered in all directions in an instant. Though I could feel a dull vibration through my knees, I paid it no mind.

After all, I had no reason to feel sympathy for someone who had tried to kidnap me.

Part of me wanted to just cut his throat right then and there, but I held back.

I didn't want bloodshed at a festival like this.

"Ghk—"

The assassin collapsed, his eyes rolling back. Something resembling an artifact tumbled out from his clothes.

Must be some kind of concealment artifact—one that erases presence or visibility.

Well, with an item like that, it made sense why someone of his skill level would even attempt a kidnapping.

Clicking my tongue, I turned my head to look at Estelle.

"Estelle, are you alright?"

She was staring at me with wide eyes, one hand covering her mouth.

For some reason, her golden irises seemed to shimmer.

She looked slightly excited, bouncing on her feet as she let out an awed gasp.

"That was amazing, Adel!"

"Ahaha... You're too kind."

Truthfully, it wasn't that I was amazing—it was just that this guy was pathetic. What kind of assassin stumbles after a single leg sweep?

And yet, he had the audacity to attempt a kidnapping in the middle of a festival.

Either he was recklessly brave or just plain stupid. Either way, it amounted to the same thing.

By then, the commotion had drawn attention. A few knights pushed through the crowd, their breaths ragged as they approached.

One of them, a blonde knight, froze mid-step when he saw the scene.

"Apologies for the delay—was there some kind of trouble—?"

"Wow."

The blonde knight glanced at the fallen assassin, then back at me.

Whether he recognized me or not, he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠looked like he was about to say something. I quickly raised a finger to my lips.

If my identity as Adel got exposed here, who knew how messy things would become?

Thankfully, the knight seemed to understand my urgency. He gave a silent nod before turning to his panting companion.

"Let's take this one and go."

"Hah—huff—Huh? What about the investigation—?"

After a quick whisper in his ear, the other knight startled, then looked at me.

After a brief hesitation, he too helped hoist the assassin before they both left.

With the knights gone, the eyes of the surrounding crowd all turned toward me.

I scratched my cheek awkwardly under their gazes—until a booming cheer erupted.

"WOOOAH!"

"That was incredible, miss! That kick was clean!"

"Damn... Most men wouldn't have stood a chance."

The men laughed as they spoke, while the women nearby bowed their heads repeatedly, offering their thanks.

"Oh my, thank you. I can't believe there are still creeps like that around."

"If it weren't for you, I might've been next... Really, thank you."

Amid the cheers, Estelle stood there, grinning at me.

I winked at her as if pleading for rescue, but she just chuckled and mouthed something.

I didn't know lip-reading, but I could guess what she said.

'We'll talk later.'

She smiled brightly again.

And so, it took over an hour before I could finally meet up with her again.

Only after most of the crowd had dispersed did I slump against a wall, completely drained.

Estelle approached, holding two glass bottles of drinks in her hands.

"Estelle, you're being a little unfair here..."

I shot her a resentful look, and she let out an awkward laugh before handing me one of the bottles.

It was a bottle of orange juice—just looking at it was refreshing.

"Sorry. Here, take this as an apology."

"Thanks."

I popped the cap off and gulped it down. The juice was ice-cold, sliding smoothly down my throat.

The refreshing sensation was so good I let out an involuntary "Ahhh..."

Estelle giggled.

"You've got a bit of an old man in you, Adel."

"Excuse me—?"

"Just kidding."

No, that definitely didn't sound like a joke. She had said it with a completely straight face.

Was I imagining things?

Estelle's expression remained unreadable, as if ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she had steeled herself.

"Earlier, when you said you had good eyes... What did you mean by that?"

"Hmm. Guess it's about time I told you."

We had enjoyed the festival together, after all. Sure, I paid for most of the food and drinks, but it wasn't like I was strapped for cash.

The only thing that had struck me as odd was how unusually excited Estelle had been the whole time.

Tap.

She flicked her finger, and in an instant, all sound around us vanished.

The chatter of the crowd, the vendors calling out their wares, even the lively bustle of the festival—gone.

Was this some kind of sound-blocking barrier?

When I turned to look at her, her smile was gone. Her face was cold—impossibly so.

Was this her true self?

"My blood carries traces of the Emperor's lineage."

"...What?"

"And when I said my eyes were good... I meant it literally."

Her golden irises began to burn. They felt like they could pierce through anything.

I wasn't well-versed in magic or aura, but I could tell—this wasn't either of those.

"This is my Authority as a member of the Imperial Family."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"Starting to understand now? You, who came from another world."