A Summer's Charity
May. The spring that had awakened winter was drawing to a close, giving way to the sweltering heat of summer. As if to prove the point, the sunlight felt noticeably hotter than during his last outing, prompting Kain to slip casually beneath the shade of a tree.
Personally, I can't stand summer.
He had no fond memories of the season. It wasn't merely the heat. The smell, the humidity, the irritation—it was the ideal environment for corpses to rot faster. For a necromancer who handled the dead, the swarming insects and the stench of decay that clawed at his nostrils remained utterly intolerable no matter how many years passed. It was one of the most glaring drawbacks of being a dark mage, in Kain's opinion. That was why he avoided summoning his undead from subspace on hot days whenever possible.
"Hmm-hmm~"
While Kain's mood sank with the approach of summer, Arina's spirits rose. She hummed a little tune as she walked, one hand firmly clutching Kain's. With leisurely glances at her surroundings, she led the way through Raymond National Park. The path wound around a massive lake, and the area was crowded with people, just as its reputation suggested.
Some rested beneath the trees without a care for insects. Others jogged in silence, eyes and ears sealed behind sunglasses and wireless earphones. Still others walked their dogs while scrolling on smartphones. In the heart of the city, this pocket of nature pulsed with life as all kinds of people mingled.
Yeah, no wonder the real estate around here is so expensive.
Benedict Academy, the continent's finest magic school, stood nearby. Beside it rose the grand Aven Hospital, and directly across lay this sprawling national park. With infrastructure like that, property values had nowhere to go but up. Not that Kain had ever spared a thought about buying such an apartment.
"Hm?"
As the pair enjoyed the warm sunlight and cool shade, a large crowd came into view ahead.
"Some kind of event?"
Kain had heard nothing about it, but surprise performances by singers or television shoots weren't uncommon here. Still, none of it interested him in the slightest—only annoyed him.
"It's a charity event," Arina answered, picking up a pamphlet someone had dropped. "Hosted by the Church."
Kain's gaze followed hers to the paper.
"Tch."
It was a Hope Evangelism Event meant to reassure citizens unsettled by rising crime. The pamphlet boasted appearances by numerous celebrities and nobles. Obvious dark mage targeting if I've ever seen it. Between the Grant Department Store incident and the recent Benedict Academy case, most high-profile crimes were attributed to dark mages. This was just another one of the Church's tiresome ploys, wrapped in pretty packaging. Getting involved would only bring trouble and fatigue.
The intention is fine, but…
Perhaps because he himself was a dark mage, Kain had zero desire to be dragged into such a pointless affair.
"Look, Uncle. Layla Ruby is coming too."
"……"
Before he could suggest they go elsewhere, Arina spoke again. Layla Ruby—Arina's favorite singer. Maybe it was guilt over neglecting her earlier, but seeing how openly she wanted to see the diva made Kain hesitate to walk away.
"Let's go somewhere else."
She remembered his past complaints about the Church and was forcing a smile while suppressing her own wish. Kain chuckled and pressed down firmly on the top of her head.
"Act your age, kid."
Who was worrying about whom here? The brat was getting ahead of herself. If you want something, say so. If you want to see someone, admit it. If you want it, demand it. Throw a tantrum instead of holding back. That way, refusing would at least be easier. When she looked so obviously disappointed yet tried to endure it, turning her down became difficult.
"Let's go watch. Not sure we'll actually see her, but if we're lucky we might catch a glimpse from afar."
"Huh? But……"
What if Uncle's identity as a dark mage gets exposed? He seemed to dislike the idea of the Church finding out.
Kain pressed down on her head again, harder this time, as if to dispel her worries.
"It's fine."
Even the intelligence agency of the Ellemental Kingdom hadn't uncovered that he was a dark mage. If he was determined to hide, no one in this country could detect it—unless the Majoan himself showed up. The only reason Kain had wanted to leave was simple dislike of the Church.
That busy man wouldn't come all the way out here.
With the underworld matters keeping him swamped, the Majoan wouldn't have time for a Church event. If he were attending, his name would have been printed larger than any celebrity's or noble's. Nothing carried more impact at a Hope Evangelism Event than the Majoan. Even the list of attending nobles contained no great houses Kain recognized—only minor central nobles.
The Majoan attending such a small event? Ridiculous. For the king of Raymond or the Majoan to appear, it would have to be something on the scale of the Baptism Ground hosted by the Seven Great Sects of the Church.
Even if we get caught, we haven't done anything wrong. No reason to run.
Unlike the Fan Empire or Yggdrasil, he had committed no crimes in this country yet. Still holding Arina's hesitant hand, Kain took the lead. In the end, they missed Layla Ruby's performance entirely. The makeshift stage stood empty—either the show had already ended or had yet to begin.
Yet they didn't miss Layla Ruby herself.
"Oh?"
Perhaps she had taken the event more seriously than expected, or perhaps this too was part of it. Wearing an apron, Layla had been handing out food when her eyes met theirs. She tilted her head, then clapped her hands in recognition and approached.
"Mr. Kain and Miss Arina, correct?"
She remembered their names after meeting them only once. Arina beamed and stepped forward while Kain regarded her with mild surprise.
"Yes! That's right!"
Her favorite star remembered her name. The thrill was something only those who experienced it could understand. Her cheeks flushed with excitement. For some reason, seeing her look more attached to Layla than to him left Kain feeling oddly unsettled.
"We live nearby! Uncle and I were just taking a walk when we heard you were performing here, so we came to find you!"
She rattled off answers to questions no one had asked, even using the honorific "nim" for Layla. The considerate little girl from moments ago had vanished without a trace. Good thing he hadn't refused earlier.
"Really? That's a shame. The performance just ended."
The event had never centered on celebrity performances anyway. At most, the singers performed one or two songs. It was closer to a free volunteer meal where everyone ate together and encouraged one another. Since they couldn't occupy the park all day, the event would conclude at 2 p.m. after lunch.
"But since you're here, would you like to eat something before you go?"
After addressing Arina, Layla turned to Kain.
"You should eat too, Mr. Kain. I'll serve you myself."
"……"
"I haven't eaten yet either. Since we're all here, let's eat together."
Arina and Kain's eyes met.
What do you want to do? I'm already full.
……Should we eat just a little?
They exchanged glances rapidly. Kain wanted to leave, claiming fullness, but Arina shook her head slightly. It wasn't reluctance to refuse.
Well, this counts as making memories too.
When else would they get to eat with a superstar like Layla Ruby? In that sense, it was another memory to collect—one Arina wanted to share with him. Perhaps because he had just realized the importance of such memories, Kain merely furrowed his brow and followed Layla without protest.
Wasn't the summer vacation trip supposed to be enough?
Child-rearing was difficult for this reason. He couldn't gauge how much he needed to do before the kid would be satisfied. If she had only asked for material things that money could solve, it would have been simpler. Instead, she wanted emotional experiences he struggled to understand.
Why does she enjoy doing things together with me?
Kain knew himself too well. Unless it was a lunatic like Pride, no one could possibly love a personality as broken as his. So why did she cling to him so persistently? After brief contemplation, he concluded that Arina simply had terrible judgment when it came to people.
Dealing with the Empress would probably be easier.
Whatever. He'd just do whatever she asked. That was the realization he'd reached after two years of this new trial called parenting. Arina wasn't the type of child who would become spoiled from being doted on, after all.
"……"
Once inside, the smell of food hit them. The menu was simple: white rice, boiled pork, soybean paste soup made from the pork broth, and freshly made kimchi. People who appeared to be from the Church smiled as they cooked, while passersby lined up for free meals. Most of the recipients looked like homeless people living on the streets.
"Here you are."
While they sat and observed, Layla appeared carrying two trays, followed by her manager with two more.
"Eat plenty. I asked them to give you extra meat since you worked hard on the performance."
She seemed far more easygoing than her stage persona suggested. This wasn't professional cooking—mostly ordinary housewives preparing large quantities. Even if the ingredients were good, the overall quality couldn't be high. Yet she looked at the food as though it were delicious. It was an unexpectedly down-to-earth sight for a superstar.
That's a relief.
Unlike the other celebrities and nobles who had already left, she had stayed behind to help clean up. The way she treated fans like Arina also seemed genuine. Maybe Arina's eye for people wasn't so bad after all.
……Then why me?
Whether her judgment was good or bad, he wished she'd pick one and stick with it. While lost in thought, chin resting on his hand, Kain stared at the food Layla had brought.
"……Don't eat that yet."
He stopped Arina just as she lifted her spoon toward the soybean paste soup. The boredom and lethargy in his eyes had been replaced by irritation mixed with interest.
"They played a really unfunny prank. These bastards."
One corner of his mouth curled upward. This event, it seemed, was not as ordinary as it appeared.