Chapter 65
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Everyday Life Together is Strange (1)
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The imperial palace was extravagantly magnificent.
The vast gardens bloomed with vibrant flowers year-round. The grand arched palace, both from the outside and within, was adorned with beautiful patterns and luxurious decorations everywhere you looked.
The empire's ministers who strolled there, and the imperial family who reigned as their heavens above, maintained their lofty dignity while simply displaying that splendor. Even their attendants and maids preserved an air of elegance.
The temple embodied the pinnacle of sanctity.
Though the gardens stretched wide, the only thing occupying them was a vast, empty expanse of pure white stone architecture. As if shunning luxury, it offered only a pristine white backdrop. Beyond those gardens stood the temple itself, pure white and exuding a holiness so intense it bordered on madness.
Within that snow-white setting, only devout prayers echoed. The priests and holy knights walking the temple's interior revealed only deep faith on their faces, their hearts blooming solely with thoughts of their god.
In a world filled with such unshakeable convictions, progress crawled along at a snail's pace. Brimming with convenient abilities, they saw no need to advance their technologies.
Why bother with vacuum cleaners when magic did the job? Why wrap bandages when holy power sufficed? They shunned science and medicine alike.
That very firmness solidified their positions, leaving no drive to move forward. They rested easy in their current comforts, content with the glory that would endure. A world thus frozen halted all further development, gradually succumbing to stagnation.
And so, every corner of Pretoria felt distant from civilization—a relic of a bygone era, incomparable to modern society.
Proclaiming splendor or sanctity, they asserted their presence boldly yet pursued no mysteries.
No new things.
No advancing civilization, no marching era.
How must modern civilization appear to someone raised in such a world?
The answer lay plain in the gestures of one person flailing before my eyes.
"Arsius! What is this?! It was just a black frame full of darkness, but suddenly all these colorful things are moving!"
I'd only turned on the TV to kill some boredom, but Seren stared intently at the pitch-black screen until the picture appeared, startling her with a jump.
Her eyes darted back and forth between the screen and me in genuine wonder, so cute and amusing that I couldn't help but chuckle.
"What! Don't laugh—tell me what it is!"
Sensing I'd teased her, she pouted in protest, and even that felt endearing. I really was hopeless.
"It's called a television. Like I told you before, Earth has no holy power, no magic, no sword aura—none of that."
"Hmm~? But at that banquet hall... everyone was using those kinds of abilities, right?"
"They weren't there originally. Magic, sword aura, gates—none of it. Holy power still seems absent, though."
Now that Earth could resolve issues with abilities too, would its progress slow as well? The thought crossed my mind suddenly.
- Whoa?! H-Hero! Wh-What is this?!
A commotion erupted from the kitchen, distant from the living room. Karin, who'd headed straight there to study her workplace, was already letting out pitiful yelps after just a short while.
"Oh~ Something amazing must be in there too! Let's go check it out together, Arsius."
Piqued by Karin's fussing, Seren grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the kitchen, her curiosity reignited.
There, in the kitchen we entered, stood Karin pressing buttons on the microwave, marveling in awe.
"H-Hero! What is this contraption...!? I just pressed a button, and it started whirring and spinning!"
Better to show than tell, I thought. I opened the fridge and pulled out a cold pizza.
"Ooh...! Just opening the door, and cold air pours out! And it's full of food inside...! Saintess, this place is packed with wonders."
"Wow~ Arsius! What's this one? A chest for storing food?"
With both of them sparkling-eyed in unison, I couldn't hold back my laughter.
"Khk... Pfft!! You two are acting just like kids!!"
"Eek! Stop laughing and explain, Arsius!"
Smack—
My nonstop laughter had irked her; Seren's face flushed with anger as she walloped my back.
Time flowed on, changing all in its wake, yet Seren's hand still packed a sting.
"Then I'll be off, Karin!"
"Yes, Saintess. Hero, please take care."
Karin bowed at the entrance as she saw Seren off.
Having finished exploring the house, Seren's eyes brimmed with even more curiosity, eager to venture outside. I straightened my clothes and stepped out with her.
For the record, Karin was still dazzled by the kitchen gadgets, so I left her to it.
"Arsius! This elevator thing is incredible too! A machine that lifts people up and down... Everything on Earth is so convenient."
"Definitely different from Pretoria. Oh, and fix your hat and mask properly."
I pressed her hat down and pulled up her mask to cover her face as she chatted with it dangling.
"Ugh, don't press so hard. And do we really have to wear these? They're uncomfortable..."
I could get away with it since my face was already public, but Seren had appeared at the assembly. If she'd just sat quietly, no issue—but her flashy duel had likely spread everywhere via broadcasts.
Too much attention would cramp our style.
"Yep~ That stunt at the assembly left us no choice. Like I said earlier, info spreads everywhere on computers and phones, so yours is probably out there too. And you're already so pretty, you'd draw even more eyes—better cover up."
"Ah! So you're saying you want my face all to yourself! Making me blush like that... Ehehe~"
Sure, let's go with that.
We strolled leisurely down the street. Seren's head swiveled nonstop, taking in the sights. The high-rises around the park where we walked—including the building we'd come down from—towered enigmatically for her.
"Really... there's nothing not astonishing. It's so, so different from Pretoria."
Her words carried a poignant ache, delving deep into the heart and leaving a faint bitterness in its wake.
It wasn't longing. Just profound regret.
"The people passing by look so happy. They might have worries, but not life-or-death fears; they might complain of hunger, but not starve in desperation. Being able to live ordinary lives... what an enviable world."
She laughed freely by my side now, but as a saintess who'd always protected and sheltered the weak, it made sense.
Of course, dark corners hid harsh realities if you dug deep, but the bright, beautiful scenery around us showed no vagrants littering the streets.
"Seren. Do you regret coming over?"
Her tender expression nagged at me, so I asked. Whether she regretted abandoning them for my sake.
"Hmm... Arsius. No choice is free of regret. Some just leave greater ones behind. For me, not coming to find you would have been the bigger regret... So I bury it in my heart."
Her usual mature response. Even when she could afford to act spoiled, she always stayed composed and proper in words and deeds.
Seren smiled with her eyes and tugged my hand after answering.
"Anyway~ Enough sentimentality. Show me something new that'll make my eyes sparkle again!"
Behind her maturity lurked an awkward cheerfulness to mask it. A ten-year habit wouldn't vanish in the one year apart.
I chuckled softly and led her around here and there.
"Wow~ Arsius. This place smells amazing. A perfume shop?"
Entering the department store, Seren nodded at the potent fragrance wafting from the first floor. I wrinkled my nose at the piercing scent, but it clearly intrigued her.
"Uh... Seren. There's tons more on the upper floors—wanna head up first...?"
I suggested the next level as politely as I could.
"Hmm~ But I wanna look around here a bit more! Oh, they let you try scents. Come here quick."
No dice—she just dragged me along.
"Arsius! This one's nice. Smell it."
....
"Arsius! Is this makeup? So sophisticated~ Even the empire doesn't have this kind of luxury!"
Stop...
"Arsius! Which perfume suits me best? Smell them quick."
Please stop...