Chapter 463: Emily
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 463: Emily
A quiet town, a desolate atmosphere, and shops left unattended.
When they had first approached the outskirts, they had seen plenty of residents coming and going, tending to the fields. But now, as Muen and Anna walked down the main street, they found the surroundings strangely devoid of pedestrians.
There were even vendor stalls abandoned by the roadside. The exquisite, though perhaps not quite playful, little dolls sitting on the shelves looked like the sort of thing children would adore, yet even their creator was nowhere to be found.
"Something... feels off..."
Muen briefly examined the seemingly normal dolls, his nerves instantly pulling taut. His past experiences had taught him to be wary of such abnormalities. He hid one hand behind his back, inconspicuously gripping the hilt of a blade protruding from his spatial magic device.
Anna was also surveying their surroundings. Her peerless features remained relaxed, showing no change in expression, yet within the palms of her naturally hanging hands, an endless darkness seemed to be brewing.
The two searched the area for a moment but failed to find any specific irregularities.
Consequently, their attention shifted to one of the few living souls left on the street besides themselves.
It was a young girl, perhaps ten years old. She wore a brightly colored long dress, and her face was heavily caked in cheap powder and rouge. The makeup left her skin a deathly, ghastly white, making for a truly startling sight.
She stood at the intersection, looking left and right like a predator searching for prey, her claws and fangs hidden beneath a harmless disguise.
As Muen focused his attention on her, the girl seemed to sense the couple whose temperament and attire were completely out of place in this rural town. A green glint, like that of a wild wolf, flashed in her eyes, and she came trotting toward them.
The two heightened their vigilance. In a town that seemed so peaceful, the sight of a young girl in a gaudy floral dress and deathly pale makeup rushing toward them with a terrifying smile felt like the beginning of a horror story...
"Hello, Big Brother! Hello, Big Sister!"
The girl skidded to a halt a few paces in front of Muen. She tilted her head back, looking at Muen and Anna with curiosity.
"You're both so beautiful! You must be travelers from outside, right?"
"...Uh, yes."
Though the girl didn't radiate any aura of threat, Muen didn't lower his guard. His eyes remained fixed on the girl as her grin widened, and the veins on the back of his hand—still gripping his sword hilt—began to throb.
Is she going to show her fangs this soon?
If that's the case...
"That's wonderful!"
The girl suddenly clapped her hands in excitement.
"Then you should come join our town's Spring Festival!"
"Eh?" Muen blinked, stunned. "The Spring Festival?"
"Yes!"
The girl spun in a circle, her cheap but vibrantly colored floral dress fluttering around her.
"It's a festival unique to our town! It was established specifically to pray to the Goddess for a bountiful harvest during the spring plowing season. Almost everyone in town goes to participate as long as they're free!"
Muen’s eyes widened.
Wait.
A festival...
The whole town participating...
Could it be...
"Those unguarded stalls..."
"Oh, you mean Uncle Jack's doll stall? He does that all the time. He leaves the stall here and goes off to play first. This town isn't big and everyone knows each other, so if you want to buy something, you just put the money in the jar in front of the stall."
Following the girl's explanation, Muen did indeed spot a small jar in front of the stall containing a few crumpled pieces of small change.
"Then you..."
"Oh my, did you notice?"
The girl covered her face bashfully. "Uncle Mott next door told me that I have to dress up as beautifully as possible for the festival to please the Goddess. So, I secretly used Mama's makeup... Don't tell her, okay? Or I'll get a spanking."
"..."
No, I don't think anyone needs to tell her. The moment she sees you, a thrashing is inevitable.
"Then I—"
"The Mayor Auntie said that if any travelers come from outside, we should invite them to the festival. You're both so beautiful, Big Brother and Big Sister, you'll definitely please the Goddess!"
"..."
The mystery solved, Muen turned to exchange a silent look with Anna. Both saw a flicker of embarrassment in the other's eyes.
The chirping of insects awakening in the spring air grew louder, almost as if mocking them for overreacting.
"It seems... we were a bit too cautious."
"Indeed. You can't be like this, Junior. Keeping your nerves so tight is bad for your health."
"Senior, you were doing the exact same thing just now!" Muen retorted helplessly.
He had dealt with "those things" so often that the slightest disturbance triggered an instinctive tension.
Fortunately, it was just a misunderstanding.
Muen looked at the incredibly lively girl, who wasn't the least bit shy as she prattled on to him. A small smile finally tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Yeah. This is actually quite nice.
*
"Emily! Where have you run off to now?"
"Ah, Mayor Auntie! I brought some travelers from outside!"
"Travelers? And you two are...?"
Muen turned to look at the "Mayor Auntie" Emily had mentioned. She was a stout, robust woman, but she didn't look fierce; rather, she radiated a kind, grandmotherly aura that children would naturally gravitate toward.
When she saw Muen and Anna, she was clearly taken aback by their bearing and appearance, her eyes turning wary.
"Hello. I am a passing merchant. You can just call me Muen."
Muen offered a handsome, polite smile that left even the Mayor momentarily dazed. He didn't mind revealing his name; as long as he didn't mention the name "Campbell," no one in a frontier town like this would ever associate him with the famous Duke.
"This is my girlfriend. You can call her Anna."
"Oh, Mr. Muen, Miss Anna."
The Mayor finally snapped out of it, a sharp glint appearing in her small eyes. "You're merchants? Do you intend to do business in our town...?"
"Apologies, we are merely passing through."
"Ah..."
The Mayor looked a bit disappointed. Judging by their clothes and demeanor, if they were merchants, they would surely be from a major guild that could bring great benefits to the town...
What a pity.
"Well, since you're passing through, please enjoy our festival to the fullest."
The Mayor knew her town had nothing to attract a major merchant guild, so she quickly brushed aside her disappointment and regained her usual cheerful enthusiasm.
"This is our grandest holiday. Of course, to people from the big city like yourselves, it might not seem like much."
"No," Muen said, shaking his head slightly with a smile. "Every festival has its own charm, no matter where it is. I'm looking forward to it."
"Hehe, you're quite the smooth talker, young man."
Facing two such polite young people, the usually boisterous Mayor became much more refined. She chuckled behind her hand before calling out to the girl beside her:
"Emily, why don't you take these two... Eh? Emily?"
The group turned, only to find that the energetic Emily had already run off into the distance. She waved to them from afar, shouting at the top of her lungs:
"Mayor Auntie! I'm going to go find more people to join the festival now!"
"Hey! Slow down! Don't run, you'll trip!"
"I know!"
Emily quickly skipped away and disappeared around the end of the street, high-spirited as she went in search of her next "prey."
"Sigh, poor child," the Mayor whispered, watching Emily's retreating back with a soft sigh.
"Poor?" Muen asked curiously. "She seems like such a bright and lively girl. Why do you say she's 'poor'?"
"It's because she's so sensible that it's heartbreaking," the Mayor said, her eyes dimming with pity. "Emily's father died in an accident a few years ago, and her mother is frail and sickly. At such a young age, she's already incredibly mature. She helps out with the housework constantly and always puts on a brave face so her mother won't worry.
"The reason she's so enthusiastic about bringing people to the festival is because she heard that the Spring Festival isn't just for praying for a harvest. They say if the festival is lively enough, the Goddess will look upon this place and grant a blessing."
"So..."
"She probably wants the Goddess's blessing to heal her mother's illness."
"...Is that so?"
As the Mayor spoke, Muen frowned slightly.
He thought back to the girl's pale, frightening little face. No wonder she had applied such strange makeup; she was trying to make herself look more like an adult, but likely no one had ever taught her how.
"Oh dear, look at my big mouth. How could I tell guests such things? Don't worry, you two. Emily is beloved by all the neighbors. No matter what happens, we'll at least make sure she's never cold or hungry.
"Please, enjoy the festival. In a little while, a famous wandering poet will be giving a special performance!"
The Mayor quickly composed herself, offered a few more words of comfort with a smile, and then hurried off to attend to other matters.
Muen and Anna were left standing there, exchanging a silent look.
"After the festival, let's go visit the girl's house," Anna said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Her expression was somewhat lonely, as if she were remembering something.
"Alright, my dear, kind Senior Anna."
Muen gently took her hand. "We'll go together."
Anna responded with a breathtaking, intoxicating smile.
Hand in hand, the two found a spot with a clear view and waited for the festival to begin.
It was indeed a very lively event. It seemed most of the town had gathered there. On the wide, open ground, the simply dressed residents had already begun singing and dancing. Though there was no musical accompaniment, they looked incredibly happy.
But as night began to fall, Muen gradually noticed something strange.
He stopped a middle-aged man who was dancing unsteadily and pointed toward the center of the clearing.
"Excuse me, sir. Since this is a festival, why hasn't the bonfire been lit?"
In the center of the clearing, thick logs were stacked in a lattice pattern, piled high like a small mountain. A single spark would be enough to ignite it and send the festival's atmosphere to its peak.
Yet even as the sky grew dark, Muen saw no sign of anyone intending to light it.
"Fire? Bonfire?"
The man seemed to have been drinking; his cheeks were flushed, and his speech was slurred. "No... no, that won't do. Can't light a fire. If we light a fire... it... it... what was it again?"
"Oh, I forgot. Anyway, we can't light a fire."
The man impatiently brushed Muen's hand away and rushed back into the crowd of dancers.