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200. A Time for Two

“What did you just say?”

Almost killed?

Rayla narrowed her eyes at the chilling words that blasted from the woman’s mouth.

Though her face was hidden behind a mask, Rayla detected no emotion in her voice.

If that was true, it would mean Rayla had prevented a bloody incident.

“Thank you so much for your help. Thanks to you, we could avoid unnecessary friction.”

“Yeah.”

Perhaps it was because of what was said earlier.

Despite receiving gratitude, Rayla couldn’t shake off a proper sense of relief.

So, she decided to accompany the woman, hoping to keep a close watch on her.

“Did you perhaps get lost? If it’s alright with you, I can guide you to where you want to go.”

Upon hearing this, the woman hesitated in her steps, clearly reluctant to continue on her path.

“Is it really necessary?”

From just a moment ago, when she had chased away the beastmen wielding a gold badge, it was clear she was a noble lady of high status.

There was no way such a precious girl would accompany someone without a good reason.

“Well, um…”

Rayla paused, trying to find the right words, her expression softening.

“We’re comrades with the same mask, aren’t we?”

“….”

The woman’s head tilted slightly as she observed Rayla proudly showing off her fox mask.

Her demeanor seemed to question what that meant, causing Rayla to feel the tension rise.

“Alright, let’s stick together.”

“Really?”

“I’m not too busy at the moment.”

Surprisingly, the woman agreed quite readily.

To be more exact, it was more like she was going along with Rayla while being fully aware of the intent to spy.

Even though her expression was concealed by the mask, Rayla somehow felt she could hear the woman’s innermost thoughts.

Yet, despite her suspicious appearance, no threatening vibe was detected.

“So you’re not too busy either, right?”

“No, I’m just here to look around today.”

“I wonder if it’s alright to invest my precious free time with a man like me.”

“It doesn’t matter! I’d actually be bored alone.”

Finally, Rayla managed to stay by the woman’s side.

The thick red cloak and masked face were suspicious to anyone who looked, but the silver hair peeking through was the only distinguishing feature.

‘Even if there’s malice, they won’t easily touch me.’

The prestige of the Chain Silver Family was so powerful that even the local dogs knew about it.

No outsider would dare attack when they could put a stop to even the wild beastmen.

“I’ve been curious about that since earlier, what is it?”

“Ah, that’s a golem.”

“Isn’t that a monster?”

“Not quite…”

What the woman pointed out was a golem guiding people during the festival.

These artificial golems, made of steel, assisted with tasks and classes for the academy students.

Recalling what her sister had told her about them, Rayla explained to the woman.

“Golems that help with human tasks…”

“Yes, it can be seen as a facet of the knowledge left by the Great Sage Dantia.”

The woman approached the golem quietly, reaching out to touch it.

It was quite different from the monster golems she had previously recognized.

With a solid metallic skin, it was dressed with animal dolls and danced around playfully.

Not only was it non-threatening, but it appeared that even children would have no aversion to it.

– Welcome to the Aligieri Magical Banquet. Beep beep.

“….”

– If you have any discomfort, feel free to ask me anytime. Beep beep.

The golem twitched its rabbit ears and posed cutely as it spoke.

Rayla found herself wondering about the creator’s preference behind such gestures, but suddenly the woman froze.

[If you have any discomfort, feel free to speak up. Mother is always on your side.]

Suddenly, a phantom voice echoed in her head. At the same time, forgotten memories flashed through like a panorama.

The woman, resurrected as a corpse, had no memories of her past life.

No matter how many related objects she encountered, she couldn’t recall anything.

This was the RE-Union magic.

Yet, even without being able to remember, her body reacted instinctively, and she felt a slight dizziness.

“This is….”

It felt as though she had said something like that while wearing a rabbit costume in front of someone. She couldn’t recall who it was, though.

Based on the sensations she had just felt, she could understand.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

The woman looked down at Rayla, who was staring at her blankly.

“Is there anything more interesting around here?”

“I’m sure there’ll be plenty.”

With many visitors from various regions, there would be a lot of carefully prepared events.

In fact, even though various punks had stormed the festival, there had been no delays.

“But I can’t pinpoint what could be more fun.”

“Then can you explore with me?”

Rayla blinked at the suddenly coming suggestion.

But since her purpose was to keep watch over her, there was no particular reason to decline.

“Alright.”

Thus, the two roamed the festival streets together.

Literally, the woman only sought out elements of fun.

It wasn’t sadistic or bloodthirsty pleasure; she was simply enjoying the festivities.

The first stop was the archery range.

They visited the most challenging shooting event among the various archery competitions.

Being over 50 meters from the target, it was not an easy feat.

They said a high-quality bracelet would be awarded if one hit three times in a row, so they decided to give it a go.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Amy missed all her shots. Yet, reaching close to the target didn’t seem like a lack of skill.

Whoosh!—

In contrast, the woman hit all three arrows right in the bullseye.

There wasn’t a single mistake, and each shot created such a wind that her silver hair fluttered.

“Congratulations!”

Due to her superhuman archery skills, the two women received the prize bracelet.

Their next stop was the theater.

A play prepared by the students of the Aligieri drama club and professionals unfolded on stage.

Perhaps because it was for children, the stage was colorful, yet the story was far from purely comedic.

───────────────

<The Bear Cub That Left Home>

The coming-of-age story of a bear cub that lost its mother.

The path walked by a wandering young friend is cold and slippery.

What waits at the end of this frozen lake-like path?

───────────────

Just reading the promotional materials for the play made it seem wistful.

From start to finish, every child watching was in tears.

A few adults managed to hold their tears back, but still, there were several who couldn’t.

“Sniff… Isn’t it sad? At the end, the bear cub and its mom…”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“What? That’s all the reaction you have?”

The woman’s demeanor remained unyielding.

Even though it was such a sad story, Rayla puffed her cheeks at how little emotion the woman showed.

“Shouldn’t you be shedding some tears?”

“Of course!”

“Sniff sniff sniff…”

“Don’t act poorly!”

“….”

The woman merely shed tears, yet she felt a sense of disappointment.

Even though she couldn’t feel emotions, she could grasp the atmosphere of the story.

“But are you really crying?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see your face?”

“That’s not possible.”

Her voice, despite crying, seemed too composed.

It was impossible to make a judgment without seeing her remove the mask and reveal her face.

“Is it really that important to you?”

“Yes.”

Typically, one of the hallmarks of wanted criminals is that they hide their faces.

Even if she explained her circumstances, it would still lead to suspicion.

The woman removed the assassin’s mask, and Rayla opened her eyes wide as she stared at her face.

“What do you think?”

“Um…”

After seeing her, Rayla spoke blandly.

“She looks just alright. I’d say she resembles our maid, Catena?”

With silver hair tinged with a blue hue, the woman appeared to be in her mid-forties.

In conclusion, it was a face that Rayla had never known.

“Am I beautiful?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

The woman’s eyes fell as she revealed her disappointment in Rayla’s lackluster answer.

Then, Rayla took the woman’s hand and said.

“So, where to next?”

Perhaps deciding she wasn’t someone too dangerous, Rayla felt relieved as she led the woman.

Being pulled along by a child, strangely, didn’t evoke any discomfort.

Rather, it felt like her body was naturally beckoning to be led.

Only for today, she thought.

.

.

.

.

.

Eventually, the two roamed around until nightfall.

Finally, they watched the Magical Banquet together and stepped outside.

Today, many families visited, and there were many parents holding their child’s hands as they walked out.

Oddly, the woman was holding Rayla’s hand as they walked along.

With the two of them blending into the crowd, it looked as if they were a family.

“How was it? I found it quite interesting,” Rayla asked with a happy expression.

Her face looked like that of a child on an outing, yet the woman’s response was cold.

“I didn’t find it that great. All I could think was, ‘Is this really the level of tactical martial arts these days?’”

“What do you mean? You haven’t even participated yourself.”

If Rayla had taken part, she was sure she could fight better than the participants.

She wanted to say that but instead kept her mouth shut.

“But it was enjoyable on some level. It’s been a long time since I’ve wandered around with anyone other than my sister.”

“So, you do have family waiting for you.”

The woman spoke while looking at the families around her, all cheery and laughing.

Rayla also caught sight of the scene. Seeing a mother and daughter walking hand in hand, her expression stiffened.

A small silence lingered amidst the festival’s joyful atmosphere.

“I have a father and a sister. My father is very busy, and it’s rare for me to see him, but my sister plays with me whenever she finds time.”

Her sister, who had become socially withdrawn due to an ability that spiraled out of control, put in considerable effort to not disappoint the family.

For that reason, she was admirable and beautiful.

“And my mother…”

“….”

Rayla was left speechless.

Suddenly, she gazed at the picture held within her necklace.

While the surroundings were filled with sounds of happiness, only between them did silence prevail.

“She’s not here, is she?”

As the woman shattered the silence, Rayla spoke again.

“Yeah, I can only see my mother’s face from a photo captured by spirit magic.”

Her mother had lost her life in a sudden accident years ago.

The image of her mother returning home abruptly as a corpse was forever etched in little Rayla’s memory.

Drip, drip—

There weren’t any clouds in the sky.

Yet whenever she thought of that day, it would rain even without any visibility.

While she wished to overcome like her sister and father and look ahead, she felt that her own road was still far from their accomplishments.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to show such a strange side of myself.”

Hastily wiping her tears and pretending, Rayla said.

The woman then spoke up, pressing further.

“It’s not strange.”

“….”

“And it’s not shameful either. It’s a right that those who look forward possess. No one is going to blame you.”

Rayla focused on those words.

The gentle admonition she heard sounded just like the scolding of her childhood.

“To feel such pain means you also have the right to happiness. Even though this is our first time meeting, it’s something I must say.”

A hushed murmur could be heard among the gathering crowd.

The starry lights twinkled in the sky.

Beneath it, the cold voice of the woman could be heard.

“Rayla, you can still grow in the future.”

It didn’t mean to turn away from the past. It was a call to gather the courage to use that as a stepping stone to move forward.

To transform a fearful past into one’s own was the only way to deserve such a future.

Rayla could also have that right.

For some reason, the belief of that woman felt tangible to Rayla.

“There’s no need to encourage me. It’s embarrassing, and…”

“….”

“But you are the first person to say something like this for me, someone you just met today.”

As she rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, Rayla added.

“Thank you so much.”

In reality, there were many people who praised Rayla.

Because of her status as a princess, even strangers flocked to shower her with compliments.

To be honest, it was exhausting.

This woman was the first one she met, and yet, spending time with her was utterly unboring.

It felt like the sensation of forgotten happiness was reviving.

“Rayla!”

At that moment, a familiar voice echoed from afar.

From one direction, her sister Jenny came rushing towards her.

Jenny skidded to a halt in front of her, trying to regain her balance.

“Where have you been? You wandered off without saying a word to me.”

“Ah, I was with this lady over here.”

“Lady? Who?”

Rayla pointed to the side, as if she had been with someone.

However, to her utter shock, there was no one standing there.

“That’s strange? She was definitely here…”

That woman had vanished without a trace.

She had slipped away in the blink of an eye among the bustling crowd.

Just as Jenny was about to give her a stern word about who she had hung out with.

“Jenny! There you are.”

“Oh, father!”

This time, Gerard, the head of the Chain Silver family, had arrived.

Next to him stood numerous knights who accompanied him.

As the two daughters stood as respectfully as they could upon their father’s arrival, something felt amiss in their expressions.

“This is serious.”

“What happened?”

“The Crown Prince Caris wants to see you, Jenny.”

Caris Fried Divine.

The moment Jenny heard that name, a chill ran down her spine.

He was someone she wanted to avoid meeting for a lifetime if she could help it.

 

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