Ch. 57

Iruze started begging with her arms crossed, but all I wanted was to go to bed early.

“That sounds like a hassle…”

“They say there are over a thousand street stalls! Isn’t that amazing? It’s a chance to try every kind of food from across the continent!”

“Mm, I do want something tasty, though.”

“I even brought the allowance my father gave me for today! Look!”

The money pouch Iruze held out was so heavy that the clinking sound it made was loud enough to ring in my ears.

If Rai had heard it, he probably would’ve started drooling.

It was just envy, plain and simple—rich kids flaunting their wealth.

As expected from the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Dmitri.

“I don’t have much money…”

I had a few gold pieces, but you couldn’t use those at street stalls.

“Huh? Why worry about that! I’ll buy everything! Just tell me what you want to eat! I’m rich!”

“You’ll treat me?”

“Yup!”

“Well, I can’t be shameless… Let’s go right now!”

Shame didn’t put food on the table—but Iruze did.

Hooray for rich friends!

—

“You’re going out again?”

When we went to get an outing permit, Captain Tornel of the knights wore a deep frown as if he was completely displeased.

“Is something wrong…?”

“This is a bit of a dilemma. Because of the festival, everyone’s gone out, so we’re short on knights to escort you.”

“If that’s the case, we can just go out on our own.”

“Absolutely not.”

“But security has been reinforced for the festival. And Jaimam and I usually go out without an escort anyway.”

Bright tried his best to argue against the captain’s negativity, but it didn’t seem to be working.

“The problem isn’t you two. It’s the young ladies—Miss Iruze and Miss Geenie.”

That’s when I finally realized who the captain used honorifics with.

Only children of powerful families like Iruze and Bright.

‘Then that’s weird. My family doesn’t have any influence at all.’

Bright was the son of a renowned family of mages, and Iruze was the daughter of a top-class wealthy family.

I was just the daughter of a baron from some no-name countryside family.

A baron was the lowest rank among the nobility.

Duke, marquis, count, viscount, baron—that was the order. And after barons came knights, who were technically below the nobility.

In short, being a baron didn’t mean you had any real authority.

“We’ll look after them well. Isn’t that enough?”

Bright kept glancing at me and doing his best to act mature.

Was he really trying to look cool in front of me?

It was kind of cute, seeing him try so hard, but honestly, he was wasting too much time.

“Move aside, senior.”

Looking bored, I pushed past Bright and Jaimam and stepped forward.

“Captain. You’re saying there are no knights left?”

“Hmm, that’s right. Only two remain.”

We were natural enemies.

Captain Tornel’s eyes were completely different when he looked at me compared to when he looked at Bright.

And I could tell just how much weaker his gaze suddenly became.

I didn’t know why he acted like that around me, but that was all I needed to catch my opening.

“The knights who are left—are they the ones I know?”

“…They are.”

“Hansen and Philo?”

His silence confirmed it.

“At this point, they’re basically my personal escorts. You can just call them in.”

“No can do. Two knights can’t guard four people.”

“But the seniors don’t need escorts in the first place. Iruze and I are the only ones who do… So two knights should be enough.”

“…”

“What’s the issue? Is my math wrong?”

A quiet stare-off began.

The truth is, I knew.

What the captain was really worried about wasn’t whether two knights could protect four people—but whether they could handle me alone.

And as had already been proven several times, the overly kind Hansen and Philo couldn’t stop me.

“Don’t tell me—surely not—but are you trying to keep me from enjoying the festival just because you don’t like me?”

“Wha? No, of course not. That’s a misunderstanding.”

“Then let us out!”

“…Fine. But here’s the condition. Since we’re short on knights, you absolutely must stay together. Especially…”

What, what! Why are you looking at me!

—

I was feeling absurdly confident—probably because so many bad things had already happened that I figured, what else could possibly go wrong?

There was no way something could happen again. That’d just be too ridiculous.

“Look at that, Geenie! That must be the ‘Feast of the Gods’!”

“It’s way bigger than the books made it look!”

“Can a fountain even be that beautiful? It’s incredible…”

Iruze and Bright couldn’t tear their eyes away from the central fountain.

In the capital plaza of Neikal, the capital of Elan, there was a giant fountain named the “Feast of the Gods.” It was so massive, it looked at least as tall as a five-story building.

The fountain was densely yet harmoniously decorated with statues of gods, both large and small.

It truly was the massive work of art everyone said it was.

At the center of the fountain stood a majestic statue of Agiotita, the god of creation who protected the continent of Cransia. Around it stood statues of the god of prophecy, Prophitia, and the only female among the chief gods—Heios, the goddess of peace, known for her purity and compassion. Each one faced a different direction.

Beneath the three chief gods were seven Holy Spirits who assisted them and watched over the balance between the heavens and the middle realm. Each of them had names too.

I just didn’t care to remember any of them.

When I turned around, I saw Iruze and Jaimam standing with their hands clasped in front of the fountain, praying solemnly.

Philo and Hansen weren’t much different.

Bright and I made eye contact a little later—we were the only two just standing there blankly.

“You’re not very religious either, huh, senior?”

“Well… I come from a mage family, after all.”

Bright looked slightly awkward.

In this world, being “not very religious” wasn’t about believing in gods or not.

It meant you believed in and respected the gods—but didn’t fully devote yourself to them.

Everyone on this continent fundamentally believed in the existence of the gods.

After all, we lived on lands blessed by their grace and had witnessed countless miracles with our own eyes.

Gods, and the miracles they performed.

At the very least, in this world, gods definitely existed.

“I heard priests and mages don’t get along. Is that why?”

“Pretty much. Priests think magic is a blasphemous act that challenges the gods. They see divine magic as the righteous path, and us as the heretical one.”

The ‘righteous path’ meant the proper, upright way. The ‘heretical path’ referred to a sly, shallow one. Bright, being a top student in the magic class, seemed to have a decent head on his shoulders.

“Then what do they think about spirit magic? Is that heretical too?”

“Probably? From a priest’s point of view, I mean.”

“Damn it.”

“…Geenie?”

“Did I just say that out loud?”

“Yeah…”

“Damn it, huh?”

Now that I asked, I realized I had said it. Ugh, this damn temper.

“No point in hiding it. I don’t like the gods.”

“Geenie! You can’t say stuff like that out loud!”

Bright flailed and looked around in a panic, afraid someone might’ve overheard.

As if I’d just said something completely unspeakable.

Honestly, if a zealot had heard me, they might have tried to beat me to death.

“What do you expect? I’ve had way too many crap things happen to me. It’s like the gods were out to screw me over.”

“M-Maybe you should try praying a bit more sincerely? Then maybe good things will happen…”

“That’s not the issue. It’s not like I’ve ever hoped for good things to happen to me. All I want is for nothing to happen at all…”

“Geenie.”

“Can’t even do that, huh? It’s such a simple thing.”

The fact that gods existed only gave me frustration and resentment.