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Silver-haired Maiden, Going to the Red God’s Night Festival. (Part 1)
The main event of the Red God’s Night Festival, as you would understand from its name, began once the sun came down.
Nevertheless, on the day of the festival, the entire city of Kroix was in high spirits, filled with an atmosphere unable to calm itself ever since the morning. It was the biggest festival of Raband’s second biggest city. There was no wonder about it.
“See you, I’m going now!”
“Stay safe, Latina.”
“Un”
The one who saw Latina off, leaving while the day was still up, was Rita.
Dale, who was more worried than needed to be, stayed at home. It was decided that Rose was to leave Kroix and head towards the Royal capital, mixing in with the great number of travelers and such. He was asked to accompany Rose as one of her guards.
Although, it wasn’t like he had to send her all the way to the Royal capital. Dale’s job was to take her to a place slightly away from Kroix, the place where a flying dragon was scheduled to arrive.
Dale’s job for the day was to wait until the flying dragon arrives, and send off Rose and Gregor to the Royal capital.
Gregor rode by himself, and had arrived at Kroix after changing countless horses. After that, he corresponded with the Royal capital again and the Duke decided to send over a flying dragon for them. There were only so many travel methods by 『air』. It would probably be a much safer route to the Royal capital than any other.
Latina didn’t know the details about Rose’s situation nor Gregor’s identity.
To Latina, Dale’s 『job』 today was not that much different to accepting normal magic beast hunting 『jobs』. Latina remembered that Rose had felt anxious regarding the 『Second Demon Lord』, but even so, those feelings had faded away during the while she was staying at the 『Ocelot』.
As for Latina, she was already extremely excited to be able to do something『adult』-like — 『Going out to play at night』 for the first time –, in the time that Dale, someone who was prone to worrying too much, wasn’t here.
Wind was on sprawled out on the floor, laying by Rita’s feet. Sulking.
『He』 and Latina have had an argument since the morning. Wind had been planning to go with Latina to the festival, but Latina had rejected that.
For Latina, it was the first time in a long while that she was 『going out』 with her friends, and it was the first time 『they were going to be by themselves, playing at night』. She was thinking that it was like a promotion, like she had become slightly more of an adult. Furthermore, as a young lady of that age, there were a lot of things that she had wanted to talk with her friends about. It wasn’t something that she wanted to share with Wind.
Rita and Kenneth too, were thinking on the inside that they wanted Wind to go with her. As for Dale, who was staying behind, he had the assumption that Wind would be going with her, so it should be fine.
However, Latina forced a do or die unto Wind.
“….If you insist then…. I won’t be brushing you….”
It was said in a quiet, stutter like voice, but there was no smile in her eyes. Wind was so incredibly shocked at those words that even the nearby Rita and Kenneth were sympathising with him.
“La….Latina?”
“I won’t, mon.”
“Angry? Angry?”
“I won’t, mon”
“Supah Angry!?”
Mixed in with the voice of Wind, circling around Latina, who was turning away, ignoring him, was a desperate and tragic tone.
(….That’s a threat…Latina…)
(Latina…. has had this stubborn side to her ever since she was young after all…)
In front of the married couple, who were having their own internal monologues, a victor had been decided.
“Don’t be… angry….I…. stay home….”
Wind skillfully dropped downs his shoulder, looking disappointed despite being an animal, and yielded in front of Latina’s threat.
After the ending had been decided like that, no matter how much Wind asked Rita or Kenneth, he wasn’t allowed to go with Latina.
Latina was able to win her right to go play at night without someone watching over her, just like she had wished.
To be honest, both Rita and Kenneth were worried.
Although the couple weren’t as exaggerated as Dale, they also understood that they couldn’t always accompany this young girl and watch over her, who would one day grow up. They also knew that it was a day like this, one where there were so many guards throughout the city, that was suitable for her to cross that particular 『step』.
“Please, be careful!!”
Rita sighs, making more of an emphasis than even when Latina first started to go to school, and muttered internally.
(….If anything happens to her…. I wonder if it’ll rain blood…)
It wasn’t that great a thought for her pregnant self.
Seeing all the people who looked like travelers, and all the watch towers set up for the sake of the festival, Latina stops and looks at the excited atmosphere all over the place. Ever since she came to Kroix 6 years ago, her heart would always race at the sight of the city being different to normal despite seeing this sight every year.
(I’ve never seen a festival in worship of The Red God(Ahmar) in Vasirio….)
Getting used to her life in Kroix, lately, she was finding it hard to recall the matters of her hometown, Vasirio.
And, it was precisely because she was so happy right now that, she came to think that her days back in her hometown were nothing but pain.
When she was initially 『banished』, she would feel pained and sad just thinking back to her hometown. Which is exactly why Latina tried her hardest to not remember. Furthermore, as of late, she would be able to suddenly recall her happier memories.
(Speaking of which…. I’ve been to a festival with Rag….. I wonder what God that festival was dedicated towards….)
From the other side, a young child was walking this way, holding his father’s hand. As she stared at that, Latina tilted her head.
“….That was the only time he came out from the 『shrine』 after all…. Maybe it was different to the Violet God(Banafsagi)….)
Having realised that she felt slightly sad, Latina shakes her head and changes her mood, before starting to walk over to Chloe’s house again.
With the incredible amount of people, an amount you wouldn’t normally see, on the Eastern District’s main highway, it was almost hard to even walk straight. However, the amount of people became sparse the minute she got into the narrow back alleys. It was probably proof that there were a lot of people coming from other cities.
Latina walked further down the path whilst having the illusion that it was easier to breathe.
The Craftsman’s street she arrived at was quiet as usual — The only thing she could hear were the sounds of work coming from all the houses around.
She knocks on the door of the house she usually frequented, the house of her best friend.
“Welcome, Latina! Come in!”
“Excuse me~”
Leaving the workshop through Chloe’s lead, they headed into Chloe’s bedroom.
“Silvia’s already here.”
“Sorry, am I late?”
“No. Silvia said that she finished her work early and came to hang out. She said that she didn’t feel like going home.”
As if trying to reinforce Chloe’s words, Silvia was relaxing, rudely stretching out her legs inside Chloe’s bedroom. Noticing Latina, Silvia turns towards her and smiles, just like how she did in school.
“It’s been a while, Silvia!”
“Latina! It really has! You haven’t…. Changed that much.”
“Where… did you look just now?”
If she was to get to the bottom of that statement, she would cry.
Perhaps, that was what Silvia had guessed from Latina’s terribly specific aura, and avoided her gaze a little.
“Really, it’s been such a while. You look good.”
Silvia turned towards Latina once again, and started talking again as if nothing had happened. Latina too, turns to her friend with a smile.
“Silvia, you seem to have become a little bit more adult-like?”
“Fufufu…. The Green God(Ahdar’s) shrine gathers up a bunch of new information every day after all.”
Her friend’s habit of grinning wickedly like that hasn’t seemed to have change since back when they were in school.
“Fuffufuuuuu, So I’ve brought over a few things today~”
“Nnh?”
“Now then~ Latina. The clothes you ordered are complete!”
“Yes. I was super looking forward to this!!”
Not noticing that Chloe and Silvia were exchanging eye contact, Latina smiled calmly.
Latina receives the new clothes that Chloe took out and eagerly started changing. It’s not like she wasn’t embarrassed to be changing in front of people, but at a time like this, Chloe had a face of a tailor, and was properly checking whether or not the sizes were perfect for her.
“….Sorry, Latina…. You really have become bigger, haven’t you….”
“….Puberty is coming, mon.”
During that, Chloe who was checking a certain area, noticed that there was indeed a slight difference compared to when she was taking the initial measurements, and apologizes. Latina pouts, her cheeks puffing out, just like she did when she was younger.