“Veronica, have you ever tried one of these?”
Night Star, who had been walking with a slow clip-clop, came to a halt. Looking back, Veronica saw Leon picking a dark fruit from an overhanging tree. They resembled grapes but didn’t grow in clusters, making them unfamiliar to her.
She shook her head and asked, “What does it taste like?”
“It tastes like it improves intelligence and strength.”
“Wow, that sounds delicious… wait. You’re just trying to trick me into eating it, aren’t you?”
“You caught me.”
Leon smiled mischievously, deep dimples forming at the corners of his mouth as he picked one and held it out to her. Veronica snorted softly but boldly accepted the offering. As the sweet juice burst in her mouth, her eyes widened like a rabbit’s.
She quickly straightened her posture and reached up, and Leon pulled down a branch so she could pick the fruit herself. After gathering several, she offered one to him. When he bent his head to eat from her palm, her hand trembled slightly where his lips touched. Leon gazed at her flushed face for a moment before looking up at the sound of their companion’s voice.
“Hurry up! The village is just ahead! Once we arrive, we can rest properly for the night!”
Charlotte was calling from a distance. Night Star had been walking more slowly than the other horses because Veronica had mentioned feeling dizzy.
“Will you be all right?” Leon asked.
“Yes, I can manage a little longer,” she assured him with a quick nod, then quickly looked forward again.
My cheeks still feel hot. When will he stop giving me heart attacks with every little touch?
After taking a deep breath and adjusting her seat, Leon took up the reins again. Night Star began galloping, hooves pounding the ground forcefully. As they crested the hill, clusters of houses came into view one by one, revealing the village.
It was then that Veronica spotted a fluttering red tent at the village entrance. As soon as they reached their waiting companions, she pointed to it excitedly.
“Do you all see that? I think it’s a traveling troupe!”
“We were just discussing that while waiting,” Charlotte said, narrowing her eyes as she dismounted. “A traveling stage, goodness me. I’m surprised such things still exist these days.”
Enzo, who was unloading their luggage, merely shrugged his shoulders. “Why? I find it rather romantic. They simply want to restore joy in these difficult times.”
“Or perhaps they simply lack a sense of reality?”
While the two continued their debate between romanticism and pragmatism, Veronica’s eyes sparkled with mounting excitement.
A traveling troupe!
“Didn’t we agree to stay here for a night?” she exclaimed, jumping off Night Star without waiting for Leon’s assistance. “Then we might be able to see their performance before we leave.”
Charlotte smiled faintly. “I wouldn’t dare hope for such luxury. For now, I’ll try to find accommodations so we can avoid sleeping outdoors for once. Will you help?”
The last question was clearly directed at Leon. It seemed that she’d decided that taking Leon along with her would be more effective in negotiations, given his larger stature.
Leon dismounted and glanced at Veronica, seeking her approval. She nodded reassuringly, though in truth, her thoughts were consumed by the traveling troupe. She had nurtured her dreams by watching just such a troupe that had visited Bayern in her youth.
As Leon and Charlotte departed carrying their gathered provisions, Veronica turned to Enzo with feigned casualness.
“It might take them some time to return,” she said. “Since we have nothing else to do, I suppose we have no choice but to go and explore the tent?”
“Shall we, then?” Enzo agreed with a laugh, amused by her transparent pretense of reluctance despite her obvious enthusiasm.
They approached the red tent with high expectations, but peering inside, they found that the interior was rather sparse. A man was manipulating strings for a puppet show, while a few children sat before him, absently sucking their thumbs.
“What are you looking for?” a voice suddenly asked from behind them.
The unexpected question nearly startled a scream from Veronica. Enzo hurriedly answered on her behalf.
“Ah, we’re travelers passing through. We were wondering when the stage performance would begin.”
“We don’t do performances like that anymore,” the tall woman replied, stroking the cat in her arms as she gestured toward the puppeteer. “There are only two of us left now. The jesters, dancers, and singing minnesingers—all gone.”
“I presume it’s related to the Bahamuts?” Enzo ventured carefully.
“Yes. Our extended stay in Bayern proved costly.”
“Bayern?” Veronica interjected, her voice rising with surprise.
Both Enzo and the unnamed woman turned to look at her simultaneously. Veronica hesitated, feeling both chills and delight, then pointed to herself.
“I’m also from Bayern,” she revealed. “I first dreamed of becoming a dancer by watching troupes that came to Bayern. I was reminiscing when I saw your red tent, but I never imagined it could be the very same one…”
“The dancers would have been delighted to hear that,” the woman remarked calmly, seemingly accustomed to encounters with strangers. “So, did you achieve your dream?”
Veronica hesitated before shaking her head. “In some ways, I did, but not completely. Bayern was attacked just as I became an official member of the troupe. I probably won’t be able to perform on stage again unless times become stable enough for people to pay for entertainment.”
“Then would you like to perform on our stage today?” the woman asked casually. “Though the audience is small.”
Veronica blinked in astonishment. “Here? Now?”
“If you’re not busy,” the woman continued. “We’re merely wanderers heading toward the wilderness, but we always try to create unforgettable memories for the children we meet along the way. Childhood comes only once, and no child would have chosen to be born in times like these.”
Though spoken by a stranger she’d just met, the words resonated deeply within Veronica’s heart. Reflecting on her own journey, she realized the catalyst for her dancing career had been remarkably simple. It was because the troupe leader had told young Veronica that she had talent as she twirled in imitation. Perhaps it had been merely a casual compliment to a cute child, but that praise had possibly shaped the entire course of her life.
Veronica’s gaze drifted, as if enchanted, to the children watching the puppet show featuring a lady and her knight. Outside, silence still reigned, with no sign of their companions returning.
“We are staying here tonight, aren’t we?” she confirmed, turning to Enzo.
When he nodded with an intrigued expression, Veronica hesitated briefly before speaking.
“Do you have a lute? If so, I’d like to perform one piece for the children—just for a moment, before our companions return.”