Chapter 19

“No,” clarified Nova curtly. “It won’t change how they treat me like a failure,” added Yuui as she fiddled with her hood. Yuui Laika was in a very complicated situation in the kingdom. She was not a citizen, but rather a girl who’d been abducted from the small country of Lukutta, which the kingdom had invaded. She was currently attending the Royal Academy, but that wasn’t of her own volition. It would be more accurate to call her a hostage than a student. The sermon seemed to draw to a close, and the priest’s reverberating voice halted. The attendees dispersed, intentionally making a fuss as they did. The three put their conversation on hold as they waited for the crowd to leave. However, a man broke off from the group moving toward the exit and called over to them. “Oh, is that you, Nova?” he said. This man wore the same religious vestments as the priest who had given the sermon, but he was younger. “Ah, so it is. What a coincidence.” “Father,” said Nova quietly. “Are these classmates of yours?” asked the man. “Something, like that.” “Why are you hiding your face?” he asked, glancing at Yuui in confusion. “I have a rash,” she replied without hesitation. “Oh, sorry. Uh, have you come to pray?” “I am showing these two, the cathedral,” said Nova. “Ah, how wonderful. This building vies for the position of first- or second-most historical building in the kingdom. Its scale is, of course, part of that, but each and every one of the carvings contains a clear message. For example, the pillar that you three are standing next to—” he told them, pointing to the carvings of the five-legged beasts. “Ah, my apologies. If I do all the explaining, I’ll be stealing the opportunity from you, Nova.” “Thank you.” “Anyway, please do take your time looking around.” The man went to leave but quickly turned back again. “Ah, that’s right. There is one thing I should tell you.” “What, is that?” asked Nova with a tilt of her head. “The New Order has been acting strangely of late. Apparently, there are even quite a few hotheaded folks gathering in the Secession Sect. I doubt that even they would do anything extreme, but if you run into them, you would do well to go the other way.” “All right.” The man departed. Watching him go, Yuui asked, “Who was that?” “I don’t, know.” “Hmm?” “Just a priest, who often comes to the Academy church. I don’t even know, his name.” “Oh, I see…” They decided to leave immediately and headed toward the station. Leirest was a city in the north. It was some distance from the capital, but the Kusa Zuf road spanned the entire journey between them, making traveling fairly easy. The trade route was valuable to the kingdom, so there was always traffic in both directions. Many carriages frequented the road as well. Layumatah was covering their travel expenses, so the three boarded a high-end carriage. They were the only passengers. Although it shook and jumped a lot because it ran at high speeds, transports of this quality were built to reduce that, so it ended up being just about as comfortable as a ride in the standard, slower models. On top of that, they didn’t have to wait at the city gates. All it took was a flash of their travel permits, and they were able to pass through. After discussing the situation for a bit, Ix quickly brought up Mali. “She’s the head of the Leirest Library. You met her, too, didn’t you?” he asked Yuui. “Yes, she gave me the book that one time…” she nodded from beneath her hood. “I wonder. She didn’t very well seem like the kind of person to be involved in some plot.” “Yeah, I thought that, too.” Ix recalled the face of the elderly white-haired lady. “Anyway, did you hear from Layumatah? About the, uh…” “Witch? I did, but I still have no clue what they really are. I did my own investigations, but I was unable to find the term witch or anything resembling it in Central Standard, Kingdom Classical, or any of the languages I was able to look into at the Academy.” “You’ve had a lot of time, then,” noted Ix in surprise. “When exactly did Layumatah ask you to look into this?” “Actually, I was originally investigating witches in relation to a different incident. Layumatah contacted me because she’d learned about my research. It’s sheer coincidence that you’re who she wanted me to help… Though I suppose in one way it isn’t exactly coincidence.” “And that is?” “It’s a long story, but… Uh, Ix, do you remember the adventurers who attacked you over the summer?” “…Mm-hmm.” During an errand at the Adventurers’ Guild, Ix had pointed out that some magic beast materials a pair of men were trying to turn in looked fake. The two adventurers later assaulted him in retribution. Fortunately, help came during the attack, and the ruffians were dumb enough to drop the magic beast materials in their rush to flee the scene. “Those two were arrested. In the capital,” said Yuui. “Hmm? Huh, is that so,” said Ix. “It did not have anything to do with beating you up, though. They were actually booked for squatting in a public building. But something was off about them after they got arrested. It became clear after listening to them that they were the two who attacked you, which is when I asked them to go over the situation in detail,” explained Yuui. The string of events seemed plausible enough to Ix. She continued. “When I inquired about it, they said they did it ‘because the witch made them.’” “Huh?” He let out a sound of confusion at the unexpected turn in the story. “She’d threatened them, apparently. The adventurers believed the witch would capture them and do something terrible because they failed, so they fled all the way to the capital. Both looked like they hadn’t eaten in ages and were jumping at every little sound. It truly did not appear to be an act.” “So they assaulted me because someone put them up to it?” “No, that obviously comes down to them having to hand over the enedo teeth to the Guild,” said Yuui with a deprecating smile. “And since you were the one who caused that to happen, they lashed out, since they were panicking over not being able to fulfill the witch’s order.” “How bothersome…” “I didn’t feel any need to punish them further, so I just handed them over to the authorities. Did you want revenge, Ix?” “No, I don’t really care. I got more than enough money from those teeth anyway…,” he responded, and then his eyebrows wrinkled. “With the way you’re talking, it sounds like you’re the one who captured them?” “Ah…” Yuui quickly covered her mouth with her hand. “Uh… Well, yes, I was. Then I questioned them until the authorities arrived.” Just as Ix was thinking what an incredible coincidence that was, Nova, who hadn’t said a peep so far, quickly opened her mouth and added, “Yuui saved me, too.” “N-Nova, no way, I didn’t…” “She saved you?” asked Ix, ignoring Yuui’s attempt to stop the conversation. “Yes. I was at a stall, in the capital, and I was being yelled at. Yuui happened to be nearby, and stepped in. She hid her face, but I realized, I’d heard the voice at the Academy. Then, we became friends. Thank you, Yuui.” “N-no, don’t worry about it at all,” replied the other girl. “Yuui, you’ve always—” “Ah, don’t you think that’s enough of that?” said Yuui, waving her hand and interrupting Nova. “Anyway, Nova, did you know Layumatah somehow before? How did she wind up selecting you for this job?” “She, knows my family. Long ago, she helped with my wand. I told her, if she ever needed anything, to ask. She most likely asked me to help, because Lady Mali is a noble.” “…Wait,” said Yuui as she pressed her hands to her cheeks. “It may be rude of me to inquire about this after being acquainted with you for this long, but are you from an aristocratic family?” “Yes,” replied Nova with her usual lifeless tone. “O-oh, I see.” “But, they aren’t that high in rank, so, please pay that no heed. Treat me the same, as always.” “Even if you say that…” Ix turned away from Nova and Yuui, the former speaking in monotone and the latter’s face cycling through a range of expressions, and turned his eyes out the window to the dimly lit surroundings. The same cloud-covered sky that hung over the capital extended far beyond it as well. The wind seemed strong, too, going off the swaying trees along the side of the road. Their carriage passed smoothly by carts piled full of straw and people carrying heavy baggage on their backs. At this rate, they would be able to reach the station they were aiming for today before it started to rain. Ix turned his eyes back inside the carriage, then spoke up. “Speaking of.” “Hmm?” Yuui turned to him. “Those two adventurers who the witch threatened, where did they meet her?” “Ah, yes, I had that question as well.” “Things’ll be a lot faster if it happened to be at the library.” “It was in a village, actually.” “A village? So not in Leirest?” “It is apparently close by. A town called Notswoll.” “Notswoll…?” “Do you know it?” “No… But I do feel like I’ve come across the name before.” Ix blinked a few times. “Where was it…? I’m sure I’ve heard it somewhere.” Though the name stirred something in the depths of his memory, nothing surfaced. He hemmed and hawed for a while, but that only furthered his frustration over the memory, which seemed so close, yet so far. Yuui watched him struggle and tried to lend a helping hand. “Well, if this village is near Leirest, then we should be able to research from the city, right?” “Yeah, that’s true, but…” Ix leaned his head on his fist. “Um, Nova, do you know anything of Notswoll?” asked Yuui. “No.” Obviously, there was no way they would have been fortunate enough to get a yes. 3 Having arrived in Leirest, Yuui gazed outside with scrutiny. Though she’d last visited this summer, the streets somehow looked different. If she had to describe the scene in the common tongue, she would likely call it restless. Even the people who were just passing through seemed giddy, like they were floating on air. And it wasn’t just the pedestrians, either. The facades of the buildings lining the streets were covered in vibrant decorations. Beside the roads, people were setting up wooden figures. Leirest was always bustling—it was a merchant town, after all—but that was nothing compared to this fervor. “It’s the festival,” remarked Ix when he saw Yuui staring. “Festival?” “The Feast of Meat. The harvest festival. They do it in the capital, don’t they—?” “An event to give thanks to God, for the year’s harvest,” interjected Nova abruptly. “The greater the celebration, the greater the thanks, to God. Each town celebrates differently, with instruments, singing, parades. Based on this year’s calendar, the festival, will be in three days.” “Oh, now that you mention it…” Yuui did remember something happening around this time the year before. Back then, she’d shut herself up in her room, but she did recall the obnoxious noise from the celebration. It had been so loud, she couldn’t fall asleep that night. So that was the harvest festival… Lukutta also held an event celebrating the harvest, but it was a solemn ceremony where you couldn’t even let out a cough. Ix continued the explanation. “That’s what they say it’s for, anyway, but it’s really just a huge banquet. People eat meat, drink alcohol, and generally party all night long. A lot of couples get together at the Feast of Meat, too, so—” “Ah, I think I get the gist.” Yuui sighed. “You mean to say it is the kind of thing that would raise eyebrows in the New Order.” The New Order was a Marayist denomination. Unlike the Old Order, which was predominant in the kingdom, the New Order criticized the government’s authoritarianism and insisted that each person’s individual labor reflected the will of God. “I wonder… I feel like both Old Order and New Order would accept its practical significance.” “Don’t they just want to let off some steam?” “Sure, they want to have fun, too, but there’s also a seasonal problem.” Ix shrugged. “You dealt with it last year, right? The sky’s almost always clouded over during winter in the kingdom. We barely get any sun. And if it snows, it’s hard to travel. So if everyone has as much fun as they want, it helps them get ready for enduring the winter.” “Have you ever taken part in the festival?” asked Yuui. “No,” replied Ix quickly. “…Thought so.” The carriage station sat on the edge of the city, both for convenience and so the stench wouldn’t be too overwhelming. From there, they headed into the center of town, into an area with rows of shops and homes for the wealthy. The library was nearby. Partway through, however, Nova halted. “What’s wrong?” asked Yuui, turning back after she’d passed her by a few steps. “May we, go separate ways, for now?” requested Nova quietly. “I want to, look into something.” “Uh…but weren’t you brought on to make sure things went smoothly with Mali, since she’s a noble like you?” “If she’s the head librarian, you should be able to meet her, by going to the library. And earlier, you both said, that you had met her.” “Where are you going? And what are you looking into?” asked Ix. “To research Notswoll, at the church. Yuui’s target, is there. I think it may be necessary, later. They should be more, accommodating, to a noble.” “I suppose that’s true…,” said Yuui. “You know where it is?” asked Ix. “No,” replied Nova. He gave her a general lay of the land, and they agreed on a place to meet back up. Nova gave a short good-bye and left. Her small form was quickly swallowed by the crowd. The two continued walking, and Ix tilted his head. “How long’s Nova been following you around?” “Only since just recently. We met near the end of break.” At the beginning of summer, Yuui had become estranged from the friends she’d had until that point, but then Nova came along, almost as if to fill the hole her previous acquaintances had left. “I had seen her at the lectures beforehand, but we didn’t start speaking until that incident. Also, asking ‘how long she’s been following me around’ makes it sounds like she is stalking me or something, Ix.” “So you saved her, huh? You’re okay with the adventuring thing, then? Seems doing that work in the capital got you dragged into some dangerous stuff.” “I wouldn’t say I was dragged into anything…” “Just be careful. That wand’s powerful, but it’s also fragile.” “To be honest, I would say that occurrence was the wand’s fault.” “I don’t follow.” “I’m phrasing it so you won’t understand.” “What the…?” Ix’s expression turned serious as he looked at her in confusion. In reality, Yuui had gotten involved in more than just the two incidents she’d informed Ix about. Ever since going back to the capital, she’d taken to roaming around the city every once in a while, getting herself wrapped up in whatever perilous situations she could find. All of that was her attempt to live up to the wand that her father had bequeathed to her. It had an incredibly moral disposition, so it was impossible to use unless you possessed a just heart. After considering what kind of person was suited to that sort of wand, she’d found herself acting like a hero of late. “I don’t get that Nova at all,” remarked Ix. “She’s gotten involved with someone from the east despite being kingdom nobility. And she was so grateful you helped her…” “Hmm, I wonder…,” started Yuui before faltering. “If I had to say, I think…”