鸦在肩上大声鸣叫，仿佛在为我们打气。
“快点，快点！”少女催促着，虽然已经是黄昏，但她的眼神里似乎闪耀着不甘沉寂的野心。
“嘿，等一下！你能不能给我们点具体的指示？比如说往左走还是右转？”年轻的修士有些慌了，赶紧从角马兽背上下来，想要一探究竟。
“不用担心，我的渡鸦会指路！”她一脸自信，接着仰头对着渡鸦说，“你顺便带他们去个好地方。”
“嘎！”渡鸦像是听懂了人话，乍一翅膀，飞向了林中，留下几人愣在原地。
“这简直就是个疯狂的计划。”杰弗里司铎一边小声抱怨着，一边也跟上了队伍。“你就信任那只动物能带我们找到路？”
“是啊，我也不太确定。”年轻的修士紧跟其后，眼神中满是疑惑。
“希望它不会带我们去死。”另一名修士面露忧虑。
“别那么悲观嘛，等我们找到异端的老头子，问题就解决了！”少女眉头一挑，朝几人眨了眨眼睛。
“不，我不是在担心那个，我在担心那个笨鸟会不会把我们引向深渊。”修士心虚的看了看四周，生怕什么东西从灌木丛里窜出来。
“如果它敢道歉，我就原谅它。”少女一脸戾气，完全不在乎同伴们的心情。
“什么？你要对一只鸟生气？”杰弗里司铎忍不住笑了，“看来我们还挺有乐趣的。”
“有乐趣？是啊，希望在进入那片树林前，我能先笑死。”年轻修士嘀咕着，显然心情又低落了。
就在这时，渡鸦返回，落在少女的肩头。“嘎——”它发出一声奇怪的叫声，像是在嘲讽旁边修士的无能。
“好吧，小鸟，你又要带我们去哪个神秘的地方？”少女朝着渡鸦挑了挑眉，表现出极大的兴趣。
“我们得快点，我能感觉到它的气息比之前更近了。”杰弗里司铎终于绷不住了，催促着。
“对，快走！我觉得我们快要出发了。”少女激动得几乎在跳，简直像是抓到了能变魔法的把戏。
耳畔风声呼啸，众人骑上角马，继续向深邃的伍德沃德之森进发。过程中，大家先后交换着角色，也在异端与小丑的记忆中穿梭。
虽然命运看似一片模糊，不确定性如同迷雾般笼罩，但那个女孩的笑容始终在他们心中闪烁着希望——只要跟着那只笨鸟，就一定能找到前方的光明。
“老天，我真希望这不是一次愚蠢的探险。”年轻的修士叹气，实在不知道该担心什么好。
“稳住，我们不是普通的修士，是教会第一骑士团的成员，我们是不会失败的！”杰弗里司铎信心满满，甚至不由自主鼓起了勇气。
“你说得对，我们可是教会的人！”少女的眼中闪过一丝光亮，握紧了缰绳，随即向前跃去。
踏响的马蹄声在山谷中回荡，四个人的心境也在这一刻愈加坚定——无论前方有什么，他们都将无畏无惧。
The crow circled above the forest, flapping its wings a few times before darting off toward the southwest again.
“Keep up with it!”
I commanded from the back, and the clerics glanced back, silently nodding. They pressed their bodies lower, their iron hooves pounding the ground, and soon, five figures vanished into the endless expanse of the vast forest, bathed in the last rays of twilight.
Valentine’s Special Episode
Gregorian year 1187, July 6.
Order Royal City, Chris’s Royal Academy.
“It’s so hot…”
The tall, lanky girl walking along the shaded path looked as droopy as a puppy, her head hung low, sweat beading on her nose. The blazing sun from the west poured down, filtering through the treetops to litter the ground with slanting rays of an almost yellow twilight. It felt like a steam room, the stuffy air making it hard to breathe.
“Stop shouting, Sarah, I’m begging you.”
Sophia, trailing behind Sarah, couldn’t help but complain. She was sweating too, her face flushed, damp strands of hair sticking to her forehead. Clutching a book in her arms, she rolled her eyes at Sarah’s back, “Seriously, if you weren’t saying anything, we wouldn’t have noticed. The more you say, the hotter it gets… this d*mn weather, is it trying to suffocate us or what!”
Hearing Sophia, Sarah blinked mischievously and suddenly perked up, hopping around to make faces at Sophia: “I’m just going to keep saying it, it’s hot hot hot hot…”
As she spoke, she opened her arms wide, pretending to give Sophia a sweaty summer bear hug. Sophia, startled, quickly stepped back and kicked at Sarah’s approaching form: “Get away, you pervert! Go hug a man!”
“No, I want to hug you…”
“d*mn commoner…”
“I actually like women, you know.”
“Get lost, get lost, don’t gross me out.”
“Hey hey~ here comes my loving hug!”
The two attractive girls were fooling around, attracting countless glances from passersby. Daisy, quietly walking at the back, watched them with a grin. A little girl named Peilo rubbed her forehead, perhaps feeling a headache from all the racket and hurried her pace, mumbling softly as she passed, “Can you keep it down? Everyone’s looking at us…”
“Let them look!”
Sarah didn’t care, baring her teeth as she lunged at Sophia again: “Watch me boldly mess with you in broad daylight, you arrogant woman!”
“Are you nuts?!”
Sophia shot back in a fury, slapping the book against Sarah’s head. Sarah didn’t back down, taking the hit like a champ, and raised her hand to ruffle Sophia’s hair, too eagerly turning Sophia’s once-smooth golden strands into an explosion of curls. Furiously gnashing her teeth, Sophia tossed her book aside, grabbing Sarah’s hand and bit down.
“Ah! Ow ow ow ow ow…” Sarah cried immediately for mercy, “You crazy woman, let go! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
But Sophia, furious, was not so easily placated. She bit down harder, her white teeth digging into the back of Sarah’s hand, drool starting to ooze out. Watching this, Sarah found it utterly disgusting and madly scratched at Sophia’s armpit: “What do you think you are, Peilo? Biting everything in sight?”
“Not my fault.”
The girl being waxed into a pancake rolled her eyes, feeling miffed, and couldn’t help but say, “You two can fight all you want, but could you refrain from taking jabs at me, too?”
However, the two players were now thoroughly engaged, using all sorts of tactics to tickle each other, their bodies wriggling like snakes, alternating between huffs of annoyance and bursts of laughter. In the midst of her laughter, Sophia loosened her grip, feeling that this was becoming less about biting and more about hair ruffling, so she began to playfully pinch Sarah’s cheeks.
In the blistering summer heat, the girls were dressed quite coolly, their sleeves and dresses short. Sophia was even wearing a court gown with a wide neckline that exposed her collarbone, and after a spat, her neckline had become askew while her dress got crumpled up. Sarah’s outfit was even breezier, exposing half of her midriff. The boy students nearby were staring, their eyes bulging, and Daisy hurriedly rushed up to interject: “Stop it, stop it, or you’re going to flash everyone…”
Only then did the two cease their antics.
Panting heavily, glaring at each other while hurriedly adjusting their clothes, they felt even hotter after all that. Their cheeks were flushed, sweat dampening their clothes, and suddenly noticing the boys hanging around, Sarah pointed at them and shouted, “What are you looking at! Never seen beautiful girls fight before?”
“Never seen—” someone cheered out with a laugh.
Another voice chimed in loudly: “Seen plenty, but never a famous catfight by the renowned 1504 by Ceylon Lake!”
1504 was the most famous girls’ dorm at the academy, known for housing four beauties, each stunning in their own way: Sarah with her lively, adorable doll-face and boyish charm, her attractive dimples when she smiled; Sophia’s haughty demeanor, foul temper, queen-like hair color, and a sharp tongue mixed with moments of cuteness; Daisy’s “assets”—and that heavenly-eyed little fairy, Peilo.
These four well-known beauties were often the topic of chatter among the boys, and more frequently became subjects of their late-night fantasies, with straight boys wishing to be their friends by day and, preferably, also by night.
They wanted to know about the girls’ lives, what they did daily, what they liked, wanting to talk to them and become familiar, but most never got lucky enough for that. Usually, they could only watch from afar, but today, they were delighted to see them in such a playful moment, naturally wanting to keep their eyes glued a bit longer.
“What’s with the sudden silence? Keep going! Daisy, Daisy, jump in!”
A familiar boy in the distance egged them on, shaking his fist: “Body slam her! Take down that arrogant woman from the Jiaslin Family! I’ll cheer for you!”
“Ha ha ha—”
The boy’s taunts sparked laughter, and Daisy lowered her head, arms crossed over her chest, her face red like a ripe fruit. Sophia’s eyes darted angrily at him, ready to chase him down, but the moment he sensed danger, he “whooshed” into the crowd, vanishing without a trace.
“Such a loser.”
The shortest girl, wearing a sun hat yet managing to attract the most attention, looked at the disheveled Sarah and Sophia and couldn’t help but push her hat further down, urging, “Let’s hurry up and go…”
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, her tiny steps quick. Daisy followed suit, and after sharing another glaring bout, Sarah and Sophia hurried after them.
“I have a banquet to attend later, and I have my dress ready! I was going to change and leave, now look at my hair, all messed up! What should I do, Sarah?”
Having walked quite a distance away from the crowd, Sophia was still fuming, frustrated by the whole ordeal. She turned to kick Sarah again: “Why do you have so much energy? Don’t you have any men to pamper you?”
“Ugh.”
Sarah brushed off her leg, uninterested in continuing the spat: “As if you’re in a better situation.”
“Ha, Sarah, are you pretending to be stupid or really stupid? Don’t you know the line of boys chasing after me stretches from the academy gate to the dorms below?”
“So what? I have just as many, if not more!”
“Those are just the little brats at the academy! They can’t compare to my quality guys who have easy access to the royal palace! Commoners are just commoners; don’t even hope for one of those high-class men to give you a second glance!”
“Ugh! You superficial woman! Your measure of love is only money and status! I hope your father makes you marry an old man whose teeth are about to fall out tomorrow!”
“Oh, so I touched a nerve? Starting to get personal?”
“Didn’t you start it? And if we’re counting, who could possibly beat that little speck ahead?” Sarah pointed at Peilo walking a bit ahead of them.
And that was the moment Sophia decided to go silent.
“Who’s a little speck?”
The little speck turned around to protest, “Sarah, watch your mouth!”
“I’ll tickle you!”
“……”
The little speck turned back, ignoring her.
The four girls walked along the path toward the dorm tower, and not long after, Sophia began to tame her unkempt hair into some semblance of order and suddenly burst out laughing: “What are we even doing?”
“Oh right.”
Sarah shrugged: “What are we doing?”
“Today’s Saint Bluen Day, right?”
“Yup…”
“Saint Bluen Day.” Daisy said dreamily.
Saint Bluen Day.
It is said that eight hundred years ago, during a clash between the church and the ruling class, a follower named Saint Bluen was falsely imprisoned. In prison, he won the heart of the warden’s daughter through honesty. They fell in love, receiving care from her, but the ruling class sentenced him to d*ath for it.
Before his execution, Saint Bluen wrote a long letter to the warden’s daughter, declaring his innocence and his pure love for her. The letter is said to still be displayed in the memorial hall of the Holy City.
On the 6th of July, 278 CE, Saint Bluen was executed. Afterward, the church commemorated him for sacrificing himself for justice and pure love by marking this date as “Saint Bluen Day,” also known as Valentine’s Day.
Today is Valentine’s Day, the day for couples to revel in romance and flaunt their love.
“No wonder there are couples everywhere in the academy.”
Sarah sighed: “Ugh, why do I suddenly feel so sorry for us?”
She held out her finger and began to count, starting with Peilo, pointing one by one at each of them.
“One, two, three… four.”
She finally pointed at her own nose: “Four single women, like four unwanted stray puppies, with their heads hung low, trudging through the heat of summer, while their hearts are ice-cold. Ah, they’re talking, can you hear? Woof woof woof.”
“Pfft—”
Daisy burst into laughter, entirely unbothered.
“Daisy, you can’t laugh at this moment!” Sarah rolled her eyes.
“Sorry… hahaha, it’s just so funny…”
Daisy couldn’t stop chuckling.
“Your laughter is making me want to cry.”
Feeling irritable, Sarah turned to Sophia: “Don’t you have a date tonight? You dare to say that and then move out of 1504?”
“Ahaha.”
Sophia gave a dry laugh and then wore a blank expression: “Nope.”
“Ugh…”
Sarah sighed again: “Why is it that such wonderful women like us can’t get asked out on Saint Bluen Day?”
“Seems like you’re misunderstanding something.”
Sophia corrected her, pointing at herself and then at Peilo’s back: “It’s us who are excellent, not you, get that straight.”
“Tsk.” Hearing that, Sarah clicked her tongue, hands behind her head, “Since we’re all lonely women with no one to love, shouldn’t we just not hurt each other?”
“Ha.”
Sophia didn’t want to engage.
A moment later, Sarah quickened her pace and sidled up to Peilo, throwing her arm around her shoulders: “Hey, what are you doing tonight?”
Peilo tilted her head, pondering.
“Reading.”
Sarah immediately beamed: “Aha! I knew you didn’t have anyone to go out with!”
“She doesn’t even have anyone brave enough to ask her out,” Sophia added nonchalantly from behind.
“Same difference.”
Sarah wasn’t phased, tightening her grip around Peilo. She leaned in closer and proposed, “I say, stop reading! Why don’t we sneak out for some fun? Find a place to eat some food, drink a little? We can even go to your place! Sophia hasn’t been there yet, let’s just celebrate Valentine’s Day together, what do you say?”
No need to check with Daisy; she would definitely stay back at the dorm like always, not going anywhere, sometimes not even answering their calls, let alone any stinky man.
With hope in her eyes, Sarah looked at Peilo, who shook her head in refusal: “No, I have class in the morning.”
She pushed away the arm around her: “Don’t get so close, it’s too hot.”
“Just skip the class!”
Sarah wasn’t discouraged and kept tempting her: “I know there’s a fantastic dessert shop on Curie Street! Honey cakes, cream cakes, donuts, you name it! I’ll take you to eat some!”
At those words, Peilo’s expression twisted, torn.
“But…”
The cute little thing’s brows furrowed, nibbling on her nails hesitantly: “I just… took a day and a half off…”
“No worries, that’ll make for two days.”
“Sarah, you can go if you want, don’t drag others down with you.”
“Shut it, Sophia! If you don’t speak, no one will think you’re mute.”
The four girls crossed the grassy path past countless couples, arriving at the tower by Ceylon Lake. Peilo still hadn’t agreed to Sarah’s proposal, still mulling it over, while Sarah continued to coax her. Suddenly, she spotted a war chariot parked at the foot of the tower.
It was a quite luxurious war chariot.
With a meticulously designed court-style carriage, gemstone-studded wheels, and two striking white war horses stomping impatiently, the well-dressed coachman stood respectfully at the side, seemingly waiting for someone. Many students were gathering nearby, whispering in curiosity, but more were looking on in awe.
Everyone knew whose war chariot this was.
And they also had a good idea of who it was here to pick up.
The girls paused in their tracks.
“Hey, is this for real?”
Sarah was somewhat dumbfounded. The war chariot was parked right in front of the dormitory. She hesitated to step forward.
“That’s Her Majesty the Queen’s war chariot! Is she inside the carriage?”
“Peilo, it must be for you!” Sophia gasped, equally shocked. Why was the Queen in the academy to pick her up? The last time that happened was when the Church’s Saint visited. Was something major going down today? No, she hadn’t heard any gossip about it.
“Um…”
The petite girl inexplicably felt her face warm up.
“Maybe… yeah…”
She seemed hesitant about whether or not to step forward, but the coachman had already spotted her and quickly jogged over, bowing gently: “Miss Peilo, your ladyship has invited you for dinner and has been waiting here for quite some time. If you have nothing else, please come with me now?”
After the coachman finished, Sophia noticed Peilo’s face reddening further. She ducked her head shyly like an ostrich, murmuring: “Why… I still need to study tonight…”
Her Majesty the Queen invited her to dinner, and she was actually rejecting it, with the excuse: I need to study.
Sophia was utterly astonished.
Why?
Why was she blushing?
Why was she burying her head, acting like a shy virgin who couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes? What was going on here?
Ah?
Sophia was filled with question marks.
The coachman, sensing her hesitation, wore a subtle, defeated smile: “Miss Peilo, please, don’t put me in that position. If Her Ladyship gets off the chariot and has to ask you personally, I’m going to find it hard to explain why you delayed…”
As he trailed off, his voice almost drowned out.
“Oh…”
The girl responded softly, her hands anxiously twisting together.
Having spent enough time together in the academy, Sophia knew some of this little girl’s habits. Her subconscious motions, like chewing her nails when thinking, twisting her fingers when nervous, and now, the tighter she twisted, the more pale they became; she looked ready to pop.
“Well, I should go and… talk to her…”
Peilo turned, gnawing her fingers, glancing back at her friends, and murmured: “You all wait here… I… I should go… say something… and come back…”
With that, she cast her head down and made her way toward the war chariot, tip-tapping her quick little feet along. When she reached it, the chariot’s curtain was drawn slightly open, and a hand pulled her inside.
Sarah, Sophia, and Daisy stood there, dazed.
Before long, sounds of conversation began to drift from inside the carriage, one voice soft and weak, verging on pleading — clearly Peilo’s, while the other was authoritative and cold, leaving no room for negotiation. Sarah guessed it was likely Her Majesty’s voice.
What they were discussing was unclear, and what they were doing was even more mysterious.
But the carriage was swaying continuously, leaving onlookers bewildered.
The crowd began chattering, the three girls from 1504 stood just a short distance from the tower, waiting until the coachman cracked his whip, the large beast neighed and stamped its hooves, and the extravagant carriage slowly pulled away from the eager eyes of the many gathered.
Peilo, that little girl, didn’t return as she promised.
She had been taken away by Her Majesty the Queen.
After quite a while, when no trace of the carriage was left, Sarah finally came back to herself, scratching her disheveled hair and hesitating: “So, what just happened?”
Sophia shook her head: “No idea.”
致意，眼里满是尊敬。
“今天菜准备好了吗？”维多利亚微微一笑，声音透着一丝暖意。
“已备妥，请您放心。”沙尔曼点头，声音温柔而坚定。
小女孩兴奋地四处张望，问道：“今天有什么好吃的呀？”
“有您最爱的小点心和热汤，还有直接从市场上新鲜搬来的水果。”沙尔曼回答。
“太好了！”小女孩欢呼着，“等会儿我要吃个遍！”
维多利亚轻微地摇头，心里暗笑。眼前的少女，总是那么天真可爱。她们的互动就像阳光照耀下盛开的花朵，温暖而明亮。
“好了，准备开始吧。”女王陛下轻声说道，随即示意沙尔曼。
不远处的女佣们迅速而默契地开始布置餐桌。小姑娘则跑去把小凳子搬过来，兴致勃勃地准备就坐。
“维姬，你今天一定得多吃点，我要给你补充能量！”她自信满满地说，眼里闪着调皮的光芒。
维多利亚莞尔一笑，心中暗想：她真是一个可爱的孩子。
坐下后，小姑娘迫不及待地开始享用美食，嘴角沾着一抹鲜艳的酱汁，让她看起来更加俏皮可爱。
“这才是真正的圣布仑节啊！”小女孩嘴里念叨着，眼中满是期待。
“是啊，享受眼前的快乐才最重要。”维多利亚柔声回应，心中微微一暖。
食物的香气在凉亭内弥漫，笑声和温馨的气氛融合成了一幅美好的画面，两人在这个静谧的时刻，共享着属于她们的不凡时光。
不小心摔下去。 “再说一遍，我不会做什么坏事。”
“可是你上次也说过你不会——”
“那是个意外！”维多利亚打断她，声音认真起来，却又忍不住想笑，“而且我已经很努力在吃你的干粮了，怎么会再对你做什么？”
“你…你没道理…”少女恼火的挣扎，脸颊红得像刚摘下的苹果，“我才不信你！”
“那你还敢不敢相信我送你回家？”女王陛下微微松开了手，试图让少女心中平静些。
“我…我才不是什么乖小孩呢！”少女在风中抖着。
“没关系，反正我是女王，你可以在这边尽情做个小坏蛋。”维多利亚打了个响指，眼神闪着狡黠。
“逐梦鸟啦！”少女嘀咕，抬头仰望夜空如同她的心情一般。
“真是个傻瓜。”维多利亚轻声笑了，认为这个小家伙实在很可爱。
“哼！”她愤愤不平的昂起小头，“才不知道你在笑我呢，我不过是想快点回宿舍，好让老师不训我！”
“恐怕老师是很想给你开小灶的。”维多利亚抬手轻轻捏了捏少女的鼻子。
“才、才不是呢！”少女鼓鼓脸，低下了头，但心里却是乐得如一只偷吃了蜂蜜的小蜜蜂，“不过你还是有些可爱的。”
“可爱是我的专长。”维多利亚微微一笑，握住少女的小手，慢慢引导她走向自家的宅邸。
“哎，你敢再这么靠近我，我就…我就…”少女无力地挥了挥手，心里暗自害怕这份亲近会让她再次被动！
“我会待在你身边，只要你不再逃——”维多利亚打了个响亮的彩球，将她抱到了心底。
“……”少女嘴唇微微抿起，心里却是满是温暖的期盼。
In a hazy stupor, she managed to injure herself—though she was well aware that the strength of a young girl’s body was quite extraordinary.
“You’re drunk, and I can’t trust you in the dormitory,” said Her Majesty the Queen in a soothing voice, quickly pinning the girl’s flailing hands to her side, preventing any further thrashing.
“I…”
“Don’t move, be obedient.”
“Viki…”
The girl mumbled, slowly calming down.
If she truly wanted to escape, she could easily overpower someone as delicate as Her Majesty. If she really struggled, she might even twist the woman’s waist right off.
The girl feared hurting the queen, and with Victoria’s breath tickling her ear, her cheeks began to burn. Weak and overwhelmed by a strange fluttering sensation, she melted into the queen’s embrace, becoming compliant.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, a sharp sound pierced the night sky.
Startled, the girl jumped, her body twitching in response to the noise. In her apprehension, she involuntarily looked up.
Boom!
A dazzling profusion of golden light burst forth, painting the captured night in Royal City like a radiant bloom.
“It’s starting,” said Her Majesty, releasing the girl’s wrist but keeping a hand on her waist, gently stroking her back.
Whoosh—
Boom!
Whoosh—
Boom!
One burst, two bursts, three bursts—countless golden lights began to rise and explode from the buildings in the north, their flowing brilliance mingling with the luminous moon, setting the vast darkness aglow. In that moment, the city erupted into waves of frenzied cheers, a cacophony like crashing waves.
This is…
The girl stared in awe.
This is fireworks… No, it’s a divine miracle…
“During the annual Saint Brunn Festival, the bishop and clergymen of the royal city perform divine miracles in the night sky.”
Noticing the girl gradually relaxing, Victoria tightened her hold on her waist, as if afraid she might try to run again. “This is to commemorate those clergymen who died in that pointless dispute 800 years ago, but over time, people have come to see it as a symbol of romance… Isn’t it beautiful?”
“…Yeah.”
The girl replied softly.
So this world has beautiful fireworks too, she thought.
Then, as a symbolic gesture, she twisted her body. “Let me go, it’s hot…”
“I was planning on watching it with you from the terrace.”
The dim alley was illuminated by the lights, revealing a hint of melancholy on Her Majesty’s stunning face as she sighed softly.
“It’s a bit of a pity…”
“……”
Sensing Victoria’s emotions, the girl instinctively wanted to apologize: “I’m sorry…”
But before she could finish, the wind picked up.
Suddenly, she felt her feet leave the ground.
“Ah!”
Caught off guard, the girl couldn’t help but cry out. The alcohol fuzzed her brain, and in that moment, she forgot to struggle and even forgot that she could fly. Terrified, she wrapped her arms around the queen’s neck, nestling into her embrace, inhaling the soothing scent that calmed her. As the wind howled, they rose off the ground, ascending into the night sky.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom—
The dazzling golden light reflected in the girl’s bright eyes.
She had just said she wanted to watch this with me…
Turns out, all she wanted was to see this…
As she gazed at the countless flowing golden flowers bursting in the sky, guilt washed over her.
“Viki…”
She wanted to express the apology that had been left unsaid, but just calling her name made her mouth be covered by a cool palm.
“Did you forget what I said earlier?”
“…Hmm.”
The girl lowered her head.
She recalled Victoria’s earlier words: not to apologize, because she didn’t like it.
“This is actually quite nice.”
Her Majesty’s voice sounded as clear as spring water, whispering in her ear: “Where you watch the golden flowers is not important; what matters is who you’re with.”
“…Oh, you…”
The girl buried her head in her chest.
She couldn’t handle Victoria saying such things; her cheeks warmed again.
Whoosh—
Boom!
The light of the blossoming flowers against the night felt dreamlike, illuminating the city’s skies. The silhouettes of the girl and the queen danced in the night breeze, flickering in the radiant glow.
“Pepé.” After a moment, Victoria softly called out to the now-flushed girl.
“What is it…?”
“You’ve been keeping an eye on the situation in Silgaya, haven’t you?”
“Ah…”
Caught off guard by Victoria’s sudden inquiry, the girl gazed at her face in surprise, paused for a moment, exhaled, and slowly nodded.
“Yeah.”
“You’re worried about that grandma.”
Her Majesty remembered the story the girl had told her.
“Yeah…”
“So, if news comes from over there that troubles you…”
Victoria hesitated, her tone turning a shade somber: “You would choose to leave Royal City, right?”
“……”
The little Pope Knight fell silent.
She didn’t want to answer that question.
But Her Majesty already knew the answer.
“What if I said…”
She looked down at the slightly shy, yet anxious little face nestled in her embrace, her gaze calm as water.
“What if I asked you not to go? Would you promise me that?”
“Viki…”
The girl turned her head away, avoiding those starry eyes.
She wanted to explain something.
Though unsure of what to explain, it felt like she should say something at that moment, yet she couldn’t apologize either. In her foggy mind, she struggled to find the right words when Her Majesty, out of the blue, changed the topic.
“Tonight, sleep with me.”
“…Huh?”
The girl was momentarily taken aback.
She widened her beautiful eyes and waited for a bit before slowly shaking herself out of her dazed state. The blush on her cheeks hadn’t completely faded when it spread again. She lightly struggled in resistance, mumbling, “I don’t want to… Let me go…”
“Then you promise me you won’t go to Silgaya.”
“Um…”
The girl fell silent again.
She couldn’t make such a promise.
“Is that not allowed?”
“……”
After waiting a moment without receiving a response from the girl.
“Pepé.”
“Yeah…”
“Come home with me.”
Victoria proposed once again. This time, after a brief furrowing of her brows and hesitation, the girl nodded in agreement.
“…Okay.”
The night breezed gently.
In Vilo Garden’s tranquil courtyard, the vibrant flowers and lush grasses swayed with the wind, resembling ocean waves.
Her Majesty lifted the small girl, who was gripping her clothes tightly out of nervousness, and flew to the terrace of the western building at Vilo Mansion, her toes tapping lightly on the stone slab as she landed gracefully.
The sounds of miracles and the radiant display of colors in the night sky had subtly come to an end without either of them noticing.
Standing on the terrace, the queen gently set the girl down.
“Don’t even think about running away again.”
She commanded in a firm tone to the girl, who was still tangled up in her thoughts.
“I-I won’t run away…”
The girl’s voice was so soft it was nearly inaudible.
“I won’t do anything to you. But…”
Victoria’s golden eyes glimmered softly, a slight smile gracing her lips as she stroked the girl’s soft hair. “Next time you dare run away like that, when I catch you again, it won’t be pretty.”
Faced with such a threat, the girl looked up, crinkling her attractive little nose.
“You’re threatening me.”
She tried to put on a fierce expression, but before she could, she couldn’t help but smile first: “Hmph, I’m not scared.”
“Ha.”
Her Majesty laughed as well.
She smiled at the girl who, despite falling into her grasp, still managed to hold an air of mysterious confidence.
“Viki…”
The mysteriously confident girl blinked, her fingers fiddling behind her back, her toes rising and dropping repeatedly as if finally gathering the courage: “In the future, I’ll make a lot, a lot of Pepé family dishes for you to eat.”
What she meant was that even if she had to leave for a while, she would definitely come back, bringing food with her.
But beyond that, there seemed to be another layer of meaning.
The girl quickly realized that layer of meaning and began waving her hands in a fluster: “Ah! No, I mean… I won’t really go anywhere… not like that… Aah!”
She stomped her foot in embarrassment.
“Anyway, you know what I mean…”
“Yeah.”
Her Majesty looked at her, a smile creeping back onto her lips.
Tonight might just be the night she’s smiled the most in a year.
The silvery moonlight spilled back onto the terrace.
The queen took the girl’s hand, and they walked toward the brightly lit room. Their shadows swayed behind them, and just as they were almost out of sight, the girl’s voice drifted back.
“Speaking of which, Carlos… Has he already made it to the Eastern Continent? I wonder what he is doing—”
Halfway through her sentence, there came a thud on her head, followed by a dull sound and her exclamation of, “Ouch!”
…………
“Achoo—!”
In a dimly lit tavern, a bearded swordsman clad in silver armor sneezed, rubbing his nose against the bar, mumbling quietly, “Who’s thinking of me this late…?”
“Probably some little girl from Western Continent you’ve messed with before.”
A fiery, red-haired woman strutted out of the shadows, casually placing a frothy beer mug in front of him with a thud.
“Here’s your Mantiq.”
“Ah, thanks, Lapria.”
The bearded swordsman thanked her, taking big gulps of beer and exhaling: “Mantiq, the famous wine from the Eastern Continent. I haven’t tasted this flavor in years.”
“Two silver coins a cup, thank you for your patronage.”
The woman extended her hand for payment. Seeing this, the swordsman was momentarily stunned: “You can’t be serious? We haven’t seen each other in years, and you’re charging me for a drink right off the bat?”
“You thought you could come to my tavern for free drinks?” The woman rolled her eyes, “Look at yourself. Spare me the chit-chat, three silver coins.”
“… Wasn’t it just two silver coins? You’re raising the price on me!”
“You wasted my lovely evening.” She tapped the bar impatiently, “So, either pay, or don’t even think about drinking here again. Speak another word, and it’ll cost you four silver coins…”
“Tsk.”
The bearded swordsman clicked his tongue, getting a bit annoyed as he rubbed his forehead.
“Fine, fine, here you go.”
He pulled out his money pouch, counted out three silver coins, and tossed them to the woman: “A greedy woman from the Eastern Continent will eventually catch the eye of those Naderlings, and then they’ll take her to be a prostitute.”
“Don’t worry about it, Mr. Carlos.”
The woman pocketed the coins with satisfaction and turned around to tidy up the liquor cabinet behind the bar. “Heh, those Naderlings often come here to drink, and you wouldn’t believe how much they’re willing to pay for a drink with me. Carlos, can you believe tonight is the Saint Brunn Festival in Western Continent? I didn’t expect to be spending it with you, a notorious scoundrel. What a downer.”
“We’re in the same boat.” Carlos shrugged.
Just then, the tavern door swung open with a clatter, and a large shadow lumbered in. The swordsman and the woman turned to see a plump, drunken old woman with a bushy beer nose saunter up to the bar.
“Burp!”
She let out a loud burp, her bleary eyes swinging between them, and laughed, revealing her yellow teeth: “What’s this? Did I interrupt some sweet moment between you two? My bad! Hahaha…”
The old woman’s hearty laugh made her jiggly cheeks quake.
“Oh dear…”
The red-haired woman rolled her eyes in disdain, gently covering her mouth, smiling coyly, “Granny Apfel, you’re just in time. I was running out of ideas on how to keep this man entertained. We were just so bored we started talking about the Saint Brunn Festival.”
Pausing, she set her drink back on the bar and quickly glanced at the bored-faced swordsman beside her, as if suddenly struck by inspiration: “But hey, since we’ve brought this up, I’m actually kind of curious about something.”
“Haa~”
The swordsman yawned.
“Hey, Carlos.”
The woman rapped on the bar again: “You’ve been a lone wolf all these years, without a single woman to tame your wild heart, still single, huh? Seriously, I’m just curious! Tell me, Carlos, have you ever truly liked any woman?”
“Well…”
The swordsman let his eyelids droop, resting his chin on his hand, thinking for a moment before breaking into a smile: “Haha, yeah, there have been some.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah.”
“… Oh~”
The woman replied with a meaningful “oh”, her expression faltering for a moment. She then set down her work, moving to lean over the bar, pressing her upper body against it, her ample bosom squashed under the weight. She fluttered her eyelashes, her smile growing even more beguiling.
“Tell me who she is! Is she beautiful? I’m just curious—who is this woman who can capture your attention…?”
“Yeah, little Carlos.” The rosy-cheeked old woman leaned in, intrigued, “I remember you back in the royal city. Tsk tsk… You’ve found someone who truly steadied you? Spill it! Who is she? I want to know.”
“Woman?”
The bearded swordsman pouted, sipping from his beer, his gaze shifting as he scoffed: “If she’s got no chest and no rear… a woman? You’re giving her way too much credit.”
“Heh~”
The red-haired woman giggled softly, inching closer, her big eyes sparkling as she focused her gaze on the swordsman: “Who knew you had a thing for that kind of woman…”
He shrugged, playing it cool.
The red-haired woman purposely pushed out her ample chest, half-closing her eyes as she asked further: “Where is she? In Western Continent? Royal City? Or maybe Winter City? It couldn’t be a girl from Silgaya, right? One of those dancers from the Silent Fortress?”
The swordsman pondered: “Probably in another woman’s arms.”
“Pfft—”
The old woman sprayed her drink across the table.
The red-haired woman’s eyes widened.
“What are you two staring at me for?”
The swordsman lazily scratched the back of his head, resting his hands behind it: “Who said liking someone has to be love? How could I actually fall for a little brat with no chest or rear? What are you all thinking? Have you ever considered a father-daughter relationship?”
His words were delivered in a casually lazy tone yet seemed to brush off the notion ever so lightly.
“Cough, cough…”
The plump old woman choked briefly, wiping the corner of her mouth that had dribbled beer, bewildered: “Carlos, you dog, did you just bring up father-daughter feelings? You have a daughter?!”
“Of course not!” The swordsman quickly denied it, “I was just making a comparison.”
“Does your daughter like women?”
“I said it was just a comparison…”
“Oh goodness!”
The old woman slammed her palm on the table, eyes wide as she scolded: “Don’t tell me it’s one of those little girls from the Royal Academy, Carlos! If you’ve messed with any little girl from our academy, I swear I’ll make sure you lose your little birds!”
“Uh…”
Creeeak—
At that moment, the tavern door swung open once more.
A skinny old man in a gray long coat waddled in.
The old man’s appearance was unremarkable; his skin was a bit dark, his face wrinkled, eyes sunken, cheekbones high, and his worn long coat made him look like an honest, battle-hardened farmer.
However, his arrival suddenly brought the tavern’s lighthearted atmosphere to a halt.
The red-haired woman straightened up, quickly adjusting her exposed neckline. The old woman laid down her drink, and the lazy swordsman stood up as the three famous Pope Knights, now found themselves behaving more like well-mannered students in a classroom, turning to the old man as they greeted in unison: “Mr.”
“Mm.”
The old man nodded slightly, bending down to pat the dust off his pant legs.
“Are you… all ready?”
Outside the tavern, the night was hazy.
Dust and sand whipped through Eborista, and a powerful gust of wind slammed against the window, making it sound like a clanging bell.
