Chapter 205: The Plaza of the Sun (3)

The sun was setting.

Anise looked out the window, still holding a half-finished mug of beer. The pub was nestled deep within an alley, but even here, the sunset’s light filtered in, though dimly.

“Well then,” Anise sighed.

She had consumed a considerable amount of beer today.

Though considering that she hadn’t been able to drink for the hundreds of years following her death, no matter how much Anise drank, she still felt it wouldn’t be enough. Even so, Anise had drunk so much that she no longer felt the urge to drink now.

She had also received a gift.

As such, Anise had no lingering regrets for the moment. If Kristina’s body wasn’t so special, and if Anise didn’t have a role to play in the future, then she was confident that she would have fully satisfied her desires with what she had just experienced today.

“I’ll just head in now,” Anise informed Eugene.

“Mm,” Eugene hummed, his tired eyes scanning the area around Anise.

The floor was littered with the remnants of her drinks, and a large keg of beer sat beside her.

It would have been physically impossible for a normal person—no, for any human—to have drunk that much beer in such a short time. It was only possible because Anise had used divine magic to enhance her body’s capacity for alcohol consumption.

“See you later,” Eugene said gruffly.

He almost unconsciously added, ‘take care on your way back.’

But since only her consciousness was changing, wouldn’t it be comical to be told to take care on her way back?

After a few moments, Anise’s body froze. Then the eyelashes of her closed eyes began to tremble.

“…Urrrp…,” Kristina covered her mouth, releasing a pained moan.

Kristina didn’t particularly enjoy drinking. If she had to drink, she preferred dry wine. As for a mug of beer cold enough to make your head spin? She had never thought something like that could taste good.

Now, she had drunk more of that beer than was humanly possible…. Although Anise had vaporized most of the beer using divine magic, Kristina was still plagued by a throbbing headache and the overwhelming smell of alcohol with each breath.

“Are you alright?” Eugene asked, approaching her.

In response, Kristina rose from her seat in a panic and tried to step back. Her body still reeling from the intoxication, her legs buckled slightly as she retreated. This almost caused her to fall, but Eugene swiftly reached out, grabbing her arm and supporting her waist.

Eugene frowned, “It seems you aren’t feeling so well, right?”

“N-n-no, you can’t,” Kristina stammered, covering her face, which was still flushed with intoxication.

“What do you mean you can’t?” Eugene asked, confused.

Kristina stammered, “I-I smell of alcohol. It’s not a pleasant scent, so….”

“Really now,” Eugene scoffed.

After wandering for over a dozen years with comrades who lost all sense of restraint when it came to alcohol, Eugene was far from disgusted by the smell of beer.

Or at least that’s what Eugene thought, but he saw no need to further embarrass Kristina by voicing such a thought. Instead, he formulated a spell in his mind and cast some magic.

“Ah…,” Kristina gasped as the spell enveloped her.

The throbbing headache and the pervasive smell of alcohol vanished.

[Tch,] Anise clicked her tongue from within Kristina’s head.

Anise could have easily erased Kristina’s intoxication, headache, and the smell of beer, but she hadn’t bothered. She had left just enough intoxication to cloud Kristina’s judgment slightly, and intensify her emotions…. Furthermore, Anise had carefully adjusted Kristina’s state so that she would stagger slightly when she stood up.

Why did she do all this? She was planning to enjoy the amusement that would result from this exquisitely balanced state of intoxication….

So Anise was genuinely annoyed that Eugene had mastered such a spell.

[It really did come as a surprise that he would learn to use magic… he could have just relied on his body like he did in his previous life,] Anise grumbled.

Kristina pretended not to hear Anise’s murmur as she hurriedly straightened her posture.

She ran a hand through her disheveled hair and coughed, “…My apologies for such a shameful appearance. Unlike Lady Anise, I’m not used to drinking, so—”

“It’s not that she’s used to drinking; she’s just a monster,” Eugene grumbled, pointing towards the closed pub door. “So what are you going to do? Would you like to stay here, or shall we head out?”

Kristina hesitated, “Let’s… go out. That’s right. I’ve already eaten too much, so I want to take a walk.”

Kristina had no particular plans. She had intended to dedicate the entire day to Anise. It was Anise who had set the time limit for her stay in Kristina’s body until sunset.

Most festivals were more enjoyable at night than during the day. The same held true for Anise’s birthday festivities.

While the parade had started during the day, the night parade was particularly magnificent. Entertainers would march and dance in elaborate costumes and accessories, and an orchestra would follow, singing cheerful hymns.

Kristina couldn’t lead the way out of the alley because the night parade was passing through the main street in front of the alley. The street was already crowded, but the throng of people was so dense that there was barely room to move.

“It seems better to head back in,” Kristina said resignedly.

“Really?” Eugene questioned.

Kristina remained silent.

“I want to stay and watch,” Eugene admitted. “Don’t you?”

There was likely no hidden meaning to his words. However, Kristina couldn’t think of a lighthearted response to his casual question. The question had stirred something within her.

A few moments of silence followed before Kristina could respond.

Eugene asked another question without waiting, “Have you ever watched it before?”

That question also stirred something within Kristina.

She had seen something similar once.

There had also… been a time when she had wanted to watch.

When they were young, almost everyone would have felt the same.

There were many orphans in the monastery where Kristina spent her childhood. This meant many children needed sustenance, which meant they needed to store a lot of ingredients. Consequently, there were many rats and other pests in the monastery.

If left unchecked, these pests would multiply to an uncontrollable level, so periodic fumigation was necessary. Once a month, the monastery’s clergy would gather the children in the courtyard, covering their mouths and noses with cloths. Then the priests would carry in small stovepipes that produced thick smoke, disinfecting the entire facility.

They were told to stay put, but the children wouldn’t listen. What was the fun in that?

Though she struggled to recall the feelings of that time, as a child, before being adopted, Kristina had also chased the smoke from the stovepipes.

That was Kristina’s closest memory of a parade. Now, there were many children in the street, oblivious to the unpleasant realities of the Yuras’ religion, giggling and chasing the parade.

Kristina herself had never truly experienced a festival.

Even in the monastery, she had never been allowed outside. Looking back, those restrictions were probably part of controlling the carefully constructed Saint Candidate, the Imitation Incarnation. For Kristina, festivals were days when meat pies or large chunks of meat were occasionally served during shared lunches, and the closest thing to a parade was chasing the smoke from the fumigation stovepipes.

Even after being adopted by Sergio, her situation didn’t improve. In fact, it became even more difficult. While the meals were incomparably better than her days in the monastery, no matter how delicious the food, she couldn’t feel celebratory.

In Sergio’s mansion and Tressia Cathedral, there was nothing like the smoke Kristina and the other children chased while laughing.

Kristina’s childhood was marred by despair and hatred, masked by a thin veneer of normalcy.

It was only after her childhood ended that she was finally allowed to attend a festival, but by then, Kristina was no longer a child. She stood at the forefront of the Tressia Festival as a Saint Candidate, but for Kristina, the festival was just a propaganda platform for the Saint Candidate, while the person known as ‘her’ was executed.

“Yes,” Kristina finally muttered.

“So you don’t want to watch this?” Eugene asked, confirming.

“…I’m not sure,” Kristina responded weakly.

But this was a lie.

She wasn’t unsure. She truly didn’t want to continue watching. Would her memories of past suffering, hidden under a thin veil of normalcy, overlap with today’s joy if she watched the festival? While Kristina had received salvation, she feared that the girl she once was would be consumed by the despair of her past, which though gone, could never be forgotten.

“Do you really need to consider the question of whether or not to watch something like a parade so seriously?” Eugene muttered, scratching his head in confusion.

Without replying, Kristina stared at the throng of people. Eugene suddenly grabbed her wrist as she stood there blankly.

Kristina gasped, “Ah—!”

“Kristina Rogeris,” Eugene called out her name.

Eugene didn’t know Kristina’s thoughts. He didn’t know that most of her life had been filled with misery. She was hesitant, likely because the painful memories of her childhood overlapped with the colorful, joyful festival.

“I’ve already saved you,” Eugene said, pulling on her wrist and slowly moving forward.

Kristina couldn’t think of what to say, nor find the will to resist. She simply allowed herself to be led by Eugene.

“Since I’ve saved you, I won’t ask you to repay the favor. I chose to save you, and it was my choice. All you need to do is make your own decision,” Eugene said as they walked.

“What are you talking about?” Kristina asked, confused.

“Whether or not you want to keep following me,” Eugene clarified.

Kristina was honestly bewildered. Was there even a need to choose? Her intentions were clear. She had no desire to remain in Yuras. Even if Eugene hated her and wanted her to leave, she would follow him. Was it to repay his saving her? No, Kristina knew Eugene would despise such a reason.

It was just…

Kristina wanted to follow him. Eugene was the Hero, and the truth was, he was also the Stupid Hamel from three hundred years ago. But those things weren’t important to the current Kristina.

Eugene hadn’t saved the Saintess; he had saved Kristina Rogeris.

As such, Kristina simply wanted to accompany him, not as the Hero or Hamel, but simply as Eugene Lionheart.

“I will follow you,” Kristina stated firmly.

“If that’s the case, you can’t be afraid or hesitant when it comes to something like this,” Eugene scolded.

There were many people on the street.

However, wherever Eugene walked, the people would part slightly to create a path. They weren’t consciously aware of why they were moving, nor of the involuntary trembling in their bodies. This was simply an instinctive response.

Having cleared a path, Eugene dragged Kristina behind him.

Eugene continued, “From now on, this kind of thing should just be an insignificant part of the scenery to you.”

Kristina remained silent.

“Aren’t you here now?” Eugene reminded her. “I don’t know what you were thinking, what you were focused on, or what you might have remembered. I don’t want to know, and I won’t ask.”

Eugene’s steps stopped abruptly.

He released Kristina’s hand and pointed to what lay before them. It was sparkling, colorful, fun, and noisy. The festival parade Kristina had imagined as a child was marching past.

Eugene instructed her, “So no matter what, just keep looking.”

Kristina stood there dumbfounded, staring straight ahead. She hadn’t spent all her time imagining this parade. As a Saint Candidate, she had seen it many times. She had even led the parade herself on numerous occasions. However, her feelings now were completely different.

The agony, hatred, and rage of the past, the sense of ridicule she felt for those who praised her as the Saint Candidate without knowing her, and the shame she felt for herself and the unnatural nature of the Saint Candidate—she wasn’t experiencing any of those complex feelings now.

Just as Eugene had said, the memories and emotions of then, and the scene before her, all seemed insignificant. Kristina felt a vast difference between her current feelings and the spectacle before her. There was upbeat music, colorful costumes and decorations, the laughter of children, and the admiration of the spectators. It all felt a little distant, yet Eugene, right in front of her, felt too close.

“See, it’s really nothing,” Eugene said, turning to look at her, with a lighthearted tone.

Even though she should have shaken off the remaining intoxication… Kristina’s face felt strangely hot.

Kristina’s lips moved soundlessly for a moment before she stopped and lowered her head. She stepped back as if to run away, but Eugene wouldn’t let her.

“Isn’t that so?” Eugene pressed her.

Kristina stammered, “I-It’s different. This is… truly something different. I just….”

At this moment, Kristina felt a profound dilemma. Her heart yearned to turn and run. It wasn’t because the trivial sights made her feel unwanted emotions, but simply because she felt too embarrassed to look at Eugene’s cheerful face.

However, Kristina absolutely could not confide such a feeling to Eugene. She would rather leave everything to Anise and hide by switching consciousness, but her mischievous sister had no intention of offering advice.

What if she did run away? Unless she explained, Eugene would misunderstand. Kristina would rather die than allow Eugene to misunderstand her. If she ran away after he had brought her here and said such things, wouldn’t Eugene feel like all his efforts were wasted? Kristina feared that Eugene would feel disappointed in himself.

‘…Although there’s no reason for him to feel that way, but…,’ Kristina was caught in turmoil.

“What’s with you?” Eugene asked.

It was time for a decision. Kristina took a deep breath, then, instead of retreating, she took a step forward.

“L-let’s follow it,” Kristina nervously proposed.

Eugene was taken aback, “What?”

“That’s… w-wouldn’t it be fun to follow the parade?” Kristina quickly stammered, pushing herself into the procession following the parade.

After staring at Kristina for a few moments, Eugene smirked and began walking beside her.

Why can’t this night be as dark as it should be?

That was Kristina’s sincere desire. Merciful Light, please don’t illuminate this night. That was her prayer, but it was hopeless. Nighttime in the Capital City, Yurasia, was always illuminated by soft lights, and at this moment, in particular, their surroundings were brightly lit by the parade.

Kristina felt like the lights were clearly illuminating her face, making her feel embarrassed. She didn’t want to show such a strong blush to Eugene. At the same time, she didn’t want the crowd to notice her resemblance to Anise.

Right now… there were too many people around them. Was it the mood? It felt as if their eyes were drawn to her face.

‘Ah,’ Kristina belatedly realized something.

She was wearing a robe with the hood pulled down. Kristina quickly pulled the hood up over her head, covering her face.

“What are you doing?” Eugene asked from beside her.

“I’m afraid someone might recognize me,” Kristina admitted.

Eugene sighed, “You’re doing that again.”

“Please understand my concerns,” Kristina pleaded. “There were already many people in the plaza earlier, but unlike then, we are now taking part in a procession. If anyone finds out I’m here, it might ruin the parade.”

Eugene glanced at Kristina through narrowed eyes. He wasn’t entirely satisfied, but unlike before, he didn’t force her to remove the hood.

They continued walking like this for some time.

Even with the cheerful music, Kristina could clearly hear her own heart beating. Though she walked with the procession, pretending everything was normal, her face was still flushed.

‘…Holy Light, please….’

Even with the hood down, the brightness felt like a spotlight. So Kristina prayed again.

Had her prayer been answered?

All the lights illuminating the parade suddenly went out. The street lights also dimmed. The parade stopped. The crowd murmured.

Boom!

The darkness lifted. Fireworks erupted from a nearby clock tower, illuminating the sky. These fireworks marked the end of the festival. The murmurs turned into cheers. Everyone looked up as flowers bloomed and lights danced in the sky.

Only Kristina didn’t. She pulled her hood further down and kept her head bowed.

“Kristina Rogeris,” Eugene called out her name.

Kristina’s shoulders trembled at his call.

His hands slowly approached and covered hers.

Eugene told her, “Right now, the only one looking at you is me.”

His rough, calloused hands pulled off Kristina’s hood.

Kristina quietly gasped, “…Ah…!”

High above, fireworks exploded. Kristina looked up to see Eugene looking down at her, fireworks bursting behind him.

“Because of that, you shouldn’t hide yourself,” Eugene insisted.

Kristina understood these words weren’t directed at the Saintess, but at ‘Kristina Rogeris.’

Eugene continued, “If you’ve decided to follow me, then you need to see the same things as me.”

Without being too conscious of her role as the Saint….

Without hiding from the gazes and whispers of those around her….

…No.

All of that simply felt insignificant and distant now, just as she had felt before. Everything around her was insignificant and distant, but only Eugene felt close. Was what she felt admiration or worship? Or else…. Kristina tried not to think too deeply about it.

Everything just… felt beautiful. Fireworks soared into the sky, and below them stood Eugene. Eugene, who had reached out to her while she was trapped in her fate as the Saint, which was more like a curse. It was Eugene Lionheart, not