Chapter 13 : Ugly ten years old (1)

Looking back, it’s been a long time.
Five whole years.
That’s how long the Hero and I trained and studied, shuttling between the palace and the temple under the banner of vanquishing evil.

And now, at last, we leap toward the world beyond the Empire in a ceremony called the departure.
“Y-Y-Yo, Hero, sir. A-Are you r-ready…?”
“…Now you’re riding a rhythm and making a fool of yourself. Are you that excited for the ceremony? Or is your neck too weak from lack of exercise?”

Foul words.
Foul words, I say.
“Y-Y-Yo, f-foul words are b-bad… words.”
“You’re really making a spectacle, stuttering like that. If you can’t speak properly, just keep quiet and smile. People will lose their minds over the Saintess’s smile anyway.”
“….”
Bastard.
No, no, I didn’t mean that.

So, um…
Right.
To be honest, I was trembling a lot.
For five years, I trained and studied as the Saintess, but before that, I was just the youngest nun in the order.
A nun whose faith couldn’t compare to the bishops or His Holiness.
The fact that I was chosen, that I had to act as God’s proxy, felt terrifying.

But the Hero didn’t let me calm my nerves.
“Lua, stop shaking. Keep trembling, and I’ll assume you’re lacking muscle.”
“Hoo… Hah! O-Okay, got it.”
“Good. I’ll lead, so follow.”

He stepped forward toward the waiting masses of the Empire.
The curtain he parted revealed a sight I had to face.
Waaaaa—
The roaring cheers and fervor of the crowd.
Boom, boom, boom—
The military band sending us off.
I could’ve shrunk from it all, but…

“Face it. Walk with confidence.”
The Hero muttered, just for me to hear.
Words from someone unfazed by the grandeur.
Ignoring the waving children, indifferent to the gestures of beautiful women, he strode ahead.

Clenching my fists, I murmured back,
“…Of course.”
Confident steps, naturally.
Smiling, waving kindly.
Following his back, I walk boldly, showing the crowd that behind the stoic Hero stands a gentle, radiant Saintess.

So.
Until the long procession ended and the crowd’s fervor faded, my heart raced.
The realization that it had finally begun thrilled me.
Worries about whether I could do well mingled with excitement for the journey ahead.
Perhaps it’s because, despite seeming half-mad, I have someone undeniably reliable by my side.

“Well done. Now, let’s truly set out.”
“Yes, Hero.”
Nodding at his brief words, I boarded the carriage.

Fireworks soaring and bursting grandly.
The cheering crowd, smiling children.
Resounding songs and equally beautiful shouts.
Scattered, colorful petals paving the path.
I’ll never forget this day.

• [Excerpt from Episode □□. Their Departure Ceremony]

A little over a year has passed.
I’m ten years old now.
“Mom, I’m off.”
“Mmm… Mommy’s gonna sleep more…”
“Hm, you used to say you’d wake up early. Guess my mom’s all talk, huh?”
“Ugh… Don’t hit me where it hurts and get to work…!”

With a familiar morning goodbye to sleepy Mom, I leave the house.
Even though spring’s nearly over, late April mornings still carry a chilly breeze.
“…It’s cold.”
Shivering slightly, I start walking.

It’s been over two years since I started working at Lendo’s grocery shop.
By the way, I only asked the uncle’s name this year, and his stunned face is still vivid.
Well, I mean…
“….”
We got along fine without knowing, right?
Sorry about that.

Anyway, I head into the market street, not straight to the shop but scanning around.
I left early today for a reason.
This afternoon, the Hero and Saintess’s departure ceremony begins.
It’s prep time to watch it.

I swore I wouldn’t go after that jerk Hero pissed me off, but I guess I wasn’t ready to miss a chance to see the story unfold.
Plus, last month, she said she wanted to see it too.
Taking her means I need to prepare.

Soon, I reach the shop I’ve been looking for.
It sells clothes, but not the kind I wear or buy for her—more like a rugged place for adventurers.
An adventurer’s shop.
Creak—
Opening the door, a musty smell wafts out.

“Come on in. What do you… What’s this? A kid?”
The man rising to greet customers looks bored seeing me.
But I’m not fazed by that reaction.
I’m a customer, and he’s about to sell me robes.

“Hey, I’m here to buy robes for kids.”
“Sorry, kid, we don’t sell robes for little ones like you. Head down the street—there’s a shop with clothes your size.”
He’s not wrong, but other shops don’t have the kind of robes I need.

“I checked, but their stuff’s no good. I want the robes you sell here.”
“Huh, a kid with a sharp tongue.”

The shopkeeper’s rough look doesn’t scream “charmed by a kid’s cuteness.”
He deals with tough adventurers—why would he care about a kid?
“….”
“And we don’t have anything for kids. This place is for adventurers. Come back when you’re grown and want to be one, kid.”

But he’s a novel character.
Jansen.
The owner of a shop frequented by the Hero, Fris, before he became the Hero.
A minor role, but one appearance in the novel confirms he’s an honest merchant.
Trusting the novel’s setting, I smile.

“I’m here for robes with perception-lowering magic. One adult women’s, one men’s, tailored to fit kids now and adults later.”
“What’re you on about, kid? Perception-lowering robes? You got the money for that?”

The novel says he’s gruff but will sell what you want if you pay.
Jansen, ex-adventurer turned merchant.
Time’s flown—it’s already the year of the Hero’s ceremony, and I’m ten.
In six years, I’ll travel, so it’s smart to build ties with guys like this now.

So.
Thud.
It hurts my wallet, but I place a pouch of my travel savings on the counter for something I’d need anyway.
“Two perception-lowering robes. Please hem them so we can wear them now and as adults.”
“…Alright, wait a bit, customer.”

He’s a merchant who treats even a kid as a customer if they pay.
As long as it’s legal, he hands over goods without asking why.

As I’ve said, today’s the Hero and Saintess’s departure ceremony.
The shop closes early after lunch.
“Ain, you better not squeeze through the crowd to get close, got it?”
“Uncle, that’s the thirtieth time you’ve said that. I told you I’ll watch from a safe spot—why’re you so worried?”
“Like you’d behave, you brat. If you get trampled, I’d have to hire a new worker!”
“….”

Cursing me to my face, huh?
Feeling cheeky, I stick out my tongue and slip out of the shop.
His shouts echo even after I slam the door, but it’s just his way of caring, so I nod and move on.
Maybe after over two years together, he sees me like a son.

Yeah.
He’s a great guy, as always.

Anyway.
I leave the shop and head to the familiar alley.
This past year, the witch has grown fast despite her harsh environment.
I thought she was younger than me, but with better food and rest, she’s already taller.
Now, she looks down at me slightly.

Her emotions are slowly, very slowly, growing richer.
She seems pleased looking down at me, her lips twitching upward faintly.
But when I get close to check if she’s clean, sniffing her, she steps back, her blank eyes narrowing slightly.
Honestly, not a great reaction.

Her faint emotions blooming means the seed within her is sprouting.
The ashen stories always say controlling emotions gets harder after awakening power.
So maybe I’m the novel’s villain, hastening a calamity’s birth.

But.
“…Ain, welcome.”
There’s a girl waiting for me to enter the alley.
“Yeah, long time no see.”
“Long time, no see.”
A girl who spends her days waiting for our monthly meeting.
“Wear this and don’t take it off while we’re watching, got it?”
“Okay, thanks.”
Hugging what I give her tightly.
“Let’s go. Follow carefully.”
“…Okay.”
A girl whose lips slowly curve upward.

That’s why.
I can’t turn away and keep coming back each month.
It’s pity.
It’s calculated intent.
The delusion I’m fulfilling a self-assigned role well.
The arrogant thought I might change a novel character.
I can’t abandon these and keep moving forward, holding them close.

The ceremony begins with the grand music of the military band.
I didn’t plan to take the witch close to the action.
Like when I was five, we watch from afar, where their steps are still visible.
Even in the afternoon, fireworks burst, decorating the sky.
Boom—
Each loud explosion makes the girl beside me flinch, clutching my clothes.

What a scene.
The novel’s protagonists march forward, while the witch who threatens the Empire stands beside me—a surreal sight.
But it doesn’t stir me like it did at five.
Maybe I’m too used to this world, my excitement dulled, or I’m too aware I’ve stepped into the story’s flow.

So.
I just want to face all the complex feelings this moment brings.
A scene I’ll only see once, crafted from words.
The countless waves of the crowd, unseen in the novel.
The gears of the story, slightly misaligned.
And the Hero’s gaze, now fixed on me and the witch.

I meet each one, glaring back at the Hero’s eyes.
His steps continue forward.
The Saintess’s gaze lingers on me briefly.
She smiles at me, then moves on, her figure fading into the distance.
Feeling the witch’s warmth, I keep watching everything in my sight.

“There he is. The one who stood in my way.”
“Huh? Where, where?”
I followed the Hero’s gaze, scanning around.
No one looks strong.
Ordinary men, women, elders, kids.
And a girl and boy in robes…
Ah, found it.
Even from afar, I could spot the faint, ominous ashen hue.

“The man beside the ashen is the one I met.”
“…But that’s just a kid.”
A frail boy who’d fall if I pushed, let alone block you.
But the Hero seems to think differently.
He stares for a while, then smiles at the boy.
A man who ignored women’s gestures and kids’ cheers now gazes at one spot with a childlike smile.
Again, that uncharacteristic, rare smile.

“Not a kid—a man. He’s still protecting her, like back then.”
“…Yes.”
You’re a strange one, alright.
But.
If it’s God’s will, as you say, both the ashen and that boy will survive.
I can only pray for that.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I smiled.
Kindly, waving to the crowd.
Until the path through the masses ended.

Fireworks soaring and bursting grandly.
The cheering crowd, smiling children.
Resounding songs and equally beautiful shouts.
Scattered, colorful petals paving the path.
These will linger in my memory, but I think I’ll remember other things longer.
The Hero’s unexpected smile, the two kids holding hands.
The ashen girl and the fair boy.
Those things.