BSS 57

Chapter 57

Irueze crossed her arms and began pestering me, but all I wanted was to go to bed early.

“Such a hassle…”

“They say there are over a thousand street stalls! Isn’t that amazing? It’s a chance to try all the foods from across the continent!”

“Hm, I do want to eat something tasty, though.”

“I even brought the allowance my dad gave me for today! Look!”

The money pouch Irueze showed me was so heavy that the clinking sound was loud enough for me to hear.

If Rai were here, he would’ve drooled at the tempting sound.

A rich girl flaunting her wealth—what a sight to behold.

Truly, she’s one of the wealthiest daughters in Dmitri.

“I don’t have much money,” I said.

I had a few gold pieces, but they were useless at street stalls.

“Huh? Why worry about that! I’ll buy everything for you! Just tell me what you want! I’m rich!”

“You’ll buy for me?”

“Yes!”

“I have some sense of decency… Let’s go quickly!”

Sense didn’t feed me, but Irueze did.

Hurray for rich friends!

“Going out again?”

When I came to get permission to go out, the commander of the knights, Tonel, frowned as if something had upset him.

“Is there a problem…?”

“This is troublesome. During the festival, everyone goes out, and we don’t have enough knights to provide protection.”

“If that’s the case, we could go ourselves.”

“That’s impossible.”

“The security is reinforced during the festival anyway. Plus, Jaima and I usually go out without knights.”

Bright tried his best to argue against the commander’s negative reaction, but it didn’t seem to work.

“The problem isn’t the two of you. It’s these young ladies—Irueze and Jenny.”

That’s when I realized how the commander used honorifics.

He only used them for children of prestigious families like Irueze and Bright.

‘That’s odd. My family has no influence at all.’

Bright was the son of a famous wizarding family, and Irueze was the daughter of one of the wealthiest families.

I was just the daughter of a little-known provincial baron.

Among nobles, barons were the lowest rank: Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, Baron, and below that, a knight of semi-baron rank.

Being a baron didn’t grant much authority.

“We’ll take good care of her. Isn’t that enough?”

Bright was trying to act responsible, constantly checking my reaction.

Could it be that he wanted to impress me?

It was cute, but it was taking up too much time.

“Step aside, senior.”

I, unimpressed, pushed Bright and Jaima aside and walked forward.

“Commander, there aren’t any knights?”

“Hmph, that’s right. Only two are left.”

We were natural rivals.

The commander’s gaze changed noticeably between Bright and me.

I could see him weaken visibly when he looked at me.

I didn’t know why, but noticing it was satisfying enough.

“Are the remaining knights people I know?”

“…Yes, but.”

“Hansen and Philo?”

No answer meant yes.

“Then they might as well be my personal guards. We can call them.”

“That’s not possible. Two knights can’t protect four people.”

“But the seniors don’t normally need protection, and the problem is just me and Irueze… Two knights should be enough.”

“….”

“What’s the problem? Did I miscalculate?”

A silent stare-down followed.

The truth was, the commander worried that even two knights couldn’t handle me alone.

As proven many times before, good-hearted Hansen and Philo couldn’t stop me.

“Please tell me you’re not trying to keep me from enjoying the festival because you don’t like me?”

“Huh? Of course not. That’s a misunderstanding.”

“Then let me go out!”

“…Very well. But you must stick together while outside. Especially…”

W-What! Why are you looking at me like that?!

I was strangely calm. After all, so many terrible things had already happened that I felt no worse could occur.

Another incident happening seemed utterly impossible.

“Look, Jenny! That must be the ‘Feast of the Gods’!”

“It’s much bigger than I imagined from the book!”

“Can a fountain be this beautiful? Amazing…”

Irueze and Bright couldn’t take their eyes off the central fountain.

In the central plaza of Neykal, the capital of Elan, stood a massive fountain called the ‘Feast of the Gods,’ easily as tall as a five-story building.

The fountain was adorned with numerous statues of gods, arranged harmoniously despite their number.

At its center was a statue of Agiotita, the Creator God who protected the Cransia continent.

Around it were Propitia, the God of Prophecy, and Heyos, the only goddess among the major gods, famed for purity and mercy, each gazing in different directions.

Beneath the three major gods were seven saintly gods overseeing the mortal and celestial realms, each with their own names.

I just wasn’t interested.

Looking around, I saw Irueze and Jaima clasp their hands in prayer toward the fountain.

Philo and Hansen were no different.

I met Bright’s eyes a little later; he had been standing idle like me.

“You’re not very devout either, senior?”

“Well… my family’s wizards.”

Bright seemed a little embarrassed.

In this world, being non-devout didn’t mean disbelief; it meant respecting gods without fully obeying them.

Everyone here fundamentally believed in gods, having witnessed their miracles firsthand.

At least in this world, gods clearly existed.

“I heard priests and wizards don’t get along. Is that why?”

“Basically. Priests see magic as a blasphemous challenge to the gods. Divine magic is the righteous path; ours is the heretical one.”

The righteous path means the proper way, while the heretical path is cunning and deceptive. Bright, being a gifted magic student, seemed intelligent enough.

“Then what about elemental magic? Is that heretical too?”

“Probably, yes. At least according to the priests.”

“Damn it.”

“…Jenny?”

“Did I just say that out loud?”

“Yes…”

“‘Damn it’?”

I had indeed said it again. My temper showed.

“Why hide it? I don’t really like gods.”

“Jenny! You can’t just say that!”

Bright looked around frantically, as if someone might overhear.

If zealots heard, they might try to kill me.