Chapter 104
My eyes went round in surprise, but Rishiansius stood up as if he didn’t have time to explain anything further.
“Since we came all the way down to the southern edge, we might as well see something worthwhile before we go. Don’t you agree, Count Flux?”
Rishiansius’s tone wasn’t pleasant at all. The look on his face, lazy and dangerous, was the kind that made you think he was picking a fight just for fun. His gaze — sharp, hostile, and direct — was fixed on Flux like a veiled threat.
Flux blinked, seeming to snap out of his daze, and after a moment’s hesitation, turned to me.
“I heard that Your Highness hasn’t had the chance to properly tour the city.”
“Well, yeah. Things just sort of… happened.”
“This city — I’m not saying this because I rule it, but objectively, it’s a beautiful one. It pains me that all I’ve shown you are its scars.”
At that moment, Devi cut in cheerfully, her voice bright as ever.
“It’s safe now! Ever since the day you collapsed, Young Master Raymond’s been sweeping the whole area clean. If there’s even a hint of a beast, he hunts it down right away. Unless someone can conjure monsters out of thin air, we’re good!”
…And that’s exactly the kind of thing that jinxes you. Every time Devi says something like that, the universe goes out of its way to prove her wrong. “Unless someone can conjure them out of thin air”? Just wait a few months, we’ll probably meet someone who can.
Still, that explained why Raymond had been so hard to find after the Offering Festival. I nodded, trying to suppress a swirl of odd feelings.
“You’re coming, right?”
Rishiansius fixed me with an expectant stare.
Who does he take me for, some kind of workaholic? I like relaxing — it’s just that lately, there’s been no time to actually do it. But with the stage all set like this, how could I say no? Instead of explaining all that, I just shrugged.
“Yeah.”
Only then did he seem satisfied. A grin spread across his face as he opened the door.
Outside, two carriages awaited — not the same one Ilian and I had ridden in earlier. These had translucent roofs and open sides, clearly designed for sightseeing.
Rishiansius must have given everyone a heads-up, because neither Navira nor High Priest Ilian complained. They quietly climbed aboard.
Once everyone was seated, the carriages started moving, rolling faster and faster until the streets blurred by. After some time, they came to a stop.
Excited, I jumped out first and pushed the door open.
And at that very moment—
Whoooosh.
A gust of wind swept through, carrying with it a shower of petals. Not cherry blossoms — smaller, violet petals, like those of wisteria, rained down in waves.
The floral storm swirled so thickly it dazzled my eyes, and when I stepped onto the ground, my foot slipped. I staggered.
“Careful.”
The voice came after the touch — a steady hand pressed against my waist, catching me before I fell. The voice that followed was low, short, and heavy with quiet strength.
I froze for a beat, lips parted in surprise — then quickly shut them again.
Raymond, as if nothing had happened, reached out his hand to steady me. His fingertips brushed through my hair, then lightly grazed the side of my ear. Each time his hand moved, petals fluttered down — like fragments of emotion scattered into the wind.
“…Thank you.”
“There’s nothing worth thanking me for.”
Well, from his point of view, that was probably true. I lowered my head slightly to hide my expression. Raymond looked the same as always — calm and composed, like a finely polished blade or a statue carved from obsidian.
Behind him stretched a dazzling view: a narrow river crossed by a small bridge, and along the banks, rows of blooming trees.
Was this the outskirts of the city? Maybe because of all the chaos lately, there were hardly any people around. The sun had nearly set, and tiny lights flickered all around us like fireflies.
It wasn’t bright and bustling like the night market I’d seen before. Instead, small palm-sized lanterns hung here and there, soft and warm — tranquil, not lonely.
The air smelled faintly of grass and water. Leaves rustled gently in the breeze, and the chirping of small insects filled the quiet.
Raymond led me toward the bridge. The moment I stepped onto it, I gasped.
Over the gently flowing river, petals drifted and swirled, mingling with the reflection of lantern light — a soft, golden glow rippling across the surface.
It was breathtaking. Like gold dust scattered over still water.
I stood there, entranced, forgetting to speak — and then, suddenly, a burst of light shot into the sky.
Behind me, Rishiansius, who had been following a few steps back, grinned mischievously.
“Watch carefully.”
“Hmm?”
“That, right there — those fireworks? They’re made with fire conjured by me, a bona fide wielder of flame.”
Fwoosh! Fyuung! Fiiiii–boom!
With familiar whistling sounds, streaks of light rose high into the night sky. Bursts of color exploded — crimson, emerald, gold, and violet — forming circles, scattering, and merging again into dazzling blooms that lit up the heavens.
Somewhere far off, a child laughed, thrilled by the display.
Everyone was smiling.
It all felt strangely unreal — so much so that I could only blink, lost in the shimmering world above me.
— But you know, Contractor, whispered a voice in my head, airy and bright. Once you can use the power of fire yourself, you’ll be able to make lights far more beautiful than those fireworks! (· з · ) Don’t let that guy act so proud! Pretty, sure… but still! ٩(・ω・)
‘You’re calling them pretty too, so what are you really saying?’
— Next time, you should make some for me, okay? (ノ^∇^)ノ
‘Should I?’
“…You don’t like them?”
A faintly anxious voice pulled me back to reality. I blinked — and realized someone had been watching me this whole time, just as still as I’d been.
Rishiansius was staring at me with a face that screamed, “How could you not love this?!” Meanwhile, Raymond looked… uneasy, as though he’d done something wrong.
I guess it did look strange — me, usually so expressive, now frozen like a statue, staring wordlessly at the sky.
“Is the noise too loud? Are the colors not to your liking? Or… perhaps you find it wasteful—?”
“No, it’s beautiful. Truly beautiful.”
I smiled — genuinely. And at that, Raymond froze completely.
It reminded me of long ago. A time I could never return to.
When we used to grumble about crowds being thicker than the flower petals, sitting with family on picnic mats, sharing homemade kimbap. When we complained that the summer festival was stingy — “What kind of festival ends after just three fireworks?” — while licking melting ice cream and swatting away mosquitoes.
Those memories never came back to me during the grim days of palace life, or in the chaos of monster attacks where lives were lost without warning. But now, standing here in comfort, surrounded by beauty — the past came rushing back.
If I’d known things would turn out like this…
I would’ve done better back then. I would’ve said “I love you” more often, said “thank you” without hesitation. I would’ve realized sooner that what I took for granted wasn’t guaranteed to everyone.
I used to think there was nothing left worth seeing — that I’d already seen all there was in my past life. That was foolish. Thinking, “It won’t be more beautiful than the modern world anyway” was even more foolish.
Because everywhere, wherever people live, there is beauty.
The fireworks cascading down through the dark sky, the flower petals dancing in the wind — all of it was beautiful.
It’s okay.
Everything’s okay.
That’s what I thought.
I’ll be fine here too.
“You all prepared this for me, didn’t you? Thank you — truly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful… in this life.”
The phrase “in this life” slipped out naturally, and for a moment I wondered if it sounded odd. But, oh well — nothing too strange, I supposed.
“Really, it’s… it’s so beautiful. Thank you, everyone.”
My eyes prickled. I almost cried — but I smiled instead, bright and strong. It would’ve been a waste to let tears blur such a view.
* * *
Titania didn’t cry.
Though her expression seemed ready to crumble at any moment, she kept smiling — a trembling, watery smile that made her all the more heartbreaking to watch. Her eyes glistened, but she held it in, watching until the very last firework faded from the sky.
Then they continued their little outing.
Few shops were open after all the recent chaos, but there were still a few small stalls here and there.
Titania, determined to put the bracelet Flux had given her to good use, eagerly set out to buy something from every single stall. Flux, just as excited, encouraged her to pick even pricier things.
High Priest Ilian joined in, joking that he wanted to buy a whole armful of trinkets for his disciples and asking if Titania’s bracelet could handle the expense. Devi, every time she saw jewelry, insisted on holding it up to Titania’s wrist to “see how it matched.” Navira simply watched them all with a faintly exasperated look that said, “They sure are having fun…”
Rishiansius, after the fireworks ended, strode along with an easy grin, while Raymond quietly followed, more like a silent bodyguard than anything else.
And Titania — laughing brightly, beaming from ear to ear — pulled them all along through the lively streets.
