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nThank you raw provider: jarry.

nThe temperature suddenly dropped; it was freezing.

nBecause I started to lightly shiver, he rubbed my back, his face was cold.

n“There was a man I didn’t know that had replaced the coachman and was driving the carriage up the mountain. The man who attacked Igelto at the slave auction house was the same one who kidnapped me.”

n“Why the hell did…?”

n“I don’t know that either.”

nHis fierce eyes distorted terribly.

nWhen I paused for a moment, his purple eyes urged me to continue.

n“The man who had drugged me to sleep gave me a choice: I could either cut off my arm or end up his stuffed doll.”

n“………”

n“In the end, I didn’t choose either option, so I ended up like this and came back to the mansion.”

nAlastair gently stroked my cheek, touching my wound.

nIt was the wound from when the man had jokingly cut my cheek with a knife.

n“It’s been awhile since I told you not to get hurt.

n“Not long after I told you not to get hurt….”

nHis gaze fell on my bandaged arm.

n“…it must have hurt a lot.”

n“It was tolerable.”

nHe stared into my eyes for a while. His purple eyes grew clouded and turned into a leaden color.

n“So what happened to him?”

n“I don’t know. I thought I killed him, but I guess not.”

n“Is that so,”

nhe acknowledged softly.

nIt was surprising.

nJudging from his usual personality, I thought he would be irate and furious towards the man.

n“Go back to sleep.”

nHe let me go and got up.

nHe pulled up the blanket lying at my waist and covered me up to my neck.

n“Suddenly some work came up, so I have to go.”

nClick. He closed the door.

nHe left as soon as we talked. It was a little disappointing, but I didn’t want to bother a busy person.

n* * *

nI knew it. As expected, the newspapers reported what had happened at the banquet yesterday.

nThe front page of every newspaper was full of stories of the happenings in the banquet hall. Among them, there were many erroneous details and many exaggerated speculations.

nHowever, they all said the same thing, there is a high possibility that it was the work of the warlock group: ‘Facius’.

nThe public was getting more and more rallied up.

nThe newspaper covered this as a special report, but there was another item I was interested in.

nIt’s at the end of a newspaper, so it looks worthless, but it’s not.

nThere was a minor mention of founding day festivities taking place in various villages.

nYesterday, when I rode down from the mountain, I spotted a village.

nThe village was lit up, celebrating the founding festival.

nBeautiful lanterns floated up to the sky one by one.

nThe lanterns shined brilliantly in the increasingly dark sunset sky. It was a spectacular sight.

nEven in the midst of my painful journey I had smiled at the sight Discern you in the midst of hard times

nIt reminded me of the past.

nOn that day it had also been Founding Day.

nNaturally, we had to attend the celebration at the palace’s banquet hall and sneak out when people would be too busy to notice.

nAlastair and I escaped by teleporting to a village and headed towards it’s lakeside, enthralled by it’s stunning scenery.

nThere he rented a rustic boat.

nThe boat was so shabby, it looked like it was about to fall apart.

nAlastair skillfully rowed the boat and we headed into the middle of the lake.

nThe boat stopped there.

nWe flew the cheap lanterns we had bought at the store. They rose and bumped into each other.

n-Alastair, what did you wish for?

nThere was such a superstition that if you make a wish on a lantern at the founding festival, it will come true.

nOf course, it was a superstition created to increase store sales by selling lanterns, but it was fun to try.

nAbove all, flying the lanterns and seeing them float into the sky was fun.

n– I made a wish to be with you for a long time.

nThen Alastair smiled happily. The boy desperately hoped for his wish to come true.

n– What did you wish for?

nThe calm waves rippled by the gentle breeze, reflected the two of us as we stared at each other.

n– My wish…….. …….

nWait, what did I wish back then?

nIt’s been so long I can’t remember.

nIn frustration I threw down the newspaper.

nUsually founding festivals are held for a week.

n‘Shall I go with Alastair?’

nIt wouldn’t be a bad idea to have fun like we did in the past. It’s been a while.

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