Chapter 28 : Unexpected (1)

After finishing their meal, the two once again strolled leisurely through the village.

The sight of a young man following behind a tall, limping old man was quite conspicuous, but it seemed no one here cared about such things.

Everyone just focused on their own day, slowly.

Jing, who was watching them, spoke first.

“I didn't see a place that looked like a study, neither inside nor outside the temple. Is there a separate place where you keep your literature?”

“There is one in the temple's basement.”

“Can someone who doesn't work at the temple enter?”

“Only if the Elder permits it.”

“Hmm.”

Jing, who didn't want to meet that cunning old man again, grimaced.

“Then is there a library or bookstore that civilians use? I had a hard time finding that too, is it far away?”

“There is no such thing in Amica's space.”

Jing, surprised at Ratel who answered so matter-of-factly, asked.

“No books? Then do the people here not know how to read?”

“No, everyone knows how to read. They know how to write, too.”

Then is the temple monopolizing knowledge?

“You don't mean that only the temple people read the books in the temple's basement.”

Ratel shook his head.

“Getting the Elder's permission is just a formality. There has never been a case of refusal. Though in the first place, there aren't many people who look for them.”

Jing's eyes narrowed.

A strange space, truly.

Ratel, who was looking at him, added with a peculiar gaze.

“Even if it's an archive in the basement, it's not like there are that many books.”

Ah.

Jing immediately shut his mouth at his words.

The books collected in the temple were probably the last remaining literature about Amica in the world.

Because the rest would have all been burned or melted down.

The last remaining books.

Jing, who felt a little uncomfortable, perhaps because the habit of serving Abalan still remained, squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them.

“……I'd like to see it at least once.”

***

“Little Duke, we will arrive at the merchant group in 5 minutes.”

At the words of the knight escorting the carriage, the Little Duke, who was inside trying hard not to look out the window, let out a deep sigh.

The child, who would be entering the Academy next year, accepted the late Duke Piteos's wishes and continued his successor education.

Today, he was on his way back from being with Tollin, who was seeking to work at the merchant group owned by the Piteos family.

The Little Duke did not like this road.

To be honest, he had grown to fear it.

Because every time he saw the scenery outside, he a-remembered the face of his father, who, until just a short time ago, had taken him around with a smile.

Recalling the affectionate man who stroked his excited head as he looked out the window with his calloused hands, the Little Duke's stomach churned, and sometimes the back of his eyes would sting, and he'd feel like crying.

He didn't tell Tollin or Pale.

He didn't want to let them know.

Thanks to Tollin, who granted the Little Duke's stubborn wish to ride in the carriage alone, this secret could remain his alone.

When the Little Duke passed this road, he would cover the carriage windows with curtains as much as possible and keep his eyes closed.

Today was the same.

The Little Duke clenched his fists, feeling a little pathetic about himself.

Would he be able to get rid of this fear after a long time?

When he gets bigger and becomes an adult, will the sadness fade?

Seeing how enormous it was, it felt like it would never get smaller or fade, forever.

Then wouldn't it be impossible for it to disappear?

Thud!

The small head, which was about to sink deeper in thought, hit the wall of the suddenly stopped carriage with a loud noise, and its operation paused for a moment.

“What is it!”

Tollin's voice, which sounded thoroughly angry, came from outside.

“Little Duke, are you alright?”

“I'm fine. What is going on?”

“It seems there was a small fender bender. Please stay inside.”

Reassured by the knight's answer, the Little Duke settled his back against the seat again.

The carriage window, which had opened slightly due to the impact of the collision, came into the reassured child's view.

The Little Duke hurriedly lowered his head, then slowly raised it again.

And he met two pairs of round eyes, secretly peeking into the carriage.

They looked like 2 orphans who had come to satisfy their curiosity while the people were distracted by the accident.

“Uh…… Hello?”

Startled by the Little Duke's awkward greeting, they rolled their eyes around and then quickly hid their bodies below the window.

***

“Uh……, Hello?”

At the Little Duke's awkward greeting, the two pairs of small children who were stuck to the window looking in, were startled and lowered their heads.

Flinn, at the sight of the two who looked like frightened rabbits, felt the tension and the strength that had unknowingly entered his body, release.

Thanks to that, the curiosity he had been suppressing stealthily reared its head.

These were people he had wanted to see up close at least once.

Though he didn't know he would encounter them so suddenly.

Even if it wasn't just because of curiosity, it had been a long time since he had seen children his age up close after Duke Piteos passed away (as it was known).

Because Tollin, considering the Piteos family's ambiguous status and position, minimized the Little Duke's participation in gatherings with children his age.

The Little Duke, as if possessed, slowly approached the window.

The Little Duke himself didn't know if it was because he was recalling the comfort or joy that children of a similar age give, which he had forgotten while spending time only among adults, or if it was an interest that came from seeing commoners on the street up close for the first time in his life.

Beyond the window, he caught a glimpse of dirty, bare feet disappearing into a nearby alley.

What came into view after that was something on the ground, just as filthy as the children's soles.

They must have been in such a hurry that they didn't even notice they had dropped it.

It was a piece of wood, as worn out as the children's attire.

Perhaps they made it themselves; in some ways it looked like a lizard, and in other ways it looked like the Little Duke's close friend (as he alone thought) the crow.

He couldn't make it out exactly, but in any case, it seemed certain that it was something they cherished.

It was covered in hand-grime, and eyes, a nose, and a mouth had been drawn on it with care, and judging by the appearance of the children who fled, they didn't seem to be in a position to own much.

The Little Duke gently peeked his head out the side opposite the window the children had looked through.

“Is there something wrong?”

One of the knights, the one who had informed him they would soon reach their destination, asked the Little Duke.

The child shook his head once and replied.

“It's nothing. It seems to be taking a long time, doesn't it?”

“Yes. It seems there is an injured person. The discussion will take a little longer.”

At the words of the knight, who replied while scratching his head, the Little Duke stuck his head out a little and checked the carriage Tollin was riding in.

Beside the carriage, which had completely lost a wheel, Tollin, who had come right out and was frowning, and those who were escorting him, had gathered.

It certainly looked like the discussion would get longer, just as he said.

……Then, would it be alright to leave for just about 5 minutes?

The Little Duke replied not to mind him and went back into the carriage.

And he quickly exited the carriage through the opposite door and picked up the wood carving.

The adults, whose attention was sold on the accident scene, didn't seem to notice the small, agile Little Duke slip away without a sound and make his way into the alley.

***

The Little Duke was a smart child and was cautious for his age, but he was immature in understanding the difference between what he wanted to do and what he could do.

For example, the point that he thought he could just find the owner of the object in the alley where the vagrant children or the homeless of the street gathered, and leave.

The child walked without hesitation.

If the Little Duke's guess was correct, they were definitely the vagrant children of the street that Tollin had spoken of.

The ones the Little Duke had wanted to see at least once.

Perhaps they were faster runners than he thought, as he had to go deeper than expected, but he didn't stop.

It was by a trash heap behind an unhygienic-looking tavern that the child discovered the two dirty heads.

The Little Duke carefully approached the two, who were whispering.

***

“Can we really get money?”

The small child said, looking at the big child suspiciously.

“I'm sure of it. A lot of nobles are walking around here these days. Last time, Jill bumped into a noble lady, and she said it was dirty and threw away her shawl. She was so happy she sold it and earned money for her mother's medicine. If we're lucky, they might just throw away a piece of clothing.”

The big child answered, but the smaller one pouted.

“But she had to be sick for a week after being beaten by the hangers-on attached to her. I heard a kid in the next neighborhood even died from a beating.”

At the smaller kid's worried words, the slightly bigger child shut his mouth for a moment.

His eyes, too, trembled with anxiety, but he soon steeled his heart, or so it seemed, and squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them.

“Either way, if we go on like this, we'll both starve to death before we become adults.”

This time, the smaller kid had nothing to say, so he clamped his mouth shut.

“Then I'll go and bump into that uptight-looking mister. I'll rub all over him, so if he throws away anything, whether it's an outer garment or a hat, you grab it and run.”

The Little Duke realized the "uptight-looking mister" was referring to Tollin, but he didn't feel like laughing.

Because he realized what the children were trying to do.

The smaller kid, not knowing the Little Duke was listening, got flustered and grabbed the bigger kid's arm.

“Why are you going?”

The bigger kid looked at the smaller kid with a dumbfounded expression.

“That's how the probability of survival goes up. If you get hit wrong, you'll die. I've been hit a lot, so I know how to dodge properly.”

“We'll both die if we get hit wrong. And I saw it in a book Jill picked up last time, it said that if you weigh less, you take less impact.”

The little child, who had conveniently left out the following words, 'when falling from a high place,' said capably.

“What? Really? Then I should give you all my food from now on. I need to get smaller too, so it hurts less when I'm hit.”

“Ah, that's……”

Flustered by the big child who spoke with sparkling eyes, the small child mumbled, then gave up and muttered softly.

“……Anyway, I'll go this time.”

“Hey, don't be ridiculous. Your hands are even trembling.”

“This is! It's because I haven't eaten, so my sugar is low.”

The small child, perhaps embarrassed, answered while rubbing his slightly trembling hands.

At that, the big child frowned.

“You really know all sorts of things. But still, no. If I get hurt badly, you're the smart one, so you have to take care of me.”

Thinking that there would be no end to this, the Little Duke revealed himself in front of the children, who were bickering over who would risk their life.

“There's no need for that.”

“Uwaaaak!!!”

“Kkuaaaaaak!!!”

The young Little Duke was cautious for his age, but there remained an immaturity in him that couldn't separate what he wanted to do from what he could do.

For example, the point that he believed he could easily stop children who were stealing themselves to do a bad deed to nobles, risking their lives, and the point that he didn't expect the relatively bigger child, who was in a panic, to charge at him, the Little Duke.

Instead, the Little Duke would get the chance to contemplate the variables of life today.

***

“Ratel, how did the stranger seem?”

At the Elder's question, who was descending the stairs, relying on the flickering candlelight, Ratel, who was following behind, chose his words for a moment.

“He is very diligent.”

The Elder cackled at that straightforward answer.

“Haha, very diligent, you say.”

The Elder nodded his head.

His curly hair and beard fluttered gently with his movement.

“Yes, it's hard to see an old man moving around so bustlingly, especially here.”

“……”

Ratel quietly gave a small nod at those words.

It wasn't a lie; that sturdy old man named Jing really did look around here and there diligently, even while limping on one leg.

Ratel recalled the tall old man, who had been moving his limping foot diligently.

He was truly a strange old man.

He seemed desperate, but he didn't make the worst choice, and a strange sort of dignity flowed from his attitude, but at the same time, he didn't hesitate to break down.

The sight of his back, as he insisted he had to eat lunch on top of the hill and practically crawled up, left quite a deep impression on Ratel, who had no memory of seeing such a headstrong old man.

Is it because he said he had to meet his son?

Come to think of it, he did ask about parents last time, then shut his mouth and secretly glanced at him.

“He must have been looking for a door to escape. It's not like there's a way, anyway. Did he ask for help? If he saw you open the door, he would know you could let him out.”

Ratel, pulled from his reminiscence by the Elder's playful question, immediately shook his head.

“No, he mostly just asked about the village or had me guide him.”

“Hmm. Right, what else?”

“He said he wants to look around the underground archive with you, Elder, tomorrow.”

“What?”

At his answer, the old man stopped for a moment and turned around.

“He said to himself that he wants to go to the archive? Are you sure you told him properly what's inside?”

“Yes, he said he wants to see what kind of books are there.”

Ratel nodded at the old man's sharply shining golden eyes.

The Elder, who soon raised the corners of his mouth and smiled, slowly started walking again.

“Yes, has he finally found the will to search for Lord Amica's will?”

It didn't seem like Jing had made up his mind to do that, but Ratel, seeing his somewhat excited appearance, followed the old man without a word.

The two, who were continuing their conversation, arrived in front of the door of a room located near the underground prison where Jing had been locked up.

The old man took out a bunch of keys from his waist and undid the 3 padlocks on the door, one by one.

When the room door opened, an altar decorated with hundreds of large and small candles appeared.

In the center, surrounded by candlelight, a single stone statue, about the size of a child's forearm, was placed.

The stone statue, whose face and shoulders were covered by a veil, was delicate despite its small size.

It was a veil that looked like it would fly away if the wind blew, but the old man thought that no one would ever be able to see the features underneath it.

It was the only remaining statue of Amica in the world.

A statue that couldn't even reveal its face, whose hair, which flowed out from under the veil, he didn't dare to caress.

The old man knelt beneath it and offered a prayer, for what might have been the umpteenth time.

May an end come to those who made us this way.

He prayed earnestly.