Volume 3
Chapter 5
Invited by
Irisdina-san, she and I were walking together in a corner of the commercial
district. Many shops lined the street, and perhaps because each store was
preparing for dinner soon, a pleasant, appetizing smell began to drift from
various places. Here and there, people who seemed to have finished their day's
work were on their way home.
Having spent my
academy life focused solely on training, I was unfamiliar with this area, but
surprisingly, Irisdina-san, who should have been a young lady from a
prestigious family, walked briskly ahead.
"Um, you seem to
be walking without any hesitation, have you been to this area often,
Irisdina-san?"
I asked Irisdina-san,
but perhaps because I was strangely nervous, my voice came out stiff.
But it couldn't be
helped, right? I couldn't imagine being invited on a date by the
"Black-Haired Princess"…………
"Yeah, I
sometimes come to the commercial district or the city streets with Somia.
Actually, this area is still new to me, so I'm quite looking forward to
it."
"Heeh…………"
I was a little
surprised. Arcazam was a city that various countries considered important, so
the number of patrolling military police was high, and the security was quite
good. However, that wasn't absolute, and there were some poorly secured areas
in the commercial district where many people from outside the city gathered, so
I thought that people related to important figures in various governments, like
her, wouldn't come here often.
"Certainly, there
are some poorly secured areas in the commercial district, but various things
come from all over the continent. There are times when Somia and I can see
things we've never seen before, and I like going around those places."
At the academy, she was
always an exemplary honor student, like a sharpened knight's sword. At least,
no one would imagine her innocently strolling through the commercial district.
"…………That's a
little surprising. From your image at school, I didn't imagine you'd come to
such a cluttered place."
"No, doesn't
walking through unfamiliar places excite you? Well, some of my family members
are noisy about it, but I personally find it suffocating if things are too
strict."
Saying that,
Irisdina-san smiled with a happy, innocent face. Drawn by that smile, my cheeks
also relaxed.
"Besides, I know
how to protect myself."
As Irisdina-san said
that, she tapped the hilt of the rapier she wore at her waist with a confident
look. Well, she was one of the highest-ranked students in the academy, and her
ability to reach A-rank was not just for show. Nozomu had also caught a glimpse
of her ability during the fight with Rugato. At that time, the opponent was on
a different level, so she was outmatched, but against ordinary opponents, no one
would be able to even scratch her. Thugs in this safe city were nothing to her.
"Now, let's
go."
Saying that, she
started walking again, and I hurriedly followed after her.
***
The commercial
district was a place that welcomed many people from outside the city, such as
travelers, and various traveling merchants were selling their goods here and
buying up goods to sell in other towns. There were many stalls as well, and not
only traveling merchants but also small children and couples were walking back
and forth on the paved stone streets.
"There are so
many different shops after all... Is that a candy seller?"
What Irisdina-san
found was a stall selling various candy crafts. On shelves and tables, not only
animals like birds, rabbits, and cows, but also figures of travelers and
dancers, and even various depictions of couples were made of colorful candy
crafts, and children who seemed to live in this area were gathered around the
stall.
In the back of the
stall, a stout-looking middle-aged man who seemed to be the owner was making
new candy crafts, and the sweet smell of melting sugar filled the air.
"Hey, hey, next
make a knight candy for me!"
"Eh! It's my turn
next! Hey, mister, I want a princess!"
The children were
clamoring noisily, trying to get the stall owner to make their candy.
"Just wait a
moment. I'll make them for you, so don't rush."
The children around
them couldn't wait, urging him with "Hurry, hurry," and the stall
owner was struggling to deal with the children and make the candy crafts.
At that moment, my
eyes suddenly met the stall owner's.
"Ah, you two!
Could you spare a moment?"
The stall owner
suddenly stood up and pushed his way through the children towards us.
"Hey, could you
help me out for a bit? There are too many kids, and I can't keep up. It'll only
be for a little while. Of course, I'll pay you. Could you do it for me?"
"I think it's
fine. The kids look about the same age as Somia, so dealing with them shouldn't
be a problem. What do you think, Nozomu-kun?"
"I don't mind.
Well, I've never made candy myself, but I do cook, so I think I can help with
something."
"Is that so!!
Well then, sorry to trouble you, but I'll leave it to you."
The stall owner led me
into the stall, and Irisdina-san went towards the children. I didn't really
understand what was going on, and candy crafting itself was a first-time
experience for me. I was a little uneasy, but it was a good opportunity. I
decided to just give it a try.
***
I was now surrounded
by children. I asked them if they wanted to talk since it would take some time
for the candy to be made, and the children surprisingly took the bait.
"Hey, hey, big
sister. Are you a student at that big school?"
It seemed that the
children started listening to me because I was a student at Solminati. The neat
school uniform, based on white, stood out quite a bit. And anyone living in
this town must know the Solminati Academy. The children had probably seen the
academy students many times in their daily lives. The moment they realized I
was a student at the academy, the look in the children's eyes changed.
"Ah, that's
right. I'm studying various things there."
"Wow!! Isn't that
the school to become a knight?! So will you become a knight in the future?
That's so cool, I want to go there too!"
One boy was excitedly
shouting, "Amazing, amazing," but the eyes of the other children were
also sparkling like this boy's. Perhaps for the children, Solminati Academy was
a place they longed for.
The children were
about the same age as Somia. Being looked at with the same pure and innocent
eyes as my younger sister made me feel strangely happy.
Certainly, it was a
fact that many graduates of the academy were recruited by various countries and
held various important positions, and the countries of the continent had
established this academy and provided substantial support in order to cultivate
such highly skilled personnel.
A knight was one of
the positions for those who served the country, and some did go down that path.
The children thinking that a Solminati Academy student = knight wasn't entirely
correct, but in a sense, it wasn't wrong either.
"Is that so. Then
what do you want to do as a knight?"
"I want to become
strong!! I want to become strong and defeat bad guys and protect everyone!"
The boy answered my
question without hesitation. His eyes were sparkling.
"I see. It's good
to have a goal, but you'll have to work hard to become what you aim for."
"Yeah. That's why
when I grow up, I'm going to big sister's school!"
I listened to each of
the children's future dreams. The children all told me their dreams with such
joy.
"I want to be a
knight." "I want to be an adventurer." "I want to be a
confectioner." "I want to make lots of beautiful clothes."
The children who told
me their stories were all full of dreams, and listening to them made me feel
strangely happy, as if I was receiving some of their energy.
(That's right, I want
to protect many people, including Somia, and above all... I want to continue to
be Somia's goal.)
That was my own goal,
the reason I kept running. Somia, who had never been held in her mother's arms.
I had tried to be a mother to my younger sister in place of our deceased
mother, and more than anything, I wanted to be an older sister that my younger
sister could be proud of.
For that reason, I had
devoted myself to grueling training, and I was able to endure it.
Suddenly, Nozomu-kun,
making candy in the stall, caught my eye. What was his reason for fighting?
What was the reason he continued to run even after his ability suppression
manifested and he was told he couldn't become any stronger?
And what happened to
him after the rumors with Lisa-san that spread when he was a first-year
student?
I had only known him
for a few weeks. There still wasn't enough time for him and me to understand
each other.
***
While Irisdina-san was
entertaining the children, I was helping the stall owner with making candy and
putting the made candy into a pot over the fire to melt it.
I myself had never
made candy or sweets, but I had cooked for myself while living alone and at my
master's place, and I had also made simple meals in the forest. Although, that
was limited to when I could secure a safe place in the forest.
What I was doing was
simply putting the specified amounts of starch syrup, sugar, and other
ingredients into a pot, stirring them, and heating them over the fire to boil.
The stall owner would look at the viscosity and color of the candy I had
boiled, and at just the right time, he would take the candy out of the pot, use
a wooden stick, and quickly make delicate shapes with practiced hands. His
movements had no hesitation, and he would quickly make princess and knight
candy crafts.
Incidentally, I tried
to make one myself, but I couldn't handle the softened, dripping candy well
with the wooden stick, and it ended up a mess.
"……Your technique
is amazing…………"
"Well, I've been
running a candy shop for quite a long time now. I've gotten used to it, you
know."
I didn't know much
about candy crafts, but I felt that his skill in skillfully turning various
things into candy crafts was quite something. In fact, the candy I made wasn't
a craft at all. It had clearly become an overly avant-garde art object.
"Um, why do you
run a candy shop?"
I was curious about
the reason he had honed his candy-making skills to this extent. Candy crafting
clearly took a lot of effort, and the price wasn't particularly high compared
to that effort. It probably wasn't worth the labor he put in.
"Originally, I
liked eating more than making. I used to buy and compare various candies.
Eventually, I wasn't satisfied just eating them myself. That's how I started
making various things myself. Seeing everyone's surprised faces when they saw
the candy I made, and then their smiles when they ate it, made me happier than
anything. Before I knew it... that's how it is."
Even as he spoke, the
stall owner's hands didn't stop. The softened candy writhed in his hands as if
it were alive.
"But still,
making candy is the most fun for me. It's not very profitable, and there are
tough times, but it's fun, so it doesn't bother me at all. Although, my wife
often gets angry at me because I get so engrossed that I forget the time, I
want to keep doing this job forever."
While making delicate
shapes with the candy, the stall owner's face was lively. He must really love
candy. It was the smile of someone who was doing what they truly wanted to do.
"Something I want
to keep doing forever... a dream..."
A dream that I myself
once had. A dream that I had already lost, a dream that I had turned my back
on.
I was a little envious
of the stall owner who could talk about his dream like that.
"Alright, here
you go. Don't fight, eat them peacefully."
"Waaaaaaah!!"
"Amazing! They
look just like the princess and knight from the picture book!!"
The children swarmed
around the finished candy, eager to get their hands on it. They were like ants
swarming sugar, but their faces, stuffed with candy and beaming with perfect
smiles, made not only Irisdina-san and the candy shop owner but also the
passersby naturally smile.
Looking at them, I
felt a little bit of energy welling up inside me. It was a scene I had never
seen when I was alone. Before I knew it, I found myself smiling naturally.
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