41 – A Splendid Vacation (3)
That person was always lying on the bed.
With a pale face and golden hair.
And, a woman with eyes that shone green.
She must have been beautiful once,
But now, there’s no trace of that past beauty anymore.
She, like a wilting flower, exhaled with difficulty, waiting only for the impending death.
Beside her stood a young girl, who resembled her in every way, with her golden hair and fair skin, and green eyes.
She always stood by the woman’s side, guarding her as always, without any particular attachment to the existence in front of her.
Though still young, she knew that this was her duty, the only thing that her life consisted of so far, and she hadn’t learned anything else besides fulfilling this predetermined obligation.
Not even things she enjoyed or wanted to do.
She dedicated herself solely to the task at hand.
And then, one day, towards her who had been simply spinning the wheel of duty.
That person kindly extended their hand and said, “If Your Highness takes hold of this hand… I will bring joy into your life.”
It was the first persuasion she had ever received since birth.
The temptation filled with sweet joy approached the girl who was slowly withering under the shadow of duty, and she could not resist it.
And from the day she held that hand…
*
A restaurant located in the center of Pare.
In the midst of crowded buildings in the city, the three Devil Hunters gathered together to enjoy a meal.
“Here, Leona, try this too. It’s Pare’s famous jellyfish soup.”
“Oh…It has a more interesting taste than I thought. Honestly, I thought it might be weird because it’s jellyfish…”
“hehehe, right? Even though it looks like this, it’s a dish made with a special method, so it has a clean taste without any strange flavors. Here, try this too. It’s bread made with snails.”
Although they were treated as strange dishes just by hearing their names, they looked like high-class dishes if you didn’t know their names.
That was the time when Devil Hunters were freely enjoying luxurious dishes that were almost impossible to find in the northern region.”
“Gabriel, why do you look so gloomy? Come on, relax a little at this nice place like Pare.”
“Sigh…No, it’s nothing.”
“Could it be that you’re not feeling well? If so, talk to me. I can use healing magic or something…”
“It’s fine. It’s not that. I just have a bit of an unappetizing feeling.”
Gabriel, while eating without really eating, expressed a frustrating feeling that couldn’t be put into words.
He was not usually that lively of a person.
But today, he was blatantly lost in thought.
Thus, the Devil Hunters could do nothing but carry on with their meal amid questions and concerns.
Elsewhere,
Apart from Section 3’s women, there were others continuing their meal by the window:
Gelard and Napolea.
And their master, Ellie, was unable
to concentrate on her meal for a quite different reason.
“Oh, my lord, please help these poor souls…”
“They haven’t eaten anything for three days.”
“Ah… they are still just children. Please show them mercy.”
People were clustered by the window like ants,
their shabby and ragged appearance ill-fitting for the dazzling capital. Beneath the luxurious restaurant’s window, they begged, hoping to receive even a piece of bread.
It was a situation that starkly highlighted the state of the city…
No, rather, the state of a nation ravaged by demon attacks, famine, and power struggles.
Regardless of this reality,
what to them was a desperate fight for survival was, for those dining, an unpleasant sight to behold.
Moreover, with their numbers easily in the dozens, a mundane sense of human danger could be felt.
However,
looking upon this crowd of beggars,
Ellie simply smiled as she always did and reached her hand into the basket of bread in front of her.
The stark white bread ordered in excess for three people to eat.
Elli, holding it in his hand, divided the large chunk of bread into two.
And.
“Oh, thank you very much, sir!”
“Thank you so much! I will never forget this favor!”
Elli threw it to the hungry people.
The people who received it bowed their heads in gratitude and disappeared,
but still, there were countless people looking up at the window below.
Even if you look at it objectively, it seemed difficult to solve with simple mercy.
However,
Regardless of this fact, Elli, like throwing grain to birds, silently threw the bread chunks.
Feeling a slight unease at this sight, Napolea cautiously asked.
“Um… Mr. Elli? Isn’t it a bit too generous with your mercy? I think we should drive those scoundrels away now.”
“No… is there a need to go that far? It may be bothersome, but isn’t this a good deed, giving charity to the hungry?”
Gellert expressed his doubts about Napolea’s actions.
Of course, it was annoying to have someone like that disturb their meal at such a fancy place,
but it didn’t feel good to stop an act that seemed virtuous.
However, at Gellert’s words, Napolea spoke with a firm voice.
“It’s not something to think of lightly. It may seem calm now, but what if a riot breaks out because the bread runs out? I’m telling you this because I don’t want to spill blood in Palais Fleur.”
Of course, even if those hungry people went wild, the people present here had enough power to take care of them.
But no matter how wretched they were, they were still unquestionably citizens of the Franz Kingdom.
The story of the Devil Hunter attacking the locals was not something that sounded good for any reason.
Moreover, as she didn’t want to be caught up in such a disturbance on this rare trip, Napolea thought she should drive them out, whether by complaining at the restaurant or reporting to the guards, so that things wouldn’t get messed up.
However.
In response to Napolea’s words, Ellie tore another piece of bread and spoke in a quiet voice.
“There’s no need to worry. As long as we don’t drive them away, there won’t be any riots.”
“What?”
Napolea questioned Ellie’s words.
In reply, Ellie calmly spoke while throwing the bread outside the window.
“Even if bread falls here, they will never be able to pick it up and stand.”
“Why… is that so? Even so, it seems like a bit of a reckless thought…”
Despite Ellie’s words, Napolea still couldn’t hide her anxiety.
Facing her, Ellie answered with a deep smile.
“Those who have tasted begging will never be able to give up on it.”
“!”
Humans may look simple, but in moments of desperation, they can be more cunning than anyone.
Even if they are struggling with hunger, they already know.
In this place, if they beg and whirl in, there is a possibility that food may run out.
Simply begging and staring up at the sky, they can at least receive food once every three days.
If one were to attack such a place, they would immediately be trampled by their comrades rather than the guards.
Because of that, even if they were running out of food, they couldn’t dare express their complaints.
And just like Ellie said.
In reality, immediately after throwing the last piece of bread, the beggars began to look at each other and slowly dispersed.
“If they have the hope of getting even a small piece of bread today… or tomorrow, they have no choice but to lower their heads. If we block such small escape routes, then they will rise up from that moment.”
“Hmm…”
Ellie’s words felt like the wisdom of a politician.
While observing her like this, Gellard began to feel a strange emotion.
“I thought she was simply a good person… but she is more cunning and calculating than I thought.”
Ellie, the lovely woman who often shared sweet stories in his ear.
However, from her today, it was completely different from her usual self…
It seemed like deceitfulness could be felt.
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But.
“Well, that’s how it is. Then let’s finish our meal since people have scattered.”
“Ah… yes.”
“Understood.”
After that, Ellie smiled brightly and continued the conversation.
Feeling the disappearance of the discomfort he felt just before, Gellard started eating again while admiring her beautiful appearance.
“Yeah… I guess that’s natural for someone involved in politics. I don’t need to worry about such small details.”
In truth, when you think about it, even he has shed plenty of blood.
Thinking that there is no need to be so particular about these small matters,
He blushed slightly as he looked at Ellie, who was casting a sweet gaze towards him in this moment.