129 – Ghost of the Guardian Tree (8)
Cecile answered my question in a whisper.
“A little famous?”
Yes, in a world where people go all the way to the border to meet if they are pretty, rumors can’t stop spreading.
The masked man took a few quick glances at us, then his shoulders drooped somewhat relieved.
“Work… It’s first grade. Why did you do that? I was scared for nothing.”
From what he said, he seemed like a senior. Judging from the canvas he was holding in one arm or the brush tucked into his belt, it was likely a figure associated with the art department.
Cecile objected to that.
“That looks the most suspicious and dangerous.”
“Anyway, what are you guys here for? This is not a place for affection.”
“So what about that one?”
He said while holding up the canvas and brush.
“I came to draw.”
Cecil crossed her arms and muttered.
“Looking at the outfit, you look like a fanatic who will hunt people down and offer them up.”
The man scratched his mask shyly.
Victor stepped forward and spoke politely.
“We have heard that there are ghosts here.”
The masked man stiffened when he heard the word ghost. He then muttered disgruntledly.
“Damn, I told you not to say that.”
“… ?”
He asked in an interrogative manner.
“Who did you guys hear that rumor from?”
Cecile replied.
“It has already spread as fast as it will, so it would be pointless to argue with it?”
The man sighed deeply.
“I must have come here out of curiosity. It just gets in the way.”
He speaks like someone he’s never seen before.
I wondered just in case, so I went ahead and asked.
“Did you see the ghost yourself?”
“Of course not. Because I met you first.”
“Have you ever had a close talk?”
He shook his head.
“No, I saw him praying and approached him, but at some point he lost his mind. At that time, I experienced a divine power that overwhelms people.”
“Did you ever meet after that?”
“One more time after that. I just watched it from afar.”
“….”
“If you know now, why don’t you come out? Because the priest only reveals himself to those who truly desire to meet and are deeply religious. Guys like you who push your heart out won’t be interested.”
In the same situation as sneaking in, they talk as if it were their own territory. This man. It is obvious that as soon as the guard neck was loosened, he immediately killed it and waited for the ghost to appear. Judging by the fact that he even brought drawing tools, it seems that he is obsessed with ghosts. I think I’ll see you tomorrow in art class.
Tonight, I’m going back to Thorn Garden Dormitory and I’ll be sure to ask Trisha.
Cecile again objected to his words.
“It seems that you didn’t come out with such a sincere heart either.”
“What do you know about me? No matter how I look at it, it was my mother’s faith.”
As Cecil pouted and loaded the spiky horses, he hurriedly grabbed her by the wrist and slipped to one side. If you argue anymore, it will hurt your headache.
“Excuse me.”
“Uh… Candy, wait!”
After keeping a distance from them, she said to Cecil.
“Let’s go back now.”
“Why are you leaving already?”
“Too many people. No matter how loose the boundaries are, if we gather this far, the manager might come.”
I know everything you need to know, if you give Trisha a good attention, the ghost commotion will be quiet without a rumor.
“….”
Cecile let out a weak breath. The wine-scented breath brushes against my chin.
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Shake the wine bottle in one hand. There was still a third left.
“Ugh, yes. I didn’t expect there to be so many uninvited guests.”
“Do you want to see ghosts like that?”
“Yes, do you know that the Guardian Tree is the place of confession? I really really want to ask you something. Of course, I wanted to see Candy drunk for a bit.”
“What are you curious about? I’ll ask when we meet later.”
“Puff, that’s all right. Candy, you’re sneaky, so the priest won’t even deal with you.”
“….”
It’s unlikely, but if he really exists, there’s something I want to ask. Things related to Silverine, but things that couldn’t be asked directly from Silverine. Pure curiosity, of course.
“Then take me to the dorm now! It’s dark and scary.”
Cecile sneaked up next to me and crossed her arms.
As they were walking together like that, Cecile opened her mouth as if something had suddenly come to mind.
“But, candy.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you send Stitch this morning?”
“Oh, I almost forgot.”
I took out the crystal from the wingless dragon’s heart and handed it to Cecil.
It seems that the sad feelings have been resolved quite a bit now, so you can ask.
“If you have time later, can you appraise this?”
Cecile held the crystal and looked at it in the moonlight.
“What is this?”
“Obtained from a circulatory lizard. Expert appraisal required.”
***
After seeing Cecil off, I took some of her clothes and went to the Thorn Garden dormitory in the labyrinth after a long time. It was close to midnight.
As I opened the front door and went inside, I suddenly heard a crackling sound from the second floor. Soon after, Trisha hurried down the stairs in her bare feet.
Then, in the middle of the stairs, he threw himself over the railing and shouted at me.
“Why come now!!”
“Where did you go during the day? It wasn’t there when I came.”
“I came after taking a class. What about the welcome ceremony?”
Alas, thinking about it, we decided to have the dormitory welcome ceremony together here. Just like everyone else….
Damn, after all that madness, I’m sick of looking at the damn underwear now. Three baskets of scraps of cloth still occupy a corner of my room. I don’t want to experience that stupid thing ever again.
Tricia’s eyes sparkle with anticipation. She banged the railing like a drum with the palm of her hand.
“Welcome Ceremony! Welcoming Ceremony! Have you already been enjoying yourself?”
“Yes, I was beaten badly.”
“I want to do it too!”
I shook my head as if I was getting tired of it.
“Do you really want to experience that?”
“Yes!!”
It’s complicated. Still, since I made a promise, I will have to perform a simple ceremony.
“Then… Grab some underwear or socks and come out to the garden.”
“Yes!!”
Trisha responded vigorously to what she was so excited about, then ran back into her room with her clatter.
I grabbed two pieces of firewood from the kitchen and an extra pair of underwear and went out into the garden outside the front door.
Then they settled down in a suitable place where the fire wouldn’t spread, and they split the firewood lengthwise and set it up in a cone shape.
Trisha came out the front door fast enough that she was afraid she might fall over. A piece of pure white cloth fluttered like a flag in her hand.
Then he sprinted in front of me and said with twinkling eyes.
“What are you doing now?”
“I’m going to light a fire.”
I couldn’t show Trisha the savage ways of my seniors. We have to mature and perform the ceremony in our own way.
I touched the firewood and summoned the fire spirit. Summoned on the back of my hand, he flapped his wings, lit firewood, and soared upward. Then, naturally, he sat on top of Trisha’s shoulder. That guy seems to like the people around me much more than me.
Trisha said, stroking her elemental with her finger.
“He has gained more weight than the last time I saw him.”
“… Okay?”
I have no idea.
“Yes. Look at how plump it is! I definitely gained weight. Aren’t you eating too much?”
“I have never been fed separately.”
I don’t even know what to feed.
“You or someone feeds it. Take care! If I eat more, I won’t be able to fly.”
I wondered who else would feed it, but a suspicious person came to mind.
There was someone who played that guy better than I did. Well, I couldn’t tell if he was really fat, so I wasn’t sure if he really did.
“… Sit down for a moment.”
As I put my butt on the ground in front of a smoldering log fire, Tricia squatted across from me.
“Now the ceremony begins.”
“… What can I do here?”
As the embers gradually grew and turned into a red-hot bonfire, I threw the underwear I was holding in my hand.
Trisha asked curiously.
“What?”
“Throw it into the fire.”
“… Is that a tradition?”
“Yes. Not good?”
“No, I prefer it because it is completely ignorant.”
I said that, but I couldn’t easily throw away the thing I was holding in my hand.
“Why, do you cherish that?”
“… Yes, it is my favorite underwear.”
“… Then get another one. Socks and gloves are fine too.”
She hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“No. Just throw me I can’t even wear it anyway because it has a hole in it.”
Then he unfolded his underwear, put his hand through the hole, and confirmed it to me.
He really looks like an uncivilized wild animal. I don’t need to go into so much detail.
With great determination, Tricia set it on top of the firewood.
Like that, the pieces of cloth for the ceremony were scorched with black smoke.
I closed my eyes for a moment and prayed to the goddess.
I hope you and Trisha get along well in Eternia.
I think this is a decent and decent way compared to the customs of Eternia.
Tricia stared at the little altar, her chin resting on her lap, her legs clasped together.
A blazing bright yellow flame was reflected in her eyes.
Trisha looked at it for a while with a dazed expression, then opened her mouth.
“I’ve seen this before.”
“… Where?”
“I definitely remember. In a small town called Ha Longkos.”
“Is there an academy there too?”
“No, I saw it once while passing through the village. It’s a town with a lot of history. They called it a soul wedding.”
“Soul Wedding… ?”
“Yes. If the man and woman who promised her marriage died before she reached the age of majority, she cut off the lover’s underwear and her hair and burned them in one place. Even so, let her get married.”
“Well, there must be something similar everywhere, like burning well-worn clothes.”
“It was sad. The two of them love each other, but it ended without fruition. He was a person I didn’t know and didn’t know the story of, but I cried because it was so pitiful to see him. I remember it for that.”
“This ritual is for a new beginning. Put the memories of the past aside for a moment.”
I changed the subject when Trisha’s expression darkened slightly.
“And tomorrow is an important day… It will be difficult if you come with swollen eyes.”
“Why?”
“You said you would help before. Art class friend drawing class.”
Tricia’s eyes and mouth slowly opened in surprise.
“… Right!”
“Come dressed appropriately. It’s hard to draw if you come wearing too flashy clothes.”
“Okay. I’ll make it very pretty!”
Tricia brushed off her blues and she was back to normal. Yeah, Tricia’s resilience is nice to see.
“By the way, I need three or four hours to calmly draw, but is that possible?”
All of the seniors in the art department are in the same mood, but Trisha is also very unpredictable, so I’m worried that there will be unnecessary friction.
Trisha answered confidently.
“No!”