127. Mattel (1)
“What are you doing now?”
Joanna in plain clothes. She asked, looking at Oliver who held out the box of chocolates.
“uh·····. A gift?”
Oliver said in a voice unsure.
“·················ogue.”
“·················ogue.”
After a moment of awkward silence, Joanna spoke again.
“Are you kidding me now?”
“Did I make a mistake?”
“What’s the point of giving me chocolate all of a sudden?”
“Because women like chocolate—”
“-Look at this.”
Joanna exclaimed lowly but resolutely.
“I am not a woman. It’s a paladin. Are you calling me to make fun of me?”
oh·····. Joanna was genuinely offended.
It seems to be a sensitive part of the heart.
Oliver politely apologized.
“that····. sorry. Are you telling me to do this?”
“Who the hell is that?”
“The old man at the bookstore I know.”
“A bookstore……Are you old?”
“Yes. I am an old man who runs a used bookstore, and he told me to bring chocolate as a gift.”
“What the hell were you talking about?”
“I don’t know either. I was just answering a question… Anyway, I apologize if I offended you.”
Saying so, Oliver took the box of chocolates back.
Joanna looked at the chocolate without a word.
Oliver asked again.
“Well····. Would you like some chocolate?”
“······No, it is.”
“I don’t eat chocolate. I have no use for it. I want you to accept what I bought.”
Joanna pondered for a moment, then closed her eyes and took the chocolate.
“What·····. Thank you anyway.”
“No, thank you. You came here to meet me… So shall we go to the church? Oh, by the way…”
Oliver looked at the cathedral and said, embarrassed.
Currently, the church is suddenly opening worship services. It seemed difficult to talk there.
“Well·····. Holy Knight. If it’s not an excuse, can we talk to someone else? I don’t think it’s a good idea to have a conversation in a church where we’re having a service.”
“I feel the same way……. Do you know of a suitable place?”
Oliver pulled a note from his pocket.
It was written down as it was said by the old man at the bookstore, and it was written in a restaurant suitable for going with a woman and a compliment to be given every 15 minutes at the other woman.
Most of them are complimenting on how pretty they are, and I still don’t understand why I wrote this.
“Just in case, how about the restaurant? There is one restaurant nearby that the old man at the bookstore told me about.”
“If you are a bookstore senior, did I ask you to give me chocolate as a present?”
“yes.”
“Then I don’t want to go.”
Oliver nodded, understanding somehow. then·····.
“Then how about the park?”
“…a park?”
“Yes, I have to go a bit far, but there is a place I want to visit. How about? It’s a pretty place.”
***
just- just- just-
Oliver got out of the taxi and arrived at the park with Joanna.
It wasn’t just a park.
In the past, there were countless people like when I first came to the park at the command of Joseph.
Children ran around the fountain where the baby angel peed,
A nearby booth sold hot dogs and ice cream.
The weary old gentleman sat on a bench reading a newspaper, while the couple, who looked like a married couple, took their children and went for a picnic somewhere.
Everyone seemed happy.
Incomparable to the alphabetical order W, T, and X.
“It’s surprising.”
Joanna, who followed without a word, opened her mouth at once.
“What are you talking about?”
“I didn’t know you would like a place like this.”
Joanna’s words were sincere. I wondered why he thought that way.
“I love places like this. The emotions are bright and light. It’s pretty in its own way.”
“Are you pretty?”
“Yes, emotions…. Compared to T, X Zones and Weinham, it’s pretty. Do you know?”
“No, what?”
“Why is this place different from T, X, and Wineham? It’s bright here, but the emotions there are mostly dark. I’ve been wondering for a long time… Does the Paladin-sama know the reason?”
Joanna thought for a moment.
“I don’t know exactly. It’s not an easy problem to explain. That’s why I always pray and worry.”
It wasn’t a very satisfactory answer, but Oliver didn’t really question it.
Because Joanna spoke the truth. I didn’t even meet to ask about it in the first place.
“okay. Would you like to keep walking and talking? Or would you like to sit on the bench for a while?”
Joanna looked around.
I looked around, but in the middle of that, my gaze was fixed for a moment on a child walking with their father and mother.
“Sit down. I am tired.”
“All right. So, would you like to sit over there?”
Oliver pointed to the empty corner of the bench.
“Yeah, good.”
“Then, please wait a moment.”
Oliver said so to Joanna and then left for a while.
After a while, Oliver brought ice cream. With the chocolate ice cream held by a child who was walking with his parents.
“This····?”
“Ice cream. Do you hate it?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Joanna got her chocolate ice cream.
“thanks.”
“It was nothing.”
With an answer, Oliver took a bite of the ice cream.
It was cold and sweet. That was all.
“Do you like ice cream?”
“I do not know. I am trying this for the first time… It’s cold and sweet.”
Oliver ate the ice cream again.
Joanna also ate a small bite of ice cream. Although he looked happy, he looked sad.
“…isn’t it delicious?”
“No, it’s delicious……. What do you mean by doing this?”
“Did you get tea?”
“yes·····. Do you think there are many parts of the scriptures that you do not understand?”
“Yes.”
Oliver didn’t deny it. No, I strongly agreed.
He had read through the scriptures several times, but all he knew was that he could not understand this book.
There were many reasons, but the biggest problem was the interpretation of the story.
“The scriptures are difficult to understand at first. But if you keep reading and seeking instruction, one day you will come to an enlightenment.”
“Well, that’s good, but I still don’t quite understand.”
“I understand. Still, Mr. Oliver is doing well. They keep coming to church.”
“Ah, that’s to meet the Paladin. I want to meet you, but there is no other way.”
Joanna’s expression hardened subtly as if she had said something strange again.
It’s annoying, but I don’t think it’s that bad.
She thought for a moment and then asked.
“Is there anyone other than me?”
“Yes?”
“Someone I want to meet. Or are you not happy with the people you meet? For example, what about the old man at the bookstore? Is he a friend?”
friend….
“I do not know. We talked, but I don’t know if they are friends.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“I don’t know what a friend is.”
I knew the dictionary meaning. Oliver wondered if he had any friends.
He tried to substitute the word with the people he knew, but it seemed like an error had occurred in his head, and only confused.
Joanna said.
“Friends are nothing.”
“is that so?”
“Yes, if we can talk to each other and laugh, we can be considered friends, and if we help each other, we can be considered friends.”
I don’t know what’s smiling, but I can think of a few people who help.
“There are several people who have helped me . . . There is more than I thought.”
“okay? I’m glad that… So, is there anyone who helped you in the first place?”
Because Oliver was the first to help… Oliver thought about it. Cant came to mind for a moment, but then he shook his head.
It was Cant who helped first, and then it was a personal curiosity and reward for defeating Moles and Glyphs.
Of course, Cant himself said it was thanks to Oliver that he was able to raise a poor brother, but that was only because he wanted to see what Cant would do.
It was far from helping.
I thought about it a bit more. Murphy came to mind, but he, too, was paying a price, and Jane was only repaying her first favor.
As I was thinking about it, then one person came to my mind.
“…Rossburn.”
“Rossburn…? Who is it?”
“He’s the one who worked at the inn where I was staying.”
“What did you help me with?”
“He taught me letters and numbers.”
“Letters and numbers?”
“Yes, he said he wanted to learn, so he taught me.”
“Incredible. Really…. May I ask why you helped?”
“It’s great.”
“Awesome?”
“Yes, even though I was afraid, I had the courage to ask him to teach me how to write. That’s great.”
“Well, it is. Courage is a great and important virtue.”
“Yes, and the Paladin was also brave.”
“Me?”
“Yes, do you remember when you first met me?”
Joanna flinched at the sudden question.
He seemed to remember. It was the same with Oliver.
Sewers, darkness, roadblocks, crisis, Joseph Pilgaret… Joseph’s memories and emotions that flowed into him at the same time he took the pillgaret.
“Yes····. Do you remember?”
“At that time, the Paladin-sama was really brave. It was beautiful again.”
“Are you talking about the beautiful light? . . . The light that shines brightly before a person dies?”
“Yes, the Paladin-sama shined, but he was braver than anyone else…. If it’s okay, could you please answer me? What were you thinking then? I asked a question before, but I didn’t get an answer.”
Oliver asked, feeling like he had found the money he had forgot in his coat.
Fortunately, I was able to get an answer this time.
“I thought of God.”
“Is that all?”
“…and I thought of my younger brothers too.”
“Brother? Do you have a brother?”
“Yeah, not my brother.”
“····??”
“I’m from an orphanage.”
“···!!”
Oliver was surprised.
I hope that Joanna comes from the same orphan as her.
There was no particular reason or reason, but Oliver never thought of it that way.
“Is it weird?”
“no····. It’s not strange. But, it’s amazing.”
“What is surprising?”
“What is that…. Paladins aren’t like orphans. It’s very different from the orphans I know.”
Joanna laughed softly.
“I don’t know how it’s different, but that’s not true. People are essentially no different. They are all dear children of God.”
“is that so? The mine supervisors say that orphans are cursed beings who have been abandoned even by God? Because of that, we said that even if we die, we will go to hell.”
“It was they were wrong. God loves everyone.”
Joanna said confidently and firmly.
“May I ask why you think so?”
“The moment I thought that everything was over, God gave me the talent to protect everyone, and even more so that I could have a conversation with you. You too can meet and talk to so many people. What if that wasn’t proof that God loves us?”
Something didn’t make sense logically, but I didn’t bother asking.
Should I say it’s a bit difficult to follow?
As Oliver was about to ask another question, Joanna spoke first.
“Well·····. Oliver.”
“Yes?”
“Can we just say goodbye today? It’s late in the evening, so I guess I’ll have to go back.”
Oliver looked at his watch. It was definitely dinner time.
“ah·····. I’m sorry, but I can’t help it. May I know when we can meet again next time?”
“I do not know? If you come to the church in Area P as usual, I will visit you.”
“If you don’t mind, is there any way I can contact you first? It’s no different, if you really have any questions or want to say something, I want to contact you right away. Just once is fine.”
Joanna pondered for a moment about that, and then spoke as if she had made a big decision.
“·····If it is really urgent, please tell the Priest of the Church in Area P. Then I will come only once. Unless there’s something I can’t avoid.”
“Five····. That’s enough. Thank you very much.”
***
After breaking up with Joanna, the sun set over the horizon and the sky turned orange.
It was evening.
Time to end the day.
Oliver was also thinking of ending the day.
Taken from n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
Normally, he would go home and rest, but Oliver immediately changed his destination to an inn instead.The reason is none other than to meet Rothburn.
I completely forgot about it for a while, and then it came back to me during a conversation with Joanna, and I remembered that I had promised to go see him once.
Of course, I never went there.
a little sorry I think I broke my promise.
So, I decided to visit the inn to keep my promise, even if it was late.
The inn was emitting a yellow light as usual, and the smell of cooking permeated the first floor.
“Who are you… oh my. Are you here?”
said the innkeeper, looking at Oliver. It was like he didn’t know he was coming.
“hello? how are you?”
“Yes·····. Of course I’m fine. Do you? He said he was coming, so I thought he was dead because he didn’t come.”
“I have some work…”
Oliver frowned and looked around the inn.
Usually around this time, it was Rossburn’s turn to move the potato sacks, but for some reason, he didn’t show up.
“But where is Rothburn?”
“Rossburn? I left.”
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes, Matop said that they would support me as a student. What kind of laboratory is it? Oh, I said Mattel.”