19 . The start of the festival
“Ugh….”
My head is pounding.
My eyes slowly opened due to the uncomfortable ride of the wagon, which rattled down my hips.
The bloody head was accompanied by slight pain and unpleasant sensations.
Putting her hand on her forehead, she remembered what had happened before she passed out.
Bandits attacking the wagon, pain in the head. Unfortunately, those two were all I remembered.
Wait, that’s not what’s important now.
The most important thing to me was the safety of the children. You can take my useless body with you, so I looked around, hoping the children would be fine.
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Fortunately, the children were right next to me.
When I opened my eyes and confirmed her body movement, Olivia, who was sitting across from her, opened her eyes wide and cautiously added her words.
The children who slept with her head on my shoulder or on her lap opened their eyes as soon as they heard Olivia call my name and looked straight into my face.
The children, who opened their eyes like rabbits in disbelief, burst into tears and clung to my arms.
Elia was the first to vomit sadness.
She was quite startled as she rubbed her tear-soaked face on her shirt and hiccups.
“Dad, I was scared….”
“I knew what was going to happen because my dad couldn’t wake up….”
It was the worst thing to worry about such fragile children by showing them a pitiful image of them passing out in one blow. Even with a hundred mouths, there was nothing to say.
I bowed my head to her and only offered them a sincere apology.
“Sorry, my father is weak….”
The children comforted me by saying that it was okay. It would be them who are really having a hard time right now, but at a time like this, I, the center of the family, shouldn’t collapse.
Thinking about that, I put on a bright expression and reassured them.
However, there was one question that popped into my head.
I asked Rihanna, who was sitting far away, barely calming them down with a gentle pat on the head or a pat on the back.
“Where have all the bandits gone?”
It’s hard to imagine that the savage people who couldn’t communicate would have let us go.
Did you leave because you got what you wanted?
But something is strange. There was no luggage missing, and the wallet in my hand was the same. What Rihanna… Of course you won’t have any money.
There was no indication that the children were injured or that they had been touched by unclean hands that were dotted with their nefarious intentions.
I had never heard of bandits retreating so neatly without plundering anything.
Rihanna didn’t respond readily, only her lips pursed. It was the coachman who drove the carriage in the seat in front of her that answered my question.
He cautiously opened his mouth as if he was looking at someone.
“That… A traveler who happened to be passing by saved him. Perhaps because he was a very skilled person, he overpowered the bandits in an instant and decapitated their boss. Thanks to that, I was able to come here without any damage.”
After hearing that, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. It was a million bucks. It seemed that the world was not so bleak yet that there were adventurers who did altruistic acts even in this day and age.
Besides, if something happened to the children because of my complacency, my fragile spirit would quickly collapse.
‘What should I do with the trip?’
There was no way to enjoy the festival properly in the gloomy atmosphere.
I have to ask for your understanding, turn around the wagon, and go home….
But while I passed out, the carriage seemed to be running hard.
Before I knew it, I saw a large signboard with Ansis written on it.
The speed of the carriage slowly began to decrease, and when it reached the entrance of the village, it stopped by calming the horses with skillful hands.
The coachman said he was sorry for making you look bad, took half the money he should have received, and quickly left the spot as if he were running away.
Looking at the coachman who left before I could say thank you, I just shook my hand slightly as if I was sorry.
“Looks like you have some urgent business.”
Standing next to her, Rihanna kept her silence with a stiff expression on her face.
Since it was a long-awaited festival, I wanted to tell you to enjoy it, but I didn’t have the confidence to keep a happy heart.
Anyone who sees a bandit in person will be overcome with this feeling.
If I had been attacked by a monster, I wouldn’t have felt this bad.
I knew better than anyone how painful it was to be attacked by the same human.
‘No.’
It’s not too late to think about this later. Aren’t there more important things to do now?
After crossing the entrance of the village, the children who moved inward were looking around with bright expressions on their faces.
It’s normally a quiet town, but perhaps it’s the effect of the festival, a louder-than-usual warmth filled the town.
Befitting the name of the fireworks festival, a huge torch was already rising in the town square, showing off its majesty.
I spoke in a very firm tone to the children who each pointed to a different store and asked to look around.
“Guys, let’s start with a lodging. Got it?”
During this festive season, finding a place to stay was the top priority. If you are a little vigilant, all the good rooms where you can stay comfortably are bound to disappear, and the losers who couldn’t find accommodation eventually set foot in a garbage-like accommodation with hanging spider webs and bugs everywhere, and with tears in their eyes several times the usual amount. I had no choice but to pay the price to stay.
It was unacceptable that the basic elements of human life, food and shelter, among which the inn responsible for food and shelter were messed up.
I headed to the inn I last went to two years ago. It was a pretty good inn, according to fragments of my now fading memory.
The inn, still in the same spot, immediately opened the door, and a clear bell rang. Contrary to the shabby exterior, the inside was quite neat.
The room, dimly lit with orange light, was filled with the savory smell of freshly baked bread.
A middle-aged hostess with a warm look who was preparing her meal in her kitchen heard her bell and came out to the counter.
She saw us and greeted her happily.
“Oh, it’s been a while, haven’t you?”
Two years had passed, but she seemed to remember me.
Well, it’s not common for humans to have four elves with their own personalities, so of course you have no choice but to remember them.
I lightly silenced her and, like her, responded with her trivial greeting.
“Hello.”
I approached the counter and went straight to the point.
“With one of the largest rooms….”
I cut off halfway through and stared at Rihanna.
Anyway, wouldn’t it be a bit strange for adults and men to share the same room?
Noticing my gaze, Rihanna mumbled, blushing, “What’s wrong with her?”
“Even if I use it together….”
It was a fleeting moment, but the blunt eyes of the children seemed to be directed at Rihanna for a moment.
At the same time, Rihanna shook her head, saying that she had just taken back what she had said.
“Ugh… Neither. I just need a small room.”
When we were traveling together, there were times when we slept together in a small tent, but things are different now.
“A small room, please. Oh, and I will stay for 5 days.”
The innkeeper vigorously bounced the abacus whenever I said a word, and asked without even looking where we were.
“Can I prepare a meal for you?”
“Yes. Just dinner, please.”
After paying the bill, the proprietress called the price with a bright smile.
“For 5 days, 2 rooms and dinner for 6 people, that’s 39,000 gold.”
Her hands tremble as she takes the money out of her wallet.
To spend such a large amount of money all at once, the money like blood disappeared from my hands in an instant.
The landlady with a smile on her face led her to her room, telling her to follow her.
Arriving at the room, I unpacked, changed into simple clothes, and headed outside with the children.
Certainly because it was a festival, there were many people wandering around the streets at sunset as dusk slowly began to set in.
Not limited to humans, elves and dwarves were also seen occasionally. If there are this many different races, there will be nothing to draw attention to our children.
I slowly started to get excited thinking that I would be able to enjoy it comfortably after a long time.
“Where shall we go?”
At my question, the children stared at each other, then crossed their arms around Rihanna’s and spoke in lively voices.
“Dad, can Stella and I go with her sister? Dad, it’s hard to take care of all of us alone.”
When did you become so mature? I felt like I was going to burst into tears from the extreme filial piety.
I nodded, wiping away the tears that were about to turn red with my fingers.
“Of course. Do you remember the location of the inn? You must come before nightfall.”
With my permission, Stella and Elia followed Rihanna, while Noah and Olivia stayed by my side.
It must be because of her mood that the back of Rihanna, who is busy following the children who are more energetic than usual, is gloomy like a cow being led to a slaughterhouse.