Chapter 27

On this day, Fiona woke up much earlier than usual.

After staring at the ceiling for a while in a daze, she got up with a start and slowly approached the window.

She wiped a part of the fogged-up window with her hand and gazed at the pale sky in the distance.

"I hope it's a sunny day."

Today was a special and important day for the Kingdom of Elsida. It was the National Foundation Day.

Festivals and events were held all over the country, and the whole nation celebrated. In the capital, which was the most prosperous place in the country, the royal family hosted the National Foundation Festival.

Fiona had been given an important role there.

To be in top form, she went to bed early last night and woke up much earlier than usual. She was filled with excitement for her first festival in this country.

In addition to her important role, she had been given the task of patrolling the town, a duty assigned to almost all members of the knight and mage corps.

There were only three rules to follow during the task:

"Uniform must be worn," "Drink alcohol in moderation," "No fighting."

As long as these were followed, it was fine to go on a date with a lover, relax at a café, take a nap, or visit food stalls, and each person could spend their time as they pleased.

Just the presence of the country's top forces patrolling the town provided a sense of security and safety for those enjoying the festival, and a deterrent to those who might try to commit crimes.

Of course, it was an unwritten rule that any crimes or nuisances that occurred within sight were to be dealt with individually.

It was said that some people who wanted to enjoy the festival to the fullest would even push the cleanup onto passing comrades and run away.

When Fiona was a mage in the empire, she had to follow a tight schedule and was bound by her duties with little freedom.

Compared to that, the Kingdom of Elsida was incredibly free.

Today, she was going to tour the festival with Matthias.

The excitement of being able to enjoy the festival with him, with whom she had mutual feelings and could call her lover, was overwhelming.

She changed into a white shirt and black pants, and loosely braided her hair at the back.

After having breakfast with her usual companions, she returned to her room, passed some time, and put on a deep green robe.

When she put on a gold bracelet on her right arm, she naturally felt more focused.

"Alright."

After finishing her preparations, she ran down the stairs. She almost tripped and fell due to her excitement, but she floated up with the wind, so it was no problem.

No matter how clumsy she was, she could always cover it with magic.

She ran to where Matthias was waiting for her on the first floor.

He was dressed in a black knight's uniform and carried a blue sword at his waist.

"Alright, shall we go?"

"Okay!"

The two walked side by side towards the town.

The sky above was clear, a perfect day for the festival.

***

"Wow..."

Fiona's eyes sparkled at the bustling town they had arrived at.

Along the main street, there were many food stalls and shops selling items from foreign countries, some of which she had never seen before.

"Well, where should we start?"

She couldn't answer the gentle voice from beside her and looked around for a while.

There were so many things that caught her attention, and she didn't know what to do.

"Um... I'll follow you to the places you want to go, Matthias."

After much deliberation, she said this, and Matthias smiled.

"I thought you would say that. Let's start with the south street, then."

"Okay!"

With their destination decided, the two started walking side by side.

Of course, Matthias was carefully observing Fiona.

He was keenly aware of the moments when she looked at something with great interest, but today there were just too many things that caught her attention.

Fiona was looking at almost every store with great interest, so he quickly gave up on observing her.

"You can stop and look at any store you like. No need to be shy. If you're shy, I'll buy souvenirs from every store and give them to you."

"Uh..."

What a threatening statement. Though he said it jokingly, based on past experience, it was probably not a joke.

Fiona immediately decided to comply.

She stopped at a store with delicate and colorful glass crafts and wooden figurines, looking at them with great interest.

When she found something she wanted, she bought it with her own money before it could be given to her as a gift. Fiona, holding the item from the shopkeeper, looked at the bag with a satisfied smile, unaware of Matthias's disappointed face.

Today being a festival, she often saw young couples walking together.

Holding hands, hugging, and even kissing.

Many of them were so caught up in the festival mood that they didn't care about being seen by others.

Fiona watched these people with great interest.

"Do you want to do something like that?"

"No, I don't. It's embarrassing to do it in public."

"I see."

Fiona said this without hesitation.

Matthias felt a bit disappointed, but since he didn't like touching in public either, it might have been for the best.

(If it's just holding hands, I would be happy to do it if asked...)

Feeling a bit disappointed, he watched Fiona, who was captivated by a candy-making demonstration.

"Hey, young lady, thank you for your patrol. If you have any requests, I can make them for you."

The white lump of candy on the thin stick was skillfully shaped into a beautiful dragon.

Fiona, who had been clapping in amazement, was approached by the craftsman.

"Really? Um, then, can you make a cat? A cute one, please."

"A cute cat! I'd be happy to."

The craftsman smiled and immediately started shaping the candy with a serious expression.

In no time, a cute white cat with light pink ears and paws was completed, and Fiona clapped again.

"Here you go, young lady."

"Thank you. Wow... it's so cute. Matthias, look, it's so cute."

"Ah, it's cute."

Of course, he said this to the blushing Fiona, but she was so focused on the candy that she didn't notice.

Since it was a free service, she decided to buy two small glass bottles with tiny candies inside.

She chose heart-shaped and rabbit-shaped ones and paid for them properly.

Fiona held a paper bag with a few items in her left hand and the cat-shaped candy in her right hand, and started walking again.

At first, she was smiling happily, but gradually her face became serious, and she consulted with Matthias next to her.

"What should I do? It's so cute, I can't eat it. But I want to eat it. What do you think I should do?"

"Um... That's a tough one. It's a real dilemma."

It was a rather trivial concern, but she was very serious about it.

Matthias tried to keep a straight face while thinking about it with her.

There were only two options: to resist eating it or to go ahead and eat it.

While they were discussing this, Muriel and Alan walked towards them.

Alan had bought a lot of things from the stalls, and his hands were full of food, which he was chewing on.

"Fiona, you have something nice there."

"I just got it made. Muriel, can you please take a bite? Preferably a big one."

"Uh? Sure."

Fiona, with a serious face, pushed the candy towards Muriel, who broke off the front paws and put them in her mouth.

Fiona's face showed a moment of disappointment, but then she relaxed.

"Thank you. Now I can eat it without any guilt."

"Sure, no problem. ...Oh, you couldn't bear to eat it, huh?"

"Yep, that's it."

Fiona finally started eating the candy, her face lighting up. She started breaking it and eating it without any hesitation.

"Thanks, you really helped, Muriel."

Matthias, grateful that the unresolved issue had been resolved, patted Muriel's head.

"Hehe, you're welcome."

Though it was for a rather trivial matter, it was nice to be of help.

Fiona rummaged through the paper bag and took out a bottle.

"Muriel, here, this is for you."

"Wow, it's so cute. Can I really have it?"

"Sure. You see, this is a love charm candy. You might not need it anymore, but..."

She glanced at Alan and whispered in Muriel's ear so that others couldn't hear. Muriel's face turned bright red in an instant.

"N-no, no, no... I was just invited today, it's not like that! ...But I'll take it gratefully. Thanks!"

"You're welcome. See you later."

Waving to the flustered Muriel and the still chewing Alan, she left the scene.

"Well, we still have some time, but let's head over now."

"Sure."

Today, they had been given an important role by the king. They couldn't be late, so the two started walking towards the castle.

As they walked down the main street, which was getting more crowded, Fiona felt her robe's hem being tugged from behind.

She turned around to see a little girl of about five, looking worried.

"Big sister, are you a mage? Is that big brother a knight?"

"Yes, we are."

Smiling, she answered, and the girl straightened her back and spoke with a serious face.

"My name is Ellie. I'm five. I came from Kamara Village with my mom. ...Is this correct? My mom said, 'If you get lost, ask a mage or a knight.'"

"I see. Let's find your mom... Oh, I can't."

She had an important role to play today and couldn't spend time searching.

"What should we do... Matthias?"

Fiona, looking more worried than the lost girl, was on the verge of tears, and Matthias couldn't help but laugh.

"Hehe... How about we take her to the station in the main square? If she waits there, her mother will surely come to pick her up."

"Right, I can go with her that far. Let's go, Ellie."

"Okay!"

Considering they might encounter the mother on the way, Matthias picked up the girl and put her on his shoulders.

"Wow! So high!"

The girl was delighted, looking around at the town and the people from a high vantage point, enjoying the scenery while searching for her mother.

Fiona, feeling a bit envious, glanced at Matthias.

Matthias, sensing her thoughts, smiled.

"Want to try it next time?"

"Um, I think I'll pass."

"Alright."

Though she felt a bit tempted, she decided to be cautious.

They eventually arrived at the main square without encountering the girl's mother.

"Wow... so many people."

"I know! At noon, something amazing will happen here! My mom and I were going to watch it together... We promised... I was really looking forward to it..."

Thinking about not being able to watch it with her mom, the girl's enthusiasm waned.

"I see. Since you made a promise, your mom will definitely come here. So, cheer up."

"Okay..."

At the station, Matthias put the girl down.

Fiona knelt in front of the girl and took out a bottle with a rabbit-shaped candy from the paper bag.

"Here, this is for you."

The girl's face lit up at the cute candy.

"It's a rabbit! Thank you, big sister."

"You're welcome. Ask your mom before you eat it. You shouldn't eat food from strangers without permission."

"Okay, I got it!"

She taught the girl what her mother had often told her.

They entrusted the girl to the knights at the station and left their belongings with them, then started walking towards the castle again.

They crossed a large bridge and walked down a tree-lined path for a few minutes, arriving at the castle.

After bowing to the gatekeepers, they didn't enter the castle but walked along the wall.

Matthias and Fiona activated a wind magic array at their feet and flew up high.

They landed on the roof of the castle, a perfect spot to overlook the main square of the town.

"Isn't it too far? Are you sure it's okay from here?"

"Yes, as long as it's within sight, I can reach anywhere."

"I see. That's amazing."

"Wow."

Impressed, Matthias picked up Fiona and sat her on his lap.

"It's not in public here."

Matthias said this casually. Fiona nodded, understanding, and decided to be affectionate without hesitation, hugging him tightly.

"Can I stay like this for a while?"

"...Sure, of course."

There was still some time before the scheduled event, and he felt like touching her as a lover.

"It's warm."

"..."

This close proximity was unexpected. To maintain his composure, Matthias decided to endure it without thinking. She had an important role to play, so he couldn't do anything.

After a few minutes of enjoying the warmth with her eyes closed, the clock tower in the main square chimed noon.

Fiona slowly opened her eyes, reluctantly got up, and stood with a composed demeanor, extending her hands in front of her. The gold bracelet on her right hand glowed faintly.

She released a vast amount of magic, which spread over the town, forming golden patterns in the sky like ink.

Dominating the entire visible area, the patterns were woven into the clear blue sky, forming dozens of giant magic arrays in just a few seconds, all glowing gold.

Rainbow-colored orbs of light started falling to the ground, dancing joyfully among the people.

They transformed into butterflies, birds, and flowers, and continued to dance in the air.

After overseeing the activation of the magic, Fiona lowered her hands and relaxed.

Once activated, the magic would continue as long as she maintained the flow of power.

"I hope they're enjoying it."

From this distance, she couldn't see the people's reactions.

"Don't worry, they're definitely enjoying it. Your magic is truly amazing."

"Hehe, thank you."

"Is it okay to stop concentrating now?"

"Yes, as long as I keep the flow of power, I can act normally."

"I see."

That made sense, so Matthias immediately stopped holding back.

"———!"

Without any warning, Fiona's lips were sealed, and her eyes widened in surprise.

A vast amount of magic, far more than when she activated the spell, overflowed from her body, filling the sky with the magic arrays, which glowed with a blinding light.

The capital was instantly enveloped in light, a phenomenon known only to the two of them.