Chapter 111 The Day Before
――Finally, the day has come. The experiment, which is the main event, will take place tomorrow. But today, the day before, we are staying in the city of Rustu's people.
It seems that Reinhardt-san has arranged 2 carriages for us. Arnold, Elvira, Marcedes-san, and Diona got into one carriage, while Lukas, Sieg-san, and I boarded the other. The members of the Savila Knight Order said that Reinhardt-san will come to pick us up again tomorrow.
The closed door is knocked on. A few seconds later, the door opens and Reinhardt-san peeks inside.
"Everyone, when we arrive in the city, please stay close to Diona." he says.
Saying that, Reinhardt-san closes the carriage door. It seems that he and Leon-san will personally drive the carriages.
For some reason, I find myself looking at Sieg-san unconsciously. He smiles wryly and speaks up.
"I'll repeat again, even if you see us, except for Diona, in the city, please don't call out to us. It's a sorry state of affairs, but we are in a quite weak position. If people see you having friendly conversations with us, it will cause trouble for all of you."
His words were so casually and naturally spoken that I'm at a loss for words.
Lukas sitting next to me also seems surprised, unable to even utter a bewildered voice.
"And also, even if someone appears to be friendly, please don't let your guard down. They may not physically harm us, but most of them look down on humans."
Sieg-san says, furrowing his brow with a look of apology.
In our conversations with them, the topic of Rustu's people's sense of being chosen has come up several times. In the midst of it, I had a feeling that Diona and the others, who are probably favorable towards us, were unique existences. However, I never imagined that Reinhardt-san and the others would be in a weak position among Rustu's people.
Diona, the future hero, is related to Rustu's people. I had a vague feeling that she held a special position among the people of Rustu, but then I remembered Iris' words from some time ago.
She had mentioned that she hadn't ventured outside much until she became a Royal Alchemist trainee. The reason for that was not disclosed, but perhaps――
"Recently, due to the decreased birth of individuals with strong light powers, those with strong powers have a significant influence within the tribe. On the other hand, those without strong powers are oppressed."
His tone had a subtle tinge of hatred at the end.
It reminded me of Sieg-san, who vented his "complaints" to the people of Rustu in front of the cave when I asked Diona and the others to test the prototype, to capture monsters. At that time, I shuddered at the slight hint of his hatred――perhaps he resents the people of Rustu who have oppressed them for so long.
"We siblings were also created to produce children with strong powers――"
His words trailed off there. Was it because he was reluctant to say more in front of us, or was it something else?
As we fidgeted in the awkward silence, the carriage departed. Unfortunately, black fabric covered the carriage windows, preventing us from seeing the outside scenery. Perhaps to keep the location of the city unknown.
To dispel the awkward atmosphere inside the carriage, Lukas engaged in casual conversation. Sieg-san listened to our conversation with a calm smile, quite different from before.
――Eventually, the carriage came to a stop. Sieg-san took a deep breath as if making a decision, then opened the door energetically. And then, he laughed.
"Welcome, Laura-sensei, Lukas-san."
What came into view after getting off was a beautifully unified cityscape in white. The place we were dropped off seemed to be a plaza in the city, with large avenues leading in all directions from a central fountain. At the end of one of those roads, I found a small castle-like building clearly taller than the other structures.
"Wow, amazing..."
Those words involuntarily slipped out of my mouth.
Buildings that look like shops line both sides of the main street, and flowers are planted here and there, adding color to the white buildings. The cityscape looks like a work of art.
(Just like a hidden village, but... it's amazing)
I imagined a village hidden deep in the forest, like Emme Village, but it seems much more comfortable than my hometown.
As I observe the city closely, I notice something. There is no one around. The surroundings are eerily quiet.
I wonder why, and when I look around again, the scenery in front of me warps, and the Rustu people, dressed in pure white clothes that match the color of the buildings, appear. There are about ten of them, men and women of my parents' generation.
Among them, a woman with neatly tied blonde hair steps forward and bows respectfully.
"Welcome, Hero-sama. We welcome you. Please come this way. We will guide you to our leader."
With those words from the woman, the Rustu people approach us with smiles. ――Well, to be precise, they approach Lukas. They gather around him with smiles and exchange words of welcome. On the other hand, they just glance at us.
From the attitude of the Rustu people, I can clearly sense that we are not being welcomed, and it makes me feel uncomfortable. Instinctively, I lean in closer to Arnold, Elvira, and Marcedes-san.
"Welcome back, Diona-sama. I'm glad you're safe."
I hear one of them say that to Diona. Perhaps because of her strength, she seems to have a firm position even within this city. I finally understand the true meaning of Reinhardt-san's words, "Don't leave Diona's side."
Then, I realize that Reinhardt-san is not here. Sieg-san and Leon-san are also nowhere to be seen. I look around anxiously, and as the Rustu people who seem to have finished greeting Lukas start walking, I hurriedly follow them.
Buildings that look like stores line both sides of the main street, and flowers are planted here and there, adding color to the white buildings. The cityscape looks like a beautiful artwork.
"This city was created by the creator god for us. That's why there are many things here that can't be found in the lower world. If you have any requests, we can arrange to get them for you, so feel free to ask for anything."
I couldn't help but smile wryly at the word "lower world."
When I looked at Arnold, he was holding Elvira's hand and looking around cautiously. Elvira seemed a bit nervous, but her attention was captured by the beautiful cityscape.
Marcedes-san also reacted to the word "lower world." shrugging and smiling wryly.
At that moment, Diona slowed her pace as she approached us. Her expression looked so apologetic that I smiled at her, trying to convey a sense of "don't worry about it."
"The statue over there is a representation of our creator god. It might resemble Hero-sama in some ways, don't you think?"
I looked around at the words I heard and found the intended statue.
It was a slender young man, not quite what I'd imagine as a representation of a god. The atmosphere seemed somewhat similar to Lukas, but he didn't seem to realize it, tilting his head repeatedly.
The city tour by the people of Rustu continued, and eventually, we were guided to a magnificent building that resembled a castle, visible from the square.
Except for Diona, the other people of Rustu bid farewell to Lukas at the entrance of the building. Then, led by Diona, we proceeded into the luxurious building.
It was somewhat simple for a castle, but it was a well-crafted building. We climbed several staircases, walked along a long corridor, and eventually arrived at a large double door.
"Beyond this point, the leaders of the tribe are present. We will try to leave as soon as possible, so please don't say anything... I apologize, but even if the tribe makes extremely rude remarks, please don't react. It's just a waste of time to engage with them."
Diona's words were surprisingly strong for her. To think such words like "waste of time" would come out of her mouth.
It's probably because the people behind the door are powerful individuals, or rather, stubborn big shots. Diona kept apologizing even though it wasn't her fault, and it made me feel sorry for her. She smiled and nodded, saying, "We'll be fine."
Diona slowly opened the door. Inside, there was a large hall with several elderly people sitting side by side in luxurious chairs. In the center, there was a young man sitting on an especially luxurious chair. They must be the powerful individuals Diona was talking about.
The elderly people stood up as soon as they saw Lukas.
"Oh, oh, welcome!"
"Hero-sama, it's Hero-sama!"
"Diona is also in good health."
It seemed like Lukas and Diona were the only ones they noticed, once again ignoring our presence. Their blatant attitude made me feel uncomfortable, but beyond that, it made me laugh.
I looked at Arnold and the others, and we took a few steps back, observing Lukas who was surrounded. It seemed like it was tough to be welcomed like that.
"I'm very glad to be able to welcome you like this."
An old man said with a gentle smile, but then he quickly erased the smile from his face. Then, he looked at us standing behind him and spoke coldly,
"You've had a long journey."
It was a voice that clearly showed that he didn't think so at all.
Diona, who was standing a few steps in front of me, broke through between the elderly people and us and spoke up.
"Everyone must be tired. I would like you all to rest early in preparation for tomorrow's ceremony."
At Diona's words, the elderly people clearly twisted their faces.
"The ceremony..."
"Unnecessary..."
A commotion began to spread.
Ah, it seems that the powerful individuals in this city don't think well of what happened this time. I felt the malice piercing my skin, and then, at that moment.
"Quiet."
A voice with a strong presence calmed the commotion. The owner of the voice was a young man sitting in the center of the elderly people.
He had bright chestnut hair with a hint of gold and deep reddish-brown eyes. Behind his glasses, he flashed us a warm smile ―― not just to Lukas, but to the rest of us behind him ―― and spoke again in a firm voice.
"Diona, please come this way."
He pointed to a door in the corner of the room. Diona nodded and led us toward it.
Despite feeling uncomfortable under his inquisitive gaze, we followed his lead and stepped through the door. In that moment, I felt like my body was floating, yet wrapped in warmth ―― perhaps some sort of magic was at play on the door.
Anyway, the room beyond the door resembled a study. A large desk sat in the center, piled high with documents. A big window on the wall revealed a view of trees and the blue sky ―― a scenery that felt out of place, like a forest.
The castle-like building we had been guided to was situated higher than the others, and the room we had just left had been reached by climbing stairs. So, the view from the window should have been of the city and the beautiful skyline, not this forest-like scenery.
As I pondered whether the magic we had just moved through was responsible, a knock came at the door. I turned around, and just as the door opened, a man with red hair ―― Reinhardt-san ―― entered.
He nodded to us and silently stood behind the young man. My gaze, which had been following Reinhardt-san, naturally shifted to the young man, and he smiled kindly before singing out in a tone that seemed to mock the old folks.
"You don't have to worry about the nonsensical ramblings of old geezers."
I blinked in surprise at his unexpected first words. Behind the young man, I could see Reinhardt-san giving a wry smile.
"――Well, I'd like to say that, but first and foremost, I must apologize. Please forgive the rudeness of our family. I'm Hagen, the head of the family."
With that, the man ―― Hagen-san bowed his head deeply. As he did so, his hair, which was long for a man, fell smoothly over his shoulders.
Hagen-san lifted his head, let out a deliberate sigh, and placed his hand on his forehead.
"If they would just retire already, it'd be great. But it seems like the more powerless the old man becomes, the more he clings to that seat. It's really pathetic. Well, I apologize sincerely."
"Hagen, don't complain in front of everyone."
"Oh, sorry about that. My bad. Well, I was planning on asking everyone to retire by today, but things didn't go smoothly. I accidentally let out my frustrations."
And once again, Hagen-san smiled.
While I struggled to keep up with the lively conversation, it seemed that Hagen-san was the leader of the Rustu people, and he was rather friendly towards us—or more accurately, he seemed to be fed up with the conservative old folks of his kind. Moreover, he seemed to have a good relationship with Reinhardt-san.
When I glanced at Reinhardt-san, who was talking to Hagen-san in a friendly manner, he scratched his head vigorously and then spoke up.
"As you can guess, Chief Hagen is on our side. In this experiment... ceremony, when I proposed it and faced fierce opposition, Hagen pushed it through."
Finally, with the word "side" coming out of Reinhardt-san's mouth, the tension in the room eased.
I looked at Hagen-san again. He gazed into the distance, his eyes behind his glasses seeming far away.
"We are gradually undergoing a change, but embarrassingly enough, our tribe is still dominated by stubborn old folks. Even in this case, they fiercely opposed unnecessary actions. ...But we want to stop this back-and-forth game of sealing, reviving, and sealing again. We, too."
His words had a calm tone, but they revealed his determination and struggles.
Young people like Reinhardt-san, who dislike the conservative attitudes and thinking of our own kind, and leaders like Hagen-san, who struggle to change the tribe, are emerging. Perhaps the Rustu people are on the verge of change right now.
"Ah, I'm sorry. It's my bad habit to talk for a long time. Anyway, I sincerely appreciate all of you for finding a new path for me. Thank you very much."
Hagen-san once again bowed deeper than before. After a few seconds, he lifted his face with a bright smile, squinting his eyes into a crescent shape. And he said in a cheerful tone,
"We have prepared a room inside the building standing on the main street of the city. Please take your time and rest. Diona, please show them around."
Upon Hagen-san's words, Diona, who was standing behind us, nodded and said, "Yes."
"Actually, I would have liked you to stay at my house, where there would be no troublesome old men around and you would be able to relax. But those old men might say strange things to Hero-sama and make a fuss. I'm sorry, we had to make a compromise."
Hagen-san's eyes showed signs of fatigue as he chuckled. He must have had quite a confrontation with the "old men" he mentioned this time.
It's unclear why a young man like him is the leader among the elderly ―― perhaps he recently inherited the position from his father, the previous leader. He seems to be having a hard time. He speaks in a bright and lively tone, almost singing, making it easy to miss, but he has been quite harsh on the "old men" since earlier.
"We also have Sieghardt and Leonhardt Halt as caretakers, so please rest assured."
Sieg "Hardt" and Leon "Hardt" – they are probably Sieg-san and Leon-san. I didn't say anything, but I wondered if those were their actual names or if they matched with Reinhardt-san because they are brothers.
Reinhardt-san opened the door like a butler. Beyond the open door was not the spacious room with the old men from earlier, but a quiet corridor with sunlight filtering through the trees.
Despite thinking that this place is not inside the castle-like building we were in earlier, I turned back to Reinhardt-san. He then smiled wryly and spoke.
"Hey everyone, take care, okay? ...It's kind of embarrassing that I have to say these words, being from my hometown and all. If something happens, please let Sieg and Leon know."
*Click*, the door closed. After making sure of that, Diona started walking and said, "This way."
Was it because he wanted his sister to rest? Before I knew it, Arnold was holding Elvira in his arms. Walking beside them, Marcedes-san seemed to be having a lively conversation with Elvira.
"Laura, let's go."
Considering my absent-mindedness, Lukas kindly called out to me with a smile. I nodded in response and started walking down the hallway.
Warm sunlight filtered through the trees. Laughter occasionally tickled my eardrums. I could also hear the cute chirping of birds from outside.
For some reason, this incredibly peaceful time stirred up a sense of dread. I wondered what would be happening at this time tomorrow. Had the experiment been successful, or...?
I wondered what emotions tomorrow's me would be feeling as I looked back on this tranquil time.
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