"Maschenny, do you want to go watch the Festival of the Sword with next week?"
"…Uh, h-huh?"
Maschenny stamred as if caught off guard and asked again. Her blue eyes blinked several tis, and I smiled and repeated myself.
"The Festival of the Sword that got canceled because of the chaos last ti. They're reopening it for just one day next week. Last ti, both you and I were too busy suffering to enjoy it even once—so how about we go this ti? Together."
Preferably just the two of us.
Ah—those were my inner thoughts.
Maschenny made a gesture as if thinking it over for a mont, then subtly nodded her head.
Yes!
"…Alright. I don't know if it'll be fun, though."
"Haha, I'm sure it'll be fun. And if not, I'll make it fun."
"You? How?"
"Well, if you walk around together on a festival day, won't ideas naturally co to you?"
Maschenny looked at with a doubtful gaze, then soon snorted softly and popped a grape she was holding into my mouth.
Huh—what is this? Why is it so good?
It was far more sour and sweet than I expected, so I checked—and it turned out to be grapes cultivated by the Khun family.
Oh right. We really do have money to spare. There's already plenty of Arie traditional liquor stuffed inside my inventory.
…And now, half of the family armory is in there too, haha.
It's kind of late to say this, but welco, little guys. Every ti I look at valuable items, they really stir up my desire to collect them.
Maybe I have a collector's nature.
Maschenny, chewing on a grape, poked a couple of tis. After spitting the seeds into a silver plate, she showed an internet news board through her Lighthouse.
— The canceled Festival of the Sword! Finally reopening in one week!
— Significant discounts expected on all goods and services for that day… massive crowds anticipated
— Will the protagonists of the previous incident reveal themselves again? With the Festival of the Sword reopening, what will change?
"If we go to that festival… what about these? Either soone from the Arie family leaked information, or there's a Regular with an annoyingly good intuition. Rumors are already everywhere that either you or I took that trial."
"In short, you're a celebrity now. To Rankers, to Regulars, and… to annoying reporters."
"Haha, Maschenny. That applies to you too, doesn't it? Zahard's Princesses always attract attention—especially the pretty ones."
"…What are you talking about? Pretty princesses are everywhere."
"Haha, well."
While she looked at with a strange gaze, I puffed my chest confidently and spoke as if to reassure her.
"Well, don't worry. I've already thought of sothing."
"I'm not worried. If they get annoying, we can just kill them."
"Haha, that's very you. By the way, do you have any grapes left?"
After getting a bunch of grapes from Maschenny as a snack, I headed to the bath since I was already tired.
Ah, this place really is worth the money. It's amazing.
One wall of the bath was a window, set up as a scenic viewing spot. Beyond the window, I could see blue rocky mountains and temples built here and there between them. With the mist drifting through, it was truly a magnificent sight.
"Would Luf like it if I took a photo and sent it to him… Pocket, visibility mode."
After rummaging through my inventory and taking out an observer, I took several photos from angles that seed like they'd turn out well.
Just as I was about to send the photos to Luf through my pocket, a splash suddenly erupted beside .
"Pwah!"
"Wah!"
L–Luf?!
"Oh, hyung? You're here."
"…What are you doing here?"
"Hahaha, the water was so warm that I accidentally fell asleep. I guess I woke up once I ran out of breath after being subrged."
He's surprisingly clumsy.
As expected, as soon as Luf got up, he looked out the window and pulled out his Lighthouse. He'd apparently already taken plenty of photos and started showing his collection.
Yeah, there's no mistaking soone who's taken a lot of photos before. He's really good at it.
I should ask him to take pictures for next ti I need so.
Before I knew it, my relaxing ti in the warm, refreshing bath had turned into Lup's photo exhibition—but honestly, that wasn't bad either.
It had been a long ti since Luf had shown so many photos.
"Hyung, this one's from the observatory earlier, this one's from when we were on the 75th floor, and this one's a photo of and Asensio-hyung, and then… where was it…"
As he flipped rapidly through the album looking for another photo, one appeared that neither Luf nor I had expected.
"Ah—"
"….."
A photo of Albelda, subrged inside a Workshop testing chamber.
It was evidence Luf had taken just in case, and a photo he had intended to show back then.
While I was reliving the horrifying things she had been subjected to, Luf froze for a mont—then, one second later, hurriedly turned off the Lighthouse.
"…I'm sorry. It's been so long since we talked like this, I just got carried away…"
"Haha, there's nothing to be sorry about. Albelda and Ana are back now. And my friends—you guys—are too."
Luf, who had looked dejected, quickly brightened again and looked at . He then sank back into the bath and spoke.
"The day hyung disappeared, when we didn't know anything, Maschenny-noona ca back completely soaked in the rain. It looked like she'd been running around everywhere looking for you after watching you vanish right in front of her."
"…She didn't catch a cold?"
"Thankfully, no."
"When we went searching for hyung, honestly, Maschenny-noona worked the hardest. She suffered the most. And in the end, she was the one who found you too, right?"
"…That's right."
And she was the one who brought back to my senses.
I unconsciously looked down at my wrist. Several scars were still carved there. All the wounds had healed, but the scars remained.
"It still feels like a dream to . That after more than a hundred years, we finally t again and everyone's gathered here like this. Ah—there are a few more people now, though."
"Yura and Asensio? Oh, and you said there was one more?"
How could I forget Yura? She looked far too much like Yuri, for one thing, and the way she recklessly charged at a Divine Sea Fish during our first eting and got eliminated on the spot still cos to mind sotis.
Asensio—well, he's got a good personality and all.
I heard there was one more person who used to travel with Hwarang and Luf, but apparently, they're not around anymore.
"Do you think we can go back?"
"To those days—when we traveled happily and climbed the Tower together?"
"Of course."
"…!"
"Even if we can't regain the happiness we had back then, we can live while finding new happiness. Why wouldn't we be able to? We're together again now. We're happy right now, aren't we?"
Luf fell silent for a mont at my words, then soon broke into a wide smile.
"You're right..!"
After making our way through the storm, we had entered a period of rest, and we planned to rest a little longer. And right now, everything was peaceful—truly happy.
Ah, well. I'm not sure how our battle-crazed princess feels about it, though.
I wish Maschenny would enjoy this peaceful daily life too, like I am.
"But hyung, when are you planning to climb the Tower again?"
"Hm? Oh—apparently the Festival of the Sword is being held next week. We'll watch that, rest for about another week, and then climb again. As for the Festival of the Sword… I asked Maschenny to go with earlier."
"Oh? So what happened? What did noona say?"
Luf looked at with sparkling eyes, and feeling his curious anticipation, I answered honestly.
"She said she'd go with . Whether the Festival of the Sword will be fun for Maschenny… honestly, I'm not sure."
"Why not?"
"Our princess seems to only be interested in battle and the sll of blood."
"Haha, isn't that just because the only things you've ever done with Maschenny are fighting? She might actually like a lot of things—you never know."
?!
Co to think of it, when I try to recall what I've done with Maschenny, everything that cos to mind is related to combat.
Ah—if there's anything else, it's probably her patting my head or hugging …
"Well, that's sothing I'll find out when I go with Maschenny to the f— I an, to the festival."
"…To the f?"
"Cough, cough! Luf, I think it's getting too hot now. I'm heading out. You should co out soon too."
"Hoaquin, too—!"
"Yeah, I'll get to you soon. We're out of braised short ribs anyway."
The clatter of dishes, the sound of family and friends chatting, and the noise of a TV program playing in the background.
To , all of it felt peaceful and pleasant.
We can rest a little longer like this, then climb the Tower again while traveling together, just like before.
Lost in my thoughts, I stepped out onto the balcony and looked up at the ceiling.
The pitch-black expanse, without a single star, relied entirely on the light of a single massive lamp.
When I closed my eyes for a mont, a familiar voice ca from behind .
"You always look up at the ceiling. Do you want to go to the upper floors?"
"Ah… Vicente. Haha, not really. It's just that the Tower's ceiling makes you want to keep looking at it. It's not even the sky, yet it's broader and more vast than any sky I've seen."
"…? The sky? The one from legends? You say strange things sotis. Stop daydreaming and co out already, Hoaquin. You didn't forget that today's Ana's birthday, did you?"
"Haha, of course not. I prepared the gift Ana likes the most. What about you—did you at least prepare a cake?"
"Hmph. Cake is the best food—it fills your stomach, it's sweet, and it's delicious. Even more so on a birthday."
"Heh heh, alright. Let's go quickly. You've got candles, right?"
"Of course. Albelda, who just got discharged, is waiting too—and I hear David is here as well."
"Oh, that loudmouth? It's been a while since I've seen him."
"...…"
When I opened my eyes, everything I had just seen vanished as if it had never existed in the first place.
The voice, the ceiling from before—everything disappeared without leaving even a trace.
.....
One week later, the evening of the day the Festival of the Sword opened.
"Hoaquin, we'll head on ahead. See you later at the final floating-stone launch."
"Alright. Have fun."
Hwarang waved goodbye as he boarded the floating ship, followed by Luf, Albelda, Ana, Asensio, and Yura.
Soon, the floating ship gained altitude and flew toward the White City with a fairly noisy roar.
"Maschenny, let's get going soon."
"Okay. But…"
Maschenny looked at with a doubtful expression and pointed.
"You said you had a plan to keep annoying people from sticking to us? You're saying we're just going like this? I'm seriously going to kill anyone who clings to us."
"Haha, that wouldn't be bad either… but I really do have a plan."
I walked over to the phone stand in the villa and pressed the help-call button.
In less than a minute, more than ten hired attendants appeared.
Even then, Maschenny was blinking, tilting her head in confusion.
"Match the tone to mine—or rather, just make her look like she's from the Arie family."
"Yes, understood."
"…What? Hey, wa—"
Before Maschenny could protest after realizing too late, the attendants rushed her and began styling her using all kinds of high-end dyes and beauty products.
Her hair, which had been between sky blue and deep blue, turned pure white. Her deep blue eyes beca silver. Her pale skin… was already as white as mine, so there was no need to touch it. And then, a decorative sword.
"..."
"Haha, it suits you."
Looking at Maschenny, who had instantly transford into soone from the Arie family, I laughed happily.
She's pretty even in white.
The mont I let my guard down, her hand suddenly grabbed and yanked hard.
"Wah?!"
Thud—
Maschenny threw into the middle of the dozen or so attendants and spoke calmly.
"Match the tone to how I was just now—or rather, just make him look like he's from the Khun family. This is an order from a Princess."
"Yes, Princess."
"Haha… just kidding—hey, wait!"
I had planned to do a simple disguise anyway, but the sudden turn of events caught off guard. I tried desperately to resist, but it was pointless.
In an instant, the attendants used all sorts of luxurious items and beauty tools to dye my white hair into deep blue, tie it into a ponytail, and attach ocean-blue lenses to my silver eyes.
A decorative blue spear was clamped onto my back.
"Oh my, that suits you much better—'Khun' Hoaquin."
"…Haha. You're one to talk, 'Arie' Princess Maschenny Zahard."
Looking in the full-length mirror, a Khun-family boy and an Arie-family girl were standing there.
With our family affiliations instantly reversed, we changed into appropriate casual clothes and boarded a floating ship bound for the White City.
Khun Hoaquin and Arie Maschenny…
Haha. Well, this should be fun in its own way.
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