Chapter 357
355. Childhood Friend Ep – Asran Kingdom
It was summer when Leah and Reb arrived at the Asran Kingdom.
They crossed the border with a pass granted by the Holy Woman and hurried their horses to reach Barnau, the capital of the Asran Kingdom, before the late summer.
The atmosphere was lively and bustling.
Today was indeed the founding anniversary of the Asran Kingdom.
Reb let out a sigh of relief, feeling accomplished after all the trouble they went through to time their arrival…
“I think the speech is over. That’s a shame.”
“Right?”
Leah and Reb stood in the square in front of the royal castle.
Without even a moment to shake off their travel fatigue, they had left their luggage at the inn and rushed out, only to find that the anticipated speech had just ended, and the crowd was cheering.
Long live Arista de Klaus!
Since capturing Malhas, history had changed. The Asran Kingdom was thriving under the reign of King Arista de Klaus.
Then, a sweet voice rang out.
– “Daddy! I want to see too!”
It was the voice of a girl magically amplified.
The citizens of Barnau burst into laughter. The young king, having just finished his speech, bent down and looked down at his delighted subjects.
“It’s the princess!”
“Your Majesty! Show us too! Wow! Our adorable little princess!”
The young king lifted the princess into his arms. Her little hands waved, announcing the grand start of the Asran Kingdom’s founding anniversary.
“What a cute princess.”
“Hmm.”
Reb neither agreed nor disagreed with Leah’s evaluation. Honestly, seeing the princess reminded him of Reriana.
As the king and princess disappeared, the citizens of Barnau who had gathered in the square began to disperse, immersed in the festive atmosphere.
Leah and Reb also walked around, admiring the stalls lining the square, though they didn’t interact with the merchants or partake in the attractions.
Feeling somewhat regretful, Leah spoke up.
“It’s a pity that I’m not someone here. If I just went over to that stall and started playing, what would happen if you followed me?”
“I’d just go in alone, I guess.”
Hehe. I’d have to see that. Leah let out a playful laugh. Reb replied as if it were impossible.
“This is the last time you can tease me like that. Hurry up and follow me.”
“Okay~ I’m curious. I wonder what that Lera person is like.”
Soon, the two entered a tavern. Regardless of whether outside or inside, the place was crowded with citizens enjoying the festival, and in a corner of the tavern, a man and a woman clinked their glasses.
“Are those people?”
“Shh. Don’t point. Lera notices those things really well.”
Ray and Lera Ainar.
As they approached, Lera’s conversation with Ray began to separate out from the noise of the drunken patrons.
“There are just too many people in the capital. Ah! Sorry. I didn’t mean to say I dislike it; I was just wondering if it was really necessary to come out. I thought we were going to listen to the king’s speech.”
“Just. We came all this way, and it would be boring to just stay at my uncle’s place.”
“…You know, you’ve changed a bit, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“You seem to be slacking off in training and eager to have fun. If you drop out of the tournament, I won’t let you off easy. I’ll tease you endlessly, so you better be tense.”
“Oh, come on. You take care of yourself.”
Ugh. Even if I try to talk to her… Lera grimaced slightly in frustration. “More drinks! I’ll raise my glass to call for more drinks!” Just as she did, some of the beer left in her glass splashed onto the person next to her.
“Eek!”
“Oh! I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes. I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“Umm… are you sure? I didn’t actually spill that much. Still, I’ll buy you something to eat as an apology.”
Snap! Wink-
Lera Ainar snapped her fingers coolly and winked. Leah, who had been splashed with beer, immediately recognized what kind of person this woman was.
Overall, she seemed cool and stylish, yet had a blank side, like a kind older sister. Leah whispered softly,
“Is that Lera Ainar? I think I might kind of like her. She seems like she has a lot of affection and will treat her younger siblings well… something like that.”
Plus, she had a physique comparable to any fine man. Her broad shoulders and muscular arms were incredibly impressive.
…After a moment of silence, Reb quietly shattered her expectations.
“She’s the same age as us.”
“…Oh my.”
“Ray. How have you been?”
Reb struck up a conversation while Lera went to buy some food. Ray crossed his arms and grinned.
He had already known from the start that Reb had come to Barnau.
“Lucky you didn’t arrive late. I heard from Lean that you returned from the battlefield?”
“Yeah.”
“Good job. And… should I call you Leah? Nice to meet you.”
“Ah! Nice to meet you too…”
“Ah, coming back now.”
Ray wiped the friendly smile off his face. He stiffened his expression as if trying not to upset his girlfriend.
“What’s this? Were you chatting?”
“No. You just splashed beer and apologized.”
“Aw come on, it’s no big deal… Are you okay? It’s dried up already. Here. Take it. This is what I’m buying because I feel sorry.”
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
“Alright. Sorry~.”
With that, the conversation between the two tables fell silent.
Lera started up again, scolding Ray to train properly, and the moment he moved to sit beside her and kissed her, everything quieted down.
Leah watched with wide eyes while Reb scolded her.
Ray really hates that kind of public display…
In any case, having achieved their goal of meeting Ray (after quickly eating what Lera bought), they stepped back outside.
Now they could enjoy the festival with peace of mind, but Reb quickened his steps as there was still something left to do.
[ Achievement: King 5/6 ]
To meet the last king and achieve the task. Given how difficult this achievement was, surely there would be a substantial reward.
As they walked away from the square for a while, they found a crowd swarming around a sign that read [Maunin - Letii Tournament Registration Office].
When the country split during the civil war, the Maunin Tournament took place in June in the Austin Kingdom, while the Letii Tournament was held in autumn in the Aster Kingdom, but now they had returned to their original forms.
“Leah, wait a moment. I’m going to register over there.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
Reb squeezed through the larger-than-life warriors from the north. Leah thought, “Hehe~ Finally, I can leisurely play with Reb,” while a mysterious resonance echoed in her mind.
[ Bow down. ]
“Huh? Ow!”
The sound seemed to come from the staff she held. A giant hand surged out from the staff’s large sleeve and yanked her hair down.
It happened so suddenly that Leah didn’t even realize what was happening to her.
The hand vanished in an instant, and Leah mistakenly thought she had accidentally bowed her head, feeling something whoosh past her head.
Then a loud shout burst from behind.
“Fuck! Who the hell?! Who dares… Hey, there. Is it you?”
“…Did you call me? Is there something you need…?”
“Stop pretending. You threw this, didn’t you? Wow—capital is really different. There are noble brats who throw gold coins around.”
“What? Noble brat? How dare you spew nonsense in front of me! I am from the Pamphilly House…”
“I can’t hear you, you fucker! Noble or whatever, you’re dead today. I am the great…”
The giant warrior yelled at the noble young man sitting in a carriage on the street.
The furious warrior seemed angry, while the young noble’s face turned red in embarrassment as he shouted back.
The warriors gathered around them were gradually joining in…
Amidst the chaotic scene, a middle-aged man who seemed to be serving the noble tried to mediate by saying, “Let’s not get worked up and calmly talk!” Meanwhile, Leah, startled by the growing tension, stepped aside.
Eventually, Reb came running back with a joyful face.
“It’s done! Let’s go have some fun! I have as much money as I need, so if you want to do something, just tell me.”
“Hmm~ that sounds good, but isn’t that the offering collected from the church? We should save it.”
“What’s it matter? Compared to the hardships we go through, it’s nothing. Even the God of Patience and Dedication, Namer, would approve, right? Let’s go!”
Reb grabbed Leah’s hand and ran. Leah reluctantly followed him, smiling, unaware.
What kind of situation was brewing between the warrior arguing with the noble and the whistling warriors, alongside the troubled public servants?
Oblivious to what might happen next, Leah and Reb threw themselves into the festival atmosphere that had just begun.