I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess

Chapter 61: The Barony of Esquente (3)

Sir Malon was a seasoned old knight.

His prime had long passed, and it was a time when it was a relief that things hadn’t worsened further.

He still boomed with a loud voice, claiming he was hale and hearty, but, in truth, he had already stepped back from the frontlines.

Without his armor, wearing ordinary clothes, Sir Malon looked like just another boisterous old man.

Yet, the passage of time hadn’t diminished his worth.

An old knight who had survived countless battles in his youth.

He was a man whose life was an embodiment of experience, beyond just the usual scars.

Baron Esquente had employed him as the territory’s training instructor, and he had much to teach me in swordsmanship as well.

“You flatter me, sir. I still have much to learn from you.”

“Ha! Even just hearing that makes this old heart happy!”

So, each time I visited Baron Esquente’s land, I’d request a sparring match with Sir Malon.

He was always willing, and sparring with him benefited me in many ways.

I could rely on him to respond predictably—a textbook example of technique, so to speak.

“Especially impressive, the unorthodox moves. Have you found some extraordinary partner recently?”

“I met a good opponent.”

“Hahaha! Ah, youth! I envy you. That last move, in particular, was sharp. Hard to counter.”

“Let’s go a bit longer. It’s been a while, and I’m enjoying this.”

“Alright then, I’ll go first this time.”

How long did we exchange swords? Eventually, we concluded a satisfying session.

I could see my improvement and noted a few things to work on.

After bidding farewell to Sir Malon, I noticed Sirien on a bench beside the training grounds, flipping through the pages of a book.

As I approached, she glanced up, closed her book, and smiled—a crescent moon smile.

“All done?”

“Yeah, I think that’s enough for today.”

“You worked hard. Want some water? I fetched some earlier.”

“Sure, thanks. I’ll drink it gladly.”

Sirien truly knew me well.

Just in time, I was feeling parched, and I gratefully took the drink.

Once I finished, my eyes landed on the book she had been reading.

On the wine-colored leather cover, the title read ‘A Study on Ancient Religious History and the Paradox of Divinity’.

It was a title I knew I’d never have any reason to touch.

“Curious about the content?”

“A little, but I don’t really want to read it.”

“It’s pretty much what the title says. It’s like this—if the light in the world becomes too strong, everyone would go blind, right? Then no one could see the light. That’s the paradox… but it’s not all that important.”

Sirien giggled and pushed the book aside.

Her hand naturally pulled me closer, and I followed, sitting beside her.

Once seated, I realized we were quite close.

Our arms were touching, sharing a bit of warmth. Sirien’s body was still warm.

“Isn’t the training tiring? You never skip a day.”

“It’s something I’ve always done. You need to keep at it if you want to improve.”

“To me, that’s impressive. I hated studying in the castle every day. I would have rather played with you than done boring studies.”

“And yet, you worked hard too.”

“There wasn’t much else to do.”

When I was younger, Sirien often visited the training grounds to watch the knights.

She never got too close, just silently watched from afar before leaving.

I hadn’t known it then, but she’d done it because she wanted to spend time with me.

I realized now how oblivious I’d been.

“So, that’s why you always lingered near the training grounds?”

“Uh, y-yeah? You saw me back then?”

“Of course, how could I not notice you? I just thought you came out of boredom to watch.”

“I see… so you were watching me back then too.”

Sirien mumbled softly, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

She suddenly seemed to be in a much better mood.

Her head leaned slightly and rested on my shoulder.

Her radiant silver hair brushed against me, tickling lightly, and her soft cheek settled on my arm.

Her fingers traced small circles on my knee, brushing back and forth.

“Hey, did you hear? They’re holding a festival here starting tomorrow.”

“I heard a bit from Sir Malon.”

“Really? There’ll be lots of delicious treats and interesting sights. The baron sounded pretty confident about it, said he invited many merchants.”

I glanced at her, subtly watching her expression.

She wasn’t looking directly at me, but I knew exactly what she was hoping for.

Her flushed cheeks, her gaze averted to the side, her lips opening and closing as if unsure what to say.

I wasn’t oblivious enough to miss this. She was expecting me to ask.

Sirien could be shy at times, so it felt right for me to suggest it.

“Would you like to go together tomorrow? I’m curious to check it out.”

“Yes, let’s go! I heard they have bread with plum jam. That’s something I must try.”

“Then we’ll each get one. You love plums, after all.”

“I’m already looking forward to it.”

It seemed I’d given the right answer.

I felt her cheek move a little against my arm, twitching as if in joy.

She probably thought I couldn’t see her expression, but when Sirien let her guard down, she could be utterly endearing.

She seemed to know quite a bit about the festival, too.

Baron Esquente must have been eager to tell her all about it.

He was a man overflowing with pride in his land, so he probably couldn’t contain himself.

Sirien, while pretending to be indifferent, must have listened carefully.

“Shall we take a walk? I’d like to look around the village. They must be preparing for the festival now.”

****

The village was already brimming with the festive atmosphere as soon as we arrived at the outskirts.

Though everything wasn’t fully set up, the excitement filling the entire village was enough to make it feel as if the festivities could start any moment.

Various stalls were being arranged from the village entrance, and I saw numerous merchants, just as the baron had promised.

A large stage was also being set up, probably for some performances.

Since we were near the front lines, there were many mercenaries and soldiers roaming around.

Among them were followers of Hibras, distinguished by their lantern-shaped pendants. Some recognized Sirien and greeted her.

“Ah, Lady Saint! Thank you so much for last time. Thanks to you, my friend was able to rest peacefully.”

“I was simply doing what was necessary. I’m glad you were able to find peace in your heart as well.”

“Lady Saint, I’m not well-versed in prayer or anything, but… could someone like me join the faith?”

“Prayer is about your heart. If you carry a sincere heart, the form isn’t what matters. If you’d like more guidance, the temple priests would be happy to help.”

The Hibras doctrine was popular among soldiers near the frontlines.

For those constantly facing death, having someone who could provide a “proper burial” was naturally reassuring.

The promise of leading souls to peace in the afterlife was also an appealing aspect.

For the faith, the battlefield was an opportunity to spread divinity, making it a mutually beneficial relationship.

This is why the Esquente territory, near the front lines, even had a Hibras temple built here.

The baron of these lands showed respect, as the saintess of this faith was regarded at a noble level in the empire.

For now, the baron didn’t know that Sirien was a direct descendant of Eilencia.

After exchanging greetings with those who recognized us, we walked through the bustling street preparations until we reached the village center.

The center, having completed its preparations, was unexpectedly quieter than before.

A large stack of logs arranged like a bonfire drew our attention.

It was obvious what those logs would be used for.

“Look at that. On the last night, they’re going to light a huge fire. Do you remember? We used to make bonfires outside the cabin and have fun. Those were such good times.”

“Wasn’t it just because we could play outside at night?”

“Well, to me, nighttime was like the end of the day. It was the first time I realized that quiet, empty time could be enjoyable.”

“Yeah, I enjoyed it too. We’d shout in excitement about going home, dancing offbeat, and Terion, who only drank orange juice, acted like he was tipsy.”

“Yes, he did. Do you remember the promise the four of us made?”

“How could I forget?”

Terion had made a bold promise.

He said that when the four of us—Sirien, Terion, Hena, and I—met again, he would grant a wish for each of us.

Caught up in the atmosphere, Sirien added her promise as well, saying she would grant a wish too.

Though it seems unlikely now.

“When I think about it, in all my first memories, you, Razen, were always there.”

“We were childhood friends. And now I’m your knight.”

“Of course. You are my knight. You have to stay by my side, always.”

Sirien wrapped her arms around mine.

The warmth from her body and her soft touch made my heart race.

It felt like lately, the physical distance between us had grown closer and closer.

“Even though the other two aren’t here, you’re still the most precious person to me.”

“Well, I feel the same way…”

“Mm, I’m happy to hear that. Then I’ll keep my promise, too.”

With her gloved hand, she gestured toward the pile of dry logs.

“Come here with me on the last night, and I’ll grant your wish.”

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