Chapter 125 - <14>
Once the ceremony was over and the gathering had devolved into something of a banquet, Ritz quickly excused himself. The situation of silently smiling while only drinking must have been unbearable for him. The real Ritz was someone who enjoyed drinking cheerfully and merrily.
Neither Adlif nor the other chieftains stopped him. They understood that the elven race generally disliked festivities and interacting with others. The children were sent home, and the massive party, with men and women all mingling, grew more lively as the night wore on.
Men danced to the unique refrains sung by the women, and instruments were strummed wildly. Various people took turns singing and dancing, among them Edward performing a sword dance, with Lef forced to join him. Franz had thought they had been talking a lot recently, and it turned out they had been practicing.
It was Franz who let out an envious sigh at Ritz's swift departure, but as a spirit user, he was unlikely to be released so easily. He was offered cup after cup of strong, diluted liquor and was half-stumbling as he kept up.
Anna, who had rescued the children, would naturally have been surrounded in the same way, but her youthful appearance saved her. No one would offer alcohol to someone who looked to be about seven or eight years old in their eyes.
As the party reached a unique level of excitement fueled by alcohol, Edward quietly whispered to Anna.
"Anna, could you take a lot of food and go to Ritz?"
"Huh?"
"He really wants to be part of the fun, but he can't, to protect the image of the elven race, right? He's probably off somewhere hugging a bottle and drinking in a sulk right now."
At those words, the image of Ritz with his dark eyes from before flashed in her mind.
"Can I stay with Ritz?"
"I'd like you to do that for him."
Anna gathered the remaining food onto a large wooden platter. It was mostly rustic roasted meats.
"Can I go back too?" Franz asked in a low voice.
Edward immediately rejected his request.
"No."
"Why not?"
"If both spirit users leave, the villagers won't be happy."
"...Right."
As Franz hung his head dejectedly, Edward gave him a mysterious smile.
"Besides, you wouldn't want Ritz to resent you, would you?"
"Huh?"
Anna picked up the large platter with both hands. She said goodbye to the confused Franz and the teasing Edward.
"Good night."
"Good night, Anna."
With the sound of the crowd at her back, she reached their lodgings, a short distance from the center. Hearing the distant clamor of the party, Anna stood before the door. Ritz should be inside, alone.
Maybe he's tired and sleeping.
Considering that possibility, Anna gently opened the door. Peeking through the crack, she saw Ritz sitting dazedly with his back to her. Beside him were several types of nuts and a single bottle of liquor.
Just as Edward had said, he must have been drinking in a sulk.
Anna quietly placed the plate of food on the hearth and silently crept up to Ritz. Then, she wrapped her arms tightly around his broad back and buried her face in it. It was warm, just like always, and smelled of Ritz.
She had half-expected him to cry out in surprise, but Ritz wasn't startled at all. He spoke to her in a gentle voice.
"Done with the party?"
"Yeah. I can't drink anyway."
"I see."
As Ritz turned to look over his shoulder, the strong scent of alcohol wafted from him. He had apparently been drinking quite a bit by himself.
"Ritz, weren't you surprised?"
When she asked cheerfully, Ritz smiled.
"Of course not. I knew it was you right away."
"Wow! But I snuck in so quietly."
"Hey, now. Don't you think a mercenary who can't notice an intruder while drinking alone is a failure?"
A wry smile colored Ritz's voice. He was right. If Ritz, who had been a mercenary and a soldier, were that dull-witted, his life would be in danger.
"But, but, how did you know it was me who came in?"
It could have been Franz or Edward, after all.
"I can sense your presence."
Noticing a faintly lonely tone in his voice, Anna slowly let go of his back and sat down in front of him. It was then she realized for the first time: Ritz looked far more tired than she had thought.
"Ritz, are you tired?"
"Yeah."
"What's wrong?"
"...Well, a lot of things."
A hint of darkness mixed with his fatigue. Ritz's somber eyes made Anna uneasy. She still couldn't understand the hidden emotions behind that expression.
The words, "What do you want me to do? What can I do to make you smile like you always do? Is there anything I can do?" nearly spilled from her throat. But she knew that if she asked, Ritz would just smile and say, "Don't worry about it."
Having no idea what to say, Anna just sat in front of Ritz, staring at the weave of the rug on the floor. Forcing Ritz to pretend to be a spirit user must have placed a considerable burden on him.
Even though it was her idea, she never thought it would cause someone so much pain. She just wanted to help people, to make everyone happy. Why did it turn out like this?
Perhaps sensing her distress, Ritz offered a bright smile.
"Well, there's no use worrying about it now."
"Ritz…"
"I'm telling you not to worry. Because I'm not going to think about it either."
"But…"
"You brought food, right? Eat with me. It's no fun alone. I even filched some non-alcoholic drinks."
As he cheerfully pointed to the several bottles beside him, Anna noticed for the first time that his smile couldn't completely hide the anguish from moments before. Maybe she had been fooled by this smile all along, and he had actually been hiding a sad face from her.
The thought was unbearable. Why was it that being unable to help Ritz, unable to be his support, felt so frustrating, and… lonely?
"Hey, Anna?"
As she remained silent, Ritz touched her hair with concern. She slipped away from his hand, knelt up, and without a word, pulled the head of the wide-eyed Ritz to her chest.
"You…"
She hugged the speechless Ritz's head tightly. Then, she slowly and gently stroked his slightly coarse black hair. He could have resisted, he could have pushed her away if he wanted, but Ritz didn't.
So Anna, hiding the loneliness that spread through her heart, did her best to sound strong.
"I promised to pat your head if you did a good job acting like a spirit user."
"So… you did."
"That's right. I'm keeping my promise."
So please, rely on me more.
I know I'm hopelessly childish and unreliable, and I always jump in without thinking, but for all the times you've saved me, for all the kindness you've shown me, I want to give back even a little bit of my thanks.
She realized that Ritz’s arms had gently wrapped around her waist. She felt a sense of relief, knowing he didn't mind. Come to think of it, he had never once rejected her when she hugged him.
Maybe Ritz surprisingly liked being held like this.
To be honest, Anna also felt incredibly safe when she hugged Ritz. And strangely, there was no one else she wanted to be this close to. Before starting their journey, it was a daily occurrence for the children to jump on her and for her to hold them, but since leaving, for some reason, she found herself initiating hugs with Ritz more and more often.
One could say she was being clingy, but this time it felt like something more. What was it? The inside of her chest felt wonderfully warm.
As her knees began to ache, she slowly sat down. Ritz didn't let go, instead pulling her into his arms. This time, she was completely enveloped in his broad chest. As Anna let out a relieved sigh in that incredibly comfortable embrace, Ritz murmured in a low voice.
"Hey, Anna."
"Hm?"
"I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?"
Still in his arms, she looked up at Ritz, who stared back at her intently.
"I think you're going to have a pretty rough time in my homeland… but please, don't you get hurt."
"…Huh?"
Ritz’s eyes as he stared at her were frighteningly clear… and devoid of expression.
"I'm used to it, so it's fine. But I don't want you to get hurt."
Ritz’s homeland… that was the Ciedena Forest, where the spirit race he had been portraying lived.
From his tone and expression, Anna understood. The root of Ritz’s darkness was in Ciedena. That's why he hadn't wanted to go back. And because of that anguish, he must have resisted playing the part of an elven spirit user so fiercely.
But Ritz didn't run away. He decided to return, to learn the truth. And he did so with his friends.
"It's okay. I'm pretty strong, you know."
"I know that. You're much stronger than I am."
"...I am?"
"Yeah. That's why…"
She understood what Ritz, who had trailed off, wanted to say.
Don't you get hurt.
If Anna was hurt in Ciedena because of him, Ritz would surely regret it. That's why he was saying it.
"I'll be fine. And even if I do get hurt, I'll bounce back right away."
She couldn't make a promise when she didn't know what would happen, so she said that instead. Ritz held her tightly for a moment, then gently loosened his arms.
"Come on, let's eat the food you brought. The fire in the hearth is still going strong."
With that, Ritz quickly stood up and started rummaging through his belongings. Left behind, Anna felt the warmth lingering in her heart and body as she dazedly watched him. Eventually, Ritz found something and turned to Anna with a huge grin.
"Once we roast the meat, we'll sprinkle a little more of this on it. It's exquisite."
It was the high-grade rock salt he had taken when he and Lef went to the cave.
"Wow! Did you get some?"
"Yeah. Without permission, though."
"Is that okay?"
"It's fine. Just one piece. It's my reward for this time."
As he spoke, Ritz tossed the rock salt toward Anna. She caught it. It was a pale pink and sparkled beautifully. It felt like a waste to eat it… but it looked delicious.
"You want some, right?"
"Yeah!"
As Ritz walked to the hearth, Anna followed, rock salt in hand. Then, she spoke to Ritz’s back as he checked the state of the fire, her words unvoiced.
You know, no matter what happens, I'll be okay. So Ritz, you have to promise not to get hurt, either.
It's okay. You have me.
Ritz, likely oblivious to Anna’s feelings, picked out the two most delicious-looking thighs from the wooden plate she had placed on the hearth and put them over the fire with a smile.