173 - Cleanup After Getting Lost
In the end, Leonardo stayed on the balcony until evening. As far as the Menhishumi Church was concerned, having the strongest knight in the city guarding the Spirit's Favored Child apparently posed no problem. People worried about him spending the whole day outdoors in the hot summer, but with the shade and water provided, he didn't get heatstroke. He was feeling a bit tired, but with only a few hours left, he could endure it.
...I thought the same last year, though?
Leonardo looked cool in his archaic costume. He's usually an unreliable guardian, but when he wears form-fitting clothes, you can see his trained muscles, and when he brushes his hair up, his sharp features stand out. At the residence, he sometimes makes a lovesick face doting on his little sister that he wouldn't show outside, but of course he doesn't make that face in public. As a result, the front of the stage was packed with young ladies again this year.
...He spread stories about being a siscon at the Spring Flower Festival, but it doesn't seem to have had much effect.
It was supposed to repel women, but Leonardo's fanbase didn't seem to have decreased. If anything, if I wasn't mistaken, it felt like there were even more than last year.
...Maybe it's that? Last year's ending.
Last year, I watched the rites from the special seat in the plaza that the Black Knights saved for me. Maybe because he knew where I was, Leonardo sent a smile my way at the end of the rites. I remember the young ladies around me swooning in agony.
...If he does it again this year, it'll probably be toward the center, right?
The seat prepared for the Spirit's Favored Child is almost directly in front of the stage. If Leonardo smiles again this year, it'll be toward this seat.
After changing, Leonardo spent time on the balcony until right before the rites began. Even if it was a Recollection Festival costume, having three people in archaic outfits made the balcony alone feel like it was from a different era. However, Kalisa, who was there too, was wearing a maid uniform with thin fabric for summer, so it still felt like a costume. I thought Kalisa should wear an archaic maid costume next year, but she's only here for one year. If she's here next year, it'll probably be Salisa.
When the sun set and it was time for the rites, Leonardo left the balcony. As I watched the stage, waiting for the rites to begin, I saw Leonardo led by the priest, coming up from the wing of the stage.
...I feel kind of strange.
Unlike last year, I've learned the outline of the mythology at the Menhishumi Church, and I've seen the daytime play. So I could vaguely understand the meaning of the ritual prayer Leonardo was reciting, but the mythology that the Recollection Festival was based on didn't come together as a single event in my mind.
...Because the real Divine King was looking for a woman, right? Isn't it strange that he hid his form because he was sad about his own existence?
Even among the women who appeared in the play, there were side characters like the criminal's younger sister and childhood friend, but the only one who seemed like a heroine was the goddess Itsurateru. The story "Itsurateru's Knight," which I once looked up, is a tale where this young man and the goddess Itsurateru become lovers, but in the myth, the goddess Itsurateru cuts off the young man's arms and legs. I really couldn't see that as something you'd do to your lover.
...Who is the Divine King looking for?
The king chosen by the gods is a being selected to mediate between humans and spirits. It's strange that a woman he would abandon that duty to find has no trace at all in the mythology.
When the sonorously recited ritual prayer ended, the priest handed a torch to Leonardo, just like last year. When Leonardo lights the piled-up costumes and props with the torch, the rites are over.
...Huh?
I'd thought for sure that Leonardo would send a smile my way like last year, but surprisingly, there was nothing this year. As if his role was done, Leonardo left the stage and quickly disappeared. The disappointed sighs of the young ladies gathered at the front of the stage seemed almost audible all the way over here.
...By the way, does this mean work is over?
The Recollection Festival should end with lighting the stage props and costumes with a torch. After that, it becomes a banquet around the fire, with no further ceremonial rites taking place.
As I sat in my seat wondering if I could go home, I noticed a commotion approaching from the stage. Even without straining my ears, I could tell it was women's voices. The commotion moved straight to below the balcony, then quieted once.
"Tina, come here."
"Huh? Why are you still in costume, deshu ka?"
When Leonardo came out from the room leading to the balcony, I understood the source of the commotion. The young ladies were probably excited because Leonardo was moving around in his costume after leaving the stage. Leonardo strode over to me and picked me up before I could stop him.
"No carrying, deshu yo!"
"It's better for us to stand out today, so I need to carry you."
"Stand out?"
I wondered if there was still some duty left. As I searched my memory, Leonardo called Kalisa over. Kalisa smoothed the wrinkles in my costume and fixed my slightly messy hair, then smiled contentedly.
"Tina caused the whole city to worry during the Divine King Festival, didn't she?"
I haven't apologized or thanked the city residents who were inconvenienced by the search and the related checkpoints. Arabella said I could make up for it by working as the Spirit's Favored Child at the Recollection Festival, but I thought it would be good to at least greet them properly. It's nearly impossible to go around thanking everyone in the city, but I did think using a stage like this to get it done all at once was a good method.
As I was being carried by Leonardo, the gazes from the women around us were piercing. Since I was clearly a child, it only hurt, but if I were a young lady of age, I wouldn't have been able to be so casual about it. Of course, I don't plan on being carried by Leonardo when I'm of age.
The young ladies lining the front of the stage gazed at Leonardo, who had ascended the stage again, with envious looks. The gazes directed at me, held in his arms, were roughly divided into two types. There were prickling stares of "What's with that girl?" from female jealousy, and simply kind gazes of "The matching archaic costume is cute."
...So many eyes, it's scary.
The mix of jealousy, envy, and goodwill from the women in front was scary, but the gazes of various people behind them were also scary. It felt like every eye in the plaza was on me, which couldn't be true, but it was suffocating. When I pressed closer to Leonardo, feeling anxious, he dropped his gaze to me for a moment, then quickly looked forward again.
Leonardo on the stage was truly composed, as if used to being in the public eye. Completely different from me, trembling in fear of the gazes. Come to think of it, he's the knight commander leading many knights, so he's probably used to giving speeches in front of crowds.
...Today is a day when Leonyaldo-san looks cool!
Sometimes I think of this unreliable guardian as a piece of junk, but Leonardo, who can stand on the platform and give a speech without flinching under the gazes of the crowd, is genuinely cool in my honest opinion.
"This is a personal report and thanks from me..."
Leonardo's speech, which began with such an opening, continued with words of gratitude to the city residents for their cooperation in the search and checkpoints when I got lost during the Divine King Festival. He told them that his little sister was taken by spirits but safely returned to the hearth, and today she watched over the Recollection Festival as the Spirit's Favored Child.
"Tina, greet everyone."
"Um... I caused you trouble. Thank you for looking for me."
Leonardo prompted me to greet them, but he didn't put me down from his arms, so I bowed to the audience while still being carried. I wondered if this posture was appropriate for someone offering thanks, but I didn't feel like I could stand alone, so I indulged in Leonardo despite the poor manners.
...Ah, the gazes softened a little.
Probably because he explained I was his little sister. The jealous gazes from the young ladies around the stage seemed to ease somewhat.
When Leonardo announced at the end of his speech that he'd prepared food and drink, cheers rose from the audience gathered for the banquet. He said they planned to serve food and drink using the front gardens of each church for those who couldn't fit in the plaza. That was his gift of thanks. Concluding that he was grateful for their cooperation in searching for his little sister, Leonardo descended the stage. This time, my work was truly done.
While waiting for Leonardo to change out of his costume in the tent, various people spoke to me. Each time, I clung to Kalisa's sleeve or put the Black Dog (Oscar) between us, showing charm. Since I was the one offering thanks tonight, I couldn't run away just because I'm bad with strangers.
When Leonardo came out of the tent after changing, I hugged him as if I'd been waiting. If I stayed by Leonardo's side, everyone who spoke to me would turn to Leonardo instead, so for tonight, I set aside the "no carrying" rule. Using Leonardo as a shield, I just wanted to rest.
The day after enthusiastically showing charm, I came down with a fever and took to bed. It seemed spending the whole day outdoors was tiring after all. Next year, I think I'll take shifts with Nils, as was suggested earlier.
Today is a short one.
I'll fix typos and omissions another day. I've corrected the ones I found.