When Roche told her that she should in no way interact with the order, Shiori accepted it, but the feeling of “wanting to meet Krust again” wasn’t that easily abandoned.
She had also thought about seeking a chance to meet Krust by sneaking into the castle, but now that was not so easy either.
Roche, who only used to be in the shop once in awhile, was now at the shop regularly even when she needed to go out. He used reasons such as that he needed to check the medicine and that he needed to eat lunch.
It took a few hours for Shiori to make a round trip to the castle with her feet. Even if she didn’t return, she would be worried about Roche, if she went to see Krust she was worried that she won’t be able to go back to the store and work, she had to be completely prepared for that.
As she was about to see him again, Krust got misled, it would the worst if she got scolded by Roche and was fired.
While thinking stuff like this, the time quickly passed. Maybe two months would soon have passed since she came to this world.
(Is it impossible to ever meet Krust again?)
She felt sick when that thought appeared in her mind. If Krust wasn’t there, she felt that the fun of living in that world would be reduced by half.
There was still some hope and pleasure for Shiori, such as the fact that her work was fulfilling and that she had gotten many new acquaintances in this country.
In the morning, seeing that the food storage was soon empty, Shiori decided to go out shopping. Roche went to “special customer” that day, but since he seemed to have decided to go in the afternoon, she asked him later if she could leave the store.
As she passed through the alley and exited it to the main street she noticed that the city view had changed. Different plants such as trees and lovely flowers were placed out in regular intervals and small stalls and tents were being assembled around the street.
There were always a lot of people on this street, but that day it was more than that. The residents of the city seemed to stand out.
(I wonder, is there a festival in the near future?)
She remembered the atmosphere in school that appeared when a school festival was approaching. Even though she didn’t know the reason excitement started to swell in her chest.
She approached a kind-looking middle aged woman, who was sweeping leaves off the street, and called out to her.
“Hello, good morning”
“Oh, you are Shiori, right?”
The woman was the owner of the bakery Shiori was planning to go to. When she came shopping there several times they became friends through small talk. There was a smell of stiff wheat coming from the cozy shop behind the woman. While being attracted to the smell that intensified her appetite, Shiori asked the woman.
“The city, lively atmosphere. What, a festival?”
“Oh, right, you just came to this country. Together with the tournament in two days, the city will be opened tomorrow. It’s preparation for that.”
“……?”
The woman explained in detail to Shiori, who tilted her neck.
“Do you know about calvary matches? Knights dressed in armour and fighting with spears and shields.”
The woman said with hand gestures imitating knights with spears and shields, Shiori thought it looked like a dangerous game.
The spears seemed to have a rounded tip rather than the usual sharp one, but the woman added “It is natural for injured people to appear every year, sometimes there are even people who die apparently”.
The tournament was held once a year, and it took place when the season changed from autumn to winter.
By the way, in this world and in Japan, the seasons like the Earth’s southern hemisphere and the northern hemisphere were greatly shifted. In May, it was not spring here.
“Did you know that there will be a stadium at the east of the city? The horse race will be held there.”
Speaking of places in this city, the place she frequented the most was this boulevard, so she didn’t know about any stadium in the east. Because it is like an amphitheater, she imagined it would look like a Colosseum.
The matches would only be held for one day, and the city, with that game day in the center, would apparently be in a festival state. People would gather from all over the country and it seemed like it will turn quite lively.
Shiori wanted to ask if Krust would also participate in the matches.
“That, can we also, go and watch?”
The woman shook her head slightly.
“No, I think that’s impossible without an invitation. Because in the stadium only rich merchants, royalty and aristocrats are allowed. There are not only nobles from inside the country but also from abroad, there are no seats for us commoners.”
“Is that so…”
If Krust had come out she would have wanted to watch his fighting figure, the woman gave her a wry smile and patted on her shoulder.
“Oya, is there a knight you are yearning for?”
“Well…”
Shiori got a little lost before she answered.
“Krust… the Hero”
“Oh! So it is Krust-sama. It is not only Shiori-chan but everyone wants to see him, but don’t worry – There is an opportunity to see Krust without even entering the stadium.”
“Well, really?”
Shiori’s dark brown eyes gave of a bright shine.
The woman said.
“Didn’t you know? The castle where the knights usually are and the stadium where the matches will be held on the opposite side just across the city centre. The Knights go through here when heading to the stadium. On the morning of the tournament, the royal family and their accompany will slowly march through here in a line.”
From what the woman said, the march seemed like a parade before the tournament for the people not allowed to enter the stadium. By watching the appearance of the courageous knights marching forward, those who couldn’t watch the tournament could also get excited.
“If it is like last year, Krust-sama should be first in the queue, so he should be easy to find.”
When the woman added those words, Shiori got excited inside. She may see Krust for the first time in 3 years!
That day there will be many people on the side of the road, and it may be impossible for Krust to recognize her figure.
But Shiori was fine. Even just seeing Krust a bit would be good and then Roche wouldn’t complain.
She imagined that Krust was as cool as he was three years ago, and a blush unintentionally appeared on her cheeks.
The tournament would be the day after tomorrow. And it was the morning that day that the knights would pass here. Shiori confirmed the date and time again from the baker woman and decided to see Krust’s appearance.
“I’m home~”
Finished food shopping, Shiori returned to the store. Roche smoked a cigarette, while simmering a mossy colored liquid in a pot.
“Has something good happened?”
As their eyes met, Shiori stiffened her face and seemed to strangely behave suspiciously.
“No, noth, nothing really…! Truly nothing!
She had meant to secretly go to the cavalry match parade. Thinking if she should reveal it here, Shiori panicked.
She was afraid that Roche was thinking of something in silence, while observing her. Roche was an unusually sharp man, like, he seemed to easily realize what her thoughts were.
After a few tense seconds. Roche who seemed to be convinced murmured “Oh.. I understand”. Shiori solidified.
“That’s right, you heard about the cavalry matches that will be on in the city, surely it was the day after tomorrow? The knights will march on the main road…. The hero would surely also come.”
Cold sweat had started to run on Shiori’s back. Could Roche read other’s hearts? She doubted that.
But here is what one have to do. No matter how suspicious it was, she should keep pretending she didn’t know anything. Deciding that she would put up a fight, Shiori swept her eyes around the room and tried to make a poker face.
“Eh… Eeeh? What’s this? Roche, I don’t understand what you are saying. What is a kni, knight?”
“Strong acting guys.… well, it’s fine, you can go and watch the parade.”
“Wow!?”
Words she didn’t expect, it turned her voice inside out. Shiori put the basket she had in her hand down on the counter quite roughly and stood in front of Roche.
“I can go, really!? I can go and see Krust?”
She cutely grabbed Roche’s arm and looked up at him. She couldn’t believe it, she realized her eyes were sticking out.
Roche replied while stirring the pot with a wooden spatula.
“I guess it’s fine if you go and watch. There will be a lot of people that day, even if you notice the hero, I don’t think the hero will notice you, but I will be there as well.”
“Yay! Thank you!”
She didn’t mind having a guardian. Shiori smiled like she was playing hitting the hand, Roche saw that and gave her a glare.
When Roche told her that she should in no way interact with the order, Shiori accepted it, but the feeling of “wanting to meet Krust again” wasn’t that easily abandoned.
She had also thought about seeking a chance to meet Krust by sneaking into the castle, but now that was not so easy either.
Roche, who only used to be in the shop once in awhile, was now at the shop regularly even when she needed to go out. He used reasons such as that he needed to check the medicine and that he needed to eat lunch.
It took a few hours for Shiori to make a round trip to the castle with her feet. Even if she didn’t return, she would be worried about Roche, if she went to see Krust she was worried that she won’t be able to go back to the store and work, she had to be completely prepared for that.
As she was about to see him again, Krust got misled, it would the worst if she got scolded by Roche and was fired.
While thinking stuff like this, the time quickly passed. Maybe two months would soon have passed since she came to this world.
(Is it impossible to ever meet Krust again?)
She felt sick when that thought appeared in her mind. If Krust wasn’t there, she felt that the fun of living in that world would be reduced by half.
There was still some hope and pleasure for Shiori, such as the fact that her work was fulfilling and that she had gotten many new acquaintances in this country.
In the morning, seeing that the food storage was soon empty, Shiori decided to go out shopping. Roche went to “special customer” that day, but since he seemed to have decided to go in the afternoon, she asked him later if she could leave the store.
As she passed through the alley and exited it to the main street she noticed that the city view had changed. Different plants such as trees and lovely flowers were placed out in regular intervals and small stalls and tents were being assembled around the street.
There were always a lot of people on this street, but that day it was more than that. The residents of the city seemed to stand out.
(I wonder, is there a festival in the near future?)
She remembered the atmosphere in school that appeared when a school festival was approaching. Even though she didn’t know the reason excitement started to swell in her chest.
She approached a kind-looking middle aged woman, who was sweeping leaves off the street, and called out to her.
“Hello, good morning”
“Oh, you are Shiori, right?”
The woman was the owner of the bakery Shiori was planning to go to. When she came shopping there several times they became friends through small talk. There was a smell of stiff wheat coming from the cozy shop behind the woman. While being attracted to the smell that intensified her appetite, Shiori asked the woman.
“The city, lively atmosphere. What, a festival?”
“Oh, right, you just came to this country. Together with the tournament in two days, the city will be opened tomorrow. It’s preparation for that.”
“……?”
The woman explained in detail to Shiori, who tilted her neck.
“Do you know about calvary matches? Knights dressed in armour and fighting with spears and shields.”
The woman said with hand gestures imitating knights with spears and shields, Shiori thought it looked like a dangerous game.
The spears seemed to have a rounded tip rather than the usual sharp one, but the woman added “It is natural for injured people to appear every year, sometimes there are even people who die apparently”.
The tournament was held once a year, and it took place when the season changed from autumn to winter.
By the way, in this world and in Japan, the seasons like the Earth’s southern hemisphere and the northern hemisphere were greatly shifted. In May, it was not spring here.
“Did you know that there will be a stadium at the east of the city? The horse race will be held there.”
Speaking of places in this city, the place she frequented the most was this boulevard, so she didn’t know about any stadium in the east. Because it is like an amphitheater, she imagined it would look like a Colosseum.
The matches would only be held for one day, and the city, with that game day in the center, would apparently be in a festival state. People would gather from all over the country and it seemed like it will turn quite lively.
Shiori wanted to ask if Krust would also participate in the matches.
“That, can we also, go and watch?”
The woman shook her head slightly.
“No, I think that’s impossible without an invitation. Because in the stadium only rich merchants, royalty and aristocrats are allowed. There are not only nobles from inside the country but also from abroad, there are no seats for us commoners.”
“Is that so…”
If Krust had come out she would have wanted to watch his fighting figure, the woman gave her a wry smile and patted on her shoulder.
“Oya, is there a knight you are yearning for?”
“Well…”
Shiori got a little lost before she answered.
“Krust… the Hero”
“Oh! So it is Krust-sama. It is not only Shiori-chan but everyone wants to see him, but don’t worry – There is an opportunity to see Krust without even entering the stadium.”
“Well, really?”
Shiori’s dark brown eyes gave of a bright shine.
The woman said.
“Didn’t you know? The castle where the knights usually are and the stadium where the matches will be held on the opposite side just across the city centre. The Knights go through here when heading to the stadium. On the morning of the tournament, the royal family and their accompany will slowly march through here in a line.”
From what the woman said, the march seemed like a parade before the tournament for the people not allowed to enter the stadium. By watching the appearance of the courageous knights marching forward, those who couldn’t watch the tournament could also get excited.
“If it is like last year, Krust-sama should be first in the queue, so he should be easy to find.”
When the woman added those words, Shiori got excited inside. She may see Krust for the first time in 3 years!
That day there will be many people on the side of the road, and it may be impossible for Krust to recognize her figure.
But Shiori was fine. Even just seeing Krust a bit would be good and then Roche wouldn’t complain.
She imagined that Krust was as cool as he was three years ago, and a blush unintentionally appeared on her cheeks.
The tournament would be the day after tomorrow. And it was the morning that day that the knights would pass here. Shiori confirmed the date and time again from the baker woman and decided to see Krust’s appearance.
“I’m home~”
Finished food shopping, Shiori returned to the store. Roche smoked a cigarette, while simmering a mossy colored liquid in a pot.
“Has something good happened?”
As their eyes met, Shiori stiffened her face and seemed to strangely behave suspiciously.
“No, noth, nothing really…! Truly nothing!
She had meant to secretly go to the cavalry match parade. Thinking if she should reveal it here, Shiori panicked.
She was afraid that Roche was thinking of something in silence, while observing her. Roche was an unusually sharp man, like, he seemed to easily realize what her thoughts were.
After a few tense seconds. Roche who seemed to be convinced murmured “Oh.. I understand”. Shiori solidified.
“That’s right, you heard about the cavalry matches that will be on in the city, surely it was the day after tomorrow? The knights will march on the main road…. The hero would surely also come.”
Cold sweat had started to run on Shiori’s back. Could Roche read other’s hearts? She doubted that.
But here is what one have to do. No matter how suspicious it was, she should keep pretending she didn’t know anything. Deciding that she would put up a fight, Shiori swept her eyes around the room and tried to make a poker face.
“Eh… Eeeh? What’s this? Roche, I don’t understand what you are saying. What is a kni, knight?”
“Strong acting guys.… well, it’s fine, you can go and watch the parade.”
“Wow!?”
Words she didn’t expect, it turned her voice inside out. Shiori put the basket she had in her hand down on the counter quite roughly and stood in front of Roche.
“I can go, really!? I can go and see Krust?”
She cutely grabbed Roche’s arm and looked up at him. She couldn’t believe it, she realized her eyes were sticking out.
Roche replied while stirring the pot with a wooden spatula.
“I guess it’s fine if you go and watch. There will be a lot of people that day, even if you notice the hero, I don’t think the hero will notice you, but I will be there as well.”
“Yay! Thank you!”
She didn’t mind having a guardian. Shiori smiled like she was playing hitting the hand, Roche saw that and gave her a glare.
