We sat there in silence, turning Asher's words over in our minds. What he said was true, they were giving us a chance to heal our bodies however, in return, we had to fight in the war, which might even cost us our lives.
"You don't need to decide right away, " He said quietly, rising from the table."The enrollment for the military academy will start in 6 months from now, so you have plenty of time to make your decision."
With that, he disappeared into his room, leaving us with silence and our thoughts.
We both returned to our rooms as we had nothing more to discuss. Moonlight spilled through the window of my room, casting pale silver shadows across the wooden floor. A dim table lamp flickered in the corner. I sat beside the window, watching the buildings from a distance, suddenly an idea crept into my mind.
The next morning, "You want to go out?" Zei asked.
"We both have been through a lot. Let's take a break—look around the town, enjoy it a little," I suggested.
"It's a good idea," From behind, Asher cut in."There is a festival tomorrow where we offer our prayers to Yggdrasil and light lamps throughout the town. You should go and enjoy it.
"Then it's settled," I murmured.
It was evening the day after. I was waiting for Zei outside the wooden cottage, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, along with a black vest. Asher was kind enough to lend us some money to enjoy the festival.
The reason I was so persistent on going to the festival was simply because I wanted Zei to enjoy herself a little more and also spend time with her.
"I'm here," she muttered from behind. Wearing a blue dress that shimmered in the evening light, its hue perfectly matched her eyes. My heart skipped a beat. She truly looked beautiful.
"Shall we go?" she said, grabbing my hand.
"Y-yeah, let's go," I replied. A playful smile spread across her face. She was definitely enjoying this.
We reached the town, which was crowded with people, lamps illuminated the roads, glowing in a yellow radiance. There were numerous stalls selling a variety of unfamiliar items.
"It's pretty," Zei said, looking around excitedly like a child.
"How about we grab a bite first?" I said, pointing at a stall nearby, which seemed to be selling grilled corn and steaming dumplings.
"Welcome, customers, what can I get for you?" The vendor asked cheerfully.
"Two grilled corn and a single serving of dumplings, please," I said, taking out the silver coins Asher had given to us.
"Here you go, that will be 60 sigils." I handed him the silver coins and returned to Zei, who seemed to be looking at a stall selling accessories, her gaze settled on a necklace adorned with a red jewel in the middle".
"Do you like it?" I whispered from behind.
"N-no," She stammered, immediately backing away.
Before I could say anything, she snatched the food from my hands. "Come on," She muttered.
"Ah, wait a moment, I forgot something at the food stall," I said quickly. "You go ahead. I'll catch up."
I returned to the stall. A small boy, maybe ten, stood behind the counter, fidgeting nervously.
"How much is that necklace?" I asked
"Oh-oh I-it's fifty sigils," He stammered.
"I would like to buy that one, please," I said, handing him the coins.
He placed the necklace in a cloth pouch and handed it to me." T-thank you, sir."
"Much appreciated," I said with a nod before rushing back.
Zeiw was waiting under a lamppost, her arms crossed, a faint pout on her face.
"What took you so long?" She asked frowning
"Sorry, it was crowded back there." I lied with a sheepish smile, "Let's head towards the lake, I heard there is gonna be a fireworks show"
"I want to eat some more, we will go after I have had my fill," She said, completely serious.
I chuckled, "Sure, whatever you say, ma'am."
We strolled past some more food stalls. I had already had my fill, but she was far from done. After an hour, she finally seemed satisfied.
"Shall we go towards the fireworks show now?" I asked, feigning exhaustion.
"I haven't had desserts yet," she said with a sigh. "But we might get late, so let's leave desserts for later."
"...how can you still eat desserts after eating so much?" I stared at her in disbelief
"It's rude to judge a girl's appetite, you know." She smirked.
"Yeah, as if that's going to stop you: I replied, rolling my eyes as we made our way towards the lake where the fireworks show was going to be held.
Fortunately, we found a place to sit beneath the sky, gazing at the full moon that illuminated the area, with the echoes of people filling the space.
"Looks like we made it in time."
"It should start any moment now." Just as the words left my mouth, the sky lit up, countless fireworks illuminating the sky in numerous shimmering colours. The lake mirrored it all, casting a dreamlike flow on the crowd.
"So pretty," she murmured, looking at the sky, the fireworks reflecting in her blue eyes.
"It's truly beautiful," I said, though I wasn't looking at the sky anymore. I couldn't take my eyes off her.
A moment passed, then I reached into my pocket.
"Here," I said, taking out the cloth pouch. "This is for you."
She opened it slowly, her breath catching "..Rayne, this is"
"You don't like it?"
"No..it's beautiful," She replied, clutching the necklace between her hands.
"But I didn't buy anything for you."