Chapter 159 : Chapter 159
Chapter 159: Band (2)
"Is there anything I should know about him beforehand?"
At my question, Morgana hesitated as if slightly contemplating, then soon said this.
"Always speak only the truth concisely to him. Light jokes for the mood, or slight exaggerations added to stories for interest, you had better not do any of that."
"Guess he has a personality that doesn't know fun?"
Upon hearing that answer, Ibi scoffed and muttered.
"He tends not to trust people who are not honest."
Morgana answered calmly.
Well, since he himself isn't a very honest person, he has no choice but to dislike his 'own kind'.
"...And, I'm saying this just in case, but no matter how beautiful you are, he is not someone who would take an interest in that regard. So, you had better absolutely not think of... seducing him or anything."
At Morgana's subsequent cautious words, I inadvertently let out a smirk.
"Are you perhaps jealous right now? Afraid I might look elsewhere leaving you behind?"
When I swept back the side hair of Morgana sitting next to me while raising the corners of my mouth in a grin,
"I, it's not like that..."
Morgana turned her gaze away as if embarrassed but accepted that touch obediently.
"......."
Ibi started glaring at the sight of us so-called flirting(?) right in front of her eyes with her arms crossed and extremely disapproving eyes.
'Doing that bullshit again, crazy bastard.'
It was a fierce gaze that made it seem like I could hear such a voice even though she definitely didn't open her mouth.
Morgana also noticed that gaze immediately.
Actually, there's no way she couldn't notice.
Since she was glaring openly from just the seat in front.
"...I think the flute player over there is the one jealous."
Perhaps that's why, Morgana said this and suddenly clung right next to me.
Lightly linking her arm with mine, as if saying she wouldn't let me be taken away.
Then, seeing this, Ibi.
"...What?"
Crumpled her expression even more as if she heard something she absolutely couldn't bear to hear.
"Jealousy my ass... Whether this trash bastard plays around with someone, rubs it in, gets called Master or whatever, it seriously has f*cking nothing to do with me? Just don't do it in front of my eyes, just not in front of my eyes."
Despite that, perhaps because she couldn't quite believe it, Morgana eventually clung to me even tighter and turned her head to me as if demanding an explanation.
"She's just a friend who hates seeing such sights."
To that, I answered with a light shrug of my shoulders.
"It's probably not jealousy. Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"Maybe my ass, f*ck."
"...Then are you in no relationship with the people here, including that person?"
"We are all bandmates on good terms. We are not in the kind of relationship you are worried about."
I answered with a gentle smile and looked back at my companions one by one to induce agreement.
"Thanks to that, we were able to be together for a long time. If romance blooms inside, bands tend to break up easily."
"Is that from experience?"
"No comment."
I answered slyly and shrugged my shoulders once more.
"And regarding the part about looking elsewhere, you had better know in advance too."
Then I slightly pulled Morgana's chin to make her look at my face even closer.
"Ah..."
"That my beauty isn't something only one person can monopolize."
Eventually, Morgana nodded slowly with her mouth blankly open.
"......Truly a piece of trash."
Watching that scene, Ibi clicked her tongue, Tsk, and left such a review(?).
"Anyway, regarding the not seducing part, well, I'll try to make an effort. Sometimes there are many people who get seduced even if I don't particularly intend to."
"...At least regarding Kurt, you won't have to worry about such parts."
I know.
That he has 'Charm Immunity'.
However.
"Well. I have yet to meet a person who truly showed no interest in my beauty until now."
I keep saying this, but my face isn't my only weapon.
"We'll see."
***
City of Time, Shurina.
Also called the City of Pure White because it is always covered in white snow.
Two days after leaving the village by hitching a ride on Morgana's carriage, we finally arrived in Shurina.
The unchanging scenery outside the city represented by the endlessly unfolding vast snowy fields we had been seeing continuously since about a day ago.
The scenery inside the city that was completely opposite to Tiaria where we stayed until recently, which was always bustling with people wherever you looked, being quiet, secluded, and leisurely.
All of it was the Shurina exactly as I knew it.
And surely, those who remember the appearance of this city a hundred years ago... no, a thousand years ago would probably harbor the same sentiment as me right now.
......It really hasn't changed much, this place.
As can be seen from hearing 'Beginning', who is the one who actually remembers, muttering such words.
They say rivers and mountains change in ten years, but this place was different.
Neither the snow-covered scenery nor the names of the people wandering around here, nothing had changed.
As if time had stopped.
However, one element that couldn't be found a hundred or a thousand years ago stood tall in the city square.
That is...
As expected, 'Beginning' reacted.
"Th, that person is...!?"
This time, even Miki, who couldn't possibly know the Shurina of the past, reacted immediately upon seeing it.
It was a large statue made of ice.
"──Ah. That person is the hero of our republic, Pariah."
To honor the existence we saw with our own two eyes not long ago.
"He is the one who drove out the 'False God' who had been impersonating Shurine, and reclaimed true freedom for this city."
Of course, Morgana, who had no way of knowing we were staring at the statue dumbfounded for such a reason, seemed to think we were just feeling that interest or curiosity.
"He was Governor Kurt's comrade-in-arms, and a close friend."
Perhaps that's why, a kind of awe was felt in Morgana's voice, speaking like a curator explaining the city's history.
"Seeing your reactions, it seems songs honoring him are not sung often outside Shurina yet."
"I have heard stories."
"Oh, what kind of stories?"
"That he disappeared suddenly after completing the revolution."
"Yes, that's right. After fighting against the 'False God' more bravely than anyone, he disappeared as if he had done everything he had to do."
"Would he still be alive?"
"Well. Who knows, he might be in the middle of fighting for the freedom of oppressed people somewhere else."
Having said this, Morgana looked up at Pariah's statue just like us and spoke.
"Aren't they truly humble people? Both of them."
"...By both of them, do you mean Governor Kurt too?"
"Then who else is there?"
Morgana asked back to Toric with a voice filled with pride, asking if it wasn't too obvious.
"Actually, Governor Kurt was also someone who led us standing in the vanguard together with Pariah."
"For that, his appearance is hardly seen."
"Because he prohibited it. Saying he doesn't want to create another 'False God' in this city, he strictly prohibited not only statues like that but also any monuments to honor himself, and even songs or paintings."
In short, he prohibited idolization.
"That's a pity. I felt like I found an interesting song subject unknown to people."
"...Then why did he build that guy's statue?"
Because it doesn't interfere with his rule at all.
Since he already disappeared, no matter how much they idolize him, he cannot become a 'rival' that hinders his rule.
I wanted to answer Ibi's question like that, but as long as Morgana was sticking right next to me, I couldn't.
"To honor people's courage."
So I just let Morgana answer.
"Originally, a statue of the 'False God' stood here. But the era of the 'False God' could finally end as citizens gathered and broke that statue themselves."
So to remember the courage people showed back then, he erected Pariah, who is like a symbol of that.
Well, that is also a superficial reason.
It wasn't wrong.
Except for the part that what they drove out together was a 'False God'.
Perhaps that's why Ibi and the companions, who know the truth now, were looking up at Pariah's statue with expressions full of thought.
And that was the same for me.
Looking up at Pariah's statue like this, I couldn't help but have this thought suddenly.
'Why did we encounter him so early?'
Right.
Usually, it was normal for us to encounter Pariah around the road to Shurina for the first time.
There might be a difference of a day or two, but at least the location shouldn't have changed.
We should have encountered him in a 'place covered with snow'.
Not inside Tiaria, like this time.
This was a case I had never seen until now.
...Though there was one suspicious part.
'Don't tell me, because Luce is gone...?'
This was the only possibility that came to mind immediately.
Originally, Luce was an existence who shouldn't have exited already, tasked with the role of the true final boss.
At the same time, as I said before, he sometimes took on the role of giving us a 'warning'.
Like when we were about to step into a dangerous area not fitting our level yet.
Then conversely, isn't there a possibility that he had been preventing dangerous existences not fitting our level yet from approaching us?
Since he is a guy who knew Rine's identity from the beginning, he must have known that Pariah was chasing Rine.
He must have watched his tracks closely.
But if Luce disappeared and Pariah found Rine earlier than expected because of that... it might make sense.
...Well, actually, it would be meaningless to argue about that now anyway.
Since the fact that we have already encountered him doesn't change, I just had to do what needs to be done after meeting him faster.
***
As per the plan, thanks to accompanying Morgana in her carriage, we were able to pass through the checkpoint easily with only a very simple check.
Because, there was no need to be inspected by such 'pawns'.
Even if we were inspected by them one by one anyway, they would eventually report to their superior, and that superior would report to their superior again... In that way, the one who would ultimately receive the report was.
"Governor Kurt."
"Morgana."
This man right in front of us, Kurt.
"Who are those people?"
Effectively, instead of the checkpoint, we were being inspected directly by Kurt.
"Ah, these people are──"
"──It is an honor to meet you, Governor Kurt."
I stepped forward before Morgana's answer and reached out a hand towards Kurt asking for a handshake.
"I am called 'Yubini', a bard and the leader of the 'Adventurer Band'."
And the existence who will seduce you, and eventually kill you.