Chapter 56
Chapter 56: Path
***
The morning in Winter City was at its busiest. Crowds of people shuttled through the streets and alleys, each busy with their own affairs.
Only I stood confused among the crowd, as if I could still hear the ravens calling overhead.
Just then someone else walked past me, and I quickly called out to stop them.
“Um… hello.”
“Ah, noble lady, hello. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Do you know where… Powell Street is?”
“Powell Street? Hmm… I haven’t heard of it, is there such a street in Winter City?”
“There should be… one.”
“…I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of that street…”
“Oh, thank you.”
Tap tap tap tap.
Wearing small boots, I ran all the way to two chatting elderly ladies on the opposite side, and tugged at their sleeves.
“Hello…”
“My, what a pretty little sister we have here… goodness, black hair!”
“Um… do you know where Powell Street is?”
“Powell Street? Never heard of it… little sister, are you from the Castle Lord’s family?”
“…Yes. May I ask…”
“Wow, what beautiful hair! What’s your name, little sister? Can you chat with us? Let me tell you, my boy is so handsome!”
“Uh, sorry for bothering you.”
“Do you live in Shanter Castle, do you have hundreds of servants attending to your every need… hey, don’t go, let me introduce you to my son—”
I fled to the next street.
“Uncle…”
“Oh, oh! Noble and beautiful lady, please allow me to offer you my highest praise.”
“…No need for formalities. Please tell me, where is Powell Street…”
“Powell Street? Never heard of it. I’m sorry I can’t help you… do you need a knight? One who can fight ten men.”
“…No need, thank you.”
“Don’t be hasty to refuse, I don’t think you understand my capabilities.”
“Really, no need…”
“…Is that so, what a pity. It would be such an honor to protect a beautiful lady like you… I live on Michael Street not far from Shanter Castle, in the smallest house there, I hope you can grant me this honor~”
“…Goodbye.”
……
Clang——
I kicked the lamppost beside me.
In my heart I had cursed Edward 181 times.
I asked 20 people in a row. That’s right, exactly 20.
No one knew where that wretched street was.
I had been wandering around the city for so long that I didn’t even know where I was anymore. The sun was already overhead, and there wasn’t much time left until our appointment.
I even started to wonder if he was deliberately messing with me, writing an address that didn’t exist just to make fun of me.
Either that or he was stupid.
Could it be that I was the stupid one?
Just as I was at my wit’s end, suddenly a clear child’s voice came: “Oh? It’s the noble sister!”
Looking back, little Elle stood gracefully nearby, her expression delighted.
“Elle! Why are you… here?”
“I came to buy some things… sister, what are you doing?”
“I’m… right. Do you know where Powell Street is?”
It was just a casual question without much hope, but unexpectedly Elle immediately answered: “Powell Street? I know it.”
My heart leaped with joy.
“You know it!”
“Mm… what’s wrong sister, why so happy?”
“I asked many people. No one knew…”
Elle started laughing, the little girl’s mouth pouted, showing two dimples on her face, looking adorably sweet.
“Of course, sister. The people who live here are all wealthy, Powell Street is far away in the slums, no one would know about that kind of place, but you asked the right person!”
“……”
I gently rubbed my forehead, keeping my face expressionless while cursing Edward for the 181st time in my heart.
“Then, how do we get there?”
“Hmm——, it’s quite far. Why don’t I take you there?”
“Elle, aren’t you busy?”
“I don’t have anything to do, I’m happy to help!”
After thinking for a moment, I nodded.
“Then, thank you for the trouble.”
Elle smiled at me again and took my hand as we walked forward.
“Sister, what are you going to Powell Street for? It’s very dirty there, doesn’t seem like a place you would go…”
“I’m going… to find someone.”
“Find someone?”
Elle turned her head sideways, her little face full of confusion.
“Mm-hmm.” I casually responded, not wanting to continue this topic, so I asked her instead: “Elle, what did you come here to buy?”
Hearing this, Elle lowered her head slightly, smiling somewhat shyly.
“I want to make myself a pretty dress…”
“Make a dress?”
“Yes. There’s a tailor shop across the street that’s very skilled, quite famous in the city, just a bit expensive…”
A bit expensive?
I tilted my head, then untied the money pouch at my waist.
The pouch was a gift from Madam, made of silver-white silk with a crescent moon embroidered on it, very exquisite.
I took out two Valen gold coins and handed them to Elle.
“Is this enough?”
Elle was startled and hurriedly waved her small hands.
“No need! Sister, I have enough. The Director already paid for it, I just need to pick up the clothes in a few days.”
I tilted my head to the other side.
“Then, buy something delicious?”
“Sister…”
Seeing that Elle still wanted to decline, I pried open her tiny hand and put the gold coins in her palm.
“This isn’t for you. It’s for everyone, to buy snacks.”
This was somewhat unreasonable.
Elle was young and didn’t understand much about social etiquette. Her little mind couldn’t think of an appropriate reason right away. She probably felt it wasn’t right to accept but also seemed impolite to return it, so she could only clutch it tightly in her hand, her face full of uncertainty.
Finding it somewhat amusing, I added: “Don’t spend it secretly.”
She immediately became serious: “I won’t!”
She finally accepted it.
After a while, a smile appeared on her face again.
“Sister, you’re so nice, different from all the nobles I’ve met. Those people, they all have their noses in the air! None of them treat us like humans… Sister is truly noble.”
I shook my head slightly.
“I’m not noble.”
“You’re lying… Sister has black hair and black eyes… how wonderful~ And you’re willing to talk to someone like me.”
Elle looked up, the longing in her eyes making one’s heart ache.
How old was she? Not even 12? Yet she already understood her own lowliness.
Fate is always unfair.
“…Elle, why are you… why are you there?”
“Hm? Sister means the orphanage?”
“Mm.”
“Hmm——, actually I used to have a home, far away, and my parents were very good to me. But unfortunately bandits came to the village, they stole food and killed people, so they all died. But they didn’t kill me… maybe they thought I was too small, that I would die if they just left me alone. Later, church sisters saved me… or was it brothers? Anyway, quite a few people. I was very young then, I can’t remember clearly anymore.”
After speaking, she waited for a while but didn’t hear my response. Probably finding it strange, she looked up at my face.
“…Sister, don’t be sad! I’m living very well now! Really… oh right, I have good news to tell you!”
Looking at her flustered yet extremely sincere little face, I broke into a smile.
It was her own story, yet she turned around to comfort me, really…
“What good news?”
“Sister, do you know why I’m getting new clothes made?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to Order City!” At this point, Elle’s eyes were full of yearning, and she excitedly clenched her fists and waved them twice, “Sister, do you remember Mr. Charles?”
“I remember.”
Just that gentleman full of disdain for others, quite memorable.
“Next month he’s coming again, and this time Lukas and I were chosen! We’re going to Cataloma!”
The little girl suddenly walked ahead, hopping along the curb, looking very endearing.
Cataloma, I remember it’s a place established by the church to nurture talents, which means…
“Elle, congratulations.”
“Tee-hee! I’ve already decided, after I go there I’ll train hard with Sister Theresa, and in the future I want to become a pure sister!”
“Elle, you want to be a sister?”
“Mm-hmm!”
The little girl turned to face me, walking backward with her hands behind her back.
“Actually… don’t laugh at me, sister… I want to be a Holy Maiden… I want to pray to the deities, so that all~ all children like me in the world can eat their fill, that’s my dream… hehe.”
She scratched her cheek with her finger, her smile containing nothing but innocence.
“Elle, that’s amazing.”
“Hehe.”
Hearing my praise, Elle lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly.
The winter snow had just cleared, and the sunlight was perfect.
Two figures, one big and one small, one in front and one behind, passed through countless streets and alleys, from prosperity to decay.
A slight stench of rot permeated the air, simple houses were patched up here and there, some didn’t even have windows. The old woman sitting at the doorway had cloudy eyes, withered like dead wood.
…I had never been here before, didn’t even know Winter City had such places.
Or rather, such places exist everywhere, don’t they?
“Sister, what are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh right sister, I still don’t know your name.”
Hearing Elle’s question, I thought for a moment, then smiled gently at her: “Peylo.”
“Eh?”
Maybe my voice was too soft. I looked at her face and repeated again.
“I’m called Peylo. Peylo Guinevere Wintermoon.”
“Ah…”
Elle became somewhat excited, she clenched her fists.
“Sister, you really are a Wintermoon, that’s amazing! This is my first time talking to someone from the royal family!”
“Wintermoon. Nothing amazing about it.”
“It is amazing! Really!”
The little girl probably wanted to express her reverence for the Wintermoon name but didn’t know how to do it. After gesturing excitedly for a while, her expression suddenly became nervous.
“Peylo sister, can I… can I consider you my friend?”
I laughed and raised my hand to pat her head.
“We are friends.”
“Hehe.”
We passed through another old street.
“Sister, Elle feels so blessed.”
“Why?”
“Um, because… the deity says… what did the deity say? Oh right, when one door closes for you, a window will surely open, that’s what it means! Sister, look, now I can not only go to Cataloma, but I also met you. I feel like fate seems to particularly favor me.”
A breeze blew past, lifting my long hair.
“Elle, you will surely be blessed. Do your best, okay.”
“Mm, my goal is to become Holy Maiden after all… Sister, we’re here.” She pointed to a broken alley ahead, “This is Powell Street.”
I frowned, able to smell the decay from far away.
Taking a deep breath.
“Thank you. Elle, you should go back now.”