TOM Chapter 13

"Who is Mamik?"

"The last orthodox member of the Rekaenon sect? She's a woman the temple recruited to help incorporate the heretics. They call her a saint and sing her praises, but she doesn't have any real power."

No wonder the holy water was ridiculously diluted—she's just a symbol being exploited from all sides.

My stomach felt queasy.

I knew that the ancient god sects were treated as heretics, but this was my first time witnessing it directly.

To think she has to save the world while being treated like this.

Ugh, it makes me sick. I pulled back some of the power I'd channeled into my body.

"Where are we going next?"

The next place we headed to was the plaza.

At 3 PM on an autumn afternoon with surprisingly intense sunlight beating down, there was a band on one side and crowds of people gathered everywhere else.

Strangely, they were all wearing masks.

"A masquerade ball?"

"Something like that. If you come without one, they give you looks."

"I've been noticing since earlier—why do you know so much about the harvest festival?"

"I had a lot of business here. This is my first time properly enjoying it though."

"Then why didn't you come earlier? Why now?"

"I didn't want to come alone."

"When we're grown up, let's go to the harvest festival together, Amy."

The words I'd spoken as a child came flooding back to me.

But surely that's not the reason?

Amy died so long ago—it couldn't be..

The band began to play.

It lacked the grandeur of a court orchestra, but the fairy-tale-like tones resonated dreamily.

Come to think of it, this is my first time properly listening to folk music too.

The bard opened his mouth.

[I am a marionette.]

"Well then."

Kruelo extended his hand to me.

Sunlight pooled in his eyes behind the mask, sparkling like pretty gems.

"Would you like to dance, Lady?"

"Uh... I don't know how to folk dance."

I had no idea what I was doing—I'd just been following along without understanding anything.

Even though I'd recently brushed up on ballroom dancing, folk dancing was an entirely different world.

"It's not difficult, and mistakes don't matter."

"Hmm."

"That's why we're wearing masks."

"Well, then..."

I trailed off and quietly took Kruelo's hand.

Honestly, it seemed like it would be fun.

I generally liked moving my body, and ballroom dancing had been enjoyable too.

While I'm at it, I should step on Kruelo's feet to my heart's content.

[I am a marionette. I can become anything.]

The song began in earnest just then.

Following Kruelo's lead, stealing glances at other people's dancing, I moved my body clumsily.

My awkward appearance was amusing, like a real marionette.

[A princess in glass slippers, a hero slaying dragons, an emperor who owns the entire continent.]

[Following the puppeteer's commands, according to the audience's expectations, I become anything.]

"Ah, sorry."

Apologizing for stepping on his foot, I pretended it was an accident and stepped on it once more.

Kruelo's eyes narrowed, but I pretended not to notice.

[Joy, sorrow, love, hatred—I become anything.]

[Making excited little children flutter with anticipation, breaking the pride of adults who looked down on me as childish.]

The cheerful rhythm was more enjoyable than I'd expected.

"I thought my first dance would be in a ballroom, but this isn't bad either."

"This seems like it would be more fun."

"You haven't tried it yet."

"That's true, but... Pfft!"

"Why are you laughing?"

I looked over Kruelo's shoulder and quickly turned my eyes away.

A wild boar and a lion were dancing.

Those masks I'd seen earlier.

It wasn't anything special, but maybe because of the atmosphere—why was it so funny?

[I am a marionette who makes everyone happy.]

[But.]

[Ding ding ding, the bell has rung again today. It's become 12 o'clock.]

[Time for the princess's shoes, the hero's sword, the emperor's crown to all melt away.]

[The children and adults all go home. I too return to the dark box.]

Regaining my composure and singing along to the rhythm, I frowned.

"The song lyrics are strangely gloomy."

"Are they?"

[Mmm mmm mmm. Trapped in darkness, I cannot become anything.]

"Listen, that—"

Suddenly Kruelo pulled my body close.

It seemed like part of the dance, but it was still sudden.

Close enough that our skin might have touched if we hadn't been wearing masks.

In the shadows created by the masks, Kruelo's eyes shone clearly.

"I like it."

"So suddenly..."

"A fate bound by strings, unable to move."

[Bound by strings, unable to move.]

Kruelo hummed cheerfully.

The bard's singing voice and his voice overlapped.

"We're actually in similar situations."

"..."

"Isn't that right, Darling?"

[A pitiful wooden block that cannot become anything. A displaced shadow that cannot even wiggle a finger.]

Kruelo's words were meaningful.

What could he possibly know to say such things?

All the pleasant warmth drained away in an instant, leaving my chest cold and hollow inside.

The Council of Elders had brainwashed Kruelo to make proper use of him.

In my previous life, I had broken that brainwashing, but I'd never given him a proper explanation about any of it.

Not about the brainwashing, not about Morion, not even about how the Whitedesert family had originally come into existence.

If word of my actions ever reached the Council of Elders, the difficulty level would spiral completely out of control.

But just because I haven't told him doesn't mean he'll remain in the dark forever.

Children grow up.

Boys think and young men act.

I couldn't judge Kruelo based only on the story of 《Destiny》.

[But don't worry. 12 o'clock comes every single day. The time to fall comes every single day.]

[When the sun rises, I open my eyes again and become anything.]

[I am a marionette. I can become anything.]

Before I knew it, my fingertips had grown stiff.

I exhaled a long sigh and relaxed.

"Is your position heavy?"

"You could say that."

"Is that why you put those conditions on marriage?"

"Something like that. I heard my family was supposedly created for some specific purpose."

He really has no idea.

God, what a headache.

[A terrible and lovely marionette that comes alive when given a role.]

[A pitiful and obedient marionette dancing on strings.]

[I exist for everyone's happiness.]

"Passing it on to someone who has absolutely nothing to do with that purpose seemed like it would be more entertaining than just destroying it outright."

"..."

"Aren't you going to ask what the purpose is?"

"What else could it be? Just the usual—money, power, influence, that kind of thing."

[Today, tomorrow, every single day.]

I answered nonchalantly, grateful for the mask.

The song ended.

The band finished their performance and prepared for the next piece, while the dancers also chatted in excited voices.

In the cheerful commotion that sounded like birds chirping, I looked at the large masked man.

He gazed at me observantly, then said lightly.

"Darling is wise."

Of course.

The sun had set and stars appeared thickly scattered across the sky.

Before we knew it, the entire day had slipped away and the festival was down to just the fireworks.

It was at that moment.

"Well then, let's head back now."

Kruelo said cleanly.

What!

"What about the fireworks?"

Oh no, this isn't right.

Did I get too immersed and enjoy myself? Feeling awkward, I pursed my lips.

But if we came all the way to the harvest festival, shouldn't we watch the fireworks?

"Did you want to see the fireworks?"

"Mm."

The fireworks viewed from the Whitedesert trees were beautiful too.

Seeing them up close would probably be a good experience.

If not today, I'd probably never come to a harvest festival in my lifetime.

Once I stop the world's destruction, I'll return to the temple where I was born and raised.

Thinking that made me feel regretful, so I quietly rolled my eyes.

Kruelo blinked as if surprised.

"Sorry, but today won't work. I have some personal matters to—"

"But then what's the point of missing it!"

An indignant shout cut off Kruelo's words.

I reflexively looked toward where the sound came from.

In a fairly secluded alley, I could vaguely see a woman with ash-colored hair and a large man.

"Are you crazy? How much is that worth? I told you to use twice the normal dose of sleeping pills, didn't I?"

"I used three times the amount. Why are you bitching at me? That bastard had strong drug immunity to begin with—what was I supposed to do?"

"Damn it, do you think they'll care about excuses like that up there?"

The woman spat on the ground with a "ptooey."

"If we get caught, both you and I are dead. Enough, let's just hurry up and search."

"I get it, so shut up. It's just some immature winter lynx anyway. It's got to be somewhere around here."

Winter lynx?

Just as I was wondering about this unfamiliar creature.

Squeak.

A strange sound came from near my feet.

When I looked down, a cat about the size of a fist was crawling up onto my foot.

Its fur was light blue and it had squirrel-like stripes on its forehead—somehow...

"Winter lynx...?"

"Too late."

Kruelo muttered.

Just then, the people who had been arguing in the alley came out.

As I was wondering what to do with this cat, the winter lynx—presumably—jumped into my arms.

Oh my, is this being chosen?

The man and woman spat on the ground with annoyance and disappeared.

We remained silent as if by agreement until the human shadows moved away, then walked in the opposite direction.

I could feel a tiny heartbeat inside my chest.

The cat seemed very frightened.

I kept my head facing forward and only rolled my eyes to look at Kruelo.

"You just said 'too late.' This is the personal business, isn't it?"

"Even if I denied it, you wouldn't believe me. Why did you pick that up?"

"Are your eyes bad in the dark? I didn't pick it up—it came to me on its own. So what is this thing?"

"Who knows."

Thinking we'd moved far enough from those people, I stopped walking.

When I took the cat out of my arms, the animal rubbed its cheek against my palm.

Rather than being simply soft, it felt cold and rough like finely carved icicles.

The name 'winter lynx' suits it perfectly, so it really is... Wait.

"It must be some kind of monster."

"Monster my foot—it's a divine beast!"

I exclaimed quietly.

I'd never seen a divine beast before, but what else could an animal with divine power be?

But if that's the case, it's even stranger.

Not all divine beasts are taken in and cared for by temples, but harming them is strictly forbidden.

What could have happened to this cat?

The stench of something illegal hung thick in the air.

"How does Darling know that?"

Kruelo asked a question I couldn't answer.