The meal was harmonious. Even those who were initially conscious of Rowy and couldn’t speak to him quickly became noisy once Van greeted them with a smile first. Perhaps because they deliberately didn’t bring up serious topics like demons, the atmosphere only got better as time passed.
Of course, the good atmosphere was only for the other people’s sake… Rowy hated both this noisy space and conversation with strangers. Still, since Van blocked the attention directed at Rowy well from the side, Rowy just needed to quietly eat without worrying about other people. But then why did he follow along? Well….
“……”
Rowy glanced at Van, who was smiling brightly beside him. If you listened carefully, it wasn’t even anything special, but Van would laugh loudly like that whenever someone said anything.
‘…His expression is very bright.’
…If it weren’t for that face, he would have gone back already. Rowy, admirably holding back the sulkiness that was about to surge up, obediently continued eating.
“Haha.”
Whether he knew Rowy’s feelings or not, Van burst out laughing loudly again. It was just as Rowy felt. Among the people he’d missed, Van was smiling brightly for the first time in a while. Since they were treating him so warmly even though he’d fled without a proper goodbye, it felt like the stone that had always been pressing on one side of his heart was being washed away. As if he’d returned to the past.
“……”
Of course… not everything was the same as before. Empty seats, people who didn’t come. Whenever Van saw such things, he deliberately laughed even louder. The boisterous meal continued late into the night. There were a few who showed tears as they parted, but even while exchanging farewells with them, Van just kept smiling cheerfully. And Rowy was watching such a Van with a blank expression.
‘Why does he keep smiling like that.’
What kind of farewell takes that long? Anyone watching would think he’s leaving somewhere far away. When he’s going to the temple tomorrow anyway. …Why is that guy clinging like that too? Rowy looked irritably at Max, who kept grabbing Van’s waist and hanging on.
“Commander-niim…!”
“Haha.”
“I really missed you!”
“Yes, yes.”
…And why is he accepting it? Finally, Rowy, thoroughly annoyed, scurried over to Van and poked his side.
“…Master-nim?”
“I’m tired.”
“Oh my, come here.”
Van, who had been conversing and laughing with Max, finally jumped in surprise and pulled Rowy to his side. Come to think of it, Rowy’s bedtime had long passed. Since it had been a while since they’d met, there was a lot of accumulated talk, so the meal had lengthened.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
As if he hadn’t just spent a long time talking, Van quickly finished his farewells and headed to the inn with Rowy. Since both the restaurant and the inn were in the central plaza, they arrived quickly.
Even until the moment they returned to the inn, finished preparing for bed while soothing the grumbling Rowy, and lay down in bed together, Van was still smiling pleasantly. Seeing that face made the sulkiness surge up again. Rowy poked Van with his finger for no reason. Everywhere he poked was hard, which annoyed him even more. Rowy asked in a thoroughly annoyed voice.
“Do you want to live in the temple again?”
“What? With Master-nim?”
“Why would I live here?”
“Then there’s no reason for me to live here either, is there?”
“……”
…That’s right, isn’t it? His mood quickly improved, and Rowy burrowed into Van’s embrace again. Van pulled such a Rowy into his arms and asked in a low voice.
“After we’ve completely broken the curse.”
“Yeah.”
“Will you return to the island again?”
“Well, won’t I?”
“Then how about really fixing up the castle this time?”
“Hm?”
At the sudden comment, Rowy, who had been burying his face in Van’s chest, raised his head.
“Why all of a sudden? I made it perfectly fine with magic. I even embedded magic stones.”
“Still. The feeling is different from fixing it directly.”
“Well, do whatever you want.”
Rowy nodded half-heartedly. As long as it doesn’t collapse, what’s there to fix? He didn’t understand…. However, Van had a more concrete plan than expected. Apparently, he’d already discussed it enough that the Captain said he would introduce a repairman. Since it was a castle that seemed valuable, he’d separately asked Seilan about a restoration specialist.
“…When did you become close with Seilan?”
“What? We’re not close.”
“……”
Rowy, who didn’t even have conversations with people he wasn’t close to, closed his mouth. Meanwhile, Van kept chattering about where and how to fix things. At this rate, he seemed ready to build an entirely new castle.
“…Wait, did you have that many complaints about the castle?”
“It’s a place we’ll live together, so it would be good to repair it.”
…Well, if you put it that way. Rowy quieted down again and just nodded his head.
“So when we return. First….”
‘Return….’
That sounds quite nice…. Rowy, who yawned softly, closed his eyes using Van’s unending voice as a lullaby.
* * *
While the ritual was being prepared, Van and Rowy steadily visited the temple. Since it was a temple he was visiting after a long time, Van wanted to help with something. With the permission of the generous master Rowy, Van took care of the temple’s children and looked for places to repair, just like before.
While Van was busy moving around like that, Rowy also busily roamed the temple here and there. It certainly wasn’t to help the temple like Van… but because he’d become interested in divine power.
However, regrettably, compared to how diligently he went around, he didn’t learn much, because communication with the priests didn’t work properly from the start. For example, it was like this. When asking a priest about blessing prayers….
‘Does this really work? What’s the principle?’
‘If you pray, everything is granted.’
‘You mean divine power is manifested when you pray?’
‘What? You just pray and everything happens.’
‘……’
It didn’t seem like they were deliberately not telling him; they really just seemed to think that way. That everything comes true if you pray.
‘How can that be?’
The mage, who absolutely couldn’t stand not digging into principles, tilted his head. Though he’d hit a wall from the start, that much couldn’t stop Rowy’s curiosity.
‘Then I’ll figure it out myself.’
And so, using divine power research as a reason, Rowy began appearing abruptly in the middle of blessing prayers. Naturally, complaints from customers—no, believers—followed.
‘Mage Entry Prohibited.’
Eventually, Rowy was banned from entering the prayer room. Rowy grumbled at the paper posted prominently on the door. Of course, simply posting a piece of paper couldn’t actually stop Rowy. However, after being dragged away by Van, who rarely wore a stern expression, Rowy had no choice but to stop his prayer room raids.
‘Making a scary face and all….’
When the person who always smiled and granted whatever Rowy said hardened his expression… even Rowy was a bit scared. For that reason… Rowy had no choice but to turn his attention elsewhere.
The new target he found like that was none other than Elysion Temple’s other source of income: talismans. More precisely, he became interested in the holy language written on the talismans. Rowy had been thinking he should study it since he saw the holy language written on the Holy Sword.
‘I want to learn holy language.’
‘Holy language?’
What would you use it for? Questions appeared on Van’s face. Though he didn’t understand… Van still found a teacher for Rowy. The person introduced then was Father Rainer, who was now in front of Rowy.
“Hi.”
“……”
Rowy waved his hand lightly in greeting. Father Rainer, who received the greeting, also bowed his head to Rowy. Then the white cloth covering his face fluttered along with it. Father Rainer uniquely had half his face covered with white cloth, which apparently indicated he was in the middle of a vow of silence.
‘How is not speaking any kind of training?’
He couldn’t understand it at all… but anyway, Father Rainer was quite a good teacher.
They said he knew the most about holy language among the priests, and indeed, the content he immediately wrote down whenever asked was excellent enough to satisfy the demanding Rowy. Thanks to this, Rowy was currently conducting satisfying holy language research these days.
“Hmm hmm….”
Humming, Rowy pulled out a chair next to Father Rainer and sat down, examining the talismans spread out all over the table.
“What? You’re drawing talismans again? You said you finished yesterday.”
Father Rainer, whose learning was high enough to be acknowledged by Rowy, who was called a genius mage, was currently,
‘Pregnancy prayer.’
…diligently drawing pregnancy prayer talismans.
‘…Somehow it seems like Seilan has ruined the temple.’
“Hmm, well, work hard.”
Rowy, who nodded half-heartedly with an ambiguous expression, took out the Holy Sword replica from his bosom. It was the very replica he’d received as a prize for dart throwing before. These days, Rowy was passionately analyzing the holy language written on it. Rowy, who floated the replica in the air, opened the holy scripture he’d borrowed from Father Rainer.
‘It reminds me of when I attended the Academy….’
Like that, in the temple’s back garden where the two had settled, only the sound of Father Rainer writing talismans and Rowy turning pages of the holy scripture could be heard. This time was Rowy’s favorite moment these days.
‘Maybe I’m suited to being a priest.’
Thinking such absurd thoughts, Rowy’s peaceful temple routine continued like that today as well.
“……”
And… there was a gaze persistently staring at such a Rowy.
