My dear witch, please turn evil according to the script!

Chapter 114 That silly kid is always thinking about nonsense.

"Roland! Where have you been! Even if you went out with the old lady, you shouldn't be back until the afternoon!"

"Really, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Luckily, I saved you a portion."

"Hmph, you're welcome!"

Roland chuckled as he watched Kalia triumphantly hand him a food box.

"I went to see some... scenery, that's all."

Roland asked with some curiosity, "Are you just going to stand here at the city gate and wait for me?"

"I remember the banquet was divided into three sessions: morning, noon, and evening."

"Is this session still going strong from noon?"

Kalia nudged Roland with her elbow, annoyed: "It's all because you never come back!"

"I'm worried about you, so is it okay if I don't have an appetite?"

"Where's Cellina?" Roland asked casually after taking the food box.

"She's nowhere to be found. You two are playing hide-and-seek with me, aren't you!"

Kalia was visibly unhappy, and even a little aggrieved.

Roland smiled without saying a word, but simply tossed the food box in his hand and said, "Would you mind if we found a nice place to sit down and eat?"

"Anyway, you're definitely not full. Let's go out and see what you want to eat."

"The snow has stopped, and many shops should be open for business."

"Great! I want roasted ribs! The pork from Blackthorn Territory is much better than the pork from the capital!"

The tried-and-true technique worked once again.

After ordering a large portion of grilled ribs with sauce from a restaurant, Roland and Kalia found a small park built on a high point in the main city.

The main city of Blackthorn Territory was built against the mountain. Although most places in the city do not have much difference in elevation, places such as the Governor's Mansion and the Viscount's Mansion are built at the highest point in the city.

This garden, which remains lush and green even in winter, is located beneath the Viscount's mansion.

Roland even suspected that this might be the park built by the Blood Demon Viscount, since the plants in this park were not cold-resistant species.

It is clear that there is an external force maintaining their growth.

Of course, this is not the point.

Kalia was the most excited when she discovered that there was such a park in the city.

She rushed to the observation platform in the park, leaned half her body against the railing, and looked down at the city below, which was almost entirely visible.

Roland smiled as he watched Kalia's retreating figure, then opened the food box Kalia had left for him.

Hmm, it seems the food at today's banquet was indeed quite good.

Even though it was cold, the aroma still filled Roland's nostrils, whetting his appetite.

The only downside was that Kalia hadn't prepared any tableware for him.

Left with no other choice, Roland took out the branches that appeared to be from the World Tree, peeled off the leaves, and put them away. He then used them as chopsticks, albeit reluctantly.

Although he hadn't used this type of tableware for many years, Roland didn't feel much of a sense of unfamiliarity when he picked it up again.

Even though he had to admit that it would have been more appropriate to eat the boxed lunch that Kalia had packed for him with a fork.

"Hey Roland, do you sometimes find me noisy?"

Kalia, who was quietly admiring the scenery, suddenly said something out of the blue, which stunned Roland, who was figuring out how to pick up that damned piece of stewed beef from the box and put it in his mouth.

Wow, your chat ranges are huge!

Roland didn't respond, but simply patted the seat next to him: "Alright, stop thinking about these things."

"If you don't eat now, your ribs will get cold."

"Don't rush to eat, answer me first."

Kalia turned around, leaned against the railing, and tilted her head. The serene smile on her face almost made Roland think that she had been possessed.

"And another thing, if you dare to steal any food, you're dead meat."

Well, thankfully, I wasn't possessed.

Roland sighed softly and placed the food box on the bench where he was sitting.

"Do you want to hear the truth or lies?"

"Hey...aren't you basically telling me the answer?"

Kalia rolled her eyes at Roland: —_—

However, Kalia, who had been full of confidence, suddenly became a little nervous after receiving Roland's ambiguous answer.

He began fiddling with his fingers as he placed his hands in front of him.

"The old woman must have told you everything about me, right?"

"Hmm? What's going on?"

Seeing Roland's feigned ignorance, Kalia smiled faintly: "Alright, alright, there's no need to keep it a secret for her."

"She consulted me."

"Although I didn't agree... based on what I know about her, she'll most likely tell you the truth."

"Actually... I wanted to tell you this when we were in the capital."

"After all, that bad woman's experience was basically the same as mine."

"...But when I was about to tell you, I suddenly understood why that bad woman was unwilling to speak up."

Kalia's tone wasn't as lively as usual; it seemed that she only quieted down when she was slightly down but not quite sad.

To return to the state a beautiful young girl should be in.

Roland was also surprised; this old woman, Fram, was indeed no ordinary person.

In this kind of situation, a normal person would either not ask the person involved for their opinion and just tell others directly.

Generally speaking, if you consult the person involved, you'll usually respect their opinion. But this guy is different; he asks questions, but then he gives his own opinion.

It emphasizes formalism.

Anyway, I've already asked, so it's up to me to decide what to do next.

Seeing that Roland remained silent, Kalia continued to ask, "You should... have gone to that place, right? My... hometown."

"Yeah." Roland nodded.

"Hehe, nothing fun here, right?"

"...Kalia, don't worry about it. Ms. Flam and I both know what caused the disaster, and I won't blame you."

Kalia smiled helplessly, then closed her eyes and shook her head: "But... ultimately, this is my fault, isn't it?"

“You don’t blame me because you weren’t one of those people involved. You don’t have any family or friends who died in the disaster I caused.”

“I know no one will blame me, after all, those who would blame me... would have died in the disaster I caused long ago.”

"I just can't forgive myself..."

"Especially after we went to the capital."

"When I hear people talking about Iluvia, it's as if they're talking about me."

As Kalia spoke, she looked at Roland and said, "Don't blame me, Roland. You've helped me so much, and I didn't even tell you these things on my own initiative. I had to ask the old woman to tell you for me."

Roland stood up and quickly walked to Kalia.

Seeing Roland approaching so quickly, Kalia panicked and instinctively tried to retreat, only to find that she had nowhere left to go.

If I retreated any further, I would fall off the balcony.

"Ouch! What are you doing!"

Kalia glared at Roland, who had just given her a sharp flick on the forehead.

Roland sighed; "Although I really wanted to say something profound to enlighten you."

"But you're right, I'm not in a position to forgive you on behalf of others."

"Some things, the people involved have to get through on their own."

"Although you and Iluvia are like two completely different people in many ways."

"But at least in this kind of thing, you two are exactly the same."

"Of course, your self-destructive tendencies are less than Iluvia's; you're not to the point of constantly contemplating suicide."

"But Kalia, you must always remember one thing."

"Whether lifespan is long or short, life is about living in the present moment."

"Whether it's the cicadas in the trees in summer or the almost immortal elves of Avalon, they are all the same; they can only live for a fleeting moment."

"A person's past is what shaped their personality and thoughts, but ultimately, a person lives in the present."

"Think it over carefully, don't let the past hold you back."

"Since we're still alive, there's always something we can do."

After Roland finished speaking, he patted Kalia on the shoulder: "Alright, that's the end of the boring lecture."

"Are you going to eat your ribs or not? If not, I'll eat them."

"It'll get really cold if we don't eat it soon."

Kalia, who was clearly caught off guard, burst out laughing after a moment of stunned silence.

After laughing in Roland's arms for a while, Kalia buried her head in Roland's chest and said, "You... you always talk about the same old high-sounding principles."

"I never would have guessed you were this kind of person."

“…Right, Roland.”

"Hmm, what's wrong now?"

Roland looked down at the back of Kalia's head and asked.

"I kind of regret it..."

"What do you regret?"

"I regret that the promise we made in Riskan was too hasty."

As she spoke, Kalia suddenly looked up at Roland.

"Then should we cancel it and establish a new one?"

"No...this is fine as it is."

"Moreover, if an agreement is easily voided, it will not be valid for future agreements."

After saying that, Kalia left Roland's embrace and walked back to the railing.

As dusk fell, the last rays of sunlight filtered through the trees and fell on Kalia's shoulder, making her amber eyes sparkle.

For a fleeting moment, Roland felt as if he had returned to the small lake outside Riskan.

Unbeknownst to me... I've been spending so much time with this guy in front of me already?
About a month, which is neither a long nor a short time.

At least, the girl who only knew how to eat and was covered in dirt when they first met was no longer a stranger to Roland.

She turned and tilted her head, smiling at Roland: "Since you've said such a long string of words..."

"Please take good care of me from now on, and don't ever leave me behind!"

"Also...no stealing food!"

Roland silently put down the grilled rib in his hand, then pointed the rib, which was covered in sauce, at Kalia: "Shall I feed you?"

"That's pretty much it."

[Ding, the third stage of the series of quests—The Fall of the Capital in Eternal Silence—is partially completed...]

(End of this chapter)