People talking, children running around, a mix of aromas that make anyone's mouth water. The atmosphere of the festival fills the normal quiet life with an unusual joy. There are no worries, anxieties, or problems; until the end of the day, the only thing that matters to everyone is to have fun.
This contagious atmosphere has managed to penetrate the wall that Manila has built over the years, with a smile on her face, her eyes follow every detail of the festival. Woltur watches her with interest.
"Are you enjoying the Manila festival?" He asks with a teasing smile.
"Yes, when Vivielle and Julienne invited me to participate in the festival, I didn't think it would be fun, I couldn't see how it could be fun, but little by little, as I walked through the streets, choosing dresses, shoes and other things, it was then that I began to understand a little." Every word that came out of her mouth was filled with an incomparable sweetness, comparable to that of a child who left home for the first time.
"Elzen seemed right in convincing us to participate in this event with you; he must really like you."
She didn't answer; she didn't need to respond with words at that moment, mentioning Elzen's name made her smile shyly, and that smile enchanted Woltur.
"Now I understand his fascination for you." Woltur murmured.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing, I just meant that I understand now why Elzen admires you so much."
Like the ripest apples, her cheeks turn red at Woltur's comment. Something noticeable to everyone who knows her is that whenever Elzen is mentioned or is near, Manila's attitude changes; she becomes more fragile and delicate in her eyes, a crack in her wall.
Without further delay, Woltur leads her through the stalls, each one containing many types of food displayed for those who visit the streets for the festival. Manila's first choice was two skewers of meat and vegetables. The seasonings used in a balanced way and the mild flavor of the butter brushed on the skewers made this simple dish a delight.
A peculiar and pleasant smell caught her attention, as she approached the stall, a person was cooking some vegetables in a large iron pot in a thick red sauce, the cook then added some balls of dough and cooked them for a few more minutes, with her mouth-watering, Manila ordered a portion and even it with an expression of happiness. The pasta balls have grown in volume and absorbed the red sauce. The spicy and sweet sauce makes the whole dish harmonious, and the vegetables, cooked to the right point, offer their most bitter taste, working perfectly with the sauce.
With each new dish she tries, her appetite only seems to increase. She follows Woltur from stall to stall, not caring about what is being offered but how much more she can eat. Meat or fruit pies, juices cooled with magic made from various fruits, baked, fried, caramel, or chocolate-covered sweets in an infinite array of flavors.
Satisfied with a blackberry ice cream cone in her hands, sitting on a bench in the city's central square, Manila smiles happily. Woltur, sitting next to her, watches her intrigued.
"Can I ask you a question, Manila?"
"Sure." She takes another lick of ice cream.
"I've heard it once, but I'd like to hear it without anyone around. Why did you decide to leave the mansion?"
Her smile disappears immediately, taking a deep breath, she looks down at the ground.
"For years, I have lived under the mistreatment of the Felnatus family. To be fair, those who mistreat me are Luccio, Mellorus, and Amiliath, each with their twisted way of treating me." She looks at Woltur. "Do you want me to tell you, because I know you are loyal to the family?"
The two remain silent, waiting for time to pass. A few minutes later, Quaaren and Caristo approach. Woltur stands up first and, without looking at Manila, says something just for her to hear.
"I will always be loyal to the house of Felnatus, no matter what happens, but even so, I can still feel sympathy for something that happened to you."
"It's our turn to help; we have exactly two hours before the final event." Quaaren went to Manila.
"Good job, Woltur, leave it to us." Caristo greets Woltur with his monotone before letting him go.
"What are we going to do now?" Manila asked curiously.
"Did Woltur forget to tell you? I knew he would forget, well, Caristo and I will take you to the entertainment stalls, there will be several games we can try to have fun."
"Then let's go." She stands up and offers both arms to each of them.
"I'm sure you'll love it." Quaaren said a little more enthusiastically.
"We don't want to be the only ones to fail this mission." Caristo added.
She laughs at Caristo's rigidity in dealing with anything outside of combat; she sees her behavior as a mirror when interacting with him. The three of them head towards some games and activity stalls. The first one is a ring toss game. The goal is simple: hit three rings on the stick arranged in front of the prize you want, and it's all yours.
Manila missed her five chances; Caristo hit two and almost got the prize, and Quaaren hit one of the two prizes. Although they didn't get any prizes, it was a fun experience for them. The second stall was a test of strength; the further you could throw the water barrel, the better your prize would be.
Caristo played only two meters away, and Quaaren managed an impressive six meters. His physical appearance really can deceive the potential of his strength. Manila finally concentrated and threw the barrel with all her strength.
CRASH! SPLASH!
The sound of the barrel breaking into pieces and spilling all its contents on the ground caused everyone around to fall silent in shock at the scene. Seconds later, the crowd burst into applause. She threw the barrel over the finish line, reaching over fifteen meters.
"We have an incredible winner here, ladies and gentlemen!" The owner shouted fervently, and the crowd became more excited.
Several people surround Manila, congratulating her on her achievement. Some recognize her from the patrols she did with Elzen. The owner approaches and delivers her the grand prize, a silver tiara with a diamond-shaped ruby in the center.
"Miss, you are the first in several years of this festival to achieve something like this. Congratulations!"
She smiled happily and accepted the prize. Quaaren came over excitedly, hitting a light slap on the shoulder.
"Wonderful Manila! I knew you were strong, but I never imagined you would be so strong. I wonder if the mansion is accepting employees. I want to have your strength when I grow up." He laughs playfully, infecting her with his joy.
They moved away from the crowd to visit other places, laughing and talking about everyday nonsense, even Caristo broke a little of his stiffness.
Time passes quickly while they have fun, and soon they start their way back to the camp. They carry some prizes in their hands and talk without worries.
"I said I could hit the darts, but you doubted me!" Quaaren boasted about his little feat.
"As far as I remember, you said you would be able to hit all the darts, and out of the eight, you hit five." Caristo scoffed at him.
"Hey! You missed them all. I don't know how you managed to join the regiment when you can't even hit a target less than ten meters away."
"I think Caristo and I are made for targets at arm's length because I only hit two." Manila said, giving Quaaren a slight shoulder bump.
"Watch out for that strength, girl! I don't want to be the next barrel you break."
The group's laughter caught the attention of the other soldiers who were still working. As they approached the tent, Julienne and Vivienne were waiting for Manila. They had kicked Woltur out of the tent earlier to help her prepare for the main event, and now they were forbidding the other two boys from entering.
"We'll take care of that part, boys. Please wait outside." Vivienne said.
"Okay, okay, we understand. Please give us the prizes, Manila. We'll keep them for you." Caristo extended his hands to her and kept the prizes she was carrying.
They urgently brought Manila into the tent. Everything was prepared for her, a circular wooden bathtub with scented water, a scent she recognized from her morning shopping. After bathing with Julienne's help, Manila was dressed with all the products she bought that morning, and the result made the girls proud. The indigo dress mixes perfectly with the shoes and accessories, giving her a breathtaking look.
Vivienne then works on the makeup that will finish off the look. It will be nothing too strong or flashy, only a few highlights that bring out Manila's beauty.
"I don't do this much on other people, but I'm sure you and Elzen will like my work," Vivienne said with a mischievous smile.
After a long day, the serenity of the night gradually paints the sky. When leaving the tent, Elzen was waiting for Manila, dressed elegantly, in a luxurious and pompous white shirt, loose black cotton and leather pants, and black suede boots.
"You... look beautiful... I mean, more beautiful than usual because you're already beautiful the way you are..." He stumbles with his words, showing his nervousness.
Manila laughs shyly, her cheeks flushed even with the makeup covering them. She approaches him and offers her hand for him to hold. In a moment of bravery, he holds her hand and kisses the top of it, which makes the two girls who had just left the tent let out a sigh of admiration.
"Ready for what I hope will be the best night of your life?" Elzen asked gently.
"Yes, I hope I live up to your expectations."
"Since the first day I saw you."
The girls behind sigh at them, which is the cue for them to leave. Hand in hand, they walk through the streets following a sparse path, one by one, the village lights turn on, controlled by magic, illuminating the entire space with a beautiful pale blue tone.
"Did you have fun today? Did you like the festival?"
"Yes, it was all amusing and now it's perfect."
"I'm glad about that, I was worried that all of this would be something too strange or not to your liking."
"It was great, I even got on good terms with everyone, even Vivelle, I saw a side of her that I didn't expect to see, and I think she saw the same from me."
The two continue to talk about the day at the festival. Elzen says that she was preparing for this moment, and Woltur recommended a special place to watch the final event of the festival, the fireworks. He was impressed by the awards she had won and her barrel-throwing feat, reminding her that the people who witnessed it would never forget this day. They laughed about it and headed towards a viewpoint far from the village.
The trail they followed was not very well-lit, the stone road gradually turned into dirt, and they climbed until they reached a secluded spot. There was a well-kept wooden bench that, when they sat down, gave them a perfect view of the entire village.
"This place is gorgeous." Manila said, resting her head on Elzen's shoulder.
"I'll thank Woltur when we get back, here we'll have a good view of the fireworks."
The two remained silent, looking at the landscape and holding hands. Elzen slightly moved his hand, bringing her face closer, and then kissed her affectionately. They stay like this for a few minutes, interrupted by fireworks. Manila stops and admires the splendor of the lights that resemble stars of different colors. The entire village is bathed in these lights and explosions. She feels Elzen's hand forcefully pulled away from her. When she looks in his direction, she sees the boy lying on the ground, unconscious.
"Elzen?"
She asked, confused, before feeling a sharp pain in her head and seeing all those lights turn into darkness.