A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 173 Celebration
Aiswell is unlike any other city in the world.

The academy's independence and progressiveness meant that the Arcane Festival did not have the solemn, ancient religious atmosphere of other traditional festivals, nor the strong political purpose of national festivals. The Arcane Festival was purely an entertainment and commercial activity.

For example, the scenes that can be seen everywhere in Eastwell right now.

Street photography and tarot reading stalls; hunters leading rabbits taller than horses for children to ride; brightly lit circuses and wandering minstrels parading through the streets on floats—most are touring performers who earn a living through tips, or theater troupes from other countries seeking fame. The more famous performances are all indoors, with newsboys distributing theater posters, their clear shouts rising in sync with the music, painting the cloudless sky with a festive hue.

The chocobo wagon weaved through the bustling city. The roads were exceptionally congested today, as if all the carriages in East Wales had come out at once, the incessant ringing of bells used to alert the vehicle in front to give way. A 'carriage bell' is an essential bell for carriages; the driver rings it when turning to alert pedestrians or oncoming vehicles in blind spots. Chocobos, which don't have carriages, are naturally equipped with one, yet this particular chocobo moved through the city unimpeded.

Ankua's large bird cawed loudly, and the horses, as if encountering a ferocious beast, immediately scattered. No matter how the driver waved the reins, he couldn't control the horses' hooves, making the already congested traffic even more chaotic. However, the law enforcement officers dared not stop the vehicle. In East Wales, those riding in chocobos were usually considered to be from West Wales, but the man and woman in the vehicle were truly attractive, with the air of distinguished tourists from another country. The chocobo leisurely sped forward until it reached the towering gates of the museum.

Ankuya got out of the car first and naturally reached out to help Pepe.

In his sun-like form, Anquya is a true gentleman. Whenever a woman is in his car, he will offer her a helping hand, and Pepe has grown accustomed to it after spending so much time with him. In the past, the two would travel together under the pretext of "searching for containment objects," but now, as they have become more familiar with each other, especially after Anquya found her a job as a Memories Doll, they no longer need to make prior arrangements. When Anquya comes to pick her up from get off work, they naturally go out together.

Sometimes it was a midday, sometimes a whole day, or she would follow Ankua like a little tail, wandering around looking for things while he worked. Not knowing the whereabouts of the Gates of Heaven, she had no clear goal when searching, just aimlessly wandering. Searching with him was always enjoyable; this joyful state of mind was perhaps the will of the sun, making Pepe increasingly convinced that she was not far from finding the Gates of Heaven again.

Instead of going through the main entrance of the museum, the two went directly to the second-floor terrace via the back stairs. The staff let them in after seeing the academy shield that Ankuya presented. The two stayed on the terrace for a while because Pepe thought the midday sun was nice and suitable for prayer.

The sky was cloudless, the world a boundless expanse of blue. The skyline of the mountain city resembled an elegant slope. Balloons and colorful smoke drifted in the sky, and the Eye of Grindelwald in the distance shimmered with mesmerizing light. Airships shuttled back and forth, and the line of pedestrians in front of the museum stretched as far as the eye could see. Horse-drawn carriages moved about, and the bustling Cloud Avenue, squares, fountains, fiery red maple trees, and a pleasant breeze created a vibrant atmosphere.

Ankua leaned against the railing, just as Quinn had been the night before, though one was bathed in moonlight while the other gazed at the sun. The world was bright under the brilliant sunlight, the roof tiles reflecting dappled light. His dark eyes remained expressionless for a long time before turning to look at the woman beside him. She had her arms outstretched, her gesture of praising the sun as if embracing the wind.

A breeze blew across the hem of her skirt, causing her wheat-like blonde hair to flutter slightly. This was the dress Peipei wore when she first came to Aswell. The swaying skirt revealed her slender, beautiful feet in sandals. Her eyebrows trembled slightly, and her expression was devout and serene.

Only after Pepe opened her eyes did Ankua smile and ask, "How was it?"

"Yes, it's been like this ever since I came to Eswell. I can't feel God's guidance."

Pepe is a clergy member on the [Evangelical] path. Unlike ordinary believers, she can feel the sun's true 'guidance' during prayer. This is something mysterious and profound. It is not a will conveyed by a high and mighty deity, but rather an intuition that makes one think, "This is what I should do next." The higher the clergy's rank, the more obvious the guidance they feel during prayer.

But Pepe had not felt guidance for a long time. Ever since the sudden downpour in the forests outside Eswell in March, the will of the sun seemed to have left her.

However, Pepe was not discouraged.

“I received a reply from my mother yesterday.”

"Did you tell her about the containment items?"

"Not yet." Peipei said this with a slightly embarrassed look, like a little girl sneaking a bite of instant noodles when her parents aren't around.

“However, I told my mother about what has happened these past few months. She said that the sun shines on believers at all times. When she was young, she also couldn’t feel the sun’s guidance, but that was just because mortal eyes cannot see God’s vision. Silence is also part of a great will. It is a test. I just need to do my best.”

She clenched her fist as if to bolster her courage, "That's right, that's it, this is my training."

“Ah, praise the sun,” Ankua said with a smile, his tone quite devout.

"But is taking amusement out of a customer's burning carriage also part of spiritual practice?"

Pepe's eyes widened immediately. "It was clearly Mr. Jacob who started the fire!"

"That was to save you, you know. Did you want to hear him recite love poems a few more times? That day's melancholy, the melancholy that welled up—"

"Ouch—!!" Peipei covered her ears and pleaded pitifully, "Please let me go."

"Ha, Horaud won't let him bother you anymore."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Hollaude. I've never met anyone like you in Aknets before."

Ankua wondered who would dare harass the nuns of the Vatican?

"Is it hot? Come on in, check out the exhibits and look for the Gates of Heaven while you're at it. Oh, I forgot you're a clergyman."

The people queuing below were sweating profusely from the sun. It was the height of summer in July, and even with the wind at the top of the mountain, the temperature was still close to 40 degrees Celsius.

Pepe was alright, but after Ankuya reminded her, she looked at him with concern.

“Mr. Jacob, aren’t you hot in your suit?” She looked at Ankuya’s clean face, which showed no signs of sweat, as if the forty-degree weather had no effect on him. “The effect of arcane magic.”

"Oh"

Pepe nodded in sudden realization, then secretly admired him. Clerics generally possess exceptionally high intuition, and this was also true for mana. Although they couldn't see the flow of every single strand of mana like the Demon King's Eye, they still had a basic understanding of arcane magic. Yet, she couldn't sense any trace of arcane magic from Ankuya. He was clearly an ordinary person, yet he could act like a superhuman—truly impressive.

"How about we go downstairs and buy an ice cream cone?" Pepe suggested.

"Ice cream cone? Does the museum sell ice cream?"

The two were supposed to enter through the main entrance on the first floor, but because of Quinn's mention of time travel, Ankuya deliberately wandered around the city for a while to observe the situation. In the end, they went directly to the second-floor terrace through the back door of the museum, without passing through the first floor where the exhibition was being held.

"Eh?"

Peipei was taken aback by his question, then said uncertainly, "I think so?"

Have you ever been to a museum?

"No, you took me to all the places I went." Peipei immediately realized that her words were a bit ambiguous and quickly corrected herself: "It's like I felt like I had been there before."

The two walked along the terrace towards the second-floor interior.

"I feel like there's a piano here, that's really something!"

Pepe pushed open the door and found herself in a small booth on the second floor of the museum displaying musical instruments, with an upright piano produced by the now-defunct Axwell piano factory right in the center.

Peipei couldn't wait to run over, brush the dust off the stool, lift the piano lid, and sit down.

"Mr. Jacob, what would you like to hear?"

"You can play the piano?"

“I studied at a monastery, and I’m the pianist in the choir. Don’t look at me with such high expectations,” Pepe said a little shyly as she withdrew her hands from the keys. “My skill level is just average. If you want to hear something I haven’t practiced, please don’t laugh if I don’t play it well.”

Ankua knew that Quinn could play the piano. Quinn's rendition of "The War of the National Jade" on the night of the opening ceremony was still fresh in his memory. He asked Quinn what level of piano he was at, and Quinn said that he was at the level where he could play it after hearing it once.

Pepe means 'can play without practice,' which is probably an amazing level.

However, he wasn't surprised at all that a girl like Peipei could play the piano. Charm, in essence, is the first impression a person gives to others through their behavior, demeanor, and temperament, and Peipei's charm lies in her elegance, which matches the piano.

Even though she said that, Ankua didn't intend to choose an obscure piece for her to play and feel embarrassed. The most dignified way to deal with someone showcasing their talent is to let them improvise. So Ankua casually asked, "Is there any piece you particularly like?"

And so, the melody of "Farewell" echoed lightly in the small cubicle filled with musical instruments.

Until the song ended.

Her fair fingers left the piano keys and rested obediently on the hem of her skirt on her knees. This was a melody that Peipei's mother often hummed when she was a child. It had no title and no lyrics, but it was her favorite tune.

"You really can't go too long without playing the piano. It's only been three months and I already feel a bit rusty. Did you like this piece?"

The hesitant voices abruptly stopped, and through the piano's mirror-like lacquer, Peipei saw a scene that left her bewildered.

"Mr. Jacob, are you crying?"

"."

Ankua wiped his face with his hand, then smiled.

"I didn't sleep well last night."

Peipei stared at him without saying a word.

"My eyes are a little dry. Let's go buy an ice cream cone."

(End of this chapter)