Tale of Rainbow Memories: The Wolf Girl and the Cursed Witch (Part 5)
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Year 284 of the Imperial Calendar
Golden Suns’ Day, Spiritweek, First Month of Summer
Western Lafria, Plains near the Wooden Sea

“What do I do?”

It had been nearly three weeks since we learned about Lily’s real identity. Three weeks and I still didn’t know what to do about her. My original plan had been to travel to the capital of Larfas, contact her family and then work out what we should do with her. That would have been optimal. Should have been.

Alas, life had a way of making the simplest things exceedingly troublesome.

“... What do I do?”

I sat in the captain’s wagon, drink in hand, and pondered about my situation. Things had become difficult. It was one thing when we were camping near a town… but right now, we were on the road. The wagon swayed in a steady rhythm.

“Can’t be helped.”

I stood up and went to the back of the wagon. Rummaging through my wardrobe, I found what I was looking for.

“Wait, Captain?! What are you going to do with that pillow and blanket?!”
“Sleep, of course.”

Exasperated, I stared at the two people on the other end of the wagon, where my bed was. When I came back, I found these two inside my wagon. My last refuge had been taken over by them.

“There’s a blanket and a pillow here, already. You don’t need another set.”
“Is that so? I guess the nights are warm but it still gets cold on the floor.”
”That’s not what I meant!”
“You’ll wake her if you are so loud.”
“Ah…”

In a hurry, the Priest Maiden looked to her side. Fortunately, the last intruder was still fast asleep.

“Really, why are you here? Don’t you two have your own bed?”
“Oh? Isn’t it normal for a family to sleep together?”
“With a larger bed, maybe.”
“We can squeeze together just fine.”
“... I’ll refrain.”

I put the blanket and the pillow on the table before sitting down again.

“So? Your little skit aside, why are you two here?”
“Don’t call it a skit.”

Pouting, the Priest Maiden got up from the bed. She turned around, checked to make sure that the blanket was draped over Lily and then sat down next to me.

“Lily couldn’t sleep yesterday. I think she’s not used to moving at night.”
“I see. And that’s why you sneaked into my bed?”
“Correct. She really wanted us to sleep together like a family.”
“...”

Like a family, huh?

“Oh, not objecting?”
“... Is there a point in doing so? It’s not like you would stop.”
“Is that really all?”

I could hear her chuckle beside me. A moment later, something held my arm and a weight landed on my shoulder.

“Priest Maiden?”
“Something wrong?”

In the moon’s dim light, I could see the Priest Maiden grin mischievously.

“This much should be fine between family.”
“... Do as you like.”
“I certainly will.”

Even if I tried, I wouldn’t be able to stop her anyway. And… frankly, I didn’t hate it. Even I knew that I was simply stubborn at this point. But admitting that was… hard.

I glanced at the Priest Maiden from the corner of my eye. Her delicate frame illuminated by the moon was breathtaking.

“Mm? Is something wrong, Captain?”
“... No.”

The Priest Maiden’s grin widened when she caught me staring at her.

“Really?”
“Really.”

She poked me in the sides.

“Liar.”
“...”
“Naughty kids get punishment. There! Ouch!”

Once more, she poked my sides, only to bend her finger and hurt herself.

“What are you doing?”

I couldn’t help but sound exasperated. Sometimes, I really wondered if she was older than me.

“Uhhh… Why are you so hard?”
“That’s nothing I can change…”

That’s simply what it meant to be a mercenary. A trained body was a necessity.

“Stupid muscles.”

With her unhurt hand, she punched me at the spot she had tried to poke. Though there was no real strength behind it, so it didn’t hurt at all.

I let her punch my side for a while until she had enough. She seemed awfully satisfied with herself after that.

So childish.

Maybe playing with Lily the past few weeks had rubbed off on her. It was an endearing sight, watching the two play together.

I glanced over to Lily, who was sleeping peacefully in my bed. She had curled up, hugging the blanket. Her tail was occasionally swishing back and forth.

“Hey, Captain.”
“Mh?”

Before I noticed, the Priest Maiden was also watching Lily, a gentle smile on her lips.

“How long will it take until we reach the capital?”
“... With the delay, I guess around three weeks.”
“I see.”
“Unless something else comes up, of course.”

Due to some circumstances, we had to make a rather large detour. Our plan had been to arrive at the capital in a day or two. Yet, here we were, delayed by three weeks.

“I wouldn’t mind… if it takes longer.”
“... You know we have to go there.”
“I know but… I know…”

Her heart couldn’t face it. Didn’t want to face it. That, in three weeks' time, our journey with Lil’ Lily was most definitely coming to an end. When we arrived at the capital, we would contact them. Her real family.

“I’m sure they’ll let you visit Lily. The old lady won’t stop you.”
“... Captain, your hand…”
“Something wrong with it?”
“... No.”

The Priest Maiden didn’t fight the hand that had plopped down on her hand to comfort her. She simply let it soothe her.

After some silence, the Priest Maiden spoke up again.

“Hey, Captain.”
“What is it?”
“Am I a bad person? For hoping the Great Spirit will block our way again?”
“... I don’t think so. I think you’re just a very honest person.”
“...”

She was the one who had spent the most time with Lily by far. And in that time, the two had gotten as close as a real mother and her daughter. Who could blame her for hurting at the prospect of letting go of the girl?

“Want a drink?” I asked her.
“... I don’t think I’d be able to stop if I started now.”
“Isn’t that the point?”
“We’d wake up Lily.”
“... You’re right.”

As much as we wanted to, getting rowdy wasn’t a good idea now.

“I guess I should thank the Great Spirit for at least allowing me a little more time.”
“Most people just think it’s a bother, though.”
“Captain, you shouldn’t say that. It’s a revered spirit!”

I shrugged my shoulders at her. Even if she said that, the Great Spirit, the one called the Great Traveller, was just a bother to most people. After it had been sighted travelling through Lafria, everyone had to adjust their routes to avoid the Great Spirit. Of course, that included us.

“Also, should you be saying that either? Aren’t the demonkin all about worshipping magic?”
“But there’s nothing wrong with paying respect.”
“I guess.”
“Also, I prefer the Great Spirits over the magic-obsessed fools anyway.”
“... Aren’t you a member of the temple’s clergy?”

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. I knew that she revered the Great Spirits far more than magic in general, but hearing it straight from her mouth like this was a little…

“I’ll have you know, we revere the Great Spirits, too. After all, they are an embodiment of magic. Not to mention, that there are quite a few people like me in the temple.”
“... That so.”

She kept it vague so there was definitely more to it. It wasn’t something I should stick my nose into, though.

“Ah, but don’t let my mother hear I said that.”

At the mention of her own mother, the Priest Maiden shuddered so much that I could feel it next to her.

“Your mother, huh? Is she also working for the temple?”
“Yeah, she is. Pretty high up even. Far higher than a measly Priest Maiden on a pilgrimage like me.”
“Huh…”

Her mother… I wondered what kind of person her mother was.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never heard you speak about your family.”
“There’s not really a reason to, is there?”
“True enough.”

One wouldn’t usually pry into such private matters.

“Like I just told you, my mother is high up in the temple. Mmm… If we compare it with the Spirit Faith, it’d be similar in position to the High Priest.”
“That high?”
“Yes.”

That honestly came as a surprise. To think her mother was in such a position of power.

“My father, on the other hand… How to say it… He’s, err, the househusband?”
“The househusband… So he takes care of your daily life.”
“He does. I think he used to work for some noble before he met my mother, though. But I’ve only ever known him standing in the kitchen. And he’s a great cook. The best I know. And he can make sweets, too! When mom was away, he would secretly make sweets for us children. We loved those. But mom always got angry when she found out afterwards.”
“... Sounds like you have great parents.”
“I do.”

A small smile was on her lips as she reminisced about home.

“Now I really want to see them… Maybe I should visit them when we stop by in Aldreigh.”
“Nothing stopping you.”
“Mm.”

Maybe it would cheer her up… after our stop in Larfas.

“And you, Captain?”
“What?”
“What about your family?”
“...”

My family…

“There’s not much to tell. My father was a knight. He served the royal court as a royal guard.”
“I heard of him. Jonathan Greyward, right?”
“... Yes.”
“The renowned Warden of the North, given the name Greyward for his stalwart service to the crown, wielding the massive grey tower shield that became his trademark.”
“... I’m surprised. I didn’t know you would know that much.”

While my father wasn’t a run-of-the-mill knight and did have some fame, it was still surprising to hear someone not from the Northerlands knowing about him.

“Hehe, I asked the others about it before.”
“Them, huh? No wonder.”

Those talkative idiots…

“But I only heard what he was like as a knight.”
“... There’s not much else to say about him. He was a stoic and quiet man. He rarely spoke a word. But…”

I closed my eyes. Even now, I could picture it in front of my eyes. My father, sitting in his chair. An insurmountable, silent presence.

“But we loved him dearly. He was the best father I could ever hope for. He never turned us away, always listened to us and gave us gentle advice when we needed it. He’s also the one that taught me and my sister how to fight.”
“You have a sister?”
“Had..”
“... Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I… arranged myself with it.”

My older sister. A gentle and beautiful woman. It has been so long… I could barely remember her face anymore…

“My sister became a knight before me. She… was lost during a skirmish early in the war. Maybe it was a blessing she didn’t have to see the Northerlands when…”

I shook my head, chasing away the dark thoughts.

“What about your mother?”
“My mother was… A very normal housewife. She was my father’s childhood friend and they loved each other since they were children. They never stopped telling us stories of their past.”

So many times that you got sick hearing them… And now? Now I wish I had listened to them a little better…

“She was kind. She taught us our letters and numbers as well as many other things. She never distinguished between me and my sister, either. So, whenever she was teaching cooking, sewing and other things, she always taught me as well and not just my sister.”

Some people might frown upon hearing that. After all, what would I even need those things for? I was to become a knight.  But she taught me nonetheless. And frankly, I was glad about it. All the skills she taught me, they wouldn’t get lost with me.

And the reason for it? Because she was lazy! That’s all. She simply didn’t want to bother with having to teach us separately. There was no deeper meaning other than that. Whether it really lessened her workload, though, I couldn’t say.

“In the end, my mother stayed behind with my father at the castle. She couldn’t leave him.”
“I see…”

And now, they were all gone.

“Do you hate the empire?”
“I do.”
“...”

If a disaster would turn the empire into a sea of flames the next day, I would celebrate. I wasn’t going to deny that. I wasn’t so nice a person that I could let go of my regrets and grudges. If the empire had never invaded my homeland, they might still live.

“Anything else you want to know?”
“No… Thank you for telling, Captain. And sorry, for making you remember those things.”
“It’s okay, I’m—”

Before I could finish the sentence, my head was pulled into her embrace, shutting my mouth.

“You did well, Johnson. You did well.”

The Priest Maiden kept repeating her words, gently comforting me. How long has it been, since someone comforted me like this?

I didn’t say anything, simply letting the Priest Maiden embrace me.

“... Feeling better now?”
“... I do. Sorry for that.”
“I’d much rather have a ‘Thank you,’ you know?”
“... Thanks.”
“You’re welcome!”

She let go of me, beaming from ear to ear.

“Now we’re even.”
“...”

Were we? I owed so much to the Priest Maiden, I very much doubted that we could be called even.

“Mmmm…”

At that moment, something stirred in the bed behind us. The two of us hurriedly turned around, looking at the tiny girl rolling around on the bed.

“...”
“...”
“She was just changing positions, huh?”
“That surprised me.”

It sure surprised me as well.

“We should head to bed soon as well, Captain.”
“Ahh…  But before that.”

I got up from my seat and walked to the back of the wagon. I squatted down next to the drawer, where I fumbled around with the wall. After a few seconds, a satisfying click entered my ears.

“Captain, is that…”

I held up my finger to my mouth to signal her to be quiet. Then I retrieved one of the bottles that were in the hidden compartment.

“Let’s have a drink before sleep.”
“... You make it hard to refuse. That’s not a bottle I am familiar with.”
“I would be surprised if you were. It’s hard to come by nowadays, after all.”

Glas bottles by themselves were already a rarity. But the drink inside this one was even more so. I showed the bottle to the Priest Maiden, who read it with an inquisitive gaze.

“This is… ‘Northern Blessing?’ Ah! Captain, could this be…”
“A bottle of the finest wine the Northerlands has to offer.”

I wasn’t a… connoisseur of fine wine by any means. I preferred the taste of ale any day. But, just once in a while, I wouldn’t mind this one.

“Here, have a drink.”
“... Is it fine for me to drink, too?”
“Of course. You’re part of our band. That makes you as good as a Northerlander already.”
“...”

The Priest Maiden cradled the small cup I handed her as if it was something very precious.

“... Wine exists to be drunk. Come, let’s raise a cup.”

I raised my cup towards the Priest Maiden, as it was common for the Northerlanders to do.

“To a safe journey.”
“... To the children’s happiness.”

We clinked our cups and drank the wine. A mild yet lasting taste, reminiscent of the steadfast mountains of the Northerlands, poured down my throat.

“It’s delicious.”
“... Glad you like it.”

I promptly poured the Priest Maiden another cup before she could refuse me.

“Captain…”
“Just for today.”
“... Just for today.”

With a wry smile, the Priest Maiden received the now-filled cup.

“Thank you, Captain.”
“Mm.”

I filled my own cup as well. The purple liquid settled into the cup and the scent of fruits entered my nose. I raised the cup again and the Priest Maiden followed suit. This time, it was the Priest Maiden’s turn to begin.

“To Lily’s happiness.”

I paused. It was nearly the same as what she had said earlier, yet slightly different. She was wishing… for Lily’s happiness alone.

“... To our happiness.”
“... You’re sly, Captain.”
“Of course. I’m your captain.”

We clinked our cups and emptied them again.

“It’s my job to ensure that everyone is content. Whether that is the men, Lily… or you.”

I averted my gaze, embarrassed by my own words.

“... Thank you, Johnson.”

I could once more feel a weight resting against my arm.

“I wish we could just stay like this forever. Lily and you, everyone from the band… Even Yumias. I’m really happy, right now.”
“...”

My eyes narrowed at the mention of Yumias. After… my confrontation with her… nothing much had happened. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong. But no matter how much time passed, she didn’t do anything. She wasn’t even trying to intimidate the Priest Maiden anymore. She simply stayed by Lily’s side.

By all rights, I should be happy that she mellowed out. But something was still nagging me… I couldn’t imagine her backing down so easily.

I glanced towards Lily once more. She was still sleeping in the same position we had last seen her. Her quiet sleeper’s breath was the only sound apart from us and the rattling of the wagon.

“... Priest Maiden.”
“Yes?”
“... Where is Yumias?”
“Yumias? I don’t know…”
“...”

Odd… She was usually always around Lily. I hadn’t spared a thought to it before but that she wasn’t next to Lily was surprising.

“I hope it’s nothing…”
“Captain, she won’t do anything.”
“... I sure hope so.”

The Priest Maiden giggled, oblivious to my worry.

“She’s been really helpful recently, you know? She was helping me with dinner today as well!”
“Really?”
“Yes. I was surprised, she’s really good at cooking.”

So that’s why dinner was so… edible.

“Mmm…”

Right then, a familiar sound came from behind us. Once again, we turned around in a slight panic. The small frame resting on my bed… was sleepily rubbing her eyes.

“... Mama? Papa?”
“Oh my! Did we wake you?”
“Mmmm…”

Lily, having just woken up, looked at us, her eyes still glazed over. She was sitting up, pushing away the blanket and trying to get out of bed, albeit clumsily.

“Ah, is something wrong, dear?”
“Mmm…”

The Priest Maiden hurried over to her, a little panicked. Maybe she felt guilty for having woken her up. Lily, however, barely reacted to the Priest Maiden, as if there was something else, more important for her to do.

“...”
“Lily? Is something wrong?”
“Mmm…”

My eyes wandered a little as I watched the Priest Maiden trying to goat Lily into telling her what was wrong. In her panic, she missed how Lily was rubbing her thighs together.

“... Priest Maiden. I think she needs to, err, pay the flowers a visit.”
“... Oh.”

At that, the realisation finally hit the Priest Maiden. We didn’t wake up the girl. Nature simply called for her.

“So that’s what it was?”

Lily nodded, her face flushed.

“Then, let’s get you to the pot. Ah, Captain, where is…”
“In the corner there. There’s a drawer. It’s inside.”

I pointed to a corner on the opposite end of the wagon, far away from the bed.

“Thank you… Err, Captain…”
“Yes?”
“Mind taking a… walk?”

I gazed towards the door, then the window. They were closed, of course, but the complete lack of light paired with the occasional rattling wasn’t very inviting for a walk.

“Sure.”

Despite my slight reluctance, I couldn’t very well stay while the girl did her business. So I relented and went to the door.

“Knock when you’re done.”
“Will do.”
“Mmm…”

Leaving the two behind, I opened the door and was immediately greeted by a steadily moving darkness. There was no ground to stand on in front of me. Fortunately, I was trained enough that it wouldn’t pose much of a problem. I held myself up on the edge of the roof and climbed outside. After closing the door, I slowly slid over to the driver’s bench.

“Mh? Captain?!”
“Hey there, Griess. Mind if I bother you there?”
“Of course not!”

Griess, who served as our driver for today, slid over to make space on the bench.

“How’s the road?”
“All smooth, Captain. Visibility’s poor but we manage.”
“Long you don’t run a traveller over.”
“Any traveller standing in the middle of the road at this time of the day is only inviting it.”
“True. enough.”

Either way, we wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. There were lanterns on the front of the wagons, right above the driver’s bench. Any traveller seeing them would have more than enough time to move out of the way.

“I have to say, though, travelling at night is a surprisingly nice experience, Captain.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. It’s quiet and there’s something calming about it.”
“Calming? With all that noise?”

The wagons were making noise as they moved, as did the waroxen that pulled them. It was by far not quiet.

“Yes, Captain, I think so.”
“Well… Good for you.”

Griess shrugged when he noticed my lack of understanding.

“So, what chased you out, Captain, sir?”
“Lily woke up. Nature called.”
“Ah, that certainly is a fitting reason. Can’t be helped then.”

He nodded in understanding.

“It’s not easy to take care of a child, is it?”
“It isn’t, Captain. But I think it’s worth the effort.”
“That so?”
“Yes. Everyone has cheered up a lot since Lily and Yumias came.”

Certainly, the men were quite motivated. I also saw them playing with Lily once in a while.

“What about you, Griess? Any plans to settle down? Find a wife? Have children?”
“Me? No, Captain. No such plans.”
“That so.”

I was unsure whether I should be glad about my trusty aide having no love life or not… I’d be in quite a bind if he left us.

At that moment, a knock came from behind me, from within the wagon.

“They’re done. Then, I’ll leave things to you, Griess.”
“You can count on me, Captain.”

I left Griess to drive and climbed back into the wagon. When I entered and closed the door, I spotted Lily already sitting on the bed again, the Priest Maiden next to her. The little girl’s eyes were already in danger of falling shut any moment now but she seemed to force herself to stay awake.

“There he is, Lily.”
“Mmm…”
“Priest Maiden, what’s going on?”
“Hehe, Lily was waiting for you.”
“Mm?”

Why would she need to wait for me?

“Sleep… together…”
“You heard her.”
“...”

I stared at the bed the two were sitting on. It wasn’t small by any means. It was probably the largest bed we had, even. However… it was still intended for one person.

“If we squeeze a little, it’ll fit just right, Captain.”
“... I’ll sleep on the floor.”

I turned around and made my way to the blanket I left…

“Ah.”

… only to hear a tiny gasp. A most heartrending, quiet gasp.

“What a bad father. Are you trying to make her cry?”

Tears were gathering in Lily’s eyes when I turned around. The Priest Maiden was comforting her, or at least trying to.

“... I got it, I got it. We’ll sleep together.”

At that, Lily’s expression brightened like the sun.

“Hehe, you heard him? Let’s all sleep together!”
“Mm! Together!”

Well now… No way to get out of this anymore, was there?

“Really… Come, shoo, shoo, make space.”
“Wah!”

The Priest Maiden, holding Lily in her arms, theatrically let herself fall back on the bed.

“...”
“Captain, something wrong?”
“... No.”

I averted my gaze. Seeing the Priest Maiden lying on the bed… Sharing a bed with her…

“Oh, are you getting embarrassed?”
“... Shut it. Come make, space, we need to get up early tomorrow.”
“Yes, yes.”

The Priest Maiden got onto the bed proper and moved towards the wall, then she pulled Lily close into her arms, making just barely enough space for another person to fit.

Resigning myself to my fate, I lay down next to them. As small as the bed was, we had to squeeze pretty close together.

“...”
“Isn’t that great, Lily? Now we’re all together.”
“Mm!”

The little girl beamed, despite her obvious sleepiness. Just for seeing that smile, that bit of embarrassment was worth it.

Then, I could feel a slight tug on my arm. When I looked down, Lily was holding my arm on one side, and the Priest Maiden’s arm on her other.

The Priest Maiden smiled when she saw Lily’s innocent action. Then our eyes met. Only now did I realise how close  her face was.

“... Let’s sleep.”

I closed my eyes, trying to escape from my own nervousness.

“Hehe, yes, let’s do that.”

I could feel the two shuffle around a little to find a comfortable position.

“Then, good night, Lily, sleep tight.”
“Mm, good night!”

The little girl nestled in our arms, making herself comfortable.

“And you, too, Captain. Good Night.”

Something soft touched my forehead. My eyes snapped open in surprise but by that time, the Priest Maiden was already retreating back, her cheeks flushed red.

“Priest Maiden, you—”
“Le— Let’s sleep, yes!”

She shut her eyes as if she were escaping from her actions.

… Just what am I doing?

I closed my eyes again, breathing in deeply, then opened them to look straight at the Priest Maiden.

And then…

“Good Night, Priest Maiden, Lily.”

I hurriedly turned away from the two, facing away from the Priest Maiden, who was blushing a deep crimson.

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