48. First Violence
The coachman, who noticed the two people approaching, was delighted and spoke first.
“Welcome! Are you going to the festival street?”
"Yes!"
“Come on! If you go now, you’ll be just in time for His Royal Highness the Second Prince’s parade!”
The horse-drawn carriage was obviously actively soliciting customers to come and play.
“Do they march at night?”
“Yes, I heard that’s what they’re doing today.”
"Wow!"
Diarin clapped her hands together and jumped up and down.
As a priest, she was not participating in the festival, so there was no need to hide her feelings.
“Let’s get on, hurry up.”
An excited Diarin quickly dragged Ceres onto the carriage.
It happened without Ceres having time to think about it.
There was no time to hide his face from the coachman, and the feeling of being on guard in an unfamiliar carriage was over before he could even begin to feel it.
There, with a slam, the carriage door closed, and everything seemed to be over.
“Yes, let’s go.”
The coachman's voice was heard faintly.
The sound of a whip being whipped, the sound of a horse's trotting, and the sound of the carriage wheels slowly creaking as they begin to roll.
Diarin hummed and then suddenly looked at Ceres.
It was his first time leaving the mansion.
No matter how much Ceres assured himself that he would be okay, he didn't know what would happen.
“Mr. Ceres, how are you? Are you okay?”
Ceres nodded quietly.
Fortunately, because Diarin was by his side, things weren't much different than when he was inside the mansion.
Outside the carriage window, the scenery of an unfamiliar city passed by.
The carriage sped along the road with great speed.
Various various various...
Rattle, rattle!
The sound of diligent horse hooves and rolling carriage wheels.
The creaking sound of wood coming from the joints of an old carriage.
There were no loud noises that were annoying.
But those sounds were particularly piercing to Ceres's ears.
“...Mr. Ceres?”
Diarin's voice suddenly interrupted Ceres' consciousness, which was becoming immersed in the sound.
Ceres gasped.
He was sweating like he had just been running for a short time.
His breathing started to get ragged.
“Mr. Ceres. Wait. Look at me.”
Diarin sensed something ominous and grabbed Ceres's cheeks, making him look at her.
But Ceres' eyes kept turning outside the carriage.
Rattle, rattle.
Spicy smoke.
Ear-scratching laughter.
“Ugh...”
Rattle, rattle.
Rough and loud, like a heartbeat.
The warmth from Diarin's hand cupping his cheek was the only sense of reality Ceres could hold onto.
“Mr. Ceres? You don’t seem to be feeling well.”
"...Ugh."
Ceres lowered his head and breathed heavily.
He held onto Diarin's hand that was cupping his cheek tightly so that it wouldn't fall off.
Why is it like this?
His sensitive senses were now somewhat under control.
It has gotten to the point where he can hear it without it bothering him, and even if it bothers him, he can tolerate it.
Ceres was also confident of his own transformation.
'But why?'
His body was shaking unbearably.
The coachman, who noticed the two people approaching, was delighted and spoke first.
“Welcome! Are you going to the festival street?”
"Yes!"
“Come on! If you go now, you’ll be just in time for His Royal Highness the Second Prince’s parade!”
The horse-drawn carriage was obviously actively soliciting customers to come and play.
“Do they march at night?”
“Yes, I heard that’s what they’re doing today.”
"Wow!"
Diarin clapped her hands together and jumped up and down.
As a priest, she was not participating in the festival, so there was no need to hide her feelings.
“Let’s get on, hurry up.”
An excited Diarin quickly dragged Ceres onto the carriage.
It happened without Ceres having time to think about it.
There was no time to hide his face from the coachman, and the feeling of being on guard in an unfamiliar carriage was over before he could even begin to feel it.
There, with a slam, the carriage door closed, and everything seemed to be over.
“Yes, let’s go.”
The coachman's voice was heard faintly.
The sound of a whip being whipped, the sound of a horse's trotting, and the sound of the carriage wheels slowly creaking as they begin to roll.
Diarin hummed and then suddenly looked at Ceres.
It was his first time leaving the mansion.
No matter how much Ceres assured himself that he would be okay, he didn't know what would happen.
“Mr. Ceres, how are you? Are you okay?”
Ceres nodded quietly.
Fortunately, because Diarin was by his side, things weren't much different than when he was inside the mansion.
Outside the carriage window, the scenery of an unfamiliar city passed by.
The carriage sped along the road with great speed.
Various various various...
Rattle, rattle!
The sound of diligent horse hooves and rolling carriage wheels.
The creaking sound of wood coming from the joints of an old carriage.
There were no loud noises that were annoying.
But those sounds were particularly piercing to Ceres's ears.
“...Mr. Ceres?”
Diarin's voice suddenly interrupted Ceres' consciousness, which was becoming immersed in the sound.
Ceres gasped.
He was sweating like he had just been running for a short time.
His breathing started to get ragged.
“Mr. Ceres. Wait. Look at me.”
Diarin sensed something ominous and grabbed Ceres's cheeks, making him look at her.
But Ceres' eyes kept turning outside the carriage.
Rattle, rattle.
Spicy smoke.
Ear-scratching laughter.
“Ugh...”
Rattle, rattle.
Rough and loud, like a heartbeat.
The warmth from Diarin's hand cupping his cheek was the only sense of reality Ceres could hold onto.
“Mr. Ceres? You don’t seem to be feeling well.”
"...Ugh."
Ceres lowered his head and breathed heavily.
He held onto Diarin's hand that was cupping his cheek tightly so that it wouldn't fall off.
Why is it like this?
His sensitive senses were now somewhat under control.
It has gotten to the point where he can hear it without it bothering him, and even if it bothers him, he can tolerate it.
Ceres was also confident of his own transformation.
'But why?'
His body was shaking unbearably.
The vibrations of the carriage dug deep into his body, as if they were engraved into his body.
“Mr. Ceres? Come to your senses.”
Ceres barely managed to hold on with the help of Diarin's voice and touch.
You can't lose your mind here. You have to hold on.
And Ceres's trembling was clearly conveyed to Diarin.
Diarin's face hardened.
“Huh, ugh...”
Ceres gasped and breathed through his mouth.
His back twitched as he tried to hold back something that was bubbling up.
It was not normal.
“Please stop the carriage for a moment!”
Diarin shouted at the coachman.
The coachman stopped the carriage without knowing what was going on.
"What's wrong? Are you unfamiliar with carriages? Are you getting carsick?"
“Ugh... Ugh..!”
Ceres couldn't even answer.
He was breathing heavily and couldn't close his mouth, so his saliva dripped down.
She thought that if they stopped, things would calm down a bit, but Ceres' condition continued to worsen.
This means that it is not due to the movement of the carriage.
It may be that the carriage itself felt uncomfortable.
“Let’s go down.”
Diarin opened the carriage door and pulled Ceres out.
Ceres gasped, breathing through his mouth as he followed Diarin's lead.
Although it was in the heart of the city, it was quite far from the main street where the festival was held.
Diarin took Ceres to a nearby alley.
It was a dark, narrow, and quiet alley.
The noise of the festival was getting closer, but it was as distant as the sound of insects at night.
“Shhh... It’s okay, it’s okay.”
It was a dark alley, like a dark night.
Ceres suddenly felt unstable inside the carriage, so she dragged him in, figuring that a dark and narrow place would be okay.
“Ugh, ugh...!”
But Ceres' excitement did not subside easily.
Rather, it got worse and worse.
Diarin also began to feel anxious.
This was outside the mansion.
Moreover, if you go a little further, there is a street where a festival is being held.
If you make even the slightest mistake and it goes wild, the casualties will be horrific.
'Is it still early...!'
Things have been a bit more comfortable lately.
She let her mind go too much because life was a little more comfortable.
If anything happens, it is clearly her fault.
No, it's a disaster, regardless of the issue of responsibility.
There may be a large number of casualties other than one's own.
Losses? That's not even a word. There could have been a massacre.
“Mr. Ceres, you need to come to your senses. Mr. Ceres!”
“Whew, whoosh...!”
As usual, Diarin embraced Ceres' body and poured out her divine power.
Still, Ceres' condition did not improve at all.
'It's different than usual.'
Normally, he would get excited because his fighting instinct was stimulated.
Like a lynx pounces on blood.
So, as soon as she told him that it wasn't a combat situation, he calmed down.
And that was enough to stroke him with divine power.
But now it was a little different.
'Are you scared...?'
That was how Diarin felt.
A racing heart, heavy breathing, and a shaking body.
It was like when he was excited, but different.
"...It's okay."
Diarin held Ceres' body more firmly.
“Huh...”
Ceres trembled and clung desperately to Diarin's body like a drowning person clutching at something.
The fingers digging into her shoulders and waist were sore.
That meant it was desperate.
‘Why on earth, for what reason...’
Now was not the time to be looking for the cause.
Diarin increased the divine power that was touching Ceres' body.
It didn't look like he was going to run wild, but his trembling body was pitiful. It was pitiful.
But Ceres could not stop trembling, as if he could not be comforted even by divine power.
“Ugh... No... Ugh...”
"Yes?"
Even an unknown groan escaped.
It was not the growl of a blood-blinded beast.
It was a plea like that of a very surprised and hurt child.
“...Mr. Ceres.”
At that pitiful sight, Diarin felt like crying too.
It was despairing that nothing could comfort him.
How to do it.
“Ugh, no, no...”
Diarin pulled Ceres's crumbling body up and grabbed his cheeks with both hands.
Ceres was sitting on the floor, unable to even stand properly.
“Mr. Ceres, I’m here. It’s okay.”
Ceres didn't even hear Diarin calling.
The blank gaze didn't reveal anything.
The eyes, empty like those of a dead person, were filled only with pain.
Diarin suddenly got scared.
This time, it's not because she's afraid of going out of control, but because the depth of the wounds that have been revealed is too deep.
The red flesh exposed between the cracked skin looked so painful.
She afraid he'll collapse like this and never get back up again.
“...Mr. Ceres, no. Come to your senses.”
Diarin sobbed.
She hopes this voice reaches him.
Diarin called out to Ceres, her hands caressing his face, neck, and shoulders without stopping.
She hoped that Ceres would be freed from the fear that had gripped his whole body.
Right now, that's all she wants.
“Mr. Ceres.”
Diarin called out to Ceres earnestly.
It doesn't have to be the power of God.
At this moment, just knowing that she is here with him is enough.
“Ugh...!”
Ceres was moaning in Diarin's arms, wandering somewhere in the fragments of his memories.
Rattle, rattle.
The carriage continued to shake.
In the hazy memories.
Ceres was being pushed helplessly by the shaking of the carriage.
His eyes were covered, so he could only hear sounds.
“How should I sell you, my pretty young master?”
A voice that scratches the throat unpleasantly.
A squeaky, phlegmy laugh.
A pain that feels like every bone in his body is crumbling.
A beating so severe that he doesn't even have the strength to moan.
A violence so horrific that even the slightest touch of a person's body startles him.
Rattle, rattle.
No. No. No...
I have work to do.
There is a place to go.
This won't do.
But there was nothing Ceres could do but shake.
"Feed him, quickly."
The gag that had been covering his mouth to administer the medicine was removed.
A bottle of medicine was shoved into his mouth, which he opened to scream.
In an instant, a pungent smell spread throughout his body.
A smoky, pungent aroma that fills even the mind.
"Take a deep breath and wake up, my lord. Then you will have a new life."
Hehehe.
All the strength was left in his body.
A feeling of helplessness that makes it impossible to lift a finger.
Even though his eyes were covered, darkness fell once again.
'Ugh...'
'Hey, young master. What's your name?'
It's a useless name since his memory will soon be erased anyway.
It was a question asked for fun.
‘Ce...ss...’
‘Huh? Ces? Ce what? Did you hear that?’
‘Ce what? It’s too long to remember. Guess it really is the young master.’
The blackout has arrived.
It was the moment that turned Ceres' life upside down.
“Huh, huh!”
The rattling still lingers in my head.
Rattle, rattle.
It was the first sound that brought about violence in his life.
It was a very brief, fleeting memory.
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