Raised in Dungeon

The highlight of the whitmoon festival, day four, trust day.

On the fourth day, the children were gathered at the fountain, each receiving a basket. The baskets were filled with different kinds of bread. The elders required each child to carry their basket and spread small moments of joy around the entire city. They will walk around the city while giving bread to the poor. In addition, to make them have the behavior of giving alms to others. This makes the whitmoon festival a day when everyone should be able to be happy.

The last day is the most unrestrained and joyous day for everyone in the city; unbaptized children can walk around the city with the parade while spreading flowers. Adults in each district will sing unique songs while dancing the morris dance, spinning around and holding hands in pairs.

Since they will be traveling around the city, the walk will be very long so they will take a break every two hours. For the nobles, walking that far is not easy, so their servants will usually carry them. Not only because they get tired quickly but also because they have to be prepared for Prince Francis' birthday party.

"We've been walking for over two hours; maybe it's time I asked Rachel to carry me," said Felicia.

"You're not tired yet, are you?" asked Allen.

"No, but if I exert more energy, I won't be able to make it through the dance."

Felicia looked around, searching for Rachel. When she finally found Rachel, who was walking on the sidewalk while looking at Felicia, she immediately raised her hand, signaling to Rachel that it was time for her to carry Felicia. But Rachel shook her head with a smile.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"  Felicia thought, confused.

Allen then said, "I was asked to do this after you were exhausted, but it's fine from now on."

"?!!"

Allen stepped forward and, without warning, bent down and lifted Felicia's body in his arms. He held her close and tenderly, like carrying a princess, cradling her as he would an adorable child. Felicia was almost too surprised to speak, and she gasped as Allen lifted her from the ground.

"W-wha-wha-what are you doing?!" she shouted, her face red from heat and fatigue and now even redder from embarrassment at Allen's sudden gesture.

"Don't move too much; you'll fall," replied Allen.

"Why do you have to do this?! Put me down!"

"Rachel said that I should lift you up when you get tired."

'Rachel! What was she thinking?! What is she planning to do by humiliating me like this?!' Felicia thought.

"E-enough already! I'm fine! Just put me down!"

"I told you not to move! You're so stubborn! Look around; others are also being carried by their subordinates! You don't have to feel ashamed for being the first to get tired!"

'That is not the reason I'm mad! You foolish guy. What actually happened in this guy's head?! Does he really have no shame at all?!'

Felicia then looked around, only to find that everyone else was also looking at the two of them in amazement. When Felicia looked at Allen's face, Allen simply ignored the attention and continued to hold Felicia in his arms. Felicia found it hard to admit that it was oddly comfortable, and with a hint of a smile, she decided to enjoy the ride.

Felicia raised her head again, looking at Allen's face. Seeing Allen's ordinary-looking face made her both annoyed and relieved. She was relieved that he didn't seem to mind when she was with him and that Allen's face was no longer the same as when she first met him.

Then Felicia remembered the smiling Allen again; suddenly, she was in a daze again, as if she realized she was still doing something embarrassing in front of many people.

"A-allen, aren't you tired too? Am I heavy? I can ask Rachel to carry me, so just put me down," Felicia said in a small, soft voice.

"It's fine; we're just taking a normal walk; it's not hard at all. Then you're not heavy at all, light as a sword," Allen said.

'I wish mother were this light back then, too,' Allen thought as he remembered how hard he pulled his dying mother.

-PUK

Felicia then hit Allen's chest, and although Allen didn't feel any pain, he was a little annoyed at being hit for no reason,

"Don't equate me with a sword," Felicia said with annoyance.

"Yeah I lied; you're much heavier."

"Don't call me heavy either!"

"How annoying..."

Then suddenly, they stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" said Felicia, confused.

"Maybe something is going on ahead. Many soldiers are passing around."

"Eh? Soldier?!"

"You didn't realize? I thought they were soldiers protecting this group."

Then Felicia looked around; as Allen had said, quite a few soldiers were running around. Then Felicia saw someone quite familiar,

"Allen, look over there," Felicia pointed behind Allen.

"That's Sir Birawa. He also looks panicked and has a serious face," Felicia continued.

"Do you want to greet him? If you do, do it yourself, I don't want to meet him; he's annoying."

"Don't talk like that! He's the one who saved our lives in the dungeon. We'll meet him to say thank you, but not now. We'll visit him tomorrow."

...

Coinciding with the parade, Fleur Lymsey Wake, the number 1 holder of the knight of rounds, was already treated to the gruesome scene in the morning.

"Undoubtedly, this is the work of Clarissa, the witch of dread, from Noctem Dolls."

In almost every corner of the city were corpses whose entire bodies had been smashed until all their flesh and bones were thin.

"Have you fought them before? Ma'am?" one of the soldiers asked Fleur.

"No, but I've met two of them."

"Are they much stronger than you?"

"I don't know; I'd have to fight them head-on if I wanted to know. But..."

"But?"

"Their leader, Ivaylo, There's no way I can win against him."

Fleur's face was quite scared but threatening look, which let everyone know that something had happened between Fleur and the Noctem Dolls in the past.

"At this rate, we'll have to stop the festival. It's too dangerous for the prince."

"Stopping the whitmoon festival? That's impossible!" said the person who suddenly came behind.

He wore the same armor as Fleiur, one of the rounds, Tobias.

"Tobias, what do you mean? Don't you understand how dangerous this situation is?"

Fleur's voice was round and dignified, like a woman with a man's voice. Because of her power and strength, Fleur became the leader of the rounds; even though she was a woman, she didn't have a feminine side.

"That's not it; I heard you're from a distant country, so maybe you don't know about this, but the whitmoon festival is not something that can be stopped. It's an important religious day, when all the spirits gather to give their blessings. You can see how many spirits are hovering over each child's head. They only do it on this day; if you stop or postpone it, the children won't get enough blessings."

"Blessings? What are you thinking about that for? If they die, then the blessing is useless. The spirits are just having fun with them by giving them a bit of mana to match their human selves. Humans can live without spirits; so far, I don't need amnis to become stronger."

Seeing the two rounds arguing, the others panicked; if something happened between the two of them, then no one could stop it, so they tried to calm the atmosphere as much as possible

"Miss Fleur, calm down."

"Sir Tobias, you don't have to go to such lengths to oppose Miss Fleur," but all the soldiers' words were ignored; they continued to argue,

"Let's not waste time here; we need to stop the festival," Fleur said as she walked away.

But Tobias grabbed Fleur's hand, stopping her in her tracks,

"What are you doing?" Fleur's voice at that moment shook the fear of the soldiers, making them take a few steps back, away from there.

Tobias was no less sinister; he retaliated as if he were completely unaffected by Fleur's pressure.

"I won't let you stop the festival. If you do, many kids who want to be casters will lose their potential."

"I told you! Their potential is useless if they die!"

"Why did you make sure that they would die?!" Tobias' words seemed to stab Fleur, who was not expecting that Tobias would say that.

"Why, you say? Don't you know what the Noctem Dolls are capable of? You've never seen them have you?! They can kill everyone in an instant!"

"Isn't our job to protect them?! If you are really the strongest in the rounds, you should try to protect them! Not destroy their talent and have them run away!"

Fleur's anger could not subside, but she knew Tobias had a point. She then irritably pulled her hand that Tobias was holding forcefully, then she said

"How dare you stop me from saving them. If anything happens to those kids, I'll definitely kill you," Fleur said, walking away while putting on her helmet.

"They won't die! We'll protect them!" Tobias shouted at Fleur, who was already walking away.