A Former Child Soldier Who Uses a Magic Sword Wants to Live with an Older Sister of a Former Enemy Executive - Chapter 88

• Chapter 88 : Satis and I dance to the moment. —Perhaps just dancing is good enough for now.

Time seemed to flow more slowly than ever in the royal capital.

Everybody present there was in high spirits.

Customers looking at the food, items and weapons lined up in the stalls were deciding whether to buy them or not with that same exaltation in their eyes.

Some of them were checking out the goods with a cool head, but those who had money to spare and a carefree mind bought whatever their hearts desired.

Seto and Satis were walking down the street while watching this scenery.

Seeing her in that outfit made Seto feel uneasy, and even though he was a child, he was almost overcome by a sense of elation.

Although he had always stayed in control of his own emotions, Seto himself was beginning to realize that he might be powerless against Satis.

Suddenly, he wondered how long it had been since the two of them had walked around a city together like this.

At the same time, the thought that he might have been using her for his own convenience crossed Seto’s mind again.

He wondered if Satis was not actually suffering on the inside and wanted to lead a more quiet life, as they did back in Benjamin Village.

[Seto?] (Satis)

[Eh? Ah, yeah?] (Seto)

Satis called out to Seto, who was lost in his thoughts.

From his hand clasped in hers, she realized the change in Seto’s emotion.

Maybe this was a woman’s intuition.

She felt as if Seto was mentally isolating himself right now.

[I was wondering if anything was wrong since you got so quiet even though you were so excited before.] (Satis)

[There’s… nothing wrong. I’m just a little confused by all these people coming and going.] (Seto)

[Really?] (Satis)

Satis did not ask any further questions.

However, she was strongly convinced that he was trying to take something upon himself again.

[Seto, you know… I’m very happy right now.] (Satis)

[…Eh?] (Seto)

[I used to be a brutal leader of the Demon King’s Army with a penchant for schemes and trickery, but now, I’ve had the opportunity to visit many places and make many memories… And though it was only for a short time, I was able to live a peaceful life in a village. …And you’re the one who made all this happiness possible.] (Satis)

[…But I didn’t do anything. I don’t have that sort of power.] (Seto)

[Come on, that’s not true.] (Satis)

[It is. If I had to put it into words, then… Well, all I ever do is fight and eat and stuff like that. I can’t do everything like you can, Satis.] (Seto)

Seto chuckled at himself in self-deprecation, but his expression was calm and happy.

Now that having Satis by his side had become the norm for him, Seto was questioning his own position.

Thinking about it gave him a sense of alienation.

It was precisely the feeling of satisfaction that made him uneasy.

But Satis quickly saw through even that.

Seto broke into a dry smile, wondering if he really was that much of an open book.

[I can say it with conviction now. I love you, and I love myself too. I love being able to travel with you and share our joys and hardships with each other.] (Satis)

[Satis…] (Seto)

[What about you? Do you still not appreciate yourself?] (Satis)

This was the question that was asked of him back when they were in the city of Ulaine Donagh.

It was his powerful enemy, Sebek, who asked him in the middle of their fight.

—The thing about you is, you may know how to appreciate others, but you don’t appreciate yourself, right? (Sebek)

Those words were now just a fleeting memory.

But looking back on it, he realized that they were the most important part of their conversation.

Seto lowered his gaze a little and thought about it, but could not come up with an answer.

Although he had spent so much time with Satis, it was unlikely that he would be able to say with pride and confidence that he loved himself.

But Satis gently smiled at Seto, who seemed unable to hide his guilt about it.

[You don’t have to come up with an answer right away. Take all your time, I’m not going anywhere. Besides, you told me before that you would much rather go to all kinds of places and meet all kinds of people with me, then I told you that this was the part of you that you should cherish, remember?] (Satis)

[I… I do. Yeah. You’re right.] (Seto)

Seto nodded slightly.

The mental fog that stuck to his mind like a membrane had been lifted, and the bustle of the crowd once again touched his heart.

[Seto, just being with you like this makes me happy, so there’s no need for you to feel trapped in some strange sense of guilt. That’s not like you.] (Satis)

[Hehehe! Thanks, Satis. I was feeling a bit scared. For a moment, I thought being by your side only made you—] (Seto)

As he was about to finish his sentence, Satis stopped walking, and shut his mouth with her finger.

[This kind of negativity is a no-no, okay?] (Satis)

[Huh? R-Right.] (Seto)

[Come on, we’re almost at the restaurant, so let’s have lunch. You want to try their beef stew, right?] (Satis)

As she said that, Satis put her finger on her lower lip in a seductive manner.

In a way, that was an indirect kiss.

Seto’s cheeks flushed with joy as he and Satis entered the restaurant they were looking for.

In the spacious dining hall, there was a dancing area, where several couples of men and women were gently dancing together to the music.

It was rare to find a restaurant with something so innovative during the day, but Seto and Satis really liked the atmosphere in it, so they sat down at an empty table and placed their order.

While waiting for the food, they watched the men and women dancing, holding each other’s hands and putting their hands on each other’s hips.

[I’ve never seen that kind of dance before.] (Seto)

[Dancing can be performed in pairs too. …Oh, I know! How about we dance together, Seto?] (Satis)

[Eh!? N-Nah, I’m good! I mean, I’ve never danced before…] (Seto)

[Everyone was a beginner when they started. Personally, I want to dance with you, but… Would you rather not?] (Satis)

[Ugh… Well, if that’s how it’s done, then I should manage, I guess?] (Seto)

[Fufufu! It doesn’t matter if you’re bad at it. There are types of dances you can perform precisely because you’re bad at one.] (Satis)

[You don’t say…] (Seto)

[If it’s with you, I’m sure I can enjoy dancing to any kind of music. That’s how I feel.] (Satis)

At that exact moment, their orders arrived at their table.

Hot potatoes, bread, and beef stew with a mellow aroma.

Just looking at all of this could whet anyone’s appetite.

In addition to the food, Satis also ordered a bottle of white wine.

[Shall we eat, then?] (Satis)

[Yeah.] (Seto)

In one bite, they could tell that the apparent tenderness and richness of the meat was spreading in their mouth.

When they exhaled through their noses, they felt as if the flavor had changed once more.

Next, they took a pinch of bread and dipped it in the beef stew.

It was absorbed into the bread, giving it a unique flavor.

In all honesty, Seto never thought that bread could taste so good.

And so, every time Seto delightfully ate something, Satis’ gaze on Seto changed to a gentler one.

They looked truly happy.

Satis also had more wine.

After finishing their meals, although he looked so reluctant earlier, Seto was now fidgeting around, as if he wanted to dance.

[Fufufu! There’s no need to be in such a hurry. Let’s go dance together after we’ve rested a bit.] (Satis)

[O-Okay, got it. I’m ready to dance anytime! I know I can match your pace, Satis.] (Seto)

[My, my. Fufufu!] (Satis)

After a while, Seto and Satis joined the dance floor.

For Seto, this was his first time dancing.

He was used to moving his feet on the battlefield, but he himself was really surprised that it did not translate to dancing skills so well.

Satis, on the other hand, seemed quite used to dancing.

Apparently, she learned it while interacting with humans in the past.

However, it was something she learned as a tool to deceive and humiliate others.

But now, it was different.

It was a technique that allowed her and her loved one to face each other during their precious time.

Following Satis’ lead, Seto danced the steps.

Though awkwardly, he kept pace with her and danced to the music.

Satis recalled a certain saying.

Though she did not remember who said it, it was: “Life is like a dance, it’s about who you dance with and how you dance.”

I thought it was silly nonsense before. But now, I think I can understand what it means. (Satis)

While thinking of this, Satis smiled as she and Seto gazed at each other.

Seeing her smile, the boy smiled back, albeit shyly.

Each of them seemed to be shining brighter in the eyes of the other.

Even though they were simply dancing, it felt strange.

Not only that, but the people dancing around him, the performers, and the people who were watching them while enjoying the food and drinks were shining just as brightly in Seto’s eyes.

[Say, Satis.] (Seto)

[Hm?] (Satis)

[Shall we dance for a bit longer?] (Seto)

[Sure.] (Satis)

The truth is he was thinking of exploring the city some more with Satis right after lunch, but Seto danced with Satis with a peaceful expression on his face instead.

He entrusted himself to her and kept dancing the steps.

For a brief moment, it seemed as if they were at the same eye level.

It may have been a momentary illusion created by a sense of unity, but it did not matter to Seto and Satis.

They were not a human and a demon.

They were not a child soldier and a leader of the Demon King’s army.

They were just “plain old Seto” and “plain old Satis”.

Simply sharing this moment like it was natural.

That alone was enough for both of them.

At this moment, Seto felt like he understood a little bit what it meant to accept oneself.

Although it was difficult to clearly put into words, just sharing the feeling with Satis was better than saying it out loud.

With this in mind, Seto enjoyed this relaxing dance with Satis.