The next day, Satin dressed in the clothes he received from Edward. The long hem of the garment made him worry about it dragging on the floor with every step.
Noticing Satin’s constant attention to his feet, Cain tilted his head and asked, “What’s wrong? Is it uncomfortable? Should I cut it?”
“N-no way. You can’t cut a gift,” Satin replied.
Cain, wearing similar attire, seemed unbothered by the length of his own clothes. Perhaps he didn’t care if they got dirty.
‘He’s so carefree. Truly the demeanor of a protagonist…’ Satin thought to himself, muttering nonsense as he boarded the carriage sent by the Grand Temple.
The Grand Temple provided more than just clothes and a carriage. A priest who came to greet them also healed Satin’s ankle. The ankle was miraculously healed in an instant, leading Satin to joke that they wouldn’t need a doctor. The priest, however, corrected him seriously, explaining that priests couldn’t heal invisible ailments, suggesting they specialized in external injuries.
With no further reason to delay, the carriage carrying Satin and Cain set off, leading a long procession. Although Satin found the mode of travel inefficient, he remained silent.
‘There are people who commit crimes just to see my face…’
Though he was essentially a con artist, to the public, he was a hero on a journey. The Grand Temple wouldn’t want him to appear shabby.
As the carriage traveled along the well-maintained road, Cain remained quiet, occasionally glancing at Satin while mostly gazing out the window.
‘He seems to be in a good mood. He looks happy too.’
Satin sighed inwardly and turned to look out the opposite window. The scenery was familiar.
‘Soon, we’ll reach the bridge…’
Just then, the carriage came to an abrupt halt with a jolt.
“Stay still,” Cain warned before Satin could react. He cracked open the door to check outside. A Temple Knight on horseback approached and explained the situation.
“There are pebbles scattered on the bridge. We’re clearing them now.”
Satin nodded in understanding, but Cain’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Pebbles? Didn’t they check the road before we left?” Cain asked sharply.
“We did, but they weren’t there earlier…” the knight replied, looking embarrassed.
Satin intervened, “Hey, why are you taking it out on him?”
He smiled awkwardly at the knight, who retreated, looking uncomfortable. After closing the door, Satin scolded Cain, “Why are you so on edge over something so minor?”
“I’m always on edge. Someone made me even more so,” Cain retorted.
“…I wonder what we’ll have for lunch,” Satin said, changing the subject.
The bridge cleanup took longer than expected. The knight returned, but not with news of completion. He cautiously opened the door and updated them.
“Someone scattered the pebbles deliberately to see the hero’s face. We’ve apprehended them, so we’ll be moving shortly.”
“Oh, I see,” Satin responded. Suddenly, he had an idea. “Wait, can I see that person’s face?”
“Excuse me? There’s no need for that,” the knight replied.
“I need to check something. If it’s not a problem, I just want to see their face and come right back,” Satin insisted.
“…Your kindness extends even to rude citizens,” the knight remarked, misunderstanding Satin’s intention.
Satin simply smiled without explaining further. The knight kindly placed a step below the door for him.
Naturally, Cain was not pleased with Satin’s decision to leave the carriage.
“Do you really need to get out?” Cain asked, disapprovingly.
“I just need to see his face. There’s something I need to confirm,” Satin insisted.
“Confirm what? He could be an assassin trying to kill you,” Cain warned.
Satin scoffed at the absurdity. “That’s ridiculous.”
Cain frowned but didn’t press the issue further. He exited the carriage first, checking the surroundings before allowing Satin to step out.
Outside, the scene was chaotic. A crowd had gathered around the halted procession, some shouting, “Hero!” at the sight of Satin. Temple Knights kept the crowd at bay, preventing them from getting too close.
Satin felt a pang of regret for leaving the carriage but pressed on towards the front of the procession. The bridge, now clear of pebbles, looked pristine. Standing just before the bridge was the man who had caused the commotion.
As Satin approached, the man’s eyes widened in recognition. Satin facepalmed, realizing it was the same man who had suggested attacking the hero’s carriage the night before. The man quickly grasped the situation and shouted, “Hero!”
Satin rolled his eyes and began to back away.
“Hero! Where are you going?” the man called out, his tone overly familiar.
Satin hurried back to the carriage, but before climbing in, he called over a nearby Temple Knight.
“Could I borrow some money?” Satin asked.
The knight looked surprised but agreed. “Of course. How much do you need?”
“Not much. I used something of that man’s, and I want to pay him back,” Satin explained.
The knight handed over some coins, and Satin thanked him. “I’ll repay you when we return to the guesthouse.”
“No need, but I’ll make sure he gets it,” the knight assured him.
As Satin turned to leave, the knight asked, “Should I tell them to let him go since you know him?”
Satin considered it but remembered the strict principles of this world’s temple. “No, he should face the consequences of his actions.”
***
Arriving at the Grand Temple, Satin was unsurprised by the large crowd gathered to see the hero. He had grown accustomed to the attention.
‘If someone told me there was another world-saving hero, I’d be curious too,’ he thought.
However, he wondered why the crowd wasn’t more drawn to Cain, who was strikingly handsome in his white attire, resembling a saint from a painting.
‘Do these people have different tastes?’ Satin pondered, stealing glances at Cain.
Cain noticed his gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No reason,” Satin replied.
“You’re so predictable,” Cain said, but his mood remained light. He had been in high spirits since leaving the guesthouse, unusually tolerant of Satin’s antics.
Young priests led them into the temple, the noise of the crowd fading as they entered the quiet, marble-lined halls. The bright, airy atmosphere was a stark contrast to the chaos outside.
Satin followed the priests, his mind wandering until Cain’s voice brought him back to reality.
“Don’t be nervous,” Cain said.
“Right,” Satin replied, trying to focus.
They passed the grand hall where Satin had been honored before. Today’s agenda seemed minor in comparison, but Satin knew better.
‘It’s not nothing.’
After visiting the Chamber of Whispers, there were no more official duties. They would likely attend a luncheon hosted by the temple, then return to the guesthouse. Tomorrow, Satin would resume his normal life.
For Satin, returning to his original life meant resuming the life he had before meeting Cain. While he might continue his acquaintance with Rita or Edward, his time with Cain was coming to an end.
‘I feel empty.’
Cain likely believed that Satin would never regain his past memories, which is why he confidently spoke of their impending separation. However, Satin already knew the outcome—Cain’s belief was misplaced.
While Cain’s confidence was understandable, Satin felt a pang of disappointment that Cain hadn’t even considered the possibility of a different outcome. After all they had been through together, Satin had hoped that Cain might have grown fond of him, even if he wasn’t the person Cain remembered.
‘But of course, he only stayed with me because he thought I was that person,’ Satin reminded himself.
His thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions—understanding and pitying Cain, feeling hurt by his indifference, and blaming himself for the deception. Intentions aside, the outcome was what mattered now.
As Satin wrestled with his thoughts, the moment of truth arrived.
“We’ve arrived,” the priests announced, stepping aside to reveal a modest door.
Satin had expected a grand entrance like the one leading to the main hall, but the door before them was surprisingly small. The priests made no move to open it, indicating that Satin and Cain were to enter on their own.
Satin approached the door with stiff steps, unaccustomed to leading the way. Cain did not move ahead of him.
Pausing at the door, Satin hesitated.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” Cain asked, puzzled.
“…Yes, I will,” Satin replied.
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
