On the way to the Grand Temple, there were not only passersby but also several workers busy at work. Dodging a large ladder, Satin asked,
“Are all these people hired?”
“Probably. Some might have been found through the Adventurers’ Union.”
“Do they get paid a lot?”
“Seems pretty average.”
“I see.”
Today, Satin was unusually talkative. Although he was never particularly quiet, he had never chattered like this before. He asked all sorts of questions with a face that showed no curiosity at all. He wondered if the Peace Night Festival was organized by the temple or by the government, as if knowing would make any difference.
Cain found it absurd but knew why Satin was acting differently, so he patiently answered all his questions without complaint.
‘There’s still time until evening.’
The Peace Night Festival, true to its name, mostly takes place at night. As a child, Cain didn’t know why, but he learned the reason later at the school for Black Magicians.
‘That crazy old man did teach me a few things.’
As far as he could remember, the story went like this: The city of Cloverland was formed by the merging of two villages. The residents of each village were uncomfortable with each other, so the temple stepped in to create a place for harmony. This event was named the Peace Night Festival.
The temple achieved its purpose. People worked diligently during the day and gathered at night for the festival, drinking and talking, fostering unity.
‘They said to reconcile before the night ends, no matter what happened during the day.’
It was common knowledge that didn’t bother anyone, at least not Cain.
Having chosen not to live an ordinary life earning money through regular employment, Cain never had a chance to use the knowledge he gained from school. Most of that knowledge was useless to someone who didn’t interact with others.
Today, for the first time, that shallow knowledge proved useful. It was satisfying Satin’s curiosity, and that was enough.
Satin chuckled softly as he kept asking questions about the festival.
“Even if it’s a night festival, there’s really nothing going on during the day. They could at least set up some stalls.”
“Isn’t that how it usually is?”
Cain had never seen a festival in another city, so Satin’s reaction puzzled him. Satin rolled his eyes slightly and smiled awkwardly.
“Just a thought. I think a stall would do well here…”
As Cain stared at him, Satin quickly changed the subject.
“Oh, but I feel like I’ve heard this before. Did we learn this from our teacher?”
“Don’t call him ‘teacher.’ That crazy old man…”
Satin smiled weakly at Cain’s remark, hiding something. Cain looked ahead, pretending not to notice.
Before they knew it, the two had reached the temple. What was once an open plaza was now crossed by a long tunnel-like structure. Satin’s eyes widened at the sight of it.
“I didn’t expect it to be this big.”
“I heard it was smaller at first. It grew as the population increased.”
“Ah, I see.”
Satin nodded and walked ahead, following the tunnel. Cain followed closely behind.
The tunnel was adorned with thorns and symbols representing hardship and trials, obscuring the view inside.
‘That’s why it’s called the Tunnel of Love.’
Over time, the large enclosed space in the public area lost its original meaning and became a romantic spot. A silly story spread, not just in Cloverland but also in nearby cities, that lovers who walked through the dimly lit tunnel on the night of the festival would live happily ever after. No one knows who first gave it the nickname “Tunnel of Love.”
“It’s really huge. A hundred people could fit in here, sorry.”
Satin, wandering around with his mouth open, accidentally bumped into a passerby. It was a young couple, who just smiled and walked away. Satin glanced back at them and whispered,
“There are a lot of people here, even before it’s open.”
“Probably just checking it out in advance.”
“Checking it out?”
Satin tilted his head, puzzled by what Cain meant, but Cain just smiled and avoided answering. Just then, another couple passed by them. Their conversation was audible to Cain and Satin.
“I’ve never been inside, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Me too. It’s going to be a great experience.”
“I hope it’s a time to reflect on the profound meaning.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Their conversation seemed meaningless to Cain. They pretended to exchange healthy opinions, but Cain was sure they had other thoughts in mind. After all, he was thinking the same.
Satin suddenly blushed a few steps later.
“Oh, oh… That kind of ‘preliminary inspection’…”
Cain laughed silently. Satin wasn’t oblivious. Last night, when Cain told him about the structure’s nickname, Satin must have guessed what would happen tonight.
Satin quickly fanned himself and awkwardly laughed.
“Ha ha, we’re on a preliminary inspection too. Right, that’s what we’re doing…”
“Let me know if you don’t like it.”
“No, it’s not that I don’t like it…”
Satin trailed off, looking flustered. His casual response had unintentionally sounded like consent to what might happen tonight. Yet, his lack of strong denial suggested it wasn’t entirely unwelcome.
Cain felt confident. He hadn’t been nervous to begin with, but now he felt like nothing could go wrong.
“You like doing things like everyone else, don’t you?”
“Me?”
Satin frowned as if he had heard something strange. Cain glanced at an approaching cart and pulled Satin aside while speaking.
“You find special things burdensome, don’t you?”
“…I’m not sure.”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know.”
People often don’t know themselves well. Most self-evaluations come from others’ perspectives.
To Cain, Satin seemed to prefer the ordinary. He didn’t settle for an ordinary life because he had no other choices; he genuinely sought ordinary experiences. His lack of material desire made this clear.
If Satin had stayed in the capital, he could have continued a luxurious life. Instead, he chose to return here. He seemed most at ease when exchanging small gifts with neighbors or making modest plans.
‘Though it’s a bit odd.’
He had jumped into the mission to defeat the Demon Lord and the demon without much hesitation.
Still, Cain believed Satin’s nature was fundamentally ordinary. He became flustered when he received attention and wanted to hide when praised, even if the praise was true.
‘He wasn’t like that back then.’
When Satin was eager to become a disciple of the Black Magician, he seemed like a different person compared to now.
‘…Or maybe not.’
In the Chamber of Whispers, Cain hadn’t seen that part of Satin’s past. Surely, the divine being hadn’t been careless enough to omit it.
***
‘I can’t breathe.’
Satin sighed silently, turning his head so Cain wouldn’t notice. Every time he started to relax, Cain would drop another bombshell. Satin was so tense he almost forgot how to breathe.
By the time they reached the temple, Satin nearly blurted out how tired he was.
‘That would be a disaster.’
This might not be an official date, but it felt like one. Complaining about being tired would be a huge mistake. Cain might be keeping score, and losing 100 points would be a significant blow.
Satin wasn’t worried about Cain losing interest. He was more concerned about Cain staying despite being disappointed. A relationship with no expectations but only obsession would be unhealthy.
Fortunately, before Satin could say anything, someone else spoke up.
“Isn’t that Mr. Satin?”
One of the Temple Knights they had parted with yesterday was standing in front of the temple, enthusiastically greeting passersby.
“You haven’t left yet?”
“We decided to help out today since the festival starts today. I’m guiding the faithful who come to pray.”
Not soliciting, then. Satin nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“I see. Last time I was here, a novice priest was doing that.”
“Oh, I heard about that. But you know, I heard there’s a crazy guy in Cloverland.”
“What?”
A crazy guy? What was he talking about? There’s no fourth part in Dark Age.
As Satin blinked in confusion, the Temple Knight leaned in and whispered,
“Did you know about the guy sending threatening letters to the Bureau of Order? I heard he’s been doing it for quite a while.”
“Oh.”
“Recently, the letters have stopped, but we’re worried he might do something during the festival. We’re keeping an eye out for any suspicious characters around the temple.”
“That sounds tough…”
Satin consoled the Temple Knight while glancing at Cain. Cain stood confidently, showing no sign of guilt. When their eyes met, Cain’s expression seemed to ask, “Why are you looking at me like that?” Satin just shook his head.
‘What could that crazy guy possibly do during the festival…’
The fact that it was a proposal was a secret he intended to keep.
“What brings you here, Mr. Satin? Are you here to pray? The place where you pray is the true temple. I can’t believe you’re gracing us with your presence. Are you here to teach our faithful?”
For some reason, the Temple Knight seemed genuinely moved, making Satin feel embarrassed. He quickly waved his hand.
“No, nothing like that. I’m just here to return something to the temple.”
“Return something? Everything in the temple is prepared for you, so what could you possibly return?”
The Temple Knight’s sincere confusion left Satin momentarily speechless. While he was considered a Messenger of God, he wasn’t actually a deity, and the excessive kindness felt overwhelming.
“I borrowed a Sacred Relic once. It should go to someone who needs it.”
“Ah, of course. You wouldn’t need such a thing. You are the embodiment of holiness.”
The exaggeration had increased significantly since they last saw each other. Satin, feeling his face flush, casually changed the subject.
“Anyway, I hope you enjoy your time here.”
“Yes, I plan to see the festival tonight.”
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Satin entered the temple. He pretended not to hear Cain muttering, “Annoying bastards,” as he followed behind.
