Both Ways
The town was circular in shape that led to the Demon Extermination Corps through a road on the northern side and toward the huge castle above on the southern side. The road that connected the two sides was a single, paved one that ran right in the middle of the town. Other smaller roads branched off the main road.
Vanitas and Melfina were walking down one of the smaller roads. Since it was the first time Vanitas had set foot here, he was looking all over the place like a little kid who had seen something for the very first time.
The houses were two to three-storied at most. They all looked almost identical in design, shape, and color. The houses had a big door to their right side which led inside the first floor. Through one of the open doors, Vanitas saw that there was a wooden stair running straight along the door that led to the second floor. There was a small veranda out on the second floor. The roofs were thatched and slanted and jutted out a little.
As they walked, they saw kids running around as they laughed. Some were kicking a round object that bounced and rolled on the ground. They all looked happy. And Vanitas found that to be a bit strange.
"A little ahead is the marketplace!" Melfina's energetic voice brought his attention back from his mind to the world in front of him.
They walked to a place where the small road opened wide to a big rectangular space where it was filled to the brim with people. The happy and carefree laughter of the little kids was replaced with the noise and shouting of the grownups here.
All around Vanitas were different stalls. He ran his eyes around. Different items were being sold in the many stalls spread around. Food, drinks, clothes, jewelry and accessories, dresses, and even weapons were being sold and bought.
"Is it always this lively around here?"
"No. I would say that the crowd is a bit thin today compared to other days."
Even this was more than crowd enough for Vanitas so he could not imagine how it would be on other days.
"No need to get so overwhelmed. Come, let's get going."
Melfina once again caught hold of his hand and led him from stall to stall. Although she did not buy anything, she looked through all of the items available in the store, tried them on either her or Vanitas, and chatted with the owners. The owners were kind and responded to Melfina in a chirpy voice and from the way they talked, it was not hard for Vanitas to deduce that Melfina was well acquainted with them. The people around also seemed fond of Melfina. They widened their eyes a little at seeing a new face but after Melfina introduced him to them, they talked to him as if they had known him for a long time already. It was heartwarming to watch and talk with so many people at such a fast pace. It was strange, new, and exciting all the same.
After walking around almost all of the stalls around, Melfina took him to a food store at the right end of the line of stalls. To the right side of the stall opened a small spot with a few benches scattered around and a water fountain in the middle.
A young woman who looked to be around Vanitas's age was behind the counter wearing a pinkish-purple apron over a white shirt.
"Oh, Melfina. It has been a long since I last saw you."
"That it has. We have been busy with demon extermination as of late."
"Seems tough."
"You can say that again," Melfina said, followed by a tired sigh.
Then, she did a complete 180 and her voice was cheerful now as she spoke.
"Give me the usual, Viera. Double the amount."
"Coming right up." Then, Viera started doing something behind the counter. There was a sizzling sound and heat was coming up from the place. Vanitas peered over and saw there was a big black frying pan with a lot of oil. Viera was taking out round objects from the drawer below and frying them on the pan. A sweet smell tickled his nostrils.
"By the way, who is this new gentleman with you today?" Viera asked as she eyed Vanitas curiously.
"He is Vanitas, a new recruit. He joined about a month ago and you won't believe he is already one of the Lieutenants."
Viera really looked shocked at that. "Are you really that strong?"
"He really is," Melfina answered for him.
"Ho~" Viera let out an impressed sound and continued to cook whatever she was preparing for them, while still trying to strike up a conversation with him.
"Is this your first time here?"
"Ah, yes," Vanitas replied, a bit stiff.
"What do you think of this little town of ours?"
"Lively, I guess?" That was the only word he thought that described the atmosphere of the town perfectly.
Viera gave a good-natured laugh. "It really is, isn't it? That's what makes this little town a place to live."
By that time, Viera had packed ten pieces of the food that Melfina had demanded. It was thick and round with a hole in the middle. There was white cream layered all over the top. She packed them in a brown paper bag and placed them on the counter table.
"That will be 20 coppers."
Vanitas took out the pouch of money he had on his waist and took out twenty copper coins and handed it to her.
"Thank you very much. Please come again!" She said as she placed her hands on her hips.
"See you again, Viera."
"Yeah, see you again, Melfina." The girls waved a hand at each other.
Then, Melfina and Vanitas went to the bench right beside the fountain. Vanitas peered over the water collected underneath the fountain. The water was clean and clear and golden fishes were swimming around.
Melfina took out two pieces of the doughnut and handed one to Vanitas.
Vanitas took a bite and a sweet taste spread inside his mouth. The taste was a bit too sweet for him though Melfina looked clearly overjoyed.
"Mhhmmm. Delicious ~" She flailed her legs like a little girl.
By the time Vanitas had eaten one, Melfina had already finished two of the doughnuts.
The two enjoyed their food in silence for a while as they looked at the sun that was about to set far in the western sky.
"Did you like this little place?" Melfina asked while she was going through her fourth one already.
"Yes. It is a lively place to take one's mind off things. You would not believe it is a town so close to the border of the country and the people don't seem like those that have been deemed to be of a lower class."
"Right? That is why I love this place."
"But I find it a bit strange, Melfina. This place and the atmosphere here."
"What is so strange about it? Isn't this your normal, everyday town?"
"Yes, it is normal and that is exactly why it is strange."
"What do you mean?"
"This town is the closest to the Demon Extermination Corp right at the border of the country. Just past these huge walls are horrendous demons. If even one of the demons were to pass through then, who knows how many people here might perish. There is also the possibility that the corps might fall. All that awaits if that happens is utter doom. They should all be worried about that dreadful prospect but here they are, laughing and living every day as if everything was normal. I find that strange."
Melfina smiled a little at his question.
"Your logic is right, Vanitas. But, well, there is a bond between the people of this town and us soldiers."
"That both parties are outcasts."
"Yeah. That is why people think of us as one of their own." Melfina put down her half-eaten doughnut and spoke while she eyed everyone around them with warm eyes. "The thing is the people in this town trust us. They believe that no matter what we will persist and we will not let any harm come their way, which we have not in these past twenty years. That trust that they have in us is what enables them to sleep without worrying about the demons at night. And that trust is what motivates us to work even harder. We don't want to betray the trust of these people. Thus we put our everything into defending this town so that we can continue to see their beautiful smiles."
"Trust..." The trust that she spoke of worked both ways and that was what kept both the town and the soldiers alive. Because they know that if they fall, these people are the next, they do everything to protect the people here. This relationship built on that single trust seemed very beautiful to Vanitas and he felt as if he knew what this trust Melfina spoke of was. He felt as if there was someone out there in this world that trusted in him immensely like the people in this town did.
When he looked at the sky far above him, the yellow light shone on something far in the distance which Vanitas could not see properly from here.