Baum

Narrator Pov

There were three figures of someone who seemed unusual standing in front of a large building in the most remote part of the Zeitgeist imperial capital. One of the figures was male, and the other two were female.

Why did I say it was unusual? Because if one were to visit the Zeitgeist imperial capital for the first time, the first thing they would see in the capital's outskirts was a residential area inhabited by ordinary citizens, or you could say the slum area of ​​the capital.

Because of this, the presence of these three individuals was an unusual sight. In addition, their attire appeared to be of a very high class, which is something one would not normally find in this area.

Their physical characteristics are also very endearing. All three of them have white hair, and the man has a face that is undeniably very handsome, while the two women to his right and left both have very beautiful faces.

As if they had never been exposed to sunlight, all three of them had very fair pale skin that was flawless and devoid of any spots or other marks.

They descended from the carriage, which also appeared to be luxurious, and didn't appear to fit the setting of this place, which appeared to be run-down in comparison to the carriage.

The man was observed sighing while holding the hand of a young girl who appeared to be only partially conscious. However, if one looked closely, the two of them had a lot in common, so it could be assumed that they were related to each other in the form of a brother and sister.

At the same time, on the other side of the man is a woman who is dressed in a maid's outfit, which causes people to wonder, 'How can such a beautiful woman be a maid?'

However, this is the truth, and I can see that the lovely lady who is dressed as a maid is currently smiling warmly as she looks at the man who is standing next to her and currently pinching the half-conscious young girl's cheek.

_________________

My Pov

"Alice, wake up, you sleepyhead."

I said as I pinched Alice's cheek while she was currently leaning against my body, still only half conscious because she had just woken up.

After that, Alice immediately opened her eyes with a scream while simultaneously rubbing her cheeks, which were red as a result of me pinching them.

"ahhh, what happened? Why did my cheeks start to hurt all of a sudden?"

I was also able to see Sucht, who was standing right next to me and appeared to be enjoying what was taking place in front of her.

After that, I looked forward and ignored Alice, who was still looking confused, because at that very moment, I could see someone walking out of the gate, and the direction she was heading was towards me.

"Greetings, young master, as well as Princess Alice."

After showing respect to Alice and me, the woman turned her attention to Sucht and gave her a slight nod.

The woman appeared to be an elderly person and was dressed in an unusual dress. The woman was wearing a long black dress, which is a dress that is typically worn by religious people on the Heilig continent.

Black clothing that covers the entire body except for the face, palms, and soles of the feet is the kind of clothing that is typically worn by women who perform voluntary work in religious places. This is the case even though each empire has its own distinctive pattern for religious garments.

"Looks like you're fine, Granny Baum."

I said this to the elderly lady whose name was Baum while giving her a warm smile, and as she listened to what I had to say, she gave me a gentle smile of her own. However, as she was about to say something else, she gave off the impression that she was about to cry.

"You have matured into a handsome and reliable man, young master..."

I couldn't help but give a wry smile when I heard that. In the meantime, Alice, who had been drowsily leaning against my body, suddenly woke up with wide eyes while looking back and forth at Granny Baum and me.

"Although I will be the first to admit that I have matured into a handsome and charming young man, I must emphasize that I am still a long way from being considered a reliable person."

Alice, who was standing next to me at the time, simply rolled her eyes in response to hearing my words. Meanwhile, Sucht and Granny Baum just laughed lightly while covering their mouths with their hands.

"Young master, please come in."

After that, Alice, Sucht, and I followed Granny Baum into the courtyard area of the building, where I noticed many kids playing there.

It was only natural, in my opinion, for the children to turn their attention in the direction of my entrance right away, revealing a mixture of interest and surprise in their facial expressions.

But I didn't really care about it and continued to follow Granny Baum as she led the three of us into a building. Once inside, she led us into a room that had a comfortable and peaceful atmosphere, and there were candles that helped illuminate this room.

Even though this building appears to be quite old and has a lot of space, the fact that it has those characteristics is precisely what makes it capable of producing a comfortable and peaceful atmosphere.

There was a statue at the far end of this moderately spacious room, and Alice, who was standing next to me, suddenly gave me a surprised look as she said something.

"I am aware that you are a narcissist. However, was it necessary for you to go to this extreme?"

Yes, as you may have guessed, the statue at the end of the room is carved to resemble me. Even though I appear to be much younger in the statue, there is no mistaking the fact that this statue was carved to resemble me in every way.

This statue that looks like me gives off a holy and unholy aura at the same time because it is draped in a long robe and is posed in such a way as to appear as though it is looking at something.

Because this isn't the first time, I've come across a statue that's been carved to look like me.

"Every time I witness this scene, it never ceases to astound me for some reason."

I said as I made my way slowly toward the statue, all the while observing Granny Baum and Sucht as they appeared to close their eyes for a brief period of time and place their fists on their chests in the posture of praying.

On the other hand, Alice appeared confused by the behavior of the two of them, and all she could do was walk closely beside me while clinging to my clothes.

After making my way underneath the statue, I could make out some items placed on the altar, including candles, flowers, paper with ancient writings, and a variety of other things typically utilized during religious events.

"I'm sure you're familiar with the brother and sister who visited these places exactly one month ago, don't you?"

I said it in a low voice without turning my body because I was still interested in seeing the writing on the altar.

Granny Baum then responded in a subdued manner, as if she knew I was talking to her.

"Yes, I know them. The little sister appeared to have a rare disease when she was brought here."

"Would it be possible for you to bring them both here?"

Granny Baum simply lowered her head as she walked out of the room after hearing my order.

_________________

Alice, who was standing next to me while still holding my shirt, inquired after seeing Granny Baum walk away.

"Who is that old woman? You seem to know her quite well."

"She's the maid who used to take care of me when I was little, isn't she, Sucht?" I replied flatly.

Sucht didn't respond to my questions at first, but when I turned around and looked at her, she opened her eyes and uttered something while tilting her head ever-so-slightly.

"From what I can recall, she was a sweet nanny."

Alice showed satisfaction by nodding her head after receiving the answer to her question, but after that, her expression remained confused as she continued to ask.

"Hmmm... so what exactly are we doing right now at this place?"

"Just taking a look at the soldiers who will come in handy at some point in the future."

I said it softly, and without Alice noticing, I gave a slight smirk when I said that. But unfortunately, my grin is typically a negative sign and rarely leads to a good outcome.