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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
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Agnes stood there, the tanghulu skewer Deron had given her still in her hand.
“….”
She stared at Deron, her lips pressed together. A strange person. An unusual person. Someone who seemed to know her… intimately.
From their first meeting to this moment, with the tanghulu in her hand, he had seemed distant yet somehow aware of her deepest vulnerabilities. He acted as if he knew everything about her.
But Agnes knew nothing about him. Nothing beyond the superficial like his rank, his appearance.
Even this tanghulu was a reminder. A treat commonly seen in the Bayern Viscounty before its fall, her favorite childhood snack.
She stared at the candied fruit, a remnant of a sweeter past. She took a bite. Crunch, crunch. The candied coating shattered, the fruit inside bursting with flavor.
After finishing the tanghulu, she silently discarded the stick and rejoined Deron.
She hadn’t tasted a thing.
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“So…”
I stared, dumbfounded. How was I supposed to explain this?
“This is the Fountain of Fortune?”
“Yep! I’ve always wanted to toss a coin in here.”
Before us stood a large stone structure adorned with intricate carvings and statues. Water flowed from its center.
It was reminiscent of the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
“It’s quite the famous landmark.”
Agnes confirmed it. Whether or not the fountain actually brought good fortune, people tossed coins into it, making wishes.
Erina, looking excited, pulled a silver coin from her pocket.
“Please let me graduate from the academy without any incidents!”
A common wish. And likely Erina Philstine’s genuine desire. She was always honest about her feelings.
Agnes and Han followed suit, silently tossing their coins into the fountain.
They, too, must have had wishes they entrusted to the fountain. Wishes too personal to share aloud, so they remained silent.
Erina pestered them about their wishes, but they remained tight-lipped.
Then, her gaze shifted to me.
“Deron, aren’t you going to toss a coin?”
“Me?”
Agnes and Han looked at me expectantly. They seemed to be hoping I would participate.
I shook my head.
“I don’t believe in superstitions.”
Not in my previous life, nor in this one. I had never even built a stone cairn. I had never wished for good fortune, not even in my most desperate moments.
Being dragged into this world was the ultimate misfortune, after all.
“Aw, come on, just try it! You never know. Right?”
“No.”
“Please? Just once.”
“I said no.”
Erina was persistent, despite my repeated refusals. I finally understood why Han, who also didn’t believe in superstitions, had quietly tossed his coin.
‘He just wanted to get it over with.’
I glared at Han, silently pushing Erina away. He avoided my gaze.
“Fine.”
“Really?!”
He caved immediately. I sighed and pulled a silver coin from my pocket. It was only worth about ten thousand won, but still…
I stared at the fountain. The beautifully sculpted statues came into view.
The Fountain of Fortune, a sight unseen and impossible to see in the original story. A fountain that should have been destroyed by Morax.
I tossed the coin.
Plink
The coin landed with a clear sound, and a message appeared before me.
[You have encountered a historical divergence.]
[The Fountain of Fortune, which should have been destroyed, remains intact, and you have tossed a coin into it. An unknown entity expresses their favor.]
[Someone’s good fortune has settled upon you.]
An intangible energy emanated from the fountain. Before I could react, it flowed into my body.
I dropped my cane, a strange sensation washing over me.
“Deron?”
Erina looked at me with concern, but I simply blinked, staring at the fountain. But nothing happened.
My status window showed no changes.
Then, another message appeared.
[You have witnessed a scene you were meant to miss.]
What the…
Nothing changed, despite the message. I scratched my head and picked up my cane.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, I said.”
I patted Erina’s head. She was looking up at me like a worried puppy. I continued walking.
The day was still young, and the festival was in full swing.
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The spring evening was cool and pleasant. The gentle breeze felt refreshing against my skin.
Thankfully, this world seemed to have the same pleasant breezes. The time between day and night, as the sun dipped below the horizon.
The evening festivities had their own unique charm. Especially the ever-changing food stalls and events.
The vendors who had been selling skewers, food, and clothes during the day had now set up small dart booths, offering prizes like dolls and cheap figurines.
Children clutched balloons larger than their heads, their bright smiles disarming and infectious.
And so were the people around me. Agnes and Lee Han were, of course, visually appealing. How else would the protagonist maintain his charm without a visual boost?
Lee Han seemed a bit… feminine, but I ignored it.
Erina, however, was the most eye-catching. Her fiery red hair seemed to glow in the sunset.
Her cheerful demeanor and bright eyes drew admiring glances. She might not possess the otherworldly beauty of Agnes or Rebecca, the kind that made people stop and stare…
But her appearance definitely shone brighter in the evening light.
Moreover, her small stature and free-spirited nature made every man who looked at her smile like a doting father. I almost did the same but managed to control my expression.
“That looks fun!”
Erina, seemingly tireless, continued exploring the festival. Even when we started feeling hungry, her enthusiasm didn’t wane.
She eventually stopped at a dart booth. What was unusual was the large “Miss” section and the single, small target area.
“Five darts. Hit the target, and you win a piece of jewelry!”
The vendor explained the rules as we approached. We hadn’t even expressed interest.
I was about to turn away when Erina grabbed my hand. Her eyes burned with determination.
Sigh
I rummaged through my pockets and asked the vendor,
“How much?”
“For such a handsome couple… how about 2 silver for all four of you?”
“Hmm.”
Not bad. About a thousand won per dart.
It was a bit expensive, but considering this was the heart of the festival, it was a reasonable price.
And I could always win.
Thwack! Thwack!
“Yes! I got one!”
“I got one too!”
The vendor’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when Agnes and Erina each hit the target.
Lee Han had already put down his darts.
I had no intention of playing.
“C-Congratulations! You can each choose a prize…”
The vendor’s voice trailed off. I could understand how he felt. Who told him to set up such a game? Looking at the man’s defeated expression, I felt a pang of sympathy and handed him another 2 silver.
“All done!”
Hearing Erina’s voice from behind, I turned my head.
And then, my eyes widened in surprise.
‘Wow.’
A golden butterfly, perfectly complementing her silver hair, rested on Agnes’s head. Its delicate wings fluttered as if it might take flight at any moment.
Erina said, beaming with pride,
“I chose well, right? She was about to pick some weird fruit-shaped one, so I snatched this for her.”
“What’s wrong with fruit?!”
“It looked weird!”
Erina and Agnes bickered. Did they really want to fight in public? I felt like a chaperone.
I intervened and asked Erina,
“What did you choose?”
“Oh, this.”
She held out her hand. A ring with a red gemstone adorned her index finger.
“I really liked the red color, so I grabbed it.”
I felt like I’d seen that ring somewhere before… I shrugged it off. It was probably just a ruby ring I’d seen in my previous life.
We continued to enjoy the evening festivities. The atmosphere was completely different from the daytime, more like a party.
I felt… relaxed. Truly relaxed, for the first time in a long time.
“I’m hungry.”
At Han’s words, we looked at each other. We had been wandering around, and we were all craving a proper meal.
Skewers and fruit were snacks, not dinner. I looked around and pointed at a restaurant.
It had a classic ambiance and looked promising.
“How about that place?”
“Sounds good.”
“Me too!”
“I agree.”
With everyone’s approval, we headed towards the restaurant, our stomachs rumbling.
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the real definiton of resting …
