Curiosity and a Promise of the City

“You want to know where you can send letters?”

Hearing this peculiar question, a look of confusion spread across Elise’s face.

“You want to send letters? I had no idea you were thinking of something like that…”

“It’s just… a sudden thought. You see, the postman delivers letters to us, but I’ve never seen anyone send letters to others. If we can only receive letters, that would be truly strange, wouldn’t it?”

“Hmm… that’s certainly true.”

Instead of refuting South Creek’s words, Elise found herself quite interested in this seemingly random question. Children’s curiosity always sprang from unexpected places, and Elise knew this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for South Creek’s education. It was an opportune moment to impart some common sense to this little one, whose mind was perpetually brimming with strange ideas.

However, after pondering for a moment, Elise did not immediately answer.

“It’s rare for you to ask such a question… but I can’t shake the feeling that something’s amiss. Are you cooking up another mischievous scheme?”

“No, absolutely not, Sister! What kind of person do you take me for? I was just suddenly curious, merely asking a casual question.”

Elise’s suspicions were not unfounded; this boisterous little one had caused her no small amount of trouble. There was the time she mixed unknown weeds, claiming to be concocting medicine, or when she nearly destroyed someone’s pigsty to observe how ‘Lulu’ pigs gave birth. She even flooded a field while trying to fish.

Indeed, South Creek’s transgressions were countless.

Nevertheless, considering how much calmer the little one had been recently, Elise momentarily set aside her doubts and began to explain:

“If there are people who deliver letters, then naturally there must be places to send them from… Think about it, how long have you been in this village?”

“Huh, why ask that? Let me think… I feel like… it’s probably been five or six years now.”

In South Creek’s memories of this world, she had spent her early childhood aimlessly wandering with Elise, moving from city to city. Only upon arriving at this particular village did they decide to settle down, living there for nearly six years.

“After all this time, do you still remember what places outside the village looked like?”

Shaking her head, South Creek knew children often forgot many things as they grew. Time had blurred everything in her mind, and even with a strenuous effort to recall, she could only grasp a few vague impressions.

“Then think carefully again, where do those postmen who deliver letters come from?”

“They must be from very, very far away, right? If you send a letter, it must be to someone who lives very far away.”

“Not quite. Postmen have their own families too. They can’t possibly walk such long distances all the time; they need to go home as well.”

After listening to Elise, South Creek thoughtfully scooped a mouthful of vegetable stew from her bowl. Suddenly, she recalled something from her previous world called ‘express delivery,’ a service where one person sent items to another living far away. If she were to draw a parallel between the two…

“I know! Is it in the cities? There must be special places there for sending letters.”

“That’s right!”

Smiling, Elise gently ruffled South Creek’s small head, nodding with satisfaction. She spoke softly, “In the cities, there are dedicated post stations. That’s where people drop off their letters, which are then handed over to the postmen for delivery.”

“And remember, every city has similar post stations, and each postman is responsible for delivering letters between two specific locations, understood?”

“Mhm, understood.”

Having received her answer, South Creek remained silent for a moment. However, not long after, she suddenly asked, “Sister Elise, when can I go to the city to see it?”

The lingering sunset outside the window illuminated Elise’s face. In the small room, the two sat facing each other. South Creek held her chipped wooden bowl, taking small sips of the vegetable stew.

After a long pause, Elise finally replied, “In just a little while… Do you know what day is coming soon?”

Blinking, South Creek realized she had always possessed a rather vague concept of time. In this world, nights consistently outlasted days, and cold spells were more frequent than warm ones. The seasons lacked distinct boundaries, yet people were not entirely devoid of a sense of time; they adhered to traditions that had been followed for hundreds of years.

“In just a little while, it will be the Starfall Festival.”

“Ah, the Starfall Festival!”

A familiar term swiftly surfaced in her mind, and South Creek’s eyes instantly sparkled. This was a traditional and ancient festival of the region. During this period, beautiful meteors frequently streaked across the night sky. Coinciding with the harvest season, the festival had thus acquired its name.

During this beautiful festival, even in the hardworking countryside, people would set aside their daily chores. For these precious few days, they would properly relax, enjoying life’s pleasures with family and friends.

The usually quiet and lonely nights would transform into bustling night markets. Snacks and fun toys, impossible to find on ordinary days, would appear in children’s hands. Adults would take their children, strolling through the markets amidst lively music, enjoying outings, and dancing the Valrin Dance. All in all, this was the most joyous time of the year for this region.

Furthermore, the people of this village would even hold a grand event called the “Autumn Hunt.” All the men of the village would journey together to the nearby forest for a hunt. This tradition, passed down for hundreds of years, served not only to celebrate the Starfall Festival but also to gather more food for the impending harsh winter. Experienced old hunters from the village would lead the young, inexperienced lads, marching into the forest amidst rousing songs.

South Creek confessed that for several years, she had harbored the desire to secretly join the hunting party. After all, it was truly an exhilarating activity, much like the poem “A thousand riders sweep across the plains” described. A magnificent procession of hundreds of people hunting through the forest would certainly fulfill one of the many fantasies she had conjured in her mind.

However, this activity strictly forbade participation from anyone not yet of adult age. Especially for a young girl like her, there was no telling if she might be snatched away by a wild beast emerging from who-knew-where.

“After the Autumn Hunt is over, I’ll also need to go into the city to take care of some errands. When that time comes, I’ll take you to the city to have a good time, alright?”

“Yay!”

It had been far too long since South Creek had last visited a city. While the natural scenery of the countryside was undeniably beautiful, even that could become tiresome with daily viewing. Ever since arriving in this world, she had constantly wondered what the cities might look like. Would they resemble the cities she had seen in the fantasy manga from her previous life?

Elves, orcs, dwarves, angels, demons…

If even magic could exist, then the presence of various fantasy races would surely be a natural consequence, wouldn’t it? If all these elements were combined, wouldn’t that be the quintessential setup for an adventure in another world!

“Alright, look how excited you are. Be a good girl and eat your dinner. After you finish, how about I teach you another spell today?”

“Mhm!”

As the two shared their warm dinner, night deepened with the passage of time.