Kidnapped Lout

15 (1)/Tactical Swap

Unsurprisingly, the streets were extra busy today.

Cale and the rest of his family were walking around to looking at the pretty lights and to say hello to the townspeople. He was forced to join them with the reasoning that 'he was a Henituse too, so he couldn't be left out'.

Even when he had tried brushing it off by pretending to be sick, his sister had persisted. Eventually, Cale let himself be elegantly dragged by his siblings into the chilly town square.

It was almost as beautiful as a sunset.

A fluffy dusting of snowflakes rained down in slow motion, ever so slightly reflecting the lights from various buildings.

Local mages had infused colorful mana into glass beads, and strung up hundreds of them to stretch from rooftop to rooftop, lighting up the evening sky.

In addition, all of the open shops and vendors had set out magic candles that changed colors over time. Of those, all the shops that sold meat or baked goods had distributed little devices that would waft numerous aromas into the bustling streets, hoping to reel in more hungry customers.

The entire time they were walking, Lily and Basen's eyes were energetically taking everything in, committing every single detail to memory.

The reason behind the stunning displays was the upcoming snow festival. Basically, it was a territory-wide event to celebrate the first week of snowfall, and Cale was less than thrilled.

Normally the heir of the Henituse family would light the bonfire in the middle of the town center, and Cale had been pressured to do it since he was 10. This was going to be his fifth year, and he was dreading the idea of solidifying his position as the successor in front of the entire county once again.

The last few festivals were known as the worst in history, thanks to a dazzling performance of a 'drunk' Cale. It was a bit embarrassing and physically exhausting to do what he had done in front of hundreds of people, so he didn't enjoy the thought of repeating it.

'It's not like father will allow Basen to do it, especially since everyone in the family believes I am the best candidate still.'

Plus, Cale didn't like the idea of forcing the twelve year old basen to light a giant bonfire in front of potentially thousands of eyes. That kind of pressure, even if completely fabricated, would put a strain on any child.

As he thought about what incidents to create this festival, abnormal movement caught his attention. Basen had just finished chatting with the countess before slipping off into the crowd, a knight following close behind.

"Mother, where is Basen going?"
'Why is he walking into a crowded street with only a measly knight as protection?'

"He's going to buy Lily a strawberry tart from a vendor he heard rumors about, though it's a surprise, so don't tell her."

"Oh... in that case I'd actually like to try one out for myself as well, I'll be right back."

From how eager Basen had left to go buy Lily a treat, Cale could tell that the knight would have a hard time keeping up with him through the maze-like environment.

'It's not safe, what was father thinking letting him go like that?'

He scowled as he easily made his way through people who were scared of poking the already agitated bear.

Glancing around, Cale spotted the familiar form of his brother, who was walking behind a shady looking bakery.

It was shady looking because all of the people around it looked as if they were homeless drunkards, not gourmet dessert chefs. There were also less lights on the window sills, making it appear literally more shady then other shops.