Matou Yasai

The event known as Matou Yasai was older than even the founding of this nation 300 years ago and had been a thing long before when this country separated from the major powers and became independent.

Long before medicine and hygiene had to progressed to the contemporary level, the amount people with healing skills that could cure wounds and illnesses were simply not enough to help everyone.

And so whenever a big illness began to spread, the death toll would rapidly increase around the first to die from it.

And so in the olden times, people used to believe that [the dead were coming to take the living with them] as a reason for the increasing deaths.

And of course, the time when the deaths increased the most was during the winters when the diseases spread the most, food scarcity would be at its worst, and the cold was crippling, weakening the people in general.

“[When winter comes, the dead come to take the living], was it…….”

Next morning, while walking on the way to the school, Francesca muttered so to herself under her breath.

Majority of the townscape was brickwork, and there was full network of open canals spread across the city. Looking down one of the bridges, she could see the canal covered in golden fallen leaves.

Seeing her like that, her [best friend] walking beside her simply chuckled.

“Wondering about the origins of the Matou Yasai?”

“Leonardo……”

There was yet another party last night that Leonardo had to attend, and he had to wake up early for school today again but he was still making an expression as if none of it bothered him.

“[When the city is dyed in gold, the dead come to choose. Who they’ll take with them when winter comes.]”

If you hear just that, the event sounds a lot more ominous than before.

But the festival born from that had turned into an excuse to have a bunch of parties across all nations.

“[To not get chosen as the target of the dead, you disguise and act like one of the dead themselves. Light fires at night, lie, and dance with the dead——……]”

The legend Leonardo spoke off almost sounded like a classic poem.

(In my past life halloween was a similar event, but this is a bit different from that. That said, even Halloween was simply adopted into Japanese culture as just a day to dress up and have fun and nothing more so it makes sense that a game made in japan kept the same idea.)

This country that was under the protection of Emperor Luka and the Five Great Families was always beautiful, all year round.

During spring, colourful flower would bloom across the roadside. During summers, big lush green trees adorn the streets. In winters, pure white snow covers the entire city as people prepare for the Holy night and decorate the entire city.

And in the Fall, the golden leaves colour the city streets, as people in all sorts of fun and unique disguised walk around with swagger.

And yet, she wondered if this brightness of the day would seem blinding and poisonous to someone who had to work late in the [night]. Like Leonardo.

“………Leonardo, you really are tired, aren’t you?”

“hm?”

Upon Francesca’s questioning, Leonardo simply smiled happily.

“You need not worry, Francesca. Just seeing your face alone fills me with happiness.”

“That’s not what I meant! In the first place, even if you are the head of the Aldini family, you’re still a 17 year old kid, you know? Just because people treat you as an adult after inheriting your house doesn’t mean your body actually became one of an actual adult. You’re still in your growing period.”

“kuh, ahahaha! [growing period] eh? How fresh, being treated like a child. As expected of my dear Francesca.”

“Mouu~!!”

Leonardo seemed to be roaring with laughter but what she said was indeed facts. To Francesca who had lived to her high school years in her past life as well, 17yrs old was not an adult at all.

“You have to get proper sleep or you won’t grow up properly okay?”

“Ahahahah,haah-……….well, that certainly sounds like a problem. A man’s physique is quite the versatile weapon in and of itself after all…….”

Finally his laughter settled down as Leonardo dragged Francesca into an embrace by her shoulders.

The next instant, a carriage rushed right past where Francesca and Leonardo were standing at a high speed.

“!!”

The wheels of carriage blew the golden leaves into the air in its wake.

As the leaves fluttered down like petals in the wind, Leonardo leaned in to whisper in Francesca’s ears.

“It seems like I will never have enough ways to keep you safe huh.”

“……….”

And seeing his smiling face so close up, Francesca was startled.

His beautiful smile seemed to hide a strange sadness behind it.

(As I thought, these days Leonardo feels like he’s somewhat……..)

Francesca cut her own sentence in the middle, and instead switched to thanking him for saving her from the carriage.

“Th…….Thanks. But you know, I don’t think I would have gotten hit by that even if I had kept walking forwards though?”

“I know. But just in case, if the dirty fallen leaves happened to touch you, why, that would certainly be a tragedy, don’t you think?”

“It most certainly won’t be a tragedy geez……!!”

Francesca shuddered as Leonardo narrowed his eyes in a joking manner. The sadness, the loneliness she felt in his expression just now had long disappeared again.

But Francesca knew. She could tell.

(——-these days it feels like Leonardo has started lying to me again.)

For some reason, and only Francesca could sense something like this, but she felt that he seemed burdened by some deep, heavy emotions that he was hiding within him.

(If something was worrying him, I wish he’d discuss it with me at least, but I can’t force him to do so either. It’d be arrogant of me to act like I could shoulder every burden he bears just because we are [friends].)

If Leonardo was keeping secrets from her, it had to be something major.

Having become [best friends], there was no one in the whole world Leonardo trusted more than Francesca. And yet he had chosen not to divulge the matter with her.

(I need to respect his decisions too, for his own sake as well.)

That’s why, she chose not to ask him anything further.

(However, seeing Leonardo show such a pained smile, that too only when he’s with me……..)

Just thinking about it made Francesca’s heart ache with pain.

(As I thought, I must be the cause behind it, right?)

Of course she didn’t think even for a moment that Leonardo had come to hate her or anything. She had complete trust in their [friendship] after all.

But even, it brought her anxiety regardless.

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