The prestige of the Twin Stars was at its absolute peak.
To be frank, Finn was insanely jealous.
Because if he were in that position, his long-cherished dream of revitalizing his familia would have been accomplished effortlessly.
But, sadly… there are no what-ifs.
Still, seeing those two become the Savior Heroes, he felt admiration more than resentment.
It was respect born from witnessing greatness.
And because of that…
"Right now, many people are feeling just like you and me."
Finn looked at Bete's impatient expression and spoke plainly.
"The disaster just ended. Many are barely getting enough to eat. In Daedalus Street, some don't even have a place to stay… At times like this, who has the leisure to think about a festival?"
Bete immediately nodded in agreement.
A Lantern Rite Festival? Writing something down to float into the sky?
This seemed like a pointless practice—besides making trash in the sea, what use is it?
Yet…
"I think the Twin Stars clearly considered that. That's why… all the sky lanterns were made by them personally."
"Tonight, we just need to take a little time to join the festival in the central square, then follow the procedure to light and release our own lanterns."
"It's their way of paying respect to the Savior Heroes."
That was Finn's perspective.
Bete scoffed.
"Hah~ Can I just write on the paper: 'I hope no more small fries ever bother me again'?"
Finn, being someone who could barely understand Bete-speak, interpreted this as: he wished that no one would die unnecessarily in the future.
"Do as you like, then."
Finn narrowed his eyes.
"Although, Bete… you still don't write very well in the Koine, do you?"
He grinned mischievously.
"I'm not going to teach you how to write that one."
Bete's brow twitched.
Grabbing the sky lantern and the wish paper assigned to him, he kicked the door open and strode out.
He knew his captain's personality too well.
From here on, it was up to him.
…Up to him to figure out a solution.
Bete felt like his brain had been squashed by a door when he ended up in the garrison library.
And the moment he arrived…
"Eh???"
"Is that… Bete?"
"He actually came to the library?"
"Is this some kind of spy? Using transformation magic?"
Suppressing the urge to kick those little pests away, Bete walked out of the library… and even left the garrison.
He strode down the street, scowling.
"All because of those two…"
Alias was a term he couldn't bring himself to say now.
He knew all too well what the Twin Stars had done recently and how strong they were.
Bete never called Finn and Ais alias—he used their names directly.
He didn't call Riveria, Gareth… or even the Hiryute sisters aliases.
Hence the nicknames: Old Lady, Old Man, Foolish Amazon, and so on.
Right now…
"This is so annoying."
Having wandered for quite a distance thinking of a solution, Bete held the wish paper tightly, tempted to crumple it and toss it away.
But just then…
"Everyone, please don't crowd. Line up properly."
"We write very quickly; everyone will get their turn."
…
The fantasy world was, after all, not a modern city—and certainly not some imperial capital.
Literacy was not widespread.
Especially on a continent where adventuring was the main occupation, and the society leaned heavily toward martial values, fewer civilians could read or write.
Perhaps only in the magical kingdoms or scholarly districts were there more so-called "intellectuals."
Here in Orario…
The role of "scribe" had recently been fully taken over by the Twin Stars.
With at least one Archon guiding them and many clerical staff fluent in the Koine assisting, the guild had also lent support.
The temporary rented shop before him served as a free "scribe station."
Bete quietly examined his wish paper.
"Hah~"
He scoffed again, then obediently joined the line.
=====
Over ten minutes later…
The clerks weren't exaggerating. The line moved quickly.
One Archon worked tirelessly, writing each person's wish in two or three seconds after hearing it once.
The wish-giver would then thank them, bow slightly or curtsey, smile, and step aside for the next person.
The process was orderly.
Until…
"Sir, what is your wish?"
It was Bete's turn.
A girl in a white priest dress with twin tails stood before him.
Barbara.
Clearly, she was best suited for such "people-oriented" tasks—and excellent at them.
Renjiro trusted her abilities implicitly.
Even though this was a non-combat skill, it was still very important.
Of course, Renjiro hadn't been shirking his duties either.
All the sky lantern materials had been gathered through his own efforts.
Even if they couldn't make exact replicas, they could craft substitutes using local materials.
For days, Renjiro had been working late into the night, leveraging the Stellar Abyss skill's mana regen to keep up production, creating a full lantern assembly line with his clones.
During the day, he would rest.
He wasn't an Archon—he wasn't immortal.
No need to digress further.
Now…
"May the departed rest in peace."
When asked what he wished for, Bete didn't choose to be cheeky.
Nor could he find elaborate words to express himself. He simply conveyed his true feelings as succinctly as possible.
"Understood."
Barbara, the priest girl with twin tails, was diligent.
With graceful strokes, she transcribed Bete's wish onto the paper.
Then…
"May the wind carry it, and may all the beauty in this world receive blessings."
A simple ceremonial phrase whispered into his ears.
Bete fell silent for a moment, then took the paper Barbara handed him and pocketed it as he left.
As he moved…
"This world has never been truly beautiful."
A resigned sigh flashed briefly in his mind.