Over on the other side, the Pathfinders could only send small teams to scout other streets, desperately searching for a more suitable location. After all, this was Laterano during a festival, not some war-torn frontline; surely it wasn't a city-wide requirement to blow up every single house, right?
Besides, they weren't entirely unprepared. As a professional team, they naturally had backup plans. They had scouted several other areas beforehand, though those spots were further from the bustling center and thus less "ideal" than their primary target.
But looking at things now, "ideal" had turned into a disaster. This place was the worst possible choice, ruining their entire strategy! Left with no alternative, Patia took a few people to scout the other zones while leaving the rest to guard their stockpile of explosives.
They had to be extremely careful. If those hyped-up Sankta caught sight of this pile of ordnance and they weren't watching, someone might just snatch it up and set it off like a giant firework! Just thinking about it made Patia's head throb. What is wrong with today? Why is nothing going right? She had even accidentally lost a few feathers when she stepped out. Was today just not a good day for an operation? But she couldn't worry about that now; the arrow had already left the bow. What was the point of second-guessing?
As she passed a school, she caught a glimpse of a pink-haired Sankta on the side of the road. No matter how she looked at her, the woman seemed familiar. An acquaintance? But even though they passed face-to-face, the woman's gaze was that of a complete stranger.
Was it just her imagination? Or was it someone she had met briefly in the past? Lost in thought, she brushed past the two women. They clearly weren't paying her any mind; instead, they seemed to be in a frantic hurry to get somewhere. This allowed Patia to breathe a sigh of relief. If it really had been an old friend, the upcoming mission could have been compromised.
For now, she had to stay focused. She had to create an opportunity for their Leader.
"Faster! If we're late, we might not make it!"
Because they had been delayed slightly near the school, Lemuen now seemed incredibly anxious, as if she were racing to handle an urgent mission. Jeanne followed closely behind, wondering what on earth could have triggered such a reaction. Just as they were about to leave earlier, Lemuen had suddenly remembered something and began dragging Jeanne toward a specific direction.
"What could possibly have you this worked up? Does Laterano hold some kind of emergency lottery during festivals?"
Feeling the intense pull on her arm, Jeanne figured it must be something dire, so she picked up the pace. However, as Jeanne's speed increased, Lemuen found herself struggling to keep up with the girl's running speed.
Lemuen: ?
Feeling Jeanne accelerate, Lemuen was stunned to find that even following along was becoming a chore! In an instant, their roles reversed. Now, it was Jeanne dragging Lemuen behind her as they sprinted. Lemuen was staring at the back of Jeanne's head in utter bewilderment.
Wait, do you even know where I'm going? Why are you leading the way? And how do you know where I want to go?
Amidst Lemuen's confusion, Jeanne led her straight to a small stall. Even now, the place was swamped with people.
"So, you put on this 'ten fire alarm' act... and the ultimate goal was just to buy candy?" Jeanne looked with an incredulous expression at Lemuen, who looked equally shocked.
How did she know I wanted to come here? I didn't say a word about it! Can this be chalked up to 'intuition'? This is straight-up mind reading!
However, Lemuen didn't dwell on it for long. She quickly dragged Jeanne into the long queue. Even though the crowd was massive, everyone was lined up in a neat, orderly fashion. Jeanne waited for a while and didn't see a single person cut in line or try to swarm the counter.
"This place must be famous, then?" Jeanne looked at the neighboring candy stalls. Those places were practically empty, while this line stretched far into the distance!
The owners of the nearby stalls watched the long queue with expressions that said, "I'm used to this." They had even started a side business renting out chairs to the people in line—and business was booming! Jeanne wondered if they had forgotten their primary trade. Why not just become a chair rental shop full-time?
"This shop has been open for years. Back when Mostima and I were in school, our favorite thing was the candy from this place. We could never get enough!" Lemuen shared stories of her past with the shop while silently praying they wouldn't sell out. She had promised Mostima she would bring some back!
Jeanne noticed that whether it was due to the location or some other reason, the sound of explosions was much quieter here. Perhaps because this area was so densely packed with people, the Notarial Hall had blocked all demolition permits nearby.
Actually, in Laterano, the chance of someone getting hurt under an Apostolic Knight
supervision is slim. But rather than worrying about physical injury, the Notarial Hall is more concerned about scaring the children. They didn't want the youth of Laterano to be left with "indelible trauma" from seeing the chaotic celebrations too up close.
"Is it really that magical? So popular that the neighbors can't attract a single customer?" Jeanne looked at the empty storefronts next door, feeling a twinge of pity. For a merchant, the biggest blow is being outperformed; but the ultimate insult is when you can't earn a cent until your rival sells out.
Luckily, these were festival stalls. If the nearby owners were any more thin-skinned, they might have developed murderous intent by now.
"Don't worry, they're more open-minded than you think! Look, they even sent people to wait in line!" Lemuen pointed ahead. Sure enough, several employees wearing aprons from the neighboring shops were standing in the front of the queue, happily buying candy from their competitor.
Jeanne could only sigh, realizing she had underestimated the optimistic mindset of the Sankta. But on second thought, maybe it wasn't a bad thing. Once the popular shop sold out, the disappointed customers would naturally flock to the other stalls. The waters of business are deep, Jeanne thought, realizing she was definitely not cut out for trade.
Luckily, they weren't too late. When it was finally their turn, there was still a good amount left. They successfully purchased the treats Mostima had been pining for.
"Where to next? I feel like aside from the extra explosions, the city isn't that different from usual," Jeanne remarked as they watched the flow of people. To her, this festival felt like a regular gathering, just slightly louder.
"Yeah, it feels that way. Maybe because life is generally good here, the gap between 'daily life' and 'festival life' has narrowed. I miss being a kid; back then, I lived for the festival holidays," Lemuen mused, looking around.
The two followed the crowd. Everyone's final destination was the great clock tower they had visited days prior. They were going to hear the New Year's bell. Even though the ancient bell no longer functioned, a former Pope had hung a new one beneath it that would ring at exactly 12:01 AM. Waiting for that sound had become one of the festival's few remaining solemn traditions.
But right then, Jeanne's "Revelation" suddenly flared, guiding her in the opposite direction. Jeanne was curious—had the "bug" in her divine guidance finally crashed, or was it starting to trigger itself?
They followed the guidance to a extremely remote, narrow alleyway—so secluded that almost no one noticed it. Through the faint ambient noise, Jeanne thought she heard the low sound of a child crying.
Somehow, she reflexively turned to Lemuen and asked:
"Do you hear the children wailing?"