Extra 2: The Young Man Who Distributes Hope

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Translator: Soafp

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The young man looked to be around the same age as Lena.

Yet although his build was average, his posture was straight, and the arms visible beneath his sleeves bore the marks of long years of training.

More than that… it was hard to put into words, but she felt a certain “weight” about him.

“Excuse me. I've come to make a donation to the church.”

Before Lena could even ask his business, the young man spoke while offering the bundle he carried in his hands.

For a moment, Lena didn't quite understand what he meant.

But she soon realized—and reflexively asked back,

“A d-donation… you're giving this to us?”

“Yes.”

The young man smiled and, as if to reassure her, held the bundle out closer.

She took it without thinking—and gasped at its weight.

She had hardly ever touched money before, but even she could tell that it was a large sum.

Precisely because of that, it seemed far too much for someone so close to her own age to be carrying around.

“U-um…”

She was just about to ask about it when—

“Don't worry. It's not money obtained through anything shady.”

It was an answer that seemed to anticipate her concern.

At the same time, she realized that what had crossed her mind must have shown on her face, and that it had been rude. Flustered, she bowed her head in apology.

“I-I'm sorry… It seems my impolite thoughts showed on my face…”

“It's fine. That reaction is only natural.”

Narrowing his eyes slightly, the young man smiled.

Despite being the same generation, the way he looked at her seemed remarkably mature.

“My name is Erius. That money was earned through my life as an adventurer. I've been blessed with companions far beyond my station, and the party I lead is S-rank. We earn a fair amount.”

“A-an S-rank…?”

“Well, I say ‘lead' rather grandly, but in truth, there are only two of us now—myself included.”

He spoke modestly, but even Lena, who was ignorant of worldly matters, knew what S-rank meant.

It was a special title granted to adventurers who had subdued a Demon King army stronghold.

To Lena, it was a realm far beyond the clouds.

And he had said he led the party.

That meant the young man before her was its leader.

He had said there were only two of them, but turned around, that meant they had subdued a Demon King army base with just two people.

Someone around her own age had accomplished that.

Struck speechless by her shock, Lena stood frozen as Erius smiled again and pointed toward the church.

“Excuse me. I'd like to offer a prayer… Could you show me the way?”

Lena hurriedly bowed again and again as she replied,

“O-of course! This way, please!”

“Thank you. Um…”

“Yes?”

“If you don't mind, may I have your name?”

“I-I'm sorry, you introduced yourself first and I still…! M-my name is Lena!”

“Nice to meet you, Lena.”

Despite her discourteous response, Erius didn't seem bothered in the least.

Standing before him, she felt painfully childish.

The two of them walked together along the short path leading to the building.

In the courtyard, children were playing and hanging up laundry.

As she was about to guide him inside the church, Erius suddenly stopped and called out to the children in the courtyard.

“Hey! Everyone, come here!”

He gathered the children and took out an unfamiliar box from his luggage.

He opened it, revealing its contents.

Something brown was neatly lined up inside.

“Everyone, these are baked sweets imported from a neighboring country. There's about one piece per person, but… let's all eat together!”

“Baked sweets… sweets!?”

Lena knew the word, but she had never seen sweets before.

In a country where even daily meals were uncertain, such a luxury item was something common folk could never casually afford.

She had even heard rumors that they were sometimes specially issued to soldiers heading out on missions so dangerous they might lose their lives.

The children, too, stared at the sweets in their hands with puzzled expressions, unsure of what they'd been given.

At last, one child sniffed it cautiously, then put it into their mouth—

“O-ohhh, it's delicious! What is this!? I've never eaten anything this good!”

Hearing that shouted reaction, the other children began eating their sweets one after another.

At that moment, Erius moved.

It wasn't fast—but it was smooth, fluid.

He extended his palm, and a sweet fell neatly into it.

It seemed a small girl had dropped hers in her haste to eat it.

“There's no need to rush. The sweets won't run away.”

As he handed it back, Erius gently patted the child's head.

The little girl, without even saying thank you, hurriedly stuffed the sweet into her mouth and broke into a smile.

Watching Erius smile at the scene from the side, Lena felt a single concern arise.

Sweets were, of course, luxuries.

There might never again be a chance for the children to eat something like this.

If so, wouldn't it be better for them not to know such things at all?

She herself was always haunted by the sorrow of losing things she could never have again.

As Lena watched the children happily eating the sweets, her heart tangled with complicated feelings—when…

“Here, Lena. You too.”

“M-me too?”

Erius held out a sweet to her as well.

Still clinging to her earlier thoughts, she hesitated to take it, when—

Keeping his hand extended, Erius spoke while looking at the children.

“Living in this country is… harsh. Even more so for children. That's why I hope that someday they'll think, ‘I want to eat those sweets again—so I'll do my best,' and that it'll give them the strength to overcome even a little of what's painful… or something like that.”

Those words made Lena catch her breath.

Erius's way of thinking was a perspective she lacked—someone who tended to shut herself away and see things in a negative light could never have reached it.

Put dramatically, what Erius had given them wasn't sweets, but vitality for living—and hope.

Ashamed of her shallow thoughts, she accepted the sweet and put it into her mouth.

“It's delicious…”

It was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten.

Her earlier worries vanished, and she finished it in no time.

Without thinking, she even licked the crumbs clinging to her fingers, when—

“I'm glad you liked it.”

Erius was smiling, having noticed her behavior.

Lena felt her face grow hot.