Little Pink Starfish

“Ice water.”

When Nyne asked for ice water again, the priests brought it faster than before and offered it. After taking a few sips, he noticed Lu fidgeting nearby with a face full of things he wanted to say. Handing the half-empty cup to a priest, Nyne asked curiously,

“Lu, is there something you wish to say?”

“Lord Nyne, by any chance… did you permit that person to use your name?”

Only after hearing Lu’s question did Nyne realize Gwen had been calling him by name throughout their conversation.

“No, I did not… That insolent thing.”

Nyne let out a short laugh in disbelief. He had never encountered anyone so brazen. During the Hunting Festival, he wouldn’t tolerate such arrogance, not even a bit. Without a particular reason, he beckoned the sullen Lu and ordered a massage.

The forest where the Hunting Festival was to be held was relatively close to the Grand Temple—but even so, it took at least three days to reach. A short journey by some standards, but long enough when considering the sheer number of people and animals moving together—Leshas, priests, slaves, and thousands more. The amount of preparation was immense.

Priests from all sanctuaries, not just the Grand Temple, rose at the crack of dawn—closer to midnight than morning—meticulously checking for anything left behind. Since departure was so early, Nyne also had to wake before sunrise. The priests, eyes heavy with fatigue, fought to stifle yawns as they assisted him.

“Sha, is anything uncomfortable?”

“No. It’s just right.”

Satisfied, Nyne’s smile brought genuine relief to the tired faces of the priests. Lu was half-asleep, waving his fan automatically, while elderly Popo looked far more energetic.

Still, the pre-dawn air was cool and refreshing. That was the reason for the early departure: to avoid dehydration in the midday heat. They would travel in the morning, rest and eat lunch at the sun’s peak, then continue when the sun began to set.

Nyne left the sanctuary and headed toward the First Tower Gate. When he arrived, he found that priests, slaves, and livestock were already lined up in perfectly arranged rows and columns.

Closest to the gate stood a massive, gold-plated carriage, gleaming with golden light. It was taller than a man, nearly the size of a small room. But the most impressive part was the horses—huge, red-eyed white beasts whose hooves struck the earth like thunder, making the ground shake. They were monstrous in size, easily two to three times larger than ordinary horses—the same breed that pulled Amon’s war chariots.

These giant horses pulled only Amon’s carriage or chariots. So wild and aggressive that even trained warrior priests needed to band together to harness them, they would obey only when Amon himself was aboard—earning them the title “Divine Horses.”

Behind that carriage were dozens more, lined up by rank—Leshas and high priests in front, followed by carts for supplies, livestock, and priests. The slaves were last, treated worse than animals.

At least half of these could be cut down…

Nyne, unable to grasp the full scale of manpower and resources required for the festival, clicked his tongue inwardly as he stepped out of the palanquin. Unconsciously, his gaze drifted toward where the Leshas stood. He glimpsed Gwen standing at the end of the line but quickly turned away. He waited under the canopy until, not long after, Amon arrived.

As always, Amon was both overwhelming and beautiful. Unlike everyone else sweating under the sun, he wasn’t even slightly flushed. His golden gaze went directly to Nyne without hesitation. When their eyes met, Nyne bowed.

“Sha Amon.”

These days, whenever Nyne saw Amon, the first thing that came to mind was the smell of blood—from the constant animal slaughter during meals. At first, even the sight of meat made him nauseous, but lately, he had grown somewhat used to it. Still, he forced a smile while trying to banish the image of a young animal’s wide, trembling eyes.

“It’s so early… Were you able to rest well?”

“I don’t particularly need sleep.”

Amon’s eyes scanned Nyne’s face closely, as if checking for signs of fatigue. Unlike Nyne, Amon likely saw no point in an early morning departure. People collapsing from dehydration under the noon sun wouldn’t concern him.

Knowing him well, Nyne smiled even more brightly to hide any trace of tiredness. Luckily, Amon didn’t seem to notice anything unusual and turned his head.

As Amon and Nyne walked toward the carriage, nearly a thousand people bowed flat to the ground. Among the sea of black hair, a pink head stood out, but Nyne intentionally avoided looking at it.

Nyne boarded the massive carriage with quiet anticipation. It wasn’t his first time in a carriage—he’d taken one down to the Fifth Tower Gate before. That one had been luxurious, but it couldn’t compare to this.

The inside was so spacious it barely seemed like a carriage at all—a rectangular space with a bed large enough for two on one side and a soft couch with cushions on the other. Between them stood a shining golden table. The windows were large enough to offer a clear view, and a magical device kept the interior cool.

As Amon and Nyne sat on the couch, two priests knelt on the floor to serve them during the journey. Though lean, their muscular builds suggested they were warrior priests. Still, even warrior priests would get sore kneeling like that all day. If it were just him, Nyne would’ve told them to sit properly—but not with Amon present. He was at least glad Lu and Popo were in another carriage. Especially since Popo had bad knees.

As the carriage began moving, Nyne craned his neck to look outside. The sound of hooves echoed as the procession moved. Looking out the rear window behind the couch, he could see the long train of people and animals trailing behind Amon’s carriage. As the First Tower Gate passed by the window, a smile crept onto Nyne’s face.

“So, the Hunting Festival finally begins.”

“You seem excited for it,” Amon said, eyes fixed unblinking on Nyne’s smiling face. The carriage moved unimpeded along the road stretching from the First to the Ninth Tower Gate. Heart fluttering, Nyne pulled himself away from the window and replied.

“It’s my first time attending, and I don’t often get to leave the Grand Temple.”

Aside from the Flood Festival held before the river’s overflow, Nyne rarely left. Even that was held within the Seventh Tower, so it didn’t truly count as being outside.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried to go outside. But Osen Iyad, despite being “just” a priest, was the one closest to Amon. Every time Nyne expressed the wish to go out, Osen gave various reasons why he shouldn’t. From Osen’s attitude, Nyne sensed that Amon was reluctant to let him leave the Grand Temple alone—and so he stayed put.

“What if we held the Hunting Festival every month?” Amon offered.

Nyne paused briefly, then shook his head.

“Monthly is too frequent. Once a year would be better.”

Truthfully, he wanted to go out monthly. But after seeing the scale of today’s procession, even Nyne, accustomed to luxury, felt that was unreasonable. For nearly a month, countless people would toil for his satisfaction. He couldn’t ask them to do that every month.

If I’m going out anyway, it would be nice to stay outside for a whole month…

With that thought, Nyne pressed his nose against the window and imagined himself and Amon living together in the forest or by the sea. Even one day without the constant eyes of priests would be a blessing. Maybe Lu and Popo could stay nearby… and perhaps a single Lesha at a distance…

No, even one Lesha is too much.

Biting his tongue to break the thought, Nyne focused on the passing scenery. Second Tower Gate, Third Tower Gate… With each gate they passed, his heart beat faster. The farthest he’d ever gone was to watch Amon’s beast hunts—but that had been through a teleportation device, and he’d stayed inside the carriage for safety. It never felt real.

So, for Nyne, the farthest he’d truly experienced was the temple during the Flood Festival at the Seventh Gate.

This Hunting Festival—he couldn’t help but be excited.