The Power of the Saint is All Around (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 5.3

Drama 2:
Surprise During the Picnic?!
 
Horse neighs.
The sound of them dismounting.
 
ALBERT: “That herb there, then? …Oh, don’t worry. I’ll get it for you.”
 
Rustling as Albert approaches the thicket, then the sound of the herb being cut.
ALBERT: “There we go… Let me know if you see any other samples you’d like.”
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: Heh heh. She’s so enthusiastic. And she looks delighted.
AM: It’s making me smile too… But I might be starting to envy the herbs; they’re the reason she looks so happy.
 
Just then, the thicket rustles more violently.
 
ALBERT: “Huh?!”
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: A monster?! There couldn’t be—it’s not possible!
AM: (panicked) Hah! Where is she?!
 
ALBERT: “Get behind me!”
 
Sound of feet hitting the ground. The image of Sei running to Albert’s side.
The shing of Albert drawing his sword.
The horse neighs.
Rustle rustle… The thicket’s rustling gets louder…
 
ALBERT: “Stand back! I won’t let it lay a single finger on you!”
 
Oink…! Something like a boar appears, making a cute sound.
 
ALBERT: “…Oh. Is that all it was?”
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: Phew. That scared me for a minute there, but it’s just a young one.
AM: Ah! Her hands are clutched against her chest. I must have frightened her by making such a scene over nothing…
AM: Which reminds me, she must not be used to forests yet, to say nothing of monsters.
AM: Look how her small shoulders tremble… How can I help her feel more secure?
 
The rustle of cloth against cloth. Image of Albert hugging Sei tightly.
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: I gave in and hugged her… We’re so close that I can hear her heartbeat.
AM: She stops trembling, but her heart beats as fast as an alarm bell. She must not be past the fear.
ALBERT: “…It’s all right. Everything’s okay now. You’re safe. I know he looks intimidating, but these creatures are quite harmless.”
“I’m sorry for scaring you like that.”
“Hm? You think he’s cute? What? You’re not scared?”
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: Now that I look closer, her face is awfully red.
AM: She avoids meeting my gaze and speaks with an awkward tone. However, now that she’s looking at the beast, she has the same glimmer in her eye that she had when looking for herbs.
 

ALBERT: “It’s what you called an uribou back in your homeland? That’s what you call a wild boar’s piglet?”
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: I only understand half of what she’s saying, but I’m just glad that she’s not scared.
AM: Although I’m a little sad that she jumped out of my arms in such a panic.
 
The wild boar oinks again.
 
ALBERT: “Heh heh. Look. He likes you. They like it when you scratch them here.”
 
Happy oinks from the wild boar.
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: She immediately reaches out to touch it.
AM: Yeesh… This may seem like one of those uribou she mentioned, but I still can’t believe she’s so curious—and brave—that she’ll just reach out to it like that without any hesitation.
 
ALBERT: “You’re sorry for surprising me? Don’t worry about it.”
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: To think that she’s still concerned about my well-being…
AM: Part of me wants to hug her again, but I’m sure that would only serve to startle her, so I’ll settle for holding her hand.
 
ALBERT: “Our destination is just ahead. Let’s go.”
 
He takes the horse’s reins and starts moving.
The sound of rustling in the forest as they walk.
The wind gets a bit stronger.
 
ALBERT: “Surprised? We’ll be on high ground once we emerge from the forest. We’ll have a sweeping view of the capital. It’s a beautiful lookout point.”
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: Ahh, one second she’s ­surprised, the next she looks so delighted… Her expression really can’t stay still.
AM: Nevertheless, her smile is especially radiant now. I can feel her excitement in her grip on my hand as well.
 
ALBERT: “Oh, just so you know, it gets quite windy the closer we get to the cliff, so we need to be careful.”
“Watch your step. Don’t let go of my hand.”
 
The whooshing of the wind.
 
ALBERT: “Yeah, the square shape over there is the palace. And down there is the institute. And that dense cluster of small buildings is the city we visited before.”
“And far off in that direction is where I was born.”
“Huh? You’d like to see my hometown in the future? …Yeah. I’ll be sure to show you, someday.”
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: Truthfully…there’s nothing I want more than to invite you to go there with me.
 
ALBERT:“I’m glad you’re so pleased by the view. I’ve been wanting to share it with you for some time.”
“I want to teach you more about our country so that you’ll grow to love it even more.” 
“…You don’t need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you. Thank you, for coming with me today.”
 
Wind whooshing again.
 
ALBERT’S MONOLOGUE: Her black hair is so beautiful, dyed by the sunset. I want this moment to last forever…
 
ALBERT: “The wind is blowing rather hard. Are you cold? We should think about heading back soon so that we make it back before dark.”
“…Huh? Of course, we can do something more when we do. I have no intention of letting go of your hand today.”