Ch.147147. Festival Date (2)

Morning passed and it was lunchtime.

Elenoa had gone to spend time with King Orpheus, leaving me alone again.

Rather than returning to the lab, I thought I might patrol and take a look around the festival.

In the midst of this, I came across an excessively noisy tent. Normally, I would have passed by without much interest, but.

Not only was there a crowd blocking the street, but I heard a familiar sound of music.

“……”

Looking closer, I saw that not only were people gathered, but harmless ghosts that had been wandering around the academy were also drawn to the music.

A crudely scrawled sign reading [Deus Verdi’s Research Lab] hung above the tent.

“……”

Going around to the back of the tent, I found Owen passionately playing a small piano from who knows where.

Quietly passing by the child who was immersed in playing with his eyes closed, I moved to the front where there was a mini-sized dueling arena like those used for toy cars or spinning tops.

And there.

“Go!”

“Don’t lose! Hang in there!”

Hands on both sides, elaborately decorated, were fighting against each other.

One person standing on each side, infusing their mana like threads to control Professor Per’s prosthetic hands.

“Come on! Walk! Don’t just test the waters like a spinning top, put your life on the line!”

Findenai was in the center of the dueling arena, running gambling operations and stirring up excitement.

“How about this one? As you can see, this prosthetic hand…”

Even Professor Per Petra was in the corner, setting up a stall and recommending prosthetic hands to students.

I was already getting dizzy just knowing this terrible hybrid event was being held under my name.

Just then, Erika Bright and School Nurse Karen pushed through the crowd.

Erika glanced at me, approached, and asked.

“Um, we received a report that… hands are having bloody duels here and people are gambling on them.”

“Wow, I was wondering what they meant, but whoever reported this explained it well.”

Karen clicked her tongue in admiration.

“I’ll… handle this.”

“Yeah… good luck.”

“Fighting, professor.”

The two left, trusting me to deal with it. Taking a deep breath, I approached Owen.

“Huh?”

After stopping the boy’s playing by grabbing his hand, I pressed down hard on the piano keys.

Bang!

With the intense sound, everyone’s attention turned toward me.

Unconsciously furrowing my brow and with an angry expression, I uttered one sentence.

“It’s all over.”

* * *

“Wasn’t it fun?”

“……”

“Honestly, the idea was good.”

Findenai, who was patrolling the streets with me, chattered beside me, expressing her disappointment.

“Yes, honestly, the idea itself wasn’t bad.”

I should acknowledge what deserves acknowledgment.

I hadn’t expected an event that would satisfy Findenai’s dueling arena, Professor Per’s prosthetic hands, and Owen’s music all at once.

But it had gone too far.

“The problem here was that Professor Per’s prosthetic hands were too perfect. Hands that move and even bleed were too grotesque to show at an academy festival.”

“That’s what made it fun.”

“Of course, the biggest issue was opening a gambling den. Let me remind you again, this is an academy. A student festival.”

“Well… sorry about that. I got carried away.”

Findenai honestly admitted her mistake. Actually, I was more concerned about her wearing a maid outfit with outsiders present.

Surprisingly, perhaps because it was a festival, the outsiders didn’t seem to find her strange.

Rather, they seemed to accept it as some kind of event.

“Anyway, try to stay quiet during the festival period. Don’t cause unnecessary commotion.”

“Well, I wasn’t planning to deliberately cause trouble.”

Findenai scratched the back of her head while looking around. Students were laughing, talking, eating food, or playing pranks loudly.

The word “peaceful” can apply to many situations, and this moment certainly deserved that description.

“Are you bored?”

I thought the usual Findenai would have found such a scene disappointing.

She was someone who lived for battle and bloodlust.

But surprisingly, Findenai spoke with a deeply contemplative expression.

“No, it’s nice to see.”

“……”

It was an unexpected answer.

Thinking that I was facing many unexpected situations today, I kept quiet, and Findenai continued.

“You know, I’ve been fighting because I was born into circumstances where I had to fight, master.”

“……”

“And I’m struggling because I don’t want to create more people like me, because I don’t like the Republic that puts leashes on us.”

“Yes.”

“They say we were deprived of freedom from birth. I’ve been fighting to reclaim it.”

A place where freedoms we take for granted were routinely taken away.

Especially for Findenai, who would be considered a slave class in the Griffin Kingdom.

“I shout every day. For freedom! Let’s reclaim our freedom! Let’s escape the Republic’s oppression! Like a broken music box.”

“……”

“But one day, when most of the Junkyard members died in a trap set by the Salvation Corps. Do you know what I thought?”

Findenai glanced at me.

The content of our conversation was out of place with the street scenery, but I listened calmly.

“What did you think?”

“Fuck, if children have to bleed this much… is freedom really necessary?”

“……”

“Shouldn’t I just bow my head and let them survive at least?”

Her words cut deep.

She said most of the Junkyard members had died, and they were probably non-combatants like children.

“I crossed the mountains with those thoughts.”

Findenai, with her hands thrust deep into her pockets, looked around again.

Shrugging her shoulders as if she had realized something.

“Yes, this is what’s so good.”

“……”

“That’s why everyone was desperately shouting for freedom. Because it’s this good.”

“Findenai.”

Seeing her reaction, I unconsciously called her name.

“Huh?”

Somehow, I felt that if I didn’t, she would disappear somewhere.

So, uncharacteristically, I thought for a moment and pointed to a nearby beverage stand.

“Let’s have something to drink.”

“Are you thirsty? I’ll buy.”

Unusually, Findenai took out coins from her pocket and bought drinks. It was juice with ice floating in it, with a taste that was pleasantly drinkable.

We stood there for a while, drinking. Findenai, saying it was surprisingly delicious, quickly finished hers and was even crunching on the ice.

Watching her, I voiced the thoughts I had organized in my head.

“Our contract period is five years.”

Crunch.

Findenai bit into the ice and replied.

“Yeah, I know. It’s strange that only half a year has passed when it feels like it’s been at least two years.”

Looking at Findenai as she let out a hollow laugh, I continued.

“In five years, all the matters I need to resolve should be finished. And that’s also when you’ll be free from our contract.”

“I suppose so.”

Findenai’s gaze momentarily drifted far away, as if imagining that day. There was a sense of regret in those eyes.

“At that time. If I achieve my goal, and if the continent still exists.”

“……”

“This time, I’ll help you.”

Five years is more than enough time to determine the continent’s fate.

If I managed to prevent disaster by then, it wouldn’t be bad to help Findenai against the Republic afterward.

“Ha, you’re talking about saving the continent on that scale?”

“Haven’t you felt it while traveling with me?”

When I asked playfully in an uncharacteristically smooth manner to Findenai’s teasing question, she laughed in return.

“Yes, I felt it. I ended up with quite an extraordinary master.”

Findenai, who had been cackling, slowly stopped laughing and let out a somewhat regretful sigh.

Then, looking around, she changed the subject.

“Master, what if I had been born in Griffin?”

“…Griffin isn’t exactly paradise on earth.”

It bothered me that she deliberately changed the subject without responding to my offer to help, but I went along with Findenai’s words.

“I often hear students talking like this. What if this happened, what if that happened.”

“……”

“If I had been born in Norsweden, would I be much different from now?”

Findenai asked, almost forcefully.

“Probably, that nasty temperament of yours would still be the same.”

“Heh.”

“You might not be as strong as you are now, but you might have recognized your talent and applied to the guard.”

“Ah, that really does sound like something I’d do.”

Findenai nodded in agreement. I exercised a bit more imagination.

“And working in the guard, you might have caught Darius’s eye and become friendly with the family members.”

“From what I’ve seen, during your playboy days, you would have made a move on me right away, wouldn’t you?”

“……”

I stared blankly at Findenai for a moment, and she met my gaze.

Alright, I’ll concede this time.

“Yes, that might have… no, that definitely would have happened.”

Because you are more charming than you think.

“So I’d be a northern maiden who grumbles but eventually falls for the master’s sweet words and technique?”

“…I’m not sure if you would have liked the person I was back then.”

“Why so serious about an imaginary scenario? I’m thinking of the master I’ve known so far.”

Findenai smiled slightly and closed her eyes for a moment. She exhaled deeply and raised the corners of her mouth.

“It’s a completely useless imagination. Me as a northern country girl. It really doesn’t suit me.”

“……”

“But.”

It would be fun.

I had the feeling that such a phrase was silently added at the end.