Ch.6767. Festival (6)

“It seems there’s no internal injury. The external wounds are just minor scratches.”

“Then…”

“I was worried about splash out effects, but there’s no problem. Just apply some medicine, and you should be able to move around without any issues.”

“Phew.”

“Thank goodness…”

The rest of the team members sighed in relief at Professor Dahlia’s diagnosis.

Now that the examination was over, Professor Dahlia shooed them out, telling them to go enjoy the festival instead of lingering in the infirmary.

“Sorry, everyone,” Aris apologized with an embarrassed expression.

When they had found her in Ripol Gorge, her colleagues had been beside themselves with worry. That’s why they had brought her straight to Professor Dahlia.

Considering she had also been seriously injured during the Osophtera defense battle, her teammates’ concerns must have doubled.

“What if you’d been seriously hurt on a festival day? Really.”

“That’s right. There must have been so many things at the night market that big sister Aris would have enjoyed.”

“More than that, I think the worst part would have been all of us huddled together in a hospital room. Right?”

“Exactly! On days like this, we should be out having fun.”

Still, they smiled warmly at her. Showing their closeness by teasing her a little—they were truly teammates.

Of course, there were also people like this:

“But why were you crying? A grown woman sobbing like a child, sheesh.”

“I-I wasn’t sobbing!”

“As if anyone would believe you weren’t crying with that face. Don’t the others think so too?”

Aris’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

She couldn’t deny that causing them worry was her fault, but the embarrassment was something else entirely.

“Why are you getting angry when you were just crying, Aris? You know what they say—if you get angry after crying, you’ll grow horns on your bottom.”

How did she manage to say everything in such an annoying way?

Looking at Senia, Aris gritted her teeth, silently vowing to return this humiliation someday.

“By the way, Aris. What were those people thinking, doing something so dangerous?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I mean using magic to detonate mana stones and cause a mana storm. With fireworks and gunpowder available, I wonder why they chose that method.”

At Michelle’s question, Aris’s mind went blank for a moment.

From the realization that fireworks and gunpowder wouldn’t reach far enough to the method of detonating mana stones—all of this was connected to one person.

A choice presented itself to her.

‘If I reveal Junon’s actions now…’

He would undoubtedly be able to join this team, which was destined to become the Tembris Party.

But would Junon really want that outcome?

‘No way.’

She recalled what he truly wanted.

Why had he concealed his own mistake during the Ophelia incident?

Why had he deflected credit for being the hero of the Osophtera defense battle to her and slipped away as if hiding?

Why had he chosen the Reuwen Company that concealed his identity, and why in the gorge had he chosen to relay his opinions through an executive rather than stating them as his own?

Perhaps Junon didn’t want to repeat a future that only he knew about.

He didn’t want his name to become known, nor did he want to experience those hardships again.

Ultimately, he didn’t want to join the Tembris Party or have any contact with its members.

-‘You may not know it now, but someday they’ll understand. They’ll recognize how you stood up despite your guilt and tried to help them.’

Yes. This was the right thing to do.

As he wished, as he had said.

Just like during the Osophtera defense battle, Aris Mackenheim would take credit for this incident.

“I thought fireworks and gunpowder wouldn’t reach far enough. So when I couldn’t see any other way, I ordered them to do it that way. The people trapped there were also about to riot…”

“They were rioting? Why? Shouldn’t everyone be thinking about escaping together?”

“That would be the rational thought. But what happens when people are trapped in an enclosed space with cold and hunger approaching?”

“Ah… I see…”

“Wow… Such a bold decision… I wonder why you weren’t affected by splash out?”

“When two splash outs are created, they cancel each other out and gradually weaken until they disappear. If you’re curious, you can experiment with two mana stones.”

A result backed by solid theory. This too would become her achievement.

The company wouldn’t try to stop this lie either.

What’s one or two lies? The Osophtera defense battle was already an enormous fabrication.

‘I’ll keep quiet about you until the end… Junon.’

This was the only path she could offer him, the only way to atone to him.

Aris slowly explained the incident at Ripol Gorge to her teammates, subtly packaging it as her own doing.

At least this way, Junon’s identity wouldn’t be exposed.

“Where did you learn something like that?”

“Yeah, maybe we should let Aris take the center position now?”

“No way. It’s not like that!”

They continued listening to Aris’s heroic tale from Ripol Gorge.

However, even for Aris, there were variables.

‘This isn’t like Aris.’

The theory was certainly correct. But at the same time, wasn’t it too complex?

If the theory was so well-supported, there’s no way mana exhaustion would have occurred during the Osophtera defense battle. Moreover, Erica wouldn’t have been injured.

The most suspicious part was why Aris would burst into tears in such a situation.

She thought about casually asking for the reason, but no answer came.

Clearly, this was an outright lie from Aris.

Normally, she would have been busy explaining the reason while hiding her embarrassment.

For Senia, with her sharp eyes that never missed even the smallest clue, this felt distinctly off.

***

“Where have you been all this time? You were hiding so well, I had a hard time finding you.”

Renias, who had come running with rabbit-like steps, said this upon seeing me.

Although she’s been coaching me to build stamina whenever I have time, today I just wanted to rest a bit.

After finishing the expected phantom duel, I properly taught a lesson to one or two of those guys who had been ignoring me.

Considering that trouble was brewing at the Reuwen Company, I had been working my brain and body non-stop to help people escape.

It had been a tiring day in many ways.

“Sorry, Renias. I’m a bit tired today. Can we exercise next time?”

“Oh, that? Of course we should do it next time!”

“It’s unfortunate, but I’m really tired today… Huh? What did you say?”

“You look exhausted, and I wouldn’t dream of pestering a senior in your condition for exercise help. I have some decency, you know. Would you like me to massage your shoulders?”

“Ah, no… I’m fine.”

Oh. She really is an angel.

She may not have wings, but her personality is that of an angel descended from heaven. How can a person be this kind?

“By the way, I’m sorry senior, but… I think you need to meet Ophi right away.”

“Ophi?”

“Ah… I mean Ophelia. Since we’re close friends, I accidentally… hehe.”

Come to think of it, Renias was the daughter of a noble duke family.

Seeing Renias belatedly realize she should be careful with titles, it seems this is indeed the Ophelia I know.

A sudden sense of unease came over me.

“What does she want with me?”

“Hmm… she didn’t tell me because it’s important. So I don’t really know. She just said to tell you she’s waiting in the student council room.”

“…So you’ve been looking for me?”

“No. She just asked everyone, including the disciplinary committee students, to let you know if they saw you during the festival. She said it would be a waste to spend the festival period searching for one person.”

This means she didn’t order people to search for me.

So it sounds like she just has something simple to tell me and wants me to come by whenever.

That’s why I felt somewhat reluctant.

“Um… you look tired. Should I tell her you’ll come see her another time?”

“…”

To be honest, I’d like to say that, fill my stomach, and then collapse in my dormitory bed.

“No. I’ll go see her now.”

But I think it’s better to meet her now.

Since she didn’t ask for a secret search but just to pass the message if they saw me, it’s reasonable to assume she doesn’t have any demands.

Besides, putting it off won’t do any good. It’s best to get annoying things out of the way and then rest properly.

“Then, excuse me for a moment.”

“Hm? Why my hand?”

Renias suddenly grabbed my hand. And then she grinned.

“You’re not…”

“Hehe.”

Whenever she smiles like that, she’s usually about to surprise me or play some kind of prank…

That made me even more nervous. We’re near the entrance to the night market where the festival is in full swing—what is she planning to do?

“Be careful not to dislocate your jaw. Here we go!”

“What? W-waaaah!!!!”

It felt like propulsion force was generated under my feet, and my body became a launch pad.

This sensation of my whole body floating—as expected, looking down, my body was indeed floating, and although the altitude wasn’t that high, I was definitely cutting through the wind heading somewhere.

Throughout the flight, I couldn’t think of anything.

My body was my body, my face felt like it was being pulled back like clay, and my arm was being held… that’s about it?

I only came to my senses when my feet landed back on the ground.

“……”

“Student council room arrival! But… senior? Are you okay?”

“Huff… huff…”

No, I’m not okay. I’m really not okay because of you, Renias.

If I asked why she did this so suddenly without warning, she’d probably just laugh and tease me.

My mind and body were already stretched thin after a complicated day, and then she pulls this stunt.

I couldn’t help but clench my fist and lightly bonk her on the head.

“Ow! Why did you hit me all of a sudden?”

“Just because.”

“Whaaaat?”

I think about this every time, but this girl seems to drain my sanity in many ways. With those innocent rabbit-like eyes, I never know what she might do next.

I was about to tell her not to play such pranks, but looking at those pure eyes, the words just retreat.

…How can I scold someone with no malice? I could only sigh.

“How is it that someone who’s afraid of heights can do this without any hesitation?”

“Tch. It wasn’t that high. This much is fine.”

She says primly, rubbing the spot I hit with both hands.

This time it was a bit playful, but I understood what she was thinking.

The building with the student council room was right in front of us. Seeing me dragging my heavy body, she probably wanted to help out of concern.

Looking at that, she’s truly a kind-hearted girl, and I can’t bring myself to scold her.

“Have you had dinner?”

“No. I just left a salon of another noble lady where I was just wasting time when I ran into you…”

Oh dear. For someone who loves eating so much, a salon must have been torture. She must have been starving all day.

Perhaps that’s why the emotional indicator in the center of her hair drooped when food was mentioned.

“Then let’s have dinner together later. I got paid today, so I’ll introduce you to some hidden gems.”

“Really? Wow! It’s a promise!”

“I’ll be back soon, so wait a little bit.”

“Come back quickly. I’m hungry!”

“Yes, yes. I got it.”

I thought I’d be spending this festival alone, but now I have someone to spend it with.

But… that’s not so bad either.

After all, festivals are more fun when you share them with someone.

***

Knock knock.

-A guest has arrived, Lady Ophelia.

The voice of a maid came from outside. And who should it be but the hot topic of this semester—Junon.

‘He arrived so quickly?’

She had asked disciplinary committee members and a few acquaintances to tell him to come see her if they met him, but she didn’t expect him to arrive this fast.

She quickly covered the documents she was reviewing and told the maid to show Junon in immediately.

“Please sit comfortably. I didn’t actually mean to call you so urgently…”

“As long as you’re not interrogating me like last time, I don’t mind.”

“…I’m truly sorry about that time. It’s an embarrassing past, so please don’t bring it up.”

She meant it sincerely. She could have ruined everything.

Ophelia bowed respectfully and apologized to Junon.

“Then it’s fine. But I have someone waiting outside, so could we finish this quickly?”

“Ah, yes…”

When Junon didn’t seem to mind, she was slightly taken aback. He could have scolded her more or complained… perhaps he had the qualities of a magnanimous person.

Thanks to this, Ophelia had to suppress the sighs that kept trying to escape.

‘This isn’t the time for this.’

Since he asked her to get to the point, it would be best to do as he wished.

Clearing her throat once or twice, Ophelia removed her flustered appearance and handed him several documents.

“This is…”

“It’s about the Blushire Arc. I thought it might be good to extend the period.”

In reality, it was because the noble alliance was looking for a pretext, but even apart from that, he needed the Blushire Arc.

Given the events earlier today, many nobles were holding grudges, so it wouldn’t be surprising if someone ambushed him unexpectedly.

“However, there are limitations to this method.”

“Because of… charging?”

“That’s right. You can’t use it during that time.”

The Blushire Arc ultimately requires a recharging procedure after being lent out.

Whether refining and inserting mana stones or infusing a person’s magical power, the charging process still requires the use of an authorized person.

So there will be times, albeit briefly, when it’s out of his hands. With this in mind, Ophelia continued:

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to join a team?”

The reason she had called him was related to team membership.