After a cool autumn rain had fallen,
As the cloudy skies lingered in the sky,
Six of us, including myself, set off on our journey.
Dungeon investigation practice, and with five members from the Hwangdo time, Selena joined us on Lily’s recommendation.
Our destination was the grand city of Neldaran, where the Reconta Festival was being held.
Neldaran, famous for its magic engineering, is a city of some standing, known as the birthplace of the war hero Haisman, and it’s an area easily accessible via the magic tower.
*
Upon arriving via the Dimensional Gate, Neldaran greeted us with splendid weather.
We hopped onto a magic-powered carriage to head into the city.
In the languid afternoon, munching on snacks prepared by Yeriel and tuning into the sounds around,
I felt refreshed yet slightly drowsy.
It was a rare moment of leisure.
“Lev! I can control up to five Golems now!”
“O.”
“I’ll show off Lily’s skills next time we have a party!”
Today, Lily seemed in high spirits and full of energy.
It seemed she hadn’t been sleeping well due to her training routines.
I didn’t know what had sparked her excitement, but she had grown much faster than expected.
“That’s amazing! Five at once…”
“Ahem!”
I praised her in a way that felt like, “Of course, I had faith in you!” while straightening her crooked hat,
“Okay, okay… I can handle it…”
“Yeah.”
Lily looked a bit shy.
Anyway, I was pleased to see her steadily growing into a capable summoner.
Just as planned by Caeran, training her to command a dragon carried its risks and could drain the caster’s life force.
To counteract that, it was best for Lily to remain as a summoner.
At that moment, Edwin chuckled at us.
“Haha, Lily really listens to Lev’s words, huh?”
“That’s not true~.”
Lily waved her slender knees back and forth, sounding bored.
“The Royal Class Circle has dissolved, so I just have a little free time to tag along. You should be grateful~.”
“Haha…”
Edwin chuckled awkwardly,
…squirm.
“U-um, harmless…?”
“I was just thinking it looked chewy.”
I tugged on Lily’s cheeks, passing the time.
Meanwhile, Yeriel smiled and looked towards Selena.
“By the way, I didn’t expect Selena to join us.”
That was true.
Selena didn’t particularly have contact with Edwin, Yeriel, or Aria,
She’d hurriedly joined due to Lily’s invitation, who had always closely followed her.
‘This is all my fault, isn’t it?’
Normally, early on, Selena, Edwin, and Yeriel would frequently meet in the Personal Training Room.
However, after I had a spat with Gaelon Sharptie and got mixed up with Selena to learn Wind Archery, the three’s storyline vanished and became awkward.
‘I have to cement our ties as true comrades this time…’
Pushing my thoughts aside,
Selena, with her eyes closed, explained her reason for joining late.
“…Well, it seemed fun.”
“Hmph.”
In that moment, Edwin laughed uncontrollably.
When Selena opened one eye and glared at him, he flinched and stammered,
“Even if you say you’re having fun with that face… it’s just funny…”
“……”
We often saw the silent chemistry between Selena and Edwin in the novel.
‘Well, they’ll get close soon enough.’
While I was slightly nodding my head,
…hmm?
For some reason, Aria was staring at me intently.
Just like when she tried to invite me to a party before the selection test.
*
After Yeriel introduced us to a nice place to stay, we unpacked and headed straight for the Reconta Square, where the grand festival was taking place.
“Wow…”
Edwin’s jaw dropped, and I too marveled at the grandness of the place that took us by surprise.
Despite being a circular plaza, it lay right in the center of the lake, giving it an island-like appearance,
With fun facilities like those at an amusement park filling the area, and wide straight paths leading over four bridges,
It made everyone watching feel refreshed.
A high platform was set up, and it seemed something was about to begin as the host shouted in a pumped voice.
“Now, we shall commence the Shizak…!!!!”
With a familiar line, the procession announcing Neldaran’s festival began.
*
While reveling in the festival, before we knew it, the autumn wind had turned chilly, and the night sky began to turn violet.
‘No matter how many times I see it, the sky in this fantasy world is so beautiful…’
After the lively parade finished, we seemed to be under the influence of the festivities and each participated in the Reconta Festival’s competition tailored to our specialties.
Edwin would perform a sword dance, Lily would showcase her magic engineering, etc…
Since this event was open only to amateurs, there was a real chance we could place.
“Next up!!”
While waiting for Edwin and Lily to take their turns, we remaining members rented an outdoor table to eat.
“Let’s split into pairs, is there anyone who wants to go order food with me?”
“…!”
After just a brief moment of silence, Selena stood up quietly.
“Take your time! We’ll grab the utensils!”
“Okay.”
So, Aria and Yeriel stayed behind while Selena and I went to get the food.
As I had seen since coming here…
The many stalls set up for the festival offered a variety of delicious foods.
“Try a taste!”
“Over here! We also have drinks!”
From smoked barbecue to skewered chicken, teppanyaki, fruit salad, and even full-fledged Chinese-style courses.
Selena and I naturally stood in line for the popular barbecue, the dish that pops into mind for festivals.
Whoosh!
‘I promised to buy Lily some food.’
As I absentmindedly gazed at the barbecue grill in the distance, Selena whispered as if inviting me to listen.
“I got into the committee.”
“……”
Of course, she hadn’t swiftly accepted Lily’s recommendation for no reason.
She had something to say to me one-on-one.
I kept my gaze fixed on the fire and replied.
“That’s great.”
“I know everything. That you were involved in it.”
“….”
“You’re not someone who shows genuine interest in others.”
“Hmm, maybe you caught their eye due to your efforts.”
Even with my evasive answer, Selena remained unfazed.
“Is it sympathy again?”
“…”
Was it back then?
On the first day of the semester, when we saw the wall chart that decided our ranks.
Seeing Selena with her fingers bandaged from hard training, I had said,
“I know you worked hard.”
“Sympathy…?”
She had told me not to show her unnecessary sympathy.
The fierceness in her gaze as she looked at me was palpable.
That’s how she was; she wanted to prove herself through her skills.
Tap, tap…
“It might be sympathy…”
As I called it sympathy again, her brow furrowed.
Then, in a cooler tone, she asked me,
“You asked me to teach you Wind Archery when you had nothing. What about this time?”
“What?”
“Do you want something from me again…?”
“This time…”
As I turned my head, I could see her eyelashes flutter.
It seemed there was still a hint of doubt lingering in her mind.
“Nothing.”
“…?”
“I just think you have a higher aptitude as a marksman than I do, so I yielded. Honestly.”
“…Do you think I would believe that? If it weren’t for you, we might not have defeated the Great Demon…!”
“…”
“…No matter how you cut it, the committee chair was interested in you back then, wasn’t he…?”
Selena’s refusal to accept this was natural.
She was harsh on herself and had already acknowledged me as strong.
But in reality, I merely used trickery; I didn’t possess absolute combat strength.
A supporting role… is just that, a supporting role and can’t completely replace the protagonist.
I counted the stars reflected in her eyes and added,
“If I want anything from you, it would be Edwin.”
“…Edwin Gwynn…?”
“Yeah, he’s pretty strong—no, he’ll become strong. And he’s just a nice guy. Make sure to help him. It’s fine to party together.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
There’s no other choice. I have to narrow down the relationship between Edwin and Selena somehow.
After all, Caeran didn’t charm Melissa, Aveline, and Lily for no reason.
The reality is that one cannot defeat a Great Demon alone.
Selena turned her gaze away from me.
“…You’ll not tell me your reasons if I ask, will you?”
“…”
“That’s typical of Lev Denec.”
Selena knows me too well.
“Then what are you planning to do this time? You aren’t going to act solo again, are you?”
“That’s right, which means even if I’m not around…”
“Thank you for your patience!”
At that moment, the food I had been waiting for arrived.
A large barbecue wafting a mouthwatering smell hit my senses.
“We grilled it marinated with wine flown directly from Artiina!”
The waiter, dressed as a chef, joked looking at Selena.
“If you taste it, you might find it hard to return to the skies where you Lady resides. You’ll keep thinking about it~.”
“…”
He seemed proud, deep in his philosophy about meat.
“That wouldn’t be the case.”
Selena quickly replied before taking the meat and leaving first.
Then, the man leaned towards me and whispered,
“You look good, but she’s a bit cold…”
“…Right. Sell a lot.”
“Thank you, sir!”
I hurriedly paid and chased after Selena.
*
After a few back-and-forth trips, all kinds of festival foods were spread across our table.
I sat down and asked,
“What about Edwin and Lily?”
“Over there!”
Yeriel pointed to the stage.
Lily was showing off her magic array with her hands on her hips, exclaiming “Ahem!”
Scritch, scritch…
Boom, boom, boom!!!
“Wooaaah!!!”
“That little lady is amazing!”
As Lily’s improvised ignition device went off, numerous magical fireworks exploded, and cheers erupted from the crowd.
Boom, boom, boom!!
And she subtly glanced my way, signaling: “Did you see?”
Though it felt like a school performance, the level was outstanding.
‘I still remember when I confessed to Lily just yesterday.’
Chuckling to myself, I turned back toward the table,
“!”
Once again, Aria was staring right at me.
Today, her gaze seems to frequently catch mine…
…
Her cheong-geum-seong eyes reflected the night sky, and her silver hair cradled the galaxy.
The elegant curves of her side and front hair harmoniously accentuated her beauty.
Just like a leading female protagonist I adored.
I paused to admire her aching and fervent beauty, then awkwardly muttered,
“Why? Is it not to your taste?”
“No.”
“Then is anything bothering you?”
“…Lev Denec.”
“?”.
She called my full name.
It was as if she were whispering each syllable.
…
In response, Selena and Yeriel subtly turned their gazes toward us.
Drink up, drink up!!! Let’s enjoy!!!
Boom, boom, boom!
Even amidst the bustling festival,
As I set the utensils down for a moment, displaying a puzzled expression,
Aria’s sweet lips moved.
“I like you, Lev Denec.”
“……”
With her words, time seemed to pause around our table amidst the crowd.
By scripting cliches,
At this timing, fireworks should erupt.
‘But nothing’s happening.’
…
It seemed that the confession attack… wasn’t a technique only I possessed.
