The Magic Festival is a grand traditional holiday celebrated across the entire continent, its history stretching far back through the ages.
It is said that, at first, it was established to give thanks for the existence of magic—a great force that has brought civilization, progress, and limitless possibilities to the world.
Over the years, it has evolved into an indispensable celebration in people’s daily lives.
Among the greatest perks of this festival, without a doubt, is—time off!
Whether you’re a student or teacher at an academy, or a worker from any field, almost everyone gets to enjoy a three-day statutory holiday. It allows people to take a break from the usual busyness, reunite with family and friends, and truly savor some leisure.
During the festival, there are vibrant celebrations everywhere.
By day, there are usually grand magic performances, where highly skilled mages showcase all kinds of brilliant and wondrous spells.
At night, it’s often a time for families to gather or friends to meet up, and enjoying a sumptuous holiday feast is an essential tradition.
As for how to spend this year’s Magic Festival…hmm…Sefina still hasn’t decided.
Sefina’s Elemental Magic Classroom.
***
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, casting the classroom in a warm golden glow. Sefina stood at the lectern, as usual, finishing up the day’s lesson.
Before announcing the end of class, she spoke in her characteristically calm and expressionless tone:
“That’s all for today’s lesson. One more announcement: according to the academy’s regulations, the next three days are the Magic Festival holidays, so classes are suspended.”
She paused for a moment, as if following procedure, then added, “Wishing everyone… a pleasant holiday.”
Although the blessing, spoken from her lips and paired with her impeccably expressionless, delicate face, truly lacked sincerity in the ears of most students, just the words “holiday” alone were enough to spark excitement.
The classroom instantly erupted with a restrained cheer and lively discussion. Smiles of anticipation spread across the students’ faces.
Mia was the star among them. Almost at the exact moment Sefina announced the end of class and her figure disappeared through the door, Mia bounced up from her seat, excitedly grabbing Kefi, who was tidying her notes:
“Yes! Magic Festival holiday! This is great! I can finally sleep until I wake up naturally every day—my goal is noon!”
Kefi looked at her with amusement, unable to hold back a soft laugh. She teased, “Sleeping that late every day, do you want to turn into a little piggy?”
“No way!” Mia pouted in protest, but her eyes sparkled with new energy as she tugged Kefi’s arm, heading out.
“Come on, come on, let’s go check on Teacher Sefina’s office!”
“What for?” Kefi asked, a bit puzzled.
“To see if Teacher has any paperwork she needs help with! As assistants, we have to be proactive!” Mia declared, self-righteously.
But Kefi saw through her at once and shook her head in exasperation. “I bet what you really want is to raid Teacher Sefina’s fridge for snacks, right?”
Busted, Mia gave an embarrassed “hehe” and her cheeks flushed, but she still pushed Kefi toward the teacher’s office.
“It’s fine! No harm in dropping by. Besides, the treats Teacher Sefina makes are so delicious—eating some is a win! Let’s go, let’s go!”
Unable to resist her enthusiasm, Kefi could only follow along, half pulled and half coaxed, as they made their way to Sefina’s office.
At the office door, Mia—clearly a frequent visitor—swung the door open without knocking, calling out cheerfully, “Teacher Sefina, we’re here!”
Sefina was seated at her desk, a quill in hand, reviewing the last few documents before the holiday.
She looked up at the commotion, her wine-red eyes calmly sweeping over the two who had barged in.
“Teacher Sefina, is there any paperwork you need help with before the holiday?” Kefi asked with concern, her gaze falling on the pile of documents on the desk.
Sefina shook her head and set down her pen. “No need. I’ve taken care of almost everything.”
She looked at her two student assistants. Though her tone remained flat, her words carried a hint of care:
“The Magic Festival is here. Take advantage of the break and get some rest.”
She noticed the chilly breeze blowing in from the window and continued, “It’s starting to get colder these days, so remember to add more layers and don’t catch a chill.”
As she said, she herself had already swapped out her usual light blue gauzy dress for a thicker, light blue long dress these days.
Her usual thin, white knee-high socks had also been replaced with warmer, thick white tights that hugged her slender legs, and her feet were now in petite, soft suede ankle boots.
“Got it, thank you for your concern, Teacher!” Kefi immediately nodded. For Sefina, who rarely expressed concern, Kefi felt a sudden, inexplicable warmth and happiness, and couldn’t help but smile.
Meanwhile, Mia was busy rummaging through the magical fridge in the corner, searching for snacks, totally ignoring Sefina’s gaze. Sefina shot her a look, raising her voice slightly,
“Did you hear me, Mia? It’s getting colder—remember to stay warm.”
Mia finally seemed to snap back to reality, turning around with a piece of jam-slathered toast in her mouth, nodding rapidly like a pecking chick.
Although her mouth was too full to speak clearly, her bright eyes were full of “got it, got it” amusement, tinged with a bit of embarrassment at being caught sneaking food.
“So, do you two have any plans for the Magic Festival holiday?” Sefina asked casually as she looked at them.
Mia gulped down her bread and said vaguely, “Haven’t thought about it yet…”
Kefi also shook her head, indicating she didn’t have any concrete plans either.
The two girls immediately started brainstorming together—maybe they’d visit the commercial district in the royal capital, try out a highly rated restaurant for a big meal, or check out some interesting natural sights outside the city.
Just as they were getting caught up in their lively discussion, Sefina’s office door was knocked on again, then gently pushed open.
This time, it was Ellaria who came in.
She was carrying a stack of neatly organized documents, which she placed softly on Sefina’s desk before saying formally, “Teacher Sefina, I’ve finished checking and annotating all the assignments you gave me yesterday.”
Sefina picked up the top one, glanced through the neat annotations and comments, and nodded with a gentler tone, “Good job. Thank you for your hard work.”
Ellaria breathed a subtle sigh of relief, a light, tranquil smile appearing on her face.
At this point, Mia’s social butterfly nature flared up again.
She skipped over to Ellaria and asked enthusiastically, “Your Highness, it’s a three-day Magic Festival holiday! Do you have any plans? Are you heading back to the royal palace?”
Ellaria gently shook her head, her golden hair swaying with the motion. “No plans yet. The palace… I’m not planning to go back for now.” Her tone was very calm.
Mia’s eyes lit up, and she immediately invited, “Perfect! Want to hang out with Kefi and me? Three’s always merrier!”
She even leaned in close to Ellaria’s ear and whispered with a bit of encouragement, “Actually… we could even ask Teacher Sefina if she wants to join us…”
Ellaria was considering whether to accept Mia’s invitation. If they could bring Teacher Sefina along, she would be all for it.
Even though she’d just done something like that earlier… ahem! But that didn’t stop her from wanting to get closer to Teacher Sefina.
However, before she could say anything, Sefina’s office door was knocked on yet again.
Knock, knock, knock—
The clear knocking interrupted the conversation inside. Everyone instinctively looked toward the door.
Mia blinked and whispered, “Huh? Who could it be this time?”