Chapter 16 : Festival (3)

It was as if I had been enchanted by will-o’-the-wisps.

I began following Ruina, who was leading me, without even realizing it.

Before I knew it, I had let go of the arm I had been holding, and I was only following Ruina, who was tugging at my sleeve.

Despite the noise around me, the chatter of people seemed distant.

Was it because of Ruina’s unusual behavior, or because the situation was too confusing for my mind to grasp?

Either way, it made sense, but what mattered now wasn’t that.

“Could it be that Ruina…?”

Though I’m not particularly quick with social cues, I wasn’t so oblivious that I couldn’t pick up on the atmosphere in such a situation.

The feeling of Ruina’s embarrassment seemed to hang in the air.

Because of that, I too felt my face burning with shame.

But as I slowly regained my senses and lifted my head, I began to take in my surroundings, feeling my mind come back to me.

‘Elia and Zenre… have already disappeared.’

Although it was slow, we had been walking for more than five minutes, so they were already out of sight.

And in front of me, I saw Ruina, her ears sticking out, reddened from embarrassment.

“Could it be that Ruina… really…?”

I had my suspicions, but I couldn’t bring myself to be certain, so I nervously touched my lips.

For the past 55 years, I had never grown a beard, and I could feel the smoothness of my lips against my palm.

As I was lost in thought, trying to sort things out, I suddenly heard Ruina’s voice cutting through the distant noise around us.

“…Kael.”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Um, if it’s okay with you… could I hold your hand?”

“Hand?”

Ruina’s sudden question left me speechless for a moment as I replayed her words in my mind.

Embarrassed, I unintentionally replayed her words over and over.

“Ah… I-I’m sorry if it’s too much…!”

But maybe feeling that I was rejecting her, Ruina released her grip on my sleeve and withdrew her hand.

I quickly grabbed her retreating hand.

Her hand, cool with a slight chill, slipped into mine.

Perhaps startled by the sudden touch, I heard a soft sigh of surprise from Ruina.

But that lasted only for a moment, as she started moving her hand, firmly gripping mine with a quiet squeeze.

Her face held a smile of relief and happiness as she looked up at me.

Gradually, her hand grew warmer as she held mine, and though her face was still red, she now looked much more at ease than before.

She met my gaze with a smile and said, “I didn’t hear your answer earlier, but… Kael, would you like to spend the day with just me?”

“I’ve prepared a lot of things for today.”

She added, looking at me directly.

And there was only one answer I could give to her question.

“Yeah, if you want to.”

Today, with her.

When the day ended, I felt like I might finally understand the truth behind my uncertainty.

So, I nodded in response to her question.

Our joined hands began to move forward.

The first place we arrived at after holding hands was a street filled with flowerbeds, where clowns and puppet shows were happening here and there.

The flowers in full bloom added a vibrant touch to the street, and amidst those flowers, the clowns and puppeteers were bringing laughter to the passing citizens.

“In the past, there weren’t many places like this.

In just a few decades, cities and villages have developed so much. Don’t you think, Kael?”

“Yeah. In the past, clowns were just street scammers, but now there are real talented clowns.”

We walked through the street, enjoying the scenery and chatting leisurely.

Maybe because some time had passed, the awkward atmosphere that lingered around us earlier had disappeared.

Now, there was a natural sense of excitement between us, with just the right amount of nervousness shared in the atmosphere.

Even in that atmosphere, I could still feel the pulse through the hand we were holding,
and we continued to walk down the street.

“Huh?”

“Yeah? What’s wrong?”

As we walked on, Ruina suddenly stopped,
and I too came to a halt, following her gaze.

When I turned to look in the direction she was watching, I saw dozens of mages standing in the sky, stepping on a magical carpet made of mana.

It seemed like we had unknowingly passed two hours while enjoying the events and walking around the street.

“The festival seems like it’s about to start.”

“Time really flew by.”

“Yeah… I didn’t realize it had already been two hours.”

We hadn’t done much—just experienced a couple of events and walked together—but somehow two hours had passed.

We both exchanged looks, feeling a bit bewildered at how quickly time had passed.

But that moment was brief, as the voice of the woman standing among the mages in the sky caught our attention.

[“Welcome, everyone who has come to our festival, hosted by the Mage Tower. I am Nella Oracle, the head of the Mage Tower.”]

The voice of Nella, the head of the Mage Tower, rang clearly across Hagen Village, amplified by magic.

“Nella, huh? It’s been a while since I saw her.”

“Yeah, she’s grown a lot more than I expected.”

Nella Oracle, the head of the Mage Tower.

She was someone we both knew well.

For Ruina, she had fought alongside Nella in many battles during the war, and for me… well, no need to hide it. She had been my apprentice despite being a mage herself.

So, seeing her again after so long, both Ruina and I couldn’t help but speak to each other in hushed tones with excitement.

And though I didn’t think it was possible,
Nella’s gaze seemed to catch a glimpse of us as she passed by.

However, Nella’s gaze didn’t stay on us and continued on, and after scanning the streets below her, she spoke again.

[“Though some familiar faces are wearing masks, I can still recognize them. But as the host of this festival, I can’t prioritize personal relationships.”]

Could it be that I wasn’t mistaken and they were really looking this way?

Somehow, Nella’s words felt as if she was truly speaking while looking in this direction, and I flinched, shrugging my shoulders.

If she’s saying something like that, should I secretly wave my hand?

But before I could even raise my hand while thinking such things, Nella lifted the thin staff she was holding toward the sky and shouted.

[With a joyful festival ahead, I will not speak any further. To everyone who has come here today, I hope you create happy memories!!]

With that shout, a beam of light shot out from Nella’s staff toward the sky.

At the same time, dozens of beams of light shot out from the staffs of the many mages beside her.

Then, dozens of beams soared into the sky and exploded, adorning it with dazzling fireworks.

Puh-puh-puh-puh-bang—

“Whoaaaaaa!!!”

-!!!!!

The cheers erupted from the streets below as the grand display of fireworks unfolded.

Amidst the roaring cheers, the fireworks that had filled the sky came to an end, and the real festivities began.

As expected from a festival hosted by the Mage Tower, various magic displays—fire magic, water magic, ice magic, and more—painted the sky as if it were a giant canvas.

Watching this spectacle while enjoying food from street vendors was the highlight of the festival.

Even from where I stood, I could see people enjoying the festivities.

Men holding wooden mugs filled with beer in one hand and glossy, mouthwatering chicken skewers in the other laughed heartily and chatted.

Seeing those lively groups, I found myself unconsciously smiling, and I waved my hand in front of Ruina, who was still staring blankly at the sky in awe.

“Shall we go buy something too, Ruina?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah! Let’s go, I already checked out a place beforehand.”

At my call, Ruina snapped out of her daze, quickly straightened her posture, and started walking ahead.

She had really come prepared, even remembering the locations of the food stalls, as she led me along.

Following behind her, I too started walking forward.

Towards the end of today’s festival.

Meanwhile, the mage who had cast the very first spell into the sky, Nella, lowered her staff and let out a sigh.

“Phew… How did I end up in this situation?”

A festival hosted by the Mage Tower—such an event should never have happened in a place like Hagen Village.

If asked why, the answer was simple: the Mage Tower’s owner, Nella, did not particularly enjoy hosting festivals.

Some might call that arrogance.

But as the master of the Mage Tower, possessing the talent, knowledge, and wisdom to justify her position, Nella had every right to say so.

And the reason she disliked festivals was quite straightforward.

To her, spending time on something as trivial as a festival was unbearably wasteful.

Why should she waste time on something like this, when she could be dedicating it to research and training, making further progress?

People’s cheers, people’s laughter—such things were of little importance to Nella.

What benefit would the happiness and memories of others bring her?

Even if she were paid to provide them, they were worthless in her eyes.

Thus, the only times the Mage Tower had ever hosted a festival were 12 years ago and 4 years ago, solely due to orders from the king.

In other words, holding a festival in Hagen Village under the Mage Tower’s sponsorship was like putting a pearl necklace on a pig.

“But… if Master is there, then it’s not a pig’s neck, is it?”

However, in this so-called pigsty of Hagen Village, there was someone important—Nella’s own master, Kael.

And along with him, Ruina, whose name carried just as much weight.

If it hadn’t been for Enoch, who contacted her after years of silence and told her about this, the festival in Hagen Village would never have happened.

Normally, she would have refused without a second thought, unwilling to waste time on such a trivial event.

But if this festival was to serve as the backdrop for Ruina’s confession to Kael, then that was a different story.

“If I can help the two of them come together… then sparing a little time is no big deal.”

No matter how indifferent and arrogant Nella was—seeing most people as beneath her—she still had a minimum level of human decency.

She had never forgotten the kindness of Kael, who took her in when she had nothing, raised her, and taught her swordsmanship.

Nor had she forgotten the debt she owed to Ruina, who had once saved her life on the battlefield.

If she could repay even a fraction of that kindness by hosting a single festival, it was a small price to pay.

For those two, she was willing to give up this much of her time.

“Ah, looks like they’re finally heading off.”

Murmuring to herself, Nella watched as the two figures finally began to move.

They stopped by a street stall, then headed toward the quiet back hill of Hagen Village.

More precisely, to the back hill that had been cleared of people by the knights.

Resting her chin on her hand, Nella smirked as she noticed their tightly clasped hands.

“Master finally has a partner now.”

The empty space beside Kael that had been vacant for so long.

Today was the day that spot would finally be filled.

With that thought, Nella once again raised her staff, which she had just lowered.

For their final moment together tonight.

Because it was her duty, as requested by Enoch, to end it with the greatest magic of all.