After a rather eventful weekend.
The delegation from Eloden Academy, which included Laurea and Ian, decided to return home a little earlier than scheduled.
There was only one reason for this.
It was due to the incident that occurred at the Source of Magic.
The Abyssal Rift and the lord’s attack.
On top of that, there was also the incident where the next Saintess, Laurea, was dragged into the Abyss.
This was the moment when the existence of the Abyss, which I thought was just a dusty prophecy, was clearly revealed.
‘That’s why…’
The Eloden delegation felt the urgent need to convey this information back to their homeland as soon as possible.
That’s the reason for the accelerated schedule.
However, the reason they returned on Tuesday instead of Monday was solely because Laurea specifically requested it.
“I’m not feeling well due to the incident at the Source of Magic. Can we take one more day of rest before heading out?”
No student dared to oppose the words of the future Saintess. Thus, the Eloden delegation unanimously agreed to depart on Tuesday.
‘Of course, it’s all just an act.’
Because I was completely fine until yesterday.
So what was the reason for delaying the schedule even while pretending to be unwell? The answer was simple. It was the scenery unfolding right before my eyes.
“Hey, come inside and take a look!”
“We’re selling sweet fruit juice!”
“Come play at the Magic Experience Center! You can use magic even without mana!”
The bustling streets.
Numerous students crowded around the stalls set up on either side of the Main Road.
It was a slightly different atmosphere than usual.
Noa gazed at the sights on the street.
‘Lake Festival.’
Today was the day of the Lake Festival, one of the three major festivals at Arsen Academy. This was exactly why Laurea delayed the departure date.
It was along the lines of enjoying the festival for a day, even if we had to head back afterward.
‘But I’m surprised the festival is being held at all.’
I thought it would be canceled due to issues related to Dean Diplyn. But upon further thought, there wasn’t much reason for cancellation.
‘After all, the events that occurred at the Source of Magic were unknown to the regular students.’
This meant that the students didn’t know about the opening of the Abyssal Rift or what happened to Diplyn.
Thanks to that, the festival went on as scheduled.
And today, I made a promise with my companions to explore the festival alongside Laurea, who was on the verge of returning home.
“But….”
Noa trailed off, raising an eyebrow.
It was currently 6 PM sharp.
The festival atmosphere was reaching its peak.
The problem was that we had agreed to meet 30 minutes ago, and I was the only one who had arrived at the meeting spot.
“Haa…”
Could it be that everyone was late?
Of course, Ulan was the exception. I had heard that his last lecture ended a bit late today.
After letting out a sigh of frustration, Noa gazed at the sky in silence.
The sky was still bright, with night not having fallen yet.
As I stared at it absentmindedly, I suddenly recalled yesterday’s events.
Early in the morning, in Ulan’s room, I confessed the secret I had been hiding and was recognized as a colleague by him.
However, there was one thing I hadn’t managed to mention.
‘The Eighth Hero’s Trial.’
The achievement reward I received after defeating the Swamp Ruler.
But it wasn’t that I had intentionally kept it hidden.
It was more like I had missed the timing to say it. Of course, just because I mentioned it wouldn’t change anything immediately.
‘Even if I’m not a hero…’
I was sure Ulan would believe in me regardless.
Thinking about Ulan’s response and attitude yesterday brought a faint smile to Noa’s lips.
And one more thing.
Even if I talked about the Eighth Hero’s Trial, I wouldn’t be able to head to the trial location right now.
‘The trial location is in the Southern Desert.’
Even just getting to the Southern Battle Line, which borders the desert from Arsen Academy, would take a good two weeks on horseback.
Let alone the trial location being in the very center of the Southern Desert. Just one way would easily require a month’s journey.
‘So, I definitely can’t go during the summer vacation.’
The summer break at Arsen is short.
It lasts only about two weeks right after the final exams. So if I want to go, I’ll have to wait for the winter break, which lasts nearly two months.
‘That’s why…’
I could reveal the Eighth Hero’s Trial when there’s a chance to later. After all, I just had to do it before heading to the desert.
After finishing all my reminiscing,
Noa looked at the clock again.
The time was now 6:15 PM.
At this point, I began to wonder if I had mixed up the meeting place.
Just as I was sinking back into my sigh,
Suddenly, the surroundings grew noisy.
“Hey, look over there.”
“Do you know who that is?”
Students passing by on the street.
The students who were near the stalls all turned to see whatever they were staring at.
“No, I’ve never seen that face before.”
“Is there really a new student that looks like that?”
Who could they be talking about?
Curiosity piqued, Noa turned to look.
Immediately, her eyes met the one who was drawing everyone’s attention.
“…Huh?”
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
It was someone she recognized.
And as soon as that person spotted Noa, they broke into a bright smile.
“Noa!”
A girl came rushing over.
With flowing golden hair and sparkling turquoise eyes.
It was none other than Ivella Elea’ad.
The moment Noa saw her, she realized why Ivella had caught everyone’s eye.
‘Her outfit…’
It was completely different from usual.
Ivella often wore training clothes or safety gear. But now she was dressed in a white dress that exposed her shoulders.
Not only that,
Her hair, which she usually kept tied up, was now flowing freely, revealing her beauty that had been hidden until now. It was no surprise that she caught everyone’s attention.
“Ugh, sorry for being so late!”
Ivella, who had dashed over, bowed her head apologetically. Noa nodded silently in response.
It was true that she was late for the meeting time.
But Noa didn’t intend to be upset. It was clear why she was delayed.
“It looks like you took your time getting ready.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Since it’s a festival, I felt like I shouldn’t just wear the same old thing.”
Ivella smiled sheepishly.
She explained that she had gotten ready after finishing her afternoon lecture, which made it understandable.
Ivella wasn’t used to dressing up, and one could easily run late while preparing.
‘On the other hand…’
There was someone whom she couldn’t understand.
Shortly after, a girl with silver hair appeared.
Delia Arpen.
“Hey.”
She greeted briefly.
In stark contrast to the lavishly dressed Ivella, she looked exactly the same as always. Just as Noa was about to ask why she was late, her words came out first.
“I forgot and fell asleep. Sorry.”
Her confession slipped out with a sheepish smile.
Noa couldn’t help but chuckle at her honest reaction. It felt so much like Delia.
Meanwhile, after finishing her answer, Delia suddenly tugged at Noa’s sleeve and whispered softly.
“By the way, did you hear?”
“Huh? Hear what?”
“About the outfit she’s wearing.”
Delia glanced at Ivella.
“It’s the dress you picked out for her, right?”
“Uh, I didn’t exactly choose it…”
“Liar. I’ve heard everything.”
Noa looked a bit wronged.
If she really had chosen Ivella’s outfit, they would have arrived together. She wouldn’t have been stuck waiting alone for over 30 minutes.
Just then,
“…!”
A sudden realization struck her.
Ivella’s dress. It looked familiar because it was the same outfit she wore when she went out with Ulan to the capital.
‘Ah, so that’s why…’
She said I had chosen it.
Realizing the situation belatedly, Noa nodded as if to confirm Delia’s assumption.
At that, Delia’s expression brightened.
“In that case, help me pick out an outfit too.”
“Pick out an outfit? What do you mean?”
“Of course, I mean clothes.”
Before Noa could process her answer,
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, you want me to choose clothes for you?!”
“Is that such a shocking thing?”
It certainly was surprising.
In the original story, Delia wasn’t the type to enjoy being out and about. Thus, she had zero interest in clothes or accessories.
So it was often said that for Delia Arpen, clothing was merely a rag to shield herself from shame and cold.
‘But who would have guessed…’
That Delia would care about clothes.
A complete change compared to the original.
When Noa asked about the reason for this change, Delia’s cheeks suddenly flushed.
After a brief pause, she muttered quietly, almost like a mosquito.
“…I want to show it to Ulan.”
Her voice was only audible to Noa.
Her pointed ears turned red. It was as if she was embarrassed to show her honest feelings.
After managing to regain her composure,
Delia spoke up again.
“So, I would appreciate your help.”
“Sure, I’ll help.”
“Really?”
Maybe it was due to Noa’s enthusiastic response?
The shocked Delia subconsciously asked back, and Noa nodded again.
“Yeah, should I swear on my mana?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Shaking her head,
Delia smiled faintly.
“I trust you, Noa.”
“……”
With those words, Noa was suddenly at a loss for words.
The reason was simple: It reminded her of the lie she had told Delia yesterday.
‘Right after I confessed my secret to Ulan.’
She had explained to Delia that all the actions taken at the Source of Magic were possible because she had seen the future in a dream.
Thus, Delia, knowing about Noa’s prophetic abilities, quickly dropped her suspicions, and the situation was resolved just like that.
‘But…’
This was a blatant lie.
Of course, it was a response that had been agreed upon with Laurea, but the fact that she had lied to someone who believed in her remained unchanged.
That’s why she fell silent.
Feeling guilty, her heart ached.
“……”
With the silence hanging in the air, Noa’s closed mouth caused Ivella and Delia to naturally fall silent as well.
Plus, the glances pouring in from all around.
Unable to endure this uncomfortable atmosphere any longer, Noa finally broke the silence.
“Ahem! But summer vacation is just around the corner.”
Maybe it was the new conversation topic?
Ivella and Delia’s gazes shifted to Noa. At the same time, Noa continued speaking.
“So, what are you all doing during the vacation? Any plans?”
“I’ve decided to go back to my duchy.”
Delia was the first to answer.
That was a completely expected response. After all, she made the same decision in the original story as well.
“To take care of my little brother.”
Her stepbrother, who fell into a coma due to a magic overload while learning magic from Diplyn as a child. Delia adored her little brother dearly.
The reason she returned to her duchy every vacation in the original story was for this very reason.
“And during this visit…”
The Hero’s Trial would commence.
She would be the second fastest after Ulan to face it.
Afterward, Delia would reach the level of a wizard and begin preparing to become a High Mage.
“Of course, I’ll need to pass the trial first, though.”
But there was no need to worry.
Currently, she was stronger than in the original because she absorbed the fragment left by the Swamp Ruler.
On the other hand, after Delia’s answer, it was Ivella’s turn to respond.
“I’ll be going back to my territory too.”
Ivella gave a similar answer.
However, this was a development that didn’t exist in the original.
In the original, she had nowhere to return as she had unresolved conflicts with Count Deorg. Once Ivella finished her answer, both girls turned to Noa and asked.
“What about you?”
“I’ll be staying at the academy.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I have nowhere else to go.”
Noa chuckled awkwardly.
It would take over two months to travel by horseback from the academy to the Northern Prairie. So the result was that she had no choice but to remain at the academy.
After Noa finished her answer,
“Wait a second.”
All of a sudden, Delia’s expression hardened. She looked at Noa with narrowed eyes.
“So, you’re saying you’ll be spending the entire vacation alone with Ulan?”
“Uh, that’s…”
Noa was momentarily speechless.
She couldn’t bring herself to deny it.
Moreover, there was an event she needed to ask Ulan for help with during this summer vacation.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Delia’s eyes narrowed further.
It seemed like she suspected something.
A strange pressure emanated from her small figure. Just as Noa was about to respond to her suspicions,
“It’s okay.”
Suddenly, Ivella spoke up.
With a knowing smile.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Huh?”
“It means there won’t be any opportunity for Noa and Ulan to be alone together at the academy.”
Their exchange was as cryptic as Ivella’s smile.
Delia frowned.
“How do you know that?”
“Of course I know. Because Ulan promised to go down to the Count’s domain with me.”
“…!?”
Ivella’s golden eyes flared with excitement.
Noa was just as shocked.
After a brief silence, Delia couldn’t contain her surprise and asked again.
“Hey, a promise? When?”
“We promised when we went on a date in the capital.”
Ivella smiled brightly.
“Ulan has helped me a lot, and my mom wants to see him too. So we decided to go down together.”
With a smile that radiated victory.
On the other hand, Delia’s face crumpled as if defeated.
Simultaneously, the magic around them began to shift. It was a reaction to Delia’s anger. But Ivella calmly matched Delia’s fury.
It was truly a tense atmosphere.
However, Noa seemed uninterested in mediating; she merely watched the two intently.
‘Now it’s completely different from the original.’
Ivella’s expressions had become much more expressive.
Delia openly displaying her emotions.
Both of their relationships had changed from the original, but for some reason, it felt much nicer now. Perhaps this was their true selves.
Just as Noa was smiling at that thought,
“Hey, guys.”
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice broke in.
The strangers turned out to be three male students. Seeing their faces, they seemed to be upperclassmen. The sudden appearance of these smiling boys caught the girls off guard.
“Are you guys new students?”
“If it’s alright, why don’t you join us…”
“Not interested.”
Recognizing their intentions, Ivella firmly rejected them. However, the boys weren’t about to give up and continued chattering.
“Ha ha, sorry for the late introduction.”
“We’re from the Arsen Student Council.”
The mention of the Student Council held extra weight.
They were clearly trying to make a show of being affiliated with it. Of course, it wouldn’t work on Ivella and Delia.
“This is your first festival, right?”
“We can show you around.”
“It’ll be a blast, so…”
The three boys continued to push their invitation.
This time, however, there was no reply.
Ivella ignored them and resumed her standoff with Delia.
Did the boys realize they were being ignored?
They simultaneously frowned.
“Hey, you guys.”
“We’re speaking to you, aren’t we?”
“Don’t ignore us!”
Just then, someone suddenly screamed.
It was the boy who had tried to grab Ivella’s wrist. Before he could complete his action, he was slammed to the ground by Ivella.
“Scram, we’re busy.”
“Y-you…”
The remaining two boys trembled in fear.
Their faces flushed with anger and humiliation.
After a moment, they yelled.
“You think you’ll get away with this?!”
“Just a mere commoner!”
Noa quickly understood the situation.
They must have judged Ivella to be a commoner based on her appearance and approached without thinking.
‘Well, her family name is still unchanged.’
If Ivella’s family name were Deorg, who would have dared approach her?
Noa assumed that was the case.
As she pondered how to handle the two boys shouting in front of her,
“Ah.”
Suddently, her turquoise eyes widened.
The crowd that had filled the street began to split in two. Following that, Noa saw something and burst into a grin.
She turned to the boys.
“You guys might want to be careful.”
“W-what?”
“If you stay there, you might end up as a totem.”
“What nonsense…”
Just as the two boys frowned,
Suddenly, the noise of the festival ceased.
The atmosphere turned chilling, as if cold water had been splashed on everyone.
With the sudden shift, Ivella and Delia’s expressions brightened.
What’s going on? What did they see to make them react like that?
They reflexively turned around.
“……!”
They opened their eyes wide in shock.
It was unavoidable.
The one who appeared before them was the most famous new student currently at Arsen Academy.
A barbarian with red eyes.
Chapter 34. Lake Festival
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