Chapter 142

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on January 22, 2025

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6 PM sharp.

Class ended, and Ulan headed out to the street.

It was because he had promised Laurea and Ian to check out the festival together before they left.

When he arrived at the street bustling with stalls, he looked around with curiosity.

“This is way bigger than I thought.”

At first, he imagined it would be like a small tribal gathering, but that was totally off. The scene before him was colorful and grand enough to be mistaken for a city festival.

As he wandered around, heading to the meeting point, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, sniffing the air.

“What is that smell…?”

It was the scent of meat being grilled over charcoal. As soon as he realized, his stomach reacted violently.

Grumble!

Thinking about it, he hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. So, he quickly followed the delicious smell.

“Skewers for sale!”

“We have a variety from meats to seafood!”

After a short while, he reached his destination.

There were skewers sizzling perfectly over the grill. The mouthwatering sight pulled him in like a magnet.

“Ah, hello there.”

“Would you like a skewer?”

“Is it okay to eat?”

“Of course! It’ll be five copper coins.”

At that reply, his hand reaching for the skewer froze in mid-air. He realized he had no money. But there was no need to worry.

“I’ll pay, so just give me one.”

“Oh! Sure! Coming right up!”

Suddenly, a business-like voice came out.

A girl with flowing sky-blue hair appeared with a pristine white hand. Ulan’s eyes widened.

He recognized her face.

“You are…?”

“Nice to meet you, Ulan.”

Iris Senior.

A second-year student from the Military Department, she was the girl who participated in the friendly mock battle with Eloden. She also had invited him to join the student council.

But there was no time for pleasantries.

“Here’s the skewer you ordered!”

The skewer he had been waiting for had arrived.

Food is best enjoyed while it’s warm, so Ulan immediately took a big bite out of the meat on the skewer.

Chew, chew!

Soft and fresh meat. The sauce generously soaked on top was perfectly salty and absolutely delicious. He devoured every last piece of it.

And just like that, his meal was over.

Looking at the now-empty skewer, Ulan smacked his lips. It was hardly enough to satisfy his hunger.

Did Iris notice his disappointment? She suddenly spoke up.

“If that wasn’t enough, you can order more.”

“Really?”

“You helped me a lot last time, so it’s fine.”

With a bright smile, Iris replied.

Ulan’s eyes lit up as he bowed his head. It was his way of thanking her for her kindness.

Then, he opened his mouth right away.

“I’ll buy everything here.”

“Huh? All of this?!”

It looked like easily ten servings!

Seeing the surprised student, Ulan nodded silently. What followed was a spectacle of skewers disappearing one after another.

There was no pause as they vanished off the plate.

Watching this incredible sight, Iris muttered with a flustered expression.

“Y-You still have such an appetite.”

Then she opened her wallet.

She was checking how much money she had. Luckily, she had plenty, and as a result, she could enjoy the show a bit longer.

Not long later, as the skewers on the grill were almost all gone, Ulan finished his meal too.

“Did you enjoy your meal?”

“It mostly filled my stomach.”

Was eating that much just enough to satisfy his hunger?

Iris looked astonished. But she kept her composure and changed the subject.

“So, are you alone today? What happened to the friends you always hang out with?”

“I’m about to meet them.”

“Ah, I see.”

Nodding once, Iris suddenly pulled out something. It was a colorful flyer filled with promotions.

“Take your time looking around, and if you get the chance, come by with your friends later.”

“What is this?”

“It’s my restaurant.”

She explained that she had opened a restaurant with some close upperclassmen during the festival.

They sold foods you wouldn’t normally find elsewhere.

“Since we come from different countries, the variety of food is rich. So there will definitely be new dishes you haven’t tried yet, Ulan.”

“Got it. I’ll make sure to visit.”

Intrigued by the diverse and new food, Ulan nodded in promise. Shortly after, he left with the remaining skewers in hand.

How much time had passed?

He finally spotted the meeting place in the distance.

His friends were huddled together. But at that moment, he noticed some unfamiliar faces.

‘What the…?’

Three male students were facing off against his group.

One was lying on the ground, while the other two were yelling something.

What was going on?

Just as Ulan was puzzled and about to step forward,

“Ah.”

Suddenly, he locked eyes with Noa.

Upon noticing him, she widened her eyes and then smiled meaningfully. Shortly after, the atmosphere around them turned icy.

“W-What’s going on?”

“Why all of a sudden…?”

The boys who had been confronting Ulan’s group looked around in confusion, clearly startled by the sudden change in mood. Eventually, they widened their eyes.

“……!”

The reason was simple.

They had spotted Ulan.

“Huh!”

“Y-You are…!”

The two swallowed a scream as if they were about to choke.

And their faces turned pale instantly.

Noticing they looked unwell, Ulan asked with concern.

“Are you okay? You don’t look so good…”

“Eek!”

“D-Don’t come closer!”

But as he reached out a hand,

They bolted, screaming as they ran away. What the heck? Ulan watched in confusion as the boys fled.

“Ulan!”

He heard a voice calling him.

Noa, Ivella, and Delia.

The three rushed over with beaming faces, smiling widely. Ulan pointed in the direction the boys had disappeared, asking,

“Do you know those guys?”

“No, we just saw them for the first time today.”

“It’s not important, so don’t worry about it.”

Ivella and Delia shook their heads.

Then Noa asked a question.

“But what do you have in your hands?”

“Skewers.”

“…You didn’t steal those, did you?”

“I paid for them.”

Thank goodness. He thought for a second that Ulan had just taken them without paying.

As he sighed in relief,

Noa spoke up again.

“Wow, those look delicious.”

“They really are.”

Ulan nodded in agreement.

He had almost finished them, after all.

“If you want some, I’ll let you have a bite.”

“Huh? You’re offering it to me?”

“Yep.”

Since there was exactly one bite left,

Ivella looked quite taken aback. It was obvious Ulan had been eating it just moments ago.

‘That means…!’

It implied their lips would nearly touch.

Realizing this made her heart race unexpectedly, and her cheeks flushed.

Meanwhile, Ulan tilted his head in confusion, wondering why she hadn’t responded.

“Not going to eat it?”

“N-No! I’ll eat it!”

Snapping back to reality, Ivella hurried closer.

With a tense face, she moved her lips to take the last piece of meat.

But in that moment,

Grab!

Someone popped up from behind Ulan and snatched the meat right before his eyes. It was a girl who looked similar to Ivella.

“Mmm, it’s a bit salty though.”

“……!”

“But it’s not bad as a snack.”

A girl with aquamarine hair smiled brightly.

Meanwhile, Ivella’s face scrunched up with frustration.

“Laurea!”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

Laurea asked, seemingly oblivious.

Ivella, momentarily at a loss for words because of her shamelessness, stared at Laurea as if she couldn’t believe it. Just then, Laurea’s eyes widened.

“Ah! Did you want to eat that?”

“Yes! Ulan was going to share with me…”

“I’m sorry! I’ll get you a new one. Fresh from the grill!”

Laurea flashed a bright smile.

How about that? Isn’t that okay?

Her smile seemed to say, making Ivella tremble with frustration. That wasn’t what she wanted.

“Sorry I’m late.”

Then came a familiar voice.

It was Ian, who had arrived with Laurea.

“I got caught up packing so I could leave first thing tomorrow.”

This was understandable.

It would be good to prepare everything before heading out to fully enjoy the festival.

At that moment, Ulan looked at Laurea.

She looked different from usual, catching his eye for some reason.

She wore a black hat, while her top was a sleeveless shirt that revealed her fair arms and shoulders.

Her skirt was also a short black one instead of her usual long one.

‘And then…’

There was something else that caught his attention.

A flushed hue peeking through the makeup on her face. Watching it intently, she tilted her head when she noticed his gaze.

“Hm? What are you staring at?”

“You’ve been drinking.”

“Haha, you noticed. You’re sharp.”

She chuckled softly.

Then Laurea pointed to the sky.

“Thinking of it as the last night made me a bit sad, and the noise got to me, so I drank a bit.”

She said it was because of the divine being’s whispers that echoed every night.

Then Laurea smiled, as if to say not to worry.

“It’s nothing to worry about. I’m still perfectly fine. I haven’t drunk too much.”

“You may look fine now…”

But it seemed like she would soon be very drunk.

Because just a while ago, he had seen a pile of wine bottles in the bag Ian was carrying.

Ian didn’t enjoy drinking, so those were probably brought along for Laurea.

Did she realize where Ulan was looking? She suddenly leaned in closer.

“Shh, that’s a secret.”

They were close enough that he could feel her breath from the proximity.

Laurea put her finger on her nose, then broke into a coy smile.

“I brought that for us to drink secretly later.”

“With me?”

“Yep, it’s expensive and good wine.”

Ulan quickly closed his mouth. It was because of the mention of expensive and good wine.

Moments later, after exchanging glances with one another, both turned away immediately, as if nothing had happened.

“Alright, shall we go?”

With a bright smile, Laurea took the lead.

The group followed eagerly as they prepared to enjoy the festival for the first time since enrolling at the Academy.

Time passed, and night fell.

As the festive atmosphere grew, the voices promoting the stalls also rose.

Thalis Fruhtine was one of them.

“Come on, roll the dice!”

Third-year student from the Magic Department, Thalis Fruhtine.

For him, this festival was the perfect opportunity to make some extra pocket money. So he advertised in an enthusiastic voice.

“Guess the sum of the numbers to win various prizes!”

Bracelets made of orbs, plush toys large enough to use as pillows, and even expensive jewelry crafted from silver or gold.

Thanks to these enticing prizes,

A boy and girl passing by approached him.

They looked like newcomers.

Judging by their elegant clothes, they seemed of noble origin. Recognizing this, Thalis greeted them with a friendly smile.

“Feel free to take a look. If you have any questions, just ask me!”

Maintaining a respectful distance, he avoided pressuring them. After glancing over the dice and prizes, the duo began speaking cautiously.

“Um, we have a question.”

“How does this work?”

“Haha, it’s simple enough. Just roll the dice and guess the total sum!”

The contestants were given three dice.

They needed to guess the total and write it down, then throw the dice. If they were correct, they won a prize.

The two nodded, seemingly understanding the straightforward rules, then looked back at the prizes and asked more.

“Alright. What’s a special prize?”

“Oh, that’s for when all the dice show the same number.”

For example, if they wrote down a total of 15 and rolled all threes, that meant a special prize.

Special prizes were obviously enticing, with most likely silver or gold jewelry.

“What do you think? Want to give it a try?”

“Yes, I’ll do it.”

“The entry fee is one silver coin.”

For just one roll of the dice, it was a mighty expensive amount. But for nobles, it shouldn’t be a big deal. Thalis’ expectations were confirmed.

The boy handed over a silver coin.

He was going to challenge ten times.

Surprised by such a generous customer from the start, Thalis beamed.

“Thank you! Now, roll away!”

“Do I have to throw them all at once?”

“Nope, you don’t have to do that. As long as you can reach this circle, you can throw them separately.”

He pointed to the circle drawn on the table.

Once the rules were explained,

Swipe! Swish!

The boy wrote down “18” on his note.

That’s a total only achievable if all three dice show six. If he pulls it off, it would grant him the best prize of all.

The ring of luminescence.

A ring imbued with magic that glows. It was quite a rare gem worth about five gold coins. Yet Thalis’s expression was full of ease.

The reason was simple.

‘It’s practically impossible.’

The dice were specially made.

Thus, no matter how hard one rolled, the chance of getting a number over five was almost ZERO.

But that wasn’t the only trick.

Special methods ensured the same faces wouldn’t appear.

In other words, from the moment the boy wrote “18,” there was no way for him to win. The probability of rolling all sixes was zero.

‘Of course, there’s a slight chance he might guess right, but’

Even so, he wouldn’t lose much either, as most prizes were either worth about one silver coin or cheaper.

And the results?

All attempts failed spectacularly.

“……”

Maybe it was because he hadn’t hit even once? The boy’s complexion darkened.

“Oh no, tough luck this time.”

With all attempts falling flat, Thalis seemed ready for showtime.

“Don’t be too disheartened; getting the number you want from the dice isn’t easy, even for me. Take this to lift your spirits.”

“What is this…?”

“It’s a participation gift. Only given to those who try ten times.”

It was a shabby bracelet made from orbs.

One that could typically be bought for about two copper coins.

Meanwhile, the boy’s expression relaxed slightly as he accepted the gift. Thalis couldn’t help but smirk.

‘Naturally.’

Getting something, no matter how trivial, feels better than leaving with nothing at all. That’s why Thalis always provides a bracelet for contestants.

So soon after the two left his line of sight,

Thalis chuckled as he pocketed the silver coin. He arranged the dice once again and started announcing with fervor.

“Come on, try your luck at the dice throw! Guess the number for a lavish… “

While he was in the middle of inviting people, suddenly there was a hush in the crowd.

What’s going on? As he looked around in confusion, a group of six men and women entered his sight.

When he spotted them, Thalis felt his breath hitch.

“……!”

It was because of the two girls at the front.

They were among the most beautiful he had ever seen in his life, no less than first or second place.

It was Ivella and Laurea.

Perhaps that was why?

It wasn’t just Thalis who was captivated. The passing male students all halted, staring blankly at the two girls.