The Festival

The festival ***

“But… how exactly do I confess?”

Luina had finally made up her mind to confess to Kael. It was a decision reached after overcoming a truly long period of hesitation and fear. Yet that resolve slammed into a wall the very next moment—the wall being Luina’s complete ignorance when it came to love.

Among her own kind, the only people she had ever seen in love were those already married, and she had no knowledge whatsoever of how other races expressed romance. Naturally, questions about how to confess bubbled up inside her.

But when faced with Luina’s worries, Zenle simply scratched his head as if the matter were trivial and answered,

“In my personal opinion, I think he’d accept even if you confessed while eating a meal…”

“Th-that won’t do… No matter what, that’s far too lacking in sincerity!”

In truth, Zenle really did think so. If she confessed over dinner and asked to get married, wouldn’t Kael accept? With even the slightest bit of genuine feeling added, Kael would undoubtedly say yes. Still, just as Luina said, it was a method completely devoid of any heartfelt effort. Zenle had no intention of letting her confess that way either.

Then how should she confess?

Fortunately, Zenle had already been planning for this moment for a long time.

“Lady Luina, do you have any free time on a day other than today?”

“Um… I’ve finished most of my recent work, so I should be able to make time in about two weeks. Why do you ask?”

“Then today, I’d like you to make plans with Master to visit Hagen Village in two weeks. There’s going to be a festival in Hagen Village then.”

“A festival? I haven’t heard anything about that. Is it true?”

“Yes, it’s real. And it’s going to be on a truly grand scale.”

To be precise, Zenle himself planned to make it happen, but since it would indeed take place, it wasn’t exactly a lie. With Enoch’s help, holding a festival for three full days would be no problem at all. So the festival was as good as confirmed.

And there was no better place to convey one’s heart than a lively festival filled with laughing, chattering crowds.

“I will draw up a perfect route for you. All you need to do, Lady Luina, is walk that route with Master, build up the mood as much as possible, and when the atmosphere reaches its peak…!”

“I confess, right?”

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

At Luina’s question, Zenle nodded.

Kael was the type who easily got swept up in positive atmospheres. He would be even more vulnerable to a loving, affectionate mood. So if Luina put in just a little effort, she could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠create the sincere, heartfelt confession she wanted.

“……”

Luina closed her eyes for a moment after hearing Zenle’s words. She seemed to be picturing the scene he had described in her mind. Then she opened her eyes, her cheeks faintly flushed, and spoke with calm determination.

“All right. Let’s do it.”

The look on Luina’s face showed she had steeled her resolve. One who wished to be connected, and one who wished to connect them. Both had completed their preparations.

It was the afternoon, with two weeks remaining until the day of the decisive battle.

***

After the basic framework of the plan was set, Luina smoothly secured the promise from Kael that very evening while they ate together at the dinner table.

“Kael, would you like to go to Hagen Village with me in two weeks?”

“Hagen Village? Why all of a sudden?”

“I heard there’s going to be a festival there in two weeks. It’s been a long time since the last one, and I thought it would be a good experience for Elia too.”

“A festival?”

The same Luina who had blushed with embarrassment while listening to the plan now spoke so naturally, as if she had been waiting for someone to give her a push. Hearing her words, Elia’s eyes sparkled as she tugged on Kael’s sleeve and shook it.

“Daddy, I want to go.”

“Hmm, that’s true. Elia hasn’t really seen a proper festival yet, has she? And I have plenty of time anyway… All right. Let’s go in two weeks, Luina.”

There was no particular reason to refuse, so Kael naturally accepted Luina’s invitation. Zenle, who had watched the entire scene, waited until the meal was over before asking Kael and Luina for a moment of their time and stepping outside the cottage.

He walked all the way to a hill far from the cottage, then pulled out the communication orb he had kept in the pouch at his waist. Infusing it with mana, Zenle gazed at the sun still lingering in the sky alongside the sunset glow and spoke a name.

“Enoch Ring Shardena.”

The moment Zenle called the name, the communication orb began to blink with a ringing tone.

Beep── Beep──

The ringing tones echoed across the hill where the sound of insects could be heard, repeating five or six times. The call finally connected on the eighth ring.

Beep───

“I contacted you because there’s something I need your help with, Enoch. I could do it alone, but it would be much easier if you helped.”

Enoch’s voice carried a note of curiosity. Zenle briefly summarized everything that had happened so far and the conversation he had with Luina. He explained that Luina was the adoptive mother of the child named Elia whom Kael had taken in as his daughter, that the two of them had decided to officially declare themselves Elia’s parents because of the Citizen ID issue, that their relationship had been stagnant so he had given Luina a push to confess, and that she had finally steeled her resolve and decided to do it.

Once Zenle’s explanation was complete, he asked Enoch for help once more.

“So I’m thinking of holding a festival in Hagen Village for Lady Luina’s confession. If you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could help, Enoch…”

“Whoa.”

Before Zenle could even finish asking for help, Enoch answered with burning enthusiasm. The voice overflowing with even more eagerness than Zenle himself had expected made him let out an involuntary exclamation. As expected, Enoch couldn’t just let this situation pass either.

Zenle expressed his gratitude for Enoch’s unexpectedly proactive cooperation and discussed a few more details with him—more precisely, things like the date route for Luina and Kael.

After about ten minutes of discussion,

“Whew… Good. This should work.”

Having planned what could be called a near-perfect festival, the two finally ended the call. The communication cut off as the mana in the orb dispersed. Zenle slipped the orb back into his pocket and turned around, gazing at the last traces of the completely set sun.

“Two weeks from now… I hope it goes well.”

He sincerely wished for his master and Luina to become destined partners. With that heartfelt hope, Zenle headed back toward the cottage.

***

Three days later.

Flyers were scattered across the capital of the Shardena Kingdom and various other cities and villages. Their content announced a festival to be held in two weeks. The citizens, many of whom had heard of Hagen Village at least once, learned that the Magic Tower would be hosting a festival there.

Everyone who saw the flyers—ordinary citizens, merchants from trading companies, and even nobles—couldn’t help but feel a momentary question.

“Hmm?”

“Hagen Village? Why there of all places…”

“A festival in Hagen Village…?”

Why would a festival be held in ‘Hagen Village’ instead of the Shardena Kingdom or other major cities? And why would the ‘Magic Tower’ be hosting a festival in a mere village like Hagen?

Hagen Village was a medium-sized trading village that had grown through commerce, but it had never once held a proper event, let alone a festival. Yet suddenly a festival—and not just any festival, but one hosted by the Magic Tower?

The Magic Tower was the dream destination of all mages and home to humanity’s greatest mage, Nella Oracle. It was said that to become a first-class mage one must enter the tower, and any mage who had never even set foot inside was nothing more than an amateur. Its prestige was that high.

So for the Magic Tower to host a festival in Hagen Village was naturally puzzling. On top of that, the requirement that everyone must wear a mask to participate only deepened the mystery.

But no matter how many questions the citizens had while reading the flyers, nothing would change. The festival itself was confirmed to take place. People soon set aside their doubts and began packing their bags to attend the festival in Hagen Village in two weeks.

“All carriage reservations for the next two weeks are full! Please look elsewhere!!”

Just one day after the flyers were distributed, every carriage line for the next two weeks was completely booked.

“We have no masks left! I’m sorry! Please come back next time!!”

The stock of every mask shop and masquerade store sold out in a single day.

“There aren’t any more mercenaries left, I’m telling you! They’ve all gone off on escort requests!! If you want to hire one, come back in a few days!!!”

Those who couldn’t secure carriages set out on foot, and the pool of mercenaries available for escort duty ran dry.

All of this happened in just one day after flyers promoting a single festival were scattered.

And in Hagen Village, where the festival would be held, an enormous number of citizens were already gathering by every means possible. Even though two weeks still remained, the streets of Hagen Village were already packed with crowds of people.

The festival in Hagen Village was already bursting with excitement.