The Festival (Part 9)
How would most people react if they were suddenly slapped across the face in the middle of the street?
Being assaulted without rhyme or reason would provoke blind fury in almost anyone.
Junon, however, did not lash out. More accurately, he couldn't.
"Still playing your slick little mind games, aren't you? Whispering in their ears until you got your way?"
"...What are you talking about?"
Erika let out a hollow, scornful laugh at his bewildered tone.
"So that's how you've been doing it all along. Tricking everyone behind that innocent mask. Despicable."
The venom in her eyes ran deep, blazing with pure hatred.
What the hell is going on?
His stinging cheek was the least of his concerns; understanding why she had struck him was what mattered. For Erika to display this degree of hostility, something disastrous had to have happened.
Yet Junon's mind was running entirely on fumes. Overclocked and strained to its absolute limit, his thoughts refused to fall into place like they used to. His body was pushed past exhaustion, and his mental state was no better. Weighted down by sheer fatigue, his fraying nerves simply could not handle any more stress.
"Whatever it is, can we talk about it tomorrow? My head is pounding right now, and I can barely—"
Splash!
Before the sentence could leave his mouth, a sudden torrent of frigid water hit him square in the face, forcing his eyes shut.
He didn't need to open them to know what had happened. A burst of conjured cold water was streaming down from his forehead, soaking his clothes and plastering his tunic to his chest. The droplets trickling from his sodden black hair had barely hit the cobblestones before Erika sneered.
"Feel refreshing? That ought to cool your head. In the mood to talk now?"
She was the last person in the world he ever wanted to see again. But if the world granted wishes so easily, he would never have crossed paths with her in the first place. Fate rarely bowed to personal preference, and Erika standing before him dripping with contempt was just another cruel reminder of that fact.
Even so, the world still operated on right and wrong.
"What do you think you're doing?"
And right on cue, a junior arrived who refused to let such wrongdoing go unpunished.
"My, my, miss! You certainly have an appetite for someone so delicate."
"Ehehe... It was just so delicious."
"Hahaha! Now that's music to a cook's ears. Ten years behind this counter, and seeing a lovely young lady like you relish every bite makes all the sweat worthwhile."
Glancing over his shoulder to ensure his wife was still occupied with the dishes, the owner stealthily slipped extra treats into her box and lowered his voice.
"Ahem. Keep this between us. It's on the house—a little bonus for appreciating good food."
"Dear. Are you trying to punch another hole in this month's ledgers?"
"Y-You saw that? Er, haha..."
"Good grief. Honestly, making a scene in front of a guest..."
Watching the couple's cheerful bickering brought a fond smile to Renias's lips.
"Huh? Oh, miss... she's just teasing, really, it's fine!"
"That's right, miss. It was a gift from the heart. We couldn't possibly take your money for that."
"Please, take it. It makes me feel much better."
"Even so, this is far too..."
The husband and wife exchanged hesitant glances at the generous pile of coins Renias held out. Academy students visiting the stalls during the festival were usually ordinary youths; taking such a sum went against their conscience. Reluctantly, Renias produced her family crest to settle the matter, and only then did the couple accept with profuse bows and gratitude.
"By the way, where did the young man go? I thought he paid the bill earlier."
"Sunbae is waiting outside. I just stepped back in to have the rest packaged to go."
"Ah, I see! How sweet."
As the food was carefully wrapped, Renias shared a brief, lighthearted conversation with the owner's wife. Just as the parcels were finished, however, a sharp crack echoed from out on the street.
"What was that...?"
The couple clicked their tongues in unison, clearly accustomed to the sound. Apparently, this particular alley was a notorious hotspot for blossoming romances and bitter breakups alike.
According to the owner, it usually came down to two things.
"It's either a lovesick fool getting smacked on the back for being ridiculous, or a scoundrel getting caught two-timing and taking a palm to the cheek. Almost always one of the two."
"U-Um... I see..."
"Come to think of it, doesn't that concern you, miss?"
"Oh, you're right! Wouldn't it?"
"Pardon? Whatever do you mean...?"
"Don't play coy, pretty lady. You're in love with that upperclassman of yours, aren't you?"
"Wh-Wh-What?!"
Heat surged into Renias's face like an erupting furnace. The couple showed no mercy, urging her to lock him down before someone else did and insisting there was no rule saying a girl couldn't confess first.
"I-I-I have no idea what you're talking about! Ahaha...! I-I really must be going now!"
Unable to endure another second of the teasing, Renias bolted out of the shop like a startled doe.
"Uuugh... Why is it so hot? Must be summer already... Ahaha..."
Not a single drop of sweat dotted her brow, yet the fierce warmth radiating throughout her entire body refused to cool, even as she fanned herself against the evening breeze. She remained blissfully unaware of just how bright her cheeks flushed, resembling a pair of ripe red apples, or how transparent every single flutter of her heart was to an outside observer. For a sheltered girl who had only just begun to awaken to unfamiliar feelings, self-awareness was still a distant concept.
"Phew... I need to get back to Sunbae."
He had been waiting all this time. He had looked far more drained than usual today, and she hated the thought of keeping him on his feet a moment longer. Searching the square to see which bench he was resting on, she finally spotted his silhouette.
And then.
Splash!
The sudden rush of water caught her attention immediately. Though she couldn't make out the words being exchanged, there was no mistaking what had just been done to the young man standing by the bench.
The neatly wrapped box slipped from her hands, crashing to the pavement as she sprinted forward on pure instinct, clutching a handkerchief. Even framed by the lamplit dusk, it was obvious he had just been doused with freezing water. But there were no water sources nearby. It wasn't raining, nor was there a bucket in sight.
Dabbing frantically at his soaked tunic with her handkerchief, Renias turned her head, her expression freezing into terrifying stillness as she locked onto the only person capable of conjuring that water.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The heat inside her surged once more, but for an entirely different reason. And this time, it burned with a frigid, lethal edge. Her glare pinned the culprit who dared attack Junon with magic.
"No, don't bother. Don't say a word."
"Ah...!"
Had there been any onlookers nearby, the sheer density of the mana suffocating the air would have made them shut their eyes and shout for the guards. Only the three of them were present, and the target of Renias's killing intent was unmistakable.
Who do you think you are to treat him like this when he can barely stand?
She didn't need to speak the words. Before Erika could even process the threat, a blinding streak of light pierced the gloom at imperceptible speed.
"What kind of firepowe—?!"
Ssssshh—
Erika barely managed to twist away from the beam, but the sizzling crater left in the stone pavement spoke volumes of its destructive force. And that had been merely a warning shot. Multiple intricate magic circles flared to life in the air around Renias, primed for an immediate, merciless barrage.
The monstrous mana pouring from her created localized drafts that whipped up her silver hair and sent wind howling through the plaza. It was the kind of raw authority that demanded absolute terror from anyone caught in its path.
"Renias, calm down!"
"I'm sorry, Sunbae. I can't hold back anymore."
Despite Junon's frantic plea, Renias was already locked onto her target. The bowstring was fully drawn; a single flick of her will would unleash an inescapable storm upon Erika. Erika might have been a formidable member of Tembris, but against Renias Lantana, the outcome was predetermined. It was a matter of sheer class.
"Renias, I'm fine, so stop! Renias!!"
She had held her tongue for so long.
How many times had she forced herself to swallow her anger? It infuriated her that such vile, unearned labels were dragged behind her kind upperclassman wherever he went. When he had arranged that banquet for the other students, she had wanted to tell the whole world the truth to clear his name. When he returned injured from the start-of-semester evaluation, she had refrained from prying into his secrets. When his end-of-semester score was wiped clean by political maneuvering, she had reluctantly accepted his advice that causing a scene would only invite more trouble.
She had borne witness to the insults, the gossip, and the systemic erasure of his hard work. But this crossed the line.
What kind of person threw water in the face of someone quietly waiting on a bench? And that loud slap earlier—it had been a strike to the face. He had taken a blow, endured a magical deluge without retaliating, all while his body was already battered from exhaustion.
Frustration tightened its grip on her chest like a heavy stone. Even choking down a hundred dry sweet potatoes wouldn't feel this suffocating. Yet just as that indignation was about to manifest into a barrage of devastating light, the path to her target was abruptly severed.
"Uh... Sunbae?"
"Please. Let me talk to her."
Junon had stepped directly between them, clasping both of her hands tightly within his own as he looked into her eyes with an earnest plea.
How on earth had things spiraled to this point?
Running into Erika was terrible luck in itself, but a far worse catastrophe loomed on the horizon. Even with a skull that felt like it was being pried apart by hot irons, Junon had no choice but to intervene.
"S-Sunbae... your hands, your hands!"
"If I let go, you're going to blast her. That's why I'm holding on."
"I can't shoot if you're in the way anyway! S-So... my hands..."
"Sorry. But until you give me your word that you won't attack Erika, I can't let go."
The look on her face a moment ago had been downright terrifying. The pressure of her mana was kicking up literal gale-force winds; if she unleashed that kind of artillery, it would result in a bloodbath. He couldn't release her until she explicitly promised to stand down.
"A-All right! I won't shoot, I won't...!"
"You mean it?"
"I promise... I swear..."
True to her word, the glowing arrays poised to incinerate the alley dimmed and dissolved into particles of light. Her lower lip jutted out in a petulant pout, clearly dissatisfied with the arrangement, but the worst of the crisis had been averted.
"Then... could you give us a few minutes alone?"
"Sunbae, even if you ask me that..."
Renias's gaze remained glacial as she glared past him at Erika. It was understandable; after witnessing what she just had, anyone in her position would be fiercely suspicious.
Yet Junon needed to find out what had sent Erika into this sudden frenzy.
"Please."
He squeezed her hands once more, reinforcing his plea with a quiet, steady gaze.
The gesture worked far faster than he could have ever anticipated. He had braced himself for a prolonged struggle to persuade her, but Renias yielded almost immediately, leaving him slightly bewildered. Still, he couldn't afford to question good fortune.
She agreed on the condition that their conversation last only as long as it took her to re-order the spilled food. That was more than enough time. And Erika wouldn't dare strike him again—Renias had delivered a chilling warning that she would not hold back a second time if a single finger touched him.
"Cunning bastard... Did you feed her sweet little lies as well?"
"You seem to be mistaken about something. I'm the one who bought you the chance to speak. The questions come from me."
"..."
"And don't jump to conclusions. She only asked me to help her build up her physical stamina. That's all our relationship is."
Junon cut straight to the heart of the matter.
"Erika. The last time we spoke, in front of Michel, I thought I made everything abundantly clear. What else could you possibly have a problem with?"
"Everything! You went and wagged your filthy tongue at the other members again!"
That again? It defied all reason.
"Haah... Then tell me. Exactly what did I do?"
"Telling me you'd never join Tembris was just a trick to lower my guard, wasn't it?! You turned right around and shamelessly worked your way into the others' good graces!" Erika shouted, her chest heaving with indignation. "Goden told us today that he wants to scout you as an official member—someone he's never even met! If you didn't appeal to him behind my back, who did?!"
"Goden said that...?"
"Yes! Today of all days! The very day Tembris was officially recognized as a team, he proposed bringing you in!!"
What the hell is going on?
Just as Erika had pointed out, Junon had never crossed paths with Goden in this timeline. Did someone else put his name forward?
"What makes it completely unbearable is that everyone wants you in. Without any of the trials the rest of us went through, three whole people voted to recruit you immediately! Even the one who stayed neutral ended up defending you! How do you explain that?!"
That made no sense.
He had severed all future ties with Michel during the incident in the underground waterway. He had drawn a firm, unyielding line with Charlotte, and she hadn't approached him since. Senia had tried to trap him, but he had given her the exact same cold shoulder. And finally, Aris—he had hammered the final nail into that coffin, swearing he would never step foot near them. How could three people have possibly voted in favor?
Worse, she said the neutral member had sided with him as well.
Which meant... in practical terms, all four had supported his recruitment.
When she accused him of pulling strings, he had assumed it was pure paranoia, but hearing this... how had events twisted into such a bizarre shape?
"I never dreamed you'd stab me in the back like this just to crawl into Tembris!"
No. Stop overthinking it.
Chasing breadcrumbs in his current state would solve nothing; the internal politics of Tembris were known only to Erika. In that case, there was only one path forward.
"Hey, Erika."
He simply had to convey his absolute, unwavering refusal. That was all that mattered.
"Do you know that as soon as this festival ends, mana stones are going to vanish from the market?"
"What?"
Yes. If she didn't know, the solution was simple. Just like Aris, Erika only possessed shattered, fragmentary memories of the past timeline.
"The Lewen Merchant Guild failed to secure their shipment of mana stones, which means there won't be enough supply for the upcoming Magic Armament compatibility trials. Knowing this, several rival merchant guilds have started hoarding every stone they can find. The prices are about to go through the roof."
"What kind of nonsense are you suddenly spouting?"
Naturally, she had no clue. Only he held the full picture.
"Whether you believe me or not is up to you. But mark my words: it will happen very soon."
"Are you mocking me? Just because you have a high-ranking patron, you think I'll swallow whatever garbage comes out of your mouth?"
"In Shirach Province, in the Megrita region... who was the one who told you not to let Michel drink from the stream inside the cave? You haven't forgotten, have you?"
"...!?"
Erika's pupils dilated in shock. By now, she had to realize he wasn't playing games.
He had been the one to issue that order, and Erika had been the one who screamed at him for it. By dragging up a specific piece of the fragmented memories she harbored, he had laid the groundwork to predict what lay ahead.
"You claim I'm scheming to force my way into Tembris because I have no other choice. Don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't join that team if my life depended on it."
She would naturally want to ask why. Junon answered the unspoken question before she could form the words.
"Because I was murdered. By the hands of a Tembris party member, no less."