The Dark Festival Returns
The Dark Festival.
One of the grandest events Kizen held, once every five years. In essence, it was a public sports festival — the entire island of Roke was thrown open to civilians, and the students' exploits were celebrated before the whole continent.
In fact, the festival's history stretched back nearly as far as Kizen's own three centuries.
It was born in the transition era, when the Age of Knights was giving way to the Age of Necromancers. Back then, the common wisdom held that 'Core Opening' was tantamount to selling one's soul to demons, and necromancers were widely regarded as cursed bloodlines who dabbled in forbidden magic. Parents lived in constant dread of the children they sent off to Kizen.
So Nephthys did something unprecedented: she broadcast, across the entire continent, the sight of her students holding a sports festival.
To the people of that era, it was a shock unlike anything they had known. A festival brimming with children's sweat and passion planted a new understanding — necromancers weren't dangerous monsters; they were, in the end, people like anyone else. And contrary to the rumors that an opened core meant an early grave, the students looked healthier and more vital than ever.
Above all, the image of students who had grown overwhelmingly strong after only a few years of necromantic education burned itself deep into the continental consciousness. Only then did the proud nobility begin, one by one, sending their children to study at Kizen.
The Dark Festival's propaganda value had been extraordinary, and ever since, Kizen had faithfully hosted it every five years.
Which was why this year's festival should have taken place last year, were it not for one thing.
"As you all know, that whole 'Saintess Incident' blew up last year, remember?"
Dick, standing before the blackboard, said it with a shrug.
"The school switched to a quasi-wartime curriculum, and every single event got canceled or pushed back."
Camibarez's eyes went bright and round as she listened.
"So the postponed festival is happening this year!"
Simon pressed a fingertip to his forehead.
"And of all times, it has to land during our term on the student council…"
"Honestly, that's a stroke of luck!"
Mayrin sprang up from her seat and rolled up her sleeves.
"This is our chance to show the whole continent what the 330th class student council can do! Pull this event off, and we won't just earn glory — we might cement our hold on the council even after Eisel returns!"
Dick let out a short, needling snort of laughter.
"Aren't you dreaming a little too big, Madam Vice President?"
"Funny how your gallbladder's grown so fat, considering you only ever charge in without a prayer of landing a hit."
When Mayrin cracked her knuckles, Dick whipped his head away and pretended to whistle.
"Alright, then."
Simon laced his fingers together.
"It's a heavy responsibility, but an honor. We've been handed this burden, so let's give it everything we have."
Everyone nodded with vigor.
Dick took his seat, and this time Mayrin stepped forward, her sky-blue hair swirling behind her.
"I've already done my homework on the Dark Festival. Let me walk you through the big-ticket items."
She pinned a stack of photographs to the blackboard — shots from the last festival, taken by the Newspaper Club.
This looks like fun!
Simon had never attended any school but Kizen, and the very concept of a sports festival was new to him. The students in the photos were rolling through mud, tumbling into the water — and laughing their heads off with arms slung over each other's shoulders. Every one of them looked like they were having the time of their lives.
Camibarez, seated beside him, seemed to share the sentiment; the adorable bat wings at her back were fluttering furiously.
"The Dark Festival runs four nights and five days. The whole of Roke Island is opened to civilians, and the students hold their sports festival across the island's entire grounds."
Mayrin launched into her explanation with a ringing, confident voice.
"Fifteen stadiums in total, and more than fifty events! Spectators can browse the pamphlets and wait for whatever trial they like, at whichever arena they like. And of course, a Dark Festival without Kizen rivalry would be a sorry one, wouldn't it?"
She slapped a sheet of paper bearing the department crests dead center on the blackboard.
"The Dark Festival is a department championship."
"…Oh."
A seven-way, blood-pact war of the departments.
Second-years and third-years joined forces, and all seven departments competed in fierce, head-to-head contention.
The department that racked up the highest combined score would be crowned Department of the Year — and with it came a colossal grant of departmental funding.
That money could be used to overhaul every inconvenience a department suffered, or to expand its facilities. Naturally, it also determined the pecking order at the closing-night party on the final day. There was a reason the departments that won the Dark Festival year after year grew so fat and prosperous.
"Heh heh heh… and let's not forget the grades angle, shall we?"
Dick cut in suddenly.
"Every single event at the Dark Festival carries coursework credit! It feeds directly into your personal record, too."
Cha!
The tip of Dick's finger swung around to point at Simon.
"Me, I gave up on grades ages ago — but you, Simon. If you're planning to take the top seat in second year like you did in first, you'd better grit your teeth and post strong results at this festival."
"Wh-what?"
The pressure hit him all at once.
"Obviously! First year, remember? The island survival assessment, the BMAT — they lined us all up in every group-competition curriculum imaginable and flushed out the ones who fell behind!"
"That's right."
"Second year's lighter on the school-wide competitive curricula since everyone's supposed to focus on study. Which means the Dark Festival carries that much more weight."
In other words: if your overall ranking tanked at the festival, clawing it back later would be a serious uphill battle.
"Ugh, you two idiots! Is that what matters right now?"
When Mayrin banged on the blackboard with a tang tang, Simon and Dick flinched and turned to her.
"We're here as the student council! Grades can wait — right now we need to figure out how to run this event properly!"
"Sorry. You're right."
Mayrin's explanation continued.
This year's Dark Festival was far too massive an undertaking to leave entirely in the hands of a student council of just four people.
Within Kizen itself, a Dark Festival Committee was being formed — headquarters staff, professors, the elders, and specialists from every field — to plan and establish the event.
"For the record, the committee chair is Professor Jane. She said if we have proposals, we're welcome to bring her as many as we like."
Camibarez clapped her hands together with a snap!
"If Professor Jane is our ally, that's a relief!"
"Hah, what was I even worried about."
Dick cracked a joke.
"Kizen headquarters is handling it, there's a whole committee — barely anything left for us to do, huh? We could just lie back and eat rice cakes…"
Knock knock knock.
Right then came a knock. Mayrin chirped a bright "Come in~" and hurried to the door.
It swung open to reveal Mojo, leader of the student council's direct minions, flanked by the others — each of them hauling stacks of paperwork that came up to the tops of their heads.
Thud—
Thud—
Thud—
Thud—
Mountains of documents piled up across the table until it overflowed. All three of them froze, and Mayrin turned to Dick with a sugar-sweet smile.
"Care to say that again, commoner?"
"…My mouth ran ahead of me. I apologize."
Mayrin let out a soft hmph of laughter and returned to the blackboard.
"The Dark Festival is, first and foremost, a festival for the students — which means our role on the student council is a big one. Let's work hand in glove with the committee and take things one careful step at a time!"
Just then, Simon raised his hand.
"Yes~ Mr. President. You have a question?"
"Don't tell me we're the ones who decide the events, too?"
Mayrin shook her head.
"That would be a disaster. The events and the rules are handled solely by Kizen headquarters. This is a festival, yes — but it's also an exam with grades on the line."
The moment grades entered the picture, it became inviolable territory that no student, however powerful, could ever be allowed to touch.
Simon agreed that having headquarters administer it impartially was the right call. It kept anyone from crying foul.
Good. That means we can focus entirely on staging the thing.
Simon had barely let out his sigh of relief when Camibarez raised her hand this time.
"Yes! Our secretary!"
Mayrin called on her with a voice full of affection.
"You said the Dark Festival is fully open to the public!"
"Mm-hmm."
"Then wouldn't security be a serious concern? What if bad people slipped in and the students ended up in danger…"
Mayrin closed one eye with a thoughtful hmm.
"It's true — the whole point of the festival is to show Kizen to as many people as possible, so identity checks are looser than at other events. But security on the headquarters side tightens up to match, so don't worry too much."
Click!
Before the words had even finished leaving her mouth, the minions arrived with their meal.
"Food!"
The group had been planning to go out for sandwiches, but Mojo had read the situation in advance and taken care of lunch as well.
"Chicken salad!"
"It looks delicious!"
"Let's eat first, work second!"
The four of them decided to fill their empty stomachs first. Pausing the meeting, they bustled through a hearty lunch.
"Oh! Right — about that security issue Kami brought up earlier."
Mayrin spoke between bites of her salad.
"According to the records, the Dark Festival has run for three hundred years straight, and not once in all that time has there been a single major incident! You could say headquarters knows exactly what it's doing, don't you think?"
"Or alternatively—"
Dick grabbed his fork and waved it around.
"There were incidents, and headquarters buried them."
"Don't jinx it, you conspiracy nut!"
Dick shook his head slowly.
"It's not conspiracy-mongering. I just mean we can't sit back and trust headquarters blindly. The student council needs contingency measures of its own."
"What kind of measures?"
Simon asked, biting into a baguette. As if he'd been waiting for exactly that question, Dick sat up ramrod straight.
"We organize a Guidance Committee!"
They couldn't simply place their faith in Kizen headquarters. By the student council's own authority, they would form a new organization to manage the event and keep both civilians and students in line. That was Dick's proposal.
"We just skim a little off the Dark Festival budget. No pay, of course. We'll class it as volunteer service."
"Then who's going to sign up for that, you dunce?!"
Mayrin exploded.
"Ah, but there's~ a way."
Dick pointed at the student council armband on his right arm.
"We make special Guidance Committee armbands. Think about human nature — you hand a kid the power to keep order and an official armband, and their chest puffs right up! You'd be surprised how many people would jump at the chance. And it gives them a line for their résumé, no? 'Former member of Kizen's Guidance Committee.'"
Mayrin looked at him as if he were making a mountain out of nothing, but Simon figured that a few extra hands devoted to security couldn't hurt.
"But my real plan starts now!"
Dick leaned in close and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial murmur.
"After the festival wraps up, we quietly keep the Guidance Committee alive using leftover club funds. Then, when some big issue eventually blows up, we slip it in through the back door and elevate it to a full official club. And just like that, we've got a powerful long-term chess piece protecting our council's authority—"
"Let's plan on dissolving it after the event, with no regrets."
Not a chance. Dick clicked his tongue, his face a portrait of disappointment.
"Any other ideas?"
"Me! Me!"
Dick's hand shot up again. Mayrin's face scrunched into a scowl.
"At least space out your garbage ideas, would you?"
"Ah, but this one is absolutely perfect! Come closer!"
Dick beckoned grandly, waving his arm as if summoning them in.
Camibarez came over smiling, and Simon tilted his head toward him. Mayrin glared for a long moment before reluctantly leaning in.
Dick spoke with the utmost gravity.
"The Dark Festival's opening ceremony performance should be a duet musical starring Saywre and the Cat Mask."
"DIE, you maniac!"
Mayrin's face went scarlet as her flying side kick connected squarely with Dick's face.
"I think it's a great idea!"
Camibarez applauded enthusiastically.
"Not bad, honestly."
Simon chimed in, resting his chin on his hand.
"Why are you two joining in on this?!"
Mayrin shrieked, her face burning red.
The student council meeting didn't wrap up until late in the evening.
The workload ahead was simply enormous — there was no way to sort it out in a single day. For the foreseeable future, it looked like they'd be spending every weekend at the student council room.
After escorting Mayrin and Camibarez home, Simon rode his golem board back to the Summoning Major's dormitory.
But something was off.
?
Nobody was around. The lobby and lounge were usually alive with chattering students, but now only an empty silence hung in the air.
Because the place was normally so boisterous, the stillness felt all the more unnatural.
Did something happen?
"Ah, Simon!"
Just then, Toto came bounding down the stairs at a dead sprint.
"It's — it's terrible! The third-years—!"