Chapter 83: Festival: Encounter (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 83: Festival: Encounter (1)
On the second day of the festival, just past midnight.
Knock, knock.
A woman knocked on the door of the principal's office.
"Yeah, come in."
The moment Medea finished speaking, the door swung open. The woman bowed deeply to her. Her orange, shoulder-length bob swept over her shoulders.
"It has been a while, Principal."
The woman who entered was All Mute, Kahn Elizabeth.
She wore a costume adorned with the Stars and Stripes, which fit her lean, toned physique exquisitely.
"Indeed. Eli, it's been five years since you graduated, hasn't it?"
Medea gestured to the seat beside her with a beaming smile. All Mute bowed politely once more before taking a seat.
"Anyway, welcome. Are you enjoying the festival?"
"Yes, I am enjoying it."
"Oh, honestly. Why are your answers just as stiff now as they were when you were a student?"
"I will take that as a compliment."
"Are you following the trends these days too? What was it, Soulless-jwa?"
All Mute wore a puzzled expression.
Soul? Less?
She pondered Medea's words for a moment before replying, "But I have a religion."
"Oh, my. The way you take everything so literally is exactly the same."
All Mute tilted her head. Medea sighed, shook her head, and suddenly changed the subject.
"Eli, you came because you're curious about our Geomma, right?"
"..."
All Mute frowned, picturing a certain face. A black-haired cadet. According to Medea, his name was Geomma.
...But still.
The prefix "our" attached to his name was strangely grating.
Medea had never referred to a mere cadet so affectionately before. In her mint-colored eyes, there was a flicker of something that went beyond simple favor.
Tap, tap.
Medea lightly tapped her temple. Shaking off her thoughts, All Mute let out a soft sigh.
"What is the true identity of that cadet, Geomma?"
"Hmm, well. In what sense are you asking?"
"He manipulates the Mindscape Domain, does he not?"
A faint trace of hostility flickered in All Mute's eyes. Medea tilted her head slightly.
"But Eli, you can naturally manipulate it too, can't you? What's wrong with our Geomma doing it?"
"Principal! I did not come here to play word games!"
Unable to hold back any longer, All Mute slammed her hand down on the side table. Instantly, the atmosphere in the principal's office turned hostile.
"Eli."
"...!"
Medea called her name in a low voice. At that moment, the windows behind her back began to crack with a sharp creeeak, the fractures spreading like chains.
"You've lost quite a bit of your manners since I last saw you, haven't you?"
Her half-closed eyes beneath her eyelashes were freezing cold. Looking at her, All Mute's entire body trembled slightly.
A heavy weight of spoken power pressed down on her shoulders. Medea was merely resting her chin on her hand and staring, yet All Mute's heart hammered wildly.
In truth, Medea possessed another epithet besides "the Sage."
'Tyrant Medea.'
Though masked by her languid impression, those who knew of Medea's true power never dared to treat her lightly.
It was said that when Medea showed her true colors, even the Spear Saint and the Archery Saint—her fellow Seven Stars—would break out in a cold sweat.
The fact that the Council of Elders could not easily cross her, even though she stood alone, was proof of her power. All Mute was feeling a fragment of that power firsthand.
What immense pressure.
All Mute swallowed hard. Medea stared at her intently for a moment, then suddenly offered a bright smile.
"How long are you going to keep standing?"
"Ah, ah... I'm sorry."
All Mute sat back down, feeling thoroughly unsettled. Only then did Medea lean back against her chair.
"Sorry, I lost my temper for a second. I've been under a lot of stress lately because of that bastard Zieg. I guess I'm a bit sensitive."
Medea continued with a bitter smile.
"Anyway, I don't know what kind of rumors you heard to make you so curious about Geomma. But because of my position, I can't disclose information about cadets anyway. The principal's job is to treat all cadets e-qual-ly, after all."
"...Yes."
"And Eli, there's something I told you over and over again back when you were attending the Academy."
"Pardon?"
"If you're curious about something, go find out yourself. Remember?"
All Mute fell into deep thought. Nodding in agreement, she stood up.
"Thank you for your time, Principal."
"Oh, come on, what's with the formality between us? Besides, I didn't really tell you anything. How long are you staying at the Academy?"
"I was originally scheduled to leave tomorrow at noon, but..."
"Well, what's the rush? It's a festival. Take your time and enjoy it before you go—"
Medea waved her off with a gentle flick of her hand. Just as All Mute bowed and turned toward the door, a sudden question crossed her mind.
"Principal."
"Hmm? Is there something else you're curious about?"
All Mute hesitated for a long moment before asking cautiously, "Does your statement about treating all cadets equally apply to that cadet as well?"
"Hmm, well. To be honest, to me, our Geomma is less of a cadet and more of..."
A strange, playful curve etched itself onto Medea's lips.
"...a man, I suppose?"
Click.
Without a word of reply, All Mute closed the door and stepped out.
A chill far worse than before washed over her.
"Geomma... just who on earth is he...?"
She muttered, rubbing the goosebumps that had broken out on her arms.
* * *
Before I knew it, the festival was nearing its end.
Last night, I sorted through my thoughts in the dormitory. The past two days had offered no room to breathe. The sight of my club members sweating profusely under the scorching sun kept weighing on my mind.
It feels like we're spending the entire festival doing nothing but working.
I reminded myself of the true purpose of a festival. We had started this to have fun, but due to the sudden influx of crowds, my club members and I were practically doing hard labor.
I quickly made up my mind. Before pulling back the booth's curtain, I gathered the club members.
"We'll only work until noon today, and the afternoon will be free time for everyone. How does that sound?"
As soon as I said those words, life began to return to their faces, which had been exhausted from the grueling labor.
The club members, whose cheeks had grown hollow, nodded eagerly. Among them, Weapon in particular let out a wild cheer of joy.
And to think he was the one who insisted on doing this in the first place.
As the booth opened for its final run, customers immediately began to swarm in.
Perhaps because it was the last day, the crowd seemed even larger than yesterday.
However, having fully adapted over the past two days, the club members worked together with seasoned coordination. Combined with the hope of resting in the afternoon, everyone put their backs into it.
"Um, Geomma."
Chloe spoke up while julienning green onions. She could now slice the ingredients perfectly without even looking at the cutting board. I inwardly marveled at the level this culinary dunce had reached in just two days.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Do you happen to have any plans for this afternoon?"
I didn't have any specific plans. I had just intended to wander around or head back to the dorm, but looking at Chloe, it seemed she wanted to spend the afternoon together.
Come to think of it, she worked the hardest.
Since I could only use my knife for fifty seconds a day, Chloe had taken charge of most of the kitchen work. All I did was toss in the ingredients and adjust the seasoning.
And Chloe had said something similar before the festival even started. I chose my words carefully for a moment before speaking.
"I don't really have any plans. If you're free, would you like to look around the festival with me?"
"O-Oh, r-really?!"
As if unable to believe her ears, Chloe's round eyes grew wide. To exaggerate slightly, they looked twice their normal size. I gave a light nod of confirmation.
"Is that okay with you?"
"Of course!"
A deep blush spread across Chloe's cheeks. Her lips twitched with excitement.
Soon, she refocused her gaze on the cutting board.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
The blade rained down on the board like a downpour. It was a skill bordering on a circus act.
It was an unbelievable display of speed and precision for someone who had only been practicing for two and a half days. A few of the customers captured the scene with their camera lenses.
Chloe has incredible potential with a blade.
As I stared at Chloe's profile for a moment, I felt a sharp gaze piercing the back of my neck. I turned my head.
Ryozo was glaring at me with narrowed, cat-like eyes. Our eyes met.
Her eyes were filled with clear annoyance. Ryozo bit her lip once, then whipped around.
Why is she so bent out of shape?
I pondered the reason for a moment, then shrugged. Her strange expression bothered me a little, but... well, she was probably just scowling because of Weapon again.
I let out a quiet sigh and quickened my pace. I braced myself against the complacency that often comes when the end is in sight.
'A chef must serve their customers with all their heart until the very moment of closing.'
Those were the words my first master had emphasized to me.
'To you, they may be just one of many customers, but to them, it is their first meal.'
His voice felt so vivid, as if he were whispering right in my ear. I let out a short laugh.
"That old man certainly had a way with words."
I tensed my shoulders, shaking off the fatigue.
* * *
Finally, business was over.
I told the club members to leave the cleanup for tomorrow, since only half a day of the festival remained. Their response was a unanimous "yes."
Stretching and groaning, the club members dispersed to enjoy the rest of the festival in their own ways. Only Ryozo headed back to the dormitory, claiming she was tired.
She was probably exhausted from her war of words with the reporters yesterday and today.
Well, mental labor drains the body more than physical labor does.
I returned to the dormitory. After washing away my sweat with a cold shower, I immediately headed back out.
The room didn't have an air conditioner, making the indoors hotter than the outdoors. It was miserable.
I checked the time on my phone. I had about thirty minutes to spare before my meeting with Chloe.
I should find somewhere to wait.
I set off to find some shade to rest in. As I walked, a bench nestled under the shade of roadside trees caught my eye.
It wasn't far from our meeting spot, and it was quiet with no passersby. I slumped onto the bench and leaned back.
A breeze that was surprisingly cool for summer brushed against my cheeks. The humidity was low, so my skin didn't feel sticky, making it much more comfortable.
"...Nice."
I closed my eyes, resting my head against the back of the bench. The fresh scent of greenery drifted into my nose.
Drowsiness began to wash over me.
I briefly considered taking a quick nap right then and there, but I forced myself awake to shake off the sleep.
Our meeting time is coming up soon.
Just as I was letting out a massive, jaw-splitting yawn, someone stopped in front of me.
It was an elderly man leaning on a cane. He pointed his cane at the empty space beside me.
"May I sit?"
I stared at the old man for a moment before sliding over to make room. The old man offered a warm, gentle smile in thanks and sat down.
A brief silence fell between us. The area was already quiet, but the awkward atmosphere made it feel even more silent.
After wiping his sweat with a handkerchief for a while, the old man spoke first.
"The heat gets harder to bear as one grows older."
"..."
I glanced sideways at him with blank eyes, then looked straight ahead again as I replied, "What is it you want to say?"
At my question, the old man tilted his head and asked back, "What do you mean?"
"You've traveled a long way, haven't you?"
I added, keeping my gaze fixed straight ahead.
The old man stared at me blankly.
"Lord Al'tair, Head of the Auditore Family."
The corners of his mouth curled upward.
"You have sharp instincts, young man."