We wandered around the academy, eating various snacks and spending time at the festival booths.
Today, I, too, followed Damian and Chenbi, enjoying a leisurely time.
"Come on, pick, pick. One of the three. One of the three. If you guess right, it's double. If you don't, it's a miss. Try once. Ouch! It's a miss!"
"What if I hit your face with this fist?"
"......"
At a gambling stall where the dealer was cheating, I also taught him a lesson.
"Come on, take the doll by hitting the target with an arrow. Ten arrows for one silver. Student, give it a try!"
"Me! Me!"
Bang!
Damian shot a magic spell shaped like an arrow instead of a real one, destroying the stall.
Chenbi, on the other hand, was somewhat more normal.
"Um, if I break 50 slabs, will you really return ten times the money I paid?"
"Ah, yes. But, student, are you a martial artist? If you are, you need to wear an ether control device over there."
"Um, do you not have a magic control device?"
"Ah, no, we don't."
50 slabs.
It's not an easy task unless you're a martial artist.
So, the stall owner must have bet ten times the money.
Chenbi handed the merchant one silver and received a glove, then stood in front of the slabs.
"Um, well, I'll hit it."
"Go ahead. But if your wrist breaks, I can't be responsible. Got it? Think about that."
"Ah, yes."
It's 50 slabs, but in height, it almost reaches Chenbi's chest.
However, something unexpected happened.
"Huff!"
Chenbi, who was unnecessarily shouting a battle cry.
Crack!
The 50 slabs split and broke with a sharp sound.
Actually, if you look closely, they didn't break.
Breaking means shattering with a single impact, but Chenbi pressed the 50 slabs as if crushing sand.
'...That kid.'
He's a pure cheat.
'Using material conversion like that?'
It seems he gained some insight after the trial of the pillar.
He's using that insight to turn one silver into ten.
Of course, the merchant didn't let it go easily.
"......This, this is a scam, a scam!"
"There was no rule against using magic... hehe."
Chenbi scratched his head awkwardly at the merchant's loud protests.
In the end, the merchant and Chenbi dramatically compromised, agreeing on five silvers.
<No use of ether. No use of magic>
The phrase "No use of magic" was added next to "No use of ether."
"Tsk."
The kid looked disappointed and licked his lips.
"......"
I looked at Chenbi with narrowed eyes.
What made this kid like this? He used to be a very innocent child.
Anyway, it was quite a leisurely time.
Damian kept causing trouble without getting tired, and I found cheating stall owners and took their money.
Chenbi filled his pockets by finding games that involved making money, whether he was playing or not.
<No use of magic>
It was a given that the phrase was added wherever he went.
Since the festival was hastily prepared, there were more booths aimed at the general public.
Chenbi particularly sought out such booths.
Most people would play according to the rules, but not Chenbi.
Of course, it didn't matter much.
Even if they lost money, the academy provided ample rewards.
As the sun set in the evening.
Bang! Boom!
Fireworks exploded across the academy.
Flames rose into the sky, leaving long tails, and burst at the peak, with each spark causing another explosion.
"Wow......"
"Amazing."
Even Damian and Chenbi, who were looking for their next targets, opened their mouths in awe at the sight.
I, too, was momentarily captivated by the scene.
The beautiful fireworks lighting up the sky.
'Money......'
is being spent.
To set off fireworks, a considerable amount of material costs are required.
Gunpowder is one of the controlled items by the state, and to set off fireworks on this scale, a huge amount of money is needed.
Hiring mages would be the same.
It's a real money splurge.
A money splurge, but......
'It's impressive.'
It's undeniable that it's impressive.
I looked at the fireworks lighting up the sky for a moment, and soon a tower seemed to be standing among the fireworks.
There was no actual tower, just a picture in my mind.
Anyway, around the tower that pierces the clouds, beautiful fireworks are spreading.
Below, the sponsors who supported the tower are wearing armbands and enjoying the show, and I am at the very top of the tower......
'The top won't be visible from the ground due to the clouds.'
Yes, I'll be enjoying the fireworks exploding in front of me from the highest floor visible through the clouds.
It's not a short-lived fireworks show.
'It should last at least a week.'
It's a commemorative day.
Below, yes.
A festival like today is taking place.
The cheaters setting up stalls and gathering various gamblers to run their games isn't bad either.
If they take a certain percentage, it would be quite a substantial amount.
And the finale—
'The Sage Ascension Ceremony.'
Not just a sage.
The Great Sage Aster, the great mage who ushered in a new era on the continent riding a wyvern.
'The wyvern should be white.'
Just as a white horse is considered the best, a white tiger is more mystical than a regular one.
Of course, white is preferred, but it's not about the color.
As the day of the Pistine Festival came to an end.
* * *
The next day.
I came out of my room and walked down a quiet path in the academy grounds.
"Phew."
It was early morning, almost dawn, but the academy was quite busy.
The academy staff were running around preparing for the second day of the Pistine Festival, and the merchants setting up stalls were getting ready one by one.
The busy sounds reached me even as I walked down the quiet path.
Looking at the scene, I thought,
'Early birds get caught by the early birds.'
So, are those merchants the early birds or the early birds?
If they are early birds, they deserve praise for being diligent, but if they are early birds, it's a pity.
However, not all early birds catch the early birds.
A prime example is this guy.
Hoot! Hoot.
The damn owl perched on my head.
Why an owl all of a sudden?
Then, the time goes back about thirty minutes.
Just after finishing the Red Breath.
Knock knock!
Suddenly, a knocking sound came from the window.
It seemed to be asking to open it, and I thought breakfast had come, but soon realized it wasn't.
A letter tied to its leg.
Always to the same place.
No recipient or sender was written.
However, guessing the sender wasn't difficult.
Familiars resemble their masters, they say.
The owl's unlucky eyes and somewhat crooked gaze matched someone I knew perfectly.
'It's the senior.'
It was the senior.
So, I headed to the call.
Hoot! Hoot!
I found the owl perched on my head quite annoying but didn't show it.
Actually, the most pitiful one was this guy, who woke up early but couldn't catch any early birds.
So,
"Here."
I picked a bug off a leaf and gave it to him.
Peck peck!
"Damn......"
The bug I offered, he didn't eat, but instead pecked at my hand with his arrogant beak.
I thought about catching him and making breakfast, but decided against it because it probably wouldn't taste good.
I wasn't afraid of the senior's retaliation.
Really.
Anyway.
Walking with a bird being exploited for labor, I arrived at a corner of the academy.
An abandoned warehouse.
It was the place where the troubleshooters used to have their base.
With few people around and forgotten by the academy, it was perfect for a private conversation with the senior.
I had visited this place a few times before.
Creak.
"Senior, I'm here."
The sound of the rusty hinges echoed, and the flapping of wings filled the space.
Flap.
Recognizing its master, the owl flew eagerly, and the senior's voice followed.
"Did you come?"
"Yes, I'm here. But......"
I stood at the door and looked inside the abandoned warehouse.
"What's all this?"
"Ah, we'll be using this place often, so I tidied it up while waiting. How is it, is it good?"
"......It's good, but."
Tidied up?
It's not just that.
It's as if the space has been completely renovated.
The clutter that was scattered around the warehouse was gone, and the old shelves that lined the walls had disappeared.
I don't know what he did, but there was no dust, and the shine was almost gone.
Not only that.
In the center was a luxurious table that you'd only see in a noble's house, and the sofa looked like a high-end product at first glance.
There were shelves, a tea set, and a teapot that looked like an artifact.
In the midst of all this, the senior was sitting leisurely on the sofa, enjoying tea time.
"Why don't you just set up an office?"
It was too much to put in an abandoned warehouse.
But.
"Hmm, I did consider it, but there's that tradition. They say I have to stay in the Sage Hall."
The senior replied seriously.
I was about to snicker but sat down quietly under the owl's fierce glare.
"Would you like a cup?"
"Is it expensive?"
"To be honest, I don't know. I brought it from the chancellor's office. Judging by the nobles' reactions, it must be quite expensive."
"Then, I'll have some."
I sat on the soft sofa, took the tea the senior offered, and savored its aroma.
Honestly, I couldn't tell if the aroma was good or bad.
'I'd have to taste it to know.'
But since it's expensive, I just drank it.
Anyway.
"What's the matter? This early in the morning."
"Why, didn't I tell you before? I have a favor to ask."
Come to think of it, I had forgotten for a moment.
He asked me to do a favor in exchange for the entry ticket to the Raphiter Library.
"Is it about delivering the letter?"
"Yes, that's it. I had to confirm something, and I just finished the confirmation."
The senior's request was quite simple.
To deliver a letter to his friend, nothing special.
It wasn't a secret mission, and no other forces were interested in it.
'I was wondering why he would entrust such a simple task to me.'
It wasn't a bad thing for me.
But, confirmation.
"What kind of confirmation are you talking about?"
I opened my sleepy eyes and looked at the senior.
Something smelled fishy.
A troublesome smell.
The owl sitting next to the senior glared at me, but I glared back at the senior and the owl in turn.
But when the senior continued, I realized it wasn't something to be wary of.
"To be honest, I wasn't sure where the guy was. I had an idea, but I couldn't risk sending you on a wild goose chase."
"That's true."
At that point, I could have grabbed the senior by the collar.
Of course, I would lose, but that's the feeling.
Anyway, I was slightly moved by the senior's unusually considerate behavior.
"But, after inquiring with old colleagues, I was able to pinpoint his location."
"I see. Where is he?"
Soon, that feeling of being moved was shattered.
"Hameln Great Forest."
"......What?"
"Hmm, don't you know? The Hameln Great Forest. The source of all magical materials. A mage wouldn't know?"
"......"
Why wouldn't I know?
I know.
Hameln Great Forest.
A natural environment preserved since ancient times.
A realm of monsters and a blessed land where valuable magical materials can be obtained.
But my reaction was not good for a reason.
"Are you asking me to find someone in the Hameln Great Forest?"
"Yes. It shouldn't be that difficult. It's a place where people live, and you can find him by checking a few base camps."
"What......"
Even if people live there, it's only a few base camps in the outskirts.
'You want me to check all of them?'
I need the entry ticket to the Raphiter Library, but this is not a profitable deal.
"Senior, I'm sorry, but......"
"Ah, right. I almost forgot to mention this."
So, just as I was about to refuse, the senior took out a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it to me.
"......?"
"This is a small token of my appreciation for your hard work. By the way, what did you say? I'm sorry, but...... what were you about to say?"
"......"
I read the parchment on the table.
[Top-grade elixir x2]
[High-grade elixir x5]
[Medium-grade elixir x10]
......
This is......
Too great a reward to refuse.
"Junior, what were you about to say after 'I'm sorry, but'? I'm all ears. Go ahead."
"......I'm sorry, but. I'm sorry, but......"
I stared at the words on the parchment and smiled.
"I can even drop out of the academy!"
"Hehe, you'd do that much for my favor?"
"Isn't that what seniors and juniors are for, Senior?"
"What a materialistic kid."
"All because I resemble you, Senior."
Hahaha.
A warm atmosphere filled the abandoned warehouse.
Someone once said.
Money can move even a clean and upright troubleshooter.
The reward the senior offered was enough to move even me, who prides myself on being clean and upright.