Book 4 Chapter 28

**Episode 102**

With the seasonal festival two weeks away, the atmosphere in each class of <Delighten> began to heat up, much like the rising temperatures.

The [Cheonggang] class was no exception. As soon as Rein arrived at school in the morning, the class president and vice-president rushed over, eyes gleaming, to explain the situation.

“So, our class theme for this year has been decided as ‘The Haunted House’… and we need the Young Master’s help!”

“A haunted house?”

“It’s where we dress up as ghosts or monsters and scare people! But no matter how hard we try, we just can’t make the background scary…”

Ah, so that’s why both boys and girls were making such strange costumes… and those dark curtains too.

“Couldn’t you lend us that magic you used during the Head Student Deciding Match?!”

The magic from the Head Student Deciding Match?

You mean the one using the Rune of Sae (世)?

“Hmm, you want to use it like that?”

“Is it not possible, after all?”

The class president and vice-president gulped nervously, scrutinizing Rein’s expression. They worried it was an unreasonable request.

This was an era where the methods for using such special magic were all considered individual assets. Expecting it to be simply shared was irresponsible.

But Rein’s answer was so straightforward that it swept away all their worries and more.

“Why wouldn’t it be possible?”

“…!”

“But there’s a problem. The amount of mana it consumes is no joke. Can you handle it? I’ll have student council duties during the festival period, so I won’t be able to help much.”

The reason that magic was easily activated during the final exam was because the caster was Head Professor Marhena.

He honestly wasn’t sure if first-year rookies could even activate it.

As if to say "don't worry about it," the class president waved his hands wildly and grinned broadly.

“If all our classmates pitch in, there’s nothing we can’t do! And we have Wiebel!”

Wiebel, huh? Now that he thought about it, if Wiebel was there, there would be no problem.

As he began lecturing on the formula for using the Rune of Sae (世), drawing a large magic circle on the blackboard, the class president and vice-president enthusiastically copied the formula into their notebooks.

By the time he finished his long speech, it was already time for the executive committee meeting. Christana Gertrude and Kasena were nowhere to be seen, having already left.

“I have to go now, so ask me later if there’s anything you don’t understand.”

Honestly, they wouldn’t properly understand it after just one listen, so he’d likely have to draw it for them himself like a scroll on the day of the festival.

“Yes! Thank you, Young Master!”

As he walked down the corridor, every classroom he passed was buzzing with laughter.

In the past, teaching assistants would have stopped them, but it seemed everything was forgiven during the pre-festival period.

Logan and Nora were seen gathering ideas at the center of the [Changrang] class, and in the [Sohyang] class, Lillian, whose every movement was awkward but was trying to get along with her classmates, was also visible.

“…”

Are these the faces of people preparing for a festival? It was a sight he hadn’t seen when he was Rein.

Every city or village he visited had been consumed by the despair of impending doom, so there were no such things as festivals, mostly just prayer rituals asking the gods for salvation.

He thought that Rista, who had taken up the sword to create a world where everyone could smile, would have been deeply pleased to see this sight.

“The guardian of the seasonal festival has arrived. Let us welcome our guardian with enthusiastic applause.”

Lost in such thoughts, he arrived at the student council room, only for Valencidis to suddenly pick a fight with him.

However, since the executive committee members like Kasena, who were unaware of that guy’s dark intentions, naively clapped vigorously, he couldn't retaliate.

All he could do was feel an unavoidable embarrassment and move as if fleeing to his seat, scratching his cheek.

The executive committee meeting, which he attended after 11 days, had processed an astonishing amount of work.

Maya, Lowinbelt, and Yorus had been replaced by three newly appointed third-year committee members who had worked diligently for ten days, while Sandra Kepel was soothing her exhausted mind and body from magic volleyball by dozing off.

Yes, the moment that person becomes student council president next year, <Delighten> will be ruined.

“Have all rehearsals for participating clubs been checked?”

“Yes, President. That document lists only the clubs whose preparations are definitely complete.”

“And the Academic Affairs Department’s budget review?”

“They said that would come in today.”

He silently glared at Valencidis's astonishingly skillful meeting leadership, then checked the minutes that summarized what had happened in the interim.

[Lovely, Cutely, Bravely! The Empire's Strongest Magic to Your Heart BAMM!]

Rein’s head tilted nearly 90 degrees after staring blankly at the festival slogan on page 1 of the minutes for over 3 seconds.

This… is a festival slogan?

Who on earth proposed something like this?

Mistaking his gaze for one of感动 (deep emotion), Christa cleared her throat pointedly, puffing out her chest and shoulders to emphasize that it was her achievement.

‘What are you so proud of…?’

As if in competition, the minutes suddenly flipped pages with telekinesis, and a paragraph swelled as if highlighted.

[‘BAMM!’ was added to ‘Lovely, Cutely, Bravely! The Empire’s Strongest Magic to Your Heart!’ at the suggestion of Kasena Paige.]

He looked up in disbelief, and Kasena, from across the room, shrugged his shoulders exaggeratedly and gave a thumbs-up.

You crazy bastards…

A dry laugh escaped him involuntarily, and he was filled with one certainty: if this festival fails, these two are the culprits.

“Memories are fresh again. It’s like, youth is burning brightly, wouldn’t you say?”

At that moment, a relaxed voice came from above his head.

It was an exceptionally ordinary and everyday voice, imbued with remarkable magic that made the listener feel that way.

Startled, he turned his head to see Doran Slade smiling blandly with his characteristic genial expression.

“When President Cayvon and Vice-President Brim prepared the festival together, it was just as lively. It seems Mr. Valencidis is doing a fine job as president.”

He was the head of the Special Task Force, and his skill at quietly inserting himself into a crowd was indeed outstanding.

No one, not even Christa Warden right next to him, noticed Doran’s appearance and continued with their work.

Doran sat casually on Rein’s desk as if it were natural, rested his chin on his clasped hands, and scanned the meeting minutes with interest.

“What an interesting slogan. I personally like such spirited slogans. Rein Wijak will find it rewarding to have protected the festival.”

“What brings you here this time?”

Rein replied with a sigh, and Doran chuckled, then brought up a serious topic in a situation that couldn’t be serious.

“I came to offer my gratitude to Wijak. You cooperated with my subordinates and defeated a powerful dark mage.”

Doran’s eyes, which had been observing Rein’s surprised flinch and contracting pupils, narrowed slightly.

This was Doran’s specialty: extracting new clues from others’ reactions.

A thief’s feet are bound to ache. Instead of direct interrogation, if you casually bring up a sensitive topic as if you already know everything, the culprits’ reactions are usually honest.

‘Pupil contraction, and instinctively pulling his body back, creating distance from me…’

Is that reaction now one of not knowing about the Special Task Force’s deaths, or one of suspicion about how I found out?

He knew Rein wasn’t a dark mage. But if he truly participated in that fight, as Doran suspected, he needed to ascertain the reason clearly.

Why did he try to conceal that battle? Why didn’t he tell Doran… until his subordinates’ bodies decomposed, were torn apart by wild beasts, and became food for maggots?

“It’s truly regrettable that my subordinates died, but it’s a small comfort that Rein Wijak is alive and well.”

“?”

“If anything happened to Wijak, I wouldn’t be able to face my seniors.”

As Doran intended, Rein’s mind, in a fleeting moment of less than a second, was filled with a tangled mess of thoughts, and his back was drenched in cold sweat.

‘What is it? How did he know? Did I underestimate this elusive human’s investigative abilities too much?’

Now that he thought about it, he was so preoccupied with Valencidis then that he hadn't considered it… that those Special Task Force mages were Doran’s cherished subordinates.

Should I apologize?

Of course, he’d have to someday, but what if he didn’t know everything and was just prodding?

A slight crease formed at the corner of Doran’s mouth as he carefully watched the reaction.

‘Let’s go slowly. I just need to carefully elicit the next reaction.’

Just as Doran was about to deliver a decisive question to Rein, whose facial muscles were stiff, the sound of a huge stack of documents being piled onto the desk ripped through that tense moment.

“Excuse me, but the executive committee meeting is restricted to authorized personnel only.”

He turned his head to see Valencidis looking down at Doran with his characteristic sneer.

Doran, who had been gazing at Rein with half-closed eyes, clicked his tongue inwardly but let out a surprised 'Ah' as if completely unaware.

The snake-like cold gaze had already closed into a smile again.

“Oh, was it so? I guess I got a bit excited after not being at school for so long. There are two familiar faces here too.”

“I’m just as happy to see you, but both I and this rascal here are busy with committee work right now, so let’s talk another time.”

“You’re quite cold after such a long time. By the way, Mr. Valencidis’s admission to the Special Task Force has been approved. All you need to do is graduate.”

Valencidis joining the Special Task Force…?

Did even Doran not realize Valencidis’s true identity? If he truly didn't know, he would indeed be a talent one couldn't help but desire.

“I don’t recall ever saying I would go.”

“We can’t possibly lose talent like Mr. Valencidis. The Special Task Force always needs good people, you see.”

Doran’s smile remained, but the temperature in his voice explicitly dropped. It was a voice that could hardly be called friendly.

It was a natural course of action, if anything.

Doran had been watching Valencidis with suspicion since his first year. He was clearly a guy who needed to be locked up, but there was just no physical evidence.

The reason for trying to force him into the Special Task Force was to keep him close and monitor him, not because he highly valued his abilities.

“And we also lost two capable personnel this time.”

At that sharp reply, Valencidis paused the flow of conversation with silence. Then, he bowed his head slightly as if in mourning.

“That is truly regrettable.”

As if trying to ascertain his true intentions, Doran’s smile could be seen to recede from his face for a brief moment.

‘I can’t read that emotion at all. Who on earth trained this guy? At such a young age.’

Amidst their fierce war of nerves, Rein trembled and stepped back slightly.

Listening to the conversation of these inscrutable humans, he even felt a chilling sensation, as if two snakes were coiling around his ankles.

It was Doran who ended the silent war of nerves. He smiled broadly as if nothing had happened, then pointed at Rein.

“Regrettable, you say? What fault did Mr. Valencidis commit… Anyway, you won’t be lonely if you join the Special Task Force. Rein Wijak will be joining in two years, too.”

“I don’t recall ever saying I would go either.”

When that unreasonable demand was firmly rejected, Doran chuckled, placed an old fedora on his head, and stood up.

“My expectations for both of you are very high. I’m also looking forward to this festival.”

Only after seeing Doran wave and leave did a lump of breath burst from his throat. It felt like he hadn’t breathed for several minutes.

Did I think too short-sightedly…?

I was too focused on my own thoughts. How could I not consider how that old man must feel? But did he really come knowing the truth of that incident?

“You don’t particularly need to thank me. I should at least give this much help to a commendable junior who respects me.”

Valencidis’s teasing remark abruptly cut off his train of thought.

“No, this won’t do. You, come here.”

However, that scoundrel cowardly immediately returned to the student council president’s seat.

With student council executives guarding him like an escort, and everyone’s eyes focused…

And seeing the provocative smile of victory he sent, he really felt like he wouldn’t be satisfied until he embedded five fireballs in that face.

“Why have you been spacing out all this time! Aren’t you going to process this approval?!”

Kasena was squawking in his ear, having approached without him noticing.

Did only the two of them know Doran had been here…? Stroking the goosebumps on his arms, he picked up the student council stamp. He was truly a terrifying human.

Amidst the repetition of such eventful daily life, <Delighten>’s seasonal festival finally began.