“Haha… Then, good luck, Miss Sharon.”
When we came in, we didn’t pay attention to anything upon entering, but now as we were trying to slip out of the academy building dressed for an outing, we couldn’t help but notice Sharon’s gaze from the reception desk.
Even while exchanging pleasantries with us, we briskly quickened our pace and stepped outside of the academy building.
Unless Presia is aware of this, I can claim with confidence that over the past three days, I’ve wandered around with my friends enough to have seen almost every corner of the festival streets.
Probably, the only place I haven’t intentionally visited is the shrine where Mariel is staying.
It’s said that even the shrine is undertaking something unusual to mark the festival, and I figure I’ll find out what it is tomorrow when I go to pick up Mariel.
“Then, where would you like to start? Anything you want to eat, anything you want to see, anything you want to do—please let me know. I’ll take you to the best places I know.”
“I don’t know.”
I was trying my best based on my three days of experience to guide Presia to the best possible spots, but I was blocked right from the start.
“Hmm… Then let’s just walk around and see what catches your eye?”
With that, I took her hand and led her toward the heart of the festival.
“…Boss, should you not pick something already?”
How long have we been walking now?
I don’t know. We just kept walking and walking.
Exaggerating slightly, I feel like we’ve circled around the festival city a few times at least.
“But… it’s fun just walking around with Elysia.”
“Boss…!”
Her words moved me more than I had expected, coming from a girl two years younger than myself.
Even the fatigue from walking continuously vanished in an instant at Presia’s simple statement.
Of course, I was aware of how close we had become over the past few days, but hearing it spoken aloud felt quite different.
On the other hand, Presia seemed completely unaware of how embarrassing her comment was, gripping my hand tightly and continuing to look ahead.
What can I do for our dear boss?
During my look around, I spotted something decent.
“Boss, let’s go this way…”
Following where her hand led me, Presia followed me into a stall at the edge of the street.
On one side of the stall, which looked temporarily set up, were rows of prizes, and on the other side were dart targets arranged neatly.
It was likely a game where you’d hit these targets and get prizes based on your score.
“Kyaah! Sir, that was such a close call! Alright, here’s your participation prize.”
The shopkeeper’s raspy voice greeted us as it seemed a customer had already played.
Glancing over, the other player appeared to be an academy student, though since I didn’t recognize their face, they were probably from a different year or department.
The prize handed to the young man by the shopkeeper? A keychain.
The young man promptly handed it over to a girl who was watching from behind.
“I’m sorry, I wanted to win the grand prize to give you as a gift…”
Cheh, what? Were they a couple? Forgoing their studies for some frivolous romance.
But today, I didn’t even feel envious of couples like that. Thanks to Presia, I already had a cute girl by my side.
Of course, unfortunately, we’re not a couple!
“Hey, what a lovely pair of ladies!”
The shopkeeper, who had been picking up the darts that had missed the boards earlier, approached us with a fistful of them when he noticed us.
“As you can see, the game costs 3 silvers, and you throw 10 darts per game, trying to achieve the highest score. Hitting the same target is fine too. After the game, you can choose a prize based on your score! What do you say, ladies?”
I handed over three silver coins I had and received a basket full of darts.
“Well, Boss, why don’t you go first?”
“Alright.”
Following my guidance, Presia stood at a distance from the dartboard, taking one of the darts.
Presia, who prefers to stay tucked in her corner rather than do physical activities, couldn’t possibly expect much from her attempts.
The dart she flung with a delicate swing of her arm didn’t even come close to the target but instead landed somewhere off to the side.
Two, three, four… She tried continuously, but each attempt landed far and wide, nowhere near the target.
Her result: a perfect zero.
Presia’s reward mirrored what the previous boy had received – a keychain.
Had this been a standard dart game, at least I might have hoped for a lucky score given the larger targets available. But since each target stood separately, a miss meant no points at all – no exceptions.
It’s not quite what I’d call trickery but rather the shopkeeper trying to minimize their losses.
Presia, puffing out her cheeks on one side, looked quite dejected, but the bear plushy dangling from my shoulder bounced over to her and gently consoled her.
“Alright, are you this young lady ready to try?”
At the shopkeeper’s encouragement, I paid another 3 silvers and proceeded to the same dart-throwing position where Presia had earlier earned her perfect zero.
I let out a deep breath and gently picked one of the darts from the basket.
Had this been a bit heavier, like a throwing dagger, it might have been easier, but honestly, this didn’t make a big difference. Given that it wasn’t for harm, but merely matching stationary targets, it was manageable.
Instead, I just spent a moment getting accustomed to the weight and balance of the dart, tossing it up and down in the air a few times as an exercise.
With enough familiarity, I recalled my old habits and flung the dart at the smallest, highest target among the dartboards. The throwing motion was exaggerated in intensity for what was typically a game of darts.
As opposed to Presia’s throw, the dart flew powerfully through the air, embedding itself in the target board with a solid ‘thud.’
At the sight of this, the shopkeeper initially flinched but quickly laughed it off, assuming it had been lucky shot.
But alas, it’s no luck.
Sorry, I’ll just have to clear you out a little bit.
“Hehehe…”
After the dart game ended and we’d collected the prizes, Presia was grinning as we stepped outside again. What had she been so happy about?
Presia carried a giant bear plushy, hugging it tightly with both arms, while I walked beside her with a similarly large rabbit plushy under my arm – both being the grand prizes of the dart game.
Originally, one prize per game, but upon negotiations – under the condition that we wouldn’t play further – I secured an extra plush toy from the shopkeeper.
This was negotiation, not coercion, of course.
“Did you like the gift?”
“Yeah… getting something from Elysia is a first for me.”
Was that true?
While walking alongside her, I could see her content expression buried into her new bear plush, held tightly with her delicate arms.
Looking at her so delighted, I wondered what I had been doing before I gave her this present.
Given the awkwardness of carrying such a large plush through the bustling festival streets, we first stopped by Presia’s room to drop them off before heading out again.
Already on our third departure through the magic building’s gate today.
This time, though, no need to feel self-conscious about Sharon’s gaze; she was deep in what seemed professional conversation with Officer Duo, who’d only appeared briefly before.
Even though it seemed they were just gossiping, judging by their serious expressions, it must have been work-related.
Because they were occupied, I felt no need for unnecessary attention, which worked perfectly for me.
*
“Did you have a good time today?”
Dragging Presia around the festival, exploring everywhere, we hadn’t noticed the sun beginning to set.
Neither me, nor Presia, nor Bear and Tokki noticed the day slip away.
We entered what seemed the finest street stand and finished a meal before moving on to dessert. As I sipped the beverage, curious about how today had gone, I inquired to Presia.
“Yeah… it was extremely enjoyable. Perhaps an unforgettable lifetime experience…”
Her smile was subtle, barely noticeable unless one looked closely, yet definitely still a smile.
An onlooker unfamiliar with Presia might mistake it for a lack of excitement, given her usually reserved emotional expressions.
But for those who understood her better, it was clear just how much she was enjoying herself.
Even Bear and Tokki, who were only spectators to the food, clambered onto the table, raised their arms, and began a little cheer – their own way of expressing excitement.
“Thus… I don’t want to go back. Once we return, walking the festival streets with Elysia will also come to an end, won’t it?”
Her previously lifted corners of her mouth drooped, and her tone turned somewhat melancholic.
The beverage that had mostly finished for me still remained nearly untouched for her; perhaps trying to stave off the inevitable return.
“Boss.”
Clearing away my empty glass and moving my hand to lightly rest atop hers, which was aimlessly fiddling with the mug,
“I’ve already mentioned this before, haven’t I? I’ll always be at the Boss’s side. I’m committed to working with you for life.”
Words spoken months ago, but neither of us has forgotten our promise.
“So when the festival ends, how’s this? Every year, with next year, the year after, and in each subsequent Celesital Festival, I’ll always walk the festival streets alongside the Boss. Would you see me as a liar?”
Her denial was simple: a gentle yet firm shake of her head.
Hmm… Technically speaking, yes, I am lying. I’ve concealed the fact that originally I was male.
Or, wait—was it not exactly lying since I never explicitly declared otherwise? Let’s consider it a half-lie.
“Well, then, shall we head out? We have time left on today’s date, so let’s effectively use it!”
“Uh-huh…”
I got up and squatted by her chair, turning my back toward her.
“Elysia?”
“I’m sure you’re tired from walking all day. Hurry up and get on.”
Even with all our walking today, I’d observed that Presia, who hasn’t developed much physical endurance, was surely exhausted.
During our meal at a food stand, I noticed how she was secretly rubbing her tired calves under the table.
Presumably, she didn’t want to display her fatigue when I was so caught up in her enthusiasm about staying longer at the festival.
If I lacked sharp instincts, I might’ve missed this detail.
But who am I? Not anyone, but the ever perceptive Elysia Frentz, renowned for understanding unspoken cues.
Even with less than perfect acting skills, deceiving me is impossible.
“Great, Bear and Tokki. It seems the boss is quite bashful. Let’s you two get on first.”
With my words, Bear and Tokki leapt from the table, swiftly climbing up my back and settling on my shoulders.
“Alright, now. The last top-class seats are reserved, so please, hop on.”
Even though I couldn’t see it behind me, I could feel Tokki and Bear patting my back, encouraging Presia to climb on.
“Uh-huh…”
Presia hesitated, placing her hands on my shoulders, then slowly shifted her weight onto my back.
Thankfully, thanks to her long skirt, the arrangement wasn’t inappropriate.
We kept wandering for a while. While shops intended for nightly business remained open, others began gradually closing their doors, signaling our approach toward the curfew hours.
She seemed to sense the day’s conclusion, but knowing that many more days lay ahead, she didn’t complain.
Instead, her tender voice tickled my ear.
“You know… this is the first festival I’ve truly experienced. Back when I was younger, I lived in the slums. Then, fortunately, I awakened to my magical abilities at a young age and caught the emperor’s attention—since then, I’ve mostly remained shut inside the house he gifted me.”
This was the first I was hearing about Presia’s past.
I knew she didn’t grow up in ideal circumstances, but the mention of the slums was new.
“Slums,” I mused. My memory from before joining the assassination guild is blurry, but if I had to guess, I was probably a homeless orphan rolling around in the slums too.
“To me, festivals were just noisy marketplaces. Instead of walking around these streets, I preferred staying home to refine my magic. Or, take a long nap.”
Her tone carried hints of nostalgia instead of loneliness, and perhaps some sadness.
“But… this time was different. Why? Though the festival occurs annually, it’s become something I look forward to. It’s the first time I wanted to walk through this festival chaos with Elysia. Elysia’s presence alone transforms my world. Things I thought I knew, I realize now I didn’t. And things I didn’t know, I am discovering anew.”
What she said reflected the change that occurred in me as well, through meeting her, through meeting everyone.
“Elysia is… the one who gave a purpose to my aimless life. The one who made me dream of tomorrow—the first real friend I’ve ever had. The first one who taught me the joy of festivals…”
Her voice was fading as the early morning fatigue caught up with her, yet each word reverberated louder in my ears, in my heart.
“My first assistant, my first disciple—thankfully, it’s Elysia. Thanks to Elysia being my first friend, I’m genuinely happy. And… moving forward, I hope the first person to teach me things I didn’t know would always be… Elysia.”
Does our dear little boss realize how significant a confession she’s making?
Probably caught up in the day’s excitement and now drifting into sleep, she’s divulging thoughts she’s long wanted to express but hadn’t before.
I’m also feeling sleepy after all the walking today, as her whispers lull me.
So, let’s just call this a sleep-induced confession. By morning, she might kick her blankets with embarrassment.
“I’m the one who’s so happy the Boss is by my side. I promise, I’ll stay by the Boss’s side, walking beside you as you proceed forward.”
“Really?”
“Does it make me sound so unreliable? If I break my promise, the Boss can punish me using your magic talent. An old-fashioned spanking wouldn’t be too bad either, would it?”
Her attempt at light-hearted humor brought out a soft laughter from her despite her fading voice under the slumber.
“Hehe… If you break your promise, I’ll spank you, Elysia’s bottom…”
“Haha… So why don’t you rest easily, without worry?”
In response to my words, either the drowsiness overwhelmed her or my reassurance put her at ease—only her steady, soft breathing could be heard.
Though the only person engaging in conversation—Presia—had drifted to sleep, walking under the night sky made the time pass quickly, and before I knew it, we had arrived back at the magic building.
Sharon, who had been present earlier in the morning, must have been relieved of her duties as a different officer was now at the reception desk.
Not wanting to wake the sleeping Presia, I nodded slightly and silently ascended to her room—number 707.
Opening the door gently, I stepped inside with care to ensure she wouldn’t stir from her slumber.
Placing her down on a lounge that doubled as a bed, Tokki, who inexplicably slept soundly as well, was placed beside her.
The only one still awake, Bear, fetched a thin blanket and laid it softly over Presia.
But my eyes couldn’t tear away from her.
It could be considered cheating, even perverted, to gaze upon a sleeping young woman like this. But today, surely one day wouldn’t be so bad?
Peck.
“Sleep well.”
I planted a soft kiss on her forehead, bidding her goodnight while she was already lost in dreams.
Since curfew hours were approaching, it was high time I returned to the dormitory.
Standing up, I left Presia behind and started toward the dormitory.
But…
Hardly having taken a step, I found myself unable to continue further as a tug on my clothes pulled me back.
“Huh?”
Looking back, Presia, still on the lounge bed but half awake, had reached out to grab the hem of my clothing.
“Boss?”
“Today… could we… sleep together? Like before…”
Seeing her blushing face, I thought my earlier kiss might’ve been noticed, but upon hearing her words, it seemed her consciousness wasn’t fully awakened.
“Before”? I’ve never slept with Presia before.
If I wanted to avoid demerits from the dormitory supervisor and not get into trouble, I should return immediately. But I couldn’t shake off Presia’s hand.
It was not just her little fingers holding onto me.
The slightly glazed green eyes of someone still sleepy, each word she said earlier on our way here—her entire day with me—still had me anchored.
Alright, so what? Let’s say I get some deductions for an overnight stay. How much trouble could that possibly amount to?
I scribbled a quick note on a spare piece of paper lying around and handed it to Bear to deliver to my roommates that I’d be sleeping at Presia’s lab tonight.
“Could you deliver this to my friends?”
Receiving the note, Bear saluted and trudged out of the room.
Once Bear left, I carefully squeezed into the space near Presia on the lounge, despite it being slightly cramped.
Even with a large lounge, space for two women was indeed tight.
She seemed aware—or maybe it just her drowsiness—as Presia burrowed closer to me.
Fine, it’s only to avoid falling off this lounge. There’s no other way around it.
I wrapped my arms around Presia, just as I had before with Linne’s mischief in the past.
I know tomorrow morning, she will probably wake up embarrassed about today. But that’s tomorrow’s concern, not today’s.
Hang in there, future me.
“Sleep well, Boss.”
