After the commotion had settled down. While I was enjoying the last moments of the Celestial Festival with my friends, putting on a brilliant finale, I received a summons to assemble for the final rehearsal, despite it being earlier than expected. Though I understood the intention behind taking every precaution for the grand conclusion of the festival, being summoned didn’t make the task any less tiresome.
And yet, as one of the key actors in the closing ceremony, it was impossible for me to skip the rehearsal. With no choice but to comply, I trudged toward the gathering spot with heavy steps.
“Long time no see, student.”
“Ah, Desk Staff… I mean, Professor. Hello.”
On my way, I encountered an old acquaintance. He was the uncle who greeted me at the guidance desk of the Magic Building during the mid-first semester to the start of the second semester. Initially, I thought he was just a regular desk staff member, but later learned that he was, in fact, a Professor in the Department of Magic—a revelation that had surprised me.
Perhaps the desk job had been some kind of punishment, and eventually, he had taken over the position of Professor after his predecessor retired.
“Seems like you’ve been quite busy during the festival period?”
His hair hadn’t been properly washed, sticking out in all directions, and the wrinkles in his clothes suggested they hadn’t been changed for days. I had assumed that only the graduate student research assistants were busy, but the faculty members of the Department of Magic apparently were equally swamped with preparations for lectures and dissertations. Of course, Presia was the exception to this.
Lately, it seemed that many around me were swamped. Sharon, who had taken over the guidance desk as the professor’s desk duty ended, also worked during the festival. Moreover, Erin and Stella from the research team had been occupied with their work too.
“Haha. Maybe I’m showing it too much, huh? I’ve been busy with a lot of preparations, you see.”
Though it was blatantly obvious, I refrained from pointing it out. Likely, he avoided bathing due to sheer lack of time, not because he chose not to.
“How is… Alicia enjoying the festival? Being a Hero probably keeps her on her toes.”
“Haha… While some events were indeed busy, I’ve had enough time to enjoy the festival. It’s helped me create wonderful memories. Sorry! I realize I’m boasting in front of someone as busy as you…”
Of course, I was responding to his question, but I felt I was too obvious in expressing my joy, so I quickly apologized. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind and waved off my apology with a friendly gesture.
“Students are meant to enjoy themselves and create memories during their time. Even as a professor, I don’t envy students—so don’t worry too much.”
“But… Ah! Do you have time later? If you’re not busy, would you like to stop by the closing ceremony? I, the Saint, and many others have meticulously practiced, so it should be pretty impressive.”
To be honest, it’s my own closing ceremony but I can confidently say it’s the most spectacular and entertaining event of the Celestial Festival. I might even exaggerate a bit when saying that seeing the closing ceremony alone could equate to experiencing over half the festival’s charm.
“Aha, don’t worry. I’m rushing around to ensure I’m here for the closing ceremony. I am looking forward to it too.”
Even as we conversed, he kept glancing at his watch, perhaps mindful of the time slipping by. It seemed unwise to keep him further, considering how busy he was, so I hurriedly bid him farewell and resumed my way to the gathering spot.
“In that case, I have an appointment, so I’ll head off now. Please come watch the closing ceremony!”
“Yes, I will definitely come see it later, Alicia.”
We exchanged our parting words, and I departed from him once more, making my way toward the designated gathering location.
Come to think of it, I have known him for quite a while, yet never bothered to learn his name. I had always referred to him as ‘Desk Staff’ and later ‘Professor,’ never asking for his actual name. Despite this, he always called me by my name with courtesy—always remembering to be polite.
Well, technically, Alicia isn’t my real name, but…
My real name is Zeno…
“Urgh…”
d*mn it, reminiscing about these trivial things brought back another bout of headache. It was a reminder that I shouldn’t let consciousness drift aimlessly without focus. Matters related to my true identity, Zeno Prentz, should be revisited when I’m alone after the Celestial Festival concludes. If I don’t want to ruin the closing ceremony, I must, at least for now, be careful not to worsen my condition by these headaches.
Striving to ignore the flow of my mind toward this subject, I hurried my steps.
—
“Ahaha, Hero, are you nervous? I’ve never seen you look nervous before.”
Similar to the opening ceremony, as we awaited the closing ceremony, Mariel teased me from the side. Seemingly forgetting her own nervousness during the opening ceremony, her current demeanor was endearingly playful. Thankfully, I noticed no signs of nervousness from Mariel this time.
“Well… Even I am human, after all.”
In truth, it wasn’t the stress of the closing ceremony itself that was making me tense, but my deliberate avoidance of headaches by consciously steering my thoughts clear of certain topics. Yet I couldn’t afford to admit that, so I responded with a lighthearted answer, joining in Mariel’s joke.
“You know, this kind of behavior shows how pure the Hero is. People really are unpredictable on the surface…”
“Hmm… Is this a proper time to get angry?”
“Hmm… Maybe?”
Mariel’s smirk was undoubtedly teasing me, clearly intended to lighten my mood despite the tension. Knowing her intentions, I humorously engaged her back.
Mariel’s efforts were not in vain. While conversing with her, my mind was successfully diverted from unnecessary thoughts.
“Everyone, get ready!”
At the call from the staff, Mariel and I ascended the stage that we had used during the opening ceremony. Unlike the grand entrance at the beginning, the closing ceremony started on the stage itself.
Standing on the stage, I surveyed my surroundings and noticed that there were even more people present than at the opening ceremony, which had taken place earlier during the morning.
Enjoying the high vantage point, I found it amusing to pick out familiar faces amidst the crowd.
Far away stood Selian, Yuli, Anne, and Linne, who occupied roughly the same spots as during the opening ceremony. Whether they noticed me looking or were simply cheering me on, they each waved energetically in my direction.
Shifting my gaze a little further, I spotted Presia perched casually on the rooftop of a small building, watching us. Bear and Tokki were seated beside her, also enjoying the festival—it was reassuring to see them having fun.
Oh, and there was another—I spotted Lindy. Lindy, who had helped me in various ways, had grown increasingly familiar to me, and I smiled at the sight. However, typical of Lindy, she was not idle even at such a moment, flirting with the woman beside her… I’ll pretend I didn’t see her getting slapped.
With a mix of sympathy and embarrassment, I turned my head and noticed something unexpected—Erin and Stella, who had been running around tirelessly throughout the festival. They weren’t joining in the spectacle but instead were weaving through the crowd toward some destination, their gaze not on the stage but on the audience. I wished they would at least briefly enjoy the ceremony, given the hard work they had put into its preparation.
As I allowed my gaze to carry on, I came across another familiar face—the Professor I had met just before the rehearsal. Just as he had promised earlier, he had set aside his busy schedule to attend the closing ceremony. Though, judging by the distance his surrounding crowd kept from him, it seemed he hadn’t found time to clean up.
Before I got lost in my observations, I was brought back to the moment by Mariel’s quiet nudge.
“It’s almost time.”
While I had absentmindedly spent the moments before the ceremony searching for familiar faces, Mariel quietly reminded me that the time was nearly upon us. To calm any unnoticed tension, I took a deep breath and gently stretched my neck.
“Hmm?”
During this neck stretch, I noticed something odd floating in the azure sky.
I rubbed my eyes to confirm, but the unnatural black dot suspended in the middle of the blue sky remained steadfast in its position.
“What’s wrong, Hero?”
“Nothing… There seems to be something floating in the sky…”
“Hmm? Where?”
At my words, Mariel tilted her head up to follow my gaze. Simultaneously, a crimson dot appeared above the black one.
“Whoa, it’s really there! But… it seems to be growing larger?”
As she said, the crimson dot continued to expand in size until it was unmistakably visible, even from our distance, yet it still didn’t slow down.
No, it isn’t growing—it’s coming closer…
BOOM!
By the time we realized it, the crimson dot had transformed into a gigantic meteorite, crashing into the center of the city.
