Chapter 222

Chapter 222. Intermission – Fireworks (1)

“Haa.”

Leaning against the wall, I let out a low sigh.

Raising my head, I gazed at the starry night sky.

The fatigue weighing down my body.

The battle with the Grand Archbishop of Madness wasn’t particularly long, but having poured all my strength into it, an overwhelming exhaustion washed over me.

Sssssss.

As I leaned against the wall, catching my breath, I noticed transparent spider threads wrapping around the annex roof.

Soon, a figure dashed up the annex building as if about to take flight.

“Candidate Dale! Are you okay?!”

Professor Elisha hurriedly approached me, seeing me sitting against the wall.

“The Grand Archbishop of Madness….”

Instead of answering, I pointed to one side of the annex rooftop.

There, black ashes that hadn’t yet completely scattered were piled on the ground.

“…Did we win?”

“Well, it was tough, but yeah.”

“……”

Professor Elisha crouched in front of me with a stiff expression.

Slowly, she reached out and stroked my cheek.

A hand so soft and warm, unlike that of a ‘spider.’

“…How many times did you die this time?”

“Not many.”

Only once, properly.

Though the Primordial Flame burned my body a few more times, considering the opponent was the Grand Archbishop of Madness, it wasn’t that many deaths.

“Don’t act like it’s nothing.”

Professor Elisha frowned and pinched my cheek with the hand that had been stroking it.

“I’ve never experienced dying and coming back like you, but I know well enough that it’s not something to laugh off lightly.”

She, too, had crossed countless battlefields and suffered wounds too numerous to count.

Some of those wounds were so severe that death wouldn’t have been surprising.

She’d had her flesh torn to the bone by monster claws and her guts spilled by a demon’s blade.

The horrific pain she felt then still haunted her nightmares.

‘But the pain Candidate Dale felt must be on a whole different level.’

It was undoubtedly a pain she couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“So….”

Professor Elisha carefully pulled Dale into an embrace.

Holding his head to her chest, she whispered.

“It’s okay not to act so strong in front of me.”

She recalled the memory.

The first time Dale spoke of his past life.

The memory of him, who had been speaking so calmly, trembling as he finally let out the emotions he had been suppressing.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

Professor Elisha stroked Dale’s head as if comforting a child.

“…Professor Elisha.”

“How is it? Feeling a bit better?”

“……”

Instead of answering, I nodded slightly.

“Haha. That’s good.”

Professor Elisha held me for a while longer, patting my back, then took my hand and helped me up.

“I’ll handle the cleanup. You should go rest, Candidate Dale.”

“No. There’s still something I need to do.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Didn’t we agree to gather at the Party House rooftop tonight?”

“What?”

Professor Elisha frowned slightly.

“Don’t tell me… you’re planning to go watch the fireworks in that state?”

“It’s a promise. And I’m just a bit tired, but I’m fine.”

“Fine? What do you mean fine?!”

Professor Elisha gritted her teeth and scolded.

“You’re so exhausted you can barely stand, even if you look fine on the outside!”

As she said.

Due to overusing the Primordial Flame, I was indeed so tired that without Professor Elisha’s support, I wouldn’t have been able to stand on my own.

“But I still have to go.”

“You…!”

“It’s only once a year, the cultural festival.”

In my past life, I wouldn’t have cared about the cultural festival.

‘But now, things are different.’

Lanes, who had been walking around the streets with an excited expression.

Iris and Yurina, smiling brightly.

Professor Elisha, who had been disappointed she couldn’t enjoy the festival alone.

So many precious things had come into my once-empty life.

So.

“Just for today, we should all enjoy it together.”

“…Haa.”

Professor Elisha sighed deeply, pressing her forehead.

“Take my hand. I’ll take you to the Party House.”

“Thank you.”

I chuckled and took Professor Elisha’s outstretched hand.

* * *

Arriving at the Party House rooftop with Professor Elisha, I saw Lanes, Iris, and Yurina waiting.

“Dale! Why are you so late?!”

“That’s right! We were supposed to meet at 6!”

Iris and Yurina pouted, seeing me and Professor Elisha arrive late (fortunately, they had changed into their school uniforms).

“Ah, you’re here… Dale.”

Lanes, crouched in a corner of the rooftop, emitting a gloomy aura.

“I-I was wondering if I should cut you off since you didn’t show up…”

“……”

What does she mean by ‘cut off’?

“Sorry. I was late because I was helping Professor Elisha with some work.”

“Work? What work?”

“Like patrolling the school and monitoring external merchants.”

“Monitoring? Why would you…?”

“Remember? I got selected as a ‘Special Candidate’ this time.”

“Ah.”

I had asked Chancellor Raonel to keep the Special Candidate thing a secret, but I had already told my party members.

“The fireworks are about to start. I was checking for any issues, so I got delayed.”

I planned to tell them about the Grand Archbishop of Madness after the festival.

No point in worrying them now.

“Haa. You should’ve let us know earlier. We were worried something happened.”

“Sorry.”

“Hehe. It’s okay. There’s still some time before the fireworks start.”

Iris smiled faintly, looking up at the darkening night sky.

“You only had omelet rice earlier, right? Should I prepare something light for you and Lanes?”

“That’d be great.”

“Iris! What about me?!”

“Yurina, just sit still. You’re helping by doing nothing.”

“Ugh. So mean….”

Yurina deflated like a popped balloon.

“Shall we go down to the second floor, Lanes?”

“Y-yeah. But….”

Lanes tugged lightly at Iris’s sleeve, speaking shyly.

“Lanes… just call me comfortably.”

“Huh? But….”

“We’re… comrades… after all.”

“Oh my.”

Iris smiled, seeing Lanes blush in embarrassment.

“Then I’ll call you Lanes unnie from now on.”

“U-unnie?!”

“Huh? You are, right?”

“Well… yeah, but… unnie….”

Lanes squirmed, seemingly unused to being called ‘unnie.’

Watching this, Yurina smirked and approached Lanes.

“Then can I call you Lanes unnie too?”

“Y-you too?!”

“Why? Can’t I?”

“N-no! You can call me unnie!”

Lanes shouted, clearly flustered.

“Hehe… unnie… she called me unnie….”

“Lanes unnie. Stop dawdling and come on.”

“O-okay! I’m coming!”

Lanes followed Iris down to the second-floor lounge.

About 15 minutes after they left.

Lanes and Iris returned to the rooftop with plates, carrying a delicious aroma.

“Huh? You’re done already?”

“We made some simple dishes for snacks.”

Iris set the plates on the table and pulled out a bottle of alcohol she had prepared.

“Professor Elisha… are you still on duty, so you can’t drink?”

“Well, it’s fine for now.”

“Then I’ll pour you a glass.”

After filling each glass.

Cheers.

A light drinking session began.

“It’s the first time the five of us have gathered like this to drink.”

“Ah, now that you mention it.”

“Yeah. Usually, there are others too….”

Iris, Yurina, Lanes, and Professor Elisha.

It was the first time I had shared a drink with these four, who had a special connection with me among the party members.

“There’ll be more chances in the future. It’s good to get used to it now.”

Professor Elisha tilted her glass, smiling faintly.

“O-often…?”

“Huh? Well, not immediately, but eventually, we’ll all live together, right? Then every evening will feel like this.”

““……!!!””

At Professor Elisha’s bombshell statement, Iris, Yurina, and Lanes’s eyes widened.

Having just become lovers, they hadn’t yet thought about such a future.

“L-living together…?”

“With Dale… managing a household…?”

Iris and Yurina blushed, imagining the future with excited expressions.

And Lanes…

“Huep…! D-Dale, you must never enter my room…!”

For some reason, she turned pale and trembled.

“Everyone, calm down. There’s still a lot to deal with before that.”

Professor Elisha’s expression darkened momentarily.

“What do you mean, deal with?”

“Is there something going on?”

As the three women looked puzzled.

Boom! Bang!

Fireworks lit up the night sky.

“Wow!”

“It’s starting!”

The fireworks began.

Though the Party House was quite a distance from the Central Plaza.

The colorful fireworks lighting up the night sky were clearly visible even from afar.

“It’s held every year… but it’s the first time it’s looked this beautiful.”

Iris smiled, looking up at the sky.

“M-me too. I usually went to bed early during the festival….”

“This year, it’s nice to have someone to watch it with, right, unnie?”

“Y-yeah. It’s nice… being together.”

Lanes smiled brightly, gazing at the sky.

“Ah, now that I think about it… we haven’t decided the most important thing yet.”

Iris spoke softly, and the four women’s gazes turned to me.

“Who’s going to do the kiss?”

“……”

“……”

A heavy silence fell.

The warm atmosphere from moments ago froze in an instant.