Fweeeeeet! Pop! Pop!
“Waaaaah!”
Fireworks soared high into the sky, accompanied by cheers erupting from every direction.
It signaled the beginning of the Twilight Festival.
Countless people on the streets wore bright smiles.
Lumeria City, the center of the world, was always vibrant, but today it was even more full of life.
Many races that were usually seen only sporadically moved back and forth through the streets.
Due to its name, the Twilight Festival was often thought to be a festival honoring only Lumene, but in fact, that was not all it was.
Statues of the Genesis Heroes were erected throughout Lumeria City.
And the ones decorating the central plaza were none other than the statues of the Great Heroes.
The massive crowds visiting Lumeria City offered flowers to the Great Heroes.
This year in particular, there were many offerings for Arron.
This was largely due to the influence of Arron appearing in the Mortal Realm last summer to subjugate a Fragment of Erebos.
Children in the streets ran around wearing the clothes and masks of the Great Heroes.
“It’s like Guardslone.”
Luna, standing blankly on the street, muttered.
The sight of the city where countless races coexisted certainly carried the atmosphere of Guardslone.
“Of course, it’s fundamentally different.”
The festival was peace itself.
There was no anxiety, and everyone wore bright expressions.
Luna closed her eyes.
‘This is the world we saved.’
Her heart swelled.
She had felt the reality of having saved the world before.
However, seeing the countless crowds on the streets smiling happily made a corner of her heart feel warm.
It was, quite literally, moving.
It was then.
Thump!
A child, who had been running around without looking ahead, bumped into Luna.
“Ouch!”
“Are you all right?”
Luna’s eyes widened as she helped the boy, who had fallen after bumping into her, back to his feet.
“Yes. I’m fine. I’m sorr...”
The boy, who was getting up while holding Luna’s hand, saw Luna’s face and exclaimed, “Wow!” in admiration.
“It’s a Noona who looks like Luna-nim.”
“Does this Noona look like Luna-nim?”
“Yes! You’re super pretty!”
“What an honest little boy.”
Luna grinned broadly as she helped the child up.
While brushing the dust off him, she noticed the child’s hand was scraped and treated it with magic.
“Incredible! You’re a Mage, Noona!”
“Because I resemble Luna-nim.”
“But Noona. Have you been drinking? You smell like alcohol.”
“Yeah. I had a little.”
Luna smiled serenely.
“Here’s a quiz.”
Luna said with a serious face.
“Who is the greatest among the Great Heroes?”
“Dweno-nim!”
The boy clenched his fists, his eyes sparkling.
“Dweno-nim is the one who made the Divine Artifacts used by the Great Heroes! My family is a family of blacksmiths! That’s why I think Dweno-nim is the greatest Great Hero!”
Indeed, the boy’s outfit was that of Dweno.
And he had a Dweno mask hanging behind his back.
Luna smiled brightly and said.
“Nope. Wrong. The greatest Great Hero is Luna-nim.”
“Aw, come on.”
The boy wore a look of disbelief.
“Don’t ‘aw, come on’ me. Dweno was a perverted and eccentric Dwarf.”
“How do you know that, Noona?”
“Because I am Luna.”
“Noona, you’re drunk, aren’t you?”
“In that case, this mask is confiscated. Noona will buy you a Luna mask instead.”
Luna tried to snatch the Dweno mask.
At that, the boy stepped back with a frightened expression.
“What are you doing to a kid, you drunkard?”
“Early education is important! It’s nonsense to let that young and pure sprout respect such a perverted old man!”
“Don’t break the kid’s dream.”
“Reality is cold! Kids need to know what they need to know! No! In the first place, that old man isn’t someone worthy of respect!”
Luna wailed.
Naturally, the gazes of the people nearby fixed on the two of them.
The boy, who had been staring blankly at the scene, waved his hand.
“Goodbye, pretty Noona who looks like Luna-nim! Have a nice date with your boyfriend!”
The boy smiled brightly and disappeared into the crowd.
“Did you find Lu?”
Just then, Chen Xia and Eiran came running over in a fluster.
The two had been extremely startled when Luna, who had been with them, suddenly vanished.
“As you can see.”
Leo grabbed Luna by the scruff of her neck and made her stand up straight.
Looking at Luna, Chen Xia spoke.
“Luna-nim, it seems you are quite intoxicated. Perhaps you should stop drinking now.”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
Luna shrugged.
Judging by her face alone, she certainly looked fine.
If not for the strong smell of alcohol surrounding her, one would not even imagine she had been drinking.
However, her actions were devoid of restraint and unusually aggressive.
It was exactly the behavior of a drunk person.
As soon as the festival began, Luna had been drinking her fill of alcohol bought from street vendors.
And only high-proof hard liquor at that.
Since Luna was a heavy drinker to begin with, she was like a fish in water at the festival.
“Mister! One more glass here!”
When Luna asked the vendor for another drink, the vendor chuckled and handed over a glass.
“Elf lady! You’ve got spirit!”
“Kyaha~ This is what living is all about!”
Watching Luna happily gulp down alcohol, Eiran spoke with a worried tone.
“Is, is it really okay for her to be like that?”
“Once she gets going, there’s no stopping her.”
Leo clicked his tongue.
Then, pulling a rough map from his pocket, he said.
“For now, let’s head to the lodging Carr secured.”
For the Twilight Festival, Carr had already secured accommodations.
Since Carr’s connections extended not only within the school but outside it as well, he had boasted of securing a great place.
“Hey. We have to move now.”
“Just one more drink.”
Despite Leo’s words, Luna showed no intention of moving.
Unable to watch any longer, Leo approached Luna, wrapped an arm around her waist, and tucked her under his side like he was carrying a piece of luggage.
However, as if used to Leo’s attitude, Luna continued to drink from the glasses she held in both hands.
Watching this, Chen Xia muttered.
“I knew she was an eccentric person, but... she’s truly something else.”
The real appearance of the Great Hero she had admired since childhood was familiar, yet at the same time bewildering.
Chen Xia looked to her side with a slightly worried gaze.
For Eiran, a naive Elf, Luna’s drunkard-like appearance might come as a shock.
When she turned her head, Eiran was smiling brightly with her hands clasped together.
“Luna-nim... she is so beautiful.”
‘That?’
The sight of her dangling and being dragged away by Leo was far from beautiful.
‘Well, Lady Eiran does have rather unique tastes.’
Chen Xia accepted it and followed behind Leo while holding Eiran’s hand.
===
A short while later.
The place Leo’s group arrived at was both a tavern and an inn.
Seeing it, Chen Xia tilted her head.
“Is this really the right place?”
“It is.”
Leo muttered while looking at the tavern’s name.
Carr had said he had secured good lodging, but this place was far from what Chen Xia or Eiran considered good lodging.
It was then.
“Oh! You’re here! You’re here!”
The tavern door opened, and Carr ran out with a welcoming face.
“Come on, come on! Don’t just stand there!”
With his characteristic sly smile, Carr led the group to the back of the tavern.
“Is this the great lodging you were talking about?”
“That’s right. I rented out the entire top floor! And for free!”
Carr winked and gave a thumbs up.
“Well, actually, it’s a shop I helped out before. I was able to borrow it thanks to that connection. However, there is a condition.”
“A condition?”
“Yeah. That Leo, the Lumene Student Council President, works as a waiter for one day!”
True to his word, Carr was already wearing a waiter’s outfit.
Looking at Carr, Chen Xia narrowed her eyes.
“Are you saying you’re going to make Leo-nim do waiter work right now?”
Chen Xia’s eyes turned cold.
Seeing her like that, Carr wore a flustered expression.
Carr knew that Chen Xia served Leo like a master.
It was natural for her to be unhappy about making Leo do something like waiter work.
“Since not only the lodging... but also the food and alcohol are free. I thought it would be a good memory...”
“Alcohol is free?”
Just then, Luna, who was off to the side, snapped her eyes open.
“Let’s do it.”
“Pardon? Luna-nim, you’re going to do server work?”
Eiran was extremely flustered.
To make the greatest Hero of the Elf race do server work!
What an atrocious act!
“What does it matter! The alcohol is free! Leo! You’re doing it too, right?”
But Luna did not care.
Leo gave a short laugh at Luna’s words.
“It sounds like it could be fun.”
“Oh!”
Carr let out a cheer.
“The two of them said they’d do it, so no problem, right?”
Carr grinned at Chen Xia and Eiran.
The two girls, who usually smiled often, stared blankly at Carr.
“Wh-what’s with those looks?”
“Carr.”
“You’re going to be struck by lightning.”
Seeing the two of them narrow their eyes, Carr wore a startled expression.
===
Tap. Tap.
Though night had fallen, the streets of Lumeria City were still overflowing with energy, as befitting a festival.
A red-haired Elf was walking through the street.
As the beautiful Elf passed by, the crowd parted ways.
Without realizing it, they had made way, moved by the charisma the Elf exuded.
Lunia, the Elf walking nonchalantly through the gap, snorted.
The presence exuded by her intense red hair and eyes had become even stronger.
‘Originally, I should have come with Eiran.’
Lunia showed her disappointment internally.
She was envious of her friend, who had gone to Lumene first as an exchange student.
Of course, since Seiren was a Hero Academy just like Lumene, it wasn’t as if she lacked opportunities to learn.
Even so, Lunia was envious of her friend.
‘Eiran must have been stuck to Leo the whole time, right?’
Leo Plov was at Lumene.
And Lunia wanted to show Leo how much she had changed in the short time after the break ended.
It had not been that long, but Lunia had certainly grown stronger.
She had formed a contract with the Phoenix she had yearned for so much.
On top of that, the magic Leo had taught her, Flame Emperor, had also been further enhanced.
She wanted to show him her changed self as soon as possible.
She must have moved one step closer to Leo Plov.
But unfortunately, she only managed to find time now because she had to hand over the duties of the Student Council President.
‘I was originally going to come in the morning.’
Lunia licked her lips.
Something sudden had happened at school today.
News that Lune, the acting principal, had collapsed spread throughout the school.
At first, the school was in an uproar, but the commotion settled down once Lune himself announced it was no big deal.
‘He said he’d be fine after a few days of rest, but Lune-nim’s face was dark.’
Though he didn’t show it, Lune’s expression had been serious.
Feeling a lingering sense of unease, Lunia stopped walking.
‘First, I should let Eiran know.’
Since it concerned her grandfather, she thought Eiran should know.
With that, Lunia turned into an alley.
‘That fellow Carr said he secured lodging around here, right?’
As it was the Twilight Festival, crowds were everywhere.
She also saw many Elves who disliked going to human cities.
As Lunia was looking for the address...
“Tsk. To think she’s wearing human server clothes and serving humans.”
“It’s a disgrace to Elves.”
“And to show such a pathetic state in an alley while drunk. I’m ashamed as a fellow Elf.”
The grumbling voices of Elves could be heard from afar.
‘Those kinds of Elves are everywhere.’
The type who looked down on others because their racial pride was excessive.
Lunia clicked her tongue.
They were a type of Elf she did not particularly like.
As Lunia continued looking for the lodging...
“Ugh! Bleaaagh!”
The sound of someone retching could be heard from somewhere.
Passersby snickered as they walked past the alley.
Lunia, who had unconsciously looked toward the sound, let out a hollow laugh.
There, an Elf in a waitress uniform was leaning against the wall, retching.
“Uu-bleaaaaagh!”
‘That certainly is embarrassing as a fellow Elf.’
Lunia felt herself turning red for no reason.
She was about to ignore the Elf, who was bringing shame to their race, and leave.
“Are you all right?”
An Elf with a familiar face hurriedly came out from the alley.
‘Eiran?’
Lunia’s eyes widened as she approached Eiran.
Eiran was frantically patting the Elf’s back.
“Eiran... ugh... thank... bleaaaagh!”
The Elf did not stop, even while trying to express her gratitude.
“Eiran, what are you doing there...”
“Luna-nim. I think you should really stop drinking now...”
“What?!”
Hearing Eiran’s words, Lunia let out a scream of shock.
Eiran’s eyes widened as she spotted Lunia, and her face brightened.
“Lunia!”
“What? Luni... bleaaargh?!”
Luna also turned her head before looking back at the ground.
Lunia’s face stiffened after confirming that face.
“Right. It’s a dream. A dream. Yes, I’m dreaming.”
Lunia denied reality.
‘Right. How could Luna-nim be here in person? How could a miracle like Arron-nim’s happen so easily? Yes. It’s a dream. A nasty nightmare. In the first place, it makes no sense for Luna-nim to be retching like that. Yes. Let’s wake up.’
The Luna that Lunia knew was a beautiful, pure, and benevolent Elf.
And on top of that, an absolute, perfect Elf who even had a somewhat eccentric and cute side.
As Lunia was desperately trying to ignore reality...
“Regrettably, this is reality.”
Leo, who had appeared in the alley at some point, spoke coldly.
“This is Luna’s true form.”
“Liar!”
The shocked Lunia shook her head.
“You become an adult by seeing a lot of dirty things.”
“No!”
“Congratulations on becoming an adult.”
“If this is what being an adult is, I don’t want to be one!”
Lunia, who was desperately denying reality, staggered.
Startled, Eiran supported Lunia.
Leo patted Luna’s back instead of Eiran and said.
“You’re disgracing the whole race. Are you satisfied now that you’ve shattered a kid’s fantasy?”
“What?”
“Never mind, just finish what you were doing.”
At those words, Luna looked back at the ground.
Patting Luna’s back, Leo muttered.
“Since she’s acting out because I’ve already seen all her good and bad sides, it’s no wonder I didn’t notice.”
“What? What did you just say...”
“I’m talking to myself.”
***
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