Chapter 99. The Academy Spring Festival (1)

The Academy Spring Festival had begun.

Various booths opened early in the morning.

The general public was lining up at the academy's main gate to enter.

To prevent any unforeseen incidents, the academy paid more attention to security than usual.

Outsiders could only enter after passing through the scanning magic installed at the academy's main gate.

There were local residents, but most were tourists who came to tour Marcellent, making the festival atmosphere even more lively.

“I’m looking forward to this year’s Spring Festival too! Aren’t you, Professor Marianne?”

Professor Lilian of Combat Magic asked Professor Marianne of Summoning Magic.

The two were heading to the first-year booths together.

“Shouldn’t you be going to the fourth-year booths first? Since you’re the professor in charge of the Red Wolf Dormitory.”

“What are you talking about? Of course, I have to stop by the cute first-years’ booths first?”

Lilian said, cupping her cheeks.

“Of course, I’m going to see the booth of the first-year representative, Radel, first! I’m so excited!”

“What in the world are you excited about?”

Professor Marianne was suspicious when that battle maniac said she was excited.

“For now, I’m just excited about what kind of booth he’ll have. But I can’t give up hope that Radel will choose Combat Magic as his major.”

“To think you’re tormenting an innocent student again.”

Professor Marianne frowned.

It was obvious he had no interest in Combat Magic. Summoning Magic, maybe.

Now that half of the first semester of the first year had passed, there were freshmen who had decided on their major, but there were far more students who had not yet decided.

It was also the time when the professors’ behind-the-scenes operations to bring more outstanding students to their subjects would slowly begin.

In Radel’s case, many professors were already eyeing him.

“This is all because you won’t fight me, Professor Marianne.”

“Not worth answering.”

The two chatted as they approached the area where the first-year booths were gathered.

As it happened, Radel’s booth was immediately noticeable.

Seeing quite a few people gathered there since morning, it seemed to be popular.

Professor Lilian tilted her head, seeing a much larger crowd than last year.

“There are more people than I thought. What did the first-years do last year?”

Professor Marianne tried to recall the booths the first-years had done last year.

There was nothing particularly special.

“I think they sold grilled squid and drinks.”

Come to think of it, she remembered the booth proposal Radel had brought a few days ago.

It was about creating a space where people could relax and have fun using wind element magic.

Was he going to create a rest area?

A question arose for a moment, but since there was no problem with the content, she had approved it without asking anything.

Freshmen, when told to do something for their first festival, usually thought of a booth selling food, so it was refreshing that he didn't.

“Mom, I want cotton candy too!”

As they approached Radel’s booth, they could see people holding cotton candy in their hands.

‘Is it a booth selling cotton candy?’

There was no such content in Radel’s proposal.

But since it was possible to make cotton candy using wind element and heat element magic, it wasn't a complete departure from the proposal to utilize wind element magic.

As Professor Marianne was glancing at the cotton candy in people’s hands, she heard chattering from somewhere.

“Did you buy the Supreme Deity 3-ride pass?”

“Of course. That’s why I got the cotton candy for free.”

What is this?

A ride pass?

Professor Marianne listened intently to what people were saying.

“That one was fun. ‘With the Supreme Deity’. What was fun for you?”

“I liked ‘The Cradle of the Supreme Deity’! I want to ride it again!”

With the Supreme Deity? The Cradle of the Supreme Deity?

They were names whose identities she couldn't guess.

* * *

“Oh? The professors are here.”

Radel was selling cotton candy when he spotted Professor Lilian and Professor Marianne.

Radel, pleased, asked Armandy, who was working with him, for a moment and came out.

“Thank you for coming to our booth. Would you like to take a look around?”

Then he went to the ticket booth and casually bought two ride passes and handed them to the professors.

“With this free ride pass, you can ride right away without waiting in line.”

Professor Marianne knew that now was the time to ask.

She had been curious about the large devices installed inside the booth for a while now.

“What… is all that?”

When Marianne raised her hand and pointed to the devices, Radel kindly explained.

“They’re called amusement rides. If you get on them, the students will move the rides with wind element magic.”

This was certainly as written in the booth proposal.

To create a space where people can have fun using wind element magic.

Professor Lilian, next to her, asked with sparkling eyes.

“Is it dangerous by any chance?”

It was a gaze that conveyed Professor Lilian’s wish for it to be as dangerous as possible.

Radel smiled and shook his head.

“It’s not as dangerous as it looks. There are safety devices in place, too. An apprentice holy knight is on standby just in case of any injuries.”

Professor Marianne saw Gusto, wearing an armband that said safety personnel, guiding people.

It looked like a well-organized system.

But the rides still looked dangerous.

“What about that one that looks like a big ship?”

“That’s ‘The Cradle of the Supreme Deity’. You can feel like you’re flying in the sky on a big ship.”

“What about the one that drops from up there?”

“That’s ‘To the Side of the Supreme Deity’. You can feel like you’re going to the Supreme Deity’s side as you drop in an instant.”

Radel calmly explained the principle of how the rides moved to Professor Marianne and showed her the students using wind magic.

Watching the students use elemental magic in perfect order, Professor Marianne narrowed her eyes.

Their control of wind element magic was extraordinary.

It was the result of Radel gathering his team members in the dormitory backyard after class and making them practice only wind element magic diligently.

“This is fun! Want to ride ‘To the Side of the Supreme Deity’ again?”

“Yeah! I really felt like I went to the Supreme Deity’s side just now.”

People were also all enjoying themselves.

‘I can’t build an amusement park, but this much is possible.’

Radel had created the most representative amusement rides: the Viking, the merry-go-round, and the Gyro Drop.

He named them ‘The Cradle of the Supreme Deity’, ‘With the Supreme Deity’, and ‘To the Side of the Supreme Deity’ respectively.

Since these were amusement rides of a form that people had never seen before, he chose the most trustworthy and familiar names possible.

Indeed, as he borrowed the name of the Supreme Deity, people seemed to have faith that the rides would be safe.

Although the thrill was less than the real amusement rides Radel knew because of the lower height, ‘To the Side of the Supreme Deity’ was the most popular.

“The one that drops from above! That one looks fun.”

Professor Lilian, after listening to Radel’s explanation, said she had to ride it right away and ran towards the rides.

Radel handed two cotton candies to the bewildered Professor Marianne.

“Have this too, Professor. It’ll keep your mouth from being bored.”

“……Alright, thank you.”

Professor Marianne took the two cotton candies Radel gave her and followed Professor Lilian.

As she passed by, she saw that everyone’s faces were bright.

Amusement rides.

This was a first in her elven life.

* * *

A secret agent of the Ability Management Bureau and a professor of the Basic Physical Fitness subject at the academy.

Pirenzo Korva.

He entered the bustling crowd.

His movements as he cut through the people were nimble.

His practical muscles, honed through his life as an assassin and a secret agent, made his jaguar-like movements possible.

‘This is all part of the mission.’

Enjoying the festival?

That was not in his dictionary.

This was one of the key missions of monitoring the royals at the academy.

Especially at this Spring Festival, it was said that the three royals attending the first year would each be in charge of a booth.

As it was an important task of observing the royals’ movements, it was necessary to confirm it with his own eyes.

“One chicken skewer, please.”

Pirenzo ordered a chicken skewer from a nearby booth and held it in his hand.

This was also a disguise for a smooth mission.

Because he had to pretend to be enjoying the festival as much as possible to blend in easily among the people.

“Ah, and grilled gizzards too.”

Good, that was natural.

Because only a novice buys just a chicken skewer at a chicken skewer stall.

Pirenzo raised the corners of his mouth as he made an order that would be natural for an ordinary person enjoying the festival.

‘I wish every mission was like this.’

He was on his way to the first-year booths, heartily munching on the chicken skewer.

A new delicacy caught Pirenzo’s eye. Weren't people holding cotton candy in their hands?

As the saying goes, after eating something salty, you have to eat something sweet.

“Excuse me, but where do they sell this?”

When Pirenzo asked politely, people kindly told him.

That there was a fun thing at the first-year booth over there, and if you buy the Supreme Deity 3-ride pass they sell, you get one cotton candy for free.

“You should definitely go! It’s super fun.”

Hearing people recommend the amusement rides, saying they were really fun, Pirenzo found himself interested without even realizing it.

‘Is it the booth run by the 8th Prince?’

When he arrived at Radel’s booth, people were standing with cotton candy in their hands.

Pirenzo watched people cheering as they rode the amusement rides and then found the place selling cotton candy.

There, Armandy was making cotton candy with a dazed expression.

Pirenzo’s mouth twitched upon discovering him.

“One cotton candy, please.”

“Please wait a moment.”

Armandy moved his hands like a machine and churned out cotton candy like crazy.

No matter how many he made, the orders never stopped.

Radel, who had been working with him, had disappeared long ago, saying he would go take a quick look at the other booths.

To leave his post when there are so many customers.

Is he telling me to work to death?

But he didn't even have the energy to be angry.

If he had time to think about other things, he had to make at least one more cotton candy.

As Armandy was diligently making cotton candy, an annoying voice was heard.

“Please give me some cotton candy too.”

Armandy lifted his head from making cotton candy and confirmed the owner of the voice.

He saw the figure of Pirenzo standing there, his mouth twitching as if something was funny.

Armandy’s expression soured.

“Did you come to the academy to play?”

That bastard, if he’s a professor, he should be diligently preparing for his lectures. He didn’t know why he was wandering around even at the festival.

“It’s a festival today, so I can look around a bit. And to do my mission.”

“Mission my ass. What’s that sauce on your mouth?”

Pirenzo looked like someone who was clearly enjoying the festival.

Anger boiled up inside Armandy.

One person is becoming a cotton candy machine, while another is enjoying the festival, eating delicious things?

“Instead of that, just give me one cotton candy.”

“There’s none for you. Go back.”

Armandy said coldly and moved his hands quickly.

He didn't want to make cotton candy that would go into the mouth of such a detestable colleague.

At that, a smile hung on Pirenzo’s mouth.

He took out three pieces of paper from his bosom and waved them in front of Armandy’s eyes.

“I bought three free ride passes. Doesn’t that mean you give me three cotton candies?”

One cotton candy per free ride pass.

Pirenzo was right.

‘Should I just hit him once?’

Armandy ground his teeth.