TL/Editor: Raei

Illustrations: Here

Morning came.

"Welcome, Princess Rie."

As expected, Rie had made her way to the Persia territory.

Philip greeted her with respect.

Seeing Philip greet her formally felt odd, given that we students usually interacted with her casually.

"Thank you for the warm welcome."

"Always. The Persia territory is open to you anytime. Feel free to visit."

After a brief exchange with Philip, she approached Astina and me.

"Rudy, it's been some time."

"Why are you here?"

At my question, Rie just shrugged as though it wasn't a big deal.

"Friendship? Promoting good relations with the Persia family? Isn't it a good time now that you're here?"

Rie seemed particularly happy about something.

Was this why she'd asked when I was visiting the Persia family in our letters?

She had been constantly asking about it in our letters.

But what about the 'running away' part...?

Astina, who was next to me, eyed Rie skeptically.

"Hmm...."

In response, Rie gave a sly smile.

"I'm hungry?"

"Ah... Okay, got it. Let's eat, Princess?"

Looking slightly irritated, Astina led Rie into the mansion.

Rie joined us at the dining table.

Unlike the previous day, though, hardly anyone spoke.

The only noise was the clatter of silverware.

Philip broke the silence during the meal.

"Do you have any plans after we finish eating, Princess?"

As I munched on my salad, I thought about his question.

She was here to hang out, what plans could she have?

"I think I'll tour the territory. I heard it's been a while since the Persia territory was last inspected."

Rie answered Philip, a smile creeping onto her face.

It was surprising to learn that she had an actual purpose.

I had assumed she was here just to hang out...

"Hmm... If you're going around the territory, I can arrange for our knights to accompany you."

"No need. I'll take him."

With a wide grin, Rie pointed at me.

"Me?"

I stared at Rie, bewildered.

"Yes, you. Join me later. Wear something comfortable."

"Um... Princess?"

Philip interjected cautiously.

"Rudy Astria is our guest, and he might not know our territory well. I think it would be better if Astina went with you instead."

Wow!

Philip's words moved me.

I came here to unwind.

Running errands for Rie would be annoying.

"Hmm... Then, let's switch things up. Let's just go out and have fun."

Rie looked at me and announced.

Her face said, 'you can do at least this much, right?' making it difficult for me to say no.

"Okay. Let's explore a bit after we eat."

"Wonderful~."

Rie's grin stretched from ear to ear, clearly delighted.

Philip watched the scene unfold, his chin resting thoughtfully in his hand.

"Daughter..."

"Yes?"

Astina responded to Philip's call.

With a grave tone, Philip spoke to Astina.

"Try harder."

"...."

With a small bag in tow, I stepped out, draped in a dark-colored robe to help obscure my face.

"Hey! Check out my wares!"

"The fruits are fresh today~!"

"Wow."

I marveled at the cityscape.

The Persia territory was a lively trade city.

Large wagons rolled by, and the air was filled with lively bargaining in the shops.

The city's vibrancy was a stark contrast to the usual quiet of the academy.

It was like stepping into a fantasy world.

"Why do you look like you've never seen a city before?"

Rie teased.

But her face was lit up with joy too.

"Rudy, let's try that."

"Sounds good."

Like excited kids, Rie and I sprinted towards a stall selling skewers.

"Don't run..."

Astina sighed, trailing behind us like a dutiful guardian.

"Rie! Look at that!"

"Oh... That's interesting..."

Today, I was brimming with excitement, exploring here and there with Rie.

It felt like being a child again.

Kind of like going to an amusement park when I was little?

Also, knowing that Astina was watching our backs made me feel even more at ease.

So, Rie and I spent the day exploring and playing freely.

"Ah..."

In the middle of all the fun, a thought crossed my mind.

I had promised Luna a gift.

I had intended to buy something nice when I got back to the academy, but since I was in the city, I decided to buy it now.

I initially considered a simple gift, but the fun I was having made me feel a little guilty.

While I was out having fun, Luna would be studying at the academy.

I would have invited Luna if I knew it would be this fun.

"Rie, let's go over there."

"Where?"

I gestured towards a magic tool shop.

Ding-a-ling.

"Welcome."

We entered the magic tool shop.

The shop was packed with different tools.

Not only magic tools, but also alchemical supplies and various other items.

"Are you looking for something specific?"

Rie asked as she browsed through the shop.

"I want to buy a gift for Luna."

"A gift?"

Rie looked puzzled at my words.

"She's stuck at the academy all the time. Isn't that a bit sad?"

"Hmm... I see."

After saying that, I started exploring the magic tool shop.

To be honest, the quality of the items seemed a bit low.

The magic tools at the academy were clearly of higher quality.

It wasn't even worth comparing.

I glanced at the ring on my right index finger.

The ring Luna had given me for my birthday.

Too many items here paled in comparison to this ring.

I wonder if it's acceptable to sell items inferior to magic tools crafted by students.

"Oh...."

One specific item caught my eye.

It was a wizard's robe that took up a significant portion of the shop.

The robe looked ordinary, but its conspicuous placement with no items surrounding it sparked my interest.

"Does this item possess special properties?"

"Oh, are you interested in that robe?"

The shopkeeper hurried over, rubbing his hands together.

"This piece is the pride of our store."

"Huh?"

"It's a robe made from wyvern skin. The skin is impressively durable, magic-resistant, and can withstand sword strikes."

I examined the robe.

The design wasn't particularly intricate, but it looked functional for combat.

"I'll take this."

My declaration took the shopkeeper by surprise.

"Well... it's quite expensive..."

"Oh, I didn't ask about the price. How much is it?"

He hesitated before revealing,

"Well... it's 10 gold."

10 gold?

I didn't know prices well enough to know how much that was, but it was an amount of money I could easily afford.

"Okay, I'll take it."

"Ar-are you sure?"

"Yes, please wrap it neatly."

"Th-thank you!"

The shopkeeper grabbed the robe and scurried to the back of the store to wrap it.

As the day wore on, the city began to quiet.

Shops began closing, and the traffic of carriages dwindled.

"Hmm...."

Rie looked at the sky, scanning the area.

Seeing her, I proposed,

"Hey, let's head back."

"No, wait a bit."

Astina and I exchanged confused glances as Rie continued to scan the area.

What was she waiting for?

My stomach rumbled, signaling that it was time for dinner.

After a while, my curiosity got the better of me.

"Hey, what are you waiting for?"

Rie looked at me, her head tilted to one side.

"That's strange."

"What's strange?"

"When are they going to launch the fireworks?"

She asked innocently.

"......Fireworks?"

"Yes. Shouldn't it be time for them?"

I stared at her, surprised.

"That's odd...."

Rie looked at the sky, her brow furrowed in confusion.

I quietly moved closer to Astina.

In a whisper, I asked her.

"Is today a special occasion?"

"No, it's just a regular weekday."

"Then why does Rie expect fireworks?"

"I have no clue."

I stroked my chin, deep in thought.

Could Rie possibly believe there was a festival today?

Given the city's bustling atmosphere, it seemed reasonable.

After all, we had spent the day as if we were attending a festival.

Could this be a case of blissful ignorance?

"Hmm...."

I could tell Rie that today was not a festival day and that there would be no fireworks.

However, it felt like doing so would shatter her childlike anticipation.

It was like telling a child who stays up all night on Christmas that Santa isn't real.

"Could we possibly arrange for fireworks at this hour?"

"That's absurd. It's impossible with gunpowder, and equally impossible with magic."

Astina stated firmly.

"Impossible with magic?"

"Yes, orchestrating a fireworks display isn't doable with just one or two magic scrolls. If you try with such limited resources, the outcome would be more pitiful than impressive."

I glanced at Rie, whose hopeful eyes were fixed on the sky.

"But shouldn't we strive to preserve innocence?"

"Huh?"

"Please obtain one or two of those scrolls for me."

I opened the small bag I had with me.

Inside was Luna's spellbook.

I was hesitant to leave it at the academy, and equally hesitant to give it to Luna.

While it would be safe at the academy, I felt uncomfortable leaving it unattended.

And giving it to Luna was complicated because of the promise I had made with her.

Luna had asked me to give it to her only when she was ready.

"Please etch the magic circle on this page. I'll take care of the rest."

Gradually, a look of disappointment began to surface on Rie's face.

Rie was no fool, she was bound to realize something was wrong.

"Hey, let's head back."

"Why? Isn't this what you wanted to see?"

I smirked, holding Luna's spellbook in my hands, channeling mana into it.

My mana was absorbed into the spellbook, and a magic circle materialized in mid-air.

And......

-Whooosh!

-Bang!

Fireworks burst from the magic circle, soaring into the sky, exploding into a vibrant kaleidoscope of colors.

"Huh?"

"We're just getting started, sit back."

I channeled a considerable amount of mana into the spellbook, generating dozens of magic circles in the air, firing a multitude of fireworks into the night sky.

"Ugh...."

It drained a lot of my mana.

Making me cough in pain.

However, as I watched the sky, the pain seemed to dissipate.

Compared to a grand fireworks display, it was modest, yet captivating.

As though dozens of flowers were blossoming against the vast, inky canvas of the sky.

The floral blossoms were sparse, insufficient to fill the canvas, but enough to create a sense of ethereal beauty.

"Wow...."

Rie gasped in awe, her eye fixated on the sky.

"This is... what you wanted to see, right?"

As I said with a smile, Rie looked at me, her face a mix of surprise and wonder.

"You... did this?"

I didn't answer, only returned her surprise with a smile.

"......Thank you."

Rie, her face aglow with sheer joy, thanked me with heartfelt sincerity.

***

Damn Rudy has game. Though he's painfully oblivious to it...

Also doubt anyone should be allowed to use magic within cities but let's just ignore that part.

2/5 Enjoy the chappy!

Coming soon!