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"Now then, here I go—"
Atop the roof of the Academy Tower, Zen raised both hands toward the heavens.
Clouds instantly gathered overhead, blanketing the sky in moments. As the guests below watched in wonder, streaks of lightning flashed within the dark mass. The bolts converged toward the center of the clouds, increasing in intensity until—Boom! With a roar of thunder, a giant flower of light bloomed in the sky.
Fireworks. Usually, these were created by detonating gunpowder-packed shells to make beautiful blossoms of fire, but Zen had recreated the effect using lightning against a backdrop of storm clouds.
"Whoa! To manipulate lightning with that much precision... as expected of one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Army!"
"Indeed. Gathering clouds, summoning lightning, and then forcing it to manifest in forms that don't occur in nature... that's a feat impossible without extraordinary magic control."
Grimo and Jiriel were exactly right. Manipulating the weather itself required more than just delicate control; it demanded a staggering amount of mana. I suspected his trick involved integrating his Magic Body directly into the atmosphere to bend the weather to his will.
Man, that was a sight to see. You didn't get to witness a technique of that caliber every day.
Boom! Ka-boom! Lightning burst in the sky, and beautiful blossoms of electricity bloomed in profusion. As I watched in admiration, Zen turned back toward me.
"Is this satisfactory?"
"Yeah. Looks like everyone's loving it."
The guests below were gazing up at Zen's lightning fireworks, letting out cries of astonishment. It was hard to believe they had been so frustrated about the wait just a few minutes ago. They stared at the sky, shouting in excitement every time a new bolt flared.
In the meantime, preparations for the stalls inside the gates were progressing steadily; more than half appeared to be ready. Just as I was thinking it might be time, the bell of the Academy Tower rang out with a heavy Gong.
"Aha—test, test! Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting! The William Academy Festival officially begins now!"
Following Birgitte's voice, the academy gates swung open, and the crowd began streaming inside. The festival had begun in earnest.
"Good work out here, Lloyd."
Albert stepped onto the roof, followed by Sylpha and Ren of the Poison Moth.
"Albert-niisan, are your preparations finished already?"
"Yeah. Plus, I was a bit concerned about how Zen was handling things... though it looks like I didn't need to worry. I'm glad to see he's being so cooperative."
"...I simply have no desire to die quite yet," Zen muttered. He crossed his arms and shot a bored look at Albert, who gave him a playful wink.
Birgitte's Crystal Nucleus was deployed around Zen's neck; it was designed to activate the moment he attempted to harm a human. If it triggered, it would instantly sever his points of restraint. Birgitte had mentioned the device came with that function pre-installed. It was a thoroughly dangerous piece of equipment.
"At any rate, my own work has reached a lull, so I'll take over as the observer. You were looking forward to the festival too, weren't you, Lloyd?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"Heh, I appreciate the concern. But I have these two with me, so there won't be any problems."
Sylpha and Ren of the Poison Moth nodded. It was true—with the two who had taken down Ganjit standing guard, they could surely protect Albert even if the unthinkable happened.
"Besides, I still have plenty of work for Zen to do. It's more efficient if I handle him, since I'm the one who knows the schedule."
"I understand. If that's the case, I'll leave him to you."
"Right. Go enjoy yourself! Zen, you don't have an issue with this, do you?"
"None at all."
Zen nodded at Albert's words. He was being remarkably docile. Come to think of it, why did he even come to the academy? Even while he was setting off the fireworks, he had been scanning the area as if searching for something... well, maybe human cities were just a novelty to him. Regardless, the school festival was more important to me right now.
This festival was the culmination of the elite students' academic lives. Even just looking down from above, I had been vibrating with excitement at the sheer variety of exhibits and stalls. I had particularly high hopes for the Magic Department's research results. I was sure they would be useful for my own studies, and even if they weren't, it just sounded like fun.
Most of all, I was curious about what Connie had been working on while holed up in her room. Thinking about it made it impossible to sit still.
"I'm heading out then, Albert-niisan!"
"Go on, have a blast."
Seeing off by Albert, I dashed toward the festival grounds.
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"Man, every single one of those was worth the trip. That was incredible."
I let out a sigh of deep satisfaction, stuffing my face with a fruit sandwich I'd grabbed for lunch. I had started from one end and worked my way through, and every department's exhibit was brimming with effort.
"Sure was. Personally, I thought that sculpture from the Swordsmanship Department was something else," Grimo mused.
He was talking about the centerpiece by the gate—a three-meter-tall statue of a hero brandishing a sword. The guests had been marvelling at the craftsmanship. It bore a slight resemblance to me... but it was ridiculously tall and far too dazzling, so it was probably meant to be someone else. Definitely.
"I thought the purple flower at the central entrance was the highlight. 'Medicinal Flower Dedicated to My Master'... oh, such beautiful devotion!"
Jiriel was gushing over the flower created by the Pharmacy Department. It was a stunning purple blossom, but apparently, it had originally been a common lily. The explanation posted nearby said they had meticulously balanced doses of poison and medicine throughout its growth to create a shape and color never before seen in nature. One wrong move and it would have withered—or grown into something grotesque. It was a masterpiece, and the guests had been sighing in enchantment.
"Yeah. The other departments were great, but those two were clearly on another level with Sylpha and Ren of the Poison Moth involved."
Those two were apparently the top prospects in their respective fields. Their presence naturally elevated the quality of everything around them. The Swordsmanship and Pharmacy exhibits seemed to be drawing the biggest crowds.
And while they weren't in the spotlight, the Economics Department deserved credit for the logistics. Normally, a festival this size would be a chaotic mess, but everything was moving smoothly. Albert really knew what he was doing.
I'd caught glimpses of Zen during my tour, following orders and handling various chores. My worries had been unfounded; he was flying all over the campus, obediently doing whatever Albert told him to.
"Still, we didn't see hide nor hair of that girl with the glasses," Grimo noted, referring to Connie.
It seemed her exhibit still wasn't finished. I'd heard she was still locked in her club room, working feverishly. She came out for meals occasionally, so she was at least alive, but I was starting to worry.
"Master Lloyd, at this rate, the festival will be over before she's done. Perhaps you should go offer your assistance?"
"She said she didn't want me to see it until it was finished. Intervening now would be tactless."
Besides, she had turned me down when I offered to help before. Pestering her would only add to her stress. The festival lasted for five days; even excluding today, there were four more to go. And if she didn't make the deadline, I could just have her show me the finished product later.
"In the meantime, I'm going to take my time exploring the rest of the stalls."
"If that is what you wish, Master."
"You got it, boss!"
I continued to enjoy the festival. However, even after the second and third days passed, Connie didn't emerge. According to Sylpha and the others who went to check on her, she said she only needed a little more time and would definitely be done by the final day... I really hoped she'd make it.
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"Honestly, Zen, what are you thinking?"
That night, in the academy's backyard, Sheraha stood facing Zen.
"Playing errand boy for humans... you haven't been looking for the Child of the Vessel at all, have you?"
"...That is not true. I have been searching in the gaps between my duties, but I cannot sense her presence anywhere."
"It's true there are a lot of humans with decent mana here, which might mask her signature... but if you actually got serious, you could find a way around that, couldn't you?"
"..."
Zen didn't answer. In truth, he wasn't without options. His mana had recovered significantly, and he had already deciphered most of the Crystal Nucleus's structure. He could escape whenever he wanted. He could, for example, regenerate a new head from his torso and allow his original head to be severed like a lizard shedding its tail—a feat possible for a Magic Body like him, though Albert and the others were unaware of it.
The reason he hadn't done so was simple.
"Hah... just as I feared. You really are stupidly responsible."
Sheraha sighed. Zen looked away awkwardly. In the Demon World, where strength was the only law, Zen was a man who was honest to a fault. No matter how underhanded his opponents were, he always strove for fairness and fought head-on. Many mocked him as a meathead behind his back, but he had many young subordinates who adored him for that very integrity.
Having been defeated and then spared, it was only natural to him that he should work to repay the debt while he was here.
"I have not forgotten our mission. The festival ends tomorrow night. Once the humans are exhausted and asleep, I will find the Girl of the Vessel and make contact."
"...Well, as Four Heavenly Kings, we're technically equals, so I'm not going to tell you how to do your job. But I can't just leave this to you anymore. You won't complain if I step in, right?"
Zen nodded. "Of course. As the one who suffered defeat, I have no right to object."
"Y-you're taking that surprisingly hard..."
Sheraha gave him an exasperated look. Zen was the type who fought best when his heart was in it; in a situation that didn't sit right with his sense of honor, he lost all motivation. With his current mindset, he wouldn't be much help anyway. Sheraha decided it would be better for them to act independently rather than try to force a partnership.
"Anyway, let's both do what we can."
"Yeah. For the sake of our Master."
The two lightly clapped their palms together and parted ways. The final day of the school festival was about to begin.