With only about two weeks left until the start of the Cultural Festival, the countdown had truly begun.
In practice, with holidays factored into the schedule, we had even less time than that.
Lately, every classroom had been a hive of activity after school. Everyone was busy preparing their respective attractions, and our class was no exception; we were set to open a Maid Cafe.
Rumors of our project had already spread throughout the Academy, and apparently, it was even becoming a topic of conversation among the public.
As it happened, Mercrose Magic Academy would hold its festival one week after Arnold Magic Academy’s, followed by Diom Magic Academy’s a week after that.
Since the dates didn't overlap, it was common for students from the other schools to visit. While these visits also served as unofficial inspections, the order rotated every year, and this year, our academy was the first on the schedule.
"Alright... how does this look?"
"Oh, Ray, looking good!"
While the girls were inside the classroom sewing maid outfits and preparing the interior decor, we men were working outside. The boys had been assigned the manual labor, so we were currently hard at work crafting signboards.
Naturally, I had no intention of slacking off.
First, Evi and I used a saw to cut the boards into the desired shapes, and then the other boys used sandpaper to smooth the surfaces and corners. We needed more than one; we had to prepare several signs, ranging from indoor displays to outdoor advertisements.
"I’ll begin carving the letters now."
Standing up smoothly, I prepared to engrave the finished board. To ensure they would catch the eye, I first carved the outlines of the characters with a chisel before layering paint over them. This was the most effective way to finish a sign.
"Hey, watch. Here he goes."
"Yeah..."
"White's lettering is incredible."
"This is going to be something to see..."
As the other boys watched with bated breath, I picked up the chisel and took a bird's-eye view of the entire board.
I visualized it—picturing the exact layout and flow of the characters I was about to carve.
Once the Imaging was complete, I began driving the chisel into the wood without a moment's hesitation.
"Whoa!"
"He doesn't even pause...!"
"But look at the finish."
"It's perfect."
"Heh heh... with this, our class’s victory is guaranteed..."
I wielded the chisel with single-minded devotion. Truth be told, I was quite skilled at this sort of work. As usual, it was a result of being trained by my Master—or rather, it was part of a sad history where I had no choice but to learn...
"There. That should do it."
When I finished the first signboard, the group let out a collective "Ohh!" of admiration.
"Incredible!"
"This is basically a work of art."
"For real... he even added illustrations."
"And look at the way White applies the paint. He's a craftsman."
"Seriously, what is up with this guy's specs? Regardless of him being an Ordinary, he’s just on another level..."
As I took a breather, Albert approached me.
"Ray. An impressive finish, as I've come to expect."
"Hmph... however, I only brought your design to life, Albert."
"That may be so, but the level of reproduction exceeds even my expectations."
"That’s only because I had a superior design to work with."
"I see. I'm glad to hear that."
As we traded compliments, Evi finished his own board-cutting task and joined us.
"Whoa! Ray, you're the best as always!"
"Evi. Well, it's the usual. Can I count on you for this next part?"
"Oh, the painting?"
"Yeah. I'll be working on it too, but I'd like you to handle this section."
"Heh. Leave it to me!"
Evi and I stood side-by-side in front of the signs.
The air was still. Without any wind to worry about, we could apply the paint perfectly.
"Hey, look. They're starting."
"Next is the paintwork, huh?"
"But it’s not just White this time..."
"Yeah. Who would've thought that muscle-bound Evi possessed such unexpected delicacy..."
"That one caught me off guard, too..."
Indeed. Evi was surprisingly adept at fine detail work, and he was currently demonstrating his true worth through the painting. To be fair, there had been glimpses of this talent during our Environmental Research Club activities leading up to the Magics Chevalier.
Even back then, Evi’s precision had been remarkable. When I asked him to help, knowing he had experience painting at his family home, he produced results that were truly top-tier. There were no drips, and not a single smudge of color bled outside the lines.
It was a painting process executed with absolute calculation.
It was, without a doubt, a form of art.
Then came the brushwork. Since I was handling the larger signboards, I started with relatively broad strokes, but Evi was different. He was working on the small sign that would sit right in front of the classroom.
Compared to Evi’s massive physique, the sign looked tiny.
Yet, he approached the painting with a look of utter gravity and focus.
Alright. I should focus as well...
"That's that."
"Right. That's perfect."
When Evi and I finished the signs, the other boys crowded around, letting out sighs of wonder.
"Whoa..."
"Are you serious..."
"Hey, look at the detail on these flowers."
"And did White draw these cute girls in maid outfits?"
"Yeah, he did. We were just watching him."
"Unbelievable..."
"Our class is going to rule the festival with this..."
Beyond mere surprise, everyone seemed a little overwhelmed by the level of perfection. I had drawn two maids on the sign, modeled after Amelia and Elisa.
Of course, I had obtained their permission beforehand (though in Elisa's case, Amelia had been the one to "persuade" her).
I based the drawings on the maid uniforms Amelia had designed, combined with the character aesthetics from Rebecca-senpai's manga. I simply picked up the brush and channeled the image of the two of them I see every day... and the result wasn't half bad.
When we all stepped back to view the signs together, the quality was undeniable.
"Now then, I'll leave the final touches to you all."
"You got it!"
With that, the remaining boys used magic to dry the paint. They generated gentle breezes while infusing them with just a touch of heat. This task also required absolute precision. Once everyone had finished their assigned sections with total concentration, the work on the signboards was officially complete.
"Alright, that’s a wrap. Now, I’m off to help out in the Student Council Office."
After informing the group, I hurried toward the Student Council Office.
◇
"Rebecca-senpai, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Oh? Ray-san. Was today a scheduled day for you?"
"No. However, I found a bit of free time, so I thought I'd offer a hand."
"Goodness... you always say that, yet here you are helping anyway."
"Please get used to it. I'm worried about you, Senpai."
"...Well, it certainly helps, so I won't complain. But please, make sure you prioritize your own class, alright?"
"Yes. I understand."
Taking my usual seat, I immediately began sorting through the documents. The workload wasn't particularly heavy at the moment; mostly checking the schedules for the day of the festival and verifying food supplies.
"By the way, Ray-san, what were you working on today?"
"I was making signboards."
"Signboards?"
"Yes. Actually, you might be able to see them from the balcony right now."
"Oh? Really?"
The two of us stepped out onto the balcony and looked down. Many students were still working below, but a particularly eye-catching set of signs was drawing a large crowd.
"Wait... did you make those, Ray-san?"
"Yes. Though the whole class pitched in."
"Who drew those girls? They look just like Amelia-san and Elisa-san."
"I did."
"What... Hold on. You did that without a preliminary sketch?"
"Yes. I already had the image in my head. Besides, I had consulted with Albert on the design beforehand."
"...I don't think you're in any position to talk about others, Ray-san."
"Eh?"
"You praised my doujinshi, but it seems you have a remarkable artistic talent of your own."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. It really is... I wish we could have worked on something together someday."
"Senpai..."
I could only see her profile, but her voice carried a faint, lonely resonance.
"Alright! Let's work hard and finish up today's tasks!"
"Right!"
She was as energetic as ever.
But precisely because of that, I couldn't shake a lingering sense of unease.
And so, with the air thick with preparation, the Arnold Magic Academy Cultural Festival was finally about to begin.