It happened one morning. I had stepped out into the garden, thinking I’d give Bell a good brushing, when I spotted a black line cutting through the sky.
The sight was incredibly familiar—the kind of thing you never forget once you’ve seen it. When I saw the circular black trail that followed immediately after, I knew exactly who had arrived.
"Sworn Friend! The time is upon us! Our covenant, forged in the depths of the past, is finally due for fulfillment! The Light of Hope has ascended from the land of Arclesia, becoming a Star Shining in the Dark Night. The curtain rises on the festivities! The days marked upon the calendar are few... we must prepare!"
"...Hello, Amel-san."
"Hello, Sworn Friend. I'm sorry for dropping in so ear—Ahem! My apologies for the intrusion at such an early hour. However, I felt I had to deliver this joy to my Sworn Friend as swiftly as possible."
"I see."
I nodded while mentally parsing Amel-san's words. A covenant forged in the depths of the past... She was just being dramatic; she likely meant the promise we had made before.
As for the part about the land of Arclesia... Essentially, there was going to be a festival in the Arclesia Empire, and she had come to consult me about our previous promise to run a stall together. That made sense.
"I think I understand. Since it was a promise, I don't have a problem with it, but... when is this festival in Arclesia?"
"When the moon has cycled seven times, the Great Banquet shall begin."
"Seven months from now. Got it."
...Isn't that way too far in the future? Seven months was more than half a year away. Well, knowing Amel-san, she had probably looked up the festival schedule and came flying over immediately in her excitement.
In fact, she looked quite happy even now. Considering she wanted to start discussing the details this early, she must be incredibly invested.
"...We promised to run the kind of stall you like, right? Do you have something specific in mind?"
"Hmph. Sworn Friend, do not misunderstand. I have prepared a stage worthy of us. We are not beings who can be contained within such small frames... isn't that right?"
"Wait, what? We aren't just running a normal stall?"
"Indeed! The vessel we shall pilot is a Brilliant Ark known as a festival. The course is ours to set. Now, let us scatter vibrant colors across its wake!"
"...Are you serious?"
I’d had a sneaking suspicion, but it turned out to be an invitation to join the management side of the festival itself. Or rather, it had already been decided that the festival would take place, right? In that case, seven months might actually be a short timeframe.
Hosting a festival? How did it turn into that? Amel-san was the leader of the Winged Race and held considerable power, so the fact that she could organize a festival wasn't strange in itself, but still...
"Ehehe... I just really wanted to hold a festival with you, Sworn Friend, so I went around negotiating with everyone. I finally got permission! I'm so excited—a festival made together with my Sworn Friend—Hah?! Cough. Ahem. Pardon me. I was momentarily overcome and lost my composure. It seems I am still young and impulsive..."
"...But I don't have any experience hosting a festival."
"Rest assured, Sworn Friend. It is not as if we are creating a brand-new event from scratch. It was originally a festival where three different races gathered, but it’s been decided that we will take charge of it this time. The foundation already exists; what it needs is color. The helmsmen are ready, and the crew is assembled. We shall simply decorate the ship."
In other words, we were the planners for an existing festival. Since the people to actually run it were already there, we didn't need to worry about the nitty-gritty logistics. We just had to come up with the ideas.
"So, basically, our role is to brainstorm the events and activities for the festival?"
"As expected, my thoughts have reached you perfectly. Yes! Let us become the flowers that color the festival together, my Sworn Friend!"
"I understand. Well, if we're going to discuss it... it's a bit awkward to stand out here, so please, come inside."
"Yes, thank you for having me."
Amel-san looked delighted as she followed me into the house with a beaming smile. While planning sounded like it would be a lot of work, Amel-san mentioned we only needed to finalize things about four months before the event, giving us a three-month buffer.
I figured we could take our time thinking things over while we talked. If anything, my job would likely involve tactfully restraining Amel-san when she proposed her more chuunibyou-inspired events and guiding her toward something more sensible. Either way, it looked like I had my work cut out for me.
That said, it also sounded like fun. Seeing Amel-san's joyful expression, I couldn't find even a shred of a reason to turn her down.
???: "Hmm, since there's no ① in the title, it looks like this isn't something that will happen right away... Oh, by the way, Serious-senpai is bedridden. Well, since this isn't a Sweet Story, I suppose it's for the best..."