Chapter 76

The carriage carrying the three of them followed the road toward the lake city at a steady pace.

Mikhail sat by the window, gazing absently at the scenery drifting past.

Then he shifted his eyes to the seat across from him.

Edwin had been rattling off complaints from the moment he'd dropped into his seat.

"I seriously thought I was gonna die. If we'd left three days from now instead of today, I probably would've been bedridden and couldn't even go."

Julien watched him and snickered.

"You worked really hard, Edwin. This mission doesn't look particularly tough, so you can take it easy."

Edwin's face softened a little at that, and he nodded.

"Right? I mean, sure, officially it's about adding personnel or whatever, but it doesn't seem like a big deal. Just grab a security badge, wander around during the festival, do some people-watching, and call it a day. Doesn't get cushier than that."

Edwin nodded to himself with a satisfied grin, then folded his arms and closed his eyes.

Before long, the soft rhythm of sleep-heavy breathing followed.

Mikhail watched Edwin doze for a moment, then pulled his gaze away and looked at Julien across from him.

"Julien. I need to tell you something."

"Hm?"

Mikhail held Julien's gaze in silence for a beat, then spoke evenly.

"Let's stop training together for a while."

The crisp clatter of hooves hung over the silence that followed.

Julien swallowed a thick breath, hesitated, then asked.

"Out of nowhere? Why?"

"Something's come up that I need to handle separately. I'll find a different way for you to release your mana."

"Ah, okay…."

Julien murmured his reply and dropped his eyes.

He kept his head bowed for a moment, but soon looked up again and smiled as though any arrangement was fine by him.

"Sure. Just let me know when you want to start again."

Julien's face was calm as he answered. The smile that spread across it responded to the information he'd been given and nothing more.

Mikhail watched him without a word. Then he turned his gaze toward the window and spoke.

"Yeah."

---

The sun had crossed its peak and was tilting westward.

The carriage rolled into the lake city of Elfensia and came to a stop at a platform set in the middle of the road.

Mikhail and the other two climbed out and stepped onto the smoothly paved street.

"Ugh, my back. Sitting for half a day straight is killing me. So now we need to find the request office or whatever it's—"

Edwin was grumbling and kneading his lower back when he looked ahead and blinked.

A building with a round, blue-tiled roof—the request office—sat right in front of them.

Mikhail took in the Mediterranean-style buildings lining the street, then walked past Edwin, who'd frozen mid-step.

"Elfensia's platform was designed with visitors in mind. No long trek like last time."

"……."

Mikhail pushed the door open and stepped inside.

He crossed the sky-blue carpet on the floor, passed through the hall, and stopped in front of the reception desk at the far end.

The attendant greeted them with a warm smile. Mikhail held out his documents.

"We're from Salvator Academy. Here for the prayer festival personnel reinforcement."

The attendant took the documents, looked them over, and beamed.

"Welcome! You must have done wonderfully on your last mission. We're looking forward to seeing what you do this time."

Mikhail gave a measured nod and glanced to either side.

Julien wore a bashful smile, and Edwin had puffed up his shoulders and folded his arms with unmistakable pride.

And then there were Han and Ul.

"Hmph."

Snorting little puffs of air for no particular reason.

When Mikhail turned back to the front, the attendant added in a friendly voice.

"Why don't you drop off your bags first? There's a hotel for support personnel right in the alley behind us. Just present the ID cards I'm about to give you, and they'll assign your rooms."

"Understood."

Mikhail took the rectangular badges and turned around.

Julien and Edwin did the same, heading for the exit.

The group made it a few steps before Mikhail—and only Mikhail—lifted his gaze toward the window.

Through the clear glass, the sky stretched wide above.

Amid the white clouds drifting lazily overhead, a single dark cloud threaded its way through.

---

The hotel the attendant had mentioned boasted the best view in the city.

Through the room's window, the lake on the outskirts of Elfensia spread in full, unobstructed view.

And as if determined not to be outdone by the scenery, the furnishings were top-quality as well.

Julien stepped into his assigned room.

Click.

Bed, desk, shelves, rocking chair…. He walked past the furniture filling the space, stopped in front of the table, set down his bag, and began arranging what he'd brought.

Clatter.

The shelves were about half full when he paused and turned his head toward the window.

The lake—so blue it shimmered white—poured into his field of vision.

"……."

Julien stared at the water.

Its pale blue surface looked exactly like someone had taken his mana and laid it flat across the landscape.

And with that thought, a scene from earlier surfaced unbidden.

The moment Mikhail had sat across from him in the carriage and told him they'd stop training….

[Let's stop training together for a while.]

[Something's come up that I need to handle separately. I'll find a different way for you to release your mana.]

Julien let out a long breath.

When he'd first heard those words, a dull ache had pricked his chest. His mouth had gone a little dry, too.

But all of that vanished almost as quickly as it came. The sudden change of topic must have just caught him off guard.

After that, nothing in particular crossed his mind.

The training with Mikhail had always been about releasing his mana. That was the whole point.

Nothing more, nothing less. No reason to dwell on it.

Rustle.

Julien pulled his eyes from the lake and went back to unpacking.

Before long, everything he'd brought was laid out in its place—all except one bare corner at the bottom of the shelf.

Julien gazed at the shelf.

His eyes fixed on that empty space, lingering there, while the sensation at his fingertips prickled with a roughness he couldn't quite explain.

---

With their bags sorted, the three of them gathered at the request office once more.

The attendant—already a familiar face—greeted them without hesitation and handed over their first assignment.

"There you are! Perfect timing—there was exactly one important task sitting open. Thanks to you three joining us, we can finally get it done—"

…And now.

Mikhail and the other two stood planted in the middle of a main road that branched off in every direction through the city.

Loaded down with signboards and sheets of guide stickers.

"……."

Mikhail was scanning his surroundings when a disgruntled mutter erupted from a step to his left.

"Are you kidding me? Stickers on the pavement, signboards at every intersection…. How is this an 'important task'?"

Mikhail glanced at Edwin out of the corner of his eye.

Edwin's face was scrunched into a sour knot, lips twisted in a pout, while Julien smiled at him like someone coaxing a child.

"Come on… if we take care of this now, it'll cut down on the work that piles up on the day of the festival. They said this year's turnout is going to be huge, so there'll be tons of odd jobs. Knocking stuff out early just makes life easier later. Right?"

"Tch."

Edwin wrinkled his nose but didn't argue further. Mikhail turned to face both of them.

"The three of us moving together isn't efficient. Let's split up, finish separately, and regroup."

"Agreed. That's smarter."

The moment Julien nodded, Mikhail extended his hand and gestured in a wide arc toward the city's center and its flanks.

"Julien, take the main square and the major streets. Edwin, you've got the shopping district. Once you're done, meet back at the hotel lobby."

"What about you, Mikhail?"

Julien tilted his head and asked. Mikhail pointed toward the outskirts and spoke slowly.

"I'm heading to the outer residential area."

"Huh?"

Edwin let slip a noise of surprise. His eyebrows shot up and twitched a couple of times before a knowing grin spread across his face.

"Oh, now I see what you're up to. You're trying to coast."

Edwin jabbed Mikhail's shoulder with a triumphant look.

"The outskirts means nobody around, and even if you half-ass the job, who's gonna care? …Hey, switch with me. I'll take the outskirts."

Mikhail had been rocking forward with each poke. The instant Edwin finished, he nodded.

"Sure. You go."

"Huh?"

Edwin flinched, eyes blinking wide. Mikhail tilted his head and tapped his chin.

"Actually, that works out even better. The shopping district this time of year will be in the middle of festival prep—decorations going up everywhere. Plenty to look at. If you're lucky, you might even score a free pastry or two."

"……."

"And you'll get to watch people hauling around crates full of all sorts of curious things."

Edwin stiffened, then started inching backward.

His olive-green eyes darted around as if searching for an escape. Mikhail kept his tone perfectly casual.

"The outskirts, on the other hand—nothing to see but winding alleys and dingy walls. But hey, sure. Let's switch. I've got nothing to lose—"

"N-no! No! Forget it! Take it back! Let's just do what you said! That's definitely better now that I think about it!"

Edwin cut him off in a flurry, then scrambled onto the road leading toward the shopping district.

Julien watched him go with a giggle, then hoisted a signboard onto his shoulder.

"See you later."

He tossed out the farewell in a light, breezy voice, turned, and walked away.

Mikhail watched his retreating figure for a moment, then set off down the road toward the outer residential area.

Crunch.

The scenery around him grew quieter and more monotonous. Mikhail stopped, stood still, and slowly tilted his head back to gaze at the sky.

Above the peaceful drift of fair-weather clouds, the streaks of gray woven between them had grown a little thicker since the last time he'd looked.

Mikhail narrowed his eyes in silence.

Dark clouds, building their numbers bit by bit.

They were the harbinger of an unprecedented downpour—one that would begin pouring down very soon and last all the way until the day the prayer festival started.