The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned-Chapter 218: The Seven Stars Festival (4)
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Chapter 218: The Seven Stars Festival (4)
Spending a luxurious afternoon sandwiched between two maids(?), I spent several hours basking in bliss.
Before I knew it, it was 4 p.m.
I bid farewell to Iris and Yurina and headed out to meet Professor Elisha.
Professor Elisha was surveying the bustling central square, now livelier and more crowded than it had been in the morning, with her sharp gaze.
“You’re here.”
“Oh, Candidate Dale.”
Professor Elisha turned her head toward me.
“Fufu. Have you been enjoying the festival?”
“Well... I suppose I’ve enjoyed it in my own way.”
Though, honestly, it feels like I’ve been enjoying something other than the festival.
Anyway.
“Professor Elisha, have you been monitoring the square since morning?”
“Well, yes. Ensuring the candidates can safely enjoy the festival is also part of a professor’s duties, isn’t it?”
Saying so, she shrugged her shoulders.
“Have you eaten yet?”
“Well… not yet.”
Tsk.
I knew it.
“I brought you something to eat.”
“This is… omurice?”
“Yes. No matter how important your monitoring is, you need to eat while doing it.”
“Hm. To think I’d be lectured about skipping meals by Candidate Dale, who often skips them for training.”
“Ugh. That’s….”
“Fufu. I’m just kidding.”
With a faint smile, Professor Elisha began eating the omurice I had packed in a lunchbox.
“Any suspicious individuals?”
“Fortunately, not so far.”
Nom nom.
It seemed she was quite hungry, as she ate the omurice with gusto.
Suppressing a small chuckle, I handed her some green tea.
“Hm.”
Professor Elisha sipped the tea and then narrowed her eyes at me.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking that Candidate Dale seems to be quite skilled at dealing with women.”
“…Does bringing a lunchbox and tea warrant such a comment?”
“Fufu. Women are simpler yet more complex creatures than one might think.”
“That sounds like something contradictory, like ‘warm ice cream.’”
Swallowing another laugh, I sat down next to her.
“By the way, considering I can’t really enjoy a date with Candidate Dale today, was it necessary to take the time to come and meet me? Wouldn’t it be better to spend more time with another lover?”
“You’re one of my lovers too, Professor Elisha.”
“…….”
Flinch.
Professor Elisha’s shoulders stiffened, and she quickly turned her head away.
“W-When did I become one of Candidate Dale’s lovers?”
“Huh? Aren’t we in a relationship?”
We even went to the hot springs together.
“Well… I vaguely remember saying that it wasn’t necessary to officially become lovers right away.”
“Oh.”
Now that I think about it, she did say something like that.
Something about knowing my complicated situation and not needing to formalize the relationship just yet.
“Well, let’s say we’re officially lovers starting today.”
There was a time when I’d agonize over such unconventional relationships.
But ever since I resolved to make everyone happy without leaving anyone out, I’ve decided not to dwell on it anymore.
“Candidate Dale, you….”
Did she not expect me to declare it so boldly?
Professor Elisha looked at me with wide eyes, then turned her head away again.
“Why are you turning your head?”
“I-I’m checking for suspicious individuals.”
“Your ears are red.”
“Quiet!”
With a bright red face, Professor Elisha tugged at my cheek.
As expected.
She’s surprisingly shy.
I chuckled silently to myself, watching her flushed face.
“Whew. Get up. Let’s take a walk.”
Fanning her face, Professor Elisha stood up.
“Hmm? Is it okay for you to leave here?”
“It’s called patrolling.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Professor Elisha started walking ahead.
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I wanted to hold her hand like other couples, but since this was officially ‘on-duty surveillance,’ that wasn’t an option.
Instead, I walked close enough for our shoulders to brush as we strolled through the school grounds.
“This feels strange.”
“What does?”
“Walking around a festival with… my student. No, my lover.”
Professor Elisha glanced at me with a faint smile.
“I never cared whether a festival was held or not before.”
“It’s the same for me.”
No matter how far back I dug into my memories of my previous life, I had no significant recollection of the Seven Star Festival.
“I used to wonder why everyone made such a fuss over something as trivial as a festival… but now I think I understand.”
Professor Elisha chuckled softly as she watched the candidates enjoying the festival in the central square.
“By the way, it really does seem like there are a lot of couples here.”
“Aren’t we a couple too?”
“Cough. Well, that’s true.”
While chatting and enjoying what was essentially a patrolling date, we saw something unusual.
“S-Senior Sophia! Where exactly are you dragging me off to?!”
“Be quiet and just follow me.”
Berald was being dragged along by Sophia, who firmly held his hand.
‘I was wondering where they went, and it turns out the two of them are enjoying the festival in their own way.’
Sophia was tugging on Berald’s clothes, heading toward the center of the plaza.
“Oh? When did Candidate Berald and Candidate Sophia start dating?”
“Well… I don’t think they’re officially dating yet.”
Even if Sophia seems to have a crush on Berald, that guy has his own share of… issues, I suppose.
“Still, seeing them together like that, it seems like only a matter of time.”
“Who knows…”
Well, personal preferences don’t change so easily, do they?
Swallowing back the words that almost escaped my lips, I watched the retreating figures of Berald and Senior Sophia.
“They seem to be heading toward the plaza center… Shall we follow?”
“Let’s.”
Professor Elisha and I followed the pair toward the center of the plaza.
The closer we got to the center, the more the number of couples increased dramatically.
The candidate couples weren’t wandering around enjoying the festival.
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Instead, they were sitting on benches or mats spread on the ground, snacking on food from nearby stalls, as if waiting for something.
“It feels like the number of couples is growing by the minute.”
“Well, it’s probably because they’re all gathered for the ‘heart-shaped fireworks.’”
“Heart-shaped fireworks? What’s that?”
“Huh? You don’t know about them?”
Given how busy she’s been lately with festival preparations and scouting for beast-gang intruders, it seems the rumors about the heart-shaped fireworks hadn’t reached her.
“You know the story, don’t you? During the festival fireworks display, there’s a heart-shaped firework that goes off once. And if couples kiss at that exact moment, it’s said they’ll stay together forever.”
“Hmm…”
Professor Elisha narrowed her eyes and folded her arms.
“That’s nonsense.”
“Haha, I thought so too. Well, every festival has its fair share of superstitions…”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Pardon?”
“There are no heart-shaped fireworks.”
“…No heart-shaped fireworks?”
But the rumor has already spread like wildfire among the candidates.
Are you telling me now that there’s no such thing as heart-shaped fireworks?
What does that even mean?
“In the documents for the festival fireworks display, there’s no mention of fireworks shaped like hearts.”
“…Maybe it’s a surprise event?”
“Hmm. Hold on a moment. If I recall correctly, Professor Bianca was in charge of the fireworks preparations.”
Professor Elisha took out her Hero Watch and contacted someone.
A familiar female voice echoed through the hologram window.
[Oh, that rumor has been causing me trouble. Should I rush to make one now? But there’s not enough time…]
A firm denial came from the person directly in charge of the fireworks preparations.
“So, the rumor is completely baseless?”
“Well… you could say that.”
“What…”
I thought it was strange that I hadn’t heard such rumors in my previous life.
But to think it was all a lie?
“…Something feels off.”
Professor Elisha stroked her chin, her eyes narrowing.
“Candidate Dale. You said you heard this rumor from Candidate Berald, correct?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Do you think Candidate Berald is the type to take an interest in such rumors?”
“No, not at all.”
If anything, he’d be more interested in the daily specials at the candidate cafeteria than in some romantic rumor.
“So even Candidate Berald heard about this rumor despite being uninterested in such things.”
Professor Elisha’s sharp gaze glimmered.
“Suspicious, isn’t it?”
“Are you saying someone spread the rumor deliberately?”
“I can’t say for certain, but it’s a strong possibility.”
“……”
Now that I think about it, Berald did mention that the rumor spread suddenly over the past few days.
‘The question is, who spread it, and why?’
Was it just to mess with couples waiting for heart-shaped fireworks?
That’s a plausible explanation, but…
-Did you know? The heart shape is actually modeled after a human heart.
“……!”
At that moment, a voice echoed in my head.
I quickly turned my head, scanning the surroundings, but I couldn’t find the source of the voice.
“What’s wrong, Candidate Dale?”
“…Someone just spoke to me.”
“Someone spoke to you?”
Ignoring Professor Elisha’s furrowed brow, I focused again.
-So, what if…?
The mysterious voice echoed in my head once more.
-If a person’s heart goes boom! Explodes, wouldn’t that be the real ‘heart-shaped firework’?
Who are you?
Where are you speaking from?
-Haha! Why are you looking around like that?
Focus.
Even if it’s an advanced communication spell, leaving your voice directly in someone’s mind would still leave magical traces.
-Trying to trace my magic? That won’t be easy. This artifact is based on the ‘Three Great Dilemmas of the Great Sage,’ after all.
Oh?
Is that so?
-Even if the Great Sage himself came back to life, he wouldn’t be able to find me so easily—
I turned my gaze to the top of the school annex.
Hundreds of meters away, on the rooftop of the annex building, I spotted a boy sitting on the edge, his legs swinging. Half his face was hidden by a monkey mask.
“Oh?”
The corners of the boy’s mouth twisted into a smirk beneath the mask.
“Found me, huh?”
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