1.
Sotis, even dull monts beco unforgettable ones depending on who one spent their ti with.
Though the play they were watching wasn’t actually that exciting, the fact that he was doing it with Sharon was the thing that made it special.
After leaving Lenomond Town, the pair arrived at Tarot Town’s bustling square.
The Harvest Festival was set to peak after sunset.
As the twilight disappeared behind the spires, bonfires blazed to life in the center of the square, accompanied by loud singing.
Musicians, hopping around like rabbits with their oboes, lutes, and bagpipes, while n with tankards laughed heartily and joined in.
Older won lined up under various tents with homade dishes, while young girls, with wheat stalks tucked behind their ears, coyly fended off the boys’ playful advances.
Amidst the rrint, street vendors seized the chance to call out to the crowd, displaying boards overflowing with flowers and trinkets, while couples locked arms and spun around the soaring flas, dancing in circles.
Everyone basked in the festival, their faces lit with pure joy, as if the stars themselves had descended to light up the night.
“Da-da-da-dah-dah!”
Sharon was also clearly in high spirits.
From the way she bounced on her toes as she walked, it was clear that she just couldn’t contain her excitent the whole ti.
Humming along to the lively music while linking her arms with Siwoo, she spun him around playfully.
“Amazing, huh?”
“Mhm! I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I last went to the Harvest Festival!”
Sharon, having grown up in Gehenna, had only good mories of the festival.
Having struggled with hefty debts until now, she hadn’t had the chance to focus on any festival, but now, her debts were gone, and she was enjoying the festival with her boyfriend. Everything just felt almost surreal to her.
“Try this out, Siwoo!”
“What’s that?”
“Vin Mariani.”
It was sothing that could add an extra spark to the festival....
Vin Mariani, basically Gehenna’s version of a Red Bull.
Its recipe was simple.
They infused aged wine with coca leaves, then brewed it lightly.
Unlike coke, which was extracted from the sa coca leaves, drinking the leaves in this way removed most of its addictive properties, only leaving behind a mild stimulant that provided energy and a slight tonic effect.
This was sothing that even the pubs in Tarot Town would sell. Only on holidays, though.
“Sure, I’ll try it.”
Although, it was still made of coca leaves...
But, seeing how Sharon was all excited, Siwoo just pushed all his discomfort and accepted her offer.
Besides, spirit bodies had natural resistances to addiction due to their autonomous defense. Moreover, Gehenna’s Vin Mariani wasn’t known for being overly potent.
So, he decided to indulge in a little harmless fun.
“Cheers!”
With a few silver coins, they each got a bottle and clinked them together in a playful ‘love shot’.
The sweet, grape-flavored wine went down smoothly.
As for the effects...
Honestly, it was actually barely noticeable.
It was just a light buzz and a slight energy boost at best.
Then again, the fact that even Gehenna’s City Hall that was known for its strict control over everything, especially drugs, let the drink circulate, should speak volus of how harmless it was.
“It isn’t that strong, huh?”
“Yeah, it isn’t.”
After sharing a small, carefree laugh, they both blended back into the festival atmosphere.
They wandered from stall to stall, admiring various bronze ornants and glass crafts, and shared a spicy ginger cookie.
The lively atmosphere of the festival, filled with people’s laughter and music, seed to course through their veins.
As they moved from one stall to the next, weaving through the thick crowds, a young girl, no older than twelve, called out to Siwoo.
“Gentleman! Hey! Handso Gentleman!”
The noisiness and the unfamiliar title that she was using to call him made the pair fail to realize that the girl was calling him at first.
It was only when she tugged on his sleeve did they both realize that the ‘gentleman’ was directed at him.
Sharon, with cheeks flushed pink from the drink, giggled at the unexpected interaction.
“Since when are you a ‘gentleman’, hm~?”
“Stop teasing , what’s up?”
With a wry smile, Siwoo crouched to the girl’s eye level.
The girl held up the flower in her hand; her freckled face brimming with boldness as she spoke with confidence.
Given Sharon’s appearance, it was clear she was a witch, but the girl didn’t seem the slightest bit intimidated.
It was clear that she wasn’t an ordinary kid.
“Look here! This flower would suit the lovely witch perfectly! They say it takes a hero to win a lady’s heart, so give it to her right now!”
“Really? Should I buy one?”
“Wow, they do look pretty! A-Ahem, go on, my servant! Fetch the prettiest one of them all!”
Energized by the playful atmosphere, the girl threw herself even more passionately into her sales pitch.
I suppose I’ll buy one.
Everyone seems to have a flower or wheat tucked behind their ear anyway. Also, it would suit Sharon...
“How much for a single rose?”
Siwoo smiled as he rummaged through his wallet.
Even though the support from the Gemini Household was cut off, he still had a bit of money left from his days working at the host club.
“When it cos to gifts, it’s not just the gift itself but the sentint behind it that matters!”
“Huh?”
“These might be simple flowers, but on a special day like today, it ans much more when given to a beautiful witch.”
What is she on about?
Sharon, who had been smiling with her white teeth showing since earlier, watched the bargaining between the girl and Siwoo with great interest.
Although, it was less of a bargaining and more of her sweet-talking him into overpaying her.
“How much value do you think this flower holds once it’s decorating the lovely witch’s hair, Gentleman?”
In other words, the girl was saying that he should pay as much as he felt her ‘gift’ was worth, based on the sentint behind it.
Seeing how Siwoo was just blinking, confused, the girl let out a sigh before continuing.
“How about 2.5 pennies for one rose? That would express half of your heartfelt love, wouldn’t it?”
While Gehenna’s prices were notoriously high, charging 10,000 won for a single rose was outright daylight robbery.
Still, her cheeky attitude was endearing, and since it was a festival, he decided to buy the rest of her roses.
He figured out that he should help the girl to enjoy the festival quicker.
“Alright, give all of them. Keep the change.”
“Thank you, Handso Gentleman! Let trim the stems for you right away! No one arranges flowers better than in my village!”
With that, Siwoo ended up buying four roses at an absurd price.
The girl chatted excitedly about how she always picked the biggest and most beautiful flowers when she went gathering, and how all the villagers were eager to buy flowers from her, going into great detail about all sorts of trivial matters that no one had asked about.
“Thank you so much! I wish you a beautiful love story!”
As soon as the girl left, Sharon burst into laughter she had been holding in.
Siwoo knew he’d been a bit taken advantage of due to the child’s cuteness, but he couldn’t forget how flustered he looked at first.
“Ahaha... Haha.... Oh, god... I can’t... I laughed so hard, I’m crying... What do I do...?”
Practically collapsing against Siwoo’s body, she hung an arm over his shoulder and laughed until tears ca to her eyes.
“This nostalgic vibe... It’s been ages... Tarot Town hasn’t changed a bit...
“Still, you did well. Gotta hand it to her, she’s a sharp little thing, really knows how to charm our handso gentleman, Mr. Shin Siwoo.”
For Siwoo, it wasn’t much money, but he imagined that it would allow the little girl and her family to enjoy a much nicer al at least for today.
2.
As the night deepened and midnight drew near, the festival buzzed with even more energy.
There was a small scuffle between two n over a village girl, but the crowd treated it as just another part of the festivities.
The grand finale of the Harvest Festival, without a doubt, was the massive fireworks display at midnight.
Combining magic and gunpowder, the surreal fireworks that could not be seen anywhere else in the Modern World painted the night sky. The sight could always srize Siwoo, even back during his days as a slave.
The plaza was packed, leaving barely any room to move.
So people climbed onto rooftops to avoid the crowds, while others secured spots on terraces overlooking the square.
The bonfires that had once crackled with fierce, dancing flas were now smothered in sand. Clothes covered the lights scattered around the stalls and streets.
Now, with the stars visible again, the crowd gazed upward, murmuring in quiet anticipation.
“It feels like I’m sitting in a theater before the movie starts.”
Sharon’s words were spot-on.
At that mont, everyone’s eyes were on the sky.
-Peeeeeeing!
With a sudden sound, a firework shot across the night sky like a shooting star, leaving a glowing trail.
In a burst of color, fireworks spread like curtains opening, signaling the festival’s peak.
“Wow... It’s breathtaking, no matter how many tis I see it.”
This wasn’t a typical fireworks show.
Instead of disappearing after one burst, the fireworks, guided by magic, ford intricate shapes in the sky.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Snowflakes, a giant whale symbolizing abundance, stalks of wheat, and even scenes of rolling green fields lit up the night.
Under the brilliant lights, couples began to turn toward each other, as if drawn by an unspoken cue.
“Hey, did you know?”
When Siwoo snapped out of his daze, he noticed that Sharon was looking at him.
“They say couples who kiss under the Harvest Festival fireworks will stay together forever.”
Amidst the rainbow of lights spilling like stardust, Sharon wrapped her arms around Siwoo’s neck.
Then, they kissed.
To confirm their love for each other, they pressed their lips together while exchanging saliva.
Perhaps, the stunning scenery made this particular kiss feel special.
Siwoo could feel his heart racing, just like the very first ti they kissed.
Sharon, too, seed to feel the sa way. Her long lashes quivered as she held tightly onto his sleeve.
The sweetness of her breath.
The faint crackling sound of the dying embers above.
The soft scent of her skin.
And the delicate hint of wine.
In that fleeting mont, which felt both endless and quick, they slowly separated their lips.
It was as if his true feelings, hidden deep inside, slipped out without him realizing.
“Sharon, I love you.”
Hearing his words, Sharon gave him a shy smile.
“Not fair, I was going to say it first.”
Hand in hand, they turned their gaze back to the sky.
The mont was so perfect that they couldn’t help but wonder if they deserved such happiness.
They watched the flamboyant flowers of fire in the sky, a sight they’d carry with them forever, even to their last monts.
At that mont...
Rain started falling.
At first, it was just a few scattered drops, but soon it spread, drenching the thousands gathered and covering all of Tarot Town.
As the fireworks reached their finale, the murmurs of the crowd grew louder.
Yet no one seed upset by the sudden rain.
They were too lost in the magic of the festival, treating the rain as another mory to cherish.
But Siwoo felt a deep, unsettling dread, as if sothing was about to go terribly wrong.
A sense of fear that he couldn’t explain crept up, tightening like a vice around his chest.
The rain wasn’t normal.
With rain like this, it should’ve quickly turned to snow.
Or, at the very least, it would’ve turned into sleet.
But this rain...
“Huh?”
That was when he sensed a faint pulse of mana weaving through the spell controlling the fireworks.
Sharon, too, sensed it, and realized that sothing strange was going on.
“Siwoo...”
Siwoo removed his eyepatch and looked up. He could see a distinct magic pattern in the sky.
The pattern of mana was sothing that he managed to recognize in an instant.
Because....
“Alia...”
That pattern, that resonance, was the unmistakable signature of Alia’s self-essence magic.
The mont her na left his lips...
Tarot Town was engulfed in a shimring storm of particles, falling like a cascade of stars.
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