As soon as Namgung Il heard Ho Jeong-won's words, he tilted his head.
'What's that?'
Hearing the story, it was a tradition of the Flying Dragon Academy, but Namgung Il himself did not know what it was.
Did that an it was a tradition that had been created after he had graduated?
At least during the ti he had attended the academy, he had never heard the words Clear Bright Festival.
"How about it! Aren't you excited?"
"..."
"You're so excited that you want to run outside right now? Haha, I'd appreciate it if you could hold that in."
No one said that.
In the first place, most of the students, like Namgung Il, had expressions that showed they didn't know what the Clear Bright Festival was.
Just then, Jeong Hyeon-yeong raised his right hand and called Ho Jeong-won.
"Teacher, what on earth is the Clear Bright Festival?"
"What!"
"...!"
"You don't know the tradition of the Flying Dragon Academy, the Clear Bright Festival!"
Ho Jeong-won roared at Jeong Hyeon-yeong's question.
A face completely opposite to the smiling one from just a mont ago.
Not only Jeong Hyeon-yeong who had just asked the question, but the students also flinched slightly at that sight.
"And you call yourself a student of the Flying Dragon Academy!"
"..."
"I really can't believe it. How can you not know about the Clear Bright Festival?"
"Teacher, I think it's possible for the new students not to know."
Ak Simin subtly interjected from the side.
Whip—.
Ho Jeong-won looked at Ak Simin as if to say, 'How dare you talk back?'
At that, Ak Simin skillfully avoided his gaze and feigned ignorance, and Ho Jeong-won, with a cough that revealed his displeasure, looked at the students again.
"The Clear Bright Festival is a festival hosted by the Flying Dragon Academy around this ti every year."
"..."
"It is held over a total of three days, and during this ti, the students beco the main body and proceed with the festival."
In the end, Ho Jeong-won explained the Clear Bright Festival to the students.
Only then did the students seem to understand what the Clear Bright Festival was, and it was the sa for Namgung Il.
'Did the Clear and Bright of the Clear Bright Festival get its na from there?'
Namgung Il imdiately knew that it was related to the fifth of the twenty-four solar terms, spring.
"The Clear Bright Festival first started about twenty years ago."
"...?"
"As you all know, in those days, everyone was tired and in a difficult situation due to the Righteous-Demonic War. It was the sa for the Flying Dragon Academy and the surrounding areas."
That was the origin of the Clear Bright Festival.
Regardless of victory or defeat, war could only leave deep scars on both sides.
It was the sa for the Flying Dragon Academy, and the atmosphere in Luoyang, where the academy was located, was so depressed that it was hard to describe.
"The Clear Bright Festival was started in such a situation to bring vitality to the region."
"..."
"There is a saying that the lower stream is clear only when the upper stream is clear, but vitality is sotis easier to direct from the bottom up."
No matter how harsh the atmosphere, it is easy to see cases where the atmosphere is lightened by just one child's antics.
Of course, the students of the Flying Dragon Academy were not children, but from the perspective of the region, wouldn't it be similar?
The young students had the power to bring vitality to the local people, and the Clear Bright Festival, which was started with that purpose, was a great help in helping the region regain its vitality.
"Thanks to the Clear Bright Festival, the academy and Luoyang were able to regain their vitality."
"..."
"Do you understand now? The Clear Bright Festival is not just a simple festival, but a proud tradition of the Flying Dragon Academy that has a great aning."
Ho Jeong-won said with a proud voice.
Just by looking at that, it was clear how Ho Jeong-won felt about the Clear Bright Festival.
'It was natural that I didn't know.'
If it had started right after the war ended, it was natural that Namgung Il didn't know.
Because at that ti, Namgung Il was already dead.
Although he had graduated, if it was a great tradition of the Flying Dragon Academy, it would have surely reached his ears, but Namgung Il was only now able to resolve that question.
"Continuing that spirit, the Flying Dragon Academy is still opening the academy during the Clear Bright Festival."
"...!"
Hearing Ho Jeong-won's continuing words, Namgung Il's eyes widened slightly.
'Just now... what did he say?'
Namgung Il had clearly heard that the academy would be opened during the Clear Bright Festival.
Did that an that outsiders could freely enter and leave the academy during that ti... He didn't know if it were any other ti, but Namgung Il wondered if that was possible in the current situation.
'Although there have been no incidents even after strengthening the security recently... is it the right thing to do to completely open the academy?'
Namgung Il did not think so.
The more peaceful it is, the more one must be vigilant.
Because no one knows when an unexpected accident will occur.
Even at the ti of the Righteous-Demonic War, the Central Plains had been peaceful for over a hundred years.
"..."
But to proceed with the Clear Bright Festival without more security... Of course, that would also be Seo Shin-won's judgnt, but to be honest, Namgung Il could not fully understand that judgnt.
'Does he think the strange man will no longer appear? Or does he think he can protect the students even if the strange man appears?'
This part would not be known unless he asked Seo Shin-won directly.
While Namgung Il was having such thoughts with a rather dark expression, Ho Jeong-won, with a contrasting expression, continued to speak excitedly.
"Of course, during the Clear Bright Festival, nurous people from the outside will flock to the academy."
"..."
"They are guests to the Flying Dragon Academy. So every year, each class prepares to welco the guests."
Prepare to welco the guests?
The students' expressions were filled with questions, just like when they had first heard the na Clear Bright Festival.
"When the guests enter the academy, they will receive one of these."
"...?"
"It's called the Flying Dragon Coin."
At so point, Ho Jeong-won was showing a small iron coin to the students.
At first glance, it looked like a coin, but if you looked closely, you could imdiately see that it was not the currency used in the Central Plains.
'Flying Dragon Coin?'
It was a coin with the characters for Flying Dragon written in the center.
Is that why it's called the Flying Dragon Coin?
At so point, Namgung Il was also looking at the coin and thinking so in his heart.
"This is a currency made by the Flying Dragon Academy, and it can be used within the Flying Dragon Academy during the Clear Bright Festival."
"..."
"Guests are given one by default upon entry, but if they want, they can pay money to buy more Flying Dragon Coins."
Namgung Il could understand why the na of that coin was the Flying Dragon Coin.
It wasn't simply called the Flying Dragon Coin because the characters for Flying Dragon were written on it, but it was given that na because it was a real currency that could be used within the Flying Dragon Academy.
Hearing those words, it seed they were actually selling Flying Dragon Coins for money.
Although it was money that could be used under limited conditions, it seed to have sufficient value as a currency.
'They're selling that to people?'
At first glance, it was an action that could seem very materialistic for an academy to do.
The academy's business under the pretext of a festival.
But Namgung Il could see that there was a deep aning to that Flying Dragon Coin.
'The creation of the Flying Dragon Coin must have also been to boost the vitality of the region.'
At that ti, the economy of Luoyang was probably at rock bottom.
The war was over, but the fear that it might happen again at any ti.
Because of that, people would have been busy hiding their assets, and that would have led to an economic downturn.
'If the economy dies, the region also dies.'
Conversely, if only the economy is revived, the vitality of the region can also be regained.
That was the point the Flying Dragon Academy was aiming for.
A festival hosted by young people. Using that to gather people and then naturally inducing them to use money.
The money gathered in that way would spread throughout Luoyang again, and eventually, it would lead to the region's economy becoming active again.
He didn't know who had first devised the Clear Bright Festival, but considering the situation at that ti, it seed like a really good asure.
"The guests will use the Flying Dragon Coins within the academy as if they were using real money."
"..."
"And when the Clear Bright Festival is over, we will tally which class has earned the most Flying Dragon Coins."
Thump—.
Ho Jeong-won slamd his hand on the podium in front of him.
So students were startled by the sound, but Ho Jeong-won ignored them as if he didn't care and said in a strong tone.
"Of course, the Vermilion Bird Class will also do its best to get the Flying Dragon Coins out of the guests' pockets!"
"..."
"You don't have to be first. But under no circumstances should you earn less than the Azure Dragon Class!"
The four classes that existed in the Flying Dragon Academy. The four classes had distinct characteristics, to the point where it was hard to believe they were in the sa academy.
In particular, the character of a class was mostly determined by the class head in charge of that class, and it was the sa for the current Flying Dragon Academy.
'Co to think of it, Ho Jeong-won had a strange sense of rivalry with the Azure Dragon Class.'
To be precise, it seed he had a sense of rivalry not with the Azure Dragon Class, but with Cha Yul-ryeong.
And as he had said earlier, since the tendency of a class was determined by the class head, it seed that the current rival of the Vermilion Bird Class was the Azure Dragon Class.
"Do you understand! If our sales are lower than the Azure Dragon Class in this Clear Bright Festival, then everyone dies!"
"...!"
"Don't even think about having fun. Just think about how to beat the Azure Dragon Class."
Ho Jeong-won said with a murderous expression.
He was sure he had heard it was a festival... how did the atmosphere suddenly beco like this?
At least the students here no longer felt that the Clear Bright Festival was a festival.
"Teacher."
"What!"
"The kids will get scared if you say that. Your face is already intimidating, but if you talk like that, it's even scarier."
Ak Simin said to Ho Jeong-won.
As if there was no disagreent that his face was intimidating, Ho Jeong-won did not get angry at Ak Simin for that.
"Then what do you want
to do? They'll only be on alert if I say this."
"That's the problem."
"..."
"A festival should be fun. But if you say that, who can have fun?"
Seeing that, Namgung Il once again realized that Ak Simin was the class president of the Vermilion Bird Class.
'He said he was often harassed by Ho Jeong-won, but it seems he has now learned how to handle him.'
It felt like a trainer handling a wild beast.
Ak Simin was skillfully saying things that would have surely made another person angry, and as a result, Ho Jeong-won was nodding his head and looking calr than before.
"...Yes, I understand."
"Let's all have fun. Okay?"
Leaving Ak Simin's words behind, Ho Jeong-won looked at the students again.
"..."
A silence filled with tension.
Although it felt calr than before, the students were still looking at Ho Jeong-won nervously.
"Let's all have fun and crush the Azure Dragon Class."
"..."
"If we can't beat the Azure Dragon Class... then I'll beco a gangster too."
Ho Jeong-won said with a smile.
But the students' expressions were still not smiling.
The tone was one thing, but an indescribable murderousness was felt from Ho Jeong-won's smile.
"Haa—."
Seeing that, Ak Simin let out a sigh.
It was obvious that no one would participate in the festival like this.
Well, he had expected it to be like this from the beginning to so extent... but this was a much more serious level.
"Teacher, is it okay if I speak from now on?"
"You want to?"
"Yes, you can rest, teacher."
In the end, Ak Simin said to Ho Jeong-won.
Ho Jeong-won, who obediently stepped aside at those words.
Ak Simin ca forward and opened his mouth with his usual mischievous smile.
"You've heard the gist of it from the teacher, right?"
"..."
"The Vermilion Bird Class will also prepare sothing to welco the guests. Of course, as the class president, I will be in charge and give the overall instructions."
As Ak Simin said that, the atmosphere in the lecture hall loosened a little.
Compared to Ho Jeong-won's intimidating impression, Ak Simin was much softer, and to the first-years, Ak Simin was more familiar than Ho Jeong-won.
"So the reason I ca here is..."
"...?"
"...I'd like so of the first-years here to help
out."
At that mont, the atmosphere changed again.
Ak Simin, who was looking around at the students who were tilting their heads, stopped his gaze at a certain person.
"Anyone who wants to help
with the festival preparations?"
"..."
"I'd really appreciate it if you could help."
Ak Simin said and sent a blatant gaze towards Namgung Il.
(End of Chapter)
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