Festival

Third Pov

Lith first instructed Trion on using darkness magic to envelop himself and eliminate all scents and traces.

Lith then utilized his thermal vision, a single derivative of flame mana. By infusing it into his eyes, it functioned like thermal goggles from Earth.

Stealthily, they began searching the outer woods, avoiding the inner woods where many magical creatures resided.

As evening approached, Lith, Leon, and Trion examined their catch and sighed.

"Well, rabbit meat and fur still sell for high value, not to mention the variant I found," Leon said, showing the others the moonlit, shining fur of a rabbit.

"There's mana in it! That means he killed a magical beast!" Solus exclaimed as she sensed the fur.

Lith was stunned but quickly regained his composure, feeling a mix of helplessness and admiration at the shining fur.

"He seems to have grown stronger," Lith remarked to Solus.

"Well, it's normal since he has a yellow rank mana core while you're only orange. He's bound to be stronger," Solus replied, nodding.

"Hmm, I wonder when I can break through," Lith mused.

"Don't worry, it won't be long. Given your core condition, I'd say a month at most," Solus reassured him, lifting his spirits.

Unbeknownst to both of them, Leon hadn't actually hunted a magical beast. He had simply used his Awaken talent on the fur of an ordinary rabbit he had hunted.

Since discovering his Awaken talent, Leon had used it on almost everything in the house, from water to knives, making his home magically fortified. Despite extensive use, Leon's Awaken talent had only upgraded by a single rank.

[Awaken (D): Increases the quality of anything by 1 to 20 times. Can only be used once on any object.]

Earlier, after hunting two rabbits, he used Awaken on both. One received a twofold increase, while the other saw a thirteenfold increase, resulting in the creation of this shining fur. Its size also increased from a few meters to a whopping seven meters.

"We can surely fetch a great price if we sell it to a Noble" Trion nodded in agreement.

"Well then, let's return. It's already evening," Leon said, and everyone nodded, beginning to head back.

However, as they were returning, they suddenly vanished from their spots and appeared some distance away, watching as a massive boar running from thier previous place and crashed into a tree, knocking it down.

"It's close to becoming a magical beast," Lith observed.

"I will kill it!" Trion shouted, lifting his sword and using Flashstep, a spell they created from First magic. It created a high wind burst at their feet, propelling them forward at great speed.

Despite its simple name, the spell was highly practical.

Trion reached the boar and swung his sword.

Splash.

"Damn it," Trion cursed as his sword got stuck in the boar's neck. He jumped back as Leon appeared, kicking the sword hard and driving it deeper into the neck, killing the massive boar.

"Whoa, we killed it," Trion said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Leon nodded, thinking, 'All that training wasn't wasted.'

When he first saw the boar, he thought Trion would either freeze in fear or run away. But it seemed he was wrong.

'He's truly a good swordsman,' Leon thought while inspecting the boar.

"It's not much damaged," he said.

Lith also looked at Trion with approval, unknown to both of then, the real reason why Teion acts bravely cause he didn't want to lose anymore of his siblings.

As a big brother he felt the need to protect his younger brother even though they dont need it.

Lith and Trion then ran back to the village to get Selia, while Leon guarded the boar.

"Wow, I thought you guys were joking, but you really killed it," Selia said, inspecting the boar and seeing the sword embedded in its neck. "Seriously, what are Elina and Raaz feeding their children?"

Leon chuckled and explained that all three of them were mages. Selia was skeptical but soon convinced when they showed her their magic.

"Also, Selia, please don't tell anyone about our secret. We only told you because you're our mentor," Lith said seriously.

"Of course. Even if you didn't tell me, I wouldn't say a thing to anyone. Who knows when some idiot noble might do something bad to you guys," she replied, then grinned widely. "Anyway, let's talk about this boar. I have a contact with a generous noble. How about I be the middleman? In return, I'll only take 20% of the income," she said, making a coin shape with her fingers.

Leon and the others agreed, helping her load the boar onto a cart and returning home.

After a few days, they received their payment. They also sold the magical pelt to the same noble, earning quite a sum.

Now, they were getting ready for the Spring Festival. All the families in the village would gather, forgetting their daily problems and miseries, as everything from decorations to food and drinks was paid for by Count Lark.

Count Lark would also participate, maintaining his bonds with the community and his reputation as a fair Lord rather than just a faceless tax collector.

Leon and his family went to the festival.

The festival had three parts.

In the morning, the villagers continued their normal work while foreign merchants and carnies set up their stands and merchandise.

In the evening, families would gather, checking out the stands for trinkets and jewelry to add to their daughters' dowries.

The food mainly consisted of appetizers like fresh fruit and vegetables, skewers of various meats, and exotic foods brought by Count Lark, such as saltwater fish and seafood. The only drinks available were water and light beer.

After sunset, huge braziers and torches would be lit around the village as the Count's workers prepared the stage for the main event, the election of the Spring Maiden.

All girls aged fifteen and sixteen could participate in the contest, which was more like a debutante ball than a beauty pageant. It was an opportunity for young maidens of marriageable age to showcase their beauty and virtues, hoping to attract suitors.

The judges of the Spring Maiden contest were always Count Lark, the village chief, and Nana.

After the election, the real feast began, with lots of roasted animals, soups, and caramelized fruits. Both pure and watered wines were available, raising spirits for the finale.

The last part of the festival was a ball, encouraging eligible bachelors to approach any maidens that caught their eye.

For Leon's family, only the food section and games mattered, as none of their children were of marriageable age.

They explored various food stalls, tasting different items. While eating, Brownan, the village carpenter, suddenly dragged Lith and Leon away, saying it was about the village's reputation.

Raaz and Elena, curious, followed with the other siblings.

At the town square, they found everyone gathered. Leon and Lith bowed to a middle-aged man, then to Nana, the village chief, and everyone else in turn.

"Good manners, though some lacked them," Nana complimented, as Count Lark's eyes began to shine.

Her words were aimed at a pompous kid, who appeared to be a nobleman.

Leon glanced at him briefly, noticing his pitiful yellow core, while Lith checked everyone else and found only Nana with a cyan core.

"She is quite talented. I wonder what she's doing in this backwater village," Solus remarked to Lith. He nodded, making a note to ask about her background later.

"Lith, Leon, why don't you entertain Count Lark with a magic duel?" Nana suggested, smiling. Lith missed it, while Leon shook his head.

Nana frowned slightly but maintained her smile. "Are you denying it, dear Leon? Count Lark loves to sponsor talents," she asked.

Leon nodded and replied, "I'm not denying it, but it would be boring. Can I show something else to prove my talent?"

Nana raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Very well, Leon. Show us what you want," she said, stepping back.

Everyone waited in anticipation. Leon began moving his hands quickly while mumbling, and a flame ball appeared in his hand.

Ricker, the noble kid, sneered, seeing that after so much time, all Leon could do was conjure a flame ball. Count Lark frowned, but his eyes widened as the ball's color shifted from yellowish-red to a mix of green and blue.

Leon launched the flame high into the air, where it exploded, creating what could be described as fireworks.

The beautiful flames lit up the sky, creating the illusion of blooming flowers in the night. Everyone gazed in awe.

Ricker's face paled, and Count Lark's eyes shone brightly.

"How is it, Nana? I developed this spell especially for today's festival," Leon said, smiling widely.

"Marvelous, just marvelous," Count Lark clapped first, and the whole village joined in.

Lith thought, 'It's like fireworks from my previous life, but even more beautiful,' receiving a nod of approval from Solus.

As Leon's spell lit up the night sky, Nana nodded in admiration. "What is the name of this beautiful magic, Leon?" she asked.

"I call it Blooming Night, Nana," Leon replied.

"A fitting name," she said.

Leon grinned widely. "Of course, it doesn't end here," he said, creating another flame ball, this time shifting its color to blue and red. He launched it into the air, where it exploded into a myriad of animals, like rabbits and birds, running and flying in the falling garden Leon created.

The crowd clapped again, but it wasn't over yet.

"Now for the final touch," Leon said, launching a final ball of violet flame. As it reached its peak, it didn't explode but expanded, forming a beautiful purple moon.

Above them floated a stunning garden bathed in purple moonlight.

Count Lark's eyes reflected the purple moon, shining with same colour.

Nana, seeing the beautiful garden bathed in purple moonlight, said to Leon, "What a beautiful spell, Leon. A perfect use of wind and flame magic. Though it is a basic spell, I can promise you that in the long history of this continent, no kingdom has ever created such a beautiful Tier One spell." She praised him heavily.

The crowd erupted into applause, soon joined by an ecstatic Count Lark who could hardly believe his own eyes.

Nana sent Leon and Lith back to their parents, reassuring them that she would keep her side of the bargain, before turning to Ricker Trahan.

"And that, young man, is what real talent for magic looks like!" she declared.

Ricker couldn't hear her, though. When Leon had displayed his skill, he had fainted standing up.

His mind couldn't accept that all the certainties he had grown up with had proven to be nothing more than convenient lies.