Chapter 173: The Festival’s Opening Ceremony
[A day after the banquet]
The South truly was a colorful place, and it was even more so at the festival’s opening ceremony.
The streets were filled with the sound of music and laughter.
Performers danced across decorated platforms while fire spirit mages created brilliant displays overhead, painting dragons, phoenixes, and other mythical creatures across the sky using flames.
Colorful banners bearing the crests of the Empire’s greatest powers hung from buildings and bridges alike.
Children ran through the streets carrying wooden swords while merchants sold everything from grilled seafood to volcanic crystal trinkets.
Even the usually stern nobles appeared more relaxed than normal.
Of course, appearances were often deceiving.
But none cared for the masks others were putting on, after all, today was the Convergence Festival.
At the center of the South’s capital stood this year’s Convergence Arena.
It was a colossal structure built directly into the base of a volcano with rows upon rows of seats that rose into the sky, easily capable of housing hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Massive magic tools in the form of screens floated above the arena, prepared to broadcast every event throughout the city.
Today would only be the opening ceremony, and tomorrow, the true competitions would begin.
Yet even now, the arena was completely packed.
The representatives of each faction were gathered within separate massive chambers beneath the arena.
Unlike the celebratory mood outside, the chambers were a lot quieter.
"Are you nervous?" Adrian asked as he looked at Conan standing before him.
"A bit," Conan honestly replied, "more so given that Isla is watching me."
"You’ll be fine," Adrian answered as he looked at the crowd outside through the magic tool inside their chamber. "Besides, you were fine during the academy’s entrance exam."
"Yeah," Conan muttered as he let out a sigh.
"And here I thought you only cared about your lady," the headmistress, sitting comfortably on a sofa behind them, said with a smile on her face.
Adrian said nothing in response to that; instead, he just continued watching the crowd through the screen.
There were people from all around Avera, here just for the festival.
In other words, a perfect chance to spread his propaganda—erm, the greatness of his lady.
But first, a butler has to make a name for himself.
The opening ceremony began with the herald’s voice carrying through the entire arena via magic tools.
"WELCOME TO THE FIVE HUNDREDTH CONVERGENCE FESTIVAL!"
The response from the crowd was immediate, and it was so loud that the entire arena started trembling.
Even Darius, currently in a chamber different from Adrian’s, couldn’t help but let out a grin. After all, this was finally his chance to fight a few of the strongest in Avera.
"Fighting others won’t be until the last day," Orion quickly burst his bubble, "today is only about introductions."
"Doesn’t mean I don’t get the chance to fight them." Darius’s grin did not fade as he continued looking at the crowd’s reaction through the screen.
Orion just let out a sigh, but he said no more. After all, his little brother was right; this was a chance to see where they stood among the monsters of their generation.
One of said monsters was Darius himself, especially after awakening the dragon bloodline.
Was he jealous?
A bit, but he was also proud of him.... besides, this meant that the burden of being a grand Duke won’t fall to him anymore.
Which meant he’d be free to do whatever he desired whilst his little brother was stuck ruling the Dukedom.
Orion couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at that image, causing Darius to turn to him and ask,
"What’s funny?"
"Just a passing thought, little brother," he responded with a smile before they focused back on the magic tool before them.
Grand Duke Ignis, on the other hand, was silently looking at the screen, which was odd. Orion was certain that he’d be just as excited to see the fight as Darius was.
But ever since the previous night during the banquet, he seemed to be this silent, as if struggling to figure something out.
Thinking was clearly not his strong suit, but even he knew that something big was going on in the underbelly of Avera.... He just couldn’t figure out what.
"This is why I hate politics," Ignis muttered, "why not just come out and challenge the one you have issues with?"
He was a simple man, one who believed strength solved everything.
It was his best trait, but it was also the trait that put him under the church’s control in the previous timeline.
Unlike other nobles, he never hid behind masks, which is why Adrian was surprised when he turned out to be among the few who stood against Grand Duke Boreas in the manhwa.
For now, he seemed to be himself, and Adrian would ensure it remained that way.
***
Back in the arena, the Royal family was the first to walk out of their Chambers.
Beside the king walked Lucian and Noelle, the former in a light golden armor, whilst the Saintess was in a white robe.
The Saintess representing the royal family was as close as it could get to an official announcement of her relationship with the Prince.
And in turn, the relationship between the royal family and the church.
Lucian let out a sigh before smiling to the crowd, immediately causing them to go wild.
Wilder than they already were, after all, it was an undeniable fact that the prince was a handsome young man.
Noelle, beside him, was visibly overwhelmed by the reception she was also receiving; she hadn’t expected to be representing the royal family.
But now that she was, she could only calm herself and continue smiling.
King Magnus looked at the crowd before smiling and lifting his hand, causing them to immediately go silent.
"Five hundred years ago, Avera witnessed her first Convergence Festival."
He silently looked at the crowd, his subjects.
"It was held," the king continued, "because our founders understood something easy to forget in times of comfort."
He took another pause.
"That our strength lies not in any single family, bloodline, or any single power."
If there was one thing that none could deny, it was that Magnus was a natural-born leader, and he once again proved it by raising emotions within the crowd with his last words.
"But in all of us. Together."
