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Chapter 47.2: Pavane in the Dark Part 2

The food wasn\'t anything fancy—just preserved food and canned goods—but the students, exhausted from their explorations, devoured it with gusto.

With dinner over, the students gathered around a bonfire to end their day.

It was the quintessential campfire experience.

The students sat in a circle around the roaring fire.

-Crackle, crackle...

They chatted excitedly, sharing stories about the mysterious places they had discovered on the island.

Some took turns strumming a guitar and singing songs.

Others dozed off, lulled by the warmth of the fire.

The professors watched their students with fond smiles, enjoying their youthful innocence.

It was a typical night on a school trip.

"..."

I sat amidst the tranquil scene, my gaze lost in the flickering flames.

A single point of warmth, glowing softly beneath the darkened sky.

The heat of the bonfire blended with the cool night air, creating a cozy atmosphere.

I felt strangely drowsy.

Was this what they called "fire-gazing"?

It was as if my very soul was melting into the gentle warmth.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Lost in my thoughts, I felt a nudge on my arm. It was Golden Boy, sitting beside me.

I snapped back to reality and replied, "...Did you say something?"

"You seem out of it. Tired?"

"A little, I guess."

"Why don\'t you get some shut-eye? Violet already turned in a while ago."

Golden Boy gestured towards the tents.

I shook my head slowly.

"I\'ll sleep later. It\'s still early."

"Hmm... Alright then."

Golden Boy shrugged and turned away.

I stretched slightly and glanced around.

That\'s when I realized Margaret, our other group member, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where\'s Lady Phyler? I don\'t see her around here."

"Lady Phyler? She said she had something to do..."

"Why are you looking for me?"

A cold voice cut Golden Boy off before he could finish.

We turned around to see Margaret standing behind us, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

I forced a smile.

"...We were just wondering where you were since you weren\'t here."

"It\'s none of your business."

Margaret replied curtly and sat down next to Golden Boy.

Golden Boy started sweating, stammering, "Um... If you sit there... I-I feel kind of awkward... between the two of you..."

"Awkward?"

Margaret\'s eyes narrowed at Golden Boy\'s mumbling.

Golden Boy flinched and shook his head vigorously.

"N-no! I meant comfortable! Very comfortable!"

"Good. I\'m glad we understand each other."

"..."

I had to stifle a laugh at Golden Boy\'s pathetic display.

But then I remembered that I was in no position to laugh and quickly composed myself.

"..."

"..."

"..."

An awkward silence descended upon us as Golden Boy and I fell silent.

I snuck a glance at Margaret.

She was staring intently at the bonfire, her chin resting on her hand.

For a moment, I thought she might be "fire-gazing" like I was earlier, but something about her demeanor seemed different.

Her expression was too serious to be simply lost in thought.

It was as if she was deep in contemplation, her mind preoccupied with something heavy.

Come to think of it, she had been like this all day.

Or rather, ever since we visited the Garden of Purity.

Did something happen...?

I pondered the question I couldn\'t bring myself to ask.

The silence stretched on, and finally, Golden Boy, unable to bear the awkwardness any longer, broke the silence.

"Hey, Maniac. So, what song are you going to sing?"

"Hmm? Sing?"

"You know, for that."

Golden Boy whispered, subtly gesturing towards something with his chin.

Following his gaze, I saw a line of students taking turns singing songs.

And the line was headed our way.

I asked, my voice laced with disbelief, "...Wait, every student has to sing?"

"Huh? You didn\'t know? We\'re going around the circle."

Golden Boy tilted his head, looking at me as if I were the strange one.

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose.

So that\'s why the guitar kept getting passed around...

Everyone had to sing a song.

"So, what are you going to sing?"

"I\'m not singing."

I shook my head at Golden Boy, who was looking at me expectantly.

He nudged me with his elbow, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Come on, don\'t be a spoilsport~"

"It\'s beneath me as a noble."

"This is a tradition of our esteemed Academy! In honor of the first hero, Ash Reynolds, who bravely ventured through the Demon Realm and explored the entire continent, we, the current generation, gather around this campfire and share our youthful energy! We call it... \'Pavane in the Dark\'!"

"Even the name is stupid."

"But Her Highness the Princess sang earlier!"

"..."

Damn, he got me there.

I couldn\'t very well badmouth a tradition that a member of the Imperial family had participated in.

Why did Lucy go along with it so easily?

She should have known that if she, the princess, sang, everyone else would feel obligated to follow suit.

"Her Highness herself honored the tradition, so you\'re not thinking of backing out, are you?"

"...Shut up."

"Heehee~"

I averted my gaze from Golden Boy, who was grinning smugly.

The relaxed mood I had been enjoying was quickly dissipating.

I hated these kinds of situations...

Why did this stupid tradition exist, especially for someone like me, who was basically a social outcast?

This was borderline bullying.

As I cursed the Academy internally, a familiar mechanical sound rang out in my ears.

-Ding!

[Sub Quest Alert!]

"......?"

A blue window popped up before me, and I could practically feel a question mark hovering above my head.

A sub quest? Now?

There wasn\'t anything on the

schedule that would warrant a quest...

Confused, I clicked on the rectangular text box.

-Ding!

[Sub Quest]

Title: Serenade of the Soul

Objective: Successfully complete the Academy tradition, \'Pavane in the Dark\'.

[Rewards]

1. Increased affinity with Academy students.

2. 500 points.

[Penalty for Failure]

None.

[Time Limit: 2 hours 59 minutes 57 seconds]

"..."

I stared at the quest details for a moment, then turned to Golden Boy.

"...Hey, Golden Boy."

"Yeah?"

"Get the guitar."

"What?"

"I\'m going to serenade everyone\'s socks off."

500 points for a single song?

There was no way I was passing that up.

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