xuebingcode

Chapter 10

Mitile: You have one too, Lord Oz!

Oz: No, I…

Riquet: Jeez Oz, he’s offering you it. You better accept it!

Arthur: Lord Oz, over here!

Everyone, with a feather of the King of Water in their hands, came close to the waters and its brilliant lights.

Faust: …Now this is a sight. Wish Heath and Shino could’ve seen this.

Shylock: Those two took on the request that you were assigned for, correct? Saying it was all for the other kids’ sake.

Faust: They did, even though they’re at the age where they can still be selfish. It’d be nice if we could plan another study meet…

I’ll take this feather home as a souvenir for the both of them. They won’t be able to fish up fireworks, but they’ll find a way to use it as a catalyst or toy.

Shylock: I’ll be bringing this feather as a souvenir to Chloe as well. Hehe, I can already imagine that cute face he makes when he stresses over what to sew it on.

Snow: Hey hey Ozzy, why isn’t your firework falling off at all?

White: Do you think it’ll stay until morning?

Oz: …

Akira: (Oz’s firework ball isn’t moving an inch….it’s like a still life painting…)

Riquet: That must be nice, Oz. I haven’t been able to fish up a single one.

White: Your hands are too shaky, Riquet. Come closer to the lake, and be a little more steady.

Riquet: Like this? Steady, steady…

Arthur: …Ah! You’ve fished it, Riquet!

Mitile: It’s a shiny rainbow coloured one! Nice, Riquet!

Riquet: Wow, I did it!

You look too, Oz! Don’t just be staring at your own firework!

Oz: I’m looking. Hey, don’t move around so…

Riquet: Ahhh! It fell…

Arthur: Hahaha, don’t feel so down now. If you just do it the same as before, you’ll fish up another one.

I’ll go…for this firework. I bet it’s the biggest one in the lake!

Mitile: Woah, it’s big like a King of Fireworks…! Do your best, Prince Arthur!

Arthur: Thanks! Steady, steady…

Mitile & Riquet: Gulp…

Arthur: …Got it!

Mitile & Riquet: Woohoo! *clap clap clap*

Snow: Ohohoho, it glows like gold.

White: A shining light for a shining prince.

Oz: …Pretty. You fished up a good one, Arthur.

Arthur: Hehehe, thanks you guys!

Arthur’s smile shines golden from the light of the firework. We all stood beside him, smiling the same smile.

With every pop, the lights of the fireworks scattered and illuminated our faces. By our feet, ephemeral colourful flowers continued to disperse.

And whenever I blinked, I could still see everyone’s happy expressions behind my eyelids.

Summer school and summer camp…and the summer evenings that told you the fun times are yet to end.

Those bright days that will quickly pass by and leave you in their memories.

Our momentary, beautiful, and bittersweet days of youth.

Mitile: Master Sage, come over here! I fished up a firework the colour of the King of Water!

Akira: Oooh, nice one! …Ah, there’s a red firework next to you!

Mitile: There is! Master Sage, you try and fish it!

Akira: Alright, my turn!

I hurried to Mitile’s side, dangled the feather above the water, and successfully fished up the small red firework.

We shared a tiny laugh side by side as we dangled our fireworks together.

Akira: The colours remind me of that duckling. My firework resembles its child self, and yours resembles its adult self.

Mitile: Haha, you’re right. …I really never thought that duckie would turn out to be the King of Water.

Akira: We did hear about it first as a dignified and powerful fairy. Yet that duckie played with boats and shook its butt while dancing…

Mitile: It wasn’t anything like a dignified fairy at all, but I’m glad it managed to become a proper adult in the end.

It looked so cool when it flew in the sky…

Akira: …I wonder how and where the King of Water is gonna live from now on.

Mitile: Me too…

He sometimes stared at the rainbow glowing white firework.

And to the wizards playing in the lake. Riquet had fished up another firework, and was overjoyed.

Mitile: I’m sure…that it will have a lovely time, as much as the 220 years worth of precious memories it has.

That bright and cheery face seemed a bit more mature than usual. Although I wanted to celebrate this moment, I also felt like crying.

Perhaps it was because I had just seen someone say goodbye to their days as a child.

Though he may be growing slower than others, Mitile’s days as a kid will one day end.

And likely, it won’t be too far from now.

As if taking flight, our fireworks dropped back into the lake. We gave each other a big high five after we watched them go.

Mitile: Oh yeah! Dr. Figaro’s homework!

I’ve actually been carrying the pot around with me. I’ll do it now!

He took the flower pot out of his satchel, and Arthur and Riquet walked over.

Arthur: Mitile, you’re gonna grow your flower?

Riquet: Do you feel that this is the right ‘moment’?

Mitile: I do!

He held up the flower pot in his hands to the wide starry sky. Mitile then recited his spell, composed and comfortably.

Mitile: Ortonik Sealsispilce!

The flower pot let off a pale rainbow glow. The next second, a bud popped out. It began to slither out, growing vines.

In between its leaves sprouted numerous small and faint luminescent flowers.

The flower pot was nearly overflowing with its hanging glowing flowers, creating what resembled a widely blooming firework.

Akira: Beautiful…

Arthur: It truly is. It’s a brilliant and stunning flower, bathed in the shiniest of lights. I could look at this forever…

Riquet: It looks like the scenery around us right now!

Hearing his words, Mitile faced upwards, and gave a smile brighter than the fireworks.

Mitile: I was gonna say that!

Snow: So the last day of our sleepover-study meet has arrived. How the time flies.

White: It was quite the relaxing training camp.

Riquet: How’d you like it, Oz? Since you’re always watching the fireplace when we’re at home,

did you get to enjoy playing outside for once?

Oz: …I did not play, but I was dragged by the twins out to the lake.

Arthur: You’re talking about when the twins put us on a board and pulled us around at incredible speed, right? I’d love to do that again if we can!

Ah, but was it not to your taste, Lord Oz? I’m sorry, I failed to notice…

Oz: …I did not hate it.

Snow & White: He didn’t hate it!

Oz: Don’t get ahead of yourselves.

Akira: (Did he get on the board too because Arthur thought it would be fun…?)

Shylock: I also got to wind down lots. Before I return this cottage to my friend, perhaps I should come for another vacation.

How about you, Faust? Did you get to rest? You took on all sorts of affairs for us teachers, including the food management and contact with the manor.

Faust: I couldn’t let any of you do the work seeing how I’m the youngest wizard between us. They weren’t much, so I still got to laze around.

Though I do feel that there wasn’t enough learning for the kids…

Akira: Yeah, out of all the classes we had it was yours that seemed the most classroomy…

Mitile: That’s not true. I learned a lot, classroomy classes or not!

And…I think I’ll remember this study meet for a long, long time. Many hundreds of years, probably.

Riquet: Heehee. I think so too.

Arthur: Yeah. The time we spent here will stay in my heart forever.

They lock eyes and laugh at each other.

When the time comes and they all become adults…

I’m sure they’ll have the same expressions on as they talk about our days here.

It will be remembered as a fun and precious memory alongside its trials and tribulations.

Shylock: …Oh?

Arthur and the long lived wizards turned to the direction of the window. When I follow their gaze…

Mitile: Ah…! It’s Dr. Figaro!

Outside the window in the blue skies, I spotted Figaro’s figure on a broom. He sped by a seagull and flew towards us.

Snow: Ohohoho. He made it just as he said.

White: That’s dedication for you.

Faust: …Isn’t that great, Mitile.

Mitile: Yes! I’m gonna go and greet him!

He almost rushed outside with a leap, but suddenly froze. Remembering something, he turned back.

Mitile ran back to the table, and grabbed the firework flower he bloomed.

Finally he leaped out the door onto the terrace, and splashed into the lake. With a wide smile he waved to Figaro.

Mitile: Dr. Figaro! Quick, quick!

I’ll show you around the lake! And my super awesome flower! Come, look!

He lifted up the flower pot to the sunny skies as he hopped on the spot. Figaro waved his hand back in reply.

With every splash he made, the water droplets would faintly light up in the sun, twinkling before they vanished. The beauty of their transient light would be engraved into my mind.

Watching the radiant scenery before me…I wished that this trip would become a warm memory to the wizards here…

and remain in their hearts for hundreds, and thousands of years.

END

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