The Hunting Festival

Many clubs extended invitations to Irene, but she couldn't make up her mind. As she hesitated, an upperclasswoman wearing a dark red school uniform jacket stopped her.

“You're Irene, right?” The upperclasswoman, who had her hair tied in a neat ponytail, asked. “I'm an officer of the Sparkfire Association, a third-year. You can just call me Amy.”

Irene was taken aback. The Sparkfire Association was one of the two major student organizations, standing on equal footing with the Silver Circle Society. Although its members were primarily commoners, its status was undeniable. She hadn't expected them to reach out to her on their own initiative.

“I saw you reject the invitations from the Silver Circle Society's affiliated clubs just now,” Senior Amy said with a smile. “Good taste. Why don't you come take a look at our side? You won't be disappointed.”

Irene instinctively glanced back toward Erich. The plaza was bustling with people, and she could no longer see any sign of the four of them.

The Sparkfire Association and the Silver Circle Society stood above all other clubs, serving a regulatory role. If she could join, the resources and connections she would gain would be incomparable to ordinary clubs. Besides... Irene had her own selfish motive.

“Alright, I'll go take a look with you.”

Senior Amy led Irene toward the South Wing. Along the way, Irene learned that organizations of the Sparkfire Association and Silver Circle Society's caliber didn't need to set up stalls in the plaza to recruit members. Those who wanted to join would naturally seek them out.

Morningstar Academy had built a separate building in the South Wing as a base of operations for all the clubs. When Irene followed her senior through the entrance, she was startled by the sheer volume of people. The corridors were packed with visiting freshmen, and the noisy chatter echoed throughout the lobby.

“This is the Club Building,” Senior Amy introduced. “All official clubs have offices here, but...”

“The ones on the first floor are all the heavy hitters. The higher up you go, the more niche they get. There are even a few clubs on the fourth floor that can't even gather enough members, teetering on the edge of disbandment every year.”

Just as Irene was about to reply, a voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

“Irene, what a coincidence!”

Irene whipped her head around, only to see Lorraine standing behind her. She had no idea when she had arrived.

How does this girl walk without making a sound! The exact same thought that Erich had once had popped into Irene's head. She then greeted her warmly, “Lorraine, you're here too.”

“I just got here. I was actually looking for someone I knew to walk around with.” Lorraine naturally stepped up to Irene's side and looked at Senior Amy. “Is this senior from the Sparkfire Association? May I tag along to take a look?”

Amy nodded readily. “Of course, the more the merrier.”

Thus, Lorraine naturally joined their tour. The three of them walked down the corridor until Senior Amy stopped in front of a silver metal door.

“That's the Silver Circle Society's office,” Amy said, her tone turning a bit subtle. “They call it the Silver Hall. You can't enter unless you're invited. Word has it that all the tea sets inside are made of solid silver, and the carpets are hand-woven imports from the elves.”

She added at the end, “Well, I've never been inside myself. It's all just hearsay.”

Amy led the two of them a few steps further and stopped before a dark red wooden door. A bronze nameplate hung on the door, engraved with the pattern of a flame.

“Welcome to the Sparkfire Association.”

Behind the door was a room slightly larger than a standard classroom. Several rows of long tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and the bookshelves lining the walls were packed with various documents and books. Handwritten notes and magic circle drafts from previous members were pasted all over the walls.

There were already quite a few people inside. Upperclassmen were guiding freshmen around, making the atmosphere much livelier than the clubs in the corridor, yet it wasn't overly noisy.

Amy stood at the doorway and spread her arms, her voice filled with undisguised pride. “We in the Sparkfire Association don't have that many rules. We're all just commoners banding together for warmth, clawing more benefits out of those arrogant snobs to distribute among ourselves. That was the original purpose behind founding the Sparkfire Association.”

Lorraine listened intently, her eyes gradually lighting up, and Irene was also deeply touched by these words.

Amy then briefly introduced the organization's structure: the Study Resources Group, the Event Planning Group, the Public Relations Group, and the Negotiation Group specifically tasked with dealing with the Silver Circle Society, among others. There was regular tutoring for practical magic classes every month, group study sessions organized before finals, and even dedicated recommendation slots for scholarships.

“Of course, these resources don't come for free,” Amy said honestly. “Joining the Sparkfire Association means you'll have to take on some duties, like tutoring underclassmen or volunteering during large-scale events. But I don't think that's a bad thing, right?”

Lorraine asked for an application form on the spot and leaned over a table to fill it out.

Irene hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Amy and whispered, “Senior, may I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Would it be possible for Erich to join as well?”

Amy went silent for a few seconds before asking, “Erich Edmond?”

“Yes.”

“That's hard to say.” Amy frowned. “You probably know that his reputation in the academy isn't great. If we recruit him, the association might face some unnecessary pressure.”

“However, if he really doesn't do anything out of line, perhaps the president and the others would be willing to accept him.”

“Thank you, Senior!” Irene quickly expressed her gratitude, a smile finally gracing her face.

Having those words was enough. She believed that Erich wouldn't do anything bad.

Irene also took an application form and filled it out stroke by stroke. Just as she finished writing the very last character, Lorraine's voice drifted over from beside her.

“Irene, what's your relationship with Erich?”

Irene pondered in her heart. What was her relationship with Erich? Lifesaver? Companion?

After thinking it over, she finally said, “Friends.”

“What kind of person do you think he is?” Lorraine pressed.

Irene didn't answer right away. She carefully recalled every single moment she had spent with Erich.

“He seems a bit improper on the surface, but he's actually a good person,” Irene said.

Lorraine nodded. Through Irene's recollections, she saw an Erich who was completely different from her own perception: someone who would protect others, someone who would feel sad, and someone who would get hurt for the sake of another.

Lorraine grumbled in her mind. But then she remembered how that guy had actually threatened her. Although it was indeed partly her own fault for provoking him first, she still held a deep grudge against Erich.

She, Lorraine, was highly vindictive!

After the tour ended, Senior Amy enthusiastically dragged the two of them to the cafeteria for lunch.

While they ate, Amy described their future academic plans with great animation. Lorraine nodded repeatedly as she listened, occasionally chiming in with various questions.

Listening to them chat, Irene gradually relaxed as well. She shared some things about herself—excluding anything related to the Silent Order, of course—focusing only on her interest in magic and her uncertainty about the future. Lorraine nodded in agreement with earnest expressions.

The three girls got along famously. Or rather, the two girls and one cross-dressing girl got along famously. Amy didn't seem to notice anything amiss with Irene at all, and since Lorraine herself was shrouded in secrets, she saw no need to expose anyone else.

After finishing their meal, the three exchanged contact information. Amy wrote her communication code on a small slip of paper and handed it to the two, and Lorraine also recited a string of numbers. When it was Irene's turn, she suddenly froze.

She realized she didn't have Erich's contact information.

That guy was so desperately poor he didn't even own a communicator. Since they had been together every day before, she hadn't felt any inconvenience, but now that they were separated, she realized she had no way of reaching him.

Lorraine, who heard her thoughts loud and clear, nodded beside her. “Having a communicator is indeed convenient.”

What she was thinking in her own mind was a different matter: That guy knows my secret. Having a way to contact him would give me some peace of mind. In case he ever decides to report me, at least I'll know right away. Well, the logic was a bit flawed, but that was exactly how Lorraine's mind worked.

And so, Lorraine suddenly began enthusiastically telling Irene where she could buy a cheap communicator.

Irene gave Lorraine a puzzled look, but she ultimately accepted the goodwill and wrote down the shop's address.

In the afternoon, Amy brought the two of them back to the Club Building.

All the freshmen who had joined the Sparkfire Association were gathered in a large classroom, numbering around thirty people in total.

An upperclassman wearing a second-year school uniform walked up to the podium:

“Welcome to the Sparkfire Association, new members. I'm Ryan, a second-year, and I'll be in charge of today's orientation.”

The classroom fell silent.

Ryan looked around, nodded in satisfaction, and then said, “You've all completed the basic enrollment procedures: the opening ceremony and the club recruitment. However, Morningstar Academy's true welcoming event is only just beginning.”

“Next, let me introduce you to Morningstar Academy's unique welcoming event—the 【Hunting Festival】.”