Summoning the Holy Sword

The Midsummer Festival couldn’t be considered popular because it focused on mercenaries, and everyone else would just gather for food and drinks. Thereafter, the Mercenary Association decided to ‘join in the fun’ and promote it into a festival. But, even so, the Midsummer Festival still wasn’t regarded highly by others because the nature of mercenaries was always loud and rowdy, and all of them would eat and drink gluttonously. Unlike other festivals, the Midsummer Festival didn’t have any procedures like giving speeches of missions and all—mercenaries wouldn’t know if they could see another day, so expectations and ideals were equal to nothing for them. As for missions, what were their missions other than earning money?

That was why the previous Midsummer Festivals had always been cold and cheerless. Just like the previous Holy War Ceremony, everyone started eating and drinking after the ballot and vows. The civilians only wished to gather to the arena for a good show, where the competition between guilds or ceremony were unimportant matters.

But this time, after Lydia took over as organizer, how could she tolerate having a meaningless and empty festival as a person who was termed as luxurious, extravagant, and gorgeous?

Therefore, a unique grand festival had begun as morning arrived.

Accompanied with deep, loud saluting gun explosions, countless magical fireworks erupted, spiralling into the sky and exploding in all directions before merging with the sun’s first ray. In an instant, the highest point of Golden City seemed to have awakened under the dazzling sun.

Rhode looked at the scenery with widened eyes, whereas Lize, Anne, and the rest were totally stunned.

Over just one night, Golden City seemed to have transformed. Flags representing various guilds and associations waved in the blue skies. The golden sun rays were like a shapeless river flowing in the air with countless petals falling from above. The lightly scented aroma gave them a comfortable sensation…

“This is… the Midsummer Festival?”

Joey was overwhelmed. He stared at everything in panic—that’s right, panic. Lydia loved huge occasions, but this didn’t mean that others would equally love such bustling scenes, especially the mercenaries that were participating in the opening matches. The larger the occasion, the more nervous they would get, and the worse they would perform. This was only natural for any normal human, unlike rare cases like Anne, who couldn’t wait to jump onto the arena and wreck her opponents.

“No, Christie, I just thought of something troublesome, that’s all.”

Rhode smiled (which was a rare opportunity for everyone to see his smile), squatted down, and looked at Christie while caressing her hair.

“I was only thinking… if Marlene were to leave us, what should I do next?”

“… Sister Marlene is leaving…?”

Christie widened her eyes in astonishment. Although Christie wasn’t as close with the rest as Rhode was, she had considered Marlene to be someone familiar after spending so many days together. She wouldn’t bear separating from this strict and friendly older sister.

“… Why must Sister Marlene leave? Rhode…. Everyone, stay together… isn’t that good?”

Rhode shrugged hopelessly and shook his head with a bitter smile.

“She has her life and we have ours… Besides, this is only a possibility, not for sure yet.”

“… Sister Marlene would never leave…”

Christie revealed a confident smile.

“… I know, because Sister Marlene loves everyone… so she wouldn’t leave…”

“I hope so.”

Rhode didn’t say much as he lightly fondled with her hair once more before standing up and staring out the window.

The Sacred Arena was shining so ever brightly under the dazzling sun rays.

It was their turn to fight soon.