It’s been a month since my grandpa and I moved to the city.

A lot has changed since then.

Lately, I’ve gotten into the habit of going out to sell homemade bread that Ashie and I make. We sell it for 5 bronze coins and honestly, business is going well.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that in one month, vacation ends and I’ll have to start school — the original reason and purpose for coming to this city.

By the way, today everything is super hectic. I think it might be a holiday or something. I asked Mr. Ruth, but he said it’s not, although he also has no idea what’s going on.

Anyway, the point is that the whole city is being decorated. I’m not complaining, but I am curious about the reason.

I’m in my room, looking out the window. Some carts have passed by loaded with boxes, and they’ve also put up lots of purple pennants with a crow on the lamp posts. I wonder what it all means...

Of course, I haven’t just sat still trying to figure out the truth, so Ashie went to ask some people about it. He told me to go to the mandarin tree near the lake in one hour and he’d tell me once he found out.

That hour has passed, so I’ll get ready and go.

Let’s see… I’ll wear this black wool sweater. It’s not cold, but it’s not hot either. Why wouldn’t I wear this outfit?

Since I don’t have another pair of shoes, I’ll wear the same ones as always. The pants are brown, and that’s that.

I’m ready! Anyway, I better hurry — Ashie must be waiting for me.

I went down to the second floor, rushed to the first, and ran with all my breath to the place we agreed on.

Hmm… There really are a lot of decorations. Normally, this city isn’t so colorful. I really want to know what’s going on. Maybe a holiday with gifts for kids? I hope so! And since several adults are involved in taking care of me, I should get… 1, 2, 3… Oh, I forgot I don’t know how to count, heheh.

After running for a while, I arrived at the spot, and there was Ashie waiting for me.

By the way, Ashie totally changed his look — he’s wearing a ponytail and some clothes that Jay gave him. Though of course, that’s not all he owns.

I arrived, and Ashie greeted me with his beautiful usual smile.

"ASHIE!"

"I was waiting for you! I found out what’s going on!"

"Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"A very important member of the Coperville family is coming here today."

"The Coperville family?"

I’ve heard something about them. They’re a family who possess original elemental magic. Their element is "Darkness." Lately, they’re rising in prominence thanks to the youngest member of their family —

Julius Coperville.

They say he’s incredibly talented. At just 18 years old, he’s already a sensation in the magical world, even recognized by the top dark magic families.

Or well, that’s what I’ve heard a few times. I don’t really know much about it since I’m not a gossip… I think.

"Yeah, although I don’t know why people are making such a fuss over a small family like Coperville..."

"Maybe the person coming is more famous than the family itself. So... what if the one coming is Julius!?" I say, full of excitement.

I mean, we’re talking about a mage with tons of potential. For someone like me who can’t use magic, that’s incredibly exciting.

"Well, I could learn more about magic if I managed to talk to him, but I’m still just a commoner..." Ashie said, looking downcast.

"I’m sure he’d listen to you, Ashie! There’s no other kid more talented than you!" I raise my arms.

Ashie has resumed practicing magic. He’s still trying to overcome whatever from his past is holding him back, but to do that, he has to take steps forward and break free from it.

I know he can do it. I believe in him, and if he ever falls, I’ll be there to hold out my hand.

"D-Don’t say stuff like that..." he said, blushing.

Hehehe, that reaction again… I love it.

"I’m just saying the truth~"

"Whatever, I wonder why he would come all the way here..."

"Hmmm, well, the city isn’t exactly small, and maybe he has business with the governor." I scratch my head, looking curious.

"Could be, though... it’s not like the governor is that sociable either."

"Hahaha, that’s true." I chuckled mockingly.

The mayor is a chubby, bald, bearded man who’s always grumpy. I think he’s really insecure too, so he rarely leaves the palace.

I’ve heard he’s an exceptional class-A mage with unique summoning magic from his grimoire. What a waste.

"By the way, we should go sell the rest of the homemade bread before the Coperville person arrives. Surely with the announcement of their arrival, a bunch of interesting stalls will open." I said to Ashie with shining eyes.

"That’s true. How much bread do we have left to sell?"

"Hmmm, I think 15."

"Great! Let’s sell it all in time!"

"Yes!"

And so, Ashie and I ran to the tavern to grab the bread we’d sell.

Once we arrived, Ashie went to the kitchen where he had stored the bread.

In the background, I saw my grandpa eating noodles with sauce in the living room.

I ran excitedly toward him.

"Grandpa!"

Lui lifted his head and immediately smiled.

"Finn," he said, smiling.

"Did you hear, Grandpa? A mage from the Coperville family is coming today!"

"Yes, I’ve heard a bit about that. Are you excited too?"

"Very! I hope he does magic tricks..."

My grandpa chuckled a bit and shook his head.

"Usually, important nobles don’t come here to interact with the public. You’ll probably just see him ride in on horseback, waving from afar."

"Then why is everyone so excited?"

"Well, the human mind is something we can’t quite figure out. But the excitement is probably because people want a chance to stand out. A favor, a show of respect — something like saying, ‘I’m here, so notice me,’ and in that way gain some recognition from that important person."

"I don’t get it..."

"People seek attention, always. Especially if it’s attention from someone important..."

Even if that someone is from the Coperville family? Well, I guess supporting them could be a smart investment for the future. Probably.

"Finn, I’m here!" Ashie returned with a box containing the homemade bread.

Both my grandpa and I looked at him and smiled.

"Great, time to go sell the bread!"

"You two are really focused on your business lately, I see."

"Yes! We’re doing really well."

"I’m glad to hear that. Keep it up, then."

We both nodded and ran to the center of the city to sell the remaining bread.