Under the silent guidance of the court magician, Agusheed slowly walked out of the palace.
Descending the gilded palace steps one by one, the view of the sky spread before his eyes.
The sun had already dipped behind the mountains, and the evening clouds glowed with a faint red hue.
That color reflected in Agusheed's eyes, reminding him of a certain morning on the northern plateau.
Flamme's red hair scattering in the morning mist seemed almost within reach.
The soft rustling of her hair brushing against parchment echoed faintly in his ears.
"So fleeting…"
Agusheed whispered to himself.
Whether he meant the entire journey or just that single morning, even he couldn't be sure.
The Imperial Capital bathed in twilight was intertwined with mythological reliefs.
Bronze spires pierced through drifting clouds, marble domes caught the fading light.
It resembled the wonders of the mythic era that Agusheed had once seen.
"No wonder Flamme likes this city. It truly is a beautiful sight."
His words sounded like admiration,
But the court magician beside him could not sense any emotion in his voice—
This made the magician feel somewhat strange about this companion who had returned with his teacher.
When the stone steps finally reached their end, just before entering the residential district,
The court magician put aside his thoughts and focused on Agusheed.
"Would you like to head directly to…"
The guide's words abruptly stopped.
Because as his gaze passed over Agusheed's emotionless eyes—
He suddenly realized that the man was shrouded in an aura of inhuman tranquility.
Like those ancient statues preserved within the palace.
Even after being caressed by moonlight for a thousand years, the stone eyes remained devoid of human warmth.
"Emotionless words, colorless eyes… almost like a demon."
The thought came suddenly,
And it tightened the magician's throat.
But only for a moment. He quickly brushed off the thought.
He even found his own imagination laughable.
"If Teacher knew I thought that about her companion, she'd probably break my legs."
Thinking this, the guide finished his duty, bowed respectfully to Agusheed, and apologized for his momentary lapse.
"I wish you a pleasant evening at the celebration, Your Excellency."
Agusheed didn't mind his rudeness and nodded slightly in response.
Under the watchful eyes of the court magician, he continued walking toward the residential district without pause.
Even before nightfall, the citizens of the capital had already begun preparing for the evening's festivities.
Every household hung bright lanterns outside their doors,
And vivid decorations connected every street.
Agusheed walked slowly amidst the bustling crowds.
Carts filled with a dazzling array of food ingredients passed by him.
The dance hall soon came into view, with young men and women lingering nearby, brimming with anticipation.
Laughing children wove through the crowds, chasing each other with carefree joy.
Harmony. Beauty.
Everyone was celebrating the return of the Archmage Flamme.
Only Agusheed seemed out of place among them.
He wandered through street after street, alone.
Under his careful disguise, no one paid attention to his casual meandering.
Young men laughing would subconsciously step back when they came near him.
Girls decorating flower carts would stop humming inexplicably when he passed by.
Even the bottles in the hands of drunken men would pause eerily mid-sway, as if instinctively avoiding him.
In the whirlwind of revelry before the celebration—
Only Agusheed's lonely figure carved out an absolute silence.
He did not know how long he walked, but eventually, night fell.
Agusheed found himself farther and farther from the bustling streets; the clamor of people gradually disappeared.
Finally, he stopped at a secluded high platform in the capital.
He looked up at the statue standing in the center of the platform—
One that looked absolutely nothing like Flamme.
Agusheed couldn't imagine how Flamme could tolerate such a thing existing.
"On our journey, she was always so strict about her statues…"
Failing once more to understand human thought, Agusheed leaned back against the statue and sat down.
In the direction of his gaze, the bells marking the beginning of the celebration rang out.
Watching the sky fill with countless Magic of Firework Blossoms,
Agusheed extended his hand, as if trying to catch the falling embers.
Two hundred years ago, when he first saw humans in this world from afar,
The bonfires they lit after their gatherings had flickered and died in the palm of his hand just like this.
At that time, Agusheed had already lost all emotion.
He couldn't understand why these short-lived beings danced around such fleeting light.
Leaning against the statue's base, he touched his own face, still as cold as stone.
Once again, Agusheed realized the distance between himself and the concept of "human."
So, you see…
Human celebrations hold no joy or meaning for me.
I can't understand them, and staying there would only be a waste of time.
Tap, tap…
Footsteps echoed on the damp stone path.
Even from a distance, even without sensing magic,
Agusheed could recognize Flamme's footsteps.
"I knew you'd run off somewhere alone."
Even though she had yet to come into view, her voice—full of exasperation—was unmistakable.
Agusheed called out in her direction:
"I thought you'd be at the palace banquet—
After all, it's held to celebrate your return, isn't it, Flamme?"
Flamme stepped out from the shadows of the street.
Her formal mage robes from earlier were gone, replaced with an elegant white silk dress that outlined her slender frame.
To Agusheed's question, she merely smiled and shook her head.
"I could never get used to those grand, lavish banquets of the nobility—
Can you imagine their stiff ballroom dances and rigid manners?"
Agusheed raised an eyebrow.
"Then shouldn't you be at the city celebration instead?"
Flamme stepped closer, inch by inch, until only a sliver of space remained between them.
Her shoes, adorned with Mirror Lotus patterns, tapped lightly on the ground before him.
As she leaned forward, her hair brushed against his hand, carrying the faint fragrance of irises.
"I was planning to, but someone made me search all twelve clock towers and three fountain squares—"
Looking down at Agusheed, who was sitting at the foot of her statue, she continued with a hint of sadness:
"The people at the celebration are lost in food and wine; if I joined now, I'd only feel out of place."
"I see… My apologies, then, for spoiling your mood."
Agusheed offered a sincere apology.
"Just a verbal apology? Not even going to compensate me?"
Flamme extended her right hand, gently pulling Agusheed up from the ground.
"Compensate, huh…"
Agusheed cast a Magic to Completely Remove Dust and Dirt from Clothes, brushing away the dirt from his coat.
"Alright, what would you have me do?"
Flamme smiled, her head tilted slightly, her right hand still outstretched.
"Would you care to dance with me?"
"Here?"
"Unless you have somewhere else you'd rather go, then yes…
Right here, under the moonlight—"