Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 951 - 68: Nightfall Festival

Chapter 951: Chapter 68: Nightfall Festival

"So, is this the excuse you have found for your behavior last night?" As the President of the Mage Guild and the former Great Mage of the Elven Royal Court, Antuin’s image had always been elegant and composed, but at this moment, the expression on Antuin’s face made him look nothing like an Elf, but rather like a ravenous magical beast in the wilderness, hungry for flesh. The energy of magic danced in his eyes, with lightning almost bursting forth. Here was a Demigod Mage who was nearly unable to control his own burst of energy, which clearly showed how furious he was. Antuin took a few heavy breaths, barely suppressing the anger that could erupt at any moment, and gritted his teeth as he said, "Do you realize the impact you have caused? Now more than half the city is talking about what you did last night. What about the image of the Elves? The image of the Winged people? The image of Nellie’s Adventure Team? And your image, Kyle... well, now you are Pannis, and you didn’t have much of an image to begin with, so let’s not mention that."

"Hey, hey, hey, why is it not mentioned when it comes to me?" Pannis protested discontentedly, "I am a member of the adventure team, after all, and I have appeared in legendary tales of the adventure team. How can I have no image?"

"Indeed, you have an image, a negative one at that," Antuin slammed his magic staff heavily on the ground and roared, "Stop your nonsense and don’t try to change the subject. We are discussing the issue of your behavior last night, so take it seriously."

In front of a furious Antuin, a row of ladies stood in line, heads bowed neatly, receiving Antuin’s reprimand. Antuin was more than fifteen hundred years old, older than everyone present combined, and though one could not simply calculate age across different races, each one, be it Flare as the queen, or the Light and Dark Twins representing the spirit of the Winged people, showed the utmost respect to the elder who had lived through the reign of three Elf Queens. Of course, this did not include Ava, for if one were to compare physiological age alone, Ava’s age could match six or seven Antuins, but if judged by mental age, she was still a simple child, and so she stood with the young girls, expressionless under the weight of Antuin’s fury.

Only Pannis remained with his lazy demeanor, grinning and saying, "Don’t be mad, cool it, cool it. Is it not just taking everyone out for a few drinks and then having some fun for a while? Why so tense?"

"A little drink? A bit of fun? Ha, ha, indeed, that’s exactly what happened," Antuin bit his teeth with a sneer, the fury in his heart almost turning into tangible flames as he bellowed, "You make it sound so simple. It’s one thing for a bunch of you to go out drinking at night, hitting up six taverns, no less, and most of you getting drunk, too. Being drunk is not a big deal; you could’ve just come back and slept it off. But not you. You had to make a spectacle of yourselves in the streets, wanting your unique presences to be seen by everyone. Do you have any idea how unique you look? You are public figures now, do you even understand what that means? After your jaunt, most people could recognize you, knowing that the Elf Queen, the Winged Twins, and the strongest adventure team in the human world were out carousing together. Do you think that’s a cause for pride? And that’s not even the end of it. If it were just that, I wouldn’t have a word to say against you. After all, you’re young, and the occasional indulgence is completely normal, even a bit of excess can be tolerated, but what did you do next?"

The girls shook their heads in unison, indicating they didn’t remember at all, but it was clear that the events of last night, though blurred by intoxication, were not so easily forgotten.

"You don’t remember? Then let me remind you," Antuin certainly didn’t believe the ladies’ claims and sneeringly continued, "Let’s start with you, members of the adventure team. As you swaggered down the street, you began to sing loudly, starting with Falar’s folk songs, moving on to Denia’s hymns, and eventually escalating to belting out arias in high pitch. In the end, each of you sang your own thing, resulting in complete chaos. I’m not mistaken, am I?"

The faces of the adventure team’s girls turned red; Antuin was spot-on in his account. Yesterday was Neville’s traditional Twilight Festival, where, according to legend, in the early years of the Third Epoch, some six to seven thousand years ago, a powerful nocturnal magical beast used to ravage this region, capturing villagers as food every time dusk fell. To protect themselves, everyone would lock themselves tightly indoors every night, quivering in fear. Until one day, a nameless hero from legend happened to pass by and couldn’t bear to see the villagers living in such terror. Therefore, he chose to stay outside that night, ready to fight the beast to the death. However, the cowardly villagers did not dare pin their hopes on the hero and hid in their homes once again that night. As expected, the beast attacked again that night, engaging in a fierce battle with the hero. The hero was brave but the beast was too powerful, and the fight grew more and more difficult, with the hero becoming increasingly wounded. Yet even so, the villagers still remained hidden, not daring to offer any help. Just when the hero could barely hold on any longer, one villager couldn’t face his own guilt, unable to watch someone else struggle for his life any longer. That villager, at last, flung the door open, grabbed a weapon, and charged at the beast. Once there was one, there was a second, and more and more villagers realized their safety had to be defended by themselves. Together, they took up arms and even farming tools, courageously charging at the ferocious beast. In the end, with the help of everyone, the hero killed the beast, bringing safety and peace back to the region. Since then, to commemorate the hero’s deeds and the brave ones who died in battle, the locals designated this day as Twilight Festival. On the night of the Twilight Festival, people would flood the streets to take part in a grand parade to celebrate.

Over time, this custom gradually spread throughout the entire Neville region, and the focus of the event shifted from commemoration to entertainment as it is today. Today’s Twilight Festival still begins with a large-scale parade, led by elaborately decorated and brightly lit carriages. Depending on the size of the city, the number of carriages varies, but in Neville City, the capital, there are already over a hundred. On the first few dozen carriages, each holds a set of intricate sculptures that together tell the story of the hero defeating the magical beast. The carriages that follow have been specially modified, with a multitude of performers standing on the rooftops, dancing and doing acrobatics for the onlooking crowds. Countless citizens surround the carriages, following the parade and winding their way around the city; the singing and cheers meld into a single jubilant sound, akin to a wild celebration. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote and support me. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)