NOVEL NEXT Chapter 339: Behind Stage?
After walking a bit, Lillian quickly found Millis, who was keeping her mother company. She then passed over a spare black dress, which sparked the Heroine's attention.
Millis widened her eyes, staring at the dress before glancing back up to Lillian's face.
"S-seriously? Y-ya really didn't have to, Lil..."
Lillian raised an eyebrow, glancing at the Heroine's attire and finding it to be exactly the same as when she left. She shook her head and urged the woman.
"Just wear it... You can't possibly wear that to an event like this..."
Veronica, who was watching and also wearing a black dress, nodded with a soft giggle, "Do take her offer, dear."
Millis glanced between them with teary eyes before rushing to Lillian and hugging her.
This startled the white-haired girl. However, she just smiled as she giggled and patted Heroine's head.
Marionette, who was nearby watching this, couldn't help but feel her hand twitch at this. But, she sighed.
She'll allow it this time.
Soon enough, all four of them found a foldable chair amongst the sea of crowds and looked towards a stage at the very front with a wooden podium with no one currently manning it.
***
Mirage, who was backstage, looked up towards the golden-lit sky with a forlorn expression. He was currently wearing a black suit and tie with his usual black ponytail.
But not with his usual smile.
He rested his back against a wall and pulled out a piece of paper. He then stared at the script he had written up last night.
This was the second time he had ever done this—a ceremony for the deceased, to be more exact.
He gave a loud sigh, raising the script to his eyes and reading the lines. He then lowered the paper and stared at the man behind it.
A dashing face with long blonde hair and yellow eyes. He wore a black suit similar to his, but still carried an emblem of the Vermillion Bird in the form of a badge on his right lapel.
"Can I help you, Saint Leon?"
"Oh, drop that, Elio." The Saint moved to his side and leaned against the wall, "We're friends, not strangers."
Mirage blinked at what the Saint referred to him as before smirking.
"I see... So, how was your nap? Did your Abberration take a lot out of you?"
The Saint gave a low chuckle before patting his stomach, "It's the opposite, rather. I felt like I took a lot. But it was fine, thank you very much."
He then moved a bit to the side, opening the black curtains and taking a peek outside. And what was seen was a sea of people waiting for Mirage to take the stage.
Closing it and moving back to the wall, he asked:
"Nervous?"
"Quite. Have you ever done one of these before?"
Saint Leon stared at his friend before folding his arms and smiling, "In my early days, yes. Plenty of times and all because of my inability to protect others. But, nowadays, I do it for the soldiers that lost their lives on the frontlines."
"How is that, by the way?" Mirage asked, reading over his script again.
The Saint glanced at him before shaking his head with a sigh, "Dreadful and depressing... But as long as our duties better the world, then it'll all be worth it in the end."
"... Depressing, huh?" Mirage repeated before asking after a long pause:
"What do you think the people out there would think and say when they see me?" His lips curled into an anxious smile.
"Do you think any of them would suddenly get up to punch me?"
Saint Leon couldn't help but become stoic at the man's words.
He eventually sighed, "Well... Probably not something that extreme. They might throw something at you or yell at you but that's about it... No loving people would be glad to hear someone close to them were suddenly deceased."
He then paused before adding:
"And especially when they have barely been given time to take in the news before having to come all the way here."
After saying that, he found Mirage had become silent to his words. And quickly noticing this, he patted his shoulder and said:
"Look. I'm sure if Master Louis were here, he would just be as anxious as you are. Or maybe even more. Mainly, due to his entire reputation being on the line."
"And that same reputation is now on my shoulder to keep up." Mirage quickly responded, pocketing his script.
The Saint chuckled.
"I suppose... But anyway, just know that even though death lingers over all of us... We are unable to do anything about it even if we have all the power in the world. It's truly just how the world works."
He then glanced towards Mirage, finding him to be transformed into an elderly man in a black suit.
Mirage, in the form of Headmaster Louis, turned towards the black curtains and said:
"I shall be going out now."
However, right as he was about to, Leon grabbed his shoulder and said:
"If something happens, I'll come out and support you."
Mirage smirked, patting the hand before shrugging it off and moving through the curtains and coming on stage.
***
Lillian watched as Mirage finally came on stage in the form of the missing headmaster and took the podium.
He tapped at the microphone before speaking.
"I'm glad that you all could make it. And for those that couldn't—" He pointed towards the screens and cameras to the side, "I hope you are either tuning in remotely and this will be recorded and sent live for you to watch later."
He then coughed to clear his throat.
"April 5th. Just 3 days ago, we experienced a great tragedy that had left this realm in almost utter ruin and even almost destroyed it if not for the Saint's swift arrival.
"However, before his arrival, many deaths had occurred. And for those who are here, that person would most likely be a key person in your lives.
"And for that same reason, we are here to not only mourn the dead, but also to honour them. We honour the staff who did their best to bring the best care to the Academy. We honour the soldiers who lost their lives trying to protect everyone in the Academy. We honour the students who fell defending and protecting each other's lives."
He then paused for a split moment, trying to recall the next line in his script.
He then opened his mouth.
But.
"But will that bring any of them back!?"
He was interrupted as someone from the crowd stood up and yelled.
Lillian looked towards the person and found a middle-aged woman with ruined makeup as their eyes bled tears that ran down their face. She also watched as what she assumed to be her husband tried to pull her back into her seat.
The woman shrugged off her husband's pull and yelled with a tear-drenched napkin scrunched in their tight grip:
"I thought this academy was safe... I thought this academy was prestigious for its care and treatment for everyone in it! But how could you let something like this happen!? Where had all the money we've given you gone?! AND WHERE IS MY SON! W-where...!"
The sobbing mother broke down as she added in a shaky voice:
"I thought you Tier 5 Mages were powerful... B-but... How could you let some terrorists take away my son...!"
As her voice and words echoed out, the people in reach felt their hearts ache and tear as it rang inside their ears. And as a signal, one by one, people began standing up to voice out their grief.