Morning light streamed into the castle, casting slanted shadows of the figures within.
Dark was in a cheerful mood, feeling as though even the air had grown a good deal fresher.
Chatting with Diana always managed to bring out a different kind of joy.
The girl's happiness carried an extraordinary infectiousness.
It made one unable to resist breaking into a smile.
...
Amid the lighthearted laughter, the trio had unwittingly arrived just outside the Canteen.
Perhaps because they'd come early enough, the crowd inside wasn't packed to bursting.
Yet that festive cheer unique to holidays already brimmed over from within.
No sooner had Dark stepped into the Canteen than he suddenly caught sight of a beloved, time-honored scene unfolding right there in the aisle.
A senior from the Knight House, a red rose clamped between his teeth, had actually dropped to one knee, professing his love to a senior girl from the Magic House before everyone's eyes!
White Valentine's Day had been a mere half-month ago, yet he'd chosen Easter to make his confession.
Lost in his own theatrical fervor, the Knight House senior recited gushing, sappy verses like the leading man of an opera.
And thanks to his handsome, dashing looks, even such an outdated display drew no small amount of attention.
The Magic House senior girl being confessed to had gone from her initial surprise to her present state—cheeks flushed like rosy clouds, bashful beyond measure.
But just as that senior girl extended a slender, fair palm toward the senior, as though about to accept his confession—something abrupt happened!
That Knight House senior, far from clasping the girl's fingers to bestow a "vow's kiss," suddenly stood up, broke into a sunny, hearty grin, and said with tender, honeyed affection: "Happy April Fools' Day——"
The words had barely left his mouth before even the onlooking students were struck dumb on the spot.
To say nothing of that Magic House senior girl with her faintly reddened cheeks...
"Smack!"
Abruptly realizing she'd been toyed with, the Magic House senior girl's bashful blush instantly transformed into the red of fury. Her outstretched right hand swung up with a vengeance—and delivered the senior a vicious slap across the face!
The sound of that slap was exceedingly crisp.
Clearly the senior girl had shown no mercy in her anger.
But what was even more astonishing was that the man who'd taken the slap could actually still laugh...
Yes, he actually walked off laughing...
What should have been a socially-mortifying scene was rendered slightly different against the backdrop of April Fools' Day.
The onlookers seemed to only now realize that today wasn't just Easter, but also April Fools' Day—and one and all wore peculiar expressions, suddenly wary even of their own companions!
As for the senior girl at the center of it all, after delivering that slap she calmly sat back down in her seat.
When Dark passed by her, he actually saw that she too was smiling!
And smiling unusually contentedly at that.
As though she had long since seen through the senior's act and had played along on purpose from the very start—all for the sake of venting through that single slap!
...
"Truly worthy of the Magic House..."
Dark looked away, pretending he knew nothing.
After that little episode, the Canteen's atmosphere noticeably dipped for a stretch.
But as more students poured in, the gossip it sparked instead stirred up an even greater frenzy.
Dark and his two companions, meanwhile, obediently waited in line.
A few minutes later.
At last it was the trio's turn.
Diana and Rose each picked an Easter egg, and Dark, right behind them, reached out and chose one too.
The Easter eggs arranged on the platter each differed in pattern and size.
From the outside alone, there was no telling their type at all.
Much less what sort of treatment had been done to their insides.
Diana picked the biggest one.
Rose picked one with rather vivid coloring.
Dark picked the one that looked the roundest.
But just as he set the egg on his plate and was about to leave, the Halfling Cook kindly said: "Won't the little bat pick one?"
"Eh?"
The DemiDevimon, who had been obediently perched on Dark's shoulder imitating a waistcoat, let out a startled, puzzled cry.
But it quickly turned from surprise to delight, stretching out a wing to point and gesture at the rows upon rows of eggs.
"Thank you, Auntie."
Dark thanked the Halfling Cook auntie on its behalf, then followed the little devil's guidance and picked an Easter egg with black as its main color.
After that the three of them went on to order breakfast, then carried their plates over to find an empty table against the wall and sat down.
"Time to open it!"
Brimming with energy, Diana picked up a table knife and waved it a couple of times at the egg before her.
She clearly couldn't wait any longer.
"Let's open them, all together."
Dark placed the little devil's egg on a plate and set it aside for it, then picked up his own egg.
The three exchanged a glance, then all sprang into action.
Diana's table knife swept down hard—a flash of silver light flashed, and that egg, somewhat larger than a goose egg, was split clean in two with a single stroke!
As the egg parted to either side, a white, sticky honey syrup trickled out.
A rich, sweet fragrance burst forth, making Diana's face take on a gluttonous look.
"It's actually real candy!"
The Halfling Cooks—who knew how they'd managed it—had actually replaced this egg's yolk with honey syrup.
While Diana was delighting over this, Rose and Dark both used the traditional method of cracking and peeling their shells.
In any case, the instant she peeled hers open, Rose froze on the spot.
Because the egg in her hand really did give off a pungent, spicy aroma.
Even the egg white was a red that dripped with chili oil!
"There really is a super-spicy flavor..."
Rose said with a bitter face, on the verge of tears.
Dark's egg was open by now too—but it was a rather ordinary boiled egg, though there was no telling what sort of fowl's egg it was.
A beat behind.
The DemiDevimon waited until all three of them had opened their eggs before imitating them, gripping the black egg with its claws and tapping it against the table.
As cracks appeared on the shell—
"Ding!"
A crisp sound utterly unlike that of a boiled egg suddenly issued from within.
Then, the predominantly black egg abruptly burst open!
"BOOM!"
The explosive sound came without warning, startling the three at the table into whipping their heads around in an instant.
A beam of white light actually burst forth from the shattered egg, rushing into the sky in an instant.
The gathered magic power detonated in midair, blooming into seven-colored flashes—dazzling and multicolored, just like fireworks.
In that moment, everyone in the Canteen had their gaze drawn to it.
The DemiDevimon tilted its head up, staring blankly at the ceaselessly blooming fireworks, its whole face a picture of bewilderment.
...
"What a little lucky one."
Watching the fireworks that were still blooming away, the Halfling Cooks couldn't help but break into gentle smiles.
Perhaps the DemiDevimon itself hadn't noticed, but its presence really had brought no small amount of joy to the cooks busy at their work.
The Halflings truly adored this little familiar that radiated such a clever, sprightly air.
...
A full half-minute later, the brilliant magic fireworks finally finished their display.
Dark poked the DemiDevimon's cheek and said with a laugh: "What are you still spacing out for? Hurry and see what's inside the egg."
"Oh!" The DemiDevimon snapped back to its senses at once, immediately grinning as it cracked the whole egg before it open.
There, lying quietly within the egg, was a hollow firework shell, along with a ticket rolled up to about the thickness of a little finger.
"What's this?"
"It's a prize ticket!"
Dark's and Diana's voices rang out at the same time.
Clearly Diana understood the Canteen egg mechanism better than Dark.
Diana looked at the prize ticket and said enviously: "Quick, have your familiar open it and take a look. I hear the first prize is a phoenix egg!"
"Just how badly do you want to eat a phoenix egg?"
Dark couldn't help but roll his eyes.
The little devil, meanwhile, had already spread the ticket open with its claws, then stared at it for a long while, its face full of confusion.
Dark curiously leaned over for a look, and was instantly astonished: "It's actually a credit voucher?"
Rose asked: "How many credits?"
Dark: "Quite a lot—a full two hundred credits."
Diana counted on her fingers: "Two hundred credits—a single class earns ten credits at minimum, fourteen classes a week, so even getting all of them is only a hundred and forty credits. Two hundred really is a lot! But..."
Rose blinked too, and chimed in: "But what use are credits to a familiar? And it doesn't even have a Sorting Card."
Dark said with a smile: "A familiar has things it wants too. Having its own credits is a good thing. As for not having a Sorting Card...it can just keep them with me. Right, DemiDevimon?"
The DemiDevimon immediately picked up the prize ticket and obediently handed it to its master.
Of course, beneath its unruffled exterior hid a surging, unceasing ecstasy!
After being the first to earn a little red flower, it had now become the first Magic Guide Spirit to earn credits!
Although little red flowers could be exchanged with its master for things it wanted, how could that ever match the thrill of buying whatever it pleased on its own?
And when the time came, it could even seize the chance to go shopping together with its master—wouldn't that be wonderful?
Just as it was immersed in this beautiful fantasy, it suddenly heard Dark murmur in a low voice: "Once Easter is over, I could ask Professor Kazel to make a simplified version of a Sorting Card..."
The DemiDevimon's expression instantly changed; it could no longer hold itself together.
Sorting Card = wallet.
Should it want the wallet, or the right to go shopping together?
This question was so hard.
...
Right up until Dark took the prize ticket and exchanged it with the Halfling Cook auntie for two hundred credits, the DemiDevimon was still pondering this thorny question.
And during this time, quite a few students opened all sorts of little trinkets from their eggs too.
There were credit vouchers of varying amounts, half-finished Magic Guide Cards, and some small Magic Tools.
Of course, there was no phoenix egg.
...
Amid the scream of some unlucky soul who'd bitten into a boiled egg with a mustard filling, Dark and his two companions left the Canteen with brisk steps.
With over an hour left before the Easter Dueling Festival opened at eight-thirty, the three planned to first head to Traveler Street to take in the sights.
In truth, Dark wanted to go look at the model eggs...
While Diana and Rose had other shopping intentions.
Arriving at the Lake Pavilion, the three chose a stone table and sat in a circle around it, waiting for the teleportation hub to come around.
Dark looked at Rose and asked curiously: "Aren't you planning to take part in the qualifier battle royale? Even if you don't mean to advance, just experiencing it would be pretty nice. And besides...I think you've got a decent shot."
"What shot do I have?" Under his gaze, Rose's little face couldn't help but flush red. "I've only got two mainstays—one defense, one healing—I can't snatch ten points. And I don't have forty Magic Guide Cards either."
After saying that, she added another line: "I'll just cheer for you all from the spectator seats!"
"Don't." Diana hurriedly waved her hands and muttered: "I'm just going up to take a look. Once the qualifiers are over, I'll cheer for Dark together with you. Be sure to save me a spot, no matter what!"
Rose said with a soft laugh: "Of course I won't forget."
Dark shook his head, somewhat helplessly.
Even Diana was going in just for the experience, and he reckoned most of the first-year group was much the same.
This time, it seemed he'd be fighting a lone battle.
...
Once the teleportation hub came around, the three gave their bodies a twist and arrived at the Lake Pavilion on the other side.
Whether or not it was because many people shared a similar idea to theirs, even though it was barely past seven, Traveler Street was already bustling with people coming and going.
Not far from the entrance, a temporarily-erected stall was surrounded by a crowd—evidently a distribution point for Easter eggs.
"Come on, let's go take a look!"
Dark's interest was piqued, so he took the lead in squeezing into the crowd.
The boss selling the Easter eggs was a rather familiar-looking middle-aged man, though for the moment Dark couldn't place which shop's clerk he was.
He was about forty, a white towel wrapped around his head, with a square face that radiated a shopkeeper's shrewdness, enthusiastically hawking model eggs to the students.
But the students, who well knew how precious credits were, were all quite cautious—no matter how this fellow tried to tempt them, they remained unmoved.
"Boss, can these Easter eggs really produce a lifelike model of the Skyvault White Dragon?" Suddenly, one student couldn't help but ask.
The boss promptly said: "Yes—ten credits and you can get the Skyvault White Dragon!"
That student frowned and muttered: "Ten credits? That's just one class's minimum earnings. If I really could draw the Skyvault White Dragon, I'd make out like a bandit! Boss, I'll pick one."
"Right away!" The boss immediately whisked away the white cloth covering the stall, revealing eggs that each differed in size and color.
That student gritted his teeth and looked them over for a good while, finally picking an egg about the size of an ostrich egg.
"This one it is!"
"Alright, I'll wrap it up for you right now!"
"No need, I'll open it right here."
The student turned his head slightly, picked up a small hammer from the stall, and struck the egg hard!
"Crack!"
The ten-credit egg shattered at the sound.
The egg's own properties made its upper half more prone to cracking.
As the shell fragments scattered down, the model inside finally came into view.
It was actually a vividly lifelike carp-type Magic Guide Spirit!
"It's actually a Fortune Koi!"
The exquisite model was as lovely as red jade, and the instant it made contact with the air it even leapt up like a fish, glittering in the sunlight.
"Congratulations! Congratulations!"
While the student was lost in his unexpected delight, the boss selling the eggs quietly pulled a lever on the stall.
At once, ribbons and confetti shot out, showering the student all over his head.
But the student still wore an excited look, ever so carefully cupping the carp model in his hands as he said: "This wouldn't happen to be the Fortune Koi of Senior Roger, who's already graduated, would it? He's my idol!"
The boss rubbed his hands together and said: "Congratulations, customer—this is a very rare model. I never expected the customer to draw it in just one go."
Student: "Luck, just luck!"
With that, he carried the koi off, his face full of excitement.
And the rest of the students, watching him strike gold in a single try, finally grew eager to try themselves, and one after another some couldn't resist buying eggs.
Dark casually picked up a model catalog from the stall and began to read it.
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