The Anomaly's Path

For the next four hours, the kitchen was loud and busy. Heat poured off the stoves, filling the air with the smell of seared meat, butter, and pastries.

I took over the main grill, flipping skewers and plating food as fast as it cooked. Malva stood at the pass like an anchor, tracking orders, directing the kitchen, and making sure every dish went out perfectly.

Outside in the dining hall, Roan and Alice worked nonstop. They moved between crowded tables, took orders, and carried heavy trays of food and drinks without slowing down. Eventually, the late-night rush started to slow.

The noise died down, the last customers finished and left, and the final orders stopped. We finally closed up, turning off the warming lights and shutting down the grills. A quiet peace settled over the big three-story building, a welcome change from the chaos of the day.

Roan slumped face-down on a table, groaning loudly. "My legs are dead. Officially dead. If anyone asks, I died serving meat to commoners."

Alice slid into a chair across from him, resting her chin on her arms, looking just as tired. "Ugh... I’m exhausted. I can’t work anymore. This is so tiring!"

I walked out of the kitchen carrying a tray of leftover chocolate cake, sweet pastries, and warm spiced tea, setting it down in the middle of the table. Malva walked quietly behind me, pulling out a chair and sitting down without a word.

"Eat up," I said, grabbing a slice of cake. "You all earned it."

Malva reached for a cup of warm tea. Her dark eyes looked a bit more tired than usual. Her face stayed calm, but her shoulders slumped, and she rested her elbow on the table, a clear sign she was exhausted too. Working the kitchen for hours without a break had worn her out.

Roan instantly sat up, grabbing a pastry and shoving it into his mouth. "Okay, fine. The food makes up for the physical torture."

We sat together in the quiet hall, eating as the tiredness slowly settled in.

"Man," Roan said, leaning back with a tired grin. "I can’t believe the second day of the festival is already over. Tomorrow is the last day. Well, I’m glad I don’t have to work anymore."

"Yeah, and don’t forget the banquet tomorrow night," Alice added softly, staring at her tea.

"Ah, right. The banquet," Roan sighed, tilting his head back. "Everyone will be there. And of course, us first-years will be the stars. Oh, and the food! I’m going to eat everything."

He paused, leaning forward on his elbows. "Though, it’s not just a student party. Upperclassmen, high nobles, and powerful people from other lands are coming too. For most nobles, a banquet like this isn’t just about eating or dancing. It’s an official gathering. It’s a political battlefield disguised as a fancy party."

"Tch. Sounds exhausting," Alice grumbled.

"It is," Roan smirked, then turned his gaze toward me, a playful glint returning to his eyes. "Which brings me to an important question. Hey, Leo... who are you bringing as your dance partner tomorrow?"

I paused, holding my teacup halfway to my mouth. "Partner?"

"Yeah, bro," Roan chuckled, leaning forward on his elbows. "You’re a Celestial. High nobles at these banquets always bring a partner with them to represent their status. You can’t just walk in alone like a stray dog."

"What about you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you taking?"

"Me?" Roan puffed out his chest proudly. "I’m a royal elf. Half the noble girls in the academy have been dropping hints all week. I’ll pick someone who won’t annoy me too much."

He then looked at Alice with a mocking grin. "Though I feel sorry for whoever ends up with this brute. If anyone asks her to dance, she’ll probably break their toes in three seconds. Assuming anyone is brave enough to ask her in the first place."

Alice’s amber eyes flashed dangerously. She reached out and grabbed a wooden toothpick from the holder, snapping it cleanly between her fingers. "Do you wanna die, you fucking elf?"

"See? Uncivilized," Roan laughed, ducking away before she could throw something at him. "Look at her, Leo! She’s threatening murder over a gentle critique of her footwork. I feel genuine grief for whatever poor bastard gets dragged onto the dance floor by her."

"Keep talking and you’ll be attending the banquet in a wheelchair," Alice growled, glaring daggers at him.

I let out a soft chuckle, taking a sip of my tea while watching the two of them bicker. "Leave her alone, Roan. At least if she breaks someone’s toes, she’s doing it with style."

"You’re not helping, Leo!" Alice snapped, though the twitch at the corner of her lips gave her away.

But then Roan turned his attention back to me, leaning in with a sharp, curious smile.

"Seriously though, Leo," Roan asked, crossing his arms. "Who are you actually going to bring?"

I set my teacup down on the saucer with a quiet clink. Instead of answering Roan directly, I slowly turned my head to the side, looking at Malva, who was sat silently, quietly sipping her tea and cutting small, pieces of cake with her fork.

A faint, knowing smirk played on my lips.

"Actually," I said smoothly, "I was thinking of taking Malva as my partner."

Roan froze, his eyes widening in shock. Alice blinked, her hand stopping mid-air. Even Malva paused, her fork hovering inches from her mouth as her dark eyes locked onto mine.

"Wait... what?" Roan blurted out, staring at me like I had grown two heads. "Malva?!"

Malva set her fork down slowly, her expression as flat and cold as ever, though a slight hint of confusion flickered in her eyes. "No."

"Come on, why not?" I asked, leaning back in my chair.

"I don’t dance," Malva said without hesitation. "I don’t know how to dance, I don’t own fancy clothes, and I have zero interest in standing in a room full of arrogant nobles staring at me."

"See? She doesn’t want to go," Roan chimed in a smile appearing on his face. "Now what will you do playboy?"

"Shut up," I said dryly, ignoring Roan and keeping my eyes on Malva.

Watching her sit there so quiet and separate from everything, I thought about why I asked her. Over the past few days, she had helped me out a lot, working relentlessly without a single complaint.

But she was a total loner. Left to herself, she would probably just stand in a dark corner of the hall or leave early to hide in her room alone. I knew how socially awkward she was, and how much she preferred to isolate herself.

I didn’t want her to be lonely or carry her burdens alone. I wanted her to enjoy the festival and feel like part of the group. I wouldn’t force her if she truly hated it, but I could at least push her to step out of her shell.

She deserved a break, even if she was too stubborn to take one herself.

"Have you ever danced or been to a grand party like this before, Malva?" I asked softly.

"No," she replied flatly. "And I don’t care to."

"Do you have any friends going?"

"..."

Malva stayed silent, staring down at her cup.

"See? That’s what I thought," I said, a faint smirk returning to my face. "So this is your chance to try something different."

"I said no, Leo," Malva repeated, her dark eyes narrowing slightly. "I’m not going."

I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand. "Did you forget about our contract, Malva? You bound yourself to me under a Mana Oath. You’re my assistant?"

Malva stiffened slightly, her jaw tightening. "You’re using the contract for this?"

"As your employer, consider this an official order," I grunted with a light smirk. "You’re coming with us as my dance partner tomorrow night, Malva."

Alice let out a short scoff, but a small smile touched her lips. "Looks like you’re trapped, Malva."

Malva stared at me for a long moment, trying to find any sign that I was joking. Finding none, she let out a long, quiet sigh of defeat, pulling her eyes away. "...I still don’t know how to dance."

"Don’t worry," I smirked. "Neither do I. We’ll just stand by the food table and ruin everyone else’s night."

_

We finished the rest of the food and tea in a good mood. About twenty minutes later, Roan and Alice stood up, stretching their sore arms.

"Alright, I’m heading back to the dorms," Roan yawned. "If I don’t sleep now, I’m going to pass out on the floor."

"Me too," Alice agreed, walking toward the door. "Goodnight, Leo. Don’t stay up too late."

Malva stood up quietly, giving a slight nod toward me before following them out into the cool night air. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, guys," I called out.

Once the front door clicked shut behind them, the hall fell completely silent.

I was left alone in the large, empty building.

Instead of leaving right away, I walked over to one of the window seats on the ground floor and sat down, staring out at the quiet street lit by glowing lanterns.

I let out a long breath, rubbing the back of my neck. My mind drifted to tomorrow.

Tomorrow was the last day of the festival. It was also when the main events from the game would start. Even though I knew the plot, I had to be careful. Even though I knew the original plot, I had to be careful of butterfly effects shifting things around.

Especially with powerful figures like Morgana present, who wasn’t here in the original story, things were already changing.

Then my thoughts drifted to someone else.

Seris.

A dry chuckle escaped my lips. We were supposed to have a quiet dinner together today. She had mentioned yesterday that she would call for me, but the entire day passed without a single word from her.

I had actually been looking forward to it. I wanted to pay her back for all the help she had given me lately.

Did she get busy with council work? I thought, looking up at the ceiling. Or did that clumsy girl just forget?

I paused, a realization hitting me.

Wait... what if she actually forgot? I mean, she really is the type of person who can be a bit clumsy at times. Strange, powerful, but definitely clumsy.

I let out a soft chuckle at the thought. Shaking my head, I stood up from the chair and stretched my tight muscles. "Time to head back."

I grabbed my coat from the rack and turned toward the back entrance to lock up.

Click.

The sound of the front door handle turning echoed through the quiet tavern. I froze mid-step, turning my head toward the entrance. Who could be coming at this hour? The stall was already closed.

"Sorry, but the stall is clo—" I began, stepping forward.

I cut myself off instantly as the door swung open, revealing the person standing on the threshold under the dim lantern light. My eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"You...?"