CHAPTER 226: CELEBERATION

Sophia hooked her arm around his and started dragging him forward.

"Come on! Move it! I’m starving!"

"Hey—! I can walk by myself!" Rhys protested.

"Nope. You walk too slow when you’re confused," Caria said, pushing him from behind.

Aria walked beside him with a gentle smile.

"They even prepared a small banner for you in the cafeteria."

Rhys froze.

"...A banner? Why?"

Sophia smirked.

"Because you’re the academy’s new miracle kid. People love an underdog."

Lyra added as she walked on his other side,

"And because the cooking club wanted an excuse to bake extra desserts."

Puddle spun in the air excitedly.

"Desserts! Cakes! Sweet things! Celebration important!"

Rhys covered his face with one hand.

"...I’m never going to live this down, am I?"

Caria patted his back.

"Nope. This is your life now."

They moved through the hallway, students passing by and giving Rhys nods, smiles, and surprised looks.

"Hey, Rhys! Great job!"

"Nice fighting!"

"You were awesome!"

Rhys wasn’t used to it.

His ears turned a little red.

Sophia leaned in.

"See? People noticed you. Be proud."

He mumbled,

"I’m trying..."

When they reached the cafeteria doors, he heard shouting from inside.

"HE’S HERE! RHYS IS HERE!"

"Get the cake ready!"

"Don’t drop the cake! Don’t drop—YOU DROPPED THE CAKE!"

Rhys stopped dead in his tracks.

"...Oh no."

Sophia pushed him inside.

"Oh yes."

The cafeteria was decorated with simple paper signs:

"Good Job, Rhys!"

"Third Place!"

"Please Stop Getting Injured!"

Rhys stared at them.

"...That last one feels a little too accurate."

Lyra raised an eyebrow.

"They made it specifically for you."

Students cheered when they saw him.

Rhys stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do with his hands.

Aria smiled.

"You can relax. Everyone is just happy you did your best."

Puddle floated up to his head.

"Master. Sit. Eat. Enjoy."

Rhys finally let out a small laugh.

"...Yeah. Okay."

He walked in, surrounded by friends, warm lights, and the smell of fresh food.

For the first time in a long while,

Rhys felt safe.

And happy to be exactly where he was.

"Alright," he said, taking a seat.

"Let’s celebrate."

As soon as Rhys sat down, Sophia slammed a plate in front of him.

"Eat! You burned like half your energy today."

Caria placed another dish beside it.

"And this. Protein. You need it."

Aria gently set a warm drink near his hand.

"This will help your body relax."

Lyra crossed her arms but nodded.

"Finish everything. You look like you might fall over."

Rhys blinked at the mountain of food.

"Uh... you know I’m not a bottomless pit, right?"

Sophia grinned.

"You are today."

Puddle floated above the table.

"Master needs strength. Master must eat everything."

Rhys sighed.

"You’re all teaming up on me..."

"You bet we are," Caria said, already digging into her own food.

The cafeteria was full of noise and warmth.

Students sat around nearby tables, some sneaking glances at Rhys, others giving him thumbs-up or cheerful waves.

One bold student shouted from across the room:

"Dude, that last fight was INSANE!"

Rhys gave a small, shy wave back.

"Uh... thanks!"

Sophia snorted.

"You need to work on your confidence."

"I’m working on it," Rhys muttered.

Aria leaned forward.

"You improved a lot. Everyone saw it."

Lyra added,

"And next time, you’ll do even better. You just need more training, not luck."

Caria elbowed him.

"Plus, you have us now. We’ll help."

Rhys looked at all four of them, surprised.

"...You don’t have to go that far."

Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"But we want to."

Aria nodded softly.

"You’re our friend."

Puddle poked Rhys’s cheek.

"Master has many allies now."

Rhys stared at them for a moment, then smiled honestly.

"...Thanks. Really."

Sophia grinned.

"Now eat before the food gets cold!"

Rhys finally took a bite—and his eyes widened.

"This is... good."

Caria puffed her chest proudly.

"The cooking club made it. They worked hard."

Lyra added quietly,

"They wanted to cheer you up too."

Rhys felt warm in a way that had nothing to do with the food.

He looked around at the lively cafeteria, everyone chatting, laughing, and celebrating.

For once, the attention didn’t feel scary.

It felt... nice.

Puddle sat on his shoulder, swinging her tiny legs.

"Master. This is good day."

Rhys nodded.

"Yeah. It really is."

He took another bite, smiling as the girls continued talking around him.

Rhys was halfway through his meal when the cafeteria speakers crackled.

A familiar voice echoed through the hall—the same announcer who had commentated the tournament.

"Ahem! Attention, all players! Since the matches for today have concluded, we will now begin the Special Secret Auction Event!"

Sophia froze mid-bite.

"...Auction?"

Caria lifted her head.

"Oh, right. They do this every year. All unwanted loot, weird items, or rare stuff players don’t know how to use—it all gets dumped into the auction."

Lyra added calmly,

"Sometimes the items are actually good. And sometimes... they explode."

Aria gave her a worried look.

"...Explode?"

Lyra shrugged.

"History is history."

Rhys blinked.

"Wait, wait—this is inside the cafeteria?"

The speakers continued:

"All players, please move to the central hall of the cafeteria! The auction will begin in five minutes!

Remember, one player’s trash might be another player’s treasure!"

Sophia smirked.

"See? Perfect for you."

Rhys frowned.

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You pick up weird things and somehow make them useful," she said.

Caria nodded enthusiastically.

"You did turn a broken dagger into a monster repellant charm once."

"That was an accident..."

Puddle raised her hand proudly.

"Master good at trash magic!"

Rhys stared at her.

"...It’s called salvage magic. Not trash."

"Trash that becomes treasure," Puddle corrected.

Rhys sighed in defeat.

Students—no, players—began gathering at the center of the cafeteria. The tables rearranged themselves with a rumbling sound, forming rows like a small indoor arena.

Aria tugged Rhys’s sleeve gently.

"Let’s go. Maybe we can find something useful for the next round."

Sophia grinned.

"Or something dangerous!"

Caria added,

"Or something cursed!"

Lyra nodded.

"Or all three."

Rhys blinked at them, horrified.

"Why do you all sound excited about this!?"

Puddle floated above the crowd.

"Adventure time!"

The auctioneer—a tall man in a fancy robe with a silver monocle—stepped onto a glowing platform as spotlights focused on him.

He clapped his hands loudly.

"Welcome, challengers!

Today we present relics, scraps, failed experiments, mystery potions, forgotten gear, and rare artifacts found in the Academy’s vault!"