The lady exchanged glances between my eyes and hair repeatedly. Grey hair and golden eyes, with this rare combination there was no way I was an imposter.
"M-m-marcel Mi.. Mistmer? T-the Marcel Mistmer?"
'Am I really that famous?'
"W-wait here for a second. I will call the Headmaster this instant. He is a big fan of you."
'Looks like being Marcel Mister surely has its perks.'
The lady hurriedly went inside and came back with another man. He still looked half asleep and came out wearing his pajamas. I really doubted if this was a Headmaster's office.
The Headmaster looked in his forties. Unlike what I imagined, he didn't have that much of a huge belly, though it couldn't be described as fit too.
His half asleep face jolted awake as soon as he saw me.
"Sophie, am I still dreaming?"
"...No sir, you are not."
Apparently, the lady with dark circles was named Sophie. Seeing the Headmaster's reaction, who had the face of someone who had just seen a ghost, she looked really embarrassed.
"Ah! Ah! It's real... It's real." The headmaster scanned through my hair and my face to see if I was some kind of illusion.
'No stop it. You're clearly overreacting, Mr. Headmaster'
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
***
Somehow, I managed to escape from that awkward situation. Though I had to give them my autographs before leaving.
They also asked me to stay and give a speech to those kids which I obviously refused. Since I would rather take the guard job than attend the ceremony as a guest.
In the end, they decided to do it my way.
"How do you like it, Mr. Marcel?"
The Headmaster said that he would handle the rest of the preparation and asked Sophie to accompany me and show me around the place. They gave me the position of a guard in name, but they were still treating me like a guest.
"It's good. I have never been to a graduation ceremony before so it's my first time seeing one."
Because all my friends far surpassed me in terms of skills with their stigmata, I became more of a shut-in. Well, not exactly one since I went out to train everyday. I just skipped school a lot and avoided conversation with others.
I still wanted to go to a graduation ceremony though. But well, my wonderful fate made me travel through Kingdoms even before I could graduate.
"I see. You are so strong even though you didn't attend school. "
"Well, I was taught by someone great."
"Oh! Can I ask who he is?"
"Hmm... Just someone who raised me"
"I-I see"
'Did she really think I would say the name of that 'someone great'? Miss Sophie, if you really find out who he is you'll probably faint here? Wait! Is Rowan even famous?'
I knew that Rowan was very strong as I faced him everyday for four years, but I didn't know what exactly the other humans thought of the name Rowan Edenheart.
A hero? Or a betrayer? Maybe someone whose name was hidden in the pages of history.
"Teacher Sophie! We need you to look after the prepara... Oh! M-mister Marcel, it's good to have you here"
It was a male teacher that looked around the same age as Sophie. It seemed like he prepared himself quite well for today looking at his glamorous outfit, which now looked a mess after all this so called preparation.
"I am just doing my job. And I can handle it on my own Miss Sophie. I think they need you now."
"Y-yes... I am sorry"
The teachers and other staff soon became busier with every minute. Well, that was until the students came. Some arrived early and decided to help the teachers and by 8 o'clock almost everyone arrived.
I still didn't know what I really had to do. I stood a little further by a tree and looked at the kids. Some were singing, some were running around while some were busy eating whatever was provided in those benches. Most of the graduates looked a little gloomy about leaving and some even had tears running down their eyes.
Still they had one thing in common.
They were happy.
Graduation. It was a happiness that I could never imagine nor will I experience something like this in the future. I had come a long way taking a different path than others.
Even if I decided to tell my story to someone they would just treat it like a seventeen year old kid spouting nonsense.
I sighed.
Some of the kids saw me and waved their hands and a few others bowed. They whispered something secretly to one another's ears. They all looked eager to talk to me but none of them approached me.
Should I say the teachers educated them well to not disturb someone in a job? Even though it was the Headmaster that behaved like a kid the most.
I waved my hand back to them as well.
Even though most of the children couldn't recognise me at first as they never saw me before, it didn't last long as words travel fast.
'Hah! I didn't think this job would be such a sentimental one.'
Sophie approached me and handed over a plate of delicacies to me.
"It's a celebration. Please don't refuse. We are giving it to the other guards as well."
"Thank you"
"No, I should be the one saying that. The kids are really happy that to see you. Even your presence is enough to motivate them."
"I see. Please wish them good luck from my side. I am not really good with words."
"Yes!"
Sophie smiled brightly at my words. Anyone could tell that she was someone who genuinely cared for all the kids here.
I also came to understand why my popularity rose to this extent here. Marcel Mister was born in Pearlton, the neighboring town of Springbell. He was even a renowned adventurer from the Adventurer Guild in Springbell.
As someone who lived the same life as them in the same place, they thought of me as one of their own people. Someone from their town went to Lumina Town and even entered the finals of Blood Legacy Competition.
I was their pride.
'I don't know how they will react when they find that I don't even belong to their Kingdom let alone their town.'
The ceremony lasted for a few hours more. Some of the teachers came to greet and wish me luck for the final towards the end. Everyone was tired but they all had fun.
I didn't stay there much longer. I had an appointment for lunch with Bella after all. I returned to the Guild as soon as I left.
"M-marcel! "
Bella flinched and avoided my eyes as soon as she saw me. Her ears and nose also turned red.
"Are you still embarrassed about what happened yesterday?"
"S-shut up! "
"Haha... You look cute right now. Anyway this is my quest and card. Please update it."
"Cu..te?''
She flinched again and took my card to do the usual procedure. Meanwhile, she kept muttering 'Cute?' again and again in a low voice.
"Let's go and have lunch if you are free"
"Um... Wait a little. I'll be free in a minute."
I suggested to her that we go to a better restaurant. Bella proudly puffed up her chest and asked me to leave it to her. She endured she'd bring me to the best place in the town.
Although I wanted to save them to buy a better weapon, it wasn't a bad idea to have a good meal once in a while.
Well, I soon regretted my choice. The restaurant that Bella brought me to was even fancier than the one Sylas and I had lunch once. Even just by looking at it, I was sure the prices here would be more terrible.
'This girl... Doesn't she know how to show mercy? Just because I said I would treat her, she didn't need to go that far'
"What would you like to have, sir? "
"Yes, Marcel. Please say what you would like to treat me."
"Shut up! I am concentrating"
'Ahhh! What are these prices?'
I was about to collapse as soon as I saw the menu. Luckily, I checked the menu first this time, otherwise I was sure that I would have called them out for a scam.
Crispy Pork- 5 golds
Roasted Beef- 5 golds
Lamb Curry - 4 golds
Chicken Soup- 3 golds
Salad - 3 golds
Soul Cakes- 2 golds
Pumpkin Pasties- 1 gold
Silva's Lemonade- 1 gold
There were many others which I didn't even check as their prices had an additional digit.
"G-give me a dish of Chicken Soup..."
"Then I'll have Roasted Beef, Salad and Silva's Lemonade."
"Yes, ma'am."
'Oh no, no! I knew something like this would happen so I went with Chicken Soup with a 'comparatively' low price. 5 golds.. 3 golds and 1 gold... She devoured my 9 golds in just a single fill!!! I am never going to treat her again.'
I swallowed my words with a painful face. After all, it was my decision to treat her. I should never boast of something in the future.