Event Type: Onslaught
Element: Wind and Shadow
Related Castle Stories: Chalice Raiders
Cassandra is enjoying herself at a festival buying various sweets when she hears commotion over an inquisitor catching a black marketeer selling dragon parts. However, said inquisitor ended up smashing up a bunch of stalls, which is the reason for the commotion.
Curious, Cassandra decides to check it out where she finds the inquisitor in question to be Curran, who finds himself having to owe money to the people whose stalls he accidentally smash while trying to apprehend the illegal salesman. Hearing this, Cassandra decides to loan Curran some money under the condition that he pays her back when they return to the Halidom.
When Curran feels he owes her more, Cassandra suggests that he serves as her gentleman caller for the festival grounds. In doing so, Curran finds himself having to carry a lot of the snacks that Cassandra buys, all while Heinwald and Lathna show up to notice what he is doing. Upon being told why he is with Cassandra, the two tell Curran to repay his debts before leaving.
As they continue to enjoy themselves, they take notice over how many stalls were closed. From there, they get informed by Ranzal and Luca about imperial army forces causing trouble near the northern border, cutting off the highway and keeping merchants from entering to take part in the festival. To make things worse, there are no candles for the lantern ceremony. Ranzal suggest Curran and Heinwald stay in town on account of what they are wearing, but Cassandra insists on a task that they can do.
Cassandra and Curran make their way to the merchant who's been cut off on the highway with the intent on protecting him and leading him back to town. As they traverse the forest, they hear a scream from the highway which turns out to be the merchant being threatened by imperial soldiers. After taking them out, the two notice the weapons used by the imperials to be in terrible condition, causing Curran to suggest that they are soldiers defending the nearby border fort.
As they ponder, more forces along with the commanding officer arrive, to which Cassandra decides to inform them of the festival. When they refuse to believe her on account of her affiliation with Euden and instead believes the town to be smuggling weapons.
Curious to their belief, Cassandra decides to ask the soldiers on what would bring them to that belief. Deciding to humor them, the commander allows a recruit to tell them how found people from Quinbell bringing mysterious minerals from the iron mines into Alberia along with makeshift camps set up all over town and a watchtower in the center.
Hearing the load, Curran asks the merchant to unpack as proof of the festival to reveal that the bows and arrows are mere children's toys, and the two explain that the ore from the mountains was likely just ice, and the camps and watchtower are actually stalls and a stage. Cassandra then asks if the recon even bother to notice the decorations, to which the recruit reveals he did, much to the anger of the commander.
Just as it looks like the forces will leave, a pyroblossom goes off, which they interpret as a practice run for a magical attack despite Cassandra pointing out how it was a test firing for the lantern ceremony. This result in them continuing their attack.
Realizing there wasn't any talking them out of it, Curran and Cassandra escape into the forest with the merchant as the soldiers give chase. Curran suggests fighting them off alone so that Cassandra and the merchant can escape. Cassandra refuses this as Curran wouldn't be likely to survive. As they argue, Heinwald and Lathna arrives to offer backup. The four of them then take down the soldiers, and Curran and Cassandra inform Heinwald and Lathna that the Imperials plan to attack the town.
Seeing no other option, Curran suggests cancelling the festival to evacuate the town. Cassandra isn't thrilled with the idea and runs off. Worried Curran tells Heinwald to escort the merchant back to town while he chases after Cassandra.
Upon catching up with her, Cassandra reveals how devoted she is in keeping the festival going. Seeing this along with still owing her, Curran decides to help her stop the imperial army without cancelling the festival. There, he comes up with a plan which he informs Luca and Ranzal of.
They fight the imperials until nighttime. Upon that time, the town lights the festival bonfire and start celebrating, which the imperials interpret as reinforcements and battle cries, causing their morale to dwindle. then the lanterns are noticed in the river, which the imperials interpret as hundreds of enemy boats, motivating them to retreat. Upon finding out that this was Curran's plan, Cassandra happily tells him that his debt is successfully paid.
Once they return to the festival, Curran hands Cassandra a lantern, which she lights and puts in the water to watch it float on. Cassandra then points out how a wish is to be made when setting a lantern adrift in the river in hope that what is in their hearts can cross to their departed loved ones at the river's end, which was the reason why she wanted to take part in the event so as to honor Aurelius.
With the lanterns afloat, Cassandra then decides to return to browsing the stalls. As Curran and Lathna watch her leave, Curran suggests holding off on visiting the festival until evening the next day, which Lathna accepts. Upon which, he joins up with Cassandra to give her company. When Cassandra wonders if her is trying to court her, he tells her that she's out of his league and that he is sticking to his principles to support a lady who is depressed. Cassandra happily calls him smug as they spend time at the festival together.
This event contains examples of:
- A Day in the Limelight: This is yet another event in which Curran has the spotlight. Only this time, he shares it with Cassandra instead of with Heinwald like in Stirring Shadows. Euden or Elisanne aren't involved like the last Onslaught events, instead leaving it to Ranzal and Luca.
- Big Eater: Cassandra is going through quite a lot of festival food which involves hard candy, roasted corn, grilled chicken and dango.
- Cassandra Truth: Pun aside, the Commander thinks there's no festival and that Curran and Cassandra, members of New Alberia, smuggling military supplies to the resistance.
- Destructive Savior: While Curran had caught a black marketer using a festival stall selling dragon parts, he had destroyed other stalls in the process of arresting him.
- Face Framed in Shadow: King Aurelius is this for Cassandra, using his Audric form.
- Festival Episode: This story takes place in a festival, coinciding with the Bon Festival in Japan.
- Never Got to Say Goodbye: Cassandra doesn't mention the name, but she does mean King Aurelius.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When the Imperials think that the Halidom crew has hordes of reinforcement coming their way, the entire army decides to bolt.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: The Imperial commander is given what he feels is an utter backwater posting.
- Out Of Context Villain: Not in the event's story, but Astral High Midgardsormr is introduced by the chaos of the war allowing the Astrals to take on the form of the High Dragons. For that, Midgardsormr allows Euden to fully transform into a dragon to fight against them.
