"Good day to you, adventurers!" a middle-aged woman welcomed along with a number of people who made way for the adventurers.

Julius approaches the woman and offers a hand, as the two of them handshaked, he then asked a question: "May I know where your chief was staying?"

"Well, by now, he should have arrived..." the woman points towards the road behind her. "...But I think he might be running late..."

They suddenly heard a loud rumble coming from further to the road getting closer and closer. All the children who are trying to fit some shell bracelets with wooden beads to some adventurers, stopped, and some adventurers gathered to see what was coming.
As it gets closer the dust clouds cleared as it reveal a man around late 30s who had a mesomorphic body under the white clothing with a little transparency, riding a white steed.

Reaching the end of the road, he pulled its reigns, stopping it from going on any further. "Forgive me for my late arrival, I have been... caught up by something..."
he brushed the sleeve of his styllized shirt and beamed a smile.
"It's been awhile you have asked for our country to be part of your academy's exploration, I got really excited and lost track of time!"

"Oh, we appreciate your thought, Mister Gintuman!" Julius chuckled. "Would you like to declare in your usual style five years ago?"

"I would say, this year's a lot better than that..." Gintuman beamed confidently. "...'Cause today is our Panaggiyas celebration! Eat to your fullest, everyone!!"

"Right!!!"

Night came and there were a lot of food stands with people's faces painted with smiles. Children were chasing with one another, performers were dancing on the stage, and a lot of adventurers were exploring the stands.
One performer offered Petra to join them.

Atia's face was buried on the wooden table, her glass was empty and there were four empty plates beside her.
Next to her was Austin continuously eating a plate with pineapple slices equivalent to one pineapple with five empty plates beside him.
Next to Austin was Peter drinking a glass of water with one empty plate beside him.

"I can't feel my tongue... I can't feel my tongue..." Atia repeatedly muttered.

"Hey! This water tastes disgusting!!" Peter coughed.

"It's normal since your tastebuds are destroyed..." Robyn corrected as he walks behind Austin, holding a red flag and waves it.
"The winner of the pineapple eating contest is none other than our quiet berserker, Austin!!!"

The crowd watching them clapped and cheered.
Among the noisy crowd, a side announcement, barely heard.
".....ce is cooked! Anyone who wants, come along now!!"

Upon hearing it, Atia raised her head to listen again.
"The rice is coo--"
With that said, Atia stood and run in a supersonic speed, towards the source of the announcement.

"RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!!!" Atia yelled with her voice mixing with the loudest of the musics, her classmates were staring at her in a dumbfounded manner.

"She is crazy about rice, isn't she?" Willem smiled.

"That might be... But rice is also helpful to restore the sense of taste, especially after eating that much pineapple..." Eren places her hand under her chin, as she glances to the four plates on Atia's side of the table.

"I'm in heaven!!!" Atia exclaimed as she ate the rice ball wrapped with banana leaf, walking a little away from the crowded space.

"Enjoying the food?" Serene asked, arming Atia on her neck. She then realizes there are three of them walking on the side of the space, near the woods. "You're kinda beasty out there, eating four whole pineapples is insane!! Well, for me..."

"Yeah... my tongue did take the toll..." Atia chuckled.

"Can clerics heal damages like that, though?" Juno asked in a curious manner.

"I don't really know... but it would be helpful if they can... I mean, my tongue feels numb and itchy at the same ti--?!!" Atia then yelped as she notices an ivory figure with long hair, passing in the woods not far from them.

SK! SK!

They all froze as the figure reappears and disappears again, although this time, it was near them. Taking a step back, Atia was so sure she would scream in no time. The figure then reappears RIGHT in front of them-- out of surprise, they screamed hugging each other: "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

"My, my... is it near that time?" they heard an aged man's voice. They opened their eye to check the situation before opening their eyes completely, lossening their hug, their turned to an aged man who was smiling to the ivory figure.

"T-time for what?" Serene stammered.

"And it seems that they also chose you too!"

"Is--is that from some sort of urbanic legend about the white soul-collector?!" Juno asked.

The aged man then chuckled, "Since you have been chosen by them, it would disappoint them if you won't attend their ceremony... Care to join?" he gently asked.

"Who are 'they'?" Atia asked, glancing to the ivory figure who has an androgynous appearance.

"'They' are the ancestral souls who had rested and dwelt with the nature as have told. Once a year, they would invite the living who they think would need a guide into a tending ceremony... Will you come?"

They all walked together, hand in hand, as they went deeper into the forest, following the figure who had a lower of half of a giant sampaguita with vines made of smaller flowers of the same kind.
As they have felt that they just wandered deeper than they have expected, they turned to the crowded shore of the Pearlest who looked like beads of light to them, before following the old man and the 'soul'.

After a minute of following they have finally arrived to their destination. They perceived how the 'soul' slowly disintegrate into floating white lights, flying around a tree where an Atharna slept beside it.

"I haven't been invited into this ceremony for awhile..." they heard a familiar voice. They turned to see Hara Vertrusche, their alchemy teacher ranking #75 adventurer.

"Miss Hara?!" Atia ran towards her, "Are you invited by them too?"

"Oh, if it isn't Roswood, Pergetti, and Vanmelle!" the young teacher looks at Serene and Juno, "I see that you have been invited as well...~" Hara gestures towards a group of four students, Eren was there with three students wearing blue scarves. Two of them appears familiar while there was one who appears like an exorcist.

"Eren!" Atia waved to the purple-haired hydromancer, upon the call, Eren runs up to them in response.

"So you guys are invited as well?! Thank goodness..." Eren sighed in relieve and hugs Serene tightly, crying, "That third year who looks like a delinquent, is pretty mean! He kept degrading, degrading, degrading, degrading me-- as if I am nothing but a criticism box!!"

"Is that the guy?" Juno asked as he pointed to a silver-haired man with brown streak on his bang, "I mean, I look like a delinquent because of my hair so I assume he is the one!" he grinned dumbly while pointing on the red streak on his black hair.

"I recognize that guy..." Atia said to the group.

"You do?" Serene asked while patting the back of the crying Eren.

"Yeah, when we were looking for the dorm, I happen to be in HIS way and he started to act all mean..."

"Right? Right?!" Eren sobbed.

Sweat drops, he tried to look away from his subordinates, gathering his composure. He had always wanted to act normally towards others, however, he had never been into social gatherings and all the books he have read about socializing all did no work to him.

"Daniel, aren't you a little too much to act like that towards our junior?..." Clenchloe, the exorcist, scolded with her hands on her hips.

"Well, his attitude towards others should be as good as his room and his grades but..." Xander, the assassin, sighed. "Aren't you tired of being all-mean...?"

"That's none of your business!" he yelled to his friends. "Anyways, I got drag into this ceremonial stuff thanks to you two!"

"Well, as a compensation for our curiosity, we will clean your room! But you will clean our room as a compensation for bullying the junior!"

"I won't trust MY room to you! You clean your own rooms!!"

"Stingy!"

The lights had gathered together, creating a full circle around the tree, they all moved as wispy sounds filled the air. The Atharna then opens its golden eyes, glowing in the dark, the bird spreads its wings as if stretching from a long sleep. The wispy sounds all came together, creating a strange music, soothing to the ear. The Atharna then coils itself, as if it was a hatchling, and glowed white, continuously glowing as it became blinding.

The wispy sounds all sounded like words although unknown for them, now. Opening her eyes, she finds herself and the others under the sunlight-- No! It feels beyond that...
And in front of them were unknown people in different clothing, circling around them while holding a ring of white flowers. It looks strange, although it felt nostalgic...

Atia opened her eyes, she sat-up and finds herself sleeping inside a cabin. She crawls down from her bed and sees the clock ticking, it's around 4 am. She finds her female classmates sleeping, although one bed was empty...

'What a strange dream... It felt real! Where was I last night, anyway?' as questions flooded into her mind, she notices a familiar figure running outside of the cabin through the window.
'Miss?' Atia thought as she slowly opened door.

"Good morning, Miss Guilimiere!" Atia greeted as she run towards their homeroom teacher.

"Can't sleep? Or have awakened early?" Guilimiere asked as she wipes her sweat away with a towel.
"Want something hot to drink?"

"Well, if it's alright?" Atia answered indecisively.

"Then, come with me, young lady..." Guilimiere called to her as they head towards the teachers' cabin.

"Pardon me..." Atia said as she slowly opened the door, popping her head inside.
She saw Eldas and Ymir sitting on a chair, she is unsure of what is their conversation with the Sir Theodore, although they sure act comfortably.

Theodore bursted into laughter as Eldas gestures, probably struggling to portray something.

Atia went inside and sat next to Ymir. She listened very closely as if it could somehow make her relate to things that happened to Eldas.

"It was so strange, I thought we would die  because it looked like the Atharna would sing a song or shed it's feathers! It then coiled and these white orbs suddenly sounded like human!!" Eldas exclaimed.
Atia turned to Eldas with a confused look, it was all a dream?! Why would people have the same dream?!
"It sure is a strange dream!..." Eldas sighed.

Theodore laughed once again, "Young man, keep that memory in mind! It's a treasure to keep, you know!!"

"Mmm... I'm not sure if I could but...~" Eldas mumbled, with his arms crossed.

"The song I heard from them felt beautiful, y'know..." Atia remarked.

"Well, I guess that's what makes me wonder when I woke up, unexpectedly early..." Ymir nodded.
She then paused as if she's analyzing the speaker. Eldas and Ymir turned to Atia's direction, as if probably hearing it wrong, they then jumped off their seats in surprise.

"Since when are you here?!" Ymir stammered.

"Mmm... I don't remember... although long enough to know you have an Atharna dream~" Atia smiled mischievously.