The following day, the Rosenborg delegation, including the players, coaches, and medical personnel, returned triumphantly to Trondheim with the Europa League trophy. Their flight was without issues, and their plane touched down at the runway of Værnes Airport at 1:00 PM.
Everything was smooth sailing from there on. The players followed their coaches and descended the airstair before heading towards the airport's arrivals section. Under the guidance of the dedicated airport staff, they quickly went through all the necessary procedures before heading towards the airport's exit.
"Zachary!" Suddenly, Tore Reginiussen, the captain, called out. "Do you wish to hold the trophy as we head out of the airport to face our fans?"
"Nope," Zachary replied with a smile. "I already posed for many pictures with the trophy last night. So, I'm good."
"Captain!" Eric Bailly hurriedly interjected as he glanced left and right. "If you're already tired, I can hold the trophy in your place. As you know, I'm a strong man. I never get tired."
"I can also help..." A few more players in the delegation offered. They were eager to hold on to the trophy as they exited the airport.
"Silence!" The voice of Coach Johansen resounded and silenced the players. "You should all be content as you all had fun with the trophy last night. Now, it's time for the captain to perform his duties as we prepare to face the fans waiting for us outside the airport. Let Tore keep holding the trophy."
"What a mean coach!" Some of the players jested and snickered. But there wasn't any trace of discontent in their bearing. Instead, their faces were all smiles, and they couldn't conceal the exultant atmosphere around them. They were obviously still relishing the joy of winning the Europa League final the previous night.
At that time, many fans in Rosenborg's black and white colors had assembled outside the airport. Be it the young kids, the teenagers, the middle-aged, or the elderly — they all seemed not to mind the burning afternoon sun rays while waiting eagerly for their heroes to arrive.
"They are here! They've finally arrived!"
An excited cry suddenly resounded across the place. Like a spark, it ignited the crowd, causing all the fans to start cheering at the top of their voices. Before long, the voices harmonized into one of the popular Rosenborg chants as the players began marching out of the airport gates.
"Come this way! This way!"
The police worked with airport security to keep the fans at bay and direct the players and coaches through the crowd. The officers were strict. They didn't even allow Zachary and his teammates to sign autographs or to pose for photographs with the fans. They claimed that such deeds would cause chaos and disorganize airport security.
"The trophy is here!"
"Oh my God! The Europa League trophy is here in Trondheim for the first time in history."
"Am I dreaming..."
Suddenly, shrill screams filled with excitement shook the place as Tore Reginiussen stepped out of the airport's gates. A Cheshire cat's grin outlined the captain's face as he slowly raised the trophy with both arms.
The action itself was like a fuse of a bomb. It caused an explosion, setting off waves of euphoria. As a result, some passionate supporters cried while others laughed as they experienced rare eruptions of bliss. They were that excited to see the trophy arrive in Trondheim for the first time in history.
Meanwhile, the journalists, who'd taken up strategic positions around the place, were like tireless worker ants as they took pictures. Their cameras continuously let out clicking noises as they all struggled to capture Rosenborg's glorious moment of returning to Trondheim with the trophy.
Among the men and women of the press was Olav Brusveen, the TV2 Sporten reporter who'd followed Zachary's career for more than a year. He was filled with mixed emotions as he observed the proceedings.
"I never expected to witness such a moment during my lifetime," he said and sighed. "A Europa League trophy in Trondheim! Moreover, it's the first Europa League trophy in Norway. The Rosenborg players have brought pride to our nation's footballing community."
"Yes, indeed," Ingrid Solberg, his assistant, said. "This is a glorious moment for us Norwegians in history. At least one of our teams has finally won a major trophy on the European stage. We can hold our heads high from now on."
"I'm sorry to interrupt your emotional moment, guys," their cameramen said. "But if you don't act immediately, the Rosenborg team will depart before we interview Zachary."
"Oh!" Olav said and pivoted his gaze towards the bus in the distance. He immediately noticed that some Rosenborg players, including Zachary, Takumi, and Nicki, had already lined up to enter the bus.
"It seems we won't get a chance to interview Zachary today," Ingrid remarked from beside Olav.
Olav sighed and nodded. "You're right," he said. "Airport security is strict today. They aren't allowing even journalists to get close to the players. It is such a letdown."
"What shall we do?" Ingrid asked. "The boss had instructed us to do everything possible to interview Zachary today. He will get pissed if we go back without results."
"Don't worry!" Olav said. "I'm an acquaintance of his agent. We can book an appointment to interview Zachary through her."
"That may not be possible," Ingrid said. "From what I heard, all the Rosenborg players are first going for a trophy parade around Trondheim. After that, they will present the Europa League trophy to their fans at Lerkendal before ending their day with a trophy banquet. Due to such a busy schedule, we might still not get a chance to interview Zachary even through his agent."
"No worries," Olav said in a placating tone. "I'm hopeful that we'll get a chance eventually. If not, we can complete the task tomorrow. But for now, let's continue following the team. They are about to set off for the trophy parade."
"Okay, let's go." His colleagues readily agreed.
That evening, the trophy parade was a great success. Under the fire of the setting sun, thousands of Rosenborg fans lined the streets of Trondheim City to welcome home their team and celebrate their Europa League victory. The enthusiastic supporters cheered at the top of their voices as the team bus slowly made its way to Lerkendal Stadium under the escort of a local police convoy. Some fans even climbed on top of houses to witness the glory of the Rosenborg players atop the bus.
The trophy parade ended at 7:00 PM, and the team bus headed to Lerkendal Stadium, Rosenborg's home ground, where the players officially presented the Europa League trophy to their enthusiastic fans. The following proceedings were smooth, and the ceremony ended with speeches from the captain and Coach Johansen.
The Rosenborg players then ended their hectic day by attending a trophy banquet before returning to their respective homes for the night. At long last, their busy day after winning the Europa League final had ended, and they could finally enjoy a night of rest, hopefully without any disturbances.
Zachary only managed to return to his apartment late at 11:00 PM. He hadn't gotten much rest since the previous day before the final. Thus, he felt as if he'd just played an intensive match, and his only wish was to jump into bed and enter slumber land as soon as possible.
"DING"
Suddenly, the all-familiar system notification rang in his mind as he stepped into his living room. It roused him back to full attention, causing all the feelings of exhaustion to fade away from his mind. His eyes flickered with a trace of anticipation, and he hurriedly switched on the light to brighten up the living room.
"Congratulations to the user for completing the 2013/14 Europa League Serial Challenge mission," the system AI's apathetic voice sounded at that moment. "The user can check out the mission completion details and respective rewards on the interface."
Zachary smiled as his hopes soared. He settled down on one of the sofas before summoning the system interface. Without further ado, he started to peruse the contents of the mission completion message.
****
#5 new messages
CONGRATULATIONS
->You have completed the system mission (2013/14 Europa League Serial Challenge).
->Mission Summary
*Milestone 1: Play over 80% of the fixtures in the 2013/14 Europa League tournament for Rosenborg (Completed; Rating A; Rewarded 2,000 Juju points).
*Milestone 2: Help Rosenborg qualify for the round of sixteen of the 2013/14 Europa League tournament (Completed by helping Rosenborg defeat Fiorentina during the round of thirty-two stage; Rating A; Rewarded 5,000 Juju points).
*Milestone 3: Help Rosenborg qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2013/14 Europa League tournament (Completed by helping Rosenborg defeat Juventus during the round of sixteen stage; Rating S+; Rewarded 30,000 Juju points).
*Milestone 4: Help Rosenborg qualify for the semi-finals of the 2013/14 Europa League tournament (Completed by helping Rosenborg defeat Olympique Lyon during the quarter-final; Rating S+; Rewarded 50,000 Juju points).
*Milestone 5: Help Rosenborg qualify for the 2013/14 Europa League final (Completed by helping Rosenborg defeat Benfica during the semi-final; Rating A; Rewarded 100,000 Juju Points).
*Milestone 6: Help Rosenborg become the champions of the 2013/14 Europa League Tournament (Completed by helping Rosenborg defeat Sevilla FC during the final; Rating S+; Rewarded a dosage of S-grade vitality enhancing elixir).
*Milestone 7: Provide the most assists in the 2013/14 Europa League tournament while playing for Rosenborg (Tied with two others at the top position with five assists; Completed with Rating A; Rewarded 20,000 Juju-points).
*Milestone 8: Become the top scorer of the 2013/14 Europa League Tournament while playing for Rosenborg (Top scorer with 23 goals in the tournament; Completed with S+ rating; Rewarded 40,000 Juju points).
*Milestone 9: Become the Best Player of the 2013/14 Europa League Tournament while playing for Rosenborg (By far the best player according to system statistical computations. Completion with Rating S+; Rewarded a dosage of S-grade mental conditioning elixir).
Mission completed almost with perfection
Overall Mission Rating: S+
->Mission Rewards
1) A total of 247,000 Juju-points
2) An S-grade vitality-enhancing elixir
3) An S-grade mental conditioning elixir
->Bonus Rewards
You have earned 20,000 Bonus Juju points.
****
