Volume 11 Chapter 1 The Festival Begins
――The Day of the Memorial Festival.
Even the usually laid-back town of Ravenyard was overflowing with energy today.
The streets were filled with fluttering petals and paper snowflakes, and the town was dressed up more vibrantly than usual.
The townspeople were in costume, and the atmosphere was lively with drinking, singing, and dancing.
There were songs, dances, markets, and parades...
This was the biggest festival in town, and it was truly amazing.
I thought the eve of the festival was amazing, but this surpassed it.
'It's finally here, the day of the festival!'
"Woohoo!" "...Pafu pafu"
And here, too, was a group with high tension.
Juju was still in my waist pouch, but since it was festival time, I let her make a bit of a racket and even allowed her to get a little rowdy.
'Our goal is to conquer the food stalls!'
"Let's do this!" "...We'll conquer them!"
'Today is my treat You should be grateful!'
"You're going to make me pay, aren't you?"
'Tch, ch, ch, you're so sweet.'
"Huh?"
'Today, I'm a little rich! I won big time in a gamble with the twins yesterday!'
"Confiscated."
'Ahh, no way! What are you doing? Give it back!'
I pushed Juju, who was getting agitated, back into my waist pouch and handed some money to Ram.
Since it was festival time, I added a bit of flair.
"Allowance?" "...It's a special bonus!"
'That's terrible! You're so mean, Noroa! This is outrageous!'
"...Fine, fine"
Juju looked like she was about to cry, so I gave her some allowance too. I didn't want to spoil her too much, but today was a special service.
"But it's really amazing, isn't it? This is what a festival is all about!"
Cirrul's eyes sparkled as well. She was so happy that she was jumping up and down, expressing her joy with her whole body.
"This is my first time attending a festival!"
"Huh, Sunpool has a lot of festivals, right?"
Cirrul's hometown was the Religious City of Sunpool.
There's no shortage of religious events, and they must have been pretty big.
Cirrul let out a dark sigh, "Ahh..."
"I was always on the organizing side, so festivals felt like work. Even when I was a kid, I was in the choir and just sang my heart out..."
'Pfft, gray youth, that's all.'
"Is your youth really gray, Big Sister Sil?" "...I thought you were a normie."
"...AAAHHH..."
"Hey, don't push people's trauma buttons, okay?"
Well, Cirrul seems to be struggling with her age too.
"Ugh...Even when I was in Emdo county, I was looking forward to the summer solstice festival, but it got cancelled..."
"Ah, when Gluttony Mimic Bag (Little Mimi) went wild..."
"So, this time! Finally, I can enjoy the festival! I have to make it fun, no matter what!"
"No, you don't have to force it that much."
Cirrul's sparkling eyes turned from twinkling to piercing.
'I mean, Noroa isn't the type to participate in festivals, right?'
"Me? Well, on festival days, I'd just stay in my room..."
I hate crowds and noise.
"Festivals are only fun if you have friends or acquaintances, right? What's the point of a loner like me going to a festival? It's like a solo gourmet tour or something?"
'...Sorry to hear that.'
"If you apologize, it'll just make me feel worse..."
When I think about it, I'm not one to talk about Cirrul's situation...this might be the first time I'm really enjoying a festival.
'Well, it's fine! Let's just go and have fun!'
"Yeah, let's do it!"
'Mugyu!'
While casually holding back Juju's head, which was trying to pop out of my waist pouch, I started walking.
The streets were packed with people going in every direction.
There were people who had dressed up more than usual, and others who seemed to have come from outside. With the harvest festival coinciding with this time of year, there were many farmers too. The number of people was staggering, making me wonder if this town could even hold them all.
...The smell of roasted sweets, makeup, and sweat.
The excitement of the festival always gave me a strange sense of alienation, but today was different.
Maybe I was feeling a little more carefree too.
However, there were still things to worry about.
"...Ah"
Suddenly, I looked up.
Today, the red butterflies were fluttering about again.
Looking down from above, as if gazing at people....
"...a butterfly?"
The user of the Blood Butterfly――the Insect User――still hasn't been identified.
I tried searching with Compass Eye (Ra Shingan) last night, but it seems like the opponent detected my move and escaped with a flutter. Moreover, with the festival being crowded, even if I knew the direction they were in, it would be no use. The search was futile.
"Today, at least...if I don't do anything, it's fine, right?"
My left eye, still pointing at the Insect User.
I let out a sigh while looking at it.
"What's wrong?"
"No..."
'Aren't you suddenly feeling down? "Why don't you say something like, 'Wheeey?'"
"I won't say it."
I took a deep breath, letting out the anxiety in my chest.
It's a festival, after all ――I can't keep a gloomy face forever.
Today, I'll enjoy the Memorial Festival.
*
After that, we started our food stall tour.
Ravenyard has a rich trade route, so we can see exotic goods and delicacies from all over the world. Just walking around and peeking at the stalls was enjoyable enough.
'Popcorn is delicious! Munch, munch!'
"Sui, share some" "...I refuse."
"...Hmph..."
Everyone was holding food in both hands, looking satisfied with their cheeks puffed out.
Cirrul was silently munching away, her cheeks bulging.
Maybe it's a reaction to eating bland church food all the time, but Cirrul has become quite the gourmet. She's seeking stimulation and exploring new flavors without hesitation.
Well, she's becoming more and more like a food fighter...is that okay?
"Master, there's a sweet shop over there " "...Lord, that's really interesting."
"Ah, I'll give you some pocket money, so go buy it."
"Yeah " "...Got it."
Sui and Ram held hands, running towards the stall with a patter.
'Noroa, there's a sweet shop over there!'
"Yeah, that's great!"
'...Isn't this unfair? Maybe I'm being discriminated against?'
"Yeah."
I mean, her daily behavior is too bad, anyway.
And then, I suddenly felt a tap on my back.
I thought the twins had come back, so I turned around.
"...What a coincidence, huh."
There was Senior Rikka.
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