Volume 3 Chapter 23 The Great Villain Of The World, Joins The Welcome Feast
Before the feast started, Tanshi-san told me about the unit I was leading.
Currently, the planned members and their roles are as follows.
Captain: Kou Tenhou
Chief Strategist: Tanshi
Vice-Captain: Sui Kaou (Sou Ouka)
Reconnaissance Officer: Ryuu Seirei
──That's all.
"My role is to take responsibility when the time comes."
Tanshi-san said.
"Kou Tenhou-dono, you can act based on your own judgment. It's fine to appoint your own staff as well. Just make sure to discuss it with me."
"I understand."
"Let's talk about what's next tomorrow. For now, please rest and recover from your journey."
After that conversation, I was shown to my room.
I got hot water at the inn and washed off the dust from my body.
When I changed and went to the hall, the feast was ready.
Tanshi-san was sitting in the honored seat.
Actually, I was supposed to sit next to Tanshi-san with Touri, but I held back.
It felt uneasy to sit in the honored seat with Ryougen-kun's close aides.
So, I decided to sit in a lower position below Tanshi-san.
The attendees of the feast were me, Touri, Tanshi-san, Seirei, and Shouou. Also, Reki.
And, the special guests, Tougen and Riirin.
Tougen is looking curiously at the dishes and food from Aika Country.
He's trying to break apart the food with his chopsticks and analyze the ingredients.
Riirin, sitting next to him, is stopping him.
"Then, let's toast to the safe return of Kou Tenhou-dono, Gen Touri-dono, and Reki Soukaku-dono. Also, let's celebrate our new friendship! Cheers!!"
"""Cheers!!"""
With Tanshi-san's signal, the feast began.
In front of us, there is a spread of luxurious dishes.
The variety of ingredients is rich because Toushun's town is a major transportation hub.
There's Hu Bing (bread) mixed with nuts, and next to it is Gēng soup with mushrooms.
The main dishes are stewed lamb and stir-fried fish and shellfish.
It's delicious. Plus, it looks amazing.
I want to let my mother in Hokurin and Hakuyou taste it, but I can't take any home. The ingredients in this world don't keep well...
"Hou-sama. Is it alright?"
"What's wrong, Touri?"
"Your sister is asking, 'Which dish is the most delicious, big brother?'"
Touri whispered in my ear.
Since this is a gathering to celebrate me and Touri, we are sitting next to each other.
I'm sitting in the main seat, followed by Touri and Seirei.
By the way, Shouou is sitting across from me.
Next to me are Reki, Tougen, and Riirin.
Reki, Tougen, and Riirin are together because it's more calming for the Jinkyo Tribe to be with each other.
Shouou, being the vice captain of the unit, is sitting in a seat close to the front.
"Your sister says, 'When we return to Hokurin, I want to make something for you. Please tell me your favorite food'."
Once again, Touri whispers in my ear.
I look over at Seirei and say,
"I appreciate the thought, but I think it's impossible since we can't get the ingredients, right?"
"...That's too bad."
Seirei slumps her shoulders next to Touri.
To comfort her, Touri is gently patting her back.
Across from us, Shouou is staring at us intently.
Come on, it's a special meal, so let's eat, Shouou.
But... I really feel calm with Seirei and Shouou by my side.
Maybe that's why Ryougen-kun decided to put them in my unit.
Honestly, I don't feel like I'm leading an unit.
I've never given orders to anyone before.
When I fought Zeng Taiga and Kai Shuujaku, I only had to take responsibility for myself and Shouou.
Now, I'll have to take responsibility for my subordinates.
Well... those subordinates are Shouou and Seirei, though.
From now on, I'll be taking everyone to the northern fortress.
When we arrive, we'll first check the area around the fortress.
We need to see if there are any poison arrow users, and then scout Zeng Taiga's movements.
If possible, I want to gather information about the mysterious organization, the Golden Feather Syndicate.
Anyway, I can only do what I can.
To protect my father and brother, and to prevent the collapse of Aika Country.
That's why I traveled all the way to the Jinkyo Tribe's territory.
"...This is sea fish. This is a shell. It's my first time eating this."
When I looked up, Reki was sitting across from me, looking pale.
It seems like he doesn't like seafood.
Come to think of it, there's no sea in the Jinkyo Tribe's territory.
This must be Reki's first time seeing shellfish too. He must be hesitant to eat it──
"Munch munch. I see. This is the taste of the sea. It's rich, isn't it? Hmm..."
Just then, I noticed Tougen was happily eating seafood.
In his case, it feels like curiosity is pushing everything aside.
"There's no need to force yourself, Reki-dono."
Tougen said gently to Reki sitting next to him,
"I'll eat the things you don't like. It would be rude to leave them behind."
"Thank you very much, Tougen-sama..."
"Young master. You still have your own portion left. Wanting Reki-sama's portion too..."
"I'll use my portion for research and observation, big sis."
"Research and observation?"
"It's a dish I'm seeing for the first time. I want to investigate it. First, I'll scatter the fish meat to see how the taste changes..."
"You shouldn't play with food!"
"I-I agree, so Tougen-sama."
"...Yes."
Yeah. It seems like Reki, Tougen, and Riirin-san are all enjoying themselves.
But Shouou nearby... is still looking at me. Her gaze feels scary.
I guess she's angry that I went to the Jinkyo Tribe's land without saying anything.
Up until now, Shouou and I have fought together against our enemies.
We were together when we faced Zeng Taiga and when we defeated Kai Shuujaku.
Because of that, Shouou might be really worried since I went north without telling her.
...After the party, I'll make sure to talk to her properly.
While I was thinking about that, the party continued.
As the food was being served, Tanshi-san called for the performers.
They are people who sing and dance.
The door to the hall opened, and a man wearing a horned mask and a woman in a long-sleeved outfit appeared.
They began to dance to the music.
Reki, Tougen, and Riirin watched with shining eyes.
Especially Tougen, who leaned forward, completely captivated.
Seeing them, Tanshi-san nodded with satisfaction.
It seems Tanshi-san called the performers to introduce Aika Country's culture to Tougen and the others.
"Kou Tenhou-dono, do you know this line? 'The ghost seeks the village girl'."
"I've heard of it."
I answered Tanshi-san's question.
"Isn't it about a mountain spirit who falls in love and turns into a ghost? Then, it visits the village girl every night?"
"As expected of Kou Tenhou-dono, you know a lot about culture."
"I'm aiming to be a bureaucrat."
Learning to read has been helpful with the stories of this world.
I used to copy letters when I was little.
What is being performed in front of me is a romantic love story.
The man in the mask plays the ghost, and the woman in the long sleeves plays the village girl.
The two hands seem like they might touch, but they don't.
The tension is heightened by the sounds of the koto and the shamisen.
It's not just the Jinkyo Tribe people who are lost in this scene──
"...Seirei?"
"......(spacing out)."
Seirei is also captivated by the music and the dancers.
She's slightly moving her arms and fingers to the rhythm.
Come to think of it, Seirei used to dance at festivals back in her hometown.
Also, in the game 'History of Swordmaster', Ryuu Seirei was good at singing and dancing.
In the game, she captivated the King of Aika Country with her various talents. It wasn't just her beauty; her singing and dancing were part of it too.
Maybe Seirei still has a longing for singing and dancing.
Since Seirei won't be entering Crown Prince Rouen's palace anymore,
I want to help her develop her talent. So──
Does she want to dance? If so──
"Tanshi-sama, I have a request."
After waiting for the song and dance to end, I called out to Tanshi-san.
"I feel bad saying this in front of such wonderful art, but..."
"What is it? Kou Tenhou-dono."
"I was deeply impressed by the singing and dancing of the performers."
I clasped my hands together in front of Tanshi-san.
"The movements of the dance are also related to martial arts. I would love to learn even just a bit of this dance from you, if that's alright?"
"Kou Tenhou-dono, are you interested in dancing?"
"Yes. I want to learn about different cultures."
"I see... It's because you have an interest in various cultures that you can become close to many people."
Tanshi-san nodded as if he understood.
Then he looked at the person in charge of the dance.
"What do you think? Would it be alright for this person to dance as part of the entertainment at the banquet?"
"Yes! I'm happy to hear you say that!"
"It's an honor that someone related to His Royal Highness the King's younger brother is interested in dancing!"
"Yes, yes. Well then, Kou Tenhou-dono."
"Thank you very much."
I stood up and bowed.
Then, I tilted my head and said,
"But this is a dance for 2 people, right? I need a partner to practice. So... Seirei, will you help me?"
"Huh? Me?"
"Yeah. Please."
"Okay! I'll do my best!"
"Great."
I took Seirei's hand.
Then, I bowed to the dancers, and we started practicing the dance.
It was different from martial arts, but it was fun.
Seirei quickly learned how to do it.
Her footwork and arm movements were smooth; she didn't seem like a beginner at all.
The dancer said, "You have wonderful talent," with shining eyes.
They didn't try to scout her as the 'General Skybear's' adopted child, though.
After we finished dancing, Shouou stood up.
It seemed like she wanted to dance too.
"Got it. Let's switch places. Shikei."
"No, it's not that I want to dance with your sister, okay?"
Shouou puffed out her cheeks.
But it can't be helped.
Right now, Shouou is dressed as a boy. She's in Sui Kaou mode.
I can't dance with Shouou.
This dance is one where a masked demon dances with a girl in a dress.
One of them has to be the male role.
So, I switched with Shouou.
Seirei and Shouou started dancing while getting guidance──
"──What a perfect pair they are."
"──So beautiful. The one who uses martial arts is also good at dancing..."
The people from the dancer were so moved; it was beautiful.
The part they danced was about 'a village girl avoiding the courtship of men other than a ghost,' and it was very convincing.
Reki even muttered, 'I'm feeling some killing intent.'
Tougen and the others were also captivated.
Shouou is a princess from Souma Country. She must have talent in music and dance.
The dance of Shouou and Seirei really livened up the party.
Eventually, the music stopped, and the dancer people left.
After having tea and chatting for a while, the party came to an end.
Then, everyone was supposed to go back to their rooms, but──
Before that, I decided to talk to Shouou.
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