Episode 109: The Harvest Festival Season
Music drifts in from outside.
It sounds similar to Celtic music from Earth.
This world also has instruments and performers. The popular ones are stringed instruments like violins, flute-like instruments, harps, and drums.
The tune is cheerful, like a festival…
…Ah, right.
It’s the Harvest Festival season.
The Harvest Festival.
A festival celebrated not only in Missgancia, but throughout this country, or rather, this region.
It’s held around late autumn, after the harvest is done, to celebrate it.
For example, nobles might celebrate the founding festival in early summer, some tribes might celebrate the winter solstice festival where ancestral spirits return from the underworld, and the ‘Continent’ might celebrate the Spring Festival grandly, but this Harvest Festival is a festival where everyone celebrates and participates, regardless of social status.
It’s like that common European thing where the church bakes and distributes pastries, or roasts turkeys.
During this festival, even rural villages get sweets and alcohol, so everyone looks forward to it every year.
I say it every time, but while Medieval Western-style Fantasy sounds nice, the fact that it’s medieval means that by modern standards, eighty percent of the people are sick, injured, or malnourished in some way… Their bodies crave nutrients, so everyone loves sweets. They love them like crazy.
And… the fact that the music has started means that people are starting to gather, and wandering musicians are gathering too.
People with skills in music and dance like this are usually wanderers. Ethnically, they’re mostly halflings.
Of course, they’re discriminated against as wanderers, with rumors that they steal things while traveling, so rest assured. And just to add, many halflings really do steal, so rest assured about that too.
The festival period is also quite long.
See, this world has no concept of schedules, right?
So, to allow as many people as possible to participate, the festival lasts about ten days.
Of course, not many people can spend all ten days playing.
Considering the travel time for farmers coming to town from distant villages, the working hours for people setting up stalls during the festival, and all sorts of other things, they’re not always playing.
It’s like… well… like a social game event period…?
A professional freeloader like me plays all the time, but most normal people can’t constantly stick to the event because of work.
But this isn’t just playing for me either.
Basically, during the festival, I go on dates with girls.
I feel like we meet quite often normally, but these kinds of events are memorable, so I want to spend them with my girlfriend, right? I can also earn points…
Well, I understand the opinion that there’s no need to raise their affection any further. But they’re happy, you know? Isn’t that all that matters…?
That said, since I have many girlfriends, I basically end up spending time with multiple people.
I didn’t bother tidying myself up (because I’m automatically tidy), and went outside as I was…
A group date with my female acquaintances.
We’d all gather, browse the festival stalls, sing, and dance…
That’s what I was planning to do, but…
“But, thinking calmly, wouldn’t it be better to have a party at Dru’s house?”
“““““That’s true.”””””
That’s what happened.
Well, of course, we participated in the festival too.
But that aside, they said it’s more fun at my house.
That my house is more fun than the festival.
Hmm…?
Well, if you say it’s just eating, drinking, and making noise… I guess that’s true…
But it’s a special festival, you know? Is that okay with you guys?
The ‘Blue Comet’ got a huge amount of money from selling the Fire Drake materials and the reward and hush money from Count Missgancia after the incident the other day.
Using these funds, Katrina, the leader, is expanding the group’s size and buying new horses and carriages… but that’s settled down for now.
I heard they’re on vacation for a while.
It’s natural for them to use their free time as they like. It’s not something I should interfere with.
Besides… well, as an event in the town, there was a concert by a professional orchestra, and I listened to it. It was good.
Even in a Medieval European world, the quality of music isn’t bad. Music is good, no matter the era or place.
And in this town, they were also holding an arm-wrestling tournament where strongmen gathered. But basically, Strider and nobles aren’t allowed to participate in these kinds of things. If strong people who can use “Magic Skills” come, ordinary people won’t have a chance to win. It would be unfair, right?
We also danced.
This dance is like the folk dance at a cultural festival, where you dance with someone you like.
And I danced with more than ten girls.
That’s how it is.
Anyway, I enjoyed the festival.
But all the girls want to come to my house.
Well, after all, it has air conditioning, it’s clean, it’s bright, and the food is delicious.
On top of that, there are many things to enjoy, like board games and whatnot. I’ve been buying books like crazy, so there’s also a library.
If you say it’s more interesting than the festival, that’s true…
But somehow, isn’t that the kind of thing you enjoy for the atmosphere…?
The festival atmosphere, you know…?
You went out for one day, so it’s fine? Yeah, well, if you guys are okay with that, I won’t say anything…
“There were other festivals besides the Harvest Festival, Dru wasn’t participating in them, okay?”
“Eh? Is that so, Shio?”
“Yeah. But those are basically held on the main street, so…”
Ah…
That’s right, those are events for the citizens.
It must be difficult for these girls to go.
“…I understand, then you can come to my place. I’ll take you to the ‘Garden’.”
And that’s what happened…