Chapter 147: At the Year’s End
The end of the year.
Today marks the end of the year.
…But that doesn’t mean the people in this town hold any celebrations or anything.
Even at the year’s end, they don’t particularly celebrate. Because there’s nothing particularly joyous about it.
Well, there are some minor festivities when spring arrives… but the passing of the year holds no special meaning. At least, not for the common folk.
…I might have said this country’s state religion is “like Christianity,” but that doesn’t mean everything’s identical, you know? I’m just saying that, if I had to categorize it, the doctrine is Christian-like.
So, there’s no Christmas or Easter or things like that.
Besides the Harvest Festival in Autumn, is there much else besides maybe the “Day of Thawing Snow” around March celebrating spring’s arrival?
Other than that, maybe people pray at church on the rest days of their patron saints…?
So, today is just another ordinary weekday with nothing special happening…
Or rather, that’s how it is for normal people.
But I’m different!
I decided to call all my lovers over and throw a party…
“Thank you for this past year!”
I lined up food all over the mansion’s main hall and started a buffet-style party. To show the girls my appreciation…
“What’s this?” Shio asks.
“It’s a party. To celebrate the end of this year and the arrival of the new one.”
“…????”
“Ah… In my homeland, we have a custom of celebrating the end and beginning of the year.”
“Ohh, why?”
“Surviving another year safely is cause for celebration, right? And you’d want to pray for safety in the next one, too?”
“Hmm, well, I guess so. Personally, I’m just happy to get food…”
“Well, even if you don’t get the meaning, please celebrate with me. I’m happy I got to spend this year with all of you…”
Okay, and with that, the party started.
But, nobody moved.
“What’s wrong? Go ahead and eat.”
“…Mm, how?”
Huh?
Ahh, ah, right.
So buffet-style parties don’t exist yet, huh…
“The plates are here. Use the tongs to put the food lined up over there onto your plate, then bring it over here. After that, you can eat whatever you like.”
“Mm, novel.”
I guess so.
I’m no expert, but buffet parties probably didn’t appear until the early modern period, right?
This world’s level of civilization feels like the mid-to-early medieval period, so yeah, no buffet parties here.
Anyway, I should have one last chat with everyone this year.
“Shio, Margot, how was this year for you?”
I called out to the usual pair.
“Hm? It was good, wasn’t it?”
“Mm, satisfactory.”
Shio was piling her plate high with roast beef and digging in. Margot was piling hers high with fruit.
“So much happened this year! We hunted Fortress Crabs in spring, went on an expedition in summer! The war ended in Autumn, and we had lots of fun in Winter… It was great!”
“Mm, Dru started giving us fruit from the ‘Garden’. It’s truly, truly delicious…”
“Oh yeah, that too! When you butchered that cow for us, it was sooo delicious~!”
“And we received Demon Swords, too.”
“Right, the Demon Swords! Aren’t they great? Thanks to this Demon Sword, I don’t need to buy replacement swords anymore, so I’ve actually started saving money! Isn’t that amazing?”
“Mm… Shio is impressive.”
“And Margot, you learned a new spell too, right?”
“Mm, Dru taught me. The True Word for ‘Flame’…”
“Is Dru good at teaching too?”
“He is. Exceptionally so. …Better than my own master.”
“Heeh… Is that right?”
“Normally, imparting a True Word takes many years and requires the student’s own exploration. During that time, rather than being taught, you have to discover the truth yourself and learn how to handle it. …But Dru teaches you everything, step-by-step. Because Dru knows everything.”
“Ahh, you can’t teach what you don’t know, right? Since Dru knows everything, he must be a great teacher too!”
“Mm, that’s mostly correct.”
The conversation between the two flowed easily.
“What about you, Dru? Did you have fun?”
“Yeah, very much.”
“I see, that’s great~”
“Great?”
“Hm? Because I hear that spending time with Strider women like us isn’t usually fun, you know?”
“Where did you hear that from? I had a great time and was really happy spending this year with you two, you know?”
“Hmm, from the other male Striders? They all say, ‘If you’re going to marry, a town girl is better!'”
“…Why?”
“‘Cause Strider women can’t do needlework or bake bread~. We can’t do any ‘woman’s work,’ so of course, we’re not popular!”
Ahh…?
Yeah, well, I guess that’s how it works, huh?
Normally, girls in every family go through that sort of bridal training.
Strider women who haven’t done that are seen as incapable of managing a household.
‘I wouldn’t want to marry a woman like that!’ That seems to be the general opinion among men in this world.
It’s not about having a cute face! Or a good figure! Those aren’t the traits valued in this kind of world…
So, being a hard worker is the sign of a good wife, huh.
How depressing…