Chapter 36: Townsperson A Explores the Cultural Festival

After closing up shop, I decided to wander around and see the other exhibits. Since I was already here, it would be a waste not to enjoy myself.

My first stop was the exhibit put on by Anastasia and the Crown Prince’s group. I recalled hearing that their theme was "Life in the Downtown Districts," but...

When I arrived, the place was a ghost town. There wasn’t even anyone at the reception desk, so I let myself in and started looking around.

As I browsed the displays, I realized the content was shockingly superficial. It purported to explain the lives of commoners, but it was painfully obvious that they hadn't done a lick of actual research. This was likely a reflection of the life Amy had lived before being taken in by the Baron, but frankly, it looked like a pretty comfortable existence.

According to the exhibit, commoner children basically never went hungry. Their daily meals supposedly consisted of bread, butter, soup, and fresh meat or vegetables at least once a day. It claimed they typically lived in two- or three-bedroom homes with families of four or five. Furthermore, thanks to Magic Stones, they never wanted for water, though many households still used wood for fire. It concluded by stating that commoner children attended school and went straight into the workforce upon graduation.

I see. I certainly didn't know that.

At the very least, it was a world apart from the district where I had grown up. Setting aside my own situation in a single-mother household, it was perfectly normal for a family of eight to be packed into a single room.

In reality, the poorer the family, the more the children were viewed as manual labor. Kids were forced to work from the time they could walk, and a huge percentage of them never set foot in a school. Because of that, many remained illiterate, which was one of the primary reasons they could never escape the cycle of poverty.

In a life like that, you’d almost never see a Magic Stone. It wasn't even rare to find kids who didn't know such things existed. Everyone lived hand-to-mouth. A typical meal was a crust of hard bread, some vegetable scraps, and perhaps a tiny morsel of dried meat or a few beans.

However, I had to admit that the section on the kingdom’s official systems for commoners was well-organized. The history of the school system and the various support measures were summarized in a clear, concise way. I had a feeling Anastasia was the one responsible for that part.

Feeling thoroughly fed up, I turned to leave. I thought I caught the sound of Amy and her "capture targets" flirting in the next room, but I ignored it.

No sense in going in there. It’ll only put me in a foul mood.

Next, I made my way to Margaret’s exhibit.

"What brings you here, Allen?"

I was surprised to find Anastasia herself greeting me at the entrance.

"Oh? Uh... may I come in?"

"Why the hesitant tone? I was kicked out of His Highness's group yesterday. Margaret was kind enough to take me in."

"..."

I was at a total loss for words. That definitely hadn't happened in the game. And besides, who does that? Who just kicks someone out the day before the festival?

"Don't give me that look. Please, have a look around. Both Margaret’s work and mine are on display."

"Y-Yes, of course. Though I'm afraid I don't know the first thing about embroidery..."

I followed her lead and began looking at the pieces. Since I lacked any artistic eye for needlework, I couldn't judge the technical skill involved, but I was genuinely impressed that anyone could create such intricate birds and flowers.

For the record, Margaret’s embroidery featured a vibrant array of flowers, while Anastasia’s depicted various fruits and cakes.

"I can't really speak to the quality, but looking at your work, Lady Anastasia... it’s actually making me hungry."

"...I see."

Anastasia looked a bit bashful as she spoke. I was so used to her usual "Ice Doll" expression that seeing her look human for a moment made my heart skip a beat.

An awkward silence fell between us, and a strange, indescribable atmosphere began to settle over the room. Fortunately, Margaret returned just then.

"Oh, Allen-kun, you came! Thank you for stopping by."

"Y-Yes. I don't understand the craft at all, but I certainly walked away realizing it’s something I could never do."

"I thought as much. Most gentlemen are the same way. Regardless, the Cultural Festival is drawing to a close. You should probably go clean up your stall and head to the auditorium."

"Right. Thank you for everything today."

That was my cue to leave. Interpreting her words as a polite "we're closing up, so get out," I made a graceful exit and headed for the auditorium.

"And now, we shall announce this year’s winner of the Most Excellent Award. The award goes to the group led by His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Karlheinz Bartille von Sentlaren, for their exhibit: 'Downtown Culture and Life, and the Kingdom’s Support Systems.'"

Clap clap clap clap.

Yeah, I figured. The whole thing was rigged from the start. How pathetic.

"His Highness’s exhibit focused on those living in even deeper poverty than the average commoner, highlighting their living conditions through rigorous research. It then offered a profound analysis of the Kingdom’s role and its future responsibilities. The committee highly evaluated the exhibit's significant social contributions."

Hah! What 'rigorous research'? That's a load of crap!

I cursed them in the privacy of my mind. I was likely wearing a hideous expression right then, so I kept my head down for a while to ensure no one saw me.

The Crown Prince led his group of capture targets and Amy onto the stage to receive their commendation. Naturally, Anastasia—who had been ousted the day before—was nowhere to be seen.

"We will now have a few words from the group representative, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"I am Karlheinz. I am pleased to accept this Most Excellent Award. To begin, the selection of this theme was the inspiration of Amy here. We of the royal family and the nobility exist for one purpose: to guide the weak. Thus, we conducted this exhibit to bring the current reality to light and contemplate what we can do to improve it. I hope this serves as an inspiration for all of you to consider your own duties once you graduate from our glorious Higher Academy and take your place as leaders of the people. That is all."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Clap clap clap clap.

What a shallow, breathtakingly condescending speech. It wasn't just that he pissed me off—the fact that this guy was the next king was terrifying.

Is this country in serious trouble? I think it might be.