"Ooh..."
"This is..."
Even from a spot set back from the crowd, the two of Egg's subordinates could see the Crystal Dragon's corpse.
Naturally, it lacked the visceral impact that came from seeing it up close. They had also known beforehand that the corpse would be unveiled here today, so in that sense, their surprise was tempered.
Tempered, yes—but it was still enough to steal their words away.
Even so, they only stood transfixed by the corpse—which looked as though it might lunge to life at any second—for about ten seconds.
Snapping back to their senses, they immediately checked whether the individuals they'd been marking were making any moves, and if so, whether their fellow operatives had them restrained.
Fortunately... or perhaps inevitably, the people who saw the Crystal Dragon's corpse up close were so thoroughly overwhelmed by its appearance that none attempted anything suspicious.
Among them were likely a few who had planned to snatch what materials they could the moment the corpse was revealed. Or perhaps some had intended simply to observe today and bide their time.
Whatever their intentions, the Crystal Dragon's corpse appearing suddenly before them was more than enough to leave them dumb with astonishment.
They had known the corpse would be put on display. They had simply assumed it would be placed on the stage as-is.
Even so, as an S-Rank Monster, it would have still commanded considerable presence on its own.
Yet the Crystal Dragon's corpse, artfully arranged with Spirit Magic, radiated an overwhelming vitality—so lifelike that it seemed ready to spring into motion at any instant.
That presence was so powerful that, even knowing it was a corpse, one couldn't shake the feeling that it might start moving at any second.
Faced with this sight, much of the crowd erupted in cheers so thunderous they bordered on roars.
The audience was in such a frenzy that even those who managed to collect themselves couldn't push through to approach the corpse.
All they could do in their current state was take in what kind of monster the Crystal Dragon was... and, if they intended to steal from it, decide which part to target.
Amid the uproar, someone suddenly tried to bolt from the crowd—and in that instant, Egg's nearby subordinates tackled him.
Egg's subordinates had been just as overwhelmed by the sight up close.
Even so, the fact that they managed to pin their marked target the instant he made a suspicious move was admirable, to say the least.
If they had let themselves be so swept up by the corpse's presence that their targets could act freely, the consequences down the line would have been severe indeed.
That fear had apparently outweighed the spectacle before them.
Under normal circumstances, a scuffle occurring nearby would have drawn questioning glances from bystanders.
But the rest of the crowd, at the height of excitement, paid no mind to anything happening around them. They were utterly fixated on the Crystal Dragon's corpse at the end of their gaze.
If anyone had looked their way questioningly, they were prepared to pass it off as treating someone who had fallen ill from overexcitement. Fortunately, no such excuse was needed.
"Hey, let's drag this one out. It's fine for now, but leave him here too long and someone's bound to notice."
"Got it."
The man they'd pinned was already immobilized with paralytic poison.
Naturally, someone bold enough to attempt such a thing might carry a Magic Item to nullify poison or have taken a slow-acting antidote in advance.
Keeping that possibility in mind, they stayed alert, ready to respond instantly if anything changed, as they hauled the man away from the crowd.
Their pace was slightly sluggish—likely because Egg's subordinates wanted a better look at the Crystal Dragon themselves.
Even underworld denizens weren't immune to the allure of an S-Rank Monster, let alone a new species of Dragon.
If given the chance, they too would have loved to study it at length.
But the current situation afforded no such luxury.
If they lingered here, gawking at the corpse, and let their suspect escape, there was no telling what kind of punishment awaited them.
That was why the men fought to keep their eyes off the corpse. Though their gazes kept wanting to drift back, they resisted the urge and carried the paralyzed man away.
Similar scenes unfolded in several spots throughout the crowd.
Watching from a distance, the man in charge of this area frowned.
"There are some who aren't biting."
It wasn't entirely unexpected.
He had assumed that some wouldn't act rashly—that they would carefully assess the situation first, then make their move.
Compared to those who had jumped immediately, these cautious types were far more troublesome.
Since they hadn't actually done anything yet, there was no grounds to apprehend them.
That was somewhat regrettable, but they had still managed to capture a fair number of suspicious individuals among the crowd.
With the results matching their initial plan, there was no cause for dissatisfaction.
"I'd have liked to catch more, if possible."
"Can't be helped. I mean, come on. If anything, I'm surprised that many people saw that thing and still had the nerve to move right away."
Seeing is believing.
While that exact phrase didn't exist in Elgin, words carrying the same sentiment certainly did.
At any rate, the men had known the Crystal Dragon's corpse would be displayed, yet the impact of seeing it in person was still staggering.
"We can handle the ones we caught, right? I'll stick around a bit longer—there might be latecomers, and I need to stay focused on that."
"Yeah, leave it to us. That's what we're here for. Don't do our jobs right here, and Egg'll have our heads."
The man listening nodded in agreement.
Egg would undoubtedly punish anyone who didn't pull their weight here.
With that, the man issued orders to his subordinates and moved into action.
Standing on the platform, Daskar surveyed the crowd and nodded with satisfaction.
There were many reasons for publicly displaying the Crystal Dragon's corpse.
This outcome was more than satisfactory for him.
...Though he hadn't expected the crowd to get quite this fired up.
Daskar himself had been considerably excited when he first laid eyes on the corpse.
And why wouldn't he be? An S-Rank Monster from the Forest of Magic. A new species of Dragon.
Any one of those alone would have been enough to set people buzzing, and yet all three applied at once.
It was only natural that the crowd's excitement had boiled over into sustained cheers.
Daskar understood that perfectly. But he couldn't leave them in this state indefinitely.
He could spot a few individuals behaving oddly, but he didn't seem particularly bothered.
With so many people in a frenzy, a handful acting strangely was to be expected.
That said, he couldn't keep the audience riled up forever.
If he simply waited for the excitement to die down on its own, how long would that take?
It could be minutes, tens of minutes... or even an hour with the fervor still unabated.
That was precisely why Daskar raised his hand high, signaling the crowd.
Seeing the gesture, the crowd gradually shifted from their uproarious frenzy to something marginally calmer.
"Gentlemen, I am glad it brings you such joy. ...I will say it again: this monster is a Crystal Dragon, an S-Rank Monster that inhabits the Forest of Magic and a new species of Dragon. Rei slew this creature single-handedly—and is, as such, a Dragon Slayer."
Dragon Slayer.
At those words, a fresh ripple of murmurs swept through the crowd.
Slaying a Dragon carried weight.
Naturally, there had been a fair number of Dragon Slayers throughout history. Dragons, after all, existed in considerable numbers.
Wyverns and their kin were technically classified as a lesser species of Dragon.
That said, downing a Wyvern obviously didn't earn anyone the title of Dragon Slayer.
As a rule, one had to slay a Dragon of A-Rank or above single-handedly to be recognized as such.
...There were those who gathered large parties of adventurers to bring down an A-Rank Dragon and styled themselves Dragon Slayers, but such claims received no official recognition.
In Rei's case, it was true he had killed it alone—though he did have his partner, Seto.
Some might question calling Rei a Dragon Slayer for that reason, but since he was officially registered as a Tamer, those circumstances posed no issue.
"Having passed his Promotion Exam to become not only an A-Rank Adventurer but a Dragon Slayer, Rei holds a deep affection for this city of Gilm. As its lord, I could not be more pleased!"
Daskar's words carried genuine conviction.
An A-Rank Adventurer and Alias Holder like Rei was undeniably a tremendously reassuring presence for the people of Gilm.
Prompted by Daskar's words, the crowd turned their gazes toward Rei once more.
Rei, subjected to this new wave of attention, felt a twinge of awkwardness.
Still, anything he said now would only add to the chaos, so he kept quiet and let his expression stay flat.
"Everyone—from here on, enjoy the Festival! Rest from your daily labors, and have fun to your hearts' content!"
While Rei kept his face blank, emptying his mind, Daskar's speech had apparently carried on without him.
As if to cap off his address, Daskar made that final declaration—and the crowd erupted in cheers once more.
A thunderous roar went up, and the audience scattered, each person setting off to pursue whatever the Festival had to offer.
Naturally, many remained behind, still raptly studying the Crystal Dragon's corpse.
In a sense, this is where the Festival truly begins. ...Though we did blow everyone away with the very first event.
The Crystal Dragon's corpse was the first thing this crowd had seen.
What kind of attractions the Festival's other participants had in store, Rei had no idea.
But there couldn't be many things more striking than a Crystal Dragon's corpse, and in that sense, the bar had been set dauntingly high for anyone planning to perform.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, a larger contingent of Knights and adventurers began gathering around the stage than before.
They hadn't come to gawk—that much was clear from the way they stationed themselves at regular intervals, their eyes fixed not on the corpse but on the people viewing it.
Given the Crystal Dragon's rarity, such tight security was only sensible.
Rei couldn't help thinking it would be safer to stow the corpse in his Misty Ring now that the ceremony was over.
But plenty of people hadn't attended the ceremony, and when Daskar and Worker asked Rei to show them the corpse as well, he couldn't very well refuse.
Their offer to provide skilled Knights and adventurers as guards carried significant weight, too.
...Though Rei did wonder, Knights aside, how the Guild had persuaded skilled, trusted adventurers to take on a security gig in the middle of a Festival.
At any rate, with the ceremony—the most tiresome part—behind him, Rei let out a long breath.