The banquet went ahead as scheduled that night. However, we kept things somewhat restrained since the main event was slated for the next day. None of the guests had returned home, and I felt a bit guilty about the sudden change in plans.
Looking at Hou, the guest from the Demon Kingdom, she struck me as a serious, taciturn woman. Her age was a mystery, though she appeared to be in her twenties. Compared to the brilliant red wings on her back, her clothing was rather plain. Beezel had introduced her as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, specifically the one in charge of financial affairs. It occurred to me then: was it actually wise to have all four of the Four Heavenly Kings gathered in one place?
Hou was currently sitting at a table dominated by the Dwarves, drinking in silence. There was no conversation—at least, not out loud. Perhaps they were communicating through their eyes? She was drinking at quite a fast pace, so I brought over some food, worried that drinking on an empty stomach would be a bad idea.
Gratz was at the table with the Village Two residents, specifically where Ronana was. They certainly seemed to be on excellent terms. Beezel, meanwhile, was at the table with the Village Three residents. After all, he was the one who had introduced the Centaurs of Village Three to us. He visited from time to time, so he likely knew their general progress, but he hadn't had many chances to sit down and truly talk with them. I suppose this was a prime opportunity.
I wondered what had happened with my previous request to search for acquaintances of the Village Three residents. I had intended to ask him after the festival, but Beezel came over and brought it up himself. Apparently, he had found about twenty candidates, but only about half were actually interested in migrating. Even those who were willing couldn't come immediately because of their existing lives and obligations. He asked if it would be alright if they arrived in small groups. That wasn't a problem at all. We agreed that the final decision would rest on the approval of the current Village Three residents.
Yuri was with Frau and the Civil Official Girls. Their interaction was roughly twenty percent eating and eighty percent chatting. Most of it seemed to be venting, so I decided to pretend I hadn't heard anything and moved on. I brought them some sweets to try and tip the ratio back toward eating. I worried if sweets at night might be unwelcome, but I needn't have—they weren't the type to worry about such things. I did warn Frau and the Civil Official Girls not to stay up all night, as they still had work to do tomorrow.
Randan was drinking sake while playing chess with Michael. Their conversation was all over the place—essentially the incoherent rambling of two drunks. I couldn't follow their train of thought at all. The state of the chessboard between them was even worse; both of their kings were missing from the board entirely. I presented them with some ice water as a hint. The main event is tomorrow, guys.
Fouche was at the table for the Village One residents. She seemed to be having a hard time joining the conversation until Jack, the leader of Village One, stepped in to facilitate. The topic they settled on was how to survive.
"Please teach us the secrets of combat," they pleaded.
I wondered if it was really appropriate to ask Fouche for that. She was a priestess, after all. Still, her knowledge was vast, and she seemed more than happy to indulge them.
Draim, Dos, and Raimeiren were gathered around a table with Rusty. Hakuren was forbidden from staying up late, so I suppose she had already retired for the evening. The main topic of conversation at their table was whether Hakuren's child would be a boy or a girl, and what the name should be. They also discussed the daughter of the Dark Dragon Giral, who was staying at Dos's nest. She was unusually quiet for a dragon, and they were worried about her wellbeing and whether it was time to start looking for a partner for her. I decided it was best to stay away from that table.
Progenitor-san was relaxing in a corner with an odd group consisting of the Death Knight, the cat, and the Sake Slime. They were truly just unwinding together. I left them to it.
Galf had joined the circle of the Beastman Race, eating and drinking like normal. He was currently attempting to appraise Gatto’s swords. I told him to stop, as handling blades while drinking is an accident waiting to happen.
The Lamia Race and the Giant Race were in different spots but were socializing as fellow dungeon dwellers. They seemed to be getting along famously. I asked the Lamias what they thought about the Bloody Vipers. They said they didn't mind them at all. It was the same way a wolf doesn't consider a cow or a pig to be "kin" just because they both walk on four legs. That made sense.
Reflecting on the day’s events, despite a few blunders, the operation had been decent—especially regarding the food. While the High Ogre maids’ dining area was bustling as usual, I had asked Village Two and Village Three to each provide a signature dish this time. The Village of the Great Tree provided the ingredients; I simply wanted the other villages to participate with something like a food stall so I could experience the home cooking of the Minotaurs and Centaurs.
The Minotaurs of Village Two served an all-vegetable stir-fry. Because of the specific oil they used for frying, it had a unique, slightly pungent flavor, but it wasn't bad. Since I had gone out of my way to order that oil from Michael, I imagine that distinct character was the point. The only real issue was the massive portion sizes. The stir-fry Ronana made was being entirely monopolized by Gratz.
The Centaurs served a grand whole-roasted cow. This wasn't one of our village cows; it was one I had ordered from Michael. He had specified the exact number of days since its slaughter, which I assume was a crucial detail. They split the carcass open to ensure even cooking, skewered it, and rotated it over the fire. Traditionally, they only used salt, but they decided to use soy sauce and miso here because "tasty is better." It was delicious. They had prepared six cows' worth of beef, and by nightfall, it had all vanished.
The ones who ate the most were likely Kuro and his pack. They formed an orderly line and waited for the meat to be ready while wagging their tails. Their disciplined presence seemed to fluster the Centaurs a bit.
I hadn't asked Village One to set up a stall. They were still settling in and this was their first festival, so I told them to just focus on the atmosphere this year. They understood, but they felt guilty doing nothing, so they performed a play for us. It was apparently a famous story, though I didn't recognize it. It had a very clear structure, making it easy to follow even for a newcomer. Those who knew the story seemed to know exactly when to cheer. It felt a bit like those classic serialized dramas back home.
They had clearly practiced, and their acting was respectable. However, the production value was low—they were wearing their everyday clothes and had no backgrounds or music. It was a bit hard to visualize the scene until the Mountain Elves and Lizardmen began lining up objects to serve as a backdrop. Zabuton and her children instantly crafted costumes for them, and with the addition of music from the High Elves and the Beastman Race, it became a proper theatrical performance by the end. I think Progenitor-san went a bit overboard with the illusion magic, though—having a rainbow appear over the stage at the finale was a bit much. Still, it was a good show.
Since the plot involved a human hero challenging a dragon, the expressions on the faces of Dos and the others were a bit complicated.
"I wonder if this is a story about my father?" Dos mused.
"If it is, wouldn't that mean you're the one who got beaten in the prologue?"
"Then it must be a different story. I’ve never lost to a human."
The real problem was that the entertainment and the quiz tournament took up so much time that we couldn't do the planned Yamakuzushi. My estimation for the quiz tournament was a total failure. I thought it would be over in an hour, but it dragged on far longer. Adjusting the difficulty of the questions will be a priority for next time.
The night grew late. The festival would continue tomorrow, so I told the children it was time to head to bed. I also advised the adults to avoid staying up all night. The arm-wrestling and chess tournaments were fine, but the main event was tomorrow—I didn't want them to be exhausted. I also put a stop to any mock battles. I felt bad for Kuro and his pack, but I needed some of them to stay sharp for guard duty.
As for me? I intended to get plenty of sleep. It had been a busy day, and I had to carry Urza to her bed. She had been a whirlwind of energy all day, but her battery had completely run out right after dinner. I can understand that in a child, but I really wish she hadn't jumped onto my back before passing out. I suppose I’ll take it as a sign of trust.
Lu, Tia—stop looking at me with those envious eyes. Once I’ve put Urza to bed... ah, no. I said no.