Spring had arrived.
Dressed in an outfit crafted by a recently-awoken Zabuton, I sat upon a chair installed atop a four-meter-tall mobile Yagura. I hadn’t exactly sat there willingly; I had put up quite a bit of resistance.
However, it was all for naught. Every time I even hinted at calling the event off, Zabuton’s children and Kuro’s children would look at me with eyes that seemed to ask, "You’re canceling? Truly?" I just couldn’t bear it.
Another major factor was the Mountain Elves. They had assumed I was dissatisfied with the height of the tower and, after finishing four-meter and six-meter versions, they had already begun constructing a ten-meter one. I decided that the damage would be most contained if I just accepted the current situation.
And so, the parade was currently underway.
Kuro led the way. He was draped in a white garment with gold filigree, likely a custom piece provided by Zabuton. He looked quite dashing. Yuki followed close behind him, leading Kuro’s children in a four-column formation. Their march was perfectly synchronized. I wondered if they had been summoned from their various posts just for this occasion, as I could spot Kuroichi, Kuroni, Kurosan, Kuroyon, Kurogo, Kuroroku, Kuronana, and Kurohachi in the ranks.
Next came Zabuton’s children. Groups of half-tatami and magazine-sized spiders marched according to their species. The fist-sized children participated by riding atop the two-tatami-sized spiders, likely due to the difference in their movement speeds. Those tiny spiders were busy supporting oversized sashimono banners.
The High Elves followed, led by Ria. Each of them carried hand-sized string or wind instruments, playing a series of bright, cheerful tunes. The pregnant members had wanted to join in as well, but I had put my foot down and excluded them.
After the High Elves came the Lizardmen, led by Daga, who had rushed back to the village specifically for this parade. They carried spears, and the entire group raised their identical weapons in unison to the rhythm of their marching shouts.
Following them were the Dwarves, led by Donovan. Clad in heavy armor with axes in hand, they looked more like the archetypal image of Dwarves than I had ever seen before. I was actually a little moved by the sight.
My Yagura followed a short distance behind the Dwarves. The motive force for my tower was pure manpower, so the structure was rigged with numerous ropes. These ropes were pulled by the Centaur race, while the Minotaur race surrounded the tower to ensure it didn't tip over. Because the Minotaurs needed to surround the base, the three-meter tower originally built became unusable. I had told them that I didn't mind the Minotaurs being close to me, but the moment their roles were finalized, the Mountain Elves "accidentally" destroyed the smallest version. I had my doubts about whether that was truly an accident.
Aside from myself, Flora, Rusty, Frau, Yoko, Saint Seles, and the High Ogre Maid Ann were riding on the tower. It was large enough to accommodate all of us comfortably. Lu and Tia had also wanted to join, but since they were pregnant, I had to refuse. I wasn't going to compromise on that.
Behind my tower were the Beastmen, led by Sena. Every one of them carried an identical sword and shield. The gear looked quite heavy, but none of them seemed to be struggling. Galf, who had also rushed back for the event, was among them. Apparently, there had been some drama regarding his son's marriage, but I planned to hear the details later.
Behind the Beastman race were three more Yagura, each slightly smaller than mine. These were also pulled by Centaurs and stabilized by Minotaurs.
The front tower carried Alfred and a High Ogre Maid. Alfred’s outfit was even flashier than mine. I only hoped he didn't secretly hate it. The middle tower carried Tiselle and a High Ogre Maid. Tiselle was dressed in a relatively modest outfit; I found myself wishing mine had been more like hers. The rear tower was occupied by Urza, Nart, Gral, Hitoe, and the Beastman boys, with Hakuren riding along as well. Everyone was dressed up to the nines. I wondered if the Beastman boys could even move in those elaborate costumes. It was a charming sight, regardless. Hakuren was there as a teacher and supervisor to keep an eye on the children, as they looked like they might tumble off in their excitement. After debating whether to ride on my tower or the children's, she had ultimately chosen theirs. I wanted to believe it was out of concern rather than just affection.
Behind the three towers, the Mountain Elves led by Ya marched while carrying sashimono banners. While the banners held by Zabuton's children earlier had been uniform, the flags held by the Mountain Elves each featured slightly different patterns. I wondered if there was some hidden meaning behind them.
The Nyunyu-daphne and Harpy race followed the Mountain Elves. They had formed something resembling a line, though it was a bit disorganized compared to the others. Still, I could see they were giving it their all. Also, regardless of the Nyunyu-daphnes, I felt the Harpies might as well have just flown.
Next were the Devil race and Dream Demons, led by Kuzuden. The Devil race was dressed in crisp, formal military uniforms. The Dream Demons, on the other hand... well, their outfits were a bit much for a child's education. That section looked like a samba carnival. They marched to the beat of loud, flamboyant music, dancing the whole way. Bell, Gou, and Asa, who followed behind them, looked a bit embarrassed by the display.
Following them were three Death Knights. Clad in armor fitted to their clay bodies, they marched while performing a sword dance. To an outsider, it probably looked like a group of handsome men putting on a coordinated martial performance.
The Lamia race followed, led by their chief Junea, with the Giant race bringing up the rear of the ground units. In the sky above, the Angel race, centered around Kierbit, performed a formation flight. They maintained a beautiful V-shape. I wondered whose idea it was to use smoke to create trails in the sky. Apparently, they did that sort of thing for Angel race festivals.
The very end of the procession consisted of Zabuton, with the Phoenix chick Aegis, the Sake Slime, and the Cat riding on her back. I had initially wondered if it was appropriate for Zabuton to be at the tail end, but apparently, the final position in such a parade was considered very important. Zabuton herself said she had no problem with it, so I left it to her.
Although it was framed as me deciding the order of the parade, the race representatives had actually put their heads together to figure it out. When I had suggested deciding the order by lottery, they had gently ushered me out of the meeting. I wasn't sure why, but it certainly made things easier for me.
Jack and the others from Village One hadn't been able to participate because of childcare and other responsibilities. I told them they didn't need to be so regretful that they were moved to tears.
The parade started in front of the mansion and headed south, eventually circling the Village of the Great Tree clockwise.
The only saving grace of this parade was that there were very few spectators. I waved to the bees and the fairies as we passed. At one point, the Fairy Queen jumped onto the tower where Urza was, despite Hakuren being right there. I also sent a silent thanks to Kuro's children, who were currently stationed at various points to keep watch.
Well, it was only for today. Once the parade ended, there would be a banquet near the stage at the south end of the village. We would eat, drink, and enjoy ourselves. Come to think of it, we had some meat that we hadn't finished over the winter. I wanted to make sure we used it up.
For the sake of Jack and the others who couldn't attend, it was decided that we would hold the parade again in Village One. When had that been decided? Did I decide it? I might have been drinking too much.
Well... fine. I won't go back on my word. We’ll do it. But it has to be on a smaller scale. I was glad they nodded so readily to that condition. I didn't take their compliance for granted, though; I felt a bit bad about reducing the scale.
Wait, what was this?
Gordon, representative of the Minotaur race; Gluewald, representative of the Centaur race; and Kuzuden, representative of the Devil race. No, that wasn't right. It was Gordon, representative of Village Two; Gluewald, representative of Village Three; and Kuzuden, representative of Village Four.
Yes, I understood. Children had been born in those villages as well, and there were people who couldn't attend because they were looking after them. We would do them in order. The scale for Village Four would have to be reduced even further due to the terrain, but I apologized for that.
One day for each village. I ended up spending quite a few days being ferried around on that tower.
"Village Head. What about Village Five?" Yoko and Seles were looking at me.
In Village Five, I expected there would be a massive number of spectators. I looked at my outfit and then at the tower once more.
Yeah, sorry. No parade for Village Five.
Seles looked disappointed, but Yoko laughed and let it go. "So, Village Five just hasn't contributed enough yet, is that it?"
No, Yoko, that's not it at all. If you use that logic, I'll be forced to do it eventually.
I hope I didn't leave any races out of the description.