The harvest festival was scheduled to take place once the autumn harvest concluded. I had announced that the festivities would be low-key this year, focusing on performances from the various races and volunteer groups. Consequently, the village was filled with the sight of residents practicing their routines and crafting props.
Zabuton’s children were the most conspicuous presence within the mansion. They had split into five groups—the Floor 1, Floor 2, Floor 3, Attic, and Basement teams—and were busy rehearsing. Red Armor and White Armor were part of the Floor 1 Team. While I knew their group was preparing a theatrical performance, I had no idea what the other teams were planning. I’m sure they would have told me if I asked, but I decided to save the surprise for the day of the festival.
Outside, Kuro’s children were practicing their parade formations. A few were even getting fitted for costumes, with Zabuton herself handling the temporary stitching. The outfits suited them quite well, and the wolves looked immensely proud of their new attire.
Down at the reservoir, the Pond Turtles were practicing a water performance. It was a heartwarming sight. Meanwhile, near the World Tree, the Giant Race and the eagle were huddled together in deep consultation. I wasn't sure what they were planning, but I made sure to warn them against doing anything dangerous.
While the pre-festival atmosphere was beginning to permeate the village, we couldn't afford to forget the importance of the harvest itself. After all, the festival was a celebration held only after the work was safely finished.
Well, there was still a little time before the full-scale harvest began, so I suppose enjoying the anticipatory mood for a while longer wouldn't hurt.
Looking up at the sky, I saw Ruincia returning to the village. She had been patrolling the perimeter on behalf of the pregnant Granmaria. It was a huge help.
In stark contrast to the hardworking Ruincia, Malbit had assumed an immovable defensive posture inside the kotatsu in the guest room.
"I’m not just playing around," she insisted. "I’m working."
She claimed her "work" involved taste-testing the new dishes prepared by the High Ogre Maids for the festival and sampling the Dwarves’ latest sake. As evidence, the top of the kotatsu was covered in countless plates and bottles. Aegis the phoenix chick and the Sake Slime seemed to be enjoying the spread alongside her. I didn't particularly mind, though.
"By the way, Malbit. The kittens are gnawing on your wings. Are you sure you’re okay with that?"
At my words, Malbit flapped her wings to shoo them away, but as soon as they settled, the kittens returned to their chewing.
"You can retract those wings whenever you want, can't you?" I asked.
"I tried that earlier, but then they started scratching my bare back."
I felt a bit sorry for her. I wondered if I should find a hanten jacket to help her guard her back. Ruincia, having finished her patrol report, arrived just in time to warn me not to spoil her.
In another corner of the guest room, Graffaloon was holding Lananon with a beaming smile. Now that Lananon was getting bigger, Rusty was no longer constantly clinging to her. It was a healthy development. Graffaloon wasn't the only one happy about it; the High Ogre Maids, who hadn't had much of a chance to care for the girl until now, were also delighted.
I wondered if Lananon would eventually be able to take on a dragon form like Hiichiro. There’s no need to rush into growing up, though.
I noticed Draim hovering nearby. Was he waiting for his turn to hold Lananon? From the look of things, I didn't think Graffaloon was going to let go any time soon. He looked so pathetic standing there with empty arms that Tia eventually took pity on him and handed him Aurora. Draim looked a bit overwhelmed, but he didn't seem to mind.
However, I noticed Ruincia glaring at him from the shadows. I debated whether it would be more peaceful to warn him or let him figure it out on his own. It was a difficult choice.
A few days later, the full-scale harvest began. We left the children in the care of Hakuren, Raimeiren, and Graffaloon, while the rest of the village residents turned out in force. Ruincia and Kierbit even managed to drag Malbit out to help. My thanks to them.
Unlike the spring and summer harvests, the residents of Village One, Two, and Three were busy with their own crops, so we couldn't expect reinforcements from them. However, we had the Lamia Race and the Giants who had stayed after the martial arts tournament, as well as Draim’s group. As a workforce, they were beyond reproach.
The entire harvest took two weeks to complete. We certainly worked hard.
The most notable event during that time occurred when Hakuren, after watching Draim harvest daikon, decided she could do it just as well. She gave it a try, but only succeeded in ripping the leaves off, leaving the white roots firmly embedded in the soil. Draim burst out laughing at the sight, which ignited a sibling spat. Since we were still in the middle of working, I instinctively threw the Universal Farming Tool in its spear form toward them to break it up. I felt a bit bad about it later, but they really needed to take the harvest seriously.
Once the harvest was finished, it was time for the festival. After checking the progress of the other villages, we decided to hold the event in three days. This also gave us enough time to invite Michael-san, so the timing was perfect. I’d sent word to him before we even started the harvest, so I hoped he would be able to make it.
We weren't just idling around during the lead-up to the festival, either. The Civil Official Girls were busy sorting the crops for storage, sales to Howlin Village and the Goroun Company, portions for the Demon King and Beezel, and gifts for Dos and his family. With so many varieties of crops, the logistics seemed like a nightmare, but the girls mentioned that it was actually a bit easier this year since they didn't have to manage a martial arts tournament simultaneously. Then again, if we were holding a harvest festival instead, wasn't the workload about the same?
The actual coordination of the festival had been entrusted to Progenitor-san. He had been visiting frequently for a while now to handle the preparations. The Lizardmen were acting as his primary assistants. Since they weren't used to this type of work, they were doing their best with occasional guidance from the Civil Official Girls.
The main venue for the festival was the same arena used for the tournament, but the most important location was the shrine at the Great Tree. According to Progenitor-san’s schedule, we would perform a series of rituals there before moving to the main venue.
"Village Head, is this... a bonfire stand?" one of the High Elves asked, showing interest in what I was constructing.
"Yeah, Progenitor-san asked for one. Is something wrong?"
He had mentioned that he wanted a fire burning throughout the festival, so I had stacked large logs like a massive campfire.
"No, I don't think there's a problem, exactly..."
The High Elf looked like she was hesitating, so I prompted her to continue.
"It’s just... isn't the size perhaps a bit excessive?"
I looked up at my work. It was true that the stack of logs was about three meters tall. Well, I’ve always felt that it’s better for these things to be too big than too small.
The harvest festival was almost upon us.