The day before the Harvest Festival arrived.
Participants began to stream in one after another.
First to arrive were Progenitor-san and Fouche. They told me they had spent the last three days purifying themselves for the occasion. I didn't think they needed to be quite that enthusiastic about it, but their dedication was impressive.
Next came the Demon King, Beezel, and Randan. Gratz and Hou were tied up with work, while the three from the beastman race and Rigne were stuck at the academy for school events. The trio from the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race had declined—or rather, it seemed they were working hard at the various jobs they had secured in Shashato City.
Dos and Giral arrived shortly after. Raimeiren, Draim, and Graffaloon had already been staying in the village for a while.
Then there were the volunteers from Village One, Village Two, Village Three, and Village Four—actually, it was pretty much everyone.
From the Goroun Company, we had Michael-san and his son Marlon, Marlon’s cousins Tito and Randy, and the escort Milford. Three Death Knights traveled in from the hot spring area. The attendees from the Lamia Race of the Southern Dungeon and the Giant Race of the Northern Dungeon had basically remained here since the martial arts tournament.
The main event was scheduled for tomorrow, but a light banquet broke out anyway. I made sure to tell everyone with a role in tomorrow’s performances to get to bed early.
Early the next morning.
In front of the Shrine of the Great Tree, three High Ogre Maids each carried a large flat plate to the prepared altar. The plates were piled high with this year’s harvest, arranged as beautifully as a gourmet fruit platter. They set the plates down side-by-side at the front of the altar.
As the High Ogre Maids stepped back, three High Elves stepped forward. Each held the meat of a freshly hunted rabbit, which they placed carefully upon the altar.
Once the High Elves withdrew, three Dwarves appeared. Each was lugging a massive barrel, and for a moment I worried they might drop them, but they managed just fine. They lined the barrels up on the altar and stepped back with satisfied expressions.
Then came Zabuton and her children. Standing before the altar, Zabuton spun her own thread and wove three pieces of ceremonial cloth. Her children followed, carrying small cups filled with honey. There were exactly three cups, and they were placed alongside the other offerings.
As Zabuton and her brood withdrew, solemn music began to fill the air. A band waiting near the altar had begun to play. The ensemble consisted of Lizardmen, the Civil Official Girls, and the beastman girls, but for some reason, Randan was the one conducting.
"He insisted that he absolutely had to be the conductor," one of the Civil Official Girls whispered to me from my side.
Maybe he’d always had a secret longing to lead an orchestra? He certainly seemed strangely comfortable in the role. I was curious about his sudden musical passion, but I forced myself to focus on the ritual.
Once the music reached a natural pause, Progenitor-san, Fouche, and Saint Seles stepped forward. Progenitor-san took the center, with Fouche and Seles flanking him.
"We shall now offer our gratitude to the God of Harvest and commence the Harvest Banquet," Progenitor-san declared.
Following his lead, the three of them joined their voices in a prayer of gratitude to the gods. Standing before the altar, I and the representatives of the various races listened in solemn silence.
That was the extent of the ritual. I had been told it would take ten days if done properly, so this was the result of my request for a simplified version.
With the formalities concluded, we moved to the main venue for the banquet. Just like the martial arts tournament, we had a stage surrounded by spectator seating. Outside the seating area, tents were set up to provide food and sake.
Performances were presented on stage according to a schedule determined by lottery.
Theatrical Performance by Zabuton’s Child Floor 1 Team
Since Zabuton’s children couldn't speak, they usually relied on placards for dialogue. To make it more of a "play," the beastman girls collaborated by providing the voices. The duel between Red Armor and White Armor was a definite highlight. The scenario—where the two rivals eventually cooperated to defeat the "True Villain"—wasn't bad at all. Lu, who played the villain, looked quite dignified in the role. She lost in the end, of course.
Her acting was solid. I figured she’d been prepared to be jeered at by the children since she was the villain.
"I was ready for the booing," she admitted later, "but I didn't expect them to actually scream and cry."
Her makeup had been a bit too realistic and intense, I suppose. Still, I thought she looked cute. Hahaha.
Group Spear Exercise by Lizardmen
The Lizardmen took the stage with spears, starting with one person and gradually increasing their numbers for a synchronized group exercise. At the end, Daga and another member performed a one-on-one demonstration, but that didn't look like an "exercise" to me. That looked like a genuine, high-stakes duel. Nobody was hurt, but I’ll have to tell them to avoid doing anything that dangerous in the future.
Tap Dance by Zabuton’s Child Floor 2 Team
A series of wooden boards were lined up on the stage, and about sixty of Zabuton’s children moved their legs rhythmically across them. There were a lot of them, but since they were only about the size of a fist, the sound was a bit faint. The entire venue fell silent during their performance, creating a wonderful sense of unity.
Coordinated Gymnastics by Dwarves
Watching them move with such precision to the sound of a flute was impressive... but did they really need to down a cup of sake at every transition? I don't think they were drunk, but the final human pyramid was nerve-wracking for an entirely different reason.
Creative Dance by the Giant Race and Lamia Race
The Giants were massive, so their presence was overwhelming. Eight of them stomped and danced with heavy thuds. I didn't quite understand the choreography, but apparently, it was a traditional dance to thank the gods. I had wondered where the Lamias were, but when the Giants formed a circle for their final pose, the Lamias suddenly leaped out from the center. It gave everyone a start. Where had they been hiding? I shouldn't have underestimated the Giants; they actually included stage magic in their routine.
Illusion by the Demon King
"Illusion!"
The Demon King shouted as he demonstrated his teleportation. He must have practiced a fair amount. However, it was hard to be too impressed when Beezel, a master of teleportation magic, was standing right next to him.
"Illusion!"
Next, the Demon King began pulling kittens out of a hat. One, two, three, four... Those kittens were usually quite aggressive toward Malbit, but they were remarkably docile in the Demon King's hands. He really gave it his all.
Eagle Handling by Aegis
Aegis, the phoenix chick, tossed pieces of meat into the air with his beak, and the eagle caught them in mid-air. He finished after ten successful tosses. At the end, the eagle perched on Aegis's head. Aegis did his best to support the weight, but I’ll keep it to myself that it looked more like the eagle had captured him than the other way around.
Performance by High Elves
It started with just the High Elves, but participants with instruments joined in one by one until it turned into a massive orchestra. Ria conducted at first, but she swapped with Randan halfway through. I really do wonder if Randan has some secret passion for conducting.
We took a break after that. A white cloth was stretched across the stage to serve as a screen, where we projected a highlight reel of baseball games and a commercial for Big Roof Shashato. Unfortunately, most of the villagers didn't know the rules of baseball. The "pro" plays didn't get much of a reaction, but the segments featuring "wacky plays" were a huge hit. The Demon King looked a bit miffed by that.
Following Progenitor-san’s instructions, it was time to light the bonfire. We had built the bonfire stand in a corner of the venue to minimize any risk of an accident.
"I thought we were supposed to light it at the start?" I asked. I’d thought Progenitor-san had simply forgotten.
"It is formal to light it when the sun is directly overhead," he explained.
It was indeed noon. I prepared to ignite it, but before I could, the cat appeared out of nowhere and gave a meow as if to say, "Leave this to me." Then, the cat ignited the wood with magic.
...Wait.
Something felt different about this fire. For a split second, I thought the pillar of flame shooting straight up might actually reach the sun.
"Now that is quite a sight," Progenitor-san remarked. He then leaned in to explain. "What you see there is the 'Primal Fire.' It is said to be the flame lit by the God of Magic to save the world."
"O-Oh... I see."
The pillar of fire eventually subsided, settling into what looked like a normal bonfire.
"Does it... do anything special?" I asked.
"In the distant past, it was a flame that protected the demon race. Legend says one of the ancient kings took that fire into himself, and thus the first Demon King was born..."
As if the fire had been eavesdropping on Progenitor-san’s history lesson, a tongue of flame suddenly surged out and lashed toward the Demon King sitting in the audience.
"Eh?"
The Demon King was instantly engulfed in flames.
"D-Demon Kiiiiiinnnnng!" I screamed.
I panicked. I grabbed the nearest bucket of water and threw it on him, but the fire surrounding the Demon King refused to go out. How did this happen? Why did this happen? Regardless of the reason, I had to put it out. I yelled for everyone nearby to use water magic.
The fire wouldn't fade. The Demon King collapsed. Oh no, this can't be...
The fire and the Demon King's body began to shrink, getting smaller and smaller. You've got to be kidding me. As the fire finally flickered out, the Demon King's body vanished along with it.
...What just happened?
As I stood there in a state of shock, Progenitor-san patted me on the shoulder and pointed toward the stage.
There, standing in front of the white screen, was the Demon King striking a dramatic pose.
"Illusion!"
........................
I wouldn't be scolded for throwing a spear at him right now, would I?
I'll deal with the fire situation in a moment.