The parade procession set off, beginning its steady advance.
Leading the way in the first group were Kuro and his pack. Kuro took the point, with Yuki following slightly behind him. Behind them, Kuroichi, Kuroni, Kurosan, and Kuroyon followed in a perfectly aligned row. Even the angles of their tails were perfectly synchronized. They must have practiced quite a lot.
The second group consisted of Zabuton's Children. Arako the Arachne led them, marching while holding a large flag. Behind her, the Makura-sized children were lined up in a single file. These larger spiders acted as living floats, carrying the smaller fist-sized and magazine-sized children on their backs.
I laughed softly to myself; they really didn't need to strain themselves just to wave their legs at me. It would be dangerous if they fell off, after all.
The third group was led by Progenitor-san, followed by Flora, Fouche, and Saint Seles. Since a group of only four looked a bit lonely, Progenitor-san used magic to conjure and line up what looked like shadow soldiers. There were forty of them in total. He mentioned that he could have summoned four hundred if he felt like it, but I asked him to exercise some restraint. Personally, I thought the four of them would have been just fine on their own.
Fouche served as the flag bearer. Every so often, she would twirl the flag around, drawing cheers from the spectators. Given how beautifully the flag danced through the air, it was clear she wasn't just winging it. I wondered if the Korin Religion included flag-twirling in their ascetic training.
The fourth group was the Angel Race, featuring Malbit, Ruincia, Kudel, Corone, Kierbit, Suarliu, and Suarkou. they marched while flying slowly at a low altitude. In an apparent attempt to compete with Progenitor-san’s group ahead of them, forty-two of the golems Tia had built accompanied them. I really wished they wouldn't turn the head-count into a competition. Kudel served as their flag bearer.
The fifth group was the High Elves, led by Rigne. Originally, Ria’s younger sister Liri was supposed to lead, but Ria and the others had called Rigne back because they wanted someone who could stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Progenitor-san and Malbit. Were they so determined to compete that they were willing to subject themselves to Rigne’s training again?
"It is a matter of balance," Ria explained. "For instance, if you had a succession of powerful figures like kings and then a young girl followed them, wouldn't the girl look pitiful by comparison?"
That was her reasoning, anyway, but I wasn't so sure. This was a festival parade, so I didn't think anyone would care that much.
The sixth group was the High Ogre Maids. Their leader was Ramrias, the High Ogre Number Two. I had expected a disciplined, military-style march, but instead, it was a cheerful, friendly procession full of smiles. Perhaps that was because Ann wasn't at the head of the line?
"Even if I were at the lead, I believe it would have turned out much the same way," a voice said.
Oops, Ann had overheard me.
The seventh group was the Lizardmen, led by Daga. Their numbers had certainly grown. Even with some of them watching from the sidelines, fifty of them were participating in the march. In the early days, I couldn't tell their faces apart, but now I can distinguish them fairly well. In particular, I’ve learned how to identify the youths born here in the village. The younger ones have different scale thicknesses and deeper colors. I’ve even reached a point where I can recognize the original group of lizardmen who first arrived here, to an extent. Daga, however, is the only one I can say with absolute certainty that I would never mistake for someone else.
The eighth group was the Beastman Race, led by Galf. It was striking to see how the beastman girls who were so small when they first arrived had grown into fine women. It made me feel the heavy passage of time.
The ninth group was the Dwarves. With Donovan in the lead, they marched while carrying barrels. It went without saying that the barrels were filled with sake, but I had to wonder about the ethics of drinking while marching in a parade. Still, they were sharing with the spectators as they went, so I suppose it was acceptable enough.
The tenth group was the Dragons. From this point on, the participants rode on yagura floats. These were pulled by a mixed crew of Minotaurs, Centaurs, Devils, Dream Demons, Giants, and Lamias. Atop the float sat Dos, Raimeiren, Draim, and Giral. They all seemed to be having a wonderful time.
The eleventh group was the Civil Official Girls. Since they are usually stuck working backstage, I decided to have them ride a float this time. I had initially planned for the Demon King and his group to ride with them, but Frau proposed an alternative, arguing that the girls wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy themselves with him there. After some discussion, the Demon King’s group agreed to ride their own separate float. I felt a bit bad for the division. Because the Civil Official Girls were on the float, the Mountain Elves had volunteered to handle the backstage duties in their stead. I’d have to find a way to make it up to them later.
The twelfth group was a large float carrying me, Lu, Tia, Ria, Ann, and the other mothers. The number of mothers in our household has really grown. Zabuton and several High Ogre Maids were also on board to assist me with my frequent costume changes. Flying above my float were Aegis, the phoenix chick, and the eagle. In terms of pure speed, the eagle won by a landslide. I don't think they were actually racing, though.
The thirteenth group was the children’s float. Alfred, Tiselle, and Urza stood at the very front, waving enthusiastically to the crowd. The number of children had grown significantly as well. I had Hakuren ride along to supervise them; with her there, I knew things would stay under control. I was a little concerned about the Fairy Queen being on the same float, however.
The fourteenth group was the float for the Demon King and the Four Heavenly Kings. It was a size larger and even more luxurious than the one the Civil Official Girls were using. This was part of Frau’s alternative plan. The Demon King had been a great help by stepping aside and insisting that the Civil Official Girls should be the stars of the parade.
Looking at the Four Heavenly Kings... wait, where was Gratz? Ah, since he's a Minotaur, perhaps he felt out of place riding on the float and chose to walk instead. Michael-san was also riding on this float. He was originally supposed to have his own private float, but he had politely declined the offer. However, the Civil Official Girls felt that, given the village's history, they couldn't simply leave him out. They gave him the choice between my float and the Demon King’s, and he chose the latter. I wouldn't have minded if he’d joined us, but he seemed content waving modestly from the back of the Demon King’s float.
Behind that float, the procession transitioned from vehicles to groups on foot, as we had run out of people to pull any more floats. Groups from Village One through Five followed in order.
The leader of Village Two was Gordon. Gratz was visible behind him, walking beside Ronana. The two of them were getting married soon, which explained why they were together. The talk of marriage had been settled quite a long time ago, but they had been stuck in a dispute over their post-wedding life. Ronana wanted to live in Village Two, and while Gratz was happy to live in the village, a group consisting of the Demon King, Beezel, and Randan had done everything in their power to stop him. Apparently, Gratz holds a vital position in the military.
I expected Hou to be indifferent to the whole thing, but surprisingly, she was a staunch supporter of Gratz. Perhaps as a woman, she felt strongly about supporting a marriage. In the end, it was decided that Gratz would live in Village Two but commute to work. Beezel will likely use his teleportation magic to drop him off and pick him up. It’s essentially the same arrangement as before they were married. It’s a bit early, but I wish them a happy wedding.
The leader of Village Three was Gluewald. Fuka followed slightly behind her, walking next to her husband. Apparently, Fuka had been the one to propose after she returned her Baron Title. They looked very happy together. I’d heard from the Centaur caretaker, Rasshashi, that Gluewald was starting to feel a bit impatient after seeing Fuka get married, but... wait, wasn't there already talk of her getting married? It seemed she was worried that if she married immediately after returning her Viscount Title, her husband would feel a sense of social debt toward her, so she was delaying it slightly. I see. I wished her the best of luck.
The leader of Village One was Igu, marching in her human form. It felt like it had been a long time since I’d seen her and her people looking human. Jack and several others were among the spectators because they had to look after the children. Childcare is an exhausting job, after all. I was relieved to hear that no one was suffering from childcare burnout, likely thanks to the guidance of the Devil midwives and the High Ogre Maids. They have my gratitude.
The leader of Village Four was Kuzuden, and the members of the Mercury Race were all present and accounted for. When Miyo had returned to the village recently, she had been scolded quite severely. She was set to return to Shashato City once the parade was over, claiming that she couldn't simply abandon her duties now. I felt bad about the workload, so I officially appointed her as the administrator of Shashato City.
"In charge of all of Shashato City? Isn't that scope a bit... massive? Is it just my imagination?" she asked.
"It must be your imagination," I replied.
The Death Knights and the Lion Family also marched with this group. The Death Knights danced as they went, but they had traded their earlier bloodthirsty atmosphere for their usual cheerful vibe. The Lion Family also looked to be in high spirits.
The very last group was the contingent from Village Five. Since Yuri was on the Demon King’s float and Saint Seles was with Progenitor-san, the group consisted only of Yoko and two of the previous generation's Four Heavenly Kings. I was worried it would look lonely, but Yoko had solved the problem by pulling spectators into the line to form a massive crowd. That was a trick only the tail end of the parade could pull off. They were carrying something like a mikoshi with the Sake Slime and the cats riding on top, and the energy was high.
Niz, who had arrived in the village recently, was also on the mikoshi. I wonder if Yoko invited her? Her dancing atop the shrine was beautiful even from a distance. Beautiful, yes... but I could also sense a certain desperation in her movements. I just hoped she wouldn't get so absorbed in the dance that she fell off.
The parade followed its designated route through various parts of the village before finally arriving at the stage usually used for martial arts tournaments. During the trek, I had changed my costume three times. After the final group arrived, I changed once more and pointed toward the sky while the crowd watched.
The Harpy Race was waiting there in formation. They spread out a large black cloth, creating the silhouette of a massive wyvern in the sky. I made a grand gesture of throwing a spear toward it. In response, the Harpies scattered in every direction, making the "wyvern" disappear into the wind. It was a reenactment of the time I had slain a wyvern.
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. A moment later, the Angels took to the air, scattering flower petals over the stage. It was a beautiful sight.
Afterward, the festivities transitioned into a banquet. Nothing particularly unusual happened there; my seat was fixed, and I simply had to change clothes periodically. Oh, though the goats, horses, and cows did try to crash the party. I suppose they were upset about being left out of the parade. One horse in particular came right up to me and sulked. It had a role last year, but none this year, so it felt slighted. I apologized to it as best I could.
One way or another, this year's Spring Parade came to a successful close.