This account was from the perspective of the Civil Official Girls.
Character List: Kudel: An Angel who loved bombing things. Dos: A Dragon and the Dragon King. Raimeiren: A Dragon and Dos’s wife. She was Hakuren’s mother and Rusty’s grandmother. Hiichiro: A Dragon and Hakuren’s eldest son. Giral: A Dragon, specifically a Dark Dragon. Guronde: A Dragon and Giral’s wife. Gral: A Dragon and the daughter of Giral and Guronde. She felt a sense of fate regarding Hiichiro. Hakuren: A Dragon and the daughter of Dos and Raimeiren. She was Hiichiro’s mother and one of the Village Head’s wives. Rusty: A Dragon and Draim’s daughter. She was Lananon’s mother and one of the Village Head’s wives. Helzernark: A Dragon and Suiren’s daughter. She felt a sense of fate regarding Hakuren’s second son, Hikaru. Lananon: A Dragon and Rusty’s eldest daughter. A young woman of common sense.
The parade continued. The contingent of beastmen led by Galf made their appearance. They were incredibly popular. Perhaps it was because I knew exactly how much effort Galf and the others had put in, but I felt an overwhelming sense of reassurance watching them. They had worked so hard during their practices. The other beastmen following behind Galf did not look out of place in the least. Honestly, was it just my imagination, or did it feel like the parade had only just truly begun?
Next came the contingent of High Elves led by Ria. They exuded a great sense of stability. A few spectators fainted, though... they appeared to be members of the Elf Race. Perhaps they were migrants from the Elf Empire? I had heard there was some historical friction between them and the High Elves. Regardless, the relief squad rushed over, which was a weight off my mind.
Then came the march of Kuro and the Inferno Wolves. It was a magnificent sight. The results of their practice were on full display. I had not participated in the rehearsals myself, but apparently, they had been a complete disaster. The wolves involved had become so depressed that the Village Head had to comfort them. I shouldn't have said this, but a dejected Inferno Wolf was actually quite adorable. Maybe that was why the spectators looked at them with the eyes of a proud father watching his own children. Of course, some of the crowd were simply overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. But this was not even the full strength of the Village of the Great Tree. There were many more of them. I hoped the public would get used to it eventually.
Following Kuro’s group, the Angels and Harpies began their flight. It was a beautiful formation. As expected of the Angel Race. The Harpies did not stand out much, not because they lacked skill, but because they were flying in a way that supported the Angels. To those who knew what they were looking at, it was a bit of a waste. However, the Harpy Race did not seem to have much desire to be in the spotlight anyway.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out among the spectators. It appeared that many people had panicked upon seeing the Angels and Harpies in the sky. It was not just one or two individuals; a significant number were in a state of alarm. The relief squad was busy... wait, what was that? A Demon man who had panicked snapped a branch off a nearby tree. With a swift movement of his hand, he turned the branch into a makeshift spear and hurled it toward the Angels! He was doing exactly what the Village Head does! The relief squad could not restrain him alone, so the security team rushed in. My apologies to them; please, do your best. Also, there was someone in the back trying to cast magic. Please handle that person as well.
By the way, there was no damage to the Angels or the Harpies. The Harpies easily intercepted the makeshift spear and the magic. Ah, please do not try to throw the spear back. Just hold onto it and keep moving. Kudel, do not look like you have found a target to bomb! Please fly higher—at a much higher altitude!
After the Angels and Harpies came the contingent of the Ancient Devils. ... Was it a Demon’s instinct to feel fear toward them? The only person I knew who would happily approach them was my classic-loving colleague. The Ancient Devils were living witnesses of history. It was a common sight in the Village of the Great Tree to see my colleague trying to interview Bulga, Stifano, or Gucci whenever there was an opening. Lately, she had even gained new targets in Lady Versa and Erme. I had to concentrate on the parade.
Prada was at the head of the group. She was a maid working in Village Five. The reason she was leading was to ensure the Ancient Devils did not terrify the people around them. While it was an honor to lead, she was also supposed to be using magic to dampen the intimidating aura of the devils behind her. She was supposed to be, at least... But everyone was terrified. Was Prada’s magic too weak? Or was the intimidation from the people behind her just that intense? It was not a problem during the village parade, was it? I sent a signal to Prada asking what was wrong, but she only sent back a sign for "Behind." Behind? Was there a problem with the Ancient Devils lined up in the rear? No, that was not it. Even the Ancient Devils were worried about what was behind them. No, they were on high alert. That vigilance must have been radiating outward as an oppressive aura.
The ones the Ancient Devils were so wary of were the Dragons. ... Dos and the others arrived, radiating divinity at full power. Since they had the morning sun at their backs, it looked as though they were descending from the sun itself. Why were they going all out like this? In the meetings, had we not agreed they would hold back? When I said "Each person is a protagonist! Let's shine!" during the pre-event party, I did not mean they should shine physically! Who was the one emitting that halo? It was washing out the sun’s effect, so please stop it! Moreover, the spectators were in a state of religious awe. You did not actually want to be worshipped, did you? What were we going to do about this?
This was an emergency. I contacted my colleagues nearby to find out why the Dragons had ended up like this. "Hiichiro is incredibly excited!" "Raimeiren is absolutely delighted by how excited Hiichiro is!" "Gral is also overjoyed!" ...In short, Hiichiro got excited, which swept up Raimeiren and Gral. That, in turn, pulled Giral and Guronde along with them. "Exactly. It seems Giral, Guronde, and Gral are finding this outing with Gral much more enjoyable than expected." Were they not together for the village parade too? "I believe being in an unfamiliar location is a major factor." A family vacation... I could somewhat understand why their spirits would rise. However, we could not just leave it like this. For now, please signal Dos at the front to suppress the display. "My apologies. He ignored us, saying it was impossible to stop Raimeiren once she was in this state!" Damn it. What about Hakuren and Rusty? "Ah, well... those two were a bit worn out from childcare, so..." Worn out? "They're acting wild." I see. I had no experience giving birth or raising children myself, but just watching them looked exhausting. Then again, they also looked blissfully happy... No, now was not the time for that. How could we suppress those Dragons?
If one considered Dragon relations—rather than human relations—the men were a lost cause. Not a single male dragon had the guts to restrain the women. That left the women themselves, but... it was no good. Why were the women, who were usually the calm voices of reason, letting loose like this? Was acting alongside their partners really that wonderful? People would call them easy. Lananon, who would usually step in at a time like this, was house-sitting back at the Village of the Great Tree. As for Helzernark... it was impossible for her to speak up to her parents' or grandparents' generation. I understood; I would not ask the impossible. The fact that Lananon could say such things was what made her remarkable. But that meant we had to ask the Village Head. However, the Village Head’s turn was next, so he could not leave his position. We had to handle this ourselves. For now, please keep signaling Dos! And Draim as well! "Um, we have a message from Draim." What? From him? Did he have a plan? I was counting on him! "He says he wants the person sending signals to be anyone but a woman. Apparently, the gaze of his wife, Graffaloon, is terrifying..." ...
I calmed myself, took three deep breaths, and then shouted internally. It must be wonderful to have such a happy marriage!
As a side note. The misfortune of my former fiancé, which had led to our broken engagement, was a total fabrication. Apparently, he had hated the idea of marrying me and faked his death to elope with his childhood friend. I see. It was not that I was particularly attached to him, nor was I even interested. In the end, it was the catalyst that allowed me to become a Civil Official Girl, so perhaps I should have been grateful. But honestly, it left a foul taste in my mouth. He hated the thought of me? Even though we had never met? Because of that, I obtained a drawing of his face and looked at it many times. Yes, I looked at it until I had memorized every detail. I must not punch the wrong person, after all. Hehehe. Of course, I have been practicing my punches diligently. I have been receiving instruction from Galf and the Angels. So, I really hoped he was somewhere among the spectators watching this parade. Because right now, I felt like I could put a great deal of "emotion" into a punch.