Preparations for the celebration were almost complete. With lantern-like lighting fixtures and long wooden tables spread across the area, the venue took on the rustic charm of a rural banquet. It was a pleasant atmosphere.
Of course, given how many people had participated in the tournament, the lakeside was quite crowded.
"The sun is finally going down. It’s starting to feel like a real festival," Hina remarked, her eyes bright with excitement. "I love this kind of vibe. It’s almost like... a Bon Odori dance, isn't it?"
"I think I know what you mean," Aoi agreed.
Hina, a self-proclaimed festival enthusiast, looked like she was having the time of her life, and even Aoi seemed caught up in the excitement. Since they had won the tournament, they were both in exceptionally high spirits.
As I watched them, the members of Scarlet Blue approached us.
"It is about to begin," their leader announced.
"Oh, thanks for letting us know," Hina replied. "Actually, I’ve been wondering—is this party only for those who made it into the Final Race?"
"No. While the finalists get to eat and drink for free, those who only made it into the preliminaries can join as well, provided they pay an entry fee."
That made sense. The primary perk for the finalists was the free food and drink. I didn't know how much the fee was, but it seemed like a fair system. If they let every single person from the preliminaries eat for free, they would be trying to feed hundreds of people at once.
Still, if that were the case, I expected to see the Yellow Pipe guys here. They were far too conspicuous to miss, yet I couldn't see them anywhere. I suppose it wasn't guaranteed that they would attend.
"I see, so the preliminary participants can join too," Hina said, clearly thinking the same thing I was. "I thought the Yellow Pipe guys might have shown up by now."
The woman who appeared to be the leader of Scarlet Blue gave a small nod and turned to Hina.
"Oh, they won't be joining the party as guests. They’re on the catering staff."
"Wait, really? The catering staff?"
"Yes. The three members of Yellow Pipe are locals. It might be hard to believe given how they look, but they’re actually professional chefs. Unless they place in the top ranks of the finals, they handle the cooking. They rarely ever come out to the floor."
"I-Is that so?"
What a surprising twist. I knew there would be local competitors, given how popular the sport was, but finding out those muscle-bound giants were chefs was a shock. The gap between their appearance and their profession was staggering.
"Ah, so this is where you were. You as well, ladies of Scarlet Blue. It’s nearly time to begin, so as top-ranking winners, we should probably move toward the central area."
The voice belonged to a petite, cute woman with grey hair and pale skin. Her triangular ears were a different shape from an Elf's. She was quite striking, and yet I didn't remember seeing anyone with those features during today's races.
Wait, could she be...?
"Oh, excuse me. I'm the leader of Black Muscat."
"Ah, I thought so!"
"Yes. Now that the sun is down, there's no need for the robe anymore. Besides, wearing that hood all the time is part of a specific persona, you see..."
"I see. If you don't mind my asking," I said, unable to help myself, "what race are you? It's my first time seeing someone like you."
As I suspected, she was the one from Black Muscat. Since they had been robed throughout the race, it was only natural that I wouldn't recognize her face. It made sense that they would discard the robes once the sun set, given their sensitivity to light. Still, I was curious about her heritage.
"We are a race called the Cruel," she explained. "We live primarily underground, so you won’t often find us in the cities. We’re quite sensitive to sunlight, so we have to stay covered during the day."
"I see. Thank you for telling me."
"Not at all. Now then, let us head over."
Just like earlier, she proved to be an incredibly kind person. You could think of the Cruel as a race of subterranean dwellers. Because they lived underground, their skin remained a pale, untanned white. The other members of Black Muscat were clearly of the same race; they all shared similar features and were roughly the same height. They seemed to be a naturally petite race.
It was a rare opportunity to meet people I wouldn't usually cross paths with. I hoped I could get to know them better during the celebration. If there truly were Cruel towns hidden beneath the surface, I definitely wanted to visit one someday.