Chapter 822: Harvest Festival Day 4
Thanks to Fennel and Christie’s keen ears picking up the flow and preparing the sacred spring water to bring over, Irina and Princess Ran were soon clean again. Even the splashed dirt in their hair washed right off with the sacred spring water. No smell remained either. Well, maybe I just can’t tell, but a beastman’s nose might still detect it, I thought to myself.
“The festival has only just begun. Let’s enjoy it anew, Smithson-dono♪”
“Irina. Since you were favored first in this manner, have you no thought of yielding the rest to others?”
“That is for Smithson-dono to distribute. Besides, I merely lent a hand to expedite matters so we could make it to the festival on time. I may be thanked, but I have no intention of being cast aside”
Irina remained unfazed, even under Christie’s glare. Was it the boldness befitting a clan leader? Or was it precisely because she was a clan leader that she excelled at setting things aside or dividing them up?
“Well, if we keep arguing over who comes after whom, we’ll really be here until sunset. Let’s all hurry back to the square”
I tidied myself up, called in the trio of young dragons hiding outside the window, and we headed back out to the square.
In the square and along the main street, a bewitching and splendid dance was being performed. Lantz, Keiron and Hilda-san played desert music, while Nord-san, Lukino-san and Cosmos-san joined in. Swinging their long, flowing hems and sleeves, their dance was unpredictable—sometimes intertwining, sometimes clashing—exuding geometric beauty one moment and an almost lewd, emotional sensuality the next. They danced freely, using nearby chairs, tables, and barrels as seats or footholds. Though it seemed entirely improvised, they moved with perfect synchronization, as if every detail had been planned from the start. They supported each other, ensuring the audience never grew bored, their dark elven bodies shimmering brilliantly beneath the blue sky.
“Mira and Cima aren’t exactly unable to dance, right? Why not join in?”
Prompted by Dianne, the two sisters flapped their hands in unison.
“No, no, that’s impossible, really”
“Facing Nord-neesan and Lukino, no matter how hard we try, we’d be background scenery at best, not even supporting roles. ……We’d have to dance completely naked”
“Do you think getting naked would distract the guys’ eyes from Nord-neesan?”
“……W, Well, with my boobs, it might just be possible”
Don’t get any weird ideas. The boys nearby are already staring straight at Cima’s chest.
“Alrighty then! Stop just watching the dance and get drinking and eating! Unicorn meat is great as sashimi!”
Meanwhile, back at the tavern, Savory and Cute were spinning around like usual, serving drinks.
“Raw horse meat……”
“Is it okay to eat……? Isn’t that the kind of thing that’ll mess up your stomach unless you’re an elf or something?”
The old men exchanged glances at the neatly arranged thin slices of raw red meat. Eating meat raw wasn’t a custom around here. Of course, I wasn’t eager to try it raw either. As a soldier, I had learned from Dianne that 「In situations where vegetables and fruit aren’t reliably available, you have to eat raw meat or your health will deteriorate」. But seriously, elves in the Northern Forests? Vegetable and fruit shortages are practically unheard of. Why would anyone even think to eat it raw? ……Ignoring my vague unease, Fiona appeared smoothly, still wearing her breastplate and gauntlets. She nonchalantly picked up a piece of horse meat, drizzled it with olive oil, sprinkled rock salt, and popped it into her mouth.
“……Hmm. Not bad”
She spoke in Southern dialect, so the old men around us couldn’t understand, but I cautiously decided to ask.
“……Do they eat horse meat raw in Saint Gardo?”
“No, they don’t”
Another piece. Munching away, the female knight nodded rapidly, looking quite satisfied.
“……You eat it without hesitation”
“Why hesitate over something you’re told is edible?”
“…………”
What is that infinite trust in the cook?
“If it’s served as food, it must be safe”
“……Sometimes those northerners serve bugs and such as dishes”
“Insects? Well, even in Saint Gardo, we eat crabs and shrimp. It’s pretty much the same thing. Number of legs and all”
“And you’d be okay with them serving fried grasshoppers, caterpillars, or some long worm as tempura……?”
“I can’t imagine the taste, but if elves eat it, then it must be edible”
One more piece. Raw meat. Seems she quite likes it. Nods with a strong expression, looking like she’s understood something.
“This would go well with garlic or ginger, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh, you know your stuff! I’ll get some grated ginger ready, just give me a sec!”
Savory heads back into the kitchen. ……Turns out Savory knows Southern dialect too. When did she learn it……? Well, if I could pick it up reasonably well in just two weeks or so, it’s not surprising they’d have picked it up as part of their education. But seeing Fiona devour it with such obvious delight did pique my interest. I was about to try some myself……when the old men, who’d been watching quietly, suddenly moved in unison. In an instant, the horse meat vanished.
“Ah! She was just about to bring the ginger!”
Fiona complained in Southern dialect. Princess Ran cleared her throat at her.
“Fiona. You mustn’t behave so crassly”
“What, Princess Ran!”
“There are plenty of other dishes being served. Enjoy them gracefully. We are people of Saint Gardo, after all”
“……Haa, you’re right”
Kneeling to show agreement, Fiona still looked a bit regretful, muttering, 「But……the ginger……」. Guess her competitive nature just can’t help but be greedy when it comes to food.
“There should still be plenty of horse meat left. Just wait, more will come”
“Really?!”
“……Probably”
Grasping her shoulder, I saw her face up close—flashing between joy and disappointment. She really is beautiful, I thought. Fiona, with her flowing reddish-brown hair pulled into a high ponytail, was certainly no less attractive than the elf slave girls, even if dragons……well, they were in a league of their own. Maybe it was thanks to the blessings of the sacred spring. She was also relatively tall (about Almeida’s height), with slender, long limbs, good posture, and large breasts. Of course, the chest guard meant that part wasn’t emphasized. I often wondered how such a good-looking woman could remain unmarried well past twenty. In Trot, young women usually marry or at least become engaged by twenty. If she’s beautiful, her actual abilities aren’t really a big concern. Whether she’ll make a good wife is something you can’t really know until she becomes one. It’s a bit odd for me, who marries based on Celesta standards or dragon standards, to be thinking about such things. But Fiona, if she weren’t attached to Princess Ran, would probably already be married by now……I thought about that much.
“By the way, Princess”
“Call me Ran”
“……Let go of Fiona for a sec. Princess, over here, over here!”
Leaving Fiona looking puzzled, I dashed to the other side of the square before facing Princess Ran.
“If I call you just Ran here, Fiona’ll go berserk. So let’s hold off on that. Is that okay for now?”
“Y, Yes”
We’d already gotten to the point where she’d kissed my dick and I’d shot my load all over her……whether that meant it was too late or not was debatable, but there was no denying we’d gotten pretty intimate. But there was no need to bring that up now. Anyway, related to that.
“So……how much does Fiona know?”
“……?”
Princess Ran tilted her head, clearly confused, as if to say, what are you talking about? Um, well. Yeah.
“……Your, emm, involving me……no, what is it? Anyway, Princess, you were expecting Princess and I to have sex, right? Pretty early on”
“Yes……that’s true”
“How are you going to convince Fiona about that part? If you’ve already talked it through, that’s best……”
“…………”
“…………”
“…………”
Princess Ran shifted her gaze to Fiona with an almost composed look (who was happily enjoying another serving of raw horse meat). After a moment, her eyes passed over my face and fixed on the distant sky beyond the city walls.
“……I hadn’t thought about it”
An autumn wind swept across the plaza with a rustle, beautifully ruffling the princess’s formal attire and her green hair. It was a very picturesque scene, but that was beside the point.
“No, what are we gonna do about that guy? We can’t just keep everything hidden and move forward with the story, right?”
“……Is that impossible?”
“No matter how you look at it, he’ll start causing trouble the moment it becomes obvious I’ve gotten involved!?”
Princess Ran continued to stare into the void.
“But I can’t picture Fiona being convinced”
Even if you say that. You’re her retainer.
“……Perhaps we should send her away somewhere for about three years of intensive training”
“Is that how you think Fiona deserves to be treated!?”
“It’s not ideal, but I see no other way to convince her. That said, if we return to Saint Gardo pretending nothing happened out of deference to Fiona, our own safety will only be jeopardized”
“…………”
No, I know I shouldn’t say it’s a hassle. As a noble’s retainer, it’s only natural I can’t accept the princess offering her virtue without the family’s consent, even if the other party is a dragon rider. But then, how do we cover it up? Or should we send her away somewhere and focus on consolidating power back home? Thinking about that, I can’t help but say it’s a real pain. ……I pondered for a while, feeling gloomy. No, I gave up thinking.
“……Shall we dance, Princess?”
“Eh?”
“Let’s dance for now. Today is a festival. We’ll worry about tomorrow tomorrow”
I took the 「Eye of the Jewel」 brooch from my pocket and pinned it to her chest. Glancing at Fiona, she gave me a suspicious 「Hmm?」 look, wondering why I was putting something on the princess’s chest. Well, it was part of the request.
“For now, it’s a gift. And……here, it’s a man’s courtesy to ask a girl without a boyfriend or husband to dance if she’s not already paired up”
……That’s what I’ll say. Well, it’s not that I don’t have that kind of awareness, but it’s not that clear-cut. It’s just an excuse—if Fiona calls me out, I’ll say that and cover for her. Hearing this, Princess Ran, though hesitant, accepted my escort and began stepping to the flowing music. Whispers of 「Andy’s hooked up with a different girl again」 drifted from all around, but I deliberately ignored them, dancing lightly with the girl. Princess Ran was quite nimble. Though she initially just followed my lead, she picked up the movements from the townspeople dancing nearby. After a dozen or so phrases, she broke into a smile and started matching my rhythm perfectly. I’d assumed her frail body meant she wasn’t good at physical activity, but she turned out to be surprisingly bold. Of course, the steps were simple enough that even the clumsiest townsperson could manage them, so it didn’t exactly prove any special talent.
“I, I’ve never danced so lively before……but it’s fun……!”
“That’s what matters most”
I smiled as gently as possible, trying to create a joyful moment. I sometimes forget, but I’m thirteen years older than her. Normally, unless we were related, we couldn’t be dance partners. Like at the Spring Festival or the New Year Festival, dances like this are events meant to bring couples closer together. So, to ensure we looked like a refreshing sight to onlookers, I focused on being gentlemanly, elegant, and entertaining the young princess.
And so, I finally began to enjoy the Harvest Festival, albeit a little late.