Chapter 824: Harvest Festival Day 6
On days like this, it’s fun to watch other married couples and young couples dancing. In this town of the sacred spring, even middle-aged couples look youthful thanks to the beauty effects. Dressed up and wearing makeup, even someone around forty could hold their own against a young girl. Of course, it’s tough for someone my mother’s age (around fifty) to look that young, but she still dances with light steps without looking unsteady. Earlier, the tavern owner couple, around my mother’s age, just performed an elegant and splendid dance, upholding their reputation as prominent figures in the town. But seeing this, the townspeople really do seem young, don’t they? In the capital or Basson, once people reach the generation leading the town, their bodies inevitably start to fail them. For example, with blacksmiths, the master generation over forty or fifty are usually strong in arm wrestling, but their agility is completely gone, and many suffer from back pain. Of course, the common folk’s appearance, especially the men, tends to show their age. You see plenty of fifty-year-olds with completely white hair and wrinkled faces. Seeing people of that age so vibrant and full of life makes me wonder if my old man would have been like this if he were still alive. It makes me a bit melancholy. It’s been fifteen……seventeen years since I spent time with him. I was still a kid myself back then, so my memory of his face is already hazy. I only recall him as a regular old guy, but looking back now, calling him an old guy is ridiculous—he was still a youngster. I wonder if anyone drew a portrait of him……. Just as I’m thinking that, I spot Johnny dancing with his wife, Jessica. Even though Jessica is over thirty, the beauty power of the sacred spring keeps her from feeling like an auntie at all. Today she’s dressed up especially, and if you said she looked like a mature teenager, it might just pass……maybe. Well, 「Pass」 is a bit much, but you get the idea. But among the Polka women dancing, there seems to be a hierarchy where you’re only considered a full-fledged member once you’ve given birth, finally joining the top echelon of the mom group. I’ve heard from my mom and Aunt Lindsey that Jessica, despite her age, hasn’t escaped being treated like a young girl because she hasn’t made it into that group. Seeing everyone around her who’s experienced childbirth and comfortably calls themselves 「Auntie」, she can’t just keep emphasizing her youth, but she still can’t break into the upper tier. It must be a very awkward position. At the very least, she needs to make sure her marriage looks solid, or the teasing will only get worse. Maybe that’s why Johnny was getting completely overwhelmed during the dance.
“Pathetic, Johnny. What kind of man is so timid?!”
Johnny’s dad heckled him, and Johnny, unable to argue back, slumped down on the bench and grabbed a beer.
“……Buhaaa. ……Getting all worked up won’t change anything, will it? Seriously”
“Looks tough”
“Andy. ……Well, not as tough as you, anyway”
“Just because there are more of us doesn’t mean it’s hard for me”
I’m more confident in my stamina than some country bumpkin sentry. My strength might be questionable, but I never skipped march training except when my leg was messed up. The girls are all more athletic than me, so they’re actually super considerate. They never ask for crazy steps.
“Stop talking about dancing all the time”
“……?”
“Lately, it’s been intense……I mean, I don’t hate it, but doing it three or four times every night? Come on. I feel a bit sluggish the next day too”
Ah. Baby-making. ……Ah, right.
“Three or four times a night and you’re already like that? Normally……”
“What are you staring off into space for? Actually, I’ve been wondering—no matter how good it feels, don’t you ever get bored? It’s just……thrusting back and forth, right?”
“Perhaps you should seek guidance from Hilda-san and Cosmos-san”
“Why are you suddenly being so formal……wait!”
As if they’d sprung up from the ground, Hilda-san and Cosmos-san appeared, seemingly having overheard my words.
“Uwaaa!?”
“Hellooo☆ I’m Hilda-san, your go-to expert for all things penis☆”
“And I’m Cosmos-san, your go-to expert for all things vagina♪”
I can’t tell which one’s the prostitute and which one’s the doctor, so please don’t say such inappropriate things so brazenly.
“Today’s concern is Johnny Quaid, troubled by the pressure to make babies and the monotony of insemination-first sex☆”
“This won’t do. This is the beginning of a dangerous trend. Obligation sex, where desire is put on hold, tends to foster the idea that 「Sex is boring, painful, and a waste of time and energy」. This applies to both men and women. Even if you’re lucky enough to conceive, it negatively impacts your marital relationship afterward. It’s crucial to immediately rediscover the joy of sex and remember the happiness of fulfilling each other’s instincts. It’s such a shame to lose sight of your charm in a town where, even as a short-lived species, you can both stay young and attractive for so long”
“So, Jessica, you’re coming too. Cosmos and I will show you the true essence of Dark Elf culture☆”
Hilda and Cosmos led Johnny and Jessica away somewhere, putting on a little show. Watching them depart, Dianne murmured quietly.
“It’s true that in conservative rural life like this, while you don’t struggle with how to live, I’ve heard people tend to dismiss the joy of sex too early. ……Cosmos’s brothel expansion plan might not be entirely harmful after all”
“No way”
That’s stretching it way too far……I thought, but it’s true Johnny’s view of sex as 「Just thrusting back and forth」 is a bit too narrow-minded. Well, I mostly stick to thrusting back and forth too, but that’s just me choosing the satisfaction of trying all sorts of other things and ultimately filling lots of girls’ wombs to overflowing. The appeal of sex isn’t just the feel of thrusting back and forth. Yeah. ……But I am kinda curious what exactly they’ll teach him. Even though both of them are seasoned veterans who’ve milked countless men dry.
“Don’t worry. Both my sister and Cosmos are pretty loyal. I doubt they’ll give him a hands-on demonstration with his cock”
“I wasn’t……worried about that”
Actually, I kinda was, but whatever. I’ll believe her.
The dance continued, occasionally switching musicians. Lantz and Keiron (both percussionists) joined in, providing accompaniment to Nord and the others’ dance. Even when someone left their seat to dance with a partner, someone else immediately filled in, ensuring the lively festival atmosphere never faltered. Amidst it all, I focused on dancing with the cat beasts.
“Nyaa♪”
“Nyaa♪”
“Nyaa♪”
Azel, Lizel, Cute. All three are approaching sixteen, an age where one would normally outgrow using 「Nyaa」 as an interjection……or so they say. But perhaps because there aren’t many older cat beasts around to correct them, and also because they each hold the position of the spoiled little sister, they just can’t seem to drop the 「Nyaa」. Cute, so it’s fine, I thought, taking each of their hands in turn to dance. The two left over paired up for convenience, waiting while I danced with them in a set order. I’d considered taking turns with each one per song, but they ended up arguing over who got to dance with me first, leading to this arrangement. Especially Cute—I never thought she was the type to fight much. But seeing this side of her, being the same age and childhood friends from the same hometown, made me smile.
“If I dance properly, you’ll let me do it tonight, right?”
“……E, Emm, who told you that?”
“Corti!”
……It’s great to see her getting along so carefree with her former enemy, the dragon. But I only told Shario 「If you don’t dance, you’ll have to wait a while」, I didn’t actually say we’d do it tonight, right? If I did, that’d mean another forced marathon with everyone tonight, wouldn’t it? But then again, refusing to dance with the girls all dressed up for the festival would be cruel……guess I have no choice……?
In stark contrast, the older catbeasts group remained calm. Luna, Miril, Marone, and Galatia—though technically not quite the same.
“I thought Luna wasn’t interested in this sort of thing”
“I am interested. ……I practiced”
It’s hard to tell where Luna’s line is between things she’s genuinely passionate about and things she’s not that interested in. Maybe because from the sidelines, she just looks like she’s pulling off both with a straight face and flawless execution. But apparently, dancing with me fell into the 「Passionate」 category. Her expression didn’t change much, but her movements were incredibly sharp, and she executed even the flashier, irregular moves beautifully.
“I want to be Andy’s proud woman too”
Luna said it with a hint of anger, yet also embarrassment, and it was adorable. As the song ended, I pulled her close and kissed her. Teasing whistles and finger snaps rang out. But it was fine. That was part of being my 「Proud woman」.
Next, Miril showed off movements just as dazzling as Luna’s, but with a touch of the older woman’s confidence, adding a hint of sensuality to her moves.
“Miril’s got amazing reflexes, huh……!”
“I’m a great mother, capable of bearing many children……♪”
“Is that your appeal!?”
Well, yeah, that’s apparently her family trait. And of course, now that she’s recovered, there’s nothing stopping her from prospering with descendants.
“It’s hard to get a sick person pregnant easily, right?”
“Well, yeah……but it’s such a great talent, she should really”
“Get loved by lots of men and have lots of kids……that’s more important than any talent♪”
Hmm. Faithful to her desires. I guess that’s typical cat beasts too. Normally, facing expectations like this would make someone like Johnny flinch, but I’m the kind of guy who can handle expectations from an entire colony, so it’s fine.
Marone seemed busy with the serving crew, but when I took her hand, she hurriedly removed her apron and joined me for a dance.
“Sorry, just one song”
“Y, Yes……Savory and the others told me to follow along if invited……”
“I’ll have to thank them later”
It was reassuring to see the female slaves had coordinated things so our dance wouldn’t stall. She wasn’t as skilled as Luna or Miril, but Marone’s timid, simple way of matching my steps wasn’t bad at all. Country festival dances don’t require amazing skill. Just gazing at a cute girl and doing one thing together. That alone makes it a wonderfully special experience.
“……S, Sorry……I’m not very good at this”
“No, I’m not great either”
Having danced it many times gives me some ease, but honestly, I’m not exactly smooth with my footwork either. Still, swaying like this with someone who understands me, showing it off to those around us. That alone is pretty great.
Galatia was clearly terrible at it. Well, she had decent coordination and wasn’t lacking in rhythm, but she was just incredibly shy. She did dress up nicely to match the surroundings, but the situation of dancing with a guy in public seemed to stir up both intense longing and overwhelming embarrassment in her.
“A, Auuu……th, this isn’t like me at all……!”
“You’ve done intimate things in front of dozens of people, you don’t need to be so embarrassed about dancing”
“Ah, but that was just family……ah, if my dad or Alan saw me like this……they’d laugh themselves to death……!”
“They won’t see”
She’s quick to dismiss the other female slaves as family. But saying dancing in fancy clothes is more embarrassing than having sex in front of others……. I can sort of understand that feeling a tiny bit, but still, it’s pretty twisted.
“Just be confident. Acting embarrassed will make you laugh even more”
“E, Even if you say that……n, no way, I can’t do it! Especially after those incredibly beautiful women!”
“You’re plenty cute enough, that’s why I made you a slave girl!”
“Guuu……s, stop saying stuff like that at a time like this!?”
Galatia turned completely crimson, tripping over her own feet instead of stepping. She overreacted this much to girly outfits, dancing, and even being called cute. It made you want to lecture her, though no one actually did: 「That’s exactly why you ended up becoming a slave girl on impulse」.
“How else am I supposed to say it? You’re all dressed up like this”
“Y, Yeah, but……I, I can’t do it……!”
Because she was cute, I couldn’t help but tease her with little compliments, enjoying the reaction. Yeah, I’m making a really creepy face right now.