Chapter 826: Harvest Festival Day 8
Well, at this point, the newcomers are done, and the rest are the female slaves from before the last conferment ceremony. Well, technically, there are still new collar girls like Naris, but either way, the four Gauntlet Knight girls are coming around here, and in terms of familiarity, they’re already on par with or even surpass the veterans. There’s no need to give them special treatment. Also, the four elf girls living in Polka, like Fennel, are pretty much included here too, right? Ah, I’m not forgetting Breakcore or Lady Swallow, of course, but the Harvest Festival isn’t the kind of event that specifically calls for them. Their absence is just that—an absence.
“For now……let’s say Almeida, then”
Tetes should be fine hanging out with Naris, and Sharon has that princess-like quality that naturally draws people to her, so she probably won’t be lonely or awkward. That leaves Almeida as the first one to approach……I think, wandering around the square. The shops and houses around the square have tidied up their interiors and front yards today, making them open for anyone to come in and eat or drink. Residents not dancing or performing are mostly just having a normal toast there. Peeking here, peeking there. I know asking Emma or Maia would get me to them quickly, but that feels lacking in atmosphere. It’s a day when everyone’s in high spirits. Trying to rush through everything would be boring.
“Oh, Gorkus. You came?”
“Long time no see, our hero Smithson-dono”
“……Drunk?”
“Haha, just between us, I’ve rather taken a liking to the liquor from outside the forest”
A super handsome guy with long black hair, raising his ceramic cup cheerfully. His face doesn’t look particularly drunk, but his voice is higher pitched than usual. Must be the type who drinks without showing it.
“I really wanted to contribute something from Tōge too, but I just couldn’t decide on something fitting for the festival day. Irina also told me not to push myself, so I ended up skipping it this time”
“Well, these things are really about the sentiment. There’s no point forcing it, and maybe it’s something we’ll get used to over time”
“I’ll take your advice. Next festival, for sure”
We poured each other drinks from a large jar and clinked cups lightly. I’m not particularly strong, so I diluted mine heavily with water and downed it. I couldn’t afford to get completely wasted just yet.
“Being a proxy can be frustrating at times. I’ve honed my martial skills for centuries and earned my father’s respect to some extent, but I lack the eloquence to gather followers like Christie does. It’s hard to act decisively in moments like this”
“Ah……so that’s part of it”
Proxy, essentially 「Clan leader’s representative」. The title of clan leader remains with his father, while Gorkus handles external negotiations – that’s the current state of the Orange clan. Christie, in the same position, seems to have nearly complete authority, yet Gorkus apparently isn’t in a position to push things through forcefully yet.
“Do you have any plans to formally succeed him?”
“Father is still only six hundred years old. Looking at Blue Clan´s Vois and Purple Clan´s Alma, it’s far too early for him to retire”
“Six hundred years old……”
I think that’s about Nancy’s age too. Which means……he doesn’t even look old yet.
“Looks like I won’t get to see a Clan Chief Gorkus in my lifetime”
“Sadly, that’s probably true. As his blood relative, I should welcome his good health, but……”
“I envy you there. Do your filial duties while he’s still alive!”
I laughed, feeling a little sentimental. If my old man were still alive, I’d probably be saying stuff like, 「You’re always in the way, bossing everyone around at the shop……」 or something like that.
After setting down my cup and looking around for a while, I eventually spotted Almeida.
“You hair color is different again……and even the length is different”
“……The color was messed with by Christie-sama. The length is extensions”
A sullen Almeida now sported long golden hair. Her dress was bold, revealing her collarbone and chest with a touch of elegance. But her tall stature, golden locks, and the perfect posture of a warrior made her look more like Sharon than Almeida for a moment.
“Seems the holy beast sent a mountain of hair 『For wigs』……so she figured she might as well play with my short hair while she had the chance”
“……Guess they said no to using actual flesh, so they went with this instead…….”
I’ve never seen that scene before, so I can’t say for sure, but probably just like how wounds and horns regenerate endlessly, hair must also grow back thick and fast whenever they feel like it. While some folks in certain places struggle with thinning hair, they’re really showing off their unfair advantage here. But wigs do have a real market, that’s true. A woman’s long, beautiful hair, cut off cleanly, can fetch a pretty penny from the right merchant……that’s common knowledge. Surprisingly, if you’re looking to earn foreign currency with Breakcore-provided materials, this might be the most viable option. Horns are too valuable and useful, which could lead to troublesome issues. And if you actually witnessed the mass production of meat and bones for sale (even if the person involved is fine), it might drive others to despair.
“But maybe playing pretend like this could be fun once in a while”
“……Isn’t that just child’s play?”
“True. But that’s what festivals are like. If you dismiss the songs, dances, and feasts as childish, nothing would remain”
“……Well, I suppose you’re right”
Almeida danced with me, giving off an air of having been somewhat persuaded. Damn, this girl’s steps are good too. Not rigidly precise, nor flashy or showy. Just steps that radiate ease and perfect timing – truly the steps of a master. In my mind, this is the kind of thing Dianne-san would do, but honestly, her athletic ability and footwork are top-tier. Probably because she’s gotten used to dancing over her long years of service as a knight.
“Well? Did you get a taste of the court ball atmosphere?”
“Ah, so that’s what it was?”
“……Didn’t you ask to play pretend? In this outfit, you look exactly like a noble lady”
“No, it’s not that I was surprised……let’s not just start playing pretend without saying anything, okay!?”
Apparently, the impressive steps themselves were the 「Pretend court lady」 part. But is there really a point in distinguishing that 「Pretend」? Or rather, what would have happened if it hadn’t been off!? ……But saying that would just make things get more and more messy, so I stopped there.
Next was Sharon, who had dyed her hair bright blue.
“Why did you dye it blue……
Even knowing such hair dye exists, it’s still a bit of a shock.
“Huhu. I’m feeling like a blue dragon today♪”
“……Ah, revealingly”
Sharon’s dress was difficult to describe as merely 「Bold」. It barely covered her private parts, while her back, cleavage, lower breasts down to below her navel, and even her thighs up to her hipbones were exposed in a strikingly daring manner. Can I really just call this 「Sexy」? It feels like it’s pushing right up to the line of being too much. But blue dragons occasionally cross these boundaries, so honestly, it’s hard to get angry. Well, you ladies might be justified in getting angry. It’s definitely not exactly educational. But I have to give it a pass since she’s properly covering her nipples and crotch.
“……Just today, okay? This kind of thing”
“Of course♪”
I have no idea how her breasts are held up—probably magic or something like that. Even if it were a wire structure, the exposed area and lack of support would definitely show with any movement. Yet somehow, her nipples are perfectly guarded, so that’s the only explanation. And I can absolutely state she’s not wearing any panties. The cut of her dress should reveal at least a hint of underwear, but there’s not a trace.
“……You’re dancing in this outfit?”
“Yes♪”
Oh no. She looks like she’s having way too much fun. More than that, unlike the other female slaves who just seem used to it, Sharon was genuinely the type of exhibitionist who felt sexual arousal. She looked around. We were slightly off the main square, down a side street, so we weren’t too conspicuous. Well, the guys who noticed Sharon’s insane outfit were totally transfixed, though. I, umm……is it really okay for her to dance like this? Dancing wasn’t restricted to the square; you could dance a bit in the alleys too. Not that it was permitted, but since there was no permit system, no one could really stop you from dancing on your own. It was a common tactic for young, inexperienced couples who weren’t bold enough to dance openly in public……. Well, I didn’t want to show off to the older women and get stopped either.
“Alright”
“♪”
I took Sharon’s hand and began escorting her. We moved to the slightly underwhelming accompaniment, mindful of the piercing stares. Mindful, but only I felt uncomfortable. Sharon, with her eyes bloodshot, was clearly thrilled by the old guys’ gazes trying to peek through the gaps in her swirling costume, her expression ecstatic.
“……Hey, Sharon”
“?”
“……Are you wearing any?”
Well, maybe there are types of panties I just don’t know about. Yeah. This isn’t me trying to appeal to the surrounding old men to make Sharon enjoy herself more. But.
“……You can touch to check, you know♪”
That comment, pretty high on the slutty scale, made the old men’s excitement spike, and Sharon probably came a little.
I immediately pulled Sharon back into the clothing store. If I didn’t get her changed into proper clothes, something bad might happen. And Naris……ah, there she was. Just wearing slightly more feminine accessories and a skirt than usual; she hadn’t transformed at all. Relief. Everyone’s cute to begin with, so they don’t need to transform. Using magic all the time is exhausting.
“Wait, are we going back to the new slave recruits? Did I get skipped over in the order?”
“We’re just organizing things roughly like that. It’s not that strict, so don’t worry”
Or maybe she was just upset about being skipped. Cute, though.
“Also, you’re a tricky case to classify as new or old, so please forgive me.”
“I’m totally new!”
“Your collar is new, but our physical relationship is quite……”
“W, Whoa! What the hell are you saying out in public like that!”
“……Thank you”
“Why are you crying!?”
Naris’s perfectly natural modesty made me tear up a little. Naris is such a good girl. That kind of thing is important.
“Well……yeah, that sort of thing. Anyway, I’m not ranking people strictly by collar acquisition order or trust level or anything like that. It’s just, you know, new girls probably don’t know how to enjoy themselves besides dancing with me, and if they just wait forever and miss out on having fun, that’d be a shame”
“Yeah, yeah, I kinda get it. If that’s how it is, then fine”
Even as she said this, Naris led the way.
“I think you should announce your policy clearly the day before. If they know what you’re planning, it’s obviously easier for them to wait. There must be girls who were agonizing over whether they’d go before or after that other girl”
“You’re absolutely right”
If I can’t be a little selfish without getting tossed around by the girls’ demands, it won’t be a fun harem anymore. That’s also true, but still, fewer misunderstandings are better.
“……Were you anxious too?”
“……I’m an adult”
That’s a yes, right? It just means she couldn’t act childishly and demand attention because there were so many younger girls around. ……Hmm. Honestly, ever since she became my female slave and started accepting her right to be close to me, Naris really has become adorable.
“Uh……that face is kinda annoying”
“Don’t be unreasonable. You’re practically just parroting me”
But yeah, I think I do have an annoying face right now. And even so, Naris is adorable, staring intently at me from this close distance while continuing to dance.
And now that we’re here, Tetes……I thought, but looking around frantically, I can’t find her. I thought I’d checked all the likely spots. Maybe she’s got weird colors or a hairstyle and I missed her……I thought I was paying attention to that too.
“……Emma”
“Haa?”
Emma darts out from behind a nearby object, and I ask her about Tetes’ whereabouts. Going around again would definitely take too much time now.
“If you mean Tetes-san……she’s over by the Baron’s mansion”
“Huh? The Baron’s mansion?”
In the middle of this festival? ……I tilted my head, but since skipping it felt odd, I decided to go.
Tetes was in Selenium’s room. She was chatting away, smiling happily while hugging Elenia.
“Tetes. ……Is the festival okay?”
“Ah, Master. ……Ehehe”
She was all smiles. ……Something felt off, and then I noticed Selenium and Apple were smiling too. Jeanne was gone, having gone to the festival with Grandpa Dan, carrying Peter on her back.
“?”
Apple answered for me as I tilted my head.
“Congratulations……though it might be a bit early to say that yet”
“Eh?”
“You’re probably pregnant, Tetes-san”