— 2nd day, 8th month, 1548th year, Continental Calendar —
Some time after the Monsterology Symposium...
"They're here! I count eight of them!"
"Okay, get back, Juno! Augus, we're moving up."
"Got it!"
Walking past Juno the thief, who had been scouting the enemy, Dece the
warrior and Augus the brawler moved up to block the hallway as the buzz
of countless insects closed in.
This place was one of the dungeons inside the Kingdom of Friedonia. It
had been thoroughly searched before, and now all that remained was to stop
the core that lay in the depths. In doing this, it would turn the dungeon into
no more than a labyrinthine cave.
However, some of the monster material that was harvested here was
valuable, and many of the villages and towns in this domain were enriched
by the trade in them. That's why they chose not to stop the core, instead
opening the place to adventurers, who would routinely cull the monsters
inside, and collect their parts.
So long as there wasn't a hidden room somewhere (and these had no
doubt all been found), there was no great treasure left outside of the
dungeon core; but the paths had been thoroughly searched, so they could
gather monster parts without fear. You might think of this as a
comparatively low difficulty dungeon. Today, Juno and her party were here
on a quest to gather materials.
"Febral, what's that monster?"
"It's a 'giant dragonfly' with 'crab claws,' so... that would make it a
scissor meganeura."
Febral the priest identified the incoming monsters with a glint in his eye.
It was common for adventurers to encounter monsters in dungeons, so
Souma had distributed the Monster Encyclopedia to adventurers' guilds
inside the kingdom, and was working to spread the knowledge contained
within. However, because the Monster Encyclopedia was still expensive, it
was put in the guild's closed stack library, and taking it out was forbidden
(there were penalties).
Febral had an academic streak, and was very particular about things, so
he spent his time off cooped up in the guild, reading the Monster
Encyclopedia and absorbing its knowledge... Though, really he was just a
bit of a monster maniac.
The Monster Encyclopedia was sorted well, and had pictures, making it
a fun read, and that tickled Febral's fancy. Hakuya and Ichiha had let their
love for the material run wild when working on it, and Souma had read the
finished product with great interest too, so maybe literate types liked this
sort of encyclopedia.
In regard to this, Juno had said, "I know it's just your job title as an
adventurer, and you're not an actual priest, but is it really okay for you to be
so into monsters?"
Her exasperation was evident, but Febral seemed completely
unconcerned about that. The monster maniac had identified the incoming
foes as scissor meganeuras. Their bodies were mostly giant dragonfly, but
their arms (forelegs) were crustacean claws.
The scissor meganeuras flew in and assaulted Dece and Augus with their
sharp claws.
"Guh! They're fast little buggers!"
"Damn it! Go down, you crabonfly!"
"Not crabonfly, scissor meganeura."
Ignoring that correction from Febral, Dece drove them off with some
sort of flying attack with his sword, while Augus did the same with his
gauntlets. They must have been striking heavy blows, because sparks flew
every time their metal weapons struck a claw. But there was a reason Dece
and Augus were fighting entirely on the defensive.
"So which parts are the valuable ones?!"
"Stop holding back and tell us, Febral!"
There was a sparkle from Febral's imaginary glasses (he wasn't wearing
any real ones) as they asked him.
"Those crab claws are sold as a luxury food item. There doesn't appear
to be any toxic parts, so the guild should pay good money to take them off
our hands. Their compound eyes are also a valuable component for some
medical equipment, so they should sell for a good price, too."
"The scissors and the eyes, huh? Got it!"
"We aim for the body then!"
Augus and Dece slipped past the scissor attacks, using sword and fist to
pummel the scissor meganeura's bodies. Their attacks seemingly crushed its
weak dragonfly part. The thin wings, cut free from the main body, fluttered
to the ground.
"Okay, me, too!"
Juno threw a knife at one scissor meganeura which had slipped between
the other two. That dagger stabbed into one of the scissor meganeura's
simple eyes, and it fell to the ground on its back.
"Whew... Looks like the compound eye is fine," Juno said in relief as
she checked the corpse.
Julia the mage, who had been preparing her flame magic behind them,
asked Febral, "Do you not need me to use my magic?"
"The claws last a long time if smoked, and are more useful that way, so
if you cook them, their value's cut in half. Please stand by and be ready to
burn them all if the front line stops being able to handle the situation."
"Okaaaay."
The gentle beauty, Julia, smiled as she summoned a large flame in
midair, but because Juno and the two up front were able to handle the
situation themselves, the spell was never fired.
Having secured a large number of crab claws and compound eyes, Juno
and her party had their first big haul in some time.
◇ ◇ ◇
Some days later, in the capital Parnam. The night of the day Dece and
his group returned.
"...And that's how it went down. We made bank."
Juno, who had come to the castle for tea, like she always did, jovially
related the story. Our tea parties were a valuable chance to hear the voice of
the common people, and it was fun to shoot the breeze over tea with my
comrades, so I welcomed it.
Juno put a biscuit in her mouth, then laughed raucously. "Seriously, I've
got to hand it to the Monster Encyclopedia. I hear other adventurers saying
it's helped them avoid wasting parts, and improved their earnings, too."
"I'm glad to hear it."
It was satisfying to see that the book was having a positive impact on
people's lives.
"Hee hee, I guess it was worth distributin' it, huh?"
"The ladies in the merchants' district were happy to see unusual
ingredients making the rounds, too."
Roroa and Naden both piped in. The four of us were here for today's tea.
"I couldn't be happier to see it having a positive impact, and it looks like
the acclaim for Ichiha is rising steadily, too, so I have nothing to complain
about."
"Ohh... Now that you mention it, the author, Ichiha Chima, lives in the
castle, doesn't he?" From the way Juno scratched her cheek, she had
something on her mind.
"Hm? Did you want to meet him? I could call him in for tea..."
"No, that's not it," she said with a wry smile. Resting her cheeks on the
palm of one hand, she traced the rim of her cup with a finger. "I was just
thinking, if Febral found out I had met Ichiha Chima, he'd probably cry out
of frustration. When the guy first read the Monster Encyclopedia, he said
something like, 'I want to stop being an adventurer, and become Sir Ichiha's
apprentice!' The whole party stopped him, though."
"...The problem is, there's a lot of guys like that."
And, as Ichiha's fame grew, the number of them was steadily increasing.
Ichiha had a promising future, and he was a talented academic. In another
five years, with his looks, he was going to be a literate pretty boy. There
would be no shortage of girls looking to get hitched with him, regardless of
their social status.
If I didn't keep him guarded at the academy by day and the castle by
night, someone would snatch him up in no time. I expected something like
that rush of marriage meetings that Poncho experienced was in the boy's
future. He was like the protagonist of an anime or manga.
I guess getting him engaged early would be one option. It was more or
less decided that we would be absorbing him into our country. If we let a
genius like him go, it would be a loss to our country. It would be a blow to
the Union of Eastern Nations as well, but there was no way I could let him
go anywhere else. The primary candidate has to be Tomoe... But I dunno.
Ichiha was turning eleven this year, and Tomoe was turning twelve. In
my former world, they would both still be in primary school, and there were
relationships they could only build in childhood.
I could see they were close, even looking from the outside, but Tomoe,
Ichiha, Yuriga, Velza, and what was the other one's name, Lucy, was it? I
was hesitant to put any strange external pressures on them and change their
relationships. But what could I do...?
"I think we should watch and wait." I looked up in surprise, and Naden
shrugged her shoulders. "It's all over your face, Souma. I can tell what
you're thinking."
"Huh? Really?"
When I started touching my face all over, Roroa chuckled. "We're your
wives, y'know? Figurin' out what's on your mind's easy, Darlin'."
"Wow, I dunno what to say. Wives sure are amazing, huh?" Juno said,
sounding impressed. This was kind of embarrassing. "I can tell what Mr.
Musashibo's saying, though."
"No, no, that's the real special ability here. How can ya tell what a doll's
sayin'?"
"Julia said it's 'the power of love.'"
"Love...? What's with this girl? Maybe we shouldn't be underestimatin'
her?"
Roroa had a dubious look on her face, but Juno just stared blankly back
at her.
"Well, anyway, we're turning a nice profit because of you. If there's
anything I can do for you, just say the word."
""Anythin' / Anything?"" Roroa and I said with a glint in our eyes.
"Huh? Uh, well... if it's something I'm capable of..." Juno said, despite
seeming intimidated. Good, that was a commitment.
"I do, in fact, have a job for you."
"Yeah, yeah. We were just lookin' for a boyish girl like you, Junie."
"Huh? Wait. Huh?"
The devilish smiles on our faces made Juno unintentionally hug herself.
Naden let out a sigh of dismay. "Geez... Explain it properly, you two."
◇ ◇ ◇
The story now turns back to the day after the Monsterology Symposium.
On this day, I was in a room in the castle with Liscia, Roroa, Hakuya,
and Genia the Overscientist. We were here to discuss the doubts I had
during the symposium. I would have liked to have Ichiha present, too, but
we hadn't brought him fully into the fold yet, so he was not asked to
participate this time.
In this world, there are several races that were human, but with added
characteristics from various creatures. Was this the same as how monsters
were constructed with parts from a variety of creatures? If monsters were
created, were the races of mankind with a variety of features from other
creatures created, too? These questions could shake society to its core if
mishandled, so they were too much of a burden for me to handle alone.
"The reason I've called all of you here today is to tell you about
something I was thinking during the symposium yesterday. I want to hear
your frank opinions about it."
Having prefaced my remarks with that, I told everyone about the things I
described above. As for how they reacted, Liscia and Hakuya were holding
their head and looking troubled, while Roroa and Genia listened with great
interest. The responses were at two extremes.
Liscia let out a great sigh. "Why must your ideas always be so wild?"
"I agree entirely." Hakuya nodded in complete agreement with her. "For
better and for worse, you are constantly coming up with ideas that could
upend the underpinnings of this world, so we, the people who serve you,
can never relax."
...Did he have to go that far?
"I'm not exactly saying wild things because I want to..."
"Of course not. If you were doing this intentionally, it would be
downright nasty."
"Really? I thought it was interestin'," Roroa said with a cheerful laugh.
"The monsters were all made by someone, and so was mankind... Wait a
sec. If all of our races were created, it makes groups who think they're the
chosen people, like the Spirit Kingdom of Garlan, sound pretty silly."
"On the contrary, this manner of thinking could give birth to new elitist
ideologies." Genia brought her hand to her chin with a smirk. "From what
the king's said, there's a distinction to be made between the human race of
his world and the human race of ours, but if we choose to view them as the
same, it would be easy to come up with human supremacist ideas. If you
were to do that, yeah... you could use the birth of a child between the king
and queen as proof of it. If you claim that the birth proves they're the same
kind of being."
"Stop it..." Liscia said with a look of distaste. You couldn't blame her.
She wouldn't want Cian and Kazuha being used as props for some selfish
ideology... No, I wouldn't let that happen.
"It's not just humans." Genia shrugged, seeing the dangerous looks on
our faces. "Merumeru's homeland, the Spirit Kingdom of Garlan, would
probably say, 'Even if we were created, we were created more beautiful
than others, which proves that we really are special.'"
"Ohh, I could see them sayin' that."
"Their use of fallacious arguments like that only makes them more
fascinating to me, though." Genia smiled like this didn't concern her. I
couldn't possibly do the same, though. "By the way, do you remember what
I said during the symposium, King?"
"Hm? Which one?"
"When we talked about how the monsters may have been produced by
someone. I said, 'As a dungeon relic researcher, I want it to be the dungeon
core.'"
"Now that you mention it... you did say that, yeah."
"If they really do work that way, then..."
"Huh?! Madam Genia. You can't mean..." Hakuya sounded surprised.
About what?
"Heheheh. It looks like the Prime Minister gets it. Hey, King. If
monsters and mankind were both created, where did mankind come from,
and who made us?"
Genia laughed provocatively.
"Ah... So then mankind in this world was created in the dungeons..."
"I can't prove it. But if your idea is correct, we can make that
prediction."
Oh, geez... I clutched my head. In the world I came from, life was born
in the sea, and evolved from there. That was why we referred to the sea as
our mother, and as the cradle of life.
But, for life in this world, could it be that their "mother" and "cradle"
was the dungeon? The dungeon already felt artificial and manufactured asis. They had once created mankind and animals. Now, they were the home
of monsters.
The situation made me think of one word. "Malfunction." Like how a
poorly-maintained machine might do something unexpected, and cause a
major accident, perhaps the dungeons that created living creatures
malfunctioned, and began creating warped creatures like monsters. That
was Genia's prediction.
"...I'm scared to carry that idea through to its conclusions."
"I know! ...It's making me sick," Liscia said, her face a little pale.
My face must have looked similar. Thinking about the origin of life or
the future came with a primordial fear connected to life and death. If you
thought about it too much, it would keep you up at night.
"Still... I feel like it's something to keep in mind... There's the demons,
intelligent lifeforms, that aren't on the side of mankind to consider, too."
"Ohh, I see. If we're sayin' mankind was born in the dungeon, then
demons may've been born in the dungeon, too, huh?" Roroa clapped her
hands as if it all made sense to her now.
Like she was saying, there were physical differences between humans
and demons (though, to me, they didn't seem that different from beastmen),
but if we traced them back to their origin, they might be the same. But if we
made a mistake in how we released this information, it would no doubt
cause confusion in society.
When you looked at it that way, this world was almost like a gigantic
minefield. There were mines lying everywhere, and they'd blow up if you
stepped on them. But the only solution was to disable them one by one. We
had to take our time with it.
"If it's going to take time, I guess we should get to work quickly."
"Souma?" Liscia had a dubious look on her face.
"Now that Fuuga is expanding his actions into the Demon Lord's
Domain, there will likely come a time in the not-so-distant future when
mankind must confront the demons once more. When we do, the degree to
which our side understands the demons will change what options are
available to us. If we want to reduce the threat of a return to total war even
a little, we need to start preparing for it, little by little, starting now."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"What, precisely, should we do?" Liscia asked.
"The method is the same as when we occupied Van and soothed the
hearts of the people there." I grinned. "This is where soft power... the power
of culture does the talking."
"Nyahaha! I know what that means."
I met the excitement in Roroa's eyes with a nod.
"Yeah. Let's do this the way Roroa likes."
◇ ◇ ◇
— 11th day, 8th month, 1548th year, Continental Calendar —
It was a hot summer day. Juno walked through the shopping street in the
capital, her face red with shame.
"I know I said I'd do anything to help... but still."
Right now, Juno and her party of five were in the middle of fulfilling a
quest. "Advertise the new event." And it had been said to Juno, directly by
Souma, on the night of the tea party. Naturally, she couldn't tell her
companions that, so he submitted a quest to the guild through the castle and
requested Juno's party.
"This is a notice from the palaaaace. Please, take a looook."
"It concerns the event to be held five days from now. Please, look at this
to see the details."
Dece the warrior held up a placard, while Augus the brawler had signs
tied to his front and back like he was some kind of sandwichman, and they
were both calling out to people as they walked by.
The main difference from usual was that they were both dressed like
clowns. They even had clown face makeup on, but it looked a bit creepy, in
a way that people who were bad with horror movies, or those who suffered
from coulrophobia couldn't stand to look at for long.
Next to them, Febral was frowning. "Is it really all right for me to be
doing this when I technically call myself a priest?"
"There was no other choice. Dece and Augus were both too brawny for
the outfit." The gentle beauty, Julia, tried to mollify Febral.
They were dressed as a vampire and vampiress. Febral wore a white
cape and tuxedo (because it was deemed too dangerous for him to wear
black in the summer heat), and had fake vampire teeth in his mouth.
Though Febral was the indoorsy sort, and he looked like a literate man, the
vampire look, which appeared sickly at first glance, suited him, and he got a
lot of attention from the ladies.
"Even if it's white, it's still pretty hot..."
"Oh, my. Well, mine is black, but it's quite breezy, you know?"
Julia was dressed like a bunny girl without the ears, but with bat wings
on her back, and a pointed tail sticking out of her rear. If you factored in her
figure as well, she had a real "sexy vampire" look going on. The men in
town—as well as with Dece and Augus—couldn't take their eyes off her,
but because of her own gentle nature, she seemed unconcerned by the eyes
on her.
Now, as for how Juno was dressed...
"This getup's still not okay!"
She was wearing nothing but a tiger stripe bikini, with little oni horns
sitting on her head. She looked exactly like the most famous oni girl in the
country Souma had once lived in. If someone like Julia, whose body stuck
out in all the right places, had worn that same outfit, it would have been
erotic. However, with her thin figure and baby face, Juno looked more cute
than sexy, so the crowd found it less arousing than Juno herself thought.
Though that didn't make it any less embarrassing for the one wearing it.
A roly-poly hand poked Juno's exposed back. It was the kigurumi
adventurer controlled by Souma, Little Musashibo. Today, Little Musashibo
wasn't dressed as a priest soldier, but as a mummy man wrapped in
bandages. However, because of his roly-poly body, he looked like a giant
cocoon made by a moth or something instead.
Juno gave Little Mummy Musashibo a piece of her mind, "Ki—I mean,
Mister! This outfit really is not okay!"
"But it's not any more revealing than your usual outfit, is it?"
When Little Musashibo tilted his head to the side, Juno felt like he had
said that to her. An angry mark appeared over Juno's head as she shook
Little Musashibo.
"It's totally different! I don't have my gauntlets or scarf!"
"Stoooop iiiit." (Flailing his arms.)
"If you want someone to dress like this, tell your wives to do it!"
"......"
Little Musashibo blatantly looked away.
"...Don't tell me you've made them before."
"......" (Pretending to whistle.)
"You and I both know kigurumi don't whistle. Huh? Who? Who did you
have do it?"
Because of their late-night tea parties, Juno was friends with Souma's
queens too, and her mind raced, wondering who it was.
Naden already had antlers and a tail, so this sort of costume would be
difficult for her. Aisha was so fond of Souma you could mistake her for a
puppy, and Roroa was a good sport and loved festivals. Either of them
would have gleefully done it for him. But she felt like Liscia and Juna
would both do it if Souma asked, too.
Unable to come up with an answer, Juno pinched Little Musashibo's
cheek. "Hey, Mister, tell me. Who did you make do it?"
"B-Before that...!" (Pulling away from Juno.)
Little Musashibo patted the placard on his back.
"Let's do the quest first. You were paid in advance."
Juno felt like he'd said that to her, and she got upset.
"Oh, fine. Darn it all."
You better not forget this at the next tea party. King or not, you're gonna
have to let me sock you one, Juno thought. Then, half in desperation, she
called out to the people walking past.
"Five days from now, on the 16th day of the 8th month, the castle will
be holding the 'Ghost Festival'! In the king... His Majesty Souma's world,
this is apparently a time when the boundary between this world and the next
world becomes vague. And, in this festival, they welcome souls that wander
into this world, in order to have them return to the next one!"
Then, Juno twirled around to show off her costume.
"On the day of the event, a parade of people dressed as ghosts (?) like
we are now will walk and dance through the streets! If you have time,
please, dress as a ghost, and have fun! Cute ghosts and scary ghosts are
both welcome!"
"Seeking participants. Feel free to jump right in." That's what it said on
the sign Little Musashibo was holding.
"Hah, look at them go."
On the terrace of a tavern not far from where Juno and her party were
working, Souji Lester, the resident bishop, watched with a glass of wine in
one hand. Next to him was the high elf and Genia's research partner, Merula
Merlin. Because Genia was being called to the castle frequently of late,
work on the drill project had been put on hiatus. That being the case, she
decided to go out for a drink with Souji since it had been a while, and they
were now drinking in the middle of the day.
"Is it okay to ignore them, Souji?" Merula asked with unfocused eyes as
her pale skin flushed red from the alcohol. "Don't religious figures hate it
when you dress up as ghosts more than anyone?"
"Well, yes, but... His Majesty spoke to me about it in advance," Souji
explained before throwing a piece of cheese into his mouth. "The day after,
representatives from all the national religions will offer prayers, and send
back any lost souls that wander in."
"He's keeping up appearances then. But will there be complaints from
the Orthodox Papal State?"
"I'm sure there will, but I'll dodge them, as usual. There's been less
nagging from Little Miss Mary's faction lately, so that makes it easy.
...Though, it might just be that the Orthodox Papal State doesn't have time
to be worrying about external affairs right now."
"...The conflict between the hardliners and the moderates, right? I
believe Madam Mary was one of the moderates, correct?"
There was presently a division over the interpretation of the Lunalith's
oracles. Because she lived with Souji, Merula had heard the story. As well
as the fact that Saint Mary had told Souji she wanted to have the moderates
and the saint candidates protected by the Kingdom if it became necessary.
"Yeah," Souji said, crossing his arms. "That's why, as a reward for my
cooperation in this matter, I've requested that King Souma and the Blackrobed Prime Minister help with Mary's request. There are a hundred people
just counting the saint candidates, and if he was to shelter all of the
moderates, that would require taking in even more. It will take time and
people to put together a plan that includes their escape and transport. A lone
bishop like me can't do it."
"Wow..."
Even just thinking about it seems like a pain, thought Merula. In
exchange for his support in this event, Souji had passed the whole nuisance
off to Souma and Hakuya. I don't know whether to say he'd shrewd, or
shameless, Merula thought in exasperation.
"That must be a headache for Souma and his people."
"He was clutching his head, saying, 'Now I've got to write another
manyewal.' That's apparently a book of instructions, by the way."
"I'm sure he was." Merula nodded, sympathizing with Souma.
"He also said, 'Maybe we can put together a gospel choir with the saint
candidates. Delivering the love songs of the angels,' with a far-off look in
his eyes."
"Gospel? Choir?"
"Search me. I have no clue what he was talking about." Souji shrugged.
"I see you've been doing your job as bishop after all." Merula chuckled.
"I'll have to reevaluate my opinion of you a little."
The rare compliment brought a wry smile to Souji's face.
"Well, you've got to work just enough to be able to slack."
"Fine words, those. Is that in the teachings of Lunarian Orthodoxy?"
"Nah. Just my philosophy on life." Souji raised a glass to the
adventurers working on the shopping street. "Young people have no clue
that their work may be saving someone's life. Just like those adventurers are
bringing salvation to those who are lost in the Orthodox Papal State.
Unknown to man, but not to God. So work hard, young ones."
"From where I'm standing, you look plenty young yourself, Souji."
Merula, whose age was unknown, shrugged with dismay.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile...
I was in the castle, speaking to Empress Maria of the Gran Chaos
Empire over the Jewel Voice Broadcast.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Madam Maria."
"Not at all. I thought it would benefit my own country, too."
"That idea of yours, Sir Souma." Maria smiled. "I'd like to do it in my
country, too."
"You'll need to gauge your people's response as you do it, but... Go
ahead."
After that we engaged in some idle banter and then terminated the call.
Once we did, Liscia, who had been quietly watching us talk, came over to
me.
"If you're bringing in Madam Maria of the Empire, this has turned into
something pretty big."
"We needed information that only the Empire could possibly know, after
all. I had to play some of my cards in exchange, though..."
"The Dungeon Origin of Monsters Theory, right? Was it okay to tell
her? Won't Madam Maria reach the conclusion that both mankind and
demons came from the dungeons, too?"
I could understand what Liscia was saying. If possible, I had wanted to
keep it under wraps, still.
"It's too much to ask them for the information we want, while also
concealing everything we know. When it comes to Genia's theory, it's still
an unproven hypothesis. Even if Madam Maria reaches the Dungeon Origin
of Mankind and Demons Theory, she won't spread it carelessly."
If the information leaked, she would have trouble managing her own
empire, too.
"So, for now at least, with Madam Maria's cooperation, we've gained a
reason to hold this event. We'll just have to do what we can currently."
"Right... For a project that came up so suddenly, it was all prepared
pretty quickly, huh?"
"I had already been talking about wanting to do an event this time of
year. You know how we did the Gaius Memorial Festival in Van on the
32nd day of the 8th month last year? That was pretty popular, so there were
requests to do something similar."
However, because the Gaius Memorial Festival was aimed at the people
of the former principality, it was difficult to turn it into an event that the
whole nation would celebrate. That's why I was taking this opportunity to
retool it into a memorial event for the whole country. I called it the Ghost
Festival.
It was primarily going to be a mix of a costume party in the style of
Halloween (because the "trick or treat" aspect of that event had been taken
by the Spring Announcement Festival, that was cut), the Bon-odori, and a
certain strange festival held on the border between two prefectures in the
world I came from. On the day of the event, participants would dress as
ghosts and monsters, and parade through the town while dancing.
Meanwhile, in Van, we would hold the Gaius Memorial Festival, the
same as the year before. If we overdid these sorts of events, it could stir up
the emotions of the people of the former principality, but if we didn't do
them at all, that could cause a reaction, too. It was safest to make it just one
festival of many.
"Hee hee, this takes me back, you know?" Liscia wrapped herself
around my arm. "The way you would suddenly come up with an odd idea,
and you're running with it. It reminds me of when you had just been
summoned."
"Well, yeah, but... aren't you a bit close to me, compared to back then?"
Liscia chuckled. "Of course. We're married with children now."
"Things sure have changed, huh?"
"Yeah. But there are things that haven't, too." Liscia rested her head on
my shoulder. "I stay by your side, watching what you do. That's not going
to change."
"...You really are amazing, you know that? Liscia."
I had thought it countless times, but... Yeah, I was no match for her. That
didn't just go for Liscia; I could say it about all of my queens. No matter
how our relationships changed in the future, I was going to fall in love with
them anew over and over again.
◇ ◇ ◇
Then, on the day of the event.
The sun had set, and normally, at this time of day, the shopping street
would only be dimly lit by the lightmoss streetlights. Today, however, there
were lightmoss lantern decorations everywhere, making it quite bright.
Souma had ordered these lanterns placed there for the event.
The voice of a pretty young girl echoed across the brightly lit streets.
"Woah! Lu, you're so cute!"
"Nyahaha, thanks."
Lucy laughed shyly at Tomoe's compliment. Today she was dressed as a
wolf girl, wearing an apron dress along with a wolf ear headband, and a
wolf tail on her rump.
Because the Royal Academy was on summer break, Tomoe, Yuriga,
Ichiha, Lucy, and Velza were dressed up to participate in this Ghost Festival
event. Obviously, a group from the Black Cats, led by Inugami, was
watching over them from the shadows.
When she looked at Lucy's outfit, Yuriga said, "...It looks pretty familiar
to me," with dismay.
Yuriga glanced at Tomoe. It was true, wolf ears and a tail were both
traits she naturally possessed. If Souma could have seen Lucy right now, he
might have muttered, "The Player 2 palette swap for Tomoe?" to himself.
Lucy grinned, pulling her mouth open with her index fingers. "My
crooked teeth are one of my charms. Gotta put 'em to good use. Besides, I
always thought Tomie's ears and tail were cute."
"You're super cute, Lu!"
"Thanks. Y'know, it feels like we're sisters now."
Lucy hugged Tomoe. Yuriga pressed her fingers to her temples and let
out a sigh as she watched the two of them play around.
"Honestly... I mean, how is Tomoe any different from usual?"
"I'm totally different. Look!"
Tomoe raised her hands, and there were puffy paw gloves on them. She
has a choker with a bell around her neck, and three whiskers drawn on each
cheek with paint.
"Today, I'm not a wolf girl, I'm a cat girl! Meow!"
"That's barely a change at all!"
"Murgh. You say that, Yuriga, but all you've changed are your clothes."
Yuriga was wearing her usual tribal outfit, but with a small black hat
called a tokin on her head. She wore a pompom sash called a yuigesa,
which hung from her shoulders to her belly, and she held a conch shell in
her hands. These were all traditional tools of a Yamabushi mountain ascetic
from the world Souma came from. Because Yuriga also bore the signature
wings of a celestial on her back, she looked exactly like a (slightly moe)
crow tengu.
"This is supposed to be a monster called a tengu from your brother's
world. He made the hat and sash himself, too."
"Hee hee, Big Brother made my paw gloves, too."
"Listen, I'm sorry to say this when you sound so happy, but isn't it weird
for the king to be good at sewing?"
When Yuriga raised that doubt, Tomoe puffed up her chest with pride.
"Big Brother is also a good cook. You've eaten his food, too, haven't you,
Yuriga?"
"Sure, it was good, but... either way, those aren't very kingly skills."
"Well, I love Big Brother anyway."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm sure you do."
While the two of them were bickering like that, Ichiha and Velza came
over.
"You two, if you two keep squabbling like that, you'll stand out."
"If too many people gather around, the bodyguards will force them to
disperse, correct?"
"Well, yes, but... what are you two wearing?" Yuriga asked.
Today they were wearing their casual outfits, but with round hats on
their heads. There was some sort of tag hanging from the front of them. On
closer inspection, those tags were made from cloth, not paper, and what was
written on them was geometric symbols, not text.
Velza pointed to a stall at the side of the road. "We bought them at that
shop run by The Silver Deer. Right, Ichiha?"
"Yeah. They're apparently for a monster from Souma's world, the...
Janky? Jiangshi? ...Something like that. These talismans are used to control
a dead body, apparently."
"Moving corpses? Are they somethin' like zombies?" Lucy asked.
Ichiha and Velza immediately stretched their arms out in front of them
and stood up ramrod straight.
"I hear they hop like this."
"They cry 'paa, paa, paa,' too."
Ichiha and Velza hopped along, saying "Paa, paa."
"Paa paa...? What a weird monster," said Yuriga with an exasperated
sigh.
"Aww, I'm jealous. You two have matching hats."
Lucy hugged Tomoe. "Now, now, Tomie. We're a beast girl pair, now
aren't we?"
"Oh, yeah. I guess we are, huh?"
"Hold on! You're making it sound like I'm the odd one out!"
As Yuriga protested, Tomoe gave her a cute smirk.
"What? Were you feeling lonely, Yuriga?"
"Argh! You're such a cheeky little kid!"
"Aww, aww, aww."
Yuriga grabbed Tomoe by the cheeks, as per usual, and then...
Boom... Boom... Cannons sounded from the direction of the castle.
"Oh, looks like things're gettin' started."
The two shots signaled the beginning of the Ghost Festival.
In the next moment, music began playing throughout the town. At the
same time, they saw a drum and fife band, each member dressed as a
monster, coming towards them from the direction of the castle.
In the midst of the cheering, Yuriga checked the sign nearby. On it, there
was an outline of the Ghost Festival.
[Ghost Festival Outline]
- The goal of this festival is to help any souls that wander into the living
world return to the next world without regrets by having a good time
together -
- In order to make the souls think we are like them, every participant
must be dressed as a ghost or monster -
(This is voluntary for spectators, but you will have more fun in
costume.) - When the cannons fire, our costumed band and parade will
begin to march -
- Spectators should sing along with the music, and dance -
(All are welcome to jump in and participate.)
...Well, that was what was written there, more or less.
"Yaaaay."
"H-Hold on, Tomoe, you're spinning me too much!"
"...Hey, can I have a moment?" Yuriga called out to Tomoe, who had
already taken Ichiha's hand and started dancing.
"Hm? What?"
"Is this festival one of King Souma's policies, too?"
"...Hmm, I wonder?"
"What? Are you playing dumb again?"
"You can say that, but I really haven't heard anything this time. Though,
knowing Big Brother, I'm sure there's some deeper thinking behind a fun
event like this."
"......"
"But before that, come on." Having finished spinning Ichiha, she now
offered her hand to Yuriga. "You can't enjoy the festival with that look on
your face. Let's dance, Yuriga."
"...Hmph."
Even as she acted unamused, Yuriga took Tomoe's hand.
◇ ◇ ◇
"This is a good place, just like Tomoe said."
"Nyaha! Everyone needs a younger girl who'll call them Big Sister,
huh?" Roroa said with a laugh.
This was the fruit parlor at The Cat's Tree, run by Tomoe's school friend
Lucy's family.
In order to watch the Ghost Festival we had planned in anonymity, we
had asked Lucy to reserve the whole place for the royal family. I was here
together with my five wives, and our bodyguards and subordinates. To be
honest, I wanted to bring Cian and Kazuha, too, but I was told it would put
more of a burden on the guards, so they were left with Carla and the others
in the castle.
"I know we paid, but do you think we're hurting them, since this is a
profitable time?"
"Don't you fret. Lucy's family'll be makin' their profit off the stall
they're runnin' today, so they couldn't spare much staff for the main
business, and were only plannin' to run it like any other day."
"Well, I guess it's okay then."
"That's right. But more importantly, Darlin', we've got a good view of
the fountain plaza from here."
The fountain with the Jewel Voice Broadcast receiver system was easy
to see from the second floor terrace. The image of the costumed parade
dancing to the drum and fife band's music was projected there, and it made
for a fantastic, or rather a nightmarish scene.
If I recalled, Tomoe had used this place during the song battle. It was a
bit far away, but you could see the gathered crowd, so it was a pretty good
spot.
"Colbert and Sebastian, thank you for your cooperation, too."
Minister of Finance Colbert, and Sebastian, the proprietor of The Silver
Deer, were here too. Their help in arranging this event had been
monumental.
Colbert had managed the funding and placement of loreleis, while
Sebastian had handled the production of spooky costumes (basically
cosplay goods) for the event. The money from goods would go to the
business Roroa ran from behind the scenes, so we would be able to make
back the costs of running the event somehow.
"If I have been any help to you and Lady Roroa, it brings me the
greatest honor, sire." Sebastian brought a hand to his chest and bowed
reverently. He was a true gentleman.
Colbert, meanwhile, slumped his shoulders in exhaustion. "Handling the
funding and arranging things with the loreleis was exhausting. I had to
place guards along the parade route, and set up areas for them to prepare."
"Ohh... Yeah, that was rough on me, too."
I had to make documents, and keep on stamping them... I feel like I
worked pretty hard myself.
As we both sighed, Roroa slapped me hard on the back. "What're you
lookin' so glum for? It's a festival! You've gotta enjoy it."
"Hee hee, she's right. I know half the reason we're here is official
business, but it's like a day off, so why don't you enjoy it as much as those
two over there?"
Liscia was pointing at Naden and Aisha, who were enjoying the sweets
(which had been tested for poison) that the staff here had prepared for us.
"After I saw Tomoe and her friends eating here, I wanted to try it, too."
"I do enjoy your homemade sweets, sire, but the sort of stylish sweets
that are sold in restaurants are nice, too... Munch, munch."
The two of them were smacking their lips at the mountain of cakes and
puddings before them. ...Well, they seemed to be enjoying themselves, so I
guess I could leave them be. Then...
"Um, sire. Was it all right for me not to take part in the parade?" Juna
asked, looking a little restless.
"Did you want to participate after all?"
"Yes... I do somewhat feel that way," she answered embarrassedly. "It
was an opportunity for my songs to be of use to you, so it was a little
disappointing... Oh! But I enjoy relaxing here with everyone, too, of
course." Juna smiled softly.
Though she was the first secondary queen of this nation, she was also
the people's Prima Lorelei. If she couldn't take part in an event that
involved singing, she must have felt like a diver in front of a clear sea, but
didn't have their diving equipment. There was a reason for it, but she still
felt a little bad about not being part of the event nonetheless.
"I'm sorry. This is an experimental event, so I couldn't be sure how the
people would react to it. I was too scared to let you join in..."
I had the sense that, with the way the people of this country were now, it
would be fine. But if I trusted them implicitly, I would be starting from
behind if something happened, and might respond too late. If I thought of
the potential tragedy that might occur... I had no choice but to be careful.
Juna brought a hand to her chest. "Don't make that face. I trust in your
decisions, sire."
"Juna..."
"Hey, could you two stop ignorin' the rest of us and goin' off into your
own romantic little world?!"
""Whoa!""
Roroa suddenly jumped on me from behind, causing me to stumble,
nearly taking Juna down with me. I managed to avoid falling over, but
Roroa and Juna shrieked as I ended up spinning them both around.
"What're you doing, geez," Liscia said in exasperation. "But more
importantly, Souma, isn't it time you told us what the intent behind this plan
is?"
"Oh, right. But rather than have me explain, it might be faster if you
were to look at that."
Having regained my balance, and with Roroa still on my back, I pointed
to the fountain in the distance. In the sky above the bonfire-lit fountain
plaza, there was an image of Nanna, Pamille, and Komari projected.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Oh! Looks like they're here!" Tomoe, who was watching the parade,
shouted.
The costumed band and performers had entertained the people so far, but
now an even greater roar of applause came from the crowd. The line of
floats that were the main attraction of the parade were here.
One of these floats, which were pulled by rhinosauruses, had the loreleis
Nanna, Pamille, and Komari aboard, and another had the male idol unit, the
orpheuses, Yaiba. Each of them was engulfed in the screams of their
respective male or female fans.
"Hey, people! Are you feeling energetic?!"
The cat girl, Nanna, who was wearing a black tube top and hot pants
together with bat wings and a pointed tail, shouted to the crowd. That outfit,
which accentuated her healthy body more than her sexiness, made her look
like a genuine little devil.
Then, wearing a head protector that looked like the one Hal had, along
with a Japanese-style dress similar to the ones that his first wife Kaede
wore, Komari stepped forward, dressed forward in an oni costume.
"Tonight, let us show you a song that will make both the living and dead
dance like mad."
"Heheh, hear my song, and be cursed."
Rather than her usual frilly dress, Pamille was wearing a black gothic
lolita style outfit, along with bandages, and an eye patch... In some ways,
she might have been the one we'd stuffed the most character elements onto
this time.
The members of Yaiba were dressed as Dracula, the wolf man, and
Frankenstein's monster, only modified to be cooler, and their female fans
were squealing.
"Oh, hey, it's the loreleis. They're lookin' mighty cute, huh?" Lucy said
to herself when she saw them.
"Certainly. Even though their costumes are modeled on monsters, they
are still adorable."
"Bat wings and horns would usually be creepy, but when they're just
one part of the whole, I feel like they actually accentuate the loreleis'
cuteness."
Velza and Ichiha agreed.
"Hrmm," Yuriga groaned. "Is it like how, if you eat something salty in
between sweets, they taste better?"
"I don't know about that analogy... but I feel like you're right."
Yuriga's unflattering explanation made Ichiha smile wryly.
The monsters look cute... Tomoe looked at the loreleis standing up on
top of the float. They're dressed like monsters, but no one minds, they're
just enjoying it, and calling them "Cool" or "Cute." Maybe that's what Big
Brother is after? Tomoe thought that to herself as she watched the lively
parade.
"Squeeeee!"
"""""Huh?!"""""
There was a sudden loud squeal from next to them. Tomoe and the
others turned to look, and Velza's eyes were sparkling as she waved her
hand wildly. This was so far from the usual, cool Velza, Tomoe and the rest
just kept blinking.
With no regard for their eyes on her, Velza shouted, "Lord Haaaal! Over
heeeere!"
They followed Velza's gaze, and there, on the other side of the floats, a
massive red dragon was trudging along on four legs. And there on top of it
was a soldier with an oni head protector on.
"Is that Hal and Ruby?"
"Isn't that the red dragon knight who fought alongside my brother,
Fuuga?"
While Tomoe and Yuriga cocked their heads to the side in shared
confusion, Halbert took notice of them. He hopped down off Ruby's back
and walked over in their direction.
"Hey, Velza. And Young Miss Tomoe, too. Were you all watching
together?"
"Yes, Lord Hal!" Velza responded with an energy that made Tomoe and
the rest think, Is this girl really Velza?
"Oh, yeah?" Halbert plopped his hand down on top of her head. "I'm
glad to see you've made some friends."
"Yes! But why are you in the parade, Lord Hal?"
"Oh... Souma said, 'You're the Red Oni, so you can join the Ghost
Festival as is,' and forced me into it. That's how Ruby and I got put on
display in this freak show." Halbert scratched his cheek, seeming a bit
embarrassed.
"You're not freaks! You're cool, Lord Hal!"
"Hahaha, thanks." He patted Velza's head vigorously.
"Hal... It's time to get back to it," Ruby called to Hal telepathically.
"Whoops, gotta rejoin the procession." Halbert turned around to head
back. "Later, Velza. Enjoy the festival."
"Bye-bye, Velza."
"Okay! Lord Hal, Lady Ruby!"
Velza waved her hand wildly as she saw Hal and Ruby off. Once they
were gone, and Velza turned around, only to be met by blank stares from
Tomoe and the rest, she finally realized. Velza coughed and cleared her
throat.
"...I apologize. That was unseemly of me."
"Uh, no, it's too late to try and keep up appearances now."
Yuriga's calm retort made Velza turn red. Then it clicked for Tomoe.
"Wait, could it be that the person you were saying you want to serve is
Hal?"
"...D-Did you figure that out?"
"If you're actin' that different around him, who wouldn't?" Lucy
chimed in, and Ichiha followed up with, "I-I think it was cute, and very
appropriate for a girl your age."
Velza covered her face with her hands. "I had tried to act aloof and keep
it hidden, but it came out so easily."
"Nyahaha, you're so cute, Velie."
Tomoe and the rest just chuckled as Lucy poked Velza in the cheek, who
smiled shyly at their reactions.
It was a night during summer break. The children enjoyed the festival to
their heart's content.