"May the Benevolent Deity shower us with the rains of mercy!"
"May the Benevolent Deity be compassionate, bringing forth the fruits of plentiful harvest for us all!"
Beneath the Floral Fire Tower, the village chief Woodall held high a torch and cried out with fervour. The surrounding villagers echoed his call in a robust chorus.
Tyler mimicked their gestures, yet an awkward situation arose: amidst the crowd, he alone stood without a torch. Attending the Rain Praise Festival for the first time, Tyler had assumed that torches would be uniformly distributed by the village. It was unanticipated that even Granny Kana would overlook such details.
"Now! Let us offer the flowers of summer to the Benevolent Deity! May the vitality of summer reside within the Benevolent Deity!!"
Following the devout invocation, the village chief initiated the ritual by casting his torch onto the Floral Fire Tower. With a 'whoosh', the flames rapidly engulfed the structure. Then, the other villagers followed suit, voicing their prayers aloud as they threw their torches. The gleaming fire danced in the night sky, swiftly transforming the Floral Fire Tower into a roaring inferno that resembled a blooming tree of flame in the heart of darkness.
"Ban—Banning..."
Tyler, without a torch, stood silently, marveling at this grand spectacle, a cultural practice he had never experienced back in his Earth World.
In any world, there come times when people feel powerless, hence the creation of "gods", fictitious entities devised to carry the weight of their hopes.
"Ban—Banning..."
However, whether the "Benevolent Deity" that the people of Ira Village referred to bore any connection to the "humanoid luminescent figure" within the grey space was a subject Tyler needed to investigate further.
"Ban—ning!"
At that moment, Tyler heard his name being called.
Amidst the tumultuous voices of the Rain Praise Festival, it was difficult for Tyler to discern who was calling him. He turned around and noticed Avril, standing outside the crowd, waving at him. The area surrounding the Floral Fire Tower was densely packed with people, leaving Avril unable to push through. She was gradually being pressed further away, nearly fading out of sight.
Tyler smiled knowingly. Avril's timing was impeccable, as he had been intending to find her.
Navigating through the dense crowd, Tyler finally reached Avril, though he found her posture odd, one hand perpetually concealed behind her.
"I thought you didn't hear me... I was too soft," Avril said, her face a portrait of frustration, reminiscent of a lost child amidst a fairground.
"It's not your fault; it's just too noisy here... By the way, Avril, do you want to toss a torch? Shall I help you inside?"
Wanting to pat the meek and pitiful Avril's head, Tyler extended his hand, but quickly withdrew it midway.
"Toss a torch? Oh, did you...did you toss yours, Ban…Banning?"
Avril perked up momentarily, but soon became fidgety once more.
"Haha, not yet. I forgot to prepare a torch."
"Really?! That's great!"
"Great?"
Avril's joy was unmistakable, and in her excitement, she let slip her hope that Banning had indeed forgotten his torch.
"Ah, pardon me, I... that is to say... I've prepared... a torch for you."
With a sheepish smile, Avril revealed the item she'd hidden behind her back, only to realise that it wasn't a torch she was presenting, but a shiny wood-cutting axe, reflecting the surrounding firelight.
"Ah, my mistake, it's this."
After a flurry of rummaging, Avril finally pulled out a torch from behind her back. She had been so flustered earlier that she'd brought along the wood-cutting axe from her home.
(Avril is truly astonishing, capable of concealing so many items behind her back.)
Upon seeing the axe, a chill ran down Tyler's spine, likely owing to his guilt towards Avril.
"Thank you, Avril. Shall we toss the torch together?"
"Yes!"
Tyler and Avril borrowed a fire source from the villagers to light their torch and together navigated their way through the crowd to the Floral Fire Tower.
Looking at the blazing "Tree of Flames," they shouted their prayers in unison and subsequently cast their torch into the fire.
Regarding torch-tossing, Tyler knew the symbolism was that the higher the torch was thrown, the better the autumn harvest would be. Yet, there was another implication that Granny Kana hadn't informed Tyler about:
It is said that if a man and a woman of marrying age toss a torch together, they would be wedded the following year during the Rain Praise Festival.
Avril was aware of this implication, which was why she had specially prepared a torch to seek out Banning. Having successfully tossed the torch, Avril's heart was pounding. She felt both ecstatic and apprehensive, afraid someone might jump out and exclaim, "Ah, you two have tossed a torch together!" or "You'll be husband and wife next year!"
If such a situation truly occurred, Avril would be mortified.
The one thing on Avril's mind was whether Banning knew the implication of throwing the torch together. If he did, could that be construed as him having feelings for her too?
Avril was burning with curiosity, but she couldn't ask such a question—it would give her away.
"Avril, let's go have some 'Sweet Sauce Potatoes,' shall we?"
"Um? Uh, sure..."
At this point, the villagers brought out the pre-prepared 'Sweet Sauce Potatoes,' marking the customary conclusion to the Rain Praise Festival.
The sweetly sauced, roasted potatoes were a once-a-year delicacy in Ira Village, loved not only by the children but also the adults.
However, due to Ira Village's limited production capabilities, whether a child or an adult, everyone was rationed to only three pieces, leaving the children eagerly anticipating the arrival of next year's Rain Praise Festival.
After sampling a piece of the sweet sauce potato, Tyler found that the saccharine jam and the full-bodied flavor of the potatoes perfectly complemented each other. Indeed, it was delicious—this was the first genuinely tasty food he'd encountered since arriving in the world of "Parallel World No. 77: Prison Star."
"Avril, did you make this sauce?"
"No, it was a group effort. I mainly assisted with picking the fruit."
"I see... this jam is far superior to what we have in Luca Village. It must be because of your meticulous care in cultivating these fruits that the jam is so delicious."
"It's... it's nothing special..."
Praised by Tyler, Avril blushed. However, her shyness wasn't merely due to the compliment but also because she had a plan in mind that she intended to put into action, albeit lacking just a "TINY" bit of courage...
·
The moon inscribed a furtive arc across the nocturnal firmament, signaling the twilight of the Rain Praise Festival. Some reveled in a dance around the Floral Fire Tower, others found respite on the sidelines, engrossed in hushed conversations.
Avril and Banning, drifting around the Floral Fire Tower at a leisurely pace, were periodically greeted by well-wishers and acquaintances.
Avril, a silent observer, couldn't help but marvel at Banning's effortless charisma. In the short span of their sojourn in the village, he had garnered widespread respect and admiration. His was an aura of authority, reminiscent of a village elder.
—— (A man of Banning's remarkable caliber is bound to transcend the boundaries of this humble village. This place, perhaps, lacks the room for his true potential…)
At the thought of Banning's inevitable departure, Avril felt a tight knot of dread in her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.
A few days prior, Rhode's confession had taught her a valuable lesson - the importance of expressing one's affection. If left unsaid, it would forever remain unknown.
Banning's ambiguous proximity now instilled in Avril a sense of unease, reminding her of the urgency to convey her feelings. If not now, she might never get the chance.
The flickering blaze of the Floral Fire Tower, akin to a ticking countdown, seemed to nudge her towards decision. As they completed another round around the tower, Avril found herself hastening her pace, positioning herself before Banning.
"Ba-Banning...I..."
Avril clenched the hem of her dress with trembling hands, her gaze firmly fixed on the ground. Finally summoning her courage, she ventured to meet Banning's eyes.
"There's something...I need to tell you..."