Chapter 53 - [Illustration of Confusion
Insert Story - Fireworks]
In mid-August, during the commencement of Crevasse Dungeon construction, my five familiars visited my apartment under the guise of taking a break. Oh, when I say five, I'm not mistaken. Since Haifa can split herself, I've potted one of her divisions in my room, allowing everyone to visit my room freely without the awkwardness of leaving Haifa out.
With Haifa residing in my room, I had a reliable caretaker during my absence in the other world. The potted Haifa, just like the main body, could communicate telepathically, sharing consciousness with the main body in the cave.
Well, as we leisurely watched TV, booming sounds like "Dooon" or "Paaan" echoed from outside the window, startling my familiars.
"Ah, it's a fireworks festival."
"Master... what is a fireworks festival?"
"Rather than explaining, it's faster to look outside."
Saying that, I led everyone—Haifa's potted self included—to the window.
My familiars, witnessing fireworks for the first time, were captivated by the blooming flowers in the night sky.
"We're quite close to where they're launching, so even watching from the window should be quite impressive."
Although I tried to get their attention, they remained engrossed in the splendid display of fireworks in the night sky.
About ten minutes after the fireworks display had ended, as my familiars continued to silently gaze at the sky, one by one, they returned to the table.
"Sigh... Master's world has such beautiful things."
"It's a summer tradition. Not just here, but fireworks festivals are held all over Japan. Besides those large fireworks, there are also small handheld ones that children enjoy."
Upon hearing this, everyone expressed their desire to see them. Well, it's a summer tradition. Since we're at it, why not invite the Crevasse group and have our fireworks display.
...
We purchased a few sets of fireworks and, armed with mosquito coils for ignition and a bucket for extinguishing, entered the cave. Today is our fireworks festival.
Deciding on the location was a bit of a debate, but eventually, with the Crevasse group in tow, we settled on having it near the old "Morrow's Dungeon." It's close to Romulus and Remus' labyrinth. The dungeon cores, Romulus and Remus, can borrow the eyes of dungeon monsters to observe the scene. So this time, we dispatched a Cave Bat to the old dungeon and planned to enjoy the fireworks through its eyes. Although Crevasse's dungeon hadn't summoned dungeon monsters yet, we hastily summoned a Cave Bat for this fireworks viewing. Of course, I brought the Cave Bat here just like I did with Morrow.
Morrow's Dungeon is surrounded by a forest, and even at night, a hand-held fireworks display won't attract much attention. Thinking this, we enjoyed the fireworks without reserve.
Still, at this point, I'm the only one holding fireworks. Everyone else is here to watch. To an observer, I must have looked like a pitiful man enjoying fireworks alone. I'm glad we didn't do this near the apartment...
Ignoring my internal melancholy, everyone was engrossed in the fireworks. The excitement and joy from the dungeon core and Haifa (carrying a potted plant) conveyed to me. Well, I'm glad they enjoyed it.
After finishing the sparklers, as everyone was enjoying themselves, perhaps because their guard was down, I decided to end it by launching about five rocket fireworks that I had kept for safety. I did bring empty bottles as makeshift launchers.
Excitedly watching, the rocket fireworks soared into the sky. After the five-colored flames bloomed one after another in the night sky, the world's first fireworks festival came to an end.
...
"A will-o'-wisp appeared in Morrow's Dungeon?"
The guild master of Elgin's adventurer guild raised an eyebrow at the strange report.
"Was it reported by adventurers?"
"Well, you could say that... Adventurers reported it, but the person himself didn't see the will-o'-wisp. It was reported as a rumor circulating among Morrow's residents."
"Details?"
"A will-o'-wisp appeared near Morrow's Dungeon. Since they didn't approach, the details are unclear. However, at the very least, the flame seen through residents' accounts had an otherworldly color, described as a five-colored flame. Finally, it made a frightening noise and flew around in the sky."
"He didn't see it up close, huh?"
"It seems he didn't even consider approaching due to fear."
"Hmm... The information is too vague to be included in an official report. I'll send a personal letter as the guild master to the commander of the first division in the royal capital to inform them."