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"Well, we do have the annual Harvest Festival coming up," the woman said. "It's a big event for us, with lots of food, music, and games. You should stick around for it."
"That sounds fun. Maybe I will," Lucas replied, feeling a sense of anticipation. "Thank you."
As Lucas wandered through Greenhaven, he found a quaint little inn and decided to settle in for a while. Once in his room, he turned into his high elf form and sat cross-legged on the bed, pulling out all the fabric he'd bought. "Hmm," he pondered, considering his options. "Although I prefer casual and formal wear, I also want some other types of clothes as well."
Activating a memory spell, Lucas recalled all the types of clothes he had seen and taken a liking to. Using alchemy, he created a large magic circle on the floor, transforming all the fabric he had thrown down into multiple types of clothes that now filled the room. "Now..." Lucas muttered, pulling out a lump of gold from his dimensional storage, treasures he had procured from the pirates he encountered until now. He used alchemy to reform the gold into an enchanted ring, storing all the clothes he made inside it.
"I'll add a function to change clothes, to clean them, and repair them," he muttered, engraving more enchantments on the ring. For a while, various lights emanated from his room, drawing attention from outside. "Phew," he finally sighed, having completed all his preparations. He wore the ring, which glimmered beautifully with the intricate engravings he had made.
"Let's take a stroll, shall we?" he said to himself, feeling satisfied with his work.
---
Lucas stepped out of the inn, feeling refreshed and ready to explore Greenhaven. The village was bustling with activity as preparations for the Harvest Festival were in full swing. Colorful banners and lanterns adorned the streets, and the air was filled with the delicious aroma of food being prepared.
As he wandered through the village, Lucas couldn't help but smile at the cheerful atmosphere. Children ran around playing games, while adults set up stalls and decorations. He decided to join in the festivities and headed towards the village square, where most of the action was taking place.
"Welcome to the Harvest Festival!" a cheerful villager greeted him. "Feel free to join in the fun. There's plenty to see and do!"
Lucas thanked the villager and began exploring the various stalls. He tried his hand at a few games, letting loose for the first time since he got here and enjoying himself. He sampled some of the local delicacies, savoring the rich flavors of freshly baked bread, roasted meats, and sweet pastries.
As the day turned into evening, the festival reached its peak. A large bonfire was lit in the center of the square, and villagers gathered around to sing and dance. Lucas found himself drawn into the lively atmosphere, joining in the dancing and enjoying the music.
The night continued with more music, dancing, and laughter. The villagers were very welcoming, showcasing their kindness.
As the festival began to wind down, Lucas sat by the bonfire, watching the flames flicker and listening to the sounds of the village. He felt at peace, grateful for his new life.
"This was quite fun," he thought to himself, smiling.
The next morning, Lucas was woken up by a loud noise downstairs in the inn. He groggily made his way down to see what the ruckus was about.
"Please, sir, I beg of you! I can pay you all the money I have, just don't take my wife from me," the innkeeper pleaded, kneeling on the floor.
"Huh... I don't like to repeat myself. Whenever I take a liking to something, I take it," a rowdy voice replied.
"Yawn! Hey, mister innkeeper, I thought I reserved this entire building for my stay here," Lucas said, coming down the stairs. "What's all the noise about?" he added, walking up to them, still half asleep.
"This doesn't concern you, runt. Leave if you know what's good for you," the man said. A few more men barged in, breaking the door.
"Hey, Ryan, what's taking so long? We're leaving this place," they said, carrying sacks filled on their backs.
"Yeah, I'm coming. I just wanted to take this here woman to be my toy. But these two seem to be begging me not to," the man said, holding the innkeeper's wife by her hair.
"Who dares go against the Manson bandits?" one of the bandits said, coming in from outside as the others made way.
"It's the leader. Now they've done it. The leader has an 8 million berry bounty," one of them said.
"Sigh. This again," Lucas responded, exasperated.
"Haaa," the bandit leader turned his head. "Who's the runt?" he pointed.
"Super strong, soon-to-be number one bandit in the East Blue, sir," one of the Manson bandits came up.
"You know something?" the leader turned. "Well, actually, while I was strolling around, I came across this. Although his physique and clothes are different, I'm pretty sure this is him," the bandit said, showing a piece of paper to their leader.
"Huu. A two million bounty," the leader read on the paper. "Ghost Pirate! Am I supposed to be intimida..." He added, but before he could continue, he saw Lucas now standing next to him, holding the paper of his bounty.
"There really is a bounty on me. Kinda feels nice," Lucas remarked with a smile.
"What the... How did he move so fast? Was it a fluke?" the bandit leader wondered, sweating.
Lucas had just vanished and taken the paper from the bandit leader without him noticing a thing. From the others' reactions, it seemed that everyone was caught off guard.
"It's really something, huh?" Lucas said, kind of happy about the bounty he had now. Though it was only two million, it was still a start. "I almost forgot. Hey, innkeeper, do you know the direction to the Polestar Islands?" Lucas asked, turning around and addressing the innkeeper, who was kneeling down with tears in his eyes.
"Don't you dare..." The bandit leader, raising his hand to strike Lucas, was enraged by being ignored. He raised his voice, but before he could do anything, purple tentacles had already wrapped up each and every bandit on the island.
"I'm talking now," Lucas said, giving him a deathly gaze that sent a shiver through the bandits' bodies. "Alright, I guess I'll have to deal with these guys, huh?" Lucas muttered as he turned the mana tentacles into chains, forcing the bandits to drop the sacks of loot they were carrying from pillaging Greenhaven. He then launched the bandits flying into the sky, still shackled, far from the island as they screamed.
"Now then, as I was saying," Lucas said, turning back. He saw the villagers happy and rejoicing at the riddance of the threat. They even had all their valuables back. They went and thanked Lucas, holding a party in celebration, leading him to stay another night.
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