Chapter 41: Eve of the Festival, Part ③
Finally—at long last. Tomorrow is the day.
Tomorrow, The Great of Rounds begins.
For some reason, I’m starting to get strangely nervous.
Tonight is the eve of that event.
The pre-celebration is being held as a standing buffet party in the grand hall of the Hydrangea Lord’s Castle.
The attendees and invitees include thirty First-Class Explorers and their Knight attendants, the Tsukaeshi.
Also present are city notables and powerful nobles.
I’ve been dressed in an unfamiliar suit and handed a glass of alcohol I can’t drink.
It was labeled a “welcome drink,” so I just took it without thinking.
Now I’m standing by the wall—
all alone. So far, no one has spoken to me.
My name has already taken on a life of its own, and no one knows what would happen if I appeared together with the witch and the other three.
So the plan was for me to keep as low a profile as possible during the party.
Honestly, I’m relieved.
Even from here, the view is incredible.
Ah—there’s Ens-san and Emi-san.
I thought Axe-san wouldn’t be here, but… he is.
He’s drinking and eating with Rell-san and Hoss-san, chatting with Agaro-san.
Nearby, I see Megadia-san, Arifa-san, and… who’s that?
That fiery red-haired woman who looks incredibly strong.
And that black-haired one—it’s Kaede-san.
Not in a dress, but in a kimono.
And not the usual warrior’s hakama look, but a navy-blue obi kimono—very elegant.
Further back… that’s Alweld, right?
He’s talking with some noble.
That area has this strange, heavy atmosphere—like everyone’s intimidated by him.
I’m fine not going near there.
And then, the Witch, Munieka-san, Chive-san, and Shiro-san.
Each wore glamorous, sexy dresses they’d never usually wear.
The Witch’s was black—a cocktail dress with an open back… the kind that would slay virgins.
(Wait, why do I even remember that from my past life?)
Munieka-san was, as always, in her maid outfit. Unshakable. Respect.
Chive-san wore a yellow off-shoulder dress.
It was my first time seeing her in one. She even had makeup on—shocking.
Shiro-san wore a white cape over a white dress, with a white flower ornament in her hair.
It somehow reminded me of her nightgown from yesterday—though this one wasn’t thin or see-through.
Each of them chatted cheerfully with glasses in hand, surrounded by radiant, noble-looking men.
Or maybe not radiant—more like predatory.
It really hit me again that this was a world I didn’t belong in.
“Gahahahahaha!”
“Dahahahahahaha! Look! My impregnable fortress!”
“Hey you, hey you—it’s festival time, yo!”
“Oh, this fish. Quite delicious.”
“Fish eating fish, huh, gesu!”
“Pffft! Hah! That’s hilarious!”
Yeah. Definitely a world I can’t fit into.
Let’s just make absolutely sure no one notices me.
“♪ Now then, let us sing~ ♪”
On stage, a man dressed like a textbook bard was strumming a lute.
So flashy, so old-fashioned—it screamed “minstrel.”
I’ve never seen anyone so determined to look like a bard before.
“♪ Tales of countless heroes~ they say heroes love color~ ♪”
What kind of song is this?
“♪ But none wore color quite like he~ ♪”
A heroic ballad, maybe? About some great hero?
“♪ Yet he is not a hero—no, not yet~ but he stands on the brink of becoming one~ ♪”
So it’s a story of one striving to be a hero—a heroic saga, then.
I don’t dislike those.
“♪ He faces hardships, trials~ challenges none have overcome~ uncharted struggles~ ♪”
Yeah, that kind of thing is exciting.
“♪ Impregnable~ ♪”
…Hm?
“♪ He who challenges~ he who conquers the impregnable~ ♪”
Wait, what?
“♪ The Night’s Challenger—Wof! ♪
♪ The Night’s Conqueror—Wof! ♪
♪ The Night’s Hero King—Wof! ♪”
“Pfffffhhhhtttt!”
I sprayed my drink—spectacularly. My stomach hurt from laughing.
Thankfully, no one seemed to notice me… but what was that song!?
And what’s with the ‘night’ part!? Night!?
Sure, I did sleep beside Shiro-san last night, but—!
Yes, her skin was smooth and cool, her body soft and warm,
and that comfortable lukewarm touch felt amazing,
and yes, she definitely wasn’t wearing anything underneath,
and yes, I may have noticed that quite directly—
—but that’s not what this is about!!
“Haah… he’s just making things up now. Hm?”
Then a large blue dog lumbered over—it was The Sword of Swords.
Among the First-Class Explorers, when people debate who’s the strongest,
it always comes down to The Sword of Swords or The Breaker of Ruin.
Being the strongest of the First-Class means being one of the strongest in the world.
Never thought it would literally be a dog, though.
Then again, the giant salamander—er, land catfish—was a former First-Class too.
What is with this world, honestly?
The Sword of Swords gave me a glance, then lay down beside me, looking bored.
Somehow, that made sense. He was a dog, after all.
Still…
Watching the party from the sidelines was actually kind of fun.
So bright, noisy, and elegant all at once—chaotic yet grand.
Just standing there and observing the strange bustle…
It was pure enjoyment.
“Oh my, you look like you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Eh…!?”
Suddenly, without a hint of presence, a clown appeared before me.
Bright red and yellow clothes, white and red face paint—it was unmistakably a clown.
He hopped back from me playfully.
“Ahaha, what a scary face you’re making.”
“Clown…”
“No no, I’m Nightmare Parade.”
“…”
The clown bowed theatrically.
“Just a humble jester—Crow Dister. Pleased to meet you.”
“Ah, uh, likewise.”
Calm down. Clown is gone now. But the clown remains.
The undead clown monsters of the dungeon are still around in various forms.
And street performers and circus jesters haven’t disappeared either.
That one’s a person—not a dungeon monster.
“Oh my, the Sword of Swords is here too. Ahaha, what a bored face.”
The Sword of Swords glanced at Crow, then looked away and closed his eyes.
I suddenly wondered what his apprentice, Celeste, might be doing right now.
“Ahaha, so what’s so fun for you here?”
“I just thought watching the pre-festival from a step back like this was… pleasant.”
I answered honestly. Nothing to hide.
And really, it was fun.
“I see, I see. So, a spectator, eh?”
“Yes.”
“Spectators are indispensable everywhere. Do you prefer being in the gallery over being on the stage?”
“I’m not fond of standing out.”
“Ahaha, that’s ironic coming from a clown like me, huh?”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Just kidding, just kidding. Ahaha, whatever the shape, a party’s still a party. Enjoy yourself.”
With that, Crow walked away, juggling with light, bouncy steps.
So that’s “Nightmare Parade,” huh.
Still… I really can’t deal with clowns.
Come to think of it, the First-Class Explorers—aren’t they mostly weirdos?
That messy-eating elf woman was here earlier.
A stunning beauty, sure, but she completely ignored the food being served and only ate what she brought herself.
I also spotted that pink sphere again.
Well, honestly, anyone aiming for First-Class status is already kind of eccentric.
Ah, but I still haven’t seen Mineha yet.
She should be here—she’s the knight attendant of her mother, the “Fairy Queen.”
“You there… Hals, is it?”
“Lady Pakira— it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Just Pakira is fine. I am Pakira of Torquetum.”
Pakira… who’s that again?
The voice came from outside the hall—from the balcony.
“Pakira, right?”
“Hals. Where are the others?”
“…I don’t know. When I came to, I was alone.”
“So you’re here as the familiar knight, then?”
“Yes. I’m with the Order of Explorers now. You hadn’t heard?”
“I’ve heard of it, but didn’t know you were part of it. My apologies.”
“I might have thought Pakira was dead already, too?”
“Well, that can’t be helped. I thought the others were dead as well, so I never searched.”
“The country’s gone now… destroyed…”
“Yes… that’s true…”
I feel like I just overheard something I shouldn’t have.
So that’s the story… and Pakira-san really must be someone important.
Still, that voice—it’s a husky girl’s voice with a distinctive tone, but I can’t see her.
Oops, they might notice me eavesdropping. Better back off—out of the hall, into the corridor.
Just then—our eyes met.
“Ah.”
“…Wof-sama.”
Juicy-san was dressed in a gown like a blooming red flower.
Light makeup, crimson lipstick.
Instead of her usual adorable cuteness, she was stunningly beautiful.
And her tail was wagging back and forth, swish, swish.