Chapter 88: The start of the winter solstice festival
Translator: Tseirp
On that day, the clear winter sky was blue as far as the eye could see.
Today was the Avalon Continent’s winter solstice festival.
The winter solstice festival happens during the 12th month when daytime was the shortest and it was a festival to celebrate the arrival of spring. On this day, people would drive away the newly born 『winter demons』and offer pigs, bread and wine to God Demis and Rarael, the Guardian of Hope, to pray for fertility and peace.
“Lit, are you done preparing?”
“Yeah, I’m coming.”
Lit, who was changing inside the bedroom, showed herself.
“How is it?”
Lit spun in a circle in her dress while looking slightly embarrassed.
The hem of her skirt fluttered up slightly and I caught a glimpse of her healthy thighs.
“Yup, you look very good in it.”
“Ehehe.”
Lit happily hugged me.
Today, she had a scarf around her neck instead of the usual bandana. The scarf was tied into a knot and the end which hung down toward her chest was embroidered with beautiful flowers that really matched Lit’s look.
“Red looks good in that coat as well.”
“Really?”
Lit laughed when she saw my shy reaction and she hugged me tighter with her arms around my waist and pressed herself to my chest.
“Isn’t Logavia celebrating their winter solstice festival soon as well?”
“That’s right, now that you mentioned it.”
“I was holding myself back at that time but I really wanted to enjoy the winter solstice festival in Logavia with Red.”
At that time, after we finished saving Logavia, we had to immediately move to the next front line against the Demon Lord Army. Our next destination was Seren, the doorway into the Cataphract Kingdom to the northeast. There were talks about agitators against cooperating with Avalonia fanning the flames among the citizens in Seren so we had to travel there to resolve that issue.
That bloody winter solstice festival which happened in the city of agitators incited by demons was not a memory that I want to relive.
“Well then, let’s go to the festival.”
“Yup!”
Lit released her hand around my waist and entwined her right arm with my arm without hesitation.
“Hn ... all right, let’s go!”
I hesitated a little but I guess it was all right during festivities.
We walked to Downtown where the festival was at with our hands intertwined.
☆☆
If the 『Winter Demon』 was not chased away, this year’s winter would be longer and the spring harvest would experience a bad harvest. The 『Saint』 and 『Dragon Knight』 who received their divine protection from Rarael were in-charge of driving the winter demon away.
The program where the townsmen or villagers would act as the 『Dragon Knight』 riding on a float with gold scales mimicking a Gold Drake and the 『Saint』 holding the symbol of Rarael, the trident spear, to drive away the 『Winter Demon』 wearing a mountain goat head would continue for the whole day.
At that moment, the『Dragon Knight』 and 『Saint』 were swapping with other residents but the same person will continue to act the role of the『Winter Demon』. Wearing that heavy attire, the actor would walk around the entire day, dance in a frenzy and behave riotously until, in the end, he would be so tired that he won’t even be able to walk properly.
That will be when the 『Dragon Knight』 will thrust his sword at him and the 『Winter Demon』will stagger out of the town and flee. That was be the flow of the main event of the festival.
In other words, in order to tire the 『Winter Demon』out, singing, dancing, and fooling around with all of one’s might was recommended during the winter solstice festival.
“Hey Red! Are you enjoying yourself!”
The Half-Elf Gonz, seemingly already drunk with a red face, called out to me. Beside to him, Tanta was enjoying a large sugar bread with a sparkling expression.
“Hey Gonz. You’re in a good mood.”
“That’s natural. Today’s a festival after all. I’m taking a day off from work too. And I will be having a hangover tomorrow so it will be a rest day too!”
“You plan to rest tomorrow as well?”
“Not like it is possible to work in such cold weather.”
Half-Elves were said to be diligent people but that totally didn’t seem to apply to the Half-Elves in Zoltan.
“As expected of Uncle!”
Tanta’s eyes were sparkling after hearing the manly proclamation from the useless Gonz.
This is bad, at this rate, Tanta would become a useless adult as well.
“Tanta, I’m properly working tomorrow, which is how it should be.”
“Eh~ take a break~ I want to go fishing at the river together with everyone.”
“Ah, that sounds good.”
“Right?”
“Oi Lit ...”
Even Lit became motivated for it and the three of them started singing ‘Take a break♪’ together.
Stop it, the people around are looking at us!
“Fine fine, either way since the entire Zoltan will be lazing around tomorrow, let’s take a break and go river fishing.”
“””Yay~!”””
Putting aside Tanta, even Gonz and Lit raised their hands up like children.
Seriously ...
“Yay~”
Then, I heard calm voices, that mimicked the merry voices that Lit and the others made, from behind me.
Upon turning back, I saw Ruti and Tise expressionlessly raising their hands in the air.
“Eh, Ruti and Tise would be taking a break too?”
“Onii-chan is taking a break after all.”
“I think it will be unfair if only we worked.”
Oh my, even Ruti and Tise were becoming useless adults.
“I look forward to tomorrow too.”
Lit said and I relaxed my shoulders and smiled.
Oh well. This is the lazy town of Zoltan after all.
“Yeah.”
When they saw that I nodded, the useless adults once again raised their voices to exclaim ‘Yay~!’.
☆☆
Even though they are all located within Zoltan, the composition of residents varies greatly for each district.
For that reason, the districts each celebrate the winter solstice festival differently.
In the Downtown, stalls would line up to sell meat skewers, fried fish and potatoes, bacon and lettuce sandwiches, sweet sugar confectionary bread, carved wooden toys, and second-hand goods but the prices were not exactly cheap.
“Bye, we’re going off to look for mom.”
Tanta and Gonz were leaving to meet up with Mido and Nao.
“Goodbye, Red-oniichan. Just for today, I won’t laugh at you for flirting around.”
“So rude, when did I flirt around.”
“Always!”
Tanta and Gonz laughed as they walked toward the plaza where the sound of lutes could be heard.
“Fuu, now then, shall we get something to eat?”
“Mm.”
Ruti, who was walking briskly on my right, grabbed my hand.
“I want to hold hands too.”
Ruti said with a slightly red face.
“Ah, sure. Okay, let’s walk like this.”
With my left arm wrapped around Lit’s arm and my right hand holding Ruti’s hand, we walked into the festival as I endured my embarrassment from all the gazes around us.