Chapter 293

293rd Episode – A Brief Festival #2

The first thing that came to mind was last night.

“Hotсан said he was feeling unwell, so let’s have a pajama party just between us girls! Everyone, show what snacks you’ve brought along!”

“It’s our time just for the girls…!”

I admit, having the large room to myself was nice, but it felt like being left out during a school trip while everyone else is having fun in other rooms. It was as if I was alone in an empty room watching TV while everyone else was out having a blast.

So, lying in bed, I couldn’t fall asleep easily.

“Wow, Hippolyte looks really cute in her pajamas. All she ever wears is armor, but her pajamas are adorable.”

And naturally, as if by reflex, the lively chatter of women’s voices seeped vividly into my ears.

Was the building poorly constructed? Or was the wall simply too thin, allowing their voices to carry loudly? Unintentionally, I found myself eavesdropping on their conversation.

“So, I mixed cherry blossom and hibiscus dye for my nails! How’s the color? It matches my hair pretty well, pinkish-tone. Hotсан also said it looks cute!”

“Indeed, the color does resemble yours, Noxdotty. And he did say it looks cute, didn’t he?”

“Hey, that color’s mine! Don’t steal it! Hippolyte, you should go for brown since you’re a brunette!”

“Brown nails look like mud, don’t they? And besides, Elpride, you’ve been awfully quiet. Don’t you have anything to say?”

“I’m sleepy.”

“Hmm, it seems kanpu (elf-like beings) tend to get weaker during nighttime…!”

“What? And you’re complaining with your short ears?”

“Lu, Luna-sama! The kanpu have grabbed and pulled my ears…! Soon, my ears might stretch out too much, and I’ll become a kanpu myself…!”

Despite all the noise, I was trying to go to sleep. Just as I was about to drift off, I overheard someone’s question.

“Luna, why is someone as adorable as you hanging out with someone like Hotсан?”

It seemed to be Elpride who spoke. In an instant, the drowsiness that had been creeping over me vanished, and I unintentionally became engrossed in their conversation.

“Well, he is handsome…”

“Agh, Luna-sama, that’s not the reason…!”

“That’s right, it’s not. Looks don’t matter much, but Hotсан’s soul must be the most attractive of anyone’s. Perhaps, when he dies, he’ll become a great constellation.”

“Soul? You’re making pretty incomprehensible claims, Noxdotty. Is that your voodoo priest-inspired opinion?”

“To be honest, I don’t fully understand it myself. It’s hard to explain. Somehow, I just ended up feeling this way.”

Such an anticlimactic answer.

“I’m not saying anything more about it. What about you, Hippolyte?”

“Me? Why am I brought into this all of a sudden?”

“Don’t you have a crush on someone, Hippolyte? You often change earrings and your makeup techniques keep shifting. What’s your reason?”

“…”

Hippolyte likes someone?

Is it me?

Of course, this is all speculation, but given the circumstances, it could only be me, right? That is, unless Hippolyte secretly has feelings for someone else.

Of course, as a high-class adventurer and one sought after by nobles and other men, she could have feelings for someone else, too.

Nonetheless, with a fluttering heart, I leaned in closer to listen, but Hippolyte ultimately remained silent without any answer.

I ended up asking her this question a bit later while sitting by the hearth.

“Ms. Hippolyte, which part of me did you like?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Ah, it’s just the literal meaning. Ms. Hippolyte, you’re extraordinary in so many ways, so why me that day….”

I trailed off intentionally. I figured Hippolyte, with her experience, would understand what I was getting at.

Crack, crack.

The crackling of the campfire spread loudly around us.

Amidst the lively sounds of people chattering and instruments playing, I found myself anxiously waiting to hear what might come out from her slightly parted lips.

Perhaps it’s due to the mood, or maybe because of the alcohol and heat from the fire, but her face seemed redder than usual.

“Ah…”

After maintaining silence for a long time, Hippolyte finally spoke.

“So, this is how it feels… I see, it’s not something I can answer right away. To be honest, I don’t know. That’s my honest answer. Maybe there was never a clear reason.”

“…”

“Initially, I wouldn’t bother attaching such trivial reasons anyway. I did it because I wanted to. I want it because I desire it. Isn’t that enough?”

Hippolyte’s response slapped me as if someone had hit me on the head. d*mn, what a macho response. No, she’s not male, so I guess it’s more like a ‘macho-female’ kind of vibe.

She’s a completely different type from me, someone who often contemplates and analyzes things.

I was admiring this when Hippolyte spoke again.

“So Hotсан, now it’s my turn to ask you a question.”

Her hesitant and somewhat fidgety demeanor after that wasn’t quite in line with the self-assured, macho-like air she had just projected. It made me nervous instead.

So, what was she going to ask?

“If, let’s just say, a certain man were to take a fancy to me, what do you think his reasons could be? Is it perhaps because of my status? Because I’m a Gold Tier adventurer…?”

Ah, so what? That’s a question that doesn’t even need much contemplation.

“Because you’re pretty and have big br*asts.”

“I see…”

And just like that, the mood turned back to casual conversation.

…

…

“Alright, now let’s summon the Dragon of the Hearth! Villagers, please gather around the hearth just as we did before!”

The next morning.

Following the village chief Gardeman’s instructions, several villagers surrounded a large hearth. Then they began holding hands and spinning around in circles.

The sight of two rows of human chains moving irregularly across the circle left me feeling as if I was experiencing an optical illusion. It was disorienting to watch. Elpride, who had been observing this silently, muttered something.

“That’s a summoning circle.”

“A summoning circle?”

“The villagers’ actions, combined with the central hearth, function like a magical circle. Indeed, dragons are summoned through this circle.”

At this, Luna, who had her arms crossed, exclaimed.

“It’s like a moon-welcoming dance! In Ideope, the priestesses of the sisterhood also hold hands under the full moon and dance like that!”

With Luna’s words, I imagined pink-haired girls with twin braids holding hands under the glow of a large full moon, gracefully twirling.

Pink-colored… Moon-welcoming mountain… It felt familiar somehow, but a sudden sound of a giant flag flapping in a typhoon-like wind startled me back to reality.

A rather massive shadow, inappropriate for such an early morning, began overshadowing us.

Flap-flap!

How dare these trivial mortals summon Vestal messengers so early in the morning. Well, what is the matter? By the covenant with Goddess Vest, I will fulfill a simple wish.

This dragon was absolutely huge. Comparable to the giant one I had seen in the ancient dragon’s cave; its size was no less imposing when it landed with its wings fully outstretched in the center of the village. Its color differed from the dragon we had seen the other day—it was a clear and inviting shade of blue.

“It’s an adult, about five hundred years old judging by its age.”

Elpride’s words caused me to look upward at the dragon. Of course, I couldn’t tell its age just by looking at it.

“How do you judge its age?”

“See its five horns? They grow one every hundred years.”

“I see.”

That’s when Paranoi called out.

“My stomach is empty, and I’d like some candy, please!”

What? You summoned a dragon using the rare Dance of the Hearth, which only happens every ten years, just to ask for candy? That is unacceptable. My pride, Isbaron, cannot allow this. Denied.

This is ridiculous.

The request for a wish might have been jeopardized if it hadn’t been for my intervention to discipline Paranoi. I gave her a light tap on the head.

Kung!

“Yeeeek!”

She immediately cried out, clutching her head as if in pain. Though it looked rather exaggerated—a big part of it seemed like she was pretending.

“Alright, tell me your wish quickly. I, Isbaron, have places to be.”

The dragon growled with its large fangs bared menacingly.

Even knowing it wasn’t an entirely malevolent creature, the sight of its ferociousness, as if capable of swallowing a bull whole, made all the villagers tremble in fear.

“Wow, it’s a real dragon.”

“So, the legend that a dragon could be summoned using the hearth’s flames is true. I always thought it was one of the old men’s tall tales!”

“Unbelievable…”

For the residents of Dragon Scale Village, witnessing such an event must be exceedingly rare. It’s said that summoning a dragon happens only once every ten years, so this must be quite exciting for the younger generation.

It was then that the village chief Gardeman spoke.

“The pointed-eared fairy, this is in gratitude for saving the hearth and the village. You’ll be the one to make a wish.”

After hearing the village chief’s words, all eyes turned to Elpride. She looked up at the giant dragon with blinking eyes.

“Um, can you give us a ride…?”

Her request almost sounded like an extremely shy confession from a young girl.

It must have been close to that. From yesterday’s observations, I already knew just how much Elpride admired dragons. The idea of actually riding one must have been a dream come true.

What? You, insignificant mortal, dare to suggest sitting on my back?

“…”

Elpride’s face hardened into a stiff expression. Murmurs of disbelief and awe rippled through the crowd from various corners of the town.

They obviously hadn’t expected the dragon to be so abrupt with its response.

According to Elpride, adult dragons have strong pride and typically wouldn’t allow just anyone to ride on their backs.

Ah, did we just waste this entire day?

As I lamented, a thunderous roar came from the dragon’s gaping maw.

Of course, I shall agree. It is by the covenant with Goddess Vest.

Hm, but riding on my back is completely out of the question.

Well, then what exactly am I supposed to do? I felt like a jester unsure which rhythm to dance to, as my thoughts spiraled into confusion. The commotion around me grew louder.

So, I asked.

“Look, what exactly do you want us to do?”

Oh? We have an interesting fellow here. What is your name?

“Hotсан.”

Juvenile Hotсан. Unfortunately, you lack the proper qualifications. Only immortal gods may ride or stand upon our backs.

“So, are you planning to carry us to Delphi or not?”

But there’s no issue with you being carried underneath me. Therefore, I shall carry you all in this manner.

This Isbaron seemed like a pretty boastful and eccentric type. Though I’d been frightened of dragons, thinking of him as a large cat made everything fall into place.

Until I watched him effortlessly lift our entire cart with his four massive legs, at which point my initial impression vanished like smoke.

Flap-flap!

Despite his bizarre character, his power was undeniable—worthy of a being who had lived for hundreds of years.

“Please call on us again when you return to Sodomora!”

“And see you again soon, Nymph of Ditch Water!”

We briefly waved goodbye to the people below who waved at us as we ascended.

I wasn’t particularly moved, but both Paranoi and Luna, who had enjoyed last night’s festival, seemed quite nostalgic about leaving the village. They waved their hands and called out farewell until the villagers looked like tiny ants.

“What an interesting hearth and delightful village. They even gave us an entire armful of mushrooms! They said it only grows in this area, and they’re delicious raw!”

“A wonderful place that cherishes nymphs! They say there are no bad adherents of the hearth goddess, and that statement seems true indeed…”

Though their fond memories were soon overshadowed by the vast blue skies and the diminishing mountain ranges below.

The curious hearth of the village, the strange swords, the festive spirit of the townsfolk… all this had kept us so preoccupied that we hadn’t even realized we were now flying through the skies.

“Look, Hotсан, there’s Sodomora!”

When Luna spoke, I shifted my gaze out the window of the cart.

Sure enough, in the distance, we could already see the city with its formidable walls and the buildings packed tightly together.

“Wow, it looks so small, like an ant colony!”

“It feels like we could crush it with our fingers right now…!”

Indeed, what Luna and Paranoi pointed out was accurate. The city we had endured so many trials for, covered in sweat and toil, now looked so tiny!

Somewhere in that city, the little people must still be working endlessly, frowning and cursing as they deal with their minuscule problems.

Thinking about this, all the struggles I had endured and fought against seemed trivial in comparison, even amusing.

“It’s incredible.”

Honest words of admiration slipped past my lips, unembellished and true.

I had been slightly downhearted at the thought of spending another month crammed inside this narrow carriage, but now I felt a sense of cheer.

The flowing rivers, the lush forests, the bizarre rock mountains, and the expansive plains below… This was the world I had gotten lost in.

It was only now that I began to truly comprehend the world I had arrived in, the puzzle pieces in my mind slowly connecting.

So this was the place where I was supposed to live.

Then someone spoke.

“This must be the view that the exalted gods of Hypos see from their lofty abodes. Even for me, this is the first time witnessing such a sight—it sends a chill down my neck.”

“Dragons are said to fly higher than clouds, so we’re now flying between the clouds and the stars.”

It sounded like Hippolyte and Elpride speaking.

Could it be true that the gods who dwell in lofty heavens or mountains watch over such a vast expanse of the world at all times? It’s almost enviable.

Living daily with such a view, one would truly feel like a god.

Hurry and hold on tight. We’re about to accelerate.

And with that, we headed towards the city of the oracles and the gods, Delphi.

“Ack! This scene… I remember seeing it in a dream! Hotсан feeling happy while looking at the sky, then petting my head and giving me candy…”

“Stop lying.”

[Afterword] I hope everyone had a great Friday! Now, enjoy an even better Saturday!!!

Hotсан and the party had a short break in-between their daily life! The conversation with Hippolyte…! Thanks to her reliability, I could give myself a little rest. She truly is a dependable main heroine in every aspect…

So, I’m considering commissioning a new illustration.

Should it be a new divine character who hasn’t appeared yet, or one of the previous characters who don’t have an illustration yet?

Please leave your opinions in the comments!

Based on reasonable consideration and following the democratic style of Michuri, I’ll try to reach a conclusion. Thank you!

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