I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Chapter 499
11-14. Festival Begins
As the sun sets, the surroundings gradually darken. Lanterns are hung on ropes connecting house to house, and they all light up simultaneously. At the same time, the sounds of a shakuhachi*, shinobue*, and taiko drums fill the air, and the festival begins. It’s a harvest festival. (*Traditional flute in Japan)
Stalls line the main street, offering various items for sale. It seems that umbrella dancing has also begun, with Oni carrying umbrellas parading down the main street. It’s a nostalgic sight.
It appears that the portable shrine has not yet been carried. But it won’t be long before the Oni bring it.
“Oh, how nostalgic!”
“It’s been a year since we were here. We have a good harvest this year, so I think we have plenty of rice bags.”
“Are you playing the taiko drum again this year?”
“No, someone else will be playing this time. Well, it’s a surprise.”
“I see! Alright, let’s enjoy ourselves!”
“Let’s go, Ouren!”
“Alright!”
Led by Alena, I walk around nearby stalls. It feels just like before, with big sushi, dumplings, candies, and various foods being sold. We stroll around, eating as we go, and enjoy the umbrella dancing.
Come to think of it, this is the Oni dance style, isn’t it? Will I understand it if I watch it?
Thinking this, I decide to watch the umbrella dancing carefully. Since it’s a technique that Tenda used, I might grasp something just by watching.
“…I don’t get it.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I thought that watching the umbrella dancing might help me understand the Oni dance style, but it’s impossible.”
“I don’t understand it either. But it looks like fun!”
“Indeed.”
We dress up for the festival and dance with umbrellas in hand. This kind of thing is nice. Even the children seem to be enjoying themselves.
Festivals are indeed great. The festivals in the Oni village follow a format similar to those in Japan, so we can thoroughly enjoy them. I wonder what kind of festivals there are in the Western world? I never had experience in that.
“Ouren!”
“They’ve arrived!”
“Oh, it’s Houen and Lize!”
“They seem to be enjoying themselves already. Hey, Ouren, we’ve brought someone interesting. Do you want to meet them?”
“Someone interesting? Who is it?”
I tilt my head, and Lize turns around and waves someone over. A young person dressed in all black with a cloak appears. The clothes fit perfectly, and they’re wearing matching armor. Why armor at a festival?
Their gait is graceful, and they have a confident expression. However, I don’t know this person. Who could it be?
“Long time no see, Ouren!”
“Who are you?”
“Haha! It’s not surprising you’d forget me! After all… I’ve grown!”
He strikes a dramatically cool pose.
Who is this person? Does he really know me? Hmmm… who could he be?
“Aniki, Anikiii!”
“Hmm?”
“It’s Kreiss-ouji!” (Ouji = prince)
“Ha!?”
“Hahahaha! That’s right! I am Kreiss Waitalna Snipper, the first prince of the Salletana Kingdom, a Dark Mage who wields the power of darkness!”
“Oi Reizen! Why has he turned into an interesting character!?”
“Thanks to me of course!”
“Oi!!”
I mean, I’d heard a bit about it, but this is way over the top, isn’t it? Is it okay to be the first prince?
This is a full-blown case of chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur), isn’t it? Well, yeah. But their movements are so impeccably clean and perfect… Why is there no waste in any of his movements?
“Anyway, why is the first prince here?”
“This is because of a prophecy I made using my dark power—”
“Kreiss-ouji, at times like this, it’s best to speak seriously.”
“Umhm… if Reizen says so, there’s no other choice. I informed the citizens of the decision regarding Ouren and withdrew the soldiers. I had set up a defense base nearby, but it’s no longer needed, so I came here to meet Ouren one last time.”
“I see.”
It seems like the conversation has progressed quite a bit over the past few days. Now, we just have to wait for the other side… that’s the feeling I get. It won’t be much longer.
“But seriously, you’ve grown too.”
“Hahaha! That’s right! It’s been six years! And I owe a lot to the Reitei and Guildmaster, Thunder Bolt. And you, Ouren, I wanted to express my gratitude to you, but I couldn’t do it directly.”
“Aah, I see. You left on your journey right after that, didn’t you?”
“You could have said a few words at least. Thanks to you, I’ve put off expressing my gratitude for a whole year. And for you, it’s been six years. It’s been quite frustrating.”
“My bad…”
Despite the complaints, he seems to be having a good time. He must have done a lot to protect me since then. The cooperation of the Salletana Kingdom might have been thanks to his presence. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent soldiers or anything like that. It was worth saving him.
“Now, now, I’ve come this far, so I want to meet Jigal, Maria, Yurie, and Roze… I also want to see the children working at the Irza Magic Tool Shop. I wonder if Dolce is doing well.”
“I have a general idea of those.”
“Oh, you’re quite something as the first prince!”
“Good, praise me more!”
Ah, this kid is the type to get carried away if you praise them too much. I’ll avoid it a bit.
“So, how is it going?”
“Yes! Maria is working at the guild as usual. The three members of Thunderbolt have been wreaking havoc at the front lines. The Irza Magic Tool Shop folks have provided magical tools, and the children seem to be learning how to make magical tools from Irza. Dolce has left the slave trade and is now running an orphanage.”
“Wow! Dolce has really worked hard!”
“Others are working hard too. But they probably can’t come here.”
“Is that so…”
“Their main reasons are post-war cleanup, magical tool management, and taking care of the children. But I came here!”
“Hooray!”
He says it with so much confidence. Well, people with this kind of enthusiasm are amusing to watch.
Hmm, I wanted this to happen at least once before going to sleep. Well, there’s still time, and maybe they’ll come. I’ll keep my hopes up.
“Everyone, let’s eat this!”
“Oh, sushi. You have conquered the stings of wasabi now?”
“I’m totally fine with it!”
“Shall we play too?”
“But, Reizen, is Karna-san okay with it?”
“I plan to join the drum performance that’s about to start. It seems like she’s going around with Hime-sama.”
“I see. Well, let’s have fun here then. It’s the last time!”
“Alright!”
“The last time, huh. Yes, it is indeed the last time.”
Afterward, we enjoyed ourselves by visiting food stalls, watching the umbrella dance, and experiencing the atmosphere. Along the way, they brought in a portable shrine, and everyone seemed to be enjoying and celebrating this year’s abundant harvest.
Even though it happens every year, it’s something they nurture with great care, and it brings them joy.
“Ouren, want to try your hand at goldfish scooping?”
“Goldfish scooping!? What? These fish are huge!”
“Oh! Let me join in too!”
“Hoen? What’s that?”
“It’s my first time seeing it too…”
And so, the group had a great time at the festival. All that remained was the drum performance.