There was a chance that members of the dark organization could disguise themselves and infiltrate the Western Margravate. But in the end, the only thing we could do was tighten inspections at the gates built into the defensive walls. Since they were fanatics who preached human supremacy, there was also the possibility that they would stir up trouble with the townspeople.
“Oh, we’ve received word from the royal castle. It seems Count Kasuak and everyone connected to him have been arrested and thrown into prison. Apparently, they picked a fight with the troops that entered their estate and got thoroughly beaten for it.”
Well, that settled it. Count Kasuak was undeniably a complete fool.
Even the Margrave wore a look of profound exasperation. At this rate, the adventurer who had been arrested earlier might return home only to find that he no longer had one.
“The Harvest Festival will last for two days. If they intend to make a move, the second day is the most likely. Of course, security will be strengthened on the first day as well, but the wedding ceremony on the second day will be their prime target.”
“Starting today, I’ll assign trusted soldiers to guard the square around the clock in rotating shifts. It’s better than doing nothing.”
The former Margrave and Emilia-san laid out their plans for the days ahead. With the discussion concluded, I headed for the town square to help with the preparations.
“Hey, hold this for me!”
“You got it! Leave it to me!”
The town square was crowded with beastmen, all working together in a flurry of activity as preparations for the Harvest Festival were rushed forward at breakneck speed. The townspeople must have truly wanted the festival to happen, no matter what.
Meanwhile, Ao had already finished most of the goddess statue.
Wasn’t that ridiculously fast?
“Ah, Shun-sama, thank you for your hard work. Everyone in town helped out.”
“I really appreciate it. It’s not much, but let’s use this as a test run for the food stalls and make lunch for everyone.”
“I would be happy to help.”
Toria-san, who had arrived at the square ahead of me, joined me in preparing the food. Fortunately, the takoyaki griddles had survived intact, so there was no need to change the stall menu.
Sizzle…
“Please line up in order!”
“There’s plenty for everyone!”
“Be careful, they’re hot!”
By lunchtime, Shiro and the others had begun guiding customers into orderly lines. Thanks to their help, the food was served smoothly, without any confusion or commotion.
“Oh, mine has meat inside!”
“And this one has cheese. This is quite an interesting dish.”
The round grilled snacks—dubbed ‘round bake’ by Kent-chan—were a huge hit with the beastman. When we introduced a spicier version seasoned with chili peppers, it proved especially popular among the larger beastman.
“By the way, is the wedding ceremony still the highlight of the Harvest Festival?”
“That’s right. This year, it seems there are even more applicants after seeing that goddess statue.”
“The prayer ceremony for the harvest on the first day also draws a crowd, but the wedding is definitely the biggest event.”
Even after asking various townspeople who came to collect their food, the answer was always the same. The wedding ceremony is the festival’s main attraction.
“Sue, you understand what I’m getting at, don’t you?”
“Yes. You’re saying that if someone intends to interfere, they’ll most likely strike when the festival is at its peak.”
Sue immediately grasped what I was implying. Casey-san and Telma-san nodded in agreement as well.
“So there are still idiots who will try to ruin the festival?”
“If I find any bastard like that, I’ll crush them on the spot!”
In fact, the beastmen who had overheard our conversation seemed even more fired up than before. Considering that parts of the square’s facilities had already been destroyed, it was no surprise that the townspeople were furious.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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