The Celebration and the Beginning of the Wind (7)
The next morning, I woke earlier than Franc and busied myself with idle tasks while waiting for her to rise. Once she was up, I told her about meeting Bicorn Veronica again in my dream. Last time, nothing noteworthy had happened, so there hadn’t been anything worth mentioning to my girlfriend. This time, however, the dream had revealed far too much to keep to myself.
“So you’re saying the Beast Regression you use is actually magic that mimics Lord Odin?”
My girlfriend caught the gist of my half-asleep, clumsy explanation instantly. The traces of last night’s intensity still lingered on her nude form, and the sight was very good for my little brother’s health. Franc had a talent for riling him up first thing in the morning.
“Probably? Once I thought about it that way, everything lined up.”
When I nodded, Franc grinned. “Veronica, was it? Next time she shows up, will you introduce me?”
“Sure, why not. Since I still have no clue how to lift the curse, even if she does come looking, we’ll probably have a few days to chat.”
Veronica seemed confident, but unfortunately I had no idea how to break the curse. It wouldn’t be over in a flash like buying cold medicine. We’d likely have plenty of time for Franc to make small talk.
“By the way, why the introduction?”
“Just because? She helped solve something you were curious about, so I wanted to thank her myself.”
The angelic Franc said this while pulling me into her embrace. Wrapped in her soft chest, my little brother recalled last night’s fierce session and began to stir again. I stroked her back.
“Franc, you look awfully happy.”
“Hehe. Caught me?”
She patted my head with deep satisfaction, her face relaxed and bright. “Hearing that the magic you’re suited for is connected to the god of my homeland… it just makes me happy for some reason. It feels like we’re bound by fate, doesn’t it?”
“Haha. We really are a match made in heaven.”
“A match made in heaven?”
“It means an affinity ordained by the heavens.”
“……Honestly. You have such a talent for saying things that make people feel good.”
─Rub rub. Franc hugged me as if she were dying of affection. Suffocating against her chest had never felt so blissful. This was euthanasia at its finest.
‘Anyway, people from this world who haven’t been exposed to multimedia like in the 21st century are weak to flattery and romantic lines.’
I’d better prepare a few more cringeworthy compliments for the future. Ancient philosophers once said that an orator’s quality is determined in the marketplace. The ability to adapt pre-prepared lines to the moment—that’s the true mark of a romantic!
‘Looks like another productive holiday, following yesterday.’
Yesterday I’d gained a golem core, new magic, a mithril ingot, and a master’s training method—far too many things. Today I’d woken to a happy morning pressed against Franc’s bare skin, and even in my dreams I’d obtained a clue to the mystery that had plagued me for a month.
‘Not that every question I have has been answered.’
Why was Odin, known as male, actually a goddess? And what was the dream of Odin I’d had? Fresh questions had arisen. They didn’t affect my life, but the reasons still nagged at me. Perhaps it was simply a scholar’s curiosity. Maybe living as an archaeologist for three years had left its mark.
‘I should’ve asked Veronica.’
The conversation had shifted to the Bicorn curse, leaving no room to ask. ‘Besides, if she just said it was an ordinary dream, I’d have no way to argue.’
I’d somehow accepted the dream as undeniable truth, but others would dismiss it as delusion. A chain of questions leading into more questions—that might be the scholar’s fate when challenging the unknown.
***
“Hey, Nord. A letter came from the lord.”
Dorka spoke while we gathered on the first floor of the inn for breakfast. I paused mid-spoonful of soup. “That’s probably the invitation to the celebration. I somehow caught the eye of some important people during the golem subjugation request.”
“Ah. I heard rumors, but you’re actually going? Congrats. You’ve made it big.”
“Just words? No special service?”
“Kek. Normally you’d treat us here to celebrate your success, wouldn’t you?”
“Tch. This place really has first-class service, all right.”
Once I took the invitation, Dorka returned to cleaning. Franc and Larilura set down their utensils and waited for me to open it.
─Rip. I broke the wax seal and skimmed the contents, skipping the lengthy preamble and grandiose phrasing to summarize the main point.
“‘We hope you will attend the party in seven days’? The sender isn’t the lord himself, but his butler.”
If the lord sent it, refusing would be difficult. It was less an invitation and more a summons. This was a considerate gesture to ease that pressure. ‘Only adventurers above Mithril-class can afford to ignore a noble’s invitation.’
At that level, they were first-rate fighters who wouldn’t lose to most knights, so even nations treated them with respect. After I summarized the letter, Larilura—fully made up even in the morning—leaned over the paper.
“Senior~. Can I see too~?”
“Yeah. You two can pass it around.”
I handed the letter to my party members. Watching foreign beauties simultaneously furrow their brows at the dense, complicated prose was quite a sight.
“W-water… water and heart?”
“I… I report… torpedo?”
“In recognition of the adventurers who have devoted both body and soul to the city’s safety, a modest celebration will be held at the lord’s residence in seven days. Should any heroes with time on that day grace us with their presence, this humble butler would be honored beyond measure.”
“……I’m done reading.”
“Me too, I give up……☆”
My party members were already getting headaches from the noble’s letter. It was overly formal for a message sent to adventurers. ‘Should I practice party manners too?’
Since they were inviting wild adventurers, the other guests would probably overlook minor breaches of etiquette. Still, no one liked a child running recklessly through a workshop. Better safe than sorry. Learning basic manners might be wise. The only nobles would be the lord and his family, but there seemed to be more to worry about than just the dress code.
‘……No. Let’s not.’
If I, far below guildmaster rank, tried too hard, I’d only stand out in the wrong way. Being laughed at a little was better than drawing excessive attention. ‘Marry my daughter?’—absolutely not dealing with that kind of political maneuvering from powerful figures.
With that thought, I folded the letter and tucked it away. It served as my ticket; losing it would be disastrous.
“I should go rent clothes for the celebration too. I’ll eat and head out for a bit.”
“Ah, then I’ll come with you♡!”
Larilura raised her hand like an elementary school student volunteering in class. Why was she tagging along again?
“I want to check if there’s a puppeteer and get advice on modifications☆! Plus, I need to buy a small puppet for performances!”
“Oh, then I’ll go too.”
Franc chimed in at Larilura’s energetic words. Sensing we’d end up wandering around all day as a trio, I spoke up.
“You two aren’t letting me see your outfits, yet you’re doing this? It’s unfair if I’m the only one surprised at the celebration.”
“Huh? What do you mean~? Are you challenging us to a fashion sense duel~♡?”
Larilura giggled with a cheeky smile. “Even if you try to counter the surprise, it’s useless, you know? Franc unni’s dress is going to be amazing. We’re going for maximum skin exposure versus minimal fabric~♡?”
“……That sounds promising.”
“……Ugh.”
─Whoosh. Franc hid her face in her hood at our conversation. She’d probably been unable to refuse the dress the clerk recommended. Would it be like the gowns at an awards ceremony? I wanted to rent that outfit. Preferably take it home still wrapped.
“Anyway, I’ll go pick my own clothes. I don’t want to be embarrassed by real-time judgment from others.”
After saying that, I suddenly remembered what we’d discussed yesterday and asked, “Oh right. So, what do you two think about Tirsi joining the party?”
We’d brought it up before explaining the celebration but left it on hold. Larilura might not stay with the party long-term, after all. Franc and Larilura exchanged glances.
“I’m in favor. We talked while shopping yesterday—Larilura says she’ll buy a new puppet soon and do street performances for a while.”
“I can’t let my skills rust if I just play around all the time~. When I’m not here, the mage unni will be a huge help, so don’t refuse and regret it later—snatch her up while you’re still single☆!”
“What kind of phrasing is that? Am I some kidnapper?”
I’d like to clarify this was purely a business arrangement. With a healer, the party’s basic composition would be complete. With everything settled, we headed to our room to take care of our respective tasks.
─Thud. As I closed the door and grabbed my bag to head to the tailoring guild, I overheard the two behind me.
“Unni, unni~. You’re going to practice mana today too, right~? I’ll help a bit before I go!”
“Oh, really? Thanks, but… help with what?”
“Hehe. You know exactly what! Fun puppet play♡!”
“I think you’re the only one who finds that fun── Wait, why are you taking off my top?!”
“Aha☆! It’s training to block my mana controlling unni’s hands with your own mana!”
“W-wait! How is this training── Hiyaaah?!”
“……Sssssssup.”
What was happening in that room? The world was full of intrigue. I could probably watch for an hour without punishment. It took every ounce of willpower to release the doorknob.
‘Life is a series of sufferings.’
With superhuman patience, I tore myself away and set off. These small efforts would surely strengthen my mental fortitude.
“A man is forged by his golden daughter……”
Declaring mental victory, I dashed toward the tailoring guild and arrived at the upscale district where wealthier residents lived.
─‘Couturier Tailoring Guild.’
This was it. I took out the guild’s letter of introduction and opened the door.
─Jingle jingle. The Couturier Guild looked like a shopping mall remodeled in medieval style. That impression only grew stronger when I presented the introduction at the reception and was directed inside.
‘Good grief.’
Expensive-looking clothes lined up like celebrity wardrobes! If a fire broke out here, how many years of my salary would it take to repay everything? Even without otherworldly sensibilities, my body instinctively shrank back. It felt like stepping into a two-hundred-year-old boutique in England. Damn it. I should’ve come with the kids instead of making excuses.
“Oh my! That introduction! You must be the adventurer Nord!”
Like a loser entering a high-end salon with five-thousand-won haircuts, I was fidgeting when a guild member operating what looked like a medieval loom spotted me and dragged me away.
“I’ve heard about you! You’re here for clothes to wear to the celebration, right? How about these? I asked your party members who came yesterday and picked some out in advance!”
“No, um. If a Kitai like me wears pure white, my yellow skin tone will stand out.”
“I see! Then how about this? Passionate red!”
“……Do you have anything that isn’t the fabric’s original color?”
Caught between this world’s male fashion sense and 21st-century aesthetics, I finally selected a tailcoat after three hours. No matter what, I wasn’t wearing bell-bottoms. Bell-bottoms were out of the question. And what was with the standing collar? Was it a lizard with an erection for a necktie?
“It’ll take two to three hours to adjust the measurements, so have lunch and come back!”
“Got it.”
After choosing the outfit, I left the guild. Two to three hours gave me time to finish my other errands.
─Tread tread. My next destination was none other than blacksmith Clara’s weapon shop. More precisely, her self-proclaimed “metal specialty store.”
“Excuse me. How have you been?”
“Ah, Nord! Welcome!”
The married blacksmith Clara greeted me energetically. The dark circles under her eyes—were they from too much work or too little? Either way, she looked exhausted. I decided not to pry. Time was short.
“What brings you here today? You’re not even wearing armor.”
“Ah, yes. I’d like to request a custom order.”
─Thud. I placed the item I’d been carrying since the tailoring guild onto the table. “Could you work with this?”
A silver-gleaming metal ingot. The mithril I’d received from Nefertiti.
‘No point hoarding mithril.’
Ingots were just for easy storage before smelting! Rather than stockpiling precious rare metal for years, it was better to process it quickly into something useful. ‘If we sign a proper contract, I won’t have to worry about theft.’
Opening a shop meant she had permission from the blacksmith guild or the territory, so even if she ran off in the night, I wouldn’t suffer losses. Clara tilted her head at the mithril I offered.
“A custom order? I’ll take any metalwork, but if it’s silver equipment, our shop also has…… plenty…… plenty……?”
Holding the mithril, Clara stuttered like a corrupted MP3 file. Just like I had before, she realized after touching it that this was mana-infused metal.
─Clack clack clack clack! Moving like a nutcracker doll a child was playing with, Clara gnashed her teeth and screamed.
“Mi-mi-mi── Mith──!!!”
“Shh!! Shhhhh!!”
I frantically raised a finger to stop her. The whole neighborhood would know I’d brought mithril!
“Ah, ah! Ah! Yes! That’s! Mi-mith! Miss Britannia──!!”
Clara seemed to regain her senses and shouted while glancing around. Seriously, was that improv skill for real? What the hell was she saying? I was dumbfounded by the auntie’s nonsense, and seeing my expression, Clara shamefully lowered her head.
“Ahem, ahem. Anyway! You’re entrusting the processing of this item to me, right? Right?! Yes?!”
True to her self-proclaimed metal enthusiast, Clara quickly composed herself at the prospect of working mithril. The way she latched onto the topic reminded me of a certain pony mare I’d seen before.
“Not all of it. First, I’d like to see a sample, sign a contract, and check the work in progress before entrusting the rest. Is that possible?”
“Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes!! Yes!! Here’s the sample! How about it?! Do you like it?!”
─Crash bang! Clara turned the shop upside down fetching samples. By now, the chaos didn’t faze me. Humans really were creatures of adaptation.
“It’s metal art I processed with magic and tools! It comes with a certificate of high evaluation from the blacksmith guild and a second-place prize from a competition!”
“Aha. Let me see for a moment.”
Was this similar to how welders on Earth were judged by engravings on steel plates? I examined the iron plate art—weld-free like welding art—in detail. The picture drawn through metalworking was a butterfly with even the wing membranes rendered in fine detail.
‘Impressively complete.’
It was an honest compliment. I’d guessed at Clara’s skill but never truly felt it. After all, I hadn’t had many chances to test the quality of equipment bought here—neither the pants nor Franc’s throwing knives. I’d only inferred her competence from the goods in the shop and the fact that she supplied tools to large-scale farmers like Hotulusil.
‘I did consider commissioning anonymously to hide my identity……’
But carrying around a finished product would defeat the purpose. It might even become evidence that Arthur Wayne was Nord. I only had two or three official IDs anyway. An item ordered by Arthur Wayne couldn’t be carried by adventurer Nord. That was why I’d come to commission the work without my Impression Camouflage mask.
“Better than expected. With this, I can trust you with the job.”
“Yes, yes! Thank you!”
Clara’s mouth stretched ear to ear at my positive reaction. “Hehe. Hehehe. Mithril~ mithril~ First time touching mithril since leaving my master~!”
Even during consultation, Clara’s gaze kept drifting to the mithril ingot. This auntie really liked it. It was almost intimidating, but seeing her like this actually made me trust her more. They say the diligent can’t beat the passionate.
“Oh! So what should I make for you?!”
“Ah, yes. First, since there’s plenty of mithril──”
“If it’s that, a spear will take some time to──”
When Clara asked while pulling out the contract, I answered point by point. I hadn’t told Franc about receiving mithril either. This would remain a secret until the finished product was ready. Clara’s face took on a craftsman’s seriousness, occasionally offering earnest advice.
“Won’t you add a power stone? For combat equipment, making it with only mithril feels a bit wasteful.”
“There’s no power stone worthy of mithril. Thinking about it breaking during a fight makes me hesitate.”
“That’s true……. Understood. Moving on. With mithril, I can also enchant it. Would you like to look at this list and choose the price range or magic you want?”
─Flip flip. The enchantment price ranges on the paper were quite reasonable, but I declined before properly reading them.
“Ah, sorry. I can use enchantment magic myself, so something with my own touch would be more meaningful, wouldn’t it?”
“Eek. I see. My apologies. Hehe. I’m just grateful I can focus on the form.”
After consulting with an expert, the rough shape took form. Revising the contract together, we drew up the blueprint for the finished product.
“About the spearhead. Even if we leave quite a bit of mithril, making only the blade would use too much. It’ll be somewhat like a glaive—is that all right?”
“Yes. We can adjust the exact shape during the intermediate checks. Please start with the other processing first.”
“Understood! I’ll complete it at the highest level as requested! It’ll take about five days, so keep that in mind!”
I waited until Clara had cut off the necessary amount from the ingot, received the remaining mithril, and left.
‘Thank goodness it seems to be finishing faster than expected.’
Letting out a sigh of relief, I picked up the completed tailcoat from the Couturier Guild. The guild member who had skillfully tailored it to my body handed me the perfectly fitted garment.
“Before going to the celebration, stop by here and change into it, all right? It suits you so well that it’d be a shame if you embarrassed yourself wearing it alone!”
“I will. Thank you. I’ll see you in a week.”
After finishing all my errands, I looked up at the sky for a moment. The autumn sky was high and blue, eerily identical to the winter morning when I’d first fallen into this world.
“……Haaaa……”
In a few months, it would be four full years since I began living as a wanderer in another world. Three years and eight months of wearing otherworldly clothes, adorning myself with otherworldly items, and eating otherworldly food. Once again, a turning point that had appeared two or three times in my survival story in this world was approaching.
***
A week was an incredibly short time when living with a girlfriend I’d only been dating for a month. Between tension and preparation, before I knew it, the day of the party had arrived. Even before enlistment, time hadn’t flown by so frantically. Anyway, that’s how it was—I found myself walking alone through the streets at three in the afternoon.
The reason for staggering our arrival times was to set the mood before actually meeting at the banquet. At my suggestion, Franc and Larilura had gone ahead to the party venue.
‘Those two should’ve arrived by carriage by now.’
They couldn’t walk the streets in dresses. The carriage I’d separately called would have waited for Franc and Larilura to emerge from the Couturier Guild before taking them to the lord’s mansion. I hoped Franc was moved by my consideration. After sending the two off in the carriage, I was walking to the mansion on foot.
─Step step. Walking carefully so as not to dirty my clothes, I kept adjusting my stifling collar. The otherworldly tailcoat I’d changed into at the tailoring guild felt so tight I suspected they’d secretly shortened the neck after the initial fitting. I knew why. I was nervous.
Three days before the celebration, a letter had arrived from Cromwell stating that the three representatives receiving praise would be me, Edlyn, and Cromwell. ‘Shit.’
Why the hell hadn’t I thought of that? Carlyle had run off saying he wouldn’t lose, and Nefertiti had made her comeback. It was only natural that I, ranked second in damage during the dark mage raid, would be selected as the representative adventurer.
“Ughghghghgh.”
Shaking like a tic patient despite wearing a tailcoat, I walked the streets. I’d chosen to walk to clear my mind, but it didn’t seem to be working at all. I tugged at the cloak of my tailcoat. The embroidery was so fancy it felt like I should be saying something like “All hail Britannia.” Had I been a Knight of the Round Table? Maybe Arthur as my alias had been foreshadowing.
“Hey there! That stylish gentleman!”
While walking, someone called out to me, accurately describing my features. To see through the fact that I was a stylish hunk—quite the character. The one addressing me was the flower shop auntie.
“Come here! You’re going to that adventurer celebration party at the lord’s place today, right?”
“Yes, but……”
“Well then, wearing such fine clothes without a single flower won’t do! If you want to meet a good connection at the party, you need at least a flower! Come buy one!”
“Hehe. You’ve got a sharp business sense.”
This worked out. I felt like I might faint with my eyes rolling back in front of the lord if I went like this, so a short breather was welcome.
─Click. I took out my pocket watch to check the time. The celebration started at five in the afternoon. It was now 3:15. The venue—the lord’s mansion—was close enough to see, so there was no worry about being late. I put away the watch and entered the flower shop.
“By the way, ma’am, how do I carry the flower? Keep holding it in my hand?”
“Oh dear, you don’t know that? Just buy one and pin it to your chest!”
“Hehe. Seems a bit old-fashioned, doesn’t it?”
“Old-fashioned? That’s the charm! If you go and decide it’s not right, you can just pull it out and throw it away. Think of it as an investment.”
“Hahaha. Since I have someone to give the flower to, I won’t lose out.”
Taking a breath in the flower-scented interior calmed me somewhat. While I was at it, I looked around to see if otherworldly flowers differed from Earth’s, but someone who didn’t even know Earth’s flowers well had no way to tell. I simply browsed and picked one whose color closely resembled Franc’s blue eyes. I didn’t want to embarrass myself by wearing it on my chest, so I decided to carry it for now and pin it later if the moment seemed right.
“Thanks for buying! Enjoy the party!”
After casually waving to the flower shop auntie, I headed to the front gate of the lord’s mansion.
─Boom! The lord’s mansion, surrounded by a tall, long wall as if built by a nouveau riche obsessed with medieval style, set my freshly cooled heart racing again. It somewhat resembled the mansion of The Great Gatsby I’d seen in high school English class. As I approached the main gate, armored guards crossed their spears.
“Halt. What business do you have at the lord’s mansion?”
The guards were as disciplined as new recruits on a holiday event. Four of them moved in perfect unison to check the invitation, creating a rather imposing atmosphere. More than that, asking what business I had while I was wearing a tailcoat—apparently they had to operate at full formality today.
“I’m an invited guest to the celebration. Ah, but my invitation was taken by my companions who arrived earlier. I was told that was fine.”
“……My apologies, but your name?”
“Nord, adventurer of the Audumla Guild. Here’s my ID.”
I presented my plate and residence permit for name and identity verification. They couldn’t confirm with just a face, after all.
“Uwaaah!!”
─Thud! Bang! Since it was a day inviting many people, the procedure took quite a while, but seeing a guard bump into the table midway and cause a commotion made me laugh and eased my tension.
‘Why be nervous? It’s something I’ll have to do eventually.’
Such banquets and gatherings were unavoidable if I wanted to succeed in this world. Excavating ruins and building achievements would bring me patrons. They would naturally arrange such stages occasionally to expand their network with me, so I couldn’t keep cowering every time!
“Confirmed. Please enter and follow the guidance inside.”
After about ten minutes, the guard granted me entry permission. Ah, right. Invited guests who walked here on their own were probably rare. Other guests would have all waited in their carriages. They seemed flustered because I’d walked. I felt a bit sorry. I cleared my throat and bowed slightly.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Not at all. Please go in.”
─Creaaak! With that, the gate opened, and I stepped into the lord’s mansion where the celebration was being held.