The Festival and the Omen, Part 1

“I will hold them off here alone! Take Aryen and retreat to the fortress of Evernode!” Kuenor Strofe’s sharp voice rang out through the howling blizzard.

Beyond the Boundary Line, the temperature was plummeting uncontrollably as the Giant drew closer. The swirling snow had already risen past their ankles and was piling up above their knees. One by one, the sturdy northern knights and soldiers were vanishing, claimed by the Giant’s minions attacking from the depths of the whiteout.

“We cannot do that! We will stand and die with you here!”

“I never said I was going to die. Now, retreat to the fortress immediately and prepare for a siege!”

Kuenor Strofe’s Aura was violently blasting away all the snow in his vicinity. Ordinary monsters were torn to shreds just by brushing against the fringes of his Aura, and a single strike of his sword cleaved through even the most formidable beasts.

While the soldiers of Evernode retreated, Kuenor Strofe alone marched forward. The raging blizzard of the Boundary Line had absolutely no effect on him.

“Begone. This land is not your domain.”

Kuenor Strofe’s blade parted the falling snow once more. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Named monsters stepped forward to challenge him, but Kuenor paid them no heed, striding deeper into the heart of the blizzard.

The pitch-black night swallowed Kuenor Strofe whole. The swirling snowstorm quickly buried his footsteps, leaving no trace behind.

“…Damn it.”

It was a wretched dream. Unlike my usual routine, I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed immediately. Instead, I stared blankly up at the ceiling.

The events recorded in the novel lingered in my mind as vivid images, far more striking than mere text. I figured it was due to the memories left behind by the visions the Crown of Thorns had shown me. Thanks to that, I felt as if I were still submerged in the deep snow of my dream.

I tossed and turned, pulling the blanket up over my shoulders.

“Are you awake, Elroy?”

Georg, who shared the room with me, had apparently already finished his morning run and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠washed up. It was 7:30 AM. Quite a bit of time had passed. I stumbled as I pushed myself up into a sitting position.

“You’re fast even on your days off. Where do you find the energy to go running first thing in the morning?”

“You’re the one acting strange. You usually wake up even earlier than I do.”

I let out a soft sigh. Perhaps out of consideration, Georg hadn't drawn the blackout curtains yet. The morning sunlight, along with the bustling sounds of the outside world, squeezed through the narrow gaps in the drapes.

“Is the festival starting today?”

“Yeah. Lady Karin said she’d show us around the festival around lunchtime today, so make sure you don't forget the time and run late.”

I got out of bed and pulled back the curtains. Although the festival hadn't officially kicked off yet, the people walking down the streets were already dressed in festive attire, bright smiles plastered across their faces.

“To think we’d experience such a peaceful event when we came all this way to subjugate the Fourth Calamity,” Georg muttered.

I recalled the conversation I’d had with Grand Duke Kuenor.

“There is truly no need for you to do anything during the Midsummer Festival. You have already synchronized your movements with the knights of Evernode, and we are ready to march at a moment's notice, are we not?”

We had tried to decline, saying it wasn't necessary, but Grand Duke Kuenor adamantly insisted that we shouldn't help with anything during the festival. He told us not to go on patrols and said he would be truly delighted if we could simply enjoy Evernode's summer, even if only for a short while, alongside his daughter.

“I will also set aside a day for this, so please do not feel burdened.”

I wasn't sure if this was something to be happy about, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but in the end, we had wound up with an unexpected vacation in Evernode.

I frowned as the sunlight pricked my eyes along the window frame, and I drew the blackout curtains shut once more. Looking down, I saw the Holy Sword resting by my bedside, with the wooden box sitting beneath it.

“…”

I picked up the wooden box, only to set it back down.

Since that day, I had attempted to face the trials of the Crown of Thorns a few more times in hopes of passing. I had expected to face that snowy field again, but the Crown presented me with a different trial every single time. Sometimes it inflicted raw physical pain; other times, it forced me to witness horrific sights. It had even tried to test me with burning thirst, starvation, and overwhelming drowsiness.

Of course, I hadn't passed a single one of those tests yet. In fact, the more rushed and anxious I felt, the shorter my endurance seemed to become.

…What a headache.

Of the conditions the Holy Sword had set for its second-stage awakening, I didn't feel like I was anywhere close to fulfilling any of them. I had at least expected to pass the Crown's trial quickly, but I never imagined it would turn out to be the most difficult hurdle.

I let out a sigh and finally got completely out of bed.

“You should go out for a run too, just to clear your head. Or, if you want, I don't mind running another lap with you.”

Georg said, tossing the towel draped around his neck into the laundry basket. When I stared at him as if he were some sort of bizarre insect, he shrugged, seemingly clueless as to why I was looking at him that way, and yanked the blackout curtains wide open.

The most striking feature of the Midsummer Festival was the flowers. Whether they were wild blossoms or carefully cultivated garden varieties, Evernode was completely blanketed in them.

The moment I took a deep breath, their fragrance, mingled with the scent of fresh grass and wood, carried through the air and filled my senses.

Flowers woven with leaves, vines, and stems hung from front gates, roofs, shop signs, and windows. I walked slowly down the street, taking in the feast of nameless blossoms.

“Whoa…”

Dressed in a white dress, Daphne let out a soft exclamation of awe. Against a backdrop of a sky dotted with scattered clouds, flower petals fluttered gently through the air. Summer in the North felt almost synonymous with spring.

I watched the people strolling down the streets, each wearing a flower crown.

“This is amazing.”

“The Royal Capital ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is always flashy, so it’s hard to see a festival with this kind of atmosphere there.”

Georg also looked around in admiration. Marianne, too, had her eyes slightly wider than usual as she gazed at the flowers.

“Are there no festivals like this in the Holy Kingdom?”

Marianne shook her head at my question. Even on a day like today, she was dressed in her usual nun's habit.

“We have the Holy Feast Day in the winter, but we do not have festivals like this in the summer.”

Marianne then turned her gaze to the various flowerpots and garden beds lined up along the street. The blossoms swayed gently in the warm breeze. I smiled, watching her look so uncharacteristically absorbed in something.

“So, what do you think?”

“…It is beautiful.”

Tall poles wrapped in vines were erected throughout the town, and people gathered beneath them, forming circles to dance. We watched the scene for a moment before making our way toward the Stroft estate.

Waiting in front of the estate's main gate was Grand Duke Kuenor, dressed in casual clothes I had never seen him wear before. He wore a simple, lightweight long-sleeved sweater. He should have dressed like that from the start—why did he always insist on wearing that heavy cloak just to look fancy?

The Grand Duke placed a hand on the shoulder of the Iron Princess, who had come out with him to greet us.

“I leave my daughter in your care for the day. Thank you for granting my request. Go on, Karin.”

Stepping forward, Karin looked every bit the young princess, with any trace of the 'Iron' moniker completely absent. Her black hair was neatly tied into pigtails, and she wore a long, pleated apricot-colored skirt paired with a shirt adorned with red embroidery.

“Guide the Hero and his party well. And do not forget to enjoy the festival yourself.”

“Yes, Father.”

Karin trotted over to us. Daphne was the first to rush forward, thrusting her hand out toward Karin. Karin stared at Daphne's hand with wide, blinking eyes before finally taking it with a slightly helpless gesture.

“…I-I am so happy.”

Watching Daphne's over-the-top affection, Georg and I both twitched our lips, staring at the two of them with indescribable expressions. Karin, you’re going to have to look after our Daphne today.

“Shall we grab something to eat first? I'm sure there's some traditional food that's only served during the festival.”

“Oh, food? Sounds great. In that case, I'll have some of Evernode's famous ale—”

“You can drink your fill tomorrow.”

I jabbed Georg in the ribs with my elbow, scolding him. How dare you think of guzzling alcohol when the Iron Princess herself is personally guiding us through the festival?

Leaving Georg clutching his side, I bent down slightly to meet Karin's eyes.

“Lady Karin.”

“Please… just call me Karin,” she said shyly, her fair cheeks flushing bright red.

As she hesitated, slightly averting her gaze, Daphne looked down at her with an strangely flushed expression of her own. Hey, hey. Keep that up and the guards are going to arrest you.

“Then, Karin. Is there anything you’d like to eat for lunch?”

“…Smoked salmon and… potato bread.”

Wait. Salmon? Salmon existed in this world too? Well, if cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens all existed, there was no reason salmon shouldn't. Besides, geographically speaking, this place was the equivalent of Alaska, Norway, or Sweden on Earth—the very regions that produced the most delicious salmon in the world.

Since it was summer, they might not be as plump and flavorful as the ones caught in autumn, but how could I possibly resist?

My eyes gleamed as I snapped my head up. Karin’s head tilted back as she followed my sudden movement.

“Let’s go. Smoked salmon it is.”

The Holy Sword chimed in, her voice dripping with disbelief.

Salmon is light. Salmon is justice. It’s delicious grilled, it’s delicious raw, and a smoked steak is even better.

This time, Georg and Daphne stared at me in sheer bewilderment at my sudden burst of passion. Even Marianne narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at me. What? So what? I want to eat salmon.

I took Karin's other hand and headed toward an alleyway where a mouthwatering aroma was wafting from. Daphne was dragged along, still holding Karin's other hand, and the rest of the party followed behind me with reluctant steps.

As expected, smoked salmon wasn't the only delicious food the festival had to offer. The potato bread, in particular, was a revelation. When Karin first mentioned it, I thought it was just bread with potatoes in it, but it turned out to be a flatbread made with potato starch, giving it an incredibly chewy texture.

They rolled the bread thin like a dumpling skin, topped it with vegetables, herring, or salmon, and wrapped it up to eat. The combination was mind-blowingly delicious.

“If only we had some alcohol, this would be absolutely perfect,” Georg muttered, smacking his lips.

He had tried to sneakily order some drinks at the restaurant, but Daphne and I had caught him and shut him down every single time.

With our stomachs full, we finally had the leisure to look around. Karin, still holding Daphne's hand, showed us various spots around Evernode. Because the street vendors recognized her and kept handing her free treats, Karin's cheeks had been stuffed full like a squirrel's from the very beginning.

“Should we… buy one of those?”

As we strolled along, Karin stopped in front of a stall and pointed at the display. It appeared to be a shop selling flower crowns. Looking around, people of all ages and genders walking down the street were wearing flower crowns on their heads.

Daphne led Karin over to the stall and bought flower crowns for everyone in our group.

“How does it look, Elroy?”

“…It suits you incredibly well,” I replied.

Daphne had put on a crown woven from white flowers. Her petal-pink hair blended beautifully with the blossoms. With a small flower crown resting on her head, Karin looked further removed from the title of 'Iron' than ever.

“One for everyone.”

Watching Karin, Daphne handed out the remaining flower crowns to the rest of our party. Georg, seemingly swept up in the festive mood, immediately placed his on his head. Marianne stared at hers for a moment before taking off her hood and placing the crown on her head under Karin's urging gaze. It was woven with colorful flowers that complemented her silver hair beautifully.

“Here, one for Elroy too.”

I looked at the flower crown Daphne was holding out to me. She gestured for me to lean down, and when I lowered my head, she placed the crown gently on my hair, smiling warmly.

“It looks good on you too, Elroy.”

Flowers on a face with such fierce, villainous eyes. I let out a dry chuckle and touched the crown resting on my head. Daphne watched me with a smile before taking Karin's hand and walking ahead to find the next attraction. I stared at their retreating backs, a bitter smile playing on my lips.

The Holy Sword's voice echoed in my mind, filled with curiosity. Instead of answering, I quietly took the flower crown off my head.

“The thing I'm supposed to wear on my head is something else entirely.”

The image of the crown woven from wild blossoms overlapped with the Crown of Thorns, which lay waiting silently inside the wooden box.

I draped the flower crown over the hilt of the Holy Sword as she spoke in her puzzled tone. She tried to continue, but fell silent the moment the crown settled over her hilt.

“There. Why don't you wear it for me instead?”

Should I say it suited her? I chuckled softly, looking down at the hilt adorned with the flower crown. The Holy Sword remained silent for a long while, and I quickened my pace to catch up with the rest of the party.