Chapter 338
The day of the exhibition finally arrived. Many residents had gathered in the plaza, and an elaborate stage had been set up where Cal usually slept.
"Everyone, thank you very much for gathering here. We will now begin the exhibition of the crops produced by our masters."
Standing atop it was Towa, who had been entrusted with hosting and directing the event. When she declared the exhibition open, the plaza was filled with the cheers of the gathered residents. They seemed excited about their first festival since moving into the city.
Towa waited patiently onstage until the cheering died down, then began speaking again once everyone had settled somewhat. With even us organizers caught up in the excitement, there was no doubt that she was the calmest person here.
"Now, Izamu-sama will give the opening address."
Prompted by Towa, I climbed onto the stage. The residents looked up at me with somewhat solemn expressions. Being stared at by so many people made me nervous, but I couldn't embarrass myself here. This was my moment to stand firm.
"Everyone, thank you all for coming. Today is the first festival held since people began living in this city. We have been able to hold it solely because everyone cooperated with us. First, allow me to express my gratitude for that."
The plaza had always been spacious enough, but it was only because the residents had cooperated that we had been able to make room to hold an exhibition. If it weren't for them, the city would never have been rebuilt this far, since we couldn't play all day long. They would probably say they had done it for the sake of their own homes, but we must never forget to be grateful.
Perhaps my heartfelt gratitude had gotten through to them, because the residents began to look somewhat proud. Anyone would be happy to have their actions recognized. Apparently, it was the same for players and NPCs alike.
"And I would also like to thank our friends, the 'Kontra Trading Company' and the 'Blue-Scaled Pirate Crew,' for making this festival even more splendid. Thank you."
When I thanked them by name, Konrad, standing below the stage, beamed, while Ann waved her hand in response. Konrad and the members of his company had arrived that morning and prepared more than ten food stalls, saying that a festival would need them. They had been arranged around the plaza and were still giving off fragrant aromas.
Since Shichiko had shouted, "Delicious!" it seemed they were using high-quality ingredients. Some of those ingredients were seafood that Ann and her group had brought back, and the residents were savoring the unfamiliar dishes.
"Enough of the stiff formalities. Today, let's all enjoy this festival to the fullest!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
I spread both arms and declared the festival open with exaggerated grandeur, prompting the residents gathered in the plaza to cheer. I climbed down from the stage. In my place, Towa climbed up and once again began acting as emcee, announcing the exhibition and explaining its rules. She was better at explaining things clearly than we were.
"Hehe, she looks more the part than I expected."
"I never thought you lot would come too, Usuba."
Waiting to greet me after I came down from the stage was Usuba, the leader of 'Persona,' famed as one of the strongest PKs around. They had come to the city aboard Konrad's ship. I had heard that they were engaged in a deadly feud with an organization of residents, but apparently that conflict had already been settled.
Konrad and Usuba looked satisfied as they watched us react in surprise, since we hadn't known about their arrival until the day of the event. They had deliberately kept it secret so they could surprise the two of us. What nasty personalities those two had.
Their goal, of course, was not the exhibition. It was to fight Jigoro and Genjuro. The two, who knew that, grinned and took the members of 'Persona' other than Usuba out into the field. They would probably kill each other in the middle of the plains, like a duel from a period drama. All I could do was pray for the two's victory.
"You're not going? You were looking forward to sparring with the two of them."
"Ah, that? Unfortunately, I lost the game to determine the order in which we'd fight. My turn is last."
"Oh? By the way, what game was that?"
"You know that we were embroiled in a dispute with one of the residents' organizations until recently, don't you? We raided one of its branches, and the game was based on the number of heads we claimed then."
"The strongest one gave us some trouble," Usuba concluded with a cheerful laugh. ...I had somehow just heard something incredible. Apparently, there were several illegal organizations among the residents, like the people who had been pulling the strings behind the 'Austin Gang.' They got into a dispute with one of them? It turned into a deadly battle? They raided its branch? And then competed based on how many people they killed? To put it mildly, these people were insane...
Although 'Persona' had few members, it was said that each individual's fighting strength rivaled that of a party in the same level range. If clans went to war with each other, how many groups would actually be able to defeat them? I doubted even we could win. While Jigoro and Genjuro were each fighting one of 'Persona's' members one-on-one, the others would probably take us out. We should be careful not to antagonize them.
The festival continued even while I was talking with Usuba. The judges, summoned to the stage by Towa, sat nervously in their assigned seats. The first crop presented before them was a large pile of bright-red beans.
Towa calmly explained what she had been told about the crop by its producer. Apparently, the beans had no special effects, but were spicy and tasted like meat. Towa did not reveal who had produced such a strange plant.
"Oh my, you're not going to announce who produced the crop?"
"No. I want to hear their honest opinions."
If we announced the producers beforehand, I felt the judges might show favoritism, so we had decided to reveal that information when announcing the exhibition's results. For better or worse, many members were close to particular Races.
Let me give some specific examples. Jigoro and Genjuro, who conducted combat training, were popular with the martial-minded Centaurs, the young Scars, and the Dark Elves, who could practically be called a nation of soldiers. Shiitake frequently interacted with the Dark Elves and Metallica to gain knowledge of the chemicals and minerals used in 【Alchemy】. Ruby, Shio, Shifune, and Wool were popular with children of every Race.
Kanna and Raga, who fought as cavalry, were bound by strong ties to the Centaurs, while Sei, who could likewise serve as cavalry, actively interacted with the Dark Elves who had helped with Momo. Toji, the most beautiful member of our clan, was popular with young men regardless of their Race, while Eiji, who looked intimidating but was kind, was relied upon by some of the children and older residents.
The other members had also been deepening their relationships in their own ways, but the reality was that those relationships could not all be evenly balanced. As the clan leader, I had many opportunities to speak with all the Races, while Iris was a special case because she interacted with the Scars and Metallica through her production work and provided the Centaurs and Dark Elves with weapons of her own making.
The judges were now crunching on the beans onstage and giving their honest opinions. Young men and women, along with some of the elderly, liked them, but the children grimaced and said they were too spicy. Most of the elderly said they were hard enough to crack their teeth, though they thought they might be edible depending on how they were prepared. The Metallica, who could eat only stone and metal, kindly commented, "The color is pretty."
Everyone rated them out of five, and once that was finished, the plate of beans was cleared away. Next, a cucumber was brought in. It was an ordinary cucumber with nothing unusual about it, but it was a plant that did not exist on this continent. Vegetables with prickles seemed to be rare, and the judges examined it with great interest.
According to Towa, eating this cucumber temporarily increased Agility. The added special effect piqued the judges' interest even further, so they bit right into it. Surprisingly, however, their reactions were poor. Why? According to the judges, it was extremely grassy-tasting.
Only the Dark Elves remained unfazed, saying that this level of grassiness was perfectly tolerable. Everyone else could eat only one bite. The Metallica said, "The shape is interesting." I was glad they were having fun.
"A cucumber that boosts Agility? I'd like some. I'd buy it even if it were a little grassy."
"Even if we mass-produce it, that won't be until after the event. Look forward to it."
The third plate brought out held... Oh! Wasn't that my tree's fruit? The plate held three kinds of fruit, excluding the dangerous 'Resentment Ashheart Fruit.' While the judges examined them closely, Towa explained their properties. After that, they cracked the shells with the wooden mallets provided and popped the insides into their mouths. Now, how would they react!?
"Munch, munch... It's faintly sweet. I could eat these forever."
"Bitter?! This black one is way too bitter!"
"Sour! The inside of the hard one is insanely sour! But it's making me feel all warm!"
All three varieties seemed to have different flavors. The 'Wise Tree's Crimson Fruit' was delicious, the 'Wise Tree's Black Fruit' was extremely bitter, and the 'Dragonblood Fruit' was very sour. Everyone except the judge who had eaten the 'Wise Tree's Crimson Fruit' first writhed in agony.
Oh, crap. Since I couldn't eat them, I hadn't taste-tested them. The description of the 'Wise Tree's Crimson Fruit' said it was delicious, so I had simply assumed the other two edible varieties would be as well. Sorry, judges...
However, the judges' over-the-top reactions, which were no less impressive than those of professional comedians, sent the audience into peals of laughter. It didn't look like my entry would win the exhibition, but it had succeeded in livening up the event. In a sense, perhaps that was a success for the organizer.
While I was thinking about that, the judges finalized their scores, bringing my turn to an end. The Metallica, for their part, had apparently been able to eat the 'Dragonblood Fruit' with the shell still on, and they told me, "It's stimulating and fun." So it isn't tasty... Figures.