Chapter 53.2 – The Fall Festival’s Closing Speech, Go to Bed

「Food I’ve never seen before.」

「Recently, the food we developed has been spreading. Let’s eat something.」

Under the colorful decorations are lined up food stalls. On their menus are foods that have become staple foods of this city in recent years.

Steamed meat bun, spaghetti, udon, yakisoba, Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, donut, and others. They are food that didn’t exist until a few years ago.

Most of them were made because I wanted to eat them.

All the stalls were quite busy and the business seemed to be thriving.

「Give me 8 takoyaki」

「Yeah! Ah, master, thank you for your hard work! I’ll make them right away!」

A light-hearted catkin, who seemed to be quite skilled in cooking, cooks the takoyaki dexterously.

Technically speaking, they are not Takoyaki since there’s no octopus in Torquiva but that doesn’t matter.

It’s not a big deal whether the filling is smoked meat or sausage as long as it tastes good.

The tip of the pick spins the takoyaki and the fillings into a round ball.

I love how the takoyaki looks.

「Thank you for waiting!」

「Thanks」

I immediately put the freshly cooked takoyaki in my mouth.

However, it was so hot that it hurt my mouth. Laura-san and the clerk laughed at me.

What can I do!

It tastes 50% better when freshly cooked!

Laura-san, who was watching me, waited for the takoyaki to cool down before eating it. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

「This is quite delicious.」

「Ei! Thank you very much! Madam!」

「This is a wheat-producing area so I am pushing flour as our specialty.」

「Flour, is it? I’d like to try something else.」

「Alright, let’s go. Thanks for the food!」

「Ei! Take care!」

The catkin saw us off and we moved on to the okonomiyaki stall next door.

「Welcome! Master and madam!」

「One pork circle」

「Aiyo! Pork on circle! One Torquiva grill! What about the white sauce?」

「A lot.」

「Lot of white sauce!」

Today, let’s try everything here.

It’s an inspection.

-0-

「Move move move!」

「Clear the way!」

「Musicians are coming through!」

A few hours had passed since we arrived.

The street suddenly became noisy and preparations for the Bon Odori dance began as the sun began to set.

The lanterns were lit up and the area around the tower became bright.

The musicians, singers, and dancers, who had been practicing for this day, gathered in front of the tower. Jiren, the manager who apparently took charge of the event, gave her final remark.

The Bon Odori dance is supposed to be held twice in one day. Once in the morning and another in the evening so the guests who had heard wonderful words about it from those who came this morning have gathered here, making the area around very crowded.

Dodododododon!….Kakan!

The beating of the drums suddenly began. The buzzing crowd became quiet all at once.

The singers’ voices echoed through the loudspeaker magic tool and the dancers, who were wearing weird-colored yukata, started dancing altogether.

The music was bright and lively and the flutes and stringed instruments were bright, lively, and stylish.

It gives off the feeling of making you want to dance too.

“A wheat field to the4 ends of the earth

Where did father and mother meet

There are more ears of wheat than people

But what is the honor of my heart

Through the rumors of sea flow

The sea of gold you can see

Pull wheat and shake them

And I, the farmer, will pick you up.”

I can’t complain about the songs I hear because most of them were thrown to Hunt….

It’s not like they are poison or drugs but I’m disheartened.

In any case, I think they are songs I could listen to comfortably.

I took the bewildered Laura’s hand and joined the outermost part of the dancing circle.

It was supposed to be a simple dance that could be performed by simply imitating the people around. However, everyone in the outer circle, including me, was dancing in a weird way.

Only those who had been here since morning were able to imitate the dance a little.

Well, we live in the countryside so we don’t usually get a chance to dance.

Everyone seems to be in a festive mood and enjoying themselves with smiles on their faces thanks to the help of alcohol.

Since everyone’s having fun, it doesn’t matter how it looks.

After that, various ondo songs followed such as “End of Flour”, “Torquiva’s Train”, “Catch Me in the Wheat Field”, “Bright Stardust Dragoon”, etc….

Before long, the dancing circle that had swelled up naturally broke down and everyone began to dance as they pleased.

The yukata-clad dancers had male partners and were swaying with their hands around each other’s waists as if they were cuddling up to each other.

I remember that festivals have been a place for people to meet since ancient times.

Maybe next year, we should turn it into a marriage activity party?

I thought about that as I held Laura-san’s waist.

The night of the festival is drawing close including the beating of the drums.

The light on the other streets went out but the lanterns on the Schenker Street remained lit.

The music may have ended but the fussing did not….right.

Laura-san and I left.

As expected, no one would dare get along with us.

I offered them alcohol for the time being but next year, I’ll set up a proper closing time.

That’s what I vowed to myself after tiring myself by hanging out with the happily dancing slaves for hours.