‘Festival’ is one of the concepts that can never be excluded from the history of humanity.
Even now, for ancient people, ‘farming’ was an especially important means, so they were sensitive to the changing seasons of nature. Even if the environment was not conducive to farming, the seasons still changed.
Due to the changing environment with each season, people believed that ‘gods’ must have intervened and offered them sacrifices. The customs that arose from offering these sacrifices became festivals.
As time passed and civilization developed, festivals began to take on various forms. Festivals that involved offering sacrifices to gods were still held, but as history accumulated, people began to assign special meanings to special days.
Among the famous types of festivals, there are of course the ‘National Foundation Day’ and the New Year’s festival.
National Foundation Day includes the meaning that the country has overcome various difficulties and hardships, so it is appropriate to hold the largest-scale festival even if it is held.
However, even such a National Foundation Day is inferior compared to the New Year’s festival. The New Year’s festival naturally has the largest scale because it contains various meanings for all people regardless of race.
Thus, as mentioned earlier, ‘festivals’ are an indispensable part of the history of humanity, and are still ongoing today. Then, what is the most important thing in opening a festival recently? Holy offerings to offer to the gods? Capital to open a grand festival? Various sights to see?
Not really. Essentially, a festival only truly becomes meaningful when ‘people’ gather together to enjoy it.
No matter how much money is spent, or how systematically planned it is, or how many attractions there are, it’s all useless if there are no people in the end.
And I fully understand that common sense, not in a negative sense, but in a positive sense.
“Wow…”
I exclaimed in amazement, gaping at the unbelievable sight outside the window. While usually the atmosphere of our territory came from its tranquility, now people were bustling and lively.
As I mentioned before, our territory has no particular characteristics and is just a rural area. The reason why there is high potential for development is because many young people reside in our villages and it’s close to the capital city.
Nevertheless, it’s always been relatively quiet, being a rural town. The reason why young people remain here is because of my father.
They probably don’t know that my father has made a name for themselves as a Navy knight, but the fact that my father has become a noble from a commoner is enough to pique the curiosity of the young people. That’s why the sound of music is heard in the mansion yard every day.
But now it’s different. Buildings and stalls are being constructed one by one on the almost deserted streets, and a performance venue that can be considered the centerpiece of the festival is being built on the vast plain.
In addition, even the villagers who rarely show their faces are contributing to the festival preparations. Since it’s not a festival planned by the village itself but supported by the empire, they have no choice but to work hard.
Of course, there was no dissatisfaction on their faces. Rather, the village was prospering, and they were probably unaware of any difficulties due to their happiness.
“It’s been a few years since I received this territory, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it so lively.”
As I watched buildings being generated in real-time like in a game, my father, who was standing next to me, spoke up. I turned my head to listen to his words, which were imbued with his characteristic solidity.
As always, his stern face exuded manliness, but today he seemed a bit tired. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t slept for several days and his fatigue had piled up on his face.
In fact, when the exhibition was decided to be held in Michelles territory, my father became much busier. He handled payment documents that piled up like mountains, and met various people.
He met with those who visited the territory out of curiosity and signed contracts, consulted with construction managers, and meticulously planned the exhibition with Leort.
Due to the sudden surge in workload, he had no choice but to work overtime, and it was inevitable that he would become tired.
“You look very tired, father.”
“Even when I’m tired, looking at the outside makes me feel like all my fatigue is gone. And I’ve done much more than this when I was on active duty. It’s just been a long time, that’s all.”
Come to think of it, he wasn’t just a simple knight, but a knight commander. He wasn’t just a member of an ordinary knight order, but a commander, so he probably also handled administrative tasks.
Moreover, the Navy Knight Order was responsible for the border and had to spend the allotted budget frugally. Of course, they would receive more money than other places, but no matter how much money they poured in, the military was always lacking.
The Navy’s Knights are similar to special forces, so training one knight alone requires astronomical budgets. As the person in charge, my father would have to allocate that budget efficiently, so naturally his abilities would have increased.
‘But it must still be hard.’
I heard that my mother also helps my father with his work. By now, she must be struggling with the piles of paperwork that have accumulated.
Feeling sorry for him, I chuckled bitterly and my father smiled, placing his hand on my shoulder. I could feel the texture and weight of his thick palm.
“You don’t have to feel too sorry for me. This festival is actually all about you. I’ve told you before, but I’m proud of you. You’re accomplishing everything, one by one, even things that I can’t do.”
“If you hadn’t helped me, it would have been difficult.”
“I haven’t done anything for you… but it’s nice to hear you say that.”
His words conveyed his love and affection for me. A child can’t do anything without their parents’ love and care, but here were my parents, saying that they hadn’t done anything for me.
As I looked at him with sad eyes, my father ruffled my hair without saying a word. I wanted to act like an innocent child in front of my parents.
I giggled and pointed to the work site, asking my father.
“So, will everything be completed before the exhibition starts?”
“It will probably be completed just in time. Our plan is to use the entire territory instead of building a separate building for the exhibition. I heard the scale of the play is also big, so it’s suitable for our empty territory.”
The exhibition, as explained by my father, will be held using our entire territory. So, it is more like a festival than an event held in a complex building like a museum.
Of course, the performances will proceed as planned, with the bands and drama groups coming. During the lively daytime, we will be able to enjoy the artworks, while in the quiet evening, we will focus on the drama and theater performances.
As I thought carefully about the drama that would take place in the evening, I asked my father.
“Father, have you ever seen a play before?”
“I saw one a few times with your mother a long time ago. It was quite entertaining.”
“Did that play also use the entire open field like this?”
Plays are usually performed on stage, but for some reason, this play was planned to be performed in a wide open field.
The venue where the performance was going to be held was also set up on the plain, and the viewing seats were quite spacious. They even installed a semi-transparent curtain that resembled what I had seen at the Academy’s arena.
“Hmm…”
My father looked in the direction I pointed with my finger and then stroked his chin. He replied as if he found it fascinating.
“The play I saw with your mother was performed on a stage. However, the theater group coming this time is famous in many ways.”
“In what ways? I only know that their name is Matrics Troupe.”
“It’s a highly realistic play known for its extreme realism. For example, if it’s a scene with snow, they actually make it snow, and if it’s raining, they make it rain. Moreover, I heard that they even create explosions, making it much more dynamic than any other plays.”
It’s almost like a movie-level production in terms of the production techniques, similar to the famous director Christopher Nolan from my previous life. However, he is a movie director, and with the current level of technology, such productions are almost impossible.
When I looked at my father with a bewildered expression, he chuckled.
“I don’t really know the details about this. It would be better to ask your mother about it. However, most people believe that they use magic for their productions.”
“Just using magic for a theater performance seems a bit…”
“That’s why it’s even more famous. There’s a high chance that elves or demons are involved among the staff. Above all, people say that it’s fascinating to see how well they create the effects.”
I’m really looking forward to seeing a play with special effects, it feels like I’m watching a movie.
Even if it’s only for a short time, it should be enough to enjoy. I looked out the window with increasing excitement towards the exhibition. In the blink of an eye, a few buildings had been constructed in the gap between the buildings.
It normally takes several months just to build one building, so I was worried that they may have done a shoddy job.
‘I should visit here later.’
A shoddy construction could lead to a disaster, so it’s best to be especially careful. In my previous life, there were many cases where buildings collapsed due to poor construction.
Of course, it is unlikely that such a situation would arise, given the support we receive from the royal family, but the world does not always go according to our plans.
“Isaac, did you send the letter stating that you would be attending the exhibition?”
My father asked me as I gazed outside the window. I turned away from the window and looked at my father, expressing my curiosity.
“What letter?”
“Well, we know that this festival is for you as an author, but to others, it’s a festival for the creator of Xenon’s Biography. If the main character doesn’t show up, I wonder if this festival would have any meaning.”
Again, let me reiterate that this exhibition is a festival where masters from all over the world have read Xenon’s Biography and created their own works. So, without the original author, not only will the enjoyment be diminished, but the attending artists may also be greatly disappointed.
After listening to my father’s words, I thought carefully about various concerns and asked a cautious question in a careful voice.
“What if a problem arises?”
“That won’t happen, so don’t worry too much. After all, there will be many people participating in the festival, and all you have to do is say that you will attend. When the festival is over, send a letter mentioning some of the artists and how much you enjoyed it.”
“Hmm… I understand.”
My father’s words were as comforting as a lullaby. He smiled contentedly as I accepted his proposal.
“Then, I’ll take a break for a moment. It’ll be better to rest now because more documents will pile up in a few hours.”
“Take it easy. What will you do if you pass out from exhaustion?”
“Compared to when I was on active duty, this is nothing.”
“Shall I help you with something?”
“No. You just sit still and enjoy the festival. As I said before, this festival is for you.”
Father left with those words and went back to his room. I looked towards the door he left through and then turned my head back towards the window.
This festival was solely for fans of Xenon’s Biography. The once quiet territory was filled with energy and liveliness, and smiles bloomed on people’s faces.
As I silently watched this scene, I became absorbed in the experience. My written work had become a new culture that breathed life into the territory. It was completely different from just hearing about it in the newspaper.
‘Come to think of it, there was a similar place in Korea.’
They created a culture street in Kim Kwang-seok Street, the birthplace of Kim Kwang-seok, and it transformed into a unique area.
‘If our territory becomes like that…’
My desires began to rise as I witnessed the rapidly changing appearance of the territory. If the place where I was born and raised becomes a landmark where countless tourists come, and if we hold festivals at regular intervals like now, how proud would I feel? Although I have no greed for money and power, there is a strange allure in knowing that my novel has become a part of the culture.
Should we call this honor? I thought I somewhat understood why so many people die and live for honor.
‘Even artists must find it difficult, wandering around here and there…’
Maybe it was my greed, but rationalization began to take place inside me little by little. I was aware of it, but it was difficult to endure.
I looked at the streets that were gradually changing into a territory and muttered quietly.
“A festival for me…”
I wonder what form this territory will have in the distant future. Will it grow into a cultural place like Kim Kwang-seok Street, or will it just remain as an ordinary territory?
‘Should I just reveal that I was born in Michelle Territory?’
I’ve always said it, but people are assuming that the author of Xenon’s Biography is an old sage, so they’ll probably only do some research after finding out that I was born in Michelle Territory.
They won’t know where I live now, because I was only born in Michelle Territory.
‘I can’t decide this alone. I need to ask my father and Rina.’
After that, I continued to stare out the window for a long time.
Translators note:
