(EP-195.1) Break #4
195 – A Short Break #4
Several days had passed since the duel.
Returning to the mundane daily life after the grand event felt a bit regrettable.
But the world was full of events and surprises, so there was no room for boredom.
━Hey, raise the sign a little higher! It’s too flat! No, no, it’s too high now! Move it back down!
━In the end, it looks just like it did at the beginning… Do we really have to redo it?
━Should we put the balloons here?
Despite the sweat dripping down their faces under the scorching sun, the workers remained cheerful. They were motivated by the upcoming grand Pre-summer Festival.
Hard and strenuous labor could become enjoyable if it held meaning for people.
‘A festival.’
Someday, when I could rule Angmar, I should hold events like this. Hosting festivals with different themes and traditions based on regions and seasons could foster regional development and alleviate people’s fatigue.
“Everyone’s busy, aren’t they?
Someone’s voice pulled me out from my thoughts. Beside me, Mirna Draco was leisurely fanning herself.
In Mirna’s red ruby eyes, I could see glimpses of people bustling around and chatting, then it vanished.
“Everyone seems overly excited. They’re leaping around for a festival.”
Her voice was particularly calm. In a way, it seemed like she harbored worries. So I asked Mirna in a subtle tone.
“Does Mirna-nim not like festivals?”
“It’s noisy and chaotic.”
‘I see…’
Since the Pre-summer Festival was held by the church, I thought Mirna, a devout follower of faith, would enjoy it.
However, she seemed to dislike the noisy and boisterous atmosphere of the festival.
“Narmi seems to like it, though. She’ll probably participate in the festival.”
“Participate…?”
This caught my attention.
“Will Miss Narmi participate in the July Queen contest?”
“What?”
At my question, Mirna’s hair stood upright as if she had heard something heinous. She looked like a startled cat splashed with cold water.
“To beg the people for votes like a clown. I don’t want to do such a thing…!”
Right…
From what I’d heard, the July Queens’ Selection was a voting system.
Ark students would put the name of the candidate they wanted in a note box, count the votes, and the person who could receive the most votes would be selected as the Queen to conclude the event.
Mirna seemed reluctant to involve herself in such a method.
The idea of going out in front and performing like a clown to gather votes from others was unacceptable to her sensibilities.
Indeed, in the past, she had harshly criticized democracy, calling it “a foolish political act where a popular clown is elected to rule.”
From this perspective, Mirna was quite negative about voting or engaging in political acts for it. In fact, the political philosophy of the Draco Family leaned towards the divine right of monarchs.
They believed it was given by the heavens, regardless if it was royal authority or bloodline, it shouldn’t be tampered with by human will.
However.
“Hey, signs are being put up. Let’s go see which shops are opening this time.”
Having said that, Mirna was enjoying the atmosphere of the festival in her own way.
Mirna had an armband labeled ［Guide］ on her slender arm, allowing her to visit shops before anyone else, and taste or experience the products they would sell.
“Hit the target? So if I hit the balloons over there with these darts, I get prizes according to the numbers?”
Dwarph the dwarf, the owner of the ‘Dwarf Playland’ shop, nodded.
“Exactly. We have everything, from keychains to large dolls. If you hit all twenty, you can even get that imp doll over there.”
At the mention of “imp doll”, I glanced at the stuffed doll perched on a high podium. It was an imp doll with a tail dressed in a nun’s uniform, which was clearly a deformed depiction of Marmar.
“These imp dolls have been quite popular lately. They’ve been selling like hotcakes. Aren’t the prizes enough?”
At those words, Mirna let out a long snort before picking up a dart and began throwing them one by one towards the balloons in the distance.
Pang-.
Pang-.
Pang-!
Surprisingly, Mirna’s dart throwing skills were dismal, as she only managed to hit 3 out of 20 balloons.
“This, something is wrong here…!”
No one chastised her, but Mirna started shaking, as if she was pronouncing a death sentence.
“This is promoting excessive gambling, doesn’t it? Perhaps it’s better to reconsider this dart throwing activity…!”
“No, where is such a law? The person who came yesterday said it was okay.”
“I, Mirna Draco, as a person assigned to the Student Council and the headquarters of Ark’s Pre-summer Festival, have the right and obligation to prevent establishments that violate the rules of the church from illegally opening their doors.”
“Hoo, this is just great. Just as I barely got a good spot….”
The dwarf shopkeeper, forced to close his shop without any respite, scratched his forehead. It must be frustrating to not be able to do business during the festival, which was peak season.
I knew Mirna was strict, but honestly, she was just venting here. If this continued, Mirna’s notoriety might spread far and wide.
“Can I try it too?”
“It’s 5,000 coins for an attempt.”
That was a bit expensive…
Still, considering the festival prices, it was a reasonable amount. So, I handed over 5,000 coins and took hold of the dart.
“You must not use any kind of magic, Your Honor Archmage.”
Huh, did he see the duel?
“Okay.”
I threw the dart vigorously. I’d been playing a lot since childhood in the orphanage. Thanks to that, I managed to pop all twenty balloons with twenty throws.
Seeing such, the shopkeeper Dwarph applauded.
“Huhu, good throw. You got nice wrist technique. Here’s a Marumaru doll.”
“A Marmar doll?”
“No, Marumaru. This is unauthorized. If you use the same name, you have to pay royalties for trademark and copyright.”
‘I… see.’
Anyway, I took the imp Marumaru doll holding a broom in my hand.
“But, I don’t really need a doll. I’ll give it to Mirna-nim.”
Then, I gifted it to Mirna. She received the large doll with a momentary brightening expression, “Wow-“, but then immediately cleared her throat.
“Well, compared to the random boxes at the adjacent shop, this is less of a gambling risk. Let’s allow the business. Then, Sir Theo, let’s go to the next shop.”
We wandered around nearby shops preparing for opening, sampling various foods while experiencing games and events.
Edited by: faker
