Chapter 139 - Chapter 13: The Water-Splashing Festival Report Meeting
We decided to hold the after-party for the Water-Splashing Festival in the backyard of the Ghost Mansion. As usual, the Class of 175, Dune and the other spirits, the Marcelo Company, and for some reason, Henry-sama and his group gathered.
Matilda made supports and stretched cloth to create shade, and Angelica-san made several pillars of ice.
In addition, Dune constantly kept the cloth stretched over our heads and against the afternoon sun damp, and Mel kept sending a breeze from the direction of the ice, so we were able to spend the time coolly even though it was midsummer.
For food, we had bear meat stored in the town hall warehouse, roasted and sprinkled with herbs, served with vegetables grown by Lyudmila and handmade bread.
Since it was handmade by Angelica-san, it was truly delicious.
First, we toasted with beer that Angelica-san had kept chilled.
Of course, we also prepared a mixture of honey and oak sap for Mel, and sun-warmed water kept at a comfortable temperature in the shade for Flora.
Starting with Beatrix's toast, the report meeting began immediately.
"First is Matilda."
The facilitator was, of course, Beatrix.
"Stall sales weren't bad. The marble-dyed items sold out, and the accessories Bonnie and I made sold reasonably well. The customer-attraction effect worked."
The management of the Class of 175 Shop was handled by Matilda, who had suggested it. Usually, she handles weapons, armor, and gunpowder at the guard's workshop and repairs farm tools at the blacksmith, but the silverwork she makes in her spare time is gradually gaining a reputation.
Mary, who is in charge of sales, is also puffing out her chest.
Everyone toasted toward Eleanor-sama, Wilson-san, Paul-san, Robinson-san, and Dune and Mel.
The main attractions for drawing customers were the two bowls and Dune's water magic.
The flight experience in the bowls flown by Paul-san and Wilson-san is as popular as ever. This time, Robinson-san participated by providing support for getting on and off.
The other highlight was Dune. Since it was midsummer, she ditched the Fluffy-Fluffy and came up with a big move where the center of the Fluffy-Fluffy was normal water so children could bathe.
Children usually swim in the river, but those under ten are prohibited from swimming. This is because they might drown. That said, there isn't a suitable place to play in the water, so they just have to watch with envy as the older kids jump into the river to cool off.
Limited to those ten and under, they played while soaked up to their waists in the water-filled Fluffy-Fluffy. Not to be outdone, Eleanor-sama created a mist with magic, allowing adults to cool off under the scorching sun. Mel created a breeze to dry the wet clothes.
Both the water-filled Fluffy-Fluffy and the mist cooling area had time limits per person, but we made them free. Rumors spread, and families with children flocked to us one after another.
Matilda and Bonnie had to look after the children, but mothers working at the marble-dyeing and lunch service stalls took turns helping out before we knew it. Of course, they were in the water with their own children, but they were also looking after other children, so we overlooked it.
Since the children didn't require much attention, the clothing-related stalls were constantly bustling with fathers and mothers, and we were greatly thanked by the old guys who set up stalls alongside us.
"The food was all sold out. We prepared ten servings of boiled vegetable salad with a sauce made of sautéed crushed onions and vinegar, with bread crumbs and steamed chicken, and thirty servings of chilled milk and cider, but they sold out in no time."
The food and beverage department opened next to the stalls was managed by Lyudmila, who takes care of the goats and grows vegetables.
The vegetables are grown using methods from the plants' perspective under Flora's guidance, so they have a good reputation in the shop for being crunchy and delicious. We bought the chicken from Owen-san, having asked him to prepare it.
We toasted toward Angelica-san, who chilled the milk, cider, and ingredients with ice magic, and Flora, who is in charge of home garden guidance.
"This is about next month. It's regarding the silica mining in the Flatlands in October. The day before yesterday, I went with Jeanne and Beatrix to hear Mayor Adolf's talk about the Class of 175's land purchase and the opening of the company office. Regarding the silica, the application was successfully accepted, and it's been decided that we will take on the work as planned. As for the land purchase, at present, there are no other buyers. The deadline for the purchase application is the middle of next month, so if things continue like this for another month, we expect to be able to purchase the planned site without it going to auction."
Information about the Goblins has been passed to the bigwigs in the Royal Capital through Mayor Adolf. Henry-sama's group also showed understanding.
We toasted toward Marcelo-san.
"Finally, the Splashing Contest. As a result of the battle between Vigilante Group One, assigned by lottery by district, and Vigilante Group Two, which included civil engineering workers, Henry-sama... no, Group Two led by Old Man Henry won a magnificent victory by decision."
This was one of the reasons Henry-sama and the others participated incognito. Apparently, Nakanohara is the only place where townspeople splash water on each other on the War Dead Memorial Day, so they came specifically to see it. It seems they had heard about it from Roberts-sama, who participated last year. Surely the King is sighing.
Despite joining in on the fly while hiding his identity, he apparently started giving orders before anyone knew it and became the architect of the victory.
We toasted toward Old Man Henry.
"By the way, the sales ranking for today's portraits was Gladys-sama, Katherine-sensei, Hanna-san, Mary, Roberts-sama, and the current Queen, in that order."
Perhaps because they saw the real thing in the Royal Capital, they've recently started selling portraits of the Queen. Apparently, her popularity has been rising steadily.
"What, does Jeanne's not sell?"
Henry-sama said something unnecessary.
"Jeanne was on the lead float in the Water-Splashing Festival, chanting the Chant of Exorcism, wasn't she?"
That's right. As a result of Jennifer-sensei declining, the turn came to me. I was spared from having to hold the Knight's Staff, but I was made to perform the recitation of the Chant of Exorcism. Honestly, I didn't want to do it, but I couldn't refuse after being asked by the Archbishop.
I think it would have been better if the Headmistress did it, but she apparently refused because she was going to be the general commander of the vigilante side in the Splashing Contest. Surely, she was competing with Henry-sama.
"Uh, portraits of Jeanne are not for sale, per her own strong request. However, we are accepting individual orders if requested."
Wait a minute. I didn't hear about this.
Don't tell me you've taken orders already.
"Regarding individual orders, due to an agreement with the purchasers, we cannot disclose whose portraits were sold or how many."
She was smirking.
Seriously, I can't let my guard down for a second.
"How about it? Henry-sama, do you want one?"
"No, I wouldn't go that far."
He waved his hand in refusal.
That, in itself, leaves me with complicated feelings.
"As an aside to the aside, in the current Nakanohara Madonna provisional rankings, Angelica is in third place and Jeanne is in eighth. Well, it hasn't changed from last year."
Paul-san says something unnecessary.
Angelica-san was smiling, perhaps relieved.
"As I thought, the curse of eighth place is powerful."
"Even after defeating a dragon and being knighted, you can't rise above seventh place."
Beatrix and Mary said even more unnecessary things.
"What's that?"
Look at that. Henry-sama took the bait.
Beatrix explained the situation.
"As I thought, changing the ending of the puppet show was a mistake."
Paul-san began explaining the ending he originally thought of to Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama.
That's not true, Director. It's fine the way it is now.
"Should we have the Royal Family's playwright write a story with Jeanne as the protagonist?"
Eleanor-sama was smirking.
Please absolutely do not do that. Spirit-related stories are popular, so that's fine.
The play with a water spirit as the protagonist is said to be extremely popular, especially among women. Apparently, a tragic love story with an Alraune as the protagonist has also started being performed.
It'll take six months to reach Nakanohara, so we might be able to see both in the winter.
"By the way, how long will you be in Nakanohara?"
I decided to change the subject so the conversation wouldn't head in a strange direction.
"We'll be here until the next full moon. So, until the Harvest Festival. We have to earn travel expenses for the return trip through civil engineering work, and I want to see that operation at the pass camp in the planned development area."
The next full moon is the first Thursday. According to the original plan, it would be Angus-san and the others' turn, but since it's impossible for them to participate as reinforcements by riding horses from the southern end to the northern end, we explained the situation and had them swap. Instead, we had them take charge of the forest in the southern mountains.
Henry-sama and the others have been here since yesterday, so it'll be about three weeks. They'll probably stay at the orphanage.
"By 'operation,' do you mean the 'Jeanne Glows and Gunpowder Explodes Big Operation'?"
"What! Are you doing something that interesting?"
We are not! Well, we are, but we're not doing that!
After being teased for a while, it was time to unveil the homework given during the May Festival.
Beatrix split a board cleanly in two, and Lyudmila and Mary put cracks in their boards.
All three were praised by Eleanor-sama for having worked hard to get this far.
Apparently, they've reached a fairly good point; after this, it's about the time it takes to activate. Certainly, it's useless if you're groaning and straining in close combat. They were told to keep working hard.
Since everyone said they wanted to see the Flatlands, we decided to patrol the Flatlands with Henry-sama and the others next Tuesday.
Since it was incognito, they seemed to have departed in Eleanor-sama's bowl before dawn, but we were able to meet up safely.
Apparently, Henry-sama and the others are interested in operations using the bowl.
Surely, they'll talk to the King and Victor-sama after actually seeing it.
When we reached the Nakanohara Jaeger mountain fortress via Teleport, Angelica-san, wearing an apron, brought a pot full of hearty soup, which made the bandits overjoyed. In addition to that, she's apparently going to make dinner under the guise of cooking instruction.
I'll have to keep quiet about this to Mabel-san.
We also called Dune and Mel, and everyone except Beowulf and Will, who couldn't come on a weekday, gathered in the Flatlands.
"Are you buying this?"
Henry-sama pointed to a spot west of the centipede hole, surrounded on two sides by the forest extending from the southern and western mountains.
Based on the investigation of the southern mountains, we predicted that the highway to the south would probably pass between the planned purchase site and the centipede hole. That's where the space between the mountains is widest.
It takes about an hour to walk to the hole, but once the road is through, it should be more convenient to have the office here rather than on the silica mining construction site side.
Since it's surrounded by forest on two sides, the amount of sand mixed in the soil seems low.
Wilson-san asked immediately.
"You said you'd raise sheep and bees. Can you get by with just three fields for grazing and honey?"
"It's practice first. We'll buy only three fields and dedicate the first year to increasing pasture grass that's strong in wasteland, like clover and oats."
I say dedicate, but according to Flora, as long as there's no water shortage due to drought, it's fine even if left alone.
"Clover and oats? Good for pasture. But you're going to go out of your way to sow seeds and increase them?"
He's tilting his head.
When Flora explained it was to turn wasteland into fertile land, he folded his arms with a "Hum."
I explained that Flora was conducting experiments with Lyudmila, and the two of them talked about various things.
Wilson-san has apparently been appointed as the director of the newly established Sertoria National Strategic Research Institute, and he's wearing not only the black magic-sealing ring but also a ring with the Sertoria crest indicating his high office.
At the Ghost Mansion party, Mel teased him relentlessly, but seeing as she stayed on his lap the whole time, she must have been happy. Even now, she's sitting on his head in her spirit form.
"Sertoria has much of this kind of thin soil. There's a limit to the land where we can dump large amounts of fertilizer. If that method can turn it into fertile farmland, it's worth tackling across the entire kingdom."
Apparently, on the way back to the Royal Capital from Medioland, they looked around at various places with Henry-sama and the others. Attacking the fortress of the outlaws was just an "aside," it seems.
"Right now, I'm experimenting with Lyudmila at the test site by planting clover. Once the seeds are formed, we'll plow them directly into the field. We plan to grow clover for another year, release goats, and plant wheat next autumn."
"The results of the experiment will be reported to the Nakanohara Mayor, then?"
"That... seems to be the case."
She answered after glancing at Lyudmila and seeing her nod.
"Plant clover. Plant wheat. Plant barley. Is it this cycle?"
"After the wheat, we plan to plant turnips. It's better to plant something between the grains. So we'll plant turnips for winter livestock feed and graze them. In the spring, it'll be barley."
"Four types?"
"That's right. It could be more, but fewer is better, right? Ideally, it's better to divide the fields by crop, but since it's narrow, it'll be a matter of managing while experimenting."
"Fertilizing the land with grazing using clover, producing wheat, and using turnips as livestock feed in winter, huh..."
"Actually, sheep eat down to the roots, so goats or cows would be better, but the goal isn't just to increase clover. How about it? Not bad, right?"
"No, I'd never thought of it. I'd like to try it in the Royal Capital too."
He began talking with Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama.
Beatrix and Mary went into the forest with Paul-san to gather medicinal herbs. We've already confirmed that medicinal herbs grow there to some extent. Hunting and gathering on state-owned land is free as long as the land isn't ravaged. If we buy land nearby, it'll be easy for Mary to gather medicinal herbs. While we're at it, we should have her handle the counter, utilizing her immense popularity.
"Dune! Is here okay!"
Matilda, holding an iron rod and a large hammer, is shouting.
She's making a marker at the spot where Dune said to dig if we want a well. We haven't bought it yet, but you can never have too many wells. It should be fine.
Seeing Dune nod, Matilda began driving the iron rod in with the hammer while Bonnie supported it.
"Things are heating up, aren't they?"
Dune put her arm around my shoulder.
"Yeah. Everyone is cooperating."
"It's because you're working hard, Jeanne."
She stroked my head.
I took the plunge and asked.
"Hey, Dune. For example, do you think a town near a forest where humans and spirits live together could be realized?"
"I wonder," Dune said.
"But you know, Jeanne. The ones waiting are Flora and the others."
I see. That's it. It depended on the humans.
"I understand. I'll remember that well."
Dune hugged me in silence.