At the Festival

On the day of the Saint Lomiu Festival.

The sky had only just begun to brighten when Lorenzo and the other two set out for the Holy City. Before they even reached the gates, they could already hear bells ringing in the distance.

Brightly colored flags hung from the city walls, decorations woven from white flowers stood on either side of the gates, and the mingled scents of bread, spices, and roasting meat filled the air. They were preparing food this early; the festival really must have been popular.

Fern looked up at the lively scene before her, her steps slowing without her noticing. According to Heiter, this was her first time attending a real festival. She had rarely left her home in the forest before, and even when she occasionally went to the Holy City, it had only been to buy daily necessities. She had probably never seen anything as lively as this.

The three passed through the city gates with the crowd.

Monks stood on both sides of the road, keeping order and handing out small ornaments woven from wheat stalks and white flowers to everyone entering the Holy City.

"May Saint Lomiu's mercy be with you."

A young monk handed Fern a wreath.

"Happy festival."

"Thank you."

Fern accepted the wreath, then carefully tied it around her wrist.

Lorenzo and Frieren each received one as well.

"Come to think of it, wouldn't a wreath made of fresh flowers wilt pretty quickly if you wore it as an ornament?"

Lorenzo looked down at the white flowers on his wrist. They seemed to have been picked only recently, but if he kept wearing them, they would probably lose their moisture and wilt before the festival was even over.

"Ordinary wreaths certainly would."

The young monk distributing the ornaments explained with a smile:

"But these flowers have all had a simple preservation spell cast on them. As long as they aren't badly damaged, they'll last at least seven days."

"Every wreath has one?"

Lorenzo glanced at the pile of wreaths in the monk's basket. If they had cast a spell on every one, it must have been a massive undertaking.

"Of course, though it isn't as difficult as you might think. The Saint Lomiu Festival requires a great many flowers, so every year we have the novice monks who have just joined the church practice on them. That way, we can prepare for the festival and help them learn to control their mana at the same time."

So they were a product of both festival preparations and magic lessons. Quite practical.

"May I have one more?"

Fern asked.

"Of course."

The young monk took another wreath from the basket beside him.

"Is it for a friend?"

"It's for my family."

"What a very kind little girl you are. May Saint Lomiu bring his blessings to your family as well."

After saying goodbye to the young monk, the three continued into the city.

Festival stalls already crowded both sides of the main street, and music and cheers drifted constantly from the great square farther away. It seemed that no matter the world, bread and circuses were always popular with the masses.

"Come to think of it, what are our plans for today?"

Lorenzo asked Frieren.

"This says the Saint Lomiu Fine Wine won't go on sale until tonight. Let's look around until then. We might find some interesting grimoires."

Frieren was looking at a festival flyer the monk had handed out earlier. It also listed the various events being held in the Holy City that day: a prayer ceremony, street performances, an afternoon float parade, and a sacred flame that would be lit from the cathedral all the way to the city gates after nightfall...

He had originally wanted to ask her how to make a child happy, but now it seemed he couldn't count on this elf, whose head was full of grimoires. So Lorenzo could only turn to Fern.

"I see. Is there anywhere you'd like to go, Fern?"

"Me?"

Fern paused, seemingly never having considered the question. She thought for a moment and looked over the flyer.

"I'd like to see the float parade and the lighting ceremony tonight."

Fern pointed at the flyer as she spoke.

"Then you two go watch them. I've already spotted quite a few interesting magic items. Let's meet again tonight."

Frieren's face was full of excitement, as though she couldn't wait to go on a shopping spree. Before they came, she had clearly agreed to put Fern first, but she had turned around and forgotten all about it.

"All right, see you tonight. Let's meet in front of the cathedral after the lighting ceremony. Don't forget the wine Heiter asked for."

Lorenzo could only agree helplessly. Fortunately, she wasn't spending their travel money, but funds provided by Heiter.

"I won't forget."

Frieren answered promptly, then disappeared into the crowd without looking back.

Lorenzo looked away.

"Well, now it's just the two of us."

"Mm."

Fern nodded.

"There's still some time before the float parade. Want to get something to eat first?"

"But we already had breakfast before we left."

No sooner had she spoken than a delicious aroma wafted over from nearby.

Fern instinctively turned toward it.

At a stall not far away, cups of golden pudding were neatly arranged on a wooden rack. Amber caramel syrup had been drizzled over them, and they were garnished with a few chopped nuts.

They looked delicious.

Fern's gaze lingered there for several seconds before she looked away as though nothing had happened.

It seemed desserts were especially effective against children wherever one went. Besides, worrying about a regular eating schedule at a festival was hardly in the festive spirit.

"Come on, let's buy some pudding. After that, I remember there's a stall over there selling a kind of candy. It's shockingly sweet, but it goes very well with coffee."

Lorenzo pointed to a stall not far away.

The pudding came in small ceramic cups that were still slightly warm to the touch. The caramel syrup on top swayed gently with each step, giving off a sweet aroma of honey and milk.

Lorenzo handed one to Fern.

"Thank you, Lord Lorenzo."

Fern accepted it with both hands and carefully scooped out a piece with a wooden spoon.

The soft pudding melted in her mouth with the slightest pressure.

The sweetness of milk and honey spread through her mouth, while the caramel's faint bitterness kept it from becoming cloying. The chopped nuts added a little crunch.

"It's delicious."

Fern's eyes visibly brightened.

Children really should be taken out for a walk now and then. If they always stayed home reading and practicing magic, they might grow into outstanding mages, but they could also easily miss out on many experiences that belonged only to their age.

After finishing their pudding, the two followed the street until they found the candy stall Lorenzo had mentioned.

"This is it. Try some."

Lorenzo bought a small bag of soft candy, took out a piece, and handed it to Fern.

Fern accepted the candy without hesitation and put it in her mouth, evidently trusting Lorenzo a great deal. But the moment it touched her tongue, she froze.

"Very sweet, isn't it?"

"It's a little too sweet."

Fern finally gave her verdict.

"That's why you need coffee with it."

Lorenzo picked up his cup and took a sip.

The coffee's strong bitterness quickly cut through the sweetness lingering in his mouth, creating a wonderful balance.

"Would you like some, Fern?"

"Lord Heiter says children can't sleep if they drink too much coffee."

"But it's a festival."

Lorenzo spoke earnestly. Although that was clearly not a reasonable explanation, wasn't a festival a festival precisely because you could do things you wouldn't normally do?

If you still got up and studied on time and strictly controlled what you ate, how was it any different from an ordinary day off?