May King
Ailin had never seen so many people in Arland.
To be precise, he had never seen so many people gathered together since he came into this world.
From the moment we stepped out of Vesemir's courtyard and onto the temple entrance, the crowd began to grow.
The entrance to the secluded temple was filled with carriages, and priests dressed in simple clothes were sweating profusely as they arranged for women who came to worship Meritellie and pray for blessings in the new cycle of natural rebirth to enter the temple in an orderly manner.
Ailin had originally planned to invite Lyra along, but after seeing Lysa's disheveled appearance at the door, she wisely left without disturbing her.
And this was only at the remote Temple of Melitele, which rarely visited by men.
After walking along the blessed mountain road, past several ancient oak trees that were surprisingly thick...
A cacophony of voices, mixed with the rising heat, surged over immediately.
Vendors were shouting, children were crying, tourists were praising loudly, and guards were yelling to maintain order...
Before even seeing the bustling street scene, the Witcher had to subdue his keen hearing.
After turning the corner, we hadn't yet stepped out of the temple district's signposts.
Mary, who had been eagerly pulling Ailin along, suddenly stopped.
She turned around abruptly, blinking her bright eyes as if she wanted to share some precious treasure, and vigorously shook her index finger, pointing to her side:
"Ailin... Ailin..."
He was so excited that he couldn't even finish a sentence.
Is it really necessary to get so excited...? The Witcher found it somewhat amusing.
However, after taking another step and turning the corner, he involuntarily stopped in his tracks.
Staring blankly at the scene before him, he was speechless.
flower.
Everywhere you look, there are colorful flowers in full bloom.
Streetside, windowsill, rooftop, city wall...
It's not just the flower pots on the buildings of residential shops; there are also many flower columns decorated with fresh flowers, ribbons, and colorful streamers standing on both sides of the street.
Among the tourists coming and going, many girls had flowers pinned in their hair or wore carefully woven flower wreaths.
The crowds were so large that the entire Arland was like an ancient flower boat floating in a sea of flowers.
"How beautiful, Ailin!"
Mary shouted excitedly, waving Ailin's hand and pointing here and there.
It is indeed very beautiful...
Smelling the fragrance of the flowers, Ailin had to admit it.
The festive atmosphere instantly relieved much of the fatigue he had been feeling from refining potions for days.
but.
After the initial excitement subsided, looking at the throngs of people, Ailin and Mary exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of where to go next.
Since arriving in Arland, they had never explored the city before and didn't know their way around.
Just as the two were feeling somewhat lost...
"Master Ailin!"
The Witcher looked in the direction of the sound.
A guard dressed in full silver armor was waving at him and jogging over.
Ailin watched as the guard took off his armor, revealing a young face that looked somewhat familiar but he didn't recognize.
"Who are you?"
Sink took a breath, glanced cautiously at the Sorceress's beautiful, fair face, and noticed with some envy that their hands were tightly clasped together:
"I am Sink Vincent of the Duke Mason's guard. I accompanied the Duke to set up the ceremony. You can just call me Sink."
"I noticed you've been standing here for a while. Have you never been here before...? Um... are you not familiar with Arland?"
"We haven't explored this city much, so..." Ailin glanced at Mary, "Are there any lively places in Arland that would suit us today?"
"Hahaha," Sink smiled, revealing his pearly white teeth. "Everywhere in Arland is bustling today, but the best place for you right now is definitely Arland Market Square."
"There are not only bards, musicians, and clowns from all over the world there..."
"There are also all kinds of snacks and treats, especially the donuts from a ' Gnome Mother ' shop, which are soft, fluffy, and sweet, and filled with tangy plum jam..."
"Gurgle~"
At that moment, someone's stomach growled.
In a noisy environment, ordinary people may not be able to hear this intestinal rumbling.
But Ailin was, after all, Witcher Master, and even though he had deliberately weakened his hearing, he could still hear it clearly.
Mary clearly knew this as well.
After giving Ailin's arm a hard slap, he suddenly blushed and lowered his head.
His adorable appearance stunned even the young Sink.
"How do we get there?" Ailin asked.
Sink immediately snapped out of his daze, feeling somewhat embarrassed and unable to look at Mary and Ailin any longer. He quickly pointed to the spot where the sun was setting:
"Go straight along this road, and you'll find a very large square with a statue of the Goddess Meritellie standing in the center; that's..."
"If you still can't find it, or if you encounter any trouble at night, you can ask the guards on the street for help..."
Sink paused:
"Just tell me your name."
Ailin was stunned.
Does my name have that much prestige?
Do all the soldiers on guard patrol know me?
"Slap slap~"
Sink seemed to have read the Witcher's mind, and chuckled as he patted the longsword at his waist:
"The swords that guard Arland tonight are all the color of the sea."
The Witcher was silent for two seconds.
"Thank you," he said.
Sink smiled, then hesitated for a second before asking:
"Will Arland be alright?"
"Yes, everything will be alright." Hearing the cheerful laughter from the crowd, the Witcher nodded solemnly.
The Arland Market Square is not far from the boundary between the temple and the city area.
However, due to the crowds, it still took the two quite a while to reach this noisy, joyful, and crowded place.
"Crackling~ Crackling~"
Although it was not yet completely dark, many torches had already been lit around the statue of the Goddess Meritellie in the market square.
A large bonfire, about two people high, was enclosed by a fence not far behind the icon.
Further back at the edge of the square, there is another stage made of birch trunks, overlooking a large bonfire.
However, that stage is still empty.
In the slightly sweltering heat, many bards dressed in brightly colored clothes gathered around the statue of the goddess, playing their lutes.
It seemed as if they were trying to ignite that bonfire with the passion and joy of the entire Arland.
In such a bustling place, there is naturally no shortage of vendors selling their goods.
No.
Ailin, holding Mary's hand, arrived at the square, and before they could even catch their breath...
An elderly woman, who was not young but looked quite healthy, squeezed her way up with a basket in her hand.
"Handsome young man," the old woman said, opening her basket filled with flowers of all colors, "How can you not adorn your partner with flowers on such a beautiful day as May Festival ..."
That's all.
Before Ailin could reply, the old woman glanced at Mary and clicked her tongue in praise:
"Such a beautiful girl deserves any gorgeous flower."
Upon hearing these compliments, Mary's cheeks, already flushed from running, turned even redder.
She stole a glance at the Witcher.
Perhaps it was the heat of the campfire, but Ailin, holding Mary's soft little hand, felt a surge of heat in his blood.
He glanced around.
All the girls had flowers in their hair, except his girl.
How can that be allowed?
He immediately took out a small handful of change from his purse and handed it to the old woman whose face was wrinkled with laughter.
"This one is enough." The old woman picked out an Oren from Ailin's hand and carefully put it into her bosom.
This price would be expensive under normal circumstances, but it's just right for the May Festival.
It's because they weren't prepared.
However, the wealthy Ailin didn't care.
After putting the money away, the old woman smiled and picked out a bright red rose from the basket.
The thorns on the roses have all been carefully removed.
After gesturing for Mary to lower her head, the old hand quickly and skillfully fiddled with something a few times.
The rose was then placed above Mary's right temple, accentuating her snow-white complexion and adding a beauty beyond her years.
"Is it pretty?" Mary carefully stroked it with her right hand, tilting her head to look at Ailin expectantly.
"It looks good." Ailin nodded truthfully.
Mary chuckled a few times, her face becoming even rosier.
At this moment.
Another pale pink carnation appeared before her.
"This is?"
"This is for you," the old woman smiled kindly and offered her blessings.
May the goddess bless you to find a good match and enjoy health and happiness.
He finished speaking.
With an agility beyond her years, the old woman defied the flow of people and reached her next target.
Are they a good match?
Mary muttered to herself, feeling her face burning hot.
"Gurgle~"
Someone's stomach started protesting again.
"Let's go find the donuts that Sink mentioned, the ' Gnome Mother '..." Ailin smiled.
He took Mary's hand and began to search.
Their steps were hurried.
Mary's stomach wasn't the only one protesting; they hadn't even had dinner yet.
It's just that someone is using the Witcher's control to suppress it.
Time flew by, and amidst the lively revelry, darkness soon fell.
Many people gradually began to leave the Arland Market Square.
Merchants, clowns, bards, musicians...
certainly.
Those who leave the most are men and women who have already started families.
May Festival is a carnival for young people.
Only when darkness falls can one indulge in the shame of daily life, allowing the ancient natural cycle to ignite desire and vitality.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, and buying all sorts of other things, Mary was adorned with various jewels—some strange, some beautiful, some novel—making her even more eye-catching than the May Festival flower pillars...
The Witcher had spent the last penny in his purse.
Then he sat down in the square with Mary, who was a little tired from playing.
They watched as several bards, accompanied by musicians, slowly walked onto the stage behind the unlit campfire.
May Festival!
People in the audience started calling out.
May Festival!
As the lively music began, the shouts of men and women in the square grew louder.
Mary seemed to be influenced by the increasingly enthusiastic atmosphere, and her interest was reignited, so she joined in the shouting.
At this moment.
A young couple wearing flower wreaths and brightly colored clothes walked up from the back of the stage.
Hearing the gasps of surprise from those around him.
Ailin and Mary learned that they were the May King.
Amidst cheers, they will elect the May King of that year.
This is a special custom of the May Festival in the Northern Continent.
The May King symbolizes vitality and strength, May Queen symbolizes fertility and spring.
They will lead the young people participating in the May Festival festival in a ritual of dance and revelry to please the goddess of spring and flowers.
In Arland, this goddess is of course Meritellie.
As for how to choose...
The blond May King and May Queen, their fingers intertwined, took the torch from the bard who had stopped playing, and then threw it forcefully toward the large bonfire.
"Whoosh~"
The raging flames shot straight into the sky, seemingly trying to relight the heavens.
As the steam rose, the music started again.
Moreover, this time both the lyrics and the melody are more passionate and unrestrained than before.
The atmosphere in the entire market square was completely ignited.
May Festival!
Men and women stood up with strange cries and searched for suitable partners nearby, pulling them to the front of the stage.
Following the unrestrained and passionate dance steps of the May King, we danced along with them.
Every now and then you can hear men and women exclaiming in surprise as their feet are stepped on or they bump into each other.
But nobody cared about that.
Whether the dance steps are correct or not is not important!
Whether you keep up with the pace or not is not important!
The greatest meaning lies in reveling wildly, igniting the uncontrollable restlessness in your veins, and letting life burst forth.
Only in this way can they be chosen as the king and queen for May Festival!
Ailin's body was also feeling a bit hot, but she didn't intend to join in.
After all, he really can't dance.
Seeing someone awkwardly dancing makes his scalp tingle.
But the next moment.
The Witcher felt his hand suddenly being gripped and pulled up.
May Festival!
Mary, unusually bold, yelled in Ailin's ear, the intoxicating citrus scent making the superhuman witcher feel dizzy.
He didn't know why either.
Looking at the girl's flushed cheeks and her slightly dreamy blue eyes, which were the same color as his, he couldn't help but stand up as well.
In a daze, he was pulled into the carnival by a force far inferior to his own.
She danced gracefully beside me, her robes and the flowers in her hair swaying in the wind.
He never knew she could dance so well, like a butterfly fluttering among flowers.
Elegant and light.
Hearing the girl's clear, bell-like laughter, he could only forcefully control his muscles, focusing all his attention on her dance steps, nimbly turning his body to avoid the other dancers.
The Witcher Master's formidable physical abilities were on full display at this moment.
He, who had never danced before, actually kept up with the girl's rhythm.
It even gradually felt as if he had become one with her...
You can dance freely to the rhythm without having to force your body or pay attention to your surroundings.
He began to lose himself in the moment.
At first, it seemed as if all I could see were Margarita Laux Antillér's gentle eyes.
until...
It was as if the entire city had begun to shout:
"May King!" "May Queen!"
A commotion arose around them.
It was as if someone had crowned him and someone had adorned her with a wreath.
Everyone surrounded him as he began his parade, walking through a shower of flower petals, and amidst the cheers of the crowd, he began his revelry in a direction where light seemed to guide him.
This moment.
He even forgot the purpose of his participation in this revelry.
He only saw the girl laughing "hehehe", her eyes filled with dazzling firelight, and a figure with blue Cat Eyes.
She hugged his shoulders tightly.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of citrus.
He forgot everything in the intoxicating fragrance.
Until a certain moment.
Countless shooting stars streaked across the night sky.