Harvest Festival (Part 1)

September 25, 7487 of the Sacred Origin Era—the day of the Harvest Festival.

Rika Town, Aisk Kingdom, on the continent.

The passersby all wore smiles, and children chased one another at play. The Harvest Festival was not only one of the four major holidays prescribed by the Sacred Canon of Isidis, Goddess of Agriculture, but also a universal celebration that transcended religion and nations for most humans, and even many other races.

After all, for most intelligent beings, a harvest meant an abundance of food—and hope.

For many children, everything before them was especially exciting. It was one of the rare rest days of the year. No matter how busy people were, once they finished their work in the morning, they could rest for half the afternoon and take part in the celebrations.

The next morning, Romon was awakened by the sounds of play below. He got up, dressed, and went downstairs. The inn was quiet, with hardly anyone around.

Romon stepped outside and looked around. Most of the buildings were wooden houses, while farther away stood the largest building in town: a stone Temple.

To Romon, this Temple was not unfamiliar at all. It was the Temple of the Goddess of Agriculture, and naturally, the only center of faith in Rika Town. A town could not afford to support several Temples.

As he surveyed the street, though voices rang noisily through the air, the place was actually quite peaceful. After all, there were only a few hundred households in this town.

Houses crowded along the narrow streets, which were paved with gravel. Grass grew through the cracks.

In the distant hills stood a castle with pointed towers. It was the ancient fortress of Baron Rokas, the local lord, and it had stood for four hundred years.

Though September was nearly over, the entire town was still lush with greenery at a glance. Towering ancient trees stood everywhere, their dense canopies covering the low houses nearby.

The rustic, tranquil atmosphere that had remained unchanged for centuries, perhaps even millennia, only became more pronounced amid the merriment of the Harvest Festival.

After lingering for a while, perhaps influenced by the memories of the previous Romon, he felt a sense of familiarity with everything around him. That familiarity diluted his panic and strangeness. Romon fell silent for a moment, then finally gave a bitter smile and completely accepted the fact that he had crossed into another world.

Romon slowly walked down a small cobblestone street. The familiar yet unfamiliar blacksmith shops, general stores, craft workshops, and mills on either side deeply drew in the newly reborn Romon.

In the distance stood a huge wagon—the touring wagon of a troupe.

Troupe members were all pitiful people. They performed tricks, songs, dances, and clown acts to entertain the public in exchange for meager earnings. The girls in such troupes sold their bodies. From the scattered conversations around him and the memories he analyzed, Romon understood that this was extremely common.

Not just in troupes—even in ordinary mercenary bands, those young female warriors sold their bodies. They had to earn a sum of money before their strength declined, or their lives afterward would be even harder.

Romon glanced at the sun. It was clearly still early before the official start of the Harvest Festival.

Without realizing it, he arrived before the Temple of the Goddess of Agriculture. Looking at the stone Temple, its mottled colors bearing the marks of age, he felt the joy of rebirth rise within him, mixed with a touch of melancholy.

He strolled into the Temple. On the raised platform stood a God Statue—Isidis, Goddess of Agriculture.

The walls were carved with reliefs of bulls, trees, flowers, and grasses. The Goddess's statue was entirely sculpted from white marble and stood about five meters tall. She wore a crown woven from flowers and grass and a green gown. Her face was beautiful, and the curves of her feminine body showed faintly beneath the fabric, full of womanly charm. Yet her eyes were especially lifelike, filled with a loving compassion as she gazed down upon all living beings.

The previous Romon had habitually come here to pray. It was the custom of the town. Basically, once children turned twelve, they would come pray with their parents.

The previous Romon had never noticed the Holy Light normally hidden upon the God Statue, invisible to the naked eye. But now, through the power of the Shennong Horn, Romon saw a mass of green light in his eyes, like a giant cocoon enveloping the statue. It flowed continuously, while firefly-like motes of green light occasionally danced through the Temple.

Just as Romon stood blankly before the God Statue, lost in thought, a young girl slowly approached him. "Romon, why are you here? You usually have so much fun playing outside, don't you?"

Romon was startled awake by the call. He turned to look at the girl.

She was about fifteen years old and was walking out of the Temple. She wore a long female priest's robe with a high slit that revealed her slender, snow-white thighs. A green floral sash cinched her delicate, slender waist, and her soft eyes were clear as water.

"Miss Eileen..." Romon naturally called the girl's name. His rapidly surfacing memories told him that she was the object of the town's men's secret dreams.

She was the pride of the town. She possessed a devout heart and keen perception, able to connect with the Goddess's power, and had therefore become a Novice Priest of the Temple of the Goddess of Agriculture in town—if nothing unexpected happened, she might become the next priest of the town's Temple.

"Romon, why are you still so dirty? Come, wash your face with me. Only then can you attend the Harvest Festival this afternoon." Eileen saw the dirt on his face and clothes from his fall. As she spoke, she took his hand and led him behind the Temple, where there was a pool of clear water.

This was one of the Temple's benefits. Through a channel connected to an Outer Plane that Romon could not yet understand, the Temple always had clear, refreshing spring water available.

Romon accepted the towel and quickly washed his face with the spring water. As she watched him after he had cleaned up, Eileen suddenly blushed for some reason.

The boy before her was still so familiar; nothing had changed. Though it was foreseeable that he would grow into a handsome man, Eileen had never felt anything before. Yet now, the heroic air between his brows instantly shed much of the childishness from this young boy, giving him an indescribable charm.

"Big Sister Eileen, thank you. I pray to the Goddess that you remain healthy," Romon said.

"Ah, thank you, Romon. We're getting ready to leave. Come with us!" Eileen said. Her gaze had already fallen upon Priest Tennis. Priest Tennis came over, and when he saw Romon with Eileen, his face darkened.

"Eileen, let's go," he said.

"All right, wait a moment. Come, Romon, come with me!" Eileen said.

A thread of malice pricked him. Romon frowned slightly. After becoming a druid, he had become very sensitive to such things, but there was nothing he could do. He followed them.

They had barely reached the square when a young man in a tall black top hat ran onto the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting so long. The Kado Troupe will now bring you a wonderful performance to accompany you through a happy afternoon. Please welcome us with your applause!"

A woman dressed in tight black leather stepped out of the wagon, a whip in her hand.

A large parrot flew behind her, squawking endlessly, "Welcome, welcome!"

Almost at the same time, a tiger followed behind her, with a monkey standing atop its back.

As they came out, everyone present applauded. They watched the woman in black direct the tiger through an iron hoop and make the monkey roll across the ground.

These tricks immediately made the crowd laugh, but to Romon, they were all boring little acts. Still, he continued watching.

The young man in the tall black top hat waved a small wooden wand in his hand. With every motion, sparks burst from its tip and flew into the air, exploding with a bang to form fireworks in all kinds of shapes.

The fireworks became flowers, dancing golden serpents, growing trees... These beautiful displays immediately captured Romon's attention.

Was this magic? Even the lowest-grade trick?

After the performance, it was not long before Priest Tennis of the town appeared on a wooden platform in the square. The crowd automatically gathered around it, and the hymn to the Goddess officially began.

"Goddess Isidis, growth and harvest are both part of the eternal cycle, the most natural acts intelligent beings can perform after coming into existence. Today, we have gained a harvest. We must thank the gods, thank the earth, and thank nature. Then, when spring comes next year, we shall sow more seeds of life and fill the world with green." Priest Tennis was preaching.

"Thank the Goddess for giving us food! Thank the Goddess for giving us abundance!" Uniform voices echoed around the platform as seven or eight hundred townsfolk shouted in unison.

There would be no divine miracle at this town's Harvest Festival, and the hymn to the Goddess was simple as well. Before long, the ceremony ended, and then came the revelry—the time for beer and roasted meat.

"Big Sister Eileen, I need to see you about something tomorrow. Will you be there?" Romon stepped forward during a pause and asked.

"What is it?" Eileen turned around. Of course, this world had no bras, and her priest's robe had such a wide opening that when she turned, Romon caught sight of a stretch of snowy white skin.

Stunning. That was Romon's feeling in that instant.

Although this body had interacted with her many times before, seeing her now still struck him with her breathtaking beauty. He could not help feeling a flash of amazement—sunlight fell over her, and a faint green glow enveloped her body, carrying a strange, subtle fragrance.

A shiver rapidly spread through him. For an instant, Romon lost himself, but the gaze behind him immediately brought him back to his senses. "Big Sister Eileen, I would like you to witness something tomorrow."

Eileen was somewhat surprised. "What is it? Oh, I'm very busy now. I'll wait for you tomorrow!"

Romon looked at the boiling crowd around them, nodded, and left. After walking for a while, he looked back and happened to see Priest Tennis's gaze—cold and sinister.