Poor Noble Nord’s Adventure

44. Spirit Festival

The day of the Spirit Festival dawned with clear autumn skies.

Beneath a flawless, azure expanse, the bustling voices of villagers echoed through the town.

Along the main road stretching from the entrance to the central plaza, traveling merchants had set up stalls.

The goods they offered varied widely: not just necessities like rock salt, unavailable in the village,

but also brightly colored fabrics, cords, and ornaments, aimed at loosening the purse strings of villagers caught up in the festival’s excitement.

With smooth talk, the merchants skillfully enticed the villagers to buy their wares.

“Hey there, good sir! Won’t you take a look at these?”

“Huh? You talking to me?”

“Indeed, to none other than you, the fine gentleman with the splendid beard!”

“Uh, oh… well…”

Once again, a villager had been stopped by a merchant.

The man, likely a farmer, had sun-weathered skin and a sturdy build.

He wore worn leather pants and a coarse tunic, topped with a woolen hat—typical attire for a rural farmer.

Though the outfit was dirt-stained, it wasn’t shabby, suggesting the man was a prosperous independent farmer.

Drawn in by the merchant’s words, the man approached the stall like a moth to a flame.

“How about it? Our selection is unmatched, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Hmm… There’s so much, it’s hard to decide.”

The merchant’s stall appeared to be fashioned from a wagon, repurposed as a storefront.

Standing by the stall, the merchant displayed his goods to the farmer he’d reeled in.

A variety of items were spread out: knives, shiny stones, women’s combs, fabric, sewing tools, even flint.

Prices were marked on tags laid alongside the goods atop a cloth-covered wagon bed,

most items priced within the reach of copper coins.

“Are you married, sir?”

“Indeed, I have a wife at home.”

“Of course, of course! A man of your caliber wouldn’t be without a partner. Surely no woman could resist you!”

“W-well… I suppose…”

The bearded man smiled bashfully at the merchant’s flattery.

The refined speech and customer service, unlike anything in the village, made him feel esteemed.

“Your wife must be a beauty, no doubt.”

“Well, she can be a bit sharp-tongued, but she’s a wife I’m proud of.”

“In that case, how about a gift for her? Surely she’d be delighted.”

“Hmm… Not a bad idea. But what should I get her?”

“Allow me to suggest this. Picture your wife wearing a garment made from this fabric.”

The merchant held up a piece of cloth.

Beautifully dyed, its vibrant green hue hinted at a garment of exquisite beauty.

“This… this is lovely!”

“Isn’t it just? Shall I wrap it up for you?”

“By the way… how much is it?”

Enthralled, the man asked for the price. Although price tags were visible, he seemed unable to read.

The merchant named the price.

“Well, for enough fabric to make a dress… let’s say this much.”

“What?! That’s way beyond what I can afford!”

The cloth was indeed expensive.

In rural areas, raw materials like wool or flax might be affordable, but after being transported to urban centers, processed by textile guilds, woven, and dyed, the price became unattainable for most farmers.

The bearded man, hearing the amount, snapped back to reality.

“I see… That’s truly unfortunate.”

“Apologies, but I’ll have to pass.”

“Wait! Please don’t go!”

“What is it? I really can’t spend what I don’t have.”

“It pains me to think of a man like you returning home empty-handed. How about this instead?”

The merchant picked up a comb.

A wooden comb with intricate carvings, adorned with floral patterns—something sure to please a woman.

“This is beautifully crafted… but how much?”

“Normally, it’d be five large copper coins… but for you, just two!”

“Really? That’s much more reasonable. I’ll take it!”

The farmer rummaged through his leather pouch, gathered his copper coins, and handed them over.

The merchant counted the small coins with a practiced rhythm, then handed over the comb.

“Thank you for your purchase, good sir!”

“Likewise, I’m grateful for the good deal!”

“Not at all; I’m glad to be of service.”

The farmer tucked the comb into his pocket, envisioning his wife’s delighted smile as he walked away.

(Heh, profit made. Now then, that next customer looks promising—a young adventurer, eh? Time to strike again.)

The merchant grinned slyly, spotting his next target: a blond youth around twenty.

The youth wore fabric pants, a tunic, and a leather vest—a townsperson’s attire.

A sword hung at his waist, and a crystal guild plate peeked from his chest, marking him as an adventurer, likely visiting from a nearby town. Perhaps he even hailed from this village.

“You there, adventurer! Won’t you take a look?”

“Hm? Me?”

“Yes, you, with the golden hair!”

“Hmm. Well, I’ve got time to kill until evening. What’re you selling?”

(Perfect. If he can’t read either, I’ll fleece him too.)

The merchant, readying his well-honed sales pitch, opened his mouth to entice the young adventurer.

§

When the autumn sky gradually turned crimson, Nord had returned to the Aubrière estate.

The spirit festival in Alba Village continued until night and would last for two more nights, including tomorrow.

In fact, the festival was only just beginning in earnest, but Nord decided to return to the mansion for a while.

“Hey, Newt! Are you here?”

“Kyui!”

“Oh, welcome back, Nord.”

“Nord-oniisama!”

“Welcome back.”

In the guest room he was using in the Aubrière estate, Newt was nowhere to be seen,

so Nord called out Newt’s name. From the direction of the living room, he heard voices,

and upon entering, he saw Newt sitting on the floor, raising its head in response to Nord’s voice.

Around it were the Aubrière sisters gathered together.

“Could it be that you were looking after him?”

“No, not at all. We were just a little bored ourselves.”

“Franka-neesama and I kept him company while you were out!”

While Nord went to see the spirit festival, he naturally couldn’t take Newt along.

He had left instructions for it to stay at the estate. The incident where Newt and Emilia flew

through the air had become well-known in the household. Johan had instructed the staff

to ensure Emilia wouldn’t repeat such an escapade, minimizing the chances of another occurrence.

Still, it seemed the elder sisters of the Aubrière family were keeping an eye on Newt,

playing with him to prevent Emilia from acting recklessly.

“I’m terribly sorry. I should have been the one looking after Newt.”

“It’s truly no trouble at all.”

Nord, who was deeply apologetic, received a tinkling laugh from Katia, the eldest of the Aubrière sisters,

who sat in a chair in the living room.

“More importantly, Nord, how was the spirit festival?”

“It was incredibly lively, which surprised me. It was much more… uh, that is…”

“Did you think it would be a shabbier affair?”

“…Well, perhaps.”

“Fufufu, I don’t mind. He said the same thing two years ago.”

Nord had assumed it would be less impressive compared to the grand spirit festival of the royal capital.

However, while the Alba Village festival was smaller in scale, the enthusiasm of the people was equally infectious.

“I heard the spirit festival continues tomorrow as well.”

“Yes, tonight is the pre-festival, also a harvest celebration.

The prayers to the earth spirits will be held tomorrow.”

“The priest will come, too!”

“Well remembered, Aria.”

“Is it someone from the temple in Wayne Town?”

Katia gently stroked the golden locks of the youngest sister sitting beside her.

The priest Aria mentioned must be someone dispatched from a temple dedicated to the spirits and gods of the earth.

When Nord mentioned Wayne Town, the nearby town with an adventurer’s guild, Katia nodded deeply.

“Alba Village has a close connection with Wayne Town and receives much support from them.”

“Ah, now that you mention it, there were a lot of people today. Could it be because…?”

“Yes, many relatives of Alba villagers live in Wayne Town, and they come back for the festival.”

It was a reunion of kin, a time when relatives returned home for the spirit festival.

Nord now understood why there had been more people in the village than its population,

aside from the merchants who had come to trade.

“By the way, Nord, did you need something?”

“Oh, yes. I brought this for Newt.”

“!?”

Nord opened a paper wrapping to reveal skewered meat.

Having hurried back after buying it, the skewers were still warm, and the savory aroma wafted through the living room.

Noticing this, Newt, who had been wagging its tail eagerly, perked up at Nord’s words.

“Here, have some.”

It pounced on the skewer, expertly gripping it with its front paws and gnawing at the meat.

Emilia watched and murmured, “So cute.” Looking expectantly at Nord, she said,

“Thank you, Nord-oniisama!”

“You’re welcome.”

“Look, Newt, here’s more.”

With a radiant smile, Emilia offered another skewer to Newt. Newt, placing its paw on Emilia’s hand,

happily nibbled the meat right off the skewer.

“I want to do it, too, Onee-sama!”

“Excuse me, Nord. Could we have more as well?”

“Of course. It’s no problem at all.”

Aria, seated next to Katia, began to fuss, saying she wanted to try it too.

At four years old, she was at an age where she liked to mimic her elder sisters.

When Nord handed over another skewer, Katia supported Aria, and together with Emilia,

they offered it to Newt. Delighted by the continuous treats, Newt let out a happy “Kurururu.”

As Newt devoured the skewers with gusto, Nord suddenly remembered something.

“Ah, this is for you, Madam Katia. I brought one for everyone.”

“Oh my, what a beautiful comb!”

“May I really accept this?”

“Of course. It’s a token of my gratitude. Though it’s not much, I hope you’ll like it.”

Nord handed over intricately decorated wooden combs, one for each of the sisters.

With designs of flowers and birds carved into them, they were charming gifts for the young women.

Franka and Mei, the second and third sisters, also smiled warmly at the thoughtful souvenirs.

“Thank you very much, Nord-sama.”

“Not at all. If such lovely ladies use them, the craftsman would surely be honored.”

“My, you’re so charming.”

At that moment, the sound of the living room door opening drew their attention. Johan entered.

“Ah, Nord… Hmm, is that a comb?”

“Yes, Brother-in-law. Nord-sama gave them to us as gifts.”

“The craftsmanship is quite impressive. Wasn’t it expensive, though?”

“Not at all. The merchant was kind enough to give me a discount,

especially since I mentioned they were for ladies.”

“Well, in that case, good.”

Nord leaned toward Johan and whispered,

“It was only two large copper coins in total.”

There had been a merchant trying to overcharge illiterate customers,

so Nord had played along, only to point out the trickery at the last moment.

Feigning an intimidating demeanor, he had managed to secure a hefty discount.

“By the way, Nord, I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“I just came from the spirit festival, and they’re worried about running out of meat by midday tomorrow.

Could you help with hunting in the forest?”

“Ah, so that’s it. Leave it to me.”

Looking at Newt, who had just finished its last skewer, Nord said…

“Newt, you’re all fueled up, right? Let’s get to work.”

“Kyuu!”

Newt cried out energetically as if to say, “Leave it to me!” Then, it let out a satisfied burp.