Part 3
Kuro Usagi welcomed the Host as well as the Guest of Honor as they too took to the stage.
“And now I shall hand it over to the representative for the Hosts of [Underwood] Harvest Festival- Sala Doltrake-sama! And the Guest of Honor from [Thousand Eyes]---Shiroyasha-sama! Let’s welcome them on stage to give us the opening speech!”
As her words fell, the bonfires on the stage blazed higher.
Coming up from backstage, Sala wore cultural clothes that were marvelously dyed with the unique skills of South, doing away with her usual casual clothes. Her long hair was pleated into braid and many hair ornaments were used for decorum, possibly to hide the scar of the severed horn. Her copper brown skin that had the beauty of good health in addition to the resplendent formal attire, brought out a beauty that others wouldn’t get the chance to see on normal days.
Sala stood on stage with a gentle smile while using her serious gaze to sweep the sight of the city that lay below her
[… Eh? This is weird. Where’s Shiroyasha-sama?]
According to the original plan, Shiroyasha should have made her entrance onto the stage with Sala. Though Kuro Usagi felt a little flustered by the unexpected changes to the script, she decided to carry out her responsibility of running the show as though nothing was up.
As she spotted a glowing light near the crown of the Great Tree, Kuro Usagi realized that the order of entrance has indeed been changed.
[So that’s how it is! I guess it wouldn’t be a problem anymore if I ask everyone to focus on that…]
Skipping lightly back to the stage and twirling before she reached the corner, Kuro Usagi called for everyone’s attention to be focused skywards.
“Everyone! Let’s all look towards the crown of the Great Tree!”
The crowd began to quieten down as they looked up towards the skies.
So quiet was the plaza that one could hear the rustling of the Great Tree leaves being blown by the night breeze.
They were all waiting for the opening speech. Participants and hosts alike waited in silence.
Seconds after everyone’s attention was focused on the glowing light, a flash of brilliant white light illuminated the whole crown of the Great Tree----
A very bad premonition started to nag at the corners of Kuro Usagi’s mind.
“---Heaven is calling!
Earth is calling!
People are calling!
Why not give me some silence![40]"
[Yes, my thoughts exactly!]
Kuro Usagi’s thoughts were totally ignored. The person who gave that yell leapt down from the top of the tree. That godly idiot was flying gracefully through the air while glittery scales of light particles seemed to flake in her passing, creating a sparkling trail behind her.
Holding the position as the pure white sun that never sets, the one who breaks through the boundaries of the Celestial world and the Earth’s surface.
The prided strongest problem kid of the East- [Demon Lord of the White Night], Shiroyasha has descended.
“Children of the Great Tree! Time waits for no man indeed. You have managed to revive within a short time of ten years. And that, is an amazing accomplishment!”
Elegantly moving her wafuku sleeves while touching down on the stage, Shiroyasha flipped open her folding fan that had the two goddesses outlined in white on the pitch black background of the fan paper.
Compared to her previous words, the current tone was much more solemn and it made it difficult to believe that she said some weird words for her entrance.
After which she took out two flags that she brandished proudly in the air.
“To all the [Draco Greif] Alliance comrades that united as one to defend [Underwood]! Let this be the night for me to give praise for your achievements! And now, I shall bestow to you the Gift that only belongs to the Southern Floor Master--- the [Horn of Dracogriff[41]] that has two thousand years of Spirit power stored within it!”
“OOOoooooooooh!” The resounding cheers shook the city of Underwood.
[Horn of Dracogriff] was the condensation of the spirit power of Draco Greif into a Gift that can be handed over to the next generation. And that was definitely a treasure for the Alliance members.
The reverberation of the cheers was so strong that it shook the cliffs and even made the branches of the Great tree tremble.
“There’s more! The proper ceremony of the Gift presentation will be done on the last day of the Harvest Festival, so just enjoy yourselves to the fullest in this Matsuri--- And that’s all I have to say.”
Shiryasha beckoned to Sala to step forward as she got off the stage.
Seeming to have come to terms with her inner self, Sala stepped up to the center of the stage where she gazed down upon the City with what seemed to be motherly affection.
“---I must first apologize to all for saying this during such a joyous occasion. Using such a chance as a leader to interrupt the Festivities, is quite ill-mannered of me…… However, it is only today and at this moment that I hope for everyone to give me some time to speak.”
As she spoke, the cheering lapsed into silence, seeming as though it were just an illusion.
Gazing up to the Great Tree emblem that was regally flying high on its post….it gave her the feeling of having reached the end of her journey as she continued:
“I bet everyone knows about what I did three years ago…. Having abandoned the post of being the successor, running alone from my homeland. Betraying the fate of succeeding as the next leader of my family and its responsibilities. And the one that accepted me then was [Underwood] and the [Draco Greif] Alliance.”
“…”
“No matter which place I go to, the act of betraying one’s family shouldn’t be forgivable. However, there were those that continued to trust me and supported me, even to the extent of electing me as the leader of ‘One Horn’. Besides thanking you guys, the previous leader of ‘One Horn’ and my comrades, I really do not know how else to thank you guys. And to meet their expectations of me, I’ve worked hard till where I’m today…To tell the truth, till this moment, I still doubt if I managed to live up to their expectations.”
It was one of the rare moments that Sala had that troubled smile on her. Yet it wasn’t able to shadow the sense of achievement that seem to radiate from her being that made her all the more radiant.
Watching Sala from the plaza, Izayoi realized how similar it was for Sala as it was for the three of them.
---“Abandon your family, friends, wealth and all that you have in your world and come forth to Little Garden”.
Abandoning the life she had lived for two hundred years, and leaving her homeland…. She was very much in the same situation as them, or may even have had more determination than them to start a new life outside on her own.
Imprinting the regal sight of the flag flying high in the tree top, Sala calmly ended her speech:
“I hope for everyone to take away more than just the memory of [Draco Greif] Alliance’s ascend to Floor Master during the Harvest Festival. But to remember the [Underwood] that managed to overcome its many trials and revive as you see it today…With that, I would like everyone to enjoy yourselves in the Harvest Festival.”
Bowing to the audience, the entire Underwood city erupted into cheers.
Amidst the loud applause and praises---Kuro Usagi gazed upon the two flags with tears threatening to flow from the corner of her eyes.
Clenching her fist. [One day……we of [No Name] will be able to retrieve our flag!]
Swearing silently to herself, she joined the applause for Sala.
Even after Sala had left the stage, the praises and applause for her continued to be heard.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login