Chapter 63

On the day of the Harvest Festival, the autumn sky was clear as far as the eye could see, and the cheerful voices of people singing echoed everywhere throughout the town.

Even those who usually spent their days ascetically devoted to grape-making were drunk today on wine brewed from early-harvest grapes, exchanging passionate hugs and dancing with those around them.

Autumn flowers symbolizing fertility bloomed in profusion along the farm roads leading to the fields, and the women swarming the center of town wore crowns adorned with blossoms and tree nuts.

The central plaza of the fief, equipped with a church and a fountain, was packed with numerous stalls and people heading toward them. On this day, Frenzel showed the greatest excitement allowed to a frontier land—modest as it may be.

—No.

Regarding this year’s Harvest Festival, there was one particular section displaying a level of bustle that far exceeded the description of “modest.”

That was the area where Erich and his group had hurriedly set up a shop in the market under the Lord’s personal sponsorship.

Speaking of Erich, he was the head of the household that had been struck by the misfortune of a Magic Moth attack, which had rotted most of his harvest.

While every member of his family had a stern cast to their features, they were held in high regard by those around them for their sense of duty and meticulous grape-making. Because such people had encountered a disaster, the local citizens showed open sympathy. Intending to share food and wine to help them clear the winter, the people flocked one after another to the stall Erich had reportedly opened.

They likely assumed that, in place of the lost grapes, he would be selling handicraft items his wife had made as a side job. With the intent of offering support, they came thinking they had to buy something.

However, in reality, the expression on Erich’s face as he stood before the shop was glowing brighter than ever before.

His family, as well as his friends who had arrived before him, didn’t give off a gloomy atmosphere at all. Instead, they were wrapped in an intense sense of excitement, causing the townspeople who arrived later to exchange puzzled looks.

Speaking of puzzles, the construction of this shop itself was strange.

First of all, the entire thing was covered by a massive cloth to the point where calling it a “stall” felt out of place.

The floor plan seemed quite spacious as well; its width alone was equal to five of the surrounding shops combined. As for its height, it looked like it could almost reach the spire of the church.

One couldn’t tell what was being sold inside from outside the cloth. However, even through the fabric—which must have been considerably thick—shouts and cheers like “Ooooooh…!” or “Waaaaah…!” could occasionally be heard, making the people tilt their heads in wonder even more.

Then, at the urging of an inexplicably triumphant-looking Erich—the people wondered what it meant to be given a meaningful smile by someone they were supposed to pity—they lifted the cloth that could practically be called a pavilion.

“—!?”

There, the people were rendered speechless.

Inside the cloth, within the dim space, was a truly bizarre sight.

The first thing that jumped into their vision was a crowd of spectators packed tightly together, radiating heat.

They were staring single-mindedly at a slightly raised area in the center, their bellies almost digging into the perimeter of the tightly stretched ropes.

Judging by the fact that these were faces seldom seen around here, they seemed to be tourists—the kind who usually mocked Frenzel for being a frontier land but came to gawk only during festivals.

It was quite strange that tourists were gathered at a mere stall in Frenzel, a place usually lacking in sights to see.

Now then, at the end of their fixated gazes—in the space that should be called a “stage”—a simple bed had been placed for some reason, and the sunlight brought in from the ceiling fell straight down upon it.

In that spot, which one was forced to pay attention to whether they liked it or not, stood an elderly woman who was withered and could not be called a beauty even as flattery, along with a plain girl in glasses dressed in a maid uniform.

If memory served, the old woman’s name was Berta. She was the widow of a fallen merchant family, known throughout the area for being eccentric, spiteful, and having a foul reputation.

“Now then, please take a good look at this enzyme juice, made using Lord Jonas’s special Euglena.”

The girl in the maid uniform spoke in a dignified, beautiful voice that one wouldn’t imagine from her lackluster appearance.

And then:

“We will have Lady Berta consume a few sips of this—yes, there are no tricks or secrets here—and next, as you see, we will have her lie down on the bed. …Three, two, one—”

“Aaaaaagh!”

In the next instant, the girl held her hands over the old woman’s body and began to strike her entire frame violently.

The old woman let out a tremendous scream, causing the townspeople who had entered later to jump in shock, their shoulders trembling.

What was this place?

Were they putting on some gruesome show where they abused an old woman and enjoyed watching it?

But that doubt was—

“Aaaah, I feel it…! The breath of the great universe, the strength of a mother’s arms welcomed at the end of a harsh and magnificent journey of wind, a love and warmth similar to the pulse of a giant tree casting gentle sunlight through its branches as it takes root in the promised land, the hymn of life sung by the small animals huddling close… l-p-o-u-y-s-k-m-o-i-a-d-s-p-o-j-u-k-p-w-q…!”

“Berta-san’s Chakra has opened!”

—blown away by the person in question’s lively shouting and the roar of the surrounding crowd.

“……….!? ……….!? ……….!!??”

However, in the mental vacancy left after the doubt was blown away, even more questions welled up one after another.

What on earth happened? What is a “Chakra”? Why is the audience so enthusiastic?

And one more thing.

“Wh… Who are you!?”

The people screamed as Berta, who had bolted upright from the bed, had suddenly transformed into a voluptuous woman with rich chestnut hair and glowing, radiant skin.

While her skin was firm, her eyes possessed a moist, shimmering light backed by certain experience, making her look seductive.

At the sight of this “Beautiful Witch” who radiated the dignity of a mature woman, many of the men present gulped.

What was this?

Street performance—an acrobatic feat that changed a person’s appearance? Or perhaps a magic trick that made the group see hallucinations?

However, the “show” unfolding on the stage did not stop there.

“Now, a round of applause. Lady Berta Meissner has successfully expelled the Ama¹ accumulated within her body, and by restoring the harmony of her Tri-Dosha,² she has regained her new—and original—form. Now, a new outfit worthy of the beautiful Lady Berta!”

“Kyeeh! What a lovely dress!”

The moment the bespectacled maid flicked her arm, Berta’s outfit was swapped in an instant, with a speed that would make a professional acrobat turn pale.

Appearing in place of the old, faded grey dress was a silk gown that looked beautiful even from a distance. The back and upper arms were made of openwork lace, presenting Berta’s sensuality with a boldness that stayed just on the right side of being vulgar.

At the delicate craftsmanship, the innovative design, and above all, the beauty of the fabric itself, the women in the audience let out a collective sigh. Just what kind of high-quality thread were they using? The cloth possessed a mysterious, iridescent luster, subtly changing colors depending on the angle and tempting the viewer without end.

“Blessings upon the beautiful Lady Berta!”

As the maid raised one hand, the Lord’s son, Kevin—for some reason, the Lord and his son were standing in a corner of this tent—quickly raised his right arm and vigorously swung something around.

The object tied to a thin, strong string appeared to be shaped like an ocarina, but strangely, no sound could be heard.

Just as people were about to tilt their heads in confusion—

—Flap, flap, flap…!

Suddenly, the sound of whirring wings was heard from overhead, and the people who looked up gasped in fright.

“Wh-What is that…!? Butterflies…!?”

There, a swarm of beautiful insects with translucent wings had gathered.

Those who had spent their lives protecting grapevines instinctively prepared themselves, associating the sound of wings with Magic Moths. However, from those dancing gracefully in the air, not a shred of the hideousness of the Magic Moths they knew could be felt.

Their jade-colored wings glittered as the sunlight passed through them, and the scales that occasionally fluttered down shone like gold dust, falling gently upon the people.

Even if they were real butterflies, one would normally feel an instinctive fear toward such a large swarm. Yet, perhaps because those before them moved with such terrifyingly controlled and gentle motions—or perhaps because they were simply pure and beautiful—the audience merely stood with their mouths agape, entranced by the miraculous sight.

“How beautiful…”

“It’s as if apostles from heaven are blessing Miss Berta…”

A dim space, a dense crowd of spectators.

A spotlight of sunlight concentrated in one spot, a woman suddenly transformed into a beauty, and the magnificent dance of butterflies that felt like a miracle.

Those exquisitely combined elements easily robbed the spectators of their calm reasoning, filling them with excitement and frenzy instead.

“I’ve never seen such an amazing show before…!”

“Man, even the street performers from the royal capital I look forward to every year look like child’s play compared to this…!”

Dragging each other into the frenzy, the crowd’s emotional voltage steadily climbed higher.

Right then, the maid standing in the center of the stage slowly pushed up the bridge of her glasses.

“We will now be passing the baskets around. We would be most grateful if you could offer us your heartfelt feelings.”

She paused suggestively before adding with a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Should your feelings overflow from the basket once more, I shall take the liberty of inviting the person with the strongest feelings to our ‘Butterfly Full-Body Detox Course.’ Naturally, this offer is open to gentlemen as well.”

“Uooooh!”

“Honey, pay! Come on, pay up! Here! Empty out everything in your pockets!”

“Hey, you lot! Run back to my house and bring every cent we have!! Now! Do it right now!!”

The people’s eyes changed as they began to loosen their purse strings.

The sight of an audience paying tips with such intensity they were practically slamming them into the baskets was, of course, a first for everyone.

However, the townspeople who had entered later didn’t give the strangeness of the situation a second thought. Before they knew it, they too were rummaging through their pockets.

The moment the baskets—having only finished the front row—began to overflow, the maid on stage spoke again.

“Your passionate feelings touch my heart. Truly, I wish I could provide a detox to every one of you to show my gratitude, but given the size of this crowd, that wish is simply impossible to grant. Therefore—”

The maid’s glasses glinted sharply in the sunlight streaming from above.

“Limited to today only, we will be selling Lord Jonas’s special ‘Euglena Enzyme: Powder Type.’”

“Uooooh!”

The people shrieked.

“Limited to fifty customers.”

“Uoooooh!”

“For the next thirty minutes only, a special twenty percent discount.”

“Uooooooooh!!”

“From among those who make a purchase, we will hold a drawing to give away a special ‘Madam Butterfly Dress’ made of Butterfly Silk. We have five of these available.”

“Uoooooooooooh!!!”

By now, the people were being sucked into a whirlpool of madness.

Their complexions shifted as they frantically pulled valuables from their persons and rushed toward the direction pointed out to them: “The line for those wishing to purchase is this way.”

Even friends and lovers pushed and shoved one another. Over the heads of the people attempting to pay with murderous looks on their faces, a mushroom cloud of sheer heat was beginning to form.

“Everyone! Please line up in a single file without making a ruckus!”

“You there! Don’t step past the line! The ironclad rules are: No pushing, no running, and line up fabulously!”

Perhaps having simulated this thoroughly in advance, the Frenzel siblings quickly barked orders at the people to straighten the line.

Jonas, too, held up a sign that read “End of the Line” with a grim expression.

In less than five minutes, the beauty goods dubbed the “Butterfly Series” were sold out. The venue was split in two: the victors erupting in joy, and the losers crouching on the ground in tears.

“—What a terrifying sight…”

Waiting for the commotion to settle down, Lucas peeked through the cloth from outside the pavilion and let out a cramped murmur.

“They started with the nine o’clock bell, and even though this is already the third show, the excitement isn’t dying down—it’s accelerating.”

“There are even ‘customers’ who have participated three times in a row since the first show… They must desperately want the Euglena cosmetics and the silk costumes. Ah, Elma just gave that particular spectator a priority pass for the front row of the fourth show.”

Irene, who was peering into the pavilion alongside Lucas, shook her head and sighed.

“I suppose that’s her own brand of mercy, but I feel like true kindness would be releasing them from this terrifying show that drags people in like a quagmire and bleeds them dry of their money…”

“I agree.”

Lucas nodded.

Yes, this “Cosmetic Market”—or “Comike” for short—centered around Euglena-based products was a plan Elma had devised to provide relief for Erich, who had been victimized by the Magic Moths.

The concept was: “Let’s find happiness together with the Magic Moths.”

Instead of viewing the moths as enemies that brought calamity, they would reframe them as a stepping stone for recovery. The goal was to obtain the profits and happiness they should have gained from the grape harvest—no, even more than that.

Specifically, it was an attempt to launch a direct attack on people’s desire to buy by combining a detox show using the moths with the sale of moth-related goods.

However, from Lucas’s perspective, it seemed less like Elma was becoming happy “with” the moths and more like she was becoming happy “via” the moths.

Through experiments using the moths, she had further enhanced the detoxifying properties of the Euglena; by giving Kevin a whistle that emitted ultrasonic waves, she completely controlled the swarms; and finally, she had mobilized even the larvae born from the mating moths to diligently produce cocoons.

Her level of exploitation was so thorough that it brought a cold sweat to even royalty like Lucas, who usually felt little resistance toward the idea of owning servants or slaves.

To be fair, she had “protected” the eggs on the rotting branches, raised them into larvae, and devised a method to extract silk thread without boiling them—apparently, she had taken Irene’s constant cries of “Don’t boil the bugs!” quite literally. One could call it the mercy of one who wouldn’t even kill a pest, but forcing them into a life—or rather, a “moth-life”—of eternal exploitation… perhaps that was actually more cruel?

However, according to Kevin’s testimony, “If anything, the moths seem to be heading toward being exploited with great joy,” so perhaps there was no problem between the parties involved.

Lucas couldn’t help but harbor the philosophical question of “What is happiness?” in his heart again today.

“Is this the fate of those who catch Elma’s eye…?”

Feeling a faint chill, he whispered to himself.

As Irene nodded heavily with an unreadable expression, Elma and the Frenzel family arrived after finishing their sales.

The family was finally beginning to show signs of exhaustion, but Elma calmly thanked Erich and his group, who had been in charge of organizing the entrance outside the pavilion, and held out the earnings which had been transferred into a hemp sack.

“Please accept this, Lord Erich. These are the ‘feelings’ we received from everyone during the first through third shows.”

“O-Oh…!”

Erich’s arms trembled as he took it.

As a farmer who had covered most of his living expenses through something close to bartering, this was the first time he had ever touched such a massive amount of money.

The hemp sack was quite large, and it was so full that the drawstring couldn’t even be closed.

Thinking that even if this was all small copper coins, it would be quite a sum, he reached out to take it, and—

“—!?”

Erich couldn’t help but drop the bag, overwhelmed by a weight that far exceeded his imagination.