CH 431

Dance at Dawn

The Perujin Thanksharvest Festival was a big event that began early in the evening and went on through the night. In the middle of the capital, Auro Ardea, there was a town square with an altar where people could make offerings. Here was where the first wheat was offered. It was a lively event that was both a ritual and a feast. Some of the first wheat harvest of the year, which had been saved just for this reason, would be put on the altar. This meant that the event had started for real.

As the party was going on, Mia was…

“Oh, this tahkoe is so amazing. I had no idea that mushrooms went so well with a spicy tang. I mean, mushrooms are tasty enough on their own, but when you add other things to them, they really bring out a lot more taste. Mushrooms are so interesting. So much more needs to be known about them.”

She took another bite and was almost scared by how good it was. The thin bread wrapper held a big bunch of crisp, leafy greens that had a bit of a hot kick from a red sauce. Mia’s favorite food, mushrooms, went well with them. The crunchy texture of the veggies went well with the soft texture of the bread, and both were made even better by the chewy texture of the mushrooms. The three tastes made her taste buds happy.

“Oh, it tastes great! What a surprise that Perujin had such a good crop. I won’t be able to eat any of this when I get home, so I should eat as much as I can now. I need to remember the taste of them.”

Just as the idea of not being able to eat Peruvian food made her think about coming here once a year, Rania’s lady assistant showed up.

“Princess Mia, please, it’s about time…”

“Hmm, then it’s our time to shine! Come on, Bel!”

Mia stood up with confidence. She gave off an air of self-assurance. She was ready to go after eating a lot of tasty meals with mushrooms.

The sheer amount of delicious food I got to eat here makes it clear that I should be thankful. I need to thank the divine for letting such delicious mushrooms grow and the people of Perujin for making so many tasty meals with them. This dance is a great way for me to show how much I appreciate them.

She went into a building and got the clothes she needed to wear as a visitor. It was a strange set of clothes. The top was a single piece of fabric that went around the body and was tightened with a sash. The bottom looked like pants with very wide legs. She hadn’t seen anything like it before.

Anne helped her put them on right away, but the process was harder than she thought it would be.

“Uh… I think this part goes like this? Wait… Huh?”

“Don’t rush, Anne. It is, after all, strange clothes. So it’s not surprising that we’re having trouble figuring it out.”

“Yes, but I’m still sorry it’s taking so long… I’ll go ask someone from Perujin for help.”

Anne ran away and soon came back with Rania’s helper. With the extra help, she slowly figured out how to put on the clothes and fixed Mia’s look. There was no stress in her movements, and she didn’t look worried like she did when she was trying to be more like Tatiana. Anne’s inferiority complex was gone, and she was back to her usual, hardworking self. She learned a new skill in her usual, hardworking way. She finally took a step back and nodded to herself, showing that she was happy with what she had done.

“All right, I’m done. You’re good to go, milady.”

When Mia saw that Anne was back on her feet, she took a deep breath, smiled, and said, “Thank you, Anne. Off I go.”

—

As the event built up to its peak, there was a short calm before the storm while the princesses went backstage to get ready for the dance. The happy talk of the people at the feast, which was made louder by the alcohol, started to die down as people got ready for the peak. For a short time, there was silence at the event.

“Your Majesty…”

Yuhal was taking a quiet sip of his drink when he was addressed.

“Hm? You work for Princess Mia, right?”

“Yes. My name is Ludwig Hewitt. I work at Tearmoon’s Golden Moon Ministry. I’m sorry to bother you, but could I be so bold as to ask you for a minute?”

He had good reason to act with respect. Normaly, for a minister like him to talk to the king without being asked would be a very rude thing to do.

“Don’t worry. Tonight is a party night. Tonight, everyone is happy because we are giving thanks to the Lord. Before the Lord’s power, we are all pretty much the same. Say what you want to say.”

“Thank you. Your Majesty is very kind,” said Ludwig as he sat down respectfully next to Yuhal.

He went on in a quiet voice a few seconds later.

“If you don’t mind, Your Majesty, I’d like to know why you let Her Highness take part in the Thanksharvest Dance.”

Yuhal didn’t answer right away. He just moved his drink around in his cup. He didn’t seem surprised or insulted by the question. He finally answered in a voice that was just as soft.

“It was nothing but a whim. No particular reason…”

Ludwig asked the king, “Was it to set up a staged debut?” and almost got the king to change his mind.

Yuhal raised an eyebrow at how sharp the question was, and then he smiled.

“Oho. So you already know the answer. I can see that the princess’s top servants do their jobs well.”

Ludwig kept asking questions when he saw that the answer to his question was good.

“I can see how this way of introducing Her Highness to the Perujin people would make a big effect, but why do it? This will have a big impact on the futures of both of our countries. What made you decide to do this?”

Yuhal didn’t answer. Instead, he asked his own question.

“Tell me, Ludwig. Do you know what happened at the entrance event for Saint-Noel Academy?”

Obviously, he has. Ludwig had heard about Mia’s Bread-Cake Declaration for a long time, and he had already figured out what it seemed to be building up to.

“Yes, I am, and if I had to think of a way for that declaration to be put into action, it would be a huge anti-famine organization that covers all over the continent.”

“Correct. And this kind of group would need a place to run its business. A place for its base of operations. Also, for it to work, it would need people who know a lot about farming and food that can be moved quickly. I think that Perujin is in a great spot to put itself forward for this job.”

And that was the whole plan King Yuhal had for his country’s future. On the other hand…

“Perujin doesn’t plan to put its trust in the empire as a whole. But we’re willing to trust Princess Mia as a person, and we’ll do everything we can to help her reach her big goal. Having her make a lasting impact on my people is the first step I’m taking toward this goal.”

…It was his answer to himself as well. As the king of a group of people who had made a castle in the shape of a cake, he thought this was the best future for them. So, he asked Mia to take part in such a big event.

“Sorry to interrupt, but may we join this conversation? The topic is also very interesting to us.”

When he heard a new voice, he turned around and saw two very successful traders coming toward him: Shalloak Cornrogue and Marco Forkroad.

“Oh, Mr. Cornrogue. Is your health better now?”

“Enough to get me going, and that’s good enough for me. I can’t really afford to sleep at such a crucial time.”

Clack! Cla-clack!

The crowd noise was quieted by the sound of wood hitting wood.

“Ah, it’s about to start. We can talk about this some other time. Let’s treat our artists with the respect they deserve for now.”

—

The girls then started to dance. The performance would be remembered by the future generations as the dance that brought dawn to Perujin.