"Van-sama! The preparations for the barbecue are ready!"
Till’s voice rang out from a distance, signaling the completion of the setup. Meanwhile, under Espada’s guidance, Arte, Kamshin after his training, and the knights were busily transporting logs, each piece being carried into the area.
"Ah, Arte-sama! We’ll carry it!"
"No, it’s fine..."
Though she wasn’t doing much, Arte was doing her best to carry the edge of a log. In truth, the knights were the ones being considerate, ensuring she wasn’t overburdened.
"...Alright, we’ve finished two houses for today. Let’s take a break and enjoy the barbecue!"
In an effort to change the mood, I called out with a loud voice and stopped the construction work. The knights, who should have been exhausted, and even Kamshin and Arte, all seemed relieved as they responded. The others, who had stayed behind in Ceat Village, were simply thrilled at the idea of a barbecue and cheered with excitement.
When we moved to the venue, the middle of the street was already lined with campfires, or rather, bonfires—larger than normal campfires. It wasn’t something you’d usually do in the middle of a town, but I suppose Ceat Village’s people were quite the party-goers.
Around the fire, large chunks of meat were casually piled onto wooden platters, with what looked like fruits and vegetables thrown onto plates in a haphazard manner. However, everyone’s attention was focused on the barrels of alcohol. This time, there was a generous amount of fruit wine for the younger women, so the adults were eagerly eyeing the alcohol, unable to resist.
"Wow, everything is looking great!"
I commented as I entered the scene, and the people of Ceat Village cheered.
"Van-sama!"
Oh, the sounds of my devoted followers! I couldn’t believe how many people had become fervent fans of the young genius, Van. Maybe it’s time to start a new religion.
Thinking that, I put on a divine smile as a fan service and walked through the crowd, only to be met by even louder cheers.
"Woo! Start already!"
"Meat, meat!"
"Van-sama, is it okay to have alcohol from the age of ten?!"
The cheers had gone from enthusiastic to downright explosive. I couldn’t believe it. The applause wasn’t for my brilliance—it was all about the food and alcohol! How sacrilegious. I’ll raise the taxes tenfold.
Though slightly irritated by their audacity, I pushed the thoughts aside and moved to the center of the square.
Looking back at the rowdy villagers, I chuckled. Well, I was just kidding.
"Alright, before we start the barbecue, let me remind you all: Alcohol is only for those twenty years and older in Ceat Village! That’s the village rule!"
I announced, and immediately a loud chorus of boos filled the air.
"Ehh?!"
"Why?!"
"This is outrageous!"
The younger crowd was clearly upset. It seemed that the ratio of young people had increased lately, and the boos were deafening. Hmm, I might just make the tax twenty times higher. Those who apologize will get tax exemption for a year.
With a forced grin, I returned to my opening speech.
"Alright, alright! Let’s begin the barbecue! First, everyone fill your cups for a toast! Oh, and remember—alcohol is only for those twenty and older! Anyone under nineteen caught drinking will have to attend Dee’s special training as punishment!"
As soon as I finished outlining the rules and penalties, the boos ceased, and the atmosphere quieted down.
I scanned the silent crowd lightly and received my drink from Till. Of course, it wasn’t alcohol—it was fruit water.
"Now, let’s raise our glasses for the development of Ceat Village and the victory of the Kingdom of Scuderia—cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The whole crowd echoed the cheer, and everyone took a sip of their drinks. The adults, who had gotten alcohol, quickly became more cheerful, while the younger ones eagerly dug into the meat. The barbecue venue quickly transformed into a lively party. Somewhere in the background, I even heard the sound of a song being sung.
Just watching the festivities filled me with joy.
"...It’s been a while, hasn’t it?"
Till said, her tone becoming a little more somber.
"Huh? Was it that long?"
I asked, somewhat puzzled, and Till shook her head, offering a faint smile.
"No, it’s just how I’m feeling. Maybe it’s because a lot has happened."
Nodding at her words, I agreed.
"Yeah, this time was really tough. But Centena’s defenses have been reinforced, and my father is recovering with Stradale looking after him, so it should be fine. Oh, and Targa was a really good knight, too."
As I casually shared my thoughts, I glanced at the side, noticing Arte’s slightly gloomy expression. It seemed she hadn’t been swayed by the lively atmosphere of the barbecue.
I wondered if there was something I could do to help. After thinking for a moment, an idea came to me.
"...Arte, how about you try controlling your dolls again?"
I suggested, and Arte turned to me, surprised.
"Huh?"
She responded vaguely, but I nodded and took a wooden block from nearby, imagining in my mind the doll I had carefully crafted. It was a girl in a dress, just the size of a small child. The dress was elegant, a little short on the skirt to make it more maneuverable, but overall, it looked quite refined. Of course, all the joints were movable.
"Could you make her dance, like before?"
I asked, and Arte hesitated for a moment, then nodded, beginning to cast her magic. By now, the barbecue was in full swing, and most people didn’t notice Arte controlling the doll.
However, a small child saw the doll dancing and let out a delighted cry. The parents, watching in awe, whispered to each other.
"Wow!"
"Such a beautiful dance..."
Hearing the compliments, Arte lowered her head slightly, blushing. The doll moved with a fluidity that made it seem almost alive, continuing to dance gracefully. Gradually, more people noticed the dancing doll and gathered around, delighted by the performance.
As the crowd gathered around the doll, laughing and marveling at the sight, Arte’s expression began to soften. She looked more cheerful, her earlier gloom slowly fading.
"...Do you think she’s okay now?"
I murmured to myself, watching Arte.
Having damaged her beloved doll and losing some of her confidence, Arte had been regretting it deeply. I hoped that seeing the joy her doll brought to others would help her regain a bit of her self-assurance.
Ideally, I wanted her to gain confidence in more than just controlling the puppet magic, but I knew that wasn’t something that could happen overnight. For now, I’d just spend each day helping her regain confidence and encouraging her to love herself. If she could do that, I knew she’d smile even more brightly.
As I reflected on this, I took a sip of fruit water and bit into the meat Till had grilled for me.
The outside was crispy, and when I bit down, the savory aroma of grilled meat filled my senses. Inside, the meat was juicy and sweet. It was delicious even with just salt and black pepper, but when dipped in my special barbecue sauce, it tasted even better.
The slightly sweet and tangy sauce harmonized perfectly with the natural sweetness of the meat, creating an amazing balance.
"Wow, this is delicious! The outside is crispy, and the inside is so juicy! This would go perfectly with beer or red wine!"
Unable to hold back my enthusiasm for the flavor, I blurted out my thoughts.
At this, Till looked at me with wide eyes.
"...Van-sama? You know alcohol is for those twenty and older, right?"
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