After dismissing Ragne and her friends, we come back to our house.

　Maria, who was doing the cleaning and laundry, noticed us coming back and gave us a confused look.

Welcome home. Master, Rustyala. You are early. I'm not ready to prepare a meal yet. ......

　Apparently, we were earlier than we had planned, so we hadn't been able to eat yet.
　I'm out of time. I was about to go visit Dia while I was shopping, when Rustyala stopped me.

Then, Christ. Let's go to the festival.

　Rustyala, sitting in a chair in the living room, invites me to join her.

'A festival?'
'Yeah. Right now Hoosier's is in the middle of a festival. In four days, we're having our annual Nativity celebration ...... and we're celebrating all over the country for a week until that day.
Yeah, I've heard that one before.

　As I recall, Dia told me this story.
　I think she had promised to play with me on that day, since her discharge from the hospital was going to be on the Nativity.

'I've never been to a festival before, so I'm very interested in it!
It's not like I'm not interested, either.

　I'm curious to see what you call a festival with a different culture.
　To begin with, I have little experience with festivals, even in my former world. --Even if I wanted to go, I couldn't.
　So, the event of a festival is attractive to me.

I'm not going to be able to get it right. So it's decided, let's go, let's go.
Yeah. I'm going to have to go get some water anyway.

　I agree.
　It may be a meaningless event, but it's a nice change of pace if you've got some spare time. The only thing I have to do is refill my water supply for now.

　When I lightly agreed with that thought, Maria, who had started to prepare the food, called out, "Well, wait a minute," she said.

But wait. That's what you call--

　But the voice stopped midway through.
　I turn my attention to Maria, and for a moment, she seems to have a frustrated look on her face. However, she quickly erases her expression and shuts down.

　Could it be that she thinks we're going to leave Maria behind?
　Rustyala is just holding back her laughter and won't enter the conversation.

　I had no choice but to ask her to join us.

'Maria, come with me. Get ready.
...... Yeah, can I go too?
Of course.

　If I didn't invite him here, he wouldn't be a friend or a companion. As for me, it was natural, but apparently it wasn't so for Maria.

'But the food is ready--'
Let's eat out today. Together.
'Yes, yes ......'

　I forcefully persuade Maria.
　Then I walk up to her and try to pull her hand away and take her outside.

'Let's go. Lastiara, show me the way.
'Hmm. Good.

　Rustyala grins and slowly gets up, grinning.
　I'm glad he's enjoying himself, but he's a troublesome one. You were willing to take Maria with you from the beginning, but you didn't put it into words. He took the form of letting me go out of his way to ask her to join him for his own pleasure.

'Stop laughing and get on with showing me around.

　We walk out of the house, smacking Rustyala's head as he laughs in front of us.

　It's not too far from my house to Hoozeyards. The proximity to the labyrinth in the center of the Confederacy means it's close to other countries as well.

　After walking for an hour or so, I could immediately feel the energy of the festival. There seemed to be no doubt that Hoozeyards was having a national festival. Even at the edge of the country, the enthusiasm is tremendous.

　As we entered the main street of the city, there were many stalls lined up.
　Shopkeepers were shouting loudly, eager to draw in customers. Some stalls were selling food, others were selling knick-knacks, and others were selling all sorts of things.

　I'm intrigued by the food culture and observe the food on the shelves.
　Some of the food is easy to make, similar to my own world, and there are many dishes I've never seen before. And the cooking utensils are all things I've never seen before. When I see a heat source using magic stones unique to this world, and knives that are probably working magic, I realize that this is a festival in another world.

　Unidentified baked goods.
　An assortment of misshapen nuts.
　Skewers of meat that have been grilled in a unique way.
　A giant loaf of bread that would not be suitable for eating around.
　Naturally, it's all new food.

　I couldn't hide my excitement in front of these foods, which I couldn't imagine tasting.

'Master, you're scurrying around too much at least at a food stall. ......

　Maria notes my restlessness as a redneck.

'Yes, no, it's a bit unusual: ......
'There's a Nativity festival that's held every year everywhere. And the stalls are all the standard stuff: ......

　Apparently, it was a familiar sight to Maria.
　She doesn't seem to feel any emotion in the face of this scene.

　But for me, it's different.
　It's not the same for me. Maria doesn't know about my situation, so she doesn't understand what is so interesting about it.

No, we didn't have a festival like this in my hometown, so it's very new to me.
Yes, your master is from Fania, isn't he?
'Oh, yeah. We lived in the frontier of Fania, so we didn't have a festival. So it's my first time at a festival.
The frontier (...), is it ......?

　Maria repeats my words.
　She doesn't seem convinced, but the more I continue to talk about my hometown, the more my lie falls apart. Pretending to be busy enjoying the festive air, I pull away from Maria.

　As I observe my surroundings, I pass a group of people in fancy dress.
　They are a group of people dressed in beast pelts and animal headgear. They are probably imitating wolves and bears in their costumes. There may be some significance to dressing up like that at this festival.

　I ask Rustyala, who may be familiar with Hoosiers, "Hey, Rustyala.

Hey, Rustyala," he says. What's the meaning of these costumes now?

　Rustyala, who was leading the way, turns back to us and replies excitedly.

''I don't know!''
What, you don't know?
Yes. I said it was my first time, too.

　Rustyala looks around as I do, his voice bouncing around.
　Maria hears this and is surprised, as if she sees something unbelievable.

'Is this really your first time?'
'It's embarrassing. I have a lot going on, and today is the first day I've been in the city (・・・・・・・) during the festival. So I guess I'll be the only one with experience, Maria.
'Oh, it can't be ....... Two people who have never attended the festival .......
That's why I'm curious about that fancy dress you wore earlier. Tell me about it, Maria.

　Rustyala stops leading and moves next to Maria. Then, as the three of them start walking side by side, they listen to Maria's explanation.

The fancy dress that you just wore is a fancy dress to pray for good health. The origin of the costume is a myth that has been handed down on the continent. By dressing up as one of the companions of the saint Tiara Fouzouyaz, who is mentioned in the myth, we hope for her blessing. It is said that the closer one gets to the day of his or her birth, the more the saint's power returns to the continent, so many people dress up during the festival.
'Oh, yeah. Come to think of it, I think I did.

　Hearing Maria's explanation, Rustyala clapped her hands as if she remembered.

''Come to think of it, Rastiara-san's name is similar to that of a saint. Did your parents name it after wishing for the blessings of Saint-san?
'Oh, quintessential Maria. You're right.
It's a lucky name.

　Like it's nothing, Rustyala agrees, and Maria laughs at it in a small way.

　But I'm not laughing. I don't know Maria, but I know that Rustyala's last name is 'Hoozeyers'. So, I can't help but guess that there might be some circumstances.

　We walk through the streets of Hoosiers, listening to Maria's explanation.
　Since the festival is most active in the center of town, our feet naturally go there. In terms of numbers, it's number 50.

All right, Maria. Let's eat and drink together.
Yeah, I don't like it. Festival food is too expensive and a waste of money.　
"-What?　So, what's the point of coming here if you don't eat?
I can just watch.
Yeah, .......

　Indeed, Maria has the best argument.
　Even I, who am not well versed in the markets of this world, can see that the items on the stalls are overpriced. To Maria, who is accustomed to festivals, the items here are probably just expensive and have no added value.

　I feel sorry for Rastiara if this is the case, so I offer my help.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one. I'll go out with you.
'I don't see what choice I have: ....... I'll take Christ.

　Rustyala seemed to want to play with Maria more than I did.
　She looked depressed and reluctantly agreed.

　At any rate, we decided to walk to the center of the festival, buying and eating.
　But from the middle, the game somehow evolved into a game of making the reluctant Maria buy and eat.


◆◆◆◆◆ ...


"-- Hey!　Rastiara!　There's something weird about that!
'Wow!　What is this?

　And within an hour or so, me and Rustyala's tension was at its peak.

　I was pretending to be cool at first, but there were so many unusual things that I couldn't contain my elation. Rustyala reacted the same way I did, so we both couldn't help but get excited.

''That's just child's play, right?''

　Behind me, the cool Maria is looking at us with eyes that look at the poor thing.
　But I've grown accustomed to Maria's cold eyes, and I float along without a care in the world.

　We buy and eat as we go along, until we reach the large square in the center of town, where there are shops selling goods. There were not only shops selling goods, but also some amusement park-like attractions there.

　However, they are not luxurious like the modern ones, but simple things like shooting and die-cutting.

　But it was enough to excite me.
　I had no experience with this kind of play, even in the original world. On top of that, there are types of games that would not exist in the modern world, which only increases my interest.

　At the moment, I'm very interested in otherworldly target shooting.
　It's like a game where instead of an arrowhead, you use an arrow wrapped in a cloth to shoot animals running around inside a fence. The cloth is coated with paint, and if you shoot through it, you can determine whether you have killed the animal or not. In my world, this game would not have been possible due to safety issues and animal rights ideals.

　The animals run nimbly around the fence.
　The agility of their movements leads me to believe that they are not animals but monsters, but I, with my limited knowledge, cannot judge.

　There's not much in the way of prizes, but my body tingles at the sight of a target that won't be shot through so easily.

　But Maria is right, the adults aren't trying to play this game. However, kids my age don't mind playing this game.

　In short, the problem is that me and Rustyala are taller than average, so it looks like an adult is doing it.

　I'm going to recommend that Maria do it first to avoid any bad publicity.
　That way, I can participate in the process in a more natural way.

I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do. I'd like to see Maria do it first.　That way, we can participate somewhat naturally.
'Wow! I'm not a child!　I'm thirteen now!

　I thought I'd have a word to say about my pathetic idea, but instead Maria argued against me about my age. She seemed to be upset that I was treating her like a child.

　I was surprised to learn that Maria is 13 years old. I'm sure you've been thinking about it for a while now.

　But for me, thirteen is well within the range of a child. It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to find a way to get a job.

　-- but that's just an extension of my world's values.

　So I check with Rastiara.

'Rastiara, is thirteen an adult?'
Hmm, you're a regular guy over here.
I see. ......

　He confirms that the age of adulthood is low in this world and apologizes lightly to Maria. Then Maria poses a question as if it had occurred to her.

'Come to think of it, how old are you two?'

　My age.
　Depending on the accuracy of the language translation, there shouldn't be much difference in the calendar between worlds at the moment. I think it would be safe to answer the age I counted in my world.

I'm 16. Maybe.
Sixteen?

　Maria was surprised to hear my age.
　I'm tall, but my face is childish for my age, so I've never been this surprised before.

'Is it really that strange?'
'No, I thought he was around twenty. He's tall, and besides, he's soft-spoken: ......

　Apparently, Maria thought I was much older than she was. However, I didn't expect the reason to be a manner. Then Rustyala also replies.

It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect. Just in case (...)
What?

　Again, Maria expresses her surprise.
　Although not as tall as me, Rustyala is also on the tall side. In addition, she has proportions that are comparable to those of an adult, making her look more mature than average. I'm sure Maria must have thought Rustyala was much older than that.

''Is that so surprising?''

　Rustyala looks at me curiously.
　I smile thinly and shake my head. I'm not that surprised.

　But Maria still can't seem to contain her surprise.

"We are only three years apart and this is ...... so far. Taller, breasts ...... too.

　She shakes her body with a wawa and compares her own body shape with Rustyala's.
　It's certainly hard to believe that there is a three-year difference. That's how much difference there is in the level of growth.

　As I look at Maria with pity, she notices my gaze and changes her mind and calls our attention to us.

'And age, anyway!　You two look like respectable adults, and they'll laugh at you for doing this!

　That's what it comes down to.
　If you look old, your true age is meaningless.

You don't have to worry about it that much: ......
'Feel the warmth in my eyes!　It's an embarrassment!

　It's true that there are eyes that look at us who are making noise and smiling at us. But those are the eyes that look at people who are excited about the festival, not the eyes that look at the poor guy. And I think it's more of an eye that is admiring Rastiara's beauty.

　Rastiara attracts people's attention just by being there.
　His appearance does not allow him to be buried in the crowd. Perhaps that's why there are so many jealous eyes on me accompanying her. At first I tried to play it discreetly, but because of this I gave up early on.

''Hmph. Maria-chan's embarrassment makes me feel more excited. Did you think that I would stop at that level, Maria-chan?

　Loving a shy Maria, Rustyala enthusiastically walked over to the reception desk for the shooting game.

　Maria tried to stop her from doing so, but finally gave up in the face of Rastiara, who seemed happier the more she tried to stop her.

　Shortly after, Rustyala receives a bow and arrows from the man at the reception desk, and the game begins.

　The content of the game was to see how many animals in the field could be killed from a certain position. Apparently, prizes will be given according to the number of animals killed in time.

　Rastiara nailed the arrows to the bow and carefully shot them one by one. Everything was flowing and accurate, a divine feat like an archer in a heroic tale.

　When the person doing it is as good-looking as Rastiara, it is inevitable that they will attract the attention of the public. At first, children gather in amazement and curiosity to watch the challenger shoot animals one after the other, and the adults around them are caught in the act and glued to his presence.

　By the time the hourglass that indicated the end of the game had fallen, most of the birds and beasts that had been released into the field had been killed.

　As soon as it was over, the children who were watching around us began to shout "wow, wow," and the adults who were watching from afar also applauded Rustyala with applause.

''Huh--, it's unexpectedly fun.''

　Rastiara murmurs with satisfaction, twirls his bow around like a dance, and even strikes a final, decisive pose in response to the gallery.

　Rustyala then proceeds to applaud the applause and accepts the prize from the receptionist, whose face is drawn. However, she understands that she is an anomaly, so she chooses not a priceless prize, but a pretty necklace that she can get even with a low score.

　Mostly wooden, but with one magic stone in the center, it's a piece of jewelry that's not too cheap or too opulent.

　After receiving the necklace, Rastiala walked over to me and put it around Maria's neck.

''It's a gift from me, Maria.
'Ha, ha. Thank you. ......

　Maria gave a small thank you, and the people around her looked at it with a smile.

　I see.
　It seems to have counteracted Rustyala's matureness by making it a gift for a child named Maria. With that, there might not be anything to be embarrassed about.

　It would be conspicuous to challenge her in this situation. But now that Rustyala has stood out so much, it's inevitable that we will stand out.
　In that case, I decided to do what I wanted to do--

'All right, then, I can't lose, either. I'm going to have to get my arms around you to make a present for Maria.

　I really just want to do it, but I say it on purpose to sound like I'm making excuses for the people around me.

'Oh, no. It's nothing--
Well, let's do it!

　Without letting Maria's refusal be the last word, I walk towards the reception desk. Seeing Rustyala's made me want to play too.
　The reception desk was empty, as it takes a lot of courage to play next to the divine work I had just done.

　I received my bow and arrows, and after the target was cleaned, the game began.

''-- Magic, Dimension, Decisive Operation (Gradient)''

　I deploy my magic without being noticed.
　You'd have to be a very talented person to notice the magic, but Rastiara, who is a very talented person, noticed my magic and erupted in laughter.

　Since I can't finish it off as beautifully as Rastiara did, my goal is to focus on surpassing my earlier score. But with my lack of experience with the bow, I miss the first few shots. Even though I have the benefit of magic and skill, I don't seem to be able to do as well as Rustyala.

　But after a few adjustments, I'm used to it.
　His inhuman sensory organs and skills make his aim more accurate. Imitating Rastiara's earlier example, I continue to shoot arrows with status.

　And perhaps because I wasted my MP and did it seriously, I succeed in slightly surpassing Rastiara's earlier score.
　The people who were watching around him cheered, and the heat of the place gets even warmer.

　I go to pick up my prize, and I'm torn between the choices. I'd be happy to give anything to Maria, but when it comes to accessories, there aren't so many to choose from. I have no choice but to accept a bracelet similar to the necklace I just gave you.

　I'm going to walk over to Maria and hand it to her.

You see, Maria.
How very unpopular: ......

　Maria takes it with a dumbfounded look on her face and quickly turns her back and tries to leave the place.
　She probably wants to avoid standing out any more. It may simply be that she doesn't fit in with the noisy atmosphere.

'Well, wait a minute, Maria. I want to surpass Christ's score, so let me do it one more time!

　Behind her, Rustyala was showing her a futile dislike of losing.
　However, Maria leaves it alone and moves away. I have a feeling that if this is the case, it will develop into a mudslinging match, so I chide Rustiala.

It's a good idea to be able to have a good time. Let's go.
Err, win and run - ......

　Rustyala is reluctant to leave, as if reluctantly.
　We run small, trying not to lose sight of Maria, who is trying to blend in with the crowds, and pass through the curious eyes of those around us.

　When we reached the point where we caught up with Maria, no one was paying attention to us anymore. We did attract a lot of attention, but it was just one of the many events of the festival. Once we were mixed in with the crowd, there was no one to look at us except for the envious eyes directed at Rustiala.

　Rustyala calls out to Maria, who continues onward.

'You're not going to do it, Maria?　If you're worried about the money, I'll get it out of you. I'm the one who asked you out.
...... haha. There's no way you can do it after that. I don't mind, I've done it before when I was little.
Oh, you've done this before. Then that's good.

　With that, Rustyala walks out in front of Maria.
　Her eyes are not busy looking for something interesting to look at, and she goes through the crowd of people at the festival.

　After a certain amount of walking, the riverside comes into view. There is a distinctly large crowd there, and it seems that some sort of event is being held there.

　Rastiara finds it and excitedly pulls my hand away.

He's doing something by the river!
It sounds like you're doing something that can only be done on the water.

　I remember the goldfish scooping in the original world and follow Rustiala with anticipation.

　I don't want to get separated, so I grab Maria's hand with the one that Rustiala isn't holding. Then the three of us walked to the riverside store.

　The river was netted upstream and downstream, and a large number of fish were being released in the space between them. The river was only about as deep as an adult's knee, and many people were eager to grab a handful of fish

An all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-grab fish grab game: ......?

　I've seen this kind of thing in my world, so I'm a little disappointed.
　But Rastiara looks like she's up for the challenge with a twinkle in her eye.

'I do!　Because next time I won't lose to Christ!

　And while we're at it, he wants to compete with me.
　Apparently, the earlier loss seems to have been a factor.

It can't be helped. If I don't participate, Lastiara won't be able to compete with you.

　Although it was a game I'd seen before, I hadn't played it before. There was no doubt that it would be interesting and I had no reason to refuse.

　We get in line to wait our turn and start chatting about trivial matters.
　We pass the time by teaching each other about fish dishes with Maria and asking each other what Rustiala wants to eat - and then, when our turn is halfway through, we hear a voice from behind us.

''-- Huh?　Isn't that Christ and Mary?

　A girl with a beast mask on her side of her head spotted us and approached us.
　It is Arti, the Guardian of the Labyrinth, who is wearing multiple layers of clothing.

　I'm a little more cautious and look around.
　After confirming that Arti is alone, I breathe a sigh of relief and raise my hand in response. Maria also responded with a bow.

'Arti. Why are you here?
Because I'm not supposed to be playing with you?
No, it's not that bad.

　Not bad, but seeing the labyrinth boss wandering around isn't good for my heart.

''I was playing with my friends from Eltralieu Academy just now. Right now, you don't have to worry about your pet peeve, Fran.
That's a relief.

　As me and Arti are talking, Rustyala, who was behind me, starts laughing. Then, she comes over to us, looking like she's enjoying herself.

'Pfft, I'm incredibly surprised. Even though you're cute, it's quite doable (...), so I looked at you with my 'pseudo-god's eyes' and I didn't expect to see you--fufufufu.

　The cheerfulness from Rastiara to a while ago has vanished, and he is radiating a clinging wariness.

　Perhaps he saw (...) that Arti is not a human, but a quite capable boss monster.

　In order to explain, I interrupt between Arti and Rustiala.

''Wait, Rastiara. This guy is my partner. I'll never--
It's okay. From the looks of it, I can tell it's not in the air. Um, Alty, is that right?　I'm Rustyala, nice to meet you.

　Rustyala interrupts me and greets Arti.

'Ho. You're, uh, (...) - I see. I think I can get along with you. However, I'm embarrassed, so I'd appreciate it if you'd stop calling me Changsha. I'd like to call you by your first name.
All right, Alty.
Mm, please. Rastiara.

　They shake hands and smile at each other.

　I watch them with trepidation. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. At that time, I'll take Maria alone and return home with my magic 《Connection》.

　It's not as if he noticed that you are looking at him like that, but Arti spoke to me while laughing.

"You're a worrier. Christ is.''
I'm normal. So, what are you going to do now, Artie?
Yeah. I'm going to have a little fun with you guys too.　I won't be with you for long, though.
Well, if you'd rather play: ......

　I really want you to go somewhere, but you're too heartless as a collaborator to treat me with disrespect here. I reluctantly allowed him to accompany me, even though I was reluctant to do so.

　Hearing that, Rastiara becomes even happier.

''That's good. Well then, Arti, Christ and I will compete with each other. I'd like to see Arti-chan's abilities too.''

　He is looking forward to competing with Arti, the guardian of the labyrinth (Guardian). But Arti refuses with a bitter smile.

''Let's refrain from doing that. I'm not good with water, so I'll just let you and Maria skip the field.

　With that said, Arti declines to participate in the competition.
　As per the theory, being a fire monster, Arti doesn't seem to be good with water.
　I step back and start talking to Maria.

　After that, it was my turn, so it was just me and Rustiala to challenge him.
　I do my best to devise a plan to try and beat Rustiala. Because I know that's what Rastiara wants.
　After all, Rastiara's desire is always to be able to play with all his might. I know that I can do that with him, and that's why he's with me.

　I have a duty to make Rustiala happy. That's the kind of 'deal' I made.
　Perhaps this is also one of Rastiara's dreams of 'enjoying the adventure' as he says. From Rastiara's appearance, I can somehow feel that.

　However, it's not all about a sense of duty.
　I suppose somewhere in the back of my mind, I also want to "enjoy the adventure" of this other world. It's not so painful to go along with Rastiara.

　As long as I can have fun and secure the strength that is Rastiara, I have no complaints.

　I will use all of my dimensional magic to win the game.

　As a result, the customers around me drew back, and the competition became a level of competition that made the shopkeeper pale - in the end, I was stopped by Arti with the use of my skills, and I was subjected to Maria's sermons for a long time.

　Still, Rustyala seemed to be having fun.
　I was having a lot of fun there, too.
　And I thought it was a bit of a waste of time to realize that if only the labyrinth wasn't involved, we were kindred spirits.