The group threaded their way through the narrow alleys of the old town, paved with weathered blue flagstones, and the moment they stepped out onto the broad expanse of North Street, they were struck dumb by the scene before them!
"Whoa! Th-this… that's a lot of people!"
Laurier's eyes went round and her mouth fell open as she pointed at the spectacle in the street, so startled her voice cracked!
She wasn't alone, either. To one degree or another, surprise flickered across every face. Even Leon, who'd already spent three Christmas festivals in Orario, felt a trace of astonishment at the sheer scale of this fourth one.
Holy shit, the Guild Pig really spared no expense this time, showing Orario off to the whole world.
He knows full well Evilus will most likely crawl out to make trouble during the festival, and he's still throwing the celebration this brazenly…
Are they that confident in the familias of the Order Alliance? Or is it…
Thinking of Orario's rather unflattering international reputation these days, Leon, Rose, and Jeanne traded a glance and pushed the unfinished thought back down.
Either way, if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. If they themselves could see this far, then Finn and Hedin Selland, who held far more intelligence, couldn't possibly be oblivious. Maybe… those two were using this festival to fish for a catch. After all, using civilians as bait was hardly the first or second time those two commanders had pulled that trick.
The stage is set, the actors are in position… and the show's about to begin?
Leon wore polished leather shoes and a sharp lead-gray three-piece suit, his shirt and patterned tie immaculate, with a long overcoat draped over it all and a top hat on his head. One hand tucked into his pocket, hat brim pulled low, the faintest trace of a smile at the corner of his mouth, he stood quietly surveying the roaring, teeming pageant of humanity before him.
As far as the eye could see, the usually busy, noisy North Street had been completely swallowed by a sea of people that stretched on without end.
From where they stood, the straight, long avenue ran clear ahead toward the distant Babel plaza, every inch of it choked with bobbing heads. Shouts and clamor rose and fell, blending into one continuous din, and the shops and stalls lining both sides of the street had long since donned their festive finery. Christmas trees, garlands, jingling bell ornaments, adorably goofy snowmen paired with all manner of specialty goods drew the passing crowds in without pause, and every single business was booming!
For most of the citizens, though, all of this was just the "appetizer." The surging crowd kept pressing forward, all converging on the same destination.
Babel plaza.
That was the true center stage for the festival's opening.
Leon caught hold of his watch chain, drew his beloved old brass-cased pocket watch from his pocket, glanced at the time, and turned to the others, who were still marveling.
"Beautiful ladies, we're running short on time. Let's pick up the pace."
Before he'd even finished, Rose shot him a withering look.
"And whose fault is that?"
With that, not even waiting for Leon to answer, she affectionately linked arms with Jeanne and led the way into the surging crowd. The two of them stepped lightly forward, and wherever they passed the crowd parted like flowing water, as if… these people were willingly making way for the two beautiful ladies.
In truth, for Adventurers of Jeanne and Rose's caliber, weaving through a crowd took next to no effort. No one even noticed how deftly they were being steered aside, only that without realizing it they'd shifted out of the way.
Feeling the pointed looks coming from Margaret, Iri, Kureha, Laurier, and Aura, Leon guiltily looked away, then turned the tables by lightly clapping a few of the ladies on the shoulder and declaring loudly:
"Come on, let's not let Jeanne and Rose's hard work go to waste!"
With that, he shepherded the group into the dense flow of people.
He himself naturally walked at the very back of the line, in case anyone got swept apart by the surging crowd and separated from the rest.
…
After a hard-fought "battle," Leon's group finally made it to the festival's opening site right at the last moment.
They easily spotted the Demeter Familia's place by following the enormous crest banner, and before they'd even arrived, from some distance off, they were met by Demeter's aggrieved gaze and Persephone's icy stare.
"Heh heh, if it isn't our Mr. Leon. Dressed awfully formally today, aren't you? Anyone who knows would say you've come for the festival opening. Anyone who doesn't would think you'd arranged a secret little rendezvous with some lady."
Why does the air suddenly reek of jealousy?
Leon's smile stiffened.
At that moment.
Jeanne, Rose, and the others locked eyes with Demeter and Persephone. Flawless smiles hung on every face, yet a suffocating atmosphere spread out in silence, until the onlookers nearby all obeyed instinct in unison and quietly drifted away from this dangerous "killing ground."
Leon: "..."
Jeanne and Rose: Leon just lavished his affection on us!
Demeter and Persephone: We've known him four years and lived together for three!
Kureha, Margaret, and Iri: We're all Leon's wings!
Demeter and Persephone: Leon clearly prefers elegant, mature older women!
Laurier and Aura: ...
Leon stood frozen between the two camps, his smile stiff. It only grew worse once he noticed, not far off, the looks coming from a whole crowd of familiar gods and familias: the Astraea Familia, Loki Familia, Freya Familia, Ganesha Familia, Artemis Familia, Hermes Familia, and more. Some were full of mockery, some were just there for the drama, some had a faintly sinister edge, and some were practically radiating killing intent.
I'm done.
There was no time to think it through. He hurried forward, gently slipped an arm around the shoulders of both Demeter and Persephone, and lowered his voice to coax them:
"Ahem, there are so many people watching, Demeter, Persephone… we can't go giving outsiders something to laugh at, so… cut me a little slack here, okay?"
At that, Demeter dabbed pitifully at her eyes, gazing up at him through tears.
"Boo hoo… Leon, so now you think I talk too much…"
Persephone, for her part, answered him with a look cold and sharp as a blade.
"..."
…
"Hahaha! Hahahaha!"
"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"
"Magnificent! I'm barely back in Orario and I run straight into a show like this! Good stuff, I love it, give me more!!!"
"Demeter! You go, girl!"
"There's nothing I love more than a war between women, especially a killing ground like this one. It really gets the blood pumping, aaaaah!!!"
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