The One Millennium Fest lasts ten days. The most awaited day is the first day because the Guardians, the group of Elves that no ordinary Elves can casually interact with, become everyone's entertainers. They will step into the stage and amaze everyone with their non-battle-related skills. They will sing, dance, and even perform a farce.
Technically speaking, their goal is not to entertain ordinary folks. They do things that citizens do to entertain their ruler and honorable guests. In this case, they aim to entertain me, someone whom their Queen respects greatly. They are putting their all into their performance, so there is no way I am not entertained.
With that being said, though, I still prefer exploring the festival to sitting here watching them perform. I have gone to a lot of human festivals, but it is my first time attending an Elven festival. I am curious about what the stands sell and the delicacies that the Dark Elf has to offer. There is more joy in exploring them than sitting and watching people perform.
I wouldn't have minded appreciating the art the Guardians present me if I didn't plan on coming to Ne Okozmo right after this. The One Millennium Fest might be held for ten days, but I will only stay here for a day.
Unfortunately, I can't just stand up and leave the podium. After the stunt I pulled, I can see the Dark Elf revere me just as much as they do Teanosvera, if not more. The moment I stand up, they will think I am displeased by their performance. I don't want that to happen. I enjoy their performance, but I have something I enjoy more.
Normally, I won't care about people's feelings, but I am getting closer to fulfilling my destiny as the Demon King. I am going to build a Kingdom, not become a God. I need people who serve me of their volition, not because I force them to. For that to happen, I have to show some appreciation toward the people who voluntarily come under my wings.
Though, I still can't guarantee the latter scenario will not happen.
This musing makes me slightly floored. Just by living, you are going to get hurt, physically or emotionally. I don't mind hurting people as long as they don't have a close relationship with me because of my belief--getting hurt is normal. However, despite not having any close relationship with the Guardians, I can't seem to do that to them.
I am sure they won't feel offended--they don't dare to--even if I walk away now, but something inside me tells me not to do it. Does this show that I am but a hypocrite? I have thought about it and the answer is no. I have a clear goal of why I don't want to hurt their feelings--to make them more loyal. It is simply professionalism.
That is the only expression I can think of to describe my urge to behave like an emotional being. It is quite amusing to be this confused about my emotion.
"You should just get out of here if your thought entertains you more than they do. Fake appreciation is just as hurtful as an insult."
Someone's remark makes me turn my head to the side. Quetzalcoatl quirks an eyebrow as our eyes meet. He looks just as displeased as he sounded earlier. He is a grumpy old man, but I don't want to refute his point this time--he is right.
"I guess living for millennia does affect you in a good way, albeit not much. Your wisdom amazes me, old man."
Of course, that doesn't mean I will just leave him unannoyed. Unfortunately, he is not fazed by my comment this time.
"What a very strange punk. You have a clear goal, but you are lost. You know which way to pave, but you worry it will end. Are you still questioning what your life purpose is?"
"The last time someone mulled about that, he didn't want to do anything. Everything will come to an end, so thinking about the things that we are bound to lose will do that to us. Therefore, I refuse to think about that. It will only waste my time."
"That is the case for mortals. You, on the other hand, will become eternal. You won't meet an end. You must be thinking about what the end has for you."
I have perfect facial expression control, but I can't do anything at this moment. I want to give Quetzalcoatl a baffled smile to let him know how ridiculous he sounds to me, but I can't. My subconscious tells me it is not something I should laugh at. I am made aware of the anxiousness that has been bothering me.
"Huh...what an arrogant bastard," Quetzalcoatl remarks, turning his attention back to the Guardians performing on the stage. "Though, I can't laugh at your concern. I can see you ending up as someone who wonders where the end is. Still, you worry about it too much. You still have a long way ahead of you."
Quetzalcoatl has a point. I even say that to myself. However, I am different from most people. I can decide how long the way ahead of me is. The more I am pushed, the shorter the way becomes. Maybe, this is what makes me already anxious. Regardless, Quetzalcoatl is right. Thinking about it now is useless.
Suddenly, I have the strength to push my body upwards. Quetzalcoatl's words make me even more eager to explore the festival. The Guardians turn their eyes at me in alert, but a single wave of my hand is enough to calm them down. They keep performing even as I step down from the podium and walk away.
Naturally, everyone's eyes are on my figure. They must be wondering what happened to me, but none of them stops me. Though, three of them decided to follow me. They are Haletha, Arieda, and Aurelia. They don't ask me anything as they follow in my footsteps. They know I just want to explore the festival.
Or...maybe they are just curious about what makes me smile in public like I am doing right now. It doesn't get the load that I am not aware of off my chest, but knowing that someone can understand what troubles me relieves me somehow.
As the voices of the guardians doing the performance disappear, the voices of chattering people can be heard. I enter the stand area with the three puzzled women behind me. I look around and find humans and Monsters also opening stands along with civilian Dark Elves to my surprise. They have big grins on their faces, showing how much they enjoy doing it.
The mood is lively which is a stark contrast to the gloominess overwhelming Lysimork a week ago. I can still feel their sorrow, but they are moving on. They are still hurt, but they can already smile at good things. They don't forget what is lost and cherish what they have. This is something that only the people of this war-ridden have mastered.
"C-Commander Layland!"
I quirk my eyebrow as I look at the excited gaze the guy before me shoots at me. I just randomly stopped before his stand and didn't expect him to be this enthusiastic. I try to recall his name, but I fail. His face is familiar, but I am sure he is not stationed in Antares. Therefore, the fact that he is calling me Commander is confusing.
"Everyone regards you just as high as they do the Demon King's Generals. Since you haven't become one, they just refer to you as Commander, the title you are currently holding," a familiar woman explains as she comes out from the back of the stand.
"So, this is where you have been for the past five days, Millonia," I remark with a smirk.
"I just wanted to learn about the Dark Elf's cuisine." Millonia shrugs. "I have learned all of them and this is the best chance to test my expertise. So far, I will say I have done a good job."
As Millonia looks around proudly, I conclude that she manages all of the stands that are not owned by Dark Elves. She then smirks at me and extends her hand. I shake my head faintly in amusement before taking her extended hand. As if knowing my intention, she takes me to the stands owned by Dark Elves to have a taste of their delicacies.
Aurelia, Haletha, and Arieda remain silent for the first thirty minutes. They only watch as Millonia and I interact as if they want to learn something. For some weird reason, they are also being considerate as they make some distance from us. When they join us, there is a look of helplessness in their eyes which puzzles me to no end.
I don't try to figure out what that is and just enjoy the festival. Not long after, I encounter a friend whom I haven't met for quite some time, Vibiane. She looks just as bubbly as usual, but she has more confidence in her step now. Forcing her to take missions where she has to be the leader pays off, indeed.
After some time, Eliseus, and the girls--Lunea, Winerva, Gabriela, and Abigail--also join us. I thought the girls wouldn't come to the festival until the third day and I was wrong. They say they want to spend their time with me before I 'disappear' again. They have tasks to mind at their hands, but I don't feel like reminding them of those. As they do, I want to enjoy my time with my friends while I can.