With the Harvest festival only a few days away, the city bustled with anticipation. The streets were filled with the quick footsteps of people hurriedly preparing for the upcoming festivities. Most of the buildings along the main street and the central square were adorned with colorful banners, which fluttered in the gentle breeze.

The centerpiece of the celebrations will be the central square in the heart of the city. Here, a grand stage was being erected, adorned with intricate wood carvings depicting scenes of a bountiful harvest.

Atop the stage, artisans meticulously arranged seating for the nobility, from which they will have the best view of the various ceremonies during the festival. I walked through all of this chaos on my way to Myra's house to share the great news of my recent success and also to invite her to the festival.

"Darian!" she greeted me, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "How did it turn out? Did you really meet with an Alchemist?"

I smiled at her eagerness and then proceeded to tell her everything that happened in the shop. Of course, without mentioning the "accident" with the water container, I wanted to keep anything magic-related a secret since it is my greatest trump card.

"I'm so glad you managed to sell your herbs!" Myra happily exclaimed when I finished.

I eagerly nodded, "I'm glad too that everything worked out fine. So, now that I finally have some money, would you like to come with me to the Harvest Festival? You were of great help to me in all this, so the least I can do is treat you to some pastries at the stalls..."

Her eyes widened, and soon an expression of delight spread across her face. "Of course! I love the Harvest Festival! Usually, I go there with Sebastian, but he never lets me stay for long, so going there with you sounds wonderful! I will finally be able to look at all the stalls!"

I was glad that she was eager to accompany me. Although her reasoning left me worried about my poor purse, 'I just hope she isn't too big of an eater.' I thought somberly, but I didn't let anything show on my face. "Excellent! Then I will come pick you up in the morning on the day of the festival."

Myra nodded, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. I then said my farewells and left her house, as I still had many things to take care of.

***

Now that I have the money, I need to make a list of things I need to buy for the winter. I have no clue how much it will cost me, as I have never done this before on my own.

But I'm pretty sure my parents were never able to put together even a single silver mark for the winter preparations, and they were buying things for our whole family.

So with my two marks, I should be more than fine. I could even splurge a little and buy better stuff than we were able to afford back in the village...

'I should buy at least two bags of grain,' I thought excitedly.

Grain tends to be a lot more expensive than ertiber, but it also tastes much better, and as I am pretty fed up with ertiber after eating it all the time in the village, I had no qualms about replacing it with something better.

With the grain, I can also take it to the baker and exchange it for a freshly baked loaf of bread during the winter. You can, of course, buy bread without it, but it's sold at a premium. And sometimes, when the harvest is bad, they run out of supplies in the middle of winter.

Then they won't sell you anything unless you bring your own grain. My landlord was kind enough to allow me to store my supplies in his cellar. So I can buy everything I need without worrying about having enough space in my already cramped room.

However, in exchange, I had to draw water for him every morning from the public well. 'Again, what's with everyone wanting me to draw water for them?' I thought bitterly.

I kept wondering why no one here hadn't invented any kind of plumbing yet. 'It would save so much time and money.'

Many housewives were too busy in the morning to draw water themselves, so they usually paid a few pennies to the poor kids in the neighborhood to do it for them.

For many kids, this ended up being their only source of income, and there even seemed to be a complicated system in place for who could draw water and where.

Some entrepreneurial kids even formed whole gangs centered around this particular business and set up their own territories, which they fiercely protected from other gangs.

'...How stupid.' I knew all of this because, when I first went to draw the water from the public well for my landlord, some local orphans mistakenly thought I was one of them and tried to scare me away from the well.

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This, of course, made me very angry. Not only did I have to carry out this stupid task, but on top of it, I had to argue with some random kids for the right to use the well. My first thought was to just tell them to bugger off, but that would probably result in a fight, so I did the second-best option...

That was to loudly exclaim that they were violating my right as an official resident of the city of Ereneth to access a public well and that I would call the city's guards on them. Which worked surprisingly well, as they scurried away in an instant. It seems that despite them putting on a brave front, they have a strong fear of the guards, as they haven't bothered me since.

While remembering this funny incident, I finished my shopping list for the market, and based on the regular prices, I should easily be able to afford everything on it. It is generally better to go to the market early in the morning before the big crowds get there. That is why I wanted to have everything ready so that I didn't run the risk of forgetting something.

'Oh right!' I also need some warm clothes. I can use my magic to warm the air around me, but I can't maintain it for a whole day, not to mention during the night. Besides, it would be quite suspicious if I walked around the city in summer clothes during the winter...

As twilight descended upon the city, the flickering glow of countless lanterns illuminated the streets, casting a warm and inviting light upon the scene.

The stage was set, and the preparations were complete. The harvest festival awaited, ready to welcome all the residents of the city. From far and wide, visitors would soon gather, drawn by the allure of this grand celebration...

***

"On this auspicious day, under the grace of the gods, we come together to celebrate the bountiful harvest of our lands... As we gather to honor the gifts of the earth, we must not forget the sacrifices made by our ancestors..."

Proclaimed the High Priest of the city's temple as he stood on the stage, his voice resonating through the air. The crowd before us erupted in joyous cheers, their faces filled with anticipation and gratitude. He waited for the people to quieten before continuing:

"They were the ones who toiled on the fields, with their hands bloodied and calloused, taming these treacherous lands... It was their determination, their unwavering spirit, that led us through the darkest nights, and we too must follow their example so that we can bring out the brighter dawn of tomorrow."

I stood amidst the crowd with Myra as I tried to maintain a veil of forced enthusiasm to not stand out. The irony of the situation made me snicker inwardly.

'It's funny that those who didn't work a single day in their lives are telling others about the virtues of hard work...' Not that I care either way about what others believe in...

The High Priest then continued his speech about the benevolence of the gods and other things, but I didn't pay much attention to it and eagerly anticipated what came next.

"And with this," the high priest continued, his voice filled with a mixture of pride and humility.

"It is my greatest honor and privilege to welcome among us our liege lord, his exalted excellency, the count of Ereneth, Gabriel de Santis!"

The crowd grew silent as everyone present bowed their heads toward the stage. I strained my neck to catch a glimpse of the Count as he made his grand entrance, but then I quickly copied what everyone else was doing.

The soldiers stood at attention as the Count, accompanied by a retinue of loyal knights and courtiers, ascended the podium. Clad in resplendent attire, he exuded an aura of authority and power, commanding the attention of all those present.

The Count stood at the center of the dais, a smile gracing his lips as he surveyed the sea of faces before him. His eyes, a piercing shade of blue, seemed to hold a spark of shrewdness.

'Wow, he sure knows how to make an entrance!' I thought approvingly as I observed him. I couldn't see him very well as we were standing far back. I didn't dare come close to the podium itself, just in case someone would be able to detect my magic.

The Count raised his hand, and a hush fell over the crowd, as if by some unspoken command. I watched with curiosity. His voice, smooth and commanding, filled the silence that descended on the square.

"My loyal subjects..." he began his speech with a firm voice. He spoke of unity, resilience, and the spirit of the harvest.

Myra and I exchanged glances; she seemed to share the feelings of reverence for our liege Lord with the rest of the people present here.

I didn't dare look at him through my magic sense. In fact, I did the exact opposite; I focused my powers inward, blocking any mana from radiating out of my body, in the hopes nobody would be able to notice me.

And it worked, though at one point I sensed that the Count looked in my direction. But luckily, I was just a young boy in a big crowd, so even if he was able to sense something, he wouldn't have a way to track me... At least that was what I hoped for.

After his speech, he disappeared somewhere as quickly as he first appeared, and we were free to enjoy the rest of the festival.

The main square was adorned with colorful banners, bunting, and booths selling an array of goods. The air was alive with the aroma of freshly baked bread, sweet pastries, and roasted meats.

Stalls displayed various trinkets, handmade crafts, and colorful tapestries. Musicians played lively tunes, and performers entertained the crowd with acrobatic feats and mesmerizing magic tricks.

Amidst the festive ambiance, we navigated through the bustling crowd, sampling delicious treats and admiring the craftsmanship of the local artisans. Myra's eyes sparkled with wonder as we strolled across the square, taking in the various sights and sounds of the festival.

I enjoyed it too, but I couldn't get rid of the feeling of being watched. However, every time I turned around, I didn't find anything out of place. So in the end, I stopped paying attention to it and focused on tasting the food.

My purse bled profoundly, but it was well worth it, as you can't normally try such a wide variety of tasty snacks and treats anywhere else. The festival continued long into the night, and as the hours grew late, we bid it farewell, full of happy memories.