Chapter 37 The Festival And Princess Birthday （1）
"It looks like the festival's already getting close," I said as I glanced around the city streets.
Colorful banners hung between buildings, ribbons fluttered in the wind, and merchants were already setting up festival stalls along the roadside.
Workers climbed ladders decorating rooftops with lanterns while musicians practiced lively tunes nearby.
Even the air itself felt different-lighter, more energetic.
Daito looked around with a smile. "Yeah. Dilenia does go all out for the annual festival well seems it's also the Princess's birthday."
Then he turned toward me. His expression softened slightly.
"Well... I guess this is where we part ways for now. We're heading to the castle to meet up with the other heroes." He extended his hand toward me. "Hope we get to work together again someday, Sir Raito."
I smiled and shook his hand firmly. "Yeah. I hope so too."
"I'll be heading to the Adventurers Guild for now."
Zachi suddenly leaned over from the wagon with a playful grin. "We can count on you if we ever need help again, right?"
I chuckled. "Of course."
"Heh, good answer," Yuchikimo said with a smirk from the back of the wagon.
Ayame rolled her eyes. "Don't drag him into your nonsense every five minutes."
"What's that supposed to mean!?"
Their arguing immediately started again, making Yanie sigh in exhaustion while Hiro tried-and failed-to calm them down.
I couldn't help but laugh quietly to myself.
Daito climbed back onto the wagon and grabbed the reins. "Alright then! See you around, Sir Raito!"
"Take care," I replied.
The wagon slowly rolled forward, heading deeper into the city toward the royal castle, while Sir Gallagher and the knights followed close behind on horseback.
I stood there for a moment, watching them disappear into the busy streets of Dilenia.
Then I adjusted the strap on my shoulder and turned in the opposite direction.
"Alright then," I muttered to myself with a small grin. "Let's see what this kingdom has to offer."
As I walked through the busy streets of Dilenia, I quickly realized just how important this festival was to the kingdom.
Everywhere I looked, people were hard at work.
Merchants hammered wooden stalls together while others carried crates filled with food, decorations, and colorful fabrics.
Long banners stretched across the streets, fluttering proudly in the breeze, while glowing lanterns were being hung one after another above the roads.
The entire city felt alive.
Children ran around excitedly, musicians practiced cheerful songs near the plazas, and even the guards looked more relaxed than usual.
"This festival must be a pretty big deal especially it's also the Princess's birthday..." I muttered to myself.
As I continued walking through the crowded streets, a massive building soon came into view.
The Adventurers Guild.
I stopped for a moment and stared up at it.
"So this is the Adventurers Guild of the Kingdom of Dilenia..."
The building was enormous-far larger than the guilds in Altheria or Morlinda. Tall stone pillars stood at the entrance, engraved with symbols of swords, shields, and magical beasts. Massive crimson banners bearing the guild's crest hung from the upper walls, swaying gently in the wind.
The guild itself almost looked more like a fortress than a gathering place for adventurers.
"Guess this capital really is different..."
I pushed open the giant wooden doors and stepped inside.
The moment I entered, noise exploded around me.
The guild was packed.
Every corner of the massive hall was filled with adventurers-warriors in heavy armor, mages carrying staffs, archers laughing loudly near the request boards. Some were drinking, others were arguing over quests, and a few looked ready to start fights right there in the guild hall.
Compared to the smaller guilds I'd visited before, this place felt overwhelming.
Then I noticed something strange.
Near the left side of the guild, a huge crowd had gathered around one area.
"What's going on over there?" I muttered.
Curious, I walked toward the crowd. But the closer I got, the harder it became to see anything. Adventurers were packed shoulder-to-shoulder, completely blocking my view.
"Damn... I can't see anything."
I tapped the shoulder of the man standing in front of me.
He turned around. "Can I help you?"
"Ah, yeah," I replied, scratching the back of my head awkwardly. "Can you tell me what's going on? I can't see anything with all these people here."
The man blinked before chuckling. "Oh, so you're new to the city, huh?"
"Yeah, I just arrived."
"Well," he said, jerking his thumb toward the crowd, "As you see the kingdom is hosting a martial arts tournament for the festival and it brought quite a lot of attention."
"A martial arts tournament?" I raised a brow. "That sounds like quite the event."
"Oh, it is," the man laughed. "The winner gets fifty thousand gold coins as the prize."
"Fifty thousand!?"
Still, the man quickly shook his head. "Honestly though? I wouldn't recommend joining if I were you."
"Why's that?"
"Rumors say some of the heroes are participating in the tournament." His expression turned serious. "And if that's true, nobody else really stands a chance."
I stayed quiet for a moment.
They are strong... I thought to myself. But from what I've seen, they still have a lot of room to grow.
Outwardly, though, I just smiled politely.
"I see. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for telling me."
"No problem, kid."
I stepped away from the crowd and eventually left the guild hall entirely. The noisy streets of Dilenia greeted me once more as I walked outside.
"A tournament, huh..."
I put my hands into my chin as I walked.
"Well, I don't really need the money. Maybe I'll just watch this time instead."
Then a small grin slowly spread across my face.
"Besides... now I can finally see what kind of skills those guys have picked up when I left."
"I should probably find somewhere to sleep while I'm here," I muttered as I walked through the busy streets.
The more I walk through the street, the livelier the city became. More decorations were being placed everywhere I looked-lanterns glowing with warm orange light, banners dancing in the evening breeze, and merchants loudly advertising festival goods to passing travelers.
After walking for a while, I spotted a small inn near the corner of a street.
A woman was sweeping the front entrance while humming quietly to herself.
"Excuse me," I called out.
She looked over at me with a polite smile. "Oh, hello there. Can I help you with something?"
"Yes," I replied. "Are you the owner of this inn? If you are I was wondering if there are any rooms available for rent."
The woman's expression immediately softened with apology.
"I'm really sorry, but we're fully booked."
My shoulders dropped slightly. "Really? That's disappointing."
"Yeah," she sighed. "With the festival coming up, it's becoming almost impossible for adventurers and travelers to find a place to stay."
"I can see that..." I rubbed the back of my head. "Well, sorry for bothering you."
"It's no problem at all," she replied kindly.
I waved goodbye and continued searching.
But as the hours passed, every inn gave me the exact same answer.
Fully booked.
No rooms left.
Try somewhere else.
By the time the sun began to set, exhaustion was already creeping into my legs.
"It's getting dark..." I muttered while walking down another unfamiliar street. "I should probably find an inn soon."
As I turned a corner, my eyes landed on a wooden sign hanging above a building.
The Sleeping Owl
I blinked before smiling faintly.
"Maybe this one's an inn."
I walked over and slowly pushed the door open.
Ring~
The soft sound of a bell echoed through the building.
Warm light spilled across the room, and the smell of roasted meat and ale immediately hit me. The inn was crowded-almost every table filled with adventurers laughing, eating, and drinking after a long day.
Seeing how packed the place was made me frown slightly.
"I think finding a room here is going to be difficult too..."
"Welcome."
The sudden voice beside me caught me off guard.
I turned to my right and saw a man standing near the entrance.
He looked to be in his late thirties, with short dark-brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard.
His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing muscular arms that made him look more like a retired adventurer than an innkeeper.
Despite his rough appearance, his sharp brown eyes carried a calm warmth to them.
The man smiled casually.
"Name's Dennis," he said. "I'm the owner of this inn. Let me guess-you're here looking for a room?"
"Yeah," I admitted. "Is there any chance you still have one available?"
I glanced around the crowded inn again before adding, "Though honestly... I probably shouldn't expect much with this many adventurers around."
Dennis laughed loudly.
"Well, you're not wrong there." He crossed his arms with a grin. "But don't worry. You're actually in luck."
I blinked. "Huh?"
"We've got exactly one room left."
A wave of relief washed over me.
"Really!?" I smiled. "Thank you. I've been searching all over the city."
"Festival season's rough for travelers who arrived late," Dennis chuckled. "Most of them showed up days ago."
I stepped forward and extended my hand.
"Oh-my name's Raito, by the way. Nice to meet you Sir."
Dennis firmly shook my hand with a friendly grin.
"Nice to meet you too, kid just call me Dennis."
As Dennis helped me check in, I handed him ten copper coins to pay for five days-about as long as the festival was supposed to last.
After counting the coins, he nodded in satisfaction before grabbing a small bronze key from behind the counter.
"Your room is number 203," he said while handing me the key. "Third floor, far left side of the hallway."
I took the key from him. "Right. Thank you."
"You're welcome, kid," Dennis replied with an easy smile before returning to help the other customers crowding the inn.
I headed toward the stairs and climbed up to the third floor. The wooden steps creaked softly beneath my boots while the sounds of laughter and conversation from downstairs slowly faded into the background.
Once I reached the hallway, I walked toward the far left side until I finally stopped in front of a door marked 203.
I slid the key into the lock and opened the door.
The room was surprisingly spacious.
A large bed rested neatly against the wall beside a wooden nightstand.
A polished table stood near the center of the room with two chairs beside it, while a small bookshelf occupied the corner.
There was even a clean rug spread across the wooden floor, giving the room a warm and comfortable atmosphere.
"This place is nicer than I expected..."
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me before setting my bag down near the bed.
For a moment, I simply stood there quietly, taking in the peaceful atmosphere after days of traveling.
Then my eyes drifted toward the window.
Curious, I walked over and slowly pushed it open.
Cool night air immediately rushed into the room.
The sight outside made me pause.
The streets of Dilenia had completely transformed under the night sky.
Hundreds of glowing lanterns hung above the roads like floating stars, casting warm golden light over the city below. Colorful ribbons and banners fluttered gently in the evening breeze while crystal decorations reflected the lantern light like tiny fragments of rainbow-colored glass.
Festival stalls lined the streets, their signs glowing brightly as merchants called out to passing crowds. Music drifted through the night air from somewhere deeper within the city, blending together with laughter and cheerful conversation.
Even from up here, the entire kingdom felt alive.
Beautiful.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I found myself simply standing there... quietly admiring the view.
"So this is where I'll be staying during the festival, huh?" I said softly with a faint smile. "Not bad at all."
I rested my arm against the window frame while looking down at the glowing streets below.
"It's awesome... I even have a view of Dilenia from up here."
The warm lights of the kingdom stretched endlessly into the distance beneath the starry night sky, making the entire city look almost magical.