Chapter 385 – Girl and the third spirit festival – Part one

“It’s almost spirit festival season.”

I whisper while looking up at the sky.

The third celebration after the spirit tree was restored.

We have a new spirit with us this year, Wea. I’m sure the spirit festival is going to be even bigger, now that we also have a water spirit tree.

Mister Sileva and the others are really excited about it too.

Apparently it’s rare to have two spirit trees in the same place like this. Wea says that’s proof that this land is a really good place for spirits and spirit trees.

But there’s also the fact that me, the miko, offers prayers.

　◇ ◇ ◇

Everyone’s preparing for the spirit festival, and things have gotten a little busy here in the village.

I’m helping to prepare the events we’re going to have too.

Also, this time we’re going to have guests from outside.

Of course, we don’t want anything bad to happen, so it’s only going to be a few people, but I’ve been told that Alice is among those people.

Mister Hicked has only become king recently, but apparently things are settling down in the Kingdom of Migha.

It sounds like Alice isn’t coming here just to visit either, they say the official purpose is to observe this village.

Alice works for Miss Ninaev, so that’s part of her job, I guess.

…I think Alice is great. She’s working and everything.

I’ve been doing lots of things to live here in the village, but I’ve never worked under someone like that. I think it’s great.

Alice and I are walking on two different paths, but we’re connected like this, and promised to see each other again. It almost feels like a miracle.

I want to introduce Alice to lots of things I like about this village, and all the people I like so much.

She’ll probably be surprised when she gets here, because it’s totally different from the capital of the Kingdom of Migha.

We’ve been sending letters to each other, and I’ve learned that there are lots of things that are completely natural to me but aren’t natural to her at all. And of course, the other way around too.

So she’ll probably be surprised.

“Gururu, rururu. (It looks like you’re having fun, Lerunda.)

“Yes, a lot. I wonder how the people from the outside will react to the spirit festival.”

I think the spirit festival is something unique to our village, so I keep wondering what their faces will be like when they see it.

Last year, we couldn’t even imagine we would have so many connections to the outside world. Things sure changed a lot in just one year.

Our village is changing a lot. Maybe they won’t all be good changes, but I still get excited thinking about it.

I have this excitement in my heart while making decorations for the spirit festival with Gaius and the others.

We’re planning to have lots of decorations around the village. It’s going to be even bigger than last year.

We make dolls that look like the spirits, and the spirits themselves fly around them looking really happy.

We have ones modeled after gryphons, Scifo, and Doanea too. Most of them are modeled after spirits, but this festival is for everyone to enjoy, so there are doll decorations that look like me, Miss Lan, and others too.

We also make flowers with cloths of various colors, bring glowing plants and make them shine…

Just thinking about what decorations to make is fun.

We’ll be presenting food to the spirits again this year, and we’ll be offering songs and dances too.

I’ve been learning a bit about how to dance from Phyto. It’s hard, but moving my body like that is really fun.

Phyto’s dances really are the highlight of the spirit festival. I’m always amazed by how beautiful her dances are.

I haven’t written a lot about the spirit festival in my letters to Alice, because I want her to see it for herself when she comes. It’s kind of hard to explain in the first place… I hope she has a good time.

There are other people coming, like people from the Kingdom of Migha and Rezzed, but I can only think about Alice.

Miss Lan sees me, and says that I must be really looking forward to Alice coming here, with a happy smile on her face.

Yes, I’m really looking forward to Alice coming here and seeing this place that’s so important to me.

“Should we do anything special to receive her?”

“Special?”

“Yes. She will be coming all the way here, so we could do something memorable.”

Says Miss Lan. I agree.

I want to do something special that will be a nice memory for me and Alice.

And so, between times when I’m working with everyone to prepare for the spirit special, I think about doing something for Alice.

But what would be something special? I can’t think of anything, so I’m going to go ask around.

—Girl and the third spirit festival – Part one

(The miko thinks about doing something for her sister.)