A magic merchant infiltrating Fairy Tail

Kira did not reveal his identity until they parted ways. Since the other party was not his reader, there was no point in revealing his identity. This reporter, whose name he had long forgotten, would not change her opinion of the novel or pester him for an autographed photo.

……

Travel is for broadening one's horizons, and traveling alone is for freedom from constraints. Logically, Kira should be like Gildarts, constantly adventuring around the world, traversing one mountain after another, passing through one town after another, and then discussing the magic of life and the human body with the local beauties in each place. Even if he gets tired occasionally, he won't stay in one place for too long.

But Kira had already been in the town for a week.

The reason for staying here is not because there is any irresistible food, wine or beautiful women, but because a very important festival is about to be held here.

On my first day in Kira, I heard that the locals hold a festival called the "Agricultural Festival" at this time every year to pray to the god of agriculture for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest in the coming year.

At first glance, this festival seems similar to Magnolia's 'Harvest Festival', but after inquiring with the locals, Kira learned the difference between the two: the 'Agricultural Festival' is a prayer for a bountiful harvest in the coming year, while the 'Harvest Festival' is a thank you for this year's harvest; the latter is a procession and celebration, while the former is a proper ancient ritual, which is said to involve communicating with the gods and offering sacrifices.

To Kira, it sounded much like the legendary shamanistic ritual.

Yes, this vast empire, with its world-leading magical abilities, the existence of mechanical races, and its territory spanning the entire western continent, still retains this ancient custom of praying to the gods to improve crops.

Logically speaking, Fairy Tail is a Western fantasy world, and the Alvarez Empire is even more so. It doesn't fit the art style at all with activities like this kind of ritual, but it still exists, and it is said to be a custom that has been preserved since ancient times.

With the intention of joining in the fun, Kira decided to stay. He planned to experience the foreign culture at that festival, which he could later use as bragging rights to the younger members of the guild or his descendants. For now, he would use it as research material.

Two weeks after Kira stayed here, on the day of the 'Farming Festival'.

As the sun sets and the evening light shines, the town's residents are already preparing for the sacrificial ceremony.

The main participants in the ritual are the young people of the town. According to the locals, the elderly and underage children do not need to participate in the ritual; they only need to attend the banquet at the end.

As for the reason... they don't know either, that's just the custom!

Young men and women make up about half of the town's population. As in previous years, they traditionally donned pure white cloaks and gathered in front of the mysterious ancient ruins on the west side of the town. Everyone's expression was solemn and dignified.

In the center of the vast square sits a high stone platform, where young men and women stand quietly, circling it again and again.

On the high platform, livestock such as pigs and cattle prepared for the sacrifice were placed along the edges, along with food such as wine, fruit, and bread. In the center of the platform, a peculiar magic circle was drawn on the ground, with a thick stone pillar at its center, on which golden flames were currently dancing.

Kira, standing in the crowd, was dumbfounded: "This 'Farming Festival'... is it really for praying for good weather and a bountiful harvest tomorrow? It looks more like a ritual to summon some kind of demon to me!!"

If this were in Ishgard, it would definitely be considered a church that worships some superstitious black mage, or a follower of some evil god, or even a demon!

As time passed, the afterglow of the setting sun reflected on the altar began to shift.

Just as the clouds dispersed and the moon emerged, several people who appeared to be responsible for 'communicating with the gods' walked onto the altar. They stood at a distance from each other along the edge of the magic circle, exchanged glances, and then slowly began to chant. Under their guidance, the others standing below the stone platform also began to chant in an orderly manner.

His voice was deep, solemn, and dignified, sending chills down one's spine!

Looking at the scene before him, Kira couldn't help but mutter to himself, "It's already strange that the festival is held at night, but the ritual itself is even stranger!!"

That's right! To contact the god in charge of agriculture at night is just ridiculous!

As for their way of communicating with the gods... Kira learned that these people were chanting the most popular song in the town, a song that almost every resident had heard since childhood.

He had heard this piece of music once before, and at the time he thought the melody was alright, and the lyrics were all about giving thanks for this year's harvest and praying for a similar good year next year, so he didn't think there was anything wrong with it and didn't bother to appreciate it in detail. But now, listening to it, Kira only felt a sense of gloom and horror. Hmm... the difference between the two is probably like that between a nursery rhyme and a scary nursery rhyme.

The cold moonlight, the mysterious festival, the eerie rituals, the residents in white cloaks, the terrifying songs...

The last time Kira encountered a similar situation was when Leon, in order to release Deliora, gathered a group of his men to collect Moon Drops on Galna Island.

This moment is just like that moment!

But they're telling me these people are praying to the weather god for a bountiful harvest next year? What a joke!! Even my own novel, The Thirteenth Shield of the Empire, didn't come up with something this ridiculous!

Moonlight, altar, inhabitants, white cloaks, magic circles, and eerie songs combine to create a terrifying scene. Someone with poor mental fortitude would probably run away in fright.

"What an eerie atmosphere! Wait, could these people be Zeref's followers...? Wait a minute! They're Zeref's citizens!!"

Kira casually made a sarcastic remark, but only halfway through his sentence did he suddenly realize that this was not Ishgar, the place where the name 'Zelf' was kept secret, but the Western Continent, where Zeref was hailed as an emperor!

Although the information gathered suggests that this festival has absolutely nothing to do with Zeref, since he is a resident of the Alvarez Empire, Zeref is definitely going to take the blame!

The ceremony lasted for about half an hour, after which the people on the platform took the previously prepared offerings—the livestock—to the center of the magic circle and killed them one by one.

This is one of the procedures in this festival: sacrificing livestock!

Sacrifice is one of the most common rituals in all fantasy worlds, but what is sacrificed varies depending on the object and the purpose. For example, an uncle returning from another world might command fairies to sacrifice a bull's head; or some humans might sacrifice their souls to demons to gain greater power...

Kira believed that anything other than human sacrifice was acceptable.

The scarlet blood slowly flowed onto the magic circle, quickly soaking it in a vibrant red.

Under the moonlight, Kira could sense the immense magical power slowly gathering towards the magic circle. Then, as if a switch had been activated, the entire magic circle emitted a dazzling red light.

"Is this what they mean by building a bridge to communicate with the 'gods'?"

Kira kept his eyes fixed on everything in front of him, not daring to be careless for a moment, for fear that a dark mage, or something like an evil god or demon, might suddenly appear there with the intention of destroying the world.

His intuition told him that this place, this ritual, this so-called 'deity' held a great secret.

Chapter 567 The banquet following the sacrifice was for...

The same ruins, the same square, the same group of people, but the atmosphere around them is completely different.

The eerie and terrifying festival lasted for more than an hour. Until it was completely over, nothing like the demons that Kira had feared appeared. The subsequent banquet finally brought a bit of life back to the town.

It is only natural to hold a banquet after the sacrifice.

The final step of the entire ceremony is for the 'gods' to feast with humans, which, in a traditional sense, represents the fulfillment of people's needs in both material and spiritual aspects.

After observing, Kira discovered that this festival was closer to the rituals of ancient Rome or ancient Greece than the Japanese shrine maiden rituals or the European saintly rituals. It was basically divided into three steps: offering sacrifices, serving wine, and revelry.

However, it seems that serving drinks and revelry have been combined into a banquet here, and because this world has magic, some magic-related elements have been added to the festival, such as the magic circle from before.

In short, since Kira had already visited the festival, he wasn't going to be shy about staying for a late-night snack. He ate his fill of roast suckling pig, roast beef, lamb skewers, grilled fish, vegetable soup, juice beer, and more.

The residents here are also very warm and hospitable. They not only did not charge Kira, who was not a resident of the town but also happened to be there by chance and ended up attending the festival and banquet, but beautiful young girls would also slip him small notes from time to time.

Kira initially refused, but fearing it might be a bill or something similar, he reluctantly accepted it. Since he had accepted it, he had to take a look before he could feel at ease. So Kira looked at it, and only after confirming that it wasn't a bill did he feel completely relieved.

As for what was written on the note... Kira stated that he was a virtuous and clean-living man, not a lecherous old man like Gildarts who flirts with young girls wherever he goes.

The moment Kira could clearly see the contents of the note, he suddenly understood why so many people had participated, even though the atmosphere had been so terrifying.

Because this is a once-a-year, one-night-only event, a party where you can party all night long, a perfect banquet just for young people, the kind of party that only exists in dreams!!

There are no noisy, bratty kids, no nagging old people, only equally energetic, vibrant, enthusiastic, and bold adult men and women who enjoy the nightlife.

"I feel like I've been unexpectedly dragged into an amazing party..."

Looking at the group of men and women in front of him, their faces full of smiles, dressed in colorful clothes, some open and honest, some heavily made up, eating meat, drinking wine, dancing, and singing around the campfire, occasionally exchanging flirtatious glances with the handsome men and beautiful women around them, Kira couldn't help but take a sip of fruit wine to calm his nerves.

Then, as if remembering something, he quietly replaced the fruit wine with fruit juice.

Boys need to learn to protect themselves when they're out and about!

……

"What did you say?! The festival is held at night because we have to work during the day?!"

Upon hearing this explanation from the several tipsy young girls, Kira was completely stunned. He stood there speechless for a long time before finally asking, "Are all the people here this dedicated?"

"Of course!"

A stunningly beautiful woman in a leopard-print bikini casually approached Kira, extending her strong, white right arm to try and wrap it around his neck. Her actions were anything but polite. "Where does the income come from if you don't work!"

Kira silently stepped aside, then asked, "But just for work, do you have to endure performing rituals in that kind of atmosphere?! Can't you take a day off? Just one day shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"What are you thinking about, little brother?"

On the other side, a woman with bright red lips, seemingly unsteady on her feet due to alcohol, staggered and fell, conveniently blocking Kira's path. "This festival requires all the young people in the town to participate! How can we ask them all to take a day off? Wouldn't that paralyze the entire town?"

"Is it that serious?"

"Of course!"

Really?I do not believe!

Although he really wanted to say that, Kira felt that since it was a local who said it, he didn't know the situation and decided not to deny it.

"Of course, there is another reason."

"Ok??"

In the instant Kira was stunned, Lady Yu Rong grabbed his red hair, pressed his face against her ample breasts, and said suggestively, "If we hold the festival during the day, some things will be inconvenient to do at the banquet afterwards."

Is what you're doing... serious?

Kira struggled for a long time before he could breathe again into the air filled with the aroma of alcohol. After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, he asked curiously, "Are you guys even able to get up and go to work tomorrow after drinking like this?"

The other person chuckled easily: "Let's think about that tomorrow!"

"..."

So you don't feel like you can't let go of your work at all, you just simply enjoy the atmosphere of this banquet!

"Hey little brother, my cat can do somersaults, wanna come and see?" The two mature women casually tossed their hair and gave Kira a flirtatious wink.

Kira's breath hitched for a moment.

Are you testing me like this? What man can't withstand such a test?

"...What a coincidence! My cats can not only talk, they can fly too!" Kira puffed out his chest proudly, holding up three fingers. "And there are three of them!!"

Having said that, he ignored their stares, turned and left without hesitation, leaving behind a dashing and unrestrained silhouette. The two older women were stunned, exchanging bewildered glances, their eyes revealing obvious regret.

"We can't afford to mess with them... The people here are terrifying!"

Kira, still shaken, hurried away, his face showing signs of shock. He was utterly astonished that such two brilliant minds, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, would appear in such a small town.

The square was large, and many people were attending the banquet. Even though they lived in the same town, they might not all know each other. So, unless Kira himself introduced himself, no one would know he was an outsider. After all, who would expect an outsider to participate in a local festival and even stay at the banquet to eat and drink for free?

Thinking this, Kira smiled smugly to himself, grabbed a piece of meat with bone next to him, and took a bite: "Delicious!"

The feeling of getting free food from nobody knowing you is really not bad!

"You are... Kirasan??!"

Kira: "..."

Was the slap in the face really that quick?

The unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar voice made Kira pause in his chewing: How could anyone in a place like this know me?! Am I that famous??

When Kira turned around, he realized that the person who recognized him was none other than the young reporter he had met twice recently.

"It's you again, Miss Reporter!"