Ch.100100. Festival

“Soak it!”

“Don’t soak it yet.”

The entire city was overflowing with abundance and happiness.

It was because a festival was approaching.

The faces of those helping with the preparations were filled with anticipation. There was an atmosphere where the preparation process itself was considered part of the festival.

Everyone was excited by the thought that they could eat, drink, and enjoy themselves to their heart’s content.

The secret behind this warm atmosphere was simple. It was because this was the main castle town of the Wellesley County.

Once a city that had lost its lord and fallen into chaos due to the aftermath of the Cordana incident.

The image of two Swordmasters rushing to blast open the castle gates and dragging out the lord and dozens of his family members remained vivid in the minds of the territory’s residents.

But now, the gloom of that time had been washed away.

It was because of what the Papal State had announced throughout the continent a few days ago.

– The summoned one is the Saintess, and Erick Wellesley is the Hero.

– The holy sword has already been handed over, and the Hero has proven himself to be the owner of the holy sword and the protector of humanity.

– Those who fabricate rumors should be prepared for excommunication.

An announcement with a weight that was hard to believe, yet impossible to deny.

Reactions to this news varied from territory to territory. But in only one place—the residents of Wellesley County were unanimously welcoming it.

No, it was beyond welcoming—many people had rushed into the streets screaming with excitement.

The clergy of the county were already hoarse from repeatedly explaining how Erick had been designated as the new Hero. Even though they themselves hadn’t actually witnessed it.

“Yes, our lord has become the Hero. Congratulations.”

“Wow, our lord must have been very pleased. I wonder if he shed tears of joy… Of course, I’ve never seen his face myself.”

“O-Of course he was moved! That’s what I heard.”

“What about the Saintess? Is she pretty?”

“That’s an embarrassing question, but there has never been a Saintess lacking in beauty. She’s said to be well-mannered and mature in character.”

“Wow!”

This excited atmosphere simply led to a festival. The pressure to celebrate the lord becoming the Hero had forced Lord Hyde to give in.

The result was the scene unfolding right now.

“I’m not sure if we should be having such a big event when it’s not even harvest season.”

“Are you saying you won’t enjoy it?”

“N-No, that’s not what I meant!”

This was a conversation between farmers who were setting up tents, receiving an exceptionally generous daily wage by local standards (50,000 Lyra, or two chunks of cheese).

There were also restaurant owners and innkeepers preparing food.

Cattle and pigs weren’t enough, so even a few donkeys were sacrificed. Despite donkey meat tasting fine, it was rarely used for food.

“I mean, even if they’re old animals, is it really okay to slaughter five donkeys…?”

“The finance officer said he’d buy new ones. If we don’t prepare this much, countless people won’t even get to taste meat.”

They weren’t just providing food. A band had been hastily hired to provide entertainment.

The person directing all these procedures was none other than Finance Officer Bingo.

“Finance Officer. People from Hyde Barony… I mean, the western district are also coming in large numbers. We can’t really tell them not to come, can we?”

“I’ll take responsibility, so keep the gates open.”

“Yes, sir!”

We can’t discriminate against fellow residents, but I won’t take responsibility if you drink yourself to death and end up sleeping on the streets.

Bingo gave instructions with a rather firm demeanor.

For a count’s finance officer, he had an ordinary appearance and a plain look. Of course, throughout the entire county, except for Erick, there wasn’t a single person wealthier than Bingo, but in appearance, he seemed somewhat approachable.

However, no one ignored his instructions.

Despite being of common birth and never having seen the Academy, the fact that he was friends with the count himself provided him with strong backing.

It was actually Bingo who had proposed expanding the scale of the festival.

‘Damn, we can’t just let this pass.’

Though outwardly calm, Bingo himself was actually dumbfounded.

The Hero.

Erick being the Hero.

Even now, Bingo vividly remembered meeting with Erick during his days in the knighthood and talking about Cordana.

Navel, solar plexus, nipple, crown. They had freely used terms that were now considered sensitive, and had quite enjoyed themselves.

…Of course, Erick had been a notable figure even then. After all, he was holding Cordana worth tens of billions.

But he never imagined he would become the Hero. Like everyone else on the continent.

“Sigh. He wasn’t a man with great ambitions.”

This wasn’t just a random assumption; there was evidence. During all those hours talking about the crown, Erick had told him directly.

The Erick he knew aimed to live safely and wealthy. How did it come to this?

Bingo shook his head.

At that moment, Garland, who was in charge of the territory’s defense, approached him.

A distinguished knight whom he could barely make eye contact with during his time as an administrative officer of the Royal Order. Now they both served the same count, but it was still somewhat difficult. Though with Erick becoming the Hero, such differences in status seemed trivial.

“Sir Garland…?”

“Bingo. It’s time for you to decide on a family name. The Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs, who happens to be my brother-in-law, mentioned through the communication channel that they need to add your name to the nobility register but are having trouble because you don’t have a family name. I think you should decide on one, even if it’s arbitrary.”

“Now, you mean?”

“Of course. For the sake of Lord Wellesley’s, no, the Hero’s dignity, you should consider it quickly.”

It was an additional task when he was already busy preparing for the festival.

It was indeed an important issue. It was strange enough that he was serving as a count’s finance officer while being of common birth.

It wasn’t against imperial law, but the Empire valued customs as much as laws. In most cities outside the direct territories, the profession of lawyer didn’t even exist.

‘A family name, huh.’

Under normal circumstances, it would be appropriate to receive one from Erick. But asking Erick for a family name now would be inappropriate.

‘What should I do about this.’

Creating a family name wasn’t really difficult.

The problem was that his name was Bingo.

A name carelessly given by parents who didn’t have much affection for their child. It was a name more suitable for a pet dog, so any family name would feel awkward with it.

But completely changing his name felt like deceiving himself, which he didn’t like.

‘The name of an extinct country would be the most natural… Bangor? No, that doesn’t sound right. Then my name would be Bingo Bangor.’

After tilting his head in thought, Bingo finally let out a hollow laugh.

It didn’t feel real that he would have his name added to the nobility register, even if he wasn’t receiving a title immediately.

Considering Erick’s status, Bingo might eventually receive a title, perhaps even territory, whether he wanted it or not.

Bingo smirked, thinking how ridiculously his life had turned out.

However, his time for contemplation didn’t last long.

The festival was about to begin.

“Finance Officer! The band has arrived!”

Free meat, fruit, alcohol, and music. Though this was all there was, it was an incredible stimulus for commoners who had few entertainments.

Especially considering the current state of the Empire. Most cities would have a gloomy atmosphere rather than festivals.

How many territories in the Empire could enjoy even this much?

Bingo estimated that more than 30% of territories had either avoided or even benefited from the Cordana incident, but even those 30% weren’t the same as before. Especially now with the Hero gambling on top of everything else.

‘In these times, this is like heaven… right? Enough to worry about refugees flooding in.’

Bingo decided to contribute to preserving this happiness.

“Now, let’s toast to the health of Count Wellesley, no, the Hero!”

“Hurrah!”

Smiles bloomed on the faces of the territory’s residents who had unexpectedly come to serve a Hero as their lord.

Even the few who had lost money on the Hero gambling quietly filled their cups. Thanks to Bingo’s prior efforts, the number of participants from Wellesley County had been relatively small. There weren’t many people with spare money to begin with.

“Let’s drink!”

With someone’s shout, the cheerful music began.

***

“You bastard, did you bet on number 4 too?”

It was exactly as I expected.

“You crazy old man!”

As soon as I arrived in the imperial capital, a fierce fight broke out before my eyes.

The cause was simple.

Right after I arrived in the capital, there was a friend who ran up to me with a bright face, shouting “Hero!” He pushed his son forward and begged me to pat the boy’s head. As if my touch would suddenly transform the child into a genius.

Up to this point, it was just the rashness of a young father, nothing more.

The problem was that someone appeared who couldn’t stand the sight and deliberately picked a fight.

A middle-aged man who shouted asking how much this bastard had bet on number 4, and if he was happy making so much money, while hurling insults. His face was clearly drunk.

The father, who was cursed in front of his son, flared up and threw a punch, and eventually a brawl broke out.

And right in front of me.

“Damn, such a young punk grinning because he won some money…!”

“You crazy bastard, I didn’t bet any money! What are you doing in front of the Hero!”

“Huh…?”

Thanks to the imperial guards rushing in, the fight itself ended quickly, but I thought it was a scene that clearly showed the current atmosphere in the capital. If they had held a grand welcoming ceremony, it would have turned into complete chaos.

I let out a small laugh and headed toward the Merchants’ Guild, which was the venue for the Hero gambling.

Naturally, it was to collect my winnings. I had received reports that an enormous number of gamblers were focusing on my movements.

– Hero. Over 80% of the payouts have been processed in the capital and direct territories. However, many branch offices of the Merchants’ Guild in individual territories are making excuses to delay payments. Of course, some may be delaying due to lack of cash….

– The nobles are probably pressuring them to delay.

– Yes, that’s correct.

People who had confirmed their losses were probably watching me too. With the hope that I might consider public sentiment and invalidate the gambling.

Of course, I had no intention of doing so. There’s nothing more foolish than returning money to someone who has developed a taste for gambling. It was better to let them suffer through it once.