Furina grasped a sweet, sticky candy apple in one hand and held a golden, crispy Red Bean Cream Jagamarukun in the other, her mouth stuffed full like a little squirrel hoarding food for the winter. Right at that moment, an all-too-familiar voice, accompanied by an exaggerated aria, echoed from a densely packed gathering of people nearby.
"Step right up, step right up, absolutely do not miss this! If you're far away, use your ears; if you're close, use your eyes!"
That voice is... Hermes?
Aiden paused briefly, instantly recognizing the owner of the voice. Hadn't they gone outside the city for a Guild commission? How did they get back so quickly?
"Come on, let's go check it out!"
Furina's gossip radar instantly activated, her ears practically perking up. For someone with her personality, there was no way she would miss out on such an interesting spectacle. She immediately grabbed Aiden's hand and, like a nimble fish, took the lead in squeezing through the tightly packed crowd.
"Excuse me, please let us through."
Finally pushing his way to the front, the sight before him made Aiden's pupils shrink slightly. It really was Hermes. He stood energetically on a temporary wooden stage, and right at his feet rested a massive crystal emitting a faint, eerie blue light.
Thrust directly into the top of the crystal was a pitch-black spear.
The moment he saw that black spear, Aiden's expression involuntarily turned grim, a strong premonition of dread rising in his heart.
"Come on, all adventurers who are confident in yourselves, step up and state your names! Just who will be the hero capable of pulling out this divine spear!?"
Hermes spread his arms, using the exaggerated posture of a stage actor to sing out his challenge to the audience below.
"That's Hermes, isn't it? What kind of trick is he playing this time?"
Furina also recognized the perpetually elusive god, immediately deadpanning a complaint.
"This is a spear of legend! Only a hero chosen by destiny can pull it free. And whoever wields it shall receive the blessing of the Virgin Goddess! Not only that..."
Hermes paused for dramatic effect, then flamboyantly pulled a parchment scroll from his coat, unrolling it before the crowd. "The one who pulls out this spear will also receive a luxurious round-the-world travel package certified by the Guild! Do you see this? The Guild's official seal—no tricks, no scams!"
The parchment indeed bore the official stamp of the Guild. The moment those words were spoken, the adventurers in the crowd erupted into deafening cheers, the atmosphere thoroughly ignited.
"Spear of legend? What is that?"
Firefly blinked, asking curiously.
"Is Hermes... putting on another weird event?"
A gentle, familiar voice suddenly sounded by his ear. Aiden turned around to find Astrea standing not far away with the members of her Familia. The masked Alise, Cecil, and the others were all present; only Ryuu's figure was missing. It made sense. Today was the Lunar Festival; as a waitress at the Hostess of Fertility, she was likely swamped with work.
"Lady Astrea, you all came out for the Lunar Festival too. What a coincidence."
Aiden greeted them politely.
Astrea smiled in response.
Alise, who was standing beside her, looked at the farce on the stage with great interest and said, "It looks pretty fun, doesn't it?"
Aiden nodded, but his gaze toward the pitch-black spear carried a hint of helplessness. He had already guessed what was going on, but he hoped things hadn't devolved into the worst-case scenario.
"Since that's the case, let's go give it a try," Furina also developed a deep interest.
"Let's go try to pull it out too, Miss Ais," another voice called out from behind.
Aiden looked back, perfectly timing his gaze to see Lefiya and Ais, both also dressed in cute casual wear. The blonde Sword Princess remained as expressionless as ever, but a trace of curiosity flickered in her eyes.
Lefiya and Ais quickly spotted Aiden's group as well. The elf girl's eyes lit up instantly as she dragged Ais into a light jog over to them. In an instant, the small open space had gathered members from several different Familias, making the scene even livelier.
"Then let's have a contest to see who can pull out that spear," Furina enthusiastically gave Aiden a push, her face radiating a confident look.
"Sure, sounds like fun."
Alise rested her hands on her hips, cheerfully agreeing with Furina's proposal as a competitive light sparked in her eyes.
"Miss Ais definitely won't lose," Lefiya also fired up for no apparent reason.
"Damn it, I can't pull it out!"
Soon, a muscular beastman adventurer leaped onto the stage. He used every ounce of strength he had, his face flushing the color of dark liver, but the pitch-black spear seemed rooted inside the crystal, entirely unmoving. Eventually, he could only give up in frustration.
The crowd below reveled in the spectacle. Cheers, jeers, and shouts of encouragement rose and fell. Whenever someone failed, a merciless wave of booing would follow.
One after another, numerous adventurers took the stage. Aiden even saw the Captain of the Takemikazuchi Familia—the incredibly tall and well-built Ouka. Yet, even with his strength, he failed to make the spear budge an inch.
"Watch me."
Alise leaped nimbly onto the stage. She first gave Hermes a polite bow, then took a deep breath. She gripped the spear's shaft tightly with both hands, her pale arms pulling taut. However, the result was exactly the same. Even with her power, the long spear remained perfectly still. The massive blue crystal felt as if it were connected to the earth itself, as immovable as a mountain.
Alise shrugged helplessly, hopped smoothly off the stage, and accepted her defeat.
"So, who is our next brave challenger?"
Hermes shouted in his highly inflammatory voice.
"Me, I-I'll go, me!"
Lefiya raised her hand excitedly, volunteering as she rushed up. However, reality was cruel.
"No... It won't move at all..."
In a mere three seconds, Lefiya exhausted her strength. She weakly let go and slumped to her knees before the crystal.
"Oh my, Lefiya-chan, that was a bit too fast, wasn't it~"
Hermes teased with a mischievous laugh.
"And the next one?"
Under the highly anticipatory gaze of the crowd, Ais walked up the steps and slowly stepped onto the stage.
"Whoa! It's the Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein, taking the stage!"
Hermes instantly cheered with excitement, pushing the atmosphere to a new peak.
"Pull it out, Sword Princess!"
"You can do it, Wallenstein!"
The male adventurers in the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers, the scene becoming intensely heated. Ais turned a deaf ear to the noise around her. She merely stood quietly before the spear, gripped the hilt, and assumed a posture to exert her strength.
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