=====Chapter 7=====

The Harvest Festival

A couple days had passed, and the Harvest Festival was about to be in full-swing. Preparations had been completed around the city, and it was the first day of the celebration. Yuri had been looking forward to it since she and Koko arrived in Gilderland, and she wanted to get a head-start on the festivities as soon as they could.

Yuri stirred in bed as she opened her eyes to a clear, bright morning. After laying there and slowly coming to, she realized what day it was and jolted fully awake. She sat up in bed and looked over to see Koko still sleeping soundly beside her. Even though she was excited and ready to start the day, she decided to let Koko sleep a little longer while she washed up in the bathroom. If Koko was still asleep by the time she was done, then she'd wake her up.

Carefully as to not disturb Koko too much, Yuri got out of bed without being too loud. She yawned as quietly as she could and meandered over to the bathroom, taking care of her usual morning routine to freshen up a bit. Once she was done, she left the bathroom and glanced over to Koko, finding her still asleep in bed.

With a languid sigh, Yuri went over to Koko's side of the bed and bent down towards her. "Koko… time to wake up, Hon," she said softly while nudging her arm. After Koko didn't respond, Yuri spoke a little louder while continuing to stir her awake with her hand. "C'mon, Hon, it's the first day of the festival! I want to get a taste of everything before they run out!"

Hearing Yuri's voice in her ear, Koko finally woke up, opening her eyes blearily. Her eyes needed to adjust to the light, and she reluctantly glanced around in front of her. She then looked up to see Yuri at her bedside, hovering over her with an expectant look. With a grumble, she retreated further underneath the covers, just wanting to remain within its warm embrace.

"H-Huh? What's the matter, Darling?" asked Koko as she closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of being in her warm bed. Despite being the usual early-riser, the two of them had stayed up a bit later than usual the night before, so all she wanted to do was sleep-in.

"It's the first day of the Harvest Festival! We gotta get out there if we wanna try all the delicious treats. They only come around once a year," said Yuri as she went over to the dresser to begin getting changed out of her pajamas.

Koko was silent for a brief moment before groaning again. "What's the hurry? The festival goes on for the next couple days, right?" she asked.

Yuri was already done changing into her outfit and turned to Koko with a pouty expression. "This is my first festival since I was a young girl and my first as a part of the common people. I want to see everything and experience it all before it's over," she said.

It had been a very long time since Yuri got to attend the festival, and even then, she never got the full experience. Since she was royalty, she wasn't allowed to mingle with the commoners in the city streets. To make up for that, the castle had its own festivities just for royalty and other nobles. It mirrored what was available to the common people, and it was a more condensed version that offered more or less the same things.

Koko looked to Yuri and saw the wanting expression on her face. Seeing as she wouldn't be able to sleep-in after all, she conceded and exhaled deeply through her nose. "Even if you don't get to see everything, we do live here now, so there'll always be next year," she said as she remained in bed with only her head poking out from the covers. "But, seeing as you're all ready to go, I guess I can get up and join you… in five more minutes." She then closed her eyes and tried to get some last remaining moments of sleep in.

Yuri scowled and grunted with frustration before beginning to walk off. If she let Koko do as she pleased, there was no way she was going to get out of bed any time soon. Hearing Yuri's footsteps, Koko peeked open an eye to see her standing at the foot of the bed.

"Darling… what are you doing?" asked Koko, eyeing Yuri closely as she opened the other eye.

Yuri remained silent as she gripped the covers on top of Koko with both hands. Nothing was going to come between her and her tasty treats. Her gaze remained locked on Koko's face, still scowling.

Koko glared back at Yuri, wary of what she was up to. "Yuri, don't-," she said with a firmer tone, but before she could fully react, Yuri pulled the covers right off her. Koko let out a whimper as she curled up into the fetal position on the bed, hugging herself close to keep warm. She shivered a bit then looked to Yuri with an annoyed look.

"Up and at 'em, soldier. Your princess needs you," said Yuri as she set the covers down on the bed before placing her hands on her hips. "You can sleep all you want afterwards. To make it up to you, I'll buy you breakfast- anything you want."

Koko grumbled then finally began moving, sitting at the edge of the bed as she hugged herself with her arms to retain some body heat. "Uh huh. Sure. And just to let you know, I'm suddenly feeling hungry… very hungry," she said.

"Don't worry about that. I can afford it," said Yuri with a wily smile.

While Koko was getting ready to head out, Yuri went over to the window and opened it up. Immediately, the various scents of bread and other baked goods wafted into the room, almost overwhelming her nose as she took them all in. She took in a deep breath then let it out, eager to get a taste of all those tasty foods.

As Koko came out of the bathroom, she caught a whiff of all the different aromas as well. "Hmmm… that all smells good," she said as she began to get changed out of her sleep attire.

Yuri turned around and looked to Koko expectantly. "It does, doesn't it?" she said.

Once Koko was ready, she and Yuri made their way down to the ground floor and left the hotel. There wasn't a cloud in the sky for miles, so they left their cloaks in the room. The first order of business was to get some food, so Yuri took Koko by the hand and began leading her towards the market area.

The area around them was drastically different from the day before which had been cloudy and dreary. Everything was vibrant and full of life. It made seeing all the completed preparations for the festival all that much better. It was still early in the morning, but people were slowly filling the streets as time went by.

With an empty belly, Yuri followed her nose to get to where the festival food was. Koko followed after her, feeling hungrier by the second from all the lovely aromas. The two walked through the city streets at a quickened pace and finally arrived at the main plaza. Yuri's eyes widened as she saw all the vendors and stalls situated around the area.

"So, what are you going to get first?" asked Koko as she glanced around the plaza.

"I have no idea. I want everything! Let's just look around, then we'll see," said Yuri.

Yuri and Koko walked around the area, and once Yuri finally decided on what to get first, they headed over to buy it from a stall. She started off with her all-time favorite, a sugar cookie in the shape of a fox. It was covered in a sweet frosting that was used for the outline and colors. There were other shapes available too, like wheat or other animals, but Yuri was especially fond of the fox.

"Oh, this is so good," said Yuri after sampling her first morsel. She started with the fox's tail, nearly taking it all off in a single bite.

"Really? That good, huh?" asked Koko.

Yuri smiled ear-to-ear and took another bite. "I feel like a little girl again," she said with a mouthful of cookie.

Koko snickered and nudged Yuri's arm with her own. "I haven't seen you this happy in a long time. And all for a cookie," she said.

After Yuri swallowed her morsel, she looked to Koko and held out her cookie. "Here. Give it a taste," she said, urging her to take a bite.

Koko looked at the cookie then leaned forward, taking a bite. "Mmm… it's good," she said after chewing it in her mouth.

"You mean, 'the best'," said Yuri as she raised her brow at Koko.

Koko smiled. "Sure. 'The best'," she said.

After finishing her cookie, Yuri walked around the entire market to buy all her favorite treats from her childhood. Said items ranged from breads to all sorts of other delicious baked goods. Some were sweet and dessert-like while others were more on the savory side.

Every new item Yuri got, she introduced it to Koko and made her try a bite to sample it. Koko tried each of Yuri's treats with an open mind and liked almost all of them. There were some she liked more than others, but overall, they were all pretty good. Gilderland was known for its baked goods after all.

As the day went on, the streets become louder as it grew more crowded. The stalls were all open for business and selling their goods. The children, some in costumes wearing fox masks, were running around and having fun. The festival was in full swing as the entire city celebrated the affair in joyous unity. There were carnival games, music entertainment, performers, and plenty of other things to do and see.

Yuri and Koko walked around the city together to enjoy what the festival had to offer. During their walk, they found themselves in the "gaming" district. There, they came across a lot of stalls that had games to play. One of said stalls had some prizes that caught Yuri's eye. They were fox dolls and very cute ones at that. They were humanoid in shape with cute fox heads and tails. The dolls were well-made, having been stitched together beautifully and stuffed with cotton.

Yuri just had to have one and went over to the stall, getting the attendant's attention. "Good day. How does one win one of those dolls, good sir?" she asked once the attendant came over to her.

"The fox dolls? Well, all you need to do is land three rings on the bottles right here," said the attendant as he gestured to the group of bottles beside him. "You wanna give it a shot?"

Just as Yuri was about to respond, Koko butted in, seeing an opportunity to play the hero. "Sure. Let me try," she said as she stepped in front of Yuri.

Seeing Koko move in front of her, Yuri gave her a staggered look. "Uh, what're you doing?" she said rather meekly.

Koko gave Yuri a reassuring smile and held up her hand. "Don't worry. I got this. This is what girlfriends are for, right?" she said. She then looked to the attendant and paid for one game. In return, the attendant gave her five small, wooden rings and wished her good luck.

Koko took the rings in hand and positioned herself behind the counter. Taking one of the rings in her right hand, she looked to the bottles and prepared for her first toss. Beside her, Yuri crossed her arms and eagerly waited to see how she faired at the game.

To test the weight and trajectory of the rings, Koko tossed one out towards the bottles. She wasn't planning on getting one around the target on her first try, but if she happened to score one then all the better. Unfortunately, the ring just bounced off one of the bottles and fell to the ground. At least she had a better feeling for how the rings felt.

Undeterred, Koko aimed her second attempt and prepared for another toss. With a bit more confidence, she tossed the ring, but it was to no avail. The ring just clinked off the bottle and tumbled to the ground.

"Not as easy as it looks, huh? If you're aiming for one of those fox dolls, you're gonna hafta score all three of your remainin' rings," said the attendant.

Koko just grumbled at the attendant and refocused on her target. Beside her, Yuri just smiled with her arms still crossed, wondering if she was going to succeed or not.

Not wanting to let her girlfriend down, Koko concentrated and tossed another ring. This time, she actually managed to get it around the neck of one of the bottles. She nearly smiled ear-to-ear upon seeing her success, and Yuri gave a slight nod of approval with a surprised expression on her face.

Seeing that not all was lost, Koko prepared herself and tossed another ring, but unlike the previous one, it didn't find its mark. She sighed heavily and haphazardly threw her last ring at the bottles, making a clinking sound as it bounced off the nearest one. The attendant gave her a shrug then went about collecting all the rings Koko had thrown.

Yuri sighed as well but gave Koko a pat on the back. "Good attempt, Hon, but lemme show you how a pro does it," she said as she pulled out her coin-purse. She paid for one game, and the attendant gave her five rings.

After getting a feel for the rings in her hand, Yuri decided to show off her dexterity and finesse when it came to throwing things with precision and accuracy. With a cocky smirk, she easily scored all five rings one right after the other.

The attendant gasped and looked on with awe. "Wow. Uh, nicely done, lass. I guess that wins you a pick of any of the big prizes," he said as he gestured to the larger prizes available.

Yuri just smiled and looked to the fox dolls on the display shelf. "That's all right. I want one of the fox dolls, please- that one, specifically," she said as she pointed to the doll she wanted.

As the attendant went to retrieve Yuri's prize, Koko just turned to Yuri with a staggered look. "Geez, you really didn't need to one-up me like that," she said, sounding rather defeated despite it not being a competition.

Yuri took the doll from the attendant and looked it over, giving an approving nod after a full inspection. "Sorry to disappoint, Hon, but I really wanted one of those dolls," she said as she snuggled up close to Koko. "And you know what they say, 'If you want something done, do it yourself'."

Koko rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Uh huh, sure," she said while glancing away.

"Don't be like that. It was very brave of you to volunteer like that, even if you were pretty bad," said Yuri with a slight hint of mockery in her tone. "But don't let it get to you. Let's find something else to do. Maybe something you're better at?"

After a defeated sigh, a small smile began to tug at the corners of Koko's mouth. She wrapped an arm around Yuri and held her close as the two of them began walking. "Oh, okay. But if we find a game that requires a lot of strength, feel free to volunteer first," she said.

Yuri snickered as she rested her head against Koko. "Yeah, whatever," she said with a smile.

As the day continued, Yuri and Koko continued to roam around the city to see the festival. One of the bigger events they caught was a circus show at the major amphitheater in town. A renowned circus troupe was putting on a show that featured some impressive acrobatic acts.

Yuri recognized the group, having seen their performances as a child. She was excited to see how they were doing and beckoned Koko to go watch it with her. Koko had never seen an acrobatic act before, but she was a bit interested and didn't mind tagging along.

Before the show was set begin, Yuri and Koko got some drinks to enjoy while they watched. To ensure they got a couple of good seats to see the show, they made sure to hurry and arrive early. With their drinks in hand, they entered the amphitheater and settled down after finding suitable spots.

"So you said you've seen this show before?" asked Koko after taking a sip of her cup of freshly-squeezed apple cider.

Yuri took a long swig of her beverage, a cup of freshly-squeezed apple cider as well, before setting it down and looking to Koko. "Not this one specifically, but I have seen this group perform before. I even got to see them practice and meet some of the members up close," she said.

"How'd you manage that?" asked Koko.

"They used to do private showings for members of nobility. Nobles were also allowed to watch their practice sessions. One time, a few of their best performers even stopped by the castle, and I got to have a one-on-one session with them," said Yuri.

"Wow. It must've been so nice being royalty like that," said Koko rather frankly.

Yuri scoffed at her. "You make it sound like I was spoiled, like I had a choice or somethin'," she said.

"No no. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that," said Koko as she looked to Yuri. "I just mean to say it must've been cool to have all those opportunities. You know- ones that not everyone had the fortune of experiencing."

Yuri grumbled, but she knew Koko wasn't trying to speak ill of her. "…I suppose," she said before taking another long drink from her cup.

Koko was about to say something, but the MC took to the center stage and started to address the audience. Once the show began, Yuri and Koko directed their attention to the main stage. After the MC welcomed everyone and said a few words, the show began with the first act.

Some of Yuri's favorite acts were the hand-balancing act and the large group acrobatics act. A lot of the performers in the large group acrobatics act wore wheat-related and fox-related costumes, which was pleasant to see. After the show was over, Yuri and Koko left the amphitheater to continue walking around.

"That was a very good show. They were all so good and talented," said Koko.

"Indeed. It was just as good as I remembered. I'm glad I got to see them again," said Yuri while fondly remembering her past experiences. "They were partly what inspired me to try dancing. They were so graceful and elegant. I wanted to be just like them."

"Really? Huh…," said Koko as she looked around while they walked. "You gonna pick up dancing again once our home is complete?"

Yuri was caught off-guard by the notion, never having thought about it before. "I- I don't know," she said.

"What? You don't like dancing anymore?" asked Koko.

"No, it's not that. I guess… I never thought about it since I was a young girl," said Yuri. "Just been too wrapped up in- you know… other things."

"I guess. But now we have a place to call our own, and you can focus on what makes you happy," said Koko as she smiled at Yuri. "Maybe give it a shot. We do have that courtyard being built beside the main house. You'll have all the room to practice there."

Yuri gave it some thought, trying to imagine herself dancing at their new home. "I just might do that," she said. "I guess in the back of my mind, I've always wanted to give dancing another try. I've just never had the room to do it in earnest, I suppose."

"Good. I look forward to it," said Koko. Seeing everything around her, she was then reminded of another festival. "You know, this all reminds of Bonfire Night."

"…Bonfire Night?" asked Yuri as she glanced towards Koko.

"You know- Bonfire Night? The festival dedicated to out patron deity, Tempus?" said Koko as-a-matter-of-factly.

Yuri just stared back, still just as confused. "…our?" she asked.

Koko looked to Yuri with a puzzled expression, but then she reminded herself that Yuri wasn't part of the OSF for very long. "Right. Sorry. You never got to experience Bonfire Night before, huh?" she said.

Yuri shook her head. "Don't believe I have," she said.

"Well, it's an OSF festival that's held once a year during the beginning of summer, and it's really fun," said Koko. "It's dedicated to the OSF's patron deity, Tempus."

When it came time for Bonfire Night, most of the OSF's forces tried to return to the island to attend, so long as it didn't compromise mission stability. This included the away companies, naval ships, and liaison personnel. Only personnel that were currently engaged in a mission or were currently liaising had to remain in the field. Most of the time, personnel cleared their schedules in advance, so they were able to return home and attend the festival.

"I see. So you've attended the festival before?" asked Yuri.

"Yup! Plenty of times," said Koko.

Koko then went on to explain more about the actual festival, telling Yuri about the previous times she'd experienced it. It happened in the evening on the appointed day, lasting until the early hours of the next morning. There was a big feast full of spicy foods, smoked meats, and plenty of alcohol. She loved the spicy dishes that were served, but she also admitted she didn't partake in the alcohol much.

In addition to the food, there were lots of events and forms of entertainment to take part in and enjoy. Right before and after the feast, there were fire-twirlers, dancers, fire-breathers, and other entertainers putting on performances to lighten the mood, both figuratively and literally. In the distance, there were fireworks being launched into the air as well as smaller hand-held ones being carried by individuals. Some of the more interactive festivities included dancing, friendly sparing competitions, and magic demonstrations.

Yuri listened intently and smiled at Koko's enthusiasm as she explained Bonfire Night to her. It almost made her regret not being able to attend the occasion herself. However, if she had to go back and redo things, she still would've chosen to leave the OSF if given the chance. She just didn't feel comfortable being a knight.

"That sounds like a fun time," said Yuri. "Very similar to the Harvest Festival, only more tropical and fiery."

"I guess. And then there's the executions, which is like one of my favorite highlights of the night," said Koko rather bluntly.

"…executions?" asked Yuri as she looked to Koko, thinking she'd possibly misheard her.

Koko looked to Yuri and gave her a smile. "Yeah. They can be pretty interesting," she said, but Yuri just looked back at her with a concerned look. "Ah. But don't worry, Darling. We only executed those who were guilty of jeopardizing the greater good."

Yuri clicked her tongue and gave Koko an unimpressed look. "Executions? Interesting? Maybe this Bonfire Night isn't so similar to the family-friendly Harvest Festival as I thought," she said.

Koko playfully scoffed and bumped shoulders with Yuri. "Aw, c'mon. We only executed the worst of the worst. Real scumbags. Whoever they were, they deserved it," she said. "And it's not like they're always entertaining. It's actually a rarity. Most of the time, executions are just carried out like normal, but sometimes, they come up with unique and interesting methods just for the festival."

"Is that so," said Yuri as she continued to humor Koko. "Like what?"

"Well, this one time comes to mind, and it's probably one of my favorites so far," said Koko. "So like, all Three Lords were present at the festival, which is not too out of the ordinary, but still not as common as you'd think. And-"

Before Koko could continue, Yuri had to interject. "Um, who are the Three Lords again?" she asked.

Koko sighed after having been interrupted and answered Yuri's question, taking a brief moment to explain. "The Three Lords? They're the expeditionary force's three company commanders. Some of the best fighters in the OSF," she said.

"Oh. I see," said Yuri.

"Yeah. So like, they surrounded the guy from three different angles, and once they were in position, they all launched a Fireball spell at him at the same time," said Koko as she mimicked using the spell with her hands. "It was pretty awesome. They lit the guy up in a great blaze of purifying fire. There was nothing left but a small pile of ash."

"I can't imagine all that being good for the children to see," said Yuri with a worried look on her face.

"Huh? Oh, don't worry. The kids don't see any of that," said Koko. "There's a separate festival for the families and civilians on LBCI. It's a bit more tame and more like your Harvest Festival. But the executions happen on GBCI. That's where all the good stuff happens since only the knights can attend."

"That's good at least," said Yuri after a slight exhale of relief.

"Mmmhmm. Actually, after seeing all this, I'm starting to like the Harvest Festival a bit more than Bonfire Night," said Koko.

"Is that so? Why's that?" asked Yuri.

Koko shrugged and put her hands in her pants pockets. "I don't know. I guess I just like the festival's peaceful feel and atmosphere. It's a lot more cultured and uh… light-hearted. Definitely a lot less violent," she said.

"I sure hope it is," said Yuri with a smile. "We don't carry out executions or anything like that."

"But I wouldn't mind attending another Bonfire Night in the future. If we happen to travel to the island again around that time, we should definitely attend," said Koko.

"But we're not knights anymore, so how will get back on GBCI?" asked Yuri.

Koko made a gesture with her hand and scoffed. "Ah, we're part of the reserves technically, so it shouldn't be a problem," she said. "And if we really wanted to attend, we can easily find a way to."

Yuri gave a nod and returned her attention to her surroundings. She and Koko continued to walk around the city, leisurely traversing down the many avenues.

During the evening, there was a large ceremony in the town center to pay respects to the kingdom's patron deity, Holo. It happened once every day during the festival, and it was led by the city's head priest. The priest prayed for continued bountiful harvests and thanked Holo for her continued blessings. Yuri and Koko attended the ceremony to get more immersed in the culture of Gilderland.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Yuri and Koko went and had a nice dinner together at a well-known restaurant in the city. They had to wait a little bit before finding a table, but it was worth it. The food was really delicious, and Koko got to experience some of the best of Gilderland's local cuisine. After their meal, they went back to the hotel to relax for a bit before calling it a night.