15 Harvest Festival

Editor: Crembo

-Afternoon, Human Village-

-Me POV-​

"Don't worry, don't worry, you're gonna be okay, we're gonna be out soon, just hang on tight." I said.

"*Hic* I want to see mommy *Hic*." Whined the kid beside me.

"Calm down, it's okay, we're gonna be out soon, just hang on tight." I assured the kid.

"*Sniff* Okay….*Hic*." the kid sniffled.

And with that, I continued my climb up through the well while cradling a boy in my left arm.

It started when I was on my way to Reimu's place. I saw a bunch of housewives with their children near the well, they were washing their clothes with the well water. I planned to just ignore them and keep walking but once the housewives saw me, they started whispering.

When they started doing that, I had a bad feeling about which topics they would discuss while whispering. I still planned to ignore them and pass them by, but unfortunately I did hear their whispering. It went like this:

"Doesn't that teenager look like the person in that Tengu Newspaper?"

"Looks like it, you think the contents of that newspaper are true?"

"I don't know, usually that newspaper exaggerates things, right? Maybe he's not that bad."

"But he was chasing a goddess, what kind of person would chase a goddess around on a mountain."

'…If you're whispering, then whisper properly damnit, I can hear you people talking without even trying.' I complained.

Even though it annoyed me, I couldn't be mad at them. In the first place, it was that Tengu's fault, she just had to notice us and then take a picture while I was chasing Hina…

But, if I think further, the chase wouldn't have happened if I just hadn't started singing. Wouldn't that make me the original cause of this situation?

*sigh* I sighed, 'Even though I already explained what actually happened to Reimu and Akyuu, other people are just gonna take me as a mere pervert.'

After thinking that, I became dispirited. My mood dampened as I walked through those "whispering" housewives on my path toward Reimu's place.

Then, at that exact moment, I heard a scream from behind me.

"BONTA!"

I looked back and saw one of the housewives screaming at the well.

"BONTA!" she started to look around, "SOMEONE HELP! MY CHILD! MY CHILD FELL INTO THE WELL! PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP HIM!" she screamed for help.

As soon as I heard that, I started running toward the well and jumped inside it.

And that's how I got into this situation.

I detected no foul play inside the well when I rescued the kid, so he legitimately just slipped into the well.

Right now I was climbing while cradling the kid with my left hand, using my abilities to keep me glued to the well's walls. As for why I didn't just fly out of there, it was because it was a well, so there wasn't any wind in there. Moreover, I had a child on my arm. I had to keep him steady while I climbed out.

As I was climbing out, I heard multiple voices from above.

"I can see him! He also got the kid!" said a guy's voice.

"I can see them too! They're slowly going up the well!" said another guy's voice.

'Men's voices?... A crowd. The mother that cried for help probably drew a significant crowd toward her.' I deduced.

"Bonta! Are you there?!" came a woman's voice from above.

"Mom?! Is that you?!" the kid replied.

"Bonta!"

"Mom!"

'… I better get out of here quickly before I go deaf from the reverberations this mother-child duo make.'

With that motivation in mind, I redoubled my climbing speed.

After I grabbed the top of the well, I was just starting to drag both of us out, but as soon as our heads popped out, celebration roars came out from the nearby crowd.

A woman, whom I presumed to be the kid's mother, grabbed the kid from my arm and started a tear jerking hug party.

Several old men also started pulling me out by my arm. It took me a second to figure out what they were doing before I unglued my hands and feet from the well.

Finally, after they pulled me out, all of the men started praising me.

"Good job, kid! You saved that child."

"I heard you immediately jumped in to save the child! You're pretty brave for an outsider!"

"You're also pretty strong kid, climbing while carrying the child; you must have strong muscles to do that!"

All of them praised me non-stop for a full minute. I know they mean what they say, but can I at least have a beautiful woman praise all my hard work, not all these old men damnit!

"Um." A woman's voice could be heard clearly amidst all the old men's voices.

All of the men, including me, looked toward the voice.

It was the mother and child duo.

The men made way for them to get to me.

"We are very grateful for your help."

"Thank you, Onii-san."

Both of them bowed deeply to me.

I was dumbfounded for a second but I smiled and replied to them.

"Yes, I accept your gratitude."

Both of them rose from their bow but the mother's face appeared to be troubled.

"Um, about the compensation-" "No, there's no need for any compensation." I immediately stopped her from continuing her sentence. From the looks of her clothes, she was from the commoner folks; I'll definitely feel super bad if she gave me her money or something even though she's already poor.

"I never expected any compensation when I helped; I only helped because the child was in trouble, so you don't need to repay me anything." I explained.

"R-really, you don't need anything?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah, a man never goes back on his word." I said proudly.

"…Then, once again, I express my gratitude." She bowed deeply to me again.

"S…so cool, onii-san is so cool!" the kid's eyes gleamed brightly.

"GWAHAHAHAHA, ATTA BOY!"

"YOU ALREADY BECAME A SPLENDID MAN AFTER YOU SAID THOSE WORD!"

All the old men started laughing loudly around us.

'… So loud!' I was annoyed with the loudness but kept smiling for my image.

"Then come to the bar kid, I will treat you to sake!"

"Oi, the Harvest Festival is a few days from now, we gotta finish the preparation first, DUMBASS!"

'Harvest festival?'

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Then, kid, what's your name?"

"It's Arah, sir."

"Then Arah-boy, come to the Harvest Festival, we will treat you to delicious sake. Now that everything's settled, GET BACK TO WORK PEOPLE!" he shouted at the crowd.

The crowd started to disperse, including me. I said goodbye to the mother and child duo before going to my new destination.

Hieda Mansion.

-Hieda Mansion-​

"Ah, yes, the village will hold the Harvest Festival in a few days; I did plan to tell Arah-sa-" "Arah." I cut her off mid-sentence. "… tell Arah-san about it tomorrow." She still continued the sentence with an indifference voice.

"… Aw, she still won't say it." I said with disappointed face.

We were sitting facing each other in the mansion's main room, Akyuu sitting in seiza, while I was in my crossed-leg style, as usual. And also, this thing appeared while I was on my way here.

[Achievement Alert]

[Common Folk's Hero]

[Be the Hero that the common folk needed]

[Reward: 20,000 AP & IP]

They say "Turn down the reward from the poor and you shall see the real reward", now I really believe it.

"… It's embarrassing so I won't say it."

"But you said it normally with Kosuzu, though."

"That's because she's my friend, so I can call her whatever I want."

"… Then what am I to you?"

"T-that's… um…" she seemed surprised with my sudden question.

"…" I stayed silent, waiting for her answer.

"Legs... Yes, Arah-san, you're none other than my legs." She said, awkwardly smiling while pointing at me.

I stared, wide eyed at Akyuu, a bit dumbfounded with her answer. Bamboozled? Yes. Entertained? Absolutely.

"Heh-Haha-Hahahaha-Hahahaha." I started laughing.

"W-what's so funny about that?!" she started tearing up, probably embarrassed that I laughed at her answer.

"Hehaha, legs, I'm Akyuu's legs, hahaha... Yes, I'm indeed her legs," I was still laughing at her.

"…Mu…" she pouted.

"Aw, our Akyuu-chan is pouting."

*pat* *pat* I pat her.

"STOP PATTING ME!" she was mad.

"*pat* *pat* "Hahahahahaha." I continued patting.

'I can't believe I got nervous there. Guess it's pretty justified that you would feel down if you're rejected by the person you're helping.'

-At The Foot of Youkai Mountain-​

"So, your clan supposedly invites a harvest goddess every year?" I asked.

"Yes, the name of the harvest goddess in Gensokyo is Aki Minoriko, and we usually invite her as a special guest every year." replied Akyuu.

Akyuu and I were walking together at the edge of the forest, searching for the harvest goddess. At first we held hands but she rejected it by saying she's already an adult so she doesn't need to hold hands… So cute. The servants also asked if she needed a guard. Akyuu said no need for a guard, because I'm with her.

"Then how do we find her?"

"We will find her by following the leaves."

"Leaves?"

"Yes, Aki Minoriko has a sister, her name is Aki Shizuha. She's a goddess of Autumn leaves, so she's responsible for the turning of the leaves in Autumn."

"So, that means we're just gonna walk around the area until we find a tree whose leaves haven't changed, and then we search for the goddess sisters?" I deduced.

"Yes." She nodded.

"I see."

After a few minutes of walking, we finally saw a border between green leaved trees and yellow/red leaved ones. We went inside the forest where the border was, until finally we met the goddesses.

One of them was climbing up the tree.

[Lv.23 Goddess of Turning Leaves, Aki Shizuha]

And the other one watched the climbing goddess with a smiling expression.

[Lv. 31 Goddess of Abundant Harvest, Aki Minoriko]

Shizuha noticed us approaching.

"Minoriko, look, a human." She pointed at us.

Minoriko turned toward us.

"Ara, a Human." She started waving at us. "Good Afternoon, do you guys have business with us?" she asked with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Minoriko-sama." Akyuu lightly bowed toward her, I followed her attitude too. "We're appointed to be the representatives of the Human Village to invite you to be our special guest for our yearly Harvest Festival. Would you kindly agree to participate again this year?"

"Oh, so it is that time already. Yes, of course, I will gladly participate in the Harvest festival."

"Great, then please come to the Hakurei Shrine on the evening of the day after tomorrow. We will start the festival from there. That's all, we will take our leave now."

"I see, then take care on the way back." Minoriko waved us goodbye.

"Thank you, Minoriko-sama." Akyuu bowed first and I followed suit before we walked away.

After a few minutes' walk back, we left the forest.

"That was easy." I commented on the encounter.

"Yes, it's a yearly event and she's always invited there, so it would be weird if she refused the invitation now."

"… I see, then let's go back now. I'll lead you." I grabbed Akyuu's hand.

"?!" she was startled.

She tried to pull her hand away but it's useless.

I just smiled at her antics. "I can piggy back you if you're tired, you know."

"… Nnnoooo, don't waaaannnaaaa." She was still trying to break free.

"Holding hands or piggy back. Those are your choices, you know." I said with a playful tone.

She stopped struggling, "…Just let me walk." She finally accepted her fate.

With that, we went back to the village while holding hands.

-2 days later-

-Evening, Hakurei Shrine-​

I arrived at the stairs of the Hakurei Shrine. There're many people here. Apparently the festival starts here by carrying a palanquin that has the Goddess on it, and then they travel toward the Human village's farmer area, and then they pray toward her. After that, the real festival starts. Free sake, lots of food to eat, and many booths. Alice also informed me that she'll perform her doll show there.

As I waited for the festival to start I noticed someone I knew.

"Hu~huhu~" with a happy voice she was humming a cute sound.

"Aren't you a happy miko, Reimu." I said. "Why so happy today?"

The cute humming voice that I heard was actually coming from our main heroine, Hakurei Reimu.

"Oh, Arah, look at this, look at this." She showed me a big box that was hanging from her neck. The box looked like what Reimu has in front of her shrine.

"A donation box?"

"Yeah, and," She shook it up and down, *clink* *clink*, the box was making clinking sounds, "it's been filled with money." She said happily.

"I see, glad that you're happy then."

She suddenly thrust the box in front of me.

"Donate!" she smiled at me.

"… Is that an order?" I blinked.

"Now that you say it, yes, it's an order!" her smile now looked threatening to me.

"*sigh* Seriously, this miko." I sighed in defeat.

I grabbed two coins from my pouch and put them in the box.

"Thank you!" she said her thanks and left.

I watched her leave, but after a few steps she suddenly stopped and came back.

"Oh yeah, I heard from people that donated to me that you saved a kid from a well a few days ago." She started swinging her Gohei back and forth in front of me, "May the gods bless you." She smiled before immediately leaving to resume her fundraising spree.

"… And there she goes. Damnit Reimu, your smile is definitely a world-class nuke, people might die of heart attack from that alone." I said while blushing at what just happened.

I resumed checking out the surroundings.

Then I noticed the palanquin. It had 3 handles on each of its 4 sides, that meant it would be carried by 12 men. There was also a magnificent chair that looked straight out of a historical drama on top of the palanquin, probably the seat for the Harvest Goddess.

'Uwah, I totally never wanna sit on that chair in my entire life.'

The Festival started after the Harvest Goddess arrived. She sat on the chair without hesitation. After that, a bunch of topless muscular old man came out, each of them grabbing onto the palanquin's handles.

"LET'S GO!" one of them yelled.

""""""""""""OUH!"""""""""" All of them yelled at the same time.

"HARVEST!"

""""""""""""HARVEST!""""""""""

"HARVEST!"

""""""""""""HARVEST!""""""""""

With that rhythm, they advanced toward the village.

'…Too much, just, too hot-blooded for me. I'm the type that prefers quiet and stuff so… Yeah…' I thought as I witnessed the manliness of many old men in their topless glory.

-Human Village, Farmer Area-​

The other onlookers and I trailed behind the palanquin until they reached their destination, the Farmer Area.

As soon as they arrived, Reimu showed up and led the others in a prayer to the Harvest Goddess for an abundant harvest.

I definitely sensed the goddess' power grow as the praying continued.

'So that's how Faith power works.'

After the prayer was finished, the Harvest Goddess went toward the farmers' fields.

She released some kind of energy toward the field, making it grow healthier. The energy was invisible to the naked eye but I could sense it.

After she reported back that she finished giving the fields her blessing, the festival started.

Sake was freely distributed to everyone, including me.

I tasted it, but almost coughed it back up because of how it made my throat burn.

"… Where's the fruits, I want to wash off the sake's taste by eating fruit." I said with an annoyed tone.

[EN: What, how dare you, sake tastes wonderful! :3]

With my Gaia Tattoo, I'm immune to drunkenness and other sicknesses, but like I said, food that tastes bad will still taste bad.

I walked to the festival boothes. As I observed the festival, I concluded that there were more food boothes than entertainment boothes.

"*crunch* Lets check out where Alice is." I said while eating a Candy Apple and holding two more with my other hand.

I found Alice's booth, but I couldn't greet her right now.

"-And then Knight-san beat the evil Youkai, freeing the princess from its control." Said the girl's voice behind the Doll Theater.

"""""""Yeah!""""""" all of the children shouted excitedly at what happened in the story.

Alice's booth is a Doll Theater, she moves the dolls according to a story. The main viewers of the theater were the children, along with their parents, who were watching them as well as the show.

'I guess I might as well enjoy the story while waiting.'

After a few minutes, the story finally ended; the children also cheered happily, indicating they were satisfied with how it ended. Alice came out from behind the theater, holding a bowl for the viewers to pay for what they saw while telling them that the next performance would start 30 minutes from now.

When Alice was in front of me she finally noticed that I was also one of her viewers.

"Can I pay for the performance with this sweet food, madam?" I offered her one of my Candy Apples.

Seems like she caught up quickly as she replied with the words "Of course, dear sir, I wouldn't mind."

She picked up the Candy Apple from my hand, and then took a small bite of it.

"It's sweet."

"Hahaha, I already did say it's a sweet food."

I started asking about her Doll Theater. Apparently children really like it, as well as some of the adults. The stories are usually mixed with Western and Eastern elements, but there're also fully Western and fully Eastern ones too. She said this also serves as training as a magic puppeteer.

We chatted for a while until she said she needed to prepare for her next performance so she couldn't talk with me more. I made my goodbye and started searching for someone else.

After walking some more, I found her. I found Akyuu.

I smiled and walked confidently toward her.

And with my last Candy Apple, I was ready to tease her.

Author note:

Heyo, Author here. Only 1 chapter for this week, just like last week because my boss gave me works so I'm delaying it to finishing this chapter so I'm sorry for this week as well.

My editor PM me after I release previous chapter, he's still in here but he's busy for now, so no edited version until he's free.

As for the Aki sister description, I decided to stop describing every character dresses, I think it's a waste of space now.

As for Arah x Reimu, I don't know, it's just happened; I just add it at as I'm writing the chapter.

And last but not least, I know this is kinda late but TOUHOU 16 IS OUT GUYS, I don't like the 5, 6, and EX boss design. But their theme tho, it's hot just like every Touhou theme, especially the boss theme of in stage 5, it sounded so melancholy, I like it.