The county at night

Darkness fell upon the world, but the blazing lights that were set around the perimeter of Farah Palace kept the shadowy fog at bay. Hundreds of stores lined the area, and a huge perimeter, surrounded by troves of crimson flame, had been marked out for people to dance and make merry in. They were visible even from the Farah Palace's dining hall, with the orange glow turning everything it touched inside into a surreal mirage.

"Still, to move everything this quickly…that's amazing," Dia noted. "How did they do it?"

"It's not that hard, really," Farah replied. "Most of the stalls are empty and hollowed out; they're usually filled up and loaded an hour before moonrise. The only things that might take a bit more time to move would be the lights and the fire pits, but you saw how enthusiastically they welcomed me this afternoon…"

"Nice to be this loved."

"It is," Farah replied. "That's why I'm obligated to protect them to the best of my ability…which isn't much, unfortunately. Even with so many administrative skills, I still find myself troubled a fair bit."

Dia made a little sound in her throat. "You put yourself down too much. And besides, I think you've done your part well so far. Not many can resolve a huge debt this easily, after all."

"You give me too much credit. Lloyd definitely helped. Sir Agni — the investigating official the Emperor sent — had a good impression of my work so far too, and reported back to Emperor Grandis accordingly," Farah replied. "Farah County, in part, is prosperous due to a tiny bit of the Emperor's support. It's probably nothing for him, but his regular demand for moonwheat has helped us greatly. Today, my county is known for its high-quality agricultural products, with a rare breed of wheat as its cornerstone."

She paused and started to pace back and forth. "The Emperor liked the dishes made with moonwheat, and included them in his banquets, which got people asking around."

"Moonwheat, huh?"

"You've never heard of it?" Farah asked, curious. "Maybe it's not that popular in Lustre."

"I only learned about moonwheat from you. The most popular ingredient in Lustre is sunrice, imported from Daybreak County."

"That's where sunrice came from?" Farah asked. "I never thought I'd hear the near-forgotten third county under Istrel to be brought up in the context of popularity."

"To be fair, Daybreak County is pretty much in perpetual isolation. In a sense, I suppose that's why sunrice is so popular, since that's the only thing Daybreak bothers to promote…" Dia cupped her chin. "Still, if the Emperor liked it, it must be good. Now I look forward to this harvest celebration. Are we going to take part in it anytime soon?"

"Not as we are. If we need to sneak out, we'll need to disguise ourselves. Or else, we'll end up mobbed and everything." Despite her words, however, Farah had a gentle smile on her face. "Your hands would be positively full of every product that has moonwheat inside."

"That sounds tempting, but it would be rude of us to take their food without paying for it, right?" Dia eyed the countess, whose green hair was too eye-catching and distinctive.

"My thoughts exactly."

"Then you should get changed or something. Drop that high-and-mighty persona too. Be the Farah you were at the Moon Lords. That should do the trick, if you ask me."

"Really?"

"Really, really." Dia stretched her arms. "Trust me on this. Your personality is so unique that if you don't change it, any random person on the street will know that you're the countess. Few people speak with as much pomp as you do, after all."

"…I feel like I've been insulted for some reason," Farah muttered. "Is it a bad thing? Is it? Is it?"

"Well, I haven't forgotten the first time we met, and how you strode into Triple-D," Dia replied. "Not what I'd call a good first impression, really. You should continue to separate your life as Countess Farah and Moon Lord Farah…there's a time for each Farah, right?"

"True."

"Put on your disguise, then," said Dia. "I can't wait to try out your specialty products…right, were the pancakes today made with moonwheat too?"

"They were made with flour ground out of moonwheat, yes," replied Farah, her green hair turning black. "It's Lloyd's favourite pastry for a reason. You liked it too, right? Moonwheat products have this fluffiness to them; the soft roundness that makes one think of the full Moons is one of the reasons why moonwheat was named that way. Of course, the small, tri-coloured orb you see at full maturity also contributed, and—"

Farah caught herself, ending her ramble in its cradle. "Sorry. I'm a bit…proactive when it comes to promoting moonwheat."

"Never saw that part of you before, though," Dia replied.

"Well, I was Moon Lord Farah at that time." The countess winked. "Anyway, we can bring some products home for the others to sample. They'll fall in love in a blink of an eye. I'm sick of Claud and Schwarz strutting around and showing off their exclusive consumables."

"How petty."

"I had to be petty when scrounging up money and materials to pay off the county's debt. It's natural to me," Farah replied. "Deal with it."

"Yeah, yeah." Dia checked her attire, which didn't have anything out of the ordinary, and then shook her shoulders. "Let's go, then. Is there any way to sneak out of here without being detected?"

"No need. We can just use the side gate," Farah replied. "It's dark out, so once we leave through the side gate, we can blend into the surroundings."

"But isn't the sidegate guarded?" Dia asked.

"Oh. Well, the guards have standing orders to let anyone who shows up at the gates out. We have quite a few staff here, so that's a given," Farah replied.

Dia frowned. "The walls aren't that high, and there are quite a few ways of entering stealthily. Such a standing order's quite…dangerous, right?"

"Oh, come on." Farah chuckled. "Typically, no one steals from a noble, right? And besides, if anyone can find some stray money or valuables here, they probably deserve it. After all, most of our assets are intangible, and those that aren't are locked securely away."

"Claud would definitely smack you on the head for that," Dia replied.

"Yeah, well, he's one of a kind when it comes to paranoid," Farah replied.

Dia rapped Farah's head. "Aren't you being a bit too relaxed here? Your walls aren't even that high, and you don't have the comprehensive kinds of defences that Nightfall has. If someone intended to harm you or your people, it'll be too late for you to regret. Sure, Farah County might be a bit weak, but it's still profitable territory nonetheless. Even if you don't care for yourself, spare some thought for the people working for you."

Farah twitched. "I…"

"I know you're used to these things, but you've been at the Moon Lords, right? I feel more secure there; I can't say the same for you. Do you not get that feeling too?"

The countess lowered her head. "How should I…"

Dia pulled out a small booklet. "I mean, it's a bit hypocritical for me to lecture you on this, but after my aunt scolded me for not reading it, I flipped through the pages and found something."

"…Claud's a weird person." Farah stared at a certain page. "Why does he have suggestions on improving the security of a small compound?"

"You ask questions I have no answer to," Dia replied. "But I suppose this might give you a direction."

"Alright. I'll work on it tomorrow," said Farah. "Come on, let's go to the side gate first."

With Farah at the lead, the two informed Lloyd of their little departure, and then slipped out of the house, weapons by their side. Making a beeline for the side gate, which opened as they neared it, the two of them left through it, and then immediately blended into the ground.

"Phew," Dia muttered. "That was, for some reason, nerve-wrecking and exciting."

She looked around. Now that the two of them were outside, she could feel the festive atmosphere. It wasn't just the sounds and the sights; there was something sublime in how everyone's smiles seemed to meld together. It reminded her of the times she snuck out of the palace when she was younger, especially during festivals or bazaars, and an unprecedented feeling of nostalgia took hold of her.

"Sneaking out is always great, but I rarely had the chance to." Farah had a faint smile on her face. "Lloyd would always look at me with those eyes once he found me, and then lead me out of the main gate instead. Back then, he was a lot more agile."

"People grow old," Dia replied. "That's just how it is, really."

"Mm." Farah gestured at the stalls. "Shall we begin our exploration?"

"Of course. Thank you for showing me around," Dia replied.

With that, the two of them began to explore the stalls. Despite the deepening darkness, the light was more than enough for them to feel assured, and before long, they were mired in the swamp of delicious breads.