"Let's go then!" Hinata announced, her voice carrying clear authority. "They seem to be selling chow mein and corn on the cob over there. Let's eat at the vendor stand."
" " "Okay!" " "
What remarkable leadership. The children responded without hesitation, swept along by her presence as if she were a commander leading troops into battle. That kind of natural authority… I could respect it. Leaving them in her care felt far less like a gamble now.
As I allowed myself a quiet exhale, Hinata stepped closer—so quietly that her voice brushed against my ear in a near whisper.
"Since I'm taking care of the children, I'll leave Luminas-sama to you."
"…Luminas?" I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't see her last night."
"Of course you didn't. She's here incognito," Hinata replied with a smirk. "And she was very happy about being invited. She even prepared a maid outfit for the occasion."
…Of course she did. I could already imagine Luminas's smug expression under that disguise.
"I assume she plans to blend in with the nobles?"
"She already has," Hinata said simply. "She's moving with Arnaud and Bacchus like she's always been one of their attendants. No one has the slightest clue."
I frowned slightly, though not from irritation. If Luminas had managed to slip through unnoticed, that was more a testament to her capability than anything else. And considering she spent the night at the newly built church without triggering any alerts, she clearly concealed her presence deliberately.
Hinata tilted her head in mock innocence. "I'll leave the rest to you, Atem."
She didn't even wait for my reply. With a faintly smug smile, she turned her back and walked off with the children. Her control over the situation was as clean as a precise strike. I watched her disappear into the crowd, realizing I'd been deliberately maneuvered.
"…Clever woman," I muttered, lips curling slightly.
Just then, a hand landed lightly on my shoulder.
"Ah, how surprising, Atem-san," came a familiar, amused voice. "That's the first time I've seen Hinata smiling."
I turned. Yuuki stood there, wearing something unusual for him—a formal outfit modeled after his old school uniform. A casual smile played on his lips.
"Yuuki," I greeted, meeting his gaze. "You saw that too."
"I did," he chuckled, folding his arms. "Honestly, I thought she'd look disgusted if someone asked her to babysit. But she jumped at the opportunity."
"I thought the same," I admitted.
He shrugged. "People always assume she's cold and unapproachable, but Hinata's actually good with kids. She has that strict-but-dependable vibe, y'know? Plus, she looks amazing today. Her casual outfit caught me off guard. She looks like some university star rather than the Holy Knight Commander."
I glanced in the direction she'd gone. "That dress… It's not ordinary cloth."
"Of course not," Yuuki said, grinning. "Hell-moth silk. Expensive stuff. But she bought it yesterday like it was nothing."
Hell-moth silk. Not only luxurious and comfortable but magically reinforced—able to nullify temperature fluctuations and offering better defense than standard armor. A dress like that wasn't something you casually wore to a festival. Yet Hinata had purchased it without hesitation and even had it tailored overnight.
"She's clearly enjoying herself," Yuuki added lightly. "I saw her yesterday exploring the festival grounds like a tourist."
I let out a quiet breath through my nose. "She's not usually so… open."
"That's what festivals do to people," Yuuki laughed. "Besides, she was seriously looking forward to chow mein and corn on the cob."
I stared at him. "…She was investigating food stands."
"Yeah. She practically memorized the layout."
I almost laughed. Hinata Sakaguchi, feared Holy Knight Commander, researching festival snacks like a child on a mission. It was absurd… and oddly humanizing.
Eterna's festival had become bigger than I'd imagined. Stalls filled the plaza around the Colosseum. Hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, juices of all kinds… chow mein, corn on the cob, cow-deer barbecue, even shaved ice despite it being off-season. The smell of sweet sauce and grilled food drifted through the air like a siren's call.
This wasn't some hastily thrown together event. This was a living, breathing celebration—carefully built, prepared, and brought to life by the people of Eterna. I'd shared my memories through telepathic transmission, and Shuna's team recreated every dish with precision. Myourmiles's logistics had made the operation seamless. Even Veldora had opened a takoyaki stand, of all things.
Yuuki chuckled softly. "You should've seen her face when she spotted the chow mein. Like a knight discovering her destined rival."
"...I didn't need that image," I muttered, shaking my head.
But internally, I acknowledged something. For Hinata to relax like that, to actually immerse herself in this festival, it meant she'd let her guard down—even if just a little. That said something about how much this place had changed.
Yuuki leaned closer, lowering his voice. "You
know, it's kind of nice to see her like this. Makes her less terrifying."
I glanced at him sideways. "Don't get comfortable. She's still Hinata."
He laughed, hands raised. "Oh, I know. But still—she's gonna spoil those kids rotten with festival food. You can bet on it."
I allowed myself a quiet, controlled exhale. "Let her. I can handle Luminas."
And just like that, the weight of my next task settled on my shoulders. Hinata's move had been deliberate—remove herself from diplomacy, drop the nobles and Luminas on me, and enjoy the festival with the children. She'd forced my hand with the elegance of a general who knew exactly where to strike.
I didn't mind. In a way, it was almost entertaining.
The Pharaoh does not falter under maneuvering.
I straightened my cloak, feeling the sunlight wash over the plaza. My gaze shifted toward where Luminas surely waited among the nobles, hidden beneath silk and pretense.
"Yuuki," I said, turning to him with a steady, commanding voice. "Let's go."
He smiled knowingly. "Right behind you, Atem."
Accompanied by Benimaru and Yuuki, I arrived at the guest hotel. The nobles had already gathered in a grand hall, and Rigurd was in the middle of explaining the day's planned schedule to the group.
"Oh, Atem-sama! Your speech just now was truly magnificent!" Rigurd exclaimed, bowing deeply.
I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Rigurd's expression radiated genuine joy, and his approval was contagious. I allowed a faint smile to grace my lips. Nice. That went smoothly.
"Then, we shall proceed to the first event of the day," Rigurd declared, leading the nobles toward a nearby building—the opera house. Even under time constraints, we had redecorated the interior to a level of grandeur that exceeded my expectations. Chairs were meticulously arranged, not only for appearance but to optimize acoustics for the performances to come.
The guests took their seats promptly.
The state of culture in this world remained limited compared to what I remembered from my previous life in Japan. True, artistry and musical skill existed, but largely confined to the aristocracy. For the nobility, these achievements were minor entertainment—pleasures afforded by wealth and time. Outside their circles, creativity and genius were often buried, suffocated under the weight of a world that prioritized survival over refinement.
But culture was not meant to exist only for the elite. Art, music, innovation—they were the manifestations of life's extra vitality, expressions of ingenuity waiting to be discovered. In Eterna, geniuses remained hidden, often overlooked by society at large. My mission was to find them, to nurture them, and to build a nation that revered art as much as strength.
And today, the first step would begin with this appreciation concert.
To my surprise, instruments similar to those of my previous world existed here—pianos, flutes, drums, and strings. These instruments had been found in Clayman's former base, a collection befitting royalty. Some monsters already had an innate sense of music, able to match rhythm and melody naturally. Annual festivals hinted at a culture yearning to emerge. With careful instruction, their talents could flourish.
I arranged for instruments to be loaned to those interested in learning, providing the fundamentals: reading musical notation, practicing rhythm, and mastering basic techniques.
Yet my knowledge alone would not suffice. It was in this moment that Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom, proved invaluable. With unparalleled intellect and meticulous precision, he combined my own understanding with local knowledge of instruments to produce comprehensive musical textbooks.
The resulting work was astonishing—a fusion of ancient wisdom and modern insight, all painstakingly recreated. Solarys's ability to process, reconstruct, and adapt knowledge of this magnitude was nothing short of terrifying…and exhilarating.
I observed the nobles as they glanced around the opera house, their expressions a mixture of awe and curiosity. The children were elsewhere, under Hinata's supervision, but the stakes here were no less high. Music was the bridge I would use to unite talent across Eterna, to awaken latent genius and inspire the next generation.
Turning to Yuuki, I said with a measured voice, "Ensure that every participant understands the gravity of today's event. This is more than a festival—it is the beginning of cultural enlightenment for our nation."
Yuuki nodded, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Understood, Atem-sama. We'll see to it personally."
With that, I allowed my presence to radiate authority across the hall. My role here was not merely as a king, but as a guide, a sovereign capable of shaping Eterna's very soul. The nobles may have come for entertainment, but I intended to leave them with a vision—a glimpse of what a nation led by the Pharaoh could achieve.
And as the first performers took the stage, I stood resolute, my gaze sweeping over the guests. Today, culture would become more than spectacle. Today, it would become legacy.