Contrary to our worries, nothing particular happened.
We were walking through a gloomy forest, moving forward. A path stretched through the forest, likely a message telling us to come this way.
Flutter~!
"Hic!?"
"(Startle!)"
Olga Marie kept flinching in surprise, while Jeanne Alter only twitched quietly. I'm really worried about their mental states...
"Director Olga Marie... minus one point."
"Why!?"
"Just kidding. There's no point system or anything... but continuously getting scared by trivial things is definitely a demerit. I was thinking, while talking to you, that you might be worthy of being the woman father chose... but showing such weakness brings us back to square one."
"Eh~ Uathach, you say that, but when father showed that disappearing magic trick in front of you before, you cried and stomped on the cloth he used for the trick, saying you'd get revenge?"
"When was that!?"
"Hmm~ when you were 20~? You were shedding tears and snot, then ran to Aunt Scáthach, hugged her, and wailed, right?"
"S-stop it~!"
As expected, Uathach is helpless before Connla. Uathach's face turns red, her voice rises, and she becomes like a delicate child. In front of family, she turns into an endlessly weak child.
"Eee... Uathach, is the gap moe insane?"
"Indeed, seeing this makes one think it's cute. I think I understand why the Doctor said 'The gap moe Magi☆Mari shows sometimes is the best~'."
[Pfft!]
[W-when did you hear that, Mash!?]
"Romani, you... never mind."
[I'd rather you curse at me, Director! Don't look at me so pitifully!]
The usual otaku Doctor... well, actually, liking VTubers is fine now... but the problem is that it's Merlin. Haha.
"Umm... I smell something sweet!"
At that moment, Ibaraki sniffed around, caught the sweet scent, and ran forward. Her sense of smell is better than mine when it comes to sweet smells? Don't use your oni power for this...
We followed Ibaraki and moved forward a bit faster, and there was a small town with a Halloween festival atmosphere.
"What is this? This pumpkin field..."
"Right? In our time, Halloween was a special day marking the start of the year and the connection between the underworld and the ideal... is this supposed to be Jack-o'-lanterns? We used turnips!"
"That's true... Halloween existed in Celtic times too, but it was completely different from modern times, right? Back then, carving turnips into Jack-o'-lanterns was fun."
Jack-o'-lanterns have existed since our ancient Celtic times. The origin is the same, but if there's a difference... there's a story about a boy named Jack who tricked God and so on~ after death, his soul couldn't go to the underworld as punishment for tricking God, so he stays in this world by hollowing out a turnip to live in it, or something like that.
Whether Jack was a real child or not, I don't know. Since Morrígan says she doesn't know either, it's unclear.
"What was Halloween like in Fergus's time!?"
"What was it like? Hmm... it was a mess."
"In Ulster, Halloween is, in other words, a siege. The gates to the underworld, precisely to another world, open, and all sorts of phantasmal species, spirits, and monsters pour out in droves. When Halloween comes during war, everyone stops fighting and battles to protect the homeland, and the people inside the walls prepare festivals while believing in the warriors' victory and praying for victory and survival. When the gates close? Everyone together celebrates the start of the year and holds a festival for surviving. In Celtic times, the year began in winter."
"Connla is right. Halloween is, in a way, a day to fight to survive, and at the same time, a day to be happy for surviving and to send off departed comrades with laughter."
"Somehow... it feels heavy..."
"Originally, many holidays that have come down to modern times are like that. Halloween is just one of them."
As Uathach said, not all holidays started as good days. But that doesn't mean the day has to continue forever as a bad day, right?
"Halloween had such a meaning... I learned something."
Jeanne Alter listened seriously to our story, showing that she was acquiring new knowledge. Whether it's learning as a new self or the manifestation of chuunibyou...
Ibaraki was chasing another sweet scent, going from house to house...
"There are no people, only dolls!"
"Right... surrounding us, only mannequins."
There were no people in the town, only mannequins that looked like they had moved and stopped. They were not people, but elaborately made dolls. In short, a set.
Ibaraki ran around more, looking for the source of the scent...
"A candy tree!"
[It really is a tree with candy growing on it!?]
[Heh... it's not candy attached to branches artificially, but a candy tree with candy growing like fruit?]
"Huh... wait a moment."
I touched the tree or picked a candy fruit to check. It's not strange. Without poison or drug components, it's just real candy. No doubt, the host of this party made this with the Holy Grail. With the Holy Grail, it's entirely possible. The problem is where they got the Holy Grail...
No, actually, later when da Vinci makes a machine to create Holy Grails, it's just a lump with a huge amount of magical energy, which is no different from a Holy Grail... so it's not that strange.
"Umm~! It's sweet! Kuhahaha!"
"It's really candy... sweet."
Ibaraki bit into a candy as big as an apple, ate it, and laughed happily, followed by Jeanne Alter eating a candy fruit and exclaiming. Hmm... unhealthy artificial sweetness... too much. Just enlarged real candy.
"Candy... it's good, but it's hard to eat even one."
"Right... it must be bad for the body."
"It'll ruin teeth... and figure."
Ritsuka took a bite and made a face, and Mash nibbled and frowned. Olga Marie didn't seem to even think about eating.
"First time trying it, but not great."
"Sweet things are good~!"
Uathach took a bite and immediately threw it away, and Connla laughed while eating one and picking another. Connla likes sweet things.
[Hey... what on earth is this situation!]
"Illya...?"
Over the communication, Illya appeared and got angry... ah, Illya wasn't here.
[I was taking a nap with Shirou! Unfair, unfair! I want to go too!]
"Since it's a small Singularity, it's hard for only Servants to come..."
[Tch... I hate you!]
Because the Singularity is too small, sending only Servants without a Master is difficult unless it's a large ley line. So Illya pouted greatly and ran out of the control room. Oh dear...
"Tch, she woke up after all..."
"What, Uathach, what did you do?"
"Nothing much. Just put sleeping pills that could knock out a monster boar in the cocoa she was drinking..."
"Wow... evil."
Uathach must have predicted it, deliberately putting Illya to sleep. What a scary child... too much. No, I didn't notice Illya wasn't here either. Sorry, Illya...!
Anyway, there was nothing special in the town, and we decided to leave the town, but then a scarecrow blocked our way in front of the castle gate.
[Are you the ones invited to the party?]
"Ah, yes."
[The password is~?]
"So what was it... right! Sweet・Blood・Märchen・Trick!"
[Correct~!]
Olga Marie told the password to the scarecrow, and it said correct, then spun around once.
[If you go ahead, there is the party venue, Château! However, you must wear outfits suitable for the Halloween party~!]
"Outfits suitable for a Halloween party...?"
[Yes~ Over there, the blue-haired girl and the red-eyed girl already have their outfits prepared!]
The scarecrow pointed at Connla and Uathach. Rather than Servant outfits being suitable... is it because their outfits are unique? Excluding me, Mash, Jeanne Alter, and Ibaraki...
[What about the others? Please wear the designated theme outfits in the changing room over there~!]
The place pointed by the scarecrow was a building. There were separate signs for men and women, so we decided to enter rooms according to our gender.
"Where... what's the theme?"
"What kind of theme is this... hmm, shall I wear this?"
The theme feels somewhat cliché. First, I looked through the clothes hanging on hangers, which were cosplay outfits...
"Ho? There's this?"
I quickly changed clothes and came out. Outside were Connla and Uathach, who didn't need to change, and Ibaraki, who had changed and come out.
"Hoho? It suits you quite well."
"You too."
I think I know what the theme is.
"Of course! That's how it should be! This is my theme, the outfit of Oni Cure, suitable for the theme !"
To others, it's a cute outfit... but to her, it must be a strong appearance.
Thanks to the confident atmosphere, it gives the impression of being strong.
"Father always looks good in any outfit."
"Ooh, father with glasses is rare?"
"Haha... isn't it too plain? I picked something modest... for some reason, the clothes that fit my size were a bit... there were many bold outfits, so I chose a safe one."
The most plain-looking outfit, and I wore glasses without prescription to look intellectual. Still, I think it suits me well.
Somehow, it also looks like Andersen...
For some reason, there were also strange outfits like bunny girls. Bondage and such...
Of course, I didn't wear that. Do I look crazy enough to wear such things... there was also a sailor uniform, like Astolfo's wardrobe.
[Wow... would you like to be a model for my painting?]
"As long as it's not nude, I'll do it."
[Tch...]
That person...?
After a while, Olga Marie came out timidly. Hoho...?
[D-director... that appearance is...]
"If you record or document this, I'll kill you, Romani...! Why, haha, is my theme
"Ooh..."
"Th-that's... too much, isn't it?"
Olga Marie stood before me with red cheeks, and I brushed her hair behind her ear and said.
"How could that be? On the contrary, I thought you were so cute and it suited you perfectly?"
"Ugh... don't tease me..."
"I'm serious. Today, will you be my magical girl? Olga."
"... Mhm."
She's cute indeed. Olga, unexpectedly, suits being a magical girl well?
"As expected of father. Father's compliments are always amazing. So, tease her more, Olga Marie."
"This sister is at it again... but I think it suits you too!"
"Thank you..."
Connla also encouraged Olga Marie, and Ibaraki looked at Olga Marie while pouting her lips, as if seeing a rival in her Oni Cure outfit.
Next, Jeanne Alter came out. What, the most plain and well-suited outfit?
"Tch... what's with
"I think it suits you well."
"... Hmph."
"Such empty words, I don't believe them at all..."
[Wow~ as expected, Chaldea has many handsome men and beautiful women, so it's a feast for the eyes, right? You, want to be a model for my painting?]
"Model? Me? ... I might try it..."
[Good! It's a promise!]
[You've made a choice you'll regret...]
Hmm, Leonardo da Vinci's next work will be Jeanne Alter's nude...
Probably, later, Jeanne will come hitting with a flag.
This time, Ritsuka came out... this, whether the host is male or female, they must be quite a pervert.
"Haha... a bit late, right? Even I hesitated to wear this. Mash is muttering something alone in the changing room... how is it?"
"... No, I was surprised because it suits you too well."
"You... for a normal person, you have good skin, a good figure, and you're pretty, don't you know?"
"Eh? Th-that so...?"
[Ritsuka-chan, you're an innocent deceiver too. Saying such things to the Director touches a nerve. But, what's Mash doing taking so long? It's not a strange outfit, is it...]
Making Ritsuka wear a bunny girl outfit... what kind of person is the host? Bathory? Or a third party?
Anyway, soon after, Mash opened the door and came out... Mash standing in front of the door...
Then... everyone was shocked. They couldn't help but be surprised by her outfit. Only Fou below everyone was giving a thumbs up...
"Sorry for being late... the theme was hard to wear, but I thought everyone would be similar, so I wore it to not be a nuisance... how is it? There was also an instruction to hold this thing while coming out... what is this? I've never seen it before, is it a snack like chocolate?"
Mash's theme was,
And that thing in her hand, isn't that a condom...?
I quickly snatched it from Mash's hand to check... inside the condom package, there was real vitamin. Is this Merlin's doing? No, no demon scent... really, the one who thought of this prank must be a lewd maniac.
"Huh, huh...? Why, everyone's outfit..."
[Mash... you're too shameless! I don't remember raising you to be such a child!]
"... Compared to Mash, I feel shabby."
"No, don't lose heart over this!?"
Ritsuka felt defeated by Mash and wilted. No, wilting over this...
Anyway, the first gate... cosplaying, passed. But... after this, go to the castle...?
"Is this perhaps Justice League instead of Avengers?"
[Fergus, it's more than Justice League?]
This party... will it be okay?