As night fell, the city in the new world was filled with the glittering light of magic lamps illuminating the streets. The townspeople gathered in the central plaza—children and elders alike—unwilling to miss the very first celebration held in this new world. Seeing the people chatting and laughing together lifted Makoto's spirits as well.
"Waka, all preparations are complete. Now we're just waiting for you to open the festival," Tomoe said as she arrived with Mio and Shiki.
"Alright," Makoto replied, then walked toward the stage Tomoe had prepared.
When Makoto stepped onto the stage, with Tomoe, Mio, and Shiki standing behind him, the once-lively plaza fell silent. Standing there, Makoto looked out at the crowd with a joyful smile.
"Good evening, everyone. This is the first celebration held in the new world. Tonight, I would like to introduce someone and make a few announcements," Makoto said. He then gestured for Shiki to stand beside him.
"Allow me to introduce him. This is my new attendant and follower—Shiki."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Shiki, one who has been granted the honor of serving Waka-sama," Shiki said, introducing himself with elegance. The townspeople burst into loud applause and cheers. When the clapping died down, Shiki returned to stand behind Makoto with Tomoe and Mio.
"The next announcement is the name of this new world," Makoto said calmly as he looked over the crowd.
"I, Misumi Makoto, in the name of the ruler of this world, hereby name this new world: Eryndal," Makoto declared solemnly.
The townspeople erupted into thunderous cheers. At that very moment, as the world received its name, a rainbow-colored aurora appeared in the sky above Eryndal, spreading across the sky. The cheering gradually stopped as everyone noticed the change in the sky, falling silent as they gazed upon the breathtaking sight. Even Tomoe, Mio, and Shiki standing behind Makoto were left speechless.
"So this is the surprise Waka mentioned… He never stops amazing me," Tomoe said.
"As expected of Waka-sama," Mio said proudly.
"Oh, how fortunate I am to serve such a marvelous master," Shiki said in awe.
After a while, the rainbow aurora faded from the sky. Realizing what had just happened, the townspeople cheered even louder than before.
"Wooooaaah!"
Makoto raised his hand, and the cheers gradually subsided.
"From today onward marks the first day of a new calendar—the Eryndal Calendar," Makoto announced. He then signaled to Mio. Seeing the signal, Mio handed Makoto a drink she had prepared. Seeing Makoto raise his glass, the townspeople also picked up their drinks.
"To the beginning of a new day and the opening of this celebration—cheers!" Makoto shouted, raising his glass and drinking.
"Cheers!" the townspeople echoed, raising their glasses and drinking together.
Seated on the stage, Makoto watched the performances put on by the townspeople—dances, songs, and musical performances that made the festival even livelier. He also greeted those who approached him to chat, including Akina, an Alke girl with pink hair who often assisted Mio in cooking.
"Oh, Akina, how's the progress on the new recipe with Mio?" Makoto asked.
"We're currently combining spices we found in Eryndal with those Mio-sama discovered in the Goddess's world. Before long, we'll create a new dish using this fusion," Akina replied happily.
"In that case, I'll try it once it's finished," Makoto said.
"Yes, Waka-sama!" Akina replied.
Then Beren approached, carrying alcohol.
"Waka-sama, I'm glad to see you doing well," Beren said casually.
"You too, Beren. How's life in this city?" Makoto asked.
"Everything feels amazing, Waka-sama. There are so many things I want to research and create," Beren said before taking a swig of alcohol.
"We can also make better and more varied liquor now," Beren added happily.
Makoto continued chatting with various townspeople—from children who gifted him handmade flower wreaths to tasting small cakes they had made. After spending enough time with everyone, Makoto excused himself to rest. Even after he left, the celebration continued until dawn.
When morning arrived, Makoto woke up feeling refreshed. Despite drinking quite a bit the night before, he felt no discomfort—perhaps thanks to his body's high vitality. As he headed to the kitchen for a drink, he saw Mio preparing breakfast.
"Good morning, Waka-sama," Mio greeted him.
"Good morning, Mio," Makoto replied.
"Where are Tomoe and Shiki?" Makoto asked.
"Tomoe-san went out somewhere, I'm not sure where. As for Shiki, he's helping make hangover medicine for the townspeople who drank too much last night," Mio answered.
Before long, Tomoe returned with Ema.
"Waka, I'm back," Tomoe said.
"Good morning, Waka-sama," Ema greeted.
"Good morning, Ema. Mio is preparing breakfast—would you like to join us?" Makoto asked.
"No need, Waka-sama. I already ate before coming here," Ema replied.
"You always look so serious, Ema. It's fine to relax once in a while," Tomoe said.
"Where did you go so early, Tomoe?" Makoto asked, looking at her.
"Waka, take a look at what I found," Tomoe said, pulling out a chunk of mithril ore.
"If I'm not mistaken, that's mithril ore," Makoto said.
"Exactly, Waka. Do you know where I found it?" Tomoe asked.
"Where?"
"You won't believe it—I found it in a cave on a mountain not far from here," Tomoe replied.
"Why did you go check the mountain so early in the morning?" Makoto asked.
"Last night, I felt the concentration of energy in the air sharply increase after Waka named the world. I also remembered you saying that areas with high energy concentration might contain rare mineral deposits. Because of the festival, I couldn't investigate then, so I went this morning," Tomoe said proudly.
"Why didn't you just ask me? I could easily detect what's happening in this world," Makoto said casually.
"If I asked you, wouldn't that be boring?" Tomoe replied.
"So basically, you were bored and went treasure hunting," Makoto said.
"Waka, why do you say it like I'm a bored child playing a treasure hunt?" Tomoe said sadly.
"Waka-sama is right, Tomoe-san. Stop fooling around and help me look for plants we can use for cooking," Mio said as she brought breakfast to the table.
"Aren't you always in the kitchen every day, Mio? How is that different from me?" Tomoe retorted.
"I'm in the kitchen cooking for Waka-sama. How is that the same as you, who does nothing all day except watch historical dramas?" Mio replied.
"You two, stop arguing," Makoto said, pinching both Tomoe's and Mio's cheeks.
"Ema, do you have anything to report?" Makoto asked.
"Yes, Waka-sama. This is a report on the city's progress while you were away," Ema said, handing him the document.
"Did anything important happen?" Makoto asked while reading it.
"Well, this isn't exactly in the report, but many soldiers said they lost confidence after training with you," Ema said.
"What? They're depressed because they couldn't beat us?" Tomoe asked.
"In short, yes," Ema replied.
"That's really pathetic," Tomoe said.
"How about stopping combat training for a while?" Mio suggested.
"If we do that, they'll think we've abandoned them. Think a little," Tomoe replied.
"Enough talk—let's eat breakfast first. It looks like Shiki won't be able to join us," Makoto said as he sat down.
"Even if I try to think, planning today's lunch is far more interesting," Mio said, handing Makoto a stuffed bread she made.
"Honestly, cooking is all you think about now, Mio," Tomoe said, shaking her head.
"How about holding inter-racial battles to show each group's strength, then letting them exchange information during joint training?" Makoto suggested casually.
"Um, Waka-sama, each race has its own secret techniques, so…" Ema said hesitantly.
"Ema, Waka means whether they want to approach us with their current abilities and techniques," Tomoe explained. Hearing this, Ema looked a bit down for not understanding Makoto's intent earlier.
"Rather than hiding their techniques, it's better for them to share information and hone their skills. They're allies here—hiding techniques only hinders their growth," Makoto said.
"Yes, Waka-sama. I'm sorry for not understanding earlier," Ema said, bowing her head.
"It's fine, Ema. Even gods make mistakes. Don't dwell on it," Makoto replied.
"Tomoe, I'll leave the combat exhibition to you," Makoto said.
"Leave it to me, Waka. I've got a great idea," Tomoe replied cheerfully.
After breakfast, Ema took her leave to handle her duties. Not long after, Shiki returned.
"Waka-sama, I apologize for not being able to join you for breakfast," Shiki said.
"It's fine, Shiki. The townspeople are more important than breakfast with me," Makoto replied casually.
"So how are the townspeople?" Makoto asked.
"They've all taken the medicine I made. They can now resume their normal activities," Shiki reported.
"Good work, Shiki," Makoto said.
"Thank you for your praise, Waka-sama," Shiki replied.
"By the way, Shiki, you haven't met Erin yet," Makoto said.
"Who is that, Waka-sama?" Shiki asked.
"It'll be faster if you meet her," Makoto replied.
"Mio, would you like to come with me to meet Erin?" Makoto asked.
"Of course, Waka-sama. Wherever you go, I'll follow," Mio said cheerfully.
"What about me, Waka?" Tomoe asked, pointing at herself.
"Won't you be busy preparing the inter-racial battles and dealing with the unresolved Forest Ogre issue?" Makoto replied. Hearing that, Tomoe was left speechless.
After Makoto teleported with Mio and Shiki, they appeared in front of Erin.
"Onii-chan! Mio onee-chan! You came to visit me!" Erin said happily.
"Yo, Erin. I came to visit," Makoto said.
"Hello, Erin-chan. How have you been?" Mio said calmly, though she was slightly surprised by Erin's growth.
Shiki, seeing Erin for the first time, froze with his eyes and mouth wide open in shock.
"Shiki, snap out of it," Makoto said, noticing his expression. Makoto wasn't surprised—if he were seeing Erin for the first time now, he would've been shocked too. The last time Makoto, Tomoe, and Mio were here was when Makoto gave Erin her name. Now, after only a few days, Erin had grown to over ten meters tall, with lush leaves and a massive trunk.