The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases: Volume 2 [Parts 1 to 9] by Shin Kouduki

Author:Shin Kouduki
Language: eng
Format: epub

The Former Hero Observes the Festival of the Dead

Allen had thought the Festival of the Dead sounded like an impersonation contest, but, he now realized as he observed the opening celebrations, it actually more closely resembled a costume party.

“I suppose it wouldn’t be too surprising if someone saw one of these people from afar and came to a misunderstanding, would it?” said Beatrice.

“The villagers seem to think it’s possible, at least,” Allen replied.

“I never expected some of them to be kitted out in full suits of armor. I don’t know how you’re supposed to tell who they are, but everyone seems amused, so I suppose there really were people who went around like that.”

As outsiders, they struggled to understand what was so funny but nevertheless observed the spectacle with great interest. In the darkness, the sounds of laughter reverberated from people they could barely see in the flickering light cast by the bonfire, which was said to light the path to the realm of the dead. In one way, it all made for an unsettling scene, but the sounds of laughter soothed any unease.

“This certainly is a rare sight,” said Beatrice. “It was worth staying. I never knew such a festival existed. I suppose we should thank that woman later.”

“Yeah, I guess we had a good reason to stay, didn’t we?” said Allen, casting a sideways glance at their silent third companion. Riese stood there, wordless, watching the festivities unfold. However, she seemed to be more casually observing than focused—relaxed, or perhaps disappointed.

Turning to Beatrice, Allen saw that she, too, had been watching Riese. Though she seemed somewhat pained by what she saw, Allen could also sense relief in her expression. Nobody was under the impression that the departed would really return to life at this festival. That was clear from both Riese’s evaporating tension and Beatrice’s relief. Even if it hadn’t been the result they’d hoped for, returning Riese to her usual state alone justified extending their stay.

“Besides, something as unique as convening with the dead must require very special procedures, and they haven’t done anything like that,” Beatrice observed.

“Yeah. At the ceremony opening, all the mayor did was greet everyone.”

In this world, dealing with the dead was considered somewhat taboo. While the dead were not dealt with unfairly, it was thought ill-advised to engage with them casually. The dead were the dead, and were considered different beings from the living. That they and the living should not intermingle was a common rule, regardless of race or region. As a result, while various powers such as Gifts and magic existed in this world, the feat of reviving those who were gone was as forbidden as going back in time. Not only was researching it prohibited, but in certain areas even the mere mention of such things was taboo.

Yet here in this village was a festival that was essentially a ceremony for reviving the dead. Even if the reality was different, the mere concept of it was problematic. Here in

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.