It was now the second day of the festival, and the weather was just as perfect as the day before. Yesterday, Emryn had been the only one in the family to make a purchase. She had found a silversmith specializing in ornate accessories tailored for women and a hairpin that had completely captivated her. The price had been surprisingly cheap as well, only sixteen coppers. At least, that's what Emryn paid for the thing. Isaac did overhear a woman buying a similar accessory as they were leaving, and the price she had to pay was triple that.

  This day had the most competitions out of the three, and Kit had talked big game yesterday about how he would beat Isaac in any they participated in. Of course, Isaac's pride would not let that comment slide, so he accepted the challenge with a confident look in his eye.

  The first contest that caught their attention was a small game set up in the inn. Men were gathering around a long table with one seat on each end. In the middle was a spherical object made of stone, and the goal was to get the ball to the opponent's side. That in and of itself seemed simple, but there were objects fastened around the table, acting as walls and turning it into a maze. Thus, it was more a test of endurance rather than strength.

  The two sat at the table and began their competition. However, no matter how hard the cheers from Emryn and Elyse echoed in the room, Isaac was no match for Kit's years of built-up endurance working the farm. The game ended with a crushing three victories to the man, without a single win for the boy.

  After Isaac's devastating defeat, the family stepped outside to head for the plaza. They did not get far before something caught their eye. An empty area had been cleared off, and four contestants seemed to be throwing small sacks across it from behind a long table that had been set up. Their target was a tower-like structure made of wood, with platforms on various levels. They got smaller the higher up they went, and the highest level split off into two platforms so small that only a single bag could fit on each.

  "Oh, that looks like fun," Elyse exclaimed. "Why don't the four of us try it out together?"

  "Sounds good to me. What do you two think?"

  The man looked at the boy and girl, who both nodded excitedly. They headed over, and a man who seemed to look over the competition waved at them in an invitation to watch.

  "Welcome," the organizer waved in greeting. "Say, are you interested in playing a round? Only a single copper per player."

  "'Course. Mind explaining the rules?"

  "Oh, it's quite simple. This game is called Goblin Toss. Each contestant gets five goblins, and the goal is to get them as high up the tower as possible."

  The man gestured to colored bags on the table resembling some small humanoid creature. As one of the players picked one up and tossed it, it landed solidly on the second-highest platform. Cheering to himself in celebration, he looked at his opponents smugly.

  "However, you need to be careful. Other people can try to knock off your goblin and put their own in its place."

  Just as the man explained this, the next contestant threw her goblin at the same platform and knocked the first goblin clean off. It fell and landed in an area below with a wooden fence shaped like fire. The first player, utterly defeated, fell on his knees in an overly dramatic reaction.

  Heh. I feel you, man. Just when you think you've won...

  "If a goblin falls into the fire, its points are reduced to zero. That means your goblin is worthless."

  "So how many points does each platform give?"

  The organizer turned to the boy to answer his question.

  "Well, the first platform gives a single point per goblin. The second gives two, the third three, and finally, the two top platforms give five each. However, as you can probably imagine, they are the hardest to reach."

  As the man explained the points, the last contestant picked up his yellow bag and aimed. With a confident look, he aimed high and launched the sack into the air. His opponents gasped as the yellow goblin soared through the sky, its trajectory pointing toward the top platform. With a muffled splat, it landed on the edge of the top platform, where it wobbled. The crowd, including Isaac, fell silent as they watched it try to settle itself. However, after only three seconds, it slid off and landed face-first in the fires below.

  "NOOOO," the yellow player screamed in agony, falling to his knees. The one on his right, the red contestant, leaned down and patted him on the back.

  "And it looks like we have a winner," the organizer shouted, signaling the game's end. "It seems like the sapphire goblins have won!"

  Isaac looked at the tower and counted out the final scores. Five blue sacks were still on the lower platforms on the tower, counting nine points in total.

  So, it seems aiming for the lower platforms is also a worthwhile strategy. However, where's the fun in that?

  Then, looking at the players, the apparent winner seemed to be in denial of her victory. Her three opponents were surrounding and praising her, yet she stood there looking around, confused. Finally, the organizer ushered them away from the area so the next competitors could enter the stage.

  "Yes, yes, congratulations. If all contestants could please retrieve their goblins and put them on the table, we can get the next match going soon."

  He then turned to the family.

  "So, how about it? Care for a game?"

  The four of them all nodded. Kit paid the man four coppers, and the family took their positions.

  In the end, the match did not go the way Isaac had expected. His green goblins and Kit's red constantly tried to sabotage each other. Only one of each ended up on the tower at the game's end, with one point for the man and two for the boy. Meanwhile, the mother's yellow and the daughter's blue played it safe, and each goblin who made it to the tower stayed there. The match ended in a tie, both finishing with a modest five points each.

  "So, Kit. How does it feel to be a loser?"

  "Loser, is it? You lost like me, so I might ask you the same question."

  "Hey, a point is still a point. I got more than you, so I won."

  The big man snorted:

  "Tell ya what, if you can win the next game we play, I'll also let you consider the goblin toss a win too."

  "Deal!"

  "However..." Kit interrupted, "If the next match ends in a draw, or in me winning, your victory in the goblin toss won't count."

  "Ah, so it was a victory then?"

  "We'll see about that, kid," the man chuckled, confident the next match would be his.

  Then, the mother interjected.

  "So, what will your next competition be?"

  The man and boy pondered her question and looked around for stalls and games that could become their battleground. They were closing in on the square, so there were lots of options to choose from. From strength contests to dexterity contests. They were in all shapes and sizes and for all age groups. Isaac could recognize a few, but lots of competitions were unfamiliar to him. He wanted to find something up his alley, and soon, he found one he knew he would have a shot at.

  "How about that over there, wanna try?"

  The man looked over at where Isaac was pointing, and a smug look appeared on his face.

  "You sure? I'm not gonna lie, I used to be pretty good with those in my youth. Don't think I'll go easy on ya."

  The mother looked at Isaac, a bit concerned. It seemed like Kit wasn't bluffing. Isaac, however, tried to reassure her.

  "I'll be fine. I've tried them out as well a couple of times, so I think I got this."

  He then looked at Emryn and gave her a confident wink. Her reaction seemed to indicate she had found the contestant she would be cheering for, and it put just a little pressure on the boy.

  Well, now I have to win, for her sake.

  Thus, they continued toward the third challenge of the day.

  This contest was one of the most, if not the busiest during the festival. A crowd had gathered, and a long line of people were waiting for their turn to compete. Even so, the line moved more regularly than one might expect. The matches were relatively short, and thus, despite the queue length, you wouldn't spend all day standing in it.

  A man signaled the end of the queue and explained the entry price. It was more expensive than the goblin toss, with a five copper fee per contestant. Even still, Isaac and Kit paid up; they were excited to face off against each other in this contest.

  Well, a face-off might be the wrong word. Only one person competed at a time, so they would each take their turns and compare their scores. Isaac flipped a silver to decide who would go first and was relieved to find he would not.

  Maybe I can learn from what Kit is doing if only a little. I should probably study the others as well, while I can.

  As they moved through the line, Isaac watched each participant walk up and try their skills at the challenge ahead. He studied their form and strategy and made mental notes on things he should try to be aware of. At one point, he was tapped on the shoulder by a stranger behind him. He had gotten too engrossed in the contestants and had forgotten to move up in the queue.

  Awkward...

  After roughly twenty minutes of standing in line, it was finally Kit's turn to participate. He stepped into the small, fenced-in area and moved toward the center. From the rack at the rear end of the enclosure, Kit looked over his available options and picked the one he felt suited him best. Then, he picked up five identical objects with his other hand and turned around to face the front. A line was drawn up, marking where he would be standing, and he walked to it and prepared himself. Four of the five projectiles were thrust down, landing tip first into the ground. With bow in hand and arrows at the ready, Kit looked down the range to judge the distance between himself and his target. The archery competition between Isaac and him was about to begin.

  Focused on the task at hand, Kit raised his bow and took aim. It didn't take long before he drew the string, and the bow flexed, building up energy which soon released as he fired off his first shot. The arrow flew through the air and landed just short of the circular straw target at the end of the range.

  "Hmpf," the man grunted, more in contemplation than disappointment.

  He picked up the second sharp stick from its place in the ground and nocked it to his bowstring. He lifted his bow once more and aimed, this time a little higher than he had before. The projectile was released, and as it soared, Kit was already preparing for his next one. A dull thud could be heard, the sound of wood rather than hay. The arrow had landed just above the target, and had hit a wooden board it was attached to. The metal tip had just grazed the fabric, but it was not enough to count as a point.

  The third shot flew soon after the second had landed, and the crowd looked on as it headed straight for the bullseye. Isaac didn't need time to ponder Kit's strategy before he understood what was going on. The two first shots had been made to gauge distance, and now, Kit knew where to aim. It made Isaac's heart jump in nervousness as he watched the feathered stick fly. The tip was thrust into the straw, and when he looked, it was centimeters away from the dot that marked the center.

  It was a good score, of course, but the technique had spooked him into fearing that Kit would hit the bullseye with all remaining shots. There was no way he would beat Kit if that happened, so the tiniest sigh of relief escaped him as he watched the man click his tongue in reaction to the result.

  Did the confidence get to his head? Or did he want to look cool in front of his daughter?

  Isaac instinctively looked at Emryn, who was spectating her father from the top of her mother's shoulders. She seemed entertained enough, so Kit had probably still achieved his goal despite his dissatisfaction.

  The fourth arrow appeared on the target, slightly worse than the third. It still hit the straw, but had struck the midpoint between center and edge.

  As the man drew his final shot, he glanced over his shoulder and looked in Isaac's direction. His expression was... hard to read. Isaac didn't know if it was confidence, nervousness, or resignation. Kit then looked back towards the end of the range and took a deep breath. This would be his final chance, and he took his time preparing himself.

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  The string was finally drawn, and the arrow glided back with the motion. It waited patiently, ready for its commander to send it flying. It didn't have to wait long.

  The projectile rushed towards the target, aiming straight for the red circle it was meant to hit. The tip cut through the air until there was no more standing between it and its mark. The arrow's speed reduced to zero, and the crowd watched as its tail wagged with the force it had been met with. The bullseye was now covered by a long, wooden cylinder, which had been forced into it.

  Even after the arrow had landed, it took several seconds before Kit lowered his bow and relaxed. As he did, though, he looked over at the boy once more. The expression on his face this time was clear; His cocky grin was radiating, and to top it all off, he raised his free hand and gave a thumbs up. Then, he turned around and walked towards the bow rack, where he placed his weapon back where he had found it. Meanwhile, other people were sent to retrieve the arrows from the target, so the man only had to walk out of the enclosed area and he would be done. He looked for where his family had situated and then did just that. That meant it was the next person's turn.

  Isaac stepped into the enclosure and walked up to the rack Kit had just visited a moment before. He looked at the options and compared them to the bow his competition had chosen.

  It looks pretty heavy compared to some of these, though there are bigger ones. I guess people of all ages are allowed to try out the range.

  Sure enough, some of his options seemed to be made for children. They were all neatly organized from smallest to largest. Isaac chose a bow slightly smaller than the one Kit had wielded, and held it in his hand, feeling its balance along with the weight of the bowstring. This was a good bow, and Isaac knew it was the best choice for him. In fact, despite the vast difference from the bows he had practiced with back on Earth, gripping the handle on this one felt as familiar to him as he could've hoped. As soon as the cloth wrapping that made up the bow's grip made contact with his fingers, his nerves had calmed. He didn't quite know why, but his focus was extremely clear. He could drown out all the noise from the crowd and focus on himself and the bow in his hand. It was as if the grip was molded specifically for him, and he had no fear in his mind that he would lose control over this beast even if he tried.

  Right. I know I can do this.

  He picked up one of the arrows from the quiver to the side. It was long, and the metal tip seemed to be slightly blunted. He didn't know if this was the result of safety precautions, or if it was just wear and tear. Even so, there were no crowds down the range, so accidentally hitting someone while shooting seemed improbable. He nocked the arrow before grabbing his other four and turned to look at his target in the near distance. He walked up to the line he would stand behind, and looked towards the crowd to see who was watching him. He noticed Emryn's eyes in excitement, ignoring her dad who seemed to be attempting to boast.

  Guess I need to show off a little too, then. Hopefully, I don't screw this up, it's been a while since the last time.

  Instead of thrusting his arrows into the ground as Kit had, he switched his grip to hold them with his bow hand. Most of the crowd reacted to this in a way that suggested it was not a common sight. Most seemed confused, and some looked like they were making fun of him. Isaac didn't mind, though. His focus was on his target, and it alone.

  The arrow was drawn, and the boy inhaled deeply through his nose. Tunnel vision guided him to his goal, and as he loosed, he could see the projectile traveling with a slight arch towards it.

  A thud was heard, signaling the bolt hitting the target. The archer looked to see where his projectile had struck and noticed that it had landed below and to the left of the bullseye, closer to the edge than the center. Not too bad for his first try, and much better than his opponent's. Still, he would have to keep it up if he wanted to win.

  With a surprisingly fluid motion, Isaac prepared the next arrow and corrected his stance, not taking his eyes off his mark. He aimed once more and released.

  Damn, not enough.

  The second shot had landed closer to the center than the first but was still beyond the reach of the bullseye. Had Isaac looked around him, he would have noticed the faces of the mocking onlookers change, everyone intrigued like they had not been towards any archer before him. For Isaac, though, the whole world had been reduced to only himself, his goal, and the distance between them. He drew his third shot and fired it.

  It struck the straws, and each shot seemed to inch closer to the ultimate prize in the center. The boy wasn't done yet, though. Soon the fourth arrow soared and struck the target like the ones before it.

  However, this shot landed on the other side of the center. The boy had gone too far and needed to back up.

  If I can get the arrow just between the third and fourth, maybe...

  As he reached for his final arrow, his nerves finally woke. He noticed a wet sensation running down his forehead; A drop of sweat. The spectators all had their eyes on the boy, in great anticipation for this final shot. To them, a bullseye was all that mattered, and the pressure they exuded had at last started tearing its way through Isaac's focus, threatening to destroy it all.

  He looked down his sights, and something else caught his attention as well; The tip of the arrow he held was shaking, just enough for him to notice. His breathing had grown just a little more rapid, and he could feel his heart going a few beats faster than he would've liked.

  Before any of this pressure could build up even more, the boy made a quick exhale and then forced himself to look at where he was aiming. He would not delay his chance any longer.

  *Whoosh!*

  The arrow whizzed through the air and smashed into the straws on the other side. The crowd went silent as they looked down the range, down where Isaac had fired his arrows. They spotted the final arrow quickly enough. What they couldn't see, though, was the circle at the center of the wheel of hay. It had been covered by a wooden shaft, pierced by an iron tip.

  Cheers erupted. Isaac had done it. He looked around him, feeling the jolly atmosphere of the crowd. He soon found the three faces he knew, and their reactions were all perfect. The mother and daughter applauded him with great enthusiasm, and the father stood with his arms crossed, impressed, shameful, and with just a little pride for the boy. Isaac returned his bow to the rack and exited the enclosed area, heading in their direction.

  "Where did you learn to shoot like that," Elyse asked as he approached them. She, like Emryn on her shoulder, seemed to have some sort of adrenaline kick. It had worn off from the other spectators, but the two of them were still riding the high like it was the most exciting thing they had ever witnessed. Isaac had grown used to the family members all being a bit overly dramatic at times, but this was a new high, even for them.

  "Oh, it was a hobby of mine a while back, that's all."

  "A hobby, aye? Sure ya didn't cheat?"

  Kit's tone was cheerful, and he was trying to jest. However, a stern look from his wife changed his demeanor quickly. He shrugged and continued:

  "In any case, a bet is a bet, and I lost. The victory is yours, Isaac."

  He put out his hand, and the boy shook it.

  "So," the boy started, "What now? ready for another game?"

  "'Course! How about we find another one where the four of us can compete together?"

  The man looked at his two female family members as he asked, and both seemed eager to participate in the competitive action.

  "Okay then, how about you decide on the next thing we play, sweetie? Anything in particular you want to do?"

  The girl, looking down at her father from up high, nodded eagerly.

  "I want to be on a team with br-, uhm, Isaac."

  Her eyes then darted to the boy, as if she was asking for his permission.

  "Sure, Emryn. I'd love to be your teammate."

  Elated, the girl jumped down from her mother's back and placed herself next to the one who had accepted her invitation. Then, she started looking around for games they could play and realized that she had just lost the view her previous vantage point had given her. The square was filled with people, all either standing in line or spectating the contests.

  Isaac looked around as well. His view wasn't better, and besides, there didn't seem to be anything around that focused on team play either. Thus, he and Emryn looked back at the father, hoping he had an idea. He made a quick look around, and something caught his eye. His arm raised, one finger extended.

  "There looks to be more going on in that direction. Why don't we go and see what we can find?"

  "That sounds like a good idea, dear," the mother agreed and gestured for the daughter and boy. Emryn quickly grabbed Isaac's arm, and he was pulled along with the other three as they headed off toward new competitions and future memories.

  As the distance between themselves and the archery contest grew, however, Isaac could sense something on him. It was somehow... familiar to him. Frantically, Isaac started looking through the crowd, but nothing caught his attention. That is until he looked back at the queue to the range, where he managed to glimpse an orange flower decorating a mane of ivory hair. His instincts told him to stop and turn around, but it was too late. He was being towed by the hand that had grabbed onto his arm, and although it was small, the weight it carried could not be stopped.

  That person again... Is she watching me?

  Her silhouette was soon covered by others, and the aura she projected vaned. Even so, Isaac did not think this could be a coincidence.

  If she is, I'll no doubt see her tomorrow... Probably. I'll stay alert, and grab the chance to talk to her then.

  Trying to reassure himself, he let Emryn lead him to their next destination. The group was cheery, and especially Elyse seemed to be radiating happiness like she had not done in weeks. The four ventured off, looking for their next competition.

  Another day of activity had ended, and the family was back at the inn to eat and drink before bed. The money they had spent on food was anything but modest, but in return, the variety in their meals these past few days had surpassed every other dish Isaac had eaten since reincarnating into this land. The dishes were all delicious, and his tastebuds seemed more sensitive here than back on earth. At least, that’s what it felt like to him. He, like the others, had thoroughly gobbled up their orders as if he hadn’t eaten in days, savoring the taste of each bite while leaving not a scrap left for the dishwashers to clean. Today’s three courses were also topped off with something special: dessert.

  It was the first time Isaac and Emryn would taste anything like it in these lives of theirs, and they were beyond excited. Isaac, of course, had eaten desserts during his old life, but he’d never been a massive fan of the ones he’d chosen back then. In this world, though, he knew that it had to be something worth looking forward to.

  Emryn had never tasted proper sweets before, but she had heard about desserts from various tales and her parents. To her, it was the culinary peak of royal symbolism. There was some truth to that too. On the human continent, at least, nearly all sweet flavors had to be imported from a faraway land, growing only in certain climates not found anywhere on the human or elven continents. It was kind of like how the Itra plants only grew on the human continent, Isaac guessed.

  I wonder if the elves have a specific type of crop or food that only grows in their continent too.

  He had looked at the prices of the desserts as well, and it really showed how much of a luxury they were considered.

  Some of these things are a whole gold per dish... That's just insane! Even the cheapest ones on the menu are still five silver each. That's all the money I brought with me, and more than a third of my whole monthly pay! How do people afford this stuff?

  Despite the outrageous prices, Isaac noticed several customers at the surrounding tables taking small bites of their edible fortunes.

  Are they saving up money all year just to eat a single sweet dish during the summer festival? That can't be it, right?

  His hypothesis seemed likely. He had no idea what was typically served at these inns, but the meals he had eaten back at the farm were nothing like the delicacies served during the festival. He would guess that most people ate similarly bland food most of the time, so these days of going all out by spending ridiculous amounts of money on tasty treats may have been one of their yearly high points, and maybe what they looked most forward to at all.

  "Alright," the big man across from Isaac addressed everyone at the table, cutting off the boy's train of thought. "Tomorrow is the last day of the festival. That means it will be the last day you can buy anything from the stalls set up. It will be a long while until the next festival, so don't hesitate to buy somethin' if you want it."

  He looked at both his daughter and Isaac, and they nodded in understanding. Then, he continued:

  "Also, tomorrow will have some events that you might want to check out. There's a group lunch at midday and the evening celebration at midnight. The evening celebration will be the thing that closes the festival, and it's always been a spectacle to behold."

  The man began explaining the two main activities scheduled for the next day. As the boy and daughter began asking questions, he did his best to answer them. However, it seemed like some things, particularly about the evening celebration, were either not part of his knowledge, or he chose not to tell them. Isaac figured he might want to leave some surprises, so he didn't try to fish the answers out of him.

  As they talked, a serving girl soon arrived with the culinary peak they had all been waiting for.

  She placed the wooden plates down in front of the four—first to the daughter and Isaac, then to the parents. They had all ordered differently, so Isaac was surprised when she remembered who had ordered what without asking. He looked down at his plate and compared it to the others around the table.

  Elyse had picked a dish that seemed elegant and soft. It looked like pudding and had a purplish red syrup drizzled on top, with what looked like a pinch of sugar mixed in to make it sparkle. The cherry on top was, ironically, not a cherry. It was a fruit that didn't exist back on earth but reminded Isaac of a mix between raspberry and blueberry when he had tried it. The dish was called Meroberry Pudding and seemed to be a popular choice amongst the women.

  He looked over to Kit’s dish, which had been called The Knight’s Tower on the menu. It seemed to be some sort of cake, baked into the shape of a pentagon and stacked in two layers. The first, thin layer, was brown and resembled chocolate. On top was a cylindrical piece that seemed to be a shade lighter than the layer below. There was a small paper flag attached to the top of the cake, making the dessert vaguely resemble a watchtower if you squinted.

  Emryn was next. She had chosen a dish on the menu without contemplating what would be on it. Her Princess's Treat contained several colorful pieces that, when combined, created a bouquet of flower-shaped sweets. They were all bite-sized and had a different flavor depending on the color they bore. Emryn didn't waste a second before she grabbed one of the flowers and popped it into her mouth. Isaac feared they might be some kind of hard candy, but her jaw moved smoothly as her teeth cut through the soft treat she had chosen, pure bliss washing over her as she savored the taste.

  Lastly, he looked down at his own plate. He had pictured it differently when he had chosen it off the menu, but he was pleasantly surprised by what was now in front of him. The dish was called Cloudling Cake and almost resembled a cluster of marshmallows coated in powdered sugar and surrounded by a circle of some blue syrup. Curious about what he had ordered for himself, Isaac grabbed a fork. With it, he parted one white ball, revealing the fluffy inside, filled with a thin layer of yellow cream. He brought it to his mouth and carefully took a bite. It was unlike anything he had ever tasted before.

  The soft texture reminded Isaac once more of marshmallows, but the taste was different. The first punch to his taste buds was filled with intoxicating sweetness, but the cream left a slightly citrusy aftertaste which enhanced the flavor even more. Ecstatic, he dipped the half-eaten orb of bliss into the blue syrup, and brought it back up to his mouth. The fork disappeared momentarily, and came back empty-handed. Its treasure had been stolen, and was somehow even better than the first bite had been.

  Isaac desperately kept himself from gulping down the rest of his dish, and divided his dessert into bites so tiny they would make field rations feel like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Each bite was precious to him, and he savored each one for as long as he could before moving over to the next one.

  I take back my skepticism. This is totally worth saving up for a whole year to experience.

  Emryn, meanwhile, didn’t have the discipline the others had. She munched down one flower as soon as she had swallowed the previous one. Once she was stopped by the lack of treats left on her plate, she froze for several seconds and looked around to see her family still enjoying their desserts. Only then did it dawn on her what she had done, and her puppy eyes watched the others enviously.

  Isaac smiled at her and handed her a single, small bite for her to try. She hesitated for a moment, but then grabbed a fork and scooped the piece into her mouth. Light returned to her eyes, and even though she only had one small piece to enjoy, she was not greedy enough to ask for another. If anything, she seemed apologetic that there wasn't even a petal left for her to give in return. Kit and Elyse also offered her pieces to taste from their dishes, but she refused. She continued to sit at the table, sheepishly watching as her family enjoyed the rest of their edible luxuries.

  The day soon ended, and the family returned to their room, satisfied with the time they had spent together.

  food part of the festival a bit more.