Chapter 381 – Feast of the Nomads

Though we ended up joining as last-minute participants, the nomads who had heard the story from Princess Elham seemed quite delighted.

After exchanging introductions and explanations about our docked ship, we were led to the largest tent in their settlement.

They said they could freely change the layout by rearranging the partitions… Apparently, if the entire clan pitched in to prepare, they could transform it into a banquet hall in no time. That said, the nomads had apparently been notified in advance through messengers that Princess Elham would be visiting. Some preparations for the feast had likely already been underway.

“This is… amazing,” Grace remarked, looking around inside the tent with an impressed sigh.

“It feels different from both Termwills and Silvatoria… Still, this is…”

I understood Grace and Ashley’s reactions. The floor was covered with vividly colored carpets featuring intricate patterns, giving the tent’s interior a completely different atmosphere.

“Most fascinating.”

Not just the female members, but Old Sigmund too was looking around, stroking his beard and nodding in approval.

Not just the floor, but large decorative cloths also hung on the walls. The nomads apparently used the gorgeous fabrics woven by their ancestors for generations as wall hangings, partitions, or even as insulation substitutes. The carpets were woven with delicate patterns… These were sold as trade goods in Termwills for high prices. I’d seen them used in the Royal Castle too, and some noble households probably used them as well. Among the nomads’ external contacts, these were considered high-quality items.

Grace and Ashley… and everyone else too, but especially those who did embroidery, likely understood the labor and value invested in the embroidery covering entire walls and floors.

“Please, come further inside.”

Following the invitation from Chief Yumit, we settled down inside the tent. Immediately, clan members brought us food and drinks. All the nomad women wore delicate, jingling earrings and necklaces with intricate decorations, creating a truly splendid impression.

“I hear meat dishes appear on the table during auspicious occasions like this,” Auria explained.

Their daily diet seemed to consist mainly of dairy products, vegetables, and fruits. So those items were of course served, but during festivals, feasts, or when particularly important guests visited, meat dishes were apparently also offered.

The meat dishes with yogurt sauce and soups… Well, these weren’t things you’d see in Termwills. While I could detect sour and salty notes, the overall taste was refreshing and smooth. The kebabs used spices generously and had a wonderful aroma.

This seemed to be quite stimulating for Grace. She appeared to be slowly savoring each bite of the food. These dishes might soon be added to the repertoire of meals served at her home.

Then music joined the festivities. Not from professional musicians, but from a tribal girl who brought out an instrument and began playing. This naturally caught the interest of Irmhild and Sheila. Especially since the instrument resembled a lute.

“What is that instrument?” Irmhild asked, tilting her head.

“This is called a balama,” the playing nomad girl answered with a smile. Compared to a lute, it had a longer neck. An exotic, flavorful melody filled the air. The difference in scale usage was what created the distinct ethnic sound.

They apparently reached an agreement that Irmhild would bring her instrument from the ship later when they switched places and perform some songs for them.

“The ladies seem interested in instruments and embroidery,” Yumit said with a smile.

“They also do embroidery and play instruments themselves.”

Irmhild could handle a bow too. It seemed like they’d find common topics with the nomads.

“I see, I see. That is most interesting. Might Lord Theodore’s garments perhaps be…?”

“Ah, yes. They’re made by their hands.”

The waistcoat I received for my birthday. When I answered, it instead seemed to pique the interest of the nomad women, as their gazes gathered on me.

“Unusual patterns.”

“But they’re delicate and carefully done.”

“Indeed. The thread and fabric are both of excellent quality.”

“I wonder if things like this are fashionable in the north?”

They examined the embroidery intently with keen interest. Hmm.

“Now, now. You lot. That’s rude to our guests.”

When Yumit admonished them, the women hurriedly moved away with some fluster.

“My apologies for the commotion.”

“No problem.”

I answered Yumit with a wry smile.

“Those patterns are related to magic… Yes, like evil wards.”

“My, that’s wonderful. For your husband, right?”

At Rosemary’s words, the nomad women smiled.

“…Yes, well. He is our fiancé, after all.”

Saying this, Rosemary hid her expression behind her folding fan.

“Hmm. What do you think, Chief Yumit? If they would enjoy our creations, perhaps we could offer them our clothing, ornaments, textiles, instruments and such?”

“Indeed. That might be good. We’ll get to hear the young lady’s performance too, and mere hospitality alone might not be sufficient balance.”

Since they were talking about giving them as gifts, these were probably items normally obtained through trade. As I’d heard, they were people with a strong sense of duty. Princess Elham seemed pleased that we were deepening our friendship with them, smiling and nodding.

—And so, after such exchanges, we ended up receiving clothing, earrings, necklaces, carpets, and even instruments. That was good, but… the female members were all excited about something, and it was decided they would change immediately. They went with the nomad women to another tent to change.

And… Marlene was the first to return. Wearing the nomads’ loose clothing and ornaments, carrying a bundle containing her original clothes, she peeked through the tent entrance looking at us.

“Welcome back.”

When I called out to her, Marlene smiled sweetly and entered the tent. Following Marlene, everyone else returned too. Of course, everyone was wearing nomad clothing. That there were clothes made to fit Seraphina…

“They said they made these for children’s dolls. I got some too,” she said happily, flitting around the tent.

“How is it?” Claudia asked with a smile, tilting her head slightly. The exposure level was low, so she didn’t seem embarrassed. Rather, she seemed to be enjoying the change of clothes. Their cheerful atmosphere reached me.

“Yeah. It suits you. And everyone’s vibe changes again.”

When I answered, they looked at each other and smiled.

“It’s flowy but feels easy to move in,” Sheila commented about the comfort. Well… they probably did household chores and herding in these outfits. They must have practicality too.

“This is indeed nice. We probably would never have had the chance to wear something like this if we’d stayed in the castle, don’t you think?”

“That’s right. From Silvatoria’s perspective, they’re quite distant and their trade goods are hard to obtain, so this is precious.”

“Hmm. I haven’t done anything this time, but… Well, I’ll repay them by working hard in the forest, I suppose.”

Princess Stephania, Princess Adriana, and Auria had apparently changed too. It was good to see all three of them enjoying the exotic atmosphere.

“Ahh… This place is wonderful. There were so many sheep and goats over there. They were quite friendly and just…”

Charlotte seemed particularly interested in the animals. Well… even aboard the Sirius, she apparently helped take care of the wyverns during travel when she had free time.

“Well then, I’ll go get my instrument from the ship too.”

Irmhild, now in nomad clothing, left the tent with Sheila.

“Theo, why don’t you try changing too?” Grace asked with a smile.

“Ah—. I don’t know about me. I probably wouldn’t get as excited as everyone else.”

“Not at all. We’d like to see you in it too.”

…Hmm. Well. If that’s the case.

When I changed and returned, Irmhild and Sheila had also come back with the lute.

“It suits you well, Theodore-sama.”

“Indeed. This is quite splendid.”

At Ashley’s words, the nomads also nodded.

“Is that so?”

“You look like a magnificent warrior,” Princess Elham said, her face breaking into a broad smile.

It was somewhat different from the adorned female members—equipped with a curved sword at my waist and even a quiver, my appearance suggested I was about to go hunting.

The nomads were apparently incredibly skilled with bows, able to easily repel monsters like goblins using mounted archery on their own.

As for me… when it comes to bows, I only dabbled a bit through BFO, so my skill isn’t something I could showcase publicly. This outfit is just for show too. Yeah.

The atmosphere heated up with my change of clothes, and with Irmhild’s performance added to the mix, the nomads seemed to be having a wonderful time.

In this manner, while taking turns with members of the Demon-Slaying Knight Order and escort teams, the feast with the nomads became quite lively.

Hmm… Considering we have prisoners, we can’t stay too long, but we unexpectedly ended up with some cross-cultural exchange. Well, for Verdgar, this should contribute to stability near the southern border, so it’s probably not a bad thing.