CH 42.1

Boom, boom, boom!

Tatatatatatata!

Boom boom boom!

Pui pua puu!

Beeeeeeeeeeee!

「Amazing! Older sisters!」

「Moimo! So cool!」

Today is the day before master’s wedding.

We are a private band of skilled slaves.

Right now, we are practicing our instruments and final march for tomorrow’s wedding….

The street in front of the Schenker family headquarters was already very crowded in the morning.

Standing and sitting are the norms while some neighbors are doing business by renting out the windows of their houses for spectators’ use.

What’s happening is not just a “today” event but it has been like this for some time.

We, the band, have been preparing for tomorrow’s wedding for the past six months including winter.

We have instruments and conducting teachers and we’ve been practicing everything from classical to popular music to a wedding piece composed by master himself.

At first, there were quite a few girls who couldn’t make a proper sound.

There were some girls who tripped while marching, breaking their instruments in the process. That made us angry.

When there are some disagreements, we form a ring where they can beat each other up.

By the time the snow stopped falling, the sound gradually became uninterrupted.

By the time we felt the spring sun, there was no more fighting.

By the time we took off our coats, our march began to unify.

By the time we felt the hot sunlight, we were already a family.

At first, the spectators were only friends or people from the family but it has gradually increased….

Before long, they filled the streets.

People from other towns even came here to watch.

Now, even tourists from Torkus and Ruefuma come to watch us.

Of course, the streets were lined with food stalls, and adventurers were stationed in the streets to act as bouncers.

A number of guides stood guard, setting up ropes and moving people out of the way in order to secure a place for the march.

Before anyone noticed it, it was already a big deal.

What’s so unusual about it?

Even on the next street, a completely unrelated band started playing.

The past six months have been really hard.

Master even spoke with the mayor in order to rent out the street for us.

He should have paid a lot of money but I think he managed to earn it back.

I heard that our stalls sell a lot every day so I guess it’s okay.

However, all of these will be over after today.

Whether they like it or not, this will be the last day of our practice.

Tomorrow, we, skilled slaves, will perform in front of the nobles.

「How much did their costume cost?」

「Kyaaa! So cool!」

Yeah, it’s a big day today so we’re wearing a special costume.

Master had custom-made this cool outfit which is a combination of white and blue with some red parts.

It is a sleeveless blazer-type outfit with edges sewn with gold.

The fabric itself had glittery threads woven into it and I could tell at the first glance that it was something very expensive.

It also comes with a cool hat with buttons and from the day we put them on, we became the center of attention of everyone in the city.

The only problem is that the bottom is a white skirt so men can’t wear them.

TN: Hibike Euphonium costume.

As we march down the street, the clicking sound of the heels of our long white boots can be heard. The children of the city run around us, following us everywhere.

It’s kind of funny seeing how their sparkling eyes are wide open, staring hard at us as we play instruments.

I guess I used to look at street performances like that when I was a kid.

Zutakata!

Zutakata!

Tatata! Takata! Tatata!

My small drum signals the break between songs and after a little, we started playing the next song.

The conductor, walking in the lead, twirled her big conductor stick, and the audience cheered.

A low trumpet sounded and we began with the most formal and most famous of all pieces we can play, the national anthem.

It is the national anthem of this country.

Normally, we would listen to it in a hushed tone but we were marching on the street.

Everyone hearing us sang with great joy.

“Let the horses run to the ridge in the west

Attack to the far east

Let the beautiful princesses of the south come

Burn the north sea waters

Make a bow in the morning sun

Shoot the enemy in the middle of the day

Rob and drink with each other in the evening

Burn the mountain in the midst of the night

Trace the sun over the sparkling fields

Knowing the time using the line of stars

Sitting on a dragon with burning chest

We, Kraunia, will burn the moon.”

Before I knew it, everyone was already raising their hands in the air while chanting “For Kraunia”.

Ah, this is so much fun.

I want to do this all the time, this festive atmosphere.

I exchanged glances with Muhara, a foxkin who’s also playing drums next to me, and smiled at each other.

You have a very good expression, Muhara.

Maybe I have that same expression.