That girl has unleashed her true form. There’s no going back.
All right. We need to draw their focus away from Beatrice now. Let’s get their att─CAN I STOP QUOTING GUNBUSTER ALREADY?!
Anyway, old geezers don’t have a chance!
Mitsuha wasn’t in a dress. Organizing the ball required all her time and focus, and she didn’t have a minute to waste on anything else. She chose to wear her general store outfit in hopes that it’d send the message: “Don’t bother me! I’m busy managing this party!”
Most of the guests knew that Mitsuha threw Adelaide’s debutante ball, and surely all of them knew about her friendship with Beatrice. If that wasn’t enough to figure out that she was organizing this party, the play and food stalls should’ve made it especially obvious.
As such, no one was brave enough to approach her as she bustled about the courtyard without stopping for breaks or snacks. The guests were all aware of the potential consequences of angering the Lightning Archpriestess. Plus, Beatrice was the star of the party; following Mitsuha around would’ve been a bad look.
Fortunately, the Bozeses didn’t invite any problematic characters. This party was way too important. They even left out some names that should’ve been invited, given their position. What was the point of having authority if you didn’t use it to protect your precious daughter?
Mitsuha wasn’t running around or micromanaging the party this time. She was here as a director, to set plans in motion and deal with any accidents that only she could fix. So far, everything was going smoothly.
The food stalls were proving popular. A little too popular, in fact. Lines were forming at each one. Fortunately, none of the stalls were running out of food, so Mitsuha wasn’t too concerned.
Even if something were to go wrong, none of the guests would make a fuss about it. Unlike the Ryners, the Bozeses were a powerful house with a long history. To insult them was to put your life in peril.
That’s a terrifying thought!
Okay, it’s almost time. One of my promises to Beatrice─food stalls─has been fulfilled. Next up…
Mitsuha pulled a miniature transceiver out of her pocket and pressed the transmission button.
“Electric lights parade, move out!”
“Roger that!”
A few minutes later, there were loud noises approaching from outside the mansion.
They’re here… Let’s do this!
Mitsuha got on the stage and grabbed the microphone.
“May I have your attention, everyone! The Goddess’s celebratory parade is passing before the mansion! Please go and take a look!”
Awesome, the guests are moving toward the street. I wanna see this too… Not that I don’t trust everyone to do their jobs.
Yesss, here they come!
An LAV was rolling down the street, followed by two trucks. The three automobiles were decked out with garishly bright electric lights.
Lifted trucks have nothing on them!
All seven colors of the rainbow streamed about as disco balls reflected their rays in every which direction. The trucks had to be supplied with extra generators and batteries because they couldn’t power the excess electrical lights on their own. Music was blaring through the speakers.
Colette, Noelle, Lia, and the rest of the Yamano Munchkin Maids were waving from the first vehicle’s roof hatch. The girls, too, were decked out in angel wings, halos, magic wands and other light-up toys.
The trucks, which had their hoods removed, were carrying young female mercenaries dressed as the Goddess and her angels. Animal mascots worn by male mercenaries were marching beside the slowly processing vehicles. Mitsuha prioritized hiring mercenaries who were having a hard time financially and told them they could have the leftover food. They happily agreed to the job.
It technically wasn’t leftovers; the mercenaries were going to get all the untouched food on the buffet trays. They’d be having the same things the party guests were being served.
They’d be dining like actual nobles and they’ll even get to try the newest Yamano Cuisine and have the yatai experience. Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
The women on the trucks pointed their laser toys at the crowd. The lasers projected star- and heart-shaped beams of light onto the audience. Mitsuha thought about throwing goodie bags full of candy at the crowd but decided against it. The parade was on the street outside the mansion, which meant there were a lot of civilians watching. Throwing candy would’ve started fights and erupted into pandemonium. Someone might’ve even gotten run over if they dove under a vehicle to grab a piece of candy.
It didn’t take long for the parade to attract a mob, bright and loud as it was. Earlier that evening, Mitsuha had visited the neighboring mansions─with gifts in hand─and warned them that the party might get loud. Most of the neighbors were nobles who were invited anyway, so it was unlikely anyone would complain about the noise.
The electrical parade seems like a big hit! Aww, look at those children following the mascots and clinging to them… The guys inside the costumes are playing along, too, Mitsuha thought as she watched the mercenaries pick the kids up and spin them around. That’s adorable!
This fulfills my second promise to Beatrice!
Only one remains.
The Wolf Fang drivers completed the parade route just like they practiced during the walk-through earlier in the day. The route was one lap around the Bozeses’ mansion; a goblin could’ve memorized it. They were back at their starting point, which was a warehouse belonging to a nearby baron.
The baron’s estate was small, but the warehouse was spacious. It was used to store local specialty products from his barony to sell in the capital. Most nobles considered it embarrassing to build a warehouse next to their mansion, but he did it for the good of his people, knowing that his territory’s products could be sold for slightly higher prices in this city.
He’s a good, savvy lord who puts his people above his ego.
Mitsuha had paid him a visit too, with a box of confectionery in hand, and asked if she could borrow his warehouse for the day. He was immediately on board. He couldn’t possibly turn down a direct request from the Lightning Archpriestess, especially when she said it was essential for the debutante ball of Count Bozes’s daughter. Besides, all he had to do to accommodate was temporarily transfer the contents of his warehouse elsewhere.
The baron would normally never get a chance to interact with the Bozeses on equal footing due to the difference in status and faction. His name wasn’t even initially on the invitation list. The baron knew how important this chance was, and he happily accepted Mitsuha’s gift and invitation to the party. He refused to accept the money she offered as a storage rental charge.
I guess the fact that he helped us out of the goodness of his heart will be worth a thousand times more than a small payment. He’s a smart lord.