Fantasia of the Dream-Protecting Acrobats ~Western Country & Central Country~

It was a pleasant and cheerful afternoon. As I passed through the dining hall, I overheard Cain and Riquet involved in a lively discussion with Chloe and Murr.

Cain: Whoa, that sounds really interesting!

Chloe: Right!? How about you guys go with us?

Akira: Good afternoon, everyone; it seems like you're all having fun. What are you guys talking about?

Chloe: Oh, master sage! I was just telling Cain and Riquet that they should come with us to see the Comus Circus.

Akira: "Comus Circus"?

Murr: A heart-pounding, sensational mega-thrilling show, right in the Western country's City of Circuses!

According to the two of them, there was a famous wizard circus troupe known as Comus who traveled around the various countries. Word had it that they were going to be performing in a town known as the "City of Circuses", where street performers and circus troupes from all across the Western country gathered.

Riquet: Excuse me, Chloe.

Riquet, who was standing next to Cain, blinked owlishly and raised his hand.

Riquet: If you don't mind, what kind of things happen at a "circus" in the first place? I came across the term in a picture book I was reading recently, but I wasn't sure on the specifics.

Before he came to live at the manor, Riquet had been raised in a cult and cut off from the outside world, and because of that, he is perhaps a little naive about many things.

Chloe regarded him warmly.

Chloe: Well, for starters, you might see people walking on a tightrope even higher than the highest towers of the manor... there's people doing handstands while riding on balancing balls and showing off all kinds of magic tricks. It gets your heart racing, but it's entertaining above all.

Murr: They even do somersaults through huge rings of fire!

Akira: Wha–!?

Murr used magic to pull the tea out of a nearby teapot. He traced a circle in the air with the tea, and then leapt through it.

Riquet: I see... it certainly sounds like a very strange and indulgent sort of event, befitting of the West... but, it does sound very fun!

Cain: A circus came through the Town of Glory once, a long time ago. I'm pretty sure they were a human troupe, but the Comus troupe are wizards, right? I imagine that a wizard circus would put on a very different performance to a human one.

Murr: They sure do! Comus are famous for their trapeze artists. They magically change outfits and move all kinds of obstacles all around on a whim while they move. Once you've seen a Comus trapeze show, all other circus companies will be a total letdown in comparison.

Chloe: I've also heard that their productions are super elaborate spectacles, with birds and flowers dancing all around in the air!

Cain: Just talking about it makes it sound amazing. You're making me want to see it in person.

Akira: I'm getting curious, too!

Chloe: Do you want to go, master sage? I was thinking about inviting everyone later.

Akira: Absolutely! We haven't had many mission requests come in the past few days, so I'd be delighted to join you.

Cain: Count me in. I'll go ask Arthur and Oz if they want to come too.

Riquet: I'll come with you. I would love to tell them all about Comus!

Riquet was eager to get going, and he made his departure from the dining hall followed by Cain.

Akira: ... it looks like Murr has gone off somewhere, too. Do you figure he went to go ask Shylock?

Chloe: Probably. I'll go invite Rustica, then!

Chloe: I'm really looking forward to having an outing with everyone!

Chloe: Oh, that's right! Master sage, would it be alright if I made outfits for everybody?

Chloe: Our destination seems to be a really fashionable place, so I'd love for us all to be dressed up to match.

Akira: Of course! I'm looking forward to seeing what outfits you come up with.

Chloe: I'll do my best to live up to your expectations. I'll use some ruffles to make it more showy... oh, and maybe a hat to go with it, too!

Akira: That sounds great! I definitely imagine circus clowns wearing fancy hats.

Chloe: And then maybe I could do something like this...

Chloe produced a sketchbook out of thin air with magic and started sketching out designs while he walked. Watching him be so excited and lively, like he was preparing for a special party, made my expression grow soft.

Akira: You really have a passion for making clothes.

Chloe: I love it. It's not always fun, and sometimes it's a lot of hard work...

Chloe: But the satisfaction I get when I make something I'm proud of, and that someone is excited to wear... it completely outweighs any downsides.

Chloe: No matter how hard it can get sometimes, that feeling always makes me want to jump right back in and keep making clothes!

Akira: (I can't say I really understand all the highs and lows of making clothes firsthand... but Chloe conveyed the depths of his love with nothing but his expression.)

Chloe: Once I invite Rustica, I'll get started on making preparations!

Akira: Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

Chloe: I will, thank you!

We parted ways with a smile and a nod, and cI was filled with anticipation for the day of the exursion.

A few days after Chloe's invitation...

Cain: So this is the City of Circuses!

Riquet, Arthur, Akira: Wow...

The western wizards, the central wizards, and I all arrived in the City of Circuses in the costumes that Chloe designed for us.

Akira: Wow... the entire town looks like an amusement park.

Balloons floated in the bright blue sky above the roofs of colorful dollhouse-like houses. Street performers put on spectacular shows on every sidewalk. Cheers echoed from all around, and the crowds of fashionably-dressed onlookers laughed at the performers' antics.

Bustling and energetic enough to feel like being inside of a giant toybox, this town really felt like an amusement park from back in my own world.