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The sky was clear and cloudless, making it one of the rare sunny days since the Great Celestial Rite began.

Since it was cloudy in the morning, Lilith had mentally prepared herself to lie down like a corpse in the room and listen to the sound of rain for the rest of the day.

However, the weather proved capricious. By the time lunch approached, the clouds had vanished as though they had hastened home for their meal.

As Lilith stuck her hand out of the window, feeling the warm sunlight. The sun had always been forgiving during this season. With such pleasant conditions, Lilith thought of going out for a walk.

Coincidentally, the others were also out and about. Nevertheless, Lilith figured that a solo walk was a serene prelude to the impending tournament.

Lilith spent a long time choosing a lovely dress to wear, took out her adorable parasol, and put on oversized sunglasses that covered half of her face before happily skipping her way out.

Although it was almost noon, the streets remained bustling with activity. It was to be expected during the Great Celestial Rite, as individuals from all walks of life were drawn to this large city during this period.

After merely crossing two streets, Lilith encountered no fewer than five beastmen with pointed ears and sharp fangs and elves of striking appearance. Such a spectacle was unimaginable elsewhere on the continent.

Regrettably, most vendors offering delectable snacks would only be open for business in the evening when the festival began.

“Oh well, I’ve already eaten two cows this morning so I’m not hungry yet. Guess I’ll save some space for a good lunch,” Lilith consoled herself before twirling her parasol and humming a tune as she merrily made her way through the throng of pedestrians.

“Hmm?” Lilith suddenly stopped in her tracks upon spotting a signboard in the distance. “Princess Festival… Grand Opening… Come Now… Half Price on Everything…”

Reading the words aloud, Lilith blinked in confusion.

“Festival? But isn’t the festival scheduled for the evening? And what’s this about a Princess Festival? Could it be yet another extravagant affair funded by one of the rich princesses of the Holy Dragon Empire?”

Festivals were smaller events that had long been fixtures of the Great Celestial Rite, such as the Harvest Celebration, Bonfire Festival, Summer Fireworks, and Singles’ Festival to mourn the lost loves of yesteryears.

Each of these smaller festivals under various names truly enriched the Great Celestial Rite, the grandest event in the Holy Dragon Empire.

The government had always encouraged them, as long as the names weren’t too outrageous. For instance, there was one named “Our Dog Died and We’re Very Sad, So We Held a Dog Meat Festival for Him,” and another called the “Cuckold Festival” where people gathered to commiserate over infidelity. There was also a festival named “NTR Festival” that sold study materials on how to seduce others’ spouses.

The government despised these disgraceful events, considering them a blight on the empire’s dignity!

Despite their unique and fun nature, these festivals usually start in the evenings.

This was not only because evenings were the majority’s leisure time, but also because the influx of vendors and pedestrians could disrupt daytime traffic flow, which was crucial for a city with a population in the millions and logistic needs for several hundred million. Any disruption could lead to significant losses.

Lilith was surprised to stumble upon a festival that was not only open during the daytime but also along a crucial transportation route.

Either the organizers were audacious enough to disregard the imperial family entirely, or they possessed formidable backers, perhaps even mightier than the Immaculate Tree Domain.

“Fascinating,” Lilith mused, a faint smile playing on her lips as she briskly entered the festival grounds. “Let’s see what makes this festival stand out.”

Yet, her initial curiosity turned to regret in just three seconds. Every face she encountered there was painfully familiar.

Each one was a hulking figure, muscles straining against their shirts, clad in girlish pink aprons. They were either lounging on folding stools that were too small for them or waving their spatulas around in the stall.

As soon as Lilith stepped in, they turned their heads in unison, eyes glowing green like cats in heat at the sight of her.

Recalling the festival’s name, Lilith chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Ah, so the princess is me.

With that realization, she turned around and attempted to flee. But before she could, two loud explosions rang out.

POP!
POP!

Showers of confetti-like ribbons descended, and a towering figure blocked her path, casting a shadow over her. Lilith was then seized by a familiar grip before being shaken vigorously.

“Congratulations, esteemed prin- lady! You’re our nine hundred and ninety-ninth customer! As such, you’re entitled to a grand prize, courtesy of our festival organizer. Everything here is on the house! On the house!”

Lilith looked helplessly at the beaming face before her. “Let me go, something urgent has come up.”

“Come on now, we’ve been waiting for three days just for you to arrive. You must at least take a look around.”

A pitiful expression showed up on the old face in front of her.

Lilith let out a sigh and said, “Fine.”

I’ll just play along since I’m already here. Surely these people—no, these dragons—can’t possibly do anything absurd in broad daylight, right?

With a heavy heart, Lilith turned back and reluctantly ventured deeper into the festival street.

The signboard of the first stall she came across looked gaudy. Amidst the abstract chaos, it was clear they sold ice cream.

Looking up, Lilith spotted an old acquaintance—Fenice.

“Could I have a serving of ice cream, please?” Lilith requested.

“Of course!” Fenice replied cheerfully, deftly manipulating some contraptions that were beyond Lilith’s recognition, yet unmistakably tools for crafting ice cream, uniquely human in design.

After a flurry of activity, Fenice presented Lilith with a massive serving containing every flavor available at the stall—eighteen layers of ice cream.

Lilith gave it a lick and was surprised to find the flavor quite enjoyable.

The portion of Lilith’s ice cream got the child next in the next stall crying and demanding for one too.

Observing Fenice’s hopeful expression, Lilith nodded and offered a compliment, “The flavor is quite delightful.”

“Yay! I’m going to win this for sure!” Fenice exclaimed, clearly over the moon.

Though intrigued by Fenice’s cryptic statement about winning something, Lilith decided to overlook it since they did not cause any trouble this time.

Next up were candied fruit skewers. The skewers were indeed delectable, but each was as large as a halberd, leaving Lilith unable to consume them without standing on tiptoe.

In order to eat it, Lilith had to break the skewer, eliciting a pained expression from Fenice as if she was witnessing the destruction of a legendary halberd.