Hokuou Kizoku to Moukinzuma no Yukiguni Karigurashi

Interlude: Halloween of the Remote Land!
Volume 3 — The Northern n.o.bleman and the Raptor Wife’s Village, Great Renovation Plan!?

I was surprised upon seeing mother and Sieg’s appearances when they came home after shopping.
They had great amounts of pumpkins in their hands.

“Just what are those for?”
“I’m thinking of doing a Halloween party~”
“Halloween?”

When I asked what that was, mother started speaking energetically.
It was a foreign festival that she experienced in the middle of a trip.
However, mother did not seem to be used to the festival (?) called Halloween.
To summarise the story……

It sounded like her memory of it was fuzzy and vague.
There might have been something holy to the actual festival.

However, I think that it will be fun.
I thought that it would be good to make this a festival for the whole village.
Since, a festival involving treats is good for children.
The villagers would also be happy if children came to play.

It’s just a week away, but I quickly drew up plans and went around the village asking for favours.

For now, I named it ‘Halloween of the Remote Land’.
For the houses that are cooperating, I asked them to place pumpkins outside their doors.
The children will dress up and go to the houses with pumpkins to get treats.
After receiving the treats, they will help out at the house and then return.
I went around the village and asked for cooperation.
It was a festival involving children, so there were many houses that accepted.
I also asked Captain Artonen about it.
The kind captain said that he will have a pumpkin on the window and wait for the children.
The shop lady was very glad to celebrate Halloween again, saying that she missed it.
Then, I heard the whole story about Halloween from her.

Halloween is a festival where the autumn harvest is celebrated while chasing evil things away.
Depending on the region, the history and the interpretation can vary greatly.
Most of the time, people see it as a fun festival where people dress up and get treats.
There is some religiousness to it, but not many people mind it, the shop lady said.

“Well, I guess it’s good if people enjoy it.”
“Aha!”

Well, it started from mother’s vague statement, but we would be able to enjoy Halloween unique to this village.

I bought many ingredients for making treats and returned home.

Halloween was tomorrow.
We were busy with various preparations, so I had not been making snacks.
Mother and Sieg were making some, but since it was rare opportunity I decided to make something as well.

Of course, I am making pumpkin snack!
I decided to make simple scones.

First, I cut open pumpkins and boiled them until they became soft, after which I mashed them.
Frankly, peeling the skin off would be better for the texture, but pumpkin peels are full of nutrition so I mashed them up together.
I added warm milk into the pumpkin mash and kneaded.
In a bowl, I mixed flour, baking powder, sugar, b.u.t.ter melted using a double boiler and the softened pumpkins.
Once the dough formed, I started kneading it over a plate that had flour sprinkled over it.
I kneaded it using a wooden stick, folding and rolling it many times.
I put the dough into thin cups that had flour applied to it to get round shapes. Then those are placed on oiled iron plates, with fried pumpkin seeds placed on top.
They were finished twenty later. The dough had risen properly.
I left them for a while to let the residual heat go away, and then I tasted them.
The crunchy and fluffy scone had the original sweet flavour of pumpkins.
The fried seeds were delicious too.
I asked Sieg and mother to have some as well, and they liked it.
Mother and Sieg were making cookies with chocolate and nuts.
I had only one, but they were very delicious.
After the three of us finished wrapping the snacks, we started preparing for tomorrow.

“Right! Ritchan, I made proper Halloween costumes for you too!”
“Eh?”

Don’t only children dress up? I was about to say, but mother ran out of the room cheerfully.
I only got bad vibes.

When she returned, she joyfully showed us the clothes.

“This is for Linde-chan!”

She prepared a witch’s black hooded coat for Sieg.
It was unexpectedly simple, so Sieg looked relieved as she received them.

“This is for Ritchan!”
“……”

Mine weren’t clothes. There was a headband with triangular attachments that look like cat ears.

“M-Mum, these are?”
“Cat ears……. Sorry, I didn’t have time to make clothes for Ritchan.”
“…… No, it’s alright, but isn’t it fine if I don’t dress up?”
“But there is the theme of being a black cat couple.”
“Black cat couple?”

Sieg and I both got surprised.
There were cat ears on her coat hood.

“S-Sieg’s, cat ears!!”
“I think they’re cute~”
“Th-They’re, very cute, I think!!”

That’s my mother!!
What a genius, to have cat ears.
I love Halloween. It’s the best!!

“If I had time, I would have made tails too.”
“Oh, tails!!”
“For Ritchan.”
“No, I’m fine with tails……”

I asked her to get a good night’s sleep tonight.

I stared at my son’s face as he slept in his cradle.
When Arno grows up, I would like him to put on many different monster costumes.

Halloween.
Immediately, I took a peek at the cat witch Sieg.

Sitting in front of the dressing table, she had the coat on, but she didn’t have the coat on.
I sneaked up behind her and put it on.

“Oh, it’s a beautiful cat!”
“……”

She sent me a sharp glare through the mirror.
But it looks good on her, so isn’t it alright?

“Ritz, what about your cat ears?”
“Huh, is it bad if I don’t have them on?”
“It’s better to have them on.”

Who’d be pleased with an old guy with cat ears……

However, I felt sorry to only have her dress up, so I also put on the cat ears.

“Come to think of it, there was a Halloween phrase, right!?”
“Trick or treat?”

That that!!
I wanted to hear it from Sieg, so I’m happy to hear it from her!!

“Hey, Sieg, say it again.”
“……Trick or treat.”
“I see~~ How troubling, I don’t have any treats~~”

I spread open my hands for her to play tricks on me.
Sieg looked exasperated.

“……It’s the first time seeing someone welcoming tricks like that.”
“Really?”

If possible, something other than hitting me, I asked.

With an expression that seemed to say that she can’t help it., Sieg approached.
She put her arms around my shoulders and kissed me on the cheek.

Tricks are the best!!

At our house too, many lovely monsters visited.
They threatened us for treats, but when we gave them treats they became nice and helped out.

They helped pack dried mushrooms, helped out with the gardening, played with the dogs, doing various things.

I left the sharing of treats to Sieg and mother, while I went to the village to check on things.

Surprisingly, there were many houses that helped out.
Captain Artonen of the fort also said that it was a healing experience because many children visited.

Finally, I went to Teoporon’s house.
He also had a pumpkin in front of his house.
I had explained Halloween to him just with gestures, but I’m happy that it got through properly.

When I knocked on the door, Teoporon greeted me.

He had a basket of treats in his hand.

“Ah, Teoporon, I’m not a kid, sorry.”

However, Teoporon silently stared down at me.
Could it be that he will give treats if I say that?

“T-Trick or treat~?”

Teoporon made a nihilistic smile and gave me a treat from the basket.

“Th-Thank you~~……”

After that, I helped out with cleaning up the wood bits that were lying around after Miruporon chopped firewood.

The children at the square said that it was fun going to Teoporon’s place.
I wonder just what happened.
They said that it was a secret.

Later, when I was coming back home after shopping, I heard the joyful yells of children. When I took a peek, I saw Teoporon lifting up a child. The children around him were happily insisting that they were next.
The Halloween mystery of Teoporon was solved.

It was a sudden event, but it received positive reviews from the villagers.
I thought that it would be nice to do it again next year.