The Divine Artifact Return Ceremony

The Divine Artifact Return Ceremony.

By the time the Five Elders had gotten so impatient that they'd moved past designing their workshops to pre-building the furniture, we finally got around to holding the return ceremony.

"Let's wrap this up quick and get to the workshops!"

"""""Workshops!!"""""

Everyone's so perfectly in sync, ufufu.

By the way, is "Workshops!" some kind of dwarven battle cry? Like their version of "Hip hip hooray!" or something?

"No, I think they're just really looking forward to the workshops, Master."

"So that's how it is for dwarves, huh?"

"It's less about being dwarves and more about being craftsmen. It's like if you entrusted me with a brand new instrument you made, Master… And besides, Grandma and the others are the cream of the crop among craftsmen. They probably already had their ideal workshops, but… what they're getting this time exceeds even those ideals."

So they're just unbearably excited, huh. Like dangling the ultimate carrot in front of a horse, or giving the Goddess socks that score over 100 points.

Incidentally, as part of the preparations, the Wall Breaker's exhibition at the museum resumed the day after we returned it.

And since we'd announced throughout Akahagane that we'd be performing the Divine Artifact Return Ceremony, it had been packed every day with people trying to get their last look.

Of course, some people doubted whether the Wall Breaker was fake, but well, it's the real thing, so once they got a little piko on the head, their doubts cleared right up.

After all, the real Wall Breaker somehow delivers a harmless piko even when you hit with a side unrelated to the bellows. What's up with that? How does that even work? I can only call it a divine miracle.

You could say this final unveiling was already part of the return ceremony.

Being packed every day means lots of foot traffic.

Special shuttle buses were running, and food stalls lined up in front of the museum. It had already become a festival.

Mie-chan cutely cackling about the economic impact generated in the lead-up to today's main event was still fresh in my memory.

"Well, we can't just hand it back and be done with it. That'd be such a waste."

"Part of it is just that us dwarves love festivals though."

Well, never missing an excuse to drink is very dwarf-like, and this whole ruckus was no exception.

Even after the return ceremony, they'll probably party for another two or three days calling it an after-party.

"Starting next year, we're planning to make it a regular festival as the Return Ceremony Anniversary."

"Wow, as expected of Mie-chan. So clever."

Hmm, so this is what being a ruler is like. Queen Mie-chan, impressive as always.

So anyway, the main event is today.

An altar was built just for today. In three days.

A pyramid-shaped platform had been added to the museum's rooftop. The top was partially flattened though, with space for several people to stand and a raised pedestal one step higher. A ceremonial space, you could call it.

Dwarf-sized stairs were attached to the front of the pyramid to make it easy to climb.

Everyone from the Five Elders except Mie-chan was wearing gorgeous black robes, surrounding the pedestal in the ceremonial space. There, Mie-chan would ascend carrying the Wall Breaker as the representative of Tessin's dwarves.

… The fact that it reminded me of a certain end-of-century manga's Something-or-other Holy Cross Mausoleum is a secret I'll keep to myself.

Then, once the Wall Breaker was raised to the heavens, all that would be left is for me to collect it and the ceremony would be done.

Well, that's all there is to it. It should end without any drama. Yeah.

"Haaah, I'm getting nervous."

"Even Mie-chan gets nervous, huh? How cute."

"Of course I do! This is my first time returning a Divine Artifact, you know!?"

Well, I suppose people who've returned Divine Artifacts to the gods are in the minority.

I pat-patted Mie-chan's head. The other four had already gone on ahead to surround the pedestal.

"But I'm the one actually collecting it, you know."

"Even so, what's nerve-wracking is nerve-wracking!"

"It'll be fine, it'll be fine. We all came up with the gorgeous staging together, right? You've got this, you've got this."

I hugged the nervously trembling Mie-chan to cheer her up.

I added in a gentle massage to ease her tension. Massage really is too convenient for everything.

"Phew, I'm calming down. Thanks, Kari-chan. It's time. I'm heading out."

"Yeah, take care!"

I said that and sent Mie-chan off.