12: Start of Summer 1/3

...She's gone.

Before, she could come back because I always held her hand, but...

...this time, I couldn't even touch her. Now Cnoc na Riabh is gone!

Alcas...

Relax. She's probably not gone just yet. Nobody's disappeared from a reset so far, right?

？！

Sorry for coming in through the window. I couldn't help but drop by since you guys have never been here on day one before.

...Is that true, Oberon? Is Cnoc na Riabh really still around?

Why don't you just go see for yourself instead of making me repeat myself?

For that matter...

If you knew all this time, and you've been keeping it to yourself, then why are you agonizing about her now?

Yaraändoo's not going to disappear until this island is destroyed.

Not when she's the Third Calamity and the representative of this island's spirits.

There are plenty of ways to save her, and you already have access to them.

But you don't have any time to spare. This reset used up the last of Yaraändoo's power.

That makes this the final seven days. Be ready.

？！

Yeah, what Fujimaru said! At least give us a hint about what our first step should be!

...

That so? So you don't mind if I give it to you straight? In that case, I'd be glad to.

Your biggest mistake was your happy-go-lucky attitude, thinking you'd resolved this island's troubles just by sealing off the First and Second Calamities.

You aren't facing the real problem. Surely even you must have figured it out by now.

？！

That's it. Ugh, just saying that name gives me a splitting headache.

Anyway, they tried to resolve this situation themselves, but this was the best they could do: resetting the game over and over in the hope of trying to get a good seed.

This is what happens when you don't understand how people think, like the committee chair.

Ask them about this directly.

I mean, restricting genres so everyone can be equal? That's about as dystopian as it gets.

Oh. So, their intention behind restricting doujin genres to Altria alone...

...was to eliminate differences between clubs and help everybody get along?

...Well, yeah.

I don't want to get bogged down in empty chatter, but you picked the wrong person to be your great detective, Fujimaru.

Maybe Altria would've been better off as an assistant, or a police detective blundering about the crime scene.

What was that!? Pretty rich, coming from the Dark Faerie King!

Oh good, you're back to your usual self. All right, I'm leaving the rest in your hands.

Yeah, you better run! I'm gonna get you back so good! Also, thanks for the advice!

Fujimaru.

Correcting the committee isn't going to resolve the real problem here. I'd even say it's the wrong path entirely.

This isn't a solvable problem, so a solution isn't what you need here. You need to demonstrate there's still hope.

But hey, I'm pretty sure you get that by now! Anyway, that's all for me!

I definitely don't want to get caught up in an existential threat myself, so I'm going to head back to Chaldea now!

He's gone. Oberon(?) just vanished like a puff of smoke.

Still, I think he gave us more than enough information to act on. What would you like to do now, Master?

？！

？！

You want to tour our headquarters? Yes, of course that would be fine.

The Normalization Committee is aboveboard about everything we do, so we're happy to host social studies field trips, hahaha.

What's more, you're in luck, since AAA, our chairperson, is in the office today.

They'd be happy to hear whatever you wish to say. However...

You'll need to prove you're strong enough to get past us first!

Please don't misunderstand. We are a friendly security team here only to test your strength.

Just as soon as things get dangerous, we'll end the match. So please, don't hold back!

So this is the chairperson's office... It, um, kind of seems like

I get you. This is, like, totes the kind of room fit for a final boss fight.

... (Keeping quiet because they've already figured out who the chairperson is from the atmosphere alone)

Welcome, Chaldeans. Thank you for coming. I am the chairperson for the Normalization Committee, aka AAA...

The Altria Avalon Association.

I know I may look like the most beautiful girl ever, but please just think of me as a calculator designed to oversee ServantFes.

Huh? Are you me? How did you get a swimsuit like that!? No fair!

Yes, I am you. But I must say, I was quite fond of your bunny ears as well.

My apologies. It wasn't my intent to waste our precious time with idle chatter.

I'm also sorry I could only make time to see you today. My role as chairperson keeps me quite busy.

Are you nervous? I'm sure you are. Please, have a seat and make yourselves at home.

(Senpai, Senpai. Should we point out that there doesn't seem to be a single chair in here!?)

？！

R-r-right. Of course you'd be mad. Believe me, I feel so bad about this I'd leave right now if I could.

But this isn't the time for that, so I'm gonna say my piece!

What in the world were you thinking, me!? Not even the greatest detective ever could've deduced that the culprit was actually themself!

And why is Muramasa your head of security!? Are you just doing whatever the hell you want now!? Have you no shame!?

I'm focused on overseeing the calculation system here, so in fact no, I don't have any concept of shame.

As for Muramasa, I forced him to cooperate since his usual attire, or lack thereof, was enough to qualify as a swimsuit.

You've not seen him around Hawaltria because he's been going around inspecting the island for me.

Sorry, didn't catch that. Were you saying you wanted me to kill you? Should I get Chen Gong in here so we can go out together?

？！

My apologies. Let me give you the answers to some important questions.

Why was Hawaltria formed? Why did the calamities start to appear?

And how can we save Yaraändoo...the great spirit, Wandjina?

It all started with BB. Out of her natural drive to improve herself, and her inherent sense of hospitality...

...she decided to add new elements to Luluhawa because it would be "boring to just have the same island as last time."

Thus, Hawaralia, a fusion of Hawaii and Australia, was created to be the new home for ServantFes.

Of course, the name "Hawaralia" still had room for improvement, so I later changed it to "Hawaltria"...

...all to mislead you, of course. (Innocent smile)

？！

However, this is where the problems began.

Adding Australia to the island led to a new element that was out of BB's control:

Wandjina, the legendary great spirit of Australia, said to be the air itself.

By carving out Australia's northwest region, the home of Wandjina's legend, and attaching it to Luluhawa...

...the once forgotten Wandjina awakened once again.

As the spirit of air, she is not visible, nor is she the kind of being to interfere in the affairs of others.

BB therefore elected to ignore her, not seeing her as a significant concern. This turned out to be a dangerous decision.

While I did just say she had been forgotten, it is more accurate to say that she had been carefully laid to rest after her work was complete.

That way, she was able to remain a legend and stay a part of human history.

But now that she has woken up...

...she knows that no one sees her, that no one needs her.

Her grief at this realization created an anomaly on the island, which became a calamity that threatened to wipe it from existence.

So I took control of this Singularity from BB and banished her from it.

BB, an evil AI completely lacking in self-awareness, has no idea that she ends up toying with people's hearts in her attempts to learn about them.

I then became this Singularity's new overseer and created the ServantFes Normalization Committee to solve its problems.

So that's what happened. Just what I would expect from (someone who resembles) King Arthur. I can scarcely imagine what it must have taken to accomplish all that.

However, there's one thing I still don't understand. Why did you also impose a tyrannical law banning all genres but one?

Yes, about that... It seems I made an error in judgment.

Although legends of Wandjina still exist, there are very few descriptions of what she was like.

The only thing we knew for certain about her was that she hates conflict.

One reliable account states that she used to continually say to all this island's creatures:

"You mustn't fight with one another. Getting along well with everyone else is the best way to lead an easy life."

So I tried restricting the doujin market to a single genre. I thought having a common theme would prevent conflicts from arising.

...Well, I suppose working in the same genre would eliminate the kind of competitive mindset and ideological differences we often see between clubs.

But I'm afraid Oberon is right. That rule doesn't do anything to address the fundamental problem.

...Huh. The Faerie King said that, did he?

？！

I've got something to ask. Who is Yaraändoo, exactly?

She is Wandjina's proxy.

I tried talking to Wandjina myself, but she simply does not understand the languages of Earth.

But she had an earnest wish to understand humans better.

So I recreated and summoned a being that could serve as a vessel for her.

One whose Spirit Origin had the highest possible affinity with spirits like her, which would in turn allow her to see the island from a human perspective.

That being was Yaraändoo: the Southern Cross that serves as a waypoint for travelers.

I see. Since Cnoc na Riabh is a faerie, it was easier for her to harmonize with a spirit than it would be for a human Heroic Spirit.

Then, does that mean the woman we've been calling Yaraändoo is actually Wandjina herself?

No. She is still Cnoc na Riabh.

She willingly chose to become Wandjina's eyes and sealed away her memories of herself...

...but her personality, disposition, and everything else about her remain Cnoc na Riabh.

Through Yaraändoo, the great spirit Wandjina bore witness to your lives.

Furthermore, although Cnoc na Riabh does not exist in Proper Human History, I was the one who personally chose to entrust this task to her.

...

So where is Yaraändooor rather, Cnoc na Riabh now?

Now that she has remembered Yaraändoo is actually just an imaginary spirit, her mind has come to completely embody Wandjina's will.

It's just like what happened with Giant Chloe, which was a development I absolutely did not foresee.

I was kind of hoping we could all just forget that happened...

If you can defeat Ceasunnos, the third and greatest calamity, then Cnoc na Riabh should return to her senses, at least temporarily.

But that still won't solve the problem.

I decided to hold ServantFes to prove to Wandjina...

...that her wish for everyone to get along hasn't been forgotten.

I also prepared a reset function as an emergency backup in case I failed to do so.

As I have thus far failed, I've had to reset the festival several times now.

Yeah, yeah. So that's what the "we are all responsible" part was about.

But, like, since there's three calamities trying to mess things up, isn't ServantFes wrecked no matter what we do?

Like, what are those things, anyway? It's not like you came up with them, right?

I think this will answer those questions.

Oh my... What grace. What elegance. To think I would see a creature like you in this day and age!

Tell me the truth. Are you our king?

Me? Nah. I'm seriously no king.

I just came to check this place out because it seemed like it was full of grudges and resentment. Done with that, so I'm leaving.

Oho, I knew it! At long last, we've been granted a new king!

This calls for celebration! For a festival! Listen, everyone! This man is our new king.

Please, my liege, undo the seal binding the cave. We feel so bad for the humans these days that we can hardly rest.

There must be a great cleansing. A cleansing so thorough it is only three steps removed from extinction.

Please, my new king, let me introduce you to Wandjina. Wandjina's powerful curses are incredible.

When unleashed, they will bring about righteous retribution. They will give form to the humans' wickedness and exact divine justice.

Were you listening to me!? I just refused because no one's here! Why would you think I

Ah.

It's because I said I'm no king, isn't it? Dammit, I messed up. Of course that kind of statement's gonna get twisted.

All right, I'll play along for a little bit. So, where do you want me to go? What is it you want to show me?

It seems you've done this sort of thing before, my liege.

It took all our strength to destroy that barrier, but you broke through it easily.

Oh, you mean that Bounded Field protecting the cave? Yeah, that was nothing. Especially since I know whose magecraft it was.

So? What's in here, anyway?

This. To tell the truth, there is much we do not know about Wandjina, ourselves.

I think she still has much to learn about the world.

So she needs a guide to teach her about the world.

We were hoping that, with your kingly wisdom, you could come up with a plan to convey Wandjina's feelings to the humans.

Okay, that's a much bigger ask than I was expecting. Ugh, what a pain.

But, I guess the air here's not too bad.

Wandjina, spirit of air. I'll admit, it's gotta suck being ignored for so long.

...So, she's got something important to say. She wants a form everyone can see. And that form has to reflect people's hopes, huh.

My day self's a lot better at this kinda stuff.

In my current mood, the best I can come up with are things like the three calamities, or that stupid benevolent god Cernunnos... Ah.

Whoopsie. Thaaat might've been the wrong thing to say.

Magnificent.

So these are the forms our warnings will now take before they descend upon the humans, yes?

Ah, Faerie King. Our Spirit King. From this day forth, you shall forever be known as our greatest leader, the Dark Faerie King.

Whatever you do, don't spread that name around! I mean it!

And there you have it.

Still, even without Oberon's help, it was only a matter of time until the seal on that cave was broken, and there's a chance things would have gone even worse without him.

So I decided to interpret these events as him helping us by giving the calamities easy forms for us to understand. I therefore refrained from punishing him.

？！

Hawaltria...Wandjina...and the three calamities...

This does answer all of those questions, but we're no closer to knowing what to do about them.

I guess it just all comes back to making sure ServantFes's a success?

Indeed. While I am still absolutely certain that eliminating conflict by restricting books to the Altria genre was a perfect way to go...

...I will also admit that it seems to have ultimately backfired.

So, now that things have come to this, the Normalization Committee will revert the rules to those of the previous ServantFes.

The rest is up to you. Please, I beg of you...

...find a way to grant Wandjina's wish and make ServantFes succeed without conflict. Doing so will bring an end to this Singularity.

An endeavor free of conflict? I don't think anything like that exists anywhere in the world.

Hey, even putting that problem aside, we've also gotta stop these calamities.

The First Calamity's fire. If we don't stop it, it'll burn down the woods, so the printer won't be able to print new books!

The Second Calamity's all about storms. If we don't stop it, it'll get the event canceled due to "inclement weather."

So then, what's the Third Calamity? And like, for that matter, didn't Morgan say the Second Calamity was her doing?

Morgan simply grasped the situation on the island the instant she arrived and elected to make use of the Second Calamity for her own selfish ends.

I swear, who does she think she is, with her Bristin and all that Lady of the Water stuff?

I do hope you all won't give evil Altriafaces like her too much of your time.

But I digress. You wanted to know more about the Third Calamity, yes?

The Third Calamity is Wandjina's grief itself.

It is an overreaction to conflict that will ultimately result in the destruction of both sides...

The Curse of Gatekeeping.

No way. That's almost too dark for words...

Gatekeeping? What is that? Do you know, Chloe?

Yes. It's not exactly how it's used in fandom circles...

...but in the simplest terms, it's refusing to accept fellow fans of something because of minor differences of opinion.

I'd say those feelings definitely qualify as a curse. No wonder Ceasunnos is drawn to them...

The calamities aren't what's setting this island on fire!

Paper shortages, storms, artists who miss their deadlines... None of those ultimately matter.

The real problem is the clash between our fetier, souls. The roots of conflict that everyone, attendee and artist alike, has deep within them...

The feelings that drive us to try and make something better than anything else, or to stan a particular fandom harder than anyone else...

It's the desire to compete with their fellow fans that's been sending ServantFes up in flames!

Okay, I get what's goin' on.

It was so damn complicated I wanted to shut you up halfway through, but I got it.

What're we supposed to do, though?

Even if we're talking about the spirit of air and a world-level threat, you really can't just make everyone get along.

Nobody in history's ever pulled that off.

Hey, I pulled that off on my pirate ship. All thirty members of my crew got along swimmingly!

'Course, if anyone got sloppy, I'd shoot 'em in the leg when they were least expecting it, but still.

It sucks that Wandjina's the spirit of air. That's what's really holding us back.

She sees things from so high up that she's applying her standard of wanting everyone to get along to the whole damn world.

Like, even Divine Spirits only concern themselves with what's in their portfolios.

It sounds like Wandjina would even consider my desire to compete in a kind of conflict.

How in the world can we make sure everyone gets along well enough to satisfy her?

？！

This isn't a solvable problem, so a solution isn't what you need here. You need to demonstrate there's still hope.

？！

Senpai? Do you have an idea?

？！

Oh!

A collaborative effort between all the clubs... A joint doujin!

You're right. That WOULD be a great example of everyone getting along! And if we can just show it to Wandjina

Then she should understand that her wish hasn't been forgotten...

...and that we all feel the same way!

We can't stop everyone from getting into conflicts, but we can still convey that we all want to get along!

But, Wandjina doesn't understand our language, right?

So even if we manage to make this joint doujin, she's not gonna know what it says.

？！

Like the one we saw in that cave. Yes, that was proof of Wandjina's existence.

Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, can you prepare a large, beautiful slab of rock for us to work with?

It should be small enough to fit inside that cave, but large enough for everyone to contribute a drawing.

Manual labor like that is right up our alley. Wouldn't you agree, Sir Gawain?

Of course. I'll break and carry the rocks, and you can polish them with your Arondight.

Rest assured, we will see our jobs done to perfection. What about you, Sir Tristan? What will you do?

I'm going to gather engraving materials. Oh, and we'll also need paint for those who prefer to work with that.

...All right, I'm in. It's not every day you get to collaborate on a giant rock mural!

Blackbeard! Let's go bring as many other Servants as we can in on this, too!

Roger that! Don't worry! Any pirate worth their salt would sooner die than miss out on a huge event like this!

That just leaves the workspace. Since that cave is where we found Wandjina's mural... Aha!

I know just the place to crash! Oh man, I can't wait to see the look on Baobhan Sith's face!

UGH! Can you not knock quietly!?

I didn't think I'd see you here again, but since you came all this way, I guess I can make you some tea

What, did you think we were friends, you stupid, shitty weakling!? What'd you bring all these people for!? That does it! I'm killing you all RIGHT NOW!

...I see. So that's what that underground mural was about.

All right. I don't want the enshrined deity's reputation to get screwed up any more than it has already. You can use the house and cave.

And, circumstances being what they are, I'll even forgive you for that savage beating you just gave me.

On one condition.

？！

...You have no idea what your face looks like right now, do you?

All right, I know what I want. Besides, it's fun to mess with earnest types like you♡

If I'm going to let you use this house, then I want you, the hick faerie and the fake Tam Lin, to make a book together too.

Well? Pretty terrifying condition, right? I mean, what's more torturous than making a book?

If you agree to be my assistant, then I might be willing to contribute to your mur

？！

？！

Really!? You have, Big Brother!?

Of course he has! Like, I'm honestly surprised the top assistant from the last ServantFes managed to go this long WITHOUT making one!

I'm totally on board with this, of course! Way to go, Master! It feels like your summer's finally about to begin!

I guess that's settled then. All right, let's get started right away.

Ahh, I can't wait to see you fail! I mean, there's no way anyone could actually make a whole book by the final day if they're only getting started now!

So get ready, 'cause when you inevitably fail, I'm going to be right there to turn your pathetic crying face into a sticker and preserve it for all of time♡

Hey. What're you smiling about, bumpkin?

Oh, nothing! I was just thinking about how you really are... Well, you know!

That's enough, you two.

If we're going to make a doujin, we don't have any time to waste on pointless chitchat.

We need to decide on a genre, come up with a plot, estimate how many pages we can put out within the time we have left...

...set our minimum viable quality line, and start looking for collaborators.

I may not be up to the task, Master, but if I must become a heartless beast to be your editor, then that's just what I'll do!

？！

All right, this is going to be the last seven days of ServantFes, so let's get to work on our doujin!