Chapter 67: Cosplay and the Cultural Festival (1)
Starving to the point where they finally cried out, “We can’t live like this anymore! Succubi need to eat too!”
The succubi had resolved to put into practice the dirt-poor beggar meta of “please, just let one thing bite.”
To help those pitiable succubi, I brought out the secret weapon I’d been planning: cosplay…!
“But what is cosplay?”
“Ah, I suppose I should explain from there.”
First, I had to explain what cosplay was to a succubus from another world who had no idea.
“Cosplay is, in other words, dressing up or putting on makeup to imitate the appearance of a specific character or person.
For example, if I dressed up to imitate you, Miss Lilith, that would also be cosplay.”
“Ah, so that’s what it is.”
If one traced its roots, it was closer to the West than Japan, and it was an art culture with older origins than one might expect, and so on.
There was no need for a boring, pedantic explanation that Lilith wouldn’t understand anyway.
It was enough to know roughly that much.
“It’s usually based on famous people or characters.
Hmm, sometimes it can also be based on a particular job, race, outfit, and the like.”
“That doesn’t sound too difficult.
So I can simply think of it as transforming into a different version of yourself?”
“That’s close. There are also ways to enjoy a side of yourself different from usual and feel a sense of liberation through it.”
“If it’s something like that, then it’s our succubi’s specialty! We’re not perfect at it, but we do have a bit of transformation ability!”
“Oh. That’s really the icing on the cake!
You’ll be able to cosplay far more realistically than simply changing clothes.”
Fortunately, Lilith didn’t seem particularly opposed to cosplay.
If Lilith, who had come as the succubi’s representative, said that, then the other succubi would probably be fine with it too.
‘Well, they’re people who created and distributed the first adult comic just to scrounge up some essence.
They might think cosplay is nothing special.’
Besides, she said they already had transformation abilities, so could it be said that they were already used to cosplay?
Thinking about it that way, the cosplay quality might end up being quite a bit higher than I’d first expected.
Hmm...
But this situation, where I was explaining to a succubus that I wanted them to cosplay, felt a little unfamiliar.
It was different from the meeting with a succubus I had imagined, yet somehow strangely fitting.
‘If someone had told me about this situation in my previous life, they would’ve said you could whip up an interspecies pure-love story from it in no time.’
Honestly, though, the current situation was closer to a survival struggle of succubi than an interspecies pure-love story.
At any rate, after reincarnating in another world, I really was experiencing all sorts of things.
“You don’t mean it will simply end with us doing this cosplay? Right?”
“Of course not. If you cosplay, you naturally have to show it to people.”
As obvious as it was, cosplaying inside the house wouldn’t help the succubi absorb essence.
They needed to show it to people and imprint it in their minds.
“To do that, we need a place to show off the cosplay.
And we need to choose the cosplay subjects well.”
The problem was whether there was such a place or subject.
“You’re all quite lucky.”
“Yes?”
“You happened to come at exactly the right time.”
Had the Founding King Hero and the Demon King sent down a blessing from heaven to help these poor succubi?
As it happened, I was in the middle of planning an event that suited their circumstances perfectly.
I could probably slip them into it.
It seemed like it would only benefit the event I was planning, not harm it.
“An event? Like this current contest?”
“No. Not this kind of event. It’s more like a festival, I suppose?
Games, comics, novels, tournaments, performances, and so on.
We’re preparing to hold a comprehensive cultural festival where those things will be gathered together, introduced, and experienced.”
If I said that much to people from my previous life, they would roughly understand.
Yes, it was that thing, modeled after the subculture festivals that were held periodically.
This time would be its monumental first opening.
There would be a trial experience of the hot-topic dating simulation game [I’m a Cleric, But I Want to Fall in Love!].
A national tournament for the fighting game [Races Fighter].
Introductions of several fairly decent works that had failed to win awards in the contest.
Stage adaptations of popular works.
Sales of various event-exclusive goods.
And many other activities were planned.
‘To be honest, if possible, I wanted to make it a more full-fledged event where other creators participated actively.’
But the cultural foundation was still too lacking for that.
This time, my works and works related to the guilds would mostly fill the main lineup.
Well, it would gradually improve and develop.
At that very festival, the succubi would show off cosplays of characters from the works exhibited at the festival.
They would take on the role of introducing the new culture of cosplay.
And at the same time, I thought it would be nice if they also worked as attendants here and there.
“Will cosplaying at that event truly help us absorb essence?”
“Of course. I can think of several methods right away.”
For example, there was this method.
“There are various female characters who appear in the comics you all drew, aren’t there?”
“Yes. There are?”
“If you cosplay as those characters, when people read the comics, wouldn’t the cosplay appearances come to mind and overlap with them?
At the very least, it could give those characters a stronger sense of reality.”
Then it would be directly approaching the source of essence emission, so naturally, the efficiency of absorption should increase too.
“And if you meet people face-to-face at the festival, wouldn’t you be able to pick out who might provide high-quality, delicious essence and visit them later?”
“Oh...!”
In other words, there was no need to just wait blindly, hoping for one random person to get caught.
I did have a few other ideas as well, but.
“All of this is only possible if you succubi show yourselves to be that charming.”
I could set the stage, but only that far.
How much they could achieve on the stage I laid out depended entirely on the succubi’s own abilities and efforts.
Could succubi who had lived for decades on nothing but the essence of beasts make people fall for their charms?
“We will make it happen...!
We will never let this precious opportunity you’ve given us slip away, Author Wei. We’ll make everyone fall for our charm!”
Judging by Lilith’s confidence and determination, it didn’t seem impossible.
“Good. Ah, and if possible, there’s something else I’d like to ask...”
“What is it? After you’ve helped us this much.
If it’s something we can do, we’ll help you as much as you like!”
“Then, would you perhaps be able to recruit some incubi as well?”
“Yes...?”
No, why are you looking at me in such shock?
We need cosplay for the female guests too, don’t we?
***
“Whew. So this is the arena where my battle will unfold?”
Mond, a regular at the capital arcade who had been the first to achieve the feat of playing the fighting game [Races Fighter], had now become a proper professional proxy player and visited the event venue to participate in the national tournament opening today as the capital’s representative.
Though quite a lot had happened between Mond being merely a regular at the arcade and becoming a proxy player skilled enough to break through the fierce preliminaries and participate in the national tournament.
Even to Mond, this event was enormous in scale.
“What was the official event name again?
I’m sure it was the ‘National Cultural Creation Festival’ or something?”
As expected, it was long and boring.
That was why everyone just shortened it to the Cultural Festival.
Anyway.
As one could tell from the name, this event wasn’t only hosting the national tournament for [Races Fighter].
They said cultural events from all kinds of other fields would be taking place together too.
Perhaps that was why the event venue he looked around was larger and wider than anything Mond had ever seen.
Though, to be fair, that was partly because half of it was an empty lot.
“If the tournament goes well, maybe I’ll take a look around.”
He had come thinking only of the tournament, but looking around the other events seemed like it would be pretty fun too.
Of course, he could still look around if he got eliminated right away, but that didn’t mean he could lose, did it?
“Still, there are seriously a lot of people.”
Not only was the venue large, there were also enough people to make it look anything but empty.
And they said this number had already been filtered once through a lottery.
Without that, who knew how many people would have swarmed here?
As Mond pushed through the crowd and wandered around looking for the [Races Fighter] tournament hall.
A place where an unusual number of male guests were gathered caught his eye.
“What’s that? Why are there so many men over there?”
On top of that, all sorts of cheers and excited shouts were ringing out from there, drawing an incredible amount of attention.
When he approached out of curiosity, he quickly understood why.
“Whoa... So that’s why?”
It was because several women beautiful enough to make admiration spill from his mouth on its own were giving everyone a feast for the eyes.
Women with various atmospheres and beauties not easily seen anywhere were showing off their looks.
There was no way the men could resist gathering around, mouths hanging open as they stared!
Moreover, it wasn’t simply that they were beautiful.
Their clothing alone was different from ordinary women’s, drawing the eye.
“They look like they popped out of a comic.”
As if comic characters had leapt into reality and were moving around alive.
Their unusual, lively, and fantastical charm appealed so strongly that he couldn’t take his eyes off them.
Thanks to that, Mond somehow pushed his way all the way to the front.
And while he was shouting cheers like the people beside him, having completely forgotten that he was supposed to go to the tournament hall.
“Huh! That’s?!”
He spotted one of the women and screamed in surprise.
Of course he did.
Because her appearance looked exactly like the character Mond had first played in [Races Fighter].
And like his main character, the elven archer Meiren, who had rendered the most distinguished service in making Mond a proxy player.
Golden hair that had lost some of its old luster after a thousand years, yet still shone beautifully.
Eyes that seemed indifferent at first glance, but upon closer look contained the sagacity of someone who had lived for a thousand years.
Even the slender body trained for shooting a bow in combat!
Every single detail matched the image seared into his mind after hundreds, thousands of matches.
She had leapt into reality and was moving around alive!
“Why is Meiren here?!”
As he cried out loudly in astonishment and froze while pointing at her.
Perhaps having seen him, Meiren—no, the woman dressed as Meiren—approached Mond and spoke to him.
“You know Meiren!”
“Yeeh?”
A beauty he had never seen in his life suddenly approached him.
And in the form of his favorite character, Meiren, no less.
Mond panicked and ended up answering in a strange voice.
Whether Mond cursed himself inwardly for that disgrace or not.
The woman in Meiren’s form paid it no mind and continued asking.
“Meiren is a pretty and cool character, isn’t she?
That’s why I chose Meiren as my cosplay subject too!
Do you like Meiren as well?”
“Ah, yes. She’s my main chara... Ah, the character I mainly use.”
“Heeh. I see.
You must like [Races Fighter].”
“Of course. It’s my job.
I may not look like it, but I’m a professional proxy player.”
“Gasp! Really?!”
When she heard Mond’s identity as a proxy player, the Meiren cosplayer covered her mouth with one hand in surprise.
Then her eyes sparkled with interest, and she pointed toward the tournament hall visible in the distance as she asked.
“Then are you participating in this [Races Fighter] national tournament?
With Meiren as your main character?”
“Ah. Yes, yes. That’s right.”
“Hmm, then, as someone cosplaying Meiren, it would feel a bit disappointing to send off such a precious guest just like this... Hiyah!”
“Whoa!”
“Hehe. I’ll cheer you on so you can do your best and win!”
Then, without warning, she firmly clasped Mond’s hand.
“Oops. That wasn’t it.
Let’s see, ahem.”
While Mond stood frozen stiff.
She tilted her head by herself, changed both her voice and her way of speaking, and then.
“So long as you are with me, make certain you return victorious!”
She gave him a solemn message of encouragement, yet one that somehow held a sense of affection.
Enough that Mond blankly fell into the illusion that he had truly been cheered on by Meiren herself.
“Hehe! I even cheered you on like this, so make sure you do your best and win!”
Then she returned to her original voice, left him with one final cheer.
And went back to her spot, where she began waving to the others again.
Mond watched her for a while with his face slightly reddened.
“...I’ll win.”
He resolved to win this tournament no matter what.
Because he had received enough support and strength for it.
From none other than Meiren herself, his main character!
Thinking that perhaps this was fate.
Mond stepped forward with his body brimming with newfound strength and began heading toward the tournament hall.
To seize the victory he had been cheered on to achieve!
Completely unaware that proxy players who had experienced something similar to him were appearing elsewhere throughout the event venue.
And completely unaware that a small heart-shaped magic mark, impossible for ordinary people to notice, had been engraved on the back of his hand.