Sandro started his dances again, uttering several chants that made it unclear what he was saying.
“Uaaa Uaaa. Lu Lu Lu.”
“Lua Lua. Da Tang! Lua Tu Lua. Hu Jan! Ulala.”
The others tried mimicking the song, but Sandro quickly stopped them. He turned to Yara. “Please, the chant must be perfect.”
He then repeated the words slowly, and Ivana and Yara struggled to follow.
“Ua Ua lu lu,” Yara attempted.
“No, it’s Uaaa, with a longer ‘a’,” Sandro corrected.
“Sorry, I’ll try again. Uaaa Uaaa. Lu Lu Lu,” Yara said more carefully.
“Good,” Sandro grinned. “Now let’s move on to the second verse.”
They focused on memorizing the song and ensuring the pronunciation was correct.
Meanwhile, Broken furrowed his brow, because to him, it just sounded like, “Ha hu ha hu lu lu lu.”
Ivana, standing beside Broken, continued watching before letting out a small laugh.
“I can sing that song. For some reason, I’ve heard it before.”
“Really? How?” Broken asked, curious.
“I don’t know, it just sounds familiar to me,” Ivana said, then ran to join the others.
Ivana and Yara stood closer and started imitating the song, with the others joining in and making the dance moves.
After that, the drummers began playing the drums, following Sandro’s instructions and tempo. The movements and chants were repeated over and over, creating a rhythmic din that reached the ears of several townspeople passing by.
The townspeople looked curiously towards the commotion. The sound of drums and melodious singing, even with the peculiar chants, drew them closer. They came in small groups, some alone, some with excited eyes, others with skeptical expressions, all drawn by the music and the vibrant atmosphere.
“What in the world are they doing in the middle of the day?” one onlooker muttered.
“What does that Baron think he’s doing, making these people sing and dance at this hour?”
“I guess he’s trying to put on a show. Doing that dance to attract tourists?” “That’s a terrible idea.”
“Ivana and Yara’s singing voices are quite beautiful, though. Even if their dancing looks a bit odd, their sweet voices balance it out.”
“It’s a Rain Summoning ritual,” someone chimed in, explaining the situation.
“Rain Summoning? Isn’t that some kind of forgotten ritual from the past?”
“Do you really think the Baron believes this ritual will bring rain? I think he’s gone a bit delusional.”
“Yeah, this Baron does a lot of weird stuff. I think he’s even worse than the previous Baron.”
“But they seem to be having fun.”
“I want to join in the dance, can I?”
“Yes, even if it’s pointless, at least it looks entertaining, haha.”
As Broken watched the people enjoying the dance and song, he felt a surge of inspiration. Yet, he was a bit reluctant, wondering if it was appropriate for a Baron to join in such activities. But then he realized he was just making excuses- a good leader sets an example, not just commands their followers. With this thought, he decided to join the dance.
“Come on, Broken!” Jovina shouted, still dancing. “You can do it too.”
Encouraged by her words, Broken quickly tried to pick up the steps. He stumbled a few times, but Ivana reached out and grabbed his left hand, smiling at him.
“Follow my lead,” she said.
Broken nodded, trying to mimic her movements. He was still a bit stiff at first, but soon he began to get the hang of it. The dance wasn’t too hard; he just needed to make his jumps quicker.
“That’s good, Broken,” Ivana said with a warm smile.
“Yes, I think this isn’t too difficult.”
“Say that with more confidence, Broken,” Jovina teased. “You’re dancing like an old man who’s had a stroke, haha.”
“Uaaa Uaaa. Lu Lu Lu,” Broken then followed along with the chanting.
Ivana and Yara seemed even more passionate about chanting the song, creating a festive atmosphere that afternoon, despite some skepticism from the crowd about the Baron’s plans. More and more people were joining the dance.
Several players passing by, intrigued by the excitement, stopped to see what was going on.
“What is that fool doing?” one of them asked.
“The dance is so strange but also quite fascinating to watch.”
“Yeah, but he’s still kind of stupid.”
“They say it’s a rain-summoning ritual.”
“Really? Interesting.”
“They said that he would perform the ritual tonight at this place.”
“Hmm… I think it would be quite interesting to witness some party tonight; there seems to be something new going on here.”
“Yeah, even though the rain won’t come, I’d love to attend a party in this dull place,” another concluded.
“Let me record their silly dances and post them on social media. I wonder what the public will say when they see this,” one of them said, taking out video to capture the scene.
When the rehearsal was over and had received Sandro’s approval, Broken sought reassurance
once more.
“Sandro, no matter what happens, we will perform this ritual tonight, okay?”
“Yes, my Lord,” Sandro replied, this time with a face full of enthusiasm.
“Good. Now, help the others to prepare everything. We’re going to have a celebration
tonight.”
Broken then asked Yara and Ivana to prepare drinks and food for the evening. He wanted to invite more townspeople to celebrate, feeling a strong conviction that the ritual would be a
success.
After all, this was a quest with an A rating! So, he felt quite confident about the result.
They stacked wood to build a large bonfire that would be lit at night while clearing the area to accommodate more people.
Broken also tasked Igor with spreading the word to more townspeople, inviting anyone familiar with the ritual or simply curious, to join or stay up late to witness this special event. It surely was going to be a major event.
And night fell swiftly. People began to gather early, curious and eager for the moment to arrive. Most came out of sheer curiosity, but some genuinely hoped that this ritual might
indeed bring rain.
Children played, running around, while adults watched over them and helped prepare for the ritual. As midnight approached, the large bonfire was lit.
The area was suddenly illuminated by the bonfire, burning brightly against the dark sky. The
crackling of burning wood filled the air, and the moonlight cast a silvery glow across Slumdon Town. The firelight danced in competition with the moonlight, creating a festive atmosphere that invited people to join in and celebrate.
Many Slumdon residents had gathered around the bonfire, looking on with anticipation. Some murmured quietly to each other, while others chatted more animatedly.
Meanwhile, players flooded in, their eyes wide with curiosity as they tried to catch glimpses
of the ritual. All of them were excited about what the night had in store, especially after
videos of the ritual dance had spread online.
From the city gate, a shimmering carriage approached, and a girl stepped out with an
enthusiastic face.
“I can feel it,” Max exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She then turned to her companion, the cameraman. “I know you must be curious about the rain summoning ritual, right? I will be broadcasting live tonight from Slumdon Town!”