I've been reincarnated into another world as a witch

Chapter 62: The heroes arrive!

The twelfth day of winter was proclaimed a national holiday. The day that proud Girannon hunters returned triumphant after having collected six sacred cores.

The streets of the noble sect were lined with festive ribbons. Decorative paper and posters were hung from the windows and rooftops of the central city. Young mages from the mage society walked the streets and performed magic tricks to boost the excitement of the large crowds. The royal orchestra was commissioned by the royal family to play happy tunes with the odd patriotic anthem to move the hearts of the citizens. All the well-established eateries had set up stalls and temporary seating areas to sell their foods.

The ladies of Sophie's cafe were starting off with a busy morning. They had set up their large stall in the space next to the landing area where the heroes would be arriving. They were in the midst of all the human traffic and had to keep up with all the people shoving coins in their faces trying to purchase the cafe's goods.

It had not even been an hour since they had set up their stall and yet their supply of iced cream was already running dangerously low. Even now that the air was quite chilly, the people of Girannon were still obsessed with iced cream.

"Briony," Henrietta called out her friend over the loud buzz of customers asking for cakes and iced creams. "How many more iced cream tubs did you bring? They are selling out so quickly."

Although Henrietta was nervous about disappointing the customers, she felt the joy of this magnificent day resonating within her. Nothing could wipe the smile off her face. Her silky blonde hair shone magnificently in the morning sun, and her blue eyes sparkled welcomingly at the customers. She was excited to see the arrival of the heroes, but even more than that, she was excited to see the holy lady Delton. She could not wait for the heroes to arrive so the procession could begin, and she was excited to see the lady who had saved her life.

Quite a few of the people wandering around the landing area were drawn to the stall by the beauty of the young maidens working at there. Over the past few months, all the desperate women who had been taken to Riley's women shelters around the city had become well fed and taken care of. They and their children had grown robust in health and spirit. The sparkle seen in Henrietta's eyes could be seen in all the women who worked at the stall.

Mrs Godfrey had been elated the previous evening when a large wagon had been dropped off outside of her children's home. It had been delivered by one of Lady Delton's servants who said that the lady wished the children could enjoy themselves at the heroes welcoming festival. The children had cried for joy when they learned they too would be allowed to go to the festival. They were especially happy to hear that their wonderful benefactor had sent them each two silver coins that they could spend on food and toys at the festival.

When all the children arrived in the central city, they were blown away by the sheer number of people there. Masses and masses of excited faces lining the cobblestone streets, happily chatting away. Everyone was wearing their best clothes, with brilliant expressions painted on their faces.

Clair and Luella were particularly excited about today's events. Both girls had been at Godfrey's home since they were babies. They both knew the dire situation the home had been in before the Holy lady Delton had decided to sponsor Godfrey's establishment. Both girls were extremely grateful towards their benefactor, but at the same time, they recognised the opportunity they had before them.

The girls were only eleven years old, yet they already had a taste of poverty. The pain that came from a stomach that had not eaten for days. The feeling of not being able to clean off the grime covering their bodies because they didn't have any clean water or soap. The horrible cold that froze them to the bone during the long Freezing season when they didn't have any firewood or blankets. The disgusted gazes they received from the rich people when they were begging for food on the streets of the noble sect before they were chased away by city guards.