A suspicious character wearing armor from the Far East was spotted running wild outside town! The troublemaker was reported in several locations from Quon to Mindartia. When I heard the news, I immediately set out on a chocobo and discovered that there was not just one, but many armored fiends running loose throughout Vana'diel! I asked a moogle about the situation, and he explained to me the facts in a panicked tone.
Apparently, there is a festival in the Far East called the Feast of Swords. The event celebrates bravery and masculinity. Families pray for their sons to grow strong and healthy, fly giant fish banners in the sky, and make their young sons fight each other whilst wearing special armor. The moogles decided to create an event especially for boys as a follow-up to the previously held Doll Festival, so they asked the advice of the samurai of the Far East. Thus, preparations for the Feast of Swords began.
Aware that the event would be an opportunity for positive cultural exchange, the samurai received suits of decorative armor from their countries and planned to create a magnificent festival... However, a tragedy occurred.
Someone snuck into the Mog Safe where the moogles were storing the armor for safekeeping. They not only stole the armor, but also put it on and went on a rampage outside of town!
The samurai explained to me that the armor was on loan from the House of Genji, a noble family that had passed the armor down from generation to generation. The stolen suits--Tatenashi, Tsukikazu, Ubuginu, and Hachiryu Armor--make up a full half of the noble house's special set of heirlooms, the Genji Hakko.
The armor had to be returned by the end of the Feast of Swords, or the House of Genji would be furious.
However, it was important to keep in mind that the suits of armor are exquisite works of art. Just one knife scratch on a set of armor might damage relations between the countries, so the use of arms was not an option. The only way to bring the armor back safely was to fight with a purified wooden katana to absorb the criminals' evil aura. The moogles called upon master carpenter Kupelcian, who immediately set about creating a large quantity of wooden katanas to distribute to adventurers for the task.
Of course, yours truly immediately snagged a wooden katana from the moogles and committed to the quest to recover Genji's stolen treasure.
I accepted the moogles' magic spell and set out to hunt the stolen armor. When affected by the spell, my physical strength was reduced to that of a brand-new adventurer in order to prevent causing damage to Genji's treasure. I was able to find a suit of armor right off the bat, but it moved so fast that it got away from me in a matter of seconds. However, I did manage to catch sight of another adventurer who was also chasing the fiend, and we decided to team up after a short chat. In a team, the members can split up and pinpoint the armor's location more easily.
Usually, the suits of armor run around at a brisk pace, but occasionally they stop and even attack those around them! I was able to catch one at such a time, and we were able to absorb quite a bit of its aura! When the moogle magic wore off, I returned to town and received a reward of mochi from a moogle.
Similar to the rice cakes used in the Doll Festival, the confectionary mochi is an indispensable part of the Feast of Swords. Mochi is made from sweet red bean paste enveloped in dough made of steamed, kneaded rice, and served wrapped in a tree leaf. But of course, the sweets that the moogles were handing out were no ordinary mochi, but special magical mochi developed by the Rhinostery in Windurst. Eating this magical mochi turned adventurers into the forms of little boys! Unfortunately it made me forget my duties for a moment, and when I came to, Hakeem was pulling my hand out of his cookie jar at the Culinarians' Guild.
Anyway, I wonder if they ever caught those hoodlums who stole the armor? When I asked the moogles, I was met with a cheerful "Yes!" Later I found out that the suits of armor were controlled by a mysterious power that responded to the will of their wearers. Genji's treasures sensed the wicked souls inside of them and took control, running the fiends around until they were exhausted. Add to that the flood of adventurers pounding on them with wooden katanas, and the delinquents could simply no longer bear the situation.
As soon as the Feast of Swords was over, the thieves yawned, rubbed their eyes, and dropped to the floor with a thud. When officials removed the armor from their aching bodies, the criminals fell at their feet, whimpering and sobbing out apologies. In any case, the armor was safely returned to its country of origin, and much to everyone's relief, the samurai were pardoned and allowed to return to their country.
The Feast of Swords caused quite a commotion for a while, but I was able to recall the fond memories of my youth. Ah, youth--endless days of chasing friends around with toy swords and dragging our exhausted bodies home to delicious confectionaries and pleasant chatconversation. Perhaps the moogles feel that their plans for the Feast of Swords ended in failure, but we participants gained a delightful glimpse, even if for just a short while, into the joys of childhood.
