When dawn broke, the small temple sprang into noisy motion. The small temple was to be sealed off by mid-morning today.
The kitchen was at full capacity preparing breakfast and lunch, and everything had to be cleaned up as well, so it was bustling. Breakfast consisted of bread and soup laid out for each person to eat on their own.
The priests loaded their own living essentials—bedding, dishes, and the like—into the carriages and cleaned their rooms. The soldiers were also asked to tidy up the bedding and rooms they had used, and the members of the
If I stayed in the middle of all that, I'd just be in the way. So as soon as I finished breakfast, I retreated to my room. There was nothing to do but wait until the departure preparations were ready.
"
"Yes. Also, would it be all right if I asked Ingo to improve the printing press?"
"Oh, of course."
I could almost hear the voice in his head saying "Go for it!" as Lutz grinned. Since improvements to the printing press were to be made based mainly on the opinions of the people using it, there wasn't much I could do even if I were there. Still, I had told them to speak up about anything they found inconvenient or any ideas they had for improvement. If people stayed satisfied with the status quo, the printing industry would never develop.
"Gil, I'm entrusting the place to you. I'd also like you to keep an eye on making sure
"Understood."
Nora and the others seemed to be getting along reasonably well, since they were being attended to constantly by Gray Priests and Shrine Maidens teaching them how to live in the temple. But the orphanage would be full of strangers, and living among a large group after what they were used to would surely bring its own kind of stress.
"...
I just couldn't get used to calling my father by his first name. It took a bit of effort before I could manage it.
"I'm counting on you to guard the priests. Please see everyone safely to the temple. Thanks to the fact that you accepted my request, I can send the priests off with peace of mind."
"Leave it to me."
I distributed to the soldiers the money
And so, the group heading for Ehrenfest departed. After seeing them off, Benno and
Benno and Mark were going in a different direction. During the morning, they would do business in
"Benno, Mark, take care."
"We appreciate your concern."
As Benno and Mark headed off in the direction of Hasse, I then sent my attendants off in a carriage toward the town mayor's residence.
"Monica,
After sending everyone off, Brigitte and I waited together in the small temple room until our ride arrived. Ela had prepared cookies, sandwiches for lunch, and a canteen of freshly squeezed fruit juice, so we spent a leisurely time.
"What kind of place is Brigitte's family home? I'm still not very familiar with the geography—would you tell me about it?"
Hearing it from someone who actually lived there would make it easier to remember when studying geography. When I said I wanted to chat to pass the time, Brigitte smiled with a troubled expression.
"The Ilkner Barony is in the southwestern part of Ehrenfest. It has plenty of land, but it's rural with a small population, and there are no particularly noteworthy specialty products. Timber is our main product, but the surrounding areas are the same, so..."
"If there's an abundance of timber, wouldn't it be suited for papermaking?"
The types of trees might differ from those in this area, and if they wanted a specialty product, they could just make paper. Unless paper was produced in large quantities, the printing industry wouldn't expand anyway.
I wanted to discuss at length what kinds of trees were available, whether there were rare trees or magical trees like Trombe that could produce high-quality paper.
"For the time being, we'll have to prioritize expanding the printing industry in the Lord's direct territory, but I would like to meet with the Ilkner Baron at some point and discuss paper production."
When I said that, Brigitte's amethyst eyes sparkled more brightly than I had ever seen before as she smiled.
"Yes, absolutely. I look forward to the day Lady
While we were chatting, the magic stone that signaled a visitor lit up. When Brigitte opened the door, there stood Eckhart, Justus,
"My, what frightening faces. Has something happened?"
"We were startled to find the small temple completely empty—not a single attendant in sight. There were so many yesterday, so where on earth did everyone go?"
"For winter, the small temple is sealed off, so I sent them all to the Ehrenfest orphanage. My attendants should have been dispatched to the town mayor's residence, though?"
"I see," Eckhart said in a deflated voice.
They had been alarmed by the eerie emptiness of the place—wondering what had happened—and had rushed all the way to this room.
"Fran knew, didn't he? ...Fran, your complexion looks awfully pale. Are you feeling unwell?"
Fran's pallor was obvious at a glance. When I furrowed my brows at his gaunt face, he managed a smile and said, "It is nothing at all."
"Nothing at all, with a face like that? Departure isn't until noon, so you have time. Go rest in the men's quarters until the fourth bell."
"No. I cannot abandon my duties and rest while the other attendants are all absent. Please forgive me."
Eckhart nodded in agreement with Fran's firm refusal. Is this what everyone turned out like after being educated by the Chief Priest?
...This stubborn, workaholic man!
"I absolutely will not allow it."
Fran's eyes widened in surprise—he clearly hadn't expected to be overruled—and the others looked at me with disbelief.
"I am rumored to be merciful, so I will give you a choice: you may either sleep on the long chair in this room, or go sleep in the men's quarters where no one will see you. Pick whichever you prefer."
"Rozemyne, that's going too far..."
"Eckhart, if you can't even manage my health, kindly keep quiet. You'll be relying on me as a substitute, and if Fran collapses, I'm the one who'll be inconvenienced."
I shot Eckhart a sharp glare, silencing him as he tried to intervene.
"Now then, Fran. Which do you prefer?"
When I threatened to offer my lap as a pillow, Fran slumped in defeat and retreated toward the men's quarters.
"Rozemyne, perhaps you still don't fully understand..."
"The one who doesn't understand is you, Eckhart. Honestly, even if I collapsed, Fran and Eckhart could fill in for me."
For the blessing alone, any noble could manage. Without priestly robes, they could just wear those limp blue or white robes and stand on the stage, and from a distance it would look convincing enough.
"But there is no one who can replace Fran. In matters of an attendant's duties, Monica and Nicola cannot fill Fran's role either. Assisting with ceremonies, managing my health, handling medicine, and acting at my side without offending the sensibilities of nobles like Eckhart and Justus—only Fran, who received his training from the Chief Priest, can do all that."
"But an attendant is..."
Eckhart started to speak, but Justus cut in.
"That's enough sibling bickering. Eckhart, just concede this one. The Lady's words aren't wrong. From her position, she may not be entirely correct either, but..."
Justus scolded me, saying, "Going without an attendant is disqualifying for a lady of your standing," and then counseled Eckhart: "Think about the situation around you and be a little more flexible. What good is it being even more stubborn than
He was an eccentric person, to be sure, but he was the elder after all. Both Eckhart and I had no choice but to apologize.
After chasing Fran off to the men's quarters, I received reports on the Harvest Festival from Eckhart and Justus until the fourth bell.
The moment the bell began to ring, Fran returned as if he had been waiting right in front of the door. His complexion had improved considerably, so I breathed a sigh of relief.
After eating our lunch of fruit juice and sandwiches, we sealed the small temple and departed.
I told Justus, whose eyes were gleaming as he sought information, "The information fee is quite steep. My adoptive father also paid for the recipes, you know."
When he desperately clung on, saying "I'll pay when we get back," I smiled and replied, "For information, I'll need payment in cash." This information collector was going to be a good customer.
During the ride in the lesser bus, I also received a report from Fran about Hasse. "As instructed, I made their blood run cold. Lict's face was the color of clay." All that remained was to see what Hasse would do next.
We arrived at the next winter mansion where the farming villages gathered. The Harvest Festival began just as it had in Hasse. Going up on stage to perform the ceremony was the same; cheers rising for the blessing was the same.
And then, the competition called Borfe—which we had missed seeing in Hasse yesterday—was held.
While the town mayor explained the rules of Borfe, dishes began to appear on the table before us. This must have been the custom of the nobles eating first before the food was brought out. Platforms had been prepared around the plaza, but no food had been placed there yet.
After Fran's poison tasting, I ate small portions of the various dishes. They seemed to use freshly harvested vegetables, and while the flavors were simple, they were delicious.
"Now, begin!"
At the town mayor's signal, the animal that had been brought to the center of the plaza was hurled toward the ground.
"What!?"
The instant it hit the ground, the animal curled up into a ball like a pillbug or armadillo.
The players chased after the bouncy animal and swarmed it. The animal was being used as a ball—it was kicked and sent rolling and tumbling across the ground.
The sight of it made my face twitch.
"Wait, wait—you're treating a living creature like that..."
"Oh, Lady, were you unaware? Borfe are magic beasts. Their shells are so hard that being kicked by commoners won't kill them."
It wasn't a question of whether it would die or not—the very idea of a game where you kick around a living creature was troubling—but that line of thinking simply didn't get through here. This was just how things were done, so I held my tongue.
The competition of chasing and kicking Borfe looked a lot like soccer. Roughly in the center of the court, somewhat wobbly lines were drawn, dividing the players into teams.
Within each team's quarter, another line was drawn, and a ring was placed inside that frame. Apparently, you scored points by placing the Borfe into the ring.
Up until the Borfe entered the goal frame, it was kicked just like soccer, but once it was inside the frame, players could pick it up by hand and place it on the ring, or slam it down—so it became more like rugby or handball.
When held by hand, the impact was absorbed, and the Borfe would poke its head out, but if it showed its face, that was apparently a foul. You had to surrender the Borfe to the opposing team.
After entering the frame, players bounced it off the ground or passed it back and forth to apply impact as they headed for the goal.
"Ugh! ...That looks painful."
The body checks and shoving seemed to be taken for granted. In my eyes, this competition looked like a complete free-for-all. Players grabbed each other, snatched the Borfe, shoved opponents, and kicked.
"If there are injuries, it's not as big a deal since the farming work is already finished. Besides, this is an important competition that determines the hierarchy among the winter mansions. Isn't it natural for everyone to be fired up?"
The pecking order for the winter confinement period was determined by this competition, so the stakes were high. The players represented their farming villages, and it was a once-a-year match fought for honor.
"I understand why they're fired up, but it's frightening."
"Still, this is less dangerous than Ditter."
Eckhart said this while watching the Borfe. Yet another unfamiliar word had come up. Was Ditter also some kind of competition?
"...What is Ditter?"
"It was a competition commonly played at the
Just as Eckhart began speaking proudly about the Chief Priest from his Royal Academy days, an especially loud cheer erupted. It seemed the outcome had been decided.
Once the winner of Borfe was decided, the prize meat was gifted to the victorious village.
By the time the heated Borfe match ended, dishes were being placed one after another on the platforms lined up at the edge of the plaza. Children carried them over with cheers, and the adults began pouring drinks.
By then, the surroundings had grown dark, and the temperature had dropped sharply.
The moment I shivered in the cool autumn night breeze, Fran swiftly produced a warm cloak. Monica must have brought it. Our attendants were seriously competent.
In the center of the plaza where Borfe had been played, a fire—not quite the size of a campfire—had been lit for warmth and light. By the glow of the bonfire, the feast began.
The town mayor proposed a toast, honoring a year of hard work and preparing for the harsh winter ahead, and then it was drinking, eating, and merrymaking.
During that time, we—who had already finished eating—joined the town mayor and other prominent figures for discussions about taxes and the food being offered as tribute. This year apparently saw a bountiful harvest in several years, and the town mayor's face was bright with good spirits. Since I didn't know what last year had been like, I had nothing to compare it to.
Actually transporting the collected goods to Ehrenfest would be the next morning's work.
Even after the sun had set and it was completely dark, the festival was far from over.
As soon as people were sated with food, everything was cleared away except for alcohol and simple snacks.
Once the meal cleanup began, people gathered with instruments, and music began to resound.
The bride and groom—the guests of honor for the day—came out first and began to dance. One by one, men and women joined hands and danced with them. There were children who had just completed their
Everyone around clapped, whistled, and stomped their feet, building the excitement. Cheers and loud singing rang out as thanks for the harvest were shouted.
It was the kind of festival where you felt swept up by the sea of smiling faces, energy, and heat.
When the seventh bell rang, the Harvest Festival concluded.
The children were taken off to bed, the women quickly tidied up, and the men scrambled to secure enough alcohol to continue drinking in their rooms.
And then we were invited by the town mayor and other prominent figures to "have a nice chat."
"It's already past Lady Rozemyne's bedtime."
When Eckhart said that and ordered everyone to disperse, I was escorted by Fran and Brigitte to a prepared room for my retreat.
As we bathed and prepared for bed, I heard Monica and Nicola's accounts of the Harvest Festival from an attendant's perspective. Since it was the first Harvest Festival for both of them, they had apparently encountered many surprising and enjoyable things.
The next day, Justus was working as a tax collector from early in the morning. After confirming that the goods matched what had been discussed at the festival, he spread out a large cloth with a magic circle drawn on it across yesterday's stage. He placed magic stones at the four corners, chanted something, and then placed the collected crops on top. In the next instant, the crops were enveloped in light and vanished.
"Is this how they're sent to Ehrenfest?"
"Yes, that's right. And this is Lady Rozemyne's share."
He marked my portion—the
In the case of other Blue Priests and Shrine Maidens, the goods sent this way were picked up by their families' noble houses. In my case, it was the castle, so the castle cook would process it for Winter Preparations.
Once the tax collection was complete, we departed for the next winter mansion. After seeing off the attendants' carriage, those of us riding magical beasts spent the morning at a leisurely pace.
...Ah, the Harvest Festival really is fun.
That was what I thought—until the third day.
Being in the whirlwind of festival excitement day after day was exhausting. For the people around me, this was a once-a-year festival, but I had already spent ten days in that whirlwind.
I longed for quiet, ordinary days with nothing happening. I wanted to go back to the temple and lock myself in the Library.
By the time I had grown sick of the festivals and was feeling drained, we arrived at Dollvan. It was a small town in the southernmost part of my Harvest Festival circuit, with a winter mansion for the surrounding farming villages. On the outskirts of the villages near Dollvan grew Luer, an autumn ingredient used for the medicine I was developing—Leibling.
The Night of
Two days until the full moon. Even after finishing the Harvest Festival, I told the town mayor that I would be staying through the Night of Schutzaria, and returned a portion of the donated goods to cover lodging expenses.
Since the nonstop, heat-filled festivals had worn not just me but everyone down considerably, the rest was just what we needed. I took a fatigue-recovery potion and slept soundly to recover.
While I was at it, I was shown around the winter mansion at Dollvan. I wondered whether a traveling temple classroom might be possible as I walked through the winter mansion. I spread open the picture book Fran had read aloud during the Baptism Ceremony and read it aloud again. Not just the children from the ceremony, but many more children listened with great interest.
Since there was little entertainment in winter, if done right, it might even raise the literacy rate of the farming villages.
"Tonight is the Night of Schutzaria."
Justus told me this over lunch.
Apparently, the full moon's light caused Luer to bear fruit. That was why the gathering had to take place at night.
"Make sure you take a good nap, my Lady. The Luer won't ripen until late at night."
Eckhart, Justus, and Damuel planned to go find the Luer trees after lunch. They would mark them, return, wait for the moon to rise, and then set out—the schedule was laid out for me.
"Understood."
I did as I was told, took a nap, and woke in the evening.
At dinner, Eckhart reported that the Luer had been found.
"I've marked the location, so we can set out tonight once it's dark. Are you feeling all right, Rozemyne?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
Just as the meal was about to end, an Ordonnanz flew in. The Chief Priest apparently couldn't make it due to a scheduling conflict. Eckhart let out a disappointed sigh.
"We've found the Luer, so tonight we'll go gather it as planned. We'll collect Ferdinand's share as well."
Finally, after dealing with the Harvest Festival's main event, it seemed I could at last head out to gather materials.
Fran was really put through the wringer when Eckhart pushed that reception woman on him at Hasse. What a disaster.
Next time: Gathering Luer.