Published: August 15, 2025
The journey through the sky to Hasse was short, and we arrived quickly. I landed first at the small temple and unloaded all the attendants and exclusive servants except for Fran.
“Please prepare the rooms and meals here,” I instructed.
“Understood,” came the reply.
After finishing the luggage, I immediately headed toward Hasse’s Winter Hall. As I hovered above the Winter Hall, I furrowed my brow.
…Huh? There’s no one here?
At last year’s harvest festival, the wide plaza like a playground was bustling with preparations and crowds of people eagerly waiting. But this year, there were no signs of festival preparations, and no one was around.
…Did I get the date wrong?
I had sent a letter in advance stating the date of my visit, but perhaps I had written it incorrectly or misread it.
Brigitte, who was running past me, suddenly pointed down and guided the mounts to descend. At the main entrance of the Winter Hall, a few figures could be seen. Squinting, I recognized Licht and the town mayors from various farming villages kneeling and waiting.
“Head Priest, welcome,” they greeted.
As I helped everyone dismount, Fran, Aheim, and Egon each unloaded wooden crates filled with luggage and stacked them up. Surprisingly, they had quite a lot of belongings, including necessities for daily living, educational wooden tag boxes, and entertainment items.
I put the mounts away and asked Licht, “Licht, is there no harvest festival this year?”
“…As expected, Hasse is currently under the lord’s disfavor, so we refrained from holding a large-scale festival. We only conducted tax collection and the ceremonies,” explained Licht.
He said that due to the watchful eyes of nearby residents and passing merchants, it was difficult to hold the usual festival.
Still, they couldn’t skip important events like the baptism ceremony, coming-of-age ceremony, and weddings, so these were quietly held in the hall of the Winter Hall.
“…I see.”
I furrowed my brow, considering the residents’ feelings who had endured a year without blessings, no festivals—an annual highlight—and were now under the watchful eye of the gray priests acting as my proxies.
…Is it really okay to bring these two into such a resentful Winter Hall?
Glancing over at Aheim and Egon, Fran stepped forward and began introducing them to Licht and the others.
“These are the gray priests who will act as the head priest’s proxies and stay here during the winter.”
“I am Aheim.”
“I am Egon.”
Aheim and Egon crossed their arms over their chests and bowed slightly.
A tense atmosphere swept over Licht and the others as they looked at the two. Even though they were gray priests, they were my representatives and teachers. They were likely wary, curious about the kind of people who would influence Hasse’s future.
“Licht, could you show them to their rooms? They need to put away their luggage, and I want to see where they’ll be staying.”
“Certainly. This way, please.”
We entered the Winter Hall and began walking towards the room Aheim and Egon would use. Attendants carrying wooden crates, guard knights, and Justox followed behind.
One of the village mayors, under Licht’s instruction, rushed ahead as a scout. At the same time, the noise and playful voices of children quieted down.
…I can feel eyes watching from all around.
Climbing the creaking stairs into the living quarters, I spotted children peeking out from doorways and corners. When our eyes met, I smiled, but their faces showed surprise before they quickly hid. It seemed they regarded us as something terrifying.
…It makes sense to see nobles as frightening, but the way the boys cautiously approached like testing their courage made me a bit uneasy.
Some doors were slightly open, or had gaps through which I could see inside the rooms. From the atmosphere, it reminded me of my old home in downtown—especially the old days.
Basically, each family used one room, and the sizes varied. Some rooms were as big as classrooms, where a dozen or so people lived on straw bedding; others were smaller but had beds.