Chapter 18: It Was the Spring Festival, and Yet

It was the spring festival, and yet Belgrieve was grimacing from the pain all over his body. He had moved in ways he usually did not and forced out more power than he could ordinarily muster. It was as if his body was being jarred each time he tried shifting around. He had both muscle and joint pain, it seemed.

However, he was still glad he had done it. He had learned that Angeline was far more agile than he had known. Belgrieve didn’t consider himself particularly strong, and her being able to beat him did not necessarily mean she was safe, but at the very least, she wasn’t just using obvious maneuvers that even he could see through.

With that said, his suggestion to break family ties had backfired immensely. Angeline had been stuck fast to him since the sparring match, her face locked in a pout, and she seemed in a terrible mood even as she held tight to him. When he finally tried to peel her off, she growled at him like a beast.

“Ange?” he said, somewhat hesitantly.

“What?”

“Umm...it was all my fault. I admit it. Could you get off of me now?”

“No...I don’t forgive you yet.”

Ultimately, he headed out to the spring festival with Angeline stuck to his back, and the villagers laughed when they saw the two of them.

Kerry jovially poked him in the shoulder. “Bwa ha ha ha! Hey Bell! That’s a big baby you have there.”

“Ha ha, this and that happened... They’re laughing at us, Ange. Why don’t you come down now?”

“No!”

She exerted even more strength, and Belgrieve gave a resigned laugh.

Unlike the fall festival, this was a meager celebration limited to the villagers. Everyone gathered at the church, where Father Maurice offered his prayers. The villagers closed their eyes and put their hands together.

Those who knew the cruelty of nature tended to be rather devout. The people of Turnera were no exception, but unlike in the capital, the local animist worship of nature seemed to have gotten syncretized into the doctrines of the Church of Vienna, and this was the faith most of them adhered to. They revered Almighty Vienna but also offered their thanks to the spirits of nature. Belgrieve was like this as well.

Once the service was over, they left for the town square, where they drank and sang and made merry. Their tunes weren’t as good as those of the wandering minstrels, but anybody who could play brought out their instruments and put on a performance as the young village girls danced. Stew and porridge simmered in large pots, sweetbreads kneaded with dried grapes and cowberries were served alongside meats and fish that were roasted over open fires, and barrels of cider were cracked open.

This was the perfect opportunity to disseminate all the gifts Angeline had brought from Orphen. The villagers rejoiced at the sugary sweets and spirits that were hard to come by in Turnera, and Belgrieve was relieved that his house was finally decluttered.

Belgrieve sat in a corner of the square, sipping on cider as he gazed at the musical performances. Angeline had stopped clinging to his back by then, though now she was just huddled up beside him, drinking the same cider. Anessa and Miriam were giggling—they seemed to find something funny about the sight.

“What?” Angeline looked at them doubtfully.

“Nothing... I was just thinking the two of you really are parent and child. Right, Merry?”

“Yep. You’re so close.”

“Precisely...heh heh,” Angeline smugly laughed and leaned her weight against Belgrieve. This exacerbated his pains, and he grimaced.

“Ange...it hurts if you put all your weight on me.”

“No. You have to bear with it.”

“Ugh...” he gave up, stroking his beard with an ambiguous look on his face.

There were pleasant conversations flying around, and cheerful disharmonies being sung. The young village men fidgeted as they served food to Anessa and Miriam, additionally offering them flowers, and receiving stern pokes from the village girls.

Angeline’s party would return to Orphen soon; they were needed there. The thought did make Belgrieve feel a little lonely, but he was happy to know his daughter was regarded so highly as to be relied upon. He had to send her off with a smile.

As these thoughts occupied his mind, he unwittingly went through several cups of cider. He was beginning to feel nice and a bit floaty. His senses were dulling, and the pain wasn’t so bad anymore.

Angeline’s pouty expression had softened as well, her spaced-out eyes gazing off into nowhere in particular.

That was where Hoffman came up to them in high spirits. “Oh, Bell! You drinking?”

“Yes, I’ve had my share. Great weather for a festival.”

“Ha ha, it’s the blessings of the spirits and Vienna!” Hoffman said, taking a heavy seat beside Belgrieve.

“So, about maintaining the roads.”

“Hmm...how’s it looking?” Belgrieve leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Ever since Angeline arrived, he had only been briefly poking his head into the town meetings. There was always some sort of uproar whenever he stopped by, and perhaps it wasn’t looking too favorable.

Hoffman gave a broad smile, taking a sip of cider. “The elders were against it, but we finally got everyone on board yesterday. We can give a unanimous reply to Countess Bordeaux.”

“Glad to hear it. Turnera won’t be cut off from the world anymore.”

Hoffman laughed and produced a letter from the folds of his coat. “So anyway, Bell. I want this reply delivered to the Bordeaux Estate... Can I leave it to you?”

“Me?” Belgrieve let his next sip of cider linger in his mouth a bit.

“It’s an important letter,” Hoffman nodded. “I want to leave it with someone reliable. You’ve got the skills, and the countess trusts you. I want you to deliver the letters and hear out any discussion about the project.”

“That sounds like a chief’s job.” Belgrieve mischievously smiled.

Hoffman frowned. “I’m asking you because you told me I’m too humble.”

“Quit sulking, I get it already.”

They laughed over their cups, and Angeline, who had heard everything, leaned in.

“When are you going...?”

“Huh? Oh... When do you need it delivered by?”

“Let’s see. The sooner the better...”

Hearing that, Angeline clung to Belgrieve’s arm with gleaming eyes. “Then...you can accompany us partway back to Orphen, dad!”

“Hmm...you’re right. Didn’t think of that.”

Sure enough, Angeline would be headed back to Orphen before long. He would be able to cut down on the travel time a bit if he hitched a ride on her carriage. More importantly, that meant more time together. As far as Angeline was concerned, traveling with Belgrieve would be the best experience of all.

Belgrieve downed his cup and nodded.

“Let’s go with that. I’ll have the girls guard me there.”

“Hooray! When do you want to go?!”

“If faster is better, I can be ready tomorrow...but Ange, don’t you want to stay in Turnera a little longer?”

“No, I’m fine if I can travel with you, dad... Tomorrow!”

Angeline happily stood, calling out to Anessa and Miriam, who were among the village youth.

“We’re returning to Orphen tomorrow! With dad!”

“Eh?! With Mr. Bell?”

“Yay! Mr. Bell is making a comeback!”

They both rushed over excitedly.

Belgrieve waved his hand, flustered. “Wrong, wrong, I’ve got business to attend to. I’m only going as far as Bordeaux.”

“Oh...I see. A shame...”

“Hmph, I thought I could go on an adventure with you.”

Anessa scratched her cheek, looking let down, while Miriam pouted. Belgrieve didn’t know they felt that attached to him, and he stroked his beard with a wry smile. It was awkward, but he did not particularly mind the feeling.

In any case, with that decided, he would have to prepare. As the spring festival heated up, he returned to his house and got his baggage in order. He wanted to prepare quickly and be back in time to watch the lanterns set adrift.

A round trip to Bordeaux territory would mean he would be away from home for a week—he would need to clean too in that case. He didn’t want rats to get into anything while he was away, so he stuffed everything valuable into sturdy boxes.

Still, the pain made his movements duller than usual, and his preparations took longer than he expected. By the time he had painstakingly finished his preparations, the sun had set, and it had grown terribly dark. He reached the square just as the villagers had returned from their homes with paper lanterns.

“Oh, you’re here!” Kerry welcomed him with a laugh. “Just in time. We were about to send them downstream.”

“Ha ha, that’s great.”

He joined the crowd as they headed to the river. The flickering light of the bonfire cast irregular shadows, stretching and shrinking. The sun had just set, and the faint light lingering in the western sky embellished the distinct ridge of the mountain. However, the sky overhead was dark and dotted with stars.

The snowmelt had raised the river’s level, and it now gave off a rushing sound, flowing with vigor. There was still ice clinging to the banks, and he could slip if he wasn’t careful.

The priest chanted a ritual prayer, and the lanterns were set atop the flow. The numerous vermilion lights rode the current until they were eventually swallowed by the water, where they vanished. After that, only the luminescence of the glowgrass faintly persisted a while in the river’s depths.

Anessa breathed out a frosty sigh of amazement. “What a strange feeling.”

“What about it?” Miriam asked her.

“It’s quiet. The festivals in Orphen are so boisterous, right? I’ve never been to such a solemn one before... How should I put it...”

“Ah, I think I get it. It’s not like a mass at church either.”

Belgrieve chuckled. “We’ll be feasting again when we’re back in the square. We calmly send the ancestral ghosts along the current, and get rowdy after that.”

“Hmm, interesting. Turnera’s a nice place.”

“Ha ha, I’m glad to hear that. Well, we’ve got to leave tomorrow, so we should call it a day. Let’s go, Ange.”

“Hmm?” Ange turned, startled. She had been staring at the stream.

The four of them returned to the house and raised a fire from the embers buried in the ash. Belgrieve left to confirm some matters with Hoffman, and as the thought of traveling with him had put her in a good mood, Angeline did not insist on going with him. After the three girls had washed up, they sat vacantly in front of the fireplace. They had lazed around at the noon banquet, eating all sorts of things, so they weren’t the least bit hungry.

“Sigh... It went by so fast...” Miriam muttered.

“Yeah. We were supposed to be here for two weeks, but it went by just like that,” Anessa said, resting her chin on her knees. “What should we do... I took it so easy here, I’m worried I can’t return to my normal life...”

“Whoa, you’re right. Will our instincts come back...? We did tag along with Ange and Mr. Bell’s training, though.”

“We’re not frontliners...but we’ll be fine. Probably.”

“Right, right, we should power up for as much as we kicked back. Ange got a wake-up call, so she should be stronger when she gets back.”

Angeline was sprawled out supine on the bed, and Miriam prodded her in the thigh.

“Ugh,” Angeline grunted and curled up. “I never relaxed my guard to begin with. Dad is just special.”

“Hey, you’ll make Mr. Bell mad if you say that.”

“Hee hee, he might cut you off for real. Then he’ll be my father after that.”

“What! I can’t let that one slide, Merry!”

“Wah!”

Angeline jumped onto Miriam and tickled her. They horsed around for a bit while laughing. They were so close to the fireplace that Anessa watched anxiously, not quite knowing if she should stop them.

The time they spent slaying fiends in Orphen was different from the few days they had lived in Turnera. Here, their S-Rank party had completely cut loose. By comparison, days off in Orphen were dizzyingly stimulating, and while that could be fun, it didn’t feel as though they had rested afterward. These past two weeks had gone by without incident, consisting of unhurried work each day, walking around the peaceful mountains, and talking by the fire at night. Once this comfort had taken root, it was unsettling when the time came to leave it behind.

That was when Belgrieve returned and tapped on the door. Angeline, who was still wrestling with Miriam, rushed to the door in the blink of an eye and threw it open. The open air rushed in, causing the fireplace, the lamp, and the candle to flicker.

Belgrieve took off his coat and hung it on the wall, grimacing at his aching body, and cracking his neck that had gone stiff from the cold.

“Good grief, the nights are still chilly... Does anyone else feel cold?”

“I’m good.”

“It’s gotten quite a bit warmer than when we first came. Perhaps I’ve just gotten used to it though.”

“That’s good. A bit of a waste to leave just as you’ve grown accustomed to it though,” Belgrieve said, laughing. He tossed another log onto the fire.

Angeline latched onto his back. “Dad...when are we going tomorrow?”

“After we’ve cleaned up the beds and eaten breakfast... We’ll have to leave before noon. Otherwise, we’ll have to camp out.”

“Okay! Got it!”

Angeline smiled as she buried her mouth in his hair. She was so happy she didn’t know what to do with herself.

He removed his shoes, sitting down on the bed’s blanket. He carefully removed his right leg, thoroughly wiping it off with an old cloth before setting it aside.

All of a sudden, there was silence but for the ambient noises of the outside wind rattling the shutters and the flickering fire creeping onto the new log. These sounds came off that much louder when there was nothing else to hear. Miriam swayed ever so slightly, her gaze drifting all around; Angeline’s eyes were half-closed even as she clung to Belgrieve’s back.

With a snap, the log burst, and a bit of burning wood rolled outside of the fire. Belgrieve nonchalantly picked it up and tossed it back in.

“I-Isn’t that hot?” Anessa looked at him, surprised.

“Hmm? Oh, the wood? I’ve been swinging a sword and a spade for so long, the skin on my hand’s thickened up. Sure, it would be hot if I kept holding it, but it’s fine for just a moment,” Belgrieve said and showed his hand. It was certainly hard and bumpy with calluses. Anessa inadvertently found herself reaching out to touch it and snapped to her senses.

“Umm...can I touch it?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

She touched his hand gently. It was quite a peculiar texture. There were a few places that had hardened after a blister was crushed, and other parts where dirt and grime had filled in the crevices. However, it didn’t feel bad—it was as if this hand was a testament to the life Belgrieve had lived. That line of thought made her feel like a meager youngling, and for some reason, Anessa felt embarrassed for herself.

“Amazing... You worked hard enough for it to get like this.”

“No, I’m just clumsy. There was nothing else I was capable of.”

Belgrieve chuckled. He reached out for the kettle hanging over the fire and poured a cup of hot water.

“Now then, it’s been a while since I left Turnera... You’ll make sure this old man gets where he’s going safely—won’t you, adventurer?” he said in jest, sipping the water.

Anessa chuckled. Angeline opened her drowsy eyes, renewing her grip on Belgrieve.

“I’m sleepy.”

“Yeah, we have an early morning. Let’s go to bed... Looks like Merry’s asleep already.”

“Oh, you’re right...”

Anessa hadn’t realized it, but Miriam was already snoring, face up on her bed. Belgrieve tucked Angeline in, then stood and snuffed out the lamp and candle. The only light left came from the fireplace. The corners of the ceiling and walls were wrapped in the dusk.

He lay down, pulling the blanket over himself. Though Anessa had been awake until then, she was as sleepy as the rest of them, and it wasn’t long before he heard her breathing calm and slow to regular intervals.

Belgrieve closed his eyes and stilled himself. He heard Angeline breathing beside him, and the occasional snapping of the fireplace. He hadn’t expected he would be leaving Turnera like this, but it would be an interesting trip in its own right—better yet, with his daughter along for the ride. Though there had been some rough patches, he was sad to see Angeline leave Turnera, and it wasn’t a bad thing to stay with her a little while more.

However, if he left, he didn’t know how Turnera would deal with fiends. He had brought it up with Hoffman, but was laughed off. According to Hoffman, the children Belgrieve had taught to use a sword had grown into decently skilled young men and women, and there was nothing to worry about.

And yet, if they could manage without him, did that mean he was not needed in Turnera? Perhaps that was the case. Perhaps he had grown too conceited, and that was a little embarrassing to consider.

For now, he had to sleep. However, he was growing excited even at his age, and couldn’t quite find the right mindset. When he lay still, the pain also began to annoy him. For it to continue this long, he must have pushed himself considerably.

He considered counting sheep when Angeline, who was supposed to be asleep, whispered: “Dad...are you awake?”

“Hmm...I’m awake,” he answered softly without opening his eyes.

“Hee hee... I can’t sleep,” she said. “Even though I was so sleepy.”

“Right... I’m in the same boat.”

“So, you know... Have you thought about going all the way to Orphen? I’m making a lot of money... I could rent a home big enough for the two of us together...”

For a while, Belgrieve kept his eyes and mouth shut. Eventually, he slowly reached out and patted Angeline’s head.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.”

“Then—”

But Belgrieve went on before Angeline could take that as affirmation.

“But you know...if I did that, I wouldn’t come back to Turnera anymore.”

“Umm...that’s... But...”

“Your father, you see... He considers this place his home. It’s where your father came from, and where you came from too, Ange... Of course, I’m glad you feel that way. But I think I’m going to protect this as a place for you to return to. You like Turnera, don’t you, Ange?”

“Yeah...I love it.” Angeline squirmed under the cover, locking Belgrieve in an embrace. “I get it...but we’re together until Bordeaux!”

“Yeah, that’s right... So go to sleep.”

“Yeah... Goodnight, dad.”

“Goodnight, Ange.”

The night slowly drew on.