Under the blue sky, flags of various colors fluttered.
Today was the first day of the tournament qualifiers, the first event of the harvest festival. Knights dressed in attire bearing symbols of their regions or families gathered at the tournament grounds set up throughout the castle.
During the festival period, the common folk were granted free access to the castle during the day. Families or lovers dressed festively and enjoyed watching the qualifiers, spreading joyous laughter like the wind.
"Do you think the lion will win?"
"The griffin, it's the griffin!"
Over half of the tournament participants were from other regions. The Penmwick people didn't know the names of the knights competing in the qualifiers but identified them by the emblems on their backs or chests. They speculated on who would win and sometimes genuinely cheered for their favorites.
Neris slowly surveyed the castle in preparation for any potential issues. Lower-ranking officials rushed to her, reported any changes, and hurried back.
"Advisor, the center of Arena 6 is too worn out. We may need to move the matches to another location while repairs are made."
"Understood. From what I recall, the matches in Arena 2 and Arena 7 ended quickly, so there should be some flexibility there. Move them there."
"Advisor, Sir Fairbrunt, the winner of the last match, seems to have sustained an injury and may not be able to participate in the next match. He believes he can participate if the match order is delayed. What should we do?"
"If possible, accommodate his request. Sir Fairbrunt traveled by carriage for a solid three weeks to get here. It would be a shame if he won on the first day but couldn't participate in the next match."
The number of participants in the first day of qualifiers exceeded one hundred. Naturally, accidents were rampant.
'But there are no major issues.'
At least there were no cases of serious crimes or harm to spectators. Attempts at bribery had been made several times and were ongoing.
'Giving bribes so casually. It will erode trust in meritocracy.'
There was no such behavior in the central region. If anyone in the central region gave or received bribes, not only their position but even their life would be threatened.
However, those unfamiliar with the central region were different. The subordinate lords who came for the festival or the lower-ranking knights participating in the tournament made every effort to offer a coin to everyone they encountered, starting from the stewards who welcomed them.
Things wouldn't proceed according to procedure, and if someone didn't openly show bribes to others, they believed they would lose to those who did.
Was this how it was throughout Maindland before Cledwyn's reign? The central region changed first under his rule, right?
If so, it seemed like he deliberately held the tournament for a reason. It was a good event to showcase fair standards, strict justice, and the need to resolve conflicts according to rules in front of participants from all over the Grand Duchy.
The ball was centered around the nobility, especially the high-ranking individuals, and only the lords could submit excellent apples. This allowed lower-ranking nobles to participate freely, and how advantageous was it to have a tournament where the common folk could watch their fights?
Neris was lost in thought. Walking under the high autumn sky, the sunlight shining brightly, her simple dress revealing her managerial status was minimally adorned and dark in color. Yet, her graceful walk stood out like a petal among the vibrant evening gowns.
Passersby unconsciously lost themselves in her presence. Especially the common folk from the lower town, who had only heard rumors of the Southern lady and the new advisor, couldn't help but gaze in wonder.
"It wasn't a malicious gaze. The confusing rumors that circulated when she first arrived had long since disappeared.
Now, positive rumors were gaining much more attention. Speculative remarks about her being a direct descendant of a hero, or holding a high position without a doubt even in the South, were circulating among not only the castle staff but also the subordinate lords, leading to specific praises.
Being the center of attention from both sides, the residents of the lower town enjoyed seeing her as if she were a legendary figure.
"Advisor! Advisor!"
Someone called out to Neris, parting the crowd. Neris, wondering if something had happened, looked in that direction with a furrowed brow.
It was a unfamiliar face. However, she knew who it was. Having roughly memorized the impressions of the tournament participants, she recognized him.
A man with a very small stature and a large mole near his nose, making it difficult to mistake him for someone else, eagerly rushed over as if he had the opportunity to stamp his face.
Neris knew that he had requested to meet her several times already. Despite his enthusiasm, there were two reasons why she hadn't actually met him yet.
First, too many people were requesting to meet her, and she had many important tasks to handle, so she couldn't accommodate everyone.
Second, he had a reputation for being fixated on giving bribes to central officials.
Since each participant had a lower-ranking official assigned to them, if there were any issues Neris needed to know about, they would have already been communicated. Even without such issues, it seemed that once he latched on, it would take considerable time and effort to shake him off.
Neris pretended not to hear his voice as she continued to ponder. Then, she subtly changed direction and slipped in between the tall knights around her.
"Are you the Advisor?"
The man looked around with a pleading voice. Neris also discreetly looked for a place to hide.
At that moment, someone grabbed her hand from below.
"Advisor?"
The whispering voice was that of a child. Neris checked the face of Gebertha, who lightly held her hand, and smiled.
"Gebertha. Where are your parents?"
"My father is getting ready for the match. My mother is helping him."
Gebertha's father, Hilbrin, was one of the participants who enthusiastically signed up for the tournament as soon as he heard it was taking place.
"Near here?"
"No. I often come to this castle and know the way. I sneaked out to play alone."
"Gebertha, even if you know the way, there are too many unfamiliar people in the castle right now..."
"It's okay. I'm smart. Advisor, you need to hide now, right? I know a good hiding spot. Would you like to come with me?"
Not wanting to explain adult matters to a child, Neris was about to deflect, but she changed her mind when she saw Gebertha's eager eyes.
The child may not know about the governance policies or bribery in Maindland, but she was keenly aware of the adults' reactions. So, instead of wasting time trying to evade the conversation, it might be better to quickly get assistance.
"Will you help?"
Neris whispered and asked, and Gebertha cleverly smiled.
"Let's go!"
The child tightly grasped Neris's hand and began running towards somewhere.
A gust of wind passed by. Neris deftly maneuvered through the crowd along a small path and dark corners rarely used by adults.
She threw herself into the thick bushes.
Rustle.
"Gebertha?"
Buried between the tall grass and lush leaves larger than a person's height, the outside noise was muffled. With her vision painted green, Gebertha let go of Neris's hand and smiled softly.
"No one comes here."
This was the Eastern Palace garden, and besides Neris and her mother, no one lived in the Eastern Palace.
Come to think of it, it was a perfect place for children to play. Gebertha gestured lightly to Neris as if treating her as an adventure companion.
"If you come this way, there's a place to sit."
The man's match was about to start soon. Perhaps if they stayed here for a while, they could return to the festival without any hindrance.
Considering her tight schedule, Neris should have turned back by now, but she didn't want to ignore the child's effort in bringing her here. With a sense of give and take, Neris followed Gebertha.
'Anyway, I had thought of coming to see it myself.'
Rustle. The autumn wind made a crisp and refreshing sound as it rustled through the bushes. The child, as if familiar, pushed through the branches and leaves, and leaped over what seemed to be a once well-trodden path. Finally, they reached a hazy glass wall.
"Here. The door is on this side."
Gebertha whispered and touched the glass, moving to the side. Dozens of tall glass panes were fitted into silver skeletal frames.
Neris could tell what it was. It was probably the greenhouse located deep within the Eastern Palace gardens.
"Have you been here before?"
"Yes. I discovered it last year. Adults don't come here, so you can relax here, Advisor."
This was the child's secret place.
Neris knew how much of a favor it was to invite someone to a secret place as a child. When Gebertha skillfully opened the greenhouse door, Neris respectfully bent her knee in front of the door.
"Thank you."
The child beamed with joy.
Over time, the neglected glass allowed only a little sunlight to filter in. However, being glass, the interior looked bright.
The greenhouse was quiet, unlike outside, and apart from plants against the walls, there were hardly any inside. Perhaps because rainwater didn't enter this area.
In the center of the greenhouse, a tall and fragrant tree still stood quietly. And in the spot that seemed most ideal for enjoying the shade of the tree, there was a long, elegant chair.
Neris approached the chair, her eyes narrowed.
Though showing signs of neglect, she could tell that the chair was originally designed for a high-ranking lady. It was more for one person to comfortably recline and enjoy the view rather than for multiple people to sit.
Being in the Eastern Palace greenhouse, it was likely an item used by the former Grand Duchess. If it belonged to previous generations, it would have been even more worn.
'Why was it left like this?'
The Eastern Palace garden has been left as it is due to a lack of manpower for maintenance? However, even when he said he could provide manpower, Cledwyn said there was no need for maintenance.
Doesn't that mean he doesn't want to 'manage' this place?
Why did the people of this castle leave everything untouched, including items used by the former Grand Duchess?
'As if...'
They couldn't touch it at all?
'Or.'
They wished for time to stand still.
Neris's speculation, completely unaware of the situation, could be a simple conjecture. She was well aware that there was always a shortage of people throughout the castle and the Eastern Palace. It was also a fact that it was difficult to clear out even unused rooms.
However, to her, this space, and the reception room she had seen in the Eastern Palace before, felt strangely eerie.
Not to mention the former Grand Duchess's bedroom, which was chained.
'Should I ask Ellen?'
But... Neris felt hesitant. She wasn't accustomed to approaching others' feelings. She didn't know how to ask about someone's situation without causing offense.
In her previous life, drawing people in had its merits like jewels in a treasure chest. But wouldn't it be an impossible task to ask Cledwyn why the greenhouse wasn't taken care of using those merits?
There was another strange thing in the greenhouse. Near the chair, there were several items that looked like children's toys, but they were all messy, as if they had been turned over with dirt and dust.
As Neris's gaze fell on the toys, Gebertha proudly pushed her chest forward.
"I found this!"
Found it?
"Where from?"
"Over there, outside."
Gebertha pointed to the front of the greenhouse. Perhaps someone had buried toys near the greenhouse, and Gebertha seemed to have dug them up.
"How did you know they were there and found them?"
"It was like a grave, so I dug and found this. Advisor, you can play with them sometimes too. You live here, right?"
As she said 'like this,' she roughly estimated the size of an adult's head with her hand. The toys were now hers since she had dug them up, but she was willing to lend them with care.
'It's dirty because it was dug up from the ground.'
Neris picked up a small toy shaped like a neck guard. And on the handle, she found the letter 'C.'