Chapter 35

Just as three months ago, before me stand the well-trained knights of the army.

They are all wearing matching dark blue uniforms. It's a warm spring day, so they have taken off their capes, making the button decorations on their open-fronted jackets more prominent.

The buttons are connected in two rows with beautiful braided cords.

I stand slightly elevated on a small stage, looking down at them, but there is a lack of the tension one would expect in a formal inspection.

This is because they are all grinning.

I glare down at them as hard as I can, but when our eyes meet, Jean looks away, trying to suppress his laughter.

His mouth is smiling!

The square is smaller than the palace courtyard, so I can see everything clearly!

Even though I glare at them, it doesn't work as well as Lord Joshua's. Why is that?

With a loud "Clang!" of the baton, everyone's backs straightened up.

Good, good. But their faces! They lack seriousness!

If they fail, I'll make them all drink that alcohol at that shop!

I give Jean a signal with my eyes, and although his mouth is smiling, the performance begins properly.

As the drum roll starts, everyone's faces finally become serious.

Phew, that's better.

If the knights are grinning, they don't look cool.

The journey from the inn where Lord Joshua came to pick me up to the Gyl-Ganzena Castle took a whole day.

I was supposed to attend the rehearsal yesterday, but for the first time in my life, I got a hangover.

I couldn't endure the carriage's jolting, so we had to stop for the night, which is why I ended up arriving directly on the day of the spring performance.

The knights found out about my hangover, and this has made our first meeting in a long time less serious.

Lord Joshua was also laughing, his shoulders shaking, when he saw me with a hangover.

Yes, I did the same thing last time.

I now understand how humiliating it is.

But I was much kinder! I let you rest on my lap!

The performance was perfect.

I conducted it casually, but the band was so well-rehearsed that it was almost unnecessary.

The band has improved a lot while I've been traveling around the territory.

We could add more instruments, but then it might be hard to tell if it's a band or an army. What about adding a flag? Or sword dancing?

Before I knew it, the performance was over, and cheers erupted. There were many more spectators than last year, and the shops were lined up everywhere.

I descended from the stage, joined the choir, and waved the baton, and Bersamum played the piano prelude.

The hymns I spent a year spreading. The audience naturally began to sing along.

Although the voices are still few, I hope that during the miko tour, they will sing so loudly that the steep mountains will echo.

Thinking this, I gathered people at each place, provided them with drinks, and had men and women sing different parts.

The call and response. The beauty of the harmonies in certain parts.

The joy and happiness of singing with someone rather than alone.

I wanted people to experience this during the miko tour.

It's only possible because the tour has been extended for a year.

The song ended quietly, and I bowed to Lord Joshua and the other guests in the VIP seats.

This year, Lord Joshua's short, energetic speech. It's good that his speeches are short.

After the ceremony, couples with children lined up before me.

"Sir priest, please bless this child."

They finally remembered this custom of blessing.

The songstresses and priests send blessings along with their songs.

This custom, which is common in the capital, seemed to have been forgotten in this land.

As I traveled around the territory teaching hymns, I gave blessings to children.

Children are treasures. They are our hope.

Songstresses, as representatives of women who bear children, are educated to bless children first.

The older people told me that in the past, the lord or the village elder would give blessings.

I asked those who stayed for the choir time to send blessings with songs and words.

Before I knew it, a crowd had gathered, so I lined up a few people and had the choir send blessings.

As more and more people gathered, I divided the choir in half, separating the band and the singers, and had them take turns singing.

This is the most familiar scene of the spring day for me.

After the midnight ceremony, when I take a nap and go to the temple, every year, the square is filled with people waiting for blessings.

Blessings can be given whenever they are desired, but blessings from the miko and songstresses are only given during various festivals.

Especially during the spring festival, which is an important festival for the people, the days before and after the festival are always busy.

During the miko tour, I hope even more people will gather than those who are here now.

The tour comes around once in a lifetime, if at all. Some of the older people remember the pilgrimage 20 years ago and spoke fondly of their memories.

The beautiful songs and the demure princesses, just by being there, uplift people's spirits. The previous tour was for the repose of the souls of the former lord and lady, Lord Joshua's parents, who died in the earthquake after the volcanic eruption, so it must have been a great comfort to the people who had lost hope.

As I was giving blessings, the governor came to call me to greet the guests. The guests here are the lords who are entrusted with various regions of the Carving territory.

My throat was getting tired, so it was just in time. I headed there, sucking on a small candy.

This year, I stand next to Lord Joshua to receive the greetings.

For some reason, everyone is talking longer this year.

The anticipation for the miko tour is palpable, and it's exhausting.

I can't help but sigh, and Lord Joshua smiles with concern.

I don't want you to look at me like that.

I don't want to fall for you any more than I already have.