Chapter 7

When I returned to the Carving territory, I felt a hint of spring. Although it is south of the capital, the castle, situated halfway up the mountain range, was still quite cold.

Relax.

It’s so quiet.

While feeling the warmth of the café au lait in my hands, I savored the silence.

The view from the open window was of a withered forest, still feeling the chill of winter, a cold forest.

But I don’t dislike it.

I quite like it.

"Are you not cold, Lady Arie?"

Belsam, the maid, asked with a gentle voice, showing her concern. She’s a cute, plump girl, skilled at the piano, and very useful.

She’s also a good singer. If she had been five years younger, she could have participated in the selection for the Songstress.

The selection for the Songstress is only for those 15 years old and younger. Here, where the temple functions are in decline, even with talent, there is no environment to nurture it.

The Carving territory was in worse condition than I had imagined a year ago. Repeated earthquakes and bad weather had damaged the key trading points, and the recovery efforts had been insufficient. People were gradually leaving this land, further exacerbating its decline.

The current lord, Joshua, lost his parents in a natural disaster when he was very young and was raised in the capital.

During that time, this land was entrusted to the Orsein family, relatives and neighbors, but they did not manage the territory well.

The Carving border territory, as its name suggests, is a territory that guards the border with the neighboring country.

It is specially allowed to maintain a private army.

However, the noble relative, the Earl, lacked military experience and could not handle the army and trade economy effectively.

The Earl of Orsein, who had been doing nothing, tried to transfer authority to Joshua as soon as he came of age, but it was not something a boy raised in the capital could handle.

Joshua, in order to lead the army, received knight training in the royal guard and learned about estate management directly from his royal relatives.

This information came from Bernard, the butler of this castle.

So?

It’s not that I need to know all this. Maybe it’s just a topic of conversation.

Probably, it’s his way of atoning for the harsh treatment I received at first. Lately, the people in the castle have been unusually kind, which is a bit scary.

Well, it’s time to get ready.

Today, I have practice with the volunteer band I gathered at the temple.

The main performance is in three months, at the spring festival for the people of the territory.

The Carving border territory was in decline, affecting the morale of the people. Poverty and boredom rob people of hope.

Enriching the land and stabilizing the people is the lord's job, but it is the temple's job to give them joy in life and stabilize their hearts.

The people of the declining land had forgotten how to sing. The festivals lacked luster, and there were few laughs.

Here, advanced music theory is meaningless. So, I chose something simpler and more spectacular.

I selected a march with percussion instruments.

Since there are beasts, we can make drums. With the forest, we can make xylophones. And then, flutes.

It took a year to gather the instruments.

I ride to the temple. Since coming here, I learned to ride a horse. I’m not very good, but it’s fast and convenient, and I need fewer guards.

Thirty people had already gathered.

More than usual.

And many of them were from the military. They must be bored.

"Welcome back, Priestess. I brought the trumpets."

Oh, right. I asked the military to lend us their trumpets!

I’ll leave the trumpets to the military people and start the warm-up.

The practice time is one hour. Any longer, and they lose concentration.

I stomp my feet twice and clap my hands on the third beat. A simple three-beat rhythm.

Without needing to shout for them to line up, they naturally form a circle when this starts.

Gradually, more people gather, the rhythm aligns, and they stomp the ground forcefully, as if to dispel the mountain's slumber.

The embarrassment in everyone's eyes disappears, and the anticipation for what’s to come grows. That’s when I raise my voice.

Roar! The sun of victory rises! Rise up! Rise up! We will not lose!

I encourage them with a song that ignores the proper singing techniques, and they respond with a chant.

I will win! I will win!

A simple three-beat rhythm with bold lyrics.

This is a song from a play about the founding of a country. It’s perfect for getting the people of Carving, who had forgotten how to sing, to sing loudly.

Look, everyone’s faces have become more spirited.

When we finished singing, an old man who had been watching nearby was clapping enthusiastically.

"This is popular around here! I heard it in every tavern on my way here! It’s a cool song! Amazing! Amazing! Girl, you’re doing great!"

Is he a merchant? He’s probably about to cross the border.

"Popular?"

"Yeah. I came from the capital, and in every inn on the road, everyone was singing it. It’s even popular here. But this is the coolest I’ve heard! Did you teach them?"

"I’m glad you like it. Let’s do one more."

Next is a four-beat rhythm. I change the eighth beat to a sixteenth beat. This is more difficult than the three-beat rhythm, but they can manage. When the rhythm aligns, I add the singing.

This is a courtship song, a duet between a man and a woman.

I gradually increase the tempo as we sing.

At the climax, I raise my hand high and clap, and the song ends abruptly.

Good! Everyone learned well!

This is how I teach rhythm through the body.

This is how all Songstresses start learning rhythm.

It’s a very simple method, so I often use it when touring and playing with children. It’s an extension of play.

"Wow! This is amazing too! It makes me want to dance!"

"Exactly. This is a dance. A Lombard dance."

"Ah! No wonder! Girl, you’re amazing! Who are you?"

"Back off! This is a priestess from the Etua Temple!"

Kevin, my guard, stepped between the old man and me.

"A priestess? Such a girl? Why are you in such a border area? So, you’re the one who spread this!"

That’s right. I spread it on my way back from the capital.

Because when I ate at inns, they asked me to sing something.

Everyone expected hymns from a Songstress, but singing them all the time is tiring, and without accompaniment, there’s no way to cover up mistakes.

So, I taught them songs that everyone could sing, and they became popular in the taverns.

The songs spread faster than we did, and I was asked to sing at every stop.

It was fun.

So much fun that I was held up late into the night, and in some towns, people came out to welcome us without any prior notice, and I was made to perform at the temple, causing a three-day delay in my arrival. I’m sorry.

The plan was to stay in the capital for five days with some leeway, but I couldn’t make many visits, so I thought, "Well, it’s fine this time." But then, I was scolded by Diva at a ball.

In the end, I asked Joshua to extend my stay and gave guidance to the Songstresses.

I returned the next day.

But when I got back, I was scolded by Prince Oscar and Rettim. They even sent me letters.

First-time experiences are always fraught with mishaps.

Someone, please tell me what to do!