Chapter 69 - 6-8
Luchentin Alish, the former princess of the Kingdom of Siddim, continues to grow day by day.
Recently, she learned how to harvest wheat. The tool she uses is a small sickle. Wheat is cut around the middle of the stem. On the other hand, barley is cut at the root. A large scythe is used for this. Because the large scythe is heavy and sharp, a slip of the hand could result in cutting a friend's ankle.
Lucy is not particularly dexterous. Until she grasped the knack of handling the large scythe, her companions kept a wary distance from her, trembling.
Of the five members of Lucy's group, four are reapers who use sickles, and the remaining one is a binder who gathers the ears.
Yufie often served as the binder. Lucy tried it as well, but found it difficult in practice. The binder gathers the ears cut by the reapers and ties them with wheat straw. If one dawdles, the reapers continue to move forward.
Yufie, a girl with chestnut hair, has a nature that enjoys teaching others. While private chatter is forbidden during work, conversations related to the task are permitted. Under Yufie's guidance, Lucy's skill as a binder began to look the part.
Though Lucy's group had experienced petty conflicts, the hardship of the harvest work drowned out their small differences of opinion. The five members of Lucy's group gazed at the sunset while feeling a fulfilling emotional bond. Lucy revealed her amateurism in farm work everywhere and was in no position to demonstrate leadership, but perhaps that was for the best. A relationship had formed where everyone complemented someone else's weaknesses.
The five who gazed at the sunset together would head to the fields the next morning, feeling the air that had already grown cold, filled with a strong will to work.
Lucy's group, which contained many energetic people blessed with physical strength—such as Carmilla, Lyudmila, and Lucy—quickly finished the harvest of their assigned field. The bundles of wheat are carried into the shed after being dried.
Gleaning is generally not practiced. For the children, the elderly, and those unable to work due to ill health living in the nearby village of Fibril, the fallen ears are left untouched. They enter the fields whenever they like to gather the fallen ears, taking them home or turning them into money by delivering them to the convent.
Before threshing, Lucy's group first finished shelling beans. Furthermore, they finished making hay. Hay is fodder for livestock. Since Euryas does not have many livestock, it was not a great burden.
Threshing is done with a threshing flail. The ears of wheat are beaten with the flail. The wheat husks are sifted or blown away by the wind. This is as far as the work of the first-years goes. Grinding the wheat is the job of the third-years. Surprisingly, the Euryas Convent has a flour mill equipped with a small windmill.
With the coordinated cooperation of the five, Lucy's group pulled ahead of the other groups. Thanks to this, they earned the honor of being nominated to help the third-years with winemaking.
Once that was finished, it would finally be the Harvest Festival.
The maidens of Euryas have their roles.
On the final day of the Harvest Festival, they go to Fibril Village to perform hymns as a conclusion to the festival and as a token of daily gratitude. Since they sing hymns every morning, it is not a difficult task. Only the first-years sing. Once they become second or third-years, they become capable of managing merchandise and can participate in the Harvest Festival by setting up stalls.
"Let's at least practice our singing,"
Carmilla said, so Lucy's group began practicing their songs a few days before the actual event, just as the other groups were doing. After all, it wasn't something to be judged or scored by the instructors. It was, so to speak, a side attraction. Although Lucy didn't consider it important, it seemed many nuns looked forward to this event.
On the day, they left the convent in the late afternoon. When going out, in addition to their usual habit, they wore cylindrical hats with veils. For a brief moment, they were entranced by the scent of the secular world they hadn't smelled in a long time, but the nuns were soon led into the village's small church under the guidance of an instructor. Although the hymn performance was after sunset, the seats were already starting to fill up.
There was a waiting area behind the altar, where the nuns gathered.
While Lucy was speaking to a nervous Sheri to calm her down, Amalfi arrived.
"Come. They're deciding the order."
Together with Amalfi, Lucy pushed through the crowd to the corner of the waiting area. Chloe and Prima were waiting.
"If it's alright, we would like to serve as the vanguard," Lucy asserted.
"Then I'll take second," Amalfi said.
"Then third, please," Chloe raised her hand slightly.
Prima was puffing out her cheeks. "It's boring when there's no arguing at all, but we wanted to be the finale from the start, so I have no complaints about being last."
The order was decided simply.
As sunset approached, Lucy also became nervous. However, once her turn came and she began to voice her part before the audience, the tension vanished. Lucy's group's singing received an unexpectedly favorable round of applause. Lyudmila, the most skilled, handled the main melody. The solo by Sheri, who was equally skilled, was also effective. Sheri's success made Lucy feel happy and proud.
Amalfi's group, who went second, was not much different from Lucy's group. It was a safely skilled performance.
The one that surprised Lucy—or rather, the one that left her depressed—was Chloe's group.
They had inserted a lengthy solo by Daphne.
It wasn't that Lucy hadn't been mindful of Daphne, whom she had sent into Chloe's group. However, Lucy had been careful, for example during work, to avoid directing her gaze toward Daphne as much as possible. She didn't want Chloe to realize that they were in communication.
Having finished their hymn performance, Lucy's group and Amalfi's group had moved toward the hall that served as the audience area. From the audience side, they listened to Chloe's group's song while standing.
Daphne was dignified. Her voice cracked occasionally. However, Daphne projected her voice loudly and was full of confidence. She had likely practiced a great deal. Although she received only a perfunctory round of applause from the audience, all the novice nuns of Euryas must have felt moved. That tone-deaf Daphne had performed a song in front of people without any shame. Lucy pressed her chest with a painful feeling. How had Lucy treated her? Had she seen her merely as a lesbian with a beautiful body? On the other hand, Chloe and the others had attempted to overcome her flaws and tried to develop her individuality.
One bad rumor clung to Chloe's group.
The rumor was that Chloe gave preferential treatment to the daughters of nobles.
Daphne didn't look like a noble's daughter. She wasn't good at singing either. Even so, Chloe valued Daphne's hard work. She put her on stage and made her shine. This was a kind of hope. That there existed an axis of evaluation in the church other than birth.
With a refreshing smile full of fulfillment, Daphne locked eyes with Rosary.
Lucy watched this with a face as if she had chewed a bitter bug. Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder.
Turning around, it was Carmilla.
"Daphne doesn't look like she's coming back,"
Carmilla said with a serious face. Lucy felt a sense of disappointment in herself. Neither the defection of Chloe and Rosary she had expected, nor the disorder of Chloe's group's discipline, had reached her.
However, that depression did not last long.
The seven members of Prima's group stood on stage.
The first dozen seconds began with the borderline falsetto of a nun named Gina.
It was magnificent. The feeling that something was strange vanished because of that magnificence.
Prima's stage could be described as having burst. It was a great explosion. Everything was head and shoulders above the rest. Shouts of "Ooh" arose from the audience. The shouting did not stop. It remained, echoing near the ceiling, as if swaying like a pendulum. Voices of surprise and bright laughter surged. It was a huge hit. It was drawing a reaction like thundering lightning.
Prima's group's singing was boldly arranged. It had been given a dramatization that excessively emphasized holiness. What a bundle of voices. It was too beautiful, too innovative. When the bass and treble both resonated, this is how they harmonized.
The melody was also shifted, almost as if they were joking. And yet, that shift felt right. It sensually settled into a pleasant place gradually.
Still, it was unmistakably a hymn. It possessed a solemnity that could only be thought of as such.
Lucy wanted to jump up in excitement. Her body seemed to shake from trembling too much. None of the nuns hesitated to cheer.
The audience stood up one after another, and a thunderous applause erupted. Sheri and Yufie on either side were also clapping with sparkling eyes.
Prima's group on stage had magnificently captured the hearts of all the nuns. Even Lucy was one of them. Glancing casually around, she noticed something.
Many people were still sitting. Especially the elderly. Those people weren't even giving applause. Clearly, they had sullen, displeased faces.
Lucy, who had been somewhat overwhelmed by the brilliance of the stage, couldn't help but think while listening. Isn't this a bit irreverent, or rather, too wild? The purpose was supposed to be reminding them of the importance of faith, but has this not become a goal of evoking excitement and stimulating the nerves?
Probably, the village dignitaries were dissatisfied with that point.
The nuns and the headmaster seemed to share the same opinion. In particular, Headmaster Dagsaw had a stern expression.
Lucy whispered to Sheri.
"When we get back, let's take over Prima's group."
"Understood."
While Sheri had an entranced face, she seemed to have realized something.
She smiled somewhat sadly and nodded to Lucy.
When they finished the hymn performance and stepped outside the church, there were so many stars that the night sky looked cloudy. Although there were still many figures, what remained was the lonely scenery of the end of a festival. Trash on the street rolled in the wind, and the same wind fluttered the national flag. The lights of the lanterns that had colored the street were now flickering vacantly, as if the magic had been broken.
Led by Instructor Pias, the nuns began to climb the hill where the Euryas Convent was located.
No one spoke. Private chatter was strictly forbidden outside. Even without that, the music from earlier was ringing and swaying in the nuns' ears and heads. Everyone looked down, enjoying the rumination of the previous excitement.
Instructor Pias led the first-years to the deserted dining hall, had them sit in chairs, and lit the hand-candles in the candelabra.
"There will be words of appreciation from Headmaster Dagsaw. Wait with your mouths closed."
Instructor Pias was a still-young nun in her twenties. She had a troubled face.
"Prima's group, please come with me."
The instructor led Prima's group out of the dining hall.
Then, they waited for a while. Perhaps everyone sensed a bad omen, as the excited atmosphere from the village church had scattered like cold ash.
Headmaster Dagsaw arrived shortly after and offered words of consolation regarding the hymn performance.
"However,"
The headmaster pointed out that Prima's group's singing had deviated greatly from the essence of faith.
"Those who stood up and applauded, please think carefully about that."
Until Headmaster Dagsaw left the dining hall, no one could move. Since there was no word of dismissal, they were bewildered for a short time.
Lucy also stood there dazed, wondering what had happened to Prima and the others. However, she snapped out of it when Sheri poked her shoulder. She immediately stood up and went into the hallway. Fires were lit in the candelabra installed on the hallway walls. Lucy began to walk quickly down the hall.
—Where?
Prima was likely being lectured by the headmaster in some room.
Likely, she hadn't been sent back to the dormitory yet.
The conference room, Lucy decided.
Then, there was a woman walking past Lucy. It was Chloe. Lucy got angry and overtook Chloe. Chloe quickened her pace and caught up. They were shoulder to shoulder. Looking at Chloe's face, she was smiling like a lady. In the convent, running in the hallways was strictly forbidden. Lucy pinched up the skirt of her habit and began to trot. With this, Chloe wouldn't be able to keep up.
Contrary to expectations, Chloe chased after her with a run faster than Lucy's.
There was no longer any composure on her face.
There was a shadow that overtook that Chloe. It was Lyudmila. Being tall, her legs were fast. She had looked somewhat sluggish, but she was running at full speed. Following Lyudmila, Carmilla was also nimble, overtaking Lucy and Chloe.
Carmilla and Lyudmila turned the corner of the hallway. Following them, the two had taken positions in front of the conference room door.
"Lucy, it's here,"
Carmilla said in a low voice.
Chloe overtook Lucy just as the opportunity arose. However, the large Lyudmila stood in her way. Chloe and Lyudmila brought their faces close—too close—and began to glare at each other.
"I'm counting on you, Lyudmila."
"Yeah."
Lucy slipped into the conference room with Carmilla and closed the door behind her.
Nuns with dark expressions were sitting in the conference room chairs.
"The shark snapped at me right away," Prima alone had a brisk expression.
"We have come to help you,"
Lucy answered.
"Our group is disbanded," Prima said. "The headmaster said, 'Think for yourselves about what you should do.' It's a de facto disbandment order."
"I see."
"On top of that, how exactly are you going to help us?"
"I've been thinking about you," Lucy said. "I believe I understand you a little bit now."
Lucy and Carmilla sat at the lower end of the conference table.
"You all—"
Just as Lucy began to speak, the door opened.
Sheri and Yufie entered the conference room.
From the gap in the door, Chloe peeked in with a beaming expression.
"Prima!" Chloe raised her voice. "I'll make you the deputy representative, and the rest of you group executives—"
"There is an order. Observe it."
Lucy stood up and closed the door.
"Thank you for earlier, Sheri. And Yufie too," Lucy thanked Sheri, who had poked her shoulder, and beckoned Yufie. "Let's take our seats."
"I wondered why you all looked so happy talking in the dining hall every day," Lucy continued her story after taking her seat. "Even though the group system for competing for Representative is not an easy thing. You didn't care about such things. Today, I understood the reason. You aren't aiming for the Representative election. Prima's group isn't a group that gathered seeking the status of Representative. Prima's group was formed simply to have fun, for the purpose of spending every day interestingly."
Though she thought she might be laughed at, Prima and her subordinates watched Lucy in silence.
"—When I saw the matter with Neeshka, I thought Prima was a terrifyingly ambitious person. Because of that incident, I misjudged you all."
When Neeshka was thrown into Carmilla's group, Carmilla had been expanding her group with quite forceful methods. A mischievous desire to strike back at that method, to make her suffer. Rather than wanting to increase the group's numbers, it was a desire to lodge an objection to Carmilla's way of doing things.
That must have been the reason Prima made Neeshka a spy—.
Lucy continued.
"And the research examination. You were, of course, aiming for victory. But that wasn't the priority. Above all else, you were trying to have fun. You were trying to make us have fun too. In fact, we enjoyed your presentation. It was wonderful research. The reason no turmoil occurred in Prima's group even with the result of last place was that, in a sense, the purpose had been fully achieved. The purpose of having fun. And tonight—"
"Hey, can I say something too?" Carmilla interrupted Lucy with a carefree voice. "According to Lucy's story, you guys probably hate me, and I don't particularly like you guys either, so it's fine. But tonight's song was the best. That was truly unbelievable! It was the best, just the best!"
Yufie leaned forward. "Right! Especially Gina's—what was that? It was amazing!"
"Everyone was great. I thought I wish I could sing like that too," Sheri also said. "I think Lyudmila thought the same thing."
"Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it," Prima's voice sounded lonely. "Lucy, you're wrong about one thing. I was properly aiming for Representative."
"Though she wasn't aiming for it very seriously,"
said Colette, the deputy representative and academic lead of Prima's group.
Prima puffed out her cheeks.
"I was properly aiming for it. The reason I didn't move aggressively was because I thought if I did fun things, people would gather even if I stayed quiet... But I failed. One way or another, I messed up..."
"It's not over yet. I will not recognize a failure of this magnitude as a failure," Lucy said. "I won't let your talent end here. We will continue to protect your spirit. Do you understand, Prima? The time for fun is far from over. I want you to bring that to our group."
"The headmaster..."
"The headmaster doesn't matter. Our pursuit of pleasure cannot be stopped, Prima. By anyone, not even the Tenshu. Right?"
Prima looked down and fell silent.
"Why don't you just decide?"
Colette spoke to Prima. Colette was a nun with dark blonde hair and a mature, maternal face. Prima spoke.
"Lucy, I heard you recommended bird research to Amalfi."
"Yes. —Who told you that?"
"Amalfi herself said so. Amalfi looked down on it, but I thought it was interesting. More so than historical research. Small birds are cute."
"Yes. That's true."
Prima raised her face and looked at each of the girls in her group. "I'll join Lucy's group. Does anyone have an objection?"
—No objections.
Prima's subordinates spoke in unison.
Prima wore her usual bright smile. However, tears glistened in her eyes.
"We worked hard,"
Prima said, and Colette hugged her.
Seeing the refreshed expressions of Prima and Lucy as they came out of the conference room, Chloe realized the situation. Immediately, she grabbed the arm of Amalfi, who was in the hallway, and led her outside.
When they reached the vicinity of the barn, Chloe spoke.
"Did you see?"
"Yes."
The starlight illuminated Amalfi's melancholy expression in a pale blue light.
"We should also immediately announce the merger to our respective subordinates."
Amalfi stared fixedly into Chloe's eyes. "Eh, why does it become that?"
"Why? We promised, didn't we?"
During the ceasefire period when the exchange of personnel between groups was restricted, Chloe had spoken to Amalfi whenever she found free time.
At first, it was consultation about the groups. It wasn't poaching or recruitment. It was, so to speak, the complaints of a group leader. Amalfi often gave appropriate advice to Chloe's consultations.
Eventually, the two began to talk about their ideal group.
Chloe aligned her talk with Amalfi's. They reached a point where they acknowledged each other's many commonalities.
We are aiming for the same thing, aren't we?
Amalfi was not easily manipulated, but her face would brighten when her intellectual excellence was praised. The moment their feelings connected and an atmosphere of friendship peaked, Chloe pressed her.
Our ideal can be realized. If we join our strengths.
We should become one group.
Let's stop this futile battle.
And so on.
—I understand. There is no reason for us not to become one group.
Amalfi had certainly been convinced.
Amalfi didn't care about who would become the group leader.
You should do it. I think you are suited to be a leader.
Still, Chloe thought she should save her face.
—I'll have Rosary step down as deputy representative.
Rosary should understand. If she were given the position of academic lead, the form would be maintained.
In exchange, she would put Amalfi as the deputy representative. With this, there should be no complaints from Amalfi's group subordinates.
Chloe had gone that far.
"I won't forgive you for breaking your promise after all this."
"I certainly did promise," Amalfi said with a nonchalant face. "But our promise was made during the ceasefire period, so it could be said to be invalid."
"Does that mean you never intended to keep the promise from the start?"
Amalfi blinked slowly. "Don't say strange things. It's unlike you. Didn't you see? Lucy and Prima joined forces. The situation has changed."
"No. Nothing has changed. They have twelve, and if we unite, we have eighteen. We win."
"If I join them, it's twenty-one."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You don't understand numbers? Twenty-one is more than eighteen. Even you desperately tried to get Prima's group. That tells the whole story."
—This girl is a coward.
Chloe thought. She just wants to be on the winning side easily by not fighting and selling favors to the enemy. Come to think of it, Amalfi hadn't increased her group's numbers by a single person. She didn't even have the courage to recruit others.
Chloe silently took a step closer to Amalfi.
As expected, Amalfi took a step back.
Ignoring that, Chloe approached and cornered Amalfi against the barn wall. Chloe placed her right hand on the barn wall.
"You'd better think carefully, Amalfi Mariave."
"—What?"
"Didn't you hear me? Mariave. You've heard it before, haven't you? It's famous, after all."
Amalfi's eyes wandered and she looked down. She was shrinking and trembling.
—She might be the daughter of Guste Mariave, who was hanged for treason.
The one who brought this information was Moi.
Chloe had ordered Moi to investigate Lucy. However, around the time the ceasefire period began, Moi became afraid of investigating Lucy.
Let's stop, Ojou (T/N: "Ojou" is a respectful term for a young lady of a noble house) for some unknown reason, Moi called Chloe that. Let's leave Lucy alone. That one is dangerous.
What do you mean? Did she do something to you?
If you lay a hand on Lucy, you won't be safe either, Ojou. That one, that woman, is far beyond what we can handle. She's dangerous, really.
Moi had turned pale and appealed to Chloe earnestly.
—She's being threatened by Lucy.
That's how Chloe saw it.
Moi likely had some weakness. Lucy had grasped it.
Ojou, instead, I will investigate Amalfi.
Out of consideration for Moi's desperation, Chloe permitted the investigation of Amalfi.
She didn't know through what process the information was obtained. Moi reported the treason incident of Guste Mariave from ten years ago. Guste Mariave was a western lord who drew his sword in the presence of the King, went mad, and attacked Marquis Sedias Thora. Guste was subdued and hanged, and his wife and sons were also executed.
The only daughter was said to have entered a convent.
That daughter's name was Amalfi.
She wasn't certain if the Amalfi before her was truly the daughter of a traitor.
But now, she was terrified upon hearing "Mariave."
"You're not as wise as the rumors say, are you, Amalfi?"
Chloe turned her back to Amalfi and began to walk away.
"Wait," Amalfi said. "Wait, I beg you!"
"Let me hear your answer after you've thought it over carefully."
"I beg you..."
There was a change in Amalfi's voice. It had become tearful.
"Please, Chloe. Please—"
Chloe continued to walk without stopping. Feeling something strange on her cheek, she wiped it with her sleeve.
To her own surprise, Chloe was crying. Her own situation of being abandoned by her father had been evoked.
—I didn't want to use such a method.
Why should a daughter bear responsibility for what her father did? She couldn't understand that. However, Euryas was not so sweet that the daughter of a traitor could remain a group representative. If the fact were revealed, Amalfi's group subordinates would abandon Amalfi and defect one after another. Amalfi lacked the strength to suppress such defections. In that sense, the church was by no means a sanctuary where anyone could become an ordinary person.
Lucy's group twelve, Chloe's group nine, Amalfi's group nine.
—Nothing changes. If I take Amalfi, I can win the Representative election.
Lucy is a woman who could threaten and silence the brazen Moi.
Chloe no longer had the luxury of choosing her means.