“This year...will people be able to come and go during the winter?” Belgrieve muttered, perusing a pile of contracts before him.
“I haven’t actually seen how bad the snow here can get, so I can’t be certain. I suspect the larger merchant caravans can probably manage,” Seren answered.
Belgrieve looked up at her, startled. “Pardon me—did I say that aloud?”
“Hee hee... I heard you loud and clear.”
Belgrieve bashfully scratched his head. “That’s troublesome...” The older I get, the more I’ve been talking to myself...
The guild building wasn’t yet complete. The governor’s manor had been the top priority, so work on the guild had inevitably been put off. In the meantime, the guild’s administrative work was being carried out in the office of the manor. Seren had brought all sorts of reference materials with her, so it ended up being a rather efficient arrangement. And the reason Seren had taken this post in the first place had been the dungeon, so it was by no means peculiar for her to be involved in the guild’s running. Belgrieve’s mind was put at ease by having somebody as talented at administrative duties as her by his side.
Even so, Belgrieve found himself staring out the window. With weather this fine, his instincts urged him to go tend to planting or the harvest like everyone else in Turnera. Their efforts were focused on growing vegetables that could survive beneath the snow during the winter. The mountain was also bountiful this time of year, and there wasn’t a single day that went by that didn’t have work he could be doing outside.
Seren giggled at his palpable restlessness. “You look like you’re raring to grab a shovel, Sir Belgrieve.”
“Yes, well...I’ve worked outdoors for most of my life.”
“I understand. I’m sorry that I’ve kept you holed up in here for so long.”
“Not at all. This is my responsibility as well...”
The prospect of having merchants constantly coming and going necessitated establishing a proper system to manage them all. This would cover the unloading of monster materials, stocking necessary goods for adventurers, and the like. Seren had advised that it would be better if the guild took these matters in hand. In Bordeaux and Orphen, doing so had lent a bit of stability to the guild management. It was different from how the central guild handled things, but Turnera was completely free from its influence, so there was nothing to stop them from adopting their own way of doing things.
Belgrieve knew himself to be out of his element when it came to such things, so he was practically accepting it all without objection. He could at least understand the logic behind such decisions, so he was doing his best to study up. A part of him was happy to find there was still so much to learn at his age; another part of him needed a break. In any case, it was up to him to handle the work before him.
At last, he was done; he filed away the paperwork he had been completing along with the documents he’d referenced to complete it. His body felt stiff after sitting for so long. Belgrieve rolled his shoulders and massaged his eyelids to ease the strain of staring at tiny letters for so long, realizing that he was slowly starting to become farsighted. I’m going to need glasses one of these days...
One of Seren’s maids brought in a tea service and set out a plate of sugar candy.
“Please help yourself.”
“Oh, thank you...”
Seren sat down across from Belgrieve and chose one of the pieces of candy for herself. “It’s already autumn, huh? Do you think Angeline will be here for the festival?”
“She said she would, though she’s been so busy lately that I haven’t gotten a single letter from her... She’s always had a bit of a mischievous streak though, so I think she might just suddenly show up out of the blue to surprise us,” Belgrieve explained.
This got an amused laugh from Seren. “For somebody so strong and reliable, Angeline certainly has a cutesy side. I really like that about her.”
“Ha ha... So do I. She’s never put aside that childish side... Perhaps she’s just being honest with herself.”
The combination of tea and sweet candy proved to be quite refreshing, though Seren soon realized every sip of hot tea was fogging up her glasses. She removed them to wipe the lenses with a handkerchief.
“It won’t be long now until the festival,” Seren mused.
“Yes, time flies.”
“I should help out with the preparations...”
“You don’t need to do that. There isn’t much we have to do to prepare for the festival itself, in any case,” said Belgrieve.
Seren looked somewhat surprised. “Really?”
“Yes. We carry the statue out from the church, and we cook up a feast... Frankly, other seasonal chores take up more time than does preparing for the festival. After all, the festival is chiefly a celebration of the harvest and of all the work that goes into preparing for the winter.”
“Is that so...? Back when I first visited Turnera, I did take part along with my sister. Thank you for mediating for us.”
“Everyone was delighted to have you. They said it really helped liven up the festivities.”
“Hee hee! That’s good to know. My eldest sister was very insistent that she would go this time too... I don’t think she’ll get up to anything too outrageous this time...” Seren sighed as she put her glasses back on.
Belgrieve chuckled, realizing that the sisters really did get along well.
“It’s strange... It all started with Angeline saving me, and now here I am, serving as the governor of Turnera,” Seren murmured, her hands occupied with her teacup.
Belgrieve shrugged. “That’s how life goes. I never would have imagined ending up playing the part of guild master, for that matter.”
“Pfft!” Seren snorted, failing to contain her laughter. “Aha ha ha... Sorry... You’re right. You may have ended up the one most put upon between the two of us, come to think of it.”
Belgrieve laughed. “I’ll say!” If life had gone as he’d expected, he wouldn’t be here in this lavish suite right now. He’d be out there with everyone else tilling the fields, his hands and clothes caked in dirt, or perhaps leading the village children to forage in the mountains and bring back the bountiful blessings of nature, to the joy of children and adults alike. Some of the foraged goods would be dried and preserved for future use, but he would also relish in the taste of the fresh ones. Then his thoughts turned to memories of Angeline gamboling about in high spirits through the patches of wild cowberries then to how his little girl had grown to be the hero of not only Estogal but the entire empire. It was thanks to her that he enjoyed this friendship with House Bordeaux and that he had reunited with his old friends.