The Match Begins

After September arrived, the weather turned cooler, and people started wearing an extra layer or two.

The suit trend Frederick had brought with him was gradually catching on among the people of Wessen Territory. The loose-fitting trousers alone were enough to win over wealthy, respectable families: you could wear long underwear underneath without it showing or ruining your appearance.

By the time Frederick noticed, people were already pairing turtlenecks with suits—and wearing flat caps, too.

Katie wore a fitted ladies' suit one day and a belted trench coat the next. Before long, the tailors in Wessen Territory were working overtime again.

There were stubborn traditionalists everywhere. Richard Nahl had plenty to say about his daughter wearing such form-fitting clothes, and every few days he would drop pointed hints.

But there were always young people eager to keep up with fashion. Quite a few started keeping a change of clothes in their carriages, wearing traditional clothes at home and changing into something new once they were out.

There were plenty of fathers as frustrated as Richard Nahl. At the taverns, they sang, "Lately, I've been so bothered, so bothered, so bothered..."

Bryant was just as frustrated. Young people liked to follow fashion, and craftsmen like them had money to spare. The trouble was, suits weren't very practical for working in.

He went to the field to find Frederick, and soon the world had no more "jeans." They were called "Blacksmith Pants" instead, and the blue-dyed canvas they were made from was called "Blacksmith Cloth."

And so Bryant, dressed in a Blacksmith Cloth jacket and Blacksmith Pants, became the fashion icon of the working class.

Lately, many cargo ships had been arriving in Wessen Territory. Word of the canal project had spread, too, attracting merchants from other places who came to open shops.

Two brothers from a peninsula somewhere in the north had originally sold canvas. When they saw people in Wessen Territory using canvas to make clothes, they decided to change their line of business.

On the day of the autumn equinox in 1024, a carriage arrived in Weissenburg around noon.

"Father, look!" Maria pointed out the carriage window at the crowd. "So many people are dressed like Frederick!"

Philip answered with a smile, "Of course. This is Frederick's home, after all."

The work of sheltering the refugees had ended quietly. Those who traveled slowly had all been picked up by the relief teams, which had gone out to meet them. Now no more refugees were arriving.

The camps in various places had begun to be dismantled. Philip thought the tents there were quite good, so he bought them all.

There was still some business to take care of. Philip had heard that Frederick had fallen ill and had been unable to continue working, so he had come to discuss matters with him.

When Maria heard about it, she came along to visit Frederick.

Philip was a little puzzled, though. Why were so many people leaving Weissenburg today, heading north in high spirits? Was some kind of event going on?

He sent a servant to ask around, and soon got his answer.

"A football match?" Philip stared blankly. "What's that?"

The servant replied, "It's a new game Baron Weissen invented recently. Everyone likes it."

"They say the Iron Hammer Team is playing the Fish Hook Team today, and that Baron Weissen and his teacher, Lord Richardnal, are going head-to-head."

Philip was even more confused. Frederick and Richard Nahl were going head-to-head? What on earth did that mean?

Maria was the first to grasp the important part. Delighted, she said, "Frederick has a new game to play? Can we go watch?"

Philip thought that since Frederick was there, they might as well go and see.

"Is that a fortress?"

Philip was rather taken aback when he first saw the football field.

It was a regulation football field, surrounded by wooden stands. From the outside, it looked quite like a fortress.

Some time ago, a Refugee Shelter Camp had been set up outside Weissenburg. There was no shortage of labor; a few steamed buns per person was enough to get the refugees to help with the work.

Several fenced-off passageways stood outside the field, and people were lining up to enter.

Philip noticed something else.

On one side of the field, quite a few people wore suits invented by Frederick. Those who weren't in suits were also dressed in what looked like fine fabric.

The other side was different. Some people wore blue clothes that looked a little like suits, while the rest wore inexpensive fabric.

"Why, isn't that Baron Ertal?"

An old man in a white priestly robe spotted Philip beside the carriage and immediately came over to greet him.

As a diplomat for the Duchy of Mainz, Philip knew many powerful figures. He recognized the other man at once as the Archbishop of the Church of Light's Archdiocese of Rhine, whose rank was equal to that of the Grand Duke of Mainz. He immediately bowed in greeting. "Greetings, Archbishop Viktor."

Maria politely bowed beside him.

Viktor returned the greeting and asked, "Are you here to watch the match, too?"

Philip bent slightly and answered respectfully, "Your Excellency, I've just arrived in Weissenburg. I saw so many people heading this way, so I came to take a look."

Viktor smiled. "You don't have to be so formal. Everyone's equal on the field. Just call me Viktor."

"Come on, let's watch together. Frederick's playing against Richard Nahl today. It should be a great match."

"Keep hold of your daughter. It's crowded in there."

Philip took Maria's hand and followed Viktor toward the passage in the middle of the field. There were no tickets; you paid a coin to get in.

Tickets were cheap. Adults paid only four copper coins, and children like Maria got in free. Taller children paid half price.

Ticket revenue was split between field maintenance and the teams. Some people tossed in a little extra, and Archbishop Viktor dropped in a gold coin.

They went up the stairs and entered the field. Looking at the vast stretch of grass before him, Philip said, "You could hold a knightly tournament here."

The field was regulation size, with a running track around it and advertisements along the track. It looked quite the part.

Viktor just smiled and led father and daughter to a good spot.

The seating here consisted of long tiers of steps, with no assigned seats. There were many scholars and clergy in this section, all sitting together.

Just then, several people in uniform walked by with a wine barrel strapped to their backs. The bags on their chests held disposable cups made from Slime Gel, complete with lids and straws. For two copper coins, you could buy a beer or a glass of juice.

Viktor bought two beers and a glass of juice, then explained the match to Philip.

"I came to see Frederick not long ago," he said after taking a sip of beer. "People had stopped working then, so he had someone make a ball, and he played with them."

"After more people joined in, some of them got together into teams and started playing against other groups."

"Frederick couldn't exactly play against the adults, so he became a coach instead."

"A couple of days ago, somehow, an argument broke out. So today Frederick's brought the Iron Hammer Team, made up of blacksmiths, to play against the Fish Hook Team. Richard Nahl is coaching them, and they're made up of merchants, clerks, and landlords who often go fishing by the river."

"Look," Viktor said, pointing to either side of the field. "The blue-collar workers support the Iron Hammer Team, while the white-collar workers across from them support the Fish Hook Team."

It took Philip a little explaining to understand. In Weissenburg, craftsmen who wore blue canvas clothes were now called "blue-collar workers," while clerks, merchants, and others who wore white shirts were called "white-collar workers."

Viktor then explained the rules of football. They were simple: kick the ball into the goal to score a point, and don't use any of the fouls that could hurt someone.

A burst of cheers rang out across the field. Someone was coming in.

The first to enter were four referees wearing black pants and short-sleeved T-shirts. The head referee was Psyche, holding a black-and-white football.

The loudest cheers in the field were for her.

She blew her whistle, and the players from both teams began to enter.

The Iron Hammer Team wore red jerseys, the color of furnace flames, with black shorts representing charcoal. The Fish Hook Team wore light blue jerseys and shorts, the color of the river. Numbers were printed on the backs of their jerseys, and the teams looked quite professional.

"Ah, it's Frederick!" Maria jumped up and pointed at the short man at the back of the Iron Hammer Team, dressed in a black suit.

Viktor glanced at the little girl beside him, looking thoughtful.

At the sound of the whistle, the match began.