Afternoon in the Rain

For the entire morning, Sylutia and a group of students listened to Scholar Heide explain the key points and precautions for the "Bonfire and Dance Steps" ritual.

"You have the general points down now, but did you pay attention to the hummed melody and the drum beats from last night?"

"This..."

Many of those present looked at one another. While several noble students had some exposure to music, it was not in-depth; trying to memorize something heard only once was still too difficult.

Sylutia sat on a tree stump to the side, recalling carefully. She could remember parts of the rhythm, but it remained unclear. She hadn't studied music in her past life, and while she might have in this one, she had no memory of it, making it useless for the time being.

"Hehe, you see, this is the importance of mastering multiple skills," Scholar Heide said, stroking his beard.

"The content and techniques involved in 'rituals' are quite extensive. Some even require the officiant to perform them in the form of a dance. The most famous of these is the 'Corolla Dance' performed by the elves during the Spring Dew Festival. It has exceptionally high requirements for the dancer's skill, but the effects are obvious; this ritual can make hundreds of flowers bloom and the earth recover. It is one of the rare rituals capable of altering the environment."

"Alright, that is all for today's lecture. As for the melody and drum beats in 'Bonfire and Dance Steps,' I will have you transcribe the sheet music later. However, the best way to pass this down is still to listen to the elders hum it yourself; only then can you remember that peculiar rhythm, atmosphere, and emotion."

The lesson ended, and the afternoon was meant for free time, but before the students could go out to explore, a light rain began to fall from the sky.

Thin beads of rain slid down the thatched roof, moistening the ground. The village paths, which lacked stone paving, quickly turned muddy.

"Can't go out anymore," Comia said, standing behind the door and looking at the gray, hazy world outside.

Inside the room, Sylutia sat by the front hall window flipping through a book. Karen sat at the workbench maintaining her personal tools and her longbow. On the other side, Valenie stood with her arms crossed, watching the curtain of rain outside with some irritation. As for Iona, she remained in her room and had not come out.

All five girls lived in this house. Usually, there was very little interaction between the nobles and the commoners, but today they were forced to stay under the same roof.

After leaning against the door frame for a long time, counting the dripping water and the tiny streams flowing through the gaps in the stone threshold, Comia finally grew bored and turned around.

She looked at the people in the front hall, wandered over to Karen to ask about the uses of various tools, then came to Sylutia's side to sneak a peek at what the girl was reading, before returning to the bedroom to try and continue her nap. Unfortunately, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

"It must be because I slept too well last night," she said, feeling deflated as she returned to the front hall to complain to her companions.

Sylutia and Karen only smiled at her complaints, finding it amusing and not taking it too seriously. Sure enough, after a short while, Comia began wandering around the room again, looking everywhere for something interesting.

Creak. Another door in the hallway opened.

Hearing the sound, the previously restless Valenie immediately changed her expression and trotted over. Sure enough, she saw Iona stepping out.

The blonde young lady kept her short hair well-groomed, with a thin red ribbon tied on one side that complemented the color of her eyes. Then there was her uniform, which stood out from the ordinary students; the style was professional yet ornate, made of excellent material, with a small leather belt cinching her waist and cowhide boots on her feet suitable for outdoor activities.

Even though her situation was not what it once was, Iona still cared quite a bit about her appearance, though she could no longer afford the luxurious, varied outfits she used to wear every day.

Her crimson eyes swept briefly over the others in the room. Iona looked at the rainy world outside and came to sit at the table in the front hall.

Because the house was small and the front hall had limited space, the only things that could be called tables were the workbench against the wall and the wooden table by the window where Iona and Sylutia were now sitting on opposite sides.

"Lady Iona," Valenie followed with small steps.

Seeing Iona sit down, she looked at Sylutia, who was also sitting at the table, feeling a sense of jealousy and annoyance. Why did this person get to sit next to Lady Iona?

However, she felt that driving her away would be beneath her dignity and make her seem unrefined and ill-bred, so she glared at the girl a few times instead.

Yet, Sylutia was busy flipping through the book in her hands and didn't notice the frequent signals from the side at all.

Valenie's petty actions were ineffective, so she could only pace back and forth in frustration, hesitating whether to go over and tell Sylutia to get up directly.

"Just stand there and stop walking back and forth," Iona finally said with an impatient wave, telling Valenie to be quiet for a moment.

Having received the order, Valenie stood proudly against the wall. This fawning, obedient behavior made Comia feel confused, thinking it a bit foolish.

Is she not very bright? Comia wondered to herself, though she didn't dare say it out loud.

The room quieted down for a time. Sylutia continued to flip through the pages, while Comia sat beside Karen, watching her apply oil to her tools and adjust their tension, then turning her gaze to the others in the room. Valenie remained silent and still, while Iona rested her head on her hand, gazing out at the rainy scenery, lost in thought.

Time passed slowly. Aside from the occasional sound of Sylutia turning a page, the only sound in the room was the endless patter of raindrops outside.

Half an hour later, perhaps tired of the unchanging gray, misty rain, Iona shifted her gaze to the quiet girl across from her.

Her name is Tia, right? Iona recalled the information about this girl, though unfortunately, there wasn't much. She hadn't paid much attention to her classmates to begin with, and this one had always been so low-key, as if she had been forgotten in a corner.

The only thing that left a deep impression was the first time she met Scholar Heide and noticed the bespectacled figure standing beside him.

At the time, she had assumed it was the scholar's granddaughter or an official apprentice; she hadn't expected her to be just an ordinary commoner student.

For a commoner, delving into academics is no easy task, she thought, her eyes shifting back to the book in Sylutia's hands.

The Mountain Kingdom in Wind and Snow. This book, written in the form of a travelogue, recounted the author's observations from traveling through the Winter Land hundreds of years ago. It was a cold country located north of the Regas Kingdom, situated entirely atop mountains with constant wind and snow and a sparse population. Yet, such a kingdom had stood for nearly a thousand years. The state-sponsored Winter Knights were famous across the continent and were considered a holy land in the hearts of many knights and warriors.

A girl reading this kind of book? That's quite rare. Although Iona wasn't interested in the book, she was exceptionally familiar with it, mostly because her father loved the country described in it, especially the legendary Winter Knights.

The Regas Kingdom had many ties to the Winter Kingdom, as the founding monarch, Regard Buwelly, had originated from there. The Regas Kingdom's national Fir Knights also bore many traces of the Winter Knights' influence.

However, compared to the harsh geographical environment of the Winter Kingdom, the Regas Kingdom was much better, and food was relatively abundant.

While pondering, Iona turned her gaze to the girl reading. The other girl wore glasses and had delicate features; looking closely, her skin was also very good, appearing even fairer than her own.

It must be because I've been tanning while participating in training drills lately. This one is only so fair because she stays in the corner reading all the time, Iona consoled herself.

To think I'm actually competing with a country girl. This made Iona feel a sense of discomfort, much like the gloomy, unending rain outside.

Taking a deep breath, Iona adjusted her mood. She prepared to return to her bedroom to be alone.

But before leaving, looking at the bespectacled girl who had been immersed in her book world without ever acknowledging her, she couldn't help but speak.

"Can you actually understand it?" She knew that because the book was written hundreds of years ago, the vocabulary and phrasing were quite different from modern times.

"Oh, are you asking me?" Sylutia looked up, then replied.

"Those who can understand it have likely read Annual Rings of the Cedar: Past Events of the Mountain Kingdom recently; since the two books were written around the same time, they can be understood in connection with one another."

Iona remained somewhat skeptical of this, as her father had read these two books to her when she was a child, and there were terms even he had to consult reference texts to explain to her.

"Then let me test you." Iona stood up, and Valenie grew excited at this.

As expected, Lady Iona is only this cool.

"When the Winter Knights were founded, where was it, and what was their primary class?"

"When the order was founded, it was presided over by an elderly priest who lived year-round on snowy peaks. He was adept at the secret arts and abilities of the 'Winter Slumber' Aspect Power, and the founding took place within his small chapel."

"The first batch of knights consisted of only five young people who had yet to reach the First Order. However, that old priest taught them with extreme patience, allowing all five to eventually reach the strength of 'Third Order-Winter Slumber,' with the 'Frost Swordsman' as their primary class."

"With these five knights as the core, the original order was established. They spread their beliefs throughout the mountains, uniting the scattered settlements atop the snowy peaks to form a cavalry squad that protected local stability. This organization gradually expanded until the forty-seventh Grandmaster, Pelein, used his great talent and bold strategy to integrate the regions maintained by the order into a nation. He himself, due to the founding of the country, was promoted to the 'Sixth Order-Winter Slumber' class: 'Winter Crown Knight'."

The founding history of the Winter Kingdom was quite similar to that of the Regas Kingdom; or rather, the Regas Kingdom had pioneered its own founding by imitating the history of the Winter Kingdom.

Sylutia's detailed and well-paced explanation left Iona speechless. She even felt that the other girl knew more history than she did. But how could that be possible? She had been immersed in it since childhood, and even if she had neglected her studies later due to an obsession with social gatherings, she was still not someone a rural commoner could compare to.

Failing to create a gap, and instead appearing less knowledgeable than a rural commoner, triggered an inexplicable sense of irritation and panic from the depths of her heart, leaving Iona feeling restless.

She stared at the girl in silence, her fingers twitching, but in the end, she lowered her hand.

A few seconds later, Iona finally spoke: "You certainly read quite a lot."

No, I cannot lose my temper here. I don't want to cause complications or ruin the impression I've made on Scholar Heide during this time.

Iona then pulled the door shut and returned to her bedroom, not coming out again. This action greatly surprised Valenie, who in turn began to harbor resentment toward Sylutia.

Seeing Iona's indignant retreat to her bedroom, Sylutia pressed her temples. How could she not see what had just happened?

It seems I wasn't low-key enough, and I bruised this young lady's ego.

However, knowing the answer and pretending not to understand would have been too forced and uncomfortable. Her nature was gentle, but she was not the type to twist her own character at every turn just to cater to others.

I hope this young lady doesn't pay too much attention to me; otherwise, my life from here on out will be filled with unnecessary trouble.