Emily was utterly confused. She tried to piece together an image in her mind, but she simply could not imagine what the woman meant by a "contest of pulling strength."
"You'll understand when you see it," the woman said with a smile and a wave, then carried her empty bowl toward the collection point.
Before long, the morning was well underway.
The training grounds for the Red Tide Fief's knights and soldiers came alive.
They had been converted into a temporary sports ground, with a raised wooden platform erected and the Red Tide Fief's flag planted at the top.
A hand-drawn list of events had been nailed up at the front, using pictures and crooked lettering to announce "Tug-of-war," "Relay race," "Stone throwing," "Firewood relay"...
It was hardly extravagant, but it had a simple, down-to-earth charm.
Emily had originally intended to "take a look and leave." Given her identity, lingering in a crowd was hardly appropriate.
Yet as she reached the edge of the sports ground, her steps slowed.
Laughter and shouts rose all around her.
Children ran about happily, waving homemade flags as they darted around the adults.
These warm, lively scenes drew her in.
After some thought, she stayed, finding a wooden step at the edge of the square to sit on.
At first, Emily remained somewhat uneasy, afraid someone would recognize her, but she soon realized that no one was paying her any attention.
Everyone's eyes followed the contests in the middle of the grounds, their emotions rising and falling with each victory and defeat like water bubbling in a boiling pot.
A little boy crouched beside her, clutching half a sweet cake and muttering, "Our neighborhood has Longleg Cole. We're sure to win!"
When he learned that Emily was a visitor from elsewhere, he began explaining