Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 91 - 16 Angus Village_1

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The long and narrow Neutral Land is divided into three parts by the three major cities: the City of Knowledge on the northwestern border, the City of Freedom on the southeastern coast, and the City of Innocence on the northeastern frontier. Due to the lack of military and a comprehensive government structure, the towns and villages affiliated with these three large cities are mostly nominal affiliations. They only have a unified and relatively relaxed set of laws. The lords of the three major cities have the power to dismiss leaders of the affiliated towns and mediate conflicts among cities. Other detailed administrative duties are still carried out autonomously.

Angus Village is such an autonomous mid-sized village. Every ten years, villagers elect one village head. The title is sent for record to the affiliated town. Each year, every household contributes ten percent of its grain output as tax for land use, and all other issues, including trade and public order, are self-governed. Under such laws, some villages declined due to improper governance, but most villages prospered. Angus Village is one of these thriving villages. freёweɓnovel.com

In September, nights start earlier in Angus Village. By six in the evening, it’s starting to darken. At this time, villagers are usually home having dinner, leaving the village streets deserted. But today was different. Despite the arrival of dusk, a large number of villagers were still gathered on the streets, busily preparing for tomorrow’s Harvest Festival.

Beyond the circular village are expansive farmlands, with full, golden wheat spikes emitting a unique fragrance, gently swaying in the wind. In the midst of the farmland, a winding small path of gravel connects the farmland and the village and extends to a trunk road connecting several cities far away.

"Clip-clop, clip-clop." Using the dim twilight as their guide, two horses slow down, turning from the main road onto the gravel path, gradually approaching Angus Village.

"Is this Angus village?" Pannis took a deep breath of the wheat-scented night air, looking around.

"It should be. At least, that’s what the map says." Lina dismounted her mare, stretching her legs that had been tense all day. She led the horse towards the village interior.

"I’m hungry." Pannis who had also ridden all day seemed to not feel it at all. He had a piece of straw in his mouth, rummaged fruitlessly through his empty food bag for quite a while, eventually finding nothing rewarding.

"Damn it." Lina turned to glare at Pannis: "You’ve already eaten five meals on the way here and I haven’t eaten even once. I haven’t complained about being hungry yet, but you’re hungry again? You’re not really hungry, you’re just greedy."

" Haha, whatever you say, I’m not bothered by these details." Pannis waved dismissively while laughing: "And besides, you didn’t want to eat at all. I offered you food."

"Who can eat like you do while atop a horse." Lina gave Pannis a side glance, reluctantly threw him a small bag: "Eat all you can, hope you burst."

"Butter cookies, your girls’ favorite, taste lousy." Pannis casually took the package, hurriedly checking what’s inside, tasted it, let out a sigh of regret. As he complained about the taste, he stuffed more cookies into his mouth.

"If you don’t stop complaining, give it back to me." Lina angrily kicked a pebble under her foot.

"Oh oh oh oh."

"Don’t talk to me anymore." Lina covered her face, complaining loudly: "This is too embarrassing. I don’t know you."

"Ah, almost choked to death." Pannis struggled to swallow the cookies that had filled up his mouth, lightly thumping his chest: "I can’t eat too much, or I won’t have an appetite for dinner when we get to the village. Home-smoked meat, sausage, black bread, cream soup... hey hey, don’t pull me, I’m going to fall off."

"Damned guy, don’t you dare mention food anymore." Lina angrily pulled Pannis off his horse: "Get down and walk with me."

"Ha ha, you are hungry now, aren’t you? You’re just not used to eating while traveling." Pannis chuckled: "I heard your stomach growling."

Lina blushed and turned her head away, ignoring Pannis’s teasing.

They were interrupted by the sound of a cart rumbling up behind them. They quickly moved to the side of the road as an open carriage came by.

"Hey, man." Pannis called: "Is Angus Village ahead? Can you give us a ride there?"

"Sure." The driver responded: "You’re heading for Angus Village as well? Hop in, I’ll give you a lift."

"Thanks, man." Pannis gave Lina a slight push. Lina turned to look at him, handed the reins to Pannis, and deftly hopped onto the carriage. Pannis didn’t climb into the carriage but jumped onto his horse, leading Lina’s horse, chatting with the driver as they moved along.

"Uncle, are you going to trade in Angus village?" Lina asked the driver cheerfully while massaging her sore and numb legs.

"Hey, girl, I’m only in my forties, call me ’big brother’." The man, with a big beard, laughed heartily: "It’s the best time for trading. We merchants always seek opportunities."

"Merchant uncle, hm." Lina blinked, patting the cargo on the cart that was covered with a thick cloth, constantly switching locations where she patted.

"Hey, missy, don’t pat too hard. There are pottery jars and plates inside." The trader stopped Lina’s actions immediately.

Pannis nodded: "Exactly, stop patting. There won’t be a wolf girl hiding inside."

"Huh?" Lina looked at Pannis in surprise: "You’ve read that book too?"

"Of course, Wolf Girl and the Merchant." Pannis said: "I’ve read it."

"Haha, that’s a novel from over a hundred years ago, a work by little Kera and the little lion. Eh, this name sounds so familiar." Lina said happily.

"What are you talking about?" the merchant uncle asked in confusion, "There’s a wolf hiding in my cart?"

"No, not that, uncle. It’s a story," Lina explained, patting the side of the horse-drawn carriage. "The story takes place during a village’s Harvest Festival. It’s about a merchant and a half-wolf, half-human girl who is an incarnation of the Earth Goddess, and the events that transpire after their meeting..."

As the story unfolded, they reached the end of the winding gravel road. The night descended, and the festively decorated village went quiet, leaving only the rumbling wheels and the girl’s crisp storytelling echoing in the night.

"That’s the story." Lina stopped, jumping off from the slow-moving carriage beside a small square. "Thank you, uncle, for dropping us off."

"It’s big brother, not uncle." The merchant laughed while stroking his beard. "You’re here then? Do you have a place to stay? It’s hard to find lodging in the village before the Harvest Festival. The inns and farmhouses are probably all full."

"Don’t worry, Uncle." Lina took the reins from Pannis. "We have a place to stay. Thank you, and goodbye."

"A nice man." Pannis stood, watching the carriage rumble away.

"Yes," Lina lightly patted the head of their steed. "Thank you."

"Huh? What for?" Pannis asked in confusion.

"Never mind." Lina turned her head and quietly mumbled, "Idiot."

"Huh? How did I become an idiot again?" Pannis rolled his eyes. "Nevermind, an idiot it is. You said we have somewhere to stay?"

"Yes." Lina pointed at the Earth Goddess Temple across the square. "We’re staying at the temple. They have guest rooms."

"So, there’s a temple here." Pannis asked curiously. "If there’s a temple, why do they need you to preside over the ceremony?"

"That’s because the person in charge of this temple is a priest, not a ritualist. He doesn’t have the ability to host the ceremony." Lina and Pannis moved to the back of the temple, tied up their horse, and knocked on the back door of the temple.

"Oh my, High Priestess, you’re finally here." The back door opened quickly, and a middle-aged priest appeared behind it, looking relieved. "I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. I was worried you wouldn’t make it in time...you, you, a sinner?"

Lina, disregarding the priest’s stutter, entered the temple with Pannis, closing the back door behind them. She took out a sealed letter with a wax seal from her pocket and handed it over. "You’re Priest Milak? I’m Lina, Priestess Lina."

Priest Milak took the letter with doubt, carefully reading every word. He stared at Lina skeptically. "You’re here to preside over the Harvest Festival?"

"Yes, isn’t it written in the letter?" Lina answered casually, pointing at the letter in Milak’s hand. "The High Priest has taken ill, so I’m replacing him to host the ceremony."

"But you’re not a ritualist." Milak started to get visibly irritated, waving the letter around. "You’re just a priest! How can you host the ceremony? You’re neither qualified nor capable. I will not allow a mere priest to host such an important ritual. Absolutely not!"

"Oh?" Lina tilted her head and directed her pure gaze at Milak. "Why am I not qualified?"

"In the ceremony, the ritualist needs to communicate directly with the goddess. A mere priest can’t do that." Milak’s voice began to raise. "What if there’s a problem with the ceremony? The villagers who’ve worked hard all year will be devastated. Do you understand? Your irresponsible behavior could hurt thousands of villagers’ feelings. It could make them fear that the goddess has abandoned them."

"What you said makes sense." Lina showed a calm smile, reaching out and pulling the letter out of Milak’s hand. "But, regrettably, whether I’m qualified or not is not up to you or me to decide. It’s this letter that decides. So, you can’t change anything. With this letter, I can temporarily seize all of your power in this temple."

"You." Milak growled angrily. "I will report you to the Archbishop."

"Feel free, but that’s for later." Lina said nonchalantly. "Now, you have two choices. One, you and the other priests and nuns in the temple can resist against me presiding over the ceremony, refuse to cooperate, guaranteeing the failure of the ceremony. Or, you and the others can proactively cooperate with me and there might be a tiny chance of success for the ceremony. Which one will you choose? Think about it, Mr. Priest. I’m off to get some rest. You’re welcome to see me once you’ve made up your mind."

"Hehe, you sound like a villain." Pannis nudged Lina with his elbow as they were leaving and laughed quietly.

"That’s because he’s so dramatic." Lina huffed. "And he dares to question my ability!"

"But you haven’t presided over a ceremony before," Pannis said with a bit of worry. "Are you sure about this?"

"Of course." Lina confidently smiled, touching her chest. "I will invite a friend over, a long lost friend. This time will be different from how I normally interact with her. She will share her extensive ceremony experience with me. Nothing will go wrong."

Pannis shrugged. "Well, I’m looking forward to it."