Milin stood on the hillside of the farm, gazing at the dark clouds hovering above the distant pine forest.
“The sky over there looks so gloomy… Could it be snowing? But winter hasn’t even arrived yet… It’s so cold.”
At that moment, a gust of cold wind swept over the hill, blowing the windmill blades of the barn behind her and making her shiver.
She rubbed her shoulders… which were exposed.
Because she was participating in the Martial Tournament today, she had dressed in a comfortable outfit for movement, the one she usually preferred.
In past Crown Festivals, she didn’t take part in the Martial Tournament.
If things were following the usual routine, she would be wearing the special dress her mother had ordered for her… That dress was sitting in the room she once lived in on the farm.
She had already seen the dress—it was a deep red velvet gown with a square neckline and perfectly fitted puffed sleeves.
She had never been fond of wearing such formal outfits that made it hard to move… but this dress really resonated with her.
Especially the detachable Snow Bear Fur Shawl on the shoulders, the one she had always wanted to ask her mother for.
That shawl could be removed… but Milin just couldn’t bring herself to put it on right now.
The wind was growing colder, and rubbing her shoulders no longer helped.
So, she activated a bit of magic, conjuring a small flame in her palm to warm herself.
Through the heat of the flame, she used her magic-enhanced sight to scan the arena… she had been searching for someone.
But despite focusing for quite some time, she hadn’t seen that person.
“Lady… Lady…!”
At that moment, she heard someone calling her from down the hill… several maids were waving at her from a distance.
After signaling them with a wave, she blew out the flame and quickly ran down the hillside.
At the arena below, the Martial Tournament was about to begin.
Thousands of people had gathered in the cleared space… Given its size, comparable to the Civic Square, the area was far from its capacity limit.
This was because, after the attack on the third day, the soldiers in charge of security had intensified the scrutiny of attendees and citizens.
The arena was almost free of Demon Race members… even those demons with permanent residence in the Northland were not present.
The Duke hadn’t ordered a complete ban on the Demon Race entering—but those demons with valid identification documents had been allowed to enter the celebration.
However, given the change in atmosphere in Cyrus City after the attack… those Demon Race residents who supported the Duke’s policies and were fond of local festivals chose to stay home, avoiding the spotlight.
The arena had been divided into two sections—the Martial Tournament stage and the open-air banquet area for the guests after the tournament.
As Milin passed through the banquet area, she saw that servants had already set up some candies, cookies, and preserved fruits on the tables as appetizers.
At this point, most of the people lingering here were nobles who weren’t interested in the Martial Tournament… Among them, Milin suddenly recognized a familiar face:
“Natalia…? Isn’t that Natalia!”
Hearing her call, the elf girl, who had been eating heartily at a table, twitched her ears and lifted her face to look at her.
“Chew… Milin…? Why are you here… Mmm… Mmm… Mmmm…”
The elf girl suddenly began pounding her chest in distress… because she had choked on a mouthful of foie gras toast and scones.
“Miss Nephtalia, please swallow what’s in your mouth before speaking.”
A nearby elf servant, calm and unhurried, handed her a cup of tea.
She quickly drank a mouthful of tea, then swallowed the food stuffed in her cheeks.
“Hello there!”
She gave Milin a bright smile and then extended her hand. Milin understood immediately, and with a sharp “clap,” they high-fived.
“What’s this? Why didn’t you give me a heads-up before showing up!”
This was the way the two girls greeted each other.
This elf girl, named Nephtalia Nelf, or Natalia for short, was the legitimate heir of the prestigious Nelf family, who had served the Elf Royalty in the Darkwood Sea for generations.
She was also the younger sister of Milin’s good friend, Iyue, who always loved poking Milin’s cheek with her pointed ears.
Though they had about a century between them, Natalia’s age, when converted into human years, was roughly the same as Milin’s.
So, they treated each other as peers and considered each other close friends.
“I just got here. I just greeted the elders in my clan… they seem to have headed to the arena. By the way, the food here is still so delicious…”
As she spoke, Natalia reached for a pastry from the plate in front of her… but the servant beside her expressionlessly grabbed her hand.
With a disappointed look, she turned her attention back to Milin.
“I already spoke to them, but they didn’t mention you would be here. I thought you’d be busy… By the way, since you’re here, Iyue didn’t…?”
“Of course not,” Natalia denied Milin’s guess immediately, and a shadow crossed her emerald eyes as she spoke, “She only came home once after the war. I really don’t know what she’s been so busy with all these years.”
“Haha… I think Iyue must have her reasons. She hasn’t come to see me in the past few years either…”
“Don’t bring her up. It’s rare to have so much delicious food, let’s eat together! I’m still upset we didn’t settle the food contest last time.”
Rather than talking about her sister, Natalia seemed more interested in finishing their unfinished “food contest.”
Seeing her looking so tempted by the food on the table, Milin could only smile wryly and decline:
“I have to go participate in the tournament first. I’m a contestant this year… I’ll come eat with you after the match.”
“Didn’t expect you to join such a boring thing… You never cared about it before. Go on, go on, don’t disturb me from eating,” Natalia looked at Milin in confusion, then shot a pleading glance at her servant.
Seeing the look, the servant sighed, releasing her hold on Natalia’s arm.
“Miss Milin, please forgive my mistress’s rudeness.”
The elf servant stood up and apologized formally. Milin quickly took her hand.
“I don’t mind, Carol. After all, Natalia has always been like this. Sometimes, I don’t even know if food is more important to her than I am.”
“I’m glad you’re understanding.” Carol, the elf servant, sighed in relief, then turned her attention to Milin’s surroundings.
“By the way, where’s Lady Feiyin? According to tradition, she should be with you today.”
“Who knows where she went… I haven’t seen her since this morning.”
Her casual inquiry suddenly made Milin feel uneasy. Not only was Feiyin absent from her side, but the person she had been looking for earlier from the hilltop was still nowhere to be found.
“Never mind… I’m not that concerned. They’re all big liars.”
With that muttered aside, Milin turned and dashed toward the tournament stage, leaving Carol and her constantly eating mistress behind.
“…Did I say something wrong?”
“Carol, you’re really hopeless at reading the mood… chew… chew.”
“I really don’t want to be scolded by Miss Nephtalia.”