After breakfast, Gwen did not immediately deal with the affairs of the fief as usual. Instead, he stopped Heti who was about to leave. "Is there anything urgent in the government office this morning?"
"No." Heti did not know why, but she still replied. "The winter work plan has been arranged. There are only some daily affairs this morning. I can leave them to my assistant."
"Then don't rush to the government office. Come with me for a walk in the city."
Ten minutes later, Gwen and Heti had arrived at the central block of Cecil City. Amber, as a guard, followed them out.
Walking through the streets of this new city, one would be greeted by the unique vitality and vitality of Cecil City. Beside one's ears, one could hear the sounds of people and carriages. Everywhere one looked, one could see citizens who were full of vigor and vitality. Although it was already late autumn and the weather was getting colder by the day due to the decrease in activity, the cold did not affect the lives of the people of Cecil in the slightest. On the contrary, due to the large number of new projects in the new city district on the north bank, countless jobs and life opportunities were attracting more and more people to join the city and work. At this moment, Cecil was as lively as it had ever been.
However, just over two years ago, this was unimaginable for the Ansu people — or even for any country in the north of the continent.
So every time he walked on the streets of Cecil City, Gwen would spontaneously feel a sense of comfort. This comfort also made him more aware of the fact that he was alive in this world. It made him realize that he had an inseparable connection with this world, and that his efforts and actions were not in vain.
Amber followed beside Gwen. She looked at him strangely as if she saw something strange in his dignified face. As the lord's guard, she had been with Gwen longer than Heti and Rebecca. Whether she liked it or not, she was already familiar with every detail of Gwen's expression. She could see that Gwen had something on his mind, but she did not know if she should ask.
Fortunately, Heti was on the other side. Heti may not be as observant as Amber, but she was a meticulous and sensitive person. After a little hesitation, the 'chief steward' asked with concern, "Ancestor, is there something on your mind?"
Gwen did have something on his mind. He was thinking about the civil war outside Firmrock Fortress, about how long the Duchy of Cecil had to develop steadily, about the threat of the God of Holy Light and other gods, and whether the cultists, who had been silent for nearly a year, were brewing a new conspiracy. But under Heti's worried gaze, Hao Ren just said casually, "After Louan City is stabilized … we can develop in peace for a few years."
"As you said." Heti lowered her head slightly. "Some of the production and construction plans have been scheduled for the second half of next year. As long as there are no major changes in the external situation, the next few years will be the most critical period of development for the duchy."
"Yes … provided that there are no major changes in the external situation …" Gwen said slowly, but he could not help but think of the powerful and covetous country: Typhon. That empire was already at the critical juncture of change. How long would they sit and watch the civil war in Ansu? How weak were they going to make their move in Ansu?
Maybe I should speed up the arrangements on Daniel's side …
But Gwen's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a scene on the street not far away.
He saw a group of people coming out from the corner of the street. Everyone was wearing some kind of grayish-white straw hoop around their necks. They had bags in their hands, and they were constantly taking out small white flowers from their pockets and pinning them on every door along the way. He also suddenly noticed that many people on the street were also wearing small white flowers. Some wore them on their collars, some pinned them on their hats, and some simply held them in their hands.
"What's going on?" Gwen raised his hand and pointed to a spot not far away. "What are they doing?"
Amber glanced over and said casually, "Oh, it's Requiem Festival in two days. Many people in the city are preparing for it."
"Requiem Festival?" Gwen was confused. "It's a festival? Was there one last year? "
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Heti suddenly sounded a little hesitant when she spoke. "Last year … there was actually a festival last year. But at that time, the territory was still very unstable, and supplies were scarce. So there were only some small scale activities. You probably did not pay attention to it."
"Is that so?" Gwen was still a little confused. "But how come I've never heard of this festival?"
Heti looked at Gwen and her expression was a little strange. "This festival … It's normal that you don't know about it. It only appeared after you … died in battle back then. On the 45th day of the Month of Frost every year, people wear straw hoops, decorate their doors and clothes with Death Heralding Chrysanthemums, hold a night bonfire ceremony and dance to remember the dead and communicate with the souls of the dead. "
"Oh, it's a festival after my 'death'. No wonder." Gwen suddenly understood. "Wait a minute, 45th day of the Month of Frost? Isn't that the last time I went to the battlefield 700 years ago? "
"Just as you think," Heti's expression was even more strange. "This festival is to remember you. At first, it was just a ceremony spontaneously held by the people of Cecil. Then, the late King Charles and the other founding dukes also held activities to remember you. By the 27th year of the Ansu, it became a national festival …"
Gwen was speechless.
Does this mean that in two days, the people of Ansu will collectively celebrate his death with flowers, a bonfire, singing and dancing?!
At this moment, he really wanted to say "Holy sh * t" like Nicholas, but considering the image of his ancestor, he forced himself to hold back. But he still could not help but mutter with a strange expression. "You guys … I'm already alive, don't you think it's wrong for everyone to celebrate this festival?"
"It can't be helped … After all, it's been 700 years …" Heti's expression was very conflicted, but she knew that her ancestor must be more conflicted than she was. She could only brace herself and explain. "The origin of this festival has become something written in history books. Only the nobles and scholars know a thing or two, and only the ones who are good at studying. For the ordinary people, Ansu Day has evolved into an ordinary festival. It's a day for them to remember their ancestors, comfort their ancestors, communicate with their souls, and pray for blessings and peace … This … you should understand …"
"I …" Gwen's forehead was covered in sweat, but after thinking hard, he realized that he could only understand. "He" had been dead for 700 years. Other than the first decade, generations of Ansu people had long been used to commemorating their ancestors on this day. In this world where there was a true god, and most of the festivals were related to the gods, this was probably the only festival that had nothing to do with the gods. What else could he do other than understand?
"Okay, I understand, I understand." Gwen rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. At this moment, he suddenly felt that all his previous worries had been relegated to the back of his mind. "Let's celebrate then …"
Heti heaved a sigh of relief. She was so nervous just now. After all, although this festival was "in memory of the great ancestor", and in theory, it was a glorious event, but whether the ancestor himself would think that it was worth commemorating after crawling out of the coffin was another matter altogether. To be fair, she did not think that the whole nation dancing around the bonfire to commemorate the anniversary of his death was something to be happy about — and they did it once a year …
However, before she could even catch her breath, she was suddenly interrupted by a vigorous voice. "Ancestor! Auntie! Ah, and Amber! You're here! "
Heti looked up and saw Rebecca running from afar, and she saw that the silly roe deer was holding a bunch of Death Heralding Chrysanthemums in its hand …
Then and there she realized clearly and calmly: Oh, it's over.
In the blink of an eye, Rebecca was already in front of Gwen and the other two. The girl first greeted Gwen cheerfully, and then looked at Heti. "Auntie! It's almost Requiem Day. We missed it last year, so we should be celebrating it normally this year, right? "
Heti was almost gnashing her teeth as she lowered her voice. "Ray-beck-ka —"
Rebecca did not notice that something was wrong with the atmosphere. "Huh?"
Heti opened her mouth, and just as she was about to remind the girl of the origin of Requiem Day, Amber, who had been watching quietly for a long time, suddenly spoke up. "Speaking of which, how does the Cecil family celebrate Requiem Day?"
Amber, the excellent head of the Military Intelligence Bureau, spymaster, intelligence warfare and sabotage expert, and one of the biggest instigators of the "Awakening of Louen" incident. She had three major strengths in life: stealing and digging graves, running away, and fanning the flames.
Rebecca immediately fell into the trap, and happily began to talk. "Actually, most of the content is the same as everyone else's. During the day, we decorate the doors and windows with Death Heralding Chrysanthemums so that the ancestors can find their way home. Then, at night, we hold a bonfire party, eat, drink, dance, and so on. We also prepare an extra portion of food to entertain the ancestors' souls. The next morning, we collect all the Death Heralding Chrysanthemums and send them to the family cemetery, so that the souls can be sent back to their resting place …"
As Rebecca spoke, she looked at Gwen. "By the way, Ancestor, do you want to … eh?"
Gwen looked at Rebecca expressionlessly. "Why don't you just give me the flowers in your hand? It'll save you the trouble. "
Rebecca was speechless.
Gwen looked at Heti again, and continued to be expressionless. "It's fine if this child doesn't learn history well. But did anyone tell her about the origin of Requiem Day? She's the heir of the family. "
Rebecca finally came to her senses, and with a head full of cold sweat, she stood up straight. "I … I know! Requiem Day was originally held to commemorate the founding Duke Gwen Cecil, and officially became a holiday in Ansu year 27 … "
Gwen couldn't help but knock on the silly roe deer's head. "Don't you know everything?!"
Rebecca rubbed the place where she was knocked. "I just didn't get it …"
Gwen looked at her helplessly. How could such a genius mind that could seamlessly switch between magic technology and machinery be so stubborn in other fields?
Rebecca looked at Gwen's expression and shrunk her neck. "Then … then let's not celebrate Requiem Day in our family … Ancestor, you've come back to life anyway."
However, Gawain did not give an answer immediately. He only looked at the people on the street who were preparing for the Requiem Festival, and a strange feeling rose in his heart.
After a short moment of thought, he finally broke the silence. "Requiem Day … still has to happen. I'll celebrate it with you this year."
This time, not only did Heidi and Rebecca widen their eyes, but even Hu Po, who was watching from the side, was shocked. "Huh? What kind of hobby is that? "
"Those who have climbed out of their coffins don't need to be commemorated, but some souls … need to be comforted." Gwen sighed softly. "The fire of the old Cecil … it's been two years."
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