Chapter 628: Flower Crowns
After somehow evading the suspicious gazes of Brother Alex and Sister-in-law Daniela, we reached our destination: the flower field.
I had heard about it, but this was my first visit.
“Oh, this flower field is much larger than I expected.”
“It’s beautiful,” Lady Fabienne said. “But why do so many flowers bloom only here?”
As she tilted her head, Rosalia and Mira raced into the field.
Mira didn’t react to anything, which meant no danger was nearby. The Mira sensor was quite useful.
“None of these flowers seems particularly rare. It would have been nice to find one that could be used as an ingredient.”
“My, that’s so like you, Lord Julius.”
Lady Fabienne laughed at my preference for magic potions over flowers. Father and Mother must have heard our exchange, because they both laughed as well.
What was wrong with that? This was simply who I was.
“Lady Fabienne is right,” Brother Alex said. “It’s mysterious. It’s almost as though something protects this place.”
“Perhaps House Heine has an ancient legend about it,” Sister-in-law Daniela replied.
They were snuggling up and flirting. Curse them! I wouldn’t be left behind. I casually moved closer to Lady Fabienne.
At that moment, Rosalia and Mira came racing back.
“Brother Julius, we found a suspicious stone over there!”
“Kyuu!”
Why did they always report such discoveries to me? They could just as easily have told Father or Brother Alex. Had even Rosalia and Mira concluded that whenever I took action, something happened?
“A suspicious stone, hmm? Shall we take a look?”
“Let us.”
After checking with Lady Fabienne, I followed them. A stone resembling a monument stood where they led us. It certainly looked suspicious.
“Brother Julius, what does it say?”
“Hmm. What language is this?”
It bore characters unlike any I had ever seen. Depending on how one looked at them, they resembled pictures more than writing.
Wondering what we had found, everyone gathered around.
“I’ve never seen these characters,” Sister-in-law Daniela said. “Are they pictures rather than letters?”
“They certainly look that way,” Brother Alex agreed.
Apparently, they saw pictures too. Behind us, Father stood with folded arms, deep in thought. He appeared to be struggling to recall something.
“Come to think of it, I heard a story long ago. Before House Heine governed this region, a guardian deity protected the land.”
“Surely our ancestors didn’t defeat that guardian deity and seize its territory?” I asked.
“Nothing of the sort. The truth appears to be that the guardian deity, whose power was fading, entrusted the land to the Heine family.”
A guardian deity losing its power. That sounded rather similar to the spirits’ circumstances. Surely a spirit wasn’t sleeping beneath this land?
With that thought, I examined the monument again.
If so, my blessings from the spirits might allow me to perceive something different. As I studied the markings intently, information gradually emerged from the pictures.
This monument apparently honoured the Green Spirit. Its inscription expressed gratitude to the spirit who had vanished after protecting this land.
“Father, I believe I understand most of what’s written here.”
“What? How?”
“It seems my blessings from the spirits allow me to read it.”
I told everyone what the inscription said. Apparently, around the time the Heine family first put down roots here, one of our ancestors had possessed a spirit’s blessing just as I did. That person had probably erected the monument in the hope that someone bearing a spirit’s blessing would one day appear here again.
“I see,” Father said. “When did we forget about this? We have wronged the Green Spirit.”
“Then we need only restore our bond beginning today,” Mother replied. “I don’t know how many generations it’ll take, but one day the Green Spirit will surely forgive us.”
“You’re right. Let us do that.”
Father smiled at Mother’s words, and the rest of us smiled with him.
We couldn’t change the past. All we could do was begin changing things today. When was the best time to start? Right now!
“Brother Julius, is there anything I can do for the Green Spirit?” Rosalia asked.
“Let’s make a flower crown together and leave it as an offering. I’m sure the Green Spirit will be pleased.”
“Please teach me, Brother!”
Everyone began making flower crowns. While showing them how, Lady Fabienne and I made a floral necklace together. Sister-in-law Daniela appeared to be making a flower bracelet.
After all, the Green Spirit might not know what to do with nothing but crowns.
“I’m surprised you knew how to make flower crowns, Julius,” Brother Alex said.
“I researched all sorts of things when I decided to grow clover. Once our clover field is complete, I planned to give flower crowns to Lady Fabienne and Rosalia.”
Naturally, I had researched no such thing. This was merely one of those convenient lies told for a good reason. However, it was true that I wanted to give flower crowns to Lady Fabienne and Rosalia.
Julius never lies.
“Oh? You weren’t planning to give one to Daniela?” Brother Alex asked.
“Kyuu, kyuu!”
“O-Of course I planned to give one to Sister-in-law Daniela and Mira! Mother too. What a strange question.”
Julius never lies.