It was an ambiguous statement, but perceptive Hadel promptly explained the part I found puzzling.

“Instead of building high walls, they densely planted trees to block the cold wind. But the Grand Duchy had to build high walls in the area where people stayed due to the continuous appearance of ice monsters.”

“I see.”

In addition to the low walls, it seemed they created windbreaks instead of castle walls. I bombarded Hadel with numerous questions.

“Is the currency the same?”
“Everything is the same as the kingdom. Originally, the Grand Duchy could use a different currency, but there’s no need to bother.”

“It would be nice if more people came quickly.”

We might have walked about half of the street like that. A large fountain came into view. Around it, there was a spacious square where people could sit, rest, and have conversations, probably the central area of the city.

“But, even so, there are too many people moving around. What day is it today?”

It felt strange, so I was considering asking someone when someone tapped on my shoulder. It was an old lady with a basket full of paper flowers.

“Miss, is this your lover?”

“Lo…!”

Hadel’s face turned bright red at the old lady’s words. I covered Hadel’s mouth with my hand and quickly nodded.

“Yes, that’s right.”

As if she had expected it, the old lady took a yellow paper flower out of the basket.

“Then, take this flower.”

“The color is different?”

I prefer red flowers. With a benevolent smile, the old lady explained the meaning of the flower colors.

“From today, it’s the snowflake festival period. Most people spend it quietly when it snows, right?”

“That’s right.”

Winter is the quietest season in any region. It’s difficult to engage in outdoor activities because of the cold. People gather in narrow houses, enjoy hot stews, and spend time listening to the old stories told by older adults.

But in Neris, they purposely hold a festival during this winter. The old lady’s story explained the reason.

“So, we deliberately set the festival period so that people can come out into the streets. Especially the energetic young ones who feel a bit stifled staying at home, if they roam around and provoke someone with authority, it could lead to a fight, couldn’t it?”

“Ah, different colors signify a partner.”

“This one means married, this one means having a lover, and this one means single.”

Listening to the explanation while nodding, I widened my eyes.

“Why did you bother classifying lovers and married couples separately?”

The old lady laughed as if to say, ‘Don’t you know that?’ It was a mischievous smile.

“Does having a gatekeeper mean you can’t enter that gate? Until you get the marriage stamp, you don’t know what will happen, right?”

“Hahaha, that’s true.”

I burst into laughter.

We accepted the yellow flower and started exploring the festival grounds in earnest. There were many stalls, and the variety of food was impressive.

“Pretty lady, how about a sandwich with goat milk cheese?”

“There’s wild boar barbecue too!”

Goat milk cheese didn’t suit my taste at all.

“Ugh. Until now, I thought I could eat anything tasty, but I guess I ate it just because it was edible.”

I could endure the pungent smell, but it was hard to describe the tangy taste.

As I rinsed my mouth with water from a cup, I noticed Hadel standing plumply. I glanced at him.

“Hey, Hadel, why aren’t you eating?”

Hadel shrugged his shoulders.

“I was planning to eat after seeing what you eat.”
Like this, I can’t stay upset!

With a face full of betrayal, Hadel laughed out loud.

“When he laughs like that, I can’t stay angry.”

Hearing Hadel’s laughter, which was quite rare, my uneasy feelings somehow disappeared.

After devouring the goat milk cheese sandwich with difficulty, I ate the wild boar barbecue. The taste of wild boar barbecue was familiar to everyone.

“Ah, I’m full now.”

After eating both the sandwich and barbecue, my stomach felt round and full. I patted my stomach and turned around. Suddenly, a man I had never seen before handed me a wooden mug and said loudly,

“Warm beer is the best when it’s cold.”

Perhaps due to his bushy beard, he looked quite rugged. Many men in this area seemed to follow the trend of growing their beards long, and by turning a little, you could easily find men with abundant facial hair.

In the middle of that beard, a strawberry-red nose stood out. I pointed to it with a grin.

“Your nose is incredibly red.”

“I’ve had a lot to drink.”

“If you boil beer, it won’t make you drunk, you know?”

When alcohol is boiled, the alcohol evaporates and disappears. Pointing out this fact, the man smirked and shrugged.

“Still, you have to pretend to be drunk, right? Even if a fierce-looking man with bloodshot eyes is next to you, wouldn’t you try saying a word to the lady?”