190: Chapter 105: The Meaning of the Headband_2 190: Chapter 105: The Meaning of the Headband_2 Directly ahead stood the grand main castle and its towering battlements.
To the left was a cluster of low buildings against the wall, which housed the servants, the barracks, internal shops, workshops, and storerooms—everything was provided, and many figures came and went there.
A row of houses partitioned the cluster into a separate area, and near the tower behind that area, several large, towering defensive catapults stood erect, although they were not completely assembled.
On the right side behind the gate, a massive structure seemed to be some kind of administrative office.
Further to the right was an open square.
On the square, there were fenced-off archery ranges, and a few individuals, either soldiers, knights, or family members, sporadically practiced archery.
On the other side, there was a double row of parallel race tracks.
Next to the race track capable of accommodating several knights jousting, tiered seating that scaled the wall had been constructed, clearly for spectators to enjoy knightly contests.
Although the castle was not as vast as the fortress-like scale of Western Port Earl Felcon, it was still notably large.
Following the castle guards, the two walked along the stone-paved road to the front of the main castle.
The castle servants helped unload the luggage from the horses and carried it to the guest rooms in the main castle.
The guards took the horses to the stables.
Leon, guided by a servant, entered the main castle and first headed to the great hall to be received by the steward, as was customary.
Perhaps because she had already witnessed the interior of the magnificent, palace-like Mage Tower, Olivia, following behind Leon, was not too surprised by the noble decor inside the Baron’s main castle—indeed, by comparison, she even felt somewhat ashamed and found it rudely simple and rough.
Suppressing the disrespectful thought, Olivia stopped at the entrance to the Lord’s hall, waiting outside just like the castle servants.
Leon told the girl to wait a moment and then stepped in.
Upon entering, he unexpectedly found quite a few extravagantly dressed noblemen and ladies conversing, both old and young.
Leon hardly recognized anyone, but fortunately, he still managed to spot an acquaintance.
“Look who it is, Selva’s Snake Slayer, Sir Pendragon,” said Balfe, who seemed to have been informed of the young visitor, enthusiastically greeted Leon with a welcoming smile.
“Good day, Sir Balfe…
and everyone else,” Leon greeted the Scar-faced Knight and the other nobles with a chest bow, feeling increasingly perplexed.
When had he acquired such a nickname?
The nobles of the Thorns Flower family turned their attention from their discussions, regarding the excessively young knight before them with curious and interested glances.
Balfe patted Leon on the arm and pulled him toward the most obviously high-ranking lady in the center of the crowd.
She appeared to be in her thirties, still possessing a dignified beauty not much diminished from her youth.
“I have the honor of introducing you to this beautiful lady, the wife of Lord Eriv, Lady Adelina Farolis,” Balfe announced.
Adelina, the lady in question, greeted the young knight before her with an elegantly gracious smile.
Knowing her identity, Leon bowed solemnly, according to courtesy, to the wife of the Baron.
From what he understood at present, this world’s political system did not have the unspoken rule that queens and noble ladies were not allowed to engage in politics.
Aside from a few individual cases where personal influence was weak, queens or noble wives usually held the second most powerful position in the kingdom’s court or within a noble’s family.
The noblewoman before him was most likely, without a doubt, the person in charge of the Thorns Flower family while the Baron was away on campaign.
Before Leon could straighten up from his bow, he was caught off-guard as he saw the lady’s pale hand, adorned with rings, lifted.
His head buzzed momentarily before he realized it was a signal for the kiss of hand, a courtesy for married women of higher status among the Felu people.
He followed the teachings of Azeryan and Kovis in his memory, gently holding the hand extended by the lady, and bowed lightly to touch it, completing the ritual.
It was merely a symbolic bow, devoid of any offense; in reality, there wasn’t too much fuss—whether to kiss the back of the hand, the fingertips, or to bow slightly in vacuo without any contact at all, was up to the situation.
However, as a bona fide man from the Celestial Dynasty, whether considered conservative or feudal, he had quite a strong opinion against some of the customs of this world due to cultural differences.
The cheek-kiss was bearable, being an infrequent courtesy between relatives or old lords with a good relationship; the awkward feeling would be limited to oneself.
But the kiss of hand…
He felt that, in the future, if he saw other men choosing to actually kiss his wife’s hand, he would find it disgustingly indescribable.
Fortunately, this act of courtesy was either proactive or requested, and its reception largely depended on the lady.
In fact, a simple bow was the usual practice when meeting a Baroness.
Leon guessed that Lady Thorns Flower, meeting him for the first time and inviting him to perform such a formal courtesy, likely did so because Baron Eriv had recently expressed his high regard for him.
After the formalities, Leon released the lady’s hand and was about to raise his head when he heard Lady Adelina’s gentle voice inquire,
Are you the hero who slayed the snake from the poem ‘Selva Knight’?”
‘Selva Knight’?” Leon responded bewilderedly.
In the courtyard outside the Lord’s hall, Olivia stood quietly with her hand on her sword, waiting for Leon to come out while curiously observing the servants bustling through the corridors.
“Hey, are you the maid of the gentleman who just went in?”