Chapter 299 - Traditional Sensibilities

Out of the corner of her eye Char Char watched the servants load old man Reza's chest into a hand cart, wondering what she should do about the strange object within it.

On the one hand, it was really none of her business. It wasn't like every mystical object was worth investigating, and furthermore it belonged to their host. Common courtesy meant it would be rude to even ask about the object within the chest, let alone investigate it.

Still, it bothered her.

None of her Exalted companions seemed to have noticed anything off about the chest, but Char Char had long learned that her sixth sense was somewhat special to her path.

As the guest of honour Corbin joined the young and old Reza's in their carriage, while his security escorts enjoyed a bumpy hand-pulled cart ride behind.

They left the gate and walls behind them as the path wound through a scenic bamboo forest. Before long they came across the dignified main estate, built in the traditional Kumin style.

Unlike the mansions and timber-framed architecture that was popular in Noga city, traditional Kumin estates were built in complexes of long rectangular halls surrounding a central square courtyard. The central courtyard provided a private area for leisure away from public eyes, at the cost of being less space efficient.

For smaller families these complexes consisted of four outer buildings and a single courtyard. For larger families or richer estates there could be multiple complexes arranged in a grid pattern, or larger courtyards could have a building at their center. For large enough estates that building could even be its own complex with its own inner courtyard.

The Reza family’s complex seemed to be the latter type, as Char Char could see two distinct sets of rooftops within the outer halls. The red shingled rooftops were in good repair, the grounds around the buildings were clean and well maintained. There was a twenty meter clearing around the estate buildings devoid of bamboo and major obstacles, providing a clear line of sight that served both to make the buildings appear more grand and also act as a security measure for unwanted people sneaking around the complex.

“Oh,” Char Char commented as she casually admired the buildings, “This is a very old estate. I didn’t realize the Reza family was that old.”

“How so?” Firuzeh squinted her eyes in the bright afternoon sun to look at the architecture.

“See those sculptures on that rooftop?” Char Char pointed at a tall roof at the center of the estate, “Those little animals represent the number of generations that have lived here. There’s a lot of traditions around them. You can only put a new one up when the last head of family has passed away. The new sculpture has to be the correct animal based on the head’s horoscope and also baked in their ashes. If a new family moves in the sculptures must be removed in order to prevent bad luck… Things like that.”

“Ah, how interesting.” Firuzeh counted twenty six unique animals on the roof, “Is this a Kumin tradition?”

“It is, although only really old families follow the traditions.” Char Char recollected her studies, “For example, it’s customary that guests that arrive at the estate must first enter through the east gates. And then when we leave, we must leave through the west gates. Same for family members that are leaving or returning from long journeys.”

“That’s why we’re taking the long way around, instead of going through those doors?” Firuzeh pointed at a set of west-facing doors that looked like they could be a proper entrance to the estate — or exit, as it were.

“Actually those doors are only used if someone passes away. See the shrine at the bottom of the steps?” Char Char pointed out the small knee-height stone sculpture a few meters away that was directly facing the doors.

“You’re very knowledgeable about the old ways.” The servant pulling the hand cart chuckled, “Not often youngsters have an appreciation for tradition.”

“Oh, I learned it in boarding school—“ Char Char caught a sharp glance from Firuzeh and realized that she was still posing as a security guard, “—when I had to be the bodyguard for a client’s daughter, that is.”

Char Char caught a subtle smirk from Firuzeh from her quick save.

As they traveled a few of the hand carts which were only carrying luggage peeled off from the main group. Char Char noted with interest that the cart with the chest entered a different building than the others along the south wall.

That should be a gatehouse… Char Char noted the different style of framing that distinguished it from a building for living-space. So the chest is being taken to one of the inner buildings? I wonder if they have a collection of similar items… No, wait, it’s none of my business!

Char Char shook her head vigorously once to shake the thought out of her head.

Before long they reached the eastern gate house and dismounted, gathering at the door.

“Welcome to our humble home.” Master Reza said with some formality. His father, old man Reza stood beside him with a smile.

“Welcome!” The servants and other family members greeted Corbin and his small entourage.

“We are grateful for your hospitality.” Corbin bowed, reciting one of the more simpler responses appropriate for the occasion. Char Char, Kai and Firuzeh bowed after.

As guests, the four of them were guided into the hall in front of the family. This hall was only a receiving hall, they walked directly through it to the doors on the other side, entering the first inner courtyard. As they each entered through the doors a servant rang some chimes, three times for each guest, as well as three times for old man Reza. The light, high pitched bells had a pleasant jingle to them.

As soon as they’d crossed the threshold Corbin turned to Firuzeh, “The three of you can take off for the evening.”

Since he was on a private estate with company there was no need for him to keep his bodyguards around. Therefore he dismissed them, giving them the perfect excuse to explore the city.

Master Reza also addressed them warmly, “You are our guests, please enjoy the estate. We have a beautiful garden just out the doors, down the path. If you’d like to explore the walled city my servants will be happy to escort you.”

Without further fanfare Firuzeh, Kai and Char Char had left through the door that they entered and were heading down the path.

“They went through all the trouble of formally greeting us and ringing the bells, only to kick us out right away.” Kai remarked with amusement.

“The chimes show respect to the ancestral spirits.” Char Char explained based on her limited knowledge, “As part of the tradition we had to be greeted before we were allowed to wander around.”

“Ah. I see.” Kai nodded, looking absolutely unconcerned with the traditions. He didn’t tag along with them for long, but parted ways on the first fork in the path.

Firuzeh watched him take off with a bemused expression, “That’s the way into the city.”

From the way Firuzeh spoke, Char Char gathered that she expected Kai had other things on his mind than work. Things like socializing at a local pub, looking for places to gamble and drink.

Char Char, on the other hand, had her mission of finding the White Maiden’s shrine. Since the map that Finn had given Char Char indicated that the shrine was roughly in the vicinity of the estate, she and Firuzeh decided to stay on the property and look around.

“It is always funny to me how superstitious some of these old families can be.” Char Char remarked as a side thought, “Huan is especially full of these kind of traditions. It always seemed like a lot of work for no reason.”

“Superstitions like these are often ways for commoners to protect against the wrath of gods and spirits. There are also protective rituals and spells that use things like bells and prayers, although I don’t sense any such arrangements here.” Firuzeh nodded thoughtfully, her eyes glazing over slightly as she cast her gaze back to the estate. Char Char guessed that Firuzeh was using some aspect of her powers to examine their surroundings.

After a moment Firuzeh nodded again, “It’s likely that in the past these bells had a practical purpose, but over time it was forgotten.”

“Mmm… They didn’t explain that in school.” Char Char squinted her eyes as she tried to recall her teachings. There was not a lot of spiritual content in the curriculum. The explanation was that it was old fashioned and not conducive to modern scientific sensibilities.

But actually, maybe it’s a way for the government to control knowledge about the Exalted…? Char Char came to a realization.

Of course, as a spiritually curious individual who also went to boarding school in the more spiritual province of Huan, Char Char had read plenty of books on the subject in her free time. In particular, there was a lot of books around the Yuima, the Goddess of Nature who was quite popular in Huan.

“I think back in the old days people either worshipped the Goddess of Nature or the God of Preeminent Wisdom.” Char Char said, “The rituals they did here aren’t familiar to me, so I guess the Reza’s follow the God of Preeminent Wisdom?”

This God was not very common in Kumin. He was primarily worshipped in the south, further south than Fuha across the Red Strait, in a kingdom known as the Byran Empire.