I borrowed a pen and ink from the High Priest and rewrote the story of Cinderella on the spot. It was a complete rewrite. After numerous corrections, I finally finished a story that the High Priest could accept.
I learned something from this experience. This is a fantasy world with magic and magic arts, so the casual fantasy I knew couldn't simply be accepted. Creating stories from now on was going to be difficult.
"High Priest, there was one more thing I wanted to discuss."
As I tapped the rewritten papers against my knee to straighten them, I looked toward the High Priest. Noticing my gaze, he set aside the documents he'd been reading while I worked, placing them on the desk behind him with a rustle.
"It's about the orphanage's winter preparations…"
"Winter preparations? …Ah, the divine blessings of firewood and food are likely to be about the same as last year based on our projections, but for the detailed situation, I'll have
"Huh? You already have projections?"
I didn't understand how he could have projections when we wouldn't know the details until the blue priests returned from the Harvest Festival.
"There's almost no change in the number of blue priests this year, the weather has been fine, and there were no major epidemics. Therefore, we should receive divine blessings roughly equivalent to last year's."
I blinked several times at the High Priest's words. He was someone who supposedly never left the temple, yet here he was with information about the outside world. I got bits of news and rumors from the
"I can understand predictions about the weather, but how would you know the state of epidemics in the farming villages? You never go out into town, do you?"
"…I have my own channels of information. I don't go to the lower town, but I do visit the noble's quarter from time to time."
For me, "town" meant the lower town where my house was, but for the High Priest, "town" meant the noble's quarter. Now that I knew his information source, I nodded in understanding. This was entirely prejudice on my part, but I could imagine some really insidious intelligence warfare going on among the nobles.
"
"Yes. I've arranged through
"…The children? You mean the young ones who haven't had their baptism ceremonies yet?"
The High Priest's eyes widened in surprise. As a noble who never had to do anything for himself when it came to day-to-day matters, and who didn't let children who hadn't had their baptism leave the orphanage, the concept of putting small children to work apparently didn't exist in his mind.
But such conventions couldn't stand up against poverty. In the orphanage, where "those who don't work don't eat" was thoroughly ingrained, growing boys fought over who got to help first, and even the young children who received their divine blessings last were no less eager.
"Yes. It's perfectly normal in the lower town, and even small children can help with little tasks. …Of course, I'm bedridden every year myself, so I'm not much of a worker."
"Indeed."
"Don't state the obvious," the High Priest nodded.
"So, the actual pork processing will be done in the farming village, but after that, I plan to make glue and candles from beef tallow, so I imagine the smell will be terrible. Even though it's for the orphanage, having a terrible stench drift through the temple grounds would be problematic, wouldn't it?"
I timidly watched the High Priest's reaction, and he made a slightly troubled face before sighing.
"If it drifts over from the orphanage, the blue priests will complain."
"…As I thought."
Both the glue-making and candle-making would produce awful smells, so I planned to do them outside of Myne's Workshop. The noble's quarter and the orphanage were somewhat separated, but there was no way the stench would go unnoticed. In a pinch, I could do them at the old warehouse workshop, but it was too narrow for many people and difficult for moving tools around. Ideally, I wanted to do it at the orphanage.
"Hmm… let me think."
The High Priest pondered for a moment, then looked up and fixed his gaze on me.
"For the next ten days or so, almost all the blue priests will be away for the Harvest Festival, so some bad smells could be tolerated. Beyond that period, I'd say you shouldn't attempt it within the temple."
I didn't know if the pork processing could be finished during the Harvest Festival while the blue priests were gone. Neither the pigs nor the tools were ready. But if I discussed it with Benno, there might be a way.
"Understood. I'll consult with Benno."
I clenched my fist as a glimmer of hope appeared, and the High Priest squinted and pushed his bangs back.
"…Myne, that's a lot of winter preparations. Are you going to be all right financially?"
"I'll be using the money that everyone at Myne's Workshop earned for the orphanage, so it'll be fine."
"…As long as you're not covering the entire cost personally. Still, it really is something that the orphans can provide for themselves with their own hands."
"That's only possible because of the divine blessings."
I shrugged at the High Priest's sigh tinged with admiration. Without the divine blessings, Myne's Workshop simply didn't have enough income to support everyone. In truth, Myne's Workshop was quite the black company, paying low wages and having children work.
"Even so, I had thought the orphanage's winter would be considerably harsh. This is good news for me."
The High Priest relaxed his expression and praised me, which was rare. I let out a breath of relief that my efforts for the orphanage hadn't been in vain.
"The orphanage's winter preparations will be fine if they can be completed within about ten days. Rather, the preparations you should be worried about are your own."
"My own winter preparations?"
I tilted my head at the High Priest's words. My winter preparations were done at home. More precisely, I was usually treated as a nuisance, so my family handled everything. My mother was pregnant this year, and I'd grown a bit bigger, so I was determined to be more useful this year. But I couldn't imagine the High Priest worrying about that.
"My winter preparations are done at home, though?"
"That won't do."
The High Priest narrowed his eyes and leaned forward slightly, fixing his gaze on me.
"In winter, there is the Dedication Ceremony. You know about this, don't you?"
"Yes."
It was one of the ceremonies Fran and the High Priest had taught me about—the ceremony I was told I absolutely must attend, where we infuse magic into the divine instruments.
To pray that life will bud next spring and grow safely, we fill all the divine instruments in the temple with magic until they're at full capacity. If we don't fill them up here, there won't be enough magic to give to the farming villages during the Spring Prayer Ceremony, which would apparently affect the harvest.
"The Dedication Ceremony requires an enormous amount of magic, so you absolutely must participate. If you couldn't come to the temple because of a blizzard, that would be a serious problem. Therefore, you should stay at the temple throughout the winter."
"I understand that if it snows and you can't predict when I'll be able to come, it could affect the Dedication Ceremony. But my family would be very worried. I really do get fever often in the winter…"
I could be considered the one recognized as a blue shrine maiden specifically for the Dedication Ceremony, so I understood the High Priest's reasoning, but it was still a problem. What would my family say?
"I believe I understand your family's position as well. Therefore, I will permit your family to come and go from your room to check on you, as they are concerned about your well-being. That is the maximum concession I can make. With that in mind, see to it that your preparations for the room are not neglected."
The High Priest said "see to it that they're not neglected" so casually, but putting together winter preparations was no simple matter. Even though it meant preparing on top of the orphanage's share, the unexpected expenses left me deathly pale as I left the High Priest's room.
…Whoa! My own winter preparations are even harder than the orphanage's!
As I walked back to my room, grumbling internally,
"Myne-sama, you don't look well…"
"It's all right, Rosina. I'm just a bit shaken. Fran, I heard from the High Priest earlier, and it seems I'll have to live in the temple during the winter."
I smiled reassuringly at Rosina, then brought up the topic of winter preparations with Fran. Fran nodded slowly at the High Priest's reasoning.
"Since there is the Dedication Ceremony, it would be difficult for Myne-sama to commute."
"…My own winter preparations were completely unexpected, so what do you think I'll need?"
"For firewood and food, we've already accounted for our own winter preparations, so adding Myne-sama's portion shouldn't be too much of a problem. We can manage by increasing everything a little at a time."
"Oh, that's a relief."
Being told it wasn't a major issue, I let out a small sigh of relief. Still, I'd have to calculate properly to know how much the expenses would increase.
"…Rosina, I'm sorry, but could you go to the workshop and call
"Of course."
Back in my room, I had
I sent Fran to ask the cook whether they could stay in during the winter.
While we were doing all this, Rosina and Lutz returned from the workshop.
"Myne, Rosina said you were looking for me. What's up?"
"Hey, Lutz. I've never been involved in this myself, so I have no idea, but do you think pork processing can be done within ten days?"
When I told Lutz about the pork processing plan the High Priest had mentioned, he groaned and grimaced.
"That's way too sudden, isn't it? I don't know if we can even get a smokehouse."
"I think it's too sudden too, but I was told there's no other time when the blue priests will be away. If we have no choice, I'd do the glue-making at the old warehouse, but it's small, and moving all the tools there again would be a pain."
Working in a warehouse about six tatami mats in size would be extremely difficult. Lutz must have imagined the situation, because he scrunched a wrinkle onto the bridge of his nose and grumbled.
"…Got it. I'll head to the shop now and ask the boss. If you've already decided to do it in the warehouse as a last resort, he could at least inquire with the village about whether it's feasible. Ah, have Fran walk me to the shop."
"Thanks. I'm counting on you, Lutz."
As Lutz turned and dashed off toward the Gilberta Company, I looked down at my writing board and began listing the things needed for winter preparations once more.
Adding my own share alone increased the quantity considerably. When you considered it was several months' worth of food, even one child's portion was nothing to scoff at.
…This is bad. I might not have enough money. I need to finish Cinderella quickly.
"Myne-sama will need new clothes as well."
"Don't worry, Delia. I plan to go shopping for that tomorrow. I've been thinking the attendants and orphans will need winter clothing too. …Hmm, if I'm buying for the orphanage children as well, should I bring the attendants along tomorrow's shopping trip?"
"Oh!"
It was Delia who perked up. She seemed very interested in shopping and new clothes. Rosina, on the contrary, looked slightly downcast. She probably wanted to stay behind and play her hsspil rather than go out. Rosina quietly shook her head.
"…The orphans already receive divine blessings. If they're not going outside, I don't think they need any?"
That was true. We'd been managing with divine blessings so far, so they'd probably be fine staying inside the temple. But during winter, they would need to go out to gather paluu.
"Oh, the children will need to go to the winter forest on certain days. They need hats and gloves too."
Since I had a large group of children who'd become accustomed to the forest, I should put them to good use. Especially since my mother was pregnant this year and couldn't go to the winter forest. I planned to have
…Abuse of power? No matter what anyone said, I wasn't going to miss out on precious winter sweets.
For that, proper winter gear was essential. I'd also need a sled to carry things. And I wanted an iron plate and spatula for baking paluu cakes.
I jotted down everything I thought of on my writing board. When I calculated the total expenses, my current funds weren't enough.
"Myne-sama, I spoke with the cook.
"Oh, that's a relief."
Through Fran's negotiations, it was decided that while the temple was snowed in, Ella would lead the cooking efforts, with a child from the orphanage who was interested in cooking assigned as her assistant.
"Rosina, please ask
"Of course."
Rosina and Fran answered in unison.
Delia had been fidgeting nervously, and I realized she'd been waiting for our conversation to end. She undid my sash, removed my blue robe, and fired off question after question.
"So, Myne-sama. Where are we going shopping? Will you buy winter clothes for me too? Will you choose Myne-sama's winter clothes? How much are we going to buy?"
"…Delia, you're getting too excited. You might not be able to sleep tonight."
Overwhelmed by Delia's enthusiasm, I couldn't help but smile wryly, but Delia's eyes sparkled as she declared: "Well, of course I'm excited! It's shopping!"
"Delia, you need to finish changing Myne-sama, or Fran will be waiting downstairs."
Rosina pointed out with a soft chuckle that her hands had stopped moving, and Delia hurriedly finished the change.
"Then, let's go tomorrow. We'll buy winter clothes. If Wilma doesn't want to come, I'd like one of the other attendants to meet us at the Gilberta Company at the third bell."
As I followed Delia down the stairs and mentioned tomorrow's plans, Delia opened the door with a radiant smile and turned back.
"The third bell, understood. Well then, welcome back early, Myne-sama. I look forward to your swift return."
"Take care of the house."
Fran and I laughed at Delia's excitement, then walked through the chilly evening streets toward the Gilberta Company, discussing the contents of my writing board along the way.
"Fran, could you tell
"…That's fine, but may I ask why?"
Fran knew I'd been worked up about using them as textbooks, so he blinked and tilted his head. Since Fran managed everything in my room, I should probably explain.
"I need money, and I have to sell them."
"…Excuse me?"
I explained my desperate situation—the High Priest had casually told me to prepare for winter, but my own preparations were completely unplanned. I needed to place orders with Benno quickly, but there wasn't enough time to make the second volume of the picture book, and the paper and ink we'd need for future picture books couldn't be sold either. Fran's eyes went wide at my blunt honesty. He froze as if he didn't know what to do, his mouth opening and closing slightly. His gestures when confused reminded me of the High Priest's processing delays, and as I watched, Fran shook his head.
"Myne-sama. Are you… all right? About, not having money? …I don't really understand what it's like to not have money, but it means you can't go shopping, right?"
Raised in the orphanage and having served the wealthy noble High Priest, who could bring five books into the temple, Fran had apparently never experienced a shortage of money.
Since becoming my attendant, he'd learned for the first time that you couldn't have everything you wanted, that even a master had to make do without money, and that money didn't come without earning it.
"It's fine, Fran. Calm down. I'll finish Cinderella and sell it as soon as possible, and I'm confident we can earn it back with winter handicrafts. It's just that my current funds are tight. Since Delia is so happy about this, don't tell the other children about the money shortage. Just say something like Benno really wants the picture book sold because it turned out well. Got it? It would be sad if they couldn't enjoy the shopping trip."
"…Understood."
By the time I finished my private conversation with Fran, the Gilberta Company was in sight. There was a figure in front of the shop. Spotting me, the figure waved—it was Lutz.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lutz."
"So, shall we head home?"
"Fran, thank you. The sun's setting a bit earlier now, so go straight back to the temple. See you tomorrow."
Fran nodded with a complicated smile at my words, crossed both hands over his chest, and gave a slight bow before turning on his heel.
I walked home with Lutz, listening to the results of his discussion with Benno.
"The boss said he'd at least negotiate with the village for us. Like I said, it all depends on whether we can get a smokehouse."
"I see. As long as we can finish the glue-making before the blue priests return…"
As I sighed, wondering if that would work out, Lutz shrugged in exasperation.
"Myne, worry about whether the pork processing can be done before the glue. The orphanage people are all beginners, right? The shop's winter preparations are further off, so even if we do pork processing this time, there are hardly any experienced workers who can help. The boss said he'd request someone from the butcher, but we'd really need more experienced people to manage."
Originally, this was supposed to be done jointly with the Gilberta Company's winter preparations, but since we were moving up our timeline considerably, each side would have to prepare separately. That meant the number of experienced workers would drop significantly. People who didn't know what to do, and who would probably be seeing a pig being butchered for the first time—beginners like that wouldn't be much help.
"…I'm planning to ask Dad and Tuuli, but I don't know when that will be yet. There's no way to ask them in advance."
I'd left my mother out of the equation because she was pregnant and having a hard time, but ideally, I wanted Dad and Tuuli to help. However, I couldn't bring it up without knowing when the work would be scheduled.
"Yeah, I guess. …More importantly, are you going to be okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Staying at the temple all winter—won't Uncle
"…Yeah, probably. I'll just have to convince him."
Right. After dinner tonight, it was time for a family meeting for the first time in a while. It was obvious that my family would be worried and angry, and my stomach was already twisting with anxiety.
"But the Dedication is Myne's job. I think it's better for you to stay in the temple, honestly. Not to be rude, but your room in the temple is definitely warmer and less drafty than your house. Plus, Fran's gotten pretty good at keeping track of your condition."
"Thanks, Lutz. I'll use your words as bargaining material too. …My family trusts you more than they trust me."
"You can do it," Lutz encouraged me as we parted at the well square, and I slowly climbed the stairs home.
"So, Myne. What did you want to talk about?"
As soon as I said "There's something I want to discuss" after dinner, the whole family's expressions changed at once. Deadlines, entering the temple, invitations from the temple… without even thinking hard, all the things I had to say were bad for the heart. It was no wonder they were on guard.
"Um, well, the truth is… today, the High Priest told me that there's an important ceremony in winter, and it would be a problem if I couldn't come because of blizzards. He said once the snow starts, I should stay at the temple."
"What do you mean!? You said you'd just be commuting!"
Sure enough, Father slammed his hand on the table in outrage. Tuuli and Mother both nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I know, but the winter Dedication Ceremony is really important. It's a ceremony to fill the divine instruments with magic, and if we don't properly charge them here, it affects next year's harvest. If crops can't grow, a lot of people will be in trouble."
"The temple does something like that?"
Tuuli's surprised words prompted a slow nod from me. I had no idea what kind of divine affairs the temple performed until I became a shrine maiden apprentice.
"That may be true, but your health is more important. I don't want Myne locked up alone in the temple. We don't know when you might die."
"Fran's gotten good at monitoring my condition, Lutz said. Besides, the High Priest said it's okay for family to come visit. He said that was the maximum concession he could make."
Father gritted his teeth hard. He understood both the importance of the ceremony and the High Priest's concession, but I could feel all too clearly how much he didn't want to agree.
"What do you want to do, Myne?"
Mother asked gently, stroking her stomach as if calming herself.
I'd already given the High Priest my answer, and I was getting help from various people for the winter preparations. There was only one answer.
"…I'll stay at the temple. Because that's my job."
"Myne!"
At Father's angry shout, I slowly shook my head.
"Dad, I'm the director of the orphanage, so I have to look after the orphanage too. Besides, the reason I was allowed into the temple was because magic power was needed, right? That's why I was permitted the blue robe, and I don't have to do grueling physical labor."
Father clenched his jaw and gripped his fist tightly. He swallowed the words he wanted to say and shut his eyes tight.
"The High Priest did his best to incorporate my family's wishes and protect me. In that case, I need to properly attend the ceremonies that require magic power. By offering magic, my lifespan has definitely been extended, and I've almost completely stopped collapsing from consumption fever. The Dedication is for my own sake too."
Without magic tools, I'd probably have been dead by now. By offering magic to the divine instruments at the temple, I was able to keep living.
"Myne, what if your health fails?"
"The room has a bed, and I have attendants looking after me. I won't be left unattended. I would like Tuuli to teach the attendants what to do if I collapse from a fever, though."
Tuuli, who had been in the room once, murmured, "That bed looked so soft and nice."
"Then I'll go teach them. If Myne's going to be staying all winter, I should introduce myself…"
"Mom, you can't be moving around right now. Absolutely don't overdo it."
"I can move around just fine. Pregnancy isn't an illness. The morning sickness is getting a bit better too."
Mother said this and then decided that once she felt a bit better, she would go see the temple room and introduce herself to the attendants. While I was the one who'd be staying, Mother had already gone into support mode under the assumption she'd be visiting too.
The temple's decision as nobility couldn't be overturned at this point. Father scratched his head vigorously and let out a long breath.
"…The family can visit, right?"
"Yeah. Come see me because I'll be lonely."
"I'm also teaching sewing lessons and going to the orphanage from time to time during winter to learn my letters, so I'll stop by to check on you too," Tuuli said with a smile.
Father, on the other hand, scowled and glared at me.
"Why does Myne always rely on Tuuli? Rely on your father a little too."
"Huh? Um?"
Desperate to give Father something to rely on for, I quickly thought of jobs for him.
"Then, Dad, could you help teach the orphanage's winter handicrafts? We need to cut wooden boards and carve grooves, and it's too much for Lutz alone."
"Leave it to me. What else?"
Father wasn't a professional craftsman, but his hands were skillful, and when I asked him to teach the woodworking class, he grinned and accepted. Since he was willing to help and offering to assist, there were plenty of things I wanted done.
"Oh, and I haven't set the exact date yet, but I'd also like help with the pork processing at the orphanage. There are no experienced workers at the orphanage, and these processed goods will be my winter food supply."
"That's going to be tough. Once the date's set, I'll swap my schedule or make adjustments."
"And also, I need you to tell me what's needed for proper winter preparations. I've always been sick with fever, so I don't really know much about the house's winter preparations either. …I don't even know what's missing in the room."
After that, the family members all started chiming in about what was needed for winter preparations and what needed to be checked.
Most of their concerns were about my health, and I smiled wryly as I wrote everything down.
Myne has a money shortage. She needs to earn money fast.
Winter preparations are going to be rough.
Next time: shopping, with attendants in tow.