The Chief Priest, having finished his paperwork early, was in the middle of a game of reversi when he silently produced an eavesdropping-prevention Magical Tool and held it out to me.
I reached for it at the exact same moment the Chief Priest clicked a black piece down onto the board.
"Mine, the Dedication Ceremony begins next Earthday."
"Yes."
I glared at the black piece the Chief Priest had placed, thinking hard about my next move, when the Chief Priest murmured quietly.
"...Don't go all out."
"Huh?"
I couldn't immediately understand what he meant, so I looked up at the Chief Priest. After he warned me to "stop making a dumb face and look down," he began explaining the amount of Magic Power used in a single day of the Dedication Ceremony.
"Be careful not to put in too much Magic Power. I've already told the High Priest that the excess Magic Power you normally donate amounts to about seven or eight small magic stones. If that's the case, no matter how hard you push yourself, you'll collapse if you exceed twenty."
The Chief Priest murmured, "You'd probably be fine with twenty..." before letting out a slow sigh.
"If you show off too much Magic Power, people might suspect you've been hiding it all along, or that you intended to deceive them. So for this Dedication Ceremony, keep the Magic Power you put into the Holy Cup to around twenty small magic stones' worth. If possible, it would be even better if you looked a little unwell by the time you leave."
"I don't mind, but... doesn't that amount to deceiving the High Priest in the end?"
I could hold back the amount of Magic Power I offered, but the part about "intending to deceive" wouldn't just be the High Priest's suspicion—it would actually be the truth.
My remark made the Chief Priest's lips twist slightly.
"If the deception is a fact, then it can't be called a false suspicion, can it? Being suspected is irritating, but if it's the truth, all you have to do is agree. Besides, it's better in the long run to keep your full ability hidden rather than showing it all. There's no need to blurt out everything to anyone. If you have enemies, you should always keep hidden cards and reserves in reserve."
"...I see."
I accepted that well enough, but imagining the exchange—"You deceived me!?" / "That's right"—between the High Priest and the Chief Priest, I decided the Chief Priest really was playing the villain here.
Earthday. The day the Dedication Ceremony begins.
From that morning, Deria had me bathe and purify myself. Then I donned the new ceremonial robes.
The blue robes, embroidered with flowing water patterns and flowers in the same shade of thread, were trimmed in gold. A silver sash cinched them at the waist. And the small accessories used for the remaining decorations were red—the noble color of winter, the color of the hearth said to soothe cold and bring hope.
"Deria, I'll use the new Hairpin today."
I stopped Deria, who was reaching into the closet for a Hairpin, and instead pulled a package that had arrived just a few days ago from a drawer in my desk, handing it to her.
"My goodness! Hairpins don't belong in desk drawers! What if the shape gets ruined?!"
Puffing with indignation, Deria carefully unwrapped the package.
The new Hairpin used red and green thread so it could be worn at both the winter and spring ceremonies, but its design was quite similar to the one from my
The family had made me this new ceremonial Hairpin to cheer me up after I'd been feeling glum about the one that had gotten somewhat crushed during the Knight's Order inquiry. It also served as a lovely item to help ward off the loneliness of being cooped up indoors for winter.
"That one suits you too, but the previous Hairpin really brought out the color of your hair better, Mine-sama."
When I twisted my hair up with the new Hairpin,
"I had them use noble colors for this one since it's a ceremonial Hairpin for winter and spring, so there's nothing I can do about that."
After arranging my hair with the new Hairpin, I moved to the Chief Priest's room to wait for
My room was the only one located outside the Noble District, and it was too much trouble for the Chief Priest's Attendant to come calling, so I'd been told to wait in the Chief Priest's room instead.
The ceremonial robes, made from the finest fabric, were warm yet light, and they made a pleasant rustling sound as I walked.
"It really is a magnificent robe, given how frighteningly expensive it is."
Damuel, who as punishment had been made to cover a quarter of the robe's cost, let out a sigh of admiration when he saw my ceremonial outfit.
Unlike when I'd had the fabric already on hand and brought it in to be tailored, this time the robe required sourcing the fabric from scratch, and rush delivery fees had been piled on top. According to information Damuel had quietly shared with me, the price was more than three times what I had paid.
Damuel, a lower noble from a family without much financial cushioning, had gone pale upon hearing the amount and consulted his family. In the end, it was apparently covered by funds from the family of his brother's—the heir's—mistress.
"You had your Shrine Maiden Apprentice outfit tailored once before, didn't you? I'm surprised you had that much money on hand back then."
"I had fabric that was a gift brought in and tailored for me, so it didn't cost nearly as much."
"That would explain it, but still..."
As we chatted, we arrived at the Chief Priest's room. The room's master, the Chief Priest, was away at the ceremony, and only a few Attendants who had been told to look after us were present.
"Good morning, Mine-sama. Once the other Blue Priests' Dedication Ceremonies are concluded,
Food and drink were forbidden during the ceremony, so there was nothing to do but sit. I took the seat I was offered, with
The situation of Damuel, a noble, being made to stand while I sat made me uncomfortable, so I turned around and looked up at him.
"Won't you sit down, Damuel-sama?"
"Shrine Maiden Apprentice, if the guard sits, we'd be in trouble in an emergency, wouldn't we?"
"That's true."
Uncomfortable as it was, it seemed I'd just have to keep sitting.
While I waited quietly in the Chief Priest's room, Arno came to summon me.
"Mine-sama, please come at once."
Arno led the way as I followed with Fran and Damuel in tow, heading toward the ceremony chamber deep within the Noble District. We left the Chief Priest's room, passed through several doors, walked past the High Priest's room—which I'd entered a few times before—and turned the corner.
Unlike the Attendants who adjusted their pace to match mine, Arno walked briskly. Seeing me struggling to keep up, Fran spoke to Arno.
"Arno, I'm sorry, but could you slow down a little?"
"Oh, I suppose it was a bit fast for Mine-sama. My apologies."
When Arno eased his pace, I could see the innermost door being slowly opened by a Grey Priest standing in the hallway. It wasn't opened in time for my arrival—it seemed to be opened for someone coming out, as the Grey Priests' gazes were directed inward.
Emerging from the opened door was a portly figure in white robes with a red sash and a gold sash-like ornament draped across the chest. I'd seen him at my own Baptism Ceremony, and he was the only one dressed differently from the other priests, so I recognized him instantly.
"...The High Priest."
The words escaped me involuntarily.
I hadn't seen him at all since entering the
He was probably on his way back to his room. Bad timing. If only he'd already been back in his room, we could have avoided running into each other altogether and spared ourselves the unpleasant feeling.
I moved to the side of the hallway and knelt with both hands crossed before my chest. Arno, Fran, and Damuel followed suit.
With a rustling of fabric and the clacking of approaching footsteps, I could hear him drawing near. Aware that he despised me, my heart pounded as I waited for him to pass, wondering what might happen when our eyes met.
Even with my head bowed, I could see the white robes moving past my field of vision. I waited tensely, but aside from a contemptuous "Hmph" and a flare of his nostrils right in front of me, nothing happened, and the High Priest walked on by.
I let out a breath of relief and raised my head. Then, guided by Arno, I moved to enter the ceremony chamber where the door stood open.
"Damuel-sama, please wait here. Only the priest performing the ceremony and the Shrine Maiden may enter the ceremony chamber."
I turned around in surprise at Arno's words. Arno then urged me inside, saying, "The Chief Priest is waiting within."
I hadn't known, but Arno's words proved correct—the ceremony chamber held only the Chief Priest, standing alone before the altar.
The ceremony chamber was a small chapel. The ceiling was a little higher than in the Chief Priest's room, and the room had more depth. The walls and pillars were white except where gold was used for ornamentation here and there.
Lining both side walls were cylindrical columns with the same intricate carvings as in the chapel. Between the columns were windows spaced at regular intervals, and before each window a fire was burning like a bonfire.
The front wall was covered from ceiling to floor in a colorful, complex mosaic pattern, rich in color. Before it, an altar had been prepared, with bonfires lit on both sides as well.
In the center of the room, a red cloth like a carpet had been laid out, leading up to the altar. The altar, draped in the red cloth, held no statue of a god but was adorned with sacred implements.
On the highest tier sat the crown of the
And on the lowest tier were offerings to the gods: plants and grass symbolizing the breath of life, fruits celebrating the bounty of harvest, incense representing peace, and cloth embodying faith.
"Mine, you're early."
The Chief Priest spun around to face me. His robes were also ceremonial—completely different from his usual blue attire. A blue robe woven all over with small leaf-like patterns, secured with the golden sash worn by adults. His accessories were coordinated in the same winter noble color of red.
"The other Blue Priests aren't here."
"The difference in Magic Power is too great."
The Chief Priest let out a light breath.
Mocking me as a commoner commonfolk, yet there was a vast gap between their donation capacity and mine—it must bruise their pride. On my end, I didn't expect we'd have a pleasant time face to face anyway, so if they were being kept separate, that suited me just fine.
"That's not the only reason."
"Huh?"
Startled, as though the Chief Priest had read my thoughts, I looked up.
"When people gathered for the same purpose offer the same prayers while releasing Magic Power, a synergistic effect makes it flow more easily. If your release量 were to draw theirs along, it could become a dangerous outflow for the others."
"...Is that so?"
"The only one who can accompany your ceremony is me. ...Let's begin."
The Chief Priest gracefully turned his sleeves, knelt before the altar, and pressed both hands to the red cloth. I knelt one step behind him in the same manner, placed my hands down, and bowed my head.
The Dedication Ceremony was the single most important event of the year at the Temple. It was the ritual of charging with Magic Power the sacred implements that would relate to the following year's harvest. The red cloth leading to the altar was woven with threads containing Magic Power, and when one knelt and offered prayers, the Magic Power would supposedly flow into the sacred implements.
"I am one who offers prayers and gratitude to the gods who created this world."
A low, measured voice resonated majestically through the ceremony chamber. I repeated after him.
"Ruling the vast, towering heavens above—the supreme deity, the Darkness God and the Goddess of Light, a divine couple. Ruling the broad, expansive earth below—the five great deities. The Water Goddess, Fluorine. The Fire God,
As the words of the prayer left my lips, I felt Magic Power flowing smoothly out from within me. The red cloth glittered, and I could see the Magic Power flowing as waves of light toward the altar.
"Mine, stop soon."
The Chief Priest swiftly raised his hand as he spoke. I likewise withdrew my hands from the red cloth and stopped the flow of Magic Power. I stared intently as the last trickle of power, sparkling and shimmering, was drawn into a small Holy Cup.
"This should be sufficient for today. More flowed than I expected."
The Chief Priest gazed at the small Holy Cups on the altar and murmured. It appeared we had been able to fill about seven small Holy Cups in a single day. By simple calculation, filling all of them would take eight days.
"If you weren't here, I would have had to fill nearly all of these alone. And I have duties in the Noble District as well..."
The Chief Priest let out a thoroughly exhausted sigh. I looked at the row of small Holy Cups on the altar and shrugged. No wonder the Chief Priest had been so kind to me from the very start. If I had to fill all of these by myself, I'd be pretty miserable too.
The Chief Priest had considerable Magic Power of his own, and I'd wondered why he held back during the regular daily offerings. But unlike me, he also had work to do in the Noble District. What a tough life.
After that, the Dedication Ceremony was held every day. I never met the other Blue Priests face to face, and instead charged the Holy Cups together with the Chief Priest.
Just as we had nearly finished refilling most of the small Holy Cups, the Chief Priest brought in about ten new ones.
"Mine, the Dedication Ceremony is going to drag on a bit longer—would you be willing to help?"
"What happened?"
Apparently, a neighboring lord who was on good terms with our own lord had a serious shortage of Magic Power and had requested our assistance if we had any to spare.
"It's a good opportunity to do a favor and gain an advantage. Better to accept even if it's a bit of a stretch."
"...So, you're on good terms with this person, right?"
"Yes, on good terms. Which is exactly why we need to keep up the give-and-take to maintain that good standing."
...Politics. Terrifying.
But thinking about it from the perspective of protecting one's own domain and maintaining good relations, the kind of "good terms" I had in mind and the actual relationship between two lords would be entirely different things. I could understand it intellectually, but it was a feeling I couldn't quite get used to.
If I was told the lord himself had made the request, I had no objection to helping. After all, my Magic Power was surplus to need, and since I didn't have my own magic stone, it wasn't as if I could use it freely anyway.
"I am one who offers prayers and gratitude to the gods who created this world."
Together with the Chief Priest, I charged the newly entrusted small Holy Cups with Magic Power as well. Partway through the ceremony, a door creaked open.
"How devoutly you pray."
Drawn by the Chief Priest, who had risen abruptly and turned around, I also stood and looked back.
The High Priest, who hadn't shown his face at all until now, had entered the ceremony chamber. He carried an armload's worth of bags and walked with slow, deliberate steps toward the altar.
"High Priest, what is the matter?"
Without answering the Chief Priest's question, the High Priest took small Holy Cups from his bags and placed them down one by one with a clunk.
After lining up roughly ten small Holy Cups, the High Priest turned around with a broad, grandfatherly grin on his face—the same smile he'd worn before learning I was a commoner.
"Now then, Mine. Fill these with Magic Power as well. These were requested by the lord, you see."
"I haven't heard anything about that?"
The Chief Priest furrowed his brow and fixed the High Priest with a stare, but the High Priest maintained his genial expression while intensifying his gaze.
"I haven't said a word to you. I am giving this order to Mine. She'll follow the Chief Priest's commands, but will she not follow the orders of the High Priest, who is me?"
He could refuse, and he could save face—both options were available. However, given that I'd already angered the High Priest considerably, refusing a direct order from him here would not be wise. It would surely make things extremely troublesome down the road. I glanced briefly at the Chief Priest, deferring the judgment to him.
The Chief Priest seemed to notice the intent behind my gaze. His expression tightened slightly as he slowly nodded.
"Today's ceremony has concluded. If you're all right with starting tomorrow, we shall do so."
"Don't forget those words."
The High Priest grinned and left the ceremony chamber with the same unhurried pace with which he'd entered.
The door closed, and in the silence that settled over the chamber, the Chief Priest's sigh dropped.
"I was on edge wondering if you might lose control. ...But these additional small Holy Cups don't appear to be from the lord's orders."
"I said I'd do it, but what should we do? I don't mind giving him face once in a while."
The Chief Priest wore a troubled expression and remained deep in thought for a while.
"We'll continue the ceremony as planned. I intend to check with the lord to verify the story, but in this snow, information won't be gathered quickly. To keep him dangling, it's better to be obedient for now. Can I count on you?"
"Yes."
And so my winter passed day by day, spent filling the slowly multiplying number of small Holy Cups.
As spring drew near and Prayer Ceremonies began to be held in various regions, word would begin to spread quietly in the neighboring territories: the Temple in Ehrenfest's city had a Shrine Maiden Apprentice of formidable power.
By the time the Chief Priest noticed the rumor, it had already spread far and wide, and it was too late.
The Dedication Ceremony comes with new robes and a new Hairpin.
And it was our first encounter with the High Priest in a long while.
Next time: Rosina's coming-of-age ceremony.