The Gray Priests bowed to the Chief Priest and filed out of the room one after another, when
He then began brewing tea in thick glass vessels, presumably chosen to suit the Chief Priest's taste. As the leaves started to steep, Arno raised his head and began pulling out glass bottles filled with tea leaves one after another, explaining the varieties, origins, and harvest seasons as he lined them up.
"Mine, what kind of beverage would you prefer?"
...Honestly, I had absolutely no idea.
While I remained clueless, I randomly pointed at one of them and said, "I'll have this one, please," and next came a barrage of questions about the milk—what kind of dairy farm I preferred, what breed of cow, and so on.
...Even if they asked me that, I still had no clue.
However, since my social standing meant I had to be the one to choose before we could proceed, I couldn't brush it off with "the same as his" the way I had with
Thinking to myself how exhausting it must be for nobles to simply drink a cup of tea, I turned to
"Fran, what kind of milk do you think would pair best with this tea?"
"Well... Holger's Grauwaerche, if it's from a three-year-old cow, has a subtle sweetness that would complement the Tiegaefte quite well, in my opinion."
"Very well. Then I'll have Grauwaerche from Holger, please."
The tea I'd be drinking today was Tiegaefte. With milk from Holger's Grauwaerche. I wasn't sure how long I'd remember this, but I committed it to memory. The strings of sounds felt like some kind of spell. All I could do was tilt my head in bewilderment.
While Arno was asking Benno about his preferences, the last of the Gray Priests had apparently left.
"Please, Mine."
"Thank you."
I picked up the glass cup that had been set down with such delicate, noiseless gestures, and took a sip. The blended tea, enriched with smooth milk, sent a gentle sweetness spreading through my mouth. The ingredients and the brewing method must both have been excellent. It was blissfully delicious.
Once Arno had prepared tea for everyone, he pushed the cart away to put it somewhere. Just when I thought he'd disappeared, he promptly returned and closed the door with a crisp click. I let out a soft sigh of admiration at his flawlessly efficient movements.
The moment Arno took his position behind the Chief Priest, the latter opened his mouth.
"Benno, I've received a report that you are the person of discerning vision who first brought Mine to prominence."
"You flatter me."
"In your eyes, what kind of person does Mine appear to be? Within the
"Magical outbursts...? Oh my, is that so?"
Benno glanced at me with eyes that held no trace of a smile. If we weren't here, those were the eyes that would be glaring at me with a "You didn't tell me about this, you hear?!" I quickly averted my gaze in the opposite direction and raised my cup to my lips.
"I am merely a merchant. Therefore, I cannot speak to matters of magic, but if it concerns what I know of Mine, I can certainly share."
"Hmm, do tell."
The Chief Priest leaned forward slightly, urging Benno to continue.
My feelings were about as comfortable as a parent-teacher conference where the teacher and guardian are discussing you behind your back. I was sitting there with a solemn expression, but in truth I wanted to shout "Stop! Don't say anything unnecessary! At least do this when I'm not here!" and storm out of the room.
"Mine is a genius. At least in the singular respect of creating new products. In terms of sheer ingenuity, she is unmatched, but the one who actually completes the products is an apprentice at our shop. She has created numerous products, yet Mine herself has little awareness of her own genius. Our shop recognizes her basic nature as being gentle and tolerant."
Apparently, when you rephrase my personality—often described as spacey, thoughtless, or lacking in caution—in terms palatable to nobles, it becomes "gentle and tolerant." It was an evaluation I never expected to come from Benno's mouth. There really is more than one way to skin a cat.
"Wait a moment. Gentle, perhaps—but tolerant?"
The Chief Priest, clearly unconvinced by Benno's words, looked at me and Benno with a deeply suspicious expression.
I could hardly blame him. Causing a magical outburst that knocked the High Priest unconscious was surely well-known among the priests, and if Fran had reported this morning's events, the Chief Priest would also know about the time I released a bit of magic at
From the Chief Priest's perspective, I must have seemed about as far from the word "tolerant" as one could get. I was likely seen as a short-tempered, emotionally volatile danger.
"As long as one does not touch what I consider truly precious—my family, my friends, and books—Mine is tolerant to the point of being astonishingly indifferent. She has almost no caution, and even when deceived, she doesn't learn her lesson. Rather than tolerant, our apprentice who knows Mine well described it as simple indifference."
"Indifference. That makes sense." Fran's quiet murmur drifted down from above me at Benno's words. Reflecting on my own behavior from this morning, there was absolutely no room for argument.
"Hmm..." The Chief Priest groaned as he looked at me, then groaned again.
"Mine, is there anything else? Apart from family, friends, and books, if there are any other factors that might trigger a magical outburst, tell me now."
"I cannot think of anything else that matters to me at present."
When I answered thus, the Chief Priest nodded with a hint of relief and said, "Then that will do."
Benno shifted his gaze upward as if gathering his thoughts, then looked between Fran and the Chief Priest.
"There is one more matter I must report to the Chief Priest regarding Mine, if I may. Her extraordinary frailty, perhaps?"
"Frailty? Ah yes, she mentioned needing someone to manage her health."
The instant the Chief Priest's gaze turned to me, I noticed Fran tremble ever so slightly, as if shaken. She may have recalled what Benno had pointed out to her in the hallway earlier.
"Mine has astonishingly little physical strength or arm strength. One must closely observe her complexion, how much she speaks, her walking speed, her range of activity, and the nature of her actions. Otherwise, even when she appears fine, she will suddenly lose consciousness and collapse. Afterwards, she will develop a fever and be bedridden for several days. Currently, no one at our shop is better at managing her health than our apprentice."
"That apprentice is a boy named
At the Chief Priest's words, everyone's eyes turned to Fran. She let her dark brown eyes waver slightly, looking flustered, before bowing her head and letting out a frustrated murmur.
"No, I'm still... I'm sorry."
I turned slightly, and at my eye level, Fran's fists were clenched and trembling. Her frustration at being unable to meet the expectations of the Chief Priest she so admired was palpable.
"Fran only just became my attendant this morning. It would be unreasonable to expect her to manage immediately. Even Lutz needed time before he could fully tell when something was wrong."
"I can't afford to have too much time spent on this."
My well-intentioned defense was promptly shot down by the Chief Priest's stern response.
"There may be a summons from the Knights' Order again in autumn. By then, you must be able to manage Mine's health. Understood, Fran?"
Fran met the Chief Priest's unwavering gaze, took a breath, and nodded firmly.
"...Understood. I will be ready by autumn."
Judging by her handling of the entrance and her knowledge of tea, Fran was clearly someone who could put in tremendous effort when it was for the Chief Priest. This was a direct order from the Chief Priest himself, and I believed she would take the management of my health seriously. In any case, I was glad my attendant was now willing to approach health management with a positive attitude.
Watching me with a look of concern, Benno lowered his gaze.
"Chief Priest, Mine is exceptionally sharp for a child of her age. However, she lacks social experience and is quite ignorant of Temple common sense, and by extension, noble society."
"Yes, I know. But don't worry. That's precisely why I assigned Fran to her. She is one of the most capable of my attendants. If Mine has any questions, she can ask Fran. Of course, I myself also intend to be involved in Mine's education."
I sensed Fran, standing behind me, draw a sharp breath. When I turned around, she was staring at the Chief Priest with wide eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she'd just heard.
Wait—had Fran thought she'd been assigned as my attendant because she lacked the ability on her own? If so, maybe if I told her we should work together to serve the Chief Priest as best we could, she might surprisingly easily become an ally?
As I took a sip of tea and pondered how to win Fran over, the Chief Priest looked between me and Benno, narrowing his eyes.
"On another note, Benno—what does it mean to you for Mine to be your 'Water Goddess'? You seem to dote on Mine quite a bit. Are you... that sort of person?"
"What!?"
Benno let out a startled cry and clattered as he dropped his cup. Seeing him so obviously flustered, the Chief Priest exhaled as his suspicions deepened and crossed his legs once more.
"I'd like to know exactly what kind of eyes you use to look at Mine."
"...What kind of... I hardly know myself. I don't even understand why everyone else keeps saying such things."
It was rare and amusing to see Benno stammering in defense, but I didn't understand the meaning of "Water Goddess" the Chief Priest had mentioned. Come to think of it,
"Excuse me, but what exactly does 'Water Goddess' mean in this context?"
I looked around, and the instant I made eye contact with anyone, they all looked away. An overwhelming atmosphere of "Don't ask me" radiated from everyone present. The awkwardness was suffocating.
As I tilted my head in puzzlement, a note was passed to me from Benno that read "Keep quiet." It seemed this wasn't something I should ask about in a loud voice, so I quietly leaned toward Fran.
"...She's a goddess, so it must be related to the Temple somehow, right? Fran, could you explain?"
"Ah, well, that is..."
Fran turned a pleading gaze toward the Chief Priest. Benno pressed his forehead and sighed, and the Chief Priest, wearing a pained expression, resignedly opened his mouth.
"A beloved, a lover, one who moves the heart. That is the general meaning of the term."
A beloved? A lover? No, absolutely not. Benno was a committed bachelor devoted to his deceased lover. Setting that aside, the very notion of looking at me and Benno that way was absurd.
"Well, Chief Priest, that's quite impossible. Benno and I are separated by nearly a generation in age."
As I said this while suppressing a laugh, Benno firmly concurred.
"As Mine says, it's entirely impossible."
"But an age gap like that of a parent and child wouldn't be all that unusual, would it?"
The Chief Priest looked at Benno as if unwilling to abandon his suspicions.
Back in my Honobono Reina days in
Because even in the case of remarriage, if the age gap was that of a parent and child, the older person would typically be cared for by the younger generation, and taking on additional dependents would be resented by the working generation of children. And the world was not kind enough for a younger spouse to support everyone on a single income.
"I've never heard of such a thing, but... Ah, now that I mention it, relationships with large age gaps aren't uncommon in the Temple either, are they? One of my attendants even expressed a wish to one day have a relationship with the High Priest."
I tilted my head, thinking that it couldn't be helped if the Chief Priest didn't understand commoner affairs, and once again an odd silence settled over the room.
Another note came from Benno: "Please. Be quiet." I zipped my lips as instructed, and this time no one spoke at all, filling the room with a heavy silence.
"............"
"............"
"............"
Everyone kept drinking tea, exchanging only glances that probed one another.
Awkward. Incredibly uncomfortable.
"...Chief Priest, I know it is most impertinent for a retainer to speak, but might I be permitted to say something?"
The savior who broke the strange atmosphere where no one dared open their mouth was
The Chief Priest jerked his head up, and his face clearly read, "Someone, anyone, please do something about this situation." He granted permission with virtually a wave of both hands.
"Granted. What is it?"
"For the sake of my lord's honor, I must declare that this is entirely different from the common meaning of 'Water Goddess.' As the Chief Priest is no doubt aware, from the products Mine has been creating one after another, my lord has been launching entirely new ventures. For the Guildberta Company, which had dealt solely in clothing trade for so long, Mine has been bringing forth new business opportunities. For my lord—and indeed, for our entire shop—Mine is a Water Goddess in the truest sense."
"Hmm, so that's what it means. I'm satisfied. Now, regarding Mine Workshop..."
Though it was a topic Benno himself had raised and he still seemed somewhat unconvinced, the Chief Priest readily changed the subject without pressing further.
"How much profit does it generate? We allowed it to continue on the agreement that a portion of the profits would be brought to the Temple."
Benno said, "Let me see," as if considering, and through his long, overlapping sleeves, I could see him silently tearing a small piece of paper on which something had already been written.
Wait, could that be...?
I realized that the scraps of paper Benno had been passing me intermittently were the very notes Mark had been writing in the carriage, and my face twitched.
Wh-what, Mark!? You mean "Idiot" was written by you!? I believed you were the picture of gentlemanly composure! All the words you had prepared in advance were things like that?!
I knew Benno was writing things like "Idiot" and "Be quiet" via proxy, but the shock was still considerable. I really wished he wouldn't write such things with that same pleasant smile of his.
Another small note was passed to my drooping self. It read, "Don't open your mouth."
"...It depends on what we make. As you know, for any business venture, there is no guarantee of regular, fixed income. Furthermore, we are currently in the preparation phase for a new venture, which means we're at the stage of spending money on initial investments rather than seeing any profits."
"That may be so, but..."
"Considering the maintenance of the workshop and the development of new ventures, I believe a share of ten percent of the net profit would be appropriate."
Benno's interruption, throwing out the figure of ten percent, drew a frown of displeasure from the Chief Priest.
"Ten percent? That seems rather low, doesn't it?"
"With all due respect, it would be too much. We cannot reduce distribution costs, material expenses, or artisan wages."
"But..."
"There are times when we must sell even at a slight loss, but if the Mine Workshop's ventures fall into the red, we couldn't very well ask the Temple to cover the deficit... surely that wasn't the arrangement?"
The Chief Priest fell silent. He couldn't possibly afford to cover losses—he himself had told us the Temple was operating at a deficit.
Moreover, refuting Benno would be difficult for the Chief Priest. The Temple derived its labor force from Gray Priests who were orphans in the orphanage, and its income from the Lord and the noble families of the Blue Priests. The Temple's revenue and expenditures were an entirely different beast from a commercial shop. The Chief Priest probably couldn't understand how shops or salary systems worked.
"While Mine may personally donate her remuneration to the Temple as she sees fit, demanding donations from the workshop's profits would mean asking for amounts so large they would bankrupt the business."
"...Very well. Ten percent it is."
With Benno pressing his advantage in rapid succession, the tribute to the Temple was decided.
I looked on with admiration at Benno's skill—he calmly took a thirty percent commission for himself while keeping the Temple's share to a mere ten percent—when Mark swiftly produced a contract and spread it across the table.
Once the verbal agreement was secured, it was straight to the contract. Mark's contributions might seem understated compared to Benno's at first glance, but they were remarkable. I didn't think he was any less capable than the attendants of noble Blue Priests.
Since this was a contract with the Temple, a collective of nobles, what was spread across the table was a Contract Magic agreement.
It stated that the Mine Workshop would pay ten percent of its net profit to the Temple, and then, as the Temple's representative, the Chief Priest, as Workshop Head of Mine Workshop, myself, and as guardian with the obligation to submit financial statements, Benno, each signed and applied their Blood Seals.
Blood again!? Contract magic—I hate it.
"Mine, what are you spacing out for? It's your turn."
Still not accustomed to pointing a blade—even a small one—at myself, I took the knife with trembling hands as the Chief Priest urged me on. Then, a hand reached in from the side and gently took the knife from me.
"Please close your eyes, Mine."
"Fran..."
I squeezed my eyes shut and held out my hand. A sharp sting pricked my fingertip. When I opened my eyes, a small drop of blood had welled up.
I pressed my finger against the contract Fran held out to me, and as always, it was engulfed in golden flames and vanished.
"My questions end here. It has been a most productive day. Thank you, Benno."
"You are too kind."
While the Chief Priest and Benno exchanged pleasantries, Mark efficiently packed away the tools used for the Contract Magic, Fran gathered the tea set to one end of the table, and Arno began preparing a carpet.
"Now then, let us offer prayers and thanks for this meeting and contract guided by the divine."
Saying this, the Chief Priest gestured for Benno and me to move to the carpet. As everyone shuffled over, I looked up at Benno and Mark, desperately trying not to laugh.
Wait—could this be Benno and Mark's Gr○co!? I want to see it! I really want to see it! But I would absolutely die of laughter!
As I pressed my hand to my mouth, fighting against the synchronized Gr○co already playing out in my mind, my body suddenly went limp.
"Wha—!?"
An unladylike sound escaped my lips. My knees buckled and I crumpled, then my upper body pitched forward under the weight of my head.
"Mine!?"
Fran, who had been behind me, cried out in alarm, and all eyes turned toward me.
Looking at me collapsed on the floor, the Chief Priest let out a sigh of exasperation.
"Mine, get up quickly. You look ridiculous."
I didn't need the Chief Priest to tell me—I had already tried to stand several times, but my arms wouldn't move at all. I couldn't lift my head.
...What's happening?
"Um, something's wrong with my body. I can't move at all. But I don't feel a fever coming on, and if anything, my limbs feel cold. ...Benno, what is this?"
"Don't ask me! Don't ask me that!"
Benno shouted and scooped me up. I tried to grab onto his clothes as usual, but my arms were completely unresponsive. They dangled limply from my shoulders, heavy and foreign, as if they didn't belong to me.
"Chief Priest, I must apologize most profusely for causing a disturbance in your presence. I would like to excuse myself from further formalities and depart immediately."
"Ah—yes, of course. Leave Mine in your care."
Still holding me, Benno asked the Chief Priest for leave, the Chief Priest's face frozen pale with shock.
Throughout this, there was absolutely no sign of my usual fever coming on. While it was still relatively cool for early summer, my body was growing colder by the minute rather than warmer.
Mark bustled about finishing the preparations to leave, and Arno and Fran opened the door for Benno, who was striding out with me in his arms. But Benno was perhaps walking a bit too quickly—the door wasn't fully open yet, and he had to stop, giving a soft click of his tongue.
Unlike my usual collapses, I hadn't lost consciousness—I could feel my dangling limbs swinging back and forth, a sensation that felt all wrong. Feeling the weight of my head hanging down, I thought of just one thing with regret.
...I missed Benno and Mark's Gr○co.
I genuinely agonized over which would be funnier—having Mine collapse before or after Benno and Mark's synchronized Gr○co.
But since so many people had commented on how cool Benno was, I let it go.
Next time, we learn the cause of my collapse and receive a lecture.