"Blue-robed Priests and Shrine Maidens have a duty to share the blessings of the gods—food, clothing, and shelter—with those beneath them. When a blue-robed Priest or Shrine Maiden who has entered the
"Since I don't have a room in the Temple, does that mean even if Gil becomes my Attendant, he'll just stay at the orphanage?"
Fran slowly nodded. "That is correct."
"As for meals, the master eats first, then the Attendant and Attendant Apprentice eat what remains, and what is left after that is brought to the orphanage as blessings from the gods. It stands to reason that the blessings granted to an Attendant would be greater than those given at the orphanage."
I hadn't wanted to be separated from my family, so I'd made avoiding the orphanage my top priority and had simply been happy about becoming a commuter student. I never imagined that the consequences of breaking Temple customs would fall on my Attendant.
"So does that mean Fran, after being assigned to me from the Chief Priest, is essentially going back to the orphanage from the Chief Priest's quarters?"
If that were the case, it was only natural that she'd be resentful about being demoted and take it out on someone. After everything Fran had done to help me, I'd have repaid her with nothing. I'd been planning to give her a generous weekend salary, but I'd also need to request an improvement in her working conditions from the Chief Priest right away.
"No, I haven't moved from the Chief Priest's quarters, and Deria likely hasn't moved either. While you were absent, I've been assisting the Chief Priest with his work, so I take my meals there as well."
Come to think of it, the Chief Priest had been drowning in work and lamenting the shortage of capable people. There was no way he'd leave the capable Fran idle while I was away. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Fran wasn't in a terrible situation.
"So in other words, the only one with a problem is Gil?"
"I believe he's angry because he expected his working conditions to improve, but nothing has changed. At the orphanage, the blessings of the gods are distributed equally, whether you work or not. However, an Attendant who doesn't work can be replaced. The idea that one can enjoy the blessings of being an Attendant without doing any work is rather irritating."
Fran, who took pride in her work, shot a glance at Gil as she said this.
"So... for the time being, there's no problem for you, Fran?"
"That is correct."
"Then I'd like to maintain the status quo for now and reconsider the matter if any issues arise for Fran. How does that sound?"
"...Very well."
She must have compared the situation to when I was first given a room, because she hesitated for a moment, but Fran quietly nodded.
I thought the matter was settled, but Gil started barking again.
"Fran, Fran, what about me!? I'm her Attendant too, just like—just like her!"
"How strange. Didn't you say from the start that you don't think of me as your master? Why would you expect someone who isn't even your master to prepare food, clothing, and shelter for you?"
Nothing about his behavior sounded like an Attendant who wanted better working conditions.
"That's supposed to be the blue-robed Shrine Maiden's job! A-and besides, even if I work for someone like you who has no intention of giving me food or a room, what would even change!?"
"Your salary."
I'd assumed I needed to pay my Attendants properly, just like
"...What's a salary?"
Gil blinked repeatedly and tilted his head. Lutz snorted and tossed back the same words Fran had used earlier.
"You don't even know that? Getting paid for your work is common sense!"
"Th-that's not common sense!"
"A salary is compensation for the work you do. It's money that I, as the master, pay to an Attendant who works."
"Money? ...Oh, yeah, money."
It seemed Gil didn't even know what money was. He'd been tilting his head, but the moment he locked eyes with Lutz, he suddenly put on an understanding expression.
"Look, I'm willing to go through the trouble of negotiating with the Chief Priest for a room for Fran, since she works hard for me. But there's absolutely no way I'm doing something that tedious for Gil, who doesn't do any work at all. That would cut into my reading time."
My reading time was already limited—mornings were spent helping the Chief Priest, and lunch was non-negotiable. I couldn't afford to sacrifice any more precious time.
"Then, Fran. Would you take me to the Chief Priest? I'm scheduled to do paperwork in his office this morning."
"Very well."
With Fran in the lead, Lutz and I followed, with Gil bringing up the rear.
"Hey, so if I work, something actually changes?"
"Of course. I intend to pay fair compensation for fair work."
"Excuse me, Chief Priest. Lady Mine has arrived."
"Ah, you're here. How are you feeling?"
The Chief Priest looked up from his desk.
"I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm fine now. This is just a guess, but I collapsed after making a donation. Could it be that when your body isn't full of Magic Power, you can feel unwell?"
"If your Magic Power is completely depleted, it can kill you, but I've never heard of feeling ill simply because your body isn't full of it. Is this a symptom unique to Self-Eating?"
Hearing my question, the Chief Priest set down his pen and lightly closed his eyes, searching his memory.
"Unique to Self-Eating?"
"It's possible. Self-Eating is rarely discovered in the first place, and since those with large amounts of Magic Power tend to die quickly, not much research has been done. someone like you, who has that much Magic Power yet is still alive, is essentially unheard of. I'd very much like to examine you sometime."
The Chief Priest's eyes, fixed on me with an intense stare, looked exactly like those of a mad scientist who had discovered the perfect research subject, and a chill ran down my spine. Desperate to escape the Chief Priest's curiosity-laden gaze, I quickly changed the subject.
"I have another question. Are there any religious ceremonies that only blue-robed Priests are called to attend in the Noble District? I wanted to ask whether special clothing would need to be tailored..."
"There are ceremonies throughout the year, but as an apprentice, there aren't many that you'd participate in. You won't need special clothing, though it would be wise to have ceremonial Blue Robes tailored. ...Come to think of it, what happened to your Blue Robe?"
It was only when the Chief Priest pointed it out that I remembered I still wasn't wearing my Blue Robe.
"I was told it would be dangerous to wear it outside the Temple, so I planned to put it on after arriving."
"Dangerous how?"
"They say I could be mistaken for a noble's child and kidnapped. Excuse me for a moment."
I reached into the basket Lutz had set at my feet, unwrapped the cloth, and pulled out the Blue Robe and its sash.
"Mine? What are you—"
"I'm putting on the Blue Robe."
Being careful not to catch my Hairpin on the robe, I pulled it over my head as usual and donned the Blue Robe. When I poked my face through, I found myself face to face with Fran, who had kneeled at some point. Her raised hand hung in the air with nowhere to go, and she wore a troubled expression.
"What's wrong, Fran?"
"...I was going to help you change."
"Oh... could you, um, undo my sash?"
In this case, I could do it myself, but maybe I shouldn't say that. I tried my best to scrape together some work for my Attendant. I obediently raised my arms and let Fran fasten the sash, and that's when I spotted the Chief Priest with his head in his hands.
"Mine, change in your own room. It's indecent."
Unexpectedly, the topic of my own room had come up. Since I'd be changing every day, maybe I could at least borrow a changing room or storage closet.
"...Would I get my own room?"
"No, that was a slip of the tongue. The opinion emerged that commuting would be preferable to granting you a room in the Noble District, and the High Priest approved commuting over a room, so I cannot give you one."
Commuting was "preferable"—the only Chief Priest I could imagine making that argument in my favor was the one I was speaking to. It seemed the Chief Priest had gone to considerable effort behind my back.
"Um, Chief Priest. Are there no rooms outside the Noble District?"
This seemed to catch the Chief Priest off guard. He furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes, as if to say he couldn't understand what I was asking. Seeing his skeptical expression, I hurried to explain.
"As you know, even though I've been granted the Blue Robe, I am not noble. So I have no desire for a room in the Noble District. All I need is a place to store my belongings, a place to change, and a place where I can receive visitors like Lady Lutz or Lord Benno. Could I borrow something like a storage closet?"
"You intend to receive guests in a storage closet!? How rude can you be!?"
The Chief Priest's eyes flew open and his voice rose. It was certainly rude to guests, but I didn't think the current situation was much better.
"With all due respect, I don't even have a storage closet right now. Even when Lady Lutz comes to pick me up, she's left waiting at the Gate! Isn't keeping a guest waiting at the Gate equally rude?"
"To think that guests of a blue-robed Shrine Maiden should be treated so... I'll tell the Gate Guard to at least escort visitors to the waiting room."
Pressing his temples, the Chief Priest explained that commoners visiting without a stated purpose were treated entirely differently from guests of blue-robed Priests or Shrine Maidens. I realized that in the Chief Priest's mind, I was no longer classified as a mere commoner, but as a Shrine Maiden Apprentice.
"...Chief Priest, how about the Director's office at the orphanage as Lady Mine's room? It's far from the Noble District, but since it was used by a blue-robed Shrine Maiden, there shouldn't be any issue with appearances for receiving guests."
At
"Very well. I grant Mine the Director's office at the orphanage. From now on, she will change and receive guests there. Once you've finished your work here, Fran will show you the way."
"I know it's terribly forward, but could I have it sooner? Lady Lutz needs to discuss my health management with Fran today, and we'll need a place to talk."
I thought it was perfect timing, but the Chief Priest shook his head.
"The Director's office has been locked up for a long time and hasn't been maintained well enough to use immediately. Since you're doing paperwork here, you can talk here. Fran, use that table over there."
"I am grateful."
Fran and Lutz moved to the table the Chief Priest indicated. As I watched them, my eyes caught Gil, who had moved along with them but looked thoroughly at a loss.
"Chief Priest, if it hasn't been maintained, then all the more reason to let me have it early. I'll have Gil clean it during my morning work."
"Hah!? Me?"
Suddenly assigned a job, Gil pointed at himself and looked around in a panic.
The surrounding Priests looked between Gil and me with surprise. "They're entrusting work to him?" "I heard he was thrown into the reflection room because he wouldn't even clean the worship hall"—whispers about Gil's reputation for poor work ethic circulated in low voices.
"Oh my? Gil, can you not clean?"
"I can totally do that!"
"Good. I'll be looking forward to seeing just how much you can do. Do your best."
When I offered my encouragement, a grey-robed apprentice boy who had been given the keys by the Chief Priest led Gil out of the room. My eyes followed the closed door, and the Chief Priest narrowed his slightly.
"Mine, are you sure about leaving it to him?"
"You can't make a fair assessment without giving someone a job first."
By the time the apprentice boy returned with the keys, Lutz was talking with Fran about health management, and I had already begun helping with the paperwork.
What the Chief Priest had entrusted to me for today's work was the account book. "Since you're from a merchant family, this should be easy for you." Just the calculations, I could handle, but I was worried that he might entrust me with the entire ledger. The Temple was a place where my common sense was completely useless, after all.
"The method of calculation is the same, but so many things in the Temple are different. What is this category called 'Divine Will'? It seems to be the largest expense."
Among the other expense categories, besides offerings to the gods, flowers for the gods, and water for the gods, there was also "Divine Grace." They were all incomprehensible categories related to the gods, and the thought of managing such an account book was daunting.
In response to my question, the Chief Priest stared at me expressionlessly for a moment, then quietly muttered, "Too much for you," and pointed to a section of the ledger.
"...For today, I'd like you to calculate this part."
"Understood. ...Lutz, could you lend me your Slate? I forgot to bring mine."
"Hm? Sure, here."
Rummaging through the basket, Lutz pulled out a Slate.
Borrowing the Slate from Lutz's apprentice set, I worked through the indicated section using Handwritten Calculation. The Chief Priest peered over curiously, but since he didn't ask any questions, I ignored him and continued working.
"...You're fast."
"Am I?"
I'd already done calculations at the Gate, so I was simply used to it. As I worked away single-mindedly like this, all I could think about was how much I missed a calculator.
As I was absorbed in my calculations, the fourth bell—the one that signaled noon—rang.
"That's all for today."
At the Chief Priest's words, the grey-robed Priests in the room immediately set to tidying up.
"Mine, this is the key to the Director's office. Don't lose it—give it to Fran to hold onto. And this is the Donation you brought in."
The Donation the Chief Priest handed me consisted of one large silver coin and six small silver coins. Receiving back a Donation I'd made myself felt strange, but since it was distributed among all the blue-robed Priests, he told me to keep it.
"Now that you have a room, take this as well."
On the shelf indicated by his gaze sat the gift Benno had brought. Since I'd collapsed, it had apparently been left as-is. Fine cloth, a jar of dried tea, and bundles of Plant Paper wrapped in fabric all sat there, untouched.
With Lutz and Fran carrying the luggage, I took only the room key and headed for the Director's office at the orphanage. On the way, Fran explained what to expect.
"The orphanage is a three-story building on both sides of the worship hall. It's divided into the boys' wing and the girls' wing, separated by the worship hall. The Director's office you've been granted is in the boys' wing."
"Huh? The person who used the Director's office before was a blue-robed Shrine Maiden, right? Then why is the Director's office in the boys' wing?"
Fran's gaze wandered helplessly for a moment at my question, and then she let out a soft laugh.
"There are some things Lady Mine doesn't need to know."
"...I see."
It bothered me that it was being kept secret, but from the way Fran pressed her lips into a firm line, it was clear she wasn't going to tell me.
"So the orphanage was right by the Gate. That means you can change right after entering—great for you, Mine."
"Yeah."
"Lady Mine, the entrance to the Director's office is on the opposite side from the Gate, directly across from the Noble District. The entrances are kept separate so that the children don't accidentally wander in, so please be careful not to go to the wrong one."
I quietly pressed a hand to my chest at Fran's words.
Given that Arno had mentioned the Director's office's existence, that the Chief Priest had been reluctant to grant a room but eventually gave in, that it was in the boys' wing, and that the orphanage had separate entrances—it had to be a place with quite a complicated history.
"This way, Lady Mine."
Gil must have been cleaning. The entrance was slightly ajar. When Fran opened the door, Gil was standing proudly in the center, waiting.
"Heh heh, how's that?"
The doorway opened into a small hall that doubled as a waiting room, with a staircase visible a little further in. About half of it had been cleaned to perfection, while the other half still clearly needed work.
"This area looks really nice."
As I said this and stepped inside, I went to open a door on the right, but Gil stopped me. "That hasn't been cleaned yet."
I looked around the ground floor and headed for a door on the left, only to be stopped again. "That one's no good either." There were no other visible doors on the ground floor.
"Gil, exactly which part did you clean?"
"Your room, obviously! Our rooms are obviously gonna come later, aren't they!"
He was right—half the ground floor from the entrance to the stairs, plus the entire second floor, constituted the parts that had been properly cleaned. Fuming, Gil marched up the stairs, upset that I was looking at everything else instead.
It seemed Gil had prioritized cleaning the areas I would use as his master. He might actually have a surprisingly cute side. I let out a small laugh at the sight of the gleaming staircase.
The top of the stairs opened into a noble's room. It was noticeably spacious, with several pieces of furnishings still in place. In the center sat an elegant round table with ornate decorations and four chairs, clearly meant for receiving guests. Along the walls stood wardrobes, shelves, and a beautifully carved wooden chest, and at the far end of the room was a large bed.
The layout was nearly identical to the Chief Priest's quarters, and the lavish, meticulously crafted furnishings made it abundantly clear that the previous owner had been a noble girl.
"Didn't anyone else use these furnishings? They look quite nice."
"The previous owner was the owner."
"The previous owner was... no, never mind. I won't ask. I'll gratefully make use of them."
I had no intention of wastefully replacing furniture myself. Better not to dig up any unnecessary information.
I placed Benno's gift on the neatly cleaned shelves and decided to put the Blue Robe and other nice clothes in the wardrobe.
"Thank you, Gil. Everything looks wonderful."
"Wha—!? Oh... yeah. Of course it does. I'm the one who cleaned it."
For all his proud puffed-up chest, Gil's face had turned beet red. He was slightly turned away, grinning like he'd just received praise for the first time. His darting glances at me practically screamed "More, praise me more."
It was immediately obvious that he wasn't used to being praised. He'd been assigned to me as a form of harassment, so while he probably got scolded all the time for being a troublemaker, he may have never once been praised.
When someone does something good, you pile on the praise—that was basic discipline.
"Gil, I'll praise you more, so kneel down."
"Huh? Like this?"
Gil dropped to one knee. The fact that he could immediately assume the posture used for prayers and oaths spoke to his upbringing, I thought, as I reached out to touch his light blond hair, now at a level below my eyes.
With a puzzled expression, not knowing what was about to happen, Gil tracked the movement of my hand with his eyes.
"There, there. Good boy, good boy. Well done."
Ruffling his hair vigorously was the kind of praise that Lutz would probably puff up and protest was treating him like a child, but Gil's eyes went round for a moment before his face crumpled into something close to tears.
Gil quickly ducked his head, and when I reflexively pulled my hand back, I heard a tiny murmur: "More..."
"You did such a wonderful job. Gil worked really hard all by you."
Gil, who had gone docile and let me pet him, had bright red ears. I felt an urge to peek at his face, but I restrained myself firmly—he'd probably yell at me if I did.
I engraved into my heart that what I should give Gil came before the food, clothing, and shelter guaranteed at the orphanage: gratitude and praise.
Next time: First outing.