" Lady
" Philine, Conrad will be coming with me to the
Philine's brows furrowed sadly, then she gave a small nod and glared up at her father, her eyes brimming with frustration and anger.
" Father, that Magical Tool belongs to our mother. Why are you allowing Yonasara to act with such tyranny?"
The Magical Tool that had been stolen so it could be given to the stepchild was apparently the one Philine's real mother had originally used. Philine trembled with rage that her late mother's keepsake Magical Tool had been taken from Conrad and its Magic Power registration overwritten. She glared as hard as she could at both her father, who had made the decision, and the stepmother who had seized it.
" The registration has already been changed. There's nothing to be done about it. ...Besides, it's only natural that the heir should be the one with stronger Magic Power."
No matter how desperately his daughter pleaded, Sicheart's attitude did not change.
Realizing that her words and feelings were not reaching him, disappointment spread through Philine's eyes. A tear plopped down. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and bowed her head.
...To think it was my late mother's keepsake Magical Tool that was taken.
I understand—though I don't agree—that nobles want their heir to be the one with the most Magic Power. But I cannot comprehend taking a child's mother's keepsake away for that reason.
"
" If you wanted to buy a new one, it would run about five small gold coins? The materials are expensive, and you need high Magic Power to make them."
He'd never bought one himself, so he didn't know, the Chief Priest murmured. An unmarried Chief Priest naturally wouldn't know the exact price of baby Magical Tools.
" Philine, I'll lend you the money. This is strictly a loan. Use that money to buy back your mother's Magical Tool. It's an important keepsake, after all."
" For an old thing like that, it wouldn't fetch more than three small gold coins."
Saying this, the Chief Priest smoothly produced a card very similar to a guild card. He held up the rainbow-hued card and directed it toward Sicheart.
" Sicheart, sell me that Magical Tool. Three small gold coins. Surely you have no objection."
Sicheart's eyes widened slightly at the Chief Priest's words, then he swallowed hard and produced a similar card of his own. With a crisp click, the cards were pressed together, and Sicheart reached for the infant's Magical Tool.
" That is this child's Magical Tool!"
" Then you can simply buy a different one."
" I refuse! Who knows when I'll be able to get one!"
Yonasara protested, but Sicheart shook his head, picked up the Magical Tool, and presented it to the Chief Priest.
The Chief Priest set the Magical Tool he had received down before me with a soft clink. I handed the Magical Tool—the keepsake of Philine's mother—to Philine.
" Thank you, Lady Rozemyne. Thank you, Chief Priest."
Philine hugged the Magical Tool tightly and wept. This time, however, she was smiling through her tears.
As I let out a sigh of relief at the return of her smile, Philine—who had briefly looked down to wipe her eyes—lifted her face with determination and gazed at her father and stepmother with unwavering eyes.
" Father, Lady Yonasara. I will be living at the castle as Lady Rozemyne's attendant. I will not be returning here, where Conrad is no longer."
Her father's face went pale while her stepmother let out what seemed a breath of relief—their contrasting expressions stood out starkly. Philine, a light of farewell shining in her youthful eyes, spoke on.
" Though the threads spun by the Goddess of Time, Dreufanggua, may never cross again, I pray that you both live in good health under the blessings of the gods."
With that farewell, Philine took Conrad by the hand and left her home.
" Rozemyne, do you intend to bring him to the Temple today? This was not part of the plan, honestly."
The moment we stepped out of Philine's house, the Chief Priest looked down at me with a sharp glare. His expression was exactly like that of a mother whose child has brought home a stray cat—the look that says "return it where you found it." If this were a place that was just the Temple and me, he would undoubtedly have said, "Stop picking up every stray that catches your fancy without thinking."
But I know better. He complains and prioritizes his duty as a noble, but the Chief Priest—who apparently has many complicated feelings about mistreated children—is not the sort to abandon them without a very good reason.
" I am the High Priest and the Head of the orphanage. I simply cannot turn a blind eye after seeing a child in such a state. Can you, Ferdinand?"
"...Fine. I suppose I should say we'll head to the Temple after this, but many of your guard knights are minors, so you'll need to return to the castle."
When the Chief Priest directed that remark toward my attendants, most of whom were underage,
" Ferdinand, being able to enter the Temple and negotiate with merchants in the lower city are included among the requirements for apprentice scribes involved in the printing business. I would very much like to come along."
Rather than being diligent about his work, he seemed to have "I want to visit the Saint's Temple" written all over his face, but perhaps I was imagining it. Still, if that was the condition, then Philine could come too.
" Ferdinand, there's no issue with the apprentice scribes, is there? We'll need to visit the Temple many more times going forward..."
As I requested permission for the apprentice scribes, Judith raised her hand with a bright "Me too!"
" Lady Rozemyne, I'd like to work alongside
" The apprentice scribes are one thing, but the scope of work for apprentice knights is limited to the Noble District. Whether to include the Temple in the knight apprentices' jurisdiction going forward will be decided in consultation with the Ob of Ehrenfest, but for today, return to the castle."
While writing a white bird letter to the Temple attendants informing them of our return and that we would be bringing one orphan, the Chief Priest glanced briefly at Judith and the others.
No one could disobey the Chief Priest's orders. Judith reluctantly bowed her head and produced the magical beast she would ride back to the castle.
" Judith, I know it's disappointing, but even I wasn't allowed to enter the Temple until I came of age."
Angelica puffed out her chest with a touch of pride as she summoned her own mount, saying, " You should hurry up and come of age, Judith." Judith smiled at Angelica's words and asked, " What kind of place is the Temple, Angelica?"
Angelica looked up for a moment as if thinking, then grinned.
" The Temple is delicious."
" Huh?"
Judith looked bewildered, and I shrugged lightly. That wasn't going to convey anything.
" Judith, I have my own dedicated chef, so the meals at the Temple are the same as what's served at the
" Whaaat!? That's completely different from the knights' dormitory! Th-then what else? What else is it like...?"
Judith's violet eyes sparkled as she gazed up at Angelica, seemingly discovering the Temple's secrets for the first time. After thinking for a moment, Angelica clapped her hands together.
" The Temple is formidable."
" I'm sorry?"
Judith looked to me for an explanation of yet another incomprehensible statement, but I had no idea what she meant either. Seeing me shake my head, Angelica spoke.
" At the Temple, everyone is made to do clerical work like the scribes.
It was so thoroughly Angelica-centric that it was almost disheartening.
" How romantic—that you look forward to training with your fiancé, Eckhart! I'm so jealous!"
...Wait? Romantic? That counts as romantic?
Judith let out a sparkling exclamation, and her standards were equally incomprehensible. Everyone stared blankly at Angelica and Judith's conversation—whether it was clicking or not clicking was impossible to tell—though their blank stares all had their own flavor.
Lieseleta, Angelica's younger sister, opened her eyes wide as she looked back and forth between me and Angelica.
" Everyone does clerical work...? Don't tell me my sister has been doing paperwork!?"
" No, Lieseleta. I guard the door. All by myself."
Angelica said this with a stern expression, but the apprentices' lukewarm gazes—understanding, as if to say "Ah, right, she can't do paperwork"—were directed her way. It was because everyone knew Angelica's grades.
" I thought my sister must be causing trouble for Lady Rozemyne not only at the Royal Academy but also at the Temple, but it seems she hasn't touched any paperwork. That's a relief. You must never, ever touch paperwork, sister."
" I understand. The Temple attendants are quite capable, so they would never entr paperwork to me."
As Lieseleta expressed worry about how much trouble it would be if Angelica actually tried to help with paperwork, she summoned her own magical beast.
" Rozemyne, enough chattering—get yourself ready too. Put that child and the apprentice scribes on your mount. You need to keep your charges together."
" Understood."
After seeing off the apprentice group returning to the castle, I loaded Hartmut, Philine, and Conrad onto the Lesser Busse and set off.
Conrad looked visibly relieved to have left the house, while Philine gazed at her brother with a worried cloud over her expression, and the two of them held hands tightly. Hartmut, who had apparently never been so close to a Lesser Busse before, was looking all around after climbing on.
" Hartmut, please sit quietly. I won't entertain questions while we're moving. I can't concentrate."
"...Has someone asked questions while traveling before?"
" Eustachus."
Perhaps picturing that scenario, Hartmut gave a small laugh.
Following the Chief Priest's lead, I set the Lesser Busse in motion.
" Wow!"
Conrad, who had never ridden a magical beast, let out a cry of surprise. Soaring through the sky and surrounded by guard knights, we made our way to the Temple.
Philine's house was located in the southern part of the Noble District, where lower-ranking noble homes were clustered together, near the North Gate—not far from the Temple. We flew over the Noble Gate and arrived at the entrance to the Temple's noble section.
" Welcome home, High Priest, Chief Priest."
In addition to the Chief Priest's attendants,
" I'll prepare the paperwork for accepting the orphan, so you give the child some food," the Chief Priest said.
" Yes."
As instructed, I led Hartmut, Philine, and Conrad to the High Priest's chambers and had a meal prepared.
" I'm sorry for the suddenness, but please take care of things,
" It's almost the fourth bell, so the timing is just right."
While Nicola prepared the meal, I introduced the Temple attendants present to Hartmut and Philine.
" These are Fran, Saam, Monica, and Wilma—my attendants at the Temple. Wilma takes care of the orphanage. The one preparing food is Nicola, and
As I made the introductions, Nicola arrived carrying plates. Clack, clack, clack—the plates were set down.
" Today we have fluffy bread, vegetable soup, and some bacon. Lady Rozemyne wasn't expected to return, so the meal is a bit simple. Also, everyone else, please help yourselves to these sweets. I made them in a hurry."
Crepes filled with Rumtopf and beautifully whipped, rich cream were served. When I ate one, the others began as well. Philine and Hartmut's eyes went round when they took a bite of the crepe.
" Does the Temple serve sweets like these?"
" Only at Lady Rozemyne's place, Hartmut. Ferdinand doesn't seem that interested in sweets. So? The Temple is delicious, isn't it?"
It was Angelica who answered, eating her crepe elegantly. When the guard knights ate, they took turns—Angelica, being the highest in rank, always went first.
" At this Temple's orphanage, the leftovers from the Blue Priests' meals are given as divine blessings, so I think the food tastes better than at the knights' dormitory. The portions are certainly not small."
" Is that so?"
Philine's eyes went wide with surprise, and Damuel nodded.
" You can become attendants to Blue Priests, and you can learn to read and do arithmetic to work making books in Lady Rozemyne's workshop. And because of divine teachings, there is no one who resorts to violence. ...Conrad's life will improve dramatically compared to staying in that house."
" Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."
At Damuel's words, Philine let out a sigh of relief.
" Fran, there's still some time before the Chief Priest arrives, isn't there? I'd like to write a letter to the Plantin Company, so have Gil or Fritz deliver it."
" Has the book sale date been decided?"
Saying this, Fran began preparing what I needed to write the letter. Apparently, preparations for selling at the castle were already complete in the workshop.
" Lady Rozemyne, may I see what kind of letter you're writing?"
"...Sure."
Since Hartmut would be watching, I had to write in proper, formal language. Under no circumstances could I write, "I got the top marks at the Royal Academy, isn't that amazing? Hee hee hee."
As I mused that things would become troublesome once the scribes started coming and going regularly, I finished the letter to the Plantin Company.
By that time, the Chief Priest had arrived with the paperwork for accepting Conrad into the orphanage. Noble children had been entrusted to the Temple as Blue Priests before, but there had been no precedent for one entering the orphanage, so he wanted to create a record.
At the table, the Chief Priest and I sat side by side, with Philine and Conrad seated across from us. Angelica and Hartmut stood behind me, and Damuel watched the crepes being taken away with a lingering gaze. He'd apparently missed his chance to eat one.
" Very well. Conrad will be taken in at the orphanage on a temporary basis. Once Philine has saved up enough money, she can buy his freedom as an orphan or Gray Priest, and then they can live together."
At my words, the Chief Priest shook his head sternly.
" Hold on. Where does she intend to live? If she's given a room by you and living at the castle, Philine won't be able to live with her brother. She'll need to save enough to buy a house on her own. That's no simple task. ...Besides, even if she does, that child won't be able to return to noble society."
" Why not? We've recovered the Magical Tool, and if she can save enough money before the
We had recovered the Magical Tool that had been Philine's mother's keepsake. Put a new magic stone inside it, channel Magic Power into it, and wait for Philine to come for him—that was what I had in mind. But apparently, it wasn't that simple.
With the Magical Tool that had been her mother's keepsake resting on her lap, Philine stroked it gently, her eyes downcast with sorrow, and murmured: " Lady Rozemyne, money can be saved or borrowed, but Magic Power cannot be stockpiled."
" Huh?"
When I tilted my head in confusion, the Chief Priest let out a light sigh.
" You must not confuse yourself—a Lord's adopted daughter who was granted noble status—with a commoner's child who cannot even become an heir. Unlike you, who had been compressing on your own since before the Baptism Ceremony, not everyone can dye multiple magic stones at the pace you can—without even needing a Magical Tool. They must use Magical Tools designed to keep others' Magic Power from mixing in, and spend years preparing numerous magic stones for lectures."
" Ferdinand is quite right. Conrad will soon be five years old. The magic stones he had accumulated over the years are all gone. ...Even with a Magical Tool and magic stones, it's too late now."
" No..."
I had thought that if I could separate him from those abusive parents and provide support, the two of them could live happily as siblings. But apparently, that was not possible by noble standards.
When the Chief Priest realized I had been planning to return Conrad to noble society, he sighed and shook his head.
" Rozemyne. What you can do, as both the High Priest and Head of the orphanage, is save the lives of children abandoned by their parents—not guarantee them a life as nobles. Don't confuse the two. Also, it looks problematic when you show favoritism toward only your own attendants. Be very careful with your words and actions. As the Lord's adopted daughter and the one holding the position of High Priest, there are lines you must not cross."
I bit down hard on my back teeth at his rebuke. He was right. Even though other noble children had been brought here under the same circumstances, I couldn't do the same for everyone. If I let my personal feelings create hierarchies, I'd be no different from the previous High Priest.
" Lady Rozemyne, please don't make such a downcast face."
Philine turned her gaze to Conrad, then smiled gently.
" Just knowing that there is a place where Conrad can survive is enough to put my mind at ease. I had been worried he would end up ascending far, far beyond his reach. And on top of that, you recovered Mother's keepsake. I am truly grateful."
Philine said she would serve me faithfully and repay the money as quickly as possible.
" And, if I can, I'd like to save up enough to buy Conrad's freedom, and live together even if we're not recognized as nobles. He's my only brother."
Looking at Philine's smile, and at Conrad smiling back at her, I felt it again—I want them to live. I don't want children who are compared by their Magic Power and have their Magical Tools stripped away like that, left to wither and die.
"...Ferdinand, are children like Conrad really that common?"
" Magical Tools are expensive. There are probably others among the lower nobility in the same situation."
" Is there nothing we can do to help noble children suffering the same way?"
When I added that I'd like to include the Self-Eating problem among Commoners if possible, not just the Chief Priest but even Hartmut and Philine looked at me as though they were exasperated.
" On top of the printing business, you intend to reach into that area as well? Have you lost your mind?"
" But I can't help worrying about it. Besides, with the Magic Power shortage being what it is, if we could take in children like that at the orphanage, I think things could start to change a little..."
Ehrenfest's Magic Power shortage was severe. The reality was that we wanted to scrape together even small amounts.
" That's now, while there's a shortage. What happens when the number of nobles is sufficient? Unnecessary parts will be cut. Don't be emotional—think ahead. You basically only see what's right in front of you."
I held my breath. The Chief Priest was right. But I believed that if someone had Magic Power, the range of work available to them would expand. If they could replenish the land's Magic Power, they just needed to find the next task.
...What could I do?
Create a path for grey orphans with Magic Power—who wouldn't be treated as nobles—to serve society and earn money to support themselves. Even if they couldn't live as nobles, there were other ways to live. It was better than dying.
" Stop. Don't even think about it."
" Huh?"
" When you start thinking, things tend to go in an absurd direction. Right now, stop worrying about unnecessary things and finish your actual work first. That kind of large-scale initiative would require the Ob of Ehrenfest's judgment as well. Stop thinking about it."
" Understood."
...But I'm still going to think about it!
Under the table, I clenched my fist. At that very moment, the Chief Priest sighed beside me.
" It's all over your face."
I hurriedly brought a hand to my cheek as the Chief Priest glared at me.
Philine placed Conrad in the orphanage.
From now on, Conrad would grow up alongside Dietlinde as an orphan with Magic Power.
The Chief Priest, wary that Rozemyne was about to get herself into something unnecessary.
Next time, the book sale.