For now, since my sense of common sense was so far off the mark, the Chief Priest hammered home the point that I must always bring whatever I wrote before finally heading off.
I replied with a "yes" and placed the novel he had deemed scandalous into a lockable document box, sealing it away. He had ordered me to destroy it, but perhaps someday, the time would come for it to see the light of day.
"
"
"I'm sorry, Fran. But since this concerns a marriage, I think it would be best to speak with them directly. After all, Fran, and none of the attendants here would know much about this, would they?"
When I said this, Fran let out a resigned sigh. For work-related matters, having Fran and the other attendants serve as intermediaries was perfectly fine, but when it came to personal matters like marriage, going through them would only make things tedious.
"Please excuse us."
Ela and Hugo entered with obvious trepidation. Fran explained to the nervous pair that I would be speaking with them directly today, then stepped back. Since this was a direct conversation between commoners, the two guard knights pressed right up behind me.
"You two have worked so hard at the
The two of them stiffened. I could hear them swallowing hard. I smiled gently to put them at ease.
"There is no problem with the two of you getting married. If you wish to hold it this summer, I will bless the occasion."
"Thank you so much!"
"However, the issue is housing. It seems the castle has rooms for married workers, and I've heard they allocate shared rooms for couples. I'll apply for you to have a room together at the castle, but we can't create a married couple's room inside the
I caught Fran's eye with a signal, and he brought the money I had prepared. I handed the bag to the two of them. Hugo's eyes went wide as he peered into the clinking bag.
"This is your bonus for working so hard at the Royal Academy throughout winter, along with my wedding gift. Please use it to help with your marriage preparations."
"Is... is this really alright?"
"Yes. Also, during the Dedication Ritual, Hugo will be accompanying me as usual. So starting tomorrow, I'll give Hugo time off until the Dedication Ritual, and I'll give Ela time off during it. It's not a very long break, but please use it to arrange your wedding preparations. Ideally, I'd let both of you rest together, but unfortunately, that's simply not possible. I'm sorry."
"No, we appreciate your thoughtfulness."
Marriage preparations were no small feat. They had to rent a room and furnish it. The reason the Starbinding Ceremony—the wedding—was held in summer was so that the bride and groom could settle into their new life before the winter preparations began. In summer, they could sleep without a futon cover, food was plentiful, and firewood wasn't needed as much as in winter. The couple needed time to prepare for winter together.
In Ela and Hugo's case, since they already had rooms at the Temple and the castle, they could treat the lower city room as just a place to sleep and get by with preparing only a bedroom. However, the bed sheets, futons, and other bedding had to be prepared by the bride, starting from weaving the fabric as winter handicraft work. Women who had decided on a marriage spent the winter desperately weaving cloth to prepare for their new lives. That was precisely why being skilled at sewing was considered a mark of beauty.
"Since Ela was working at the Royal Academy, you wouldn't have had time to prepare fabrics, would you? Will you be alright?"
"My mother said she would weave them for me."
Her mother, worried about Ela who had been nothing but work-focused, had arranged to weave the fabric during winter. Anything that fell short would apparently be supplemented with secondhand items.
...Maybe I should give Ela a hair ornament matching the noble colors of spring? Though new cooking equipment would probably make her happier.
Since Ela had spent her Coming-of-Age Ceremony in the Noble District, she hadn't been able to attend the one at the Temple. This Starbinding Ceremony would be her first time wearing festive clothing. She was my personal cook, and since it was a special occasion, maybe it would be nice to give her a hair ornament that wasn't too expensive.
"Please proceed with those arrangements."
"Excuse us."
After the two withdrew, I held a meeting about the Coming-of-Age Ceremony and the
"How is the orphanage doing? Has Conrad settled in?"
Monica, who had appointed herself as the liaison with
"According to Wilma's report, for several days he was frightened by the sound of footsteps. ...For someone who had been raised as a noble, Conrad showed none of the tendency to throw around authority like the Blue Priests. If anything, he seemed relieved to have come to the orphanage."
He must have been treated terribly before. Remembering how he cowered at the magic wand, I let out a soft sigh.
"If Conrad is able to feel even a little at ease, that's more than enough. Monica, I'd like to see the orphanage and the workshop, so please let Wilma and
"Understood."
Monica nodded, said she would relay the message, and left the room.
I took out my personal notes, reviewed the tasks to be done at the Temple, and handed Zaim a memo about the Dedication Ritual.
"I've been discussing with Brother
"This year, since Rozemyne will be present, Fran cannot be assigned. I will also discuss who should be assigned to Charlotte."
"Yes, please do."
After Zaim left the room, I began going through the letters stored in my document box. I had received letters from the Plantane Trading Company, the Gilberta Trading Company, and the Guild Master.
The Guild Master's letter detailed the results of gathering information from traveling merchants who visited other regions regarding infrastructure problems in the lower city, as well as efforts to beautify the town.
"I should probably report this to the Chief Priest and give a response as soon as possible. Perhaps I should ask for some time during tomorrow's assistance work. ...Fran, I'm going to write letters to the Plantane Trading Company, the Gilberta Trading Company, and the Guild Master of the commercial guild, so please have Gil deliver them."
"Rozemyne, wouldn't it be better to rest for today? You don't look well. If you insist on being active, let's practice removing your magical tool."
Fran said this with narrowed eyes. I hadn't felt unwell myself, so being pointed out like this, I was startled and pressed my hand to my face.
If I were to fall ill after just returning to the Temple and unable to perform the blessing at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, there was no telling what the Chief Priest would say. I decided to meekly accept Fran's suggestion.
"Very well. I'll rest quietly then. Please bring me the new books that were printed during winter."
Starting the next day, I returned to my long-absent Temple life. After waking and finishing breakfast, I practiced the offering dance and Feschspiel, then headed to the Chief Priest's room for assistance work when the third bell rang.
"Rozemyne, let's go assist the Chief Priest."
I left the care and putting away of the Feschspiel to
"Chief Priest, this arrived from the Guild Master of the commercial guild. I thought it would be best to discuss it with you promptly..."
I handed the Guild Master's letter to the Chief Priest.
The contents revealed that territories other than Ehrenfest had installations resembling sewers. Based on the information the Guild Master had gathered, these sewer-like systems were commonplace in noble districts. They apparently utilized the sticky substance found in toilets. It had been invented decades ago, spread in popularity, and other territories had undergone dramatic makeovers.
The letter concluded by noting that if daily life wasn't causing problems, a dramatic makeover might still be advisable. However, since it required magic that only a lord could handle, it might be difficult in Ehrenfest.
"Since it's already been adopted in the Noble District, it seems the lower city of Ehrenfest is decades behind compared to everywhere else."
"...It seems so. We should probably send this matter to the castle."
The Chief Priest wrote up a list of things he wanted investigated—when the castle was last renovated, whether the design documents from that time existed, how much magic power would be required to do the same in the lower city, and whether there was any surplus—and handed it to me along with an ordnanz magic stone.
"Send this to
I took it and flew ordnanzes to Mother and Charlotte. Charlotte and her attendants would do their best to investigate.
...I really wished I could have the job of doing research in the Library too. Tch.
Pulling myself together, I continued assisting work until the fourth bell. The Chief Priest had been stretched thin during my absence from the Temple, and it showed. As I helped out as much as I could, the bell rang.
After returning to my room and finishing lunch, I wrote the letters to be sent to various places while waiting for the Divine Blessing distribution to reach the orphanage. Monica returned saying, "It seems to be ready," so I headed to the orphanage with Monica, Gil, and my guard knights.
Beyond the wide-open doors where Monica and Gil stood, the orphanage dining hall was visible, with Gray Priestesses kneeling in wait.
"Wilma, please give me your report on how things went during winter."
I told everyone else to go about their business, then listened to Wilma's report. Apparently, there hadn't been any major changes until Conrad arrived. A few children had caught minor colds, but none had become serious, and they recovered quickly.
"I, along with the other Gray Priestesses, had worried about whether Conrad, who had been raised as a noble, could manage at the orphanage, but there haven't been any real problems. On his first day, his whole body was tense with nervousness, but
Dirk, who had only had infants learning to stand or just starting to crawl, or apprentices who had already completed their Baptism Ceremonies and worked in the workshop around him, had apparently welcomed Conrad with open arms as someone he could run around and play with. Even now, he couldn't stop fussing over him, and apparently Deria had her hands full chasing after the two.
"I'd like to see how he's doing myself, so please call Conrad and Dirk."
"Understood."
Wilma looked toward a nearby Gray Priestess, who went to call out to the children gathered in a corner at the back of the dining hall, where picture books were spread out.
I could see Dirk bouncing up with his reddish-brown hair flying, grabbing Conrad by the wrist and dragging him over. Following behind the two was Deria.
"Rozemyne, did you call for us?"
"Yes, I came to see how Conrad is doing. Conrad, how is the orphanage? Is the food tasty? Are you sleeping well?"
His greenish-yellow eyes, so similar to
"Yes. The food is delicious. And there are lots of picture books and toys, so it's fun."
Dirk stood beside Conrad. His reddish-brown hair resembled Deria's, who waited behind them, and his dark brown eyes, nearly black, held a mischievous light. He bore a striking resemblance to the fierce, determined expression Deria used to have, making me wonder if growing up as siblings really did make people look alike.
"You've been teaching Conrad all sorts of things, haven't you, Dirk? Thank you. It seems the two of you have become good friends to each other, which puts my mind at ease."
After watching Dirk and Conrad exchange glances and smile at each other, I turned my gaze to Deria, who knelt behind them. Like Turi, Deria was no longer a child but had reached the age of a young woman.
"Deria, I know it's a lot, but please look after both of them."
"Yes, leave it to me."
Deria accepted with a smile. Reassured, I left the orphanage and headed to the workshop.
"Gil, when we reach the workshop, please call
"Understood."
Fritz was summoned, and I explained that papermaking operations were starting in several locations across Ehrenfest, and that I needed him to select personnel to dispatch to multiple locations at once.
"You want to send them to multiple locations at once?"
"Yes. Since we need quantity, rather than taking a full year like in
I explained that we'd be recalling three Gray Priests from
"We'll send them to locations as their reception preparations are completed. Transportation will be by my riding beast, and since the Plantane Trading Company is also dispatching personnel to establish the Plant Paper Association and the printing association, living arrangements shouldn't be a major concern."
"How long will the period be?"
"From January to February. Once they can make the basic Forin paper, they'll be done and move on to the next workshop. Oh, right. Please add Ahim and
Since it was impossible to have Gray Priests dispatched elsewhere while I was sleeping, the Grimm Project had stalled. In addition to spreading the papermaking and printing industries, I wanted them to gather stories as well.
"I'll also coordinate with the Plantane Trading Company to have reward money prepared."
"To make new books, we need new stories, so the more we can collect, the better."
Fritz gave a wry smile as he affirmed my scheme to mix the Grimm Project in with everything else. Gil shrugged lightly and said, "I hope the Chief Priest doesn't get angry about this."
"Gil, you mustn't say such ominous things. Shh!"
The next day was the winter Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Preparations began early in the morning, and I donned the High Priest's ceremonial robes, adorned my hair with a winter noble-colored hair ornament, and headed to the prayer hall.
"Guard knights, please wait over there."
When I pointed toward the wall where Brother
"I cannot say with certainty that there is no danger inside the prayer hall. I wish to accompany you all the way in."
Angelica looked displeased at the idea of separating the guards from my side. I could say it was simply tradition, but it was a Temple rule, so there was nothing to be done.
"I'll discuss it with the Chief Priest again and look into whether the rule can be changed. Please give up on this for today."
"...Yes."
Reluctantly nodding, Angelica and Damuel stood alongside Brother Eckhart.
Guided by Fran, I stood before the doors and waited for a moment. Then, from inside the prayer hall, I heard the Chief Priest's voice: "High Priest, you may enter." At the same time, the Gray Priests began to open the doors. I could see the Blue Priests lined up on the right of the altar, and the new adults on the left.
Cradling the Holy Book that Fran had handed me, I stepped into the prayer hall. I was greeted by a sound like countless bells ringing and a murmur full of astonishment, and I made my way toward the altar.
The Blue Priests were using magical tools to dampen voices, so no matter how much surprise the crowd expressed, it came out as whispers. Even so, when many similar whispers overlapped, they reached my ears with perfect clarity.
"Oh, it's the tiny High Priest."
"The High Priest who can give real blessings is back."
"She really is tiny."
...Stop saying tiny over and over! It's because of the Jureve. I'll grow bigger eventually!
Arguing inside my head while maintaining a composed expression as if I hadn't heard a thing, I continued walking. The whispers of the new adults weren't just about being small.
"Wow, even the nobles really do use Gilberta Trading Company hair ornaments."
"They're so gorgeous—nothing like ours."
I could hear women whispering after seeing my hair ornament. I was struck by an urge to look around and see just how widespread the hair ornament trend had become, but I forced myself to resist. That could wait until I climbed the altar and raised my line of sight.
Being careful not to step on my hem and trip, I ascended the stairs. I placed the Holy Book on the altar and opened it, and the Chief Priest began reading the myth in a clear, resonant voice. Listening to that voice, I slowly looked around the prayer hall.
The Baptism Ceremony used white-based garments to symbolize being born as a human, but the Coming-of-Age Ceremony garments were based on the noble colors of the season. In winter, that meant red or white. Perhaps because white always looked cold, the new adults lined up before me wore predominantly red.
I also noticed that almost all the female new adults had hair ornaments in their hair. Along with ones similar to the small clustered flowers I had first made for Turi, some wore larger or more elaborate designs.
At the end of winter, flowers hadn't yet bloomed, so picking fresh flowers from the forest for decoration wasn't an option. I remembered how Frieda had said she was happy to be able to wear flowers during her Baptism Ceremony. Back then, very few people actually wore hair ornaments, but it seemed that during my long sleep, the trend had become completely established.
...The Gilberta Trading Company has really been working hard.
As I gazed upon two years' worth of change and let out an admiring sigh, my turn came. I was to give the new adults my blessing.
"Now then, let us offer our prayers to the gods. Pray to the gods!"
The new adults offered their prayers in a rush, following the Blue Priests. After watching them, I infused my ring with magic power and bestowed my blessing.
"
With the blessing complete, red and white light overflowing, the ceremony came to an end. The Chief Priest declared, "May the path ahead of you who have received the blessing be bright," the doors opened, and the new adults filed out one by one.
...Could they be here?
As I looked toward the doors with anticipation, I spotted my father and mother there, tears in their eyes. Both of them had aged a little. When I smiled brightly to show them that "I'm fine, I'm doing well," Father nodded deeply.
...Huh?
Father and mother were there, but Turi and Camill were nowhere to be seen.
...What happened? Could they be feeling unwell?
Worried that they might be sick, I would later learn the truth.
The Temple was a place where children were not permitted to enter. Infants who could be carried or toddlers who could barely walk might be exceptions, but children old enough to potentially slip into the Temple without their parents' knowledge had to stay home and watch the house.
I would have to wait until Camill's Baptism Ceremony to see him again.
--- It's been a long time since I've had Temple life. Deria and Dirk already feel nostalgic. I'm handling the arrangements that must be completed while at the Temple for the winter Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Hair ornaments are all the rage. Next up: making magical tools for the Chief Priest's and Schwartz's outfits.