When the lord's family meeting concluded,
"
The moment Grandfather spoke, everyone in the meeting room stirred. My adoptive father, adoptive mother, and
What I had been thinking before Grandfather addressed me was whether I could train enough civil officials capable of dealing with merchants during my remaining three years in the Temple, and what would happen to the Temple Attendants. So what slipped from my mouth was an entirely unvarnished honest answer.
"If you would assist me, then please assist me in staying in the Temple forever, Grandfather."
Upon hearing my words, my adoptive father, adoptive mother, and Wilfried showed faint traces of relief on their faces. This time, it was Grandfather whose face stiffened in shock. But I couldn't understand why he was so surprised. When I tilted my head, Grandfather looked slightly disappointed and left the room.
"Sister Rozemyne, what am I supposed to do at the Temple?"
The moment we left the meeting room, Melchior's excitement about his new role was obvious to see. His indigo eyes gleaming, he fired off his question. Amused by his eagerness, I decided to explain things about the Temple until we returned to the Northern Building.
"Let's base it around your life at the castle. For the time being, you'll serve from the third bell to the fifth bell. It's quick and convenient to ride along on an attendant knight's fey beast for travel. Your duties will be in the Chief Priest's office at the Temple—memorizing prayer words, offering Magic Power, that sort of thing. Since you haven't yet practiced handling Magic Power, you won't be able to participate in the Prayer Ceremony, but let's practice so you can join in the religious events starting from the Autumn Harvest Festival."
"Understood!"
Originally, the plan was for Melchior to practice Magic Power supply with Grandfather during the spring Lord's Meeting and then participate in the Autumn Harvest Festival, so all that was changing was whether memorizing the prayer words would be done at the castle or at the Temple.
"Everything other than offering Magic Power will be mostly the same as planned, but what matters is that Melchior comes to the Temple."
To persuade his senior attendants to happily send him off to the Temple, I explained that the divine blessings received at the Noble Academy varied depending on how often one prayed and how much Magic Power one offered. This was common knowledge at the Academy, but I wasn't sure how much the older nobles in the territory knew about it.
"The difference in blessings based on prayer and Magic Power offerings was clarified through joint research with
"Oh my..."
One of Melchior's senior attendants changed expression slightly. It seemed that information hadn't circulated much among Melchior's attendants, who had been shut up in the Northern Building due to the purge. There was probably also the fact that Melchior's future attendants were concentrated in the lower years at the Academy, so they could be near him once he enrolled.
I worked hard to appeal to Melchior's attendants that entering and leaving the Temple would not be a negative for them. If they understood the benefits, they would cooperate with Temple duties and not treat the Gray Priests inside the Temple too harshly. At the very least, they would be easier to keep an eye on.
"Melchior, do you know that Wilfried, unlike other ducal candidates, participated in the Prayer Ceremony and the Harvest Festival and received the blessings of the twelve gods?"
"Yes. I heard it from Mother when she read the Academy report at dinner. Father told me that Sister Rozemyne received even more blessings, and that I should try my best to receive many blessings like she did."
...Wait? Like me?
From the way Melchior spoke, it sounded like the Aub couple was pleased that I had received so many blessings. This was the complete opposite of their words in the meeting earlier, and it left me with a slight sense of unease.
"If I participate in religious events like my brother and sister, will I be able to receive the gods' blessings?"
"Since you'll be working at the Temple, you'll receive many blessings. I'm actually planning to research whether we can conduct the ritual to reacquire blessings at Ehrenfest's Temple."
My own attendants were already praying for reacquisition, but the guard knights of the other lord candidates, who didn't know this, whipped around in unison.
"Lady Rozemyne, is it possible to reacquire the gods' blessings!?"
"I heard that only graduates who participated in the joint research can undergo the ritual again..."
It seemed they had heard about graduates like
"We haven't run any experiments yet, so I don't know the results, but I plan to start by researching with my adult attendants. Even after finishing their growth period, obtaining many blessings reduces Magic Power consumption, so they should be able to do more with the same amount of Magic Power."
My adult attendants were far more interested in the reacquisition of blessings than Melchior, who was about to enter his growth period and learn magic compression. They were of an older generation than
"Whether you receive blessings depends on your prayers and offerings. Even if you undergo the ritual a hundred times, if you haven't been praying and offering, you won't receive any blessings. So while my attendants who visit the Temple to pray might manage, others may find it quite difficult."
"Lord Melchior, please do take me to the Temple!"
"No, no, I should go first..."
The fact that Melchior's attendants had become willing to come and go from the Temple was a good thing. I could see that
"Lady Rozemyne, how do your attendants handle it?"
When the knights started asking me how my own attendants organized their rotation, making the walk back lively,
"Lady Rozemyne, unlike me, who was kindly given Lord
"What kind of preparation is needed?"
Melchior's Attendant was the first to react, and Melchior himself turned a gaze full of interest toward us. It was true that I hadn't thought of it because the former High Priest had handed over the orphanage director's room to me as-is, and preparations had been made while I was at my
"For Blue Priests of middle or lower noble birth, the furniture left behind in the Temple can be reassigned, allowing them to set up their rooms and begin living there immediately. However, just as I, having become the lord's adopted daughter, had to commission all furniture from scratch, Melchior, as a member of the lord's family, cannot simply use someone else's hand-me-downs."
"If we hold the Spring Prayer banquet and then head straight to the Temple, will Melchior be ready by then?"
At my words, Melchior's Attendant looked troubled. There was hardly any time before the Spring Prayer banquet.
"My Lady, you don't have to commission everything from scratch. The castle manages furniture that is currently unused—you could use that. Wouldn't it be faster to obtain what's needed from there?"
At Richanda's suggestion, Melchior's Attendant nodded with apparent relief and immediately began asking what was needed. I pictured the furniture in my own room.
"Since you'll be eating lunch at the Temple, it's essential to set up a kitchen and hire a cook. Tables, chairs, and tableware will be needed right away. You'll also need a chest or closet for storing clothing. And a chest or bookshelf for documents. After that, I think setting up a bathroom and washroom would be sufficient. For the time being, your studies will take place in the orphanage or the Chief Priest's office, so a desk can come later."
The Attendant's face had turned serious. Saying you'd help with Temple duties was easy, but preparing the environment for it was another matter entirely. They would need to select from the castle's furniture what Melchior could use.
"Will I be able to eat lunch with Sister Rozemyne at the Temple?"
"Eating alone is dull, isn't it? Let's eat together. However, each person will need to hire their own cook."
Attendants were considered part of the same household and thus couldn't eat with us. Since Melchior, also a member of the lord's family, would be of equal standing, I was genuinely happy we could share meals. But for hosting visitors, for clearly dividing the budget, and for increasing the Divine Gifts sent to the orphanage, it was essential that they hire cooks.
"I'll negotiate with Father to have one of the castle's cooks reassigned to the Temple. The assistant could be a talented Gray Priestess, or I could arrange an introduction from a restaurant I know. Delivering meals to the orphanage is also an important duty of the Blue Priests, so we need a cook who can prepare food even when the master is absent."
I thought taking a familiar cook along would be more reassuring, but since we also needed at least one person who could be permanently stationed at the Temple, it would have to be a Temple cook rather than a court chef.
"You'll also need ceremonial clothing before the Autumn Harvest Festival, and it would be best to have bedding prepared by winter. If snowstorms are terrible during the offering ceremony season, returning to the castle is extremely difficult."
Riding on an attendant knight's fey beast meant dealing with severe cold, and carriages couldn't move. Participating in the offering ceremony required an overnight stay. The only small comfort was that if we used the furniture left behind by the former High Priest and the Blue Priests, setting up the attendants' rooms would be easier.
"That's going to be quite the expense."
"Yes. I need to notify Father so he can arrange a budget for the Temple. I should have brought it up during the meeting earlier."
As I reflected on my mistake, Hartmut smiled. "This works out perfectly," he said.
"Regarding the further reduction in Blue Priests due to the purge, we need to discuss this with the Aub again. While it's understandable that some Blue Priests were taken away due to their families' circumstances, there are some we'd like to have returned if possible."
I had heard that the number of Blue Priests had decreased, but I hadn't realized it had reached a point that would hinder Temple operations. Fewer Blue Priests meant less Magic Power offered, fewer cooks, and fewer meals for the orphanage. At the same time, the workload for the remaining Blue Priests and the number of Gray Priests and Gray Priestesses returning to the orphanage would increase.
"To be honest, the numbers have dropped so far that the Magic Power to support Ehrenfest is completely insufficient. Relying on Lady Rozemyne's Magic Power is not a good long-term strategy for Ehrenfest's future."
Hartmut murmured that if we relied too heavily on my Magic Power, things would become very difficult when I stepped down as High Priest. With a mindset of serving as a bridge until I reached adulthood, he was always thinking about the day I would leave the High Priest position.
Even if Melchior were to succeed me as High Priest, the lord's family's Magic Power was meant to support the foundation's magic. Offering it to the Temple was important, but if the lord's family neglected their supply to the foundation's magic, it would be putting the cart before the horse.
"I'm hoping that nobles will visit the Temple to reacquire blessings and offer Magic Power as a result, but depending on the research findings, it could go either way..."
As Hartmut said this, he glanced at the attendants who were considering visiting the Temple. People who would quickly change their minds if the results weren't favorable couldn't be counted on too heavily.
"Hartmut... what if we treated the children in the Children's Room as Blue Priest apprentices? If they live in the Noble District using money confiscated from their parents rather than in the orphanage, they'd be treated as children of nobility, wouldn't they?"
At my proposal, Hartmut blinked his orange eyes and placed a hand on his chin. He had previously rejected the idea of bringing them into the orphanage, but this time he didn't produce any words of rejection, so I pressed on.
"Since they're not yet old enough for the Noble Academy, and considering they'd need to save Magic Power for when they enroll, they probably won't be able to offer much. But even a little is better than nothing, and being able to shield them somewhat from the harsh gazes of the nobles would be significant."
Hartmut's expression turned somewhat serious as he thought it over. The castle's Children's Room was also funded by the Aub's budget and money confiscated from the children's families. The costs involved shouldn't be that different.
"As Lady Rozemyne says, being both a noble and a Blue Priest puts them in the same position as me, which would clearly distinguish them from the pre-baptism children in the orphanage. More importantly, if we educate them well from now on, they could visit the Temple regularly and offer Magic Power in a stable manner—which I think is wonderful."
Hartmut seemed focused only on compensating for the Magic Power shortage, but if we could also hire cooks and Attendants for them, it would be a tremendous help to the orphanage. And if their education took place at the orphanage, the other children there would have a goal to aspire to and become motivated.
"As Blue Priest apprentices, they could also build connections with Melchior when he visits the Temple. If they know him, it would be easier for Melchior to protect them when they're subjected to unreasonable discrimination after entering the next Children's Room intake or the Noble Academy, wouldn't it?"
While I was at the Academy, I could do my best to prevent them from facing unfair discrimination, but once I graduated, that protection would end.
"I think it would also be meaningful in creating a path for the children in the orphanage who couldn't receive their Baptism Ceremony as nobles. And ideally, I'd like to create a way for Blue Priests to support themselves without their families' assistance."
If I could think of ways for Blue Priests to be self-sufficient, it might open a path for
As I kept talking, letting my thoughts flow freely, Hartmut narrowed his orange eyes with an amused expression.
"It seems you've come up with all manner of ideas, but how exactly do you plan to convince the Aub couple, Lady Rozemyne, when you said earlier that you wanted to keep a low profile?"
"Huh? Since I'm shutting myself up in the Temple, there's no way I could stand out in Ehrenfest's current noble society. If I propose taking in the children from the Children's Room by framing it as reducing Mother's workload by one task, I think she would surely accept..."
As I clenched my fist, convinced it would be accepted depending on how I phrased it, Charlotte, who had been walking with her head mostly down, raised her face. Her expression looked as though she was barely holding back tears.
"Sister. As I said in the meeting, I don't think you need to take on any more work."
I gave a small smile and thanked her. "Thank you for worrying about me, Charlotte."
"But replenishing the Blue Priests we've lost, increasing the Magic Power that can be used at the Temple, and giving the orphanage children a goal and a future—these are all part of my duties as High Priest. Besides, if it can reduce Mother's workload by one task, wouldn't that help you a little in your supporting role, Charlotte?"
"I would rather be the one helping you, Sister..."
As Charlotte said this sweetly, I quietly advised her, "If you'd like to help, please visit the Temple. I'm sure the divine blessings you receive at the Academy next year will increase too." Charlotte's lips curved into a small smile.
"If I say, 'I fully intend to shut myself up in the Temple, but I'm raising the future nobles of Ehrenfest,' wouldn't that sound a bit more befitting of the future First Wife?"
When I said this and laughed, Charlotte's brow furrowed sadly and she looked down.
"How can you laugh like that after hearing such heartless words? How can you think to reduce Mother's workload?"
...Because I'm fully intending to shut myself up in the Temple and the library.
That was my decision, but Charlotte, who clearly couldn't accept the meeting's outcome at all, glared at Wilfried, whose brow was still furrowed and who wore a difficult expression.
"Brother, you seemed to agree with Father's opinion, but don't you feel anything about lowering Ehrenfest's rank?"
It turned out I wasn't the only one who had felt a sense of disconnect with Wilfried, who had seemed unaffected by the words that trampled on everyone's hard work at the Academy—the same words Charlotte and I had heard.
Glared at by Charlotte, Wilfried shot her a sharp, intense look in return. He also, incidentally, glared at me and Melchior.
"Of course I feel something! Father and I both..."
He started to say something, then swallowed it hard. "But there are things we must prioritize over that," he said, and hurried off to his own room. Charlotte stared after his retreating back for a while, then let out a helpless sigh and shook her head.
"...I have no idea what Father or Brother are hiding, but I simply cannot accept this being called the will of the
Perhaps my resolve to shut myself up in the Temple and the library had helped me regain some composure. I noticed a small discrepancy in Charlotte's words.
...Wait? The will of the Leisegang faction?
"When Father came to the dormitory to encourage the students and was speaking with the royals and Dunkelfelger during the Interduchy Tournament, his words were completely different from this. I don't know what I should believe about Father anymore."
...Right, they were completely different.
The sense of incongruity I'd felt when Melchior told me about obtaining blessings returned. My adoptive father's words and actions were completely inconsistent. Something must have happened during the short time between returning from the Academy and the meeting.
"Charlotte, it may be too early to be disappointed."
"Sister?"
"It seems like there's... important information we're missing."
He had told us to raise our rank, to adopt attitudes befitting our position, to purge dangerous elements and unite Ehrenfest through the purge. The adoptive father who had said those things and the adoptive father at today's meeting might as well have been two different people.
Besides, the one who had been most effective in rallying and uniting the students at the Academy had been Wilfried. His smile as he stood at everyone's front, worked hard, and rejoiced in the results—they couldn't have been faked.
"The will of the Leisegang faction... I think the key lies there."
At my words, Charlotte turned to me with pleading eyes. Her indigo gaze eloquently expressed that she simply could not believe heartless words that trampled on their efforts had come from her own family.
"Let's sit down in my room and have a proper discussion. We'll summon the Leisegang faction."
"I'm sorry, but we cannot invite Giebe Leisegang to the Northern Building, Sister."
"There's no need to invite Giebe Leisegang. Aren't there Leisegang nobles right here?"
I looked up at Hartmut and Cornelius, who had attended the lord's family meeting as civil officials. They were adults who hadn't gone to the Academy. They had been stationed at the Temple during the offering ceremony, but they certainly hadn't skipped the winter social season entirely.
"I'll gather the Leisegang-aligned attendants and hear what they have to say. I want to know how they view the Aub's statement about 'the will of the Leisegang faction.' Do the Academy students know about this in advance? Did the adult attendants already know beforehand?"
When my gaze fell on him, Hartmut gave a bright smile. "Then let us return to your room quickly." The look on his face seemed to say "I've been waiting for you to ask," and I felt a strong conviction that there was something behind this.
"The Leisegang faction has been watching and waiting to see what choice Lady Rozemyne will make."
Since we'd been having such gloomy conversations, here's a breath of fresh air.
A lighthearted story.
About an excited Melchior and preparations for the Temple.
Next time, we'll talk about the Leisegang faction.