After finishing the sample production, I returned to life at the
"But why not? I can understand the others, but Melchior, who will inherit the role of High Priest, should absolutely be allowed to attend the Coming-of-Age Ceremony."
"But..." I protested to
"Lady
From my perspective, I wanted Melchior to participate as part of his preparation to inherit the position of High Priest, and also, if we were going to send the Blue Apprentices out for the Autumn Harvest Festival, I wanted them to observe the ceremonies first. However, my Attendants insisted that, according to existing custom, minors could not participate, and there was no need to change that custom.
"But I'm a minor, and yet I perform the ceremonies as High Priest, don't I?"
"You are the High Priest, Lady Rozemyne. Blue—no, before becoming High Priest, you were unable to participate. Melchior's participation in the ceremony would be after he takes on the role of High Priest."
Fran, who had nearly said "Blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice," caught herself, mindful of the noble Attendants, and rephrased to "before becoming High Priest." Between the household registration tampering and the age falsification, carelessly bringing up the past was out of the question.
"True, I couldn't participate in the
By citing Ferdinand's orders from when she was a Blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice as precedent, Fran and Zarm—both former Attendants of Ferdinand—were somewhat at a loss for words.
"Wasn't that because the Temple was short on Blue Priests with abundant Magic Power, and there was no other choice?"
"Surely you can see that there are even fewer Blue Priests now than at that time, making the situation even more desperate? Even I wouldn't send minors to perform divine services if we had enough adults."
No matter how much they opposed me, I was determined to get them to accept this. The current Temple had only seven adult Blue Priests. We were in a state where minor Lord Candidates were being sent dashing across the territory, barely managing to fulfill divine services.
If
"We need to send the Blue Apprentices to the Harvest Festival as well, or we won't have enough hands. More importantly, going to the Harvest Festival is necessary for them personally. The Blue Apprentices we took in this spring are different from ordinary Blue Priests—they have no financial support from their parents. They'll need to make their Winter Preparations using the territory's subsidies and the income they earn at the Harvest Festival."
Even though we had confiscated money from the former
"If we send them to the rural villages for the Autumn Harvest Festival, they'll have to perform the Baptism Ceremony, the Star Binding, and the Coming-of-Age Ceremony all at once, won't they? It's incredibly difficult to suddenly perform ceremonies without ever having seen them. From my own experience, I want the others to observe the ceremonies first so they won't be caught off guard."
I knew firsthand, as someone thrown into divine services as High Priest with no preparation, just how nerve-wracking that could be. Moreover, during my first Baptism Ceremony as Mine, I had been able to see what a commoner's ceremony looked like, but they had never even seen one.
"In one year, when I leave the Temple, won't it take multiple Blue Priests just to fill my single vacancy? They don't have riding beasts yet, and since they haven't entered the Noble Academy, their Magic Power is low, so all of them will have to be sent to perform divine services. Before that happens, while I can still keep an eye on them, I want them to gain as much experience as possible."
If Melchior became High Priest and took on responsibility, only to have minor apprentices dispatched all over the territory, it would be devastating for him too. Since I was the one who had suggested taking in these children at the orphanage and Temple before their Baptism or before they entered the Noble Academy, I felt it was important to pave a way for them to live as Blue Apprentices without struggling to get by.
"I understand Lady Rozemyne's thinking. However, could you at least begin the Blue Apprentices' observations starting from the Summer Coming-of-Age Ceremony? Starting something new requires a preparation period, and the Blue Priests will each have their own opinions. Above all, the observation will also require preparation of ceremonial garments."
With a season's worth of leeway, she said, they could prepare the ceremonial garments and coordinate with the Attendants assigned to the Blue Apprentices for their education. If they observed the Summer Coming-of-Age Ceremony and the Autumn Baptism Ceremony, they would understand the flow and atmosphere of the ceremonies, she said, and I nodded.
"Then I'll leave the groundwork with the Blue Priests and the preparations to Fran. If there's money, have new ceremonial garments made. If not, please advise them to adjust garments left behind by previous Blue Priests and Blue Shrine Maidens."
During my time, the previous High Priest had said there were no garments of appropriate size, or that commoners didn't deserve to receive any, so there was no choice but to have new ones made. But now, thanks to the purges and so on, there were more Blue garments in storage. Leaving them stored away would only damage the fabric, so it was better to put usable ones to good use.
"Understood. I'll inform the Attendants of the Blue Apprentices about their participation in the Harvest Festival and instruct them to begin their education and preparations. For the Autumn Harvest Festival, I'll have Melchior and the other Blue Apprentices observe the Summer Coming-of-Age Ceremony and the Autumn Baptism Ceremony, and I'll also compile the opinions of the other Blue Priests."
The groundwork would begin, but the official announcement would come after the Spring Coming-of-Age Ceremony had concluded, and with that, the discussion with my Attendants came to an end.
And then, the day of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony arrived. I was rather nervous myself. Since Turi would be coming of age at the Summer Coming-of-Age Ceremony,
...I'm not going to be found out by Ralph, am I?
I pinched the hem of my ceremonial garment while looking in the mirror. It was nothing at all like the ragged clothes Mine used to wear. Besides, he probably wouldn't remember some neighborhood child who had died years ago. When I had made a name for myself as a small High Priest in the Lower City, neither Turi nor Lutz had said anything about it.
...And I'm not even sure I'd recognize Ralph's face myself... Yeah. It'll be fine.
Reassuring myself, I moved to the front of the worship hall with Fran and my escort knights.
"High Priest, enter."
As the door creaked open and countless gazes fell upon me, I clutched the Holy Book and stepped into the worship hall. Straining my ears to catch the whispered conversations, I made my way to the platform.
...Which one is Ralph?
I squinted as I looked down at the crowd. Ralph was supposed to be among them, but from the platform, everyone had grown so much and was dressed in the spring noble color of green, making it impossible to tell them apart.
...Ralph had red hair, so it could be that one, or this one, or that one... Hmm, that one might have a faint resemblance—could that be Ralph? Hmm, hard to say.
Maintaining my noble smile, I let my thoughts drift to trivial matters when Ralph furrowed his brow slightly and tilted his head.
...Hm? Did he notice something? Is he suspicious of me?
I quickly shifted my gaze to the Holy Book and looked away. Then, wearing the practiced smile honed through noble life, I proceeded with the ceremony as usual.
"O Water Goddess, Flutrene, hear my prayer and bestow your blessing upon the birth of these newly come adults. To you I offer their hearts. Offering prayer and gratitude, may they receive your sacred blessings."
Once I had bestowed the blessing, the divine service was over. As I watched the new adults file out of the worship hall, Ralph turned back once.
...Ah, I really want to know whether Ralph figured it out or not. But prying into it might just stir up a hornet's nest, wouldn't it? What should I do?
If anything came up, Turi or
After the Spring Coming-of-Age Ceremony ended, a meeting was held at the Temple, including the Blue Apprentices. According to Zarm, who had done the groundwork, the adult Blue Priests also felt the manpower shortage keenly and had no particular objections. In fact, they seemed to feel that, since they were under the lord's patronage, they ought to be working.
I told the Blue Apprentices that they would need to participate in the Autumn Harvest Festival due to the manpower shortage and to earn money for their own Winter Preparations, and ordered them to begin preparations. There was much to do: memorizing prayers, arranging ceremonial garments, arranging carriages, procuring cooks and food supplies.
However, since it was difficult to entrust all divine services to minors for the first time, a new rule was established for this year's Harvest Festival only: the Blue Apprentices would be paired with adult Blue Priests.
"Um, Sister? Do you have a moment?"
Nicolaus approached with a somewhat anxious expression. Today's escort was
"Certainly. Do you have a question?"
"Yes. Will my father help me with my Winter Preparations?"
Some children had both parents purged, while others, like Nicolaus, had only one parent punished. Nicolaus seemed to fear being abandoned by his father as well, but his living expenses were being paid by my father. I thought he would help with the Winter Preparations too, if asked.
"Why don't you try writing him a letter?"
"...I'm a bit afraid of what might happen if he doesn't accept it. Lady
Given what his mother Tordelride had done, it was understandable that my mother might find Nicolaus unpleasant. But my mother was the kind of person who could consider fairness and balance even during the most chaotic period in the household.
"Unless the request is terribly unreasonable, I think he would grant it. But just because your Winter Preparations are taken care of doesn't mean you can skip the Harvest Festival. Please pray earnestly to receive the blessings of the gods."
"I am. Little by little, I've been memorizing the prayers with my Attendants. The other day, when Grandfather came to the Temple to train the apprentices, he told me to pray earnestly to increase my blessings."
I hadn't been able to meet him since I was compounding materials in the Library, but apparently Grandfather had come to the Temple once to train the apprentices. Nicolaus had been praised for having good potential.
"Sister, please send Grandfather a thank-you ORDNANCE. He was disappointed that you weren't at the Temple."
...Haven't Matthias and the others asked me something similar before...?
As I recalled the
...Did Judithe have some history with Grandfather?
As I tilted my head and headed back to my room, Matthias urged me to "send
With a question mark floating above my head, I followed my escort knights' advice and sent Grandfather a thank-you ORDNANCE.
Even though he seemed to have an aversion to the Temple, Grandfather had kept his promise with me and trained the apprentices—truly remarkable. The message that Matthias and Judithe had reviewed for me was essentially: "Thank you. I love you."
Grandfather's reply was brief: "Isn't it only natural for a grandfather to keep his promise with Rozemyne?" But Matthias nodded in satisfaction, saying, "That's good enough," and shook hands with Judithe.
Later, Filine secretly told me that when Grandfather was in a bad mood, he showed no mercy during Knights' Order training. Apparently it was for the sake of
The Blue Apprentices, who had been assigned to participate in the Autumn Harvest Festival, could be seen muttering to themselves throughout the Temple as they memorized the prayers used in divine services. Seeing genuine nobles' children earnestly engaging in divine services also motivated the Blue Priests to take their work more seriously.
I chatted with the anxious Blue Apprentices over tea, discussing what to bring for their first long-term assignment and what they needed to do, and shared advice—like how I had my ceremonial garments adjusted to remain wearable even after I grew.
"Only Nicolaus, whose father is helping him financially, can afford to have new ceremonial garments made. I'll have to alter the ones left by a previous Shrine Maiden Apprentice."
The Blue Shrine Maiden Apprentices, for whom this was apparently the first time having garments adjusted from someone outside the family, whispered softly that the change in circumstances was somewhat painful. It was their first time living on a tight budget, and they couldn't hide their confusion.
"...It's more comfortable than losing my life or staying in the city's children's room. I'm grateful to Lady Rozemyne and the Aub Ehrenfest. But sometimes I feel very sad."
Life at the Temple was an intensely lonely and harsh existence compared to when they had lived with their families without a single complaint. It must truly be difficult and lonely.
"I used to think that once I grew, I'd simply have new garments made. I never once considered using one garment for a long time. But here, that seems to be necessary."
"Your growth is rapid, so having new garments made at your own expense for each stage is quite a burden."
Previously, minors had never participated in divine services, so having garments made after coming of age meant they could be used for a long time. But for minors in their growth spurts, that wasn't feasible.
"Lady Rozemyne, please teach me how to have garments adjusted so they can still be worn even after I grow."
The technique was based on a sewing method I had known in my previous life. Since it wasn't knowledge I had sold to Corina, I could have had it spread freely, but to secure even a little cooperation in sending Turi to the Central District, it was better to direct profits toward the
And before I knew it, the Summer Baptism Ceremony was over, and the day for my foster father's departure to
I had prepared samples of the highest-quality magic paper and written a letter as well. On the front of the letter, in addition to seasonal and funeral greetings, I included a list of materials for my foster father to bring, along with the note, "If these are satisfactory, we'll begin mass production." On the back, written in disappearing ink, I included the recipe for the highest-quality magic paper—how it was made and what kinds of paper emerged along the way.
I was certain that Ferdinand, the mad scientist, would want to try making it himself, so I included several sheets of each type of unprocessed magic wood paper as raw materials. If the royal family had properly provided the workshop as promised, he would likely find time to research on his own whenever he could, and if there were points for improvement, he would eventually let me know.
"Please make sure to verify the workshop assigned to Ferdinand with your own eyes, as it is the promise between the royal family and the Aub. And if no workshop has been provided, that would be a violation of the royal decree, so please impose some form of punishment on Dietlinde and
...Don't just meekly back down!
The night before his departure, at the dinner table, I repeated this until I was blue in the face. My foster father made an extremely exasperated expression and grimaced, saying, "I can understand why Wilfried would be against it." No matter how displeased he looked, this was a condition for me becoming the king's adopted daughter, and I needed the royal family to keep their promises properly.
"Even if Ferdinand objects, please confirm whether a hidden room has truly been provided in the truest sense of the word."
"Hmm, that sounds a bit interesting."
My foster father showed a glimmer of interest where there had been none before, and I let out a sigh of relief. My foster mother, who had been watching our exchange, smiled and gently stroked her growing belly.
"You don't need to worry that much, Rozemyne.
...I really hope that's true.
"Rozemyne and Melchior will be staying at the castle for a while, won't you?"
"Yes. We'll be staying for about three days to supply Magic Power to the foundation. Since I need to prepare for the Star Binding ceremony, I won't be able to stay long."
I also needed to go "nag-nag tree harvesting" with the orphanage children around the Star Binding ceremony. There was no time for leisure at the castle.
"We have a tea party planned with Sister, Mother."
"Oh? Just you children? Aren't you going to invite me?"
"Yes, this is a tea party I'm hosting—just for us children."
Charlotte's words were met with nods from both me and Wilfried. During our stay at the castle, we planned to have a siblings-only tea party, excluding even our Attendants, to exchange information.
"It's been a while since I've had tea with my brother and sister, and I'm looking forward to it. Come to think of it, I recently had a tea party with the Blue Apprentices at the Temple. I also toured the workshop where orphanage children work. I saw where books were being made, and it was amazing."
As Melchior cheerfully began talking about life at the Temple, everyone listened with great interest. Even from the reactions of the Attendants who were serving, I could tell that their aversion to the Temple was gradually fading.
"Safe travels, Foster Father. And please take care as well, Father."
I saw off the Aub and my father, the Knight Commander who served as his escort. As this was the funeral of an Aub from another territory, it would be a sizeable group traveling. My foster mother, whose belly had grown quite large, was staying behind because long travel was dangerous. She planned to handle duties to the extent that her condition allowed.
After seeing them off, I returned to my room. All of my Attendants, who had accompanied me to the send-off, filed in behind me. Seeing them all lined up, I felt a wave of nostalgia.
"It's been a while since all my Attendants were gathered together. The last time we were all together was when I announced I was becoming the king's adopted daughter and asked for opinions on who would move to the Central District."
When I giggled, Judithe gave me a resentful look.
"When I heard that
"Oh my, Judithe, you didn't nearly cry—you were in tears, calling Lieseleta a mean traitor and a backstabber. It was quite the ordeal trying to calm you down, what with both Brünhilde and I staying, while you lamented being the only one left out."
When
"I'm sorry for making you feel that way. But if Judithe comes to the Central District after becoming an adult, she'll be most welcome. ...Even if it's just the short period before Judithe's parents arrange her marriage, I'll be happy and grateful to have her."
Just as my mother had advised, I extended the invitation with a sincere heart, and Judithe smiled bashfully and nodded.
"Also, Filine will serve as
"Yes."
The only one still undecided was Damuel, I thought as I looked in that direction. What caught my eye instead, unexpectedly, was
"...Clarissa, is something the matter?"
"I've finally finished the preparations for my name-offering! Now then, Lady Rozemyne—please accept everything I am!"
...I don't want to. ...That's what I'd like to say. Sigh...
The second forced name-offering. Unlike
...No, wait. Clarissa isn't normal. Don't be fooled!