The Shrine Maiden's Work

"The oath ceremony is now concluded."

"Then, the Library—"

"Wait. I'm not finished talking."

"...Yes."

Prompted by the Chief Priest, I moved from in front of the altar to the desk. Fran had prepared a chair, so I sat down.

"Thank you, Fran."

"...There's no need for thanks."

Fran's face briefly showed surprise, and she slightly furrowed her brows. Perhaps I shouldn't have thanked her, either. I should probably ask Frieda about proper noble etiquette sometime.

"May I begin?"

"Yes, please."

I didn't know what the reports were, but stacked at the edge of the Chief Priest's desk were numerous wooden plaques and pieces of Parchment. As he glanced through some of them, he looked at me.

It was like a teacher with a textbook beginning a lesson for a student.

"As you know, every blue priest in the Temple comes from the Nobility. You should assume that none of them have positive feelings about a Commoner like you wearing the Blue Robe."

"Yes."

Even knowing this, hearing it to my face sent a chill down my spine. When I first proposed becoming a Shrine Maiden Apprentice, I'd figured I only had about half a year to live, so as long as I could read the books in the Library, that was fine.

But the Temple had Magical Tools. Becoming a Blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice had made life extension possible, and my relationship with the Temple was no longer temporary. I couldn't just be reckless anymore—I'd have to think more carefully about things.

"Right now, there really aren't many blue priests, and anyone with Magic Power is needed, so they'll probably just ignore you. But I can't say what will happen in a few years once more nobles come to the Temple. Consider this a fair warning."

"...Yes."

I clenched my fists on my knees and bit my lip. If I made some blunder with the nobles, it would affect my family too. I needed enough information to get by safely here.

"In particular, the High Priest refused to even attend the oath ceremony. The other blue priests don't seem to know you either, and their feelings toward a Commoner like you can't be said to be positive. So I've taken on the role of your instructor."

My existence—someone with no status but who possessed both Magic Power and money—was tantamount to trampling on noble privilege. Of course they wouldn't have positive feelings about me. I knew that. But despite saying nobles wouldn't look kindly on me, the Chief Priest was being remarkably forthcoming with his advice.

"Aren't you displeased, Chief Priest? I mean, I'm..."

"I recognize competent people. Especially now that the number of priests and shrine maidens has decreased and most of the work has fallen on me. Knowing that you're good at paperwork and willing to help, why would I resent you?"

His sly smile made my cheek twitch. The fact that he'd brought up my skill at paperwork meant the investigation he'd mentioned before was complete, and various pieces of information about me had already been passed to the Chief Priest.

This world didn't have the slightest concept of personal information protection. When a noble like the Chief Priest asked questions, people would chatter away. I wondered what kind of information he had on me. It was scary.

"I'll do my best, but what exactly is my work at the Temple? If there are things I need to do, please tell me."

"Ah. Your first job is paperwork as my assistant. That's the most important. You'll work on documents here in the morning. Next are prayers and offerings. As a shrine maiden, you must learn to pray—that's essential."

"I understand prayers, but what are offerings?"

"Charging the sacred tools with Magic Power. Fran, the shield."

Fran nodded slightly and returned with a shield roughly fifty to sixty centimeters in diameter. It was a round shield made of gold, worthy of being called a sacred tool—complex patterns were carved into it, with blue designs here and there.

In the center was a yellow gem the size of a palm, glowing and flickering as though something burned inside. Surrounding the shield's edge, similar gems the size of marbles were lined up in a row. Half the small gems around the perimeter were yellow, and the other half were transparent like crystal.

"Touch the magic stone in the center. Visualize sending your own Magic Power into it..."

"Yes."

So they were magic stones, not gems. Trembling with excitement at how incredibly fantasy-like this object was, I gently touched it with my right hand. The entire shield glowed a soft gold. At the same time, complex patterns and strings of symbols like characters I'd never seen before appeared in faint green light at about wrist height.

Whoa, it's like a magic circle! Amazing, amazing!

Driven by curiosity, I stared at the glowing symbols, and I felt the heat in my body being sucked away like a vacuum cleaner. It was the same sensation as when Frieda had used a Magical Tool on me when I'd nearly died from Self-Eating.

Since the opportunity presented itself, I deliberately opened the lid I normally kept on the Magic Power inside me. The hot Self-Eating heat burst from my center, rushed toward my palm all at once, and was vigorously drawn out.

Lost in the pleasure of having the unwanted heat drained away, I suddenly snapped back to attention.

...This won't break, right?

Remembering that I'd broken Frieda's Magical Tool, I got a little scared and instinctively pulled my hand away. Then I sealed the slightly depleted Magic Power back into my center.

Although I'd only released Magic Power for a brief moment, the strain on my body had dramatically decreased. It felt like a Weight Stone that had been sitting on me had vanished—I felt so much lighter.

"Hmm. Seven small magic stones' worth."

At the Chief Priest's voice, I looked at the shield. The small magic stones adorning its edge had turned more yellow. Apparently, they changed color when filled with Magic Power. You could tell at a glance how much Magic Power remained.

...I kinda felt like I'd become a charger.

I opened and closed my right hand. So the heat from Self-Eating really is Magic Power, I thought. And having a clear outlet made the flow of Magic Power surprisingly easy to understand. As I was thinking this, the Chief Priest peered at me with concern.

"Myne, are you feeling any strain?"

"Um, I actually feel refreshed, like my body got lighter."

"...I see. Do your offerings only to the extent that it doesn't strain you."

"Understood."

So charging sacred tools with Magic Power was an offering. That was relatively easy work.

The hardest part would be the prayers. Standing on one leg was quite difficult with my current body. Especially the part where you raise your arms diagonally upward instead of spreading them to the sides for balance. They'd probably instruct me in detail on the angle and duration, too.

"And lastly, your final job is to read the Holy Book and memorize its contents."

The Chief Priest added this quietly, in a low, small voice, and my ears perked up. He said read and memorize, didn't he? I wasn't confident in my memory, but if it was just reading, leave it to me.

"I'll do it! Let me go to the Library right away!"

I shot to my feet and raised my hand enthusiastically, trying to show the Chief Priest my eagerness. But he didn't even look my way, picking up another document and beginning to read it.

"Before that, I'd like to discuss the Donation. Sit down."

"...Yes."

Money matters were important. Especially since the Donation I'd declared I would pay was a large sum, so I was curious about it too. Mainly how I'd pay it and where the Donation money went.

"You said you would donate one large gold coin..."

Getting a light glare from the Chief Priest, I remembered consulting with Benno.

I was pretty sure he'd said, "Donations are collected from the commercial guild every time there's a ceremony, which happens several times a year, but I've never donated personally." And also, "That amount is too much—you're likely to stand out in a bad way. Shouldn't you split up the payments? If you give a big sum to a spendthrift incompetent, the people around them will suffer."

"Um, if you tell me to pay it, I will, but could I do it in installments? Like paying one small gold coin per month?"

"The Donation isn't something we dictate the terms of, so it's not impossible, but what's your reason?"

"I was told by an acquaintance that if I pay the full amount all at once, people might be blinded by the large sum, leading to increased unnecessary spending... I thought it might be better to ask the person managing the Temple's finances where the Donation goes and how it's used before deciding on a payment method."

I couldn't very well repeat exactly what Benno had said. But even my vague words seemed to get the point across, because the Chief Priest was silent for a moment, thinking, before letting out a breath.

"Fifty percent of Donations goes to the Temple's maintenance costs, and the rest is distributed among the blue priests. The amount each priest receives varies slightly based on rank. As someone who manages the finances, my advice would be to start with five small gold coins, then pay one small gold coin per month for the remainder."

"Why that amount?"

When I tilted my head, the Chief Priest pushed a bound bundle of Parchment in front of me. Looking through it, I saw it was part of an account ledger. Seeing my shock, the Chief Priest pointed at the document.

"The Temple's income can be roughly divided into offerings provided by the Lord, donations during ceremonies, and support funds paid by the blue priests' families. In other words, a decrease in blue priests directly leads to a decrease in income. To put it simply in terms a merchant would understand—the Temple is currently operating at a loss. Also, the High Priest has been demanding that we squeeze more out, so having a lump sum would help smooth things over."

It felt like he'd revealed way too much inside information, but was this something I, a mere apprentice, should even be hearing? That the Temple was operating at a loss?

"Um, Chief Priest. Is this information you should really be sharing with me?"

"In a few days this will be part of your work, so there's no problem telling you now."

So the paperwork assistance wasn't just helping with the kind of accounting I'd done at Otto's—it seemed I'd be doing much more in-depth work.

"...Understood. How should I hand over the money? Large amounts are always exchanged through the guild card, but you don't have a guild card, do you, Chief Priest?"

"Can't you just bring it with you?"

The Chief Priest said this so casually, but in my case, large sums were always handled through cards—I'd never held gold coins in my own hands. A child like me walking from the commercial guild to the Temple carrying a large amount of money was terrifying.

Even the commission from my winter handiwork had required me to get Mark to help carry it—that's how timid I was.

"What might be easy for the Chief Priest, who's used to handling large sums, is too scary for me to carry."

"Hah? What do you think attendants are for?"

Huh? Attendants?

At the Chief Priest's words, I instinctively looked at the attendants standing behind me and tilted my head. There was no way I could entrust a large sum of money to those poorly chosen attendants.

Fran might comply if the Chief Priest ordered her to, but Deria and Gil seemed like they'd use the money to torment me. Based on their attitudes toward me, I couldn't trust any of the attendants yet.

"If I give it through someone else and they claim I never gave it to them, that would be a problem, wouldn't it? Five small gold coins is scary to both hand over and hold."

"...You don't trust your attendants?"

Hearing the Chief Priest say this with a puzzled expression, I felt puzzled myself. Could nobles really trust strangers with bad attitudes they'd just met and hand over five small gold coins? Or did they have some kind of Contract Magic to prevent betrayal?

I tried to recall when I'd been introduced to the attendants, but there hadn't been any contract that I could tell. Contracts involving magic used blood, so even I could recognize that.

"Even though you call them attendants, they're strangers I just met with no binding obligation, right? Normally, I wouldn't trust them enough to hand over a large sum of money."

And they didn't have a shred of friendly attitude toward me, either. No way, no way. Compared to these attendants, the Guild Master was more trustworthy.

My list of adults I could trust with money was very limited. Could I ask Benno or Mark to come with me?

Actually, wait—the Chief Priest was a noble, so considering he could build connections, Benno probably wouldn't refuse. I hoped he wouldn't.

"I'd like an adult who's used to handling large amounts of money and whom I can trust to come with me. Could I get permission to bring that person into the Temple?"

"Who would that be?"

"It's Benno from the Gilberta Company, who serves as my business guardian."

"...Hmm, very well."

When Lutz came to pick me up, I'd stop by the shop and discuss it. While I was there, I could also ask about how to use attendants. There might be some overlap with how you managed employees.

As I pondered, the Chief Priest closed the account book and handed it to Arno.

"That's all I have to discuss today. Myne, any questions?"

"Yes! After the fourth bell, I'd like to read books in the Library until Lutz comes to pick me up. Can I go into the Library? I really want to start the job of reading and memorizing the Holy Book!"

"Lutz—you mean the boy who manages your health. From now on, have your attendants handle that."

I'd asked whether I could enter the Library, and somehow the conversation had shifted to health management.

I looked at the attendants once more. Gil, scratching his head vigorously with zero motivation; Deria, staring blankly out the window; and Fran, looking past me at the Chief Priest. No matter how I looked at it, none of them seemed capable of managing my health.

"My family told me to keep Lutz with me until the attendants can manage. It's a big burden on Lutz too, so I'd like them to get up to speed as soon as possible. I hope they do their best. ...So, may I go to the Library?"

"Yes. Fran, show her in."

"As you wish."

At the Chief Priest's words, Fran lightly crossed her hands and gave a slight smile as she nodded. Her proud expression was completely different from what I'd seen before, clearly showing who her true master was.

Well, a gray priest attached to the Chief Priest was probably safe enough. She seemed devoted to the Chief Priest, and it didn't look like she'd cause trouble. Making that assessment, I skipped along behind Fran.

Regardless of everything—Library! This is work! My work!

Deria and Gil followed behind me as I walked with a light, buoyant step. A short distance from the Chief Priest's room, Gil let out a bitter complaint.

"Wanting to go to the Library? Are you stupid or something?"

Click! The fool who doesn't even know the greatness of books is you!

Spinning around, I glared at Gil with all my might. Gil scrunched up his nose and entered a combat stance.

"What's with that look? You're not a noble or anything—you're just a Commoner, right? You're no different from us, but you put on the Blue Robe and act all superior. I will never think of you as my master. I won't follow a single order, and I'll make your life as difficult as I can."

Just as Gil didn't think of me as his master, I didn't think of Gil as my attendant either. And in my current state, I had neither the energy, the willpower, nor the affection to discipline a brat who'd never been disciplined. So I let it slide.

"Sure, I get it. The feeling's mutual."

"...!?! What do you mean, you get it?! Are you making fun of me?!"

Turning my back on Gil as he started shouting, I walked on.

Just then, a young girl's high-pitched voice rang out from behind.

"You really are making fun of him, aren't you?"

"Deria?"

Having shed even her superficial smile, Deria snorted. I'd assumed she was the type who fawned over men, and I'd thought she wouldn't show her true colors with other attendants present, so I was surprised she'd done so so easily.

It seemed I'd have to revise my assessment of Deria. Maybe she wasn't the two-faced charmer type who fawned over men. Or was she a carnivorous hunter type who only fawned on her target?

As I stared at Deria, she swept her deep crimson hair aside and tossed her chin up haughtily, like an arrogant shoujo manga character. The fact that she could carry herself with such poise at the age of eight was frankly terrifying.

"Ugh, seriously! I finally got assigned as an apprentice to the High Priest, and of all people, I get stuck with some woman my charm doesn't work on. And she's a dull-witted Commoner's child, isn't she? This is the worst."

So Deria was the High Priest's plant. No wonder she wasn't friendly.

Still, what was she thinking, declaring herself a spy like that? Was this also the High Priest's instruction?

"Well then, I'll have you swapped out."

Tilting my head at the sudden confession, I offered to swap her out, seeing it as a convenient solution. But Deria's already slightly upturned eyes angled even sharper upward as she became furious.

"Ugh! You really are stupid. I'm not getting swapped. What are you even talking about?!"

That's what I should be saying. What is she talking about?

"I was personally asked by the High Priest to make things difficult for you! If I get swapped out, my abilities will be questioned!"

We could understand each other's words, but we couldn't understand each other. I couldn't comprehend it at all. There was no way I'd keep someone around who openly declared they'd been asked to harass me by the High Priest. Swapping her out was the obvious choice.

Thinking that far, it suddenly hit me. Even if I got rid of Deria, the High Priest would just send a replacement attendant. An openly confrontational Deria might actually be safer for me than a secretive type who hid their intentions.

As I pondered, Deria jabbed her index finger at me sharply.

"Wearing the Blue Robe doesn't make you scary! I'm going to be recognized by the High Priest, and eventually I'll become his mistress!"

Had I heard wrong, or had contracts with young girls as mistresses become a thing recently? I simultaneously recalled the shock of hearing it from Frieda's mouth and thought about the High Priest's age, and felt sick.

Who would have expected the High Priest to be a lolicon pervert? Based on the Gray Priestess I'd seen before, I'd assumed he had a thing for sexy secretary-type older women. I'd been wrong.

"...Um, being a mistress—is that something to brag about?"

"Yes, it is! A mistress—that's the highest position a woman can aspire to. You didn't even know that? Well, you'd need to be as cute as me to have a chance anyway."

"Huh? A mistress is the highest aspiration?"

This was clearly a different set of values. At the very least, Frieda had understood what being a mistress meant in roughly the same way I did. At the very least, she hadn't been proudly puffing out her chest and boasting about it as a goal.

As if mocking me for my inability to accept a fundamentally different perspective, Gil smirked with a nasty grin and shrugged.

"Isn't it obvious? If you become a blue priest's mistress, you'd be in a position to order around gray priests! And if you're the High Priest's mistress, the other priests won't dare talk back. It's a great deal for women. ...Seriously though, is your head okay? How do you not know this stuff?"

Being despised for my ignorance didn't make me angry at all. If anything, I didn't want to know that for the girls at the orphanage, becoming a powerful man's mistress was considered the highest achievement.

The idea of a mistress being the top aspiration was a "common sense" I'd never encountered, but they'd grown up in that world, and in the Temple, this was the norm. No matter what I said, someone from a completely different walk of life wouldn't be accepted.

"Gil, that's enough!"

Seeing me clutch my head, Fran spoke up. But Gil showed no remorse at all, just snickering as he mocked me.

"It's her fault for being so ignorant, right? Everyone knows this stuff!"

"...Myne-sama, as the Chief Priest said earlier—when someone's behavior goes too far, I should intervene."

"Right. So, are we going to the Library yet?"

I had completely stopped caring. Reprimanding Gil and Deria, scolding them—I didn't have the energy or the willpower for any of that.

Fran, who was devoted to the Chief Priest and probably unhappy about serving me; Deria, who was aiming to be the High Priest's mistress and was fully prepared to make my life miserable; and Gil, who had never intended to serve me from the start, didn't listen to a word I said, and thought I was an idiot.

Instead of trying to figure out how to somehow get along with these attendants, I'd be much better off thinking about getting to read my books.

"I'll report you to the Chief Priest."

"Go ahead."

Sighing, Fran opened one of the doors and went inside.

Seeing the paradise beyond, my heart pounded. Worried I'd be blocked again, my heart racing, I reached out my arms and groped for any invisible wall as I stepped toward the Library. Unlike before, I was able to enter without being stopped.

"Whoa!"

The moment I stepped completely inside, the air was noticeably different.

Trembling with emotion, I filled my lungs with the unique dusty air of a repository. It was different from the smell of archives I knew—probably because Parchment was the main material and there were so many wooden plaques. Or maybe the ink was different.

Even so, the smell of ink and old paper was so nostalgic and comforting that my eyes grew warm.

The number of bookshelves in the Library wasn't that large. Some had locked doors, others were stuffed with wooden plaques and scraps of paper. There were also separate shelves for storing scrolls—books rolled up like bolts of cloth on a fabric store's shelves, stacked with labels bearing their titles dangling down.

A bit further in were cylindrical barrel-like boxes for storing scrolls, with labels showing the series names of the scrolls they held.

Sunlight streamed brightly through equally spaced windows, and just where the light fell, there was a long desk like something you'd find in a university. On the slanted book stands, several books chained at the top were propped up, as if pleading with me to read them.

"This is the Holy Book."

Prompted by Fran, I gently touched the leather-bound cover of the chained Holy Book, ready to read. Then I unbuckled the leather strap that kept the edges closed.

The next moment, the edges puffed open and the cover lifted on its own. This was normal for Parchment that had absorbed moisture, but to me, it looked like the book was urging me to read it.

Ah, when was the last time I'd held a book?

When I opened the cover, the heavy clinking of chains echoed through the silent Library. My fingertips trembled as I turned the slightly yellowed pages.

Tracing the slightly idiosyncratic handwritten characters, I began to read.

"Hey, it's noon. Time for lunch."

Even as I was immersed in this long-awaited bliss, an intruder appeared. If it were just a voice, I might not have noticed, but having my shoulder shaken forced me back to reality.

"Gil, talking is forbidden in the Library. If you can't be quiet, could you leave? I'm reading."

"Hah?! It's lunch!"

Gil shouted in disbelief, but for me, lunch and books weren't even comparable. If I could keep reading, I could go about two days without eating and not even feel hungry.

"I'm apparently not your master, so there's no need for you to be here, right? Go eat on your own and leave."

"You..."

Even though I was graciously giving him freedom, Gil stared in surprise and tried to say something more.

"Don't. Interrupt."

Before my patience snapped, I deliberately opened the lid on my Magic Power and let it flow throughout my body. I immediately put to use the rough grasp of Magic Power release I'd gained from the earlier offering.

The next moment, Fran grabbed Gil and Deria by the scruff of their necks and rushed out of the Library in a panic.

Yep. Quiet.

Sealing the Magic Power back into my center, I returned to following the lines of text.

The fourth bell rang, and until Lutz arrived, I was left undisturbed.

Reading the Holy Book is important work.

Interruptions will not be tolerated.

Next time, I'm going to the commercial guild with Benno to withdraw the money.