Today is the very first day I will be heading to the forest on my own two feet. Today, I’m leaving my tote bag and slate at home. Instead, I’ve got a wooden basket on my back like everyone else (although mine is smaller), containing a shovel that I’ll be using to dig up the earth. I can’t help but think of a wooden spatula when I look at this shovel, though. To be perfectly honest, I think this spatula is going to be even less effective at actual excavation than the little plastic shovels that kids use in the sandbox. Doesn’t anyone else see this?

  As I brandish the shovel, which absolutely looks like it is going to break immediately, my father grabs me firmly by the shoulder. He turns me around to face him, and starts giving me the same lecture that he’s been constantly giving ever since we decided that I could go to the forest.

  “Maine. All you’re doing today is going to the forest, then coming back. Everyone’s going to have a lot of things to carry on their way back, and they’re going to be tired. I want you to rest up while you’re out there so that you’ll have enough energy to make it back with them by yourself. Understand?”


  “I got it!”


  My father’s face grows very serious for a moment, although I can’t tell if it’s just because of my answer itself or because any of my frustrations at being told this countless times might be starting to spill over. He turns to Tory.

  “Tory,” he says, “this might be tough, so I’m counting on you. Please talk with Lutz to make sure he knows that Maine is going to have to make it back before the gates close.”


  “Okay. Today we’ll make sure to leave early,” she replies.

  Tory already has an overflowing sense of responsibility, but when she hears my father’s request, her sense of duty burns brightly as well. Today, she seems a little more strict than usual.

  By the time we head outside, there are already other children gathered near the well, boxes and baskets strapped to their backs as well. There’s a total of eight of us, ranging from the young kids like me who haven’t really started growing up to the older kids like Tory and Fey, who are a little bit bigger and stronger. Fey leads the way with his pink hair while Tory brings up the rear. As for me, I’ll start at the front with Fey, but by the time we reach our destination I’ll have fallen more or less to the rear.

  “Alright, Maine. Let’s go! Don’t slow down, okay?”


  I may be used to walking to the gates by now, but this is my first time going all the way to the forest. Thus, Lutz will be setting the pace for me. Over the last three months while walking between the gates and my home, Lutz has been gradually been figuring out what the upper bounds of my walking speed are. It’s thanks to him that we’ll be going at a speed that’s only as fast as I can comfortably go.

  “Thanks, Lutz,” I say.

  “No, thank you, Maine, you’ve been a big help too,” he replies.

  The other day, we had to finish off the last of the leftover squeezed paru. It seems that paru, which can apparently only be harvested during the winter, go bad very quickly once the weather starts to warm up. So, in thanks for everything they’ve done for me so far, I modified the recipe for bean curd hamburgers and taught them how to make paruburgers.

  I made a sauce by boiling down a kind of fruit called a “pomay”. It looks at a glance like a yellow bell pepper, but it has a very tomato-like consistency and flavor on the inside. To finish the dish off, I melted cheese on top of it. The gentle sweetness of the paru added an unexpectedly deep flavor to the dish. I was a little shocked myself, and I made it!

  Incidentally, Lutz literally started crying earlier, and his older brothers followed suit. They seem to have been deeply moved by the fact that I managed to double the amount of delicious food that they were able to eat during the winter. Carla, their mother, thanked me from the bottom of her heart for how easy my style of cooking is on their family’s finances. Having to feed four kids must be extremely rough. Engel’s law is absolutely murderous when you’re at the low end of the scale, huh?

  “Maine, why couldn’t you have told us about paruburgers during the winter?!” Lutz complains.

  “Well, if you want to mince beef, it has to be very fresh, you know? Also, mincing meat is really difficult, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to convince everyone to help me…”


  “Ahhh, yeah, it’s tough, but we would have done it for the sake of your cooking!”


  I completely lack the strength required to work a knife for long enough to actually mince meat, and there was no way my mother would have agreed to doing something so difficult, so until now I haven’t been able to eat anything like a hamburger. I’m very glad that Lutz and his family were able to help me, and I consider myself very lucky to have been able to enjoy paruburgers with them.

  We keep a steady pace towards the forest, chatting about cooking along the way. Talking as we walk made the long journey actually kind of enjoyable, but as soon as we hit the forest all of the fatigue catches up to me at once, crashing over me like a wave. While everyone goes off to start foraging, I sit myself down on a sizable rock and try to recover as much of my stamina as I can. As I sit on my rock, hunched over and sucking in short, ragged breaths, Lutz comes over, obviously concerned.

  He pats me on my back. “Maine, you’re going to need to get used to coming out here. Otherwise, it’ll be a big problem once Fey and Tory have their baptisms.”


  “…Why’s …that?” I gasp.

  I certainly am aware that Tory is about to get baptized. After all, she has new clothes for the occasion, and I helped make her some hairpins. I’m not, however, very clear on what all happens after the ceremony.

  “After she gets baptized, she’s going to start her apprenticeship, right? So that means that you’re going to have to come out here alone for half the week.”


  My eyes go wide as Lutz explains the situation. When Tory starts her apprenticeship, then I’m going to have far less help from her when it comes to a lot of the things I do every day.

  “Wh… what do I do? I hadn’t really considered this…”


  Maine may be weak, but her life has been quite pleasant thanks to the fact that Tory is such a dependable older sister. If Maine needed anything, she could always bother Tory for it. Without Tory there, though, I don’t think I’ll be able to live. The blood drains from my face as I quietly sit there and panic. Lutz, however, chuckles, scratching at his nose.

  “Heh heh, well, when Tory’s gone, I can help you out instead. You’re still so weak!”


  “Thanks, Lutz. I’m really glad for your help.”


  “Ah… well, I’ve got to go looking for firewood, so you should just stay here and rest up.” He adjusts his backpack, then turns to walk away. “If you can’t make it back to the city, we’ll be in big trouble, you know!”


  Lutz wanders off, heading deeper into the forest. After his footsteps have faded into the distance, I look around my surroundings to make sure that there’s nobody around, then drop to the ground, pull out my makeshift shovel, and get ready start my excavations.

  Today, my goal was to make it all the way to the forest and back without getting sick. However!! I’ve made it all the way out here, to the forest, at long last! Is it even possible for me to just go home without even trying to challenge this obstacle? Absolutely not! Dig! Dig! Dig until you can’t dig any more!

  I’m hoping to find some clay-like soil, but how far down am I going to have to dig to find it? Assuming the soil composition here is like it is back on Earth, I should be able to find some if I dig a fair ways down.

  “Hi-YAH!”


  With all of my power, I thrust my shovel deep into the soil. Unfortunately, this vaguely shovel-shaped piece of wood only manages to get about a centimeter in.

  This is solid! Uh… can I even really dig here?

  This feels like I’m trying to dig up the packed dirt beneath a well-used sports field. I had this image in my mind of a forest’s soil being a lot more moist and loose than this. I feel a little betrayed.

  Is it the really soil that’s too hard, though, or is it that this shovel is terrible? …Yeah, I’m betting it’s the shovel.

  There is a world of difference between my concept of what a shovel should look like and this thing. I wanted something made out of metal, at least, not wood! Regardless, though, it doesn’t matter if the shovel’s made of wood, or if the ground is too hard or too soft, abandoning this is just not an option. Even if progress is going to be slow, what choice do I have but to continue digging?

  Scraping, scraping, scraping, scraping…


  My wooden shovel slowly peels away the topmost layers of dirt. Unearthing my clay is going to take a lot of time, patience, and strength, and it really doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to get it done in just one day. It looks like making clay tablets is going to be some serious work. I can only pray that it will be easier than my attempt to make pseudo-papyrus.

  Scraping, scraping, scraping, scraping…


  By the time I’ve gotten maybe five centimeters deep, I hear someone’s footsteps approach from behind me.

  “What the heck are you doing, Maine?” says Lutz as he approaches, both hands full of sticks and branches. His eyes go wide as he sees me sitting on the ground, digging with my shovel. “You promised that you were going to stay put and rest if we took you with us to the forest, right?!”


  I certainly did promise that when we were leaving, but there was no way I could just sit tight when my target was finally right in front of me. I was planning on stopping before Lutz returned, but once I got started, I just couldn’t quit.

  …W, what do I do?

  I was able to fool my father with a smile and a hug, but Lutz and Tory have specifically been appointed my guardians. I won’t be able to trick them that easily. I know from experience that if I try, that would only make me look more suspicious, and they’d end up asking me even more direct questions.

  “Uh, ummm… you see, Lutz,” I stammer.

  “…I see what?”


  Lutz furrows his brow, puts his hands on his hips, and looks down at me sternly. My interrogation has begun. Well then. If I tell him the truth, he’s going to get mad at me for not thinking things through, and if I lie, then he’s going to see through it and get mad at me for lying to him. Which of these options is the least damaging?

  “I’m pretty sure that I told you that you need to be resting, so what the heck were you doing?” he demands.

  “…Um, ummm! I was digging a hole!!”


  The truth spills out of my mouth as my will crumbles under Lutz’s imposing aura.

  I’m actually pretty scared of him getting angry at me. I’m pretty dependent on him right now. If he storms off, I won’t make it back home before the gates close.

  “Yeah, I can see that. What are you digging for?”


  Even though I’d answered honestly, Lutz seems twice as angry now. He glares at me from above, his eyes cold as ice.

  “Well, um, you see… I want some ‘clay’.”


  “Huh? You want some what?”


  Lutz cocks his head to one side, unable to understand what I’m getting at. His expression grows slightly more dubious, and seemingly slightly less angry.

  “I want soil that’s really dense and solid, the kind where water doesn’t drain away.”


  “…If you wanted that, wouldn’t there be a lot more of that over there, where there’s not a lot of trees and grass?”


  If soil has bad drainage, then it’s difficult for plants to grow there. I guess it would be much more efficient to look for a place with fewer plants.

  “Thanks, Lutz!” I say, immediately standing up to leave.

  “Hey! Maine, wait!”


  Lutz reaches out and grabs me by the scruff of my neck before I can run away. He’s got both size and strength over me, so there’s no way I can escape.

  “Let me go, Lutz.”


  “Your job today is to rest, Maine. Haven’t you been listening?” he says, pulling on my ears. “This isn’t something you need to run out and get literally right now, right?”


  “Ow, ow, ow!” Flustered, I flail my arms ineffectively as I cry out. “I don’t need it to live! I just really want it, so I wasn’t going to bother anyone to help me get it!”


  Lutz lets go of my ears, and I immediately clap my hands over them, glaring up at him with teary eyes. He falters, just a little bit, although I don’t know if it’s because he can’t come up with a good rebuttal or because he’s scared of the powerful love that I show towards books despite not really being materialistic otherwise. What’s important, though, is that this is an opening that my instincts are telling me that I cannot let slip past. Now is my time to strike!

  “If you make me sit still here, are you going to go dig it up yourself?!”


  “…I’ve actually gathered my share of the firewood for today, so I can do that. So, Maine, sit there and be good.”


  I am floored by this completely unexpected reply. My jaw drops, and I can do nothing but stare blankly up at him. He should have lashed back out at me for what I just said, but… is this guy an idiot? He surely has more important things to do than helping me work on a project that he has no interest in at all. Rather than digging up clay, shouldn’t he be gathering something?

  “Lutz, um, I’m happy you want to help, but don’t you have your own things to do?”


  “Maine, you’re really weak, and there’s no way you’ll be able to dig that up, so I’ll do it for you. You can pay me back by telling me what it is you need it for and what you want to do.”


  “…Why, though?”


  “Well, if I know what you want to do with it, then I can help you avoid doing something useless. Just now, even though you knew exactly what you wanted, you were digging in the wrong place, you know?”


  Ouch, right in my weak spot.

  Even though I certainly know what it is I’m after, I don’t know the words for it in this language, I don’t know what things might look like here that are different in Japan, and I don’t have the tools that I need. There are a lot of places where I can go wrong. After that explanation, I definitely understand now how useful it would be to have Lutz’s help in this project, but I still don’t actually know what his motivation is.

  “Why do you want to help me like this?”


  “Hm? You made me parucakes when I was super, super hungry that one time, right? I decided right then that I needed to help you out in the future.”


  Huh? Just like that? That’s all it took to get him to dig up some clay for me? Wow, I shouldn’t underestimate the power of tasty food.

  To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what’s going on in Lutz’s head that makes him equate pancakes to heavy labor, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s a lifesaver. Lutz offered to help of his own volition and without any reservations, so of course I’ll accept. It’s fantastic that I have someone to entrust the heavy lifting to.

  “…Okay, I’ll leave it to you,” I say. “I’ll wait here.”


  “Okay! I just need to finish this up real quick.”


  In a flash, he gathers up his firewood and stows it away. Real quick, indeed. Then, he leads me over to where he thinks that the drainage in the soil is poor, at a somewhat low, sloping spot in the forest floor.

  “Should be around here,” he says, pulling out the shovel I had brought with me. He shoves the wooden, spatula-like implement into the earth and begins to dig.

  “Maine, you brought this shovel all the way out here. This digging thing isn’t just some impulse, is it. Were you even intending to keep your promise?”


  “Um!? W… well, uh… ummm, I finally was able to come out here, and I just couldn’t wait any longer. So I guess I did plan this…”


  His face twitching, Lutz stabs the shovel deep into the ground with all his might in a sudden outburst of emotion.

  “Craaap, I wasn’t paying enough attention. You looked like you were going to be good!”


  “Yeah, but… my daddy was paying even less attention.”


  “Your dad’s way too soft on you!”


  Lutz, fueled by his anger, tears up the earth, despite the fact that he’s using the wooden shovel I was barely able to make any progress width. Unlike the slow, steady scraping that I was doing, Lutz pounds away at the ground, gouging out chunks of the earth with every strike. This is a marvel to watch.

  Is this just the strength difference? Or is it the way he’s doing it? Is there a knack to it?

  “Huh? The color of the dirt is different down here?”


  Lutz has excavated about fifteen centimeters down to a layer where the earth is a different color.

  “Is this what you want, Maine?” he asks, holding up a small chunk of earth, which I take from him.

  It’s cool to the touch, dense, and sticky, and it changes shape as I try to mold it with my fingers. There’s no mistake, this is exactly the kind of clay I was searching for.

  “Yeah, this is it! Wow, Lutz, you’re so strong! This would have taken me forever to do.”


  “I’m definitely not as weak as you, at least,” he says, as he continues to dig out more clay.

  My eyes glitter with excitement as I start ferrying the growing pile of clay, bit by bit, over to a nearby rock. How many tablets am I going to be able to make with this, I wonder? I’m still only just thinking ahead, but I’m already starting to fall in love with these lumps of clay.

  “So, what are you going to do with this?” he asks.

  “Eheheh~, I’m going to make some 'clay tablets’.”


  “'Cleh tab-luts’?”


  “Yeah!”


  I squeeze and stretch the clay, Lutz’s effort given form, into the shape of a thin clay board. When I’ve finished stretching into shape, I pick up a thin stick from the ground, then start to write out the fairy tales that my mother back in Japan used to tell me.

  I really want to be writing this in the local language if I could, but the things Otto’s been teaching me are all the high-level vocabulary that are needed for work. I can probably write out boilerplate text for a nobleman’s title or letter of introduction by now, but I still don’t know any words that are actually useful in ordinary circumstances. For now, I’ll stick to writing in Japanese.

  “Maine, are those words you’re writing?”


  “Yeah, they are. If I record everything in a document like this, then if I forget something in the future I can read this to remember it. Documents are amazing, you know! If I write out enough of these like this, I can then collect them into a book, which is even more amazing.”


  “Ahh……”


  “Lutz, thank you so much for getting me this clay! If there’s something else you need to go gather, then you can go do that, okay? I’ll just stay here and write.”


  “Got it.”


  The story that I’m writing right now feels like it should be titled “The Shoemaker and the Elves, Alternate Universe Edition”. I try to squeeze as many characters onto each slab as I can, but in the end it takes me nearly ten tablets to finish the story.

  “Alright, I did it!”


  At the bottom of the page, I scribe the character for “the end”, visibly trembling with excitement. I spin around, throwing my hands in the air in glee.

  Clay tablets are amazing! Clay tablets are doable! Three cheers for the great ancient civilization of Mesopotamia!

  Once I get these home, I can fire them in the stove. If they don’t crack and fall apart, then they truly will be complete. I clench my writing stick tightly in my fist, then turn around to gaze upon my spread of tablets.

  “Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”


  In the next instant, my hands are clasped to the sides of my face, mouth gaping wide open, looking very much like that _The Scream_2. All of the blood drains from my face as I take in the almost unbelievable situation I see before me.

  “What’s wrong, Maine?” asks Fey, standing in front of me.

  “Y… you stepped on them! They’re all… squished!! W… waaaaaah!!”


  The first half, the entire first half, of the story that I had so carefully and painstakingly written out, has been squashed completely out of shape by the bootprints of Fey and his friends. They’re unrecognizable as tablets anymore, and of course the writing on them is completely illegible.

  “I… I just finished that… after so much work… this!” I hiccup, barely choking back my tears. “Don’t you know how much effort I’ve put in to finally make it out here?! I put so! much! time! into trying to make this absurdly frail body strong enough to do this, pushed myself through all sorts of pain, and I really thought… Aaah, I even dragged Lutz and Tory into this too, and still! I finally finished this, I finally got it done, and then what?! Is there anything in that skull of yours? Is your hair pink because your brain is stuffed full of flowers?! Idiot! Idiot idiot idiot! Waaaaaaaah!!”


  I break down crying in such a ridiculous emotional display that I, who is supposed to have the mental stability of an adult, should be ashamed of. I can’t stop sobbing, I can’t stop my tears from falling. If you put my supposed emotional maturity aside, though, this is exactly what a very distressed little girl should look like.

  Having heard me scream, Tory rushes over with wide, worried eyes. She quickly asks around to figure what the current situation is, then crouches down next to me, wrapping a comforting arm around me.

  “Maine, there’s no need to cry like that. They didn’t mean to hurt you, you know?”


  It doesn’t matter if they had ill intentions or not, that’s not going to change the fact that my tablets have been smashed into pulp. No matter what Tory says, there’s no way it can abate my resentment, my rage, over seeing the finished product that I had finally achieved smashed right in front of me.

  “No! I’ll never forgive them!”


  Tears and snot stream down my face, but I lift my head to give a terrified Fey my most threatening glare. Lutz gently pats me on the back.

  “You can make them again, right?” he says. “I’ll help, and these guys want to make up for this so they’ll help too, right?”


  “Ah, yeah!” exclaims Fey. “We’ll help. I’m really sorry.”


  Fey and his friends nod vigorously, not disagreeing with Lutz at all.

  “…Okay,” I say. “I’ll make it again.”


  I was able to make these tablets once, so I’m sure that I’m on the right path. Clay tablets are far easier to make than papyrus, and I’m satisfied with the final result.

  However, I make very sure to leave them with a warning.

  “There will not be a second time.”


  If these kids are keeping a list of people not to piss off, I’m pretty sure I just jumped to the top of it.

  Volume 6 17: The Annoying and Out-of-control Blue Priest

  After I made my recovery, we continued the Spring Prayer for the remaining noble mansions. The rest of the trip went on smoothly and we returned to the temple in one piece.

  “Welcome back, Sister Myne,” Wilma greeted me with a smile.

  “Glad to see that you could do your job after all!” Delia teased me.

  “Thank you all for looking after my chambers during the time I was gone. Is everyone well?”


  My whole body relaxed when I saw Delia and Wilma in my chambers. This was where I was the most comfortable

  Fran and Gil were going in and out of my chambers, bringing in my luggage. On the other hand I went to my room, and was assisted by Delia out of my noble clothes for travelling and into my usual shrine maiden robes.

  “I’ll go prepare a warm bath for you.”


  “Thank you, Delia.”


  Delia, Wilma, and Rosina all tried their best to work together to unpack the stuff in my luggage and organise them neatly, but my luggage was gathering in my chambers at a greater speed. Soon enough, my chambers looked just like the mess it was in before my departure.

  “Sister Myne, please forgive me for disturbing you, I am here to convey the High Priest’s message that he needs you in his quarters now. It is regarding you returning home,” Fran took a break from unloading my luggage to quickly report to me on the second floor. He sounded a bit worried when he said this.

  I was waiting for the day I would finally get to return home with bated breath since I had finished my job for the Spring Prayer. The High Priest calling me over to discuss it literally made me spring up from my chair with anticipation.

  “I will meet him now.”


  “Rosina, may I have you accompany Sister Myne? I must return to unloading the boxes.”


  As I made my way down the stairs, I noticed that Fran and Hugo were working together to carry some luggage; they appeared to have gotten closer over the Spring Prayer. Ella was carrying the large bags with ease, she was quite strong because she had to handle heavy pots as a chef. I was surprised at how strong Gil was despite his small stature, he must be a lot stronger now that he got to eat more and did some laborious work in the workshop and forest.

  “I will be leaving my chambers to meet the High Priest. All the best on your work everyone.” I said before taking my leave.

  Just outside the noble section of the temple there were a couple of carriages parked there. I saw many gray priests unloading of luggage, and some of the priests from the workshop were there too. I recognised one of them carrying a large box.

  “I’m back. How is the orphanage doing?” I asked the gray priest and he looked surprised before giving a gentle smile.

  “Welcome, Sister Myne. The children have been learning lots. I’m sure they will be glad to welcome you at the orphanage.”


  “I will be happy to see them too.”


  After that the gray priest stepped aside to let me through, I nodded back to express my thanks and walked away as quickly as possible so that they could get back to work.

  “High Priest, I am here because you called. Huh… Brother Sylvester?”


  “Finally, you’re here Myne.”


  Sylvester was acting so unrestrained in the High Priest room like this was his own home. He was lying on the long couch and eating the fruits that were meant for guests. But the High Priest acted as though he wasn’t there and just continued ordering the gray priests who were moving around his luggage.

  “Um, High Priest. You called for me, right?” I asked him.

  The High Priest turned around and I saw his dead tired face, he then told me to sit down. I walked to the table and sat down. Sylvester shifted towards me.

  “It was me who called for you. I want to go on an excursion and you have to accompany me Myne, you’ll be my guide.”


  “…What on earth are you talking about?”


  I turned towards the High Priest to ask for an explanation, but Sylvester interrupted him before he could say a word.

  “Of course a guide will guide me, right? The first stop will be the orphanage, then your workshop and finally I want to take a look around the forest the orphans frequent,” he listed his demands so nonchalantly.

  Whatever he said made me anxious.

  None of the blue priests had expressed interest in the orphanage or the workshop until now. And the High Priest himself only read the reports about them without setting foot inside. Now there was an odd one, called Sylvester, who wanted to pay a visit. I couldn’t figure out his intentions.

  I tugged on the High Priest’s robes for help.

  “Calm down, Myne. I will be there too. I felt like this would be a good time to see the all the work you have done.”


  I sighed out of relief and placed my hand on my chest. Sylvester probably won’t go crazy with the High Priest there.

  “Except the forest though…” the High Priest continued. “The Noble’s District one should suffice for you.”


  He gave Sylvester a sharp glare, but there some exhaustion mixed in there, he was probably tired from the trip.

  “Na-ah, I want to go to the forest. I want to see her restaurant too.”


  Sylvester made another addition to his itinerary.

  “The restaurant is not done yet. I previously mentioned that the chefs are still being trained. But if you don’t mind me asking - High Priest, are blue priests even allowed in the lower city’s forest?”


  Going to the Italian restaurant by a carriage and a blue priest entering the lower city’s forest were two completely different things. The Noble’s District has its own forests, reserved only for the nobles. It was heavily guarded that any commoners that trespassed it would be executed on the spot. Just like the High Priest said, Sylvester could just go to the one in the Noble’s District.

  “I would like to see what the commoner’s forest has. Nothing will happen. A commoner can’t recognise a noble anyways. And even if I do, I’m confident that I can protect myself, so no issue there.”


  Sylvester flexed his arm and slapped it, giving a proud grin. He was really excited about it, but there was no way we were going to do whatever he wants.

  …High Priest, I’m relying on you to watch him.

  I turned my gaze to the High Priest with an expecting look, but he just rubbed his head he was in pain.

  “…Fine, you’re free to do so. Myne, you just need to report his every move.”


  Sylvester and the High Priest’s energy were on two completely different levels; Sylvester was awfully energetic, while the High Priest looked so exhausted that it seemed like he didn’t want to think anymore.

  I was shocked by the difference in these two, and that I had been assigned as Sylvester’s guide without any other say.

  I feel more like a ‘babysitter’, seriously.

  “Please take your leave, both of you.”


  The High Priest had dismissed us, but I clinged onto his sleeve tighter.

  I came here because I heard that I could return home soon, did I not? I didn’t just come here to be forced to become a guide.

  “High Priest, I heard that you wanted to discuss the details about me returning home. When will I be able to leave the temple?”


  I noticed that the light in the High Priest’s eyes shook before he looked back at me.

  “Yes, I did… It hasn’t been long since you passed out. Since your family would be unable to provide you with the proper care if you were to fall ill, you will rest here for three days. If you manage to get by without collapsing, you can leave the next morning. Do tell this to your family. And rest well for our sake.”


  “Ok!” I roared with joy.

  I was about to take my leave with Rosina when Sylvester suddenly stood up and approached me with the gray priest who was probably his attendant.

  “Ok, let’s go, Myne.”


  “Brother Sylvester?”


  “We’re going to my room.”


  “Um… But how about my rest…?”


  I shifted my gaze to the High Priest, signaling him for help. But that was futile because just gave me a shrug and shook his head, telling us to leave. Sylvester was glad to do so, but I wasn’t.

  Rosina and I exchanged looks of defeat, and we had no choice but to follow him.

  “Hurry up, it’s right there.”


  Apparently Sylvester’s room was next to the HIgh Priest’s. I was surprised when he opened the door to his room. It was almost barren, it only had the bare minimum of furniture. I was expecting an man-child like Sylvester to flood his room with the things he liked or things related to his hobbies.

  “Myne, I know you’re going to the forest with the orphans too. You probably wouldn’t want the High Bishop to know that, hm?”


  Sylvester gave a haughty smile, he was totally trying to blackmail me.

  The reason why I was avoided by the blue priests was because of the High Bishop’s obvious disdain for me. I frowned, feeling suspicious about Sylvester’s intentions.

  “Why are you so determined to go to the forest…?”


  “To hunt.”


  I was surprised by his answer.

  “To hunt? Where did you hunt previously?”


  I still didn’t understand why he insisted on going to the forest in the lower city.

  “Of course the one in the Noble’s District.”


  “Then just do your hunt there again.”


  “No way, it’s so boring.” Sylvester complained about all the problematic things he had to go through in the Noble District’s forest.

  First, you needed to seek an approval from the overman prior to the visit, and you could only enter at the fixed time assigned to you. You couldn’t just walk into the forest whenever you felt like it. Though there was an important hunting competition held annually, there were limitations to your hunt because of the noble hierachy. The forest was basically a means for the nobles to praise and suck up to the archduke, there was no real fun there if you wanted to hunt seriously.

  I had to agree that the nobles’ forest was much too strict with its rules for Sylvester to enjoy. He was a child stuck in a man’s body, he desired a place to challenge himself, and people who would sincerely praise him, and of course somewhere to enjoy hunting.

  “I understand your sentiments, but it will be difficult for you to enter the lower city’s forest with such clean clothes.”


  “Then you shall get me some dirty clothes from the lower city.”


  “…I’m assuming that you will have your attendants with you, will you make them wear dirty clothes too?”


  It was an easy feat for me to get some cheap clothes from a thrift shop, but I didn’t know how many sets he required. But it seems like Sylvester was confused from my question.

  “What do you mean?”


  “I’m asking how many people will accompany you.”


  “No one. I need attendants in the temple but not in the lower city.”


  My gaze shifted to the empty space between Sylvester and his attendant who was pouring the tea for us.

  “…Is the High Priest aware of this?”


  “I don’t need Ferdinand’s permission, do I? It’s true that you are a commoner he is protecting, but it’s not like I need his permission for this.”


  He ended off with a confident statement of “Everyone knows that.”


  My head dropped down. Of course, it’s not like a blue priest needed the High Priest’s permission for everything.

  Even so, I couldn’t help thinking that just like me, someone needed to watch this Sylvester person constantly for his own sake.

  “Well then, our first stop will be the orphanage, then the workshop. We’ll meet again in two days.”


  “…Um, Brother Sylvester. If you don’t mind me asking, will you be going to the orphanage to seek flowers from a shrine maiden?” That was the only reason that popped to mind why a blue priest would want to visit the orphanage.

  But my question made Sylvester’s expression change to one of ire and disgust.

  “Myne, children shouldn’t talk about that. So you want to start chirping ‘poowee’ that badly again?”


  “No, I didn’t mean anything bad. It’s because I’m the orphanage director…”


  I was going to hide away the shrine maidens old enough to offer flowers, if Sylvester was going to ask for flowers. Thankfully, based on his reactions, it didn’t seem like he was going to do that.

  “Do you seriously think I’m so desperate for a woman that I would turn to the orphanage?”


  “Huh? Don’t blue priests usually do that?”


  It would appear that the whole time I was under the false belief that the blue priests targeted the gray shrine maidens because it was difficult for them to leave the temple.

  I tilted my head, interested to know more. Sylvester paused for a moment and bit his lip, before clearing his throat.

  “…With my charisma and looks, a man like me can easily find a woman in the Noble’s District.”


  “Sure.”


  As long as he wasn’t harbouring some licentious thoughts towards the gray shrine maidens, I had no issue listening to Sylvester boasting how attractive he was to women in the Noble’s District.

  I gave him my assurance that I would get him a set of dirty clothes and departed with Rosina.

  ~~~

  After I was back in my chambers, I told my attendants who were busy with my luggage to gather. I needed to tell them about the plans with Sylvester and the High Priest.

  “The High Priest and another blue priest will be visiting the orphanage and workshop in two days.”


  “In two days?!” My announcement made everyone shout in unison.

  It was no surprise that everyone acted this shocked. But only Delia remained unbothered because she didn’t go to those places.

  This had been a very abrupt plan from a noble. Normally such plans would have been told in advance because a lot of things needed to be prepared. But the problem now was that Sylvester had fixed the date way too soon.

  “Please make sure the orphanage and workshop is spick and span. Other than that, everyone will continue with their daily routine.”


  There wasn’t anything secretive in the workshop that we needed to conceal. Even if there was, I knew myself best, that I was bad at hiding things and things always turned for the worst. So it would be a wise decision for me to be honest from the start.”


  “Sister Myne, if a blue priest is visiting the orphanage…” Wilma didn’t finish her words as her face flushed pale.

  I reassured her with a shake of the head.

  “Don’t worry, Wilma. They will not be going over to demand for flowers. They only wish to look around the workshop and the newly restructured orphanage.”


  Though Wilma nodded back, she still looked very frightened. Even more so now that she was trembling.

  I couldn’t bear to see her like this, but there was little I could do since Sylvester had put his foot down on this. There was no way to avoid his visit.

  “Wilma, I do understand your concerns, but you cannot avoid this as you are the overseer of the orphanage, you need to be there as they might have questions.”


  “I understand.”


  Wilma clasped her hand, knitting them together tightly.

  Disappointment overwhelmed me for not being able to help Wilma.

  “Gil, is Lutz or Leon around? If either one of them are, please call them over. I would like to tell them to notify Gilberta Company about the upcoming visit.”


  “They’re both in the workshop. I’ll go over and see if they’re free now,” And hence Gil left for the workshop.

  I walked downstairs to the first floor’s hall to meet Lutz and Leon. My attendants dispersed and proceeded to pack away the empty boxes into the male attendant rooms across so that the room would look more spacious and presentable.

  ~~~

  “Hi, Myne. It’s nice to see you again.”


  “Lutz! It’s been a while!”


  I dashed up to Lutz to give him a big hug. This was the longest I had gone without seeing him because of the Spring Prayer.

  “So much has happened I don’t know where to begin,” I lamented. “I feel so drained.”


  “Sounds like you’ve been through a lot,” said Lutz, but before I could lament the details about what I had been through, someone called out behind me.

  “Can you both leave the talking for later and tell me why I was called over too?”


  “Oh, Leon is here too.”


  “I have been the whole time.”


  Leon was the Ieherl that the Gilberta Company requested to be trained as a waiter under Fran over the winter. Though his coming of age ceremony was around the corner, he looked quite small for his age, which made him look like a kid trying to act like a grown up. Benno reassured me that he was a well-trained Ieherl he hired, but I didn’t see him in a good light because he was quite rude whenever I came looking for Lutz for comfort.

  “You don’t need to be here, Leon. You can go back.”


  Lutz patted my head.

  “Myne, calm down. You need to tell the Gilberta Company about something important, right?”


  I nodded my head and looked up to Leon while clutching onto Lutz.

  “In two days, the orphanage and workshop will be visited by the High Priest and another blue priest. And the blue priest had expressed interest in the Italian restaurant too. Please inform Benno about this. He will surely want the opportunity to meet more nobles.”


  “Yes, I will do so.”


  Leon knelt on the floor and raised his arms across his chest smoothly. Though he always got annoyed whenever I acted clingy to Lutz, he was still very serious when it came to work affairs.

  “That is all I needed to tell the Gilberta Company. I only need to tell Lutz another personal request,” I said.

  Hearing this Leon stood back up and gave me an annoyed look and left after saying “I’ll take my leave first.:

  “What do you need me to do?”


  “The High Priest told me to rest here for three days and that I can return the next morning if I don’t collapse in the meantime. Do you mind telling this to Mum and the rest of my family?”


  “No problem. But really… it’s been a while, huh?” Lutz’s voice dipped, I could hear the tremble in his voice as he tried to hold back his emotions from pouring out. I hugged him back.

  The only reason why I was able to survive not being able to go home was because Lutz and Tuuli still visited me and I could hug them for comfort.

  “I also need some worn clothes the size of Died. Something that a muscular and slightly tall guy can wear.”


  “…May I ask who it is for?” Lutz was curious.

  I didn’t find his question odd because anyone else would have asked the same too. But I didn’t know if it would be a good idea to say it aloud, so I stood on my toes and stretched myself to whisper it into Lutz ear’s as discreetly as possible.

  “It’s for the same blue priest who is visiting in two days.”


  Lutz gave an odd expression that I didn’t know how to describe. After a moment of silence he muttered out a “He’s a weird guy, isn’t he…?”


  “Yep, really weird. He wants to go to the lower city forest to hunt.”


  He was so weird that he would wear dirty and worn clothes just to hunt in the lower city’s forest.

  Lutz’s face scrunched up when he realised that he would be one guiding Sylvester to the forest, and I did feel bad for him. I wouldn’t want to do it too.

  “Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now,” he let out a sigh, “I’ll go buy the clothes tomorrow.”


  “Thanks, Lutz.”


  After settling that matter, we proceeded to discuss the progress the printing press with Johann’s letter pieces were making. We also had more paper in stock because the Myne Workshop had resumed business.”


  “I plan to start production again soon. Do you know if the Ink Guild has made some yet?” I asked.

  It didn’t matter if you made enough paper to fill the world if you didn’t have the ink to print. If we couldn’t outsource them we would have to gather soot and make them ourselves.

  “They have. Master Benno told me that they have hired the craftsmen to make the plant-based ink. Oh, the head of the Ink Guild has changed.”


  “Yeah, I heard. The High Priest told me of the previous head’s passing,” I replied, there was a silence after that as I clinged onto Lutz tighter. I wasn’t going to tell him that he was killed by the nobles that were after me. No way.

  “What’s wrong?”


  “Nobles are scary.”


  “Huh? You mean like the blue priest who is coming over tomorrow?” Lutz asked in shock, and that earned him a giggle from me.

  Nobles after me were scary, but Sylvester was scary in another way.

  “I guess so, he’s kind of a weird noble. I can never tell what he’s thinking, and that scares me. The first time we met he poked my cheek and made me chirp ‘poowee’.”


  “What even?”


  I told Lutz everything Lutz had done, like how weird he was when we first met and all the crazy things he did during the Spring Prayer. Lutz found this hilarious and kept laughing. He suddenly gave a cheeky smile and poked my cheek.

  “C’mon, Myne. Give me a chirp.”


  “Lutz, you’re such a bully! Poowee”