Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 2.1 - Chapter 1

Attendants and the Fealty Ceremony 

...After today, I’ll be an apprentice shrine maiden. 

It took many days to prepare each set of blue robes, so despite having been baptized with Lutz, I began my apprentice work a month later. I was super excited to go to the temple, and every second I had to wait felt like forever. 

...I’ll finally, finally be able to read books! And books that are chained up, too! Aaah, just thinking about it makes me tremble with excitement! Gyahaha! As I rolled around on my bed blissfully, Tuuli came calling for me. 

“Myne, Lutz is here to get you. Um... Why are you dancing?” 

“Because I get to read books! Bye bye, Tuuli. See you later!” 

“Myne, try not to get too excited.” 

Don’t ask for the impossible, silly! I replied in my head and dashed outside. The temple was in the north part of the city, so I was wearing the best clothes I had, my Gilberta Company apprentice uniform. I figured they’d be good enough to tide me over until I got my blue temple robes. 

“Eheheh, ahahaha.” I started to skip along the road while humming, only for Lutz to grab my arm and pull me back with an exasperated look on his face. 

“Myne, c’mon, you’re getting too excited. You’ll catch a fever before we reach the temple.” 

“Awww... I don’t want that.” I steeled my springy legs to stop myself from skipping and swallowed my urge to walk as fast as possible, hating that my body was too weak for me to even get excited and be happy. Instead I headed to the temple slowly, holding hands with Lutz. 

“Myne, are you really gonna be okay on your own?” 

“Today they’re just giving me a robe and introducing me to my attendants, it’ll be fine.” 

I would be going to the temple on basically the same days that Lutz had work. My family and Benno had decided that Lutz should keep watching over me until the attendants assigned to me understood how my body worked. I really don’t think anyone but Lutz will be able to manage my health this well, though... 

Maybe they were hoping that Lutz would stick with me forever. My family, Benno, Mark, Lutz, and basically everyone was extremely wary of the nobles in the temple. But if I kept relying on Lutz forever, then there would have been no point in me abandoning my apprentice merchant job to lessen his burden. 

I told Benno that, but he just snorted, and Mark then explained with a conflicted smile. It seemed that Lutz was being directly taught by Mark so they could sooner help open an Italian restaurant here and open paper-making workshops in other cities. 

The lessons were apparently fairly unorthodox since Lutz was their way of contacting the inventor — me. He would be participating in the construction of new businesses and learning to be a merchant through personal experience in the field. When I commented that this wasn’t the normal process for a new hire, I was told that this was being done in part since Lutz wanted to go to other cities as soon as possible. 

...Well, if Lutz is happy, I’m happy. Good luck, Lutz! 

When we reached the gate, we found a gray priest waiting for us. He was a relatively younger man who, upon seeing us, gracefully got onto one knee and crossed his hands in front of his chest. 

“Good morning, Sister Myne. I will guide you to the High Priest.” 

“Sister Myne?! Pff, hahaha! That doesn’t fit you at all.” Lutz burst into laughter at the polite gray priest’s respectful attitude, cackling as he looked between us. 

I wanted to laugh with him, but I noticed the priest’s brows briefly furrow, so I gently smacked Lutz on the back as he bent over in laughter. “Lutz, you’re laughing too much!” 

“Yeah, sorry, sorry. I’ll come get you after fourth bell, Myne.” Lutz started walking off, and I waved him goodbye before turning back to the gray priest. 

“Sorry for making you uncomfortable.” 

“...There is no need for you to apologize to me. More importantly, the High Priest is waiting.” He looked away and rejected my apology. As I blinked in surprise, he turned his back to me and started walking away. 

The gray priest’s wooden shoes drummed against the white stone hallway as he walked. Nothing else broke the heavy silence that weighed on me as I speedwalked to keep up with him. 

After turning a corner in the hallway, I began hearing something other than shoes. I looked up on instinct toward the sound and saw some girls cleaning the hallway. They were gray shrine maidens that hadn’t been present at the baptism ceremony, and they didn’t look very clean. Not because they were cleaning or because their clothes were dirty, either. They just had a dirtier atmosphere to them than the gray priest walking in front of me, perhaps due to having worse hygiene or bathing less in general. When they saw the gray priest, they stopped cleaning and retreated to the walls of the hallway before lowering their eyes. 

...Is that a show of respect or something? I was hidden behind the gray priest, judging by the shrine maidens’ looks of shock after noticing me, which made it clear they weren’t doing that for me. Seeing that there was a status structure within the orphan gray priests as well made unease spread through my chest. I really had stepped into a world with an entirely different power balance than my own. I had never interacted with nobles in my prior lifestyle. Everyone lived in basically the same situation, and even after I started dealing with a rich merchant, he treated me as an equal thanks to the value of my products. 

...But will I be okay here? Am I going to make a huge mistake and mess everything up since I’m not used to class-based societies? My anxious footsteps echoed throughout the quiet hallway. I now knew I had stepped into a world I couldn’t imagine, even with my experience from my Urano days. 

“High Priest, I have brought Sister Myne,” said the gray priest. I was so not used to being called “Sister Myne” that it felt like he was talking about someone else entirely. I was a kid and a commoner, nobody special, but now an adult gray priest was respectfully calling me Sister Myne. It felt so weird that it made me uncomfortable. But since I was going to be given blue robes and treated like a noble here, I couldn’t ask him to drop the “sister” and just call me Myne. I would just have to get used to it. 

“Excuse me.” I bowed my head a little bit out of habit as I entered the High Priest’s room. For some reason, there was a simple altar in the middle of the room. I could tell at a glance that it was a simplified version of the multi-step altar covered in statues I had seen during the baptism ceremony. 

On the top of this three-step altar was the black cape and golden crown that decorated the statues on the top of the actual altar. On the second step was the staff, spear, chalice, shield, and sword. The first step had flowers, fruit, bells, incense, and so on with a pair of blue robes carefully folded by the side. There was a blue carpet rolled out in front of the altar, which made it hard not to think about the baptism ceremony prayers. 

This altar hadn’t been there when I last went to the High Priest’s room. As I stopped in the doorway and began digging through my memories, the High Priest paused his work to stand up and walk in front of the altar. 

“Come here, Myne.” 

I hastened over to the High Priest. He looked down at me with his light golden eyes and, after a sigh, looked at the altar. 

“Under normal circumstances, you would vow to serve the gods and temple before the altar in the High Bishop’s room before being bestowed your robes, but as he does not want you to enter his room, I had another one built here as soon as possible.” 

“...Sorry for making you do that.” Thanks to me getting ticked off by the High Bishop’s arrogant attitude and cruelty, my mana had gone crazy with emotion. Personally I felt better afterwards, but it made sense that the High Bishop would hold a grudge against me for Crushing him with my mana. 

...Not to mention that he already looked down on me for being a poor commoner. With the highest authority in the temple already hating me with no chance of forgiveness in sight, I was probably in a pretty bad situation. As I started to wonder if I had a hard life ahead of me in the temple, the High Priest shook his head. 

“You need merely avoid meeting the High Bishop wherever possible, so as to not add fuel to the fire.” The High Priest knew the High Bishop a lot better than I did, so if he said I should avoid him, I probably should. I nodded in reply. I didn’t want to go out of my way to see him anyway. 

“Now then, let us begin the fealty ceremony.” The High Priest picked up the incense burner by its chain and swung it gently like a pendulum. Smell wafted out of it and into the air as it swung, filling the room with a calming scent. 

The High Priest then began telling me about the divine instruments enshrined on the altar. The black cape on top signified the night sky and was the symbol of the God of Darkness. The gold crown signified the sun and was the symbol of the Goddess of Sunlight. The betrothed gods were known as the king and queen of the heavens, so they were at the top of the altar. 

The staff on the second step was the symbol of the Goddess of Water melting snow and ice into running water, the spear was the symbol of the God of Fire encouraging growth to ever greater heights, the shield was the symbol of the Goddess of Wind pushing back the cold winter wind, the chalice was the symbol of the Goddess of Earth accepting everyone and everything, and the sword was the symbol of the God of Life digging into the hard ground. The bottom step had offerings for the gods. Plants symbolizing fresh life, fruit celebrating growth, cloth reflecting faith, and so on. 

“The divine color of spring is green. It is the color of young life, sprouting after the harsh winter. The divine color of summer is blue. It is the color of the tall sky that life strives for. The divine color of autumn is yellow. It is the color of heavy wheat and bountiful fruit ripening. The divine color of winter is red. It is the color of the furnace, lessening the cold and granting hope.” 

It seemed that the color revered within the temple changed according to the season. The cloth on the altar, the carpet, the ornaments worn on top of the blue robes, and so on all had their color determined by the season. 

“Now, your vow.” The High Priest, facing the altar, knelt on the carpet with his left foot planted forward and forming a right angle. He then crossed his arms across his chest and drooped his head. I made the same pose beside him. 

Once I was done, he continued. “Repeat after me.” 

I looked closely at the High Priest’s mouth, not wanting to mess anything up. He moved his slender lips slowly so as to make his words easier to understand during the vow. 

“O mighty King and Queen of dark and light, most righteous and divine rulers of the wide heavens.” 

“O splendid gods of the Eternal Five, most righteous and divine rulers of the vast mortal realm.” 

“Goddess of Water, Flutrane.” 

“God of Fire, Leidenschaft.” 

“Goddess of Wind, Schutzaria.” 

“Goddess of Earth, Geduldh.” 

“God of Life, Ewigeliebe.” 

“King and Queen, show your divine power that extends throughout the wide heavens and vast mortal realm.” 

“Eternal Five, bless we of the vast mortal realm with your divine power.” 

“In eternal gratitude for your heavenly powers, I shall worship thee for eternity.” 

“I shall live with just hearts, calm hearts, and resolved hearts. I shall have faith in thee as the true and just gods.” 

“I vow that I shall pray to thee, gods of nature; I shall thank you, and I shall prepare offerings for thee.” 

I looked up at the High Priest, having repeated what he said word for word. He nodded, apparently pleased with my performance, before standing up and looking at the gray priests by the wall. The priests closest to the altar moved silently, picked up the blue robes on the bottom step of the altar, and handed them to the High Priest. 

“Blue encourages growth. It is the divine color of the God of Fire, and it is the color of the wide sky, where the King and Queen rule. I give these robes to you, she who worships the King and Queen, she who swears to grow as the years go on.” 

I was given the robes, then changed into them by an apprentice shrine maiden. The blue robes were easy to put on; they slipped over my clothes from above and had to be tied on only with a sash by my waist. I could wear whatever clothes I liked beneath it, and during rituals or ceremonies, I just had to put on various religious ornaments on top of them. 

“Myne, honorable apostle sent to us by the gods. We welcome you among us.” The High Priest bent his knees and crossed his arms in front of his chest. I copied him and crossed my arms too. 

“I am deeply grateful that you would welcome me.” 

“Then let us pray.” 

It was so sudden that I didn’t know what he meant. With my arms still crossed, I tilted my head in confusion. His brows furrowed in frustration at my poor comprehension. 

“You learned the method at your baptism ceremony, did you not? Pray to the gods.” 

Oh... The Gl*co pose. That’s right. Now that I’m in the temple, I’ll need to do that every day pretty much. Well... I hope my sides will be okay. 

Memories of my sides getting destroyed at the baptism ceremony passed through my mind, but I shook my head and tensed my stomach so I wouldn’t burst into laughter. The High Priest’s doubting eyes pierced me, making it clear he was about to question whether I had forgotten what to do. So, I began praying. 

“P-Praise be to the gods...! Ah?!” It was surprisingly difficult to maintain the Glic* pose. I had to carry my whole weight with one leg while staying balanced. Unable to make a beautiful Gl*co pose like the priests at the ceremony, I swayed side to side in a fairly unsightly way. 

“That won’t do. You will one day be participating in the Spring Prayer. What good is a shrine maiden that can’t pray? Learn to pray before the next prayer ceremony.” 

“Ngggh... I’ll do my best.” 

The High Priest sighed, shook his head, and looked at the gray priests lined up along the wall. “I will introduce you to the gray priest and apprentices who will be your attendants,” he said, which signaled three of the gray robes to walk to the front of the altar. One was an adult man, and the other two were a boy and a girl about my age. 

Surprisingly enough, the gray priest that had guided me to my room was in fact my attendant. He looked to be of above-average height, about as tall as Dad. He had light-purple hair and deep brown eyes that gave off the impression of a fairly serious person who generally kept quiet. His expression was solemn and obedient. It felt like it might be difficult to get to know him. 

“I am Fran, seventeen years old. I will be in your care.” 

“No no, if anything I’m going to be in your care.” I tried to reply politely, but the High Priest immediately launched a sharp rebuke. 

“Myne. You are a blue robe. Do not deprecate yourself before gray robes. ” 

“S-Sorry. I’ll be careful.” I didn’t get status-based societies. My life experience wouldn’t help me know what was good or bad to do here. I would need to claw my way to understanding my environment just like I had after first becoming Myne. As I was struck with worry, I saw an attendant who seemed like he would be an even bigger concern stand in front of me. 

He was roughly as tall as Lutz, but perhaps due to not being fed enough, he had a nasty look in his eyes and seemed unnaturally thin. He had dirty blonde hair and although his eyes looked black at first, a closer look revealed purple eyes. My first impression of him was that he looked like a little punk. To be honest, I wasn’t too good at dealing with people like him. 

In my Urano days I stayed holed up inside my room reading, and in my Myne days I’m stuck in bed with sickness all the time, so I was a shut-in through and through. Violent... or rather, rough boys full of energy and nasty things to say were just not people I wanted to be around. I doubt that we’ll ever be able to be friends, I thought to myself while looking at the boy. He was blatantly looking me over too, from head to toe as if appraising my worth. 

“I’m Gil. Ten years old. You’re supposed to my master? This sucks. You’re a friggin’ little kid.” Um... What? Are attendants supposed to act like this? Surprised by his mocking look and nasty words, my mouth flapped open and closed. Once again, the High Priest launched a rebuke. But not at Gil — at me. 

“Myne, Gil is your attendant. You must reprimand him when he behaves improperly.” 

“Bwuh? Me?” 

“Who if not you, his master?” Um... He’s saying that like it’s really normal, but what does he expect me to do? This kid doesn’t seem like the type to care about being scolded. 

“Um, could you be a little more polite?” 

“Hah! Are you friggin’ stupid?!” 

The High Priest was shaking his head with a critical look on his face, but really, the fault here was in whoever selected Gil to be my attendant. My stomach fell when I realized that him being chosen was likely an act of harassment. There was no doubt that Gil had been selected to spite me. It was hard to imagine that Gil would ever be an obedient servant. Someone had probably forced him onto me, a commoner, so they didn’t have to deal with him themselves, while simultaneously making life harder for me. With that in mind, I’d have to be dumb to take him seriously and be polite. I just had to deal with him the same way I dealt with the mean boys in class: Ignoring him. 

I lifted a hand to interrupt Gil and shifted my attention to the only girl among the attendants. She had deep red hair and light-blue eyes. She was wearing a kind of smug smile, but she had a beautiful face. Not cute; beautiful, like a pretty adult woman. It felt kind of like she was someone who understood her appearance and knew how to butter up men with flattery and flirting. ...That’s just the kind of thing I notice as a fellow girl, I guess. 

“I’m Delia. Eight years old. Let’s be friends, okay?” Despite suggesting that we be friends, Delia’s eyes weren’t smiling at all. She had probably sensed that we weren’t cut from the same cloth and was already shifting into subtle hostility. But still, the brightly smiling Delia seemed to have the High Priest’s silent approval. He didn’t launch any rebukes this time. 

None of the attendants seemed friendly at all, and it was hard to imagine things would go well with even a single one of them. Just being near them would probably be exhausting. 

“Um, High Priest. I’ve lived without any attendants up until now, and even without these three, I can...” 

“No. It is the duty of blue robes to have attendants. These attendants were hand-selected by the High Bishop and myself. Now that you have worn your blue robes, you must act like a proper master, one suitable for their loyalty.” 

“I see. Understood.” So... I can’t say I don’t want them? I don’t even have a choice here? I feel like my life as an apprentice shrine maiden in the temple is already falling apart.