Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 2.3 - Chapter 12

Temple Stay Extended 

I was dished up a full course of lectures when I came to. First Lutz and Benno, then Fran and Gil, then finally Damuel and the High Priest. I got the feeling that as time went on, I kept meeting more people who would lecture me. 

...But really, I wish they wouldn’t use “visiting me while I’m sick” as an excuse to lecture me in bed. Just let me sleep. 

The longest and most heated lecture this time came from Damuel. Apparently he had been terrified after I collapsed out of nowhere, fearing that the High Priest might determine that he too was a knight who couldn’t follow his superior’s orders. 

“I thought for sure I would be executed this time! I was like a dead man walking when we brought you back here,” he said angrily with tears in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry. I really am sorry. Also, just to warn you now, once the printing begins I’ll probably start passing out from excitement all the time.” 

“You’re not sorry at all, apprentice!” 

“I’m sorry that I haven’t exercised enough to make the passing out stop.” 

“That’s not what you should be sorry about!” 

It was hard to keep up my excitement for the letter types with everyone lecturing me day in and day out, so my fever went down surprisingly fast. But the lectures continued even after I was feeling better. It was honestly pretty boring since they kept repeating the same things over and over. I just wanted to go home already; the snow was melting enough for carriages to travel about, so it was very nearly time to. 

“I just want to go home...” 

But first, I had to write a letter asking for a meeting with the High Priest. Or so I thought, but I ended up getting a letter requesting a meeting from the High Priest first. Though it was less “requesting a meeting” and more him asking me when I was free, since I would be visiting him rather than the other way around. 

“Fran, it is rare for the High Priest to send me a letter himself. His business must be urgent. I would like to meet him as soon as possible—I wouldn’t mind going today, even—but I’m not sure what I should tell him.” 

“His attendants would likely struggle to prepare for your arrival if you went so suddenly. I believe tomorrow will be an ideal date,” said Fran with a half-smile, so I went ahead and wrote a letter saying I would be free tomorrow. 

“Should I bring a gift for him or some such? He did visit me while I was sick, after all.” 

During his visit the High Priest had brought me a lot of food, though I didn’t really need any of it since the snow had started to melt and I would be going home soon. At the moment I was thinking of moving half of it to the basement storage in the girls’ building. 

“Some of the sweets you have been making here will suffice. The High Priest quite liked your cookies.” 

“What about the caramel custard I made recently then?” 

On recent Tuuli visits I had experimented with both caramel custard and ice cream. The result was a firm reminder that ice cream was best eaten during warm weather. Ice cream was always tasty in modern heated homes, but here even eating it in front of a fireplace just made one more focused on the cold than the food; it actually did chill the whole body. 

“Hm. The caramel custard is certainly delicious once you have gotten used to the texture, but eating it for the first time is a bit... uncomfortable. I do not believe it would be a good gift for someone who has not tried it before.” 

Just as I had expected from Lutz’s reaction to the steamed potatoffels, steaming wasn’t a cooking method employed here. Ella was very surprised when she learned how to make the caramel custard, and all those who tried it commented on the texture and mentioned being worried about it disappearing before they could get it into their mouth. But in the end, they all had high praise for how sweet and tasty it was. 

“In that case, have Ella bake the cookies that the High Priest likes so much.” 

I settled on cookies as my gift. There would be plain and tea-flavored ones, since those were my favorites. 

With that settled, I got to work on the blueprints for the printing press. I was pretty sure that the first printing presses on Earth were just modified grape presses, so they couldn’t be too hard to make. The only problem was that I didn’t remember the exact measurements or structure or anything like that. 

“Umm, I’m pretty sure it needs a tool for smearing ink? Something with a handle like this, and leather spread out like this... A place on the side to hold it, next to the place for putting the paper down... I think the place where the types get lined up looked like this?” 

I desperately searched my memories, but they were so vague that the blueprints were hardly coming together. I could give vague instructions in person, but it was beyond me to write out detailed measurements. It seemed I would have to write these out while experimenting with a press in person. 

I wonder if the High Priest would use that memory searching tool on me again, I thought to myself while working on the design at my desk. My attendants were scattered about the room, working their hardest to complete their own tasks.

“Good morning, High Priest,” I greeted him while handing over my gift. 

“You shouldn’t have,” he replied with an utterly blank expression while taking them. I had absolutely no idea whether he was actually happy or not. 

“Arno.” 

The High Priest called Arno over, who came and set down a plate on the table. Fran unsealed the cookies and stacked them onto the plate. He then took out the cup he had brought from my room, which Arno poured tea into before filling the High Priest’s as well. 

“At your leisure, Sister Myne.” 

Arno slid the plate of cookies in front of me. Having no idea what he expected from me, I looked at the High Priest. 

“When bringing someone food as a gift, it is common courtesy for the visitor to take the first bite to test for poison. I imagined this was not a custom you were familiar with, and thought now would be a good opportunity to teach you.” 

Test for poison...? Um, that’s scary. 

I could eat the cookies without worry since I had brought them myself, but hearing that made me nervous about eating or drinking anywhere outside of my chambers. 

“The one who invited the other will drink the tea first.” 

The High Priest took a sip of his tea, which had been poured from the same pot as my tea was, as I ate a cookie. Once that was done, we both dined at our leisure. 

Fran seemed to be right when he said that the High Priest had taken a liking to the cookies. His expression remained unchanging, but the cookies disappeared faster than the other food on the table. 

We talked for a bit about casual subjects like the weather and the status of the orphanage. Then, when we had finished enjoying our cups of tea, it was time for the meat of the discussion. 

I’ve gotten a little used to noble culture now. I think. I want to believe I have. 

“Um, High Priest. I would like to go home soon, and I was wond—” 

“No.” 

Before I could even finish my sentence, the High Priest set his cup down and refused. 

“...Bwuh?” 

I cocked my head to the side in confusion, clueless as to why the High Priest wouldn’t let me go home despite the fact that the snow was already melting. He stood up, pushing his chair back with a clatter. Then, after looking over the room once, he headed to the hidden room past his bed. 

“Follow me.” 

Apparently it was something he didn’t want his attendants to hear. I set my cup down as well and stood up to go through the door he had just opened. Once inside, I sat on my usual bench while he sat on his usual chair. 

“Is this something you don’t want your attendants to hear?” 

“...Indeed. The fewer that know this, the better.” The High Priest breathed in slowly before continuing. “I was recently informed that Wolf died unexpectedly. It happened just after I asked Karstedt to send someone to investigate him.” 

The word “died” made me reflexively swallow. But I couldn’t help but slowly tilt my head, because there was one important detail I didn’t quite get. 

Um... Who’s Wolf? 

“You seem extremely confused.” 

“Um, High Priest. This might be a silly question, but who is this Wolf person? I feel like I’ve heard that name before, but it’s not quite coming to me...” 

The fact that no face came to mind upon hearing the name meant he probably wasn’t someone I knew personally. The High Priest was talking about him as though he was someone I would know, so I was sure he was someone important, but I just couldn’t remember him. 

The High Priest’s eyes widened in utter disbelief. Then, he let out a heavy sigh. “Wolf is the head of the Ink Guild.” 

“Oh, that suspicious person?” The head of the Ink Guild accosting Lutz and sniffing around for information about me was the very reason I had been stuck in the temple all winter. “Wait... He died?! How?!” 

“That reaction took way too long!” 

It seemed that Karstedt and the High Priest had been investigating Wolf to see whether the rumors about him were true, and to find out which noble had ordered him to investigate me. But just as they were narrowing down the possible suspects, Wolf died out of nowhere. 

“It seems that Wolf had learned from somewhere that a commoner shrine maiden was serving as a forewoman.” 

The fact that he placed so much emphasis on the “somewhere” reminded me that surprisingly few nobles knew the truth about me. There weren’t many nobles who could have provided that information. 

“Wolf was investigating what the forewoman in question looked like and whether she did in fact have connections to Benno. However, you retreated to the temple as soon as his investigation began, and on top of that your ill health has led you to spend very little time outside with others. It seems that his investigation went poorly.” 

The High Priest’s words made my heart jump. Wolf had been tasked by nobles to investigate me, but not only did he accomplish very little, he ended up the focus of an investigation led by Karstedt and the High Priest. Then, all of a sudden, he died. It wasn’t hard to make a connection there. 

“...Did the nobles kill Wolf?” 

The High Priest gave a slow but firm nod. “Almost certainly.” 

The lives of commoners were nothing to nobles; they exterminated anyone who got in their way. I knew that, but the fact it had happened so suddenly and right in front of me still made me shudder. I hugged myself, rubbing my hands along my goosebump-covered arms. 

“...Are the nobles targeting me?” 

“There can be no doubt that several nobles are targeting you, but we do not know who they are or what their intentions are. I would guess few do,” he said, his words so severe that I started to tremble. “Nobles who rule farming towns will be leaving all at once when the Spring Prayer begins. Our greatest fear is you being taken from the city, so you will need to stay in the temple until enough of the nobles have left. When there are fewer nobles remaining in the city, it will be easier to identify their loyalty and motives.” 

He isn’t saying I can never go home, at least. 

I consoled myself while sadly agreeing to stay in the temple until the Spring Prayer. The High Priest let out a small sigh of relief at my compliance, then took out a small board the size of his palm. 

“I will need to discuss both the extension of your stay and your adoption with your family. Give this to them.” 

“...Okay.” 

Me being adopted by a noble was too heavy of a discussion to just casually drop into conversation when Tuuli or Dad visited. I had planned on bringing it up when I returned home, but it seemed that the High Priest would be breaking the news to them while I was stuck here. I drooped my head as I looked at the letter of invitation the High Priest had handed me. 

“I imagine you understand this already, but tell nobody about Wolf or the adoption. Not all of your attendants can be trusted,” he said, and thoughts of Delia immediately came to mind. I could not protest.

As soon as I got back to my chambers, I had Fran get Lutz so I could give him the letter of invitation. He agreed to deliver it to my parents, but looked real curious about how I could have messed up hard enough to warrant the High Priest summoning them. All I could tell him was that I wouldn’t be able to go home until Spring Prayer was over. That information was fine to make public. Or rather, it was something I had to tell everyone—my attendants included—if I wanted to avoid a lot of problems. 

“What will we do for food, though?” asked Delia, having listened in on my conversation with Lutz. 

I smiled. “The market will open soon, and we still have the food the High Priest gifted to us.” 

It turned out that the High Priest’s gift had been a consideration to ensure I could safely stay in the temple even after winter ended.

My parents came three days after Lutz had delivered the letter. It was there in the waiting room by the gate that I saw my mom for the first time in ages. The sight of her usual smile and her big belly—big enough that it looked as though she might give birth any day now—made warm feelings swell inside of me. 

“Mom...” 

“Sister Myne, these are not your chambers. I understand how you feel, but please consider your position.” 

Fran gently held my shoulder back, a conflicted expression on his face. Mom pulled back the hand she had extended toward me, and Dad comforted her with an arm around her shoulders. 

“Please, follow me.” Fran walked off and I followed behind him. Damuel walked beside me while my parents followed behind us. 

I walked forward, resisting the urge to turn around, when a gentle hand stroked my hair—a hand that was softer than Dad’s. I couldn’t help but smile. I tried to turn around, but the fingers squeezed a little as if to tell me to keep facing forward. It was funny how the hand slid back whenever Fran turned to look at us. Sometimes it switched to a larger hand, and our silent communication continued until we reached the High Priest’s room. 

“Good morning, High Priest,” Mom said. 

“You sent for us, sir?” 

Dad gave a soldier’s salute to the High Priest, who nodded and offered them seats. The table had a bench on one side and two chairs on the other. Considering our respective statuses here, my parents would be sitting on the bench while the High Priest and I would be on the chairs. My mom struggled to sit on the bench due to her belly, but Dad helped her and they both sat down together. 

“You may all leave.” 

The High Priest cleared the room once his attendants had brought our tea. On top of that, he used the area of effect magic tool to soundproof the area around the table. 

Dad looked around anxiously. “Wh-What the...?” 

“This will prevent our voices from being heard outside the room. Myne, you may sit with your parents now that it is just us. I imagine you have shown much restraint on your way here.” 

While explaining the magical barrier to Dad, the High Priest gently pushed me in the direction of my parents. I had been standing in place, unsure of where to go. 

“I thank you ever so much, High Priest.” 

I thanked him with a broad smile before plopping myself down between my parents. I looked at each of them, then gave Mom a gentle hug. 

“It’s so good to see you, Mom. I’ve missed you so much. It looks like you could be giving birth any day now!” 

“Not yet. It’ll be getting a little bigger,” Mom said as she hugged me. I rubbed her big belly and let out a sigh of satisfaction. 

“...You seem to be satisfied now. May I begin?” 

“Yes.” I straightened up and faced the High Priest, who was sitting across from us. 

“Now then. Let us skip the tedious introductions and get to the point. Any objections?” 

It seemed that the High Priest understood from his time with me that he would get nothing from giving customary noble greetings to commoners, and so he skipped all the lengthy greetings he had given during the meeting with Karstedt. 

“Myne will be staying in the temple until Spring Prayer ends.” 

“Hold on a second. Why? The agreement was that she would just be staying during the winter.” Dad leaned forward, barely containing himself. 

The High Priest eyed him coldly and continued with a flat expression. “She is in more danger now than ever before.” 

The short answer Dad received was enough for him to realize things had escalated beyond his control. He calmed his expression and held a hand over his clenched fist. 

“What danger?” 

“Speak of this to no one,” said the High Priest before explaining what had happened from autumn to now, also offering brief asides about the situation. It was all things I had already been told. 

“Myne has far more mana than I expected. This mana is important to the city, as we are experiencing a shortage. It is for this reason that some nobles wish to control her, and other nobles wish to destroy her.” 

He explained that nobles were targeting me for various reasons. Mom and Dad paled, and I could feel their hands trembling on my back. 

“The worst-case scenario is Myne being taken from the city. That is why there have been some changes regarding the rules for nobles entering the city. I imagine you are aware of these changes, Gunther, as a soldier assigned to the gates.” 

Dad’s eyes widened at the unexpected turn in the conversation, but he kept his gaze steady. “...I am. The Knight’s Order has implemented different rules for the passage of nobles.” 

“Yes, because it will likely be a noble who attempts to kidnap Myne. We do not yet know if a noble of this duchy or another will make their move first; it was necessary to mobilize the Knight’s Order and ask the archduke to restrict the entry of nobles into the city.” 

It seemed that Karstedt and the High Priest had been working behind the scenes while I wasn’t aware. 

“All those changes were made just for Myne?” Dad asked in disbelief. 

“There are several other reasons, but all I will say here is that protecting Myne was one reason. I have no intention of stating anything more on the subject. That reason alone will be enough for you, I imagine.” 

Dad nodded, relaxing just the slightest bit. 

“Nobles entrusted with land will be returning to their territory as Spring Prayer approaches. As fewer nobles will remain in town, it will be easier to keep an eye on their actions. I request that you endure living apart until then. This is all to protect Myne.” 

The High Priest’s words had a quiet, sincere strength to them. It would be safe to say that he was used to leading people. He had once led the entire Knight’s Order, after all. 

Dad’s soldier instincts seemed to kick in as he offered a salute. “Thank you for your special consideration. But why are you going so far for Myne’s sake...?” 

“Did I not mention that her mana is precious? She must be kept safe. Though these tedious measures would not be necessary if she would just agree to the adoption,” said the High Priest with an exasperated sigh. 

“Adoption?!” yelled Dad, his eyes shooting wide open. My mom squeezed my hand tighter in hers. 

“Gunther, what would you say to Myne being adopted by a noble as soon as possible?” 

I could hear Dad gritting his teeth together. Mom was squeezing my hand so hard it hurt, like she was never going to let go again. Their answer was silent, but clear. 

“Like parents like daughter, I suppose...” The High Priest tapped a finger on his temple, murmured “I thought she would give in if both her parents agreed to it,” then looked at us. 

“Myne likewise said that she didn’t want to leave her family under any circumstances, so I agreed to delay this matter until she turned ten years of age. But she has far more mana than any Devouring commoner should. She will be adopted by a noble when she turns ten. This is not negotiable.” 

“What...?!” 

My parents froze as though they had been struck. Their opinion had not mattered, and they were told the adoption would happen regardless of what they thought. It looked like they didn’t know how to react to the High Priest, who was clearly working to protect me, but simultaneously taking me away from them. 

“One who does not know how to control their immense mana is nothing but a danger to themselves and everyone around them. If the archduke determines that she is a threat to the peace of the city, she will be executed.” 

“Executed?!” 

“It is necessary that the protector of a city eliminates those dangerous to it. As a soldier, I imagine you understand this well.” 

Dad, unable to imagine that his daughter was that dangerous, looked at me with a bewildered expression, while Mom furrowed her brow in dismay. The High Priest, looking at them both with an expression that kept his emotions completely hidden, continued his dry explanation of the circumstances. 

“She must learn to control her mana to avoid being executed. Hence the adoption. She may stay with you until she turns ten years of age and leaves for the Royal Academy. However, when that time comes, there will be no allowances made. She will be adopted, or she will be executed. The choice is yours.” 

“Ten years old...” Dad murmured the time limit in disbelief, as it gave us only two years together at most. 

The High Priest let out a slow sigh. “She will be adopted by a noble of good character, one who has my full trust and backing. He will not treat her poorly. That I can promise.” 

The moment he said that, my mom’s head shot up. She looked the High Priest straight in the eyes and nodded. 

“Understood. I will entrust Myne to you.” 

“Effa?!” Dad yelled in surprise, but Mom ignored him. She kept her eyes locked on the High Priest. 

“When I learned that Myne would be staying in the temple over the winter, I thought that her poor health would be unable to bear it. But Tuuli has told me that Myne has been doing well here, thanks to everyone supporting her. I am sure that is thanks to your efforts, High Priest.” 

Mom, pregnant as she was, could only hear about my life in the temple through Dad and Tuuli. But she knew that I had survived the winter without being bedridden the whole time thanks to everyone helping to take care of me. 

“Effa, you... I get it, but adoption is—” 

Dad started to protest, but Mom held up a quiet hand to silence him. She briefly lowered her eyes, then slowly shook her head. 

“No, Gunther. Think about this. There are many kids who start living away from home as leherls once they turn ten, remember? I don’t want Myne to be executed for being too dangerous. She would be in a lot more danger if a noble who doesn’t know her well kidnaps her. The High Priest has treated her very well. If we have to let her go, I at least want someone I trust to have her.” Mom turned to the High Priest and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “High Priest, please take good care of Myne for us.” 

Mom’s words took the fight out of Dad. He slumped over in sorrow, then saluted by tapping his right hand twice against the left side of his chest. My parents officially consented to me being adopted when I turned ten. 

“I really don’t want to turn ten now...” 

I knew they were doing it for my sake, but an indescribable sadness still pierced my heart. I continued clinging to Mom for a long time, hoping to shake off even a little of the lonely desolation gripping me.