Published: August 3, 2025
By having Darmel as my guardian, I was finally allowed to move freely within the temple. Though it must be tough for Darmel to commute daily from the Noble District, he uses the Celestial Horse that transforms mana stones, so unlike Lutz and Tulli, he doesn’t have to worry about being buried in snow.
...Magic really is convenient.
Thanks to Darmel’s presence, I was able to go to the orphanage and the library, which helped distract me.
Though the temple is sealed off by deep snow and family visits have become scarce, being able to spend time in the library has eased my loneliness a bit. When I’m reading, I don’t feel so alone.
However, the library is extremely cold. No matter how many layers I wear, I can’t stay there for long, and both Darmel and Fran dislike going there.
“Apprentice shrine maiden, wouldn’t it be better to ask Lord Ferdinand to allow you to bring books into your room instead of staying holed up in the library?”
“You’re right, Lord Darmel. Frequent visits to the library could harm your health, Myne-sama.”
Surprisingly, Fran and Darmel get along quite well. Perhaps because Fran is used to noble customs, their opinions mesh well; they seem to work smoothly together.
“...High Priest. That being said, may I take books out of the library?”
“As long as it’s your personal items, I have no objection. With the offering ceremony approaching, it would be problematic if you caught a cold... Heh, this means I win.”
As expected, the High Priest, who had quickly learned the theories of Reversi, grinned at me. How can an adult seriously compete against a little girl?
“I think the High Priest is terrible for taking it seriously against a child.”
“I don’t want to hear that from you, who takes it seriously against a beginner. Is that sour grapes?”
Though the High Priest is sometimes childish, he is kind. He lends me books, and if I get too lonely and barge into his room, he lets me indulge myself in exchange for organizing documents or doing complex calculations.
Usually, he looks very displeased, but since I’m often too preoccupied to care about others’ opinions, it doesn’t matter to me, regardless of the High Priest’s feelings.
“Myne, good morning. How are you doing?”
“Not bedridden, I hope?”
On days when the blizzard isn’t too bad, Tulli and Lutz come together. Tulli is currently struggling to learn to read. She brings the children’s Sacred Scripture used as textbooks in the temple classroom, along with stone tablets and a stylus, and studies with the orphans.
Lutz, who can read and do arithmetic without problems, checks the progress of handicrafts, teaches letters to children with the gray priests, and instructs the guild on how to write reports.
“Who’s the apprentice shrine maiden?”
“Lord Darmel, these two are my older sister Tulli and my friend Lutz. They often come here, so please remember them.”
I introduced Tulli and Lutz to Darmel, then introduced Darmel to the two, who stared up at him in awe.
“Tulli, Lutz. This is Lord Darmel, who will be my guardian. He’s a member of the knights order.”
“...Knights order? Awesome!”
“A noble’s guardian for Myne!?”
Darmel’s expression wavered a little under their sparkling eyes full of expectation and envy.
“Apprentice shrine maiden, what should I do in situations like this?”
“I think you should just smile sweetly.”
Darmel forced a smile and responded to them.
Later I heard that Darmel, having grown up almost never leaving the Noble District, had no contact with commoners, and was low in the noble hierarchy, so he had never experienced such admiring gazes. Although he had an older brother, he had no younger siblings, so he didn’t know how to interact with small children.
“Well then, Myne. Lutz and I are going to the orphanage.”
Tulli lightly patted my hand that was clinging tightly and said so. I shook my head while still holding onto her hand.
“Today, I’m going with you. The High Priest said I could walk inside the temple if Darmel is with me, and I’m curious about the progress in the temple classroom too.”