Published: August 15, 2025
At the end of summer, with the completion of the new ink, the Rosemine Workshop began producing playing cards using new ink on new paper.
The paper was smooth and hard, completely different from the wooden playing cards made before. The ink was multicolored, changing color for each seal, making them visually stunning.
Then, on an autumn day as the Harvest Festival approached, Lord Egmont suddenly arrived at the head priest's office, accompanied by a gray shrine maiden. Seeing the gray shrine maiden looking pale, I furrowed my brows slightly.
“Lord Egmont, we did not have an appointment for a meeting here…”
“The head priest is not here, and only gray priests are in the head priest’s office; what kind of appointment could possibly be necessary?” he said calmly.
I sighed once and looked at Zaam. Zaam quietly slipped away toward the kitchen. He would leave this room and inform the high priest. I had to stall for time here until the high priest returned.
“I’m terribly sorry. We have never received an appointment request to meet a blue priest without prior notice before. It seems this is the first time and has unsettled us a bit. I presume your matter is urgent, but could you please tell me what it concerns?”
“I want Lily back and to bring in a new attendant. Bring the gray shrine maiden here.”
I immediately signaled to Monica. She turned around promptly and left the room. She would contact Wilma at the orphanage.
“Lord Egmont, I’m very sorry, but without an appointment and with such a sudden request, we cannot respond immediately.”
“What?”
“Each gray shrine maiden has duties assigned by Lady Rosemine, the orphanage director, so calling and gathering them takes time. Also, the shrine maidens performing the temple purification are not dressed properly to appear before blue priests.”
Lord Egmont narrowed his eyes as if he did not quite understand, only knowing gray shrine maidens who were properly dressed.
“If you intend to summon a gray shrine maiden to serve as your attendant, they need to cleanse themselves to appear as beautiful as possible, not to be called during work. Today we can only listen to your request. It would be better for you to make an appointment for exchanging gray shrine maidens, don’t you think?”
Blue priests dislike seeing anything unclean, so although Lord Egmont looked displeased, he reluctantly agreed.
“May I ask why you want to return Lily? What aspect were you dissatisfied with?”
Though I already knew there was only one reason gray shrine maidens were sent back to the orphanage, I pretended to take notes and asked.
Lord Egmont looked down at Lily with displeasure and snorted.
“Because she’s pregnant. Every day she looks troubled, says she feels sick, or suddenly vomits. She’s useless as an attendant.”
“I see. It’s troublesome if an attendant can’t work.”
“Indeed.”
Having heard my agreement, Lord Egmont’s tone softened just a little.
“However, if it’s about exchanging attendants, that falls under the high priest’s jurisdiction, not this head priest’s office. Please make an appointment with the high priest.”
“What!? It’s enough to tell the head priest!”
Lord Egmont was a blue priest acquainted with the former head priest, so until now, he had done as he pleased by going through the head priest. But things are different now. The high priest is trying to restore the state before the former head priest dominated.
“The transfers of priests and shrine maidens are the high priest’s responsibility. Maybe it was unclear before, but not anymore.”
“How dare you, a gray priest, be so presumptuous!”
Just as Lord Egmont reached out, a small bell chimed. I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Zaam, who went to fetch the high priest, returned leading him inside.
“Lord Egmont, I have an appointment with the high priest coming up. I’ll give up this time slot for you. Why not discuss it with him?”
“Ugh…”
Lord Egmont couldn’t be rude to the high priest as he was to a gray priest. Those who favored the former head priest didn’t cooperate with the high priest, so their budgets were being cut and their stance weakened.