Ascendance of a Bookworm

“High Priest, the bell has rung three times. It’s time to get to work.”

“…Understood.”

“Since I only call you once a day, please don’t glare at me so fiercely.”

Being glared at by the High Priest as he came out of the workshop, I glared back with a pout. It’s not like I enjoy calling out to him either. Once he locks himself away in the workshop, the sound of the bell doesn’t reach him at all, so I have to make a point of informing him.

It seems Eckhardt Brother has been shut out after being called too many times, so even if I call him, it doesn’t get through.

“If you dislike being called by me, wouldn’t it be better to make yourself hear Eckhardt Brother’s voice?”

“…You only come once a day, but Eckhardt calls out all day long. It reminds me of Lord Bonifatius from a while back.”

“Huh? Did Grandfather do something?”

When I tilted my head, the High Priest shook his head with a very bitter expression and said, “That’s all in the past. I don’t want to remember it.” Apparently, Grandfather did something that made the High Priest exasperated.

After sending the High Priest out of the workshop, it was time to start work. I took my usual seat and pulled out my tablets.

“Lady Rosemine, do you always do this kind of work in the temple?”

Angelica, seeing the work scene in the temple for the first time, looked at me and the pile of documents in disbelief.

“The High Priest is the one who processes the temple’s documents. Actually, I, as the head priest, should be doing this, but I’ve entrusted it to him. All I can do is help with calculations; I’m not yet trusted with approving the documents.”

“…No, I think it’s amazing how much calculation you handle.”

Angelica, who disliked theory and became a knight, sighed in admiration. Meanwhile, the High Priest was delegating jobs one after another. Everyone in the room was assigned work equally.

“Eckhardt, this for you; Darmel, that over there; Angelica, you’ll work together with Darmel…”

“I, as a Guard Knight, will defend this door to the death.”

With a sharp intake of breath, Angelica pressed herself against the door. Seeing her eyes glisten as she muttered, “Finally done with noble academy studies…” the High Priest let out a light sigh.

“Speaking of which, Lord Bonifatius did say she was a borderline failing problem child.”

The High Priest dismissed Angelica as useless with a casual tone, saying it was a waste of time to give work to an incompetent person, and then began working on paperwork.

Darmel widened his eyes slightly at Angelica’s dismissal, looking worriedly at her, but Angelica clearly looked relieved. Worrying was pointless.

Among everyone in the room, Angelica was the only one not working on paperwork; she stood with a serious expression, guarding the door. She seemed intent on doing her guard job perfectly.

As everyone quietly worked on paperwork, the bell rang four times, signaling lunch.

“High Priest, please be sure to eat lunch properly before locking yourself back in the workshop.”

As I cleared the table and prepared to return to my room, the High Priest looked at me and narrowed his eyes.

“No, in the afternoon I will examine your condition.”

“…Huh?”

“Judging from your movements during dinner last night and while working today, relying entirely on magic tools, your recovery seems very slow. I haven’t checked your condition at all since you returned from the noble academy… And judging from your current complexion, it’s not a good situation, is it?”

“Th-That’s not true!”

I tried to bluff my way out, but there was no way to fool the High Priest who hadn’t taken his eyes off my research. The slight smile on his lips gradually narrowed his eyes.

…This is bad. I’m going to get scolded. It’s obvious I haven’t done anything.

I tried to seek help from those around me, but Darmel and Angelica looked away, and Fran asked with a slightly cold smile, “What do you mean by a ‘bad situation’?” Eckhardt Brother, a staunch ally of the High Priest, was unlikely to side with me.