Published: September 6, 2025
Before I finished the spring baptism ceremony, Wilfried had already departed for the prayer ceremony carrying the Holy Grail and mana stones. Once the prayer ceremony was over, he had to rush to Reizegang to do the final checks on the printing, so he seemed quite busy.
“I’ll follow your example and travel by Mount, performing the prayer ceremonies in the morning and afternoon. I have to finish as soon as possible and head to Reizegang.”
“I don’t mind you copying me, but have you prepared your healing potions? Doing two prayer ceremonies a day is quite taxing.”
Since he uses mana stones imbued with my mana, maybe it doesn’t require so much of his own mana. Still, two prayer ceremonies in one day sound exhausting. Wilfried glanced once at the high priest before slowly nodding.
“Indeed. I’m prepared. I’ve learned to make them myself now.”
…So, he doesn’t need the high priest’s kindness, huh?
Though the taste is terrible, the healing potions taught in lectures are completely different in effectiveness. For now, I gave Brother Lamprecht a few of the high priest’s healing potions as a backup, warning him not to overexert Wilfried.
“Are you sure this will be okay? Doing two ceremonies daily sounds tough.”
“Compared to the many prayer ceremonies you handled in a day as a blue shrine maiden apprentice, this is nothing. Unlike you, he has the stamina and mana stones. There’s no need to worry. Let him do it.”
Taking over the Holy Grail from Wilfried, I set off for the direct territory’s prayer ceremonies.
Leaving was a hassle. Now that I’m an adult and allowed to go outside the city on duties, Hartmut and Brother Cornelius insisted on accompanying me to the prayer ceremonies.
“You two are staying behind.”
“Why?”
Since it’s a ritual I perform as head priest, civil officials are unnecessary. We have to prepare and bring our own food, and there aren’t rooms to sleep in. Only the Guard Knights essential to escorting can come along. Hartmut glared at Cornelius, the Guard Knight, for a while in frustration but then suddenly clapped his hands.
“It can’t be helped. While Lady Rosemine is away, I’ll learn the tax collector’s duties so I can join the harvest festival.”
“Huh?”
“There’s a shortage of manpower now, so if I learn the job and appeal to Aub about how much I want to accompany Lady Rosemine, I think they’ll accept it.”
…That really might happen.
The manpower shortage means there are few people the Foster Father and high priest trust to accompany me. Important tax-related roles were tightly held by the old Veronica faction. Though key positions have been replaced, not everyone could be swapped out.
If Hartmut learns tax collection, I can picture the Foster Father saying, “Good, go ahead.”
…But I guess I feel safer with Hartmut than a total stranger? Though with him, it just raises a different kind of worry.
“So Hartmut will stay back to learn tax collecting, right? And as for Cornelius, who planned to accompany us, sorry but only Darmel and Angelica will be our Guard Knights. Cornelius, you’ll stay behind as well.”
“Lady Rosemine, why am I, now an adult, removed from escort duties?”
Brother Cornelius frowned unhappily. But no matter the expression, rules are rules.
“I told you, the Winter Hall, being commoner-owned, has few rooms for nobility. That’s the main reason.”
Original blue priests don’t parade to ceremonies with many Guard Knights. The Winter Hall usually has about three rooms for blue priests, but it’s not designed to accommodate many noble Guard Knights. Too many would be troublesome.
Unlike Darmel, who can sleep in servant quarters when no blue priest rooms are available, Brother Cornelius is a pure high noble. As a knight, he can manage personal affairs, but since this will be a long stay, he’d ask if he could bring his own attendants. He’s a young master unfit for the direct territory’s Guard Knights accustomed to commoners.
“Besides, it’s already settled that Cornelius, Leonore, and Angelica will escort at Reizegang. The direct territory will have Darmel; Reizegang will have Cornelius. Is there a problem with that?”