Ascendance of a Bookworm

Chapter 106: Gifts from the Head Priest

"Miss Maine, the attendants should move to their Masters' house. They can't live in the orphanage. How do you persuade the Head Priest?"

As soon as we leave the orphanage, Fran asks sincerely.

"Now, there is no gray-robed priestess in the orphanage to take care of the children. So as the orphanage director, I will suggest that my attendant stay there and take care of them. There used to be children who suddenly have a fever in the midnight."

"… I didn't think about this at all. Thus I feel a little relieved," says Fran.

I'm surprised at Fran's way of speaking to me. Noticing that I get sulky about his less politeness, Fran added in panic,

"Miss Maine, you often swing into action as soon as you come up with an idea, so I'm worried how you should explain to the Head Priest…"

"I take Wilma as an attendant, and have her live in the orphanage. Do you approve of my idea or not, Fran? You still oppose this plan, right?"

"This will break the tradition, but I think it would be better if we consider it from orphans' or Wilma's point of view."

With Fran's support, I write to the Head Priest to ask for a meeting. The Head Priest writes back, and says that he has consulted with Fran about Wilma's affair, and it would be better to talk in my room than in the hidden room. The meeting is arranged at 5 o'clock 5 days later.

I have been working energetically until the meeting day.

I ask Gil to get some thick sheets of paper for Maine's Workshop for making picture books, and I promise to buy it through Lutz.

On the other hand, I read mother's bedtime tales at the orphanage and observe children's response, in order to find out whether they are able to understand the tales or not. However, after hearing the tales, the children do not enjoy them and ask a number of questions, like "What's that?" Wilma does not know the life in my city, so she says she is not able to represent it in the painting. The difference between common sense and life seems to be bigger than I thought.

Furthermore, people in the temple seem to have no concept of personalized animals. Even when I tell them about the Seven Kids and Momotaro tales, they ask, "How can animals talk?" Thus, it is difficult to make the storybook that I heard before to be a picture book.

It seems better to have Wilma draw the Scripture-related pictures.

… After all, it is the first picture book for my first brother or sister, maybe I should draw some pictures, too.

At that time, Hugo and Ella, who have learnt a lot of new recipes, hire a new cook, a man of the same age as Fugo. The guy is often excited by the new dish when learning, and makes incomprehensible noises such as "Huh?" and "Wow!?", as if he is flustered.

Ella, an assistant, says, "It's Okay. You will get used to it after a few days," seeming to be thinking over own experience before.

Soon, the meeting day comes. The appointment is in the afternoon, so I cannot go to the library. Instead, I stay at home. Fran and I are practicing how to greet the Head Priest and make his favorite tea.

Then the bell rings, much earlier than the appointed time. That's the bell held by the attendants. They ring it to tell people in the room that someone comes.

"It's the Head Priest's assistants."

"How do you know it?"

"The bell sounds different."

As Fran is speaking, he gets down to the ground floor. Because the Head Priest is busy with too many affairs, maybe he wants to change the visit time.

As I lean out from upstairs, looking down, I saw Delia coming out of the kitchen and walking fast towards the door. The reception of visitors is the apprentice's job.

After Delia confirms the visitors and their purpose, she opens the door. The gray-robed priests carrying big boxes come in one after another.

"These are gifts from the Head Priest. Where shall we put them?"

"To the second floor. Please put them into the master's room."

While Delia is speaking, Fran leads the way and they carry the packages to the second floor. I hurry back to the desk and put on a pretty smile as a lady.

"Excuse me, Miss Maine."

Arnaud comes to greet me. Under the direction of Delia and Fran, the grey-robed priests leave the luggages in my room. Arnaud narrows his eyes, and looks around the room nostalgically.

"… Miss Maine has kept everything at the same state."

"Huh?"

"No, never mind. … 3 big boxes, 2 small boxes. Ok, confirmed. See you, then."

"Thank you. Please say thanks to the Head Priest for me."

I smile at Arnaud. Arnaud leads the Head Priest's assistants back in a row.

As soon as Fran says good-bye and closes the door, he quickly comes up to the second floor.

"Let's open it now. The Head Priest will come soon. Delia, please go to the workshop and call Gil."

"Ok! Well, gifts shouldn't be sent just before a personal visit."

As Delia rushes out, Fran hurries to open the cases. Soon, Delia and Gil come back and join in.

In the wooden case wrapped a suite of bedclothes, and two musical instruments - one for adults, the other for children. Besides, there are several tools for maintenance of musical instruments. It seems that the Head Priest will, at all costs, help me to improve artistic cultivation.

… Wow. I refused his advice by the reason of no musical instrument, and then the instruments are sent here.

"Yeah, Fran. Did the Head Priest say anything to you?"

Indeed, rather than gratitude, I feel more puzzled about so many gifts. In particular, I have never received bedclothes, so I'm pretty confused. Fran seems to be so confused as well, that he frowns.

"When you fainted in the introspection room, the Head Priest was very angry, because you are so weak that you often fall down in a faint but have not gotten your bed prepared. Though the Head Priest does not live here, he knows all about this. Maybe he presents you with the bedclothes for this…"

I did faint in the temple several times, so I also think I need to prepare the bedclothes, but I didn't expect I will receive the bedclothes from the Head Priest.

"But it's a really good, isn't it?"

After Gil and Delia make the bed, I approach it and touch it with my hands.

The futon selected by the Head Priest is different from mine, which is filled with straw. This is a superior product, like the one prepared in the guest room of Frieda's house. It's luxurious, with a lot of embroidery in its pleasant texture.

Even the cloth and embroidery cost a large sum of money. However, it seems stupid to think about its price when a suit of bedclothes is presented as a gift.

I don't know if it's normal for the nobles to present such gifts. Maybe the Head Priest just lends it to me, and will charge me for it later.

"Fran, maybe it's better to pay for that later, right?"

"No, maybe it's an apology for putting you in the introspection room where you fell down in a faint. So it's better to keep it."

"Apology… Which God should I thank this time?"

I ask Fran wearily whether I have to learn a new God's name again for the gifts. He covers his mouth with his hands, looks as if enduring a frantic laugh.

"Just thank the Head Priest instead of God this time."

"Oh, yes. It's the Head Priest who gives me the gifts."