Mysterious Child

“High Priest, the High Bishop’s attendant has arrived. Will you meet with them before changing?” Shortly after the summer baptism ceremony had concluded, a bell rang outside of my private chambers, announcing a visitor had arrived. The High Bishop, who had left the ceremony prior to its conclusion, had long since returned to his chambers and was most likely spending his time leisurely.

Ordinarily, the High Bishop’s duties include reading the bible to the commoners attending ceremonies, teaching prayers, and the granting of blessings. However, since the current High Bishop deems it “preposterous” to grant blessings to the commoners, he often delegates the task to the blue robed priests and departs early—a particularly common occurrence.

…Those supposed blessings are nothing more than a childish ruse.

It’s merely a matter of taking a Divine Instrument from one of the statues of the gods from within the chapel and infusing it with a small amount of mana to cause the feystones to glow. By noble standards, this hardly even qualifies as an actual blessing.

To the commoners who are unaware of noble

customs, they are both astounded and delighted simply by the sight of the feystones shining.

…The blue priests that take pride in this and the High Bishop who neglects his duties are both utterly foolish. Just thinking about it gives me a

headache.

“Send them away. I shall consider a meeting after lunch.”

During today’s baptism ceremony, a child collapsed, causing a delay. I also had to deal with a situation caused by another child searching for their collapsed friend, which delayed the clean up after the ceremony even further. I hadn’t yet had the time to change out of my ceremonial robes or eat lunch.

“They’ve come with a wooden board. Should I accept it on your behalf?”

“So long as you make it clear that I’ll review or respond to it only after lunch, then you may accept it.”

Without such direct instructions, the attendant would likely attempt to linger at the door, using such excuses as, “Since I’ve delivered it, please review it as soon as possible,” or “I have been instructed not to return without a response,” and “the High Bishop will scold me.” However the High Bishop’s requests are rarely anything pertinent.

I instructed my attendant, Arno, to accept the board and send the High Bishop’s attendant

away.

“Now, what manner of outlandish demand is it this time?”

After lunch, I reluctantly picked up the wooden board which had been left on a corner of my desk. It read, “If a commoner child visits the High Bishop’s chambers, read the bible to them.”

…A commoner child visiting the High Bishop’s chambers?

The same man, who views commoners merely as a source of profit, would never show a child such consideration, let alone invite them to his chambers. Even if the child’s parents were wealthy, a child wouldn’t have access to any funds sufficient enough to satisfy that man. Most likely, he was planning to use the child to bait their parents and extract as much money as possible from them.

Regardless of the motive, the phrase “read the bible to them” is rather uncharacteristic of the High Bishop. The temple’s bible is a rare magic tool passed down through generations, with only a single copy existing per duchy. The High Bishop, with his blatant disdain for commoners, would never permit one to read it.

…And does “read the bible to them” mean that I’m supposed to read to the child?

The request was so unprecedented that his intent was also unclear.

I sent one of my attendants to gather more information, but the responses were vague at best. After several failed exchanges, I decided to just visit the High Bishop’s chambers directly.

“And why exactly must I be the one to read the bible to a guest in your chambers?“l”

“Because you alone are sufficient enough to deal with a commoner child.”

…And why exactly am I dealing with “your” guests? The very least you could do is to handle your own visitors.

I thought, spitting inwardly while maintaining a noble smile.

“So, you’ve invited a guest but have no intention of meeting them yourself?”

“No, I shall return after some time. The girl offered a large gold coin in exchange for hearing more stories of the gods’. There is however no need for me to personally teach her. You surely understand, that much don’t you, High Priest?”

…No, I don’t understand.

Suppressing a sigh, I replied, “I see.” While deciding to avoid an angry outburst by not pointing out the obvious fact that the High Bishop could have had one of his own attendants handle it.

“However I recall you saying that only the High Bishop can read your bible, did you not?”

The bibles pages appear blank to anyone other than the High Bishop. I assumed this was an adequate excuse to avoid his task, subtly refusing by citing the bibles exclusivity.

“Hmph. As High Bishop, I can grant others permission to read it. Were you unaware of that, High Priest?”

Of course I knew. You’re just simply far too dense to understand my refusal.

“Yet you are saying it is acceptable to show such a precious bible to a commoner child? When I requested to read it, you refused me…”

“It’s fine. The child is willing to pay a large gold coin and desires to become a shrine maiden. To maximize our profit, we must make her feel welcome and keep her parents close.”

As expected, the High Bishop was flaunting his “generosity” in an attempt to impress her, undoubtedly he was planning to treat the child kindly until she signed a shrine maidens contract.

Once she had entered the temple, her ties with her parents would be severed, cutting off any

further financial support. Since profit was his goal, using a different approach than simply accepting her as an orphan makes sense. However judging by the High Bishop’s victorious smirk, he had no intention of personally attending to the child’s needs, leaving that entirely to me.

“You can use this opportunity to view the bible as you so desire, as well.”

”…Hmmph.”

The conversation had grown tiresome. Dealing with a commoner child may very well be preferable to dealing with the High Bishop.

Depending on the permission granted, a gray robed priest could read the bible in my stead. At the very least, I can be productive and continue to work within my own chambers.

“Then, allow me to borrow the bible.”

“No. The bible must not leave this room.”

The High Bishop pointed to his chambers with a grin. I glanced at the bible on the altar.

“You mean for me to read to the child in your chambers while you’re absent?”

“Indeed. I’ll shall leave one of my attendants to observe. The bible however cannot leave this room.”

So, I’m to read to a commoner child under the gaze of the High Bishop’s attendant, clearly this is an attempt to disrupt my work. For such a petty man, the High Bishop shows surprising cunning in the most pointless of ways.

“When will the child be arriving?”

“Who knows? Most likely once her health improves, I suppose.”

…No date has been decided? Normally, a letter of invitation would decide a meeting date. The High Bishop likely declared, “Come whenever,” to appear generous, heedless of how it may disrupt others’ plans. I deepened my smile to suppress my irritation and crossed my arms.

…Very well then, do as you wish.

Assuming that a child desperate enough to pay a large gold coin would likely visit as soon as possible, I planned to spend the next day at my estate in the nobles quarter, bringing any work I could take with me. However the child didn’t come. I continued to avoid returning to the temple for the next two days, remaining in the nobles quarter, yet still she didn’t appear.

…She was likely forbade from visiting the temple by her parents.

Outside of times such as the baptismal or coming of age ceremonies, commoners rarely visit the temple. Merchants may come delivering goods, and the blue robed priests will summon craftsmen, but they leave immediately after enduring tense visits.

It’s highly likely that the child’s parents scolded her for wishing to visit the temple and confined her at home.

Sighing at the completed pile of boards I had brought, I realized I could no longer remain within the nobles quarter. Work was no doubt piling up on my desk.

“High Priest, Myne has arrived. The child the High Bishop had mentioned is being directed to his chambers now.”

Myne arrived four days after the baptism ceremony, on the very same day I gave up

avoiding the temple. With a sigh, I headed to the High Bishop’s chambers.

The High Bishop unlocked the bible, the pages of which, indeed appeared blank, until he placed his hand on the feystone imbedded in the cover, poured in his mana, and declared, “I permit Myne and

Ferdinand, to read the bible.” And in an instant, the text appeared.

“l shall return before fifth bell,” the High Bishop stated, leaving the room with a gray-robed shrine maiden. I glanced at their retreating figures before turning to the bible. My interest lay purely with the magic tool itself.

…l understand it’s forbidden, but l would enjoy the opportunity to dismantle and study it.

As I examined the bible’s feystones and magic circles, a gray robed priest soon escorted the child into the room.

…So this is Myne.

I recalled the unusual child from the baptism ceremony. Her hair, the color of the night sky, adorned with an eye-catching hair ornament shimmered with a luster rare even among nobles. Her clothes featured an unfamiliar design, appearing luxurious at first glance, yet the fabric was unmistakably low quality, and she wore wooden shoes, over her bare feet. I remembered it well, since the overall impression she gave off was terribly disjointed.

“You are Myne? The High Bishop told me about you. Come inside.”

“Thank you.”

“The High Bishop requested that I read the bible to you until he returns.”

Her speech was very polite for a commoner child, yet felt oddly out of place from a noble’s perspective. Perhaps her family runs a business that is unconnected to the nobility.

I observed Myne as she entered. Unlike at the baptism ceremony, she wore no hair ornaments, instead wearing a carved wooden stick in her hair. She had traded her wooden shoes for leather ones, and her clothes, though plain, were made of higher quality fabric.

…Her day to day clothing is of a higher quality than her baptism dress? What is the meaning of this?

Upon closer inspection, my sense of dissonance only deepened. Though I had been to one whom registered her medal personally, her small stature made it hard to believe she’d actually completed her baptism. It was difficult to imagine such a tiny child possessing a large gold coin.

Her eyes were locked on to the bible sitting upon the reading stand, as if she was preparing to pounce upon it. Fearing she might touch or damage the sacred text, inciting the High Bishop’s wrath, I raised my hand slightly. Gesturing to the gray robed priest to guide Myne to sit across the table from me.

“Please have a seat”

That was my first encounter with Myne, the mysterious child who would profoundly change my life.