Ascendance of a Bookworm

Chapter 152: A Request from the Order (I)

After the Harvest Festival, the blue-robed priests seemed to have returned to the temple. Although I hadn't seen them with my own eyes, it was easy to guess from the fact that the Grace of God had increased in the orphanage.

The village to which the Head Priest had been sent was near, so that he came back quite early among the priests. My official duties were soon resumed, and every day, after the third bell, I went to the Head Priest's Office to help.

"Head Priest, I have done my calculations."

This day, as always, I tried to calculate the accounts given to me by the Head Priest. The work was over, and I looked up just in time to see a white bird flying straight towards the window. “Look out!” I could not refrain from shouting, but the next second, the white bird flew through the window, circled the room, and fluttered down to the table, folding up its wings in a dignified manner.

"Whoa! What's this?!"

My eyes widened in surprise, but the attendants, unlike me, all seemed to understand where the bird came from, and all stared at it with some nervousness.

"Maine, be quiet."

The Head Priest reprimanded me severely and reached out his hand to the white bird. Suddenly, a male voice came out of the bird's mouth.

"Ferdinand, the Order has made a request. Go at once."

The words were repeated three times before the white bird disappeared, leaving only a yellow gem where it had been.

Out of nowhere, the Head Priest took a wand that looked like a glowing baton, gabbled something, and tapped on the yellow gem. After a twist, the gem became the same white bird again.

"I see."

So said the Head Priest to the white bird. He waved his wand, and the bird spread its wings and flew away through the window as it had entered the room.

… Wow! Fantastic!

The Head Priest glared at me when I was overjoyed at the magic he had done. When I recollected myself, I found that the attendants, who had been working quietly until now, began to tidy up hurriedly.

"Maine, the Order has made its request! Change into ceremonial dress, and march to the Patrician Gate!"

Affected by the amazing momentum of the Head Priest, I also responded with high spirit: "Yes!" But I didn't know where the Patrician Gate was.

"Er… where is the Patrician Gate?"

"I know where it is."

And as he spoke, Fran bowed to the Head Priest. Then he picked me up and strode toward the Dean's Office.

"Master Maine, you didn't forget your prayers, did you?"

Fran was walked so fast that I felt like I was going to throw up, so I just grabbed him and nodded.

"Delia, Rosina! Get the ceremonial dress ready at once!"

As soon as he opened the door of the Dean’s Office, Fran shouted in a loud voice I had never heard before. Without stopping for a moment, he quickly ascended the first floor to lower me, then turned and ran down the stairs.

Delia rushed over with the ceremonial dress, placed it on the table and immediately began to take off the blue robe I was wearing.

"Whoa!"

"Oh, please don't move!"

Her movements were not so gentle as usual, but rather rough. I was staggered by her, and then her water-blue eyes cast a fierce look at me. I wasn't sure what to make of their haste, but the ceremonial dress was already on me. I had no sooner put my arms up my sleeves than Rosina started tying my belt. Delia then handed her a long yellow ribbon, which she quickly wrapped around my belt to create a decorative knot.

… What an amazing collaboration.

As Rosina tied my belt, Delia pulled out my hairpin in a split second. Before my hair was even down, Rosina reached under my arm and lifted me into a chair.

"You are dealing with the Order, Master Maine. If anything has happened that makes you unhappy, it must not show in your face."

As I sat in the chair, Rosina began combing my hair. While this was going on, Delia took out from the closet the ornate hairpin I had worn at the baptism.

"Master Maine, please use this instead."

I took the hairpin Delia had handed me and curled my hair as usual.

"Master Maine is ready!"

Delia shouted. As soon as her voice fell, Fran rushed up, opened a bag that he was carrying, and dumped on the table all the tools I used to help the Head Priest with his duties.

"Rosina, put these things in their places. Master Maine, this is an emergency, so I beg your pardon."

Fran picked me up again and strode out of the Dean's Office.

"Where is the Patrician Gate, Fran?"

"It's in the deepest part of the aristocratic section of the temple. The Patrician Gate is the gate leading to the aristocratic quarter. When the blue-robed priests and priestesses go to the aristocratic quarter for ceremonies, they must pass through this gate."

In order to avoid meeting the blue-robed priests and priestesses, I had always been careful not to linger near the aristocratic section, plus I was a commoner, there was no business to go to the aristocratic quarter, so it was a door I never went through before.

"Sorry we're late."

When we reached the end of the aristocratic section of the temple, I saw the Head Priest standing in full armour ahead, and Arnaud standing beside him with the wand of the goddess of water, Freudorene. The Head Priest was covered with silver armour and held his helmet in his left hand. With a T-shaped nose shield and no fancy decoration, the helmet looked like a Corinthian one with only the eyes and mouth exposed after being worn. The blue cape complemented the silvery armour, giving the Head Priest a faint glow.

Right in front of me was a high wall that seemed to shut off the world behind me, and a great gate that seemed impossible to open by man alone. They were both made of smooth stones, like the temple, and the midday sun shone on them, reflecting a dazzling white light.

"Is this ceremonial dress?"

When Fran put me down, the Head Priest looked me over from head to foot. Then he turned his forefinger, indicating that I should turn. I opened my arms and turned in place so that he could see the dress clearly.

"I seldom see such a pattern, but it is better than I expected."

The Head Priest suddenly gave a gentle look and praised my ceremonial dress. Then he called, "Arnaud." Hearing the call, Arnaud handed me something.

"Maine, you were born in the summer, weren't you? I'll lend you this, and you can wear it on your middle finger."

The thing Arnaud handed me was a ring with an immense sapphire. I took the ring, which was obviously not my size, and thanked the Head Priest. "Isn't it too big?" Although I thought so, I put it on the middle finger of my left hand. The sapphire glowed at the touch of my finger, and the ring shrank to just the right size to fit on my finger.

"Whoa!"

"Don't make a fuss about every little thing."

"But, but…"

It was impossible not to be surprised. To me, these were not "little things".

The Head Priest must have lent me this ring because it would come in handy later.

What kind of world are we heading for? Will it be a fantasy world where my common sense doesn't work at all?

"Wait where you are."

So saying to us, the Head Priest clanged forward and raised his hands towards the great gate. As in the opening of the secret room of the Head Priest's Office, a huge glittering magic circle appeared in midair, and then the gate slowly opened before us. Although I had been used to seeing automatic doors in my previous life, it was the first time I saw a gate that opened automatically in this world, so I almost jumped in surprise.

"Oooh!"

"You're acting too commoner. At least keep your mouth shut."

I was indeed a commoner. I thought the Head Priest was really imposing on me. But Arnaud and Fran, as his attendants, seemed to take these things for granted. If this were the daily life of the aristocrats, the members of the Order would certainly look at me strangely if I continued to make such a fuss. So I started trying to control the corners of my mouth.

"Come on."

The Head Priest walked to the gate, Arnaud at his heels. Fran, who once again picked me up, quickly followed.

As soon as we passed through the gate, we came to the aristocratic quarter. Just a gate away, I was dumbstruck by how different the aristocratic quarter looked from the commoners' quarter I knew so well. Now before me was a square with a huge fountain, all paved with white flagstones. Instead of cramped houses and stinky air, there were endless white roads and green parks, and the ground was so unpolluted that I couldn't bear to set foot on it. This place might have been magically separated from the outside world, so even the air was different.

In the square there was a group of knights, about twenty in number, dressed in silver armour like the Head Priest. The difference was that their capes were bright yellow. They must be members of the Order. Sensing that the gate was open, the knights gathered and lined up.

"Master Maine, please act like an aristocrat!"