The Day I've Awaited My Whole Life
My name is Erdel, the school nurse. Today is the day I've been waiting for my entire life.
A bustling, endless line of people. A welcome ceremony so splendid it bordered on dazzling. That's right—today is none other than the entrance ceremony for Arcanum Academy.
In a medieval fantasy world with gods and magic, one thing you can't miss is the academy. Living at one has always been my dream.
「Are you... really going to leave the temple, Saintess?」
「Yeah. Enrolling in the academy has been my lifelong wish.」
Even if it meant committing the blasphemy of abandoning the name of a saintess blessed by the goddess herself.
「I just want to rest easy now. The life I've lived so far... it hasn't exactly been a good one.」
「...I know. That's why I'm not holding you back, Saintess.」
Life at the temple was truly grueling. It reminded me of military service from some past life.
06:00 Wake-up – Immediately tidy attire and perform personal purification upon rising
06:00~08:00 Morning prayer (2 hours continuous, no breaks)
08:00 Breakfast – Assemble immediately after eating
09:00 Prayer recitation and public service – 09:00~12:00 – Continuous performance of recitation and service, no rotations
12:00 Lunch – Return to station immediately after eating
13:00 Resume service – 13:00~15:00 – Repetitive duties with no downtime
16:00 Purification bath – Prepare for evening prayer immediately after bathing
17:00 Evening prayer – 17:00~18:00 – Maintain prolonged prayer
19:00 Dinner – Personal maintenance after eating
20:00 Hear confessions – 20:00~21:00 – Requires sustained focus
22:00 Night prayer – 22:00~24:00 – Final rite before bed
24:00 Bedtime
Temple life was a relentless grind that wore down both body and soul. Outings were restricted, and the food—supposedly for spiritual discipline—was essentially vegan only.
I endured that for a full ten years. Even after being chosen as a saintess from an ordinary believer, the schedule barely changed. If anything, with more eyes on me, it got harder.
But now, it's all good.
「Thank you. Take care of the temple while I'm gone, my one and only precious little sister.」
I've cast off all the temple's chains and shackles, off to find happiness at Arcanum Academy.
「Yes. You might come back someday, sis... Until then, I'll protect the temple.」
Arcanum Academy. A prestigious institution with nearly 500 years of history. It teaches not just magic, but swordsmanship, alchemy, and even fields like law and business.
Welcome to Arcanum, the sacred bastion of knowledge spanning 500 years.
Arcanum Academy. Today, I begin a new life there—not as Saintess Alessia, but as Erdel.
"Excuse me, could I ask for directions?"
That's why I decided to ask the academy guard first thing.
The place is so massive that finding my way around is no joke.
"Yes, are you one of the new students enrolling this time?"
"No, not a student."
Oh, right—I'm not actually enrolling as a student at Arcanum Academy this time.
"Not a new student?"
"Nope."
See, I spent so long at the temple that I aged out of the enrollment window...
"I'm the new school nurse starting this term."
So instead, I'm here as faculty. My name is now Erdel, school nurse at Arcanum Academy.