Apprentice Priest Irene (2)
Apprentice Priest Irene (2)
Irene was a strict teacher. True to her slight obsession with cleanliness, she always wore black and white gloves and pointed out every little thing.
"The garden is dirty."
"I cleaned it earlier, didn't I?"
"Point deduction. Talking back is not good."
"...Out of curiosity, how low can my score go?"
"You're currently at -37 points."
Irene glanced back at me.
"You are at a level slightly better than an insect."
"Wow. Better than an insect. That's something."
"Point deducted. Use proper language. You're no better than an insect now."
"Well, I'm screwed."
I took a quick look around the garden. There was nothing worth cleaning up.
"Everything's already swept."
"Is there not a single fallen leaf?"
"Just that?"
"It is not 'just that.' One thing out of place determines the atmosphere of the whole. A single leaf like this could get this church called 'dirty.'"
"Aren't you taking that a little too far?"
"......"
There are people who, when a beautiful girl glares at them coldly, rejoice and call it a reward.
But unfortunately, I'm not one of them. Honestly, getting a look like that kind of gets on my nerves.
I picked up the leaf. I tossed it over the wall.
"Done, right?"
"Point deducted."
"Why now?!"
"Your manner of speech is impertinent."
"You just don't like me, do you?!"
"Point deducted. Please speak politely."
I spent most of my time with her during the day, and every word she said lodged itself in me like a precious gem.
A real 'gem,' in every sense.
"Are your eyes not attached to your face?"
"What do you think these two wide-open eyes are?"
"I assumed they were decorative. If they aren't, perhaps you should have a new pair fitted. If you can't even memorize something this simple, I recommend leaving the church as soon as possible."
"Aren't you something! Really!"
The only rewarding part was learning Holy Arts. True to her stiff manner as a teacher, she taught me the theory she'd organized.
"Try manifesting 'Ember.' You learned directly from Priest Mierkant, so you should be capable of at least that much, correct?"
The gaze she fixed on me was not kind at all. It even seemed to carry a hint of mockery.
Asking someone who had only just become an apprentice priest to perform a Holy Art was plain spiteful. She had to be saying it just to mock me, knowing I couldn't do it.
But what of it!
I struck a cool pose. I snapped my fingers.
A red flame that would sting on contact settled on my fingertip.
"This much is nothing. Simple, right?"
"......."
For the first time, her eyes widened as if surprised. She looked back and forth between me and the flame, and soon the surprise turned to suspicion.
"...Have you learned this somewhere before?"
"No. I just tried it, and it worked."
"...That's impossible."
"Well. Impossible, you say."
I shrugged.
"If you just thoroughly preview and review, couldn't anyone do it?"
"......."
The look she gave me grew sharper. She slammed her book down with a bang.
"We'll start with the lower-tier Holy Arts. If you're really that much of a genius, one a day shouldn't be too difficult."
"Of course."
I smiled brightly. This was exactly what I wanted.
Four lower Holy Arts. That was more than welcome!
"Let's pick up the pace."
. . .
Mierkant worked late into the night. He was the only ordained priest left at the branch, and even the occasional inspections from church headquarters had almost stopped.
It was safe to say they had been abandoned. But even so, Mierkant could not let go of the work in his hands.
The wrongs committed by the branch he had belonged to.
Bearing those sins was surely his mission as well.
Mierkant kept his hands moving diligently. He distributed the wealth Irene had earned through her pilgrimage where it was needed, and he invested generously in heating to get through the winter.
There were holes everywhere. It couldn't be helped. Their resources were finite and always insufficient. He had to squeeze everything he could out of what little they had and somehow find a way to survive.
"...But."
But what was he supposed to do when even that simply wasn't enough?
Mierkant set his hands down. Borrowing money from the local merchants had also reached its limit.
There was nowhere left to borrow money from and no one left to impose upon. He had managed somehow on the strength of his reputation, but even that avenue was reaching its end.
There was no source from which money could come. Before long, he might not even be able to buy bread to feed the children.
"...O God."
He clutched the cross around his neck and whispered quietly.
"Please...so that I may care for the children...a miracle..."
Knock, knock.
He heard a knock. Mierkant immediately wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. He spoke as if nothing were wrong.
"Come in."
The door creaked open. Irene entered, an apprentice priest Mierkant had grown quite fond of. She was a noble yet sorrowful child. Knowing her circumstances, he cared for her while making sure not to intrude too far into her life.
She was a wounded child, one who had sought God because she needed somewhere to lean. Mierkant poured water into an empty cup and quietly offered it to her.
"Sit somewhere comfortable."
"Yes."
Her answer was short, and as always, she did not touch the cup. Sitting in the chair, she stared quietly at Mierkant. Whenever he looked into those blue eyes that seemed to draw him in, Mierkant felt strange.
"What brings you here?"
"I came about Zahard."
"Zahard? Did that child cause some kind of trouble?"
"No. I stopped by for a different reason."
Irene sighed. There seemed to be a trace of inferiority in that deep sigh.
"...That child is a genius, Priest Mierkant. You could almost say Ra herself favors him."
"To that extent?"
"He learns doctrine almost immediately and performs the Holy Arts I teach him right before my eyes. His execution is still rough... but the speed at which he learns is absurd."
Mierkant smiled brightly. Irene wasn't the kind of child to lie. She hated men, but she still judged what she saw for what it was.
If Irene said so, Zahard must truly be favored by Ra. What cause for celebration. Who could have imagined that such a talent would come to this tiny branch?
"It is thanks to your good teaching."
"...Priest."
She hesitantly began to speak. The glimpses of her true self that she very occasionally showed were the kind that made even Mierkant smile like a father.
"I... haven't been teaching Zahard properly. If anything, I've been pushing him too hard."
"Why did you do that?"
"I wanted him to leave. Nothing good will come of him staying here."
She was right.
It was the same as boarding a sinking ship.
"I spoke to that child as well. But even so, it was he who said he would join the church."
"...Was he confident in his own genius?"
"I do not know either, Irene. What do you want for that child?"
"I don't want anything. To be honest, I don't even want to be involved with him. But..."
As if she had made a firm resolution, she spoke to him.
"For the future of the church, I think it is right to send Zahard to the church headquarters. I think he deserves to learn more, in a better environment."
"That means..."
Mierkant looked straight at her, his gaze full of regret but ultimately resigned.
"...You mean to give up the branch's one opportunity to send an apprentice priest to church headquarters?"
"...If I can."
The words that came out a beat slower were full of sincerity.
"...Because he is a child far smarter than me."
Mierkant knew. He knew that she also wanted to go to the church headquarters. The paladin order famous even within the church headquarters.
He knew that she wanted to belong to the 'Day Priestesses.'
Yet she was still trying to give up her own chance to go to church headquarters. She was a good child, one who could look to the future. Instead of clinging to her own wishes, she was willing to sacrifice her opportunity for the sake of the entire church.
Not just anyone could do that. Indeed. Not just anyone could do that.
Such a decision could only be made by a child with a righteous and kind heart.
"...Irene."
Mierkant smiled softly. He was so pleased with Irene's upright mindset that he could not stop smiling.
"It's all right to be a little greedier, you know."
"But..."
"Only one apprentice priest from each branch can go to church headquarters, but that opportunity comes once a year. You're a year older than Zahard. There's nothing wrong with you going a year before him. Besides, the application period isn't far off."
"I don't think a year of my time is worth the same as a year of Zahard's."
"In my eyes, your potential is also excellent. I think you could become a wonderful priest...a paladin who represents the Sun God Church."
Mierkant took a sip of water.
"Devote yourself, and pray. If you have faith, the light will illuminate your path."
"...Yes, Priest."
"Let's discuss this later. There's no harm in postponing it for now."
Irene stood up. As she opened the door to leave, she looked back at Mierkant once more.
"...By any chance."
"Do you have something left to say?"
"...Apprentice Priest Beverick...when will he..."
"...Ah."
A flash of disgust crossed her expression, if only for a moment. Mierkant let out a small groan.
Beverick. He had forgotten about him.
He too had surely finished his pilgrimage and was on his way back—an apprentice priest sent out from church headquarters on assignment.
The time remaining until his return was about a month to a month and a half.
....Irene and Beverick.
If the two lived under the same roof, Mierkant had no idea what might happen. The boy had connections to church headquarters, so Mierkant couldn't simply intervene or act against him without cause.
The meager support funds that did come were thanks to him, after all.
"Do not worry."
Mierkant smiled weakly.
"I'll figure something out."