Ascendance of a Bookworm Chapter 138

Today Turi went to the workshop to teach the staff how to bind picture books. Though I wanted to be there to cheer them on, Lutz turned me down: “your presence will only cause problems.” In that case, I had to give up.

“Fran, will you come with me to the library today?”

“Yes.”

Fran and Rosina were now recording the types and amounts of food consumed by the orphanage in a month to work out how much to prepare for the winter. Before long, crops would be brought into the city in large quantities, and then everyone would begin to prepare for the winter, so it was important to get ready before then. It was also the first time the orphanage was truly prepared for winter.

“If you're busy, I can go to the library with Rosina…”

“I'm going to send Rosina to Wilma on business, and I have to bring some boards to the library, so please don't worry.”

With many things in the basket, such as boards and pigments, Fran went with me to the library. The glare of the sun fell on the gloomy corridors of the temple, making me feel the last warmth of the summer.

From the corridor I could see several carriages parked in the vestibule that connected the aristocratic quarter. There was a lot of luggage piled up on the carriage. It seemed that the blue-robed priests were going on a long journey.

“… there are a lot of carriages. What's the matter?”

“Those are the carriages for the blue-robed priests. At this time they go out to the Harvest Festival.”

“The Harvest Festival?… I haven't heard of it.”

In autumn, more could be gathered in the forest, and the harvest of the countryside would continue to flood the market. It was the season when the whole city began to prepare for winter. I knew that at this time of year everyone was having a festival when they were working with their neighbors on the pork, but I had never heard of a Harvest Festival.

“Is it a festival peculiar to the temple?… but it is not a temple ritual, is it?”

I did not remember the Harvest Festival being mentioned to me by Fran and the Head Priest when they introduced me to the temple rituals.

“Oh, don't commoners know?”

The sudden strange voice startled me. I turned to find a man in travelling clothes, who seemed to be a nobleman, looking down at me contemptuously. He was not the blue-robed priest I had met at the Star Festival, but since he was not wearing the blue-robe, I could not immediately tell whether he was a blue-robed priest or a nobleman who had come to the temple to see the blue-robed priest. I quickly leaned my back against the wall, knelt down and crossed my hands in front of my chest. It was a gesture of respect from the lower to the higher. In the temple, the people in blue were all equal, and there was no need to bow to each other until we met the Temple Chief and the Head Priest. It was a rule I had learned, but I was a commoner, and it's safer to be humble than to get in trouble for not being polite.

“Hum, you know where you stand. The Head Priest was right. There's no need to go out of my way to teach you.”

Seeing me on my knees at once, the man was clearly satisfied, and after saying something that made me care, he left. I seemed to have dodged an argument. The words “you know where you stand” made me realize that this man was a blue-robed priest. For if he was a nobleman, he would naturally think that others ought to kneel to him.

“You are equal, Master Maine. You need not kneel before him.”

“Even so, I am not an aristocrat after all. He is completely superior to me. What does it matter if I kneel to avoid trouble?”

Fran lowered his gaze.

“But in this way, other blue-robed priests will despise you.”

“It doesn't matter. My position is difficult to judge. It would be bad if I offended the blue-robed priests and made them turn against the orphanage.”

No one who knew that I had lost control of my power in front of the Temple Chief would dare to challenge me. But now that I had the title of Orphanage Director, they might use the orphanage to oppress me.

“If you have your own considerations, that's all right, but sometimes you must show your majesty.”

With a troubled look on his face, France went on to the library. “I don't have any majesty,” I thought. If Fran wanted me to be a majestic master, I would try, but it's probably not that easy.

“Master Maine, please come in.”

Fran opened the door of the library for me. Just as I was about to step into the library as usual, I froze.

“What is this?!”

The library was a mess. The parchment and boards that had been on the two shelves were scattered on the floor, and I couldn't even get through the door. This was not an accident in any way, it was clearly done on purpose.

My anger shot up. In a world where there were no books and few written materials, the existence of this library was a miracle. What kind of person would do such a thing! It was necessary to bring justice to the foolish guy who did not understand how valuable the things gathered here were!

“Oh ha ha, who is it? Who would dare to do such a stupid thing…”

The magic that filled my whole body was encouraging me to catch the culprit at once and offered him a Blood Carnival!

“Master Maine! Let us first report to the Head Priest. Then we may know who was the last to use the library.”

Fran grabbed me by the shoulder anxiously from behind. He realized that my power was about to run out of control and had to hide behind me to avoid being affected. It was only when I saw the normally steady Fran do this that I calmed down. It took me a long time to master my power. If I wanted to unleash my power from anger, it's only against that culprit. I could never make Fran feel afraid, or spread my anger to those around me, or to the Head Priest. I tried to press the power back into my body and smiled at Fran.

“That's right. Let's go to the Head Priest.”

As I had not made an appointment with the Head Priest, I remained in the waiting room at the request of Fran. As I sat still, I could feel someone moving along the corridor. Probably the blue-robed priests who were getting ready to go out. Think of here, I suddenly recalled just that blue-robed priest said. Did he say, “there's no need to go out of my way to teach you”?

… That's him!

I sprang to my feet. How could I continue to sit here when I knew who the culprit was? He's getting ready for a trip. I must catch him before he escaped!

I jumped at the handle, but at about the same time, someone opened the door from outside. I watched the door slam against me. I was knocked off my feet and fell backwards to the ground.

“Master Maine?! What are you doing…?”

The man who opened the door was Fran. I grabbed his hand and got up quickly, then tried to rush out of the waiting room, but was stopped by Fran.

“What's the matter, Master Maine?”

“I know who destroyed my library! I may catch him if I run after him now! Please let me go!”

“Please report this to the Head Priest. He is waiting for you.”

Fran picked me up and went straight to the Head Priest's office.

The Head Priest raised one eyebrow slightly and looked back and forth at Fran and me in his arm.

“What's going on?”

“Master Maine said she knew who the culprit was and had an impulse to run to the vestibule, which is why I had to…”

“Well done, it was a wise decision.”

After comforting him and instructing him to lower me, the Head Priest lifted his chin at me and motioned me to go with him to the secret room.

… Instead of a secret room, it might now be called a lecture room.

I was depressed at the thought of what was to come, but I followed the Head Priest into the secret room. I sat down on the bench as usual. The Head Priest also drew up a chair and sat down. He stroked his chin and looked at me.

Chapter end