Bonus Short Stories

Yae’s Light

“Are you sure you cannot make an exception for my burning desire?”

I was dazzled by his desperate pleading. The boy in front of me was Ash. He was younger than me, but his upturned eyes carried a destructive power. Maybe it was because he looked so much like Sir George, but I almost found myself giving in. I need to get a hold of myself. I was a priest sworn to guard and propagate the wisdom of the three gods. No matter how passionate the plea, I had to follow the rules.

“Ash, please stop insisting. I can’t make any exceptions.”

“No matter what?”

“Yes.”

After being let down repeatedly, Ash gave a disappointed smile. An outsider could have easily misunderstood the situation, but he was begging for access to the temple’s library.

“Understood. It is not my intention to bother you in any way. I will leave it at that.”

“I appreciate your understanding. I’m sure that you will be granted access eventually if you keep accumulating achievements. But please, wait until then.”

Ash nodded obediently. Then, the understanding boy suddenly changed the topic. “By the way, what do you like about Sir George?”

“Why are you asking about Sir George all of a sudden?! I mean, he is wonderful in every conceivable way but...”

Oh dear. That was so sudden that I ended up giving an awkward answer.

As I pondered my blunder with a stiff expression on my face, Ash smiled brightly. “I agree, Sir George is indeed a wonderful person. He is as strong as the wolf god, as wise as the monkey god, and as fierce as the dragon god. You might even say he is too perfect.”

Yes! Yes! His only flaw was that he was too serious, but even his occasionally clumsy behavior was endearing.

By now I had gotten used to my role as a priest, but until recently I had been embarrassingly inexperienced. It was none other than Sir George who helped me and triggered my self-improvement. I was only able to be my current self due to the magnificent virtue of Sir George.

Ash frantically nodded. Naturally, someone as wise as Ash would have understood the splendor of Sir George.

Oh, and Sir George did have one other flaw. He was still not over his first love and was unable to make room for a new one. As a result, my feelings for him stayed unrequited. The prospects for a future together looked dim, but there was no way I’d be able to say any of this to Ash.

“He becomes even more perfect the more you learn about him!” the boy continued his praise.

“Exactly, you know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes. And if you will allow me to say so, you are just as wonderful.”

I felt my cheeks flush. As a priest and someone much older than him, his flattery shouldn’t have affected me this much, but I was overcome with emotion upon hearing Ash compare me to Sir George.

“No, I’m nowhere near Sir George...”

“Your modesty is yet another of your magnificent virtues. I am just objectively praising you as a student profiting from your help. Please accept my appreciation.”

I didn’t know what to say in response.

“You are very polite even to someone as young as me, and always deal with my extravagant requests right away. I cannot help but feel admiration for your passion and intelligence, seeing how you even helped us write up the proposal. And what more can I say about your appearance? All the men and women at the academy admire you. One might even say that you, too, are too perfect.”

“Please, don’t tease me like that, Ash.”

“My apologies, that was not my intention.” Ash was thinking with a serious expression on his face. “However, I imagine that being as perfect as you are also comes with a lot of expectations from others.”

“Well, thank you for the compliments, but yeah, you’re right...”

He was right that anyone who ended up being in a relationship with me would have to be under constant scrutiny. After all, our future children would be heirs of the count.

While I was nowhere near the level of Lady Yuika, I was still considered a very talented woman and was constantly introduced to suitors from all over the place. However, since none of them lived up to Sir George in the slightest, I always swept them away. If Sir George were to ask for my hand in marriage, I would not let anyone interfere. I would personally make sure those who opposed us stayed quiet.

“I see, so there are political implications in regard to his marriage...” I murmured.

Ash just gently smiled after hearing my slip of the tongue. “Mother Yae, this might not be my place to interfere, but...” His expression resembled that of an executioner showing a last bout of mercy to the convict. “I think you and Sir George would be the perfect couple. I cannot see you with anyone else.”

“...Do you really think so?”

“Yes, I really, really think so. So much so that I am inclined to mention your name to Sir George whenever the chance arises.”

Are you really prepared to go that far for me?

As I stood in awe, Ash once again changed the subject. “So, there is really no way for me to borrow any books?”

“Ash, I’ve told you. I have to obey the rules.”

I was a priest who had sworn an oath to the three gods to guard their wisdom.

“...But I can lend you some books that I borrowed under my own name. That doesn’t go against the rules.”

But before that, I was a woman brimming with unrequited love. If there was a lamplight showing me the way towards its fulfillment, I was more than happy to fuel its fire.

Rihn’s Newfound Zeal

My name is Rihn and I’m a maid for the Count of Sacula.

I had proven myself worthy of all the lavish praise I had received by carrying out many tasks that were considered to be hellish. Regardless, even someone like me occasionally came across a job that was bound to end in failure.

I had been entrusted to take care of the count’s youngest child, who had just arrived from the capital. It sounded simple enough. However, it also entailed closely guarding a secret and preventing any enemies from snooping around.

In addition, the child in question, Lord Arthur, looked as if he had given up on himself. He was like an exhausted peasant wandering around in search of warmth after having been thrown out into the cold of winter. I feared that if anything upset the balance of his mind, Lord Arthur would cast down his eyes and give up on life completely. I had to watch out for threats from the inside and outside as well as for Lord Arthur himself. It was a nearly impossible challenge.

Nevertheless, even if I was prepared to fail, that didn’t mean that I had already given up. As the maid of the Count of Sacula, and even more so, as the mother of a little girl, I could not bear to see someone this young with an expression like that. I was going to accomplish the important task of protecting Lord Arthur even if it meant sacrificing myself.

Yes, that’s right—before the start of the new academic year at the military academy, I had been prepared to die. However, after it had started, I regretfully realized how unprepared I was. Those were my thoughts as I watched the usual four kids stealthily gathering in the garden of the dormitory.

“Mmmh...! So yummy.”

“So this is what it tastes like! Very delicious.”

“I can’t believe it tastes this good!”

Lady Maika, my daughter Reina, and Lord Arthur were chewing with sparkling eyes. All three of them had flushed cheeks as they voiced their excitement with a warm smile to the red-haired boy.

“Right? This is the true nature of the tomato!”

Ash’s voice revealed what they were eating. How preposterous! Tomatoes had not yet been certified as safe to eat. In order to fulfill my duty as the dormitory supervisor, I stepped forward into the garden with a stern expression.

“Ash, what are you doing out here?”

“We are practicing outdoors cooking by ourselves.”

While the other three were startled by my appearance, Ash stayed composed and replied with a smile. He’s got some nerve.

“Hm... Cooking practice, huh? What are you making?”

“We fried potatoes in pork fat and sprinkled them with cheese.”

I see. Then, what on earth is the red stuff around Lord Arthur’s mouth?

Before I could even pose that question, Ash, who had sensed my gaze, wiped off Lord Arthur’s mouth with his finger.

“What was that red stuff just now?” I asked.

“Red? We are only using potatoes, pork fat, and cheese; there should not be any red. It must have been an optical illusion,” Ash said with a puzzled expression.

Behind him, Lady Maika stuffed a round fruit into her mouth. Apparently, all of the red evidence had been destroyed.

He really did have a lot of nerve to come up with such an outrageous lie after breaking the rules right in front of me. I was the one person of whom even Lord Itsuki—and I say this with the utmost respect—was afraid.

Still, I was willing to make an exception and let it slide just this once. Besides, Mother Yae had also told me that tomatoes were in fact not poisonous. And above anything, I was ready to overlook the situation in consideration of Lord Arthur, who looked very happy after having his mouth wiped by Ash. His face was bright red.

Ash really was something else, being able to change Lord Arthur’s cold and stiff expression into a much warmer and relaxed one. That fact, however, created yet another worry for me. What I needed wasn’t the resolution to sacrifice my own life, but rather the willpower to survive as long as possible and watch closely over these two, so that there was not going to be any trouble. I was the only one who could carry out such an important task.

“Oh, by the way, we were thinking about making crepes again, Mrs. Rihn. Are there any days that would not work for you?”

Yes, really! Only I!