emperor chapter 23

Chapter 12 – Apprentice

Again. I woke up in bed again. The colorful blanket told me this wasn’t Lowell’s bedroom. His room, consumed by what seemed like a morbid obsession, was painted exclusively in black and white. So, where was I? A wave of nausea and dizziness, like a migraine, washed over me, making it impossible to even sit up.

Just then, someone entered without knocking. They wore the robes of a cleric. The uniform thankfully gave me a clue to the intruder’s identity. The cleric who entered was a lovely woman with creamy hair and pink eyes. She carried a basket covered with a cloth, likely containing food. Turning her head, she spotted me blinking timidly on the bed. Her face lit up with a wide, welcoming smile.

“You’re awake!”

“?”

“Hurry and wash up and get dressed. You missed morning prayers, but you still need to eat.”

“…?”

“What was your name again? Um. Just a moment. Where is that introduction letter?”

The cleric, her white robes fluttering, rummaged through her pockets. Following her movements, I suddenly noticed a change in myself.

“Huh. My hair….”

My hair was black. My platinum blonde hair was gone, replaced with a dark shade like Lowell’s. Could this be Raphaerd’s doing? If so, it meant Raphaerd’s method had worked, and I was in the Duchy of Caro.

“Found it! Minette! Your name is Minette. It says here you’re a top student who graduated early from the Holy Academy.”

“Ah… Yes. I suppose so.”

I knew because I’d read the novel, but how could Raphaerd, her assistant, know? Minette was Miniel’s original name, before she became the Saintess. The name I understood, but graduating early? Only a handful of rare geniuses ever graduated early from the Holy Academy.

“Here are your clothes!”

“Thank you.”

I changed into the clothes as instructed. The apprentice cleric’s uniform, while simple and plain, was comfortable and allowed for easy movement. Once dressed, the cleric showed me around the Caro Temple.

Her name was Parfait. With a name as delicious as it sounded, she was a Caro native who had lived in the temple since childhood. She was a low-ranking cleric and would soon be taking the mid-rank exam.

Clerics were ranked from apprentice to low, mid, high, and highest-ranking. Above them were the cardinals, the high priest, the Saintess’s secretary, and the Saintess herself. Promotion up to high-rank was achieved through exams, but the highest-rank required achievements, and cardinals were appointed by recommendation. The Saintess, of course, had to be chosen by divine oracle. As for the secretary position, it was by the Saintess’s personal selection.

The high priest was the representative of the temple, a position seemingly chosen more for administrative skills than holy power. I’d initially assumed clerics were just healers, but there was a definite hierarchy.

‘Name, Minette. Special note, early graduation from the Holy Academy. Rank is…’

Reading Raphaerd’s letter of introduction given to Parfait, I saw that, as planned, I’d been registered as an apprentice. Everything from my academic record at the Holy Academy to my reasons for wanting to join the Caro Temple was meticulously filled in, all thanks to Raphaerd’s handiwork. Perfect, from Raphaerd’s perspective, that is. The letter was overflowing with Raphaerd’s fantastical embellishments. The opening line, ‘I desire a life of service!’ made me cringe internally. I quickly folded the letter and returned it to Parfait before my expression betrayed me.

“Minette.”

“Yes?”

“You can speak casually. Even though you’re my junior, I’m not used to formalities either.”

Considering we didn’t seem that far apart in age, and we would be seeing each other often, it was probably best to be friendly.

“Okay. Sounds good.”

“Minette, you were asleep for quite a while. There was something I really wanted to tell you when you woke up.”

“Something you wanted to tell me?”

“I’ve… I’ve never read such a moving letter of introduction!”

“…Huh?”

“I also wanted to care for the wounded…! That’s why I decided to become a cleric!”

She’d become a cleric with noble aspirations, but the reality was different. Most clerics seemed motivated by financial gain or prestige. While everyone was free to pursue their own goals, Parfait’s expectations had been shattered. That was the gist of her story.