We arrived at the Great Temple.
As I climbed the grand staircase, the orphans spotted me and rushed towards me with cheers.
“Uwaii, Mako-neechan!”
“Onee-chan, it’s been a long time!!”
“Uwaa, Makoto-onee-chan!!”
“Everyone, how’ve you been?” I asked.
The five orphanage children attack me like opossum pups from the Americas.
As they hang off me, I put strengthening magic into my body and my legs and climb up the grand staircase.
The children squeal with delight as they hang on my back.
“Since Mako-neechan isn’t coming, we just got nothing to do, nothing to do.”
“You’ll be here on Sunday too, right?”
“Sorry, just for today,” I said.
“Eh, that’s boring, boring!”
“Let’s stay here longer.”
“I’m sorry, it can’t be helped because it’s school, you’ll understand when you turn 13 and go to secondary school,” I said.
A child’s body temperature is high, so if they stick to you, you’ll sweat.
When I reach the top of the grand staircase, I drop the children down.
“Right, I’m going to go see Kyoko-sama, later, everyone,” I said.
“Got it, we’ll be in the orphanage.”
“You know, the food there has been delicious these days.”
“It’s because someone named Ilda came in.”
Ah, Ilda-san is cooking the meals for the orphanage.
Thank you for that.
I parted from the children and walked through the central corridor.
Both sides of the corridor are lined with statues of successive saints.
There was only one empty space on the way, and when I thought about it, it seems that there used to be a statue of Bianca-sama.
The statue of Maria-sama is still there next to it, and it looks kind of simple and kind.
Before I knew it, Linda-san was walking next to me.
“Linda-san, hello,” I said.
“Hello Saint-sama, how are you?” Linda asked.
“Maa, maa-ne, what about the intelligence maid?” I asked.
“I have selected about three people, what will you do for the interview?” Linda replied.
What should I do, indeed?
“Let’s have an interview after playing with the kids at the orphanage,” I said.
“As the Saint wills it,” Linda said. “How about dinner? Thanks to Ilda-san’s arrival, the food in the cafeteria has become very delicious.”
“Ilda-san’s cooking is tempting, but I’ll take dinner at the baron’s house. Sorry,” I said.
“I understand, it’s a pity, but your foster home is also important,” Linda said.
At the end of the corridor stands a divine statue of the goddess.
I kneel down with Linda and offer my prayers.
Goddess, I entered the Magic Academy.
I don’t know what you want to do until you brought this Makoto’s soul into this world, but I will do my best, so please give me your blessings.
When I stand up, Linda also stands up and leads me to Kyoko-sama’s room.
Knocking on the heavy door, Linda called out,
“Kyoko-sama, Saint-sama has arrived.”
“Come in,” Kyoko-sama said.
Linda-san opens the door and we enter.
Kyoko-sama smiled and stood up from his chair, then gave me a firm handshake.
“Makoto, it’s been a while since yesterday, hasn’t it?” Kyoko-sama said.
“Please stop welcoming me every day, Kyoko-sama,” I said.
“No, no, I’ll welcome you every day,” Kyoko-sama said. “You are the symbol of the Great Temple.”
Indeed, Kyoko-sama is sweet to me.
If you dote on me too much, my head will grow big.
“I have something to say to you, Kyoko-sama,” I said.
“What is it, Makoto? Please tell me,” he said.
“I think it’s too early for you to see it, please take a look here,” I said, pulling out a glass jar of rotten barley from my pocket and handing it to him.
“Hmm, this is bad rolled barley, what do you mean by this?” Kyoko-sama said.
I press my finger against the glass bottle that Kyoko-sama was holding.
“Heal.”
A pale light envelops the rolled barley, fading away the dark brown color of rot and giving way to a pale yellow rolled barley.
“Oh! Did you heal the grains?” Kyoko-sama said.
“Yes, it can handle a considerable amount,” I said.
“As expected of a Saint-sama, isn’t it the secret art of Bianca-sama’s Legend, turning rotten grains in the silo back into good grains overnight?” Linda said.
“I think it probably is, Linda-san,” said.
“Ummmmmu,” Kyoko-sama grumbled, intensely looking at the glass jar of rolled barley.
“If we can get a large amount of the grain that went to waste, we can procure ingredients for cooking at a low cost,” I said.
“Indeed, that’s great, but we won’t say this publicly,” Kyoko-sama said.
“I came up with it in the kitchen of the girls’ dormitory cafeteria at school, so I think it’s already known to some extent,” I said.
“It would be bad if the country knew about it,” Kyoko-sama said. “It would be extremely effective in providing supplies to the military, and reducing the amount of wasted grain is equivalent to increasing food production. If we’re not careful, you could be used as a tool to heal grain for the rest of your life.”
“Anyone who forces Saint-sama into such a ridiculous role will be cut down, even if they are the king,” Linda said.
You shouldn’t say you’re going to kill the king, Linda-san.
“Let’s keep it a temple secret for the time being,” Kyoko-sama said. “We’ll use it for cooking ingredients. After that, we’ll use it to save lives in the event of a famine someday.”
“I think that’s good, too,” I said.
After exchanging various words, I leave Kyoko-sama’s room.
Even though he’s busy, I’m glad he made time for me.
By the way, the Pope of the Sacred Heart Temple is in the Appleton Kingdom because he escaped from the Head Temple, which suffered devastating damage when the Demon King attacked, and stayed here instead.
The Head Temple has been rebuilt, but it seems that the previous Kyoko-sama said something like, “I don’t want to go back.”
And it seems that the Head Temple decided that Kyoko-sama could be in Appleton because it was around the time when Holy Maria-sama was here.
It seems that the role was divided between the Head Temple with its cultural history and the Grand Temple for practical work.
“Next, I’ll go to the kitchen and meet Ilda-san,” I said.
“This is the kitchen where you’ll find her,” Linda said.
I don’t eat much at the Great Temple, so I don’t know where the kitchen is.
This place is about the size of Tokyo Dome.
There are lodgings for Sacred Heart believers who come from all over the world, and an orphanage is attached.
There was a kitchen in the back of the Great Temple, on the east side.
“It’s the third kitchen that makes food for the orphanage and the lodgers,” Linda-san said.
Yare, yare, the Great Temple is big.
I found Ilda-san in the back of the kitchen and waved at her.
She approached me with a smile.
“If it isn’t you, Saint-sama,” Ilda said.
“Thank you for helping around in the kitchen,” I said.
“No, no, it’s a small repayment of your kindness, please don’t worry about it,” Ilda said.
“Since you came, Ilda-san, the food in the orphanage and the lodger’s cafeteria has become very delicious,” I said.
“You’re embarrassing me, Holy Maiden-sama,” Ilda said, smiling shyly.
It’s very nice.
I will not forgive the Mahler family for tormenting someone who likes to cook so much.
“Oh that’s right, Marissa-san said she wanted you, Ilda-san, to decide next week’s menu for the girls’ dormitory cafeteria,” I said.
“Oh, so I see, do you want me to write it now?” Ilda said.
“Right now you must be busy preparing dinner, and I’m going to choose a maid from the temple today, so it’s fine if you can have one of the kids bring it to me,” I said.
“Right, then, should I write it by about 6 o’clock?” Ilda said.
“Yes, they want recipes for the week,” I said.
“Okay, what about the ingredients?” Ilda said.
“There’s a lot of quality rolled barley, and it looks like we’ll be able to prepare fresh meat and vegetables, too,” I said.
“I’m grateful for that, I really want to go home right now and make meals for the dorm students,” Ilda said.
“Please be patient a little longer. I’ll do something about it,” I said.
“Yes, I’m counting on you,” Ilda said, deeply bowing her head.
Just leave it to me.
Now then, let’s play with the children at the orphanage.
When I entered the orphanage, more than 20 orphans jumped at me all at once.
Uhei, they’re all squirming.
“Onee-chan, Makoto-oneechan”
“Waah, we missed you so much.”
“Let’s play, let’s play!!”
“Yes yes, I’m going to play with you guys, now let’s go,” I said.
For about an hour, I went on a rampage with the kids, doing things like horse jumping, shadow demons, and mud-slinging, and we had a blast.
After all, playing with children is fun.
We all ate snacks made by Ilda-san at the orphanage cafeteria.
It’s a baked confectionery with a rustic sweetness, but it’s really delicious.
“Well, I’ll be back next week,” I said.
“I can’t wait~”
“We miss you when Makoto-oneechan doesn’t come~”
“Ueeeenn.”
I embrace the crying child and stroke his head.
There, there.
“I’ll come again, sorry.”
“Come again soon.”
“Yeah, wait until Saturday,” I said.
“Yeah, I’ll be waiting, I’ll be a good boy.”
“Un, un.”
I put down the crying child and wave to everyone.
“Later.”
The orphanage children laughed and waved as they ran to the playground.
“Now then, shall we go to the interview with the intelligence maids?” I asked.
“Understood, right this way,” Linda said as she lead me back to the Great Temple.
