Second Problem: The Children

Malnourishment.

Lack of Education.

Overly-sheltered...in a bad way.

Such is the lot of the Orphanage.

They don't know true joy nor happiness at all.

As far as they're concerned, their only reason to live was the Temple and its Blue Priests.

Nothing else.

That and they have to appeal or starve to death.

That's what it means to be an orphan in an orphanage.

That was the dilemma Myne faced in her tenure here that she had to make changes.

She cleaned up the orphanage, furnished it with new furniture and brought in, and started their lessons.

The fate of children with Mana is sealed. The only ones who can truly be free, are those without Mana. Thus she would make their lives easier before their...future careers.

That was her decision. At least, they have a period of gaining health, before gradually losing it...

But so far, the priests with plainer looks are lucky for the time being. The Blue Priests deliberately pick good-looking ones for vanity reasons, or in the case of girls, sexually serve their masters' carnal desires. So the plain-looking ones are SAFE. Just that without...employment, they would starve to death before chilled to death come winter.

Humans can survive food without a week as long as there is water. That applies to adults only as adults are built stronger than a child, so she really doesn't want to think about it...

In her classes, the orphans will have adequate sunlight. Under her care the orphans will have adequate everything.

For one as old as she is, she is far, far more human at heart.

After letters and numbers, its Temple Attendant Lessons and Livelihood Lessons next. So yes, she really must master the Harspiel.

Come autumn...

'I got them all for you sir.' said a farmer as he and his men gave the number of pigs Myne ordered, using an adult Orphan as her front face.

'Thank you very much. We'll borrow a shed for processing now.' said the man as he paid the farmer two million lions in the form of two hundred small silver loose change. They allowed the guy to count before leaving.

Myne then taught the orphans the whats and hows, after removing the remaining blood that can't be taken out by normal blood-letting on the neck. They all learned the 'fine art' of Food Preservation from her, and made a winter contract with the farmers in regards to supply of milk weekly by fifteen gallons. Paid accordingly of course. They then Contracted another farmer for egg supplies every three days during winter. Buying sacks of flour and grain will have to wait as wheat harvest is at end of Autumn, before Winter begins.

Her family will be alright, having given them her salary to buy what they need completely. Her salary alone, will last her family a winter's worth of goods. Food, Craft and Lighting materials, new tools if any, and Firewood. Her family is OK. She can't leave the Orphanage in even winter as she has so much to teach, and her duties as Priestess.

She really must make herself useful as even Laynobles are annoyed with her - mostly out of jealousy. She was a Commoner who has a solid future as an Archnoble by adoption or by marriage due to her immense power and she has all elements at that!

Due to that, she was a Blue Priestess with the blessing of their Aub as they really, REALLY need Mana lest even they will starve if no Mana reaches the farms of their domains as there is a shortage of Mana-powered nobles no thanks to The Purge caused by Civil Wars who supported the Two Princes who caused said war and their supporters! Due to her future, she has to take sides. The side of Aub Ehrenfest belonging to Florencia Faction. But her allegiance will be kept secret for her safety.

Her jobs other than managing the Orphanage?

Her jobs after lessons is to help Ferdinand with work.

Really, most jobs fell on him as to keep things clean and prevent corruption from sneaking in.

Prayers and Dedications she must know and do at the right time.

Then Donations.

Myne told Ferdinand she would donate scented soaps enough to fill the equivalent of 2 small gold coins. Laundry Soap, Shampoo and Body Soap for bathing. That and she would sell the Archnobles a 'Seasonal Product' that 'will make you look like a fairy' after use as the source of her Donations. So far only her family uses it as there's no way in hell they can market it!

One: Seasonal Rare Appearance with a time limit is an issue. Two: it is extremely hard to come by. One day yield alone of that material, will help her make only two soap bars out of it!

When she sold it to Benno of Gilberta Corp, he estimated the price that 'its so high, a dream product but it is impossible to sell, unable to keep up with demand' when he knows the main material. He bought it mainly for his family's own use hence. A single bar alone, will cost one small gold due to what it can do for your skin and hair.

Ferdinand looked forward to her claims though, but had to wait for winter for it.

'Well, I have no idea what you look like before, but I can see what you mean by looking at you that even I have trouble believing you're a commoner.' he stated wryly. 'I've seen commoners before, but only you have beautiful, poreless and utmost-fair skin, and glossy vibrant hair silky to touch. Other things?'

'Humm, you're incredibly good-looking, that if I sell Portraits of you, I'd make a killing selling your good looks to wealthy maidens in Royal Academy enough to garner me three decades' worth of donations.' Myne joked with her usual blank expression despite her joking way of talking. Combine that, it can be unsettling as she had trouble expressing without Tuuli to copy off from.

Ferdinand made a face at the idea and imagined the(comical, but annoying) consequences of that idea on him.

'...please no.' he shuddered.

Thus selling soaps it is.

And she used the Basements of the Orphanage as her Workshop for Soap and Shampoo Production.

Upon returning home from Pork Processing Day, Myne trapped all their pork products in ice, preserving them till winter and protecting them from thievery.

'Now then, what does everyone think about their first Pork Processing experience?' Myne asked her attendants after a bath.

'So that's where our meat comes from?' a man asked her.

'Yes. Farmers are to be respected despite their peasant status, thus you are not allowed to look down on them as its Farmers who feeds us all...from Fellow Peasants up to Nobility and even Royalty. They raise the food we eat. Grains for bread and porridge. Vegetables for salads and soups. Meat for roast, barbecue, stews and preserved meats for winter. Eggs as cheap but nourishing breakfast material. Without farmers, everyone in the country will starve even if you have money to pay for food.'

Myne then showed them illusions of farmers hard at work. The orphans watched all things farmers do. In the fields, they till, plant seeds, water, remove weeds and rocks. In barns, cleaning the barns, replacing bedding of livestock, feeding and watering them and checking each animal for disease before selling them to the markets who in turn will sell them to the people.

'Serving Nobles is nothing compared to that, no? But the sad reality is, nobody respects them much despite all that hard work. For those high up in the government fail to realize their true value. Their compensation is that they'll never starve as food is just nearby for picking and exempt from taxes by our Aub's laws, but who knows what happens in other duchies? Do they have that same kindness from their Aub? Everyone must pay taxes but our farmers happily are tax-free.' the orphans have nothing to say about that...

'For now until snow sets in, we will not touch our meat OK? Tomorrow, I and the adult men will leave for their first taste of wood logging until lunch break. They will chop down trees for firewood and learn how to process firewood for a week, before back to lessons we go, while ladies will focus on learning how to clean the Orphanage the hard way without magic as I am given strict orders not to use my Mana too much. I will divide the ladies by duty before we leave for Firewood Chopping tomorrow. For now, line up. I will use magic to implant in you knowledge of cooking as its impossible to hold practical classes here. We can't afford to build a cooking classroom.' she said.

'Yes Director!' they lined up to gain complete knowledge from Myne.

They gained Cooking Prep Knowledge and what those steps are called.

Cooking Tools and Equipment and Market Price.

Types of Cooking Methods.

Ingredient Knowledge and Market Price.

Recipes.

Budgeting Skills is a skill must-have too.

'Normally, Commoner Children can cook. Heck, even I can cook but as the kitchen is made solely for adult use only, adults and I will do the cooking. I can because I can float with my magic while doing the work of making baby food.' Myne told them wryly. 'Adults, having knowledge is OK and all but experience is also a must. So you will all take turns cooking. I will post a permanent schedule for what to cook in what month and week and who will cook in that assigned week.'

xxx

Firewood-Chopping is more than just logging-down trees as adult and young men found out.

Chopped-up wood must be dried as wet firewood makes smoke when used, leading to 'Smoke Poisoning'. Well, people here aren't scientifically-advanced that Myne can't use the correct Carbon Poisoning term, so she went simple.

'Normally, it takes one year to dry firewood...'

The boys squawked.

'EHHHH?!'

'Director we won't make it in time!'

'...and that is why I'll be using magic to dry all these up just right.' Myne finished after letting them panic that they all sighed in relief, panicking for nothing. 'But to you who will leave the temple upon graduating from education and training, this is knowledge you must have. A bundle of nine firewood of standard size costs 5 large copper that most people make their own in their spare time if their monthly salary just won't cut it.'

Each men has their own tree to cut down and chop into firewood while Myne dries them herself. They then fill up their storehouses to the brim and she only acted on the last day for the sake of 'letting them learn by experience'.

Once the Orphanage is all clean, all fabrics all washed up while Myne handled the bedding herself with magic, they made it in time for winter.

But?

At Ferdinand's Office that one morning, there were two little kids.

'Myne, these two are called Delia and Gil.' said Ferdinand. 'The High Bishop says he would send you two of his junior attendants to help with your duties.'

In other words, spy on her while doing said jobs and both cannot turn the man down, unfortunately.

'Lent or Permanently-Given?'

'It appears to be a permanent arrangement, given how you stated that all orphans in the Orphanage are your attendants as long as they remain in the Orphanage.'

'Then as Orphanage Director, I thank him kindly for his generosity.' Myne accepted with Grace. 'Although we already did everything and not much to do for winter...what is the scope of your education, other than Literacy, Numeracy, Etiquette and Attendant Work?'

The two kids exchanged looks.

'...what's literacy?' Gil croaked out.

'What's Numeracy?' Delia asked her. 'We know our manners and duties as taught to us, but not the other two.'

Silence...

'...oh dear.'

Myne's grim words got the kids nervous about rejection and being sent back without accomplishing anything. They'll be punished for one thing, but they'll never experience a Full Stomach either! The Orphanage was subject of gossip in the dining room of attendants where they receive their master's leftovers...

'Mayhaps they will benefit well from their stay under my wing until they are taken back.' Myne told Ferdinand. 'They will pay for their tuition by their hard work. No orphan as long as I am Director, will remain uneducated. Education is a right, not privilege.'

Myne then used Telepathy to warn her retinue as they walked back to the Orphanage.

xxx

'Well, I suppose its a good thing that we filled all rooms with beds as a precaution.' said Myne, leading them to the orphanage. 'Each room has a bed, a vanity desk, a closet and a chamber pot with Toilet Slime, but I have to modify the slime for the girls with permission as girls have specific needs during a time of the month.' she pretty much traumatized Ferdinand about that. 'Bathing Areas are improved upon as well.'

'For the Boys' Orphanage, it remains as is, but with a newly-built Communal Bathing Area at the backyard, privacy ensured so nobody outside the orphanage will see you bathe naked. Naturally, the girls' bathing area is protected with security barriers as extra precaution. If a boy dares to try go near, the barrier will throw you back hard enough to warrant major injury if your body hits a tree or a wall. Ignorance is not an excuse, as I informed High Priest Ferdinand and the Aub of the magical security applied. So injuries gained by unwelcome wanderers are very much deserved and not my problem.'

'For the Girls' Orphanage, the basement is now a fully-functional Kitchen and Pantry. The first floor is now living quarters for both apprentices and unbaptized children, as well as dining area for both male and female orphans. Second and Third Floors the same.'

'And the sole duty of my attendants, is to constantly keep the Orphanage clean through housework and care for the infants and toddlers. Though for now we are currently in our first year of education...much of your peers already graduated Literacy and Numeracy from me and you two are my only students left, as everyone else is learning something new. You'll learn that too, when you finish Literacy and Numeracy Courses hopefully before snowfall, so you can join Crafting Classes on time.'

'Yes, Director!'

'But what's Crafting Classes?' Gil asked her.

'Boys will learn Woodwork, Repairwork, Carpentry, and Pottery. Boys can also be Tailors and Cooks. Girls learn Weaving, Sewing and Embroidery, Dressmaking, Cooking and Child Care.' Myne listed out. 'All these, every commoner must know and master, if they want to have jobs.'

Its inevitable that they'll know eventually. 'As you know, an Orphan's life is in the Director's hands and that is me this time around. Once you graduate from education and training, as well as come of age at fifteen years old, you are to leave the Temple and become a productive taxpaying Citizen of Ehrenfest, unless you are a child with Mana. You can never leave the Temple out of necessity if you have Mana, so their work is looking after the Orphanage unless recruited as a Temple Attendant.'

'Y-you mean...' Delia squawked out. This is big! 'Then, how many...'

'Well, 9 are children with Mana while everyone else has no Mana. They can go upon graduation. Oh yes, its almost dinner time, so you two take a bath at the back. Ask someone to take you to the outdoor baths as I have to make baby food soon. You two smell of smoke and its bad for kids.'

Delia and Gil exchanged looks.

Hello Personnel Shortage!

But a bath and a full dinner don't sound too bad...before reporting back.

xxx

'WHAAAAAT?!'

Delia, Gil and their three seniors winced at the High Bishop Bezewanst's outburst.

'We're on Personnel Shortage already and she's letting people go?! What is she thinkiiing!' and he stormed out of his office as his attendants scampered after him and he barged into Ferdinand's Office, but the office was locked!

'Ferdinand! Ferdinand!' Bezewanst yelled angrily while pounding on the door.

'Erm, maybe he's at dinner?' Gil helpfully piped up nervously. To the Dining Hall it is!

'FEEEERRRRDIIIIINAAAAAANNND!'

Meanwhile...

'...is it OK?' Fran asked Ferdinand who was just chill, eating dinner with his attendants when Bezewanst was gone.

'Mm. Running around after dinner is good exercise.' said Ferdinand coolly, but he was clearly amused as Myne warned him beforehand. So he was screwing around. 'He's overweight. As for us, we're fit enough not to need it. Now finish your meal so we can put this away and call it a day. I hate interrupted schedules.'

'Yessir.'