Ascendance of A Bookworm Part 5 Volume 3

VOLUME 5 💠 The Incarnation of the Goddess
EekAargh’s personal translations meant for my personal entertainment and use only. DON’T COPY or POST ANYWHERE.
Vol 5 - 3 🔸 Book 24 (deepL Translate Version)

nothing exciting but more scenes with Ferdinand Rozemyne 3rd Book without Downtown
Est Release in US April 2023
COVER: Rozemyne, Ferdinand, Sylvester
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Chapters 504-521)

*BASED ON JAPAN REVIEWS
0. PROLOGUE (Matthias) parts of Chp 503 +NEW LN only
1. Preparing for a Territorial Rivalry
2. Raimund's Study and Hirschur's Attention
3. Beginning of Territorial Rivalry (3rd Yr)
4. Socializing with Dunkelfelger Part 1
6. Socializing with Ahrensbach
7. Socializing with Royalty
8. Socializing with Other Territories
9. Socializing with Frenbeltag and Ditter
10. Ditter Competition and Dunkelfelger
Demonstration
11. First Award Ceremony
12. Supper with Ferdinand Part 1
14. Farewell and Coming-of-Age Ceremony
15. Dietlinde’s Dedication Dance
16. Discussion with
17. Lending and Borrowing Books and a Source of
Heart
18. EPILOGUE (Dietlinde POV?) *LIGHT NOVEL ONLY
19. SS ① Prince Siegeswald POV*LN ONLY
20. SS ② Dunkelfelger Archduchess POV*LN ONLY
21. SS: Dietlinde's Attendant*WEB Novel Only
22. SS: Lieseleta on Shumil Plushie*WEB Novel Only
23. SS: Lürradi on Determination in The Interduchy
Tournament*WEB Novel Only
A. Spoilers from Japanese LN Readers
**Last parts of Chapter 503 are included in Vol 5-3

NOTE: all blue fonts links to their respective chapters
Page 1 of 194 (EekAargh’s personal use – DON’T POST ANYWHERE) Ascendance of a Bookworm: Vol 5 -3 • Part 24
Synopsis of Japanese LN (to read the Japanese LN Reviews with potential spoilers, click here)
Rozemyne wakes up after collapsing in a duel with Dunkelfelger. Although the problems have been solved, the possibility
that the sovereign knights who broke in used the Trug has surfaced. While leaving the adults to deal with the problem,
Rozemyne begins preparing for the Interduchy Tournament. Socializing with various territories and royalty began one
after another.
However, Rozemyne's mind was somewhat unsettled. That's just as well. Ferdinand was scheduled to stay at the Ehrenfest
Tearoom on the night of the tournament. "I will do everything in my power to welcome you, Lord Ferdinand!
This is a story about the long-awaited reunion, the dedication dance for the coming-of-age ceremony, and a lot of other
events.
Plus, Two newly written short stories
EekAargh’s Notes and Disclaimers:
If you’re paying for this copy, you’ve been scammed!
This was done for my personal reading gratification so please DON'T POST OR COPY ANYWHERE. This is my
translation of the WEB novels with pictures from the AOAB wiki that were posted by fans (so again pls don't post
my files anywhere esp social media)
During the height of the pandemic after catching up to the English light novel (LN), I took on the challenge of
translating the web novels because I wanted to finish the story but reading the WN via MTL drove me nuts and the
official LNs are taking so darn long. Each volume took about 2½ weeks (if I work on it fulltime) to complete as I’m
not a native Japanese speaker. I mainly used deepL for initial translations and then correct each statement or
retranslate each statement contextually, often referring to other MTLs for clarity. I investigated Amazon Japan and
the AOAB wiki to get a clue on which Web chapters are included in the LN, as well as copy illustrations fr the
released official Japanese LN, trawl other Pinterest for additional fan illustrations if any can be used… TL;DR this
was a LOT of work!!
Common mistakes that you should just ignore because after weeks of working on correcting the revisions of my
revisions of my revisions… one’s eyes are now crossed:
• pronouns (esp gender he/she) - Japanese have no gender pronounce so I tend to miss this. deepL also
typically use "I" in translations, regardless of who is talking which is confusing to me
• tenses - narration is in past tense but I also tend to miss this so...*shrugs*
• butchering names esp. of gods - I did make corrections when newer LNs were released (e.g., Central and
Sovereign refer to same thing)
• Placement of LN illustrations – these were taken from the AOAB wiki and I just guess where the pictures
should go.
If after coming across this document, you read and enjoyed reading it, I appreciate a thank you message via:
https://forum.novelupdates.com/members/eekaargh.453314/
Happy reading
PS: Please support the author and buy official release (just as I do)❣❣
GALLERY
1 Clockwise: Dietlinde, King Trauqual, Prince Siegeswald, Prince Anastasius, Eglantine, Rozemyne, Ferdinand
2 Matthias, Laurenz, Brünnhilde, Leonore
Prologue Light Novel only
1. Preparing for a Territorial Rivalry
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4830bu/504/
The possibility of a connection between Georgine and some part of the center has made me uneasy, and
Leonore smiles at me.
"I can understand your anxiety, Lady Rozemyne, but it's up to Aub to deal with it. As an archduke
candidate, shouldn't Lady Rozemyne be thinking about the Interduchy Tournament? While you've been
asleep, it's gotten a lot closer."
At Leonore's words, Brünnhilde nodded in agreement.
Yes. We've made connections with Zent at the dedication ceremony, and we're also collaborating with
the three great realms. There will be more guests than last year, so the preparations will be more
difficult.
Rozemyne, they're right. Let's leave the decision to my father and start preparing for the Interduchy
Tournament. How is the joint research with Ahrensbach going?
Wilfried's question made me change my mind a little. As everyone said, we have to take care of the task
at hand.
The joint research with Ahrensbach will only start once we have read the letter and Rihyarda has given us
permission to go out. Basically, Ahrensbach will be doing the exhibits and presentations, so there won't
be much for me to do."
While I was in bed, I received a letter via the boundary gate of Ehrenfest. The main letter was from
Letizia, but there was also a letter from Ferdinand enclosed inside. Because my fever rose along with my
tension, Ferdinand's letter was put off until I was feeling better.
"How is your collaboration with Drewanchel going?"
Wilfried and Charlotte explained the progress of the joint research with Drewanchel. Wilfried, who had
discussed the joint research with Dunkelfelger, took the lead in discussing the presentation with
Drewanchel.
The nature of Ehrenfest's magic paper, how to improve its quality, and how it had been used so far
would be presented as common research topics.
"And as for the parts that have become new inventions by using them in magical tools, they will be
presented in their respective territories."
It was the same kind of division as the joint research with Dunkelfelger. It was good to be able to publish
in each territory without losing all the research results to the larger ones.
"It was fortunate that we didn't have to present our work only in Drewanchel. What new inventions do
we have in Ehrenfest? I don't know, I haven't received any reports so far."
I looked at Marianne, who had given me an idea for an instrument that could play music automatically.
Marianne lowered her gaze awkwardly.
"The instrument that plays the music is being researched by Drewanchel. We've tried our hand at it, but
it's superior to ours."
The result was that they were deprived of an idea. Marianne and Ignaz explained to me apologetically.
They said that all they could publish as research at Ehrenfest was a degraded version of Drewanchel's
study. I could tell that they were disappointed that they had not been able to produce good results even
though they had been given the opportunity to conduct joint research with a large territory.
"Sister, please don't blame them too much. This is the first time we have collaborated with a large
territory, and Drewanchel has only surpassed the results of their own efforts."
"I have no intention of blaming them," he shook his head at Charlotte, who was defending the two.
I wanted to know how to improve the quality of the magic paper and increase the value of the paper
produced at Ehrenfest, so we have met the minimum requirements for a joint presentation.
But I also miss having any inventions that could attract attention at all. Since we're going out of our way,
let's make a book that will automatically return to the bookshelf. Please increase the quality of the
Nansave paper as much as possible. The magic circle itself is already there, so all we have to do is make
the paper of a quality that can move the book.
If I combined it with the magic circle that Raimund taught me, I think I could move Ehrenfest's thin and
light books, even if I couldn't move the heavy books of other territories. If books placed a little farther
away are automatically placed in the bookcase, it would be an eye-catching demonstration.
"The rest is well... If Drewanchel is making musical instruments that produce sound with increased
quality, how about we try to make a magical instrument that plays music that conserves mana to the
point that even commoners can use it?"
There was a stone shop in the downtown area, and I heard that even commoners could easily obtain
scrap feystones. If the scrap stones could be used to play music like a music box, it would be possible to
play music in upscale Italian restaurants where it would be difficult to use traveling minstrels.
If the customers can buy feystones on the spot and listen to their favorite songs like a music box, they
will be able to enjoy music without hurting the pockets of Italian restaurants.
...... Well, you don't have to be a magician to make a music box or something like that, but if I order one
now, Johan is going to die.
When the printing business settles down, I may try to order some, but it will be difficult for Johan, who
spends more than half of the year on long business trips teaching metal typesetting and printing presses
in other places. Above all, I want to give priority to the spread of printing over music.
"I want to make it so that even commoners can use it by attaching sheet music and feystones. If
possible, I'd like to be able to play one or two songs with one small scrap of feystone."
As I was saying what came to my mind one after another, as if I were consulting with Raimund or Zack,
Wilfried interrupted me by raising his hand lightly.
"Rozemyne, you're putting us both in trouble if you suddenly talk like that."
Marianne and Ignaz were looking a little pale when I looked closely at them. But even as a third-year
student, I could think of a few ways to do this, so I didn't mean to be so difficult on the two archscholar
apprentices. I couldn't help but look back at my own apprentices.
"We can save mana by using simple magic circles and adding auxiliary magic circles, and we know that if
we write music and slide feystones, we can produce sound, so it shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
In response to my gaze, Roederich and Philine, who were taking notes on the writing board, pondered
for a moment.
"What Lady Rozemyne was referring to was the application of the magic circle Raimund taught us,
wasn't it? Are you planning to combine it with the Eifone paper? It may seem difficult to make
something that commoners can use, but I think it's simple to make."
"Couldn't we save the mana of the feystone by improving the quality of the ink used to write the score?"
As Roederich and Philine, who were watching Raimund's and my research closely at Professor Hirschur's
lab, said what they could think of, Marianne and Ignaz completely flushed.
"We'll try..."
When this is completed, it won't be a study with no original inventions or discoveries at all. I couldn't
wait to see what the results will be.
"How is the joint research with Dunkelfelger going? It seems that they were working on it while my
sister was asleep..."
In response to Charlotte's question, Philine and Muriela stepped forward. It was Philine who started the
explanation first.
"I've already summarized the common parts with Dunkelfelger. The rest is about the Ehrenfest ritual. I
will also add the impressions of the ritual participants that Lady Charlotte collected at the tea party. In
addition, as reported yesterday, among the participants of the ritual, there is a new archscholar
apprentice who has received blessings from the deity's genus, so I will hastily add that to the research
presentation."
"There are people who have received blessings between the dedication ceremony and now?"
Charlotte's surprise was met with a smile from Muriela.
It's Lady Lürradi of Josbrenner. At the time of the dedication ceremony, the only third-year student who
had not yet completed the ceremony to receive blessings was Lady Lürradi. On the advice of those
around her, she prayed all the way until her final exam."
The archnobles finished their lectures relatively early. Which meant that the archscholar apprentices who
were able to participate in the dedication ceremony had already completed the ritual, except for Lürradi.
She hadn't done the ceremony yet, but with the encouragement of those around her, she decided to
pray until the last minute.
"Just as they had done at Drewanchel, Lady Lürradi made a talisman to Bluanfah, Goddess of Budding
and prayed earnestly."
"She was praying to a very rare goddess"
Although Bluanfah, the goddess of buds, played a very active role in my mother's love story, I thought
she was a very minor target to pray to for blessings. As Drewanchel prepared an amulet together,
Mestionora, the goddess of wisdom, would be the most major one for a scholar.
Muriela smiled and told me what she thought.
"It seems she was praying fervently that she would find a wonderful love story."
...... Oh, she wasn't praying for her own love to grow.
I somehow felt a sense of camaraderie with Lady Lürradi, who was more interested in love stories than
her own romance. Maybe she was just like me, a disappointed girl who lived for books rather than love.
"Maybe it was because she was faithful to her own desires, or maybe it was because she prayed with a
single-minded focus. Or was it because she was a high ranking noble and had a lot of mana to put into
her prayers? Perhaps it was because she had an aptitude for water, which made it easier for her to
receive. In such a short period of time, Lürradi has received the blessings of Bluanfah. I think this is a
wonderful achievement."
It was proven that even archnobles from other domains could receive blessings by offering mana and
praying sincerely. It was certainly a great achievement for Ehrenfest's research. I would like to talk to
Lürradi in detail and add to the results of his research.
"The people around her seemed to want her to get the blessings of other gods, but she was very happy
with the results. She will be delighted to be able to express her gratitude to Lady Rozemyne."
It may seem a little strange, but there are no bad kids who love books. I'm sure Lürradi is a good girl. I
don't really remember her face because we only talked a little at the tea party, but I do remember the
book she lent me.
It was a love story written in an old language. It must have been very difficult to decipher whether it was
showing action or being used as a metaphor, because there was more God in the story than in my
mother's story, and the metaphor of God was also used in the way men praised women.
...... She is a hardcore love story lover, isn't she? She and Muriela seem to be kindred spirits.
I thought about that and then reconsidered. They must already be close friends. That's why Muriela is
getting the information about the newly acquired blessing.
"Lady Rozemyne, as a token of our gratitude for her assistance with our research, may I lend Lady Lürradi
a copy of the new Royal Academy love story?"
Muriela spoke up slowly. As I recall, the book I lent her at the tea party was more of a knight's tale than a
love story, not a nobleman's love story. The new books were inevitably prioritized for the archduke
candidates of the upper territories, so it was hard to get new books to Lürradi, an archnoble of the
middle territories. She was probably looking forward to the new love story of the Royal Academy.
I know what it's like to look forward to a new book release.
I also know the fun of reading a book and sharing your thoughts with your friends and getting excited
together.
It was a common scene in my time as Urano.
It warmed my heart.
The scene of Muriela and Lürradi looking into the book together and laughing at each other suddenly
came to mind.
It was a truly happy scene for me, who had made the book.
"Josbrenner is going to help us with the preparations for the Interduchy Tournament. Of course, please
do. I'm sure she'll feel the blessings of the Bluanfah."
After we finished talking about our joint research, we decided to ask Wilfried to write a letter to
Ehrenfest with our questions. After the discussion, I went back to my room.
Philine, please take out the letter from Ahrensbach.
The letter from Ahrensbach's Letizia seemed to be an assignment from Ferdinand. She is practicing to
write a letter with a roundabout, aristocratic phraseology. And at the same time, I've been given a task to
do as well. I have to write a reply that will set an example for Letizia.
...... I've been busy preparing for the Interduchy Tournament and replying to the nobleman's words is a
tedious task.
I was a little deflated, but excited because it's been a while since I've heard from him. I asked Philine to
read the parts written in normal ink, since I couldn't hide in a hidden room while I was asleep.
On the front page, I wrote about the graphs in my research presentation, the instructions I gave
Raimund, and my plans for the Interduchy Tournament and the graduation ceremony. On the night of
the tournament, Ferdinand was scheduled to stay in the tearoom at Ehrenfest.
"Rihyarda, I assume that I have permission from my foster father for Ferdinand to use the tearoom?"
While Philine went to get the letter, I talked to Rihyarda. Ferdinand, Justus, Brother Eckhart, and four of
Ahrensbach's retainer will be staying in the tearoom.
'Ehrenfest has already approved my application, and I've also received permission from Aub. Lord
Sylvester wanted to set up a room in the dormitory, but there's nothing we can do with Ahrensbach's
retainer. It's hard to arrange sleeping bunks."
Ferdinand is still living in Ahrensbach, but since he is not yet married, he is technically a resident of
Ehrenfest. Because of this, Dietlinde has instructed him to spend his time in the Ehrenfest dormitory.
...... This was because Lady Dietlinde, after hearing about my mother's love story at the Royal Academy,
longed for a situation in which her escort would come to pick her up on the morning of her graduation
ceremony.
The nobles of Ahrensbach, fearing that Ferdinand, who was already involved in their affairs, would leak
the information, objected, but Dietlinde said, "Didn't you say that Ferdinand would fulfill my wishes?"
She flashed the feystone that was given to her and was apparently stubborn in her refusal to give in.
"We are very happy to have you here, Ferdinand, but don't you think you will be tired if you stay on the
couch in the tearoom?" they said.
"It can't be helped, sir, if you don't want your position at Ahrensbach to be compromised by being
suspected of leaking information."
Even retainer from Ahrensbach can only enter and leave the tearoom. Incidentally, if they don't get
permission at Ehrenfest, they will have to spend the night in Professor Hirschur's laboratory. It was
written that if they had to stay at the lab, they would definitely have to stay up all night with Ferdinand
talking about research with Professor Hirschur, so they wanted to avoid it if possible.
...... If the research talk gets going and they start doing some studies for the first time in a while, the whole
graduation escort thing will definitely leave his mind.
What else do I need besides a couch? If we are going to spend the night on the couch in the tearoom, I
want to make sure that Ferdinand is as comfortable and relaxed as possible.
As I pondered this, Rihyarda chuckled, "You'll need to prepare some shelves and wooden boxes to store
his belongings, but please leave those preparations to your attendants. More importantly, please don't
forget to add in your reply that the princess should bring a storage box for additional dishes. I'll have the
castle cook prepare it and bring it to you."
Rihyarda must be looking forward to this rare opportunity to meet her son, Justus. She was very excited.
The students were busy preparing for the Interduchy Tournament, so the preparations for Ferdinand's
arrival would involve Rihyarda and the other attendants who had come with the students.
"Lady Rozemyne, here is a letter from Ahrensbach."
"I thank you ever so much, Philine. Philine and the others, please continue to prepare the research
presentation."
"Yes. I will do my best to learn the graphs."
In Ferdinand's reply, he told me that I could use the graphs, but only to the extent that my apprentice
scholars could fully understand them. As an archduke candidate, I had to prioritize socializing, so the
presentation would be done by my apprentice scholars. They should be ready to respond to any
questions about the graphs.
I should add that presentations using graphs were likely to be groundbreaking, and there was a risk that
the graphs would attract more attention than the original research.
...... I don't think it will get any more attention than the ceremony the royals participated in.
With that in mind, I carried the letter to the hidden room.
"I'm going to stay in the hidden room for a while."
I asked Philine to read it once, and read the reply on the front page again. There was a lot of information
about the joint research with Ahrensbach. It took quite a while, but I guessed Ferdinand also received
the report via Professor Fraularm.
......, but there are more questions about Schwartz and Weiss' research than about the joint research.
Apparently, he was really hungry for research. I didn't know the details of Schwartz and his team's
research, since it had been left to Professor Hirschur. When Rihyarda received permission to go out, I
might as well check on the progress of her research and reply to her.
Incidentally, the glowing ink says, "Did the royals take you to the library? You wouldn't have gone in,
would you? Also, how is your collaboration with Dunkelfelger and Drewanchel going? The letter from
you broke off abruptly, but I hope you're not doing anything you can't report," he wrote. In my brain, I
could already picture Ferdinand thumping his temples.
...... Not good.
Now that I think about it, I had not sent a letter since the time I showed the royals to the archives. I
didn't know how to put it in a letter because the little things were getting bigger and bigger.
...... I have a hunch that it will make him angry but I didn't really want him to be.
"Hmm, I could write honestly now and let him get angry at the Interduchy Tournament, or I could
explain it when we meet at the Interduchy Tournament and let him get angry. Either way, he'll be pissed.
For now, let's prioritize writing things that will be praised."
When we meet again, the first thing I'll do is ask for praise. Then, I'll explain what he's likely to get angry
about. If I don't do this, I'm sure he'll be complaining all the way from the time we meet again until we
say goodbye.
Without using glowing ink, I wrote down what everyone knew that would be praised, such as the
dedication ceremony at the Royal Academy and the donation of mana to the royal family, the fact that I
could now use two schtappes, and the fact that I had done my best to ditter with Dunkelfelger.
"That's it. You won't get mad at me when we meet, right? Yeah."
Tomorrow, I have to go to Professor Hirschur's lab to have a final discussion with Raimund about my
presentation and to return the manuscript of Schwartz's research.
"We don't have many days left. I must work hard."
We are preparing for the Interduchy Tournament.
We have been very busy this year putting together our collaborative research.
Lürradi received a blessing.
And I received a reply from Ferdinand.
The following is information on Raimund's research and other territories.
2. Raimund's Study and Hirschur's Attention
The reply to the letter I sent about Trug arrived from Ehrenfest the next morning. Even when I sent the
letter in the evening, I received the reply first thing in the morning. It showed how much importance
Sylvester attached to it.
"Brother Wilfried, what did it say?"
Wilfried read, "Aub will handle speaking to the royalty, so don't do anything unnecessary. Even if you
send a letter or something similar, it will be subjected to censorship, plus there is a possibility that the
information will be leaked to those who use Trug. In addition, I don't know how much of the inner
workings of Ehrenfest they will reveal, and I can't leave it to either of you to do that."
I couldn't help but agree. There were some scholars in Ehrenfest who also had some knowledge about
Trug, so it was possible that there were scholars of the same generation who knew about Trug in The
sovereignty.
If Trug was really used against the sovereign knights, it means that there are dangerous people inside
the Sovereign Knights Order or sovereign figures who have access to it. They don't want any more
danger from them, he said. During the Interduchy Tournament, since Rozemyne will need to talk to the
royal family about performing the star-knotting ceremony, he will speak to them directly at that time.
I nodded at the contents of the letter Wilfried read out and decided to leave the matter of Trug. It is true
that if they asked me where and how I knew about it, I would have to tell them about Georgine.
However, I don't know the details of this winter's purge, and I don't know what I should or shouldn't say
about what has happened so far. I'm afraid I'll end up being scolded right there and then for talking
about unnecessary things.
"Anyway, it says again and again, 'Don't do anything unnecessary.' Be careful, Rozemyne."
"I know, I know. I'm going to Professor Hirschur's lab today to finalize our joint research with
Ahrensbach." I replied.
Wilfried said, "hmm. I'm going to help with the joint research with Drewanchel, because the more magic
you have, the better the quality of the paper."
I took my letter that had to be delivered to Ferdinand and left for Professor Hirschur’s lab. Joining us
today were Lieseleta, Gratia, and my guard knights, Theodore and Laurenz.
Everyone else was busy preparing for the Interduchy Tournament. Brünnhilde was the lead figure of the
apprentice attendants, and the apprentice scholars were busy collaborating with Dunkelfelger and
Drewanchel. Rihyarda was in contact with Ehrenfest and was busy preparing for Ferdinand's arrival.
"Today, Leonore and Matthias went to the library to research feybeasts. We managed to win last year
with Leonore's knowledge. Judith is practicing her long-range shooting. Her hit rate can change the
situation a lot."
Theodore smiled a little proudly at Laurenz's words and nodded. Everyone was working hard. I had to do
my best too.
"Is Professor Hirschur here?"
When I called out to her to let her know that I was coming, Raimund, who was probably holed up in the
lab preparing for the announcement of the Interduchy Tournament, greeted me while hastily stroking
her shaggy black hair.
"I'm very sorry, but you'll have to wait a little longer. I'm in the process of making it look less unsightly."
Raimund's eyes were glued to the wagon behind me as he said this. He appeared to be completely
baited. As Raimund closed the door, Lieseleta giggled.
"I sent ordonnanz to the lab last night and this morning, as per Lady Rozemyne's suggestion, but I see it
hasn't been cleared up yet."
He was probably prioritizing his research and started to clean up after this morning's ordonnanz in a
hurry.
By the time the door was opened again, they were both cleaned up. I went inside and immediately asked
Raimund about his progress.
"I received a letter from Lord Ferdinand. How is Raimund's research going?"
"I've been allowed to make a presentation on the magical artifacts of recording and the library. If
possible, I would like to have this one prepared by Lady Rozemyne."
In addition to the magic tools that glowed when the time was set, as part of Schwartz and Weiss'
research, they had created magic tools that searched for books and other materials. It was a great way to
save a lot of mana if you didn't move or talk like Schwartz and Weiss did.
"This area is also my research, but this year, research at Ehrenfest is very bustling."
Professor Hirschur usually presented her research at Ehrenfest, but she decided to piggyback on
Raimund’s research since there was a lot of collaboration this year.
"These are valuable studies, but they are a bit unsophisticated," she said. "Compared to the studies on
how to obtain the blessings of the gods or the new magic tools made from Ehrenfest paper, they don't
have the power to entice people to come. If you make a magic tool that is useful for the library, the
library won't have much to offer and as such will not attract an audience."
Professor Hirschur said that only researchers would be interested in a sorcerer's tool to search for books
and materials, since the materials themselves are few and not that difficult to manage. Although she was
very happy about it, she said that it was not eye-catching enough to be the centerpiece of her research.
"So you're saying we should build more libraries. I'm going to start..."
"The increase in the number of libraries should be left to the future. Instead, please make a prototype as
soon as possible."
...... More than that is terrible.
Even before I could say anything, Professor Hirschur snapped me out of my plan to increase the library,
and I turned my gaze to Raimund, my shoulders slumping.
"Raimund, at Ehrenfest we are working with Drewanchel to create a book that will automatically return to
the bookcase. I'd like to use the magic circle that I created and Raimund corrected for me, if that's okay."
"I don't think you need to ask my permission, since you'll be using Ehrenfest's paper and Lady
Rozemyne's magic circle..."
Raimund blinked his blue eyes and said that he really thought so. I explained that Raimund had
simplified it for me and that not everyone had the technology to do so.
"I'll make sure to mention that Raimund did the magic circle improvement. If you don't make a name for
yourself in this way, you won't get any good patrons and you won't make it as a researcher."
Even as a mednoble, Raimund was not in good terms with his parents' family and he was indifferent to
his skills and talents, despite the fact that he claimed to have no money. If it were Benno, he would have
thundered, "Don't give it away for free!" Benno would have been thunderstruck.
"I've heard that Lord Ferdinand made quite a lot of money by selling off the techniques and magical
tools he researched at the Royal Academy. Raimund should be careful not to sell them cheaply."
"I'll be careful."
"Enough talk of money, Lady Rozemyne. He can get money for his research by selling the results of his
research, as Ferdinand and I have been doing. There's not much time left before the Interduchy
Tournament, so you should concentrate on that."
I think Professor Hirschur was amazing to have enough research results to collect the money she needed
when she needed it. I was very concerned about the fact that Raimund seemed to be selling his products
at a very low price, but it was not my place to interfere any further.
"How will you report this to Professor Fraularm?"
"I've already shown her the prototype, so I don't have anything to report to her from now on. The other
day, when I reported to Professor Fraularm for final confirmation, she was very difficult."
She said that since Raimund came up with the idea and Ferdinand, his mentor, had confirmed it, there
was no need for him to collaborate with Ehrenfest. Raimund was told that since I had not contributed
much to the research, I should be a contributor instead of a collaborator.
He complained that he couldn't have made the prototype without my help, and lightly threatened to
consult with Lady Dietlinde and Lord Ferdinand.
……. I am grateful that Lady Dietlinde is on my side, saying that this is a research presentation in the name
of her fiancée.
After the cousins' tea party, Dietlinde was said to have been angry with Professor Fraularm, saying,
"Because the report did not reach me properly, I, the next Aub, have been humiliated. Maybe that's why
the report was sent to Ferdinand in a hurry."
"Raimund. What is Professor Fraularm's position in the dormitory like? Is everyone in Ahrensbach
satisfied with such arrogance?"
"As long as Ehrenfest and Lady Rozemyne are not involved, she is not too much of a nag. I heard that
Ehrenfest and Lady Rozemyne framed her younger brother and got him into a lot of trouble. Apparently,
she was punished along with Count Bindewald." so she’s Count Bindewald’s sister- the better-looking one? eheheh
He also said that Georgine, who is from Ehrenfest, is doing various things for Professor Fraularm to
atone for her sins.
...... Count Bindewald? Oh, that's who I thought he was. He was a toad-like nobleman who went on a
rampage in the temple. If she's related to him, she's no good. We'll never get along.
If you knew why someone considered you an enemy, you would know better to stay away from them
and make your life easier.
"That's why she get along very well with students who are hostile to Ehrenfest. Like the students who
couldn't participate in the ceremony because they were blocked by Lady Rozemyne's Schutzaria's
shield."
Not all of Ahrensbach's apprentice scholars were bounced off, but two of them were supposed to have
been. Raimund told me, averting his gaze as if he had trouble saying it.
"The girls who were repelled by the shield had a lot of bad things to say about Lady Rozemyne. They are
former nobles of Werkestock, and they are angry at Ehrenfest and Lady Rozemyne for refusing to help
them with their mana shortage."
On top of that, they were apparently angry that they had been humiliated in front of royalty this time.
Professor Fraularm consoled them, saying some bad things about me, and they became strangely
united.
"Of course, not the whole of Ahrensbach thinks that way, as the apprentice scholar we let in reported on
what happened in the ceremony and its usefulness in obtaining the blessings of the gods. The value of
Lord Ferdinand, the former high priest of Ehrenfest and a man who knows a lot about divine things, has
been increasing rapidly."
"I see. I hope I have been of some help to Lord Ferdinand."
I was a little happy as I turned my attention to Lieseleta. She quickly moved and presented Raimund with
a letter.
"Please deliver this to Lord Ferdinand. It also contains information on what he should bring to the
Interduchy Tournament, so it would be great if you could deliver it to him as soon as possible."
Raimund said as he accepted the letter, "I understand. I'll go back to the dormitory while Lady Rozemyne
is compounding." Unlike me, who was relieved, Professor Hirschur blinked her eyes in wonder.
"Oh, will Lord Ferdinand be at the Interduchy Tournament? Will he be escorting his fiancée to the
graduation ceremony as well? Ahrensbach does not have an archduke candidate who can stay behind,
right? How many days can he be away?"
Ahrensbach's archduke candidates were Dietlinde and Letizia, while Ferdinand was still an archduke
candidate of Ehrenfest, even though he was in charge of the office. If Aub Ahrensbach, who was on a
sickbed, and Georgine, his archduchess, were to participate, there was no way Ferdinand could take part
in the territorials battle.
...... Also, Aub is worse off than I expected. I wonder if Georgine and Ferdinand will be here?
And on the other hand, coming here meant leaving Aub, who was not well enough to go out socially, to
take care of things.
"In Ahrensbach, there are a number of former archduke candidates who had become archnobles, so they
will be taking care of things while Lord Ferdinand and Lady Georgine are away."
Raimund said that even if they couldn't put their magic into the cornerstone magic, they could still help
with the office and take care of things.
"The title of Archduke candidate is necessary for political activities outside, but not for housekeeping in
the territory. I've also heard that the magic of the cornerstone doesn't suddenly change if you don't
supply it for a day or two. Isn't that right?"
"In Ehrenfest, someone who can supply mana to the cornerstone magic is always supposed to stay at
home in case something happens. So this is another difference between Ahrensbach and Ehrenfest."
After watching Raimund leave, I began to prepare my ingredients for compounding. This time, it was to
create a magic tool for Professor Hirschur to take advantage of Raimund's research.
I thought, "Why not make it myself," but he said, "I'll give it to you after I finish my presentation at the
Interduchy Tournament. I don't need the library's magic tools," he said, so I had no choice but to make
them.
...... I'm going to put a material retrieval system in my library!
As I stirred the ingredients Professor Hirschur was preparing into the blending pot, I chatted with her a
bit. The only thing we had in common was Ferdinand.
"That's why Lady Dietlinde asked him to pick her up on the morning of the graduation ceremony. Since
he couldn't stay in the Ahrensbach dormitory, Ferdinand had to stay in the tearoom at Ehrenfest."
"My goodness, I can't believe that Ferdinand would go along with such antics." Professor Hirschur
chuckled.
"It's hard to keep Dietlinde happy," I muttered, at the same time Professor Hirschur said, "He really wants
to go back to Ehrenfest that desperately?"
"What?"
"If he didn't, he would have convinced Lady Dietlinde to stay in Ahrensbach dormitory, or he would have
stayed here to study and relax. Even if it means resting on the couch in the tearoom, I'm sure he wanted
to return to Ehrenfest."
Professor Hirschur knew Ferdinand better than I did, and his words made me feel happy and sad in a
strange way. I wondered if the words "I want to do research" written all over the letter were the words "I
want to go home" for the twisted Ferdinand.
"I will do my best to welcome Lord Ferdinand."
"Then please hand this to him. This is the manuscript I borrowed about Schwartz and Weiss' research,
along with some additional material I researched."
It would be cruel to ask Ferdinand to hand over his research materials, when had written in his letter that
if he stayed in Professor Hirschur's laboratory, he would be so engrossed in his research that he would
stay up all night.
"Is Professor Hirschur going to cut down on Lord Ferdinand's sleep time?"
"Wouldn't that be you, Lady Rozemyne? Haven't you been doing a lot of things that would make
Ferdinand's head spin? Dittering with Dunkelfelger, where Rozemyne's engagement is at stake?
Including royalty in the ceremony. Don't you think that one night is not enough?"
When she told me that it would be better to immerse myself in my research than to lose sleep over a
sermon, I felt my blood drain quickly.
I'm sure the topic of the royal family's participation in the Interduchy Tournament and the graduation
ceremony will not go unnoticed. The teachers, who had only heard about it from the students who
participated, were eagerly awaiting the detailed presentation. This is the most popular research
presentation for this year's Interduchy Tournament. I'm sure Lord Ferdinand will be very eager to know
the details."
"Ugh..."
I started to feel depressed as I pictured myself being scolded endlessly from the moment I saw him
again. I had to get at least one word of praise from him.
"Um, Professor Hirschur. What do you think of our reputation with the surrounding territories?" Lieseleta
asked while making a cup of tea for Professor Hirschur.
“After the dedication ceremony, the number of duchies that were praising and fawning over Lady
Charlotte at the tea parties she attended increased. And after ditter match, we didn't hear any bad
rumors at all."
Not only was this true with the tea parties, but also with the information gathering of the apprentice
scholars and apprentice attendants. We had expected that there would be some duchies cozying to us
because of our participation in the ritual, but as sickening as it was, we suddenly heard less bad rumors,
Lieseleta added.
Gratia nodded in agreement with Lieseleta.
“The small and medium-sized duchies that couldn't participate in the ritual were certainly holding
grudges. However, that changed after ditter games. We can sense the malice behind the smiles from the
small and medium-sized duchies who approached us. I would like to know if you know anything about
this, Professor Hirschur, given your position as dormitory supervisor."
Professor Hirschur lowered his gaze mulling the question over for a moment.
“I have received word directly from Zent and was first to know about receiving protection. ❓not sure what
this means: other translations showed “receive blessings”
The duchies that are able to participate will be less likely to
speak ill of us to our faces. It's only natural that they would try to gain as much advantage as possible
from Ehrenfest, which is connected to the royal family, so I hope we can use this opportunity to get
along with the other territories."
“I'm more afraid of the resentment behind the smiles," Professor Hirschur continued as if she was talking
about something else.
"I have heard a lot of bad things said about me but not everyone approaches me with a smile like that.
In addition to the original rumors about Aub, Ehrenfest must have been seen as deceitful, right?"
To participate in the joint research, the students were required to ditter. And just when they thought
they had completed ditter and managed to get the right to participate they were unceremoniously
thrown off by one of my sacred tools. They were humiliated in front of the royal family and felt
manipulated after the sovereign knights request to change their attitudes which they did not see as an
order from Zent.❓not sure I go this right- just did a contextual interpretation
"All of that was caused by Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest so of course, there would be resentment. And that
resentment is being directed at the weaker Ehrenfest."
"I see..."
We need to be vigilant in many ways, Gratia muttered, and Professor Hirschur nodded profoundly.
"Those who only know the Royal Academy in present times probably don’t realize this but until a few
years ago, Ehrenfest was a low-ranking duchy that only rose in rank after remaining neural during the
civil war. And yet only in the last few years, Ehrenfest not only broke out of the lower ranks but also
established ties with the royal family. There are probably more envious duchies than you think."
Professor Hirschur's words reminded me of what Brother Cornelius had said about Ehrenfest being
completely different from when we were younger. I did not know how Ehrenfest was treated when it was
a low-ranking duchy.
“Just as there were many last year who dismissed Ehrenfest’s trends as a passing fad, there were many
this year who attributed our rise in ranking due to Rozemyne's power alone. The duchies around us must
have realized that the trends that kept coming out, the joint researches with the large territories, and the
connections with the royal family were all due to Rozemyne's actions,” Professor Hirschur concluded.
"I can't do any of this on my own," I protested.
I couldn't have gotten the grades or started the printing business by myself. I could only do it with the
help of others.
Professor Hirschur's expression became a little sterner at my assertion. "Yes, you could not have done
these things on your own but neither could these been done without your presence. You should be
more aware of exactly how you appear to the other realms."
I needed to be aware as a female archduke candidate who Dunkelfelger tried to acquire by force
because of having abundant mana, knowledge of various trends and technologies, ties to royalty, and
multiple protections by the gods.
"I would like to see Ehrenfest united around Lady Rozemyne. Therefore, please be very careful of your
surroundings. Don't lose sight of your circumstances." sage advice fr Hirschur
"Yes." I replied and continued stirring the mixture in circles.
"I had the letter sent to out.”
Raimund came back. As soon as he saw that the table had been cleared and Professor Hirschur was
eating his food, he shouted pathetically, "Ahh!"
"I have already set aside the portions to give to Lord Raimund."
Raimund, who had regained his composure after Professor Hirschur's words, took a seat and began to
eat. Lieseleta, who had been serving Raimund, made him a cup of tea.
"Lord Raimund. I'm very curious about something, may I speak up?
"What is it?"
"Are you going to display the magical objects you recorded there? I think it would be more adorable if
they were displayed as stuffed shumil toys."
I remembered the plushie of shumil that Lieseleta had made for me. It's certainly cuter than the magic
tool itself, and I think it would catch people's attention even if it were on display. I have a white shumil
that I'm going to give to Letizia that I haven't voiced yet.
"The idea of putting a magic tool into a stuffed animal is very typical of Rozemyne, and I think it's easy
to see that she's participating in the joint research."
Even though the names of Raimund, who proposed the idea, and Ferdinand, who corrected it, were
widely publicized under Professor Fraularm's leadership, my involvement was immediately apparent with
shumil's stuffed magic tools, the Lieseleta argued.
She said it was to advertise my involvement as the Lord, but is it my imagination or does it sound like
she just wants to display the cute shumil?
"It is true that neither I, Raimund, nor Ferdinand have the idea of decorating magic tools, so it will be
effective as a countermeasure against Professor Fraularm. But will you be able to finish it before the
Interduchy Tournament?"
"It's almost ready, I'll give it a voice and bring it to you tomorrow. I'm sure both gentlemen and women
will enjoy having the ordinary magic tools and the stuffed animals of shumil side by side," Lieseleta
assured me with a very lively smile. She quickly finished the white shumil and brought it with her.
A recording device registered the owner's mana and could only record sounds while the registrant was
pouring mana into it. I was going to record my voice into the shumil that I was going to give to Letizia,
so my mana was already registered into the magic tool.
Holding the white shumil, I pondered, "What should I say in my voice? This was indeed a display for a
Interduchy Tournament. I didn't think that I could imbue it with a caution against Lord Ferdinand."
If I did that, he would probably pinch my cheek as soon as we met again. I could see that coming.
"Lady Rozemyne. Would it not be wonderful to receive words of love from a lord with such a lovely
magic tool?" Muriela suggested, her green eyes glowing.
I could not relate to her statement, but I thought a woman who could relate to words of love might be
touched by such recordings. I could also use this to emphasize that the recording and its content was
definitely not Raimund's idea.
"I'm going to ask one of you gentlemen to choose a love story from the Royal Academy and record it for
me. I will carefully select the most beautiful words of love."
I wasn't sure how nice they were, so I decided to leave it to Muriela. We went to the multi-purpose hall
together, and Muriela began to carefully select romantic words from the Royal Academy love stories,
moving faster than she ever did with her other tasks.
"Matthias, Laurenz. If it's okay with either of you, could you please infuse the words of love that Muriela
has chosen into this shumil?"
I went to the multi-purpose hall and asked. Theodore and Roederich's voices were still too young, so if
possible, I would like to ask Matthias or Laurenz. I couldn’t help but think that Hartmut should have been
there when this happened. He would have been able to do it without embarrassment or shame.
Matthias froze at my request and blurted, "What?" while Laurenz simply said, "No problem."
"Then send it to Laurenz..." I said.
"Wait a minute, Laurenz. Can you, uh, can you, uh, can you breathe a word of love in a place like this?"
Matthias indicated everyone in the multi-purpose hall with an uncomfortable wince.
Laurenz shrugged his shoulders, "It's not like I'm going to tell the woman of my dreams, it's just like
reading a book, right? I don't think there's anything to be upset about."
"No, those are not words to be uttered casually without a partner."
This was the first time I had ever seen the two of them having an interesting exchange. However, Muriela
was waiting for him with the Royal Academy love story in her hand and an expectant smile on her face.
“In the meantime, may I ask Laurenz for a favor?"
"I apologize for being an unworthy retainer who is unable to fulfill his Lady's request," said Matthias with
regret as he stepped back.
I thought there was nothing to be regretful about, but Matthias was depressed.
"It's fine if Matthias is useful where he excels. We all have different strengths and weaknesses."
"I am ever thankful, my lady."
I recorded Laurenz's voice as I touched the magic tool. The romantic words that Muriela had carefully
selected were full of gods, and I had a hard time understanding them.
Since I didn't understand the words of love, I ended up recording an advertisement for the book. It was a
good chance to promote Ehrenfest's book to a large audience.
"Whether you are a woman who wants to be enchanted by a variety of romantic words like this one, or a
gentleman who is looking for the perfect phrases to win over the woman of his dreams, the Royal
Academy Love Stories is for you. The Royal Academy Love Stories will be on sale starting this summer at
Ehrenfest. The gripping Ditter's Tale, Knight's Tale, and Dunkelfelger's History will also be available at the
same time. Please enjoy." such a Benno disciple
Thus, the white shumil was put on display for the collaboration with Raimund. Lieseleta is inwardly
overjoyed.
This laboratory scene was somewhat comforting to write about.
eekNotes: it was interesting to hear Hirschur’s take on how Ehrenfest is treated. Love the Matthia-Laurenz
exchange
Next is the beginning of the Interduchy Tournament.
3. Beginning of Territorial Rivalry (3rd Yr)
"It's done! How about this, Lady Rozemyne?"
Just before lunch, the day before the Interduchy Tournament, Ignaz and Marianne came out of the
mixing room with their magic tools. Behind them followed a number apprentice scholars.
"Please have a look."
Marianne set down a piece of paper with music written on it and turned the handle to play a sound like
a music box.
Ignaz combined Nansave paper with a small, improved transition station and sent the book to the
bookshelf for us to see and said, “There were several improvements that we would like to make, but as a
prototype, I thought it would be acceptable for display.”
As expected, we needed more time to improve it further but we didn’t have enough mana or materials.
Wilfried and Charlotte, who were chiefly assisting the apprentices, also appeared a little tired, but they all
had a look of accomplishment on their faces.
"I think it's brilliant. How did you get it into shape in such a short time?"
"Indeed, it is. The archnobles are amazing. I gave some advice and suggestions based on Lady
Rozemyne's and Lord Raimund's research, but I couldn’t compound them myself."
Philine, who was holed up in the mixing room with me, looked at Ignaz and the others with respect.
There was a difference in the concoctions that could be made depending on the amount of mana which
Philine, a laynoble, could not make.
"While I am in the Royal Academy, I use a lot of mana for lectures, so I would like to compress it as much
as possible between spring and autumn..."
"We'll have more mana during that time."
“We can't lose to Philine and the others,” Ignaz said, smiling challengingly. It was a good idea to keep up
the friendly competition and to encourage everyone to improve their mana.
"Are you ready to practice your presentation?"
"I will now. But unlike the research we've done so far, it's something we've thought of and created
ourselves, so I think we'll be fine."
Instead of trying to present advanced potions and magic tools they were working on with Drewanchel
that they didn’t quite understand, they would explain the magic tools they had created with their own
hands from scratch, so there was no need to worry about the content of their presentation.
“I would like to know a little about the Ehrenfest paper from Lady Rozemyne, within the limits of what
I'm allowed to present,” asked Marianne.
I readily agreed to Marianne's request and worked together in the afternoon to finish our joint research
with Drewanchel.
Since I was in the dormitory all day, the apprentice knights were able to train all day.
"The quatre quarts began to arrive from Ehrenfest. I'll bring them into the conference room."
At the sound of Brünnhilde's voice, the apprentice attendants began to move in unison. The quatre
quarts and cookies I ordered from the Othmar Trading Company started to arrive during the transition. I
decided to focus on baked goods that could be left over to serve at the Interduchy Tournament. As
expected, the number of visitors was too large for the dormitory kitchen to handle.
"The kitchen at the castle must be very busy by now."
We had asked the chef at the castle to prepare the food for Ferdinand. The busy atmosphere here and
there was filled with the pre-festival excitement, and it made my heart sing.
"Lady Rozemyne, the second volume of the Tale of Fernestine has arrived with the quatre quarts. You
promised Lady Hannelore that you would get it for her. Would you like me to inform her in ordonnanz?"
Lieseleta brought me a wooden box containing the Tales of Fernestine.
Muriela said, "Well!" her green eyes twinkling, but the apprentice scholars needed to prioritize their
preparations for tomorrow.
"I'll send them to her myself. I'll lent it to you, Muriela, after the Interduchy Tournament is over. I haven't
read it, either."
"The princess will have to wait until after the tournament."
I had no choice but to reply, "Yes," as Rihyarda gave me a big nudge.
"I can't wait to read it," said Muriela as she proceeded with her preparations, and I felt quite at ease with
her.
When I informed Hannelore of the arrival of the Fernestine story, she replied in a bouncy voice, "I'm
looking forward to it."
The morning of Ehrenfest's Interduchy Tournament began with a sweet smell. In the kitchens, the
baking process immediately commencing after the preparation of sandwiches, soups, and other ready-
made breakfasts.
After finishing breakfast earlier than usual, the students began to prepare for the tournament. The
apprentices gave orders to the commoner workers to bring out the sweets that had been placed in the
meeting room one after another. The apprentice knights who were going to compete in ditter were
doing their final practice, and the younger apprentice knights who were not competing were guarding
the archduke candidates.
" Well, then, we must be on our way as well."

After calling out to the apprentice scholars, Wilfried and Charlotte began to mobilize. I wanted to help
set up the hall, but I was told, "I'm not sure the younger knight apprentices will be comfortable with Lady
Rozemyne moving around."
"I can't predict how the small and medium-sized duchies who lost the ditter to Dunkelfelger will behave.
I've asked the knights order to bring more knights to escort the archducal couple, so please stay in the
dormitory until they arrive."
I couldn't say I wanted to go after being told that much. I said, "I understand. "Please get ready," he said
as I watched Wilfried and Charlotte leave with the apprentice scholars. I couldn't blame them for wanting
to avoid danger, but I somehow felt sad to be left out.
There were people going in and out of the dormitory busily preparing for the event, but no one was in
the multi-purpose hall anymore. As I stared at the empty hall, Rihyarda gently rested her hands on my
shoulders out of concern.
"Princess, could you please check the tearoom? It's all ready for Ferdinand and Justus to rest."
"I will go."
I headed to the tearoom with Rihyarda using the door closest to the stairs leading to the kitchen to
enter. The door was unlocked with a click, and Rihyarda opened it. The tearoom was quite large, as
evidenced by the fact that we were able to invite representatives from all the duchies to the tea party in
our first year. The room was divided into three sections by wall panels to create private rooms.
"At the end which is farthest from the entrance, we have prepared a couch for Lord Ferdinand to sleep
on. As the princess requested, it was delivered to us from Ehrenfest."
It was the mattress couch that I had ordered from Zack. He was reluctant to have it delivered all the way
from Ehrenfest because it would be too much work, but I'm sure it's much more comfortable than
sleeping on a couch with just a piece of cloth stretched over a board and some cushions. I nodded my
head in satisfaction as I pushed the mattress down.
"We have the bedclothes and quilts ready for you in this crate. Just explain it to Justus, and he will
prepare the bedding. He’ll probably have to confirm with the Ahrensbach retainers." ❓ not sure I got this right
In addition to the wooden box containing the bedding, a chest of drawers for storing things and magical
tools for turning on the lights were brought in right next to the couch, while the couch itself was
surrounded by shutters.
"We can't put a canopy on it, but I think this will make it a little easier for Ferdinand to rest."
There were chairs and other furnishings for the men in charge of the sleeping quarters, and at the far
end was a space for complete rest. In the middle was a table and chairs. I guess they were designed for
people to eat together. There were a lot of chairs.
"Since Aub and the students were supposed to eat and work together after the Interduchy Tournament, I
was told that my boy Wilfried and the princess will dine here. After the meal is over, Lord Sylvester will
join you here."
The moment I was excited about the possibility of having dinner with them, I realized the possibility of
being lectured throughout the meal. I needed to find a way to avoid the sermon. I would like to avoid
the lecture this time by bringing up the topic of my research, as Brother Eckhart had told me before.
"Rihyarda, I also want to give Ferdinand the materials that Professor Hirschur gave me. Please prepare
the paper and ink for him as well."
"They're ready, Princess."
As expected of Rihyarda. She had everything under control. The topic of the meal should be research, as
Ferdinand seemed to have a thirst for research, and that would be best.
"Also, this area closest to the door is where the retainers will be resting."
Although there were crates for their luggage and bedding, the area was much simpler than Ferdinand's
resting space. I doubted if this was a good place for someone from another duchy to rest.
"Eckhart, who is a knight, and Justus, who wanders from place to place at will, can sleep outside, while
the retainers from Ahrensbach might be too nervous to sleep."
No one in Ferdinand’s Ahrensbach retainers could sleep comfortably in the tearoom, which was easily
accessible from the dormitory by anyone from Ehrenfest, Rihyarda said. Ferdinand and his retainer might
have someone they could trust back home, but Ahrensbach people did not.
"So we don't need to prepare much for the rest of the retinue. Rather, since the rest of the realm will be
here after breakfast to pick up the graduates, our priority is to make it easy for them to get around and
to make them as comfortable as possible."
Just as Ferdinand went to pick up Dietlinde, there were people from other duchies coming to pick up
Ehrenfest students after breakfast as well. As soon as Ferdinand and the others had finished breakfast,
they had to be ready to receive their guests.
'You've given it a lot of thought. I thank you ever so much, Rihyarda. Please tell the other attendants that
I thank them as well."
"Very well, sir."
After confirming that everything was ready, I returned to the multi-purpose hall.
“Good day to you, Lady Rozemyne."
It was time for the parents of the graduates to arrive from the teleportation circle one after another. It
was the same scene as every year, as the parents walked past the dormitory in their glittering costumes,
heading for the stadium where the competition was to be held. As I was reflecting on this, I saw Brother
Cornelius, Angelica, and Hartmut among the figures coming out of the teleportation circle. Instead of
their usual work clothes, all three of them were dressed formally, like the rest of the parents.
"Good morning, Lady Rozemyne."

"What brings
you three to the
Royal
Academy?"
"I'm here to see

my fiancée in
action. Besides, I
have to inform
Clarissa's family
again about the
changed
situation and ask
for their
forgiveness."
There was a
strong possibility
that the
engagement
would be called
off now that
Hartmut had
become high
priest. When I
thought it was
my fault,
Hartmut laughed
and said, "It is
not your
concern, Lady
Rozemyne."
"If you think

about the fact
that the zent
participated in
Rozemyne's
dedication
ceremony, and 3 Hartmut, Cornelius, Angelica, Rozemyne
the fact that the
ritual was reviewed, I don't think there will be any strong opposition. Besides, even if they do oppose it,
Clarissa will probably come to Ehrenfest by herself. We need to discuss how to deal with that as well."
"That certainly sounds like something we need to discuss."
I remembered Clarissa's vigor, and I chuckled. It would seem likely that she would rush into Ehrenfest
with unbridled zeal, so countermeasures would need to be taken ahead of time.
"Brother Cornelius, are you also here to support your fiancée?"
I looked at him, laughing teasingly. If he was here to support his fianceé, then he may very well be
present as a family member instead of a guard knight today.
"I'd like to know if you've come to see Leonore in action, Brother Cornelius?"
"I have been told to increase the number of guards who are dressed in such a way that they can blend in
with the surroundings."
I was a bit pleased when Brother Cornelius told me that he and Rozemyne would be watching Leonore's
performance. I must tell him how Leonore was doing this year.
"I understand why the two of you came to the Royal Academy. But Angelica doesn't have a fiancé in the
Royal Academy, does she?"
“We were to see if Traugott had acquired the strength to be a worthy fiancée.”
Angelica, who was to be betrothed to her grandfather if Traugott did not become stronger, said this a
little sadly. From a third party's point of view, Traugott was more suitable for her age than my
grandfather who was already too old to marry Angelica. But from Angelica's point of view, strength
mattered the most, and Traugott could not compete with his grandfather at all.
"You ran away from learning the names of the gods under the guise of training with my grandfather,
Angelica." Brother Cornelius shrugged his shoulders with a dismayed look on his face and said so. It
seemed that the interests of Angelica, who wanted to escape from her studies as much as possible, and
Grandfather, who wanted to avoid a daughter-in-law who was the same age as his grandson, had
coincided beautifully!
"Angelica, it's about getting the blessings of the gods and making yourself stronger. At the very least, try
to remember the exact names of the Supreme Being, the five great gods, and the gods you want
blessings from."
"If that's all, I'll do my best."
Josbrenner's Lürradi had been praying to the goddess of sprouting for a long time and had gotten her
blessing. Angelica had to start by remembering the name of the god he wished to receive blessings from
and praying to him.
"Oh, by the way, did Damuel stay behind?"
Damuel was the only one of the retainer who was not in sight. When I asked him if he was coming after
to guard me as well, since only three people can move in the teleportation circle, Brother Cornelius
shook his head, "it is partly because he is good at detecting magic, which made him perfect for
monitoring the movements of the former Veronica faction, but also because Damuel doesn't have any
reason to come to the Royal Academy."
"I advised him to get a girlfriend who was enrolled in the Royal Academy, but he lamented that such a
thing would be impossible."
Hartmut's words made me shudder and I gasped! If he says something like that, Damuel's glass heart
will be shattered!
"Hartmut, please stop tormenting Damuel with such a cheerful smile! Damuel can't get a girlfriend, can't
get married, and you're bragging to him that you're going to see your fiancée in person, and asking him
to get a girlfriend if he wants to go!"
I could see Damuel lamenting that he couldn't even complain to Hartmut, an archnoble, about the
situation. When I complained on behalf of Damuel, Hartmut looked at me with a small smile, without any
sign of remorse. that’s because he’s jealous of Damuel
"I gave him my advice because I know that Damuel can handle it if he wants to. Wouldn't it be even
worse for Lady Rozemyne to assume that he will never have a girlfriend?"
"Oh!"
...... He may be right. I'm sorry, Damuel. Hartmut was right. I was so judgmental. I should believe that
Damuel could do it if he wanted to.
From here on I should trust Damuel and leave the marriage activity to him. If he wanted to, he would be
able to find a girlfriend and get married.
Just as I was thinking this, I was tapped lightly in the head from behind.
Honestly love Sylvester's greeting to Rozemyne

"Problem child, have you been quiet today?"
I turned around and saw my foster father looking down at me. There were dark circles under his eyes,
and his cheeks were a little puffy. His face didn't look too good either. It must have been very hard to
clean up after the purge.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you, Sylvester... You look very tired."
"And whose fault do you think it is? When we get back to Ehrenfest, I'm going to give you a big lecture."
I gulped when he said that while poking me on the cheek. That was going to be a pretty big
thunderstorm.
"Um, can I give you Lord Ferdinand's restorative for fatigue?"
"Are you trying to finish me off?"
I was trying to be considerate, but he just stared at me with daggers in his eyes.
"I don't intend to give you a medicine with a taste that will knock you out. It's an easy-to-take one with
gentleness. I still have some left over from what I prepared to distribute at the dedication ceremony..."
"Good, because if I take the restorative now, I'll get drowsy. If you're ready, let's go."
He tapped me lightly on the shoulder as I was looking around. The Knights Order had arrived from the
teleportation circle, but there was no sign of Florencia. And the knight guarding my foster father was not
Karstedt.
"What happened to Florencia and father, Sylvester? I can't find them..."
"If our numbers dwindle as we travel to the Interduchy Tournament, the former Veronica faction may
make some moves, so I've left Karstedt and Bonifatius in charge. Florencia... looked as if she was about
to collapse in the middle of the Interduchy Tournament, as did you, so I offered her to stay home and
rest in bed."
"What?! Are you sure she's alright?"
I had never seen my foster mother, who always smiled so calmly, with such an expression on her face.
When I raised my voice, Sylvester shook his head and said, "She must rest."
"I wanted to make sure that she doesn't participate in the Interduchy Tournament, which is very taxing
and involves a lot of communication with other duchies. I'll go back tomorrow morning to check on her,
and if she's okay, I'll make sure she's present at the graduation ceremony. If all she has to do is sit and
watch the graduation ceremony, she might be able to handle it."
I had already experienced that last year when I had to deal with a constant stream of visitors all day long.
We were expecting an increase in the number of visitors from the territories that experienced the
dedication ceremony this year, and it was not something I could handle in my poor health.
"This year, you and I will socialize together, and I will pair Wilfried with Charlotte. We've had one
problem after another. My head hurts just thinking about what kind of visitors we'll have."
"...... I'm sorry."
I hurriedly prepared and headed to the venue where the Interduchy Tournament was to be held with my
retainer, my foster father, and the knights who were guarding Sylvester. On the way, I told him about the
joint research and everyone's hard work on ditter, and we discussed the day's social activities.
"Cloaks and brooches to be checked'"
There were a number of sovereign knights in black cloaks at the entrance to the venue of the Interduchy
Tournament, checking the cloaks and brooches of those who were coming and going. It seemed that the
terrorists who had attacked us last year had invaded the Royal Academy with the feystone brooches of
Werkestock.
I was with Aub, so we only had to do a quick check and were soon inside.
The sovereign knights were stationed all over the hall, and the atmosphere was much more somber than
last year. Many of the participants looked uncomfortable as the black cloaked knights kept a close watch
on them. Until someone discovered the Werkestock's cornerstone magic, or Zent found Glutrisheit, this
unstable situation would likely continue.
"Rozemyne, where is the location of Ehrenfest?"
"The location of Ehrenfest is where many bright ochre cloaks are gathered. I was told to stay in the
dormitory until the Ehrenfest Knights arrived, so I have not visited the venue."
In addition, I was short, so I couldn't see anything around me when I was surrounded by the knights. "I
see. You've been taking your own safety precautions," my foster father said with a little satisfaction as he
walked away.
"It's not me, but Brother Wilfried that you should praise. I was going to be involved in the set up."
"You should really be more concerned with your own safety."
I walked through the crowd of cloaks of various colors and arrived at the Ehrenfest location, where
preparations had already been made.
"This way, please."
Brünnhilde led us to our seats. There, my foster father informed me of my foster mother's absence and
how I should handle today.
"Is Florencia all right, not being able to attend social gatherings?”
"She may be able to attend tomorrow. There is no need to worry so much, but if today's social event is a
failure, Florencia will be concerned. Do it well."
"Yes, sir."
Wilfried and Charlotte were sitting together, and I with my foster father. He set up a chair in a position
where he could tap my foot as needed. He said, "If I tap you, shut your mouth."
Behind us, the knights of Ehrenfest lined up. Hartmut, Brother Cornelius, and Angelica were near me, all
dressed in formal attires.
"It looks like Dunkelfelger is going to be the first one to come to our table. He looks like he's about to
run out while looking at us," Brother Cornelius, who was looking around, said with a wary look on his
face.
Diagonally in front of us, or rather on the other side of the stadium, was Dunkelfelger's place, so it was
easy to observe. If you watched intently, you could indeed see Aub and the knights on the line with the
other territory, and Hannelore grabbing Aub's blue cloak to stop him.
...... Lady Hannelore appears to be in trouble. I'm glad I'm not Dunkelfelger's daughter.
A slender woman approached Hannelore and the aub, said something to them, and Aub Dunkelfelger
sunk back to the table. The slender woman was probably the archduchess. Lästilaut was also sitting at
the table, and next to her I could see a woman with a familiar hairpiece. Could that be his betrothed?
'Is that Lord Ferdinand? I can see the colors of Ehrenfest in Ahrensbach's cloak."
Hartmut's voice made me look at Ahrensbach's place next to Dunkelfelger. A bright ochre cloak was
clinging to a wisteria-colored cloak. They were Ferdinand, Justus, and Brother Eckhart. Resisting the urge
to lean forward, I watched the three of them move.
I could see Ferdinand holding his temples as Raimund, who was holding a stuffed animal of shumil, was
doing his best to explain something in the area where the research was being displayed. Justus was
holding his hand over his mouth as if trying to hold in his laughter. It was clear that shumil stuffed
animal was well received.
I wanted to join Raimund in explaining the situation to Ferdinand, but the Ahrensbach location on the
other side of the stadium was too far away.
"Will Ferdinand not be here even though he is wearing the Ehrenfest cloak?"
"He's already engaged in his duties over there, and we need to publicize your engagement this year. I'm
sure he'll come and say hello."
My foster father replied to my murmur. If he would come to greet me, I would have a chance to give him
Heisshitze's cloak. My cheeks relaxed when I saw the wooden box that Rihyarda was preparing.
So, we will now ditter! Starting from the called territory and moving down!"
The Interduchy Tournament began as soon as Professor Rauffen announced the start of ditter. The first
duchy that was called to ditter was declared to be Klassenberg!
At the same time, I saw a group of Dunkelfelgers started walking. They were across the hall from us so
they had to make a big turn to get here, but the archduchess was walking gracefully at the front,
accompanied by Hannelore, who was walking a little faster.
...... Huh? Where is Aub Dunkelfelger?
Aub, who was about to jump out, was apparently in detention along with Lästilaut. They remained
sitting in their seats.
..... I don't want to be called to another ditter.
While I was tilting my head, the apprentices began to prepare for Dunkelfelger's arrival, and my foster
father straightened his posture.
"Don't dawdle, Rozemyne. They're coming. Our request is that Dunkelfelger give up their marriage
proposal to you and that we refuse Lady Hannelore's hand in marriage, is that correct?"
"Yes!"
Ehrenfest didn't want any more trouble on our side, so we were able to reach an agreement through
reports and letters that it would be fine as long as Dunkelfelger didn't press for the dissolution of my
and Wilfried's engagement.
"Wilfried, Charlotte. We'll deal with Dunkelfelger and the other higher duchies here. Both of you take
care of the rest of the guests."
Wilfried and Charlotte nodded vigorously at their father's voice.
Hartmut checked the paper and ink with the scholars, while Cornelius and Angelica took up positions
that made it easier to guard us.
"Good day to you, Aub Ehrenfest."
Dunkelfelger's archduchess stood in front of him, smiling. Her red eyes, the same as Hannelore's, were
narrowed in the shape of a smile, but you could see that they were watching us closely.
She exuded a strong presence that was completely different from that of Aub Dunkelfelger’s forceful
“ditter, ditter!" Feeling my throat dry up from nervousness, Sylvester and I stood up to greet them and
offered them seats. The archduchess and Hannelore took their seats.
"We have a lot to discuss: about printing, books, and rituals. But first let us address the other day's
ditter,” the archduchess said, smiling.
"It's a matter of great importance for the future of our respective duchies.”
The joint research with Drewanchel had been successfully completed and the Interduchy Tournament
had begun.
Three adult members of the retainer had arrived from Ehrenfest to join the parents in gathering
information and escorting them.
Damuel has an important role to play at Ehrenfest.
And the Interduchy Tournament begins with a discussion with Dunkelfelger.
Next is the social Dunkelfelger edition.
''Even though the recent ditter was sidetracked by sovereign knights and the lower and intermediate
duchies, the game continued as long as there were no calls from the judges. The game was decided
when Hannelore abandoned the camp herself."
The archduchess said this in a quietly. Her expression was calm, but there was a tone of condemnation
on Hannelore's actions, and I couldn't help but look at my friend. Upon seeing her face looking down
and wielding her body to shrink as if she had no place to put herself, I explained the situation to her
mother as to why Hannelore was compelled to leave camp.
"The reason why Lady Hannelore left the camp on her own was because there were no knights to guard
her and it was dangerous."
With no knights to protect her, Hannelore was alone and frightened, enduring the attack from above. I
appealed to her, but the archduchess's smile did not falter.
"Yes," she said. “The knights went up in the air to protect the treasure from the enemies who were
shooting attack magic. Nonetheless, Hannelore had left the camp on her own volition. Don't you think
this is an act of betrayal against the knights who were fighting to protect her?" ouch!
I believed it was terrible to ask her to endure alone while that attacking magic was pouring down. I was
very unsympathetic to the argument that getting out of the camp and seeking safety was an act of
betrayal and blame.
"I was raised to believe that it was the job of an archduke candidate to be protected by his or her guard
knights, so the fact that there were no guard knights around seems like a dereliction of duty."
"Oh... Are you saying that Hannelore's actions are appropriate at Ehrenfest?"
If you considered it as a behavior in ditter and as a Dunkelfelger archduke candidate, it might be seen as
reprehensible. But Ehrenfest and Dunkelfelger were different.
I wanted to argue, but my foster father next to me was quicker to speak up.
"The guard knights are there to protect the archducal family. And the most important thing in ditter is to
protect the treasure. It would be the knight's fault if he failed to protect it."
...... That's right, that's right! It's your fault for not having a knight to protect her.
I nodded vigorously at my foster father's words. The archduchess dropped her gaze as if she was
thinking for a moment.
"Is that how it is at Ehrenfest? You said that Hannelore was not at fault for leaving the camp on her own."
"Yes, it is."
The archduchess, unlike Aub Dunkelfelger, did not try to make it a black-and-white affair with ditter, and
she sounded satisfied. Apparently, they could understand each other verbally. As I patted myself on the
back for being able to talk to Dunkelfelger properly, the archduchess's lips twisted into a smile.
"Then, this could be like Tarkus being born and raised by the power of Flutrane, but heading to
Fraufürmeer under the guidance of the Dregarnuhr!" ugh, more god’s names to guess
The archduchess said this while letting out a breath that was neither regretful nor relieved.
...... Hmm? What do you mean?
I couldn't understand what she meant right away. First of all, I did not recognize Tarkus. Is it a creature
unique to Dunkelfelger, or is it a minor story in a mythical sprawl?
...... Whatever Tarkus is, it means that he was born and raised in freshwater and will head to the sea when
the time is right, so the meaning I can infer from this is... that he will head to a place that suits him when
he grows up, or something like that. I'm not sure.
While I was desperately trying to figure out what it meant with a vague smile on my face, the
archduchess was staring at me and my foster father alternately. I gulped at the illusion of being caught
in those red eyes.
"Now that it has been decided in ditter, Hannelore will be married to Ehrenfest. It seems that
Hannelore's Fraufürmeer is Ehrenfest, so that should be fine."
...... Wait a minute. Before we can say that Hannelore doesn’t have to marry into Ehrenfest, you've already
decided to marry her off?!
It was as if we had been completely swept up by Hannelore as a bride before we could even express our
wishes and opinions. I looked at my foster father and hurriedly spoke up.
"Well, you said that she has to, but does Lady Hannelore really want to marry into Ehrenfest? She will be
the second wife, you know?"
For the second-ranked Dunkelfelger archduke candidate, becoming the second wife of Ehrenfest was
unheard of. Unlike Aub, who seemed to think only of ditter, I perceived the archduchess as someone you
could talk to and understood. I wanted her to think carefully about what was best for her daughter.
"She left the camp of her own free will. She would not have done so if it was not her wish. We are
troubled because we did not expect that an archduke candidate of Dunkelfelger would want to marry as
the second wife of Ehrenfest."
It sounded as if Hannelore was being selfish, but she had probably never said that she wanted to marry
Ehrenfest. I looked at Hannelore cautiously, but she kept her eyes down. She was in a position where she
couldn't even say what she wanted to say, and instead she was swallowing and keeping her mouth shut.
...... Lady Hannelore.
It was similar to when Lästilaut received a ditter match and was blocked from rebuttal. The way
Hannelore’s face remained downcast and trembling a little, she was not, for all intents and purposes, a
girl who wanted to marry into Ehrenfest.
My foster father, who looked at Hannelore the same way I did, turned his dark green eyes to the
archduchess.
"I'm afraid that Ehrenfest is an upstart duchy that has only just risen to the eighth rank and has yet to
learn how to live up to its status. It's not a domain that can welcome a Dunkelfelger archduke
candidate."
The archduchess nodded with a smile at Sylvester's words.
“Indeed, I acknowledge that. The only person of value in Ehrenfest today would be Rozemyne, who has
created fashion and industry, is fluent in the old rituals and language, and can organize the dormitory
with so many archduke candidates. It is not a suitable estate for a Dunkelfelger archduke candidate to
marry into."
I was annoyed to hear her affirm this with a smile on her face. Although I proposed the idea, it was the
artisans who actually created the products, while Wilfried was better at organizing the dormitory and
inspiring everyone to reach their goals. Charlotte attended the tea parties in my stead because I wasn’t
good at socializing, which helped keep the dormitory together.
As soon as I tried to argue, my foster father lightly tapped me on the foot. It was a signal for me to shut
up. I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut, frustration in my heart.
The archduchess tilted her head slightly as she stared at my foster father.
"I can understand why the upstart Ehrenfest would want to get an archduke candidate from the historic
Dunkelfelger, but why would it want to get one as second wife?"
To answer her, I would need to explain Ehrenfest’s acrimonious relationship with Ahrensbach. I didn't
know where to begin or where to end, so I couldn't explain it. I looked at Sylvester for support.
"I can only answer that it's an Ehrenfest situation."
"Oh, but isn't the archduchess, who is in charge of diplomacy, the wife from another duchy in order to
make good use of her family's support and related relationships, while the wife from one's own land is
the second wife who brings the duchy’s nobles together? Even as Ehrenfest, you must know that much,
right?"
...... So it's not just Dunkelfelger's own culture, but Jürgenschmidt's culture as a whole?
It might sound reasonable, but I had never heard of such a thing before. As I kept my mouth shut, my
foster father quietly looked at the archduchess.
"What was your intention in making Hannelore, who has absolutely not related to your duchy, a second
wife which will contain her social life inside the duchy thereby severing her ties with Dunkelfelger? Can
you tell us, Aub Ehrenfest?"
"It may not be the way things are done in the higher realms, but Ehrenfest has its own agenda."
Now that we've purged the former Veronica faction, we couldn't afford to make waves with Leisegang.
"Yes, of course. But for Ehrenfest, who doesn't even know or adopt that level of diplomatic common
sense, nor does it even try to stabilize or improve its position has no reason to marry a wife from a
higher domain. I still have a lovely daughter. I do not wish to befall my daughter the same misfortune as
the princess of Ahrensbach, who was married off to an archduke candidate several generations ago."
The archduchess indirectly condemned aub for his inability to restrain the nobility in his duchy and for
welcoming the princess of a higher-ranked duchy only to demote the archduke candidate to an
archnoble, neither raising the duchy's rank nor deepening the relationship with Ahrensbach.
“It will take generations for the entire nobility of the duchy to learn how to behave as a higher-ranking
duchy. It's been decades since you welcomed the princess from Ahrensbach. What has changed, and
how?"
Without paying attention to Ehrenfest's hardships that were aggravated by the Ahrensbach princess, the
archduchess viewed things only from the perspective of a large domain. I understood a little about the
viewpoints and intentions of the higher duchies but nonetheless, my frustration grew.
"Now that you have Lady Rozemyne, the rankings have changed quite a bit over the years, but it doesn't
seem like Ehrenfest has changed at all."
She then went on to say the same thing that Lästilaut had pointed out to me but in an elegant and
roundabout way. With the same expression on his face as Wilfried’s, Sylvester listened intently to the
archduchess's accusations. Because I couldn't understand the nobleman's language right away, I half-
listened to the conversation, but displeasure was slowly building up in me.
...... Is this what aristocratic socializing is all about?
"Aub Ehrenfest. What do you intend to do next? You already know that Lady Rozemyne is too much for
Ehrenfest?”
I was listening patiently because Sylvester kept tapping my foot, but I didn't want others to judge
whether I'm too much for Ehrenfest or not.
"Geduldh took her hands off Mestionora to protect her and entrusted her to Schutzaria. I think it would
be better for her and for the people around her if she moved to a place where she can work without
worry."
The archduchess said this gently with a kind face, but the content was, "Let go of her". My heart began to
fill with bitterness. My foster father muttered, "This is ridiculous," and glanced at me.
"Are you saying that Dunkelfelger is going to take over the role of Schutzaria?"
'Yes, we will be a shield to protect Mestionora and Ehrenfest. Hannelore will also be married."
I thought I had accepted the ditter match in order to avoid this kind of pressure on my foster father.
Why should he be accused of something that has nothing to do with ditter? In addition, why was I being
protected by Dunkelfelger before I knew it?
I couldn't help but want to argue with the archduchess, who was trying to steer the conversation in the
direction she wanted, while accusing the other of doing the wrong thing with her elegant smile and
phrasing, as if she were strangling him with a cotton string.
"Sylvester, don't you think it would be better to cut the cotton that clings to your neck with a pair of
scissors?" I laughed and looked at my foster father.
He looked at me and closed his eyes, then waved his hand in resignation, as if to say, "Surely it would be
easier to clean up the mess than to make me endure more and get torn apart."
he’s actually letting her handle this!

"Suit yourself. I'll take care of the rest."
With my foster father's permission, I stared straight into the red eyes of the archduchess. I had to keep
my aristocratic grace and smile.
"Do you not know under what arrangement Ehrenfest and Dunkelfelger decided to play?"
"Yes, I have heard of it."
The archduchess's eyes sharpened as if she was trying to discern my counterarguments.
"Then why is Ehrenfest being pressured when it won the sacred ditter? We played ditter relying on Lord
Lästilaut's word that should Ehrenfest won, we would not be pressured into dissolving our engagement.
The loser must remain silent."
I smiled, breaking away from the roundabout language of the aristocrats that I had used up until now.
The archduchess looked at me as though she didn't understand what I had just said because it was so
direct.
"Lady Rozemyne..."
Hannelore, who had been downcast for a long time, looked up, blinking her eyes in surprise. She looked
at the archduchess and me with a stunned expression.
"Just as there is a difference between healing in Flutrane and Heilschmerz’s healing, there is a difference
between an environment that is good from a third party's point of view and one that is satisfactory for
the parties involved. My teacher said that those who wish for unchanging peace do not need the
blessings of the Glückliche."
The archduchess’ face changed color for the first time when I said that I did not need the same kind of
extra help that Ferdinand had received.
“What on earth did Ehrenfest want Hannelore for?"
"I just wanted to avoid a troublesome ditter match. If we were to say that we were going to have
Hannelore as our second wife, we had hoped that Lästilaut would not be able to make the decision on
his own. I thought that we might be able to buy some time and avoid ditter by consulting with Aub. As it
turned out, though, the decision was taken at the sole discretion of Lord Lästilaut."
"You knew that, didn't you?" The archduchess's smile faded as she looked between Hannelore and me.
"So you're saying that you and Hannelore did not want to be subjected to ditter?"
"Yes. It would have been too rude to ask Lady Hannelore to come to Ehrenfest. From the beginning, the
plan was to break the condition if we win. I was going to help Lady Hannelore in any way I could so that
she could marry whom and where she wanted."
"... from the beginning?"
While Lästilaut and Wilfried were deciding the details of ditter, I was talking about what would happen if
Hannelore and Ehrenfest won, but maybe they didn't hear me?
My foster father smiled next to me as I tilted my head. It was the smile of a warrior who had found his
enemy's weakness and was ready to strike at it.
"As you mentioned earlier with the example of Ahrensbach, Ehrenfest is not yet ready to accept a
princess from a large territory. If you wish for the happiness of your lovely daughter, please accept our
offer."
My foster father suggested that we pretend that there was no talk of Hannelore getting married. She
had been so critical of the Ehrenfest duchy. She must be very happy that her daughter would no longer
have to marry.
However, the archduchess was a little lost in thought. I did not understand why she did not agree to the
proposal, even though we told her that Hannelore did not have to marry.
"So, what would you have done if Hannelore herself wanted to marry into Ehrenfest? Would you follow
common sense and accept Hannelore as your archduchess? Or would you take a more insane
approach?"
"I'm very sorry, but Ehrenfest is still unfamiliar with the ways of the higher realms..."
My foster father smiled. His first priority was to restore Ehrenfest, which was in turmoil due to the purge,
no matter how insane that sounded. We didn't want any trouble that might cause a fuss among
Ehrenfest's nobles.
"So, she would still only be the second wife..."
"Mother, the winner is Ehrenfest."
The archduchess was about to say something more, when Hannelore grabbed her sleeve with a
trembling hand. It was not only the hand that was trembling; her whole body seemed to be trembling in
small increments. However, her eyes were filled with a strong light of determination as she looked up at
her mother.
“Please don't
cause any more 4 Archduchess of Dukelfelger (Hannelore’s mom), Hannelore
trouble for
Ehrenfest."
"Hannelore?"
Hannelore slowly
turned her gaze to
Wilfried, who was
dealing with the
nobles of another
territory at
another table. It
was a soft
expression. I was
curious as to
whether it was an
optical illusion
that the soft,
slightly narrowed
gaze and the lips
that formed the
shape of a smile
were filled with
tender
thoughts.
"I never had

someone tell me
they would
protect me in
battle before. It
was also the first
time I had been
prepared with a
choice rather than
being forced to
make one. So, I
really felt that I
so she was really hoping to marry Wilfried? This scene is a little bittersweet my ship
could marry into Ehrenfest."
Then Hannelore looked down once and looked straight at the archduchess. She had found the one she
needed to confront, and her strong gaze was not as soft as before.
“But you said that Ehrenfest does not have the ground to accept archduke candidates of large territories.
They needed to be ready to accept them. And if they didn’t have a plan to accept them, it will only be a
nuisance. Are the losers going to cause more trouble for the winners after forcing them to compete.?
Shouldn't you at least give the winner what they want?"
The archduchess looked troubled by Hannelore's words, as if she had miscalculated or was confused by
the unexpected event.
"Hannelore, you..."
"Mother, it is not beautiful to force someone to do something that they do not want. Shouldn't a
Dunkelfelger woman help others to get what they want? In this negotiation, Mother did not give
Ehrenfest the benefit of the doubt. Let's take a step back and start by getting to know Ehrenfest's
interests.
The Hannelore who smiled as she said this was definitely a Dunkelfelger woman.
I'm going to make this a back and forth story because it got very halfway long.
The archduchess was trying to choke Sylvester with cotton, but it didn't work.
Rozemyne cuts off the cotton that strangles his neck with a quick snip.
And the enlightened Hannelore.
eekNotes: She wanted to marry Wilfried??!
Useless translation trivia: to figure out (okay, guess) the gods names (unless corrected when the official
LN was released), I looked up the nearest words on German, Gaelic, and other European languages. For
example, before the LN volume showing Liebeskhilfe was released, I was using Liebeskrieg (love war) and
Liebesheirat (love match/marriage) for Sylvester’s patron god Btw, Leidenschaft which is in the LN is
also a German word for passion. nerd facts
She wanted…to marry…Wilfried! I can’t get past this one…
Next is the second part.
"I generally agree with your opinion, but there seems to be a lot of discrepancies. I'd like to check that
out first."
The archduchess pressed her forehead and glared lightly at Hannelore, then looked at Sylvester and me.
"According to the reports that have come to me regarding ditter, if Dunkelfelger is victorious, we will
confer with Aub Ehrenfest, and once the engagement is dissolved, we will take Lady Rozemyne as
Dunkelfelger's first wife. If Dunkelfelger was defeated, Hannelore was to be taken in as Ehrenfest's
second wife."
"I see."
When I nodded, the archduchess turned around with a doubtful look on her face. A man who looked like
a scholar stepped forward and spread a sheet of paper on the table, then stepped back again. It
appeared to be a report that had been sent to Dunkelfelger, one that contained the terms of ditter.
"You said earlier that from the beginning you intended to drop the condition of Hannelore's wedding if
Ehrenfest won, but when was that decided? There was no mention of this condition in the contract,” the
scholar asked.
"It was when we decided on ditter. I proposed it to them when I was talking to Hannelore, didn't I?"
When I asked Hannelore to agree with me, she nodded her head in agreement.
"When I apologized for my brother's selfishness, Lady Rozemyne kindly suggested it."
When Lästilaut and Wilfried were making detailed arrangements for ditter match, Hannelore and I were
discussing it over a cup of tea using a magic tool to prevent eavesdropping. As I was describing the flow
of events as best I could remember when ditter game was decided, the archduchess looked as if she had
realized everything.
"The conversation took place in the same room on the same day, but if you were using an anti-
eavesdropping magic tool, it is unlikely that anyone else would have heard about it. Did you declare
what the two of you discussed?"
Suspecting that I had taken the liberty of making a private conversation between the two of us a public
one, I hurriedly turned my gaze to my foster father.
"I reported it to Brother Wilfried at dinner that night, and I also informed Ehrenfest. Didn't I, Sylvester?"
"Oh, I received a detailed account of the events."
As I was relieved for proving my innocence, Hannelore proudly said, "I told my brother at the dinner
table."
"Hannelore, you couldn’t have made it to the dinner table, could you? Why didn't you tell Lästilaut right
there and then? Even if you say something like that after the details of the agreement have been
finalized, there is no way you can rewrite the terms that have already been signed."
"What? Signed?"
I told Wilfried that if we won, Hannelore would not be married off, and since she had nodded her head
in agreement, I thought we were on the same page. But that was not the discussion at which the terms
were decided..
Although Hannelore reported my words to Lästilaut, they were not considered official until after the
detailed arrangements had been made and Lästilaut and Wilfried had signed the agreement.
"In a bride-taking ditter, you always make such a contract. We don't want the first terms to be reversed
after ditter."
"So, this was not a report to Dunkelfelger, but a contract?"
I was surprised and upon closer inspection, it was indeed signed by Wilfried. It was necessary in order to
allocate the budget.
Sylvester looked at the contract and frowned.
"I know you've agreed to some detailed terms, but I haven't received any report that such a contract has
been signed."
"I haven't heard anything about it from Brother Wilfried either."
When we glanced towards Wilfried, Hannelore muttered, "Perhaps Wilfried doesn't recognize it as a
contract."
"It is natural for Dunkelfelger and necessary for the use of the budget of the Royal Academy, but neither
Aub Ehrenfest nor Lady Rozemyne considered this a contract, did they?"
My foster father and I looked at each other once and nodded. Without any explanation from Lästilaut it
was highly possible that Wilfried would not consider it a contract because he would only see it as a
necessary document for budget.
"I'm afraid we haven't explained it well enough either." The archduchess frowned a little, then pointed to
the terms of ditter match.
"It says here that Hannelore will be the second wife, but there is no mention of eliminating this
condition."
"I thought thought it would be better if we propose it in the conversation between the two aubs after
the victory."
"Does that mean that if Ehrenfest wins, you will change the terms on your own? That would defeat the
purpose of deciding on the conditions first. "
...... she may be right.
I had no idea that they had even drawn up such a strict contract and set the terms. And here I was
getting angry because they seemed to renege on my condition of not to putting pressure on us should
we win, and yet, I doing the same thing to Dunkelfelger. As my shoulders slumped in remorse, the
archduchess pressed me further.
"Lady Rozemyne, you also said that you agreed to ditter based on Lästilaut's promise that if Ehrenfest
won, there would be no pressure to end your betrothal to Wilfried. But I don’t see that stipulation
written either."
"What? In bride-stealing ditter, the bride-taker gives up on the bride once the winner is decided, right?
I've heard that from Lord Lästilaut" I asked, blinking rapidly as the archduchess tilted her head curiously.
"I understand that Ehrenfest preferred to take Hannelore as a second wife over that condition. The
contract also mentions Hannelore, but there is no clause about giving up on the proposal."
In the original bride ditter, the condition was to give up once and for all, but I was not satisfied with that
condition and countered by saying that we wanted to take Hannelore as a second wife. As a result,
Lästilaut perceived that there was no longer any need to give up, and that was reported to Dunkelfelger.
"I never heard that the condition of giving up had been removed without permission."
As I muttered to myself in a daze, Sylvester let out a deep, exhausted breath and poked me in the head
with a knuckle.
"It's not surprising that the original conditions have been erased because you have attached other
conditions. In the future, when you are making a detailed agreement, be careful not to go off on your
own or neglect to confirm the conditions."
After scolding me, Sylvester turned to the archduchess.
With this contract, Dunkelfelger understood that the priority at Ehrenfest was to get Lady Hannelore as
the second wife rather than to stop the courtship and made various proposals to benefit Ehrenfest.
It is not only in the world of aristocrats but also in the world of merchants that a written contract is
recognized as a more official decision than a mere verbal agreement. It was completely our fault that all
the proposals that were supposed to benefit Ehrenfest according to the contract made no sense.
...... Ahhhh! What a mess!
I remembered what I had said and done earlier and held my head in my hands. I was rude to the
archduchess. If I could, I would erase the archduchess's memory.
"I'm really sorry for being so rude, making claims that were completely different from the contract."
My foster father followed my apology, "It seems that there was a lot of discrepancy in the premise of
ditter. I apologize for failing to check."
"No, there is no need to apologize. Even though Ehrenfest is not familiar with the arrangement of the
bride-stealing ditter, we were equally at fault for the sloppy explanations, lack of oversight. In general,
there was a great deal of inadequacy in our part. We apologize to you as well."
The archduchess apologized for the fact that Lästilaut proposed a match against an engagement that
had the king's permission, that Hannelore did not properly monitor the Dunkelfelger man who tended to
go out of control when it comes to ditter, and that there were flaws in the explanations, such as
confirming conditions and reminders. The archduchess also apologized.
"Hannelore should also reflect on her actions. It is a good thing that you did not forget to apologize
even though you were depressed about being told about the wedding without permission, but you must
never take your eyes off the men when ditter is mentioned.only in Dunkelfelger It was your job to explain
the details to Ehrenfest, rein in Lästilaut, who wanted to take advantage, and the knights who were
getting excited. Keep that in mind if you value your friendships."
“Have you come to realize that you are a woman of Dunkelfelger?” The archduchess smiled, and
Hannelore's smile deepened. Hannelore nodded her head, even though she looked like she was about to
say, "I can't do that."
"I'll be careful."
"Then please tell me exactly what Ehrenfest wanted for this ditter match. If they don't want Hannelore to
be a second wife, then let's finish the conversation before Aub Dunkelfelger comes along and insists that
ditter are absolute."
Sylvester straightened his posture at the archduchess's suggestion, glancing at Dunkelfelger's place.
"We would like you to give up your proposal of marriage to Rozemyne. That is our greatest desire. Also, I
would like to request that you never again challenge Ehrenfest to a game of ditter. Regardless of the
marriage."
Every year we are challenged to a ditter by Dunkelfelger, but it is a burden and a nuisance to Ehrenfest,
Sylvester said in a roundabout way of the noble language.
"We couldn't afford to be defeated, especially this time, so we splurged on magic tools and restorative
potions. We can't compete with Dunkelfelger repeatedly. Ehrenfest is but a modest middle estate.
"As long as it's within my sight, I will put a stop to it," the archduchess promised.
"However, please don't accept a match right away, not even for Ehrenfest. If you do, I will not be able to
intervene."
"Yes."
The archduchess also revealed to us that Ehrenfest, which received the Treasure Stealing Ditter challenge
every year, was perceived by Dunkelfelger as a very ditter-loving duchy. She even received a report from
Professor Rauffen stating, "Lady Rozemyne, who is too frail to take the knight's course, prefers to be a
treasure-stealing ditterer just as Lord Ferdinand."
...... That's not accurate at all!
"Does Lady Rozemyne have any objections to the terms that Aub Ehrenfest has set forth?"
"Everything that is important to me is at Ehrenfest. Therefore, I will not leave Ehrenfest, even if I were
offered a very favorable offer and my heart was swayed by it."
When I said this clearly, the archduchess's expression relaxed a little. "What are the advantages of
Ehrenfest that you know of, Hannelore?"
"Mother?”
"You've been causing trouble every year to a duchy that doesn’t favor ditter, haven't you? We need to
prepare a little apology to improve the relationship between the territories in the future. Something that
will be an apology for Ehrenfest, not just for Lady Rozemyne personally."
Hannelore briefly mulled over her mother’s suggestion, then clapped her hand.
“How about a painting by my brother? Both Lady Rozemyne and Lord Wilfried wanted to have the
illustrations for Ditter Tales but brother said he didn't want anyone else's hands to be involved in the
printing process, so we're holding off on the painting. So if you can give them to me in any way you like,
I think we can contribute to the printing of Ehrenfest."
Hannelore explained, watching the archduchess's reaction. The red eyes of Hannelore, red eyes, who had
said that her opinion was never asked nor accepted, sparkled with pride and liveliness.
"Hannelore said this, but do you really think that Lästilaut's painting will benefit Ehrenfest?"
Comparing the skeptical archduchess with the expectant Hannelore, I nodded in agreement, "It will!"
"I think it's a great proposal from a Ditter Tales marketing point of view. Do you agree, Sylvester?"
"I'm sure you can find something more useful..."
Sylvester blurted out, holding his head down, "You should have asked for Dunkelfelger's protection
instead.”
The archduchess brushed it off with a smile and said, "Oh, by the way, Dunkelfelger's shield was
destroyed by Rozemyne," as she began to swiftly steer the conversation about how to make Lästilaut's
picture an apology.
"Ehrenfest appreciates the gesture, but are you sure it's okay for us to take out Lästilaut's painting
without permission?"
"It will be a good opportunity for Lästilaut to learn how it feels to have someone else decide what
concerns him. It's so much more lenient than having the decision of who to carry you around decided on
your own... Yes, I think I'll give that painting to Ehrenfest, too." Ouch, scary Dunkelfelger mom
The archduchess laughed as if plotting something, "In the dormitory there is a masterpiece by Lästilaut."
...... Oh-uh, I can feel the same anger in the Archduchess's smile that I feel in Lord Ferdinand's. Good luck,
Lord Lästilaut.
After concluding the discussions on the bride-stealing ditter, we moved on from the contract for the
exchange of pictures to the printing. They asked me how many history books and Ditter stories I would
be preparing and how I planned to sell them to which I replied one after another.
"I'd like to have a printing press in Dunkelfelger, if possible, to print Dunkelfelger's books. I'm thinking of
buying a printing magic tool at some point!"
"Unfortunately, we are unable to sell printing magic tools."
she's too
The archduchess nodded slowly as she muttered softly, "a printing press is not a magic tool!"
shrewd
"I know, my lord. According to Lästilaut's report, there are no plans to let the printing technology out to
prevent it from leaking, right? How do you plan to expand printing in that state?"
It was a common practice to sell to the sovereignty and higher-ranking territories and let the new
technology flow from the top to the lower ranking duchies. She wanted to know why we kept them
within Ehrenfest. I was told that Ehrenfest's way of thinking couldn't be measured by common sense. I
wondered if it was my fault.
We decided that for the time being we would take manuscripts from various territories and print them at
Ehrenfest. We were planning to expand the printing system to other duchies once the system is
established and bec more or less established in Ehrenfest.
The nobles of Ehrenfest didn't know yet, but once the rights of printing and the flow of money had been
disseminated within the territory, we hoped to spread it to other territories as well.
My foster father nodded at my words and smiled at the archduchess. "If it's okay with you, I can promise
you that I will approach Dunkelfelger first when I decide to send it to other territories."
"I understand. Also, we are curious about the story of Fernestine..."
My foster father, who knew who the model was, casually held his mouth to keep from laughing in front
of the serious-faced archduchess.
The archduchess said that from what she had read in the first volume, she could perceive that I was the
model for Fernestine and that Ehrenfest was abusing me.
It is known that it was Lady Rozemyne who collected the stories in the Royal Academy and started the
book lending and borrowing system. We feel that it is a call for help from Lady Rozemyne that has been
mixed in with the stories. The rumors about Ehrenfest that come from the Archduke’s Conference are
rarely good.
Dunkelfelger, who went out of their way to rescue Ferdinand, must be reined in so that they don't make
the same mistake of trying to rescue me this time, the archduchess said.
I could not possible say, "The model is not me, but Lord Ferdinand", nor could I reveal, "It's the result of
my mother's grieving over the royal order to go to Ahrensbach, and her passion for writing."
"I'm sure you won't feel that way once you've read the second volume, so when I lend it to other
territories, I'll lend them both to you at the same time. I thank you ever so much for your kind advice."
"It's a shame that the volume ended in the middle of the story, so I'm sure many people will be glad to
hear that. I really can't wait to read more."
She praised Ehrenfest's book, telling me how much she enjoyed it with Hannelore. But when I think
about it, I don't think I told her that the Tale of Fernestine is a complete story in three volumes.
As Hannelore was looking forward to the second volume, I quietly told her, "Well, Lady Hannelore. There
are actually three volumes of the Tale of Fernestine."
"Oh no..."
Hannelore, who was holding her cheek, looked desperate. The archduchess next to Hannelore is talking
with my foster father about how to sell the book, although she wanted to read the rest of the book as
soon as possible, but she began to seriously worry about whether it would be better to wait until the
third volume was completed.
...... I've heard before that the Interduchy Tournament is a prelude to the Archduke’s Conference, but I
wonder if they talk like this at the Archduke’s Conference?
While I watched the scholars around me contemplating such things, a lilting voice interrupted my
thoughts.
"I'm sorry to bother you while you're having so much fun, but I just want to say hello."
Ferdinand and Dietlinde arrived. My adoptive father's mouth twitched at the appearance of the model of
Fernestine, who was now the talk of the town. He looked like he was about to say to Sylvester, "What
are you up to?" Ferdinand walked half a step behind Dietlinde with a fake smile on his face.
...... He doesn’t look well!
Ferdinand's face was clearly pale, and he looked sleep-deprived. He was wearing a fake smile, but it
wasn't hidden. I suspected Dietlinde had done something to put him in a bad mood, because the make-
believe smile that looked so calm was actually very angry.
"I must go around the whole kingdom to introduce myself with my betrothed. I've been extremely busy.
It's convenient that Dunkelfelger's archduchess is also here."
...... Ah, Lord Ferdinand's smile deepened.
Dietlinde began to talk with the two Dunkelfelgers, not with me or Sylvester. It was about our joint
research.
"The collaboration between Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest is very interesting and attracts a lot of people,
but the research on Ahrensbach by Ferdinand's disciple is also wonderful. Please come and see it."
After glancing at Dietlinde's appeal for joint research, Ferdinand came over to me and my foster father. I
said a few words to my foster father, left my seat, and walked up to him as fast as I could, trying to be as
graceful as possible.
"Ferdinand, it's been a while...!"
I didn't understand why he pinched my cheek as soon as we met again. I was certain I hadn't made any
reports that would make him angry…yet.
I looked up at Ferdinand with tears in my eyes, holding my cheeks from the pain I hadn't felt in a long
time, and his smile was gone! He looked down at me with a chilling gaze, and his brow was clearly
creased.
"There's a lot I want to say to you, but I'll refrain from doing so here."
"And please refrain from pinching my cheeks."
"Hmm. I'll consider it."
"Don't just consider it, okay? You have to do it, too."
When I glared at him, Ferdinand snorted. I have a feeling I'm going to get pinched again.
"We saw that Dunkelfelger was here and came over. Rozemyne, have you brought that cloak?"
"Of course."
I turned to Rihyarda, who immediately took out the blue cloak. Ferdinand took it and walked towards the
knights behind the archduchess.
'Would you call Heisshitze for me?”
As soon as one of the knights flew ordonnanz, Heisshitze came. He was very excited and looked very
happy, even though he was not playing ditter.
"Lord Ferdinand, congratulations on your betrothal. I am very happy to hear that you have left the
temple."
Ferdinand gave a very soft fake smile as Heisshitze congratulated him on his engagement.
"I have heard that Dunkelfelger and many others have helped to create the perfect environment. Thanks
to Dunkelfelger's efforts, I was able to connect with Lady Veronica's granddaughter, Lady Dietlinde. I
can't even put it into words." so sarcastic
"Oh, Ferdinand, how dare you praise me like that?" Dietlinde's embarrassed face was met with
congratulations from those around her.
In the midst of all this, only one person, Heisshitze, had a very pale face.
Cross-checked information with the archduchess.
eekNotes: I can imagine Benno screaming at Myne if the whole contract shenanigans happened at his
watch. I thoroughly enjoyed these to chapters with the Dunkelfelger archduchess. She’s very shrewd
and seems to be a good foil to her husband. If I’m Elvira, I would want to know their love story! Also,
way to go, Hannelore! I’m surprised that this seemed to be the first time she stood her ground and
expressed her opinion but at the same time, I can totally relate since I, too, am a middle child and was
about this age when I started asserting myself.
Hannelore's input was taken into account and we got the illustrations.
The picture that will be sent from Dunkelfelger will be mixed with his illustration masterpiece of a
dedication dance, which will cause Lästilaut to scream.
Then came Ferdinand & Dietlinde!
Next is socializing with Ahrensbach with the Archduchess.
6. Socializing with Ahrensbach
...... Heisshitze knows about it. That Ferdinand was harassed by Veronica.
Noticing that only one person was reacting differently, I turned my attention to Heisshitze. Considering
Ferdinand's personality, I didn't think he would say he was being harassed himself. Maybe he heard
about it from Justus, Brother Eckhart, or someone around him like Professor Hirschur. At the very least,
Heisshitze was probably someone who was close enough to Ehrenfest to get information that only a few
people knew.
"I have to support Lady Dietlinde in Ahrensbach, and I am no longer in a position to ditter with you. I
can't keep this with me forever. I will return this one to you."
Ferdinand smiled at Heisshitze and put the blue cloak in Heisshitze's hand.
"Lord Ferdinand, this is..."
With a stunned look on his face, as he compared Ferdinand with the blue cloak that had been returned
to him, Heisshitze must have realized what it meant to have his cloak returned to him, when it wasn't
returned even after Ferdinand entered the temple!
"I'm glad. It's good to have my precious cloak back."
"Your wife will be very pleased."
The knights of Dunkelfelger laughed as they clapped Heisshitze on the shoulder. The knights tapping
Heisshitze on the shoulder from behind probably didn't see the blood drained from his face.
“It's a good thing," Ferdinand smiled at Heisshitze, who stiffened because people kept congratulating
him.
"Your precious cloak, which has been stolen from you for so many years, has returned. Shouldn't you be
a little more pleased, Heisshitze?"
In contrast to his smile, Ferdinand’s voice sounded chilly, as if he was commanding him "please, as if you
were celebrating my betrothal". Heisshitze looked at the owner of the cold voice once, turned over and
gripped his cloak tightly, then smiled awkwardly.
"I did not expect this cloak to be returned to me by Lord Ferdinand. I'm sure my wife will be pleased."
Someone easily intervened between Heisshitze, who realized that he had helped to bring about the
worst possible situation, and Ferdinand, who was forced to appear happy without allowing him to
apologize.
"Why did Ferdinand have Heisshitze's cloak in his possession?" Dietlinde, who had no intention of
reading the tense atmosphere, looked up at Heisshitze with an interested glint in her eyes, and the
knights around her began to talk about the beginning of the matter as if they were fighting for the lead.
"So, ever since the days of the Royal Academy, Heisshitze have been challenging Ferdinand to get his
cloak back."
"Well! How dreadful to take away the cloak of the lady-to-be! I had no idea that Lord Ferdinand was
such a cruel man."
The knights gasped in surprise and looked at each other as Dietlinde took the teasing tone of the
knights seriously and began to chide them.
"Oh, no, Lord Ferdinand said he would return it, but it was Heisshitze who said he would not take it back
until he won ditter!"
"Still, I can't believe they stole the cloak that had been embroidered with all their heart..."
"It's okay. The man from Dunkelfelger will challenge him again and again."
Leaving Dietlinde to the knights, Ferdinand casually stepped back and turned away. Then, returning to
the table, he muttered to Sylvester, "Sorry for the commotion," before greeting Dunkelfelger's
archduchess and Hannelore.
“Lord Ferdinand, this way please."
At the direction of Brünnhilde, who saw Dietlinde talking to others, Ferdinand's seat was immediately
prepared and tea and sweets were served. My foster father's tea and sweets were also replaced at the
same time, and he took a sip of tea and sweets.
"Ah, the taste of Ehrenfest," Ferdinand said in a sincere tone after taking a sip of the tea. In
Ahrensbach, they have a different kind of tea that is drunk on a daily basis. Ferdinand's favorite tea leaf
and quatre quarts were prepared for him, but after he had eaten a little of it, he handed it over to Justus
and Brother Eckhart.
"Eckhart, Justus. It's been a long time since you’ve tasted home. Savor it."
"I thank you ever so much, sir."
Ferdinand was still in the Ehrenfest space where he could feel safe, and it was probably meant to give
the two of them a brief respite. Justus and Brother Eckhart stepped back a bit with the plates that were
handed to them.
Ferdinand, with the guard knight from Ahrensbach standing behind him, sipped his tea slowly and
looked at the archduchess.
"I have just seen your joint research with Ehrenfest, and I was surprised to see that such an old ritual still
exists in Dunkelfelger. I think it's really wonderful that you've been able to successfully obtain blessings
from this research."
I tilted my head at Ferdinand's words, who seemed to be aware of the old rituals, but did not know that
they were taught by Professor Rauffen in the Royal Academy.
"Doesn't Lord Ferdinand know about the Dunkelfelger ceremony? Wasn't Professor Rauffen here with
you in the academy?"
Ferdinand shook his head in response to my question, "I don't know," and then Hannelore began to
explain.
“I also learned about it for the first time in the process of this research. I heard that after one of the
teachers of the knight course retired and Professor Rauffen was put in charge, he started teaching the
ritual.”
It was said that the younger generation knows this dance in every territory, so the visitors were
discussing how they could teach it to the adult knights to make the hunt for feybeasts a little easier.
“Dunkelfelger's influence will be strengthened once again, my lady,” Ferdinand added, and Sylvester
nodded deeply.
"We at Ehrenfest would like to learn it somehow before the defeat of the Lord of Winter next winter
season."
According to my foster father, he tried to get the information from us, but they didn't succeed in getting
the blessing this year. Most of the main force in the Knights Order must start learning the dance, so they
couldn't get the blessing right away.
"Even in Dunkelfelger's dormitory, the success rate of the ritual seems to be around 80%. Most of the
adults in the territory are now successful. It is thought that the success rate of the ritual depends on the
amount of mana dedicated."
Apparently, per the Archduchess, information from the Royal Academy indicated that there were rituals
being performed in their duchy to obtain blessings. Each time it happened there was ditter, and I heard
that it was very difficult everytime Aub with the knights coming in large numbers to the temple to get a
sacred object and find the best way to dedicate efficiently. only in Dunkelfelger
"That, again, is a lot of hard work on the Temple's part. Don't you think so, Rozemyne? Wouldn't it be
right around the time of the dedication ceremony?"
Ferdinand's words made me think about what it would be like if I were the temple leader of
Dunkelfelger. In a temple that had been completely ignored by the nobility until now, and in the middle
of the dedication ceremony, many knights, including Aub, would come to the temple to ask for the
sacred items. I would have gone up to a greater height with a heart attack.
"I really felt like resenting Lady Rozemyne for the trouble she brought me during those times."
...... I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to.
As I was apologizing in my mind to the Temple Bishop of Dunkelfelger and the slightly distant
Archduchess, Ferdinand glared at me, " Do you have a grudge against Rozemyne?" Ferdinand glared at
me.
I froze, but Hannelore interceded on my behalf, "It’s just that Dunkelfelger can be overly zealous with
anything that’s related to ditter including rituals! Lady Rozemyne didn't do anything wrong, Lord
Ferdinand."
...... As expected of Lady Hannelore!
I was moved for a moment.
"It is to Lady Rozemyne's credit that we have been able to obtain the blessing of that ceremony. The
ritual was only a formality until our ditter match when Lady Rozemyne imitated the ritual and
consecrated the mana with the Leidenschaft spear which produced a pillar of blessed light to shoot up.
Witnessing that powerful blessing, Dunkelfelger was eager to revive the ritual."
...... Ooh oof! Lady Hannelore, stop it! I'm afraid of Ferdinand's eyes!
"Really? The report didn't go into that much detail, but Rozemyne was very active, wasn't she?"
"Yes. The Ehrenfest dedication ceremony that Rozemyne conducted was also wonderful. Zent was very
pleased."
....... please. Stop it.
I've only written the bland parts of the dedication ceremony so as not to get in trouble, but it's very
annoying to have more offensive information brought out in the open so close before dinner.
"Oh, Lord Ferdinand! I know you're very busy because you have to go to all the territories to greet them!
I wouldn't want to keep you any longer..."
"Don't worry, Rozemyne. As long as Lady Dietlinde remains motionless, there is nothing we can do. More
importantly, I want to know what you've been up to. There were many things I could not understand
from your letter."
"I think you have a lot to hide," his eyes were telling me. Ferdinand's blood drained quickly as he tried to
get the story out of his brother and Hannelore. I submitted a detailed report to Sylvester, and Hannelore
has been present at most of the screw-ups.
...... This is not good. Somebody help me!
"What are you talking about here?"
Dietlinde came over to the table, presumably after she had finished talking with the knights. When
Hannelore smiled and replied, "We are talking about joint research," her dark green eyes sparkled.
"Ahrensbach's research was conducted by Lord Ferdinand's disciple which was began with focusing on
finding ways to move magic tools in the library using a little mana. After the political upheaval, Dr.
Solange, a middle-class aristocrat, was unable to maintain the magic tools on her own, so his research is
attracting a lot of attention from the royal family in terms of preserving mana."
...... That's exactly what I wrote in my report. And the most important part of the report is missing, which is
that the research must be very beneficial to have a personal library.
“I apologize, Lady Dietlinde, but we were talking about the joint research of Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest.
When the archduchess pointed out that she hadn't heard or talked about Ahrensbach's research
separately, Dietlinde responded, "Well!" and rounded her eyes.
"You'll have to explain to me about Ahrensbach's research properly, Lord Ferdinand."
...... Yes?
Attracting the blank stares of everyone, Dietlinde, who should had been very busy with the greetings,
ordered Ehrenfest's apprentices to prepare a seat and began to boast about Ahrensbach's research.
"So we have a magic tool that records voices, and I had been told of my passionate love for the study of
Ahrensbach. Ho-ho-ho..."
Unlike me, who in my mind commented that it was a plush toy of shumil that she was talking about her
passionate love for, the archduchess spoke up clearly.
"Shouldn't you say you're working with Ehrenfest, not with Ahrensbach? It doesn't sound very nice."
"Oh, it's the research of the disciple of my fiancé Ferdinand, so it's the equivalent of Ahrensbach's
research."
The archduchess's smile was laced with indescribable bewilderment. She glanced my way with eyes
asking if she was stealing my research results. This is what it's become. It made me wonder if she was
thinking, "you negotiated with Dunkelfelger, so what are you doing with Ahrensbach?"❓ not sure if I got this
right – just contextualized it
I could not be regarded as being played by Ahrensbach here. I smiled at the archduchess.
"I would like to invite you to come and see what the joint research between Ahrensbach and Ehrenfest is
all about. My attendant and knight apprentices have been working hard."
"…not an apprentice scholar? It is a collaboration then, isn't it?”
The archduchess's face became even more puzzled and uncomprehending. Although it was a given that
the research displayed at the Interduchy Tournament was the property of an apprentice scholar, it was
Lieseleta who made the magic tools into cute plush toys, and it was Laurenz who infused them with
words of love, so I was not lying at all!
"The adorable shumil stuffed animal is Ehrenfest's landmark."
"Yes, Rozemyne's words reminded me of something. I was going to ask Lord Ferdinand to do one for
me."
Dietlinde, who clapped her hands with a pop, called out, "Lord Ferdinand." Ferdinand, who left
Dietlinde's bragging to the archduchess and me to deal with while he interrogated Sylvester and
Hannelore, approached me with a fake smile and tilted his head, "What is it?"
"As I asked you earlier, I want that shumil stuffed animal. Both Raimund and Ferdinand said that it
belonged to Rozemyne, right? So please ask her to give it to me. You will grant my request, won't you?"
Apparently, she was turned down by Raimund and Ferdinand after requesting that she wanted to have
shumil whispering loving words to her. Everyone in the room blinked their eyes and looked at Dietlinde,
not just Ferdinand.
"Isn't this an exhibit prepared by Ehrenfest?" the archduchess quizzically confirmed, and I nodded my
head. I didn't even want to be asked if I wanted it. It's a shumil to be given to Letizia.
"Dietlinde, I apologize but that one has been decided to be given to someone else."
"Then I will negotiate with that person. Who are you going to give it to?"
Dietlinde, who had shown herself to be absolutely uncompromising, was approached by Hannelore.
"Excuse me, Lady Dietlinde. Why don't you have one of your own attendants make a shumil stuffed
animal for you?" asked Hannelore
The archduchess added, "surely, you are not implying that there is no one in Ahrensbach’s retinue who
can make stuffed animals, are you?"
Dietlinde averted her gaze and lifted her chin in response to the archduchess’s rebuke.
"If it were a normal stuffed animal, I would have done so. However, as you can see from the fact that it is
an exhibit, it is a magic tool. Rozemyne took away the blueprints and rights from Raimund before I, the
next Aub, did. I'm really troubled that he didn't even consult with the next Aub because it was a joint
research project."
I countered immediately, "the purchase from a researcher is done with the researcher himself and does
not require permission of the next aub, nor the current aub. I paid Raimund for it, and I did n.ot ‘take it
away’"
If I didn't deny it, Dietlinde's argument would be accepted. The expression on the archduchess's face
became subtly uncomfortable. Ferdinand, who slowly looked around at the reactions of those around
him, gave a seemingly sweet smile.
“Lady Dietlinde. If you ask for something that has already been given to someone else, it will cause some
consternation to the people around you."
The unspoken "read the air and refrain from selfishness" did not seem to go over well with Dietlinde. A
look of displeasure came over her face and she glared at Ferdinand.
"I am the one who wants it, Lord Ferdinand," she said. "As my fiancé, you should do me a little favor."
“I understand. If all you need is a magic tool, I promise to make it for you after I get a workshop in
Ahrensbach. I'm sorry, Rozemyne. Please send me the blueprints when I get the workshop."
...... So you're saying that you want me to give you a workshop so you can make magic tools?
Noticing Ferdinand's intention to obtain his own hidden room and workshop while appearing to
respond to her selfishness, I encourage him with a smile.
"When Ferdinand gets his workshop, please let me know. I will send him the blueprints by letter as soon
as he has them."
"It's wonderful that your fiancé is going to the trouble of making one for you. I'm very happy for you,
Lady Dietlinde."
Dietlinde shook her head, not smiling happily, even though Hannelore smiled and brought the scene full
circle.
"Ferdinand will have his own workshop after the star-knot ceremony. Isn't that a long time away? I want
it now, before someone else gets it. Since you have the blueprints, why don't you just rebuild them?"
The archduchess and Hannelore looked at each other awkwardly, and Ferdinand let out a sigh, tapping
his temples lightly.
"Does Lady Dietlinde always make such demands of Ehrenfest?" the Archduchess inquired.
"It is only natural. I am the next Aub of Ahrensbach."
The archduchess held her forehead. When Ferdinand saw this, he raised one of his eyebrows lightly and
smiled, and Sylvester coughed lightly.
In the midst of all this, Lieseleta crouched down behind me and called out to me in a voice that only I
could hear.
"Lady Rozemyne, why don't you give the shumil you have on display to Lady Dietlinde? I'll make more."
"Lieseleta...."
"Isn't it painful to see Ferdinand in such distress?"
I nodded my head. It's not easy for me to make one by myself, but if Lieseleta can make it for me, I'd
rather give the shumil to Ferdinand than have him look at me like he's in trouble.
"I'll give it to you when the Interduchy Tournament is over. As you said, we will rework the one we are
giving away."
"Well, that's very nice of you."
Dietlinde rejoiced with a flourish, and Ferdinand apologized to me, "I'm sorry, Rozemyne."
"I hope you don't mind, Lord Ferdinand. My attendants are very dexterous, and they will make me a new
one."
"But..."
I did not want Ferdinand to look that way, but it just wouldn't work.❓actual translation was unclear, contextualized
As I was contemplating what to do, Hannelore smiled at me.
"I haven't seen it yet, but I think that shumil might be the new trend from Ehrenfest."
"Yes. Speaking of Ehrenfest's trends, don't you use hair ornaments, Lady Dietlinde? I saw the hair
ornaments Lästilaut ordered this morning, and they were magnificent."
The archduchess smiled and nodded at Hannelore's words to lighten the mood and changed the subject
from shumil to hair ornaments.
"Of course, it was given to me by Lord Ferdinand, but I won't be able to show it to everyone until the
graduation ceremony tomorrow. If I wear it today, won't it be less of a surprise? Please look forward to
tomorrow!"
...... No, I don't think you need to surprise me.
"I will come to the graduation ceremony dressed fittingly as the next Aub and will wear it proudly."
As Dietlinde was beaming with pride, an ordonnanz came flying towards us. Since there were so many of
us, it was hard to tell to whom the ordonnanz was flying, so everyone in their seats lightly held out their
hands. The white bird landed in my hand.
"Lady Rozemyne, what is the meaning of this? I have not been informed of any such words in this book!
So Ehrenfest is trying to deceive Ahrensbach!"
Professor Fraularm's loud voice sounded three times. It's just the right volume of voice to listen to while
holding your ears. I can hear her voice, but I can't quite understand what she's saying.
"Did you fail to report something?"
"I'm quite certain I've reported everything to Professor Fraularm, but... what happened?"
"Well, Lady Rozemyne. If you'll forgive me for saying so. I mean, maybe...," Lieseleta hesitantly
murmured.
I gave permission to Lieseleta, asking, "aren't those the last words of shumil?"
"Muriela took it this morning to put it on display, but maybe she only heard the first word or two and
Professor Fraularm didn't listen all the way through."
Ferdinand demanded, "what's the last thing? When Raimund explained it to me this morning, I was
puzzled at the litany of strange words that were spilling out from him."
Ferdinand gave up after Raimund’s first vague sentence explaining to him that it was a stuffed animal of
shumil, which speaks of love. He was told that there were ten types of messages in total, and he didn't
feel like devoting his mana to listen to the love words spoken in a man's voice until the end.
“The words of love were taken from the Love Stories of the Royal Academy books. That's why at the end
of the recording, I included an advertisement for Ehrenfest books, including the Royal Academy Love
Story.”
When I mentioned the advertising phrase I had voiced, Dietlinde got up from her seat, widening her
eyes, "I can't believe that such advertising is coming from the Ahrensbach exhibit."
"If you'll excuse us, my lords and ladies! I have to go and greet the rest of the realm! Let's go, Lord
Ferdinand."
"Why didn't someone check until the end?" I thought, watching the back of Dietlinde, who started
walking indignantly.
Ferdinand stood up, letting out a small chuckle, "so, after all that bragging about Ahrensbach's research,
you were able to promote Ehrenfest's book? Seriously... I can never really predict what you're going to
do."
aww!
As Ferdinand walked away, he put his hand lightly on my head and said, "very nice."
I'm sorry to hear that the cloak has returned to Heisshitze.
And Dietlinde went on and on without reading the air. She’s so exhausting
The archduchess was made aware of the relationship between Ahrensbach and Ehrenfest.
A commercial for the Ehrenfest book exploded in Ahrensbach's space.
eekNotes: this was a hard chapter to translate and took longer that I needed to. There were several
passages that were lost in translation (aka, right translation but didn’t make a clear sense) and I had to
go back after a couple of weeks, read it, and practically rewrote the whole chapter contextualizing the
unclear passages.
Next is socializing with the royal family.
7. Socializing with Royalty
It was just an idea that came to me to include an advertisement of the book, the way one would put a
peony on a shelf. But I was able to receive a compliment.
...... “very nice”. Mmm-hmm.
While I was immersed in joy, remembering Ferdinand's expression and the light touch of his hand on my
head as he chuckled at the end, Hannelore looked at me and put her hand on her cheek with a curious
look on her face.
"You look very happy, Lady Rozemyne."
"Yes. I received a compliment. Ferdinand never praises me with a "very good" unless I achieve something
like having everyone in the dorm pass the first day of class or finish the lecture in the fastest time
possible without dropping my grades. I am very happy because I thought I would only receive
compliments in letters now that he has gone to Ahrensbach."
I had hoped for a smiling response of "That's good to hear" but the Archduchess and Hannelore's
expressions tightened.
"Is something the matter?"
“No. I was surprised by his very strict instructions." The archduchess laughed in embarrassment and
managed to squeeze the words out of her mouth.
It wasn't the first time that I had become numb to other's feedback about it, but it seemed that
Ferdinand's instruction was seen not as "very good" but "very severe and demanding".
...... Oh, maybe they're thinking I'm being oppressive again!
"Oh, um, it may sound harsh, but once you get used to it, you'll be fine. Before he left for Ahrensbach, he
was very kind to say goodbye to me and let me read a new book every time I completed an assignment.
Ferdinand is actually very kind."
When I tried my best to appeal to Ferdinand's kindness, Sylvester laughed and waved his hand lightly.
"You’ll have a hard time following Ferdinand’s guidance as reading a book you have never read is an
assignment unless you are Rozemyne who sees that as a reward!"
...... What a surprise! I thought it was a reward from Lord Ferdinand because he had given it to me when I
finished my practical assignment, telling me that if I didn't read it by tomorrow, the next assignment would
begin, but I never knew it was an assignment!
As my eyes widened at the shocking fact I had just learned, I saw a group of black cloaked men coming
towards me. The one in the lead is Prince Anastasius. I couldn't see Eglantine, who was with him last
year, perhaps because she had work to do as a teacher. I was a little sad.
"Well, it looks like the royals are here, so we'll leave you to them."
The archduchess and Hannelore left their seats and were about to hand over the place to the royalty. As
soon as they did, Prince Anastasius moved his hand quickly.
"Wait. I have something to say to the Archduchess of Dunkelfelger as well."
The two Dunkelfelgers were not allowed to leave the room after greeting each other, and they had to sit
down again. On the table, Sylvester sat on the right of Prince Anastasius while the archduchess was on
his left. I was seated with my foster father on his other side and Hannelore was next to me.
"Rozemyne, I apologize, but can you set up that wind shield? I'm going to use a range of anti-
eavesdropping magic device on top of that. Stand back, gentlemen."
While Prince Anastasius had his attendants prepare the magic tools, I put up the shield of Schutzaria.
There was no particular harm or hostility, I suppose. No one in the vicinity was thrown by the shield.
Nonetheless, Prince Anastasius ordered his retainer, who had finished preparing the tea and snacks, as
well as the guard knights, to get out of their wiretap-proof magic tools.
"Do you want to remove the guard knights as well?"
"Ah. I'm sure you can guess why."
It may indicate the sovereign knights who broke into ditter the other day. The report seemed to have
been properly made, and both the Archduchess and Sylvester immediately agreed and asked all
retainers to leave. After seeing that the retainers had all left, the Archduchess opened her mouth.
"What is it that you wish to discuss?"
"First of all, I would like to complain to you. I thought I had warned the students repeatedly, but there
was no improvement at all. I was waiting for the Interduchy Tournament when their guardians arrived,
wondering whether to call them or not."
And today, just as he finished talking with Klassenberg, Anastasius saw Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest
together, and he came because he thought there was no better opportunity.
...... Ehhh, you mean, this is like a parent-teacher conference for troubled kids? Oh, by the way, last year
there was a summons for the Tannis Befallen fiasco, and it was Lord Ferdinand who came, not Sylvester. It
was kind of nostalgic.
It seems like last year was a long time ago. As I looked around, immersed in nostalgia, I saw that my
foster father, the archduchess, and Hannelore were all tensing their faces and bodies in anticipation of
the royal complaint that was about to begin. I, too, noticed how out of place I felt in the tense
atmosphere around me, and hurriedly changed my nostalgic face to a worried face.
"As I'm sure you are aware, Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest are causing too many problems. Even if the Royal
Academy is a place where parents refrain from interfering in order to promote the growth of their
children, can't you do something about it? Ever since Rozemyne and Hannelore, the two archduke
candidates entered the academy, problems have been occurring every year, and the scale of the
problems has been increasing every year."
Before we entered, there was no conflict between Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest, and there were no
disputes involving multiple territories. In addition, Ehrenfest did not move up the rankings all at once, so
the atmosphere in the small and medium-sized territories was not as cramped as it is now.
"Prince Anastasius, may I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
He looked at me with gray eyes as if to say, "Don't break up the conversation," but he gave me
permission.
"Is the conflict between Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest about ditter?"
"What else is there?"
"Then I don't understand why we are being scolded for it."
My foster father hastily tried to restrain me, saying, "Rozemyne, don't argue with royalty."
I shook my head as I made eye contact with my foster father, who was turning pale.
"Sylvester, whether it's the royal family or a higher-ranking territory, if we don't argue our case first, they
won't understand. If we keep silent no matter what is said, we will be misunderstood and bad rumors will
spread, and they will say it as if it were true. I think it's important to insist on something before it's
interpreted in their own way, plus I think I'm being selective about who I talk to."
He looked around at the members of the group seated at the table and said, "You chose your opponents
to be royalty and Dunkelfelger?" My foster father raised his voice like a scream.
“Yes. Prince Anastasius has a history of not being able to communicate with Lady Eglantine because he
had to go through people instead of directly exchanging opinions, and the Archduchess of Dunkelfelger
and I have just come to an understanding of the importance of sharing information and dispelling
assumptions.”
It's true that I don't go this far with everyone. My standards may be different from my foster father's, but
in my own way, I think I've chosen people I feel comfortable talking to. I can't deny that my criteria may
be wrong, though.
"Rozemyne, you may have a point, but please be a little more considerate of Ehrenfest's position,"
Sylvester practically pleaded.
"Prince Anastasius went to the trouble of excluding his retainers because he wanted an honest opinion,
didn't he? If he wanted me to remain silent, he wouldn't have to prepare for this."
I pointed to the space separated by the anti-eavesdropping magic device and the shield of Schutzaria.
Prince Anastasius looked at Sylvester with a sympathetic gaze, looking like he had a terrible headache.
"Aub Ehrenfest. I know exactly how you feel. But, as Rozemyne said, what I want is an honest opinion. So,
Rozemyne. What is it about being scolded that you don't agree with?"
"Neither I nor Lady Hannelore have ever said or thought that we want to engage in ditter. Isn't that right,
Lady Hannelore?"
When I asked for her agreement, Hannelore freaked out and nodded several times, "I have never wanted
to be a ditterer."
"Your highness, you remember well from our first year, don't you? How Lord Lästilaut suddenly attacked
us over the management of the Schwartz and Weiss. Didn't Professor Rauffen put a stop to it with
ditter?"
In the second year, Aub Dunkelfelger demanded to play ditter if we wanted the printing rights, and it
was a battle between Ferdinand and Heisshitze. I wanted the printing rights, but I wanted to be able to
work it out through a discussion if possible. In my third year, Lästilaut pressed me to break off our
engagement, which had been sanctioned by the king, and here we were.
"Hannelore and I are basically just caught in the middle. If you want to scold someone, please scold the
Dunkelfelger lords directly, who use their position as a higher-ranking duchy to challenge Ehrenfest to a
ditter they can't refuse."
Prince Anastasius looked at the archduchess of Dunkelfelger with a helpless look on his face and said
forcefully, "Next time, say no."
'Yes, your highness. All this time I have been told not to go against the higher duchies, but I have just
received permission from the Archduchess to refuse to ditter, so Ehrenfest will never ditter again. Please
rest assured."
I puffed out my chest and said, "Look. I've gotten permission from the royal family, so you're safe now,
Sylvester." I smiled and turned to face him, but he froze with his head in his hands. I think he should be
happy that the royal family and the archduchess have given him permission to refuse, but why is he
holding his head in his hands?
"Also, this is a request not only for Ehrenfest, but also for the other lower-ranking duchies, but the royal
family should not easily give permission to rent the training grounds of the Royal Academy for non-
lecture ditter. If you don't show enough consideration to ask the subordinate territories about the
situation before giving permission, the subordinate territories will not be able to refuse. It would be very
helpful if you could confirm their intentions beforehand, rather than interceding with a rebuke after the
fact."
Dunkelfelger, who was eager to play ditter, set the scene, and Professor Rauffen, who had the most
power in the knight's course, happily went to the royals to get permission. The lower-ranking duchies
that didn't really want to play didn't have a say in the matter.
"Aub Ehrenfest. Rozemyne may be saying this, but would it really help the lower-ranking territories if we
were to confirm their intentions in advance?"
“It would certainly help. Even if you are able to listen to our opinions, due to the relationship with the
upper territories, you may end up receiving a match without being honest. But at least you will feel
protected by the royalty, and I appreciate your willingness to hear us out."
Prince Anastasius nodded at Sylvester's opinion, "Hmm. I'll take this under advisement." This should
reduce the number of ditter's victims a bit.
"And I apologize for the intrusion of the sovereign knights while in the middle of ditter. Those knights
acted selfishly, insisting that the royal family should get a saint for Zent. However, it is true that Prince
Hildebrandt said that he wanted to help Rozemyne, who was in trouble because Dunkelfelger asked her
to marry into their duchy, so some people think that Prince Hildebrandt's wish might have been
interpreted as a royal command. Nonetheless, since it was not Zent's order and since it involved small
and medium-sized territories, the action is still subject to punishment. We plan to punish them severely."
“But I don't understand why three knights suddenly went on such a rampage,” Prince Anastasius let out a
sigh. “It was the king who was most shocked by their outburst, as they were three of the sovereign
knights whom he trusted the most.”
I looked at my foster father at the mention of the knights who had intruded. It was the perfect
opportunity to talk about trug.
"Prince Anastasius, have you ever heard of the trug plant?"
"Rozemyne! Not now." Sylvester said as he glanced at the two Dunkelfelger in attendance. But I shook
my head.
"I think it's now or never. When Zent no longer trusts the sovereign knights and there is a major incident
in Jürgenschmidt, there will be no one better to turn to than the knights of Dunkelfelger. The fact that
they connect everything to ditter is troubling, but their strength is real and unrivaled by other
territories."
Considering how quickly they responded to last year's attack and the fact that they were able to receive
the blessing of the ritual dance, it would be better if Dunkelfelger knew what was going on. Here was
not Aub, who related everything to ditter, but the archduchess, who had to work hard to clean up after
the men and could prepare them in advance.
"I don't know much about trug, so I'll leave the explanation to my foster father."
I didn't know how much I could say about what was going on in Ehrenfest, so I gave the floor to
Sylvester, giving him a few simple reasons.
"I've never heard of trug. Do you know of it, Dunkelfelger?"
"No, I do not. What kind of plant is it?"
Under the gaze of the Archduchess and Prince Anastasius, Sylvester, who had been holding his stomach,
looked up as if he had made up his mind.
“I've heard that trug is a dangerous plant that, when dried and used over a fire, has strong effects that
can cause clouded memories, hallucinations, and euphoria, along with a sweet smell. After the intrusion
of ditter, the apprentice knight who greeted Prince Anastasius reported that the captured knight smelled
of trug. The fact that it was used by the sovereign knights suggests that there is a high possibility that
there is someone who uses trug in The sovereignty."
Both Prince Anastasius and the Archduchess's eyes widened.
"Describe the trug

in detail, Aub
Ehrenfest!"
Though asked to
explain
vehemently,
Sylvester shook
his head gently.
"Ehrenfest doesn't
know much
either. There was
a time in
Ehrenfest when a
traitor with
connections to
another realm
used it as a place
for secret
meetings, and we
were unable to
retrieve any
memories that
would prove the
traitor's guilt. The
apprentice knight
who noticed the
sovereign knights
was the one who
was invited to the
secret meeting
with his parents
and left
immediately
because he was
underage. It was
his testimony that
the fireplace was 5 Rozemyne, Sylvester, Prince Anastasius
on and the room
was filled with a sweet smell even though it was summer, and the muddled memories of the rebels that
were clearly tampered that made him suspect that one of the scholars was using trug.
The scholar who noticed it was over fifty years old, and was apparently taught by a retired herbology
teacher during the time he was a student at the Royal Academy.
"He told me to keep it in mind, even though it's probably not used anywhere near here. He doesn't know
where it comes from, and he said it doesn't exist in Ehrenfest. You'll have to get more information from a
scholar officer of his age or older who had taken a course on special herbs, or look it up in your
sovereign archives. I have no further information for you at Ehrenfest."
Prince Anastasius nodded, "I see." He looked at his Sylvester with intense eyes.
"Aub Ehrenfest, you said that the rebels were communicating with another duchy, where is the other
duchy? That would be the most important information."
The place became tense. After a few seconds of silence, Sylvester declared, "…it is Ahrensbach, where my
sister, Georgine, reigns as archduchess."
With this answer, he must have communicated who was the one from Ahrensbach who could be
connected to Ehrenfest and attempt to rebel. A heavy silence prevailed.
"Prince Anastasius, that is all the information I can give you."
"I thank you ever so much for your cooperation. Ehrenfest's contribution can no longer be measured."
Prince Anastasius exhaled. He also informed me that thanks to the mana they gained from the recent
dedication ceremony, they were able to move a number of important magical tools. After pouring mana
into various places, Zent was able to get some rest for the past few days.
"Father was grateful to Ehrenfest for taking such good care of Rozemyne and the ritual. If you so desire,
your ranking will be much higher next year. Aub Ehrenfest. What do you think of that?"
Prince Anastasius gazed at Sylvester with his grey eyes. It's a quiet, stern look, as if trying to determine if
he could give an appropriate answer as an Aub Ehrenfest. Sylvester returned his gaze to the prince with
dark green eyes and said, "Please maintain the current ranking of the duchies. As pointed out by the
royals and Dunkelfelger, there are but few nobles within Ehrenfest who are capable of behaving as a
high-ranking territory. The only ones who can do so are Ferdinand, who has removed from Ehrenfest
and has been associated with the higher territories, and Rozemyne and her retainers, who were educated
by him."
“As Ehrenfest rises in the rankings, we are expected to behave more like a higher-ranking territory, but
right now we are struggling to keep Ehrenfest together, and we don't have the time to devote to
diplomacy”, my foster father replied.
"I hope that Ehrenfest's contribution will be in the form of making up for the lack of help to Zent during
the previous political upheaval."
"…not a bad idea. I'll take it back and discuss it with Zent."
Prince Anastasius nodded lightly and agreed to Sylvester's request that Ehrenfest be treated the same as
the winning territory of the political change in the future, instead of moving up in rank at the next
Archduke’s Conference.
"Also, this is a request from the royal family, but I would like you to have Hannelore and Rozemyne visit
the Royal Academy library on a daily basis during the period of the Archduke’s Conference."
The royal family needed to visit the library during that time, so they wanted our help in keeping the key.
"I don't mind, but aren't you going to change the custodian of the key to an archscholar at the center?"
"I was going to do so, but I have come to the conclusion that it is best to leave it to those who will not
be part of the Archduke’s Conference, as there is no need to suspect them of rebellion or harm. Will you
do me this favor?"
The sovereign knights had been manipulated by trug. There was no way to say that the scholar officials
would not be in a similar situation next time.
When I emphatically said, "Leave it to me," Hannelore, who had been thinking for a while, nodded her
head. "I have some rituals that I would like to look into in detail, and although I am not as fluent in the
old language as Rozemyne, I will gladly cooperate if I can be of help to the royal family."
Hearing our reply, Prince Anastasius turned his gaze to our guardians. Sylvester and archduchess
nodded in approval.
"Prince Anastasius, am I allowed to enter the archives?"
That is the most important thing. When I asked excitedly, Prince Anastasius looked at my foster father
and nodded, "Of course."
"During the time of the Archduke’s Conference, the guardians will be able to carry out their duties
without my having to pluck them out myself."
I gulped when he mentioned the trouble I had caused the two princes by hiding in the library, where the
retainer was not allowed, and my foster father turned pale and began to apologize.
"I heard that the two princes were inconvenienced by the foolish girl who only had her eyes on books. I
am very sorry for that. We have been as careful as we can be, but the effect of missing one of the five
great gods and the supreme god that supports Ehrenfest is too great. We sincerely hope that you will
give us some wisdom to appease Ewigeliebe, who is on a rampage due to the lack of Geduldh."
When my foster father apologized profusely, Prince Anastasius looked at me with a very bitter face and
muttered, "The reins of this <Rozemyne> are Ferdinand?"
...... What do you mean?
Unlike me, who tilted my head in puzzlement, Prince Anastasius and Sylvester, who seemed to
understand the significance, looked at me and pressed their foreheads.
"I see. If that's the case, then I can understand where you're coming from, but I can't help you there.
According to Ahrensbach's scholars, who went ahead of me, Lord Ferdinand is doing a lot of work on his
own. They were happy to hear that the situation in Ahrensbach would soon improve."
Prince Anastasius shook his head, not wanting Ahrensbach to go under. At the moment, he said, the only
open border gate is the one in Ahrensbach's sea. Now that Glutrisheit is lost, no other border gate can
be opened, and Ahrensbach is the only place to trade with other countries. And conversely, they cannot
close the border gate if something happens.
"Do you have any problems with other countries as well?" asked Sylvester
"…I'm aware that a dispute with the Lanzenave might arise." The way Prince Anastasius was choosing his
words reminded me of Ferdinand's letter informing me of the arrival of the Princess of Adalgisa.
"It may not be of much concern to you..." the prince added.
It's true that the arrival of the princess at Adalgisa's remote palace has nothing to do with me or
Ehrenfest. But Ferdinand, the fruit of Adalgisa, is in Ahrensbach, the window of Jürgenschmidt! It's not
completely irrelevant.
"Ahrensbach has Lord Ferdinand in its midst. It is not that Ehrenfest is unrelated. Should anything
happen, please let us know. I will definitely come to the rescue of Lord Ferdinand."
"I can only see the situation escalating if you head over there!"
For some reason, the words of Prince Anastasius and Sylvester overlapped.
Prince Anastasius is here.
The two Dunkelfelgers who couldn't escape and were caught together have an important discussion.
Everyone's head hurts in various ways as Rozemyne says everything because sharing information is
important.
eekNotes: Good foresight for Rozemyne to reveal trug to Anastasius and Dunkelfelger. I also think it’s a
good strategic decision of Sylvester to keep current rankings but be treated as one of the “winning”
duchies (bec a lot of the nobles esp Leisegang are just not adjusting as they should to Ehrenfest’s
changes). This will remove any scorn from other mid & higher-ranking duchies on Ehrenfest’s unfair rise in
ranking when it did not contribute to Jürgenschmidt being neutral in the last civil war. However, this can
demoralize current students striving so hard in the academy to increase the ranking of their duchy.
Sylvester must handle his internal duchy better so the old foggies can start catching up to the younger
generation. And (ahem), Sylvester looked dreamy in this chapter’s illustration😍
Next is socializing with other territories.
8. Socializing with Other Territories
"That's all I have to say to all of you."
After finishing his speech, Prince Anastasius stood up, ordered me to turn off the shield of the
Schutzaria, went out of the wide-range anti-eavesdropping magic device, and asked his attendant to
retrieve the magic device.
As the retainer began to move, Prince Anastasius stopped Ehrenfest's attendants from making a fresh
pot of tea, saying, "No need," and turned his gaze to Sylvester.
"It was more than I expected. You have my gratitude. I must hurry back. ...... Ah, yes. Aub Ehrenfest.
According to the sovereign temple, it is outrageous and indeed disrespectful to the gods to have a
knight in the altar while in the middle of a ritual. They told us to have a blue priest or priestess
accompany us. Ehrenfest, where even the archduke candidates can wear blue, should have no problem
with that."
Prince Anastasius's words must have meant that if we dress our guard knights in priestly uniforms, we
can take them as we please. I would ask my adult guard knights to dress up as blue priests and
priestesses and protect me.
...... will my guard knights wear them if I asked them to?
While pondering about this, I got down from my chair and unlocked the shield of Schutzaria. After
retrieving the magic tools and speaking with Sylvester, Prince Anastasius flipped his cloak and quickly
departed.
"I've already had my tea. We'll take our leave now. We've been disturbing you for too long." The
archduchess bade us farewell, and then left with Hannelore. As the blue cloaked group left, the red
cloaked Klassenberg came next.
'Aub Ehrenfest, are you available?
"Of course, Aub Klassenberg."
My foster father and Klasseberg exchanged greetings and I, too, greeted him for the first time.
"May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment
of Ewigeliebe?"
"You may...while you were talking with Dunkelfelger and Prince Anastasius, I saw the joint research with
great interest. I was surprised to see that even though it was a joint research project, there was a lot of
difference in the contents of the research."
While we were being seated and tea and snacks were being prepared, Aub Klassenberg also told us
about the reports from the apprentice scholars who participated in the joint research.
"They all said they had experienced a real ritual," he said. "The scene where everyone's prayers were
united, the mana was drawn out, and the jewel-colored pillars rose up was so moving and magnificent
that it made the back of their eyes burn."
It was a shocking ceremony that naturally brought out the gratitude of the archducal family who
supported the cornerstone (foundation) and the royal family who supported Jürgenschmidt. Clarissa's
report, which summarized the opinions of the Dunkelfelger apprentice scholars who participated in the
event, gave me similar impressions, but since she was always exaggerating, I listened to her half-
heartedly.
..... The archscholars at Ehrenfest were exhausted from too much magic flowing through them, yet all they
said was, "So that's the ritual."
Perhaps it was because they had heard about Wilfried and Charlotte traveling around the country for
prayer and dedication ceremonies. Or was it because they had witnessed me blessing while playing the
harspiel, trying to figure out how to keep the blessing from leaking out in the dedication dance,
rejuvenating the foraging grounds, and seeing the pillars of light rise up from ditter ceremony? Most of
the feedback from the apprentice archscholars who participated in Ehrenfest was one of understanding
and sympathy for their Lord's story until now.
...... The students at Ehrenfest have gotten used to the blessing in a weird way... Maybe it's my fault.
"Will you be doing the ceremony again next year in the Royal Academy? A lot of people outside of the
apprentice scholars would like to experience it."
"This ritual was done because it was necessary for our joint research with Dunkelfelger, so we have no
plans for next year. We couldn't possibly ask for your precious mana every year."
"I heard that you gave us a very effective recovery potion. If you have it, I can help you. It will help
support the royal family."
This year, we'd used ditter and the restorative potions to lure them into helping us with our research, but
we had no intention of making it an annual event. As it was, my reading time had been reduced
significantly to prepare for the ritual. I didn't know why I had to do such a laborious task when it wasn't
for my research. Not only my guardians, but even the royals had told me not to do anything
unnecessary.
"The royal family would be delighted to have the mana gathered from the temples around the world.
The purpose of my rituals was to make everyone reevaluate the state of their temples. I'm glad that Aub
Klassenberg understands that."
My message - if he wanted to perform the ritual, he had a temple, so he could do what he wanted -
seemed to have been understood. Aub Klassenberg raised his eyebrows lightly and turned his attention
to my foster father. Perhaps he was appealing with his eyes to persuade his daughter a little. Sylvester
gave him a wry smile and coughed.
“This ceremony is a joint research, that is to say, the actions of the students, so as a parent I am basically
not allowed to interfere. Besides, the innermost room is under the jurisdiction of the sovereign temple,
so even if it's just a one-time event for the sake of research, holding the ceremony at the Royal Academy
repeatedly will increase the possibility of widening the rift between the royal family and the sovereign
temple. Now that Lady Eglantine has married into the royal family, don't you think it would be a very
unwelcome prospect for Klassenberg as well?"
Sylvester dismissed Aub Klassenberg's request with the pretext that parents basically don't have any say
in the actions of the Royal Academy and the deteriorating relationship between the sovereign temple
and the royal family. Aub Klassenberg, who seemed to have realized that we were not going to accept
the request at all, changed the subject with a resentful look on his face.
"I've heard from the merchants I've dealt with this year that there are many rare items in Ehrenfest. The
new books that are popular in the Royal Academy are made far away in the land of giebes, and that
there are many new things in the city as well."
There was talk of pumps and comfortable carriages that the merchants had found at the inn. In the first
year, the pumps were not widespread, so they might not have been noticed, but in the second year, they
were quite widespread, so the merchants must have been surprised at how much had changed in one
year.
"The pump that draws water from the well is particularly innovative. We were asked to incorporate it in
Klassenberg as well."
Sylvester, who had been requested, looked back at the scholar behind him. The one who stepped
forward and answered my foster father was Hartmut. Hartmut is always present at meetings between the
merchants of the downtown area and me, so he is familiar with the situation there.
"Unfortunately, the pumps are not yet ready for mass production. As such, we do not plan to sell it for a
while. The pump requires very small parts, and there are not enough craftsmen who can make them."
The pump required Johan to make the small parts, and mass production was still difficult. Above all, we
wanted to spread it to the downtown area of Ehrenfest rather than to other duchies. If we want to
spread it to the south of the city, we couldn't afford to sell it to other duchies yet.
Sylvester nodded lightly at Hartmut's words and gave his answer back to Aub Klassenberg.
"Hmm," Aub Klassenberg let out a groan.
“What may be difficult for the craftsmen of Ehrenfest, may be possible for the craftsmen of Klassenberg,"
a scholar behind Aub Klassenberg called out to him.
"If you were to sell the blueprints for the pump, as you sold the recipe for the quatre quarts, would that
be acceptable?"
Hartmut glanced at me behind my foster father, who crossed his arms thoughtfully, saying, "It might be
difficult."
"In Ehrenfest, the blueprints are controlled by the Blacksmithing Association so that for every one that is
made, the designer, Lady Rozemyne, and the blacksmith are paid a certain fee for the use of the
blueprints. It would be possible to sell the blueprints to the Blacksmithing Society of Klassenberg, but we
cannot give them away if we cannot manage them as well as the Blacksmithing Society of Ehrenfest."
Hartmut smiled smugly as he looked at Klassenberg's aub and scholars. "It's up to the Blacksmithing
Association of Klassenberg to decide if they can manage it... It would be a difficult task for a large duchy
to keep an eye on even the commoners."
...... Hartmut! It's the same as saying that the merchants have already done some pretty selfish things, so
Klassenberg can't be trusted! Not that he’s wrong.
"In any case, we'll have to talk about it at some point to see if we can coordinate it or not. Please let's
discuss it in detail at the Archduke’s Conference," Sylvester said, ending the conversation with Aub
Klassenberg.
After the meeting with Klassenberg, the next to stop was Drewanchel. After that, it was Hauffletze, and
then Aub Gillessenmayer. One after another, the Aubs came to us, asking for more slots. Before I could
answer with a simple "It may be difficult this year," the fourth bell rang and it was time for lunch.
By the time we returned to the dormitory for lunch, I was exhausted. I asked Sylvester if I could ride back
to the dormitory for lunch, and he agreed, so I rode Lessie back to the dormitory.
"I am exhausted..."
"The high-ranking territories just kept coming one after another. But you and Hartmut was of great help
to me."
My foster father and his scholars had information about the printing business and the new books we
were selling, but they didn't know much about pumps and carriages that the merchants had just seen in
the downtown area. I thanked Hartmut for his support.
"I'm glad I could be of service to you, Rozemyne. But isn't that the kind of knowledge that is needed
precisely by Aub’s scholars?”
"Yes. I can't just leave it to you alone. Don't you think I should go back to the city to find out what's
going on there? With Ferdinand gone, there's no way to get information about downtown,” Sylvester
agreed.
Ferdinand was no longer around to give me reports and the information that Justus used to gather. My
foster father must make his own contacts to know the situation in the downtown area.
"It would be better to let the scholars, with my retainer, inspect the downtown area instead of my foster
father. I will not tolerate any misconduct in the downtown area by scholars who are on their way to
inspect the situation. But first, shouldn't we be setting Greschel up so that we can bring in additional
merchants?"
"This year, with our mana, we should be able to do that. Then you can increase your trading quota..."
I interrupted Sylvester, "no, we can’t. We'll have to wait a year or so to see if Greschel can keep the
downtown area beautiful, and we'll have to set up lodgings and teach them how to serve customers, so
we'll definitely need some time to prepare."
In the city of Ehrenfest, the Gutenbergs, soldiers, and others were actively involved in maintaining
downtown. However, there was no such association in Greschel. We had to leave it to Giebe, but Giebe
only gave orders to the downtown area and did not listen to the opinions of others. I'd like to think that
things have improved a bit, but the commoners would definitely have a hard time with Giebe's
recklessness.
"We should leave it to the merchants of Greschel, just as we left it to the Commercial Guild and the
Plantin Trading Company."
"Sylvester. Ordering us to immediately welcome merchants from other territories in Greschel is like
receiving a royal order to immediately welcome all the aubs in the castle of Ehrenfest and make them
perfectly comfortable. Wouldn't that be troubling?"
When I asked if the current Ehrenfest could offer perfect hospitality to a large number of territories, my
foster father and his retainers fell silent.
"It is true that Ehrenfest needs to change. Let's give Greschel time to prepare and be ready to receive
them."
We decided to talk with Giebe Greschel about setting up downtown Greschel as soon as possible so that
it would be ready to receive the merchants.
Then, over lunch, Sylvester began to talk to Wilfried about the contract. He admonished him to be
careful when signing or he would be cheated, and to always check with a scholar to make sure there
were no problems before signing.
"I thought he would give up the betrothal unconditionally, since Lord Lästilaut said that if we won the
marriage duel, he swore to the gods not to touch us."
"The same is true for me, Brother Wilfried."
However, it was easy to see which was more trustworthy, a verbal agreement between children in a Royal
Academy or a written contract with clear stipulations.
"I'll be careful next time about not checking the terms and conditions again. But that's not a contract, so
there's no problem."
"It didn't look like a contract to me either, but I've heard that it's required for bride-stealing ditter."
It was a piece of paper that looked like a report on the terms of ditter and the number of participants,
but as long as it was signed, it was a contract. Lästilaut had gotten the better of us. Wilfried and his
retainers looked at each other and shook their heads in response to my and Sylvester’s comments.
"That can't be. It's a document that's required for the use of the dormitory budget in Dunkelfelger, and
it's only valid within Dunkelfelger at most."
I wonder if that's what Lästilaut told him. Wilfried stubbornly insists that it is only valid within
Dunkelfelger.
"But, Wilfried, the contract is concluded when it is signed by you."
"That's not possible. The contract with Ehrenfest, another territory, should not be concluded. It's not an
official contract. I'm sure you're aware of that. Yes, that's what you taught me, Rozemyne."
Wilfried glared at me with a miffed look on his face and said, "Did you teach me a lie?” I tilted my head,
not quite understanding what he meant.
"Did I teach you that?"
"Yes, you did. Every official contract must be made on paper from the Parchment Association. The
cheaper Ehrenfest paper could only be used for scribbles and reports. Didn't you tell me to be careful
because contracts made on Ehrenfest paper are not considered official contracts?"
"Ah!"
they are so alike Syl+Myne

My foster father and I looked at each other as our voices overlapped.
....... so even though it was signed, neither my adoptive father nor I thought it was a contract.
The only reason it looked like a report at first glance was because it was made of Ehrenfest paper instead
of parchment.
"It's a document that is necessary for the budget of the dormitory, and I have checked it myself. Right,
Ignaz?"
"Yes. I checked to see if this document would really help us get a budget."
No problem, Lästilaut replied. The other side was planning to get a better contract than Ehrenfest, so he
only said that he was trying to get the budget. Wilfried, on the other hand, signed the contract on plant
paper, worried about the other side's ability to get a budget.
"In the first year, only Ehrenfest used it, and people looked at me like I was using an unusual paper in the
library, but now I'm happy to see that it's also being used at Dunkelfelger..."
Ignaz said, a little depressed at his own lack of caution as Wilfried's retainer. As Wilfried looked at him, a
look of concern crossed his face.
"The Dunkelfelger's apprentice scholars seemed to only carry Ehrenfest paper, but perhaps they didn't
know that it couldn't be used for official contracts."
We make sure our scholars have both types of paper, because you never know when you might need
parchment. But in Dunkelfelger, they only had plant paper.
"Father, didn't you warn the Archduke’s Conference at the time of the sales contract that the cheaper
Ehrenfest paper could not be used as an official contract to avoid conflicts with the parchment society?"
"Yes, of course, because it's important for the other party, the Parchment Association. But if the other
side presented it as a contract, there is a good chance that Dunkelfelger did not understand it."
I nodded at my foster father's words. Perhaps we need to take another look at all the territories we have
dealings with.
"I'll send Dunkelfelger some ordonnanz during lunch."
As expected, it would be bad to have the words pointing out the wrong use for the paper echoing in the
hall of the Interduchy Tournament.
"I'm the one who signed it. I'll send it to them personally."
Wilfried ordered Ignaz to send the ordonnanz.
"I'm not that unthinking, either. Have a little confidence in me."
"I'm sorry, Brother Wilfried."
A few moments later, the ordonnanz returned. "Lord Wilfried, I thank you ever so much for taking the
trouble to inform us about this. We'll be careful from now on." Behind the voice of Hannelore, I heard
the archduchess's voice saying, "What do you mean you spent it all on painting?" love Dunkelfelger’s
archducal family
After we had finished discussing the various differences in common sense and behavior in terms of
contracts, I asked how the joint research was going. The aub and his family were too busy dealing with
the guests that kept coming in to see how the joint research was going.
It was Marianne who answered first with a twinkle in her eye. She said that Professor Gundolf had come
to see what kind of research Ehrenfest was going to present in the joint research with Drewanchel. He
was surprised to find that the exhibits were different from what he had been researching.
"He was amazed when we told him that we had made it based on Rozemyne's idea. The original idea
was the same, but he didn't think we could create a magic tool that didn't use a lot of mana."
The direction of creating a magic tool that plays music is the same, as the feystone can be used to
produce sound by stroking the sheet music on Eifon paper, but the results of Drewanchel and Ehrenfest
were completely opposite.
"And while hiding it from the teacher's eyes, he praised Ehrenfest for having grown up a bit to be able to
do something like this."
He said that it was natural for a researcher to keep his research and important details secret, and that it
was wonderful that we had succeeded in surprising him by doing so.
He also said that he would like to use the magic tool to keep the books in their designated places in his
laboratory. Ignaz and the others also reported on the reaction of the guests who had come to see the
event.
"Professor Gundolf was asking a lot of questions about the graphs at our place." Philine chuckled as she
recalled Professor Gundolf's behavior.
The graphs we used in this joint research were not that difficult. They were at the level of elementary
school students, so you could understand them if you saw them. However, as he had never visualized
numerical values before, Professor Gundolf was absorbed in the graphs, distracted from the contents of
the research.
"Philine was collaborating, and I was explaining the graphs."
Roederich was left in charge of Professor Gundolf, and apparently, he was explaining the graphs to him
all the time. As he did so, one professor after another came up to him, making him feel uncomfortable,
as if he was lecturing to professors and scholars from other duchies.
He said, "Next year Drewanchel's research is going to be on graphs. He said that he would love to work
with Lady Rozemyne again next year."
"I'm glad Roederich was able to explain it properly."
There were more graphs to come, so let's get them out slowly. While Philine and Roederich were
explaining the joint research, Muriela was apparently looking over the research done in other duchies.
She said, "I heard that the Dunkelfelger research presentation will include a ritual demonstration at the
end of ditter. Lady Clarissa told me that since most of the adults in the realm don't know about ditter
ritual, it was decided to actually dance and show the ritual to everyone.
After the students had finished their ditter, the adult knights of Dunkelfelger would actually perform the
ritual and show them ditter for speed and the final mana offering. I heard that Aub Dunkelfelger was
very enthusiastic about it.
"It's going to be a sight to behold."
The dances of Dunkelfelger's students were wonderful. The dance of the adult knights should also be
magnificent.
"Yes, yes. I had a little chat with Lady Lürradi of Josbrenner. She wanted to I thank you ever so much
Lady Rozemyne for the blessings she received, but was disappointed to hear that you were busy
socializing."
It was't an exaggeration to say that the tenth-ranked Josbrenner was the lowest-ranked territory in the
first half of the year. She couldn't get into a place that was crowded with royalty and higher-ranking
territories.
"It's partly because of what I taught her, but she was able to power up the shumil stuffed animal magical
tool displayed in Ahrensbach until the end and enjoyed the words of love. She told me that when she
heard the last advertisement, she couldn't help but want the book."
I wondered if it was Lürradi who echoed the publicity of the book in Ahrensbach. Remembering
Ferdinand's comment, "Very nice," I muttered to myself, "Very nice, Lady Lürradi."
"But Josbrenner doesn't do business with us, so she couldn't buy books from us. Lady Lürradi was so
disappointed that I suggested that she write a story and make her own book."
"I'll try," replied Lürradi, who was apparently willing to give it a try. I smiled and praised Muriela, saying
that this might lead to more new books.
I smiled and praised her, "Well done, Muriela."
It was important to increase the number of authors, and it appeared that Lürradi, an archscholar may just
had what it took to become a writer like my mother. Sensing the birth of a new writer, I finished my
lunch.
The morning is finally over.
as he should
Hartmut is a big success in negotiations with Klassenberg.
I can't look around Rozemyne, so I will ask about the joint research in the report at lunch.
Next is socializing and dittering from the afternoon.
9. Socializing with Frenbeltag and Ditter
"Lady Rozemyne , would you not still give your blessing this year? There may be interference from
Professor Fraularm again this year."
On behalf of the apprentice knights who would be doing ditter that afternoon, Leonore stepped forward
and requested. I could picture everyone struggling with Hundert Tyren last year, and at the same time I
could see the apprentice knights regarding me with anxious eyes as if they were hanging on. But I don't
intend to give my blessing anymore. I shook my head."
"You came in sixth place in mock battles during training without any blessing, right? There is no problem
with your ability, and relying too much on me is not good for everyone's growth."
"Yes, my lady," Leonore said, backing down easily. Unlike Leonore, who merely wanted to express her
opinion, Brother Cornelius asked, "Why don't you give the blessing this year?” He tilted his head.
"If Dunkelfelger can get a blessing, it would be better for us to give one as well. . There is a big
difference between having Rozemyne's blessing and not having it."
"At Dunkelfelger, everyone worked together to get the blessings on their own. I don't want Ehrenfest to
be the only one relying on my blessings."
...... Plus it looks like they've decided not to raise Ehrenfest's ranking.
This was said in the midst of the use of anti-eavesdropping magic device, and I added it only in my
mind, not saying it out loud because it would affect the morale of everyone.
"At the end of today's ditter, there will be a demonstration by the adult knights of Dunkelfelger, right?
Once they see it, they will copy it in other territories. Since everyone will be moving in the direction of
striving to obtain blessings on their own, I hope that Ehrenfest will do the same. Otherwise, the
apprentice knights of Ehrenfest who did the research to obtain the blessings may end up receiving the
least blessings."
After the graduation ceremony, the king said that the ritual for divine protection would be redone for
those who wished to participate, and for Ehrenfest, if they prefer, they could also do the reacquisition of
divine protection. But no matter how many times you redo the ritual, it would be meaningless if you
didn’t pray and offer your mana enough.
"I've also been informed that the amount of mana offered is the key to success. Please be able to obtain
the blessings yourselves."
"Ha!"
Angelica, who had been watching the apprentice knights nodding vigorously, murmured, "Lady
Rozemyne, if I perform that ritual, will I also become strong?" she murmured. She was intrigued by the
idea that everyone could get a blessing and become stronger on their own.
“If you can get the blessing, then you will become stronger. In the Dunkelfelger ritual, you get blessings
from several gods. And if you do the ritual seriously enough times, it becomes easier to get the blessings
of the gods. But you have to learn the names of the gods in order to get their blessings, Angelica.”
"Memorize... I wish Stenluke would take over for me."
She must have hated her studies in the temple. Angelica exhaled gloomily as she stroked the feystone of
Stenluke at her waist. It still looked like short dagger. You couldn't tell at first glance that this was a long
sword.
"The more blessings you get, the less mana you'll need to consume, and the more your Stenluke will
grow."
Angelica, the one who handled Stenluke, should have as many blessings from the gods as possible to
fight to her advantage.
"What? You can use less mana?"
Angelica looked at me as if she had never heard of such a thing before. Apparently, relearning the
names of the gods was part of her research, and she had no idea how it would benefit her.
"Damuel already explained it to you, Angelica!" Cornelius interjected.
"Perhaps I was not listening. I'm going to do my best to learn the names of the gods."
“I'm glad Angelica is so motivated.” I praised her.
"If you'd been willing to do it a little sooner, it would have been half the trouble for Damuel, Angelica."
Hartmut replied.
Brother Cornelius expressed his sympathy for Damuel, "Poor thing.” Damuel had a very hard time
teaching the unmotivated Angelica.
...... I think Damuel would have been half as hard on you, Angelica, if you had been motivated a little
sooner.
While listening to Brother Cornelius and Hartmut talk about the hardships of Damuel, we walked back to
the venue of the Interduchy Tournament.
In the morning, the higher-ranking territories basically moved around and greeted the duchies they
were either close to or wanted to deepen their relationship with, but Ehrenfest hadn't been able to move
around at all in the morning. If Ehrenfest waited around in the afternoon, he wouldn't be able to visit the
other territories.
"Doesn't Ehrenfest have to go around to greet people?" I asked Sylvester as I looked around at each of
the territories preparing for the afternoon, and he glared at me in response. "When Ehrenfest is expected
to behave as a higher-ranking territory, do you expect them to make the same afternoon rounds of
greetings as the lower-ranking territories? Or do you want to have another business meeting with the
higher territories this afternoon?"
I hastily shook my head and denied it. I didn't want to have a business meeting. I just wanted to take a
peek at what the research and social scene in the other territories was like.
“You can take a break and watch ditter. You can't miss the awards ceremony again this year, since you
have already met the king.”
"But the lower territories are coming to greet us, right? Will there be a break?"
Wouldn't it be the same thing as the morning all over again? It seems that there is no room for a break
in the ballroom.
"I'd like to think we can afford to look at ditter a bit, considering what happened last year, but I guess it
depends on how the collaborative rituals are affecting you."
"Ugh..."
The names of the ritual participants were listed as contributors to the joint research, but since there had
rarely been a large-scale research study where the names were listed alongside royalty, I heard there had
been quite a reaction. In particular, in duchies without an archduke candidate and with an apprentice
archscholar participating on behalf of the aub, their names were treated as an honor that even an
archduke candidate could not obtain.
"On the other hand, there was a high possibility that the territories that were blocked by Schutzaria's
shield were very angry and resentful. I do not expect anything to happen in such a highly guarded place,
however..." Sylvester muttered as he looked at the sovereign knights who were on alert in many places.
If you deliberately caused a commotion in front of the Sovereign Knights Order who were on the
lookout for a raid, you would be punished much more severely than the Immeldink of last year.
...... The sovereign knights are desperate because if there is a commotion two years in a row, the king will
think they are incompetent.
"We will now resume the second half of ditter! We'll try to make the second half of the game a little
more interesting. Everyone, please enjoy!"
Professor Rauffen's voice announced the start of the afternoon session.
The second half of the game was supposed to be a little more elaborate for the enemies, based on the
fact that last year's Ehrenfest had been hampered by Hundert Tyren. It was also important to know how
to deal with unusual feybeasts, he said.
"This was quite an advantage for Ehrenfest. As with last year's Hundert Tyren, they've all been studying
quite a bit in case Professor Fraularm harasses them."
"Are there any duchies that are voluntarily studying about feybeasts in case they might appear in their
place?"
I tilted my head slightly at Brother Cornelius' words. Dunkelfelger could have done it, but they were
desperate to increase the success rate of the ritual to build the pillar of light.
"Ahrensbach!"
The first fighter in the second half of the battle was Ahrensbach, with Professor Hirschur in charge of
summoning the feybeast. I was curious to see what kind of feybeasts Professor Hirschur would bring out.
"Sylvester, may I come and in the front?"
"…fine. I'll call you back when I have an important guest, so watch with the apprentice knights."
After receiving permission, I moved to a position where I could easily see ditter with my own guard
knights. Rihyarda set up a platform for us, just as she did last year. When I climbed up on it, I could see
that my view was much higher than last year.
...... Oooh, I'm getting taller!
When I looked down at the playing field, which looked better than last year, I saw a wisteria cloak
waiting in the starting position and Professor Hirschur producing a schtappe and pouring mana into the
magic circle. The magic circle flashed with a click, and a small mountain of Talcloch appeared there.
"Talcloch!"
"Does Lady Rozemyne know about this?"
In response to Angelica's question, I nodded vaguely and said, "Yes, well..." It's a big frog that I've
encountered when collecting materials for Jureve. The fact that I was collecting materials was a secret, so
I couldn't go into detail, but I remembered it well because I fought Talcloch. It also split apart when
attacked. I shivered as I remembered the scene where I was almost swallowed with Brigitte as the little
frogs were falling down.
"It has similar characteristics to last year's Hundert Tyren."
I could see that Ahrensbach's apprentice knights were confused as they faced an enemy they had never
seen before. But this is ditter, a speed contest. The time would pass quickly if they were stalling.
The knights attacked as though they had made up their minds, but their attacks failed to have much
effect, as they bounced back and forth unless they were above a certain level.
"Let's go!"
"Oh!"
The two apprentice knights must have realized that they were getting nowhere. The two apprentice
knights began to accumulate mana making their swords glow in rainbow colors. It would be a great
magic strike. Two more apprentice knights put in their mana while the others begin to prepare their
shields for the impact. As the two men drew their swords, an attack of intricate rainbow-like hues
erupted.
The two rainbow-colored manas twisted and twisted together as they struck the Talcloch, and boom!
With a tremendous sound, they exploded, scattering the impact around them.
"We got it!"
"Not yet! The magic circle is glowing!"
The light in the magic circle, which should disappear once the enemy was completely defeated, hasn't
disappeared yet. That wasn't the end. And just as one of the knight apprentices warned them, tiny
Talcloches rained down all over the stadium.
"Whoa, whoa!"
"We need to take down every last one of them!"
The apprentice knights started to knock down the small Talcloches that were falling left and right. They
were so small that they could be defeated quickly, but they were so small and spread out so widely that
it was hard to find where they were.
"It's exactly the same situation as last year's Ehrenfest... Is this payback in Professor Hirschur's own way?"
asked Judith.
"Unlike the Hundert Tyren, it doesn't merge again just by touching it, and you don't have to go into the
smallest detail to defeat it, so I think it's pretty easy!"
Judith nodded at Leonore's words.
"If she was going to get even with them, she should have just given back the Hundert Tyren. It was really
troublesome."
"The Hundert Tyren lives in Ahrensbach, so she must have released a feybeast with similar characteristics
but that they didn't know about."
Everyone looked down at the stadium, agreeing with Matthias' words, "I see. It's going to take a lot more
time to defeat all the Talcloches." As I was considering this, Lieseleta arrived.
"Lady Rozemyne, Aub Ehrenfest wants to see you. Archducal couple of the Frenbeltag are here to see
you. Please return to the ballroom."
I was about to return to my seat with my guard knights when I noticed that Hartmut was nowhere to be
seen."
"What? I can't see Hartmut."
"He went to greet Clarissa's parents."

It seems that he went to Dunkelfelger while I was looking at Ditter. I wonder if he will be able to
persuade Clarissa's parents safely.
“Don't worry. Ditter was banned in the morning by Prince Anastasius and the Archduchess of
Dunkelfelger, and the focus of the discussion will be on how to deal with Clarissa coming to Ehrenfest
without permission.”
They had to decide how they would contact her, how they would send her back, and what kind of
treatment they would need even if they were to have her come and pick her up, keeping in mind that
Clarissa would come barging in if the marriage was not allowed.
"I think your parents will have a hard time dealing with you when you're into Lady Rozemyne more than
your fiancé Hartmut."
"I don't know what will happen," I said as I walked over to the table where my foster father and
Archducal couple of the Frenbeltag were waiting for me.
"Rozemyne, this is Aub Frenbeltag and my sister Constanze."
...... So this is Lady Constanze.
Constanze, my adoptive father's second sister, was a person that I'd never met before but I knew her
personality because she played an active role in arranging my foster father's love story in the Royal
Academy. Her face had an air of resemblance to Sylvester rather than Georgine or Dietlinde. Perhaps
Sylvester's face resembled that of his predecessor Aub? Her hair was blonde and her eyes were light
blue, so she looked completely different from my foster father. However, the way she looked at me with
interest and a little amusement reminded me of my first meeting with Sylvester.
And Aub Frenbeltag had a face that would certainly make him and Charlotte look like father and
daughter. He had a kind face to look at. I knelt down in front of them and greeted them for the first
time.
"May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment
of Ewigeliebe?"
"You may."
After the greetings, we took our seats and they looked at me with a small smile.
“This is the first time we have spoken to each other, even though we come here every year for the
Interduchy Tournament.”
"Rüdiger was also disappointed that you had little contact. He wanted to talk to you about the temple
and the rituals."
My impression of Rüdiger was not bad, as he had asked me to join his cousin's group and had been to
the temple to increase the harvest. If I hadn't returned to Ehrenfest for the dedication ceremony, I would
probably have talked to Rüdiger more than Dietlinde at the cousin meeting.
"I can't see Lady Florencia, is she not feeling well?" Constanze asked in a quiet voice, paying attention to
her surroundings. Aub Frenbeltag was my adoptive mother's brother, so he would be worried if he
couldn't see his sister at social gatherings.
"I'm not at liberty to make this public yet, but... it would be best to inform my brother-in-law and sister.
Actually, there was a sign of pregnancy, so we are taking precautions. We'll keep an eye on her and let
her join us tomorrow..."
"What?!"
As my eyes widened at the unexpected new information, Sylvester glared at me lightly, "Be quiet."
Nobles rarely announced the birth of a child until after the baptismal ceremony. I guessed that they were
not supposed to talk about it at social gatherings like this. I was happy to have a new brother or sister,
but I couldn't scream with joy here. As I wriggled my butt a little, I held my mouth to keep from saying
anything else.
...... brother or sister! I have to make another black and white book for babies! I have to!
Unlike me, who had started to get baby fever in my brain, Constanze looked at Sylvester in disgust.
"I can't believe you're expecting a baby at this time of life. Are you really not going to marry anyone
other than Florencia? You're not old enough or of the right rank to be talking like that anymore, are you?
It's fine that you're devoted to Lady Florencia, but you should also look around a little bit." tbh, this is one
of the reasons Sylvester is one of my favorite characters
"You'll always be you," Constanze's words turned into an older sister's admonition to her younger
brother.
Sylvester, who had received a whispered rebuke, retorted sulkily, "I didn't mean to, but it turned out that
way, didn't it? Perhaps it was the blessing of Liebeskhilfe that I did not have to marry a second wife."
"There you go with that thing again..." Constanze pressed her forehead, and Aub Frenbeltag chuckled.
"I'm relieved to know that you still care about Florencia, even though Ehrenfest has moved up in the
rankings." love the brotherly love
As the gap between Ehrenfest's and Frenbeltag's rankings grew larger and larger, he was worried that
Florencia was not being treated well and that she would be in trouble if a second or third wife were to
be welcomed.
"How is Frenbeltag? I heard that Lord Rüdiger has started to participate in the rituals."
This year, Frenbeltag seemed to have decided not to ditter with Dunkelfelger and did not participate in
the dedication ceremony. However, it seems that their nobles were gradually participating in the rituals
at their own duchy.
"Since the harvest has visibly increased since Rüdiger performed the rituals in the temple, other
archduke candidates and retainers have accompanied him, and Giebe is actively filling the small chalice
to fertilize his land as much as possible."
"That's wonderful, but weren't there a lot of opposition to the idea of the archduke candidates going
into the temple and participating in the rituals? I learned from this ceremony that the temple was much
avoided."
Constanze smiled at my words, "It was the same in Frenbeltag.”
“We had to try everything that was worth a try, even if it was just a little."
Aub Frenbeltag smiled, "It was Constanze who first accepted Rüdiger's words." Good mom!
"The Ehrenfest bloodline makes surprising decisions from time to time, whether it's appointing an
archduke candidate to be the temple bishop or high priest, or letting your own children participate in
the temple's rituals. Rozemyne's continuous pursuit of new things is very typical of an Ehrenfest
Archduke candidate."
Right now, Frenbeltag was rapidly renovating the temples to make them more accessible to the nobility
and to make things a little easier for everyone in the duchy.
"We had a ritual this year with royalty in attendance, which should make people a little less averse to
rituals. I thought I might as well take this opportunity to let the territories that were defeated in the
political upheaval know that they should participate in the prayer ceremony and the harvest festival."
Constanze said that no matter what Frenbeltag said, they had never been listened to, but now that
everyone was interested in the rituals, some of the territories might listen to them a little more.
"Next year, why don't you and Frenbeltag do joint research on the changes in the harvest since the
archduke candidates started going around to their direct territories and participating in the prayer and
harvest festivals? It's been increasing for two years in a row, and I think it's a study worth publicizing.
What do you think, Sylvester?"
At the moment, only Frenbeltag and Ehrenfest had any data on archduke candidates visiting their direct
territories. "It's the students who do the research, sister," my foster father chuckled at Constanze's words.
"How about it, Lady Rozemyne?"
Her light blue eyes were filled with anticipation. If there was an example of an increase in harvest by the
archduke candidates going around the direct jurisdiction to perform rituals, there might be an increase
in the number of duchies to embark on temple reforms, so it was fine to conduct joint research with
Frenbeltag. However, I'd rather spend my time on the magic tools in the library.
"I will only be able to stay in the Royal Academy for the rest of the year. It would be better for Brother
Wilfried and Charlotte's scholars to take the lead in this research rather than me, the temple bishop. I will
do my best to help."
"Then, I will go and talk to Wilfried and Charlotte about it. I thank you ever so much Lady Rozemyne, I
look forward to working with you."
Frenbeltag's Aub and his wife walked over to Wilfried and Charlotte's table. As I watched their backs, I
muttered to my foster father.
"Up until now, they didn't disclose to the other duchies that Lord Rüdiger was frequenting the temple,
but as soon as the temple rituals were reviewed by the royal family, they approached us with research
that only they could do, so even though they've lost rank, they're still a former high-ranking duchy!"
"Aub Frenbeltag was excellent even after losing its rank due to the political changes. When the harvest
stabilizes and the number of nobles increases, they will quickly move up in the rankings."
My foster father muttered, "We need to change the mindset of our nobles so that we don't lose our
ranking as well."
"Aub, the next one is Ehrenfest!"
The apprentice knights called out to us, saying that we should get ready to watch the event as soon as
possible. We got up from our seats and went to the front to watch the apprentice knights fight. As we
climbed onto the platform, we could see dark brown cloaks running around. Gillessenmayer was in the
middle of a fight.
'What the hell is that?"
Sylvester asked, looking down at the arena. Five yellow pointed circles were bouncing around the
stadium.
"It's a Taunardel."
It was a yellow sea urchin with a tail, or a fish-shaped feybeast that looked useless in the arena.
"Wouldn't that be an easy win?"
"Not really. It has long, thin, poisonous needles all over its body, and if you don't know how to deal with
it, it can be very dangerous."
The surrounding apprentice knights who had been watching ditter nodded emphatically in agreement
with my words.
"The apprentice knights lying in that area were probably attacked by the first one. Since they live in the
sea, we can either keep them far away and wait until they die, or we can surround them with wind
shields and make them spit out their poisonous needles completely, but both will take time."
The faces of the apprentice knights became tense as they watched Gillessenmayer struggle with the
Taunardel.
"What will it be when it's our time? I didn't think I'd be this nervous about ditter in a Interduchy
Tournament."
It would be very troubling if there were feybeast that we didn't know about. Leonore, who was in charge
of the feybeast information, stared at the arena with a tense face.
"Gillessenmayer, done! Ehrenfest is next!"
Frenbeltag archducal couple are making their debut.
As I had already expected in the impression column, my adoptive mother is pregnant.
A younger brother who is scolded by his sister to think about his age and answers that it is God's
blessing.
And since Professor Fraularm released a minor feybeast last year, we will release a minor feybeast in the
upper territory of this year's mock combat.
Next, Ehrenfest will fight.
10. Ditter Competition and Dunkelfelger Demonstration
Called by Professor Rauffen, the apprentice knights of Ehrenfest rode their highbeasts down into the
arena. After circling the arena, Professor Gundolf advanced out as the bright ochre cloaks took their
positions. Apparently, it wasn't going to be Professor Fraularm this year.
"It's good to see that it won't be Professor Fraularm this year. I'm a little relieved."
If Professor Fraularm had been in charge, I'm sure we would have been hit with a troublesome feybeast.
Earlier, she had sent ordonnanz all the way over here and yelled at me in a squeaky voice.
"Even grown-up knights don't have the opportunity to see a lesser-known feybeast from another
territory. I'm sure they're excited to find out how to defeat a feybeast they've never seen before."
Meanwhile, Professor Gundolf activated the magic circle with his schtappe. It emitted a strong light once,
and when the light subsided, a large tree with many leaves appeared above the magic circle.
"Is that a magic tree?"
"It's probably a magic tree. If we bring out an ordinary tree here, Professor Gundolf will be accused."
But it didn't move from the spot like Nansave did, nor did it shout like Eifone did. It didn't seem to be
the type that sucked up all the magic in the area like Trombe. It looked like a normal tree, not like a
fantasy tree like Ruel's tree.
...... Hmmm, this tree makes me want to sing, "What tree?"
There was no movement at all, which made me doubt whether it was really a magic tree.
"All of you, except Judith, change your weapons to the same ones you use to hunt trombes, to dispel
branches! The archknights will be asked to build up their mana in turn! Alexis, get ready."
I could hear the confidence in Leonore's voice as she changed her own schtappe and began to build up
her mana. It was a tree that she apparently knew.
"Judith, on cue, launch the most powerful magic tool you can at Gumimoka. As we all know, an attack
with a certain amount of power will cause many thin branches hidden in the leaves to appear. They will
only grow for a few seconds. Try to get rid of as many of them as you can during that time. Be careful
not to touch the branches, though. The tips of the branches have thorns and are said to be terribly
numbing."
...... Gumimoka? Isn't that a rubber tree?
I remembered Ferdinand telling me some time ago that it was a magical tree like Trombe, but not
anywhere in Ehrenfest.
"Ignaz, Marianne. If Professor Gundolf produced that Gumimoka, does that mean it grows in
Drewanchel? Or does he just happen to know about it and it grows elsewhere? I'd like to ask if there
are any materials available..."
I asked Ignaz and Marianne, who had interacted with Professor Gundolf. They didn't have any idea,
either.
"I'll ask Professor Gundolf again."
...... If it wasn't for the fact that this was a magical tree for the game, created by the magic of the teachers, I
would have shouted, "Prioritize the collection of materials! I need some rubber!"
As I stared at the Gumimoka, thinking of all the things I could do with rubber, Lieseleta gently held my
shoulders.
"Lady Rozemyne, your body is leaning forward a bit. Please be careful that you don't head towards
Professor Gundolf in search of information about Gumimoka."
He warned me that if I did, he might steal more and more information from me. It might be dangerous,
yes. But I was fascinated by the first Gumimoka I saw.
Rozemyne, please ask Leonore first before you question Professor Gundolf. I'm sure she knows at least
where they grow."
"Yes, that's right."
The only thing I could think of was to ask Professor Gundolf about it, but if Leonore knows how to deal
with it, she would at least know where it could be found.
"Even if you know the habitat of the tree, if it is a special tree that only lives in another duchy, please
give up on getting it. It is impossible to take many knights to collect it."
"Wouldn't it be a problem if knights from other realms came to Ehrenfest asking for materials?" Brother
Cornelius admonished me. I was convinced, picturing a group of Dunkelfelger knights coming to pick up
materials. I would be very annoyed if they did that. I would be in great trouble if they did that.
"Then how about trading materials?"
"In the case of Lady Rozemyne, there is a sense of danger that she might be willing to accept whatever
the other party demands for what she wants, so I can not agree to that either."
My proposal was summarily dismissed by Brother Cornelius. The retainers nodded to Brother Cornelius,
saying, "It's not something that can be settled within Ehrenfest, but it's a deal with another territory."
...... I don't think you can choose the means to get what you want.
The people around me cautioned me, and I looked at Gumimoka with some resignation.
In the stadium, the apprentice knights who had transformed their schtappes into the halberd-like
weapons that we had seen during the Trombe extermination were already spread out around
Gumimoka. Since they didn't know how far the branches would grow, they were keeping a somewhat
wary distance.
The apprentice archknights were accumulating mana as instructed, and each of them was making their
weapons glow in rainbow colors.
"Is it possible for anyone to attack like that?"
'Yes. All you have to do is gather your mana into a weapon and strike it, so anyone can do it with a little
training. However, the power completely depends on the amount of mana and the number of attributes,
so it just doesn't make much sense for laynobles or mednobles. However, if they’re close to an advanced
level, there are probably some medknights who can do it."
And since it's an attack that gathers all the magic in your body and strikes, it's a technique that can't be
used unless you have a plan to defeat it completely or have recovery medicine and someone to follow
you while you recover. Today, I gave out the rest of the recovery medicine I distributed at the dedication
ceremony, so they'll probably be fine.
"Judith, see where the foliage is thick, and the archknights, in turn, at the top of the trunk, where there is
a slight color change? When I call out your name, attack that area!"
"Ha!"
Seeing that everyone was ready, Leonore swung her hand down from high in the air.
"Judith!"
"Aah!" Judith hurled away in a sling what was left of the magic tool she had used in her ditter with
Dunkelfelger. There was a loud explosion as it hit the wispy foliage.
The Gumimoka swayed as if startled, and thin branches swooped up from the shadows of the many
leaves in a quick movement. There must have been thirty to forty of them. As Leonore had said, the tips
of the branches that poked out from between the swaying leaves were covered with sharp thorns.
"Hey!"
"Hah!"
The apprentice knights on their highbeasts swung their halberds and trimmed the thin branches one
after another. However, the thin branches were only growing for a few seconds. They quickly retracted
into the foliage, and this time they waved like tentacles, trying to catch the surrounding apprentice
knights. The tentacles buzzing out of the thick foliage looked like jellyfish.
...... If touching a branch makes you numb, that means it's a tree jellyfish! Gumimoka is a tree jellyfish.
That' s pretty dangerous. Okay, I got it.
"You can't cut that branch when it's not growing! Step back! I'll strike it in!"
Once the apprentice knights stepped back, Leonore slammed her own mana into the trunk of the
Gumimoka.
As her hit landed, the Gumimoka shook its leaves with a loud crunch. It was as if the full force of the
magic didn't work, and the usual shock didn't come to the surrounding area. As I watched in
amazement at the unexpectedness of the event, a thin branch swooped up immediately afterwards.
"Do it!"
6 Judith and Leonore fighting the Gumimoka
Without
missing a
moment of
the growth,
she swung
her halberd
and cut off
the
dangerous
branch. Then
Leonore
instructed,
"Natalie,
build up your
mana!” She
watched the
knights'
movements
closely as she
drank her
recovery
potion.
I wondered if
they would
continue to
attack with
all their
mana. I was
worried if it
was really
working. But
there was no
hesitation in
the way
Leonore gave
her
instructions.
"Alexis!"
"Haaaaah!"
At Leonore's instruction, Alexis now strikes mana into the air. A rather large light was shot into the air,
but there was still no impact on the surroundings. The apprentice knights quickly move away from
Gumimoka, trimming the thin branches that stick out and watching them retract again. Then it was time
for the next attack.
"Traugott, get ready! Natalie!"
Traugott began to accumulate mana in his weapon, and Natalie cast her mana into it. I understand
Brother Cornelius' words that the power varies depending on the amount of magic stored and the
attribute. The rainbow of colors is a complex mixture of various manas, but each color has a different
shade and a completely different power.
"The thin, dangerous branches have almost been trimmed, haven't they? They almost never come up
anymore."
Angelica muttered, "The branches that grew out from Natalie's attack are almost gone. She looks a little
antsy, maybe she wants to join in."
"Judith, I'll dispel the leaves with my back hand! Everyone, keep your distance! Matthias, build up your
magic!"
"Yes!"
The next instruction from Leonore was not to Traugott, who was building up his mana, but to Judith.
Judith quickly pulled out a fist-sized magic tool from her waist pouch containing weapons and flung it
away in a sling.
The magic tool flew through the thick foliage as if it had been sucked into the air. The next moment,
there was an explosion so loud that it didn't resonate even when the rainbow-colored mana was applied,
and many leaves burst into flames at once.
"What was that?"
"Do you use this kind of magic tool in a ditter for speed!?"
Brother Cornelius and Angelica shouted in surprise. There was a groan in the stadium as well. I believe
Matthias said that since he became a ditterer who competes for speed, there were few territories that
used magic tools.
“It's a magic tool that Hartmut created for the bride-stealing ditter with Dunkelfelger. We didn't want to
be wasteful, so we decided to use it in the Interduchy Tournament, but it's much more powerful than we
expected."
"I was surprised that you were thinking of using it against Dunkelfelger. It's merciless."
“It's a back-up move when we were really close to losing."
The lush foliage had been completely burned off, but the Gumimoka hadn't fallen. The upper part of the
trunk didn't seem to have been burned at all by the flames, and the slightly thinner part was still intact.
...... How strong are you, Gumimoka!?
As I was thinking this, the top of the branching trunk, a little further up than the lighter colored part,
began to glow faintly. At the same time, part of the branch began to wobble, and another tentacle-like
branch was about to be created.
“Finish it before it grows out. Traugott! Matthias! Attack from above! Everyone, prepare your shields!"
"Ha!"
In response to Leonore's instructions, Traugott and Matthias watched each other's movements as they
rode their highbeasts higher and higher. The trails drawn by the rainbow-colored weapons were very
beautiful.
"Yaaaah!"
"Haaaaah!"
The two of them plunged into the air like they were falling while swinging out their halberds. Traugott
and Matthias, two rainbow-colored lights, pierced straight through Gumimoka like a lightning strike!
The sound of the impact was drowned out by the crunching sound of the Gumimoka's raw wood.
Immediately after, the light of the Gumimoka and the magic circle disappeared. But the shock of putting
all the mana into it has not disappeared. While the apprentice knights holding their shields were
desperately enduring the impact, Professor Rauffen's voice rang out, "Ehrenfest is done!"
agreed!
"Well done. It was a great ditter."
When the apprentice knights came back from the arena, Sylvester praised them excitedly. The apprentice
knights of Ehrenfest stood out because they were able to attack one after another without hesitation
while the others were confused and slowed down by the appearance of minor feybeast.
"I didn't expect anyone to be so familiar with the feybeasts of other territories, Leonore."
"I thank you ever so much. But I was not the only one who knew about Gumimoka. All of the apprentice
knights learned it so that anyone can fight and pass on important information."
“This year, I was in a leadership position, so my performance would stand out. But no matter who was in
charge, the apprentice knights of Ehrenfest were capable of defeating Gumimoka. From now on, whether
it's after I graduate next year or the year after that, our knowledge of feybeasts will never diminish.”
In order for everyone to share their knowledge, there were materials on the bookshelf that summarized
what Leonore knew about feybeasts. "All they have to do is read it and learn, and the knowledge will be
passed on for years to come", Leonore smiled.
"I, as Aub, am proud of all your efforts."
The one who stepped forward, nodding at Sylvester's praise, was one of the senior officers of the Knights
Order, who had taken my father's place as the aub’s guard knight.
"It's not just knowledge that's showing in your efforts, but also the swiftness and coordination of the
medknights and layknights who followed the instructions and cut off the thin branches that sprang out
from the attacks of the archknights. I think you were fighting so well that you might be able to
participate in the defeat of Trombe after you come of age. You are getting really strong. I hope you will
continue to devote yourselves to this."
"Ha!"
The apprentice knights looked at each other happily and laughed as they received compliments from the
Knights Order. They worked together. They were able to achieve a result. Their smiles were filled with
such a sense of accomplishment.
"The apprentice knights can watch the rest of ditter of the other territories while protecting Charlotte
and Rozemyne after this. Wilfried over here."
Sylvester called Wilfried over and told him to watch ditter with him while the rest of them went back to
the ballroom. As I watched my adoptive father and Wilfried lead their retainers back to the ballroom,
Charlotte giggled, saying that she didn't think it was necessary for me to be with them.
"You don't need to look so worried, sister. Father is just trying to get brother used to socializing, and
maybe to deal with any marriage proposals I might receive."
Charlotte took my hand as she said this and led me to the table. I was surrounded by my retainers and
my apprentice knights, and it was as if no one could really get close to me.
Charlotte, who stood next to me, smiled as she looked down at the arena.
"As many of the higher-ranking territories have pointed out, at the moment, the rankings are only being
raised by my sister's achievements alone. Until the internal situation in Ehrenfest is stabilized, we can't
say that the rankings are finalized. If the nobles of Ehrenfest do not change their mindset, I will not be
able to decide where I will be married."
The other territories had yet to find out if Ehrenfest could be treated as a top-tier duchy or if it was
better to assume that it would soon drop in rank. That's why the courtship inquiries Charlotte was
receiving were so broad.
"I think that a considerable change in consciousness is necessary, but I hope that by the time I graduate,
the people around me will recognize that we are a high-ranking duchy."
If so, Charlotte said, it would be much easier to decide on a partner. It would be best for both parties to
have a partner who could match Ehrenfest to some degree, but at the moment they were unable to
decide on the criteria for matching.
"You know, Charlotte. Ehrenfest has not seemed to be in a desperate situation so far. Since it had
survived the political upheaval as a neutral party, it did not need to make any major changes, unlike the
defeated and beaten down fiefdoms. But the purge should undeniably bring about major changes."
With the purge of the former Veronica faction and the number of people being punished, I believed that
the internal affairs were in chaos. We need to take advantage of that chaos to streamline things and
change our mindset. sense of urgency: basic OCM principles❗
"But we can talk about that when we get back to our duchy. For now, let's enjoy the Interduchy
Tournament, Charlotte."
"Yes, sister."
Feybeasts that had never been seen in ditter appeared one after another. It was a lot of fun to watch
ditter in the upper territories while listening to the commentary on the correct way to attack by the
apprentice knights who had studied the game.
Brother Cornelius said with admiration, "You have all studied well. Leonore must have taught you." He
praised them, and Leonore beamed with delight. The two were clearly showing that they were lovers
poor Damuel
who had not seen each other in a long time, and I was glad that Damuel was not here.
"Speaking of which, Angelica came to see how Traugott is doing, didn't she? How did it go?"
There were those around me who were watching with bated breath, hoping that this would turn into a
love story, or at least that it would somehow turn into one. I could only imagine how Traugott looked in
Angelica's eyes when she said, "At the very least, he must be stronger than Cornelius."
While everyone's attention was focused on her, Angelica gently put her hand on her cheek and said with
a smile, "I have reconfirmed the strength of… Master Bonifatius." Apparently, things are not going
according to the expectations of those around her.
"Now that all ditters are completed, I would now like to present the ritual performed by the knights of
Dunkelfelger."
At the sound of Professor Rauffen's voice, the blue cloaks of Dunkelfelger descended into the arena in
unison on their highbeast, shouting "Ooohh!" After circling around the stadium in the same way that
students circle the stadium before starting their ditter, Dunkelfelger's knights turned off their highbeasts
and jumped down onto the arena.
The knights lined up roughly in a circle with Aub Dunkelfelger at the center. It was a very familiar
movement, and I could tell that their positions were perfectly set. While none of the others had taken
out their schtappes yet, only Aub Dunkelfelger was firmly holding the Leidenschaft spear in his right
hand. He must have taken it from the temple of Dunkelfelger, or perhaps borrowed it. It was just after
the dedication ceremony, but the feystone on the tip was blue because it was already filled with mana.
With a thud, Aub slammed his spear into the ground and began to speak.
"I could see that many of the adult knights in attendance have not learned the ritual dances from
Professor Rauffen at the Royal Academy and therefore are unfamiliar with them. It would be difficult to
truly understand what effect the research would have after seeing and hearing the only the research
presentations. For this reason, we decided to have a demonstration of the ritual by the Knights of
Dunkelfelger. Let us show you the real rituals and sacred tools that were supposed to have been
gradually altered and forgotten over a long period of time!"
I looked around the stadium, startled by the unexpectedly loud shouts of amazement. All the duchies
were interested, and most of the spectators were crowded in the front to watch Dunkelfelger's ritual.
"Essentially, you need to perform the ritual the day before to obtain the blessings, accustom your body
to the multiple blessings, and restore your mana."
Having too many blessings would cause the same problem when the Ehrenfest apprentice knights
couldn't handle the mana in their own bodies well and couldn't restore them as quickly using ordinary
recovery potions.
"But the Knights of Dunkelfelger no longer needed them. By performing a number of rituals beforehand,
we were able to roughly calculate the amount of mana needed to obtain the blessing, and by increasing
the number of people in the ritual, we were able to reduce the burden per person."
It seems that they have gone to the trouble of adjusting the rituals so that they could perform the
demonstrations without recovery medicine. It was an amazing amount of work. I could understand why
the archduchess would want to resent me.
"And this is a genuine sacred tool borrowed from the temple, the Leidenschaft spear." Aub Dunkelfelger
said, and grabbed the Leidenschaft spear tightly with both hands. And as he put a lot of mana into it, the
spear began to glow. Not only the tip of the spear, but the entire spear of Leidenschaft turned blue and
glowed with a buzzing light.
"What the hell was that?"
"The Temple's sacred tools can become like that?"
I could hear the nobles, who had never been to the temple or seen the sacred tools in person, shouting
in surprise at the Leidenschaft spear clad in blue light.
"Strength to us in battle!"
Holding the shining blue spear in his hand, Aub Dunkelfelger barked out. At the same time, all the
knights who had produced schtappes simultaneously transformed them into spears by shouting,
"Lanze!"
"I am one who offers prayer and gratitude to the gods who have created the world…"
With these words of prayer, which were familiar to me, the spear struck the earth with a loud thud.
Gain the strength to take victory into my hands.

Gain the strength of Angriff, unrivaled by all.
Gain the speed to seize victory into my hands.
Gain the speed of Stiefelleise, faster than all.
As they chanted, they spun the spear around and slammed the handle into the ground. When the spear
was brought back, the metallic sound of it colliding with the armor made of feystone echoed like a beat,
just like the one I had seen before.
However, the adults seemed to be more familiar with the rituals than the apprentices, and even though
they were the same rituals, they looked very different. Not only were their movements well-coordinated,
but they also had a flowing grace to them despite their fierce movements.
"Fight!"
Aub Dunkelfelger raised his Leidenschaft spear high in the air, and the knights around him shouted,
"Ohh!" The knights around him raised theirs in unison as if to pierce the sky.
At the same time, a pillar of blue light rose with a resounding crack. Blessed light poured down, and
some of it flew away.
It was a natural scene that would occur if a ceremony was held in the Royal Academy, but I guess it was
a phenomenon that did not occur within the territories. Dunkelfelger was surprised to see the pillar of
light for the first time. And the adults of Ehrenfest also looked at the pillar of light for the first time, their
faces filled with disbelief.
"So, this is the pillar of light...Even if you've read about it in reports, it's probably a phenomenon you
can't understand unless you actually see it." Charlotte and I nodded at the words of my foster father,
who had been standing behind us for some time.
"It always happens when we do rituals at the Royal Academy. Isn't it mysterious?"
Not many students had ever seen the pillar of light before. Aside from the students of Dunkelfelger and
Ehrenfest, the only ones who had seen it were the archduke candidates and the archscholars who
participated in the dedication ceremony. And then there were those in the dormitory that were relatively
close to Dunkelfelger.
"I see. If you can cause this kind of phenomenon with a casual face, then no wonder they call you a saint
or an incarnation of a goddess."
Dunkelfelger's knights then defeated the feybeasts created by Professor Rauffen. Their speed, the power
of their attacks, and the toughness with which they could move immediately even after receiving
multiple blessings were all far different from those of the students.
At the end, Hannelore came out and performed the ritual of offering victory to the gods, returning the
blessings that had been bestowed. She transformed her schtappe into the staff of Fraufürmeer and
slowly spun it in a circle above her head. There was the sound of crashing waves, and the mana flickered
and gathered from the bodies of the knights, rising high into the sky like a shimmering flame.
"These are the rituals handed down to Dunkelfelger."
At the sound of Aub Dunkelfelger's voice, the audience shouted in admiration and excitement. Thus
ended the Interduchy Tournament. this chapter was exciting!!!!
For Leonore, her last Ditter at the Royal Academy was the battle with Gumimoka.
I graduated with the knowledge I gained.
And a ritual demonstration by the Knight of Dunkelfelger.
Everyone knew that a pillar of light would stand when performing a ritual at the Royal Academy.
eekNotes: this is probably my favorite chapter in this volume! Ehrenfest’s ditter really showed how well
the students have improved and can we take a moment to appreciate how kick-ass Leonore is!
I also really really like the way Kazuki-sensei wrote the Dunkelfelger ritual demo (wished this was
illustrated). And Dunkelfelger is seriously becoming my favorite duchy (bunch of unruly, headstrong but
adaptable – as long as ditter can be connected to it -citizens who IRL I’ll probably be scared of and their
strong women).
Useless translation trivia: I used Stiefelleise as the god of speed by combining 2 German words:
stiefel + leise = boot + quietly <these boots are made for walking…>
Next is the first award ceremony.
11. First Award Ceremony
"There will be an awards ceremony afterwards, so when the fifth bell rings, all students should go down
to the stadium."
Using a magic tool that amplified his voice to reach the crowd, which was buzzing with excitement over
Dunkelfelger's ritual, Professor Rauffen gave the instructions for the upcoming events.
"We need to start cleaning up."
Just like last year, a simple cleanup will be done in the short time before the fifth bell rings. The
apprentice scholars put away the important magic tools that they had displayed for the presentation of
their research, and the apprentice attendants put away the tea utensils and sweets that they had served
to their guests in succession. While everyone was busy, I sat down on a chair to rest for a while. I've been
standing all day to watch ditter, and my feet are already sore.
...... But I'm not getting any worse, I'm really getting stronger.
When the fifth bell rang, everyone finished cleaning up and began to descend to the stadium for the
awards ceremony. The cloaks of various colors fluttered in the air, and it was quite a spectacle to see the
riders descending one after another.
"Brother Wilfried, Charlotte. Please guide everyone."
The students from all of the territories descended into the arena at the same time, and if they weren't
careful, the confusion could lead to minor fights and skirmishes. When I asked him to guide everyone as
he did last year, Wilfried gladly accepted.
"Hmm. You can sit there with Father. After this, uncle's sermon will be waiting for you. You may need to
rest."
"Please tell me that's a compliment right there! I'll take a compliment before a sermon, I'm afraid."
I'm determined, but the memory of being pinched on the cheek as soon as we met again is fresh in my
mind. If Wilfried is certain that I’ll be scolded, I might need to do something about it.
...... How about ramming consommé soup into Ferdinand's mouth the moment he opened his mouth to
preach, or how about I start preaching with my petulant shumil in response?
As I was thinking about it, my foster father gave me a light poke on the cheek. I looked up and saw my
foster father looking a little nostalgic, as if he was remembering something. Aww, he remembered their first
meeting when he asked her to say ‘phooey!’
"You don't have to look so glum, Rozemyne."
"Sylvester?"
"All you have to do is go up on the stage and receive a compliment from the king. The king would not
be able to scold you if you were proud of such an achievement. Although you've been the most
outstanding for three years in a row, this is the first time you're receiving this award due to our
circumstances."
Sylvester’s kind remarks reminded me of the story of Ferdinand, who used to take the most outstanding
prize to get praise from his father. I recalled him saying that winning the most outstanding prize was a
rare opportunity for his father to praise him.
"Although many things were overdone you are still working hard. I think Ferdinand should praise you at
least today. Ferdinand, who has not read the report, does not know the details of what you have done.”
Sylvester said that I should wait until I return to Ehrenfest to receive a sermon, but I felt a little pain at his
thoughtfulness.
"But Sylvester, I've written a lot of things in my letter."
"Only what can be censored, right? If you didn’t say anything extra, it shouldn’t be a problem, no?"
I did not say that I felt that I had written a lot of unnecessary things on the back of the book with
glowing ink, but Sylvester seemed to have sensed something when I kept my mouth shut.
"I see. Then it's your responsibility. Make sure you get scolded well."
"Ahh..."
"More importantly, it's time for you to go. Just accept the King's word as a great honor. Do not say
anything unnecessary. Do not do it. Is that clear?"
After being reminded several times, I was sent off by my foster father. I was surrounded by my retinue as
I rode my highbeast down to the stadium. I was happy to see that the color of our cloak made it easy to
see where I was headed.
I went down to the stadium and lined up in the Ehrenfest queue. All the students must have been there
while I was talking with Wilfried and Charlotte who had gone down earlier, "I hope there will be many
high achievers from Ehrenfest again this year." The royal family entered.
Surrounded by a group of knights with black cloaks fluttering in the air, the royal highbeast, with their
wings spread wide, descended one after another and went up to the stage. The king and his
archduchess. Then followed by Siegeswald, Adolphine, Naerache, Anastasius, and Eglantine.
...... So this is how most of the royalty came to the dedication ceremony.
Just because none of the king's wives were present, all of the following generations must have attended
the dedication ceremony. In hindsight, I may have performed a terrible ritual.
"In the winter of the severe selection of the god of life, Ewigeliebe, you have also undergone a severe
selection and have gathered here.”
The award ceremony began with the same greeting from the king as last year. A magical device that
amplifies sound echoed in the arena. I wondered if it was my imagination that his voice sounded more
energetic than at the dedication ceremony.
"We will now award this year's ditter. Representatives up to the third place should step forward."
It must be the nobleman in the center. The man in the black cloak gave such an explanation and called
out the top three.
"First place in the upper territories, Dunkelfelger."
Dunkelfelger, who was able to obtain blessings on their own and who also never neglected their
research on feybeasts, were in first place. Their speed and strength were beyond reproach, and the
people around you everyone agreed that Dunkelfelger was indeed the best.
“Second place, Klassenberg.”
Klassenberg also had a wealth of knowledge about feybeasts, and they moved to attack without
hesitation. After all, they must have accumulated a lot of knowledge over the years. In addition to that, it
was fortunate that the feybeast was not as stubborn and difficult to defeat as the Gumimoka, so they
were able to defeat it very quickly. I thought Klassenberg was lucky.
"Third place, Ehrenfest... All of the mentioned duchies, more forward!"
The moment Ehrenfest was called out, there was a buzz in the stadium. Ehrenfest, who had come in sixth
place in the mock battle, was now in third place. And in all of Ehrenfest's history, they had never placed
third in a Interduchy Tournament.
"It was probably because it was a feybeast they knew. Ehrenfest and Drewanchel's research was very
focused on magical trees."
"They must have asked Professor Gundolf to produce such a feybeast." sour grapes
The voices were heard from the front of the room. The sound of giggling and malicious laughter spread
through the buzzing air.
The expressions of Leonore, Matthias and the others froze at the heartless voices.
I thought to myself, “If you think Ehrenfest was so capable of making such a persuasive maneuver, then
how could you also accuse the same Ehrenfest as being bad at diplomacy? It has to be one or the other.
Besides, ditter is a skill” I wanted to argue but the fact that I could hear the snide remarks from the front
of us meant that they were from a higher-ranking territory. As I was wondering whether I should swallow
it or say something, another voice came from another territory.
"There is no way you can make such an arrangement when it is decided at the last minute which
teacher will be in charge of which duchy's feybeasts. I think it's a shame to undermine other
territories just because the apprentice knights in your own territory were not worthy."
"It's just a matter of luck which feybeast will win, and Ehrenfest had a difficult feybeast last year.
Ehrenfest's strength is known by those who witnessed today's event."
...... Yes! That's what I wanted to say, too.
The apprentice knights who attended the lectures together with Ehrenfest and watched ditter closely
understood that it was hard to defeat Gumimoka. The apprentice knights from several duchies
supported us, and soon the criticisms were muted.
aww!
"....... There are people who understand."
When Leonore's mouth broke into a smile, the apprentice knights of Ehrenfest nodded happily. As
representatives of Ehrenfest's apprentice knights, Leonore and Alexis stepped forward.
...... When I was a freshman, your coordination was full of holes, and you fought terribly against
Dunkelfelger. You guys did a great job!
The apprentice knights worked hard, of course. They taught each other what they lacked, studied
together, worked together to overcome factional the barriers,, and endured rigorous training. However,
we must not forget the struggles of my grandfather and father, who prioritized the training of knights
guarding the archducal family. They became strong because they had teachers who trained them, seeing
the danger of the decline in the knights' abilities from changing the educational curriculum.
"It was a great battle. I hope you will continue to devote yourself to your studies and think about joining
the Sovereign Knights Order."
It was Raublut, the commander of the Sovereign Knights Order, who praised the apprentice knights. And
then they come back with a medal-like keepsake. It looked like a clear blue feystone.
"It's the first time I've ever received a keepsake like this."
"I'll show it to my grandfather, who trained us all. I'm sure he'll be pleased."
"Yes."
After the murmur died down, the next event was the presentation of awards to scholars for their
research. It was said that the most influential research and the one that the sovereign nobility thought
was the best would also be awarded.
"First place, Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest on the relationship between ritual and blessing."
"Second place, Gillessenmayer's magical tools for the amplification of magic."
"Third, Ahrensbach and Ehrenfest's magic circle to reduce mana-use."
I was troubled when I was told that the representatives should come forward. I'm the representative for
both.
"Well, Brother Wilfried. Do you mind if you represent Dunkelfelger's research? I have to represent myself
in a joint research project with Ahrensbach."
"No, no, no, wait a minute. Isn't Dunkelfelger's joint research also the one that you took the lead on? If
it's the first and third place, you can either give priority to the first place and go for that or you can go
for both."
When Wilfried told me that he didn't want to deprive his sister of her achievements, I had no choice but
to go forward with Leonore, my escort knight.
"Shouldn't the representative of Ehrenfest be Brother Wilfried?"
“Because it was Lady Rozemyne who had been doing the research on their duchy.”
The representative from Dunkelfelger's side was Lästilaut. He must have been scolded by the
archduchess a lot during lunch. He was trying to keep his face expressionless, but his mood was a little
gloomy and he wouldn't make eye contact with me. I wasn't going to let him remain muted without
saying something.
"I didn't expect you to win first place, Lord Lästilaut."
"I knew I would."
Lästilaut said this with a sigh after glancing at me and straightened his back a little. The moment he did
so, he lost all trace of his somber mood, and took on the appearance of an archduke candidate for
Dunkelfelger.
"Rozemyne, that's..."
"I never thought that our research would win third place. You know, Rozemyne?"
"What? Lady Dietlinde?"
It was Dietlinde who interrupted Lästilaut's words. I didn't know why Dietlinde was standing in front of
me as a representative with a sunny face. In a daze, I looked behind Dietlinde for Raimund's figure. But
Raimund was nowhere to be seen.
"Doesn't Raimund represent Ahrensbach? I didn't see any indication that anyone other than him was
involved in the research..."
Dietlinde laughed at my question and blew it off.
"Raimund didn't want to come forward," she said. "It can't be helped. Besides, it's my fiancé's research,
so it won't matter if I represent him." ugh
I bet Raimund just couldn't say no to Dietlinde after she pushed him with this intensity.
...... Oh God! You have to sell your face well at a time like this.
I stood next to Lästilaut, upset with Dietlinde for taking credit for Raimund's work.
"Lord Lästilaut, didn't you just say something to me?"
hmmm – a contrite tsundere is swoon-worthy…I’m just saying
"No, not at all."
A man I've never seen before stepped out from the group standing beside the royals. Since it was the
Knight Commander who approached the knight apprentices earlier, he's probably the sovereigh scholar
representative.
"First place, Dunkelfelger, Ehrenfest. The research conducted by them reviewed the discontinued rituals
and clarified the conditions for obtaining the divine protection. It was very interesting to see how
obtaining the divine protection altered the amount of mana consumed. The fact that the royal family
participated in the study indicates that this is a very important study for Jürgenschmidt in the future."
What aspects of the research impressed them? The part that seemed to be most appreciated was the
fact that the consumption of mana varied depending on the number of blessings from the gods. He
asked me to continue my research so that future students can get more divine protections.
....... But I'm not sure there's much research to continue.
“Here is today's commemorative gift. I hope you will continue to work hard for Jürgenschmidt."
Unlike Ditter's medal that Leonore received, this one is a pale yellow feystone. The weight of the medal
was heavy in my hand. I asked Leonore to hold the medal for me, and while the scholar representative in
the center called out to Gillessenmayer, who was in second place, I lined up next to Dietlinde.
"Third place, Ahrensbach, Ehrenfest. The research you have done has made it possible to move magical
tools that require large amounts of mana with less mana. This research is much better than the previous
methods of reducing mana, and is very applicable to more than just the magic tools on display. I hope
you will continue to work on further improvements."
The sovereign scholars largely focused not on the magic tools here, but on the conservation of mana
that was the basis of Raimund's research. Upon further reflection, all of the commended research were
all about saving or increasing mana. It was a criterion that clearly showed how much mana was in short
supply and how important it was to Jürgenschmidt right now.
When I returned with the two medals, the next award was for the number of visitors and their response.
Unfortunately, Ehrenfest was not included here, and it was as per the ranking of the territories.
Klassenberg was first, Dunkelfelger second, and Drewanchel third.
I thought this year's Ehrenfest was looking really good.
When I pouted upon hearing the results, Brünnhilde shook her head as if she had no choice.
"In Ehrenfest, there are only a few attendants and archduke candidates who can handle the situation. We
have to make our guests wait, so their satisfaction level will be lowered. It's difficult to achieve a high
ranking here.”
There were many elements that would attract customers, such as sweets, a variety of fads, and
commercial outposts, but there were not enough people to handle the event. She said that only a large
territory with a large enough workforce could handle them well. I had to agree with Brünnhilde when she
said, "We can't suddenly increase the number of apprentices in our ranks.”
...... There aren't just enough people for a medium duchy, Ehrenfest.
We will have to think of ways to increase the number of nobles as much as possible.
After the awards for the Interduchy Tournament, it was time to present the awards for the outstanding
performance of the Royal Academy. If the previous awards were given to territories, this one was given
to individuals.
"I will now announce the winners of this year's awards. Those who have been called upon, please step
forward."
With this voice, the best students were announced, starting from the graduating grade. The most
outstanding student in the final year was Drewanchel's archscholar. When I was surprised that it wasn't
an archduke candidate, the name of Lästilaut, who was supposed to be absorbed in drawing Ditter's
Tale, was called out as the best archduke candidate. seriously I'm crushing on Lästilaut
...... I didn't know Lästilaut was good enough to be the best archduke candidate. I've never heard of that
before.
If he hadn't been so absorbed in drawing and had been more serious, he might have been able to win
the top prize in his grade. While I was thinking about this, Leonore and Alexis were named as excellent
students.
"Alexis, well done."
"Congratulations, Leonore."
"I thank you ever so much, Lady Rozemyne."
Leonore and Alexis walked forward as everyone congratulated them. As I watched them go, the fifth
graders began to be called up next. The most outstanding was called, and then the names of the
excellent students were called according to their territorial rank.
"From Ehrenfest: Brünnhilde, Natalie, Matthias."
"Brünnhilde, Matthias. Congratulations, both of you."
Matthias had been chosen as the winner last year, but this was Brünnhilde's first time being chosen as
the winner. Brünnhilde's candy-colored eyes widen lightly in surprise, but her eyes gradually welled up
and she smiled.
"It is my first time to be an honoree."
"Yes. Brünnhilde had been working very hard against the higher realms. I'm glad to hear that it was
appreciated."
"I thank you ever so much, Lady Rozemyne."
Brünnhilde smiled, her cheeks slightly flushed with happiness. It was a very beautiful smile, adding to her
glamour.
"Excellent, huh?"
I overheard him muttering, and I looked up at Matthias. Unlike Brünnhilde, Matthias did not look happy
to have been selected as an excellent student. He may have been aiming higher, but it's not often that a
mednoble is chosen for the honor. I thought he should be more than happy. I thought he should be
more delighted.
"I think you should be happier and proud, Matthias. I, your Lord, am proud of you."
Matthias blinked a few times at my words, then knelt down on the spot. He looked straight at me with
his blue eyes, took my hand and placed it on his forehead.
"What? Matthias, what are you..."
"This honor would not have been possible if Lady Rozemyne had not thought of redeeming us. I offer
my honor and gratitude to my lady." awww
...... Please, stop! This thanksgiving is so heartbreaking! And it stands out! It's very conspicuous!
"Okay, okay, Matthias, get to the front. Everyone is waiting for you."
I hurriedly withdrew my hand and told Matthias to hurry up to the front. By the time Brünnhilde,
Matthias and Natalie had made their way to the front, the fourth graders were being announced.
Laurenz and Ignaz were called up as excellent students.
what a rogue,
"I would like to kneel down and thank Lady Rozemyne as well, if that is all right with you?"
he's gonna break hearts when he grows up
I glared lightly at Laurenz, who said this with a slightly teasing tone, and I told him to move forward
quickly.
"I'll give you a large portion of meat for dinner to celebrate, so you can thank me in a less crowded
place."
"Very well, my lady."
Laurenz held his mouth to keep from laughing and headed to the front with Ignaz, who was
Laurenz is such a foil to Matthias
congratulated by Wilfried.
"Third year, most outstanding. Archduke candidate of Ehrenfest, Rozemyne."
After that, I was also called by my name for the best archduke candidate and the best scholar. When
they heard the same name being called over and over again, the people around me began to exclaim,
"Oh," while others said, "Again?"
The excellent students were also called out, and the name "Wilfried from Ehrenfest" rang out.
"Congratulations. It's your first award ceremony. Now, Lady Rozemyne. Go forward."
Philine and the Lieseleta looked much happier than I did.
"Rozemyne, give me your hand."
My retainer sent me off with smiles and I was escorted by Wilfried to the front. I could tell by the
whispers around me that I was attracting a lot of attention.
"That's Ehrenfest's… So that's the archduke candidate who invited royalty to the dedication
ceremony."
"That's the archduke candidate who was absent from the dedication ceremony two years in a row,
right?"
...... I'm getting attention in some weird way!
I supposed what was being raised in the voices of those around me was not about my grades. When
people whispered about me like this, I felt like I should have missed this year's event.
"Straighten your back. You're on your own from here on out."
Wilfried stopped in the middle of the line of excellent people.
As Wilfried let go of my hand, I walked, taking care to look as graceful as possible, and slowly made my
way up to the stage. Once I was on the stage, I could clearly see that I was being watched from below
and above. I felt the weight of the eyes on me, but I kept my back straight to keep my head up.
...... Ahh. I'm nervous. It's probably better had I not attended.
As I walked in front of the row of royalty, Eglantine smiled at me. Encouraged by her smile, I knelt down
in front of the king. The king looked down at me as I knelt down, and his complexion seemed much
better than it had at the dedication ceremony. His eyes were kind as he looked down at me, and his
voice was gentle and kind as he spoke to me.
"Rozemyne, Archduke candidate of Ehrenfest. This is the third year in a row that you have achieved the
highest honors. In particular, this year you have collaborated with Dunkelfelger, Drewanchel, and
Ahrensbach, and have made a significant contribution to Jürgenschmidt with the results of your
research. Your efforts and contributions are commendable."
Perhaps it was because he had been scolded more often for causing trouble than for doing anything
else, but when the king praised me for my contribution and usefulness, I felt a gradual surge of joy. I
could feel that he really thought so, and not just socially.
...... I'm glad I was really helpful.
"I'm very honored to have been of service to you, Zent."
Loud applause echoed, and I stood up with the king's permission. I looked back and saw that not only
the students lined up below me but also the adults in the audience were applauding. In the audience of
Ehrenfest, my adoptive father, knights, and parents were applauding.
I turned my gaze to the other side and saw Ahrensbach's bright ochre cloak among the wisteria colors.
When I looked closely, I could see Ferdinand, Brother Eckhart, and Justus all clapping for me.
...... Oh, both Sylvester and Ferdinand are properly pleased with me.
There were many people who appreciated my accomplishments in the Royal Academy. This was
something that I had never really felt before. My joy became greater than my nervousness, and I started
to feel warmth in my chest, something that made me very happy and joyful!
……. Yes, lets’ do our best again next year.
It was an award ceremony that naturally made me feel that way.
This was the first award ceremony she was able to attend.
Probably the first time she was praised and recognized in front of many people without a word of
scolding.
I wonder what will happen next year if Rozemyne works hard again.
Ehrenfest was able to accomplish a lot in the Royal Academy this year.
eekNotes: This chapter was so hearwarming, I actually teared up translating this. And it’s so cool that the
top knights in Ehrenfest are Leonore and Alexis – both are females (at least, I think Alexis is female, haha)
Next, we will have dinner in the tearoom. Please praise her, Lord Ferdinand.
"Why don't you leave the magical tools for preserving the food here? That way, the carts will have no
trouble getting through."
"Is there any change in the number of retainers from over there?"
The attendants that returned from the Interduchy Tournament carefully prepared the tea ceremony
room. I looked around the tearoom and nodded. The preparations were perfect. My foster father and
Wilfried were also there, waiting for Ferdinand's arrival.
"You students will have to prepare for dinner, so please go back to your rooms."
When Rihyarda, who was in charge of the preparations in this tearoom, called out, the student retainers
who were there retreated to their own meals. Those who remained were the adult attendants like
Rihyarda, Sylvester's retainer, and the Knights Order who would guard us during dinner.
There was a small ringing of the bell on the other side of the door.
"Lord Ferdinand is here."
The attendant of my foster father, who was standing in front of the door, made the announcement and
opened the door. Justus, Ferdinand, Brother Eckhart, and another stranger came in pushing a wagon
with a large storage device. I guessed he was the retainer assigned to him in Ahrensbach.
"Welcome back, Lord Ferdinand."
When I called out, Ferdinand blinked a little in surprise, then replied, "…Ah."
"Ferdinand. Please say, ‘you're happy to be back’. Isn't it important to say hello?"
"I’m back now..." he said hesitantly with a reluctant look on his face as he looked away from me and
began to greet Sylvester and Wilfried.
"I'm sorry to trouble you. We are in your care. You know Eckhart and Justus, don't you, Wilfried? This one
here is Zelgius. He is the son of Letizia's head attendant, who serves me at Ahrensbach."
He is a member of Ahrensbach's retainer, but he is not a member of the Georgine faction. I looked up at
Zelgius. He has blue-green hair and yellow-green eyes, and has a gentle smile that is typical of a
attendant.
"Please take care of him."
After the introductions and greetings of the retainer from Ahrensbach, Sylvester suggested that
Ferdinand take a seat. He also asked Wilfried and I to take our seats as well, while he himself began to
leave the room.
"I have to leave to have dinner with the students, but don't scold Rozemyne too much today, Ferdinand."
Sylvester said, "I will come back here after finishing my meal," and quickly left the tearoom.
Ferdinand muttered to himself while watching Sylvester's back as he hurriedly left. "Had I come here
later, he wouldn't have bothered to wait for me..."
“I'm sure he wanted to see you even though he didn't have much time... By the way, Lord Ferdinand. I
took the top prize as you asked. I also received awards for my joint research. Now, please praise me."
I would like to receive a compliment first before getting scolded. With that, I could listen to the rest of
the lecture as much as he wanted. I was told by my foster father that if I was proud of having won the
top prize, he would praise me, so I proudly boasted of having won the top prize. When I did so, I was
slapped on the forehead. I didn't understand.
"Why did you hit me?"
"Don't you think there are many things you need to question and scold before praising?"
As I said this, a hand reached out and almost pinched my cheek, so I hurriedly put my hands on both
cheeks to protect myself from being pinched.
"Didn't Sylvester say not to scold me at least today? Please don't scold me until later but praise me first.
I'll be ready to listen to a sermon afterwards."
"Rather than being prepared for a lecture, I think it's important to be prepared to avoid doing things you
think you will be scolded for in the first place."
I was told this while shaking his head, "Oh no," and I pouted my lips.. It's strange. I was proud to be the
best, but Ferdinand hadn't said a single word of praise.
I said, "So, why don't you give me some praise first, and we'll talk about it later? If you don't praise me
even when I'm the best, how can I expect to receive credit?"
When I exploded with frustration, Ferdinand praised me dryly, "...very good."
...... No! This is not the compliment I wanted!
"It's not heartfelt at all! If this is the case, I'd like to talk to you about the stuffed shumil from the
Interduchy Tournament..."
"I'm sorry about that, Rozemyne."
For some reason, his response as I was about to point out my accomplishment with the shumil was an
apology.
“It's my fault that I couldn't stop her from taking away the magic tools that you were going to give to
someone else, Ferdinand said with a bitter face which was usually reserved for when he talked about
Veronica. This really showed that Dietlinde, who took away my stuffed animal, looked like Veronica.
...... Oh, I think I've provoked some strange trauma.
"Uh, Ferdinand. I'm not looking for an apology, I'm looking for a compliment. And that's not something
you should apologize for, is it?"
"But..."
"What's going on?" Wilfried interjected as he was coming to us after socializing at another table.
I explained what happened to Wilfried with the preface, "It's not a big deal, but…”
"It is certainly not my uncle's fault." Wilfried said.
"You see? Just as Wilfried said. Enough with the compliments and apologies. Let me show you your
room."
After interrupting Ferdinand’s continous apologies, I got up from my seat and started walking towards
the back of the room, saying, "Rihyarda did a great job."
"Yes. The princess has been working hard to make Ferdinand feel as comfortable as possible."
Perhaps she was trying to lighten the mood. Rihyarda chuckled and began to explain. It was to show
Ferdinand, and also to explain to the attendants.
"I've prepared a place for Ferdinand to rest here," she said. "We can't provide a canopy, but we can
provide some shelter to help you relax."
In addition to the place for luggage and bedding, the layout of the magic tools used in daily life was also
explained. Since this was more of an attendant conversation, I tugged lightly on Ferdinand's sleeve and
pointed to the couch.
"Lord Ferdinand, I had this brought in from Ehrenfest for you today.
"Is it ready?"
"Yes, compared to other couches, I think this one is very comfortable to sleep on."
When I asked him to sit down, Ferdinand sat down curiously and began to push the seat with his hands
several times to check it out. From the front, I could see how pale Ferdinand looked when he sat down.
...... drugged up, or taking a lot of pills?
He said with satisfaction, "Oh, this is good," but it wasn't the kind of fatigue that could be hidden by a
slight change in expression.
"Rozemyne. What's with the couch?"
As I stared at Ferdinand's pale face, Wilfried, who had never seen a mattress on a couch before, asked in
a whisper.
"I had Gutenberg make a new one for me. Ferdinand also ordered one, but he had to leave for
Ahrensbach before the couch was finished."
It was just made, I explained to Wilfried, and Ferdinand patted the mattress proudly, "You can touch it if
you like." Wilfried approached the couch with curious eyes. The same goes for Oswald, Wilfried's
attendant.
"I am sure that a good night's rest here will help to clear your tired face. It's been a long time since
you've looked this tired, hasn't it, Ferdinand? You look just like the king I saw at the dedication
ceremony. What kind of life have you been leading in Ahrensbach?"
When he heard that, Wilfried looked at Ferdinand with a dubious look on his face. He then tilted his
head curiously.
"I don't think it's much different than usual... You really know uncle's complexion very well, don't you?"
“I'm sure it’s simply because Brother Wilfried and Ferdinand just didn’t have much time spent together.”
Nobles learned to hide their emotions to avoid being detected, but Ferdinand, who was trying to keep
Veronica from realizing his feelings, had been doing so for years. You would not know unless you were
very close to him.
Ferdinand, perhaps uncomfortable with being scrutinized by Wilfried, frowned slightly and extended his
hand toward me.
"Rozemyne, you're not looking too good yourself. You have not rested at all between the Interduchy
Tournament and the award ceremony, have you? Didn't you push yourself too hard?"
After being lightly pinched on the cheek and told not to say unnecessary things, it was the usual physical
examination. He touched my forehead and wrist to check my temperature and pulse. I closed my eyes
lightly, feeling nostalgic for the touch of his hand on my forehead.
"Thanks to Ferdinand, I've become much stronger. I haven't collapsed in the middle of the day. I've been
falling ill less frequently lately, and when I do, I'm better within two days."
"But your fever seems to be rising a bit. Have you taken any medicine since you returned from the
Interduchy Tournament? You'll be sick tomorrow."
The hand on my neck felt a little chilly and comfortable, perhaps because I was running a little hot.
"I think I'm fine, though, since I drank some of the gentle potion..."
"That's good. You should try to exercise regularly to build up your strength. You are still relying on magic
tools, aren't you?"
After completing my physical checkup, Ferdinand released his hands. When I open my eyes, while
answering that I’ll try my best, I saw Wilfried looking at me with a surprised expression
“What’s the matter, Brother Wilfried?”
"No, I'm just a little surprised."
When I looked
at Wilfried, 7 Oswald, Wilfried, Rozemyne, Ferdinand
wondering
what had
surprised him, I
saw that his
hand was
pressing on
the mattress.
He must have
been surprised
by the coiled
mattress.
"A couch like

this can't be
mass-
produced yet,
and there are
still many
improvements
to be made,
but it's quite
comfortable,
isn't it?"
"Hmm?
Hmmm. Yes, it
is..."
Wilfried
pushed the
mattress
repeatedly with
a fake smile
and looked at
me and
Ferdinand in
turn.
"What is it?"
"No, it's nothing. It's nothing... I think it's time to start preparing the meal, Oswald.”
At Wilfried's instruction, Oswald began to work to ready our meal while keeping an eye on Wilfried and
me. A large preservation magic tool was also brought in by the attendants from the Ehrenfest
dormitory. It contained today's dinner and a number of dishes for Ferdinand to take home.
Incidentally, I asked my mother to lend me this magic tool for storage. When I asked her to lend me this
magical device so that I could bring delicious food back to Ferdinand, she readily accepted my request
and brought it to the temple on a horse-drawn carriage.
"Justus, you'll need some time to check the dishes for preservation, so it would be best to do it while
we're eating."
"I thank you ever so much, Princess. The food at Ehrenfest came in handy when Ferdinand's appetite was
not so good. I didn't expect to be able to replenish it here, so it will be very helpful."
Judging from Justus's words, there was no doubt that Ferdinand had been immersed in work. When I
glared at Ferdinand quietly, he said frustratedly, "It can't be helped."
"Zelgius, you can serve us."
"Very well, Lord Ferdinand."
And so the meal began. Today's menu was basically Ferdinand's favorite. The cooks at the dormitory,
who were too busy with the Interduchy Tournament, and the cooks at the castle, who were busy
preparing preserved food for Ferdinand, could not possibly be asked to make the time-consuming
double consommé. Therefore, today's dish was prepared by the temple cook and brought to the castle
in mother's preservation magic tool.
"Hm? You're using Taochen meat today?"
Wilfried widened his eyes at the taochen, which was never included in the dorm's meals because they
were difficult to obtain.
I whispered to Wilfried, "Don't tell the others. Our food is made in the temple, so it's a different menu
than what everyone else is eating in the dining hall. It is full of ingredients that are a bit rare or
expensive.”
“The temple cook decided on today's menu because Ferdinand likes Taochen cooked in consommé and
pommes.”
The cook, who had devised a menu and seasoning to suit Ferdinand's tastes, responded beautifully to
my request through Hartmut, and prepared a dish to Ferdinand's liking.
"You miss the cooks who prepare the flavors you like, don't you?'
"Yes, I do. Tell them that I was very satisfied."
The expression on Ferdinand's face as he savored the Taochen stewed pommes was very calm, and it
was clear that he was genuinely enjoying the meal. The topic of conversation during the meal was mainly
about the Interduchy Tournament, and the guests from other duchies Wilfried was dealing with.
"The joint research with Dunkelfelger got quite a bit of attention, didn't it? Many duchies have offered to
collaborate with us next year. We had to turn down all offers that didn't involve Ehrenfest, which didn't
seem to be a problem."
"It's stories like that that make me realize that Ehrenfest's ranking is rising."
Wilfried nodded at Ferdinand's words.
“Father said that next time we will try not to move up in the rankings anymore. The next time, he said, he
would not move up again, because Ehrenfest would not be able to keep up with us.
"... you've gone too far, haven't you?"
Ferdinand stared at me, and I answered, "Well, yes. It's true that I went a little overboard."
"But it seems that this year's achievement will be rewarded in a way that Ehrenfest will be treated like a
winning territory, so the ranking itself will not go up. Besides, I was originally pissed off that Sylvester
was being bad-mouthed falsely, and I wanted to redeem him."
"It's not that I don't understand why you would want to retaliate a little, but you're making things too
big on a whim. I told you to always remember to report, communicate and consult, but you haven't done
that at all. Am I right?"
I listened to Ferdinand's words with a slight sigh. I don't mean to stop him from lecturing, as it seems to
help him relieve stress, but at least he should wait until after the meal.
"Uncle, Rozemyne is getting involved with the royal family one after another, even though she was told
not to. Please scold her more firmly."
Ferdinand glared at Wilfried.
"You are the one who must restrain Rozemyne more firmly. If you don't scold or guide Rozemyne when
she is doing something wrong, she will never learn. Besides, I was just told by Sylvester not to scold her
too much."
...... What?
I was seriously surprised when Ferdinand said that with a look of annoyance on his face.
"Ferdinand, did you really think you were listening to your foster father when you never praised me, and
kept on complaining about me? What was all that nagging before?"
"Just a warning. I am not scolding you. If I really wanted to scold you, I would not have used such
lukewarm words."
Apparently, tonight’s nagging didn't fall into the category of "scolding" for Ferdinand.
"I can scold you and Wilfried as much as I want. I'm still keeping this to a minimum."
Ferdinand gave us a beautiful smile, and we both shook our heads. If this is the minimum, I don't want to
think about what the maximum will be.
By the time we had finished our meal and had a cup of tea, Justus had also finished packing the food
into the magic tools for storage, and he took over Zelgius as server. My and Wilfried's retainers also
returned after finishing their meal, and in their place, Rihyarda, Oswald, and the knights who were
guarding us went to the dormitory to eat.
"That said, what's the status of the purge? Did it go off without a hitch?"
"It seems that the purge is over. We were at the Royal Academy, so we don't know much about it. You
may want to ask your Sylvester about it later."
As I was answering the question about the purge, Wilfried became a little grim and raised his hand.
"Rozemyne, my uncle has already left for another territory. It's not easy to talk about the inner workings
of Ehrenfest."
He left for Ahrensbach to get information about Georgine, and had been protecting Ehrenfest from
there. If we didn't exchange some information, Ferdinand would be in trouble.
"Brother Wilfried, Ferdinand is at..."
"Rozemyne, stop!"
But before I could explain, Ferdinand turned his gaze toward the awning where Zelgius was and shook
his head.
"You're right, Wilfried. You must examine the information you give me very carefully. It's not the same as
before."
'That's true, but the information you do share is also important.
When I complained about Ferdinand's fear of being isolated in Ahrensbach, he shrugged his shoulders
as if he had no choice.
"I'll talk to Sylvester about the inner workings of Ehrenfest. As for you, yes...let's talk about the shumil
stuffed animals. Who were you going to give it to? You'll have to make amends, won't you?"
"So, there is no need for an apology from Lord Ferdinand..."
"Lady Rozemyne." It was the Lieseleta who stopped me. After asking for permission to speak, she smiled
and whispered softly to me.
"Why don't you accept his apology? If it would make Lord Ferdinand feel better to make amends, then I
think you should accept them."
This was the first time that I had ever heard of this kind of thing, and I had no intention of accepting
Ferdinand's apology because I thought it was Dietlinde who was at fault.
“But when it comes to atonement..."
"Why don't you ask Lord Ferdinand to make you a new recording device? It would be redemption for
Ferdinand, and it would make Lady Rozemyne happy to hear his words for her."
With that, Lieseleta unfolded the cloth with the teleportation magic circle on it. She then began to take
out mixing pots and materials one after another. A mixing space was created in one corner of the
tearoom.
"I've spread out the other circle in the blending room. Since we can't prepare a mixing table, please use
this one here. With this, please make a recording of the magic tools for Lady Rozemyne, Lord
Ferdinand."
Ferdinand, who had been watching in stunned amazement as the mixing space was created, raised the
corner of his lips in amusement.
"Hmm. Indeed, making a new one will make up for it. We don't have much time. Would you like to help
me, Rozemyne?"
"I've made it many times. You can count on me."
Ferdinand hurriedly picked up the materials and began to mix. He was enjoying compounding, even if it
was a guise of atonement. When I saw Ferdinand's eyes, which had been dark and tired, start to come
alive, I gave Lieseleta my biggest smile.
Please praise her more, Ferdinand.
He is unnecessarily worried about the consequences of taking away shumil stuffed animal.
And a teacher and a student who jumps at the proposal of Lieseleta. It's a fun blending time.
eekNotes: What stood out to me here is the difference of retainers’ observation and mitigation skills:
① Oswald appeared too nosy – what’s up with that? ② On the other hand, Lieseleta was highly
diplomatic – she observed the situation well and not only did she impart good advice to Rozemyne, she
immediately worked on the mitigation turning Ferdinand’s remorse to a happy event. I want to hire her
Next is the second part.
"Don't just sit around and do nothing. If you're an apprentice scholar, you can at least prepare the
ingredients."
In addition to Wilfried and me, Ferdinand assigned work to apprentices in our retinue, while he drew up
blueprints on the table. He knew exactly how to make them, as Raimund reported to him.
"Now that I've been told to make one for Rozemyne, how many magic tools will I need? Don't we need
them for the original recipient?"
As the instruments were being cleaned in vaschen by several apprentices, Ferdinand asked me, and I
pondered.
"I was actually going to give it to Lady Letizia," I replied. “Ferdinand can be very demanding, and I was
going to include some words of encouragement and a request that she doesn't get scolded anymore."
"Ah. Yes, that might be necessary." Wilfried who was piled up with tasks for the two years that I was
asleep, had a distant look while performing vaschen with the apprentices.
"I've been thinking about it when I attended my uncle's lectures with Rozemyne. There’s a lot of work to
be done and the standards required are very strict.”
"Brother Wilfried concurs, doesn't he? I think compliments are essential."
I laid out a list of possible words that I was planning to use for recording on the magic tool for Letizia.
Ferdinand, who was listening to this, made a disagreeable face, and Justus let out a small laugh, "It's a
letter from Lady Letizia." I nodded in agreement with Justus, who seemed to have a grasp of the
contents of the letter.
"If Zelgius has a close relationship with Letizia's head attendant, it might be better to register the newly
made magic tools with Zelgius' mana. Lady Letizia is away from her family to be adopted, isn't she? If
possible, I would like you to record the words of her parents for her. The voices of her family would be
most encouraging."
"... I see. Well, I guess I'll need enough for your voice, one for her parents' voices, one for me to give to
her, and one more for a backup."
The apprentices were given a piece of paper and began to measure the materials. Ferdinand and I
chopped up the measured materials to make them easier to mix, separated their attributes, and and did
other preparations one after another.
"Ugh, the speed of the preparation is so much faster."
"I have never done such meticulous procedures in preparing and formulating in all my previous
compounding experiences. Matching the quality of the ingredients is too advanced."
Although Hartmut handled himself quite normally when he was taught how to make the recovery
potion, it was very much beyond the scope of Philine and Roederich to help him. It was also the same for
Ignaz and the other archscholars, who looked astonished, perhaps because they had never seen
Ferdinand's compounding process before.
"What? Did you do all of this at once?"
"Yes. I was taught that it is useful to save time and to get the quality of the material all at once... It is
ready, Lord Ferdinand."
I made sure that the materials I was given were of the right quality before handing them over to
Ferdinand. As Justus did the same, he smiled at Ignaz and the others.
"The key is to get used to it. You must have far too many mixtures and not enough inventive skills."
"I make my own healing potions, so I just need to mix more often."
I had a lot more experience in compounding than most scholar apprentices my age, including making
jureve. In addition, since Ferdinand was the first person to teach me how to mix, I was able to be
efficient, rational and unrestrained.
"Ferdinand's compounding process is different from the one taught in lectures, because he uses various
devices to make it more efficient, so I think you can learn a lot just by watching him."
While Ignaz and the others earnestly looked on, Ferdinand transformed his schtappe and proceeded to
mix the ingredients while using a time-saving magic circle from the beginning.
...... Hmm, I still can't use the time-saving magic circle from the beginning.
While blending, you have to watch the ingredients gradually change as you add the next ingredient, but
if you use a time-saving magic circle, the change will be over in an instant. Isn't it about time? The
possibility of failure increased greatly because the time would pass before I could even think about it.
The only time I can use the time-saving magic circle is when I've finished adding all the ingredients and
have to knead with mana.
...... I still have to improve my diligence to catch up to Lord Ferdinand.
When all the ingredients had been put in and it was just time to knead with magic, Ferdinand muttered,
"Justus, it's time to overlay the time-saving magic circle. As the apprentices groaned, Justus, who had
been waiting near Ferdinand, replied, "Very well, sir," and began to draw a time-saving magic circle on
the mixing pot.
Using a time-saving magic circle is a little more difficult to control because it is a form of using all the
magic power at once, which takes a long time to achieve. I've never seen it done twice before. As I was
watching Justus draw the double magic circle with an air of familiarity, Ferdinand glanced at me,
wondering how the mixture would change.
"Rozemyne, when Justus is done, you can draw another one."
"Are you going to draw a three-fold magic circle? Huh? Are you sure?"
"I told you I don't have time for this, didn't I? Do you think I can't do it?"
"No, I don't."
Ferdinand would only do something if the odds were in his favor. I knew that much, but I’d be
surprised.❓not sure what this means? In fact, the apprentice scholars who were watching the compounding
had a shocked look on their faces, uncertain about what was going on. Only Wilfried, who had been
shown several out-of-the-ordinary formulations when he was prepping for the archduke candidate
course, had a face that said, "As usual, I don't understand," while looking at something that was obvious.
"Now, Princess. Go ahead."
Under the gaze of the stunned apprentice scholars, I took over from Justus and drew a time-saving
magic circle with my schtappe. I could see that Ferdinand's entire attention was focused on the mixing
pot and the moment of completion of the magic circle, as he poured mana into the time-saving process
that was doubly applied.
At the moment of completion, Ferdinand put a lot of energy into his hand holding the mixing stick.
Although the triple application of the time-saving magic circle must have required a lot of mana at once,
the challenging smile on his face as he stared at the mixing pot made it appear as if he was enjoying the
increased difficulty.
"It is complete."
Ferdinand took out the magical tools for the recording with a look of accomplishment on his face,
having finished four blends at once in a short period of time, which normally took about one bell for
each compounding. I was glad to see htrane was satisfied.
"Clean up. You can't just leave the compounding instruments lying around like this."
The mixing set that was taken out with teleportation must be returned to the compounding room with
the teleportation cloth. This is something that Ferdinand couldn't do since he couldn't leave this
tearoom.
"I'm preparing the teleportation circle in the compounding room. Would someone please retrieve it over
there?"
Lieseleta unfolded the teleportation cloth to ship things out and began placing the mixing equipment
she had just cleaned with vaschen on top of the teleportation circle. Some of the apprentices went to the
compounding room to pick up the items, as if they had been alerted by the attendants who had begun
to clean up the mess.
"The apprentice scholar will clean up the blending (mixing) instruments."
"Understood. I'll be counting on you."
The remaining apprentice scholars took the mixing tools from the hands of the Lieseleta, wash them with
vaschen, and placed them on top of the teleportation circle. It was a little amusing to see the
instruments and materials on top of the magic circle disappear as it glowed.
Ferdinand, who had been watching for a while as the apprentice scholars began to clean up the mess,
walked over to the cleared table, took a seat and exhaled slowly. Zelgius, who had finished his meal
while we were compounding, immediately started making tea. Wilfried and I sat down as well, and I had
my own attendant make us some tea.
"I didn't think I'd be able to make four magic tools in such a short time."
I looked at the recording of the magic tools on the table, then looked back at Ferdinand and smiled.
"Now, Lord Ferdinand. Since you made the magic tools for recording, please pay me for the four
blueprints."
"I didn't use your blueprints, because I memorized them myself."
"But I bought the blueprints, and I need them for Raimund and for the benefit of future researchers."
I don't need the money because I feel strongly that I was given it. However, it is necessary for Raimund
to understand that my research is so wonderful that it can be paid for, and it is also important for him to
know about intellectual property rights.
When I talked about intellectual property rights, which I would like to expand in the same way as
royalties, Ferdinand said, "Your thinking is as outlandish as ever," and ordered Justus to pay me.
"We're doing pretty well with the printing and blacksmithing societies, but when it comes to patent fees
for magical tools, the nobility may need to set up a governing body with enforcement powers."
"For that matter, think about the researchers after it is established that they buy the manuscripts from
the nobles and pay royalties based on the sales of the books. It will be easier for everyone to accept the
idea of adopting a method that has already been successful. Don't try to do everything at once. It's a
bad habit of yours."
I nodded when Ferdinand told me that it was important to let researchers know that there was such a
way by paying them royalties for blueprints that I had personally purchased, and to build up a track
record of getting paid royalties for books that sold well.
...... It is true that steady efforts are necessary.
The apprentices who had finished cleaning up came back to the tea ceremony room. They were excitedly
saying, "Wow, what a marvelous formulation," and, " How can we do this?" Ferdinand responded with a
smile, but he seemed to be very tired. It was as if all the fatigue that had been building up over the years
had come crashing down on him.
"You have a meeting with your Sylvester later, don't you? Don't you need some healing?"
"That would be helpful."

When he said that, I looked around in the tearoom. In addition to Ferdinand, Justus and Brother Eckhart
also looked exhausted. Zelgius looked a little fatigued as well, and his retainer must be a little tired as
well, having been thrown around by the sudden compounding.
I got up from my seat, pulled out my schtappe and chanted "Streitkolben". If you turn it into a Flutrane
wand, it will heal everyone in the tearoom at once.
“What the heck is this...?"
Ferdinand held his temples, looking as if his head hurt even more for some reason, even though I had
just applied healing to him.
"Huh? Maybe it didn't work?"
"It refined to perfection. Why so much... for just one season?"❓ I think he meant Rozemyne’s growths
"What? What is it?"
I doubted that it was something to get so worked up about. I was doing what I always did, and I had no
idea why Ferdinand was upset. He tapped the table with his fingertips and said, "Sit down," indicating
the beginning of a sermon.
I extinguished my Flutrane wand and moved my chair a little further away from Ferdinand, pretending to
sit in it.
"Well, Rozemyne. Why did you bother to bring out the Flutrane Wand to cast healing?"
"Because it is useful for applying healing to several people at once. In the case of a ring, you would have
to cast it on each person individually, right? But with the Flutrane Wand, you can cast it on a large
number of people at once."
Ferdinand let out a deep sigh as he said, "It came in handy during the dedication ceremony we had at
the Royal Academy."
Wilfried was about to say, "Rozemyne, don't be superfluous..." but I cut him off with a smile.
"This is not about the inner workings of the duchy, Brother Wilfried. Anyone who participated in the
dedication ceremony would know about it, wouldn't they?”
" That's true, but ....... I'm a little nervous because you seem to talk about everything."
Heeding Wilfried’s warning, I gave Ferdinand only the information that everyone knew and that would
help me avoid Ferdinand's sermon.
"While Ferdinand was away, I was growing up. I can now make two sacred objects with my schtappe."
"So, it wasn't a writing error or a misinterpretation."
It seems that Ferdinand didn't clearly understand the contents of my letter, which was written with full
use of aristocratic phrases to make it safe from censorship.
"It's just like the knights making swords and shields. The royal family was convinced of this. I will soon be
able to make multiple shields like Lord Ferdinand, so you can look forward to it.
As I smiled at my own aspirations, Ferdinand, who had closed his eyes tightly, muttered, "Obviously not."
"What's different?"
'No, that's enough. There's no point in saying anything else here now. I'm going to be a man of another
realm. The rest will have to be taken care of at Ehrenfest."
Ferdinand waved his hand in the air, and Wilfried's expression became one of surprise.
"By the way, at the dedication ceremony, I handed out a healing potion that Lord Ferdinand taught me,
which restores a lot of mana, but it seems to be quite valuable. The royal family was also surprised."
"So what?"
Ferdinand looked at me as if he didn't have the energy to say anything else.
"I'm reporting this because I thought it could be sold at a high price or given as Ferdinand's contribution
to the sovereignty in case Dietlinde did something that might displease the royal family. You can save it
as back up."
Ferdinand's eyes narrowed at me when I said this.
"Rozemyne, you think Lady Dietlinde is going to do something, don't you? If you can stop her before she
does anything, let me know."
"Brother Wilfried, it is alright to talk about the hair ornaments and the shiny votive dance, isn’t it?"
"Well, I suppose so."
After asking for Wilfried's consent, I explained that Dietlinde was likely to wear hair ornaments more
extravagant than those of the royals at tomorrow's graduation ceremony, and that there was a possibility
that she would perform an illuminated votive dance that would make the feystones glow.
"I will not overlook this disrespect to the royal family. As for the hair ornaments, I will force her to take
them off. But what is this shiny votive dance?"
"It all started when Rozemyne made a feystone glow during the votive dance rehearsal when she
couldn't control her mana right after the blessing ceremony."
I hurriedly opened my mouth at Wilfried's explanation. "But it stopped the blessing from flying out. The
feystone just glowed and that was the end of it. This is something to be praised, isn't it?"
Ferdinand took one look at me and brushed me off, while Wilfried shook his head and continued, "I
don't know why you think it was praiseworthy."
"Rozemyne stood out so much at the dedication dance practice that Lady Dietlinde said during the
cousin's tea party that she wanted to imitate her in the dedication dance for the coming-of-age
ceremony!"
"Rozemyne, you really are..."
"It's not just my fault! It was force majeure at the time of the votive practice, but it was Brother Wilfried
who advised her that if she lowered the quality of the feystone, it would be easier to make them glow."
If she followed his advice and prepared a feystone for herself and practiced with it, then Wilfried was
probably more responsible than me.
Ferdinand stared at Wilfried with my accusation. "Wilfried. It seems that you also have done a lot of
unnecessary things, haven't you?"
As Ferdinand began to scold Wilfried, Brünnhilde gently tapped me on the shoulder.
"The seventh bell is about to ring, Lady Rozemyne. If you are going to entrust the magical artifacts that
will be presented to Lady Letizia to Lord Zelgius, you must ask him to do so as soon as possible."
Brünnhilde muttered, worried that I was completely distracted from finishing the recording of the magic
tool. It was just as well to get Wilfried out of his sermon. I tugged lightly on Ferdinand's sleeve.
"Lord Ferdinand, if you leave one of these magic tools with Zelgius, will Letizia's family give her words of
encouragement?"
I can't ask Ferdinand's retainer, Zelgius, directly. Ferdinand stopped his sermon to Wilfried and shifted
his gaze to Zelgius.
"What do you think, Zelgius? Can you get in touch with Lady Letizia's parents?"
"I can. I grew up in Drewanchel."
Zelgius had grown up in Drewanchel and had accompanied Letizia’s parents when she went to
Ahrensbach to become an adopted daughter. So, he has many acquaintances in Drewanchel.
"Then let's register the mana of Zelgius. May I also record my words of encouragement?"
"Yes, of course. Yes, of course. I will be sure to deliver Lady Rozemyne's thoughtfulness to Princess
Letizia."
Zelgius smiled kindly and squinted his yellow-green eyes a little. I had Ferdinand give Zelgius the magic
tools that were still lined up on the table, and I taught Zelgius how to use them.
And then I registered the words that I would give to Letizia. The three words for Letizia were, "Letizia,
you are doing very well," "Ferdinand, don't be too harsh on her," and "Please praise Letizia for her good
work once in a while."
"What are you putting in there, you?"
"When Lady Letizia brings out this magic tool, please praise her properly. You can't just say it with
deadpan expression like when you say it to me."
Ferdinand stared at me, but I said this without fear and left the rest to Zelgius.
"It's not too late to make a stuffed animal out of shumil, so ask Lady Letizia's attendants to do it for her."
"Zelgius, why don't you send the ordonnanz to Drewanchel now? I think it would be best if we could
record it tomorrow, if possible."
"I thank you ever so much, sir. Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment."
As Zelgius disappeared behind the partition screen provided by his retainer, Ferdinand looked with some
disdain at the three remaining magic tools.
"So, what the hell kind of words are you going to put in the magic tool I'm giving you?"
"A compliment, of course!"
And if possible, it should be a stuffed animal in Lessie’s image.
My ambition was shattered by Lieseleta.
"Yes. I would like to have at least one compliment, but I think she needs a word to ask her to stop
reading, or to ask her to take a rest, or something similar to what Lady Rozemyne might receive from
Lord Ferdinand."
Next to the Lieseleta, Brünnhilde also nodded emphatically. Not only did my retainers agree with the
suggestion of the attendants, but Wilfried also agreed that a word of admonishment would be more
necessary.
"It's not a problem to include a word of reprimand..." he added.
"I would like to be complimented!"
"I don't care about that. What do you have for me, then?" Ferdinand dismissed my complaints.
"Lady Rozemyne had prepared this as a gift for Lord Ferdinand." Lieseleta quickly took out a dark blue
stuffed shumil and gently placed it in front of him.
"No, Lieseleta. I'm going to give this to Justus. If you give it to Lord Ferdinand, it will remain stuffed in a
box and he will never use it."
I picked up the dark blue shumil on the table and held it out to Justus.
"Justus, use this when Ferdinand is too busy working to listen to you."
"What kind of words are in it?"
"Justus, later! You'll have to check later!" I said quickly.
When I looked at Ferdinand as my blood was curdling, he chuckled.
"I guess I have to check & listen to it until the end. We don't want this to turn into an interduchy war."
"Lord Ferdinand, in that crate you have research materials on Schwartz and Weiss! Let's check that out!
See?" I said trying to distract him.
"I'll do it later. Justus, replay."
Following Ferdinand's instructions, Justus played the magic tool.
"Are you resting well, Lord Ferdinand? Don't work too hard."
"No matter how busy you are, if you don't eat, you won't have any strength. Don't rely on your
medication too much, you need to eat properly."
"Please call me when you run out of food at Ehrenfest."
After a few minutes of replay, Ferdinand pinched my cheek.
"It hurts!"
"So be it. Justus, no more replays. I'll take care of that."
Ferdinand held out his hand to Justus with a very beautiful fake smile. If I don't do something, he will
definitely lock the shumil up.
"No, no, no. No, no, no. Justus, please return it to me rather than give it to Lord Ferdinand!"
"What are you making a fuss about?" Sylvester asked in a dumbfounded tone as he came in. The number
of retainers and knights for protection increased, and the tearoom instantly felt smaller.
'Sylvester! Ferdinand tried to take away the magic tools that I tried to give to Justus."
"Is this the magic tool from the exhibit? What kind of message does it contain?"
Sylvester snatched up the dark blue stuffed shumil that was in Justus' hand and touched the feystone
part. He laughed out loud when he heard my quips flowing through the air, and threw it to Justus.
"Just by threatening to play Rozemyne's petulant words at Ahrensbach, Ferdinand will stop his work.
Take it." that’s so Sylvester
"I thank you ever so much, Aub Ehrenfest."
Justus smiled happily as he took the dark blue shumil to the place where the retainers kept their
luggage.
"It's grown-up’s time now, you know. You can go back to your rooms."
The table with the tea utensils was quickly cleared by Sylvester's attendants as they prepared alcohol,
and the drinking utensils began to appear. My foster father waved us out of the room, and after saying
goodnight, Wilfried and I left the tearoom.
...... In the end, I couldn't get any praise from Lord Ferdinand.
The apprentice scholars were awed by Ferdinand's high-level compounding.
Ferdinand was also stunned by Rozemyne's nonstandard evolution.
And she gave the recording magic tools. To Justus.
me, too. And I’m sure with gusto!

I'm confident he'll put it to good use.
Next is the coming-of-age ceremony and the dedication dance.
14. Farewell and Coming-of-Age Ceremony
It was the morning of the graduation ceremony. Gratia came to wake me up a little before the second
bell rang.
"Lady Rozemyne, please wake up."
"Isn't it still early?" As I said this, I turned over in my futon and looked up at Gratia.
"It's rare that Gratia comes to wake me up. Did something happen to Rihyarda?"
“It is a little early, but Aub has informed me that the second bell requires you to join Lord Ferdinand for
breakfast. Rihyarda is in the tearoom preparing breakfast."
When Gratia told me this, I jumped up. Initially, we were not allowed to have breakfast together because
they would be busy cleaning up the tearoom after breakfast.
"I heard that Ferdinand was still reaching for his research materials after having a drink and a chat with
Aub. He wanted to make sure that Rozemyne and the others would wake him up by visiting him for
breakfast."
Apparently, Sylvester had ordered us to wake Ferdinand up early and send him off in time. He estimated
that having three retainers with him would speed up the cleanup of the tearoom.
...... Yay! I thank you ever so much, Sylvester!
With the help of Gratia and Brünnhilde, I hurriedly began to change my clothes. This morning, I didn't
see Lieseleta nor Leonore in the room because they had gone to have breakfast at the second bell. After
breakfast, I had to finish taking a quick bath before my parents arrived.
It's hard for graduates to get ready.
I chuckled as I remembered two years ago when Angelica hadn't prepared much and it took three of us,
plus Lieseleta and her parents, to get her ready.
"Good morning, Lord Ferdinand. I'm ready now, so I'm going to the tearoom for breakfast."
When I left the room, Charlotte had also finished getting ready. When I walked down the stairs, I saw
that Wilfried was there as well. When we all went to the tearoom, we were greeted by the attendants
who had been preparing the tea service for us. The space in the tearoom that was divided for
Ferdinand’s retainers was already gone, and the couches had been rearranged so that the graduates
could wait to be welcomed. The crates for the luggage were nowhere to be seen, as they had been taken
to Ferdinand's space.
"Everything's already packed up pretty well?"
"Yes. Breakfast is ready for you here. Come on, princesses, this way. You can finish your breakfast in the
dining room."
The underage retainer that accompanied me to the tearoom went to the dining room, while we
archduke candidates were led to the table by Rihyarda. I think they heard us arrive. Ferdinand also came
out from behind the partition screen. He was dressed well, but he looked as if he had not slept enough.
"Good morning, Lord Ferdinand."
"Oh, good morning."
"You sound like you haven't woken up yet, have you been reading too many scientific papers?"
He had the same look on his face as he had two years ago when he and Professor Hirschur were up all
night talking about their research. Ferdinand in a daze is very rare. aww, this means he felt really safe enough to
relax and let go
"…that’s one thing, but that couch was more comfortable to sleep on than I expected."
"If Ferdinand slept well, it was worth the trouble of bringing it in. Would you like to take it with you when
you bring your luggage in the spring?"
Since he had left for Ahrensbach on such short notice, Ferdinand had taken only the most immediate
necessities and the bare minimum of wedding gifts with him. His post-season supplies and gifts from the
nobility are still at Ehrenfest.
"I don't need them now that I'm still in my guest room."
"We'll talk about it in the spring, after the star-knotting ceremony is over, okay?"
"When I get my own room, we'll think about it then."
Ferdinand's response was somewhat cryptic for someone who thinks about the future, but I guess he
didn't want me to bring it up before he got the room. When I replied, "Let me know if you need it,"
Ferdinand nodded and took a seat. Then he beckoned me over.
"Rozemyne, come here. Is your fever gone?"
"I think I'm feeling better this morning..."
I stood meekly in front of Ferdinand. As Ferdinand checked his temperature and pulse, Charlotte
exclaimed in surprise, "has my sister has been ill?"
"I was tired from the Interduchy Tournament and had a slight fever. I took my medication and my fever
went down this morning."
"Stand still, Rozemyne. Shut your mouth. It's hard to check your pulse."
"I'm sorry."
After the usual medical checkup, he said, "The fever is down, but don't work too hard," and I took my
seat.
"My sister has rarely been falling unconscious lately, so I didn't think she was getting sick."
"I suppose it's partly because I was so thrilled with my first award ceremony. How was your dinner last
night, Charlotte? We didn't get to hear how it went, because Sylvester left us in this room as soon as he
arrived, saying it was adult time."
As we ate breakfast, I asked Charlotte about the dinner in the dining hall that we were unable to attend.
Charlotte told us that the students were excited about the fact that we had produced so many excellent
students, and that it had been a fun dinner.
"What did Ferdinand talk about with Sylvester after we went to bed? It's been a long time since you've
had a drink together, so I assume you had a good talk."
When I asked Ferdinand about the topic, he looked down as if thinking for a moment, then shook his
head and said, "You can ask Sylvester later."
After breakfast was finished and the table was cleared, Justus began to arrange various things. There
were two recording devices, and a leather bag. Ferdinand pushed one of the tools in front of me.
"Here is the magic recording device you asked of me. As per the request of your attendants, I'm putting
in a long list of cautionary words."
"What about my request, Lord Ferdinand?"
"Well..."
"That's terrible."
I puffed out my cheeks and tried to play the magic tool that was given to me. Ferdinand’s voice
announced the first set of words, "It's time to eat. I don't know what you're doing, but you need to put
your hands down immediately."
...... What else is there?
"Rozemyne, don't listen to it here, at least listen in your room. It feels strange to hear your own voice in
the same room." Ferdinand, frowning, stopped me.
I wanted to listen to the whole thing right here, but I knew that if I didn't do what he said, he would take
it away from me, so I decided to take it back to my room.
He then handed me a leather bag that was impervious to magic. When I opened it, I found another
magic tool and a piece of paper.
"You infused your voice into the magic tool that registered Zelgius' magic last night, so you have an
extra one, right? I would like to take this research further. I want you to use this magic tool as written
here and tell me the results. You can write to me with the results."
"Understood."
It was originally a joint research project, and if they wanted to continue the research, there was no way I
could refuse. I took the leather bag.
"And can I take the spare? I want to figure out different ways to use it before the next winter."
"It was Ferdinand who made it, and he paid for it, so of course you can have it." I replied.
After waking
Ferdinand up 8 Ferdinand
and having
breakfast with
him, our work is
done. Ferdinand
would then have
to change into
formal wear and
go to pick up
Dietlinde. We
had to move to
the multi-
purpose hall to
avoid getting in
the way of
changing and
cleaning up.
"Rozemyne,
Rihyarda.
Sylvester told
me that you
have made this
room for us. It
has been a very
relaxing night.
I'd like to I thank
you ever so
much."
I could tell that

Ferdinand was
so relaxed that
he took the
trouble to thank
me. I was
especially happy
that he
recognized that I
had been
thinking about how to make him feel comfortable with Rihyarda, perhaps because he hadn't
complimented me last night. Although I was happy, I was also very sad because I realized that this was a
farewell speech, and he would have to leave me again.
"In that case, please say I thank you ever so much properly." I said lightly, hoping to shake off my lonely
mood.
I was expecting the usual sarcastic smile and a few words to wash it away, but Ferdinand gave me a
gentle smile that I have rarely seen before.
“I thank you ever so much, Rozemyne, Rihyarda"
After saying all that, Ferdinand quickly disappeared behind the partition screen, as if he really didn't have
much time. It was not only me who felt their eyes well up at Ferdinand's honest words of gratitude,
which was so rare. Rihyarda also called out to us, her eyes glistening. aww
"Now, please go to the multi-purpose hall. Ferdinand needs to change his clothes."
In the entrance hall, I could see the younger students gathering to prepare for the auditorium. When I
tried to head in that direction, Wilfried stopped me.
"You should wait in the multipurpose hall as Rihyarda told you. You were sick at the Interduchy
Tournament yesterday, and if you're trying to stick it out now, you'll be dropping out halfway through
the year again. My uncle, who is accompanying Lady Dietlinde, will be worried if you disappear from the
hall."
There was no room for arguments. This year, too, I left the preparations to everyone else and waited in
the multipurpose hall with my guard knight, Judith. While we were in the multipurpose hall, the parents
of the graduates arrived. Leonore and Lieseleta's parents came and greeted me, then headed for their
children's rooms.
When the wave of parents had passed, the escorts arrived. Brother Cornelius and Hartmut, dressed
neatly in formal attire, appeared in the multi-purpose hall, "Good morning, Lady Rozemyne."
"Leonore's parents just arrived, so it will take a little longer to get ready, Brother Cornelius. Hartmut
should go and pick up Clarissa as soon as possible. I've heard that waiting can be very uncomfortable."
Considering the momentum he had built up so far, Clarissa would probably come to me if he didn't pick
her up, but it's not something that makes a girl nervous.
"I assume you have obtained permission to marry her?"
"After considering the various circumstances, I was given the answer that it was the safest thing to do."
...... How is that permission for marriage?
If the people around you were convinced, it would be fine, but I was a little worried about whether it was
really safe. While I was talking to Hartmut, a retainer of Wilfried's, whose face I had seen in the castle,
approached me.
"Lady Rozemyne, I would like to say a few words."
The one who spoke was Torsten, Lieseleta's partner. I had heard his name and that he was a scholar of
Wilfried's, but I had no idea what he looked like because his name did not match his face. He seemed to
be calm and composed. Perhaps she and the Lieseleta were on the same wavelength.
"Please take care of Lieseleta."
"Very well, my lady."
by the time I had finished greeting Torsten, Sylvester who had apparently returned to Ehrenfest arrived
with Florencia. He sat her down in a chair with a somewhat hesitant look.
"I thank you ever so much, Lord Sylvester."
"How are you feeling, Florencia?"
She smiled at my question with a slightly pale face. She didn't appear to be in good shape by any means.
"I think I got a little sick on the teleportation circle."
"I told you that you should rest at Ehrenfest."
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime graduation ceremony for the students. I know it's selfish of me, but I want to
celebrate with them."
I could see Sylvester and Florencia going through the same discussions. It was so clear that my adoptive
father really cared for my adoptive mother.
"Princess, let's go to the auditorium now. If we don't get in before the parents do, we'll stand out."
"What about you, Sylvester and Florencia?"
"I'll let Florencia rest here until the last minute, you go on ahead."
I was told to walk slowly, so I took Rihyarda and Judith with me to the auditorium.
Just like last year, the walls had been removed and the auditorium had stair-stepped bleachers like a
coliseum. In the center of the auditorium, there was a white cylindrical stage for the dedication and
sword dances, and beyond that, the altar.
"This is the seat of the archducal family."
"Your sister can go this way."
Unlike last year's parents' seats, this one was very close to the stage. From here, we could see the
dedication dance clearly. Charlotte beckoned to me, and I took my seat.
"Are father and mother here?"
"Yes, they are. The only thing is that Florencia seems to have gotten dizzy during the teleportation and is
resting in the dormitory until the very last minute."
"She's not doing so well? That's worrisome."
I was told by Sylvester that I must not tell anyone that Florencia was likely to be pregnant. There are a lot
of aubs from other duchies, and this might bring up a lot of problems such as the issue of the second
wife, so he said that he would let them know when they returned to Ehrenfest.
My adoptive father and mother arrived just as the graduates were about to enter. Whether she had
taken some kind of medicine, or whether the rest was a helpful, or whether it was the habit of the
nobility not to show their emotions or physical condition, she took her seat with her usual smile on her
face.
"Please don't be too hard on yourself, Florencia.”
"That goes for you as well, Rozemyne, doesn't it?"
As my adoptive mother giggled, the door opened for the graduates to enter. The graduates came in and
lined up on the stage, but there was one person who stood out and made everyone around her feel a bit
bothered.
...... Ahhhh! Lord Ferdinand, you failed to persuade her!
Dietlinde came in with a smile on her face and her hair was heaped up like a pile of flowers. The first
thing she must have thought of was to be able to put on a lot of decorations. Like Marie Antoinette’s
famous pouf hairstyle, Dietlinde’s hair was piled up quite high. The blonde hair, which was gorgeous
enough just by its color, was made even more extravagant by pushing it up to a very high bouffant.
There were three Ehrenfest hair ornaments in shades of red, and the surrounding area was decorated
with as much lace and ribbons as possible. It was so astonishing that everyone around her was stunned,
and I was certain it wasn't my imagination that Ferdinand's fake smile looked so empty as he walked
next to her.
...... Well, it's amazing in a way. I never thought I'd see hair like that in Jürgenschmidt.
If you look closely, not all of Ehrenfest's hair ornaments were used. She must have been persuaded by
the people around her that it would be disrespectful to the royal family if she didn't moderate her floral
decorations. And she must have decided to refrain from using flowers and use other decorations instead.
...... I can see that the number of Ehrenfest's hair ornaments was significantly reduced to be consistent with
the royal decorations. But I don't think the number of flowers matters at all when they’ve thrown in so
much ribbons and lace. More importantly, can she even do the dedication dance with that hair?
I couldn't help but look at the seats where the Ahrensbach archducal family sat. Georgine was sitting
there with a cool face. Did she not stop her daughter's strange behavior?
...... If she had stopped her, there's no way she would have entered in this state. What is Georgine thinking
letting Dietlinde do what she wants? the woman doesn’t care, huh?
Although I felt very uneasy, Dietlinde herself, who was attracting a great deal of attention, was very
satisfied. After the graduating students were escorted onto the stage, the non-graduate partners moved
to their 9 Leonore doing the sword dance, Lieseleta standing
assigned up
seats, where I
could see that
Ferdinand was
already
looking very
tired.
Next came the

coming of age
ceremony led
by the head of
the sovereign
temple,
followed by a
musical
dedication. At
the dormitory,
we left before
Leonore and
the others
came out, so I
didn't see
Leonore and
Lieseleta in
their finery
today. Yet, I
couldn’t find
them because
Dietlinde had
taken all of my
attention. This
was the only
chance I had,
as she was
leaving the
stage for the
music
dedication.
"Where is Lieseleta? I can't find her because all I see is Lady Dietlinde."
"I know exactly how you feel. I can't find my own retainers either."
If you looked around where there were a lot of people, the extravagant pouf hairstyle would be the first
thing (and probably the only thing) you'd see. There was no way to know where the modestly dressed
Lieseleta was. She must be in the midst of the choir singing, so I strained my eyes searching for her. It
was so much easier to see now that Dietlinde was gone.
"There she is. It's Lieseleta."
I saw that she was wearing a pale cream-colored outfit and her hair was gathered up and decorated with
a hair ornament of the same color. She had always been a step back, so it was not obvious that she was
beautiful, but today she looked very beautiful.
...... According to Muriela, she was popular with the students of other duchies.
After the dedication of the music, in which we managed to find Lieseleta, the next performance was
Leonore's sword dance. The music people got down from the stage, and this time they moved around
the stage. In their place, the sword dancers in blue costumes took the stage. Twenty people went up.
Because of the small number of women, it was easy to spot Leonore. Her grape-colored hair looked
reddish-purple covered with white and red flowers. She must have been born in winter.
As she held up the sword she had produced with her schtappe, music began to play and the sword
reflected light and flashed in time with it. There is a feminine movement in the strong and sharp
movements of the sword. Leonore's sword dance is flowing and graceful, and even though she is
holding a sharp sword, it feels somehow soft.
"Isn't Leonore really beautiful?"
"Yes, she is. But Alexis is no slouch either." Wilfried laughed, proud of his retainer.
While we were talking about which was more amazing, the sword dance also ended.
"The next event is the dedication dance. Can you dance with that?" I think my foster father's murmur
spoke for all of us.
All eyes were on Dietlinde, who was wearing a fluttering votive dance costume.
properly illustrated, as it should!

After breakfast together, Ferdinand and Rozemyne said goodbye.
Then it's Dietlinde's big day. Apparently, Ferdinand failed to convince her.
eekNotes: to be honest, it’s mission accomplished for Dietlinde since all anyone can see and talk about
was her, and wasn’t that her goal?
Next is the dedication dance of Dietlinde.
15. Dietlinde’s Dedication Dance
With all eyes on her, Dietlinde, clad in the costume of the Goddess of Light, approached Lästilaut, clad in
the costume of the God of Darkness. Lästilaut, who will be escorting Dietlinde to the stage for the
dedication dance, looked at Dietlinde's head in dismay
"You, can you really dance with that much ornamentation?" that’s so Lastilaut
I applaud Lästilaut in my heart for asking the question straight out on behalf of everyone's concerns and
anxieties. Lästilaut must be a brave man to be able to ask that straightforwardly in this situation.
However, the brave man's question didn't seem to reach Dietlinde.
"Yes. Of course, I can dance. I've practiced a lot,” she said, looking down at her hands instead of her
heavy head.
...... I think Lord Lästilaut was referring to the hair ornaments. Where are you looking? Is there something
on your arm? Oh, maybe it's a feystone?
She had prepared not only the fancy ornaments on her head, but also the feystone to make her glow. I
couldn't hide my surprise at the well-prepared Dietlinde. I wondered how in the world she managed to
elude Ferdinand.
While I was musing about this, the archduke candidates went up to the stage, their long sleeves
fluttering. The God of Darkness would escort the Goddess of Light, but Lästilaut was probably trying to
keep Dietlinde out of sight as much as possible, and for some reason, his face was turned slightly to the
side instead of the front.
...... It's kind of like Ferdinand's face from earlier, but go for it, Lästilaut!
The archduke candidates lined up in their positions facing the altar, kneeling and touching the stage in
the same manner as the music and sword dance. Dietlinde's head shook heavily at the mere movement. I
was on the edge, wondering if it would collapse.
“I am one who offers prayer and gratitude to the gods who have created the world...”
The moment the archduke candidates' voices rose, a magic circle appeared on the previously blank
stage of the dedication dance. I kept my mouth shut and stared at the stage, since no one else seemed
to be able to see it.
The music began to play and the dancers slowly stood up. They raised their hands in a soft motion, and
their fluttering sleeves swayed. This is the beginning of the dedication dance.
...... Oh, she was seriously going to make it glow.
As soon as the dedication dance began, the feystone Dietlinde was wearing glowed slightly. She showed
signs of wearing feystones all over her body, little lights glowing on her wrists, in her hair, in patches.
There was only one dancer who was glowing, so it was certainly eye-catching. But the dance itself was
not that good. Perhaps her head was too heavy, or perhaps her axis was shifting every time she spun
around, which was very annoying.
"Oh, the Goddess of Light is shining. Was it like this when you were practicing Rozemyne?" Sylvester
asked in a whisper.
Charlotte shook her head with a vague smile on her face. "The quality of the feystones sister wore was
different. In addition to the many amulets, the rainbow-colored feystone hair ornament was shining, so it
was more gorgeous than that little light. But rather than finding it beautiful, I was anxious to see if and
when the blessing would leak out."
At Charlotte's words, I felt a cold sweat break out on my face. At the time, I was trying so hard not to let
my blessing leak out that I had no idea what kind of state I was in, but was I possibly more conspicuous
than Dietlinde is now?
"Did I stand out more than the current Dietlinde?"
"It was the kind of light that attracted people's attention and made them look at you. It was much more
noticeable."
...... No, no, no! A lot of people probably thought that I was a bit of a show-off more so than Lady
Dietlinde!
But the light was only on for a few seconds. Suddenly, the light went out. Dietlinde, who seemed to have
noticed that it had disappeared, furrowed her brow a little, and a few seconds later it lit up again. Then,
after a few more seconds, it went out again. And so it goes.
The flickering light somehow drew my attention. I wondered if she was flashing it to make it stand out,
but upon closer inspection, I found that every time the feystone disappeared, Dietlinde frowned a little
and flashed it again. It didn’t appear like she was making the lights blink to make her stand out.
...... Why is it flashing? ….Hmm? Is the mana?
I thought I saw a shimmering magic around Dietlinde. The pale shimmering hues that appeared when a
large amount of mana was emitted were being absorbed by the magic circle. But I didn't know if I was
the only one who could see the magic circle. I turned my gaze to Ferdinand. There was no fake smile on
his face, and his brow was wrinkled.
"From what I can see, it looks like mana is leaking out of Lady Dietlinde..."
Charlotte nodded in response to Florencia's murmur that it might just be her imagination. "I can see it
too. At first I thought it was an optical illusion, but do you think the light is gradually diminishing?"
So, I wasn't the only one who saw the fluctuation in mana. Just when I thought that, everyone started to
realize, "Is she releasing a lot of mana?" The audience began to stir.
"Hey, Rozemyne. Is she all right? Releasing magic like that."
"For a while this happened to Rozemyne, but how is she doing?"

Sylvester and Wilfried asked me, but I did not know how to answer them. There were times when I was
desperately trying to hold back the mana overflow even though it still leaked out, and there were times
when I was overly emotional and overwhelmed with mana, but I never intentionally spread the mana to
make the feystone glow.
"I've never released mana to make the feystones on my body glow, so I can't know exactly what
Dietlinde is doing right now. However, releasing mana from your entire body takes a toll on my body to
the extent that I would have to take medicine and sleep for several days."
I thought I was answering in all seriousness, but my foster father looked at me with a dumbfounded
expression.
"If you're too weak that you'll fall asleep for a few days after just wandering around a little bit, then the
amount of burden you're carrying is not comparable.".
"Well, that's true. I don't even know what it's like for an ordinary person to be burdened by the release of
mana.”
Everyone who had their magic sucked out of them at the dedication ceremony went weak, and some of
the women who had their mana forcibly sucked out of them during the spring invocation ceremony in
Haldenzel lost consciousness. Considering this, I doubted that they didn't feel any burden at all.
"But if you're the next Aub, an archduke candidate, you're probably used to supplying mana, so I don't
think it's a big burden."
The moment I said it would be fine, people around me shouted, "Ah! Watch out!" Dietlinde swayed
wildly, and her whole body tilted toward the dark god who was dancing next to her.
...... She was not okay at all!
I watched the stage, gasping at the sight of Dietlinde's wobbly figure. I felt as if everything was in slow
motion, as one of the red flower ornaments fell out of her high bouffant hair.
"What is happening?"
Maybe it was because he was trying to keep Dietlinde out of his sight. Or maybe it was because he was
concentrating on the dance. Or maybe it was because she was spinning around with her arms
outstretched. But it was a little late for Lästilaut, who was trained as an archduke candidate of
Dunkelfelger, to notice Dietlinde leaning towards him.
"What!?"
Dietlinde, who staggered, was flung away with great force the moment she collided with the rotating
Lästilaut, who was startled.. She fell down while dragging the archduke candidate who was playing the
role of the wind goddess. Dietlinde's hair ornaments fell off, and her high pouf began to fall apart.
"Avoid her!"
"Watch out!"
"Oh no!"
The wind goddess, who was suddenly caught in the middle of the shouting from the audience, screamed
and fell on her buttocks as if Dietlinde had pushed her down, tearing the sleeves of her costume open.
As soon as Dietlinde's hand touched the stage, the magic circle on the stage lit up. It only took a few
seconds.
"What is it?"
"I just saw a magic circle on the stage."
Everyone saw the magic circle the moment it lit up. It only appeared for a few seconds, but it was
enough time for everyone to see it. As the strange magic circle appeared on the stage, the surroundings
started to get boisterous.
"Why is there a magic circle in that place?"
"What the hell is that?"
I could see Ferdinand holding his temples at the sound of the voices around him. The moment our eyes
met, Ferdinand put his forefinger to his lips with a thoughtful look on his face.
...... You mean not to say anything, right?
"Silence! The votive dance is not over yet!"
"The ritual cannot be interrupted."
The Sovereign Temple Bishop and High Priest raised their voices to the noisy audience and to the
graduates who were looking up at the stage without knowing what was going on. However, Dietlinde
had completely lost consciousness and was lying on the floor with the wind goddess beside her, not
moving a muscle. There was no way the dedication dance could continue on the stage.
"I can't leave Lady Dietlinde like that. Let's go."
Ferdinand left his seat and went up to the stage while calling out to the nobles of Ahrensbach. The
people of Ahrensbach began to move in a panic.
"You, take Lady Dietlinde off the stage and tell her attendants to remove her costume for the votive
dance. And you, hurry up and collect her hair ornaments."
One of the attendants picked up Dietlinde, who was lying face down on the stage, and carried her away,
while the others collected the scattered hair ornaments. Ferdinand took one look at Dietlinde being
carried away, then knelt down in front of the student portraying the wind goddess, who was on her
buttocks, and politely apologized.
"I am very sorry to have involved you in the situation where Lady Dietlinde suddenly lost consciousness. I
am sure you are still in a lot of pain after falling down like that. Will you allow me to offer you some
healing?"
"Yes, I will allow it."
Ferdinand offered his hand to the wind goddess who was caught in the middle, giving her Heilschmerz’s
healing so that she could get up. The wind goddess took his hand and stood up, and when she was
assured that there was no pain, she walked off the stage.
Downstage, the goddess of light's costume was being removed from Dietlinde by her attendants.
Ferdinand was told by Georgine to accompany the unconscious Dietlinde as she walked out of the
auditorium.
"The votive dance will be performed again."
Dietlinde's Goddess of Light costume was passed from the hands of the sovereign temple staff to the
alternate archduke candidate. The alternate archduke candidate hurriedly made their preparations and
went on stage. Under the direction of the Sovereign Temple Bishop, the dedication dance was redone.
“I am one who offers prayer and gratitude to the gods who have created the world...”
With the audience still buzzing, the dedication dance was performed once again. This time, no one
glowed, the magic circle didn't light up, and the fourth bell rang in the auditorium, signaling noon.
"From the moment she entered to the moment she left, Lady Dietlinde astounded me."
Her hair was coiffed in a high bouffant, her feystones flickered and flashed, and she wobbled and fell
down with a flourish, causing the magic circle to glow as she rolled around. Without a doubt, she was
the most talked-about standout of this year's graduation ceremony. The topic of lunch at Ehrenfest was
Dietlinde and the magic circle that appeared for a moment on the stage. Like I said, mission accomplished for
Dietlinde!
"I've never heard of a magic circle in a place like that before."
"We, the graduates, couldn't see it..."
Leonore and Lieseleta looked at each other. The graduates who were standing below the stage could not
see the glowing magic circle. The students, who were watching from the stairway seats, began to tell the
graduates what a spectacle dedication dance was.
"Hey, Rozemyne, Charlotte. Wasn't the circle that appeared today very similar to Haldenzel's magic
circle? The magic circle disappeared without being activated, but the way it suddenly emerged from the
white stage and the fact that there seemed to be some conditions for its activation seemed to be
similar.”
Charlotte and I nodded our heads at Wilfried's words. If you compare today's magic circle to the one
hidden in the white stage at Haldenzel, you can certainly see the similarities.
"Rozemyne, do you recognize that magic circle? Since the votive dance is also a ritual, do you know
anything about it?"
I shook my head at the words of my foster father, who looked at me as he searched my face.
"I do not know. But there is no votive dance in the rituals performed at Ehrenfest, so it must be a ritual
only in the sovereign temple."
"I see..."
In the meantime, while my foster father was still looking at me suspiciously, ordonnanz came flying in.
Even though it was almost the end of the day, it was unusual to see ordonnanz flying around at
lunchtime. As I looked at it, it landed in front of me and opened its beak.
"Lady Rozemyne, this is Lady Eglantine. I'm sorry to bother you during your lunch hour. I will send a
messenger to the tearoom now. Would you be so kind as to accept my letter?"
Eglantine's voice was relaxed, but it was unusual for her to send ordonnance during lunch or to send a
messenger to the tearoom on the day of the graduation ceremony. Something must be going on.
"Sylvester."
"Answer and wait in the tearoom. Let's go."
"Yes."
I replied in Ordonnanz, "Very well, my lady," and hurriedly finished my lunch. The entire lord's clan is on
their way to the tearoom. We sipped our after-dinner tea in the tearoom as we waited for the messenger
to arrive.
"All retainers, stand back. This is an urgent request from the royal family. It would be better to clear out
everyone."
At Sylvester's words, all retainer retreated, leaving behind a few guard knights. As I observed this,
Sylvester looked at Florencia with concern.
"It is not a good request to be sent by a messenger. Wouldn't it be better for Florencia to stay in her
room and rest?"
"The shock will be the same whether I am informed now or later. I am here as Ehrenfest's archduchess."
Sylvester nodded helplessly at the Florencia's words.
"What you think do they want to talk about?" asked Florencia.
"An inquiry about the magic circle, of course. It's urgent, but it's the only thing they can't inform us
about via ordonnanz."
I exhaled softly at my foster father's words. If that's the case, then they would have to ask Ferdinand, as I
have no answer for them.
A small tinkling of bells rang in the tea ceremony room filled with a tense atmosphere. Oswin,
Anastasius' head retainer, had arrived as a messenger. He thanked his foster father for the situation in
which his retainers had already been dispatched, and asked for permission to use the range-wide anti-
eavesdropping magical device.
"No problem. Guard knights, please step out of range."
Oswin activated the wide-range magic tool and presented a letter.
"Lady Rozemyne, this is from Prince Anastasius. I know this is a great inconvenience, but I have been
ordered to reply to this before returning."
I cracked open the letter and read it. I knew it was a serious matter, since Prince Anastasius's chief
attendant stood as a messenger, but even so, I was dazzled by the unexpected contents.
According to him, when the Sovereign Temple's High Priest and Bishop were having lunch, they said that
the magic circle that appeared during the dedication dance was a magic circle for selecting the next
king, and that Dietlinde was the person closest to becoming the next zent.
...... Wow, so Dietlinde is not the next Aub, but the next zent?
Since no one in the royal family knew that there was such a magic circle on the stage of the votive
dance, and since the magic circle did not glow in the votive dance of Prince Siegeswald, Prince
Anastasius, Eglantine and the others, they claimed that the day may soon come when an official zent will
be elected instead of the current royals who do not have Glutrisheit.
Before any strange rumors started to circulate, they wanted to gather as much information as possible
on whether or not that magic circle was the one to elect the next zent, and whether or not Dietlinde was
really the one closest to becoming one. If indeed Dietlinde was to be the zent with Glutrisheit, it was
written that king intended to give up the throne.
yes, yes it is!

...... Lady Dietlinde is a zent! That is a very scary future!
Since I was familiar with rituals and magic circles, they asked if I could find out if the sovereign temple's
argument was correct or not, and if I could go to Prince Anastasius' detached palace to listen to their
story during the time that temple officials were to attend the graduation ceremony in the afternoon.
Although it was in the form of a request, it was a royal request with a specific date and time. In effect, it
was a summoning order.
"It's really painful to say, but the only person in the royal family that we can ask about sacred matters is
Rozemyne."
Oswin's face although calm and smiling as usual, has a hint of anxiety in his voice. Admittedly, I
understood the impatience of being told that Ahrensbach's next Aub, who appeared at the coming-of-
age ceremony with a surprisingly plump head, was the closest thing to the next zent.
...... But this is too much for me to handle! Ferdinand, help!
"The votive dance is a ritual of the sovereign temple. So you know nothing about it, do you, Rozemyne?"
I nodded repeatedly to my foster father who looked at me as if to say, "You just said that. You're not
supposed to know anything." Sylvester looked at Oswin.
"As long as the royal family summons, we will send Rozemyne to you, but for now, you will probably get
more information by asking Ferdinand in Ahrensbach."
Because of the situation, I could not refuse the royal summons here. It's not just me, my foster father
told them to summon Ferdinand as well.
"There is also a reason why we should summon Ferdinand, as well as inquire about the condition of Lady
Dietlinde, who collapsed during the dedication dance."
Oswin nodded quickly and said, "It is possible that Ferdinand knows more about the rituals than you do.
I've received a suggestion from Ehrenfest to call on Lady Dietlinde to inquire about her condition," he
said, sending the ordonnanz flying toward Eglantine. I could detect an indescribable hint of impatience
in his profile.
"I thank you ever so much, Aub Ehrenfest."
When Oswin retrieved the wide-range anti-eavesdropping magic device, he hobbled back with my
acknowledgment.
The only people left in the tearoom were the family of the Lords of Ehrenfest. All of their faces looked
very troubled.
"I didn't know those magic circles were of that kind."
"It has not been clearly decided yet. I don't think it's possible by any stretch of the imagination, but
you're going to have to ask Ferdinand for his answer, Rozemyne."
"Yes."
How Dietlinde would be treated next to Ahrensbach would also affect Ehrenfest. They needed every bit
of information they could get, and so did Ehrenfest.
"If the royals want to know what happened during the graduation ceremony, it would be best to keep
everything else as normal as possible. Rozemyne, as usual, should not be feeling well. As for your
attendant, let's go with Rihyarda and hurry up and call Karstedt."
The students would go to the graduation ceremony without a care in the world, and I would go to Prince
Anastasius' palace with father, who would come from Ehrenfest after the graduation ceremony started.
"In the meantime, by asking them to summon Ferdinand, I was able to provide you with the most
suitable guardian. Basically, I want you to leave everything to Ferdinand and listen to what he has to
I knew it! Good job Sylvester
say."
I nodded my head in agreement to Sylvester.
A very conspicuous dedication dance of Dietlinde.
The magic circle that emerged, albeit for a few seconds. When you see it, various ripples spread by the
sovereign temple.
I thank you ever so much very much for the escorts Ferdinand & Lästilaut.
eekNotes: that dance was hilarious. And then it got serious…quickly.

On a sidenote, the problem with narcissistic people is that they can never accept that they are ever wrong
and will always find a way to twist the situation to absolve themselves. Which is why IMO, they're one of
the happiest people in the world. But practically all the dictators in the world are narcissistic, so that’s
really scary for Jürgenschmidt.
Next is the call to Eglantine.
16. Discussion with Eglantine
"I apologize for calling you here so suddenly."
After the greeting, I was advised to sit on the couch. As soon as Oswin began to prepare a wide-range
anti-eavesdropping magic device, my father, who was also my guard knight, looked at me with concern
as he and Rihyarda moved away.
Eglantine, without her retainer, sat on the couch in front of me and looked straight at me. At this
moment, Prince Anastasius was still attending the graduation ceremony, leaving Eglantine alone to talk
to.
"Rozemyne, we don't have much time. May I ask you something straightforwardly?"
I'd rather not be misunderstood or misinterpreted by someone who uses strange and circuitous cloak-
and-dagger phrases, so it was really helpful to hear her say it frankly. I nodded and said, "Of course."
"I heard at lunch that the Sovereign Temple Bishop and High Priest had said that the magic circle was for
the purpose of electing zent s, which had caused an uproar in the palace. Some of the old retainers said
that King Trauqual, who had been struggling all this time, should get the Glutrisheit, and others were
worried about Dietlinde becoming a zent after seeing that state of affairs today. In addition to that, there
were some who claimed that it was all a conspiracy by Ferdinand and that if he couldn't control
Rozemyne at Ehrenfest, he would try to control Dietlinde next."
"There were many opinions, but Trauqual said that Glutrisheit was necessary to rule Jürgenschmidt, and
that if Dietlinde did indeed get Glutrisheit, he would not take it away from her, but would surrender the
throne."
"Why would he give up the throne to Dietlinde and send Ferdinand, whom he suspected, to
Ahrensbach?"
If he was going to give up the throne to the person with Glutrisheit, I didn’t understand why the strange
suspicion was ever casted on Ferdinand.
"That can only be explained by the difference in duchies. Ehrenfest was recognized for its contribution,
and at the next meeting of the Archduke’s Conference, although it will be treated the same as the
duchies that participated in the civil war, it was a neutral middle territory during the time of war. This is
in contrast to allowing the Glutrisheit to stay with the archduke candidate of Ahrensbach, who came
from a high-ranking territory that was directly involved in the political change caused by the last war."
Eglantine explained that if Ferdinand got Glutrisheit and became a zent, I didn’t know how many
territories he would have on his side. And in terms of supporting the Zent, Ehrenfest was apparently
ineligible considering its rank, the number of Ehrenfest nobles in the sovereignty, and the response and
attitude of the other duchies. There was also a good chance that someone would try to take away the
Glutrisheit that Ferdinand had gained, and Jurgenschmidt would disrupt in war once again.
"It is said that the political upheaval started when the first prince, who was dissatisfied with the second
prince's inheritance of Glutrisheit, assaulted him in an attempt to take it."
"However, when the second prince was killed, the first prince did not get the Glutrisheit, and he
suspected that the third prince, who was his mother's brother, had gotten it, so he started a civil war."
"I lost a lot of my family and close friends in the fight over Glutrisheit. That is why the royal family wants
to avoid conflict as much as possible. In the event that Dietlinde obtains Glutrisheit, there are many
factors that cause trepidation, but if Ferdinand, who has a wide range of knowledge, supports her as a
husband, she will be able to carry out her duties as a zent."
...... Don't let him do that. Lord Ferdinand's eyes will remain hollow and he will be unable to recover.
"I don't know if the Sovereign Temple is telling the truth or not. We need to gather information about
that magic circle as soon as possible. Lady Rozemyne, is the Sovereign Temple's claim correct?"
Eglantine's orange eyes stared at me. As I stared into the eyes that were trying to see through the lies
and deceit, I smiled a little with a fake aristocratic smile.
"I'm sorry, Lady Eglantine. The votive dance at the coming-of-age ceremony is a ritual performed only at
the Royal Academy, not at Ehrenfest."
At my answer, Eglantine exhaled regretfully, "You don't know either, Lady Rozemyne?"
I was not lying, although it pained me a little to know that I was hiding something. There was no votive
dance at Ehrenfest's coming of age ceremony. I surmised that it was a magic circle related to that, given
the phrase in the scriptures, "He who desires to be a king," but I didn't know exactly what that meant. I
had yet to investigate it, so I couldn't say anything about it.
"However, in the underground archives of the Royal Academy, there were various materials on rituals.
Lord Ferdinand, who has read them, may know something about it."
As I was saying this, Oswin's voice said, "Lord Ferdinand has arrived from Ahrensbach." Pausing the
conversation, Eglantine, who had stepped out of the wide-range anti-eavesdropping magic device,
exchanged greetings with Ferdinand.
Then, without his retainer, Ferdinand alone came into the wide-range of the magic device. Justus and
Brother Eckhart, who had been accompanying Ferdinand, stand at the side with Father, who was serving
as my guard knight. Father and brother Eckhart, Rihyarda and Justus, two sets of parents and children.
...... I bet they exchange information secretly. Sylvester had given my father a small, folded piece of paper,
and Rihyarda had prepared something for him, too.
While I was pondering this and watching the movements around me, Ferdinand glanced down at me
with a look that said, "Why are you here?" When Eglantine asked me to sit next to him, I said, "Excuse
me," and sat down.
"I'd like to know how Ferdinand and Dietlinde are holding up?"
"It appeared that she lost consciousness due to depletion of mana. I have given her some restorative
medicine, so she will gradually recover. In behalf of Ahrensbach, I'd like to offer my sincerest apologies
for the disruption of the coming-of-age ceremony, a very important occasion for a votive dance."
An eccentric hairstyle, a flashing dedication dance, a fall and unconsciousness, the activation of an
unknown magic circle... Ferdinand apologizes for the fact that so many things happened that stunned
the people around him.
"I tried to stop her as best I could, but she wouldn't listen. It was not in my power to stop the situation."
As Ferdinand said this, he took out a recording device that he had just taken with him earlier today and
began to play it. There was Ferdinand's voice pointing out that he had five hair ornaments on display
and admonishing her to show reverence for the royals, to which Dietlinde's voice replied sullenly, "It
would be better if you reduced the number of hair ornaments."
"I didn't think she would reduce the hair ornaments and add other accessories."
"Ferdinand has had a tough morning.”
When I said this, Eglantine giggled, “I suppose there is not much blame to go around for something
more serious than Lady Dietlinde's various deeds. Be at ease."
Ferdinand's shoulders relaxed a little and his brow furrowed. "I thought there was a great deal of blame
to be placed on Dietlinde for such a fiasco, with the royal family sending an urgent messenger to us. Is it
a pretext to ask about her condition, or is it about Rozemyne?"
"There is no doubt that this is about Lady Dietlinde. We are in a state of confusion from what the
Sovereign Temple said at lunch, and we need some information. Rozemyne told me that Ferdinand, the
guardian of the temple, is more knowledgeable about the temple's rituals."
When Eglantine smiled apologetically, Ferdinand glared at me for some reason. It was written on his face
that I got him involved by me saying something unnecessary.
"I was just saying that Lord Ferdinand knows better compared to me. Isn't that the truth?"
...... Let me ask you what has happened."
At Ferdinand's sigh of resignation, Eglantine and I told him the story so far, including what the sovereign
temple had said.
"Are you familiar with the magic circle that appeared on the stage of the dedication dance, Lord
Ferdinand?"
Ferdinand nodded slowly in response to Eglantine's question and closed his mouth after answering with
a single word, "Yes." He was not going to say anything else, so Eglantine asked him again.
"The Sovereign Temple says that the magic circle is for the purpose of electing zents."
"I have to admit, I'm surprised that someone from the sovereign temple had such knowledge, even
though he hadn't read the scriptures to the fullest."
There was no way that the people from the sovereign temple, who couldn't even read half of the Temple
Bishop's scriptures, could have seen the magic circle that appeared at the beginning of the scriptures.
Even so, they were able to discern the purpose of the magic circle that floated in the air for only a few
seconds. I surmised they know a lot more than we thought.
"In the temple of Ehrenfest, there are also wooden documents and copies of old scriptures that are used
by the Grey Priests to prepare for their rituals. Maybe the sovereign temple also has a temple library with
materials on rituals." I provided.
"You're right, there are probably materials that can be read even without mana. I have no objection to
that, but please be silent."
I was thinking about the library in the sovereign temple, which I had never been in, when Ferdinand told
me to shut up.
When I shut my mouth, Eglantine smiled a little, then quirked an eyebrow.
"So, you're certain that the people in the sovereign temple are correct and that the magic circle is for the
purpose of electing the next zent?”
"I’m not completely certain but why are you asking us this?"
At Ferdinand's words, Eglantine said with one hand on her cheek, "I am ashamed to say that no one in
the royal family knows much about the rituals. With the rift between them and the central temple, the
royal family does not have enough materials to deny what the central temple has asserted."
"Because Lady Rozemyne has conducted the dedication ceremony at the Royal Academy, she has earned
the trust of the royal family as the temple bishop capable of conducting genuine rituals."
"No, that’s not what I meant. I informed you via Rozemyne that in the underground archives of the Royal
Academy's library, there are documents that royalty and archduke candidates should know. How come
information that’s readily available is not known to the royal family?"
He glared at me and shook his head, as if to say, "You didn't tell them?"
"I did tell them," I said. “I went with the three princes to the underground archives and helped them with
the modern translation.”
"I told you never to enter the archives, didn't I?"
I was supposed to claim my innocence, but I had revealed the matter for which I had been scolded. I
panicked and said, "Oh, it was a royal order! I couldn't refuse! I couldn't refuse!" I repeated. It was an act
of providence from the gods.
"We were assisted by Lady Rozemyne, who is fluent in the old language. Please don't scold her."
"Rozemyne can't see anything but books. Only royalty and a few archduke candidates are allowed in that
library. If she goes in there, you can't predict who she will be disrespecting. It's best for her not to go in
there."
I was unable to refute Ferdinand's words as it was true: I did not reply to Prince Siegeswald and had to
be picked up by Prince Anastasius.
"But both Prince Siegeswald and Prince Anastasius can barely read the old language. It can't be helped,
can it? Lady Hannelore and I are supposed to help them read the documents during the spring
Archduke’s Conference."
Ferdinand frowned when I explained that the princes could hardly read the old language.
"You're going to read them..., then it looks like you have a long way to go."
"What do you mean, 'a long way?'"
"You always read starting from the top left corner of the bookshelf, don't you? The temple library, the
library at Karstedt's house, the castle library, my bookshelf, they were all like that. I'm pretty sure the
material on that magic circle was at the bottom, so I'm telling you it's going to take quite a while for you
to get to it."
...... Sure, I read from end to end to look through all the materials, but I can't believe he even grasped my
habits like that!
"At any rate, that library is full of knowledge that is necessary for the next zent. If you can't get the ritual
knowledge from the temple, you can start by reading the materials in the library archives. If you really
think you need it, you can at least learn the old language!"
"The royal family has no time for such things..."
It reminded me of the king who was busy supplying mana and had the same complexion as Ferdinand. It
will certainly be hard to take time for studies.
"Rozemyne, while scrambling to keep the children of the orphanage alive, memorized the words of the
prayers required for the rituals written on wooden tablets in the temple, and learned the old words in a
season or two by devouring the scriptures every day. Even though royalty is busy, they can still learn it if
they come in contact with the old language like Rozemyne, who brings books to her bed until she falls
asleep."
Eglantine looked at me like I was a strange thing. When I was an apprentice blue priestess and had to
learn the words to the prayers, I felt like I was staring at wooden cards every day. It seemed like a long
time ago that I was complaining about the long names of the gods.
"I'll tell you this time, since you really don't seem to have the time or the information, but if you can't
read the material you need for yourself, you won't understand how the information is perverted by
others. Being able to read the old language is an essential skill for a zent. Glutrisheit, said to have been
given to the first zent by Mestionora, is probably older than the scriptures."
Eglantine looked up with a start at Ferdinand's point. His statement was true, if you asked me. Obviously,
Glutrisheit which tells you how to become a king was older than the scriptures.
"The magic circle is to select a candidate for the throne. But you are wrong when you say that Lady
Dietlinde, who was able to make the magic circle appear in the dedication dance, is the closest to
becoming the next zent just because she was able to make the magic circle appear during the votive
dance."
Ferdinand
started
talking about
the magic
circle. I only
knew that the
magic circle
was
something
that appeared
in the
scriptures, so I
listened to his
explanation.
"The ritual of
the votive
dance was to
test whether
or not the
talented
candidates for
royalty and
archduke,
who had
studied at the
Royal
Academy, had
enough mana
to become
zents when
they came of
age."
"It is said that

by offering
prayers to the
gods and 10 Eglantine, Ferdinand, Rozemyne
dedicating
mana while
dancing the
votive dance, a magic circle will come to life. And those who have all the attributes and the right amount
of mana to activate the magic circle are said to be able to create a pillar of light."
"The one who can set up the pillar of light will be able to move on to the next step. If he can't even get it
to work, he's not qualified to be a candidate."
"But neither I, nor Prince Anastasius, were able to activate the magic circle..."
Eglantine looked at Ferdinand anxiously as she said this. If Dietlinde did what no one else in the royal
family could do, then the sovereign temple's statement that Lady Dietlinde is closer to the next zent than
the current royal family, would be correct.
“The most important thing would be to pray to the gods and consecrate the mana in the votive dance.
Lady Dietlinde was dancing to release her mana and make the feystones glow. There was no one else
willing or stupid enough to do such a thing, so the magic circle just didn't come to life."
It was only by chance that Dietlinde was able to make the magic circle glow, according to Ferdinand.
"You should be able to verify this among royalty. Fortunately, the joint research of Ehrenfest and
Dunkelfelger also published a way to increase a person’s mana attributes. Why don't you try activating
the magic circle yourselves, by performing rituals and dedications and redoing the ceremony to obtain
blessings?"
At Ferdinand's words, Eglantine looked at me, muttering, "You offer mana while dancing?"
"Would it be possible to get the help of Lord Ferdinand and Lady Rozemyne, who know a lot about
rituals? Didn't Rozemyne also try to perform the blessing at the Royal Academy?"
Ferdinand declined Eglantine's request, saying, "There is no need to doubt it further."
"Rozemyne, accustomed to praying and rich in mana, will be able to bring the magic circle to life more
easily than Lady Dietlinde. However, that is not enough to determine the next zent. She is only a
candidate for the position of zent. What matters is what comes after that..."
Ferdinand's words made Eglantine ask, "And then what?" she whispered quietly. But instead of
answering, Ferdinand continued to talk about the case where I made the magic circle light up.
"Even if Rozemyne is elevated as the next zent, you know that Ehrenfest is unqualified in terms of
supporting the zent. Also, if the votive dance were to be verified on a large scale, and candidates for the
position of zent emerged one after another from the candidates of the various lords, it would only cause
mayhem. The verification of the votive dance should only be undertaken by the royal family."
Looking at Ferdinand, who firmly refused, Eglantine's gaze swung around a little as if searching for
words. And then she opened her mouth a little hesitantly.
"What do you think about the claims of some people that Ferdinand is looking for Glutrisheit through
Rozemyne and Dietlinde, and that he is trying to take zent's place?"
"I'm sure that's what the sovereign knights Commander would say, “we moved him to Ahrensbach
because he was suspicious, and now Lady Dietlinde brought up a strange magic circle'."
Ferdinand gave her a nonchalant look. I was very annoyed when I say his façade. They made him put up
with a lot to get to Ahrensbach, and now they wee questioning his loyalty again?! It was hard not to get
angry.
"Apparently some people around zent say some pretty ridiculous things. I thought that Ferdinand went
to Ahrensbach because he was ordered there by the king, even though he had already refused Aube
Ahrensbach's offer."
When I expressed my frank opinion, Eglantine rounded her eyes, as if I had been too frank. I'm glad I
held back from saying, "You conveniently forgot a lot of things".
"Rozemyne, I told you to keep your mouth shut." Ferdinand glared at me with a stern look in his eyes.
But I was not going to remain silent.
"The royal family will never understand our situation or thoughts if we remain silent. It's better to tell
them everything than to keep a cool face and let resentment and hatred build up on its own. Wasn't it
Ferdinand who taught me to reveal all the details in order to have a proper discussion?"
I glared back at him, but Ferdinand still tried to stop me, saying, "That's true, but it's not respectful to
royalty."
"Wasn't the reason for Ferdinand accepting the royal order, knowing that he would break the last
promise he made to his father, to clear the royal’s mind of such allegations? Nevertheless, if his loyalty is
questioned by the royal family and those around them, for what purpose did he accept the royal
decree?"
As if at a loss for an answer, Ferdinand shut his mouth once and said, "Rozemyne, stop. Don't worry
about me," he said, trying to stop me.
"I'm telling you this because it's not good. There is no way they will consider our situation without telling
them about it. It's important to tell each other what you want without involving other people. Isn't that
right, Lady Eglantine?"
At my prompt, Eglantine nodded her head and smiled, "Yes, it is very important."
"If you have a problem with Lord Ferdinand, please let me know. There may be a way that I can help."
"I don't know what evidence the royal family and the Knight Commander suspect, but all Ferdinand is
interested in is research, and what he wants is research time and his own workshop. There is no point in
doubting him. He even said that if he could, he would like to spend all his time in his own workshop
studying."
He's happiest when he's holed up in his workshop in the temple, I insisted, and Eglantine giggled.
"Lord Ferdinand, is it true what Lady Rozemyne says?" Ferdinand, who was staring at Eglantine, pinched
my cheek and said, "You talk too much," and then let out a sigh of resignation.
"It's up to the royals to decide whether or not to believe me, but I have no intention of becoming a
zent."
Even if Eglantine believed in him, I don't know if everyone else would. But it will make a big difference if
there is someone in the royal family who would understand him, even if only a little.
"Lord Ferdinand, who is well versed in various rituals, did you not think to challenge yourself to get your
hands on Glutrisheit?"
Ferdinand smiled wryly at Eglantine's question with a serious look in his eyes.
"I never intended to take the Glutrisheit in hand. I have no intention of living as a zent who had to
devote himself entirely to Jürgenschmidt."
"I see. I see what you mean. If you were to become a zent, you'd be so busy with your duties that you'd
have less time for research, wouldn't you?"
For me, it would be like having less time to read. When I fully agreed with Ferdinand's opinion, for some
reason he gave me a very disdainful look and said, "Not like you."
"What? Is there any other reason besides less research time?"
"Yes, but it doesn't matter anymore."
cryptic
...... If it doesn't matter anymore, that means it's not a great reason, right?
We have a discussion with Eglantine during the graduation ceremony.
Ferdinand has a headache when exposed by Rozemyne.
But it seems to have gotten through to Eglantine.
eekNotes: it’s a good thing Rozemyne spoke up because I was getting pissed with Eglantine and by
extension, the royal family. Is the only thing the royals can do is pass the buck to someone else? Granted
King Trauqual was raised as a vassal and not zent, nonetheless…huff, huff
Next, I will lend and borrow books with Hannelore and return to Ehrenfest.
17. Lending and Borrowing Books and a Source of Heart
"Also, I had a little consultation with Aub Klassenberg who told me that he had been turned down for a
collaboration to hold a dedication ceremony next year..." Eglantine said.
"Yes. The burden to Ehrenfest is too severe."
"I mentioned that this year, I hurriedly completed the dedication ceremony at Ehrenfest so I can bring in
the sacred tools, while the high priest, who is in charge of the ceremony, was only allowed to come and
go on the day of the ceremony, which was extremely burdensome. On top of that, I was also asked to
prepare a potion to restore mana for all participants. It is highly unlikely that I will return for the
dedication ceremony next year.”
"What will Klassenberg do for us with this collaboration?" I asked.
"That's what Aub wanted to discuss," she replied. "Isn't that where negotiations begin?"
He was bewildered to be cut off before he could negotiate.
"But we can't order temples in other duchies to lend out their sacred objects for a dedication ceremony
at the Royal Academy. It will affect their harvest for the next year. Also, as I already explained at the
dedication ceremony, the mana restorative potion is not my recipe."
At my words, Eglantine turned her attention to Ferdinand. She had already figured out whose recipe it is.
But Ferdinand silenced Eglantine's gaze.
Next year, Ferdinand would have completed the star-knotting ceremony which meant becoming a
citizen of Ahrensbach. He would no longer be connected to the collaboration between Klassenberg and
Ehrenfest. There was no point in cooperating.
And he thought it would be better to keep the recipe as a trump card in case something went wrong
than to make it public in collaboration with Klassenberg. He needed more than one trump card to clean
up Dietlinde's mess and to avoid being in a collective punishment.
"Of course, I agree with Klassenberg's desire to provide the royal family with as much mana as possible.
However, if you plan to make this an annual event, at the very least, you should have the sovereign
temple lend you equipment and priests, you should have enough of Klassenberg's recipes to prepare
magic recovery potions for the participants, and you should participate in the rituals as the head of the
temple from Ehrenfest. Otherwise, I think it will be difficult to hold the dedication ceremony at the Royal
Academy."
I thought I did a good job of covering up the fact that I didn't want to take up too much of my precious
reading time with preparation and cleanup. Just when I thought I had done well, Ferdinand looked at me
with the eyes of a naughty boy about to go on a tantrum and tapped me lightly on the temple.
...... Hmm? I'm not sure what I did wrong.
"I understand what you are saying, Rozemyne. There are many things which are difficult to do once, let
alone for a long period of time. I will tell what you said today to the royal family and to Aub
Klassenberg."
The meeting with Eglantine was cut short well before the end of the graduation ceremony. Although
Prince Anastasius asked her to call and talk to me, it was Eglantine's decision to call Ferdinand as well. It
was urgent and necessary, and Prince Anastasius understood, but I could tell in a roundabout way that it
was going to be a little troublesome because of his jealousy.
...... As usual, Prince Anastasius acts like Ewigeliebe.
After greeting Anastasius, Ferdinand and I left the detached palace quickly. We walked side by side, but
without magic device to prevent eavesdropping, and with our respective retainers, It was impossible to
have an in-depth conversation with Ferdinand. The topic of conversation was limited to joint research,
not the magic circle of the votive dance.
"Are you sure you're not an idiot? Why didn't you just say you'd discuss it with Aub and be done with
it?"
"He said that joint research is the domain of the students, so there is no need for consultation."
When I explained what Sylvester had told me, Ferdinand wrinkled his brow, "Normally, yes."
"In your case, it's not a collaboration between students, it's a research project that involves not only each
other's aubs but also the royal family. Besides, with conditions like that, it will become a regular event.
What are you going to do after you graduate?"
"Melchior is going to be the head of the temple, so I think it will be fine if we educate him."
After Melchior, there was still another baby on the way, I muttered to myself. By the time that baby
entered the Royal Academy, Wilfried's child would probably be born. I was planning to have one of
Melchior's retainers be the chief priest, like Hartmut, so I thought it would be possible to continue even
if it became a regular event.
...... does that mean I'm going to have Brother Wilfried's child? Hmm, what will it be like?
Love, marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth are uncharted territory that I have not experienced even in my
previous life as Urano. I couldn't really imagine what it would be like. plus, Urano died at 20 so even though
she’s book smart, she’s very young and inexperienced
There was not much distance between the door leading to Anastasius' detached palace and Ehrenfest's
door. It was a distance that could be reached quickly after a short conversation.
"Then, Lord Ferdinand, take good care of yourself as you go about your duties."
"You don't have to keep saying that. You're the one who needs to take care of yourself. Just because
you're feeling a little stronger doesn't mean you should let your guard down."
"Yes. Will the next time we see Lord Ferdinand be in the Spring Star Knot?"
"Well, let's see what happens..." Without giving me the word that we can meet, Ferdinand muttered as
he thought for a bit.
"There is a possibility that The sovereign temple may come up with something troublesome. I sincerely
hope you don't try to get us into trouble, but I'm afraid no amount of words will do you any good."
"Ugh... I'm trying as hard as I can to avoid this."
I never wanted to get involved in troublesome matters, but I just found myself in the middle of them..
However, Ferdinand didn't seem to understand, as he looked down at me coldly and said, "It looks like
you're doing everything you can to get yourself into trou t looks like you're doing everything you can to
get involved."
"There's often a difference between subjective and objective perceptions."
"Well, yes. You need to learn to look at yourself objectively."
While we were talking, Rihyarda opened the door to the dormitory. I stepped out to enter the dormitory,
while Ferdinand walked straight past the door and headed for the door of the sixth-ranked Ahrensbach.
It felt strange that we entered different doors even though we were wearing the same-colored cloaks.
"Phew, we managed to finish it. Guarding royals in the detached palace was so nerve-wracking that my
shoulders are stiff with tension. I'm glad that Lord Ferdinand was there."
As soon as we returned to the dormitory, my father, Karstedt said this and began to rotate his neck and
shoulders. It must have been quite tiring to stand still without knowing what I was going to say or do in
the space separated by the anti-eavesdropping magical devices.
"I thank you ever so much for taking the trouble to escort me, Father. How is Ehrenfest?"
“It would be better to talk about it when we get back to Ehrenfest. We are not supposed to bring this
matter to the Royal Academy."
After saying that with a troubled expression, he patted my head hesitantly.
"Is something wrong, Father?"
“No, you were the best for three years in a row, weren't you? I was very proud of you. I can't just talk to
you when I'm on guard duty."
He said he would not have a chance to praise me when he returned to Ehrenfest, so he wanted to praise
me while he could.
"I feel like this is the first time my father has ever praised me like this."
"Was it? ......but my father was quite excited this year, too. You have to be careful not to get thrown
around or crushed in his hug."
I was glad to hear my grandfather's sentiments, but we must be vigilant because if he got out of control,
he could really endanger my life. I hoped we could at least walk hand in hand again this year, but I
doubted it would go well.
Until everyone returned from the graduation ceremony, I sat in a chair near the fireplace of the
multipurpose hall and read the second volume of The Tale of Ernestine so that my father could watch
over me. Being able to relax and read, I realized that I hadn't had time to read at a leisurely pace lately. I
had been that busy.
"Rozemyne, are you back?"
As soon as Wilfried came back, he ran into the multi-purpose hall in a panic. The other students were
with him, but the graduates were not. They were having a dinner party to celebrate their graduation.
"What can I do for you, Brother Wilfried?"
"Lady Hannelore has asked me to come to the tearoom with a book from Dunkelfelger and pictures
from Lästilaut. She wants to give them to you before you return. She also asked if she could borrow
some new books, but when would that be okay?"
I had already checked the second volume of The Tales of Fernestine, so there should be no problem in
lending them to him. I had been looking forward to the mythical tales I could borrow from Dunkelfelger
more than anything else.
I think the sooner the better, but it can't be tomorrow, can it? Shall we do it the day after tomorrow? I'll
send your approval via ordonnanz.
"Yes, it's up to you."
I asked Brünnhilde to coordinate with Dunkelfelger and gave Muriela permission to read the second
volume of the Tale of Fernestine. After the Interduchy Tournament and the graduation ceremony,
everyone appeared at ease and relaxed. The busy atmosphere of the preparations was gone, and there
was an air of "the year is over".
"Aub has asked that the archduke candidates gather in the meeting room with one of their attendants."
With the help of Sylvester's attendant, I headed to the conference room with Rihyarda. The meeting
room was guarded by the Knights Order, and our guard knights were forbidden to enter. He would
probably ask me questions about what I had discussed with Eglantine.
My foster mother was sick and was resting in her room, so I couldn't see her. When Wilfried, Charlotte
and I were all together, Sylvester spoke.
"First of all, I'd like to report on the graduation ceremony to Rozemyne, who was unable to attend."
"Yes."
"There was a great commotion when the Sovereign Temple Bishop said that the magic circle that floated
in the dedication dance was for choosing the next zent."
Even though the temple bishop had read the magic circle in the archives, he had no information about
where it actually was or what kind of rituals it was used for, so the people in the sovereign temple were
very impressed that it really existed.
However, the nobles, who were told that Dietlinde was the closest to the next zent after her various
abominations at the dedication dance, were all skeptical. The temple's words were never really trusted or
valued, so it was inevitable.
"’The time will come when Mestionora will give Glutrisheit to the rightful zent,' the bishop said.
Rozemyne, what did Ferdinand say about that magic circle?"
My adoptive father also asked me what Ferdinand said, saying in a dumbfounded tone, "How can that
girl be the next zent?"
"Ferdinand said that the magic circle was a method to select a candidate for the next zent, and that Lady
Dietlinde, who could not even activate the magic circle, was not qualified to be a candidate."
"I see. I'm a little relieved, but I'm not sure if that's really the thing that will elect the new zent."
After that, I explained what I had talked to Eglantine about. I also told him that Ferdinand's loyalty was
once again questioned, and that somehow Ferdinand had chastised me for clearing up the
misunderstanding.
"I see you've reached a point of understanding with the royals… That was helpful."
"Also, I was told about the collaboration with Klassenberg. I replied that it would be fine if they would
make all the arrangements and I would just participate as Ehrenfest's Temple Bishop."
I added that I had been warned about negotiating with them properly. My foster father looked very
distressed and nodded, "That's valuable advice."
The next day, Sylvester quickly returned to Ehrenfest with Florencia, who was still not feeling too well. I
spent the rest of the day with Philine and the others, sorting through the information and manuscripts
we had received from the other students, checking on the money we had paid, and reading.
"Now, I will go to the ceremony to obtain divine protection."
The graduates of the duchies that participated in the dedication ceremony could redo the ceremony, so
they went out to the auditorium together.
Many of the newly blessed were apprentice knights who had practiced the divine protection ritual many
times. Leonore and Alexis received the blessings of Angriff, the god of valor, and Stiefelleise, the
goddess of wind.
"I, too, have received a new blessing from Heilschmerz."
The one who reported this to me was Lieseleta. I heard that when apprentice knights in training saw me
healing everyone, they wanted to receive the same divine protection, too, and they were constantly
calling on me to help them. This may be the reason why Lieseleta was so popular with the apprentice
knights.
...... No, that was not all. She had a beautiful face, she was attentive to details, and she was good at
embroidery and sewing. Her feminine power is high!
For a brief moment, I thought that I should learn a little more from Lieseleta. But I could not afford to cut
back on my reading time. Of course, reading time was more important than feminine power.
The next day was the day I was to exchange books with Hannelore. I was waiting in the parlor with the
second volumes of The Tale of Fernestine ready when I heard the bell ring and Hannelore came in.
"I thank you ever so much for taking the time to see me when you are busy preparing for your return. I
was really curious about the second volume of the Tale of Ernestine."
"I was also curious about Dunkelfelger's book, so I’m glad to talk to you, Lady Hannelore."
Hannelore arrived at the appointed time, and while we were greeting each other, the apprentice scholars
came in one after another with their books and pictures. There were two thick books by Dunkelfelger,
and a lot of paintings by Lästilaut.
"Oh, two books?"
"Rozemyne lent me a lot of books, and I wanted to apologize to her, even if only a little. I got permission
from my mother. Both books are about myths."
...... Archduchess, what a nice person!
When the apprentice scholars had finished borrowing and lending books, I offered Hannelore a seat. I
took a bite of the yogurt mousse tart and showed it to her, then drank some tea to start the tea party.
"This is a painting that my brother did at the Royal Academy. This one is for you to do with as you please
at Ehrenfest.”
I flipped through the illustrations that had been handed to me by the apprentice scholars. There were so
many illustrations for Ditter's Tale that it was hard to choose. I hoped that Wilfried, a fan of Lästilaut's
illustrations, and Roederich, the author, would choose the best.
"These are really wonderful pictures."
As I said this and pored over the illustrations for Ditter's Tale, I somehow ended up looking at a picture
of my dedication dance. There were many drawings not only on parchment, but also on plant paper. If
you roll up the paper, it looks like it is spinning around. It looks like it could be an animated.
"This one is colored."
When I unfolded a large sheet of paper that had been rolled up, I found that it was also a picture of a
dedication dance. The arms were raised and the sleeves moved softly to match, the skirt swelled with air
as it spun, the hair tinted like the night sky fluttered, and the feystones glowed intricately with light. I
knew without a doubt that this was my painting, but it was so different from the other paintings that I
wanted to say, "Who is this?" The people in my retainer opened their eyes wide when they saw the
unfolded portrait and they were a little startled.
"......, Lady Hannelore. This is a picture from the dedication dance practice, isn't it? Was this how it
looked to Lord Lästilaut's eyes?"
I asked Hannelore fearfully. It would be more appropriate to say that the feystone glowed or was just
unusual and that the model was a different person.
“The dance with the feystone glowing was so beautiful that my brother wanted to paint it right away. It
was a pity that I missed it because I was concentrating on my practice.”
After we left, people around us were talking about how wonderfully colorful and tense the dance was,
but Hannelore was having a hard time following the conversation.
I said to Hannelore, "I see," and quickly rolled up the painting. I couldn't believe it was mine and a little
embarrassed to think that it was drawn by Lästilaut. my ship that never sailed…make it 2nd after Lutz
...... I feel like for some reason, this should be sealed.
"Are votive dances possibly Lord Lästilaut's favorite subject?"
"Yes, I believe that is true. My brother once painted a picture of Lady Eglantine dancing, so votive dances
may be a favorite subject of his."
I was somewhat relieved by Hannelore's answer. If my painting was this beautiful, then the painting of
Eglantine as a model must have been much more beautiful.
"I would like to see a picture of Eglantine's dedication dance. Please tell Lord Lästilaut that I am grateful
to him for drawing such a beautiful picture."
Hannelore replied to my words with a smile, "Yes, certainly."
"Speaking of the dedication dance, this year's dedication dance was very difficult. The goddess of light
lost consciousness, and the god of darkness, Lästilaut, must have been surprised. "Yes, he was surprised.
He didn't think that Lady Dietlinde was falling towards him." said Hannelore.
Lästilaut was very confused as to how to deal with an adult woman whose hair had been undone. The
only time an adult woman wore her hair down was in the privacy of her boudoir. The only people who
could see her with her hair down should be her husband and attendants. And yet, Dietlinde's hair came
undone in public and she collapsed into unconsciousness.
"Does Lady Rozemyne know about the magic circle that floated on the stage at that time? The head of
the sovereign temple said that it would elect the next zent..."
"It seems that there are detailed documents in that hidden archives. If you want to know more about it,
you can check it out at the Archduke’s Conference. The royals will also need those documents."
I didn't say anything about asking Ferdinand or being questioned by the royal family, but I did say that
we could look into it. Hannelore nodded, "It's going to be a very busy time for the Archduke’s
Conference."
"It might just be, Lady Hannelore. How are Dunkelfelger knights and Lästilaut doing? I was worried about
them because it sounded like they were being blamed a lot for capitulating during the Interduchy
Tournament."
"They are well. My brother is very depressed because a lot of his paintings were confiscated, and the
knights who were warned by Mother are very quiet, so it's easier for me to spend time here than usual."
Hannelore said with a wry smile. I'm sure she's overreacting in some ways, but that's fine as long as
Hannelore isn't having a hard time.
"Right now, I'm looking forward to reading the second volume of the Tale of Fernestine when we get
back to the estate."
Will we see a happy ending this time? The smile on Hannelore's face hurt my heart.
...... I'm sorry, Lady Hannelore. That book is actually "continued in the next volume" when Fernestine is torn
apart from the prince and forced to marry another man by royal decree!
But I wouldn't spoil it for her. I hoped she would enjoy it as much as I did the first volume.
"I enjoyed the love story in the Royal Academy, so I'm looking forward to the continuation of the
Fernestine story. Speaking of which, what kind of gentlemen are you attracted to, Lady Rozemyne? I've
heard before that Lady Charlotte finds it attractive to have a man with an indomitable spirit who
challenges her on many occasions, but I've yet to hear about Lady Rozemyne's preferred man."
...... I haven't heard this kind of topic since my time as Urano. It's a bit nostalgic.
If I were to answer honestly that I am not interested in men, I would forfeit the right to complain about
being ostracized by the female society . In this kind of conversation, empathy and a sense of shared
secrets are important.
"Rozemyne said that Wilfried was chosen by his parents as his betrothed. Is there someone you have
your heart set on, or an ideal gentleman?"
I was a girl who made up imaginary crushes on people in order to facilitate friendships, even when I was
Urano. This kind of topic no trouble to me.
This is the time for the delusional unrequited love partner to come into play, as it played a big role in the
times when I was wrongly inferred to be dating my neighbor Shu-chan, or when Shu-chan's girlfriend
looked at me strangely and interrogated me.
In this kind of situation, it was better for those present to use a stranger as a model. If you used a well-
known person as a model, you might be misunderstood, and strange rumors might be spread. If it was a
completely imaginary partner, I'd be in trouble myself when people said, "Which one?" Finally, the
perfect touch was for me to add, "He doesn't take me seriously at all."
........ Now, who shall it be?
It should be someone I don't know very well, including the retainers who are here listening in. No one
involved in the Royal Academy.
...... Hmmm, I guess I could mix Lutz and Fran together at random, excluding anyone I know from the
nobility?
"The man I have chosen as my fiancé is Brother Wilfried but there are others I care about as well. It's a
secret between us, Lady Hannelore."
When I lowered my voice, Hannelore's eyes widened slightly.
"Yes, you are here?"
"You have?"
"Indeed. There is a person who has supported me and walked with me since before my childhood
baptism. Whenever I was depressed or felt like I was falling apart, he was always there to help me.
Although we don't see each other easily anymore, the promise I made to him is still the only thing that
keeps me going. This is a secret between us, okay?" Lutz - so nostalgic... my first ship that almost sailed but
sunk...
At my confession, Hannelore nodded her head several times.
"What kind of gentleman do you prefer, Lady Hannelore?"
"Oh, you mean me? Well, ....... I think I prefer the opposite of my brother. My brother doesn't really
listen to my opinions."
Hannelore looked around a bit as she said this and then said, "It's a secret from my brother, okay? She
put her index finger to her lips. The surrounding retainer looked at her amusedly and I could understand
why.
And so, using my experience as a Urano, I was able to successfully complete the female socialization of
sharing secrets and was able to borrow two of Dunkelfeger's books.
...... Wasn’t today a perfect day?
After the socializing at the Royal Academy, I returned to Ehrenfest.
This is the end of the third year of the Royal Academy. It was longer than I expected.
Next, everyday life at Ehrenfest, which has been purged, begins. (next volume actually)
eekNotes: I would be mortified if my mom gave my personal artworks to the subject of my artwork esp. if I painted
them without permission (I think, the Dunkelfelger archduchess was quite aware of this and intentionally gave the
artworks to Rozemyne for that purpose). She’s some scary mom!
And I’m sure Hannelore thought the person Rozemyne was describing was Ferdinand since who would think a
commoner would support and prop up an archduke candidate, right? Plus apart from her promise (that’s really for
Lutz, the description is practically the same).
translation notes: star-knot and star-bind are the same. I’m too lazy to go back and switch to ‘bind’ by now. Ditto
with Lästilaut, Jürgenschmidt, etc.
21. Quiet story Dietlinde's Attendant
eekNotes: This will serve as the Epilogue of Part 5-3 Vol 24. The POV in the light novel will not be
Martina’s but Dietlinde herself. I want to get hold of it so badly so I can translate it
My name is Martina. I'm a fifth-year student at the Royal Academy and an apprentice in Lady Dietlinde's
retainer. I was baptized after the second wife was executed and after her son, Blasius, was demoted from
archduke candidate to an archnoble, which also resulted in the third wife, Georgine, absorbing the
second wife's faction and beginning to rise in power.
She married her daughter, Alstede, to Blasius after he was demoted to an archnoble, and proposed that
the child born between them be adopted into the archducal family, thus capturing the faction of the
second wife. At that time, the leading candidate for the next Aub was the only remaining male archduke
candidate, Lord Georgine's son, Lord Wolfram.
With Lord Wolfram at the center, Lady Georgine began to organize the forces that opposed the
Archduchess. Since my mother was from the Frenbeltag, it was easier for me to belong to Georgine's
faction than to the Archduchess's faction. It was also due to the fact that my sister Aurelia, who was
supposed to have joined the faction before her, did not give me much useful information, my father
asked me to join Georgine's faction.
...... Because she was not good at interacting with others and getting information, she chose to become a
knight.
Although my sister has a tough face and good eyesight, and at first glance she looks like she would
make a good knight, her personality is withdrawn and timid. She kept her distance and often looked as if
she was staring from afar, and she had always been told by Father that she was not pretty enough. no
wonder she ended up wearing a veil
Even though she was an archnoble, she faced a lot of criticism because of Mother's background coming
from Frenbeltag, but she was even more disadvantaged by her appearance and personality. I tried my
best to act cheerfully so that I won't end up like her.
I guess it was worth the effort. Lady Georgine said, "An honest and hardworking girl is cute. You should
become one of our attendants," and took me as one of Lady Dietlinde's attendants.
I was actually thinking of becoming a scholar so that I could be a part of Lord Wolfram's retainers, the
next candidate for aub, but I was not stupid to say that, even as a child. I accepted Lady Georgine's offer
with a smile and became an apprentice in Lady Dietlinde's retinue.
However, since becoming a member of Lady Dietlinde's attendant, the flow of information regarding
Lady Georgine to my father had been kept to a minimum. I think it's admirable that Georgine has been
able to prevent information from leaking out and prevent people from complaining while appearing to
those around her to be a part of the Archduke candidate's inner circle, but my father still sometimes
makes a regretful face and whispers behind my back, "You are the Kamevarain of Ehrenfest."❓not sure who
this is – all MTLs translate a variation of ths name
And just as everyone was beginning to think that Ahrensbach would continue to progress with Georgine
and Wolfram at the center, Wolfram, who was the only male in the family and was the next aub, died in
an unexpected accident, leaving Dietlinde as the only archduke candidate left in Ahrensbach.
Not surprisingly, there was a great commotion in Ahrensbach. It was not possible to return Lady Alstede,
who had married into an archnoble family, to the family of the archduke. Rather than make Lady
Dietlinde the next Aub, the Archduchess decided to adopt her own granddaughter, and welcomed Lady
Letizia from Drewanchel.
Thus, it seemed that the power that had almost fallen to Lady Georgine returned to the Archduchess.
However, the Archduchess's health began to deteriorate rapidly around the time of the arrival of Lady
Letizia, and she died. sus - ditto, the aub’s death
By the will of Lady Georgine, who became the archduchess, my sister Aurelia was married off to
Ehrenfest. The marriage of Aurelia and Bettina was known in Ahrensbach as a beautiful story of how Lady
Georgine saved two pairs of lovers who were about to be separated by inter-duchy disputes.
In truth, she was dispatched to get information about Ehrenfest, but my sister never sent me even a
single piece of information, nor did she establish any relationships with Ehrenfest’s nobles that Lady
Georgine told her about. On top of that, she appears to be held captive in Ehrenfest.
She even refused to meet with me, but I can't determine if that was because of my sister's intentions or
the intentions of the Knight Commander and Aub. You can send a letter to her, but she only sends a
generic letter saying that she has been treated well by everyone.
...... What is she thinking? She is as useless as ever, no matter where she is.
In the Royal Academy, I spend a lot of time with Lady Dietlinde, so it's hard for me to gather information
about other territories. That's why I was hoping to get information about Ehrenfest from my sister, but
she hasn't given me any.
We have a lot of work to do in order to prevent Lady Dietlinde from showing her hysterical disgraceful
behavior, because our mission is to make her graduate from the Royal Academy with as few problems as
possible, while appearing to support her as our lady. good luck with that
....... Lady Dietlinde must have grown up watching Lady Georgine, so how can she live her life without
thinking about anything?
I really can't help but be baffled. In a way, I suppose it's a blessing to be as dense as her.
In any case, no matter how careful we are, Lady Dietlinde persists. Every year, she always manages to do
something superfluous. What is particularly annoying is that she makes a series of gaffes at social
gatherings, such as tea parties, where her attendants are unable to control her immediately.
This year, she did it again at the very end of her academic year. In the middle of the dedication dance,
she lost consciousness and collapsed, which is an unprecedented disgrace. No one was able to open
their mouths at the lunch table as Dietlinde had made a terrible blunder, and there was a heavy silence
at the lunch table. It was bleak sight to see the ordonnanz flying in from royalty at a time when we were
supposed to get ready to leave for the afternoon graduation ceremony. Her fiancé, Ferdinand, was called
over to inquire about Lady Dietlinde's condition, but it was clear to everyone that this was a reprimand.
However, things changed again during the graduation ceremony in the afternoon. The bishop of the
sovereign temple said that the magic circle that floated in the dedication dance was used to choose the
next zent and that Lady Dietlinde was the closest to being the next one.
After this, the topic of the graduation ceremony in Ahrensbach became exclusively about the magic
circle that appeared in the dedication dance and the next zent. It was easier for the nobles of the duchy
to accept an archduke candidate for the next zent who had activated a magic circle that even royalty
could not, than accept the only archduke candidate who committed the irreparable disgrace at the
dedication ceremony.
According to Ferdinand, who had spoken with the royal family, "It is difficult to say if she is a candidate
for the next zent since so far she has not been able to fully activate it. However, such things are not
important. What is important is avoiding the reprimand from the royal family and that Lady Dietlinde's
blunder was covered up, even if only a little.
It was two days after the dedication dance that Lady Dietlinde, who had been depleted of her mana,
awoke. As soon as she woke up, Dietlinde became angry, saying that Rozemyne had tricked her and
humiliated her at the important dedication dance. But her mood lifted when we, her attendants,
informed her the announcement from the bishop of the Central Temple including, "you are the closest
to become the next zent," and "as expected of Lady Dietlinde," and other false flatteries. The last thing
we want is for her to cause any more problems at the Royal Academy where the graduation ceremony
was already over, so her simple personality was very helpful. The attendants at Lady Dietlinde's looked at
each other and patted our chests.
...... If the Lady Dietlinde, the master of the house, causes problems, it will affect the reputation of the
attendants.
The most important task for those of us who were at the age when we needed to find marriage partners
was to make sure that Dietlinde graduated. Dietlinde was quick to lose her temper and get angry, so it
was very difficult to keep her from showing her ugliness to the people around her.
After this, when she returns to Ahrensbach, we will be able to conceal the problem in any way, and it will
be the role of her fiancé, Ferdinand, to monitor and assist her.
...... That would be really helpful.
When we returned from the Royal Academy, Lady Dietlinde, who had become the next candidate for
the throne, called us to Lady Georgine’s villa to discuss future activities. It seems that while we were at
the Royal Academy, Lady Georgine completed her move to her own palace.
Although the former Aub passed away at the end of autumn, Lady Dietlinde, who was at the Royal
Academy, had not yet dyed the foundation and had not yet officially become aub. Therefore, her room
has not yet been moved to the main building but is in a separate room given to the archduke
candidates. There are no members of the archducal family in the main building at the moment.
"You ladies should leave."
The retinue was ordered to step back from the meeting between Lady Georgine and Lady Dietlinde.
Leaving the two of them behind, we walked out of the room and proceeded to the waiting room. On the
way, we passed several nobles.
"They didn't look very familiar to me. Are they the new retainers of Lady Georgine?"
"There was a gentleman who wore a prosthetic magic device on his left hand . I think she may have
taken another from the old Werkestock domain."
"I couldn't see him because of his cloak, but it's unusual for him to have an artificial hand. I wonder if he
was injured so badly that he couldn't be healed in time?"
“Among the knights whose job it is to fight, I know a few who use artificial hands and feet, but the one I
just passed seemed to be a scholar . Some of the old Werkestock must have been in fierce battles.”
"I don't think we need to go to the trouble of calling up those who need prosthetic hands..."
"Are you dissatisfied with Lady Georgine's conduct?"
"No, not at all. I just feel depressed thinking about what will happen next. I only want to think about
something else."
Everyone looked at each other and laughed at each other. Various information was tightly regulated to
prevent Lady Dietlinde from causing any problems at the Royal Academy, but the circumstances that had
been kept under wraps must have f been conveyed to her by Lady Georgine.
Dietlinde must be in a very bad mood when she found out that she is an interim aub, and that she will
adopt Letizia as her daughter after she completes the star-knotting ceremony with Ferdinand by royal
decree. Since she will most likely take it out on her attendants, we are inevitably in a depressed mood.
"Speaking of which, even though Lady Dietlinde is happy to be the next zent, will she really be able to
honestly serve as the interim Aub?"
"Ahrensbach would be in trouble without the next Aub, no matter who it is, and we don't have
Glutrisheit on hand. It is unlikely that Lady Dietlinde will be the next zent."
No one really believes that Lady Dietlinde can become the next zent, just because she is highly
impressionable and is just being lifted up. In fact, everyone is more worried about the future of
Ahrensbach, where they live.
"The only two archduke candidates in Ahrensbach right now are Lady Dietlinde and Lady Letizia, and
that is troubling."
"When Lady Dietlinde and Ferdinand get married, will they take Benedicta as their daughter? That way,
you will have more candidates for the position of the archduke."
Benedicta is the daughter of former archduke candidate Brazius and Georgine's eldest daughter Alstede.
Since she is the child of two former archduke candidates, there should be no problem at all with the
amount of mana needed to become the next aub. I have heard that there are plans to baptize Benedicta
with Dietlinde and Ferdinand as her parents.
"In order to stabilize this faction, we need an archduke candidate other than Letizia, and Benedicta is
more secure than the future children of Dietlinde and the Ehrenfest-born Ferdinand, whose mother is
not known."
As we were giggling, one of the adult members of the retainer who did not go with us to the Royal
Academy put her hand over her mouth and said, "Oh," and looked over at us.
"Ferdinand is unexpectedly capable," she said. "I have heard from the scholars that he has been able to
clear up a great deal of business."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Of course, competence in office work is not the same as mana."
"The sooner the star-knotting is finished, the sooner the number of people who can supply magic will
increase. Both of giebes apparently are in big trouble."
We continued our idle chatter, but as soon as the bell rang, we got up and headed for Georgine's room.
I was afraid to look inside to see how upset Lady Dietlinde would be after being apprised of the
information that had been withheld from her until now, but there she was, looking satisfied. The two of
them must have had a satisfying conversation, as Lady Georgine was also smiling.
"Well, Mother. I will take my leave now."
"Yes. Take care of yourself."
As soon as we returned to the room, tea was prepared and the retainer was gathered. The retainers
could not move without knowing what kind of talk she had with Lady Georgine and how Lady Dietlinde
was going to act.
"What did you talk about with Lady Georgine, Lady Dietlinde?"
"Did you also discuss the words of the head of the sovereign temple?"
After gently drinking her tea, Lady Dietlinde giggled. Her dark green eyes sparkled with pride as she
looked around at her retainer.
"I'm going to look for Glutrisheit and aim for the next zent. Everyone should help me."
"Did Lady Georgine give you permission?"
Since he said it with full confidence after talking to Lady Georgine, I assume that it was approved. Even
so, I couldn't believe it right away. Looking around at us who wear confused faces, Lady Dietlinde smiled
and nodded.
“Of course, mother supported my decision. She told me that I should strive to get what I wanted. She
told me that even if something seemed unattainable at first glance, it is possible to obtain it if I try
everything.”
The rest of the retainers looked at each other in disbelief, not believing that Lady Georgine would
suggest such a thing.
"But then, who will be the new Aub Ahrensbach? In the current Ahrensbach, there is only one candidate
for the position of Aub, and that is Dietlinde..."
"Yes. So I have been given permission to be the next zent for only one year. If I cannot find Glutrisheit
within that time, I will have to accept the position of next Aub."
Since the death of an Aub is reported at the Archduke’s Conference, it is not uncommon for the magic of
the cornerstone not to be completely dyed depending on the time of death. For this reason, Lady
Dietlinde had told the Royal Academy that Aub's death must never be spoken of. Since the rest of the
realm would never know when Aub died, it would not be too unnatural for Lady Dietlinde to delay her
appointment to Aub by a year.
Perhaps it was Lady Georgine's idea to make Dietlinde give up by putting a deadline of "only for one
year". There was no way that Glutrisheit could be found in just one year after the royal family had
searched for it for so many years. I feel a little calmer now, thinking that I only have to accompany Lady
Dietlinde in her search for Glutrisheit for one year, and then she will be able to take the job of Aub
without any problems!
...... As expected of Lady Georgine. She knew exactly how to control Dietlinde.
However, Lady Dietlinde puts her index finger on her chin and looks up slightly as if she is thinking a
little. When she thinks in this way, she almost always makes suggestions or gives orders that cause
trouble for those around her. It makes the surrounding retainers tense up.
"If possible, I would like to be able to get public opinion on my side to say that we should look for
Glutrisheit and choose a legitimate zent during that one year grace period. Trauqual doesn't have a
Glutrisheit, so if I get one, he will have to give up his position as zent, won't he?"
I do not believe that Lady Dietlinde would think in such a way. It must have been Lady Georgine's advice.
In other words, it seems that Georgine really intends to make Dietlinde the next zent.
I'm not sure what the true intentions are of Lady Georgine, who is encouraging her daughter to become
the next zent instead of admonishing her when Ahrensbach's mana is very low and is in desperate need
of help.
“I understand that Lady Dietlinde is aiming to become the next zent, but what about the mana that
needs to be poured into the foundation of Ahrensbach?”
"I proposed that mother become the Aub for once, and when the one year deadline arrives, if we haven't
found a Glutrisheit, I will dye the cornerstone. But mother refused, saying she didn't want to become the
next Aub Ahrensbach."
"It's a shame," Lady Dietlinde said with a sigh.
But it's not surprising. Perhaps Lady Dietlinde is not aware of it because it was her own mother, but no
aristocrat would approve the idea of Ehrenfest-born Lady Georgine becoming Aub Ahrensbach.
"Since I had no choice, I decided to pour mana from the supply room so that it would not be completely
dyed over. I plan to have Letizia help me with this."
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise at Lady Dietlinde's words.
"But hasn't Lady Letizia been admitted to the Royal Academy yet?"
"Oh? I heard that in Ehrenfest, the archduke candidates who have completed their baptismal ceremony
are forced to practice supplying mana. So, there's no way she can't do it." yup bad rumours about Ehrenfest
She looked at the direction of Letizia's room with a very cold face and when she said this. I felt a shiver
run down my spine as I saw a complete change in her face from the time when she said, "I'm the next
Aub".
"The king and my late father wanted Letizia to be the next Aub. I'm pretty confident she can do that. The
king really wants Letizia to succeed as Aub Ahrensbach, and I'm to be the interim Aub by order of the
king. It's very unpleasant."
...... Oh, so she was also informed that that she will only be an interim aub?
Dietlinde grew up with little regard for her parents, her father preferring her to be Letizia's guardian and
her mother preferring her to be Benedicta's guardian. Whether Dietlinde is worthy of the position or not,
I can understand why she is obsessed with becoming a zent, who is even higher than an Aub.
"Our supply of magic is not enough to support the mana of Ahrensbach, so Ferdinand will perform the
rituals of the temple."
"You're sending Aub's spouse to the temple?"
"Yes, because in Ehrenfest, the rituals were performed in the temple, and Ehrenfest showed the
usefulness of such rituals. Since Lord Ferdinand will not be able to pour his mana into the foundation
magic until the star-knotting is finished, he will have to pour his mana in other areas of Ahrensbach."
Indeed, the usefulness of the ritual was guaranteed by the royal family at the dedication ceremony held
at the Royal Academy this year. There is no nobleman in Ahrensbach who would want to go to the
temple, but Ferdinand, who has been in the temple before, would have no particular aversion to it.
"But are you sure, Lady Dietlinde? You said you didn't want to marry a filthy archduke candidate like the
one from the temple..."
When the engagement with Lord Ferdinand was decided, it was really a rough time. As an archduke
candidate in the temple of a lower-ranking territory, Dietlinde's refusal is also comprehensible. However,
there was no way to escape the royal order.
After actually seeing Ferdinand up close and personal, and hearing the stories from others about his
outstanding performance, she finally became a little more positive about the idea of marriage. The fact
that Ferdinand said that he would do his utmost for Dietlinde may have also encouraged her feelings.
...... Regardless of what's on the inside, if her status and appearance are good, she will be cherished by a
gentlemen. I have learned a lot.
"Oh, if I become the next zent, I can get rid of the current royal order. I will not have to marry Ferdinand,
will I? Ferdinand is not a suitable spouse for a zent. Isn't that what everyone thinks? I'm only staying
engaged for a while because I don't want to have to break off the engagement if I don't find Glutrisheit
to become zent."
Lady Dietlinde laughed. She was a selfish woman who would use him as much as she could and then
break off the engagement when she got what she wanted. But I didn't feel anything in particular because
she was always like this and had absolutely no clue about the future.
In the end, I think she will marry Ferdinand, the man she asked to go to the temple, without finding
Glutrisheit. I am not looking forward to how rough it will be until then.
"I have to get Glutrisheit within a year to break off the engagement, no matter what it takes. Of course,
it's not just for the sake of getting rid of the engagement that I want Glutrisheit. It's not as though I
don't have Ahrensbach on my mind as well."
Lady Dietlinde smiled as she said this.
The first thing we need to do is to return Lord Blasius, who has been reduced to an archnoble by royal
decree, to the archducal family and put my sister or Lord Blazius in the position of Aub.
"If we can do that, then Ahrensbach will be safe."
Certainly, if the former archduke candidates Brazius and Alstede, who were dropped to archnoble, can
become the Ahrensbach archducal couple, the current feeling of anxiety that we have to leave the future
to Lady Dietlinde will disappear.
...... That is, if it is possible.
Emboldened by the words of her retainer, Lady Dietlinde begins to describe what orders she will issue
once she becomes the zent.
"I will give Mother what she wants, and I will look for a suitable son-in-law as the next zent. Even if I
become zent, I do not intend to do a purge like King Trauqual did. I will respect the current royal family
to a certain extent."
Dietlinde laughed, "It would be very fun to take Prince Siegeswald or Prince Anastasius as one of my
grooms and take them away from Lady Adolfine and Lady Eglantine.” It was basically a backhanded
grudge, but it seems that she still holds on to the fact that she was reprimanded and slandered at the
tea party at the Royal Academy.
There is no way that Lady Dietlinde will ever get her hands on Glutrisheit, so it's best to just let her
fantasies run their course.
"Lady Dietlinde easily says that she will take the princes as her husbands, but if she does that, her
reputation will be ruined."
"Yes. Especially since Prince Anastasius and Lady Eglantine abandoned the throne to marry after falling
passionately in love."
Dietlinde's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance at the words of her retainers. Realizing that her mood was
worsening a bit, one of them asked, "Isn't it more likely that Ferdinand will refuse to end the
engagement?" The topic of conversation shifted away from the royalty.
"I'm sure he won't like the idea of returning to his backward duchy's temple after his betrothal to
Dietlinde, the zent, is dissolved."
"There is no problem about that. I'm going to ask Ferdinand to dedicate his name so that he can't go
against what I say."
Everyone's eyes widened in astonishment at how easily she said, "I'm going to ask him to give up his
name," but Dietlinde didn't seem to notice at all and continued her merry way.
"He was a candidate for the position of lord in a temple in a low-ranking duchy like Ehrenfest. If he loves
me, he can at least offer me his name. Besides, after the betrothal is dissolved and he returns to
Ehrenfest, I don't want him to talk about the situation in Ahrensbach, so the name offering is absolutely
necessary. That's what Mother suggested."
...... No matter how much she wants it, I don't think Lord Ferdinand will accept it.
"Martina. I'm going to ask for Ferdinand's name. Set the scene, please."
It is the job of the retainer to accommodate Lady Dietlinde's selfishness. I and another member of her
retainer began to work to make her wishes come true.
"You love me, don't you, Ferdinand? If so, you may offer me your name."
Ferdinand, who had been summoned to the conference room we had set up in the middle of his duties,
looked surprised at Dietlinde's sudden offer. This was natural. There was no way anyone could accept a
sudden request to give up their name.
Although we would not be offered a name, we were watching with interest to see how Ferdinand would
reject Dietlinde's request. It would be better for us, the attendants, if Dietlinde's anger went in several
different directions.
"My name to you, Dietlinde? Do you mean to offer each other our names?"
There is a story about two people who truly love each other who do such a thing, Ferdinand murmured.
Ferdinand
seemed to have
been influenced
by a love story,
but Dietlinde
frowned
uncomfortably
at the mention
of "offering
each other's
names". She is
not influenced
by love stories.
She’s more
selfish and self-
serving.
"No way. Why

would I
dedicate my
name to Lord
Ferdinand? In
fact, I think you
should be the
one to thank
me for saving
you from the
temple of
Ehrenfest."
Ferdinand
slowly shook his
head with a soft
smile on his
face as
Dietlinde said
this with a
11 Dietlinde, Ferdinand
straight face. Epilogue Light Novel only – added to this side story of Martina
"If I could, I
would, but
unfortunately
preemptive strike!
my name is not with me at the moment."
Does this mean that he has already dedicated his name to someone else? The unexpected reply caused
a great commotion in the room.
"Who else have you offered your name to besides me, your fiancée?”
Ferdinand laughed as he looked at Dietlinde who raised her voice hysterically. It was a very cold smile,
and although his expression was smiling, his pale gold eyes did not seem to be smiling at all.
"There were two women who wanted my name to bind me so far. You and Lady Veronica. The two of
you are grandmother and granddaughter, and you really do look a lot alike."
this can’t be the end?! The Light Novel Epilogue will probably have more esp since the POV is
Dietlinde’s and not her attendant’s. At least, I hope so
This is the current situation of Dietlinde as seen by Martina, an apprentice in the attendant.
She has decided to look for Glutrisheit for one year only.
She's fed up with being pushed around as a attendant.
he doesn’t have his name! He turned it into a stone, and we know where it is.
And by the way, Ferdinand was not lying.
END OF PART 5-3 VOL 24 – the next chapters were side stories posted as part of web novel
22. SIDE STORY: Lieseleta’s Perspective Shumil Plush
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7835cj/22/
(Covers chapters 505: About the plushies of shumil that were being made based on Raimund's research and
after Hirschur’s attention.)
My name is Lieseleta. I am in the final year of the Royal Academy as a attendant to Lady Rozemyne.
"How about this one, Rozemyne? I think it turned out lovely."
"Excellent, Lieseleta!"
Rozemyne smiled happily as she lay down on her bed, looking at the stuffed shumil I had made for her.
The smile on her face, which has been few and far between lately, makes me smile, too.
...... After all, Lady Rozemyne has to smile.
It's so cute to see Lady Rozemyne holding a stuffed animal with navy blue fur and golden eyes, and I'm
really glad I made it.
This time, I made a plushie of Shumil with a recording device that Raimund designed in Professor
Hirschur's laboratory. Rozemyne seemed to want it to be Grun, but it is much cuter to hear it from
Shumil than to hear Rozemyne's voice from a Grun. I'm not going to give up on that one.
...... Haha, how cute. I'd like to see Rozemyne holding a stuffed animal like this alongside Schwartz and
Weiss. But was this Shumil to be given to Ferdinand?
When I think of Lord Ferdinand staring at the dark blue shumil with wrinkles between his eyes, I can't
help but laugh a little! Of course, I'm at work, so I try not to burst out laughing.
As her fever has not broken yet, Lady Rozemyne is unable to leave her bed. She reaches for the feystone
on the Shumil's stomach.
"Lord Ferdinand, are you resting properly? Don't work too much."
"No matter how busy you are, you need to eat to keep your strength up! Don't rely too much on your
restorative potions."
After checking that the Shumil had said everything correctly, Rozemyne nodded in satisfaction.
"If she gives it to Ferdinand, he'll probably throw it in a box, so would it be better to give it to Justus to
use when he needs it?" Brünnhilde, who was standing next to me, muttered as she watched Lady
Rozemyne seriously pondering how she could give it to him.
"Lieseleta, don't you think this kind of warning is necessary from Lord Ferdinand to Lady Rozemyne?"
"Shall I ask her to make another one and record it for us?"
Ferdinand is on his way to Ahrensbach, but he will be at the Royal Academy to escort Lady Dietlinde to
the Interduchy Tournament and graduation ceremony. He should be able to record a few words of
advice at that time."
Even in her early days in the Royal Academy, Lord Ferdinand's words helped to change her mood. It
would surely be comforting for Lady Rozemyne to hear the voice of Lord Ferdinand.
...... I suppose that Ferdinand is still the only person who can make Lady Rozemyne feel at ease and
pampered.
I hope that she will eventually learn to be pampered by her fiancé, Wilfried, but when I see Lady
Rozemyne confined to her hidden room, saying "I have to write a letter to Lord Ferdinand" whenever
something happens at the Royal Academy this year, I can't help but think that there is still a long way to
go.
...... By writing her letters, she appears to be clearing her head and venting her emotions.
After Lord Ferdinand left for Ahrensbach, Lady Rozemyne became very good at hiding her emotions.
And she has been hiding in her hidden room more often. Even though she has gotten better at mending
her ways, her temple upbringing and slightly off-beat common sense are still intact, making it difficult to
understand where the discrepancy in perceptions comes from.
...... She has also picked up how to fake a smile from my sister.
I remembered what my mother had said: "Young children are quick to remember the bad things around
them, so be extra careful about what you say and do in front of Lady Rozemyne," and my shoulders
slumped.
...... I am sorry, Mother. Because of my lack of strength, Lady Rozemyne is imitating my sister's bad
behavior.
"Lady Rozemyne." Philine came into the room with some letters.
"Along with the letter from Ehrenfest, a letter from Lady Letizia of Ahrensbach has been forwarded to
you. According to Aub, you should read through it before the Interduchy Tournament."
Brünnhilde and I stepped back a bit and opened a space for Philine to approach the bed. Philine, who
had examined the letter first as an apprentice scholar before handing it over to Lady Rozemyne , gave a
small laugh as she checked the contents.
"This letter seems to be one of the assignments from Lord Ferdinand to Master Letizia and at the same
time, an assignment for Lady Rozemyne as well. It asks you to write a reply in noble language that will
set an example for Lady Letizia."
“O my goodness, Philine! I think my fever is rising."
Lady Rozemyne's face looked very happy, even though she was suddenly faced with a challenge from
Ferdinand. The fact that Ferdinand is not at Ehrenfest has greatly affected her mood.
"In order to answer Ferdinand's question, I will read the letter from Lady Letizia first."
Rozemyne, who had started to read the letter happily, immediately looked at me with difficulty. "What
does this mean? Does it mean that Lady Letizia is happy that Ferdinand has given her an assignment? Is
this a roundabout way of complimenting? No...this one reads like anguish."
Hearing the words of Lady Rozemyne, who was looking over Lady Letizia's letter, Rihyarda left Gratia to
clean up the clothes she was holding and immediately approached the bed.
"Lady Rozemyne, let's decipher it together. If you misread her words, you'll have a hard time replying to
her."
"......, please Rihyarda."
Having grown up in a temple, Lady Rozemyne was not accustomed to the unique language of the
nobility. It's not that she can' t communicate what she wants to say, but her ability to read what the
other person wants to say is somewhat limited.
...... It is the language of the aristocracy that can be interpreted in several ways, but Lady Rozemyne
sometimes reads it in a ridiculous way. If she reads the letter with Rihyarda and Muriela, there should
be no problem. I took a step back as I watched the rest of her retainers begin to look at the letter in
front of Rozemyne's bedchamber.
"Brünnhilde, I'm going to step back a bit and make the next shumil."
"Yes, of course."
I stepped back from Rozemyne and went to the dressing room. As I was taking out my sewing box and
looking for cloth to make a new shumil, Gratia, who had finished putting away Rozemyne's outfit,
approached me with great interest. She asked, "Lieseleta, are you going to make something again?"
Gratia was often teased by the lords of the same faction from the time she was in the former Veronica
faction, and she is a little uncomfortable with Matthias and Laurenz, even though they are also part of
the former Veronica faction and have dedicated their names in the same way. She usually works with
one of the attendants who is of the same gender.
Gratia said that she is not good at socializing with people from the higher realms, but she is a member
of Lady Rozemyne's retainers who are constantly engaged in one royal family after another. I try to
assign as much inward-facing work as possible, but even if she doesn't like it, she still needs to interact
with the outside world, so compared to being in Lady Charlotte's retainers, she is definitely gaining
experience with the higher-ranking domains.
The other day, I said, "It's an odd ditter with Dunkelfelger, where the future of our lady is very much at
stake in a ceremony involving royalty. I'm much more comfortable with a tea party where the higher
realms are the counterpart, as I can follow the familiar procedures".
"I fully agree, I'm also comfortable with a tea party, even if it's held with a higher ranking domain or
royalty."
I hope that Gratia will be strong enough to support Lady Rozemyne after I graduate.
"I'm going to make a new shumil with a recording device in it and have Ferdinand's words of advice for
Rozemyne."
"Advice from Ferdinand? What is the purpose of this?" Gratia asks curiously. Gratia, who only started
working for Rozemyne this year at the Royal Academy, doesn't really know about the relationship
between Rozemyne and Ferdinand.
"For Rozemyne, Ferdinand was the only one who could take care of her like family, so just hearing his
voice would be a comfort."
"You mean Lord Ferdinand?"
I explained to Gratia, who was unaware of the relationship between Rozemyne and Ferdinand, as I
selected the cloth. I wish I could find a light blue fur that reminds me of Ferdinand, but if not, I'll have to
dye it.
...... Perhaps it would be best to dye this white fur.
As Lady Rozemyne has been growing little by little during this winter, we have prepared a lot of cloth in
the wardrobe room this year so that we can do some simple alterations. The other day, I had to fix her
skirt to make it look a little longer by attaching lace to the hem.
"Lady Rozemyne was baptized as the daughter of Lord Karstedt and Lady Elvira, but she is not Elvira's
biological child. I have heard from Cornelius that they only spent one season as brother and sister before
the baptism."
"How can they be half-siblings when they are so close?"
Both Rozemyne and Gratia became half-siblings at their baptism, but Gratia was severely bullied by her
half-brothers. She was surprised to learn that half-siblings who are baptized into the same mother can
still get along.
"Gratia only knows about their relationship in the Royal Academy dormitory, right? In the dormitory, the
two of them interacted with each other like siblings, but normally, they keep their roles as lord and
guard knight, so there is a distance between them."
Picking up the white fur, I check to see if it's big enough to make a stuffed animal of Shumil.
"Lady Rozemyne and Lady Elvira get along well, but to me, they have the impression of a boss and a
subordinate, a teacher and a student, teaching socializing and how to behave in aristocratic society. I can
tell that Lady Rozemyne is trying her best to be a good girl. This relationship is different from that
between Florencia and Charlotte."
The relationship with the Aub family, who became her adoptive parents, is also good, but perhaps
because she is not their biological child, I feel that Rozemyne is taking a more reserved approach. She
may not know how to be affectionate in front of her own family.
"It is not in her room that Lady Rozemyne's attitude of being a good girl disappears, but in the temple.
And it was in the presence of Ferdinand, his long-time guardian."
"I understand now that Ferdinand's departure for Ahrensbach was a great loss for Lady Rozemyne. I
never knew that before."
To Gratia, who was not familiar with the situation on this place, it appears that Ferdinand was happy to
become a bridegroom to a large territory and that Rozemyne was also pleased.
"In the Royal Academy this year, Lady Rozemyne packed her schedule as if she were dreading a slow
moment. She still seems to be enjoying herself, but to me, unlike in the past, reading has become
something of an escape."
It may be easier to understand if I say that it is similar to the time when my older sister used to schedule
her training especially before her final exams. This is a great way to keep your mind off of things that
you don't want to think about, but you remain guilty because you can't stop thinking about it.
"What exactly is Lady Rozemyne diverting her attention from?"
"I am not quite certain about that, either. What is clear, however, is that the unrest started after
Ferdinand left for Ahrensbach. Lady Rozemyne seems to be more attached to Ferdinand than to her
family. There is no doubt that he is more important to her than her fiancé, Wilfried, at this point in time. I
hope that from now on, Lord Wilfried will be able to replace Lord Ferdinand..."
I would like to see a gradual coming together between her fiancé, Lord Wilfried, and Lady Rozemyne.
Right now they are both looking in different directions and not viewing each other's images.
"You got a word from the royals, didn't you?"
"Yes."
I haven't yet informed Lady Rozemyne, who wants to know what's going on and is trying to move
around even though her fever hasn't gone down, but I have heard from Lord Wilfried that there have
been harsh words from the royal family.
"Lady Rozemyne is indispensable for the development of Ehrenfest. We have to protect her too."
This year, not once did she fall unconscious or become ill before the tea ceremony and cancel her
attendance. She has been highly praised for organizing the dedication ceremony at the tea party and for
interceding between the royal family and the small and medium-sized duchies.
At my words, Gratia's face became anxious and she lowered her gaze slightly.
"However, there is resentment from the duchies that could not enter the Shield of Schutzaria. If they
have a grudge against Ehrenfest, some of them may want to intentionally cause trouble and take Lady
Rozemyne away from Ehrenfest. We need to be more vigilant than ever, both for Lord Wilfried and for
Lady Rozemyne."
"Lieseleta, Lady Rozemyne wants to see you."
When Brünnhilde called me and I went to her presence, Lady Rozemyne said, "I want another stuffed
animal of Shumil. He said that it would be given to Lady Letizia."
According to this letter, he is worried about how to endure Ferdinand's strictness. I think that for the
sake of Lady Letizia, I need to say something to stop Ferdinand.
Lady Rozemyne is busily thinking of words to put into her recording device: "Don't be too harsh,"
"Please praise her for a job well done once in a while," and "She would like to hear that she did a good
job today". The words coming out of Rozemyne's mouth made my heart ache for some reason.
…… Isn't that what Lady Rozemyne needs to hear, rather than Lady Letizia?
Swallowing the urge to say so, I promised to make a stuffed animal of Shumil for Lady Letizia, and asked
permission to go down to the costume room.
"Lady Rozemyne, I would like to offer my assistance to Lieseleta. We don't have much time if you want to
deliver it to Ferdinand, who was at the tournament and graduation ceremony." Muriela asked.
"I thank you ever so much, Muriela."
After obtaining permission from Lady Rozemyne, the dexterous Muriela came up behind me.
...... Perhaps we should use the white fur as is for Letizia's shumil.
As I was thinking this while staring at the fur I had just finished cutting, Muriela brought me a sewing
box with a very big smile on her face.
"Muriela?"
"I'm sure that Lady Rozemyne is holding on to the fact that she is the one who wants to be spoiled by
Lord Ferdinand. This is love, I'm sure. How fragile and beautiful..."
"Ferdinand and Rozemyne are not aware of such a thing at all."
Muriela threaded the needle, saying, "You are free to imagine things unconsciously"
I swallowed the words that came to my mind, "more like owner and pet" but it was very rude to Lord
Ferdinand.
However, there are times when Ferdinand and Rozemyne look like two different types of pet animals:
one is a frail pet who doesn't know what it's doing, and the other is a pet who is being scolded for
causing a ruckus even though it's supposed to be doing its best to be praised by its owner.
...... There are times when I want to love Rozemyne, too, but I restrain myself.
"By the way, who is the escort for Lieseleta?
Muriela, who loves to talk about love, leaned forward with shining eyes. I had already told Leonore,
Philine and the others, but I don't think I had specifically told Muriela and the others who had joined the
retainers from the Royal Academy this year.
"Many knights have asked to have their cloaks embroidered by you," she said. "I believe there were
several requests from other territories as well?"
It's true that Rozemyne's dedication ceremony has attracted more attention from other domains.
However, I am in the service of Lady Rozemyne. I have no intention of going to other territories, nor do I
intend to choose as my husband a man who might pass on information to other territories. I want to be
able to support the archducal family as a husband and wife like my father and mother.
"My parents have spoken to me, and I have already found my match. Do you know Master Wilfried's
scholar, Torsten? He's an archnoble, close to the intermediate level, and we have already matched our
colors.❓don't know what this means❓
"Is that so?"
"There were no problems, so the matter is being discussed between my parents. I think that if Lord
Torsten is the right person, we can help Lord Wilfried and Lady Rozemyne to become a good couple by
sharing information about each other."
Lord Torsten is a person of calm and serene atmosphere. He is already an adult, and I met him at the
Royal Academy when I was still young. Since my sister's marriage was in trouble, my parents probably
wanted to keep my marriage as the heir in their hands. My parents are very happy, they couldn't have
asked for a better match.
"Isn't this love so exciting? Bluanfah, the goddess of buds, whispered to Lieseleta and Torsten, who were
reunited for the first time in years."
Muriela says that she wants a love story that will break up the relationship her parents decided to have.
It is unlikely that Muriela, whose parents died in the purge and who could not survive without a name
offering, will be able to marry. Since she will be offering her name to Lady Elvira, she may be able to
marry if she has her patronage. However, the stigma of being the daughter of a criminal who was
originally going to be punished in a collective culpability punishment will never go away. It is possible
that Muriela has given up on her own marriage, which is why she is so passionate about her love stories.
"In a romantic relationship, all you need is to have a peaceful relationship. I have experienced enough of
the tumultuousness of a story in my three years of service to Lady Rozemyne."
In the first year, Lady Rozemyne was summoned by Prince Anastasius and lost consciousness, only to
turn pale and frightened. In the second year, it was a tea party in the library hosted by Ehrenfest, but
Rozemyne lost consciousness in front of Prince Hildebrandt, and we had to scramble to clean up the
mess. In the third year, we decided to hold a dedication ceremony with zent in attendance, and we
successfully completed the ceremony.
"Don't you think a mid-level noble needs a more exciting life than this?"
Muriela looked up with a huff and then looked around as if troubled.
"There will be no Lieseleta or Leonore next year, will there?"
Muriela will dedicate her name to Lady Elvira, but while in the Royal Academy, you will remain a
dedicated retainer to Lady Rozemyne. With Ferdinand, who always gave guidance, gone, Rozemyne's
influence is expanding in various fields. I will be graduating, but please make sure you handle it well.
When I smiled, Muriela froze with a shocked look on her face, "Oh my goodness.”
23. SIDE STORY: Lürradi's Point of View on Determination in The Interduchy
Tournament
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7835cj/24/
(Covers chapters 509 This is the first half of the Interduchy Tournament centered on socializing with
Ahrensbach.)
My name is Lürradi. I am an apprentice scholar attending the Royal Academy, a third-year student from
Josbrenner.
As a result of my continuous prayers to Bluanfah, the Goddess of Buds, and Liebeskhilfe, the Goddess of
Marriage, up until my final exam, I was able to receive blessings from Bluanfah. I was told that the ritual
can be redone after graduation, so I would like to get the blessings of Liebeskhilfe next.
To my delight, I reported these to Lady Muriela and helped her to collaborate with Ehrenfest and
Dunkelfelger, and she was able to lend me a new Royal Academy love story.
...... This is just what Bluanfah had in store for us!
I immediately read the new Royal Academy love story that I borrowed, excusing myself to my sister that it
was to help with Ehrenfest's joint research. Ehrenfest's reputation for being able to ask the royal family for
help with student research has gone up considerably, and under Aub's instruction that it would be better
to show a little cooperation while we still can, I'm going to fully cooperate with the joint research.
As for the love story in the new Royal Academy, as I had heard from Lady Muriela, the scene in the
pavilion where the Goddess of Time plays a prank and the God of Darkness spreads his sleeves wide to
cover the Goddess of Light was really wonderful. I would have been very embarrassed and would have
run away if I had been treated this way.
"Lady Muriela, I was curious to see what kind of display it was, so I came to see it first."
The first place I went to during the Interduchy Tournament was Ehrenfest's research presentation.
Originally, I was supposed to go to Aub Ehrenfest with Aub Josbrenner to say hello and thank them for
increasing my blessings to, as well as make a face-to-face connection between Aubs.
However, if you look at the group of blue cloaked men and women who started moving at a fast pace at
the start of the Interduchy Tournament as they headed straight for Ehrenfest, you can see at a glance that
Josbrenner is no match for them!
My sister also said, "Perhaps we should take another look at them at the end of the morning," and
shrugged her shoulders a little as she checked the cloaks of the guests on their way to Ehrenfest. He then
told me to visit various places as an apprentice archscholar to look over their research.
"How do you do, Lady Lürradi? Please have a look. This is where you will find the same information as
Dunkelfelger, and this part on the dedication ceremony is Ehrenfest's own research. The territories and
participants who helped with the dedication ceremony are posted here."
...... I can't believe my name is on there along with the royalty!
I was surprised by the use of the new method of graphs, but the biggest surprise for me was the fact that
my name was listed with the royal family. I would never have imagined that my name would be listed with
royalty. I don't think any of the archduke candidates of Josbrenner have ever received such an honor.
"Don't be so surprised. Rozemyne said that those who helped us will be acknowledged, right?"
She smiled and then suddenly let out a small "ah". I looked back at her because her gaze was fixed on
one point. There was Lady Dietlinde of Ahrensbach and a gentleman in an Ehrenfest cloak on their way.
He looked like the man who had defeated Tannis Befallen during the attack at last year's the award
ceremony.
"Who is this Ehrenfest person that is with Lady Dietlinde? I've seen him before, but I don't know his
name."
"He is Aub Ehrenfest's half-brother, Lord Ferdinand, the guardian who taught and guided Rozemyne, who
grew up in the temple. He was engaged to be married to Lady Dietlinde and left for Ahrensbach at the
end of autumn."
I am not in a position to participate in the debriefing of the Archduke’s Conference, so I don't know much
about it, but I think I heard from my sister that the engagement of Lady Dietlinde in Ahrensbach was
decided by royal order. While remembering this, I somehow looked at Ferdinand.
I could see that Dietlinde started to greet the people of Dunkelfelger, and Ferdinand went to greet the
people of Ehrenfest. Rozemyne stood up with a twinkle in her eye.
"Oh!?"
"Oh, my!"
Ferdinand touched Rozemyne's cheek as if to wrap it, and Rozemyne's cheek turned red. She held her
cheeks with her hands to hide the redness of her cheeks and looked up at Ferdinand with moist eyes.
wasn't Rozemyne getting pinched at this moment?
...... I definitely felt Bluanfah's visit now.
I'm sure there must be a secret love between the two of them, to touch each other like that, even though
they both have their betrothed so close by.
"Lady Muriela, did I just saw...?"
"I think Lady Rozemyne said something and Ferdinand pinched her cheek."
"Lady Philine!"
The one who answered was not Muriela, but Philine. She looked at Lady Rozemyne as if she were seeing
something that made her smile, "It was an occasional sight in the temple," she said with a small laugh.
"Most likely, Ferdinand's sermon will follow... I'm afraid this is not the right place for that."
I exchanged glances with Muriela, nodding in agreement with Philine's statement, "Is that so?" The green
eyes of Muriela were also shining.
"Ah yes, Lady Lürradi. Please take a look at our joint research with Ahrensbach. I'm sure you'll be pleased."
As she said this, Muriela looked at me and started to walk towards Ahrensbach. I asked, "What do you
have in mind?" I walked next to her as we talked.
"At Ahrensbach, we're going to display the recording of the magical artifacts, and we've wrapped them in
stuffed shumil to show that Lady Rozemyne was involved. And on the magic tool, there are recorded love
words that I carefully selected from the love stories of the Royal Academy."
...... Selected love words from the love stories of the Royal Academy?
I found my heart thumping. It is indeed Ehrenfest that can put such words in the magic tools to be
presented at the Interduchy Tournament. No other duchy would have been able to come up with such an
idea.
It was recorded with the help of Lady Rozemyne's retainer. There are several recordings, so please listen
to them all."
...... What kind of love words are there?
With a pleasant imagination, I took a quick look around the subordinate territories and headed for my
destination, Ahrensbach's place.
...... It's that stuffed animal shumil, isn't it?
The stuffed animal of shumil sitting in the midst of all the magic tools lined up in a row was unique and
really stood out. You can immediately recognize it at first sight.
This is the study of Lord Ferdinand and his disciple Raimund in Ahrensbach. Come and have a look.
Professor Fraularm said to the visitors. This is a joint research with Ehrenfest, but it sounds as if it is the
sole achievement of Ahrensbach, which is not so unusual.
The Interduchy Tournament takes place in an oval-shaped training field. The locations of the territories
are determined in order of the best view of the field, so first-place Klassenberg and second-place
Dunkelfelger face each other across the field. The territories are divided into left and right when viewed
from the entrance according to their odd-even rankings, but some duchies that should not be placed too
close to each other may be placed in opposite positions to keep them apart.
In the case of this year's location, the seventh-ranked Gausbüttel is next to the third-ranked Drewanchel,
and the ninth-ranked Kirschnerite is next to the fifth-ranked Hauffletze. So it seems that Josbrenner is
next to Hauffletze.
...... Collaborating with large territories often results in theft of credit.
"Professor Fraularm, this research was conducted by Ehren..."
"Raimund, our guest here would like you to explain to him how much mana he can save."
An apprentice scholar called Raimund, who is probably a med or laynoble, was trying to give his opinion
to Professor Fraularm and kept getting a run-around.
"We believe that reducing the consumption of mana in this manner as much as possible is an important
research in a world where mana is in short supply."
I took the plushie of shumil in my hand while looking at the customers gathered there who were seriously
looking at the contents of the research while asking the apprentice scholars questions. Then, as Lady
Muriela taught me, I touched the part of the feystone and let my mana flow through it.
"Oh, my love. I want you to cover everything with snow and ice. Cover Geduldh with snow and ice, as far
as my power goes. Keep Flutrane as far away from me as possible."
...... How wonderful!
In the winter, the lovers can only meet in the nobleman's house, but they try to spare a little time to meet
each other, and the story is told so earnestly that I feel as if I am being spoken to.
"What is that?"
"I heard that they are love words carefully selected from the love stories of the Royal Academy. When you
hear them in a gentleman's voice, it's quite different from reading them in a book."
While holding back my cheeks from smiling uncontrollably, I let my magic flow and listened to the words
of love one after another. The carefully chosen words of love and the gentle sound of his voice made it a
little hard to stand there calmly.
...... Oh, how I wish I could talk to Lady Muriela right now!
Many women seemed to be interested in the words of love coming from the adorable stuffed shumil, and
as I continued to listen to the words of love, more and more women began to gather around me.
"Whether you are a woman who wants to be enchanted by the various love languages or a man who is
looking for the perfect love language to win over the woman of his dreams, the love stories of the Royal
Academy are for you. The story of love in the Royal Academy is on sale from summer at Ehrenfest. The
gripping Ditter's Tale, Knight's Tale, and Dunkelfelger's History will also be available at the same time.
Please enjoy them."
Everyone's eyes around me widened as we listened to the high-pitched, infantile voice of Lady Rozemyne
advertising the Ehrenfest books instead of the gentlemen's voices that had echoed so far.
"Love languages and book promotion? What an interesting use for Ehrenfest."
"I'd love to read an Ehrenfest book with words like this in it."
I agree wholeheartedly with the giggling woman and the surrounding guests. I can't wait to read
Ehrenfest's book, too. It will be a long time before Josbrenner can do business with them.
married for a
...... It might be a good idea to look for a way to marry an archnoble of Ehrenfest after all.
book
Now is the time to get my face and name known as I was able to increase my blessings through the
Ehrenfest collaboration. If I miss this opportunity, there will soon be more people who will get the
blessing.
...... Let's ask Lady Muriela.
More and more people seemed to be interested, and more and more people wanted to touch the
shumil's plushie and stared intently at the magic tool before it became a stuffed animal.
"Hmmm!"
Professor Fraularm lifted her eyes and went away. I was worried that the results of Ehrenfest's research
might have been stolen since it was displayed only in Ahrensbach, but that did not seem to be the case.
Satisfied with all the words of love, I started walking towards the neighboring Dunkelfelger. I was curious
to see what Dunkelfelger, where Ehrenfest and I were collaborating, had on display.
Then unexpectedly, I saw a white ordonnanz flying by. As I somehow followed it with my eyes, it seemed
to have arrived at the place where Dunkelfelger, Ahrensbach and Ehrenfest representatives were
discussing.
Suddenly, I heard Professor Fraularm's voice shouting. Because of my distance, I was too far away to hear
what they were saying, but I could hear the high-pitched voice. The volume of the voice must have made
the people there want to frown.
I wondered what was going on at...
As I watched, a group of people in wisteria cloaks began to move. It may have been an urgent matter for
Lady Dietlinde. Her fiancé, Ferdinand, stood up. Then, with a soft smile, he gently and tenderly touched
Lady Rozemyne's hair.
...... Ah, Bluanfah, goddess of buds!
I was convinced that I had indeed received the blessings of Bluanfah. The Bluanfah must be dancing in
front of my eyes right now!
"Lady Muriela. I have something important to tell you, if you have a moment."
I went to the gathering of Ehrenfest's apprentice scholars and invited Lady Muriela to a slightly less
crowded place. I wanted someone to share my excitement with. The only person I could talk to right now
about this passion was Lady Muriela.
"Have you seen it?"
"Yes, right after Professor Fraularm's ordonnanz, which attracted a lot of attention. How could I miss it?"
Then, with glittering green eyes, she looked around and told me secretly in a hushed voice!
"Lady Rozemyne, who grew up in the temple, can only be indulged by her guardian Ferdinand. I'm sure
that Lady Rozemyne was unaware of Bluanfah's visit and hung on to the spear of the god of guidance,
Erwarmen.
"Well… And as he waited for the visit of Ephrorelume, the goddess of flowers, the Raffel fruit grew larger,
and he only noticed it when Forselunte, the goddess of harvest, and Jugelise, the goddess of farewell,
began to dance."
I was positive that Lady Rozemyne's hair, which seemed to have been blessed by the God of Darkness,
would have swayed in the wind and gotten cold and wet from the attack of Schneet, the God of Ice and
Snow. Just thinking about it makes me want to burst into tears at any moment, isn't it such a
heartbreaking scene?
"The other members of the retainer said that the feelings between Lady Rozemyne and Ferdinand were
not the same as love. Nevertheless, I felt the thread of Liebeskhilfe, the goddess of marriage, and
ordonnanz spread its wings wide, and my heart trembled helplessly, don't you think, Lady Lürradi?"
"I understand very well, Lady Muriela! I certainly felt the visit of the Bluanfah."
"If you just want to fantasize, you are free to do so," smiled Muriela, and I agreed with her as much as I
and this is how fan fictions were
could. If I could, I would even like to read about Rozemyne's sad first love!
born
"Doesn't the author of the Royal Academy love stories write stories about Lady Rozemyne's romance?"
"I heard that she doesn't write stories about students who are still in the Royal Academy."
That's a pity. It's a shame, because if you don't make a book about it while Muriela and Philine are still in
school, it will be a long time before I can read it.
It will be a long time before I can read it. "Since you're here, why don't you write it, Lady Lürradi? I'm sure
you can imagine more things than I can, since you don't know the truth about the dormitory and the
duchy. And the more you imagine, the less you know whose story it is, so it may become a book while we
are still in school. If it becomes a book, I can give you a book instead of money."
It was a very exciting offer. In exchange for a manuscript fee, I would get priority access to a new book. It
meant that I wouldn't have to wait for Josbrenner to make a deal.
"It's a very tempting offer, but I'm an archnoble and my father and mother would scold me if I did
anything like a med or laynoble in need of money."
"Oh? The love stories in the Royal Academy that you are enjoying, Lady Lürradi, are now being collected
from other duchies, but they were originally written mainly by the ladies who archnobles of Ehrenfest.
My heart swayed. In Ehrenfest, archnobles took the initiative in writing the book in order to expand new
industries.
"I think I should seriously look for a husband in Ehrenfest."
"Yes, you should. When life settles down in the spring, why don't I ask the aub? It might be a little difficult
to find an archnoble that would suit Lürradi."
I heard that Lady Muriela is unable to introduce a marriage partner, but she will ask the aub. My future is
now wide open at Ehrenfest.
"If you don't want to get paid, you might as well try writing."
"The rule of thumb is to pay a fair price for a manuscript. You seem to be worried about earning money,
but if your manuscript earns more than the book, wouldn't you be scolded if you used the money to pay
for a dorm room or lend it to a laynoble who is short of money?"
I have never thought of using the money in such a way. As I rounded my eyes, Lady Muriela looked
around the area where the archducal family of Ehrenfest were.
"Rozemyne is lending money to students who have lost their parents and are in need. 'You can return it
to me after you graduate,' she said."
There is an unquestionable respect in that. I wondered how much Lady Rozemyne was doing at my age. I
don't think she's in the same league as me.
...... Speaking of which, I think Eglantine also said that Rozemyne is like Mestionora.
Remembering what Eglantine said at the dedication ceremony, I came up with the idea of writing
Rozemyne's sad love story as a goddess love story. If it's a goddess love story, no one else will know it's
real.
"Lady Muriela, I'm going to attempt to write a sad love story about Mestionora."
"I'm looking forward to it, Lady Lürradi. Please let us buy it at Ehrenfest."
At the time, it never occurred to me. I had no idea that by the time my manuscript became a book, the
name "Lady Rozemyne = Mestionora," which was mentioned in a playful manner at the dedication
ceremony, would be firmly established.
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
JAPANESE LIGHT NOVEL REVIEWS POTENTIAL SPOILERS
It is the fifth part of the work completed in five parts on the web, the third volume, and the total volume of the main
volume 24. Includes episodes 503 to 521 from the web original.
The cover seems to be an image of a dinner party with Ferdinand for the first time in a long time, but the expression of
the adults is subtle. Are the flowers surrounding Rozemyne a formulation material? The color frontispiece is a scene of an
eventful dedication dance. I'm more concerned about the direction of the eyes of people around me than Dietlinde, the
protagonist.
Story-wise, it is a very short period of time from Rozemyne’s victory over the daughter-in-law thief Ditter to going to
Ehrenfest after experiencing the battle against the fief and the graduation ceremony.
The prologue was written using part of the second half of the 503 episode of the web original. According to the author's
postscript, the prologue is Matthias's point of view, it is certainly a reflection meeting of Rozemyne’s aides on the assault
incident in the Ditter game in the previous volume, but the women of Brünhilde With the expansion of the irritation full
throttle, I am overwhelmed by knowing the degree of preparedness of the entourage.
In the first episode that follows, the story of the side service of the flow from the prologue, and the topic of Ferdinand's
entanglement are added to the second half of episode 503, and it is almost like a written down.
Each subsequent story is almost as the original, but there are many detailed corrections in the book.
The epilogue has been greatly retouched to episode 521, and you can understand the details of Ahrensbach, the current
situation of Ferdinand and Dietlinde, etc. I will.
As for the short story at the end of the book, according to the postscript, there are two parts from the viewpoint of
Sieclinde and the viewpoint of Wilfried written, but I know well whether the story of the first Lürradi perspective is
already available no. I might just write everything down.
Overall, even though it is a story of short days at the end of the school year, a series of important stories related to future
developments such as aristocratic point of view, entourage perspective, circumstances of other consulates,
circumstances of royalty, etc. It will surprise you.
At the same time, I endured unprecedented scenes such as Rozemyne who cannot suppress the joy of contact with
Ferdinand who has not been able to meet for a long time and the perplexed surroundings and the surroundings that
stand in color Sen The casually written farewell scene is a little reminisseful, but is it also a feature of this volume that the
so-called Fermai elements were clearly drawn?

Ascendance of A Bookworm Part 5 Volume 3

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VOLUME 5 💠 The Incarnation of the Goddess

Vol 5 - 3 🔸 Book 24 (deepL Translate Version)

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Chapters 504-521)

**Last parts of Chapter 503 are included in Vol 5-3

At Leonore's words, Brünnhilde nodded in agreement.

"How is your collaboration with Drewanchel going?"

Charlotte's surprise was met with a smile from Muriela.

"She was praying to a very rare goddess"

Muriela smiled and told me what she thought.

I know what it's like to look forward to a new book release.

It was a common scene in my time as Urano.

Philine, please take out the letter from Ahrensbach.

"Lady Rozemyne, here is a letter from Ahrensbach."

"Yes. I will do my best to learn the graphs."

With that in mind, I carried the letter to the hidden room.

"I'm going to stay in the hidden room for a while."

...... Not good.

"We don't have many days left. I must work hard."

We are preparing for the Interduchy Tournament.

Lürradi received a blessing.

And I received a reply from Ferdinand.

The following is information on Raimund's research and other territories.

"Brother Wilfried, what did it say?"

"Is Professor Hirschur here?"

...... More than that is terrible.

"How will you report this to Professor Fraularm?"

"I see. I hope I have been of some help to Lord Ferdinand."

...... I'm going to put a material retrieval system in my library!

"I will do my best to welcome Lord Ferdinand."

Gratia nodded in agreement with Lieseleta.

"I can't do any of this on my own," I protested.

"Yes." I replied and continued stirring the mixture in circles.

"I had the letter sent to out.”

"No, those are not words to be uttered casually without a partner."

“In the meantime, may I ask Laurenz for a favor?"

"I am ever thankful, my lady."

This laboratory scene was somewhat comforting to write about.

Next is the beginning of the Interduchy Tournament.

"It's done! How about this, Lady Rozemyne?"

"Please have a look."

"We'll have more mana during that time."

"Are you ready to practice your presentation?"

"The kitchen at the castle must be very busy by now."

"The princess will have to wait until after the tournament."

I had no choice but to reply, "Yes," as Rihyarda gave me a big nudge.

" Well, then, we must be on our way as well."

"I will go."

"They're ready, Princess."

"Very well, sir."

“Good day to you, Lady Rozemyne."

"Good morning, Lady Rozemyne."

"I'm here to see

"If you think

"That certainly sounds like something we need to discuss."

"If that's all, I'll do my best."

"Oh, by the way, did Damuel stay behind?"

Honestly love Sylvester's greeting to Rozemyne

"Um, can I give you Lord Ferdinand's restorative for fatigue?"

"Are you trying to finish me off?"

"What happened to Florencia and father, Sylvester? I can't find them..."

"What?! Are you sure she's alright?"

"...... I'm sorry."