Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 2 E-Book

Miya Kazuki

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Ascendance of a Bookworm
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 486

Beschreibung

As snow falls around Ahrensbach’s castle, Ferdinand, soon to be married to the duchy’s next archduchess, receives a concerning letter. Not only has Rozemyne been summoned by the royal family once again, but she is also being taken to the underground archive hidden beneath the Royal Academy’s library. Even as a third-year, she proves to be a source of constant headaches—and the chaos only continues when she manages to pull an unexpected figure into her joint research! The stakes are raised higher still when Lestilaut makes an astonishing suggestion, forcing her to participate in a game of bride-taking ditter with Leidenschaft’s spear in hand.
Rozemyne’s hand in marriage hangs in the balance in the newest volume of this biblio-fantasy. Includes two short stories and four-panel manga by You Shiina.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Color Illustrations

Characters

Prologue

The Royal Family and the Library

Dunkelfelger’s Ritual

Talking and Tallying

Frustrating Tea Parties

Doing a Little Scheming

Preparing for the Ritual

The Royal Academy’s Dedication Ritual

Using the Rest of the Mana

Tea Parties and Negotiations

Confrontation

Preparing for Ditter

Bride-Taking Ditter

Intruders

Epilogue

The Saint’s Ritual

Someone Worthy of Caution

Headache-Inducing Reports (Third Year)

Map of Ehrenfest Duchy

Map of Yurgenschmidt

Afterword

A Comfy Life with My Family by You Shiina

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Color Images

Table of Contents

Prologue

Many of Aub Ahrensbach’s scholars were gathered together with Ferdinand, previously a resident of Ehrenfest and the fiancé of the next archduchess, in the office he had received in Ahrensbach’s castle.

“This is data regarding the Adalgisa princess,” one said. “An emissary from Lanzenave arrived in the summer and consulted us regarding her being sent over. The king will need to be informed of this during the next Archduke Conference.”

“An Adalgisa princess...” Ferdinand muttered, unpleasant thoughts stirring within him. He recalled that Raublut, the Sovereign knight commander, had noticed his unique history as a former seed of Adalgisa. It was possible that others here knew the circumstances of his birth as well.

The scholars continued their explanation, unaware that Ferdinand was acting so guarded. “You may not know this, as you are from another duchy, but Adalgisa princesses come from Lanzenave. Please read these more detailed papers on how she will be received.” Their duty was to bring Ferdinand up to speed with his responsibilities in Ahrensbach, and they carried in stacks of documents and paperwork one after another. Detlinde, as the next archduchess, needed to prioritize dyeing the foundational magic with her mana, so Ferdinand had to take on most of the administrative work.

I can understand why the scholars would rather work with me than Lady Detlinde—I am better accustomed to bureaucratic work—but my duties educating Lady Letizia are just as important.

Detlinde had not done anything even remotely close to paperwork until very recently, in part due to her being the youngest daughter of Georgine, who had previously been the duchy’s third wife. In fact, Detlinde had previously been further from the seat of aub than any other archduke candidate, trailing behind the second wife’s two sons; her brother, the third wife’s son; and Letizia, the first wife’s granddaughter from Drewanchel.

In the end, however, the purge had seen the second wife’s two sons reduced to archnobles, Detlinde’s older brother had perished in an unfortunate accident, and Aub Ahrensbach had died before Letizia came of age. Detlinde was thus having to serve as a temporary archduchess.

The scholars informed Ferdinand that the late archduke had not done much to educate Detlinde, as he had not wanted her to stand above the younger Letizia.

Still, to think that I would be the one sending a Lanzenave princess to that villa...

Ferdinand started reading the provided documents. He felt a sharp, unmistakable bitterness knowing that he would need to be consistently involved with Lanzenave and Adalgisa, but he kept his true feelings from showing. His eyebrow did not so much as twitch.

“Oh, I thought it was rather cold today... It seems the snow has finally begun to fall,” one of the scholars remarked, their voice somewhat bright.

Ferdinand turned to look outside. Indeed, there were flecks of white falling from the sky. The scholars gathered at the window, suggesting that snow was rare in Ahrensbach, but this was a common sight at the start of every winter in Ehrenfest. He returned his attention to his documents.

“Our duchies share the same seasons, but winter here is very different from in Ehrenfest,” Justus mused aloud as he brought over some tea. Ferdinand understood this as Justus’s way of proposing that he take a break, so he put down his pen and accepted the cup.

Upon hearing Justus’s remark, Sergius, one of the Ahrensbach attendants assigned to Ferdinand, blinked a few times. “Different how?” he asked, his yellow eyes betraying his interest. The gathered scholars were looking at Justus as well, clearly eager to hear about the dissimilarities between their two duchies.

“In Ehrenfest, we see our first flurries at the end of autumn and the start of winter—around when we first came to Ahrensbach. By now, the streets will already be thick with snow, and the people will be taking shelter indoors at all times.”

“We spend our winters differently as well,” Eckhart added. “Socializing thrives at the castle, but knights need to focus on training and preparing for the Lord of Winter hunt. There is no Lord of Winter in Ahrensbach, which alone makes a considerable difference.”

Those listening made intrigued noises. As there was no Lord of Winter to hunt in Ahrensbach, the duchy’s knights did not put special effort into their training.

“The most significant difference might be in how we use our winter playroom,” Justus said. “I was surprised to see that Ahrensbach seldom uses its own outside of when students are being moved to the Royal Academy. In Ehrenfest, the adults tend to be busy over the winter, in part due to the Lord of Winter hunt, so the children too young to attend the Royal Academy spend all day in the winter playroom so as to stay out of their way.”

Those in Ahrensbach had no need to socialize intensely and gather information before the snow grew unreasonably heavy. Adults in particular were afforded a lot more flexibility; nobles rarely spent all day in the castle, and children accompanied their guardians while socializing instead of spending that time in the winter playroom. Even the archduke candidate Letizia, whom Ferdinand was working to educate, had prioritized strengthening bonds with the others in her faction.

“I was also surprised to learn that winter socializing is only done in the afternoon here. In Ehrenfest, to make the most of the brief window we have to socialize, we come together and mingle from morning to night.”

Ahrensbach nobles came together in the afternoon, when it was warmer. During the winter, they tended to stay inside until fourth bell and start their day after lunch—unless they were invited to lunch, that was. In contrast, during the summer when the sun beat down mercilessly, nobles barely went outside between third and fifth bell.

To accommodate the usual Ahrensbach schedule, Ferdinand would spend his mornings doing handover work, then educate Letizia and do the socializing expected of the next archduchess’s fiancé in the afternoon.

“Still, this lifestyle offers much more leeway than I expected,” Ferdinand said. “I wish to use this opportunity to ask for your guidance.”

The late Aub Ahrensbach had already passed away by the time Ferdinand arrived at his new home, so Ferdinand was worried about a great many things. For now, however, it seemed that everything was proceeding smoothly. The ever-annoying Detlinde had returned to the Royal Academy shortly after his arrival, and Georgine was holed up in her villa, in mourning for her late husband, so he had not seen her at all during socializing. Furthermore, the scholars who had served the archduke were being surprisingly cooperative with the handover of work. For now, at least, they seemed to value and greatly respect Ferdinand as a hard worker and the fiancé of their next archduchess. It was a source of great relief... but also somewhat harrowing.

This could not be more different from what happened in Ehrenfest after Father ended up succumbing to his illness.

“Might we ask what you mean by ‘this opportunity’?”

“You are all scholars of Aub Ahrensbach, are you not?” Ferdinand said. “I assume you will work beneath Lady Detlinde when she returns from the Royal Academy and takes her place as the next archduchess.”

In other words, Ferdinand could only focus on handover work during the brief period when Detlinde was at the Royal Academy. Rather than prioritizing a groom from another duchy, their focus needed to be on educating Ahrensbach’s next archduchess.

The scholars exchanged glances, then all gave troubled, telling smiles. “Lady Detlinde is not nearly educated enough for us to work under her,” one said. “By the time she catches up, I expect Lady Letizia will have come of age.”

“We might have thought otherwise if she at least took the work seriously,” added another, “but, oh, how she hates studying. Though she may only be a temporary archduchess, I would expect a bit more... well...”

Although there was some criticism of the next archduchess, it was immediately followed by more generous words of understanding.

“She is underage. Plus, as the third child of a third wife, she has not had the opportunity to receive a political education before now. It would be cruel of us to demand too much from her.”

“Indeed, indeed. Not to mention, she will only be holding the position of aub for a short while, until Lady Letizia comes of age and marries Prince Hildebrand. We do not want her to become too attached. Is her lack of interest not ideal for us?”

She may not be interested in politicking, but she certainly has a lust for power...

Ferdinand dismissed the thought at once; naturally, he could not criticize the woman he was to marry by royal decree here in public. That said, his interactions with her during the few days between his arrival in Ahrensbach and her departure for the Royal Academy had been enough for him to confirm that she had a personality that was painful just to think about.

And so, Ferdinand merely nodded along with the scholars’ remarks, striving to understand their thought processes and personalities as much as he could. It would be better not to speak; he was still pretending to dote on Detlinde, and offering his own thoughts would only result in him lambasting her with utter sincerity. The scholars were criticizing their next archduchess with slight grins, but she was one of their own; if someone from another duchy attempted to join in, then it was possible that they might take offense.

“We are in no position to start being soft on Lady Detlinde and treating her like a child. She may not have come of age yet, but she will very soon, so that serves as no excuse. She will also be participating in the next Archduke Conference as an aub.”

“Even if she is only holding the position temporarily, being the aub is by no means easy. To be honest, I am truly grateful that you are here, Lord Ferdinand; I do not know what we would do without you.”

“And let us not forget how Lady Georgine has abetted this. She did not resist being moved to her villa.”

From there, the focus of the scholars’ conversation quickly turned to Georgine. Ferdinand listened closely, comparing their words to what he had learned through Justus.

“It was a surprise to all, especially after she filled chalices with mana to get Old Werkestock on her side. I thought she would cling more tightly to her newly obtained power.”

“As I understand it, Ehrenfest ceased offering its support...”

“Was that not just Ehrenfest shifting its support from Lady Georgine to Lord Ferdinand, though?” Justus remarked casually. “Aub Ehrenfest is closer to Lord Ferdinand than he is to Lady Georgine, after all.”

The scholars nodded, agreeing with his logic.

Ferdinand drew his brows together in the slightest frown; Georgine had more influence with Old Werkestock and the northern provinces bordering Ehrenfest than Sylvester and the others realized.

“Although we are both members of the same archducal family, Lady Georgine and I have hardly seen one another. I thought that we might socialize a bit more now that I am here, but I have not seen her since our initial greetings...”

Georgine’s lack of presence was almost disturbing considering that she was the late archduke’s first wife. She was also very familiar with Justus, meaning that not even his disguises could get him near her villa. Justus had even said that Georgine had once boasted about being able to see through his cross-dressing.

Ferdinand continued to listen to every word the scholars said about Georgine until there came a sudden knock on the door. “Excuse me,” said the messenger responsible. “This arrived from Raimund in the Royal Academy.”

Raimund was serving Ferdinand not just as his disciple, but as his retainer in Ahrensbach as well—although they were more like mentor and student than lord and retainer. He was lacking in mana and spent all his time in Hirschur’s laboratory, trying to make magic tools as efficient as possible.

Initially, Ferdinand had spoken to Raimund simply because Rozemyne had taken a liking to the young student. He had then accepted him as a disciple as a means of observing him while simultaneously gathering information on Ahrensbach. By this point, however, Ferdinand found reading his unique perspectives and answering his questions by letter a source of great comfort.

Sergius accepted the box from the messenger and then opened it. Inside was a sound-recording magic tool.

“Oho. Is that an improved version?” one scholar asked.

“Its feystone seems to be exposed...” another added.

“Ah, there is also a letter from Lady Rozemyne. We’ll read this first, if you do not mind.”

“I do not mind in the least,” Ferdinand replied, preparing himself as the scholars took and started going through the letter. They were checking for anything dangerous while also looking for any hidden messages or the like that they would need to censor.

That fool. What has she written this time?

In her previous report, Rozemyne had described the state of Hirschur’s laboratory, inadvertently informing the scholars that Ferdinand had been a burden on the professor during his time at the Royal Academy and that he had become so absorbed in his research that he had neglected to clean or eat properly. The scholars had laughed at Rozemyne telling Ferdinand not to live so unhealthily in Ahrensbach, which had made him want to tear up the letter on the spot. Unfortunately, the hidden report she had written in shining ink was much too important, so he had needed to refrain.

One scholar read through the letter while the others began checking for any patterns or phrasing that might have signified a code. Of course, nothing they did made the shining ink appear. Ferdinand checked Raimund’s magic tool once it was given to him while listening to the contents of the letter be read aloud.

Ferdinand had tasked his disciple with making a smaller and more mana-efficient sound-recording magic tool. The first prototype had been small enough to rest on one’s palm—an improvement over the standard model that required two hands—but Ferdinand had sent it back, saying that it could be made even smaller by taking away the lid. Now the lid was gone, exposing the feystone used to store the recording.

All in all, the magic tool was fairly well made.

“‘Upon starting our joint research project with Ahrensbach, Professor Hirschur told me that my strengths are my mana capacity and my brewing skills,’” one of the scholars said, reading Rozemyne’s letter aloud. “‘Thus, my role is to create prototypes based on the designs that Raimund comes up with.’”

“Aah... I was wondering how he finished so quickly, but I see that Rozemyne is the reason.”

Raimund was short on mana even for a mednoble, so while he was quick to draw blueprints, his progress was slowed considerably when it came to creating the prototypes. This one had arrived much sooner than expected—evidently thanks to Rozemyne having brewed it. Raimund was helping to realize the things she wanted, so there was nothing wrong with her helping him during the creation process.

“‘The details are written in the report I sent through Professor Fraularm.’ Hm? Have you received a report about the joint research project from Ahrensbach’s dormitory supervisor?”

“Not to my knowledge.” Ferdinand turned to the attendants behind him. “Sergius, Justus, have any retainers visited while I was absent?”

“No, my lord,” Sergius replied. “A report from a dormitory supervisor would not have been sent to your guest chambers in the first place, so there would never have been a risk of it arriving while you were absent for socializing or the like.”

That was the obvious answer; any letter sent to Ferdinand would first need to be inspected by the relevant personnel in Ahrensbach. It was unthinkable that he could have received a report without the scholars here knowing.

“Hm. Then we will need to question the dormitory supervisor,” a scholar said. “We do not want the joint research to be delayed, nor do we wish to trouble Ehrenfest.”

“Understood.”

After that section of the report, which had more or less called out Fraularm, came the topic of a tea party for bookworms hosted by the royal family. Rozemyne had eagerly gone along with the idea despite it meaning she would need to socialize with the very people she had continuously been told to avoid. One could easily imagine her restraint going straight out the window the moment books and libraries were put before her.

“Still, to think Lady Rozemyne was invited to such a tea party...” one scholar said with a sigh. “If only Lady Detlinde were to socialize with royalty a bit more.”

Some bemoaned the fact that an Ahrensbach archduke candidate had not received an invitation but an archduke candidate from the lower-ranked Ehrenfest had, while others were more interested in the sweets that were described as having been served.

“So... Dunkelfelger produced new sweets with the recipe it obtained, hm?”

“We purchased the same recipe during the Archduke Conference, so perhaps we could try making something with our specialty fruit as well. Lord Ferdinand, would you happen to have an eye for what would suit pound cake?”

“Well... as mentioned in Rozemyne’s letter, I have little interest in food,” Ferdinand replied. “You would be much better off entrusting this question to a chef who is familiar with Ahrensbach fruits.”

They were asking him to make new sweets, but Ferdinand had no motivation for that.

Rozemyne made new sweets and combined unique flavors because she had an unusual attachment to food—an attachment that Ferdinand did not share. He suddenly recalled that she had once said to him, “If you want to eat tasty food, then train your own chef.” If she were here now, perhaps she would be adapting Ahrensbach’s highly spicy dishes to suit her own tastes.

“‘I borrowed books from the Sovereignty and the palace library,’” the scholar reading out Rozemyne’s letter continued. “‘The one that Professor Solange lent me was from a closed-stack archive and contains research about Schwartz and Weiss. I will inform you if we make any new discoveries.’”

“I see. To think she would be allowed to borrow a book from a closed-stack archive...” another scholar muttered. “I suppose it should come as no surprise given that she is both a disciple of Lord Ferdinand and a regular visitor of the Hirschur Laboratory.”

The scholars continued to praise Rozemyne for a reason that Ferdinand would never have expected. According to their explanation, the valuable contents of the closed-stack archives were only lent to those whom the librarians considered particularly intelligent; everyone else would simply be told that it was too soon for them to read such things. Ferdinand had not known this, since his requests for such books had never been refused.

However, times have changed.

Now, there were drastically fewer librarians at the Royal Academy, and numerous magic tools in the library were no longer being supplied with mana. In its current state, the library was unable to perform the duties for which it had originally been constructed; the place was more akin to a glorified study station. There was a chance that the library would improve somewhat with the arrival of the new archlibrarian, but it would still be a far cry from its former glory. The scholars here likely did not know how dramatically things had changed—that, or they merely could not understand it.

“‘This time, I managed to endure the whole thing without collapsing. I’ve grown so much, wouldn’t you say? It’s all thanks to the potions you made for me, Ferdinand.’ And... that is the end of this letter.”

Having failed to find anything unusual, the scholar attempted to pass the letter to Ferdinand. However, Ferdinand waved away the correspondence and said, “I am short on time. There is nothing that I must urgently reread, and my reply can come later. Sergius, store the letter in my chambers with my letter from Raimund and the magic tool. For now, let us resume our duties. Justus, take this tea away.”

After announcing the end of their break, Ferdinand picked up a pen and returned to his paperwork.

That night, in his chambers, Ferdinand started on his response to Rozemyne. He had yet to read the hidden message that her letter doubtless contained—there were too many retainers nearby for that—so he focused solely on his public-facing reply. Only after seventh bell, when most of his retainers had gone, would Ferdinand take out the shining ink. He would wait until Eckhart was on night watch, but even then his time would be limited; the knight was particularly concerned about his lord’s well-being and would swiftly call on him.

Ferdinand skimmed the letter and then put his head in his hands. How does she keep getting involved with royalty like this?

First, Eglantine and Prince Anastasius had deduced that Rozemyne had been the one to bless them during their graduation—and to avoid further unrest, they had asked her to serve as the High Bishop and bless Prince Sigiswald for his Starbind Ceremony. The request had not come at unreasonably short notice, and there were various factions involved, so neither Rozemyne nor Ehrenfest were in any position to refuse.

At the same time, however, the Sovereign temple was involved, and the ceremony being held during the Archduke Conference would draw the attention of every aub from every duchy, alongside that of various other key nobles. Not to mention, Rozemyne had personally confessed that one of her reasons for accepting was so that she could be present when Ferdinand and Detlinde had their own Starbinding.

Please, stop. You will only end up blessing me more than you do the prince.

Ferdinand was certain of that outcome. Rozemyne had already said that he was like family to her, and it was simple to predict what trouble an emotion-driven blessing would create. Some of those who had seen Eglantine receive her blessing had started to argue that she should take the throne, so imagine this scenario: Ferdinand, after being accused of vying for the throne as a seed of Adalgisa and moving to Ahrensbach to indicate his loyalty, receives more blessings from the gods than anyone else. It was not a pleasant thought, by any means.

At the very least, she will want Hartmut with her...

Hartmut had the sharpest eyes and the keenest mind out of all Rozemyne’s retainers. With his assistance as the High Priest, Rozemyne would presumably find things much easier to deal with.

Next, there was the matter of the triple-locked archive’s keys. Ferdinand had given Rozemyne free rein with her Library Committee business under the assumption that her work would consist only of regularly visiting the library and supplying its magic tools with mana. Having her take ownership of one of the keys was far from good.

After all, that underground archive contains so much information leading to the Grutrissheit.

Ferdinand rubbed his temples, recalling the text and the magic circle that had arisen from the High Bishop’s bible. He had never been the High Bishop himself, so it had not even occurred to him that such a development might occur. Rozemyne was surely closer to the Grutrissheit than anyone in the royal family, and if she were to enter the underground archive, then Ferdinand was quite confident that her book-oriented curiosity would result in her obtaining it.

But how can I prevent her from going near the archive?

As he pondered this, his eyes fell on one line in particular: “Once the librarian has inspected the inside, I’m allowed to read whatever books it contains.” He frowned. There were severe restrictions on who could enter that archive. It was managed almost entirely by magic tools, with the librarians merely safeguarding the keys.

It would not be strange for Professor Solange and the new librarian to be unfamiliar with this rule, as the former has never been able to go inside. But how is the royal family still in the dark? They should be visiting the archive more than anyone.

Ferdinand had thought that maybe the royal family was deliberately keeping this knowledge to themselves due to the purge, but in reality, they had simply lost the knowledge altogether. The royal family only had themselves to blame, but not even that explained the extent of their ignorance on the subject. It seemed more likely that someone in the royal palace was restricting the flow of information or concealing documents.

But should I say that?

Ferdinand was in Ahrensbach precisely because he was suspected of wanting the Grutrissheit; he did not want to invite any more suspicion, nor did he want to get involved with royalty. Unfortunately, that no longer mattered. Rozemyne had gotten involved with the royal family and the underground archive against his will; if anyone came to realize that he was hiding information, then he would only be placed under further scrutiny.

“Although I may not have the Grutrissheit, it is the Zent’s duty to maintain peace, no matter how ephemeral it so often proves to be,” the king had said at their meeting.

Ferdinand was a seed of Adalgisa, and Ehrenfest had not assisted the king during the civil war. These two facts alone had aroused suspicion that they were seeking to claim the throne, and Trauerqual expressed that he could not ignore the risk of Yurgenschmidt once again being ravaged by war. Ferdinand could not fault the man for his decision—after all, it was the same conclusion any good king would make.

By indirectly informing the royal family of what awaits them in the underground archive, I should be able to keep Rozemyne away from it.

He could send information about the underground archive to Rozemyne, which would reveal to the royal family that she was providing him with intelligence—and as Rozemyne was an archduke candidate of a duchy already suspected of treason, the royal family would immediately start treating her with more caution. She would be forbidden from entering the library and most likely removed from her position as owner of one of the three keys. They had gone as far as to send Ferdinand to Ahrensbach, so they would absolutely refuse to let Rozemyne anywhere near the archive.

And that is what matters.

To Ferdinand, keeping Rozemyne away from the underground archive was more important than anything else. That was why he was even willing to exploit the royal family to make it happen. The words and the magic circle that had arisen from the High Bishop’s bible—one look at them was all anyone would need to conclude that Rozemyne was unconsciously drawing closer to the Grutrissheit.

I do not know how much she will be able to resist when put before a document-filled archive, but I will emphasize my warning nonetheless.

“If the royal family does not already know about this, then they must be made aware. You are not to approach the archive yourself, however. That will only cause problems.”

After finishing his response, Ferdinand let out a heavy sigh.

Just... let this strange cooperation end there. Please.

He was asking both Rozemyne and the royal family.

The Royal Family and the Library

As I was waiting for the royal family to summon me again, I decided to be proactive. First, I created a questionnaire for the Dunkelfelger apprentice knights helping with our joint research. My scholars made all the necessary copies and prepared the answer sheets for me, and through this process they learned the general format of a questionnaire and how to make their own.

Moving on, I purchased the schematics of the improved magic tool from Raimund, since it had received a passing grade from Ferdinand. I could use these to make one of my own. The tool itself was compact enough to be held in a single hand, and while the standard version played its recording when the lid was opened, this one simply required the recipient to touch the exposed feystone. Not to mention, it could record several messages instead of just one.

“However, the more messages you want to record, the stronger a feystone of Wind, Earth, and Life you will need,” Raimund noted.

“That won’t be a problem.”

The earth at Ehrenfest’s gathering spot was rich with mana, perhaps because of how frequently I was regenerating it. Plus, according to the apprentice knights’ reports, the increased quality of our ingredients meant that the feybeasts coming for them were growing stronger as well. At the moment, the knights were hunting there daily as training for their upcoming ditter game against Dunkelfelger, forced upon us by our joint research project. I needed only to buy the feystones I required from them.

“Ngh... I wish I could buy feystones that easily...” Raimund groaned.

“You will be able to soon. If others want the magic tool detailed in these schematics, then I will pay you an information fee.”

Raimund received my explanation of royalties with a look of absolute confusion. “Huh? But you’ve already bought the schematics, Lady Rozemyne. What’s all this about?”

“Schematics such as these that are bound to see such wide and extensive use are worth the extra cost, are they not? If we do not foster good relationships with our researchers and compensate them well, then I do not believe they will stay motivated.”

“Your idea is very wonderful indeed, Lady Rozemyne,” Raimund said, his eyes sparkling. Hirschur looked just as amazed. It seemed that they were only used to one-and-done sales.

I promptly started making my own sound-recording magic tool, listening carefully to Raimund as he talked me through the process. After dumping in some feystones, I was finally done.

“Could we perhaps put this in a stuffed toy that speaks when one touches the head or stomach?” I asked.

“If you keep the feystone exposed, yes, but what would be the point of that?” Raimund replied, tilting his head at me. Beside him, Lieseleta leaned forward, her deep-green eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

“A stuffed toy that would speak upon being stroked would be wonderfully cute, would it not?” she said. “Just imagine it.”

“I know, right?” I replied. “Thus, in keeping with my tradition, I shall make it a red pan—”

“It has to be a shumil, yes. That will certainly be the cutest,” Lieseleta interjected, giddy with excitement. She then fixed me with an unyielding stare. “Do allow me to assist with making the stuffed toy.”

Unfortunately, I was far from being a talented seamstress, so I swallowed my suggestion that we should make the stuffed toy a red panda and went with a shumil instead.

Red pandas are cute, but there’s no helping this. It’s hard to make things like that on your own.

Days passed, and we soon reached the date of our meeting with royalty. This was a summons rather than a tea party, so I only had to prepare enough sweets to present as a gift. Our load was light, but my heart was heavy.

“I did not think I would end up returning to their villa so soon...” I said.

Brunhilde gave a troubled smile. “You are the one who decided to inform them of what could have been kept private, Lady Rozemyne.”

“There was a report of Aub Ehrenfest agonizing over this as well,” Rihyarda added, looking equally strained. “However, if this information will aid the royal family even the slightest amount, then it would not be wise to keep it from them. Milady, I am of the opinion that your decision was just and ideal.”

My retainers had heard of the royal family’s struggles from Anastasius before the tea party for bookworms. They were very sympathetic to the current king, who was running himself ragged trying to supply mana to the foundation despite having never been raised or educated for his position. Apparently, they saw his situation as similar to my own, comparing his ordeal to my grueling work supplying mana to Ehrenfest as the archduke’s adopted daughter and the High Bishop despite having been raised in the temple and not receiving a noble’s education.

Though I doubt I’m struggling even half as much as King Trauerqual.

Unlike the royal family, who didn’t know what to do after losing such crucial information, I was receiving the expert guidance of so many people. I was truly blessed to have them.

“This may be a summons from royalty, but at least it’s with Prince Anastasius,” I said. He had graciously forgiven me for all my previous blunders, whether it was reading too deeply into his intentions with Eglantine or collapsing in his presence. Knowing that he wouldn’t suspect me of treason or planned usurpation when I told him what I knew made this a lot more comforting than if another member of the royal family had summoned me.

“Do not let your guard down, milady,” Rihyarda chided just as we arrived outside the door to the villa. Oswin was there to welcome us inside.

“We have been waiting, Lady Rozemyne of Ehrenfest.”

We were taken to a room where three people were sitting in wait. Among them were Hildebrand, who met me with a smile, and Anastasius, who quietly muttered, “She’s here.”

Between them was someone I didn’t recognize: a man with light-golden hair like Anastasius, and deep-green eyes complementing a peaceful smile. The clothes he was wearing and his position between the two princes immediately told me who he was.

AIEEEEEE! It’s the first prince! Come on, Prince Anastasius! You should have warned me that he was going to be here!

I definitely hadn’t expected Sigiswald to be present. I shouted complaints on the inside, but this was a summons, not a tea party; there was no reason why Anastasius would have informed me who was participating.

I smiled and greeted both Anastasius and Hildebrand, resisting the urge to crumble to the ground in despair, then knelt before Sigiswald and lowered my head. “It is an honor to meet you, Prince Sigiswald. May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe the God of Life?”

“You may.”

“I am Rozemyne, an archduke candidate of Ehrenfest. May the threads joining us never be broken.”

I granted Sigiswald a blessing, taking care not to go too far, then acquired his permission to stand. Even though he was seated, I still had to look up to meet his gaze. He seemed to be a very calm, serene individual—a complete contrast to Anastasius. There was a diligent air to him, and I could tell that he was the kind of person who paid attention to matters both big and small, making him feel very much like a well-raised first son. He hardly came across as someone who would have fought Anastasius over Eglantine for the throne. Maybe it had just been their retainers doing the fighting.

Sigiswald looked me in the eye, maintaining his pleasant smile. “So you are this Rozemyne I have heard so much about. The Saint of Ehrenfest, wise enough to have come first-in-class two years in a row, but of such poor health that you missed the awards ceremony on both occasions... I have long wanted to meet you.”

“I was looking forward to both ceremonies and deeply regret that I was unable to attend them. Many have described it to me as an honorable occasion where one receives direct praise from the king.” I was trying to make it clear that my absence hadn’t been deliberate, and I adopted Angelica’s signature look of disappointment in an attempt to really sell it. No way could I admit that I had skipped my first ceremony after Ferdinand baited me with reading time.

“If you do not mind, I would like you to take a seat and tell us what you know about the library’s archive,” Sigiswald said. “We of the royal family truly do require even the faintest of slivers of information you may have.”

I glanced at Anastasius and Hildebrand. They were both looking my way with interest, but Sigiswald was watching me a lot more closely. He maintained a peaceful smile, but I could feel the quiet intensity of his gaze.

“Answer our questions honestly,” the first prince continued. “The archive locked by three keys can only be entered by members of the royal family, a selection of archduke candidates, and the library’s magic tools. Furthermore, it contains documents that we of the royal family need to read. Is this correct?”

“I cannot say for certain,” I replied, speaking honestly. No sooner had the words left my lips than I noticed Anastasius plant a palm on his forehead.

“Rozemyne, whatever do you mean by that?” Sigiswald asked, blinking at me.

“I informed Ehrenfest of my taking ownership of one of the archive’s keys and reported my delight at having the opportunity to read any documents confirmed safe for me to view. But the response I received was that this made no sense. I do not know much else, so I cannot verify anything without actually entering the archive.”

“I see.”

Anastasius sighed and said, “You remain too honest for your own good.” Evidently, I should have sugarcoated my response a little better.

But, I mean... they literally told me to be honest.

“Still, this is rather strange,” Sigiswald said.

“What do you mean?”

“Why is Ehrenfest the only duchy that knows of this archive requiring three keys? Not even the greater duchies or the Sovereignty itself were aware of it.”

I couldn’t help but cock my head at him. Surely there was someone who knew. A member of the royal family who had survived the purge, for example.

“Did the last professor who was teaching the archduke candidate course not know?” I asked.

“Her husband seems to have visited the library at a young age, but no, she did not. We consulted Aubs Klassenberg and Dunkelfelger as well, but neither has ever stepped foot in the Royal Academy’s library.”

I already knew why archduke candidates didn’t go to the library—they would need to bring their train of retainers and would end up monopolizing the carrels, which would inconvenience everyone else. In general, the Royal Academy’s library was considered a place for laynobles and mednobles, where they could study books they could not afford to buy or make money by transcribing them. It was for these reasons that my retainers often advised me against going to the library, but I truly loved reading there, so I had no intention of stopping. I was only avoiding it this year because I was busy with all of our research, and the handover process for Schwartz and Weiss was progressing slowly.

“Normal archduke candidates have their apprentice scholars fetch whatever books or documents they want, so they have few reasons to visit the library themselves—or so I am told. Perhaps that is to blame.”

“Are the archduke candidates of your duchy told to visit the library personally?” Sigiswald asked, sounding ever so slightly amused.

Realizing that I had just insinuated that Ehrenfest archduke candidates were abnormal, I averted my eyes. “I go there readily because of how much I adore libraries and books. My siblings, Wilfried and Charlotte, rarely ever go themselves.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Hildebrand said. “Rozemyne just loves books, that’s all. And she was going to the library so often to supply Schwartz and Weiss with mana.” His explanation didn’t seem to stop Sigiswald from viewing me as a weird archduke candidate, but I was grateful that he had tried and gave him an appreciative nod.

“There is an Ehrenfest professor who has dedicated her life to research, and one of her past disciples was an archduke candidate whom she often sent to the library on her behalf,” I explained. “It did not help that this particular archduke candidate had few retainers whom he could trust and therefore could not risk letting anyone else handle the books he needed.”

The three princes all responded with exceedingly uncomfortable expressions; maybe I had said too much.

“As far as I am aware, it was a simple coincidence that he learned of this archive,” I continued. “He muttered something about wanting certain documents, so Schwartz and Weiss took him there to read them. The archlibrarians unlocked the archive for him without any fuss, so perhaps it was not a particularly secretive location at the time.”

We had no way to confirm this—the archlibrarians from back then were no longer with us—but if the archive really had been a royal secret, then surely Ferdinand would not have been allowed inside.

“I visited the Royal Academy’s library often and regularly interacted with Schwartz and Weiss as their master, but I was still unaware of the archive,” I said. “He must have been seeking very specialized documents.”

I had asked Schwartz and Weiss for books that I hadn’t read before but not for any specific kinds of documents. Thus, the books in the reading room were always enough to satisfy me.

“It is possible that Schwartz and Weiss would take me there after I exhaust every book in the reading room and then in the closed-stack archive that anyone can borrow from,” I noted. “But considering how little time remains before my graduation, I cannot see myself ever accomplishing that.”

I had deliberately refrained from saying who had given me all this information, but, as expected, Sigiswald and Anastasius had still deduced his identity.

Sigiswald continued to smile, but there was now a glint in his dark-green eyes. “Why did this individual keep such vital information to himself for so long?”

“He did not know that the royal family was unaware of this archive. Upon learning this, he told me to tell you, which is why I sent that ordonnanz. In fact, he also said that the royal family’s lack of knowledge on these subjects is so unnatural that he suspects someone has deliberately been hiding things from you.”

Ferdinand naturally understood that what I was saying would make me seem suspicious, but the information was important enough that he had determined it best for me to proceed anyway. In my opinion, it would be far more constructive if we dropped this conversation entirely and they went to the library to do some research themselves.

“There is something I wish to ask of the royal family,” I said. “May I?”

“Hold on,” Anastasius said, trying to stop me, but before he could protest any further—

“Go ahead,” Sigiswald interjected, nodding at me.

I smiled at him and then said, “You went out of your way to summon me here today, but what exactly do you hope to learn? Is it who told me this information? Or the contents of the documents that he said the royal family should know, perhaps? As I have not entered the archive myself, I will not be at all useful regarding the latter.”

A stir ran through our retainers. Anastasius said, “You speak above your place” while Sigiswald merely stared at me. Regardless, this discussion was clearly a waste of time.

“The diary of a past librarian that Solange allowed me to borrow said that members of the royal family visited the library upon coming of age and that all the archlibrarians gathered to welcome them. It seems plain to see that going to the library was once an important process for the royal family. That said, the Sovereign knight commander confiscated that diary some time ago, so I would assume you have all read it and already understand the importance of the archive.”

In essence, I was trying to say: “If you have the time to ask me where I got my information from, then you might as well just go to the library yourselves.” This message seemed to have been heard loud and clear, as Sigiswald exchanged a look with Anastasius, then nodded.

“If all of the archlibrarians gathered to welcome them, then it really is likely that they were going to the archive of which we speak. If we go ourselves, then we will know whether the information within truly is valuable. Anastasius.”

“Right. I shall summon the Dunkelfelger archduke candidate to the library,” Anastasius said. He instructed Oswin to send an ordonnanz to Hannelore, but I quickly called out before Oswin could.

“Oswin, please ask Lady Hannelore to bring rejuvenation potions.”

“Rejuvenation potions?” he repeated.

I nodded. “I am told that registering with the keys requires a significant amount of mana. Better safe than sorry, no?”

“I do recall Hortensia saying something along those lines,” Anastasius said. “Oswin, do as she suggests.”

Oswin sent the ordonnanz, and a response from Hannelore came soon after: “Understood. I will make my way to the library now.” She was informed that the princes were going to be present, then we began our trek to meet her.

We stood out so, so much on our way to the library that I wanted to flee, but as the soon-to-be owner of a special key, that was hardly an option. Thankfully, we weren’t all walking together for long; the adult princes quickly marched ahead, moving much faster than my short legs would allow. I gave a relieved sigh as they gradually got farther away, and it was then that Hildebrand called out to me. Unlike his half-brothers, he was deliberately matching my pace.

“Do you know what’s in the archive, Rozemyne?” he asked.

“I am told that it contains documents about the archduke candidate course and old rituals, including one particular ritual that Ehrenfest was investigating. Our aub visited the library during the Archduke Conference, intending to see them, but Schwartz and Weiss said that he could not enter due to nobody having the keys.” I was hoping to make the royal family understand the importance of the library and perhaps even convince them to send over a few more archlibrarians.

Hildebrand clapped his hands together and smiled, looking as though he had just come up with a brilliant idea. “In that case, we can use this opportunity to look through the documents together.”

“Th-That is a very attractive offer, but my guardian has forbidden me from entering the archive so that I do not cause any further problems.” I didn’t want to make Ehrenfest seem any more suspicious, and avoiding the archive entirely was the best way to prevent any blessing explosions from occurring when I entered.

I understand that from a rational perspective, but... I’m still dying to go inside!

The desire was so strong. I wanted to read everything in there. Rihyarda likely wouldn’t let me, though, and Ferdinand would be mad beyond words.

When we arrived at the library, Schwartz and Weiss came over and greeted us.

“Rozemyne here.”

“Hildebrand too.”

To my knowledge, this was the first time they had called me by my name. It wasn’t unexpected, but it did feel very strange. To be honest, I was a little upset that I wasn’t their “milady” anymore.

“Thank you for coming. We have already cleared the library,” Hortensia said. Naturally, she and Solange had been informed that we were coming. I silently extended my sympathies to all the students who had been dragged away from their studies, but that was far better than them being dragged into any trouble with the royal family.

While we were exchanging greetings with the librarians, Hannelore arrived. Her red eyes widened in shock when she saw not just one but three princes.

As if getting summoned by Prince Anastasius wasn’t bad enough... I know how you feel, Hannelore; I really do. I was surprised too.

Hannelore went on to exchange first-time greetings with Sigiswald, after which he said, “I apologize for the abrupt summons, but I must ask that you assist us as a member of the Library Committee.”

“I will gladly provide as much assistance as is required,” she replied with a smile, not faltering even in the face of such a sudden request from a member of the royal family.

As expected of an archduke candidate from a greater duchy. I could learn a lot from her.

“The keys are in this office,” Hortensia said as she guided us there. “However, there is not enough room for everyone to enter. We must ask that you each bring only two guard knights and one scholar.”

We had three princes and two archduke candidates in our group; it made sense that we wouldn’t be able to bring all of our retainers into the office. I chose Leonore, my archknight; Laurenz, since he was the best close-quarters fighter out of all the guard knights with me; and Philine, who was most accustomed to scholar work.

“These are the keys to the underground archive,” Hortensia said once we were inside, setting each one on the table with a loud clatter. She had found them in the archlibrarians’ rooms in the library dormitory, and they needed to be registered with different people. “Lady Rozemyne, Lady Hannelore, please take a key each and start channeling mana into them.”

Hannelore and I did as instructed, gripping the keys and registering our mana with them. It wasn’t unlike registering my mana to the key for the bible, so I finished in no time at all.

“That was rather quick,” Hortensia remarked, staring at me in surprise.

I smiled and said, “Why, thank you.” Hannelore similarly finished channeling mana into her key a few moments later.

“Once again, I am reminded of the gap between archduke candidates and archnobles...”

“Hortensia, they are both superb archduke candidates. You must not compare yourself to them,” Solange interjected, trying to console her. She then took out two keys from a storage box and explained that they were for opening the closed-stack archive and the door located within. “I never thought the day would come when I would welcome the royal family and use these keys...”

According to Solange, the archlibrarians had handled everything whenever the royal family came to the library. She had stayed in the shadows, directing attendants to make tea, prepare meals, and carry out other tasks of that nature.

With the keys in hand, we made our way to the reading room, where we reunited with our retainers who had been waiting outside. We then cut through the first floor of the library, our numbers having swelled in size once again.

“The book I lent Lady Rozemyne during our tea party for bookworms came from this very closed-stack archive,” Solange said with a nostalgic smile while opening a door at the very back of the reading room. This was going to be my first time going inside, and my heart raced at the very thought. The slightly dusty air mixed with the scent of parchment was heavenly.

Once everyone was in the not-so-large archive, Solange opened another door farther into the room. Lights instantly turned on behind it, and a staircase descending down into the basement came into view. It seemed rather bright, maybe because everything was white.

“Schwartz. Weiss. Please guide everyone,” Solange said.

“Guide everyone.”

“Important work.”

Schwartz and Weiss began to hop down the stairs.

“Hortensia, please enter next. As a mednoble, I can go no farther. Direct any further questions you may have to Schwartz and Weiss.”

Hortensia descended the stairs as requested, and the princes followed after her. Just like Solange, some of our retainers were also unable to continue onward. Several of the princes’ mednoble retainers similarly ended up hitting an invisible barrier that blocked their path.

“Those of you who cannot descend, await our return in the reading room,” Sigiswald instructed.

Once the three princes and their retainers were on their way down, Hannelore followed. I was last, as per the duchy rankings, and not all of my retainers were able to come with me—Philine and Roderick were blocked, for instance. By the time we reached the stairs, only Rihyarda, Leonore, and Brunhilde remained; I had considerably fewer archnoble retainers than Hannelore and the royal family.

“You certainly have many mednobles in your retinue, Lady Rozemyne,” Hannelore said, turning to look at me as we continued down the stairs.

“I have two siblings already attending the Royal Academy, and a younger brother who is soon to join us. We are having to battle for retainers at the moment.”

“I suppose that is common for duchies with so many archduke candidates present at once.”

“Indeed. It has not been a problem for the most part, but I see now that there are times when only archnobles can accompany me,” I said, making a troubled expression. “This is all very new...”

Hannelore smiled and noted that this was her first time experiencing it as well.

We descended the faintly illuminated, pure-white stairway until we arrived at an equally pure-white reception hall, large enough that it could have accommodated all of our retainers at once. The interior was furnished with several tables and chairs, as though we were about to have a tea party, but the walls were bare, and there were no carpets or other such decorations that one would expect to see in a duchy’s tea party room. The floor was simply white.

I looked around the pure-white space and noticed that one wall was actually a more metallic color. On it were three equidistant protrusions, each decorated ornately as if to emphasize its presence.

“Three, line up.”

“Open lock.”

Schwartz and Weiss patted the metallic wall and pointed at the decorated protrusions; it seemed that the wall was actually the door to the archive, and the decorative protrusions were the keyholes. A closer look revealed that, rather than inserting the bit of the key as with a standard door, the entire key needed to be pushed into a mold.

I exchanged nods with Hortensia and Hannelore, then we pushed our keys into their respective slots.

“Hold the keys,” Schwartz said.

We did as instructed, making sure our keys didn’t fall out. As soon as all three were in place, there was a clicking sound, and the feystones with which we had registered began sucking out our mana. They flashed, then red veins started running across the wall.

“Get away,” Weiss said.

I slowly retreated until I could see the entire wall. It was covered in magic circles with complex patterns. Once the magic circles were complete, the wall split into three sections which began to turn with a loud creaking sound. These “doors” slowly moved one hundred eighty degrees—and once they seemed to connect again, they disappeared.

Behind them was a place that did indeed look like an archive. There were book stands, writing desks, and many bookcases. One would expect the shelves to be packed with wooden boards, but they were instead lined with white slates. There were only twenty volumes of what appeared to be books resting on the desks.

As everyone stared ahead in surprise, Schwartz said, “Opened” and went inside.

Hortensia tried to follow, but she was halted by an invisible force just like the one at the stairway. “I cannot go inside after all...” she said, stopping in place and pushing against the barrier.

Weiss looked up at her and plainly said, “Milady not qualified.”

“I wish to see if archduke candidates can enter,” Anastasius said. “Rozemyne, go inside.”

“It pains me to say this, but my guardians forbade me from going into the archive,” I replied, holding back the urge to cry. “If you find anything that I am allowed to read, then please bring it out here for me.”

Weiss shook his head. “No lending here.”

“Whaaat?! That can’t be...”

I thought I would get to read at my leisure! So mean!

I was not the only one horrified to hear that the books couldn’t be lent out; Hortensia was practically trembling with a hand over her mouth in shock.

At this moment, Professor Hortensia and I are one.

Upon seeing Hortensia and me slump our shoulders, Anastasius gave an exasperated sigh and turned to the other archduke candidate present. “Very well, then. Hannelore, go inside.”

“Understood,” Hannelore replied, albeit after a short pause. She took a deep breath, steeled her resolve, and slowly walked forward with a hand gingerly extended.

She entered the archive without incident.

Schwartz said something to Hannelore once she was inside, and I could see her tilt her head in response. The barrier must have also blocked sound, as we couldn’t actually hear them.

“It seems archduke candidates can enter after all,” Anastasius mused. “Well then, Brother... I will go in first.”

After checking for danger, Anastasius turned back to the entrance and nodded. Sigiswald joined him not long after, but their retainers collectively failed to enter.

“Me next, then,” Hildebrand said with a bright smile, moving to follow them. But as he tried to step forward, an invisible force stopped him. He inhaled sharply and started pounding on the barrier. “Why won’t it let me through?! Why only me?! Is it because I’m engaged to an Ahrensbach archduke candidate and won’t be royalty forever?!” he cried, on the verge of tears.

Weiss shook his head. “No, Hildebrand. Not enough mana.”

Hildebrand wasn’t the only one to harden in response to this news; his present retainers exchanged glances, unsure of what to say to him.

I made my way over to the youngest prince. Sure, Weiss had said that he didn’t have enough mana to enter the archive, but that was nothing to be upset about. “It is written that those of the royal family who came to this archive did so after coming of age. There is no helping that you would not have enough mana when you have not even entered the Royal Academy. You have not learned to compress your mana, you have not been granted the divine protections of the gods, and you have not even obtained your schtappe.”

“Rozemyne...”

“You have yet to finish your growth period, that is all. Now, why not wait with me?” I gestured to the chairs around one of the tables.

Hildebrand scanned the room, looking at the tables and chairs before the invisible wall. “You’re going to be waiting here, Rozemyne?”