Great-grandfather made his exit after merely exchanging greetings. It seemed there was nothing wrong with his health. I consoled myself a little, thinking that if magic compression had been applied, he would surely have risen far too high, so it was for the best that this happened.
...That was a shock. I thought my heart was going to stop.
It took a while after great-grandfather's departure before the commotion finally subsided, and the current Count Leynesgang came to pay his respects.
"Please allow me to pray for blessings upon this rare encounter that has endured the strict selection of the Life God Evilibie."
"You have my permission."
"I am deeply sorry that my grandfather startled you. He only wished to see
The current Count Leynesgang was young. That said, he appeared slightly older than Lord
I felt I understood why I had not been permitted to meet him despite being family. I suspected they had finally granted permission because my engagement to
"Then, I will teach you my method of magic compression. First, I will need you to pay the fee and sign the Contract Magic agreement."
I said this while gesturing toward the clerk in charge of collecting payments and my adoptive father, who oversaw the Contract Magic that covered the entire country. My adoptive father was monitoring the Contract Magic forms where people signed their names. This was because there were some people whose faces I could not match to their names, and to make it appear that the increase in magic power was being led by the Lord rather than by me personally.
Once the participants had finished paying and signing the Contract Magic forms, I once again used
This time, I taught three stages. Demonstrating the process in person seemed to make it easier to visualize—most people reported that compression came more easily, and nearly everyone said it was their first time seeing the futon-sack compression method.
"Even knowing the method, the amount you can ultimately compress varies depending on each person's spiritual strength. ...Also, if you compress too rapidly and increase the magic density too much, you will suffer from magic sickness and feel unwell. Please be careful to increase your magic power in a way that does not interfere with your work."
I made sure to state the caveats as well. That way, if anyone suffered from magic sickness, it would be their own responsibility.
"To think that even adults who have finished growing can raise their magic density with some ingenuity... I am deeply impressed. And I am in awe of your generosity in sharing knowledge that would be more advantageous to keep secret, teaching it to lord candidates other than yourself for the good of the territory."
Giebe
Spotting Wilfried and his close aides—wearing troubled expressions, probably because they were practicing magic compression while walking—I couldn't help but call out to them.
"Brother Wilfried."
"What is it, Rozemyne?"
"Brother Wilfried, your knights are a step behind those of other lord families. I imagine they will work hard on magic compression to catch up, but please, be very careful—not only of magic sickness, but also of becoming so absorbed in compression that it interferes with your duties as guards."
I also advised him that it would be wise to review their duty schedules to make compression easier, and then issue orders forbidding compression during active duty. Having everyone perform magic compression while on the move was simply too dangerous.
"Mm. You're right."
Wilfried nodded, and his knights appeared to have stopped their compression as well. After seeing everyone file out, I hurried over to my adoptive father and the Chief Priest.
"Father, Lord
"...Come to think of it, one of your attendants is missing. But what do you mean, help?"
My adoptive father narrowed his eyes and looked at me. But being asked what I meant put me in a bind. All I knew was what had happened with this morning's ordonnance.
"I don't know. An ordonnance came this morning. Behind the voice of a woman claiming to be unwell, I could hear Philine's voice from a little distance away, pleading for her money to be returned."
The Chief Priest, who had been listening while lightly tapping his temples, raised his eyebrows slightly.
"You didn't rush out for once. Have you grown a little?"
"I was restrained by all my attendants at once. ...And taking some time to cool down helped a little."
To be precise, my thought processes had been entirely hijacked by my great-grandfather collapsing right in front of me.
"How can I help her in a way that respects Philine's position and doesn't cause her trouble? Philine's money was meant for learning magic compression. She said her parents wouldn't pay for it, so she had to earn it herself—gathering information at the Noble Academy, copying texts, collecting stories from various places. She worked so hard to save up, and she was so happy that she would finally be able to learn magic compression..."
It had never even occurred to me that her parents—the ones who should have been rooting for her growth—would stand in her way. Philine had worked so hard on her own precisely because her family was too poor to ask them for money.
"Parents take their child's money?"
"It is not uncommon for lower-ranking nobles to turn their wages over to the household. Especially when they are minors living in the family home."
At Damuel's words—him being a lower-ranking noble just like Philine—my adoptive father let out a long sigh.
"You should have managed it for her."
"Perhaps. But I can't very well offer to hold someone's money without being asked. That would be an order, wouldn't it?"
Truthfully, I had considered quietly deducting the magic compression fee from the money before handing it over. My adoptive father had even told me that would mean she needed to prepare less money, making things easier.
But receiving money that you had earned yourself through your own conscious effort for the first time was something necessary for the sense of achievement it brought. And by paying for it as an investment in yourself from that money, she could study far more seriously than if she relied on her parents' funds. In trying to teach her a proper attitude toward money by deliberately handing it over in cash, I had apparently backfired.
"I don't think it's wise for you to intervene in family matters."
"Philine is my attendant, which means I must protect her from harm. Isn't that a lord's duty? That is what I learned when
"Hm. That way of thinking is not wrong."
Though you seem to cause nothing but problems, perhaps you have grown a little," the Chief Priest said, narrowing his eyes.
"But what is the right way to protect her? I want to settle this as peacefully as possible without hurting Philine."
"When you stick your nose into family matters, things escalate. If you want a peaceful resolution, why not have your attendant earn the money once more and this time, offer to hold it for her?"
The Chief Priest shrugged as he said this. What was a trivial sum to him was a fortune to a lower-ranking noble.
Being told to keep my hands off if I wanted a peaceful resolution, I bit my lip hard—when suddenly
"Oh my, how terrible. How could I have let this happen."
He said this in a voice that conveyed absolutely no distress, then looked around the room.
"It seems I gave Philine the wrong money. What she took home was the amount meant to be paid to students from other territories, and the money that should have been given to Philine was deposited with Rozemyne-sama. I must take the money to Philine right away and make the exchange."
That couldn't be right. I had paid all the money myself, and I was managing the portions due to other territories as well.
I tilted my head, confused by Hartmut's explanation, when the Chief Priest let out a small chuckle.
"I see. That is a serious matter. Rozemyne, it appears your attendant has mistakenly taken home money that should have been paid to other territories. If it were used without authorization, it could become a dispute between territories. Take the amount that should have been paid and go retrieve it immediately."
Being told not to forget to set aside the magic compression fee this time, I finally understood and nodded vigorously.
"It would be terrible if this developed into a territorial dispute. I must go at once and apologize for the mistake."
"I will instruct Philine's father to accompany you after being informed of the reason. Come back here once the money is ready."
"Yes!"
Having obtained the perfect justification to go to Philine's house, I immediately mounted my riding beast and flew to my room.
Richarda and
"Richarda, please bring me the money I had set aside for the other territories."
I explained the situation to Richarda and Ottilie as they brought out the money. From it, I withdrew the same amount I had given to Philine. Then, from that same amount, I set aside the fee for magic compression along with one small silver coin. I thought it wouldn't hurt for Philine to have just a little money that she could call her own, rather than turning all of her earnings over to her family.
"My lady, wouldn't it be better to give Philine a room in the castle? With a stepmother who goes so far as to make false reports to keep her from work, Philine will likely be made to bear blame eventually, even if she has done nothing wrong."
Richarda said this with a worried expression. Indeed, if I were only thinking of Philine, that would be the best solution.
"...If Philine wishes it, I will do so. But she said she has a younger brother who hasn't had his
I had Hartmut carry the money intended for Philine's family, then summoned my riding beast.
"Let's go."
I couldn't very well bring all of my attendants to a lower-ranking noble's home. Since we were going outside the castle, I had to bring all my guard knights, but from among the attendants and staff, I chose the quick-witted
"We will have Philine's room prepared and waiting, just in case. It would be a problem if it weren't ready when needed."
"I'm counting on you, Brünhilde."
Brünhilde, who had worked alongside us as an attendant at the Noble Academy, was fond of Philine despite being an upper-ranking noble. We were sent off by her amber eyes, which clearly showed her concern, and returned to the room where the Chief Priest was waiting.
"We have kept you waiting, Lord Ferdinand."
"I have already explained the situation. It appears Rozemyne handed over the wrong amount—do not cause her any trouble, Schickark."
He addressed the lower-ranking attendant, who had been called in and was bowing profusely. I apologized to Philine's father, who had gone pale and seemed to be forcing upon himself nothing but absolute obedience.
"I am truly sorry about this. If the amount is short, it could become a territorial dispute."
"Th-that sort of thing..."
He had been so busy gathering information related to magic compression that he had come home only to sleep throughout the winter, so he apparently had no idea what was currently happening in his own household.
I left the guidance to Schickark, who had gone pale upon learning that his own family was involved in something that could become a territorial dispute. Everyone mounted their riding beasts and headed for Philine's house. The Chief Priest came along as well, to apologize on my behalf for my blunder.
"It is that way."
Philine's house was located in the southern part of the Noble District, where lower-ranking nobles' homes were clustered together. It was incomparably smaller than the castle, but compared to a commoner's home, it was a rather large and well-kept residence—at the very least, it was spacious enough to accommodate this many visitors.
"My, welcome."
Having heard she was the second wife, I was not surprised to find that Philine's stepmother was quite a young woman. The fatigue written on her face was probably due to the baby who had been born just this past summer.
"Yonasara, this is an urgent matter. We hear Philine brought home a large sum of money. Do you know anything about it?"
"...Has that girl done something? Yesterday she came home claiming she was Rozemyne-sama's attendant—a lie, of course—and brought back a large sum, which I thought was suspicious. A lower-ranking noble could never become Rozemyne-sama's attendant. She made a vow in the Children's Room and was turned down, but she cannot face that reality and so she spouts these delusions. It's truly a problem."
Yonasara said this with genuine annoyance, then offered me a polite apology for the trouble.
"Yonasara, I believe you are mistaken, so let me correct you—Philine is my attendant. She was officially appointed at the Noble Academy."
"...What?"
Meeting Yonasara's wide, disbelieving eyes, I tilted my head slowly.
"Philine was not lying. She is my attendant."
"That's... that can't be..."
Watching Yonasara shake her head in disbelief, I smiled sweetly.
"Please allow me to visit her. I also need to explain that this is not Philine's fault and get yesterday's money returned."
"That is... well... she is still bedridden, you see. I cannot very well let Rozemyne-sama, who is not in the best of health, in to see her. You appear to be in a hurry, so I'll bring the money right away."
At her obviously suspicious haste, I turned my gaze to the Chief Priest.
The Chief Priest shifted his gaze to Hartmut and lifted his chin ever so slightly. Reading his intent to send Hartmut, I gave a small nod.
"Hartmut, go with Yonasara and verify that the correct amount is there. Lieseleta, please visit Philine in my stead and let her know she has nothing to worry about."
"Rozemyne-sama..."
"I appreciate your concern for my health, Yonasara. But I will be waiting right here, so there is no need to worry."
I said this with an even deeper smile.
If she wouldn't let me go, then I would simply use my attendants. Now that I had detected Yonasara's ill will toward Philine, I had no intention of leaving until I had confirmed Philine's safety.
I assigned Hartmut and Lieseleta, along with Damuel and
I watched them file out of the reception room, and after a short while, an enormous crash and a scream rang out from somewhere nearby. I nearly leaped to my feet, but the Chief Priest reached under the table and stopped me.
At the same time,
"I am deeply sorry. I will go check immediately."
Schickark said this and rushed out of the reception room at nearly the same moment that Damuel's sharp voice rang out: "Get back!"
"Philine!"
Philine was carried into the reception room, wrapped in Damuel's cloak. There were marks of a hand on her face, and her youthful eyes were glistening with despair and tears. Behind her, Lieseleta led a boy of four or five who was obviously not being properly cared for.
"Philine, what happened?"
When I called out to her, Philine slowly looked at me and her eyes went wide as if suddenly realizing something.
"Rozemyne-sama, please—I beg you. Please save my brother, Conrad."
Through her tears, Philine told me about her stepmother's abuse of her brother.
She said her stepmother had taken Conrad's Magical Tool. A Magical Tool was something given to a child upon their birth as a noble—it was a precious device that drew out a child's magic power and accumulated it into a magic stone until they were old enough to attend the Noble Academy.
The stepmother had taken the Magical Tool, drained it completely of its magic stone and magic power, cancelled and reset the registered magic power of Conrad, and repurposed it as the Magical Tool for her own newborn child. She said the family did not have enough money to prepare a new Magical Tool for their stepchild, so until now they had been transferring magic power into empty magic stones.
She said it was only possible because Philine's father had been busy with social engagements and absent from home, and because Philine had not returned from the Noble Academy.
"Conrad will die if this goes on! His magic power is already at its limit..."
"But this is a matter within a single household. It is not something that falls under the jurisdiction of Rozemyne, the Lord's daughter."
The Chief Priest said this before I could even open my mouth. I could tell he was warning both me and Philine to think carefully before speaking, and I gritted my back teeth hard.
"Yes, that's right. It's a family matter. It's nothing that should reach Rozemyne-sama's ears. Philine, just because you were chosen as an attendant, don't let it go to your head. Know your place."
Yonasara said this while clutching her own child, but she made no move to enter the room, stopping near the door instead. She held her baby and the Magical Tool close, her face full of wariness as she looked us over.
But even if this was called a family matter, the fact remained that without a Magical Tool, one would die from overflowing magic power—whether noble or Self-Eating. I knew all too well the sensation of dying in that all-consuming heat.
"Lord Ferdinand, is it wrong of me to not want Philine's brother to die?"
"A child who has not even completed the Baptism Ceremony does not count."
Hearing words I had heard many times before, I closed my eyes for a moment. I could never grow accustomed to that way of thinking. I could not accept the notion of not counting a living, breathing soul as a person simply because they hadn't undergone the ceremony.
I turned my gaze to Schickark, the party at the center of this family matter.
"This is a family matter, so it's not my place to interfere. And yet, I cannot stand by and watch a child potentially die. Schickark, what do you think of this situation?"
"...I had heard from my wife that she intended to do this, but I didn't think she had already gone through with it."
But even having been consulted about her intentions, even having failed to provide a new Magical Tool, it felt as though the conclusion had already been drawn. One of the two children would not survive.
"So what will you do? Will you purchase a new Magical Tool?"
"My household does not have the means for that. We will prioritize the heir with the greater magic power."
"Father!?"
Philine let out a cry like a scream, but Schickark had made his decision clear the moment he spoke it aloud.
For nobles, prioritizing the child with greater magic power was probably the natural choice. My attendants simply lowered their gazes sadly—none of them said a word.
Upon hearing Schickark's words, Yonasara clutched the Magical Tool—that she had taken from Conrad and re-registered with her own child's magic—to her chest protectively and let out a sigh of relief. Her expression was that of a mother protecting what she valued above all else, and I felt an utterly complicated mix of emotions.
Conrad, whose Magical Tool—his lifeline as a noble's child—had been snatched away and who had been cast aside by his father, stood in a daze, while Philine stared at her condemned brother with large tears rolling down her cheeks.
"That means... then Conrad..."
"I will take him."
"Rozemyne-sama?"
"If I am to let him ascend the stairway leading far above by the guidance of the Supreme God, it makes no difference whether he lives in the house of the gods."
At my words, Schickark and Yonasara grimaced, looking as if to say that would be problematic.
"I'm afraid not, Rozemyne-sama. Our family cannot afford to support him as a Blue Priest. Expenses will only continue to increase from here. ...While being named Rozemyne-sama's attendant is an honor, even acquiring the personal belongings befitting that role is no simple matter. Please allow us to decline."
Hearing Yonasara's words, Philine lowered her eyes sadly. It was the same expression she had worn when she gave up on picture books in the Children's Room that winter. She had been enduring everything like this all along, hadn't she?
"I have a duty to protect my own attendants. I will give Philine a room in the castle and lend her everything she needs for her work, so there is no problem. Philine, move into the castle so as not to be a burden on your family. I have no intention of letting you go. Go with Lieseleta and pack your belongings."
Philine's face lit up with joy for an instant, but then she looked at Conrad and her expression turned guilty.
"Philine, Conrad will be taken in at the
"See? Rozemyne-sama says so too. Let's go."
Prompted several times by Lieseleta, Philine went to pack her things with heavy steps, repeatedly looking back at Conrad with worry.
"Conrad, may I cast a healing spell on you?"
"Rozemyne-sama, that would be such a waste..."
"I didn't ask Schickark."
I crouched down to meet Conrad's gaze. He was a small boy—smaller than me—with several marks from being struck and obvious signs of neglect.
"You don't like being hurt, do you?"
Saying this, I produced my staff. In that instant, Conrad's face twisted in terror and he began struggling to escape. It seemed he had been attacked with magic through a staff before.
I immediately dismissed my staff and looked at Yonasara.
"It's a family matter. Just disciplining the child."
Yonasara said this with a thin smile. She certainly didn't think she had done anything wrong.
I gave up on using my staff and instead began slowly channeling magic power into my ring.
"O Rungramail, goddess of healing, kin of the Water Goddess Flyuteline—heed my prayer and bestow your sacred power. Grant into my hands the power to heal this wounded young child. I offer you this sacred melody—cast forth your supreme ripples and grant me your pure, holy protection."
Green light emerged from the ring, enveloping Conrad and healing his wounds. Eyes wide, he looked down at his body and whispered, "It doesn't hurt."
"I am Rozemyne, your sister's lord. Conrad, you no longer have a Magical Tool. What would you like to do from here? Do you want to stay here and be swallowed by the heat of your magic and die? Or would you rather live at the Temple's orphanage?"
"Rozemyne-sama, our family cannot support a Blue Priest..."
The moment Yonasara opened her mouth, Conrad flinched. I made a small gesture with my hand, silencing Yonasara.
"I never said a word about accepting Conrad as a Blue Priest. I will take him in as an orphan—a Gray Priest. He will have absolutely no connection to this household. Please consider him truly dead."
"W-well, if he will have no further connection to us, then that is fine with me."
Conrad looked at Yonasara in surprise at her sudden change of mood, then looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"If you come to the orphanage, you will be given food, a clean bed, and an education. At the very least, you will not be subjected to beatings like this. But if you truly wish to stay here and die, I will accept that. Don't you want to eat something delicious?"
Conrad hesitated for a while, his gaze wandering here and there, before finally settling on me and speaking.
"...I'm hungry."
"I thought so. Then, once Philine is ready, let's go together."
A surprise visit to Philine's home. Rozemyne is shocked by conditions worse than she imagined. Philine and Conrad are now part of the family. Next time: to the Temple.