During the winter, the
Neither side was wrong in their arguments, but the hostile atmosphere with so many visiting nobles looking on was extremely undesirable. Tense as things had become, I couldn't help but step between the two parties.
"Johann, please let me see as well. The metal type were originally my order, after all."
"Lady Rozemyna..."
As the lord's adopted daughter and a guest being treated with great hospitality, my sticking my nose into the craftsmen's domain made both the craftsmen and the nobles murmur. But paying absolutely no attention to the commotion, I picked up four rejected and four accepted pieces of metal type from the selection table Johann had been working at and examined them from every angle.
"...Ah, this one really is no good, isn't it? It's this part, right?"
"That's correct."
Johmann nodded at the area I pointed to. Comparing accepted and rejected pieces side by side like this, the differences in tilt and length, though tiny, became apparent. With metal type, even the "tiniest" imperfection is a fatal problem. I recalled that the metal type Johann had first brought me didn't have any of these issues, and comparing his work to others' made me once again marvel at just how skilled he was.
"This much tilt will cause the characters to blur during printing, so this one cannot be used. This one has sloppy treatment in this section. It will damage the paper when printed."
"Wha!?"
I pointed at the small metal type and went through each rejected area one by one, explaining to the Haldenzel blacksmiths exactly where things had gone wrong.
The thought "This is way too picky!" was practically written on the craftsmen's faces. Being nobles, they held their tongues and endured it.
"You may think I'm being excessively particular, but this is exactly the level of precision I always demand from Johann. Metal type is not something where 'close enough' is acceptable."
The craftsmen answered with deflated sighs, so I shifted my gaze to Johann.
"...Johann, this is something that happens with craftsmen often, but your explanations were fundamentally insufficient. At the Ehrenfest workshop, saying 'it doesn't match the blueprints' as grounds for rejection might have been enough, and the people around you know you're not great with words. But this is Haldenzel. For people making metal type for the first time, you need to explain in detail exactly which parts differ and how, or they simply won't understand."
"But the blueprints..."
"Not everyone can read blueprints. They might be able to read the numbers like you can, but perhaps not the fine-print notes. And demanding this level of precision in a commission is probably unusual, isn't it? If they're not used to it, they wouldn't know just how precise they need to be, would they?"
Johann looked up as though struck by a realization.
Johann, who was always assigned work requiring extreme precision, likely took it for granted that everything had to match the blueprints without the slightest deviation. But even in Ehrenfest, Johann's work was special.
"...
"Yes, Brother Wilfried. If you look at them like this, I think you'll see it."
I arranged four accepted pieces and four rejected pieces on the table, lining them up and stacking them to demonstrate. Wilfried narrowed his eyes, studying the display intently.
"The ones in this pile seem just a little lower."
"Brother, let me see too, please."
Wilfried stepped aside for Charloette, who examined the metal type with keen interest.
As I carefully explained the printing mechanism to the two of them and why even slight differences were problematic, the Haldenzel blacksmiths listened with solemn expressions. Since Johann always produced perfect pieces, I'd never had occasion to explain things in this much detail before. The initial failure to communicate might well have been my own fault.
"So you see, unless the heights are perfectly aligned, printing won't work, and any tilt in the metal type causes problems. The metal type Johann makes have no misalignment whatsoever when lined up like this—they're perfect and beautiful, aren't they?"
Even when a single piece didn't make the difference obvious, stacking ten or twenty together revealed the subtle variations. Pieces that wouldn't stand on their own, pieces that wobbled slightly, pieces that were off by less than a millimeter but still had a marginally different height...
Having confirmed it with their own eyes, the Haldenzel blacksmiths straightened up, tension running through their bodies.
"...We'll start over."
"About half of them passed, so you're more than halfway there. Even in Ehrenfest, there are hardly any blacksmiths besides Johann who can produce accepted metal type. Isn't that right, Johann?"
"Yes.
"Which is why I have high expectations for Haldenzel. Pay attention to the fine details and win Johann's approval."
The hostile atmosphere had given way to one of serious determination. With the craftsmen all wearing earnest expressions, I left Johann and
"Next, we'll be visiting the Haldenzel Printing Association. Since I'm the only official in charge of the printing industry, there isn't really a formal department for it."
So saying, an official who handled printing industry matters offered to guide us. The Platane Company, which had been trailing at the end of the noble procession, would be conducting future business at this location.
In a corner of the officials' workspace, we received an explanation about the Printing Association. They showed us the numerous documents required for conducting trade with commoners.
"A permit from the commercial guild. You can tell whether a printing association has been established based on whether this document is in order. This is a permit from Aub Ehrenfest, and this is an order from the Archduke. When starting a printing business at a new location in the future, please check these documents first."
The official in charge explained the entire flow—from obtaining permission, to setting up the printing workshop, to printing, and finally to sales. Having been closely involved, the official's explanation was peppered with the unique difficulties and ingenuity that only someone from the field would know.
Wilfried, who had been entrusted with the final review, listened with a serious gaze, and the official was desperately taking notes. Charloette and the others, who had been informed in advance that they would be taking over the review process starting next year, did the same.
"Well then, I'll be meeting with the Platane Company to discuss tomorrow's work, so everyone please take a short rest."
The official who had finished the explanation beckoned to
"You must be tired. Tonight is the Dedication Ritual, so please rest in your rooms until then."
The Haldenzel Countess, who hadn't accompanied us during the tour, took charge of directing everyone to their respective rooms. Apparently, each person's attendants had already arranged the rooms and luggage.
When I entered the room I'd been led to along with
While helping me with my bath, Lieseleta asked, "For the outfit to attend the Dedication Ritual, shall I use the High Priest's ceremonial garments?"
I could have considered my role finished since I'd handed over the small Holy Cup, but since it was the Dedication Ritual, the High Priest's outfit would probably be more appropriate.
"Yes. I'll be attending the Haldenzel Dedication Ritual in my capacity as the High Priest who brought the small Holy Cup, so please prepare the ceremonial garments."
According to Lieseleta, who had received an explanation from the Countess, the Dedication Ritual would begin at the sixth bell, and we had been told to gather in the dining hall early enough to make it to the square by the sixth bell.
Wearing my ceremonial garments and a spring hair ornament, I climbed aboard my lesser beast. Since I'd grown quite fatigued during today's tour, I had obtained permission from the Archduke of Haldenzel to move around the castle on my riding beast during my stay.
"Ah, everyone is here now. Then, let us go."
I appeared to be the last to arrive at the dining hall. The Archduke of Haldenzel rose to his feet, escorted his wife, and began walking.
"Normally, Brother Wilfried would escort Lady Rozemyna, but..."
Since I was mounted on my riding beast, Mother had instructed me to walk alongside her instead.
Behind us came Charloette, and behind her were Mother and Father, with Father escorting Mother as they walked.
The officials and attendants lined up behind them in order of rank, with the guard knights forming a perimeter around the group. Brother Wilfried walked on my right side, and Angelica on my left.
The Archduke and Countess of Haldenzel descended the stairs at a leisurely pace. I had been puzzled when told the Dedication Ritual would be held not in a great hall but in a square, but thinking about it more carefully, the Harvest Festival in Ilgner had also been held in the square. It was a festival celebrated together by both commoners and the Archduke. The same would likely be true in Haldenzel—a feast to celebrate spring together with the commoners.
I had heard that commoner living quarters existed underground, and sure enough, the hallway was pure white with doors lined up at regular intervals. It looked almost like a dormitory in the
At the center was a large square where the commoners had already gathered. The only similarity to the Winter Chapel that was visited during the Dedication Ritual was probably that it was a gathering of commoners for a festival.
At the center of the square stood a wide, cylindrical, circular platform, with an altar installed at its center. Offerings to the gods and the small Holy Cup had been placed upon it.
In Hassel and Ilgner's Harvest Festivals, seats had been arranged so that nobles looked down upon the commoners from the stage, but in Haldenzel, round tables encircled the best viewing position at the front of the stage, and the Haldenzel nobles had already taken their seats.
Several tables at what I presumed was the front position were unoccupied. The chairs for the Archduke and Countess of Haldenzel were positioned ever so slightly off from the very center front. Those would be our seats as children of the lord.
"Lady Rozemyna, this way."
The moment the Archduke of Haldenzel pulled out a chair, I could feel barely concealed agitation ripple through those around us. Unsure whether I should simply take the seat, I glanced toward Father and Mother.
Both gave a slight shake of their heads. They were probably telling me not to sit.
"Could you please escort Brother Wilfried to his seat first? I need to put away my riding beast."
I politely declined in an roundabout way and slowly dismounted my lesser beast. The Archduke of Haldenzel's smile deepened slightly as he escorted Brother Wilfried to his seat, then offered a seat to Charloette as well.
A collective breath of relief seemed to pass through the tension in the air.
"This way, please, Lady Rozemyna."
Once I'd finished putting away my riding beast, the Archduke of Haldenzel pulled out the chair once more. This time it seemed to be fine, so I took the seat. It had been adjusted to my height with cushions.
Brother Wilfried sat to my left, with Charloette next to him. To my right sat the Archduke of Haldenzel, with the Countess beside him, and Father and Mother were seated almost directly across from us.
Everyone else seemed to have their assigned places as well, with the officials and attendants taking their seats. Only the guard knights remained standing behind us. Apparently, once the Dedication Ritual began, the attendants would start moving about as well.
The sixth bell rang with a resonant clang. At the sound of the bell signaling the start of the Dedication Ritual, the commoners, who had been buzzing with chatter, fell instantly silent.
"High Priest, please also come to the platform."
The Archduke and Countess of Haldenzel said this as they rose and headed toward the altar. I hurried to my feet and followed behind them. Having been suddenly assigned a role, my mind was in a complete whirl.
...Wait a moment. I wasn't told about this. I wasn't told about any role other than handing over the small Holy Cup!? Help me, Chief Priest! Bring me cheat notes,
"This is the renowned High Priest known as the Saint of Ehrenfest. She is the daughter of my sister
When I was introduced as the daughter of Mother, who hailed from Haldenzel, and as the Saint of Ehrenfest who had developed the printing industry and brought wealth to Haldenzel, the residents erupted in enthusiastic welcome. Apparently, being the daughter of Mother meant that even first-time meetings with Haldenzel's residents counted as family.
The Archduke of Haldenzel swiftly extended his right hand, raising it to shoulder height. With that single motion, the square fell into complete silence.
Into the silent square, a deep, heavy voice resonated.
"Today, the Saint of Ehrenfest—the High Priest—has brought spring to Haldenzel. Once again this year, the Life God
As the Archduke of Haldenzel spoke, he gestured toward the small Holy Cup on the altar.
After a deliberate pause, he surveyed the surroundings, then raised his voice.
"Sing, and deliver your prayers to the gods! Dance, and convey your gratitude to the gods! Blessings upon the spring thaw!"
The commoners let out a cry of jubilation. Their voices were so filled with the overwhelming joy of people who had been eagerly awaiting the end of the long winter that the sheer intensity washed over me.
That was how the Haldenzel Dedication Ritual began.
I was simply introduced to everyone and didn't have any particular role to play, so I returned to my seat. After this, there would apparently be singing and dancing.
Now that the small Holy Cup had been delivered, the residents of the southern side who worked the fields would begin moving the following day, and the hunting tribes would head north. The Dedication Ritual was a festival celebrating the arrival of spring, but at the same time, it was also a farewell to the temporarily departing residents.
Food was brought in, and the nobles began to eat. During this time, the commoners beat drums, played flutes, and sang and danced.
"When the commoners finish, the nobles will offer their own sword dances and songs," the Archduke of Haldenzel, seated beside me, explained. Brother Wilfried and Charloette were saying, "We heard similar songs at the Winter Chapel during the Dedication Ritual."
...Huh? I've never heard songs at a Dedication Ritual?
Thinking back carefully, I realized that because I had prioritized giving blessings as quickly as possible at each stop, I had never actually attended a Dedication Ritual properly through to the end.
It seemed that despite having traveled to so many different places, I had never properly participated in a Dedication Ritual. What a shocking revelation.
"Will Brother Wilfried and Lady Charloette be participating in the Dedication Ritual as well?"
The Archduke of Haldenzel looked surprised, his eyes widening. Landowning nobles typically returned home immediately after the spring feast concluded, so it seemed he hadn't heard much about the movements of Brother Wilfried and Charloette.
Brother Wilfried nodded broadly and opened his mouth as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Yes. Siblings must support one another. It would be wrong to place the entire burden on Rozemyne alone, wouldn't it? We are equally children of the lord."
"Indeed. ...Well, without Big Sister's Magic Power, we're still not much use, but it's important to do what we can from where we stand. We'll gradually expand what we're capable of."
Charloette's azure eyes sparkled as she declared, "My goal is to be able to give blessings on my own without borrowing Big Sister's Magic Power."
...What am I going to do? My siblings are too radiant. I really am just the kind of kid who only thinks about reading books, and I'm truly sorry! But I probably can't stop them. I'll apologize for that too, so please forgive me.
"Are the two of them good siblings to you, Lady Rozemyna?"
"Of course, Archduke of Haldenzel. During the two years I was asleep, both of them worked incredibly hard. They've grown so much that my own shortcomings are plainly visible by comparison."
At my words, the Archduke of Haldenzel narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"We offer prayers and gratitude to the gods who created this world."
The familiar words of a prayer reached my ears, and I turned my gaze toward the stage. The Haldenzel knights who would soon be leading the hunting tribes northward were lined up across the platform.
"In the deep, deep world of white, bring an end. Shatter the unyielding ice that repels all, and rescue our Earth Goddess..."
...Ah, I know this song.
More precisely, I knew the lyrics.
It was a poem about a goddess who had been a consort of the Earth Goddess, separated and banished by the Life God, who then went to seek the aid of the Water Goddess. The consort goddesses offered their power to the Light Goddess and the Water Goddess, praying for the salvation of the Earth Goddess.
It was my first time hearing the melody, but the same phrases were repeated many times, so it wasn't particularly difficult.
I nearly started humming along, then caught myself—songs from the Holy Book tradition were dangerous. There was a risk of producing a strange blessing.
Sensing my restraint, the Archduke of Haldenzel narrowed his eyes with evident amusement.
"This is Haldenzel's song, celebrating the arrival of spring and marking the beginning of the hunt. The men sing this as they set out for the hunt."
"...Oh? Isn't it a song wishing for the spring thaw and calling the Water Goddess?"
I couldn't help but tilt my head, and the Archduke of Haldenzel looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"I've never heard this song at Ehrenfest's spring feast, nor at the Royal Academy either. I had thought it was sung only in Haldenzel... Are you familiar with it, Lady Rozemyna?"
"I'd never heard the melody before, but the Holy Book passed down through the line of High Priests contained both the poem and an illustration. It doesn't appear in any of the other Holy Books in the
As I explained, the Archduke of Haldenzel, along with Father and Mother, blinked in surprise.
What sat upon the cylindrical platform now were the offerings to the gods and the small Holy Cup.
"Would Lady Rozemyna sing as well? If the Saint of Ehrenfest were to offer her prayers, this year's spring would surely arrive early."
At the Archduke of Haldenzel's proposal, I looked around in alarm. The other nobles' faces clearly read "This would be entertaining," but if a strange blessing came flying out in the spirit of party parlor tricks, I'd be in real trouble.
"I... wasn't planning on performing any religious rites here..."
"Oh? Isn't delivering the small Holy Cup for this very Dedication Ritual itself a part of the sacred rites?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
...What do I do!? Help me, Chief Priest!
I was seriously considering sending an ordnance when Mother stepped between the Archduke of Haldenzel and me.
"Brother, asking her to sing a song she's only just heard for the first time is rather much, don't you think? Would it not be better for a woman of Haldenzel to sing instead of Rozemyne? Just as the men all sang together, let the women sing this year."
Thanks to Mother's rescue, I let out a sigh of relief—only to notice that the Haldenzel nobles, who looked old enough to be retired grandparents, were all smiling with amusement at Mother.
"Oh my, it's been ages since we've heard Elvira sing!"
"If you would, we would very much like to hear Elvira's Feuerspiel."
Since marrying into Ehrenfest, Mother had rarely returned to her family home, and the old men gazed at her with the nostalgic warmth of reminiscing about the past.
The Archduke of Haldenzel shifted his gaze from me to Mother, the corner of his lips curving upward. It was the expression of a brother teasing his sister, but beneath it lay a tender familial affection tinged with nostalgia.
"Ah, yes, that's a wonderful idea. Elvira, you go up there. You can still sing, surely?"
In the end, it was decided that the women would sing together on the cylindrical platform. Since the men sang every year, the women of Haldenzel knew the lyrics by heart, and anyone could sing.
This impromptu—rather, spontaneously decided—offer of a song by the women drew growing excitement from the crowd. Unable to refuse the expectations and requests of those around her, Mother took her Feuerspiel and climbed onto the platform.
"Father, it's because of me that Mother has to..."
Seeing that this wasn't what Mother truly wanted, I turned to Father with a worried look, only to see him watching Mother with an expression that seemed equal parts amusement and resignation as she rose reluctantly to her feet.
"Don't worry. Elvira's skill is quite impressive."
"...Are you bragging about your wife all of a sudden?"
I was genuinely worried, so the words slipped out before I could stop them, prompting Brother
"Oh my, boasting about his wife, are we, Lord
Mother looked down at Father with a playful glint in her eyes.
Father swallowed hard, surveyed the surrounding faces, then cleared his throat with a deliberate "Ahem."
"A-ah, Rozemyne. When you notice things like that, keep them to yourself, all right?"
"Yes. I'll keep it to myself that Father is occasionally being lovey-dovey."
"I would very much like to hear the details later, Lady Rozemyna."
I had barely promised to keep it to myself before Mother asked me to tell her everything.
...Now what do I do?
This was false advertising. It couldn't be contained in a single part, so it became a middle chapter.
Johann, Zack, and the craftsmen are hard at work on the metal type, having abandoned the Dedication Ritual entirely.
A Dedication Ritual in Haldenzel, where quite a lot of the old traditions remain.
Next time, for certain—Part 3. Lady Rozemyna's turn.