The Dedication Dance and Potion-Making: Ordnung

"I have returned, Lady Rozemyne."

While I was reading the tales of knights that Hartmut had obtained for me, Brunhilde and Lieseleta returned from the gathering of attendants. The gathering of attendants was apparently an important event where information about events from spring to autumn was exchanged and subtle discussions were held about the movements of their respective masters for the coming year.

"This is for you, Lady Rozemyne. It is an invitation from the music instructors."

It seemed that the music instructors' own attendants had also gathered, and Brunhilde handed me the invitation. The tea party was to be held three days from now. As I tilted my head at a schedule that had been set with almost no consultation on my part, Brunhilde smiled awkwardly.

"It has apparently already spread among the instructors that all of Ehrenfest's second-years passed their exams, and they remarked that now would be when Lady Rozemyne would have no prior engagements. They seemed to be well aware of our grades and our academic progress as well. I must work even harder so that I can properly decline invitations even when the instructors are the ones extending them."

Brunhilde pursed her lips in mild frustration as she spoke. For Ehrenfest, which had only recently begun receiving invitations from the instructors last year, refusing their invitations was difficult. She burned with passion to handle things more skillfully, so leaving it to Brunhilde seemed perfectly fine.

"Lady Rozemyne, it seems that the fact that no one outside of Ehrenfest passed the second-year social studies course has become quite the topic of gossip among the instructors and other duchies."

Lieseleta said this with a gentle smile.

"Ehrenfest is drawing attention in many ways, and it is widely known that all of the second-years passed and completed their coursework, so it is quite possible that your social engagements will increase, Lady Rozemyne."

Brunhilde tilted her head at Lieseleta's prediction.

"Wouldn't Charlotte be the one whose social engagements increase? The social season begins around the time Lady Rozemyne will be absent for the Dedication Ceremony, and the number of tea party invitations starts to rise then."

"...I must do my best with socializing for Charlotte's sake as well. As an older sister."

Since I would be gone during the social season, I would have to do my best at least while I was still at the Noble Academy. As I burned with motivation, Lieseleta giggled.

"Lady Rozemyne, when a younger sister asks her older sister for help, she is happy because it feels like her growth is being recognized. So I believe it would be acceptable to leave a certain amount of socializing to Charlotte."

At Lieseleta's words, I recalled that I, too, used to get excited when Turi praised me or when she asked me, "Can I meet Corina?" Perhaps encouraging growth through praise and by having someone rely on you was also part of an older sister's role.

"...Becoming a wonderful older sister is rather difficult, isn't it? I want to be a sister that others can rely on, though."

"Well now. Simply completing the tea party with the instructors, which only you, Lady Rozemyne, can attend, and the tea party with Dunkelfelger for exchanging books—that alone makes you a sister they can rely on. After all, Ehrenfest has hardly ever received invitations to tea parties with the instructors or upper-ranking duchies before."

Having resolved to pour all my energy into tea parties with the instructors and upper-ranking duchies, I gathered Richtharda and Rosina around Brunhilde and Lieseleta and began preparations for the music tea party. As we discussed souvenirs and new pieces to prepare, the sixth bell rang out, signaling that it was time for dinner.

One first-year from the lower-ranking nobles had shown her face at dinner, but the other first-years still seemed unable to leave their rooms.

"Wilfried, Rozemyne, a letter has arrived from Ehrenfest."

After dinner, a boy named Ignaz—the apprentice retainer attending Wilfried—brought a letter that he had received from a knight stationed in the teleportation room. Hartmut took it, skimmed through it, and then divided it into the part for me and the part for himself.

"This one is addressed to you, Lady Rozemyne. And this is for you, Cornelius. It appears to be from your mother."

Brother Cornelius received the letter with a deeply unpleasant expression, began reading, and then threw his head back in despair. Whatever was written inside, it seemed to have caused him a massive headache.

Judging from Brother Cornelius's expression, it was probably either a pressing reminder to tell him who his escort partner was, or evidence that his attempt to hide it had already been found out—likely one or the other. After glancing at Brother Cornelius's reaction and giving a slight shrug, I turned to my own letter.

It was a reply from the Chief Priest. It made no particular mention of my conduct, about which both Wilfried and Hartmut had already reported, and was dismissed with a single, seemingly exasperated line: "It seems I shall have to begin by discussing with you the meaning of the word 'peace.'"

Beyond that, there were only several minor instructions—things like "do not let anyone lay eyes on the new weapon called an Ordnung until I have verified it myself," and "any social engagements that are not absolutely necessary should be delegated to Charlotte."

...Huh? There's not a single word of reprimand?

I read through it several times, confirmed there was nothing further, and tilted my head. Normally, there would be several pages' worth of scolding. The fact that it was all dismissed in a single line was, paradoxically, terrifying.

"Hartmut, you did report it, didn't you? About me using a water gun on my bed and punching a hole through the tent..."

"Did Lord Ferdinand have words of reprimand for you?"

"J-just a little..."

As I clutched the letter to myself so Hartmut wouldn't read it, a growing sense of dread began to well up inside me.

...Could it be that the Chief Priest has decided I'm not even worth scolding anymore?

When it came to people he had given up on, the Chief Priest was the type who would ignore them entirely—so long as they didn't get in his way. And when they did become a hindrance, he would eliminate them without a second thought.

...Wh-wh-what should I do!? Not being scolded is scarier! Aaah...

"Lady Rozemyne, was the letter that distressing? You look rather pale."

"It's fine! I will do exactly as Lord Ferdinand instructs!"

...I'll be a good girl, so please scold me properly, Chief Priest!

That morning, I woke up feeling a faint sense of relief after having been thoroughly scolded by the Chief Priest in my dream. First-years who had finished attuning themselves to their "God's Will" were beginning to trickle back into the dining hall for breakfast. Higher-ranking nobles apparently took longer than lower-ranking ones, and Charlotte had not yet emerged from her room.

"Even for me, it took until nearly noon on Waterday to finish, so Charlotte will probably come down for lunch."

I nodded lightly at Wilfried's words and glanced upward toward the floor where Charlotte's room was located.

"This afternoon is the Dedication Dance practice, but will she be all right?"

"For first-years, watching the upperclassmen rehearse is the most important thing, isn't it? The practice time isn't that long, so there's no need to worry so much."

His words reminded me that during last year's Dedication Dance rehearsal, I had watched Eglantine's dance intently. Indeed, the practice time for first-years was not long. The upperclassmen were given priority. I found myself wondering whether any of this year's graduating students would have a dance as wonderful as Eglantine's. It was becoming rather exciting to think about.

The Dedication Dance was a rehearsal where lord candidates from all grades gathered together. Those who were not lord candidates practiced sword dances, music, and other designated activities instead.

After Charlotte and Wilfried successfully absorbed their "God's Will" and had lunch without incident, we headed to the smaller reception hall, where several lord candidates had already assembled. They were split up by grade and had begun rehearsing in a practiced manner.

"Very well, then. Let us have the upperclassmen demonstrate for you. First-years and second-years, please watch carefully."

At the instructor's words, the oldest students and fifth-years began their practice. This year's oldest class did not, however, anyone who immediately caught the eye the way Eglantine had. The only lord candidates you could recognize at a glance were Adolphine of Drewanchel and Rudigar of Frewertelch.

Adolphine was dancing in the position of the Wind Goddess. She was perfectly suited for a Drewanchel lord candidate. However, this year's Light Goddess seemed to fall somewhat short of the Wind Goddess. Perhaps Adolphine would have been better suited as the Light Goddess, actually.

Rudigar was dancing in the position of the Life God. It was a somewhat strange sight—the image felt very different from what I had expected—but perhaps he simply lacked the skill needed to rival the higher-ranked duchies.

A short distance away from the cluster of oldest students, the fifth-years were dancing. It seemed that roles were being decided during the fifth year, and everyone wore serious expressions. Among them, I could see Lestilaut of Dunkelfelger and Detlinde of Ahrensbach dancing. As lord candidates of great duchies, they were presumably aiming for the Darkness God and Light Goddess, respectively.

...Lestilaut's dance is surprisingly good. His axis is solid, and he has a sense of stability while dancing. Has he been trained at Dunkelfelger? Lady Detlinde is... hmm, average. No comparing her to Lady Eglantine.

After watching the upperclassmen dance, rehearsals for the third- and fourth-years also began. The second-years and first-years waited for their turn, just as they had the year before, watching the other grades practice.

"Lady Rozemyne, Lady Charlotte. Good day to you."

"Good day, Lady Adolphine."

When the break arrived, Adolphine approached us with a warm smile. When a top student from a great duchy like Drewanchel came straight toward a lower-ranking student from tenth-ranked Ehrenfest, you could tell she was attracting everyone's attention whether you wanted to or not.

While I was inwardly cowering, Charlotte stepped forward with a bright smile.

"You upperclassmen are truly wonderful. I was completely mesmerized watching you."

"My, my. If you continue your practice, Lady Charlotte, you'll be able to dance like that too. Consistency is what matters."

Adolphine said this with a warm smile, her amber eyes fixed on Charlotte. I remembered how Charlotte had been "locked on" at the get-together and quickly moved forward to shield her. As an older sister, I had to protect my little sister.

"Lady Adolphine, you dance as the Wind Goddess. I thought it suited a Drewanchel lord candidate perfectly. ...Though, considering ability, I think you could dance as the Light Goddess as well."

"Your words are very kind, Lady Rozemyne, but within my heart, the Light Goddess is a role for Lady Eglantine. It is not one I believe I should dance."

I could understand that perspective. The Light Goddess really did suit Eglantine best. As I nodded in agreement, Adolphine giggled and steered the conversation toward tea parties.

"How are your tea party plans coming along, Lady Rozemyne? Ehrenfest is so accomplished that you must begin your social engagements quite early, yes?"

"The coursework ends early enough, but the practicals still take quite some time. And Charlotte has also been receiving invitations, so it will likely be a while yet."

The first-years had decided to take a little extra time to achieve excellent results. Charlotte was apparently aiming for the top among the first-years and was working hard to eliminate even the smallest mistakes.

"Practicals do take quite a bit of time, after all. I myself intend to finish as quickly as possible, but I can't move as fast as the lower-ranking students."

The coursework for upperclassmen was more difficult and involved more assignments, so they inevitably entered the social season later. "Of course, I believe we can hold a tea party before you return to Ehrenfest, Lady Rozemyne," Adolphine added.

"There is so much I would like to discuss with you. I look forward to it."

With that pleasant smile, Adolphine departed—and as if she had been lying in wait, Detlinde approached with Wilfried and Rudigar in tow.

"Good day. I was thinking of hosting a tea party with our cousins again this year—how about it? I'd like it to serve as a welcome for Charlotte as well."

Unlike last year, Detlinde made the proposal with an extremely gentle smile. Charlotte accepted just as warmly.

"I have not previously had the opportunity to meet with my relatives. So I am very happy about this."

Nodding at Charlotte's smile, Detlinde began setting plans for the cousin tea party. Like last year, it was scheduled to begin once the social season started, so it seemed I would not be able to attend this year either.

"Lady Detlinde, I am terribly sorry. I will be away from the Noble Academy during that time..."

I was about to ask whether the date could be shifted slightly, but Detlinde lowered her brows sadly and let out a disappointed sigh.

"Oh my, Rozemyne is not attending again? That is a shame, but it is an important duty, isn't it? I cannot be so selfish as to ask otherwise. It can't be helped. Charlotte, you will be able to attend, won't you?"

"Y-yes..."

Charlotte glanced at me with concern. I had duties at the Temple and would not be present during the social season. That was a well-known fact, so there was nothing to be done if Detlinde had no intention of changing the date.

I was a little worried, since Detlinde could sometimes be difficult and unpleasant, but she seemed to be the type—like Veronica—who was indulgent toward her own family. Charlotte had apparently been recognized as one of them, and with Wilfried there as well, it should be fine.

"Um, Lady Rozemyne..."

"Well then, break time is over! Upperclassmen, over here. Lower-ranking students, this way."

The instant I heard Hannalore's voice, the instructor called out. I heard Hannalore mutter a small "ah," but what was done was done. We simply exchanged a quick wave and a smile, and that was the extent of our interaction.

...I would have rather spoken with Hannalore about the library committee than with Detlinde.

When the break ended, it was time for the lower-ranking students' Dedication Dance rehearsal. In my case, the most important thing during the Dedication Dance practice was not to pray to the gods with genuine earnestness. Since I had been made to practice constantly while at the Temple, no strange blessings flew out, and I received a passing grade without incident. "You have been practicing very diligently," the instructor praised me, but this was the result of the Chief Priest and Rosina having integrated practice into my daily routine.

The next morning was spent on next year's independent study and creating the magic circle I had received hints about from Hartmut. In the afternoon, I changed into my potion-making outfit and headed to the practical.

"Today, you will learn how to brew an Ordnung. It is the Magical Tool with the highest frequency of use across all ranks, so you would do well to prepare several."

As she spoke, Hirschur projected the steps for brewing an Ordnung onto a white cloth on the wall. It was the same Magical Tool she had used during the recovery potion lesson, so no one was surprised anymore. Everyone quietly copied down the instructions. I had never brewed an Ordnung before, but I had seen the procedure in the Chief Priest's reference books. I had copied it while compiling those books, so there was no need to copy it again. Wilfried and I began preparing the ingredients.

"Lady Rozemyne, please demonstrate for us."

"...Hirschur-sensei, I have never actually brewed an Ordnung before."

"It will be fine. If it is you, Lady Rozemyne."

Saying something incredibly nonchalant, Hirschur carried the ingredients she had brought for this lesson to the front. Without ingredients, there was no brewing. Resigned, I made my way to the front as well.

"Now then, please proceed according to the steps."

While being watched by numerous students, I brewed according to the procedure displayed before me.

First, I drew the magic circle on the parchment using a magic-powered pen, then had Hirschur confirm there were no errors in the magic circle.

Next, I cleaned the pot with Vaschen.

Then, I placed a magic stone obtained from a wind-attribute bird into the brewing pot and stirred it with a mixing rod that I had transformed from my staff using Beimene.

"Oh, it's starting to dissolve!"

Students who had been peering into my pot cried out. The shape of the magic stone was breaking down, turning into a yellow, viscous gel.

"Once it has completely dissolved, you will insert this magic circle."

Matching Hirschur's words, I held up the parchment so everyone could see it, then placed it into the pot. The parchment dissolved in an instant, and the magic circle was burned into the yellow gel. I continued stirring it round and round. Even as my arm grew tired, it was important to keep a steady flow of Magic Power.

As I stirred, the mixture grew progressively harder. What had been stuck to the sides of the pot gradually came together, and eventually it began rolling around inside the pot with a clinking sound.

A single flash of light, and it was finished. Cheers of "Wow!" rose from all around.

"Would you like to see?"

I took the Ordnung—which looked like nothing more than a yellow magic stone—out of the pot and set it where the nearby students could see. They leaned in curiously to get a closer look, which was rather amusing.

"The key points to remember are: make sure there are no errors in the magic circle, do not add the magic circle until the magic stone has completely dissolved, and maintain a careful, steady flow of Magic Power until the end."

While I washed the pot and tidied up, Hirschur explained the points of caution during brewing in her usual instructor fashion.

Seeing the attentive students returning to their seats to try brewing themselves, Hirschur told me to take out my staff.

"Let us test whether it works properly. Lady Rozemyne, please send me an Ordnung."

I lightly tapped the Ordnung with my staff and sent it toward Hirschur with a "Here you go." It had clearly been made correctly—the yellow magic stone transformed into a white bird, flew over to Hirschur, and said "Here you go" three times before turning back into a stone.

"Wonderful."

"Hirschur-sensei, I am not your assistant, you know. What if I had failed while you asked me to demonstrate?"

This time it had succeeded, but unlike the recovery potion, this had been my first time brewing an Ordnung. If I had failed while being asked to demonstrate, the result would have been too terrible to watch. When I grumbled that she should have been the one to demonstrate, Hirschur gave a slight shrug.

"You maintain such a stable flow of Magic Power—there is no way you could fail at such a basic procedure. Besides, Lady Rozemyne, you are Lord Ferdinand's apprentice, which practically makes you my apprentice as well, doesn't it?"

"Huh? I don't think so."

Being made Hirschur's apprentice without my consent was a problem. Unlike the Chief Priest, I had neither the stamina nor the motivation to stay up all night discussing Magical Tools.

"Besides, it would be inconvenient if my supply of Ordnungen increased every time I had to demonstrate. Isn't it most efficient to have a talented apprentice do it?"

"Which is to say, I am not your—"

Before I could protest, Hirschur grinned.

"Lady Rozemyne, I am considering compiling my research results and donating a new book to the library..."

...A new book!?

Seeing me instinctively close my mouth, Hirschur lifted the corner of her red lips in a smirk.

"I have already decided that my apprentice will be the first to see it."

...It's a devil's temptation! No, no! Think carefully! Of course I want to read it first. I want to, but it doesn't have to be first. I want to read it, but it's fine. I can endure. Being called Hirschur-sensei's apprentice would surely lead to something troublesome down the road. Endure. Endure.

"Nngh... I... I am not your apprentice."

With the utmost reluctance, I cast aside Hirschur's proposal.

...I did it. I rejected the devil's temptation! Someone, praise me!

However, the devil did not give up easily. She looked down at me with surprise, tilting her head slightly.

"...Lady Rozemyne, if you would serve as my assistant for the remainder of the class to help check the magic circles, I will specially let you be the first to borrow it."

If she needed an assistant that badly, she should have just brought one from the start! That was what I intended to say, but somehow the words that came out of my mouth were the exact opposite.

"For this time only, I will serve as your assistant. ...But I am not your apprentice, mind you."

In the end, I was unable to fully shake off the devil's temptation, and I spent the remainder of the class standing beside Hirschur checking magic circles. This was wrong. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

"Huh, Rozemyne? Did you become Hirschur-sensei's assistant?"

"Just for today."

Pouting, I scanned the magic circle Wilfried had drawn.

"...Brother Wilfried, this symbol here is upside down. Please redo it."

I'll meet with lord candidates from different grades during the Dedication Dance.

And sure enough, Hannalore's timing was impeccable as always.

Hirschur-sensei has also figured out how to manipulate Rozemyne. When you're that fixated on the library, well...

Next time, I'll breeze through and finish the lecture.