After receiving a stern warning from my adoptive father — "Be careful not to let
"Not just 'be careful'... Every time I return to the Temple, the Chief Priest always has the Attendants notify me beforehand. Through those Magical Tool letters."
"Hmm?"
My adoptive father furrowed his brow slightly and crossed his arms, as if trying to figure something out. Since he didn't seem to fully understand, I explained the procedure for returning to the Temple.
"When I return to the city, the Ordinance handles everything, but when I return to the Temple, I have to ask Ferdinand and have him send a Magical Tool letter to the Attendants. They need to prepare to receive me."
Since my adoptive father had no need to use anything beyond the Ordinance, he nodded several times with an expression of understanding.
"I see. But don't worry. If it's a Magical Tool letter, I'll give you one. Use it to contact your Attendants."
My adoptive father rummaged around and produced a Magical Tool letter for me. I wanted to return immediately today, but dinner time was approaching. There was no way I'd make it. I decided to return to the Temple after breakfast the next day and wrote a letter to
"Father, if an order comes in from
"Ah, understood. Anything else?"
"If
My adoptive father said he couldn't understand how reading could be a form of rest, but he slowly nodded in agreement.
As I considered whether there was anything else I needed to request, I sealed the Magical Tool letter and sent it flying. With that, Fran and the others should prepare for my arrival. That settled it.
"Well then,
"Yes!"
After leaving my adoptive father's office, I returned to my room right away. I needed to have the Attendants prepare for our departure to the Temple.
"Father has ordered me to investigate the Holy Book in detail. The Giebes seem to have various questions about the
I told Ricarda and the other attendants, and they began preparing for the return to the Temple. Burdened with an armful of books —
...This is great!
"That's quite sudden,"
"Lady Rozemyne heading to the Temple is always sudden, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry for rushing the preparations. If I want to investigate the Holy Book before the Spring Prayer Ceremony, there isn't time to spare. I have to return to the Noble Academy after the Dedication Festival, you see."
That evening, the Lord and his wife had been invited to a noble's dinner, so I ate alone in my room. Dinner at the city was different from the Temple —
The next morning, I was led back to the Temple by the riding beasts of Damuel and Angelica, who had finished their preparations for an extended stay. Traveling through the fierce blizzard was just as brutal as ever. Without my bright ochre cloak, I'd have had no idea where I was flying. How the knights managed to arrive at the Temple without getting lost was beyond me.
"Welcome back, Lady Rozemyne."
"We were waiting for your return."
In the bitter cold, my Attendants greeted me in full formation. I carefully made my way toward them along the path Damuel and Angelica had cleared, trying not to slip. This time, I managed to enter the Temple without falling.
...Maybe my muscle strength has improved a little.
However, compared to others, it still took me longer, and my cloak ended up covered in snow. Just inside the Temple entrance, Monica took off my cloak and carefully brushed the snow away. As I looked down at the snow falling at my feet, Sam looked around and tilted his head.
"Lady Rozemyne, is the Chief Priest not with you?"
"No. The Chief Priest is busy with social engagements, so I believe he'll remain in the Noble District until the Dedication Festival. I've returned under Father's orders to investigate the Holy Book."
"Investigate the Holy Book?"
I explained to Fran, who blinked in confusion, about the Haldenzel miracle.
"Since we were able to call spring during the Prayer Ceremony, the other Giebes want to replicate the Haldenzel ritual. For that purpose, they want me to thoroughly examine the Holy Book. During my Blue Shrine Maiden days, I compared and read the Holy Books in the Library, and when I became High Priest, I read the High Priest's Holy Book — so all I have to do is look for differences and reread it. But the deadline is the Dedication Festival, so there isn't much time."
"That's certainly not a lot of time," Fran agreed with a nod. I entered the High Priest's office and, while drinking tea that
"The Plantane Company said they'd prefer our information not be known, if possible."
"I wonder what kind of Dalua it is?"
Damien, the Guild Master's grandson, was heavily involved in printing — I couldn't imagine a product that would warrant even greater caution than that.
"Apparently the daughter of a Klassenburg merchant."
"Huh?"
...A Klassenburg merchant? What? Why would they take on that kind of Dalua,
"There were unavoidable circumstances, they said. Even Lutz said he didn't know the details."
"I see. Hopefully nothing comes of it..."
After finishing my tea and listening to the report, I had Fran prepare the Holy Book. The magnificent Holy Book, protected by magic stones, was carried from the altar to the desk. It was placed carefully before me, with the Holy Book's key beside it. I picked up the key and inserted it into the lock with a click. I felt my magic being drawn.
*Once I've skimmed through it, I'll consider the Holy Book investigation done and read my own books instead,* I thought as I hummed and opened the thick cover. At the same time, something different from the Holy Book in my memory leaped into view, and my eyes went wide.
"...What is this?"
"Is something wrong, Lady Rozemyne?"
Fran responded immediately to my murmur. Looking at Fran, who was comparing me and the Holy Book with a puzzled expression, I remembered what the Chief Priest had said — that the High Priest's Holy Book couldn't be read by others without the High Priest's permission. Fran couldn't see it. At the same time, I recalled how carefully the Chief Priest had made sure not to give knowledge of magic to anyone who wasn't a noble, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"It's nothing, Fran."
I put on a composed smile and said that to Fran, then stared intently at the Holy Book. In my eyes, a magic circle had appeared over the opened cover. And it wasn't just the magic circle. Over the existing ink-written text, different characters written in magic power had surfaced. This change, unlike anything before, sent a chill down my spine.
...Wait a moment. What is this change? Has anything significant happened since I became High Priest?
I desperately searched my memory, trying to think of any event that could cause a change in the Holy Book — a Magical Tool. The biggest thing was going to the Noble Academy. I'd obtained my Stab to become a member of the nobility. That was probably the biggest change. After obtaining my Stab, I'd improved my magic power control and gained various new abilities.
...No, that's not it.
I shook my head, suddenly realizing. After obtaining my Stab, I'd read the Holy Book. When I checked the Holy Book with the Chief Priest after completing the Prayer Ceremony at Haldenzel, there had been no such magic circle. The Chief Priest hadn't said anything about it either.
"Lady Rozemyne, something happened, didn't it? What's going on?"
Angelica, who had been watching me, reacted immediately and rushed over, eyeing both me and the Holy Book with open wariness. At Angelica's sharp words, Damuel also approached with a suspicious look.
"Angelica, can you see the contents of the Holy Book?"
When I asked, Angelica, who was glaring at the Holy Book with sharp eyes, shook her head without looking away.
"I can't see anything. It's blank."
"Didn't you need Lady Rozemyne's permission as High Priest to see it? I recall Ferdinand saying so previously."
At Damuel's words, I gave a slight nod. I'd just wanted to confirm whether they truly couldn't see it.
"...Then I grant Angelica permission to view the Holy Book. What do you see?"
"I see difficult words."
The text had become visible, it seemed, but the magic circle hadn't. Wanting to check whether only Angelica couldn't see it, I also gave Damuel permission.
"What do you see, Damuel?"
"It reads as though written: 'Words bestowed by the gods.'"
"I understand."
The magic circle was invisible to Damuel too. It seemed that whether one could see the magic circle had absolutely nothing to do with possessing a Stab or being a noble. Figuring out why I could suddenly see it would be difficult.
"I revoke permission to view the Holy Book."
"Did you find something out, Lady Rozemyne?"
Looking up at Angelica, I said, "I can now see exactly why Angelica, who graduated from the Noble Academy, gave up on thinking," and deflected regarding the magic circle.
...I need to consult the Chief Priest about this. Yeah.
When I don't understand something, I should ask the Chief Priest. Thinking that, I began reading the text that had surfaced.
...*"Do you who wish to become king?"* No, no, I don't wish for that at all.
Shaking my head at the words that had appeared alongside the first magic circle, I continued reading. I had no interest in becoming king, but I'd read the book. I'd read through the unknown character strings. That was my desire.
The magic circle that had appeared was too complex to understand. At the very least, I could tell it involved all elements. That was all.
...I'll skip the magic circle. I can ask the Chief Priest about it later.
I turned the page with a rustle. More text appeared, but there was no magic circle this time. I read through the character strings. What was written in the surfaced text was that if you wished to become king, you must devote yourself to praying to the gods.
Those who wished to become king first needed to raise their magic power as much as possible. They were to pray to the gods to increase their magic power. I wasn't sure what "pray to increase magic power" meant, but apparently that's how it worked.
And once you kept increasing your magic power until the growth of your vessel stopped, you were to pray to the gods again. When you did, a path to the gods' realm would supposedly open. There, you would receive from the gods what was necessary to wield the power of a king. Incidentally, if the path to the gods' realm didn't open, it meant you lacked the qualifications to be king.
...Qualifications?
After obtaining the divine power needed to wield your abilities, you had to pray to the gods once more. If you prayed sufficiently, you would then receive from the gods the knowledge necessary to become king. Only after obtaining both would you finally be recognized as king.
...Sounds like nothing but praying.
This was probably meant as hints for becoming king. I had a rough idea of the process, but since it wasn't written out clearly and in detail, I couldn't make much of it. Not just anyone could become king, so perhaps it was deliberately vague, or perhaps at the time it was written, this manner of expression was sufficient for everyone to understand.
...Well, I'm not going to become king anyway, so the method doesn't matter to me.
After reading only the surfaced text, I confirmed that what was written had absolutely nothing to do with the Haldenzel ritual.
"For now, let me prioritize what Father asked me to do."
Once I finished reading the text, I no longer cared. It had nothing to do with me whatsoever. I considered whether I should keep the magic circle to myself, but drawing it out would require working somewhere Fran and the others weren't present. The thought of transporting the Holy Book to my workshop was extremely tedious.
...I'll wait until the Chief Priest returns. Let me look into the Haldenzel matter first.
I flipped through the Holy Book until I found the part about the
...The person who wrote the Holy Book never expected that someone would break an important stage, huh.
With the Holy Book investigation complete, I decided to spend the afternoon reading the materials borrowed from Solange. Borrowed materials needed to be read quickly so they could be returned as soon as possible. I picked up a pen and began reading a work report written by a Librarian from several generations ago, noting down the Magical Tools used in the Library as I went.
Learning about a Librarian's day from the past made it an extremely enjoyable read.
First, the Librarians had to prepare for opening before the two-and-a-half chimes that signaled the start of lectures. Several Librarians divided the work of charging Magical Tools with magic power, which seemed to be a daily routine. They started with the large-scale Magical Tools attached to the Library building, then moved on to charging the magic stones in the office one by one. After infusing magic power into the Magical Tools that glowed to indicate time, the ones that cleaned the interior, and the ones that dampened loud voices in the reading rooms, they would unlock the reading rooms.
If magic power was infused into Schwartz and the others in the reading rooms, they too would begin their opening preparations. Apparently, they would go around opening doors and preparing the tools needed for lending procedures. Imagining Schwartz and the others setting about their preparations brought a smile to my face. It was a truly adorable scene.
And while Schwartz and the others prepared on the first floor, the Librarians would go around charging the Magical Tools on the second floor with magic power. These included book boxes with time-stopping spells to prevent old materials from deteriorating and Magical Tools to protect books from sunlight damage. These were things I definitely wanted to incorporate into the Rozemyne Library.
...Among all those charging magic, Grandmother must have been included too.
I thought of the statue of Goddess
Once it was time for students to come and go, the work was just as I knew it. Returning books, lending carrels, evaluating reference books students brought in, preparing materials the professors requested via Ordinance — just imagining it painted a picture of a wonderfully enjoyable Library life.
...That sounds so nice. I wish I could have that kind of life too.
As Solange had mentioned before, the fact that there had been multiple Librarians in this era probably meant there was leeway in the work. There were even descriptions of leaving the Library for tea exchanges with professors, and sometimes students would invite Librarians to tea parties.
A new discovery was that the high-ranking noble Librarians only stayed at the Noble Academy's Library until the duration of the Lord's Conference, and once the conference ended, they would move to work at the Royal Palace Library. The high-ranking noble Librarians apparently rotated between the Noble Academy's Library and the Royal Palace Library depending on the season, while the mid- and low-ranking noble Librarians each held permanent positions without rotating.
...So that means Solange is always at the Noble Academy's Library, and there must be Librarians who work at the Royal Palace Library permanently.
Since high-ranking noble Librarians didn't increase the staff at the Noble Academy's Library, the Royal Palace Library must also be short-staffed, with mid-ranking noble Librarians desperately keeping it running. Given the sheer number of Magical Tools that had been noted down, it must have been extremely difficult with just a few mid-ranking nobles.
The difference between the era then and now was also quite clear. Back then, students apparently obtained their Stabs just before graduation. The report described graduating students proudly raising their Stabs high and making them glow at the graduation ceremony, with congratulatory words recorded alongside.
...Nowadays, first-years already have theirs.
Another detail was that adult royals were obligated to attend the Lord's Conference, and had even visited the Library. Three high-ranking noble Librarians greeted them in full formation.
...Come to think of it, Schwartz and the others are the ones who greet Prince
While my mind wandered to that delightful Library life as I read the materials, Fran suddenly shook my shoulder.
"Wh-what is it, Fran?"
I looked up, blinking, and Fran silently pointed to the Ordinance that had landed on the desk.
"Rozemyne, I had asked you to keep an eye on
The Chief Priest's bone-chilling voice made me gasp. It seemed Father had sent me, the surveillance officer, back to the Temple and fled somewhere.
...I had just started to think better of him, but Father, you idiot! At this rate, I'll be the only one getting yelled at by the Chief Priest!
In my mind's eye, I could clearly see Father, who after weathering the storm of my anger would casually return to his daily routine with a nonchalant expression. Compared to Father, who was clever and well-practiced at slacking off, I was overwhelmingly inferior in both my ability to make excuses and my ability to avoid anger.
"Come out immediately."
The Ordinance, having stated the same thing three times, reverted to its yellow magic stone.
"Lady Rozemyne, you returned under Father's orders, didn't you?"
Even Fran was looking at me with suspicion. I shook my head repeatedly and affirmed, "Yes." But the order had been given in a cleared-out office with the guards included. No one besides me knew I'd received orders from Father. If Father played dumb, it would make it seem like I was lying.
...I didn't do anything wrong!
I realized I'd been a bit slow on the uptake, not catching Father's scheme of wanting to slack off and sending me, the surveillance officer, back to the Temple. But this time, I hadn't done anything wrong. Father was entirely to blame.
...Even though I'm not at fault, I'll get yelled at by the Chief Priest, sent back to the city, and as punishment, lose all my reading time for good. What do I do? I have to figure something out.
I gripped that magic stone, my mind racing with cold sweat beading on my forehead, desperately trying to think of a way to avoid the Chief Priest's wrath and being sent back to the city.
...That's right! If he sees that magic circle, the Chief Priest will definitely drop everything and be too focused to be angry!
I took out my Stab and gently tapped the yellow magic stone, flowing magic power into it. I spoke toward the Ordinance that had transformed into a white bird.
"Under Father's orders, I was instructed to investigate the Holy Book. An extraordinary new discovery has come to light, and I wish to consult with Ferdinand immediately. Please come back as soon as possible!"
I had originally planned to just casually skim through the Holy Book, but it had undergone a strange change.
I had actually intended to enjoy my reading first and then report to the Chief Priest, but now I was forced to call him immediately to avoid his anger.
It's disappointing that my reading time is decreasing.
Next time: Part 2.