The torrent of black and gold light fades, the wavering of my vision stops, and I find myself at the Noble Academy. Prompted by the knights, I drag my heavy legs forward and step out of the teleportation circle.
"Welcome back, Lady
Seeing my attendants assembled together, I managed a bright smile. I absolutely could not let myself wear an expression that said "I really didn't want to come back."
"I have returned. Please report to me everything that happened during my absence."
While Richarta and Lizelera unpacked the luggage I had brought from the castle, I was to wait in the multipurpose hall with my attendants, as ordered. Resting the books destined for the multipurpose hall's bookshelves on my lap, I rode a lesser beast and listened to my attendants' reports on the Noble Academy.
"I accompanied Lady
According to Brünhilde's report, the tea parties had been full of excitement over sweets, hair ornaments, and the books that Hannalore recommended from Ehrenfest, and conversation had drifted into romantic gossip.
...That sounds so nice. I really wish I could have gone.
A tea party that buzzed with talk of Ehrenfest's books, with stories of romance and knightly tales — it sounded wonderfully tempting. But the risk of collapsing was several times greater than an ordinary tea party. It was not a tea party I could attend.
As I let out a sigh, Filine peered at me with eyes sparkling like young leaves and smiled.
"Lady Rozemyne, I accompanied Lady Charlotte to her tea parties and collected numerous romantic tales. Additionally, I have received several stories from apprentice scholars of other territories. You must review them and appraise them, Lady Rozemyne."
"Wonderful, Filine."
The moment I heard that stories had been gathered from other territories, I felt my excitement spike. In the very next instant, I clapped my hands together.
...If I can't hole up in the castle, why not hole up here at the Noble Academy?
Both the library and tea parties where we discuss books were off-limits, so this was the perfect opportunity to barricade myself in my room and read. Hole up with new stories, and the Noble Academy — with no lecturing Chief Priest — was arguably an even better place to hole up than the castle.
...No, no. This is work. I have to appraise the stories entrusted to me by scholars from other territories and calculate the payment for each. If any can be turned into books, I'll need to rewrite them as manuscripts. Ah, so busy, so busy. What a pain!
My spirits soaring, I arrived at the multipurpose hall in no time, my lesser beast's steps light. I dismounted and stepped inside to find students who had already finished their lectures relaxing as they pleased. Among them were Wilfried and Charlotte.
"You've come back early this year, Rozemyne."
"Welcome home, Sister."
The warm smiles on both their faces drew such a genuine, full-beamed smile in return that I was practically buzzing with excitement.
"I have returned. Please tell me what has transpired at the Noble Academy."
Charlotte had apparently attended numerous tea parties to fill the gap left by my absence. She had also finished her lectures without issue and spoken about women's crests just as I had taught her.
"At the tea parties, thanks to introductions from Lady Hannalore and Lady
Since revealing our printing technology was still prohibited, they were apparently taking turns lending a single book around.
"In that case, I've just received some new books from Hartunzel, so you're welcome to lend one of those to
"Sister, the people of Ehrenfest must read them first. I cannot lend out a book without knowing its contents."
A fair point. As I nodded in agreement with Charlotte's words, I swiftly produced three books. Two of these were obtained through the book-benefit system, and the third had been generously gifted by Giebe Hartunzel.
"I'll place these two on the bookshelves here so that Ehrenfest students can read them. This third one is my personal property, so I'll decide who I lend it to."
"Thank you very much, Sister. Then may I lend it to Lady Adolphine at the tea party two days from now?"
Charlotte apparently had made a good impression on Adolphine and had arranged another tea party.
...Well, things seem to be going well, so that's good. I guess I don't need to push myself for Charlotte's sake anymore.
I had been prepared to struggle through socializing — not exactly my forte — for Charlotte's sake, since she was anxious about her first year at the Noble Academy. But if she was doing well on her own, she certainly didn't need my help. With a touch of wistfulness at my little sister's growth, I smiled and nodded.
"Of course. You may lend it to Lady Adolphine, and in return, please borrow a book from Drewanchel."
"A book from Drewanchel?"
Charlotte blinked her indigo eyes and tilted her head.
"Yes. Books are extremely expensive items, so just as we exchange books with
At the mention of my grand rationale for collecting books from other territories, Charlotte's expression changed sharply.
"I'm terribly sorry, Sister. I haven't borrowed a replacement book from Gilessenmaier."
Gilessenmaier was a fourth-ranked middle territory and the birthplace of the King's First Wife. The King's First Wife was the mother of
"Didn't
I had told them to help Charlotte with tea parties, so I looked around at my attendants. Before any of them could speak, Charlotte shook her head.
"I had heard from Sister's attendants that you were exchanging books with Dunkelfelger. But I assumed that was simply between Lady Hannalore, who loves books, and you, Sister. As you say, books are expensive and precious — it's not something you can casually take outside the territory. I never imagined we'd have to exchange with every territory."
Hearing Charlotte's words, I rested my cheek in my hand and tilted my head in thought. It would be easy to say, "If it's difficult to take them out, there's nothing to be done," but I could not afford for lending books from Ehrenfest without collateral to become the norm. It would make our books seem too cheap, and it would hinder my plan to collect as many books as possible.
"Indeed, lending precious books elsewhere may be difficult. But the same applies to Dunkelfelger. Please make it known at tea parties that books are to be exchanged. And get in touch with Gilessenmaier — make sure you borrow a replacement book. It doesn't matter if the process takes time, but we cannot allow Gilessenmaier alone to receive books without collateral. I'm sorry — it seems my instructions were insufficient."
"No, Sister. The fault is mine for not verifying properly. I will contact Gilessenmaier immediately."
Charlotte left to confer with her attendants, and I turned to face Wilfried.
"How have you been spending your time, Brother Wilfried? You've finished your lectures already, I trust?"
"Ah, yes, they're done. Socially, I spent most of my time with
Not just Ortwin, apparently — he had also been approached by lord candidates from Klassenburg during the men's social gatherings. He said that toward the end of autumn, when winter was approaching, goods from Ehrenfest would arrive at Linshan, greatly delighting the women there, and a song Anastasius had composed for
"Ah, right. This year, Prince Anastasius and Lady Eglantine are supposed to attend the territorial tournament. I was asked whether you'd be participating, and I told them it depended on your condition. Rozemyne — will you be able to participate this year?"
"My adoptive father hasn't told me not to participate, but I can't predict how my condition will be, so honestly, I have no idea. My adoptive father and the others seem wary of me getting close to royalty, so perhaps I'll be told to sit out again this year."
I don't know what excuse they'd come up with this time, but the possibility of being forced to abstain was far from zero.
"I see. Then I'll let Father and Uncle know that Klassenburg has made inquiries. You'd want to participate, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, I would."
By the time I'd heard how far along the first-year lectures were and caught up on stories from the upperclassmen, my room had been put in order, and I returned to it.
I handed Hartmut the assignments meant for
"Wouldn't it be a problem for you, Lady Rozemyne, if Professor Hirschur forgets or can't be bothered and fails to contact the other professors?"
"If that means I can avoid the interrogation, I have absolutely no complaints."
I knew it wouldn't be that easy, but a part of me wished that perhaps the other professors would be too busy and simply forget about me. When Hartmut said with a perfectly straight face, "No one could possibly forget about you, Lady Rozemyne," I gave him his tasks and sent him on his way. Then I reached for the bundle of papers Filine had prepared.
"Lady Rozemyne, these are stories I collected, these are Hartmut's, and these are Roderich's."
"You've all worked very hard. Then I'll begin appraising the stories. I'd like to finish payments by the final day, if possible."
For the next several days, I didn't leave my room except for meals. I read through the stories Filine and the others had collected, appraised them, rewrote them into manuscripts, and proofread them. For breaks, I read or copied books borrowed from Hannalore and
"Lady Rozemyne, you've received a tea party invitation."
"Please pass it along to Charlotte. If I attend a tea party where books come up as a topic, it causes great trouble for my attendants, so I've been forbidden from attending."
"Huh? ...You've come back to the Noble Academy during social season, and you won't be attending any tea parties?"
I looked up from my book and smiled at Brünhilde, who was blinking in disbelief.
"I've been told I should attend Drewanchel's tea party once the hair ornament arrives, but if the conversation turns to romantic tales from the Noble Academy, I'm afraid other tea parties are out of the question. I simply cannot cause my attendants any more trouble. Both
With my grand excuse for holing up in my room firmly in place, I turned down every tea party invitation that arrived and kept reading my books.
Three days after returning to the Noble Academy, after dinner, just as I was about to read before bed, Richarta spoke up, unable to hold back any longer.
"Your Ladyship, if you don't go outside at all, it will be bad for your health. Let us go out for a walk tomorrow."
"I don't want to, Richarta. Even if I go outside, where would I go? The library is off-limits, after all."
"Isn't greeting people you encounter on a walk a part of socializing as well?"
...Ugh. I finally had the perfect environment to hole up, and now this?
I was careful not to let my annoyance show on my face as I tried to look as pitiful as possible, mimicking
"I've been instructed to exercise extreme caution around royalty, so staying inside the dormitory is the safest option."
"A lifestyle like this cannot possibly be good for your health. I will protest to Lord
Inside, I was screaming "Please don't do that!" but if I desperately tried to stop her now, the sad face I was making would be pointless. I asked Richarta to petition that the library be made accessible again, then started reading.
...Yes, yes, going well.
But my delightful, carefree life of seclusion didn't last long. An ordonnanz flew in. It was from Hirschur, informing me that the date for the Tannisbefahren interrogation had been set.
...Three days from now, at the third bell. Tch, and here I was right in the middle of enjoying a wonderful reading spree.
Perhaps Richarta's protest had gotten through, because I received letters from my guardians telling me to "attend at least some tea parties." Resigned, I wrote back saying, "Decide among yourselves which tea parties I may attend," and while waiting for a reply, the day of the interrogation arrived.
"It's such fine, clear weather — I'd rather be reading in my room — but when the professors summon you, there's no helping it."
The blue sky was a welcome sight after so long, but I would have preferred to use that precious sunlight as reading light. Being summoned on the perfect day for reading by a window was the worst. As I slumped my shoulders in defeat, Hartmut and Filine consoled me with "Once it's over, you can read," while Brother Cornelius stared at me in surprise.
"Lady Rozemyne, you still haven't read enough? You spent nearly a whole week reading in your room without stepping outside, didn't you?"
"No matter how much I read, it's never enough. I suspect that even after I die, I'll still wish I could read more."
That much I could say with absolute conviction. Brother Cornelius let out a weary sigh, muttering something about "Just how much do you love books?"
The interrogation was to be held in a small hall in the central building. Hirschur was standing in front of the hall's door, waiting for my arrival.
"Your attendants may wait in the anteroom here or return to the dormitory. When it's over, I'll send an ordonnanz to let you know."
Brother Cornelius was the one who looked uneasy at Hirschur's words.
"Escort knights are permitted to accompany one to meetings, aren't they?"
"This isn't a meeting — it's an interrogation. The others were each questioned individually, weren't they? It's a necessary measure to prevent misleading instructions, cover-ups, and to distinguish one's testimony from another's."
"Hirschur, I entrust Lady Rozemyne to you. I'll be waiting right here — no need for an ordonnanz."
"Very well, Richarta."
Stepping inside, I saw desks arranged in a U-shape. Facing me sat Ruffen,
"Lady Rozemyne, please take your seat."
Like a defendant in a courtroom, I sat down alone in the center, and Hirschur took her place standing beside me.
"I'm relieved to see you looking so well, Rozemyne. Is your health fully recovered?"
Hildebrand, seated opposite me, said this with a beaming smile. I returned a greeting and a smile of my own.
"As long as I don't overexert myself, I'm fine."
"That's good to hear."
At Hildebrand's words, Ruffen nodded deeply and asked, "It's all right to proceed with the interrogation today?" I gave a small nod.
Then Hirschur introduced the people seated before me.
"Lady Rozemyne, the ones facing you are the Knight Commander of the Central Duchy and the High Priest of the Central
...The Knight Commander had the same strong aura shared by my grandfather and father, but the High Priest of the Central Temple had nothing in common with either of them. He looked arrogant, but weak.
As the child of nobles who could not enter the Noble Academy, blue priests might find themselves nervous in this setting — surrounded by nobles within the walls of the Noble Academy itself. I would interpret his stiff expression as best I could in a positive light.
Once the introductions were finished, Ruffen explained the sequence of events from when the Ehrenfest students first discovered the Tannisbefahren to when they defeated it. This was presumably something he needed to relay not just to me, but to all the professors present as well.
Ruffen had apparently interviewed every Ehrenfest student, including those on standby duty. "There are minor differences due to subjective perspectives, but none of the testimonies contain major contradictions. We have determined that the students' statements are largely credible," he stated. After that, Ruffen looked at me.
I swallowed hard and looked around at Ruffen and the assembled professors. The instructions the Chief Priest had given me were simple.
I was raised in the Temple, so divine instruments were familiar to me, and I knew no other weapons or armor.
I was raised in the Temple, so I was well-versed in the gods and knew many prayers.
Regarding the black weapons, nothing about them was taught at the Noble Academy — I didn't even know they were forbidden.
The incantation and the prayer for creating the black weapons were different, and I didn't know any incantations.
I was to insist on these points while deflecting with "I'm the High Priest," "That's how it is at Ehrenfest's Temple," and "Ferdinand said so." That was essentially what the Chief Priest had told me to do. As I recalled the Chief Priest's instructions, Ruffen spoke up.
"The black weapons are permitted only for the knights of territories that have need of them, and their incantation is not taught at the Noble Academy. Despite this, Lady Rozemyne, you distributed black weapons to everyone. You claimed they were prayers — is that correct?"
"Yes, that is correct. I had everyone recite the prayer of the Darkness God and then gave them the black weapons. I knew that the blessing of the Darkness God was necessary to defeat monsters like the Trombe that drain Magic Power."
When I confirmed this, Ruffen's expression grew grave as he pressed further.
"How did you know that?"
"As the High Priest, after subjugating a Trombe, I must heal the land. When I accompany the knights, I can observe the battle. The Trombe is a magical tree that absorbs mana — the same type as the Tannisbefahren."
I had been told by the Chief Priest that the Trombe existed only in Ehrenfest. Because of this, Ehrenfest had been granted permission to use black weapons against them.
"You accompany the knight order? Not called in only after the defeat?"
Not just Ruffen — even the Knight Commander and Emanuel blinked in surprise. Apparently, elsewhere, priests were called in only after the battle was over.
"In Ehrenfest's Temple, the Chief Priest Ferdinand also participates in combat, so it's more efficient to accompany them from the start."
"The Chief Priest participates in combat!? That's... that's..."
Emanuel shook his head, saying it was impossible, but Ruffen contradicted him.
"Ferdinand is also enrolled in the knight course. There's nothing unusual about him participating in combat. Given Ehrenfest's fighting strength, one might even call it a necessity. ...Does Lady Rozemyne also participate in combat?"
"Goodness, no. I'm only a second-year student at the Noble Academy, with no plans to take the knight course. I simply have my attendants carry a Früleifne staff, and I wait nearby until the subjugation is finished."
...Though I did work hard to gather the materials because Roderich needed them.
I added this silently to myself.
"Hmm. I'm beginning to understand that Ehrenfest's Temple is rather unique. However, there is no prayer for the blessing of the Darkness God in the Holy Book. How do you intend to explain that?"
"A prayer for the blessing of the Darkness God not being in the Holy Book is simply impossible. If it weren't there, how would anyone bestow the blessing?"
When I blinked in bewilderment, Ruffen turned to Emanuel as if seeking his opinion.
"There is a prayer regarding the Supreme God's blessing during the Star Binding ceremony, but there is no record of a blessing from the Darkness God that would allow the creation of black weapons. You said it's not in your Holy Book either, Lady Rozemyne?"
"Well then, Lady Rozemyne — please explain what this is all about!"
Frauerlme, seated to my left, raised her voice in a shrill tone. I held back the urge to cover my ears and felt a flash of irritation.
...I'm the one who wants an explanation! There's no way the blessing prayer isn't in the Holy Book.
The thought struck me suddenly. Come to think of it, some of the transcribed copies in the library were missing prayers. The Holy Book used in the Central Duchy must have similar omissions.
"It's in my Holy Book. There are variations in the Holy Book depending on the era it was copied in — the one used by the Central Temple simply must be incomplete."
"Are you saying that our Holy Book is incorrect?"
He had surely never been contradicted quite like this before. Emanuel's voice rose sharply. I nodded calmly.
"The prayer that exists in my Holy Book is absent from yours, so it's only natural to conclude that the Central Temple's Holy Book is incomplete. Ferdinand, who is the Chief Priest, has also verified the prayer."
Emanuel's mouth opened and closed like a fish. I turned my gaze to Ruffen.
"Furthermore, according to Ferdinand, the incantation for creating black weapons and the prayer for the blessing of the Darkness God are entirely different things."
"What!? The incantation and the prayer are different? They have the same effect, yet they're different?"
Now it wasn't just Ruffen — I could hear the assembled professors drawing in their breath.
"I don't know any incantations, and I've been told I can't be taught them since I'm not a knight, so I'm not well-versed in the details. But Ferdinand, who knows both, says they are different."
In terms of being able to attack monsters that absorb mana, they were the same, but if you looked closely, the effects were actually different. Still, there was no need to go into that level of detail. I glossed over it smoothly.
"I never imagined the incantation and the prayer would be separate things."
Ruffen let out a long breath.
"Lady Rozemyne, what interests me most is the regeneration of the gathering site. That, too, is problematic. A ritual to restore land damaged by the Tannisbefahren requires numerous blue priests and blue shrine maidens, and takes several days to complete. By the time we arrived, it had already been restored."
"Exactly! Under normal circumstances, Ehrenfest's gathering sites should have been contaminated by the Tannisbefahren. What exactly did you do, Lady Rozemyne? Be honest!"
Frauerlme shot to her feet and stood towering, her voice piercing my ears. Gundolf winced and covered his ear. I wanted to do the same, but I couldn't very well do that with every eye in the room on me.
"I, too, would very much like to know how regeneration was possible without spending even a fraction of the time it normally takes."
Emanuel, who would presumably be handling rituals at the Noble Academy, was frowning at me.
"He's quite right. Lady Rozemyne, you're completely unreasonable! And it was the same with the engagement battles!"
Frauerlme dragged out last year's engagement battles as well and began some sort of rant. I scowled as if to say "How noisy," but the looks the Noble Academy professors were giving me seemed identical to Frauerlme's and Emanuel's.
...I just want to go back. Go back and read.
As I thought this, I slowly let out a breath and looked around at all the professors. I genuinely couldn't understand why something so simple eluded them. Honestly, having to explain every last thing was exhausting.
"The Temple is a place nobles rarely set foot in, so perhaps this is only to be expected — but questioning me about this is rather like asking the Life God,
I delivered my elegant "Why don't you understand something so obvious?" and Hirschur pressed her fingers to her brow, saying, "It's wonderful that you resemble Ferdinand to the very end — right down to smiling as you spit poison."
...Hm? I just pointed out their ignorance. I wasn't spitting poison.
Rozemyne, blissfully enjoying her seclusion despite everyone's concerns around her.
And for the interrogation, the Central Temple's High Priest Emanuel has arrived.
Emanuel believes he's been picked a fight with, but Rozemyne feels she's simply stating facts.
Next time: Part 2.