Roderich's Name-Swearing

Having safely finished the tea party with Drewanchel—the biggest hurdle—I wrote a report for Ehrenfest. I was told to write it in the formal work-report style, so I did my best to show that I could deliver when I put my mind to it. I listed the tea party's date and time, the attendee roster, the sweets each participant brought and how they were received, the topics that came up during the party, the duchies likely to approach us at the Interduchy Tournament and the Lord's Conference along with the subjects they might raise, and every countermeasure I could think of.

"With this, Lord Ferdinand won't have any complaints."

Looking at the thick report I'd produced, I let my tired arms swing loosely, savoring the sense of accomplishment from having seen it through.

"Lady Rozemyne, shall I deliver this to Prince Hildebrand?"

I skimmed the letter Brünhilde had brought. It was a letter inquiring about the proper procedure for gifting the armband. After confirming there were no errors in the format or wording, I handed it back to Brünhilde.

"There are no issues. Please go ahead and send it."

"Understood. Then I shall take my leave."

Once Brünhilde had gone, I handed the bundle of reports to Liesereta and had them sent off to Ehrenfest.

"Richarda, please bring me a book. I've finished submitting the report, so I'd like to read one of Gilessenmaier's books."

Now that my tasks were done, I was eager to settle into some reading—but Richarda shook her head with a sigh.

"Everyone is currently busy preparing for the Interduchy Tournament, so as a lord candidate, you need to observe their progress and maintain an overview of the entire situation."

"...Will I even be allowed to participate this year?"

"Lord Ferdinand said he would like to have you participate as much as possible, so unless something major happens from here on, I expect you'll be able to attend."

I was practically herded toward the Multipurpose Hall by Richarda. Preparing for an event I knew I couldn't attend felt hollow, so I would have preferred to prioritize reading—but if there was a chance I could go, I wanted to get into the festive spirit.

In the Multipurpose Hall, I could see scholars busy cleaning up the notes they had gathered from tea parties and preparing for their research presentations at the Interduchy Tournament. Still, it was quieter than usual, probably because most of the knight apprentices had left with only the minimum number behind and had gone to practice Ditter.

I spotted Wilfried and Charlotte standing in front of the bookshelves in the Multipurpose Hall. Their attendants were with them, and they all seemed to be discussing something.

"Brother Wilfried, Charlotte. What are you talking about?"

"Oh, Rozemyne. Are you done with the report? If so, I'd like to discuss the Interduchy Tournament—would that be all right?"

Wilfried looked up and said this, so I took the seat Richarda offered and positioned myself to listen.

"I was talking with Charlotte, and since we have three lord candidates this year, I think we should assign one of us to each of the three tracks—knights, attendants, and scholars. Wouldn't it be better to have a clear chain of command?"

I thought about Wilfried's proposal for a moment. Who was best suited for which role? The answer came quickly.

"Brother Wilfried would take knights, Charlotte—who has been gaining experience at tea parties—would take attendants, and I would handle scholars?"

"Yes. Honestly, I don't really know much about the scholar track's research presentations. You said you'd be taking the scholar track next year, so you probably have some familiarity with it?"

"That's right. ...Since additional research on prayers has been added, and there's a high probability Professor Hirschur will be coming, it would be best for me to handle it."

I had the materials the High Priest had entrusted to me for the purpose of diverting Hirschur's interest. Whether they would actually be useful was another matter.

"My retainer Hartmut is in his final year of the scholar track and was last year's top achiever, so I could leave most of it to him—but will it be too much for Charlotte? We have many upper-ranking duchies attending as guests this year."

"Like last year, once the knight apprentices are done with Ditter, we'll have them assist with hosting, and Father and Mother will be coming as well, so I think it'll be manageable."

I was well aware that socializing wasn't my strong suit, so if I could hand it off, all the better.

After finishing several discussions about the Interduchy Tournament, I reached for a book on the shelf and remembered I had promised to lend some to Ortwin.

"Brother Wilfried, please lend the knight stories to Lord Ortwin, and from there, gradually spread Ehrenfest's books to the other nobles as well. There are a lot of romance stories now, but there should still be some knight stories, right?"

I told him about the request Adolphine had made during the tea party with Drewanchel, and Wilfried nodded—but the moment I added, "And don't forget to borrow books in exchange," his face twisted.

"Isn't that really for your own benefit?"

"Well, I am lending expensive books, so shouldn't there be some collateral?"

I answered matter-of-factly, and Charlotte added, "I've made the same request of my friends," which coaxed a reluctant agreement out of Wilfried.

...It's all about having a good excuse. That's what matters.

While I was reading in the Multipurpose Hall, Brünhilde returned from delivering the letter to Hildebrand.

"Lady Rozemyne, I've received a reply from Lord Artur. Regarding the armband, the exchange will be handled through our retainers. Shall I take charge of it?"

Last year Anastasius had summoned me, so I had simply done as I was told—but Hildebrand had been instructed to stay in his room and avoid contact with students as much as possible. I wasn't sure the best way to deliver the armband without causing trouble, so I had asked for guidance, and it was decided that the retainers would handle the handoff.

"Liesereta, as a middle-ranking noble, might find the task too burdensome, so I'll leave it to you, Brünhilde."

"Leave it to me."

After several rounds of letters between the attendants, the armband was successfully delivered to Hildebrand. About two days after the initial inquiry, an Ordonnanz flew to me with his thanks. It was meant to serve as confirmation of receipt by delivering his own voice, so I wasn't particularly surprised as I accepted the Ordonnanz.

"Rozemyne, it's Hildebrand. I received the armband."

The white bird spoke in Hildebrand's young voice to express his gratitude, but at the same time, he also began airing his grievances about his current situation. Apparently, he had wanted to receive the armband in person, but he was required to stay in his room to avoid meeting with students, and he was also forbidden from inviting students to his room as a special accommodation.

"You went to all the trouble of making the armband for me, Rozemyne, but I can't even go to the library or meet Schwartz and the others. It's so disappointing. But you finish your classes early, don't you, Rozemyne? I'm looking forward to next year's Noble Academy!"

Hildebrand was enthusiastically planning for them to both wear their armbands and serve as library committee members next year, and I couldn't help but laugh. I tapped the magic stone that had reverted to yellow with my staff, turning it back into a white bird.

"I'm looking forward to working together on the library committee at Noble Academy next year too."

When I waved my staff, the white bird spread its wings wide, took flight, and passed through the wall as it flew away.

"Lady Rozemyne, it's finally done!"

Roderich arrived with Hartmut, holding a bundle of plant paper, a proud smile on his face. True to his request that he wanted to receive his name alongside a story, Roderich had been working desperately on a new tale. It appeared he had finished. My heart swelled with anticipation at the arrival of a new story.

"You worked very hard, Roderich."

"Lady Rozemyne, praise me too."

Hartmut fixed me with a sharp stare, so I gave a small laugh and praised him as well.

Roderich's task hadn't been limited to creating a story and preparing a name-swearing stone. Since there was no time before graduation, Hartmut had dragged him around, and the handover of duties within the Noble Academy that required a certain level of standing was carried out in parallel. Roderich must have had a rough time being drilled with all of it, but Hartmut—who had supervised Roderich's training nearly the entire time—must have had it rough too.

"Thanks to Hartmut's tireless efforts, Roderich was able to prepare his name-swearing stone, and he'll be able to start working right away once he becomes a retainer. You did well. Thank you, Hartmut."

Normally, name-swearing wasn't done during one's minority, so Roderich hadn't even known how to make the name-swearing stone, and he had been taught by Hartmut as well. When I praised him, Hartmut's expression softened with pleasure.

"Then, let's get right to it—although I should say, I don't really know much about name-swearing. How is it performed?"

When I tilted my head, Roderich did too. Did he just hand over the name-swearing stone, and that was it? Or was there some special ceremony?

Richarda explained with a wry smile at the parties involved themselves being completely in the dark.

"Simply receiving the name-swearing stone is fine, but there are preparations required as well."

According to Richarda, name-swearing wasn't a grand ceremony—it was conducted quietly and privately. The name-swearing stone had its bearer's name engraved on it and essentially served as the bearer's life itself, granting the recipient the power of life and death over them. As such, its shape, how it was managed, and other details weren't things you'd want others to know about.

"However, you will need one or two witnesses."

Apparently, there had been cases where someone claimed they wanted to swear their name but actually intended to ambush and betray the recipient, so a witness was needed to protect the lord.

"Please choose someone you trust, my lady. There may even be those among us who would try to steal the name meant for you."

"...There is no one around me with that kind of mindset."

Richarda said she had witnessed a name-swearing before—Justus's. At the time, the High Priest had very few people he could trust, so he was wary of ambush and was very reluctant to accept Justus's name.

"I wonder who was a witness when Brother Eckhart swore his name?"

"That would be Justus. There was no one else the lord trusted more than that."

Richarda said this with a slight shrug. In Brother Eckhart's case, like Roderich, he had sworn his name during his minority, so both parents had also been present.

"Roderich's parents are..."

"That is unnecessary. They are the people Lady Rozemyne must trust the least."

Roderich said this flatly. Apparently, even Justus had warned that I might go off the rails, given his family situation, so I decided not to ask further.

"But this is a problem. Who should I choose as witnesses? Would Richarda be the safest choice?"

If it were Richarda, she had served as a witness before, knew what name-swearing involved, and could provide support. I was nodding to myself in agreement when Hartmut raised his hand. His amber eyes were fixed on me with an intensity that bordered on obsessive.

"Please, by all means, designate me, Lady Rozemyne."

...That intense gaze of his was a bit unsettling.

But perhaps, having taught Roderich how to make the stone and guided him through all sorts of handover tasks, Hartmut felt something like a master's sentiment watching his disciple grow. I asked him, for now, why he wanted to be a witness.

Hartmut answered with a bright smile, crystal clear.

"Because I want to sear this precious moment—the first time Lady Rozemyne receives someone's name—firmly into my eyes."

...He wasn't thinking about Roderich at all! The reason was even more trivial than I had expected!

"I'll ask Richarda to be the witness."

When I said that, Hartmut looked as though he had been struck by a blow, then suddenly put on a serious expression and began thinking deeply.

"If I'm rejected here, it can't be helped. Since I can't attend as a witness, the only option would be to offer my own name and attend the ceremony as a participant..."

With Hartmut, I could genuinely predict that he might offer his own name just because he wanted to see the ceremony—that was what scared me. If Hartmut's name were offered, it might only fuel his already zealous tendencies even further.

"...Fine. We'll make Hartmut a witness as well. Richarda, please keep a close eye on him."

"Understood, my lady. Then let us prepare a room and proceed with the name-swearing."

While Richarda, Hartmut, and Roderich made preparations, I waited in the Multipurpose Hall. In the end, seeing me pouting after being pressured into it by Hartmut, Brother Cornelius teased me with a grin.

"Why not just accept Hartmut's name and issue orders to restrict his behavior? It might make things easier for you."

"I don't want to do something like that."

When I puffed out my cheeks even further, Brother Cornelius's expression turned serious.

"I know. That's precisely why Roderich wanted to swear his name—and why others are watching so closely."

With just a glance, Brother Cornelius indicated the children of the former Veronica faction scattered throughout the Multipurpose Hall. They were apparently watching with bated breath to see how Roderich, who had offered his name, would be treated.

"The Noble Academy is in a good place right now. Wilfried, you, and Charlotte aren't fighting over the lord's seat in factional disputes—instead, you complement each other's strengths and weaknesses and keep things running smoothly. Grades have improved, and we're attracting attention from other duchies. It's completely different from before."

Brother Cornelius said he could feel Ehrenfest's rapidly rising position firsthand. The more senior students who had experienced life before we enrolled—and before the residential building had been transformed—the more acutely they felt it.

"Charlotte may eventually marry into another duchy, but you and Wilfried are engaged. That the next generation of Ehrenfest will be run by the two of you is obvious to everyone here. So the question is, who should they align themselves with? And what happens to their relationships with their parents and families? The children of the former Veronica faction are thinking desperately about all of this."

"If they keep cooperating and spending time together like this, their way of thinking will change too. Ideally, they'd have a bright future ahead of them. The parent generation still warrants caution, but I don't think we need to eliminate every last member of the former Veronica faction. That's what I've come to believe."

"Brother Cornelius, you've really matured."

When I murmured this sentimentally, Brother Cornelius made a face of distaste.

"Lady Rozemyne, you're the one who needs to mature. Especially your attitude toward books—I'd like to see some improvement there."

"I understand. I'll do my very best to ensure I can set aside reading time so that I can love books even more."

"No! That's the opposite!"

Right after getting that sharp retort from Brother Cornelius, Richarda came to call me. The preparations were complete.

I placed my guard knights at the door and entered through the door Liesereta opened for me. Inside the room, Hartmut stood to the right while Roderich knelt, waiting.

As I stepped forward—having been told by Richarda to stand in front of Roderich—I heard Richarda usher the others out and close the door firmly behind them.

I stood before Roderich. His orange-brown hair was lower than my line of sight. He had raised his face slightly, and I could see his dark brown eyes—slightly tense, but burning with a fervor that revealed his mounting excitement.

In his hands was what I assumed to be the metal box containing the new story Roderich had worked so hard on and the name-swearing stone. The box was about the size of one that might hold an engagement ring, with a white magic stone set in its lid.

Richarda walked over and stood beside Hartmut. Then she smiled gently, as if to ease the tension.

"Now, let us begin. It's nothing difficult. Name-swearing is not a ceremony where you swear an oath to the gods—you swear to the person you have chosen as your lord. So Roderich need only offer his oath to the lady in his own words."

Roderich nodded firmly. Seeing this, Richarda nodded once as well, then turned her gaze to me.

"My lady, once you have confirmed that Roderich's name is indeed engraved upon the stone, please close the lid and register your magic power. You need only dye the magic stone on top of the lid with your magic power. Once that is done, no one else will be able to touch Roderich's stone."

I replayed Richarda's instructions in my head, confirming the steps I needed to take.

...Confirm the name, close the lid, then register magic power. All right, I can do this.

Those dark brown eyes watched me intently as I reviewed the procedure. I gave a single nod.

Roderich took one long, slow breath, lowered his gaze, and bowed his head. Then he carefully set the bundle of papers and the jeweled box down in front of him, crossed both hands over his chest.

"I, Roderich, swear here that as a loyal retainer of Lady Rozemyne, I will dedicate my life to writing and offering stories as a scholar. As proof of this oath, I offer this new story and my name. My name shall forever be with you. My life is yours."

Having spoken his oath, Roderich reached for the box before him. He carefully opened the lid, revealed the stone, and placed it back on top of the bundle of papers.

Then, holding the bundle in both hands, he slowly raised it upward. Raised high above even his own kneeling head, it came to rest right in front of my eyes.

I reached for the box resting atop the bundle. Inside the metal box was a translucent stone with a beautiful gradient of yellow and red, like a bicolor gem. It was oval-cut, and Roderich's name was engraved within it in shimmering golden flames.

Holding the name-swearing stone that Roderich had poured all of his magic power into creating, I felt my chest grow warm.

Confirming the name, I placed the stone back inside the box and closed the lid. Then, as instructed, I touched the white magic stone on top of the lid.

The instant I flowed my magic power in, Roderich let out a pained cry: "Guh!?!" The bundle of papers scattered to the floor, and Roderich doubled over, clutching his chest.

"Roderich!?"

My eyes went wide, and I pulled my hand away from the box. Richarda restrained Hartmut beside her and said to me with a calm gaze, "Please continue, my lady."

"His name is being bound by another's magic power. There will be some shock, but it will last only until the binding is complete. For Roderich's sake, please don't trickle it in—finish it all at once."

Apparently, just as dyeing a living creature's magic stone met with resistance, having one's name bound by another person's magic power came with a sense of repulsion. She told me not to prolong the painful moment, so I poured my magic power in all at once.

"Gaaah!"

Roderich cried out in pain once more, and the next instant, the white magic stone atop the box glowed. Lines of white magic power raced across the surface of the box like a fine mesh. At the same time, the box began to change shape on its own. It kept shrinking as the white web spread over its surface, eventually conforming exactly to the shape of the name-swearing stone, becoming a pure white cocoon-like object.

...I know this. It's the same as what the High Priest has.

I felt like I'd seen it amid the jingling of magic stones and medicine pouches on his belt. Following the High Priest's example, I placed it inside the metal case that held my feysteed's magic stone, then extended my hand toward Roderich as he slowly rose. Before my hand even reached him, Roderich lifted his face and smiled.

"...I'm all right now, Lady Rozemyne."

Roderich wiped the sheen of sweat from his forehead and let out a slow breath. The pain seemed to have truly passed, as he picked up the paper bundle he had dropped and once again held it out to me in offering.

"Please accept this."

I took it and lightly flipped through the pages.

"It's a story about scholar apprentices and knight apprentices at the Noble Academy cooperating to aim for victory in a treasure-stealing Ditter. I wanted to try writing something that wasn't a knight story or a romance."

If I thought of it in terms of novels from my life as Reina Honobono, it would be something like a hot-blooded sports coming-of-age story. My cheeks softened at the birth of a new story.

"Roderich, I have received your name and your story. I swear here that I will strive to be a worthy lord to you."

I drew my staff and, as one would to a knight who had offered their sword, lightly touched the shoulder of the kneeling Roderich.