Father urged me to action, so I used the Magical Tool to stop time, took
Egmont was definitely involved, but the other Blue Priests might have some connection as well. I stopped by the Chief Priest's office to speak to
"Hartmut, the Chief Priest has gone to the castle. Would you mind if I had the other two questioned in his absence?"
"If it is Lady
Hartmut departed, taking the Chief Priest's Attendants with him. The moment he left, the Blue Priests who had been working under his supervision all let out a collective sigh of relief.
"This is no time to be letting your guard down. Once the Chief Priest officially takes over, this will be the everyday norm. Please do your work diligently."
Both the Chief Priest and Hartmut shared the stance that useless Blue Priests were unnecessary, but their methods of dealing with it differed greatly—one by neglect, the other by elimination. The Chief Priest, who had no choice but to enter the Temple as a priest while still retaining his noble status, and Hartmut, who was there on a temporary assignment to assist me, had fundamentally different attitudes toward the Temple and its priests.
Hartmut was a typical high-ranking noble. Blue Priests had not graduated from the
...Besides, who knew how many Blue Priests would even still be Blue Priests after this winter.
The Chief Priest had spoken of a purge of the former
...The students at the Royal Academy would likely be spared if they swore fealty, but what about the younger ones? Take them in at the orphanage? Taking in all of them would strain the budget too much, I supposed.
But without raising nobles, we would run into problems down the road. What was Father thinking about that? I might need to discuss it with him before heading to the Royal Academy.
While I was lost in thought and working, Hartmut returned. The remaining two had apparently not been involved with the nobles who had infiltrated. With the questioning of all the Blue Priests complete, the surveillance was now over.
"Thank you all for your cooperation. You are free to return to your rooms now."
I released the Blue Priests and their Attendants, thanked the Chief Priest's Attendants for their patience during the escort with Hartmut, and returned to my own room. By that time, it was already the hour for the underage retainers to head back to the Noble District.
"Lady Rozemyne, please be very careful with your personal safety."
With worried looks,
"I failed to notice even when Lady Rozemyne was nearly poisoned. I was told to be more careful, but I have no idea how I should go about it... I am still so inexperienced."
He murmured that he needed to learn from Brother
"Cornelius, what do you mean by 'Lady Rozemyne was nearly poisoned'?"
Hartmut's orange eyes glinted sharply. He had already been absent when the poisoning incident occurred. Come to think of it, I had not yet told Hartmut about the counterfeit Holy Book. Once back in my room, I reported everything that had happened today to Hartmut while we ate dinner.
"Oh my. So the counterfeit Holy Book was coated with poison, and both Lady Rozemyne and I were in danger of being killed? Baroness Daldorf brought it in, did she?"
Upon learning that the counterfeit Holy Book had been coated with poison, Hartmut's face broke into a chilling smile.
"Nothing has been confirmed yet. At the very least, wait for
"Then, while we wait for that report, allow me to discuss commonly used poisons and their countermeasures."
Hartmut began lecturing
"Where did Hartmut learn such things?"
"During my work at the Temple, Lady
As he spoke, Hartmut had
"...Lady Rozemyne, is this Holy Book key also a counterfeit? Unlike the Holy Book that was merely an image copy, this one has a rather complex magical circle engraved on it."
"It is not registered with my Magic Power, so..."
Was the key genuine? I tilted my head. Hartmut picked up the Holy Book's key and peered intently at the Magic Stone.
"Is it possible that the noble who infiltrated simply re-registered the Magic Power? Even that alone would make it difficult to determine at a glance where the real ends and the counterfeit begins. If we assumed the key was fake simply because the Holy Book was a fake and searched accordingly, the perpetrators would only laugh at our confusion."
At Hartmut's words, I stared at the key. Whether it was an exquisitely crafted counterfeit or a genuine article with its Magic Power merely re-registered, I could not tell.
"...Either way, until the Holy Book is restored, we cannot even confirm whether this is real or not. When will the Chief Priest be returning?"
"He said to be discreet and to look into people's memories quickly, so he should be back either tomorrow or the day after."
The next day, the Chief Priest did not return. To gather as much information as possible, I summoned the four Gray Priests and questioned them.
"Initially, the coachman identified himself as being from the Plantan Company and requested that we relay a message to Lord Egmont."
But the gate guards had immediately sensed something was off. The Plantan Company always used the same coachmen. The carriage was different as well. There had been no communication from
"Even if they are wealthy, they are Commoners. When requesting an audience with a Blue Priest, who is a child of nobility, both the Plantan Company, the
When the gate guards pointed out these discrepancies, Baroness Daldorf had leaned her face slightly out of the carriage and simply said, "An appointment has been made. Relay the message quickly."
"I had once served Lady
Shikikoza and her relatives had treated Gray Priests terribly. He had judged that angering her here would cause serious trouble. When word was sent to Egmont that he had a visitor, a proper appointment had apparently already been made, and a reply came that they would go out to receive her.
"I returned to the gate, informed the gate guards that an appointment had indeed been made, and went to open the gate for the carriage. After the carriage passed through, I was captured just as I was about to close the gate. It happened in the blink of an eye, and I had no idea what was going on."
Apparently, when they next realized what was happening, they had been bound in coils and carried into the carriage. Inside the carriage, they were tied further with ordinary rope.
"Once we pass through the gate, the binding of Magic Power will be removed—that is what we were told, and we realized we were being taken outside the city."
They had struggled while passing through the gate to attract the soldiers' attention, but they were only kicked and trampled, and the carriage left the city just the same. In an empty rural area, a farmer with a wagon and a coachman were waiting, and they were told to switch vehicles.
At that point, they were ordered to remove their clothes so they could not easily escape, were re-bound, and loaded onto the wagon.
"The farmer man appeared to have been hired with money. He had pressed a Blood Seal on a contract and was given a ring as collateral. He had originally planned to wear it on his finger, but since he had no Magic Power, he could not adjust the ring's size, so he strung it on a cord and hid it under his clothes."
After that, a cloth was draped over the wagon and they were simply transported, so they knew nothing more.
"Where we were being taken, what would happen next—they did not tell us."
"I see. Thank you for telling me. I will file a complaint with Baroness Daldorf."
I told the Gray Priests to return to the orphanage.
"...So the noble woman who infiltrated was Baroness Daldorf, and the Blue Priest who assisted her was Egmont. That seems certain."
"A Commoner's testimony might not be credible, but the facts are solid. What matters is how much information Lord
Finding out whose ring Egmont's belonged to was important as well, but I had no idea how long it would take to gather evidence that would hold up among nobles. I felt a creeping frustration at being unable to act despite knowing the culprits. I wanted to recover the Holy Book as soon as possible.
"Lady Rozemyne, please do not go running off on your own or searching blindly in order to find the Holy Book."
"I know that."
I know it, which is exactly why I am sitting here quietly in the Temple. To wield the authority of the Lord's adopted daughter, it is necessary to follow proper channels.
"I sent warnings to both the Gilberta Company and the Plantan Company about the danger of having their names used without permission, didn't I? Gil also brought me a sample of the cloth that the Gilberta Company sold to the suspicious noble's envoy."
I spread out the cloth Gil had delivered. The cloth I personally favored had to be dyed after being ordered through my mother, so it could not be prepared immediately. It had a similar look, but it was cloth dyed by a different artisan.
"What would they want with the cloth that I favor?"
As I was tilting my head in puzzlement, an Ordons flew in. "It's Ferdinand. I'm heading back now. Gather the knights." After leaving that brief message, the white bird turned into a yellow Magic Stone.
"Damuel, please inform the knights to assemble. Zom, could you contact the Chief Priest's office?"
"Understood."
"To summarize: sufficient evidence has been obtained."
The Chief Priest, who had returned from the castle and changed back into his priest's robes, arrived in the room. As instructed, my knights had also assembled. Every face was tense and stern.
"It appears this incident began with an inquiry from Egmont's family."
The Chief Priest began speaking quietly. Apparently, Egmont's family had asked him whether there was ever a day when both the High Priest and the Chief Priest were absent. Since both of them came and went from the castle as well, their absences were not infrequent, but they were not in a position to receive information about when those absences would occur.
Several days after that inquiry, an official notice was issued that the High Priest and the Chief Priest would both be absent. Since even the attendants who served at the Italian restaurant were being taken along, the High Priest's office would be completely sealed.
"Egmont immediately informed his family. And through his family, what was forwarded was a meeting request from Baroness Daldorf."
A meeting request from Baroness Daldorf, specifying the dates and times of the absence, arrived. Given the power dynamics with his family, he could not refuse. Egmont had immediately sent his acceptance, apparently. His family had also pressed him, saying that Baroness Daldorf had a favor to ask and that he should comply as much as possible.
"He had received a letter stating, 'I have a private request, so I will come under the name of the Plantan Company.' The letter was burned and disposed of as instructed, so it could not be used as evidence."
That day, Egmont had waited nervously, wondering what was going to happen. In the meantime, he was notified of an arrival at the gate, and he went out to receive the guest.
"The one who appeared in Egmont's memories was undoubtedly Baroness Daldorf. By that point, the Gray Priests had already been captured and put in the carriage, but it seems Egmont did not know that four Gray Priests had been kidnapped."
Baroness Daldorf had told Egmont, "I also need you to find a reason to send away the Attendants who are in the High Priest's office. I do not want to cause a scene at the Temple." Egmont sent one of his Attendants to check on them. It happened that
Then he ordered another Attendant to sneak in from the Attendants' quarters, unlock the High Priest's office from the inside, and bring the key to the Holy Book. The hiding place for the key was not particularly different from any other. It was always managed by the Head Attendant.
While the Attendant was searching for the key storage box, Baroness Daldorf swapped the Holy Book. By pressing a Magical Tool the size of a fist against the Holy Book, an exact replica was created.
"My son was going to be killed, and my family was going to be cast out by the Aub—all because of that Commoner-born child. Surely a small act of revenge is permissible?"
With those words, Baroness Daldorf replaced the Holy Book with the counterfeit. Even watching it happen right there, it was so exquisitely crafted that one could not tell which was which.
"Now that deceptive child who used the guise of a Commoner-born girl to enter the Temple and became the Lord's adopted daughter will be seen flustering at the autumn Coming-of-Age Ceremony and the winter Coming-of-Age Ceremony. By the time anyone notices the real Holy Book is gone, it will already be too late. No one will be able to figure out who swapped it or how."
Baroness Daldorf showed a smile laced with poison. Then she took a single key from the key storage box that Egmont's Attendant had brought and gripped it. By re-registering her own Magic Power on it, she would make it appear that even the Holy Book's key was a counterfeit, throwing everyone into a panic.
"That child, and Chief Priest Ferdinand who serves as her guardian, will be blamed for negligent management and will receive some form of punishment."
Through the Holy Book swap, she would humiliate the High Priest at the ceremony. And if fortune favored her, she would drag the High Priest from that very seat—that was what Baroness Daldorf said.
Egmont imagined the scene and could not help but laugh. That child who had waltzed into the Temple as a Commoner-born Blue Shrine Maiden yet had the audacity to act superior as High Priest—watching her panic upon realizing the Holy Book was a counterfeit at the ceremony. Would that not be a most entertaining sight?
Since the former High Priest had passed away, his share of the Donations had been cut, and the benefits from the Dedication Ritual and Harvest Festival had shrunk considerably. Surely this would provide some relief.
"Please, do tell me how the ceremony turns out."
Baroness Daldorf turned her back to Egmont, gently stroked the counterfeit Holy Book once, and placed it back where the key was stored.
"With the swap complete, Egmont and Baroness Daldorf took the utmost care to leave no trace of their intrusion as they left the High Priest's office and moved to Egmont's room. Then they entered into Contract Magic."
Having moved to the room, Baroness Daldorf spoke about what would happen as a result of the Holy Book swap and the punishments that would follow. "If that child is stripped of the High Priest position, shall I recommend you as the next High Priest? You have been so very helpful," she said with a smile.
"Egmont returned a polite smile, thinking that a noble's words could never be trusted. But as if reading Egmont's very thoughts, Baroness Daldorf produced a contract."
Saying that he would surely not trust words alone, she produced both a contract and a ring. The contract did indeed contain the text: "I recommend Egmont as the next High Priest."
"She said, 'If we exchange Contract Magic, perhaps you will trust my words a little more,' and Egmont was swept up at the sound of the words 'next High Priest.' He wrote his name on the contract and pressed a Blood Seal upon it, completing the Contract Magic. As a token of trust, a ring set with a Magic Stone was presented. 'Now you are part of the noble circle,' she told him."
Nobles received rings set with Magic Stones from their parents at their
"With a Magic Stone ring, you too will be able to handle your own Magic Power. All you need to do now is wait for that Commoner-born High Priest who has deceived everyone to be dragged down."
Hearing this from Baroness Daldorf, Egmont stared at the Magic Stone on the ring and grinned. After the two of them had thoroughly disparaged the Commoner-born High Priest and felt refreshed, Baroness Daldorf departed on her Stenluke with the Holy Book.
She had the carriage take a separate route, apparently to ensure that no one knew she had gone to the Temple. No traces remained. All one had to do was quietly await the autumn Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
"And then, while we were raising a toast in that room, our forces broke in and they were captured. As for the insults directed at you—beyond everything Baroness Daldorf had told him, it seems he had also grown bolder from drinking."
The Chief Priest said this, slowly exhaled, then looked at me and let a sardonic smile cross his face.
"Rozemyne, do you remember? When
"Could it be..."
"Yes. The contract was double-layered. What Egmont entered into was a subservience contract, and the ring was the same kind given to Self-Eating soldiers. Once its purpose is served, it will be destroyed. ...It was fortunate we secured him when we did. As a Blue Priest, Egmont's memories can serve as irrefutable evidence. Baroness Daldorf and her family can certainly be punished. Additionally, since the crest on the ring Egmont wore belonged to
The Chief Priest raised the corner of his mouth and said that winter had become "very pleasant." The evidence was apparently also effective for capturing members of the former Veronica faction, and he was in quite good spirits. Father, and Father who had received the report, both praised me, saying I had done well to break through the trap.
"This time, rather than your woman's intuition, it was your obsession with books that truly impressed me. This case came to light because of your sense of something being off. If you had not noticed, it could have been catastrophic."
"If you have come to understand even a little of my devotion to books, then let us go at once."
When I stood up, the Chief Priest knit his brows deeply and looked at me.
"Rozemyne, where do you think you are going?"
"To recover the Holy Book, of course. What else would I be doing?"
Now that we knew Baroness Daldorf had taken it, and evidence had been gathered that nobles would accept, there was nothing to do but go recover the Holy Book. Hearing my words, the Chief Priest raised one eyebrow as if I had said something absurd.
"The question and answer do not match. I asked where you are going. I am not asking about your goal, which I could guess without being told."
"To wherever Baroness Daldorf is likely to be. First, her estate in the Noble District. If she is not there, I am storming her summer estate in the Daldorf territory. No matter how far I have to chase, I will absolutely recover my book. I will not let her get away."
As I clenched my fist and declared this, the Chief Priest rose to his feet as well.
"The Holy Book must certainly be recovered. Very well, let us head for Baroness Daldorf's estate. Bind anyone who stands in our way and drag them along, one by one. We do not know what memories anyone may hold."
To recover the Holy Book, I stormed the Daldorf Baron's winter estate in the Noble District alongside the Chief Priest and my knights.
But it was already too late. Baroness Daldorf was dead.
The event as the Gray Priests saw it. The event as Egmont saw it.
We were told the side of the story that Rozemyne could not see.
Next time, the search for the Holy Book.