"It's done! How is it, Lady
Right before lunch on the eve of the Interduchy Tournament,
"Please have a look."
Marianne set a sheet of paper with musical notation in place and turned the handle, producing a melody like an organ. Ignaz demonstrated combining Nainsel paper with an improved small-scale teleportation circle to send books into a book箱.
"There are still many points we'd like to improve, but for a prototype demonstration, I think it passes muster, wouldn't you say?"
Further improvements would require more time, it seemed, and they were short on both magic power and materials.
"I think it's wonderful. You managed to bring it to form in such a short time."
"Yes, truly. The high-ranking nobility is amazing. Even if I can offer a bit of advice or suggestions based on Lady Rozemyne's and
"While we're at the Noble Academy, we use a great deal of magic power for lectures, so I'd like to compress as much as possible between spring and autumn, but..."
"In the meantime, we will grow our own magic power all the more."
Ignaz smiled challengingly, declaring that they could not afford to lose to Philine and the others. If everyone kept pushing each other like this and improving their magic power, that would be for the best.
"Are you ready for your presentation practice?"
"We're about to start now. But unlike our previous research content, this is something we designed and built ourselves, so I think we'll be fine."
Rather than attempting to present the advanced mixing and magical tools that
"We would like Lady Rozemyne to teach us a little about Ehrenfest paper. Only what we're allowed to present, of course."
I readily agreed to Marianne's request, and in the afternoon we went over the finishing touches of the joint research with Drewanchel together.
Since I had been cooped up in the dormitory all day, the apprentice knights had been able to train all day as well.
"Quatre-quarts from Ehrenfest have begun arriving. We'll bring them into the conference room."
At
"The castle kitchen must be bustling right about now as well."
The dishes for
"Lady Rozemyne, volume two of The Story of Fernestine has arrived along with the quatre-quarts. You had a promise with Lady Hannalore, didn't you? Shall we send her an Ordinance to let her know?"
Lieselottä brought me a wooden box containing The Story of Fernestine.
"I'll send word myself. Muriella, you'll have to wait until after the Interduchy Tournament. I haven't read it yet either."
"You, my lady, are also on hold until the Interduchy Tournament is over."
After Richenda drove that point home with a firm钉, I could only answer with a resigned "Yes, yes." I felt quite in tune with Muriella, who murmured "I want to read it soon" while continuing preparations.
When I informed Hannalore of The Story of Fernestine's arrival, she sent back a buoyant reply: "I'm looking forward to it!"
The morning of Ehrenfest's Interduchy Tournament began with sweet aromas. In the kitchen, after making breakfast that could be prepared in advance—sandwiches and soup-like dishes—they immediately started on the sweets.
Having finished breakfast earlier than usual, the students set about their preparations for the Interduchy Tournament, each moving with purpose. The apprentice attendants issued instructions to the lower servants, carrying out the sweets that had been placed in the conference room one after another. The apprentice knights participating in Ditter were running through their final practice, while the lower-year apprentice knights not competing served as escorts for the lord candidates.
"Then, let us head out as well."
Wilfried and Charlotte, having called out to the apprentice scribes, began to move. I had wanted to help with venue setup as well, but was told, "If Rozemyne moves about, we'll be uneasy relying only on the lower-year apprentice knights."
"We cannot predict what the people from the small and medium duchies who might barge into the Ditter with
After being told that much, I couldn't very well insist on going. "Understood. I'll leave the preparations to you," I said, watching Wilfried and Charlotte lead the apprentice scribes out. It was unavoidable if I wanted to avoid danger, but I couldn't help feeling a lonely sense of being left out.
While people busily passed in and out of the dormitory for preparations, no one remained in the multi-purpose hall anymore. As I stared at the empty space, Richenda gently placed her hand on my shoulder with concern.
"My lady, would you mind checking the tea room? Everything has been prepared so that Lord Ferdinand and
"Of course."
I went with Richenda to the tea room. It could be entered through the door nearest the staircase to the kitchen. As could be understood from the fact that during our first year, they had been able to hold a tea party there with representatives from every duchy, the tea room was quite spacious. It was now divided roughly into three sections by folding screens, making it resemble individual private rooms.
"In the farthest area from the entrance, we have prepared a long bench with a mattress for Lord Ferdinand to sleep on. As you requested, it was brought from Ehrenfest."
It was the long bench with the mattress I had ordered from
"In this wooden box, futons have been prepared. If you explain to Justus, he'll set them out. There are also various things to verify, given that he is the
Along with the wooden box of futons, a chest for luggage and magical tools for lighting had been brought in and placed right beside the long bench, and the area around the bench was enclosed by folding screens.
"We cannot attach a canopy, but with folding screens like these, I believe Lord Ferdinand will be able to rest somewhat more easily."
Chairs for the attendants standing night watch had also been prepared, and the innermost area was entirely a resting space. In the middle stood a table and chairs. It was apparently intended for meals to be taken together. There were quite a few chairs.
"After the Interduchy Tournament, the Aub and the students are to dine together, so the ones eating dinner here would be Lord Wilfried and you, my lady. After the meal, Lord
My heart leapt at the thought of sharing dinner together, only for me to realize in the next instant that I might be lectured the entire time. I needed a way to avoid that. Just as Brother
"Richenda, I'd like to hand over the documents I received from Professor
"They are already prepared."
Richenda, as expected. She hadn't missed a thing. The topic of conversation would be research. Ferdinand seemed to be starved for it as well, and that would surely be for the best.
"Then, this area closest to the door is where the attendants rest."
Wooden boxes for placing luggage and futons were prepared, but compared to the space set aside for Ferdinand, it was considerably more spartan. Would it be suitable for rest for those from other duchies?
"Knights like Brother Eckhart and Justus, who wanders about wherever he pleases, can sleep outside as well, and the attendants from Ahrensbach are on edge and certainly couldn't sleep."
Richenda said that no Ahrensbach attendant would be able to rest peacefully in the tea room, which Ehrenfest's people could enter and exit freely from the dormitory. While it was a home base for Ferdinand and the others where trustworthy people surrounded them, that was not the case for the Ahrensbach contingent.
"Therefore, we did not prioritize preparations for the attendants' rest. Rather, after breakfast, people from other duchies will come to pick up the graduates, so we focused on making this area as easy to move through as possible and avoiding any signs of daily life."
Just as Ferdinand would go to fetch
"You've thought of everything. Thank you, Richenda. Please pass along my thanks to the other attendants as well."
"Understood."
After confirming that everything was in order, I returned to the multi-purpose hall.
"Lady Rozemyne, good morning."
It was now time for the graduates' parents to arrive one after another through the teleportation circle. Fathers and brothers in gleaming attire passing through the dormitory on their way to the stadium where the tournament was held—that was the usual spectacle each year. As I was thinking this, among the figures emerging from the teleportation circle, I spotted Brother
"Lady Rozemyne, good morning."
"All three of you—why are you at the Noble Academy?"
"We've come to see our fiancées in action. Besides, I need to report to
Having become a Chief Priest, there was a high likelihood he would be told the engagement was off. As I thought this was my fault, Hartmut smiled and said, "There is no need for Lady Rozemyne to worry about that."
"Considering that the Zent participated in the Dedication Ritual you held and that religious rites have been re-evaluated, I don't think there will be any strong opposition. And even if there were, Clarissa would come to Ehrenfest on her own regardless. We need to discuss all of those things."
"...That does sound like it warrants a discussion."
I recalled Clarissa's ferocity and let out a small laugh. She would probably come barreling straight into Ehrenfest headfirst, so countermeasures were needed in advance.
"Brother Cornelius, are you here to cheer for your fiancée as well?"
I cast a teasing glance his way with a smile. If he was here to support his fiancée, perhaps today he could treat me not as a guard knight, but as family.
"Brother Cornelius, are you here to watch
"The official reason is to have more guards in disguise who can blend in with the crowd while watching Leonore's performance alongside Rozemyne."
When Brother Cornelius told me I'd be watching Leonore's performance together with him, I felt a little happy. I would need to tell him at length just how hard Leonore had been working this year.
"...I understand why the two of you came to the Noble Academy. But Angelica doesn't have a fiancée here, does she?"
"We decided to check whether
If Traugott didn't grow stronger, then Angelica—who had already been told she would be marrying Grandfather—said this with a somewhat sad expression. From a third party's perspective, given Grandfather's advanced age, Traugott was a better match for Angelica in terms of age. But in Angelica's eyes, what mattered was strength, and Traugott was no match for Grandfather at all.
"...That is the excuse she made to escape from studying the names of the gods," Brother Cornelius said with an exasperated look, shrugging his shoulders. Angelica wanted to flee from studying however she could, and Grandfather wanted to avoid a bride from his grandson's generation—their interests aligned beautifully.
"Angelica, you need to memorize the names of the gods to receive their blessings and grow stronger yourself. ...At the very least, memorize the names of the Supreme God and the five chief gods correctly, along with the name of whichever god's blessing you want."
"If it's only that much, I'll do my best."
She seemed to have gained a bit of motivation. The Leurulf girl from Yoelsbrenner had been praying to the Goddess of Seedlings for a long time and received a blessing. For starters, you had to begin by memorizing the name of the god whose blessing you wished for and offering your prayers.
"By the way, is
Damuel was the only attendant whose absence I noticed. Since only three people could travel via teleportation circle, I asked if he was coming later, but Brother Cornelius shook his head.
"He's good at sensing magic power, so he was assigned to monitor the movements of the Former
"I advised him to just make a girlfriend while enrolled at the Noble Academy, but he lamented that there was no way he could do that."
At Hartmut's words, I gasped. If someone told him that, wouldn't Damuel's glass heart shatter into pieces?
"Hartmut, please stop teasing Damuel with that refreshingly cheerful smile! It's terrible enough that Damuel can't find a girlfriend and can't get married—bragging about going to see your fiancée in action and then telling him to find a girlfriend if he wants to come along is just too much!"
Unable to complain to a high-ranking noble like Hartmut, I could only picture Damuel's dejected expression. When I voiced my complaints on his behalf, Hartmut showed not the slightest hint of remorse and looked at me with a small laugh.
"I gave that advice precisely because I believe things would work out if Damuel put his mind to it. Isn't it far more cruel for Lady Rozemyne to assume from the start that he could never get a girlfriend?"
"Oh!?"
...That was actually a fair point. I'm sorry, Damuel. I had been making assumptions too, just like Hartmut said. I should have believed that Damuel could do it if he put his mind to it. What a terrible guardian I am.
From now on, I would trust Damuel and leave his matchmaking to Damuel himself. If he set his mind to it, surely he could find both a girlfriend and a marriage.
As I was thinking this, I felt a light tap on the top of my head from behind.
"You troublemaker, have you been behaving yourself today?"
I turned to find my foster father looking down at me. He had dark circles under his eyes and his cheeks were slightly gaunt. His complexion wasn't good either. The aftermath of the purge must have been exhausting.
"Foster father, it's been a while. ...You look quite worn out."
"Whose fault do you think that is? When we return to Ehrenfest, you're in for a thorough scolding."
He poked my cheek as he said this, and I caught my breath. This was shaping up to be a fairly big storm.
"Um, shall I offer you some of Lord Ferdinand's recovery medicine to help with the fatigue?"
"Are you trying to put the final nail in my coffin?"
I had offered out of genuine concern, only to be met with a hostile glare.
"I have no intention of giving you medicine that tastes like the final nail. This is the gentle version that's easy to drink. I still have some left over from what I prepared for the Dedication Ritual..."
"Now is actually a good time—if I take recovery medicine, the drowsiness will knock me out. If everything's ready, let's go."
After a light pat on the shoulder, I instinctively looked around. The Knight's Order's knights were arriving through the teleportation room, but I didn't see my foster mother. Moreover, the knight serving as my foster father's escort wasn't my father either.
"Foster father, where are Foster Mother and Father? I can't seem to find them anywhere..."
"With fewer people heading to the Interduchy Tournament, the Former Veronica Faction might try something, so I've left
"What!? Is she really all right!?"
I had never seen my foster mother—who always wore a gentle smile—with such a color in her face. When I inadvertently raised my voice, my foster father shook his head.
"There's nothing to be done but rest. The Interduchy Tournament, with all the dealings with other duchies, is too much of a burden—I'm having her skip it. ...I'll check on her tomorrow morning, and if she seems all right, I intend to have her attend the graduation ceremony. It should be manageable if all she has to do is sit and watch."
Being constantly swamped with visitors all day long was something I had experienced firsthand last year. It was predicted that this year, with the Dedication Ritual having been conducted, even more duchies would be visiting. There was no way she could manage it in her current condition.
"This year, you and I will handle the socializing together, and I'll pair Wilfried and Charlotte. They've been causing one problem after another. Just thinking about what guests might show up gives me a headache."
"...I'm sorry."
I quickly freshened up and headed to the venue of the Interduchy Tournament with my personal attendants, my foster father, and the knights escorting him. Along the way, I briefed everyone on the joint research and how the knights were performing in Ditter, and we discussed plans for the day's socializing.
"We will check mantles and brooches."
At the entrance to the Interduchy Tournament venue stood numerous black-cloaked Central Knights, inspecting the mantles and brooches of those entering and exiting. Apparently, this was because terrorists had infiltrated the Noble Academy the previous year using brooches made from the magic stones of Berkeshdok.
Since I was with the Aub, a cursory check was all that was needed, and we entered without delay.
Central Knights were stationed throughout the venue as well, making the atmosphere far more imposing than the year before. Many people wore uncomfortable expressions under the watchful eyes of the black-cloaked knights. This uneasy situation would surely continue until someone discovered the magic of Berkeshdok's foundation or the Zent found the Glutrisheit.
"Rozemyne, where is Ehrenfest's position?"
"Ehrenfest's position is wherever you see a lot of bright ochre-colored mantles gathered together. I was told to stay in the dormitory until the Ehrenfest knights arrived, so I haven't been to the venue yet."
Additionally, I was short, so being surrounded by knights meant I couldn't see anything around me at all. My foster father remarked, "I see. So you had your own safety measures in place," looking somewhat satisfied as we walked.
"That was not my doing—please give Brother Wilfried credit for that. I intended to help with the setup."
"...You should take better care of your own safety."
We made our way through a sea of mantles in various hues, and upon arriving at Ehrenfest's position, preparations were already complete.
"This way, please."
Brunhilde guided us to our seats. There, my foster father relayed information about Foster Mother's absence and how today's social engagements would be handled.
"Mother won't be attending the socializing? Is she really all right?"
"She may be able to come tomorrow. There's no need for that much worry, but if today's socializing ends in failure, Florentia will be troubled. Carry it off properly."
"Yes."
Wilfried and Charlotte sat together, while I was with my foster father. My foster father had a chair positioned where he could kick my feet, and told me, "If I kick you, keep your mouth shut."
Behind us, the Ehrenfest knights were lined up. Hartmut, Brother Cornelius, and Angelica were in their family-member outfits, standing near me.
"It appears that Dunkelfelger will be the first to approach our table. They keep looking this way and look ready to bolt at any moment."
Brother Cornelius, who had been surveying the surroundings, said this with a guarded expression. Dunkelfelger's position was across the stadium—or rather, diagonally ahead—so it was easy to observe them. Looking closely, I could see the Aub and several knights on the boundary line with other duchies, and Hannalore clutching the Aub's blue mantle trying to hold him back.
...Lady Hannalore looked like she was having a hard time. Thank goodness I wasn't born a child of Dunkelfelger.
A slender woman approached the Aub and Hannalore, spoke a few words, and the Aub sheepishly returned to his table. The slender woman was likely the first wife.
"Is that Lord Ferdinand? I can see Ehrenfest colors inside the Ahrensbach mantle."
Following Hartmut's voice, I turned my gaze to the Ahrensbach position beside Dunkelfelger. Clusters of bright ochre mantles stood amid the wisteria-colored ones—Ferdinand, Justus, and Brother Eckhart, the three of them. I restrained the urge to lean forward and watched their movements intently.
At the research exhibition, Raimund was holding a Schumil stuffed animal and explaining something earnestly, and I could see Ferdinand pressing his fingers to his temple. Justus was covering his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter. Apparently, the Schumil stuffed animal was quite popular.
I had wanted to explain to Ferdinand alongside Raimund, but the Ahrensbach position across the stadium was terribly far away.
"Even though he's wearing the Ehrenfest mantle, won't Lord Ferdinand be coming over here?"
"He's already working over there, and this year he needs to publicize the engagement. He'll probably come to pay his respects."
My foster father's reply came in response to my murmur. If he did come to greet us, there might be a chance to hand over the Heiβschweiz mantle. I glanced at the wooden box Richenda had prepared, and my expression softened.
"Now, let the Ditter begin! Called duchies, step forward!"
The Interduchy Tournament officially started the moment Luefen declared the commencement of Ditter. After the declaration from the first-ranked
At the same moment, I could see a group from Dunkelfelger begin to walk. Since they were on the opposite side, they would have to make a wide detour to reach us, but leading the way gracefully was the first wife, with Hannalore walking briskly beside her.
...Wait, where is the Aub of Dunkelfelger?
The Aub, who had looked about to bolt at any second, was apparently staying behind with Lestilaut. He had been made to remain in his seat.
...Probably because they were afraid he'd start talking about Ditter again?
While I was tilting my head in puzzlement, the apprentice attendants began preparations for the Dunkelfelger visit, and my foster father straightened his posture.
"Don't space out, Rozemyne. They're coming. ...The demand from our side is for Dunkelfelger to give up their proposal to you and for Lady Hannalore's marriage to be refused. That's correct, isn't it?"
"Yes!"
On Ehrenfest's side, we had already reached a consensus through reports and correspondence that any more trouble from Dunkelfelger was out of the question—as long as they didn't push for the engagement's annulment, that would suffice.
"Wilfried, Charlotte. You two will handle the other guests. I'll deal with Dunkelfelger and the other top-ranking duchies here."
At my foster father's words, Wilfried and Charlotte nodded firmly.
Hartmut, together with the scribes, checked the paper and ink, while Brother Cornelius and Angelica took positions that would make it easy to protect us.
"Good day, Aub Ehrenfest."
The first wife of Dunkelfelger stepped forward with a smile. Her red eyes—the same as Hannalore's—were narrowed into a smile, but I could tell they were studying us intently.
She had a completely different kind of fear from the Aub of Dunkelfelger, who kept shouting about Ditter. Feeling my throat go dry with tension, my foster father and I stood to greet her and offered her a seat. The first wife and Hannalore took their seats.
"There is so much I'd like to discuss—about printing, about books, about the ceremony...but first, let us talk about the recent Ditter."
"Since it concerns the future of both our duchies so greatly," the first wife smiled.
The joint research with Drewanchel had been successfully completed, and with that, the Interduchy Tournament had begun.
Three adult attendants from Ehrenfest had come along to gather intelligence and serve among the visiting family members.
Damuel had an important role to play back in Ehrenfest.
And now, the talks with Dunkelfelger would mark the true start of the Interduchy Tournament.
Next is Socializing, Dunkelfelger Edition.