Bathed in the gaze of everyone in the venue, Dietlinde, dressed in the
"Can you actually dance with all that on your head?"
He asked that bluntly, voicing everyone's worries and concerns on their behalf, and I mentally applauded him. Wasn't Lestilaut practically a hero for being able to ask that so directly on the spot?
However, the hero's question apparently didn't reach Dietlinde.
"Oh yes. Of course I can dance. I've practiced so much, after all."
Dietlinde said this while looking down at both her hands, not at the heavy-looking head atop them.
...I'm pretty sure Lestilaut was talking about the hair ornament. Where is she looking? ...Is there something on her arms? Ah, wait—could it be the magic stones?
It wasn't just the flashy ornament on her head—she'd apparently also prepared magic stones to make it glow. I couldn't hide my surprise at how thoroughly prepared Dietlinde was. How on earth had she managed to escape from that
While I was thinking about that, the Lord Candidates ascended the stage, fluttering their long sleeves gracefully. Lestilaut, who was escorting the Goddess of Light, seemed to be trying to keep Dietlinde out of his line of sight as much as possible—his face wasn't directed straight ahead but was turned slightly to the side.
...He's making pretty much the same expression Ferdinand did earlier. Hang in there, Lestilaut!
The Lord Candidates lined up before the altar just as they did during the music and sword dances, each taking their positions and kneeling to touch the stage. Just from those movements alone, Dietlinde's head wobbled heavily. Would it hold together? I was more nervous than anyone.
"I am one who offers prayers and gratitude to the gods who created this world."
The moment the Lord Candidate's voice rang out, a magic circle rose to the surface of the consecration dance stage—pure white until that moment—just as it had last year. Since no one else seemed to see it, I kept my mouth shut and stared at the stage.
Music began to play, and the dancers slowly rose to their feet. With gentle movements, they raised their hands, and flowing sleeves swayed. The consecration dance had begun.
...Oh, she really did intend to make them glow.
Shortly after the consecration dance began, the magic stones Dietlinde was wearing gave off a faint glow. It seemed she'd hidden magic stones all over her body, as small lights flickered at her wrists, in her hair, dotting her here and there. Being the only one glowing, she certainly drew the eye. However, the dance itself wasn't particularly impressive. Perhaps because of the weight on her head, her axis wobbled noticeably every time she spun, which was very distracting.
"Oh, the Goddess of Light is glowing! Was it like this during
Father asked in a low voice.
"Sister's magic stones were of a different quality. On top of all the charms, the magic stone hair ornament was glowing too, so it wasn't such tiny lights—it was much more dazzling. Though rather than thinking it was beautiful, I was more worried about when the blessing might leak out."
Charlotte's words made me break into a cold sweat. Back then, I'd been so desperate to prevent the blessing from leaking that I'd had no idea what I looked like, but perhaps I'd been even more conspicuous than Dietlinde was now?
"...Um, was I really more eye-catching than Dietlinde just now?"
"The light was such that even while dancing together, you couldn't help but have your attention drawn to it. You were definitely more conspicuous."
...No way! More eye-catching than Dietlinde?! How much of an attention-seeker must everyone around me have thought I was!?
But the glow only lasted a few seconds before fading. Dietlinde, who seemed to notice it had disappeared, furrowed her brow slightly, and a few seconds later it glowed again. Then after a few more seconds, it went out once more. And so it repeated.
The blinking light naturally drew glances. I'd thought she was flashing it on purpose to stand out, but looking more carefully, every time the magic stones went dark, Dietlinde would grimace slightly and make them glow again. It didn't seem intentional.
...Why is it blinking? ...Huh? Is that magic power?
I thought I saw magic power shimmering faintly around Dietlinde. The pale, wavering glow that appeared when large amounts of magic power were released seemed to be getting absorbed by the magic circle. But whether this was visible to anyone other than me—who could also see the magic circle—I wasn't sure. I couldn't help but look toward Ferdinand. His face wore no forced smile; instead, furrows lined his brow.
"It looks to me as though magic power is leaking out of Dietlinde..."
Mother murmured that it might be my imagination, and Charlotte nodded.
"I can see it too. At first I thought it was an optical illusion, but doesn't it seem to be getting thicker?"
It seemed I wasn't the only one who could see the fluctuations in magic power. By the time I realized this, everyone else had begun to notice too, and the audience started to murmur: "Isn't she releasing an awful lot of magic power?"
"Hey, Rozemyne. Is she going to be all right? Leaking that much magic power..."
"Rozemyne used to do that all the time, but what's the situation here?"
Father and
"I've never released magic power to make the magic stones attached to my body glow, so I can't accurately gauge what Dietlinde is experiencing right now. That said, releasing magic power from your entire body does put considerable strain on the body—comparable to lying in bed for several days after taking my medicine."
I answered as seriously as I could, but Father looked at me with an exasperated expression.
"With how frail you are—collapsing for days just from wandering outside for a bit—your tolerance isn't much of a reference."
"...Well, that's true. I wouldn't know how much strain it puts on a normal person, either."
The people who had their magic power drained during the consecration ceremony had all been completely exhausted, and when the ritual to summon spring at
"But if she's a Lord Candidate and the next Aub, she should be accustomed to magic power supply, so I don't think the strain would be too severe."
The moment I said "She should be fine," voices erupted from all around: "Ah!" "Watch out!" Dietlinde swayed violently, her entire body tilting toward the Darkness God who was dancing beside her.
...She was absolutely not fine at all!
Gasping at the sight of Dietlinde stumbling, I watched the stage intently. In a sensation that made everything seem like slow motion, a red flower hair ornament slipped free from her elaborately pinned hair.
"What?!"
Was it because he'd been deliberately keeping Dietlinde out of his line of sight? Because he was focused on the dance? Or because his arms had been extended wide during a spin? Lestilaut, trained as he was as a
"Wha—?!"
The moment Dietlinde crashed into Lestilaut, who had frozen mid-spin with his eyes wide open, she was flung backward with considerable force. In the process, she took down the Wind Goddess along with her. Dietlinde's hair ornament fell, and her elaborately pinned hairstyle began to collapse.
"Dodge!"
"Watch out!"
"Aah!"
As cries rang out from the audience, the Wind Goddess role player—who had been suddenly caught up in the disaster—let out a shriek. Spreading her costume's large sleeves wide, she was knocked to the ground as Dietlinde toppled onto her, landing hard on her back.
The instant Dietlinde's hands hit the stage as she collapsed face-down, the magic circle on the stage lit up. It lasted only a few seconds.
"What was that?!"
"I just saw a magic circle on the stage!"
It seemed that the moment it lit up, the magic circle had become visible to everyone. Though it had only appeared for a few seconds, that was apparently enough to be seared into everyone's eyes. The sudden appearance of an unfamiliar magic circle on the stage threw the surroundings into an uproar.
"Why is there a magic circle in a place like that...?"
"What on earth is that?"
From the voices around me, I could tell Ferdinand was pressing his fingers to his temples. The moment our eyes met, he wore a deeply contemplative expression and pressed his index finger to his lips.
...Don't say anything, right?
"Silence! The consecration dance is not yet over!"
"We cannot interrupt the sacred rite!"
The High Priest and Chief Priest of the Central
"We cannot leave Dietlinde as she is. Let's go."
Ferdinand stood and addressed the
"You—carry Dietlinde off the stage and have the Attendants remove her consecration dance costume. The rest of you, hurry to collect the hair ornaments."
One aide lifted the collapsed Dietlinde from the stage and carried her away, while others scattered to gather the fallen hair ornaments. Ferdinand cast a brief glance at Dietlinde being carried off, then knelt before the Wind Goddess player, who was still sitting on the ground, and offered a proper apology.
"I am terribly sorry for having entangled you in this sudden incident where Dietlinde lost consciousness. Falling like that must have caused pain in many places. Would you permit me to give you healing with Lutzschmell?"
"...You have my permission."
Ferdinand used Lutzschmell's healing on the Wind Goddess player who had been caught up in the incident, and extended a hand to help her stand. She took his hand and rose, and once he confirmed she was uninjured, she left the stage.
Below the stage, Dietlinde's Goddess of Light costume was being removed by the Attendants. Ferdinand instructed that it be handed over to the Central Temple attendants, then, as
"The consecration dance will be performed again."
Dietlinde's Goddess of Light costume passed through the hands of the Central Temple attendants and was given to the substitute Lord Candidate. The substitute Lord Candidate hurriedly prepared herself and ascended the stage. Under the direction of the High Priest of the Central Temple, the consecration dance was to be redone.
"I am one who offers prayers and gratitude to the gods who created this world."
With the murmur of the audience still unabated, the consecration dance was performed once more. This time, no one glowed, nor did any magic circle light up, and it concluded without incident. The fourth bell, signaling noon, rang through the lecture hall.
"We were certainly surprised by Dietlinde from entrance to exit."
The elaborately pinned hairstyle, the flickering magic stones, the dramatic collapse that took down those around her, and the magic circle that briefly lit up on the stage. Without a doubt, it would be the most talked-about highlight of this year's graduation ceremony. Even at lunch, all anyone in Ehrenfest could talk about was Dietlinde and the magic circle that had briefly appeared on the stage.
"I never knew there was a magic circle in a place like that."
"We graduates couldn't see it from down there..."
"Hey, Rozemyne, Charlotte. Doesn't that magic circle look like the one at Haldenzel? You know—the one that vanished without activating, but also seemed similar in that it suddenly appeared on a white stage and might require certain conditions to activate?"
At Wilfried's words, Charlotte and I nodded in agreement. If you categorized them together as magic circles hidden beneath a white stage, they were indeed quite similar.
"Rozemyne, do you recognize that magic circle? Since the consecration dance is a sacred rite, you must know something about it?"
Father looked at me searchingly as he spoke, but I shook my head vigorously.
"I don't know. The consecration dance isn't part of the sacred rites performed in Ehrenfest, so it must be a rite exclusive to the Central Temple."
"I see..."
As Father continued to eye me with suspicion, an Ordonnanz flew in. It was nearly the end of the meal, but receiving an Ordonnanz during lunch was unusual. As I watched, the Ordonnanz landed before me and opened its beak.
"Lady Rozemyne, this is from
Eglantine's voice was as unhurried as ever, but sending an Ordonnanz during lunch and dispatching a messenger to the tea room on the day of the graduation ceremony was anything but normal. Something significant must have happened.
"Father."
"Reply that we'll wait in the tea room. Let's go."
"Yes."
I sent back my acknowledgment via the Ordonnanz and hurried through lunch. The entire Lord's family would head to the tea room. There, we sipped post-meal tea while waiting for the messenger.
"Attendants, withdraw. This is an urgent request from the Royals. It would be best to clear the room."
At Father's words, the retainers withdrew, leaving only a few guard knights behind. Watching them go, Father looked at Mother with a worried expression.
"The message brought by the messenger is unlikely to be pleasant. Florentia, wouldn't it be better for you to rest in your room?"
"The shock of learning now versus learning later is the same. I am here as the first wife of Ehrenfest."
Mother's words made Father nod with a resigned air.
"I wonder what this is about?"
"It must be an inquiry about that magic circle. If it's urgent enough that they can't simply send word by Ordonnanz, there can't be many things it could be."
At Father's words, I let out a quiet breath. In that case, I'd need Ferdinand to answer—there was nothing I could do.
The tense atmosphere in the tea room was broken by the soft chime of a bell.
"That's fine. Guard knights, step outside the range."
Once Oswin activated the range-specific Magical Tool, he presented a letter.
"Lady Rozemyne, this is from Prince Anastasius. Though it is a great imposition, I have been instructed to bring back your reply before I return."
I unfolded the letter with a rustle and read. The fact that Anastasius's head Attendant had come in person as a messenger told me things were serious, but even so, the contents exceeded my expectations and made my head spin.
Apparently, during lunch, the High Priest and Chief Priest of the Central Temple had declared that the magic circle which appeared during the consecration dance was one designed to select the next Zent, and that the person currently closest to becoming the next Zent was Dietlinde.
...Whoa, Dietlinde as the next Zent instead of the next Aub?
They were arguing that no royal had known about a magic circle like that on the consecration dance stage, that the magic circle hadn't lit up during the dances of
Before strange rumors could spread, they wanted to gather as much information as possible about whether that magic circle truly was the one to select the next Zent, and whether Dietlinde was truly the closest person to becoming the next Zent. The letter stated that if Dietlinde truly became the Zent with the Grutrissheit, Father was prepared to yield the throne.
...Dietlinde as Zent?! What kind of future is that?! That's terrifying!
Since I was knowledgeable about sacred rites and magic circles, they wanted me to attend Anastasius's estate during the afternoon graduation ceremony—when the Temple officials would be present—to hear what the Central Temple had to say. Though framed as a request, it was a royal directive with a specified date and time. In effect, a summons.
"I truly hate to impose, but you are the only person the Royals can consult regarding sacred rites, Lady Rozemyne."
Oswin's face wore its usual gentle smile, but I could detect a subtle urgency in his voice. Naturally—learning that the Ahrensbach next Aub, who had appeared at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony with that outrageous hairstyle, was the person closest to becoming the next Zent would make anyone anxious.
...But this is way beyond my ability to handle! Ferdinand!
"The consecration dance is a sacred rite of the Central Temple. Therefore, you know nothing of it, correct, Rozemyne?"
Father stared at me, and I nodded vigorously several times. I was supposed to know nothing about this. Father then turned his gaze to Oswin.
"While we intend to send Rozemyne in response to the Royal summons, it might be more productive to first question Ferdinand, who is currently in Ahrensbach. He may be able to provide more information."
Given the gravity of the situation, refusing a royal summons was out of the question. Father proposed not just sending me, but also having Ferdinand called in.
"Ferdinand could be summoned under the pretext of inquiring about Dietlinde's condition after she collapsed during the consecration dance."
Oswin nodded immediately. "It seems they believe Ferdinand may have greater knowledge of sacred rites. Ehrenfest has proposed summoning him under the guise of inquiring about Dietlinde's condition." He sent an Ordonnanz flying toward Eglantine. I could sense an unmistakable urgency in his profile.
"My apologies, Aub Ehrenfest."
Oswin retrieved the range-specific Magical Tool, took my letter of acknowledgment, and departed with hurried steps.
The only ones remaining in the tea room were Ehrenfest's Lord family. Every face wore a deeply troubled expression.
"So that magic circle was of that nature..."
"It hasn't been officially determined yet. I find it hard to believe, but Rozemyne—listen to what Ferdinand has to say."
"Yes."
As the next Aub of Ahrensbach, Dietlinde's fate would also affect Ehrenfest. Ehrenfest needed information just as badly.
"Since the Royals wish to learn the details during the graduation ceremony, everyone else should try to act as normally as possible. Rozemyne, you'll claim you're not feeling well, as usual. I'll have Ricarda summon
The students would attend the graduation ceremony looking none the wiser, while I would head to Anastasius's estate with Father, who would arrive from Ehrenfest after the ceremony began.
"For now, by summoning Ferdinand, I've ensured you'll have the best possible guardian. Basically, leave everything to Ferdinand and just focus on listening."
Father told me this, and I nodded.