Work in the Underground Archive

"When we realized your figures were gone and we hadn't been told a thing, we were in an absolute state of panic."

My adoptive parents, having received no advance notice whatsoever, had been bombarded with questions from the nobles of other territories seated around them and had apparently gone completely pale. They simply said, "Since this was a royal commission, please direct any details to the royalty," and then the entire group banded together and returned to the dormitory as one.

And the moment my adoptive parents made it back to the dormitory, I was summoned—only to find myself surrounded by everyone who had come for the lord's conference in the multipurpose hall. Being encircled entirely by adults was extremely intimidating. Compared to the students, who had grown somewhat accustomed to being called out for royal-related matters or other unusual events, the adults had zero such experience and their stiff faces only made the whole thing feel even more oppressive.

"Under normal circumstances, this would be the time to feel each other out ahead of the afternoon conference, or to arrange tea parties and banquets—but that was entirely out of the question. We demand an explanation."

My adoptive father shook his head, as though the very thought of finishing lunch and getting the afternoon conference underway was exhausting.

"It appears to be an old-style ceremony described in an ancient document discovered at the Central Temple. The High Priest of the Central Temple didn't have enough magic to recreate it, so he asked me to perform the reproduction."

I explained everything—including the infuriating treatment I had received up to that point—and emphasized that I had confirmed the matter with Anastasius. I could have handed the ceremony over to the High Priest of the Central Temple and gone home, but Anastasius was the one who made the decision.

"This matter was accepted by Prince Anastasius at the Central Temple's request, and he then commissioned me. Any further complaints or questions should be directed to Prince Anastasius. The document only listed the procedure for the ceremony, so even I didn't know what kind of ceremony it would turn out to be until I actually performed it."

"You didn't know about it beforehand!?"

Both my adoptive father and adoptive mother looked shocked, but I nodded firmly.

"It was a royal request. That's why, for any questions from other territories at this afternoon's session as well, I think you should simply answer that any details should be directed to the royalty. It was a reproduction of an ancient ceremony at the behest of both the royalty and the Central Temple."

Neither the royalty nor the Central Temple would be able to give particularly satisfying answers anyway, so there was no reason for Ehrenfest to exert itself. We should simply leave the matter to those who had commissioned it.

"Essentially, it was the same type of ceremony as the one Dunkelfelger performed during the Interduchy Tournament when they raised the pillar of light. It was an age-old rite for offering magic to the gods—and that's exactly why it turned out the way it did. That's all there was to it."

My adoptive father's expression softened slightly in understanding, no doubt recalling the Dunkelfelger ceremony that had been demonstrated at the Interduchy Tournament.

"...What concerns me more, frankly, is the Central Temple, who claimed they wanted to obtain the true Zent by reviving ancient ceremonies."

Stepping forward at my words was Hartmut.

"Please be extremely cautious of the Central Temple. Chief Priest Immanuel of the Central Temple is not a man who listens to those around him. He will act by any means necessary to get what he wants. You would do well to assume that noble common sense does not apply to him."

Hartmut, who had been on guard throughout the entire ceremony, said this with a serious look in his eyes. Having had his detour route cut off, he had heightened his vigilance even further.

"Immanuel is targeting Lady Rozemyne for her ability to revive ancient ceremonies still preserved in the Temple. Obtaining the legitimate Zent may be necessary, but that is the work of the royalty and the Central Temple—not the job of an Ehrenfest archduke candidate."

When Ehrenfest still had breathing room, maybe. But with Ferdinand having departed for Ahrensbach, the cleanup from the purge still unfinished, and both magic power and manpower in desperately short supply, this was not something Ehrenfest could afford to take on.

"If we provide a convincing justification to satisfy the other territories, the Central Temple or the royalty could very well try to take Lady Rozemyne away. Please prioritize Lady Rozemyne's safety above all else—and you might also consider refusing the request to assist in the library."

Hartmut made this proposal to my adoptive father. While the surrounding adults muttered things like "Can we really refuse a royal request!" and "Such rudeness would be...," my adoptive father closed his eyes in thought for a time.

"It would be presumptuous to refuse the royalty's request outright, but if it comes to that, I will raise the issue of Ferdinand having been taken from us as grounds for a formal protest."

"That is much appreciated."

"Lady Rozemyne, that was absolutely magnificent!"

Lunch began with Clarissa's rapturous recounting. Present in the dining hall as a member of Ehrenfest, Clarissa had witnessed the Star Binding ceremony and had apparently been deeply moved.

"The way you advanced so gracefully while surrounded by that ring of blue... And since you alone were dressed in white, all eyes naturally gravitated to you..."

"Clarissa, do calm down. With all the blue surrounding you, Lady Rozemyne was barely visible when entering, wasn't she?"

Otilie tried to soothe Clarissa, but the younger woman was far from done.

"What are you saying, Lady Otilie! Were you truly unable to see Lady Rozemyne's divine presence and her expression filled with compassion? ...I'm quite surprised."

...Honestly, I'm more surprised by Clarissa, who apparently saw all of that with the eye of her own heart.

"When Hartmut took Lady Rozemyne's hand and escorted her up the steps, I felt an overwhelming sense—as though Effaznoit had wildly tousled her hair and spread her mantle wide. And of course, that was all topped off by her pure, beautiful voice raised in song to the Supreme God, a voice befitting none other than Kuntozirl's favor."

...Sorry, Clarissa. I can tell you're praising me, but I really can't follow. Is Effaznoit messing up her hair the important part? Or was it Effaznoit's mantle that had significance?

If this had all been written down, I could have followed the flow of context and checked the meaning of each part. But when it's delivered in a rapid-fire torrent like this, I simply can't process it. And when she slips in expressions referencing other gods while I'm still trying to catch up, it only compounds the confusion.

...Otilie, help me.

I looked to Otilie, but she had apparently given up entirely on calming Clarissa and was letting her eat instead. Her fiancé Hartmut, nodding along, was describing the scene he'd witnessed from the altar—showing absolutely no intention of stopping Clarissa. If anything, he was accelerating her excitement.

"Oh, I know exactly what you mean! It was as though the Supreme God himself was answering Lady Rozemyne's call—like an incarnation of Mestionora herself. When the dark mantle billowed up and the night sky appeared, the divinity of that moment was beyond words. Don't you think it was beauty enough to trouble Glamrattur?"

"I wholeheartedly agree. The star-studded night sky, evoking the deep embrace of the Darkness God... and within it, the Goddess of Light..."

...I have no idea what they're talking about anymore. They're in their own little world—let them be.

The fact that the two of them were getting so worked up together only confirmed what a well-matched pair of fiancés they were. Leaving Clarissa and Hartmut to their conversation, I turned my gaze to Lieseleta, who seemed to have come to the hall to witness the ceremony.

"Lieseleta, you were watching too, weren't you? Performing the ceremony in the Royal Academy really is quite spectacular, don't you think?"

Seeking agreement from Lieseleta, who had been accompanying me as a student at the Academy, she smiled with a somewhat troubled expression.

"...Lady Rozemyne, 'spectacular' might not be the best word. I would prefer something like 'ethereal' or 'mystical.' It was truly beautiful, after all."

"Mystical, I can understand. It really did feel as though the Supreme God himself was there."

As I described the sensation I'd felt while offering my prayers, Clarissa, her blue eyes sparkling, gazed at me with an expression of pure wonder.

"Indeed, Lady Rozemyne! You truly can converse with the gods, can't you!"

"I never said anything of the sort. ...And Clarissa, you can share your thoughts about the ceremony with Hartmut later. For now, please enjoy your meal. If you're that excited and talking so much, you won't be able to properly taste this wonderful food."

Today's lunch was especially lavish, serving as both a kickoff for the lord's conference and a tasting session. As Clarissa's chatter shifted from endearing to outright noise, I politely asked her to quiet down.

"It's quite all right. Any food eaten while listening to Lady Rozemyne's stories tastes absolutely wonderful."

"Then shall I change just your menu?"

"My apologies. I'll eat in silence."

When Clarissa finally stopped talking, I could feel the collective sigh of relief from everyone around us. I was genuinely curious how Dunkelfelger had managed Clarissa back home.

At the afternoon conference, the questions from other territories were successfully deflected with a trio of responses: "It was a reproduction of an ancient ceremony requested by the royalty," "It's the same as what Dunkelfelger did when they raised the pillar of light during the Interduchy Tournament," and "For any further details, please direct your inquiries to the royalty." There were more requests for banquets than the previous year, but apparently that could be handled.

"Now then, Hartmut, Clarissa—please carry out your duties diligently as attendants."

"As you wish."

I watched the adults depart in time with the third bell. For a while, I read in my room, timing my departure for the library to coincide with everyone else having fully moved out.

"Since Lady Hannelore of Dunkelfelger will also be present, I'll bring all three volumes of the Ferenestine Tales."

While Lieseleta and Otilie prepared, the Knight's Order held their briefing.

"Only senior knights can enter the underground, so Leonoore and I will go below. Damuel and Angelica, I need you keeping watch on the situation outside the library."

"If you spot any suspicious individuals, report immediately. As long as they can't get up to the Preservation Archive, they can't escape or hide. ...If the library becomes a battleground, there's no telling what Lady Rozemyne might do."

Damuel and Angelica nodded at brother Cornelianus's and Leonoore's instructions.

"I'd honestly rather be outside than spending all day in a library."

The moment Angelica said this happily, an ordonnance flew in from Solange. It seemed Hannelore had arrived.

"Then let's head to the library."

I set out with my four Knight's Order attendants and two personal attendants.

"Princess, you came."

"Princess, want magic power."

"Schwartz and Weiss seem in good spirits."

Greeted by Schwartz and Weiss, I stroked the magic stones on their foreheads and supplied them with magic power. Their mannerisms made Lieseleta break into a broad smile and caused Otilie's eyes to widen. Even having heard the stories, it was apparently quite surreal to witness the library's Magical Tools actually calling me "princess."

"Lady Rozemyne, welcome. Everyone is waiting for you in the office. Since there are quite a lot of people today, please limit your accompanying retainers to three when entering the office."

Solange greeted me and explained the situation. Hannelore had already arrived, and with royalty present as well, the office would indeed be packed. Angelica and Damuel headed outside just as discussed, while Lieseleta smiled and said, "I'll begin preparing tea," before stepping away. I proceeded to the office accompanied by the high-ranking retainers.

Inside the office were Anastasius, Eglantine, Hildebrand, Hannelore, and one other woman I didn't recognize. Her hair was pinned up in a shade very close to Hildebrand's, and her eyes—looking even redder than Hannelore's—conveyed a strong-willed and spirited temperament. I guessed she was in her mid-twenties.

"Rozemyne, yesterday's ceremony was exactly as expected yet completely beyond expectation—and the results turned out better than anyone could have imagined."

...I have no idea what that means.

I didn't understand, but since he seemed satisfied with the outcome, I let it slide and silently appealed with my eyes for an introduction to the unfamiliar woman.

"If I was of any help, then I'm glad."

"...Ah, you two haven't met yet. This is my father's third wife and Hildebrand's mother—Lady Magdalena. She hails from Dunkelfelger and is well-versed in ancient language, so she will be assisting us with the modern translations."

At Prince Anastasius's introduction, I knelt before Magdalena and greeted her.

"I am Rozemyne, archduke candidate of Ehrenfest. I humbly ask your blessing upon this fortunate meeting, guided by the pure flow of the Water Goddess, Flutrane."

"You have my blessing. ...The princes have told me all sorts of things about you. I am delighted to meet you in person. I look forward to working with you during the lord's conference."

The royalty called out to the retainers waiting in the reading room, and guided by Ortansia and Solange, they passed through the closed stacks and headed underground. Ortansia took the lead, with Schwartz and Weiss hopping along behind her.

"I had heard stories, but I never imagined the library held such a place."

Brother Cornelius, entering for the first time, descended the stairs with a slightly tense expression as he surveyed his surroundings. "Just as Leonoore said—there's nowhere to run if we're attacked," he muttered.

When the three of us inserted our keys, lines of magic traced across the wall that appeared to be made of metal, forming an intricate pattern across its surface before the wall groaned and split into three sections that began to rotate. The underground archive appearing behind the transparent wall was a sight that set my heart racing no matter how many times I saw it.

Schwartz stepped inside while Weiss waited at the entrance—both as familiar a sight as ever. As the lowest-ranking person present, I had to enter first. I took paper and ink from Otilie, bundled them in my arms, and passed through the transparent wall.

"Princess, prayers insufficient."

Schwartz's familiar words greeted me. I replied, "I'll keep working hard," as I set the paper and ink on the desk.

"Hannelore, devotion insufficient. Prayers insufficient."

Schwartz's message probably rolled right off Hannelore, given that she had already heard it countless times. She began preparing her writing instruments without missing a beat.

"Oh? Prince Hildebrand?"

Wondering who would come next, I saw Hildebrand reaching out toward the transparent wall with a tense expression. The hand that had been pushed back during his time at the Royal Academy now passed smoothly through, and Hildebrand stepped into the archive.

"Hildebrand, devotion insufficient. Prayers insufficient."

"...I'm in."

Hildebrand barely seemed to notice Schwartz's words. His face filled with surprise and delight as he stared at his own hand, then turned back to look at his mother Magdalena entering behind him.

"I made it in, Mother!"

"Well done, Hildebrand. This is the fruit of your effort."

"Hildebrand, devotion insufficient. Prayers insufficient."

Apparently, Hildebrand had petitioned the King to increase his magic power so he could be of even a little help. He had learned the royal method of magic compression, and Magdalena had additionally taught him Dunkelfelger's method, allowing him to grow his reserves.

"I've also learned to read some of the older characters. ...At the very least, I wanted to be able to transcribe the texts."

While there were those in the Central who could read the older characters, they couldn't enter the archive. So the arrangement was for Hildebrand to copy the materials here, which could then be translated into modern language for them.

"I was also asked by Lord Trauerqual to brush up on my ancient language studies, so I've been reviewing as well for the first time in a long time."

As Magdalena spoke with a soft smile, Eglantine and Anastasius entered.

"Eglantine, devotion insufficient."

"Anastasius, devotion insufficient."

"Hmm. The words have changed. So the re-acquisition of divine blessings did fill out your attributes after all. At this rate, my brother's words should have changed as well."

It seemed the royalty had also undergone the re-acquisition of blessings. Both Anastasius and Eglantine now possessed all attributes.

"Prince Anastasius, did you obtain all attributes through the re-acquisition?"

"Yes—didn't you teach me that I simply had to chant the prayer words and supply magic power? During the winter offering and such, I made it a habit to always offer prayers to the gods when using magic, and I received four divine blessings."

It appeared he planned to perform the re-acquisition ceremony again in a year. Eglantine had received two blessings.

"So Lady Eglantine has also gained all attributes."

At Hannelore's words, Eglantine gently touched her cheek and shook her head slowly. "I originally had all attributes, so..."

"Will I also be able to increase my attributes through the re-acquisition at graduation?"

"It seems that performing deeds that catch the gods' eyes is important as well."

"Growing your attributes and blessings matters, but copying and translating the documents we have here is even more pressing. Eglantine and I have tea party plans this afternoon, so we can only work through the morning. Let's move quickly."

At Anastasius's command, we set to work diligently, translating and copying from the white Slates. Magdalena, Hannelore, and I worked on modern translations, while Anastasius, Eglantine, and Hildebrand—who had only just begun studying the old language and found translation too time-consuming—copied the ancient characters as they were.

We took breaks at various intervals and worked silently until the fourth bell.

"Then we'll be heading out. I know it will be tough, but please continue your efforts this afternoon as well."

Anastasius and Eglantine departed with their retainers. To avoid being seen as minors wandering around the Royal Academy, Hannelore and I were to have our lunch in the resting area in front of the archive. Apparently, it was considered rather poor form for the royalty to be seen employing minors from other territories.

Magdalena and Hildebrand, who had initially planned to return as well, apparently decided to stay and eat together here, and the attendants had begun making preparations.

"The detached palace is quite a distance away, and for me—a third wife—to be seen wandering the Royal Academy during the lord's conference would not reflect well, so please allow me to dine with you."

As Magdalena said this, she picked up her cutlery. There was a risk of the impression that the third wife was scheming behind the scenes or feeding information to Dunkelfelger, and with no telling how any rumors might develop...

"This season would be lovely for an outdoor picnic, but it's rather difficult, isn't it? Invisible enemies like rumors are truly troublesome. Lady Rozemyne and Lady Hannelore, please be careful as well."

"I truly appreciate the advice."

The conversation then turned to yesterday's ceremony, and all three of them said they wished they could have seen it. Magdalena, as a third wife, and the minors Hildebrand and Hannelore had been unable to attend the hall and had only heard about it from others.

"I wanted to see it as well. My father told me it was a deeply mystical sight—night suspended within the hall, with a pillar of light rising from the stage."

At Hildebrand's words, Hannelore let out a soft chuckle.

"I shall be content to wait until my brother completes his painting. It was such a beautiful scene that he apparently couldn't resist putting brush to canvas. Mother scolded him, saying it would have to wait until after the lord's conference."

"Lady Rozemyne, I heard that for just a few seconds—while Prince Sigiswald and Lady Adolphine stood on the stage, having received your blessing—a magic circle faintly appeared? There are voices suggesting that Prince Sigiswald may have been recognized by the gods as the next Zent."

I stared at Magdalena, so startled that I didn't even notice the bite-sized piece of chicken falling from the mouth I'd been about to bring it to.

"A magic circle appeared on the stage?"

"Oh my? I heard as much from the members of Dunkelfelger who witnessed the ceremony. But Lady Rozemyne, you didn't see the magic circle? You were performing the ceremony at the altar, weren't you?"

At Hannelore's wide-eyed question, I retraced my own actions.

"I was looking upward to offer my prayers to the Supreme God, so I couldn't see the stage at all."

"In Ehrenfest, the magic circle wasn't discussed at all?"

At Magdalena's surprised expression, I recalled the previous day's atmosphere in the dormitory. At least, I hadn't heard anything about it.

"The decision to perform the ancient ceremony was made at the very last moment, and Ehrenfest was given absolutely no prior notice. So at lunch, the conversation was entirely about what I had done and how to answer the questions from the surrounding territories' nobles. And on top of that, Clarissa and Hartmut..."

"I don't need you to explain. They only ever talk about Lady Rozemyne, don't they?"

Just as Hannelore said, the two of them had been centered entirely on my actions, repeating the same praises on loop—so much so that Leberecht had scolded them at dinner, asking, "How long are you going to keep talking about the same thing?"

"At dinner, there were so many requests from the afternoon session that we had to discuss how to handle them, so the ceremony didn't come up again. I had no idea about the magic circle."

...I was right there. I was the one who performed the ceremony, and I didn't even know.

If a magic circle for selecting the next Zent candidate had appeared, it made perfect sense that the Central Temple—which desired the legitimate Zent—would be desperately trying to revive ancient ceremonies. It also explained what Prince Anastasius had meant when he said, "It was exactly as expected yet completely beyond expectation, and the results were better than anyone could have imagined."

"I'll try asking my adoptive father about it at tonight's dinner. I can't simply brush it off by saying I didn't know."

After finishing lunch, we returned to work in the afternoon. Diligently translating into modern language—reading through these new documents was such a joy.

"...Lady Rozemyne!"

Magdalena shook my shoulder firmly, and I looked up with a start.

"You've received an ordonnance for your attendant. Let's leave the archive."

Once I stepped out, brother Cornelius thanked Magdalena and relayed the contents of the ordonnance brought by Damuel.

"It seems Dietlinde of Ahrensbach has come to the library."

"Lady Dietlinde shone a magic circle during the Coming-of-Age Ceremony and became a Zent candidate. She may intend to come here to obtain the knowledge necessary to become Zent."

At Leonoore's words, Magdalena blinked in surprise. "Hardly anyone should know about this place."

"No—Lord Ferdinand believed that anyone who was royalty or an archduke candidate could enter. If in the past it was common for royalty and archduke candidates to come and go here, it wouldn't be strange for someone to hold that information."

At my words, Magdalena murmured, "I see..." with an unconvinced expression—then, as though something had clicked, the corners of her lips curved upward into a smile.

"I had been hoping to have a conversation with the woman who calls herself the next Zent candidate. Leave the matter to me—Lady Hildebrand, Lady Hannelore, and Lady Rozemyne, please continue your work inside the archive."

And so, work in the underground archive began.

The differing perspectives between Ehrenfest and the other territories.

Not a single person brought up the magic circle. That's how dire things were.

Dietlinde has arrived.

Next up—the next Zent candidate.