"Lord
The First Wife smiled gently, as though holding back the Aub who looked ready to spring forward at any moment. Ferdinand replied, "Of course." Looking at their socially polished smiles, I thought they seemed like kindred spirits—the sort who operated in the shadows.
"
That Hirschur was a research maniac and a dormitory supervisor in name only—everyone knew this well-established fact. The First Wife's words made it immediately clear just how cut off we were from information about the Noble Academy and the Central District. She then told us about the situation in the Central District that had been relayed from Lütfen, seeming to have grasped everything at a glance.
"On the day
"Yes. He met with Prince
The chain had nearly turned to gold dust, so I wasn't wearing it now, but a gift was a gift.
"Afterward, the Zent, having heard the details from Prince Sigiswald, ordered the Central Knights to protect the Noble Academy and guard the entrance to the Ahrensbach dormitory. The dormitory supervisors at the Noble Academy were reportedly instructed to remain in their respective dormitories."
...Hirschur never told us about that, did she?
Presumably deciding that as long as she didn't go outside, everything would be fine, Hirschur had refused to return to her dormitory and instead locked herself in the Scholars' Wing.
"We were frantically preparing—the knights heading to Ahrensbach, and those awaiting orders from the Central District—so at the time, we hadn't yet made contact with Lütfen."
It must have been extremely difficult for the First Wife to keep the
With no word from the royals, the time came for the volunteers heading to Ahrensbach to depart. They set off for the Border Gate, but even after their return, there apparently still came no request from the royals.
"While we were growing increasingly anxious, word came from
Aub Dunkelfelger said it was only natural that the Zent wouldn't be in his office if he was commanding the battle, and the First Wife apparently hadn't been too concerned about the failed communication at the time. Since the emergency communication water mirror only functions when the Aub touches the magic stone, contacting the Zent the same way would only allow for conversation if he was in a position to respond immediately. Having heard from a scholar that the emergency communication Magical Tool had registered a response, she had assumed a reply would come eventually.
But an entire day passed with no contact from the Zent. With absolutely nothing forthcoming, the increasingly frustrated Aub Dunkelfelger contacted Lütfen.
"Lütfen, who had been ordered to stay in the dormitory, had no useful information. The only reply he could offer was that he was on standby in the dormitory by order of the Zent."
I had always gotten the impression that Lütfen—if given the chance—would be the type to ignore orders and charge out to fight alongside the Central Knights. But apparently, he had stayed put in the dormitory as instructed. I really wished Hirschur would follow his example.
"It seems that whenever Lütfen tried to leave through the dormitory doors, he was scolded by the knights guarding the Ahrensbach gate. And when he sent an Ordinance to a Central Knight he knew, the reply was that they were protecting fleeing royals. It appears the Zent believed there was no need to contact Dunkelfelger when the enemy hadn't even shown themselves. I asked Lütfen to relay the news that the cleanup battle at Lanzenave had ended and to request that the Zent contact Dunkelfelger."
Apparently, the timing of Lütfen's Ordinance to the knights outside the dormitory and to acquaintances—informing them that the cleanup battle at Lanzenave had concluded—came right after the royals had contacted Ehrenfest only to receive a reply to the effect that they knew nothing of Ahrensbach's situation.
"I suppose it was a mistake to assume the details would come from the Zent. The Central Wing's knights had only left a small number on guard duty, and apparently normalcy had returned to both the Noble Academy and the Central District."
On the evening the heightened alert was lifted, information began flowing in from various sources via Hirschur to the effect that outsiders had infiltrated the Noble Academy.
"While heading to the Scholars' Wing on riding beasts—where the suspicious persons had reportedly been spotted—Lütfen sent an Ordinance to Raublut. I heard he was fed up with being cooped up in the dormitory and planned to argue his case directly with the Knight Commander, hoping to be allowed to participate in the guard duty and the fighting."
...I had to admit that was somewhat rational of him, but in the end, Lütfen was still very much a Dunkelfelger man.
The Ordinance he sent to the Knight Commander landed in a thicket near the Scholars' Wing, descending right nearby. Lütfen, who had been watching where the Ordinance went, spotted knights in black cloaks together with unfamiliar individuals.
"All of them were wearing black cloaks, but roughly a dozen could be identified as not being knights, since they weren't wearing armor. Among them, he noticed an extremely conspicuous blonde head and a flamboyant hair ornament."
...A blonde with a flamboyant hair ornament—that would be Lady
I was so exasperated that Lady Detlinde could still find it in herself to wear such a flamboyant hair ornament even in these circumstances that I found myself shifting into a kind of escapism, thinking, "Lady Detlinde really does have impressive feminine charm." Was it just my imagination that the people of Lanzenave seemed to have their hands full dealing with her as well?
While I was picturing Detlinde doing her flashy consecration dance in the thicket, Ferdinand spoke up behind me in a contemplative tone.
"A dozen or more non-knights, you say?"
"Yes. Since they were in a thicket, the exact number is unclear. He said the Knight Commander appeared to be giving instructions to the unfamiliar individuals to hide behind the foliage. Lütfen withdrew from the scene immediately and returned from the Central Wing to the dormitory. On the way, he received an Ordinance back from Raublut stating that finding and capturing the outsiders was the Central Knights' responsibility."
Unable to determine who was thinking what or where information might be flowing, Lütfen sent Ordinances to the Noble Academy's instructors ordering them absolutely not to leave, then left the decision to Dunkelfelger.
"The Aub is only thinking about protecting the Noble Academy. That is important, and thanks to Rozemyne-sama's orders, we were able to set out on a mission to defend it. However, this time, the enemy's location is unclear. If we don't know whether a portion of the Central Knights under Raublut is acting suspiciously, or whether the entire force is compromised, or whether they've been ordered by the Zent to shelter the outsiders—Dunkelfelger won't know where to strike."
The First Wife said that unlike a genuine Ditter defending a foundation, the problem here was that neither the enemy nor the location of attack was clear. She asked whether we—who had given Dunkelfelger the green light—actually knew the answer.
"Besides the Ahrensbach dormitory, it seems there are locations accessible from the Lanzenave residence. Do you know where they might arrive, Lord Ferdinand?"
At the First Wife's words, Ferdinand prefaced his response with, "This is something I learned only after becoming a retainer to the Aub at Ahrensbach, so please keep it confidential."
"The Lanzenave residence contains a teleportation circle that leads to the detached palace where the Lanzenave princess resides. When Rozemyne seized the foundation and the Aub was changed, the previous Aub's brooch lost its power, rendering the dormitory unusable. Therefore, it's thought that Detlinde and the others may be at the detached palace where the Lanzenave princess is staying. The palace was reportedly sealed after the princesses were executed during the coup, but does Aub Dunkelfelger know anything about the detached palace?"
While subtly indicating that he himself lacked detailed knowledge due to his age, Ferdinand turned the conversation to Aub Dunkelfelger. The Aub glanced briefly at the First Wife before nodding with some awkwardness.
"I know that there is a door at the very back of the Central Wing."
The Noble Academy's Central Wing had doors to each dormitory arranged according to rank. Beyond those lay a door leading to the royal family's detached palace. And further beyond, in the deepest recess where no one normally ventured, there was supposedly a door concealed by the seal of the God of Concealment, Verbergen. That door led to
"According to documents found in Ahrensbach, the detached palace itself is also located near the shrine of Verbergen."
"The shrine of Verbergen...?"
The First Wife furrowed her brow slightly. She surely couldn't be expected to know the locations of every shrine at the Noble Academy. I had only learned about them through the underground archive.
"First Wife, I know the approximate location. When I was translating books in the underground archive as part of my work assisting the royals, I saw a rough map with the shrine locations marked."
The God of Concealment, Verbergen, was a servant of darkness. Since the arrangement of dormitories at the Noble Academy served as a miniature map of all of
"Without a prayer or magical array to the Goddess of Guidance, Anhaltung, who is a servant of light, it may not be possible to find the detached palace from outside."
"I see."
"However, just as the Aub's permission is needed to operate the teleportation circle, entering the detached palace presumably requires the permission of the collateral royal who managed it. We have no way of knowing who manages it, nor who opened the passage between the supposedly sealed detached palace and the teleportation circle to welcome Detlinde and the people of Lanzenave."
"From Lütfen's testimony, I suspect Raublut, but..."
My words were met with grave expressions from everyone.
"He is certainly the most suspicious, but it's only a single eyewitness account from Lütfen. When Professor Hirschur observed the scene, the Central Knights were not nearby. If no one else saw them, and they claim they were about to capture the outsiders, we can't very well disprove them."
"Besides, even as a Knight Commander, it's unthinkable that a high-ranking noble would be managing the detached palace. When would he have obtained the key? And why is he siding with Detlinde and the people of Lanzenave? There simply isn't enough to go on."
As I nodded along to Ferdinand and the First Wife's words, Aub Dunkelfelger clapped his hands together with a resounding bang! I flinched and couldn't help but fix my gaze on him.
"Even if we accomplish nothing else, eliminating the need to search blindly for outsiders throughout the Noble Academy is a gain in itself. Tonight, we launch a surprise raid on the detached palace hidden by Verbergen."
We had been discussing how difficult things were without any evidence, and yet out came the words "surprise raid." Ferdinand scowled, the First Wife pressed her hand to her forehead, and I blinked in disbelief, staring at Aub Dunkelfelger.
"There is no doubt that outsiders have infiltrated. Destroying what appears to be their base is important. We shall launch the surprise raid in the dead of night, when they should all be gathered together."
Watching Aub Dunkelfelger grin, Ferdinand crossed his arms.
"I agree with destroying them as quickly as possible and with launching the raid late at night when they're all together. But shouldn't we coordinate with the other territories first? How far along is the groundwork?"
"There's no use talking about it—they're all spineless, every last one."
When Aub Dunkelfelger had proposed, "Let us fight together to protect the Noble Academy," he had apparently been told it would take three days just to depart. They needed to assess the royals' current situation, call their knights together for selection, prepare recovery potions and Magical Tools, and depending on the scale of the battle, move even the attendants into the dormitory so they would have places to eat and sleep.
After hearing their response, the exasperated Aub Dunkelfelger had reportedly roared, "Were you this nonchalant even when a massive magical beast appeared?!" only to be told, "Don't lump together a magical beast subjugation that can be handled within your own territory with the defense of the Noble Academy."
...I thought Dunkelfelger was always ready for battle, though.
They were reliable, but I felt we shouldn't assume other territories could move the same way Dunkelfelger could. Ehrenfest, at least, had needed a full month to prepare for
"The self-proclaimed next Zent, Detlinde, is making her move. What they're after must be the
"...My, however would you know about the magic power of their princesses?"
The First Wife smiled sweetly. While I shot the tongue-tied Aub Dunkelfelger a sharp glare, Ferdinand came to his rescue.
"I believe Aub Dunkelfelger's concern is valid. To maintain the city Trauerqual had built, princesses were sent from Lanzenave. They would mingle with Yurgenschmidt's royals, and among their children, those with the most magic power would receive a Stab before being sent back to Lanzenave. Knowing that history, one could imagine that the princesses' magic power would be high."
"Indeed. Lord Ferdinand is correct."
Watching Aub Dunkelfelger nod with a brazen expression, Ferdinand gazed off into the distance.
"According to Detlinde's letter, among those who went from Lanzenave to the Noble Academy, there is one who possesses a Stab—one who was raised to become the king of Lanzenave..."
"What?"
"They should possess far more magic power than the current royals and should also hold a Stab. Those born in that detached palace are registered as children of collateral royals in order to obtain a Stab... so the documents stated. Whether that registration still exists, we have no way of confirming, but depending on the location of the registration medal, there would be nothing stopping him from obtaining the Grutrissheit at any time."
Ferdinand said nothing about the fact that obtaining the Grutrissheit required traveling between shrines and offering prayers. That was precisely why it sounded like there was absolutely no time to spare and the crisis was all the more pressing.
"It doesn't matter if the other territories don't participate. The raid goes ahead tonight. Even if Raublut leads the Central Knights, we will crush the people of Lanzenave. We cannot allow the outsiders to obtain the Grutrissheit."
"Tonight, at the changing of the date."
"We shall depart from the dormitory on riding beasts and make for the detached palace. Faster than the Goddess of Swift Winds, Stiefeliese!"
"The connection... was cut off."
After saying exactly what he wanted, Aub Dunkelfelger terminated the call. Staring at the water mirror, which now showed nothing, I murmured, "He seemed quite taken with that 'faster than Stiefeliese' line." Ferdinand replied, "It's exactly the sort of phrase Dunkelfelger would love," as he put away the Magical Tool.
"My suspicion that he simply wanted to jump into things after hearing stories from knights who'd experienced a genuine Ditter still won't go away. But the Lanzenave matter is one we want to resolve quickly. If the Zent ordered the Central Knights to defend the Noble Academy and Raublut is secretly scheming as a result, we can't leave it be."
Ferdinand made a bitter face and muttered that he had been hoping for one of two outcomes while they were away in Ehrenfest—either the Central Knights would have handled Lanzenave's people, or Lanzenave's people would have caused chaos and the royals would have dealt with it. Having both still on the table was troublesome.
"Lord Ferdinand, I just heard a rather alarming muttering from you."
"Ah, I let slip some frustration at things not going as I'd like. I'll be more careful."
"Not that kind of careful! Please don't say things like 'not going as I'd like' so casually. It's frightening!"
I wholeheartedly agreed that the royals were a troublesome existence, but I certainly wasn't hoping to be trampled by the people of Lanzenave and Detlinde's faction either. I just wanted things to end without a bad aftertaste, and for them to stay out of it.
Ferdinand said, "You're as naive as ever," while surveying the room.
"
"They reportedly rode through the night, and word came in that they should be arriving soon."
"Tell the returning knights to rest until the seventh bell. Send Ordinances to the knights and scholars in the Noble District, ordering them to complete their battle preparations no later than just before the date change."
"Yes, sir!"
After issuing the order to Eckhart, Ferdinand called for
"How is the production of recovery potions and Magical Tools by the scholars coming along?"
"
"Good. Continue as is."
Justus smiled wryly, noting that the two of them seemed to be making Magical Tools for Rozemyne-sama. Ferdinand told my guard knights to take turns resting and preparing, then turned to look at me.
"Rozemyne, regarding tonight's battle—you will stay behind."
"What? But I need to operate the teleportation circle, don't I?"
"Yes, that's right. You'll move the knights from the Border Gate to the teleportation circle at the Noble Academy. After that, return to the Border Gate."
Being told by Ferdinand that I didn't need to involve myself in the fighting, I felt relieved that I wouldn't have to set foot on the battlefield again—yet at the same time, I felt an indescribable sense of urgency.
I was the one who had raised the alarm about the external threat. I was the one who had seized Ahrensbach's foundation and become Aub. I was the one who had declared to my adoptive father and everyone else that I would become Aub Ahrensbach. There was no way it would be right for me to dump the task of capturing the people of Lanzenave and Detlinde onto Dunkelfelger and Ferdinand—who wasn't even from Ahrensbach yet—and simply run away.
"Lord Ferdinand, is it truly fine for me, as the Aub, not to go? Capturing the people of Lanzenave and Lady Detlinde—that's the Aub of Ahrensbach's job, isn't it?"
"You don't want to go, do you?"
"Of course I don't want to go. But whether I want to or not isn't the point, is it? What matters is whether I, as Aub of Ahrensbach, need to go. Can I truly stay behind?"
As I stared up at Ferdinand, he made an extremely displeased expression.
"As Aub, I believe you should go. But given your current condition, I cannot approve it. I will go in your place, so you will wait here quietly."
"I refuse. While I may accept your help, I will handle my own work. I will not simply throw everything at you and walk away—don't lump me in with my adoptive father." I glared at Ferdinand.
"Besides, if we're departing for battle at midnight, I believe the person who most needs rest should be getting it."
At my words, Justus and Eckhart nodded vigorously. Ferdinand looked down at me with a guarded expression.
"Rozemyne, what exactly are you thinking?"
"Preparations can be handled by others. Hartmut and Clarissa are experienced, and the knights each know what preparations they need to make. Thanks to you, Lord Ferdinand, I was able to sleep well, so I believe I should return the favor."
Approaching Ferdinand, I produced my Stab. Seeing Eckhart swiftly move into position to support Ferdinand, I offered my prayer.
"God of Dreams, Schlatraum—grant Lord Ferdinand peaceful rest and happy dreams."
"You fool..."
Muttering those harsh words, Ferdinand—who clearly needed sleep more than I had realized—fell asleep faster than
The exchange of information would be handled by the First Wife.
An Aub of Dunkelfelger who could barely contain his eagerness to charge into action.
And Ferdinand, who needed his rest.
Next: the Noble Academy at midnight.