Not only had I dyed the Foundation, but I had even redrawn the borders on the actual
"Lord
After sending
"Considering your activity level and condition today, I'd like to give you a recovery potion before bed, but I doubt that's possible until your Magic Power is depleted. We need to use it up as quickly as possible, or your stamina will give out first. We'll have to try method after method. We need to verify whether it's safe to provide magic power without reciting prayers, or if participating in the ritual itself is what's dangerous."
If all it took was not reciting prayers, the solution would be much simpler. To conduct that verification, we had come to Ahrensbach's gathering location. I had also brought along the nobles who had been at the Detached Palace, for the purpose of gathering materials.
"It's in terrible shape."
I stared wide-eyed at the Ahrensbach gathering location, which appeared to produce only meager materials—likely because it had been completely neglected with no management whatsoever. It was so vastly different from Ehrenfest's gathering locations. It must be quite difficult for the students to gather materials for their lectures.
"Most other territories should be capable of performing land healing, though..."
"That's only the upper territories, I'd imagine. The smaller, losing territories may know how to do it but lack the Magic Power to carry it out. In Ahrensbach's case, it's the result of Dietlinde's hostility toward the royal family and you, combined with sheer negligence."
Ferdinand snorted and ordered the Ahrensbach knights and civil officials who weren't retainers to wait in the air, then descended to the gathering location.
It was so desolate that hardly any magical beasts appeared here anymore. Restoring this place would probably take a considerable amount of Magic Power. I recalled using recovery potions the first time I healed Ehrenfest's gathering location, and held out hope for how much the healing would drain.
"
"Yes."
Gretea and
"Any change in the divine power?"
"Not particularly. But at this rate, the magic circle will simply rise into the air and the land won't heal. It looks like prayers will be necessary after all."
"I'll handle the prayers. Keep channeling your magic power just as you are."
With that, Ferdinand began offering prayers to Fluträne. The magic circle activated, emitting green light as it rose slowly higher and higher. As Magic Power continued to pour in, the land became saturated with it—grass and trees began to grow, lush green leaves sprouting, buds poking through, and flowers starting to bloom.
It was a sight I was accustomed to from Ehrenfest, but for the Ahrensbach nobles who had never performed healing before, it apparently looked like a miracle.
"Ohhhh! Magnificent! It's the power of the Incarnation of the Goddess!"
"To think the gathering location could become so rich in the blink of an eye—it's unbelievable!"
As I listened to the voices of the nobles celebrating the power of the Incarnation of the Goddess from afar, I felt the divine power within me slowly swelling.
"Well, Rozemyne?"
"...There's a slight reaction. But it's smaller than when I used the
"I see. Then it seems we can channel your Magic Power into the many barren lands of Ahrensbach after all."
Ferdinand's expression softened ever so slightly—probably so subtly that no one else would notice. I think he was relieved to know that there wasn't a complete lack of methods to deplete my Magic Power.
"What if, instead of reciting prayers and performing the dedication ceremony when filling Ahrensbach's land, I used a staff to produce a Holy Cup and just let the Magic Power pour out continuously?"
"It's worth trying, but what happened when the Goddess of Light's divine instrument was used during the ritual earlier?"
Ferdinand's reminder made me recall what had happened. The moment Eglantine swore her oath and the divine instrument glowed, the divine power had increased. That didn't seem promising.
"Judging by your expression, I probably shouldn't get my hopes up."
"What about channeling Magic Power into the divine instruments at the
Ferdinand placed his hand on his chin and lowered his gaze, considering my idea.
"Hmm. The image that comes to mind isn't pleasant, but if we could manage it, the prayer ceremony would be much easier to finish. Crafting potions to use up Magic Power might also be effective. We just happen to have acquired new materials."
"Magic stones and Magical Tools are quite likely to turn to gold dust, though."
I recalled how
"If the magic stones turn to gold dust, that's no trouble at all—it'll be used for your library city plan. Gold dust production is scheduled to be done using materials gathered here going forward. The Dedication needs to be carried out as soon as possible."
Apparently, they needed to restore the streets quickly after the devastation wrought by the people of Lanzanave, and also demolish the Lanzanave estate that connected to the Detached Palace Eglantine and the others would be using.
"If the Dedication weren't a ritual that used the Supreme God's name, I'd build the library city right this instant. ...I can't use it for myself when I want to, yet if I don't deplete my magic power, it becomes a life-threatening crisis."
As I puckered my lips and complained, Ferdinand gently rapped me on the head as if to soothe me.
"Complaining won't change anything. It's not as though we're without solutions, so we have no choice but to try them one by one."
"...You're right. It's reassuring to have you with me this time, Lord Ferdinand."
When I gave a cheerful grin, Ferdinand furrowed his brow and looked upward.
"You lot, stop making a ruckus and start gathering immediately!"
Ferdinand's rebuke flew toward the nobles who were up in the air, clamoring about a divine miracle.
"The materials you gather from now on will be turned into gold dust for performing the Dedication in Ahrensbach, which was ravaged by the people of Lanzanave. Keep in mind that this land will become your own estates, and gather materials with the highest affinities you can find."
As the nobles straightened their expressions and began gathering,
"This time, the land was so desolate that we borrowed Lady Rozemyne's divine power. However, once the material gathering for the Dedication is complete, the students and nobles attending the Lord's Conference will fill the land with their own Magic Power. Are you aware that the revival of religious ceremonies in the Noble Academy is being reexamined, and other territories have already begun praying to obtain the gods' blessings?"
Hartmut smiled and added, "Ahrensbach has never participated in the religious ceremonies held at the Noble Academy, you know," at which Clarissa, wrapped in
...Wasn't what Dunkelfelger was doing less "religious ceremonies" and more "Ditter"?
I vaguely remembered Hannalore telling me that because they had to perform Ditter to research the rituals before and after, the number of Ditter matches had increased, and because the adults gained more blessings from that, their number of Ditter matches had increased further. I couldn't remember when that was, though.
"If the nobles of Ahrensbach don't begin performing religious ceremonies soon, you'll end up receiving fewer blessings than anyone else—despite being a territory where Lady Rozemyne resides. Don't forget that Ahrensbach has fallen behind other territories in rituals and prayers because Dietlinde, now a criminal, had been refusing them all this time."
"The Incarnation of the Goddess was installed as Aub specifically to cleanse a land bewitched by the Goddess of Chaos, and yet the nobles shun religious ceremonies. If this continues, it won't be long before the goddess grows tired of you all."
The words of Hartmut and Clarissa—who had been brainwashing the Ahrensbach nobles—made the nobles blanch as they began gathering in earnest.
"
"Yes, sir!"
When we returned to the Ehrenfest dormitory, Father and the others rushed over to us. They had apparently been worried that even though those in the observation seats had noticed the increase in divine power, we had left the venue early after the ceremony and still hadn't returned.
"As the message indicated, the room has been prepared for our discussion. Ferdinand, you seemed to be sneaking around during the ceremony—will Rozemyne be all right?"
"I'll explain that as well."
Ferdinand hinted that I was at the center of the matter and gestured for us to proceed. Father, Mother, Ferdinand, and I were the only ones who remained in the room; everyone else was asked to leave, and a range-restricted Magical Tool was activated.
"...I'll skip all the complicated details, but Rozemyne once again invoked the descent of
"Were you able to fill it?"
"Yes. But there is still divine power remaining within Rozemyne's body. It's a power that exceeds what a mortal should possess, and apparently she needs to rapidly deplete her Magic Power once, then overwrite it with mortal magic power."
Ferdinand carefully avoided calling it "the gods' failure born of impulsiveness." It was Father who keenly picked up on the subtle difference in Ferdinand's phrasing—something that wouldn't have been caught so easily.
"...So you're saying you need to hasten the coming of winter at the gods' command?"
"Drop it,
Ferdinand glared at Father with a grim expression. As I watched the two of them bristle at each other, I tilted my head in confusion.
"What does 'hastening the coming of winter' mean? I've been hearing it a lot lately, but I don't really understand... Oh, I know it's different from using a magic circle to call winter."
The moment those words left my mouth, the air froze. Both Father and Mother were frozen with smiles still plastered on their faces—the kind of atmosphere that follows a bomb going off. I could feel on my skin that I'd just made a terrible mistake.
"I'm sorry. Was that something I shouldn't have asked? But it does concern me, doesn't it? Please, tell me who I should ask about it."
"Asking Richarda might be your best bet, but this question is going to cause you major trouble later."
When Father glanced at Ferdinand, Ferdinand let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'll explain it to Rozemyne myself. This is rather difficult for a man to handle. To understand the meaning of 'hastening the coming of winter without waiting for the arrival of autumn,' you first need to understand what autumn encompasses."
Mother asked me about the meaning of autumn as used in divine expressions, and I answered.
"Harvest and fruition, right? Because
I recalled the numerous references in romantic tales and continued.
"Übergive often means heartbreak or parting in recent romantic tales, but according to my knowledge of the Holy Book, Übergive appears more often during times of leaving the nest than during heartbreak. In the old days, when a male lord candidate came of age and left the castle, or when a female lord candidate departed her territory through marriage, they would pray for blessings from Übergive."
I was thinking that this knowledge was exactly why romantic tales confused me so much when Ferdinand pressed his temple and muttered, "How can you know this much and still not connect the dots?"
"For this occasion, that interpretation will do, Rozemyne. Besides harvest, autumn also carries the meanings of maturation and coming of age. As for what kind of season winter is—please consider it based on the Chief God's actions. An interpretation straight from the Holy Book will be fine."
Mother said this with a gentle smile.
"Um, if I interpret it straight from the Holy Book, that means, without waiting for adulthood... HIIIIIIII!"
The instant it all connected, I was struck by overwhelming embarrassment. Everyone around me had to be feeling awkward. At the same time, I recalled my own words—I had said to Eglantine, "All I need to do is have Lord Ferdinand dye me after I use up my Magic Power." No matter how you looked at it, that was an outrageously brazen proposition.
...Nooooooo! Someone, turn back time! Please!
Understanding why Eglantine had made such a complicated face made me want to cry. The shame was unbearable. If I could dig a hole right here and bury myself in it, I would. I slid off my chair as if melting into it and crouched down, slapping the floor in frustration, but the thick carpet covering the ground showed no signs of being diggable.
"I turn around for a second and what are you doing?"
"This is the worst. B-Because, Father. 'Hastening the coming of winter without waiting for autumn,' and 'dyeing Magic Power,' and... you know... um..."
Still crouching on the floor, I looked up at Father, my mouth opening and closing without any words coming out. Then Ferdinand, who was looking down at me with the same expression Father wore, said with a knowing look, "We won't be doing anything of the sort. So please, calm down."
Even though I had once been told that "Please dye me in your color" was a rather direct proposition, why hadn't I connected the talk of dyeing Magic Power to intimate relations? Because my own experience of being dyed by Ferdinand had been through medicine and Magical Tools.
"I think this is all your fault, Lord Ferdinand!"
"It's the result of your unusual upbringing. It's not my fault. Incidentally, the one who's dense is you."
"Rozemyne's unusual upbringing?"
Florentia blinked and looked between us. Ferdinand and Sylvester exchanged glances and shook their heads.
"I can't go into the details, but Rozemyne's constitution is completely different from that of an ordinary noble. As a result, she seems to have been under the influence of my Magic Power even before becoming Sylvester's adopted daughter. Even now that I've redyed her, those who had sworn fealty to her would only think she'd returned to her previous Magic Power."
If it were just the amount of Magic Power, it might be noticeable, but the color of one's Magic Power isn't something visible from the outside—it's only perceptible to those who have sworn fealty and are faintly wrapped in their master's Magic Power.
"We'll announce that the divine power has disappeared by having granted the
"Even if you say I don't need to worry, that still won't clear up the misunderstanding of Lady Eglantine, who swore fealty after donning the Goddess's power! Father and the others made the same misunderstanding, didn't they? All we're doing is using medicine... Even though you talk about dyeing Magic Power, it's absolutely not... It's not like it would lead to star-binding or anything... Ugh, it's just a misunderstanding..."
As I held my head in my hands with tears in my eyes—even though nothing improper was actually happening—Ferdinand calmly warned me.
"Don't get so worked up, Rozemyne. It won't just be your Magic Power—even the divine power will become unstable."
"I can't stay calm! Because I..."
I had never before been at the center of such a topic. My romantic life was nonexistent—I was the kind of woman whose own fiancé had told her, "Being with you as my fiancée is agony." So of course I never imagined such a topic would come up. I was going to die of embarrassment. Even once the misunderstanding was cleared up, the embarrassment wouldn't go away—and there was no way Ferdinand would understand such feelings of a woman's heart. "At least try to figure that much out on your own, Rozemyne."
"I've already figured it out!"
When I glared at Father, Ferdinand made a grim face.
"...Then stop making such an undignified posture. Right now, you can't even take recovery potions until your Magic Power is depleted. You need to be careful not to exhaust your stamina."
Prompted to return to my seat, I slowly stood up and sat back down.
"Now for the main topic—Rozemyne's Magic Power needs to be depleted. But this is quite the challenge."
When Ferdinand explained that the divine power wouldn't decrease easily, and that if her Magic Power recovered, the divine power would repel against it and she could die, Father and Mother both widened their eyes in unison.
"Because the Dedication needs to be carried out urgently in Ahrensbach, we plan to take advantage of Rozemyne's current state to produce gold dust. We'll also create and return the gold dust needed to rebuild the giebe estate that Rozemyne destroyed during the Battle of
Ferdinand said that materials from Ahrensbach's gathering location alone wouldn't reduce much Magic Power, so Ehrenfest should also lend their cooperation.
"Oh, and when we perform the Dedication, we'll need to create housing for the relocating Gutenbergs as well. I'd like to see copies of the blueprints from the Dedication we did in Gresshel."
Ferdinand said the Plantin Company and Gilbertha Company should have designed their own shops. For the workshops that didn't have relocation plans, they would apparently reference Ahrensbach's designs.
"Also, could you issue a relocation order for the Gutenbergs? After the Lord's Conference, I want some of them to relocate and work as Rozemyne's exclusive retainers. Some should already be preparing to move to the central territory, so there shouldn't be a problem."
Ferdinand emphasized that this was by no means an unreasonable demand on the Commoners. If they didn't move with me when I relocated, it would be difficult for them to function as exclusive retainers on the new land, so this arrangement was necessary.
"...I have no objection to issuing the relocation orders, but won't you need to meet with the Commoner merchants you're bringing along in person?"
As he said this, Father looked at me. Many Gutenbergs' faces came to mind, including
"I've lost some of my memories due to the Goddess's descent. ...Will the hair ornament craftsmen also be attending that meeting?"
"Most likely. That's precisely why it would be better to hold off for now. Whether your memories connect upon seeing them or not, I can predict with certainty that you'll become distressed. If the divine power runs rampant, it won't just be you at risk—it'll be dangerous for those around you as well. At the very least, we need to eliminate the divine power and remove your retainers before arranging such a meeting."
I couldn't quite grasp Ferdinand's concern and tilted my head. It was because I couldn't begin to imagine what a meeting with people I had no memory of would be like. Ferdinand saw me tilting my head and slightly lowered his gaze.
"Sylvester, tonight I'll have her produce gold dust here at the dormitory, but if her Magic Power still hasn't decreased by then, we'll return to Ahrensbach tomorrow. If we can't eliminate the divine power while we've managed to reduce this much Magic Power, the recovered Magic Power along with the accompanying increase in divine power will be more than she can bear, and Rozemyne will ascend to a far higher place. With all who have sworn fealty as her companions..."
At the implication that the new Zent would ascend to a far higher place, Sylvester tightly shut his eyes.
"She's practically holding the fate of Yurgenschmidt in her hands. And on top of that, she's lost her memories as well? ...How many burdens must Rozemyne bear?"
"It's all right, Father. If I'm not paying close attention, I don't even realize that my memories are gone, so it's not very inconvenient."
As I tried to reassure Father with those words, Ferdinand slowly shook his head.
"Even if it's not inconvenient, the anxiety must be there. Let's get your Magic Power depleted quickly. At this rate, you won't be able to recover your memories either."
As he said this, Ferdinand picked me up and started walking toward the room's exit.
"I'll cooperate as much as I can. I'm entrusting Rozemyne to you, Ferdinand."
Father sent an Ordinance to signal the end of our discussion, and the door opened as retainers began to file in.
"Lord Ferdinand, it's just back to my room—I can walk. Please put me down."
I had just now finally come to understand the meaning behind all that talk about "hastening the coming of winter without waiting for autumn" and "wanting to be dyed with magic power"—and yet here he was, picking me up like this. I really wished he wouldn't.
"If I let you walk, your stamina will give out before your Magic Power does. If your Magic Power doesn't decrease tonight, you'll have to set out on the journey to fill Ahrensbach without being able to use recovery potions. Do you understand the gravity of the situation? Just stay quiet for now."
...I was saying I'd be quiet if he'd just put me down! Lord Ferdinand, you fool! Oblivious!
Ferdinand, inwardly troubled by how difficult it was proving to deplete her Magic Power.
Rozemyne, finally understanding the meaning behind the words she'd learned.
Sylvester, told that the country itself could collapse depending on Rozemyne's condition, holding his head in his hands.
Next time—the prayer ceremony for magic power distribution.