I never thought I'd feel this much despair just from waking up and discovering my magic power had recovered. I'd just gone through all that effort to reduce it, and now it had increased again. It was like the Sisyphean despair of that riverbed of pebbles, where you pile them up and goblins keep knocking them down no matter how many you stack. When I considered that more magic power meant more pain, it might have been even worse than the tortures of hell.
...I feel lethargic. My head is foggy.
Spending all day yesterday outside, dribbling magic power everywhere while getting excited over the ocean and fish — that was probably what did me in. My body felt heavy from the moment I woke up. But if I stayed in bed, my magic power would just keep recovering. The only option seemed to be to get up and figure out how to spend it.
When I dragged myself to the dining hall for breakfast,
I took my seat and began sipping the vegetable and fruit juice that was placed before me. Since I couldn't use recovery potions right now, meals were important for restoring my stamina, so I had to eat. Even though my head knew that, food held no appeal.
Ferdinand finished his meal, stood, and came to stand beside me. Seizing the opportunity, I stopped eating.
"You look unwell at a glance. How are you feeling?"
"...I'm trembling at the sinful depths of my indulgence in fish."
"When you went overboard at Kannawitz and came down with a fever, you reported it correctly by saying you felt chilled. Do the same now."
As he scolded me — you idiot — Ferdinand touched my forehead and neck. His cool fingers felt wonderfully pleasant against my heated skin.
"I never expected my carefully calibrated plan to efficiently channel mana into the duchy by balancing magic power and stamina to collapse this quickly. What should we do today..."
"I'm very sorry. But if it's just the morning, I should be able to..."
"Intend to go outside in this condition? Or use a recovery potion?"
I was glared at so fiercely that I immediately shook my head. I was already despairing over the amount of recovery that came from simply sleeping normally — if I drank a recovery potion in this state and my magic power fully replenished, the path to magic power depletion would become so distant that I'd want to cry without any regard for who was watching.
"...I wasn't saying I would go outside. I was saying I could manage to move Lesser around."
"Move it and do what? Just moving the riding beasts probably won't reduce your magic power much, will it? You'd need to be the one operating it to use magic power."
I racked my brain desperately. I needed a way to use magic power without moving myself. When I couldn't do something on my own, what was the answer? It was simple — have someone else do it for me.
"I have those divine tools imbued with the power of the gods, don't I? Anyone can use them as long as they recite the prayers, so why not have everyone use them?"
"The divine tools?"
Ferdinand raised one eyebrow and looked down at me. I nodded slowly.
"I know it's unfair to them, but have them use Flutrene's staff to heal the surrounding land,
That way, even if I was barely conscious and stuck in bed, I could still use the power of the gods. I wanted to recover my stamina, but I couldn't even stay in bed doing nothing.
"As for the rest... you can draw the healing magic circle from the gathering grounds, can't you, Ferdinand? What if you drew them in various places, and I infused them with magic power? If I sleep during the morning, I think I could manage just pouring magic power into the circles in the afternoon..."
"I won't say you're not overestimating your own stamina, but it would still drain less energy than riding a riding beast outdoors all day. ...However, the fact that you're already thinking up so many different methods means the situation must be quite dire."
"What do you mean?"
Ferdinand's expression grew troubled, and he reached for the medicine pouch hanging at his hip. He produced a narrow, test-tube-like vial and let a single drop fall onto one of the spoons laid out for breakfast.
"It's one of your habits, and since it's tedious to correct or hide, you don't need to be aware of it yourself. More importantly, take this..."
It was my habit, and yet he wouldn't even tell me what it was. Ferdinand simply held out the spoon. On the metal spoon sat a faintly reddish liquid. I picked it up and licked the single drop of medicine. The bitterness was intense, and I felt a stinging, tingling sensation on the tip of my tongue. A single drop produced that much bitterness and stimulation. Even if it was prescribed as medicine, I couldn't possibly drink it.
"It's incredibly bitter, but what is it? Is it a potion that recovers magic power? If it tastes like something that will paralyze my tongue, please warn me first. I had absolutely no mental preparation."
When I looked up at Ferdinand, he had furrowed his brow as deeply as if he'd been the one forced to drink the bitter medicine.
"At this dosage, there's virtually no effect.
"No. Since divine tools are indispensable to Lady
Hartmut puffed out his chest with pride. I was impressed — as expected of Hartmut — when I noticed Brother
"I seem to recall hearing that you brought them along because if you went to return them to the Temple, you'd end up being left behind there?"
"Oh? Are you suggesting I would entrust divine tools filled with Lady Rozemyne's power to someone else?"
Hartmut directed an intimidating smile at Brother Cornelius, but Ferdinand waved his hand dismissively. "The behind-the-scenes details don't matter. Be quiet."
"Is channeling magic power into divine tools efficient?"
"At the very least, there's a low chance of them breaking, and when I poured power into all of them, I did feel a slight reduction. The ideal would be to have everyone use the power stored in all the divine tools multiple times, but even so, it's reassuring that my magic power won't increase simply by lying there."
Ferdinand nodded at my words, saying "I see," and lightly tapped his temple several times. I didn't know what he was thinking, but this was his habit when considering multiple things at once.
"Very well. After breakfast, we'll proceed according to your proposal. I'll instruct the attendants to divide the work of healing the land, hunting magical beasts, and performing the prayer ceremony using the divine tools as soon as breakfast is over. I'll return to the castle once via the teleportation circle to wrap up several errands. In the afternoon, we'll move you and this riding beast together to the western side of Zeiten or Vurkatark, where healing and beast hunting can be combined, so once the teleportation circle is activated, rest until lunch."
Ferdinand said just that, then turned on his heel.
"You haven't finished your meal yet, Lady Rozemyne."
After finishing breakfast under Riedeliana's watchful eye, I infused the teleportation circle Ferdinand would use to return to the castle with magic power and sent him off. The ones he took back with him were Brother
First, I gave instructions to my retainers.
"Receiving the
Clarissa argued that while entering and leaving the Temple had been forbidden under the pretext of appearances, performing religious ceremonies at the
...She's already so enthusiastic she practically has the prayers memorized...
It was easy to be misled by Clarissa's occasionally outlandish behavior, but she was truly excellent. It was precisely because she was excellent that I couldn't shake the feeling of regret — but she was a perfect match for Hartmut.
"Cornelius and
Angelica was looking at Brother Cornelius with envy. She enjoyed physical activity, so magical beast hunting probably seemed far more appealing than standing guard. But this wasn't just any beast hunt. The goal wasn't hunting magical beasts — it was using the divine tools to drain the magic power from the air.
"If Angelica could memorize the prayers right away, I wouldn't mind letting you go."
When using Leidenschaft's spear — if the person who had imbued it with all its magic power from an empty state was the one using it, prayers weren't necessary. But when other people's magic power was mixed in, prayers were required. The divine tools summoned via a Stab or those using magic stones fully saturated with one's own power could use simplified prayers, but when using the Temple's divine tools that others also offered their power to, formal prayers were needed.
"Prayers... aren't my thing."
Angelica readily chose the room guard duty over memorizing the prayers. Just as I'd expected. If anything, I'd have been surprised if she'd said, "I'll do my best to learn them."
While my guard knights reviewed and practiced the prayers needed for using the divine tools, I asked Stall to organize the knights into teams for the magical beast hunt, the prayer ceremony, and Lesser's security detail.
"Then, we'll be off. Please rest, Lady Rozemyne."
Hartmut departed carrying the divine tools he'd been managing.
Dozing off inside my futon, I was roused by the fourth bell. The feverish feeling had eased somewhat, but the magic power recovery had caused the power of the gods to swell inside me, making me feel wretched.
...I'm starting to hate going to sleep.
Dragging myself upright with a heavy heart, I found Riedeliana peering at me with concern. She told me everyone had returned for lunch.
"They say the magic power in all the divine tools has been completely drained. ...Shall I bring them to you first?"
"Would you mind?"
Riedeliana and Clarissa took the divine tools from Hartmut and brought them to me, and I began infusing them with magic power one by one. By the time I finished, the level had returned to roughly where it had been before I slept, and the discomfort had lessened. I let out a sigh of relief.
"Your color is a bit better. Grete is preparing things, so shall we have lunch? I'm afraid you'll have to eat in bed, but she said she'd like you to eat in your room to save time."
"So Ferdinand has returned too."
It was immediately obvious who had given that efficiency-focused instruction. If we ate in the dining hall, the retainers would have to wait their turn, but if we ate in my room, most of the retainers could have their meals out of sight. It wasn't elegant, so it was a trick we didn't normally use.
Riedeliana left, and Grete entered in her place, carrying a tray with a meal. The bed had been prepared so I could eat in it, and Grete served me.
"I heard from Justus, who was preparing Ferdinand's lunch, that he was very busy this morning. He sent notices to the givers of Zeiten and Vurkatark, made contact with Ehrenfest, and handled exchanges with the new Zent."
Grete relayed the information she'd gotten from Justus. Ferdinand, who had apparently been active and energetic at the castle, had returned with a large amount of work materials in tow.
"According to the report from Vurkatark's giver, magical beasts are moving from the direction of old Berkelstock toward
Since I was the one most filled with the power of the gods and thus the most attractive target for magic-power-starved magical beasts, strict vigilance was necessary. To avoid having the freshly healed land damaged, I was told we needed to head toward Zeiten or Vurkatark as quickly as possible.
"Though they warned about overdoing it, they said this is a good opportunity to use Leidenschaft's spear multiple times. After using the spear imbued with the power of the gods, the land would be in terrible shape without Flutrene's staff, so it should be able to significantly reduce Lady Rozemyne's magic power."
...Yeah, I really hope that's the case.
"I've sent the notices to the givers. We're moving to the area near the border of Zeiten and Vurkatark now."
Zeiten was located south of Griebel and Gardeun, where the border gate with Ehrenfest was. Vurkatark was the land directly west of Zeiten, bordering the southwest of Griebel and the south of Ilknera.
The area from western Zeiten to Vurkatark connected to a mountainous region where Loewenberger was located — where I had obtained Riesefalke eggs while gathering yurieve materials. To put it simply, it was a mountainous region that included volcanoes. With its many mountains and abundant trees, this area was ideal for Alexandria's papermaking industry.
...Being adjacent to Ilknera probably means there are similar magical trees there too.
"Naturally, we can't just go scattering magic power and hunting magical beasts without any contact."
As the dramatic transformation of the ocean demonstrated, the power of the gods was overwhelmingly powerful. For land that had previously been starved of magic power, the effect was too intense, making communication with the givers absolutely essential.
...The troublesome part was that you couldn't just heal the land and call it done.
After receiving Ferdinand's explanation, I piloted Lesser and followed along behind him and his guard knights. Apparently, the current situation of a two-story house flying through the air was extremely surreal from the outside, and the farmers had been pointing and making a commotion with wide eyes. Leonore told me this when she returned from an outdoor patrol. Angelica was currently outside.
"Magical beasts, Leonore!"
That's what Angelica said while rapping on the outside of the passenger seat. I opened the entrance with a lazy wave of my hand, and Leonore flew out chanting, "Schutzaria, Wind Goddess who governs protection, and you twelve goddesses who serve at her side..." while carrying Schutzaria's shield. Angelica entered in her place.
"There are many powerful magical beasts. Someone said they must have been cannibalizing each other since there was no magic power in the land."
I nodded at Angelica's crisp report and brought Lesser to a hover midair. I'd been told not to move freely until the fighting was over.
As reported during lunch, Lesser — glowing and moving through the air with the power of the gods in a land starved of magic power — appeared to be the perfect prey, and we had already been attacked by powerful magical beasts several times. Normally, when a strong-looking beast appeared, I'd be the one screaming bloody murder, but today I actually felt like welcoming them with a "Come on, bring it on!"
"It looks like we'll be able to use Leidenschaft's spear and Flutrene's staff again."
To prevent the enemy's approach, Leonore deployed Schutzaria's shield to protect Lesser, while Brother Cornelius and Matthias took turns attacking with Leidenschaft's spear. After the magical beast was defeated, Flutrene's staff healed the crater-like gouges it left behind. My divine tools, infused with my magic power, were performing brilliantly.
...For the first time, I actually appreciated the fact that they completely drained my magic power once used. Thank you, Leidenschaft!
"Lady Rozemyne, please replenish the magic power."
When the divine tools' stored power ran out, the guard knights brought them back inside Lesser. Since we had to stay in place until the land's healing was complete after each beast attack, our travel speed was slow, but as my magic power decreased, the pain from the power of the gods subsided, which was a relief. My magic power had decreased more than expected, and I was genuinely happy about it.
...I should be able to sleep peacefully tonight.
We hunted magical beasts as we moved and set Lesser down near the border of Zeiten and Vurkatark. The moment we landed, Ferdinand's order came flying: "Leonore, deploy Schutzaria's shield immediately."
"Schutzaria, Wind Goddess who governs protection, and you twelve goddesses who serve at her side..."
Leonore used Schutzaria's shield to fortify the surrounding defenses, and then we took a break. Dinner time was approaching. I moved from the driver's seat toward the large house structure at the rear. From the outside, Lesser currently looked like a giant tortoise with a red panda's face. The large house looked like its shell.
...It's still not cute. But the interior was comfortable.
Heading to a sitting area adjacent to the first-floor dining hall, I could see Ferdinand giving further instructions.
"Rozemyne, how are you feeling?"
"I've offered magic power to the divine tools multiple times, so the discomfort has lessened considerably. And since I was able to sleep during the morning, I'm feeling much better. ...But for some reason, I'm hungry."
"Oh my? You seem to have perked up a bit. I was worried because both breakfast and lunch were small portions, but I'll have them prepare a larger dinner."
Riedeliana chuckled as she turned to relay the message to the cooks. When I sat on the sofa Grete had indicated, Ferdinand came over to perform his health assessment.
"...Better than this morning, certainly, but I can't say your condition is good by any means."
I'd thought I was feeling considerably better, but the fact that his cool fingers felt so pleasant told me the fever hadn't fully subsided — I didn't need Ferdinand to tell me that. Still, it wasn't bad enough for him to look that troubled.
"My appetite has returned, so I think my condition is fine."
"Just because your appetite has returned slightly doesn't mean you should overeat."
At my protest, Ferdinand considered for a moment, lightly tapping his temple. He was probably thinking about how I wasn't being ladylike, or telling me not to judge my condition by appetite. He gave me a reminder in his usual expressionless, clinical manner, then left the sitting area.
"I wouldn't do such a thing. How rude..."
I didn't overeat. I couldn't. Despite supposedly being hungry, my body wouldn't cooperate, and no matter what, I could only manage small amounts. And so I finished dinner.
I'd intended to head to the sitting area for after-dinner tea while my retainers ate, but Ferdinand stopped me.
"Your condition really isn't good, is it? You'd be better off resting than drinking tea. I want to use the Holy Cup to scatter magic power tomorrow."
I'd wanted to talk about the library city plans just like the night before, and I was curious about the design documents Ferdinand had brought back from the castle, but I was ushered back to my room.
...I hate sleeping. If I wake up, my magic power will have increased again.
Clutching my empty stomach, I lay down on my bed.
Ferdinand, who had gone to the castle via the teleportation circle to do groundwork and get things done.
The retainers handling the divine tools.
Rozemyne, whose poor health was heading in a slightly different direction than usual.
Next is Part 3.