After finishing breakfast, I headed to the knight training grounds as I did every day.
For the past several days, I had been walking instead of riding lesser beasts, so
Today, the only guard knight walking from my room with me was
"Lady
"I think increasing your magic power just takes training, probably. Lord
"...Huh?"
I spun around, confirmed that no one was nearby, then told Damuel to crouch down. Once he knelt so our eyes were at the same level, I lowered my voice.
"I lived without Magical Tools, so my magic power couldn't fit inside my body, and I nearly died over and over."
"Ah..."
"So unconsciously, I kept compressing it to survive. That's how I ended up with my current magic power."
With that said, I started walking again. Damuel stood up and followed.
"If you envy my magic power that much, why don't you try removing your Magical Tools and compressing while on the brink of death yourself, Damuel?"
"...I'm sorry. My thoughts didn't go that far."
Damuel, who had known me during my Commoner days, remembered that unlike noble children, I had gone without Magical Tools. He lowered his eyebrows in embarrassment and apologized.
"Pant, pant... We finally made it."
"Let's head to the rest room."
The round trip between the training grounds and my room was exercise enough for me.
When we arrived at the training grounds, rest came first. Once I had caught my breath, radio calisthenics. And with that, today's training was finished... No, that wasn't right. The training wasn't over until I got back to my room.
I had intended to have Brother
"Eckhart has been summoned and is currently absent. I'm terribly sorry, but could you wait until he returns?"
"Understood. Thank you."
With Brother Eckhart absent, the one who usually looked after me, I was forbidden from training. In that case, Damuel couldn't train either—he had to perform his guard duties instead.
"Since Brother Eckhart isn't here, I can't exactly go wandering around, right?"
"Yes."
When the knights practiced magical attacks, stray projectiles sometimes flew about. Whether Damuel could block them all was uncertain. It would be dangerous for me to wander around without Brother Eckhart present.
I looked at Damuel, who still seemed awkward, and let out a slow sigh.
I knew Damuel lamented being a low-ranking noble with little magic power. Because of that, Brigitte had dismissed him as a romantic prospect from the very start. I knew that too.
However, I had already given my blessing, and there was nothing more I could do. He would have to put in the effort himself.
"Hey, Damuel. I've heard that when you enter the Noble Academy, you're taught how to handle magic power, including methods of compression. But just like with memorizing the names of the gods, my way and the Noble Academy's way might be quite different."
"Huh?"
What mattered most when handling magic power was forming a clear image in your mind. If I showed him my compression image, it might help at least a little.
I surveyed the rest room and spotted a wooden box and a leather bag.
"Damuel, open that wooden box and put your cloak inside it."
"Huh? Sure."
Damuel's head filled with question marks as he removed his cloak, rolled it up, and stuffed it into the wooden box. The crumpled cloak bulged out slightly.
"Let's say this wooden box is your body, and the cloak is your magic power. The current state represents completely uncompressed magic power. If you want to compress your magic power and increase your capacity, what should you do?"
Damuel silently folded the cloak and placed it back in the box. There was more room than when he had simply rolled it up.
"That's right. So my understanding is that compression means increasing the amount of folded cloak—in other words, filling your body with more magic power. Am I correct?"
"That's not wrong at all. I've never really visualized it this way before, so it's incredibly easy to understand."
"As flattering as your admiration is, I'm just following the method you used to make military strategy easy to understand with Geviinnan, aren't I?"
At my words, Damuel clapped his hands together. Since handling magic power was all about imagery, seeing it demonstrated was far more effective than hearing it explained.
"Now then, try folding your magic power like this and compressing it yourself."
"I'll give it a try."
Damuel closed his eyes and furrowed his brow as he moved the magic power within him. I could tell he was concentrating, so I waited quietly without a word.
After a while, when Damuel opened his eyes, they were shining with emotion.
"I did it, Lady Rozemyne. It's compressed much more than before."
"That's wonderful. I don't know how long it will take for your magic power to increase, but when you're guarding the
"Thank you!"
The Chief Priest had told me that as one grew accustomed to restraining magic power, the amount that could be stored within the same vessel changed.
"Damuel, could you fetch that leather bag? And lend me your cloak."
"Huh? Sure."
"For reference, here's how I compress my magic power."
I took the cloak and the leather bag, placed the folded cloak inside the bag, then sat on it to squeeze out the air and compress it flat before sealing the opening.
Seeing the cloak now far thinner and smaller than when it was merely folded, Damuel gaped.
"Feel free to use this as a reference."
When I pulled the compressed cloak out of the leather bag, it was covered in wrinkles and thoroughly crumpled. While Damuel held his head and desperately tried to smooth out the creases, a small bell chimed from the other side of the door.
"Come in."
The person who opened the rest room door and entered was
"Lady Rozemyne, I have returned. Starting today, I'll be serving as your guard knight once again. Please take care of me."
"Welcome back, Angelica. You've completed all your lectures, haven't you? You worked very hard."
After exchanging greetings and giving reports here and there, Angelica had finally made it to the training grounds. Brigitte and Brother Cornelius were also behind her. They seemed to have come intending to rotate guard duty with Damuel and Angelica.
"Until Brother Eckhart arrives, I can't move about. So I was thinking of infusing magic power into Angelica's magic sword in the meantime, but perhaps it would be better to wait?"
"Please do it now."
Everyone else said they wanted to see what would happen if my magic power were poured into a magic sword. Since it was unusual to infuse magic power into someone else's sword, they were curious.
"I don't know anything about magic swords, so could you teach me? I'd like to see the sword too..."
"This is my magic sword."
Angelica grasped the hilt of the sword at her waist and drew it out smoothly. It had been sheathed in a scabbard about the length of a short sword, but once drawn, the blade was roughly fifty centimeters long.
I blinked in surprise at its unexpected length, and Angelica smiled happily.
"The blade length changes depending on the magic power infused. At first, it wasn't even as long as a knife."
Now it was about fifty centimeters. The result of diligently pouring in magic power, it seemed.
"A longer blade is more advantageous against magical beasts, so I want it to grow quickly. I'd also like to increase its affinities."
"Affinities?"
A word I didn't know popped up, and I tilted my head. Brigitte stepped in to explain. Everyone here knew that if left to Angelica, it would just have to be done twice.
"Magic power affinities. Depending on your affinities, which gods' blessings you can receive more easily changes."
"Without affinities, you can't receive blessings?"
"No, that's not quite it. But I think it's difficult to obtain blessings without something to catch the gods' attention."
Having affinities made it easier to receive blessings, but even without them, it wasn't impossible to receive any at all.
"What are your affinities, Angelica?"
"I have affinities for fire and wind. Though I wasn't able to receive the wind attribute blessing."
"Huh? Even with an affinity, you can't always receive a blessing?"
"...Rarely."
Judging from Brigitte's pained voice, having an affinity should have been enough.
I asked the others about their affinities too. Brigitte had fire and earth, and Damuel had wind.
Brother Cornelius said he had light, water, fire, and wind. I was surprised by how many, to which he replied, "Well, I'm a high-ranking noble close to the Lord." High-ranking nobles supposedly had both more magic power and more affinities.
"What are your affinities, Lady Rozemyne?"
When Brigitte asked, I shook my head vigorously. Even though it was a natural question, I simply didn't know.
"I have no idea. How does one find out what those affinities are?"
"Didn't Lord Ferdinand tell you when you registered your magic power at the
"Your registration certificate should have changed to the colors of the gods you have affinities for. What color was it?"
Hit with questions in rapid succession, I tried to recall my Baptism Ceremony.
"Um..."
I was pretty sure it had changed to seven colors, and someone had said something like "as expected." But the Chief Priest surely hadn't given me a detailed explanation about magic power affinities.
Then it hit me.
Brother Cornelius, who was supposed to be my sibling, only had four colors. If I—supposedly the third wife's daughter—said I had seven, was that okay to disclose? I wasn't sure if it was alright to announce it publicly. Perhaps the Chief Priest had deliberately avoided telling me in order to keep it secret.
"Well, it split into several colors, but I had no idea it was related to affinities, and I don't remember clearly. Lord Ferdinand put it straight into a box."
At my answer, Damuel murmured "Hmm" and spoke up.
"If he could so easily bestow the blessing of Angrieve, God of War, you must have fire affinity."
"And since you can use the shield of Schutzearea, the Wind Goddess, you must have wind affinity as well," Brigitte added.
Was there any other magic I had used in front of everyone? I searched my memory.
"After exterminating the Trombe, I healed the land..."
"At that time, you were using a divine instrument taken from the Temple. The instrument itself carries the attribute, so it has nothing to do with magic power affinities. If priests and Shrine Maidens couldn't use divine instruments without the right affinity, they'd be in quite a bind, wouldn't they?"
"That's true."
It would be a problem if, lacking a water affinity, one couldn't heal land damaged by Trombe or pray during a dedication ceremony.
I nodded, thinking that Magical Tools could also be given attributes, when Brigitte tilted her head slightly.
"On the night of Flutrinne, the spring's magic power reacted quite strongly to your singing, Lady Rozemyne. So I believe you may also have a water affinity..."
"If you had water, fire, and wind, that would make you quite similar to Cornelius," Angelica said.
Damuel laughed and nodded. "It's because you're siblings, after all. One's affinities are inevitably influenced by one's parents."
"Is that so. ...Then, how do magic power affinities affect a magic sword?"
In response to my question, Angelica gently stroked the hilt of her magic sword and answered.
"Magical beasts also have affinities, so depending on the affinities a magic sword possesses, some beasts become easier to defeat while others become harder. I want to gather as many attributes as possible."
Angelica only had two affinities. She had added a bit of earth by defeating magical beasts and using the magic power from their magic stones, but her affinities still hadn't increased much, it seemed.
As I was organizing my thoughts with a "Hmm, hmm," the guard knights began discussing how to grow Angelica's magic sword. Being knights, they were all interested in magic swords.
"Wouldn't it be best to fill in the affinities Angelica is lacking?"
"No, Angelica said she wants to extend the blade, so wouldn't it be better to use Lady Rozemyne's magic power for that?"
"Angelica has no intention of fixing her own weaknesses, so I think it would be better to fix them for her. She can extend the blade and improve her strengths on her own, right?"
Listening to the three opinions, I gazed at the magic sword.
"Angelica, what would you like me to do?"
"As Cornelius says, I'm not good at compensating for my own weaknesses, so I'd like you to do that for me."
"So I should infuse magic power while thinking about filling in what Angelica is lacking?"
"Yes!"
As everyone around me told me to give Angelica the affinities she lacked, I gently touched the magic stone embedded in the hilt pommel.
I had been told not to exceed the magic power Angelica had already infused, so I carefully let mine flow in little by little.
...Before anything about affinities, what Angelica is really lacking is intellect, isn't it?
Her thought processes were only suited for speed and combat. If I wanted to fill in what was missing in Angelica, the only option was to give the sword intelligence.
Giving a sword intelligence—could such a fantasy actually be possible? In this world, perhaps it could. At any rate, let me proceed on the assumption that it was.
...A sword that listens to the opinions of those around it and remembers them, that scolds you when you're wrong and corrects your course, an intellectual sword that can advise Angelica when her knowledge is lacking... Wait, that's not a sword anymore! That's the Chief Priest!
"What are you all gathered here for?"
"Eek! Brother Eckhart!?"
Startled out of my thoughts, I pulled my hand away from the magic sword and jumped back.
"We're infusing magic power into Angelica's magic sword..."
"Don't."
Before I could finish explaining, Brother Eckhart shot it down.
"Rozemyne, growing a magic sword is difficult. You should only infuse magic power into it under Lord Ferdinand's supervision when he is present."
"Um, Brother Eckhart. This is very difficult to say, but I may have already infused a little."
Brother Eckhart's cheek twitched. He immediately pulled out his staff and, at the same time, took out a yellow magic stone and tapped it.
"Ordens!"
He told the white bird that the Ordens had become that I had infused magic power into someone else's magic sword, then swung his staff to send it flying. Watching the Ordens fly straight toward the Chief Priest, I began to feel anxious.
"Brother Eckhart, is it wrong for me to infuse magic power into Angelica's magic sword?"
"Angelica is a mid-ranking noble, while you are the Lord's adopted daughter. Your magic power differs in both quantity and quality. We have no idea what kind of change the sword might undergo."
"Wh-what!?"
Angelica anxiously reached for her magic sword.
"Don't touch it! Stay right there until Lord Ferdinand has a chance to look at it."
At Brother Eckhart's glare, Angelica swallowed hard, withdrew her extended hand, and clasped it tightly against her chest.
The Ordens returned almost immediately. A terse reply came back: "Coming now." The voice was angry. I could tell even without wanting to that he was coldly furious.
...I'm going to be scolded. Seriously scolded.
Perhaps learning that the Chief Priest was coming had put him at ease, because Brother Eckhart exhaled once, then glared at Brother Cornelius.
"Cornelius, why didn't you stop her too?"
"At the Noble Academy, I learned that as long as both parties consent to an exchange of magic power, it's perfectly fine. So I thought it was all right as long as Rozemyne had given permission..."
Brother Cornelius's words drew nods from all the guard knights. Since they all shared the same thinking, none of them had realized it was something that needed to be stopped.
Brother Eckhart let out a weary sigh.
"Rozemyne hasn't attended the Noble Academy yet, has she? That means she has no knowledge about magic power. She's accustomed to infusing magic power for ceremonies, but she has absolutely no skill in adjusting quantity or handling magic power by separating it into affinities."
"...Ah."
"In principle, children who haven't entered the Noble Academy only exchange pleasantries with magic power. Because Rozemyne performs ceremonies at the Temple and gives blessings to the Knight Order, people tend to forget, but she has neither the knowledge nor the technique. You mustn't think of her as being on the same level as yourselves."
Just as all the guard knights wore expressions of shock, the Chief Priest literally arrived by riding beast.
He leapt off the riding beast, dismissed it, and marched straight toward us. Still in his priest's robes, he had come to the castle—he was clearly furious.
"Rozemyne, I told you not to do anything, didn't I? Was I wrong?"
"I-I'm sorry!"
"First, let me see the problematic magic sword."
The Chief Priest picked it up and examined it closely. He channeled a tiny amount of magic power through it to investigate the effects of my own.
"So far, nothing seems to have happened. When too much of another person's magic power enters, the owner can no longer control it properly. You already have an enormous amount of magic power, so it's impossible for you to perform such delicate control. What would you have done if the magic sword's ownership had shifted from Angelica to you!?"
"U-um, if I ended up being the master, I suppose I could just tell the magic sword to serve Angelica?"
If it was the master's command, it would listen, right? When I tilted my head, Angelica's face lit up.
"That's so like you, Lady Rozemyne. In that case, even I could use a powerful magic sword!"
"...You fools!"
After setting the magic sword back on the stand, the Chief Priest launched into a lengthy lecture—not only directed at Angelica and me, but at all the guard knights.
He covered everything from the meaning, advantages, and disadvantages of channeling one's own magic power through magic swords, magic stones, and Magical Tools to make them exclusively usable, to the topic of magic power exchange in general. The lecture went on so long that I began to worry about him running out of breath or straining his throat.
"Rozemyne, do you understand how dangerous what you attempted was?"
"Yes."
"And you, Angelica?"
"I think I kind of understand?"
...She clearly didn't understand at all!
Anyone who had been part of the "Improve Angelica's Grades Team" teaching her could see that. She wore the expression of someone who had comprehended absolutely nothing.
Brother Eckhart's temple twitched, and lightning struck almost simultaneously.
"What were you even listening to, you fools!"
"Huh?"
For some reason, the Chief Priest's voice came through twice.
While even the Chief Priest who had struck the lightning was blinking, Angelica's magic sword, still sitting on the stand, began a lecture in a tone that was eerily similar to the Chief Priest's. More precisely, the voice echoed from the magic stone in the hilt pommel.
"My master, you understand nothing."
The Chief Priest glanced down at the speaking magic stone with an unsettled look, then turned to me.
"...Rozemyne, is this your doing?"
"I've been framed!"
"Is that so. My apologies. When a magic sword starts lecturing, I could only assume you were somehow involved."
The Chief Priest pressed his temple, and the magic sword glimmered at the same moment.
"You are correct. I was born through the magic power and the wish of Lady Rozemyne, who is my master's master."
"What!?"
Every gaze in the room snapped to me at once.
I stared wide-eyed at the magic stone. The magic stone continued speaking in the Chief Priest's voice.
"You needed an intellectual sword that would listen to the opinions of those around it and remember them, that would scold you and correct your course when you were wrong, and that could advise my master when her knowledge was lacking, didn't you? You were strongly convinced that such a sword would be the Chief Priest."
"Now that you mention it, I was thinking about that. As I trickled magic power in, I realized what Angelica was lacking was knowledge..."
To think it would actually come to this—I stared in disbelief, and the Chief Priest shot me a sharp glare.
"As I thought, you're the cause. This is no frame-up at all."
"In addition to Lady Rozemyne's wish, the Chief Priest channeled his magic power through me, which led to my birth."
It seemed that channeling the Chief Priest's magic power through the sword had determined its manner of speaking and its personality, in a sense. Without the Chief Priest's magic power, it would never have been born.
"The one who ultimately dealt the final blow was Lord Ferdinand, wasn't he!"
"You are clearly the one at fault here."
"Ugh..."
It was true that I had been the one who thought it would be good to give the sword intelligence. I had to take responsibility for what I'd done.
"Angelica, I'm sorry. I never imagined it would evolve into something like this... If you don't want a lecturing magic sword, I'll take responsibility and accept it myself."
"No, Lady Rozemyne."
Angelica said she was very happy that the magic sword had called her "my master." As she spoke, she picked up the magic sword from the stand and gently stroked the magic stone.
"There's no other sword out there that would remember things on my behalf and teach me all sorts of things. I want to treasure this magic sword."
"Ah, I shall supplement whatever knowledge my master lacks."
At the magic stone's words, Angelica cheerfully said, "I'll leave all the knowledge stuff to you." They seemed to hit it off, but I was filled with anxiety.
"...Angelica, are you really sure about this? It's going to be incredibly naggy."
It would be like having the Chief Priest standing over your shoulder the entire time, criticizing everything. I was sure it would never be peaceful.
At my protest, the Chief Priest let out a low "Oh my."
...Oh no. I think I made a mistake.
The Chief Priest pinched my cheek and looked down at Angelica.
"If you're satisfied with that magic sword, you're welcome to keep using it as is. However, from now on, Rozemyne is forbidden from infusing magic power into it. I won't have any more strange developments."
At the Chief Priest's words, everyone except the disappointed Angelica nodded vigorously in agreement.
Damuel had learned Rozemyne-style magic power compression. Whether he could increase his magic power would depend on his effort.
And Angelica's magic sword had become a lecturing sword. Here's hoping she'd grow while being taught by it.
Next time, to prepare for the summer sale, we'd be increasing printed materials.