After ending the karuta competition in the children's classroom with my victory, I called out to
"Brother Wilfried, I will be away for a while starting three days from now for the Dedication Ritual. By the time I return, please have practiced enough to beat me at karuta."
"Hm? You'll be away? ...Everyone, our chance has come. This time, we'll beat
Rather than dwelling on his loss, Wilfried's attention had already shifted to the next victory. His words sparked enthusiasm in several boys, who pumped their fists in response.
"Yes! Let's absolutely win, Lord Wilfried!"
"Alright, strategy meeting! Rozemyne, go away. You mustn't listen!"
Having found a rival in the children's classroom, Wilfried's naturally competitive personality was working in his favor, and he was growing steadily. Ever since deciding his goal for this winter was "to beat me at karuta," he'd been gathering allies and holding what appeared to be strategy meetings — all very endearing in the way of innocent elementary school boys.
"How long will Lady Rozemyne be at the
"I don't know how long it will take to fill all the Small Holy Cups, so I can't say for certain. Philine, if you have time, it would be good to copy these stories as well."
I handed Philine the second manuscript of the stories her mother had told. The portions I had written would be kept as manuscripts for a future book, but the parts Philine herself copied would ultimately be bound with thread and made into a booklet for her.
"Thank you so much, Lady Rozemyne."
Philine's face lit up as she accepted the manuscript. As we smiled at each other, several girls came running over from the side.
"Lady Rozemyne, Lady Rozemyne! I've also been listening to stories from my mother!"
"The picture books of the gods are wonderful too, but I'd love to read picture books of the knight stories the bards tell!"
Surrounded by the adorable girls, I spent the next three days jotting down the stories they shared while brainstorming ideas for my next book.
"Licharda, I'm having a little trouble moving."
"What are you saying, My Lady? If we're heading out on a riding beast through a blizzard like this, the cold-weather gear still isn't enough."
The day of our return to the Temple coincided with a fierce blizzard, severely limiting visibility. The snow was far too deep for a carriage, so we would be traveling by riding beast today.
Worried about my health, Licharda kept piling on layer after layer of warm clothing, which made me stiff and hard to move.
"My riding beast has walls and a roof, so..."
I brought out my Lesser Beast, roughly the size of a minibus, and had
Once inside, both snow and wind were blocked out, so it wasn't particularly cold.
The Chief Priest,
The Chief Priest laughed off my concern.
"This armor is a type of Magical Tool, so such worries are unnecessary."
Apparently, armor that looked like nothing but metal was actually a type of Magical Tool, equipped with cold-resistant and fireproof functions. The performance varied depending on the quality of the magical stones used and the wearer's own Magic Power, so I was more worried about Damuel than the Chief Priest.
"Lord
"No, we need to maintain vigilance around us. As long as you can move in that, there's no problem. Now, let's go."
Apparently, the Knight's Order was no stranger to deploying to subjugate magical beasts that appeared during blizzards. Neither of them saw any issue and leaped onto their riding beasts. The Knight's Order was apparently far harsher than I'd imagined.
"When I heard we'd be traveling through a blizzard, I wondered what would happen, but this is quite comfortable."
Just as Rosina said, we arrived at the Temple without being hit by the blizzard at all and without any accidents. It must have been far more comfortable than a carriage.
However, this was only thanks to the Chief Priest and Damuel guiding us through the blinding white of the blizzard. Without their blue and ochre mantles fluttering ahead, I don't think I would have made it to the Temple.
Flying through the sky completely destroyed my sense of direction, making it far too dangerous. Driving on snowy roads was scary, but flying through a snowy sky was even scarier.
"Welcome back, Lady Rozemyne."
"I've returned,
I quickly put away the Lesser Beast and dashed into the Temple, just as Fran and Monica came hurrying out to greet me. Naturally, they hadn't been able to spot the riding beast in this blizzard.
"Rozemyne, once you've changed, head to the High Priest's chambers for the Dedication Ritual meeting. You change and wait there too."
"Understood."
Despite having flown through the blizzard on riding beasts, neither the Chief Priest nor Damuel had become snowmen. The Knight's Order's armor was truly impressive.
Since they needed to change out of their armor, Damuel changed first in the guard room, while Brigitte remained in her armor to continue her duties.
Fran took tea to Damuel. When Brigitte went to change,
I needed to change too. On the short distance from the riding beast to the Temple, the snow had stung my face quite a bit, so I had Monica wipe my face and hair, then peel off the layers upon layers of clothing one by one, like stripping an onion.
Then I changed into the High Priest's robes. My body felt lighter and I could move much more freely.
After finishing my change and catching my breath over a cup of warm tea, the Chief Priest arrived, now changed from armor into his priestly robes.
"It seems
"Understood. ...But has it been decided how much impact the previous High Priest's absence will have, and what to do about the Small Holy Cups my adoptive father took on?"
Blue priests were already scarce and Magic Power was already insufficient. And now
I had told him to "clean up your own mess," thinking about the future, but it was obvious that a Lord busy with winter social engagements couldn't come all the way to the Temple to donate Magic Power. The Chief Priest had said he had a plan, but had things worked out?
"I made sure the Lord and Lady fulfilled their responsibilities properly. No problems."
As he spoke, the Chief Priest pulled two magical stones from the bag at his waist. I could see that the magical stones, used for absorbing Magic Power, were brimming with it. To store this much Magic Power would have required a considerable amount.
"Don't tell me you had the Lord and Lady donate their Magic Power!?"
"Of course not. I wouldn't ask two people who are already pouring Magic Power into maintaining the domain to do something like that."
"I just thought the Chief Priest might be capable of it. After I told you to clean up your own mess, I wondered if you'd gone and taken their Magic Power by force..."
Relieved that my worst fears were unfounded, I watched as the Chief Priest slowly rolled the magical stones across his palm and curled the corners of his lips upward.
"This year we have prisoners abundant in Magic Power. In terms of Magic Power, we certainly have more than last year. It would be best to keep those ones alive for a long while rather than disposing of them."
Judging from that sinister smile, he had likely negotiated with the Lord and Lady to drain Magic Power from the imprisoned Lord's mother and
"I'll teach the blue priests how to handle Magic Power, and they'll use these to conduct the Dedication Ritual. Once they get used to it, with this much Magic Power, it should finish faster than last year."
The Chief Priest stated that while it would be difficult to teach blue priests — who were unaccustomed to handling large quantities of Magic Power due to their own limited reserves — how to use it, everything after that would be easy.
"I'm going to teach Kamil and Fritach how to handle Magic Power today, so you stay put. Going to the orphanage is also off-limits today. Be careful not to let your health deteriorate."
Ideally, as the High Priest, I needed to be present in the ritual chamber from the beginning to the end of the Dedication Ritual, but it had been decided to prioritize my health and the Magic Power donation. The Chief Priest would oversee every stage of this year's Dedication Ritual.
"There will be a summons mid-Dedication Ritual to gather winter materials. Make sure you're in perfect condition by then."
"Yes."
The next day, I was given a bath first thing in the morning and dressed in ceremonial robes. Unlike last year, as High Priest, my ceremonial outfit was adorned with a golden sash-like garment and fastened with a silver belt. All other accessories I wore were red.
The hairpin was the same one used at my debut. Monica and Nicola, guided by Rosina's instructions, seemed to be growing more accustomed to dressing me, as the time it took had decreased considerably.
"It's done. How does it look, Rosina?"
"Yes, it looks lovely."
With Rosina's approval given, all that remained was waiting for the ritual preparations to be completed.
While waiting and listening to reports from Fran and Monica about what had happened during my absence, Zaam arrived.
"Lady Rozemyne, it appears the preparations are complete."
"Understood."
Led by Fran and Zaam, I made my way to the ritual chamber. The High Priest's chambers were closest to it, so getting there this year was easy.
Being careful not to step on my long hem as I walked, a gray priest waiting before the ritual chamber opened the doors in time with our approach.
Beyond the doors, an altar had been set up just as it had been last year, adorned with sacred implements, with rows upon rows of Small Holy Cups lined up. Fires burned along both walls like bonfires, warming the room.
"Thank you for waiting."
Unlike last year, it wasn't just the Chief Priest who was in the ritual chamber. Kamil and Fritach were there too. Each held a magical stone filled with Magic Power, waiting with tense expressions.
"...Then, let us begin."
The Chief Priest gestured for me to step forward, then knelt before the altar and placed both hands on the red cloth. Kamil and Fritach followed suit, kneeling as well. They placed their magical stones so they touched the red cloth, then gently rested their hands on top.
I passed by the Chief Priest's side, took a few steps forward, and knelt in the same manner. After looking up at the altar once, I placed my hands on the red cloth and bowed my head.
The prayer words I had simply repeated after the Chief Priest last year — this time, everyone would repeat after me. I took a shallow breath and opened my mouth.
"I am one who offers prayers and gratitude to the gods who created this world."
As I spoke the prayer, the three behind me repeated it, and their low voices echoed resoundingly through the ritual chamber.
"To the supreme gods who govern the lofty, serene heavens — the divine couple of darkness and light; to the five great gods who govern the vast, boundless earth — the Water Goddess
As the prayer words left my lips, Magic Power flowed smoothly from within me. The red cloth absorbed the Magic Power and sparkled with light, and waves of that light flowed toward the altar.
Waves of light flowed in succession from behind me as well, and riding that momentum, even more of my Magic Power was drawn out.
"Stop soon."
At the Chief Priest's voice, I raised my head and removed my hands from the red cloth. I watched the waves of light flow onward and counted the number of Small Holy Cups that had been filled.
Last year, the Chief Priest and I had filled about seven to eight Small Holy Cups at a time, but this time it seemed I had filled around forty in a single go.
"At this rate, it looks like we'll be done by tomorrow."
"No, the magical stones are nearly depleted. It will probably take about three more days to finish the Dedication Ritual."
The Chief Priest examined the magical stones retrieved from Kamil and Fritach as he said this. Sure enough, the stones had turned almost black, with very little Magic Power remaining.
"Kamil, Fritach, you've worked hard. Go back to your rooms and rest."
"Thanks to the two of you, this went much more smoothly. Please rest well."
I addressed the two, who were exhausted from handling Magic Power far beyond what they were accustomed to, and granted them permission to leave.
"Thank you very much."
"If you'll excuse us."
After the two left, the Chief Priest called out to the gray priest who had been waiting outside the door.
"Summon all the blue priests except Kamil and Fritach. We'll finish the rest in one go."
"As you wish."
The gray priests withdrew with soft, nearly silent footsteps.
"If we finish in three more days, that's much easier compared to last year."
Last year, the Chief Priest and I had filled nearly all the Small Holy Cups ourselves, plus additional Small Holy Cups given to the Lord and High Priest from other territories. Having braced myself for having to attend noble social events in that state, the unexpected ease of it all brought a smile to my face naturally.
"Unlike last year, it shouldn't take more than ten days. We need to collect the winter materials, but it looks like we'll definitely finish the Dedication Ritual by the next Earthday. That's a relief."
"It looks like we'll have room to rest and recover our Magic Power too, so I'm relieved."
Filling the Ruel berries with Magic Power had been grueling, and dyeing them with my own Magic Power required even more. After using Magic Power in the Dedication Ritual, I'd had to force Magic Power recovery with those indescribably bitter medicines, so having breathing room was genuinely wonderful.
...If not for those Small Holy Cups, we would have finished even sooner.
Thinking this, I directed my gaze to the Small Holy Cups the Lord had unilaterally added.
"Chief Priest, which territory's Small Holy Cups did my adoptive father take on?"
"The ones from Frebelstag, to the west of Ehrenfest."
At the Chief Priest's words, I pictured the map in my mind. I had heard that the Lord to the west and the Lord of Ehrenfest were on good terms.
"The western Lord and we are on good terms, right?"
"That's right. Relations are good. But the problem is that both the Lord and Lady are weak when it comes to requests from Frebelstag."
He said that up until now, the Chief Priest had been the one to negotiate, attaching conditions favorable to our side or even rejecting requests depending on the circumstances. But from now on, if the Chief Priest couldn't attend negotiations, the Lord and Lady would be easily manipulated.
"Lady Florenzia too?"
"The Lords of Frebelstag are the older brother and sister of the Ehrenfest couple. Younger siblings just can't help going soft when faced with their elders."
It seemed that for Sylvester, his second older sister had married into Frebelstag, while Florenzia, the sister of Frebelstag's Lord, had married into Ehrenfest.
Furthermore, the Chief Priest explained, unlike Ehrenfest, Frebelstag had been heavily embroiled in the political upheaval that occurred in the central government a few years ago. The previous lord had been executed as a result, and Florenzia's brother, who had succeeded him, was desperately trying to rebuild the domain. It was apparently far more difficult than Ehrenfest in every sense.
"Because they all got along so well as siblings, they had the desire to help each other out, but the repercussions were falling on our side, which was troubling. Thanks to you, Rozemyne, we've been saved."
"Chief Priest, you're saying that because you intend to put me in the line of fire again, aren't you?"
I glared up at him with a frustrated "Hmph," and the Chief Priest coolly raised an eyebrow.
"Because you're the High Priest, and I'm merely a humble Chief Priest."
"You should look up the meaning of 'humble,' Chief Priest. It's rare for you to misremember something."
We were sharing chuckles and giggles when the blue priests arrived.
Seeing them all arrive with frightened expressions, stopping at the entrance, the Chief Priest gestured for me to leave.
"The High Priest should withdraw and rest."
"Then, I'll take my leave. Please handle the rest as you see fit."
I left the Chief Priest in charge, withdrew from the room, gave the blue priests a polite smile, and returned to my quarters.
I called Monica and changed from my ceremonial robes into my everyday clothes.
"Fran, it looks like the Dedication Ritual will end sooner than expected, so our return to the castle will likely be earlier too."
"Do you know when that will be?"
"The Chief Priest said the Dedication Ritual will take three more days, but beyond that... Oh, I was told there's a material collection I'll need to attend on the next Earthday."
As I relayed the schedule I'd heard from the Chief Priest, Fran wrote it down on her writing board. "Compared to the original plan, it seems like less of a burden on Lady Rozemyne," she murmured.
Under the original plan, it seemed I was supposed to slip out mid-Dedication Ritual for the material collection, then jump right back in upon my return.
"The Chief Priest had prepared medicine for me, but it looks like we won't need it."
"I'm happy about that too."
"Then, Lady Rozemyne. While you're here at the Temple, could you look through these?"
What Fran had brought were the letters and correspondence that had piled up during my time away at the castle. Since it was simple work of just reading through text, I dove into the paperwork with enthusiasm.
Most of it was ceremonial correspondence saying things like "Thank you for coming to the Harvest Festival. Please also take care of the Dedication Ceremony," but here and there, personal letters addressed to the previous High Priest were mixed in.
"...Could this be from that person?"
A secret love letter to the previous High Priest had arrived. I wasn't confident in handwriting analysis, but the writing seemed familiar, so I was fairly certain I knew who it was from.
The letter said something along the lines of, "There is something I desperately need your help with. You are the only one I can rely on."
...Being told there was something they wanted help with didn't really help me much.
There was no way to meet with a High Priest who had already passed away. Moreover, the date specified in the letter for when they wanted to meet had already passed.
Before a letter that bore neither sender nor recipient, I crossed my arms and let out a low "Mmm."
Now, what on earth should I do about this?
"For now, I'll just write a reply saying the High Priest has passed away and consult the Chief Priest."
A reply sheet had been enclosed, so I wrote my usual response on it. The wording for letters addressed personally to the High Priest was always the same. After a long, drawn-out greeting, I wrote, "The High Priest has ascended the staircase leading to ever greater heights," and added my closing remarks.
Unlike the mayor of Hasset, this secret sweetheart was a noble, so the meaning should come across without any issue.
"This should do."
I set down the pen and waited for the ink to dry. Then, the moment I folded the letter in half to fit it into the envelope, Magic Power flowed from my ring into the paper.
"Ah!?"
After absorbing my Magic Power, both the received letter and the reply sheet transformed into bird shapes like an ordonnance and flew off with a whoosh.
"Lady Rozemyne, are you alright?"
"Yes. I'm fine, Brigitte. I was just startled. I didn't expect it to be a Magical Tool."
I now understood that the letter was a Magical Tool. If pouring Magic Power into the reply sheet caused it to return to the sender, then neither a sender's name nor a recipient's address was necessary.
"When the Chief Priest finishes the ritual, please let me know. There's something I need to discuss with him."