Unlike my father and Brother
"Do go on."
"First, I would like to limit the recipients of this teaching to those who have learned magic power compression at the Noble Academy. I have absolutely no intention of teaching those who cannot compress on their own, since it is a matter of life and death."
"Of course," the Chief Priest agreed, slowly nodding. Father and Brother Eckhart nodded as well. Only
"Second, I would like to limit it to members of my own faction."
"...Your faction?"
"Yes. I have no intention of helping to amplify the magic power of those who are hostile to me."
Originally, I had been favored as a Blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice solely because of my magic power, despite being a Commoner, and was subsequently adopted as the Lord's adopted daughter. I wanted to maintain some advantage in terms of magic power, and even though people said I was thoughtless and defenseless, there was no way I would help amplify the magic power of someone who might become an enemy.
"If I restrict the recipients to those belonging to my faction—that is, those in the Florenzia faction—it would help chip away at the
No matter how much the Georgine faction tried to pull Wilfried to their side, if both he and the Lord denied it and firmly declared his allegiance to the Florenzia faction, the surrounding nobles would have no recourse, and the rumors would settle down.
Right now, the uncertain factor was Wilfried's insufficient education—it was unclear which way things might tip. If his parents kept a firm hold on him, that would suffice.
"But wouldn't that make you the one choosing the recipients? I can't help feeling uneasy about leaving it to you."
"I share that same unease."
I knew very little about noble connections—I had barely managed to memorize a blacklist of the former High Priest's friendly nobles and my own relatives. Those relatives and blacklisted nobles were not of one mind either; they could easily change their opinions depending on the benefits they stood to gain. I couldn't be trusted to determine who was reliable.
"Therefore, I propose that six people's approval be required for anyone to qualify. First, the Lord and Lady of Ehrenfest, the highest authorities. Then the Chief Priest, who is fair and impartial and possesses abundant information. My father, the Knight Commander, who is the backbone of our military. Mother, the de facto leader of the Florenzia faction. And finally, myself as the knowledge provider... all six must give their approval."
The members I named were essentially all my guardians. If every one of them could give approval, the likelihood of the recipient becoming my enemy would drop dramatically. It was my own way of protecting myself.
The Chief Priest's lips curled upward, clearly amused.
"Oh? Wouldn't the Lord and Lady alone suffice?"
"I believe the Lord would prioritize parental affection and might end up sharing knowledge with Wilfried regardless of which faction pulls him in. And I worry that Lady Florenzia might waver if appealed to through parental feelings."
Father, hearing my words, furrowed his brow and made a deeply troubled face before opening his mouth with obvious difficulty.
"Rozemine... do you mean to say you don't trust the Lord and Lady?"
"No, that's not it. I do trust them. However, I believe that parental affection is something that prioritizes one's child above all else. I... I received that kind of love from my father and mother."
The Chief Priest seemed to understand the parental affection I was envisioning. A complex expression, part nostalgia and part bitterness, crossed the face of a man who had once met my parents in person.
"So that's your standard for measuring parental affection. ...It won't hold up in noble society."
Even so, the parental affection most deeply imprinted on me was that of the parents from my time as Urano, who gave me books without stint, and who would stand against even nobles to protect their child.
"I suppose people's thoughts on parental affection vary from person to person. ...Also, no matter how carefully I select the recipients, it would be meaningless if the compression method reached other territories starting with
"...There is. It is terrifyingly expensive, though."
If the Chief Priest called it terrifyingly expensive, just how high was the price? I didn't want to ask for specifics. But without that Contract Magic, it would be impossible to raise only Ehrenfest's magic power.
"Which is more important—the money or the compression method? I intend for this to be a secret technique of Ehrenfest, so if Ehrenfest cannot afford the Contract Magic, I think it would be better to give up."
"No problem. It's worth allocating part of the Ehrenfest budget."
Though his face showed the strain of working out the finances, the Chief Priest slowly nodded.
"Chief Priest, can that Contract Magic also prevent teaching between parents and children, or between siblings?"
"Since it's an individual contract, of course it can. But why?"
"I don't want it spreading freely, and more importantly, I want to prevent parents from forcing young children with enough magic power to make entering the
Noble children are fitted with Magical Tools from birth to prevent them from accumulating too much magic power. Children whose magic power is too low for their family's standing are sent away as adopted children to lower-ranked families, or placed in the Temple.
If someone enters the Temple due to their magic power, they almost never return to noble society unless something extraordinary happens. If parents who knew this were to force magic power compression on their children, I believed child deaths would skyrocket.
"Children before their
Whether to count them or not was up to the administrators. I simply couldn't accept that just because they weren't counted, their existence and survival didn't matter.
Hadn't the Chief Priest said it once before? That magic power compression was extremely dangerous, and even at the Noble Academy, multiple teachers supervised the instruction. That even with every precaution, accidents could still happen.
Children who had succeeded at self-taught compression were rare, and I still hadn't forgotten being asked, "Why are you still alive?"
"No matter how many times you tell me that pre-Baptism children aren't counted as people, they exist and they live. This is something I absolutely cannot compromise on. I refuse."
"Even if it means children who might have become nobles end up entering the Temple as a result of your choice?"
Those sharp, golden eyes pierced into me. I looked straight back at them.
"I would choose the current situation where eleven people become Blue Priests over one where ten die and one becomes a noble."
There was an immense gulf between entering the Temple and living as a noble. Even knowing that, I couldn't yield.
The Chief Priest softened the intensity of his gaze, then said "Hm" and rested his chin in his hand.
"As always, I can't understand what you desire since it offers you no benefit whatsoever, but I understand your demands. I will narrow the recipients to meet your conditions. Your compression method will be bound by individual Contract Magic, preventing knowledge sharing even between parents and children or siblings. Any other conditions?"
"I will charge a fee for the instruction. It is valuable knowledge, after all—isn't that only natural?"
"Mm. I had considered that too, but wouldn't that prevent us from raising the baseline of lower-ranking nobles?"
The Chief Priest tapped his temple lightly while murmuring, "What price would be appropriate..." In my peripheral vision, I noticed Damuel had gone pale.
"If the goal is to raise the baseline, then simply set lower prices for lower-ranking nobles and increase the cost according to rank. If high-ranking nobles can't afford it, then they'll simply have to do without. They already have magic power, so they can manage on their own efforts. Only those who truly see the value in this knowledge need obtain it."
Now it was Father who had gone pale. He was counting on his fingers with his head in his hands. Perhaps a family discount was in order.
"Very well. I'll accept your conditions. ...So, how does the magic compression work?"
The Chief Priest asked this with a sly grin pulling at the corner of his lips. I smiled and shook my head.
"That will come after the Contract Magic and the fee structure are prepared, Chief Priest."
"You've become a bit more cautious, it seems."
"Well, when someone with a face like they're plotting something sinister says that, anyone would take notice."
With a snort, the Chief Priest turned his gaze toward Damuel. I understood he was silently asking what I intended to do with "that one," so I turned to face Damuel, who wore the expression of a defendant awaiting a verdict.
"I taught Damuel on my own initiative, so no payment is required. However, like everyone else, I would like to have a Contract Magic binding that prevents him from disclosing it. Is that acceptable?"
"Of course."
Damuel's face eloquently expressed his relief at not being asked to pay.
"If you can speak so casually with Lord
Having finished the discussion about magic power amplification, Father said this with a look of relief, then rode his swift beast back to Ehrenfest.
...That counted as a "casual" relationship? I didn't want to think about whether noble society was truly that ruthless, or whether it was the Chief Priest's circle specifically.
After seeing Father off, we took a day of rest. The next day, we would depart for Ilgner. It was relatively close from Doldvan.
"Rozemine, I will be accompanying you to Ilgner, and I'll be using this tax collector.
"That's fine."
The Chief Priest was probably having Justus gather information about the unsettling atmosphere Father had brought. On top of intelligence on the Georgine faction, there were surely many things to prepare regarding the magic compression method. Justus was originally a retainer loyal to the Chief Priest—it would be a waste not to make good use of him on an occasion like this.
"Rozemine, I'll be busy today with many tasks. I can't have you wandering around the winter estate and causing problems. Spend the day in your room reading this."
"Yes, sir!"
I clutched the bound sheaf of papers the Chief Priest handed me against my chest and answered with a beaming smile.
...Yes! A whole day of reading!
Brimming with joy, I returned to my room and opened the papers the Chief Priest had given me.
It was a list of the Georgine faction. Names of noble ladies who attended Georgine's tea parties were written down, with notes on those lower-ranking nobles who maintained close ties with other factions and leaned toward neutrality. Turning the page, I found information about the blood relatives of the noble ladies on the list.
On the final page, alongside the line "I would be grateful if this serves Lord Ferdinand in some way," there was an additional sentence: "Please take care of Rozemine."
"...Mother."
She must have compiled this so Father could carry it, to help me avoid the unsettling atmosphere and to warn me of approaching danger. Feeling the parental affection behind it, I felt a warmth rising behind my eyes.
...I have to read this carefully and commit it to memory...
I studied the list in detail. Indeed, many of the names were those on my blacklist of nobles who had been friendly with the former High Priest, and more than half were people whose names I recognized. At the same time, I found myself overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of noble family relationships.
While furrowing my brow and staring at the list, I heard the rustling of an orotund's wings. The orotund glided into the room and landed on
"Arriving at dusk tomorrow? Understood. I'll consult with them about the menu as well. Could you convey to Rozemine that the harvest festival is planned for the day after tomorrow? Also, please make sure to confirm the matter we discussed with Rozemine. I'm counting on you."
Giebe Ilgner's voice repeated the same message three times before the magic stone turned back to yellow. Brigitte held the yellow stone and said with a troubled frown, "I didn't expect a reply during working hours."
"...I apologize, Rozemine. I had just informed my brother of tomorrow's schedule."
"That's perfectly fine. But how are things in Ilgner? Is the education progressing?"
My next concern was Ilgner. The Chief Priest was going there, which had prompted a flurry of educational preparation, but would everything be okay by tomorrow?
"It seems to be taking shape, Rozemine. I've heard the Gray Priests have been working very hard."
"Oh, good. ...I'm sorry, Brigitte. I didn't realize until the Chief Priest pointed it out."
As I sighed in relief and apologized to Brigitte, she gave me a puzzled look.
"Rozemine?"
"I always liked the close, comfortable atmosphere in Ilgner, so I thought there wouldn't be any particular problem if I handled Ilgner-related matters myself. I never imagined the Chief Priest would end up going there, and I hadn't considered that other nobles would come for inspections."
In the future, if nobles became interested in papermaking or printing, their discussions would take place at the castle. I had assumed that when the time came, I could simply show them the Temple workshop, and that would suffice for inspections and tours.
However, from a noble's perspective, apparently it was easier to find business value in inspecting workshops run by other nobles rather than the Temple orphanage workshop. I hadn't thought deeply about it because it wasn't just the Chief Priest at the Temple—it was also Damuel, Brigitte, and
"Truly, we should have understood this even without Rozemine pointing it out. Please don't trouble yourself over it."
After that, Brigitte hesitated briefly before speaking.
"Rozemine, there is something I'd like to ask you. Do you have a moment?"
"I've been ordered to stand by all day, so I have no objection. It's unusual for you to be the one to bring something up, though."
Brigitte informed Damuel that she would be stepping away from her escort duty temporarily, then turned to face me.
This was probably about the "matter" the orotund had mentioned. I straightened my back and looked at Brigitte, wondering what it could be.
After a flicker of hesitation in her amethyst eyes—as if debating whether she should ask—Brigitte lowered her gaze.
"...Rozemine, I heard in Hass that Gray Priests are not permitted to marry. Is that true?"
"Yes, that's correct. Gray Priests are not allowed to marry."
"I see."
The sense of "just as I suspected" hit me strongly as Brigitte's face clearly fell in disappointment. I couldn't understand why the inability of Gray Priests to marry would depress her this much.
A single thought flashed through my troubled mind.
...Being upset that Gray Priests can't marry—could it be that Brigitte... Wait, Damuel! An unexpected ambush from that direction!
"Brigitte, um, could it be that you have feelings for a Gray Priest?"
When I blurted out the question, Damuel and Brigitte both exclaimed "What!?" in unison, their eyes going wide. Damuel looked at Brigitte in shock, and Brigitte, noticing his gaze, shook her head vigorously.
"That's not me! No! What on earth are you saying, Rozemine!?"
Brigitte denied it with every ounce of energy, and both Damuel and I exhaled in simultaneous relief.
"You looked so down about Gray Priests not being able to marry, so I thought perhaps..."
"It's not me—it's the people of Ilgner."
Brigitte shot me a light glare, saying "The difference in status between Gray Priests and myself is far too great," then sighed with disappointment, asking, "So they really can't marry?"
Feeling both relief and a twinge of unease at the still-close relationship between the people of Ilgner and their nobles, I recalled the rules regarding Gray Priests.
"...There is a workaround. Giebe Ilgner simply needs to purchase the Gray Priests. Once purchased, they would no longer be Gray Priests at that point and would fall under Giebe Ilgner's jurisdiction. Naturally, any subsequent marriages would also require Giebe Ilgner's permission."
I still couldn't find the buying and selling of people to be a pleasant concept, but Gray Priests being purchased by nobles was an everyday occurrence. As laborers and clerical workers, Gray Priests and Gray Shrine Maidens were routinely bought by nobles.
If a Gray Priest who was purchased could have a happy marriage, I would gladly send them off, and I intended to use my authority as High Priest to provide them with back wages and a wedding gift for their years of service.
"May I inform my brother? If, um, he's remaining through the winter, it would be better to have him attend the wedding."
"...I'll ask the Chief Priest. I mustn't act on my own."
When I had
The Chief Priest granted the meeting from noon onward with a bitter, bitter expression. I explained the matter of Gray Priests marrying. The Chief Priest held the same view as I did—if Giebe Ilgner purchased the Gray Priests, they could do as they pleased afterward.
"If Giebe Ilgner is purchasing them, we'll prepare the paperwork here... no, you make it after this. I'll have the registration documents ready."
He ended the discussion briskly, then waved his hand in a clear gesture of "hurry up and leave."
I returned to my room and, with Fran's guidance, began preparing the documents for the purchase of Gray Priests. Mixed feelings of gloom over this first task involving the sale of human beings, and joy over the prospect of a happy marriage once it was decided, swirled together.
"Fran, what should I do for a wedding gift?"
"I don't know. In my experience, no Gray Priest has ever married."
Fran said this matter-of-factly, then lowered his eyes, saying "I apologize." I noticed the complex emotions there and tilted my head.
"...Fran, would you want to get married?"
"No. I'm satisfied with my current life. ...Besides, I don't know what marriage even involves. If I ever found myself in a situation where marriage was required, I believe I would be at a complete loss."
Fran, who knew only life within the Temple, made me suddenly worried. Would the Gray Priests in Ilgner be all right?
The next day, weighed down by various anxieties, we arrived in Ilgner.
The negotiations with conditions have concluded.
It seems new interpersonal relationships are forming in Ilgner as well.
Next is Ilgner's harvest festival.