Once we left the library, there was a corridor leading to the specialized buildings for civil officials and attendants. I told
Filine and her group entered the classroom used by lower-ranking nobles, while Roderich and his group entered the classroom used by mid-ranking nobles.
As for the lord candidates, we went to the usual small hall, but the upper-ranking nobles headed to a different classroom. In court etiquette, the requirements differ for each rank, and because the details are examined so closely, today the upper-ranking nobles and lord candidates have separate classrooms.
"We shall come to escort you again later."
After arriving at the small hall, the apprentice knights and Richalda said this and left. Wilfried and I went inside.
"You look quite motivated,
"Naturally so. I must pass the lecture as quickly as possible so I can go to the library. I intend to pass this court etiquette session today as well."
I had only been given a tour of the library and hadn't been able to read a single book. No matter what it took, I would pass and stake my claim to the library.
"I shall give the lecture my all."
"...Mm, it's good to be diligent," Wilfried murmured, adding under his breath, "though I don't expect it to go that smoothly," as he sat in chair number thirteen.
"The court etiquette required of first-year students consists of greetings and behavior at tea parties. As you progress through various lectures, tea parties will be held for the purpose of exchange with other duchies. You are aware of this, I trust? To ensure that no one has an unpleasant experience at those times, you are expected to acquire a common standard of etiquette."
Even if students had learned basic etiquette through their education so far, each duchy had relaxed or bent certain rules, and lord candidates were not accustomed to showing full deference since they were always at the top of their own territory's hierarchy. Therefore, at the
The practical portion of court etiquette was modeled on a tea party, so naturally the students were checked on their greetings to the instructor acting as the royal host. On top of that, three instructors would check various things: the content of conversation, facial expressions, how they ate, and how they drank. To allow for these detailed evaluations, the lord candidates were split into the top ten and those ranked eleventh and below.
"Well then, let us begin with the higher-ranked lord candidates."
At Primverre's words, the upper-ranking lord candidates stood up. First came the greeting to the host who had invited them to the tea party. This had to start from the highest-ranked. Everyone seemed experienced. They lined up in order and, without showing any particular nervousness, began their greetings.
I had heard from Filine that "the court etiquette instructors are mostly calm and gentle people, and very few students fail," so I sat back in a relaxed mood and watched the upper-ranking lord candidates.
"Please redo that from the beginning."
"...Huh?"
Right from the very first greeting, failing marks were issued one after another. Primverre, receiving the greetings, had an air that brooked no argument. She smiled gently and calmly as she spoke.
"Lord candidates who may be invited to tea parties by royals cannot conduct themselves in such a manner. In particular, the next archduke will certainly have meals and tea parties with royals at the Archduke Conference. Please tighten up your composure."
What she was saying wasn't wrong, but passing on the first try looked even more demanding than I had expected. I straightened my back and focused intently on watching the upper-ranking lord candidates. Honestly, I had no idea what was wrong with their formulaic greetings that caused them to fail.
After each student was made to redo their greeting at least once, a somewhat stiff and awkward tea party began.
...It was like a pressure interview.
Watching Primverre quietly observing the students' reactions while making them redo things over and over, I was reminded of the gaze of interviewers at job placement exams.
...Lord candidates hold the highest position within their duchies, so maybe they're also watching how they react when royals make unreasonable demands?
We were watching from a bit of a distance, so we couldn't catch the content of the conversation during the tea party itself. However, I could tell that one student who had been made to redo her greeting multiple times had become cowed. She seemed anxious about being told she had failed again, and her eyes darted restlessly around, checking whether what she was doing was wrong.
"That's harsh," Wilfried whispered in a small voice.
After the greetings, the words "please redo" were not heard at all. Instead, the attendants standing behind the instructors were diligently writing something down. Judging from their behavior, I figured it was safe to assume those other attendants were functioning much like interviewers as well.
"The Goddess of Time, Drevengeua, seems to have spun today's thread most smoothly."
Primverre announced the end of the tea party with words meaning that "fun times pass far too quickly." The farewell greetings were exchanged, and the upper-ranking lord candidates came to the chairs where we were sitting with tired expressions and sat down.
The attendants cleared away the tea party preparations and began setting out new sweets and tea one after another so that we—the lower-ranked lord candidates—could carry out our practical examination.
During that time, the instructors took the wooden plaques they had their attendants write on and went through the upper-ranking lord candidates, delivering their evaluations.
"Number nine, you must not forget your elegance. Pay attention to even the movement of your fingertips."
"I am most sorry."
"Number three, rather than talking only about yourself, please also lend an ear to what those around you are saying."
"Number two, as a candidate from a large duchy, please show a bit more dignity."
"Number seven is..."
Judging from the evaluations delivered one after another by the three instructors, it seemed that the key was to maintain one's nobility without losing composure. It was as if they were being told not to freeze up during a pressure interview.
Just as I had been told ever since I began living as a noble, the answer was to always wear a composed smile, hold your head high, and never look down. Never forget your elegance, and be attentive to those around you.
...If I do as Mother taught me, I'll be fine for sure.
"Number thirteen—Lord Wilfried and Lady Rozemyne."
By the time we were called, the examination had already begun. At job placement exams, they said even the waiting time and how you entered the room were part of the grading.
I straightened my back to make my posture look as elegant as possible and smiled brightly at Wilfried, extending my hand. "Now then, escort me," I said with the outstretched hand. Wilfried's eyes went round for just a moment, but he quickly took my hand and escorted me.
Without an escort, I couldn't even stand up from a chair gracefully in my current state.
Being escorted by Wilfried, I approached Primverre to give my greeting. Wilfried greeted first. He knelt, crossed both hands before his chest, and bowed his head.
"I humbly pray for a blessing upon this rare encounter, received through the stern selection of the Goddess of Life, Evilliebe."
"Please redo that."
As if to say "I knew it," Wilfried slightly lowered his eyes and delivered his greeting once more. Primverre watched quietly and made him redo it two additional times. I could tell Wilfried was gritting his back teeth in frustration.
"Lord Wilfried, that will be sufficient."
With a light sigh, Primverre gently waved her hand, gesturing for him to withdraw. Wilfried rose quietly and stepped aside.
Where Wilfried had withdrawn, I stepped forward next. I met Primverre's calm gaze, showed a brief smile, and then knelt with meticulous care. I crossed both hands before my chest.
"I humbly pray for a blessing upon this rare encounter, received through the stern selection of the Goddess of Life, Evilliebe."
"Please redo that."
"As you wish."
Deepening my pleasant smile—practically a salesperson's grin—I delivered my greeting once more, even more carefully than before.
"I humbly pray for a blessing upon this rare encounter, received through the stern selection of the Goddess of Life, Evilliebe."
"You may proceed."
Passing with just one redo, I headed toward the tea party seating. Wilfried, who had been waiting as my escort, muttered under his breath in a frustrated tone, "So you can pass with just one redo, huh."
"The trick is to think of the other person not as an instructor, but as a royal."
"I am doing that."
Still facing forward, keeping my smile firmly in place, I whispered my advice to Wilfried. He tilted his head, not quite understanding.
As Primverre had said, Wilfried rarely interacted with anyone of higher rank, so even though he understood intellectually that he should think of the instructor as a royal, he hadn't truly internalized it.
"Lord Wilfried, your seat is over here."
A voice called out to Wilfried from one of the instructors, and he reflexively moved to go that way.
I grabbed Wilfried's arm firmly, deepening my smile. The silent question—"Are you planning to abandon your escort duty?"—seemed to get through.
I raised my hand slightly toward the instructor to indicate I would guide him to my seat, and Wilfried began walking.
The instructors, of course, and all the attendants as well, had their eyes on everything around them, so I couldn't discuss the trick in a very loud voice. Was there a way to convey it to Wilfried in as few words as possible?
Unlike the truly upper-ranking lord candidates who had almost no one they needed to bow to, Wilfried had accumulated various failures and had eventually learned to properly show deference even to the Chief Priest, whom he had initially detested so much. If he could produce that same level of courtesy, I didn't think passing this practical exam would be all that difficult.
"Brother Wilfried, this tea party is being watched by Lord
The instant I whispered this softly, Wilfried's back straightened sharply. His eyes remained fixed forward with a smile, but a tense alertness spread through him as he scanned his surroundings.
That seemed to have quite an effect.
"This appears to be my seat. Brother Wilfried, I am most grateful."
I thanked Wilfried for escorting me to my seat, smiled brightly, and said, "Please keep it up." Wilfried returned a smile full of confidence—quite different from before—and headed to his own seat.
"Lady Rozemyne, please."
An attendant named Katari pulled out my chair for me. I looked at the height of the chair and narrowed my eyes slightly. It wasn't impossible to sit down if I tried hard enough, but it was far too high to sit down elegantly no matter how you looked at it.
I looked up at the attendant, placed a hand on my cheek, and tilted my head with a troubled expression. I had been making use of
However, the attendant merely tilted their head slightly as well and made no move to help me onto the chair.
...Is this also part of the test?
I remained in my "troubled" pose and thought. What was the optimal response here? It would have been nice if they had simply helped me up, but it seemed I was being watched for how I reacted to an inconsiderate attendant.
Climbing onto the chair by scrambling up it was completely out, and honestly saying "I can't sit down on my own, please help me onto the chair" was not befitting conduct for a lord's daughter. Saying "I can't do it" was the wrong answer.
...Was the correct approach to find a way to make the attendant understand without being too direct? Or was the correct approach to file a complaint about the attendant? The other party was supposed to be a royal, right? Hmm.
After staring at each other for a while, I noticed that I was the only one still not seated. The lord candidates currently participating in the tea party, as well as the upper-ranking lord candidates who had already finished their practical exam, were all watching me intently.
"Is something the matter, Lady Rozemyne?"
Turning toward the voice of Primverre, the host, who was checking on my situation, I replied while still maintaining my troubled pose.
"Primverre, I was told this tea party is meant to simulate one hosted by royals. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that is quite correct."
As she said this, Primverre smiled with evident interest, her eyes sparkling. This was almost certainly the most important question for me.
In that case, the correct answer was to maintain my noble composure and remain poised. I was a guest invited by a royal. There was no need for me to accommodate the attendant.
"Primverre, I wonder if this attendant is still inexperienced? I was quite surprised, but I would appreciate it if you did not scold her too harshly."
It was the height of rudeness for a host not to know about their invited guests, so it was absolutely not something to be overlooked. Who was being invited, what they preferred, how to arrange seating, what kind of accommodations each individual needed—Mother said this at every tea party, meticulously prepared what was needed, and carefully instructed the attendants who would be working at the table on the day. A mistake by an attendant dealing with guests was equivalent to a mistake by the host.
In this particular tea party, the host needed to know that my body was smaller than those around me and that I would have difficulty sitting in a chair. On top of that, they needed to make arrangements so there would be no inconvenience.
What I had said—"This attendant seems inexperienced, doesn't she?"—was a remark pointing out that the host had been lax in gathering information, had communicated insufficiently with the attendants, or lacked the ability to secure quality attendants. It was tantamount to saying, "You've been cutting corners with this tea party, haven't you?"
Primverre, saying "My, what a situation," dismissed the attendant who had pulled out my chair, then rang a small bell at her side. Immediately, another attendant came and helped me into the seat.
By resolving the entire situation with just the ringing of a bell, Primverre demonstrated that she had indeed gathered information properly and had communicated with the attendants. The implication was clear: that particular attendant had simply been of poor quality.
"I do apologize for that truly inexperienced attendant, Lady Rozemyne."
"I do not mind. These days, it is quite difficult to secure quality attendants as well."
Now seated in the chair, I smiled gracefully. I noticed that an attendant standing behind Primverre was writing something down.
After that, the tea party commenced. I treated it like a group discussion that included refreshments and did my best—making harmless conversation with a student who was silently sipping tea, nodding along to another who was passionately making their case, praising the host over topics of sweets and tea, and so on.
I could pick up on spots where they were testing our ability to handle small traps or impromptu situations, and I kept my eyes on my surroundings, thinking about what I would do if it were me.
Wilfried also had a moment where he was provoked, but unlike with the greetings, he smoothly deflected it with a smile. That one sentence about the Chief Priest watching had been quite effective.
"The passing students for today are number thirteen, Lord Wilfried and Lady Rozemyne. You should have no trouble being invited to tea parties at the Royal Academy."
Wilfried and I were the only ones who passed the court etiquette practical exam. We had received our pass from Primverre.
I restrained myself from jumping up with joy and simply deepened my smile.
"I am most grateful."
I could still feel Primverre's gaze. I repeated to myself, "The test isn't over until you're home," and maintained my composed movements all the way back to the dormitory.
"I passed court etiquette!"
The moment the dormitory entrance door closed behind us, I reported to Richalda with a full-wattage smile. My voice made the retainers gathered around us flinch, and Wilfried's retainers gently murmured to their lord in concern.
"What about Lord Wilfried...?"
"I passed as well. Thanks to Rozemyne. Without that one remark, I likely would have failed."
Wilfried said this in a sincere, heartfelt tone. Intrigued, Richalda blinked several times.
"Young Master, what did Her Ladyship say?"
"I merely told him that Lord Ferdinand was watching."
"Oh my!"
For two years, Wilfried had stood in my place managing the winter children's room and conducting the Dedication Ritual and Harvest Festival temple ceremonies. During that time, he had been forced to deal with the Chief Priest whether he liked it or not, and Richalda—who knew all about his hardships during that period—chuckled softly.
"Young Master, I always told you that everything would prove useful someday. It seems that came rather sooner than expected."
"Indeed."
After changing clothes, I went to the multipurpose hall to watch everyone working on reference books, and to record any information or purchases that came up. If I did the reference book work myself, it would take jobs away from the lower-ranking nobles, so I tried to delegate as much as possible, limiting my involvement to pointing out messy handwriting or incorrect phrasing.
While everyone was experimenting with ways to earn money, I decided to plan my strategy for upcoming lectures. What could I do to get to the library as quickly as possible?
Having cleared court etiquette, the remaining practical exams were the dedication dance, music, riding beasts, and acquiring a Stappe.
For the dedication dance, since it was only practice this year anyway, I didn't think they would demand a very high level. I could dance it well enough, so I would review it just to make sure I hadn't forgotten. The important thing would be not to cause any unnecessary commotion and not to pray to the gods.
As for music, since I had been invited to the instructors' tea party, I could safely assume I had met the baseline. In that case, perhaps I could try negotiating: offering to perform a new piece in exchange for a passing grade.
For riding beasts, since Frauleurm had collapsed and interrupted things last time, we would presumably pick up from where we left off. According to
...As long as Teacher Frauleurm doesn't collapse, I should be fine.
Actually, if Teacher Hirschur worried about Teacher Frauleurm who had collapsed last time and came along to assist with the riding beast lecture, it would probably wrap up quickly. But I couldn't imagine Hirschur—someone who wanted to stay holed up in her research room—taking on that extra work voluntarily. If I wanted to ask for her help, I would need to present a commensurate benefit.
...And tomorrow was the acquisition of the Stappe...
All first-year students were to enter a place called the Innermost Chamber. There, they would need to retrieve a magic stone called the "Will of the Gods," which served as the raw material for a Stappe. I was worried about whether I would be able to collect one, but
However, it didn't end with just collecting the raw stone. You apparently had to create the Stappe and learn its basic uses as well. It didn't seem like it would be that difficult, though.
"Lady Rozemyne, are you here?"
At a point where I had a rough idea of how to pass my lectures, Hirschur burst into the dormitory. Despite what the upperclassmen said about her being "a dorm supervisor who only shows up at the beginning and the end," she seemed to come around quite often.
Seeing Hirschur enter the multipurpose hall, I blinked.
"What brings you here today?"
"Just a moment ago, after the lecture, a student told me—you revived
Hirschur fired off these questions with an excited expression. It sounded like she had tried to touch them casually and been repelled. She had discovered the power of the charm in an unexpected way.
Even so, the students in the reading room shouldn't have been able to tell who from Ehrenfest had revived them. Why did she think it was me?
In response to my question, Hirschur shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"When I heard that the Ehrenfest first-years toured the library as a group and were being led around by a large black and white Schmuel, anyone could figure out who was responsible. Such an unconventional thing could only be Lady Rozemyne. I haven't even received a report via the Ordensanz, you know."
"...I didn't think that moving Schwartz and Weiss would cause trouble for you, Hirschur. The thought that I had a reporting obligation never even occurred to me."
Judging from the excited gleam in Hirschur's purple eyes, it seemed less that she wanted to get a handle on the situation as dorm supervisor and more that she wanted to study Schwartz and Weiss.
As their new master, I had to protect Schwartz and Weiss.
"I'm not letting Schwartz and Weiss leave the library."
"...Surely they can go out if accompanied by their master?"
"I'm afraid you'd try to dismantle them."
When I narrowed my eyes and glared, Hirschur smiled and said, "Oh my, how rude."
"Don't say such awful things! I would merely remove their clothes a little."
"...Hirschur, do you have a thing for undressing Magical Tools?"
Growing suspicious that she might be a pervert, I watched as Hirschur's expression soured.
"I am a teacher who primarily creates Magical Tools. It's only natural to want to learn in detail about Magical Tools whose construction methods haven't been passed down. According to the information I have, the parts of Schwartz and Weiss related to their construction seem to be beneath the areas covered by their clothes. I want to confirm that with my own eyes."
She spoke with a sharp, teacher-like expression, but ultimately, she just wanted to undress them. My concerns had been well-founded.
"As their master, I have a duty to protect Schwartz and Weiss. Without them, Teacher
Hirschur narrowed her eyes and furrowed her thin brows. Then, just as the Chief Priest often did when deep in thought, she began lightly tapping her temple with her fingertip.
...The Chief Priest probably picked up that habit from Hirschur.
I was silently giggling about this when, apparently struck by an idea, Hirschur raised her chin and curled the corner of her lips upward.
"Lady Rozemyne, if I recall... doesn't the new master need to provide new clothes for them?"
"...What do you mean?"
I couldn't tell what Hirschur knew or didn't know after having been at the Royal Academy for so many years. I tried to deflect with a pleasant smile, but that brief moment of hesitation was enough to confirm it, and Hirschur's smile deepened.
"Please allow me to accompany you for the measurements and the clothing change. Of course, I won't touch them or undress them myself."
Even though she wouldn't undress them with her own hands, her insistence on being allowed to accompany us to the bathing area carried a distinctly perverted air. Hirschur's smile deepened further.
"If you agree, I can become your instructor for the remaining practical magic exams."
"What?"
"Don't you need to pass everything before you can enter the library? Given that you're currently on poor terms with Frauleurm, passing the riding beast practical is going to be tough."
...She's a demon! There's a demon here trying to lure a student down the wrong path!
After a brief back-and-forth, I was utterly defeated by the demon's temptation of convenience through graduation.
I passed court etiquette.
And I've entered into a deal with the demon.
Next up is the acquisition of the Stappe.