The welcome banquet began at the sixth bell.
Today's menu showcased the cutting edge of Ehrenfest cuisine, with both
Since the lord's family would be entering along with the Ahrensbach delegation led by
Because the guests were from Ahrensbach, the guard knights all wore tense expressions, and
It was rare for the castle to host guests from another territory. This would be a first for both
"Melchior, you must absolutely not say anything unnecessary. You are to deliver only the prepared greetings."
"Yes, Brother."
I impressed upon Melchior the importance of this because Wilfried, who had been thoroughly scolded by everyone after adding unnecessary words during his final greeting last time, needed to ensure he didn't make the same mistake. Melchior listened with a solemn expression to the tale of his brother's failure.
"Has Lord Ferdinand prepared new magic stones?"
Brünhilde murmured in a voice so small that others nearby could barely hear it, her tone anxious. Since the workshop had plenty of raw materials, I didn't think it would take much time to contact Ahrensbach and have magic stones made, but I suspected the High Priest probably hadn't done so.
"I... don't think he has, but I'm sure he'll manage somehow. He seemed quite confident about it."
Ferdinand had declared without hesitation that as long as he delivered the magic stones with a smile and sweet words, there would be no problem. No doubt he would produce a suspicious, forced smile and recite cloying lines of courtship. My concern was whether my abs would survive the gap between his usual deadpan expression and this performance.
When we entered the great hall, the High Priest was already there, responding to the nobles offering their wedding congratulations with a perfect, practiced smile. He looked so kind it was almost alarming. He was practically a different person from his usual self—I wanted to shout that it was all a fraud.
"Uncle's social face is incredible."
"Yes. He doesn't show even a hint of that stern expression he displays in the hidden room. Not just in potion-making and administrative work, but in social matters as well, Uncle truly is an excellent model."
Wilfried and Charlotte, who knew what the High Priest was like during their Noble Academy prep sessions in the workshop, both sighed in admiration. Charlotte might not want me to say this out loud, but I really hoped she wouldn't use the High Priest's social skills as her model.
...If Charlotte started making that kind of forced smile and her normal expression became a deadpan scowl, I would cry.
"
"Lord
"I have already announced my retirement, so I normally avoid attending official events involving other territories, but this time I was asked to accompany you as part of your escort."
Grandfather puffed out his chest and warned us, "I'll protect all of you together, so stay close." To guard me from this well-meaning grandfather, Angelica and Brother
"Today, we welcome important guests from Ahrensbach."
When Father and Mother entered and all the Ehrenfest nobles were assembled, Father's words opened the banquet and the great doors swung wide. Beyond them stood Georgine and Dietlinde, draped in Ahrensbach veils, with their entourage following behind them.
Perhaps because it was summer, Georgine and Dietlinde wore thin, translucent veils. Georgine moved with the same dignified, queen-like elegance as always, while Dietlinde walked a half-step behind her with quiet grace, smiling affectionately at the surrounding nobles. The nobles murmured among themselves but showed Dietlinde favorable expressions.
"Seeing her like that, that girl is the spitting image of
"You think so too, Lord Bonifatius? I thought the same thing."
In the corner where the lord's family had gathered, Grandfather muttered this quietly, and Wilfried reacted to his words. I had never met Veronica, so I couldn't say, but Grandfather, who had apparently known Veronica since her Baptism Ceremony days, saw the resemblance.
...High Priest, are you going to be okay?
I looked up at the High Priest, who stood on the dais alongside the lord and his wife, with his own retainers in tow. Dietlinde smiled warmly at him, and upon receiving that smile, the High Priest's own smile deepened. His gentle expression would probably, from the outside, look like a man delighted by his engagement and welcoming guests from Ahrensbach. No one would suspect that he actually couldn't stand to look at the person before him.
This was the High Priest's way of life as a noble—always performing with a smile no matter how unpleasant the situation, never showing weakness or vulnerability to those around him. It made me wonder whether there was any place in Ahrensbach where he could let his guard down even slightly, or whether he would have to keep wearing that mask for the rest of his life there. The thought made my chest ache.
...I just hoped that his relationship with Dietlinde could become one where he could live even a little more comfortably.
Georgine and Dietlinde ascended the dais and exchanged greetings with the lord and his wife. Afterward, Melchior and Grandfather, who were meeting Dietlinde for the first time among the lord's family, went up to the dais and made their introductions.
"On this blessed day, bathed in the radiance of the Fire God
"Permission granted."
Melchior also offered blessings to Georgine, and as soon as he finished, he came right back down from the dais. He smiled proudly, saying, "I did it well," so I ruffled his hair and praised him.
"You did very well indeed."
Once the greetings were concluded, Georgine, as the representative of Ahrensbach, began to speak about the marriage between the High Priest and Dietlinde.
"We have decided that Ahrensbach and Ehrenfest shall form a strong bond. We are delighted to welcome Lord Ferdinand, such a distinguished man, as the husband of my daughter, Dietlinde."
She explained that since Ahrensbach's next Aub currently had only female candidates, the King had personally selected Ferdinand of Ehrenfest to serve as the consort who would support her. She went on to cite how the High Priest's academic achievements at the Noble Academy and the voices from other large territories saying that keeping him sequestered in the
...The way she wrapped her barbs in smiles and noble speech to deliver them was the same as last time, but she seemed more animated than before.
"Now, then, the magic stones."
At Georgine's words, Dietlinde gave a slight nod and slowly stepped forward toward the High Priest. Half a step behind her was
The High Priest slowly knelt on the spot, and with him,
"Through the guidance of the divine couple who reign supreme in the heavens, this marriage has been decreed."
She began with that greeting and continued with hymns of praise to the gods. More than half of it was taken from the Holy Book, so I was able to understand it. Unless my interpretation was wrong, it sounded like the words: "No one but I can save you. Show me your utmost gratitude."
...I wasn't particularly confident in my interpretation of noble speech, but the High Priest's smile had deepened and Brother Eckhart had moved slightly while Justus had tried to hold him back, so I was pretty sure I wasn't wrong.
"I dedicate this magic stone to my Darkness God."
Dietlinde offered the magic stone, and the High Priest received it reverently. Justus placed it in the box he had prepared, and in its place, the High Priest produced what must have been a magic stone he had prepared himself.
"My
With a smile, the High Priest extended the magic stone and called out to Dietlinde in that gentle voice. It was almost identical to a scene from one of the romantic knight stories Mother had personally curated. As Mother's romance novel sales proved, the great hall was filled with avid readers. Those women all gasped in unison.
"Amid the ever-expanding darkness, a single beam of light descends..."
The High Priest began to speak at length in his deep, resonant voice. Unlike Dietlinde, who had quoted more than half of her speech from the Holy Book, the High Priest's words were incomprehensible to me. If he had written them down on paper for me to read and I took my time interpreting them, I might have understood about half, but I simply couldn't keep up at the speed he was reciting.
...Nonsensical. Kind of poetic. After the darkness, there seemed to be flowers and light dancing everywhere, so I could tell he was expressing joy. Yeah.
Mother, who didn't know the High Priest's true feelings, was swooning with starry eyes. I was absolutely certain that today's High Priest's lines would someday appear in one of her romance novels. When that time came, I would take my time and properly understand his words.
Even if I couldn't make sense of it, Mother and everyone else around me was swooning, and Dietlinde, to whom the words were being offered, had flushed cheeks and glistening eyes, so the meaning must have come through to some degree for everyone but me.
"Brünhilde, there doesn't seem to be any problem with the magic stones, right?"
At my question, Brünhilde slowly nodded. Summarizing the meandering speech the High Priest had delivered, it boiled down to: "I am truly happy that our marriage has been decided. To show my determination to overcome any obstacle in order to marry you, I have gathered all the elemental affinities here." Apparently, he had also spoken at length about how much effort it had taken to collect those materials.
"Apparently, there was far too little time to prepare the materials after the marriage was decided, but he did his best to procure them at the highest quality possible. ...Hearing it put that way, the magic stone Lord Ferdinand is offering is practically a lump of pure sincerity."
...What the—?! If I hadn't heard his real feelings the other day, I would have been completely deceived! From now on, I would never trust the High Priest's smile again. Terrifying!
"Lord Ferdinand, to think you would go to such lengths for me..."
Dietlinde took the magic stone the High Priest was offering, her green eyes shimmering as she was completely captivated.
...Aaargh! Dietlinde is being deceived too! It would be a problem if she weren't, but somehow it felt complicated. I wanted to tell her, "Don't be fooled!"
In a state where almost no one understood my feelings, the High Priest, having enchanted every woman present, rose to his feet. Applause broke out for the couple standing on the dais, and once they illuminated their stappes, the rest was time for socializing.
Georgine was surrounded by the former Veronica faction. It appeared that Dietlinde and the High Priest would be joining the greeting rounds together, and so the High Priest too found himself encircled by the former Veronica faction.
The High Priest's forced smile had deepened even further, and I couldn't help but worry about when that mask might finally crack, but there was nothing I could actively do about it. As I looked around, I spotted Raimunt standing around aimlessly, looking uncomfortable.
"Raimunt."
When
"I was suddenly ordered to accompany the delegation, but I don't have many close acquaintances on the Ahrensbach side either, so I was a bit anxious."
Having been suddenly added to the traveling party due to the High Priest's designation, Raimunt had apparently come to Ehrenfest in a very unsettled state.
"I was astonished to hear that Lord Ferdinand had gotten engaged to Lady Dietlinde, but when I was told I was to be appointed as his attendant, I felt quite dizzy."
Being elevated to the High Priest's attendant meant becoming an attendant to a member of the lord's family. The relationship with his family, which had apparently been rather neglected until now, was about to change dramatically, and Raimunt, who only wanted to focus on his research, was having a very difficult time of it.
"It would put me at ease to have someone I'm even slightly familiar with nearby. Please take care of Ferdinand in Ahrensbach. And you two must not let yourselves become so absorbed in research that you neglect your health."
When I said that, Raimunt smiled awkwardly. It seemed he couldn't make a clear promise about that. He had a similar reaction when it came to books, so I couldn't press too hard. Still, I would need to make sure the High Priest had a recording magical tool for admonishments.
"Speaking of which, I was recently discussing a new project with Lord Ferdinand."
"Please, tell me more."
Raimunt's eyes lit up, so I told him about the miniaturization of the recording magical tool. Without a blueprint or a prototype or something to show, there wasn't much I could say on the spot, but he said it sounded interesting.
"It would be nice if we could discuss it during this visit. ...You seem to have quite a busy schedule with all your various engagements."
As I talked with Raimunt, the High Priest approached with Dietlinde in tow.
"Rozemyne, I have decided to invite Dietlinde to my manor, but it would be unseemly for us to be alone, wouldn't it? I would like you and Wilfried to come as well. How is your schedule?"
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could Charlotte and Melchior join us as well? Opportunities for cousins to gather like this are exceedingly rare."
I was uneasy about relying on myself, who was socially inept, and Wilfried, who tended to let catty remarks slip. I had never attended a cousins' tea gathering at the Noble Academy either, so I absolutely wanted Charlotte, who was excellent at smoothing things over, to come along.
"I have no objection. Opportunities for cousins to gather like this are rare, and I imagine you would prefer a livelier atmosphere. ...What do you think, Dietlinde?"
Dietlinde returned his caring fiancé's smile with a delighted one of her own.
"I am so happy that everyone has gathered to welcome me like this. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness."
Having received Dietlinde's consent, the High Priest nodded and turned his gaze to Raimunt.
"Raimunt, you come as well. As you will be my attendant in Ahrensbach, I want to show you something worthwhile."
"I am honored."
And so, with an invitation to the High Priest's manor accepted, the welcome banquet concluded peacefully without the High Priest's forced smile ever cracking. ...Or so I thought, until I was summoned the very next day. Apparently, Dietlinde had asked the High Priest for a hair ornament.
"I told her I would select one and send it as a gift, but she apparently wants to order one that suits her personally if possible. Rozemyne, can you contact the
"I can, but when should I schedule it? You already have so many appointments, don't you?"
The former Veronica faction's invitations must have been flooding in at this opportunity. Did she really have the leisure to select hair ornaments? When I tilted my head in puzzlement, the High Priest let out a deep sigh.
"I would prefer it if Dietlinde came to my manor. I can't endure much else."
When invited to others' tea parties or dinners, the host would naturally guide the conversation and provide entertainment, so all one had to do was respond accordingly. But if he invited her to his own manor, he would have to prepare topics himself. He probably intended to have her select a hair ornament to kill most of the time.
"Lord Ferdinand, you should just enjoy discussing research with Raimunt. Charlotte and I will keep Dietlinde company and talk about hair ornaments and the latest fashions."
"...That would be a help."
The High Priest exhaled softly and said, "Though it's rather presumptuous to ask on top of that, but could you help me with one more thing?" He looked at me with those pale gold eyes. It was rare for the High Priest to ask for my help. I nodded immediately.
"That day, I'd like to borrow your Temple attendants."
"Huh?"
The High Priest's manor was located in a position that could hardly be described as anything other than adjacent to the castle. Apparently, it was a house Father had prepared for him—Ferdinand had lived there briefly after being brought from the Archduke's estate up until his Baptism Ceremony, and it had been formally granted to him after he came of age. However, since the High Priest had entered the Temple almost immediately afterward, the manor had hardly been used.
He only had enough staff on hand for minimal upkeep, so he wanted to bring gray priests and cooks from the Temple over just for that day, when the number of guests would suddenly increase.
"I've already moved my own attendants and cooks over, but there aren't enough of you. I hadn't planned on inviting Charlotte and Melchior as well. Could you lend me
If the only guest had been Dietlinde, the minimum number of staff might have been sufficient, but with the student candidates descending all at once, even mobilizing the Temple's attendants wouldn't provide enough hands. Apparently, the staff at Brother Eckhart's manor had also been asked to help out.
"Very well. I shall send Fran and Saam, along with Hugo and Ela."
"Thank you, Rozemyne."
The High Priest's brow was deeply furrowed as he expressed his gratitude. Perhaps it was because he was pressing his temples, casting shadows across his face, but he looked terribly exhausted.
"Lord Ferdinand, you look pale. Please don't push yourself too hard."
"There's no need to worry. I've already prepared restorative potions."
Hearing him say that with a straight face only made me worry more.
After that, I returned to the Temple and asked Fran and Saam to go to the High Priest's manor in the noble district. The two of them, who had once been attendants to the High Priest, readily agreed.
"If it is to assist the High Priest, we would be happy to oblige."
"With so many of Lady Rozemyne's retainers coming and going, the nobility and even the lord's family will feel at ease enough to be entertained naturally. Please rest assured."
I had a carriage prepared and sent them off, their words reassuring. At the same time, I contacted the Gilberta Company. When I sent a letter to
The official reason was that Turi was underage, but the real message was, "If Ahrensbach has been targeting you all this time, it would be better to keep your vulnerable family hidden as much as possible." I had no intention of putting Turi in danger, so I accepted Otto's advice.
Meanwhile, at the castle, the retainers were also preparing to entertain Dietlinde. And on the day itself, I set out for the High Priest's manor by carriage.
"This will be my first time at Uncle's manor. Have you been there before?"
"My business is always settled at the castle and the Temple, so this will be my first visit to the manor as well."
"This is the first time I've been invited outside the castle, so I'm a little nervous."
Melchior said this happily as he gazed out the window. The High Priest's manor was close enough to the castle that it could hardly be called a separate location, so the carriage ride was short. We arrived almost immediately.
"...Lord Ferdinand lives in such a large manor, and he's not even married yet."
Stepping out of the carriage and gazing up at a white manor roughly the same size as Father's, I let out a sigh. Wilfried, who had gotten out first, shrugged.
"It was probably granted to him with the expectation that he would marry immediately upon coming of age. For the previous Lord—Grandfather—I think Uncle remaining unmarried was something he hadn't calculated for."
The door to the High Priest's manor opened, and it was Fran who came to greet us.
We never made it to the High Priest's home.
It was probably Raimunt's fault.
Next time, I will make it to the High Priest's home.