"I thank you. May I open it?"
"Go ahead."
I carefully opened the long, narrow wooden box, buzzing with excitement. Peering inside, my eyes went wide with surprise.
Inside the box was a single hairpin. It wasn't the kind of flower hair ornament Turi usually made from woven thread. Five small rainbow-colored magic stones of varying lengths were connected by delicate chains at the tip, each one framed by thin metalwork. When I had prepared the rainbow-colored magic stones, I'd picked the largest one in my collection, but the Chief Priest had apparently chosen the smallest ones—only about two centimeters each. If I wore it in my hair, the teardrop-shaped stones would sway back and forth and look absolutely adorable.
...But, rainbow-colored magic stones. If they were rainbow-colored, then that meant...
I gently picked up the hairpin and channeled a tiny amount of Magic Power through it. Sure enough, protective magic circles had been inscribed on all five stones, just as I had done.
"Chief Priest, these rainbow-colored magic stones are protective charms, aren't they?"
"You said you wanted to use them to make a decorative accessory, didn't you? It seemed wasteful to use magic stones for something purely decorative, so I turned them into protective charms."
I had indeed said I wanted to make a decorative accessory. But it felt like he was scolding me for using precious materials on mere decoration. I never expected the Chief Priest—who had complained about it—to actually create a decorative accessory for me. My surprise far outweighed my delight.
"I was so excited about surprising the Chief Priest, and now I'm the one who's been surprised."
Right after I had proudly announced that I made protective charms from rainbow-colored magic stones, he'd returned the gesture fivefold. How could I not be startled? Besides, while I had handed over bare, unprocessed magic stones, the charms he gave me were perfectly finished into a polished accessory.
...What an overwhelming sense of defeat.
"I was surprised—just not in the way you think. I didn't expect you to be capable of crafting protective charms of this caliber."
The Chief Priest smiled faintly as he looked at the rainbow-colored magic stone I had given him. His expression didn't look the least bit surprised. If anything, he seemed somewhat pleased.
For my part, I was filled with defeat, but if I had managed to surprise him even a little and made him happy, then that was what mattered most.
"Hmph, I've grown quite a bit, haven't I?"
"...Most of the credit seems to go to
"Just praise me for once, would you?"
My advisors burst into laughter at my protest, and the Chief Priest snorted. Him saying something unkind was nothing new, so I merely pouted to show my dissatisfaction before turning my gaze back to the hairpin, examining it intently.
The rainbow-colored magic stones resembled opals. When slightly shifted, the stones appeared to shift through complex colors depending on the angle of light. Thin metalwork surrounded and protected each stone, lending a rather lavish air to an otherwise simple design.
"It's simple, but what a lovely design. As expected, the Chief Priest does have an eye for accessories."
"If Dietlinde's hair ornament is mistaken for something I designed, that would be quite troublesome. I felt I needed to prepare rebuttal materials in a hurry."
If Dietlinde mentioned that her fiancé had given her a hair ornament, people would naturally assume the Chief Priest had designed it. He apparently wanted to avoid that at all costs—it was apparently a serious matter that touched on his sense of aesthetics.
"Besides, you can't wear the same flower ornament every day, but an accent piece worn beside it wouldn't stand out too much, I thought. Wasn't there a time you mentioned wanting to wear two hair ornaments at once? I made this so you can wear it next to your flower ornament as much as possible, every day."
It seemed he had designed it as a simple piece that could sit beside a flower ornament without issue, even on a daily basis. I thought that was incredibly thoughtful. Brünhilde and Lizelote nodded in admiration.
"Lady
Brünhilde stood and came over to me. When I handed it to her, she carefully compared the hairpin against my hairstyle before gently inserting it right beside my hair ornament.
When I tilted my head slightly, it made a soft tinkling sound, and I could feel the rainbow-colored magic stones brushing against my hair. I was delighted with the new accessory. Smiling to myself, I looked up at the Chief Priest.
"How does it look?"
"Not bad."
"Chief Priest, what exactly do you mean by 'not bad'? It sounds like you're forcing yourself to compliment something that doesn't suit me at all."
I felt strongly about this sort of thing. The Chief Priest was terrible at complimenting women—or rather, anyone at all. This was probably why people said he couldn't maintain a relationship with a woman.
"At times like this, you should say it looks cute even if it doesn't."
"When the rainbow-colored magic stones catch the light and shift through complex hues while swaying atop hair as dark as the night sky, it looks as though stars are glimmering. The favor of all the gods can be seen peeking through, and I believe it suits Lady Rozemyne, the Saint, perfectly."
The one complimenting me wasn't the Chief Priest but Hartmut, and the excessive string of praise was so over-the-top I could barely follow what he was saying.
"Chief Priest, even one-tenth of that would be plenty. Please just compliment me."
"I see no need to go out of my way to offer praise. I made this for you, so there's no way it wouldn't suit you."
...That's boasting, isn't it? That's not a compliment at all.
I gave up trying to get a proper compliment from the self-assured, pompous Chief Priest. I turned around and looked up at Brünhilde.
"Brünhilde, does it look like I could wear this every day?"
"Yes. As Lord
...Ah, yeah. The Chief Priest really does miss the mark sometimes.
Brünhilde said this with a wry smile, gently jostling the rainbow-colored magic stones with her fingertip, and the Chief Priest shrugged.
"I can't help it. I won't be able to protect Rozemyne from now on."
"Lord Ferdinand, you're incredibly overprotective toward Rozemyne. It's almost startling—how many protective charms she has, and the medicine you always prepare using such generous amounts of precious materials..."
"Is it not only natural to do everything in my power to protect Lady Rozemyne? She was targeted by
Come to think of it, I had started being loaded up with protective charms after I woke from my long sleep. The number had increased each year I attended the Noble Academy, apparently proportional to the trouble I had caused.
"If I could increase Lady Rozemyne's protective charms, I would want to keep adding more and more. As I am neither her guardian nor family, there's only so much I can give her, though."
Hartmut then let out a deeply regretful sigh and shot Cornelius a sharp glare.
"Rather, Cornelius—you're her brother and family, so why don't you ever give Lady Rozemyne protective charms? Don't you worry about her?"
"I do worry. But she already has protective charms of far higher quality and usefulness than anything I could possibly make. No matter how you look at it, mine would pale in comparison, and I don't see how they'd be of any use."
Cornelius, who was not a scholar and couldn't craft high-performance protective charms like the Chief Priest, shrugged in resignation. Besides, even though we were siblings, as the Lord's adopted daughter, I apparently wasn't someone who could casually receive gifts. Hearing it stated so plainly made me feel a bit lonely, as though a distance had been placed between us.
"At the Noble Academy, we were able to interact like siblings, but once Cornelius graduates, there won't be any more opportunities for that. It's a little sad."
"I feel the same."
Cornelius smiled wryly at my words. Just as the mood was turning somber, Hartmut deliberately let out a sigh and cut through the atmosphere.
"Ah, I understand. Graduation is painful. I've never felt such despair at not being able to accompany you to the Noble Academy. Why did I have to graduate? If only I were still enrolled, I could have been of even more help to Lady Rozemyne."
"You could certainly be of help, but Hartmut, you just want to watch what Lady Rozemyne does at the Noble Academy, don't you? You were quite excited during the subjugation at Tanisbefaren and when restoring the gathering grounds."
"Descending into the gathering grounds still covered in black sludge, holding the divine instrument's staff, activating the magic circle, and watching the land restored before your very eyes—it was simply..."
"Hartmut, I've heard that story enough times."
Leonore cut Hartmut off with a sweet smile. Seeing that Judith and
"More importantly, I have something I'd like to ask Lord Ferdinand."
Leonore's expression suddenly turned serious as she faced the Chief Priest. He raised one eyebrow slightly and gestured for her to go ahead.
"Speak."
"If you're giving Lady Rozemyne this many protective charms, then you must believe there will be this level of danger at this year's Noble Academy, correct? I'd like to know what dangers you anticipate. There's a significant difference in efficiency between vaguely standing guard and having clear targets to be wary of."
Last year, when the number of protective charms had been increased, there had been the battle with Tanisbefaren, being dragged into a Ditter match during the inter-territorial competition, and a surprise attack. Leonore asked the Chief Priest what dangers were being considered for this year. Upon receiving the question, the Chief Priest looked extremely troubled.
"Leonore, I didn't give Rozemyne these protective charms with the expectation that unpredictable, spontaneous dangers would keep piling up. Last year, I was concerned about interference from Ahrensbach and the possibility of being unable to refuse
The Chief Priest paused, falling silent for a moment. As if debating whether he should say it or not, he lightly tapped his temple before slowly exhaling.
"This year, Rozemyne won't be called back for the Dedication Ritual."
"What?"
"The other day, your guardians discussed and decided. This year, you won't be returned to Ehrenfest—you'll stay at the Noble Academy."
The Chief Priest counted off on his fingers: to dispel the perception that the Aub was terrible for treating his biological child and adopted daughter differently; because the magic stone clumps in the Jureve had dissolved, so sudden loss of consciousness had become less likely; and more.
"Furthermore, Hartmut is at the
The Chief Priest said that since there was enough Magic Power without calling me back, he wanted me to experience normal Noble Academy life at least once. Learning that he had thought of so many things for my sake, I was overcome with an indescribable warmth. Feeling my eyes growing hot, I stared at the Chief Priest.
"Chief Priest..."
"The retainers who will have to stay with Rozemyne at the Noble Academy for the extended period must have it rough. That's why I gave Rozemyne these protective charms—to lighten your burden even a little."
...Excuse me?
In an instant, my warmth and tears vanished. He had done something so wonderful, so why couldn't the Chief Priest just let me be moved for once?
"Chief Priest, if you hadn't added that last sentence, I would have been crying with gratitude and emotion."
When I glared at the Chief Priest, he nodded with a completely indifferent expression.
"There's no hidden room here, and it saves me the trouble of comforting you, so isn't that perfect?"
"You never give enough compliments, but you casually say things that ruin perfectly good emotional moments—how terrible is that?"
"My evaluation of you is irrelevant. I'm talking about how extremely difficult it will be for the retainers who will be living with you at the Noble Academy for an extended period compared to before."
The conversation between the Chief Priest and the retainers moved forward as though difficulties at the Noble Academy were a foregone conclusion.
"I've prepared extra medicine and protective charms, but
As I listened to the Chief Priest, the list of territories requiring caution kept growing. It was enough to make me exasperated at just how many enemies we had made.
"I'm sure I can get through this year's Noble Academy life without incident if I don't worry too much about it."
"That's impossible for you, no matter how you look at it."
The Chief Priest's immediate reply was met with nods from all the surrounding retainers. I had known this, but it was still clear they had absolutely no faith in me.
"For now, keep in mind that you need to achieve top marks, and be careful not to clash with the Central territory—let alone other territories."
"I've never clashed with the Central territory before."
"It's not your perception that matters—it's theirs."
The Chief Priest said this while lightly tapping his temple.
"This year, they'll likely approach you first. There are plenty of topics just thinking about them that give me a headache—things related to me, since you said I'm like family, and matters concerning the Royal Palace Library. Will you really be able to stay quiet when pressed on those?"
Unable to refute the Chief Priest's words, I stared at my own hands. Honestly, if someone threatened me about the Chief Priest right now, I—who now had a body with Magic Power flowing through it—would probably fall into a state of intimidation far too easily. And looking back at my past behavior, I couldn't possibly claim I would exercise restraint when it came to books.
"...I-I can't make that promise."
"Quite so. But you are the next Lord's wife, and you're already known at the Noble Academy as the Saint of Ehrenfest. Your words and actions, under the scrutiny of everyone, will affect Ehrenfest's future... no, they will affect how easy or difficult my life in Ahrensbach will be."
He knew that threatening me with the Chief Priest himself—someone I considered family—would be more effective than vaguely referencing Ehrenfest's future. The Chief Priest touched the hairpin, which clinked softly as it swayed, while saying, "I want you to stay quiet for my sake."
"The protections are all fully in place. Make sure not to show any aggression or intimidation from our side. Understood?"
"Yes."
Even after I nodded, the Chief Priest still looked worried.
"You don't need to look so anxious—I'll do my best, you know?"
The Chief Priest's expression hardened, and he surveyed my retainers.
"Rozemyne, can your retainers be trusted?"
"I believe they can."
"Can they keep secrets that must never be spoken aloud?"
"...If they're nobles, they should be able to, shouldn't they?"
When I looked at my retainers, they all nodded in unison.
"Then swear it. Swear on your Stappe that you will never speak of this to anyone until we depart for the Noble Academy."
Blinking at the condition of "until we depart for the Noble Academy,"
"If they protect Rozemyne while knowing the truth, that's all the better."
The retainers swore on their Stappe that they would keep the secret, and then the Chief Priest spoke gravely.
"The ones you must be most wary of at this year's Noble Academy are the children of the Former
"We've built good relationships with them at the Noble Academy, though?"
Judith tilted her head in puzzlement. In stark contrast, Roderich closed his eyes tightly once before slowly exhaling.
"You'll be doing this while we're at the Noble Academy?"
"That's correct."
Neither Roderich nor the Chief Priest specified what would be done. Yet, the severity of their expressions and the weight of the atmosphere made it clear what was going to happen.
...The elimination of the Former Veronica Faction.
"Have you found proof?"
"...Yes.
The Chief Priest was vague in his response to Roderich. The evidence might be slightly insufficient for a complete case. Still, they intended to push through with the elimination even by force. The Chief Priest wouldn't have that kind of leeway before leaving Ehrenfest.
"When we eliminate the Former Veronica Faction, many children will be implicated. While they're still at the Noble Academy, make them choose whether to offer their names or face collective punishment. The Aub decided that those who offer their names to the Lord's family—rather than facing punishment through association—will be protected with full responsibility. He came to this decision because he saw firsthand at the Noble Academy that these children could cooperate beyond faction lines."
At the Noble Academy, the Aub had witnessed children working together across faction boundaries. He had heard voices wanting to leave their parents' faction and come of age quickly. The children of the Former Veronica Faction had brought important information during
"He thought it would be best to nip dangerous buds in the bud, but that punishing them through collective association would only destroy Ehrenfest's future. However, since collective association has been the practice until now, changing it just this once would become a source of backlash. To avoid complaints from those around them, it's necessary to have them offer their names."
The Chief Priest said, "Ehrenfest has no need for seeds of unrest," and looked Roderich straight in the eye.
"I'm counting on you, Roderich, to bring as many of the Former Veronica Faction's children into the fold as possible."
Roderich's eyes widened slightly before he slowly nodded.
"Rozemyne, use whatever means necessary. Secure the talented individuals you want. The only chance to bring the Former Veronica Faction's children to your side is now."
I nodded firmly.
"Ugh, why did I have to graduate? I want to accompany you to the Noble Academy—I'm desperate. If I had chosen the Attendant course, I could have gone as Roderich's attendant."
"As a high-ranking noble, having Hartmut serve as my attendant would be more than I could bear."
Roderich's near-scream made Philine and Judith stifle their laughter.
"Thank goodness Hartmut didn't choose the Attendant course, Roderich."
"Truly."
"...No one understands my anguish."
Seeing Hartmut clutch his head in genuine distress, the Chief Priest wore an unpleasant smile.
"Hartmut, there are tasks that can only be performed by someone who has come of age. If you can be of use to Rozemyne somewhere outside the Noble Academy, that should suffice. I'll prepare work suited to you."
"What kind of work would suit Hartmut?"
When I tilted my head, the Chief Priest thought for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle.
"It would be better for your peace of mind not to know."
...There's someone here making an ominous face because he's plotting something!
Just as I had expected, the hair ornament I'd been promised arrived with a slight change in design.
This year's Noble Academy is brimming with anxieties.
Next: the stolen Holy Book.