Name Swearing is the act of pledging one's life-bound loyalty to the single person one recognizes as one's true lord. It means entrusting the power of life and death to that lord and declaring oneself an absolute vassal. One cannot change lords simply because the times have changed.
"Aub Ehrenfest, I... wish to offer my gratitude and loyalty to the Aub, who showed my family a path to salvation."
After
"...Aub Ehrenfest, I cannot do it."
"Father!?"
Viscount Daldorf's words made Jeremias's eyes go wide. I hadn't expected Giebe to cut off his own family's path to salvation. Before our shocked eyes, Viscount Daldorf let out a pained groan.
"I have no name left to swear."
It seemed Viscount Daldorf had already sworn his name to someone. I had heard from the Chief Priest and my own attendants that Name Swearing was rarely done, but apparently that wasn't the case. I looked down at Viscount Daldorf with a strange feeling.
"If you have no name to swear, then Daldorf—"
"But! I will demonstrate as much sincerity as I can for my family's sake. I will find the Holy Book without fail and prove that we harbor no hostility or ill will."
He was pleading that the path to avoiding collective punishment not be closed off. My foster father narrowed his eyes, glaring at the Viscount.
"...To whom did you swear your name? Depending on the answer, I may not be able to trust you."
"To Lady
"In Ahrensbach, Name Swearing is apparently practiced much more frequently than in Ehrenfest. I was raised being told by my mother, who came from Ahrensbach alongside Lady Gabriele, that vassals who couldn't even swear their names were unworthy of trust."
When Viscount Daldorf reached the age at which one could swear one's name, the names his mother had raised as potential targets were Veronica and
Viscount Daldorf had supposedly chosen Veronica, who was already the First Wife of the Aub.
"Then does that mean others of Ahrensbach blood have also sworn their names? My mother, my sisters?"
"Yes. To counter the
I felt indescribably complex upon learning why the mid-ranking nobles who formed the core of the former Veronica faction refused to switch sides. It seemed the practice of Name Swearing differed greatly between Ahrensbach and Ehrenfest.
"You did not have your own children swear their names, correct?"
"Since Lady Veronica had already seized enough power to keep the Leisegangs in check and our faction had grown large enough that there was no particular need to solidify unity, I didn't see the necessity. ...Aub Ehrenfest, I will do everything within my power. Please, show mercy to my family..."
My foster father gazed down silently at the pleading Viscount, then waved his hand lightly.
"Retrieve the stolen Holy Book. Everything follows from that. Show me what your people can do."
"We are honored."
The matter of collective punishment was set aside for the time being, and the search for the Holy Book began. Viscount Daldorf immediately sent out Ordonnances to the surrounding nobles, one after another: "My wife, who should have gone to the Noble District ahead of us, has gone missing. If anyone knows anything, please tell me." He then had the Viscountess's magic stone brought forward and confirmed that the body was indeed hers. After that, he told the Chief Priest to open the Viscountess's hidden room as he wished and search through it to his heart's content.
"Lady
I described the Holy Book—its binding, its size. The head Attendant gave instructions to the servants, and a large-scale search of the mansion began.
As Viscount Daldorf began dealing with the Ordonnances returning one by one, I told Jeremias everything we knew about the Viscountess's movements.
Jeremias's face was flushed with anger as he muttered, "How could she do such a thing..." but he also asked numerous questions in service of finding the Holy Book.
"What is the Holy Book used for? Depending on its purpose, it might change where it was hidden."
"The Holy Book is used during religious ceremonies. I have the prayers memorized, so I can perform the ceremonies even without it. However, there is only one Holy Book per territory, so losing it is problematic. The next High Priest will need it to learn the prayers as well. According to
"Is there any use for it besides ceremonies?"
...It had a use that was completely unnecessary for me but sounded like a guidebook for becoming king.
"It has no other particular use."
Jeremias was making a complicated face at my answer when the head Attendant and the Chief Priest returned from searching the mansion. They had turned the entire place upside down looking for the Holy Book but had not found it.
If I hadn't noticed the discrepancy, it would have been a long time before the swap was discovered, so I thought it might still be in her possession—but apparently the Holy Book was nowhere in the mansion.
"It's more likely she had it moved somewhere. Does the Viscountess possess a teleportation circle?"
"No, she personally does not, and I did not grant permission for any registered under our household."
As a precaution against assassination and attacks, teleportation circles that move people can only be installed by the Aub. Furthermore, the transfer range of circles an Aub can install independently is limited to within the territory. Circles that cross territorial boundaries, such as those used to travel to and from the
Teleportation circles for moving objects are similarly limited in range to within the territory. Strictly speaking, if both territorial lords consented, it wouldn't be impossible, but one rarely hears of such circles being installed. Apparently, complications tend to arise when succession occurs or circumstances change over time.
And, as the Chief Priest had used, personal teleportation circles consist of paired sending and receiving circles and are essentially one-way. On top of that, they require the creator's Magic Power to activate on either the sending or receiving end, or require the recipient's permission before sending—there were various restrictions. This was apparently the result of precautions against dangerous materials being suddenly sent to someone.
In other words, even if she had somehow obtained a teleportation circle, the destination would be limited to somewhere within Ehrenfest.
"Giebe Daldorf, among your wife's acquaintances, who is someone who would need the Holy Book—someone with whom she had enough of a relationship to entrust something that dangerous?"
The Chief Priest, who had been investigating the former Veronica faction, could not possibly be ignorant of the Viscountess's social connections. The fact that he was asking Viscount Daldorf directly was likely a test of whether he was truly willing to cooperate.
"I believe it would be Giebe
"Hmm."
The Chief Priest nodded with satisfaction at Viscount Daldorf's answer. There seemed to be no discrepancy with the information the Chief Priest already held.
"However, there was no teleportation circle in the rooms she normally uses, nor in the hidden room, nor in the Attendants' quarters. Without a teleportation circle, transfer is impossible. Could she have passed it to someone other than Giebe Gerlach?"
"...My lady did not go out at all after returning to this mansion—practically speaking, not once. She did not meet with anyone."
That was what the head Attendant said. The Viscountess's room had no balcony, so she couldn't sneak in or out on a riding beast either.
In addition to this testimony from the head Attendant, the information that had gathered at Viscount Daldorf's through Ordonnances also confirmed that she had not gone out. When Egmont had been captured and brought to the castle, the Chief Priest had assigned knights to keep watch, and it was certain that she had not left since the gates closed that day.
The time Egmont's memories showed her leaving the
...No teleportation circle, and she never went out at all... Before entering the Noble District, she had been so actively moving around.
I was fairly certain they were her own agents, gathering information at the Italian restaurant and the
"Come to think of it, when did the fabric from the Gilberta Company arrive?"
I had remembered there were other matters to confirm besides the Holy Book. It would be wise to gather information about the fabric as well, since the lower town could potentially be drawn into the matter.
"The fabric from the Gilberta Company?"
"Yes. Someone who appeared to be an agent of Viscount Daldorf's purchased fabric dyed in Ehrenfest's newest trend from the Gilberta Company. Since she bought it from a merchant she doesn't normally use on the same day she obtained the Holy Book, I thought there might be a connection..."
When I explained to the head Attendant what kind of fabric had been purchased, something seemed to click, and she let out an "Oh."
"The fabric arrived before my lady returned. Around midday, a merchant came to deliver an order from my lady. He was unfamiliar, but the letter bore my lady's handwriting, so I paid and accepted the goods. The fabric was taken out by an Attendant in the afternoon."
"Eh?"
The afternoon—that was after the Viscountess had returned, wasn't it? If an Attendant had carried out the Holy Book wrapped in Gilberta Company fabric, the Gilberta Company would definitely be dragged into the Holy Book affair.
"Where did that Attendant go? Is there any possibility the Holy Book was carried out wrapped in that fabric?"
At my words, everyone's eyes turned to the head Attendant in unison. It seemed she had been the one to arrange the carriage. An answer came quickly.
"The carriage carrying the Attendant went to the castle, as I recall."
"The castle!?"
An unexpected location had surfaced, and my eyes went wide. Would she take the Holy Book to the castle? More to the point, what would she do with the fabric there?
Before I could puzzle it out, Jeremias's face lit up as if a thought had struck him.
"...It's a wedding gift for Lord
"Eh?"
"If the fabric is delivered to the castle as a wedding gift for Lord Ferdinand, it can be transported to Ahrensbach without going through Giebe Gerlach and without arousing anyone's suspicion. If she wanted to deliver the Holy Book to Lady Georgine, this would be the least suspicious method, wouldn't it?"
It was the wedding of an Aub candidate. All manner of gifts would arrive from Ahrensbach, but Ehrenfest would also be sending many. Gifts from the various Giebes and numerous nobles had already been arriving from all directions in preparation for the winter social season, and there was reportedly a room where they were being steadily stacked up.
A new Ehrenfest dye would make a perfectly appropriate wedding gift. If it was fabric intended for women, it would undoubtedly be delivered to Lady
Unlike the Linshan fabric whose production method had already been sold, or the hair ornaments designated as graduation gifts to bring to the Royal Academy, this was a new trend, and a box large enough to hold the Holy Book could be prepared. And unlike sweets, it wouldn't rot or deteriorate even if left at the castle until the spring departure.
Jeremias said that since it was common for the groom to present the bride with new fabric, no one would think twice about it.
...Come to think of it, when I had tried to give fabric to
At this lead that had finally appeared, I jumped to my feet.
"We're going to the castle."
The Daldorf nobles were assigned knight surveillance and told to search for any other leads. The Chief Priest sent an Ordonnance to the castle's civil officials saying he was heading there to confirm the wedding gifts. I accompanied the Chief Priest, and we searched for the Gilberta Company fabric among the stored gifts.
Upon arriving at the castle, we headed straight for the Chief Priest's office. There, the civil official who had received the Ordonnance was waiting. He appeared to be the official who always helped with work at the castle—a close aide who never came to the Temple.
"I was told you wished to confirm the wedding gifts, so I brought the key. If Lord Ferdinand had simply given the order, I could have handled the confirmation myself without him needing to come all the way here..."
The civil official said this with a slight air of complaint—as if to say, you're busy enough without adding to your own workload. It was exactly the kind of thing an aide trying to lighten the Chief Priest's burden would say.
"Aub Ehrenfest contacted me to say that many wedding gifts have arrived from everyone. It may seem troublesome, but at the winter social season, you must thank each person individually, and return gifts will be necessary. You can't offer thanks without knowing what you received. We need to confirm everything while there are no Temple ceremonies to attend."
The Chief Priest took the key to the gift storage room from the civil official's forced smile and continued piling on work.
"I will be accompanied by
"Lord Ferdinand, you allow Lady Rozemyne to accompany you, yet I am denied the same privilege?"
The civil official, told to stay behind and work, looked at the Chief Priest with a resentful expression.
"It's my own selfish desire. I wanted to give gifts to Lady Detlinde and Lady
I apologized to the civil official, and the Chief Priest said, "That's what this is about. We're short on time as well," and turned on his heel.
Glancing back, I saw the civil official sitting alone with slumped shoulders, picking up documents.
"...He seems rather pitiful, doesn't he? Left behind to do paperwork by himself."
"It can't be helped. What would you say if we happened to find what we're looking for?"
"That's true, but still..."
I walked alongside the Chief Priest in a Lesser Bus and arrived at the room where the gifts were stored. When Justus opened the door with the key I had borrowed from the Chief Priest, we could already see that a great many gifts had been stacked up.
"There are quite a lot of wooden crates."
"If the goods were left exposed, they might get dirty during transport by carriage."
Apparently, even considering the stacking, wooden crates were the best option.
"Search quickly. You're the one who knows what the fabric looks like."
I was the one who knew the fabric sold by the Gilberta Company, so I was on confirmation duty. I had my attendants bring wooden crates over so I could peer inside. At the same time, the Chief Priest made sure to confirm who each gift was from.
"Please stack the confirmed crates here. Be careful not to mix them with the unconfirmed ones."
The guard knights brought the wooden crates in an assembly line. The Chief Priest checked them one by one while Justus recorded everything. I examined each piece carefully only when I spotted a new dye.
Even similar-looking fabrics were never the same dye.
"Lord Ferdinand, this is it! The fabric sold by the Gilberta Company!"
After checking several crates, I spotted familiar fabric. It was cloth with a floral pattern similar to what my mother dyed—fabric using summer gems, perfect for being tailored and delivered in the spring.
"It's been lightly tested for poison, but confirm before touching it. There's still a possibility that poison from the Holy Book swap is clinging to it."
At the Chief Priest's words, my guard knights began poison testing following
After confirming there was no poison on it, I moved to take out the fabric.
"Oh, it's heavy..."
The fabric wound around the core was large and heavy, and I couldn't even get it out of the crate.
"Oh?"
I had expected the Holy Book to appear once the fabric was unwound, but what came out was a wooden crate.
"Another crate."
"It's extremely heavy for a core. There's definitely something inside."
So saying, they opened the crate that had been used as the fabric's core. Inside the wooden crate, packed tight so nothing could move, was my Holy Book.
"There it is! My Holy Book!"
"Please allow me to test it for poison before you touch it, Lady Rozemyne."
"Have you forgotten that something with an identical appearance was coated in poison?"
Scolded by the two of them, I waited anxiously once again for the poison test to finish.
"You can touch it now, Lady Rozemyne."
Hartmut retrieved the Holy Book from the wooden crate and held it out at a convenient angle. I hugged the Holy Book to my chest the moment it was placed before me. I examined the cover and binding closely, sniffed it carefully to confirm.
"Lord Ferdinand—its appearance, its scent, its weight—this is undoubtedly my Holy Book."
When I looked up at the Chief Priest with a confident smile, he gazed down at me as if looking at something unsettling.
"That you can be so certain based on such criteria is creepy."
...What did you say!?
"If you love books enough, you can do this much."
"I see. But it's irrelevant."
The Chief Priest said this with a light wave of his hand and a slow exhalation.
"Still, they went to quite elaborate lengths this time."
"If this had been found in Ahrensbach, you might have been accused of stealing Ehrenfest's Holy Book, Chief Priest."
My words made the Chief Priest shake his head slowly.
"No, Ehrenfest would have been accused of orchestrating the theft to frame Ahrensbach with the stigma of being thieves."
"Both are about the same, really. We've crushed a rather troublesome scheme."
The Holy Book had been found. It wouldn't count as a demerit, the matter could be settled as if it had never happened, and we had also crushed the possibility of the Chief Priest being framed.
"There's no evidence connecting this to Lady Georgine, is there?"
"Not at the moment. Everything so far was done by the Viscountess on her own initiative. There's absolutely no evidence linking it to Lady Georgine in Ahrensbach. Without Egmont's ring, we couldn't even have linked it to Giebe Gerlach."
Georgine was undoubtedly behind it all, but she was an exceedingly cautious—or rather, exasperatingly difficult opponent.
"But we found the Holy Book. Neither you nor I took any demerits, we prevented a poisoning, and if we retrieve this fabric, the Gilberta Company won't be dragged in either. The next Giebe Daldorf will swear loyalty to the Aub, so all in all, hasn't the outcome been excellent?"
"It's because I was the first to notice the discrepancy. You could praise me quite a lot, you know."
I felt I hadn't been particularly useful midway through, so I made sure to emphasize the part where I had been the hero.
"When you put it that way, I don't want to admit it, but well, I suppose it's not entirely wrong."
"That's not really praise, is it?"
"You simply positioned yourself so as not to create a demerit for yourself. There's nothing particularly praiseworthy about that."
I didn't get any praise from the Chief Priest, but the Holy Book and the Gilberta Company fabric were safely recovered.
After that, I was put to work by the Chief Priest and we went through every single gift.
Once we were done, we returned to the Temple. We had to open the Holy Book with the key to confirm whether the key itself was genuine. The Holy Book key that remained in the key storage box turned out to be real, and when I registered my Magic Power, it opened without any problem.
The inside of the cover still had the magic circle and text floating there, just as before. The Chief Priest also confirmed that the Holy Book was genuine, and I immediately reported to my foster father and Viscount Daldorf.
"It has been safely recovered. Also, to prevent any problems, I had the Gilberta Company fabric retrieved as well."
The matters of Name Swearing and collective punishment were my foster father's responsibility, not something I should meddle in. He had watched me work hard to find the Holy Book, and I had received quite a bit of information about the Ahrensbach-aligned nobles, so I believed the outcome for the Daldorf family would not be bad.
"I'm glad the Holy Book came back. For a moment, I didn't know what would happen."
"Welcome home, my Holy Book."
Information about the Ahrensbach-aligned nobles has begun arriving from Daldorf.
And the Holy Book has been safely returned.
Next, it's time to depart.