"
I had clearly been distracted by the slightly larger magical beast and failed to notice a smaller one closing in from behind. That was entirely my own fault. I let out a light breath, brushed my bangs back, and turned around.
"Laurentz, thank you. You saved me."
As a fifth-year who had arrived at the Noble Academy early, I had set out for material gathering the very next day with Laurentz, a knight apprentice one year my junior. At the gathering grounds of Ehrenfest—revived by Lady
"We've gathered a fair amount—let's call it a day. What were you worrying about?"
Laurentz swung his Stappe to disperse it and began packing the gathered materials into a leather pouch, his exasperated orange eyes fixed on me. I collected my own materials in the same manner, stored them in my pouch, then summoned my Riding Beast and mounted it.
"...I was thinking about name dedication. Wasn't your family pressuring you too?"
"They were. Just as you said, they told me, 'Certainly, after you come of age,' and I managed to slip away."
Laurentz let out an exasperated sigh as he climbed onto his own Riding Beast.
My father had also demanded that I dedicate my name to
If you had materials like Lode's—ones that wouldn't pose a problem no matter how much your magic grew—then you could go through with the dedication. But under normal circumstances, you didn't come of age until your magic power stopped growing, making it impossible to clearly determine whether your materials were of suitable quality. Using that as my excuse, I had turned them down with "after I come of age, certainly." Lode had obtained his materials, and both Laurentz and I had sufficient materials too—but this was a secret from our parents. We still needed more time.
"Matthias, you met Georgine during the summer, didn't you? What did you think?"
"...I thought she was exactly what you'd expect from Father's lord."
Georgine's visit had occurred sometime past the middle of summer. The parents had been busy hosting banquets and tea parties in the Noble District, but Laurentz had been tasked with watching over the estate, so he hadn't met Georgine directly.
I had also been on guard duty at
On the day Georgine arrived, nobles who had dedicated their names to her came to our house. It was a truly small gathering—and moreover, they had all arrived by Riding Beast, like a secret meeting. Since I had not dedicated my name, I was not permitted to attend, and Father ordered me to remain in my room.
However, Georgine—who knew I was an outstanding student—apparently wanted to meet me. An Attendant who received word from Father hurried me through my preparations, and I was brought to a dinner gathering attended exclusively by Georgine's devotees.
The meal had already ended, and the gathering had moved to the great hall of our house. Georgine, surrounded by everyone and smiling, was clearly the center of this gathering. I approached her and knelt at her feet.
"On this fine day radiant with the glory of the Fire God
"You have my leave."
After offering my blessing and completing the greeting, Georgine reached out her hand toward me. A cold, slender hand brushed my temple.
"A bright child who understands the value of hard work is truly wonderful. Giebe Gerlach, you've raised a fine child."
Her red, red lips curled into a smile, and a cloying sweetness wafted over me, making my head swim. Her deep green eyes, narrowed into a pleasant smile, held an unfathomable darkness. Those bottomless, terrifying eyes sent a chill through me. The hearth was blazing, and the occasional crack and pop of burning wood could be heard, yet I felt as though ice had formed along my spine.
...I knew those eyes.
They were just like Father's—eyes that sought their master with maddening devotion. She was right in front of me, speaking to me directly, but she wasn't looking at me. She was gazing at something else entirely. Eyes that could see nothing else. I didn't know what Georgine sought, but I felt a pure, honest fear.
"I am honored by your praise. I never expected Matthias to become so outstanding, but it was a welcome surprise."
I knelt with my head bowed in silence as Father spoke proudly. His Georgine-centric worldview was simply something I could not comprehend.
...Ah, I want to go back to my room.
That was what I wanted, but I had no choice but to stay. Because Georgine, wearing an entrancing smile, announced something outrageous.
"Everyone, I have some joyful news. I have learned how to obtain the Foundation's magic of Ehrenfest."
"Truly!?"
She was currently unable to move freely as the First Wife of Aub Ahrensbach, but she had declared that after the Aub's death, she would return to obtain the Foundation's magic. The one who possessed the Foundation's magic was the Aub. If Georgine obtained it and did away with Lord
"I will certainly return to Ehrenfest. Giebe Gerlach—may I ask you to make the preparations for that?"
"I will see it done, without fail. I eagerly await the day of your earliest return."
Father accepted the letter Georgine extended to him, his voice choked with emotion. It was the first time I had ever seen Father looking so happy, his face brimming with joy.
"I need capable retainers in Ehrenfest."
"Matthias has expressed that he wishes to dedicate his name once he comes of age, and he will surely be of service to you, Georgine. My son will serve you with all his heart."
"Oh my? Once he comes of age?"
Georgine's voice was rich with delight as she fixed her gaze on me. But those deep green eyes were anything but smiling. She was quietly, calmly reading my reaction. Bathed in a gaze so heavy I could almost feel its weight, I gave the same explanation I had offered Father.
"Currently, my magic power is still growing thanks to the compression method you taught Father. I do not have materials on hand that would be suitable for my dedication. I intend to gather proper materials at the Noble Academy and complete my name dedication when my magic power stops growing upon coming of age. ...Will you accept me at that time?"
"My, your magic has grown so much that last year's materials won't suffice? As expected of a child chosen as an outstanding student—how reassuring. Of course, I will accept your name. Look forward to seeing how much you grow, Matthias."
If I hadn't possessed a firm sense of self, I would surely have been swallowed by the bizarre atmosphere of this gathering, composed entirely of Georgine's devotees. I maintained a proper noble smile while clenching my fist tightly, and endured those moments.
"So the deadline is until we come of age. It seems we're destined to dedicate our names to the Aub of Ehrenfest—or else we cannot survive. Whether that Aub will be Lord Sylvester or Georgine, there's simply no way to know at this point."
As we flew on our Riding Beasts, Laurentz let out words tinged with a sigh. I agreed completely. As children of the former
"My brothers both dedicated their names to Georgine during her visit. They'll devote their lives to her—just as Father did. I still can't decide. But just as Lady Veronica's influence was overturned in an instant, we can't say for certain that Lord Sylvester's reign won't be overturned by Georgine. Especially if she obtains the Foundation's magic."
Whether to dedicate our names to the current lord's family and sever ties with our own, or to wait for Georgine's return and dedicate our names to the new Aub—neither choice was one we could yet make.
"...But Father seems dead set on making Georgine the Aub of Ehrenfest. He was clearly plotting something."
"Is that so?"
"All I can say is 'probably.' Since I haven't dedicated my name to Georgine, I wasn't privy to the details."
What I had noticed was entirely by chance. While preparing for the winter social season, Father had summoned me and was telling me to strive to become an outstanding student at the Noble Academy on Georgine's behalf when a small teleportation circle happened to light up and a small object wrapped in cloth was teleported in.
Right now, items for the winter social season were being collected from all over the Gerlach estate, so objects arriving via teleportation circles were nothing unusual. However, the pattern on the cloth closely resembled the garments that Lady Rozemyne favored wearing, making it somewhat incongruous among items sent to Father's teleportation circle. It caught my eye for some reason.
"Confirmed. Burn the teleportation circles immediately."
Father sent an Ordinantz and, holding the palm-sized package in one hand, let out a small, thoroughly satisfied smile. It looked very much like the smile he'd worn when he'd heard Georgine was returning.
Then he immediately sent that small package through another teleportation circle to somewhere, and dispatched yet another Ordinantz: "Once received, burn the circle."
"This is Betina. Confirmed, Giebe Gerlach."
The moment the reply came, Father burned both teleportation circles without hesitation. Creating teleportation circles required all sorts of materials. "What a waste, burning them..." I muttered involuntarily, and Father let out an exasperated sigh.
"Once something has served its purpose, it should be disposed of. You mustn't leave unnecessary things lying around, Matthias. ...Ah, that's no longer needed either."
Saying this, Father pulled a magic stone from a drawer, added magic power to it, and crushed it to powder. It was the magic stone paired with the Ring of Subordination. Presumably, somewhere out there, one of Father's soldiers had just ceased to exist.
"The small package seemed to be going to Betina. Laurentz, do you know anything?
"Even though we're married and have separate households, I wouldn't know. ...But I did hear that Betina was preparing to send winter provisions to her family. Ahrensbach seems to be in dire straits when it comes to magic power."
"If that's the case, that small package may have gone to Ahrensbach as well. I don't know exactly what Father is scheming, but it may well be succeeding. He's the cautious type who likes to lay down multiple layers of insurance."
I had no way of knowing how far Father's plan to install Georgine as Aub had progressed. But he had been in excellent spirits before I departed for the Noble Academy, so I assumed the plan was going smoothly.
"What are you going to do, Matthias? Will you dedicate your name to Georgine?"
"...Right now, I think all I can do is wait. Either way—whichever lord I dedicate my name to—I don't have nearly enough information, and I can't predict how the situation will change."
Father was undoubtedly plotting to eliminate Lord Sylvester. He intended to vacate the Aub's seat so Georgine could return at once. Since I hadn't dedicated my name to Georgine, I hadn't been privy to the details, but my brothers had been summoned to Father's room and had held discussions behind closed doors.
"Shouldn't you notify Lady Rozemyne or the Aub?"
"Honestly, I'm deeply torn."
If the goal were simply to assassinate the Aub and plunge Ehrenfest into chaos, I would have dedicated my name to the lord's family and fought against Georgine with everything I had. But Georgine apparently possessed the means to obtain the Foundation's magic. In that case, a new Aub would simply be born, and Father—Georgine's most trusted retainer—and our family would merely return to the mainstream.
If it was simply a matter of replacing the mainstream by cutting off Lord Sylvester, just as they had once cut off Lady Veronica, then what was the point of dedicating my name to the lord's family, severing ties with my family, and becoming a traitor?
"Can you make the resolve to completely sever ties with your family when I can't even read the situation, Laurentz? This isn't just about my family. Yours would be dragged into it too."
"I like the current atmosphere at the Noble Academy, and I like how Ehrenfest is coming together around Lord
At Laurentz's words, I pictured the lord's family. Georgine's children were all already married except for Lady Dietlinde. Even if Georgine, as Aub Ahrensbach, was considering adopting her grandchildren to secure an heir, Lord Wilfried, Lady
...But Lady Rozemyne.
I pictured Lady Rozemyne. Hair the color of the night sky, golden eyes that looked straight at you. Young though she was, she possessed not only beauty but the brilliance to claim top marks for two consecutive years and a vast quantity of magic power. She had created countless trends, invested heavily in educating the next generation, and evaluated people fairly regardless of friend or foe—I considered her the model of what the lord's family should be. Lode was from the former Veronica faction, but he had smiled happily, saying he was being treasured.
"Father calls Lady Rozemyne a blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice of commoner origin. I can't imagine her treatment will be kind once Georgine becomes Aub Ahrensbach. That's the one thing I'm worried about."
"Whether you dedicate your name to the current Aub and sever ties with your family, or accept Georgine as your Aub, it sounds like a bitter ending either way."
Laurentz's quiet words, murmured as he brushed back his deep green hair, resonated deeply with me. In the sense that both our parents had dedicated their names to Georgine, our situations were remarkably similar. Whether we dedicated our names to the lord's family or to Georgine, our actions would have an enormous impact on the children of the former Veronica faction—and at the same time, on the entirety of Ehrenfest.
"I want to buy time, at least until we can see how Georgine and Father plan to move."
In the end, we both agreed: the only thing to do was wait for the situation to become clear. By then, we had arrived at the dormitory.
Today, Lord Candidates Wilfried and Rozemyne were scheduled to arrive. Until their rooms were prepared, the Lord Candidates would be spending their time in the Multi-Purpose Hall, so we too headed there to greet them.
For those of us who, even at home, had to remain acutely aware of factional shifts, the Noble Academy—where Lady Rozemyne had swept away the barriers between factions—was an incredibly comfortable place to be.
"Lord Wilfried has arrived."
I blinked at the herald's announcement. Judging by the normal order, Lady Rozemyne should have come first.
...Did she fall ill again?
I wasn't the only one puzzled—everyone exchanged glances, silently asking what had happened. One person addressed Lord Wilfried.
"Lord Wilfried, what happened to Lady Rozemyne? Did she take ill?"
"No. Rozemyne will be coming a bit later. She had to do a final check of the books that were being prepared at a separate location, so I departed ahead of her. Rozemyne will be in charge of the books brought to the Noble Academy. The civil officials prepared them, so there shouldn't be any issues—but we need to be extra careful in times like these."
Lord Wilfried said this with a light breath and scanned the Multi-Purpose Hall. He was smiling, but his eyes held a wariness that was entirely new to his time at the Noble Academy—a look reminiscent of how he had watched the children of the former Veronica faction when Rozemyne had been trapped in Yurive and fast asleep.
...This doesn't look good.
I swallowed hard. I didn't know exactly what Father had been plotting. But something had been happening around the lord's family beneath the surface, and it was likely known that the cause lay with the parents of the former Veronica faction.
...Did something happen to Lord Sylvester?
I couldn't imagine Father—a man so meticulous and cautious—leaving evidence so carelessly. But the wariness in Lord Wilfried's eyes was unmistakably directed at us.
"It doesn't look like you have time to waver, Matthias."
Laurentz, sitting beside me, whispered so quietly his lips barely moved. He wore the same welcoming smile for the Lord Candidates, but I could sense that inside, he felt the same urgency I did. I gave a small nod in response.
"Lady Rozemyne has arrived."
Just as Lord Wilfried had said, Rozemyne arrived shortly after. We waited with anticipation for her approach. She had been the one who, when the former Veronica faction was feeling marginalized, had redirected everyone's gaze from factional politics to inter-duchy competition and united the dormitory. We believed she could manage things once again.
But the attendants surrounding Lady Rozemyne wore the same guarded expressions as Lord Wilfried's. The taut, crackling tension radiating from Rozemyne's guard knights was the same as what I'd felt at the welcoming banquet. At the time, I'd assumed it was because I'd been standing near Father, the core of the former Veronica faction—but for this level of tension to persist here at the Noble Academy was strange.
Most of all, Lady Rozemyne—unlike before—wasn't trying to ease the vigilance around her. She simply looked our way with a concerned expression.
...Was it not Lord Sylvester, but Lady Rozemyne whom something had happened to?
If some evidence of Father's plotting had been found and we faced collective punishment, I didn't know how many of the children of the former Veronica faction would survive—myself included. Lady Rozemyne, who among the lord's family evaluated us most fairly, might protect those of us who avoided punishment—that was the vague hope I had clung to. But if Rozemyne reversed her position and turned her back on us, then even if we survived, the future for the children of the former Veronica faction would be exceedingly dark.
...What should I do?
I clenched my fist on my knee. If evidence of some wrongdoing had been found against us, this was no time to sit back and observe. Since the Aub had let us leave for the Noble Academy, our lives here were guaranteed for the rest of this term at least—but after that, nothing was certain.
The fates of the children of the former Veronica faction rested on my decision. I couldn't help but glance at Laurentz. His expression was equally grim. Without our realizing it, the time for a decision had arrived.
"Do you think it's permissible to fight for your own survival, Laurentz?"
"What a coincidence. I was just about to say the same thing."
It would be far better to take the initiative and approach them rather than wait for them to bring it up—that would leave a much better impression. I didn't know what Father had been scheming, but I held one piece of intelligence: "Georgine has apparently learned something about how to obtain the Foundation's magic." Could this purchase the lives of the children of the former Veronica faction?
...No. I had to negotiate and win them over.
"Lord Wilfried. Lady Rozemyne."
With my fist still clenched, I rose slowly to my feet. The moment I stood, the atmosphere grew painfully tense, so I immediately knelt and crossed my arms over my chest.
"I have been eagerly waiting for an opportunity to speak like this, free from the influence of parents and factions. I have an important matter to share regarding the Goddess of Chaos, who brings discord to Ehrenfest."
Lord Wilfried and Lady Rozemyne's eyes went wide as they looked at me. As I had suspected—Father and Georgine had done something.
"Whether you choose to believe me or not is entirely your prerogative. However, I wish to convey what I know. Even though our parents belong to the former Veronica faction, we are nobles of Ehrenfest. We intend to pledge our loyalty to the Aub of Ehrenfest."
The golden eyes that had shown worry and surprise in Rozemyne's gaze lowered for a moment, then slowly opened. In that instant, they had become calm and still.
"Please, tell me, Matthias."
I swallowed hard. Then I glanced once at the children of the former Veronica faction behind me.
"Before that, there is one thing I would like to ask. I am prepared to offer my loyalty—but will the Aub of Ehrenfest treat us as Ehrenfest nobles?"
"What do you mean?"
Would we be treated the same as Lode—who, despite being a child of the former Veronica faction, had become one of Rozemyne's retainers? I looked intently at both Lord Wilfried and Lady Rozemyne as I posed the question.
"...Has the notion that dedicating our names to the lord's family frees us from our parents' influence changed in any way?"
"It has not. Those who dedicate their names will be treated as retainers, even if they are children of the former Veronica faction. At the very least, both the Aub and I intend to do so."
Lord Wilfried stated this clearly, and Lady Rozemyne nodded.
"If you wish to dedicate your names not to us Lord Candidates but to the Aub and his wife, then I believe they will accept—provided you can prepare your dedication stones by the inter-duchy tournament."
"...Even if I said I wished to dedicate myself to Lady Rozemyne?"
The ones who reacted to those words were not the Lord Candidates or their retainers, but the crowd around us. As murmurs rippled through the hall, Rozemyne raised her hand slightly to quiet her retainers and stepped forward.
"Of course. I am fully prepared to accept Matthias, the son of Giebe Gerlach."
As she said this, Rozemyne's eyes were completely different from the troubled ones she'd worn during Lode's name dedication. Her golden eyes, blazing with a strong light, looked straight at me. Beside her, Lode smiled proudly as he gazed at his lord. Seeing that, I was convinced my decision was not wrong.
I lowered my eyes for a moment and slowly let out a breath.
The faces of my family appeared one after another—my brothers proudly dedicating their names, Father's overwhelmed expression, Mother's happy smile. My family's happiness had been tied to Georgine. If I had been able to devote myself to Georgine as they did, perhaps that would have been happiness enough in its own way. But the one I wished to serve was not Georgine—it was Rozemyne.
...I'm sorry, Father. I will walk a different path from yours.
I raised my head sharply and surveyed the entire Multi-Purpose Hall. I could feel countless gazes fixed upon me.
"When Georgine stopped by our home on her return from Ehrenfest."
To make the children of the former Veronica faction aware of the precariousness of their position, and to impress upon everyone that I had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the two Lord Candidates, I began to speak forthwith, without delay, without moving from the spot—laying out everything I knew.
--- That was the perspective of Matthias, son of Giebe Gerlach.
He was faced with an enormous choice.
Matthias and Laurentz stand at the center of the children of the former Veronica faction.
Through their name dedications and Lode's additional words, the children of the former Veronica faction were able to survive.
Next is a side story from