I had a room prepared and sat down across from Grateria. She was a fourth-year like Judith, one year above me. Since Judith's year had formed a second-year team when the Academic Improvement Committee was established, they were closer as a class compared to the upperclassmen who had been divided into specialized courses from the start. Perhaps for that reason, Grateria hung back slightly behind Judith. Her timid demeanor was unusual for a noble.
Grateria always wore her gray hair in a single braid down her back.
"Grateria."
"Y-yes."
She stepped forward when called, but just as I had heard—that she was introverted and shy—even standing at attention with a neutral expression, the tips of her fingers, which she had clasped and aligned in front of her, were trembling minutely.
"I heard from Judith. That you wish to offer me your name."
"Yes. Please accept my name."
"May I ask your reason? There shouldn't be any need for you to offer your name, Grateria."
Grateria looked at
"...I am in need of a guardian."
"A guardian? That's..."
I was about to say that she didn't need to go so far as to offer her name, but then I remembered that I had been forbidden from taking as retainers any children of the old
"Now is the only chance I have."
Grateria lifted her head sharply. She looked at me with a desperate expression. Thanks to that, I could clearly see her blue-green eyes.
"Now is truly the only chance I have."
"Grateria, I'm sorry, but I don't really understand."
When I said that, Grateria pressed her lips together and produced a Magical Tool that prevented eavesdropping.
"I would rather not have the details of my family situation become widely known."
I turned my gaze to Riicharda. The silent question—may I use it?—seemed to get through. Riicharda gave instructions: "
My retainers, who had grown neurotic about anything I might touch, checked it for poison and for any strange magical formations before handing it over to me. The checks went smoothly, and I reflected with admiration that everyone had become quite accustomed to screening for poison and the like.
Seeing me grip the Magical Tool, Grateria opened her mouth. It was indeed a shocking confession that could never have been uttered without an eavesdropping-prevention tool.
"I am... a
"What?"
"I was born between a blue SHRINE MAIDEN and a blue PRIEST. That is what I was told, and that is how I was raised."
I listened to Grateria's story in a daze at this unexpected background. It seemed to be from an era before the purge and the Temple's resulting shortage of Magic Power, when blue PRIESTS and SHRINE MAIDENS were still plentiful. All I knew of blue PRIESTS was that they had little Magic Power and looked older than their years, but apparently there had once been a different time.
During that era, a blue PRIEST of middle-ranking noble birth and a blue SHRINE MAIDEN secretly nurtured their love. Even though they thought they were keeping it hidden, once a pregnancy occurred, the truth inevitably came to light.
"While residing in the Temple, marriage is not permitted. My birth mother reportedly requested to return to her family home first and then marry. However, her plea was dismissed—who would listen to a blue SHRINE MAIDEN who wasn't even a noble? She was immediately taken back to her family home and isolated in an annex to cover up the scandal. Since then, she told me she has never once met my father, the blue PRIEST."
Grateria said she had been born in the annex and raised there until her
"As long as you're in the Temple, you receive support from your family in addition to subsidies from the LORD. Traveling to various regions for religious ceremonies earns you admiration and gifts of money and goods as a blue SHRINE MAIDEN. Unlike the surveillance from her family when she was confined to the annex, the ATTENDANTS there were Gray PRIESTS and Gray PRIESTESSES loyal to her own orders, and until I came along, she even had her beloved lord there—she said she was very happy."
Then the purge occurred, and with the shift of power toward the Central District, nobles became scarce. This led to a trend of children who had been entrusted to the Temple returning to noble society. Grateria, who had been hidden away in the annex, was assessed for her Magic Power and subsequently brought out of seclusion. To serve as a pawn in a political marriage, she was made to receive her Baptism Ceremony with her birth mother's older brother and his first wife listed as her parents.
"They say that the Baptism Ceremony determines your parents in name, but even afterward I was never shown affection by them. I was told to behave so as not to shame them as a political marriage pawn, and never to cause the kind of scandal my birth mother had. My siblings constantly called me a Temple child, mocked me for having hair the color of an old woman's, and once I began developing, they teased me about my precocious body. I was bullied behind my back."
As she spoke, Grateria gripped her skirt tightly. I had not known of anyone besides myself who had undergone identity laundering at their Baptism Ceremony, but the difference in treatment between a genuine child and someone like her was apparently quite stark.
...My mother, who treated me no differently from a true-born daughter, truly was extraordinary.
She had prepared my rooms, had numerous Baptism Ceremony outfits made for me, and taken great care with my education so that I would not be a disgrace as the daughter of a high-ranking noble. I had never once felt unloved, nor had I ever been bullied by my brothers. Even setting aside the fact that I was to become the Lord's adopted daughter, I believed I was genuinely cherished.
"My family is of middle-ranking noble status, and within the faction we are not ones who make plans but rather ones who are forced to execute them. To stabilize our family's position at least somewhat, a marriage partner is arranged for me—as a second or third wife for a family of slightly higher standing. But I never resented that."
Outwardly, no one would call her a Temple child. Even if it was a political marriage, once she stepped outside, she would be treated as an ordinary noble's daughter. Grateria apparently didn't even mind if there was a large age gap between parent and child.
"The forced name-offering was, for me, a saving hand from the gods. It meant severing ties with that family and gaining the rare opportunity to choose my own master. I believed that
I had worried whether my abilities as a master were insufficient, but Grateria had apparently been greatly reassured once I agreed to focus her work primarily on behind-the-scenes tasks.
"But my parents were spared execution. If they had been executed during the purge, I could have offered my name while putting on a sad face—sometimes I think that."
While the other children of the old Veronica faction smiled in relief that their families had escaped the purge, Grateria alone had been filled with despair.
"...Even if my father escaped execution, I am certain he committed grave crimes. I have seen how he struggles, unable to refuse when ordered to carry out plans devised by others."
Grateria let out a single sigh.
"Who would marry the daughter of a criminal? If a political marriage were arranged to improve my family's situation even slightly, what kind of treatment do you suppose I would receive? The likelihood of marrying into a family that would treat me well would be extremely low. Because I was despised within my family for so long, I have become quite skilled at reading others' expressions and imagining the worst possible outcomes."
And apparently, things were most likely to spiral toward the worst scenario she had envisioned. After resolving to offer her name and feeling joy, she had wondered, "What if my family escapes execution?"—and when that exact scenario came to pass, she hung her head in despair.
"Grateria, when you offer your name, your very life is placed in your master's hands. If your master falls, you fall together. Of course, I will do my best to ensure that does not happen, but there is no guarantee that I won't walk the same path as Veronica did when she was stripped of power. There may also be times when I am not enough as your guardian. Have you truly considered all of this?"
Because I felt as though I was being overestimated, and because it seemed like she was so focused on escaping her family through the name-offering that she hadn't considered the downsides, I warned Grateria.
"I have spoken with Roderich and Judith. Rozemyne-sama pays careful attention even to the treatment of Commoner retainers such as her personal musician and personal chef. And Roderich has been making arrangements so that I have no contact with my family, has he not? I am convinced that my choice is not mistaken."
Grateria smiled faintly, saying, "I am an ATTENDANT apprentice, after all. I do gather the necessary information," before her expression turned serious.
"Now is the only time when my family's eyes are not upon me. ...I have heard that Rozemyne-sama has few ATTENDANTS. I would accept it even if I were ordered to never marry and serve for the rest of my life. Rather, that is exactly what I desire. Please, accept my name."
Grateria's blue-green eyes were earnest. The desperation—the feeling that there truly was no other time—came through clearly.
"I too once steeled my resolve to accept a name. If you have that much resolve, Grateria, then I will accept your name."
"I am most grateful."
Grateria broke into a soft smile. I thought to myself that I had to work hard as her master so that she could keep smiling like this, without looking down.
I returned the Magical Tool to Grateria and announced to the retainers present that I would be accepting her name.
"On Earthday, we shall go gather materials with
"As you wish."
After everyone agreed, Matthias grinned.
"Then let us return to the multipurpose hall, and I shall explain how to gather high-quality materials suitable for use as name-offering stones. I know a more efficient method."
And so we returned to the multipurpose hall. I smiled at
"There is apparently a way to obtain high-quality materials."
"Creatures as powerful and high-quality as Tarnisbefahren are quite rare, and such magical beasts are fundamentally very strong, making them unsuitable for gathering by civil officials or ATTENDANTS. The method is more labor-intensive, but I believe it would be better to use a technique that yields reliable results."
Indeed, if magical beasts like Tarnisbefahren were roaming around nearby, it would be terrifying. I nodded at Matthias's words.
Hearing about this method for obtaining high-quality materials, not only the children who intended to offer their names but others as well gathered around to listen.
"How does it work?"
Urged by Wilfried, Matthias began his explanation.
"First, you go to the gathering site and dye Tigernames fruit with your own Magic Power before collecting them. Then you feed them to a magical beast, which becomes empowered by the Magic Power infused in the Tigernames fruit. You then defeat that beast and obtain its magical stone. I learned this method when first-year Rozemyne made a magical beast grow enormous during a Ditter match against Dunkelferger."
Apparently, there was a magic tree at the gathering site that bore fruit with an effect similar to Ruel fruit.
"The complication is that Tigernames fruit only accepts Magic Power of a single attribute. You need to dye a number of fruit equal to the number of attributes you possess."
Because you had to separate your Magic Power by attribute and dye the fruit one attribute at a time, this method could only be used by third-year students or above, who had learned attribute separation. Fortunately, all those who needed to offer their names were third-years or above, so there was no problem this time.
"Knight apprentices weaken a magical beast, then feed it Magic Power-infused Tigernames fruit. Then, during the brief window right after it grows enormous—before the Magic Power has settled—you strike the killing blow and obtain the magical stone."
"I see. It does sound labor-intensive. I had been thinking about obtaining a high-quality magical stone myself, but perhaps I should hold off this time."
"We will also need protection while the Tigernames fruit are being dyed, and the beasts must be weakened enough to finish off, so we'll need a fair number of people. How many guard knights can you provide, Wilfried-sama and Charlotte-sama?"
"How many guard knights will you be leaving at the dormitory, Sister?"
Charlotte looked at me. She didn't know my plans for Earthday. I looked at Leonore with a questioning gaze. Leonore smiled.
"All of Rozemyne-sama's guard knights will be accompanying her. Since she, our master, will be present."
"...This is the first I'm hearing of it, Leonore."
"I only decided after hearing Matthias's explanation, so this is indeed the first I'm mentioning it."
Leonore calmly began listing the reasons for my participation.
"There are several reasons we wish for Rozemyne-sama to accompany us. First, we do not wish to split up our guard knights. Second, dyeing Tigernames fruit with Magic Power takes considerable time. During that period, we would like Rozemyne-sama to use
Indeed, if I surrounded the area around the tree with Schutzaria's Shield, the knight apprentices could hunt the magical beast without worrying about me, and everyone could focus on dyeing the fruit. When we had dyed Ruel fruit, we couldn't use Schutzaria's Shield because the fruit needed to be exposed to moonlight, which had made things very difficult.
...And we failed in the first year.
"Furthermore, with this many people gathering materials, we may also need a Blessing. Finally, there is also the objective of reducing Rozemyne-sama's Magic Power. Using Schutzaria's Shield for an extended period and restoring the gathering site should reduce it somewhat."
...Yes, that last reason is very important.
Remembering that the magical stones sent from Ehrenfest had been dwindling considerably, I nodded firmly.
"If we can gather within your shield, Sister, then perhaps I should come along as well?"
"Charlotte-sama?"
"Even just Tigernames fruit dyed with one's own Magic Power would be plenty valuable as material, wouldn't it?"
"Mm. I think I'll go too. Even if I can't feed them to magical beasts and obtain stones, I'd still like to get the Tigernames fruit."
With my Schutzaria's Shield providing a safe zone for gathering, and the ability to collect as much as we wanted while using Blessings to restore the site, the entire dormitory—with the exception of first-year students who hadn't yet begun their Apothecary practical coursework—would head out for the gathering.
The first-years, who were still practicing but hadn't yet been able to create Magical Tool riding animals and whose Apothecary practical hadn't started, watched us with envious expressions.
"Well, without Magical Tool riding animals, you can't exactly head to the gathering site, so the first-years will have to stay behind. Please save it for next year."
"Rozemyne-sama, I can already create a Magical Tool riding animal! I'm a guard knight too, so please take me with you!"
"But you're not yet accustomed to handling your Magical Tool riding animal, so wouldn't you possibly be a hindrance? I think it would be better for you to stay behind, Theodore."
Listening to Judith say that with her big-sister expression made me want to laugh. If Judith were the one being left behind, she would be looking at me with teary eyes, begging to be taken along. Still chuckling, I gave my permission.
"We do need a certain number of knight apprentices. Let's have Theodore come along as well."
"I am most grateful."
Theodore let out a relieved sigh, bowed to me, and then grinned with a touch of pride.
With the number of accompanying knight apprentices now confirmed, Leonore,
It was essentially a meeting among the knight apprentices.
"Let's prepare boxed lunches, Rozemyne-sama. The gathering site is warm and snow-free, so with your shield we can enjoy a leisurely lunch."
The gathering site was too dangerous for leisurely meals because magical beasts appeared frequently, but Philine proposed with a cheerful smile that with Schutzaria's Shield, they might be able to eat lunch right at the site. Charlotte exclaimed with delight, "Oh, how lovely!"
"I would like a quiche."
"We should prepare hot tea as well, Charlotte-sama."
The moment my retainers and Charlotte's retainers began discussing what to put in their boxed lunches, the Earthday gathering took on the air of a full-blown picnic.
"Meat pie would be nice too."
"Oh, wouldn't sandwiches be easier to eat?"
"Ugh, I'm going to have my lunch prepared too!"
Watching my retainers and Charlotte's retainers happily making plans, Wilfried announced he would join the picnic, and more and more people piled on. It was looking less like a material gathering and more like a dormitory-wide field trip.
The first-years' faces had become extremely resentful. I would need to ask
"What will you have your chef prepare, Sister?"
...When it comes to boxed lunches, it's got to be rice balls.
Hiding my inner thoughts, I answered, "All the suggestions so far sound delicious—I'm having a hard time choosing."
And then, Earthday arrived.
A few knight apprentices had gone ahead to thin out the magical beasts before calling for us. Everyone headed to the now-safe gathering site in a boisterous crowd. My lesser bus, whose size I could adjust at will, was packed with everyone's boxed lunches.
Schutzaria's Shield was deployed around the Tigernames tree, and the gathering began. Outside the shield, the knight apprentices were weakening magical beasts destined to become magical stones. The guard knight stationed beside me was Theodore.
"Grip this Tigernames fruit and pour your Magic Power into it. You must pour the Magic Power of a single attribute while focusing your consciousness. Continue pouring until the fruit completely changes to your attribute's color."
Everyone picked up a Tigernames fruit and began channeling Magic Power into it. I tried holding one as well. Like with the Ruel fruit, the Magic Power flowed into the Tigernames fruit very reluctantly. Even so, I pushed hard and dyed three fruits at once. It would be unreasonable to create fruits for all of my attributes here.
"Rozemyne-sama, the Magic Power simply isn't flowing in at all..."
Muriella said this with a troubled expression as she watched me, who had managed to collect three fruits. Reminiscing fondly over a similar exchange from before, I looked at my own fruits and smiled softly.
"Magic trees are living things too, so the resistance is strong, I imagine. You'll just have to be patient and keep at it while using recovery potions."
Having gotten a bit tired after dyeing three fruits, I took a break inside my lesser bus. Just because I had become somewhat sturdier thanks to jureve didn't mean I could push myself—I would definitely end up under the weather. However, since I had learned to compress less of my Magic Power and spread it thin and wide, I had been feeling somewhat better.
...Come to think of it, I seem to recall being told long ago that storing up too much Magic Power was bad for my body.
Hoping that I could finish out my time at the
All I did was read while maintaining the shield, but the magical stones for those seeking to offer their names were obtained, and the boxed lunch everyone ate amid all the cheerful noise was delicious.
It was a fun Earthday.
Grateria, with her unusual circumstances.
She offered her name to seek a guardian.
And everyone went on a material-gathering picnic.
A luxurious picnic made possible only by Schutzaria's Shield.
Next, I will take Frau Lorelm's exam.