"So, when will this take place? We can't do it immediately, no matter what, and we'll need to line up the right number of knights too."
"I know. We need to arrange a venue as well. Once I've confirmed the schedule of Rufen, who will serve as the judge, and secured the training grounds, I'll let you know."
When
"My lady Rosemine, would you care for some tea?"
As I approached the table, the attendants quickly moved to re-steep the tea. While
"Please use this."
What Cordula offered was an anti-eavesdropping magical tool. There was something Hannelore didn't want Restalaut to hear. I quickly took it into my hand.
"I am truly sorry that the tea party has ended up like this. It is entirely my lack of ability…"
What should have been an enjoyable tea party had been ruined by Wilfried making rude remarks and provoking a fight. When Wilfried finally put a stop to it, the other side then badmouthed Ehrenfest and proposed marriage to me right in front of my betrothed. And when I refused, he used the pressure of a large territory to force a Ditter into existence.
"My lady Rosemine had offered to have everything treated as if it never happened, yet it has turned into a result that tramples all over that offer. I truly feel terrible about it."
"I only wanted to stop my lady Restalaut's Ditter, yet I ended up dragging my lady Hannelore into it. I am the one who should be apologizing."
"No. It was my brother who destroyed the excuse my lady Rosemine so kindly offered to cancel the Ditter."
Seeing Hannelore's sorrowful smile, I shot a glare toward Restalaut.
"I intend that if Ehrenfest wins, I will have the conditions regarding my lady Hannelore withdrawn. All I wanted was to stop my lady Restalaut, and having my lady Hannelore become the second wife would be far too rude."
"…Your feelings are most appreciated, but what has been decided by Ditter cannot be overturned. At least not in
"How troublesome… I mean, stubborn… um…"
Unable to come up with the proper noble vocabulary, I watched as Hannelore drooped her head and said, "That is exactly right."
"…What would you like to happen, my lady Hannelore?"
"What do you mean by 'what would I like'?"
"If you have a preference for a future partner, then should we win, I will negotiate with Dunkelfelger to have you united with that person."
That would surely be more acceptable to Dunkelfelger than becoming the second wife of Ehrenfest. At my proposal, Hannelore blinked.
"…Such matters are decided by my parents and my brother, so I have never harbored such hopes. However, you know… seeing my lady Rosemine, who refuses to be intimidated by even my brother's pressure and stands firm in her own resolve, has made me want to choose for myself for the first time today."
"Then, if Ehrenfest emerges victorious, let us make that request of Dunkelfelger."
"I cannot burden Ehrenfest any further. I will gratefully accept only your kind intentions."
Hannelore smiled as she said this. But even that smile seemed slightly clouded compared to her usual one.
"If, hypothetically, it becomes unavoidable for my lady Hannelore to come to Ehrenfest, I will welcome you with open arms, and I will do everything in my power to ensure your happiness, so please rest assured."
Desperately trying to appeal by pointing out that if she came to Ehrenfest she'd be the first to read every new release and that I'd make it a bookworm's paradise, I managed to draw a small chuckle from Hannelore.
"This time, my lady Rosemine, what truly makes me happy is that you did not say you would stop being my friend."
Dunkelfelger was certainly quite troublesome, but Hannelore was a dear friend. At the very least, I had no intention of cutting off a friendship.
"My lady Hannelore is the friend of my heart!"
"Then, as a friend of the heart, I have one thing to offer in return. My lady Rosemine, you may believe that with that wind shield you can win, but there are by no means no methods of breaking it. My brother already knows about them. …Please, do not let your guard down."
And with those whispered words from Hannelore, the tea party came to an end.
"Brother, Sister. I don't understand. How did attending a tea party lead to you agreeing to a Ditter where your engagement is on the line?"
Once we returned to the dormitory and I gathered everyone in the multi-purpose hall to explain the Ditter challenge,
"…Rosemine, I finally understand the feeling of being at a loss for words when you stir things up."
"I'm glad you understand. Then I'll leave coming up with a response that satisfies Charlotte to you, brother."
When I flashed a grin, Wilfried grinned right back.
"No, I'd like to leave it to you, since you're the one used to handling this."
"Oh my, wasn't it my lady Restalaut who pointed out that leaving everything to me isn't a good thing?"
I said that and handed the explanation duties over to Wilfried. It wasn't me pushing it off on him. I was hoping for Wilfried to grow from this.
After Wilfried had been explaining to Charlotte for a while, he finally shouted, "There's no point in explaining any further! What matters now is preparing countermeasures!" By then, Charlotte had apparently given up on demanding further explanations.
Following Hannelore's advice, I brought up that this might be a battle where we couldn't use
"So, it seems Dunkelfelger knows how to break through Schutzaria's shield. Leonore, what are our chances?"
"If we can't use the shield, our odds drop considerably. However, since we don't know to what extent the shield will be disabled, it would be a poor strategy to plan on not using it from the start. Besides, even without the shield, my lady Rosemine still has your riding instrument."
Nodding at Leonore's words, Laurence offered his opinion.
"More importantly, I think the biggest weakness is the time it takes for my lady Rosemine to create the wind shield. If I were the opponent, I would target my lady Rosemine the instant the battle began. Even if there were means to break through, being trapped inside the shield would be troublesome."
If we couldn't protect ourselves first, we wouldn't be able to deploy Schutzaria's shield. Deploying the shield required a lengthy chant.
"How should we go about defending? If there's a wide-area, flashy spell to intimidate the opponent… something like, say, unleashing a waterfall of Vaasje that crashes right into the enemy…"
My proposal was calmly rejected by
"The only one who can cast that kind of spell is my lady Rosemine, and if the knights exhaust their magic power there, they won't be able to fight afterward. What we need is to buy time for the shield deployment. It has to be something the knights can do, not just something my lady Rosemine does…"
As I pouted in response to Matthias's observation, Richelda spoke up. "May I say something?"
"…Young master, my lady. If this is a treasure-stealing Ditter, it would be more effective to swap in two knights with lower magic power for high-ranking attendants with large reserves."
"Richelda?"
"While adults are hesitant to meddle in what happens at the
Richelda said this and then proposed incorporating the old treasure-stealing Ditter methods.
"What role do the attendants play in a Ditter?"
"They channel magic power into the magical tools and manage the healing potions. Eudetip excels at long-range attacks, correct? So, if we assign an attendant with abundant magic power to her and have her use magic tools charged with that power, the number of usable magic tools increases several times over compared to relying on Eudetip alone."
Furthermore, the knights heading into battle were limited in how many healing potions they could carry individually, but if the attendants managed the potions, they could distribute new healing supplies to knights who had run out.
"We also used to station attendants who could cast healing spells. Unlike knights, attendants didn't fight directly—their main role was to assist by supplying magic power. The civil officials were so busy preparing magical tools and healing potions that on the day of battle they were completely useless."
Wilfried murmured thoughtfully and looked around at the attendants present.
"Who among the attendant apprentices has the most magic power? Let's swap in two to replace the knights."
It turned out that high-ranking attendants who knew the magic compression method had overwhelmingly more magic power. Brunhilde and Egidol, one of Wilfried's attendant apprentices, were selected.
"Could the three of us together do something like the Vaasje that Rosemine proposed? That way, the knights could buy time without spending their magic power, and while the knights are fighting, we could be replenishing ours…"
At Wilfried's words, Brunhilde turned around as if struck by a thought.
"My lady Rosemine, now that you mention it, didn't
"Brunhilde, that might actually work. Of course, we can't ask Clarissa herself directly, but let's ask
"You were there yourself, weren't you? And yet you don't remember."
At Wilfried's remark, I quietly averted my gaze. At the time, I hadn't been very interested, and had been thinking something along the lines of "everyone's having a technical, difficult conversation"—just like
"I intend to have Leonore handle the basic strategy, but I'd like her to develop a plan that makes use of my magic power."
Having trained with the knights in Ehrenfest as well, Wilfried was capable of powerful attacks due to his abundant magic as a noble candidate, but since he wasn't a knight, he hadn't done much coordination training. At Wilfried's words, Leonore smiled.
"Let's have you in charge of defense, Lord Wilfried. My lady Rosemine, Eudetip, who excels at long-range attacks, and the attendant apprentices—if you, Lord Wilfried, with your abundant magic power, take up the defensive position, more knights will be free to go on the offensive."
Wilfried said "Understood" and looked at me.
"Rosemine, is there any divine instrument that I could use? Back during the Tarnisbefallen incident, you produced a divine instrument cloak that created openings for everyone to attack, didn't you? If I could protect you all like that while launching attacks that Dunkelfelger wouldn't expect, we might be able to catch them off guard."
If that were possible, Wilfried—with his large magic reserves but inability to join the knights' coordinated attacks—could still make a difference. I mentally reviewed the divine instruments stored in the
"Each time one is dedicated, a magic circle appears. Until you can visualize both that magic circle and the shape of the divine instrument clearly, the artifact won't function, so I can't say how many days it would take. Rather than that, I think the simplest approach would be to ask my adoptive father if we can borrow the Temple's divine instruments. All you need to do is fill them with magic power."
If I tried to create a divine instrument with a Stab, it would require a great deal of magic—magic to create it, magic to maintain it, and magic to use it. But if you used the divine instrument itself, like when I first used the Leydenshaft spear, the only magic required was for activation.
"However, the Leydenshaft spear can't be used. It's a good weapon when you want to defeat the treasure in one blow, but I can't use that kind of attack against my lady Hannelore. It's terrifying to think of what would happen if the spear pierced through the shield."
"Mm."
Wilfried nodded in agreement. If we were going to be holding back, a weapon you were more familiar with would be easier to use.
"I'll be using Schutzaria's shield, and if there's a way to break through, there's no point in Lord Wilfried making one. Besides, the
"That would be a problem."
"Also, it would be safest not to use the Darkness God's cloak. It could be mistaken for a black weapon and cause unnecessary trouble. The Crown of Light is meant for use during contracts and apparently isn't something you can use mid-battle. As for divine instruments I haven't used before… perhaps the Sword of Evielie?"
"What can the Sword of Evielie do? Does it have some special effect, like the wind shield that repels all malice?"
"It doesn't have much use for me, and it can only be used in winter, so it's quite unwieldy. But for this particular battle, it might be just right. Let me send an urgent request to Ehrenfest for it."
I drafted a report summarizing how the pressure from Dunkelfelger had forced us into an unavoidable Ditter, along with the conditions for defeat, and requested that the Sword of Evielie be sent from the Temple. As an afterthought, I added a note asking Hartmut to look into the details of Clarissa's research if he remembered any.
"Send this to Ehrenfest immediately!"
"Understood."
As Wilfried's attendant dashed off, Roderich looked up.
"I've listed here the magical tools from
"Thank you very much, Roderich. Apprentice civil officials, please produce magical tools and healing potions one after another. Apprentice knights, you'll gather materials as part of your training."
As the students began moving at Leonore's direction, Matthias spoke up. "My lady Rosemine, might I ask for a blessing?"
"If we could acclimate our bodies to your blessings, my lady Rosemine, our chances of victory might improve somewhat. The success rate of us obtaining blessings on our own is quite low."
"Granting blessings to all of you doesn't actually serve your best interests, though…"
That said, when I thought of their futures, beggars can't be choosers. Since they couldn't participate, they didn't have the luxury of being picky about their methods. Honestly, I had no idea how far Dunkelfelger's apprentices had progressed in obtaining blessings. I bestowed the blessing of Angriff on the apprentice knights and sent them off.
Wilfried left alongside the apprentice knights. What remained was the bare minimum of escort knights, Charlotte, and the attendants.
"…If I could, I would want to steal Dunkelfelger's blessings."
Our side could barely use any blessings at all, yet Dunkelfelger's apprentice knights—who would already have blessings well-integrated into their bodies—were a tremendous threat. Today I had let Hannelore touch the Ferehmaire staff, but one touch alone clearly wasn't enough for her to fully memorize it.
"Ugh, I want to get into that archive. It requires a royal's permission, though… The royals are all busy with magic supply right now, aren't they? What about Prince Hildebrandt, who's at the Royal Academy? I wonder if he'd grant permission?"
Richelda said, "I doubt he would," but I decided to at least try. If it didn't work, I could always give up. Thinking along those lines, I had a letter sent—and an Orthanze flew back.
"Tomorrow morning only will be fine. I'll also call for Hannelore from Dunkelfelger."
"…Richelda, I know it's very sudden, but the permission came through."
"I thought it wouldn't be granted until the royals had more breathing room…"
I knew it was rude to the puzzled Richelda, but since we had received permission from royalty after all, I made plans to visit the library.
The next morning, I headed to the library in high spirits. I brought along Leonore, the high-ranking knight who could access the underground, Theordore, the first-year who couldn't participate in the Ditter, and of course Richelda and Brunhilde.
"Princess, you've come!"
"Princess, it's been so long!"
The Schwarz twins who greeted me were adorable, but I still didn't understand why they called me "princess." I looked up at Orthesia and
"Orthesia teacher, isn't the way the Schwarz twins address me strange?"
"It seems their manner of address changed after all of you injected your magic power the other day. When I consulted with Prince
It apparently hadn't reverted yet. I was guided to the office, where they told me about the surprise of the sudden contact from Hildebrandt. There, Hildebrandt was already waiting.
"I apologize for the inconvenience. For my request to have you go to all this trouble…"
"I was surprised by the suddenness, but what is it you wish to investigate, Rosemine?"
"I'll explain once the archive is open."
As I exchanged greetings with Hildebrandt, Hannelore arrived as well. Her attendants looked fewer than usual, likely because of the Ditter training. After our greetings, the two librarians explained that since final exams were approaching, they couldn't close the reading room, and we made our way past the students gathered in there and entered the Chained Library.
From there, guided by Orthesia, we descended underground. As before, once the locks were opened, the attendants moved to prepare tea.
"Rosemine, the archive is unlocked. Please tell me—what exactly are we investigating?"
"Since we've ended up doing a Ditter with Dunkelfelger, I want to look into rituals and divine instruments."
At my words, Hannelore gave a faint, amused smile.
"Is my lady Rosemine really alright telling me all this, when I'm from Dunkelfelger?"
"There's nothing in here that would cause problems if Dunkelfelger knew about it."
"Why did the Ditter with Dunkelfelger happen? Just the other day, weren't many districts competing against Dunkelfelger in order to participate in the ritual?"
I gave a small shrug.
"My lady Restalaut proposed to me, so we're settling things through a Ditter. Right, my lady Hannelore?"
"Y-Yes. But more importantly, we're short on time. Let's hurry and investigate, my lady Rosemine."
Hannelore urged me along with a slightly flustered expression, so I gave Hildebrandt a quick wave and headed toward the archive behind the transparent wall.
"Hannelore, tell me the details. You don't have anything to investigate, do you?"
Watching Hildebrandt call out to Hannelore and seeing her stop in her tracks, I entered the archive. Schwarz looked up at me and said the same words as before.
"Princess, your prayers were insufficient."
"I understand. I don't have time today, so I'll pray again next time. More importantly, could you please bring me materials on the Ferehmaire ritual to ease the summer heat and the ritual to summon spring?"
I made the request to Schwarz, and then I examined the materials and copied down the method for creating the Ferehmaire staff, as well as the method for making the base inscribed with the magic circle needed for the
"It seems Prince Hildebrandt has learned about the Ditter."
At Hannelore's voice, I looked up to see her peering down at me as I copied the materials.
"Is there any problem with Prince Hildebrandt knowing?"
When I tilted my head, Hannelore gave a wry smile.
"Weren't you scolded by Prince Anastasius to not cause any more trouble? You'll be called out again."
"…This time it was my lady Restalaut who was the cause, so let's have Prince Anastasius scold my lady Restalaut instead."
We're not the ones at fault, right? I looked for agreement, but Hannelore only offered a vague smile. "That's true, but…"
"I think you'd get scolded just the same even if you argued you weren't at fault. Whenever my brother does something, I always end up getting scolded too."
Hannelore said this with a resigned air and urged me to leave the archive. At some point, Hildebrandt had disappeared from behind the transparent wall.
After Hannelore, Orthesia, and I locked the archive, I asked Richelda, "What happened to Prince Hildebrandt?"
"It seems he remembered an important errand. …He'd been chatting with Brunhilde about books from Ehrenfest for a while, though."
Attendants managed their schedules, so there was no way he could have truly forgotten an important errand. It was just one of many excuses for stepping away. Young Hildebrandt had probably found the long wait difficult. I nodded in understanding at Richelda's explanation.
When we returned to the dormitory, the Sword of Evielie had already arrived, Hartmut and all. After reading the report, both my adoptive father and adoptive mother were holding their heads, completely overwhelmed.
"Please tell me Hartmut isn't coming here again…"
"Transporting a divine instrument is the duty of the Chief Priest. Besides, we need a detailed explanation of Clarissa's research, don't we?"
"You remember the details?"
At my words, Hartmut nodded matter-of-factly. "Of course."
"I consulted with Clarissa on it and helped out a bit, so I remember the design."
"Hartmut, you're wonderful!"
I praised him for being such a reliable attendant, and Hartmut beamed happily. "It is an honor to have pleased my lady Rosemine." Then, his expression quickly turned serious.
"I've been given a room at the castle until the day of the Ditter, and I've been asked to make daily trips to deliver the Sword of Evielie. So I can also help with the creation of magical tools. Let me do everything in my power to protect my lady Rosemine."
"…Isn't it unfair to have Hartmut make our magical tools?"
When I tilted my head, Wilfried, who had received the Sword of Evielie, said, "Since when?"
"You're one to talk—you've been bringing divine instruments from the Temple, and requesting permission from Prince Hildebrandt to copy materials. The point is, if we don't win, nothing else matters. Use everyone you can."
With Hartmut at the center, the civil officials began producing magical tools for the battle in rapid succession. The apprentice knights repeated their combat training and material gathering while brainstorming multiple strategies.
Brunhilde and Egidol, who had been drafted to participate in the Ditter, desperately practiced magic compression to squeeze out every last drop of magic power while learning to handle the magical tools being churned out one after another.
I trained to be able to deploy the Ferehmaire staff while simultaneously teaching Wilfried the chant needed to wield the Sword of Evielie.
I led the apprentice knights outside and, using a Stab, created a Sword of Evielie just as I had, then chanted the blessing to demonstrate.
"Whoa!?"
"Wh-What!?"
A pillar of white light shot up, and once again magic power went flying off to parts unknown. I thought that in this Ditter, it looked like there would be a great many pillars of light from both Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest.
Preparation is needed for the match.
We'll devise countermeasures in case Schutzaria's shield can't be used.
An encounter with Prince Hildebrandt at the library.
And the results of secret training with the Sword of Evielie will come into play during the real thing.
Next: The Bride-Taking Ditter, Part One.