After the meeting concluded, I would be staying at the castle until one week before the commemorative ritual.
I explained the locations and order of visits during the ritual to
"The locations have been divided up just as we discussed before."
"...Sister, you have remarkably few days scheduled, don't you?"
"I'll be using a riding beast."
My schedule for the commemorative ritual was about half the length of everyone else's. It wasn't that I had fewer stops. I simply covered several locations in a single day by riding a beast, so it ended up shorter.
"Then couldn't I also shorten mine?"
"That won't work for you, Brother Wilfried."
"Hm?"
"My riding beast is a passenger-type, and since I've been doing this for a while, I can bring along the Gray Priests and Gray Shrine Maidens who serve as my attendants. But your riding beast is a standard single-seater, and the nobles probably wouldn't want to ride together with Gray Priests, would they?"
Without the Holy Cup, the commemorative ritual could not be performed. And if you couldn't bring the Gray Priest who managed the Holy Cup along with you, there was no way to shorten the schedule. Unlike Daumel, who was used to my attendants riding along since he'd frequently been at the Temple, Wilfried's attendants would likely object to sharing a mount with orphaned Gray Priests. They'd already raised voices of surprise when I said I'd be transporting
"Besides, neither you nor Charlotte have enough Magic Power to perform multiple blessings in a single day, do you?"
"Mm... That's true."
The blessings were performed using magic stones infused with my Magic Power. I didn't have much experience, so I wasn't entirely sure, but apparently using someone else's Magic Power was more tiring than using your own.
"I lack stamina more than Magic Power, so I'm finishing the ritual as quickly as possible. After that, I'll be resting at the Temple until everyone else returns. The total number of days for the ritual itself is probably about the same, though."
I'd been somewhat revived by Yurive, but after the ritual I'd probably be bedridden. Charlotte and Wilfried both sighed at my schedule, which already factored in the recovery period.
...But it really is important to plan for recovery time.
The day after discussing the commemorative ritual, I had a tea party with Mother, my adoptive mother, and Charlotte. As the Chief Priest had instructed, I needed to report to the faction leaders—my adoptive mother and Mother—about the dyeing matters.
...I had to show that I could execute instructions without forgetting!
I reported that the
I was puffing out my chest, thinking that I'd grown a little by not forgetting my reporting obligations, when my adoptive mother, eyes wide, tilted her head calmly as if she couldn't understand.
"Rosemine, why did such an event come about? I can't see the connection."
"It happened through circumstances. Before I knew it, things had developed that way."
"Lady Rosemine, reports should be detailed and accurate."
I flinched at Mother's sternly smiling glare.
"Lady Rosemine, please use this."
Filienne, who had been standing behind me, swiftly produced a document extracted from
I handed the document to my adoptive mother, and both she and Mother immediately began reading.
"So that's how it unfolded. Gutenberg, who has become my exclusive, seems to be the envy of the Commoner district. The Gilberta Company asked that we choose an exclusive for the dyeing and weaving workshop and grant a title, as they did when reviving old techniques."
"Choosing an exclusive is ordinary enough, but everything you do, Sister, tends to grow quite large-scale. It's always surprising."
According to Charlotte, ordinary nobles chose their exclusives through introductions from parents or relatives, or by asking friends to recommend things they used. They didn't set the same challenge for all workshops and pick whichever suited their taste.
Mother finished reviewing the document, returned it to Filienne, and let her dark eyes gleam with excitement.
"What a wonderful opportunity. I'd like to see it myself. When the date draws near, let's call the Gilberta Company and discuss where and how to hold it."
...If Mother got involved, it felt like things would grow even bigger. Was that okay?
Rather than blurting out the words floating through my mind, I wisely kept my mouth shut. Look at me, growing as a person.
The day after savoring my personal growth came the tea party. The next day, I consulted with my attendants about the costume designs for
I'd loosely asked all my attendants, but the design decisions would center on Liesereta and Brünhilde, who poured extraordinary passion into costume-making.
Charlotte had shown interest too, so she joined in the selection. Some girls from Charlotte's retinue who'd been lively together with Liesereta's group in the dormitory at the Noble Academy were there as well, while
"Lady Rosemine, I want Schwartz and Weiss to wear different outfits—male and female styles, respectively. When placed side by side, wouldn't they look simply adorable?"
Liesereta's deep green eyes flashed with intensity as she clenched her fists and argued passionately. Gone was her usual gentle, reserved demeanor. She pleaded about how cute Schmuel was, how eagerly she anticipated making the costumes for Schwartz and Weiss. I was more than happy to have her embroider with such enthusiasm, but the contrast with her normal self left me blank-faced.
"I don't mind making Schwartz and Weiss's outfits different male and female designs, but we'll have to figure out where and how to embroider the magic circles on each one. It'll be quite a bit of work."
"No matter. I will give it my all."
...Liesereta really is
While I was holding back laughter at this unmistakable blood bond despite their completely different normal personalities, the girls were already exchanging various opinions on the costume designs for Schwartz and Weiss.
"If the sleeves on Schwartz and Weiss's outfits are too long, they'll get in the way of their work. That's a bit unfortunate. At least let's decorate them with lace."
"We'll also have to consider where to put the embroidery on the costumes."
I'd planned to have Schwartz and Weiss wear library committee armbands, so I proposed sailor uniforms and school jackets. When I showed the design sketches I'd drawn, Angelica added magic circle embroidery patterns all over them, saying, "The embroidery would go something like this."
...Ugh, the school jacket looks nothing but a brawling outfit. Not cute at all.
"When the magic circles are added, the atmosphere changes this much. It's become completely different from what I imagined."
"I want Schwartz and Weiss to wear something much cuter."
Brünhilde shot it down, and Liesereta's group nodded vigorously in agreement.
For my second proposal, I suggested maid and butler outfits. Since they were simply a combination of a one-piece dress with an apron, and a shirt with trousers and vest, they weren't immediately rejected.
"The base design would be something like this."
"Since we're shortening the sleeves, puffing them out like this would be cute, don't you think?"
"Could we incorporate the new dyeing technique into Schwartz and Weiss's costumes?"
"The fabric won't be ready until the end of summer. We wouldn't have time to embroider after that, would we?"
"Couldn't we use the new dyeing on the accessories instead?"
I slipped away from the circle and sat a little distance off, reading a book while listening to the girls' cheerful voices. If I left things to this passion, the result would surely be something adorable.
"If we make the outfits in black, the main color, and completely cover the apron and vest in magic circle embroidery, couldn't the blouse and dress be swapped out?"
"That's a great idea. We could make scarves from the newly dyed fabric and use Ehrenfest flower ornaments as scarf pins."
"For the girls' headbands, let's make them from flower ornaments instead of fabric. Wouldn't they look lovely, like flower crowns? And for the boys, what about pinning flower ornaments to the chest?"
Everyone incorporated their own ideas, and the final design that emerged was simply a cute folk costume. There was nothing left of the maid-and-butler impression I'd originally proposed.
...But it's cute, so that's fine.
"Lady Rosemine, please procure the embroidery thread and the apron and vest fabric ahead of time, and dye them with Magic Power. We'd like to start embroidering immediately."
"Lady Rosemine, if you don't select the fabric before leaving for the commemorative ritual, won't the embroidery be rushed?"
Liesereta gathered the opinions voiced by the girls.
"I'd like to call the Gilberta Company tomorrow or the day after, and have everyone select the fabric together. What do you think, Lady Rosemine?"
"Liesereta, handle it as you see fit."
"Yes!"
The truly excellent apprentice attendant Liesereta demonstrated her remarkable skill, and by the next afternoon she'd summoned the Gilberta Company and begun the fabric selection.
As for the fabric selection, I simply read my book and gave the final approval.
"Please deliver the fabric and thread chosen today to the Temple. My workshop is at the Temple."
"Understood."
Corina accepted the order, finished her greetings, and departed.
This was another step forward for Schwartz and Weiss's costumes. As I let out a sigh of relief while watching the excited girls, Otilie offered a gentle smile.
"Lady Rosemine and Lady Charlotte, since this is a fine opportunity, why don't you both practice your embroidery?"
Charlotte and I exchanged glances and gave slight shrugs.
I was to return to the Temple one week before the commemorative ritual to make preparations. However, most of the preparations had already been handled by Fran and the others, so I basically just had to review things. Selection of companions, food provisions, carriage arrangements, guard details, orphanage management during my absence... everything was routine and already in order.
This time, the Plantan Company would provide the carriages, but they wouldn't be accompanying us. They had to manage the Gutenberg group heading to
I wrote letters to the Gilberta Company, the Plantan Company, and the commercial guild, adding details about the EntwICKELN decided at the lord's family meeting—such as the merchant identification system using tally tokens—and that Mother and the others would serve as judges in the dyeing competition.
Daumel watched the excited Angelica as she flew out of the Temple, then looked down at me with a somewhat displeased expression.
"You're far too soft on the girls, Lady Rosemine."
"Hm? But didn't you say that vacation time should come after the commemorative ritual?"
I'd thought I'd listened to his opinion properly, but when I tilted my head in puzzlement, Daumel shook his head, saying, "That's not what I meant."
"It's not about the vacation. Angelica's wish to embroider her own cloak is being prioritized promptly, yet my marriage partner still hasn't been decided. Have you forgotten? Did you ask Lady
"I completely forgot."
"I knew it!"
Daumel's face crumpled in despair and he sank to the ground. I hadn't expected him to want a marriage partner that badly.
"I'm sorry. I'll ask Mother next time."
"You'll forget again, won't you?"
Apparently a strict atmosphere descended upon the unmarried as the Star Binding Ceremony drew near. I had to make sure not to forget this time.
To prevent myself from forgetting, I sent Daumel's laments to Mother via an orttanz, and a few days later we departed for the commemorative ritual.
"Lady Rosemine, I'm relieved to see you looking so well."
The person who'd come to escort our party heading to Hasso by carriage early in the morning was Father. There were slight wrinkles around his eyes now—I could tell he'd aged. Yet the unchanging love conveyed through his narrowed eyes filled me with an inexpressible warmth.
I could see the soldiers lined up behind him looking at me with equally happy expressions.
"I worried everyone. I'm perfectly fine now. I'm entrusting this escort to
"Yes! Leave it to us."
Three Gray Priests were being brought from Hasso, so substitute Gray Priests and apprentices boarded the carriage in their place. Gil and
After seeing everyone off with "Safe travels," I needed to finish my own departure preparations for the afternoon ritual.
Once lunch was over, I changed into my ceremonial attire. Fran, Monica, and I would travel by riding beast as usual. We departed with Daumel and Angelica as our guard knights.
"There are fewer locations to visit this time, so the physical burden shouldn't be as great," the Chief Priest told me as he saw us off. I set my riding beast in motion. Angelica sat in the co-pilot seat today. As we soared through the sky and left the city of Ehrenfest behind, Angelica smiled happily.
"This is my first escort mission outside of Ehrenfest. Will we be facing powerful magical beasts?"
"The commemorative ritual takes us to the winter lodge where Commoners live. We have no plans to approach any area where powerful magical beasts would appear."
"...Hm? What about material collection?"
I felt bad for Angelica, who'd clearly wanted to collect materials, but doing something unauthorized without consulting the Chief Priest would result in far more than just a scolding.
"Why did you think we'd be collecting materials?"
"The magic stone Daumel was going to give to
The first half wasn't wrong, but the second half was completely off. Religious ceremonies were not trips to collect materials outside the castle.
"They're ceremonies to infuse the land with Magic Power."
"Oh, is that so?"
Angelica's slightly deflated expression drew quiet laughter from Fran and Monica in the back seat.
...Mixing up religious ceremonies with material collection would be quite a shock for Fran and Monica, who'd grown up in the Temple. I could understand the urge to laugh.
"Angelica, that's the town of Hasso. This white building is the small Temple, and tonight we'll be staying there."
The trip to Hasso didn't take long. Seen from above, I could tell that a large crowd had gathered in the great square at the winter lodge.
The people began to move aside, creating a wide space for our riding beast to land.
"Lady Rosemine!"
"The High Priest!"
We received a tremendous welcome upon arriving at Hasso. As I dismounted from Lesser Beast,
"When we heard from the small Temple that the High Priest had awakened, we have been eagerly awaiting this day from the bottom of our hearts."
I nodded at Richt's greeting, then was lifted up by Fran and carried toward the stage. The path to the stage was muddy, and carrying me prevented my ceremonial attire from being soiled. If I tripped while stepping on my hem, the sight would be unbearable.
Once set down on the stage and the Holy Cup was prepared, I addressed the people of Hasso.
"During the two years I was asleep, I'm told the people of the small Temple received considerable help from the people of Hasso. You have my gratitude. I extend my thanks to all of Hasso."
I gave a light wave to the cheering residents, then had Fran carry me up onto the platform.
Confirming that the five village heads had ascended the stage carrying buckets roughly the size of a ten-liter pail with lids, I reached for the Holy Cup.
"O Water Goddess of healing and transformation, Fluträne. O twelve goddesses who serve by her side. O goddess of the earth,
I poured Magic Power into the Holy Cup and chanted the prayer. A luminous green liquid flowed from the cup, and Fran tilted it, pouring it into the village heads' buckets one by one.
After the ceremony, I spoke with Richt about what had happened over the past two years. When Charlotte's name came up, I proudly showed off my little sister. Though there was much to catch up on, I stood after hearing the essentials.
"It's a relief to see the town of Hasso has recovered. It's been two years, so I should also check on the small Temple. I'll take my leave for today."
"The people at the small Temple have been looking forward to it too. Please put their minds at ease."
Waved off by the people of Hasso, I traveled by riding beast to the small Temple. When Fran and Monica opened the doors, Gray Priests and Gray Shrine Maidens came out to greet us.
"Lady Rosemine!"
"It's been a while, everyone."
"I heard that Nora led the effort to deliver
"I didn't have experience either. A woman from Hasso helped me enormously. I was truly relieved when the baby was born safely."
"...Is the child doing well? They must have grown quite a bit by now?"
I nodded with a smile. When I'd inspected the orphanage, the child had been speed-crawling around the dining hall.
"Recently it's started crawling properly, so Vilma says she can't take her eyes off it. Has anything changed at the small Temple?"
"Actually, we've started a garden."
Recently, the Hasso small Temple had apparently begun a garden, small as a home vegetable patch might be. The area around the small Temple was rich in Magic Power, and they were getting rather good harvests. Tull and
"It's good that you're able to do more. But please be careful not to neglect Papermaking and the printing industry."
"Of course."
After supplying Magic Power to the magic stones in the prayer room, I changed in my own room, and then it was time for dinner.
At the small Temple, while the tables were separate, nobles, Gray Priests, and soldiers all ate in the same space.
"For Angelica, the table manners here might feel unpleasant, but please bear with it just for tonight."
"Understood."
After dinner served by Fran and Monica, I headed to the table where the soldiers had finished eating and were beginning to relax. There was something I needed to tell them today.
Father was the first to notice me and straightened up. Fran quickly prepared a chair so I could sit.
"Lady Rosemine."
I told the soldiers who hurried to kneel to return to their seats, then sat down in the prepared chair.
"I have something to say and a request for all of you soldiers."
"What might that be?"
As Father and the others leaned in to listen, I explained the upcoming EntwICKELN.
"So that's how it is. The renovations will be carried out before merchants from other territories come to Ehrenfest."
"It did feel rather sudden, but that was the reason behind it."
As I explained the circumstances, Father nodded in understanding.
The knights had informed the soldiers that EntwICKELN would take place and requested their cooperation in spreading the word, but apparently they hadn't given a full explanation of the reasons or what the renovations would entail.
"If we can't make Ehrenfest beautiful enough to show outsiders without shame with this renovation, the next step will be a complete overhaul."
"Complete... overhaul?"
After surveying the soldiers' bewildered faces, I looked straight at Father.
"The entire town would be rebuilt. In that case, only the white stone sections built with the lord's Magic Power would remain. The wooden sections where most people live would be completely gone."
"What!?"
The soldiers' eyes went wide in unison. The wooden sections were their homes. No one could hear they'd all be destroyed without being shocked.
"From a design perspective, it would actually be easier to rebuild the entire Commoner district rather than just renovating individual streets. I negotiated to keep changes within limits that wouldn't affect the houses, and it was approved, but the original plan was to change everything."
Commoners had no power to overturn what the nobles decided. It wasn't uncommon for things to be finished without their knowledge.
Father, who knew all too well the high-handedness of the nobility, swallowed hard with a stiff expression.
"This time it's only the streets. However, going forward, protecting your current homes will require effort from the residents. I want to ask for your cooperation, including informing you of the risks."
On the day of renovation, either leave the town entirely or absolutely do not leave your home. Keep windows and doors firmly shut, and do not open them carelessly until you receive word that the renovation is complete. Assume anything on the streets will be destroyed.
After the renovation, always dispose of waste and garbage in the designated areas to avoid dirtying the town. Keep watch together with your neighbors and remind each other to be careful.
I listed as many precautionary points as I could think of. Father and the soldiers listened intently with serious eyes.
"Whether the lives of everyone in the Commoner district can be protected rests on your shoulders. I believe you will work together to protect them."
"Lady Rosemine, we are grateful for your consideration toward us. I will personally ensure everyone's way of life is protected."
Father said this, then struck his left chest twice with his right fist. The soldiers followed suit, striking their left chests twice in the same manner.
I returned the soldiers' salute in the same fashion, then grinned.