After finishing the Dedication Ritual, I headed back to the castle through the blizzard alongside the Chief Priest. The blizzard had grown considerably stronger. It would probably be just a little while longer before this year's Master of Winter made its appearance.
"Once we return to the castle, may I go straight back to the
My plea made the Chief Priest pull a terribly displeased expression.
"I don't fail to understand how you feel, but I don't think any amount of magic stones would be enough."
"A great many empty magic stones were created during the Dedication Ritual, so it works out perfectly."
"...Honestly, you. Of course that won't work. Think about the trouble you're causing everyone."
After letting out a deep sigh, the Chief Priest said, "Either way, there are several matters we need to discuss before you return to the Royal Academy. Going back immediately is out of the question." Even so, I had already talked with the Chief Priest about various things during lunch at the
...I had told him about Tarnisbefalen, and as for the research materials
"Um, what exactly do we need to discuss?"
He shot me a sharp glare. He wanted to see the water gun's power firsthand, hear about the information
Guided by the Chief Priest and the others through the blizzard, I returned to the castle and could see
Seeing the two of them standing side by side after hearing their story, they looked like a couple, which was surprising. They must have finished their lectures at the Royal Academy and gone together to greet Leonore's family.
"Welcome back, Lady
"I have returned. ...So Cornelius's partner was Leonore. Was I the only one who didn't know?"
"I don't believe you were the only one, my lady."
His answer and Brother Cornelius's expression both confirmed that surely most people had known. Leonore stood a step back, quietly smiling.
"So, have you finished greeting Leonore's family? They didn't object?"
"Everything... went smoothly."
He answered so casually. Was I the only one irritated by that cool-guy demeanor? Surely I was the only one being left out of the loop. But then I noticed
...Damuel had a hard time finding a partner, so when his junior Cornelius ended up with a colleague who matched him in both status and Magic Power, he'd naturally feel complicated about it. I understood. I truly did.
"Then, let's switch the guard knights."
At Norbert's signal, the guard knights rotated.
After seeing off Angelica and Damuel as they returned to the Knights' Dormitory, I turned to Brother Cornelius and Leonore. The moment our eyes met, I could feel Brother Cornelius tense slightly.
...I'm not going to tease or bully you, so there's no need to be so defensive.
"Could you tell me about what's been happening at the Royal Academy? I was at the Temple, so I looked through the questionnaires that needed answers, but I have no idea about anything else."
"Of course."
On the way back to my room, I listened to their report on the Royal Academy. Unlike last year,
"I want to go back to the Royal Academy right now and discuss it all!"
"Please don't collapse again. Think about the hardship your retainers go through."
I was stopped by the same argument the Chief Priest had made. While watching Richhild and
That evening, I dined with the Lord and Lady and the Chief Priest. The main topic of discussion was planning for
"The only difference from the winter ceremony is that there won't be an unveiling performance of the Fechspiel, right? Otherwise, the Baptism Ceremony itself is the same."
"That's right."
"Father, by the way, did you find the materials about the stage?"
For Giebe
"There are simply too many materials. Searching alone is overwhelming. If only I knew the official name of that stage, or at least roughly when it was made, it would be much easier to find..."
There were so many materials related to rituals and so many related to magic circles that he couldn't tell which ones were the crucial documents. Seeing my Adoptive Father looking exhausted from days of searching, I spotted a golden opportunity to gain access to the archive and eagerly raised my hand.
"Father! I'll help you!"
"No. Only the Lord is allowed in there."
I offered to help with a smile, but my Adoptive Father immediately shook his head in refusal. What a waste.
"I just genuinely want to help—is that really so wrong?"
"Yes."
"Can't you ask the Lady to help either?"
"Yes."
...An archive I couldn't enter. An archive the Lord's Wife couldn't enter, but the Lord could. If only the Lord could enter, then...
"Rozemyne, if only the Lord can enter, don't tell me you're about to suggest becoming the Lord?"
Words that perfectly traced my thoughts came from the Chief Priest's mouth, and I flinched violently.
"What are you saying, Lord
I tried to laugh it off, but the Chief Priest's eyes remained sharp.
...You don't have to glare at me like that. I already know I can't become the Lord. I won't do anything that would make the Chief Priest want to kill me.
I finished dinner while being stared down by the Chief Priest, and after Melchior came to say goodnight, I greeted everyone and decided to head back to my room. As I was about to leave the dining hall, the Chief Priest called out to me.
"Rozemyne, tomorrow after the third bell rings, go to the Knight's Order training grounds. Before you return to the Royal Academy, I want to confirm the power of the new weapon you made."
"Understood."
Just as the Chief Priest had instructed, after the third bell rang, I headed to the knights' training grounds. First came radio calisthenics. While I was exercising, the Chief Priest arrived. Accompanying him were my eager-to-see-everything grandfather and father, as well as my novelty-loving Adoptive Father. With their retainers there too, it was quite a large entourage.
"Now then, show us Rozemyne's new weapon."
"Yes, Grandfather."
In response to my grandfather's urging, I took out my stab and chanted "Mizudeppou" to transform it.
"A spell I've never heard of and a weapon I've never seen," my Adoptive Father said, glancing toward the Chief Priest as if seeking his opinion. The Chief Priest, arms still crossed, slowly shook his head. Then he stared intently at the water gun in my hand.
"I've also never heard of it or seen it. You said 'Mizudeppou'? How do you use it?"
"I believe the Magic Power is stored inside here."
I shook the translucent water gun, causing the liquid inside to slosh. The Chief Priest furrowed his brow and leaned in close.
"This won't work as a weapon unless you think carefully about how to use it as one."
"What do you mean?"
"It's originally a toy. Simply shooting it like this doesn't make it a weapon."
I demonstrated by firing the water gun with quick squirts. Seeing the liquid splatter on the nearby ground with a pattering sound and then vanish into thin air, the Chief Priest gave a single "Hmm" of acknowledgment. My Adoptive Father's eyes lit up upon seeing the toy water gun, and he pointed at a practice dummy.
"Use it as a weapon, Rozemyne. That's what I want to see. You can use it like Ferdinand's bow, can't you?"
I nodded and, per my Adoptive Father's request, decided to fire arrows from the water gun. I aimed at a dummy some distance away. I closed my eyes briefly, imagined the Chief Priest's arrows, and pulled the trigger.
The liquid shot out with a whoosh, splitting into multiple streams that took on the shape of arrows and pierced the dummy with a thud.
"Oh!"
"Magnificent!"
Father and Grandfather let out exclamations of admiration, while my Adoptive Father widened his deep green eyes and muttered, "Completely different from before." While each of them wore expressions of surprise, only the Chief Priest approached with a neutral expression, took my hand, and began examining the water gun. Rather than being surprised, he had apparently decided to study it.
"I see. This part moves to launch the Magic Power?"
The Chief Priest twisted my wrist and elbow to get the angles he wanted, staring intently at the internal structure. He was probably completely oblivious to the fact that he was wrenching my arm.
...Owwwwww!
"Lord Ferdinand, please don't twist my wrist and arm. It hurts."
"Ah, sorry. More importantly, if the amount of liquid here affects how much Magic Power can be launched, wouldn't making it larger increase its power?"
...He's not listening! He's not listening at all!
My sore arm was brushed off as "more importantly," and he launched into a stream of chatter about how to increase its power as a weapon, how much Magic Power would be needed, and so on. I had experienced this before at lunch in the Temple when I'd joined his research discussions. Once the Chief Priest got like this, he was almost completely oblivious to his surroundings. He would carry on until he'd reached some conclusion in his own mind.
"Reverse!"
I immediately ended the water gun's transformation. With the object of study having vanished from sight, the Chief Priest looked up as if startled and glared at me resentfully, saying, "I wasn't finished looking at it." I glared right back.
"...I told you my arm hurts. At least listen to what I have to say. If you apologize, I might let you keep twisting it, you know."
While we stared each other down, my Grandfather suddenly drew his stab and shouted, "Mizudeppou!" Startled by the sudden outburst, I stopped glaring at the Chief Priest and turned to my Grandfather. He must have wanted to try the new weapon right away. However, the stab didn't transform. Grandfather tilted his head as he examined his own stab.
"Hm? It didn't change."
"Perhaps your pronunciation is different. It's 'Mizudeppou.'"
"Mizudeppo?"
"That's a little off. It's 'Mizudeppou.'"
Was the Japanese pronunciation that difficult? While Grandfather and I practiced the pronunciation, the Chief Priest stood with his arms crossed, tapping out a rhythm with his fingertip, murmuring "Mizudeppou" in musical notes corresponding to my pronunciation. Then, after a moment, he produced his own stab.
"Mizudeppou."
A translucent, cheap-looking water gun appeared in the Chief Priest's hand. It looked incredibly out of place. The water gun was so comically at odds with his expressionless face that I almost blamed myself for creating it. It was like the protagonist of a hard-boiled film walking out with a water gun. It was far too surreal.
"I just need to fire it the same way, right?"
But without commenting on its appearance at all, the Chief Priest aimed the cheap-looking water gun at the dummy and fired. The solidified mass of Magic Power that shot out with a whoosh was larger than mine, split into more arrows than mine, and was incomparably faster.
"Hmm, this is quite useful."
Having spectacularly shredded the dummy, the Chief Priest stared at the water gun in his hand and began contemplating something. Was he thinking of making it his go-to weapon? It was true that it could be fired easily with one hand, making it suitable for use while riding a Magical Beast.
The only reason Yudet had given up on it was that it required enormous amounts of Magic Power, but for the Chief Priest, who had Magic Power in abundance, that was no obstacle at all. The one and only major obstacle was that it didn't look cool. Imagining the Chief Priest using a water gun as his signature weapon, I couldn't help but shake my head.
"Lord Ferdinand, please don't use a water gun. It doesn't suit you."
"What do you mean?"
"It's uncool. I don't want you using something like a child's toy—I want you using a much cooler weapon. The bow was far more impressive."
...If only I had the power to recreate a cool-looking gun! Then none of this would have happened.
Even though I was clutching my head in distress, the Chief Priest let out a soft sigh.
"Rozemyne, effectiveness and usability matter more than appearance."
"Appearance matters! At the very least, do something about it—like making it bigger as you mentioned earlier, or making it entirely black so the inside can't be seen, or something. Otherwise, I refuse."
As I insisted, my Grandfather said, "So you prefer something cool, Rozemyne?" and asked whether his own weapons were cool.
...At this point, anything that isn't a water gun is cool, Grandfather.
After the demonstration of the water gun's power was over, we moved to my Adoptive Father's office to discuss how to make a water gun that the Chief Priest could hold without looking ridiculous. "Looking cool is important, after all," my Adoptive Father said. It seemed he wanted to use one too.
After everyone else was dismissed and I found myself facing three guardians, I let out a sigh. Suddenly, the Chief Priest's expression turned serious.
"Rozemyne, where did you learn about the water gun? You've said repeatedly that it's a children's toy, but I've never seen or heard of such a toy. It's not a toy from this country, is it?"
"No."
I explained once more the circumstances under which I had created the water gun. At the same time, I reported on the various experiments I had tried.
"It was something like that—initially, I muttered the word almost unconsciously. When I said 'mizudeppou' in Japanese—a language from my world—it became 'water gun.' But 'printing press,' 'copy machine,' and 'scissors' didn't transform."
"Copy-ki? Hasami?"
The Chief Priest repeated with a puzzled expression. The copy machine was hard to explain, but scissors were used here too, so that was simple.
"Um, a 'copy machine' doesn't exist here, but 'scissors' is... well, scissors. They're commonly found, right? And yet, that word didn't become a spell..."
"Schere."
The Chief Priest said that, then transformed his stab into a pair of scissors and showed me. Apparently, a spell for transforming into scissors already existed. That might be why it hadn't changed when I said it in Japanese.
"If it's scissors, you chant 'Schere.' If 'copy-ki' doesn't exist here, perhaps your imagination was too vague? You need to visualize precisely what it looks like, its structure and how it works, or you can't reproduce it with a stab. Just as I examined the water gun's structure earlier."
He stated definitively that you couldn't recreate something unless you could picture it clearly in your mind. In other words, you couldn't make a simple copy machine or printing press with a stab.
...Oww! There's no way I could clearly imagine a copy machine! I thought it would be so useful if I could, and now I'm disappointed!
Leaving me dejected upon learning that the stab wasn't that convenient after all, the adults threw themselves into changing the water gun's appearance. Seeing them like this, I was once again reminded that my Adoptive Father and
In the end, the Chief Priest managed to create a somewhat larger, black water gun that actually looked like a gun. Unfortunately, I had already fixed the water gun's image in my mind and couldn't change it from the translucent version.
...It wasn't me who ended up going hard-boiled—it was the Chief Priest.
Life at the castle continued. Meeting requests related to Haldenzel were generally declined, but I did my best to attend meeting requests about papermaking and printing whenever possible, usually accompanied by Mother and
In the mornings, it had become routine to check on the children's room, do radio calisthenics at the Knight's Order training grounds, and search for children who seemed compatible for becoming retainers. Occasionally, I would catch Nicolaus's eye, but he never approached me, and I could tell Brother Cornelius was wary, so I didn't approach him either.
We also discussed whether to accept Lodelrich's name. According to the information Justus had gathered, since the incident with the White Tower that became a stain on Wilfried's reputation, Lodelrich's relationship with his parents had soured.
"If it is Lodelrich's own wish, please do separate him from his parents, my lady," Justus said quietly.
Being told that it would be better to separate him from his family, I blinked several times.
"Why?"
"If I explained in detail, there is a possibility you would become furious, so Lord Ferdinand told me not to."
I was told that I was too lenient toward those I had taken in and too harsh toward those who opposed me, and that it wouldn't work.
"If you feel the information is absolutely necessary, have one of your own scholars investigate it. If you absolutely must force the information out of someone yourself, it would be easy for you to do so after you have accepted their name, my lady."
"...I don't want to do that."
When I pouted, Justus smiled faintly and said, "I thought you would say that, my lady."
"My lady, when we offer our names, we make the resolve to prioritize our lord over our parents, over ourselves. It would be unbearable for a situation to arise where our own family brought harm to our lord. If you wish to honor Lodelrich's feelings, please keep your distance and observe how things develop."
"I understand. Thank you for going to the trouble, Justus. That was helpful."
After discussing it with my Adoptive Father as well, it was decided that after Lodelrich offered his name, he would be given a room in the Knights' Dormitory. If he had been a girl, she could have been given a room as an Attendant in the North Building, just like
The day before I was scheduled to return to the Royal Academy, the Master of Winter appeared, and I was forced to shelter in the North Building. I bestowed the blessing of the God of Martial Valor, Angriff, on the Knight's Order and remained in my room. Since I was the only one in the North Building, mealtime felt a little lonely.
Seeing Ottilie looking down at me with concern as she served my meals, I casually asked about Hartmut's escort partner.
"Hartmut's escort partner? I don't know," Ottilie answered with a troubled look.
"Eh? But this year is graduation, so he needs a partner for the escort, right?"
"I've heard that he dates people from other provinces to gather various information. However, before departing for the Royal Academy this year, several girls' names were put forward, and he said he would decide at the Royal Academy, so even I don't yet know who it will ultimately be..."
"Hartmut is dating multiple women!?"
...Please, at least give one of them to Damuel!
While screaming internally and freezing in shock, I heard Ottilie hurriedly deny it with, "No, Lady Rozemyne," and she added an explanation.
"As of last year, it doesn't seem like it had reached the point of dating. Hartmut was always a child with little interest in anything, and right now all his attention is focused on Lady Rozemyne, so perhaps he's maintaining shallow, wide-reaching connections for the sake of gathering information?"
...Wait, could it end up that the girls think they're dating him, but Hartmut has no intention of actually doing so? That's terrible—some girl is going to stab him at this rate!
"He takes after his father in that regard, which is troublesome, but I'm not overly worried, as he'll find someone whose strengths complement his own. He's planning to introduce her at the Interprovincial Tournament, so I'm looking forward to it."
Ottilie said this with a soft smile. I couldn't exactly tell a mother who was smiling in anticipation of her child introducing his girlfriend, "You should be worried! He might end up in a stabbing incident at the Royal Academy!" To make sure it didn't come to that, I needed to get back to the Royal Academy as soon as possible. I had to keep watch to ensure Hartmut didn't end up in danger.
While praying that Hartmut wouldn't get caught up in any knife fights and burying myself in books, the subjugation of the Master of Winter was apparently completed, and clear, sunny days returned. After spending several days immersed in reading, I had already grown reluctant to return to the Royal Academy.
Urged along by Richhild, I prepared to return to the Royal Academy, donned a bright ochre mantle and brooch, and shuffled my way to the transfer circle room. Lesserbus's movements were sluggish too, reflecting my mood.
"Hurry up, Rozemyne. Cornelius and Leonore have already returned."
The Chief Priest stood waiting in front of the transfer circle room like a statue.
"Can't I stay at the castle until the Interprovincial Tournament? I want to keep reading a little longer."
"What are you saying, you fool? There's the Tarnisbefalen interrogation, the tea party with Drevanchier, and plenty of other plans."
"The tea party with Drevanchier can't happen until the
This year, since I was returning to the Royal Academy early, the Gilberta Company's hair ornaments would be delivered to the castle as soon as they were ready and sent via the transfer circle. The tea party with Drevanchier was therefore planned for after the ornaments were completed.
"Weren't you the one who wanted to go to the Royal Academy's library?"
"But this time of year, the library's carrels are already full, and Ferdinand said that me going in and out after finishing my lectures would just be a nuisance."
I couldn't go to the library, the tea party with Hannelore was absolutely forbidden because I would collapse, and there was nothing enjoyable about returning to the Royal Academy. Staying at the castle curled up with my books would be more fun.
...I didn't want to attend the Tarnisbefalen interrogation or the tea party with Drevanchier, who was certain to have ties to royalty. Either way, I'd just end up getting scolded again.
With a heavy sigh, my shoulders slumped, and the Chief Priest picked me up and plopped me down onto the transfer circle. His brow deeply furrowed, the Chief Priest glared at me.
"The period of royalty wandering around is over. Go back to the Royal Academy at once and gain social experience. Your social experience is already lacking enough as it is. You should have enjoyed plenty of reading this year already. Stop being so reluctant."
Scolded by the Chief Priest, I reluctantly nodded.
"...I'm off."
Having discussed most of what needed to be discussed before my return, I went back to the Royal Academy.
This year, Rozemyne had enjoyed plenty of reading time at the castle and was reluctant to return to the Royal Academy, where troublesome matters awaited.
Next, the Tarnisbefalen interrogation.