"And furthermore, while I find it deeply unpleasant and shameful to have to say this to you all as an adult..."
With an exhausted expression, my adoptive father said this while tapping a bundle of wooden tablets with his fingertip.
"Ehrenfest has been a lower-ranking duchy for a long time, and few adults here know how to interact with upper-ranking duchies. You're aware of that, I trust? And now, thanks to our ranking rising too quickly, we're being expected to conduct ourselves as an upper-ranking duchy."
This was something I'd heard plenty of times at the
"However, within Ehrenfest, the number of nobles has decreased due to the Purge. With the arrested individuals gone, attention has shifted to who will fill the vacant positions, and the nobles have begun scheming behind the scenes. Domestic matters must take priority before we can concern ourselves with interactions with other duchies."
Because Gebe
"I'm aware of the children's efforts. I understand that they united as one to raise our ranking and improve their grades, and that this collective momentum helped keep the dormitory together even as it was shaken by the Purge. But regrettably, the adults haven't been able to keep up with that momentum. Therefore, for the time being, I'd like you to maintain your ranking at the Royal Academy—or rather, lower it to around tenth place. This is the unanimous wish of Ehrenfest's adults."
I couldn't believe what my adoptive father was saying, and my mouth fell open. I hadn't expected to be told to lower our ranking—rather than being told that the adults would work hard to become worthy of our upper-ranking duchy status.
"...The unanimous wish of Ehrenfest's adults... is to lower our ranking?"
At the Royal Academy, we had divided into teams and worked desperately to improve our grades as much as possible. I could picture everyone's faces, so pleased when the instructors praised their excellent written exam results. And I recalled the attendants who had been fumbling their way through, desperately trying to figure out how to interact with those around them now that Ehrenfest had joined the ranks of the upper duchies. Would I really have to tell everyone that we needed to lower our ranking?
"Rosemyne, it is the will of the
My birth father, standing behind my adoptive father, said this with a bitter expression.
"The Leisegang nobles'...?"
"Yes. The intelligence brought from the Royal Academy led to an acceleration of the Purge, and nearly all the
I stared in surprise at these unexpected words.
"Great-Grandfather has ascended to great heights?"
"They say he departed expressing gratitude and satisfaction, saying that you, Rosemyne, were sent by the gods for the sake of Leisegang, and that if possible, he wanted you to become the Aub."
I remembered how my great-grandfather had been consumed by resentment and hatred toward Ahrensbach and
"Um, Father. What connection does the former Gebe Leisegang have with Ehrenfest's ranking?"
When Wilfried asked this with a puzzled look, my adoptive mother lowered her eyes slightly.
"Since the former Gebe Leisegang has ascended to great heights, resolving the conflict with the former Veronica faction has become much easier. There's no longer any need to raise our ranking to defeat Ahrensbach. Going forward, we must focus on organizing Ehrenfest from within, and since Ehrenfest as a whole feels burdened by our current standing, the Leisegang nobles believe that no one would be happy even if we raised our ranking further."
I'd heard that the adults couldn't keep up, but I hadn't thought raising our ranking would be so problematic that "no one would be happy" about it.
...Had all our efforts at the Royal Academy—thinking of every possible way to raise our ranking even slightly, all of us working together at the Royal Academy—been completely unnecessary?
My motivation for raising Ehrenfest's ranking wasn't for Leisegang's sake. It had served as a convenient goal for unifying the dormitory, and it was also necessary so that
...Lord Ferdinand is in Ahrensbach as
"To put it bluntly, among the adults who actively engage with upper duchies and have connections to the
Apparently, I shouldn't have tried so hard. Come to think of it, Ferdinand hadn't been entirely praising me either. Was that because I had caused trouble for Ehrenfest? The moment that thought crossed my mind, the scene I'd seen from the podium after being awarded top honors faded to gray.
"The Gebe whom you've spoken with directly know that you have no desire to become Aub, but to other nobles, it appears as though you do. Even if you say that isn't your intention, they won't believe you. The only way to show that you have no intention of pursuing the Aubship is through your actions."
...In other words, to avoid causing the strange confusion around the Aubship, I should avoid appearing before the nobles for now? I... shouldn't be around?
My sense of responsibility toward my duties, my motivation to work hard... various important things were draining away. I wanted to lock myself in the library and avoid doing anything that might cause further trouble.
"...That suits me perfectly. Without me present at the gatherings where nobles are being drawn into factions through rewards and punishments, their attention will shift elsewhere. So I'll leave the reorganization of Ehrenfest after the Purge and the consolidation of the nobles to my adoptive father, the Aub, and my older brother Wilfried, the next Aub."
I wanted so badly to lock myself away in my newly acquired library and in the
"Yes, I intend to focus on resolving the chaos in the castle and among the nobles, and to be recognized as the next Aub."
...Wilfried, did you really not think anything of being told that "no one would be happy" about the ranking everyone worked so hard to raise? You were told to lower it, you know!
How could he manage such a hope-filled smile when we'd heard the same words? It was utterly baffling. As I pondered this, I began to let go of what I'd been carrying.
"I've copied down the design for the stage used in the Spring Prayer ceremony from the Royal Academy's library. Please feel free to use it for your factions as well, Adoptive Father and Brother Wilfried."
I only wanted to wrap up any matters that might get me summoned to the castle as quickly as possible, but Wilfried thanked me with delight, saying, "That's a great help."
"I'll be able to focus on the Temple and the Lower Town, so this is truly a relief for me as well."
I declared, "I'll hole up in the Temple," thinking it would benefit both sides, but my adoptive father shook his head with a troubled expression.
"No, I want you to fill the gap left by
Apparently, he wanted me to serve as Wilfried's fiancée, rally the female nobles through tea parties and other social events, and assist my adoptive mother in her duties. Honestly, with Ferdinand gone, I had no one to consult with regarding Temple matters, and I was worried whether I and my attendants could keep the Temple running on our own. Being asked to take on my adoptive mother's duties on top of that was overwhelming. And now that there was no longer any need to perform at the Royal Academy, I had no motivation for tedious tea parties.
...To lower our ranking, it might be just right for me to fail at social events.
"Of course, as Wilfried's fiancée, it would normally be my role. But isn't
I couldn't neglect preparations for welcoming merchants from other duchies. If we showed merchants from other duchies that Ehrenfest was in disarray, it would have a significant impact on future duchy relations. When I argued this point, my adoptive father thought about it for a moment and said, "Well, I suppose so."
...Because I can still work hard for everyone in the Lower Town.
As I tried to summon back the motivation that had flown away, remembering the promise I'd made with Father, Wilfried glared at my adoptive father with a frustrated expression.
"Father, please don't be so lenient with Rosemyne. For next year's Royal Academy, she needs to gain social experience urgently, doesn't she?"
Despite there no longer being any need to worry about our ranking at the Royal Academy, why would she need to gain social experience urgently? Hiding my true feelings, I tilted my head like a proper young lady.
"Brother Wilfried, then who would take over the Temple duties and dealings with the commercial guild? It's impossible to handle everything at once."
I had only just taken over the Temple duties, and the civil officials capable of understanding the merchants of the Lower Town were still being trained.
"The Temple duties, I'll grant, are one thing. But weren't the dealings with the commercial guild previously handled by civil officials? You can leave it to them. Gaining social experience for next year's Royal Academy is far more important."
I was managing to coordinate between noble affairs and merchant realities by serving as an intermediary, pushing both sides to their limits while accepting other duchies' merchants. I couldn't understand why he thought the previous civil officials could handle this—they would burden the Commoners without considering their circumstances, and the resulting chaos was plain to see.
"Which civil officials are you referring to, Brother Wilfried? Surely not officials who couldn't adapt to our rising duchy ranking and are still working with the same lower-duchy mindset as before? Even
When I added that if they were that capable, I'd want them as my attendants, Wilfried's eyes darted away. "Th-that's..." It seemed there were no such brilliant civil officials I didn't know about.
As I glared at Wilfried, Charlotte let out an exasperated sigh and said, "I understand Brother's opinion that Sister should gain social experience, but I believe Sister's argument is correct at this time."
"If it's socializing with noble ladies, I could serve as a substitute. But no one can replace her role at the Temple or her coordination with the merchants. So I'll take over Mother's duties instead."
...Charlotte is too kind and too competent! I'd been seriously considering locking myself away in the library and Temple, and now...
Charlotte's reliability, having declared herself willing to take on the social duties with noble women, was so dazzling that I'd lost all motivation to keep trying. I couldn't look Charlotte in the eye.
"Charlotte, making sure Rosemyne gains social experience as a noble is our highest priority. Looking at the reports from the Royal Academy, it's the area where she is most lacking right now..."
My adoptive mother's words—she'd apparently been troubled by reports from the Academy—hit me where it hurt, and I quietly averted my gaze. But Charlotte, who had been reprimanded, furrowed her brow slightly and looked displeased. After looking at me, Wilfried, my adoptive father, and my adoptive mother in turn, she lowered her gaze.
"I do not believe that making Sister gain social experience should be the highest priority. Father and Mother are both in good health and young enough to have more children. Won't it be more than ten years before Brother becomes the Aub and Sister is fully responsible for social duties as the First Wife?"
When Charlotte raised her head, she compared my adoptive father, my adoptive mother, and Wilfried with her critical blue eyes.
"With Uncle's position vacant, there are the Temple duties, managing the Orphanage whose numbers have grown due to the Purge, negotiating with merchants, serving as an advisor to the printing industry and managing
...Charlotte.
I was so happy that she was angry on my behalf that the empty, hollow feeling that had been filling me just moments ago was now brimming with Charlotte's words. I could feel a warm, positive sentiment swelling within me.
...Yeah. I think I can try a little harder.
While I was feeling uplifted, everyone in the conference room—not just Wilfried, but the Archduke couple as well—turned surprised looks toward Charlotte, whose tone had been somewhat critical of them. But Charlotte spoke her opinion with a calm expression.
"Father, you knew the Purge would throw Ehrenfest into turmoil. Rather than taking a second wife who could support Ehrenfest alongside you, you chose to make Mother pregnant. Shouldn't you, Father, be the one to bear the burden of filling the gap left by Mother's pregnancy, rather than Sister?"
In my case, since it was a love match rather than a politically arranged marriage, I had a vague sense that taking a second wife for the sake of the duchy was "unavoidable," and whenever I heard that someone was having a baby, my reaction was always, "How wonderful!" But Charlotte, raised from birth as a true member of the Archduke's family, seemed to have a fundamentally different view of second wives. She turned her blue eyes on my adoptive father, revealing anger and contempt—he had made my adoptive mother pregnant without taking a second wife.
"Father, if Mother is having a baby, what will happen to the entwicken for Glesschel? According to the attendant from Glesschel, it was scheduled for this spring, wasn't it?"
Entwicken was magic that required massive amounts of Magic Power, so much that the entire Archduke's family had to participate while using recovery potions. While Glesschel's Lower Town was smaller than Ehrenfest's, it still required an enormous amount of Magic Power. With Ferdinand gone and my adoptive mother pregnant and needing to conserve her Magic Power for the baby, performing the entwicken this spring would be extremely difficult.
"...It would be difficult in spring, but it should be possible in autumn."
"If you're going to use entwicken to restore the infrastructure, there's absolutely no room for failure. The Glesschel nobles must be extremely on edge about this. Can you change the schedule and still finish preparations to receive merchants by next summer?"
She must have been consulting with the attendant from Glesschel. At my adoptive father's words about changing the schedule, Charlotte's gaze was all business.
"I don't want to see my attendants suffer. Sister has attendants from Glesschel too, doesn't she? Is it all right to change the entwicken schedule? What does Sister, who is knowledgeable about the Lower Town and merchants, think?"
Gazing at me with worried eyes, Charlotte was clearly looking for me to meet her expectations. I racked my brain. I had Brünhilde among my attendants, so I'd heard a great deal about Glesschel's situation.
...It's not like they've made zero preparations for receiving merchants.
When Glesschel had adopted papermaking and printing, they had sent craftsmen to train in Ehrenfest. During that time, the craftsmen had built connections with the Gutenbergs, and through dealings with the printing association, shops handling paper and books could be ready immediately. Under Brünhilde's direction, they had also negotiated with the
However, there was a critical shortage of lodging facilities for the merchants, and the Lower Town was still dirty. To compensate for this, the entwicken was essential.
"The shop preparations seem to be progressing, but the construction of lodging facilities and their maintenance after the town is cleaned up are the main issues. The lodging facilities especially—the interior design, securing and training staff... If the entwicken schedule changes, it becomes extremely difficult."
At my words, Charlotte nodded emphatically.
"Sister, you think so too, right? It took me nearly two years just to prepare my own room in the northern wing. Selecting specialized craftsmen, ordering bedding, curtains, and furniture—it takes that much time just to gather everything. If the entwicken is in autumn, I can't possibly see it being ready by next summer."
As Charlotte said, the entwicken could only produce white buildings—without doors, window frames, or furniture. Based on the experience from when we created the Italian restaurant, ordering from woodworking shops and waiting for completion took an enormous amount of time.
...Well, it wouldn't take a full two years, though.
As I tried to think of ways to reduce the time, Wilfried spoke up, comparing Charlotte's animated expression with my adoptive mother's pale face.
"But Charlotte, the schedule will have to be changed regardless. We can't have Mother participate in the entwicken, which requires massive amounts of Magic Power. It's far too dangerous."
"I know that, Brother. I was simply worried that changing the schedule might lead to Glesschel being blamed. After all, the Purge has left everyone feeling insecure—we can't afford to antagonize Glesschel."
We absolutely couldn't force things onto Glesschel at this point and provoke the Leisegang nobles into rebellion. Charlotte's words were entirely correct. If my adoptive father continued to govern by imposing his will from the top down, it would lead to exactly this kind of mistake.
"To avoid antagonizing Glesschel and the other Leisegang nobles, please refrain from making any further trade agreements with other duchies at the Lord's Conference."
At Charlotte's words, my adoptive father and his attendants wore bitter expressions. They were the ones who would have to answer questions about this year's trade quota at the Lord's Conference. Being expected to build connections while having to refuse was an extremely difficult position—especially for Ehrenfest, which had risen so rapidly in ranking and desperately wanted to avoid earning the enmity of other duchies.
...Keeping other duchies waiting forever isn't good either. We're scared of their enmity too.
Present-day Ehrenfest had to satisfy both the other duchies and the nobles within its own territory. If this was the downside of rising in ranking, perhaps it was something I needed to take responsibility for.
"Adoptive Father, unifying the nobles within the duchy is important, but our relationships with other duchies are important too, aren't they?"
"Yes."
"Therefore, I think the plan to make Glesschel usable by next summer should remain as it is. However, rather than leaving it to the Gebe of Glesschel, the Aub herself should take the lead."
The reason things kept going wrong was that responsibility was always pushed downward. The one who had decided to accept other duchies' merchants was the Aub, so the Aub should take responsibility and act. If even failure was the Aub's responsibility, then Glesschel wouldn't have to accumulate resentment.
At my words, my adoptive father and adoptive mother's eyes went wide.
"What are you suddenly suggesting, Rosemyne?!"
"You want the Aub of Ehrenfest to bear responsibility for Glesschel?"
"Yes. Because Ehrenfest's Lower Town alone isn't enough to accommodate merchants from other duchies, we'll need to use Glesschel. If the Aub takes responsibility for preparing the facilities in Glesschel, Charlotte's concerns would be resolved."
Charlotte was worried about Glesschel failing due to the schedule change, being blamed for that failure, and the resulting backlash destabilizing Ehrenfest from within. If the Aub bore full responsibility, most of those concerns would disappear.
At my words, Charlotte nodded and said, "I'm also worried about Sister's workload increasing," which was rather endearing, and then fixed her gaze on my adoptive father, waiting for his answer. Faced with Charlotte's calm yet stern gaze, my adoptive father looked exasperated. "Rosemyne..."
"Since you'd be making a major schedule change, the Aub's generous assistance would be necessary. Leaving it to Glesschel alone wouldn't be enough in time, but if the Aub provided the majority of the funding and Magic Power and took on the role of project lead, I don't think it would be impossible."
"Hmm? What exactly do you propose?"
The exasperated expression vanished from his face as my adoptive father leaned forward with interest. Since he was finally engaged, I began to explain.
"Official documents for the entwicken typically include detailed blueprints, correct? I'm specifically referring to the lodging facilities portion. Have those blueprints copied so the exact measurements are available, and before the entwicken even begins, place orders for doors, window frames, and other interior elements from separate woodworking shops."
...The quickest way to get things done was being hindered by the exclusive contractor system.
For the craftsmen of the Lower Town, this system was probably an important way to secure work, but it was extremely inconvenient when you wanted to carry out a large project all at once.
"A single workshop should be able to finish the interior for one room in about six months. If you issue orders prioritizing doors and window frames, you can install them immediately after the entwicken. If you offer rewards to the workshops that produce the finest interiors and have the craftsmen compete with each other, they won't cut corners."
With doors and windows in place, it would be possible to furnish the interior during the winter, but without them, snow would blow in and create a terrible situation.
"However, Glesschel's workshops alone won't have sufficient capacity, so orders will also need to be placed with workshops in the Ehrenfest Lower Town and in neighboring Gebe territories around Glesschel. That's why the Aub needs to be the one in charge."
"My, my..."
My adoptive father's deep green eyes gleamed. Seeing the look on his face as he found a viable path forward, I grinned.
"Then, regarding the furniture—if the Aub is in charge, preparing the furniture becomes much easier."
This also required woodworking shops, but trying to furnish everything would make it impossible to meet next summer's deadline. The visitors would be wealthy merchants among the upper duchies, with discerning tastes—subpar furnishings might invite ridicule.
"What's your plan?"
"The nobles whose properties were confiscated during the Purge—the Aub is in charge of those assets, isn't she? Why not redistribute their furniture to the lodging facilities? Since different workshops would be assigned to different rooms, it wouldn't be a problem for each room to have its own distinct character, and the furniture procurement costs could be significantly reduced."
If the Aub weren't in charge, all of this would have to be purchased fresh. If the furniture were used in the lodging facilities, there would be no need to keep it in storage—avoiding maintenance costs—and no need for the tedious process of transferring ownership to others.
"The furniture used in the lodging facilities won't cause problems later on, since it's different from personal belongings or educational materials for the children, right?"
The children who had been spared from collective punishment would live in the Orphanage, the castle's children's rooms, or somewhere in the dormitory. Since these places already had built-in furniture, they wouldn't need many large pieces.
"Finally, there's staff training. I think the best approach would be to coordinate with the merchants of the Lower Town and have the people from Glesschel who will work in the lodging facilities undergo training at Ehrenfest's lodging facilities first."
It would be troublesome to coordinate and transport everyone, but it would increase the workforce in Ehrenfest's Lower Town during a busy period. And for Glesschel, having their people do hands-on training with actual merchants for about six months wasn't a bad thing at all.
"I can handle the coordination with the merchants—it's part of my duties. ...As long as it's understood that the Aub would be the one in charge."
"...I understand. Let's do it."
My adoptive father nodded, while my adoptive mother looked between him and me with a worried expression. Charlotte murmured, "In the end, Sister's workload has only increased," and Wilfried pressed his lips together and looked away.
"Charlotte, thank you for worrying about me. But since I've been told to stay out of the public eye, I'm merely making suggestions. The one who will execute the plan is my adoptive father."
When I chuckled softly, Charlotte blinked in surprise before breaking into an amused grin.
...Plus, this way I can hole up in the Temple and increase the number of times I get to see everyone in the Lower Town. Everything's going according to plan!
At that point,
"Sister, is there anything I can do? I want to help Ehrenfest too."
"...Let me think. Then, Melchior, would you help me with my work?"
"Of course! What should I do?"
At his bright, smiling reply, I beamed.
Honestly, there was almost nothing Melchior could do yet. He hadn't even begun practicing how to handle Magic Power, so he couldn't provide Magic Power supply, and taking him along to religious ceremonies would be difficult. But nurturing his enthusiasm was the most important thing, and even if Melchior couldn't do much himself, the attendants who were always around him could do plenty.
...I'm acquiring someone to share the Temple workload—I mean, someone to work hard alongside me!
"I'll have Melchior study the Temple duties. By the time I come of age, it would be a problem if Melchior couldn't fulfill the role of High Priest, wouldn't it?"
The Purge had further reduced the number of Blue Priests. If I and my attendants all left the Temple at once upon my coming of age, the Ehrenfest Temple would collapse on the spot. Training successors was essential.
...And it would give me more time to spend in the library.
"I'll take charge of Melchior's education, including his attendants."
"Rosemyne, I have a feeling that might be a source of future anxiety..."
My adoptive father looked troubled at the prospect of me educating Melchior, but the handover of Temple duties was something that had to happen eventually. We were short on personnel, and we needed to make the most of what we had.
"Um, Lady Rosemyne. You want to send Lord Melchior to the Temple right after his
Melchior's attendants, especially the older ones, didn't show it on their faces, but they didn't seem enthusiastic. However, I had no intention of letting go of a valuable person who could serve at the Temple.
"Oh, well, while it's true I was raised at the Temple, I was adopted as the Aub through the Baptism Ceremony and immediately took over as High Priest with no transition period whatsoever. Ferdinand served as my guardian and supported me through it, but I think having a transition period is important. At most, there are only the three years until I come of age, so it's not very long."
At my words, Melchior looked between me and his own attendants with a start, then murmured, "Three years..."
"Father, I would like to go to the Temple to help Sister Rosemyne. There's not much I can do in this castle yet, but since I'm a candidate for Archduke, I would like to have a role."
At Melchior's straightforward request, my adoptive father finally relented.
"...Very well. I order Melchior and his attendants to go to the Temple."
Melchior's senior attendant looked displeased, but I noticed his guard knights looked intrigued. In addition to Rosemyne-style Magic Power compression, the student attendants who had returned from the Royal Academy had apparently been discussing the increase in divine blessings as well.
"Let's work hard together, Melchior."
"Yes!"
Having been told to lower their ranking a bit, Rosemyne was determined to hole up in the library and Temple, and somehow ended up turning retreat into resolve.
But for the sake of the library, the Temple, and everyone in the Lower Town, she'll do her best.
Next time, it's Melchior and the Temple.