After that, I continued talking with Mother in the hidden room about all sorts of things. I told her about how I'd spent time with
We talked until I was truly ready to sleep, and I drifted off feeling wonderfully refreshed. I slept so deeply that even I was surprised, and by the time I woke, I had overslept completely. One of the Attendants in this home told me, "The third bell is about to ring," and I couldn't help crying out, "Why didn't anyone wake me up?!"
It seemed Mother had instructed them not to wake me, since we'd stayed up later than my usual bedtime. But I had asked my guard knights to come fetch me, so oversleeping like this was incredibly embarrassing.
"G-Good morning."
"You certainly took your time this morning,
Cornelius teased me for sleeping in, I apologized to the guard knights who had come to escort me, and then I slowly made my way through a late breakfast.
"I'm glad you got a good rest. Before you return to the castle, there's something I'd like to discuss with you. Is that all right?"
While I ate breakfast, Mother sipped her tea and began talking about the handover of the printing business. Behind her,
"As long as the negotiations with the Commoners can proceed without you, there shouldn't be any other major issues. Oh, that reminds me—Rozemyne. You mentioned leaving the Temple's Attendants for
"I intend to summon
When I asserted that Wilma was my personal illustrator, Mother said, "Oh, how disappointing," without sounding particularly disappointed, and let out a soft laugh.
"But once you leave the Temple, someone else might purchase her, couldn't they? Taking her to the Central District without a place for her to stay would be difficult for anyone of Lower Noble status or above. What about having you buy her as an illustrator and leave her in our care? You'll be worrying about her until you come of age."
"So during that time, Mother would be having Wilma draw illustrations for you?"
I glanced at Mother, and she chuckled. I knew she valued Wilma's artistic talent, so leaving her in Mother's hands was far better than letting her go elsewhere.
"I'll entrust the orphanage to Wilma. If someone capable can be found to take over the orphanage's management, and if Wilma desires it, then I'll arrange that."
"No, Rozemyne. Once you're gone, I will take the Gray Priestess I want for myself. A Gray Priestess whose master has departed and who is no longer an Attendant will have no options. Understand that clearly before you decide what to do with your own Attendants."
"Yes, ma'am."
After being lectured about how to handle the Gray Priestesses, I was told that
"I will respect Damuel's wishes, so please let me know once a decision has been reached."
"I am grateful."
As we were talking, an Ordonnanz arrived from Father. Apparently, the royal family had sent twelve Magical Tools intended for children.
"On top of being so sudden, what an oddly specific number. There's still a chance the adoption could fall through, yet they've sent them ahead of time..."
"They most likely have no intention of letting it fall through. By sending the payment in advance, they're showing they are absolutely determined to make you their daughter."
Mother said that Ehrenfest would likely be unable to refuse, given how urgently they wanted to increase the number of nobles, and how costly a one-year delay would be for children who needed to receive the
"For now, return to the castle, Rozemyne. Come visit anytime you have the time. Let's talk again."
"Yes, Mother."
I returned to the castle with my guard knights. After the Lord's family gathered to discuss whether to accept or return the Magical Tools, it was decided that we would accept them in order to quickly increase Ehrenfest's noble population. Since the royal family wanted me as a daughter badly enough to send payment in advance, returning the tools wouldn't change their minds. Considering that a one-year delay could mean some children would miss the chance to receive their Baptism Ceremony, we wanted to provide the Magical Tools as soon as possible.
"...Father, could the orphanage also receive some Magical Tools?"
"If they don't have Magic Power on par with the average Middle Noble at the time of the Baptism Ceremony, it would be a waste of recovery medicine and too great a burden on their bodies. Besides, rather than increasing the number of Lower Nobles right now, I'd like to save the Magical Tools for children with higher Magic Power who will likely be born later. Therefore, I will permit the tools to be given to orphanage children, provided they meet a certain threshold of Magic Power and have no issues with their ideology or the like. However, the interviews shall be conducted by
Not me, the orphanage director, but Hartmut, the Chief Priest, would be responsible for conducting the ideological and other interviews. Apparently, my interview results couldn't be trusted because I was too lenient with the orphanage children. Being told I wasn't trustworthy stung a little, but since many people had pointed out that I was soft on those close to me, there was nothing I could do about it.
"I'm glad the Magical Tools won't only go to the faction's children but also to the orphanage, Rozemyne."
Nodding at Melchior's words, I borrowed a Magical Tool for measuring children's Magic Power from Father and headed to the Temple together with Melchior and my retainers.
"Welcome home, Lady Rozemyne."
"I have returned."
Greeted by the Temple's Attendants, I entered the High Priest's quarters. After changing into the High Priest's garments, I received reports from each of them. It seemed that both the Temple's blue-robe apprentices and the orphanage children had been passing their days without any particular incidents. Meanwhile, preparations for the spring Coming-of-Age Ceremony, led primarily by Kanfel and Fritake, appeared to be complete.
"It's a relief nothing happened. ...I have a rather important announcement of my own."
As the Attendants straightened their postures, I told them that I would be leaving Ehrenfest in one year and that Melchior would become the next High Priest. I kept quiet about going to the Central District or becoming the King's adopted daughter—extra information like that was best left unsaid. The Gray Priests and Gray Priestesses would find it difficult to refuse questions from nobles, so the less they knew from the start, the better.
"It was already known that Lady Rozemyne would step down as High Priest upon coming of age. This simply means it's happening sooner than expected..."
"I actually considered purchasing all of you and placing you in my library. But you mentioned before that the Noble District didn't feel comfortable, didn't you? Once I leave Ehrenfest, I don't know who would manage the library, and where I'm going isn't a Temple, so there wouldn't be a place for you."
If I could obtain the
"As Lady Rozemyne says, the uncertainty is far greater than what we face at the Temple. I know no way of life outside the Temple, and judging from your conduct thus far, you don't seem to be a terrible master. So serving Melchior poses no problem."
"If I were transferring to another Temple, I would have taken all of you with me without question."
At my words, Fran smiled and said, "In that case, I would have accompanied you, having served in the small temple at the Lower District before."
"However, Wilma alone must make a different choice."
"A different choice?"
Wilma, who had been planning to return to the orphanage just as she had before becoming my Attendant, looked deeply troubled. She had made some progress, but her fear of men had not disappeared, and she looked at me with an anxious expression.
"You must choose whether to become my personal illustrator, or to become Mother's personal illustrator after I'm gone. Please make your decision within the year."
When I relayed what I had discussed with Mother, Wilma asked, "What will happen to the orphanage?"—worrying not about herself but about the orphanage.
"I plan to negotiate for Monica or
When I told her that I intended to put someone who knew Wilma's methods in her place, Wilma smiled and said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness." But it wasn't a smile of relief. Looking around, I saw that it wasn't only Wilma who looked anxious—Monica and
"Lady Rozemyne, please don't worry on our account. Seeing your face just now, I can tell this is a sudden and unwelcome move even for you. We understand that you are going to extraordinary lengths for our sake."
I didn't think Melchior would treat the orphanage badly, but as Zium explained, the concern was that with the position of director changing so frequently, no one knew how long Melchior would hold the position of High Priest. Their worry was how long they could count on a superior who would look after the orphanage and the Gray Priests.
"Melchior is a boy, so I don't think he'll be reassigned anytime soon. To help everyone feel as secure as possible, I'll put my full effort into the handover as well."
"Please do."
After informing everyone about the transfer, the next topic was the Magical Tools to be given to the orphanage children. I arranged for Wilma to tell the children that through a Magic Power measurement and an interview, they could potentially receive Magical Tools—the same kind given to noble children.
"To become a noble, you must accumulate a certain amount of Magic Power in a Magical Tool's magic stone. If we don't provide them soon enough, some children won't be able to become nobles. When would you be available for the interviews?"
"The children are out in the forest today, so starting tomorrow would be fine. If you let me know the date, I'll have the children with Magic Power wait at the orphanage."
I told her I would coordinate a date with Hartmut and then dismissed the Attendants. They scattered to their respective duties.
"Fran, I'd like to speak with
"Certainly. I will make contact and arrange a suitable day."
"Zium, please go to the Chief Priest's office and work out a date and time with Hartmut for the interviews at the orphanage."
"Understood."
"Fritz, we'll need large quantities of paper this year. Please gather as many Tau fruits as you can."
"Understood."
While looking through the letters and documents Monica brought, I issued instructions one after another. When there was a brief lull,
"Lady Rozemyne, what about the recovery medicine for the orphanage children who receive Magical Tools?"
"I plan to prepare it myself. ...Actually, my apprentice scholars have been criticized for excelling only at desk work and not getting enough experience compounding medicine. Perhaps Philine and
I certainly didn't expect Father to supply recovery medicine for the orphanage children. As the orphanage director, I would have to bear the cost myself.
"I don't think I could prepare enough recovery medicine for
The earnest wish that Konrad might live as a noble resonated deeply with me. I turned back to Philine.
"They say the burden on the body is too great for someone with Lower Noble levels of Magic Power, but if Konrad desires it, I can provide him with recovery medicine."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Philine beamed, saying she hadn't been able to gather the ingredients and prepare enough recovery medicine on her own to make Konrad a noble. Her joyful smile was endearing, but it seemed she was only thinking about restoring her brother to noble status and couldn't see the reality of the situation.
"But, Philine. Didn't you tell me you wanted to pledge your name to me and accompany me to the Central District after I purchased Konrad? What happens after Konrad becomes a noble? I cannot bring an unpledged minor to the Central District."
"Huh?... Ah."
"Training and raising someone as a noble costs a great deal of money. Philine, could you manage to cover Konrad's living expenses while also attending the Royal Academy yourself?"
Philine closed her mouth and stared at her hands. With the salary of a Lower Noble apprentice scholar who had fled her family with nothing, she could barely cover her own living expenses and tuition. I had been giving her small amounts through translation fees and information brokerage, but living as a noble without any heirlooms from one's ancestors truly cost a fortune. She wouldn't even be able to afford having Festive Clothing tailored for her Coming-of-Age Ceremony if she didn't start saving now.
"If you want to raise Konrad as your brother rather than as a blue-robe apprentice priest, I would recommend returning to your family home."
"Lady Rozemyne!?"
"I heard from Mother. Your father married into your family, and you were the rightful heir."
If Philine returned home and reclaimed her household from her father and his second wife who had taken it over, there should be heirloom Magical Tools, educational materials, and clothing that could be mended and worn. It wouldn't be a lavish life, but I thought it would be better than scraping by in a rented room in the city with absolutely nothing to fall back on, having to provide everything for two people.
"Since Konrad entered the orphanage as a boy, I am technically the rightful heir. But I'm still a minor, so I can't succeed the family until I come of age. If I go back now, Father and Lady
She shook her head, saying various things had been sold to cover living expenses.
"It's not impossible to have him go through the Baptism Ceremony from the orphanage and live at the Temple as a blue-robe apprentice priest. But then he would be a parentless noble with the Archduke as his guardian. If you want Konrad to become a noble as your brother, he would need to leave the orphanage."
As long as he remained in the orphanage, noble society would not recognize him as Philine's brother.
"You could have Mother act as your backing so the two of you could live at your family home, or you could become engaged to a grown man who would protect you from your parents. I think you need to find some solution."
Philine looked at me with a completely lost expression. But being looked at with those eyes wouldn't help—whether parents were assigned at the Baptism Ceremony, or whether children participating in the Baptism Ceremony from the orphanage had the Archduke as their guardian, those were rules I hadn't created and couldn't override.
"First, talk this over carefully with Konrad. Does he want to receive the Baptism Ceremony as a noble, even if it means drinking large amounts of recovery medicine and enduring the pain? And if he's going to become a noble, should it be from the orphanage, or by returning to your family home?"
Philine had their mother's keepsake Magical Tool, and since recovery medicine was being distributed to the orphanage children, I saw no reason not to include Konrad. But I wasn't their parent, and as someone who would no longer be the orphanage director in a year, I couldn't take responsibility for Konrad's future.
Damuel, who had been listening to our exchange, looked troubled.
"You have orphanage interviews starting today, and a meeting with the Plantane Trading Company tomorrow."
"The spring Coming-of-Age Ceremony is right around the corner, and the summer Baptism Ceremony isn't far off either. Once those are done, the Archduke will be heading to Ahrensbach, so it's all quite hectic, Lady Rozemyne."
While confirming the schedule with Hartmut, who was carrying the Magical Tool for measuring Magic Power, I walked toward the orphanage. Behind me, Philine carried the keepsake Magical Tool from their mother. She wanted to have it ready to offer in case the children expressed the same desire as everyone else—to become nobles.
Fran and Zium, who were walking ahead, threw open the orphanage door wide, and there I saw five children kneeling in a row. From a small child of about three to children on the verge of their Baptism Ceremony, among them were
They had apparently already received an explanation from Wilma and Hartmut about what would take place, for they looked tense as they stared at the Magical Tool in Hartmut's hands.
"Now then, let us measure your Magic Power. Please tell me your name and age."
Hartmut swiftly measured the Magic Power of the children in order from oldest to youngest. Since Magic Power increased with age, the required threshold also changed. Based on their ages, Hartmut determined whether each child's Magic Power met the threshold Father had specified, and sorted them to the left and right. On the left stood Dirk and one other boy; on the right stood Konrad and two other boys.
"The two children lined up on the left have Magic Power exceeding the threshold set by the Archduke. If they wish it, they may receive Magical Tools from the Archduke."
Hartmut said this, but the boy standing next to Dirk, held up by Wilma, was only about three years old—quite small, and wearing an expression that suggested he didn't really understand what was being said.
"Hartmut, he has Magic Power on par with a Middle Noble, and there's still time before his Baptism Ceremony. It would be better to give him the Magical Tool. He's not old enough for ideology to be a concern..."
Hartmut quickly gave up on trying to interview a three-year-old about ideology and decided to secure the boy as a noble. Then he turned to Dirk, whose face was stiff with tension.
"Now then, Dirk. Your Magic Power exceeds the threshold. If you desire a Magical Tool, you may obtain one. What would you like to do?"
"Wait a moment! Dirk is just an orphan. He's not a noble's child. It's wrong for him to receive a Magical Tool!"
One of the boys lined up on the right shouted. Dirk scowled and hung his head, listening to the boy's words. Hartmut tilted his head with a puzzled expression.
"Everyone here is an orphan, and Dirk is no different from the rest of you. What are you talking about?"
"That's not the same. I have noble parents..."
"A child who has not received the Baptism Ceremony as a noble is not a noble. And as long as you're in the orphanage, you're simply an orphan. If you measure by noble value, Dirk, who has greater Magic Power, is worth more. It's as simple as that."
Having sharply rebuffed the boy's objection, Hartmut turned back to Dirk.
"Dirk, do you desire a Magical Tool?"
Hartmut's amber eyes were not the gentle ones he had shown the orphans until now. He wore the face of an interviewer, quietly and intently studying the resolve of a boy who wished to become a noble.
Dirk looked back once.
I followed the direction of Dirk's gaze. In the back of the dining hall, Deria was waiting, holding her breath for Dirk's answer. Her fingers were tightly interlaced, her lip bitten, and her whole body trembling slightly.
Deria's ashen face looked much the same as when the previous High Priest had tried to take Dirk away. Please, don't wish for a Magical Tool. Don't disappear from my side. Don't take my family away from me—I could almost hear her heart screaming those words.
Dirk turned away from Deria and faced Hartmut. Then he slowly drew a breath and lifted his head.
"...I desire a Magical Tool."
In that instant, Deria's eyes flew wide open and she screamed, "No!" Her shriek drew everyone's gaze to her. But Dirk did not look back. He stared straight at Hartmut and once again declared his desire for a Magical Tool.
"Hartmut, I want a Magical Tool."
"Dirk, for what purpose? Dyeing magic stones from this point forward is an incredibly painful and difficult process. Moreover, your precious sister doesn't seem to wish for nobility. Knowing all that, why do you wish to become a noble? And what do you intend to do once you are one?"
Who should be given a Magical Tool for a child? And for what purpose?
Dirk, who had been told from birth that his Magic Power was somewhat strong for a Middle Noble, had passed.
Even if it meant being separated from Deria, he had a reason to obtain the Magical Tool.
Next is Part 2.