During the Starbinding Ceremony, I followed Mother's earlier advice and secretly asked Grandfather to look after
Then, a few days after the Starbinding Ceremony ended, I returned to the
"If he would be working as an assistant at the Temple, I would not have minded accepting him myself rather than letting
"If Melchior takes a liking to Damuel and refuses to give him back, that would be problematic.
I had been secretly asked by Charlotte whether it was acceptable for her and Melchior to recruit my retainers who would remain in Ehrenfest after I moved. It seemed they particularly wanted to take in the attendants, since they were talented enough to be recognized even by a top-ranked duchy. But losing Philine, who was already planning to move after coming of age, and Damuel, who was expected to marry Philine and move as well — though that was not yet finalized — would be a real problem.
"I see. That is unfortunate. Then, I shall have
Since Melchior appeared to have given up on recruiting my retainers as his own, I breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the High Priest's chambers. There, I informed my retainers about the undercurrents of a strange competition brewing to poach them after my transfer.
"Because we helped with the Aub and his wife's work, our excellence has become widely known. It makes sense that the Lord's family would want to recruit us."
Since Father had ordered that this not be made public, there were no overt negotiations. But once I left, it was said that a recruitment war was very likely to begin.
"Perhaps Philine and the others need something that signals who their true master is — something that shows they serve Rozemyne even after she is gone."
"
"If they carried small items bearing Rozemyne's crest or magic stones, it would make it easier for Philine and the others to assert who they serve. It is not easy for a lower-ranking noble to keep refusing recruitment from the Lord's family."
One could easily be called insolent for turning down demands from above. Leonore said the same applied to the exclusive retainers I planned to take with me.
"We cannot predict who might make what unreasonable demands. It would be wise to distribute these while Rozemyne is still here, so that everyone is informed."
In addition to the charms distributed to the commoners, it seemed wise to have my retainers carry items bearing my crest. These would also help when asserting that they were my exclusive retainers in the central city.
"Since the adoption into the Aub's family will be dissolved, they need Rozemyne's crest, not Ehrenfest's crest."
"My crest already exists."
I could simply use the crest of the Mine Workshop. That was my own crest, unchanged even after the dissolution of the adoption. A crest bearing the books and ink I longed for, the Plant Paper ingredients of trees and flowers, and the hair ornament — something
"What should I engrave the crest onto?"
"I think something one can wear every day would be best. A ring or necklace, something not easily taken by others, would be ideal."
...Not easily taken... Well, that is important, I suppose.
"The material I am most accustomed to working with is magic stone. If I engrave the crest the same way I carved the magic circles into the charms, would that work?"
"Yes, I think so. What you should be careful about is the size of the magic stones. I expect you intend to make identical ones for all your retainers and exclusive workers, but there need to be differences based on the distinction between commoners and nobles, and between the exclusive workers themselves and their families. If they are heading to the central city, there will be people scrutinizing them closely."
I nodded at Leonore's observation. Honestly, I thought it was a hassle... but such distinctions were important to nobles.
"Rozemyne, if you are distributing these to the retainers remaining in Ehrenfest, please do not forget about me either."
Judith spoke up, so I gave a wry smile and agreed.
"Since I am only engraving crests onto magic stones, it will not take much time. Let me finish quickly. Fran, please contact the
...I need to give these to
Humming to myself, I entered the hidden room and selected magic stones for my retainers, exclusive workers, and their respective families. The stones for the retainers remaining in Ehrenfest — Philine, Damuel, and Judith — should be sufficient.
As for the
Hugo's family would remain in Ehrenfest, but Ela's mother had chosen to move with us. Apparently, after Ela had her child, she would help take care of it so Ela could return to work as soon as possible. She had wanted to quit her job as a serving girl, so this move was a godsend.
...The sizes and quantities should be fine like this, right?
I took out my writing tablet and, while staring intently at my elaborate and somewhat complex crest, transformed my Stappe into a stylus and began copying the crest onto magic paper using Magic Power. After completing the first one, I looked at the number of magic stones I had prepared and let out a sigh. Drawing the same crest over and over was exhausting. Magic circles contained text and symbols, so slight distortions did not affect their function. But a crest was purely an image. The tiniest imperfection stood out painfully.
"If only I could copy and paste this crest... Back when I used my tablet, I could define a range by tapping a start point and an end point with my finger. Can't I do that here?"
Without thinking much about it, relying on my instincts from the Urano era, I tapped the surface of the magic paper twice with my fingertip to specify the start and end points. My Magic Power spread out thinly, and the range I had imagined was designated by that power.
"Wait — did that work?!"
A pale yellow glow of Magic Power hovered over the magic paper. This might mean I could actually copy and paste right now. Trembling with excitement, I gazed at the section that had been designated.
"Could I actually copy and paste this as is? Should I do it? ...Alright. 'Copy and paste!'"
With all my concentration, I moved my finger while staring at the designated section. The crest split in two — one staying in its original position, the other following my finger's movement. Then, tapping the blank area to mark the destination with a little tap, a second crest appeared there.
"Amazing! Isn't this incredibly useful?!"
Riding the high, I proceeded to copy and paste as many as I needed. Once I engraved the pasted crests onto the magic stones with Magic Power, they would be complete. While I was at it, I also channeled Magic Power into separate stones to reshape them, creating loops so strings or chains could be threaded through. This way, even commoners could wear them easily.
"It was done in no time at all."
I stared at the magic stones bearing my crest, scattered across the floor before me. If I used this copy-paste, making transcriptions would become so much easier. If everyone used copy-paste, we could multiply the number of books in rapid succession. With this, I would not have to fear marrying Prince
"Everyone, we have a transcription project! I am a genius! Yahoo!"
Buzzing with excitement, I left the workshop to share my century-defining discovery with everyone. But for some reason, I could not copy and paste from ordinary paper. The Magic Power range designation only worked with magic ink written on magic paper.
Oh no! I can't use it for transcriptions! The transcription project for everyone vanished in an instant!
While I was at it, when I tried to show everyone, I also realized that the incantation I had registered the first time I used it was wrong. No one else had noticed, so there was nothing to be done. In
Ahhhhh! I messed up. I know better than anyone! The correct incantation is "Copy and pettan"!
Regardless, it was done. I distributed the freshly minted crest-embedded magic stones to Judith, Damuel, and Philine, who were present.
"This bears my crest. I am told it will be effective to show it if anyone tries to command you to serve another after I am gone."
"I am most grateful. ...I believe you should also consider distributing these crest stones to
At Damuel's words, I promised that if Hartmut and the others brought their own magic stones, I would engrave the crests on those as well.
Three days after the crest-embedded magic stones were completed, Corina arrived at the Temple from the Gilberta Company with Tuuli and a tailor in tow.
"These are for the exclusive workers and their families who will accompany me during my transfer. I had them made because, apparently, it is necessary to prevent Ehrenfest from poaching them and to make it clear who they serve at our destination. Here are the ones for my exclusive attendant Tuuli and
"Rozemyne, this is..."
Tuuli looked like she wanted to say I was being too favoritistic. I shifted my gaze from her to Corina and smiled.
"Corina, when the other tailors accompanying us have been decided, please let me know. I will prepare theirs as well. I have already given them to my exclusive cook and his family, and to my exclusive musicians."
"Understood."
Corina smiled and nodded. Tuuli, realizing she was not the only one receiving this, looked visibly relieved. I stared at Tuuli's braids. With her hair worn down, this would be the last time I would see her like this. After the coming-of-age ceremony at the end of summer, she would be an adult woman and wear her hair up.
...She's pretty well-endowed too. And I'm still flat.
My body, which had stopped growing again due to the magic paper preparation and the Magic Power compression for Entwicken in autumn, would need another adjustment. Once I finished the magic paper and Entwicken, I planned to dilute my Magic Power once more.
...If the coming-of-age ceremony is approaching, it probably means they'll be deciding on marriage partners soon? Tuuli getting married... Marriage, huh... I don't know who the partner is, but I feel something like dread! My Tuuli getting married!
I let my imagination run wild, stewed in frustration, and mentally punched the man who would become Tuuli's husband. If he's going to take my Tuuli away, let me at least land one punch! The thought arose in me with all the protectiveness of a father.
"...Rozemyne, is something wrong?"
"N-no. I was just lost in thought for a moment. I will leave the hair ornament design to Tuuli, as I always have. Please use the finest thread to make it. I want Tuuli's hair ornament to last a long time."
I wanted her to make something of such quality that it could still be worn even after I became the King's adopted daughter. It would be heartbreaking to have to surrender it because it no longer matched one's rank.
"Tuuli's coming-of-age ceremony is almost here, isn't it? Are her clothing and hair ornament ready?"
"Yes. I made the clothing with my mother during winter, and the hair ornament myself. So rather than leaving from my family home, I will be attending the ceremony from the Gilberta Company."
The clothing and hair ornament were probably too elaborate to be shown off from the family home in the slums. I was to meet Father and Mother in front of the Temple. It had been a long time, and it seemed I would be able to see their faces at the entrance again.
...I'm getting excited!
"I will send an especially large blessing for Tuuli."
"Please keep it the same as for everyone. Showing too much favoritism is not appropriate. At the recent Star Festival, there was already talk in town that the High Priest's blessings were unevenly distributed because of the Gutenberg wedding."
...Ugh. It was only a little more than the others!
At any rate, I had been warned to keep it the same. If I let my feelings dictate my blessings, there would undoubtedly be bias. I really needed to come up with a proper countermeasure.
I worked on the magic paper preparation in the Library workshop bit by bit, while asking my retainers about blessing countermeasures.
"Adjusting the amount of Magic Power used for blessings? What on earth for?"
I set aside Hartmut and
"It is difficult for someone like me, who blesses on impulse, to hold back, but it is also important that the blessings be of a level that serves as a proper example for the blue-ranked apprentices who will be observing."
"What about using a magic stone for the blessing? I recall that at the Starbinding Ceremony held at the border gate with
Thanks to Cornelius's observation, I remembered that at Brother
"If you demonstrate blessing using a magic stone, I believe Melchior could do the same. Rozemyne, you are doing it due to Magic Power restrictions, and Melchior, to deliver a blessing similar to Rozemyne's — the purposes are different, but by using a magic stone, would it not be possible to regulate the amount of blessing?"
Cornelius's and Leonore's words made my eyes light up. By using a magic stone, I could fulfill Tuuli's wish, offer a solution to Melchior who was struggling with how to deliver a comparable blessing, and serve as a model for the blue-ranked apprentices without any mishaps. It was perfect.
"Wonderful! Let us use magic stones."
Then, on the day of the summer coming-of-age ceremony, I handed the magic stone to Hartmut as he entered the prayer room ahead of me. He had practiced the blessing several times, and the stone was finely calibrated. With this, the amount of blessing should be no problem.
"I simply need to hand over this magic stone at the time of the blessing, correct?"
After reviewing the flow of the ceremony with Hartmut, I watched him enter the prayer room. Melchior, who had been watching the blue-ranked Priests file in for the ceremony, murmured, "This is my first time participating in a ceremony, so I am a little nervous."
"Oh, you are only observing today, so there is no need to be that nervous."
Today was also the day for the blue-ranked apprentices to observe the ceremony. Since they were only watching, the apprentices in their ceremonial blue attire stood in a line against the side wall. As long as they did not cause a disturbance, that would be fine.
"But when I think about performing a ceremony myself at the Harvest Festival, I cannot help but feel nervous."
At Melchior's words, the blue-ranked apprentices nodded in unison. It was clear they were on edge, unwilling to fail at the autumn Harvest Festival. On top of the cold stares they already received as children of criminals, they could not afford to make mistakes.
"Nervousness is important, but if you are tense from now, your bodies will not hold up. Today, all you need to do is avoid causing a commotion. Please relax your shoulders."
Even after my words, their tension had not eased much. They were trying to put on their usual smiles, but their faces were stiff as they entered the prayer room with Melchior leading the way.
After seeing them all off, after a short while, the announcement came: "High Priest, entering."
I entered the prayer room holding the Holy Book. The first person I sought on the dais was Tuuli. To be precise, nothing else came into my vision. Tuuli, meeting my gaze, gave a soft chuckle and tilted her head ever so slightly to the side.
...Squee! Tuuli, you're beautiful!
The teal hair that used to hang in braids down her back was now gathered up. And her lips were touched with rouge. That alone transformed Tuuli into an adult woman in an instant. Perhaps it was because the hair at her sides had been braided. Her hairstyle appeared more elaborate than those of the women around her.
Adorning Tuuli's hair was a hair ornament of her own making. Since it was crafted by Tuuli's improved hands, it looked the most beautiful among all the women at the ceremony. And since two were tucked in from either side, they were very eye-catching. The ornament itself was not at all showy. It featured many small flowers, giving off an elegant impression.
The colors used in those flowers were the same as those of the first hair ornament I had prepared for Tuuli's
Her blue Festive Clothing was a simple blue dress, chosen so it would not stand out in the lower town and so she could continue wearing it in the future. But unlike the others around her, whose garments were embroidered with single-color patterns, it used fabric Mother had dyed. Since it was designed to suit Tuuli, the flower patterns and colors differed from the clothing I had, but the same gradient was used. It gave a subtle matching feel, which made me happy.
Tuuli's fingers moved to her chest. There, the crest-embedded magic stone I had just given her was glowing. I had given her a blue stone to match her birth season, but it blended in with her dress and was hard to see.
...Aah, I'm going to cry. I'm so happy.
To hold back my tears, I turned my gaze to the surroundings. I spotted a pink head. That was probably
Deliberately pulling my attention away from Tuuli, I performed the coming-of-age ceremony. I received the magic stone from Hartmut and bestowed the blessing.
"O Fire God
Blue light shot from the magic stones and rained down as blessings upon the new adults. Just as Tuuli had requested, it was a ceremony with blessings equal in measure to everyone else's. Tuuli looked up at the descending light of blessing with visible relief, and then turned toward me with a smile that said, "Well done."
...I did it!
When the ceremony concluded, the doors of the prayer room opened. Beyond them, as expected, were Father and Mother. Camill, who had not yet completed his Baptism Ceremony, was naturally left at home as the babysitter.
As I was thinking what a shame that was, Father and Mother both held up the crest-embedded magic stones hanging from leather cords around their necks, beaming. Father's wide grin as he said, "We'll keep up with you, don't worry" was unmistakable.
Moving the entire family was my selfishness. There were people who knew about the relationship between me and my family — Hartmut had uncovered it, after all. It was possible others could dig it up too. If I left them in Ehrenfest, there was no telling how they might be used. I did not know what I would do if my family was exploited, so I had them move within my reach. It was my selfishness, but my family had accepted it as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Happiness and love swirled in my chest, and my Magic Power surged. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. A flood of blue light — blessings of a quantity incomparable to the ceremony — came pouring down.
"What — what is this?!"
The new adults who had just exited through the door spun around in alarm, and the Priests who had begun cleaning up gasped, "Whoa?!" The blue-ranked apprentices standing along the wall stared at the light of blessing with their mouths agape.
Tuuli whipped around, and her gaze burned. Her blue eyes wordlessly screamed, "What do you think you're doing, Mine?!"
...I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!
Panicking, I racked my brain for an excuse, but my completely blank mind could not produce anything worthwhile.
"A-a bonus blessing... Ah, no, that is not it. I wanted to show the observing blue-ranked apprentices an example of bestowing a blessing without using a magic stone... Ha ha ha ha..."
"What a splendid example, Rozemyne-neesama."
Hartmut's words, delivered with a look of genuine admiration, probably did not reassure anyone present. Father and Mother were trying to suppress their laughter, but Tuuli's face remained fearsome.
I failed at the very last moment, and Tuuli's coming-of-age ceremony came to an end.