Starting from the day after the social gathering, the lectures would begin, so as soon as they returned, everyone began studying desperately.
"This year, it has been pre-notified that the lecture content will change significantly, so the students of
"Ehrenfest has always studied the old lecture content as well. There should be nothing to fear."
After finishing their discussion about the Dedication Ritual,
"
To avoid disturbing everyone who was studying, I took Angelica and Lieseleta back to my room and sent off my orduanz. To
From Solange, I received the reply: "Please come for the registration at lunchtime two days from now." And from Eglantine: "I would like to have a detailed conversation about what will happen at the Dedication Ritual after the Lord Candidate course lecture."
...How on earth would I know what's going to happen? What should I reply?
The next morning, after breakfast, they reviewed until the last minute, and the students headed off to the first day's lectures.
My grade had classroom lectures in the morning and practicals in the afternoon. The morning classroom lectures went smoothly, and everyone passed. While many territories were confused by the curriculum changes, the higher-ranked territories seemed to have many students who had studied diligently.
The afternoon practical was potion making, and the assignment was to brew a slightly more potent healing potion. I also used time-shortening magic to finish my brewing quickly. Compared to the magic paper making I had done on
As I finished brewing early and looked around the classroom in a relaxed mood, I could see everyone gradually getting the hang of it. In particular, many of the scholar apprentices were skilled because they had more opportunities to brew.
"Just by looking around, you can immediately tell who the scholar apprentices are. Their hand movements are different."
"
Hannalore, who was carefully cutting herbs, looked at me with a wry smile.
"Oh my, Lady Hannalore. I am a scholar as well, you know. So it's not surprising that I'm skilled at brewing."
"Normal Lord Candidates don't make healing potions or create magical tools on their own, Rozemyne."
Wilfried, who continued to handle his herbs with his usual clumsiness, said this while gripping a knife. Seeing that Hannalore's technique was about the same, it was clear that Lord Candidates didn't do much brewing.
"Lord
If it were Ferdinand, he would have already disqualified someone for their ingredient preparation. At my words, Wilfried groaned "Mmm..." while glaring at his knife.
The next day's classroom lectures were cleared without difficulty as well. Perhaps because my retainers were teaching, the first-years also seemed to be passing with comparatively high scores.
Today at lunch, since it was the day to register the new students at the library, I hurried through my meal and headed to the library with the first-years and my student retainers. Since the library registration had absolutely nothing to do with the Dedication Ritual, the adult retainers were left behind in the dormitory.
"Doesn't Rozemyne-sama love the library? And there are the white and black Schwartz, right? I heard from my older sister."
"They are adorable, but many defensive magic spells have been set up to prevent them from being taken away without permission. Please be careful not to touch Schwartz and the others carelessly."
After warning the new students, I inserted the wooden tag Solange had sent and opened the door, heading into the library. As usual, Schwartz and the others greeted us in the corridor before the door to the reading room, along with Solange.
"It's been a while, Lady Solange."
"I'm glad to see you well, Rozemyne-sama."
As I exchanged greetings with Solange, Schwartz and the others surrounded me. As always, they were adorable.
"Princess, you came."
"Princess, it's been a while."
"It's been a while for you too, Schwartz and Weiss. ...Is Lady Ortansia in her office?"
As I walked toward the office with Solange, I asked, and Solange made a very troubled expression.
"Ortansia doesn't seem to be feeling well and is bedridden, I hear."
"Lady Ortansia's room is in the library, isn't it? That's why...?"
It's strange that the room where the Librarian stays is in the library, yet the information is only hearsay. As I tilted my head, Solange slowly shook hers.
"Ortansia was called back to the central residence by her husband in the middle of summer. She was healthy at that time. However, before the
The Royal Academy is deep in snow and can't be called a healthy environment. I hope Ortansia rests well, since it would be troublesome if she couldn't recuperate because she was worried about work.
"Since the end of autumn... that's quite a long time, isn't it? I hope she's already recovered and is simply holding back from work to observe her condition."
"Yes, indeed. I'm worried, but since it's the time when the Royal Academy starts, I can't even go visit her. Let's believe she'll recover soon."
Solange smiled a somewhat lonely smile, as if missing the fact that she was once again the only Librarian, and proceeded with registering the new students. In the meantime, I stepped out of the office and entered the reading room.
"Schwartz, are there any new books?"
"Over here."
Following Schwartz's guidance, I looked through the bookshelves. There were new additions among the reference books. While looking through the reading room, I caught sight of the door to the restricted section, and I remembered how Ortansia had said something to Dietlinde during the lord's conference.
"In the end, what was the Schlatttraum flower? Ferdinand said in his reply letter that he would look into it, but there's been nothing since."
Ferdinand might be too busy for that. While I was thinking about such things,
"Well then, I'll be back again."
"Yes. You have a major religious ritual this year, don't you? I'm sure it will be difficult, but I'm rooting for you. If you have time, please drop by the library again."
"Yes."
Smiling happily at Solange's encouragement, I went to leave the library, but Schwartz and the others stopped me.
"Princess, we want magic power."
"Ortansia is not here."
"Ah, now that you mention it, I haven't been able to supply any magic power since the Royal Academy started. Rozemyne-sama, I'm terribly sorry to ask, but would you be willing to supply us?"
The magic stone Solange had left with Ortansia apparently had no more power. I stroked the magic stones on Schwartz and the others' foreheads while supplying magic power, and looked at Solange.
"Lady Solange, since Lady Ortansia is not here, I think it would be better to ask the library committee to arrange for magic power supply through the royals. I'll be away from Ehrenfest for a long time this year."
"You're right. Let me contact Prince
I was relieved to see Solange's mood brighten slightly, and left the library.
Today's afternoon practical was music. Just like last year, it involved playing an assigned piece and a free piece.
During my time at the Temple,
"...Lady Pauline, what is it?"
"The blessings are lacking compared to last year, Rozemyne-sama."
"Eh? I wasn't told blessings were necessary..."
Unlike last year's lectures, the Schtappe had been strengthened during the shrine visit at the lord's conference, so blessings no longer flew out on their own. I couldn't reveal those behind-the-scenes details, but I hadn't been told that blessings were needed for a music exam.
"If I play seriously while praying, wouldn't that become a blessing? With the joint research with Klassenburg and Frebelterg to raise awareness about the importance of religious rituals, it would be troubling if Rozemyne-sama's prayers were insufficient."
Being told to play with blessings, I held the FeSchpiel again with a feeling of unease. Pouring magic power into my ring while playing the FeSchpiel, I sang while offering prayers to the gods. Since the song was dedicated to the Water Goddess, the green light of blessings overflowed.
"It was a splendid performance. I'm sure
Pauline gave me a pass with a satisfied smile, but I became extremely anxious about what lay ahead.
...Wait. Is this going to happen at the Dedication Dance too?
Finishing the music practical, I returned to my room in the dormitory. The student retainers were studying in the multipurpose hall, so only Lieseleta, Leonore, and Angelica were here. I consulted my retainers about being told to use blessings during the music practical and how the same might be demanded at the Dedication Dance.
"If the instructors are requesting it, wouldn't it be fine to offer blessings? It would be easier than holding back, wouldn't it?"
"I don't think there would be a problem as long as it doesn't burden Rozemyne-sama, but is something worrying you?"
At Lieseleta's and Leonore's words, I lowered my gaze slightly.
"It doesn't sit right with me that I'm the only one being asked to do something no other student is being asked to do in a lecture."
It's not that there's a burden, but I can't accept that the pass or fail of a lecture could depend on whether I, specifically, produce blessings. I'm already the center of attention—wouldn't this make me stand out even more?
"Rather, couldn't it be that this is being done specifically to make Rozemyne-sama stand out?"
"Leonore?"
"Unlike the other students, by publicly showing that you are special in a visible way, it might make it easier for those around you to accept that Rozemyne-sama has become the king's adopted daughter."
I was about to be convinced by Leonore's words for a moment, but then I quickly shook my head. The royals had said this would be handled secretly. I couldn't imagine they would leak information to the Royal Academy instructors. Since many instructors had deep ties to their home territories, the secret would be no secret at all.
"The reasons and purposes can be explained away however they want, so it wouldn't be strange for the royals to be pulling strings behind the scenes. And if the information is only partially suppressed, it also explains why people from other territories were acting as though they were certain about entering the Central Temple."
According to Leonore, at the Dedication Ritual briefing, Eglantine had wanted me to perform the religious ritual all three times, and it seemed the goal was to make me appear special.
"Since Rozemyne-sama is entering the royal family through unconventional means, being treated as special could actually work in your favor when it comes to warding off jealousy and resentment."
After being explained that there was an enormous difference between others thinking, "She's not that different from us, so why her?" versus thinking, "Well, if it's her, then I suppose it can't be helped," I was convinced.
"If things are moving in a good direction, then that's fine. I'll do some reading until dinner."
"Please wait a moment, Rozemyne-sama. Before reading, please look at this."
Lieseleta smoothly produced a wooden box.
"I received this from
The wooden box and letter had already been inspected to check for anything suspicious. When I opened the lid, inside were what looked like red, green, and yellow magic stones in a small glass jar, a small tube with a string attached, and a letter.
"According to the letter, it's a share of the sweets and toys that Lady Letizia received from Lanzanave. They're items that can only be used once, but they're described as being very beautiful. She hopes everyone in Ehrenfest will enjoy them."
It seemed she was very happy with the sweets and dishes I had sent, and Ferdinand, saying "She likes unusual things so she'll be pleased," had decided to share them with us.
"Lord Ferdinand also wrote some information about
"Thank you very much, Lieseleta."
"As Head Attendant, I'll assign duties to the two of you—your sister will guard the door, and Leonore, I'd like you to assist Cornelius as a teacher for the first-years."
As Head Attendant, Lieseleta assigned work to the two of them and began tidying up the FeSchpiel and study materials I had used for the lectures.
I hugged the wooden box and entered the secret room, then read the letter. At a glance, Letizia's letter contained exactly what Lieseleta had described. The magic-stone-like objects were colorful candy, and the small tube apparently contained something like a cracker. When you pull the string, sparkly beautiful things are supposed to fly out. Ferdinand, curious about the mechanism, had apparently taken one for himself.
...That mad scientist is hopeless!
Letizia had written that "in exchange for the toys, I had my assignments reduced a bit," so she hadn't simply had to accept it, which put me slightly at ease. Letizia must be getting used to Ferdinand by now.
"Well then, what does Lord Ferdinand's letter say?"
It contained information about how the foundation had been dyed before the Royal Academy started. Because of that, Ferdinand had registered his magic power and begun supplying magic power to the foundation. Letizia had also begun practicing supply using magic stones. Lanzanave had returned at the end of autumn, and they had been able to close the boundary gate. He also wrote about wanting to purchase the recipe for the dish I had sent for the inter-duchy tournament.
"...There's nothing written about the gedurlih question. Was it not that big of a deal?"
There were no glowing words when I touched it. I felt both relieved and slightly uneasy that there had been no follow-up.
...Hmm, I feel like he's going to confront me directly when we meet at the inter-duchy tournament.
"Well, I'll just ask him then, right? No matter how much I think about it, I can't figure out what Ferdinand means by using gedurlih. 'I know about my gedurlih, so what are you planning to do, Lord Ferdinand? Your explanation is completely insufficient!'"
Nodding to myself in agreement, I wrote my reply. On the front, in addition to a thank-you to Letizia, I wrote, "My recipes are expensive, you know. I look forward to our business negotiations." On the back, using glowing ink, I wrote, "What are you scheming by volunteering to take on the magic power supply?"
The next day's classroom lectures went smoothly as well. The practical was potion making, and we were to create a medicine that makes it easier for magic power to flow. In the front of the classroom, the brewing steps were projected onto a white cloth as
"It's used to make it easier to synchronize when verifying the testimonies of criminals who have obtained the Aub's permission."
It was the same medicine I'd been forced to drink when peering into memories. I at least knew the purpose of a medicine that had been used on me. When I answered with complete confidence, Hirschur made a very conflicted expression.
"...Another special case has appeared."
"Special? ...Was there another use for it?"
As I tilted my head, the surrounding students were looking at me with recoiling expressions, saying "Huh?" Their eyes eloquently said, "What are you talking about?" and "How don't you know?" Hirschur let out an exasperated sigh and explained.
"This medicine is generally used by married couples to dye each other's magic power, Rozemyne-sama. There's no way a medicine with such special circumstances—requiring an Aub's permission—would be taught in a common lecture."
...Oh no. But I've never heard about that use from Lord Ferdinand!
It seemed this was a medicine whose recipe was taught as a future necessity. Since Ferdinand had taught me, I knew how to make it. But I didn't know about the general use.
...You should have taught me the common use, you idiot Ferdinand!
Cursing Ferdinand in my mind, I quickly completed the brewing. Since it was a medicine even lower-ranking nobles used, the brewing itself was simple.
"Your brewing is perfect, Rozemyne-sama, but you really do have some curious gaps in your knowledge."
"Please take that up with my teacher. ...More importantly, why do married couples need a medicine like this to dye each other? When exactly do they use it?"
As I submitted the finished medicine and asked Hirschur, she made a rare troubled expression and pressed her forehead, saying, "Lord Ferdinand really is..." Since no one else seemed close to finishing their brewing yet, Hirschur resignedly humored my question.
"First of all, nobles are born inheriting the magic power attributes of their parents. You know that, right?"
"Yes. And then the birth-season attributes are added as well, right? The attributes you're born with are called affinities, and you can confirm your affinities with the
As I answered from memory, Hirschur nodded with satisfaction, saying, "That's correct."
"Even if you let magic power flow, it won't mix on its own. It will repel magic power from anyone other than yourself. The closer the blood relation, the less the repulsion—but did you know that?"
When Ferdinand had flowed magic power into me during the Trombe subjugation, it had been painful, and Ferdinand had said he used that repulsion to seal wounds. Also, the divine tool of the Sea Goddess that Hannalore could handle was a copy made by flowing magic power from a parent, but when I had tried to copy it, she had screamed.
I nodded triumphantly, "Yes. I've experienced it." Hirschur paused for a moment, blinked several times, then murmured, "Experienced...?" Did I say something strange?
"I'll stop probing with deeper questions. In short, to accept someone else's magic power that can't be accepted as-is, you use this medicine to make it easier to be dyed. A drink containing this medicine is generally consumed before entering the bridal chamber."
And apparently, as mental preparation to accept this magic power, when becoming engaged, couples exchange magic stones containing each other's magic power and wear them to let them seep into their skin. Unlike amulets, the magic stones exchanged at engagement supposedly let magic power seep out gently.
"I see. This is the first I've learned... Wait, huh?"
...Hold on? Am I... not dyed by Lord Ferdinand's magic power?
Hirschur had called it a special use, but I must have been given that medicine by Ferdinand when he peeked into my memories. We're both Self-Eating who didn't inherit a parent's magic power attributes, but the reason
...Am I, no joke, unable to get married!? In terms of magic power!
"Um, Lady Hirschur. Pardon the intrusion, but is that medicine used only once? Once you've been dyed by your partner's magic power, does it stay that way?"
As I asked in a daze, Hirschur made an exasperated expression.
"What are you saying? Even if you use the medicine and become slightly dyed, over time your magic power will gradually return to its original color. When new magic power is created within you, it's your original magic power that's produced."
Even married couples who are madly in love dye each other and have very similar magic power, but the other's influence gradually fades. During pregnancy, it's said to be good to flow magic power as frequently as possible to bring the child's magic power closer to the father's. The reason it's not good for a wife to take additional wives during pregnancy likely has something to do with that.
"I see. If it returns to normal over time, there's no problem. That's a relief. By the way, how do you flow the magic power after drinking the medicine?"
When I asked casually, Hirschur made an extremely pained expression. After pressing her temples, she let out a deep sigh.
"...Rozemyne-sama, please save questions like that for Lady
...Ah, so it's about sex education. Come to think of it, she did say "before entering the bridal chamber." I thought there might be some noble-specific rituals or exchanges, but it turns out it's essentially about that.
I was convinced immediately, but it apparently wasn't something to boldly ask about in the front of the classroom. I could see the students in the room with indescribably awkward and embarrassed expressions. Some who hadn't finished their brewing couldn't even come forward to submit their work, and I could tell they were in a terrible bind.
...S-sorry. I'll be more careful in the future.
The lectures have begun.
Ortansia's absence, a letter from Ahrensbach and a share of sweets and toys.
Various new facts come to light as Rozemyne secures her passing grades.
Next is Part 2. The Lord Candidate lectures begin as well.