The Contents of the Leather Pouch and Camille's Baptism Ceremony

Since the leather pouch had a double bottom, simply opening it and peering inside from the top wouldn't reveal what was hidden within. I'd need to cut through the bottom to retrieve whatever was concealed, so I summoned my staff, chanted "Messer," and flooded the knife with a generous amount of Magic Power.

This leather pouch was made from leather that didn't conduct magic. It was crafted from the hide of a magical beast with the natural ability to repel any Magic Power other than its own. In that regard, it was similar to silver cloth — but while a weapon forged from a staff that channeled Magic Power stronger than the beast's could cut through it, silver cloth blocked all Magic Power regardless of strength and could only be cut by an ordinary metal blade. There was a significant difference between the two.

"Will this spot keep the contents from getting damaged?"

I ran the knife's edge as close to the rim of the pouch as possible. With the extra Magic Power I'd poured into it, the blade sliced through with just a light, gliding touch.

"Rechen."

I released the staff's transformation and dismissed it, then my heart pounding, I reached into the cut. What on earth had Ferdinand hidden inside this? My fingers brushed against something crumbly. When I pulled it out, I found an oval-shaped lump about five centimeters across, wrapped in white paper. There was also a small, folded note.

I set the white lump on the table and unfolded the note first. It was Ferdinand's handwriting — he must have written it in a hurry, because the characters were quite messy.

"What's this, what's this? 'The contents of this paper are the name stone of one called Quinta. I will come to retrieve it at some point, so please do not touch it and keep it in your hidden room where no one else's hands can reach it...' Hmm. I can't just leave it sitting around like this — it'd be too pitiful for Quinta if I didn't at least accept it properly."

Why would he entrust it to me instead of receiving the name himself? ...The moment I thought that, I remembered whose name Quinta was.

"Ah! Wait — Quinta was Ferdinand's name!? Huh? Huh? Then this means... this is Ferdinand's name stone? Hold on. Why did he write about it as if it belonged to someone else...?"

Why hadn't he hidden it in his own room at the mansion where he kept his belongings? Why didn't he manage such an important item himself? Why was it hidden at the bottom of the leather pouch that held the recording Magical Tool? And if he had no one to pledge his name to, why had he even created a name stone in the first place? Question after question flooded my mind.

"Could it be that he'd already pledged his name to someone, but it was returned? Hmm... I can't quite picture Ferdinand pledging his name to anyone, but if he'd made a name stone, that might be the most likely explanation..."

I didn't fully understand the circumstances, but it seemed to be a fact that he'd needed to create a name stone, and that it was now sitting right in front of me.

When he'd given me this leather pouch, Ferdinand hadn't yet obtained his hidden room in Ahrensbach. He probably hadn't had anywhere safe to hide it. Was it dangerous for him to keep it on his person as well? Were there no other people he could entrust it to? And why did it have to be me, of all people?

"Could it be that Ferdinand actually trusts me? No, that's hard to believe. There's no way he could have predicted that I'd learn his real name from Lady Eavermine, so more likely, he figured I wouldn't bother touching the name stone of someone I didn't know. ...Yeah, that actually makes sense."

Looking at the paper-wrapped lump, I felt a complicated mix of emotions. If he couldn't even keep his own stone close to him, just how dangerous a place was Ahrensbach?

"I mean, what am I supposed to do with this kind of responsibility..."

It was such a fragile-looking lump that it rolled away at the slightest nudge of my finger. And inside it was a magic stone that held the power of life and death over Ferdinand.

"I now know that Ferdinand's name was Quinta, and if I wanted to steal his name, I could do it easily, you know? ...Well, I'm not prepared to bear the weight of Ferdinand's life, so I'll just leave it as it is."

I couldn't accept anyone's name without the resolve to carry that burden. Besides, there was a note telling me not to touch it. All I needed to do was hold onto it as a caretaker until Ferdinand came to retrieve it. I pretended I'd never seen it, and slipped the paper-wrapped lump back inside the leather pouch.

Unable to casually pick up anyone's stone, I was probably doing exactly what Ferdinand had intended. I felt like I was being manipulated by him all over again. There was a tiny sting of frustration, but the thought that he must have at least some degree of trust in me to entrust something this important meant I wasn't particularly angry.

...Fine, I'll hold onto it for you. But you'd better come pick it up soon.

After that, I threw myself into making combat-specialized Schmils and Magical Tools that could be used in battle, called on everyone at the orphanage to run evacuation drills, and registered library information with Adlet — and the days slipped by.

In the end, I created three combat-specialized Schmils capable of countering both magical and physical attacks. They were meant to guard the Temple's three Gates, each fitted with a magic stone that would allow the gatekeeper to identify its master.

According to Hartmut, who had helped me create the Schmils, "These Magical Tools require rare, high-quality materials and a creator who possesses all elements, so very few people can make them." Hartmut and Clarissa had gained all elements after pledging their names to me, and Hartmut — who had reacquired his blessings and obtained his patron deity's blessing — could barely manage it, but Clarissa had too few elements and couldn't make one.

By keeping them silent and specializing their functions, I'd succeeded in conserving a fair amount of Magic Power, so while making them was one thing, at least running them required very little. I thought it was perfect, but apparently my definition of "little" was different from everyone else's, because I was told, "They're useful, sure, but don't activate them outside of emergencies." They were to be stationed at the Gates alongside the gatekeepers and only activated when someone arrived at the Temple's Gates or when a distress signal to the Knights' Order was raised at the lower city's Gate.

As I shut myself in the workshop and worked on my concoctions, winter's Coming of Age Ceremony came to an end and spring's Baptism Ceremony drew near. Camille would be coming to the Temple for this ceremony. It was the Baptism Ceremony of Camille, whom I hadn't been able to see in so long. Naturally, I was excited.

"I will conduct the spring Baptism Ceremony."

"Sister Rozemyne, shouldn't you try to stay out of the public eye as much as possible? I'll do my best. I managed the winter Coming of Age Ceremony just fine, and..."

Melchior had indeed performed the winter Coming of Age Ceremony splendidly using a magic stone filled with Magic Power. That in itself was very impressive. I could see how much he'd grown, and as his sister, I was incredibly proud. But I had no intention of yielding the spring Baptism Ceremony. I was the one who would bestow the blessing at Camille's ceremony.

"...This will be the last ceremony I can perform in Ehrenfest. Please, Melchior. I'm asking you — let me do this."

"Sister Rozemyne's last ceremony, is it?"

"Yes. Before I leave, I want to give one final blessing to the commoners of Ehrenfest."

I pushed my Saint-of-Ehrenfest image to the forefront and desperately tried to convince both Melchior and Hartmut. After pleading with my adoptive father as well, I won the right to perform my final ceremony as High Priest at the spring Baptism Ceremony.

"Thinking that this is the last time we'll dress Lady Rozemyne in her ceremony attire makes me feel so lonely."

Monica and Nicola said this as they dressed me in my ceremony attire. Since I'd been wearing ceremony robes at the Temple while my everyday clothes were being altered, the two of them had no hesitation when it came to dressing me. Considering how they'd struggled for a while to properly fit the robes to my grown body, I thought they must have gotten used to it by now.

"I wonder if Philine's ceremony attire has been fitted?"

"Wilma handled that. Since Lady Philine is a blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice, I think she should be heading to the worship chamber soon."

Philine, who had to attend the dedication ritual and from now on would be acting as a blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice, had been given my old ceremony attire from when I was a blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice myself. It had been altered, and apparently the length was adjusted nicely. It still had the Mine Workshop crest on it, but she'd told me it was fine as-is, so I'd left it.

"Your preparations are complete, Lady Rozemyne."

"Then let us go."

I was led by Fran toward the worship chamber. Having grown taller, my walking pace was naturally faster too. But it seemed to be a habit, because Fran kept glancing back to check the speed. His gaze kept landing at the height of my head when I was small. When he realized this and raised his eyes to match mine, he smiled a little sadly. "I suppose I no longer need to adjust my pace to yours."

Because I'd grown up, and because I'd be leaving Ehrenfest soon. The two layers of meaning in Fran's words stung at the bridge of my nose.

"...It's hard to part, isn't it?"

"Today is Lady Rozemyne's final ceremony. Please, see with your own eyes the changes that Lady Rozemyne has brought about."

"The changes I brought about?"

Fran stopped before the doors to the worship chamber and turned around slowly.

"The grays, who had been confined to the orphanage as unnecessary people, have gained employment, gained meals, and become people who support Ehrenfest's industries. The commoners who used to visit the Temple halfheartedly have begun to pray in earnest, knowing that true blessings are bestowed here. For various reasons, the Nobility have begun entering the Temple as a matter of course. With Lord Melchior becoming the next High Priest, the Lord's family has guaranteed that they will protect the Temple. And now, the Lord himself is moving to protect both the Temple and the lower city."

After Ferdinand — who had been driven to the Temple because he was despised by Veronica — and I, a commoner-born girl, departed, the fact that the Lord's own son Melchior would protect the Temple and become its High Priest carried enormous significance.

"High Priest, enter!"

Timing it with the call from inside the worship chamber, Fran opened the doors. Sent off with his gentle smile, I stepped into the worship chamber with the Holy Book in my arms.

I could see small children staring at me with wide-eyed, blank expressions. They were probably thinking, "They said the High Priest would be tiny, but she's not small at all!" Just imagining that made me a little amused.

I moved forward at a leisurely pace, but the rows of children's heads were far below my eye line, and I couldn't help but think how small and cute they all looked. The fact that I could think that so naturally drove home just how much I'd truly grown.

"Lady Rozemyne."

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Hartmut extended his hand. I was big enough now to climb the stairs even while carrying the Holy Book, but if I refused his hand, there'd be nowhere for it to go. So I handed the Holy Book to Hartmut and let him escort me up to the platform.

"...Ah."

A stepping stool was no longer needed in front of the altar, yet one had been prepared anyway. When Hartmut placed the Holy Book on the altar, he pushed the stool back with a wry smile.

Standing before the altar and surveying the worship chamber, I couldn't help but feel the truth of Fran's words. The blue-ranked apprentices, who could have chosen to live in the dormitory if they wished since they'd already entered the Noble Academy, had instead opted to remain at the Temple for the increased blessings and sense of belonging. Melchior, Melchior's attendants, and Philine stood lined up in their blue robes.

The gray priests, who had been watching the children with somewhat stern expressions during my own Baptism Ceremony, now stood with their chests puffed out in pride. The children receiving the Baptism Ceremony, too, showed none of the lax atmosphere from before — they all looked ahead with slightly nervous expressions, standing up straight.

Feeling the changes in the religious proceedings, I swept my gaze across the room searching for Camille.

...Where was Camille?

The wealthy families' children would be toward the front, so Camille had to be somewhere toward the back. I looked a bit harder, and found him relatively easily.

...That's Camille. Look, it's Camille!

He had blue hair just like Dad's, and while he carried the lively energy typical of a boy, his features looked just like Turi's from years ago. I recognized him immediately because he was standing with the neighborhood children. Thanks to the training he'd received to become an apprentice at the Plantin Company, his posture was conspicuously better than the others, and his hair — gleaming from the Rinsham — made him stand out.

...Mom's using dyed cloth instead of embroidery.

The traditional Baptism Ceremony festive clothing featured embroidery on white, but Mom had surrounded the edges with cloth she'd dyed herself. She was promoting Ehrenfest's new dyeing techniques while also making their connection to me visible. I'd like to think she'd done it so I could spot Camille immediately, even though I'd never met him face to face.

...But in a way Mom probably never intended, using dyed cloth for the border trim would likely become a trend from next year onward.

Mothers who struggled with embroidery would be thrilled to adopt dyed-cloth borders. If it were me, I'd absolutely copy it and use the excuse, "This is the new trend — the Lord's daughter's personal seamstress did it, so it's not cutting corners."

As I felt the beginning of this trend, the religious proceedings commenced. I read aloud from the Holy Book's stories, taught the children how to pray, and bestowed my blessings.

"O Water Goddess Fluträne, hear my prayer. On the occasion of these new children's birth, grant them your blessing. I offer to you their hearts' desires — offering prayers and gratitude, may they receive your divine protection."

A bit more green light of blessing overflowed than usual, but that couldn't be helped. Even so, this was several times better than what I'd pulled at the very end of Turi's Coming of Age Ceremony. Repression isn't good for your health.

...I'll just tell Melchior and the others that it was the last blessing I could give to Ehrenfest's commoners.

When the blessing was over, the doors were opened by the gray priests to let the children file out. Standing at the wide-open doors was my family. Dad, Mom, and Turi were there — and for some reason, Lutz was with them.

I could see Dad, Mom, and Lutz with their eyes wide at my grown-up appearance. Turi, who'd already seen me up close once, didn't show any surprise. If anything, she looked rather smug, as if saying, "See? I told you so!"

After their initial surprise, Mom and Dad broke into happy smiles. Not the faces of parents who found my sudden growth unsettling, but the faces of parents who were delighted by my growth. Warmth spread through my chest.

"You guys didn't have to come all the way to the front!"

Camille said with embarrassment as he hurried off with quick steps. Lutz laughed, saying "What's wrong with that?" and ruffled Camille's hair lightly before looking up and giving me a small wave. I held back the urge to wave back, letting my smile deepen instead.

...They're so far away.

Even though I knew my position — that I couldn't join the circle of family celebrating Camille's Baptism Ceremony — the distance felt unbearably far and painful.

...Even these small, distant interactions are the last ones, aren't they?

Once I went to the Royal Academy, even these little exchanges wouldn't be easy anymore. I gazed at the doors, now firmly shut after all the children had left, and let out a soft sigh.

"Lady Rozemyne, your hand."

Hartmut, who knew about my family, stayed silent and accompanied me to the very end. I placed my hand on his, descended from the platform, and left the worship chamber.

"Lady Rozemyne, we've received an ordanutz from the castle."

The guard knights waiting outside the worship chamber stood with stern expressions. Brother Cornelius stepped forward and spoke.

"They'll be discussing the dedication ritual's schedule along with Ehrenfest's defenses in a meeting of the Lord's family. They've asked that Lady Rozemyne and Lord Melchior each bring one guard knight, one scholar, and one Attendant."

It seemed they wouldn't even allow me the luxury of being sentimental over my last ceremony and my interactions with my family. I exchanged a glance with Melchior, and we each gave a single nod. We couldn't just leave the Temple easily right now. We needed to figure out who to leave behind and confirm that the Temple's defenses were sound. We couldn't put the lower city or the Temple in danger.

"I'll be taking Cornelius, Hartmut, and Lieserata to the meeting. To be prepared in case anything happens, I'll have Damuel, Angelica, Matthias, and Laurentz — four guard knights — along with Philine, the orphanage director, on standby at the Temple. Please summon Leonore and Judith for our escort to the castle."

"Yes, my lady!"

The contents of the double bottom were Quinta's name stone.

I'll pretend I never saw it and put it away.

And then, Camille's Baptism Ceremony. The last religious proceedings I would perform in Ehrenfest.

My family was overjoyed to see how much I'd grown.

Next: the Lord's family meeting.