…Where am I?
It was pitch black—or rather, there was no light. When I cautiously sat up, the feeling was different from my usual futon. The plush texture and the sensation of being completely wrapped in something made me remember my situation.
…Right. I'm in
Since male attendants came and went from the same guest room to serve as guards, I had closed the window and gone to sleep so I wouldn't show anyone my sleeping face or sleeping habits. The recovery potion I'd drunk before bed seemed to have worked well—I could tell that both my body and my Magic Power had been restored.
I'd only done washen before falling asleep, so I was still in my riding beast outfit. I tidied my hair with a hand comb and cracked open the Lesserbus window.
"Angelica, good morning. I'd like you to call the attendants I need to get ready…"
"Understood."
Angelica immediately sent an Ordinance to
"Good morning, Lady
"I appear to have made a full recovery—I feel very refreshed."
When I answered, Leonore's worried expression melted into a relieved smile.
"It has been a full two days since Lady Rozemyne went to sleep. You didn't wake up at all, and we were terribly worried."
"A full two days!?"
Apparently I had used quite a lot of Magic Power and stamina, and I had slept like the dead. My attendants had been in a panic over my not waking at all, but
"…What about Ferdinand? He wouldn't just take this opportunity to rest himself, would he?"
After two days, the situation in Ehrenfest must have changed drastically. There was no way Ferdinand would meekly stay in Ahrensbach waiting for my recovery. That prediction proved correct, and Leonore nodded.
"Ferdinand departed for Ehrenfest, leading a portion of both the Ahrensbach and
"I was left behind, wasn't I?"
Telling me to drink the potion if I wanted to go to Ehrenfest, only to leave without me—that was awfully cruel, wasn't it?
…I'd gone through so much trouble drinking double the dose!
"More precisely, it had become impossible to keep the Dunkelfelger knights in the castle any longer, so Ferdinand took command and led them outside."
Since they were true Ditters, they would follow the commander's orders once sent out—but with nothing in particular to do inside the castle, the Ahrensbach knights kept trying to organize reflection meetings that turned into banquets, and the Dunkelfelger knights kept trying to busy themselves with after-action cleanup, calling it pre-match warm-ups. To chase these Dunkelfelger knights out of the castle, Ferdinand had apparently headed for the Border Gate.
"Wait a moment. Was Ferdinand able to recover, then?"
"He didn't come out of the hidden room for a full day, so I believe he has recovered."
As she spoke, Leonore gestured for me to come out of the Lesserbus to get ready. I climbed out and was placed in front of a mirror.
"I shall be assisting you with your preparations today. Please call me Feuerle."
"You're the attendant apprentice who was rescued alongside
When I addressed the familiar-looking girl, Feuerle smiled brightly.
"Yes. Letizia is doing well, too. …Lady Rozemyne, thank you so much for rescuing Letizia."
While I prepared to wash my face, Feuerle thanked me profusely about Letizia. It started with the sweets I'd made to save her from the severity of Ferdinand's assignments, then rescuing her from the Lanzanave ship, and finally my decision to save her not as a lord candidate from a rebellious territory, but as someone who had been attacked by Lanzanave—Feuerle said that because of all this, Letizia had been truly saved. Apparently, Letizia was now gathering the nobles who had suffered damage from Lanzanave, along with
…I'm sure Ferdinand gave the orders, but she's really giving it her all.
"Ferdinand said Lady Rozemyne wouldn't wake for about three days, but we were still anxious… Lady Letizia was terribly worried that you might not wake."
She then asked if I would like to share a meal with Letizia and Hannalore after this. I turned to Leonore. Since I wasn't sure whether I could accept casually, I decided to ask Leonore, who had called Feuerle. Leonore gave a small nod.
"Then let us have them prepare a meal."
After sending an Ordinance, Feuerle put away the washing supplies and began arranging my hair. She combed through it and started gathering it up. As she praised my hair, she wove it into an intricate style.
"The two lady retainers have been raving about how your hair is like a night sky blessed by the Goddess of Wisdom
…Someone please stop those two. I know they can't help it since they're gleefully following Ferdinand's orders, but someone please stop them.
"The two of them are still going around to Ahrensbach's nobles, extolling what a magnificent master Lady Rozemyne is, and explaining the situation Ahrensbach finds itself in alongside the history of Yurishev. Everyone in Ahrensbach is in a state of dread over what sort of decree might come from the royal family."
A political upheaval had taken place—nearly a bloodbath. If it was rebellion through instigating a foreign invasion, nobody could predict how far the purges would go. It seemed Hartmut and Clarissa had been going all out to stoke the fears of Ahrensbach's nobles.
…It's a bit of an exaggeration, but they're not wrong. Not wrong, exactly.
"For those of us in such a position, Lady Rozemyne—who, during our long absence, received the blessings of the gods, was entrusted with the Book of Wisdom, and was given the role of bringing the
…Huh?
"She will bestow the Grutrissheit upon the royal family, and to purify Ahrensbach, which has been ensnared by the Goddess of Chaos, the goddess's avatar Lady Rozemyne will surely guide this land?"
…Whaaaaat! Something incomprehensible has gotten out of hand! Who's the mastermind behind this!? Oh wait, there's only one person. That Ferdinand!
I wanted to complain, but Ferdinand was no longer in the castle. I wanted to clutch my head, but that was impossible while Feuerle was styling my hair.
Gnashing my teeth as I stared into the mirror, I noticed that Feuerle's mantle was getting in the way as she worked. Over her attendant uniform, she wore a light purple mantle. Diagonal lines in yellow and blue dye had been drawn across it, forming a large X mark. Was there some meaning to it?
"Feuerle, is there a rule in Ahrensbach that attendants must wear mantles while working? It looks rather cumbersome…"
"I don't normally wear one, but this is a special case. Only those whom Ferdinand has personally determined to bear no hostility toward Lady Rozemyne and the people of Ehrenfest are permitted to wear this. Those without this marked mantle are detained and not released until their intentions can be assessed."
Incredibly, while I had been holed up inside the Lesserbus sleeping, Ferdinand had apparently put the Lesserbus itself inside Stewalia's shield and used it to assess the hostility of Ahrensbach's nobles.
…I wonder if there was nobody who held hostility toward Grün?
Once my preparations were complete, my retainers came flooding in. The knights had been extremely worried about my having been unconscious for so long.
"I'm perfectly fine now. More than that, I'm worried about Ehrenfest…"
"Even though I think you should rest a little longer for your own sake, I understand your concern for Ehrenfest. If you want to go, I won't stop you."
I smiled and nodded at Cornelius. I would need to check on the situation in Ehrenfest and report my circumstances to my adoptive father.
"Lady Rozemyne, if you insist on going to Ehrenfest, Ferdinand said you should send an Ordinance to confirm his current location and then use the teleportation circle."
I'd been left behind by Ferdinand, but apparently I was permitted to follow after him using a teleportation circle, which only an Aub could set up. Laurentz's words put my mind at ease.
"An Ordinance just arrived—the Dunkelfelger knights and Ferdinand's group will soon reach Zeitsen, where the Border Gate is located. They plan to speak with the knights at the Border Gate, take a lunch break, and then enter Ehrenfest."
"Then let's use the teleportation circle to catch up—or rather, get ahead of them to the Border Gate."
"Please don't! That's way too dangerous!"
Matthias scolded me, so I sent an Ordinance to Ferdinand informing him that I had woken up and planned to open a teleportation circle to the Border Gate. The reply came back: "Contact me when you arrive at the Border Gate. Do not transfer on your own—just wait."
"…Is Rozemyne going to become the Aub of Ahrensbach just like that? That's the rumor going around. Ferdinand said that Rozemyne has agreed to it as well."
"If possible, I'd like to become Aub and build a library city."
"Huh? A library city? Not to properly guide Ahrenfsbach?"
Cornelius gave me a puzzled look, and I shook my head slowly.
"I want to build a library city. But it all depends on how my negotiations with the royal family go. …After all, things rarely have gone the way I wished."
My wish to enter the
The two years I was supposed to spend receiving an education as the Lord's adopted daughter had been wiped out by Jureve, and I'd been left behind by everyone else's growth. Now, having been accelerated in growth by the gods themselves, I was being stared at strangely by those around me.
I hadn't wanted Ferdinand to go, but he went to Ahrensbach. I'd wanted him to be safe, but he was felled by poison. I'd wanted to stay in Ehrenfest, but I couldn't.
"If I were able to become the Aub of Ahrensbach, perhaps I could run the territory the way Ferdinand and I discussed. But with the current situation where I'm being told to become the king's adopted daughter, I don't expect to simply become Aub of Ahrensbach."
"Rozemyne?"
"Even if I give the Grutrissheit to the royal family, do you really think I'll just be released that easily? Me becoming the Aub of Ahrensbach is nothing but a pipe dream within a pipe dream."
"…I see. Rozemyne, you're surprisingly realistic."
Cornelius wore a deeply complicated expression as he gently ruffled my hair.
After finishing my talk with the retainers, I was led to the dining hall. It was breakfast for me, but lunch for everyone else. In the dining hall were Letizia and Hannalore, along with their respective retainers.
"How are you feeling, Lady Rozemyne?"
"I'm perfectly fine now, Lady Hannalore."
"We had a nutritious meal prepared for you."
"Thank you, Lady Letizia."
Letizia and her retainors were all wearing mantles with the yellow-and-blue X mark. When I'd only seen Feuerle wearing one, I hadn't thought much of it—but seeing so many people wearing the same mantle, I couldn't help but recognize it as proof that Ehrenfest and Dunkelfelger had conquered this place.
"Lady Rozemyne, this mark is also on the mantles worn by the knights under Ferdinand's command. Instructions have been given so that no one mistakenly attacks or detains those wearing it. Please use it to distinguish friend from foe."
Letizia smiled as she said this. While sipping on a heavily spiced, rich-flavored soup, I listened to Letizia and Hannalore tell me what had happened while I was asleep.
"The Lanzanave estate has been searched by the Dunkelfelger knights. As Letizia stated, there is indeed a door that only the Aub can open. According to Ferdinand, it leads to a villa used to receive princesses of Lanzanave."
Apparently, unless I gave permission, nobody could return from there, and the Lanzanave estate had already been sealed.
"To move to the dormitory in the Royal Academy via teleportation circle, and to open the door between the dormitory and the central building, a new Aub's brooch is required, so I believe
"Thank you, Lady Hannalore."
"Not at all. Having eaten and drunk their fill, it's only natural for them to have the Dunkelfelger knights do the work. I'm more concerned that the burden might fall on Ferdinand, who has had so little rest."
They had apparently been fired up to step in as Ferdinand's hands and feet if his condition was poor, but nobody suggested that Ferdinand should simply rest.
…Dunkelfelger!
"The civil officials of Ahrensbach are cross-referencing the magic stones recovered by the knights against the registered medals to identify who each stone belongs to. …Ferdinand said the damage was kept to a minimum, but even so, there were numerous victims."
Letizia's gaze fell sadly. I didn't know what to say to comfort her.
"If Ferdinand said it was the minimum, then it was the minimum. You must have alerted everyone to the danger through Stoural, Lady Letizia? Stoural followed that order and protected the nobles, didn't he? I think you were wonderful, Lady Letizia—for when Lanzanave's hands were about to fall upon you, you didn't order them to save you, but rather the other nobles."
"Lady Rozemyne, but I…"
When Letizia looked at me with tear-filled eyes, I raised my index finger to my lips. I'd made a promise with Ferdinand. We would go about things as if nothing had happened.
"I'll hear the details from Ferdinand. I'm heading to Ehrenfest after lunch, so we can speak then."
Letizia pressed her own mouth shut and nodded, but Hannalore blinked in puzzlement.
"You said you're going to Ehrenfest, Lady Rozemyne, but what will you do about the foundation here? As the newly appointed Aub, you must protect Ahrensbach's foundation."
She said that was the duty of an Aub, and that it was unthinkable to leave one's treasures during a Ditter. I chuckled.
"Lady Hannalore, if someone wants to take the foundation, they're welcome to. If anyone tries to take possession of a territory in the midst of rebellion without the royal family's permission, that is."
I had the royal family's authorization, and I couldn't imagine anyone without it wanting to seize Ahrensbach's foundation. If someone truly wanted it that badly, they could go ahead. I was sure Ferdinand would pin all the responsibility on them.
"Besides, normally when the foundation is stolen and the Aub changes, the previous Aub's medal is destroyed. However, my medal is still in Ehrenfest."
If my medal couldn't be destroyed, they couldn't execute me, either. That meant nothing to me one way or the other.
"Finally, I already know the location of the foundation. If I ever really want it, I can just take it again. I don't particularly feel like losing a battle of Magic Power."
"…That's true."
Hannalore chuckled and said she would head to Ehrenfest together with us.
"Lady Hannalore too? Weren't you told to stay here and keep watch since it's dangerous?"
"No. Ferdinand specifically instructed me to protect Lady Rozemyne—our treasure here—during this Ditter."
After lunch, I announced my departure and was led to a place where I could draw a teleportation circle large enough to accommodate everyone who would be traveling together. I then drew and set up the magic circle.
When I had first announced my intention to go to Ehrenfest, the accompanying members had already been selected by Ferdinand. As I drew the magic circle, the group assembled: my retainers, Hannalore's squad, and five Ahrensbach knights.
"We are overjoyed to have been assigned the mission of protecting Lady Rozemyne, avatar of Mestionora. We are grateful for your compassion in heading to the battlefield to save our brethren. May the gods hear our prayers! May Lady Rozemyne be thanked!"
"Hyah!?"
Being suddenly accorded a level of reverence equivalent to a god, I stumbled back a step—but I managed to stay on my feet. Someone please praise me for that. Hartmut was nodding with satisfaction, and I nearly broke down in tears—someone please comfort me. Who could have imagined that the people around me would change this much in just two days of sleep?
"Um, I…"
"Lady Rozemyne's preparations are complete. We will now transfer to Zeitsen."
Either he was ignoring my distress or this was all part of the plan—Laurentz simply smiled and sent an Ordinance to Ferdinand. A reply came back almost immediately.
"Don't come to Zeitsen—transfer to Bindewald. Last night, intelligence came in that a great many knights from Bindewald had poured into Ehrenfest en masse, and they're currently on the move. We've just entered Bindewald ourselves and should be able to see the summer estate before long. I want to regroup before entering Ehrenfest. Make it quick."
Everyone's expressions tightened at Ferdinand's reply. I surveyed the group assembled on the teleportation circle.
"Everyone, place your hands on the teleportation circle and pour in your Magic Power."
They all knelt and placed their hands on the circle. I knelt as well and flowed Magic Power into the magic array. Darkness and light swirled through the teleportation circle. I drew my Staff and touched it to the magic circle.
"Nenlyussel Bindewald."
While she slept, terrible rumors had spread.
Rozemyne, teary-eyed and in a panic, had no idea whether she should go around denying them.
She fled toward Ehrenfest.
Next time: From Bindewald to