"Father, what are you saying?!"
A murmur rippled through the room as all eyes turned to
"Lord Trauerqual. Am I correct in understanding that your statement means every single royal must enter the White Tower, even if that is the case?"
It was not Trauerqual who answered Ferdinand's quiet question, but
"Father, please stop! You are the Zent. You must not kneel to anyone other than the incarnation of the Goddess."
"The Zent who rules
"That Grutrissheit is to be bestowed by
As Anastasius tried to make him stand, Trauerqual shook his head. Watching that earnest exchange, I let out a sigh of admiration and looked up at Ferdinand standing beside me.
...Wow, this is going exactly as Lord Ferdinand predicted.
The anticipated reactions and questions were coming out one after another, so it felt almost like watching a scripted play. Sorry to Trauerqual and Anastasius for saying this while they were being so serious, but Ferdinand had absolutely no intention of earnestly engaging with Trauerqual.
"Lord Trauerqual, I apologize for the discourtesy, but there is a major flaw in the premise of your assumption. Those who may ascend the altar are those who have received the divine blessings of all the Great Gods, not merely holders of the Grutrissheit."
At Ferdinand's words,
"I, too, ascended the altar during a practical exam at the Noble Academy when we performed the ritual to receive the divine blessings. It led to a white plaza-like area where one obtains a Stab, but there was nothing else of particular note. However, I do not possess the Grutrissheit."
"What matters is being full-element, having received the divine blessings from all the Great Gods."
Since Eglantine had said the very line I was supposed to deliver, I limited myself to a brief addition.
Trauerqual's eyes widened greatly at being pointed out by Eglantine, a member of the royal family. This was far more effective than if I had said it myself. Ascending the altar was not proof of possessing Mestionora's Book.
"But still, he..."
"Yes. Based on the clues about the Grutrissheit that he showed us, I believe Lord Ferdinand either already possesses it, or has reached a point very close to doing so."
As Eglantine said this, she turned her gaze to Ferdinand. Trauerqual looked at Ferdinand as well. Both wore expressions asking whether or not he possessed the Grutrissheit. But there was a difference in their looks—Eglantine studied him intently, as if searching, while Trauerqual gazed with a pleading air.
"Lord Trauerqual, you really are Prince
Ferdinand, looking down at the kneeling Trauerqual, wore a frigid expression. No one would take being told that one resembled the father who had branded the child as "foolish and disgraceful" as a compliment. Everyone in the room turned pale.
"Which part of Lord Trauerqual do you say resembles Prince Sigiswald?"
"Hmm. I cannot help but think that Sigiswald's habit of forgetting whatever is inconvenient for himself and using his position as a royal to force his will upon others is inherited from his father, but in Lady Magdalena's eyes, you appear to be under the curse of the Goddess of Chaos."
Ferdinand dismissed Magdalena's words by saying her eyes were cloudy, then crossed his arms and looked down at Trauerqual with pale gold eyes brimming with contempt.
"Since Lord Trauerqual seems to have completely forgotten, allow me to repeat myself. I have no intention of usurpation or rebellion, nor do I desire to hold the position of Zent. Back then, you commanded me to marry into
At Ferdinand's words, my adoptive father clenched the fist resting on the table. Right now, he was probably so furious he wanted to punch Trauerqual.
"That was the best decision at the time."
It was not Ferdinand who spoke at Trauerqual's words, but my adoptive father.
"So sending Ferdinand to Ahrensbach by royal decree was the best decision then, and now, based on nothing more than the assumption that Ferdinand possesses the Grutrissheit—with no certainty whatsoever—it's the best decision for him to become the Zent and clean up after the previous royals? Isn't it a bit too early to be speaking of Schlattroum?"
That meant "save your sleep-talking for when you're asleep," and the fact that my adoptive father could say that to Trauerqual's face with a smile really drove home that he was Ferdinand's brother.
...Still, Lord Trauerqual was also the type to conveniently forget his own statements, it seemed.
My adoptive father, who had no intention of letting Ferdinand be used further for Trauerqual's convenience, and Trauerqual, who wanted to take the best path for Yurgenschmidt's sake, glared at each other. Into the sparks-flying atmosphere, a gentle voice cut in.
"Then, it is confirmed that Lord Ferdinand does not intend to obtain the Grutrissheit, nor does he intend to become the Zent? That he will not accept Lord Trauerqual's offer?"
Eglantine tilted her head, resting her hand against her cheek. She appeared to have her usual gentle smile, but her bright orange eyes were entirely serious.
"The incarnation of the Goddess has presented two options: either the royals enter the White Tower and fulfill the gods' demands, or Aub Dunkelfelger receives the Grutrissheit and reigns as the Zent. The option of me becoming the Zent never existed in the first place. No matter how much Lord Trauerqual desires it, the options will not increase."
"Thank you for your answer. I understand Lord Ferdinand's position."
Ferdinand dismissed the very premise of Trauerqual's question, stating that the royals had merely been given options. Eglantine nodded as though satisfied, but Trauerqual could not accept it. He opened his eyes wide and pleaded, "The Zent should be someone who obtained the Grutrissheit through their own efforts." But those words were completely ignored by Ferdinand.
"Um, Lord Trauerqual."
I couldn't bear watching Trauerqual plead with Ferdinand while still kneeling, so I called out.
"I don't believe you're wrong to want the Zent to be someone who obtained the Grutrissheit through their own efforts. I intend to spread the method of obtaining Mestionora's Book and have the next generation choose that path. However, for now, I would like the current royals to bear the role of Zent."
I looked around at
"Beyond the meaning of sparing the royals' lives and avoiding collective punishment, I think having a preparation period would make it more acceptable than suddenly having a non-royal become the Zent. The bigger the change, the greater the backlash..."
"If they have the Grutrissheit, I doubt any noble would voice such complaints."
That was only what Trauerqual thought because he had been called a false king for so long. I slowly shook my head.
"Lord Trauerqual, you seem to place too much sanctity upon the Grutrissheit. Even with the Grutrissheit, even if a Zent who obtained Mestionora's Book were to stand, people would still voice their complaints. There is no end to people's dissatisfaction. I would like as little friction and conflict as possible, of course, but it would never disappear entirely. History has proven that."
While speaking, I felt a strong gaze and slowly turned my eyes. Eglantine was staring intently at me, and our eyes met.
"Lady Eglantine? Is something wrong?"
When I addressed her, Eglantine lowered her gaze for a moment, then slowly raised her face and looked directly at Trauerqual. A fierce light dwelled in her bright orange eyes.
"For the sake of Yurgenschmidt, the Grutrissheit is absolutely essential. If Lady Rozemyne is to obtain the Grutrissheit, I believed that adoption into the royal family through marriage to the king and marriage to Prince Sigiswald, the next Zent, were absolutely necessary to bring it about without unrest."
For Eglantine, it seemed that marrying Anastasius—who had stepped down as the next Zent upon their marriage—and marrying
"However, through this latest upheaval, Lady Rozemyne, as the incarnation of the Goddess, has shown us the option of bestowing the Grutrissheit upon the royals. If that is the case, then neither marriage to Prince Sigiswald nor adoption is necessary. Even if one desires the Grutrissheit, no one would be inconvenienced—yet does Lord Trauerqual not desire it?"
Stared at by Eglantine, Anastasius gazed at Trauerqual with expectation. His wives looked at Trauerqual as well. But Trauerqual shook his head.
"The new Zent must be someone who obtained the Grutrissheit through their own efforts. I cannot change that conviction. The person who should become the next Zent is not me."
"I see. I understand Lord Trauerqual's position."
Eglantine invited Trauerqual to sit back down in his chair, then looked at me. Her orange eyes held a strong resolve.
"Lady Rozemyne, I shall obtain the Grutrissheit from the incarnation of the Goddess and become the Zent. I offer my name to you, Lady Rozemyne, and swear an oath to the gods—please, grant me the Grutrissheit."
"Eglantine, you..."
Anastasius stared at Eglantine with a dumbfounded expression. Eglantine smiled gently. "I do not wish for the country to fall into chaos."
"The best choice would have been Prince Sigiswald, who is already known to the nobility as the next Zent, to receive the Grutrissheit from the incarnation of the Goddess. If Prince Sigiswald could have obtained it, the transition could have been made gradually over the longest possible time."
Sigiswald would receive the Grutrissheit from the incarnation of the Goddess, work to pass the Zent role to the next generation that practiced the ancient method of acquisition, and the other royals would serve as aubs of re-established territories, dedicating themselves to the country. That, Eglantine said, would have been the ideal scenario. But it was deemed unsuitable.
"While I am somewhat anxious that my reign would not last as long as Prince Sigiswald's, I would have been glad if Lord Trauerqual desired the Grutrissheit, so that his efforts up to now would finally be rewarded."
Trauerqual had been struggling all this time without the Grutrissheit. Eglantine said she would have supported him if he obtained it and served the country as the true Zent, changing the nation's direction to meet the gods' demands. But Trauerqual did not desire it.
"Prince Anastasius and Prince Hildebrand have not received the divine blessings of all the Great Gods, so they cannot ascend the altar with the incarnation of the Goddess. From the beginning, they are not candidates for this round of Zent selection."
Anastasius and Hildebrand twisted their faces in frustration. Indeed, being unable to ascend the altar was fatal.
"Since Lady Eglantine has always helped ensure that Prince Anastasius never stood out, enabling Prince Sigiswald to receive the blessings..."
Eglantine smiled consolingly at Anastasius, then turned her gaze to Ferdinand.
"And regardless of whether he possesses the Grutrissheit or not, if Lord Ferdinand desired to be the Zent, I would not have. I am not so reckless as to compete with someone who enjoys the favor of the incarnation of the Goddess, and I do not enjoy conflict."
...Huh? Favor? Another person has gotten the wrong idea.
Wondering whether I should object to Eglantine, who was giggling teasingly, I glanced at Ferdinand. He was furrowing his brow and grimacing. It looked like his usual scowl, but this was genuinely the face of someone who was deeply displeased. I should probably speak up.
"Lady Eglantine, my feelings for Lord Ferdinand are those toward someone like family, not the kind of favor that exists between a man and a woman. Furthermore, while Lord Ferdinand can tolerate family affection and politically motivated marriages, he detests from the bottom of his heart being the recipient of that kind of favor. Please don't misunderstand."
The moment I said that, everyone in the room wore blank expressions. Their eyes eloquently communicated, "I have no idea what she's saying."
"...Huh?"
The atmosphere suggested that everyone understood something that I alone did not. I instinctively reached out and grabbed Ferdinand's sleeve.
"What I'm saying isn't wrong, is it, Lord Ferdinand!? Let's face everyone together!"
After tugging at his sleeve several times, Ferdinand made an incredibly disgusted face. He was the one who had told me that no matter how troublesome or unpleasant something was, if I didn't object, my silence would be taken as agreement.
"Oh? Is what Rozemyne saying not incorrect, Ferdinand?"
"Why are you piling on, Aub Ehrenfest?"
"As your brother and as Rozemyne's adoptive father, wouldn't you say this is something I ought to know?"
"Not in the slightest."
Ferdinand glared at my smirking adoptive father with eyes that did not smile at all, despite his sparkling grin. Smiling while glaring—truly, he was skilled as always.
"My apologies. It seems I chose my words poorly. All I wanted to say was that if Lord Ferdinand desired to be the Zent, I did not intend to—"
"Lady Eglantine is correct. You went too far off track, Rozemyne."
Ferdinand signaled Eglantine to continue and gave me a slight wave of his hand to sit back down. Indeed, this was a critical discussion that would shape the fate of Yurgenschmidt—it was no place for me to raise objections on a whim. Perhaps efficiency-minded Ferdinand had wanted to keep up the misunderstanding as before. I had failed.
"I apologize for interrupting. Please continue."
"If none of you desire to be the Zent, then I shall become one. As Aub Ehrenfest said, the aftermath of the royals' decisions should not be forced upon non-royals. Besides, I am a mother with a child. If possible, rather than entering the White Tower where each person is isolated in individual cells, I would prefer to be in a place where I can be with my daughter."
...Huh? A daughter!? Since when!?
My eyes went wide. I had no idea when she had become pregnant and given birth, but judging from when she had married, Eglantine's daughter must be quite young.
...Lady Eglantine had become a mother.
If so, rather than having a parent sent to the White Tower and the family torn apart, it would be better for them to live together whether as Zent or as Aub.
"If Lady Eglantine's daughter is full-element, she would also have great potential as the next Zent. If Prince Anastasius has the resolve to support Lady Eglantine, would it not be acceptable to grant the Grutrissheit?"
At my words, Anastasius asked warily, "What kind of resolve would be needed?" He didn't need to look quite so worried—it was essentially the same as becoming the heir to a female Aub.
"When Lady Eglantine is pregnant or giving birth, Prince Anastasius must be able to stand in for her. That means you would not be able to have a second child until Prince Anastasius has prayed and received the divine blessings of all the Great Gods, becoming capable of filling Lady Eglantine's role. Simply carry plenty of recovery potions and visit the shrines—it goes quickly."
When I encouraged him, saying, "Please do your best for Lady Eglantine, who has decided to support the country," Anastasius's cheek twitched. But he would do anything for his beloved wife and adorable daughter. Anastasius was that kind of person. In the sense that he would absolutely fulfill Eglantine's wishes, I trusted Anastasius.
"If Lady Eglantine is to become the new Zent, we should move to conceal the crimes of the royals as much as possible. Could Prince Hildebrand not simply hide the fact that he received a Stab and carry on as before?"
At my words, Magdalena looked at me in surprise.
"For instance, disguising the shackles as a magical tool bracelet and sealing them until he reaches the age when his classmates obtain their Stabs... Wouldn't that work?"
"You could make him his attendant, but as always, you are far too soft on the young."
Glared at by Ferdinand, I averted my gaze slightly. But if the other royals were having their crimes concealed and would live as nobles—even if under harsh conditions—wasn't it unfair to subject only Hildebrand to even harsher punishment by stripping him of his royal status and making him part of a lord's family?
"However, there is some room for leniency regarding Prince Hildebrand this time. He would have been isolated from information due to his youth, and the adults around him never once considered that they should be wary of Raobrute. With all the adults around him having their crimes concealed and going on to live, it hardly seems fair for one small child to bear a visible, enormous sin."
As he said this was fine because the punishment invisible to others' eyes could not be escaped, Ferdinand looked at Magdalena, Hildebrand's mother.
"Lady Magdalena. If you believed his claim that permission had been granted from the Zent and failed to properly restrain even the attendants around him, then it cannot be helped that a young child was manipulated. However, if you had at least taught him the nature of Stabs and the reason why the acquisition age had risen, you could have prevented the foolish act of leaping at Raobrute's proposal and having the people of Lanzeneve take his Stab. Despite being the child of a third wife, he is still a royal—was his education somewhat neglected?"
Hildebrand turned deathly pale, and Magdalena lowered her eyes, saying, "Lord Ferdinand is right. It was my failure in education." I blinked several times and tilted my head.
...Wait? I'm pretty sure I discussed the curriculum change with Prince Hildebrand in the underground archive?
But if I brought it up, Ferdinand would probably say something like, "He was given an explanation and still committed such an act?" or "There's no need to coddle him," and subject Hildebrand to even harsher words. So I kept that to myself and decided to try placating Ferdinand instead.
"It'll be fine, Lord Ferdinand. If Lady Eglantine becomes the Zent, Lord Trauerqual will serve as Aub. Prince Hildebrand will no longer be royalty, and for his education as a member of a lord's family, using Dunkelfelger as a model should produce an excellent lord candidate just like Lady Hannalore."
The lord candidates from Dunkelfelger—both
"Um, Lady Rozemyne... will you support me in becoming the next Zent?"
Hildebrand asked anxiously. Realistically, it was nearly impossible for Hildebrand to obtain Mestionora's Book, but supporting him was something even I could do. The instant I opened my mouth to say "Of course I'll support you," Ferdinand glared at me.
"You cannot seriously mean to make such an open promise in a public setting when you yourself are the incarnation of the Goddess? There are realities even a child must be aware of."
I hadn't even said anything yet, and Ferdinand was already lecturing me.
"I understand what you're saying, but is it really necessary to crush a child's dream so decisively in a public setting like this?"
"Wouldn't it be more cruel to let him learn later that it's impossible?"
"Impossible? What do you mean?!"
Ferdinand delivered the cruel reality to the wide-eyed Hildebrand.
"The Stab that Prince Hildebrand obtained is of the same quality as those from the old generation. Compared to the Stabs obtained by classmates in their third year—classmates who will have compressed their magic and increased their attributes in light of the newfound importance of prayer—it will be far inferior."
Ferdinand told Hildebrand that if he compressed his magic and prayers too aggressively, the Stab's capacity would be exceeded and control of his magic would become impossible.
"Rozemyne was originally full-element, so she was placed in a large shrine, but Prince Hildebrand's Stab is missing attributes and cannot be placed in a large shrine. He must be mindful of his growth with the knowledge that he cannot increase its capacity, or he will bear a fatal flaw as a noble. That kind of struggle—something invisible to others' eyes—is the punishment Prince Hildebrand will carry for the rest of his life."
At Ferdinand's words, Hildebrand's face crumpled as though he were about to cry.
"So... I can't become the next Zent?"
"You should study ancient script, and next time read the materials in the underground archive. In those days, obtaining a Stab occurred at adulthood, and one had to offer prayers and receive the divine blessings of all the Great Gods before becoming the Zent. Since Prince Hildebrand already has a Stab, it is impossible."
Delivered the final blow by Ferdinand, Hildebrand's face filled with despair and his head drooped.
The one who volunteered to become the new Zent was Eglantine.
Anastasius and Hildebrand were never candidates from the start.
Next came the unveiling of the new Zent.