Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 3.1 - Chapter SS1

Being My Little Sister’s Knight 

Mother had said that she had important news and gathered Eckhart and I at the dinner table to discuss it over tea. The news was important enough to warrant using sound-blocking magic tools, and when she told us what it was, I couldn’t believe my ears. 

“You truly intend to take in a girl raised in the temple?!” I exclaimed, reflexively standing up from my chair, but Mother simply motioned for me to sit back down without criticizing me for my rude outburst. Once I was seated again, she nodded with a serious expression. 

“Yes, Cornelius. She will be baptized as the daughter of Karstedt and I. Then, she will be adopted by Aub Ehrenfest.” 

“Aub Ehrenfest is adopting a girl raised in the temple?!” 

It wasn’t easy for me to believe that a girl due to be adopted by the archduke would have been raised in the temple, nor was it easy for me to accept that she would soon become my little sister. Everything was happening too suddenly. I looked over at Eckhart in confusion, hoping that he would share my reluctance and express his own disapproval, but it appeared that he had already accepted her. His blue eyes crinkled in a smile as he started telling me about our future little sister. 

“Rozemyne had much to do with Lady Veronica’s fall from grace. She is Father’s daughter whom he placed in the temple under Lord Ferdinand’s protection. She has dark-blue hair that looks to be blessed by the God of Darkness, complementing her golden eyes that look to be blessed by the Goddess of Light. The archduke decided to adopt her upon hearing about her enormous quantity of mana.” 

“What are you talking about, Eckhart? Father never had a daugh—” I began, but Mother cut me off. 

“She is Rozemary’s daughter.” 

Rozemary? As in... Father’s third wife?! 

I couldn’t believe it. The air had turned to poison whenever Father’s second and third wife met, and they would bitterly engage in a verbal sparring contest that always hurt to listen to. Their families were involved in the feud as well, and Mother always struggled to act as an arbitrator between them. 

“Does Father intend to bring discord into our family again?” 

“We shall claim that she is my daughter instead to avoid that.” 

“Hold on a second. You remember how awful things were here before Rozemary climbed the towering staircase, right? Things are finally peaceful, and now you want to bring Rozemary’s daughter into the main estate—as your own daughter, no less? This is like a nightmare.” 

Father’s second and third wives lived in buildings that were separate from the main estate, so I rarely ever saw them. That was the only reason I had managed to endure their feud. But if this new girl was going to be treated as Mother’s daughter, then she would be living in the main building prior to moving to the castle. 

“You don’t need to worry that much, Cornelius,” Eckhart said. 

“...And why is that, Eckhart? You and Father might be okay with this since you’re adults and have rooms elsewhere, but I’m going to be stuck here living with her.” 

As guards of the archduke’s family, Lamprecht and Father had rooms in the knights’ barracks, while Eckhart had flown the nest and now owned his own home. I, on the other hand, had nowhere to run. I glared at Eckhart, and he glared right back. 

“You’re not appreciating the significance of her having been trained under Lord Ferdinand himself,” Eckhart said. “He would never send her here if she wasn’t already a model archnoble daughter. Lamprecht and I saw her perform the Healing Ritual during the last trombe extermination mission, and it was quite an impressive sight.” 

Well, I think you view Lord Ferdinand too highly, brother... 

I knew that I would have been scolded for saying that out loud, so I kept my complaints to myself. Eckhart thought the world of Ferdinand, and I had been told many times over how fine of a man he was. But, due in part to my age, I had never met Ferdinand myself, so this boundless praise didn’t really mean much to me. Besides, if he really was so amazing, then he should have just gotten rid of Veronica before she forced him into the temple. 

“I must say, dear Eckhart—your confidence in this matter brings much peace to my heart. Oh, and by the way... Cornelius, you will serve as Rozemyne’s guard.” 

“Mother, please don’t decide such things on your own. I don’t want to be a retainer to anyone in the archduke’s family. You should know that.” 

Father served an Aub who had essentially been a puppet of his mother, Eckhart’s life was being swung all over the place by his lord’s ups and downs, and Lamprecht spent every day suffering under his selfish master. I didn’t want to endure a fate like that, and I had said this to Mother over and over again. Why would she tell me to guard an adopted member of the archduke’s family who I hadn’t even met before? 

“Neither of us have any choice in the matter; there are very few knights who would be willing to guard Rozemyne.” 

Nobody knew what kind of girl Rozemyne was yet, or how Veronica’s fall would impact Florencia and the Leisegang family. For that reason, they apparently needed a knight who was of a high enough status to serve the archduke, but who also wasn’t too involved in either faction. There was also the fact that, since Rozemyne was set to become the High Bishop, the knight would need to be someone who was willing to enter the temple. Once these criteria were all taken into account, there really weren’t many options. 

...Yeah, no way are there any female knights who’d be willing to go to the temple. 

“Of course, there is also the fact that I would like at least one member of our family to stay with her while she is in the castle. You may leave her side when she becomes old enough to select her own retainers, but I will ask you to guard her for two or three years.” 

Veronica’s fall had sent tremors throughout the entire Noble’s Quarter. It was obvious that we’d want as much information as we could get on matters surrounding the archduke’s family, and if she would be joining their home as Mother’s daughter then we would want someone trusted nearby so that we could stay informed of her situation in the castle. And then there was the fact that I was the only one in the family who didn’t yet have a master. As a proper archnoble, it wasn’t my place to refuse. I gave a silent nod, keeping my dissatisfaction in my chest as I was unable to complain any further.

It was with that dissatisfaction still stirring inside of me that I met my new little sister Rozemyne for the first time. Eckhart had been right when he said that she had been raised well despite being brought up in the temple. In fact, she seemed about as well behaved as I would have expected for the daughter of Rozemary, a mednoble. Despite not having been baptized yet, she had for some reason been given a ring that could expel mana, and she was able to give a proper noble greeting. 

“Elvira, regarding Rozemyne’s future education...” Once they had finished exchanging greetings, Ferdinand got straight to the point. Rozemyne was the topic of conversation, but she couldn’t make any contributions herself as she was just a kid. She shrunk into her chair, stuck with nowhere else to go, and I could see her hands trembling a little in her lap. 

...My sympathies. 

A girl raised in the temple had been brought to an archnoble estate out of nowhere to be adopted by the archduke. Anyone would be nervous. The stiff smile that she was forcing onto her young face no doubt belied the immense pressure she was feeling beneath the surface, but the adults were so absorbed in their conversation that they paid no mind to her and how anxious she was bound to be in a strange new place. 

Might as well help her out a bit... I thought before calling out to her. “Rozemyne, sounds like you’re gonna have a lot of work dropped on you after this. Think you’ll be able to handle it?” 

“I shall do my best to become a little sister who you can be proud of, Cornelius. I have already made a promise to Lord Ferdinand and Lord Sylvester, so failure is not an option for me,” she responded. 

While her voice made it clear that Rozemyne was still quite young, there was a fierce resolve in her golden eyes unlike anything I ever would have expected from a little girl. I had no idea what promise she had made to Ferdinand and the archduke, but I could tell that it was something significant. Something that she had to follow through on. Something that demanded she charge forward without ever looking back. Her golden eyes looked like those of a knight who had sworn to protect their liege, which made me like her at least a tiny bit more. 

I like seeing eyes like that. 

“Y’know, I don’t think you have much to worry about. I know I’ll be proud to have you as my little sister.” 

Rozemyne’s eyes widened, then a happy smile spread across her face. “I thank you ever so much, Cornelius.” 

She looked a lot cuter when she was happy than she did when nervous. I let out a sigh of relief upon seeing her relax, at which point I felt someone’s gaze on me. I turned and made eye contact with a grinning Ferdinand. 

“It is good to see you two getting along,” he said, no doubt having planned for this to happen. His smug look kind of annoyed me, but like a proper noble, I just smiled and paid it no mind.

Rozemyne’s archnoble education started the next morning. Her schedule was packed with studying for the entire day, and while it might have been necessary, it was a brutal amount for a young girl like her. I would have just thrown up my hands and given up in her situation, but Rozemyne didn’t say a word of complaint, instead tearing through her assignments one by one. 

Her talent both for learning and for playing the harspiel was shocking, and the tutors who told Mother about her results absolutely lathered her with praise. Rozemyne herself complained that she was having a hard time remembering the names of nobles, but she was learning them so quickly that it hardly seemed like she was struggling at all. I could tell that she was really smart. 

Ferdinand had been most worried about her language and how she carried herself, but with Mother training her, she was acting more like an archnoble each day. Even when we were eating meals, I could see her focusing on her hands as she attempted to master proper eating etiquette. 

“Mother, is Rozemyne still studying?” I asked, picking up the cup of tea that my attendant had brewed for me when Mother invited me to the table. I had just gotten home from my apprentice knight training, but Rozemyne was still in her room. 

Mother nodded. “She is indeed. I believe that Rozemyne is putting her all into her studies so that she may acquire the keys to the book room. It is very easy to see how dedicated she is; every day she shows clear signs of improvement, and her talents make it more than clear why she caught Lord Ferdinand’s attention. You will need to work extra hard to stay ahead of her, Cornelius. Otherwise you will be very embarrassed when you return to the Royal Academy with her,” Mother said with a pleased smile as she sipped her tea. 

Ferdinand was visiting every other day or so to check up on Rozemyne, which did wonders for Mother’s mood and in turn led to Father coming home more regularly. Mother and Father generally treated each other coldly because of the drama between wives, but now they were talking normally. Everything they spoke about was in relation to Rozemyne’s baptism or her education, but still, it was a relief just to see them not at each other’s throats. 

There was also the fact that, once Lamprecht had become Wilfried’s retainer, Mother had no one at home to speak to except me. But now she was talking to Rozemyne about beauty and fashion trends. As expected, she was finding it a lot more entertaining talking to another girl, and I often found them both eagerly discussing Ferdinand. I had been wary about another girl joining the family since I had only ever had brothers and Father’s second and third wives had been nothing but trouble for me, but I couldn’t deny that her presence here was having a real positive impact. 

“So, Cornelius—what do you think of these sweets? Rozemyne’s personal chef knows many unusual recipes, and she has just started trading recipes with our own head chef.” 

The strange-looking sweets were apparently known as “cookies.” I was a bit hungry after training so, out of curiosity, I bit into one. It was crunchy and had a comfortable amount of sweetness, which made it very easy to eat—so easy, in fact, that I found myself eating more and more while I was listening to Mother talk. 

“I’m currently prioritizing recipes that I can serve at tea parties, but at some point I would like to exchange for main courses as well.” 

...I’ve always been a fan of tasty sweets and delicious food. Honestly, it feels pretty good to have a little sister who’s so talented. 

I didn’t really have the highest opinion of the temple-bred nobles who had returned to society en masse after the Sovereignty’s purge, but maybe Rozemyne was entirely unlike them given that she had been put under Ferdinand’s custody. The way she spoke about the temple was also a lot different from how the others had; apparently it was a really formal place with a lot of restrictions. 

“I ate breakfast at second bell, then went over my schedule for the day with my attendants when I was done. After that, I practiced harspiel until third bell, at which point I headed to the High Priest’s chambers to help Ferdinand with his work. Math is my specialty.” 

“Oh yeah, your math tutor did have a lot of praise for your ability.” 

“Lunch was at fourth bell, after which I would memorize religious verses for rituals, visit the orphanage as the orphanage director, or summon merchants to my chambers. After that, I would go to the temple’s book room, assuming I had any time to spare.” 

As far as I could tell from what Rozemyne had said, she couldn’t leave the temple freely to, say, visit a friend’s house with her parents, and she was too weak to run around outside. 

...A girl this young having nothing to do in her free time but read quietly in a book room? Sheesh, now that’s torture. As someone who liked gathering in the nobles’ forest and the exercise I got from my apprentice knight training, I couldn’t help but want to show her more of the outside world. 

“Rozemyne, is there anything you want to do? Once you’ve finished all of the stuff you need to do before your baptism, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” I said, and Rozemyne beamed a smile. 

“Really?! I want to go to the book room and read some books, then.” 

“No, no! Not the book room! Anywhere else?!” I said, hurriedly turning her down. She immediately gave me a troubled frown, let her eyes wander around the room for a moment, and then looked at me tearfully. 

“I’m sorry, Cornelius... but that’s all I can think of.” 

...Of course. The only real respite they ever gave her was the book room, so of course she doesn’t know where else she would go. That’s no good at all. I can’t leave her with Ferdinand if he’s never going to take her outside the temple for anything but work! I’ve gotta help her myself! 

“Give up. Some plans are doomed to fail.” Ferdinand shot me down the second I suggested taking Rozemyne outside to play, and, perhaps due to her weakness, he even went as far as to tell me not to take her outside unless I could cast healing magic and mix healing potions for her. 

“I understand, but she has finished all of the work that she had to do before her baptism; I think she needs some time to rest and enjoy herself. She needs to see the world outside the temple.” 

“A place where Rozemyne can enjoy herself without putting her at risk, hm? Your only option would be your estate’s book room, then. You will still need to keep a close eye on her, but this will be a perfect opportunity for you to get used to serving as her knight.” 

I wasn’t sure what he expected me to do if she was just going to be reading books, but Ferdinand claimed it would be good training. He started teaching me to keep an eye on her walking pace on the way to the library, as well as how long the books I gave her should be and how I could confiscate them from her. 

I know she’s weak and all, but do we really need to be this cautious when she’s just reading books inside? 

“If all else fails and the situation gets out of hand, summon me with an ordonnanz.”

The next day, I guided Rozemyne to our estate’s book room, though I was still confused by how neurotic Ferdinand’s instructions had seemed. If you asked me, there was nothing fun in that stuffy book room packed with nothing but hard books and boring documents; I would have much rather been taking Rozemyne outside, but making her happy was the most important thing here. 

When I told Rozemyne that Ferdinand had permitted her to visit our book room as a reward for finishing her work, she looked up at me with the happiest smile I had ever seen in my life. 

“I can’t believe this estate has a book room... From the very bottom of my heart, I am glad to have joined your family. I am glad to have finished my work so quickly. Praise be to the gods!” she declared, suddenly assuming the praying posture. 

She really was raised in the temple, I thought to myself in bemusement before holding out a hand. I couldn’t properly escort her due to me being so much taller than her, but we could at least hold hands while slowly walking together. 

“You sure like to exaggerate, huh? There’s a lot out there that’s more fun than a book room.” 

“There is nothing I will ever find more fun than books, Cornelius.” Rozemyne’s golden eyes were twinkling with pure joy, and as she spoke, she sped up to walk faster than normal. She must have been really eager to visit the book room. 

“You like books that much, Rozemyne?” 

“Yes. I love them. What kind of books are in this book room? They must be different from the ones in the temple. I positively can’t wait,” Rozemyne said, looking more energetic than usual. 

Then, when we got to the book room, she suddenly passed out right in front of me. She had been smiling and talking like normal, but out of nowhere her knees collapsed and she fell onto the ground, where she stopped moving entirely. 

“Wh-What?! WHAT?!” 

My hand was still grasping hers and, as pathetic as it was, all I could do was panic. I was stuck there floundering for a moment until I remembered that Ferdinand had given me permission to summon him. I hurriedly took out my schtappe and sent an ordonnanz to him, believing that he was in the temple. 

“Lord Ferdinand, Rozemyne lost consciousness and collapsed out of nowhere!” 

“Unsurprising. It is possible that she hit her head, so take care not to abruptly move her.” 

Ferdinand flew over on his highbeast right after sending his response. He checked Rozemyne, told an attendant to carry her off to bed, and then silently looked down at me. “I repeatedly warned you to be very careful as Rozemyne is weak and sickly, but I imagine you did not take me seriously. You thought I was being neurotic and overprotective, so you did not stop her when she sped up in excitement on the way to the book room, did you?” 

“...You’re exactly right,” I said sadly. I didn’t have any room to protest whatsoever; never in my wildest dreams had I thought that she would pass out just from walking down the hall. 

“This is how poorly she fares inside. Going outside is, indeed, out of the question. Do you understand that now?” 

“Absolutely. I now also understand why I must become Rozemyne’s knight.” There needed to be someone there to teach her retainers that Ferdinand’s warnings were true and beyond necessary. Otherwise, if she were to collapse in the castle, her attendants would be punished for failing to keep her healthy while her knights would be punished for failing to keep her safe. 

“Your understanding in the matter is appreciated,” Ferdinand said, slightly raising an eyebrow as he continued to look down on me. “Damuel has served her for half a year in the temple, but he is a laynoble; he does not have the status to advise her retainers. You will be playing an essential role here as both her family and an archnoble. 

“When it comes to protecting Rozemyne, what you must be wary of above all else are her reckless family members: Sylvester, who is always barreling ahead and doing things his own way; Wilfried, who is well known for being a self-centered hooligan; and finally, your own grandfather, who seems to be putting his all into his granddaughter’s baptism ceremony. You will need to pay them all great heed. If you carelessly take your eyes off of Rozemyne, she will no doubt die in the most ridiculous of ways while you are not looking.” 

I instinctively knew that he wasn’t just making an empty threat; he was stating a simple, immovable fact. My duty was to keep Rozemyne alive until she had chosen her retainers, at which point I could retire as her knight. 

“Lord Ferdinand, would it be possible to make Lord Wilfried and my grandfather understand how weak Rozemyne is before she acquires her retainers, so that no disaster strikes in the castle? If possible, I would like this to be done under your observation.” 

She was so weak that it would be impossible to protect her if others didn’t understand the extent of her weakness. For this reason, it was important for them to learn before she moved to the castle. 

“Hm. I will see whether I can think of an effective plan,” Ferdinand replied, tapping a finger against his temple.