Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.01 - Chapter 16

Schwartz and Weiss 

“Let’s go, milady. The reading room.” 

“We’ll take you.” 

The two rabbits spoke again, then they promptly started walking to the back end of the office. It was clear that they wanted us to follow them, but those of us from Ehrenfest merely exchanged glances; as students, we weren’t sure whether we were allowed to go where they were leading us. Thankfully, Solange intervened. 

“Schwartz. Weiss. That is not the door for visitors,” she said with a small smile. “Your new lady is not a librarian, so please treat her as you would any other guest.” 

I could infer from her words that there was a door farther inside the office that led directly into the library’s work space. 

Schwartz and Weiss turned around and instead started shuffling to the entrance we had come in through. When they reached the door, they held it wide open for us. 

“This way.” 

“Milady is a visitor.” 

I noticed that the rabbits were wearing short-sleeved dresses, likely because they had been made to move around and work. The black rabbit Schwartz wore a white dress, while the white rabbit Weiss wore a black one, so both their outfits contrasted with their fur. Over their dresses they wore vests decorated with a variety of colorful embroidery. The gleaming stones that served as buttons looked a lot like feystones, so I could guess that their clothes were very expensive. 

Never before had I seen walking magic tools like these, so I couldn’t help but assume Schwartz and Weiss were pretty rare and valuable. 

“Professor Solange, is there any danger of Schwartz and Weiss being abruptly kidnapped, or stripped of all their clothing?” I asked. “I must say, I am quite worried about them...” 

“Schwartz and Weiss were built for working in the library, so they cannot operate outside it, aside from when accompanying their master. Furthermore, while I am not too well-informed on this myself, many of their previous masters throughout history held similar concerns, and so they covered them with various protective charms to prevent any kidnappings. They are safe as long as they are in the library.” 

“That is reassuring to hear.” I admittedly still felt somewhat uneasy, but I followed Schwartz and Weiss out of Solange’s office nonetheless. 

“Milady. This way.” 

The two rabbits guided our party down the hall. It was exceedingly adorable how their heads and ears bobbed as they shuffled around. I wasn’t sure who had made them, but our tastes in cute things seemed to align perfectly. 

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard a dreamy sigh come from behind me. “Aah... How lovely they are...” someone said. 

I turned to see Lieseleta gazing at Schwartz and Weiss, her green eyes sparkling with life. It was a rare sight, considering that she usually acted extremely calm for her age. She came back to her senses the moment she realized she had caught my attention, returning to her usual neutral smile, but I could tell she was completely smitten with the rabbits; the fact she kept stealthily glancing at them was a clear giveaway. 

“I am glad to see you have also taken a liking to Schwartz and Weiss, Lieseleta.” 

“Erm, well... I raise shumils at home, and this is my first time seeing ones that are this large and capable of speech, magic tools or otherwise. I can’t quite contain my excitement,” Lieseleta replied, a relieved smile playing on her lips as she let her eyes wander back to the rabbits. Her gaze was overflowing with hopeless adoration. It was cute to see her so enamored, but there was something she had said that caught my attention. 

“...Shumils, you say?” 

I carefully eyed Schwartz and Weiss while digging through my memory, trying to remember where I had heard the term before. It was on the tip of my tongue, and as I continued racking my brain, Lieseleta began a happy speech about shumils. 

“Actual shumils are feybeasts no taller than my knees, and they are often raised by nobles as pets. They naturally cannot speak like these magic dolls can, instead communicating with chirps that sound a bit like ‘pooey.’ Have you never seen one before, Lady Rozemyne? They love rutrebs, and they are especially cute when they start vigorously chewing away at one.” 

They chirp? Like “pooey”? 

The realization suddenly hit me, and I grimaced as memories of my not-so-pleasant first meeting with Sylvester flooded back into my mind. 

“I cannot say by whom exactly, but I was once told that I resemble a shumil...” 

“Oh my. Now that you mention it, your golden eyes are quite similar, and your dark, silky hair is much like the fur of many shumils I’ve seen. Whoever made this observation was almost certainly praising your cuteness.” 

Yeah, I don’t think so. He poked my cheek and forced me to say “pooey.” That doesn’t seem very praise-like to me. 

I also recalled that Ferdinand had told me to make my highbeast a shumil the first time he had seen Lessy. I actually might have followed his advice had I known they were rabbit-like feybeasts, but by this point my mental image of highbeasts was locked in on the Pandabus. It wouldn’t be easy to change now, and I didn’t want to anyway. 

“Here, milady. The reading room,” Schwartz and Weiss said as they opened the thick double doors. Beyond them I could see rows upon rows of wooden bookshelves standing some distance away from the walls, closer to the center of the room. There were way, way more than in any of the book rooms I had seen in Ehrenfest. 

Aah! So many books! So, so many books! I’ve never been so happy! I’m actually on the verge of tears! 

There were as many bookshelves here as there were in some small city libraries I had visited back in my Urano days, or perhaps as many as there were in a side building attached to a huge public library. This was my first time ever seeing somewhere with enough books to be called a library in this world, and my heart was fluttering with joy. 

“This is simply splendid,” I proclaimed. “I’m so happy, I could cry. I must praise the gods...” 

“You haven’t even gone inside yet!” Wilfried cried out in surprise. 

Cornelius rested a hand on my shoulder and warned me not to give any blessings, while Rihyarda once again repeated that I was not allowed to read any of the books. Had she not said that, there was no doubt in my mind that I would have rushed to the nearest bookcase and immediately started rifling through its treasures. 

Schwartz and Weiss looked up at me with wide eyes, watching our back-and-forth by the doors. “Milady? Inside?” 

“Yes. Right. Here we go.” 

My heart pounded as I took my first step inside and started looking around. The right-hand side of the library had a section without windows, as well as a counter for official business. There were a few doors along the wall, one of which I could guess led into Solange’s office, presumably so the librarians could more conveniently enter and leave the library. 

Ornately carved wooden partitions snaked around the reading room, tall enough that they seemed to reach up to my shoulders and everyone else’s waists. The walls, which were made of the same ivory material as the castle and the Ehrenfest Dormitory, were lined with thick, massive pillars, evenly spaced out between tall windows. The sunlight that streamed into the room reflected off the radiant walls, making the library interior look especially bright. There truly was an abundance of white, but the pillars and walls were adorned with enough engravings that the decoration didn’t seem too plain. 

It looks a little bit like the temple, in a sense. 

At the center of the library was an atrium where more light poured in through a ceiling window, and on the left-hand side was a broad staircase leading up to the second floor. There were bound to be even more books waiting for me up there. 

Aah! A library with two whole floors! Be still, my beating heart! 

I wanted to start reading straight away—everything from the smallest scrap of parchment to the largest tome. My head was already swimming with questions. Where would the best reading spot be? Where was it brightest in this electricity-free library? Which spot was closest to the bookshelves? In the first place, were there any spots set aside specifically for reading? I eagerly scanned the reading room in search of answers. 

“Milady. Are you searching?” 

“Questions?” 

Schwartz and Weiss called out to me as I glanced around. 

“Where should I read, I wonder? Is there a good place just for reading books?” I asked. 

“Yes. Over here.” 

The two shumils cut straight through the library, heading from where we had stood at the door to the very back. I followed after them, all the while eyeing the books on the bookshelves. They weren’t the sort with elegant leather covers that I was used to seeing in the castle, but rather thin boards held together with string. I had assumed there would be a plethora of thick, fancy-looking books here, what with this being the Royal Academy library, but that didn’t seem to be the case; in fact, the books here were a lot more like documents. Tags hung from the documents to indicate the school years and subjects of their contents. 

“These are fairly simple covers. Are these books the bulk of what you keep on the shelves?” I asked. 

“The books available on the first floor are all study guides written by students,” Solange answered. It seemed that the library purchased them from those with high grades and neat handwriting to aid the poorer nobles. Giving the books all fancy leather covers simply wasn’t feasible, as not only did the library buy so many books, but they also had to source replacements for those that were damaged or went missing. 

I gazed across the shelves and gave an understanding nod. The books I had made in Ehrenfest would fit right in so long as I slapped some wooden covers on them. 

Covers or no covers, the smell is heavenly. Nothing serves as a more pleasant reminder that I’m completely surrounded by books. 

I deeply inhaled as we reached the back wall of the library. There were square pillars so thick I would just be able to barely touch both sides of one if I stretched out my arms all the way. A number of equally tall windows lined the walls between them, in front of which were a few simple wooden desks and chairs, most likely to make use of the sunlight. 

Upon closer inspection, the wooden partitions I had seen from way back at the entrance were actually little doors. They seemed to be locked, so I could guess the students weren’t allowed to access them freely. 

“These are carrels. We have the keys. We lend them out.” 

Eeee! They even have carrels! 

The gaps between the pillars, which each seemed to be roughly one square meter each, were being used as reading spaces with partitioned-off desks known as carrels. It seemed they were basically treated as private rooms, and just seeing them was enough to send my excitement through the roof. The desk immediately in front of us wasn’t currently being used, but there were still books, boards, and some ink stacked atop it. 

“You can study. You can read. You can sleep too. Many people sleep.” 

I can imagine. Having the warm sunlight shining down on you would be enough to make anyone sleepy, especially right after lunch... 

I looked around to see if anyone here was taking a nap, but the reading room was near enough empty. There were a few people sitting in the carrels, but I couldn’t see anyone walking around. It was such a waste having so many books and desks going completely unused. 

“I see not many people use the library...” I commented. 

“That’s not true, milady.” 

“It’s only true now.” 

Schwartz and Weiss always spoke with excessive brevity, so Solange took it upon herself to elaborate. 

“Few senior students pass their written classes straight away, and most of the first-years who passed on their first day have not yet been registered, so this is when the library is at its quietest. Once we reach the midpoint of winter, however, there will be so many students here that we won’t have enough carrels for them all. We’re always at our busiest right before final exams.” 

It turned out that archnobles preferred to pay the deposit on books they needed to study and then take them to their rooms rather than use the cramped carrels. Laynobles and mednobles could rarely afford this option, and so they were the ones to stay in the library. It thus came to pass that students tried to barricade themselves in carrels between classes, even treating them like their own rooms. 

“As a mednoble, I myself struggled with studying back in the day, so I understand how they feel...” Solange began with a smile. “However, I still find it rather troubling when students leave their books in their carrels. They simply expect to keep their places until they’ve finished transcribing what they need.” 

The carrels at the south end of the library were the most popular study spots, since they received the most sun from the windows. Those on the west side and near the hall, meanwhile, were fairly unpopular, since they didn’t get as much light. This was especially the case for the west side, where the sun was only seen when it was already starting to descend. 

Status played a key role in the battle for carrels, and it seemed the laynobles of lesser duchies tended to get stuck with the least desirable locations on the west side and near the entrance. 

I want a carrel too... 

There truly was nothing more wonderful than having a space near the bookshelves where one could sit and read at their own leisure. I resolved to claim one of the carrels as my own the moment I conquered all of my practical lessons. 

Schwartz and Weiss began heading to the counter where work was done. Those sitting in the nearby carrels looked up as they heard us pass, then blinked in surprise upon seeing the shumils. I could assume that someone would need to be about as old as Ferdinand to recognize them, considering that the last time the two had been helping with library business was before the civil war. Interestingly enough though, the surprise of the students seemed to suggest that walking magic tools weren’t particularly commonplace or normal to see. 

“Professor Solange, I haven’t seen any moving magic tools like Schwartz and Weiss before, but are they actually common here at the Royal Academy?” 

“No, no. They are quite rare. It is standard to hide the results of one’s research, and my predecessor said that the method used to create them has been lost entirely. I am told they were made by a princess of the past, and so they always address their masters as female. They’re all ‘milady’ to them.” 

It seemed that even men were addressed as such. I could hear a few of the other Ehrenfest students quietly chuckling to themselves as they imagined male librarians having to endure the name with embarrassed grimaces. 

“Professor Solange, how are the books organized on your shelves? If you have a categorization system, I would very much like to hear about it.” 

“Our books are organized according to when we acquire them. Everyone prefers the newest ones, after all.” 

That made sense, what with the books on the first floor all being study documents. The older students would apparently scramble to get these new books when the library opened on the first day of written lessons, and as expected, the archduke candidates and archnobles would always leave with the very best ones. Many didn’t even return them, deciding to instead relinquish their deposits, which made things a lot harder for Solange. 

“They don’t even bring back the books...?” I asked, completely taken aback. “Could you not demand their return via an ordonnanz?” 

“This approach worked when we had archnoble librarians among our staff, but I am just a mednoble, you see... All of my complaints are simply ignored.” 

The archduke candidates and archnobles rich enough to leave their deposits behind were of a high enough status that they could completely ignore Solange without any repercussions. It must have been a massive inconvenience for her. 

“Where did all the archnoble librarians go?” 

“They were... reassigned to other positions after the civil war. My predecessors entrusted me with Schwartz and Weiss, saying that I would manage with their assistance, but my mana alone was not enough for them. I could not make them move by myself.” 

It seemed it was the shumils’ job to handle the carrels, as well as the lending out and returning of reading material. The mana from Solange’s predecessors had allowed them to continue moving for about a year after they were reassigned, but then Schwartz and Weiss had stopped moving entirely. Solange had mournfully set them on one of the bookshelves in her office, having no choice but to continue her work alone. 

“Here we lend.” 

“Here you return.” 

Once we arrived at the work space, Schwartz and Weiss fought to climb up onto two nearby chairs as quickly as possible. It seemed this was actually a regular desk rather than a counter, but it was apparently where the library’s paperwork was done. The two shumils slapped their paws on the tabletop, then began their explanation. 

There were several bookshelves around the desk, lined with documents and tools for work. The sight sent a wave of nostalgia rushing through me as I remembered my time spent in my school’s library committee back in my Urano days, and the part-time library jobs I had worked. 

“Speaking of which, I don’t see any other librarians here...” I noted as I continued looking around. 

Solange’s expression clouded over. “We are suffering such a lack of personnel that I doubt they will ever spare me any scholars.” 

As it turned out, she was running the library entirely by herself. Her higher-ups assumed that her job was as simple as handling registrations, but there was much, much more to being a librarian than they realized. 

“Surely you have a lot more work to do than everyone expects. How are you finding the time to do everything?” I asked. 

“The semester is usually over by the time I have finished managing the books and registering and deregistering the students, so I do all my other work from spring to autumn, when there are fewer students here.” 

How awful... 

The thought alone was enough to make my head spin. 

...Ah! Could this be my time to shine?! Things definitely won’t be the same here, but I’ve spent more than enough time working in libraries. This place is absolutely wonderful, and I want to do everything I can to ensure it runs smoothly. If students can’t become librarians, maybe I can at least form a library committee? I mean, this is a school, and every school needs a library committee! Okay. Perfect! 

“Professor Solange. I wish to—” 

I had intended to say, “establish a library committee to help you with your work,” but before I could finish, blue and red lights shone down on the library. I glanced up in surprise, expecting to see massive stained-glass windows overhead, but there was nothing of the sort; in fact, there didn’t seem to be any explanation for the multicolor lights whatsoever. 

The lights disappeared after a few seconds, at which point the few people using the library closed their books and stood up in unison. 

“What were those lights?” I asked. 

“An announcement to leave for afternoon classes,” Solange explained. “Some students become so immersed in their studies that they do not hear the bells, but even they notice when the light shining on their books changes colors. That is why we use them here in the library to signal when the bell is about to ring.” 

I nodded gravely, understanding just how easy it was to become so absorbed in a book that you stopped paying attention to all the noise around you. From behind me, I could hear Rihyarda mutter, “That is good to know.” 

“Professor Solange,” one student said. “Here is the key to my carrel.” 

“Yes, yes. You have practical lessons this afternoon, correct? Good luck.” 

One by one, the students handed Solange their keys and hurriedly exited the reading room, still curiously eyeing Schwartz and Weiss. Rihyarda watched them go with a smile, then pointed at the door. 

“Well then, milady. Now seems as good a time as any for us to leave for your practical lessons as well.” 

“All you wanted was to enter the reading room, yeah? Save the rest for when you’ve passed your classes,” Wilfried added. 

“We’re going to be late if we do not leave soon,” Cornelius agreed. 

I looked up at the second floor and sighed, having not had enough time to see what was up there. It was tragic that I hadn’t gotten to read a single book either, but my hands were tied here. On the bright side, I was more motivated than ever before; I had seen more reading material than I could wish for, inhaled that sweet book scent, and spoken to Solange about all manner of things. My lust for coming back to the library was burning hotter than the sun. 

I’ll pass all my classes as soon as possible, then hole up in here twenty-four seven! 

My fists were clenched with resolve as I made my way out of the reading room. Schwartz and Weiss followed closely behind to see us off, but when we arrived at the door, they reached out and tugged on my sleeve. 

“We did our job.” 

“Milady. Praise us.” 

Schwartz and Weiss were standing before me with their eyes closed. I glanced over at Solange, unsure what they were expecting me to do. 

“Lady Rozemyne, stroke the feystones on their foreheads and pour some mana into them. That will allow Schwartz and Weiss to continue their work with renewed vigor,” she explained. 

I naturally wanted the two shumils to stay functional while I was busy passing all of my remaining exams, so I poured some mana into their feystones as instructed. 

“Schwartz, Weiss. Thank you for the tour. Please listen to what Professor Solange says and continue to assist her with her work,” I said. 

“Okay. We’ll help Solange.” 

“New clothes then?” 

Schwartz agreed at once, but Weiss’s request was so truncated that I once again had to tilt my head in confusion. Solange turned her gaze to the ceiling as she dug through ancient memories, then she suddenly clapped her hands together. 

“It is customary for Schwartz and Weiss to receive new clothes when their master changes. They want you to give them new clothes as well, Lady Rozemyne.” 

“...I imagine those will take around a year to prepare, since I have no seamstresses here in the Academy, nor any cloth prepared. Is that acceptable?” 

Getting clothes for the both of them would take some time, and it definitely wasn’t something I could have finished by the end of winter. 

Schwartz and Weiss nodded. 

“New clothes take time.” 

“We know.” 

It seemed they were happy to wait, which meant I would have plenty of time to make cute clothes for them. 

“Speaking of which, Professor Solange... Are Schwartz and Weiss boys or girls?” 

“My my, Lady Rozemyne. Magic tools have no gender. They care less about the style of the clothes they wear, and more about the fact they come from their master.” 

The magic tools were shaped after living creatures, and yet it turned out they were completely genderless. There had apparently been some generations when Schwartz and Weiss were dressed as girls, some when they were dressed as boys, and some when they were dressed as neither. 

What should I have them wear? Hm... Whatever clothes I pick, they’ll need a library committee armband, for sure. And if they’re getting armbands, then I want one as well. I’ll ask Tuuli to make them when I get back to Ehrenfest. 

“Well then, I shall finish my classes as soon as possible and return to the library. Please contact me at once if Schwartz and Weiss are ever in need of more mana,” I said to Solange before finally leaving the library. Schwartz and Weiss stood at the door, waving me goodbye as I went. 

Okay! Time to blast through my practical lessons too!