Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.01 - Chapter 20

Dedication Whirl 

There were a few first-years who didn’t show up for breakfast, but by lunch, we were all gathered together. It seemed that everyone had safely absorbed their Divine Wills into themselves. 

“I was starting to worry I wouldn’t be done in time for lunch,” Wilfried said with a bright grin as we headed with our retainers to dedication whirl practice. 

All archduke candidates had dedication whirl practice, while apprentice archknights had sword dance practice. Everyone else would be practicing music. It wasn’t feasible for everyone to play the harspiel at once, so they would also be practicing other instruments that resembled flutes and drums, among other things. 

“You have sword dance practice as well, right, Angelica? Even though you’re an apprentice medknight.” 

“Right. Professor Rauffen recommended me for it. I’m glad everything worked out, because I’m really bad at music.” 

When I stealthily asked Cornelius for more details later on, it turned out there had been a good number of reasons for Rauffen’s recommendation: Angelica’s mana capacity was now great enough to rival those of some archnobles; she had amazing potential, since sword dancing involved so much movement; beautiful young women added even more grace to the dance; and not only did she not care in the least about learning to play an instrument, she didn’t get any better no matter how much they tried to force her to play. 

“You say that, but have you not had harspiel lessons?” 

“Oh, I’d practiced the harspiel since I was little. Plus, when I was a second-year, I practiced so hard to get permission to start raising my manablade that I almost died. I haven’t gotten any better since then, but I’m getting by.” 

It seemed Angelica had argued with her parents over what course she would take in the Academy, and it was only after a great deal of work that they accepted her as a manablade-wielding knight. Angelica always worked her hardest when she had a goal in mind that she actually wanted to accomplish—something I could very much relate to. 

“I see... It’s nice that you had a professor to vouch for you.” 

“Right. Sword dancing is really fun, so I’m glad it worked out too.” 

I was fine with all that, since Angelica’s motivation was a precious thing indeed, but little did I know that Judithe was about to drop a complete bombshell on me. 

“Angelica really is on a whole nother level,” she said to me, her violet eyes sparkling as she proudly puffed out her chest. “Most archnobles don’t even get picked to sword dance, since it’s a country-wide thing. If you look at Ehrenfest in particular, you won’t find many archnoble graduates who were chosen for it in all of history. It’s, like, really crazy and beyond amazing that Angelica got picked despite being a mednoble.” 

It turned out that sword dancers and dedication whirlers were selected out of all the fifth-years at the end of the semester. Ernesta, one of Charlotte’s guard knights, had apparently learned my compression method before starting her fifth year, but she hadn’t managed to develop her capacity quickly enough to be chosen. She had more than enough mana by the time she started her final year, which ended up killing her inside. 

“I’m just a mednoble myself, and I’m not nearly as strong as Angelica, so I’ll never get picked,” Judithe continued. “Leonore and Traugott have a chance, though!” 

Both Leonore and Traugott were archnobles, so if they learned my mana compression method at the end of winter and developed their mana capacities in time for the selection, there was certainly a chance they would be chosen. 

“I wish to learn your compression method so that I might be selected to sword dance, just as Angelica was,” Traugott said, his exceptionally blue eyes gleaming with hope. 

“I certainly appreciate my guard knights being selected for such an honor,” I said. “Please do your best.” 

“Now then, milady, I advise that both Lord Wilfried and you focus on practice today. Students of all years are going to be gathered here,” Rihyarda said, earning solemn nods from Wilfried and me. 

Every archduke candidate regardless of school year was practicing in the same hall, from us first-years to the sixth-years. I was rather nervous, since this was going to be my first time seeing the older students from the other duchies since the fellowship gatherings.

“First-years, please watch the older students carefully; you are to spend the first half of class learning by example,” a professor announced. “You shall whirl yourselves during the second half, which is your opportunity to show us all just how skilled you are.” 

The other first-year candidates and I sat in the lined-up chairs provided, then I gazed around the hall as those from each grade whirled together. This was the first practice of the semester, to see how much better everyone had gotten between spring and autumn. 

As far as I could tell, the second-years were all of a similar skill level, but this certainly wasn’t the case among the older students. There were several people in particular who caught my eye due to the undeniable grace with which they spun and flicked their wrists while artfully moving their fingers. The sixth-years were the smallest group of all, since their whirlers had already been selected; there were three boys and four girls in total, all dressed in their respective divine colors as they prepared to begin practice. They wore thin veils over their faces, as well as silver sashes. They would apparently wear golden sashes when celebrating their coming of age ceremonies. 

Those designs look a lot like the temple’s ceremonial robes. 

Unlike those ceremonial robes, however, the clothes these students wore were mostly transparent and made of a light enough material that they majestically floated through the air with each spin. There were several incisions running from the waist down to the hem, probably to make the clothes easier to move around in and to ensure they ballooned out as intended. 

And so, the sixth-years began their practice. Once the girls had their outfits on, they spread their arms out and spun, causing their wide sleeves to open up while the hems softly fluttered around them. 

As I watched the sixth-years, I noticed there were seven boys and girls waiting nearby without any special clothes on. They were probably the back-up whirlers, judging by the way they were enviously eyeing the twirling dancers. 

“I am one who offers prayer and gratitude to the gods who have created the world,” began the familiar prayer. The dancers’ seven voices echoed throughout the hall as they celebrated the end of the harsh winter, hoped for spring to bear new life, thanked the gods for all the protection they had given up until their coming of age ceremonies, and asked for protection moving forward as well. 

My eyes widened in surprise. Back in Ehrenfest, my lack of time meant I had only practiced the whirling itself, so this was my first time hearing the prayer at the start. It was so unusual watching a prayer from the bible being spoken by nobles rather than by priests, especially considering that nobles often looked down on the temple. It seemed that the religious leaders of the past had once been equivalent to royalty, but the temple’s reputation must have plummeted at some point across its long history. 

“Praise be to the gods!” they declared, raising their arms and their left legs before beginning the dedication whirl. 

My whirl instructor back in Ehrenfest had said it was hard to maintain one’s balance in such a pose, but I was used to balancing on one leg from all the praying I had to do, so my focus had simply been on learning the choreography. It hadn’t occurred to me at the time, but now that I was seeing how an actual dedication whirl was performed, I was even more convinced that the temple of the past had been a lot stronger than it was now. 

The sleeves of seven differently colored outfits fluttered in time with the dancers’ gentle movements. It was only a practice session, but they were moving with such grace that it reminded me of a traditional Japanese dance. 

Anyway... I see that Prince Anastasius was selected to pray to the God of Darkness. I assume the duchy rankings play a considerable part in who’s chosen for that role. 

As I watched Anastasius whirl, I noticed his dancing was clearly inferior to that of the girl praying to the Goddess of Light. They were supposed to be a pair, praying to the King and Queen gods respectively, but the skill gap was more than noticeable. 

Not that I can blame him; anyone would look bad whirling next to her. It can’t be good to show up a prince though. 

The girl praying to the Goddess of Light was completely unrivaled in her dancing ability. Even the smallest details like her finger movements and the direction in which she gazed were refined to perfection, and she was so beautifully elegant I simply couldn’t look away.

“Oh my. Hello there, Wilfried.” 

“Lady Detlinde...” 

As soon as the older students took a short break, Detlinde—an Ahrensbach archduke candidate—strode over to us with a smile. She brushed back the gorgeous blonde tresses that had settled over her shoulder, looking at Wilfried with eyes that were just as green as his. 

“I have heard much about your efforts, Wilfried. Few have ever managed to lead an entire duchy to pass their written classes on the first day. I truly am proud to be your cousin.” 

“Thank you for your praise, but it was Rozemyne who—” 

“My my. There is no point trying to give someone else the credit when everyone already knows the truth. That will only further emphasize your humility.” 

“No, that’s not—” Wilfried began, only to be interrupted as Detlinde reached out her slender, white fingers and stroked his forehead with an amused smile. 

“You have done well, Wilfried. You are my pride and joy,” she said with a calming smile; then she tilted her head ever so slightly as Wilfried widened his eyes in shock. “Is something the matter?” 

“Erm... No, it’s nothing...” Wilfried replied, lowering his gaze and shaking his head. It was clear from his expression that the touch hadn’t bothered him in the least; in fact, a wistful smile was creeping onto his face. 

“Wilfried, oh Wilfried... We are afforded far too few opportunities to meet like this. I want nothing more than for us to settle down and have a nice, thorough talk, as cousins. May I invite you to a tea party?” she asked, shooting me a single glance. 

Given that she had explicitly emphasized their relationship as cousins, I could guess that I wasn’t invited, but I wasn’t about to back down here. It was my job to watch over Wilfried, even if doing so made me look socially incompetent. 

You’ll have to forgive me for not wanting to deal with another disinheritance incident... 

“Oh my, a tea party?” I interjected. “Wilfried, isn’t that exciting?” 

“My apologies, but I see I must make this clear—you and I are not cousins,” Detlinde said, rejecting me flat-out when I pretended not to notice her intentions. It seemed she likewise wasn’t willing to back down. 

“I am officially recognized as the daughter of Aub Ehrenfest, am I not?” 

“Officially, yes, but this is a personal tea party. Please be a dear and excuse yourself.” 

Detlinde and I glared at one another behind false smiles, both hunting for the next move to make. Before I could say anything else, however, an extra-tall Wilfried slid in between us. I say an extra-tall Wilfried because the resemblance truly was uncanny, but it was actually Rudiger from Frenbeltag. 

“May I come as well then, Lady Detlinde?” he asked. “I am your cousin too.” 

Detlinde fell silent for a few seconds. There was no knowing what had gone through her mind, but a smile returned to her face once more. “Very well, Rudiger. You are indeed my cousin,” she said, then glancing back at me with a victorious grin. “I am afraid things are what they are, Lady Rozemyne. My apologies, but I must again ask you to excuse yourself.” 

With that, Detlinde turned away to begin planning the meeting with the two Wilfrieds. I had wormed my way into the conversation for as long as possible, but there was no getting around the fact I wasn’t a blood relative. She had flatly refused me, so there was nothing I could do from here but trust in Wilfried. 

I moved some distance away from the three and started looking around the hall. As everyone chatted and enjoyed their break, only one person continued to practice—the sixth-year girl, clad in the color of the Goddess of Light. Her expression was so lively and pleasant that I found myself enraptured, and I wandered over to sit a safe distance away. I watched for a while, completely absorbed in her dance, until someone called out to me from behind. 

“You there. The tiny one from Ehrenfest.” 

A stir immediately ran through the hall. It was about as rude of a greeting as one could give, but the person who had spoken had no obligation to be polite. To make matters worse, it was wholly unacceptable to ignore a direct address from a member of royalty. I tore my eyes from the girl, then plastered on the same fake smile I had worn in court etiquette class before turning around. 

“I am honored beyond words that you would grace me with your presence, Prince Anastasius.” 

“I hear you’ve been up to some pretty interesting stuff. Come here. I want to know more about it.” 

I did as instructed, walking over to where Anastasius was, but I hadn’t a clue what he was referring to. I hadn’t done anything particularly interesting as far as I knew, so I had no idea what he had heard, who had told him, or what he thought about it. 

“May I ask what rumor has reached your ears, Prince Anastasius?” I asked, kneeling down the moment I reached him. “I must admit, I have no recollection of doing anything considered worthy of your attention.” 

Anastasius, who had quite a few female students surrounding him, raised an eyebrow. “Did you not attack Fraularm with some bizarrely shaped highbeast?” 

I couldn’t believe my ears. The rumor made me sound like some kind of psycho. I needed to clear things up at once, which meant speaking a little more directly; being vague was as good as confirming it was true. 

“I swear to the gods that I have not attacked any professors. It is true, however, that my highbeast is somewhat abnormal compared to most.” 

Anastasius narrowed his eyes slightly, quite clearly doubting my words. He thought things over for a moment while looking down at me. 

“Hm... How am I supposed to know the truth when some say otherwise? Very well. I will allow you to show me your highbeast. Then I shall determine whether it is dangerous for myself.” 

No, thank you... You’re not even a teacher. I don’t want your judgment. 

I stifled my inner voice and maintained a courteous smile, crossing my arms with a polite, “As you wish.” 

“Follow me,” Anastasius said curtly, standing up at once. I was completely flabbergasted. Leaving with him was the last thing I wanted to do. Not only would it make me stand out like nothing else, but I’d also be the only one who got in trouble if we returned late; there was no way the professors were going to yell at the friggin’ prince. 

“...Prince Anastasius, may I show you after dedication whirl practice is over? I believe your practice is far more important than my humble highbeast,” I replied. I wanted to pass this subject as quickly as possible, so skipping my first class just wasn’t an option. 

Anastasius, seeing that the professors were returning and that break time was almost over, merely shrugged. “Very well, then. Later. Hm... You are tiny, but quite the tactician. You will need better bait than a strange highbeast to entice me.” 

“‘Bait’...?” 

Now, I don’t have the best memory in the world, but I’m pretty sure he’s the one who ordered me to show my highbeast. Why is he acting like I made the first move here? 

I wasn’t following his logic in the least, but I decided to firmly reject the idea anyway. I couldn’t risk being vague in case people started to assume I was a cocky first-year trying to score points with royalty. 

“Worry not, Prince Anastasius; I will never make any attempt to entice you or invite you anywhere. I will show you my highbeast, as I have promised, but I swear to never approach you on my own henceforth.” 

“I... see?” 

Anastasius looked positively baffled, but that was better than him having any weird misunderstandings. The older girls surrounding him were still giving me some pretty murderous looks though. I could guess these fine ladies were caught up in a cutthroat battle to be the one to escort the prince during their graduation. It was so intense that they even viewed me with hostility, despite the fact I was far too young to escort him. 

Talk about scary... 

By the time Anastasius had permitted me to leave his presence, the professors were calling for class to resume. Wilfried was waiting for me with a worried expression, so I reported to him that I had promised to show Anastasius my highbeast after practice. 

“Don’t mess this up, Rozemyne. Seriously. Don’t.” 

Wilfried was looking far more sick and nervous than I was. I attempted to reassure him with a nod, at which point the second half of class began. 

“Now then, everyone—it is time to show us how much you have practiced,” one of the professors said. Their priority was teaching the sixth-years, so the rest of us were to practice with the others in our duchies. We first-years simply needed to prove that we were above the passing line, then we would be done; the teachers just wanted to see how much work we had put in before we became second-years. 

I’m going to pass this class today, no matter what. 

Everyone lined up and started to whirl just as they had learned in their respective duchies. I thought back to the girl who had been praying to the Goddess of Light and spun more gracefully than I ever had before, trying to match the delicacy with which she had moved as best I could. 

The library is waiting for me! The library! Oh, the library! 

Pouring my heart and soul into the dedication whirl paid off, as I ultimately managed to pass; the professor had given me a smile and praised my efforts as “very, very good.” Now I wouldn’t need to practice dedication whirling this year, and this seemed to be the case for all the other first-years as well. 

“You are free to come and watch during class hours to learn more. Just watching the older students whirl can be quite an enlightening experience,” the professor said, but the library was much higher up on my priority list. I didn’t plan to waste any of my time here. 

All that remain now are my highbeast and schtappe classes. I’m almost there! Yes, yes, yes! 

I had already struck an illicit deal with Hirschur to secure a passing grade in highbeast creation, and I doubted I would have any trouble using my schtappe properly, considering how much progress I had made with it while messing around on Earthday. 

Just a tiny bit longer before I can go to the library... 

I was so excited about passing whirling class that I unconsciously headed for the door to return to the dormitory. Thankfully, I only got a few steps before a sick-looking Wilfried grabbed the back of my shirt and angrily whispered into my ear. 

“Rozemyne! Are you forgetting your promise to Prince Anastasius?” 

“Oh... So I am.” 

“Are you for real...?” Wilfried murmured, cradling his head. He told me to wait outside the door to the hall with Rihyarda, then swiftly exited; he hadn’t received an invitation from the prince, so he wasn’t able to stay with me. 

Whew. That was close... 

Breaking out in a cold sweat, I waited outside the door for Anastasius. He finally came out with a bunch of girls surrounding him, looked my way with a smirk, then scoffed. “What, this is where you were waiting? Sorry, but something more pressing came up. I don’t have the time to spare for you.” 

“Prince Anastasius will be coming with us. Apologies,” the girls said with a boastful giggle. I could feel the clear hostility radiating from them, and since I didn’t really want to get wrapped up in the battle for the prince’s affection, I moved aside for them at once. 

“There is absolutely no need to apologize; it is well within my knowledge that members of royalty are quite busy. Now, Rihyarda—shall we return to the dormitory?” I asked, turning to my adult attendant who looked a little more stone-faced than usual. She was probably mad about how rude Anastasius was being to me. “I would like to continue reading the book I started this morning.” 

Rihyarda nodded, then briskly started walking off. I stayed close behind, but as I dared not look back in fear of making eye contact with the scary girls, I never saw the expression on Anastasius’s face.