Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.2 - Chapter 11

Rihyarda’s Wrath 

Two days had passed since Anastasius summoned me. He had said that Eglantine would probably invite me to a tea party, but she hadn’t yet approached me, and I couldn’t imagine it was going to happen anytime soon; things were probably on hold until she finished her classes and socializing season began. 

I spent my time leisurely visiting the library, where I would top off Schwartz and Weiss with mana and continue working toward my goal of reading every single book available. Brunhilde, Philine, Judithe, Leonore, and Cornelius were accompanying me there today. 

After seeing how terribly uncoordinated the Ehrenfest apprentice knights were during our game of treasure-stealing ditter, Leonore and Cornelius had rethought their plans and were now discussing the most efficient methods for defeating feybeasts. Fighting the Dunkelfelger knights directly rather than indirectly through speed ditter had apparently shown them just how big of a difference there was between our duchies. 

As a second-year who hadn’t yet started taking knight courses, Judithe struggled to keep up with strategy-related discussions, and it was for this reason that she had merely been assigned to guard me in the near-empty library. Leonore and Cornelius, meanwhile, spoke privately and transcribed books in a nearby carrel. It was almost as though they were on a date of sorts, so I couldn’t help but silently cheer on Leonore as I read through my books. Philine was sitting in a carrel right next to mine, desperately transcribing as quickly and accurately as she could manage. 

Before I knew it, the light signaling that the library was about to close shone, dyeing the pages of my book a rainbow of colors. “It’s time to go,” Brunhilde informed me, and shut the book in my hands. I sighed. 

“Milady. Day’s over.” 

“Borrow books, milady.” 

“Yes, I know. Brunhilde, I wish to borrow these books; please go through the necessary steps with Schwartz. Weiss, here are the keys to the carrels.” 

The life I had secured since finishing all of my classes was complete heaven, and every day was bliss. I could read in the library all the way till closing time and then borrow anything I wanted to continue reading in the dormitory. 

“Lady Rozemyne, I finished transcribing all the books about feybeasts today,” Leonore said on our way back to the dormitory. She then went on to say they had discovered some unexpected weaknesses of certain feybeasts, speaking with a bright smile on her face. 

Cornelius nodded. “With this information in mind, I plan to carefully read the reference books Eckhart lent me about coordination in battle. I would also like to return to Ehrenfest briefly to see the commander, so that I can ask how the Knight’s Order works together when hunting especially strong feybeasts.” 

“Students can return to their home duchy after finishing their classes, correct?” I asked. “I wish you luck with completing all yours soon.” 

Karstedt was incredibly busy at this time of year, having to deal with the Lord of Winter and guard Sylvester during his socializing as an aub, but winter socializing still meant every noble in Ehrenfest was gathered in one place. Talking to the knights of previous generations who had played treasure-stealing ditter would be plenty productive, or maybe drill instructors who were used to beating coordination into apprentices. 

Leonore repeatedly nodded as she listened to my thoughts. “I always wondered what purpose written classes served, if any, but I would never have thought they were so directly connected to proper coordination,” she said. “I imagine that in the days when everyone played treasure-stealing ditter, students would more fervently beat strategies into their heads and work together to come up with ways to trick their enemies.” 

Cornelius had told me before that speed ditter didn’t involve much coordination or strategizing because of the nature of the game—victory could be secured simply by having everyone charge the feybeast and beat its head in—so he was having a grand time thinking up plans. It seemed that Leonore shared this enthusiasm; there was a big smile on her face as she laughed and shared glances with him. 

Yes! Yesss! Bonding like this is what I want to see! 

I grinned at Cornelius and Leonore, which Brunhilde quickly noticed. “Are you providing Leonore your support, Lady Rozemyne?” she asked in a subtle whisper. 

“Oh, no. I am not getting involved. It seems Cornelius is quite popular with the ladies, and it would not do for me to cause an unnecessary stir.” 

Since I was both an archduke candidate and Cornelius’s sister, openly supporting Leonore would more or less lock her into place as his future wife. It wasn’t something to be done so carelessly; I hadn’t spoken with my family about which of my brothers they planned for Angelica to potentially marry, nor was I aware how Cornelius felt about all this. 

“I see. That is a relief. Nothing will tear retainers apart faster than favoritism,” Brunhilde replied with a small smile. She made a good point—I had admittedly been planning to support Leonore after talking things over with my family, but maybe it was wiser for me to do nothing instead. 

When we entered the Ehrenfest Dormitory, Rihyarda was shouting so furiously that her voice was clearly audible from the entranceway. “That’s enough out of you, Traugott!” came a roar from above, indicating that she was lecturing him in his room. 

Brunhilde and I exchanged glances. Neither of us had ever heard Rihyarda shouting this loudly before. 

“What in the world did Traugott do...?” 

“I’m afraid I do not know,” Brunhilde replied. “Shall we first go to your room and get you changed for supper? We can ask Hartmut whether he knows anything later.” It was better if she avoided going to the second floor where the boys stayed, so this was for the best. Hartmut had attended classes this afternoon, but those had ended before the library closed, so he probably knew at least something. 

“Very well. In the meantime, Cornelius, could you go investigate and inform Rihyarda that we are back?” 

“You wish for me to interrupt when she is shouting that sharply, Lady Rozemyne?” he asked with a grimace, pointing up at the ceiling. We could no longer make out Rihyarda’s exact words, but it was clear that her lecture was ongoing and no less fierce. It would take a great deal of courage to walk straight into the lion’s den. 

“You do not need to enter abruptly, but surely you can knock and inform them it is time for supper.” 

“I suppose...” 

Come supper, Angelica, who was completely exhausted from her afternoon classes, presented me with a letter. It was an invitation to a tea party from Eglantine, which Angelica had received during her written classes from one of the Klassenberg candidate’s apprentice attendants. 

“I thank you ever so much, Angelica. Brunhilde, may I ask you to compose a reply?” 

“Certainly. What shall we bring her as a gift?” Brunhilde asked. She started to rack her brain, while Cornelius thought about who would serve as my guard knights. 

“Lady Rozemyne, I want to join you as a guard,” Angelica said. As she had not yet finished her written classes, however, she was not included among the candidates. 

“I would very much like that, Angelica. That is why I pray that you demonstrate as much excellence in your written classes as you did during our game of treasure-stealing ditter,” I replied. 

Angelica’s shoulders sank, eliciting a chuckle from Cornelius. “She has already passed a third of her written classes, which speaks volumes to how hard she is trying. As expected, your presence here is having an enormous impact,” he said. 

It seemed that Angelica was working a lot harder than she had done during the two years I was asleep; in fact, she was trying so much harder that everyone in the knight’s course was notably relieved. 

“I can only imagine how much Father and Mother would rejoice if they heard Angelica of all people has already made this much progress,” Lieseleta said with a tearful smile. “We will never be able to repay this debt to you, Lady Rozemyne.” 

Angelica was certainly doing better, but she was still a long way away from passing her remaining classes. Vigilance was key. Perhaps preparing a reward for her was wise. 

“Angelica, how would you feel about me offering to teach you an additional step to my mana compression method if you finish all your written classes before I must return to Ehrenfest for the Dedication Ritual?” 

“There’s another step?!” 

Both Angelica and Cornelius widened their eyes in surprise. 

“I succeeded in developing a fourth step during my mana compression class.” 

“Say what?! So there are more than three now?! You didn’t tell me anything about this!” Wilfried complained. Surprised murmurs were already spreading through the dining hall. 

“Eugh. Why did my parents have to be from another faction?” one student grumbled. “When will I get to pick which faction I want to be in?” 

This reaction made it blatantly clear how simply being from a different faction could put one at a massive disadvantage, and several apprentice knights started cradling their heads as they realized that an even bigger gap would soon be opening up between them and the others. These concerns were understandable, considering how those with rapidly growing mana capacities were already leaving them far behind. 

“It is only natural that children who have not yet come of age are considered to belong to the same faction as their parents, and with the Veronica faction having been the main political power just a few years ago, our current situation was always inevitable. It is pointless to bemoan past decisions, but with that said, I shall do all that I can to assist those who wish to change factions.” 

“Is that true, Lady Rozemyne?!” The children of the former Veronica faction looked up at me with wide eyes. I did my best to return a very saintly smile; this was a big chance to get this generation’s children under my wing. 

“We use contract magic when teaching the mana compression method, but I will consult Aub Ehrenfest about potentially teaching all those who wish to know, even if this means altering the contents of said magic contracts. I can make no immediate promises, but I shall do everything in my power to make this happen, so please continue your efforts without fail.” 

“Understood!” 

The faces of the former Veronica faction children lit up at this new goal to work toward. I was exceptionally concerned about the satisfied smile I saw Hartmut giving me out of the corner of my eye, but no matter. 

“Wilfried, this is the year you must prove yourself. Stay cautious and ensure that the competency you have shown so far extends to your socializing as well,” I said. 

“Right,” he replied. “I won’t make the same mistakes again.” 

“Lord Wilfried and the rest of us are working harder by the day. You will surely approve of our efforts,” one of his retainers assured me. They were all nodding to each other, bound together stronger than ever before. 

Meanwhile, Angelica was clasping her hands together in front of her chest while gazing at me with puppy-dog eyes. “I can do it, Lady Rozemyne! I just need a chance!” 

The sudden change from how devastated she had seemed just a second ago was dramatic. Her blue eyes now shone with enthusiasm, while her cheeks were flushed with excitement; had she not elaborated that she wanted more mana to improve her enhancements and make Stenluke stronger, she could have easily been mistaken for a girl deeply in love. 

...Now that I thought about it, obtaining Stenluke was the very reason Angelica had fought against her fear of studying in the first place, and she had also dedicated mana to him on a regular basis. One could say she already was a girl deeply in love—a girl deeply in love with her manablade. 

Sweet, sweet Angelica... If only you had a few more brain cells... 

“Lady Rozemyne, if you are going to teach Angelica the new step, should you not teach your own brother also?” Cornelius asked, his dissatisfaction clear on his face. 

I chuckled. “I will only teach her if she finishes her classes before I return for the Dedication Ritual. It will most likely be impossible for her.” 

While I was using this to motivate Angelica, I was due to return to Ehrenfest in less than three weeks. It was quite the unreasonable task as far as I was concerned, since she had only managed to complete a third of her classes in the three weeks prior to this point, but Cornelius shook his head. 

“Look at that expression. Do you really expect her not to succeed when she has the same sparkle in her eyes as you did when the library was on the line?” he said, looking between Angelica and me. “The two of you are exactly alike when it comes to charging blindly ahead to accomplish your goals.” 

It seemed that Cornelius was already convinced Angelica would succeed no matter what. 

“Ngh... Okay. I will teach all of my retainers the fourth step, but only if Angelica passes... and we successfully raise our duchy’s rank to twelfth or higher during the Interduchy Tournament.” 

“Alright!” Traugott said, clenching his fists with a wide smile. Hartmut, meanwhile, raised his eyebrows. 

“If you are going to say all your retainers rather than just your guard knights, then as an apprentice scholar, I will need to work with the apprentice knights to the best of my ability. Cornelius, come to my room later; I have compiled a list of the most common feybeasts used in past Interduchy Tournaments, as well as how to defeat them. It is not exhaustive, but it should prove helpful.” 

“You have my thanks, Hartmut.” 

Brunhilde gave an agreeing nod, a sharp glint in her eyes. “We apprentice attendants will also need to put our heads together in preparation for the Interduchy Tournament. I am quite looking forward to the next one.” 

With that, dinner came to an end. 

“Milady, may I borrow a moment of your time?” Rihyarda asked with an expression that conveyed no emotion whatsoever. “There is something important I must discuss with you.” 

With how intensely Rihyarda had been shouting at Traugott earlier, I had assumed she would be prickly as heck to him at dinner, but she had remained calm the entire time. She truly was a master of controlling her emotions, which was exactly why I nodded without feeling all that doubtful. 

“Of course. Will my room do?” 

“I would like for all of your retainers to hear what I have to say, milady. For that reason, I have secured a room on the first floor.” 

I glanced around at everyone sitting at my table. They all nodded, except for Traugott, who was frozen in place with wide eyes. 

“Grandmother, I...” he began. 

“Shall we go?” Rihyarda interrupted, staring Traugott down with an expression that left no room for debate before leading the way. The tension that hung in the air between the two of them was palpable. 

Hartmut was walking slightly ahead of me. I reached out and gently tugged on his cape to get his attention. “Do you know what’s going on?” I whispered. 

“Of course I do. Rihyarda has been furious for three days now,” he replied with a thin smile. I could sense anger coming from him as well, and judging by where it seemed to be directed, he seemed to be on Rihyarda’s side. 

What in the world did Traugott do? 

We arrived at a small meeting room a short way from the common room, there for students to speak more privately without having to venture up to the gender-separated floors. Some rooms were normally assigned to a particular faction, but as almost everyone was just using the common room this year, such restrictions hadn’t been applied. 

Upon entering the room, I sat on the chair offered to me by Rihyarda. Lieseleta and Brunhilde stood on either side of me, with my guard knights standing next to them. Hartmut, as a scholar, sat down with ink and a wooden board to do something with Philine, who was taking the seat beside him. I wasn’t really sure what. Maybe they were going to record the conversation? 

Traugott had not been allowed to stand with my guard knights. Rihyarda had dragged him here by the arm, and she hadn’t let go even now that we had arrived. She looked across my retainers with the utmost severity before opening her mouth to speak. 

“Lady Rozemyne, please release Traugott from his duties as your retainer.” 

“What?!” I cried out in unison with my two nearby attendants. 

In contrast, my guard knights merely responded with grimaces. I could guess they had more or less expected this, since none of them seemed at all surprised; Hartmut, who had definitely known what was going on, did not even blink. 

As for Traugott, the blood drained from his face, and his expression became one of abject despair. He looked as though he had never expected such a request to be made by his own grandmother, which was completely understandable—it was an immense dishonor for a noble taken on as a retainer to be released from duty, so much so that it brought shame to one’s entire house. It was hard to imagine Rihyarda wishing such disgrace upon her own grandson. 

“Rihyarda, what in the world happened...?” 

“Nothing that you are unaware of. You were present for the incident that spurred my wrath, and it should be obvious why I am stating this. Please do pay more attention to your surroundings and observe the behavior of your retainers with a more critical eye,” she replied sharply. 

“Yes, of course! I will be more careful from now on!” I exclaimed, sitting up straight in an instant. A momentary brush with her anger had been enough to shake me to my very core. 

“Traugott is not fit to be your retainer, milady. I suggest you relieve him of duty at once,” Rihyarda repeated, going on to explain that his words and actions during our treasure-stealing ditter match had completely disqualified him from the role. I certainly hadn’t considered it appropriate behavior, but she had evidently deemed it unthinkable and unforgivable. 

“But he is your grandson, is he not?” I asked. “You recommended him yourself. Relieving him of duty is surely too harsh.” 

“I did indeed recommend him, since Traugott wished for the position and Lord Bonifatius had asked me to include more archnobles among your guard knights. I do love him as a grandmother, but I am your head attendant first and foremost, and you do not need a retainer who will act against you.” 

It seemed that it was precisely because Rihyarda loved Traugott as a grandmother that she had scolded him so harshly and told him to quit on his own terms. It was marginally better for him to willingly resign than for me to label him a failure and fire him myself. 

“Every retainer has his or her own motivation for serving the one they have chosen to serve, milady. It is for this reason that I did not protest Traugott wanting to serve you specifically to learn your mana compression method. What mattered was his attitude toward his work.” 

Brunhilde had said that she wished to serve me because she wanted to play a role in the introduction of new trends. Lieseleta had resolved to serve me to repay her gratitude for my saving her older sister Angelica from failing her exams and dishonoring their entire house. Hartmut wanted to accelerate the growth of my saint legend, while Philine was interested in gathering stories with me. Rihyarda and Angelica were serving me as per an order, and while Cornelius already came from a family that universally served as guards for the archducal family, he had to my knowledge personally requested to guard me as my older brother. 

In short, everyone had a reason for becoming one of my retainers, and it wasn’t important what that reason was. Rihyarda had concluded that the only thing that mattered was whether a retainer did their job well and prioritized the needs of the one they served over their own desires. 

“However, Traugott does not have it in him to properly serve another; his attitude makes him entirely unsuited to being a servant. As your head attendant, I cannot allow such a disloyal individual to be recognized as your retainer.” 

It seemed that Traugott held genuine disdain for me. My poor health and weak body had earned me his scorn, which, according to Rihyarda, was only made worse by the fact we were supposed to be cousins through Karstedt. 

“It is an embarrassment, especially when Cornelius, despite being your brother, has been so perfect at distinguishing between public- and private-appropriate behavior!” she declared. 

Rihyarda had apparently spent the past three days demanding that Traugott quit on his own terms before his complete lack of obedience and reluctance to serve caused yet more problems. He had made no such move despite this, and so Rihyarda had yelled at him again today. That explained the shouts we had heard upon entering the dorm. 

Incidentally, despite having been told to quit just minutes before dinner, he had tried ingratiating himself with me the moment he heard there was a fourth step to my mana compression process. That had infuriated Rihyarda, driving her to give up on convincing him to quit on his own and instead advise that I fire him. 

“It is beyond shameless to focus only on what one has to gain, showing no intention whatsoever of aiding the person one has sworn to serve. Not even my own grandson deserves kindness anymore!” Rihyarda barked. “Ehrenfest nobles have a duty to serve the archducal family and protect the duchy. What have your parents taught you, Traugott? How were you raised to have ended up like this? This is pathetic!” 

As much as Rihyarda was pushing me to fire Traugott, the decision was ultimately in my hands. “Traugott, do you intend to serve me well and true?” I asked, turning my eyes to the apprentice knight who was turning whiter by the word. 

“Yes! Please, allow me to continue as your retainer!” he cried, the desperation apparent in his eyes. Rihyarda’s eyebrows shot up in response. 

“Traugott intends to resign the very moment he learns Lady Rozemyne’s compression method,” Hartmut said, narrowing his orange eyes ever so slightly with a thin smile. His frank declaration made Traugott flinch and stunned Rihyarda into complete silence, but after gazing across my retainers, he continued nonetheless. “He told me he has no intention to serve a ‘bizarre’ girl so weak that she once collapsed from a single snowball, so frail that she falls ill at a moment’s notice, and so single-minded that she burdens everyone in her quest for the library. If not for the compression method, he would have rather served Lord Wilfried.” 

“What?! Be silent, Hartmut! You said you would keep that a secret!” Traugott shouted in disbelief, but Hartmut merely laughed him off with cold eyes. 

“Oh, did you truly think anyone would keep such a secret without a magic contract to bind them? Remember that I am Lady Rozemyne’s retainer; it is my natural responsibility to tell her what she needs to know to make an informed decision.” 

As the two boys glared at each other, Rihyarda bristled with sheer anger. “Traugott, you are just... just unbelievable! This goes beyond you being an unsuitable retainer! You are rotten to the core!” she shouted. 

I crossed my arms as I pondered the situation. I naturally understood why everyone wanted me to fire Traugott, but not what was going on in his head. For one, why was he so determined to learn my mana compression method, especially to the point that he was willing to put aside his distaste for me and (albeit half-heartedly) play the role of a loyal retainer. It was hard to imagine that firing him outright was actually the best thing to do. 

“I would like to speak privately with Traugott. May I ask that you all clear the room?” I said, presuming that he wouldn’t want to speak in front of anyone else, but Rihyarda instantly shot me down. 

“That is unacceptable! You must not be without guard knights when discussing the firing of a knight! What would you do if Traugott were to fly into a rage?! Consider the situation more carefully!” she exclaimed. 

When I scanned the room, my guard knights were all nodding in agreement. “But surely there are some things he will not want to say in front of others,” I remarked. 

“That is why sound-blocking magic tools exist. They will allow you to speak privately, even with guard knights,” Rihyarda said. She shook her head, making a point to note that a noble would normally fire their retainer without asking for more details, but placed sound-blocking magic tools in front of us nonetheless. 

“I wish to hear your thoughts on this, Traugott. If you are willing to speak to me, pick up your magic tool.” 

Traugott complied, albeit with a harsh frown.