Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.6 - Chapter 14

Changing Schwartz and Weiss

“I believe it’s about time to leave,” I said. “Afternoon lessons have begun, so remember to walk quietly and not bother anyone.”

Today, we were going to the library to dress Schwartz and Weiss in their new clothes. We had decided to wait until afternoon lessons started so that we were less likely to be seen, and the girls who were accompanying us were now eagerly standing with boxes containing the outfits and accessories. Since the retainers Charlotte had chosen to join us were also girls, the only boys coming along were those who had been directly ordered to by Ferdinand so that they could give reports afterward: Hartmut and Cornelius.

“I’ll grant you all temporary permission to touch the shumils,” I said, “so please put your all into getting them changed.”

The girls all wore broad smiles—except for Lieseleta, who was clearly trying to maintain a stern expression. Unbeknownst to her, however, this stony facade kept giving way to a huge grin, making her seem the happiest of all.

“You sure love shumils, don’t you, Lieseleta?” Judithe teased.

Lieseleta presumably took this as a jab about her being unprofessional, considering how self-conscious she was about keeping work separate from her private life. She gave me a concerned look to see how I was reacting and then muttered, “Are they not adorable?” while blushing a little with embarrassment.

“I am grateful for your love of shumils, Lieseleta. Without it, the clothes likely would not have been completed in time,” I said.

We continued our conversation as we walked to the library. Upon our arrival, Schwartz and Weiss opened the reading room door and poked their heads out.

“Milady’s here.”

“Changing clothes today.”

Solange arrived a moment after, walking slowly behind the two shumils, whose heads bobbed from side to side as they moved. When she saw just how many of us there were, what with Charlotte and her retainers too, she gave a refined laugh.

“Oh my. So many people are here with you today,” she said. “Do follow me.”

Solange guided us to the back of her office. There was the parlor space for registering students and hosting tea parties, then behind that was her work desk, a locked bookshelf, and a door to the reading room. Even farther behind that was a partition screen, and today she would be leading us beyond it.

I thought this would be her personal space with a bed, but apparently not...

Her room was basically like mine, and when I had first seen Schwartz and Weiss sitting next to each other, I had assumed this was a private space with a bed. In reality, however, it was an empty room with little more than a table. Solange certainly did not live here.

“Please do the changing here,” Solange said. “I finished my registration work at noon, and I cleaned up the area so that several of you can work at once.”

Cornelius and Leonore stood by the screen as guards, while Charlotte’s guard knights and Judithe would watch the changing space itself.

Lieseleta took command of the girls, having the boxes lined up while Brunhilde and the others opened them one after another to make sure everything was there. Charlotte and I could not participate in this preparatory work, given our status, so we simply watched.

“By the way, Professor Solange... where exactly do you live?” I asked. “Dormitory supervisors have rooms in their dormitories, and teachers have rooms in specialty buildings according to the topic they teach, correct?”

I was already aware that professors had rooms in their particular specialty buildings. Those who were dormitory supervisors also had rooms in their respective dorms, although the one in ours saw very little use, considering that Hirschur almost always slept in her lab.

Solange pointed at a door that was completely hidden by the screen when looking from the entrance of the room. “I live in one of the rooms within the librarian dormitory, beyond that door,” she explained. “Much like in the student dormitories, there is a dining hall on the first floor, rooms for men on the second, and rooms for women on the third.”

So the librarians did have rooms in the library. I could hardly express how envious I was of Solange; I wished that I could live here as well.

“I will return to the reading room now,” Solange said once she had seen that our preparations were complete. “I entrust the changing to all of you.”

After seeing her off, I turned to look at the girls—who were all ready to go—and then looked at the two shumils. “Schwartz, Weiss. We will now be changing you into your new clothes,” I said. “The girls here are going to be helping out. Until the changing is done, I hereby permit all those present to touch you.”

Schwartz and Weiss slowly turned their heads, as if registering every individual present.

“The girls here.”

“Permission granted.”

“Now then, everyone,” I continued, “let us begin the changing. You may touch Schwartz and Weiss as well, Charlotte.”

“Yes, Sister.” Charlotte’s indigo eyes sparkled as she entered the ring of girls.

I was the only one of the girls not on guard duty who wasn’t going to be changing Schwartz and Weiss—not because I was slacking off, but because it was unideal for me to touch them.

Namely because the circles will start glowing.

No matter how well the embroidery hid our magic circles, making them glow would spill the beans entirely. Charlotte and my retainers knew where they were and what they looked like, since they had embroidered them, but it was best to keep all that a secret from the other students.

“Schwartz, I’m going to remove these buttons now,” one girl said.

“Weiss, raise this arm, please,” requested another.

The girls touched Schwartz and Weiss all over, chattering excitedly as they removed the shumils’ clothes. It was very heartwarming to see Charlotte break into such a happy smile after reaching out and touching Schwartz.

Leonore, who had been standing by the partition, walked over and whispered into my ear. “Lady Rozemyne, it seems Professor Solange has urgent business.” I went with her to the partition, and indeed, there was Solange with an exceedingly troubled expression.

“Professor Solange?” I asked.

“Prince Hildebrand is here to see Schwartz and Weiss,” she explained. I immediately sensed that I was about to wander into another chance encounter with royalty and recalled Ferdinand’s threats from the night before about forcing me back to Ehrenfest.

Um... Prince, we came here specifically so that students wouldn’t see what we’re doing! Don’t just wander around everywhere!

“I explained that their clothes are currently being changed, but...”

It seemed that while Hildebrand had offered to wait until we were done, his retainers all expressed interest in the affair. They wanted to see the clothes we were keeping for ourselves—particularly for their feystones—and refusing them was no trivial matter. The prince’s retainers were Sovereign archnobles, and on top of them being Solange’s bosses, archnobles close to royalty were even higher in status than archduke candidates such as myself.

We could have avoided Sovereign influence if we had stealthily changed Schwartz and Weiss in our dormitory, but here in the Royal Academy library, it was hard to refuse Sovereign scholars from viewing the changing of royal magic tools. Our decision to do things here had evidently backfired.

“They may enter,” I conceded.

“I thank you,” Solange said with a sigh of relief and promptly returned to the reading room. Leonore and Cornelius tightened their expressions as she went.

“Prince Hildebrand and his retainers are here. They wish to see Schwartz and Weiss,” I told the girls. The cheery atmosphere disappeared in an instant and everyone knelt where they were. It was only natural for the mood to change so dramatically; none of us had expected royalty to appear.

Solange guided the prince and his retainers into the room. Hildebrand seemed to be examining the office with very frequent glances; I got the impression that he wanted to look all over the place but was containing his curiosity. It was rather good manners for a boy who had just recently been baptized, and when compared to how Wilfried had acted at that age, I couldn’t help but silently whistle.

Now this is a bona fide rich boy educated from birth.

Upon noticing that everyone had paused their work to kneel, Hildebrand waved a hand and said, “Please continue.” As the girls returned to changing the shumils, he came over to me, presumably because I was the only one not getting involved.

His eyes were about level with mine, which meant we were a similar height. I stood up as straight as I could, craned my neck, and got on tiptoe, trying to maintain my pride as an older student, but my legs soon began to tremble. It didn’t seem like I would be able to keep up the front for much longer, so I returned to standing normally, feeling a little disappointed.

I’m just barely taller than a newly baptized kid... Oh well. At least I’m not shorter than him.

“I thought Weiss was very cute when I visited the library the other day, so I came to see them again,” Hildebrand said. “I was surprised when I found they weren’t in the reading room, but I see their clothes are being changed.”

“It seems they must be given new clothes each time they change masters, which is why Ehrenfest prepared new outfits,” I explained. “And they are not just cute; they are exceptionally skilled workers.”

I went on to extol the virtues of Schwartz and Weiss as Hildebrand continued watching the changing process with curious eyes. Not only did the two shumils manage the lending of carrels and reading materials, but they also remembered who had which book and who hadn’t paid. They were essential to the smooth running of the library.

“I must kneel before the wondrous powers of the royal family,” I said. “I am told that ancient royalty made Schwartz and Weiss, but the Royal Academy professors do not seem to know how. Are there any records in the palace of the time when they were made, by chance?”

I was bursting with excitement at the very idea, but Hildebrand seemed unsure of what to say. He gazed quizzically at one of his retainers, prompting them to answer in his place. “My sincerest apologies,” the man said, “but I have come across no such records in the palace library.”

The palace library! Oh, such glorious words!

I could feel my entire world brighten at his answer; a new library meant countless opportunities to come across new books. It seemed only natural that I should ask for more details, but as I opened my mouth, something tugged on my sleeve. I turned and saw Leonore with quite an intense smile on her face.

Okay. I understand. “Shut up, and don’t say anything else.” Got it.

I closed my mouth and remembered the warning I had received—that I always spun out of control when it came to talking about libraries. This was a rare opportunity to get valuable intel on the palace library, but displeasing royalty here could end in me being forever barred from entering.

I need to be careful.

As Charlotte had suggested to me, I needed to start with something that Hildebrand and I found mutually interesting and then gradually shift the topic to libraries from there. But what common ground was there between the two of us?

I fell into thought, at which point Hildebrand appeared to take the initiative, speaking in a manner that came across as both hesitant and timid. “Erm... I’m told that Rozemyne of Ehrenfest is engaged, but what of...?” He trailed off, although it was obvious whom he meant.

Our common ground is... Charlotte?!

I widened my eyes at the sudden question, blinked for a bit, and then shook my head calmly. “No plans have been made as of yet, but I expect there to be discussions during the Interduchy Tournament or the Archduke Conference. Sometime soon, at least.”

Adolphine of Drewanchel had been sizing up Charlotte during the fellowship gathering—it wasn’t hard to imagine she was calculating the benefit of marrying her to Ortwin. Given how many people had probed for engagements with me at the Interduchy Tournament and Archduke Conference, I could guess that Charlotte would soon be receiving some as well.

Hildebrand seemed somewhat taken aback by my response. He allowed his bright purple eyes to wander downward until his gaze settled on the floor and then said, “I suppose I am too young then? One must be old to be seen as reliable.”

Um, wait... What? Does he have the hots for Charlotte? Oh no. I don’t have a clue what kind of boys she likes!

This was not the kind of topic I was equipped to speak about at the moment, so I frantically searched for an innocuous answer. “I do not believe that one’s age determines how reliable they are, so there is nothing more I can say.” It was my best attempt, but even then, Hildebrand seemed devastated. There was only one other solution I could think of. “If you are that curious, shall I ask Charlotte for you?”

“What...?” Hildebrand gave me a look of sheer confusion and then repeatedly glanced between Charlotte and me in something resembling alarm. “No, that isn’t necessary. I was just curious. Do keep this talk a secret. I would not want my curiosity to cause any problems.”

“I see. Understood, then.” It was certainly true that marriage-related probing from royalty would cause chaos, and given that Hildebrand had merely been a little curious, there was no need to throw everyone into a panic.

I’ll just wait for our little prince here to settle his feelings.

“My apologies for the wait, Prince Hildebrand, Rozemyne,” Charlotte interjected as she brought Schwartz and Weiss over to us. “How do they look?”

The two shumils’ clothes were primarily black—as expected, since this was the Royal Academy. I had suggested making one look like a butler and the other a maid, but almost none of my original designs had ended up being used. All that seemed to remain of my suggestions were the matching hair ornaments on their chests.

Schwartz was wearing a white shirt, although since they were wearing a vest over it, the only parts I could actually see were the sleeves. The vest itself was decorated with complex embroidery which masked the similarly complex magic circles beneath it. Schwartz also had a cute ribbon tie made with dyed cloth, and there were many colorful flowers and leaves embroidered onto their pants, making Lieseleta’s enthusiastic involvement more than clear.

Weiss was wearing a dress, the sleeves of which were generously embroidered with flowers and leaves like those on Schwartz. Their apron was also covered in complex embroidery, and the only white of their clothing still visible were the frills on their shoulders. By their neck was a tie-dyed ribbon and a flower ornament. The girls had also wanted to put ornaments on Weiss’s ears but ultimately decided against it, since the ornaments had proven too heavy and were therefore too much of a hindrance.

“Looks good, milady?”

“Milady. Praise us.”

“You both look adorable. Everyone’s efforts have produced such wonderful outfits for the two of you to wear. The embroidery is excellent as well,” I said, praising not just the shumils but also everyone involved in making the clothes.

Hildebrand gave a peaceful smile. “I am glad to have seen such a wonderful sight.”

I took Schwartz’s and Weiss’s old outfits and presented them to Hildebrand. “These are what they were wearing before,” I said. “Do remember that once you button them up, it will complete the magic circles, and the defensive charms will activate when filled with mana.”

Hildebrand’s retainers accepted the clothes with a nod and then looked them over. “Was Ehrenfest using these magic circles directly?” one asked.

“No,” I replied. “Lord Ferdinand modified them. I am still not an expert on magic circles, and so I ask that you direct any questions to his teacher, Professor Hirschur.”

“Understood.”

I wasn’t about to attempt an answer when I didn’t understand the subject matter myself. I had also been told to direct any questions about magic tools and circles to Hirschur and Raimund, so I just gave the response that Ferdinand had given me.

“Now, I shall replenish your mana,” I said, beckoning Schwartz and Weiss. I touched the feystones on their foreheads and started pouring in mana while stroking them. In turn, they closed their eyes as though enjoying the experience.

“Aah! How cute!” Hildebrand exclaimed, reaching out to them himself.

“No! Don’t touch!” I shouted in a panic, but it was too late. The instant his fingertips brushed against one of the shumils, a cracking sound was heard, and there came a momentary flash like a small spark of electricity.

Hildebrand gasped and started nursing his hand, while his guard knights immediately readied their schtappes.

“None can touch Schwartz and Weiss except those registered as their master, and those with their master’s permission,” I explained. “Prince Hildebrand, do you have no such magic tools in the palace?” As far as I knew, there were plentiful magic tools in the palace, all of which could only be used by those registered with them.

One of the prince’s retainers sighed. “All magic tools in the palace may be used by royalty. This is the first one that Prince Hildebrand has been unable to touch.”

“Oh. So I can’t touch Schwartz and Weiss...” Hildebrand said, slumping his shoulders. It was then that one of his retainers turned to me.

“These magic tools are the heirlooms of royalty. In which case, do you not think that Prince Hildebrand should be their master, rather than you?” he asked. He was telling me to concede ownership to the prince, and unlike last year, I nodded at the suggestion.

“It would be ideal for royalty to have control of Schwartz and Weiss, so that they can continue functioning even when I am absent,” I said. “Prince Hildebrand could come to replenish their mana even during the seasons when I am away from the Royal Academy. I would not need to prepare mana or feystones for them, which will ease the weight on me significantly.”

I was only supplying mana to Schwartz and Weiss because Solange needed them for the library. If royalty could do that in my place, I would absolutely prefer it.

The retainer met my ready agreement with surprise, but the scholars who were looking at the clothes furrowed their brows. “You frame supplying these tools with mana as though it were trivial, but such a task would place too much of a strain on Prince Hildebrand, who was only recently baptized,” one said.

If they were worried about his mana quantity and health then there were a lot of other things they needed to consider too. I decided to list them all out so that his scholars could make a more informed decision.

“There are other concerns as well,” I said. “Will the prince be able to supply Schwartz and Weiss with mana on a regular enough basis when he must wait for the library to empty before visiting? Furthermore, were he to become their master in full, they would need new clothes yet again. Do you have the staff and resources for that?”

Ferdinand mentioned that he had used some fairly rare materials that he had been saving for quite some time on these clothes. Perhaps the Sovereignty was overflowing with such resources, but the embroidery was still a massive job that would take a long time. This was only confirmed when one of the scholars, who had been tracing the embroidery with his finger, averted his gaze. It seemed that he was not particularly eager to take on this kind of task.

“And, most important of all...” I turned to face the prince, who was looking a bit stunned. “You need an iron resolve, Prince Hildebrand.”

“An iron resolve?”

I nodded and continued in a serious tone: “All those registered as Schwartz and Weiss’s master are called ‘milady’—even the men. The male librarians of the past were called as such, and you will be no exception. Is that acceptable?”

Many boys the prince’s age looked rather effeminate, and this was especially true for the prince himself. He had such a pretty face and came across as so peaceful that he could very easily be mistaken for a girl in the right clothes. Becoming Schwartz and Weiss’s master would result in him being called “milady” on top of this, which ran the risk of wounding his masculine pride.

“Prince Hildebrand, do you have the iron resolve to be called ‘milady’ forevermore?” I reiterated.

The prince shook his head firmly. “I’m a boy. I don’t want to be called a lady.” I got the impression that he had once been mistaken for a girl or some such and was traumatized by the memory.

“In that case, I would suggest that you be registered as a mana supplier,” I said. “By doing this, you will get to touch them, and they will continue to call you by your name. You also will not need to visit the library on a regular basis.”

“That. I want to do that,” Hildebrand declared, his eyes sparkling. His retainers concurred, likely because it was a much lighter burden on him.

“However,” I noted, “you will need both Dark and Light affinities to supply them with mana. Will that be a problem?”

“Not at all!”

And so, Hildebrand registered as a mana supplier. Just like that, the Library Committee had secured a new member. He was in a good mood as we saw him off, since he could now stroke Schwartz and Weiss all over. I gave a relieved sigh, having successfully survived the situation without displeasing royalty.

“One truly cannot predict what events will suddenly befall you, nor can one stop them once they begin...” Charlotte muttered to herself.

As it turned out, Charlotte had wanted to ensure that I didn’t cross paths with royalty again... but things had progressed so suddenly that she could only stand and watch. Even by the time the prince was saying his farewells, she had not found an opportunity to step in. It was too bad, in all honesty; I was pretty sure that Hildebrand would have loved for her to join the conversation.

“Let us hurry back to the dormitory,” Charlotte said, hurrying us along. “I fear that something else is bound to happen if we do not.” All the girls we had brought with us for help seemed exhausted just from having met with royalty.

As I returned to the dorms with everyone, I suddenly remembered something and turned to Charlotte. “Out of curiosity, what do you think of younger men?” I asked. “Would you find one hard to rely on?”

Charlotte returned a look as though she sensed my intentions; then, she placed a hand on her cheek and closed her eyes in contemplation. “It would depend on the person, but I tend to find older men more reliable. Wilfried does have my love, despite everything.”

My, oh my... Too bad, Prince. You’re out of the race.

I made a mental note that Charlotte preferred older boys, but as I did, she looked down at me with concern. “Do you not agree that our brother is more worthy of relying on than Prince Hildebrand?” she asked. It seemed that she was pushing the whole “reliability” metaphor, but far be it from me to commit the faux pas of pointing that out.

“Well... As always, what I want most in a partner is their willingness to let me do anything I want with our library. I have not forgotten Wilfried’s promise that I may do as I wish with the dormitory bookshelf...”

For some reason, this answer made Charlotte look exceptionally uneasy.