Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.6 - Chapter 2

Library Committee Member Get!

The next day’s lessons were math, theology, and magecraft. All three were building upon topics we had discussed the year before, and the fact we had studied so far ahead meant they were of no concern. The Ehrenfest second-years seated in the auditorium all seemed bright and sunny.

In math, we were tasked with using a calculator to solve problems involving numbers of many significant figures. I had learned to use calculators exclusively for this exam, although Ferdinand had explicitly instructed me to continue using my stone slate before the test and to use written math to double-check all of my answers. I had also studied things like duchy budget ledgers and tax percentages, but they weren’t particularly difficult. The material covered was at a similar level to what children would learn between third and fifth grade in elementary school; anything more advanced was reserved for the scholar course.

“I’ve learned a lot helping in the temple, so I actually feel really confident with my math,” Philine said with a sparkle in her grass-green eyes once the tests were prepared. That seemed to remind Wilfried of something, as he grimaced just a little in response.

“By ‘helping in the temple,’ do you mean helping Uncle?” he asked.

“Yes, Lord Wilfried. I’ve gotten much better over the past year.”

“Wait... You’ve been going to the temple, Philine?” Roderick asked, his dark-brown eyes widening in a mixture of disgust and bewilderment. I couldn’t help but smile at how predictable his response was; nobles really did look down on the temple.

“I am the High Bishop,” I said. “It is only natural that Philine would visit the temple as my retainer. Hartmut and my apprentice guard knights do the same by day. You would do well to consider this if you wish to give your name to me.”

Even after receiving words of warning from Matthias, Roderick had resolved to give me his name. He was striving to socialize more with my retainers, Philine chief among them, and would sit as close to me as possible during classes. Perhaps because he had announced his intention to become my name-sworn, my retainers made no attempt to push him away from me. Instead, they watched him with sharp eyes, evaluating his every move.

As expected, we finished the math test without any problems. I had told everyone to double-check their answers by calculating them in reverse, so I doubted there would be many mistakes.

“This was much simpler than helping Lord Ferdinand,” Philine said with a small smile. “I was not scolded for my mistakes, nor was I made to redo any of my work.”

On her first day spent helping in the temple, Philine had struggled with math since she wasn’t used to it and wilted from her anxiety. “Your math is wrong. Start over,” Ferdinand would say, and she would mercilessly be made to redo her work again and again. But all these mistakes and the experience she had gained from them had made her far more competent than she once was, and she now understood that the emotionless looks she had received from Ferdinand were certainly not ones of anger.

“Theology next, huh?” Wilfried muttered.

Our first task was to learn the name of the primary god of whatever season we were born in, alongside their subordinate gods. We then picked another primary god and their subordinates, alongside what they governed. It was probably a nightmare for those who were completely unfamiliar with the names of the gods, but my karuta and picture-book bibles meant that all the Ehrenfest second-years were more than prepared. This test was another easy win.

“Rozemyne, which will you be writing about?” Wilfried asked.

Those who had only one elemental affinity could pick any primary god and their subordinates, but those with multiple had to pick from the ones they had. This was because it was important to learn about the gods whose divine protection you were best able to call upon, which would be relevant in our third-year lessons. Since I was born in the summer, I needed to memorize the names of Leidenschaft the God of Fire and his subordinates by default, then I needed to pick one other. I had all affinities, so I could pick anyone I wanted.

My choice here is obvious. There’s only one god I really want the divine protection of...

“I plan to choose Wind and her subordinates, as she deals so intimately with libraries and books,” I replied. “The god I wish to offer the most prayers to is without a doubt Mestionora the Goddess of Wisdom.”

“That’s pretty like you. I plan on going with Water, for my birth season, and Fire, to pray for more growth,” Wilfried said. It seemed that he wanted to mature and grow stronger.

“What about you, Philine?” I asked.

“I only have one affinity, which is Earth. For my other one, I’m going to pick Wind—the same as you, Lady Rozemyne. I want Mestionora the Goddess of Wisdom’s divine protection as well.”

“It certainly would be nice for scholars to receive divine protection from the Goddess of Wisdom,” I mused. “And you, Roderick?”

Roderick looked around enviously and then shook his head of tawny hair. “I was born under Wind, and my only other affinity is Earth, so I have no choice in the matter.”

“I envy you, Roderick,” Philine said with a vexed sigh. “Having the affinity will make it easier for you to get protection, even if you don’t get to choose what to learn about.”

Roderick blinked a few times and then muttered, “Right,” as though he were seeing his situation from a whole new perspective. It seemed that he had been so jealous about everyone else getting to pick that he hadn’t realized the problems his classmates were facing.

“All passing grades for Ehrenfest,” came the professor’s call.

Much like our other subjects, theology was completed without incident. I ended up feeling nostalgic for the days when I first entered the temple as an apprentice shrine maiden and was brought to tears by the unbelievably long names of the gods that I was made to remember.

This year’s magecraft lessons were about the basics of magic circles, and thanks to everything Ferdinand had already taught me, I had no issues. I simply needed to remember the symbols and warnings for drawing a magic circle. The warnings were about elements that were dangerous or had unique effects when combined.

I just need to remember that Life will react violently to anything but Earth.

The magic circles we second-years were going to be drawing in our practical lessons were generally simple ones of a single element. The few more complicated circles used several elements, but only ones that worked well together. Things would get much harder in the scholar course.

After concluding our morning written lessons and passing all of our tests without issue, we moved to our afternoon music practical lesson in the Small Hall. I looked around and saw that the crowd was now thin enough for me to recognize individuals, although I still struggled to remember their names.

“This is the song that you will be playing today,” Professor Pauline said as she smacked some sheet music onto a large board. The sheet music began growing in size until I could see the notes even from far away. “You will also need to perform one other song that you are particularly familiar with.”

During our first year, when our practical classes first began, everyone had stuck with the others from their duchies, as they would during their written lessons. Soon after I passed my tests, however, the students had all started to socialize and get to know one another; they were now mingling with one another regardless of duchy.

Once the professor had given us our work, a quick look around revealed that everyone was practicing with the friends they had made the year before. Wilfried picked up his harspiel and headed straight for a growing throng of boys, among which was Ortwin, while Hannelore went to speak with a large group of girls.

What should I do...?

It would be easy to pick up my harspiel and head over to Hannelore’s group, who would most likely welcome me, but there was a chance they would want us all to practice and pass together. That would make it harder for me to pass in one go and then immediately stop attending, and since my aim was to unlock the library as soon as possible, I decided I was better off playing on my own.

It’s a little upsetting that everyone is going to view me as a loner, but I’ll do what I must.

The song we were required to play was one that Ferdinand had gotten me to learn about half a year ago, so after just a little practice to refresh my memory, I was confident that I could pass. As for the one that was my own choice, any of the songs I had learned around the same time would be sufficiently complex and well-known without boosting my reputation.

While everyone else chatted and practiced, I swiftly warmed up and then approached the teacher. I wanted this over and done with as soon as possible. I didn’t even want to think about how sad I would look if she made me return to practicing alone.

“Professor Pauline, may I perform the songs?” I asked. She was the professor who had invited me to a tea party last year. She had started playing her own harspiel after giving us our work, but she stopped to blink at me in surprise.

“Oh my, Lady Rozemyne. Are you truly ready to play so soon?”

“I am. The test song is one that I have already studied,” I said, taking the seat offered to me and readying my harspiel. I could feel the eyes of the others falling on me against my wishes, perhaps because I was the first person taking the test. The buzz that had filled the Small Hall quieted in an instant.

Taken aback by the sudden attention, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and then strummed the strings of my harspiel. High notes from my right hand and low notes from my left danced through the air.

“Very good,” Pauline said when I was finished. I had passed with ease thanks to having continued my daily practice in the temple and the castle. “You have grown much over the past year,” she continued, but despite her praise, she was looking at me with narrowed and dissatisfied eyes. “I must say, though—your choice of song was quite uninspired. I had been hoping that you would play one of your new songs, Lady Rozemyne... Do you simply not have any more?”

There were plenty more original songs that I had made at Rosina’s request, but I had no intention of drawing any more attention to myself. Had it not been for Wilfried spilling the beans last year, nobody would have known about them in the first place. Debuting another one of my own compositions here would only make me even more of a laughingstock, turning me from a loner into a loner who was trying much too hard to impress everyone. Instead, I wanted to finish class as soon as possible and disappear. If anything, my goal was for everyone to forget about me entirely.

“Unfortunately, I have no songs that I am willing to debut here.”

“Then we shall have another tea party this year. I would like to hear your original music again, Lady Rozemyne. Do bring that musician of yours.”

“I am ever so glad that you enjoy my music, Professor Pauline. I, too, am proud of my musician.”

Guhhh... Now I have a tea party clogging up my schedule. I can only pray there won’t be a royal in attendance this year.

In any case, I had successfully passed; I just needed to kill time somehow until the end of class. I looked at the others and noticed that Wilfried, who usually didn’t care too much about instruments, was glaring at his sheet music with his mouth bent into a frown. The groups of girls were chattering even more than before; their hands barely moved at all.

Bleh. If only I had a book, then I wouldn’t mind being a loner. A harspiel just doesn’t cut it for me.

I had nothing to do but practice music, so I returned to my seat and started adjusting my harspiel. That was when Hannelore came over, looking rather timid. I blinked at her, and she smiled at me in turn. Maybe she was worried about me being all alone. Just the thought seemed to brighten my entire world.

That’s Hannelore for you! My truest friend!

“To think you would pass this quickly...” she said. “You must have a talent for the harspiel as well, Lady Rozemyne.”

“Oh, no. I simply have a strict instructor. I would rather spend my time reading books than practicing the harspiel, but for some reason, things never seem to work out that way.”

If not for Rosina requesting that she be allowed to work as my personal musician and Ferdinand frequently assigning me songs to learn and checking my progress, I would have trashed the harspiel a long time ago to secure more reading time.

“I also need to pass quickly, otherwise I’ll miss my opportunity to visit the library before the Dedication Ritual,” I continued. “I can’t have that. Schwartz and Weiss are waiting for me.”

“Are they the large, shumil-shaped magic tools assisting Professor Solange in the library?” Hannelore asked, looking at me quizzically.

I nodded in response. It had seemed pretty obvious to me, but perhaps their names were still unknown to most people.

Hannelore put her hands on her cheeks and let out a dreamy sigh. “Schwartz and Weiss are positively adorable,” she said, unable to hide the sparkle in her red eyes. “Last year, the very sight of them working in the library was enough to soothe my heart.”

All of a sudden, her eyes shot open as though she had snapped back to reality, and she began peering around us with a worried expression. Her light-pink pigtails swayed with each turn, and as I watched their hypnotic movement, I thought back on our conversation. Had I said anything that Hannelore wouldn’t want other people hearing? I was desperate for an opening to invite her to the Library Committee, sure, but I hadn’t actually done it yet.

And I haven’t made any of the mistakes I used to make back on Earth, right? I didn’t forget to zip my trousers up, and there aren’t any price tags on my clothes...

My attendants had taken great care in dressing me, as they always did, so I couldn’t imagine there was anything wrong with my clothes that someone might notice. I reached up to feel my head; my hairpin hadn’t fallen out either.

Hannelore stepped forward, still eyeing the crowd around us. I swallowed hard and waited to hear what she would say next.

“U-Um, Lady Rozemyne...” she eventually said, keeping her voice low. “I’ve been meaning to apologize to you for quite some time now.”

“Aside from my abrupt collapse at the tea party, I can’t think of anything that you might feel the need to apologize for,” I replied, unsure what she was referring to.

Hannelore shook her head. “Not for something I did, but for Dunkelfelger,” she whispered. Her voice was so hushed that it was almost inaudible above the strums of the practicing students, but she explained the circumstances behind Lestilaut demanding ownership of Schwartz and Weiss last year. “When I saw how cute they were, I whispered that I wished to be their master instead. I now know that Lestilaut troubled both you and Ehrenfest as a result. By the time I was made aware, the prince had already become involved, which truly surprised me.”

To summarize, upon hearing his cute little sister whisper her dream to be lord of the shumils, Lestilaut had started on his epic quest to steal Schwartz and Weiss from me.

What a pain in the neck! Show your brotherly affection some other way, man!

“On top of that, I am told that Professor Rauffen has been incessantly challenging Ehrenfest to games of ditter,” Hannelore continued. “I am trying to stop him, but I fear he will continue to pester you. I-I am ever so worried you might begin to hate me, Lady Rozemyne...” There were tears in her eyes, and she started to apologize for not having apologized to me sooner.

Ah! My heart! Lady Hannelore is lethally cute! I should have known that my fellow bookworm friend would want to own Schwartz and Weiss too! This is my only opportunity to invite her to the Library Committee. It’s do-or-die time!

“I could not fathom a reason to hate you, Lady Hannelore,” I said, looking up at her from my seat. “You said that you wish to be Schwartz and Weiss’s master, correct? In that case, you may join me in the Library Committee.”

Hannelore tilted her head in confusion. “Erm, what is the Library Committee?”

“A group that assists Professor Solange and provides Schwartz and Weiss with mana. You love books too, do you not? We would love to have you.”

Hannelore received my straightforward request with wide eyes and then rested a contemplative hand on her cheek. “It certainly does sound enjoyable to spend time in the library with Schwartz and Weiss,” she said with a smile.

Heck yes! Library Committee member get!

I had been wondering when I would get an opportunity to invite Hannelore into the Library Committee, and fate had dropped her right into my lap. I suppressed my urge to leap into the air and strike a celebratory pose, which would no doubt become a prayer to the gods, and instead just clenched my fists victoriously.

“Um, Lady Rozemyne,” Hannelore said. “I, ahem, do have one shameful request...”

“Yes?” I replied. She was a fellow Library Committee member now; I was ready and willing to grant whatever her wish might be.

“I would, um, like to have my personal musician play the song that you are said to have composed,” she muttered, fidgeting all the while. “Would you permit this?”

It seemed that Pauline had performed my original song during music class last year, and Hannelore wanted her musician to learn it. Her request was for me to teach them Rosina’s songs as I had taught the music professors during our tea party. Hannelore’s musician playing my song would serve as proof of our deep friendship, so I nodded with a smile.

“Shall I teach them at the planned tea party for sharing books?” I asked. “We can each bring our musician.”

“I thank you ever so much, Lady Rozemyne. I look forward to the next time we trade books,” Hannelore replied.

Working in the library with Lady Hannelore... Having tea parties with Lady Hannelore... Trading books with Lady Hannelore... I’m... I’m not alone anymore!

Once our lesson was over, I exited the Small Hall to warm dreams of my promise made with a true friend. Rihyarda was waiting outside with my retainers, and Cornelius gave a small chuckle when he saw the look on my face.

“I suppose you were successful, then?” he asked.

“Yes,” I replied. “I passed music as well.”

“I did too, Lady Rozemyne!” Philine reported as she walked up to me with a smile. Her chest was puffed out, and she was so excited that her cheeks had turned rosy. “The professor praised me and said that I have gotten much better since last year. It’s all thanks to you practicing with me.”

Philine had been practicing with me at the temple under Rosina’s guidance, so she had progressed unusually quickly for a laynoble.

“A new teacher would mean nothing if you did not take your studies seriously. Your skills are the result of your own hard work,” I said to Philine. I then turned to my retainers to report on the fruits of my own labor. “After giving me my passing mark, Professor Pauline invited me to a tea party. I also made various meaningful promises with Lady Hannelore. I am a star socialite, am I not?”

My retainers all widened their eyes, shocked to hear that I had prioritized socializing over the library. Of course, this wasn’t really the case; my socializing today had come under my duties as a member of the Library Committee. There was no need for me to point that out, though, so I simply remained quiet and smiled.

We easily passed the next day’s written lessons as well. There was nothing surprising about that, since we had spent a year studying what students normally learned over a single season. From an outside perspective, however, it was entirely abnormal for every member of a duchy to pass their lessons on the first day—and with such consistency.

Ortwin walked over, making sure to flourish his emerald-green Drewanchel cape. “Wilfried, is Ehrenfest still passing everyone on the first day of each subject?” he asked.

“Yep,” Wilfried replied. “We’re expecting this trend to continue for the rest of our written lessons. We can’t afford to lose and miss out.”

“Miss out on what...?” Ortwin asked curiously with a noble-like smile. Wilfried seemed to realize then that he had said too much.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied. “It’s an Ehrenfest secret.”

Indeed. We have no plans to bring tarts to the Royal Academy.

Wilfried had replied so evasively because we had no intention of spreading my tart recipe, but to the students of Drewanchel, it must have seemed like we were hiding some grand secret. Their eyes began to gleam to an almost frightening degree.

“A secret in Ehrenfest that’s boosting your grades, huh?” Ortwin said. “Don’t think you can hide it from me forever. I will get to the bottom of this.”

“You’re welcome to try,” Wilfried shot back with a smirk.

Ah... Okay. Have fun, you two.