Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.7 - Chapter Ep

Epilogue

The Royal Academy’s graduation ceremony came to a close, and the gathered attendees began returning to their respective duchies. It was a busy period during which everyone was packing up and moving their luggage, and as this went on, Eglantine received an urgent summons from her fiancé, Prince Anastasius.

“My sincerest apologies, Lady Eglantine, but as this is a royal matter, we ask that you enter alone,” Oswin said when they arrived at Anastasius’s villa, speaking as the prince’s head attendant. “Your retainers may wait outside.”

Something being a “royal matter” in this instance meant it was something not to be shared with the public, so Eglantine’s retainers were treated simply as being from Klassenberg and made to wait elsewhere. As someone who was going to be married into the royal family at the end of spring, Eglantine was used to being stealthily summoned when Anastasius determined it was best for her to be updated on affairs.

The aub’s probing over dinner tonight is going to be quite intense, I expect...

Aub Klassenberg was still in the dormitory, and as Eglantine had departed, he had sternly reminded her to “act as royalty should.” He was the kind of man who wanted to have more intelligence than the other duchies, no matter how minor the facts were or how little time his endeavor left him with. Eglantine felt a little gloomy as she imagined what awaited her upon returning to the dormitory.

“Over here, Eglantine,” Anastasius said, gesturing his fiancée over when she arrived at the parlor. His usual sweet smile was nowhere to be seen; instead, the atmosphere was prickly and tense.

Eglantine entered as all of Anastasius’s retainers took their leave—sans Oswin, who remained only so that the couple would not be left alone together. Once they were gone, Anastasius silently held out a sound-blocking tool. Eglantine accepted it and said, “You certainly are on guard today...”

“Yes. Because this is about the recent attack.”

Eglantine swallowed. As the prince’s fiancée, she had experienced the incident that occurred during the Interduchy Tournament’s award ceremony firsthand on the stage.

“This won’t be announced even during the Archduke Conference,” Anastasius continued, “so I want you to make sure it doesn’t leak to Klassenberg.”

The recent attack...

Anastasius’s words brought Eglantine back to the moment, and her mind was flooded with images of shouting men with weapons racing toward her on highbeast.

“Kill the false king! The man without a Grutrissheit!”

“You will not!” Anastasius roared, mounting his highbeast while casting the black weapon spell on his morphed schtappe. As he had given up the throne, he had elected to fight back rather than merely be defended.

Eglantine was proud of Anastasius’s decision, but she was also deeply afraid of being left alone. As the prince’s fiancée, she was considered the same as royalty. The terrorists didn’t seem to care that her marriage hadn’t actually taken place yet—they called for her death all the same.

Ternisbefallens that had grown to colossal sizes roared all throughout the arena. The Knight’s Order had taken great lengths to warn everyone that the beasts absorbed mana from attacks, but few listened, and everyone kept attacking them in fear. Eglantine felt like the chaos and disarray were even more terrifying than the ternisbefallens themselves.

“HYAAAAAAH!” came a battle cry from one of the terrorists. The moment Eglantine realized weapons with mana were being directed at her with murderous intent, her breathing quickened, and a sharp pain shot through her chest. Her entire body stiffened as hate-filled eyes bore into her very soul.

“Eglantine! Your geteilt!” Anastasius shouted, prompting Eglantine to cast the shield-making spell with a quavering voice. She evidently had a great deal more mana than her attacker, as his dangerous attack was easily negated, but she couldn’t block their petrifying stares or cruel shouts.

Some of the attackers took their own lives to cause explosions right in front of their targets, some fed themselves to the ternisbefallens to make them grow even larger, and some launched suicidal charges at knights, hoping to take their targets with them. No matter their actions, it was clear that they shared a common mind—carrying out their revenge and nothing else. Their eyes were bloodshot one and all.

Eglantine almost envied their willingness to lose control—she wanted nothing more than to avert her eyes in terror, crouch on the ground, and scream for help. However, those guarded by the Sovereign Knight’s Order were not allowed to reveal such emotions; the students would never calm if even the royals were panicking. Eglantine swallowed down the bile that had risen in her throat, stood tall, and confidently maintained her geteilt, not wanting to make life harder for the knights. It took her all, but she managed it.

Eglantine looked at Anastasius, holding back the dread-inducing anxiety that made her want to flee the parlor. She smiled, dispelling the images in her head as best she could, and nodded... but unnatural veins were bulging on her hand as she gripped the magic tool much too tightly. It was the only hint at her true feelings, but Anastasius began his report without noticing it.

“The Sovereign Knight’s Order has been investigating the attack nonstop since its occurrence, and the royal family has been holding regular meetings as they receive reports on it,” he said. “However, you are unable to attend those meetings, as you aren’t yet an official member of the royal family.”

“Should you even be telling me these things, then?” Eglantine asked. She didn’t want to remember the attack anyway, so she was unenthusiastic about discussing it, but Anastasius gave a small chuckle.

“Fear not—I will say only that which you ought to know. You would not want to be entirely in the dark when we are starbound at the next Archduke Conference, no? Father has given his permission for me to share some of what was discussed with you.”

It seemed that Eglantine would not be able to escape this without hearing more of the tragic events. She resigned herself to her fate and prompted Anastasius to continue, which he swiftly acknowledged with a nod.

“First, the good news. We’ve captured every single one of the criminals. They all came from fallen duchies, but not all from the same one.”

Fallen duchies were those that had completely dissolved after the king had executed their archducal families. The territory that had formerly been the greater duchy Werkestock had readily been split in two and shared between Dunkelfelger and Ahrensbach. Old Zausengas had now been absorbed into Klassenberg, while Old Trostwerk and Old Scharfer were being managed by the Sovereignty.

“The Sovereignty and the greater duchies manage the fallen duchies,” Eglantine said. “In other words, I suppose we will not be able to demand accountability from anyone.”

It would have been one thing if the rebels had all come from a single fallen duchy, but we couldn’t rebuke every relevant archduke at once. To make matters worse, a king without a Grutrissheit was incapable of redrawing duchy borders.

“We do not wish to cast blame carelessly and have all of the greater duchies abandon the fallen duchies to Sovereign management,” Anastasius said.

Eglantine nodded in agreement, but that meant nobody would be held accountable. Would the victims of the attack be fine with such an outcome? Perhaps their dissatisfaction would even run the risk of creating further rebels. No matter how she considered it, her thoughts were stuck on a dark path.

“However,” the prince continued, “given that ternisbefallens were used in the attack, most are of the opinion that this plot was formed by those of Old Werkestock. As such, some knights are suggesting that Ahrensbach or Dunkelfelger might be behind it.”

Eglantine felt a sudden wave of dizziness sweep over her. It was a tremendous insult to be accused of supporting rebels—so much so that if Aub Klassenberg heard even a word of this suspicion, one could reasonably expect all the accused knights to vanish from Yurgenschmidt overnight. “But why would victorious greater duchies attack the king?” she asked. “If such opinions are vocalized, will we not be making enemies of Ahrensbach and Dunkelfelger?”

“We know. The king has shot them all down. However...”

Anastasius fell silent and crossed his arms in thought, most likely debating whether his next words were safe to say. Eglantine waited patiently for him to make his decision.

“We have good reason to believe the Old Werkestock Dormitory’s teleportation circle was used to transport the ternisbefallens.”

Anastasius explained that, before the Interduchy Tournament, a ternisbefallen had appeared in Ehrenfest’s gathering spot. Eglantine knew this already from a report she had received from Klassenberg. She was aware that apprentice knights throughout the Royal Academy were now standing guard at their own duchies’ gathering spots.

“Rauffen led a group of professors to inspect the dormitory, and Gundolf discovered that there were traces of recent use on the teleportation circle,” Anastasius continued. “The plan was for Sigiswald and me to investigate after the Academy term ended, to avoid any unnecessary panic...”

But the attack had taken place before they had the opportunity. Eglantine found that strange; if there had already been so much cause for concern, why had the ternisbefallen attack been enacted so successfully? “Was the Sovereign Knight’s Order not on guard against something of this nature?” she asked.

“They were, of course. They predicted that there might be danger at the Interduchy Tournament, given how many people gather for it, and prepared themselves accordingly. There were guards watching the Old Werkestock Dormitory, more knights assigned to guarding us and patrolling the arena on the day of, and feybeast-detecting magic tools placed around the knight building.”

Said tools had allowed them to check for anyone trying to sneak the feybeasts in alongside the guardians. The professors and Sovereign Knight’s Order had apparently concluded that any attack could easily be dealt with as long as ternisbefallens weren’t used, and the indications of use on the teleportation circle had only been minor, leaving them to believe that just a few people were going to be involved.

“However, the ternisbefallens appeared from within rather than being brought in from the outside, and there were ten times more rebels than expected,” Anastasius said. “There was no point to the detection magic tools when the feybeasts had already been hidden on the grounds beforehand.”

“They were hidden in the knight building? But how?”

“Potions were used to keep the infant ternisbefallens asleep in mana-blocking bags. Storing them in the knight building ahead of time would be trivial with an accomplice among the students.”

“There’s an accomplice among the students?!” Eglantine exclaimed. All of the attackers had been much older than her; she had never even considered that a student might have been helping them.

“It’s standard procedure for the families of all those involved to be executed alongside the attackers themselves. It makes sense, then, that some students would choose to help their families, having nothing else to lose. We must also consider that these rebels haven’t been hiding somewhere since the civil war ended; they were living normally in the fallen duchies, under the management of the victors. We have even confirmed that they arrived at the Academy through the various duchies’ teleportation circles, attending normally as family of graduating students.”

That was simply impossible for Eglantine to believe. How could they have committed such atrocious acts of violence after living normally for over a decade? She failed to even imagine it.

“The problem is, those we captured weren’t aware of much at all,” the prince said. “This plan was very carefully put together. They had received their orders from those who later committed suicide in a way that left no evidence or memories behind.”

Eglantine clapped her hands over her mouth, recalling those who had blown themselves up or fed themselves to ternisbefallens. She felt as though she was just one lapse of concentration away from vomiting.

“In order to prevent this from happening again, Raublut will be leading a squadron to investigate Old Werkestock’s teleportation circle,” Anastasius concluded. “Their findings are what shall be announced at the Archduke Conference.”

“Ahrensbach is presently responsible for the circle in question, is it not?”

“It is, and Fraularm has become the subject of much suspicion after she cast waschen during the previous inspection of the old dormitory. Her excuse of there having been too much dust has convinced no one, and that incident will be investigated as well.”

Fraularm’s actions did sound incredibly suspicious, but would a criminal really do something so blatantly obvious? Eglantine felt that even if she were by some chance involved, she would never do anything of the sort.

“Aub Ahrensbach has said that he will cooperate fully in any investigation, including a search of his own duchy,” Anastasius said. It must have been heartening to know that the Sovereign Knight’s Order was working to ensure such a tragedy would never happen again, and Ahrensbach would naturally cooperate to clear the suspicions surrounding it. Eglantine’s tense grip loosened just a little.

“In any case—the casualties,” the prince continued. “Immerdink and Neuehausen suffered the most, as ternisbefallens appeared at the very center of their assigned spots. Several of their students have died.”

Eglantine’s grip tightened again. Knights of the duchies permitted to use black weapons had fought alongside the Sovereign Knight’s Order, and the rebels had been targeting royalty, so she hadn’t expected there to have been so many civilian casualties.

“The ternisbefallen that slew the most Immerdink students was slain in turn by Ehrenfest knights,” Anastasius noted. “Ehrenfest is one of the duchies permitted to use black weapons, and I am told it was Ferdinand who led their efforts.”

“Were there any deaths among those from Ehrenfest?”

“Not one. There was an unusual spherical shield protecting their spot,” he said, but Eglantine failed to understand. She had been up on the arena’s stage; surely she would have noticed something that large. “Some say it was a magic tool belonging to Ferdinand, while others claim it was a divine instrument produced by Rozemyne. We don’t know the truth as of yet, but Ehrenfest suffered no casualties. They had some wounded, but they were all restored with healing magic.”

“I see. That is a relief...” Eglantine replied with a long sigh, having not wanted Rozemyne’s duchy to suffer. Anastasius, in contrast, was wearing a frown.

“The problem is, they suffered so little, some have started to suspect them.”

“For what reason? The rebels were all from fallen duchies, were they not?”

“They were. None were from Ehrenfest,” Anastasius said with a smile that seemed to suggest he would say no more on the matter. Apparently, it was royal business that Eglantine still couldn’t be made privy to. “We are doing all we can. You may rest easy.”

Of course, those noncommittal words weren’t enough to still Eglantine’s restless heart. This was normally when she would smile in return and express her understanding, allowing Anastasius’s words to simply wash over her, but she instead furrowed her brow. She was ashamed to be letting even the smallest amount of displeasure show on her face, but hastily replacing it with a smile would not erase what she had done.

“Eglantine, that expression just now... Is it related to why you seem so unwell...?” Anastasius asked, narrowing his gray eyes as if scrutinizing even the slightest change in her behavior. His response took Eglantine by surprise, but she rested a hand on her cheek and forced a smile.

“Oh my. Do I seem unwell to you? Perhaps I spent too much time in the sun.”

“You would speak like that, after all this time...? Euphemisms fail to convey one’s true intentions, and it was only after Rozemyne urged us to start communicating more directly that we cleared the mistaken air between us, no? I intend to accept every part of you. If there’s anything that you’re worried or concerned about, I want you to tell me,” he said earnestly, extending a hand and placing it over Eglantine’s clenched fist.

Eglantine felt the prince’s warmth and saw his patient eyes, and slowly her anxiety began to ease. In the process, her smile faded and was replaced with a dark expression. “The civil war has not yet ended for me...” she mumbled and then closed her mouth, not yet sure if she could continue. Anastasius made no attempt to hurry her; he patiently waited with his hand on hers. “Shamefully enough, this event has reminded me of the night attack that led to my being sent to Klassenberg in my youth... and ever since, I have found myself unable to sleep.”

“Night attack?” Anastasius repeated, looking confused. It was only then that Eglantine recalled she had not yet told him about it.

“It was when I was young... You recall that my father, the third prince, was assassinated in the midst of the civil war, correct?”

“Yes. His dinner was poisoned. You were the sole survivor, as you ate in your room instead. You had yet to be baptized at the time, so you were adopted by the previous Aub Klassenberg.”

Anastasius knew only the first half of the story and nothing about the night attack. He had been young himself at the time, and his father, the fifth prince, was still refusing any involvement in the civil war. It was no surprise that Anastasius was unaware; it was possible that only those in Klassenberg knew all the details.

“On the very same night my family was murdered, the villa I was living in came under attack by those exploiting the chaos. Those of the first prince’s faction seemed to think that my father was hiding the Grutrissheit. I remember hearing men shouting at one another to find it.”

Eglantine’s pre-baptismal room had been located in the same area as where her parents lived within their villa. Her nursemaid had noticed the attack, hidden Eglantine among the dressing room shelves, and fled all the way to the Royal Academy to seek help from Klassenberg. Fortunately for her, the aub of the time had come to the Academy dormitory after being informed of the assassination and was able to rally the duchy to save the princess.

However, it wasn’t easy for those of other duchies to enter the villa, meaning the Klassenberg knights faced a problem that the band of Sovereign noble-led attackers hadn’t encountered. Eglantine’s nursemaid had needed to guide them to a door they could enter with Eglantine’s permission, then leave them there as she sought out the princess. She ran through the villa, desperately avoiding the ongoing battles, and asked Eglantine to go on ahead and open the door.

Eglantine had done her best to reach and open the door for her desperate nursemaid, and upon receiving her royal permission, a storm of red-caped knights had flooded into the villa and engaged the attackers.

“The villa was torn to pieces, and so many people died. The attackers, the Sovereign nobles serving in the villa, everyone...” Eglantine said. Her own life had ultimately been saved, but by the time the knights were able to reach her nursemaid, the woman had already perished. “Over ten years have passed since then, and there was another attack just like it. Those who tried to kill us had the same eyes as the attackers of that night. The country may appear to be at peace on the surface, but the war has yet to end.”

“I see. I wasn’t aware of all that...” Anastasius said, stroking his fiancée’s hand ever so tenderly. He didn’t ask for more details or give his own views on the events; he simply made his comforting presence known, easing the painful tension that Eglantine felt writhing within her. A true smile arose on her face.

“I do not wish for there to be another war...”

“I know. You wish for peace. And that is why I ask—will you tell me what manner of peace you seek?”

Eglantine blinked. “Is there more than one kind...?”

“The peace those rebels sought was one with a king other than Father on the throne, no doubt. Is that also what you want?”

Eglantine didn’t want that manner of peace in the least—she wanted the opposite, if anything. She closed her eyes in search of what she truly wished for and muttered, “The manner of peace I seek...”

She wanted the civil war to end in a true sense—for Yurgenschmidt to be ruled by a proper king whose position had no weaknesses for any rebels to exploit. Her dream was for a world where blood wasn’t forever being spilled.

The Grutrissheit...

If the current king could acquire this proof of worthiness that had been lost during the civil war, none would be able to oppose his reign, and half of the problems facing the Yurgenschmidt nobles of their time would vanish in an instant. She passionately wished for the Grutrissheit to return and bring about the true peace she sought.

Eglantine opened her eyes, having found the answer she was looking for. “So?” Anastasius prompted. “Just what manner of peace do you seek?”

“An end to the civil war. A peace I can believe in, where blood will not once again be used to wash away blood,” Eglantine replied and then eyed Anastasius in silence. Was it really safe for her to voice her true thoughts? She looked at their hands, which were still together; he was the only one who could hear her, thanks to the magic tools.

Was saying any more on the subject really wise? Would the prince still accept her after she revealed all to him? Perhaps it was best to prioritize noble speech, with the understanding that he would embrace everything. Eglantine made her conclusion after a moment’s hesitation—if she tested his sincerity here, it would most likely inform her future decision-making.

“I strongly wish for the Grutrissheit to be obtained without conflict, and for a legitimate king to be born through its guidance,” she said, her bright orange eyes shining with resolve as the prince’s gray ones strove to determine her true intent. The silence that followed was only momentary, but to Eglantine, it felt like an eternity.

“Understood,” Anastasius said. “You will not be dragged into any conflict. I will exert all my power and sacrifice all else to protect you and search for the Grutrissheit.” There was an unmistakable kindness in his eyes, and his smile made it immediately clear that his words were true—that he would accept Eglantine in her entirety while staying firmly by her side.

Eglantine had known that Anastasius loved her, but for the first time, she felt as if she understood just how deep those feelings ran. Her hand suddenly felt unusually hot beneath his, and she was struck with a timidness that made her want to retreat into herself. The heat quickly spread, and soon enough, her chest and cheeks were burning too.

“Erm, Prince Anastasius...” she began, attempting to pull her hand back, but Anastasius tightened his grip in response. She wasn’t confident that she could maintain her composure if she looked him in the eye, so she instead gazed downward.

“Such is my promise to you, my Goddess of Light,” Anastasius said. There was a quiet clatter as he allowed his magic tool to drop to the floor and used his now free hand to reach lovingly for Eglantine’s hair.

“Lord Anastasius! This is not the proper place for...” she began, but her protests fell on veritably deaf ears. He could not hear her without the tool, and just as she began to feel panic at the lack of communication...

“Ahem!”

Oswin suddenly cleared his throat. He had completely faded into the background, but he put a swift end to their conversation before the prince could say or do anything more.