Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.8 - Chapter 4

Melchior’s Baptism

The feast celebrating spring was due to be held several days after the book sale. Melchior was going to have his baptism ceremony, so Lieseleta and Brunhilde had gone to the temple to fetch the clothes and other things we needed.

“Fran and Monika had everything ready for our arrival, Lady Rozemyne,” Lieseleta said with a smile once my ceremonial High Bishop clothes and such were looked over. Apparently, when they had reached the temple, Ferdinand’s and my attendants had already sorted everything into boxes and carried it all to the entrance to be collected.

“This is a gift for you from the children of the orphanage,” Brunhilde added, showing me a small jar. “I am told it is parue juice.”

“A winter sweet, then,” I replied. “Please give it to Ella.”

Brunhilde nodded and made her way to the kitchen.

“Fran was worried about your health and whether you’ve been working to increase your stamina, so I said that you’ve been doing light exercises at the knight training grounds,” Damuel explained, having accompanied the girls on their trip. I asked about Monika and everyone else in the temple too, and thankfully, it seemed that they were all doing fine.

That was when Ottilie returned, holding two letters of invitation. “Lady Rozemyne, Lady Charlotte and Lord Wilfried have invited you to a tea party,” she said. “I appreciate that this might seem quite sudden, but they wish to introduce you to Melchior before his baptism.”

Charlotte’s invitation included a note saying that she had cherished the opportunity to have a tea party with me prior to her own baptism ceremony. In truth, it wasn’t a very pleasant memory for me—I mostly remembered how Wilfried had interrupted us, turning everything on its head.

At the very least, I suppose that tea party was when I found out just how adorable Charlotte really is.

I had never spoken to Melchior before, so I wanted to meet with him at least once before his baptism. After sending out replies accepting the invitations, I waited for the tea party while transcribing books with my scholars.

I need to work hard so that I can be a good big sister to Melchior too!

“Good evening, Sister.”

“I was overjoyed to receive your invitation, Charlotte.”

I exchanged greetings with Charlotte, who was hosting the tea party, and then looked at Melchior, who was beside Wilfried and waiting for an introduction. He had the same purplish-blue hair as his father, and the same blue eyes and soft facial features as his mother, which made him look kind and peaceful. But there was one thing I noticed that was more important than any of that.

I win!

He was shorter than me.

It may only be by the smallest amount, but I’m taller! Even if we look the same age, people are more likely to realize I’m his older sister! Bwahaha! For the record, I’m not on tiptoes either!

The very real possibility that I was shorter than Melchior had worried me to no end, but with that fear out of the way, my excitement shot through the roof. Everything was bound to go swimmingly.

“This is our little brother, Melchior,” Wilfried said. “I hope you get along with him as well as we do. Now, Melchior... This is Rozemyne, your older sister and the High Bishop who is going to bless you at your baptism.”

“Rozemyne. I haven’t been baptized yet, so I can’t give proper blessings... but please let me greet you,” Melchior said, stepping forward with a tense expression. He knelt down, bowed his head, and intoned, “I am Melchior, son of Aub Ehrenfest. May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe the God of Life?”

“You may.”

“May Ewigeliebe the God of Life bless you, Rozemyne. May our relationship be long and prosperous,” Melchior said. He then looked up at Wilfried and Charlotte with the satisfied grin of someone who had recited the lines they were taught to perfection. They watched him with gentle smiles.

“Well done, Melchior,” Wilfried said.

“Indeed,” Charlotte agreed. “I, too, was nervous during my first greeting. You did well.”

It was adorable to see the young Melchior so over the moon about receiving such praise from his older siblings. His education was clearly proceeding exceptionally smoothly under Florencia’s guidance, and seeing him smile made me smile too.

“The children’s room has been ever so lonely since you went to the northern building, Charlotte,” Melchior said. “I have been hoping to join you there as soon as possible. I’m glad we can have tea parties together now.”

“Yes, I am likewise glad to be spending time with you after so long apart,” Charlotte replied, gently stroking her little brother’s smooth-looking hair.

“Hm? You know, you and Rozemyne look like actual siblings, what with your hair being so similar...” Wilfried observed, touching Melchior’s hair and comparing it to mine. It certainly was the case that we both shared the same purplish-blue hair as Sylvester, while Wilfried and Charlotte had light-golden hair instead.

I wonder—is Kamil growing up like this too? He should be about five now, I think. Mom, Dad, and Tuuli are definitely showering him with love, so he’s bound to be like this.

At that, I searched through my memories, trying to remember my last time seeing Kamil through the temple doors. Thinking about it, his hair was a very similar color to mine and Sylvester’s as well.

I wish Kamil could call me his big sister too... But of course, that dream can never come true anymore.

“Rozemyne has brought a sweet that you have never tried before,” Charlotte said, urging us to sit. And with that, the tea party began. We all sipped our tea and took bites of our sweets.

Back when the Othmar Company had delivered pound cake for the Interduchy Tournament, they had given me freshly made gelatin as a gift. I had asked Ella to make some bavarois with it, which I had brought with me today, and this was my first time serving it to anyone else. I could see Brunhilde quietly watching to see how my siblings would react.

“It goes down easily and tastes quite delicious,” Charlotte said. “Are there other flavors?”

“There could be many. This one uses parue, a winter sweet.” I took a bite as well. Parue was a nostalgic flavor for me, as it reminded me of the lower city. I could feel a smile rise to my face, and before I knew it, I was positively beaming.

“It’s sweet,” Melchior remarked, “but it feels weird in my mouth, Rozemyne.”

“Yeah. I prefer cookies,” Wilfried said. It seemed that while Charlotte thought highly of the bavarois, the boys found it a bit off-putting. I wouldn’t be able to serve it in the Royal Academy unless I could improve the recipe.

Pudding wasn’t very popular at first, so I guess it’s no surprise that bavarois isn’t either.

Wilfried turned to Melchior and said, “Are you feeling nervous about your baptism tomorrow?” It was an inevitable topic of conversation, considering the circumstances.

“Well, I’ve been told that I need to go in alone...” Melchior replied quietly.

“I also felt very nervous entering the hall with so many eyes on me,” Charlotte said with a smile, “but I calmed down a little when I saw Rozemyne waiting for me on the stage. You simply need to walk over to her, Melchior. There is nothing to worry about.”

Upon hearing those words, Melchior seemed to relax a little.

“Your baptism was in the winter, though, Charlotte, so at least you got to walk with the other kids going to their debut,” Wilfried said. “Melchior’s going to be walking alone, like I did. That’s way more nerve-racking.”

Winter baptisms were done alongside the debuts, but children who were to be baptized in any other season would normally have a priest come to their home and carry out a private ceremony instead. Those born in spring had to walk through the grand hall alone for their baptisms. I remembered that Karstedt and Elvira had walked with me during my own ceremony. There had been a great number of visitors then, but that was still much better than being at the castle, where basically all nobles would gather.

I watched with a smile as Wilfried and Charlotte explained the process of the baptism to Melchior, occasionally arguing with each other over minor details and such.

“So, what things do you like, Melchior?” I asked.

“I like the toys you make, Rozemyne. You made all of them, didn’t you? Wilfried and Charlotte told me. They said you are very amazing.”

As it turned out, thanks to Florencia and Charlotte reading books to him, as well as Wilfried teaching him to play with karuta and playing cards, Melchior had come to think of me as a very amazing older sister.

That’s right! I’ll show you the power of an amazing sister! Thank you so much, Wilfried, Charlotte!

I was so excited that I grew emotional, and as I clenched my fists under the table to steel my resolve, Melchior gave an adorable smile. “The books you make are so enjoyable, Rozemyne, so if you have more, I would very much like to read them. I really love books.”

AAAAAAH! He’s killing me with kindness! He just said that he loves books! And with such a genuine smile! Having a bookworm little brother is even more wonderful than I imagined... I want to praise the gods for blessing me with such great fortune!

I started to tremble, trying to contain my mana before it burst out. Rihyarda must have noticed, as she came over to check on me with a worried expression. This was a tea party among siblings, so I didn’t have the mana-storing necklace that Ferdinand had given me.

“Please calm down, milady.”

“I am fine, Rihyarda...” I said. “I can still go on.”

After attending many tea parties with my bookworm friends in the Royal Academy, my tolerance in situations like this had improved, even if not by very much. Not even death could stop me from recommending Melchior more books and making him into even more of a bookworm.

“Melchior, what manner of stories do you like?” I asked with a broad smile. “Knight stories, perhaps? At the moment, we have many tales from other duchies. They have not yet been made into books, but we have them written down.”

Melchior looked at me quizzically and then returned a smile. “My favorite stories are the ones about the gods. I can play karuta too now, so the attendants often read the picture-book bibles to me. Wilfried told me I need to learn a lot about the gods to be like you, Rozemyne.”

He likes the picture-book bibles...?

They were considered essential textbooks in Ehrenfest. Kids would read them on a regular basis to help them win at karuta or progress in their theological studies, but few would say they outright enjoyed these stories about the gods.

“Very well. If you like stories about the gods, Melchior, then by the gods, you shall have them! Rihyarda, retrieve the High Bishop’s bible from the temple at once, and—”

Rihyarda interrupted me with a light pat on the shoulder. “Milady, I understand that you wish to dote on Lord Melchior, but please calm down. Has my boy Ferdinand not told you that you should not show the High Bishop’s bible to others so readily?” We didn’t want other people seeing the weird text and magic circle if we could help it.

“A transcription should work, then.”

“I believe Lord Melchior is still too young to understand its more complicated vocabulary. You can simply tell him the stories that are not yet in the picture books.”

But I wanted to show him a book...

Despite my own feelings on the matter, Rihyarda was in the right, so I settled for simply telling Melchior the religious stories. His blue eyes sparkled as he listened, and at that moment, I resolved to prioritize getting him a new book.

After having a delightful time with my new brother, I saw him and his retainers off as he returned to the main building.

“Melchior truly is adorable,” I said, showing the strength of my resolve to Wilfried and Charlotte. “I wish to dote on him as much as I can.”

Charlotte pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. “Somehow, I feel as if my older sister has been stolen from me...”

“You’ve still got it better than me,” Wilfried replied, pouting as well. “Rozemyne is soft on people younger than her, and even softer on girls. You should have seen how she treated me on our first meeting. I’ve never seen her act this sweet in my life. Rozemyne, you should treat me a little better, you know. Especially seeing as we’re engaged.”

“Oh my...” I replied. “But Ferdinand has always told me I am too soft on you.”

“What?” Wilfried stared at me in genuine confusion. “I can’t remember a single time you’ve been soft on me, let alone too soft.”

“Before your debut, and during the Ivory Tower incident. In both cases, Ferdinand said that I was too soft on you, but perhaps you would rather I start being more harsh?”

Wilfried said nothing in response; he merely continued to watch me with wide eyes.

“Just as Flutrane and Heilschmerz heal in their own ways, I treat you differently than I do my younger siblings,” I continued. “As you are my fiancé, you must grow and mature far more than normal. You do not need the compassion that I show Charlotte and Melchior.”

After letting out a quiet grunt, Wilfried silently conceded. He was unable to argue back.

Thus came the day of Melchior’s baptism. I wasn’t with Wilfried and Charlotte like last year; instead, as the High Bishop, I was going to be entering with Ferdinand, the High Priest.

“Rozemyne, use enhancement magic so that you can walk properly...” Ferdinand muttered, dressed in his own blue ceremonial robes and staying a pace behind me as we walked through the grand hall. I started channeling mana through my body in response. If one ignored the fact that I still needed to take three steps for each one Ferdinand took, there was nothing unusual about my walking whatsoever.

As expected, the hall was packed with nobles. Having so many eyes boring into me still made me tense enough that I walked with my back perfectly straight, but at the same time, I was quite used to it. I certainly had come a long way since my early days as the High Bishop.

There was a shrine set up on the stage, with the archducal couple and their retainers lined up on the left. I went over and joined them, whereupon Sylvester stood up and took center stage.

“Flutrane the Goddess of Water’s pure streams have washed away Ewigeliebe the God of Life and rescued Geduldh the Goddess of Earth. Blessed be the melting of the snow!”

At his declaration, the feast celebrating spring began.

“First, allow me to announce this year’s honor students,” Sylvester continued. “Thirteen students obtained this honor through their high grades this year—a tremendous number.”

The news caused the room to erupt in cheers and applause, although there was a clear undercurrent of surprise. Again, I was the only person to come first-in-class, but there were many being recognized as honor students. Among them were Leonore, Cornelius, and Hartmut from my retainers; Wilfried and three of his retainers; Charlotte and two of her retainers; plus Matthias and one other from the former Veronica faction.

“Well done, Rozemyne,” Sylvester said. “Here is your gift. May it prove useful to you.”

I noticed that the commemorative feystones being handed out as rewards were smaller than last year; this was probably because there were more honor students than the budget had accounted for and could accommodate. I accepted mine with a small smile.

After the honor students were awarded, Ehrenfest’s overall grades were announced. We had come tenth in the Interduchy Tournament’s ditter games. This might have seemed disappointing to some, considering that we had come sixth in the mock battle, but the apprentice knights were praised very highly for their coordination. After all, they had slain the rare and troublesome feybeast known as a hundertteilung.

“Given all that happened at the Royal Academy, Bonifatius will continue to train the apprentice knights and new recruits to the Knight’s Order,” Sylvester said. “Put your all into it, everyone.”

He also spoke of the apprentice scholars’ results and the tremendous growth shown by the apprentice attendants. Ehrenfest’s influence was steadily rising after our business deals with Klassenberg and the Sovereignty, and it was known that we had drawn much attention during the Interduchy Tournament.

“We received a great number of marriage requests from other duchies this year,” Sylvester continued. “We will answer these after some very careful consideration. Furthermore... we introduced Ehrenfest books to Royal Academy socializing to great success. I intend to begin selling these books next year, so to all those involved, do not slack on your preparations.”

The giebes and nobles involved in the printing and paper-making industries all seemed to tense up. At this early stage, what mattered most was how many preparations could be made before the selling began.

Last of all, there was the debut of new adults who had graduated the Royal Academy, alongside announcements of where they were going to be working. To that end, the graduated students lined up on the stage. Cornelius and Hartmut were my retainers, so their jobs wouldn’t change; instead, they would simply move up from apprentices to full-fledged adults.

“Now, we shall hold the baptism ceremony for my son Melchior,” Sylvester said. “High Bishop. If you would.”

After the feast came the baptism ceremony, so I carefully climbed the stairs leading up onto the stage, making sure not to step on the hem of my robes. Ferdinand stood next to me and said in a booming voice: “Welcome, new child of Ehrenfest!”

As if on cue, instruments began to play, and the doors to the grand hall slowly opened to reveal Melchior, who had evidently been waiting behind them with a childish smile. His clothes were bluish-green and didn’t seem to conflict with his hair color at all. He didn’t seem that nervous to me, but he must have taken Charlotte’s advice to heart, as I could see his blue eyes fixed on me as he slowly climbed the stage.

“Melchior,” I said, holding out a mana-detecting tool enveloped in thin leather that stopped my mana from flowing into it. He took it, and a moment later, it flashed, spurring the hall into another round of great applause. Next, Melchior registered his mana to an ivory medal.

“You have the divine protection of five gods—Darkness, Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth,” I said. “If you dedicate yourself to becoming worthy of their protection, you will surely receive many blessings.”

Once the registration was complete, Ferdinand swiftly placed the medal inside a box. Sylvester used that time to return to the center of the stage with an important magic tool in hand—a ring with a green feystone.

“I grant this ring to Melchior, who has been recognized by the gods as my son,” Sylvester said. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Sylvester acknowledged his son’s happy smile, then looked up and signaled me with his eyes. I gave a brisk nod in response, filled my ring with mana, and said, “May Flutrane the Goddess of Water bless Melchior.” Perhaps because he was my cute little brother and a fellow bookworm to boot, more green light flew out of my ring than I intended.

Ah, whoops... Was that a bit too much? No, surely not. It was fine. Right, Ferdinand?

I glanced over and saw that Ferdinand was fixing me with a cold stare, more or less calling me a fool with his eyes.

Eep. Okay. It was too much.

But it was no use crying over spilled milk. My blessing couldn’t be taken back, so I took it in my stride.

In turn, Melchior began pushing mana into the ring on his finger. “Thank you,” he said, and a bit of green light flew over to me, bringing his baptism to a close.

And so, the northern building obtained a new resident, and my life in the castle became a lot more lively. I shall offer the gods my prayers and gratitude for blessing me with this bookworm little brother!