Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.8 - Chapter SS1

Ten Years of Change

“Eckhart, Justus, I have been abruptly summoned to a meeting with Ahrensbach,” Lord Ferdinand announced. “My apologies, but you must prepare to accompany me at once.” It was a strange development, considering that he had deliberately not attended the Archduke Conference.

“Understood.”

We soon joined him on the teleportation circle—I as his guard knight and Justus while dressed as an attendant—and together we moved to the Ehrenfest Dormitory in the Royal Academy. There we found Karstedt and a number of the archduke’s retainers waiting for us.

“I have arrived at the order of Aub Ehrenfest,” Ferdinand said. “Karstedt, what in the world is going on?”

“Ahrensbach wishes for you to marry into their duchy, and they won’t budge no matter how many times we turn them down. Apparently, they want an answer straight from the horse’s mouth.”

It seemed that Ahrensbach’s desire to assimilate Lord Ferdinand into their duchy had first blossomed when they saw him at Lamprecht’s wedding. They had indirectly criticized Ehrenfest to no end, saying that it was beyond cruel for us to have sent someone who had shown such tremendous promise at the Royal Academy to the temple right after his graduation.

“Utterly ridiculous,” Lord Ferdinand muttered, frustrated to no end. “Have they forgotten that they attacked Rozemyne? I would rather not wed into a duchy that would do something so despicable to another archducal family. Do they not see the tragic irony in their cries of supposed cruelty?”

He briskly headed to the tea party room, offered the usual greetings, refused the marriage, and then left as swiftly as he had arrived. It seemed that he had never intended to discuss the matter with Ahrensbach.

“To think you would turn down such a generous marriage proposal...”

“Would tightening our bonds with Ahrensbach not be massively advantageous? Lady Veronica is no longer here, so why not accept?”

Nobles of the former Veronica faction who knew about the proposal offered their highly absurd thoughts and opinions.

Marry into Ahrensbach? Now, of all times? Fools.

We would have welcomed the idea ten years ago, sure. Back then, it would have served as an escape from Veronica while simultaneously serving to slight her. She had always been so openly proud of the rich Ahrensbach blood coursing through her veins, so it would have wounded her greatly to see Lord Ferdinand move there instead of enduring the humiliation of the temple.

Now, however, the idea held much less appeal. Veronica was already detained in the Ivory Tower, having been stuck there since her plot to destroy Lord Ferdinand and Rozemyne completely backfired. Rozemyne had also taken over as the High Bishop, and the temple had since become a far more comfortable place.

The nobles who had persistently attempted to eliminate Lord Ferdinand were no longer in their high government posts, and my lord was treasured as a valuable pillar of support for the archduke. His relations with others were becoming more tranquil, and the duchy was more or less at ease.

And they wish for him to throw away this peace he’s finally obtained for a miserable duchy like Ahrensbach? He has nothing to gain from this marriage; who would dare push for it to begin with? My lord is satisfied with things as they are—and above all else, we have no reason to appease the former Veronica faction, no matter how much they want cooperation with Ahrensbach. You lot killed Heidemarie; now it’s your turn to die.

I spat internally, then returned to Ehrenfest with Lord Ferdinand.

I was sure that Lord Ferdinand refusing Ahrensbach himself would settle the matter, but that was not the case; he was soon summoned to the Royal Academy again to speak with the royal family. On paper, they intended to question him further about the rebel attack. Not even his guard knights were permitted to accompany him—much like when Rozemyne had been interrogated after killing a ternisbefallen in the Royal Academy—so we retainers had to wait outside.

The actual contents of their discussion remained unknown to us, but it ended with the king decreeing that Lord Ferdinand would marry into Ahrensbach—all without so much as a word of permission from our archduke, Sylvester. It made absolutely no sense. I didn’t know what deal they had struck with Ahrensbach, but several duchies had apparently come together and pressured the king about using this engagement to free Lord Ferdinand from the temple.

You fools! What have you done?!

Seeing how extremely displeased Lord Ferdinand was infuriated me to no end.

He personally refused Ahrensbach’s archducal couple, and your response is to take the matter even higher?! Ridiculous! That stupid duchy can clean up its own mess. They’re the ones who lost all their successors in the civil war; why should we be mixed up in their garbage?!

However, no matter how foolish those responsible were, the king’s word was absolute; Lord Ferdinand could only obey. It seemed that he did not wish to bring misfortune to Ehrenfest.

“Lord Ferdinand, could we perhaps... kill the king, and sweep all of this under the rug?”

“Do not state something so dangerous, Eckhart. You are as shortsighted as always.”

I personally thought it was a good idea, but Lord Ferdinand turned it down. It was the same as when I had suggested that we assassinate Veronica—or, as I remembered saying to him at the time, that we “send that waste of space after your father and avoid this banishment to the temple.”

My only consideration was for my lord; as far as I was concerned, all those who opposed him were better off eliminated. The response I received was always that the ripple effect would catch too many other people in its wake, which was understandable enough—although I didn’t much care about those consequences myself.

“Eckhart, Justus, there is something of great importance we must discuss,” Lord Ferdinand said, summoning us the night we returned. “Come to my mansion.”

Upon our arrival at his estate, we were welcomed inside by Lasfam, the laynoble tasked with managing it. His dark-green, almost-black hair was tied behind his head, and his green eyes were crinkled in a kind smile as he started pouring our tea. His presence meant that Justus rarely needed to do attendant work here.

“I am told that you were summoned to the Royal Academy,” Lasfam said, addressing Lord Ferdinand. “You do not come bearing good news, I gather.”

“I intend to explain as I drink.”

“Understood. Please sit as well, Eckhart, Justus,” he continued, regarding us each with a troubled smile.

Lasfam was a retainer whom Veronica had assigned to Lord Ferdinand specifically to trouble him. Laynobles had such paltry mana that they sometimes struggled even to use the magic tools necessary for attendant work. It was even harder during one’s younger years, particularly when one first started at the Royal Academy.

Laynobles already had to put up with their competency as retainers being called into question due to their smaller mana capacities, but on top of that, Lasfam’s very existence had served as fuel for those who would mock Lord Ferdinand. They would say, “His retainers are incompetent failures, but that only means he is an incompetent member of the archducal family for failing to train them properly.”

Lasfam was in a cruel position himself, which was why Lord Ferdinand had come to him with a request: “For your own protection, engage in the abuse that Lady Veronica seeks. Prove to the world that you are by no means associated with me.”

To Lord Ferdinand, having another troublesome person around would not change much; Lasfam was far from the only retainer assigned to him for the purpose of abuse, and the others among them acted cruelly toward my lord to earn the cursed woman’s favor. Lasfam declined his suggestion, however, saying that this would only confirm the notion that he was a failure of a retainer.

But those words only made Lord Ferdinand suspicious. He considered Lasfam a spy sent by the cursed woman, and said that he wouldn’t trust him unless he gave his name.

And so, Lasfam had agreed to do just that, establishing that he was to be trusted. He had overseen the estate when Lord Ferdinand entered the temple, and it had served as his workplace ever since Lord Ferdinand came of age and moved out of the northern building. As opposed to someone like Justus, who had mastered scholar work, there was nothing Lasfam could do in the castle.

“Eckhart, Justus, Lasfam,” Lord Ferdinand said upon finishing his tea. He took out three objects, each in what looked to be a white cocoon, and clinked them down on the table one by one. He had lined up our name-swearing stones just like this on the day he had resolved to enter the temple.

A shiver ran down my spine as his light-golden eyes focused on each of us in order. I was racked with fear that my future was about to become so very tragically bleak.

Is he trying to return them again?!

Despite my heated exclamation on the inside, I said nothing. My lip was quivering and my teeth chattering so violently that I couldn’t even speak. I couldn’t help feeling as though my life were being carelessly tossed aside... but then the veil of Lord Ferdinand’s mana that surrounded me suddenly intensified. The mana that bound me, which I usually didn’t notice at all, was growing stronger.

“Eckhart, Justus, I order you thus: come with me.”

It was an absolute order from the lord we had given our names too. If we agreed, the mana binding us would continue to be easily ignorable, but if we refused... we would die on the spot.

“Despite my direct refusal of the engagement,” Lord Ferdinand continued, “it will go ahead because of the king’s decree. This outcome is the result of the combined force of many duchies; the circumstances seem anything but normal. All of our lives will doubtless be in danger, but even so, I ask that you serve as my arms and ears.”

I took a knee at once; his order was exactly what I had been waiting for. “Understood. I shall accompany you wherever you go. Always.”

Justus similarly accepted the order.

Lasfam, however, had not been addressed. “Lord Ferdinand, I... Please bring me as well,” he said, staring at his stone with a ghostly white expression.

“I cannot bring someone without the strength to protect themselves to Ahrensbach.”

Upon hearing this, Lasfam took in a sharp breath and started to tremble. This was the opposite of what had happened when Lord Ferdinand had gone to the temple. Back then, he had told only Lasfam to remain as his attendant, since he could not live in the castle but could manage his estate. He had then said that Justus and I should seek out other paths in life, as we were archnobles.

“Lasfam, my order to you is as follows: manage this estate and my remaining luggage until my engagement period ends and I no longer have need to stay in an Ahrensbach guest room.”

“I thought I would be the only one to have my name returned...” Lasfam whispered, his voice oozing relief. I understood how he felt painfully well. “I suppose I will need to organize your luggage into what needs to be brought and what will remain for now, then.”

“I intend to leave the bulk of my brewing ingredients with Rozemyne,” Lord Ferdinand said. “There are many ingredients that her retainers would struggle to prepare themselves. I will need to teach them to make rejuvenation potions, and have her dissolve the rest of her mana clumps in a jureve.” He immediately started putting these plans to paper. It seemed that, for some reason, he was preparing Rozemyne’s matters rather than his own.

“There is no need to be soft on Cornelius,” I said. “What kind of guard knight cannot even prepare the ingredients their lord or lady needs?”

“He would struggle if we were to cast him aside now after providing him with ingredients for so long, no? Perhaps you could teach Cornelius and the others to gather the ingredients themselves.”

“It will be done, without fail.”

It was my duty to eliminate anything that concerned my lord, and to that end, I needed to train Cornelius and the others such that they could gather their ingredients on their own. I saw Ferdinand off as he went to his room to work, then began planning a schedule to train the guard knights myself.

“Eckhart, we need to get our things ready too,” Justus said. “Lord Ferdinand leaving Lasfam here means he expects Ahrensbach to be seriously dangerous. Might not want to bring anything you care too much about. I’ve yet to leave home, so I intend to keep my things with Mother, but you have your own estate. You’ll need to clean that place up too.”

He was right that I still owned the estate I had moved into when marrying Heidemarie, and if we were moving to Ahrensbach, I would need to start clearing it out. Returning it would require some paperwork too. But the estate was filled with memories of Heidemarie, and the thought of losing them made me deeply uncomfortable.

“What if you give the estate to Cornelius, who’s marrying in two years or so, and get him to leave a room for you to use as storage?”

The weight on my shoulders lifted on the spot. Leonore was still underage, so their marriage wouldn’t be for another couple of years at the very earliest. By then, I would no doubt have a home in Ahrensbach that I could move my things to. I appreciated that I could break this down into stages and clean things up slowly over time; I still wasn’t ready to face it all at once.

“One or two years to settle into your new lives... That sounds like a long time. I wonder when I’ll be able to rejoin Lord Ferdinand’s side...” Lasfam said, wearing a dry smile.

Justus crossed his arms with a sigh and stared out the window. “There’s no helping it. So many wills and objections are mixed together when it comes to this engagement that it’s impossible to tell who’s after what. The more cautious we are, the better.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Do they want Lord Ferdinand in Ahrensbach specifically, or do they simply want him out of Ehrenfest? The situation changes drastically depending on the answer, but we don’t even have the intelligence necessary to figure it out,” Justus said, clearly frustrated. He was wearing the same expression he had always worn back when Veronica was still around.

I vowed to steel my resolve; no doubt we were being swallowed up in a massive current too large for any one person to sway.

“Eckhart, your affairs are going to take longer to get in order than mine, right?” Justus asked, changing the subject entirely. “Better hurry up.”

“I’m giving my estate to Cornelius, so I’m not in a rush.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I’m divorced, so I’m free in that regard, but you’re engaged. If you’ll be bringing Angelica as your wife, then you’ll need to get married this summer. And if you’re canceling the engagement, then you’ll need to speak with her about what happens next.”

Right. That’s a pain. I really should get that sorted...

I thought for a moment about bringing Angelica. Based on how she acted and trained at the temple, she wouldn’t do anything except what she was ordered, and she would instinctively follow orders without questioning them whatsoever. She would be useful to Lord Ferdinand if we brought her.

“Angelica could prove fairly useful, depending on how she’s used,” I noted.

“Oho? It’s rare for you to consider other people useful, Eckhart. We want as many people we can trust there as possible—especially those who are good fighters. How about you marry her and bring her with us?”

“I will have to ask her whether she has the resolve to go into enemy territory...” I replied, nodding. No matter how skilled Angelica was, she needed to have enough determination. I decided to probe her about going to Ahrensbach at the next opportunity.

Lord Ferdinand and Rozemyne were busy talking in the hidden room, and Angelica had glued herself to the door. I called out to her; it was the perfect chance for me to pose my question.

“Angelica, as a loyal guard knight, I must accompany Lord Ferdinand to Ahrensbach without question. What will you do?”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“You need to decide whether you’ll marry me and come with me, or end our engagement and stay here. Your strength would be a valuable asset to us, but I intend to respect your choice. No matter how strong someone is, they won’t be of any help if they don’t want to be there.”

Angelica blinked at me several times in silence, as if chewing over my words. Her expression didn’t change at all, but Cornelius and Leonore both paled in contrast.

“Eckhart, Angelica needs to get married as soon as possible,” Leonore said. “Given her age, canceling your engagement would be socially disastrous for her.”

“Leonore is right. You shouldn’t even be talking about—”

“Shut up, Cornelius,” I said, waving him off. “No matter what Angelica decides here, Grandfather will make sure it doesn’t impact her negatively in the slightest. He was the one who pushed for this engagement in the first place. It’s not for us to worry about.”

“But...”

Rather than drop the matter there, Cornelius tried to press further. He really was a bothersome little brother, and it was obvious that he didn’t care about Angelica’s reputation. His real concern was that Grandfather might order him to take her as a second wife.

“This isn’t going to impact you at all,” I assured him. “Here, let me give you an excuse: you’re already engaged to Leonore, so you’re not in a good position to take an older woman like Angelica as your second wife.”

“Ngh...”

As expected. That shut him up.

I turned back to Angelica. “Made your decision?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I am Lady Rozemyne’s guard knight, so I will cancel our engagement and stay here in Ehrenfest.” Her flat-out rejection took me by surprise for some reason, but I could tell that it was final: there wasn’t even a trace of indecision in her deep-blue eyes. “I serve Lady Rozemyne, not Lord Ferdinand.”

“I see. That makes sense. You’re completely right. You’re Rozemyne’s guard knight.”

More important than marriage or reputation was the person you served and your loyalty to them. We may not have followed the same person, but we were exactly the same in what we treasured. I found Angelica’s purity of spirit to be highly appealing.

“Rozemyne has good retainers, I see.”

“I will do everything in my power to protect Lady Rozemyne while she fights for Lord Ferdinand,” Angelica said, looking toward the hidden room. Rozemyne was no doubt compassionately ripping into Lord Ferdinand as we spoke. I only ever followed orders, but my little sister always spoke up when there was something she didn’t agree with. She had even fought to reduce Lord Ferdinand’s workload out of concern for his health, taking on even the archduke himself, so I was confident that she would continue to help him even after he departed for Ahrensbach.

Oh, I see...

Angelica’s declaration had made me realize something: this wasn’t the same as when Lord Ferdinand had entered the temple after all. We weren’t the only ones worried about his engagement and frustrated with the situation; unlike before, there were many people here trying to support him. It wasn’t dangerous for him to show emotion, nor was it forbidden.

Ehrenfest has changed. It actually managed to change.

I truly believed that from the bottom of my heart. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t stay here, but at the same time, I was hopeful. We would change this new land as well, ensuring that Lord Ferdinand could live there in peace—and I would eliminate all obstacles that tried to get in our way.