Separation
“So today’s the day, huh...” Wilfried said. “How do you feel, Rozemyne?”
“Fine. I wouldn’t have let a little poor health stop me anyway—not when I’ve got the important duty of carrying Ferdinand’s luggage,” I replied. We were going to be seeing him off alongside our retainers, the archducal couple, and the Knight’s Order. Charlotte and Melchior were staying at home with Bonifatius.
Two wagons carrying luggage had arrived from Ferdinand’s estate. He had also brought gifts chosen by Elvira and Rihyarda from the castle’s storage room.
“You may begin moving everything into my highbeast,” I said, prompting the servants to begin putting what was about three wagons’ worth of luggage into my enlarged Pandabus. Those from Ahrensbach had already been told how much Ferdinand was bringing with him and were due to welcome us with three or more wagons of their own.
I gave Eckhart and Justus the charms that I had put my all into making. “You two are going to be in a dangerous position protecting Ferdinand, so please keep these with you,” I said.
“I am honored, milady,” Justus replied.
“Eckhart, protect Ferdinand no matter what happens.”
“You have my word.”
It seemed that not even their promises could rid me of my worries, but Angelica gave me a comforting pat on the back. “Don’t worry, Lady Rozemyne. Lord Eckhart is very strong. He will protect Lord Ferdinand no matter what,” she declared, her blue eyes betraying her unwavering faith. “I believe in his strength and loyalty.”
Eckhart returned a soft smile. “I know your passion for growing stronger and your loyalty to Lady Rozemyne are the real thing too. Protect her, no matter what. Lord Ferdinand will be beside himself should anything happen to her.”
“Understood!”
Angelica extended a clenched fist, which Eckhart then bumped with his own. It was a gesture that soldiers used to wish each other fortune in battle. I desperately wanted to join in, so I balled up a fist and reached out to them.
“Me too, Eckhart!” I exclaimed. “I’m going to work hard in Ehrenfest too!”
“Yeah,” he replied. “I’d really appreciate it if you could send Lord Ferdinand some more food every now and again.”
Despite my outstretched fist, Eckhart mussed my hair and nothing more. It wasn’t fair; I wanted to share in their battle ritual too.
“What are you even doing?” Ferdinand asked.
“Ferdinand... Eckhart and Angelica are praying for each other’s success in battle, but they won’t include me...” I sobbed, bemoaning the fist bump they had denied me.
Eckhart frowned. “But you’re not serving a lord or lady whom you need to protect. The ritual you’re talking about is done between knights who’ve put their pride on the line; it’s not something for an archduke candidate to be doing.”
Apparently, the gesture wasn’t the same among knights as it was among soldiers. Still, the rejection stung all the same. I pursed my lips, which made Ferdinand pull an exasperated face.
“Let us make a vow instead.”
“A vow...?” I repeated, feeling my body tense up at once. He was probably intending to make some impossible demand of me.
Ferdinand crouched down and gazed into my eyes. I was taken aback by the sudden movement, but he paid this no mind as he said, “I am going to Ahrensbach, wherefrom I shall protect Ehrenfest. Therefore, Rozemyne... I want you to stay here—to defend our duchy as its saint. Promise me you will not fall for the honeyed words of the Sovereignty or the other duchies should they come for you. Promise me that your attention will not stray—that you will do everything in your power to protect Ehrenfest.”
I swallowed at the surprising intensity of his words. Everyone was watching us in complete silence, and the weight of their gazes was pressing down on me. Ferdinand merely offered a slight smile in response, not seeming to care about the oppressive atmosphere.
“That said,” he continued, “I am aware that no verbal promise will stop you from leaping into a trap the moment books or libraries are used as bait. Instead, one must act thoughtfully. I can already imagine you forgetting everything as you scramble for your prize.”
Once again, he had such a precise read on me. I could only respond with a quiet grunt.
Ferdinand lowered his light-golden eyes, then sighed and removed a key from one of the pouches on his waist. It was metal with a yellow feystone. “I intend to bind you to Ehrenfest with this,” he said as he dangled it right in front of me.
“A key?” I asked, following it with my eyes. I didn’t know what it was for, but based on his small speech, I could guess that it led to something that would stop me from being baited.
Ferdinand took my hand and pressed the key to my palm, urging me to take it. It was heavier than I had expected.
“This is the key to my estate,” he explained. “My workshop, ingredients, books, documents, and magic tools, as well as my estate and all those who work there... I entrust all that I am leaving behind to you.”
My eyes widened in shock, but again, Ferdinand didn’t so much as falter. He continued speaking in a quiet, deep voice, his serious eyes never once leaving mine. Each word seemed to reach my ears and penetrate my mind, lingering in my thoughts.
“You told me once, a long time ago, that you wanted a library in return for your mana. Do you remember that?”
“I do,” I replied. “It was when you wanted to research feyplants.”
At the time, we had discussed the fact that it would be more than ten years before Ehrenfest would have mana in excess. Ferdinand had said that he wanted to use my mana for experiments, since he thought that it could be used to grow unique materials. And as I recalled, I had demanded a library for the trouble.
“Indeed,” Ferdinand said. “I will give you my estate to serve as a library—and in return, I want you to use the mana that you would have given me to instead protect Ehrenfest. This duchy is my Geduldh. I wish for you to ensure its safety.”
Ferdinand rested one of his large hands on my hand that was holding the key and said, “Andern.” No sooner had the word passed his lips than my mana was sucked into the key, registering me as its new owner. He then slowly pulled away, and a sudden chill ran through me. The very thought of carrying on without him there to protect me shook me to my core.
“I imagine you will not fall victim to the enticing words of others if you have your own library to protect, no?” Ferdinand said as he stood up. There was a smirk on his lips but a certain intensity to his eyes as he watched me.
As always, I found it frustrating that even those closest to me had so little faith in my self-control. I had my family in the lower city; Lutz and Benno; Fran, Gil, and the others in the temple; and everyone from the plant paper and printing workshops. I even considered it my duty as an archduke candidate to protect Ehrenfest.
“I would safeguard this duchy even if you hadn’t given me anything in return,” I said.
“Rozemyne, I wish for you to act without fail—half measures will not be enough. Consider this a forward payment to that end. Or, what, do you intend to say that the library in my estate is not enough for you? If you would rather not have it, then I will simply take it back.”
“That’s obviously not what I’m trying to say! I’d never give up so many books!” I exclaimed, clutching the key to my chest. I was on the verge of crying and pleading with him not to leave. I could only imagine how relieving it would be to shout, “I don’t care about some king’s decree!”
Unfortunately, such displays of emotion weren’t appropriate for the kind of archducal daughter that Ferdinand wanted me to be. I fought back the tears to some success, but even then, I couldn’t stop the feelings that were swirling around inside of me. I was angry about the unreasonable decree, frustrated about once again not being trusted, overjoyed that Ferdinand had remembered that tiny promise we had made so long ago, sad that he was leaving us, and excited to be getting my own library. All these conflicting feelings made my mana surge through my body, threatening to overflow at any moment.
If crying in front of people isn’t allowed, then I’ll just have to turn the tears into mana instead.
“Lady Rozemyne?!”
“Your eyes are turning into rainbows!”
My retainers let out panicked cries, while Ferdinand extended a hand to me and said, “Rozemyne, contain yourself.”
“No.”
I formed my schtappe and chanted, “Stylo,” turning it into a pen. Then I used my overflowing mana to draw a glowing magic circle in the air.
“Rozemyne, what are you doing?”
“Expressing my thanks for the library,” I replied, then returned my focus to the circle. “May Ferdinand be blessed as he leaves Ehrenfest.”
This wasn’t like the prayer I had given when unleashing all of my feelings for my family.
Now that I was the High Bishop, I was able to give proper blessings.
My time at the Royal Academy meant that I now had a schtappe to control my mana.
I had learned about magic circles.
My mentor had provided me with everything... and in return, I would give him the most powerful blessing that one person could give another.
“What is this?” Ferdinand asked. “A magic circle of all elements?”
“It’s a magic circle from the last page of the bible,” I replied with a grin. “One that only High Bishops get to see.”
This wasn’t the kind of complicated, bizarre magic circle taught in the Royal Academy for people to use for their own benefit, nor was it the magic circle that appeared on the first page for those trying to become king. This particular circle existed only so that those who had become High Bishops could pray to all of the gods at once, praying just for the sake of praying. It couldn’t be used for oneself—only for another.
And so, I drew the magic circle as I remembered it.
“O mighty King and Queen of the endless skies...”
As I started to intone the prayer, the magic circle dazzled with golden light, and a dark ring appeared around the outer rim. I could hear those around me stirring in surprise, but I ignored them and continued to speak.
“O mighty Eternal Five who rule the mortal realm, O Goddess of Water Flutrane, O God of Fire Leidenschaft, O Goddess of Wind Schutzaria, O Goddess of Earth Geduldh, O God of Life Ewigeliebe...”
Mana flowed out of my schtappe with each divine name, and the sigil representing each god started to shine its respective color as they were called.
“Please hear my prayer and graciously lend your blessings. I offer you my power and devote to you my service and gratitude. May your divine protection be granted to those departing—the power of Water that washes away corruption, of Fire that cannot be extinguished, of Wind that wards against danger, of Earth that embraces all, and of Life that never relents. May they have them one and all.”
The magic circle began to float up, with the light of the blessings falling upon Ferdinand, Eckhart, and Justus. The divine colors were all mixing together to form a rainbow, and Ferdinand stared up at the magic circle in a daze as they rained down upon him.
I puffed out my chest as best I could and smiled at him. “I’m growing too, you know. I’m not going to stay the same person forever.”
Hopefully this would repay him for all that he had done for me.
Hopefully he would acknowledge that I really had grown.
Hopefully he would go to Ahrensbach feeling a little more safe.
Even if only a little.
As I watched Ferdinand closely, he looked down at me and gave a slight smile, his eyes closed. “I entrust Ehrenfest to you,” he said. “Protect it in my place.”
“I will.”
We made our way to the border gate. The escorts from Ahrensbach had already arrived, and we said the usual greetings while they were given the luggage. Ferdinand exchanged farewells with Sylvester, then flourished his Ehrenfest cape and started toward the other side of the gate.
It had been bitterly cold on the day that Ferdinand entrusted our duchy to me. I had seen him off with the best smile that I could muster... and I praised my strength for having held back my tears until I reached my hidden room.
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