Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.1 - Chapter 13

Passing Professor Gundolf’s Classes

“You finished this class very quickly, Lady Rozemyne,” Eglantine said. “I am truly surprised. Would it be safe to invite you to a tea party now, perhaps?”

I already knew what my response was going to be: absolutely not. I had been told to avoid the royal family as much as possible. Besides, I wanted my next tea party to be with Dunkelfelger; we had our joint research to discuss, plus I still needed to speak with Clarissa.

“My sincerest apologies, but I must begin taking the scholar course,” I said. “A tea party in the near future will not be feasible.”

“I see. In that case, we may have one after you have completed the scholar course.”

I nodded with a smile, then exited the classroom. Now that I was done with my third-year archduke candidate classes, my aim was to dive straight into the scholar course. I returned to my chambers, whereupon I sent letters to one professor of the scholar course after another; prioritizing the archduke candidate course meant that I hadn’t been able to attend the first day of the scholar course or take its tests, so I was having to schedule separate retakes.

I need to finish soon; otherwise, I’ll miss my chance to have a tea party with Dunkelfelger.

My initial goal for this academic year had been to finish the magic tools that I wanted for my library, but now it was to complete a joint research project about divine protections. I was about to be very busy, so I wanted to finish my classes as soon as possible.

The scholar course was made up of several classes that were compulsory for all students, including the making of magic tools, in-depth magic circle studies, and learning to read old literature. As well as these, however, there were also several classes that one could take according to one’s own preferences. These were a lot more specialized, with examples including how to gather information or how to pretty much become a doctor, among other things. Naturally, Ferdinand already had taught me the content of every single one, meaning I would be able to secure passing grades in them all unless something disastrous happened.

Please let the professors have spare time.

Professors wouldn’t allow retakes unless they were free, so I could only pray to the gods...

And it seemed that my prayers were answered, as I soon received a response from Gundolf. He led three lessons on the scholar course, and I wanted to use this opportunity to finish all of them.

“I thank you ever so much for taking time out of your busy day for me, Professor Gundolf.”

“Ah, Lady Rozemyne. Right this way.”

Dressed in my brewing clothes and with Philine and Roderick carrying the ingredients I needed, I stepped into Gundolf’s laboratory in the scholar building. I recalled that Hirschur’s laboratory had been an absolute mess—and this was no different. Perhaps it was just a universal truth that the only clean part of a laboratory was the brewing area; everywhere else was covered with papers.

“So, shall we begin?” Gundolf asked.

All students took a practical class for separating mana, but the scholar course was a bit more advanced; it began with splitting mana according to its elements and then creating materials that suited it. I had taken Sylvester’s advice and decompressed my mana, so I could now brew with my schtappe without incident.

I thank you ever so much, Sylvester!

And so, I started putting ingredients into the brewing pot to make the assigned potions. Gundolf watched me carefully all the while, stroking his beard. I was very well accustomed to brewing at this point, but one-on-one examinations like this were still surprisingly tense.

“I see that you even use the time-saving magic circle, Lady Rozemyne.”

“Ferdinand taught me how. My body is so weak that I often need to use rejuvenation potions, but brewing for long periods is a struggle for someone of my size. This circle allows me to make the potions as regularly as I need them.”

Plus, I was trying to finish several classes all at once here. I couldn’t afford not to use the time-saving circle.

“You make your own potions?” Gundolf asked.

“I do. Ferdinand was adamant that I at least learn the process, and, thanks to that, I am not suffering a shortage in his absence,” I said with a smile. “I cannot count on my guardians forever.”

Gundolf met my response with a frown. “That is not what I meant. Archduke candidates are supposed to leave brewing to their retainer scholars. There is much that an archduke candidate needs to prioritize over brewing their own potions, is there not?”

Wait... what?! Brewing is scholar work?! This is my first time hearing that!

I had always assumed that brewing one’s own potions was normal—Ferdinand would always make mine for me and say that it would be shameful for me not to be able to produce my own. On the contrary, however, a normal archduke candidate would apparently leave any brewing to their scholars.

I thought about leaving my potion-making to Philine and Roderick, then shook my head. I could entrust such a duty to Hartmut, but those two wouldn’t be able to endure it. Not at all.

“The potions that Ferdinand made for me are a special brew,” I explained. “They require so much mana, as well as rare ingredients, that even archnobles would only barely be able to make them.”

“What potions are those, then?”

“The recipe’s a secret,” I replied. “Oh, I’m done. Will this do?” I directed Gundolf’s attention to the finished potion, hoping to change the focus of our conversation.

After just a brief glance, Gundolf nodded and gave me a passing grade. “You brewed with thoroughly experienced motions, had completely stable mana despite using the time-saving magic circle, and did not fail in any measure. Continue brewing the other potions with equal excellence.”

“Right!”

I swiftly moved on to the next potion, chatting with Gundolf while I brewed. He was most interested in the divine protections ritual and asked many questions on the subject.

“I am afraid that I cannot answer these of my own will,” I said. “The royal family has involved themselves in this business, and we plan to publish our results during the Interduchy Tournament. We have already consulted Lady Hannelore, and, with Dunkelfelger’s permission, we are going to have this be joint research.”

I was trying to use the authority of a top-ranking duchy to prevent any further questioning from Gundolf, but—

“Would it not have been more efficient for you to collaborate with Drewanchel...?”

“We would have if we were focusing on magic tools or circles, but Drewanchel does not seem to have any students who obtained multiple divine protections.”

“Hmm... In that case, shall we do joint research on magic tools?”

He was as persistent as ever, it seemed. I shook my head in response to his invitation for me to join him and said in my firmest voice, “I have decided to join Professor Hirschur’s laboratory.”

I already had plans for Hirschur to keep a lot of secrets, and, as she was Ehrenfest’s dormitory supervisor, we wouldn’t need to worry about our research being stolen by another duchy. Most of all, Raimund also being in the laboratory would make it easier for me to contact Ferdinand and work on developing more magic tools. There were still a bunch that I wanted for my library, although I hadn’t given up on my plan to make a sound-recording magic tool that I could stuff with reproofs for Ferdinand.

“But Hirschur’s laboratory doesn’t... Er, rather, my laboratory has better funding and higher-quality ingredients.”

“That is nice, but I am not lacking in funding at the moment,” I said. Gundolf may have opted for a more tactful approach, but I was perfectly capable of reading between the lines; Hirschur was probably struggling for money as a result of receiving no assistance from her home duchy. Ferdinand had said something about supporting her himself, but I doubted that Hirschur would fully take him up on the offer. Maybe it would be best for me to compensate her for letting me stay in her laboratory.

To be honest, she needs food and sleep more than she needs money.

“How unfortunate. Your ideas are often extraordinarily unique, Lady Rozemyne. They would have been excellent stimuli for my research,” Gundolf said, finally surrendering with a look of regret. The fact that he knew when to give up, just as Ferdinand had said, made me like him a little bit more.

“I am interested in magic tool paper,” I said. “Once I am in a position to spend time researching it, I would very much like to collaborate with Drewanchel.”

“Oho. Magic tool paper... Such as which feybeast skin is most suitable for making it?”

“No, I wish to look into whether such paper can be made from materials other than feybeast skin.”

There was a sudden glimmer in Gundolf’s eyes, and an intrigued smile spread across his face. “I see. Drewanchel would certainly be better suited for research of that manner than Dunkelfelger. I look forward to working with you.”

“That said, I am going to be too busy for us to collaborate this year.”

Gundolf gave me a confused look. “Can you not instruct someone to work in your place? You are far from Ehrenfest’s only scholar, and it seems unreasonable for an archduke candidate to manage an entire duchy’s research single-handedly. That you would take matters into your own hands makes sense for your research into divine protections, as the royal family is involved with that, but why must you do the same here?”

I stared at him in shock, the scales at last falling from my eyes. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I could dump this research on other people.

“As you are an archduke candidate, the development of your duchy should be your main focus,” Gundolf continued. “You are taking the scholar course, so you will need to carry out some personal research as well, but you must differentiate between that which cannot progress without you and that which can, else you will never make any progress in either. Your attention is currently being torn between many interesting subjects. I would suggest that you delegate the bulk of your research to other scholars, making sure to direct them and oversee their progress, and think about how to best utilize their results. At the very least, this is how we do things in Drewanchel.”

I was trying to do everything myself rather than raising other scholars as an archduke candidate should. In other words, I was doing the same thing that Ferdinand always did.

“I would also recommend that you do this paper research with Drewanchel,” Gundolf said. “I am very confident in our selection of quality ingredients.”

“That sounds wonderful. Ehrenfest is still lacking in that area.”

“The many years I’ve spent as a Royal Academy professor have also graced me with a great many tools for brewing. Recreating the research results of the not-so-distant past is far from out of the question for me.”

I broke into a smile. “Now you really have my attention. I have taken an interest in the lessons of the past—particularly those held in the days when students did not receive their schtappes during their first year.”

“Hm, hm... Few professors remain from the generation when schtappes were obtained during one’s graduation.”

“There are study guides of past students available in the library but no work documents of the professors, so one can only get a vague idea of the lessons that took place back then. Tell me, what was taught in what years? I would very much like instructional material written from a professor’s perspective.”

“This can be discussed during our research.”

“Truly? Oh my... I’m looking forward to it.”

I was ultimately convinced, so it was decided that Ehrenfest and Drewanchel would research magic tool paper together. The rest of our time was focused on my retakes, wherein I passed one written and two brewing lessons. Once I was done, I made my way back to the Ehrenfest common room to report my results.

“So, basically, we’re going to be doing a joint research project with Drewanchel as well.”

“How does this keep happening?!” Wilfried exclaimed. The look of complete outrage he was giving me was entirely unwarranted, in my opinion. How could anyone fault me for something as harmless as telling Gundolf that I wanted to research paper and indicating that I wanted the instructional materials of past professors? It had only been by a fortunate coincidence that we had entered this mutually beneficial arrangement.

“You and Charlotte are assisting with printing and paper-making at the moment, no?” I asked. “I must ask you to pivot into researching something for me—the extent to which paper made from our duchy’s feyplants can be turned into magic tools, how this paper can be used, and such. Does this not sound more appropriate for Ehrenfest?”

Ignaz and Marianne exchanged glances.

“Rozemyne,” Wilfried said, “do you intend to get Charlotte’s and my scholars involved in your research?”

“But of course. Philine and Roderick are busy gathering and writing stories, and they are going to be essential to our research into divine protections, considering the results of their rituals. I also consider this an excellent opportunity to show everyone that you and Charlotte are just as involved in the printing and paper-making industries as I.”

Keeping all the praise for myself was far from ideal. If we wanted to get rid of Sylvester’s reputation as a cruel archduke who only forced work onto his half-brother and adopted daughter, then it was necessary for his blood-related children to demonstrate that they had jobs as well and were working hard to complete them.

“Now, do not misunderstand me—I am not saying that scholars who are already busy should drop their current research for my sake. Rather, I simply believe that the retainers of our archduke candidates should make printing and paper-making their primary focus, as these are Ehrenfest’s core industries now.”

“And what if our apprentice scholars refuse?”

I turned to look at Muriella, who was due to become my retainer after giving me her name. She was reading one of Elvira’s books with a dreamy expression.

“I will put Muriella in charge of the research and give the work to the apprentice scholars of the former Veronica faction,” I said. “They no longer need to give us their names, so most of them will not become our retainers, but their futures can still change for the better if they demonstrate their value in researching our duchy’s largest industries.”

The families who had avoided execution were still considered criminals, so, upon returning to Ehrenfest, any students of the former Veronica faction were bound to receive harsh looks from those who thought them guilty by association. If these students could demonstrate their worth to the duchy, however, then I was sure that the adults would soften up to them at least a little over time.

“Hm...”

“If your and Charlotte’s apprentice scholars are to be put in charge instead, then I would suggest that you have Barthold and Cassandra give their names sooner rather than later,” I said. “If all goes well, then this work should strengthen their bonds with your other retainers, and their connections should secure us help from the former Veronica faction’s apprentice scholars as well.”

Wilfried turned to Ignaz, who was standing next to him. “What do you think? Do you have anything else you’re researching?”

“No, I am still debating what to focus on for my graduation. I think I would appreciate the opportunity that Lady Rozemyne has proposed, though; it will surely benefit us both.”

“Got it,” Wilfried replied with an affirming nod. “Rozemyne, we’ll put Ignaz and Barthold at the center of this paper research.”

“Do not forget my retainers, Brother,” Charlotte interjected. “Marianne, would you be willing?”

Marianne smiled. “Yes, of course, Lady Charlotte.” And, with that, our problems were solved; we were going to be able to collaborate with Drewanchel after all.

“First things first, though—we’re going to need those students to give us their names,” Wilfried said.

“I am going to the gathering spot with my retainers this Earthday to get materials for Muriella,” I noted. “Perhaps you could have your guard knights join them for Barthold and Cassandra? A scholar and an attendant cannot be expected to get suitable materials for a name-swearing on their own.”

Plus, now that the children of the former Veronica faction were distancing themselves a bit from those who intended to give their names, it was important that Wilfried and Charlotte recognize their obligation to start supporting their soon-to-be retainers.

“Your eyes are as sharp as ever, Sister,” Charlotte said. “Natalie, go ask Cassandra her plans for next Earthday. I wish to invite her to join those gathering materials.”

After watching Natalie, Charlotte’s guard knight, leave the common room, Wilfried told Alexis to speak with Barthold. Everyone was now accounted for... but as I started to relax, Gretia called Judithe to a secluded spot in the room. They appeared to be discussing something.

“Um, Lady Rozemyne...” Judithe said when she returned, looking conflicted.

“Yes?”

“Gretia just said that she also wants to go to the Earthday gathering... so that she can give her name too.”

“Wait, what? But...”

As I recalled, Gretia’s family had managed to avoid punishment; there was no obligation for her to give her name to anyone.

“Rihyarda, it seems that Gretia has something to say to us,” I said. “May we?”

“You have enough guard knights present, so... yes, you may.”