Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.1 - Chapter 3

Passing Classes

The fellowship gathering concluded, and we started making our way back to the dormitory. My thoughts were dominated by the children of the former Veronica faction. I wanted to let them see their families, but that was out of the question. The purge had to happen. At most, I could only try to minimize the damage. But how?

“Lady Rozemyne!”

“Oh, Raimund.”

He had suddenly appeared from around a corner, having no doubt come from Hirschur’s laboratory in the specialty building. His light-violet cape fluttered behind him as he made his way over, but he was stopped in his tracks when my apprentice guard knights assumed defensive positions. It was to be expected, considering that he was an Ahrensbach noble.

Raimund took a step back, his eyes wide, then spoke to me from a distance. “Lady Rozemyne, I have a message from Lord Ferdinand. Would you like to hear it?”

“Did something happen?!”

“Er, not quite. I went to show him this”—he pulled out what appeared to be a slightly smaller version of a recording magic tool—“and he recorded a message on it.” Ferdinand had apparently turned it away, maintaining that it could be made even smaller—but not before leaving a few words for me.

“Play it. Play it now,” I said, leaning forward. “I want to hear it.”

Raimund nodded and touched the feystone.

“Rozemyne, it is I,” came an unmistakable voice from the magic tool. I was hit with a wave of nostalgia, even though it really hadn’t been that long since his departure for Ahrensbach. But as the message continued, such pleasant feelings quickly dissipated. “I hope you have not been neglecting your studies now that I am gone.”

Crap! I really have been!

“Remember your vow to come first-in-class once again,” the message continued. “Allow your or the duchy’s grades to slip and I will show no mercy.”

I clapped my hands on my cheeks in shock, looking entirely like The Scream—but it was then that the voice coming from the magic tool softened.

“Remember, however, that your task is not to secure better grades than last year. I am simply saying that you should not let them fall. That should not be difficult, no?”

“The same as last year... Right.” I clenched my fists. “Somehow, that makes it feel so much more doable.”

“I do not believe it possible for you to raise your grades any higher...” Charlotte muttered from behind me.

“Shh! Don’t tell her, Charlotte. She’s finally motivated.”

Ah! Hold on! It really is impossible for me to do any better! He tricked me, didn’t he?!

I glared at the magic tool as it continued to speak.

“Wilfried, Charlotte—the same goes for the two of you. I anticipate that you shall attain results befitting the charms that I gave you. Come the Interduchy Tournament, I expect to hear that Ehrenfest’s students once again passed all of their classes on the first day. Anything less will not be tolerated.”

“Ngh!”

“No way...”

This demand was especially hard on Charlotte, who hadn’t managed it last year, and she began to tremble beneath the immense pressure. I reached out to console her, only for Ferdinand to suddenly call out to me.

“Ah, yes. Rozemyne.”

I froze. His voice sounded... kind. Uncomfortably so. It was the same, warm tone that he often adopted right before making an unreasonable demand. I turned my eyes from Charlotte to the magic tool still in Raimund’s hand.

“If your grades go down at all, then I intend to consult Aub Ehrenfest about taking back the library I gave you. One who cannot manage herself can hardly be expected to manage so many books.”

“Noooooo!” I cried, snatching the magic tool from Raimund. “Anything but that!”

Naturally, I was unable to negotiate with a recording. Not having someone around to set me regular tasks, combined with the mental anguish of the purge and stuff, meant that I had been neglecting my studies. I wasn’t even reading books. Still, thinking about my library was the only thing keeping my head above water—without it, I would sink into the depths of misery and die. I wasn’t exaggerating either. I would genuinely die.

“Well, um... that is the end of the message,” Raimund said, retrieving the tool. “Not even my best attempts to improve this magic tool have been enough for Lord Ferdinand, so I understand what you must be going through. Let us, uh... all work our very hardest.” His eyes flitted between me and the recorder in his hand, then he beat a hasty retreat.

“Wh-Wh... What are we going to do, Rozemyne?” Wilfried asked. “Now that I think about it, I haven’t studied at all since coming to the Royal Academy.”

“Nor have I, Sister,” Charlotte added.

Sylvester had explicitly told us to leave matters of the purge to him, but we were all so focused on it that we had forgotten about the Better Grades Committee entirely. This was bad. Ferdinand would no doubt give us the most scathing lecture the moment we reunited at the Interduchy Tournament.

At this rate, he’s going to have Sylvester take away my library!

“We can’t waste any more time worrying. We must do all that we can to protect my library!” I declared, balling my hand into a resolved fist.

“W-Wait, Rozemyne,” Wilfried said, his face pale. “I’m getting a really bad feeling about this.”

“Fear not, Wilfried. I will obliterate that bad feeling along with everything else that tries to get in my way.”

“No! That doesn’t help! We’re going to experience that nightmare all over again!”

I gave Wilfried a reassuring smile and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Unlike before, we’ve got an entire year of studying under our belts already. At most, we’ll only need to go over what we’ve already learned.”

“Hm... You have a point. We might be fighting with a library at stake again, but the similarities end there.” He clapped his hands together, nodded to himself, and then added that this was also an order from Uncle, who knew how to “administer the medicine” without making it a “deadly poison.” I wasn’t sure what he was referring to, but I decided that now wasn’t the time to ask.

“First of all, we need to ensure that everyone passes on the first day,” I said. “That alone should not be any trouble.”

“Indeed,” Lieseleta said, smiling brightly and providing her support. “The students have all spent an entire year studying their hardest. If everyone works together, we should not experience any issues.”

From there, Brunhilde explained why Ferdinand was being so unreasonable. “If our duchy were to fall in rank, then everyone would mock us and say that our rise was only temporary after all. Lord Ferdinand will already be struggling in Ahrensbach, having moved from a middle to a greater duchy. If word spreads that his home duchy’s rank has fallen before his Starbind Ceremony, then he will receive much hostility as Lady Letizia’s mentor.”

Hearing that made me even more resolved—we would not allow our grades to drop this year, no matter what. “Maintaining our current position is important for a variety of reasons,” I said. “Let it be done, then. There is still enough time.”

“Right! Then let’s hurry back and get to studying!” Wilfried exclaimed.

We archduke candidates briskly made our way back to the dormitory with our retainers in tow. Upon our arrival, Wilfried threw open the door marked with an eight and rushed into the common room.

“We have to pass tomorrow’s exams on our first go!” he declared. “Everyone, fetch your study materials and gather back here!”

I got into my highbeast. “Leonore, Roderick, instruct the children of the former Veronica faction to bring their study materials and gather in the common room as well.”

Leonore hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, “Understood.” Her expression was noticeably harder than before.

I went upstairs in Lessy, then rushed into my room as Judithe and Philine opened the door for me. “Rihyarda, we are going to be studying in the common room,” I said. “Prepare everything we will need.”

“At once, milady. Though I must say... this is quite sudden, is it not?”

“Ferdinand is extorting me,” I said, explaining everything that had happened with Raimund and the voice-recording magic tool. “He’ll take away my library if our duchy’s grade average goes down at all. Don’t you think that’s cruel, threatening to take something away so soon after he gave it to me?”

“Lord Ferdinand is attempting to guide you even now, when he is no longer in Ehrenfest. I would consider this his way of showing his concern for you.”

“Well, I don’t want this kind of concern!”

I was doing my best to look outraged, but Rihyarda merely laughed and said that the smile on my face was still clear to see. “We are talking about Lord Ferdinand,” she said. “There may be punishments for failure, but there will certainly be rewards for success as well. Study well, milady.”

“In that case, I’ll raise our grades so high that even Ferdinand won’t believe it. Then I’ll get him to make all the magic tools I need for my library.”

I’ll secure what I already have, then wrest even more from his grubby little hands!

After receiving my study materials, I used my Pandabus to get back to the common room, then put it away and got my retainers to prepare a spot for those of us studying for the archduke candidate course. Charlotte was sitting with the other second-years, so it was just Wilfried and me for now.

“Let us study here,” I said. “We two are the only Ehrenfest students doing the archduke candidate course this term.”

“Right... I’m going to read these first, so start studying without me,” Wilfried replied, unenthusiastically staring down at the boards in his hands.

Despite feeling a little confused, I called out to all those gathered. “Please take your seats based on last year’s groups. First-years, take that table over there.”

As everyone was following their instructions, the children of the former Veronica faction appeared with their study materials. They stood at the entrance and gazed around the room, looking conflicted.

“You’re late!” I called. “Please take your seats.”

“We all need to pass our exams the first time around,” Wilfried added. “We cannot allow Ehrenfest’s grades to fall.”

One of the kids glared at us, anger flaring in his eyes. “How do you expect us to focus on studying when your father might be killing our families as we speak?”

The atmosphere in the room turned cold. Wilfried and I had been holding our heads high just a moment ago, trying to be enthusiastic, but now our eyes were somberly downcast.

An instant later, Leonore stepped forward with her schtappe in hand. The child was wriggling on the ground before I knew it, entangled in bands of light.

“Wha?!”

“Leonore, what are you doing?!”

“This boy does not seem to understand the position he is in, my lady. Just how poor a job have Matthias and Laurenz done at convincing them?” she mused, her violet eyes now a mixed-up color. I had never seen her like this before.

Matthias looked at me with pleading eyes, completely taken aback. “Lady Rozemyne said that she would save those who are innocent.”

Before I could even attempt a response, Leonore intervened again. “Indeed. You are correct, Matthias. Lady Rozemyne has asked the aub to save those who have committed no crimes. Furthermore, she has prepared a place in the orphanage for those she has been told will not be considered nobles for the purposes of the purge.”

Leonore had a smile on her lips, but it was scarily intense—as was to be expected of someone so emotional that her eyes had changed color.

“Members of the former Veronica faction attempted to kidnap Lady Rozemyne before her baptism,” she continued. “They even managed to poison her, which was the reason for her two-year slumber. And there has been yet another assassination attempt in recent memory. After assaulting the archducal family time and time again, it is only logical that your families must be punished. Guilt by association—the customary approach in situations such as this—would have required even those of you who are innocent to die alongside them, but Lady Rozemyne fought to save you. She agonized over what she could do, and she feels your pain as though it were her own.”

Leonore’s usually so quiet and unassertive that it completely slipped my mind, but... she’s totally a Leisegang noble too!

Just as there were children of the former Veronica faction here in the dormitory, there were Leisegang nobles too. Most of the Leisegang faction were archnobles, and as they tended to serve the archducal family, they were obeying our orders and working to save the lives of the others. On the inside, however, it seemed that they were displeased about our break from tradition.

The blood drained from my face. I had been so busy empathizing with the children of the former Veronica faction that I hadn’t stopped to consider how my own retainers were feeling.

Aah! I’m a terrible lady! I don’t deserve them!

“Those of you who are unsatisfied with being spared—I will readily send you back to Ehrenfest, where you can receive the punishment that should have been forced upon you in the first place.” She then took out a sheet of paper that said “noncompliant” and affixed it to the restrained student.

All those watching couldn’t help but swallow; Leonore was usually so calm and composed, so seeing her this openly aggressive had caught everyone off guard. Brunhilde alone seemed unaffected, and she stepped forward in one smooth motion.

“You have made a mistake, Leonore.”

“Brunhilde, do not attempt to stop me. I can no longer tolerate watching these ungrateful pests bite the hands of those who have struggled and put so much at risk to save them!”

“I merely wished to point out that the bands of light you are using will not work with the teleportation circle. You must use binding string on him instead.”

Lieseleta approached and pulled out some string that was thicker than usual. She pulled it taut with both hands, then stared down at the restrained boy with her usual diligent expression. “We have no need for someone who intends to disturb Lady Rozemyne when her mood is finally improving and she is working to reunite the dormitory. As an attendant, it is my duty to eliminate those who would put my lady’s mental health at risk.”

I didn’t ask for this level of service! I’m healthy! In body and mind alike!

“You are exactly right, Lieseleta. Let us waste no time eliminating them,” Brunhilde said. “Even while struggling with the challenges of running the duchy, those of our archducal family have been compassionate enough to fight for the children of so many treasonous adults. I can understand saving those who will put Ehrenfest above all else, but Leisegang has no food for those who cannot understand this great kindness afforded to them—a kindness that they would not have received anywhere else in Yurgenschmidt.”

Aah! I forgot that Brunhilde’s a Leisegang too! This is bad... My retainers are all going berserk! Somebody stop them!

My eyes darted around the room, seeking help. Hartmut and Cornelius would normally intervene at a time like this, but they were both absent. I went to stand, but Wilfried’s and Charlotte’s retainers rose first. I couldn’t believe my luck—but then I saw that they, too, were wielding their schtappes.

“It was children of the former Veronica faction who took Lord Wilfried to the Ivory Tower—who tarnished his reputation with a stain that will never fade, even with how tirelessly he has been working to cover it,” said Alexis, one of Wilfried’s apprentice guard knights. He looked over the students, and several gazed down at their feet. Presumably, they were the ones who had been involved.

Natalie was the next to speak. “Lady Charlotte was kidnapped by a member of the former Veronica faction on the very day of her baptism, and she has always blamed herself that Lady Rozemyne was poisoned while trying to rescue her. Ever since then, she has striven beyond her limits to serve in Lady Rozemyne’s place as much as she possibly can.”

All eyes fell on Charlotte as it became clear that we archduke candidates had all suffered due to the former Veronica faction.

“If any of you are still displeased with our archduke candidates’ efforts and do not intend to put in the work required to pass all of your exams on the first day, then you may be deemed guilty by association,” Ignaz said, his eyes harsh. “Can you not see the special treatment you are receiving? Only the archducal family wishes to save you. The rest of us would rather stick with tradition.”

The children all weakly averted their gazes, then the restrained first-year finally spoke up. “It’s... not that. I, um... I am grateful for the archducal family’s consideration. It’s just... I wish they could extend that consideration to our parents as well.”

Being separated from one’s family was agonizing beyond words. My heart bled for the children having to endure this pain, and I wanted to do everything in my power to put their minds at ease. But at the same time...

Charlotte stood up, her indigo eyes scrutinizing the entire room. “That request is fundamentally misplaced and serves only to inconvenience us. Your families have committed crimes, and they will receive the appropriate punishment. Those who are innocent have nothing to fear. We pitied the children who would be deemed guilty only by association and extended our hands to them, but we will show no mercy to any wrongdoers. The path that you choose now is entirely in your own hands.”

Ngh. Charlotte’s so cool... It feels like she’s the one protecting me here.

As the older sister, I needed to be the one stepping forward and protecting Wilfried and Charlotte... but instead, the reverse was happening.

I can’t just wait around and let them do everything.

I stood up. Leonore noticed and reached out to me in concern, but I pushed away her hand and gave her a reassuring smile before facing the children of the former Veronica faction. “I may not be able to save your families, but I can save your futures. Those of you who lose your loved ones will in turn lose their support, meaning that you will need to survive on your own merits. Good grades will serve an essential role in your search for another guardian. Ferdinand made this clear to me when I was first being raised in the temple.”

Ferdinand had talked incessantly about the importance of me educating myself and adopting noble mannerisms, all so that I could secure as ideal of an environment as possible. It was thanks to his harsh teachings that, during the incident with Count Bindewald, I had been adopted by the archduke himself and not left to die as a commoner.

“Furthermore, think carefully about what will happen if your families are proven innocent or otherwise only lightly punished,” I continued. “How will you face them knowing that you were responsible for bringing down our duchy’s status? Will you tell them that you could not believe they were innocent? A light punishment may still affect your house’s standing and make your life more difficult, but even then your grades will play a necessary role when you are trying to acquire a job and support your family.”

Matthias’s expression hardened as the other kids anxiously exchanged glances. “Lady Rozemyne... I understand that Ehrenfest’s grades are important, but I cannot support any children of the former Veronica faction leaving the dormitory. Ensuring that we all study is important, but we fear that sensitive information may be leak—”

“That won’t be a problem,” Wilfried interjected. He held up a board and waved it from side to side. “I just received an update from Ehrenfest. The purge is almost complete. Details on the actual punishments will come later, but by the tests tomorrow, it won’t matter who leaks what.”

Everyone stared at the board in shock. Things had progressed faster than any of us had expected. Sylvester and the others had evidently chosen to prioritize speed above all else.

“We are beyond the point of no return,” I said. “You may now choose—will you begin studying and secure passing marks tomorrow, or will you be sent back to Ehrenfest restrained like this student here? The decision is yours, and we will respect whichever you choose.”

There was nothing more to be said, so I returned to my seat. We truly were running out of time if we wanted to secure the grades that Ferdinand sought.

“Brunhilde, Lieseleta, focus on your studies,” I said. “You are both aiming to finally become honor students this year, correct?”

“Indeed. This year is a prime opportunity for us.”

The archducal retainers turned on their heels and threw themselves into their studies, at which point Matthias and Laurenz did the same. The other students gradually began to follow suit, and those of the former Veronica faction were no exception—although they did give the room a cautious glance before doing so.

“Please undo my bindings! I want to study too!” cried the boy whom Leonore had restrained. He had been left alone by the door and started flailing about like a desperate fish on a chopping board.

“Did you not wish to return to your family in Ehrenfest?” Leonore asked.

“My family is innocent, so they won’t have been punished. I believe in them.”

Leonore undid the boy’s bindings, seemingly content with that answer, and watched as he ran to join the first-year table with his study materials in hand.