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Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.2 - Chapter 1




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The Royal Family and the Library

As I was waiting for the royal family to summon me again, I decided to be proactive. First, I created a questionnaire for the Dunkelfelger apprentice knights helping with our joint research. My scholars made all the necessary copies and prepared the answer sheets for me, and through this process they learned the general format of a questionnaire and how to make their own.

Moving on, I purchased the schematics of the improved magic tool from Raimund, since it had received a passing grade from Ferdinand. I could use these to make one of my own. The tool itself was compact enough to be held in a single hand, and while the standard version played its recording when the lid was opened, this one simply required the recipient to touch the exposed feystone. Not to mention, it could record several messages instead of just one.

“However, the more messages you want to record, the stronger a feystone of Wind, Earth, and Life you will need,” Raimund noted.

“That won’t be a problem.”

The earth at Ehrenfest’s gathering spot was rich with mana, perhaps because of how frequently I was regenerating it. Plus, according to the apprentice knights’ reports, the increased quality of our ingredients meant that the feybeasts coming for them were growing stronger as well. At the moment, the knights were hunting there daily as training for their upcoming ditter game against Dunkelfelger, forced upon us by our joint research project. I needed only to buy the feystones I required from them.

“Ngh... I wish I could buy feystones that easily...” Raimund groaned.

“You will be able to soon. If others want the magic tool detailed in these schematics, then I will pay you an information fee.”

Raimund received my explanation of royalties with a look of absolute confusion. “Huh? But you’ve already bought the schematics, Lady Rozemyne. What’s all this about?”

“Schematics such as these that are bound to see such wide and extensive use are worth the extra cost, are they not? If we do not foster good relationships with our researchers and compensate them well, then I do not believe they will stay motivated.”

“Your idea is very wonderful indeed, Lady Rozemyne,” Raimund said, his eyes sparkling. Hirschur looked just as amazed. It seemed that they were only used to one-and-done sales.

I promptly started making my own sound-recording magic tool, listening carefully to Raimund as he talked me through the process. After dumping in some feystones, I was finally done.

“Could we perhaps put this in a stuffed toy that speaks when one touches the head or stomach?” I asked.

“If you keep the feystone exposed, yes, but what would be the point of that?” Raimund replied, tilting his head at me. Beside him, Lieseleta leaned forward, her deep-green eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

“A stuffed toy that would speak upon being stroked would be wonderfully cute, would it not?” she said. “Just imagine it.”

“I know, right?” I replied. “Thus, in keeping with my tradition, I shall make it a red pan—”

“It has to be a shumil, yes. That will certainly be the cutest,” Lieseleta interjected, giddy with excitement. She then fixed me with an unyielding stare. “Do allow me to assist with making the stuffed toy.”

Unfortunately, I was far from being a talented seamstress, so I swallowed my suggestion that we should make the stuffed toy a red panda and went with a shumil instead.

Red pandas are cute, but there’s no helping this. It’s hard to make things like that on your own.

Days passed, and we soon reached the date of our meeting with royalty. This was a summons rather than a tea party, so I only had to prepare enough sweets to present as a gift. Our load was light, but my heart was heavy.

“I did not think I would end up returning to their villa so soon...” I said.

Brunhilde gave a troubled smile. “You are the one who decided to inform them of what could have been kept private, Lady Rozemyne.”

“There was a report of Aub Ehrenfest agonizing over this as well,” Rihyarda added, looking equally strained. “However, if this information will aid the royal family even the slightest amount, then it would not be wise to keep it from them. Milady, I am of the opinion that your decision was just and ideal.”

My retainers had heard of the royal family’s struggles from Anastasius before the tea party for bookworms. They were very sympathetic to the current king, who was running himself ragged trying to supply mana to the foundation despite having never been raised or educated for his position. Apparently, they saw his situation as similar to my own, comparing his ordeal to my grueling work supplying mana to Ehrenfest as the archduke’s adopted daughter and the High Bishop despite having been raised in the temple and not receiving a noble’s education.

Though I doubt I’m struggling even half as much as King Trauerqual.

Unlike the royal family, who didn’t know what to do after losing such crucial information, I was receiving the expert guidance of so many people. I was truly blessed to have them.

“This may be a summons from royalty, but at least it’s with Prince Anastasius,” I said. He had graciously forgiven me for all my previous blunders, whether it was reading too deeply into his intentions with Eglantine or collapsing in his presence. Knowing that he wouldn’t suspect me of treason or planned usurpation when I told him what I knew made this a lot more comforting than if another member of the royal family had summoned me.

“Do not let your guard down, milady,” Rihyarda chided just as we arrived outside the door to the villa. Oswin was there to welcome us inside.

“We have been waiting, Lady Rozemyne of Ehrenfest.”

We were taken to a room where three people were sitting in wait. Among them were Hildebrand, who met me with a smile, and Anastasius, who quietly muttered, “She’s here.”

Between them was someone I didn’t recognize: a man with light-golden hair like Anastasius, and deep-green eyes complementing a peaceful smile. The clothes he was wearing and his position between the two princes immediately told me who he was.

AIEEEEEE! It’s the first prince! Come on, Prince Anastasius! You should have warned me that he was going to be here!

 

    

 

I definitely hadn’t expected Sigiswald to be present. I shouted complaints on the inside, but this was a summons, not a tea party; there was no reason why Anastasius would have informed me who was participating.

I smiled and greeted both Anastasius and Hildebrand, resisting the urge to crumble to the ground in despair, then knelt before Sigiswald and lowered my head. “It is an honor to meet you, Prince Sigiswald. 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.”

“I am Rozemyne, an archduke candidate of Ehrenfest. May the threads joining us never be broken.”

I granted Sigiswald a blessing, taking care not to go too far, then acquired his permission to stand. Even though he was seated, I still had to look up to meet his gaze. He seemed to be a very calm, serene individual—a complete contrast to Anastasius. There was a diligent air to him, and I could tell that he was the kind of person who paid attention to matters both big and small, making him feel very much like a well-raised first son. He hardly came across as someone who would have fought Anastasius over Eglantine for the throne. Maybe it had just been their retainers doing the fighting.

Sigiswald looked me in the eye, maintaining his pleasant smile. “So you are this Rozemyne I have heard so much about. The Saint of Ehrenfest, wise enough to have come first-in-class two years in a row, but of such poor health that you missed the awards ceremony on both occasions... I have long wanted to meet you.”

“I was looking forward to both ceremonies and deeply regret that I was unable to attend them. Many have described it to me as an honorable occasion where one receives direct praise from the king.” I was trying to make it clear that my absence hadn’t been deliberate, and I adopted Angelica’s signature look of disappointment in an attempt to really sell it. No way could I admit that I had skipped my first ceremony after Ferdinand baited me with reading time.

“If you do not mind, I would like you to take a seat and tell us what you know about the library’s archive,” Sigiswald said. “We of the royal family truly do require even the faintest of slivers of information you may have.”

I glanced at Anastasius and Hildebrand. They were both looking my way with interest, but Sigiswald was watching me a lot more closely. He maintained a peaceful smile, but I could feel the quiet intensity of his gaze.

“Answer our questions honestly,” the first prince continued. “The archive locked by three keys can only be entered by members of the royal family, a selection of archduke candidates, and the library’s magic tools. Furthermore, it contains documents that we of the royal family need to read. Is this correct?”

“I cannot say for certain,” I replied, speaking honestly. No sooner had the words left my lips than I noticed Anastasius plant a palm on his forehead.

“Rozemyne, whatever do you mean by that?” Sigiswald asked, blinking at me.

“I informed Ehrenfest of my taking ownership of one of the archive’s keys and reported my delight at having the opportunity to read any documents confirmed safe for me to view. But the response I received was that this made no sense. I do not know much else, so I cannot verify anything without actually entering the archive.”

“I see.”

Anastasius sighed and said, “You remain too honest for your own good.” Evidently, I should have sugarcoated my response a little better.

But, I mean... they literally told me to be honest.

“Still, this is rather strange,” Sigiswald said.

“What do you mean?”

“Why is Ehrenfest the only duchy that knows of this archive requiring three keys? Not even the greater duchies or the Sovereignty itself were aware of it.”

I couldn’t help but cock my head at him. Surely there was someone who knew. A member of the royal family who had survived the purge, for example.

“Did the last professor who was teaching the archduke candidate course not know?” I asked.

“Her husband seems to have visited the library at a young age, but no, she did not. We consulted Aubs Klassenberg and Dunkelfelger as well, but neither has ever stepped foot in the Royal Academy’s library.”

I already knew why archduke candidates didn’t go to the library—they would need to bring their train of retainers and would end up monopolizing the carrels, which would inconvenience everyone else. In general, the Royal Academy’s library was considered a place for laynobles and mednobles, where they could study books they could not afford to buy or make money by transcribing them. It was for these reasons that my retainers often advised me against going to the library, but I truly loved reading there, so I had no intention of stopping. I was only avoiding it this year because I was busy with all of our research, and the handover process for Schwartz and Weiss was progressing slowly.

“Normal archduke candidates have their apprentice scholars fetch whatever books or documents they want, so they have few reasons to visit the library themselves—or so I am told. Perhaps that is to blame.”

“Are the archduke candidates of your duchy told to visit the library personally?” Sigiswald asked, sounding ever so slightly amused.

Realizing that I had just insinuated that Ehrenfest archduke candidates were abnormal, I averted my eyes. “I go there readily because of how much I adore libraries and books. My siblings, Wilfried and Charlotte, rarely ever go themselves.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Hildebrand said. “Rozemyne just loves books, that’s all. And she was going to the library so often to supply Schwartz and Weiss with mana.” His explanation didn’t seem to stop Sigiswald from viewing me as a weird archduke candidate, but I was grateful that he had tried and gave him an appreciative nod.

“There is an Ehrenfest professor who has dedicated her life to research, and one of her past disciples was an archduke candidate whom she often sent to the library on her behalf,” I explained. “It did not help that this particular archduke candidate had few retainers whom he could trust and therefore could not risk letting anyone else handle the books he needed.”

The three princes all responded with exceedingly uncomfortable expressions; maybe I had said too much.

“As far as I am aware, it was a simple coincidence that he learned of this archive,” I continued. “He muttered something about wanting certain documents, so Schwartz and Weiss took him there to read them. The archlibrarians unlocked the archive for him without any fuss, so perhaps it was not a particularly secretive location at the time.”

We had no way to confirm this—the archlibrarians from back then were no longer with us—but if the archive really had been a royal secret, then surely Ferdinand would not have been allowed inside.

“I visited the Royal Academy’s library often and regularly interacted with Schwartz and Weiss as their master, but I was still unaware of the archive,” I said. “He must have been seeking very specialized documents.”

I had asked Schwartz and Weiss for books that I hadn’t read before but not for any specific kinds of documents. Thus, the books in the reading room were always enough to satisfy me.

“It is possible that Schwartz and Weiss would take me there after I exhaust every book in the reading room and then in the closed-stack archive that anyone can borrow from,” I noted. “But considering how little time remains before my graduation, I cannot see myself ever accomplishing that.”

I had deliberately refrained from saying who had given me all this information, but, as expected, Sigiswald and Anastasius had still deduced his identity.

Sigiswald continued to smile, but there was now a glint in his dark-green eyes. “Why did this individual keep such vital information to himself for so long?”

“He did not know that the royal family was unaware of this archive. Upon learning this, he told me to tell you, which is why I sent that ordonnanz. In fact, he also said that the royal family’s lack of knowledge on these subjects is so unnatural that he suspects someone has deliberately been hiding things from you.”

Ferdinand naturally understood that what I was saying would make me seem suspicious, but the information was important enough that he had determined it best for me to proceed anyway. In my opinion, it would be far more constructive if we dropped this conversation entirely and they went to the library to do some research themselves.

“There is something I wish to ask of the royal family,” I said. “May I?”

“Hold on,” Anastasius said, trying to stop me, but before he could protest any further—

“Go ahead,” Sigiswald interjected, nodding at me.

I smiled at him and then said, “You went out of your way to summon me here today, but what exactly do you hope to learn? Is it who told me this information? Or the contents of the documents that he said the royal family should know, perhaps? As I have not entered the archive myself, I will not be at all useful regarding the latter.”

A stir ran through our retainers. Anastasius said, “You speak above your place” while Sigiswald merely stared at me. Regardless, this discussion was clearly a waste of time.

“The diary of a past librarian that Solange allowed me to borrow said that members of the royal family visited the library upon coming of age and that all the archlibrarians gathered to welcome them. It seems plain to see that going to the library was once an important process for the royal family. That said, the Sovereign knight commander confiscated that diary some time ago, so I would assume you have all read it and already understand the importance of the archive.”

In essence, I was trying to say: “If you have the time to ask me where I got my information from, then you might as well just go to the library yourselves.” This message seemed to have been heard loud and clear, as Sigiswald exchanged a look with Anastasius, then nodded.

“If all of the archlibrarians gathered to welcome them, then it really is likely that they were going to the archive of which we speak. If we go ourselves, then we will know whether the information within truly is valuable. Anastasius.”

“Right. I shall summon the Dunkelfelger archduke candidate to the library,” Anastasius said. He instructed Oswin to send an ordonnanz to Hannelore, but I quickly called out before Oswin could.

“Oswin, please ask Lady Hannelore to bring rejuvenation potions.”

“Rejuvenation potions?” he repeated.

I nodded. “I am told that registering with the keys requires a significant amount of mana. Better safe than sorry, no?”

“I do recall Hortensia saying something along those lines,” Anastasius said. “Oswin, do as she suggests.”

Oswin sent the ordonnanz, and a response from Hannelore came soon after: “Understood. I will make my way to the library now.” She was informed that the princes were going to be present, then we began our trek to meet her.

We stood out so, so much on our way to the library that I wanted to flee, but as the soon-to-be owner of a special key, that was hardly an option. Thankfully, we weren’t all walking together for long; the adult princes quickly marched ahead, moving much faster than my short legs would allow. I gave a relieved sigh as they gradually got farther away, and it was then that Hildebrand called out to me. Unlike his half-brothers, he was deliberately matching my pace.

“Do you know what’s in the archive, Rozemyne?” he asked.

“I am told that it contains documents about the archduke candidate course and old rituals, including one particular ritual that Ehrenfest was investigating. Our aub visited the library during the Archduke Conference, intending to see them, but Schwartz and Weiss said that he could not enter due to nobody having the keys.” I was hoping to make the royal family understand the importance of the library and perhaps even convince them to send over a few more archlibrarians.

Hildebrand clapped his hands together and smiled, looking as though he had just come up with a brilliant idea. “In that case, we can use this opportunity to look through the documents together.”

“Th-That is a very attractive offer, but my guardian has forbidden me from entering the archive so that I do not cause any further problems.” I didn’t want to make Ehrenfest seem any more suspicious, and avoiding the archive entirely was the best way to prevent any blessing explosions from occurring when I entered.

I understand that from a rational perspective, but... I’m still dying to go inside!

The desire was so strong. I wanted to read everything in there. Rihyarda likely wouldn’t let me, though, and Ferdinand would be mad beyond words.

When we arrived at the library, Schwartz and Weiss came over and greeted us.

“Rozemyne here.”

“Hildebrand too.”

To my knowledge, this was the first time they had called me by my name. It wasn’t unexpected, but it did feel very strange. To be honest, I was a little upset that I wasn’t their “milady” anymore.

“Thank you for coming. We have already cleared the library,” Hortensia said. Naturally, she and Solange had been informed that we were coming. I silently extended my sympathies to all the students who had been dragged away from their studies, but that was far better than them being dragged into any trouble with the royal family.

While we were exchanging greetings with the librarians, Hannelore arrived. Her red eyes widened in shock when she saw not just one but three princes.

As if getting summoned by Prince Anastasius wasn’t bad enough... I know how you feel, Hannelore; I really do. I was surprised too.

Hannelore went on to exchange first-time greetings with Sigiswald, after which he said, “I apologize for the abrupt summons, but I must ask that you assist us as a member of the Library Committee.”

“I will gladly provide as much assistance as is required,” she replied with a smile, not faltering even in the face of such a sudden request from a member of the royal family.

As expected of an archduke candidate from a greater duchy. I could learn a lot from her.

“The keys are in this office,” Hortensia said as she guided us there. “However, there is not enough room for everyone to enter. We must ask that you each bring only two guard knights and one scholar.”

We had three princes and two archduke candidates in our group; it made sense that we wouldn’t be able to bring all of our retainers into the office. I chose Leonore, my archknight; Laurenz, since he was the best close-quarters fighter out of all the guard knights with me; and Philine, who was most accustomed to scholar work.

“These are the keys to the underground archive,” Hortensia said once we were inside, setting each one on the table with a loud clatter. She had found them in the archlibrarians’ rooms in the library dormitory, and they needed to be registered with different people. “Lady Rozemyne, Lady Hannelore, please take a key each and start channeling mana into them.”

Hannelore and I did as instructed, gripping the keys and registering our mana with them. It wasn’t unlike registering my mana to the key for the bible, so I finished in no time at all.

“That was rather quick,” Hortensia remarked, staring at me in surprise.

I smiled and said, “Why, thank you.” Hannelore similarly finished channeling mana into her key a few moments later.

“Once again, I am reminded of the gap between archduke candidates and archnobles...”

“Hortensia, they are both superb archduke candidates. You must not compare yourself to them,” Solange interjected, trying to console her. She then took out two keys from a storage box and explained that they were for opening the closed-stack archive and the door located within. “I never thought the day would come when I would welcome the royal family and use these keys...”

According to Solange, the archlibrarians had handled everything whenever the royal family came to the library. She had stayed in the shadows, directing attendants to make tea, prepare meals, and carry out other tasks of that nature.

With the keys in hand, we made our way to the reading room, where we reunited with our retainers who had been waiting outside. We then cut through the first floor of the library, our numbers having swelled in size once again.

“The book I lent Lady Rozemyne during our tea party for bookworms came from this very closed-stack archive,” Solange said with a nostalgic smile while opening a door at the very back of the reading room. This was going to be my first time going inside, and my heart raced at the very thought. The slightly dusty air mixed with the scent of parchment was heavenly.

Once everyone was in the not-so-large archive, Solange opened another door farther into the room. Lights instantly turned on behind it, and a staircase descending down into the basement came into view. It seemed rather bright, maybe because everything was white.

“Schwartz. Weiss. Please guide everyone,” Solange said.

“Guide everyone.”

“Important work.”

Schwartz and Weiss began to hop down the stairs.

“Hortensia, please enter next. As a mednoble, I can go no farther. Direct any further questions you may have to Schwartz and Weiss.”

Hortensia descended the stairs as requested, and the princes followed after her. Just like Solange, some of our retainers were also unable to continue onward. Several of the princes’ mednoble retainers similarly ended up hitting an invisible barrier that blocked their path.

“Those of you who cannot descend, await our return in the reading room,” Sigiswald instructed.

Once the three princes and their retainers were on their way down, Hannelore followed. I was last, as per the duchy rankings, and not all of my retainers were able to come with me—Philine and Roderick were blocked, for instance. By the time we reached the stairs, only Rihyarda, Leonore, and Brunhilde remained; I had considerably fewer archnoble retainers than Hannelore and the royal family.

“You certainly have many mednobles in your retinue, Lady Rozemyne,” Hannelore said, turning to look at me as we continued down the stairs.

“I have two siblings already attending the Royal Academy, and a younger brother who is soon to join us. We are having to battle for retainers at the moment.”

“I suppose that is common for duchies with so many archduke candidates present at once.”

“Indeed. It has not been a problem for the most part, but I see now that there are times when only archnobles can accompany me,” I said, making a troubled expression. “This is all very new...”

Hannelore smiled and noted that this was her first time experiencing it as well.

We descended the faintly illuminated, pure-white stairway until we arrived at an equally pure-white reception hall, large enough that it could have accommodated all of our retainers at once. The interior was furnished with several tables and chairs, as though we were about to have a tea party, but the walls were bare, and there were no carpets or other such decorations that one would expect to see in a duchy’s tea party room. The floor was simply white.

I looked around the pure-white space and noticed that one wall was actually a more metallic color. On it were three equidistant protrusions, each decorated ornately as if to emphasize its presence.

“Three, line up.”

“Open lock.”

Schwartz and Weiss patted the metallic wall and pointed at the decorated protrusions; it seemed that the wall was actually the door to the archive, and the decorative protrusions were the keyholes. A closer look revealed that, rather than inserting the bit of the key as with a standard door, the entire key needed to be pushed into a mold.

I exchanged nods with Hortensia and Hannelore, then we pushed our keys into their respective slots.

“Hold the keys,” Schwartz said.

We did as instructed, making sure our keys didn’t fall out. As soon as all three were in place, there was a clicking sound, and the feystones with which we had registered began sucking out our mana. They flashed, then red veins started running across the wall.

“Get away,” Weiss said.

I slowly retreated until I could see the entire wall. It was covered in magic circles with complex patterns. Once the magic circles were complete, the wall split into three sections which began to turn with a loud creaking sound. These “doors” slowly moved one hundred eighty degrees—and once they seemed to connect again, they disappeared.

Behind them was a place that did indeed look like an archive. There were book stands, writing desks, and many bookcases. One would expect the shelves to be packed with wooden boards, but they were instead lined with white slates. There were only twenty volumes of what appeared to be books resting on the desks.

As everyone stared ahead in surprise, Schwartz said, “Opened” and went inside.

Hortensia tried to follow, but she was halted by an invisible force just like the one at the stairway. “I cannot go inside after all...” she said, stopping in place and pushing against the barrier.

Weiss looked up at her and plainly said, “Milady not qualified.”

“I wish to see if archduke candidates can enter,” Anastasius said. “Rozemyne, go inside.”

“It pains me to say this, but my guardians forbade me from going into the archive,” I replied, holding back the urge to cry. “If you find anything that I am allowed to read, then please bring it out here for me.”

Weiss shook his head. “No lending here.”


“Whaaat?! That can’t be...”

I thought I would get to read at my leisure! So mean!

I was not the only one horrified to hear that the books couldn’t be lent out; Hortensia was practically trembling with a hand over her mouth in shock.

At this moment, Professor Hortensia and I are one.

Upon seeing Hortensia and me slump our shoulders, Anastasius gave an exasperated sigh and turned to the other archduke candidate present. “Very well, then. Hannelore, go inside.”

“Understood,” Hannelore replied, albeit after a short pause. She took a deep breath, steeled her resolve, and slowly walked forward with a hand gingerly extended.

She entered the archive without incident.

Schwartz said something to Hannelore once she was inside, and I could see her tilt her head in response. The barrier must have also blocked sound, as we couldn’t actually hear them.

“It seems archduke candidates can enter after all,” Anastasius mused. “Well then, Brother... I will go in first.”

After checking for danger, Anastasius turned back to the entrance and nodded. Sigiswald joined him not long after, but their retainers collectively failed to enter.

“Me next, then,” Hildebrand said with a bright smile, moving to follow them. But as he tried to step forward, an invisible force stopped him. He inhaled sharply and started pounding on the barrier. “Why won’t it let me through?! Why only me?! Is it because I’m engaged to an Ahrensbach archduke candidate and won’t be royalty forever?!” he cried, on the verge of tears.

Weiss shook his head. “No, Hildebrand. Not enough mana.”

Hildebrand wasn’t the only one to harden in response to this news; his present retainers exchanged glances, unsure of what to say to him.

I made my way over to the youngest prince. Sure, Weiss had said that he didn’t have enough mana to enter the archive, but that was nothing to be upset about. “It is written that those of the royal family who came to this archive did so after coming of age. There is no helping that you would not have enough mana when you have not even entered the Royal Academy. You have not learned to compress your mana, you have not been granted the divine protections of the gods, and you have not even obtained your schtappe.”

“Rozemyne...”

“You have yet to finish your growth period, that is all. Now, why not wait with me?” I gestured to the chairs around one of the tables.

Hildebrand scanned the room, looking at the tables and chairs before the invisible wall. “You’re going to be waiting here, Rozemyne?”

“As much as I would enjoy entering the archive, Aub Ehrenfest has forbidden me from doing so... Still, we can see inside from here, can we not? I imagine this is where retainers would normally observe their lord or lady to ensure they are not in danger. I intend to have some tea and wait to hear whether any important documents truly are located inside.”

“I will join you, then,” Hildebrand said contently, making his way over to one of the chairs. His head attendant, Arthur, sighed in relief, then gave me an appreciative smile.

“Brunhilde, please consult Professor Solange about preparing tea,” I said.

“Understood,” she replied, then gracefully turned on her heel and started up the stairs. Upon seeing this, the other retainers started making preparations of their own.

“Prince Hildebrand, I similarly wish to prepare tea for you,” Arthur said. “May I?”

“Please do.”

Brunhilde returned with only a portion of what she needed for my tea. “I returned to the dormitory with Lieseleta, but this is all that I can carry on my own,” she said with a troubled smile.

“In that case, take a moment to breathe,” Rihyarda said, then went back upstairs to fetch the rest.

I nodded in agreement. “You may rest over there once the tea has been poured.”

“Oh, no, Lady Rozemyne; I mustn’t let you out of my sight. You might charge toward the archive at any moment,” Brunhilde giggled.

Leonore noted that she shared this concern. Apparently, they couldn’t trust me when I was watching the archive so closely and practically buzzing with anticipation.

But, I mean, there’s an archive filled with books and documents I’ve never seen before literally RIGHT there! Of course I’m going to fidget! Basically anyone in my position would have a hard time keeping still.

Since the door could only be opened with all three keys, it was impossible to say when another opportunity like this would arise, if at all. Of course I was struggling to hold in my urge to read.

Hildebrand sipped his tea, sighed, and then looked at his hands. “What can I do to raise my mana capacity?” he muttered, pursing his lips.

“Mana compression isn’t taught until the Royal Academy, so there is no need for you to fret about this now,” I said. “Your capacity will swell once you find a technique that suits you. Plus, the royal family must have an effective method researched by generations of kings, surely.”

It was apparently normal for mana compression methods to be treated as secrets kept to oneself or one’s house. I was sure that the royal family had their own. It also seemed wise for me to avoid giving Hildebrand any tips, as I could guess that he would rush to try any method that I told him about. For that reason, I settled on a vague reply and turned my attention back to the archive.

Hannelore and the others must have been trying to get a general idea of everything in the archive; they had split up and were taking out the white, slate-looking documents, skimming them, then putting them back where they had found them. Hannelore shook her head, and the two princes were frowning. Then, Anastasius looked at a big open book on a stand and called Sigiswald over.

God, I wish that were me... It looks so fun in there.

I continued watching while munching on the sweets that Rihyarda had brought us. Soon enough, Hannelore and the two princes exited the archive while discussing something.

“Um, Lady Rozemyne... could you please join us inside for a moment?” Hannelore asked. “There are so many ancient documents, and we are struggling to tell what they are about. Given that you can read Dunkelfelger’s history book, I imagine you are very familiar with ancient language, are you not?”

“Rozemyne,” Sigiswald added, “although it pains me deeply to have you break a promise with your guardians, might I request your help also?”

My heart wavered. I wanted to go in. I wanted to read all those unfamiliar books so, so much. But I didn’t want to get yelled at.

“E-Erm, but... I... I, um...”

I turned to Rihyarda and Leonore, seeking their permission. They both looked at me with concern, then lowered their eyes, signifying their refusal. Hildebrand was also giving me a pleading expression, not wanting me to go without him.

“Rozemyne. Come,” Anastasius said authoritatively.

“You must not use such a demanding tone,” Sigiswald interjected. “She is already cooperating out of the goodness of her heart.”

Anastasius shook his head. “You have the wrong idea, Brother. Her guardians in Ehrenfest have placed a very clear restriction on her, so she cannot enter unless we give her an excuse in the form of a royal decree that supersedes their orders. Thus... Rozemyne, assist us in reading the archive’s documents. This is an order directly from the royal family.”

An order from the royal family? Well, my hands are tied then! Woo-hoo!

“Rihyarda, Brunhilde, Leonore,” I said, returning my attention to them, “I can hardly refuse an order from the royal family, can I?”

They collectively sighed.

“Milady, anyone can see that you are beside yourself with excitement.”

“I agree that you cannot refuse an order from the royal family, but...”

“You must not get too excited, Lady Rozemyne.”

Indeed, there was no refusing a royal decree. I stood up from my chair with a smile and said, “Allow me to go, then.” And with that, I eagerly stepped through the invisible barrier.

“Rozemyne.” Schwartz looked up at me, head cocked. “Not enough prayer.”

“Hm? What?” I asked, blinking in confusion.

Hannelore followed in after me. “Oh, did Schwartz say something to you as well, Lady Rozemyne?”

“Yes. He said that I am not praying enough, or something of the sort.”

“I do not understand it either, but I was told the same: ‘Not enough elements. Not enough prayer.’”

The princes had apparently received identical messages. We pondered what it could mean, but Anastasius merely shrugged and said, “If not even Rozemyne, her duchy’s High Bishop, has prayed enough, then there is no point thinking about this any further.”

“True. Now, let us begin...”

There was no point musing any longer; it was time to read. My hands first went for a book resting on a nearby table, but Anastasius stopped me and instead took me to a shelf packed with white slates.

“The books there are written in relatively modern language,” he said. “We can read those just fine. You begin here.”

“Hannelore said you could read this language, Rozemyne, but is that truly the case?” Sigiswald asked.

Anastasius pulled out and then handed me one of the lined-up slates. It was made of the same ivory stone as the building itself, and there was ancient text carved into it. These would never degrade for as long as the Royal Academy and the library were supplied with mana.

Stone slates, hm? Very well suited for preservation. Though they’re a bit heavy, and you can’t fit much on them.

I ran a finger across the letters as I read them. “This is the process for performing a fairly ancient ritual. Mm... So this is what that part of the bible was referring to.”

It was a ritual stemming from a story about Leidenschaft’s subordinates, who once got into such a heated fight that they created a blistering summer. In the end, it had fallen to Verfuhremeer the Goddess of Oceans to cool their heads. In the same sense that Haldenzel’s ritual was meant to bring forth summer, this one was meant to contain excessive heat waves.

The bible contained illustrations and the necessary lyrics for the ritual, as well as the story from which it had come, but this slate had actual instructions for performing it. If a similar slate existed for Haldenzel’s ritual then we would probably be able to recreate it.

“I am personally interested in this subject and would like to research the connection between the bible and these rituals,” I said. “However, that is not what the royal family is looking for right now. I will check each in order, Schwartz, so please bring them to me one by one, starting from the leftmost slate on the top shelf.”

“Right away.”

I read through each slate that Schwartz brought me. Meanwhile, Sigiswald and Anastasius went through the relatively new information recorded in proper books, while Hannelore tried to read the ivory boards at a much slower pace. After reading about various rituals, I was finally handed one about something else.

“Prince Sigiswald, Prince Anastasius, will these be of use to the royal family?” I asked. “They are the memoirs of a sovereign from long ago, describing their mana compression method and what divine protections they obtained. The latter parts in particular may also prove useful for our joint research with Dunkelfelger.”

The memoir seemed quite official in nature, but it was essentially a how-to book explaining how the author had become sovereign—peppered with a healthy number of complaints about the hardships it had all entailed.

“However, it seems that details considered to be common sense were omitted, most likely because of the limited space. There are some spots that I cannot grasp the meaning of without this context.”

“Such as what? Give us a literal translation.”

“This part reads, ‘I circled around and around, offering prayers to all the gods.’ But where would they have been circling? And how were they doing it? Were they performing a dedication whirl or something? Is there a place to circle around in the Sovereignty?” I asked, firing off one question after another as I envisioned the former sovereign whirling around in prayer.

Anastasius frowned. “Given your status as a High Bishop, I do not think there is anyone in the Royal Academy who knows more about prayers than you. Is there nothing in the temple that would explain this? That is, offering prayers while circling something...”

“I imagine it refers not to spinning but to repeating a route and praying to various gods,” Sigiswald coolly suggested.

Thus vanished from my mind the image of a spinning king. I had been seriously concerned about the practices of this ancient culture, but going to various places to pray to various gods made complete sense.

“That said, when I offer prayers in the temple, I either have the divine instruments brought to me, or I go to the chapel,” I noted. “And not once have I needed to circle any routes to offer prayers to certain gods.”

Sure, I traveled all across Ehrenfest for Spring Prayer and the Harvest Festival, but I prayed to the same gods everywhere during those.

As I mulled over the phrasing of the text, I suddenly remembered something that Monika had said.

“Ah! One of my attendants in the temple once said that there are statues and carvings of the gods all throughout the building. If every temple is the same, perhaps those of the past had to walk around, praying to each god as they went.”

“That may be it,” Anastasius said, frowning once again.

Sigiswald gave a contemplative look. “As this memoir seems valuable, I must ask you to translate it into modern language and provide a transcription for us to reference. A direct interpretation can always be done later by scholars, but I am confident that your translation will prove the most accurate, owing to your familiarity with the temple and prayers.”

“Understood. In that case, I will return to the reading room to acquire paper and some ink from Philine,” I said. “Naturally, my scholars cannot come to me.”

“Allow me to send for it instead,” Hannelore interjected, raising her voice. “You are the only one familiar with this ancient language, Lady Rozemyne; it would be best for you to stay here and continue checking the documents. I shall speak to your attendants for you.”

“I... I could not ask you to do that, Lady Hannelore!”

Sending the archduke candidate of a greater duchy on an errand for me was out of the question—but even as I desperately shook my head in refusal, Sigiswald nodded with a smile.

“We are very grateful for your offer, Hannelore. Take some time to rest once you have spoken to Rozemyne’s attendant. You have been working tirelessly since we arrived.”

Oh, right. She needs a break.

I could easily become so absorbed in my reading that I’d neglect meals and even sleep, but other, more normal people needed to take breaks. That much had completely slipped my mind. I watched as Hannelore exited the archive, then looked back down at the white slates.

“Rozemyne,” Sigiswald said, “it has come to my attention that you are doing research on the acquisition of divine protections. Is it true that you can obtain more through prayer alone?”

“There is without doubt a direct connection between prayer and obtaining divine protections. There are various conditions, however. One must pray often and sincerely, and generously offer up mana, for example. The apprentice knights from Dunkelfelger who are known for obtaining the divine protections of Leidenschaft and Angriff will play a crucial role in identifying how important each condition may be.”

Sigiswald sighed, looking down at the former sovereign’s memoir. “I obtained divine protections from all of the primary gods whose elements I possess but did not feel any significant changes. At most, my mana became slightly easier to use. So, what changes when one obtains the protections of subordinate gods? I find myself torn over whether I should prioritize prayer or the duties expected of the current royal family.”

By that, he probably meant that he couldn’t afford to be reading documents in an archive when he needed to nigh constantly supply the mana required to support Yurgenschmidt.

“Prince Sigiswald, even when time is of the essence, it is wiser to take the safe detour than the dangerous shortcut. I can only recommend the more reliable option here.”

“What do you mean?”

I smiled. “It may seem time-consuming to focus on compression methods, spend time here reading documents, and try to obtain divine protections through prayer, but in the end, things will only improve if you have more mana and protections. One’s mana efficiency increases significantly when one has the divine protections of many subordinate gods.”

“How significantly?” he asked, his dark-green eyes widening.

“I imagine it depends on the individual, but my elder brother Wilfried obtained the divine protection of twelve gods in total and said that he can now brew things using about seventy percent as much mana as before.”

“Seventy percent... And exactly how much would one need to pray to obtain those results?” There was a biting intensity in his eyes. That alone told me just how much pressure the royal family was under and how desperately they needed mana.

“You obtained more protections than that brother of yours, correct?” Anastasius asked me with a glare. “How efficient did your mana become?”

I pressed my lips together. Was this a question I should answer, or was hiding the truth more important? Either way, the royal family needed to learn the effects of praying.

“If you intend to announce the effects of praying in the temple at the Interduchy Tournament, then there is no reason you cannot tell us here.”

“I was planning to minimize my presence during the announcement, as I am too much of an outlier... but as I wish for the royal family to understand the importance of prayer, I will speak honestly. Not even Ehrenfest knows the precise number of protections I obtained, however, so please keep this to yourselves.”

Anastasius looked at Sigiswald, then they both nodded. “Consider it a promise.”

“I was granted divine protection from forty-three gods in total, and my mana expenditure dropped to perhaps forty percent of what it used to be. For brewing and supplying mana, I use less than half as much mana as before, to the point that I’ve even been struggling to manage it properly.”

“Less than half?!” Sigiswald cried out in shock. “Just how much have you been praying?”

“I must insist that you keep this to yourselves,” I stressed, then wrote down a prayer on my diptych. “In Ehrenfest, we pray to the gods when supplying mana to the foundational magic. I am told that even Aub Ehrenfest was granted the divine protection of multiple subordinates due to this practice. As one needs only to chant this prayer while supplying mana, perhaps it will be ideal for the extraordinarily busy royal family.”

“Is that really it?” Anastasius asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Of course, if you wish for a true abundance of divine protections, then you must proactively visit the temple and perform religious ceremonies. The sincerity with which you do these things is also important. However, I expect that your being members of the royal family leaves you without the time or the leeway this would require, and you would doubtless butt heads with the Sovereign temple if you were to suddenly take charge of their ceremonies. Instead, start with the very basics. Before you know it, you will be praying so naturally that blessings will spill out on their own.”

Right now, their priority needed to be getting used to the process—although it was possible that some would view them strangely or get mad at them even then. I had experienced that myself.

“I have yet to verify this with my own research,” I said, “but it seems that divine protections can be obtained even after coming of age. If you all pray regularly while supplying mana, then things should be a lot more comfortable for you a number of years down the line.”

“Even after coming of age? Just how much information is Ehrenfest hiding?”

“We were not hiding any of this. Before I performed the ritual for obtaining divine blessings, I thought it was normal to pray when supplying mana to the foundational magic.”

Plus, pretty much all of the information they thought we were “hiding” had come from Ferdinand. He was the one who had been keeping it all a secret, if anyone—though I naturally wasn’t about to say that.

“Lady Rozemyne, here are the paper and ink you need,” Hannelore said upon her return, stationery in hand. I accepted it with a polite thank-you and then got straight to work translating the sovereign’s memoir.

“Next, we shall take a break ourselves,” Sigiswald announced. “Hannelore, my apologies, but I must ask you to transcribe this board onto paper.”

“Understood, Prince Sigiswald.”

I watched the two princes leave the archive, then sighed in relief.

Hannelore exhaled in turn, then gave me a gentle smile. “To think that Prince Anastasius’s summons has resulted in our being here with not one, but three princes. It was quite the surprise to see them in the library, would you not say?”

“Indeed. I could not believe my eyes when I saw Prince Sigiswald.”

Though I saw him in the prince’s villa before we came to the library.

“I also did not think I would be tasked with transcribing things,” Hannelore continued. “I assumed that I would only be asked to help open the door. Ancient language is not a specialty of mine, so I am heartened to have you here with me.”

“I must say, I am impressed by how much you can read,” I replied, keeping up the brief exchange while working on my translation. “Not even those of the royal family seem to have much of a grasp on ancient language, though they are prioritizing their other duties.”

“Oh, this seems to be a ceremony for royal succession,” Hannelore said all of a sudden, peering at the slate in her hands. Something like that would never be done in Ehrenfest’s temple, so I took a peek myself, my interest drawn. “I am fairly confident in my assertion, as it says here that ‘the new sovereign must present their Grutrissheit,’ but...”

“No, I think you are correct. This does seem to be a succession ceremony.”

I wonder how the current king succeeded the throne when he doesn’t have a Grutrissheit...

Such questions drifted through my mind. Hannelore gave me the slate, having determined that it was of no use to the current royal family, and asked Schwartz to bring her a new one.

I went ahead and read the slate a little more closely. During the royal succession ceremony, the High Bishop would apparently wear the crown of the Goddess of Light—maybe because she presided over promises and contracts.

Wait, is this a spell...?

The slate also contained what seemed to be an incantation for transforming one’s schtappe. I copied it onto my diptych.

Ferdinand definitely came here all the time. I bet he made it his mission to read absolutely everything!

Slates containing information on other rituals similarly detailed spells for making the God of Darkness’s cape and the Goddess of Earth’s chalice. I had wondered why Ferdinand and Ferdinand alone knew so many random things, and now I had my answer.

I’m gonna read everything too!

After reading until the library closed, I returned my key to the office’s storage box. My time in the archive had taught me a lot about various rituals, as well as the spells needed to turn my schtappe into any divine instrument that I desired. Poring over so many documents and absorbing so much information had almost made me drunk with satisfaction; I was actually starting to waver on my feet.

“The archive can be opened as long as we three key owners are present,” I said, “and without any members of royalty present, there will be no need to clear the library of students. Thus, in place of the busy royal family, I shall return here often to continue my reading.”

Such was my intention, but both Rihyarda and Anastasius swiftly shot me down.

“That will not do, milady. You have many other things to prioritize, such as your joint research projects with greater duchies. Furthermore, we cannot risk you entering an archive inaccessible to your attendants without someone of higher status to drag you out.”

“Your attendant speaks wisely. We cannot allow you to enter alone when you become so intently focused that you ignore even our calls. Not to mention, you only ever made progress on the transcription when we kept a close eye on you; otherwise, you became too absorbed in your reading.”

I desperately searched for someone to back me up but to no avail; everyone was in agreement with Rihyarda and Anastasius.

How can this be happening?! I don’t have a single ally!

I turned to Sigiswald, the highest authority in our group. If anyone could save me now, it was him.

He looked at Hortensia and Hannelore with a peaceful smile. “I hereby forbid anyone from entering the underground archive until we of the royal family call again. Hortensia, Hannelore—you must not use your keys, no matter how many times Rozemyne may ask.”

“Understood.”

We had just discovered the most fascinating archive, and we had barely even skimmed the surface! Yet here I was, forbidden from accessing it for the foreseeable future. I was so disappointed that I trudged my way back to the dormitory, feeling empty.

Upon our return, Rihyarda started tearing into me for all of my mistakes. My offenses included giving Sigiswald half-baked answers while keeping my eyes glued to my documents and clinging to them so tightly that Anastasius had needed to tear them out of my hands before evicting me from the archive so unsympathetically that he might as well have dragged me by the scruff of my neck.

Wilfried shook his head at me, evidently disappointed. “Weren’t you told to avoid the royal family as much as possible?”

Look, Wilfried... that part isn’t my fault, at least.



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