Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.3 - Chapter 16

Lending Books and a Place for One’s Heart

After saying our farewells, we swiftly made our way out of Anastasius’s villa. We didn’t have any sound-blocking magic tools with us, and we had our retainers in tow, so Ferdinand and I couldn’t discuss the magic circle or anything else of consequence. Instead, our conversation was limited to the joint research.

“Are you truly witless?” Ferdinand asked. “Why did you not end the conversation by saying that you would discuss things with Aub Ehrenfest?”

“Joint research is the work of students and does not require external approval,” I replied, more or less repeating what Sylvester had said.

“That would normally be the case,” Ferdinand said with a frown, “but your joint research goes far beyond the realm of students; it involves the aubs of the participating duchies and even members of the royal family. Furthermore, with those trivial conditions you set, the ritual will inevitably become an annual event. What will you do after your graduation?”

“Melchior will take my place as High Bishop. There’s plenty of time to prepare him.”

And then there’s that new baby on the way.

By the time Sylvester and Florencia’s new child enrolled at the Royal Academy, Wilfried would probably be having his own kids. We were planning to make one of Melchior’s retainers the High Priest after Hartmut, so even if the ritual did become a yearly occurrence, we would be equipped to repeat it ad infinitum.

Though, wait... If Wilfried has children, won’t I be the one bearing them? Hmm... I wonder how that’ll feel.

I hadn’t experienced love, marriage, pregnancy, or childbirth as Urano, so I couldn’t even begin to imagine them.

It wasn’t far from Anastasius’s villa to the Ehrenfest Dormitory, so our exchange was ultimately a brief one.

“Well then, Ferdinand... do be conscious of your health as you work,” I said.

“You do not need to repeat yourself. Besides, if anyone needs to be more cautious here, it is you. Do not let your guard down now that you have become healthier.”

“Right. Well... I suppose we’ll next see each other during the spring Starbind Ceremony?”

“Who can say...?” Ferdinand replied, not giving a clear answer. He paused for a moment, in thought, then muttered, “It is more than likely that the Sovereign temple will do something troublesome. I always pray from the bottom of my heart for you not to get involved in such matters, but no words can bind you, I have found.”

“Ngh... It may not look like it, but I am doing my best to avoid trouble.”

It wasn’t like I was diving into problems by choice; I would merely blink and then find myself caught in a storm. Ferdinand didn’t understand, though. He just looked down at me with cold eyes and said, “Avoid trouble? It is hard to see your actions thus far as anything but charging headlong into it.”

“The gap between subjectivity and objectivity certainly is vast...” I solemnly remarked.

“Indeed, and you would do well to lean more toward the latter.”

Rihyarda had opened the door for me, so I stepped through it and into the Ehrenfest Dormitory. Meanwhile, Ferdinand continued down the corridor toward the door of Ahrensbach the Sixth. We were wearing capes of the same color but going to separate places. It felt... strange.

“Whew. Finally done,” Karstedt hummed, rolling his shoulders as soon as we were in the dormitory. “Serving as a guard in a royal villa really tenses me up. I’m glad Lord Ferdinand was there.” As it turned out, it was pretty tiring having to wait outside a sound-blocking magic tool and not know what was being discussed.

“I thank you ever so much for going out of your way to guard me, Father. How is Ehrenfest?”

He looked conflicted for a moment and then said, “That should probably wait until we both get back. We made an agreement not to bring that business into the Royal Academy.” Then, he awkwardly patted me on the head.

“What’s this for?”

“Er, you’ve come first-in-class three years in a row now, haven’t you? Well done. I couldn’t congratulate you while I was on guard duty, and now’s my only real chance.” Apparently, he wouldn’t be able to speak so openly once we were back in Ehrenfest.

“This might be the first time you’ve praised me like this, Father.”

“You think so? Hm... Well, my own father is fairly excited this year. I need to be careful that he doesn’t throw you around or crush you in a hug.”

I was glad that Bonifatius was so pleased for me, but we’d need to be on guard; letting him get too excited would seriously endanger my life. I hoped that we could at least hold hands and walk together like last year, but that might have been too big of an ask.

While waiting for everyone to get back from the graduation ceremony, I sat down near the common room fireplace and started getting immersed in the second volume of The Story of Fernestine. Having this time to myself made me realize that I hadn’t been given many opportunities to read as of late; I’d simply been too busy.

Karstedt was guarding me all the while.

“Is Rozemyne here?” Wilfried called, rushing into the common room. There were other students with him, but none of the graduates; there was about to be something of a feast in their honor.

“Is something the matter?” I asked.

“Lady Hannelore has a book from Dunkelfelger and Lord Lestilaut’s illustrations. She’s asked to visit our tea party room before you return home so she can give them to you. She also wants to borrow a new book, but when’s a good time for that?”

I’d now checked through the new Fernestine volume, so that was probably safe to give. I really couldn’t wait to get my hands on those forgotten divine tales that Dunkelfelger had preserved.

“The sooner, the better... but I suppose tomorrow would be too soon? Let us make it two days from now. I will send an ordonnanz of acknowledgment.”

“Right. I’ll leave that to you.”

I asked Brunhilde to make all of the necessary arrangements with Dunkelfelger while I permitted Muriella to read the second volume of The Story of Fernestine.

Now that the Interduchy Tournament and the graduation ceremony were complete, everyone was kicking back. Nobody was rushing around, and any sense of urgency had been replaced with a relaxing calm as we all welcomed the end of another academic year.

“The aub has called for each archduke candidate to fetch one attendant and gather in a meeting room,” announced one of Sylvester’s attendants.

I chose to bring Rihyarda and then headed straight there. It appeared that the Knight’s Order was keeping a close watch over the room, which explained why we hadn’t been asked to bring any guards of our own. Florencia wasn’t present, since she was recovering in her room.

After confirming that we were all present, Sylvester began. I could guess that he wanted to question me about my conversation with Eglantine.

“I’ll start by summarizing the events of the graduation ceremony, since Rozemyne wasn’t there to see it. The Sovereign High Bishop announced that the magic circle everyone saw during the dedication whirl is for selecting the next Zent. Naturally, this caused a massive fuss.”

Those of the Sovereign temple had apparently been quite moved when they saw the magic circle appear. They had found out about it in their book room but hadn’t known where it could be found or what ritual activated it.

Despite the Sovereign High Bishop’s enthusiasm, most of the attending nobles had strongly doubted his claims. After seeing how much Detlinde had embarrassed herself during the dedication whirl, it was hard to believe that she of all people was closest to becoming Yurgenschmidt’s next ruler—and it certainly didn’t help that people trusted and valued the words of the temple so little to begin with.

“They said the time will soon come when Mestionora grants the proper Zent a copy of the Grutrissheit,” Sylvester continued. “Rozemyne, what did Ferdinand say about that magic circle?” He heaved an exasperated sigh. “I can’t imagine that girl becoming the next Zent either.”

“He said that it really is for selecting the Zent candidates—but because Detlinde couldn’t properly activate it, she failed the selection process. She is not a Zent candidate.”

“I see. That’s kinda good to know, but I can’t believe that really is the circle’s purpose...”

From there, I explained the rest of my discussion with Eglantine. I mentioned that Ferdinand’s loyalty was once again being called into question and recounted how he had scolded me for trying to clear his name.

“So the royal family accepted your argument, huh...? Good to know.”

“She also questioned us about doing research with Klassenberg. I said that I wouldn’t mind participating as the High Bishop but only if they make all the other preparations themselves.” I then added that Eglantine had warned me to negotiate with Klassenberg properly, but Sylvester responded with a frown.

“I appreciate the warning.”

The next day, Sylvester rushed a fairly sick-looking Florencia back to Ehrenfest. I helped Philine look through the reports and manuscripts provided to us by students and decided what we would pay for them, then spent the rest of my time reading.

“If you will excuse us, we must now be going to repeat our rituals.”

Graduating students of duchies that had participated in the Dedication Ritual were being allowed another chance to obtain divine protections. To that end, they departed for the auditorium.

Come the end of the repeat rituals, most of the students who obtained new divine protections were apprentice knights who had been practicing to obtain regular blessings. It was a pretty expected outcome, all in all. Leonore and Alexis obtained protections from Angriff the God of War and Steifebrise the Goddess of the Gale.

“I similarly obtained the divine protection of Heilschmerz,” Lieseleta reported. Inspired by all the times she saw me heal others, she had gone around healing the training apprentice knights to obtain the divine protection she sought. Maybe that was why she was so popular with them.

Okay, okay... I know that’s not the reason. She has a pretty face, attendants are always so nice and considerate about the littlest things, and she’s great at both sewing and embroidery. Her girl power is off the charts!

I was sure there was a lot I could learn from her, but I wasn’t going to surrender even a minute of my reading time. Books were obviously more important than being ladylike.

Another day passed, and it came time for our scheduled meeting with Hannelore. I waited in our tea party room, ready to give her the newest installment of The Story of Fernestine, and it wasn’t long before a bell chimed on the other side of the door. Hannelore had arrived right at the agreed-upon time.

“I thank you ever so much for making the time to meet with me,” she said. “I realize you must be busy with your preparations to return home, but I have been terribly concerned about what happens in the second volume of The Story of Fernestine.”

“I know the feeling well; I am likewise curious about the book you have brought. I am also glad to have this opportunity to speak with you, Lady Hannelore.”

As we greeted one another, her apprentice scholars came in bearing two thick Dunkelfelger books and quite an impressive pile of artwork.

“Oh, two volumes...?”

“You have lent me so many books, Lady Rozemyne, and I hoped this would serve as an apology for all the ditter business. Both are about religious stories. Mother gave her permission as well.”

Oh, what a nice woman Lady Sieglinde is!

Once the apprentice scholars finished their exchange, I gestured for Hannelore to sit. We were having tea and yogurt mousse tart, and I tried some of each to begin our tea party.

“These are my brother’s illustrations,” Hannelore said. “Ehrenfest may do with them as they please.”

The apprentice scholars performed the handover, then I started going through the illustrations. There were so many that I couldn’t pick which to use for A Ditter Story. It seemed best to have Wilfried or Roderick, the author, make the decision.

“These truly are wonderful,” I said.

As I continued to look at the illustrations, I noticed the focus change from ditter to... me. And not just on parchment—there were plenty drawn on plant paper too. Thumbing through the pages made it look like I was spinning. Lestilaut had essentially made a flip-book animation.

“I see this one is colored,” I said, having caught glimpses of paint on a big rolled-up scroll. I opened it up to see another, grander piece depicting my dedication whirl. My arms were raised, my sleeves billowed, and my skirt ballooned with air. Adorning my hair as dark as the night sky were numerous feystones shining with light of all different colors.

This was unmistakably a painting of me, but at the same time, it really wasn’t. I almost wanted to ask who the heck it was supposed to be. My retainers looked with wide eyes and murmured among themselves.

“Um, Lady Hannelore... This is an illustration of my whirling practice, correct?” I asked haltingly. “Is this how it looked to Lord Lestilaut?” I was hoping she would say he had only been fascinated by the shining feystones and had used someone else as the model, but instead...

“He found your unique dedication whirl so beautiful that he felt compelled to capture it as soon as he could. I was so focused on my own whirling that I missed your display—a fact that I regret even now.”

According to Hannelore, after I took my leave, everyone had erupted into conversation about how wonderfully intense my whirl had been to witness. She had naturally been drawn into their discussion.

“It really is a shame that my timing is so poor,” she concluded.

“I see” was my half-hearted reply as I rolled the scroll back up. It really didn’t seem like a painting of me, and the thought that Lestilaut had created it made me feel a little... embarrassed. Or shy, maybe.

Something tells me I should seal this away. I’m not sure why, but it feels... dangerous.

“Could it be that Lord Lestilaut is fond of dedication whirling as a whole?” I asked.

“Perhaps,” Hannelore replied. “He once painted Lady Eglantine’s whirling, so I would not discount the possibility.”

That was a relief to hear. If a painting of me was this beautiful, then one of Eglantine must have been genuinely stunning.

“I would very much like to see that painting at some point,” I said. “And please tell Lord Lestilaut that I am ever so grateful he depicted me so beautifully.”

“But of course.”

“Speaking of dedication whirls... this year’s certainly was dramatic. The Goddess of Light fell unconscious. As the God of Darkness, Lord Lestilaut must have been very shocked.”

“Oh, definitely. He also never expected that she would fall toward him in such a manner.”

It was customary in Yurgenschmidt for an adult woman to only let her hair down when in bed, which made it a privilege exclusive to her husband and attendants. This had made things especially troubling for Lestilaut. Not only had Detlinde’s hairdo shamefully come undone, in public, but she had then almost collapsed on him. He had wanted to help her, but he hadn’t been sure whether it was even acceptable to touch her when she was in such a state and her fiancé by royal decree was so close by.

“Did you recognize the magic circle that appeared?” Hannelore asked. “The Sovereign High Bishop said its purpose is to choose the next Zent...”

“I’m told that more detailed documents about it can be found in the underground archive. Perhaps you could seek them out during the upcoming Archduke Conference. The royal family is in great need of them too.” For obvious reasons, I elected not to mention that Ferdinand was my source or that Eglantine had questioned me.

Hannelore nodded. “It seems we will be very busy indeed during the Archduke Conference.”

“Speaking of which... how are Lord Lestilaut and the others of your duchy doing? I heard many criticize their ‘surrender’ during the Interduchy Tournament.”

“My brother was very disappointed to have so much of his art confiscated, and the knights have grown very quiet since Mother scolded them.” Her lips curled into a half-smile. “To be honest, life has been much easier for me as of late.”

She was probably exaggerating a little, but I was still glad to hear she was doing well.

Hannelore continued, “I look forward to reading the second volume of The Story of Fernestine when I return home. The first book ended with her meeting the prince and at last obtaining some happiness after years of abuse. I am so looking forward to seeing her thrive.”

Seeing her optimistic smile made my heart ache. I’m sorry, Lady Hannelore. In this volume, when Fernestine’s at her happiest, she gets torn from the prince and receives a royal decree ordering her to marry another man! Don’t worry, though—the story will continue in a future volume! Not that I’ll tell you any of this. I want you to experience it all for yourself.

“I enjoyed Royal Academy Love Stories and cannot wait to see Fernestine’s tale continue,” Hannelore said. “Speaking of which, Lady Rozemyne... what kind of man do you see yourself falling for? I recall you once mentioned your appreciation of men with great minds who never give up, but I wish to know more.”

This is kind of nostalgic. I don’t think I’ve had a conversation like this since my Urano days.

My honest answer was that I didn’t care one bit about romance, but saying that would be like asking to get booted from female society. During conversations like this, empathy and secret-sharing were key.

“Lady Rozemyne, you said that your parents chose Lord Wilfried as your fiancé, did you not? Is there another man you consider more ideal or closer to your heart?”

Guess I’ll need to lie, huh? Easy. Back on Earth, I made up a completely imaginary crush just to make sure a friendship of mine went smoothly!

During my Urano days, my fake love interest had always saved my skin whenever Shuu’s girlfriend assumed I was crushing on him.

At a time like this, it was best to model your imaginary crush on someone your conversation partner didn’t know. If you used a boy they were familiar with, there was a risk they might put two and two together and start spreading rumors—and if you created an entirely new person, you were bound to trip up sooner or later. Oh, and the most important part was to conclude with “Though they barely even know I exist.”

So, who shall my model be? It should probably be someone really obscure, since my retainers are all within earshot. Anyone involved in the Royal Academy is automatically out, but excluding nobles really doesn’t leave me with many options. Hmm... I guess Lutz or Fran would work.

“Keep this our little secret, but... although I am engaged to Wilfried, there is someone I treasure much more,” I whispered.

Hannelore’s eyes widened. “Th-There is?”

“Indeed. There is someone who has supported and stood by me ever since I was young—before my baptism, even. He always saved me whenever I grew depressed or found myself on the verge of giving up entirely. It has become much harder for us to see each other... but even so, the promise we made remains firmly in my heart. Of course, keep this between us.”

Hannelore bobbed her head in a very enthusiastic nod.

“What kind of men do you like, Lady Hannelore?”

“M-Me? Well... men who are the opposite of my brother. He, um... seldom ever listens to my opinions.” She looked around sheepishly, then pressed a finger to her lips. “But keep that a secret from him.”

Her retainers were all watching her with heartwarming expressions, but I understood exactly how she felt.

And so, using my experience from my Urano days, I managed to engage in possibly the most important part of girl talk: sharing secrets. Our tea party ended a while later, and I came away with two new books in my possession.

Wow... I handled today perfectly, didn’t I? Not a single mistake.

My socializing in the Royal Academy was complete—and with that, I returned to Ehrenfest.