Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.4 - Chapter 14

Melchior and Spring Prayer

Just as I’d requested, Clarissa began working in the castle with Philine. Matthias and Laurenz were instructed to continue working with the Knight’s Order, while Brunhilde was taking Bertilde with her on trips to and from Groschel. All in all, my retainers were quite busy.

And, as expected, so was I.

Ferdinand had been doing about half of the High Bishop’s workload before his departure, and it wasn’t an option to dump that all on Hartmut. My intention was to complete it all myself, but that was proving even harder than I’d anticipated—only as my time continued to slip away between discussions with Elvira about printing industry minutiae and preparations for our trip to Kirnberger did it occur to me just how much Ferdinand had been supporting me when it came to the noble side of things. Each day was as frustratingly busy as the last, overrun with scheduling and other fine details.

I know this isn’t possible, but... Ferdinand! Please come back!

On the day after the spring baptisms, we were going to receive a visit from the Gilberta Company. Because I was going to be ordering new outfits and hair ornaments, they had even requested that Mom be allowed to attend the meeting. In their words, they thought it best to change the designs and the colors of the dyes to complement how much I’d grown.

Craftspeople who hadn’t learned how to interact with nobles couldn’t be brought to the castle, but the temple had areas that commoners could enter. That was where they had asked to meet, to my immediate agreement.

“Lady Rozemyne,” Hartmut said, “would the orphanage director’s chambers not be more accessible to commoner craftspeople? Someone unable to visit the castle would surely struggle in the noble section of the temple.”

He made a reasonable point, so I agreed that I would order my clothes there instead. The fact that he always picked up on these little details made him feel so reliable, which compelled me to ask about permitting Kamil to tour the temple, despite Fran and Zahm having said that pre-baptism children weren’t allowed inside.

“I would appreciate being able to grant the Plantin Company’s request, if possible,” I said.

Hartmut lowered his eyes in thought, then hesitantly said, “That would not be wise.” Fran and Zahm both gave looks of relief.

“Is that because pre-baptism children can’t be let into the temple?” I asked quite aggressively.

Hartmut shook his head. “No, my lady. I do not care about that in the least. Rather, we are receiving more apprentice blue priests, and Lord Melchior is going to be visiting with his retainers on a regular basis. If our visitors were put in a position wherein they were treated unfairly, would you be able to act as a member of the archducal family? Or would you forget everything in your rush to protect the commoners? If you care for this Plantin Company, I would advise not putting them in unnecessary danger.”

He’s right! I would forget everything!

If something were to endanger Kamil, I wasn’t at all confident that I wouldn’t lose control to protect him. Seeing someone treat him as subhuman or expect him to follow unreasonable orders simply because he hadn’t yet been baptized would cause me to leave noble etiquette by the wayside.

“I understand,” I said. “I will apologize to the Plantin Company for my lack of strength.”

Bwehhh... Kamil is going to be so disappointed. If it’s any consolation, I’m super sad too.

As I drooped my head and continued my desk work, Hartmut called my name, sounding a little apprehensive. “It might be worth noting that... it would be relatively safe if they came before Spring Prayer, which is when more nobles will start visiting.”

“High Priest!” Fran and Zahm exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Hartmut responded with a casual, completely unperturbed smile. “There is no helping it,” he said. “My duty is to grant Lady Rozemyne’s every wish.”

Holy cow! Hartmut’s actually super cool?! Though, um... he’s still kind of weird too.

Fran and Zahm were forced to accede to Hartmut, so I received permission for Kamil to visit the temple. That was great, but... I was currently treading the very fine line that Ferdinand had drawn for me, and the thought of diverging from it made my heart race. A chill ran down my spine as I was struck with the urge to exercise restraint and not take this final step.

“O-On second thought, let us not. I do not want to risk endangering the Plantin Company.”

“Now that is a shame,” Hartmut said.

“Wait, why are you disappointed...?” I asked. I was giving up the chance to see my little brother by blood, but I didn’t understand why Hartmut would care.

He gave an exceedingly fishy smile, and a glint appeared in his orange eyes. “Oh, I meant nothing in particular.”

He definitely meant something! That look in his eyes is terrifying! Run, Kamil! Run!

Our final conclusion was that Kamil would tour the workshop only once he was baptized and formally working as a Plantin Company apprentice. I was a little sad about this, since I had been looking forward to seeing him, but it came as a relief to know that I was protecting my darling little brother from Hartmut and the other nobles.

“Blessed be the melting of the snow. May the Goddess of Spring’s boundless magnanimity grace you.”

It was the day of my meeting with the Gilberta Company, and I’d arrived at the orphanage director’s chambers with only female guard knights and attendants. Corinna had stepped forward and given the usual merchant greeting. Tuuli was standing among the many seamstresses behind her—and so was Mom! It had been such a long time since I’d last seen her up close.

Heeey, Mooom. Long time no see. Look over here. Oh, our eyes just met!

Mom offered me a gentle smile. She was staying at the back of the group, but just seeing her face again warmed my heart. My eyes barely strayed from her as the seamstresses measured me all over.

In the meantime, Lieseleta—who was by this point very used to doing business with the Gilberta Company—spoke with Corinna about what outfits I would need. Gretia listened carefully all the while.

“Might I assume that Lady Rozemyne’s spring outfits will need to be altered as well?” Corinna asked. “If we want to lengthen her garments, then we will either need to add some lace or replace the bottom part entirely.”

“Indeed,” Lieseleta replied. “In addition, would you be able to replace the buttons on the back with laces?”

Once the measuring was complete, I started to discuss hairpins with Tuuli. Leonore and Judithe must have been interested in our conversation; they were standing behind me, but I could feel their eyes on my back. Angelica was guarding the door, as always, so she wasn’t nearby.

“Lady Rozemyne,” Tuuli said, “I see that your facial features have matured as well. Do you have anything in mind for your summer hairpin? Are there any particular flowers you would like me to use?”

“My tastes are largely the same, so you may choose whichever flowers will suit me as I am now. If possible, I would like them to match the dyed cloth.”

The summer cloth had yet to be dyed, and my intention was to bring Mom into our conversation. Rather than coming over, however, she simply received the message through Tuuli. She hadn’t been taught the proper language and attitude to adopt when speaking with nobles, so this was the only way we could communicate when my noble retainers were around. I understood that there was no avoiding it—we couldn’t risk her being rude or impolite in some way—but it was tragic all the same.

At least I get to see her. I won’t even get that much with Kamil...

Once we had finished discussing my hairpins and winter outfits, Monika stepped forward and requested that Corinna alter my High Bishop robes as well. “The ceremonial robes must be completed before Spring Prayer,” she said. “As for the everyday robes, they would ideally be altered during Spring Prayer, when she will not need them.”

Corinna wrote everything down in her diptych. She was going to have her hands full, what with needing to complete my summer outfits before the end of spring.

Though the ceremonial robes shouldn’t be too bad; she only needs to lengthen them, not make them anew.

“These are charms I am giving to all of my personnel,” I said. “I offer them to Corinna and my Renaissance. Please try to keep them on you at all times.”

“We are honored.”

I gave charms to Mom and Corinna, thereby concluding our meeting.

As the days passed, more and more carriages came to the temple, bearing furniture for the apprentice blue priests and shrine maidens who would be attending Spring Prayer. It wasn’t long before I saw Melchior’s attendants, busily making sure that his furnishings were brought inside and arranging his room.

“Rozemyne.”

“Welcome, Melchior.”

Two days ago, I had received word that Melchior would be visiting the temple to check on his room. His noble and temple attendants were busy discussing the matter, so I got him to offer two small feystones’ worth of mana to a divine instrument; he needed to begin with smaller amounts that wouldn’t place too great a strain on his body.

Once the mana offering was complete, we drank tea together—leaving Melchior with an empty stomach would put him at risk of collapsing. In all things, negligence was one’s greatest foe.

“The Othmar Company has sent a chef to be trained,” I said. “He is currently at work in my kitchen, but he will start making food in yours once he has learned the fundamentals.”

“Right. Also, I asked Father whether I could come with you for Spring Prayer. He said that I’m not allowed to stay overnight.”

We needed carriages to transport our temple attendants, as well as ingredients and chefs to prepare them. It was costing enough time and money to prepare Melchior’s chambers in the temple, so Sylvester had decided against spending even more to give him Spring Prayer accommodation.

Plus, he barely has any retainers his age.

Melchior had three elder siblings, so there weren’t many student retainers left over for him to choose from. As I recalled, there were only two, both of whom were younger than I.

He continued, “I thought that riding on my retainer’s highbeast and coming back the same day would be enough to get his permission, but he asked how I planned to go without ceremonial robes to wear. Wilfried told me I can just borrow your blue robes, but... Can I...?”

“You can, but they’re covered in flowers. Wilfried got his own robes made just so that he wouldn’t need to wear them.”

“Oh... Flowers,” Melchior repeated. He made a strange face, then appeared to steel his resolve as he said, “Please lend them to me. Charlotte said that, once I start participating in ceremonies, we’ll be working too hard for me to sit back and observe. She told me I should take this opportunity to watch you perform, since there’s so much I can learn from you.”

Wait, what? Charlotte’s praising me?! Melchior sees me as a role model?!

It was settled, then: I needed to try extra hard. I got Monika to fetch the carefully stored blue robes, then lent them to Melchior.

“So I can watch the ceremonies now?” he asked.

“That’s right,” I said. “Be sure to watch closely. You’re the next High Bishop, after all.”

Days after Melchior’s visit, Frietack was released. I climbed into my highbeast and headed to the Knight’s Order for the handover, then flew him back to the temple. Kampfer seemed more pleased about having his colleague resume his old workload than Frietack did about having avoided punishment.

Frietack thus became a blue priest who would need to earn his own money instead of receiving support from his house. He wasn’t going to be much worse off, though—not when he was receiving funding from the aub, income from the Harvest Festival, money for his work, and a little extra for transcribing books I borrowed from the Royal Academy. That realization only made him more determined to work his hardest.

This year, because he hadn’t been afforded any time to prepare, Frietack was going to stay at the temple and do desk work instead of participating in Spring Prayer.

“After we leave, Wilfried and Charlotte will come to fetch chalices,” I said. “Please ensure they receive them.”

Wilfried and Charlotte were going to be visiting all of the provinces except Kirnberger. Frietack’s duty was to give them the chalices they would require. It wouldn’t be too complicated—every count received three, every viscount two, and every baron one—but he was likely feeling very tense about interacting with the archducal family. Hartmut would have managed this without issue, but he was absent at the moment; he had gone with his family and Clarissa to the border gate to apologize to Frenbeltag and collect his bride-to-be’s luggage.

The temple was going to be busier than ever during Spring Prayer, so I had contacted Florencia and asked her to return Philine to the temple for that period. I wasn’t sure how Philine would feel about that; apparently, she was overjoyed to be doing transcriptions again.

I totally understand. Transcribing is so much more fun than normal work, isn’t it?

Philine and Clarissa were meeting me in my library every now and then to give me reports, and it was clear to me that they were working hard. As an adult, Clarissa was going to be attending the Archduke Conference, so she was trying to memorize as many documents that might help her negotiate with Dunkelfelger as she could.

“For your sake, Lady Rozemyne, I will pour my heart and soul into ensuring that Ehrenfest receives the most favorable terms,” she had said.

Clarissa was fishing through papers with an almost demonic countenance and asking questions about even the slightest concerns, and her enthusiasm was apparently contagious. Philine told me that Clarissa had a habit of delving into the most trivial-seeming details, which was really influencing the younger scholars.

Philine couldn’t attend the Archduke Conference, so she was primarily taking care of day-to-day matters. They weren’t too unlike the work she did in the temple, so she wasn’t having much trouble with them. She also had plenty of opportunities to converse with Rihyarda, through which she had found out about a fairly intense shouting match between Wilfried and Sylvester the other day. Rihyarda had said that such behavior was normal for boys who were Wilfried’s age, but she was still very worried.

I wonder... is Wilfried going through a rebellious phase?

I was already well aware of how annoying boys could get when they reached a certain age—my time as Urano had made sure of that. It probably wasn’t the same for all boys, but they tended to adopt razor-sharp attitudes. It really made me not want to be around them.

As always, Spring Prayer began with my seeing off the carriages. In them were my attendants, gray priests, chefs, food, and clothes. I watched as they shrank into the distance, while Dad and a bunch of other soldiers guarded them.

Hasse’s monastery had already received word from the Plantin Company that Melchior was due to visit. Everyone there was presumably busy with their preparations.

From there, I returned to the High Bishop’s chambers. Kampfer came to see me before leaving for the Central District; I gave him a mana-packed feystone and the big chalice, then saw him off.

It wasn’t until after lunch that Melchior and his retainers arrived and we started toward Hasse. Accompanying me in my Pandabus were Melchior, one of his guard knights, Fran, Angelica, and a box of potions.

Damuel and Angelica were guarding me for this year’s Spring Prayer. Cornelius had wanted to come too, but I’d ordered him to prepare his estate for his new life with Leonore. He had tried to argue that I needed to bring as many guards as possible during this tumultuous period, but there wouldn’t be enough rooms to accommodate so many noble knights, and I refused to listen to anyone complain about being “too close to commoners.”

Cornelius really wanted to prioritize my safety over preparing his estate, but I wasn’t going to accept that. For good measure, I told him to return home to see Aurelia and her baby, then speak to Lamprecht about the current situation with Wilfried.

Being in Lessy meant our surroundings passed in the blink of an eye, and it wasn’t long at all before we arrived at Hasse.

“Is that Hasse?” Melchior asked. “It’s surprisingly close.”

“It feels that way when traveling by highbeast,” I said, “but carriages take a detour around the forest, so their journey takes much longer. On foot, it would take half a day.”

I slowly began to descend while repeating what my attendants had said about the trip. The weather was good, so the plaza had already been prepared, and the citizens were all there waiting for us.

We landed in the plaza to excited cheers and fervent waving—a reaction that took Melchior by surprise. I prompted him to climb out of my Pandabus, then headed up to the stage to meet with the mayor.

“Lady Rozemyne,” Richt intoned. “We have been waiting for you.”

We exchanged greetings, then I said, “Richt, this is my little brother Melchior. He is here today to observe the ceremony.” I told Melchior where to stand, then signaled Fran with a nod.

“Spring Prayer shall now begin,” Fran announced. “Town chiefs, come to the stage.”

Five people holding lidded, ten-liter buckets ascended the stage... and then faltered. The large golden chalice—that divine instrument known to all—was nowhere to be seen. They looked between me and where the chalice should have been, clearly troubled.

I stood atop the stand and chanted, “Erdegral.” At once, the “missing” chalice appeared, and many of the spectators cried out in surprise—not just the people of Hasse but also the noble retainers who hadn’t participated in the Royal Academy’s Dedication Ritual. I paid them no mind and started praying to Flutrane.

“O Goddess of Water Flutrane, bringer of healing and change. O twelve goddesses who serve by her side...”

The chalice flashed with golden light as I poured my mana into it. I continued the prayer, channeling mana into the vessel all the while.

“The Goddess of Earth Geduldh has been freed from the God of Life Ewigeliebe. I pray that you grant your younger sister the power to birth new life. I offer to you our joy and songs of glee. I offer to you our prayers and gratitude, so that we may be blessed with your purifying protection. I ask that you fill all the lives upon the wide mortal realm with your divine color.”

Fran then tilted the chalice and, as we had done the years before, poured a radiant green liquid into the town chiefs’ buckets.

“Praise be to Geduldh the Goddess of Earth and Flutrane the Goddess of Water!”

Yep. Homemade chalices work just fine.

I gave a satisfied nod, then noticed that Melchior was watching me with concerned eyes. “Rozemyne,” he said, “am I going to be able to make a chalice by next year?”

“Absolutely not,” I replied. “You must first obtain a schtappe at the Royal Academy. Besides, there is no need for you to learn to make chalices; Wilfried and Charlotte both use the divine instrument in the temple to perform their ceremonies.”

Amused, I produced my Pandabus and climbed inside. Melchior followed with his guard knights. It was a direct path from here to the monastery.

“We offered our mana to the divine instrument the other day, remember?” I said. “If you make such offerings on a regular basis while praying to the gods, then the divine instrument’s magic circle will appear in your head whenever you wish to use it. There are some among my retainers who have learned to use the instruments themselves.”

“I can make Leidenschaft’s spear now,” Angelica interjected, her voice tinged with pride. She couldn’t maintain the instrument for very long, but she wanted to use it to perform the blessing ceremony. Her hopes and dreams didn’t end there, though—she also wanted to use that same spear to one day defeat Bonifatius. It was good to know that she had a lofty ambition to work toward.

“If you want to wield divine instruments yourself, Melchior, then you will need to work hard to compress your mana,” I said. “But offerings and prayer come first.”

“I’ll do my best!” Melchior exclaimed, brimming with determination. It was a good, honest answer.

Upon our arrival at the monastery, everyone came out to welcome us. I introduced Melchior, then we all went inside. The attendants would be preparing our rooms, so I decided to give a quick tour.

“Are there not any children here?” Melchior asked.

I shook my head. “Even the youngest apprentices are close to coming of age.”

We often only exchanged adults between Hasse and Ehrenfest, and even the former Hasse orphan Marthe was now close to coming of age. In other words, Melchior would struggle to find another kid.

“As a result of us archduke candidates circling the Central District, the harvest improved, and parents no longer found themselves needing to abandon their children,” I explained. “Had the winter purge not happened, I imagine there wouldn’t have been many children in Ehrenfest’s orphanage either.”

“Oh, I see...”

I showed Melchior the boys’ building where the soldiers were preparing to sleep, the workshop and its operations, then finally the great fields where the monastery farmed tasty vegetables.

“Melchior, this is your first time seeing a farm, is it not?” I asked. “This is how the produce you eat is grown. Vegetables from Hasse’s fields are positively delicious, and all sorts of goods can be gathered in the nearby forest. On that note, I think gathering in the noble forest would be a good experience for you.”

After finishing our casual tour, we went inside and had tea. The nobles and soldiers were seated at separate tables, but Melchior’s retainers looked surprised that we were even sharing the same dining hall. Their eyes kept flitting between Dad and the other soldiers’ tables and our own.

“Priests have separate quarters in the winter mansions and the summer estates of giebes,” I said, “but here in Hasse, we all eat together.”

“At the very least, could they not eat at another time...?” one of Melchior’s guard knights asked.

I gazed up at him with a smile. “Their opinions are much too valuable for that. It was here that I spoke with the soldiers and asked for their support in ensuring that the lower city’s entwickeln succeeded.”

Melchior’s indigo eyes began to sparkle. His ravenous desire to be useful meant he was hanging on my every word.

“It was our father who made this place,” I said to him. “One of Aub Ehrenfest’s finest points is that he actually acknowledged the opinions of the people I encountered across the Central District and in this monastery. Rather than disregarding the commoners for being beneath him, he used their perspectives to strengthen the duchy. You would do well to emulate his good traits and become a High Bishop who can understand and draw value from the opinions of commoners, even after I depart.”

Melchior nodded solemnly.